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That collective shriek of joy you’re hearing from the BeyHive? Beyoncé and Jay Z are expecting twins. Beyoncé, the cultural and music powerhouse, dropped the news in an Instagram post on Wednesday afternoon with a picture showing her cradling a baby bump: The announcement was yet another example of the Beyoncé’s penchant for tightly controlling her own narrative. She revealed she was pregnant in 2011 with a knowing belly rub at the MTV Video Music Awards, after a spirited performance of “Love on Top” — and a microphone drop. (A quick camera cut to Jay Z, born Shawn Carter, smiling as Kanye West shook his rapper friend by the shoulders confirmed the message.) Their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, was born on Jan. 7, 2012. While Beyoncé is famously averse to interviews and rarely discusses her personal life without setting the terms, she put the spotlight on her marriage with the release last year of the album and HBO film “Lemonade. ” It told the story of a struggling relationship, including explicit infidelity and, eventually, reconciliation. Many assumed the songs’ lyrics — which ranged from heartbroken to defiant to forgiving — were autobiographical, though the couple never revealed how much of the story was based in reality. (In her 2013 documentary, “Life Is But a Dream,” Beyoncé discussed having an earlier miscarriage. “About two years ago, I was pregnant for the first time,” she said. “I flew back to New York to get my checkup — and no heartbeat. ” Jay Z alluded to the experience in his song “Glory. ”) “Lemonade” is nominated for a leading nine Grammy Awards at the ceremony to be held on Feb. 12. Beyoncé is also scheduled to headline the second night of the Coachella festival in the California desert on April 15 and April 22. Things seem to be going well for the couple now — Beyoncé’s Instagram post was signed, “The Carters. ” The pair’s fervent and loyal fans responded with typical enthusiasm to the announcement: Twitter said more than half a million tweets were sent about the pregnancy within 45 minutes. Some Coachella ticket holders wondered about the status of Beyoncé’s scheduled performance. A representative for the singer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Jay Z and Beyoncé are not the only musical duo with baby news. Pharrell Williams and his wife, Helen Lasichanh, recently welcomed triplets, according to reports. | 0 |
US Warplane Attacked School Near Iraqi Mosul, Casualties Reported "The number of civilian casualties will only increase." | October 28, 2016 Be Sociable, Share! A group of young Turks stage an anti-US protest outside the Parliament before a visit by US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter in Ankara, Turkey, Frday, Oct. 21, 2016. Carter met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other top leaders and defense officials in Ankara amid escalating tensions between Turkey and Iraq over Turkish military operations in northern Iraq as allied forces move to retake Mosul from ISIS.
A US Air Force jet attacked a school near the Iraqi city of Mosul, the Russian General Staff said.
“There are new cases of [US-led] coalition’s airstrikes on civilian targets. On October 24, US Air Force’s tactical aircraft launched missile and bomb strikes on a school building in the village of Tall Kayf located 14 kilometers north of Mosul at 3:35. As a result of the strike, there are dead and wounded,” Lt. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, chief of the Russian General Staff Main Operational Directorate, said. “The activity of the coalition’s strikes in this [residential] area has been further intensified, including using B-52 strategic bombers,” Rudskoy added.
“The number of civilian casualties will only increase,” Rudskoy noted.
On October 25, the Russian General Staff said that more than 60 civilians had been killed and 200 wounded in coalition airstrikes on Mosul residential districts during the last three days. | 0 |
This morning, the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments in United States v. Texas, a challenge to President Obama’s attempts to grand relief from mass deportation to undocumented immigrants. Emily Bazelon, a staff writer for the magazine, and Eric Posner, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School, have been exchanging emails about what’s at stake in the case and how the court might approach its decision. Hi, Eric, As its name suggests, United States v. Texas, the blockbuster immigration case that the Supreme Court will hear this morning, pits federal executive power against state authority. The case also pits the Obama administration’s view — that it’s time to grant relief from deportation to a substantial fraction of the country’s 11 million undocumented immigrants — against conservative opposition to any reform that smacks of amnesty. If you like Donald Trump’s wall, you probably won’t like Obama’s program. The doubts about it aren’t confined to the border: Joining Texas in challenging the president are 25 other states. The case is obviously drenched in politics. Back in his first term, when immigration reform appeared to have a shot in Congress, President Obama said, “With respect to the notion that I can just suspend deportations through executive order, that’s just not the case. ” But after Congress failed to pass the Dream Act, which would have provided a path to permanent residency for undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children, in the summer of 2012 Obama found the executive power he previously denied having and signed an order called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival, modeled on the Dream Act. More than a million people qualified. In 2014, the Department of Homeland Security expanded DACA and added DAPA (Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents) making as many as four million more people eligible to stay here and work if they met certain requirements, including having no criminal record. There’s a view of these orders, which you’ve expressed in the past: The government chooses how to enforce laws, and whom to deport, all the time. It’s called prosecutorial discretion. Obama’s orders merely formalized one form of that, allowing millions of people to breathe easier and to plan, while allowing the government to retain the power to make determinations and exceptions. By announcing a new route to permanent residency, the Obama administration didn’t write a new law or even substantially change an old one. The president’s order merely led to a kind of news bulletin from the Department of Homeland Security (or a “general statement of policy,” in the language of administrative law) to let the public know that its enforcement priorities had changed. There’s also a less sanguine view of DACA and DAPA: When Obama signed these orders after failing to get his plan through Congress, he acted dictatorially — or at the very least, expanded his executive authority at the expense of Congress, a bad habit in a democracy that depends on the separation of powers. Obama’s critics also accuse him of wielding his magic pen for partisan gain. In 2008 and 2012, Latinos voted for him in high numbers, with high hopes, only to watch him preside over a record number of deportations. relief is Obama’s bid to spruce up his legacy with a key voting bloc, one that Democrats need to win in November. This political debate intersects with some of the legal arguments before the Supreme Court. Texas says the president has failed to fulfill his constitutional obligation to “faithfully execute” federal immigration law. (This obligation comes from the charmingly named Take Care Clause in Article II.) Am I right that the Supreme Court hasn’t often laid out what it means for the president to “faithfully execute” a dense body of law, like the statutes that set immigration policy? It’s the kind of concept that could become a bottomless pit, if the court jumps in. Where does prosecutorial discretion end and unfaithful execution begin? I wonder if the court included this question for review in part, at least, at the urging of Justice Antonin Scalia, and whether his death leaves his colleagues with a diminished appetite for answering it. What do you think? Emily Hi, Emily, It’s hard to make sense of this case. The idea that the president can refrain from enforcing the law is baked into the Constitution that is what the separation of powers means. To protect us from the might of the federal government, the founders agreed that any coercive action must be authorized both by Congress (which passes a law) and the executive (which enforces it). Anything else is “tyranny. ” Thomas Jefferson himself called off prosecutors who were enforcing the Sedition Act, a law that prohibited criticism of the federal government. Moreover, both DAPA and DACA largely codified the longstanding practice of Democratic and Republican presidents. Because Congress has never given immigration authorities enough money to catch and deport all undocumented immigrants, presidents have sensibly chosen to direct or allow agencies to focus resources on criminals and other dangerous people — not on children, the elderly and others who stay out of trouble. It is true that DAPA and DACA also entitle beneficiaries to work permits, welfare benefits and the like, but the immigration law itself authorizes the executive branch to confer those benefits on anyone whom it decides not to deport, for whatever reason. Many critics have cited the “Take Care” clause of the Constitution, which, as you say, directs the president to “faithfully execute” the laws. But if Congress deprives the president of the resources necessary to deport everyone, then the president faithfully executes the laws by executing the ones he can afford to execute. In law as in ethics, “ought” implies “can. ” But this case does reflect deep and understandable anxieties about our constitutional system in an age of political polarization. Republicans have woken up to the alarming powers of the president to make policy by choosing which laws to enforce, and how much. The founders did not anticipate the growth of the federal bureaucracy, which enables the president to make policy by emphasizing some programs and neglecting others. Republicans are right that the question of who gets to stay in the country is traditionally a policy matter for Congress — and when millions of people are affected by a unilateral decision by the president, we might be troubled about the magnitude of the president’s power. The administration’s response — that Congress has authorized DAPA and DACA by giving the president so much discretion in the first place — is a legalistic argument that avoids rather than addresses the problem. The Democrats, by contrast, have woken up to the weakness of Congress. The rules and traditions of that august body give small groups of representatives, acting on behalf of a tiny segment of the population, the power to block reform that nearly everyone agrees is needed. Here, too, we detect the fingerprints of the founders, who feared tyranny by legislative majorities. But the founders expected state governments to do most of the governing in the modern era, vast swaths of policy have been given over to the feds. For most of our history, majorities in Congress bought off the minority with logrolling, pork and the like. But in recent decades, complex demographic and institutional changes have yielded a polarized Congress in which payoffs are hard to arrange. In the face of congressional paralysis, the public — most of it — looks to the president to solve its problems, enabling the president to call upon his latent legal powers with full force. This naturally enhances support for the president among his constituency and magnifies the distrust of his opponents, causing further polarization. Can the Supreme Court clean up this mess? Definitely not. The judges on the lower courts — a judge, and two Circuit Court judges who outvoted a colleague — held that the president should have gone through the administrative procedure called . If the Supreme Court upholds this ruling, it won’t shift the balance of the power back to Congress it will simply make it somewhat more for the president to exert his or her will. Only if the Supreme Court announces broad and unprecedented restrictions on the president’s discretion to enforce the law could the ruling impose a meaningful constraint on future presidents — and the court won’t do that. The liberal justices can block a ruling with precedential effect by ensuring a tie that would uphold the lower court’s decision but not create new constitutional restrictions on the president. We could even see a vote in favor of the president, with Chief Justice Roberts joining the liberals in an opinion that reverses the lower court and leaves our creaky system of governance intact. He may think that a powerful president — even a powerful liberal president — is not as big of a problem as a government that doesn’t work. Eric Hi, Eric, I suspect the court’s four (Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan) will reject Texas’s challenge, as you predict. They were a remarkably disciplined voting bloc last term, and they must be emboldened by the court’s new composition, which evens the ideological sides. I wouldn’t count Roberts’s vote yet, though. You’re right that he cares about the court’s institutional reputation, and he has become a whipping boy of the right for his two votes to uphold Obamacare. But the idea that Roberts is a traitor to the conservative movement is hugely unfair to him. His votes for Obamacare served the interests of the Republican Party, even if many of its leaders can’t admit it, by preventing another hugely divisive fight over how to replace Obamacare. The G. O. P. is much better at calling for its demise than at explaining what would come next. Roberts has also come through for the right in cases with a clearer payoff for Republicans, like his decision to strike down a crucial element of the Voting Rights Act. If he can deny a prize to Latinos that they fought for, and that President Obama promised them, he could do more than hand the Democrats a defeat. He could disillusion a crucial voting group that historically has low rates of voter registration and turnout. Roberts could do this with a decision that affirms the Fifth Circuit’s decision, 4 to 4. A tie would set no national precedent, but it would avoid handing the Democrats a victory. I suppose it’s possible that a split along party lines at the court, with the effect of killing DACA and DAPA, could fuel the naturalization and drives among Latinos that have already begun. Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders could use it as one more argument against electing Donald Trump or Ted Cruz: Don’t put filling the next Supreme Court vacancy (or the current one?) in their hands. But I’m skeptical. Fairly or unfairly, I think this will resonate more deeply as Obama’s unfulfilled promise. If the Supreme Court says Obama blew it, the majority will write an opinion that makes it look as if he’s to blame. It’s also possible that the justices could decide this case in Obama’s favor by deciding that Texas and the other states lack standing to sue, because the president’s immigration policy doesn’t cause them harm. That argument has a certain appeal. The real power struggle, as we’ve discussed, is between the president and Congress. So why give the states center stage in the fight? Texas argues that it has standing because it will suffer the harm of paying for driver’s licenses for the people entitled to them because of the president’s order. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit agreed. But immigration is an arena in which courts generally give the feds far more latitude than the states, for the sake of national sovereignty and coherent, unified policy making. What do you think? Emily Hi, Emily, Standing doctrine is a famously incoherent area of the law. The doctrine started off innocently enough, as a means of making sure that the right people brought disputes to a court. If I run over your dog, then you can bring a suit against me. Your neighbor can’t, even if he loves your dog or belongs to the A. S. P. C. A. In the law’s view, I haven’t injured him you have standing to sue me, but if you don’t bother, he doesn’t have standing to sue in your place. (Nor does your dog, for what it’s worth.) When the government acts, however, things become more complicated. If a police officer runs over your dog, you have standing to sue (and your neighbor still doesn’t). But what if the government refuses to deport undocumented immigrants who loiter in your neighborhood, and you think the president has violated the Take Care clause or some other law? Can you sue now? No, says the courts: you haven’t suffered an injury. Maybe you feel injured, but the injury isn’t “individualized” because it’s shared by others, it doesn’t count for standing. With a bunch of exceptions not relevant here, citizens can’t sue the government for doing things they don’t like, or not doing the things they want to see done — and this is true even if it turns out that the government’s actions or inactions violate the law. The “injury” analysis becomes more complicated for governments. Is Texas “injured” if the federal government refuses to deport undocumented immigrants on Texas soil even though no specific Texan is? Is an injury that is general to all Texans “individualized” to Texas? Maybe or maybe not. In the 2007 case Massachusetts v. E. P. A. the Supreme Court tried to clear this up. The court held that Massachusetts had standing to sue the Environmental Protection Agency in order to compel it to issue regulations (but not, unlike in our case, to actually enforce the law against violators). What was the injury that gave Massachusetts standing? Rising sea levels, which will erode Massachusetts’ territory, said the Court. Citing this case, the Fifth Circuit majority in our current case argued that the cost of supplying driver’s licenses would erode Texas’s budget. The dissenting judge argued that in the Massachusetts case, the Supreme Court relied on a special provision of the Clean Air Act that authorizes lawsuits there is nothing similar in immigration law. Nor did she think that shuffling around items in the state budget is the sort of injury that the Supreme Court had in mind for standing. Whomever the Supreme Court sides with, the interesting thing here is the way in which the usual ideological lines have been scrambled by this case. Conservatives normally want to limit standing, to keep busybody liberal groups from using lawsuits to compel agencies to regulate. Liberals usually go in the other direction. The Texas case is a rare one in which an effort is made to stop the government from conferring a benefit. Now it’s the conservatives who want to bring suit. Not surprisingly, in the Fifth Circuit, it was the liberal dissenter who argued that Texas lacked standing and the conservative majority that argued that Texas possessed standing. Did I mention that commentators are skeptical about how courts use standing doctrine? Justice Roberts, who dissented in Massachusetts v. E. P. A. argued in his opinion that Massachusetts lacked standing because it couldn’t really connect the dots from E. P. A. ’s failure to regulate and the disappearance of another chunk of Cape Cod into the Atlantic Ocean. He complained bitterly about the majority’s statement that Massachusetts’ “ ” interests entitled it to “special solicitude” in standing analysis. “The constitutional role of the courts,” he thundered, “is to decide concrete cases — not to serve as a convenient forum for policy debates. ” The Texas case, which puts the court in a difficult position if it wants to avoid being embroiled in a serious political fight, gives him an opportunity to tell his colleagues, “I told you so!” Some people think Justice Roberts plays the long game, accepting losses for Republicans in order to establish principles that will advance conservative goals in the long term. If so, he could offer the liberals a fifth vote for the president in return for an opinion that shrinks standing doctrine back to its ’’Massachusetts’’ size. This tempting bit of legal jujitsu might just do the trick. Eric | 1 |
How Much Of A Political Junkie Are You? Posted today Sure, you might think you’re hot stuff by being able to name one of the presidential candidates. But can you attain true political-junkie status? Find out below. 1. Check off every behavior that describes you: In between elections, I just stay in the voting booth. I put a penny in a jar every time I think about Congress. As Electoral College results come in, I like to bruise or burn the states in the map of America tattooed on my chest. I know all nine issues, including Environment, Big Fiscals, Fighting, the Lantern Question, and Shipping Glue Overseas. I spent my college summer vacations camped out on the Washington mall, just in case I could hear any laws being yelled about. I love looking at election maps and imagining what they’d look like back in the Pangea days. I am always looking high and low for politics. I describe Google as “the website that takes you to Poltico.com.” I am fifth in the line of presidential succession. My idea of a fun Friday night is filling a bathtub with warm maple syrup and feathers to give myself a big mess to clean up while I think about politics. I can name any senator from the past three decades, and I can tell you whether or not they have an outie belly button. Wolf Blitzer is near me. I have an unopened case of Paul Ryan’s old energy drink, Konkrete Kik. I wouldn’t tell America’s enemies how many electoral votes Maryland has, even if I were being tortured. Every four years for three months, people avoid me like the plague. Get results Results for How Much Of A Political Junkie Are You? You Are An Out-Of-Control, Borderline Psychotic Political Junkie. You're clearly so obsessed with politics that when you see the CNN “BREAKING NEWS” bumper, your whole body convulses in dry, silent near-orgasm. Sorry this election is about to be over, because you need this bullshit to live! Share Your Results | 0 |
24 Views October 30, 2016 GOLD , KWN King World News
Nomi Prins, who meets with people from the Federal Reserve, IMF, World Bank, foreign central banks and high-raking government officials across the globe, just warned when the system crashes time time, it will crash harder. Nomi Prins warned people should keep cash out of the banking system.
When It Crashes, It Crashes Harder Nomi Prins: “The financial system is fragile. It (the crackup) has been contained for 8 going on what will be 9 years of cheap money, bond subsidization, banking subsidization, and of a codependency that is very fragile. I don’t know when that gives. I’ve tried to guess this throughout the years, but the point is that it only increases in its tension and its (ultimate) downfall with every day that it’s been subsidized artificially…
Continue reading the Nomi Prins interview below… Advertisement To hear which company investors and institutions around the globe are flocking to that has one of the best gold & silver purchase & storage platforms in the world click on the logo:
So all I can say is that when it crashes it crashes harder the longer we wait for that crash. I don’t know when that date will be, but that’s what we’re dealing with right now.”
Eric King: “Nomi, people around the world will send in emails (to KWN) saying, ‘I want to be protected when this crash unfolds that so many of your guests have warned about.’ What can they do to try to be outside of the system? I know we’ve talked about this in the past but what are some concrete things that are simple that people can do to try to sidestep that dislocation, that ultimate unwind? Because when they have to introduce a new financial system, if you are trapped inside the old one you are probably not going to get a very good transition, right?”
Nomi Prins: “No, and that’s why I’ve talked about trying to be as liquid as possible and keep cash out of banks because when the system seizes up, unlike the last crash, unlike the last crisis, it’s…To continue listening to the remarkable KWN audio interview with Nomi Prins CLICK HERE OR ON THE IMAGE BELOW.
***KWN has also released Rick Rule’s timely audio interview CLICK HERE OR ON THE IMAGE BELOW.
***ALSO RELEASED: Update From The New Orleans Investment Conference CLICK HERE.
© 2015 by King World News®. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. However, linking directly to the articles is permitted and encouraged. About author | 0 |
SAN FRANCISCO — When Jeremy Hitchcock raised money for his technology in 2012, he barely had to break a sweat. He was flooded with emails from venture capitalists who wanted in. Two months after meeting an investor over cocktails at a technology conference, he scored $38 million. But last year, as valuations of tech wobbled and public tech stocks gyrated, Mr. Hitchcock, 34, was faced with a different dynamic. As he tried to garner new capital for his company Dyn, which monitors and reroutes Internet traffic, potential investors peppered him with questions others had once glossed over. How would Dyn produce a return for them? Did Dyn have the size and scale to go public? Dyn announced this month that it had raised $50 million from a private equity firm. But as part of the discussion, Mr. Hitchcock, who has not run a public company, agreed to step down as chief executive so Dyn could find a leader skilled in developing a business. “The talks were much more thorough” with investors this time, Mr. Hitchcock said, adding that he had been thinking about resigning as chief executive before the round. The balance of power is shifting across tech land. Not long ago, entrepreneurs had the upper hand. With investors eager to get a piece of the next Uber or Airbnb, entrepreneurs often just lifted their little fingers to get financing. Some investors let the entrepreneurs choose their own terms, while others gave paydays to founders long before their companies were a success. Now investors have the advantage. Instead of venture capitalists begging to be allowed to invest, entrepreneurs are coming to them begging for cash. Investors are exerting their newfound power by asking more questions about a ’s prospects and taking more time to invest. Some are pushing for management changes or for financing terms that would help cushion any losses they might face. “Venture capitalists are putting founders through everything short of a proctology exam before they invest,” said Venky Ganesan, a partner at Menlo Ventures, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. The changing balance of power is evident in the numbers. Venture capitalists have put less money into in the United States in the last two quarters, according to the National Venture Capital Association funding dropped 11 percent to $12. 1 billion in the first quarter from a year earlier. With a smaller capital pie, entrepreneurs have to work harder for a piece. Investors have also been better able to negotiate financing terms that benefit them. According to a survey from the law firm Fenwick West, investors of richly valued have been getting more provisions such as guaranteed payouts and minimum investment gains. Such terms are still relatively rare, but tend to become more common after the number and size of deals decline, said Barry Kramer, a Fenwick West partner. Above all, investors are no longer paying any price to invest in a . Since the beginning of this year, about 30 companies have had to settle for lower valuations than they previously received when they raised money, according to the research firm CB Insights. That is nearly as many as in all of 2015. “Investors have materially more time to do diligence than before,” said Ben Ling, a partner at venture capital firm Khosla Ventures. “Across our portfolio, even for the best companies, is a longer process. ” Mr. Ling added that while particularly strong companies were being funded as always, valuations for others were generally flat to about 20 percent lower than this time last year. One whose valuation was recently reduced was CARD. com, an online banking . The Los company closed a $5. 5 million financing round in February that valued it lower than its last funding round in December 2014, something known in industry parlance as a down round. Ben Katz, CARD. com’s chief executive, said it was growing by 3, 000 new accounts a day, had its first month with $1 million in revenue in February and should have $1 billion in new deposits this year. Even so, Mr. Katz, 37, was pragmatic about taking money at a lower valuation. “Entrepreneurs shouldn’t be too stressed by a down round as long as they are getting the capital they need to build their vision,” he said. Venture capital firms that might have invested outside of their comfort zone in boom times have now reverted to form, said Justin Langseth, chief executive of Zoomdata, a data analytics . When he tried to raise money at the end of last year, many venture capitalists deemed Zoomdata, which is four years old, too big or too small for their liking, he said. “Before, they would have probably tried to stretch to accommodate a company of my size,” said Mr. Langseth, 41, who landed $25 million from a group led by Goldman Sachs in February. As venture capitalists have become pickier, some entrepreneurs are looking for money from nontraditional financiers. Jon Stein, who runs the financial advisory Betterment, found that many venture capitalists were telegraphing that they wanted a piece of his company for a lower price. So he looked beyond venture capitalists, turning to a Swedish investment firm, Kinnevik, to lead his ’s latest financing of $100 million. Mr. Stein, 36, said some were postponing in the hope that they would have more leverage later. “They’re trying to build more traction,” he said. With the shifting power balance come shifting messages from investors. Whereas investors once worshiped growth at nearly any cost at a many are now more concerned about profitability, entrepreneurs said. Justin Yoshimura, 25, who invests in young companies and is chairman of the online jewelry business Ice. com, said his had generally eschewed raising large amounts of money to control spending. Yet some investors in recent years encouraged him and the companies he has invested in to take a lot of money and spend it on marketing and other growth tactics. Now he is bemused to hear that investors are suggesting smaller rounds, less spending and a focus on not losing money. “Everyone told us we were wrong last year, that we needed to spend,” Mr. Yoshimura said. “Now when you say you’re profitable, everyone wants to invest. ” | 1 |
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Although Hillary Clinton has repeatedly denied that she sold weapons to the Islamic Stats while serving as Secretary of State, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange claims he has proof to the contrary.
Thepoliticalinsider.com reported: In Obama’s second term, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton authorized the shipment of American-made arms to Qatar, a country beholden to the Muslim Brotherhood, and friendly to the Libyan rebels, in an effort to topple the Libyan/Gaddafi government, and then ship those arms to Syria in order to fund Al Qaeda, and topple Assad in Syria.
Clinton took the lead role in organizing the so-called “Friends of Syria” (aka Al Qaeda/ISIS) to back the CIA-led insurgency for regime change in Syria.
Under oath Hillary Clinton denied she knew about the weapons shipments during public tesrce. | 0 |
A investigation into generic drug prices took its most significant turn yet on Thursday, as state attorneys general accused two industry leaders, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Mylan, and four smaller companies of engaging in brazen schemes — and promised that more charges were coming. A civil complaint filed by 20 states accuses the companies of conspiring to artificially inflate prices on an antibiotic and a diabetes drug, with executives coordinating through informal industry gatherings and personal calls and text messages. Officials said the case was a small example of broader problems in the drug business. “We believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg,” George C. Jepsen, Connecticut’s attorney general, whose office started the inquiry that led to the charges, said in an interview on Thursday. “I stress that our investigation is continuing, and it goes way beyond the two drugs in this lawsuit, and it involves many more companies than are in this lawsuit. ” The accusations, as well as continuing investigations at the state and federal levels, have left a cloud of uncertainty over the industry. While several other big generic drug companies have received subpoenas, it is unclear where the inquiries will eventually lead. The generic drug business is already on the defensive and struggling to recover from a barrage of public criticism in the past year over high prices. The complaint on Thursday describes a cozy industry culture defined by regular dinners and social outings, and argues that those events often cross the line to violate antitrust rules. Generic drug makers hoping to begin selling a new drug first seek out rivals, the suit says, in hopes of reaching an agreement on how to maintain market share and avoid competing on price. “These agreements had the effect of artificially maintaining high prices for a large number of generic drugs and creating an appearance of competition when in fact none existed,” the lawsuit says. Teva, an Israeli drug maker, is the world’s largest manufacturer of generic medicines. Mylan faced intense criticism this year after it sharply raised prices on EpiPen, a severe allergy treatment. The charges filed on Thursday are not related to EpiPen, a branded product that has little competition. Both Teva and Mylan, the suit says, engaged in anticompetitive behavior, but not with each other — coordinating instead with smaller companies. A Teva spokeswoman said, “We have not found evidence that would give rise to any civil or criminal liability. ” A spokeswoman for Mylan offered a similar statement, saying the company knew of “no evidence that Mylan participated in . ” The suit’s focus is two drugs, a form of the antibiotic treatment doxycycline hyclate, and glyburide, a commonly used diabetes drug. The price of doxycycline has surged in recent years, and it was singled out by members of Congress and others as a prime example of unexplained price increases for generic drugs. One form of doxycycline, for example, went from an average market price of $20 for a bottle of 500 pills in October 2013 to an average market price of $1, 849 in April 2014, according to a congressional report. The suit filed by the attorneys general says the investigation began in Connecticut in July 2014 and “uncovered evidence of a broad, and series of schemes to fix the prices and allocate markets for a number of generic pharmaceuticals in the United States. ” On Wednesday, federal prosecutors made similar claims against two former executives at Heritage Pharmaceuticals, a small company, accusing them of engaging in a scheme for the same two drugs. Heritage was also one of the companies named in the complaint on Thursday. That complaint, in Federal District Court in Connecticut, identifies Heritage as the “principal architect and ringleader” of the activities involving the two drugs, and said that employees of the company, including the two former executives, Jeffrey Glazer and Jason Malek, contacted competing companies and sought to make illegal deals over pricing before entering the market for the two drugs. Heritage fired Mr. Glazer, the former chief executive, and Mr. Malek, a former president, in August and is suing the two men, claiming that they “looted” tens of millions of dollars from the company. Heritage, which has said it is cooperating with the authorities, declined to comment on the lawsuit filed Thursday. Other companies named in the suit, including Aurobindo Pharma, Citron Pharma and Mayne Pharma, did not reply to requests for comment. The court actions this week could have wide implications, particularly if, as officials suggest, they are just the beginning. More than 80 percent of all prescriptions dispensed in the United States are for generic drugs, which have been credited with saving consumers and taxpayers billions of dollars by introducing competing products to a drug losing patent protection. “It blows that entire assumption out of the water when you hear that generic companies are getting together to increase prices,” Michael A. Carrier, an antitrust professor at Rutgers Law School, said. The lawsuit, filed by Democratic and Republican attorneys general, portrays a circle of generic drug executives and sales representatives who regularly socialize at conferences and gatherings like golf outings, cocktail parties and “girls’ night out” events in the New Jersey area, where many of the companies are based. But the collegial relationships, while common in many industries, veered into more overt anticompetitive tactics, Mr. Jepsen, Connecticut’s attorney general, said. “It’s very damning,” he said. “It reveals a culture of cronyism where, whether it’s over a game of golf or a dinner or drinks, there’s just systematic cooperation. ” He described the behavior as deliberate. “There’s nothing hidden about it,” he said. In the case of doxycycline, the complaint says that in 2013 Heritage contacted Mylan, the only other maker of a version of the product at the time, and told executives there that Heritage planned to release its own version. According to the complaint, Mylan agreed to “walk away” from at least one major wholesaler and one large pharmacy chain to allow Heritage to gain a foothold in the market. The complaint quotes from emails that are redacted in the publicly available version and that the suit says show how Mylan and Heritage executives hammered out the details. When a third competitor, Mayne, planned to enter the doxycycline market in 2014, it contacted Heritage and Mylan to negotiate details of how prices would be set and customers would be allocated, the suit says. A spokesman for the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, the industry’s lobbying group, declined to comment on the investigation. But he said that the group supports laws that promote competition, and “believes competition is the key to providing affordable and accessible medicines to patients, while also constraining costs. ” | 1 |
Russian 'Train Surfers' Risk Their Lives for a Unique Thrill
Russian teenagers have long hitched rides on the back of underground trains travelling through Moscow
But some thrill seekers are now taking the craze to new heights - riding on 155mph trains to St Petersburg
The teenagers - who usually sport distinctive ski goggles and masks - cling on to the back of train carriages
Despite regular reports of youths being electrocuted and killed, the thrill seekers refuse to reign in their hobby Originally appeared at Daily Mail
Russian teenagers are risking their lives in a deadly new craze - surfing fast moving inter city trains.
It has become a common sight in the capital Moscow to see the youngsters - usually sporting distinctive ski goggles and masks - clinging to the back of underground trains to hitch a free ride.
But some thrill seekers are now taking the craze to new heights - mounting the roofs and standing between carriages of St Petersburg-bound locomotives travelling up to 155mph. 2ca20d51 578-3244929-image-a-57_1442936391337.jpg
Sunset: It has become a common sight near the capital Moscow to see the youngsters clinging to the back of fast-moving trains
Alexander Nomernoy, 18, who regularly risks his life riding the inter city trains, said: 'Even the first time riding a train in this way was not scary. I wouldn't call it extreme in the slightest.'
The brazen group of train surfers can be seen waving at the camera in footage as they lie on the roof, clinging on by holding metal jutting from the train's roof.
Some even dangle themselves off the side of the carriage as the locomotive gathers pace.
Other clips show them sneaking in between carriages at stations before the trains pull away.
And despite regular reports in Russian media of youths being electrocuted and killed following mishaps, the thrill seekers refuse to stop their dangerous hobby. 2ca20f97 578-3244929-image-a-77_1442936510512.jpg
This Russian teenager clings a carriage as he sits only inches from the floor as the train hits speeds of up to 155mph
Speaking of his hobby Mr Nomernoy said: 'I got interested after seeing a TV broadcast about a guy who died train surfing in Moscow underground. I wondered, how is it possible at all to do that?
'Then once when the underground was full of people and I just couldn't get into the train. I needed to get home ASAP, so I decided to give it a try...I jumped on to the back of the train and held on.'
More often than not the train surfers go completely undetected, slipping away before authorities know they are even there.
'I actually like riding the long distance trains. It is more dangerous in terms of coming into contact with police to ride the underground - more chances to get caught,' Mr Nomernoy said.
'I have tried many different ways of surfing - trams, trolleybuses, buses, underground trains roof and back...I would love to ride the underground train in different cities,' he added. | 0 |
WASHINGTON — Long before Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn became Donald J. Trump’s choice for national security adviser, he believed that the Central Intelligence Agency had become a political tool of the Obama administration — a view now echoed by the in his mocking dismissals of C. I. A. assessments that Russia sought to tip the election in Mr. Trump’s favor. “They’ve lost sight of who they actually work for,” Mr. Flynn said in an interview with The New York Times in October 2015. “They work for the American people. They don’t work for the president of the United States. ” He added, speaking of the agency’s leadership: “Frankly, it’s become a very political organization. ” Mr. Flynn’s assessment that the C. I. A. is a political arm of the Obama administration is not widely shared by Republicans or Democrats in Washington. But it has appeared to have been internalized by the one person who matters most right now: Mr. Trump. In the past few days, Mr. Trump has sought to portray reports of the agency’s assessments that Russia actively tried to interfere in the election as a desperate attempt by sore losers to taint his presidency before it begins. His denigration of C. I. A. officials as “the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction” has opened up an extraordinary rift between the and the nation’s intelligence community that is unlikely to be bridged anytime soon. Although it is unclear how much Mr. Flynn, 57, is responsible for Mr. Trump’s response to the C. I. A. assessment, during the presidential campaign he had substantial influence on the . He brought to the campaign views on Muslims and national security that tended to hew far closer to the fringes than the mainstream of the Republican Party. Mr. Flynn also appears to have helped set the tone for Mr. Trump’s testy relationship with the intelligence community. In August, when the Trump campaign received its first intelligence briefing, Mr. Flynn was so combative with the briefers that another person in the room had to urge him to settle down, according to a person familiar with the episode who was told about it in confidence. On any number of issues — from the Obama administration’s failure to foresee the rise of the Islamic State to Mr. Flynn’s ouster as chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the intelligence arm of the Defense Department — he has made it clear in recent years that he sees the political hand of the C. I. A. at work. As director of the D. I. A. from 2012 to 2014, he pushed hard for his agency, long treated as by the C. I. A. to be given greater access to the trove of documents and other materials seized during the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in May 2011. The C. I. A. controlled the material, and Mr. Flynn became convinced that the agency was refusing to share or declassify much of it because of fears that it would undermine the administration’s narrative about Al Qaeda’s waning strength at the time Bin Laden was killed. “It’s all political with” the C. I. A. leadership, Mr. Flynn said in the 2015 interview, which focused on the rise of the Islamic State and American national security. “If they put out what we knew, then the president could have not said, in a national election, ‘Al Qaeda’s on the run and we’ve killed Bin Laden,’” he said, referring to Mr. Obama’s 2012 campaign. “Even today, he talks about Bin Laden as though that was a stroke of genius. ” Mr. Flynn also questioned the decision to kill Bin Laden. “Killing Bin Laden was the wrong thing to do,” he said. “They could have captured him. ” In killing Bin Laden, he said, “we created a new version of Allah. ” “What we should have done is shown him to be a decrepit old guy, put him in a freaking cage, in a cell, and put him on trial,” Mr. Flynn added. “Make it a big messy trial, make it global. ” Mr. Flynn has also said that the C. I. A. at the urging of the White House, was playing down warnings from the D. I. A. about the resurgence of Al Qaeda in Iraq, which would later become the Islamic State. “I’m telling you, the C. I. A. has a lot to reflect on because of this,” he said. A number of current and former officials dispute Mr. Flynn’s account, saying concerns about the resurgence of Islamist militants in the midst of Syria’s civil war were widespread in the intelligence community. Mr. Flynn, who was fired from the D. I. A. after serving only two years of a appointment, has described his dismissal as an act of political retribution by the C. I. A. and Obama administration officials who did not want to hear what he was saying. Other officials, including some with direct knowledge of the decision to dismiss Mr. Flynn, said he was forced out for a more straightforward reason: He was not a good manager, and his efforts to reform the agency left it in chaos. It was not Mr. Flynn’s first with the civilian intelligence community. The ill will stretches back years, current and former officials said, and it transformed into open hostility when Mr. Flynn was running military intelligence under Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal in Afghanistan. In January 2010, after less than a year on the job, Mr. Flynn released a paper, “Fixing Intel,” that was highly critical of American intelligence work in Afghanistan. It bluntly stated that “the U. S. intelligence community is only marginally relevant to the overall strategy,” and said that it had only itself to blame because it had failed to understand Afghanistan’s cultural complexities. The paper was widely praised in defense circles as insightful. But at the C. I. A. officials were furious at what they saw as a direct attack on the aptitude and professionalism of the roughly 1, 000 agency personnel who were serving in Afghanistan at the time. They were also incensed at the timing of the paper, which became public five days after a suicide attack that killed seven C. I. A. officers at a base in eastern Afghanistan. Mr. Flynn’s searing critique was seen at the agency as the height of insensitivity. Mr. Flynn has been unapologetic about his views of not only the C. I. A. but other national security agencies, including the D. I. A. under his leadership. “They’ve really been lying to the American public,” he said in the interview, referring to the Obama administration and much of the national security and intelligence establishment. “The Department of Defense and those of us that have allowed this sort of a happy talk — ‘We’re moving in the right direction, things are working.’ It’s not. The Taliban are going to come back into power, or ISIS is going to come back into power. ” | 1 |
We are domed. Or will be, at any rate, very soon. In case you have not heard, a weather phenomenon called a “heat dome” is creeping across the country and is due to arrive in New York City just in time for the weekend. On paper, the heat dome will not be much different from “a stretch of hot, sticky days. ” It will be in the low 90s or the on Friday, depending on which forecast you believe, and definitely muggy. It will be slightly hotter than that on Saturday, and then very slightly cooler during the week but still humid. But the weather people are calling it a dome. And domes are almost always bad. There’s Mad Max’s Thunderdome, where gladiators died. There’s the Houston Astrodome, one of the nation’s largest abandoned buildings — too big and expensive to be blown up. No one can figure out what to do with it. In England, there was the Domesday Book, compiled by order of William the Conqueror. It was basically a gigantic ’s list. His subjects hated it. And there’s the Public Enemy song “Welcome to the Terrordome,” which is a good song but it’s about a pretty situation. A heat wave is just passing through. Wave hi! A dome sits there. And unless it is a stately you probably do not want to be stuck inside it. Look what happened to the people in the Stephen King novel and resulting TV series “Under the Dome. ” In New York, “heat dome” brings to mind the steel climbing domes that were installed in Brooklyn Bridge Park in 2010. They heated up in the sun. A lot. Toddlers got burned. There were lawsuits. The whole thing was a disaster. With this heat dome, the city is actually escaping the worst of it. The country’s midsection is getting domed something fierce. The heat index could hit the in places like St. Louis and Oklahoma City, part of an area covering 40 million people that was under a heat alert on Wednesday. That is no joke. There have been further reports of a mass stalled over Cleveland all week. That is a joke. So what, exactly, is a heat dome? It is essentially a bubble of high pressure that sits in the to upper atmosphere and pushes warm air down toward the ground. The approaching one is notable for its size. Another thing you should know about the dome: Because it is a mass, the air flows clockwise around it, so at the back of the air mass — like from 6 to 9 on a clock — the air flow is from south to north. So as the heat dome moves east across the country, it brings up hot, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico. In the Midwest, the heat dome’s effects will be compounded by an phenomenon called “corn sweat. ” Corn sweat is the release of water from plant leaves into the air, also known as transpiration. That makes it even muggier. Like a jungle, except it’s a corn field. New York City has only a couple of very small corn fields, so we’re good on that. But we are an urban heat island, a place where streets and buildings, and pollution, and all the people jammed together, can make it feel even hotter. Domed if you do, domed if you don’t. There’s no escape. | 0 |
The FBI has learned of more emails involving Hillary Clinton’s private email server while she headed the State Department, FBI Director James Comey told several members of Congress, telling them he is reopening the investigation.
“In connection with an unrelated case, the FBI has learned of the existence of email that appear to be pertinent” to Clinton’s investigation, Comey wrote to the chairs of several relevant congressional committees, adding that he was briefed about the messages on Thursday. “I agree that the FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information, as well as to assess their importance to our investigation.”
The FBI director cautioned, however, that the bureau has yet to assess the importance of the material, and that he doesn’t know how long that will take.
The Clinton campaign has yet to comment, but an aide told CNN: “We’re learning about this just like you all are.”
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine was asked about Comey’s letter while campaigning at an early voting site in Tallahassee, Florida. “Gotta read a little more, gotta read a little more,” he told reporters.
Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, praised the decision to reopen the case.
“Now that the FBI has reopened the matter, it must conduct the investigation with impartiality and thoroughness,” he said in a statement. “The American people deserve no less and no one should be above the law.”
Almost 15,000 new Clinton emails were discovered in September, but it’s unclear if the announced investigation relates to them or other correspondence. The newly discovered emails are not related to Wikileaks or the Clinton Foundation, law enforcement sources told CNN’s Evan Perez.
The messages were not found on the private email server in the Clintons’ New York residence, a government source told Reuters.
The emails were apparently discovered as part of the sexting probe into former Representative Anthony Weiner (D-New York), the New York Times reported. His electronic devices, as well as those belonging to his wife, senior Clinton aide Huma Abedin, were seized during that investigation.
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) renewed his call for Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to “suspend all classified briefings for Secretary Clinton until this matter is fully resolved.”
“Yet again, Hillary Clinton has nobody but herself to blame,” Ryan said in a statement. “This decision, long overdue, is the result of her reckless use of a private email server, and her refusal to be forthcoming with federal investigators.”
Kellyanne Conway, Republican nominee Donald Trump’s campaign manager, applauded the decision.
“That is superb. That is extraordinary news for the American people,” she told Yahoo News. “A great day in our campaign just got even better,” she tweeted.
“They are reopening the case into her criminal and illegal conduct that threatens the security of the United States,” Trump said in Manchester, New Hampshire, 10 minutes after learning about the reopening of the case. “We must not let her take her criminal scheme into the Oval Office.”
“I have great respect for the fact that the FBI and the Department of Justice have the courage to right the horrible mistake that they made,” he said. “This was a grave miscarriage of justice that the American people fully understand, and it is everybody’s hope that it is about to be corrected.”
“With that being said, the rest of my speech is going to be so boring. Should I even make the speech?” he joked before turning to his prepared remarks.
The “FBI reopening investigation isn’t an October surprise, it’s an October nuclear explosion,” conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro wrote as part of a tweetstorm, adding that “Comey [is] trying to cover his a** 11 days before [the] election” and wondering if a “pre-emptive impeachment of a president elect” is possible because “the odds on President Tim Kaine just rose substantially.”
An ‘October Surprise‘ is a major event that happens in the month before the election that affects the outcome of the vote.
In response to the announcement, the Democratic Coalition Against Trump filed a complaint with the Department of Justice against Comey.
“It is absolutely absurd that FBI Director Comey would support Donald Trump like this with only 11 days to go before the election,” Scott Dworkin, senior advisor to the Democratic Coalition Against Trump, said in a statement. “It is an obvious attack from a lifelong Republican who used to serve in the Bush White House, just to undermine her campaign. Comey needs to focus on stopping terrorists and protecting America, not investigating our soon to be President-Elect Hillary Clinton.”
Stocks fell after Comey’s announcement, CNBC reported.
Source
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Hillary’s DONE After Announcing Potential Cabinet Member, Try Not To Vomit Posted on November 1, 2016 by Robert Rich in Politics Share This
With her numbers tanking, Hillary Clinton is desperate for any vote that she can get. Proving just that, she just floated an idea for a potential cabinet member, but it could actually end her once and for all.
At this point, it’s clear that Hillary isn’t in control of her own campaign. If she was, she would have buried herself a long time ago. As we continue to get glimpses of her crooked behavior that she tries to keep behind the curtain, it doesn’t take too much of a genius to know that she doesn’t really have any good ideas of her own. Hillary Clinton
Proving just that is a potential cabinet member she floated during an interview with Extra . As she didn’t have her strategists whispering in her ear at the time, telling her when to shut up and when to speak, she actually stated that she would love to have Michelle Obama as a part of her team .
Michelle Obama is a nobody outside of being married to a president. She’s been nothing more than a freeloader for the past 8 years who has done literally nothing but make the lives of the American people a living hell. Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama
Despite Michelle’s failed legacies and lackadaisical tendencies, Hillary still thought that she would make a great addition to her team. Then again, both Hillary and Michelle have a taste for the finer things in life and enjoy the fruits of everyone else’s labor.
When directly asked if she would like Michelle in her cabinet, Hillary simply stated :
“She’s made it pretty clear she wants to focus on important issues like girls’ education around the world – she and I actually talked about it when we were together in Winston-Salem – and I want to be the best partner I can be for whenever she wants to be involved in government again.”
However, that wasn’t quite the end of the thought process as she next went against what President Barack Obama said in that Michelle wasn’t interested in the slightest when it came to furthering herself in the political realm. “I think she wants to take a break from it, but if she ever wants to do anything like that, I would be the number-one person,” Hillary said. “Well, I don’t know how anybody could have done what she’s done for the last eight years with more grace and more of a sense of purpose but inclusivity.”
Hillary’s sentiments become laughable when she hints to the idea that Michelle actually did anything. Think long and hard about what she did and you’ll come up with nothing. Her lunch policy only left kids hungry and unsatisfied before failing overall when schools systematically began to reject her mandate. Michelle and Barack Obama
Making sure girls are taught everywhere? Well, all we saw was Michelle flying around the globe and taking several vacations while demanding other countries change their ways. Beyond the fact that this does absolutely nothing for the American people (and actually hurts them on account of the cost associated with the several trips), it only ticked people off and made Americans look pretty stupid.
Of course, this would be a “smart” choice for Hillary seeing how blind leftists love and support Michelle for some reason. However, all it really equates to are a few more votes in her pocket as she panders to the audience of someone else. Basically, Hillary is trying to whore Michelle out. I wonder how she feels about that. | 0 |
Donald Trump and Potential Russia-West Break Points The state of challenged Russia-West (especially US-Russia) relations is something questioned by Western realists and some alternative others. Donald Trump made it to the US presidency, despite saying some things that run counter to the biases against Russia, evident in the American political establishment... | 0 |
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is considering making a legal challenge to President Donald Trump’s executive order temporarily halting immigration from seven countries amid the tide of hysteria in reaction to the order. [In an email to Amazon’s employees, many of whom work in notoriously challenging conditions, Bezos said, “America is a nation of immigrants whose diverse backgrounds, ideas, and points of view have helped us build and invent as a nation for over 240 year. To our employees in the US and around the world who may be directly affected by this order, I want you to know that the full extent of Amazon’s resources are behind you. ” “We reached out to congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle to explore legislative options. Our legal team has prepared a declaration of support for the Washington state attorney general who will be filing suit against the order. We are working other legal options as well,” he continued. Amazon is one of a number of technology companies to oppose the executive order on immigration over terrorism concerns, signed by Trump last Friday. Companies such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Netflix have all publicly condemned the order, whilst promoting the impact of mass immigration on their businesses. Jeff Bezos was a prominent critic of Donald Trump during the presidential campaign, assembling a team of 20 people at his newspaper the Washington Post to investigate every aspect of Trump’s past. Meanwhile, Trump attacked Bezos, saying that Amazon had a “huge antitrust problem” whilst “getting away with murder” on corporation tax. The editorial board of the Washington Post also called in 2016 for an influx of illegal immigrants to fill jobs in America. Following Trump’s election in November, Bezos met with Trump alongside a range of Silicon Valley executives to discuss the future of the technology industry under the new administration. Earlier this month, Bezos promised to create over 100, 000 permanent new jobs in the United States. You can follow Ben Kew on Facebook, on Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart. com | 0 |
Arrests for possessing small amounts of marijuana exceeded those for all violent crimes last year, a new study has found, even as social attitudes toward the drug have changed and a number of cities and states have legalized its use or decriminalized small quantities. And a disproportionate number of those arrested are who smoke marijuana at rates similar to whites but are arrested and prosecuted far more often for having small amounts for personal use, according to the study. The arrests can overwhelm court systems. Dianne Jones, 45, who was arrested in New Orleans in 2014 on charges of having a small bag of marijuana, spent 10 days in jail because she could not put up a $2, 500 bond. She was able to get enough money together only after her daughter sold the family’s television set at a pawnshop for $200. Later, when Ms. Jones, who is was unable to pay fees and fines, a judge issued a warrant for her arrest. With marijuana use on the rise, law enforcement agencies made 574, 641 arrests last year for small quantities of the drug intended for personal use, according to the report, which was released Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch. The marijuana arrests were about 13. 6 percent more than the 505, 681 arrests made for all violent crimes, including murder, rape and serious assaults. The report comes in the wake of the fatal police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott last month in Charlotte, N. C. Mr. Scott, 43, had attracted police attention in part because, the police said, he was smoking marijuana. The report is the latest study to highlight the disparate treatment often receive in the criminal justice system, including disproportionate numbers of blacks who are sent to jail when they are unable to pay fees, or stopped by the police during traffic stops or while riding bicycles. People arrested for marijuana possession or other minor crimes often have a more difficult time finding work, including Cory, 31, who declined to give his last name out of concern his comments could affect his parole. He said in an interview that he had failed to find a job after 14 months in a Louisiana prison for his fifth offense involving a small quantity of drugs. He said he had been turned down by a restaurant because of his marijuana conviction, as well as at the restaurant where he worked before his last arrest as a fry cook and dishwasher. “I’ve kind of stopped trying,” said Cory, who is . Tess Borden, a fellow at Human Rights Watch and the A. C. L. U. who wrote the report, found that despite the steep decline in crime rates over the last two decades — including a 36 percent drop in violent crime arrests from 1995 to 2015 — the number of arrests for all drug possessions, including marijuana, increased 13 percent. The emphasis on making marijuana arrests is worrisome, Ms. Borden said. “Most people don’t think drug possession is the No. 1 public safety concern, but that’s what we’re seeing,” she said. Criminologists say that are arrested more often than whites and others for drug possession in large part because of questionable police practices. Police departments, for example, typically send large numbers of officers to neighborhoods that have high crime rates. A result is that any offense — including minor ones like loitering, jaywalking or smoking marijuana — can lead to an arrest, which in turn drives up arrest rate statistics, leading to even greater police vigilance. “It is selective enforcement, and the example I like to use is that you have all sorts of drug use inside elite college dorms, but you don’t see the police busting through doors,” said Inimai M. Chettiar, director of the Justice Program at New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice. may also be more apt to face arrest, according to researchers, because they might be more likely to smoke marijuana outdoors, attracting the attention of the police. The report, which advocates the decriminalization of small quantities of illegal drugs intended for personal use, found that while whites are more likely than blacks to use illicit drugs — including marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines and prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes — black adults were more than times as likely to be arrested. In terms of marijuana possession, black adults were more than four times as likely to be arrested as white adults in the 39 states in which sufficient data was available, according to the report. The disparities, the analysis found, persist whether there are few or many in a given area. In Iowa, Montana and Vermont — places with relatively small populations of — blacks were more than six times as likely to be arrested on drug possession charges than whites. In Manhattan, where blacks make up about 15 percent of the population, are nearly 11 times as likely as whites to be arrested on drug possession, according to the report. Ms. Jones, who was arrested in New Orleans with a $10 bag of marijuana, said the warrant for her arrests had been dismissed only after a community group for which she is a volunteer raised the remaining $155 of the $834 she owed the court. “What happened to me shouldn’t happen to anybody,” she said. | 1 |
Many women swear by cranberries as a home remedy for bladder and urinary tract issues. But, researchers also swear (and claim to have shown) that it is a myth that cranberry juice or other foods containing the berries can prevent or treat urinary tract infections (UTIs). What is the answer?
Products with cranberries in them, from the perpetual Ocean Spray sauce cans to Thomas’ English Muffins, are prominent in stores this time of year. Many people only eat or drink things with cranberries in them around Thanksgiving. Conversely, many women for years have regularly sought out and relied on cranberries in juice, foods, or capsules to thwart bladder problems.
The berries can be more than a holiday dietary element. But, a new study in the “Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)” suggests that they are ineffective on UTIs. However, the sample population may not be representative.
For the study just published in “JAMA,” the researchers from Yale University randomly assigned 185 women to two groups. One set consumed daily two capsules which contained cranberry extracts that were the equivalent of 20 ounces of cranberry juice. The other group downed placebo capsules. The women took the capsules for one year. During the time, there was no significant difference in the UTI rates for those receiving the capsules with cranberry extracts versus those taking the placebos, according to the researchers.
A huge problem with the study is that all of the participants are seniors living in nursing homes near Yale. The average age was reportedly 86.
While UTIs are the most commonly diagnosed infection for women in nursing homes, does the study conclusively show the cranberry juice treatment is a myth? Furthermore, would the results be the same if the study was conducted in student housing at Yale?
Actually, there have been other studies, including one among 319 college women published by the University of Michigan School of Public Health. That study, published in “Clinical Infectious Diseases” over five years ago, found a similar result. Conversely, there have been some studies that showed some evidence that cranberry juice or capsules may help some. Generally, the research has produced mixed results.
Drink the Juice or Not The belief that eating or drinking cranberry products can prevent or treat urinary was based on the fact they increase the acidity of urine. The speculation was that chemicals in cranberries (proanthocyanidins) prevent bacteria from sticking to the bladder wall.
The advent of antibiotics eliminated the need for old wives’ tales and herbal treatments. But, the overuse of antibiotics has made people reluctant to go the prescription route. So, should people try the cranberry products and juice route, or not?
Many experts believe that cranberry products should not be recommended for prevention of UTIs. That said, someone could try cranberry juice or capsules as a personal choice or first recourse. The top recommendation on medical Websites is to keep hydrated to flush out the system and prevent UTIs. While water is great, there is no serious downside in drinking cranberry juice to prevent UTIs, whether a myth or not, given the inconclusive research.
Written and Edited by Dyanne Weiss
Sources:
JAMA : Effect of Cranberry Capsules on Bacteriuria Plus Pyuria Among Older Women in Nursing Homes
HealthDay: Cranberry Products May Not Prevent UTIs: Study
JAMA : Cranberry for Prevention of Urinary Tract Infection? Time to Move On
Cleveland Clinic: Can Cranberry Juice Stop Your UTI?
PubMed.gov : Cranberry juice fails to prevent recurrent urinary tract infection: results from a randomized placebo-controlled trial.
Daily Mail: It’s NOT an old wives’ tale: Cranberry juice really does prevent bladder infections
Photo by Lisa Pinehill from Osaka, Japan – Creative Commons license cranberries , cranberry juice , infections , urinary , UTI | 0 |
Support Us BBC’s Children Show ‘Just a Girl’ is About a Transgender Child Taking Hormone Blocking Drugs 0
The BBC series aimed at children as young a six describe how Ben became Amy by taking hormones to halt puberty. It is yet another example of the agenda promoting the blurring of the genders. And they are now aiming children.
Last year, I published an article entitled The Agenda Behind Bruce Jenner’s Transformation where I explained how Jenner’s sex change was intentionally publicized and celebrated because it was part of a larger agenda promoting the blurring of the genders. This agenda is even more obvious and insidious this year because there’s a conscious effort to reach children. A child with the word ‘Transgender’ stamped across the screen. This sums up what mass media has been about these past years. Although ‘Amy’ is played by an actress, the story claims that she used to be boy named Ben.
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CBBC’s series Just a Girl is the latest baffling attempt at normalizing, trivializing and even celebrating the completely unnecessary process that is childhood sex change. Freely available online on CBBC’s website, the series even teaches children about taking hormones and puberty-halting drugs. Do we truly know the effects of such drugs on one’s developing body and brain chemistry. Of course not. Why is this radical and aberrant process promoted to children? Do children need to know about hormone blockers? AND WHERE ARE THE PARENTS?!
In my humble opinion, parents who subject their children to radical treatments such as hormone blockers and sex change surgery should be trialed for child abuse. Instead, these things are actually encouraged in shows aimed at children and society is following suit.
Some NHS clinics (such as the Tavistock Centre in North London) have been prescribing hypothalamic blockers to children as young as nine. In another case, a seven-year-old boy was ordered to be removed from his mother’s care because ‘she was raising him as female’. This is what the elite wants to see: Confused children wondering about their gender. HOW ABOUT YOU GO OUTSIDE AND RIDE A BIKE OR SOMETHING?
Here are quotes taken from Just a Girl . In Just A Girl, Amy says: ‘When I was born, Mum said Dad was so pleased that he had a boy to take to the football. But Mum knew I was different. She realised early on that I was born in the wrong body.’ She adds: ‘My Mum supported me when I did a PowerPoint presentation to my class about transitioning and that I wasn’t going to come to school in boys’ clothes any more, but girls’ clothes. I wasn’t Ben, I was Amy.’ Later Amy is shown telling a friend, Josh – a boy who wants to be recognised as a girl – that she is on hormone blockers, saying it took ‘ages’ to get them after ‘loads of tests and talks at the clinic’. ‘Once they realised I was trans for real, [I] got them,’ she says. In another entry, Amy tells viewers she has developed a crush on a boy called Liam, but confides: ‘Liam thinks I’m just a girl, but I’m not. I’m trans. And what’s he going to say if he finds out? Stop being my friend? Why? I’m still me, aren’t I?’– Daily Mail, Does your child really need to know how ‘Ben’ became ‘Amy’? Furious parents slam ‘damaging’ BBC sex change show aimed at six-year-olds This last bit appears to be taken straight from a neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) handbook. The goal: To confuse young minds about sex and gender. Backlash
The show was accused by several groups of ‘sowing the seeds of confusion’. Norman Wells, director of the Family Education Trust, said:
‘The more we promote the idea that a boy can be born into a girl’s body and a girl can be born into a boy’s body, and that drugs and surgery can put things right, the more children will become utterly confused. Respecting and preserving a child’s birth sex should be seen as a child protection issue. It is irresponsible of the BBC to introduce impressionable children as young as six to the idea that they can choose to be something other than their biological sex.’’– Ibid.
The BBC defended its series, releasing a statement which claimed the program dealt with “universal themes that many children relate to”.
“Just a Girl is about a fictional transgender character trying to, make sense of the world, deal with bullying and work out how to keep her friends, which are universal themes that many children relate to, and which has had a positive response from our audience.
“CBBC aims to reflect true life to our audience, providing content that mirrors the lives of as many UK children as possible – you only have to look at programmes such as The Dumping Ground or our BAFTA winning and ground-breaking transgender story ‘I am Leo’ to see that is the case.”
The BBC mentions I Am Leo which is another CBBC production. It is a documentary following a 13-year old teen’s process to become a boy. Leo (born Lily) is one of the youngest children in the UK to be given hormone therapy.
In short, the BBC and the rest of mass media are fully committed in pushing the gender blurring agenda to children before they even reach puberty. | 1 |
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[11/3/16] In the latest batch of emails leaked by WikiLeaks, involving the account of US Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s campaign director John Podesta, it has emerged that – far from appearing open in releasing 55,000 emails on personal accounts – her team knew more were still uncovered.
In the run-up to the revelation that Clinton had made use of personal emails in her role as Secretary of State, instead of verified and secure government accounts, her team scrambled to limit the damage to her reputation by releasing emails in an effort to appear open and responsible. Her communications adviser Jennifer Palmieri wrote in an email: “Team — wanted to let you know that Cheryl is working with State to get agreement on release of the 55k pages of emails she have to State. The hope would be that we are able to say tonight to the press that we are working with State to get emails released soon.”
“Not sure where those discussions will land, but hope is either State agrees to release on >> timely basis or we pledge to release them ourselves in ten days/week. Assume you all would agree this is right move?”
In reply, her media adviser, former senior adviser to Barack Obama in both his 2008 and 2012 campaigns for the White House, Jim Margolis, wrote to John Podesta asking: “If there is a release of the 55K, are there others that are not being released?” To which Podesta replied: “Definitely.” The revelation shows how worried the Clinton team were of the inflammable nature of the email affair which has dogged her campaign for nearly a year. Post navigation Warning : array_key_exists() expects parameter 2 to be array, null given in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas07_data02/05/3222705/html/wp-content/plugins/widget-options/core/functions.widget.display.php on line 182 Warning : array_key_exists() expects parameter 2 to be array, null given in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas07_data02/05/3222705/html/wp-content/plugins/widget-options/core/functions.widget.display.php on line 182 Warning : array_key_exists() expects parameter 2 to be array, null given in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas07_data02/05/3222705/html/wp-content/plugins/widget-options/core/functions.widget.display.php on line 182 Warning : array_key_exists() expects parameter 2 to be array, null given in /home/content/p3pnexwpnas07_data02/05/3222705/html/wp-content/plugins/widget-options/core/functions.widget.display.php on line 182 RESOURCES | 0 |
By Nika Knight Whistleblower Edward Snowden warned a group of European reporters Wednesday that in the era of mass surveillance, journalists are increasingly a threatened... | 0 |
November 9, 2016 - Fort Russ - RT - translated by J. Arnoldski -
On November 8th, Republican candidate Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States. The results of the elections are still being summed up, but Trump has the undisputed advantage in electoral votes - 279 against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s 218 - and has therefore practically won.
Russian political circles are displaying a cautious attitude towards Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential elections. Politicians interviewed by RT expect that Russia and America will build more constructive relations, but no warming should be counted on. Russian deputies and senators have noted that they are awaiting a “competent” reaction by Trump to Syria, Crimea, and Ukraine.
The deputy chairman of the Federation Council’s Committee on International Affairs, Arsen Kanokov, expects Trump to find a common language with Vladimir Putin and Russia overall. The senator said: “There is great hope for a thaw. We all want to have friendly relations with America. The question is how these processes are happening. I think that we will sit at the negotiating table and Russia’s reasonable voice will be heard by America. We hope that they will understand the actions and aid that we are affording to Syria. The political vector will change in this regard.”
The first deputy chairwoman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, Svetlana Zhurova, recalled that Donald Trump repeatedly spoke of the need for cooperation with Russia even during his election campaign.
Zhurova believes: “This does not mean that tomorrow Trump will rush to Russia to meet with Vladimir Putin or that our representatives will rush to America to negotiate with him. They will work out orderly, constructive relations. Trump will pay more attention to internal problems rather than the showdown between the two countries. He believes that America should pay attention to economic cooperation with Russia, political dialogue, and the joint struggle against global terrorism. In these spheres, our countries can truly be useful for each other. Trump spoke about all of this in his campaign speeches. He is not the kind of person who breaks his word. Yes, Trump will look to the opinion of the US population, which has some doubts concerning Russia, but there won’t be such aggression in policies towards Russia like the Obama administration did.”
Dmitry Novikov, also a member of the State Duma’s international committee, suggests that no radical changes in the US' foreign policy course should be expected.
“Trump has been elected president of his country, so he will undoubtedly defend the interests of the US and its ruling circles. If Trump will fulfill his promises on how the administration in Washington should focus on solving domestic problems, then maybe his foreign policy won’t be so aggressive. As for what concerns Russia, more common sense approaches to such issues as Syria, Crimea, and Ukraine might prevail in the White House’s policies. In these cases, the preconditions for the normalization of relations between Russia and the United States could be expressed,” Novikov posited.
Novikov also added that no warming of relations like in the days of Kennedy and Khrushchev should be expected, since Russia’s geopolitical position has dramatically changed.
“The Soviet Union had much more formidable starting capabilities to be on an equal footing in the world arena. The country had economic weight and a system of alliances. In this sense, modern Russia has a somewhat weaker position. Nevertheless, the US has enough domestic problems, and if Trump really zeros in on solving them, then we could see more reasonable foreign policy,” he added.
In turn, the first deputy chairman of the Federation Council’s Committee on International Affairs, Vladimir Dzhabarov, believes that Trump’s victory will positively impact Russian-American relations. According to him: “One shouldn't wait for any dramatic warming [in relations], or worsening, for that matter, which was expected if Hillary won.” Dzhabarov remarked that Trump, during his election campaign, behaved with dignity and did not spew out any negative statements towards Russia and the Russian president.
The politician also expressed hope that the billionaire’s victory would affect Europe’s position on relations with Russia: “No wonder they have taken a cautious position on sanctions. I hope that they will become more independent,” Dzhabarov said.
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There’s no clear consensus as of yet whether the emails were sent by Clinton herself, to Clinton, whether they were from her private server, or even whether any of the emails were new.
Here’s a breakdown of what has been reported thus far: Los Angeles Times : “The emails were not to or from Clinton, and contained information that appeared to be more of what agents had already uncovered, the official said, but in an abundance of caution, they felt they needed to further scrutinize them.” The Washington Post : “The correspondence included emails between Abedin and Clinton, according to a law enforcement official.” CNN : “The emails in question were sent or received by Abedin, according to a law enforcement official.” The New York Times : “Senior law enforcement officials said that it was unclear if any of the emails were from Mrs. Clinton’s private server.” ABC News : “These emails were not sent by Hillary Clinton, and the FBI has no evidence of wrongdoing by her, according to a source familiar with the investigation.” | 0 |
Ron Paul has never been a man to keep his opinions under wraps to spare the feelings or the reputations of others. Since he has retired from Congress he has embarked on a number of strongly worded tirades against those he perceives to be manipulating American democracy.
Via UsualRoutine
Therefore it should not come as a surprise to anyone that Paul has a lot to say about the current presidential election. As well as calling Donald Trump and authoritarian and claiming that Hillary Clinton could have easily run on a Republican ticket, Paul has also made some sensational allegations about election rigging.
Scroll Down For Video Below The allegations were made in the course of Paul’s web show, called the Liberty Report which was focusing on the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to take a more active role in the election. Secretary Jeh Johnson said he was “considering whether elections should be classified as ‘critical infrastructure, ’ affording them the same kinds of enhanced protections that the banking system and the electrical grid receive.”
This move was prompted by the hacking of sensitive emails from members of the Democrat Party. While the government and the mass media have been quick to lay the blame on Russia they have yet to offer substantive evidence to support these claims. Nonetheless, the implication that a foreign government could substantially influence the American democratic process has opened up the possibility that managing the election should be a matter for the security services.
Paul said that the idea that Homeland Security could be charged with protecting the electoral process was frankly risible. He cited their previous history of incompetence and failed objectives. Moreover, he said that it was entirely possible that people within the Department of Homeland Security could use their new power to manipulate the electoral process and seize power for themselves. According to Paul, “They may have false flags and they may do a lot of things, but no matter how an emergency comes up, they’re going to make use of it. And the use of it isn’t to say ‘Hey, how are we going to protect the American people?’
Are they worrying, when they talk about doing something about rigged elections, [that] the votes are counted? No, they’re making sure that the votes aren’t counted and they’re irrelevant and the government has all this power.” This should not be seen as merely idle speculation, Paul warned his viewers, as there is already systemic election rigging in the United States. “The elections don’t matter. This is a ritual that we go through, ” he said. What really matters, according to Paul was some kind of hidden powerful cabal who were much more influential than the ‘will of the people.’
Despite all of this, Paul says that there is a great deal to be optimistic about. He said that if enough people became aware of the fractured nature of American democracy then there could be important changes in economic philosophy and the protection of civil liberties both at home and abroad. This kind of attitudinal shift could rob the ‘deep state’ of its power and mean that the American people would be safer and richer.
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Jennifer Hoffman – As we end another rather challenging month it’s tempting to ask when it will all be over. That’s not a good question to ask right now because it implies that we’re the passenger on this ride and we have no control over the outcomes. But we are the driver and we have all of the control, as we’ll see in November.
From October’s 1 energy we move into the 2 of November but this is 2 reduced from 11 (November is the 11th month) which is the integration of spirit and matter, of human and divine. Are we ready to reap the rewards of our efforts now, or are we waiting for permission to sit at life’s victory banquet? It’s up to us and we’ll find out in November that the rewards are there but we have to step up to the podium and claim them for ourselves. November can be a ‘joy ride’ if we’re willing to let go, lift off, and shine on.
November begins with a new moon which happened at the end of October. Nevertheless, the energy is still resonating with us and this was a very busy new moon. It really brings forward November’s theme of spiritual integration, with the Sun, Moon, and Mercury all trine (120 degrees) Neptune in Pisces. Here we have both lights (sun and moon), as well Mercury, the planet of karma, all interfacing with Neptune in Pisces, the final house of the zodiac. The message for us is to become spiritually mature – accept ourselves as powerful spiritual masters and let go of any thoughts or beliefs about not deserving or being ‘good enough’.
But it gets better because Jupiter is close by (it’s the traditional Pisces ruler) so it amps up the spiritual energy we have to use for our transformation and transition to the ascension vibe. This continues the Jupiter effect from September 2015 as we move forward into phase two of our spiritual awakening cycle that began then.
The November 2016 Energy Mastery class is November 4, 2016, where you’ll learn how to best use November’s energy (and what to avoid), along with energy exercises and our energy meditation. Click here to sign up, the call is live and recorded, worksheet is included too.
Then there is the tricky Venus/Saturn conjunction happening too. What happens when you put the planet of beauty, love, and partnership in the same small space with the zodiac’s disciplinarian and reality teacher, Saturn? Either a lot of heated discussion or stony silence. The energy of this union is a reality check for us in the relationship area, starting with the one we have with ourselves, as well as our relationships with others.
Are we being ‘real’ with ourselves, giving ourselves the same level of caring, compassion, and consideration that we give others?
Where are we focusing our energy and what do we want to create in our lives, separating our needs, wants, and desires from those of others?
Venus wants it all and not always in a balanced or achievable way. Saturn strives to focus our enthusiasm on what we really want and to eliminate the limitations, distractions, worries, and fears that prevent us from realizing our dreams. Venus is like the 3 year old who wants the cookie, and Saturn is the mother who says “No, not before dinner”. The mother is doing it to benefit the child but it doesn’t feel that way. Our response here is important, to do we keep pushing against the ‘no’ or do we figure out why the ‘no’ is there and then make other plans? Are we in denial of anything in our reality or are we willing to take off the ‘rose colored glasses’ and start doing what we need and want to be happy?
Have you been feeling less motivated, a little slow and unconsciously taking a very deep, detailed look at your life? You can blame Mars for that during the past several months as he has been aspecting the heavy hitters, Saturn in September and Pluto in November, as well as squaring the Uranus/Eris conjunction this past week. We’re used to Mars energy being very fast moving (except when it was moving back and forth through Scorpio from January to August this year) and jumping over hurdles. But we have had to adapt to a new, more mature Mars energy this year, that takes its time, digs deeply, considers, reconsiders, and assesses the terrain before moving forward. While this is a more deliberate Mars energy, we prefer the fast moving Mars, although we won’t have it until 2017.
The Mars/Pluto action ends the first week of November but its energy has been rather depressing lately. And here’s why, we have Mars, which rules the firgrandparents-1017825_1280st house of the zodiac, Aries, walking with Pluto, which is (supposedly) the last planet in our solar system (ignore the planetary demotions and astronomy games) and rules Scorpio.
Mars is also the traditional Scorpio ruler, so we have double Scorpio energy here. (yes, the Scorpio energy just continues). But, the Mars/Pluto conjunction is like what happens when a little child spends time with an elderly grandparent – the child slows down to accommodate the grandparent’s age, while the grandparent adjusts their conversation to the child’s age. It’s the best of both worlds, the slowing down to reflect, consider, assess, and connect on a shared level.
But when that’s happening in your personal life and you need things to be done or to get done, and don’t have any time for esoteric ‘navel gazing’ because you need action happening now, it can be frustrating. And yet, this is part of taking action because we must get used to aligning energetically before we leap into unknown territory without ensuring that it’s right and best for us and is something we want to integrate with and put into our reality.
All of this activity in October, the ‘1’ month, had a purpose, to bring us into the ‘2’ of November. This is not about relationships, romance, and revelry, although there is an opportunity for that. This is first and foremost about our central relationship, with ourselves. We are either alone in our humanity or partnered with our divinity, where the human ‘1’ becomes the ‘2’ divine human.
What do we need to embrace about ourselves, including our beauty, perfection, wisdom, and potential, to allow this to happen?divinity-is-your-destiny
What do we need to release, shed, and turn away from, including our need for approval and validation, beliefs in unworthiness, fears about the future, and inability to acknowledge our power, to make room for our divinity?
The opposite of divinity is not evil (which is the word ‘live’ backwards), it is profanity, which is the absence of divinity. A profane reality is not one filled with four letter words; it is one which has no room for the divine; therefore, it will always feel incomplete because divinity makes us whole, complete, and congruent in our individual energy and brings us closer to being in congruence collectively.
Many things in the past few months, including the ridiculous antics of the US presidential election, have shown us what a ‘profane’ world resembles and this has pushed many people in the opposite direction, seeking the wisdom and empowerment of divinity. ‘Every dark potential does have a light purpose’, when we remember that the light is always there and the darkness always gives way to it. If the events of this year have revealed the profane to you, make an intentional choice to integrate the empowerment of divinity into your life. This is the month to do that.
Moving the profanity of 3D to the divine energy of 5D in November compels us to take action, which begins energetically. The process starts with the intention to allow new beliefs, new perspectives, and new alignments to become our energetic partners. Do we desire to have higher frequency energies, like joy, in our life? These are created when we agree to align with 5D energies.
I do have to mention the full moon of November 14, which is involves the Sun/Moon in Taurus/Scorpio and it’s at 22 degrees, echoing the eclipse degree of November 13, 2013, just after Saturn first entered Scorpio. If it feels like that pesky Scorpio energy won’t go away, it will hang around through the end of the year. It is part of the profound transformation that is in place to push us through these final stages of resistance to our ascension.
Then in 2017 we will have the occasional Scorpio reminder (it is, after all, one of the zodiac signs) but it won’t be the same intensity we have experienced since 2012. This is a very special full moon because the moon will be closer to the earth than it has been since 1948, so it will have extra impact. If you’re out and about you may want to pay extra attention to your driving and people may be very emotional and distracted.
We have the usual ongoing energies happening this month too, including the ongoing Uranus/Eris square, and the wounded healer Chiron energy, but with a new focus, how do we put things together to create the new paradigms we have been wanting to align with and integrate? So much of our time has been spent in taking things apart this year, now it’s time to put them together – not in the same way, unless that’s what we want, but in new and different ways that serve our intention for joy, peace, love, abundance, fulfillment and, our theme for 2016, congruent harmony.November is a month for spiritual maturity, where we set aside the regrets of the past and begin to look forward to taking action in new directions, fully embracing our power to create a reality, and a world, in which spirit and human work together, in partnership, which is the only way we’re going to allow 5D energies in to stay. If we keep our focus on 5D integration – 3D is not disappearing or going away, ascension is an integration, not a takeover – we will start seeing progress this month.
But November is not all work and no play, it’s also a month for joy and it can be a ‘joy ride’ if we are willing to stop working so hard to get the rest of humanity to align with the ascension energies and have some fun. That is going to be one of our missions in 2017, to lead from the lighter energy and frequency of joy, to be less of a light ‘worker’ and more of a light ‘beacon’, enjoying our own journey while we do the work of fulfilling our individual and collective transformation and ascension missions.
And remember we are already in the energy of 2017, the switch began in September so you don’t have to wait until January for your joyful new beginnings and fresh starts, you can put that into action right now. Ready, set, and let’s soar into our new 5D paradigms, it’s all set to go. And get in the driver’s seat, you are not a passenger in these new paradigms. Plus, being the driver means you control the speed and how fast you get to your destination. Time to put the ‘pedal to the metal’ and put all of our learning into action. Have a wonderful month.
The November 2016 Energy Mastery class is November 4, 2016, where you’ll learn how to best use November’s energy (and what to avoid), along with energy exercises and our energy meditation. CLICK HERE to sign up, the call is live and recorded, worksheet is included too.
Copyright (c) 2016 by Jennifer Hoffman . All rights reserved. You may quote, copy, translate and link to this article, in its entirety, on free, non-donation based websites only, as long as you include the author name and a working link back to this website. All other uses are strictly prohibited. SF Source Enlightening Life Nov. 2016 Share this: | 1 |
The NBC presidential forum on Wednesday night in Manhattan brought together the candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump to try to determine who has the strength, preparation and presence of mind to lead during a time of crisis. It sure wasn’t Matt Lauer. In an event aboard the decommissioned aircraft carrier Intrepid, the “Today” host was lost at sea. Seemingly unprepared on military and foreign policy specifics, he performed like a soldier sent on a mission without ammunition, beginning with a disorganized offensive, ending in a humiliating retreat. Mr. Lauer interviewed the candidates in turn for a each. He began by asking Mrs. Clinton to defend her use of a private email server as secretary of state. And asking again. And again. Roughly a third of his questioning dealt with the emails — a matter certainly connected to national security, but also a staple issue of this year’s reporting. It suggested, as the rest of the forum confirmed, that Mr. Lauer was steadiest handling issues familiar to anyone with a passing knowledge of the morning politics headlines. That emphasis left relatively little time for the forum’s and military subjects. Mr. Lauer and the audience asked about complex topics — the Middle East, terrorism, veterans’ affairs — and Mr. Lauer pressed for simple answers. “As briefly as you can,” he injected when an audience member asked how Mrs. Clinton would decide whether to deploy troops against the Islamic State. There’s a difference between an interviewer who has questions and one who has knowledge, and Mr. Lauer illustrated it. He seemed to be plowing through a checklist, not listening in the moment in a way that led to productive . Short on time, he repeatedly interrupted Mrs. Clinton in a way he didn’t with Mr. Trump. (“Let me finish,” she protested at one point.) Candidates should expect to be challenged. They’re applying for a challenging job. But where Mr. Lauer treated Mrs. Clinton like someone running for president, he treated Mr. Trump like someone running to figure out how to be president, eventually. That interview was the apotheosis of this presidential campaign’s forced marriage of entertainment and news. The host of NBC’s morning show interviewed the former star of its reality show “The Apprentice,” and the whole thing played out as farce. Like Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Trump has had a few controversies related to the military. You might recall him feuding with a Gold Star family, or mocking Senator John McCain of Arizona for being captured in Vietnam, or likening his attendance to military experience. Mr. Lauer evidently didn’t recall any of that. He kicked off by asking Mr. Trump what in his life had prepared him to be president, the kind of whiffle ball question you ask the boss’s nephew you know you have to hire anyway. Mr. Lauer did press the Republican candidate on his claims of a “secret plan” to defeat the Islamic State and his repeated praise of Vladimir V. Putin, the president of Russia, leading Mr. Trump to cite the Russian authoritarian’s poll numbers and compare him favorably with President Obama. In general, though, Mr. Lauer’s questioning of Mr. Trump was like watching one student quiz another to prep for a test neither had done the reading for. The host asked soft questions that invited the candidate to answer with word clouds. Mr. Lauer prefaced one question by saying that “nobody would expect you” to have read deeply into foreign policy before running for president. He asked Mr. Trump if he would be “prepared on Day 1,” a question that will elicit only one answer from any candidate not about to drop out. Most egregiously, Mr. Lauer allowed Mr. Trump to repeat, unchallenged, the false claim that he had opposed the war in Iraq when, as reported by BuzzFeed, he supported the invasion on record in 2002. Any minimally prepared interviewer would have been ready for that claim, even if Mrs. Clinton had not earlier rebutted it in front of Mr. Lauer’s face. NBC News has a vast staff of anchors and reporters. Why turn over the grilling to a guy who had a hard enough time questioning Ryan Lochte? Giving a showcase to your top morning host works only if you’re showcasing something the host does well. Maybe the thinking was that Mr. Lauer would have sufficient training wheels in a format that wasn’t a debate. In fact, he asked each candidate not to attack the other in answers, an absurd request that neither one followed anyway. (Though again, Mr. Lauer criticized only Mrs. Clinton for it.) But the forum was a sort of introductory skirmish before the debates. It gave the candidates a chance to practice, to scout each other — and above all, to test the current news media waters, to see how willing a network anchor is to challenge and correct. Mr. Lauer, fortunately, is not going to moderate a presidential debate. But Fox News’s Chris Wallace is, and he recently said that he did not consider it his job to candidates as a moderator. Let’s not mistake who this helps most: the website PolitiFact has found far more false statements from Mr. Trump than from Mrs. Clinton. Why would a journalist be allergic to verifying the truth? On an MSNBC panel, Chris Matthews guessed that Mr. Lauer didn’t correct Mr. Trump on Iraq because of perceptions. “You have to call the guy a liar when you do that,” he said. “That’s the difficult thing for a Matt Lauer to do, because it sounds like an opinion. ” But it’s not. When a candidate says he didn’t say something that he did, that’s a matter of fact. Here’s what an opinion looks like: It’s a travesty to be steamrollered by a candidate because you’re worried that doing your job will look bad. To put it in military terms, weakness is an invitation to attack. Going into the debates, what we saw at NBC’s forum should make you very, very worried about our first line of defense. | 1 |
Photographs capture mere fractions of seconds, but a series of them taken by an Egyptian journalist has cost him more than three years of his life. Mahmoud Abou Zeid, known as Shawkan, has been in Tora Prison in Cairo for more than 1, 100 days. He has been detained without trial since he was arrested while photographing the deadly antigovernment protests that roiled Egypt in the summer of 2013. “My passion is photography, but I am paying the price for my passion with my life. Without it, a part of me is missing,” Mr. Abou Zeid wrote in a letter published by the Committee to Protect Journalists in March 2015 to mark his 600th day in detention. “Tora prison is like a cemetery. It is a place where dreams come to die. ” On Tuesday, the committee honored Mr. Abou Zeid with an International Press Freedom Award, presented in New York — in absentia. The group started a campaign, asking supporters who attended its annual gala to photograph themselves holding a placard saying #FreeShawkan and post it to Twitter. Among the journalists who posted selfies at the event was Martin Baron, the executive editor of The Washington Post. Since President Abdel Fattah took power more than three years ago, he has been criticized for cracking down on the press. The Committee to Protect Journalists recorded the imprisonment of 23 journalists in Egypt in 2015, second only to China. Mr. Abou Zeid’s mother, Reda Aly, who visits him in prison once a week, said of the award: “I am looking forward to talking to him about it, because I know he will be happy and he deserves it. ” Mr. Abou Zeid, 29, was arrested with two other journalists, one from France and one from the United States, on Aug. 14, 2013. He was covering clashes between the military and supporters of Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist who had been ousted as Egypt’s president a month before. Hundreds of protesters were also arrested, and more than 1, 000 people were killed, including four journalists, according to Human Rights Watch. The foreign reporters were quickly freed, but Mr. Abou Zeid — who was on assignment for Demotix, a British website and photo agency — was charged with weapons possession, illegal assembly, murder and attempted murder. Such charges have since been regularly levied against protesters and political opponents of Mr. Sisi’s government. Mike Giglio, the American journalist who was detained at the same time as Mr. Abou Zeid and who works for BuzzFeed, has written that he saw the Egyptian carrying only his camera before his arrest. A freelancer who made his living on the streets of Cairo studying the subtleties of light, Mr. Abou Zeid has been kept in a small, dark cell with more than a dozen other inmates since his arrest, his family said. He tested positive for hepatitis C before his arrest, and his lawyer says he has been denied treatment. “He is severely anemic and looks skeletal,” said his father, Abdel Shakoor Abou Zeid. Mahmoud Abou Zeid is an Egyptian citizen who grew up in Kuwait, where his parents worked as teachers. He moved back to Cairo in 2009 to study and practice journalism. The timing was fortuitous: Within less than two years, he was at the epicenter of months of upheaval that toppled leaders across the region, including President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. “Photography was always his passion and his hobby,” said Ahmed Abu Seif, a childhood friend who now runs a Facebook campaign called Freedom for Shawkan. “Since the Nokia mobile phone with the camera, he was always really into photography, Mr. Abu Seif added. “He was not a political or a religious person,” Mr. Abu Seif said. “He was there just to do his job. ” Ms. Aly, his mother, brings him food on her weekly visits, and sometimes slips into the package a piece of fresh fruit, like a mango, which she said was not allowed. “I only get to see him for one hour once a week, and there are always officers coming and going,” she said. Sometimes, she said, the prison guards allow her to slip her son bits of chocolate: “The boy just loves chocolate. ” | 1 |
By Rmuse 10:00 am The voter suppression tactic is right out of the GOP [election rigging] playbook to suppress the Black vote in North Carolina.” *The following is an opinion column by R Muse*
Some Americans are likely aware of the psychological term “projecting” that roughly means a person attributes their own faults and actions onto someone else; as an ‘unconscious’ form of transferring guilt for one’s own actions. As soon as the Republican primaries concluded, Donald Trump projected Republicans’ guilt for election rigging, either through vote obstruction or suppression, onto Democrats and his opponent Hillary Clinton. Republicans have been actively suppressing votes since the election of Barack Obama in 2008, and they have only ramped up their ‘ election rigging’ activities over the past eight years; and yet Trump accuses Democrats of election rigging as frequently as most human beings draw breath.
Yesterday, the North Carolina conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) filed a lawsuit against North Carolina Republicans and demanded they put an immediate stop to the “ coordinated effort to suppress the Black vote in the state .” What the NAACP rightly said was that the voter suppression tactic was “ right out of the GOP [election rigging] playbook to suppress the Black vote in the state. ”
The election rigging amounts to three counties in North Carolina canceling voter registration of thousands of, mostly African American, Democratic residents a week before the presidential election. The lawsuit charged election officials in Beaufort, Moore, and Cumberland counties of denying primarily African American voters’ eligibility to participate in democracy because their voter registration documents mysteriously were “ bounced back as undeliverable. ”
Most of the voters whose eligibility to vote was denied and flagged for purging, such as James Edward Arthur Sr. had moved within the same county and were still legally allowed to cast ballots. Many of the purged voters lived at their “ original registration address ” and were victims of a “ simple postal service error. ”
Mr. Arthur is an African American who lives in a nursing home and has voted in at least the last 14 elections in the same county he was born and raised in without issue. Arthur testified that he, like thousands of other African American Democratic voters, never received any state or county election documents informing him that his eligibility was denied, or that if he didn’t attend an appeal hearing to maintain his right to vote he would be denied the right to participate in democracy. Mr. Arthur said,
“ If I knew my right to vote was in jeopardy, I would do whatever I could to protect it. I want and plan to vote in the upcoming election, but I am concerned that since my registration has been canceled I will not be able to cast a ballot or it will not be counted .”
It is what any sane human being would consider “ election rigging ” simply because the tri-county ploy targeted primarily African Americans who typically vote for Democrats. It is also something North Carolina Republicans have been guilty of for the past six years.
According to the NAACP lawsuit, North Carolina Republicans are in violation of the National Voter Registration Act which “ bans the systemic removal of voters from the rolls in the final 90 days before an election .” Republican election officials State officials defended their “ election rigging ” and said they were justified in “ purging tens-of-thousands ” of mainly African American Democratic voters’ eligibility, the definition of systemic, on an individual basis.
However, the NAACP also accused Republicans of conducting a coordinated mailing campaign for the sole purpose of challenging the eligibility of thousands of mainly African American voters’ eligibility who did not receive the mailing. One Republican who ran for a local office last year, Shane Hubers, challenged the registration of voters, the majority who are them Democrats, in Beaufort County.
In one of the other counties charged in the lawsuit, Cumberland County, one “ individual used returned mail to challenge the registrations of 3,951 mostly Democratic voters .” In Moore County, the secretary of the local Republican Party, N. Carol Wheeldon, challenged approximately 400 mainly African American registered voters; likely because they do not vote for Republicans.
The lead attorney for the NAACP’s lawsuit, Penda Hair, said that although she cannot yet prove there is a concerted Republican “ election rigging ” conspiracy;
“ We know that in two of the counties, the people who brought the challenges had connections to the local Republican Party. We also know that the pattern of these challenges is very similar across the counties .” Ms. Hair also noted that, “ in Moore County the return address of a right-wing group called the Voter Integrity Project appeared on the mail that was used to challenge voters. This is a very pernicious treatment of voters ,” she said. It is also a deliberate act of “ election rigging ” by Republicans.
The president of the North Carolina NAACP, Reverend Dr. William Barber said,
“ We are seeing the worst attempts of voter suppression here in North Carolina that we’ve seen since the days of Jim Crow. The Tar Heel state is ground zero in the intentional, surgical efforts to suppress the voice of voters. These attempts are a direct affront to our Constitution .”
The NAACP lawsuit is demanding the state reinstate all voters challenged since 2012 using this “election rigging ” process back on the rolls immediately. The organization also demands that the state notifies the voters that they have been reinstated as eligible voters, and allow them to cast regular ballots early or on Election Day. They have already put in a request for an emergency hearing this week to decide the case.
It might be the case that the NAACP’s request for a hearing may be granted; especially in light of these new charges arising just days after a federal court ruled that North Carolina Republicans violated the National Voter Registration Act in yet another manner; failing to add tens of thousands of voters to the rolls who registered at a DMV office over the past few years.
Last Thursday U.S. District Court Judge Loretta Biggs ordered North Carolina Republicans to permit those tens-of-thousands of voters to cast provisional ballots. It is highly doubtful that North Carolina Republicans will obey the Federal Judge’s orders because they have been the recipients of several court orders over their “election rigging” actions that have had no effect whatsoever or the Republicans would not continue disenfranchising voters.
Republicans have been on a tear to rig elections since the American people first elected Barack Obama as President, and the conservatives on the Supreme Court are ultimately guilty of conspiring with Republicans to suppress, or obstruct, the voting rights of primarily people of color because they don’t support Republicans. To be perfectly clear, it is irrelevant if it is called voter suppression, obstruction, or disenfranchisement; it is a deliberate attempt to rig elections. And it is only Republicans and the Koch brothers’ outfit the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), who are behind each and every attempt in Republican-controlled states to kill democracy by doing what the Republican Party standard bearer Donald Trump is guilty of projecting; rig elections. | 1 |
Jane Fonda, Judd Apatow, and Patricia Arquette are among the stars taking part in a telethon airing on Facebook Live during Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration, which will raise money for Planned Parenthood and environmental group Earthjustice. [“ ” was the brainchild of Alex Godin, a tech entrepreneur, who says Donald Trump’s election inspired the event. “I woke up like a lot of Americans feeling pretty crappy on November 10,” Godin told CNNMoney. “I looked for an opportunity to do something. ” The event’s organizers — which include tech PR consultant Kara Silverman and Sam Koppelman, digital content strategist at Hillary for America — hope to raise a minimum of $500, 000. “It’s a really important opportunity to support causes like Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, Earthjustice, as they gear up to do [critical] work,” Godin said. Other celebrities expected to participate in the event include Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Guest, Tim Robbins and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy. The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California will also benefit from the fundraiser. The event will be hosted in New York City, with broadcast set to begin streaming on Facebook Live at 12:30 pm on inauguration day, January 20. The fundraiser will reportedly feature comedy skits and musical acts from across the country during the event. “The future of civil liberties in the United States is in our hands. Now is the time to step up and defend it,” the event’s website says,” adding the money raised will help fund “organizations that will fight for our most marginalized communities — and democratic norms — over the next four years. ” Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @JeromeEHudson | 0 |
WASHINGTON — The F. B. I. defended its hiring of a third party to break into an iPhone used by a gunman in last year’s San Bernardino, Calif. mass shooting, telling some skeptical lawmakers on Tuesday that it needed to join with partners in the rarefied world of hackers as technology companies increasingly resist their demands for consumer information. Amy Hess, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s executive assistant director for science and technology, made the comments at a hearing by members of Congress who are debating potential legislation on encryption. The lawmakers gathered law enforcement authorities and Silicon Valley company executives to discuss the issue, which has divided technology companies and officials in recent months and spurred a debate over privacy and security. The hearing follows a recent standoff between the F. B. I. and Apple over a court order to force the company to help unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino attackers. Apple opposed the order, citing harm to the privacy of its users. The F. B. I. later dropped its demand for Apple’s help when it found a alternative to hack the device. Yet that has done little to quell the controversy. The encryption debate has continued with new hearings, proposed legislation and other cases that involve locked iPhones and law enforcement demands that the devices be opened to aid investigations. In Tuesday’s hearing, Ms. Hess did not provide details on how the F. B. I. ultimately gained access to the San Bernardino iPhone but said the agency had come to rely on private sector partners to keep up with changes in technology. She said that there was no solution and that the agency generally should not use third parties to hack into systems but lacks the expertise to break past encryption. “These types of solutions that we may employ require a lot of highly skilled, specialized resources that we may not have immediately available to us,” Ms. Hess said. The focus on third parties at the hearing illustrates a growing discomfort by some in Congress and in the tech industry with the use of “gray hat” hackers, who are hackers who may push the boundaries of the law and anger companies but whose intentions are not malicious. “I don’t think relying on a third party is a good model,” said Representative Diana DeGette, a Democrat from Colorado. She questioned if the use of hackers was ethical and whether it could open up greater security risks because sensitive and valuable data could be accessible to outside groups. Ms. Hess did not answer directly when asked about whether there were ethical issues in using hackers but said the bureau needed to review its operation “to make sure that we identify the risks and benefits. ” The F. B. I. has been unwilling to say whom it paid to demonstrate a way around the iPhone’s internal defenses, or how much, and it has not shown Apple the technique. Apple’s general counsel, Bruce Sewell, said at the hearing that encryption did not prevent the authorities from solving crimes. “As you heard from our colleagues in law enforcement, they have the perception that encryption walls off information to them,” Mr. Sewell said. “But technologists and national security experts don’t see the world that way. We see a world that seems to be full of information. Information that law enforcement can use to solve — and prevent — crimes. ” Mr. Sewell also defended Apple’s security practices, saying the company always aimed to keep its devices safe from prying eyes. Within the last two years, he said, the Chinese government has requested Apple’s source code but the company has refused to hand it over. In a public report on Monday, the company said American law enforcement officials made 4, 000 requests for customer data covering more than 16, 000 devices in the second half of last year. Law enforcement officials testifying before the committee on Tuesday expressed frustration over their inability to run a number of cases to ground — particularly sex abuse and child pornography cases — because of encrypted phones. They said the recent publicity over the issue could end up helping criminals. “Make no mistake — criminals are listening to this testimony and learning from it,” said Charles Cohen, commander of the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The F. B. I. said there has been an increase in the number of devices it has acquired through investigations but was unable to gain access to because of encryption. Ms. Hess said that since October, 13 percent of the devices obtained by the F. B. I. were impenetrable by the agency. When asked at Tuesday’s hearing if the relationship between the tech industry and law enforcement had become adversarial, Ms. Hess responded, “I hope not. ” The encryption debate is continuing in other quarters. Apple is fighting an order in a federal court in New York to provide access to a phone involved in a criminal drug investigation. And last week, Senator Richard Burr, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a Republican, and Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the committee, released a draft version of a bill that would require tech companies to decrypt data if requested by a court. Tech companies, which have largely banded together in support of Apple’s position, are lobbying against the draft bill. Timed to the Tuesday hearing, trade groups representing top technology companies including Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft sent a letter to Senators Burr and Feinstein, opposing their bill. “We believe it is critical to the safety of the nation’s, and the world’s, information technology infrastructure for us all to avoid actions that will create security vulnerabilities in our encryption systems,” the groups, which include the Reform Government Surveillance and Computer and Communications Industry Association, said. “Any mandatory decryption requirement, such as that included in the discussion draft of the bill that you authored, will to lead to unintended consequences. ” Michael Petricone, senior vice president for government affairs at the Consumer Technology Association, added, “This is urgent because the one thing you don’t want is Congress coming in a fashion and doing something with all sorts of negative consequences, which is what we may be seeing happen now. ” City and state law enforcement officials support the Senate draft bill, but it faces strong opposition from many in Congress. President Obama has done little to assuage concerns by the tech industry. In a speech in March, the president warned against “fetishizing” encryption and urged more compromise between tech companies and the F. B. I. | 1 |
Posted: Nov 15th, 2016 by Guest Click for more article by Guest .. More Stories about: Ticker | 0 |
Some of the people that Andrew Caspersen bilked out of millions of dollars are asking a federal judge to show mercy on the scion of a Wall Street family. In letters to the judge, Mr. Caspersen’s mother, friends and former colleagues on Wall Street paint a picture of a modest man who had a “firm grasp of the ‘right’ thing to do. ” Even his wedding photographer and the doorman in the Upper East Side apartment building where Mr. Caspersen lives wrote in support. Their depictions are at odds with the government’s, which has detailed how Mr. Caspersen ran a scheme to steal nearly $40 million, only to lose it all in bets on the stock market. He pleaded guilty to one charge of security fraud and one charge of wire fraud in July. The most important letter of all, however, may be one from Dr. Marc N. Potenza, a professor of psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine, who called Mr. Caspersen’s “severe gambling” a mental illness. The lawyer for Mr. Caspersen contends that it was an extreme compulsion to trade stock options that drove his client with an Ivy League pedigree to lie and steal from his friends, family and a hedge fund foundation. In an unusual departure from the typical sentencing, Judge Jed S. Rakoff has agreed to hear testimony from Dr. Potenza on what constitutes a gambling addiction before imposing a sentence on the Mr. Caspersen. Judge Rakoff is set to sentence Mr. Caspersen at the Federal District Court in Manhattan on Friday. It is not known whether federal prosecutors in Manhattan will call any witnesses of their own or simply look to Dr. Potenza. The testimony could be critical to Mr. Caspersen’s attempt to persuade Judge Rakoff to impose a more lenient sentence than the more than 15 years in prison that federal prosecutors have said is appropriate. Mr. Caspersen was arrested in March at La Guardia Airport in New York as he was returning from a family vacation to Florida. He pleaded guilty in July, telling Judge Rakoff he was “ashamed for my crimes” and for causing harm to people close to him. Shortly before the arrest, Mr. Caspersen drafted a suicide note to his wife and a “letter to his ‘creditors,’” in which he said he was “deeply ashamed” and said he had “engaged in an ‘outright fraud,’” his lawyer said in a court filing. The suicide note was an eerie reminder of his father, Finn M. W. Caspersen, who killed himself in 2009 while battling cancer. The elder Mr. Caspersen made his fortune running what used to be known as Beneficial Finance and later gave a good deal of money to Harvard Law School. The elder Mr. Caspersen and all of his sons, including Andrew Caspersen, attended Harvard Law. Andrew Caspersen’s lawyer, Paul Shechtman, has likened his client’s urges to trade tens of millions of dollars worth of stock options as an addiction no less gripping than one to alcohol or drugs. Although such addictive behavior does not excuse Mr. Caspersen’s conduct, he said, it is a mitigating circumstance that Judge Rakoff should take into consideration. “He never intended for them to lose, yet he could not stop,” Mr. Shechtman said in a filing accompanying the letters from Dr. Potenza and other associates of Mr. Caspersen. Mr. Shechtman has said that his client has undergone treatment since his arrest. The lawyer’s call for leniency has not moved prosecutors working for Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for Manhattan. They are asking Judge Rakoff to impose a stiff sentence that is within the range established by federal sentencing guidelines. Prosecutors, in their own court filing, are taking a tougher position than the probation department for the federal courts, which has recommended a sentence of seven years. Some federal judges have expressed frustration with the guidelines because they potentially hamstring jurists and do not take into account mitigating circumstances. One such critic has been Judge Rakoff, who called the guidelines “irrational” in July, when Mr. Caspersen pleaded guilty. But not all of Mr. Caspersen’s more than a dozen victims have submitted letters of support. Notably, Mr. Shechtman’s filing did not include a letter from Louis Bacon, the billionaire hedge fund manager, whose foundation had given nearly $25 million to Mr. Caspersen. Mr. Caspersen’s tale has confounded Wall Street, where he was known and liked, blending in with many of his associates who came from backgrounds. In many ways, his privileged background (he attended Groton and Princeton before Harvard) helped him to keep up a scheme for years before anyone noticed. The stock trading addiction began at Princeton, Mr. Shechtman said, but was amplified by a $2. 7 million distribution that Mr. Caspersen received from a family trust in 1999, when he was at Harvard. Over the following years Mr. Caspersen received another distribution, which he lost as well. Soon, he turned to friends and family for investments, getting a million dollars here, several million dollars there. Money came easily from his network, and for years, he papered over the losses by bringing in new money. As recently as February, Mr. Caspersen — who was at that point a successful executive working at the Park Hill Group, a division of PJT Partners — made so much money trading stock options that he could have paid back everyone and still had as much as $60 million left for himself. Instead, he continued to trade, losing it all. Mr. Caspersen kept his compulsive stock trading from friends and families. He even persuaded his wife that they should file separate tax returns, largely to keep his frequent trading a secret, according to court filings. But Mr. Caspersen’s facade began to unravel this year. A former Wall Street options trader who reviewed Mr. Caspersen’s trading records at Mr. Shechtman’s request said the option trading “lacked rationality. ” “If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” said Bruce Rosen, a former managing director at Tiger Ventures Capital, “then Mr. Caspersen’s options trading was not that of a sane person. ” Still, Mr. Caspersen has his defenders. “Andrew has always treated me with respect,” wrote John Colby, a doorman at the Manhattan apartment building where Mr. Caspersen lives with his wife and their two children. Mr. Colby described how during a shift on Thanksgiving several years ago, Mr. Caspersen and his wife brought Mr. Colby Thanksgiving dinner “on a real plate, with a real glass and napkin and silverware,” adding that the gesture was “very touching to me. ” | 1 |
Information Liberation October 27, 2016
Video out of Florida shows a panicked Clinton aide rush to her side in order to help her climb one step.
When the aide sees Her Hagliness is going to reach a small riser before him, he’s seen making a mad dash towards her. Hillary then turns, grabs his hand for balance and while clutching him for dear life manages to tackle the one step before her.
You have to wonder what made him so panicked. Did she collapse once again in secret? This article was posted: Thursday, October 27, 2016 at 5:37 am Share this article | 0 |
Jimstone.is
October 31 2016
Huma's husband, Anthony Weiner (which blows the whole Huma/Islam meme into the gutter; all we are seeing with this is the fact the "Muslims" running Saudi Arabia are crypto Jews) – ANYWAY , Hillary was so sure she'd never be called to account with her e-mails that she was careless enough to have them end up on Weiner's personal laptop in a file he titled "life insurance".
Well, you know how the entire establishment is wrapped up in child sex and other similar crimes, and Weiner ended up getting his laptop seized by the NYPD in a kiddie porn/child sex investigation. When the NYPD went through the laptop, they found Hillary's e-mails in FULL UNADULTERATED PRISTINE FORM. They proved crimes of the highest order – at least 15 felonies found so far, with a majority of them related to treason and selling out the country.
SO THE NYPD OPENED UP A CASE ON HILLARY. The FBI said, NO, WE'LL TAKE THAT – and that is the ONLY reason why these investigations got re-opened: because if the NYPD handled it, huge portions of the FBI would be sent to prison. Now the FBI is under pressure to actually do its job, because they know the NYPD knows. No matter what the outcome, the FBI gains zero (0) ZERO credibility points from this.
So read my report DO NOT FORGIVE : it was BANG ON, they did this because they HAD TO, not because they had any intention at all of being good, and it really is time to drain the swamp.
Now let's all sit and wait for the suicide of Preet Bharara , the U.S. Prosecuting Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and the NYPD who pushed this into the light. He's now a target of the FBI, the DNC, the Clinton death machine and God knows what else. PREDICTION (and I do not make predictions): THE DIRECTOR OF INVESTIGATIONS FOR THE NYPD WILL "COMMIT SUICIDE" WITHIN 5 DAYS. He's a walking dead man.
The circle of crime in Washington DC is so entrenched and so intertwined that if you poke one part of it, there is a good chance the whole show will fall apart. Poking that monster in a way that hurts is something I do not believe anyone will survive; Preet might as well call himself a zombie.
The NYPD TRUMPED the FBI! That is why they had to investigate Hillary!
Well well, the NYPD is what busted the Hillary mails open while they were looking for kiddie stuff on Weiner's laptop, and THAT is why the FBI was forced to investigate Hillary. They had no choice. NYPD TRUMPS FBI!!!
Related:
Insiders Threaten to Expose Hillary's Pedophile Sex Ring!!! | 0 |
November 10, 2016 - Fort Russ News - RusVesna - translated by J. Arnoldski -
During an ongoing press conference in Donetsk, the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko, revealed the names of two Ukrainian officials involved in the organization of the attack which killed Hero of the Republic Arsen Pavlov (Motorola).
“I am ready to name those involved in the murder of Motorola. According to our intelligence, Vitaly Malikov, who advised sabotage and terrorist activity in Donbass, the head of the Donetsk region SBU, Akut, and a number of responsible employees and representatives of the SBU headquarters participated in preparing and committing this crime,” the head of the DPR stated.
Zakharchenko added that the republic’s criminal investigators already have the full list of persons involved in the organization of this crime, but the DPR is not yet going to name all the names. In addition, the identity of the exact persons who committed the terrorist act are being determined.
Zakharchenko emphasized: “I assure you that these names will be determined, that these people will be found and, at the request of the father of Motorola’s bodyguard, will be give these names to Abkhazia as well.”
On October 16th, Motorola, the commander of the Sparta battalion and a colonel of the DPR army, was killed by an explosive device set up by Ukrainian saboteurs in the elevator in his apartment building. Motorola’s bodyguard was also killed. The authorities of the DPR have qualified the crime as a terrorist attack.
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Share on Facebook Nagalese prevents vitamin D from being produced in the body. Not long ago, Neon Nettle reported on the epidemic of doctors being murdered, most of which were in Florida, U.S. The scientists all shared a common trait, they had all discovered that nagalase enzyme protein was being added to vaccines which were then administrated to humans. Nagalese is what prevents vitamin D from being produced in the body, which is the body's main defence to naturally kill cancer cells. According to Thebigriddle.com: Nagalase is a protein that's also created by all cancer cells. This protein is also found in very high concentrations in autistic children. And they're PUTTING it in our vaccines!! This prevents the body from utilizing the Vitamin D necessary to fight cancer and prevent autism. Nagalese disables the immune system. It's also known to cause Type 2 Diabetes. So basically…they weren't killing these doctors because they had found the cure to cancer or were successfully treating autism… they're killing them because these doctors had been researching and had the evidence that the vaccines they're injecting our precious children with are CAUSING our current cancer and autism crisis! And that it's obviously being done knowingly and on purpose! The Doctors they killed in FL had been collaborating and were getting ready to go public with the information. Depopulation 101..add poison to vaccines…make it law that all children must be injected to attend school. Slow kill methods. They think they're being fair with their “survival of the fittest” type mentality. Only the best genes survive? These people have no souls. Dr Ted Broer broke it on The Hagmann & Hagmann Report and it took them a whole hour just to get him on air because their 3 hour show was brought down and every line they tried to use kept disconnecting… and then their servers were brought down. They asked a bunch of people to pray against the attack and then finally got him on a secured line..and so a full hour into the show they were finally back on the air and connected to Dr. Broer and the first thing he said was “I am in no way suicidal.” He was super nervous holding onto this info… afraid he'd be taken out Hastings style before he got a chance to say it publicly. So listen to this short clip of him breaking the story. It's a 19 min clip but the most important info is heard within the first 10 min. It is definitely some of the most important news I've ever heard. And it needs to go viral. Thanks for taking the time to read this article. If you found this information helpful, please share it with your friends and family. Your support in our endeavor of sharing free information would be much appreciated. Related: | 0 |
47 Views November 22, 2016 GOLD , KWN King World News
Is the 34-year bull market in U.S. bonds over? And how will this impact gold, silver, and the Canadian dollar? Is The 34 Year Bull Market In U.S. Bonds Over? U.S. 30-Year Treasury: 3% Yield A Real Possibility! Fitzpatrick also noted the November 2015 high of 2.37%, and the 2015 high of 2.5% on the U.S. 10-Year yield. Fitzpatrick stated, “A break above those levels (noted on the chart above) would open the way to the 3.00-3.05% area which was the ‘taper tantrum’ peaks.” Of course this would mean much higher mortgage rates, which would weaken prices of real estate. U.S. Dollar Has Underperformed Canadian Dollar Relative To Other Currencies Is This About To Trigger A Major Upside Move In Gold & Silver? The reason this is important is because a move on the U.S. Dollar vs Canadian Dollar from the 1.34 zone to the 1.19 area would translate into a massive 11.2 percent swing in favor of the Canadian currency. Fitzpatrick stated, “For such a move to happen it is almost certain that our bullish view of a move above $60 in WTI (Crude Oil) would have to occur.” For what it’s worth, this would also be highly inflationary and would most likely translate into significantly higher gold and silver prices as well as the high-quality mining shares.
Dow & Nasdaq Hit All-Time Highs But The Stock Market Is On Borrowed Time, And Will India Ban Gold Imports? | 0 |
As Aging Population Increases, Elders and Allies Fight for Social Supports As Aging Population Increases, Elders and Allies Fight for Social Supports By Support your favorite writers by making sure we can keep publishing them! Make a donation to Truthout to ensure independent journalism survives.
According to a spring 2016 report released by the Older Women’s League , men in the top 1 percent live 15 years longer than those in the bottom 1 percent. The gap for women is 10 years. And it’s getting worse. As the league’s annual study, “ Aging in Community ,” notes, “The inequality of life spans between rich and poor has widened from 2001 to 2014.”
The result? By the time folks reach age 75, 6.7 percent of men and 12.3 percent of women live below the poverty line: $11,880 for a single person and $16,020 for a household of two. Gender, of course, is a key variable: Women earn, on average, a lower annual income — typically caused by wage disparities as well as breaks in employment to rear children — resulting in smaller monthly Social Security checks. This is no small thing since a lower income impacts everything from access to health care to the ability to secure decent, affordable housing and nutritious food.
Race also impacts income, causing many Black and Brown seniors to live in poverty. The federal Administration on Aging reports that in 2013 poverty among the elderly impacted 19.2 percent African Americans; 18.1 percent of Latino and Latinas; 14.7 percent of Asian Americans; and 7.8 percent of whites aged 65 or older. Indigenous seniors have it even worse. Although Indigenous people make up just .05 percent of those over 65 , a full 42 percent of tribal seniors are impoverished.
Indeed, the collision between poverty and aging is a problem of startling magnitude. It’s also more complicated than it seems, thanks to the rapid aging of the US population. For one, since 1900, the percentage of Americans aged 65 or older has more than tripled. Two years ago, they numbered 46.2 million and made up 14.5 percent of the total population. Flash forward to 2040 and 21.7 percent will fall into that… | 0 |
California AB 60 driver’s license holders — who are admittedly in the country illegally by virtue of applying for this class of license — are concerned that the Trump administration may use their AB 60 licenses to identify them for deportation, according to an AP story picked up by Oregon Live. [According to Jessica Gonzalez, spokeswoman for the Dept. of Motor Vehicles (DMV) illegal aliens in California have nothing to fear. She told the AP that although the department makes “databases available to entities,” that information would not include the legal status of driver’s license holders. In response to questions from Breitbart News, Gonzalez may have inadvertently provided the Trump administration a way to get to the bottom of allegations of massive voter fraud. Breitbart News: When you state that “that although the department makes “databases available to law enforcement entities,” that information would not include the legal status of license holders,” is that because DMV withholds that info. or doesn’t have it? Or is it because DMV treats the AB 60 Drivers license like every other driver’s license that once in the DMV database and there is no way to distinguish them? DMV Response: AB 60 driver license information is kept in the same DMV database as every other driver license. The fact that someone is an AB 60 driver license holder, isn’t available to law enforcement when they access a driver record. So the California DMV can internally differentiate within their database who holds an “illegal alien” AB60 license — which contradicts what is being pushed by activist websites that have reassured illegal aliens that once the driver’s license is entered in the database, the entry is indistinguishable. In a state like California, where every regular driver’s license holder is automatically registered to vote, and where almost a million illegal aliens have received these “ drive only” licenses — it’s critically important that additional safeguards be in place to prevent from being “accidentally” registered to vote. When asked about how the DMV prevents this from happening, Gonzalez said “[t]he programming blocks AB 60 applicants from having the option to register to vote. ” How is the California voter assured that voter fraud is not happening, given that the only safeguards in place are a computer program and the honor system? If someone returns a voter registration card and fails to affirm they are a U. S. citizen, his or her registration is treated as normal and placed on the voter rolls without any further verification, per the California Secretary of State’s official website. Gonzalez also said that “state laws forbid police from discriminating based on a person showing an license,” but there is nothing to stop the U. S. Attorney General from subpoenaing the database to determine if votes were cast illegally in a federal election. It is a very serious crime in California to vote illegally or to vote on behalf of someone who is not qualified to vote — punishable by up to 3 years in prison, with fines from $1, 000 up to $25, 000 (if the particular offense is a felony). It is also a federal crime for a alien to vote in any federal election, according to US Code 18 U. S. C. § 611 — punishable by up to one year of imprisonment. If Attorney General Jeff Sessions wanted to investigate voter fraud in California — which California Secretary of State Alex Padilla vehemently condemned as “dangerous,” “impossible” and “a lie” — all he has to do is subpoena the databases and cross reference voter files with AB 60 driver’s license holders. And if Padilla wants to put the “lie” to President Trump’s allegations of widespread, massive voter fraud, he should put up or shut up. When a similar verification audit was done in Prince Williams County, Virginia last year — cross referencing jury duty exemptions for with voter registrations — the result was astonishing. According to a Breitbart News report in 2016, 1, 046 were found to be registered to vote in just three counties where elections are often decided by a few hundred votes. California Democrats have a great opportunity to embarrass President Trump — which seems to be their official mission — and at the same time prove the integrity of the vote in the largest, most populous state in the union. Unless they have something to hide. Tim Donnelly is a former California State Assemblyman and author who is doing a book tour for his new book: Patriot Not Politician: Win or Go Homeless. He ran for governor in 2014. FaceBook: https: . facebook. . donnelly. Twitter: @PatriotNotPol | 1 |
Associated Press — Nov 2, 2016 Boeing 777. Click to enlarge
A FRESH analysis of the final moments of doomed Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 suggests no one was controlling the plane when it plunged into the ocean, according to a report released by investigators.
As experts hunting for the aircraft gathered in Australia’s capital to discuss the fading search effort , a technical report released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau , which leads the search, seems to support the theory investigators have long favoured: that no one was at the controls of the Boeing 777 when it ran out of fuel and dived at high speed into a remote patch of the Indian Ocean off Western Australia in 2014. #MH370 Report: Search and debris examination update . https://t.co/BpauQTcsRm
— ATSB (@atsbinfo) November 1, 2016
It comes as the ABC reports the search for MH370 will be extended north, beyond the 120,000-square kilometre search zone in the Southern Indian Ocean.
It’s believed the search will move on to new areas next year at an estimated cost of $30 million.
In recent months, critics have increasingly been pushing the alternate theory that someone was still controlling the plane at the end of its flight . If that was the case, the aircraft could have glided much farther, tripling in size the possible area where it could have crashed and further complicating the already hugely complex effort to find it.
But Wednesday’s report shows that the latest analysis of satellite data is consistent with the plane being in a “high and increasing rate of descent” in its final moments. The report also said an analysis of a wing flap that washed ashore in Tanzania indicates the flap was likely not deployed when it broke off the plane.
A pilot would typically extend the flaps during a controlled ditching.
The report also revealed the falling pattern of the aircraft, detailing how it descended in a number of different directions.
“In an electrical configuration where the loss of engine power from one engine resulted in the loss of autopilot (AP), the aircraft descended in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.”
Peter Foley, the bureau’s director of Flight 370 search operations, has previously said that if the flap was not deployed, it would almost certainly rule out the theory that the plane entered the water in a controlled ditch and would effectively validate that searchers are looking in the right place for the wreckage .
“(It) means the aircraft wasn’t configured for a landing or a ditching — you can draw your own conclusions as to whether that means someone was in control,” Foley told reporters in Canberra.
“You can never be 100 per cent. We are very reluctant to express absolute certainty.” | 0 |
Sen. Bernie Sanders ( ) said the Democrats lost to Donald Trump because they are out of touch with America. [“I happen to believe that the Democratic Party has been not doing a good job in terms of communicating with people in cities, in towns and in rural America, all over this country,” Sanders said in an interview on NPR’s Morning Edition. The Vermont senator, who ran for president on the Democratic ticket and then switched back to Independent after losing the primary to defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, added, “Look, you can’t simply go around to wealthy people’s homes raising money and expect to win elections. You’ve got to go out and mix it up and be with ordinary people. ” Sanders and Trump both ran on a platform that pushed against the political establishment, and both were successful at tapping into the base. However, it was arguably Clinton’s decision to ignore her husband’s advice that contributed most to her loss in the general election. Former President Bill Clinton suggested that Hillary court white men, a demographic that has long been ignored by the Democratic Party. Sanders told NPR that Trump has a choice: “Either he can have the courage and get up in front of the American people, or do it through a Tweet, and say, ‘You know what? Hey, I was just kidding. I was really lying. ’” Or, he suggested, Trump can tell his fellow Republicans that “the right thing to do” is stop wasting their time on legislation that cuts programs. “And I look forward to Trump telling the American people that that is what he intends to do,” Sanders said. It is unlikely Trump will take up either of Sanders’ suggestions. Sanders and other Democratic leaders have called for a “Day of Action” on January 15 — ahead of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day — “to vigorously oppose the Republican plan to end Medicare as we know it and throw our health care system into chaos,” according to a December 28 letter addressed to colleagues and signed by Sanders, Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer ( ) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi ( ). The letter adds, “Millions of Americans voted for Donald Trump after he promised not to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. He must be held to his promises and should veto any legislation which cuts these vital and necessary health programs. ” Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter and Periscope @AdelleNaz | 0 |
Little-Loved by Scholars, Trump Also Gets Little of Their Cash Peter Olsen-Phillips, Chronicle of Higher Education, November 7, 2016
It’s no secret that campaign contributions from higher education have favored Democratic candidates for years. When it comes to the current presidential race, however, data show that the gap between left and right has grown from a rift into a chasm.
A Chronicle analysis of Federal Election Commission data provided by the Center for Responsive Politics shows Donald Trump raising a tiny fraction of the campaign money that the previous two Republican nominees, Mitt Romney and John McCain, drew from higher-education professionals over comparable time periods.
Across higher education, donations in congressional and Senate races showed a ratio of Democratic to Republican giving similar to that of the two previous presidential-campaign cycles. But support for Mr. Trump stood at less than 8 percent of what Senator McCain raised from higher-ed professionals, and around 4 percent of the donations that Mr. Romney pulled in over the same time period, once the figures were adjusted for inflation.
As of June 30, faculty members and others who work in higher education had donated $76,668 to Mr. Trump’s campaign committee and to support “super PACs”–independent committees that can raise and spend unlimited funds. By comparison, people working in academe had given $6.4 million to Hillary Clinton. Those figures account for donations of at least $200 that the Center for Responsive Politics has determined come from people associated with higher education. They are the most-recent figures available.
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A federal court has ordered a town in Mississippi to desegregate its high schools and middle schools, ending a legal battle over integrating black and white students. The ruling by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi, made Friday but announced Monday, means the middle and high school programs in the Cleveland School District, in the western part of the state, will be combined for the first time in their history. In her decision, Judge Debra M. Brown said, “Although no court order can right these wrongs, it is the duty of the district to ensure that not one more student suffers under this burden. ” Judge Brown rejected two alternatives proposed by the district as unconstitutional and ordered it to adopt a Justice Department desegregation plan, and to provide a timeline for doing so. The head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Vanita Gupta, said in a statement Monday, “This victory creates new opportunities for the children of Cleveland to learn, play and thrive together. ” School officials could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday. But a statement on the Cleveland School District’s website Tuesday said it was examining the decision and “considering its options for appeal. ” Government data released Tuesday suggested that segregation was creeping back in some school districts, with poor, black and Hispanic students increasingly isolated from white peers. The report, by the Government Accountability Office, showed that 16 percent of public schools had high proportions of poor and black or Hispanic students in the school year, up from 9 percent in . It said 75 to 100 percent of those students were eligible for free or lunches, a commonly used indicator of poverty. The schools offered fewer math, science and college preparatory courses and had higher rates of students held back in ninth grade, suspended or expelled. Representative Robert C. Scott, Democrat of Virginia, who requested the G. A. O. report in 2014 with Representative John Conyers Jr. Democrat of Michigan, said in a statement that it confirmed that the nation’s schools were still largely segregated by race and class. “What’s more troubling is that segregation in public schools isn’t getting better it’s getting worse, and getting worse quickly, with more than 20 million students of color now attending racially and socioeconomically isolated public schools,” Mr. Scott said in a statement. The Mississippi case began with an action filed on July 24, 1965, on behalf of 131 children. The suit accused the Bolivar County Board of Education and some of its members of operating public schools on a racially segregated basis. The Cleveland School District is part of Bolivar County. A Justice Department motion filed in 2011 illustrated the inequities between the poor and in Cleveland, a Mississippi Delta town with a population of about 12, 000. Before 1969, schools on the west side of the railroad tracks that run through Cleveland were white and segregated by law. Schools on the east side of the tracks were originally black. “More than 40 years later, these schools maintain their character and reputation as white schools, with a student body and faculty that are disproportionately white,” the department said. The court ruled that the district must consolidate the virtually D. M. Smith Middle School with the historically white Margaret Green Junior High School. It must also consolidate the mostly black East Side High School with the historically white Cleveland High School, and review educational programs to identify new ones for the consolidation. The decision came six decades after the United States Supreme Court declared in Brown v. Board of Education that “separate but equal has no place” in public schools. But on the 62nd anniversary of that decision, which was Tuesday, it is still struggling to take hold. Segregation is not just a characteristic of Southern states. Some of the most severely segregated conditions for Latino and students occur in New York, Maryland and Illinois, the Civil Rights Project at the University of California, Los Angeles, said in a report on Monday. percent of New York’s black students attend overwhelmingly nonwhite schools, compared with 45 percent in Mississippi, the report shows. Erica Frankenberg, an author of the report, said in a telephone interview that, decades after the Brown decision, some school districts had lagged in ending segregation because doing so requires separate legal challenges to policies that are enforced and enacted at the local and state levels. Factors such as school board decisions, political opposition and discriminatory housing policies can hinder progress in districts, Ms. Frankenberg said. “It is asking the perpetrators of segregation to be in charge of fixing the segregation,” she said. She added that she believed there were several hundred legal school desegregation cases nationwide. The Justice Department is still monitoring and enforcing 178 open federal desegregation court cases, many originating 30 or 40 years ago, the G. A. O. report noted. | 1 |
A man has appeared in court accused of plotting to obtain automatic weapons and kill Jews in Stamford Hill, North London. [Aweys Faqey, 37 was charged under the Terrorism Act following his arrest last week. Dutch national Mr. Faqey was detained at Stansted Airport as he was readying to board a flight to Istanbul, Turkey. Mr. Faqey had four mobile phones and £841 in foreign currency in his possession. A 37yo man has been charged under the Terrorism Act following his arrest at Stansted … https: . pic. twitter. — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) May 30, 2017, The court was told that Mr. Faqey was interviewed for five days by counterterrorism police before his court date, but replied “No comment” to all questions. Thomas Halpin for the prosecution told the court: “The investigation came alive during the search of a laptop in another terrorist investigation and the communication between the defendant and Abdirahman Hassan transpired. “He is a Kenyan man who is currently in custody in Kenya awaiting trial for terrorist offences. In essence the communication between both men was that the defendant expressed a desire to go to Syria and fight jihad. ” The court heard extracts from alleged online chat logs, which claim Mr. Faqey wanted to obtain automatic weapons and commit a terrorist attack on Jewish people in north London. One message allegedly said: “It could have been better if AK47, M16 and BKM can be found. They could have been taken to Stamford Hill and people leave from the game. “On Saturday a lot of Jews gather over there. It is an area of the UK where they are a majority, it’s full of people. ” Mr. Faqey has a wife and five children in the Netherlands and another wife and child in Kenya. He has resided in the UK since 2013. Scotland Yard said his arrest had no connection to the Manchester attack. Mr. Faqey was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on June 9. | 0 |
Here are the week’s top stories, and a look ahead. 1. By the end of this week, the U. S. will have sworn in a new president. Ahead of Donald J. Trump’s inauguration on Friday, more of his cabinet nominees will appear before Senate committees for confirmation hearings. Last week’s hearings revealed that many of the people he’s chosen have strong disagreements with his policies. If his appointments are confirmed, he’ll put in place a team that is more white and male than any cabinet since Ronald Reagan’s. _____ 2. We spoke with some of the millions of women who voted for Mr. Trump, like Taylor Davis, above, who said she was a “ Bernie supporter. ” “When he backed Hillary Clinton, I couldn’t get behind it,” she said. The women gave a range of reasons for their support for Mr. Trump, including concerns about the economy, immigration and Mrs. Clinton. _____ 3. Mr. Trump lashed out at Mrs. Clinton after the Justice Department said it would investigate James Comey, the F. B. I. director, over his decision to tell Congress about a new review of her emails just days before the election. Mr. Trump called her “guilty as hell. ” He was also mad about a sensational but entirely unverified dossier on his ties to Russia. “Totally made up facts by sleazebag political operatives,” he tweeted. _____ 4. Congress moved quickly last week in its efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which was one of Mr. Trump’s campaign promises. He also promised it would be replaced by “something terrific,” but Republicans are far from reaching a consensus on what that would be. Here’s a look at the major changes Obamacare brought to health care, which of those changes may now disappear, and what might replace them. _____ 5. Secretary of State John Kerry will spend his last week in office in much the same way as he spent a lot of it: traveling. The trip began with a stop in Vietnam on Friday, above. On Sunday, he’ll be in Paris for peace talks. Also on Sunday, Vice President Joe Biden will be in Ukraine to meet with that country’s president. Later in the week, they’ll both be at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Mr. Kerry will end his term as the secretary of state in U. S. history, having logged more than 1. 3 million miles. _____ 6. “Have you heard? This screws up all your lives. ” That’s what one youth in Cuba yelled to crowds of people shortly after Mr. Obama announced the end of a U. S. policy that allowed Cubans who reach American soil to obtain legal residency. The decision was long sought by the Cuban government. But younger Cubans, forced to envision a future with fewer options, seemed crushed. _____ 7. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday honoring the life of the civil rights leader, is observed in the U. S. on Monday — a day after what would have been his 88th birthday. We reviewed “My Life, My Love, My Legacy,” a posthumous memoir by Coretta Scott King, his wife, who died in 2006. “Living with terror is the thread that runs through ‘My Life,’” our reviewer wrote. Here’s a look at how tensions across the country prompted President Obama to abandon his early reticence on race again and again. _____ 8. victories in a row. That’s the tally for the Connecticut women’s basketball team, the Huskies, which shattered its own N. C. A. A. record winning streak with Saturday’s win against Southern Methodist in Dallas. In the N. F. L. playoff games continue: Sunday’s lineup pits the Steelers against the Chiefs in Kansas City (8:20 p. m. Eastern, NBC) and the Packers against the Cowboys in Dallas (4:40 p. m. Eastern, Fox). (Earlier we had an outdated time for the game. It was moved to 8:20 p. m. because of weather.) _____ 9. One of our reporters has a big, dumb, deep, goofy voice — at least that’s how he perceives it. “But I’m reminded of it only when I hear a recording of myself while playing back an interview,” he wrote. He asked experts why so many of us are unpleasantly surprised at the sound of our recorded voices. The answer has to do with how sounds are perceived by the inner ear. Above, the musician Mitski Miyawaki, who said she’s often surprised at the sound of her speaking voice. _____ 10. Finally, let’s talk about the Impossible Burger. It looks like beef. It has the texture of beef. It even appears bloody, but it is definitely vegan. Does it taste like beef, though? We asked a butcher, a cardiologist, a vegan and a technology reporter to weigh in. The consensus: not really. “But I think it’s really good as a option,” the butcher said. _____ Photographs may appear out of order for some readers. Viewing this version of the briefing should help. Your Weekend Briefing is published Sundays at 6 a. m. Eastern. And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing, weekdays at 6 a. m. Eastern, and Your Evening Briefing, weeknights at 6 p. m. Eastern. Want to look back? Here’s Friday’s Evening Briefing. What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at briefing@nytimes. com. | 1 |
Сбыча мечт задерживается на неопределенный срок 12 ноября 2016 Политика
С поражением Хиллари Клинтон какая-то часть её фанатов потеряла шанс на выполнение одного из пунктов обещаний претендентки — долгожданное разоблачение некоторых секретов США.
Предвыборная гонка закончилась весьма печально для ожидавших победы госпожи Клинтон: теперь в кресло следующего президента США усядется Дональд Трамп. Неожиданный результат выборов породил серьёзные переживания у части электората, голосовавшего за неё. Нет, речь не о протестах и петициях! Тихо грустят потерявшие давно лелеемую надежду — ни за что не догадаетесь, кто, и на что!
По большому счету, грядущее разоблачение государственных тайн, о котором дамочка многажды твердила в своих предвыборных обязательствах, никак не связано с животрепещущими вопросами, волновавшими американцев и достаточную часть мирового сообщества! Нашлась ниша, не охваченная её противником, чьи интересы направлены, в основном, на благополучие США. Ну а Хилари в этом отношении предполагала, что смотреть надо дальше, за пределы Земли.
Немалую роль в этих обещаниях сыграл председатель её избирательной комиссии Джон Подеста, бывший консультантом при Обаме и даже главой штаба Белого дома при супруге Хиллари — Билле Клинтоне. Подеста уже давненько публично выступает за раскрытие секретов США по части НЛО.
Вот и Клинтон обязалась разоблачить тайны Соединённых Штатов, якобы напрямую связанные с инопланетными цивилизациями, а точнее, с НЛО и пришельцами, посещавшими Землю. Хотела ли она сдержать свои предвыборные обещания, вопрос достаточно праздный, поскольку сослагательного наклонения история даже в Америке не имеет.
Что касается Трампа, то он наверняка не считает значительную долю населения своей страны полными недоумками, непроходимыми тупицами или падкими на сенсации малообразованными любителями «непознанного». Думается, у нового президента вряд ли будет время и желание углубляться в дебри уфологии, тем более что не известно ни о каких его интересах в этом направлении, не говоря уж о личном стремлении вплотную заняться общением с инопланетянами. | 0 |
Kathy Griffin’s Facebook page was inundated with calls for a boycott of her nationwide comedy tour after a photo of her holding a severed head of President Donald Trump went viral on Tuesday. [“Call rt 66 hotel boycott her show,” one user wrote in a Facebook message referencing Griffin’s July 22 scheduled performance at the Route 66 Casino Hotel in Albuquerque, NM. “DO NOT SEE HER SHOW, BOYCOTT THIS ANIMAL! !” another user wrote. The furor aimed at the comedian was sparked after images went viral of Griffin posing holding up a fake, bloodied decapitated head meant to resemble Trump. The photos were taken by Los photographer and artist Tyler Shields, who tweeted a short video of Griffin holding Trump’s head. KATHY GRIFFIN: https: . via @YouTube, — Tyler Shields (@tylershields) May 30, 2017, Griffin is currently on a comedy tour. Her next stop, according to her website, is on June 16 at Grass Valley Veterans Memorial Center in Grass Valley, California. Social media users, outraged at Griffin’s photo, called for both the tour and My Life on the star to be boycotted. “She should be boycotted anywhere she is performing. Give her a taste of her own medicine. Disgusting, vile person,” one user wrote. “Disgusting human being. Whoever would buy a ticket to your show has to be as pathetic as you. Your show should be boycotted. I hope your tour is a total flop,” another Facebook user wrote. “Boycott this total scumbag. Youre part of the swamp!” another wrote. The comedian responded to the uproar in a statement posted to her Twitter account Tuesday afternoon. “OBVIOUSLY, I do not condone ANY violence by my fans or others to anyone, ever! I’m merely mocking the Mocker in Chief,” she wrote. This article has been updated to correct the location of the next stop on Griffin’s comedy tour. Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson | 0 |
“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. ” — Hunter S. Thompson, 1972 When Breitbart News ran a blaring headline last week suggesting that new evidence “vindicates” President Trump’s claims that former President Barack Obama put him and his team under surveillance … When a Fox News contributor reported that Fox had “learned” that the British government spied on Mr. Trump at Mr. Obama’s behest, though the network later said it had learned no such thing (because there’s no evidence it happened) … When the White House press secretary repeated that flimsy (or, as the British put it, “utterly ridiculous”) claim from his powerful lectern … It’s the end result — if not necessarily the intended result — of a dream that American conservatives began pursuing more than 60 years ago: to break the informational hegemony of the mainstream news media. For the purposes of this column, I’m starting the count in 1955 when William F. Buckley Jr. founded National Review, declaring it an outsider’s antidote to the controlling influence of “the United Nations and the League of Women Voters and The New York Times. ” Mr. Buckley designed National Review to win the larger argument through “logic and superior command of the subject,” as his biographer Sam Tanenhaus (a former writer for The New York Times) told me last week — through facts. And it inspired successive generations of conservative journalists to get in the game, too. One of them was Stephen F. Hayes, who, as a conservative Gen growing up in Wauwatosa, Wis. got ideological ammunition from National Review for the Friday night political fights he and his friends waged over Pabst Blue Ribbons and hot wings. Mr. Hayes wanted to be a journalist. But he had solid conservative beliefs and viewed the mainstream news media as a liberal monolith that wasn’t for him. So in 1995, when William Kristol, Fred Barnes and John Podhoretz, with money from Rupert Murdoch, started The Weekly Standard as a new conservative competitor to National Review — and an answer to the Nation and New Republic — Mr. Hayes set about trying to get a job there. After graduating from Columbia University’s journalism school and reporting for the political tip sheet “The Hotline,” he succeeded in 2001. Sixteen years later, just a few weeks shy of Mr. Trump’s inauguration, Mr. Hayes, 46, became The Weekly Standard’s editor in chief. The Weekly Standard had been associated with the #NeverTrump movement throughout the campaign, just as the Trump movement had been given the magazine’s support of free trade and support for the interventionist Republican foreign policy that helped lead to the Iraq war. With Mr. Kristol moving to an role in December, it fell to Mr. Hayes to navigate Trumpian politics as editor in chief while leading the magazine into the next era. When he looked around the conservative news media landscape and assessed The Weekly Standard’s place in it, he made a determination. The movement he joined had succeeded in breaking the mainstream news media’s informational hegemony (something the mainstream media had a hand in, too, he said). But as it evolved, grew and splintered, something else broke: any universal sense of truth. “That’s a problem for our democracy,” he told me last week. He determined to make The Weekly Standard part of the solution. The solution was more real journalism. And The Weekly Standard was going to need a bigger newsroom. When I caught up with Mr. Hayes last week he was in the process of staffing up. He had poached The Wall Street Journal’s books editor, Robert Messenger, to be an executive editor alongside Mr. Barnes. He had hired Rachael Larimore, a former managing editor of the Slate (though her politics lean to the right) and recruited a former deputy business editor of The Charlotte Observer, Tony Mecia. He said he was on the verge of hiring five additional journalists, having gotten the from The Weekly Standard’s billionaire owner, Philip Anschutz, to grow his team by a third. Mr. Hayes said he made a simple case to Mr. Anschutz, who bought The Weekly Standard from Mr. Murdoch in 2009: “Let’s add more resources and make sure that we’re basing our arguments on facts, logic and reason. ” Mr. Hayes shares the viewpoint of another prominent Wisconsin conservative, Charlie Sykes, the #NeverTrump talk radio host who declared last year that he and his fellow conservative media stalwarts had been too successful in delegitimizing the mainstream news media. “We destroyed our own immunity to fake news while empowering the worst and most reckless voices on the right,” Mr. Sykes wrote in The Times last year. Mr. Hayes said he put more of the onus for that on the mainstream news media than Mr. Sykes does (though Mr. Sykes certainly puts some there). It has undercut itself with readers, he said, through “the questions that aren’t asked and aren’t covered” in a way that seems to favor liberal viewpoints. Yet the effect remained: There are voters who “don’t believe what they’re getting from the networks and the cable outlets” and therefore may be open to false or unsubstantiated content that provides affirmation at the expense of true information, he said. In some parts of the conservative news media sphere, winning the intellectual argument has been replaced with winning the war, by any means necessary. That was the ethos the Breitbart News founder Andrew Breitbart seemed to promote for several years before his death in 2012. He had vowed to “weaponize the conservative movement’’ and to “rectify the long problem that has been absolute media bias. ” This new media, he declared in Wired in 2010, “provides the tools. ” It certainly did for Breitbart News. Despite having “some good people,” Mr. Hayes said, it was generally “pushing a political line and taking shortcuts and taking shots. ” (Some of those shots have been at Mr. Hayes.) As Mr. Breitbart predicted, new media has also provided the tools for anyone to start a website. No commitment to truth is required. So now you have increased prominence for the “Gateway Pundits” and “InfoWars” of the world — the latter a promoter of the false conspiracy known as PizzaGate, which InfoWars’ chief, Alex Jones, apologized for late last week. Mr. Hayes and I were speaking during a week in which the conservative news media was going through a between reporting and wild speculation and falsehoods. Fox News temporarily sidelined Andrew Napolitano, the contributor who spawned the unsubstantiated claim that Mr. Obama had used British intelligence to spy on Mr. Trump. The conservative Independent Journal Review told Oliver Darcy of Business Insider that it had disciplined journalists involved in a report suggesting that a Hawaii judge had blocked the revised version of Mr. Trump’s immigration order under pressure from Mr. Obama. The report, based solely on the fact that Mr. Obama had been in the state around the time of the ruling, helped hasten another IJR journalist’s decision to quit in protest, as Hadas Gold of Politico reported. With Time magazine posing what should have been a bizarre question, but wasn’t, on its cover — “Is Truth Dead?” — it felt as if a time of choosing had arrived. But the internet is faster to reward the fantastical than the factual, which is where Mr. Hayes sees potential risks in his strategy. “You can make an argument that the people who pay the price are the people who do the real reporting — not the hot takes, and not the clickbait — and who aren’t extreme and ranting,” Mr. Hayes said. The Weekly Standard, he said, will continue to have its conservative perspective. And just as it will call out Mr. Trump when he speaks falsely, it will avoid jumping to conclusions that every Trump move is false — which he said mainstream news organizations were too quick to do. That means fewer opinionated takes that get ahead of what the reporting shows. So The Weekly Standard didn’t jump to the conclusion that Mr. Trump’s surveillance claims were vindicated by comments about “incidental” surveillance from Representative Devin Nunes of California last week — which Mr. Nunes appeared to temper on Friday. Mr. Hayes is gambling that audiences will reward such prudence. There’s no guarantee. It was the only option he saw during this “weird time for journalists. ” That is, time to go pro. | 1 |
The first nationwide study to ask high school students about their sexuality found that gay, lesbian and bisexual teenagers were at far greater risk for depression, bullying and many types of violence than their straight peers. “I found the numbers heartbreaking,” said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, a senior official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which includes a division that administered the survey. The survey documents what smaller studies have suggested for years, but it is significant because it is the first time the federal government’s biennial Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the gold standard of adolescent health data collection, looked at sexual identity. The survey found that about 8 percent of the high school population described themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual, which would be about 1. 3 million students. These adolescents were three times more likely than straight students to have been raped. They skipped school far more often because they did not feel safe at least a third had been bullied on school property. And they were twice as likely as heterosexual students to have been threatened or injured with a weapon on school property. More than 40 percent of these students reported that they had seriously considered suicide, and 29 percent had made attempts to do so in the year before they took the survey. The percentage of those who used illegal drugs was many times greater than their heterosexual peers. While 1. 3 percent of straight students said they had used heroin, for example, 6 percent of the gay, lesbian and bisexual students reported having done so. “Nations are judged by the health and of their children,” said Dr. Mermin, who is the director of the National Center for Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention at the C. D. C. “Many would find these levels of physical and sexual violence unacceptable and something we should act on quickly. ” These comparisons have emerged because the federal survey, which looks at more than 100 health behaviors, included two new questions last year. It asked how students identified themselves sexually, and also the sex of those with whom they had “sexual contact” — leaving students to define that term. While transgender youth have increasingly appeared on the national radar, most recently in debates about school bathroom access, this survey did not include an option for teenagers to identify themselves as transgender. But that possibility may be coming. The C. D. C. and other federal health agencies are developing a question on gender identity to reliably count transgender teenagers which, a spokeswoman said, might be ready for a pilot test in 2017. Some 15, 600 students across the country, ages 14 to 17, took the survey. The population who identified as a sexual minority is in line with estimates from other state or local surveys, and with national studies of young adults. While the figures paint a portrait of loneliness and discrimination that is longstanding and sadly familiar, they are important because they now establish a national databank. Dr. Debra Houry, an emergency medicine physician who directs the C. D. C. ’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, said the numbers argued for more comprehensive intervention and prevention programs. She praised programs like Green Dot, which trains students how to support a victim of bullying or a physical altercation. Other programs teach coping skills to vulnerable students. As the data suggests, she said, these students need better access to mental health care, and support from families, schools and communities. The report does not delve into why these students are at such risk for so many types of harm. Dr. Elizabeth Miller, the chief of adolescent and young adult medicine at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said, “The intensity of homophobic attitudes and acceptance of victimization, as well as the ongoing silence around adolescent sexuality, marginalizes a whole group of young people. ” And such marginalization, added Dr. Miller, who writes extensively about dating and sexual violence, “increases their vulnerability to exploitative and violent relationships. ” Dr. Miller also pointed out that the report implicitly underscores the fluidity of adolescent sexual identity. When asked to identify themselves sexually in the survey, 3. 2 percent of students chose “not sure. ” Among students who said they had “sexual contact” with only people of the same sex or with both sexes, 25 percent identified as heterosexual and 13. 6 percent said they were not sure of their sexual identity. Among students who had sexual contact only with someone of the opposite sex, 2. 8 percent nonetheless described themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual. Dr. Miller, who is also a professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, said that can begin at home. “We have to start conversations early with young people about healthy sexuality, attraction, relationships, intimacy and how to explore those feelings in as safe and respectful a way as possible,” she said. Any survey has limitations. In this one, the respondents were students in school and so the research would not have captured dropouts or others who were not attending, a disproportionate percentage of whom are lesbian, gay and bisexual. How students interpreted “sexual contact” or why some defined themselves as “not sure” could also be open to interpretation. | 1 |
By Gordon Duff, Senior Editor on October 28, 2016 Radio Host and Trump supporter claims 'Jewish mafia' controls US
[Editor’s note: The insanity has hit, Trump mouthpiece and Arch Zionist Alex Jones is on the warpath against the ‘Jewish mob’; Israel’s newspaper’s are shocked, as you can see below – or are they? Trump, grandson of a brothel owner, son of a slum lord, grew up in Meyer Lansky’s mob-run New York and by his 30s became the ingenue/money boy of Jewish mob kingpin Roy Cohn; it was Roy Cohn and the Jewish mob that built Trump’s empire and ran interference for him with the Gambinos, John Gotti & company. Now, covering this up seems to be really important, but to whom and why?
The article below was published in today’s Jerusalem Post. Not a word of it is true, moreover, it is an obvious deflection piece written to save Trump’s Nazi supporters backing in face of VT’s slam dunk assertions of Trump’s Zionist fanaticism.
After all, Trump has pushed for war on Iran, for clearing out the West Bank and for a one state solution in Israel with Palestinians going through the chimney’s.
But why then are America’s Jew haters, the human filth that would gas America’s Jews the big Trump lovers? Some of it comes from the Nazi movement itself, largely begun as a fundraiser by the ADL/JDL/AIPAC/SPLC lobby. You see, no swastikas painted on synagogues, no big corporate donations. On Alex Jones by Brother Nathaniel , a long accused rabid anti-Zionist:
THE CONTROVERSY OF ALEX ‘BULLHORN’ JONES being an alleged Zionist shill has now expanded to his apparent Zionist-Jewish connections on his 1) Personal Staff 2) Website Advertisers 3) Link To Time Warner President, Edgar Bronfman Jr.
Jones’ seeming allegiance to Zionism, which explains why he virtually never targets Zionist Jews or the racist, Zionist rogue state of Israel when engaging in his notorious rants and attacks , may well stem from a Protestant-Zionist belief system, and the widely circulated reports that his wife is a Jew –– which makes his two children Jewish under Talmudic law and eligible for the Israeli Law Of Return .
With additional information on Jones which this site is now providing, Alex Jones’ Zionist connections prompting his reticence to expose global Zionism, becomes ever more obvious.
Trump has played the hate card from day one, building his base on hatred of blacks/African Americans, “Messicans” and, of course, he has played the terror card, the “yellow hordes” card and the “elite liberal” card as well.
That one is aimed at the Jews. Trump, whose empire was built by Roy Cohn and who has been supported and financed by Jewish organized crime and now by Vegas boss Shelly Adelson, who can buy and sell Trump out of his “trump change,” has always been a front for the Jewish mob. Jewish mobsters, as oft pointed out by Ian Greenhalgh, have surrounded Trump and embarrassed him, if you can imagine that, more than once.
Years ago, during nasty litigation, radio host Jeff Rense, former partner of Alex Jones, tracked Jones and his backing to the Jewish mob and the Bronfman crime family, accused of their complicity in financing 9/11.
Now we see the Zionist press pulling out the “anti-Semite card” on Alex Jones, one of Israel’s strongest supporters in the US. Is this a joke? Of course, this kind of childishness would only work with the brain dead Jew hating Nazi’s that have flocked to Trump. With Trump’s effusive love of everything Israel and everything Zionist, one might ask why the Nazi’s flock to him, but Nazi’s have never been thinkers and are great followers, even when they are sent over a cliff like lemmings.
Comment boards at VT have been inundated with paid trolls, some who track back to Israel, others employed by Trump surrogate operations tied to his campaign. Toads and trolls get up to $50 for a comment placed even on wrong articles. Thus, we have closed comments to cut off this income source and clean out the trash were we can even though this is the best money Trump pays out except for hookers.
When are American Jews going to rise off their knees and hit back at, well, at Israel, the ADL and the rising tide of Naziism in the US paid for by their donations?
If the read below doesn’t have you laughing, we are sorry. Humor is where we find it and this is humor at its best. G] | 1 |
PHOENIX — Inside a cramped committee room on the campus of Arizona’s Capitol, Kelsey Lundy stepped to the podium to detail new legislation and the higher costs it would impose on struggling borrowers. But Ms. Lundy is not a lawmaker, a government employee or even a statehouse intern. She is a lobbyist for one of the nation’s largest lenders. That lender — controlled by the Fortress Investment Group, one of Wall Street’s most powerful private equity firms — wrote the bill. Months later, in 2014, the state’s legislators passed the law, making it easier to charge interest of 36 percent to borrowers living on the financial margins. The political access in Arizona was just one component of a broader effort to loosen consumer protection laws, according to emails obtained through public records requests. In nine other states, Ms. Lundy’s client helped win legislative changes, persuading lawmakers that it needed to raise costs to stay in business and serve borrowers. Since the 2008 financial crisis, Fortress and other private equity firms have rapidly expanded their influence, assuming a pervasive, if role in daily American life, an investigation by The New York Times has found. Sophisticated political maneuvering — including winning government contracts, shaping public policy and deploying former public officials to press their case — is central to this growth. Yet even as private equity wields such influence in the halls of state capitols and in Washington, it faces little public awareness of its government activities, The Times found. Private equity firms often don’t directly engage with legislators and regulators — the companies they control do. As a result, the firms themselves have emerged as relatively anonymous conglomerates that exert power behind the scenes in their dealings with governments. And because private equity’s interests are so diverse, the industry interacts with governments not only through lobbying, but also as contractors and partners on public projects. Fortress, which manages more than $70 billion of investor money, encapsulates this new power dynamic. While little known outside Wall Street, Fortress covers a cross section of American life through companies it owns or manages. It controls the nation’s largest nonbank collector of mortgage payments. It is building one of the country’s few private passenger railroads. It helps oversee a company that manages public golf courses in several states. And it controls Ms. Lundy’s client, Springleaf Financial Services, a huge provider of subprime loans to borrowers with few other options aside from payday lenders often charging 300 percent. The Times’s investigation — based on thousands of pages of government records, court papers and securities filings, as well as interviews with borrowers, regulators and executives — pieced together how these seemingly disparate companies fall under the umbrella of one powerful private equity firm. The investigation also shed new light on the tactics these companies have used to reshape laws that hindered their growth. In Texas, Springleaf helped persuade lawmakers to allow for higher administrative fees. Springleaf won permission elsewhere to charge the maximum allowable rates — 36 percent in Arizona and Indiana, higher than some credit cards — to a greater number of loans than ever before. And it pushed legislation allowing it to sell various insurance policies, including life and accidental death and dismemberment, which it lumps into the balance of its loans. In Arizona, Springleaf forged such cozy ties with lawmakers that the two sides became all but inseparable in the process. One legislative official emailed Ms. Lundy: “If there is a specific statute that you want to mirror, please tell me the statute number. Thank you so much!” Another Springleaf lobbyist, when listed the sponsor of the Springleaf bill as an employment reference. In Florida, where Fortress is building the passenger railroad, the firm took advantage of politics: political aides becoming lobbyists, and vice versa. When an adviser to the governor moved into the private sector, he advocated for the train project, then returned to the governor’s office as chief of staff. Fortress’s interaction with Los Angeles County was rockier, and it reflected the firm’s complex web of financial interests. Los Angeles County officials believed that Fortress was buying the company responsible for upkeep of public golf courses. The county, swayed by Fortress’s long track record in owning golf courses, approved the deal. There was one problem: Fortress was not the buyer. The Times investigation found that the buyer was the Newcastle Investment Corporation, a different company with no golf experience and a history of financial problems. County officials were surprised to learn the buyer’s identity from The Times. Fortress said there was no need for county officials to worry. Newcastle pays Fortress to manage its business and investments. Wesley Edens, a former Lehman Brothers partner who Fortress and is now its also emphasized the positive effects of Fortress’s companies across the American economy. Fortress has replaced poorly performing banks, he pointed out, and has funded projects that no government could afford. “We are proud of the impact that companies have provided to the individuals and communities that they serve,” Mr. Edens, who is also an owner of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, said in a statement. In an interview, Mr. Edens said that Fortress did not create Springleaf’s lobbying campaign, but supported it. Springleaf said it needed to raise costs to modify outdated laws and compete with less regulated lenders. And although Springleaf wants to raise costs on borrowers at a time of historically low interest rates, he said that the company was “so much more humane” than others offering loans. Some customers agree. Joseph King, a Springleaf customer in Glendale, Ariz. said, “They’ve done right by me,” offering him credit when few others would. Some public agencies also applaud Fortress for creating jobs — the firm estimates as many as 10, 000 with the Florida railroad alone — and for investing in fields that others abandoned after the financial crisis. Private equity firms, onetime “corporate raiders” that made their name taking over distressed companies, have pushed into activities previously dominated by banks and local governments. This shift has upended the definition of private equity as the industry expands into real estate, infrastructure and lending. Although that transformation granted private equity new influence over government, Mr. Edens disputed that political connections generated special favors for the firm. “There is nothing surprising about support these companies have received, given the benefits they deliver to a broad cross section of Americans,” he said. Surrounded by his business partners and his daughters, Wes Edens stepped onto the balcony at the New York Stock Exchange, rang the opening bell and walked away a billionaire. It was Feb. 9, 2007, the day Fortress became the first Wall Street firm with a big private equity business to go public. It was a pivotal moment for Mr. Edens, a Montana native with a mop of blond hair. For private equity, a relative newcomer to modern capitalism, it showed that the industry had arrived. Today, six other private equity firms are publicly traded, and over 7, 500 are in operation worldwide, according to the data provider Preqin — more than ever before. Private equity firms “are ubiquitous, they are everywhere,” said Eileen Appelbaum, a senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research who studies private equity. Everywhere includes the government. The amount the private equity industry spent on lobbying in 2015 was more than triple what it had spent a decade earlier, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. At the peak of the financial crisis, the figure was even higher. Political donations have increased nearly sixfold. Former House Speaker John Boehner’s chief of staff is now president of the industry’s lobbying group. That group, the American Investment Council, argues that the public has benefited from private equity. Pension funds have reaped 12 percent net returns from private equity over a recent period, the group said. “Private equity funds have an aligned interest with their investors to produce strong returns,” said Bronwyn Bailey of the American Investment Council. The group also noted that the Act, passed in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, subjected private equity fund managers to additional oversight from regulators. Yet the group is lobbying the House to pass legislation that would unwind some of those requirements, government records reviewed by The Times show, underscoring the industry’s newfound influence. Fortress’s 2010 takeover of Springleaf, the subprime lender, further illustrates private equity’s evolution from niche industry into one of Wall Street’s most influential players. It also shows how a firm’s influence can flow from the companies it owns. Springleaf’s businesses were previously in the hands of the American International Group and Citigroup, two Wall Street powerhouses that needed billions of dollars in government bailouts to survive. Since buying Springleaf, Fortress has turned its $124 million investment into a stake valued at $1. 9 billion. The lender’s lobbying underpins some of that growth. In state house after state house, Springleaf lobbyists secured legislative victories, allowing the company to raise costs on borrowers. Springleaf argued that its successes were not particularly sweeping, noting that it lost in at least two states. “Because many state legislators don’t have sufficient legislative staffs or staff members with expertise, if you want something done, you sometimes have to write the first draft yourself,” said John Anderson, an executive vice president at Springleaf. “It is unusual for legislation we propose to be enacted verbatim. ” One of Springleaf’s arguments to lawmakers has been that, without legislative changes, it would need to close more branches — driving borrowers to payday lenders. In 2008, Springleaf said, it had 21 Arizona branches, and at the time of the 2014 legislation seven remained. In contrast with payday lenders, Springleaf offers installment loans that typically are larger and last longer. After buying its largest competitor last year and rebranding as OneMain Financial, the company is now the nation’s largest installment lender. Springleaf charges more than banks because its customers are riskier bets. According to Mr. Anderson, who says he reads every complaint that customers submit to regulators, Springleaf caps rates at 36 percent. The average Springleaf loan totals about $6, 093 and costs 26 percent, plus fees. At a Springleaf branch in a Phoenix strip mall, Gary Hundley agreed to pay nearly 36 percent on much of his roughly $4, 500 loan. He also took out unemployment and life insurance policies from Springleaf. Mr. Hundley repaid an earlier Springleaf loan, he said, and planned to chip away at the second, when medical problems forced him to miss work. About a month after taking out the second Springleaf loan, Mr. Hundley filed for bankruptcy, largely because of other debts unrelated to Springleaf. Springleaf then sued him, arguing that he had never intended to repay. As a result, Mr. Hundley is still liable for part of the debt, according to his lawyer, Anthony Clark, who said Springleaf “is no stranger to bringing these kinds of suits. ” “I was overwhelmed, but I planned to pay,” said Mr. Hundley, who had no trouble obtaining Springleaf loans despite previously declaring bankruptcy. Springleaf noted that in other bankruptcy cases it has agreed to lower payments. And it is within the company’s rights to sue. But Springleaf has occasionally straddled a legal line, records and interviews show. Consider the company’s insurance business. Although Springleaf’s life insurance and other policies are voluntary — and the company fully refunds premiums to borrowers who cancel their policies within 30 days — some policies are opened without customers’ approving them at the time. For instance, if a borrower pledges a car as collateral for a loan, but the auto insurance appears to have lapsed or is insufficient, Springleaf can impose its own insurance. Although Springleaf warns borrowers beforehand, and routinely cancels its coverage once they obtain an adequate policy, Springleaf acknowledged in a public filing that “because our customers do not affirmatively consent” to the insurance when it is purchased, “regulators may in the future prohibit” it. Some borrowers have separately complained to regulators that Springleaf embellished the collateral underpinning their loans. Lisa Williams, a administrative assistant in N. C. noticed an irregularity after receiving a roughly $3, 700 Springleaf loan: A lawn mower she posted as collateral was valued at $800. “There’s no way that that old thing was worth $800,” she said, giggling. A similar new mower retails for about $300. Loren Finnell, a mechanic in Tempe, Ariz. said he obtained a loan in 2014 after Springleaf listed a Dell computer and accessories worth $2, 000. “I didn’t even have a Dell. They were making it up. ” For Sheila Fargnoli, of Tucson, getting a loan from Springleaf was like a game of Mad Libs. A Springleaf employee, she recalled, asked questions like, “You must have a computer, right?” The employee also asked about musical instruments, but Ms. Fargnoli said she had previously sold her guitar for $1 at a yard sale. Nonetheless, Springleaf listed the guitar as collateral in the loan documents, Ms. Fargnoli noticed. She accused Springleaf in court papers of pressuring her to “misrepresent the value” of collateral, which Springleaf did not dispute. Springleaf said that the problems were isolated and that it had curtailed the use of household items as collateral. It also now prohibits using anything of immaterial value — say, a $1 guitar — to secure loans. The complaints have emerged as Springleaf presses its statehouse lobbying campaign. “Just in case you needed a little light reading, attached is the draft legislation that Springleaf would like to move forward,” Ms. Lundy, the Arizona lobbyist, emailed a Republican aide. Springleaf asked Representative T. J. Shope, a Republican, to sponsor the bill. And when a consumer advocate, Cynthia Zwick, published an article opposing the bill, Ms. Lundy contacted Mr. Shope to say, “You should do a response. ” Later she added, “Let’s work on one tomorrow. ” Ms. Lundy also testified at hearings alongside Mr. Shope. Unable to answer a question, Mr. Shope deferred to Ms. Lundy. The lobbyist, he added, was “here to answer a lot of the technical questions. ” Not all of Ms. Lundy’s statements were accurate. In a “fact sheet” to lawmakers, she claimed that “similar legislation has passed in numerous states” with “only one state having opposition from one consumer advocacy group, none from AARP. ” Yet consumer advocates opposed the legislation in Florida and Indiana, and AARP attacked it in North Carolina. Springleaf said it was unaware of the opposition at the time. Ms. Lundy and Mr. Shope declined to comment. Their bill’s passage coincided with what Representative Debbie McCune Davis, an Arizona Democrat who opposed the bill, called “wining and dining. ” Springleaf’s lobbyists treated Mr. Shope to “food or beverages” soon after the bill passed, lobbying records show. And about a week after the Arizona bill passed, an email circulated in the House, alerting staff members that “dinner is courtesy of” Ms. Lundy. After similar legislation passed in North Carolina, Springleaf held a dinner for more than a dozen state lawmakers and their staff members. Still, some Democratic officials lamented the bill’s impact on borrowers. “It’s like needing a life preserver and getting an anvil,” said Roy Cooper, the North Carolina attorney general. Around the country, local officials opened letters from the American Golf Corporation, which managed their public golf courses. Fortress was buying the company, the letters announced. That seemed to be good news. American Golf’s letters, which Fortress helped draft, promoted Fortress’s “considerable experience with companies like ours. ” Some officials also received a document, stamped with Fortress’s logo, citing the firm’s ownership of other golf courses and its “firsthand experience” owning companies that form partnerships with local governments. To seal the 2013 deal, the letters included Fortress’s annual report showing its “substantial resources. ” The pitch worked. Parks department officials in New York City, and in Ventura County and San Dimas, Calif. promptly signed off on the deal. Los Angeles County took longer to scrutinize Fortress’s background before granting approval. But none of the officials had the full story. The buyer was not Fortress, but Newcastle Investment Corporation, The Times found in filings. The distinction — Newcastle is a different company with a close business relationship to Fortress — suggests that complex corporate structures can confuse governments and benefit private equity. All four parks departments said they were not told about Newcastle until contacted by The Times. Fortress and American Golf “should have fully disclosed accurate and complete information,” Los Angeles County officials said in a statement. If they had examined Newcastle, officials might have seen red flags. Newcastle had suffered a “material weakness” in internal controls two years earlier and received a “financial health grade” of D from the independent investment research firm Morningstar. In securities filings Newcastle acknowledged, “We have never owned or operated a golf business. ” Under Newcastle, American Golf took over some courses from competitors that were failing to pay rent. And yet, during Newcastle’s tenure, American Golf may not always benefit Los Angeles County. If Newcastle again runs into financial trouble, American Golf might have to be sold once more, a process that could eat up more government resources. American Golf, which must pay the county a cut of what it makes on carts and other golfing gear, also recently created a program that effectively minimizes some of those payments. Golfers who join the program do not pay for certain items that would be lucrative for the county. The program classifies the membership fee under driving ranges, which typically require a smaller payment to the county. Fortress, which argues that the program has attracted more golfers to the county, has benefited from the arrangement. Because Newcastle, and not Fortress, was the buyer, Fortress can enjoy the upside of American Golf without much risk. It works like this: Newcastle pays Fortress a fee to manage Newcastle’s business. But Fortress does not own a majority stake in Newcastle. So, if American Golf proves unprofitable, Fortress still collects fees from Newcastle, while avoiding major losses. These deals are a source of revenue for Fortress, whose executives have created five other companies like Newcastle. Last year, Fortress received more than $200 million in revenue from these companies, about a 50 percent jump from the year before. The golf course deal could serve as a cautionary tale for both private equity firms and the growing number of governments doing business with them. Unlike a typical private equity deal, transactions with public agencies call for greater transparency. Fortress, which has not been accused of wrongdoing by the governments, argues that it was transparent in the golf deal. The firm said it was speaking on behalf of Newcastle, which relies on it for management. Although Newcastle has its own shareholders and board, Fortress is responsible for the company’s management, investments and other business decisions. In a statement, Fortress said that “there is no mystery about who owns American Golf” because it “is very clear” in Newcastle’s securities filings. But these filings were published after the local governments approved the deal. Fortress also pointed to a document labeled “draft,” which it said American Golf emailed to one Los Angeles County official, making reference to “Newcastle Investment Corp. and other funds. ” That official said he had no record of receiving the email. American Golf acknowledged that it had not sent the document to other towns. “It’s like being told you were getting a big red fire truck and then it turns out you get a little red wagon,” said Eric Preven, a TV producer who ran for public office in Los Angeles. With the help of his brother Joshua, a teacher, he first raised suspicions about the American Golf deal more than two years ago. Still, the quality of golf courses has not suffered since Newcastle bought American Golf, Los Angeles County said. Officials often vote an American Golf course best in the county. Newcastle and American Golf don’t own the courses. Instead, as part of an outsourcing plan, American Golf manages operations, making money every time a golfer tees off. Even before Newcastle bought American Golf from Goldman Sachs, it retained a local lobbyist: Matt Knabe, whose father is Don Knabe, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. American Golf hosts the Knabe Cup, an annual youth tournament named in honor of the senior Mr. Knabe. His son’s lobbying firm, when questioned by local media about the relationship, has previously said there is no conflict because “Matt does not lobby” his father. There is no indication the Knabes directed American Golf to play down Newcastle’s role. In 2013, Don Knabe and the county board approved the sale of American Golf. At the time, the board appeared impressed with Fortress’s track record in working closely with local governments — citing in particular a letter from a Florida official praising Fortress. In that letter, the official from Florida’s Department of Transportation said he “had the pleasure” of working alongside Fortress in building a passenger railway known as All Aboard Florida. Along a stretch of Florida’s eastern coast, Fortress is embarking on its boldest project yet: the nation’s only purely private intercity passenger railroad. The project, All Aboard Florida, is expected to take five years and nearly $3 billion to build. At speeds reaching 100 miles an hour, it plans to eventually carry passengers from Miami to Orlando, with stops in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. And if trains start rolling next year, as planned, and prove successful, the project may provide a template for private investment in public infrastructure for years to come. Yet this ambitious private project hinged on the blessing of government officials. The administration of Gov. Rick Scott of Florida conditionally agreed to lease out state property to All Aboard Florida, which plans to share the track with an existing freight train company. Federal regulators, after some initial concerns, concluded that the railroad’s safety plans met their standards. And a nonprofit approved bonds that can help finance All Aboard Florida’s business. Fortress, which owns both the passenger train and the freight rail, secured these victories through a mix of negotiations, public support, political power and a revolving door between the government and the private sector. Documents obtained through public records requests pull back a curtain on the lobbying that shaped the project. The documents, many previously unreported, spotlight the role played by Governor Scott’s aides. The governor’s former campaign manager teamed up with one of his former policy advisers to coordinate All Aboard Florida’s media strategy and meetings with the governor’s administration. They found a receptive audience, including an aide to Governor Scott who texted a Fortress employee, “Let me know if I can be helpful. ” Fortress stands to benefit from the project in several ways. The firm owns All Aboard Florida’s parent company, as well as the freight train operator sharing the track, which means it would profit from All Aboard Florida’s success. Fortress also controls land around the track, where it is developing rental housing. And even if the passenger rail flops, Fortress might benefit from All Aboard Florida’s track upgrades, which would enable its freight operator to carry more cargo at quicker speeds. (Fortress disputes this point, arguing that the upgrades are not needed to improve its freight operations.) Not everyone will benefit. Along Florida’s Treasure Coast — oceanfront counties that include some of the state’s richest and poorest areas — some residents worry that the train will disrupt their lives. In one county, the sheriff argued that the trains, 32 each day, “could have implications” if they stranded patrol cars on one side of the tracks as trains passed. A hospital executive warned about ambulances idling at crossings. Two counties sued to halt the bonds. Some residents also express a deeper concern: The train is literally passing them by. Towns without stops will get the headaches of rail traffic rumbling through, without the economic benefits. In Gifford, a community pockmarked with abandoned homes, residents say they already live on the wrong side of the tracks. Fortress’s freight trains park there to exchange crews, delaying traffic and prompting local outcry. Fortress sees it differently, arguing that the freight trains stop there because it is safe to do so. Mr. Edens, who said the passenger line was open to adding more stops, remarked that “the handful of opponents of the project are focused on their own narrow not the greater good. ” While critics say All Aboard Florida is unnecessary — a small number of Amtrak trains already travel from Miami to Orlando — Mr. Edens said it had the potential to revitalize local economies because mass transit is “one of the real cornerstones of economic growth. ” He called it a “real guidepost for how we can actually bring passenger trains back to the United States. ” Concerns that the new trains could cause traffic delays are unfounded, he said, citing data estimating that All Aboard Florida trains would take 45 seconds to clear crossings. All Aboard Florida said that it would be the only railroad in the country to operate “in full compliance with the latest and most stringent” federal safety requirements, and that it would help reduce car travel in the state. “We’re talking about seconds,” Mr. Edens said, adding that it was “not a meaningful” amount of time. William D. Snyder, the sheriff of Martin County, disagreed. “In my business, seconds absolutely matter,” he said. The train’s opponents dispute some of All Aboard Florida’s data about how long the trains will block intersections, saying the company’s assessment is based on assumptions. Bob Solari, a commissioner in Indian River County, said that All Aboard Florida did not in “any meaningful way protect the people and property of the Treasure Coast. ” The safety concerns, however, did not ruin the railroad project, thanks in part to some political . All Aboard Florida took shape after Governor Scott rejected $2. 4 billion in federal stimulus money for rail between Orlando and Tampa, saying it made Florida taxpayers liable for losses. That decision, in 2011, effectively helped clear a path for an alternative train, though All Aboard Florida was still in its infancy at the time. Adam Hollingsworth was one of the governor’s aides involved in the decision to reject the stimulus money, emails show. At the time, he was a volunteer policy adviser. Months later, he went to work for one of All Aboard Florida’s sister companies. To push for the Fortress railway, Mr. Hollingsworth initially coordinated with Susan Wiles, Governor Scott’s former campaign manager. The railway also retained a lawyer who had previously worked for a government agency from which it needed a permit. This team’s background was helpful to All Aboard Florida, records show. The day before Mr. Edens of Fortress was to meet with the governor’s office, Mr. Hollingsworth texted a staff member. “You met Wes at the gov’s Christmas party,” he reminded her, referring to Mr. Edens. After the meeting, Mr. Hollingsworth wrote the aide: “Thank you! I am glad you and the gov were favorable inclined. ” Mr. Hollingsworth followed up when All Aboard Florida was about to announce its plans publicly. The aide responded, “Great news!” About four months later, Mr. Hollingsworth resumed working for the governor’s office, as chief of staff. Ethics rules prevented him from having further involvement with the train. Mr. Hollingsworth did not respond to requests for comment. Ms. Wiles praised him, saying he had honored his recusal. All Aboard Florida said it “did not need nor use Adam” beyond the scope of his duties, noting that it hired Ballard Partners, a prominent Florida lobbying firm. A spokeswoman for Governor Scott added that the state did not finance All Aboard Florida. Still, the company has benefited from government support. In addition to various regulatory approvals, All Aboard Florida has applied for funding from the federal railroad agency. And it accepted about $9 million in federal funds. In the future, it hopes to fund itself through bonds approved by the Florida Development Finance Corporation, a nonprofit. The bonds are but All Aboard Florida, not the government, is responsible for repaying them. Last year, the nonprofit’s board approved the bonds, which All Aboard Florida has yet to issue. Here, too, lobbying was at work. Before the board held a crucial hearing on the bonds, an All Aboard Florida representative emailed one of the board’s new members a reminder to submit the paperwork by close of business the next day “in order to get confirmed by the Senate. ” The email added, “Can I help with this?” | 1 |
Divnogorsk, Russie. Un garçon nourrit des oiseaux sur une rive du fleuve Ienisseï. Facebook | 0 |
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — The embattled leader of Cambodia’s main opposition party abruptly quit on Saturday in the face of increasing government pressure, ceding a political stage he had occupied for more than two decades. The resignation of the leader, Sam Rainsy, came after the government began a series of moves that would allow it to dissolve the Cambodia National Rescue Party he led, in advance of crucial local elections set for June. The opposition has also been hit with a barrage of lawsuits and leaked telephone conversations between leading figures and women purported to be their mistresses. It was unclear whether Mr. Sam Rainsy, 67, was leaving politics for good or was planning to work quietly behind the scenes. Either way, his exit seemed to represent the end of an era. As the head of three political parties since 1995, he had been a thorn in the side of the country’s prime minister, Hun Sen, for more than 20 years. In an interview on Sunday from Paris, where he has lived in exile since November 2015, Mr. Sam Rainsy, a former banker, said he had quit as a “ defensive move” to save his political party. This month, Mr. Hun Sen proposed a measure that could dissolve any party led by someone convicted of a crime, which Mr. Sam Rainsy has been many times, because of an abundance of criminal defamation suits filed against him by government officials, government allies and the prime minister himself. “This guy is crazy,” Mr. Sam Rainsy said of Mr. Hun Sen. “He can do anything he wants without consideration for legal, judicial principles, so I have to defend my party and tell Hun Sen and tell the Cambodian people and tell the whole world that Hun Sen no longer has any grounds to dissolve the C. N. R. P. on the basis that his kangaroo court has made me a convict. ” He was vague about his future. “In politics, there are always ups and downs,” he said. “Things can change. ” Ou Virak, the chairman of the Future Forum, a public policy research group in Phnom Penh, the capital, said the departure of Mr. Sam Rainsy was a blow for Cambodia’s fledgling democracy. “Leaving in this kind of situation, when the party is under pressure, is not ideal or democratic,” he said. “It highlights the nature of Cambodian politics for the past 20 or so years. Politics is not created by competition and ideas, but personalities and maneuvering to get what people want. ” Mr. Sam Rainsy was one of those personalities. Despite his weaknesses, including a tendency to flee the country in the face of trouble, he is still, for many, the most enduring symbol of opposition to Mr. Hun Sen. The prime minister, a former Khmer Rouge fighter, has held power since 1985 and maintains close control over most of the country’s institutions. “Rainsy is a character with a lot of flaws, but it has to be recognized that he has maintained this position of opposition for nearly a ” said Sebastian Strangio, the author of “Hun Sen’s Cambodia. ” “At any time, he could have sold out to the C. P. P. and become a rich man,” he said, referring to the Cambodian People’s Party, led by Mr. Hun Sen. Mr. Sam Rainsy, while clearly irritating the prime minister, proved useful over the years by presenting an internationally visible opposition figure to run in elections, which Mr. Hun Sen always won, Mr. Strangio added. But Mr. Sam Rainsy began to pose a more existential threat to Mr. Hun Sen’s political survival when he formed a partnership with another government critic, Kem Sokha, in 2012. Their new political party nearly won the 2013 national election, emboldening them and stunning the C. P. P. Mr. Hun Sen and Mr. Sam Rainsy came to a brief rapprochement in 2014 and 2015, with the opposition leader extracting some important political concessions from Mr. Hun Sen, including equal representation on the National Election Committee and a television broadcasting license. But a few months later, the friendly feelings dissolved, and many of the concessions were rescinded. It has been hard to keep up with the number of lawsuits filed against Mr. Sam Rainsy and other opposition figures over the last 18 months, many involving allegations of criminal defamation against government officials. Salacious telephone conversations involving Mr. Kem Sokha and other opposition lawmakers have also been leaked online and discussed widely in news media. The most recent recording, released a week ago, involved a man who sounded like Mr. Sam Rainsy bantering with a waitress about her eating and bathing habits. Mr. Sam Rainsy’s moral authority was also being eroded from within his party. While he fled the country in November 2015 to avoid jail time, Mr. Kem Sokha made a point of staying after being charged with crimes related to a suspected affair. Eventually, the government pardoned him. Mr. Kem Sokha is set to become the acting opposition leader. In a statement on Sunday, he called Mr. Sam Rainsy’s decision honorable and said it had been made in discussion with the party’s leadership. Phay Siphan, a government spokesman, said the lawsuits against opposition figures were private matters, and he accused Mr. Sam Rainsy of trying to generate publicity with a dramatic exit. “He is an opportunist,” Mr. Phay Siphan said. “Tell me, so far, in the last 20 years, what has he done for Cambodia except move the people to go on strike and have demonstrations?” Mr. Phay Siphan also criticized the United States representatives Alan Lowenthal and Steve Chabot, members of a new congressional caucus on Cambodia, for writing to Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson on Thursday about the need to promote free and fair elections in Cambodia. Mr. Phay Siphan called the representatives “blind” and “ignorant,” and he suggested that Mr. Sam Rainsy was taking cues from them. Mr. Sam Rainsy countered that all he wanted was for his party to survive long enough to run in the elections, with or without him. “It is Hun Sen who sees me behind any initiative to defend democracy,” he said, “but I think Cambodia has many sons, many daughters, who are willing to defend democracy. ” | 1 |
Hallan la mención en hebreo más antigua de Jerusalén en un papiro de casi 3.000 años Publicado: 27 oct 2016 03:33 GMT
Fue encontrado en una pieza que había sido robada en 2012 de una cueva del desierto de Judea. Ammar Awad Reuters Síguenos en Facebook
Procedente del período del Primer Templo, hace unos 2.700 años, la Autoridad de Antigüedades de Israel (IAA, por su sigla en inglés) presentó el papiro en el que aparece la mención en hebreo de la ciudad de Jerusalén más antigua de la que se tenga noticia. El documento fue recuperado en el 2012, cuando un grupo de ladrones intentaba venderlo, detalló ' The Times of Israel '.
Eitan Klein, de la IAA, explicó que el papiro, que se cree que había sido sustraído de una cueva en el desierto de Judea, es una "evidencia" de la existencia de una "administración organizada en el Reino de Judá", que "destaca la centralidad de Jerusalén como capital del reino en la segunda mitad del siglo VII a.C."
Los especialistas agregaron que el texto escrito en dos líneas en el papiro de 2,5 por 11 centímetros, refiere al pago de impuestos o al traslado de mercancías. "De la criada del rey, de Naarat, jarras de vino, a Jerusalén", dice la inscripción que menciona a la ciudad con su antiguo nombre en hebreo: Yerushalima. Ammar Awad Reuters
Por su parte, Amir Gador, también de la IAA, reiteró que el papiro era procedente de una cueva en Nahal Hever, en el desierto de Judea, cercano al mar Muerto, región que, por sus características, permite la preservación de este tipo de fragmentos durante miles de años.
En tanto, 14 integrantes de la organización que había robado el papiro fueron detenidos y condenados a 18 años de cárcel. Reconocimiento de Jerusalén
El ministro de Cultura y Deporte de Israel, Miri Regev, afirmó que el descubrimiento del papiro en el que se cita a Jerusalén "supone una clara prueba" de que la ciudad "fue y seguirá siendo la capital eterna del pueblo judío".
Su afirmación responde a la postura de la UNESCO , que había rechazado los vínculos entre la ciudad y el judaísmo, a la vez que describió al Monte del Templo de Jerusalén como un lugar sagrado exclusivamente para el islam. | 0 |
(Before It's News)
This is a good article :
“When Donald Trump rode down an escalator at Trump Tower to launch his presidential campaign in June 2015, he began galvanizing a populist version of the Republican Party.
But he didn’t create it.
The GOP that carried Mr. Trump to the presidential nomination was formed by waves of new voters who washed onto Republican shores in the last four decades: George Wallace Southerners, Ronald Reagan Democrats, Pat Buchanan pitchfork populists and tea-party foot soldiers.
The Republican establishment was happy to have the votes of these newcomers, many from America’s working class, and accommodated their cultural preferences on social issues from guns to abortion to gay marriage. What the establishment didn’t do was adjust the GOP’s economic approach to match the populist impulses—or even seem to consider such a shift necessary. …”
Rich Lowry put it well here :
“Our basic argument about Trump is simple and unassailable: He is a populist, not a conservative. Conservatism has always had a populist element, but it has been tethered to conservatism’s animating causes of liberty, limited government and the Constitution. Trump inveighs against elites and tramples on political pieties, but these causes are afterthoughts to him, at best.”
Ross Douthat put it better here:
“Sometimes this interdependency has worked out well. At its peaks of political success, the conservative intelligentsia has channeled and directed populism, responding to grass-roots passions without being ruled by them.”
The goal of the conservative intelligentsia has always been to CUCK the populist vote so that all of its anger and energy can be “tethered” or “channeled” into advancing the conservative agenda (read: classical liberal agenda) of the “governing wing” of the Republican Party. The role of populist voters in the GOP is to show up on election day and vote for a handpicked establishment candidate like Mitt Romney or ¡Jeb!
In this way, the conservatives can pass new free-trade deals for their corporate backers in the US Chamber of Commerce, start massive new destructive, unending wars in the Middle East, and keep the border wide open so that an endless influx of Third World cheap labor can further enrich the plutocracy. They figured all those yokels would just keep voting for them indefinitely because Democrats want to abort babies and seize guns.
Give them lip service! Give them token gestures! Give them round after round of failure theater! You know, it kind of worked too until their whole signaling structure broke down. That’s what happens when an elite loses its legitimacy. To borrow an analogy, the falcon doesn’t respond to the Falconer anymore and the elite falls.
It is only a matter of time. | 0 |
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court has ruled that consumers must be allowed to buy certain types of health insurance that do not meet the stringent standards of the Affordable Care Act, deciding that the administration had gone beyond the terms of federal law. The court struck down a rule issued by the Obama administration that barred the sale of such insurance as a separate product. “Disagreeing with Congress’s expressly codified policy choices isn’t a luxury administrative agencies enjoy,” the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said on Friday in a decision that criticized “administrative overreach” by the Department of Health and Human Services. At issue is a type of insurance that pays consumers a fixed dollar amount, such as $500 a day for hospital care or $50 for a doctor’s visit, regardless of how much is actually owed to the provider. Such “fixed indemnity” insurance is normally less comprehensive and less expensive than the “minimum essential coverage” required by the Affordable Care Act. Under the rule, issued by the Obama administration in 2014, fixed indemnity policies could be sold only to people who already have the more comprehensive coverage that meets detailed federal standards. State officials and insurers estimate that as many as four million people might have fixed indemnity policies without major medical coverage. The Obama administration gave several reasons for cracking down on fixed indemnity insurance. It is “an inadequate substitute for major medical coverage” because “it does not provide protection against major medical expenses,” the administration said. Moreover, it said, consumers may be confused and may buy fixed indemnity insurance in “the mistaken belief that it provides comprehensive coverage” — a concern also voiced by consumer groups. In adopting the final rule in 2014, the Obama administration said that allowing people to buy fixed indemnity insurance would undermine the goal of “maximizing the number of individuals who have comprehensive, major medical coverage. ” Since 1996, fixed indemnity insurance has generally been exempt from federal insurance standards, and the Affordable Care Act did not change that, nor did Congress “give even the slightest indication” that it meant to alter the exemption, the appeals court said. But, the court said, the administration “effectively eliminated fixed indemnity plans altogether,” by tacking “additional criteria” onto the 1996 law. The ruling in the case, Central United Life Insurance v. Burwell, was issued by a panel composed of Judges Janice Rogers Brown, Patricia A. Millett and Douglas H. Ginsburg. Fixed indemnity insurance differs from major medical coverage in many ways. It does not have to provide the “essential health benefits” required by the Affordable Care Act, nor does it have to pay any specific percentage of medical costs. Some fixed indemnity policies provide coverage only for specified diseases, like cancer. In general, consumers have fewer protections. Under the rule issued by the Obama administration, fixed indemnity insurance would be allowed only as a supplement to major medical coverage that complied with the 2010 health care law. People buying the more limited coverage would have to attest, in their applications, that they already had “minimum essential coverage. ” The plaintiffs in the case, who sell fixed indemnity insurance, said the federal rule would essentially destroy the market for such products. “Even after the Affordable Care Act, consumers may not be able to afford major medical coverage,” said Quin M. Sorenson, a lawyer at Sidley Austin who represented the plaintiffs. In states that have not expanded Medicaid eligibility, he said, three million people fall into a coverage gap: They make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to qualify for subsidies in the public insurance marketplace, and they cannot afford major medical coverage on their own. For some of them, he said, fixed indemnity insurance plans may be a valuable option. Under the Affordable Care Act, people who go without major medical coverage may be subject to tax penalties. In a brief, Wisconsin and 10 other states said that some consumers had found they could save money by buying fixed indemnity insurance and paying the tax penalty. “Fixed indemnity insurance is a rational choice for these individuals because it provides meaningful access to the health care system,” the states’ brief said. The appeals court upheld an earlier decision by Judge Royce C. Lamberth of Federal District Court, who said the Obama administration’s rule “has no basis in the statutory text it purports to interpret and plainly exceeds the scope of the statute. ” | 1 |
Good morning. Here’s what you need to know: • Donald J. Trump’s latest picks for top posts offer more evidence of a tough approach to national security and the of crucial ties with Beijing. Gen. John F. Kelly, a retired Marine General, will be secretary of homeland security, and Gov. Terry Branstad of Iowa was named ambassador to China. Mr. Branstad has a long relationship with President Xi Jinping. Above, the two in 2012. Mr. Trump also selected Scott Pruitt, an ally of the fossil fuel industry and an architect of legal efforts to fight President Obama’s climate change policy, to run the Environmental Protection Agency. Here’s the latest on the transition. _____ • In a telephone interview with a morning television news show, Mr. Trump said Mitt Romney remained a candidate for secretary of state and denied any responsibility for dividing the nation. Mr. Trump did not dispute the interviewer’s comparison of campaign promises to crack down on undocumented immigrants who kill and rape Americans to comments made by the Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, about annihilating drug dealers and users. Our photojournalist documented 57 homicides over 35 days in Mr. Duterte’s bloody crackdown. (Warning: graphic images.) _____ • In Indonesia, rescue teams are searching for survivors in the aftermath of a 6. 5 magnitude earthquake that struck the island of Sumatra. Nearly 100 people have been reported killed so far, many crushed in their homes as they slept. _____ • Rescue teams in Pakistan found no survivors among the wreckage of a turboprop that crashed in the country’s north with 48 people on board. One of the passengers was Junaid Jamshed, a former pop star who became an Islamic proselytizer. _____ • “We are trapped under bombs. ” The Twitter account shared by a girl in Aleppo, Bana and her mother has captured global attention with posts about bombs, death and despair. It has also raised questions about authenticity. Syrian government forces appear to be pushing deeper into the city. _____ • European antitrust regulators fined Crédit Agricole, HSBC and JPMorgan Chase a total of just over 485 million euros for colluding to fix benchmark interest rates tied to the euro. • China will announce its balance of trade figures for November. Both imports and exports declined in October. • Britain’s investigation into the pound’s “flash crash” in October is focusing on the rapid succession of sell orders made by Citigroup in Japan, The Financial Times reported. • Some Vietnamese who fled their country during its Communist takeover are returning for its vibrant environment. • Google says its global network of 13 data centers, each one containing hundreds of thousands of computers, will be entirely powered by wind farms and solar panels by sometime next year. • U. S. stocks jumped to their biggest gains since early November. Here’s a snapshot of global markets. • Thailand is investigating the BBC’s Thai language service for defamation over a profile of the new king. [The Guardian] • Cricket plans to introduce red cards that allow umpires to eject players for aggression and bad behavior, the first time the sport has used any form of penalties. [The New York Times] • India’s Cho Ramaswamy, an actor, playwright and journalist known for his staunch defense of a free press, died at 82. [The Hindu] • Over 30 percent of children in the slums of Bangladesh’s capital work over 60 hours each week in the garment sector. [Reuters] • “I just wanted to do some good and went about it the wrong way,” the gunman arrested at a pizzeria in Washington on Sunday told our reporter, discussing his plan to investigate false reports he read online that claimed the pizzeria was at the center of a child sex slave ring. [The New York Times] • Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, maintained his innocence against rape allegations and accused the Swedish and British governments of “cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment. ” [The New York Times] • Saudi Arabia issued death sentences for 15 men accused of spying for Iran in a trial denounced by rights groups. [The New York Times] • In the conflict, Facebook finds itself caught between free speech and incitement. [The New York Times] • Muay Thai, the Southeast Asian combat sport, and cheerleading were recognized by the International Olympic Committee, a move that provides $25, 000 annually to the sports’ governing bodies and opens the way for them to apply for inclusion in the Games. • Matt Damon is courting controversy, playing a British mercenary in “The Great Wall,” which aims to be China’s first blockbuster. • And the film critics of The New York Times — Manohla Dargis, A. O. Scott and Stephen Holden — share their picks for the best movies of the year. • Tasmania, London, Lagos: seven accomplished writers took us inside their favorite bookstores. Our latest 360 video features a bookshop in Portugal popular with Harry Potter fans. If you look at bank notes across the world, you most often see portraits of men. But images of women are beginning to proliferate. This year, the U. S. said it would put the abolitionist and former slave Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. Argentina added a female guerrilla leader who fought Spanish colonialists on its new 10 peso note. Colombia honored a female painter and an anthropologist. New Swedish bank notes show the actress Greta Garbo and the Wagnerian soprano Birgit Nilsson. And Scotland selected the novelist Nan Shepherd and Mary Somerville, a trailblazing scientist. Poland, in a less timely choice, selected Dobrawa, a 10th century Bohemian princess credited with bringing Christianity to her people, for a commemorative note. Today, Canada will announce the first woman to be featured solo on a bank note other than royalty. A survey conducted in May suggested that Nellie McClung, a women’s rights activist, was the most popular choice, but she is not among the five finalists. The Toronto Star is rooting for Emily Pauline Johnson, who celebrated her Mohawk heritage in her poetry. Its editorial, invoking Ms. Johnson’s aboriginal name, concludes: “Ideally, all these women should be featured on bank notes. But if it must be just one, we vote for Tekahionwake. ” Patrick Boehler contributed reporting. _____ Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings. What would you like to see here? Contact us at asiabriefing@nytimes. com. | 1 |
A series of opinion polls have found the majority of Brits if given the chance to vote on the matter, would choose to leave the Eurovision song contest. [A new YouGov poll showed that 56 percent would be in favour of leaving and 44 percent in favour of staying, excluding those who did not know or would not vote. At 56 per cent, even more Brits would leave Eurovision than voted to leave the European Union in 2016. The poll follows another reported by Pink News in early May, which found 53. 6 per cent of Brits wanted to leave Eurovision. Those answering that poll also gave their reasons for wanting out, with 63 per cent saying the competition was a “big waste of money” while 26 per cent said it was embarrassing. The annual talent contest fought between nations across Europe, Asia, and Oceania has been broadcast by the European Broadcast Union since 1956. While the result of the poll over the future of Britain’s involvement in Eurovision may seem surprising given it gets reasonable viewing figures, the high numbers of those wishing to leave may represent disappointment among some that a Eurovision exit didn’t automatically accompany Brexit. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron, when asked what the worst argument in favour of Brexit he’d heard was, told the House of Commons that it was voting to leave the European Union would get Britain out of the song contest too. Rubbishing the suggestion, he said: “Not only would that be incredibly sad but given that Israel and Azerbaijan and anyone anywhere near Europe seems to be able to enter — and Australia — then I think we’re pretty safe from that one”. Another explanation for Britons wanting to cut ties with the musical competition could be a lack of faith in the processes behind selecting a winner. A significant source of controversy in 2014 was the allocation of British votes. Viewers at home are able to cast votes for their favourite acts by telephone, the figures for which are balanced against a panel of “experts” appointed by the BBC who also rate their favourite acts. After the 2014 competition, it was revealed the runaway favourite among the British public was the Polish entry, which featured buxom milkmaids in traditional national costume — but this was the least favourite of the expert judges, who overruled the British public, leading the nation to officially give it zero points. In contrast to the somewhat sexually suggestive favourite act of the British people in that year, the winning act was by Austria’s Conchita Wurst, a musical drag act. Viewing figures of the competition in the United Kingdom the following year collapsed to a low, and have yet to fully recover. Watch: Poland’s 2014 Eurovision entry, | 0 |
About Taming the corporate media beast An Open Letter of Friendship and Mutual Respect for Patriots in the United States, Western Europe and Russia
A visit to an old Soviet cemetery outside a NATO airbase in Estonia reveals what we all have in common The author is a Major (Retired) of the US Air Force and a Human Security advocate This is not intended to be alarmist, but only to reflect the ongoing realities (which I hope will defuse at the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2017). I read the information contained in today's news about US and Britain deployment of fighter planes, infantry, tanks and artillery to Romania and Poland . There are multiple other news stories available on the latest reactions of NATO to continue to ratchet up East-West tensions . Through pure coincidence (visiting the property of a new Estonian friend where I might volunteer in future months to plant a medicinal herbal garden, establish a Baltic Ecovillage retreat, or host an international Finland-Estonia-Russia children's summer camp for art and music) I was less than 5 miles from Amari Air Base where there is an ongoing rotation of NATO aircraft for Baltic Air Policing . Outside this former Soviet Air Base I was able to visit a graveyard for fallen Soviet airmen and pay my respects. an_open_letter_of_friendship_and_mutual_respect_for_patriots_of_all_countries.docx_google_dokumenty.png Many of these flyers who had died in aircraft accidents in the 1970's and 1980's were of the same age as me, or my brothers who were flying for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy during the same times. I salute these fallen warriors, and hope that in the near future all those dedicated to the Golden Rule (reciprocity) and Brotherly Love (communal concern) can overcome old and outdated Cold War stereotypes to build a fear free world dedicated to Human Security or other regenerative principles . | 0 |
Every time the Washington political press freaks out and goes into full panic mode against President Trump, the blockbuster, story always unfolds the same way. [First, the news starts leaking or breaking. Newsrooms from the Potomac to the Hudson become seized and fixated on every morsel of the delicious story. News flashes zing around the internet. Then it hits cable television and the press starts slinging the most salacious and scandalous accusations they can whip up, charging the president with the highest crimes imaginable. Reporters and Democrats alike — not to repeat myself — are actually now speculating about whether Mr. Trump will survive the certain impeachment hearings to come. But then, as the heavy breathing subsides and the adrenaline rush gives way to factual, concrete reporting, the most damning charges fall away. Turns out Mr. Trump is a germaphobe and wasn’t in that Russian hotel room. The bust of Martin Luther King is still in the Oval Office. He didn’t abandon conservatives by naming his sister to the Supreme Court. Mr. Trump’s Tower — and people involved in his campaign — were, in fact, surveilled. Slowly, agonizingly, Truth becomes very inconvenient for all these people predicting Mr. Trump’s certain demise. In the end, they are all left clinging to the smallest Styrofoam shard of their original story, bobbing in the harsh sea of Donald Trump Derangement Syndrome. The last remaining wastrels pontificating about the “scandal” formerly larger than Watergate are left with just one flimsy accusation. “Well, he could have handled it better,” they sniff. “He didn’t follow Washington political protocol. ” Are you freaking kidding me? It all starts with charges of high crimes and misdemeanors — impeachment imminent — and when it all turns out to be fake news these people walk away grumbling about how Mr. Trump could have handled it better? Just look at this latest “Watergate” scandal. The upshot is that Mr. Trump finally fired a man who every single person in all of Washington, except perhaps James B. Comey’s wife, has said at one time or another in the past year should have been fired. Why was he fired? For all the reasons every single person in Washington has stated at one point or another during the past year. But if you are among the legions around here suffering from Donald Trump Derangement Syndrome, it is always much more sinister. Russia! The FBI was closing in on Donald Trump’s sordid connections to the Russians! (Minus the laughably debunked Moscow hotel room scandal that was one of Mr. Trump’s previous “Watergate” scandals.) The FBI had just asked for more money to pursue the connection, we were breathlessly told. Subpoenas were just being issued to known associates of known associates of President Trump! So incensed by the lies of the scandal’s it was reported, that a top official in the Justice Department was threatening to quit in protest rather than carry on working for such a criminal in the White House. And then inconvenient reality unfolds again. One by one, each of these blockbusters came under clouds of scrutiny. Nobody quits in protest. By Thursday morning, the whole scandal had substantially come unraveled. At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Chairman Chuck Grassley, Iowa Republican, said he and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the committee, had recently met with Mr. Comey and came away with the clear impression that, in fact, Mr. Trump is not a target of any investigation by the FBI. “Sen. Feinstein and I heard nothing that contradicted the president’s statement,” he said. And in a stunning display of nonpartisanship, Mrs. Feinstein agreed. Well, OK. But the White House should have handled it better. • Charles Hurt can be reached at churt@washingtontimes. com follow him on Twitter via @charleshurt. | 0 |
Nope its oil. Thank you for my technical win btw. Oil will levitate until after the election. | 0 |
This morning I woke to learn that 22 people had been killed and upwards of 50 injured by a Muslim terrorist bomber at an Ariana Grande pop concert in Manchester, England. So, based on past events, I thought I’d predict how it would pan out on social media. [1. Be offended by something @KTHopkins or @TRobinsonNewEra said on Twitter. 2. Candles, we’ll stay strong etc. 3. Pretend it never happened, — James Delingpole (@JamesDelingpole) May 23, 2017, I really didn’t have to wait long for the first part of my prediction to come true. Block Katie Hopkins, block Tommy Robinson, block Prison Planet. Deactivate Twitter if you have to. You don’t have to engage with this today. — Jonathan Fisher (@fishplums) May 23, 2017, Is Katie Hopkins a paid ISIS propagandist do you reckon or does she just do it as a hobby, — Abi Wilkinson (@AbiWilks) May 23, 2017, @KTHopkins Surely social services need to rescue the psychologically at risk children of vile Nazi Katie Hopkins? — Bill Dawson (@DampDogBill) May 23, 2017, Tommy Robinson, Katie Hopkins, Nick Griffin co all abusing the heartbreaking atrocity of last night as a PR stunt. Utter parasites. — Chris Dolan (@cdolan8) May 23, 2017, Katie Hopkins — Trending. The Sun — Trending. Tommy Robinson — Trending, The fucking ghouls are out. Profiting from misery. — R Evans (@Mativenko80) May 23, 2017, The white community really needs to do more to root out fundamentalism like that Apprentice woman, Tommy Robinson and UKIP racists, — hardeep singh kohli (@misterhsk) May 23, 2017, Let’s pause to consider what’s going on here. Right now in the morgues of Manchester’s hospitals are the dismembered remains of beautiful children like old Georgina Callandar. Pictured: First victim of Manchester terror attack named as Georgina Callander https: . pic. twitter. — Daily Mail U. K. (@DailyMailUK) May 23, 2017, ’We don’t know where she is!’ Devastated parents release photos to find missing children https: . pic. twitter. — Daily Express (@Daily_Express) May 23, 2017, They were so looking forward to seeing Ariana Grande with their friends or their mums and dads or brothers and sisters. They were so happy as they headed for their homes afterwards — but some of them never made it. A Muslim suicide bomber killed them in the belief that his religion ordained it, that it would speed his journey to paradise, and that this was the kind of thing he and his brethren should carry on doing until the whole world submits to Islam. Now you’ll note that at no stage was Katie Hopkins — or indeed any other spokesman for conservative causes — involved in the planning or execution of this atrocity. You’ll also be well aware — if you’ve read round the subject — that nothing Katie Hopkins or anyone else says or does is going to stop these things happenings. As Islamic State, the main force behind this wave of violence, make perfectly clear in their literature, they’re going to keep on hating us whatever we do. The fact is, even if you were to stop bombing us, imprisoning us, torturing us, vilifying us, and usurping our lands, we would continue to hate you because our primary reason for hating you will not cease to exist until you embrace Islam. Even if you were to pay jizyah and live under the authority of Islam in humiliation, we would continue to hate you. No doubt, we would stop fighting you then as we would stop fighting any disbelievers who enter into a covenant with us, but we would not stop hating you … The gist of the matter is that there is indeed a rhyme to our terrorism, warfare, ruthlessness, and brutality. You might have hoped after London, Mumbai, Boston, Paris, Nice, Berlin, and Stockholm that the message would have begun to filter through by now: that we’ve got the watches, but they’ve got the time and that they’re planning on continuing till they’ve won. So why, every time, without fail, do we get the same achingly predictable response on social media from the useful idiots of the progressive left? Why do they insist on focusing their rage on people like Katie Hopkins when clearly this has nothing whatsoever to do with people like Katie Hopkins? | 1 |
This underwater lake is actually helping scientists deal with a much bigger mystery. Credit: EVNautilus
It may seem impossible, but scientists have discovered what can only be deemed as a lake under the sea. Dubbed the “Jacuzzi of Despair,” the brine-filled pool is deadly for the majority of creatures that dare enter it but is proving to be highly informational for those that are studying it.
Located in the Gulf of Mexico, the lake rises about 12 feet off of the ocean floor and is four to five times saltier than the surrounding ocean. It’s also twice as warm, rich with methane, which is what makes it bubble like a jacuzzi, and is dense with hydrogen sulfide. This makes it incompatible with the sea water and a completely separate entity.
Dr. Erik Cordes, associate professor of biology at Temple University in Philadelphia who discovered the pool with several colleagues, told Seeker,
“It was one of the most amazing things in the deep sea. You go down into the bottom of the ocean and you are looking at a lake or a river flowing. It feels like you are not on this world.”
Since the conditions of the pool are so foreign to humans and most of the creatures living under the sea, it’s allowing scientists to get a glimpse of what life might be like in extreme circumstances. What started as an interesting lake in the middle of the ocean has now become the heart of experimentation for one of the most mysterious subjects known to man: space. Dr. Cordes said,
“There’s a lot of people looking at these extreme habitats on Earth as models for what we might discover when we go to other planets.The technology development in the deep sea is definitely going to be applied to the worlds beyond our own.”
What makes the pool even more unique is that it has a lively ecosystem that has evolved throughout the centuries to include more species. While larger animals, such as deep-sea crabs, die as soon as they enter the pool, other creatures have adapted to the atmosphere of the water and even thrive on it. Giant mussels formed symbiotic bacteria in their gills to feed off of the hydrogen sulfide and methane gas from the pool and specially adapted shrimp and tube worms were able to survive the harsh conditions. Any other animals that entered were immediately killed, pickled by the salt, and preserved forever.
Watch the video below to see the beautiful lake for yourself and the creatures who did and did not survive the conditions.
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Cancela un atentado en un avión porque le pasan a primera clase por error y cambia de idea sobre Occidente "ESTO ES OTRA COSA", HA DICHO AL VER SU ASIENTO Yihad
Tras cambiar radicalmente de opinión sobre los “cerdos occidentales”, un terrorista islámico ha decidido cancelar el atentado en un avión que tenía planeado para esta misma mañana después de que un error en la asignación de asientos le haya permitido viajar en clase “Business” y disfrutar de un asiento de lujo y aperitivos gratuitos, según han informado fuentes de la aerolínea. “Era una pena desperdiciar todas esas cosas gratis por la yihad”, ha explicado el terrorista suicida.
“Han venido esas mujeres inmorales y me han dicho que pasara a primera clase y he pensado ‘bueno, ahí también puedo explotar en pleno vuelo’”, explica. Tras su experiencia en “Business”, ha decidido dejar que el avión aterrice plácidamente en su destino. “Hay cosas buenas en Occidente y algunos infieles son muy serviciales cuando vas en primera”.
El terrorista se habría levantado en dirección a la cabina del avión con la idea de hacerse con el control del aparato cuando las azafatas han animado al pasaje de primera clase a sentarse para recibir la cena. “Pensé en dejar la yihad para después de la cena, ya que era gratis, pero luego sirvieron bebidas y más tarde una perra infiel me arropó para echar la siesta”, explica.
“Luego me puse a ver ‘Señor y señora Smith’ y pensé que Occidente no está tan mal”, admite.
El terrorista llevaba más de siete años planeando un atentado suicida que hubiera acabado con la vida de más de 300 personas y era una pieza clave para la propaganda de su causa. “He pedido cacahuetes hasta diez veces y me los han traído sin preguntar”, se defiende.
Según dice, la amabilidad de las “mujeres perras infieles” que hacían de auxiliares de vuelo le ha animado incluso a probar el alcohol. “Era gratis, está bueno”, dice.
El de esta mañana es el segundo atentado que el terrorista cancela en el último momento. Según explica, hace tres años llegó a la cola de embarque de un vuelo y se dio cuenta de que todos y cada uno de los pasajeros restantes eran árabes, aunque no dijo nada “para no parecer racista”. “Todos habíamos tenido la misma idea y estábamos callados haciendo cola hasta que uno se empezó a reír”, explica con nostalgia.
Según ha sabido la prensa, el terrorista debe regresar ahora a su aeropuerto de origen y la compañía que ha elegido es Ryanair. | 0 |
A boy in Missouri was attacked on a school bus by his peers for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat — and was suspended from school as a result. [A cellphone video of the incident shows Gavin Cortina of St. Louis being bullied physically and verbally by his peers for expressing his political beliefs on a hat Wednesday, the Daily Mail reports. “You want to build a wall?” one student yells in the clip. “You want to build a f — king wall?” Things escalated quickly after that, according to Gavin. “At one point, he just got so frustrated he pushed me,” the told KMOV. “And then he kept hitting me and backing me up by the window of the bus, and so I just had to push him out. ” Even though Gavin was the one being attacked, the Parkway School District suspended him. His mother, Christina, is outraged at the school and is concerned about what will happen if he wears the hat again. “As a parent it’s so unsettling,” she said. “I feel like my son was made an example of, it was a tricky situation — it was politically charged. ” A spokesperson for the Parkway School District said they investigated the fight and that all students involved have faced “consequences. ” At least one student was suspended, according to KMOV. The district sent out notices to parents with suggestions on how to talk about the election results with their children after Trump’s victory in November, the New York Daily News reports. The spokesperson added that administrators will sit the students down and reach a peaceful understanding about the incident and their political differences. | 0 |
31 GOLD , KWN King World News
On the heels of a historic election and chaos in global markets, the world is about to witness a breathtaking once in a century event.
Expect Stunning Changes Stephen Leeb: “ Donald Trump’s victory sparked some of the most tumultuous action in the markets in decades – by some measures far more extreme than in 2008…. IMPORTANT… To find out which company is set to become one of the highest grade producing gold mines on the planet and is one of the greatest precious metals investment opportunities in the world CLICK HERE OR BELOW: Sponsored
There is little doubt the market is signaling major changes ahead. These will almost certainly be more than just a change in market leadership, from big-cap high-tech stocks to metal miners, etc. They will be more than a reversal in the market’s overall direction, say from bull to bear. Rather the market is telling us to expect stunning changes in the entire nature of the world’s economy. And all investors should be listening.
Trump Win Initially Shocks Global Markets Let’s review this past historic week. On Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning as a Trump victory became ever clearer, stock futures dropped further and further into the red and at their low were down 5 percent. Gold rallied and at its high it was up about 5 percent.
Then it seemed to dawn on almost all investors at the same moment that whatever you thought about Trump’s temperament, his populist message had carried the day. His economic policies would be hell bent on growth. From climate change to financial regulation, all barriers to growth would be knocked down. And given his real estate background, leverage wouldn’t scare him one bit.
The thought of major infrastructure projects, tax cuts, less regulation, and a constrained Fed led to a 180-degree turn. Stocks were in, bonds and deflation out. Steady growth was out, leveraged cyclical growth was in. This was a trend that had been trying to take hold since mid-year, but the Trump victory sealed the deal big time.
Take a look at the chart below. Year Chart Of Caterpillar, FaceBook, Amazon, Rio Tinto
Four major companies diverged dramatically post-election. Facebook and Amazon sank against the rising market, while Rio, one of the world’s largest commodity producers, and Caterpillar, which as the largest earth-moving company is highly leveraged to infrastructure and mining, soared. Most commodities followed suit. Copper’s weekly gain was one of the largest ever. And from its low in late October, when Trump started to gain in the polls, copper has climbed 15 percent.
Gold was the other side of the coin. After rising 5 percent on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, the Midas metal turned tail and finished the week down nearly 5 percent. Blame the decline, if you want, on the spike up in bond yields and the strong buck. But as I said above, the market’s dramatic moves signal a lot more than relatively short-term shifts in market leadership. For the record, gold almost always falls at the onset of major market turmoil as investors raise cash to get aboard the new leaders. And when the switch involves investors ditching deflation fears and replacing them with enthusiasm for growth, there’s further reason gold initially was left out in the cold.
We Are About To Witness A Once In A Century Event But don’t let that obscure the bigger reality. While gold could fall a bit more in coming days and weeks, the table has been set for the next act in a massive – perhaps once-in-a-century – bull market in the metal, as commodity scarcities force the world into a new monetary system with gold at its center.
America’s plans for infrastructure will likely be followed by similar efforts within the E.U., albeit no doubt reluctantly and with a lag. But the only way the E.U. can remain intact is if it starts to generate growth. Even if Merkel holds on to power, we think Europe will move in this direction, which means infrastructure spending. And if Merkel is defeated or doesn’t run, a big infrastructure push in Europe becomes an even bigger bet.
But even more to the point, however, is the massive amount the East will be spending on infrastructure. Such spending already has accounted for the uptrend in commodities even prior to the Trump blast-off.
Speaking of Europe, the biggest infrastructure project on that continent was the Marshall Plan, which after World War II helped build up the economies of war-torn countries, in the process granting the U.S. major trade partners. Many still speak with wonder at the scope of that plan. The Chinese analog, which I talk about a lot, goes by the name of One Belt, One Road (OBOR) or the Silk Road initiative. Whatever you call it, it is massive, by some estimates 12 times the size of the Marshall Plan. Its goal is to connect more than 60 countries, which together have 4.4 billion inhabitants and currently account for nearly 40 percent of the world’s economy . And OBOR is just the start of development in the East.
OBOR and the ongoing economic activity it will foster will utterly dwarf the impact China’s development already has had on the global economy. China today is the largest consumer of just about all major commodities. Multiply Chinese consumption today by many-fold and you get the long-term message of the past week’s unprecedented stock market turbulence.
With zigs and zags, for the foreseeable future the market will be trying to price in not just an ordinary bull market in commodities, one in which demand temporarily exceeds supplies, but a bull market powered by fundamental scarcities in basic commodities ranging from copper to zinc to fossil fuels. There will be a scramble for virtually all commodities, even ones that are relatively plentiful, as all will be needed to build out a world relying on new sources of energy. As I have argued before, once you have fundamental scarcities, it is probably too late to switch monetary systems from paper to gold. The time to switch is when these scarcities come into view. What we saw this week was the first sign that this new world is, indeed, within sight.
The $50 Trillion Project And A New Monetary Order To give you a specific taste of what lies ahead, as the U.S. spends perhaps $1 trillion to repair its crumbling bridges, its ancient water pipes, its highways, and its electric grid, China will be adding 31 percent to its capacity to generate electricity as well as entering into agreements to build ultra-high-voltage grids (another area, along with super computers, in which China leads the world) that allow China to generate power it can transmit to countries ranging from Germany to Japan to India. This electricity will be needed to power electric cars and provide lighting in dense urban areas that have yet to be built. Wang Min, an executive vice president of the government-owned Chinese State Grid, has said ultra-high-voltage power networks can tie together the entire Silk Road by 2050. The cost estimate he gives is $50 trillion, well more than $1 trillion a year. But talking about this in dollars is misleading, indeed, meaningless.
As commodities grow scarcer, they won’t be available for dollars at all. Enter a new monetary order – and gold. I don’t expect to be around in 2050. But well before then, as signaled by the market this past week, we’re all likely to see Eastern development and the new gold-based monetary system it will spawn emerge as the dominant economic and socio-political stories for years to come. ” ***KWN has now released the extraordinary KWN audio interview with whistleblower Andrew Maguire, where he discusses the gold and silver smash, at what price the large sovereign wholesale bids are located, and much more, and you can listen to it by CLICKING HERE OR ON THE IMAGE BELOW.
***ALSO JUST RELEASED: Whistleblower Andrew Maguire – This Is What The Commercials Banksters Are Up To In The Gold Market CLICK HERE.
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Consultant tied to Trump super PAC promoted ‘voter suppression’ against black, female voters Published time: 27 Oct, 2016 04:10 Get short URL © Great America PAC / Facebook Donald Trump may call the 2016 election “rigged,” but a consultant connected to the Great America PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC, told reporters that the group has a suppression campaign in the works, believing them to be representatives of a potential donor. Trends US Elections 2016
Political consultant Jesse Benton is once again in hot water. After journalists from The Telegraph introduced themselves to the former Senator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) aide as lawyers representing a potential Trump donor who was also a Chinese national, Benton proceeded to not only tell them how to donate to Trump’s campaign despite it being against federal election law, but also discussed attempts to suppress votes in Cleveland, Ohio.
This isn’t Benton’s first time engaging in politically and legally questionable behavior. In May, he had to take a step back from his role at the Great America PAC after pleading guilty to buying an endorsement for presidential candidate Ron Paul in 2012, during his time as campaign manager. Benton was sentenced to two years of probation. Quid pro woah: Documents link Wisconsin governor to dark money https://t.co/oqoGlhxLSc pic.twitter.com/KygHsCgYP7 — RT America (@RT_America) September 15, 2016
The undercover reporters first contacted the PAC’s co-chairman, Eric Beach, who was filmed telling them that their Chinese client would be “ remembered ” if Trump becomes president, The Telegraph reported .
Beach proceeded to refer them over to Benton, claiming he was a consultant. When they met with Benton, he discussed the Trump campaign’s plans in the swing state of Ohio. Referring to Hillary Clinton’s support in Ohio, he said: “ In Cleveland, if we can...turn her to regular turnout levels, she's gonna lose about 60,000 votes in that area – that's a dead heat. ”
“ So we have a voter suppression campaign quite frankly, targeting African-Americans, and sort of suburban moms, just bad stuff about Hillary, just trying to take their taste for her away, ” he explained.
When it came to the issue of how the Trump campaign would be able to accept money from a Chinese national without arousing suspicion, Benton explained that he would channel the cash through a dark money tunnel.
Super PACs make use of non-profit organizations to collect money from donors because 501(c)4 nonprofit groups are allowed to donate funds to political campaigns without disclosing who their donors are. Benton said he could accept the offered $2 million contribution from the non-existent Chinese donor by having the money sent to his company, which would then pass it on to one or two more non-profits. Some Republicans are asking for their donations back from #Trump campaign in the aftermath of the leaked tape https://t.co/2pNyW9Egea pic.twitter.com/9tCDNaj14W — RT America (@RT_America) October 12, 2016
The Great America PAC has tried to distance itself from Benton. Dan Backer, a lawyer for Great America, told The New York Times that “ I think it’s pretty clear that someone who used to work for the organization decided to leverage that former relationship for his own purposes. ”
Backer suggested that Benton had exaggerated his role in the PAC, telling The Telegraph that Benton was engaging in “ puffery and self-promotion. ”
Benton has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the reporters were brought to him as a “ business referral ” from Beach and that the clip was actually a part of a “ public affairs contract, ” The Telegraph reported.
The Trump campaign claims to have severed ties with the PAC, releasing a statement saying it “ publicly disavowed this group back in April. This is public via Federal Election Commission filings. ”
However, it was just a month ago that Trump’s son Eric and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani spoke at a Great America PAC fundraiser, Raw Story reported . | 0 |
Turkey Tumbling----Crackdown Sweeps Through Business and Finance, Imperiling the Economy By Tyler Haynes. Investors who saw Turkey as a free-market beacon fear its president’s focus on rooting out internal enemies endangers financial institutions and trust in its economic stewardship | 0 |
Go to Article Filmmaker Ami Horowitz takes to the streets in Berkeley, CA to ask white liberals how they feel about voter ID laws? Do voter ID laws suppress the black vote? Are voter ID laws racist? Watch the stunning (and very telling) responses these elitist liberals give to Horowitz. Next, watch how black citizens in Harlem, NY reply to the racist generalizations made by white liberals in Berkeley, CA. Tell us again who the real racists are? Wow! | 0 |
Email
Hillary supporter Robert Dougherty from Jacksonville, North Carolina bragged on Facebook today about how he committed voter fraud.
Robert boasted on how he voted for some of his Facebook friends using their identities, and tells them not to worry about voting, because he’s already done it for them.
And he’s bragging about it on Facebook.
Robert boasts about how they give you a sticker every time you vote.
He says he will continue to vote all next week!
“Isn’t North Carolina nice they give you a sticker every time you vote… No ID required.”
“There isn’t a need for you to wait in line anymore. Took care of it for you. Gave you a straight Democratic ticket.”
“Amazing how many addresses you get from Google. Going again until Saturday and all next week.”
Robert either thinks voter fraud is a big joke or he’s one stupid Hillary-supporting criminal.
What do you think, will Voter Fraud play a key role in the election? | 0 |
WASHINGTON — President Trump’s executive order on immigration is straining relations with the partner the United States needs most to reclaim the Islamic State’s stronghold in Mosul: the Iraqis. Iraqi officials were taken aback by the directive, which they learned about through the American news media because they had not been consulted first. The order blocks citizens from Iraq and six other predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States for 90 days. That lumps Iraq together with Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, nations with no strategic alliance with Washington. “The effect is that many Iraqis will feel that the United States does not want a relationship with Iraq,” said Lukman Faily, who completed a stint as Iraq’s ambassador to Washington in June. “We hope it is a blip. It makes it difficult for us to decipher what President Trump is up to with regard to Iraq. ” Mr. Faily has been directly affected by the order. Though he holds dual British and Iraqi citizenship, he said information he had received from the American Embassy in Baghdad indicated that he would not be allowed to travel to the United States in the coming weeks to participate in a conference, he said in a telephone interview from Iraq. The edict followed inflammatory comments that Mr. Trump made during a visit to the C. I. A. this month, in which he said that the United States should have “kept” Iraq’s oil after the invasion and might still have a chance to do so. More broadly, it clashes with a memo that Mr. Trump issued on Saturday calling on the Pentagon to submit a new plan for stepping up operations against the Islamic State, including by empowering “coalition partners. ” With Iraq furnishing the ground forces for the coming assault on western Mosul, and with more than 5, 000 American troops in the country, the political support of Baghdad is essential. But current and former American officials are worried that the directive will have a corrosive effect on relations at a critical stage in the fighting. “My brothers in Iraq’s Army, who I proudly fought with, are fighting ISIS tonight,” Mark Hertling, a retired Army lieutenant general who led American forces in northern Iraq, wrote on Twitter. “The Iraqi govt is now winning. And we ban their citizens?” The order, which administration officials said was drafted without the input of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Middle East experts at the State Department, has offended the Iraqis in several respects. During the Bush administration, the United States and Iraq signed a Strategic Framework Agreement, which calls for close diplomatic, economic and security ties and is still in effect. “If I were an Iraqi, I would be waving this signed agreement in the face of the current administration,” said Ryan C. Crocker, who negotiated the accord and served as the United States ambassador to Iraq under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. “It is totally inconsistent. ” Iraqis who are already skeptical about Washington have also seized on the order to stir up opposition against the United States. Moktada the fiery cleric whom many Iraqi Shiites support, accused the United States of “arrogance. ” “So get out U. S. citizens from Iraq before you expel communities from U. S.,” he said on Twitter. To contain the political damage, officials said a call between Prime Minister Haider of Iraq and Mr. Trump might be arranged for this week. Mr. Trump spoke on Sunday with King Salman of Saudi Arabia and with the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, but neither Saudi Arabia nor the Emirates are covered by the new order. Iraqi officials who are close to the Americans worry that the Islamic State will exploit the policy in its propaganda to recruit new volunteers. As of early Sunday, the terrorist group had made no official pronouncement. However, individual members and supporters have been sharing the order and news articles about it. Yet another worry has been expressed by veterans, and even members of Mr. Trump’s own party: that the order will interrupt the flow of former Iraqi interpreters and cultural advisers who have worked closely with the Americans and have sought special visas to move to the United States for their own protection. “The people we need to accomplish the mission are nervous, and rightly so, that our country is going to turn our backs on them,” said Steve Miska, a retired Army colonel, who spent 40 months and three deployments in Iraq. Senators John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Republicans who have been strongly supportive of the military, expressed concern that a strict application of the order might even block Iraqi pilots from coming to the United States for training. “This executive order bans Iraqi pilots from coming to military bases in Arizona to fight our common enemies,” they wrote in a statement issued Sunday. The more fundamental question is whether the White House can balance the fulfillment of a campaign promise to carry out “extreme vetting” of citizens from Muslim countries with the need to maintain strong ties with Muslim partners in its fight against the Islamic State. The air bases that the United States uses to bomb the group are all in Turkey or Arab countries, as are American troops. “The president’s actions on refugees and immigration are certain to backfire,” said Matthew G. Olsen, a former director of the National Counterterrorism Center. “The policies validate the terrorists’ claim that we are at war with Islam, and will alienate our Middle East allies and isolate American Muslims here at home. ” | 1 |
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По их мнению, с одной стороны, атмосфера благожелательности в спортивных учреждениях часто работает сама против себя, так как она привлекает внимание всех людей к тем посетителям спортзалов, которые наименее всего активны. Это порождает негативную спираль, заставляющую их посещать их еще меньше.
В то же время, наиболее активные люди задают в спортзале некий тон, который стимулирует других активнее заниматься спортом, так как люди начинают ожидать от себя большего, уверен Дамон Сентола из университета Пенсильвании (США).
В такому выводу Сентола и его коллеги пришли во время наблюдения за группой из почти восьми сотен студентов университета, которым они предложили бесплатно посещать тренажерный зал на протяжении 11 недель в рамках одной из государственных программ, не связанных, на первый взгляд, с психологическими исследованиями.
Студенты даже и не знали, что принимают участие в проекте, в ходе которого ученые хотели выяснить их мотивацию при посещении спортзалов и фитнесклубов. Для этого ученые создали несколько разных сайтов, которые фактически предлагали учащимся поучаствовать в одной и той же программе, но пытались завлечь их разными способами.
Помимо рекламы, на некоторых версиях этих порталов так же выводилась негативная или позитивная статистика посещений, в том числе различные "рекорды" посетителей и советы тем, кто мало посещал спортзал. В некоторых из них эти рекорды выводились исключительно в индивидуальном порядке, отражая статистику только самого посетителя курсов, а в других - видеть данные по успехам других "команд" и отдельных студентов.
Кроме различных соревновательных мер, ученые так же проверили, как работают типичные приемы, которые сегодня применяются в американских вузах и школах для стимулирования учащихся - группы доверия, участники в которых могут побуждать друг друга к занятиям спорта, и "подцепление" особо активных спортсменов к командам "прогульщиков".
Таким образом ученые еще раз подтвердили известную английскую поговорку: "Хочешь сделать что-то популярным, преврати это в спорт": те пользователи, которые посещали "соревновательные"версии сайта, почти в два раза чаще в среднем ходили на занятия и гораздо активнее занимались фитнесом и зарядкой, чем те студенты, которых ученые поместили в "группы доверия". Причем этот эффект проявлялся как в групповых, так и в индивидуальных версиях сайтов, из чего ученые сделали вывод: важнее соревнование, а не его характер.
На основании своих выводов ученые посоветовали всем владельцам спортзалов и спортивным преподавателям в университетах стимулировать соперничество между посетителями, разбивая их на команды и заставляя их бороться за некое звание или символический приз.
Соревновательность в спорте, как добавляют ученые, имеет и другие плюсы - она заставляет людей отказываться от табака, алкоголя, вредной еды и прочих негативных вещей, мешающих им достичь максимума в борьбе с конкурентами. Поэтому подобные меры будут не только повышать популярность спортзалов, но и помогать людям улучшать свое здоровье, заключают ученые.
Как известно, многие люди приходят в спортзалы с целью похудеть. Как же им помогают в этом фитнес-трекеры ? Это попытались выяснить ученые из Питтсбургского университета. Для этого они провели исследование, в котором приняли участие 470 добровольцев, имеющих избыточный вес, в возрасте от 18 до 35 лет. При этом испытуемые уже вели борьбу с лишними килограммами не менее двух лет.
Испытуемых разделили на две группы, в одной добровольцы использовали фитнес-гаджеты, которые подсчитывали калории, физическую активность и число сердечных сокращений, а в другой - нет. Оказалось, что в группе, где добровольцы не применяли трекеры, эффект от занятия был почти в два раза более эффективным.
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This month, the Pentagon admitted it has used uranium weapons in attacks inside Syria — violating its public promise last year that it would not use DU there, and contradicting the claim that US bombing is done in defense of the Syrian people, according to the Int’l Campaign to Ban Uranium Weapons .
Like the Pentagon’s past denials of the dangers of the chemical weapon Agent Orange, US military officials still claim publicly that its uranium weapons are not known to cause health problems. Made from waste uranium-238 — left from H-bomb and reactor fuel production — it is called “depleted” uranium (DU) but is only “depleted” of U-235. Ironically, the best evidence that it is dangerously toxic and radioactive — contrary to press pronouncements — comes from the Pentagon itself. A June 1995 report to Congress by the Army’s Environmental Policy Institute (AEPI) concluded: “Depleted uranium is a radioactive waste and, as such, should be deposited in a licensed repository.”
Military studies done in 1979, ‘90, ‘93, ‘95 and ‘97, make clear that uranium weapons are chemically toxic, alpha-radiation-emitting poisons that are a danger to target populations and to invading/occupying US forces alike. In spite of this cautionary written record, the military has been shooting its radioactive waste all over the world: into population centers in Iraq in 1991 (380 tons), in Afghanistan in 2001 (amounts unknown); in Bosnia in 1994-‘95 (five tons); in Kosovo in 1999 (10 tons), in Iraq again in 2003 (170 tons); and now in Syria.
The AEPI report above also says that DU has the potential to generate “significant medical consequences” if it enters the body. The Army’s Office of the Surgeon General, in its Aug. 16, 1993 “Depleted Uranium Safety Training Manual,” says that the expected effects of DU exposure include a possible increase of cancer, and kidney damage. The manual also warns, “When soldiers inhale or ingest DU dust, they incur a potential increase in cancer risk … (lung or bone) and kidney damage.”
The Army’s Mobility Equipment, Research & Development Command reported way back in 1979 that, “Not only the people in the immediate vicinity but also people at distances downwind from the fire are faced with potential over exposure to air-borne uranium dust.” This uranium “dust” is generated when DU shells hit and burn through hard targets like tanks or armored vehicles. The uranium is spread for miles by the wind, contaminating everything is its path including food, water, soil, schools, hospitals, etc., and DU is radioactive forever, or ten times 4.5 billion years, whichever comes first.
In 1990, the Army’s Armaments, Munitions and Chemical Command radiological task group said that DU is a “low level alpha radiation emitter … linked to cancer when exposures are internal, [and] chemical toxicity causing kidney damage.” It added that “there is no dose so low that the probability of effect is zero.”
With evidence of its radio-toxicity so clear and redundant, any use of uranium weapons today appears to flaunt the military’s own Field Manual prohibition — absolute and universal — against the use of poison or poisoned weapons.
Historical Disregard Revisited
The military has a long history of deliberately exposing US citizens and others to deadly risks without their knowledge or consent, beginning with the open-air nuclear bomb tests it knew would contaminate vast areas. The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chose not to evacuate or even warn downwind populations it knew would be hard-hit by radioactive fallout. (“Fallout risk near atom tests was known, documents show,” New York Times, March 15, 1995) These bomb tests exposed Nevada Test Site workers to levels of radiation that the AEC knew could cause harm, but the agency chose not to reduce workers’ exposures or to even inform them of the risks because doing so would have scandalized and halted the bombing tests. (“Records say workers faced high radiation: Suit contends US used no safeguards,” St. Paul Pioneer Press, Dec. 14, 1989)
Likewise, the government refused to inform some 600,000 H-bomb factory workers that workplace radiation exposures posed serious health risks, although enough was known about radiation to warn them in 1948. (“N-plant workers not told of risks: Report says US arms program exposed many to radiation,” Associated Press, Dec. 19, 1989) Between 1944 and 1974, “medicalized” human radiation experiments were even conducted on unwitting US citizens, 16,000 of them (The Plutonium Files, by Eileen Welsome).
Today, the Pentagon extends this ghastly history into Syria where it is deliberately exposing human beings to weaponized radiation that it knows can cause cancer and other diseases. As if the undeclared, unconstitutional war in Syria weren’t unlawful enough, now add the crime of using poison in violation of military law and the Hague Regulations of War on Land.
It is so easy to prove that DU is poison, that a group of four non-lawyers, myself included, convinced a Minneapolis jury in 2004 that AlliantTechsystems’ manufacture of the shells is unlawful enough to excuse an otherwise illegal trespass; our minor offense was justified in order to prevent the greater harm of DU weapons production. Like torture, the use of such poison in war is always criminal, akin to gas war. This latest US government war crime must be condemned in the harshest terms.
For more information on DU weapons and the global effort to have them banned, see ICBUW.org. | 1 |
Paula Fox, a distinguished writer for children and adults whose work illuminated lives filled with loss, dislocation and abandonment, conditions she knew firsthand from a very early age, died on Wednesday in Brooklyn. She was 93. Her death, at a hospital near her home, was confirmed by her daughter, Linda . Ms. Fox wrote a novels for adults and more than 20 books for young people. What united her output was a cool, elegant style that was haunting in its economy minute observation masterly control of tone and pacing and an abiding concern with dissolution — of family, of home, of health, of trust. Her characters are complex, and often withdrawn, but their ruminative interior states lend the narratives a quiet luminosity. Ms. Fox’s novel for adults is “Desperate Characters” (1970) about the disintegration of a marriage. It was made into a film of the same title, released the next year and starring Shirley MacLaine and Kenneth Mars. She was awarded the Newbery Medal, considered the Pulitzer Prize of children’s literature, in 1974 for “The Slave Dancer,” a controversial novel centered on the Atlantic slave trade in the century. Her work also includes two memoirs: “Borrowed Finery” (2001) about her peripatetic childhood, and “The Coldest Winter: A Stringer in Liberated Europe” (2005) about her young womanhood. Ms. Fox’s bibliography took readers from cradle to grave, something few other writers have done. It includes picture books for young children, like “Traces” (2008) a poem, illustrated by Karla Kuskin, about the evanescent signs — think of footprints and vapor trails — left by unseen visitors. It also includes many titles for readers and teenagers, among them “Blowfish Live in the Sea” (1970) about a child’s journey to visit the father he has never met “ Cat” (1984) about the painful consequences of a boy’s casual shot with an air rifle and “The Eagle Kite” (1995) about a boy whose father has AIDS. Because so much of Ms. Fox’s work was for young people, her fiction for adults was sometimes overlooked. In 1984, The Nation described her as “one of our most intelligent (and least appreciated) contemporary novelists. ” In later years, however, her adult books enjoyed something of a renaissance, thanks largely to the efforts of the novelist Jonathan Franzen, who became an ardent champion after devouring an copy of “Desperate Characters” he had come across by chance. A new edition of “Desperate Characters,” with an introduction by Mr. Franzen, was published by W. W. Norton Company in 1999. Ms. Fox’s other adult novels — among them “The Widow’s Children,” “A Servant’s Tale” and “The God of Nightmares” — have also been by Norton, with introductions by writers including Frederick Busch, Andrea Barrett and Rosellen Brown. As a stylist, she was known for her impeccable, almost anatomical, depictions of the material world. In the Paula Fox universe, objects take on heightened importance, as if rearing up to fill the gaps left by characters’ failure to make real connections. This is painfully evident in the opening scene of “Desperate Characters,” which examines the brittle marriage of a professional couple — yuppies long before the term was coined — living in a fine Brooklyn home: “Mrs. and Mrs. Otto Bentwood drew out their chairs simultaneously. As he sat down, Otto regarded the straw basket which held slices of French bread, an earthenware casserole filled with sautéed chicken livers, peeled and sliced tomatoes on an oval willowware platter Sophie had found in a Brooklyn Heights antique shop, and risotto Milanese in a green ceramic bowl. A strong light, somewhat softened by the stained glass of a Tiffany shade, fell upon this repast. ” In the pages that follow, Sophie is bitten by a stray cat, an event that sets in motion the dissolution of her marriage to Otto. The great risk of being alive, nearly all of Ms. Fox’s work seemed to say, is that anything can happen to anyone at any time. Paula Fox was born in Manhattan on April 22, 1923, to parents who did not want her. Her father, Paul Hervey Fox, was an undistinguished novelist and playwright who earned his living as a script doctor. Her mother, the former Elsie de Sola, of Spanish and Cuban extraction, was young, vain, cold “and ungovernable in her haste to have done with me,” as Ms. Fox wrote in “Borrowed Finery. ” Paul and Elsie floated through the 1920s and ’30s in a sea of alcohol, Hollywood parties and European travel, none of which, they made plain, was best experienced with a child in tow. When Paula was a few days old, she was left, at her mother’s insistence, in a foundling hospital. From there, she embarked on her itinerant young life, bouncing among a series of friends, relatives and strangers across the country and in Cuba, where she lived for a time on a sugar plantation with her grandmother. Periodically, her parents would turn up, and Paula would be returned to their dubious care. By the time she was 16, she was more or less on her own. There was one happy interlude. When Paula was 5 months old, she was taken in by a stranger, the Rev. Elwood Amos Corning, in a small Hudson Valley town aptly named Balmville, N. Y. A kind, scholarly man who lived with his mother, Mr. Corning taught Paula about books and nature and history. She lived with him till she was 6, when her parents swooped down and parceled her out somewhere else. Ms. Fox studied piano briefly at the Juilliard School in Manhattan and later attended Columbia University. She held a series of odd jobs, including modeling, reporting on the postwar reconstruction of Poland for a British news service and teaching emotionally disturbed children. As a teenager, Ms. Fox had what she referred to as a “brief, disastrous marriage” her second marriage, to Richard Sigerson, ended in divorce. In 1962, she married Martin Greenberg, a brother of the art critic Clement Greenberg. They had met when Martin, then an editor at Commentary magazine, rejected a story Ms. Fox had submitted. Critical response to Ms. Fox’s work over the years was largely favorable, though there was sometimes dissent. Her Newbery Medal for “The Slave Dancer” inspired a protest at the awards ceremony that year: The novel, which tells the story of a white New Orleans youth conscripted to play the fife on a slave ship in the 1840s, had been condemned by some reviewers for portraying the captured African slaves as a passive, undifferentiated group. In 1997, while visiting Jerusalem, Ms. Fox was mugged and suffered serious brain injury. The incident, she said afterward, prompted her to begin writing her first memoir, “Borrowed Finery. ” Her recovery was so arduous that it took her a year to write the book’s first 10 pages. At the end of “Borrowed Finery,” Ms. Fox tells of being reunited with the daughter she had borne at 20, the offspring of a brief liaison after her first marriage had ended. She gave the infant up for adoption, a decision, she wrote, that pained her the rest of her life. In middle age, the daughter, Ms. found Ms. Fox. (One of Ms. ’s children, it transpired, is the rock singer Courtney Love.) Besides Ms. Ms. Fox is survived by her husband, Mr. Greenberg a son, Adam Sigerson, from her second marriage a half sister, Louise Fox three half brothers, Keith, Bruce and James eight grandchildren and 10 . Ms. Fox’s other honors include the Hans Christian Andersen Award, which she received in 1978 for her body of children’s work. Given the subject matter of Ms. Fox’s books, it is not surprising that some reviewers called them depressing. This did not sit well with her. “Children know about pain and fear and unhappiness and betrayal,” she said in an interview quoted in the reference work Contemporary Authors. “And we do them a disservice by trying to sugarcoat dark truths. There is an odd kind of debauchery I’ve noticed, particularly in societies that consider themselves ‘democratic’ or ‘liberal’: They display the gory details but hide meaning, especially if it is ambiguous or disturbing. ” | 1 |
When it comes to art plundered in Europe during World War II, Ronald S. Lauder, chairman of the Commission for Art Recovery, has been very much the face, and soul, of the restitution movement. In June, he was center stage at a Senate hearing on a bill to ease the way for the return of art looted by the Nazis, testifying alongside the actress Helen Mirren, who last year starred in “Woman in Gold,” a film about a Jewish heir’s struggle to retrieve her family’s stolen possessions. Away from the spotlight, though, Mr. Lauder has been criticized for more than a decade by other restitution advocates and scholars. They say his own practices in detailing the provenance of works within a Manhattan museum he the nonprofit Neue Galerie, and his private collection have not been as transparent as they should be. Now there are signs Mr. Lauder has heard the criticism. To elevate their research, he and his staff have hired additional experts, are overhauling the museum’s website to ensure that provenances are more detailed and soon plan to announce a surprising byproduct of their labors: One of the Neue Galerie’s major works has a clouded history and may be returned to people who say they are the rightful owners. Mr. Lauder, 72, would not identify the piece or its creator during an interview, saying that negotiations on its return were being finalized. He did say he was surprised that a work with a disputed provenance had made it into the museum, which focuses on art created in Austria and Germany from 1890 to 1940. The Neue Galerie’s collection includes major works by Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele and was assembled largely from art donated by Mr. Lauder, an heir to the cosmetics fortune created by his mother, Estée Lauder, and by his friend Serge Sabarsky, an art dealer and expert on German and Austrian Expressionist art who died in 1996. “If you asked me a year ago, ‘Do we have everything there?’ I would have said yes, because that is what I was told,” he said of the museum’s provenance research at the time. “I was told there were no questions about the pieces we had. ” Others would not be so surprised. Soon after opening the museum in 2001 in a Fifth Avenue mansion that was once home to the society doyenne Grace Vanderbilt, wife of Cornelius Vanderbilt III, Mr. Lauder faced criticism that the provenances listed for many works were incomplete. He asked for patience. “We are only 12 to 14 months old, and it is taking us more time to get going and do the research necessary,” he said then. A review last week showed only minor progress. The museum, for example, still posts few dates for when its holdings changed hands — crucial information, according to experts. Given the extent of Nazi looting and the art sales made by Jews under duress in the years leading up to and through World War II, any work that was transferred from one party to another in Europe during that period typically receives the highest level of scrutiny. “You would think that his gallery would be the most transparent, but it provides the minimal amount of information, which I do find surprising,” said Elizabeth Karlsgodt, an associate professor of history at the University of Denver and an expert on Nazi art looting. Ms. Karlsgodt added, “If his collection is entirely clean, the museum website should prove it with more detailed provenance information. ” Marc Masurovsky, who jointly founded the Holocaust Art Restitution Project in 1997, said his group has long wanted to assess Mr. Lauder’s private collection but was told that Mr. Lauder was unwilling to participate. “We hit a stone wall,” Mr. Masurovsky recalled. “The question for us is whether he did due diligence to make sure his collection is as clean as driven snow. ” Mr. Lauder has long said that he viewed his staff’s research as thorough and that few claims to his art have arisen despite the many times it has been displayed in public. But he asked Agnes Peresztegi, a lawyer and expert on Holocaust era property claims, in recent months to seek more information on the museum’s holdings, including more detailed provenances. “I am not happy because I think we should have had more information,” Mr. Lauder said in the interview, “and we are doing it. ” Ms. Peresztegi, who is president of the Commission for Art Recovery, said of the Neue Galerie, “I can’t deny that there are museums whose websites are more forthcoming than the museum’s. ” Ms. Peresztegi said that a decision was made at the museum six or seven years ago not to display transfer dates until a full provenance for a work became available. Under its new policies, the museum will post provenance information piecemeal as soon as it has it, officials said. It is repairing a link between the gallery’s database and its website that has been broken for about two years — a break, officials said, that had prevented a more timely updating of information. Mr. Lauder has been on a mission to restitute art since the late 1980s. He has been chairman of the Commission for Art Recovery since it was formed in 1997 to negotiate with governments, museums and other entities as part of the effort to retrieve art wrongfully taken from Jews by the Third Reich and its allies. Over the years, Mr. Lauder says, he has returned three works from his personal collection because of concerns over their rightful ownership. But now, for the first time, he is faced with the prospect of returning an artwork held by the museum. All Ms. Peresztegi would say about the work in question was: “The Neue Galerie is in the process of evaluating the provenance information of an artwork, and discussion about restitution is currently ongoing. ” In the past, Mr. Lauder faced criticism that he did not do enough as a board member of the Museum of Modern Art to chastise the institution for fighting to hold onto works by Schiele and by George Grosz that were claimed as looted art. In both cases, Mr. Lauder recused himself and said he refrained from taking a vocal position because he was chairman of MoMA when the claims arose. But he said that he worked behind the scenes to push the museum to consider the claims fairly. Regarding the Grosz art, which involved a claim to three works, he said he also asked a lawyer for the Commission for Art Recovery to review the case. The commission ended up filing a legal brief in support of the plaintiffs, who were suing to recover the art. Jennifer Kreder, a lawyer who helped write the brief, said: “Ronald Lauder has possibly accomplished more behind the scenes for the restitution of art than any other single person. ” (In the Grosz case, MoMA ultimately prevailed with a legal victory. As for the Schiele painting, “Portrait of Wally,” the Vienna museum that had lent it to MoMA retained the work as part of a settlement under which it paid $19 million to the heirs of the woman from whom it had been stolen by a Nazi.) Ray Dowd, a lawyer for heirs of Fritz Grünbaum, a Viennese art collector and cabaret performer who was killed by the Nazis, said Mr. Lauder’s representatives had stonewalled when he sought the return of a Schiele drawing, “I Love Antitheses. ” “The evidence is particularly strong,” he said, “that the drawing was stolen from Mr. Grünbaum, but they jerked us around and said they would not give us any information on how it was acquired. ” Mr. Lauder confirmed through a spokesman that he owns “I Love Antitheses” and would only say, “The cornerstone of the Grünbaum matter is an internal family inheritance dispute. ” These days, Mr. Lauder said he has all but stopped buying German and Austrian Expressionist art. There are often provenance questions associated with the period, he said, and he has plenty of such works. And, he added, sellers who identify him as a prospective buyer with a passion for that period often try to charge higher prices. Years ago, when he was buying Expressionist works, Mr. Lauder said, the provenance information available was much less reliable than what exists today on the internet. Still, Mr. Lauder said he was determined to make the Neue Galerie’s provenance research a gold standard for the art world. During the interview, he said he recognized that, given his profile as a restitution advocate, he will continue to be subject to greater scrutiny. “When you walk around with a white suit on, anything shows on it,” he said. “I understand that. ” | 1 |
A jury in a South Carolina federal court handed down the death penalty to Dylann Roof. The verdict by the 12 jurors came in after a deliberation. [The jury of 10 women and two men recommended that Roof be put to death in each of the 18 counts where he was found guilty of murdering nine people in Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in June 2015, CNN reported. “From what I’ve been told, I have a right to ask you to give me a life sentence, but I’m not sure what good that will do anyway,” Roof told the jurors while representing himself during the sentencing phase of the trial. “But what I will say is only one of you has to disagree with the other jurors. ” No one did, and the jury quickly responded with the verdict of death. Judge Richard Gergel is expected to formally deliver the sentence on Wednesday morning. Breitbart Texas previously reported that some of the jurors cried during testimony provided by victim’s family members in the sentencing portion of the trial. Even court staff members were brought to tears during the emotional testimony. One such witness, Denise Quarles, the daughter of Myra Thompson, told the jury how much her mother meant to her. They talked several times a day, and her mother would make financial sacrifices for her even though they did not have a lot of money, Breitbart Texas reported. She said she still starts to dial her mother’s phone number but then she remembers that she is not there. Judge Gergel told a local television station he would have been stunned had the jurors not cried. As the sentencing portion of the trial began, Breitbart Texas reported that Roof announced he rejected the inanity defense. “(T) here’s noting wrong with me psychologically,” he told the jury. The judge had previously ruled Roof was competent to stand trial. He was instructed by the judge not to approach any witnesses or jurors while representing himself in the trial. A manifesto had previously been uncovered where Roof expressed “deeply racist, and white supremacist views,” Breitbart News reported in June 2015. In the journal attributed to Roof, he wrote, ““Ni — are stupid and violent. ” He continued, “Jewish agitation of the black race” is the reason blacks behave the way they do. He apparently supported segregation as a solution to race relations. “Segregation was not a bad thing … It existed to protect us from them. ” Dylann Roof was found guilty in the murders of nine black Americans. Those included six women and three men who were gathered at the church to pray. Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with additional information. Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX. | 0 |
California National Guard Members won’t have to Pay Back Bonuses Pentagon had been seeking repayment of enlistment bonuses paid to California Guardsmen USA Today - October 26, 2016 Comments
Defense Secretary Ash Carter ordered the Pentagon on Wednesday to stop clawing back excessive recruiting bonuses paid to California National Guardsmen.
The move came after news broke over the weekend that the Pentagon had been seeking repayment of enlistment bonuses paid to California Guardsmen. Some of the payments were made by mistake, others were taken fraudulently.
“While some soldiers knew or should have known they were ineligible for benefits they were claiming, many others did not,” Carter said in a statement. “About 2,000 have been asked, in keeping with the law, to repay erroneous payments.”
As first reported by the Los Angeles Times , the Pentagon sought repayment of the excess bonuses from almost 10,000 California Guard soldiers. The paper reported that many of the soldiers affected had served multiple combat deployments and had been ordered to repay bonuses plus interest. Some had had their wages garnished and tax liens slapped on them when they refused to pay. The bonus scandal was revealed after audits showed widespread overpayments. | 0 |
Exclusive: Abortion by prescription now rivals surgery for U.S. women Reuters
No Kegs, No Liquor: College Crackdown Targets Drinking and Sexual Assault NYT. If the number one priority of the university nomenklatura had in fact been the prevention of sexual assault, they wouldn’t have been running courses on microaggression . They’d have been cracking down on today’s drinking culture, the venues where that culture is enacted (often fraternities), and they’d be empowering women with self-defense courses (which would give them a life-long skill). But that would have involved cracking down on powerful on-campus actors (fraternity alumni and legacies, ka-ching), powerful off-campus local actors (liquor stores and bars, ka-ching), might have led to difficulties with admissions numbers (ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching) since by now students expect to “party”— not a verb when I was a mere sprat — and, most importantly of all, would have prevented the formation of Deans of Microaggression, Departments of Microaggression, and an entire academic circuit devoted to microaggression studies, including journals, conferences, and books. I mean, (cishet) guys, if she’s not drunk and/or she’s ready, willing, and able to kick you in the nuts, then the whole “No means ‘no'” semantic foofraw gets a whole lot simpler, does it not? So if the headline indicates a trend, I’m happy, not least because this approach promises to reduce sexual assault.
Standing Rock Water-Protectors Waterboarded While the Cleveland Indians Romped Counterpunch (WS).
The Myth Behind the First Cleveland Indian: Louis Sockalexis Daily Beast. Sockalexis was from Indian Island, in the Penobscot Nation near Old Town, Maine. There really ought to be a way to honor Sockalexis without tarting up the Cleveland Indians logo. Maybe if it were less cartoonish? Heck, why not just ask the Penoscots?
Antidote du jour ( via ): See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here . 0 0 0 0 0 0 | 0 |
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Syria’s divided city of Aleppo plunged back into the kind of war not seen in months on Thursday, witnesses and health workers said, as they reeled from government airstrikes that demolished a hospital in the side and from retaliatory mortar assaults by rebels on the side. At least 27 people, including three children and six staff members, were reported killed in the strike on the hospital, which turned it into a smoking pile of rubble on Wednesday night, and 20 were reported killed in airstrikes on Thursday. At least 14 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the mortar attacks on areas, said officials at a hospital where casualties were streaming in throughout the day on Thursday. The deadly destruction in Aleppo punctuated a drastic escalation in fighting over the past week that has shattered a partial truce in a war that has consumed Syria for more than five years. The escalation also threatened to derail renewed attempts at peace talks in Geneva by the United Nations, and could disrupt or stop humanitarian aid to besieged parts of the country, affecting millions of people, relief officials said. “I could not in any way express how high the stakes are for the next hours and days,” Jan Egeland, the United Nations special adviser on Syria aid, said on Thursday in Geneva as the scope of the destruction in Aleppo became clearer. Once Syria’s commercial center, Aleppo has been an intermittent combat zone for much of the war, split into insurgent and government halves. It had enjoyed somewhat of a respite because of the partial — until now. The scream of jet fighters and thud of shelling could be heard everywhere from Wednesday night into Thursday, residents and aid workers said. Panic and anguish were visible on both sides of the city. There was no indication that the Syrian government forces of President Bashar and their Russian allies were any closer to retaking the entire city. But it had become apparent in recent days that the truce was unraveling in the surrounding area, with more airstrikes by the government and increased shelling by rebels. About 200 people, most of them civilians, have been killed, according to tallies by local news media and activists on both sides. The location of Al Quds hospital, the destroyed facility on the rebel side of the city, was well known, and the hospital was assisted by the international charity Doctors Without Borders. “This devastating attack has destroyed a vital hospital in Aleppo, and the main referral center for pediatric care in the area,” the head of the charity’s Syria mission, Muskilda Zancada, said in a statement. “Where is the outrage among those with the power and obligation to stop this carnage?” Russia’s military denied it was responsible. Two hospitals in the town of Maarat to the east, including one working with Doctors Without Borders, were hit on the same day earlier this year, each by multiple strikes. Groups such as Physicians for Human Rights have tracked what they call a pattern of deliberate targeting of health services by government forces. Witnesses contended that the same appeared to be true in the strike on Al Quds hospital, in the neighborhood of Sukkari. “Those were multiple airstrikes targeting the same area with less than gaps,” Adnan Hadad, an opposition journalist, said shortly after returning from the scene. The International Committee of the Red Cross called on all parties to stop indiscriminate attacks and to avoid harming civilians, or Aleppo would face what it called a new humanitarian disaster. “Wherever you are, you hear explosions of mortars, shelling and planes flying over,” said Valter Gros, who heads the Red Cross’s Aleppo office. “Everyone here fears for their lives and nobody knows what is coming next. ” By Thursday afternoon, outlets on both sides were reporting deadly new government airstrikes on the neighborhoods of Bustan and Kalaseh. Videos showed concrete apartment blocks with their facades sheared off in Bustan where three children were reported killed one man carried away a boy with the top of his head missing as another man embraced a girl found alive. Videos from the side showed a street scene of damaged buildings and a motionless boy in an ambulance. By nightfall, there was no sign that the attacks had stopped. Mr. Hadad, on the side, reported one of the new strikes had hit a bakery, and on the side, shelling and gunfire could be heard in the distance. In government territory, casualties from rebel shelling streamed into Al Razi hospital as the wail of ambulance sirens mixed with the thud of explosions in the city streets. Most of the wounded were civilians, including at least three children who were killed, but some were members of the military. A wounded soldier writhed on the ground, kicking and yelling as a commander comforted him. A man walked down a corridor, carrying his limping son. “We will kill them today,” he shouted to a reporter. Hassan Anees, the hospital’s executive director, said violence had been rising steadily through the week. Mr. Anees said the rebels appeared to have started using more powerful munitions since the crumbled in the city over a week ago. “First it was mortars, then it was gas canister bombs, and now it is missiles,” he said. As he spoke the rattle of gunfire drifted through his office window, a reminder that the nearest front line was about half a mile from the hospital. On the side, much of the Quds hospital building had collapsed, and in videos and photographs after the attack, bodies could be seen pinned under rubble and what looked like the metal frames of beds. A man rushed from the scene carrying the limp body of a small girl in pink clothing, her skin gray with the dust of pulverized concrete. Another girl in pink, her eyes glassy with tears, clung to the shoulder of a man in a red tank top who howled in grief, “Those are my family! I lost my family!” The hospital was hit when it was already full of victims from government shelling, Hadi Abdullah, an opposition journalist, reported in a video from the scene, in which a medical worker said that three of his colleagues had been killed. One of them was Mohammad Wassim Mo’az, known by his nickname Abu Abdulrahman, the only pediatrician in the area. A dentist, Ahmad Abulyaman, was also killed. “I’m crying,” Louay Barakat, a journalist and photographer, said by phone after visiting the scene. “My baby’s doctor died. About 11 nurses and hospital staff died. Most of them are my friends. ” The hospital was the main referral center for pediatrics, with eight doctors, 28 nurses, an emergency room, intensive care unit and operating room, all now destroyed. In another area, a small boy was captured on video crying over the body of his brother, calling him “the love of my father. ” Stroking his body, he said, “I wish it was me, not you. ” | 1 |
First came the cellphone video of an man being fatally shot by a Louisiana police officer, and the astonishing live feed of a Minnesota woman narrating the police killing of her boyfriend during a traffic stop. Then came the horrific live television coverage of police officers being gunned down by a sniper at a march protesting the police shootings. And suddenly, the panoply of fears and resentments that have made this a foreboding summer had been brought into sharp relief. Police accountability and racial bias have been at the center of the civic debate since August 2014, when a black teenager was killed by a white officer in Ferguson, Mo. a suburb of St. Louis. Mass murders in Newtown, Conn. Charleston, S. C. Orlando, Fla. and too many other locales have revived gun violence as a social issue and national shame. Both black anger at police killings and the boiling frustrations of some whites who feel they are ceding their place in society have been constant undercurrents in politics since January and the Iowa presidential caucuses. Now, in the space of three days, the killings of two black men by Louisiana and Minnesota police officers and the retaliatory murders of five Dallas officers, this time by a black Army veteran, have coalesced all those concerns into a single expression of national angst. In the midst of one of the most consequential presidential campaigns in memory, those convulsive events raised the prospect of still deeper divides in a country already torn by racial and ideological animus. Since the Thursday night sniper attack the national conversation has swung between bitterness and despair over seemingly unbridgeable gulfs in society. The New York Post’s front page blared “CIVIL WAR. ” The Drudge Report warned in a headline that “Black Lives Kill. ” Some Minnesota protesters on Thursday night chanted, “Kill the police. ” Police officers and sociologists alike say that racial tension is approaching a point last seen during the street riots that swept urban American in the late 1960s when disturbances erupted in places like the Los Angeles neighborhood of Watts and Detroit and Newark, during summers of deep discontent. “Even in the 1960s and 1970s, when there was a lot of tension around policing and civil rights and the antiwar movement, we’d never seen anything like what happened in Dallas,” said Darrel W. Stephens, the executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association and an instructor at the Public Safety Leadership Program in the School of Education at Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Stephens and other police officials said that departments were increasingly schooling officers in ways to avoid and defuse violent encounters with minorities. But other experts said the parade of cellphone videos depicting shootings of black men have only reinforced ’ conviction that little has changed in six decades. “There is a constant bombardment of images of brutality against and not just brutality, but brutality,” said Paul Butler, a former federal prosecutor and a law professor at Georgetown University Law Center. This week’s videos, he said, were particularly devastating. “It’s visceral,” he said. “It hits you in the gut. It’s emotional and graphic, so it makes you feel worse. ” There are some parallels today to the 1960s. Those riots were largely touched off by violent encounters between blacks and the police. Scholars say and statistics show that attacks on police officers became an increasingly frequent response to decades of inequality and mistreatment at that time. The Kerner Commission, established by President Lyndon B. Johnson, reported in 1968 that “Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white — separate but unequal. ” And a white backlash became a driving force in the presidential campaign that year that saw a Republican, Richard M. Nixon, end eight years of Democratic rule. Whether this week’s violence presages a repeat of that history is, of course, an unknown, as the nation’s first black president nears the end of two terms in office and the two political parties move toward their national conventions this month. But racial tensions are clearly rising. A June survey by the Pew Research Center found that only 46 percent of whites surveyed thought that race relations were generally good, a sharp drop from the 66 percent who held that opinion in June 2009, shortly after Mr. Obama took office. For blacks, the corresponding decline — to 34 percent last month from 59 percent in 2009 — was even steeper. The same Pew survey found that about of thought that blacks in their communities were treated less fairly by the police than were whites a bare 35 percent of whites felt the same. In the hours after the Dallas ambush, stunned officials and civic leaders pleaded for citizens to repair the rips in the nation’s social fabric. “Our profession is hurting,” said the Dallas police chief, David O. Brown, who is . “Dallas officers are hurting. We are heartbroken. There are no words to describe the atrocity that occurred to our city. All I know is that this must stop, this divisiveness between our police and our citizens. ” The Rev. Bryan Carter echoed him at a Friday memorial service for the fallen officers, saying: “We refuse to hate each other. We commit to pray together. ” President Obama, speaking on Friday from Warsaw, where he was attending a NATO summit meeting, said of the police, “Today is a wrenching reminder of the sacrifices they make for us. ” He called the attack a “vicious, calculated and despicable attack on law enforcement. ” In a presidential race in which racial and ethnic divisions have become an issue, both Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump canceled political events on Friday. Mr. Trump called the events in Texas “an attack on our country. ” “It is a coordinated, premeditated assault on the men and women who keep us safe,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “We must restore law and order. ” Mrs. Clinton wrote on Twitter on Friday, “I mourn for the officers shot while doing their sacred duty to protect peaceful protesters, for their families and all who serve with them. ” But on social media, there were salutes to the sniper, blame of the news media for dividing the nation, charges that black protesters had spread hysteria, calls for love, fear of civil war and laments that the country is headed toward an unbridgeable divide. Some activists said their movement would press on, demanding that the police be accountable. Aislinn Sol, a Black Lives Matter organizer in Chicago, said, “The disproportionate violence against has not changed,” adding, “What we have seen is a change in the response. ” In interviews, a number of police officials said that they believed the only lasting solution to the violence and division was to end the glaring inequalities that fuel them, but that they saw little hope for that. “We’re the most heavily armed violent society in the history of Western civilization and we dump this duty on ” in police departments, Ed Flynn, the police chief in Milwaukee, said in an interview before Thursday’s killings. “The problem for American policing is we’re learning the hard way that our political establishment finds it far easier to develop a constituency at the expense of our police than to solve these social problems. ” Perhaps it was Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch who captured the day’s mood. “This has been a week of profound grief and heartbreaking loss,” she said on Friday. “After the events of this week, Americans across our country are feeling a sense of helplessness, of uncertainty and of fear. ” “We must reject the easy impulses of bitterness and rancor,” she added, “and embrace the difficult work — but the important work, the vital work — of finding a path forward together. ” | 1 |
Written by Jonathan Turley There is a major news development with the release of a letter from FBI Director James B. Comey that the Bureau has decided that new evidence requires further investigation into the Clinton emails. It was a surprising change just days before the election. After all, as recently as September 27, 2016, Comey rejected the idea that the bureau would reopen its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state . Comey wrote in a letter to top members of Congress that the bureau has “learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation.”I have been critical recently of the handling of the FBI investigation, particularly in the granting of immunity to key potential targets. I recently wrote a column on FBI investigation into the Clinton email scandal and revised my view as to the handling of the investigation in light of the five immunity deals handed out by the Justice Department. I had previously noted that FBI Director James Comey was within accepted lines of prosecutorial discretion in declining criminal charges, even though I believed that such charges could have been brought. However, the news of the immunity deals (and particularly the deal given top ranking Clinton aide Cheryl Mills) was baffling and those deals seriously undermined the ability to bring criminal charges in my view.Wikileaks disclosures have only embarrassed the Bureau further in showing Clinton aides debating how to explain the deletions and how to delay turning over material. Comey now has told legislators that “I agreed that the FBI should take appropriate investigative steps designed to allow investigators to review these emails to determine whether they contain classified information, as well as to assess their importance to our investigation.”He did note that the FBI could not yet assess whether the new material is significant. Comey clearly felt obligated to let the Committees know about the development. In making such a decision, Comey is caught in the horns of a dilemma. The Justice Department strongly discourages investigatory announcements or actions shortly before an election to avoid any claims of trying to influence the outcome. On the other hand, if this is significant, the FBI does not want to be accused of hiding material developments from Congress or the public, particularly after criticism over its alleged different treatment given Clinton and her aides as opposed to other recent cases.In such a situation, caution favors disclosure. It is unlikely that we will see major developments in the remaining two weeks, but the announcement shows that this is not a closed matter. In many ways, the lingering character of this scandal was only worsened by the tactics of Clinton aides in changing explanations and refusals to cooperate absent immunity. That served to delay the investigation, which will now likely extend beyond the election. JonathanTurley.org . Related | 0 |
If humans were largely moral and ethical beings, then globalization could be a workable proposition. Unfortunately, the dark behavioral narcissism expressed by compulsive greed and an infinite appetite for power seems to have become the guiding precept of our collective nightmare. If only the desire to dominate others and have a lot more than them were not the prime motivations for the global elite on top of the human food chain, we could all have our respective modest slice of happiness on this planet. The Utopia of globalization through institutions such as the United Nations (UN), World Bank , and International Monetary Fund (IMF) was supposed to eradicate the universal pestilence of war, extreme poverty , hunger and slavery using the might of the above supranational institutions to prevent the rise of so-called rogue nations usually ruled by dictators.
World order of chaos with misery for profit
The opportunity of this push for a supranational form of government has to be understood in the psychological context of a world traumatized by World War II. Many public servants, who had fought against the Nazis and their Japanese and Italian allies, had genuinely the best intentions at heart when institutions like the UN were set up. If some of the original ideas were good and moral to some extend, a rot almost immediately contaminated and perverted most of the created institutions and quickly — using the pretext of the Cold War — allowed the birth of a monstrosity such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ). The globalists have controlled and ultimately Wall Street has financed, supranational government instances such as the UN, IMF, World Bank and a myriad of non-governmental organization (NGO) little helpers. Not only have these done nothing to curtail the man-made disasters of war, climate change , slavery and poverty, but they have exacerbated them, all for the sake of profit.
In this Orwellian time of moral decay, human misery is good for business. In a globalization controlled by Wall Street’s puppeteer sociopaths, who believe they are the masters of the universe, ordinary people everywhere have become canon fodder and slave labor. They are not even collateral damage but human lubricant, as viewed by the elite. One can see that if they are not stopped immediately, trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and its Trans-Atlantic counterpart could seal the deal of the establishment of an atrocious world government, controlled by a few thousands, in complete disregard of not only national interest, but also cultural diversity.
Look what happened to Detroit, Michigan, and countless other manufacturing towns in the United States that are all collateral damage of Bill Clinton’s North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The massive trade agreements in the works, to be put in place by the globalists if they remain in power, are intended to annihilate any form of economic or political independence from the signatory countries and to scatter their populations to the wind, as in the case in the globalist-controlled demolition of the Middle East in Iraq, Libya and Syria. Displaced and disenfranchised populations are beaten into submission and used as docile worker bees.
Drastic action or hell on earth
If we let the globalists complete their worldwide coup already in progress, then all sovereignty would be lost, and most of the world’s population would become slave-wage laborers at the mercy of the global corporate empire. Countries with a diversified agriculture would be turned into one-crop wastelands to ensure that most of the food supply has to be imported. Pseudo local governments would merely officiate as the slave drivers for the global elite. This must be stopped at all cost and undone by all means necessary. If we allow this final coup by the geriatric psychopaths at the top of the current world order, thousands of years of our rich human experience would be wiped out. Like poorly made cheap electronic products, the cultural garbage of the lowest common denominator empire would flood the world. This cultural homogenization would affect primarily the information available to people. Since dissent is impossible without correct information and critical thought, the globalists want their propaganda to become the only source of information. With the UN, the World Bank and the IMF, the political and economic framework financed by a worldwide network of banksters is already in place. Influential nations, on paper, like France and the United Kingdom, which are still officially full fledged members of the UN Security Council, have de facto abdicated their sovereignty to become vassals and secondary enforcers of the globalist plan. We are at the edge of an existential threat of greater magnitude than ever before in human history.
The semantics of deception
Machiavelli is known for his cynical view of political power; however, the advice the author of The Prince gave to the powerful of his time seems innocent by comparison to the depravity of today’s puppet masters. Words and ideas are gutted of their meaning to signify, most of the time, the exact opposite. For example, globalist eminence grise George Soros’ Open Society Foundation is an opaque giant NGO, with more than 100 offshoots worldwide by its own admission, but its tentacles are in reality more far reaching. The recent publications of Wikileaks in the voluminous Podesta email files have been a revelation of the extent of deception victimizing United States citizens. John Podesta may be viewed as a Soros right-hand man in the US in charge of delivering the returns for the globalist’s investments in the US elections. The connection between the two men is not only obvious but also official considering that Soros financed Podesta’s so-called Center for American Progress, the fake left equivalent of the neocon think tanks. The term progress is a lure that signifies power, just like Soros’ open society is, in reality, an exclusive club as tight as oysters reserved only for Soros’ chosen associates to savor. What is apparent from the email treasure trove is that Podesta’s job is really to supervise Hillary Clinton on behalf of Soros. In this context, the expression, leader of the free world, to describe the US president becomes a lie. The current world order of the globalists is anything but free, and one applicant for the job, Hillary Clinton, is not a queen on the chessboard, but a pawn.
Axis of resistance: Russia, China and Iran and lessons from Haiti’s revolution
One could ask: isn’t this psychopathic globalist coup of financiers well on its way? Isn’t it a done deal, and how can we resist and salvage anything? The examples of Russia, China and Iran prove that, as national entities, we still can. Germany, Japan and South Korea could reclaim their independence and kick out their US occupation. France and the UK could stop being submissive nations and get out of NATO. That would be a start. The path of war rhetoric expressed by the globalist mouthpieces of the West against Russia, Iran and, to a lesser extent, China has to do with the national resistance of these three countries. The citizenry of Europe and North America should understand, that if such unprecedented conflicts occur, all countries will be on the front line, and there is more than enough fire power on each side to ensure massive destruction and no winning side. Russia, China and Iran are the last national obstacles to the globalist coup, and perhaps we are heading back to a bipolar two-block world order similar to the Cold War era. Other options, including the dismantlement, or at least the curtailment, of supranational organizations such as the UN, World Bank and IMF would surely be the side effects of what appears to be in many countries a revival of nationalism. The final plan of the globalists would be atrocious for all of us. Waving the white flag is not an option. At this critical time of our history, and before our collective enslavement, we should all emulate the brave Haitian slaves who beat not one, but three empires 212 years ago. Haitians were only the last ones to prove that it can be done; it must be redone.
Gilbert Mercier is the editor in chief of News Junkie Post and the author of The Orwellian Empire . | 1 |
He has quite a history , he sold the derivatives in Australia and is another homosexual as are most of the media and those in power , the woman who works with him in charge of police and law was ran the MK ULTRA ,ufrtd in Chelmsford hospitals . tHERE IS A GREAT BOOK ABOUT IT ALL FROM UNDERCOVER called sex collectors by Greg Hallet , they chased him out of NZ tried to kill him lots of times . He sats there is a huge pedo ring there in Gov . I am beginning to think Cathy Obrien would shakethe life out of Clintons she must have been telling the truth , it all fits http://www.stewwebb.com/2016/05/25/hillary-clinton-lesbian-demon-pedophile-child-rapist/ I think Stew wev might be a truth teller too he was onto this a long time ago and he has taken court action and some of the x agents that come on sound vey credible . If Trump apeared with Cathy i think Clintns would have a melt down her book is very detailed , names everyone and where in great detail including Tredeau .Duff is a UN scam , the UN is very involved in everything , The foundation that Gillard is noww running for girls /is very suspect , she transfered 300 million into it and she is also another gay commo and i haver talked to her class mates who knew her well , they sure had some stories much like Clinton . She was in charge of the Communist party claimed she was trained by the CIA. make no mistake she will be involved . | 0 |
When writing for the weddings pages of The New York Times — which I have done since 1992, at first on a weekly basis and now occasionally — the job is to walk into a room full of strangers and collect the best descriptions you can find about love and marriage, mostly love. It isn’t easy. For one thing, people sense a stranger in their midst as acutely as a herd of gazelles might, and they tend to scatter, or stare from a distance in a menacing way. Over the years, I have filled many spiral notebooks with quotations. On the subject of love, clichés are hard to avoid. I have heard, “ are like two pieces of a puzzle,” or “It was to be” thousands of times, or that’s how it feels anyway. Occasionally, though, people say something original and sparkly about love, and as a reporter, I want to hug them. It’s like finding a diamond in the sand. As a sort of to all of those whom I have written about, and those whom I have written for, here are 10 of those jewels: 1. “In a sense, the person we marry is a stranger about whom we have a magnificent hunch. ” This is my favorite quotation about marriage, spoken during a 1992 wedding in a small, unheated chapel in Cold Spring, N. Y. and sourced from the 1991 book “Weddings From the Heart” by Daphne Rose Kingma. In its own way, the quotation also explains a lot about divorce. 2. This remark, from a Vows column about the 1995 wedding of Elizabeth Burbank and LaMott Britto, describes how it feels to finally find a partner: “I’ve always felt like a fish out of water, and when I met LaMott it was like he was the same fish. ” 3. According to Stacy Cor, who became engaged to Dan Polner 10 days after they met on an airplane in 1993, examination should not be necessary to determine if love is real. “When you know you know, and don’t believe it any other way,” she said. “When someone asks you to marry them, you shouldn’t have to make a list of pros and cons. You just know. You jump into their arms and say, ‘Yeah! ’” 4. For some, “knowing” is not so obvious. This is how Patricia Durkin knew Kenneth Wignall, whom she would marry in 1995, was right for her: “One night, a moth was flying around a light bulb and he caught it and let it out the window. I said: ‘That’s it. He’s the guy. ’” This quotation also speaks to the fruitlessness of trying to impress someone with a certain look, attribute, political affiliation or apartment décor. The things that spark attention and interest are often mysteries, even to ourselves. So throw out the list. 5. When brides and grooms describe their first or second meetings, they often say they feel as if they have known each other forever, possibly even in former lives. “I feel like Sean and I have known each other since the beginning of time,” Meghan Milewski said of Sean Yeaton, whom she married in 2013. “I always tell him, ‘After we die, we have to find each other in our next life.’ I also tell him if I die before him, I really want him to fall in love again. But in our next lifetime, he has to find me, not her. That’s the deal. ” 6. Sometimes, you only learn what love is by breaking up. Before Eames Yates and Pamela Taylor were married in 2006 in Snowmass, Colo. they separated for a period of time that was especially excruciating for Mr. Yates. It was also illuminating: “I now know what love is,” he said. “It’s when someone becomes part of every breath, in what way I do not know. But I couldn’t breathe without her. ” 7. Billboards and big diamonds are not necessary for proposals to be romantic. This is how Gabriela Power Porto described the marriage proposal Peter Castaldi put forth, more than two decades ago, one of the sweetest I ever heard: “When he gave me the ring, he said: ‘It’s not a big stone you can’t carry around. This ring won’t put you in danger on the subways.’ He said, ‘This is a solid ring, like my promises. ’” 8. How should you feel on your wedding day? There are no rules, but this is how Ryan Baker described the day of his 1995 wedding to Brett Savage: “It was like a dream. It was surreal. In life, you don’t have to search for bad things — they find you without a problem. Disasters always seem to know your address, even if you move. But the good times, they’re hard to find, and this one was one of those truly spectacular times. ” 9. Of all the homemade vows I’ve heard, one spoken by Melissa Richard during her 1996 wedding to Frank J. Oteri sums up the reason we continue to marry, against the odds: “Of my own accord, I present myself, my days, my nights and my life. I present them freely and willingly because they cannot be better spent than in your company. ” More than a few couples I’ve interviewed have described love as a good conversation that lasts. 10. However, nothing lasts forever (unless you believe in reincarnation). The Rev. William G. Kalaidjian, who was known as Reverend Bill and died in 2015, was the officiant at one of the first weddings I covered, in 1992. He lived in a house full of noisy clocks. “I like to hear the tick, tick, tick of clocks,” he said. “I always tell the couples I marry, ‘Take time before time takes you. ’” | 1 |
Sent: Sun Oct 25 [11:49:45] 2009
Subject: Re: Honduras
Sounds good.
There will be those who take a hard line on the elections, but perhaps some fence-sitting countries could be persuaded on conditional recognition. I’ll flag it for Tom and Craig.
From: H
Sent: Mon Oct 26 07:27:12 2009
Subject: Fw: Honduras
All of this did not print last night, It stopped after Fourth! [Redacted due to information “kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy;” “foreign relations or foreign activities of the US, including confidential sources”]
From: Huma Abedin [[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2009 8:06:12 AM
To: humaabedin [Redacted]
Subject: Fw: Honduras
The emails also include an exchange between Abedin, Clinton personal assistant Lauren Jiloty, and Iris Anaya, the assistant to sugar magnate and Clinton Foundation donor Alfonso Fanjul concerning a request for special access to Clinton. On October 13, 2009, Anaya emailed Abedin seeking to arrange a meeting between Fanjul, the CEO of Florida Crystals, and Clinton. Jiloty responded the next day, asking that Anaya talk with Clinton scheduler Lona Valmoro about “setting up a meeting.” Fanjul donated more than $100,000 to the Clinton Foundation and was a Bill Clinton co-chairman in Florida.
In an October 26, 2009, email exchange, power attorney and Hillary Clinton financial supporter, Charlie Ann Syprett, contacted Doug Band, apparently seeking help in getting around U.S. Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) restrictions on U.S. citizens’ ability to travel to Cuba. Syprett ostensibly wanted a waiver from the restrictions to enable people from her organization, SYC Charitable Foundation, to travel to Cuba, noting “we are not asking for something out of the ordinary.”
The emails also show that Valmoro sent Clinton’s government schedule to the unsecure email addresses of numerous members of the Clinton Foundation staff on October 16, 2009, again on October 18, 2009, and on October 25, 2009. The emails also include discussions of personnel matters and appointments on Clinton’s unsecure account, which may run afoul of federal privacy law.
This is the thirteenth set of records produced for Judicial Watch by the State Department from the non-state.gov email accounts of Huma Abedin. The documents were produced under a court order in a May 5, 2015, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the State Department requiring the agency to produce “all emails of official State Department business received or sent by former Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin from January 1, 2009 through February 1, 2013, using a ‘non-state’.gov email address” ( Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00684)). Previous records releases documented special Clinton State Department consideration for Clinton Foundation supporters (see here , here , and here .)
“We’ve once again uncovered classified information in Hillary Clinton’s and Huma Abedin’s emails,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “It is frankly remarkable that the FBI and Justice Department are only now investigating Abedin’s connection to Clinton’s mishandling of classified information.” Post navigation | 0 |
Unthinkable Politics and the Bodies of Children
By Henry A. Giroux / Truthout Bo / (CC BY-ND 2.0)
As the distinction between the truth and lies fades in public life, politics appears to be increasingly emptied of any substance. As Lucy Marcus has observed , “Nowadays, facts and truth are becoming [more] difficult to uphold in politics (and in business and even sports).” Certainly, in the age of Trump there is a great deal of evidence to suggest that the appeal to reason, informed judgment and facts is at odds with the current political culture. That is, truth and evidence have gone the way of the electric typewriter, or so it seems.
Americans seem to have a growing fondness for ignorance, an attitude that reinforces the downsizing of the civic function of language. Falsehoods and deceptions no longer appear marginal to political debate but now seem to shape much of what is said by the presidential candidates. This is shockingly true for Trump, who has organized much of his campaign around endless fabrications, sending fact checkers into a frenzy of activity. When Trump is caught in a falsehood, he simply ignores the facts and just keeps on lying. His followers could care less about whether he deceives them or not.
On the other hand, Hillary Clinton has earned a reputation as a chameleon, willing to say almost anything to promote her political career, regardless of whether she sacrifices the truth in order to do so. Her email scandal is largely read as symptomatic of a more pronounced and deeper level of dishonesty. Consequently, she is viewed mostly by the general public as untrustworthy. In response, she has managed her truth deficit by invoking her lifelong defense of families and children. For instance, during the second debate she claimed she wanted “America to be for our children” and attempted to bolster her concern for the welfare of children by pointing to her early work with the Children’s Defense Fund. In the third presidential debate, she argued against Trump’s call for exporting 11 million immigrants by stating that she was against his deportation policies because she “didn’t want to rip families apart [and was against] sending parents away from children.” In her political television ads, she points to supporting policies that “will invest in schools and colleges [and will work to] develop an economy where every young American can find a job and start a family of their own.”
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Unfortunately, Clinton only focuses on managing some of the problems that young people face, rather than doing anything to change the conditions that produce them. For instance, she says nothing about what education should accomplish in a democracy when educational policies are driven by a neoliberal economy that she supports. And while she talks about providing jobs for young people, she has little to say about transforming rather than adjusting an economy marked by wide gaps in inequality, wealth and power.
Matters of power, state violence, extreme poverty, institutional racism, a broken criminal justice system, the school to prison pipeline and the existence of the mass incarceration state, among other important matters, rarely if ever enter her discourse and yet these are major issues negatively affecting the lives of millions of children in the United States. And her alleged regard for children falls apart in light of her hawkish policies on global regime change, drone attacks and cyber-warfare, and her unqualified support for the warfare state. Her alleged support for children abroad does not capture the larger reality they face from when their countries are invaded, attacked by drones and subject to contemporary forms of indiscriminate violence. Rather than critique the US as a powerful engine of violence, Clinton expands its imperialist role around the globe. This is a key point in light of her defense of the rights of children, because her warmongering ideology puts children in the path of lethal violence.
At the same time, Clinton’s promise to address the problems many children face in the United States reeks of a disingenuousness made visible by her history of siding with and supporting policies that were injurious to children. Not only did she once disparagingly call young people super-predators, but as the First Lady she strongly backed her husband’s campaign to “end welfare as we know it.” President Clinton’s welfare policies did great harm to poor children. They eliminated the Aid to Families with Dependent Children federal assistance program and infuriated Marian Wright Edelman, the president of the Children’s Defense Fund, to the degree that she ended her working relationship with Hillary Clinton. According to Edelman , the bill represented a frontal assault on the well-being of poor children and families. Yet as late as 2008, Hillary was still touting this pernicious welfare bill as a success. She also supported Bill Clinton’s “tough on crime” policies, which, according to Michelle Alexander , “resulted in the largest increase in federal and state prison inmates of any president in American history”—which has a devastating effect on the families and children of color. Finally, Clinton supported Bush’s invasion of Iraq, which led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children.
Occupying the right wing of the Democratic Party, Clinton has aligned herself with a war culture that supports drone warfare and continues to support military policies that result in the needless deaths of millions of children in the Middle East, Yemen, Somalia, and other places that bear the brunt of America’s foreign policy. It is difficult to imagine, given Clinton’s coziness with the financial elite, big corporations, the military-industrial complex and the reigning war culture, that she will do anything that will lessen the violence to which children, both at home and around the globe, will face under her potential reign as President of the United States. Clinton has nothing to say about the need for a collective struggle for economic and political justice. Given her past history, Clinton’s disingenuousness becomes even starker next to the images of war and violence that mark the bodies of youth both in the United States and abroad. Her commitments to war and security have been built on the misery, mutilation and deaths of young people and her recent alleged support for the welfare of children does little to cover up the many ways capitalism, militarism, state violence and racism are killing poor Black and Brown youth.
Rethinking the Horrors of War
The horrors of war became painfully visible when the image circulated of the lifeless body of Aylan (Alan) Kurdi, a three-year-old who washed up on a beach face-downin the coastal town of Bodrum, Turkey, on September 2, 2015, while traveling with other refugees toward the Greek island of Kos. A second haunting image appeared on August 17, 2016, showing five-year-old Omran Daqneesh, bloodied and covered with dust, sitting silently in an ambulance after an airstrike on Aleppo, a city in northern Syria. | 1 |
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For as long as many of us can remember, we have purchased antibacterial hand soap and body washes, believing that were beneficial to our overall health and cleanliness. However, recent research and an order by the FDA seems to show otherwise. It could also show that some of the ingredients in these products could be harmful with long-term use. The findings are causing many of us to rethink what we know about staying clean.
“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” says the director of the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Dr. Janet Woodcock. “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.”
The Food and Drug Administration recently issued a press release regarding some of the ingredients in common antibacterial hand soaps and body washes. In the statement, the FDA states that they are ordering manufacturers to remove certain ingredients that were originally believed to kill germs.
In the press release, the FDA states , “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a final rule establishing that over-the-counter (OTC) consumer antiseptic wash products containing certain active ingredients can no longer be marketed.”
The ruling is regarding an investigation that dates back to 2013 targeting certain ingredients that may be harmful to the public. The FDA had received pressure from environmental groups and law makers regarding these ingredients and the effects they had shown in lab animals. The new ruling applies to 19 different chemical agents found in common antibacterial soaps. The most common of these were triclosan and triclocarban.
“Companies will no longer be able to market antibacterial washes with these ingredients because manufacturers did not demonstrate that the ingredients are both safe for long-term daily use and more effective than plain soap and water in preventing illness and the spread of certain infections,” states the press release from the FDA. “Some manufacturers have already started removing these ingredients from their products.”
Soap manufacturers will have one year to remove these chemicals and are no longer allowed to market products containing them. This is because the chemicals were found to be either harmful or to provide no additional benefits as washing with regular soap. Prev post Page 1 of 3 Next Be the first to comment Leave a Reply Your email address will not be published. Comment | 0 |
As Democrats and media outlets pick over the bones of Thursday’s Montana Special House election, in which boisterous Republican Greg Gianforte comfortably beat Democratic challenger Rob Quist, some are coming to an awkward conclusion — President Trump was a help, not a fatal hindrance, to Gianforte. [Gianforte beat Quist by seven points in a race Democrats had hoped to turn into a referendum on Trump’s first few months in office, and particularly, the unpopular Republican health care bill. As Gianforte welcomed the president’s support in the days leading up to the election, opponents hoped that Trump’s alleged unpopularity would motivate the Democratic base and turn away moderates — something they would then hope to replicate in the 2018 midterms. Democrats had also hoped that the last minute twist in which Gianforte allegedly assaulted a UK Guardian reporter — for which Gianforte was charged with misdemeanor assault — would be the nail in the coffin. But it was not to be, and an analysis by Politico’s Gabriel Debenedetti found that the “Trump effect” was the opposite of Democrats would have hoped. Noting that Gianforte had lost the governor’s race in November, Debenedetti concluded that the Trump robocalls and using his campaign slogans paid off. Under a heading of “Trump was an asset, not a drag,” he said: For Gianforte, the biggest applause lines of his Thursday night speech came when he mentioned Trump and used his “drain the swamp” slogan. Local Republicans dismissed the idea that the president could drag Gianforte to defeat as preposterous, The state’s Democratic politicians had also noted Gianforte’s belief in Trump. Everything I see is that Greg Gianforte is trying to make [Trump] completely . He might have muttered his name once or twice when he was running against me and now he wants to ‘drain the swamp’ and says, ‘I want to be with Trump every step of the way,’” said the state’s Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock on Wednesday — nearly seven months after he himself defeated Gianforte. Debenedetti noted that Quist barely talked about Trump during the campaign, possibly realizing it wasn’t the best strategy to take in the solidly red Treasure State. Trump won the state in November by over 20 points. Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in New York. Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamShawNY | 0 |
So privatization is really moving the CIA into private business , using E SYSTEMS TO RIP OGG TAXPAYERS TO FEED THE CIA . APPARENTLY E SYSTEMS ARE USED TO RIG THE ELECTIONS , AND ITS RUN BY BUSH AND RAYTHEON . INSLAW SOFTWARE USED THEN INTEL CHIPS BACKDOOR OWNED BY ISRAEL SRT UP BY BUSH .http://www.stewwebb.com/2016/05/25/hillary-clinton-lesbian-demon-pedophile-child-rapist/ | 0 |
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by ARIANA MARISOL
This little-known, anti-aging superfood can help prevent cancer, lower bad cholesterol, support the immune system, and much more! Chaga , otherwise knowns as Inontus Obliquuus , is a wild mushroom that grows on birch trees in extremely cold regions. Chaga can be found in the Baltic regions, Scandinavia, Siberia, Alaska, and northern Canada where temperatures fall bellow -30 F for over 2 to 3 months per year. The chaga conk grows in cooperation with the birch tree over a seven to twenty year period, absorbing life-sustaining nutrients from the tree. This medicinal mushroom’s DNA structure is 30% more human than it is plant.
Chaga has been used medicinally for centuries. The Inuit never used chaga and had an average lifespan of only forty to fifty years whereas people in Siberian tribes who used chaga had a lifespan of ninety to over one hundred years. Indigenous Siberians would grind it and put it in stews, soups, and daily beverages. The Siberians found that, despite their harsh climate, the regular consumption of chaga prevented the onset of various degenerative diseases. Contemporary Russians have found that the districts that regularly used chaga had no traces of cancer.
[Suggested Reading: Know These Important Rules Before You Forage ]
Chaga was also traditionally used by many ancient peoples of China, Korea, and Eastern Europe. In Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe, it is considered a cancer cure. In Northern Canada it is known as a cure for tumors. In Korea, it is used to fight stress and regulate energy. It is also known for its ability to cure inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. In Eastern Europe it is also known for its powers against bronchitic and lung disease.
For centuries, people in the East have traditionally consumed chaga in tea. More recently, chaga has gained popularity in the West where enormous amounts of health benefits are beginning to be recognized by many health gurus.
Here are only a few of chaga’s health benefits.
Supports Immune System An abundance of Beta-D-Glucans are found in chaga. These help balance the response of the body’s immune system . This means chaga can help boost the immune system when it is necessary, while also having the ability to slow it down when it is overactive. This makes chaga a natural Biological Response Modifier (BRM).
Cancer Fighting Medical researchers have gone to Siberia to learn about the effects of chaga on the indigenous people of the region. The medical team found that although there was a lot of talk about cancer, not a single cancer patient was admitted to any of the hospitals in the region. They also found that these people were brewing chaga instead of coffee in order to save money. Researchers found that these people were unwittingly treating themselves for cancer prevention.
Chaga has a very high content of super-oxide dismutase (SOD), an important enzyme that functions as a powerful antioxidant. SOD occurs naturally in different forms in human tissues, but levels decline with age, greatly declining after age thirty. Chaga provides SOD in a form that can be used both topically and internally. Having been studied in about 900 different clinical trials, the health benefits of its use are clear. Cancer patients undergoing radiation who were given SOD in a form that they could absorb had dramatically better survival rates with less toxicity, less scarring, and better wound healing.
Chaga also activates immune cells responsible for combating cancer initiation. Research is ongoing, and more studies must be done to determine chaga’s full role in fighting cancer.
Soothing Properties Chaga is able to support the integrity of blood vessels and can provide soothing properties during irritation. This is helpful for people who suffer from pain, neuropathy, and diabetes.
Ulcers and Gastritis Chaga has been known to treat ulcers and support gastrointestinal health. Most ulcers are caused by bacteria that can be fought off by a well-functioning immune system.
Normalize Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels The betulinic acid found in chaga is able to break down LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) in the bloodstream.
Anti-Aging SOD performs vital anti-aging functions by neutralizing oxygen free radicals, and preventing oxidative damage to cells, and tissue. For this reason, chaga is supremely healthy for the skin. It has proven to be highly anti-aging as well as therapeutic for skin disorders.
You can make a face cream with chaga, raw beeswax, and spice oils.
What are the properties in chaga that make it so healthy?
Polysaccharides Chaga contains structural polysaccharides which provide energy, cardiovascular health, intestinal and liver health, and promote healthy blood sugar levels. These can also improve your mood.
Beta-D-Glucans Beta-D-Glucans are known for their ability to help the immune system. They can also help with normalizing cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Phytosterols Chaga contains many phytosterols , 45% of them being Lanosterol, 25% of them being Inotodiols and a ramaining 30% of them being Egosterol, Fecosterol, and several others. In vivo and in vitro testing shows a direct effect of both Lanosterol and Inotodiols on cancer cells, with Lanosterol having a positive effect on viral compounds.
Betulin and Betulinic Acid (Triterpenes) Betulin and betulinic acid are powerful therapeutic agents that can support healthy cholesterol levels. These agents are also being studied for their effects on cancer and viruses.
Antioxidants Chaga contains massive amounts of melanin which has high antioxidant levels. In fact, chaga has the highest level of antioxidant potency of any superfood.
Where to Find Chaga Chaga can only grow wild and is quite hard to find. It grows predominantly on birch trees in cold climates throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including northern parts of Europe, Russia, Korea, Canada, and the United States.
If you do not live in these northern regions, you can find chaga mushrooms and chaga tinctures at local health food stores or online.
How to Make Chaga Tea Chaga tea is the most popular way to consume chaga.
1. Break the whole chaga into roughly 10g chunks.
2. Grind one chunk into powder using a blender or coffee grinder.
3. Place one or two teaspoons into a tea infuser.
4. Place the tea infuser into a large mug and pour in about 400 ml of hot water.
5. Leave the chaga and hot water steeping for at least 5 minutes (the longer the better to get more bioactive ingredients).
6. Remove the infuser from the mug and add maple syrup or honey for taste.
Ariana Marisol is a contributing staff writer for REALfarmacy.com. She is an avid nature enthusiast, gardener, photographer, writer, hiker, dreamer, and lover of all things sustainable, wild, and free. Ariana strives to bring people closer to their true source, Mother Nature. She is currently finishing her last year at The Evergreen State College getting her undergraduate degree in Sustainable Design and Environmental Science. Follow her adventures on Instagram .
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Britain’s establishment media today attacked the leader of the UK Independence Party at the organisation’s manifesto launch, implying and insisting that they were “exploiting” the terrorist attack in Manchester for “partisan” gain. [The UK Independence Party (UKIP) manifesto — a document covering a vast swathe of international and domestic policy positions for the upcoming General Election — was due to be launched on Tuesday. The party delayed the launch out of respect for the victims of the Manchester attack. That didn’t stop the traditionally media accusing the party of “exploiting” the attack simply for urging strength in the face of extremism and terrorism: something every other party leader has already done since the atrocity on Monday night. Channel 4’s Michael Crick opened by asking: “ … wasn’t that blatantly exploiting Manchester for election and party purposes?” UKIP supporters in the crowd hit back, shouting “Rubbish!” and “You’re exploiting it!” at Mr. Crick. Indeed, UKIP’s manifesto was finalised and went to print last Saturday, and was not changed since the Manchester attack. ITV’s Libby Wiener insisted: “You say you’re not exploiting Manchester but you say also that lighting candles isn’t enough. Isn’t that an insult to all the people who have come out in Manchester to show their respects?” She was followed by Channel 5’s Andy Bell, who rather than asking about policies in the manifesto, asked: “Can you confirm that you haven’t added anything in to your manifesto since what happened on Monday night?” The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg chimed in, appearing to act as a Conservative Party surrogate: “I understand you had very strong words for Theresa May’s record as Home Secretary. You’ve accused her of allowing jihadis in. It sounds like you’re near as damn blaming the Prime Minister for this attack and the circumstances that led to it. ” Finally, LBC’s Theo Usherwood issued a statement, rather than asking a question: “Paul, you had a choice yesterday afternoon when [the] minute’s silence was announced. You could have put back this manifesto launch to 12 o’clock … instead in 10 minutes time the nations is going to stop to remember the victims. Surely you’re exploiting what happened in Manchester. ” In fact, it was broadcast producers who asked for the launch to be earlier in the day so they could film, edit, and package clips together for the news channels. WATCH: Reporters were heckled at @UKIP’s manifesto launch when they quizzed @paulnuttallukip over his comments about the Manchester terror attack. pic. twitter. — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) May 25, 2017, In effect, what the partisan press was asking UKIP, is “how do you dare talk of solving this problem?” Sadly, Paul Nuttall’s responses were not as robust as mine would have been i. e.: “Yes I am blaming the Prime Minister and decades of Labour and Conservative policy on immigration, security, defence, policing, and foreign policy for this attack. ” Nonetheless, when we ask ourselves why we can’t seem to get a grip of these atrocities, consider the attacks people and parties who try and offer solutions endure at the hands of Crick, Wiener, Bell, Kuenssberg, Usherwood, and their liberal friends. Raheem Kassam is the Editor in Chief of Breitbart London and tweets at @RaheemKassam | 0 |
An illegal immigrant deported six times prior from the United States is facing deportation again after crossing the U. S. Border. [Agustin Jorge a 29 of Mexico, was caught by federal immigration agents with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in Texas, according to News4 San Antonio. was deported for the sixth time by ICE in December 2014 via El Paso, Texas. Now, federal agents are looking to deport for the seventh time, charging him with the U. S. illegally. John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart Texas. Follow him on Twitter at @JxhnBinder. | 0 |
That is a great video. I’m glad I watched that again. plant_this_thought
lemonhead: Thanks for the video link. The comments for that video also included this link: ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkFJZUIUeEA ), which strongly recommends unground grains over bread products. It may also be the case, that the higher heat of baking is more destructive to the plant chemistry than boiling or pressure cooking. plant_this_thought
Other thoughts:
It may be the case, that the higher heat of baking is more destructive to the plant chemistry than boiling or pressure cooking.
A particle of freshly ground flour is still enormous compared to a bacterium, but grinding probably increases the surface area accessible to the bugs somewhat, and the seed coat probably slows down penetration, which may be a good thing. Jack Hall
The other factor to consider is that the increase in surface area increases exposure to digestive enzymes and degradation by HCL which would increase absorption of nutrients in the small intestine rendering it less useful to bacteria once it has reached the colon. Stewart
I would be interested in the the nature of the whole wheat rolls that were used in this study. Very often the difference in white rolls and whole wheat is minimal at best. They also tend to have added oils and frequently milk or whey. A real multi grain bread with higher fiber would likely do much better.
I’m looking for a good whole grain bread recipe if anyone can share one. lemonhead
I used to bake bread, but gave it up a while ago. I’ve been thinking about taking it up again and trying sprouted grains. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the recipe(s), just that I had to add extra gluten to 100% whole grain dough (and that my current oven sucks). Peter Reinhart’s books are great, you might find them at your local library. lemonhead
Just remembered something – I’ve noticed more than one of the centenarians (7th Day Adventists) I’ve seen interviewed make their own whole grain bread using freshly ground flour. Maybe there’s something to freshly ground flour or homemade whole grain bread, or maybe it’s the fact that they have a task to do every morning that gets them out of bed and keeps them active. Thea
lemonhead: One of my pet theories (nothing to back up that it makes a significant difference) is that home-made freshly ground flour a) will not have had as much time to lose as much nutrients and b) is not likely to be ground up quite as finely as what comes out of professional mills — and for these reasons is healthier. Even if true, I don’t know if it is healthier enough to make any kind of significant difference in health outcomes. It’s just a pet theory of mine. But I like it… Nick Presidente
Most whole wheat rolls are about 60% whole wheat, the rest refined.. they need to keep it soft and fluffy for that selling feature. Unfortunately multigrain buns are worse, with the majority of grain being refined.
I’ve been attempting a 100% whole grain, no oil or sugar bread. I add ground flax and molasses, with very little salt. The salt makes the rising and over proofing a major concern. Very hard to find a good recipe. Also using a bread machine is limiting, and I don’t have the tools right now to mix and bake by hand David J
Good point – if the studies did not use intact whole grains, then that alone could be the reason no benefit was found. Also I’m wondering if the whole wheat rolls or whatever else was used had emulsifiers in them. Some research on mice has shown that emulsfiers negatively impact gut bacteria. plant_this_thought
Nick: My understanding is that the sugar (or molasses or honey) is only there as food for the yeast (which, of course, makes the bread rise). I wonder if the sugar content could be titrated to an amount that will be completely consumed by the yeast. Blair Rollin
1 cup whole grain spelt flour 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour 1 1/4 cup whole grain rye flour 1/4 cup 7-10 grain cereal 1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal 2 1/4 tsp yeast 2 tsp salt (or whatever you like) 1 tbsp molasses 6 tbsp gluten 1 2/3 – 1 3/4 cups water
I use a bread maker. Knead for 15 minutes then let sit for 20 (turn the machine off and restart it). Then follow the machine cycle for whole wheat bread.
You can substitute any other whole grain flour for the rye and it will be excellent, but possibly not as high a loaf. Bob’s Red Mill has a big selection of whole grain flours you can try. No preservatives so it’s only good for a day or so but it freezes perfectly.I have been baking these whole grain breads for over a decade and will not willingly eat any other except whole grain Wasa bread. Once you start eating these fabulous whole grain breads you begin to believe that people can indeed live on bread and water.
The refined ingredient is the gluten. You can reduce the amount of gluten but it’s going to get a lot flatter. (This is one of the very few refined products that I eat, so I’m okay with it for the time being.) Thea
Blair Rollin: Thanks for taking the time to share a tried and true recipe with us! I’m not usually one for making bread, but you have me tempted with this recipe. Blair Rollin
I assure you, I’m very much in the camp of “whole grains are better than whole grain flours”. (I guess bread is just another hangover I have from my previous SAD diet.) But I only eat one slice of bread a day usually. The stuff is very handy for making a calorie rich meal (sandwich) that you can eat while you’re driving. And it’s good for sopping up the pot liquor from my red beans and collards. plant_this_thought
No oil in this recipe. Is oil included in standard bread recipes just as a pan lubricant? Is it not required if one uses a non-stick pan? Thea
plant_this_thought: I don’t make enough bread to answer your question about what is standard. I can guess that non-stick pans would be one way to avoid oil. Another way is to just shape the bread in big round pillow and bake it in an oven instead of a bread machine. When you bake it in an oven, you can put it on a silicon mat or parchment paper and I imagine that no oil would be needed in that case either. (though I don’t know) . Stepping back a second. My philosophy: While I typically avoid oils in the food I cook, I’m not opposed to occasionally greasing a pan for a special recipe. I think that is a reasonable way to use oils in one’s life if I don’t have heart disease or diabetes. That’s just my approach which I’m sharing in case you would find it helpful. Ruth
Spelt is an old fashion wheat flower that hasn’t been messed with like the regular bread wheat. Its own gluton content is much lower because of not messing with it. Your bread will be lighter using the gluton flower with it. It is the gluton stretching that helps the bread to rise. AnnieVanCookie
You made me laugh with the “until know” thing xD!! I wonder why there’s people with sad diet and aren´t obese. I have been all my life struggling to loose weight even though I always ate “healthy”. I see people eating crap everyday and they just wont get fat. TofuAnnie
I liked this pop-up as well! Your voice kept on as you’re mini-me pointed to the ‘until now’. It’s your signature, so why not?! I need to go back and re-watch the mircobiome videos. Thanks for your work, doc. David J
Sorry but although I found it ok, it will keep me from sending it to skeptical people I am trying to convince to take this kind of work seriously. Nancy Altman
It humor. Just humor. Come on, people, lighten up! It’s good for your health! Thea
AnnieVanCookie: Why do some people get fat and some stay thin when eating pretty much the same type of SAD diet? Why do some people get or stay fat even when they try to eat healthy? It’s a great question. Dr. Lisle, one of the experts from Forks Over Knives, does a good job of answering that question at the beginning of his talk, How To Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAdqLB6bTuQ AZ DONALD
hi thea,
i searched and searched last night but couldn’t find the video i was looking for and am hoping you can direct me to it.
recently, dr G changed his recommendation from methyl cobalomin to cyano cobalomin because a small percentage of people don’t absorb the methyl.
are you able to direct me to that one?
thanks, donald. Thea
AZ DONALD: From my memory, Dr. Greger has always recommended the cyanocobalamin form. Here are a couple pages where you see that recommendation: An Ask the Doctor page from 2012: http://nutritionfacts.org/questions/which-type-of-b12-is-best/ General nutrition recommendations from 2011: http://nutritionfacts.org/2011/09/12/dr-gregers-2011-optimum-nutrition-recommendations/ In the new book (How Not To Die), Dr. Greger talks about recommending the cyano… form because that’s the one that is tested in studies showing that it works. We don’t have the body of evidence showing that the other forms work. . If there is a page where Dr. Greger talks about changing his recommendation on B12, I’m sorry but I’m not aware of it. kari228
Great Share, I had never seen this before. Erica
Would you add an even greater benefit to the mixed whole grains by chilling them before eating? I’m curious whether we would get the benefits of resistant starches with chilled whole grains. The studies we had seen previously showed a benefit when processed or refined (white) grains where cooled/chilled and then consumed.
Yes, that works if they’re chilled AFTER they’ve been cooked. They can be reheated and the resistant starches will remain. Mike Quinoa
What about whole grain pasta that’s not even cooked in the first place? I sometimes “cold-cook” pasta by just leaving it in cold water for a few hours, and then using it in a bean / pasta salad. David Hochstettler
I tried making bread without flour sugar and oil for over a year and finally let it go. Now I eat a slice of ezekial bread every day to satisfy my cravings for bread and 300 grams of cooked whole wheat ,barley and brown rice in their whole form. To cook it I boil 3 quarts of water and add 3 cups of wheat berries and a 1/2 a cup each of pearl barley and brown rice and simmer for an hour. Quick cool it by running cold water through it in a strainer and bag it up in 300 gram fold top sandwich bags. Richard
You bring out a good point: bread is addictive! I can’t find where I read it before, but wheat has some kind of morphine-like substance it it. Bread is also an SOS (salt, oil, sugar) food. In fact, the average American gets more salt from bread than any other food. Bread has a high glycemic index, higher than intact grains. Trouble is, when I’m hungry, it’s the most convenient and appealing thing in the house. That is, it was. From now on, I’m going to keep bread out of my house and have some baked potatoes or yams in the fridge. Ben
The ezekial breads and the silver hills breads are both healthy. Vege-tater
I often microwave a large sweet potato, then slice it and make thin “toast” for a quick “bread”. Steve Billig
I did not see in the study descriptions whether the whole grain variety that makes a difference in microbial richness (great term) is required over the course of a day, or perhaps over the course of a week. Did anyone pick that up? susan
good question Steve, and its an interesting answer ! the transcript says they used whole grain barley, or whole grain brown rice and the combination of the two worked better than either alone . hmm might be able to make a cold chopped vegie salad using both grains that wouldnt be bad ! hope that answers your question steve. susan
sorry steve, I may have missed your question.. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3744518/figure/F1/ this page details showing the number of grams per day over the course of how many weeks . Steve Billig
Variety, to me, is one of foundations of healthy eating. Research shows that variety even trumps volume (more types of healthy foods yields better health than more volume of healthy foods). My understanding is that the way to achieve variety is to eat all the plant-based food groups (fruit, veg, grains, legumes, nuts/seeds) over the course of a day, and a variety within each food group over the course of a week (variety of nuts, or veg (crucifers/onion family/starchy family/leafy green family, etc.). Since the research only tested daily variety and not weekly variety, we do not know for sure, so in order to go with what we know, eat a variety of grains daily. susan
Makes total sense to me steve. They achieved a better result mixing two varieties, so I would think it would be very beneficial to mix it up over the course of the week. I plan on mixing up grains in salads more often.. throwing in some lentils too, and trying new combinations. thanks Steve ! Wegan
No, you said the t word. Ed
Glad to see you more animated in your videos, but this one needs fireworks and music. I recently tried a newer probiotic with 115 interdependent strains, as I eat more veggies, beans,and lentils than most the changes were profound.This information can still kick my biome into another gear. Thanks. Previous Video | 1 |
In response to a lack of communication from both the publisher and developer about For Honor‘s most pressing issues, members of the game’s community are planning a boycott of the game on April 3, 2017. [Organized by Reddit community member “jbaayoun,” the For Honor gameplay blackout will begin at 5 AM and last for a minimum of 24 hours. Players are protesting the game’s ongoing balance issues, some so grievous that tournament organizers have been forced to ban at least one class from competitive play. The participants are seeking greater transparency from the game’s developer and publisher around issues that have plagued the title since release. First, they want clearer communication between Ubisoft and For Honor fans. This should include a more informative version of the ongoing “Warrior’s Den” livestreams that the developers have been promoting. Second, they want a clearly defined roadmap for the game’s future. If players are going to stick around for the literal years needed to fully unlock the game’s content, they want a plan of future content that will give them a good reason to do so. Third, boycotters want a solution to the aforementioned glacial pace of earning the game’s “Steel” currency to make the grind for unlocking content a bit less punishing. Finally, players want to see a solution for the game’s ongoing matchmaking woes. Of note, Ubisoft has recently posted patch notes in the official forums that address a few of the game’s issues, including a sizeable boost to Steel income. It’s a welcome first step to addressing one problem among many in a game that is robbed of its potential for greatness by clumsy execution. Will a community boycott draw the publishing giant’s attention to make a difference? We’ll find out on April 3rd, unless either the publisher or development team deign to respond sooner. Follow Nate Church @Get2Church on Twitter for the latest news in gaming and technology, and snarky opinions on both. | 0 |
Thursday at a press conference addressing the possible controversies regarding his association with the Trump presidential campaign, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he would recuse himself from any federal investigations involving the 2016 election. Sessions said, “I have recused myself in the matters that deal with the Trump campaign. ” Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN | 0 |
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In a story that predictably did not make the mainstream media, and with video surveillance very difficult to find, a massive mob of black teens viciously attacked white Temple University students, police officers and even a police horse in Philadelphia on Friday night.
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In the limited local coverage this story did receive, the race aspect was generally avoided. It is way past time to take back the media, and fill it with truth-tellers, not apologists.
“More than 150 teens, spread out in groups of 20 or 30, descended upon the campus at around 8:30 p.m. Friday — wreaking havoc for nearly two hours before eventually dispersing,” according to NBC 10 ….
But there is a reason for all of this horror, according to Solomon Jones of Philly.com . It evidently boils down to the progressive canard “white privilege.”
The black teens are feeling excluded because evil white “others” have come into their neighborhood and built rental properties for college students, raising the property values of their neighborhoods in a way that evidently excludes the angry teens, who were used to having their blighted turf unmolested. | 0 |
Saudi Arabia is the “mother of all terrorism,” says the second-in-command of the Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes. 76 Shares
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Mohandes made the remarks during an interview with the al-Alam television network on Saturday.
He stressed that both the ISIS and al-Qaeda terrorist groups are the product of Saudi Arabia, and that ISIS's psychological and media campaign is partially funded from Riyadh.
Mohandes noted that the operations to free Mosul from the Takfiri terrorists will take some time as the militants are receiving intelligence from several external sources, mainly the US.
He went on to praise Iran’s support for Iraq’s battle against terrorism, stressing that if Baghdad had not called for Tehran’s assistance, the Iraqi army would never have reached Mosul.
He also noted that the Hashd al-Shaabi forces, also known as the Popular Mobilization Units, will move on towards Tal Afar after Mosul is cleared of ISIS militants.
MORE... Iraqi Soldier Battling ISIS in Mosul Reunited with His Family After Two Years of Estrangement Muslim Iraqi Soldiers Erect Cross on Top of the Church in Newly Liberated Karamless Village Near Mosul Thousand of Iraqi Civilians Treated for Breathing Problems after ISIS Torches Sulphur Plant near Mosul ISIS executes 58 plotters, buries in mass grave amid reports on rebellion in Mosul He stressed that the units’ goal is not just to push back ISIS militants, but to destroy them.
ISIS leaders rob own treasury, flee Mosul
Meanwhile, as Iraqi forces push on with operations to liberate Mosul, five high-ranking ISIS commanders have looted the terrorist group’s treasury and fled towards Syria.
The robbers, including ISIS’s treasury official Abu al-Bara al-Qahtani and several other terrorists, have taken millions of dollars.
The terrorists have launched a manhunt to reclaim the stolen money and arrest and execute the escapees.
Iraqi troops fighting house to house in east Mosul
Heavy fighting is underway in eastern Mosul as ISIS tries to hinder Iraqi forces advance in the city. The militants are using car bombs, mortar fire, and snipers to stop the government troops.
A separate group of troops are advancing on the city’s northern side and have reached just within four kilometers of Mosul’s airport.
Iraqi forces have also attacked ISIS-held positions in the town of Hamam al-Alil which is located along the Tigris River some 15 kilometers south of Mosul.
Iraqi army troops, backed by Hashd al-Shaabi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, are closing in on Mosul, ISIS’s last stronghold in Iraq, from almost all directions in a full-scale operation launched on October 17.
Iraqi troops managed to enter Mosul’s limits earlier in the week for the first time since June 2014, when the city fell to ISIS amid a large-scale terror campaign in northern and western Iraq. So far, a large number of the villages and districts around the city have been purged of the terrorists. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has vowed that the country’s second largest city will be fully recaptured by year-end. | 0 |
(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the .) Good evening. Here’s the latest. 1. President Obama delivered a nostalgic but hopeful farewell address to the nation from a convention center in Chicago. He warned the nation not to shrink from the challenges of economic inequality, racial strife, political isolation and voter apathy. “If something needs fixing, lace up your shoes and do some organizing,” Mr. Obama, a political organizer, told the cheering crowd. “If you’re disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures, and run for office yourself. Show up. Dive in. Persevere. ” Here’s the full video and text. _____ 2. Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, Donald J. Trump’s pick for attorney general, received a surprisingly gentle welcome at the start of his Senate confirmation hearing. He appeared to assuage Democrats by saying that that waterboarding is “absolutely” illegal and that he did not support barring Muslims from the United States, and even the most liberal senators declined to vigorously confront him on allegations of racism from three decades ago. The whirlwind week of hearings continued with retired Gen. John F. Kelly, the Homeland Security nominee. Here’s the full schedule for the week. And late in the day came this news: The chiefs of America’s intelligence agencies last week gave Mr. Trump and Mr. Obama a summary of unsubstantiated reports that Russia had collected compromising and salacious personal information about Mr. Trump. The agencies are investigating, said two officials with knowledge of the matter. _____ 3. Dylann S. Roof, the white supremacist who expressed no remorse for killing nine people at a historically black church in Charleston, S. C. was sentenced to death. The jury returned its unanimous verdict after about three hours of deliberations in the penalty phase of the trial. Mr. Roof showed no emotion as the verdict was read. _____ 4. The Obama administration is making a push for police overhauls in two of the nation’s most violent cities, where officers have been accused of routinely mistreating . The results of the Justice Department’s sweeping investigation into police practices in Chicago are expected before Inauguration Day. Baltimore, above, is close to a deal that would require the police to make changes under court supervision. _____ 5. Fox News secretly settled sexual harassment accusations against Bill O’Reilly, the network’s top host, last summer. Juliet Huddy, a longtime personality, said Mr. O’Reilly had tried to ruin her career after she rebuffed his advances. The settlement was described in a draft of a letter from Ms. Huddy’s lawyers to Fox News that was mailed anonymously to The Times and verified. _____ 6. Volkswagen is on the verge of admitting to criminal violations and paying $4. 3 billion to resolve a federal investigation into its cheating on emissions tests. The company will probably plead guilty to charges of customs fraud and violating the Clean Air Act, two people with knowledge of the discussions said. _____ 7. Protests broke out in Iran at the funeral of Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a key figure in the country’s 1979 revolution who had come to be seen as the last establishment voice friendly to the opposition. Officials said 2. 5 million mourners attended. The live broadcast on state television tried to avoid protesters’ chants for a former presidential candidate under house arrest against Russia, Iran’s ally in the Syrian conflict and for the release of political prisoners. _____ 8. Clare Hollingworth, a British journalist who became the undisputed doyenne of war correspondents, died in Hong Kong at 105. She was on the border in August 1939, just a week into her first job for a British newspaper, when she reported what was probably the greatest scoop of modern times: the start of World War II. She roamed the conflict zones of the world equipped with little more than a toothbrush, a typewriter and, if need be, a revolver. _____ 9. “They started coming in like the tide. ” That was an official at a refugee camp in Bangladesh, where Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar have fled by the thousands to escape a brutal counterinsurgency campaign. They say soldiers burned their villages, shot at random and systematically raped women and girls. _____ 10. Finally, a wealthy activist who bought a $2. 2 million West Village home a decade ago is giving it to the original Manhattanites: the Lenape Native American nation. Goldwater Bourgeois, the son of the sculptor Louise Bourgeois, said he had always been troubled by the legend that the Lenape sold Manhattan (the name is their word for “the land of many hills”) to Dutch settlers for the equivalent of $24 worth of goods. “Manhattan is a capitalist rock this is a quiet protest against that,” he said. “I’m giving it back to whom the land was stolen from, and that’s really a joyful event. ” _____ Photographs may appear out of order for some readers. Viewing this version of the briefing should help. Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p. m. Eastern. And don’t miss Your Morning Briefing, posted weekdays at 6 a. m. Eastern, and Your Weekend Briefing, posted at 6 a. m. Sundays. Want to look back? Here’s last night’s briefing. What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at briefing@nytimes. com. | 1 |
WATCH: Israel Helping to Build ‘Techno City’ in Kenya Oct 28, 2016 Previous post The building of a new ‘techno city’ in Kenya is another example of increased cooperation between Israel and several African nations.
The Tel Aviv municipality has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Kenya to collaborate on the $14.5 billion development of Konza, a new “techno city” in southeastern Kenya.
Kenyans will train at three Tel Aviv Global initiatives.
African nations and other developing countries around the globe are eager to partner with Israel and to benefit from the start-up nation’s advanced technology.
Take a look at this amazing project underway in Kenya, with Israel’s assistance. | 0 |
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