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<p>LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. — Mohave County authorities are trying to identify human remains that were found north of Lake Havasu City.</p>
<p>Sheriff’s deputies and detectives responded to the scene Monday after a group of people reported finding skeletal remains in a desert area south of Interstate 40.</p>
<p>No identification was found with the clothing and a bicycle was located nearby.</p>
<p>Authorities say the gender of the remains is unclear due to decomposition.</p>
<p>The county Medical Examiner’s Office recovered the human remains and identification and autopsy results are pending.</p>
<p>Sheriff’s officials say the case remains under investigation.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Human remains are found in desert north of Lake Havasu City | false | https://abqjournal.com/885849/human-remains-are-found-in-desert-north-of-lake-havasu-city.html | 2least
| Human remains are found in desert north of Lake Havasu City
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. — Mohave County authorities are trying to identify human remains that were found north of Lake Havasu City.</p>
<p>Sheriff’s deputies and detectives responded to the scene Monday after a group of people reported finding skeletal remains in a desert area south of Interstate 40.</p>
<p>No identification was found with the clothing and a bicycle was located nearby.</p>
<p>Authorities say the gender of the remains is unclear due to decomposition.</p>
<p>The county Medical Examiner’s Office recovered the human remains and identification and autopsy results are pending.</p>
<p>Sheriff’s officials say the case remains under investigation.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 2,200 |
|
<p>South Africa is mourning the passing of a sports hero: The country's national&#160;soccer captain, Senzo Meyiwa, died after being shot during a burglary on Sunday.</p>
<p>The 27-year-old was the goalkeeper for the&#160; <a href="http://www.orlandopiratesfc.com/" type="external">Orlando Pirates</a>, one of South Africa's most popular teams,&#160;and had played in South Africa's last four qualifiers for the continent's biggest international tournament, the&#160;Africa Cup of Nations.</p>
<p>Meyiwa&#160;was reportedly attacked after men entered his girlfriend's house in Vosloorus, near Johannesburg. The&#160;South African Police Service issued a statement sayings&#160;two men had entered the house, demanding cell phones and valuables. A third man remained outside.&#160;All three fled on foot after shots were fired.</p>
<p>Reports said Meyiwa&#160;may have been trying to defend his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, a South African singer and celebrity.&#160;“As a youngster, he actually wanted to grow up to be a policeman,” says&#160;Mo Allie, the&#160;BBC's&#160;soccer correspondent in South Africa .</p>
<p>Allie says&#160;Meyiwa once explained his&#160;interest in law enforcement during an interview:&#160;“[It's] because there was so much political violence at the end of apartheid ...&#160;and also because there were so many criminal elements in his home township, that&#160;he wanted to become a cop to restore peace.”</p>
<p>Meyiwa's death "really has rocked the football fraternity all over the world,” Allie says.&#160;Ephraim Mashaba, the head coach of South Africa's national&#160;team, wept during a news conference about Meyiwa’s death. "Senzo was a very kind person," he said. "I have never seen Senzo being sad or angry in the camp."</p>
<p>South African President Jacob Zuma said in a statement on Monday: "We mourn the death of this young footballer and team leader whose life has been taken away at the prime of his career. Words cannot express the nation's shock at this loss."</p>
<p>Meyiwa’s shooting brings into focus the wider issues of gun crime in South Africa.&#160;“Crime figures released last month show that there has been an increase in murder rates in South Africa to 17,000 murdered [nationally] last year,” says Allie.&#160;That’s an increase of about 5 percent&#160;since the previous year, according to police figures.</p> | The killing of a South African soccer star highlights the nation's rising murder rate | false | https://pri.org/stories/2014-10-27/killing-south-african-soccer-star-highlights-nations-rising-murder-rate | 2014-10-27 | 3left-center
| The killing of a South African soccer star highlights the nation's rising murder rate
<p>South Africa is mourning the passing of a sports hero: The country's national&#160;soccer captain, Senzo Meyiwa, died after being shot during a burglary on Sunday.</p>
<p>The 27-year-old was the goalkeeper for the&#160; <a href="http://www.orlandopiratesfc.com/" type="external">Orlando Pirates</a>, one of South Africa's most popular teams,&#160;and had played in South Africa's last four qualifiers for the continent's biggest international tournament, the&#160;Africa Cup of Nations.</p>
<p>Meyiwa&#160;was reportedly attacked after men entered his girlfriend's house in Vosloorus, near Johannesburg. The&#160;South African Police Service issued a statement sayings&#160;two men had entered the house, demanding cell phones and valuables. A third man remained outside.&#160;All three fled on foot after shots were fired.</p>
<p>Reports said Meyiwa&#160;may have been trying to defend his girlfriend, Kelly Khumalo, a South African singer and celebrity.&#160;“As a youngster, he actually wanted to grow up to be a policeman,” says&#160;Mo Allie, the&#160;BBC's&#160;soccer correspondent in South Africa .</p>
<p>Allie says&#160;Meyiwa once explained his&#160;interest in law enforcement during an interview:&#160;“[It's] because there was so much political violence at the end of apartheid ...&#160;and also because there were so many criminal elements in his home township, that&#160;he wanted to become a cop to restore peace.”</p>
<p>Meyiwa's death "really has rocked the football fraternity all over the world,” Allie says.&#160;Ephraim Mashaba, the head coach of South Africa's national&#160;team, wept during a news conference about Meyiwa’s death. "Senzo was a very kind person," he said. "I have never seen Senzo being sad or angry in the camp."</p>
<p>South African President Jacob Zuma said in a statement on Monday: "We mourn the death of this young footballer and team leader whose life has been taken away at the prime of his career. Words cannot express the nation's shock at this loss."</p>
<p>Meyiwa’s shooting brings into focus the wider issues of gun crime in South Africa.&#160;“Crime figures released last month show that there has been an increase in murder rates in South Africa to 17,000 murdered [nationally] last year,” says Allie.&#160;That’s an increase of about 5 percent&#160;since the previous year, according to police figures.</p> | 2,201 |
<p>Published time: 30 Nov, 2017 12:13</p>
<p>More than 13,000 archaeological sites in the southeastern United States could be submerged by rising sea levels by the year 2100, a new study says. The researchers warned that sea level changes could be “far greater” and occur “far faster” than predicted.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/408764-climate-report-contradicts-trump/" type="external" /></p>
<p>The <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0188142" type="external">study</a>, led by archaeology Professor David Anderson of the University of Tennessee, analyzed data from the Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINAA). The index aggregates historical and archaeological data sets which have been developed over the past century from various sources.</p>
<p>The researchers combined data on the elevation of archaeological and historical sites along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts with sea-level rise predictions as a result of climate change. They found that one in 10 archaeological sites that were analyzed on the coasts of nine southeastern states – Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Mississippi, Louisiana – risk being submerged. Archeological sites, buildings, cemeteries, and cultural landscapes are all at risk, Anderson said, <a href="https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/p-srp112217.php" type="external">according</a> to a press release by the journal Plos One, which published the study on Wednesday.&#160;</p>
<p>“A 1-meter rise in sea-level will result in the loss of over 13,000 recorded historic and prehistoric archaeological sites, as well as over 1,000 locations currently eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP),” the authors wrote in the study. They added that those numbers “increase substantially” with each additional 1-meter rise, noting that more than 32,000 archaeological sites and 2,400 NRHP properties would be lost if a 5-meter sea-level rise were to occur.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/406284-scientists-antarctic-ecosystem-larsen/" type="external" /></p>
<p>The authors called the data “sobering,” noting that “projected sea-level rise…will result in the loss of a substantial portion of the record of both pre-Columbian and historic period human habitation.” They added that there are “serious concerns over the threat of global climate change to the archaeological and historic record.”</p>
<p>Speaking to the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone, Anderson stressed that “the record of human occupation of coastal regions goes back thousands of years and we stand to lose a lot of that.” The authors said that “consideration may have to be given to relocating or constructing protective barriers” for monuments, specifically mentioning the Castillo de San Marcos and Ft. Matanzas in St. Augustine, Florida, both of which date back to the 17th century.</p>
<p>The authors warned that “changes in sea level may be far greater and occur far faster than currently predicted.” They stated that “delay in thinking about these matters and in seeking solutions accomplishes nothing.”</p>
<p>Humankind has witnessed comparable periods of “dramatic climate change in the past,” and that understanding how those periods were responded to can “provide valuable lessons, and hope, for the future.”</p> | Rising sea levels could submerge 13,000 US historical sites by end of century – study | false | https://newsline.com/rising-sea-levels-could-submerge-13000-us-historical-sites-by-end-of-century-study/ | 2017-11-30 | 1right-center
| Rising sea levels could submerge 13,000 US historical sites by end of century – study
<p>Published time: 30 Nov, 2017 12:13</p>
<p>More than 13,000 archaeological sites in the southeastern United States could be submerged by rising sea levels by the year 2100, a new study says. The researchers warned that sea level changes could be “far greater” and occur “far faster” than predicted.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/408764-climate-report-contradicts-trump/" type="external" /></p>
<p>The <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0188142" type="external">study</a>, led by archaeology Professor David Anderson of the University of Tennessee, analyzed data from the Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINAA). The index aggregates historical and archaeological data sets which have been developed over the past century from various sources.</p>
<p>The researchers combined data on the elevation of archaeological and historical sites along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts with sea-level rise predictions as a result of climate change. They found that one in 10 archaeological sites that were analyzed on the coasts of nine southeastern states – Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Mississippi, Louisiana – risk being submerged. Archeological sites, buildings, cemeteries, and cultural landscapes are all at risk, Anderson said, <a href="https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/p-srp112217.php" type="external">according</a> to a press release by the journal Plos One, which published the study on Wednesday.&#160;</p>
<p>“A 1-meter rise in sea-level will result in the loss of over 13,000 recorded historic and prehistoric archaeological sites, as well as over 1,000 locations currently eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP),” the authors wrote in the study. They added that those numbers “increase substantially” with each additional 1-meter rise, noting that more than 32,000 archaeological sites and 2,400 NRHP properties would be lost if a 5-meter sea-level rise were to occur.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/406284-scientists-antarctic-ecosystem-larsen/" type="external" /></p>
<p>The authors called the data “sobering,” noting that “projected sea-level rise…will result in the loss of a substantial portion of the record of both pre-Columbian and historic period human habitation.” They added that there are “serious concerns over the threat of global climate change to the archaeological and historic record.”</p>
<p>Speaking to the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone, Anderson stressed that “the record of human occupation of coastal regions goes back thousands of years and we stand to lose a lot of that.” The authors said that “consideration may have to be given to relocating or constructing protective barriers” for monuments, specifically mentioning the Castillo de San Marcos and Ft. Matanzas in St. Augustine, Florida, both of which date back to the 17th century.</p>
<p>The authors warned that “changes in sea level may be far greater and occur far faster than currently predicted.” They stated that “delay in thinking about these matters and in seeking solutions accomplishes nothing.”</p>
<p>Humankind has witnessed comparable periods of “dramatic climate change in the past,” and that understanding how those periods were responded to can “provide valuable lessons, and hope, for the future.”</p> | 2,202 |
<p />
<p>Writing my screed against <a href="/mojo/2009/10/blame-doctors-americas-primary-care-doctor-shortage" type="external">the AMA’s ridiculous price-setting cabal</a> got me thinking. Is there a single example of a profession that self-regulates in a way that’s good for society as a whole, as opposed to protecting the interests of the members of that profession at the expense of everyone else? Liberals often slam industries when they talk about a desire to “self-regulate.” Why shouldn’t we be skeptical of the same claims from professional associations? Doctors (with their <a href="/mojo/2009/10/blame-doctors-americas-primary-care-doctor-shortage" type="external">labor theory of value</a>) and lawyers (with their <a href="http://www.calattorneysfees.com/2009/01/recharged-debate-end-the-billable-hour.html" type="external">billable hour</a>s) are just the most pernicious examples of professions that have structured their compensation in ways that are deeply harmful to the public interest.</p>
<p>Of course, with government regulation, you run the risk of industry capture—professions can and do simply petition the government to enact regulations that only serve the interests of their members—requiring <a href="http://matthewyglesias.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/09/interior_designer_licenses.php" type="external">interior designer licenses</a>, for example. But self-regulation has no chance of working for anything other than the professionals’ self-interest. So it seems like government regulation at least gives you the chance of a result that serves the greater good. People and industries do not consistently&#160;act against their self-interest. So if an industry or a profession or a person’s self-interest runs contrary to the public good, there’s a case for changing the law and instituting penalties that change that calculus.</p>
<p /> | Self-Regulation FAIL | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2009/10/self-regulation-fail/ | 2009-10-07 | 4left
| Self-Regulation FAIL
<p />
<p>Writing my screed against <a href="/mojo/2009/10/blame-doctors-americas-primary-care-doctor-shortage" type="external">the AMA’s ridiculous price-setting cabal</a> got me thinking. Is there a single example of a profession that self-regulates in a way that’s good for society as a whole, as opposed to protecting the interests of the members of that profession at the expense of everyone else? Liberals often slam industries when they talk about a desire to “self-regulate.” Why shouldn’t we be skeptical of the same claims from professional associations? Doctors (with their <a href="/mojo/2009/10/blame-doctors-americas-primary-care-doctor-shortage" type="external">labor theory of value</a>) and lawyers (with their <a href="http://www.calattorneysfees.com/2009/01/recharged-debate-end-the-billable-hour.html" type="external">billable hour</a>s) are just the most pernicious examples of professions that have structured their compensation in ways that are deeply harmful to the public interest.</p>
<p>Of course, with government regulation, you run the risk of industry capture—professions can and do simply petition the government to enact regulations that only serve the interests of their members—requiring <a href="http://matthewyglesias.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/09/interior_designer_licenses.php" type="external">interior designer licenses</a>, for example. But self-regulation has no chance of working for anything other than the professionals’ self-interest. So it seems like government regulation at least gives you the chance of a result that serves the greater good. People and industries do not consistently&#160;act against their self-interest. So if an industry or a profession or a person’s self-interest runs contrary to the public good, there’s a case for changing the law and instituting penalties that change that calculus.</p>
<p /> | 2,203 |
<p />
<p>President Barack Obama will impose even steeper cuts on greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants than previously expected, senior administration officials said Sunday, in what the president called the most significant step the U.S. has ever taken to fight global warming.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>A year after proposing unprecedented carbon dioxide limits, Obama was poised to finalize the rule at a White House event on Monday. In a video posted to Facebook, Obama said the limits were backed up by decades of data showing that without tough action, the world will face more extreme weather and escalating health problems like asthma.</p>
<p>"Climate change is not a problem for another generation," Obama said. "Not anymore."</p>
<p>Opponents vowed to sue immediately, and planned to ask the courts to put the rule on hold while legal challenges play out. Many states have threatened not to comply.</p>
<p>In his initial proposal, Obama had mandated a 30 percent nationwide cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, compared to 2005 levels. The final version will require a 32 percent cut instead, said the officials, who weren't authorized to comment by name and requested anonymity.</p>
<p>The final rule also gives states an additional two years — until 2022 — to comply, officials said, yielding to complaints that the original deadline was too soon. States will also have until 2018 instead of 2017 to submit their plans for how they'll meet their targets.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>But the administration will attempt to incentivize states to take action earlier by offering credits to states that boost renewable sources like wind and solar in 2020 and 2021, officials said.</p>
<p>The focus on renewables marks a significant shift from the earlier version that sought to accelerate the ongoing transition from coal-fired power to natural gas plants, which emit far less carbon dioxide. The revised rule aims to keep the share of natural gas in the nation's power mix at current levels.</p>
<p>The stricter limits in the final plan were certain to incense energy industry advocates who had already balked at the more lenient limits in the proposed plan. But the Obama administration said its tweaks would cut energy costs and address concerns about power grid reliability.</p>
<p>The Obama administration previously predicted the emissions limits will cost up to $8.8 billion annually by 2030, although it said those costs would be far outweighed by health savings from fewer asthma attacks and other benefits. The actual price won't be clear until states decide how they'll reach their targets.</p>
<p>America's largest source of greenhouse gases, power plants account for roughly one-third of all U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases blamed for global warming. Obama's rule assigns customized targets to each state, then leaves it up to the state to determine how to meet them.</p>
<p>In the works for years, the power plant rule forms the cornerstone of Obama's plan to curb U.S. emissions and keep global temperatures from climbing, and its success is pivotal to the legacy Obama hopes to leave on climate change. Never before has the U.S. sought to restrict carbon dioxide from existing power plants.</p>
<p>By clamping down on power plant emissions, Obama is also working to increase his leverage and credibility with other nations whose commitments he's seeking for a global climate treaty to be finalized later this year in Paris. As its contribution to that treaty, the U.S. has pledged to cut overall emissions 26 percent to 28 percent by 2025, compared to 2005.</p>
<p>Even before the rule was finalized, more than a dozen states announced plans to fight it. At the urging of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, some Republican governors have declared they simply won't comply, setting up a certain confrontation with the Environmental Protection Agency, which by law can force its own plan on states that fail to submit implementation plans.</p>
<p>Yet even in many of those states, power companies and local utility authorities have started preparing to meet the targets. New, more efficient plants that are replacing older and dirtier ones have already pushed emissions down nearly 13 percent since 2005, putting them about halfway to meeting Obama's goal.</p>
<p>In Congress, lawmakers have sought to use legislation to stop Obama's regulation. McConnell has also tried previously to use an obscure, rarely successful maneuver to allow Congress to vote it down.</p>
<p>The more serious threat to Obama's rule will likely come in the courts. The Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, which represents energy companies, said 20 to 30 states were poised to join with industry in suing over the rule. The Obama administration has a mixed track record in fending off legal challenges to its climate rules.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP</p> | Obama to unveil final power plant emissions limits Monday; mandate steeper cuts than expected | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/08/02/obama-to-unveil-final-power-plant-emissions-limits-monday-mandate-steeper-cuts.html | 2016-03-05 | 0right
| Obama to unveil final power plant emissions limits Monday; mandate steeper cuts than expected
<p />
<p>President Barack Obama will impose even steeper cuts on greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants than previously expected, senior administration officials said Sunday, in what the president called the most significant step the U.S. has ever taken to fight global warming.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>A year after proposing unprecedented carbon dioxide limits, Obama was poised to finalize the rule at a White House event on Monday. In a video posted to Facebook, Obama said the limits were backed up by decades of data showing that without tough action, the world will face more extreme weather and escalating health problems like asthma.</p>
<p>"Climate change is not a problem for another generation," Obama said. "Not anymore."</p>
<p>Opponents vowed to sue immediately, and planned to ask the courts to put the rule on hold while legal challenges play out. Many states have threatened not to comply.</p>
<p>In his initial proposal, Obama had mandated a 30 percent nationwide cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, compared to 2005 levels. The final version will require a 32 percent cut instead, said the officials, who weren't authorized to comment by name and requested anonymity.</p>
<p>The final rule also gives states an additional two years — until 2022 — to comply, officials said, yielding to complaints that the original deadline was too soon. States will also have until 2018 instead of 2017 to submit their plans for how they'll meet their targets.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>But the administration will attempt to incentivize states to take action earlier by offering credits to states that boost renewable sources like wind and solar in 2020 and 2021, officials said.</p>
<p>The focus on renewables marks a significant shift from the earlier version that sought to accelerate the ongoing transition from coal-fired power to natural gas plants, which emit far less carbon dioxide. The revised rule aims to keep the share of natural gas in the nation's power mix at current levels.</p>
<p>The stricter limits in the final plan were certain to incense energy industry advocates who had already balked at the more lenient limits in the proposed plan. But the Obama administration said its tweaks would cut energy costs and address concerns about power grid reliability.</p>
<p>The Obama administration previously predicted the emissions limits will cost up to $8.8 billion annually by 2030, although it said those costs would be far outweighed by health savings from fewer asthma attacks and other benefits. The actual price won't be clear until states decide how they'll reach their targets.</p>
<p>America's largest source of greenhouse gases, power plants account for roughly one-third of all U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases blamed for global warming. Obama's rule assigns customized targets to each state, then leaves it up to the state to determine how to meet them.</p>
<p>In the works for years, the power plant rule forms the cornerstone of Obama's plan to curb U.S. emissions and keep global temperatures from climbing, and its success is pivotal to the legacy Obama hopes to leave on climate change. Never before has the U.S. sought to restrict carbon dioxide from existing power plants.</p>
<p>By clamping down on power plant emissions, Obama is also working to increase his leverage and credibility with other nations whose commitments he's seeking for a global climate treaty to be finalized later this year in Paris. As its contribution to that treaty, the U.S. has pledged to cut overall emissions 26 percent to 28 percent by 2025, compared to 2005.</p>
<p>Even before the rule was finalized, more than a dozen states announced plans to fight it. At the urging of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, some Republican governors have declared they simply won't comply, setting up a certain confrontation with the Environmental Protection Agency, which by law can force its own plan on states that fail to submit implementation plans.</p>
<p>Yet even in many of those states, power companies and local utility authorities have started preparing to meet the targets. New, more efficient plants that are replacing older and dirtier ones have already pushed emissions down nearly 13 percent since 2005, putting them about halfway to meeting Obama's goal.</p>
<p>In Congress, lawmakers have sought to use legislation to stop Obama's regulation. McConnell has also tried previously to use an obscure, rarely successful maneuver to allow Congress to vote it down.</p>
<p>The more serious threat to Obama's rule will likely come in the courts. The Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, which represents energy companies, said 20 to 30 states were poised to join with industry in suing over the rule. The Obama administration has a mixed track record in fending off legal challenges to its climate rules.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP</p> | 2,204 |
<p />
<p>Looks like <a href="/news/feature/2008/09/exit-strategy-bush-biggest-achievements.html" type="external">my list of the things Bush got right</a> left something out. From the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/health/policy/26clinics.html?_r=2&amp;hp=&amp;pagewanted=all" type="external">New York Times</a>:</p>
<p>Although the number of uninsured and the cost of coverage have ballooned under his watch, President Bush leaves office with a health care legacy in bricks and mortar: he has doubled federal financing for community health centers, enabling the creation or expansion of 1,297 clinics in medically underserved areas.</p>
<p>For those in poor urban neighborhoods and isolated rural areas, including Indian reservations, the clinics are often the only dependable providers of basic services like prenatal care, childhood immunizations, asthma treatments, cancer screenings and tests for sexually transmitted diseases….</p>
<p>With the health centers now serving more than 16 million patients at 7,354 sites, the expansion has been the largest since the program’s origins in President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty, federal officials said…. The centers now serve one of every three people who live in poverty and one of every eight without insurance.</p>
<p>But there’s more work to be done. An August study found that 43 percent of the country’s medically underserved areas lack a health center site and the National Association of Community Health Centers and the American Academy of Family Physicians estimated last year that 56 million people are “medically disenfranchised” because they cannot reach adequate primary care. There’s hope that Obama will expand the centers’ reach when in office. His healthcare point man, Tom Daschle, referred to them as a “godsend” in a recent book, and Michelle Obama worked with community health centers when vice president at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Just another factor in the amazingly complex quest to get every American healthcare, one that President Bush deserves a degree of credit for.</p>
<p /> | Something Bush Got Right on Healthcare? | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2008/12/something-bush-got-right-healthcare/ | 2008-12-31 | 4left
| Something Bush Got Right on Healthcare?
<p />
<p>Looks like <a href="/news/feature/2008/09/exit-strategy-bush-biggest-achievements.html" type="external">my list of the things Bush got right</a> left something out. From the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/health/policy/26clinics.html?_r=2&amp;hp=&amp;pagewanted=all" type="external">New York Times</a>:</p>
<p>Although the number of uninsured and the cost of coverage have ballooned under his watch, President Bush leaves office with a health care legacy in bricks and mortar: he has doubled federal financing for community health centers, enabling the creation or expansion of 1,297 clinics in medically underserved areas.</p>
<p>For those in poor urban neighborhoods and isolated rural areas, including Indian reservations, the clinics are often the only dependable providers of basic services like prenatal care, childhood immunizations, asthma treatments, cancer screenings and tests for sexually transmitted diseases….</p>
<p>With the health centers now serving more than 16 million patients at 7,354 sites, the expansion has been the largest since the program’s origins in President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty, federal officials said…. The centers now serve one of every three people who live in poverty and one of every eight without insurance.</p>
<p>But there’s more work to be done. An August study found that 43 percent of the country’s medically underserved areas lack a health center site and the National Association of Community Health Centers and the American Academy of Family Physicians estimated last year that 56 million people are “medically disenfranchised” because they cannot reach adequate primary care. There’s hope that Obama will expand the centers’ reach when in office. His healthcare point man, Tom Daschle, referred to them as a “godsend” in a recent book, and Michelle Obama worked with community health centers when vice president at the University of Chicago Medical Center. Just another factor in the amazingly complex quest to get every American healthcare, one that President Bush deserves a degree of credit for.</p>
<p /> | 2,205 |
<p>Recently, the online site known as Wikileaks (which frequently publishes documents from government and corporate think tanks not meant to be seen by the general public) released a Rand Corporation report on Iraq and Afghanistan counterinsurgency operations titled Intelligence Operations and Metrics in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although unclassified, the document is marked “For Official Use Only” and was distributed to various high officials in the United States and other “Coalition” governments. In one respect, it can be argued that this paper, along with a series of three or four other Rand reports, could be considered in the same vein as the Pentagon Papers on their release in 1971. A more accurate appraisal, however, would characterize this 318 page report as a summation of what the US military and intelligence agencies could have done more effectively.</p>
<p>This report is essentially an analyst’s blueprint for perfecting the occupation of a country with the idea that the eventual result will be domination of the locals’ minds, culture and economy, with the domination of the geography of secondary consideration or of no consideration at all. Like the television show Numbers that features a mathematician who works with the FBI by providing mathematical thinking to human endeavors like serial killing, drug smuggling, etc., the RAND study ignores the human and creative face of resistance by reducing ever element to a quantitative possibility with only so many possible outcomes. The numbers it quotes and the classifications it makes hide the true intent and outcome of the imperial military’s actions much like the statistical sheets maintained by men like Adolf Eichmann hid the true nature of the crimes against humanity perpetrated in the removal of Jewish Germans from the fatherland. The report draws from counterinsurgency experiences in Vietnam,Northern Ireland, Malaya, and of course, Iraq and Afghanistan.</p>
<p>The contradiction rampant throughout the report can be best phrased in the words of US Army Major Justin Featherstone who told the report’s writers after his extensive work with the urban population in southeastern Iraq: “Humanity is what it’s about, a genuine desire to do good by the good people, which can sit side-by-side with killing the people [whom you’re there to kill].” In other words, the task is to kill those who don’t want you there and convince the others that they are either better off with the occupier or at least not as bad off as they would be without them. Despite the constant warnings throughout the report’s recommendations to avoid killing noncombatants (without every providing a single definition of who composes this element), the report ultimately returns to this statement:</p>
<p>War, however, is the realm of destruction. Here will be instances in which these men and women will have to put innocents and their property at risk. In such cases, there may be no good outcome, no alternative that promises to benefit all desired ends, but rather one only less undesirable than its alternatives. A pilot might select the alternative of engaging only a few rooms instead of destroying an entire building, with the appropriate airframe and munitions being called on for the task. In lieu of devastating a town, a ground-force commander could find that a limited number of enemy concentrations provide the opportunity to wreak destruction over only a few blocks.</p>
<p>In other words, the occupier’s job remains one that depends on its overwhelming force. Even if the suggestions and lessons learned that are described in this report were to be put into place, the deciding factor in favor of the US occupying forces is their ability to kill with overwhelming force. Naturally, the indigenous population is aware of this–a fact which causes many to go along with the occupier merely as a means to survive. This is not a report about operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and their often bloody results so much as it is a review of the perceived success or failure of those operations. The primary intent of the report is to repeat already familiar lessons about how to construct and maintain an occupation of a country that minimizes the occupiers casualties, maintains domination via fear, cajolery, and manipulation of the personal and tribal relationships of the occupied while simultaneously convincing at least a sizable minority of the population of the occupying nation that their military (in league with the occupier) is working in their interest.</p>
<p>Written in what can best be described as something akin to a technical writing assignment, the report echoes the recent statements from US generals in the Iraq/Afghan theaters and is reflected in the recent decision by Barack Obama to reduce the numbers of US troops in Iraq to 50,000 over the next 16 months and escalate the battle to subdue Afghanistan. If there is one thing that this document makes clear, it is that the Pentagon and its civilian enablers have no intention of leaving Iraq or Afghanistan on their own. Furthermore, it is their intention to take the lessons they believe they have learned in those two countries and apply them to Pakistan and wherever else their manifest destiny compels them to subdue.</p>
<p>This is not the Pentagon Papers of the Iraq and Afghanistan occupations/wars. It is a document that hides the nature of the US operations in those countries behind an emasculated technospeak, rendering the true nature of the killing and destruction done in the name of the people of the US and the west. The contemporary version of the policy discussions that were revealed in the Pentagon Papers about the US operation in Vietnam are not here. Nor are the cables and directives that sent men off to kill and die. Those documents have yet to be uncovered. The usefulness of this report is in its look into the mindset of a modern imperial machine: a machine that never questions its mission or the human misery it causes but keeps its mind trained only on how to carry out that mission as efficiently as possible. The banality of the evil of modern warfare is contained in every neutered sentence of this document and the thousands of others like them. It is repeated in the newspeak of government officials and the sycophantic media that reports their words without challenging their consequences. The circle of complicity is completed when the public accepts the arguments made by those officials and media as being the only argument that exists.</p>
<p>RON JACOBS is author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1859841678/counterpunchmaga" type="external">The Way the Wind Blew: a history of the Weather Underground</a>, which is just republished by Verso. Jacobs’ essay on Big Bill Broonzy is featured in CounterPunch’s collection on music, art and sex, <a href="http://www.easycarts.net/ecarts/CounterPunch/CP_Books.html" type="external">Serpents in the Garden</a>. His first novel, <a href="" type="internal">Short Order Frame Up,</a> is published by Mainstay Press. He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | The Banality of Occupation | true | https://counterpunch.org/2009/03/04/the-banality-of-occupation/ | 2009-03-04 | 4left
| The Banality of Occupation
<p>Recently, the online site known as Wikileaks (which frequently publishes documents from government and corporate think tanks not meant to be seen by the general public) released a Rand Corporation report on Iraq and Afghanistan counterinsurgency operations titled Intelligence Operations and Metrics in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although unclassified, the document is marked “For Official Use Only” and was distributed to various high officials in the United States and other “Coalition” governments. In one respect, it can be argued that this paper, along with a series of three or four other Rand reports, could be considered in the same vein as the Pentagon Papers on their release in 1971. A more accurate appraisal, however, would characterize this 318 page report as a summation of what the US military and intelligence agencies could have done more effectively.</p>
<p>This report is essentially an analyst’s blueprint for perfecting the occupation of a country with the idea that the eventual result will be domination of the locals’ minds, culture and economy, with the domination of the geography of secondary consideration or of no consideration at all. Like the television show Numbers that features a mathematician who works with the FBI by providing mathematical thinking to human endeavors like serial killing, drug smuggling, etc., the RAND study ignores the human and creative face of resistance by reducing ever element to a quantitative possibility with only so many possible outcomes. The numbers it quotes and the classifications it makes hide the true intent and outcome of the imperial military’s actions much like the statistical sheets maintained by men like Adolf Eichmann hid the true nature of the crimes against humanity perpetrated in the removal of Jewish Germans from the fatherland. The report draws from counterinsurgency experiences in Vietnam,Northern Ireland, Malaya, and of course, Iraq and Afghanistan.</p>
<p>The contradiction rampant throughout the report can be best phrased in the words of US Army Major Justin Featherstone who told the report’s writers after his extensive work with the urban population in southeastern Iraq: “Humanity is what it’s about, a genuine desire to do good by the good people, which can sit side-by-side with killing the people [whom you’re there to kill].” In other words, the task is to kill those who don’t want you there and convince the others that they are either better off with the occupier or at least not as bad off as they would be without them. Despite the constant warnings throughout the report’s recommendations to avoid killing noncombatants (without every providing a single definition of who composes this element), the report ultimately returns to this statement:</p>
<p>War, however, is the realm of destruction. Here will be instances in which these men and women will have to put innocents and their property at risk. In such cases, there may be no good outcome, no alternative that promises to benefit all desired ends, but rather one only less undesirable than its alternatives. A pilot might select the alternative of engaging only a few rooms instead of destroying an entire building, with the appropriate airframe and munitions being called on for the task. In lieu of devastating a town, a ground-force commander could find that a limited number of enemy concentrations provide the opportunity to wreak destruction over only a few blocks.</p>
<p>In other words, the occupier’s job remains one that depends on its overwhelming force. Even if the suggestions and lessons learned that are described in this report were to be put into place, the deciding factor in favor of the US occupying forces is their ability to kill with overwhelming force. Naturally, the indigenous population is aware of this–a fact which causes many to go along with the occupier merely as a means to survive. This is not a report about operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and their often bloody results so much as it is a review of the perceived success or failure of those operations. The primary intent of the report is to repeat already familiar lessons about how to construct and maintain an occupation of a country that minimizes the occupiers casualties, maintains domination via fear, cajolery, and manipulation of the personal and tribal relationships of the occupied while simultaneously convincing at least a sizable minority of the population of the occupying nation that their military (in league with the occupier) is working in their interest.</p>
<p>Written in what can best be described as something akin to a technical writing assignment, the report echoes the recent statements from US generals in the Iraq/Afghan theaters and is reflected in the recent decision by Barack Obama to reduce the numbers of US troops in Iraq to 50,000 over the next 16 months and escalate the battle to subdue Afghanistan. If there is one thing that this document makes clear, it is that the Pentagon and its civilian enablers have no intention of leaving Iraq or Afghanistan on their own. Furthermore, it is their intention to take the lessons they believe they have learned in those two countries and apply them to Pakistan and wherever else their manifest destiny compels them to subdue.</p>
<p>This is not the Pentagon Papers of the Iraq and Afghanistan occupations/wars. It is a document that hides the nature of the US operations in those countries behind an emasculated technospeak, rendering the true nature of the killing and destruction done in the name of the people of the US and the west. The contemporary version of the policy discussions that were revealed in the Pentagon Papers about the US operation in Vietnam are not here. Nor are the cables and directives that sent men off to kill and die. Those documents have yet to be uncovered. The usefulness of this report is in its look into the mindset of a modern imperial machine: a machine that never questions its mission or the human misery it causes but keeps its mind trained only on how to carry out that mission as efficiently as possible. The banality of the evil of modern warfare is contained in every neutered sentence of this document and the thousands of others like them. It is repeated in the newspeak of government officials and the sycophantic media that reports their words without challenging their consequences. The circle of complicity is completed when the public accepts the arguments made by those officials and media as being the only argument that exists.</p>
<p>RON JACOBS is author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1859841678/counterpunchmaga" type="external">The Way the Wind Blew: a history of the Weather Underground</a>, which is just republished by Verso. Jacobs’ essay on Big Bill Broonzy is featured in CounterPunch’s collection on music, art and sex, <a href="http://www.easycarts.net/ecarts/CounterPunch/CP_Books.html" type="external">Serpents in the Garden</a>. His first novel, <a href="" type="internal">Short Order Frame Up,</a> is published by Mainstay Press. He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 2,206 |
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<p />
<p>The two races — House District 23 and House District 37 — were the only races whose results were certified today by the three-member canvassing board. The rest of the races from the Nov. 6 general election will be certified at a later date after the Secretary of State’s office requested more time.</p>
<p>Current vote tallies in the two races in question are as follows:</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>House District 23 (Bernalillo and Sandoval Counties)</p>
<p>Paul Pacheco, R — 6,918</p>
<p>Marci Blaze, D — 6,852</p>
<p>House District 37 (Dona Ana County)</p>
<p>Joanne Ferrary, D — 6,247</p>
<p>Terry McMillan, R — 6,247</p>
<p>County clerks are expected to begin the recounts, which will be paid for by the state, on Dec. 4. It will likely take several days to conduct the process.</p>
<p>For more information and background on the automatic recounts, click <a href="" type="internal">here</a> to read today’s Journal story.</p> | Automatic Recounts Ordered for Two State House Races | false | https://abqjournal.com/149355/automatic-recounts-ordered-for-two-state-house-races.html | 2least
| Automatic Recounts Ordered for Two State House Races
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<p />
<p>The two races — House District 23 and House District 37 — were the only races whose results were certified today by the three-member canvassing board. The rest of the races from the Nov. 6 general election will be certified at a later date after the Secretary of State’s office requested more time.</p>
<p>Current vote tallies in the two races in question are as follows:</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>House District 23 (Bernalillo and Sandoval Counties)</p>
<p>Paul Pacheco, R — 6,918</p>
<p>Marci Blaze, D — 6,852</p>
<p>House District 37 (Dona Ana County)</p>
<p>Joanne Ferrary, D — 6,247</p>
<p>Terry McMillan, R — 6,247</p>
<p>County clerks are expected to begin the recounts, which will be paid for by the state, on Dec. 4. It will likely take several days to conduct the process.</p>
<p>For more information and background on the automatic recounts, click <a href="" type="internal">here</a> to read today’s Journal story.</p> | 2,207 |
|
<p>From&#160; <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/books/2430-ten-myths-about-israel" type="external">Ten Myths About Israel</a>, out now from Verso Books.</p>
<p>In the eyes of many Israelis and their supporters worldwide — even those who might criticize some of its policies — Israel is, at the end of the day, a benign democratic state, seeking peace with its neighbors, and guaranteeing equality to all its citizens.</p>
<p>Those who do criticize Israel assume that if anything went wrong in this democracy then it was due to the 1967 war. In this view, the war corrupted an honest and hardworking society by offering easy money in the occupied territories, allowing messianic groups to enter Israeli politics, and above all else turning Israel into an occupying and oppressive entity in the new territories.</p>
<p>The myth that a democratic Israel ran into trouble in 1967 but still remained a democracy is propagated even by some notable Palestinian and pro-Palestinian scholars — but it has no historical foundation.</p> | No, Israel Is Not a Democracy | true | http://jacobinmag.com/2017/05/israel-palestine-democracy-apartheid-discrimination-settler-colonialism | 2018-10-03 | 4left
| No, Israel Is Not a Democracy
<p>From&#160; <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/books/2430-ten-myths-about-israel" type="external">Ten Myths About Israel</a>, out now from Verso Books.</p>
<p>In the eyes of many Israelis and their supporters worldwide — even those who might criticize some of its policies — Israel is, at the end of the day, a benign democratic state, seeking peace with its neighbors, and guaranteeing equality to all its citizens.</p>
<p>Those who do criticize Israel assume that if anything went wrong in this democracy then it was due to the 1967 war. In this view, the war corrupted an honest and hardworking society by offering easy money in the occupied territories, allowing messianic groups to enter Israeli politics, and above all else turning Israel into an occupying and oppressive entity in the new territories.</p>
<p>The myth that a democratic Israel ran into trouble in 1967 but still remained a democracy is propagated even by some notable Palestinian and pro-Palestinian scholars — but it has no historical foundation.</p> | 2,208 |
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<p />
<p>State District Judge Raymond Ortiz, agreeing with a ruling by the Public Employee Labor Relations Board, said the administration should have negotiated with a union representing state workers before abolishing the positions in May 2011.</p>
<p>The judge’s order was filed last week and announced today by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 18.</p>
<p>There was no immediate word from the governor’s office whether it would appeal Ortiz’s order.</p>
<p>Security guards were placed at HSD income support field offices after a worker was stabbed and injured&#160; by a client in the Las Cruces office in 1996.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The union says the Martinez administration decided to do away with the guards in six of those offices as a cost-cutting measure. The offices are in Silver City, Truth or Consequences, Moriarty, Belen, Ruidoso and Grants.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Judge rules Human Services Dept. must reinstate security at six offices | false | https://abqjournal.com/212318/judge-rules-human-services-dept-must-reinstate-security-at-six-offices.html | 2least
| Judge rules Human Services Dept. must reinstate security at six offices
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<p />
<p>State District Judge Raymond Ortiz, agreeing with a ruling by the Public Employee Labor Relations Board, said the administration should have negotiated with a union representing state workers before abolishing the positions in May 2011.</p>
<p>The judge’s order was filed last week and announced today by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Council 18.</p>
<p>There was no immediate word from the governor’s office whether it would appeal Ortiz’s order.</p>
<p>Security guards were placed at HSD income support field offices after a worker was stabbed and injured&#160; by a client in the Las Cruces office in 1996.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The union says the Martinez administration decided to do away with the guards in six of those offices as a cost-cutting measure. The offices are in Silver City, Truth or Consequences, Moriarty, Belen, Ruidoso and Grants.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 2,209 |
|
<p>Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of Rupert Murdoch's News International, has stepped down in Britain amid a phone hacking scandal.</p>
<p>Her departure comes as <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/110714/news-the-world-scandal-rupert-murdoch-news-corp-fbi-probe" type="external">the FBI</a> says it is investigating allegations that British journalists hacked into the phones of victims of the September 11 attacks in 2001.</p>
<p>In a resignation letter published across the British media, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/15/rebekah-brooks-resigns-phone-hacking-scandal" type="external">Brooks</a> said that as the comany's CEO, she felt "a deep sense of responsibility" for those who were hurt:</p>
<p>I want to reiterate how sorry I am for what we now know to have taken place.</p>
<p>I have believed that the right and responsible action has been to lead us through the heat of the crisis. However my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate.</p>
<p>This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavours to fix the problems of the past.</p>
<p>Brooks was editor of the now defunct News of the World tabloid, at the time of some of the most serious hacking allegations, and had been under intense pressure to quit. The paper printed its final edition last Sunday.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>She had reportedly offered her resignation last week, but it was declined by Mudoch, and his son, James.</p>
<p>(Read more on GP: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/united-kingdom/110714/Murdoch-BSkyB-News-Corp-Political-Influence" type="external">Rupert Murdoch being undone by old-fashioned journalism</a>)</p>
<p>Along with Rupert and James Murdoch, Brooks has agreed to face questioning by British lawmakers at a parliamentary committee hearing next Tuesday.</p>
<p>She will be replaced as News International chief executive by Sky Italia's Tom Mockridge.</p> | News boss Rebekah Brooks resigns over phone hacking scandal (VIDEO) | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-07-15/news-boss-rebekah-brooks-resigns-over-phone-hacking-scandal-video | 2011-07-15 | 3left-center
| News boss Rebekah Brooks resigns over phone hacking scandal (VIDEO)
<p>Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of Rupert Murdoch's News International, has stepped down in Britain amid a phone hacking scandal.</p>
<p>Her departure comes as <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/110714/news-the-world-scandal-rupert-murdoch-news-corp-fbi-probe" type="external">the FBI</a> says it is investigating allegations that British journalists hacked into the phones of victims of the September 11 attacks in 2001.</p>
<p>In a resignation letter published across the British media, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/15/rebekah-brooks-resigns-phone-hacking-scandal" type="external">Brooks</a> said that as the comany's CEO, she felt "a deep sense of responsibility" for those who were hurt:</p>
<p>I want to reiterate how sorry I am for what we now know to have taken place.</p>
<p>I have believed that the right and responsible action has been to lead us through the heat of the crisis. However my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the debate.</p>
<p>This is now detracting attention from all our honest endeavours to fix the problems of the past.</p>
<p>Brooks was editor of the now defunct News of the World tabloid, at the time of some of the most serious hacking allegations, and had been under intense pressure to quit. The paper printed its final edition last Sunday.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>She had reportedly offered her resignation last week, but it was declined by Mudoch, and his son, James.</p>
<p>(Read more on GP: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/united-kingdom/110714/Murdoch-BSkyB-News-Corp-Political-Influence" type="external">Rupert Murdoch being undone by old-fashioned journalism</a>)</p>
<p>Along with Rupert and James Murdoch, Brooks has agreed to face questioning by British lawmakers at a parliamentary committee hearing next Tuesday.</p>
<p>She will be replaced as News International chief executive by Sky Italia's Tom Mockridge.</p> | 2,210 |
<p>MOSCOW (Reuters) – Venezuela has not requested any help from Russia beyond a debt restructuring deal that has already been agreed between the two countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Russia and Venezuela are to sign an agreement on Wednesday restructuring around $3 billion in debts to Russia, a source familiar with the negotiations told Reuters last week.</p>
<p />
<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | Moscow says Venezuela has not asked for help beyond debt deal | false | https://newsline.com/moscow-says-venezuela-has-not-asked-for-help-beyond-debt-deal/ | 2017-11-15 | 1right-center
| Moscow says Venezuela has not asked for help beyond debt deal
<p>MOSCOW (Reuters) – Venezuela has not requested any help from Russia beyond a debt restructuring deal that has already been agreed between the two countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Russia and Venezuela are to sign an agreement on Wednesday restructuring around $3 billion in debts to Russia, a source familiar with the negotiations told Reuters last week.</p>
<p />
<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | 2,211 |
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<p />
<p>Ray Birmingham, UNM's baseball coach. Before he took the Lobos to four straight NCAA Regional appearances and back-to-back Mountain West titles, Birmingham coached New Mexico Junior College, in his hometown of Hobbs, to a national title in 2005. He also led Las Cruces Mayfield High School to a Class AAAA state title in 1981.</p>
<p>Carla Garrett, a 1992 U.S. Olympian and now UNM's strength-and-conditioning coach for women's basketball, softball and women's tennis. At Santa Fe High School in the 1980s, Garrett was a track and field state champion and an all-state basketball player. She was a 10-time track and field All-American at the University of Arizona and represented her country in the discus throw at the Barcelona Olympics. She came home to New Mexico last year after a long career as a strength-and-conditioning coach at the U of A.</p>
<p>The late Sam Lacey, who in 1970 led the New Mexico State Aggies to the NCAA Final Four. Lacey went on to a 13-year career in the NBA. "Slammin? Sam," a 6-foot-10 center, died in March 2014.</p>
<p>Luc Longley, who came to UNM from Australia in 1987 and became perhaps the most popular Lobo basketball player in the program's history. After averaging 19.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in his four seasons at UNM, he went on to help Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls win three consecutive NBA titles from 1996-98.</p>
<p>Eric Roanhaus, Clovis High School's head football coach from 1978-2015 (and counting). Roanhaus has coached the Wildcats to 10 state titles, eight runner-up finishes and 328 victories during his 38 seasons.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Marv Sanders, who during his 41-year coaching career took three different New Mexico high schools - Hatch Valley, Silver High and Farmington - to state titles. Sanders, a Western New Mexico University graduate, retired in 2003 after averaging nearly 20 victories per season.</p>
<p>Henry Tafoya, a longtime Albuquerque television and radio sports broadcaster. A multi-sport athlete at Sandia High School in the 1960s, Tafoya has broadcast everything from New Mexico and New Mexico State basketball to high school athletics to Little League baseball.</p>
<p>Flo Valdez, a Roswell High School graduate who later coached her alma mater to three state volleyball titles. Her volleyball teams at Roswell and El Paso Franklin won a combined 985 matches through 42 seasons. Valdez also coached track and field, gymnastics and basketball.</p>
<p>The Hall of Fame also recognized its annual award winners for 2015. They are: Marcus Williams, Cleveland High School, Male High School Athlete of the Year. Lauren Wilmert, Volcano Vista, Female High School Athlete of the Year. CJ Maestas, University of Illinois gymnast, College Male Athlete of the Year. Maestas, a Cibola graduate, trained in Albuquerque at Gold Cup Gymnastics School. Shelby Pendley, University of Oklahoma softball player. Pendley is a Rio Rancho graduate. Heath Ridenour, Cleveland football, High School Coach of the Year. Joe Franklin, UNM track and field/cross country, College Coach of the Year. Holly Holm, former UFC bantamweight champion, Pro Athlete of the Year. Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn of Albuquerque's Jackson-Wink MMA, Award of Distinction. Cam Bairstow's inaugural UNM Alumni Basketball All-Star Game, Promotion of the Year. La Cueva High School volleyball, High School Team of the Year. UNM women's cross country, College Team of the Year. Big Dogs (women's age group basketball), Amateur Team of the Year.</p> | Hall of Fame inducts eight | false | https://abqjournal.com/750889/hall-of-fame-inducts-eight.html | 2least
| Hall of Fame inducts eight
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<p />
<p>Ray Birmingham, UNM's baseball coach. Before he took the Lobos to four straight NCAA Regional appearances and back-to-back Mountain West titles, Birmingham coached New Mexico Junior College, in his hometown of Hobbs, to a national title in 2005. He also led Las Cruces Mayfield High School to a Class AAAA state title in 1981.</p>
<p>Carla Garrett, a 1992 U.S. Olympian and now UNM's strength-and-conditioning coach for women's basketball, softball and women's tennis. At Santa Fe High School in the 1980s, Garrett was a track and field state champion and an all-state basketball player. She was a 10-time track and field All-American at the University of Arizona and represented her country in the discus throw at the Barcelona Olympics. She came home to New Mexico last year after a long career as a strength-and-conditioning coach at the U of A.</p>
<p>The late Sam Lacey, who in 1970 led the New Mexico State Aggies to the NCAA Final Four. Lacey went on to a 13-year career in the NBA. "Slammin? Sam," a 6-foot-10 center, died in March 2014.</p>
<p>Luc Longley, who came to UNM from Australia in 1987 and became perhaps the most popular Lobo basketball player in the program's history. After averaging 19.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in his four seasons at UNM, he went on to help Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls win three consecutive NBA titles from 1996-98.</p>
<p>Eric Roanhaus, Clovis High School's head football coach from 1978-2015 (and counting). Roanhaus has coached the Wildcats to 10 state titles, eight runner-up finishes and 328 victories during his 38 seasons.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Marv Sanders, who during his 41-year coaching career took three different New Mexico high schools - Hatch Valley, Silver High and Farmington - to state titles. Sanders, a Western New Mexico University graduate, retired in 2003 after averaging nearly 20 victories per season.</p>
<p>Henry Tafoya, a longtime Albuquerque television and radio sports broadcaster. A multi-sport athlete at Sandia High School in the 1960s, Tafoya has broadcast everything from New Mexico and New Mexico State basketball to high school athletics to Little League baseball.</p>
<p>Flo Valdez, a Roswell High School graduate who later coached her alma mater to three state volleyball titles. Her volleyball teams at Roswell and El Paso Franklin won a combined 985 matches through 42 seasons. Valdez also coached track and field, gymnastics and basketball.</p>
<p>The Hall of Fame also recognized its annual award winners for 2015. They are: Marcus Williams, Cleveland High School, Male High School Athlete of the Year. Lauren Wilmert, Volcano Vista, Female High School Athlete of the Year. CJ Maestas, University of Illinois gymnast, College Male Athlete of the Year. Maestas, a Cibola graduate, trained in Albuquerque at Gold Cup Gymnastics School. Shelby Pendley, University of Oklahoma softball player. Pendley is a Rio Rancho graduate. Heath Ridenour, Cleveland football, High School Coach of the Year. Joe Franklin, UNM track and field/cross country, College Coach of the Year. Holly Holm, former UFC bantamweight champion, Pro Athlete of the Year. Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn of Albuquerque's Jackson-Wink MMA, Award of Distinction. Cam Bairstow's inaugural UNM Alumni Basketball All-Star Game, Promotion of the Year. La Cueva High School volleyball, High School Team of the Year. UNM women's cross country, College Team of the Year. Big Dogs (women's age group basketball), Amateur Team of the Year.</p> | 2,212 |
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<p />
<p><a href="https://www.votizen.com/" type="external">Votizen</a>, a non-partisan and non affiliated political platform whose goal is to “restore American democracy,” just released a new feature that may revolutionize the way in which politicians and their campaigns use social media.</p>
<p>Reporting almost 1.5 million registered voters on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the website allows you to become a “Votizen” and discover various voting aspects within your own personal social networks – for free. Votizen allows you to find your voting friends, their voter frequency, and interestingly enough, their party registration. The company is unique in that it has worked to compile an all encompassing voter registration&#160;database to build this off of.</p>
<p>Pete Snyder <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63503.html#ixzz22zjmrwso" type="external">says</a> of the process,</p>
<p>“This is where campaigns are going, being able to take your digital footprints, cellphone number and personal information and overlay that with voting records and political mailing lists,” said Pete Snyder, founder and CEO of one of Votizen’s backers, New Media Strategies. “You have hundreds of companies and campaigns trying to crack the code on this.”</p>
<p>The company, centered around consumer technology, was founded in 2010 and launched in 2011 by Jason Putorti, a past lead designer for Mint.com, David Binetti, a Web entrepreneur who helped build USA.gov, and Matt Snider, also a former employee and engineer at Mint.com.&#160;The company has been able to garner backing from Silicon Valley’s finest, but a new big player, Sean Parker, Napster co-founder and Facebook’s founding president and basically one of social media’s super star. Parker has apparently always <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/view/426138/five-interesting-things-sean-parker-said/" type="external">believed in the influence</a> of social media, and in particular, its influence on politics.</p>
<p>On the relationship between politics and social media, Parker <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/techonomy/2011/11/19/sean-parker-and-jim-breyer-predict-the-industries-social-media-will-reinvent-next/" type="external">says</a>:</p>
<p>“Politics for me is the most obvious area [to be disrupted by the Web],” said Parker. “Campaigns themselves, and all forms of special interest groups and PACs are driven by huge amounts of cash. If you’re a PAC you’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to mobilize single-issue voters. Taking money out of politics with campaigns is possible through social media. Like with all of these other groups, they’re spending a fortune basically for maintaining a mailing list, and that can be done basically for free using online tools. There’s huge potential for disruption.”</p>
<p>Another big funder and proponent of the potential power Votizen has on social media is ex VP, Al Gore. In this audience taken video of him and Sean Parker at the 2012 SxSW festival, the two are having an engaging discussion on the role social media plays in combating political apathy. The video primarily covers this at 3 minutes in and on.</p>
<p>And on direct democracy in the US:</p>
<p>The two figures both show their firm belief in the role of technology to empower not only citizens but the electorate, hoewever they seem disturbed by the dangers associated with social media and its vulnerability for exploitation by bureaucrats and politically inclined backers. Parker revels the idea of harnessing social media for “ <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/techonomy/2011/11/19/sean-parker-and-jim-breyer-predict-the-industries-social-media-will-reinvent-next/" type="external">reducing the value of campaign dollars, resulting in the election of lesser-funded politicians.</a>”</p>
<p>Other celebrities are on board with the goals of Votizen, harboring funding from the likes of Ashton Kutcher and Lady Gaga and Madonna’s managers. As of recent, the company reportedly has funding of approximately 2.25 million dollars as of March this year. Its list of investors can be seen <a href="https://www.votizen.com/investors/" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>And the new feature we mentioned that may revolutionize how politicians use social media? Essentially, the basis of Votizen is for users to be able to see others in their social network who are voters and enable them to support the campaigns and candidates they believe in.&#160;It facilitates outreach only from people in their own social network.&#160;In this way, campaigns are gaining votes through more authentic, grassroots promotion.&#160;Recently,&#160;Votizen released new technology that will allow (for a cost) campaigns to&#160;acquire data on their Votizen supporters and provide them with custom and personal messages to market within the user’s own social network. Campaigns can attain data on which supporters are winning votes which will allow them to pinpoint what strategies they can possibly add to their campaign efforts.&#160;Purtorti says this new feature will&#160;“extract the voter IDs for the voters identified by your supporters”.</p>
<p>But what about those of us who want to keep our voter identities a little more conspicuous? Purtorti clarifies saying “The only way you’ll receive a message ever from Votizen, is through one of your friends, and we allow an easy way to opt-out of that completely”.&#160;The company allows voters&#160;the option of being unidentifiable by filling out an opt-out form available on the website.</p>
<p>Before this new product was launched, co-founder Binetti <a href="http://allthingsd.com/20120223/votizen-gets-a-celebrity-round-of-funding-to-connect-social-media-and-politics/" type="external">said</a> “We’re disrupting the currency of politics with ‘friendraising’ over fundraising. The goal is to make it harder for money to have an effect” with the goal of creating, “a world where the size of your network matters a lot more than the size of your checkbook.” Ironically, this is countered by the release of Votizen’s new feature. Now, Votizen is charging a “special” for campaigns to gain access to their feature; a mere $250. This is a small price to pay for the potential impact this technology can have, and the owners put faith in this, claiming they will soon increase the price. Does this price and the soon to be price spike seem contradictory to their fundamental goals?</p>
<p>Thoughts on how much this kind of technology will spread and at what pace is still up in the air as it will take some time for courageous campaigns to see results and for word-of-mouth to spread. The track record of the founders, although illustrious, have also seen ideas and startups that were not so successful, but in the world of technology, I guess they all can’t be gems. In my opinion, the success of this kind of thing will only occur with it spreading from a more top down approach with bigger campaigns taking hold of and utilizing their already high number of followers.</p>
<p>That’s not to say there isn’t still an extremely accessible component to Votizen for smaller scale politics, as that is the exact reason why it was created. The allowance of focus on the more low profile yet nonetheless dedicated followers is exactly what this kind of technology could facilitate.</p>
<p>In terms of what this could mean for voters and politics, utilizing social networks in this way could be a game changer in the prominence of what many would consider the two party system we have today. It empowers not only voters but politicians and political proponents. Campaigns that cannot necessarily compete with other political campaigns often funded by the rich and the powerful are given another channel of outreach. It creates a playing field that is a bit more fair and where money doesn’t play such a large factor, but social networks do. It allows politicians to streamline the process of attaining votes that can sometimes be muddled in the convenience of partisanship and holds a power to&#160;conceive “a new political currency based on voter-to-voter connections” that could potentially significantly alter politics in social media today.</p>
<p>*Edited after clarification from Co-founder, Votizen</p>
<p /> | Votizen Creates a New Kind of Voter Outreach | false | https://ivn.us/2012/08/11/votizen-creates-a-new-kind-of-voter-outreach/ | 2012-08-11 | 2least
| Votizen Creates a New Kind of Voter Outreach
<p />
<p><a href="https://www.votizen.com/" type="external">Votizen</a>, a non-partisan and non affiliated political platform whose goal is to “restore American democracy,” just released a new feature that may revolutionize the way in which politicians and their campaigns use social media.</p>
<p>Reporting almost 1.5 million registered voters on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the website allows you to become a “Votizen” and discover various voting aspects within your own personal social networks – for free. Votizen allows you to find your voting friends, their voter frequency, and interestingly enough, their party registration. The company is unique in that it has worked to compile an all encompassing voter registration&#160;database to build this off of.</p>
<p>Pete Snyder <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63503.html#ixzz22zjmrwso" type="external">says</a> of the process,</p>
<p>“This is where campaigns are going, being able to take your digital footprints, cellphone number and personal information and overlay that with voting records and political mailing lists,” said Pete Snyder, founder and CEO of one of Votizen’s backers, New Media Strategies. “You have hundreds of companies and campaigns trying to crack the code on this.”</p>
<p>The company, centered around consumer technology, was founded in 2010 and launched in 2011 by Jason Putorti, a past lead designer for Mint.com, David Binetti, a Web entrepreneur who helped build USA.gov, and Matt Snider, also a former employee and engineer at Mint.com.&#160;The company has been able to garner backing from Silicon Valley’s finest, but a new big player, Sean Parker, Napster co-founder and Facebook’s founding president and basically one of social media’s super star. Parker has apparently always <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/view/426138/five-interesting-things-sean-parker-said/" type="external">believed in the influence</a> of social media, and in particular, its influence on politics.</p>
<p>On the relationship between politics and social media, Parker <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/techonomy/2011/11/19/sean-parker-and-jim-breyer-predict-the-industries-social-media-will-reinvent-next/" type="external">says</a>:</p>
<p>“Politics for me is the most obvious area [to be disrupted by the Web],” said Parker. “Campaigns themselves, and all forms of special interest groups and PACs are driven by huge amounts of cash. If you’re a PAC you’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to mobilize single-issue voters. Taking money out of politics with campaigns is possible through social media. Like with all of these other groups, they’re spending a fortune basically for maintaining a mailing list, and that can be done basically for free using online tools. There’s huge potential for disruption.”</p>
<p>Another big funder and proponent of the potential power Votizen has on social media is ex VP, Al Gore. In this audience taken video of him and Sean Parker at the 2012 SxSW festival, the two are having an engaging discussion on the role social media plays in combating political apathy. The video primarily covers this at 3 minutes in and on.</p>
<p>And on direct democracy in the US:</p>
<p>The two figures both show their firm belief in the role of technology to empower not only citizens but the electorate, hoewever they seem disturbed by the dangers associated with social media and its vulnerability for exploitation by bureaucrats and politically inclined backers. Parker revels the idea of harnessing social media for “ <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/techonomy/2011/11/19/sean-parker-and-jim-breyer-predict-the-industries-social-media-will-reinvent-next/" type="external">reducing the value of campaign dollars, resulting in the election of lesser-funded politicians.</a>”</p>
<p>Other celebrities are on board with the goals of Votizen, harboring funding from the likes of Ashton Kutcher and Lady Gaga and Madonna’s managers. As of recent, the company reportedly has funding of approximately 2.25 million dollars as of March this year. Its list of investors can be seen <a href="https://www.votizen.com/investors/" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>And the new feature we mentioned that may revolutionize how politicians use social media? Essentially, the basis of Votizen is for users to be able to see others in their social network who are voters and enable them to support the campaigns and candidates they believe in.&#160;It facilitates outreach only from people in their own social network.&#160;In this way, campaigns are gaining votes through more authentic, grassroots promotion.&#160;Recently,&#160;Votizen released new technology that will allow (for a cost) campaigns to&#160;acquire data on their Votizen supporters and provide them with custom and personal messages to market within the user’s own social network. Campaigns can attain data on which supporters are winning votes which will allow them to pinpoint what strategies they can possibly add to their campaign efforts.&#160;Purtorti says this new feature will&#160;“extract the voter IDs for the voters identified by your supporters”.</p>
<p>But what about those of us who want to keep our voter identities a little more conspicuous? Purtorti clarifies saying “The only way you’ll receive a message ever from Votizen, is through one of your friends, and we allow an easy way to opt-out of that completely”.&#160;The company allows voters&#160;the option of being unidentifiable by filling out an opt-out form available on the website.</p>
<p>Before this new product was launched, co-founder Binetti <a href="http://allthingsd.com/20120223/votizen-gets-a-celebrity-round-of-funding-to-connect-social-media-and-politics/" type="external">said</a> “We’re disrupting the currency of politics with ‘friendraising’ over fundraising. The goal is to make it harder for money to have an effect” with the goal of creating, “a world where the size of your network matters a lot more than the size of your checkbook.” Ironically, this is countered by the release of Votizen’s new feature. Now, Votizen is charging a “special” for campaigns to gain access to their feature; a mere $250. This is a small price to pay for the potential impact this technology can have, and the owners put faith in this, claiming they will soon increase the price. Does this price and the soon to be price spike seem contradictory to their fundamental goals?</p>
<p>Thoughts on how much this kind of technology will spread and at what pace is still up in the air as it will take some time for courageous campaigns to see results and for word-of-mouth to spread. The track record of the founders, although illustrious, have also seen ideas and startups that were not so successful, but in the world of technology, I guess they all can’t be gems. In my opinion, the success of this kind of thing will only occur with it spreading from a more top down approach with bigger campaigns taking hold of and utilizing their already high number of followers.</p>
<p>That’s not to say there isn’t still an extremely accessible component to Votizen for smaller scale politics, as that is the exact reason why it was created. The allowance of focus on the more low profile yet nonetheless dedicated followers is exactly what this kind of technology could facilitate.</p>
<p>In terms of what this could mean for voters and politics, utilizing social networks in this way could be a game changer in the prominence of what many would consider the two party system we have today. It empowers not only voters but politicians and political proponents. Campaigns that cannot necessarily compete with other political campaigns often funded by the rich and the powerful are given another channel of outreach. It creates a playing field that is a bit more fair and where money doesn’t play such a large factor, but social networks do. It allows politicians to streamline the process of attaining votes that can sometimes be muddled in the convenience of partisanship and holds a power to&#160;conceive “a new political currency based on voter-to-voter connections” that could potentially significantly alter politics in social media today.</p>
<p>*Edited after clarification from Co-founder, Votizen</p>
<p /> | 2,213 |
<p>Dave &amp; Buster's Entertainment Inc. jumped to record highs Tuesday afternoon after the chain of adult arcades and eateries easily beat earnings expectations. Dave &amp; Buster's reported net income of $10.8 million, or 25 cents a share, on sales of $228.7 million, more than doubling its profit and showing a 19% revenue gain from the same quarter a year ago. Analysts polled by FactSet expected Dave &amp; Buster's to report earnings of 14 cents a share on revenue of $216.7 million. The company also suggested it could hit $1 billion in annual sales for the first time by increasing its annual guidance for revenue to a range of $998 million-$1.003 billion, from $983 million-$995 million. going to add this sentence: The company also said it plans to open 11 new locations in th e current fiscal year, the top of a previous guidance range, and 11 to 12 new stores in the 2017 fiscal year. Dave &amp; Buster's stock, which has never traded for more than $50 a share, jumped 11.5% in after-hours trading to $53.50.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | Dave & Buster's Surges To Record High After Blowout Earnings Report | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/06/dave-buster-surges-to-record-high-after-blowout-earnings-report.html | 2016-12-06 | 0right
| Dave & Buster's Surges To Record High After Blowout Earnings Report
<p>Dave &amp; Buster's Entertainment Inc. jumped to record highs Tuesday afternoon after the chain of adult arcades and eateries easily beat earnings expectations. Dave &amp; Buster's reported net income of $10.8 million, or 25 cents a share, on sales of $228.7 million, more than doubling its profit and showing a 19% revenue gain from the same quarter a year ago. Analysts polled by FactSet expected Dave &amp; Buster's to report earnings of 14 cents a share on revenue of $216.7 million. The company also suggested it could hit $1 billion in annual sales for the first time by increasing its annual guidance for revenue to a range of $998 million-$1.003 billion, from $983 million-$995 million. going to add this sentence: The company also said it plans to open 11 new locations in th e current fiscal year, the top of a previous guidance range, and 11 to 12 new stores in the 2017 fiscal year. Dave &amp; Buster's stock, which has never traded for more than $50 a share, jumped 11.5% in after-hours trading to $53.50.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | 2,214 |
<p>Image via austinchronicle.com</p>
<p>A few months ago <a href="" type="internal">I wrote an article</a> warning progressives and people who generally oppose radical anti-government groups that they were being used and manipulated by supposed “police accountability” groups. The truth is most of these organizations like Cop Block aren’t out to hold police officers accountable, they’re fear-mongering radicals who oppose government and often get <a href="" type="internal">caught blatantly editing or sensationalizing stories</a> to slander police officers.</p>
<p>Their motives are derived from their anti-government ideologies and have nothing to do with actually advocating for police accountability. They just use the lie that they’re “wanting to hold police officers accountable” to try to mask the fact that they have an agenda to create distrust among citizens and the police so that more people will unknowingly support and fund these radical anti-government groups masquerading as something that they’re not. In fact, many of these organizations spend countless nights out harassing cops, hoping to get some kind of reaction out of a police officer so they can post that incident on the internet as another “example of out of control police behavior.”</p>
<p>There are other groups that are cut from the same mold as these “police accountability” groups like Cop Block. An open carry advocacy organization such as the infamous Open Carry Texas is one of them. This is an organization <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/11/moms-demand-action-open-carry-texas-guns-rifles/3497895/" type="external">that often stages</a> “protests” around the Dallas/Fort Worth area openly brandishing loaded AK-47’s and AR-15’s along city streets. They also often go around scaring the hell out of ordinary residents by showing up to random retail stores or restaurants in large groups of heavily armed individuals with assault rifles.</p>
<p>And they’re also the group that’s now <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/353218798136827/" type="external">trying to exploit</a> the controversial deaths of Mike Brown and Eric Garner to stage a supposed “Massive March Against Police Overreach and Brutality.” But the truth is, they’re using these two incidents to stage what will be nothing more than a pro-gun, anti-government propaganda fest <a href="" type="internal">disguised under the premise</a> that they actually care about holding police officers accountable.</p>
<p>Like I said, it’s what these groups do. They’re either out “protesting” with loaded military style assault rifles strapped to their backs or they’re out following cop cars around trying to harass officers out doing their jobs, hoping to lead them into some kind of an altercation so they can post the video onto YouTube as an “example of police injustice.”</p>
<p>And now they’re exploiting these two deaths to fool unsuspecting people into coming out to one of their events where I’m sure they’ll pretend that they’re out there calling for police accountability. But what they’re really trying to do is get more people on their “pro-guns/anti-government” side by using this “march” as a bridge to reach people who otherwise would have nothing to do with their pro-gun/anti-government idiocy.</p>
<p>It’s why I’ve always cautioned people to be weary of any “advocacy group.” Because while we should always make sure we’re holding people accountable from any walk of life, often these “advocacy groups” are blatantly biased organizations trying to push their own agendas rather than factual information.</p>
<p>Because while these “police accountability”&#160;groups claim they’re “just holding police officers accountable for their actions,” my question is – who’s holding&#160;them&#160;accountable for their actions?</p>
<p />
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">It's Time We Start Calling Cop Block What It Actually Is: A Hate Group</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Cop Block Gets Exposed as Radical Hate Group Following Dallas Mass Shooting</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">How Liberals Are Being Tricked into Supporting and Funding Radical Right-Wing Groups</a></p>
<p>0 Facebook comments</p> | Open Carry Texas Exploiting Mike Brown and Eric Garner Deaths for Anti-Cop March | true | http://forwardprogressives.com/open-carry-texas-exploiting-mike-brown-eric-garner-deaths-anti-cop-march/ | 2014-12-06 | 4left
| Open Carry Texas Exploiting Mike Brown and Eric Garner Deaths for Anti-Cop March
<p>Image via austinchronicle.com</p>
<p>A few months ago <a href="" type="internal">I wrote an article</a> warning progressives and people who generally oppose radical anti-government groups that they were being used and manipulated by supposed “police accountability” groups. The truth is most of these organizations like Cop Block aren’t out to hold police officers accountable, they’re fear-mongering radicals who oppose government and often get <a href="" type="internal">caught blatantly editing or sensationalizing stories</a> to slander police officers.</p>
<p>Their motives are derived from their anti-government ideologies and have nothing to do with actually advocating for police accountability. They just use the lie that they’re “wanting to hold police officers accountable” to try to mask the fact that they have an agenda to create distrust among citizens and the police so that more people will unknowingly support and fund these radical anti-government groups masquerading as something that they’re not. In fact, many of these organizations spend countless nights out harassing cops, hoping to get some kind of reaction out of a police officer so they can post that incident on the internet as another “example of out of control police behavior.”</p>
<p>There are other groups that are cut from the same mold as these “police accountability” groups like Cop Block. An open carry advocacy organization such as the infamous Open Carry Texas is one of them. This is an organization <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/11/moms-demand-action-open-carry-texas-guns-rifles/3497895/" type="external">that often stages</a> “protests” around the Dallas/Fort Worth area openly brandishing loaded AK-47’s and AR-15’s along city streets. They also often go around scaring the hell out of ordinary residents by showing up to random retail stores or restaurants in large groups of heavily armed individuals with assault rifles.</p>
<p>And they’re also the group that’s now <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/353218798136827/" type="external">trying to exploit</a> the controversial deaths of Mike Brown and Eric Garner to stage a supposed “Massive March Against Police Overreach and Brutality.” But the truth is, they’re using these two incidents to stage what will be nothing more than a pro-gun, anti-government propaganda fest <a href="" type="internal">disguised under the premise</a> that they actually care about holding police officers accountable.</p>
<p>Like I said, it’s what these groups do. They’re either out “protesting” with loaded military style assault rifles strapped to their backs or they’re out following cop cars around trying to harass officers out doing their jobs, hoping to lead them into some kind of an altercation so they can post the video onto YouTube as an “example of police injustice.”</p>
<p>And now they’re exploiting these two deaths to fool unsuspecting people into coming out to one of their events where I’m sure they’ll pretend that they’re out there calling for police accountability. But what they’re really trying to do is get more people on their “pro-guns/anti-government” side by using this “march” as a bridge to reach people who otherwise would have nothing to do with their pro-gun/anti-government idiocy.</p>
<p>It’s why I’ve always cautioned people to be weary of any “advocacy group.” Because while we should always make sure we’re holding people accountable from any walk of life, often these “advocacy groups” are blatantly biased organizations trying to push their own agendas rather than factual information.</p>
<p>Because while these “police accountability”&#160;groups claim they’re “just holding police officers accountable for their actions,” my question is – who’s holding&#160;them&#160;accountable for their actions?</p>
<p />
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">It's Time We Start Calling Cop Block What It Actually Is: A Hate Group</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Cop Block Gets Exposed as Radical Hate Group Following Dallas Mass Shooting</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">How Liberals Are Being Tricked into Supporting and Funding Radical Right-Wing Groups</a></p>
<p>0 Facebook comments</p> | 2,215 |
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<p />
<p>Still, they caution it will take a few years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars before the flow of air is enough to meet the pace of operations before the leak.</p>
<p>Bruce Covert, president of the contractor that runs the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for the federal government, said testing was done and the U.S. Energy Department approved starting up the air handling system.</p>
<p>He called it a big step for the facility, which disposes of waste from decades of bomb-making and nuclear research. The waste is placed in rooms mined out of a salt bed about 2,000 feet below the desert surface.</p>
<p>“We have not done mining in over three years, so the good news is we’re going to walk before we run,” Covert said at a recent public meeting. “We’re going to work real steady, methodical, to get the teams back at it.”</p>
<p>The repository restarted operations earlier this year with a couple of weekly shipments of waste from federal sites across the U.S. That has now that has been ramped up to about six a week.</p>
<p>The shipments from Idaho, West Texas and South Carolina include tools, clothing, gloves and other items that have come in contact with elements such as plutonium.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The supplemental ventilation system will keep things moving at the repository until workers can install a permanent system that is expected to cost more than a quarter-billion dollars and take until 2021 to complete. Officials also have plans for a new exhaust shaft that could end up costing about $100 million.</p>
<p>Officials have been considering numerous alternatives for constructing the ventilation system, which would include a network of air shafts, a towering exhaust stack, a special building for filtering the air and backup diesel generators. Approval for construction could come as soon as January, with work starting in the spring.</p>
<p>As mining resumes, officials said equipment has been installed to remove as much dust underground as possible. Two new trucks for hauling salt are also ready.</p>
<p />
<p /> | WIPP expects to resume mining this week | false | https://abqjournal.com/1105173/mining-to-resume-at-wipp-for-1st-time-since-leak.html | 2017-12-11 | 2least
| WIPP expects to resume mining this week
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Still, they caution it will take a few years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars before the flow of air is enough to meet the pace of operations before the leak.</p>
<p>Bruce Covert, president of the contractor that runs the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant for the federal government, said testing was done and the U.S. Energy Department approved starting up the air handling system.</p>
<p>He called it a big step for the facility, which disposes of waste from decades of bomb-making and nuclear research. The waste is placed in rooms mined out of a salt bed about 2,000 feet below the desert surface.</p>
<p>“We have not done mining in over three years, so the good news is we’re going to walk before we run,” Covert said at a recent public meeting. “We’re going to work real steady, methodical, to get the teams back at it.”</p>
<p>The repository restarted operations earlier this year with a couple of weekly shipments of waste from federal sites across the U.S. That has now that has been ramped up to about six a week.</p>
<p>The shipments from Idaho, West Texas and South Carolina include tools, clothing, gloves and other items that have come in contact with elements such as plutonium.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The supplemental ventilation system will keep things moving at the repository until workers can install a permanent system that is expected to cost more than a quarter-billion dollars and take until 2021 to complete. Officials also have plans for a new exhaust shaft that could end up costing about $100 million.</p>
<p>Officials have been considering numerous alternatives for constructing the ventilation system, which would include a network of air shafts, a towering exhaust stack, a special building for filtering the air and backup diesel generators. Approval for construction could come as soon as January, with work starting in the spring.</p>
<p>As mining resumes, officials said equipment has been installed to remove as much dust underground as possible. Two new trucks for hauling salt are also ready.</p>
<p />
<p /> | 2,216 |
<p>The Obama administration on Monday said it plans to deport most of the thousands of unaccompanied minors that have poured over the US-Mexico border in an <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/rights/US-mexico-border-child-migrants" type="external">unprecedented surge</a> that has overwhelmed Border Patrol, roused angry protesters and ratcheted up partisan rhetoric in DC.</p>
<p>The announcement came one week after President Obama <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/07/behind-the-scenes-of-obamas-surprising-immigration-pivot/373989/" type="external">assured immigration advocates</a>that he would “keep his promise” and press on with executive action, asking Congress for $2 billion in emergency funds to aid in the housing, feeding and processing of those who have been apprehended.</p>
<p>More than 52,000 unaccompanied, immigrant children traveling from Central American countries have crossed the US border in Rio Grande, Texas, since October. Obama last month called the surge a “humanitarian crisis.” In its initial response, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) implemented a $2 million legal aid program to assist the children, and ordered the opening of additional emergency shelters and facilities throughout Texas, California, Arizona and Oklahoma to house the immigrants as they made their way through the legal system.</p>
<p>In the time since, the humanitarian crisis has spurred a policy crisis, pinning the president against a Republican-run house.</p>
<p>Pressure on Obama has snowballed since early June, when news of the increasing number of unaccompanied minors journeying to the US border erupted. Immigration advocacy groups have, on one side, pushed for the president to <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/211446-white-house-most-immigrant-children-will-be-sent-home" type="external">take executive action on immigration reform</a> — to bypass a Congress that would not act on a bill passed last year by the Democrat-controlled Senate. When he did not move fast enough, Janet Murguia of the National Council of La Raza now-famously branded him the “deporter-in-chief.”</p>
<p>He has simultaneously been under fire from Republicans who say the president should have seen the crisis coming, and who have blamed his immigration policy for the start of rumors throughout Latin America that children arriving to the US alone would not be sent back. Democratic Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, whose district sits alongside Rio Grande Valley, where much of the influx has taken place, said Obama has been " <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/07/05/328793795/texas-gov-testifies-on-crisis-in-child-immigragration" type="external">one step behind</a>."</p>
<p>On June 24 House Speaker John Boehner reportedly told the president that there would be no votes on immigration before the midterm election, but that he should hold off on taking the matter into his own hands because “he believed there was a good chance a comprehensive bill could pass in the next congress.”</p>
<p>In response, the president reportedly said “sorry about that. I’m going to keep my promise and move forward with executive action soon.”</p>
<p>Still, he told immigration groups, “we are a nation with borders that must be enforced,” and said he had to implement the law even when it comes to difficult cases involving children.</p>
<p>Those who have been apprehended “will go through the immigration court process”— <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/07/politics/5-things-immigration-reality-check/" type="external">they will automatically be allowed to apply for asylum</a>— White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Monday, though it is “unlikely” that most will qualify to stay in the US.</p>
<p>International humanitarian aid group Save the Children has created “child-friendly spaces” within shelters housing the families while they await their court dates. In them, children can play, paint and read books written in Spanish. Though one of the organization’s purposes is to initiate programs like this one, their work most often takes them to conflict zones or emergency areas like South Sudan, Syria, or New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. This is the first time Save the Children has worked on the US- Mexico border.</p>
<p>“You know, the journeys have been very hard,” Carolyn Miles, CEO of Save the Children USA, <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/07/05/328793795/texas-gov-testifies-on-crisis-in-child-immigragration" type="external">told NPR</a>. “A lot of these families are going, you know, more than a thousand miles — buses and trains and walking for — one little boy told me he walked for three days at the end of his journey to get to the border. So the journeys have been pretty tough.”</p>
<p>The Obama administration also plans to devote an estimated $100 million to aid in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — to go toward the safe return of the migrant children, and to improving conditions so they can stay there.</p>
<p>It is also putting $161.5 million toward programs intended to help Central American countries “respond to pressing security and governance challenges.”</p>
<p>The House Homeland Security Committee held a hearing on Thursday in McAllen, Texas — where much of the immigration story has played out — while President Obama spent the Fourth of July <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/07/04/obama-fourth-of-july-naturalization-us-service-members/12211307/" type="external">welcoming 25 new US citizens</a> as they pledged their allegiance in a White House naturalization ceremony. While the president is in Texas this week for fundraisers, White House officials have said he has no plans to visit the border, despite Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s call for him to do so. &#160;</p> | Obama: Most child migrants at US-Mexico border will be sent back to Central America | false | https://pri.org/stories/2014-07-08/obama-most-child-migrants-us-mexico-border-will-be-sent-back-central-america | 2014-07-08 | 3left-center
| Obama: Most child migrants at US-Mexico border will be sent back to Central America
<p>The Obama administration on Monday said it plans to deport most of the thousands of unaccompanied minors that have poured over the US-Mexico border in an <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/rights/US-mexico-border-child-migrants" type="external">unprecedented surge</a> that has overwhelmed Border Patrol, roused angry protesters and ratcheted up partisan rhetoric in DC.</p>
<p>The announcement came one week after President Obama <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/07/behind-the-scenes-of-obamas-surprising-immigration-pivot/373989/" type="external">assured immigration advocates</a>that he would “keep his promise” and press on with executive action, asking Congress for $2 billion in emergency funds to aid in the housing, feeding and processing of those who have been apprehended.</p>
<p>More than 52,000 unaccompanied, immigrant children traveling from Central American countries have crossed the US border in Rio Grande, Texas, since October. Obama last month called the surge a “humanitarian crisis.” In its initial response, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) implemented a $2 million legal aid program to assist the children, and ordered the opening of additional emergency shelters and facilities throughout Texas, California, Arizona and Oklahoma to house the immigrants as they made their way through the legal system.</p>
<p>In the time since, the humanitarian crisis has spurred a policy crisis, pinning the president against a Republican-run house.</p>
<p>Pressure on Obama has snowballed since early June, when news of the increasing number of unaccompanied minors journeying to the US border erupted. Immigration advocacy groups have, on one side, pushed for the president to <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/211446-white-house-most-immigrant-children-will-be-sent-home" type="external">take executive action on immigration reform</a> — to bypass a Congress that would not act on a bill passed last year by the Democrat-controlled Senate. When he did not move fast enough, Janet Murguia of the National Council of La Raza now-famously branded him the “deporter-in-chief.”</p>
<p>He has simultaneously been under fire from Republicans who say the president should have seen the crisis coming, and who have blamed his immigration policy for the start of rumors throughout Latin America that children arriving to the US alone would not be sent back. Democratic Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, whose district sits alongside Rio Grande Valley, where much of the influx has taken place, said Obama has been " <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/07/05/328793795/texas-gov-testifies-on-crisis-in-child-immigragration" type="external">one step behind</a>."</p>
<p>On June 24 House Speaker John Boehner reportedly told the president that there would be no votes on immigration before the midterm election, but that he should hold off on taking the matter into his own hands because “he believed there was a good chance a comprehensive bill could pass in the next congress.”</p>
<p>In response, the president reportedly said “sorry about that. I’m going to keep my promise and move forward with executive action soon.”</p>
<p>Still, he told immigration groups, “we are a nation with borders that must be enforced,” and said he had to implement the law even when it comes to difficult cases involving children.</p>
<p>Those who have been apprehended “will go through the immigration court process”— <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/07/politics/5-things-immigration-reality-check/" type="external">they will automatically be allowed to apply for asylum</a>— White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Monday, though it is “unlikely” that most will qualify to stay in the US.</p>
<p>International humanitarian aid group Save the Children has created “child-friendly spaces” within shelters housing the families while they await their court dates. In them, children can play, paint and read books written in Spanish. Though one of the organization’s purposes is to initiate programs like this one, their work most often takes them to conflict zones or emergency areas like South Sudan, Syria, or New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. This is the first time Save the Children has worked on the US- Mexico border.</p>
<p>“You know, the journeys have been very hard,” Carolyn Miles, CEO of Save the Children USA, <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/07/05/328793795/texas-gov-testifies-on-crisis-in-child-immigragration" type="external">told NPR</a>. “A lot of these families are going, you know, more than a thousand miles — buses and trains and walking for — one little boy told me he walked for three days at the end of his journey to get to the border. So the journeys have been pretty tough.”</p>
<p>The Obama administration also plans to devote an estimated $100 million to aid in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — to go toward the safe return of the migrant children, and to improving conditions so they can stay there.</p>
<p>It is also putting $161.5 million toward programs intended to help Central American countries “respond to pressing security and governance challenges.”</p>
<p>The House Homeland Security Committee held a hearing on Thursday in McAllen, Texas — where much of the immigration story has played out — while President Obama spent the Fourth of July <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2014/07/04/obama-fourth-of-july-naturalization-us-service-members/12211307/" type="external">welcoming 25 new US citizens</a> as they pledged their allegiance in a White House naturalization ceremony. While the president is in Texas this week for fundraisers, White House officials have said he has no plans to visit the border, despite Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s call for him to do so. &#160;</p> | 2,217 |
<p />
<p>Oil and gas majors like ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) and Royal Dutch Shell Plc (NYSE: RDS-B) have had a rough run since mid-2014. But these two industry giants are making the changes needed to deal with today's difficult energy markets, just like they've done time and time before. You could worry, but you really don't need to. Here are their bonafides.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Exxon has gotten a lot of bad press recently. It's being investigated by several states over its disclosure practices when it comes to the impact of global warming on its business. And it just pulled 3.3 billion barrels of oil from its reserves, an unusual occurrence for this conservatively-run company. But business doesn't move in a straight line -- it's a sine curve. And since mid-2014 oil has been a tough business.</p>
<p>Image source: ExxonMobil Corporation.</p>
<p>Which is why you have to look at its background. For example, it has 34 consecutive years of dividend increases, as the oil giant has historically focused on returning value to shareholders in good and bad markets. Industry leading financial and performance metrics are further proof that it's a top player in the oil space. Notably, Exxon is at the head of the pack when it comes to return on invested capital, so it not only returns value to shareholders via dividends, it manages shareholder money prudently as well in getting solid returns.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Well-run, and a long history of returning value to shareholders... that's a story that's hard to beat. And one that will let you sleep well at night, even during an industry downturn. I should know -- I own the stock.</p>
<p>Royal Dutch Shell, meanwhile, might seem like an odd juxtaposition here. Like Exxon, Shell has struggled during the downturn; that's to be expected. But it did something that no other oil major has, making a major acquisition -- $50 billion to acquire BG Group -- that materially increased its debt burden right when low oil prices were pressuring its top- and bottom-lines.</p>
<p>So Shell is in a more precarious financial position than Exxon and, indeed, many other oil companies. But this investment is meant to shift the company more heavily toward natural gas, an fuel that is expected to provide a bridge between carbon fuels and clean energy. Shell has now begun to sell other non-core assets to pay off its debt, with a goal of $30 billion in divestitures in coming years. Those sales, meanwhile, will further hone the company's natural gas focus.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/XOM/total_long_term_debt" type="external">XOM Total Long Term Debt (Quarterly)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Here's the thing: Recent headlines might cause a little trepidation, but it's unlikely that Shell is going out of business anytime soon. In fact, even after a huge increase in debt, long-term debt only makes up around 30% of the capital structure (Exxon's long-term debt, for reference, sits at around 15% of its capital structure -- that's at the low end of the industry). Shell also happens to have around $19 billion in cash offsetting some of the roughly $83 billion in long-term debt on its balance sheet. More important, the moves it's making, while bold, are strategically positioning it for the future.</p>
<p>Summing it up, although it seems like risk has moved up in the near-term at Shell, this is a company that's looking into the future, and preparing now. If you take the long view, too, the risk increase may bt less than it seems. In fact, this is the type of thing you want to see the company doing, as the business environment changes. And as for the debt, the company has a plan to address it, and it's already paying off as noted above.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/XOM/dividend_yield" type="external">XOM Dividend Yield (TTM)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts</a>.</p>
<p>Both Exxon and Shell have proven they are long-term survivors. Although the headlines appear to highlight increased risks, a deeper dive shows that the troubles really aren't as big as they seem. This pair really are companies you can buy and hold without having to babysit.</p>
<p>The most exciting thing, however, is that both trade with yields near the high end of their historic ranges today. So not only are they stocks you don't have to babysit, but now could be a good time to jump aboard if you are looking for income growth.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than ExxonMobilWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=c0bb945e-d526-4d01-883b-98e6b3ae8d20&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and ExxonMobil wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=c0bb945e-d526-4d01-883b-98e6b3ae8d20&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/ReubenGBrewer/info.aspx" type="external">Reuben Brewer Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of ExxonMobil. The Motley Fool owns shares of ExxonMobil. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 2 Big Oil Stocks You Don't Have to Babysit | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/03/07/2-big-oil-stocks-dont-have-to-babysit.html | 2017-03-17 | 0right
| 2 Big Oil Stocks You Don't Have to Babysit
<p />
<p>Oil and gas majors like ExxonMobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) and Royal Dutch Shell Plc (NYSE: RDS-B) have had a rough run since mid-2014. But these two industry giants are making the changes needed to deal with today's difficult energy markets, just like they've done time and time before. You could worry, but you really don't need to. Here are their bonafides.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Exxon has gotten a lot of bad press recently. It's being investigated by several states over its disclosure practices when it comes to the impact of global warming on its business. And it just pulled 3.3 billion barrels of oil from its reserves, an unusual occurrence for this conservatively-run company. But business doesn't move in a straight line -- it's a sine curve. And since mid-2014 oil has been a tough business.</p>
<p>Image source: ExxonMobil Corporation.</p>
<p>Which is why you have to look at its background. For example, it has 34 consecutive years of dividend increases, as the oil giant has historically focused on returning value to shareholders in good and bad markets. Industry leading financial and performance metrics are further proof that it's a top player in the oil space. Notably, Exxon is at the head of the pack when it comes to return on invested capital, so it not only returns value to shareholders via dividends, it manages shareholder money prudently as well in getting solid returns.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Well-run, and a long history of returning value to shareholders... that's a story that's hard to beat. And one that will let you sleep well at night, even during an industry downturn. I should know -- I own the stock.</p>
<p>Royal Dutch Shell, meanwhile, might seem like an odd juxtaposition here. Like Exxon, Shell has struggled during the downturn; that's to be expected. But it did something that no other oil major has, making a major acquisition -- $50 billion to acquire BG Group -- that materially increased its debt burden right when low oil prices were pressuring its top- and bottom-lines.</p>
<p>So Shell is in a more precarious financial position than Exxon and, indeed, many other oil companies. But this investment is meant to shift the company more heavily toward natural gas, an fuel that is expected to provide a bridge between carbon fuels and clean energy. Shell has now begun to sell other non-core assets to pay off its debt, with a goal of $30 billion in divestitures in coming years. Those sales, meanwhile, will further hone the company's natural gas focus.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/XOM/total_long_term_debt" type="external">XOM Total Long Term Debt (Quarterly)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Here's the thing: Recent headlines might cause a little trepidation, but it's unlikely that Shell is going out of business anytime soon. In fact, even after a huge increase in debt, long-term debt only makes up around 30% of the capital structure (Exxon's long-term debt, for reference, sits at around 15% of its capital structure -- that's at the low end of the industry). Shell also happens to have around $19 billion in cash offsetting some of the roughly $83 billion in long-term debt on its balance sheet. More important, the moves it's making, while bold, are strategically positioning it for the future.</p>
<p>Summing it up, although it seems like risk has moved up in the near-term at Shell, this is a company that's looking into the future, and preparing now. If you take the long view, too, the risk increase may bt less than it seems. In fact, this is the type of thing you want to see the company doing, as the business environment changes. And as for the debt, the company has a plan to address it, and it's already paying off as noted above.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/XOM/dividend_yield" type="external">XOM Dividend Yield (TTM)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts</a>.</p>
<p>Both Exxon and Shell have proven they are long-term survivors. Although the headlines appear to highlight increased risks, a deeper dive shows that the troubles really aren't as big as they seem. This pair really are companies you can buy and hold without having to babysit.</p>
<p>The most exciting thing, however, is that both trade with yields near the high end of their historic ranges today. So not only are they stocks you don't have to babysit, but now could be a good time to jump aboard if you are looking for income growth.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than ExxonMobilWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=c0bb945e-d526-4d01-883b-98e6b3ae8d20&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and ExxonMobil wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=c0bb945e-d526-4d01-883b-98e6b3ae8d20&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/ReubenGBrewer/info.aspx" type="external">Reuben Brewer Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of ExxonMobil. The Motley Fool owns shares of ExxonMobil. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 2,218 |
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<p />
<p>“Introspection,” colored pencil, by Nancy Wood Taber.</p>
<p>The Tijeras artist will be one of 80 showing their work at the 36th annual Placitas Holiday Fine Arts &amp; Crafts Sale this weekend. The juried show includes painting, printmaking, clay, glass, sculpture, wood, silk, photography, gourds, jewelry, metal and more.</p>
<p>Look for the fair in three locations in the historic village: the Anasazi Fields Winery, the big tent next to the Presbyterian Church and at Placitas Elementary School.</p>
<p>This year’s featured artist, Taber mined her work with Great Pyrenees show dogs, Native American spirituality, and her own creative passion to produce intricate drawings of creatures big and small.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>She says it all started when her parents gave her a trip to Europe when she graduated from high school.</p>
<p>“When I got to Florence, Italy, and I saw the statue ‘David,’ I thought, ‘Oh, my God, human hands did this. I want to be an artist.’ I was 18.”</p>
<p>Cast sterling silver wolf pendant by Nancy Wood Taber.</p>
<p>Taber would go on to earn her bachelor’s of fine arts degree in jewelry at New Mexico State University. By then, she had adopted a Great Pyrenees, whom she showed across the country. A job at a Rio Rancho jewelry factory lasted eight years until she left to draw portraits of her dog-loving friends’ pets. She’s been an independent professional artist ever since.</p>
<p>“I started doing custom pet portraits,” she said. “That was the last time I worked for anybody else.”</p>
<p>In “Introspection,” a bear stares at a scrub jay through a tent of leaves. The image grew from Taber’s own property. She placed piñon seeds atop a rock. The crested Steller bluejays flapped their wings and cowered, while the scrub jay began feeding.</p>
<p>The imagery often circles back to her personal philosophy.</p>
<p>“I thought, ‘That little scrub jay is really brave,'” she said. “When I put the bear with the jay ——a bear can be rather intrusive, but the bird isn’t afraid. I thought, ‘Be brave and find that strength within yourself.'”</p>
<p>“Raven Heart” spirals with Celtic knots orbiting the birds in question.</p>
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<p>“Ravens mate for life,” Taber said. “And they love to pick up little trinkets. I pick up rocks everywhere I go. I thought because ravens mate for life, their heart is like a stone.”</p>
<p>“Observation” began as a photograph of a snow leopard at the Denver Zoo.</p>
<p>“I have a real special connection with snow leopards,” Taber said. “Snow leopards are representative of looking deeply within yourself at your deepest, darkest secrets and then exposing them. You see the leopard and he comes toward you. He begins opening you up with his claws and you’re totally exposed. Then he heals you totally. There’s that deep sense of survival.”</p>
<p>Taber took up colored pencil because she wanted to work in something other than paint or clay. At the time, colored pencil wasn’t even considered an art form.</p>
<p>“The pencil is very meditative,” she said. “All the colors are mixed on the board. Everybody does pencil in school and they can get it. All that layering gives me time to meditate with the animals.”</p>
<p>Taber illustrated “Anna Finds a Home,” a children’s book about Great Pyrenees puppies. The Leanin’ Tree of Boulder, Colo., has distributed more than 2 million cards featuring her images since 1994.</p>
<p />
<p /> | Nancy Wood Taber meditates with animals via her colored pencil drawings | false | https://abqjournal.com/1091191/a-personal-philosophy.html | 2017-11-11 | 2least
| Nancy Wood Taber meditates with animals via her colored pencil drawings
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<p />
<p>“Introspection,” colored pencil, by Nancy Wood Taber.</p>
<p>The Tijeras artist will be one of 80 showing their work at the 36th annual Placitas Holiday Fine Arts &amp; Crafts Sale this weekend. The juried show includes painting, printmaking, clay, glass, sculpture, wood, silk, photography, gourds, jewelry, metal and more.</p>
<p>Look for the fair in three locations in the historic village: the Anasazi Fields Winery, the big tent next to the Presbyterian Church and at Placitas Elementary School.</p>
<p>This year’s featured artist, Taber mined her work with Great Pyrenees show dogs, Native American spirituality, and her own creative passion to produce intricate drawings of creatures big and small.</p>
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<p>She says it all started when her parents gave her a trip to Europe when she graduated from high school.</p>
<p>“When I got to Florence, Italy, and I saw the statue ‘David,’ I thought, ‘Oh, my God, human hands did this. I want to be an artist.’ I was 18.”</p>
<p>Cast sterling silver wolf pendant by Nancy Wood Taber.</p>
<p>Taber would go on to earn her bachelor’s of fine arts degree in jewelry at New Mexico State University. By then, she had adopted a Great Pyrenees, whom she showed across the country. A job at a Rio Rancho jewelry factory lasted eight years until she left to draw portraits of her dog-loving friends’ pets. She’s been an independent professional artist ever since.</p>
<p>“I started doing custom pet portraits,” she said. “That was the last time I worked for anybody else.”</p>
<p>In “Introspection,” a bear stares at a scrub jay through a tent of leaves. The image grew from Taber’s own property. She placed piñon seeds atop a rock. The crested Steller bluejays flapped their wings and cowered, while the scrub jay began feeding.</p>
<p>The imagery often circles back to her personal philosophy.</p>
<p>“I thought, ‘That little scrub jay is really brave,'” she said. “When I put the bear with the jay ——a bear can be rather intrusive, but the bird isn’t afraid. I thought, ‘Be brave and find that strength within yourself.'”</p>
<p>“Raven Heart” spirals with Celtic knots orbiting the birds in question.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“Ravens mate for life,” Taber said. “And they love to pick up little trinkets. I pick up rocks everywhere I go. I thought because ravens mate for life, their heart is like a stone.”</p>
<p>“Observation” began as a photograph of a snow leopard at the Denver Zoo.</p>
<p>“I have a real special connection with snow leopards,” Taber said. “Snow leopards are representative of looking deeply within yourself at your deepest, darkest secrets and then exposing them. You see the leopard and he comes toward you. He begins opening you up with his claws and you’re totally exposed. Then he heals you totally. There’s that deep sense of survival.”</p>
<p>Taber took up colored pencil because she wanted to work in something other than paint or clay. At the time, colored pencil wasn’t even considered an art form.</p>
<p>“The pencil is very meditative,” she said. “All the colors are mixed on the board. Everybody does pencil in school and they can get it. All that layering gives me time to meditate with the animals.”</p>
<p>Taber illustrated “Anna Finds a Home,” a children’s book about Great Pyrenees puppies. The Leanin’ Tree of Boulder, Colo., has distributed more than 2 million cards featuring her images since 1994.</p>
<p />
<p /> | 2,219 |
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<p><a href="" type="internal" />MINNEAPOLIS - Wells Fargo &amp; Co. is cutting 700 jobs from its home lending business as mortgage refinancing slows down.</p>
<p>Most lenders have said they saw fewer refinancings once interest rates began to rise midway through last year. Wells Fargo spokesman Tom Goyda says the number of new mortgages is continuing to drop during the first quarter of this year, although not as fast as it dropped last year.</p>
<p>The workers who will lose their jobs were notified on Wednesday. Goyda says that some may be able to find other jobs within the San Francisco-based company. Wells Fargo &amp; Co. has about 52,000 workers in its mortgage business.</p>
<p>On Tuesday JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. said it will cut 6,000 jobs from its mortgage unit this year.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Wells Fargo cuts 700 jobs from mortgage unit | false | https://abqjournal.com/360115/wells-fargo-cuts-700-jobs-from-mortgage-unit.html | 2least
| Wells Fargo cuts 700 jobs from mortgage unit
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<p><a href="" type="internal" />MINNEAPOLIS - Wells Fargo &amp; Co. is cutting 700 jobs from its home lending business as mortgage refinancing slows down.</p>
<p>Most lenders have said they saw fewer refinancings once interest rates began to rise midway through last year. Wells Fargo spokesman Tom Goyda says the number of new mortgages is continuing to drop during the first quarter of this year, although not as fast as it dropped last year.</p>
<p>The workers who will lose their jobs were notified on Wednesday. Goyda says that some may be able to find other jobs within the San Francisco-based company. Wells Fargo &amp; Co. has about 52,000 workers in its mortgage business.</p>
<p>On Tuesday JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. said it will cut 6,000 jobs from its mortgage unit this year.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 2,220 |
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<p />
<p>301 Calle del Escuela (Bernalillo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #2: Roosevelt Elementary</p>
<p>842 Calle Don Tomas (Bernalillo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #3: Bernalillo Auxiliary Gym</p>
<p>301 Camino Del Pueblo (Bernalillo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #4: Bernalillo Auxiliary Gym</p>
<p>301 Camino Del Pueblo (Bernalillo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #5: Placitas Elementary School</p>
<p>5 Calle Del Carbon (Placitas)</p>
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<p>Pct. #6: Algodones Elementary School</p>
<p>395 Calle San Jose (Algodones)</p>
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<p>Pct. #7: Peña Blanca Community Center</p>
<p>778 Highway 22 (Peña Blanca)</p>
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<p>Pct. #8: Cochiti Pueblo Community Center</p>
<p>255 Cochiti St. (Cochiti Pueblo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #9: San Felipe Pueblo Senior Center</p>
<p>5 Cedar Rd. (San Felipe)</p>
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<p>Pct. #10: Cochiti Lake Volunteer Fire/Ems</p>
<p>6515-C Hoochaneetsa Blvd. (Cochiti Lake)</p>
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<p>Pct. #11: Corrales Senior Center</p>
<p>4320 Corrales Rd. (Corrales)</p>
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<p>Pct. #12: Corrales Recreation Center</p>
<p>500 Jones Rd. (Corrales)</p>
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<p>Pct. #13: Historical Old San Ysidro Church</p>
<p>966 Old Church Rd (Corrales)</p>
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<p>Pct. #14: Zia Pueblo Community Center</p>
<p>135 Capital Square Dr. (Zia Pueblo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #15: Jemez Pueblo Civic Center</p>
<p>5117 Highway 4 (Jemez Pueblo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #16: Ponderosa Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>4252 Highway 290 (Ponderosa)</p>
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<p>Pct. #17: Jemez Valley Community Center</p>
<p>8154 Highway 4 (Cañon)</p>
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<p>Pct. #18: Presbyterian Church</p>
<p>17570 Highway 4 (Jemez Springs)</p>
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<p>Pct. #19: Santa Ana Pueblo Community Center</p>
<p>2 Dove Rd. (Santa Ana)</p>
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<p>Pct. #20: Santo Domingo Pueblo Community Center</p>
<p>Tesuque St. (Santo Domingo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #21: Cuba Middle School</p>
<p>50 County Rd. 13 (Cuba)</p>
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<p>Pct. #22: Cuba Middle School</p>
<p>50 County Rd. 13 (Cuba)</p>
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<p>Pct. #23: La Jara Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>108 County Rd. 496 (La Jara)</p>
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<p>Pct. #24: Counselors Chapter House</p>
<p>9828 Chapter House Rd. #14 (Counselors)</p>
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<p>Pct. #25: Torreon Chapter House</p>
<p>Highway 197 (Torreon)</p>
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<p>Pct. #26: Ojo Encino</p>
<p>Chapter House (Ojo Encino)</p>
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<p>Pct. #27: San Ysidro Public Safety Trainning Room</p>
<p>398 Highway 4 (San Ysidro)</p>
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<p>Pct. #28: La Madera Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>672 Faith Dr. (La Madera)</p>
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<p>Pct. #29: Sandia Pueblo Community Center</p>
<p>481 Sandia Lp. (Sandia Pueblo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #51: Sandoval County Admin Building D</p>
<p>1500 Idalia Rd. (Bernalillo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #53: Corrales New Fire Station #2</p>
<p>100 Paseo Tomas Montoya (Corrales)</p>
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<p>Pct. #54: Sandia View Elementary School</p>
<p>24 Academy Ln. (Corrales)</p>
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<p>Pct. #55: Placitas Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>463 Highway 165 (Placitas)</p>
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<p>Pct. #56: Las Placitas Presbyterian Church</p>
<p>7 Paseo de San Antonio (Placitas)</p>
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<p>Pct. #57: Corrales Recreation Center</p>
<p>500 Jones Rd. (Corrales)</p>
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<p>Pct. #76: Placitas Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>463 Highway 165 (Placitas)</p>
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<p>Pct. #78: La Cueva Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>122 Twisted Juniper (La Cueva)</p>
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<p>Pct. #79: Sierra Los Pinos Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>960 Forrest Rd. 10 (Sierra Los Pinos)</p>
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<p>RIO RANCHO</p>
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<p>The Following RIO RANCHO Precincts Are Consolidated For Voting Convenient Centers:</p>
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<p>30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 58, 59 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Polling Locations</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Rio Rancho City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Rio Rancho Elementary School</p>
<p>4601 Pepe Ortiz Road</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Rio Rancho Middle School</p>
<p>1600 Loma Colorado Blvd.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Mountain View Middle School</p>
<p>4101 Montreal Loop</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Puesta Del Sol Elementary School</p>
<p>450 Southern Blvd.</p> | Sandoval County Voting Locations | false | https://abqjournal.com/144141/sandoval-county-voting-locations.html | 2012-11-06 | 2least
| Sandoval County Voting Locations
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<p />
<p>301 Calle del Escuela (Bernalillo)</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Pct. #2: Roosevelt Elementary</p>
<p>842 Calle Don Tomas (Bernalillo)</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Pct. #3: Bernalillo Auxiliary Gym</p>
<p>301 Camino Del Pueblo (Bernalillo)</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
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<p>Pct. #4: Bernalillo Auxiliary Gym</p>
<p>301 Camino Del Pueblo (Bernalillo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #5: Placitas Elementary School</p>
<p>5 Calle Del Carbon (Placitas)</p>
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<p>Pct. #6: Algodones Elementary School</p>
<p>395 Calle San Jose (Algodones)</p>
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<p>Pct. #7: Peña Blanca Community Center</p>
<p>778 Highway 22 (Peña Blanca)</p>
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<p>Pct. #8: Cochiti Pueblo Community Center</p>
<p>255 Cochiti St. (Cochiti Pueblo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #9: San Felipe Pueblo Senior Center</p>
<p>5 Cedar Rd. (San Felipe)</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
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<p>Pct. #10: Cochiti Lake Volunteer Fire/Ems</p>
<p>6515-C Hoochaneetsa Blvd. (Cochiti Lake)</p>
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<p>Pct. #11: Corrales Senior Center</p>
<p>4320 Corrales Rd. (Corrales)</p>
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<p>Pct. #12: Corrales Recreation Center</p>
<p>500 Jones Rd. (Corrales)</p>
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<p>Pct. #13: Historical Old San Ysidro Church</p>
<p>966 Old Church Rd (Corrales)</p>
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<p>Pct. #14: Zia Pueblo Community Center</p>
<p>135 Capital Square Dr. (Zia Pueblo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #15: Jemez Pueblo Civic Center</p>
<p>5117 Highway 4 (Jemez Pueblo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #16: Ponderosa Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>4252 Highway 290 (Ponderosa)</p>
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<p>Pct. #17: Jemez Valley Community Center</p>
<p>8154 Highway 4 (Cañon)</p>
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<p>Pct. #18: Presbyterian Church</p>
<p>17570 Highway 4 (Jemez Springs)</p>
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<p>Pct. #19: Santa Ana Pueblo Community Center</p>
<p>2 Dove Rd. (Santa Ana)</p>
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<p>Pct. #20: Santo Domingo Pueblo Community Center</p>
<p>Tesuque St. (Santo Domingo)</p>
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<p>Pct. #21: Cuba Middle School</p>
<p>50 County Rd. 13 (Cuba)</p>
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<p>Pct. #22: Cuba Middle School</p>
<p>50 County Rd. 13 (Cuba)</p>
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<p>Pct. #23: La Jara Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>108 County Rd. 496 (La Jara)</p>
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<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Pct. #24: Counselors Chapter House</p>
<p>9828 Chapter House Rd. #14 (Counselors)</p>
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<p>Pct. #25: Torreon Chapter House</p>
<p>Highway 197 (Torreon)</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Pct. #26: Ojo Encino</p>
<p>Chapter House (Ojo Encino)</p>
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<p>Pct. #27: San Ysidro Public Safety Trainning Room</p>
<p>398 Highway 4 (San Ysidro)</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Pct. #28: La Madera Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>672 Faith Dr. (La Madera)</p>
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<p>Pct. #29: Sandia Pueblo Community Center</p>
<p>481 Sandia Lp. (Sandia Pueblo)</p>
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<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Pct. #51: Sandoval County Admin Building D</p>
<p>1500 Idalia Rd. (Bernalillo)</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Pct. #53: Corrales New Fire Station #2</p>
<p>100 Paseo Tomas Montoya (Corrales)</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Pct. #54: Sandia View Elementary School</p>
<p>24 Academy Ln. (Corrales)</p>
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<p>Pct. #55: Placitas Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>463 Highway 165 (Placitas)</p>
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<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Pct. #56: Las Placitas Presbyterian Church</p>
<p>7 Paseo de San Antonio (Placitas)</p>
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<p>Pct. #57: Corrales Recreation Center</p>
<p>500 Jones Rd. (Corrales)</p>
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<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Pct. #76: Placitas Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>463 Highway 165 (Placitas)</p>
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<p>Pct. #78: La Cueva Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>122 Twisted Juniper (La Cueva)</p>
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<p>Pct. #79: Sierra Los Pinos Volunteer Fire Station</p>
<p>960 Forrest Rd. 10 (Sierra Los Pinos)</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>RIO RANCHO</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>The Following RIO RANCHO Precincts Are Consolidated For Voting Convenient Centers:</p>
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<p>&#160;</p>
<p>30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 58, 59 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Polling Locations</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Rio Rancho City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Rio Rancho Elementary School</p>
<p>4601 Pepe Ortiz Road</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Rio Rancho Middle School</p>
<p>1600 Loma Colorado Blvd.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Mountain View Middle School</p>
<p>4101 Montreal Loop</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Puesta Del Sol Elementary School</p>
<p>450 Southern Blvd.</p> | 2,221 |
<p />
<p>Countless hard-working Americans look forward to retirement and the flexible, hassle-free lifestyle it often affords. But many people fail to realize that by retiring prematurely, they're essentially swapping work-related stress for financial stress.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>It's not a secret that Americans on a whole are woefully unprepared for retirement. The latest data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute reveals that 25% of workers have less than $1,000 set aside for retirement, while almost half of workers have less than $25,000 socked away. But what's even more telling is how little near-retirees have saved. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average household aged 56-61 has $163,577 in a retirement account. And while that might seem like a respectable sum, it's actually not a whole lot of money in the grand scheme of what retirement might cost.</p>
<p>IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.</p>
<p>Let's take a closer look at that figure. Given that one in four 65-year-olds today will live past age 90, it's not crazy to assume that whatever savings you have will need to last a good 25 years. When we divide a $163,577 balance by 25, we get $6,543 a year, or $545 a month, in available income.</p>
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<p>Now let's factor in Social Security. The <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/01/29/heres-the-average-social-security-benefit-and-why.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">average current recipient Opens a New Window.</a> gets $1,360 a month in benefits, so when we combine that with $545 from independent savings, we're looking at a total of $1,905 per month, or $22,860 per year, of income. But given the number of costs that are just plain inevitable for seniors, that actually isn't close to being enough.</p>
<p>Waiting until age 65 to retire can help on the healthcare front, since at that point you'll be eligible for Medicare. But even with Medicare coverage, you could still be looking at a host of health-related expenses, especially considering that traditional Medicare doesn't cover services like dental or vision care.</p>
<p>HealthView Services, which supplies cost-projection software, estimated last year that the average healthy 65-year-old couple could expect to spend $377,000 on medical care throughout retirement. If we divide that figure in half and then spread it out over a 25-year time frame, we'll see that the typical individual retiree is looking at $7,540 a year, or $628 a month, in medical expenditures.</p>
<p>That figure, of course, assumes that you're reasonably healthy. If you have a known medical condition or develop one early on in retirement, you can expect your costs to climb.</p>
<p>Though many older workers manage to enter retirement mortgage-free, a large number fail to account for the cost of living in their homes. The average American homeowner pays $2,127 per year in property taxes, while the typical homeowners' insurance policy costs $952 annually.</p>
<p>Then there's maintenance, which usually amounts to 1% to 4% of your property's value. Zillow reports that the median home value in the U.S. is $196,500, so if we split the 1% to 4% range straight down the middle, we're looking at $4,912 a year, or $409 per month, on upkeep alone. (Keep in mind, however, that many retirees have older homes and therefore spend even more on maintenance and repairs.) Throw in the $256 the typical American will spend on property taxes and insurance and you're looking at $665 a month on housing right off that bat.</p>
<p>Of course, that figure assumes you don't have a mortgage payment to contend with. Since a good 30% of homeowners 65 and older still carry mortgage debt, it's not necessarily the most reasonable assumption.</p>
<p>Just because you won't be commuting to an office on a daily basis in retirement doesn't mean you won't need some mode of transportation. Similarly, once you retire, you'll still need food, clothing, phone service, gas, electricity, and whatever other basic expenses you currently face that aren't work-related. If we add up the $628 a month the average individual retiree will spend on healthcare and the $665 estimate for housing, we arrive at $1,293. Working backward from the $1,905 in savings and Social Security income the typical retiree gets, that leaves you with just $612 a month to cover all of your remaining expenses -- which makes a pretty strong case for postponing retirement if your savings are currently lacking.</p>
<p>If you're nearing retirement with inadequate savings, there are still opportunities to change your fate. You can start by working a few extra years and hitting the annual limits on your IRA or 401(k) contributions, which, for those 50 and over, are $6,500 and $24,000, respectively. Maxing out a 401(k) for two years would leave you with an extra $48,000, which translates into an additional $160 a month of income over a 25-year retirement.</p>
<p>Working longer can help boost your Social Security payments too. If you hold off on claiming benefits past your <a href="https://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/social-security-full-retirement-age.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">full retirement age Opens a New Window.</a> (which, for today's workers, is 66, 67, or somewhere in between), you'll get an automatic 8% increase per year up until age 70. If you'd normally be eligible for $1,360 a month in Social Security at your full retirement age of 66, and you decide to delay your benefits for two years, you'll bump those monthly payments up to $1,577.</p>
<p>While working longer may not be the ideal solution to your lack of savings, it's a guaranteed way to improve your financial outlook. Retirement isn't the low-cost existence many people assume it will be, and if you aren't willing to compromise now, you could find yourself dangerously cash-strapped at a time in your life when you're at your most vulnerable.</p>
<p>The $16,122 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,122 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-social-security?aid=8727&amp;source=irreditxt0000002&amp;ftm_cam=ryr-ss-intro-report&amp;ftm_pit=3186&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Read This Before Deciding to Retire | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/04/read-this-before-deciding-to-retire.html | 2017-04-30 | 0right
| Read This Before Deciding to Retire
<p />
<p>Countless hard-working Americans look forward to retirement and the flexible, hassle-free lifestyle it often affords. But many people fail to realize that by retiring prematurely, they're essentially swapping work-related stress for financial stress.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>It's not a secret that Americans on a whole are woefully unprepared for retirement. The latest data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute reveals that 25% of workers have less than $1,000 set aside for retirement, while almost half of workers have less than $25,000 socked away. But what's even more telling is how little near-retirees have saved. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average household aged 56-61 has $163,577 in a retirement account. And while that might seem like a respectable sum, it's actually not a whole lot of money in the grand scheme of what retirement might cost.</p>
<p>IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.</p>
<p>Let's take a closer look at that figure. Given that one in four 65-year-olds today will live past age 90, it's not crazy to assume that whatever savings you have will need to last a good 25 years. When we divide a $163,577 balance by 25, we get $6,543 a year, or $545 a month, in available income.</p>
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<p>Now let's factor in Social Security. The <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/01/29/heres-the-average-social-security-benefit-and-why.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">average current recipient Opens a New Window.</a> gets $1,360 a month in benefits, so when we combine that with $545 from independent savings, we're looking at a total of $1,905 per month, or $22,860 per year, of income. But given the number of costs that are just plain inevitable for seniors, that actually isn't close to being enough.</p>
<p>Waiting until age 65 to retire can help on the healthcare front, since at that point you'll be eligible for Medicare. But even with Medicare coverage, you could still be looking at a host of health-related expenses, especially considering that traditional Medicare doesn't cover services like dental or vision care.</p>
<p>HealthView Services, which supplies cost-projection software, estimated last year that the average healthy 65-year-old couple could expect to spend $377,000 on medical care throughout retirement. If we divide that figure in half and then spread it out over a 25-year time frame, we'll see that the typical individual retiree is looking at $7,540 a year, or $628 a month, in medical expenditures.</p>
<p>That figure, of course, assumes that you're reasonably healthy. If you have a known medical condition or develop one early on in retirement, you can expect your costs to climb.</p>
<p>Though many older workers manage to enter retirement mortgage-free, a large number fail to account for the cost of living in their homes. The average American homeowner pays $2,127 per year in property taxes, while the typical homeowners' insurance policy costs $952 annually.</p>
<p>Then there's maintenance, which usually amounts to 1% to 4% of your property's value. Zillow reports that the median home value in the U.S. is $196,500, so if we split the 1% to 4% range straight down the middle, we're looking at $4,912 a year, or $409 per month, on upkeep alone. (Keep in mind, however, that many retirees have older homes and therefore spend even more on maintenance and repairs.) Throw in the $256 the typical American will spend on property taxes and insurance and you're looking at $665 a month on housing right off that bat.</p>
<p>Of course, that figure assumes you don't have a mortgage payment to contend with. Since a good 30% of homeowners 65 and older still carry mortgage debt, it's not necessarily the most reasonable assumption.</p>
<p>Just because you won't be commuting to an office on a daily basis in retirement doesn't mean you won't need some mode of transportation. Similarly, once you retire, you'll still need food, clothing, phone service, gas, electricity, and whatever other basic expenses you currently face that aren't work-related. If we add up the $628 a month the average individual retiree will spend on healthcare and the $665 estimate for housing, we arrive at $1,293. Working backward from the $1,905 in savings and Social Security income the typical retiree gets, that leaves you with just $612 a month to cover all of your remaining expenses -- which makes a pretty strong case for postponing retirement if your savings are currently lacking.</p>
<p>If you're nearing retirement with inadequate savings, there are still opportunities to change your fate. You can start by working a few extra years and hitting the annual limits on your IRA or 401(k) contributions, which, for those 50 and over, are $6,500 and $24,000, respectively. Maxing out a 401(k) for two years would leave you with an extra $48,000, which translates into an additional $160 a month of income over a 25-year retirement.</p>
<p>Working longer can help boost your Social Security payments too. If you hold off on claiming benefits past your <a href="https://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/social-security-full-retirement-age.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">full retirement age Opens a New Window.</a> (which, for today's workers, is 66, 67, or somewhere in between), you'll get an automatic 8% increase per year up until age 70. If you'd normally be eligible for $1,360 a month in Social Security at your full retirement age of 66, and you decide to delay your benefits for two years, you'll bump those monthly payments up to $1,577.</p>
<p>While working longer may not be the ideal solution to your lack of savings, it's a guaranteed way to improve your financial outlook. Retirement isn't the low-cost existence many people assume it will be, and if you aren't willing to compromise now, you could find yourself dangerously cash-strapped at a time in your life when you're at your most vulnerable.</p>
<p>The $16,122 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,122 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-social-security?aid=8727&amp;source=irreditxt0000002&amp;ftm_cam=ryr-ss-intro-report&amp;ftm_pit=3186&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 2,222 |
<p>Who could have imagined that a category 5 tornado that nearly leveled an entire Kansas town would become a stewardship opportunity for Virginia Baptists?</p>
<p>The tornado that destroyed 95 percent of Greensburg, Kan., on May 4, 2007, with winds of 205 mph, left the town of 1,398 devastated. The entire town was declared unsafe and every resident was evacuated.</p>
<p>Little by little, they began to sort through what remained and rebuild what was not. Just a few months later, on Feb. 5, towns in Tennessee, including Lafayette and Jackson, home of Union University, were damaged by tornados and the people of Greensburg felt their pain.</p>
<p>Accepting a teacher's challenge that he would match what they raised to help their Tennessee neighbors, 38 high-schoolers began a coin drive. And the students of Greensburg, who were still trying to recover from their own disaster, raised $5,500.</p>
<p>Nearly a year after Greensburg was hit, Sharon Day, a bank manager in Lafayette, was preparing for work on Monday, April 28. The bank where she worked was a collection center for tornado victims in surrounding Macon County.</p>
<p>As she watched the morning news she suddenly heard words that caused her to freeze in her tracks: “Live from Greensburg, Kan., where less than a year ago ….”</p>
<p>The Friday before, the bank had received a check for $1,463.15 from Greensburg to apply toward the tornado fund. It was such a generous but odd amount that Sharon made a mental note to find out more about who had sent it. Now she knew. Other communities in Tennessee had also received checks.</p>
<p>As it happens, the CBS Early Show learned of the contribution to the Macon County fund and flew Sharon to Greensburg to meet the students and teacher, Josh Dellenbach. While meeting with them, she promised that she would keep the generosity going by “paying it forward” to other communities that were similarly struck by disaster.</p>
<p>Accordingly, making good on her promise, the people of Lafayette raised money which they sent to tornado victims in Arkansas, North Carolina and Virginia. This is how Virginia Baptists got involved.</p>
<p>Terry Raines, disaster relief coordinator for Virginia Baptists, elaborated. “Sharon read of the tornados that struck Virginia in the spring of this year and decided to, in turn, ‘pay it forward' by sending $1,000 to assist Virginia tornado victims. She chose to do so through us.”</p>
<p>Day called the Mission Board, initially talking with Nichole Bulls, an assistant with the board's glocal missions and evangelism team, who made several suggestions.</p>
<p>“We plan to provide the $1,000 to further assist the efforts of volunteers from Clinch Valley and Wise Baptist associations who are building new houses for two families in Big Stone Gap who lost their homes in a March 4 tornado.”</p>
<p>So it is that once again good has come from a Kansas tornado. The brains, the courage and heart awarded to those yellow-brick road travelers in the land of Oz continue to bless others in our day. Because of their wisdom, courage and hearts the influence (and financial gifts) of these students continue to help others in widespread places. They are not confined to Kansas anymore. They are being felt and used right here at home. And, as we all know, there's no place like home.</p>
<p>But, having received, it now becomes our time to pay it forward.</p>
<p>I'm not hoping for a disaster, but we know them to be inevitable. When they do come, I know how Virginia Baptists will respond. With wisdom and courage and hearts, oh, my!</p>
<p>Virginia Baptists have them in abundance.</p> | Virginia Baptists entrusted to ‘pay it forward’ | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/virginiabaptistsentrustedtopayitforward/ | 3left-center
| Virginia Baptists entrusted to ‘pay it forward’
<p>Who could have imagined that a category 5 tornado that nearly leveled an entire Kansas town would become a stewardship opportunity for Virginia Baptists?</p>
<p>The tornado that destroyed 95 percent of Greensburg, Kan., on May 4, 2007, with winds of 205 mph, left the town of 1,398 devastated. The entire town was declared unsafe and every resident was evacuated.</p>
<p>Little by little, they began to sort through what remained and rebuild what was not. Just a few months later, on Feb. 5, towns in Tennessee, including Lafayette and Jackson, home of Union University, were damaged by tornados and the people of Greensburg felt their pain.</p>
<p>Accepting a teacher's challenge that he would match what they raised to help their Tennessee neighbors, 38 high-schoolers began a coin drive. And the students of Greensburg, who were still trying to recover from their own disaster, raised $5,500.</p>
<p>Nearly a year after Greensburg was hit, Sharon Day, a bank manager in Lafayette, was preparing for work on Monday, April 28. The bank where she worked was a collection center for tornado victims in surrounding Macon County.</p>
<p>As she watched the morning news she suddenly heard words that caused her to freeze in her tracks: “Live from Greensburg, Kan., where less than a year ago ….”</p>
<p>The Friday before, the bank had received a check for $1,463.15 from Greensburg to apply toward the tornado fund. It was such a generous but odd amount that Sharon made a mental note to find out more about who had sent it. Now she knew. Other communities in Tennessee had also received checks.</p>
<p>As it happens, the CBS Early Show learned of the contribution to the Macon County fund and flew Sharon to Greensburg to meet the students and teacher, Josh Dellenbach. While meeting with them, she promised that she would keep the generosity going by “paying it forward” to other communities that were similarly struck by disaster.</p>
<p>Accordingly, making good on her promise, the people of Lafayette raised money which they sent to tornado victims in Arkansas, North Carolina and Virginia. This is how Virginia Baptists got involved.</p>
<p>Terry Raines, disaster relief coordinator for Virginia Baptists, elaborated. “Sharon read of the tornados that struck Virginia in the spring of this year and decided to, in turn, ‘pay it forward' by sending $1,000 to assist Virginia tornado victims. She chose to do so through us.”</p>
<p>Day called the Mission Board, initially talking with Nichole Bulls, an assistant with the board's glocal missions and evangelism team, who made several suggestions.</p>
<p>“We plan to provide the $1,000 to further assist the efforts of volunteers from Clinch Valley and Wise Baptist associations who are building new houses for two families in Big Stone Gap who lost their homes in a March 4 tornado.”</p>
<p>So it is that once again good has come from a Kansas tornado. The brains, the courage and heart awarded to those yellow-brick road travelers in the land of Oz continue to bless others in our day. Because of their wisdom, courage and hearts the influence (and financial gifts) of these students continue to help others in widespread places. They are not confined to Kansas anymore. They are being felt and used right here at home. And, as we all know, there's no place like home.</p>
<p>But, having received, it now becomes our time to pay it forward.</p>
<p>I'm not hoping for a disaster, but we know them to be inevitable. When they do come, I know how Virginia Baptists will respond. With wisdom and courage and hearts, oh, my!</p>
<p>Virginia Baptists have them in abundance.</p> | 2,223 |
|
<p>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The parents of an Indiana man threatened with beheading by the Islamic State group are pleading with his captors to free him, saying in a video statement Saturday that their son has devoted his life to humanitarian work and aiding Syria's war refugees.</p>
<p>Ed and Paula Kassig's video was released a day after the Islamic State group's online video threatened to behead 26-year-old Peter Kassig next — following the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning.</p>
<p>That video was a heartbreaking development for Kassig's family and friends, who had stayed silent since his capture while working to secure his release.</p>
<p>In the family's video, Ed Kassig says his son, who now goes by the first name Abdul-Rahman after converting to Islam during his captivity, was captured on Oct. 1, 2013, in Syria, where he was providing aid for refugees fleeing that country's civil war.</p>
<p>He says his son has grown "to love and admire" the Syrian people, after growing up in an Indianapolis family with a long history of humanitarian work and teaching.</p>
<p>"Our son was living his life according to that same humanitarian call when he was taken captive," says Ed Kassig, a teacher.</p>
<p>The family says Kassig, a former Army Ranger, formed the aid organization Special Emergency Response and Assistance, or SERA, in Turkey to provide aid and assistance to Syrian refugees. He began delivering food and medical supplies to Syrian refugee camps in 2012 and is also a trained medical assistant who provided trauma care to injured Syrian civilians and helped train 150 civilians in providing medical aid.</p>
<p>His work in Lebanon led to his capture, after which SERA suspended its aid efforts.</p>
<p>Paula Kassig, a nurse, sits next to her husband on a couch in the couple's three-minute video, wearing a head scarf and holding a photo of her son as she speaks directly to him.</p>
<p>"Most of all, know that we love you, and our hearts ache for you to be granted your freedom so we can hug you again and then set you free to continue the life you have chosen, the life of service to those in greatest need," she says. "We implore those who are holding you to show mercy and use their power to let you go."</p>
<p>The family says Kassig served in the Army from 2006 to 2007. He was a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and served four months in Iraq in 2007 before being medically discharged at the rank of private first class in September of that year, his military record shows.</p>
<p>Kassig focused on humanitarian work after leaving the military. While attending Indianapolis' Butler University, he worked to help refugees from Myanmar who had resettled in central Indiana, said family spokeswoman Jodi Perras.</p>
<p>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The parents of an Indiana man threatened with beheading by the Islamic State group are pleading with his captors to free him, saying in a video statement Saturday that their son has devoted his life to humanitarian work and aiding Syria's war refugees.</p>
<p>Ed and Paula Kassig's video was released a day after the Islamic State group's online video threatened to behead 26-year-old Peter Kassig next — following the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning.</p>
<p>That video was a heartbreaking development for Kassig's family and friends, who had stayed silent since his capture while working to secure his release.</p>
<p>In the family's video, Ed Kassig says his son, who now goes by the first name Abdul-Rahman after converting to Islam during his captivity, was captured on Oct. 1, 2013, in Syria, where he was providing aid for refugees fleeing that country's civil war.</p>
<p>He says his son has grown "to love and admire" the Syrian people, after growing up in an Indianapolis family with a long history of humanitarian work and teaching.</p>
<p>"Our son was living his life according to that same humanitarian call when he was taken captive," says Ed Kassig, a teacher.</p>
<p>The family says Kassig, a former Army Ranger, formed the aid organization Special Emergency Response and Assistance, or SERA, in Turkey to provide aid and assistance to Syrian refugees. He began delivering food and medical supplies to Syrian refugee camps in 2012 and is also a trained medical assistant who provided trauma care to injured Syrian civilians and helped train 150 civilians in providing medical aid.</p>
<p>His work in Lebanon led to his capture, after which SERA suspended its aid efforts.</p>
<p>Paula Kassig, a nurse, sits next to her husband on a couch in the couple's three-minute video, wearing a head scarf and holding a photo of her son as she speaks directly to him.</p>
<p>"Most of all, know that we love you, and our hearts ache for you to be granted your freedom so we can hug you again and then set you free to continue the life you have chosen, the life of service to those in greatest need," she says. "We implore those who are holding you to show mercy and use their power to let you go."</p>
<p>The family says Kassig served in the Army from 2006 to 2007. He was a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and served four months in Iraq in 2007 before being medically discharged at the rank of private first class in September of that year, his military record shows.</p>
<p>Kassig focused on humanitarian work after leaving the military. While attending Indianapolis' Butler University, he worked to help refugees from Myanmar who had resettled in central Indiana, said family spokeswoman Jodi Perras.</p> | Indiana aid worker's parents plead for his release | false | https://apnews.com/amp/96db2de1745d4b6a957b154e1f3d5d4c | 2014-10-04 | 2least
| Indiana aid worker's parents plead for his release
<p>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The parents of an Indiana man threatened with beheading by the Islamic State group are pleading with his captors to free him, saying in a video statement Saturday that their son has devoted his life to humanitarian work and aiding Syria's war refugees.</p>
<p>Ed and Paula Kassig's video was released a day after the Islamic State group's online video threatened to behead 26-year-old Peter Kassig next — following the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning.</p>
<p>That video was a heartbreaking development for Kassig's family and friends, who had stayed silent since his capture while working to secure his release.</p>
<p>In the family's video, Ed Kassig says his son, who now goes by the first name Abdul-Rahman after converting to Islam during his captivity, was captured on Oct. 1, 2013, in Syria, where he was providing aid for refugees fleeing that country's civil war.</p>
<p>He says his son has grown "to love and admire" the Syrian people, after growing up in an Indianapolis family with a long history of humanitarian work and teaching.</p>
<p>"Our son was living his life according to that same humanitarian call when he was taken captive," says Ed Kassig, a teacher.</p>
<p>The family says Kassig, a former Army Ranger, formed the aid organization Special Emergency Response and Assistance, or SERA, in Turkey to provide aid and assistance to Syrian refugees. He began delivering food and medical supplies to Syrian refugee camps in 2012 and is also a trained medical assistant who provided trauma care to injured Syrian civilians and helped train 150 civilians in providing medical aid.</p>
<p>His work in Lebanon led to his capture, after which SERA suspended its aid efforts.</p>
<p>Paula Kassig, a nurse, sits next to her husband on a couch in the couple's three-minute video, wearing a head scarf and holding a photo of her son as she speaks directly to him.</p>
<p>"Most of all, know that we love you, and our hearts ache for you to be granted your freedom so we can hug you again and then set you free to continue the life you have chosen, the life of service to those in greatest need," she says. "We implore those who are holding you to show mercy and use their power to let you go."</p>
<p>The family says Kassig served in the Army from 2006 to 2007. He was a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and served four months in Iraq in 2007 before being medically discharged at the rank of private first class in September of that year, his military record shows.</p>
<p>Kassig focused on humanitarian work after leaving the military. While attending Indianapolis' Butler University, he worked to help refugees from Myanmar who had resettled in central Indiana, said family spokeswoman Jodi Perras.</p>
<p>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The parents of an Indiana man threatened with beheading by the Islamic State group are pleading with his captors to free him, saying in a video statement Saturday that their son has devoted his life to humanitarian work and aiding Syria's war refugees.</p>
<p>Ed and Paula Kassig's video was released a day after the Islamic State group's online video threatened to behead 26-year-old Peter Kassig next — following the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning.</p>
<p>That video was a heartbreaking development for Kassig's family and friends, who had stayed silent since his capture while working to secure his release.</p>
<p>In the family's video, Ed Kassig says his son, who now goes by the first name Abdul-Rahman after converting to Islam during his captivity, was captured on Oct. 1, 2013, in Syria, where he was providing aid for refugees fleeing that country's civil war.</p>
<p>He says his son has grown "to love and admire" the Syrian people, after growing up in an Indianapolis family with a long history of humanitarian work and teaching.</p>
<p>"Our son was living his life according to that same humanitarian call when he was taken captive," says Ed Kassig, a teacher.</p>
<p>The family says Kassig, a former Army Ranger, formed the aid organization Special Emergency Response and Assistance, or SERA, in Turkey to provide aid and assistance to Syrian refugees. He began delivering food and medical supplies to Syrian refugee camps in 2012 and is also a trained medical assistant who provided trauma care to injured Syrian civilians and helped train 150 civilians in providing medical aid.</p>
<p>His work in Lebanon led to his capture, after which SERA suspended its aid efforts.</p>
<p>Paula Kassig, a nurse, sits next to her husband on a couch in the couple's three-minute video, wearing a head scarf and holding a photo of her son as she speaks directly to him.</p>
<p>"Most of all, know that we love you, and our hearts ache for you to be granted your freedom so we can hug you again and then set you free to continue the life you have chosen, the life of service to those in greatest need," she says. "We implore those who are holding you to show mercy and use their power to let you go."</p>
<p>The family says Kassig served in the Army from 2006 to 2007. He was a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and served four months in Iraq in 2007 before being medically discharged at the rank of private first class in September of that year, his military record shows.</p>
<p>Kassig focused on humanitarian work after leaving the military. While attending Indianapolis' Butler University, he worked to help refugees from Myanmar who had resettled in central Indiana, said family spokeswoman Jodi Perras.</p> | 2,224 |
<p>Gold futures settled lower on Friday as some strength in the U.S. dollar put pressure on prices. The yellow metal, however, posted a gain of roughly 0.3% for the week, rebounding a bit from a loss of 5% in the previous week, which was the largest such loss in more than three years. December gold fell $2.10, or 0.2%, for the session to settle at $1,255.50 an ounce.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | Gold Futures Fall For The Session, But Edge Up For The Week | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/10/14/gold-futures-fall-for-session-but-edge-up-for-week.html | 2016-10-14 | 0right
| Gold Futures Fall For The Session, But Edge Up For The Week
<p>Gold futures settled lower on Friday as some strength in the U.S. dollar put pressure on prices. The yellow metal, however, posted a gain of roughly 0.3% for the week, rebounding a bit from a loss of 5% in the previous week, which was the largest such loss in more than three years. December gold fell $2.10, or 0.2%, for the session to settle at $1,255.50 an ounce.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | 2,225 |
<p>PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Latest on the bitter cold sweeping much of the country (all times local):</p>
<p>8:10 p.m.</p>
<p>North Carolina's governor has signed an emergency declaration to allow heating fuel to be more easily distributed during a bitter cold snap gripping the U.S.</p>
<p>Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's executive order loosens restrictions on drivers transporting heating fuels such as propane. It puts in extra measures to prevent price gouging.</p>
<p>Roads are being treated in South Carolina's coastal counties because of a forecast of light freezing rain.</p>
<p>A winter weather advisory is in effect for counties along the North and South Carolina coasts with some freezing rain possible through Friday morning.</p>
<p>A dog has been found frozen solid on an Ohio home's porch.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says the East Coast could be facing "the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record" and could use some "good old Global Warming," an apparent jab at scientists who say the earth's climate has been getting warmer.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>7:40 p.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says the East Coast could use some "good old Global Warming" as bitter-cold temperatures freeze large swaths of the county and are expected to continue this holiday weekend.</p>
<p>Trump tweets, "In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record."</p>
<p>He adds, "Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against."</p>
<p>Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism about climate change science, calling global warming a "hoax" created by the Chinese. This year he announced his intention to pull out of the Paris climate agreement aimed at curbing greenhouse gases.</p>
<p>The U.N.'s climate agency says 2017 is on track to be the hottest year on record aside from those impacted by the El Nino phenomenon.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:10 p.m.</p>
<p>A dog has been found frozen solid on an Ohio home's porch as a bitter cold snap grips much of the United States.</p>
<p>Toledo humane society cruelty investigator Megan Brown tells The Blade newspaper she doesn't know how long the dog was outside Thursday, when Toledo's high temperature was expected to be in the teens (minus 11 to minus 7 degrees Celsius). A second dog was recovered shivering inside the home.</p>
<p>The dogs' owner says utilities had been shut off but he had been providing for the dogs while living elsewhere. He says he doesn't know how one dog got outside.</p>
<p>Forecasters warn of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.</p>
<p>The temperature at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire on Thursday was minus 34 degrees (minus 37 Celsius), breaking a 1933 record of minus 31 degrees (minus 35 Celsius) atop the Northeast's highest peak.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1:45 p.m.</p>
<p>Weather observers atop the Northeast's highest peak say the temperature has hit minus 34 degrees (minus 37 Celsius), a record for the day.</p>
<p>The previous record at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire was minus 31 degrees (minus 35 Celsius) and was set in 1933.</p>
<p>The observatory has posted <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MWObs/videos/10155365477509685/" type="external">a Facebook video</a> showing weather observer Adam Gill emptying a pitcher of boiling water into the air, where it immediately turns to snow in the cold and hurricane-force winds.</p>
<p>Bitter cold weather has taken hold of much of the northern United States. Wind chill advisories or warnings were in effect for much of New England, northern Pennsylvania and New York on Thursday.</p>
<p>Forecasters warn of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:15 p.m.</p>
<p>Firefighters have had to use a payloader to rescue someone in upstate New York who got trapped in her home by a storm that dropped a huge amount of snow.</p>
<p>The female resident of the town of Lorraine lived in an area at the eastern end of Lake Ontario that got about 6 feet of snow. The temperature in nearby Watertown plunged to minus 32 (minus 35 Celsius) on Thursday morning.</p>
<p>The snow was followed by a cold snap that is canceling events and leading officials to scramble across the northern tier of the U.S. to find help for the homeless.</p>
<p>Cleveland officials say four recreation centers will remain open as warming centers at least until Saturday.</p>
<p>A "polar bear plunge" in New Jersey in which hardy swimmers planned to jump into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday was canceled because of the cold. But similar events in other nearby towns stayed on the books.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10 a.m.</p>
<p>The bitter cold sweeping much of the country this week underscores a stark reality for low-income Americans who rely on heating aid: Their dollars aren't going to go as far this winter.</p>
<p>The Department of Energy has projected energy fuel costs are going to track upward. That falls on the heels of two winters when costs were relatively low.</p>
<p>Mark Wolfe is an official with the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association. He says the good news is that President Donald Trump has released 90 percent of the energy assistance funding. Trump previously tried to eliminate the program altogether.</p>
<p>Wolfe says he is urging lawmakers to press to release the rest of the money.</p>
<p>The temperature without the wind chill factored in hit minus 32 on Thursday morning in Watertown, New York. Across the Northeast, homeless shelters are bringing in extra beds and staff members.</p>
<p>International Falls and Hibbing, Minnesota, set record lows Wednesday at minus 37 and minus 28, respectively.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:20 a.m.</p>
<p>Bitter cold weather has taken hold of much of the northern United States and is expected to stay put for days to come.</p>
<p>Forecasters are warning of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.</p>
<p>The National Weather Service reports International Falls and Hibbing, Minnesota, set record low temperatures Wednesday. International Falls, the self-proclaimed Icebox of the Nation, plunged to 37 degrees below zero, while Hibbing bottomed out at 28 below.</p>
<p>The freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills come as people in Erie, Pennsylvania, continue to dig out from a storm that has dumped more than 65 inches on the city.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, wind chill advisories or warnings are in effect for much of New England, northern Pennsylvania and New York.</p>
<p>PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Latest on the bitter cold sweeping much of the country (all times local):</p>
<p>8:10 p.m.</p>
<p>North Carolina's governor has signed an emergency declaration to allow heating fuel to be more easily distributed during a bitter cold snap gripping the U.S.</p>
<p>Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's executive order loosens restrictions on drivers transporting heating fuels such as propane. It puts in extra measures to prevent price gouging.</p>
<p>Roads are being treated in South Carolina's coastal counties because of a forecast of light freezing rain.</p>
<p>A winter weather advisory is in effect for counties along the North and South Carolina coasts with some freezing rain possible through Friday morning.</p>
<p>A dog has been found frozen solid on an Ohio home's porch.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says the East Coast could be facing "the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record" and could use some "good old Global Warming," an apparent jab at scientists who say the earth's climate has been getting warmer.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>7:40 p.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says the East Coast could use some "good old Global Warming" as bitter-cold temperatures freeze large swaths of the county and are expected to continue this holiday weekend.</p>
<p>Trump tweets, "In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record."</p>
<p>He adds, "Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against."</p>
<p>Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism about climate change science, calling global warming a "hoax" created by the Chinese. This year he announced his intention to pull out of the Paris climate agreement aimed at curbing greenhouse gases.</p>
<p>The U.N.'s climate agency says 2017 is on track to be the hottest year on record aside from those impacted by the El Nino phenomenon.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:10 p.m.</p>
<p>A dog has been found frozen solid on an Ohio home's porch as a bitter cold snap grips much of the United States.</p>
<p>Toledo humane society cruelty investigator Megan Brown tells The Blade newspaper she doesn't know how long the dog was outside Thursday, when Toledo's high temperature was expected to be in the teens (minus 11 to minus 7 degrees Celsius). A second dog was recovered shivering inside the home.</p>
<p>The dogs' owner says utilities had been shut off but he had been providing for the dogs while living elsewhere. He says he doesn't know how one dog got outside.</p>
<p>Forecasters warn of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.</p>
<p>The temperature at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire on Thursday was minus 34 degrees (minus 37 Celsius), breaking a 1933 record of minus 31 degrees (minus 35 Celsius) atop the Northeast's highest peak.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1:45 p.m.</p>
<p>Weather observers atop the Northeast's highest peak say the temperature has hit minus 34 degrees (minus 37 Celsius), a record for the day.</p>
<p>The previous record at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire was minus 31 degrees (minus 35 Celsius) and was set in 1933.</p>
<p>The observatory has posted <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MWObs/videos/10155365477509685/" type="external">a Facebook video</a> showing weather observer Adam Gill emptying a pitcher of boiling water into the air, where it immediately turns to snow in the cold and hurricane-force winds.</p>
<p>Bitter cold weather has taken hold of much of the northern United States. Wind chill advisories or warnings were in effect for much of New England, northern Pennsylvania and New York on Thursday.</p>
<p>Forecasters warn of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:15 p.m.</p>
<p>Firefighters have had to use a payloader to rescue someone in upstate New York who got trapped in her home by a storm that dropped a huge amount of snow.</p>
<p>The female resident of the town of Lorraine lived in an area at the eastern end of Lake Ontario that got about 6 feet of snow. The temperature in nearby Watertown plunged to minus 32 (minus 35 Celsius) on Thursday morning.</p>
<p>The snow was followed by a cold snap that is canceling events and leading officials to scramble across the northern tier of the U.S. to find help for the homeless.</p>
<p>Cleveland officials say four recreation centers will remain open as warming centers at least until Saturday.</p>
<p>A "polar bear plunge" in New Jersey in which hardy swimmers planned to jump into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday was canceled because of the cold. But similar events in other nearby towns stayed on the books.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10 a.m.</p>
<p>The bitter cold sweeping much of the country this week underscores a stark reality for low-income Americans who rely on heating aid: Their dollars aren't going to go as far this winter.</p>
<p>The Department of Energy has projected energy fuel costs are going to track upward. That falls on the heels of two winters when costs were relatively low.</p>
<p>Mark Wolfe is an official with the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association. He says the good news is that President Donald Trump has released 90 percent of the energy assistance funding. Trump previously tried to eliminate the program altogether.</p>
<p>Wolfe says he is urging lawmakers to press to release the rest of the money.</p>
<p>The temperature without the wind chill factored in hit minus 32 on Thursday morning in Watertown, New York. Across the Northeast, homeless shelters are bringing in extra beds and staff members.</p>
<p>International Falls and Hibbing, Minnesota, set record lows Wednesday at minus 37 and minus 28, respectively.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:20 a.m.</p>
<p>Bitter cold weather has taken hold of much of the northern United States and is expected to stay put for days to come.</p>
<p>Forecasters are warning of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.</p>
<p>The National Weather Service reports International Falls and Hibbing, Minnesota, set record low temperatures Wednesday. International Falls, the self-proclaimed Icebox of the Nation, plunged to 37 degrees below zero, while Hibbing bottomed out at 28 below.</p>
<p>The freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills come as people in Erie, Pennsylvania, continue to dig out from a storm that has dumped more than 65 inches on the city.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, wind chill advisories or warnings are in effect for much of New England, northern Pennsylvania and New York.</p> | The Latest: North Carolina eases heating fuel delivery rules | false | https://apnews.com/amp/ed17012f495c4e7bae6c674f39717ac3 | 2017-12-29 | 2least
| The Latest: North Carolina eases heating fuel delivery rules
<p>PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Latest on the bitter cold sweeping much of the country (all times local):</p>
<p>8:10 p.m.</p>
<p>North Carolina's governor has signed an emergency declaration to allow heating fuel to be more easily distributed during a bitter cold snap gripping the U.S.</p>
<p>Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's executive order loosens restrictions on drivers transporting heating fuels such as propane. It puts in extra measures to prevent price gouging.</p>
<p>Roads are being treated in South Carolina's coastal counties because of a forecast of light freezing rain.</p>
<p>A winter weather advisory is in effect for counties along the North and South Carolina coasts with some freezing rain possible through Friday morning.</p>
<p>A dog has been found frozen solid on an Ohio home's porch.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says the East Coast could be facing "the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record" and could use some "good old Global Warming," an apparent jab at scientists who say the earth's climate has been getting warmer.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>7:40 p.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says the East Coast could use some "good old Global Warming" as bitter-cold temperatures freeze large swaths of the county and are expected to continue this holiday weekend.</p>
<p>Trump tweets, "In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record."</p>
<p>He adds, "Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against."</p>
<p>Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism about climate change science, calling global warming a "hoax" created by the Chinese. This year he announced his intention to pull out of the Paris climate agreement aimed at curbing greenhouse gases.</p>
<p>The U.N.'s climate agency says 2017 is on track to be the hottest year on record aside from those impacted by the El Nino phenomenon.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:10 p.m.</p>
<p>A dog has been found frozen solid on an Ohio home's porch as a bitter cold snap grips much of the United States.</p>
<p>Toledo humane society cruelty investigator Megan Brown tells The Blade newspaper she doesn't know how long the dog was outside Thursday, when Toledo's high temperature was expected to be in the teens (minus 11 to minus 7 degrees Celsius). A second dog was recovered shivering inside the home.</p>
<p>The dogs' owner says utilities had been shut off but he had been providing for the dogs while living elsewhere. He says he doesn't know how one dog got outside.</p>
<p>Forecasters warn of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.</p>
<p>The temperature at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire on Thursday was minus 34 degrees (minus 37 Celsius), breaking a 1933 record of minus 31 degrees (minus 35 Celsius) atop the Northeast's highest peak.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1:45 p.m.</p>
<p>Weather observers atop the Northeast's highest peak say the temperature has hit minus 34 degrees (minus 37 Celsius), a record for the day.</p>
<p>The previous record at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire was minus 31 degrees (minus 35 Celsius) and was set in 1933.</p>
<p>The observatory has posted <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MWObs/videos/10155365477509685/" type="external">a Facebook video</a> showing weather observer Adam Gill emptying a pitcher of boiling water into the air, where it immediately turns to snow in the cold and hurricane-force winds.</p>
<p>Bitter cold weather has taken hold of much of the northern United States. Wind chill advisories or warnings were in effect for much of New England, northern Pennsylvania and New York on Thursday.</p>
<p>Forecasters warn of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:15 p.m.</p>
<p>Firefighters have had to use a payloader to rescue someone in upstate New York who got trapped in her home by a storm that dropped a huge amount of snow.</p>
<p>The female resident of the town of Lorraine lived in an area at the eastern end of Lake Ontario that got about 6 feet of snow. The temperature in nearby Watertown plunged to minus 32 (minus 35 Celsius) on Thursday morning.</p>
<p>The snow was followed by a cold snap that is canceling events and leading officials to scramble across the northern tier of the U.S. to find help for the homeless.</p>
<p>Cleveland officials say four recreation centers will remain open as warming centers at least until Saturday.</p>
<p>A "polar bear plunge" in New Jersey in which hardy swimmers planned to jump into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday was canceled because of the cold. But similar events in other nearby towns stayed on the books.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10 a.m.</p>
<p>The bitter cold sweeping much of the country this week underscores a stark reality for low-income Americans who rely on heating aid: Their dollars aren't going to go as far this winter.</p>
<p>The Department of Energy has projected energy fuel costs are going to track upward. That falls on the heels of two winters when costs were relatively low.</p>
<p>Mark Wolfe is an official with the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association. He says the good news is that President Donald Trump has released 90 percent of the energy assistance funding. Trump previously tried to eliminate the program altogether.</p>
<p>Wolfe says he is urging lawmakers to press to release the rest of the money.</p>
<p>The temperature without the wind chill factored in hit minus 32 on Thursday morning in Watertown, New York. Across the Northeast, homeless shelters are bringing in extra beds and staff members.</p>
<p>International Falls and Hibbing, Minnesota, set record lows Wednesday at minus 37 and minus 28, respectively.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:20 a.m.</p>
<p>Bitter cold weather has taken hold of much of the northern United States and is expected to stay put for days to come.</p>
<p>Forecasters are warning of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.</p>
<p>The National Weather Service reports International Falls and Hibbing, Minnesota, set record low temperatures Wednesday. International Falls, the self-proclaimed Icebox of the Nation, plunged to 37 degrees below zero, while Hibbing bottomed out at 28 below.</p>
<p>The freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills come as people in Erie, Pennsylvania, continue to dig out from a storm that has dumped more than 65 inches on the city.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, wind chill advisories or warnings are in effect for much of New England, northern Pennsylvania and New York.</p>
<p>PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The Latest on the bitter cold sweeping much of the country (all times local):</p>
<p>8:10 p.m.</p>
<p>North Carolina's governor has signed an emergency declaration to allow heating fuel to be more easily distributed during a bitter cold snap gripping the U.S.</p>
<p>Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's executive order loosens restrictions on drivers transporting heating fuels such as propane. It puts in extra measures to prevent price gouging.</p>
<p>Roads are being treated in South Carolina's coastal counties because of a forecast of light freezing rain.</p>
<p>A winter weather advisory is in effect for counties along the North and South Carolina coasts with some freezing rain possible through Friday morning.</p>
<p>A dog has been found frozen solid on an Ohio home's porch.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says the East Coast could be facing "the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record" and could use some "good old Global Warming," an apparent jab at scientists who say the earth's climate has been getting warmer.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>7:40 p.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says the East Coast could use some "good old Global Warming" as bitter-cold temperatures freeze large swaths of the county and are expected to continue this holiday weekend.</p>
<p>Trump tweets, "In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Year's Eve on record."</p>
<p>He adds, "Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against."</p>
<p>Trump has repeatedly expressed skepticism about climate change science, calling global warming a "hoax" created by the Chinese. This year he announced his intention to pull out of the Paris climate agreement aimed at curbing greenhouse gases.</p>
<p>The U.N.'s climate agency says 2017 is on track to be the hottest year on record aside from those impacted by the El Nino phenomenon.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:10 p.m.</p>
<p>A dog has been found frozen solid on an Ohio home's porch as a bitter cold snap grips much of the United States.</p>
<p>Toledo humane society cruelty investigator Megan Brown tells The Blade newspaper she doesn't know how long the dog was outside Thursday, when Toledo's high temperature was expected to be in the teens (minus 11 to minus 7 degrees Celsius). A second dog was recovered shivering inside the home.</p>
<p>The dogs' owner says utilities had been shut off but he had been providing for the dogs while living elsewhere. He says he doesn't know how one dog got outside.</p>
<p>Forecasters warn of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.</p>
<p>The temperature at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire on Thursday was minus 34 degrees (minus 37 Celsius), breaking a 1933 record of minus 31 degrees (minus 35 Celsius) atop the Northeast's highest peak.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1:45 p.m.</p>
<p>Weather observers atop the Northeast's highest peak say the temperature has hit minus 34 degrees (minus 37 Celsius), a record for the day.</p>
<p>The previous record at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire was minus 31 degrees (minus 35 Celsius) and was set in 1933.</p>
<p>The observatory has posted <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MWObs/videos/10155365477509685/" type="external">a Facebook video</a> showing weather observer Adam Gill emptying a pitcher of boiling water into the air, where it immediately turns to snow in the cold and hurricane-force winds.</p>
<p>Bitter cold weather has taken hold of much of the northern United States. Wind chill advisories or warnings were in effect for much of New England, northern Pennsylvania and New York on Thursday.</p>
<p>Forecasters warn of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:15 p.m.</p>
<p>Firefighters have had to use a payloader to rescue someone in upstate New York who got trapped in her home by a storm that dropped a huge amount of snow.</p>
<p>The female resident of the town of Lorraine lived in an area at the eastern end of Lake Ontario that got about 6 feet of snow. The temperature in nearby Watertown plunged to minus 32 (minus 35 Celsius) on Thursday morning.</p>
<p>The snow was followed by a cold snap that is canceling events and leading officials to scramble across the northern tier of the U.S. to find help for the homeless.</p>
<p>Cleveland officials say four recreation centers will remain open as warming centers at least until Saturday.</p>
<p>A "polar bear plunge" in New Jersey in which hardy swimmers planned to jump into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday was canceled because of the cold. But similar events in other nearby towns stayed on the books.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10 a.m.</p>
<p>The bitter cold sweeping much of the country this week underscores a stark reality for low-income Americans who rely on heating aid: Their dollars aren't going to go as far this winter.</p>
<p>The Department of Energy has projected energy fuel costs are going to track upward. That falls on the heels of two winters when costs were relatively low.</p>
<p>Mark Wolfe is an official with the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association. He says the good news is that President Donald Trump has released 90 percent of the energy assistance funding. Trump previously tried to eliminate the program altogether.</p>
<p>Wolfe says he is urging lawmakers to press to release the rest of the money.</p>
<p>The temperature without the wind chill factored in hit minus 32 on Thursday morning in Watertown, New York. Across the Northeast, homeless shelters are bringing in extra beds and staff members.</p>
<p>International Falls and Hibbing, Minnesota, set record lows Wednesday at minus 37 and minus 28, respectively.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:20 a.m.</p>
<p>Bitter cold weather has taken hold of much of the northern United States and is expected to stay put for days to come.</p>
<p>Forecasters are warning of hypothermia and frostbite from arctic air settling in over the central U.S. and spreading east.</p>
<p>The National Weather Service reports International Falls and Hibbing, Minnesota, set record low temperatures Wednesday. International Falls, the self-proclaimed Icebox of the Nation, plunged to 37 degrees below zero, while Hibbing bottomed out at 28 below.</p>
<p>The freezing temperatures and below-zero wind chills come as people in Erie, Pennsylvania, continue to dig out from a storm that has dumped more than 65 inches on the city.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, wind chill advisories or warnings are in effect for much of New England, northern Pennsylvania and New York.</p> | 2,226 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Who knew that so many random activities of daily life could be imperiled by a shutdown of the federal government?</p>
<p>Americans are finding that “the government” entails a lot more than the stereotype of faceless D.C. bureaucrats cranking out red tape.</p>
<p>And so it is that two dozen October weddings, including nine this week, are in jeopardy because they're scheduled for monument sites on the National Mall. Ditto for a New Jersey couple planning to marry at the Grand Canyon.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Mike Cassesso and MaiLien Le's permit to get married Saturday on the lawn near the Jefferson Memorial looks to be among the casualties, giving rise to a new Twitter hashtag for their (hash)shutdownwedding. They're looking at alternate sites, including the restaurant booked for their reception.</p>
<p>Also canceled: a weekend Ku Klux Klan rally at Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>Want to take a drive along Virginia's popular Skyline Drive to take in the fall colors in Shenandoah National Park? Not till the government reopens.</p>
<p>It's not just romance, tourism and public events that are in jeopardy.</p>
<p>Consider the Wisconsin farmer who can't cash a check for a cow he sold.</p>
<p>Ben Brancel, the state's agriculture secretary, said that because the farmer has a loan from the Farm Service Agency, he can't cash the check without both his own signature and one from an FSA official, unavailable during the shutdown.</p>
<p>“Our advice to him was he was going to have to wait, that there wasn't anything he could do about it,” Brancel said.</p>
<p>Ready to buy your first house?</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Borrowers applying for a mortgage can expect delays, especially if the shutdown is prolonged. That's because many lenders need government confirmation of applicants' income tax returns and Social Security data. Mortgage industry officials say they expect bottlenecks on closing loans if the shutdown stretches on for more than a few days.</p>
<p>In addition, low- to moderate-income borrowers and first-time homebuyers seeking government-insured mortgages for single-family homes from the Federal Housing Administration can expect longer waits because of sharp reductions in FHA staffing.</p>
<p>Even workers who get their paychecks from a state government aren't safe from the ripple effects of a federal shutdown.</p>
<p>An assortment of state workers around the country are on furlough because the money for their jobs includes dollars from Washington. Among those are hundreds of workers at Arkansas' Military Department and one at the Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute, a vocational school in Forrest City, Ark.</p>
<p>In Illinois, the furloughs include 20 workers in the state Department of Employment Security and 53 in the Department of Military Affairs.</p>
<p>“These are the first, and there may be more,” said Abdon Pallasch, the state's assistant budget director.</p>
<p>Want to escape the shutdown worries with a bike ride on the C&amp;O Canal, a popular 184-mile trail and national park between Washington and Cumberland, Md.?</p>
<p>Closed. Those thinking of ignoring the closure notice and going anyway should consider this: Restrooms will be locked and handles removed from water pumps along the way.</p>
<p>One possible silver lining to shutdown annoyances writ small and large: The whole thing could serve as a teachable moment for all those people who tell pollsters that they want budget cuts – as long as they aren't directly affected.</p>
<p>“As time goes by, more and more people see these little things that they took for granted,” said Ed Lorenzen, a policy adviser at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan group pushing for spending discipline.</p>
<p>He said the shutdown could serve as a reminder that “you're not going to be able to the balance the budget just by cutting spending in Washington that doesn't affect people.”</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Andrew Miga contributed to this report.</p>
<p>Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/nbenac" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/nbenac</a></p>
<p><a href="#1bd566d6-b372-4739-9170-f9c3a05a7518" type="external">© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</a> Learn more about our <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/privacy" type="external">Privacy Policy</a> and <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/terms" type="external">Terms of Use</a>.</p> | Who knew? Shutdown casualties shatter stereotypes | false | https://abqjournal.com/272811/us-government-shutdown-closes-parks-monuments.html | 2013-10-01 | 2least
| Who knew? Shutdown casualties shatter stereotypes
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Who knew that so many random activities of daily life could be imperiled by a shutdown of the federal government?</p>
<p>Americans are finding that “the government” entails a lot more than the stereotype of faceless D.C. bureaucrats cranking out red tape.</p>
<p>And so it is that two dozen October weddings, including nine this week, are in jeopardy because they're scheduled for monument sites on the National Mall. Ditto for a New Jersey couple planning to marry at the Grand Canyon.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Mike Cassesso and MaiLien Le's permit to get married Saturday on the lawn near the Jefferson Memorial looks to be among the casualties, giving rise to a new Twitter hashtag for their (hash)shutdownwedding. They're looking at alternate sites, including the restaurant booked for their reception.</p>
<p>Also canceled: a weekend Ku Klux Klan rally at Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>Want to take a drive along Virginia's popular Skyline Drive to take in the fall colors in Shenandoah National Park? Not till the government reopens.</p>
<p>It's not just romance, tourism and public events that are in jeopardy.</p>
<p>Consider the Wisconsin farmer who can't cash a check for a cow he sold.</p>
<p>Ben Brancel, the state's agriculture secretary, said that because the farmer has a loan from the Farm Service Agency, he can't cash the check without both his own signature and one from an FSA official, unavailable during the shutdown.</p>
<p>“Our advice to him was he was going to have to wait, that there wasn't anything he could do about it,” Brancel said.</p>
<p>Ready to buy your first house?</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Borrowers applying for a mortgage can expect delays, especially if the shutdown is prolonged. That's because many lenders need government confirmation of applicants' income tax returns and Social Security data. Mortgage industry officials say they expect bottlenecks on closing loans if the shutdown stretches on for more than a few days.</p>
<p>In addition, low- to moderate-income borrowers and first-time homebuyers seeking government-insured mortgages for single-family homes from the Federal Housing Administration can expect longer waits because of sharp reductions in FHA staffing.</p>
<p>Even workers who get their paychecks from a state government aren't safe from the ripple effects of a federal shutdown.</p>
<p>An assortment of state workers around the country are on furlough because the money for their jobs includes dollars from Washington. Among those are hundreds of workers at Arkansas' Military Department and one at the Crowley's Ridge Technical Institute, a vocational school in Forrest City, Ark.</p>
<p>In Illinois, the furloughs include 20 workers in the state Department of Employment Security and 53 in the Department of Military Affairs.</p>
<p>“These are the first, and there may be more,” said Abdon Pallasch, the state's assistant budget director.</p>
<p>Want to escape the shutdown worries with a bike ride on the C&amp;O Canal, a popular 184-mile trail and national park between Washington and Cumberland, Md.?</p>
<p>Closed. Those thinking of ignoring the closure notice and going anyway should consider this: Restrooms will be locked and handles removed from water pumps along the way.</p>
<p>One possible silver lining to shutdown annoyances writ small and large: The whole thing could serve as a teachable moment for all those people who tell pollsters that they want budget cuts – as long as they aren't directly affected.</p>
<p>“As time goes by, more and more people see these little things that they took for granted,” said Ed Lorenzen, a policy adviser at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan group pushing for spending discipline.</p>
<p>He said the shutdown could serve as a reminder that “you're not going to be able to the balance the budget just by cutting spending in Washington that doesn't affect people.”</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Andrew Miga contributed to this report.</p>
<p>Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/nbenac" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/nbenac</a></p>
<p><a href="#1bd566d6-b372-4739-9170-f9c3a05a7518" type="external">© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</a> Learn more about our <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/privacy" type="external">Privacy Policy</a> and <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/terms" type="external">Terms of Use</a>.</p> | 2,227 |
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<p><a href="" type="internal" />Federal regulators have signed off on a settlement that calls for shutting down part of a coal-fired power plant in northwestern New Mexico that serves more than 2 million customers in the Southwest.</p>
<p>The Environmental Protection Agency approved the settlement agreement Friday, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for curbing haze-causing pollution at the San Juan Generating Station.</p>
<p>The proposal was negotiated in 2013 by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez’s administration, the state’s largest electric utility and the Navajo Nation.</p>
<p>State regulators previously approved the plan, which calls for PNM to retire two units at the power plant by the end of December 2017. The utility must also install pollution-control equipment on the plant’s two remaining units.</p>
<p>State Environment Secretary Ryan Flynn calls the agreement a win for customers and the environment.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | EPA signs off on power plant proposal | false | https://abqjournal.com/469017/epa-signs-off-of-power-plant-proposal.html | 2least
| EPA signs off on power plant proposal
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<p><a href="" type="internal" />Federal regulators have signed off on a settlement that calls for shutting down part of a coal-fired power plant in northwestern New Mexico that serves more than 2 million customers in the Southwest.</p>
<p>The Environmental Protection Agency approved the settlement agreement Friday, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for curbing haze-causing pollution at the San Juan Generating Station.</p>
<p>The proposal was negotiated in 2013 by Republican Gov. Susana Martinez’s administration, the state’s largest electric utility and the Navajo Nation.</p>
<p>State regulators previously approved the plan, which calls for PNM to retire two units at the power plant by the end of December 2017. The utility must also install pollution-control equipment on the plant’s two remaining units.</p>
<p>State Environment Secretary Ryan Flynn calls the agreement a win for customers and the environment.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 2,228 |
|
<p>WEST DEPTFORD, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey Republican ended his campaign for local office Tuesday following reports that he called online for the rape of a Washington-based reporter for news and opinion website The Daily Beast.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Mike Krawitz, who was running for the township council in West Deptford, sent a handwritten resignation note to the party Tuesday saying he was dropping out.</p>
<p>On Monday, Krawitz told The Philadelphia Inquirer that his account was hacked and that he didn’t make the comment on journalist Olivia Nuzzi’s Facebook account.</p>
<p>But Nuzzi, a New Jersey native, said she has been harassed on social media by Krawitz since December 2015.</p>
<p>Krawitz’s recent comment said: “I. Hope. Somebody. Rapes. You. Today. :).” Krawitz’s account also posted a comment that said: “Hope. You. Get. Raped. By. A. Syrian. Refugee. :).”</p>
<p>Bob Waller, chairman of the West Deptford Republican Committee, said in a statement before Krawitz stepped down that there is “no reasonable reason” to believe Krawitz was hacked. He had called on Krawitz step down.</p>
<p>“We as a party cannot condone such repulsive, threatening or demeaning rhetoric of this kind being made by any person regardless of party,” Waller said.</p>
<p>A person answering the phone at a number listed for Krawitz on Tuesday afternoon said he was not home.</p>
<p>West Deptford Police Chief Sam DiSimone said no complaint has been filed with the department, but he condemned the comments.</p>
<p>“It’s an embarrassment to the township that this is taking place,” he said.</p>
<p>The comments came after Nuzzi promoted an article about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s ex-wife Marla Maples.</p>
<p>Nuzzi said in a statement that she has received a lot of colorful hate mail but never from a candidate for office.</p>
<p>“I have faith that most voters in New Jersey and around the country disapprove of hateful rhetoric of this nature,” Nuzzi said.</p>
<p>The Facebook pages for Krawitz and the West Deptford GOP were down Tuesday.</p>
<p>Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</p> | New Jersey GOPer Quits Race After He Told Female Reporter He Hopes She Gets ‘Raped’ | true | http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/nj-goper-daily-beast-online-rape-calls | 4left
| New Jersey GOPer Quits Race After He Told Female Reporter He Hopes She Gets ‘Raped’
<p>WEST DEPTFORD, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey Republican ended his campaign for local office Tuesday following reports that he called online for the rape of a Washington-based reporter for news and opinion website The Daily Beast.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Mike Krawitz, who was running for the township council in West Deptford, sent a handwritten resignation note to the party Tuesday saying he was dropping out.</p>
<p>On Monday, Krawitz told The Philadelphia Inquirer that his account was hacked and that he didn’t make the comment on journalist Olivia Nuzzi’s Facebook account.</p>
<p>But Nuzzi, a New Jersey native, said she has been harassed on social media by Krawitz since December 2015.</p>
<p>Krawitz’s recent comment said: “I. Hope. Somebody. Rapes. You. Today. :).” Krawitz’s account also posted a comment that said: “Hope. You. Get. Raped. By. A. Syrian. Refugee. :).”</p>
<p>Bob Waller, chairman of the West Deptford Republican Committee, said in a statement before Krawitz stepped down that there is “no reasonable reason” to believe Krawitz was hacked. He had called on Krawitz step down.</p>
<p>“We as a party cannot condone such repulsive, threatening or demeaning rhetoric of this kind being made by any person regardless of party,” Waller said.</p>
<p>A person answering the phone at a number listed for Krawitz on Tuesday afternoon said he was not home.</p>
<p>West Deptford Police Chief Sam DiSimone said no complaint has been filed with the department, but he condemned the comments.</p>
<p>“It’s an embarrassment to the township that this is taking place,” he said.</p>
<p>The comments came after Nuzzi promoted an article about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s ex-wife Marla Maples.</p>
<p>Nuzzi said in a statement that she has received a lot of colorful hate mail but never from a candidate for office.</p>
<p>“I have faith that most voters in New Jersey and around the country disapprove of hateful rhetoric of this nature,” Nuzzi said.</p>
<p>The Facebook pages for Krawitz and the West Deptford GOP were down Tuesday.</p>
<p>Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</p> | 2,229 |
|
<p>After spending much of the past five days bemoaning Benjamin Netanyahu's&#160;"hard turn right" NBC News' Andrea Mitchell finally asked Israeli Prime Minister about his supposed no two-state solution comment. &#160;Bibi&#160;told Mitchell what those who actually read his statement already knew, "I never changed my policy or retracted my speech six years ago, calling for a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish State." Despite what the Israeli Premier said, Mitchell kept clinging to her interpretation.</p>
<p>Mitchell began by going straight to the point:</p>
<p>MITCHELL: Congratulations on your victory. But -- there's always a but, critics and analysts here and around the world are saying at what cost? Your hard turn right on the Palestinian issue, what you said about the Arab voters coming out in droves they say are costing you, costing you support around the world.</p>
<p>NETANYAHU: Well, neither one is -- the premises in your questions are wrong. I never changed my policy. I never retracted my speech at Bar Ilan University six years ago, calling for a demilitarized Palestinian State that recognizes the Jewish State. What has changed is the reality. Abu Mazen, the Palestinian leader, refuses to recognize the Jewish State and made a pact with Hamas that calls for destruction of Jewish State, and every territory that is vacated today in the Middle East is taken up by Islamist forces. We want that to change so we can realize a vision of real sustained real peace. I don't want a one-state solution. I want a sustainable, peaceful two-state solution, but for that circumstances have to change.</p>
<p>Almost as if she didn't hear what Netanyahu had just said (or didn't care) Mitchell asked:</p>
<p>MITCHELL:&#160;But you were reelected on a mandate; certainly Israeli voters, your supporters believe you were re-elected on a mandate against a two-state solution. That is the way the White House is interpreting-- the White House says this is divisive, so divisive that now the administration is saying they will not stop the U.N. from conferring statehood. They will not block or at least they are strongly considering not blocking a vote for statehood for Palestinians.&#160;</p>
<p>NETANYAHU:&#160;First of all, that state would become a terrorist state. Iran says that they will arm the West Bank the way they arm Gaza. We withdrew from Gaza, just a few months ago, not ancient history but just a few months got thousands of rockets Andrea on our heads. We don't want it to happen again. I think the administration has said time and time again the only way to achieve peace is a negotiated solution, you can't impose peace. In any case If you want to get peace, you've got to get the Palestinian leadership to abandon their pact with Hamas and engage in genuine negotiations with Israel for an achievable peace. We also have to make sure that we don't have ISIS coming into that territory; it's only two-dozen miles away from our borders, thousands of miles away from yours. So we need the recognitions of a Jewish state and real security in order to have a realistic two-state solution. I was talking about what is achievable and what is not achievable. To make it achievable, then you have to have real negotiations with people who are committed to peace. We are -- it's time we saw the pressure on the Palestinians to show that they are committed too.</p>
<p>Netanyahu later responded to Mitchell’s monologue quoting various leftist pundits, including Thomas Friedman and Jeffrey Goldberg, slamming him for his comments about Arabs. In the response he brought up the influence of foreign money on the Israeli elections, including American money:</p>
<p>NETANYAHU:&#160;I am very proud of the fact that Israel is the one country in a very broad radius in which Arabs have free and fair elections. That’s sacrosanct; that will never change. I met a few days ago with the Arab supporters, many Arab supporters of Likud. I met them in the north of the country and I said, “Look, I am concerned with the massive foreign-funded effort, massive foreign money-"</p>
<p>MITCHELL:&#160;Foreign money, U.S. money?</p>
<p>NETANYAHU:&#160;Big NGO’s, that are coming in here with foreign money and it’s all over the place.</p>
<p>MITCHELL:&#160;You said tens of millions of dollars.</p>
<p>NETANYAHU:&#160;Well, definitely millions, and I said it looks like maybe tens of millions of dollars that are coming in-</p>
<p>MITCHELL: From America?</p>
<p>NETANYAHU:&#160;Among other places. Foreign funders; that’s important. But what has happened, I said that they would try to get out votes for a specific party, an amalgamation of Islamists and other anti-Israel groups. And I said, when that happens, make sure we get out our vote. I wasn’t trying to suppress a vote; I was trying to get something to counter a foreign-funded effort to get votes that are intended to topple my party and I was calling on our voters to come out. And by the way, quite a few of them, we got quite a few Arab voters for the Likud, and I’m very proud of that.&#160;</p>
<p>It was very convenient for Mitchell, the rest of the mainstream media and the White House to take half of Netanyahu's statement and spin it the way they want, but the truth is that&#160;Bibi&#160;never said he didn't believe in a two-state solution, nor did he ever say he would block a two-state solution; what he said was a Palestinian state would never be formed while he was premier because it would become a base for radical Islam.</p>
<p>Last week&#160; <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/16/middleeast/israel-netanyahu-palestinian-state/" type="external">CNN</a>&#160;reported what the Prime Minister actually said:</p> | Netanyahu: I Never Said No Two-State Solution | true | http://truthrevolt.org/news/netanyahu-i-never-said-no-two-state-solution | 2018-10-03 | 0right
| Netanyahu: I Never Said No Two-State Solution
<p>After spending much of the past five days bemoaning Benjamin Netanyahu's&#160;"hard turn right" NBC News' Andrea Mitchell finally asked Israeli Prime Minister about his supposed no two-state solution comment. &#160;Bibi&#160;told Mitchell what those who actually read his statement already knew, "I never changed my policy or retracted my speech six years ago, calling for a demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the Jewish State." Despite what the Israeli Premier said, Mitchell kept clinging to her interpretation.</p>
<p>Mitchell began by going straight to the point:</p>
<p>MITCHELL: Congratulations on your victory. But -- there's always a but, critics and analysts here and around the world are saying at what cost? Your hard turn right on the Palestinian issue, what you said about the Arab voters coming out in droves they say are costing you, costing you support around the world.</p>
<p>NETANYAHU: Well, neither one is -- the premises in your questions are wrong. I never changed my policy. I never retracted my speech at Bar Ilan University six years ago, calling for a demilitarized Palestinian State that recognizes the Jewish State. What has changed is the reality. Abu Mazen, the Palestinian leader, refuses to recognize the Jewish State and made a pact with Hamas that calls for destruction of Jewish State, and every territory that is vacated today in the Middle East is taken up by Islamist forces. We want that to change so we can realize a vision of real sustained real peace. I don't want a one-state solution. I want a sustainable, peaceful two-state solution, but for that circumstances have to change.</p>
<p>Almost as if she didn't hear what Netanyahu had just said (or didn't care) Mitchell asked:</p>
<p>MITCHELL:&#160;But you were reelected on a mandate; certainly Israeli voters, your supporters believe you were re-elected on a mandate against a two-state solution. That is the way the White House is interpreting-- the White House says this is divisive, so divisive that now the administration is saying they will not stop the U.N. from conferring statehood. They will not block or at least they are strongly considering not blocking a vote for statehood for Palestinians.&#160;</p>
<p>NETANYAHU:&#160;First of all, that state would become a terrorist state. Iran says that they will arm the West Bank the way they arm Gaza. We withdrew from Gaza, just a few months ago, not ancient history but just a few months got thousands of rockets Andrea on our heads. We don't want it to happen again. I think the administration has said time and time again the only way to achieve peace is a negotiated solution, you can't impose peace. In any case If you want to get peace, you've got to get the Palestinian leadership to abandon their pact with Hamas and engage in genuine negotiations with Israel for an achievable peace. We also have to make sure that we don't have ISIS coming into that territory; it's only two-dozen miles away from our borders, thousands of miles away from yours. So we need the recognitions of a Jewish state and real security in order to have a realistic two-state solution. I was talking about what is achievable and what is not achievable. To make it achievable, then you have to have real negotiations with people who are committed to peace. We are -- it's time we saw the pressure on the Palestinians to show that they are committed too.</p>
<p>Netanyahu later responded to Mitchell’s monologue quoting various leftist pundits, including Thomas Friedman and Jeffrey Goldberg, slamming him for his comments about Arabs. In the response he brought up the influence of foreign money on the Israeli elections, including American money:</p>
<p>NETANYAHU:&#160;I am very proud of the fact that Israel is the one country in a very broad radius in which Arabs have free and fair elections. That’s sacrosanct; that will never change. I met a few days ago with the Arab supporters, many Arab supporters of Likud. I met them in the north of the country and I said, “Look, I am concerned with the massive foreign-funded effort, massive foreign money-"</p>
<p>MITCHELL:&#160;Foreign money, U.S. money?</p>
<p>NETANYAHU:&#160;Big NGO’s, that are coming in here with foreign money and it’s all over the place.</p>
<p>MITCHELL:&#160;You said tens of millions of dollars.</p>
<p>NETANYAHU:&#160;Well, definitely millions, and I said it looks like maybe tens of millions of dollars that are coming in-</p>
<p>MITCHELL: From America?</p>
<p>NETANYAHU:&#160;Among other places. Foreign funders; that’s important. But what has happened, I said that they would try to get out votes for a specific party, an amalgamation of Islamists and other anti-Israel groups. And I said, when that happens, make sure we get out our vote. I wasn’t trying to suppress a vote; I was trying to get something to counter a foreign-funded effort to get votes that are intended to topple my party and I was calling on our voters to come out. And by the way, quite a few of them, we got quite a few Arab voters for the Likud, and I’m very proud of that.&#160;</p>
<p>It was very convenient for Mitchell, the rest of the mainstream media and the White House to take half of Netanyahu's statement and spin it the way they want, but the truth is that&#160;Bibi&#160;never said he didn't believe in a two-state solution, nor did he ever say he would block a two-state solution; what he said was a Palestinian state would never be formed while he was premier because it would become a base for radical Islam.</p>
<p>Last week&#160; <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/16/middleeast/israel-netanyahu-palestinian-state/" type="external">CNN</a>&#160;reported what the Prime Minister actually said:</p> | 2,230 |
<p>A letter to New York’s popular WNYC-NPR radio host Brian Lehrer</p>
<p>Dear Mr Lehrer,</p>
<p>I enjoy your programs. I especially appreciate your intelligent and even-handed treatment of guests, which includes providing enough context and background about them to allow listeners a chance to fairly evaluate how much respect and/or credibility their words deserve.</p>
<p>Regrettably, you did not provide such context or background for Elliott Abrams, when you&#160; <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/story/confronting-authoritarianism-middle-east/" type="external">interviewed</a>&#160;him on Monday, October 9, about his new book,&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Realism and Democracy: American Foreign Policy After the Arab Spring</a>.</p>
<p>It’s true that you did say, near the end of the interview, that Abrams had been convicted on two counts of “misleading Congress” in 1991, and was then pardoned by George W. Bush. But the reference was cryptic, and you passed over it quickly, since you were only using it as a bridge to the question of whether Abrams’s pardon by Bush might be a precedent that would allow Donald Trump to pardon his own friends and relatives (and possibly himself) if indicted during Robert Mueller’s investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.</p>
<p>Since a conviction for “misleading Congress” doesn’t sound like much, many of your listeners probably thought it was like getting a traffic ticket — that is, small potatoes. And indeed it was small potatoes, especially in Abrams’s case, because it was the result of a plea bargain in which the Justice Department agreed to close its eyes to Abrams’s complicity in horrendous human rights atrocities, encompassing the rape, torture and murder of tens of thousands of indigenous Central American people during the Contra Wars. In return, Abrams agreed to cooperate in fingering his superiors in the Reagan administration. Sort of like giving immunity to a Mafia hit man with 10 or 12 murders under his belt, in return for having him rat out his capo.</p>
<p>Since Abrams’s crimes occurred more than a quarter of a century ago, many of your listeners may have forgotten them, or been too young at the time to have understood them. Therefore, they may have been unaware that Abrams, in every sense of the term, is a war criminal, and that his involvement in genocidal mass murder, by some of the most brutal dictators in modern history, makes his passionate love song, which he sings&#160; to democracy in his latest book, a cruelly ironic joke.</p>
<p>You might, Mr Lehrer, have legitimately asked Abrams (politely, of course, since he was your guest) about the astonishing advice at the core of his book — that America should support democratic governments because “deals with tyrants will not work.” And that “Islamism is an idea that can only be defeated by a better idea: democracy.” Hasn’t Abrams has spent his entire career arranging “deals with tyrants,” and helping to overthrow democratically elected governments all over the world?</p>
<p>For example, there is Abrams’s well documented support for the bloody Guatemalan dictator Efraín Ríos Montt, and his equally bloody successor, “President” Vinicio Cerezo Arévalo, whose U.S.-trained and funded troops “herded the entire population [of one village] into the courthouse, raped the women, beheaded the men, and then took the children outside to smash them to death against rocks,” as recounted in&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Inevitable Revolutions</a>,&#160;by the distinguished Cornell University historian Walter LaFeber.</p>
<p>Abrams also helped the Salvadoran military junta cover up the infamous “El Mozote Massacre” of December 11, 1981, in which Salvadoran troops, also U.S.-trained and funded, raped, tortured and butchered over 800 villagers. As reported by Mark Danner, in&#160; <a href="" type="internal">The New Yorker</a>, government soldiers dragged the entire population of the village from their homes, separated the men from the women and children, then locked them all up overnight. In the morning, they tortured and executed the men. At noon, they raped the women and then machine-gunned them. After that, they raped the girls, and machine-gunned them, too. Girls as young as 10 were raped, with soldiers reportedly heard bragging how they especially liked the 12-year-old girls. Finally, they killed the little children, first by slitting their throats, then hanging them from trees, one child as young as two years old. After butchering the entire population, the soldiers set fire to the buildings. The next day they marched to the village of Los Toriles and carried out a further massacre. Men, women, and children were lined up, robbed, shot, and their homes then set ablaze.</p>
<p>Faced with international revulsion, the Reagan administration launched a cover-up of its role in the Mazote Massacre. That cover-up was yeomanly orchestrated by Elliott Abrams, then Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs. Although evidence for massacre was overwhelming, Abrams insisted that that no such massacre had taken place, and that — to the contrary — the Salvadoran junta had made great strides in human rights. Even as the mass killings continued, Abrams fought in Congress for increased military aid to Ríos Montt’s murderous regime, demanding that Congress provide it with advanced arms because “[its] human rights progress need[ed] to be rewarded and encouraged.” As Abrams deceitfully told a Congressional investigating committee, “it [the El Mozote Massacre] appears to be an incident that is … being significantly misused, at the very best, by the guerrillas.” (Citation from&#160; <a href="" type="internal">A Century of Media, a Century of War</a>, by Robin Andersen.)</p>
<p>As the go-to-guy for U.S.-funded terrorism, Abrams helped arrange the overthrow of democratically elected governments throughout Latin America and the Middle East. Operating out of the White House, as George W. Bush’s Senior Director of the National Security Council for Democracy, Human Rights and International Operations, Abrams was, according&#160; <a href="" type="internal">The Guardian</a>, the crucial figure in the failed 2002 coup against the democratically elected Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.</p>
<p>As assistant secretary of state for Latin America under President Reagan, Abrams was a prominent theoretician of the school known as ‘Hemispherism’, whose primary goal was to eradicate Marxism from the Americas by any means necessary. He conspired with Henry Kissinger and the CIA during the Nixon administration to overthrow the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende in 1973, bringing Augusto Pinochet to power and plunging Chile into 17 years of torture, rape and murder. Abrams also oversaw U.S. funding of military coups and death squads in Argentina, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. And in Nicaragua, Abrams worked directly with Oliver North to fund the Contras and destabilize the democratically elected Sandinista government. Abrams also tried to subvert the results of the 2006 democratic elections in the Palestinian territories, undermining any chance of a democratic peace between Israel and the Palestinians.</p>
<p>Today, in 2017, deceitful as ever, Abrams, who is currently Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (and was Trump’s first choice for Deputy Secretary of State), has the chutzpah to write in his new book that America should “reject deals with tyrants” – as if deals with tyrants were not Abrams’s stock in trade — and as if so many of the allies of whom he approves were not murderous tyrants oppressing the populations of countries like Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Rwanda, Singapore, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda and Uzbekistan — to name a handful. Or that one of our dearest allies is Saudi Arabia, a country that often beheads more people in one week (for such crimes as adultery or “insulting the state”) than Al Qaeda and ISIS have beheaded in all their years of existence.</p>
<p>In a&#160; <a href="" type="internal">New York Magazine</a>&#160;article, Eric Levitz aptly commented that having Elliott Abrams oversee the National Security Council directorate responsible for promoting Democracy, Human Rights and International Operations, as he did under George W. Bush, was “a bit like having Hannibal Lecter oversee the directorate of Homicide Reduction and Veganism.” To which I might add that for Brian Lehrer to have interviewed Elliott Abrams, one of the great monsters of our era, without even bringing up any of the above, is like interviewing Hitler without bringing up Auschwitz – or like interviewing Trump without bringing up pussy-grabbing.</p> | When a Radio Host Interviews a War Criminal, Is It Churlish to Ask About His War Crimes? | true | https://counterpunch.org/2017/10/16/when-a-radio-host-interviews-a-war-criminal-is-it-churlish-to-ask-about-his-war-crimes/ | 2017-10-16 | 4left
| When a Radio Host Interviews a War Criminal, Is It Churlish to Ask About His War Crimes?
<p>A letter to New York’s popular WNYC-NPR radio host Brian Lehrer</p>
<p>Dear Mr Lehrer,</p>
<p>I enjoy your programs. I especially appreciate your intelligent and even-handed treatment of guests, which includes providing enough context and background about them to allow listeners a chance to fairly evaluate how much respect and/or credibility their words deserve.</p>
<p>Regrettably, you did not provide such context or background for Elliott Abrams, when you&#160; <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/story/confronting-authoritarianism-middle-east/" type="external">interviewed</a>&#160;him on Monday, October 9, about his new book,&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Realism and Democracy: American Foreign Policy After the Arab Spring</a>.</p>
<p>It’s true that you did say, near the end of the interview, that Abrams had been convicted on two counts of “misleading Congress” in 1991, and was then pardoned by George W. Bush. But the reference was cryptic, and you passed over it quickly, since you were only using it as a bridge to the question of whether Abrams’s pardon by Bush might be a precedent that would allow Donald Trump to pardon his own friends and relatives (and possibly himself) if indicted during Robert Mueller’s investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.</p>
<p>Since a conviction for “misleading Congress” doesn’t sound like much, many of your listeners probably thought it was like getting a traffic ticket — that is, small potatoes. And indeed it was small potatoes, especially in Abrams’s case, because it was the result of a plea bargain in which the Justice Department agreed to close its eyes to Abrams’s complicity in horrendous human rights atrocities, encompassing the rape, torture and murder of tens of thousands of indigenous Central American people during the Contra Wars. In return, Abrams agreed to cooperate in fingering his superiors in the Reagan administration. Sort of like giving immunity to a Mafia hit man with 10 or 12 murders under his belt, in return for having him rat out his capo.</p>
<p>Since Abrams’s crimes occurred more than a quarter of a century ago, many of your listeners may have forgotten them, or been too young at the time to have understood them. Therefore, they may have been unaware that Abrams, in every sense of the term, is a war criminal, and that his involvement in genocidal mass murder, by some of the most brutal dictators in modern history, makes his passionate love song, which he sings&#160; to democracy in his latest book, a cruelly ironic joke.</p>
<p>You might, Mr Lehrer, have legitimately asked Abrams (politely, of course, since he was your guest) about the astonishing advice at the core of his book — that America should support democratic governments because “deals with tyrants will not work.” And that “Islamism is an idea that can only be defeated by a better idea: democracy.” Hasn’t Abrams has spent his entire career arranging “deals with tyrants,” and helping to overthrow democratically elected governments all over the world?</p>
<p>For example, there is Abrams’s well documented support for the bloody Guatemalan dictator Efraín Ríos Montt, and his equally bloody successor, “President” Vinicio Cerezo Arévalo, whose U.S.-trained and funded troops “herded the entire population [of one village] into the courthouse, raped the women, beheaded the men, and then took the children outside to smash them to death against rocks,” as recounted in&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Inevitable Revolutions</a>,&#160;by the distinguished Cornell University historian Walter LaFeber.</p>
<p>Abrams also helped the Salvadoran military junta cover up the infamous “El Mozote Massacre” of December 11, 1981, in which Salvadoran troops, also U.S.-trained and funded, raped, tortured and butchered over 800 villagers. As reported by Mark Danner, in&#160; <a href="" type="internal">The New Yorker</a>, government soldiers dragged the entire population of the village from their homes, separated the men from the women and children, then locked them all up overnight. In the morning, they tortured and executed the men. At noon, they raped the women and then machine-gunned them. After that, they raped the girls, and machine-gunned them, too. Girls as young as 10 were raped, with soldiers reportedly heard bragging how they especially liked the 12-year-old girls. Finally, they killed the little children, first by slitting their throats, then hanging them from trees, one child as young as two years old. After butchering the entire population, the soldiers set fire to the buildings. The next day they marched to the village of Los Toriles and carried out a further massacre. Men, women, and children were lined up, robbed, shot, and their homes then set ablaze.</p>
<p>Faced with international revulsion, the Reagan administration launched a cover-up of its role in the Mazote Massacre. That cover-up was yeomanly orchestrated by Elliott Abrams, then Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs. Although evidence for massacre was overwhelming, Abrams insisted that that no such massacre had taken place, and that — to the contrary — the Salvadoran junta had made great strides in human rights. Even as the mass killings continued, Abrams fought in Congress for increased military aid to Ríos Montt’s murderous regime, demanding that Congress provide it with advanced arms because “[its] human rights progress need[ed] to be rewarded and encouraged.” As Abrams deceitfully told a Congressional investigating committee, “it [the El Mozote Massacre] appears to be an incident that is … being significantly misused, at the very best, by the guerrillas.” (Citation from&#160; <a href="" type="internal">A Century of Media, a Century of War</a>, by Robin Andersen.)</p>
<p>As the go-to-guy for U.S.-funded terrorism, Abrams helped arrange the overthrow of democratically elected governments throughout Latin America and the Middle East. Operating out of the White House, as George W. Bush’s Senior Director of the National Security Council for Democracy, Human Rights and International Operations, Abrams was, according&#160; <a href="" type="internal">The Guardian</a>, the crucial figure in the failed 2002 coup against the democratically elected Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.</p>
<p>As assistant secretary of state for Latin America under President Reagan, Abrams was a prominent theoretician of the school known as ‘Hemispherism’, whose primary goal was to eradicate Marxism from the Americas by any means necessary. He conspired with Henry Kissinger and the CIA during the Nixon administration to overthrow the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende in 1973, bringing Augusto Pinochet to power and plunging Chile into 17 years of torture, rape and murder. Abrams also oversaw U.S. funding of military coups and death squads in Argentina, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. And in Nicaragua, Abrams worked directly with Oliver North to fund the Contras and destabilize the democratically elected Sandinista government. Abrams also tried to subvert the results of the 2006 democratic elections in the Palestinian territories, undermining any chance of a democratic peace between Israel and the Palestinians.</p>
<p>Today, in 2017, deceitful as ever, Abrams, who is currently Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (and was Trump’s first choice for Deputy Secretary of State), has the chutzpah to write in his new book that America should “reject deals with tyrants” – as if deals with tyrants were not Abrams’s stock in trade — and as if so many of the allies of whom he approves were not murderous tyrants oppressing the populations of countries like Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Rwanda, Singapore, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda and Uzbekistan — to name a handful. Or that one of our dearest allies is Saudi Arabia, a country that often beheads more people in one week (for such crimes as adultery or “insulting the state”) than Al Qaeda and ISIS have beheaded in all their years of existence.</p>
<p>In a&#160; <a href="" type="internal">New York Magazine</a>&#160;article, Eric Levitz aptly commented that having Elliott Abrams oversee the National Security Council directorate responsible for promoting Democracy, Human Rights and International Operations, as he did under George W. Bush, was “a bit like having Hannibal Lecter oversee the directorate of Homicide Reduction and Veganism.” To which I might add that for Brian Lehrer to have interviewed Elliott Abrams, one of the great monsters of our era, without even bringing up any of the above, is like interviewing Hitler without bringing up Auschwitz – or like interviewing Trump without bringing up pussy-grabbing.</p> | 2,231 |
<p>Highly levered domestic and global economies including the United States, which have “feasted” on easy monetary policies in recent years, cannot withstand a normalizing of short-term interest rates without running the risk of a recession, influential bond investor Bill Gross of Janus Henderson Investors warned on Thursday.</p>
<p>In his <a href="https://en-us.janushenderson.com/advisor/curveball/" type="external">latest Investment Outlook,</a> Gross, who runs the $2.1 billion Janus Henderson Global Unconstrained Bond Fund, said Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and other global policy makers should not rely on historical models “in an era of extraordinary monetary policy.</p>
<p>“The adherence of Yellen, Bernanke, Draghi, and Kuroda, among others, to standard historical models such as the Taylor Rule and the Phillips curve has distorted capitalism as we once knew it, with unknown consequences lurking in the shadows of future years,” Gross said.</p>
<p>He was referring to Yellen’s predecessor at the Fed, Ben Bernanke, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and Bank of Japan head Haruhiko Kuroda.</p>
<p>Economists John Taylor and A.W. Phillips devised models for guiding interest-rate policy based, respectively, on inflation and the unemployment rate. Those models disregard the importance of private credit in the economy, according to Gross.</p>
<p>Gross said that over the past 25 years, the three U.S. recessions in 1991, 2000 and 2007-2009 coincided nicely with a flat yield curve between three-month Treasury bills and 10-year Treasuries.</p>
<p>“Since the current spread of 80 basis points is far from the ‘triggering’ spread of 0, economists, and some Fed officials as well, believe a recession can be nowhere in sight,” Gross said.</p>
<p>But monetary policy following the collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers in 2008 has been abnormal, and global central banks “can’t seem to stop buying bonds, although as compulsive eaters and drinkers frequently promise, sobriety is just around the corner,” he said.</p>
<p>Gross said most destructive leverage occurs at the short end of the yield curve as the cost of monthly interest payments increase significantly to debt holders.</p>
<p>“While governments and the U.S. Treasury can afford the additional expense, levered corporations and individuals in many cases cannot,” he said.</p>
<p>Since the Great Recession, more highly levered corporations, and in many cases, indebted individuals with floating-rate student loans now exceeding $1 trillion, cannot cover the increased expense, resulting in reduced investment, consumption and ultimate default, Gross said.</p>
<p>“Commonsensically, a more highly levered economy is more growth sensitive to using short-term interest rates and a flat yield curve, which historically has coincided with the onset of a recession,” he said.</p> | Bill Gross Warns of Recession Risk if Highly Levered Economies Hike Rates | false | https://newsline.com/bill-gross-warns-of-recession-risk-if-highly-levered-economies-hike-rates/ | 2017-07-20 | 1right-center
| Bill Gross Warns of Recession Risk if Highly Levered Economies Hike Rates
<p>Highly levered domestic and global economies including the United States, which have “feasted” on easy monetary policies in recent years, cannot withstand a normalizing of short-term interest rates without running the risk of a recession, influential bond investor Bill Gross of Janus Henderson Investors warned on Thursday.</p>
<p>In his <a href="https://en-us.janushenderson.com/advisor/curveball/" type="external">latest Investment Outlook,</a> Gross, who runs the $2.1 billion Janus Henderson Global Unconstrained Bond Fund, said Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and other global policy makers should not rely on historical models “in an era of extraordinary monetary policy.</p>
<p>“The adherence of Yellen, Bernanke, Draghi, and Kuroda, among others, to standard historical models such as the Taylor Rule and the Phillips curve has distorted capitalism as we once knew it, with unknown consequences lurking in the shadows of future years,” Gross said.</p>
<p>He was referring to Yellen’s predecessor at the Fed, Ben Bernanke, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and Bank of Japan head Haruhiko Kuroda.</p>
<p>Economists John Taylor and A.W. Phillips devised models for guiding interest-rate policy based, respectively, on inflation and the unemployment rate. Those models disregard the importance of private credit in the economy, according to Gross.</p>
<p>Gross said that over the past 25 years, the three U.S. recessions in 1991, 2000 and 2007-2009 coincided nicely with a flat yield curve between three-month Treasury bills and 10-year Treasuries.</p>
<p>“Since the current spread of 80 basis points is far from the ‘triggering’ spread of 0, economists, and some Fed officials as well, believe a recession can be nowhere in sight,” Gross said.</p>
<p>But monetary policy following the collapse of investment bank Lehman Brothers in 2008 has been abnormal, and global central banks “can’t seem to stop buying bonds, although as compulsive eaters and drinkers frequently promise, sobriety is just around the corner,” he said.</p>
<p>Gross said most destructive leverage occurs at the short end of the yield curve as the cost of monthly interest payments increase significantly to debt holders.</p>
<p>“While governments and the U.S. Treasury can afford the additional expense, levered corporations and individuals in many cases cannot,” he said.</p>
<p>Since the Great Recession, more highly levered corporations, and in many cases, indebted individuals with floating-rate student loans now exceeding $1 trillion, cannot cover the increased expense, resulting in reduced investment, consumption and ultimate default, Gross said.</p>
<p>“Commonsensically, a more highly levered economy is more growth sensitive to using short-term interest rates and a flat yield curve, which historically has coincided with the onset of a recession,” he said.</p> | 2,232 |
<p>Photo courtesy coachella.com</p>
<p />
<p>The tenth installment of <a href="http://www.coachella.com" type="external">America’s hottest music festival</a> is only one week earlier than usual this year, but it sure feels like it snuck up on me. Holy palm trees, it’s this Friday, and I’m not ready! I need to get new crazy-colored board shorts, hipster vintage T-shirts, and decide on a poolside cocktail! More than anything, though, any festival attendee with a serious interest in music needs to start planning early, picking priorities from the cornucopia of quality acts. For the next three days I’ll take a look at the lineup, splitting things up into admittedly imperfect “rock,” “hip-hop” and “electronic” categories, for lack of a better idea. Today: rock.</p>
<p>Franz Ferdinand</p>
<p>As usual, I was <a href="" type="internal">a bit skeptical</a> of the Scottish combo’s new album, but it’s really grown on me, especially the “My Love’s in Jeopardy” strut of “No You Girls.” Their live shows are always fun, and their Friday appearance will probably be a big crowd-pleaser for an audience who’s kind of forgotten how much they love “Matinee.”</p>
<p>Franz Ferdinand – “No You Girls”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Silversun Pickups</p>
<p>The Smashing Pumpkins-y Los Angeles foursome has a <a href="http://www.myspace.com/silversunpickups" type="external">brand new album</a> out tomorrow that’s <a href="http://dangerbirdblog.com/?p=557" type="external">getting good reviews</a>, and their concerts tend to erupt into My Bloody Valentine-style ecstatic feedback fests. Which I mean as a compliment.</p>
<p>Silversun Pickups – “Panic Switch”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>My Bloody Valentine</p>
<p>Speaking of the fuzziest noisemakers around, they’re going to be there too, on Sunday night, which I suppose is appropriate, since an exhausted crowd can just lay back on the grass and let the wall of sound wash over them like a pink tsunami. I just hope I’m not too tired to enjoy it, and I’m also a little skeptical of seeing the band outdoors—the last time I saw them, in 1992, was at a small club in Minneapolis in the freezing cold, and the sound seemed to reverberate and crystallize around us. How will it feel as it spreads out amongst palm trees, I can’t even predict.</p>
<p>My Bloody Valentine – “Realise”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Glasvegas</p>
<p>Another Scot combo, this band is down on the fourth line of the Saturday lineup, but I predict a capacity crowd, whichever stage they’re stuck on. While their distorted sound, again, owes much to the legendary Valentines, but the lyrics ring out over the top clear as day, in a way that’s destined to be dramatic under the desert sky.</p>
<p>Glasvegas – “Geraldine”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>No Age</p>
<p>Listed way down on Sunday’s schedule, the Los Angeles punk combo may be so early that most hungover attendees will miss them. But their metallic, adventurous take on hardcore is worth pulling yourself out of the pool for.</p>
<p>No Age – “Eraser”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Leonard Cohen</p>
<p>As much as I adore the 74-year-old singer/poet/monk, I’m a bit concerned that his music is best heard in a smoky cabaret, not a hot and noisy festival. But “Hallelujah” will get everybody singing along.</p>
<p>Leonard Cohen – “Hallelujah”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Paul McCartney</p>
<p>You know, as much of a Beatles fan as I admittedly am, I wasn’t really that excited for Sir Paul; plus I was kind of resentful of his presence, which in my opinion jacked up the cost of area rental houses. But then I read the ecstatic reviews of his <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1608627/20090406/beatles.jhtml" type="external">appearance at David Lynch’s TM benefit last week</a>. Apparently his backing band (sans Ringo) is spectacularly tight, as I guess they would be, and the experience is just as joyful and giddy as an actual Beatles show. Plus, I think the guy has some experience with large-ish crowds.</p>
<p>The Beatles – “I Saw Her Standing There”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p /> | Coachella Preview: Rock | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2009/04/coachella-preview-rock/ | 2009-04-13 | 4left
| Coachella Preview: Rock
<p>Photo courtesy coachella.com</p>
<p />
<p>The tenth installment of <a href="http://www.coachella.com" type="external">America’s hottest music festival</a> is only one week earlier than usual this year, but it sure feels like it snuck up on me. Holy palm trees, it’s this Friday, and I’m not ready! I need to get new crazy-colored board shorts, hipster vintage T-shirts, and decide on a poolside cocktail! More than anything, though, any festival attendee with a serious interest in music needs to start planning early, picking priorities from the cornucopia of quality acts. For the next three days I’ll take a look at the lineup, splitting things up into admittedly imperfect “rock,” “hip-hop” and “electronic” categories, for lack of a better idea. Today: rock.</p>
<p>Franz Ferdinand</p>
<p>As usual, I was <a href="" type="internal">a bit skeptical</a> of the Scottish combo’s new album, but it’s really grown on me, especially the “My Love’s in Jeopardy” strut of “No You Girls.” Their live shows are always fun, and their Friday appearance will probably be a big crowd-pleaser for an audience who’s kind of forgotten how much they love “Matinee.”</p>
<p>Franz Ferdinand – “No You Girls”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Silversun Pickups</p>
<p>The Smashing Pumpkins-y Los Angeles foursome has a <a href="http://www.myspace.com/silversunpickups" type="external">brand new album</a> out tomorrow that’s <a href="http://dangerbirdblog.com/?p=557" type="external">getting good reviews</a>, and their concerts tend to erupt into My Bloody Valentine-style ecstatic feedback fests. Which I mean as a compliment.</p>
<p>Silversun Pickups – “Panic Switch”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>My Bloody Valentine</p>
<p>Speaking of the fuzziest noisemakers around, they’re going to be there too, on Sunday night, which I suppose is appropriate, since an exhausted crowd can just lay back on the grass and let the wall of sound wash over them like a pink tsunami. I just hope I’m not too tired to enjoy it, and I’m also a little skeptical of seeing the band outdoors—the last time I saw them, in 1992, was at a small club in Minneapolis in the freezing cold, and the sound seemed to reverberate and crystallize around us. How will it feel as it spreads out amongst palm trees, I can’t even predict.</p>
<p>My Bloody Valentine – “Realise”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Glasvegas</p>
<p>Another Scot combo, this band is down on the fourth line of the Saturday lineup, but I predict a capacity crowd, whichever stage they’re stuck on. While their distorted sound, again, owes much to the legendary Valentines, but the lyrics ring out over the top clear as day, in a way that’s destined to be dramatic under the desert sky.</p>
<p>Glasvegas – “Geraldine”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>No Age</p>
<p>Listed way down on Sunday’s schedule, the Los Angeles punk combo may be so early that most hungover attendees will miss them. But their metallic, adventurous take on hardcore is worth pulling yourself out of the pool for.</p>
<p>No Age – “Eraser”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Leonard Cohen</p>
<p>As much as I adore the 74-year-old singer/poet/monk, I’m a bit concerned that his music is best heard in a smoky cabaret, not a hot and noisy festival. But “Hallelujah” will get everybody singing along.</p>
<p>Leonard Cohen – “Hallelujah”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Paul McCartney</p>
<p>You know, as much of a Beatles fan as I admittedly am, I wasn’t really that excited for Sir Paul; plus I was kind of resentful of his presence, which in my opinion jacked up the cost of area rental houses. But then I read the ecstatic reviews of his <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1608627/20090406/beatles.jhtml" type="external">appearance at David Lynch’s TM benefit last week</a>. Apparently his backing band (sans Ringo) is spectacularly tight, as I guess they would be, and the experience is just as joyful and giddy as an actual Beatles show. Plus, I think the guy has some experience with large-ish crowds.</p>
<p>The Beatles – “I Saw Her Standing There”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p /> | 2,233 |
<p />
<p>Mother Jones: Do you think the strategy in Iraq is working better now?</p>
<p>Colonel H.R. McMaster: Well, one of the things to remember is that the nature of the conflict does not remain static. One of the fundamental conceptual flaws in our efforts so far, and really even more so, the popular understanding of the war, is that we thought linearly about it. We thought that we could sort of program out a future course of events based mainly on what we decided to do, forgetting the interaction with various enemies within Iraq and then also interaction with other destabilizing factors and other causes of instability and violence. So what has occurred is that over time, the nature of the conflict has changed. And most recently, in the last year, the conflict shifted from what had been predominantly an insurgency, or the problem of insurgency and counterinsurgency, to a communal struggle for power and survival. Of course, to address that civil conflict would take a different kind of approach to the problem. And then it wasn’t just, of course, the communal struggle, but it was also still an insurgency. It was still also an insurgency that had allied itself and established alliances in communities with transnational terrorist organizations affiliated with Al Qaeda. This is Al Qaeda in Iraq and there were external sources of instability, not only in the form of this transnational terrorist organization but also Iran’s efforts to destabilize Iraq through its sponsorship of extremist Shiite militias and the so-called special cells situated in the Mahdi Army and the role of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard corps generally. They keep the cycle of sectarian violence going to advance their agenda through not just military action or sponsorship of proxies in Iraq, but also infiltration of certain governmental organizations and security institutions. And political parties. All of this is happening in the context of a weak state that lacks the capacity to do what needs to be done to stabilize the situation.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: So far it doesn’t sound like there’s a lot to work with.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: There’s a lot to work with, but there are no easy solutions. There really is a lot to work with, because in Iraq, despite this cycle of sectarian violence that has sort of created the chaotic environment and the descent into chaos you witnessed late last year, the vast majority of Iraqis don’t want this kind of violence, obviously. They want to live normal lives. They want a better future for their children. This kind of ethnic and sectarian tension that leads to this kind of violence is not natural among Iraqis. This is something that has been deliberately incited by Al Qaeda in Iraq.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: Yes, but how is the sectarian violence different from so many other civil-war-type conflicts we’ve seen in Bosnia and Lebanon and other places? The population, of course, doesn’t want it.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: Right. That’s why it’s important to intervene in a way that allows you to establish peace to break that cycle of sectarian violence and to lift the pall of fear off those populations, to defeat this campaign of intimidation and coercion that allows these terrorists and militias and criminal gangs that have grafted themselves onto this problem. You have to be able to defeat that.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: And you guys have had big success doing that in Anbar? Is that right?</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: Yes, it’s a huge success in Al Anbar province and there are also successes that were underreported, or maybe not fully understood, previous to that in Ninewa province, which is where our regiment operated and where the First Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division operated before us in Mosul. They really stopped this cycle of ethnic violence predominantly in Mosul between Kurds and Sunni Arabs and other sub-communities within that city of two-and-a-half million people. The success in Anbar has now spread to Baghdad, Babil, Diyala, and Salah ad Din provinces. Ours and Iraqi forces have been able to break that cycle of sectarian violence and create the conditions for sustainable stability in some of the most critical mixed-sectarian areas. This approach of emphasizing population security, breaking the cycle of sectarian violence, rekindling hope among the population, lifting the pall of fear off the people, and then actively engaging the various communities to bring about political accommodation is working at the local level. What’s key now is to sustain that effort at the local level and try to elevate those successes to the national level. Now, one of the things that is going for the Iraqis, and for us in that connection, is how tired they are of the violence. The number one cross-cutting issue is security. My personal experience in Ninewa province has been that at the most fundamental level people don’t really care if it’s a Shiite, a Sunni, a Kurd, or a Turkoman that’s providing them security, as long as that force treats them with respect.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: Is that really true of the Sunni tribal sheikhs?</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: If you have a force that’s professional, that’s well led, that treats people with respect, that’s not advancing a narrow sectarian agenda in a way that’s destabilizing to the situation, people will accept that force after a period of learning about that force and meeting the people. It doesn’t happen easily, and it takes what we call an information campaign, a real effort to reintroduce the Iraqi population to their own security forces. When we first went to Iraq we thought, “Hey, there is a big part of this culture that has to do with mediation and we’re going to have to look for Iraqi mediators to really help us with the population.” What we have found is that we were the principle mediators in many cases between the Iraqis and their own security forces and their own government, and so you have to almost embrace that role. Now you don’t want to create dependency. A big part of this problem is not just the capability of Iraqi security forces but their legitimacy. One of the ways to do it is you recruit from the population. What we found is probably the best setup is a combination of indigenous forces, mainly in the police force, but also some outside forces too, that help insulate these security forces from some of the tribal pressures associated with criminality, for example, or a particular tribal agenda. So you don’t want a homogeneous force, but a force that is, at least to some degree, representative of the local population.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: What signs do you see that Iraq is making progress poltically?</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: It will take time to develop the institutional capacity so the government can perform at the base level. This is one of the problems with the previous strategy. What I mentioned before was the evolution of the conflict to a conflict that involved communal struggle as well as insurgency. And then the other aspect of it was that our strategy was to rapidly transition to security forces that not only lacked the capacity but also the willingness to do what was necessary. Many of these security forces were infiltrated by malign sectarian organizations. On the government side, the strategy was to rapidly transition to this so-called “unity” government that lacked not only the intuitional capacity but also the willingness to do what was necessary because the way the ministries were divided up between certain organizations that were endeavoring to extend patronage networks and consolidate power, rather than operate effectively as a government ministry. The transitioning as an end in and of itself can’t really allow us to achieve an outcome in the country consistent with what I believe are Iraqi interests and certainly a situation that would be inconsistent with our national interests.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: Does the U.S. have the capacity to continue its troop commitment at this level, or do troop levels have to come down a bit? If that’s the case, can the military continue to foster the kind of security successes on the local level that you’ve been describing?</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: I think it is certainly feasible and even likely that if we were able to sustain an effort, perhaps not at the same level we have now but at a slightly reduced level, that you could achieve the condition of really sustainable stability. That’s basically a level of security that permits a level of economic and political development to succeed and also sets the conditions for the kind of political accommodation that’s necessary between the various communities. Essentially, you recognize that many of these differences won’t be resolved for a generation, but you move that battleground from a military battleground to a political battleground through aggressive mediation and diplomacy, which is a big part of what we have to do in the region to help move these communities to political accommodation, to get the neighbors to play a more productive role. That includes the neighbors who have exhibited malign intentions there, Iran and Syria, but also our friends in the region. The important thing to remember is war does not progress linearly. The future course of events is going to be very difficult to predict with a high degree of precision.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: What about the so-called Washington clock?</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: I think that the key element that has been missing is again that the nature of the conflict was evolving faster than we were adjusting to the evolved nature of that conflict. I think that was very much apparent to journalists, to politicians, to the American people generally, and to any keen observer of the conflict. It was clear to them that the strategy was no longer addressing effectively the fundamental causes of instability. I think now we are pursuing a strategy that does address those fundamental causes of instability. The question remains whether or not we’re going to be able to succeed, will the strategy prove adequate to this very complex and daunting and difficult task? I believe that certainly it does have a very strong chance of succeeding if we possess the will to see it through. And that’s the fundamental question, you know? It is a fundamental question.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: Quantify the type of commitment we’d need to see this through? Ten years, tens of thousands of troops?</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: Well, I think the commitment is much more than military. The security aspect of the strategy has to be very closely connected to what we’re doing in many areas including development of Iraqi rule of law, local governance, movement towards political accommodation, and the diplomatic aspect of this problem. You can sustain an improved security situation with a reduced number of forces over time if you can make progress toward political accommodation, because that ameliorates one of the fundamental causes of violence and conflict. Once that is addressed effectively then you don’t need as many forces to conduct area security and counterinsurgency operations. So that’s just one variable. Another one is obviously the capability and legitimacy of Iraqi security forces, which also could shift dramatically over time.</p>
<p><a href="iraq-war-george-mcgovern.html" type="external">Previous Interview</a>&#160;|&#160; <a href="iraq-war-jim-miller.html" type="external">Next Interview</a></p>
<p /> | Colonel H.R. McMaster, adviser to General David Petraeus | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/10/colonel-hr-mcmaster-adviser-general-david-petraeus/ | 2007-10-18 | 4left
| Colonel H.R. McMaster, adviser to General David Petraeus
<p />
<p>Mother Jones: Do you think the strategy in Iraq is working better now?</p>
<p>Colonel H.R. McMaster: Well, one of the things to remember is that the nature of the conflict does not remain static. One of the fundamental conceptual flaws in our efforts so far, and really even more so, the popular understanding of the war, is that we thought linearly about it. We thought that we could sort of program out a future course of events based mainly on what we decided to do, forgetting the interaction with various enemies within Iraq and then also interaction with other destabilizing factors and other causes of instability and violence. So what has occurred is that over time, the nature of the conflict has changed. And most recently, in the last year, the conflict shifted from what had been predominantly an insurgency, or the problem of insurgency and counterinsurgency, to a communal struggle for power and survival. Of course, to address that civil conflict would take a different kind of approach to the problem. And then it wasn’t just, of course, the communal struggle, but it was also still an insurgency. It was still also an insurgency that had allied itself and established alliances in communities with transnational terrorist organizations affiliated with Al Qaeda. This is Al Qaeda in Iraq and there were external sources of instability, not only in the form of this transnational terrorist organization but also Iran’s efforts to destabilize Iraq through its sponsorship of extremist Shiite militias and the so-called special cells situated in the Mahdi Army and the role of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard corps generally. They keep the cycle of sectarian violence going to advance their agenda through not just military action or sponsorship of proxies in Iraq, but also infiltration of certain governmental organizations and security institutions. And political parties. All of this is happening in the context of a weak state that lacks the capacity to do what needs to be done to stabilize the situation.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: So far it doesn’t sound like there’s a lot to work with.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: There’s a lot to work with, but there are no easy solutions. There really is a lot to work with, because in Iraq, despite this cycle of sectarian violence that has sort of created the chaotic environment and the descent into chaos you witnessed late last year, the vast majority of Iraqis don’t want this kind of violence, obviously. They want to live normal lives. They want a better future for their children. This kind of ethnic and sectarian tension that leads to this kind of violence is not natural among Iraqis. This is something that has been deliberately incited by Al Qaeda in Iraq.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: Yes, but how is the sectarian violence different from so many other civil-war-type conflicts we’ve seen in Bosnia and Lebanon and other places? The population, of course, doesn’t want it.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: Right. That’s why it’s important to intervene in a way that allows you to establish peace to break that cycle of sectarian violence and to lift the pall of fear off those populations, to defeat this campaign of intimidation and coercion that allows these terrorists and militias and criminal gangs that have grafted themselves onto this problem. You have to be able to defeat that.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: And you guys have had big success doing that in Anbar? Is that right?</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: Yes, it’s a huge success in Al Anbar province and there are also successes that were underreported, or maybe not fully understood, previous to that in Ninewa province, which is where our regiment operated and where the First Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division operated before us in Mosul. They really stopped this cycle of ethnic violence predominantly in Mosul between Kurds and Sunni Arabs and other sub-communities within that city of two-and-a-half million people. The success in Anbar has now spread to Baghdad, Babil, Diyala, and Salah ad Din provinces. Ours and Iraqi forces have been able to break that cycle of sectarian violence and create the conditions for sustainable stability in some of the most critical mixed-sectarian areas. This approach of emphasizing population security, breaking the cycle of sectarian violence, rekindling hope among the population, lifting the pall of fear off the people, and then actively engaging the various communities to bring about political accommodation is working at the local level. What’s key now is to sustain that effort at the local level and try to elevate those successes to the national level. Now, one of the things that is going for the Iraqis, and for us in that connection, is how tired they are of the violence. The number one cross-cutting issue is security. My personal experience in Ninewa province has been that at the most fundamental level people don’t really care if it’s a Shiite, a Sunni, a Kurd, or a Turkoman that’s providing them security, as long as that force treats them with respect.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: Is that really true of the Sunni tribal sheikhs?</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: If you have a force that’s professional, that’s well led, that treats people with respect, that’s not advancing a narrow sectarian agenda in a way that’s destabilizing to the situation, people will accept that force after a period of learning about that force and meeting the people. It doesn’t happen easily, and it takes what we call an information campaign, a real effort to reintroduce the Iraqi population to their own security forces. When we first went to Iraq we thought, “Hey, there is a big part of this culture that has to do with mediation and we’re going to have to look for Iraqi mediators to really help us with the population.” What we have found is that we were the principle mediators in many cases between the Iraqis and their own security forces and their own government, and so you have to almost embrace that role. Now you don’t want to create dependency. A big part of this problem is not just the capability of Iraqi security forces but their legitimacy. One of the ways to do it is you recruit from the population. What we found is probably the best setup is a combination of indigenous forces, mainly in the police force, but also some outside forces too, that help insulate these security forces from some of the tribal pressures associated with criminality, for example, or a particular tribal agenda. So you don’t want a homogeneous force, but a force that is, at least to some degree, representative of the local population.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: What signs do you see that Iraq is making progress poltically?</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: It will take time to develop the institutional capacity so the government can perform at the base level. This is one of the problems with the previous strategy. What I mentioned before was the evolution of the conflict to a conflict that involved communal struggle as well as insurgency. And then the other aspect of it was that our strategy was to rapidly transition to security forces that not only lacked the capacity but also the willingness to do what was necessary. Many of these security forces were infiltrated by malign sectarian organizations. On the government side, the strategy was to rapidly transition to this so-called “unity” government that lacked not only the intuitional capacity but also the willingness to do what was necessary because the way the ministries were divided up between certain organizations that were endeavoring to extend patronage networks and consolidate power, rather than operate effectively as a government ministry. The transitioning as an end in and of itself can’t really allow us to achieve an outcome in the country consistent with what I believe are Iraqi interests and certainly a situation that would be inconsistent with our national interests.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: Does the U.S. have the capacity to continue its troop commitment at this level, or do troop levels have to come down a bit? If that’s the case, can the military continue to foster the kind of security successes on the local level that you’ve been describing?</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: I think it is certainly feasible and even likely that if we were able to sustain an effort, perhaps not at the same level we have now but at a slightly reduced level, that you could achieve the condition of really sustainable stability. That’s basically a level of security that permits a level of economic and political development to succeed and also sets the conditions for the kind of political accommodation that’s necessary between the various communities. Essentially, you recognize that many of these differences won’t be resolved for a generation, but you move that battleground from a military battleground to a political battleground through aggressive mediation and diplomacy, which is a big part of what we have to do in the region to help move these communities to political accommodation, to get the neighbors to play a more productive role. That includes the neighbors who have exhibited malign intentions there, Iran and Syria, but also our friends in the region. The important thing to remember is war does not progress linearly. The future course of events is going to be very difficult to predict with a high degree of precision.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: What about the so-called Washington clock?</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: I think that the key element that has been missing is again that the nature of the conflict was evolving faster than we were adjusting to the evolved nature of that conflict. I think that was very much apparent to journalists, to politicians, to the American people generally, and to any keen observer of the conflict. It was clear to them that the strategy was no longer addressing effectively the fundamental causes of instability. I think now we are pursuing a strategy that does address those fundamental causes of instability. The question remains whether or not we’re going to be able to succeed, will the strategy prove adequate to this very complex and daunting and difficult task? I believe that certainly it does have a very strong chance of succeeding if we possess the will to see it through. And that’s the fundamental question, you know? It is a fundamental question.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>MJ: Quantify the type of commitment we’d need to see this through? Ten years, tens of thousands of troops?</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>HRM: Well, I think the commitment is much more than military. The security aspect of the strategy has to be very closely connected to what we’re doing in many areas including development of Iraqi rule of law, local governance, movement towards political accommodation, and the diplomatic aspect of this problem. You can sustain an improved security situation with a reduced number of forces over time if you can make progress toward political accommodation, because that ameliorates one of the fundamental causes of violence and conflict. Once that is addressed effectively then you don’t need as many forces to conduct area security and counterinsurgency operations. So that’s just one variable. Another one is obviously the capability and legitimacy of Iraqi security forces, which also could shift dramatically over time.</p>
<p><a href="iraq-war-george-mcgovern.html" type="external">Previous Interview</a>&#160;|&#160; <a href="iraq-war-jim-miller.html" type="external">Next Interview</a></p>
<p /> | 2,234 |
<p />
<p>Taking a page from the playbooks of both Facebook and Snapchat, Instagram introduced two new features Monday: live video streaming and private photos and videos that disappear after being viewed.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>With ephemeral video and photo messages, Instagram matches a feature that is the hallmark of Snap Inc.'s Snapchat -- arguably Instagram's biggest rival.</p>
<p>Snapchat doesn't have live video (yet), but if it did, it might resemble Instagram's get-it-while-it's-live version: Once a stream is finished, it can't be viewed. Instagram's parent company, Facebook Inc., has been pushing live video hard, along with Twitter Inc.'s Periscope and Alphabet Inc.'s YouTube -- but those videos get saved and can be replayed later.</p>
<p>By keeping live video ephemeral, Instagram hopes to make it less about broadcasting and more about hanging out, said Kevin Weil, Instagram's head of product. As such, live video is part of Instagram Stories, the section of the Instagram app where people and brands share photos and video that disappear after 24 hours. (Stories, which has 100 million daily active users just three months after its debut, was Instagram's first big challenge to Snapchat.)</p>
<p>If someone you follow is streaming, a "Live" badge will appear on their Instagram Stories icon. You will get a notification about a live video if it is someone you interact with regularly.</p>
<p>Live video will roll out slowly, Mr. Weil said. This week, it will go to select people in the U.S. Over the next couple of months, the feature eventually will reach all of Instagram's half-billion users.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>In Instagram's private messaging feature -- Instagram Direct, which you access by tapping the paper airplane icon -- you can send specific friends photos and video that are timed to disappear after they're seen.</p>
<p>Like Snapchat, these shared visuals can have filters and doodles. Message recipients will be able to "replay" a disappearing message, allowing them to see it twice. And if they screenshot what you send them, you'll receive an alert. The rollout of disappearing photos and video starts Monday on iOS and Android.</p>
<p>With these moves in place, Instagram locks horns with Snapchat, matching nearly every feature. Yet Mr. Weil said they're more than just me-too additions. "We want you to be able to capture and share your moments the way you want to with exactly who you want to. We couldn't do all that without features like these."</p>
<p>Write to Nathan Olivarez-Giles at [email protected]</p> | Instagram Takes Aim at Snapchat With Live Video and Vanishing Photos | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2016/11/21/instagram-takes-aim-at-snapchat-with-live-video-and-vanishing-photos.html | 2016-11-21 | 0right
| Instagram Takes Aim at Snapchat With Live Video and Vanishing Photos
<p />
<p>Taking a page from the playbooks of both Facebook and Snapchat, Instagram introduced two new features Monday: live video streaming and private photos and videos that disappear after being viewed.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>With ephemeral video and photo messages, Instagram matches a feature that is the hallmark of Snap Inc.'s Snapchat -- arguably Instagram's biggest rival.</p>
<p>Snapchat doesn't have live video (yet), but if it did, it might resemble Instagram's get-it-while-it's-live version: Once a stream is finished, it can't be viewed. Instagram's parent company, Facebook Inc., has been pushing live video hard, along with Twitter Inc.'s Periscope and Alphabet Inc.'s YouTube -- but those videos get saved and can be replayed later.</p>
<p>By keeping live video ephemeral, Instagram hopes to make it less about broadcasting and more about hanging out, said Kevin Weil, Instagram's head of product. As such, live video is part of Instagram Stories, the section of the Instagram app where people and brands share photos and video that disappear after 24 hours. (Stories, which has 100 million daily active users just three months after its debut, was Instagram's first big challenge to Snapchat.)</p>
<p>If someone you follow is streaming, a "Live" badge will appear on their Instagram Stories icon. You will get a notification about a live video if it is someone you interact with regularly.</p>
<p>Live video will roll out slowly, Mr. Weil said. This week, it will go to select people in the U.S. Over the next couple of months, the feature eventually will reach all of Instagram's half-billion users.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>In Instagram's private messaging feature -- Instagram Direct, which you access by tapping the paper airplane icon -- you can send specific friends photos and video that are timed to disappear after they're seen.</p>
<p>Like Snapchat, these shared visuals can have filters and doodles. Message recipients will be able to "replay" a disappearing message, allowing them to see it twice. And if they screenshot what you send them, you'll receive an alert. The rollout of disappearing photos and video starts Monday on iOS and Android.</p>
<p>With these moves in place, Instagram locks horns with Snapchat, matching nearly every feature. Yet Mr. Weil said they're more than just me-too additions. "We want you to be able to capture and share your moments the way you want to with exactly who you want to. We couldn't do all that without features like these."</p>
<p>Write to Nathan Olivarez-Giles at [email protected]</p> | 2,235 |
<p />
<p>Most of us have read or heard about European colonists and Christian missionaries looting the treasures of Africa. That destruction and theft occurred a long time ago, but now, a new version of it is taking place. <a href="http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/Pentecostal.htm" type="external">Pentecostal Christian</a> Nigerians are <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070904/ap_on_re_af/new_religion_vs_old_gods" type="external">destroying ancient artifacts</a> in order to “break the covenant” with what they call “ancestral idols.” Costumes, bronzes and carvings have all been targeted.</p>
<p>Pentecostal Christianity has increased along with poverty in Nigeria during the last couple of decades. “Redemption camps” have sprung up in the country, attracting such famous pastors as Benny Hinn. The Rev. Dr. <a href="http://www.umaukpai.com/drumaukpai.php" type="external">Uma Ukpai</a>, a leader of the Pentecostal Church in Nigeria, is said to have told his followers that the ancient African religious artifacts represent “curses and covenants” linked to various gods.</p>
<p>Of course, there are forces in Nigeria that are fighting this trend. Some pieces have been sold to museums, and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments is conducting a campaign to explain to Christians that “they can’t detach themselves from their past, that there is a beginning to their history.” The commission is also asking for stricter enforcement of a law that prohibits the export of artifacts.</p>
<p /> | African Pentecostal Christians Destroying Ancient African Culture In Nigeria | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/09/african-pentecostal-christians-destroying-ancient-african-culture-nigeria/ | 2007-09-06 | 4left
| African Pentecostal Christians Destroying Ancient African Culture In Nigeria
<p />
<p>Most of us have read or heard about European colonists and Christian missionaries looting the treasures of Africa. That destruction and theft occurred a long time ago, but now, a new version of it is taking place. <a href="http://www.interfaithcalendar.org/Pentecostal.htm" type="external">Pentecostal Christian</a> Nigerians are <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070904/ap_on_re_af/new_religion_vs_old_gods" type="external">destroying ancient artifacts</a> in order to “break the covenant” with what they call “ancestral idols.” Costumes, bronzes and carvings have all been targeted.</p>
<p>Pentecostal Christianity has increased along with poverty in Nigeria during the last couple of decades. “Redemption camps” have sprung up in the country, attracting such famous pastors as Benny Hinn. The Rev. Dr. <a href="http://www.umaukpai.com/drumaukpai.php" type="external">Uma Ukpai</a>, a leader of the Pentecostal Church in Nigeria, is said to have told his followers that the ancient African religious artifacts represent “curses and covenants” linked to various gods.</p>
<p>Of course, there are forces in Nigeria that are fighting this trend. Some pieces have been sold to museums, and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments is conducting a campaign to explain to Christians that “they can’t detach themselves from their past, that there is a beginning to their history.” The commission is also asking for stricter enforcement of a law that prohibits the export of artifacts.</p>
<p /> | 2,236 |
<p />
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Kosmos Energy's (NYSE: KOS) stock surged on Monday, rising more than 11% by 3:00 p.m. EST after the company announced a partnership with BP (NYSE: BP).</p>
<p>Kosmos Energy will combine its exploration expertise in Mauritania and Senegal with BP's deepwater development and LNG production and marketing experience to turn recent basin-opening discoveries into future developments. Under the terms of the deal, Kosmos Energy will receive $162 million in up-front cash as well as a $221 million carry to pay a portion of the future exploration and appraisal drilling relating to the Tortue gas project. Furthermore, BP will pay a maximum of $533 million toward the front-end engineering and design (FEED) study needed on the Tortue project, which could lead to a final investment decision on the project by 2018. In exchange, BP will acquire operatorship and a 62% working interest in several offshore exploration blocks in Mauritania as well as a 32.49% working interest in two offshore licenses in Senegal.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>This transaction is a potential win-win for both companies. Kosmos Energy gets a deep-pocketed supermajor partner to help it develop a potential large-scale LNG project as well as future projects in the region. Meanwhile, BP gains access to what appears to be a world-class resource basin.</p>
<p>Kosmos Energy accomplished several goals with this deal. It was able to secure an immediate cash infusion to bolster its balance sheet and reduce future capex costs via the carry agreements and the transfer of an ownership interest (as well as a percentage of future development costs) to BP. It also secured a long-term partner, which should help Kosmos develop these assets more efficiently than it could have done on its own. That said, these developments will require quite a bit more time and a lot more money before Kosmos and BP will see a tangible return from today's transaction.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Kosmos Energy When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=9803cf1b-b87f-4843-94a4-4a60c9ab971b&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Kosmos Energy wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=9803cf1b-b87f-4843-94a4-4a60c9ab971b&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of Nov. 7, 2016</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFmd19/info.aspx" type="external">Matt DiLallo Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Kosmos Energy Ltd. Surges on BP plc Partnership | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/19/kosmos-energy-ltd-surges-on-bp-plc-partnership.html | 2016-12-19 | 0right
| Kosmos Energy Ltd. Surges on BP plc Partnership
<p />
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Kosmos Energy's (NYSE: KOS) stock surged on Monday, rising more than 11% by 3:00 p.m. EST after the company announced a partnership with BP (NYSE: BP).</p>
<p>Kosmos Energy will combine its exploration expertise in Mauritania and Senegal with BP's deepwater development and LNG production and marketing experience to turn recent basin-opening discoveries into future developments. Under the terms of the deal, Kosmos Energy will receive $162 million in up-front cash as well as a $221 million carry to pay a portion of the future exploration and appraisal drilling relating to the Tortue gas project. Furthermore, BP will pay a maximum of $533 million toward the front-end engineering and design (FEED) study needed on the Tortue project, which could lead to a final investment decision on the project by 2018. In exchange, BP will acquire operatorship and a 62% working interest in several offshore exploration blocks in Mauritania as well as a 32.49% working interest in two offshore licenses in Senegal.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>This transaction is a potential win-win for both companies. Kosmos Energy gets a deep-pocketed supermajor partner to help it develop a potential large-scale LNG project as well as future projects in the region. Meanwhile, BP gains access to what appears to be a world-class resource basin.</p>
<p>Kosmos Energy accomplished several goals with this deal. It was able to secure an immediate cash infusion to bolster its balance sheet and reduce future capex costs via the carry agreements and the transfer of an ownership interest (as well as a percentage of future development costs) to BP. It also secured a long-term partner, which should help Kosmos develop these assets more efficiently than it could have done on its own. That said, these developments will require quite a bit more time and a lot more money before Kosmos and BP will see a tangible return from today's transaction.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Kosmos Energy When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=9803cf1b-b87f-4843-94a4-4a60c9ab971b&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Kosmos Energy wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=9803cf1b-b87f-4843-94a4-4a60c9ab971b&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of Nov. 7, 2016</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFmd19/info.aspx" type="external">Matt DiLallo Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 2,237 |
<p>After admitting to “Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos that he hasn’t read a Harvard professor’s report that he cites as justifying his economic plan, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney defined “middle income” as earning between $200,000 and $250,000 a year.</p>
<p>If that figure were true, Romney would have to admit that a majority of Americans live in poverty or near-poverty and that his so-called tax breaks would not benefit most people. As Salon’s Jillian Rayfield reports, <a href="" type="internal">new numbers</a> from the U.S. Census Bureau put the current median household income at just over $50,000 a year.</p>
<p>— Posted by <a href="" type="internal">Alexander Reed Kelly</a>.</p>
<p>George Stephanopoulos at ABC News:</p>
<p />
<p>When I pressed Romney on that point, he conceded that he actually hadn’t read the Feldstein report that he and Paul Ryan cite on the campaign trail.</p>
<p>“I haven’t seen his precise study,” he said.</p>
<p>“I said that there are five different studies that point out that we can get to a balanced budget without raising taxes on middle income people. Let me tell you, George, the fundamentals of my tax policy are these. Number one, reduce tax burdens on middle-income people. So no one can say my plan is going to raise taxes on middle-income people, because principle number one is keep the burden down on middle-income taxpayers,” he said.</p>
<p><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/09/exclusive-romney-on-debates-obama-will-say-things-that-arent-true/" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Romney Misses the 'Middle Income' Mark | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/romney-misses-the-middle-income-mark/ | 2012-09-14 | 4left
| Romney Misses the 'Middle Income' Mark
<p>After admitting to “Good Morning America” host George Stephanopoulos that he hasn’t read a Harvard professor’s report that he cites as justifying his economic plan, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney defined “middle income” as earning between $200,000 and $250,000 a year.</p>
<p>If that figure were true, Romney would have to admit that a majority of Americans live in poverty or near-poverty and that his so-called tax breaks would not benefit most people. As Salon’s Jillian Rayfield reports, <a href="" type="internal">new numbers</a> from the U.S. Census Bureau put the current median household income at just over $50,000 a year.</p>
<p>— Posted by <a href="" type="internal">Alexander Reed Kelly</a>.</p>
<p>George Stephanopoulos at ABC News:</p>
<p />
<p>When I pressed Romney on that point, he conceded that he actually hadn’t read the Feldstein report that he and Paul Ryan cite on the campaign trail.</p>
<p>“I haven’t seen his precise study,” he said.</p>
<p>“I said that there are five different studies that point out that we can get to a balanced budget without raising taxes on middle income people. Let me tell you, George, the fundamentals of my tax policy are these. Number one, reduce tax burdens on middle-income people. So no one can say my plan is going to raise taxes on middle-income people, because principle number one is keep the burden down on middle-income taxpayers,” he said.</p>
<p><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/09/exclusive-romney-on-debates-obama-will-say-things-that-arent-true/" type="external">Read more</a></p> | 2,238 |
<p>For a year, Cal Watchdog contributors and staffers (and a <a href="http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/nov/12/tp-governors-poverty-excuse-misses-job-issue/all/?print" type="external">Cal Watchdog alum</a>) have been pretty much alone in pointing out two extremely relevant statistics that demolish Gov. Jerry Brown’s and the media’s narrative of the Golden State <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/25/us/with-california-rebounding-governor-pushes-big-projects.html?_r=0" type="external">bouncing back</a> from the Great Recession.</p>
<p>One statistic, from the Census Bureau, shows that once the cost of living is included, California has the highest poverty rate in the U.S., with nearly one in four residents stuggling from paycheck to paycheck — if they even have a job.</p>
<p>The second stat, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shows that about 19 percent of Californians who want to work full time can’t find such jobs. Only Nevada has a worse rate.</p>
<p>One or both of these numbers were cited specifically or alluded to in Cal Watchdog stories or stories written by Cal Watchdog contributors or alums repeatedly throughout 2013.</p>
<p>Here’s <a href="" type="internal">one</a> from Katy Grimes back in March. Here’s <a href="" type="internal">another</a> from Katy in June. Here’s <a href="" type="internal">one from me</a> a couple of months back.</p>
<p>So guess who’s decided to start pointing out that the allegedly Golden State has the nation’s highest level of poverty and nearly a fifth of its workers unemployed or underemployed?</p>
<p>Why, it’s the Sacramento Bee’s Dan Walters — as mainstream as it gets. Over the weekend, his column noted that California has “the nation’s highest level of poverty and nearly a fifth of its workers unemployed or underemployed.”</p>
<p>This came after a Walters’ column <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2013/11/10/5896515/dan-walters-californias-high-living.html" type="external">three weeks ago</a> that had this observation:</p>
<p>“California’s official poverty rate of 16.5 percent is somewhat higher than the national rate of 15.1 percent, but under an alternative Census Bureau method of calculating poverty that includes cost of living, our poverty rate soars to – by far – the highest rate of any state. Nearly a quarter of Californians, 23.8 percent, live in poverty.</p>
<p>“This is, or should be, a matter of shame, especially for politicians who profess to represent society’s underdogs but who enact policies that raise their struggling constituents’ cost of living, or inhibit the creation of jobs that would lift poor Californians out of poverty.”</p>
<p>Welcome to the bandwagon, Dan.</p>
<p>Now it’s time to wait for George Skelton, Dan Morain and the other dispensers of the Sacramento political-media establishment’s conventional wisdom to stop selling the Kool-Aid about the Golden State’s economic rebound.</p>
<p>But don’t hold your breath. Skelton, remember, is the guy who famously declared he <a href="http://www.calwhine.com/skeltons-new-low-hard-to-find-anyone-who-doesnt-think-tax-hikes-should-be-shoved-down-voters-throats-lol/1266/" type="external">didn’t know anyone</a> who didn’t think the governor should break his promise and just raise taxes.</p>
<p>That remains the second-most telling opinion piece ever about the Sacramento media.</p>
<p>The first will never be topped. It was the <a href="http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/05/sacramento-bee-launches-vicious-attack.html" type="external">childish tantrum</a> of a Sacramento Bee editorial than ran after voters rejected higher taxes in the May 2009 special election. Its unforgettable opening:</p>
<p>“Good morning, California voters. Do you feel better, now that you’ve gotten that out of your system?</p>
<p>“You wanted to show the state’s politicians just how mad you are at them. And you did. Boy, did you ever.</p>
<p>“Proposition 1A with its taxes and its spending limit? Too much of one and not enough of the other, you said (or was it the other way around), and voted it down. Never mind that the taxes go into effect anyway. You showed ’em.”</p>
<p>This contempt for Californians is unlike anything I have seen from any newspaper. Normally it’s better hidden by the Skeltons and Morains of the world. They never notice the gap between dominant Dems’ noble rhetoric and what Dems use their power to do. And when voters figure it out, they react with vicious condescension.</p>
<p>Way to go, guys — good luck with the MSNBC interviews! You’ll fit right in.</p> | Thanks, Dan: Cal Watchdog themes now Walters’ favorite talking points | false | https://calwatchdog.com/2013/12/02/cal-watchdog-themes-become-dan-walters-talking-points/ | 2018-12-20 | 3left-center
| Thanks, Dan: Cal Watchdog themes now Walters’ favorite talking points
<p>For a year, Cal Watchdog contributors and staffers (and a <a href="http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/nov/12/tp-governors-poverty-excuse-misses-job-issue/all/?print" type="external">Cal Watchdog alum</a>) have been pretty much alone in pointing out two extremely relevant statistics that demolish Gov. Jerry Brown’s and the media’s narrative of the Golden State <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/25/us/with-california-rebounding-governor-pushes-big-projects.html?_r=0" type="external">bouncing back</a> from the Great Recession.</p>
<p>One statistic, from the Census Bureau, shows that once the cost of living is included, California has the highest poverty rate in the U.S., with nearly one in four residents stuggling from paycheck to paycheck — if they even have a job.</p>
<p>The second stat, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shows that about 19 percent of Californians who want to work full time can’t find such jobs. Only Nevada has a worse rate.</p>
<p>One or both of these numbers were cited specifically or alluded to in Cal Watchdog stories or stories written by Cal Watchdog contributors or alums repeatedly throughout 2013.</p>
<p>Here’s <a href="" type="internal">one</a> from Katy Grimes back in March. Here’s <a href="" type="internal">another</a> from Katy in June. Here’s <a href="" type="internal">one from me</a> a couple of months back.</p>
<p>So guess who’s decided to start pointing out that the allegedly Golden State has the nation’s highest level of poverty and nearly a fifth of its workers unemployed or underemployed?</p>
<p>Why, it’s the Sacramento Bee’s Dan Walters — as mainstream as it gets. Over the weekend, his column noted that California has “the nation’s highest level of poverty and nearly a fifth of its workers unemployed or underemployed.”</p>
<p>This came after a Walters’ column <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2013/11/10/5896515/dan-walters-californias-high-living.html" type="external">three weeks ago</a> that had this observation:</p>
<p>“California’s official poverty rate of 16.5 percent is somewhat higher than the national rate of 15.1 percent, but under an alternative Census Bureau method of calculating poverty that includes cost of living, our poverty rate soars to – by far – the highest rate of any state. Nearly a quarter of Californians, 23.8 percent, live in poverty.</p>
<p>“This is, or should be, a matter of shame, especially for politicians who profess to represent society’s underdogs but who enact policies that raise their struggling constituents’ cost of living, or inhibit the creation of jobs that would lift poor Californians out of poverty.”</p>
<p>Welcome to the bandwagon, Dan.</p>
<p>Now it’s time to wait for George Skelton, Dan Morain and the other dispensers of the Sacramento political-media establishment’s conventional wisdom to stop selling the Kool-Aid about the Golden State’s economic rebound.</p>
<p>But don’t hold your breath. Skelton, remember, is the guy who famously declared he <a href="http://www.calwhine.com/skeltons-new-low-hard-to-find-anyone-who-doesnt-think-tax-hikes-should-be-shoved-down-voters-throats-lol/1266/" type="external">didn’t know anyone</a> who didn’t think the governor should break his promise and just raise taxes.</p>
<p>That remains the second-most telling opinion piece ever about the Sacramento media.</p>
<p>The first will never be topped. It was the <a href="http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/05/sacramento-bee-launches-vicious-attack.html" type="external">childish tantrum</a> of a Sacramento Bee editorial than ran after voters rejected higher taxes in the May 2009 special election. Its unforgettable opening:</p>
<p>“Good morning, California voters. Do you feel better, now that you’ve gotten that out of your system?</p>
<p>“You wanted to show the state’s politicians just how mad you are at them. And you did. Boy, did you ever.</p>
<p>“Proposition 1A with its taxes and its spending limit? Too much of one and not enough of the other, you said (or was it the other way around), and voted it down. Never mind that the taxes go into effect anyway. You showed ’em.”</p>
<p>This contempt for Californians is unlike anything I have seen from any newspaper. Normally it’s better hidden by the Skeltons and Morains of the world. They never notice the gap between dominant Dems’ noble rhetoric and what Dems use their power to do. And when voters figure it out, they react with vicious condescension.</p>
<p>Way to go, guys — good luck with the MSNBC interviews! You’ll fit right in.</p> | 2,239 |
<p>Jan 18 (Reuters) - Royole Corporation​:</p>
<p>* ROYOLE CORPORATION​ - HAS SIGNED A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH JD.COM Source text for Eikon:</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May needed to act with speed when she ordered a missile attack on Syria and she will update parliament on Monday, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson told BBC radio.</p> Britain's Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson leaves 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, April 12, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson
<p>Britain joined the United States and France on Saturday in what May cast as a “limited and targeted” strike after intelligence indicated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government was responsible for an attack using chemical weapons in Douma.</p>
<p>All crews from the Royal Air Force Tornado jets returned safely, Williamson said. When asked if there would be more military action against Syria, Williamson said he thought the Western strikes had so far had sufficient effect.</p>
<p>Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Michael Holden</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey was informed ahead of U.S., British and French strikes on Syria, ruling AK Party spokesman Mahir Unal said in a televised interview on CNN Turk.</p>
<p>Earlier on Saturday, a Turkish foreign ministry source described the air strikes against the Syrian government as an “appropriate” response.</p>
<p>U.S., British and French forces hit Syria with air strikes early on Saturday in a coordinated intervention by Western powers against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in response to a suspected poison gas attack that killed dozens of people last week.</p>
<p>Reporting by Ece Toksabay; editing by Jason Neely</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S.-led strikes in Syria are an “important signal” to Iran, Syria and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, a senior Israeli cabinet minister said on Saturday.</p> A plane preparing to take off as part of the joint airstrike operation by the British, French and U.S. militaries in Syria, is seen in this picture obtained on April 14, 2018 via social media. Courtesy French Military/Twitter/via REUTERS
<p>“The use of chemical weapons crosses a red line that humanity can no longer tolerate,” Yoav Gallant, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, said on Twitter.</p>
<p>U.S., British and French forces hit Syria with air strikes overnight in response to a poison gas attack that killed dozens of people last week. U.S. President Donald Trump said he was prepared to sustain the response until Assad’s government stopped its use of chemical weapons.</p>
<p>“The American attack is an important signal to the axis of evil - Iran, Syria and Hezbollah,” Gallant said.</p>
<p>An Israeli official said Israel was notified of the strikes ahead of time. Asked how much advanced warning Israel had received, the official told Reuters: “Between 12 and 24 hours, I believe.”</p>
<p>Asked whether Israel helped choose targets, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Not to my knowledge.”</p>
<p>Iran’s involvement in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad has alarmed Israel, which has said it would counter any threat. Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has an extensive missile arsenal, last fought a war with Israel in 2006.</p>
<p>Syria, Iran and Russia say Israel was behind an air strike on a Syrian air base on Monday that killed seven Iranian military personnel, something Israel has neither confirmed nor denied.</p>
<p>On Wednesday Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged him to do nothing to destabilize Syria, according to a Kremlin statement.</p>
<p>Israel has mounted air strikes in Syria on a regular basis, targeting suspected weapons shipments to Hezbollah.</p>
<p>Reporting by Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovitch and Dan Williams; Editing by Angus MacSwan</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S., British and French forces launched air strikes on Syria in response to a suspected poison gas attack that killed dozens of people, aiming to degrade its chemical weapons capabilities in the biggest intervention yet in the conflict by Western powers.</p>
<p>U.S. President Donald Trump announced the military action from the White House, saying the three allies had “marshalled their righteous power against barbarism and brutality.”</p>
<p>As he spoke, explosions rocked Damascus.</p>
<p>British Prime Minister Theresa May described the strike as “limited and targeted” and said she had authorized the British action after intelligence indicated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government was responsible for an attack using chemical weapons in Douma last Saturday.</p>
<p>French President Emmanuel Macron said the strikes had been limited so far to Syria’s chemical weapons facilities.</p>
<p>With more than 100 missiles fired from ships and manned aircraft, the allies struck three of Syria’s main chemical weapons facilities, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford said.</p>
<p>The targets included a Syrian center in the greater Damascus area for the research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological weaponry as well as a chemical weapons storage facility near the city of Homs. A third target, also near Homs, contained both a chemical weapons equipment storage facility and a command post.</p>
<p>Mattis called the strikes a “one time shot,” but Trump raised the prospect of further strikes if Assad’s government again used chemical weapons.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-russia/russia-likely-to-call-u-n-meeting-over-syria-attack-russian-lawmaker-idUSKBN1HL075" type="external">Russia likely to call U.N. meeting over Syria attack: Russian lawmaker</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-israel/syria-strikes-an-important-signal-to-iran-and-hezbollah-israeli-minister-idUSKBN1HL0A4" type="external">Syria strikes an 'important signal' to Iran and Hezbollah: Israeli minister</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-explosions/western-attack-struck-syrian-research-center-other-targets-idUSKBN1HL02U" type="external">Western attack struck Syrian research center, other targets</a>
<p>“We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents,” the U.S. president said in a televised address.</p>
<p>The Syrian conflict pits a complex myriad of parties against each other, with Russia and Iran giving Assad military and political help while fractured opposition forces have had varying levels of support at different times from the West, Arab states and Turkey.</p>
<p>The strikes risked raising tensions in an already combustible region, but appeared designed not to trigger a military response from Russia and Iran.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, Assad’s government and Russia responded angrily.</p>
<p>“Again, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences,” Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, said on Twitter.</p>
<p>Syrian state media said the attack would fail and called it a “flagrant violation of international law.”</p>
<p>Russia was likely to call for a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the air strikes, lawmaker Vladimir Dzhabarov, the deputy head of Russia’s foreign affairs committee, was quoted by the RIA news agency as saying.</p>
<p>The strikes seemed unlikely to have much impact on the balance of power in Syria’s seven-year-old civil war, in which Assad’s government has steadily gained the upper hand against armed opponents since Russia intervened in 2015.</p> ‘ABSORBED THE STRIKE’
<p>At least six loud explosions were heard in Damascus and smoke was seen rising over the city, a Reuters witness said. A second witness said the Barzah district of Damascus had been hit in the strikes. Barzah is the location of a major Syrian scientific research center.</p>
<p>A senior official in a regional alliance that backs Damascus told Reuters the Syrian government and its allies had “absorbed” the attack, and that targeted sites were evacuated days ago thanks to a warning from Russia.</p>
<p>Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S.-led attacks and said Washington and its allies would bear responsibility for the consequences in the region and beyond, state media reported.</p>
<p>State-controlled Syrian TV said Syrian air defenses shot down 13 missiles fired in the attack. The Russian defense ministry said none of the rockets launched had entered zones where Russian air defense systems are protecting military facilities in Tartus and Hmeimim.</p>
<p>The combined U.S., British and French assault appeared more intense than a similar strike Trump ordered almost exactly a year ago against a Syrian air base in retaliation for an earlier chemical weapons attack that Washington attributed to Assad.</p>
<p>At a Pentagon briefing, Dunford said the air strikes on Saturday were planned to minimize the risk of casualties among Russia’s forces in Syria.</p>
<p>May said the missile strike was designed to minimize any civilian casualties and was not an attempt to change the Syrian government. Britain’s defense ministry said initial indications were that the precision weapons and meticulous target planning had “resulted in a successful attack”.</p>
<p>Mattis acknowledged that the United States conducted the air strikes only with conclusive evidence that chlorine gas was used in the April 7 attack in Syria. Evidence that the nerve agent sarin also was used is inconclusive, he said.</p>
<p>Allegations of Assad’s chlorine use are frequent in Syria’s conflict, raising questions about whether Washington had lowered the threshold for military action in Syria by now deciding to strike after a chlorine gas attack.</p>
<p>Mattis, who U.S. officials said had earlier warned in internal debates that too large an attack would risk confrontation with Russia, described the strikes as a one-off to dissuade Assad from “doing this again.”</p>
<p>But a U.S. official familiar with the military planning said there could be more air strikes if the intelligence indicates that Assad has not stopped manufacturing, importing, storing or using chemical weapons, including weaponized chlorine.</p>
<p>The official acknowledged that could require a more sustained U.S. air and naval presence in the region, as well as intensified satellite and other surveillance of Syria.</p> A missile is seen crossing over Damascus, Syria April 14, 2018. SANA/Handout via REUTERS TRUMP STILL WANTS TO EXIT SYRIA
<p>Trump has been leery of U.S. military involvement in the Middle East, and is eager to withdraw roughly 2,000 troops who are in Syria as part of the battle against Islamic State militants.</p>
<p>The air strikes, however, risk dragging the United States further into Syria’s civil war, particularly if Russia, Iran and Assad opt to retaliate.</p>
<p>“America does not seek an indefinite presence in Syria, under no circumstances,” Trump said in his eight-minute address.</p>
<p>“The purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread and use of chemical weapons,” he said.</p>
<p>The U.S. president, who has tried to build good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, had sharply critical words for Russia and Iran over their support of Assad.</p>
<p>“To Iran and to Russia, I ask, what kind of a nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women and children?” Trump said.</p>
<p>Last year, the United States fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the guided missile destroyers USS Porter and the USS Ross that struck the Shayrat air base.</p>
<p>The targets of that strike included Syrian aircraft, aircraft shelters, petroleum and logistical storage facilities, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems and radar. At the time, the Pentagon said that a fifth of Syria’s operational aircraft were either damaged or destroyed.</p> Slideshow (11 Images)
<p>The U.S.-led attack on Syria will be seen as limited if it is now over and there is no second round of strikes, said a senior official in the regional alliance that has supported Assad in the Syrian war.</p>
<p>“If it is finished, and there is no second round, it will be considered limited,” the official told Reuters.</p>
<p>Reporting by Steve Holland and Tom Perry; Additional reporting by Phil Stewart, Tim Ahmann, Eric Beech, Lesley Wroughton, Lucia Mutikani, Idrees Ali, Patricia Zengerle, Matt Spetalnick and John Walcott in Washington; Samia Nakhoul, Tom Perry, Laila Bassam Ellen Francis in Beirut; Michael Holden and Guy Faulconbridge in London; and Jean-Baptiste Vey, Geert de Clerq and Matthias Blamont in Paris; Polina Ivanova in Moscow; Writing by Yara Bayoumy, Warren Strobel and Nick Tattersall; Editing by Kieran Murray, Clive McKeef, Robert Birsel and Mike Collett-White</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a> | BRIEF-Royole Corp Signs Strategic Partnership Agreement With JD.Com Britain had to act with speed, PM May will update parliament: defense minister Turkey says was informed ahead of air strikes on Syria Syria strikes an 'important signal' to Iran and Hezbollah: Israeli minister U.S., British, French air strikes target Syrian chemical capabilities | false | https://reuters.com/article/brief-royole-corp-signs-strategic-partne/brief-royole-corp-signs-strategic-partnership-agreement-with-jdcom-idUSFWN1PD14J | 2018-01-18 | 2least
| BRIEF-Royole Corp Signs Strategic Partnership Agreement With JD.Com Britain had to act with speed, PM May will update parliament: defense minister Turkey says was informed ahead of air strikes on Syria Syria strikes an 'important signal' to Iran and Hezbollah: Israeli minister U.S., British, French air strikes target Syrian chemical capabilities
<p>Jan 18 (Reuters) - Royole Corporation​:</p>
<p>* ROYOLE CORPORATION​ - HAS SIGNED A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH JD.COM Source text for Eikon:</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May needed to act with speed when she ordered a missile attack on Syria and she will update parliament on Monday, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson told BBC radio.</p> Britain's Secretary of State for Defence Gavin Williamson leaves 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, April 12, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson
<p>Britain joined the United States and France on Saturday in what May cast as a “limited and targeted” strike after intelligence indicated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government was responsible for an attack using chemical weapons in Douma.</p>
<p>All crews from the Royal Air Force Tornado jets returned safely, Williamson said. When asked if there would be more military action against Syria, Williamson said he thought the Western strikes had so far had sufficient effect.</p>
<p>Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Michael Holden</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey was informed ahead of U.S., British and French strikes on Syria, ruling AK Party spokesman Mahir Unal said in a televised interview on CNN Turk.</p>
<p>Earlier on Saturday, a Turkish foreign ministry source described the air strikes against the Syrian government as an “appropriate” response.</p>
<p>U.S., British and French forces hit Syria with air strikes early on Saturday in a coordinated intervention by Western powers against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in response to a suspected poison gas attack that killed dozens of people last week.</p>
<p>Reporting by Ece Toksabay; editing by Jason Neely</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>JERUSALEM (Reuters) - U.S.-led strikes in Syria are an “important signal” to Iran, Syria and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, a senior Israeli cabinet minister said on Saturday.</p> A plane preparing to take off as part of the joint airstrike operation by the British, French and U.S. militaries in Syria, is seen in this picture obtained on April 14, 2018 via social media. Courtesy French Military/Twitter/via REUTERS
<p>“The use of chemical weapons crosses a red line that humanity can no longer tolerate,” Yoav Gallant, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, said on Twitter.</p>
<p>U.S., British and French forces hit Syria with air strikes overnight in response to a poison gas attack that killed dozens of people last week. U.S. President Donald Trump said he was prepared to sustain the response until Assad’s government stopped its use of chemical weapons.</p>
<p>“The American attack is an important signal to the axis of evil - Iran, Syria and Hezbollah,” Gallant said.</p>
<p>An Israeli official said Israel was notified of the strikes ahead of time. Asked how much advanced warning Israel had received, the official told Reuters: “Between 12 and 24 hours, I believe.”</p>
<p>Asked whether Israel helped choose targets, the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Not to my knowledge.”</p>
<p>Iran’s involvement in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad has alarmed Israel, which has said it would counter any threat. Iran-backed Hezbollah, which has an extensive missile arsenal, last fought a war with Israel in 2006.</p>
<p>Syria, Iran and Russia say Israel was behind an air strike on a Syrian air base on Monday that killed seven Iranian military personnel, something Israel has neither confirmed nor denied.</p>
<p>On Wednesday Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urged him to do nothing to destabilize Syria, according to a Kremlin statement.</p>
<p>Israel has mounted air strikes in Syria on a regular basis, targeting suspected weapons shipments to Hezbollah.</p>
<p>Reporting by Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovitch and Dan Williams; Editing by Angus MacSwan</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S., British and French forces launched air strikes on Syria in response to a suspected poison gas attack that killed dozens of people, aiming to degrade its chemical weapons capabilities in the biggest intervention yet in the conflict by Western powers.</p>
<p>U.S. President Donald Trump announced the military action from the White House, saying the three allies had “marshalled their righteous power against barbarism and brutality.”</p>
<p>As he spoke, explosions rocked Damascus.</p>
<p>British Prime Minister Theresa May described the strike as “limited and targeted” and said she had authorized the British action after intelligence indicated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government was responsible for an attack using chemical weapons in Douma last Saturday.</p>
<p>French President Emmanuel Macron said the strikes had been limited so far to Syria’s chemical weapons facilities.</p>
<p>With more than 100 missiles fired from ships and manned aircraft, the allies struck three of Syria’s main chemical weapons facilities, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford said.</p>
<p>The targets included a Syrian center in the greater Damascus area for the research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological weaponry as well as a chemical weapons storage facility near the city of Homs. A third target, also near Homs, contained both a chemical weapons equipment storage facility and a command post.</p>
<p>Mattis called the strikes a “one time shot,” but Trump raised the prospect of further strikes if Assad’s government again used chemical weapons.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-russia/russia-likely-to-call-u-n-meeting-over-syria-attack-russian-lawmaker-idUSKBN1HL075" type="external">Russia likely to call U.N. meeting over Syria attack: Russian lawmaker</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-israel/syria-strikes-an-important-signal-to-iran-and-hezbollah-israeli-minister-idUSKBN1HL0A4" type="external">Syria strikes an 'important signal' to Iran and Hezbollah: Israeli minister</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-explosions/western-attack-struck-syrian-research-center-other-targets-idUSKBN1HL02U" type="external">Western attack struck Syrian research center, other targets</a>
<p>“We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents,” the U.S. president said in a televised address.</p>
<p>The Syrian conflict pits a complex myriad of parties against each other, with Russia and Iran giving Assad military and political help while fractured opposition forces have had varying levels of support at different times from the West, Arab states and Turkey.</p>
<p>The strikes risked raising tensions in an already combustible region, but appeared designed not to trigger a military response from Russia and Iran.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, Assad’s government and Russia responded angrily.</p>
<p>“Again, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences,” Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, said on Twitter.</p>
<p>Syrian state media said the attack would fail and called it a “flagrant violation of international law.”</p>
<p>Russia was likely to call for a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the air strikes, lawmaker Vladimir Dzhabarov, the deputy head of Russia’s foreign affairs committee, was quoted by the RIA news agency as saying.</p>
<p>The strikes seemed unlikely to have much impact on the balance of power in Syria’s seven-year-old civil war, in which Assad’s government has steadily gained the upper hand against armed opponents since Russia intervened in 2015.</p> ‘ABSORBED THE STRIKE’
<p>At least six loud explosions were heard in Damascus and smoke was seen rising over the city, a Reuters witness said. A second witness said the Barzah district of Damascus had been hit in the strikes. Barzah is the location of a major Syrian scientific research center.</p>
<p>A senior official in a regional alliance that backs Damascus told Reuters the Syrian government and its allies had “absorbed” the attack, and that targeted sites were evacuated days ago thanks to a warning from Russia.</p>
<p>Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S.-led attacks and said Washington and its allies would bear responsibility for the consequences in the region and beyond, state media reported.</p>
<p>State-controlled Syrian TV said Syrian air defenses shot down 13 missiles fired in the attack. The Russian defense ministry said none of the rockets launched had entered zones where Russian air defense systems are protecting military facilities in Tartus and Hmeimim.</p>
<p>The combined U.S., British and French assault appeared more intense than a similar strike Trump ordered almost exactly a year ago against a Syrian air base in retaliation for an earlier chemical weapons attack that Washington attributed to Assad.</p>
<p>At a Pentagon briefing, Dunford said the air strikes on Saturday were planned to minimize the risk of casualties among Russia’s forces in Syria.</p>
<p>May said the missile strike was designed to minimize any civilian casualties and was not an attempt to change the Syrian government. Britain’s defense ministry said initial indications were that the precision weapons and meticulous target planning had “resulted in a successful attack”.</p>
<p>Mattis acknowledged that the United States conducted the air strikes only with conclusive evidence that chlorine gas was used in the April 7 attack in Syria. Evidence that the nerve agent sarin also was used is inconclusive, he said.</p>
<p>Allegations of Assad’s chlorine use are frequent in Syria’s conflict, raising questions about whether Washington had lowered the threshold for military action in Syria by now deciding to strike after a chlorine gas attack.</p>
<p>Mattis, who U.S. officials said had earlier warned in internal debates that too large an attack would risk confrontation with Russia, described the strikes as a one-off to dissuade Assad from “doing this again.”</p>
<p>But a U.S. official familiar with the military planning said there could be more air strikes if the intelligence indicates that Assad has not stopped manufacturing, importing, storing or using chemical weapons, including weaponized chlorine.</p>
<p>The official acknowledged that could require a more sustained U.S. air and naval presence in the region, as well as intensified satellite and other surveillance of Syria.</p> A missile is seen crossing over Damascus, Syria April 14, 2018. SANA/Handout via REUTERS TRUMP STILL WANTS TO EXIT SYRIA
<p>Trump has been leery of U.S. military involvement in the Middle East, and is eager to withdraw roughly 2,000 troops who are in Syria as part of the battle against Islamic State militants.</p>
<p>The air strikes, however, risk dragging the United States further into Syria’s civil war, particularly if Russia, Iran and Assad opt to retaliate.</p>
<p>“America does not seek an indefinite presence in Syria, under no circumstances,” Trump said in his eight-minute address.</p>
<p>“The purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread and use of chemical weapons,” he said.</p>
<p>The U.S. president, who has tried to build good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, had sharply critical words for Russia and Iran over their support of Assad.</p>
<p>“To Iran and to Russia, I ask, what kind of a nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women and children?” Trump said.</p>
<p>Last year, the United States fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the guided missile destroyers USS Porter and the USS Ross that struck the Shayrat air base.</p>
<p>The targets of that strike included Syrian aircraft, aircraft shelters, petroleum and logistical storage facilities, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems and radar. At the time, the Pentagon said that a fifth of Syria’s operational aircraft were either damaged or destroyed.</p> Slideshow (11 Images)
<p>The U.S.-led attack on Syria will be seen as limited if it is now over and there is no second round of strikes, said a senior official in the regional alliance that has supported Assad in the Syrian war.</p>
<p>“If it is finished, and there is no second round, it will be considered limited,” the official told Reuters.</p>
<p>Reporting by Steve Holland and Tom Perry; Additional reporting by Phil Stewart, Tim Ahmann, Eric Beech, Lesley Wroughton, Lucia Mutikani, Idrees Ali, Patricia Zengerle, Matt Spetalnick and John Walcott in Washington; Samia Nakhoul, Tom Perry, Laila Bassam Ellen Francis in Beirut; Michael Holden and Guy Faulconbridge in London; and Jean-Baptiste Vey, Geert de Clerq and Matthias Blamont in Paris; Polina Ivanova in Moscow; Writing by Yara Bayoumy, Warren Strobel and Nick Tattersall; Editing by Kieran Murray, Clive McKeef, Robert Birsel and Mike Collett-White</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a> | 2,240 |
<p />
<p>Why is it that an unprofitable research stage technology company with no revenues can be worth millions more than a stable service or manufacturing business with several years of revenues and profits?</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The answer to this fiscal unfairness can be found in the fundamentals of business valuations. It’s important to note that any two licensed appraisers or prospective investors can read key valuation factors differently. But what is true to all business valuations is the attempt to put a dollar value on a company’s future business potential.&#160;</p>
<p>Startup entrepreneurs and well-established business owners should have a sophisticated appreciation of how investors and ultimately business buyers will size up their company’s potential. Sometimes these factors which can influence company valuations are referred to as “business fundamentals” or “investment fundamentals.”</p>
<p>There are positive fundamentals just as there are negative fundamentals. Some fundamentals apply to the specific company's operations while other fundamentals apply to broader market conditions. Businesses with a long list of positive investment fundamentals tend to receive generous business valuations.</p>
<p>Here are six fundamentals that may influence the value of your business.</p>
<p>No. 1: Revenue predictability. How stable is your company’s revenue stream? Businesses that serve customers through multi-year contracts or can prove they generate "recurring revenues" from service contracts and product upgrades are valued more highly than companies that have to fight for every customer year after year.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>No. 2: Customer list. A company’s customer list says a lot about its value. Ideally, businesses want to have an impressive list of customers who pay their bills on time. Further, higher value businesses are not dependent on any single customer for more than 10% of annual revenues.</p>
<p>No. 3: High gross margin business. High gross profit margin businesses have greater leeway to make business mistakes or cut costs during an economic downturn. Every percentage point gain not only helps improve business valuations, but keeps good businesses in business. It’s why high gross profit margin software companies are valued higher than traditionally lower gross profit margin businesses such as grocery retailing.</p>
<p>No. 4: Intellectual property advantage. Businesses that own trademarks, patents, trade secrets, and copyrights can rely on federal laws to protect their innovations from competitor misuse. But not all patents and trademarks are valuable. More valuation credit is given to intellectual property that can generate extra revenues from licensing income for a company, or that truly blocks competitors from participating in a market.</p>
<p>No.5: Brand strength. A good brand is different than owning a trademark. Brands have reputations and if managed well can be a valuable business asset. Valuation experts measure brand value in several ways. One of the most influential factors is to estimate its licensing potential or if a company can reasonably apply the brand name to products or services in other markets.</p>
<p>No. 6: Low debt load. Does your business require a lot of debt to operate or expand?&#160; If so, valuation experts will give your company a painful “valuation haircut.”</p>
<p>So how did you do? If you couldn’t put a check mark next to any fundamental, then it’s time to take meaningful steps to improve your business. Make it your best work!</p>
<p>Susan Schreter is a 20-year veteran of the venture finance community and small business policy advocate.&#160; Her educational work is dedicated to improving startup longevity and operating performance in rural, urban and suburban America.&#160;&#160; She is the founder of <a href="http://www.takecommand.org/" type="external">www.takecommand.org Opens a New Window.</a>, a community service organization that offers the largest centralized database of startup and small business funding sources in the U.S.&#160;&#160; Follow Susan on <a href="" type="internal">Twitter</a> @TakeCommand.</p> | What’s Your Business Worth? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/12/08/whats-your-business-worth.html | 2016-03-23 | 0right
| What’s Your Business Worth?
<p />
<p>Why is it that an unprofitable research stage technology company with no revenues can be worth millions more than a stable service or manufacturing business with several years of revenues and profits?</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The answer to this fiscal unfairness can be found in the fundamentals of business valuations. It’s important to note that any two licensed appraisers or prospective investors can read key valuation factors differently. But what is true to all business valuations is the attempt to put a dollar value on a company’s future business potential.&#160;</p>
<p>Startup entrepreneurs and well-established business owners should have a sophisticated appreciation of how investors and ultimately business buyers will size up their company’s potential. Sometimes these factors which can influence company valuations are referred to as “business fundamentals” or “investment fundamentals.”</p>
<p>There are positive fundamentals just as there are negative fundamentals. Some fundamentals apply to the specific company's operations while other fundamentals apply to broader market conditions. Businesses with a long list of positive investment fundamentals tend to receive generous business valuations.</p>
<p>Here are six fundamentals that may influence the value of your business.</p>
<p>No. 1: Revenue predictability. How stable is your company’s revenue stream? Businesses that serve customers through multi-year contracts or can prove they generate "recurring revenues" from service contracts and product upgrades are valued more highly than companies that have to fight for every customer year after year.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>No. 2: Customer list. A company’s customer list says a lot about its value. Ideally, businesses want to have an impressive list of customers who pay their bills on time. Further, higher value businesses are not dependent on any single customer for more than 10% of annual revenues.</p>
<p>No. 3: High gross margin business. High gross profit margin businesses have greater leeway to make business mistakes or cut costs during an economic downturn. Every percentage point gain not only helps improve business valuations, but keeps good businesses in business. It’s why high gross profit margin software companies are valued higher than traditionally lower gross profit margin businesses such as grocery retailing.</p>
<p>No. 4: Intellectual property advantage. Businesses that own trademarks, patents, trade secrets, and copyrights can rely on federal laws to protect their innovations from competitor misuse. But not all patents and trademarks are valuable. More valuation credit is given to intellectual property that can generate extra revenues from licensing income for a company, or that truly blocks competitors from participating in a market.</p>
<p>No.5: Brand strength. A good brand is different than owning a trademark. Brands have reputations and if managed well can be a valuable business asset. Valuation experts measure brand value in several ways. One of the most influential factors is to estimate its licensing potential or if a company can reasonably apply the brand name to products or services in other markets.</p>
<p>No. 6: Low debt load. Does your business require a lot of debt to operate or expand?&#160; If so, valuation experts will give your company a painful “valuation haircut.”</p>
<p>So how did you do? If you couldn’t put a check mark next to any fundamental, then it’s time to take meaningful steps to improve your business. Make it your best work!</p>
<p>Susan Schreter is a 20-year veteran of the venture finance community and small business policy advocate.&#160; Her educational work is dedicated to improving startup longevity and operating performance in rural, urban and suburban America.&#160;&#160; She is the founder of <a href="http://www.takecommand.org/" type="external">www.takecommand.org Opens a New Window.</a>, a community service organization that offers the largest centralized database of startup and small business funding sources in the U.S.&#160;&#160; Follow Susan on <a href="" type="internal">Twitter</a> @TakeCommand.</p> | 2,241 |
<p />
<p>&#160; &#160; Comedian Lenny Bruce gives a victory sign as he leaves a U.S. customs office in New York in 1963 after having been refused entry to Britain “in the public interest.” (John Lindsay / AP)</p>
<p>A version of this essay <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-ca-lenny-bruce-remembrance-20160722-snap-story.html" type="external">appeared</a> in the Los Angeles Times.</p>
<p>Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of the death of controversial comedian Lenny Bruce from an overdose of morphine. His death occurred while his New York obscenity conviction at <a href="http://www.originalcafeaugogo.com/" type="external">Café au Go Go</a> was still on appeal, and on the same day he received a foreclosure notice at his Los Angeles home.</p>
<p />
<p>But it wasn’t suicide. In the kitchen, a kettle of water was still boiling, and in his office, the electric typewriter was still humming. He had stopped typing in midword: “Conspiracy to interfere with the 4th Amendment const”—constitutes what?</p>
<p>Bruce was a subscriber to my satirical magazine, The Realist, and in 1959 we met for the first time at the funky Hotel America in Times Square. He was amazed that I got away with publishing those profane words for which other periodicals used asterisks or dashes. He had been using euphemisms like “frig” and asked, “Are you telling me this is legal to sell on the newsstands?”</p>
<p>I replied, “The Supreme Court’s definition of obscenity is that it has to be material which appeals to your prurient interest.” He magically produced an unabridged dictionary from the suitcase on his bed and looked up the word “prurient.” He closed the dictionary, clenching his jaw and nodding his head in affirmation of a new discovery. “So,” he observed, “it’s against the law to get you horny.”</p>
<p>When we were about to leave the room, he stood in the doorway. “Did you steal anything?” he asked furtively. I took my watch out of my pocket, since I didn’t like to wear it on my wrist, and without saying a word, I placed it on the bureau. Bruce laughed one loud, staccato “Ha!” and kissed me on the forehead.</p>
<p>We developed a friendship integrated with stand-up comedy. Bruce had broken through traditional, stereotypical jokes about airplane food, nagging wives, Chinese drivers, mothers-in-law. Instead he weaved his taboo-breaking targets—teachers’ low salaries vs. show-business celebs’, religious leaders’ hypocrisy, cruel abortion laws, racial injustice, the double standard between illegal and prescription drugs—into stream-of-consciousness vignettes.</p>
<p>In each succeeding performance, he would sculpt and re-sculpt his concept into a theatrical context, experimenting from show to show like a jazz-jargon musician. Audience laughter would turn into clapping for the creative process itself. “Please don’t applaud,” he requested. “It breaks my rhythm.”</p>
<p>Bruce was intrigued by the implications of an item in The Realist, an actual statement by <a href="https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007412" type="external">Adolf Eichmann</a> that he would have been “not only a scoundrel, but a despicable pig” if he hadn’t carried out Hitler’s orders. Bruce wrote a piece for The Realist, “Letter From a Soldier’s Wife”—namely, Mrs. Eichmann—pleading for compassion to spare her husband’s life.</p>
<p>Lenny was writing an autobiography—“How to Talk Dirty and Influence People”—which Playboy planned to serialize, then publish as a book, and Hugh Hefner hired me to edit it. Bruce and I met in Atlantic City, N.J. At a certain point, he was acting paranoid and demanded that I take a lie-detector test. I was paranoid enough to take him literally.</p>
<p>I couldn’t work with him if he didn’t trust me. We got into an argument, and I left. He sent a telegram that sounded like we were on the verge of divorce—“WHY CAN’T IT BE THE WAY IT USED TO BE?” I agreed to try again, and in 1962 I flew to Chicago. Bruce was performing at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gate_of_Horn" type="external">Gate of Horn</a>. He was asking the whole audience to take a lie-detector test.</p>
<p>With a German accent, he asked, “Do you people think yourselves better because you burned your enemies at long distance with missiles without ever seeing what you had done to them? Hiroshima auf Wiedersehen [Goodbye Hiroshima].”</p>
<p>“If we would have lost the war, they would have strung Truman up by the balls, Jim. Are you kidding with that? Not what kid told kid told kid. They would just schlep out all those Japanese mutants. ‘Here they did; there they are.’ And Truman said they’d do it again. That’s what they should have the same day as Remember Pearl Harbor. Play them in unison.”Bruce was arrested for obscenity that night. One of the items in the Chicago police report complained: “Then talking about the war he stated, ‘If we would have lost the war, they would have strung Truman up by the balls.’ &#160;” The cops also broke open Bruce’s candy bars, looking for drugs. And the club’s liquor license was suspended.</p>
<p>They checked the IDs of audience members, including George Carlin, who told the cops, “I don’t believe in IDs.” He was arrested for disorderly conduct, dragged along by the seat of his pants and hoisted into the police wagon.</p>
<p>“What are you doing here?” Bruce asked.</p>
<p>“I didn’t want to show them my ID,” Carlin answered.</p>
<p>“You schmuck.”</p>
<p>Because he often talked onstage about his environment, and because police cars and courtrooms had become his environment, the content of Bruce’s performances began to revolve more and more around the inequities of the legal system. “In the Halls of Justice,” he declared, “the only justice is in the halls.” But he also said, “I love the law.”</p>
<p>Instead of an unabridged dictionary, he now carried law books in his suitcase. His room was cluttered with tapes, transcripts, photostats, law journals, legal briefs. In less than two years, Bruce was arrested 15 times. Once, he was teasing his 10-year-old daughter, Kitty, by pretending not to believe what she was telling him. “Daddy,” she said, “you’d believe me if it was on tape.”</p>
<p>Club owners were afraid to book him. He couldn’t get a gig for six months. One Christmas day, he was alone in his hotel room, and I brought him a $500 bill. With a large safety pin, he attached it to his denim jacket. When he finally got a booking in Monterey, Calif., he admitted, “I feel like it’s taking me away from my work.”</p>
<p>Bruce lived way up in the hills. His house was protected by barbed wire and a concrete gate, except that it was always open. He had a wall-to-wall, one-way mirror in his living room, but when the sun was shining, you could see into the room instead of out. He was occasionally hassled by police on his own property. One evening in October 1963, we were talking while he was shaving, when four officers suddenly appeared, loud and obnoxious. He asked them to leave unless they had a search warrant.</p>
<p>One of the cops took out his gun. “Here’s my search warrant,” he said. Then Bruce and the cops had a discussion about the law, such as the rules of evidence, and after half an hour they left. Bruce tried to take it all in stride, but the encounter was depressing, and he changed his mind about going out that night.</p>
<p>When everything was quiet, we went outside and stood at the edge of his unused swimming pool. Dead leaves floated in the water. Bruce cupped his hands to his mouth. “All right, you dogs,” he called out. “Bark for the rich man!”—thereby setting off a chain reaction of barking dogs, a canine chorus echoing through Hollywood Hills.</p>
<p>We ordered some pizza, and he played some old tapes, ranging from a faith healer to patriotic World War II songs. “Good-bye, Mama, I’m off to Yokohama, the Land of Yama-Yama …”</p>
<p>Back at the Café au Go Go, when he was arrested in New York, Lenny had told a fantasy tale about Eleanor Roosevelt, quoting her: “I’ve got the nicest tits that have ever been in this White House …” The top of the police complaint read, “Eleanor Roosevelt and her display of tits.”</p>
<p>At the trial, Bruce acted as his own attorney. He obtained the legislative history of an Albany statute, and he discovered that back in 1931 there had been an amendment proposed that excluded from arrest on an indecent-performance charge stagehands, spectators, musicians and—here was the fulcrum of his defense—actors. The law had been misapplied to him. Despite opposition by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Society_for_the_Suppression_of_Vice" type="external">New York Society for the Suppression of Vice</a>, the amendment was finally signed into law by then-Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt, but to no avail. “Ignoring the mandate of Franklin D. Roosevelt,” Bruce observed, “is a great deal more offensive than saying Eleanor has lovely nay-nays.”</p>
<p>On Oct. 13, 1965 (Bruce’s 40th birthday), instead of surrendering to the authorities in New York, he filed suit at the U.S. District Court in San Francisco to keep out of prison, and he got himself officially declared a pauper. Two months before his death in 1966, Bruce wrote to me: “I’m still working on the bust of the government of New York State.” He included his doodle of Christ nailed to a crucifix, with a speech balloon asking, “Where the hell is the ACLU?”</p>
<p>At a séance, Bruce’s mother brought his old, faded, denim jacket. That large safety pin was still attached to it. And at the funeral, his sound-engineer friend dropped Bruce’s microphone into his grave before the dirt was piled on. Bruce’s problem had been that he wanted to talk onstage with the same freedom that he had in his living room. That problem doesn’t happen to stand-up comedians anymore.</p> | Remembering Lenny Bruce | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/remembering-lenny-bruce/ | 2016-08-08 | 4left
| Remembering Lenny Bruce
<p />
<p>&#160; &#160; Comedian Lenny Bruce gives a victory sign as he leaves a U.S. customs office in New York in 1963 after having been refused entry to Britain “in the public interest.” (John Lindsay / AP)</p>
<p>A version of this essay <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-ca-lenny-bruce-remembrance-20160722-snap-story.html" type="external">appeared</a> in the Los Angeles Times.</p>
<p>Wednesday marked the 50th anniversary of the death of controversial comedian Lenny Bruce from an overdose of morphine. His death occurred while his New York obscenity conviction at <a href="http://www.originalcafeaugogo.com/" type="external">Café au Go Go</a> was still on appeal, and on the same day he received a foreclosure notice at his Los Angeles home.</p>
<p />
<p>But it wasn’t suicide. In the kitchen, a kettle of water was still boiling, and in his office, the electric typewriter was still humming. He had stopped typing in midword: “Conspiracy to interfere with the 4th Amendment const”—constitutes what?</p>
<p>Bruce was a subscriber to my satirical magazine, The Realist, and in 1959 we met for the first time at the funky Hotel America in Times Square. He was amazed that I got away with publishing those profane words for which other periodicals used asterisks or dashes. He had been using euphemisms like “frig” and asked, “Are you telling me this is legal to sell on the newsstands?”</p>
<p>I replied, “The Supreme Court’s definition of obscenity is that it has to be material which appeals to your prurient interest.” He magically produced an unabridged dictionary from the suitcase on his bed and looked up the word “prurient.” He closed the dictionary, clenching his jaw and nodding his head in affirmation of a new discovery. “So,” he observed, “it’s against the law to get you horny.”</p>
<p>When we were about to leave the room, he stood in the doorway. “Did you steal anything?” he asked furtively. I took my watch out of my pocket, since I didn’t like to wear it on my wrist, and without saying a word, I placed it on the bureau. Bruce laughed one loud, staccato “Ha!” and kissed me on the forehead.</p>
<p>We developed a friendship integrated with stand-up comedy. Bruce had broken through traditional, stereotypical jokes about airplane food, nagging wives, Chinese drivers, mothers-in-law. Instead he weaved his taboo-breaking targets—teachers’ low salaries vs. show-business celebs’, religious leaders’ hypocrisy, cruel abortion laws, racial injustice, the double standard between illegal and prescription drugs—into stream-of-consciousness vignettes.</p>
<p>In each succeeding performance, he would sculpt and re-sculpt his concept into a theatrical context, experimenting from show to show like a jazz-jargon musician. Audience laughter would turn into clapping for the creative process itself. “Please don’t applaud,” he requested. “It breaks my rhythm.”</p>
<p>Bruce was intrigued by the implications of an item in The Realist, an actual statement by <a href="https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007412" type="external">Adolf Eichmann</a> that he would have been “not only a scoundrel, but a despicable pig” if he hadn’t carried out Hitler’s orders. Bruce wrote a piece for The Realist, “Letter From a Soldier’s Wife”—namely, Mrs. Eichmann—pleading for compassion to spare her husband’s life.</p>
<p>Lenny was writing an autobiography—“How to Talk Dirty and Influence People”—which Playboy planned to serialize, then publish as a book, and Hugh Hefner hired me to edit it. Bruce and I met in Atlantic City, N.J. At a certain point, he was acting paranoid and demanded that I take a lie-detector test. I was paranoid enough to take him literally.</p>
<p>I couldn’t work with him if he didn’t trust me. We got into an argument, and I left. He sent a telegram that sounded like we were on the verge of divorce—“WHY CAN’T IT BE THE WAY IT USED TO BE?” I agreed to try again, and in 1962 I flew to Chicago. Bruce was performing at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gate_of_Horn" type="external">Gate of Horn</a>. He was asking the whole audience to take a lie-detector test.</p>
<p>With a German accent, he asked, “Do you people think yourselves better because you burned your enemies at long distance with missiles without ever seeing what you had done to them? Hiroshima auf Wiedersehen [Goodbye Hiroshima].”</p>
<p>“If we would have lost the war, they would have strung Truman up by the balls, Jim. Are you kidding with that? Not what kid told kid told kid. They would just schlep out all those Japanese mutants. ‘Here they did; there they are.’ And Truman said they’d do it again. That’s what they should have the same day as Remember Pearl Harbor. Play them in unison.”Bruce was arrested for obscenity that night. One of the items in the Chicago police report complained: “Then talking about the war he stated, ‘If we would have lost the war, they would have strung Truman up by the balls.’ &#160;” The cops also broke open Bruce’s candy bars, looking for drugs. And the club’s liquor license was suspended.</p>
<p>They checked the IDs of audience members, including George Carlin, who told the cops, “I don’t believe in IDs.” He was arrested for disorderly conduct, dragged along by the seat of his pants and hoisted into the police wagon.</p>
<p>“What are you doing here?” Bruce asked.</p>
<p>“I didn’t want to show them my ID,” Carlin answered.</p>
<p>“You schmuck.”</p>
<p>Because he often talked onstage about his environment, and because police cars and courtrooms had become his environment, the content of Bruce’s performances began to revolve more and more around the inequities of the legal system. “In the Halls of Justice,” he declared, “the only justice is in the halls.” But he also said, “I love the law.”</p>
<p>Instead of an unabridged dictionary, he now carried law books in his suitcase. His room was cluttered with tapes, transcripts, photostats, law journals, legal briefs. In less than two years, Bruce was arrested 15 times. Once, he was teasing his 10-year-old daughter, Kitty, by pretending not to believe what she was telling him. “Daddy,” she said, “you’d believe me if it was on tape.”</p>
<p>Club owners were afraid to book him. He couldn’t get a gig for six months. One Christmas day, he was alone in his hotel room, and I brought him a $500 bill. With a large safety pin, he attached it to his denim jacket. When he finally got a booking in Monterey, Calif., he admitted, “I feel like it’s taking me away from my work.”</p>
<p>Bruce lived way up in the hills. His house was protected by barbed wire and a concrete gate, except that it was always open. He had a wall-to-wall, one-way mirror in his living room, but when the sun was shining, you could see into the room instead of out. He was occasionally hassled by police on his own property. One evening in October 1963, we were talking while he was shaving, when four officers suddenly appeared, loud and obnoxious. He asked them to leave unless they had a search warrant.</p>
<p>One of the cops took out his gun. “Here’s my search warrant,” he said. Then Bruce and the cops had a discussion about the law, such as the rules of evidence, and after half an hour they left. Bruce tried to take it all in stride, but the encounter was depressing, and he changed his mind about going out that night.</p>
<p>When everything was quiet, we went outside and stood at the edge of his unused swimming pool. Dead leaves floated in the water. Bruce cupped his hands to his mouth. “All right, you dogs,” he called out. “Bark for the rich man!”—thereby setting off a chain reaction of barking dogs, a canine chorus echoing through Hollywood Hills.</p>
<p>We ordered some pizza, and he played some old tapes, ranging from a faith healer to patriotic World War II songs. “Good-bye, Mama, I’m off to Yokohama, the Land of Yama-Yama …”</p>
<p>Back at the Café au Go Go, when he was arrested in New York, Lenny had told a fantasy tale about Eleanor Roosevelt, quoting her: “I’ve got the nicest tits that have ever been in this White House …” The top of the police complaint read, “Eleanor Roosevelt and her display of tits.”</p>
<p>At the trial, Bruce acted as his own attorney. He obtained the legislative history of an Albany statute, and he discovered that back in 1931 there had been an amendment proposed that excluded from arrest on an indecent-performance charge stagehands, spectators, musicians and—here was the fulcrum of his defense—actors. The law had been misapplied to him. Despite opposition by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Society_for_the_Suppression_of_Vice" type="external">New York Society for the Suppression of Vice</a>, the amendment was finally signed into law by then-Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt, but to no avail. “Ignoring the mandate of Franklin D. Roosevelt,” Bruce observed, “is a great deal more offensive than saying Eleanor has lovely nay-nays.”</p>
<p>On Oct. 13, 1965 (Bruce’s 40th birthday), instead of surrendering to the authorities in New York, he filed suit at the U.S. District Court in San Francisco to keep out of prison, and he got himself officially declared a pauper. Two months before his death in 1966, Bruce wrote to me: “I’m still working on the bust of the government of New York State.” He included his doodle of Christ nailed to a crucifix, with a speech balloon asking, “Where the hell is the ACLU?”</p>
<p>At a séance, Bruce’s mother brought his old, faded, denim jacket. That large safety pin was still attached to it. And at the funeral, his sound-engineer friend dropped Bruce’s microphone into his grave before the dirt was piled on. Bruce’s problem had been that he wanted to talk onstage with the same freedom that he had in his living room. That problem doesn’t happen to stand-up comedians anymore.</p> | 2,242 |
<p />
<p>The Libor rate fixing scandal may seem remote and distant from everyday life, but its effects on us all are difficult to understate. Millions of people have been cheated by what The Economist calls “ <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21558281" type="external">the rotten heart of finance</a>.” Simply put, the core of the global financial system is corrupt</p>
<p>Libor (London Interbank Offered Rate) is the central interest rate for the worldwide financial market. Countless other interest rates are based on Libor, which is set every day in London according to a consensus number of inter-bank lending rates from several big banks. Three of these banks (UBS, RBS, and Barclays) have already admitted rigging their Libor numbers and several more, including Citigroup and JPMorgan in the US, are under investigation.</p>
<p>Libor controls hundreds of trillions in interest rates and derivatives. It directly affects all of us:</p>
<p>“It is used as a benchmark to set payments on about $800 trillion-worth of financial instruments, ranging from complex interest-rate derivatives to simple mortgages. The number determines the global flow of billions of dollars each year.”</p>
<p>The Libor interest rate has been kept fraudulently low. Those with mortgages and commercial loans benefited by paying too little interest. However millions more were cheated of interest income. This includes savings accounts, pension funds, municipalities, and mutual funds”</p>
<p>“ <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/05/investing/libor-lawsuits/index.htm" type="external">Charles Schwab claims</a> one of its investment funds purchased debt securities from the banks in which the interest payments rose and fell with Libor. With Libor’s alleged suppression, Charles Schwab says, it was deprived of the higher interest payments it deserved.”</p>
<p>A brokerage like Schwab or Fidelity may have billions parked in interest bearing accounts pegged to Libor. If the banks understated Libor by 0.30% – 0.40% as they often did, then we are talking substantial amounts of lost income for the brokerages. Plus, let’s not forget, the banks that set Libor often may be the same ones that are paying the interest to the brokerages:</p>
<p>“They were setting the rates for Libor at the same time that they were in the market transacting with people in instruments that were keyed to Libor,” said Arun Subramanian, a lawyer representing Baltimore. “To me, this doesn’t seem like anything different than a normal, anti-trust conspiracy.”</p>
<p>The Libor bid rigging served other purposes for the cartel banks too. Since they knew what Libor would be, they could buy and sell futures on Libor, guaranteeing themselves steady (and criminal) trading profits.</p>
<p>Corporations and municipalities often protect themselves against rising interest rates with financial transactions called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interest_rate_swap" type="external">interest rate swaps</a> that limit their risk. By manipulating Libor, banks were able to maximize their income from the trillions of dollars of these&#160;swaps traded each year. Corporations, their shareholders, as well as municipalities thus lost money.</p>
<p>But the banks had another motive too. In the wake of the financial crisis, they reported fraudulently low interest rates which gave the impression they were healthier than they actually were. Libor is based on overnight loans that banks make to each other. The higher the rate, the riskier the loans and institutions are presumed to be. A low rate gives the presumption that the bank is healthier.</p>
<p>Thus, not only have people been cheated out of money that was rightfully theirs, but the big banks have deliberately hoaxed markets and governments into thinking they are more financially solid than they really are, and as investigation into the scandal has unfolded, they have deflected&#160;attempts&#160;at reform.</p> | Libor Rate Fixing Scandal Swindles Trillions for Banks | false | https://ivn.us/2012/07/09/libor-rate-fixing-scandal-swindles-trillions-for-banks/ | 2012-07-09 | 2least
| Libor Rate Fixing Scandal Swindles Trillions for Banks
<p />
<p>The Libor rate fixing scandal may seem remote and distant from everyday life, but its effects on us all are difficult to understate. Millions of people have been cheated by what The Economist calls “ <a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21558281" type="external">the rotten heart of finance</a>.” Simply put, the core of the global financial system is corrupt</p>
<p>Libor (London Interbank Offered Rate) is the central interest rate for the worldwide financial market. Countless other interest rates are based on Libor, which is set every day in London according to a consensus number of inter-bank lending rates from several big banks. Three of these banks (UBS, RBS, and Barclays) have already admitted rigging their Libor numbers and several more, including Citigroup and JPMorgan in the US, are under investigation.</p>
<p>Libor controls hundreds of trillions in interest rates and derivatives. It directly affects all of us:</p>
<p>“It is used as a benchmark to set payments on about $800 trillion-worth of financial instruments, ranging from complex interest-rate derivatives to simple mortgages. The number determines the global flow of billions of dollars each year.”</p>
<p>The Libor interest rate has been kept fraudulently low. Those with mortgages and commercial loans benefited by paying too little interest. However millions more were cheated of interest income. This includes savings accounts, pension funds, municipalities, and mutual funds”</p>
<p>“ <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/05/investing/libor-lawsuits/index.htm" type="external">Charles Schwab claims</a> one of its investment funds purchased debt securities from the banks in which the interest payments rose and fell with Libor. With Libor’s alleged suppression, Charles Schwab says, it was deprived of the higher interest payments it deserved.”</p>
<p>A brokerage like Schwab or Fidelity may have billions parked in interest bearing accounts pegged to Libor. If the banks understated Libor by 0.30% – 0.40% as they often did, then we are talking substantial amounts of lost income for the brokerages. Plus, let’s not forget, the banks that set Libor often may be the same ones that are paying the interest to the brokerages:</p>
<p>“They were setting the rates for Libor at the same time that they were in the market transacting with people in instruments that were keyed to Libor,” said Arun Subramanian, a lawyer representing Baltimore. “To me, this doesn’t seem like anything different than a normal, anti-trust conspiracy.”</p>
<p>The Libor bid rigging served other purposes for the cartel banks too. Since they knew what Libor would be, they could buy and sell futures on Libor, guaranteeing themselves steady (and criminal) trading profits.</p>
<p>Corporations and municipalities often protect themselves against rising interest rates with financial transactions called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interest_rate_swap" type="external">interest rate swaps</a> that limit their risk. By manipulating Libor, banks were able to maximize their income from the trillions of dollars of these&#160;swaps traded each year. Corporations, their shareholders, as well as municipalities thus lost money.</p>
<p>But the banks had another motive too. In the wake of the financial crisis, they reported fraudulently low interest rates which gave the impression they were healthier than they actually were. Libor is based on overnight loans that banks make to each other. The higher the rate, the riskier the loans and institutions are presumed to be. A low rate gives the presumption that the bank is healthier.</p>
<p>Thus, not only have people been cheated out of money that was rightfully theirs, but the big banks have deliberately hoaxed markets and governments into thinking they are more financially solid than they really are, and as investigation into the scandal has unfolded, they have deflected&#160;attempts&#160;at reform.</p> | 2,243 |
<p>SNL is always a crap shoot. A lot of people are going to focus on the unfunny cold open mocking President Trump’s unfunny tweets towards the mayor of San Juan.&#160;But the show also&#160;had some fun with the “woke” SJW generation with Levi’s Wokes.</p>
<p>Finally, a pair of jeans for the socially conscious millennial (see&#160; <a href="" type="internal">These NYC Millennials Prefer Venezuela ‘Income Equality’ Over American Freedom</a>&#160;and&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Millionaire to Millennials: ‘Less Avocado Toast, More Saving Money’</a>)!</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Do they come in “men’s” or “women’s?” Nah.</p>
<p>Do they come in “person?” What do you think?</p>
<p>That’s why Wokes got “Uni-fly.” 180 degress of gender non-conformity.</p>
<p>Wait a tick. Did I just witness comedy?</p>
<p>&lt;img class="size-full wp-image-46059 aligncenter" src="http://www.louderwithcrowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/no-way.gif" alt="no way" width="499" height="255" /&gt;</p>
<p>What’s especially chuckleworthy or sad, depending on how you look at it, is how this commercial sounds like something actual leftists would demand. Those Levi’s would be&#160;the ultimate apparel for lefties. All the bases are covered. Body positive? Check. Non-gender-conforming? You bet! But, most important of all? They’re bland and ridiculous. Just like their would-be leftist wearers.</p>
<p>To SNL’s credit, when they’re not kissing the left’s butt, they will mock them from time to time, They usually do a pretty good job of it (see&#160; <a href="" type="internal">SNL Hilariously Mocks Liberals Living in a Bubble</a> and&#160; <a href="" type="internal">SNL Savages NYC Liberals Watching the 2016 Election</a>). Honestly, they do a much better job poking fun at themselves than they do at <a href="" type="internal">lampooning conservatives</a>.</p>
<p>This is how political comedy is done. “Trump is orange and talks funny” jokes that read like they were written by the DNC aren’t funny. Not because they’re attacking conservatives, but because they’re lazy. There’s plenty to parody on the left too. In fact, leftists are like a walking parody. As this gem of a sketch proves.</p>
<p>Someone tell the late night hosts.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p /> | Video: SNL Takes a Dig at Leftist Millennials with Levi’s Commercial Parody… | true | https://louderwithcrowder.com/snl-millennials-levis-wokes/ | 2017-10-01 | 0right
| Video: SNL Takes a Dig at Leftist Millennials with Levi’s Commercial Parody…
<p>SNL is always a crap shoot. A lot of people are going to focus on the unfunny cold open mocking President Trump’s unfunny tweets towards the mayor of San Juan.&#160;But the show also&#160;had some fun with the “woke” SJW generation with Levi’s Wokes.</p>
<p>Finally, a pair of jeans for the socially conscious millennial (see&#160; <a href="" type="internal">These NYC Millennials Prefer Venezuela ‘Income Equality’ Over American Freedom</a>&#160;and&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Millionaire to Millennials: ‘Less Avocado Toast, More Saving Money’</a>)!</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Do they come in “men’s” or “women’s?” Nah.</p>
<p>Do they come in “person?” What do you think?</p>
<p>That’s why Wokes got “Uni-fly.” 180 degress of gender non-conformity.</p>
<p>Wait a tick. Did I just witness comedy?</p>
<p>&lt;img class="size-full wp-image-46059 aligncenter" src="http://www.louderwithcrowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/no-way.gif" alt="no way" width="499" height="255" /&gt;</p>
<p>What’s especially chuckleworthy or sad, depending on how you look at it, is how this commercial sounds like something actual leftists would demand. Those Levi’s would be&#160;the ultimate apparel for lefties. All the bases are covered. Body positive? Check. Non-gender-conforming? You bet! But, most important of all? They’re bland and ridiculous. Just like their would-be leftist wearers.</p>
<p>To SNL’s credit, when they’re not kissing the left’s butt, they will mock them from time to time, They usually do a pretty good job of it (see&#160; <a href="" type="internal">SNL Hilariously Mocks Liberals Living in a Bubble</a> and&#160; <a href="" type="internal">SNL Savages NYC Liberals Watching the 2016 Election</a>). Honestly, they do a much better job poking fun at themselves than they do at <a href="" type="internal">lampooning conservatives</a>.</p>
<p>This is how political comedy is done. “Trump is orange and talks funny” jokes that read like they were written by the DNC aren’t funny. Not because they’re attacking conservatives, but because they’re lazy. There’s plenty to parody on the left too. In fact, leftists are like a walking parody. As this gem of a sketch proves.</p>
<p>Someone tell the late night hosts.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p /> | 2,244 |
<p>In a moving display of solidarity with their fellow members of Congress, Democratic congressional baseball team members huddled together in prayer for their Republican colleagues after a gunman <a href="" type="internal">opened fired</a> at the GOP team's baseball practice early Wednesday morning.</p>
<p>The powerful moment was captured and tweeted out by Democratic Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/RepKihuen" type="external">Ruben J. Kihuen</a>:</p>
<p>According to witnesses, the gunman, armed with a rifle, shot off dozens of rounds, as many as 50 to 100. Early reports indicate that he shot five people, including Majority House Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), who was badly wounded in the hip, and two security personnel.</p>
<p>Details are still emerging, but so far eyewitness accounts and statements by law enforcement indicate that the shooter deliberately targeted Republicans.</p>
<p>Before the attack, Rep. Ron DeSantis said he was asked by a man who fit the description of the gunman, "Are those Republicans or Democrats out there practicing?" Law enforcement sources and Republican witnesses told CNN they believe it was a " <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/14/politics/alexandria-virginia-shooting/index.html" type="external">deliberate attack</a>" on the group of Republicans.</p>
<p>Shortly after the shooting, <a href="" type="internal">President Trump responded</a> in an official statement. "The Vice President and I are aware of the shooting incident in Virginia and are monitoring developments closely. We are deeply saddened by this tragedy," said Trump in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of Congress, their staffs, Capitol Police, first responders, and all others affected." In a tweet, Trump praised Scalise as a "true friend and patriot."</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">LIVE UPDATES ON THE SHOOTING HERE</a></p> | Democrat Baseball Team Prays For Republican Colleagues After Shooting | true | https://dailywire.com/news/17519/democrat-baseball-team-prays-republican-colleagues-james-barrett | 2017-06-14 | 0right
| Democrat Baseball Team Prays For Republican Colleagues After Shooting
<p>In a moving display of solidarity with their fellow members of Congress, Democratic congressional baseball team members huddled together in prayer for their Republican colleagues after a gunman <a href="" type="internal">opened fired</a> at the GOP team's baseball practice early Wednesday morning.</p>
<p>The powerful moment was captured and tweeted out by Democratic Rep. <a href="https://twitter.com/RepKihuen" type="external">Ruben J. Kihuen</a>:</p>
<p>According to witnesses, the gunman, armed with a rifle, shot off dozens of rounds, as many as 50 to 100. Early reports indicate that he shot five people, including Majority House Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), who was badly wounded in the hip, and two security personnel.</p>
<p>Details are still emerging, but so far eyewitness accounts and statements by law enforcement indicate that the shooter deliberately targeted Republicans.</p>
<p>Before the attack, Rep. Ron DeSantis said he was asked by a man who fit the description of the gunman, "Are those Republicans or Democrats out there practicing?" Law enforcement sources and Republican witnesses told CNN they believe it was a " <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/14/politics/alexandria-virginia-shooting/index.html" type="external">deliberate attack</a>" on the group of Republicans.</p>
<p>Shortly after the shooting, <a href="" type="internal">President Trump responded</a> in an official statement. "The Vice President and I are aware of the shooting incident in Virginia and are monitoring developments closely. We are deeply saddened by this tragedy," said Trump in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the members of Congress, their staffs, Capitol Police, first responders, and all others affected." In a tweet, Trump praised Scalise as a "true friend and patriot."</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">LIVE UPDATES ON THE SHOOTING HERE</a></p> | 2,245 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>TARENTUM, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania mall that was foreclosed on after its owners failed to repay $143 million has been auctioned off for $100.</p>
<p>Wells Fargo Bank was owed the money from a 2006 loan and submitted the winning bid for the 1.1 million-square-foot Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills on Wednesday. The bank was acting as trustee for MSCI 2007 HQ11, the trust that bought the mall in suburban Frazer Township.</p>
<p>Wells Fargo foreclosed last year on the mall, which opened in 2005. The mall once was worth $190 million but recently was appraised at just $11 million and is slightly more than half occupied. Pittsburgh Mills Limited Partnership defaulted on the loan.</p>
<p>Wells Fargo and the mall's new owners haven't commented on the purchase.</p>
<p>This story has been corrected to show Wells Fargo Bank acted as a trustee, it didn't buy the mall, and it was the mall, not the bank, that was auctioned off.</p>
<p><a href="#6f3a2393-2097-4ea9-abac-ea3cb541267f" type="external">© 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</a> Learn more about our <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/privacy" type="external">Privacy Policy</a> and <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/terms" type="external">Terms of Use</a>.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Foreclosed mall once valued at $190M is auctioned for $100 | false | https://abqjournal.com/930556/foreclosed-mall-once-valued-at-190m-is-auctioned-for-100.html | 2017-01-18 | 2least
| Foreclosed mall once valued at $190M is auctioned for $100
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>TARENTUM, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania mall that was foreclosed on after its owners failed to repay $143 million has been auctioned off for $100.</p>
<p>Wells Fargo Bank was owed the money from a 2006 loan and submitted the winning bid for the 1.1 million-square-foot Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills on Wednesday. The bank was acting as trustee for MSCI 2007 HQ11, the trust that bought the mall in suburban Frazer Township.</p>
<p>Wells Fargo foreclosed last year on the mall, which opened in 2005. The mall once was worth $190 million but recently was appraised at just $11 million and is slightly more than half occupied. Pittsburgh Mills Limited Partnership defaulted on the loan.</p>
<p>Wells Fargo and the mall's new owners haven't commented on the purchase.</p>
<p>This story has been corrected to show Wells Fargo Bank acted as a trustee, it didn't buy the mall, and it was the mall, not the bank, that was auctioned off.</p>
<p><a href="#6f3a2393-2097-4ea9-abac-ea3cb541267f" type="external">© 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</a> Learn more about our <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/privacy" type="external">Privacy Policy</a> and <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/terms" type="external">Terms of Use</a>.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 2,246 |
<p>Investing.com – Sweden stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the , and sectors led shares lower.</p>
<p>At the close in Stockholm, the declined 0.05%.</p>
<p>The best performers of the session on the were SSAB AB ser. A (ST:), which rose 1.30% or 0.53 points to trade at 41.36 at the close. Meanwhile, Swedbank AB ser A (ST:) added 1.04% or 2.2 points to end at 212.8 and Swedish Match AB (ST:) was up 0.85% or 2.4 points to 284.6 in late trade.</p>
<p>The worst performers of the session were Boliden AB (ST:), which fell 2.07% or 5.90 points to trade at 279.10 at the close. Fingerprint Cards AB ser. B (ST:) declined 1.08% or 0.36 points to end at 32.89 and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson B (ST:) was down 1.02% or 0.47 points to 45.81.</p>
<p>Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Stockholm Stock Exchange by 384 to 331 and 82 ended unchanged.</p>
<p>Crude oil for October delivery was down 1.75% or 0.86 to $48.23 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in November fell 0.46% or 0.25 to hit $54.24 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract rose 0.19% or 2.52 to trade at $1352.82 a troy ounce.</p>
<p>EUR/SEK was up 0.38% to 9.5585, while USD/SEK rose 0.24% to 7.9379.</p>
<p>The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.26% at 91.25.</p>
<p />
<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | Sweden stocks lower at close of trade; OMX Stockholm 30 down 0.05% | false | https://newsline.com/sweden-stocks-lower-at-close-of-trade-omx-stockholm-30-down-0-05/ | 2017-09-08 | 1right-center
| Sweden stocks lower at close of trade; OMX Stockholm 30 down 0.05%
<p>Investing.com – Sweden stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the , and sectors led shares lower.</p>
<p>At the close in Stockholm, the declined 0.05%.</p>
<p>The best performers of the session on the were SSAB AB ser. A (ST:), which rose 1.30% or 0.53 points to trade at 41.36 at the close. Meanwhile, Swedbank AB ser A (ST:) added 1.04% or 2.2 points to end at 212.8 and Swedish Match AB (ST:) was up 0.85% or 2.4 points to 284.6 in late trade.</p>
<p>The worst performers of the session were Boliden AB (ST:), which fell 2.07% or 5.90 points to trade at 279.10 at the close. Fingerprint Cards AB ser. B (ST:) declined 1.08% or 0.36 points to end at 32.89 and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson B (ST:) was down 1.02% or 0.47 points to 45.81.</p>
<p>Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Stockholm Stock Exchange by 384 to 331 and 82 ended unchanged.</p>
<p>Crude oil for October delivery was down 1.75% or 0.86 to $48.23 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in November fell 0.46% or 0.25 to hit $54.24 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract rose 0.19% or 2.52 to trade at $1352.82 a troy ounce.</p>
<p>EUR/SEK was up 0.38% to 9.5585, while USD/SEK rose 0.24% to 7.9379.</p>
<p>The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.26% at 91.25.</p>
<p />
<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | 2,247 |
<p>The state of Missouri went ahead with the execution of an inmate who beat a 63-year-old woman to death with a hammer in 1998, a record 10th execution in 2014 that matches only Texas.</p>
<p>Paul Goodwin, 48, was convicted of sexually assaulting his former neighbor, Joan Crotts, in St. Louis County. He shoved her down a flight of stairs and then used a hammer to beat her in the head because she thought Crotts played a role in getting her evicted from a boarding house, according to an <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/us-supreme-court-wont-stop-missouri-execution/2014/12/09/e97d4b9c-8018-11e4-b936-f3afab0155a7_story.html" type="external">Associated Press report</a>. Crotts stayed alive long enough to give police information that would lead them to Goodwin.</p>
<p>The execution began at 1:17 a.m. as officials waited to hear word from a Supreme Court appeal, and he was pronounced dead eight minutes later.</p>
<p>Goodwin’s low IQ — 73 — was a center of appeals efforts to save him, claiming that his execution would violate a Supreme Court rule prohibiting using the death penalty on the mentally disabled.</p>
<p>Goodwin’s sister, Mary Mifflin, said in a statement that her brother had the mental capacity of a child, and was not being punished justly for the crime, as it was out of passion and not premeditation.</p>
<p>However, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declined his request for clemency, and the Supreme Court decided against the legal appeals, both on the question of mental competency and the use of an unqualified execution drug.</p>
<p>There were six people at the execution from Goodwin’s side, including his mother and two sisters, and 10 people from the Crotts family, who all wore the favorite color of the victim, purple.</p>
<p>Currently, the death penalty is legal in 32 states, limited by the 8th Amendment to the Constitution when it comes to mentally competent adults. Last year, 39 people were executed in the United States, with more than 3,000 on death row.</p>
<p /> | Missouri executes inmate for 1998 hammer killing of old woman despite convict’s low IQ | false | http://natmonitor.com/2015/03/08/missouri-executes-inmate-for-1998-hammer-killing-of-old-woman-despite-convicts-low-iq/ | 2015-03-08 | 3left-center
| Missouri executes inmate for 1998 hammer killing of old woman despite convict’s low IQ
<p>The state of Missouri went ahead with the execution of an inmate who beat a 63-year-old woman to death with a hammer in 1998, a record 10th execution in 2014 that matches only Texas.</p>
<p>Paul Goodwin, 48, was convicted of sexually assaulting his former neighbor, Joan Crotts, in St. Louis County. He shoved her down a flight of stairs and then used a hammer to beat her in the head because she thought Crotts played a role in getting her evicted from a boarding house, according to an <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/us-supreme-court-wont-stop-missouri-execution/2014/12/09/e97d4b9c-8018-11e4-b936-f3afab0155a7_story.html" type="external">Associated Press report</a>. Crotts stayed alive long enough to give police information that would lead them to Goodwin.</p>
<p>The execution began at 1:17 a.m. as officials waited to hear word from a Supreme Court appeal, and he was pronounced dead eight minutes later.</p>
<p>Goodwin’s low IQ — 73 — was a center of appeals efforts to save him, claiming that his execution would violate a Supreme Court rule prohibiting using the death penalty on the mentally disabled.</p>
<p>Goodwin’s sister, Mary Mifflin, said in a statement that her brother had the mental capacity of a child, and was not being punished justly for the crime, as it was out of passion and not premeditation.</p>
<p>However, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declined his request for clemency, and the Supreme Court decided against the legal appeals, both on the question of mental competency and the use of an unqualified execution drug.</p>
<p>There were six people at the execution from Goodwin’s side, including his mother and two sisters, and 10 people from the Crotts family, who all wore the favorite color of the victim, purple.</p>
<p>Currently, the death penalty is legal in 32 states, limited by the 8th Amendment to the Constitution when it comes to mentally competent adults. Last year, 39 people were executed in the United States, with more than 3,000 on death row.</p>
<p /> | 2,248 |
<p>SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters are close to completing containment lines around the remnants of the huge wildfire that scorched two Southern California counties this month and added to the state’s enormous bill for fighting wildland blazes.</p>
<p>The so-called Thomas Fire was 91 percent contained Thursday, with remaining active heat sources well inside the perimeter of the 440-square-mile burn area northwest of Los Angeles, the state fire summary said.</p>
<p>Firefighter activities were described as mop-up and patrol.</p>
<p>The fire erupted Dec. 4 in Ventura County and quickly became a wind-driven inferno, destroying 1,063 structures and damaging 280 others as it swept through rural agricultural lands, into the city of Ventura and into neighboring Santa Barbara County where it finally was tamed when gusts faded away.</p>
<p>By late this month, firefighting costs topped $174 million as the wildfire became California’s largest on record and more than 8,000 firefighters were on the lines. The number has since dwindled to fewer than 700.</p>
<p>The Los Angeles Times <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-wildfire-costs-20171228-story.html" type="external">reported</a> that only halfway through the state’s current fiscal year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has already spent $699 million battling wildland blazes, including the deadly October firestorms that devastated wine country communities and other parts of Northern California.</p>
<p>That tops Cal Fire’s budgeted amount for firefighting by $272 million with six months left in the fiscal year, the Times said.</p>
<p>Whether tallied in acres or dollars, it’s all part of a trend of year-round fire seasons that scorch larger and larger amounts of land and eat up firefighting budgets.</p>
<p>In September, the U.S. Forest Service said it had spent more than $2 billion on wildfires in the just-ended federal fiscal year. That topped the previous record of $1.7 billion set in 2015.</p>
<p>SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters are close to completing containment lines around the remnants of the huge wildfire that scorched two Southern California counties this month and added to the state’s enormous bill for fighting wildland blazes.</p>
<p>The so-called Thomas Fire was 91 percent contained Thursday, with remaining active heat sources well inside the perimeter of the 440-square-mile burn area northwest of Los Angeles, the state fire summary said.</p>
<p>Firefighter activities were described as mop-up and patrol.</p>
<p>The fire erupted Dec. 4 in Ventura County and quickly became a wind-driven inferno, destroying 1,063 structures and damaging 280 others as it swept through rural agricultural lands, into the city of Ventura and into neighboring Santa Barbara County where it finally was tamed when gusts faded away.</p>
<p>By late this month, firefighting costs topped $174 million as the wildfire became California’s largest on record and more than 8,000 firefighters were on the lines. The number has since dwindled to fewer than 700.</p>
<p>The Los Angeles Times <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-wildfire-costs-20171228-story.html" type="external">reported</a> that only halfway through the state’s current fiscal year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has already spent $699 million battling wildland blazes, including the deadly October firestorms that devastated wine country communities and other parts of Northern California.</p>
<p>That tops Cal Fire’s budgeted amount for firefighting by $272 million with six months left in the fiscal year, the Times said.</p>
<p>Whether tallied in acres or dollars, it’s all part of a trend of year-round fire seasons that scorch larger and larger amounts of land and eat up firefighting budgets.</p>
<p>In September, the U.S. Forest Service said it had spent more than $2 billion on wildfires in the just-ended federal fiscal year. That topped the previous record of $1.7 billion set in 2015.</p> | Containment reaches 91 percent around huge California fire | false | https://apnews.com/071befeb94404c14a890fdf404f21053 | 2017-12-28 | 2least
| Containment reaches 91 percent around huge California fire
<p>SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters are close to completing containment lines around the remnants of the huge wildfire that scorched two Southern California counties this month and added to the state’s enormous bill for fighting wildland blazes.</p>
<p>The so-called Thomas Fire was 91 percent contained Thursday, with remaining active heat sources well inside the perimeter of the 440-square-mile burn area northwest of Los Angeles, the state fire summary said.</p>
<p>Firefighter activities were described as mop-up and patrol.</p>
<p>The fire erupted Dec. 4 in Ventura County and quickly became a wind-driven inferno, destroying 1,063 structures and damaging 280 others as it swept through rural agricultural lands, into the city of Ventura and into neighboring Santa Barbara County where it finally was tamed when gusts faded away.</p>
<p>By late this month, firefighting costs topped $174 million as the wildfire became California’s largest on record and more than 8,000 firefighters were on the lines. The number has since dwindled to fewer than 700.</p>
<p>The Los Angeles Times <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-wildfire-costs-20171228-story.html" type="external">reported</a> that only halfway through the state’s current fiscal year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has already spent $699 million battling wildland blazes, including the deadly October firestorms that devastated wine country communities and other parts of Northern California.</p>
<p>That tops Cal Fire’s budgeted amount for firefighting by $272 million with six months left in the fiscal year, the Times said.</p>
<p>Whether tallied in acres or dollars, it’s all part of a trend of year-round fire seasons that scorch larger and larger amounts of land and eat up firefighting budgets.</p>
<p>In September, the U.S. Forest Service said it had spent more than $2 billion on wildfires in the just-ended federal fiscal year. That topped the previous record of $1.7 billion set in 2015.</p>
<p>SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters are close to completing containment lines around the remnants of the huge wildfire that scorched two Southern California counties this month and added to the state’s enormous bill for fighting wildland blazes.</p>
<p>The so-called Thomas Fire was 91 percent contained Thursday, with remaining active heat sources well inside the perimeter of the 440-square-mile burn area northwest of Los Angeles, the state fire summary said.</p>
<p>Firefighter activities were described as mop-up and patrol.</p>
<p>The fire erupted Dec. 4 in Ventura County and quickly became a wind-driven inferno, destroying 1,063 structures and damaging 280 others as it swept through rural agricultural lands, into the city of Ventura and into neighboring Santa Barbara County where it finally was tamed when gusts faded away.</p>
<p>By late this month, firefighting costs topped $174 million as the wildfire became California’s largest on record and more than 8,000 firefighters were on the lines. The number has since dwindled to fewer than 700.</p>
<p>The Los Angeles Times <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-wildfire-costs-20171228-story.html" type="external">reported</a> that only halfway through the state’s current fiscal year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has already spent $699 million battling wildland blazes, including the deadly October firestorms that devastated wine country communities and other parts of Northern California.</p>
<p>That tops Cal Fire’s budgeted amount for firefighting by $272 million with six months left in the fiscal year, the Times said.</p>
<p>Whether tallied in acres or dollars, it’s all part of a trend of year-round fire seasons that scorch larger and larger amounts of land and eat up firefighting budgets.</p>
<p>In September, the U.S. Forest Service said it had spent more than $2 billion on wildfires in the just-ended federal fiscal year. That topped the previous record of $1.7 billion set in 2015.</p> | 2,249 |
<p>After previously trying to restrict early voting, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted (R) today reversed course on his decision to block county boards of elections from setting their own early voting hours in the days leading up to the November election.</p>
<p>Last month, Husted and Ohio Republicans <a href="" type="internal">led an effort</a> to limit early voting hours in Democratic counties, including those with major cities like Columbus and Cleveland, while expanding early voting in Republican counties. After the ensuing uproar, Husted moved to <a href="" type="internal">restrict</a> voting hours across the state, only to have his cuts to early voting <a href="" type="internal">restored</a> by a federal court.</p>
<p>Husted responded to the ruling by <a href="" type="internal">refusing to comply</a> with the court order. Expanding voting hours, he claimed in <a href="http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/directives/2012/Dir2012-40.pdf" type="external">Directive 2012–40</a>, will “only serve to confuse voters.” Therefore, the directive read, he was “prohibit[ing] county boards of elections from determining hours for the Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday before the election.” The move led Judge Peter Economus to set a <a href="" type="internal">hearing</a> for September 13: “The Court ORDERS that Defendant Secretary of State Jon Husted personally attend the hearing,” his release read.</p>
<p>Facing a direct court order, Husted has chosen instead to back down. This afternoon, Husted’s office released <a href="http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/directives/2012/Dir2012-42.pdf" type="external">Directive 2012–42</a> with a brief message: “Directive 2012–40 is hereby rescinded.” As a result, county boards of elections will now be allowed to set their own hours, pending Husted’s appeal of the <a href="" type="internal">Obama for America v. Husted</a> decision.</p>
<p>Husted also issued a <a href="http://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/State-Response.pdf" type="external">formal apology</a> to the court for Directive 2012–40. “The Secretary’s intention was not to create a stay of this Court’s Order,” the filing read. “The Secretary apologizes to the federal district court for creating that misimpression and has rescinded Directive 2012–40.”</p>
<p>An eagle-eyed reader points out that this decision only affects early voting on the final weekend before the election. There is a separate fight to get Husted to re-instate early voting on all weekends.</p> | BREAKING: Ohio Secretary Of State Backs Down, Allows Local Officials To Set Early Voting Hours | true | http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/09/07/814821/jon-husted-backs-down/ | 2012-09-07 | 4left
| BREAKING: Ohio Secretary Of State Backs Down, Allows Local Officials To Set Early Voting Hours
<p>After previously trying to restrict early voting, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted (R) today reversed course on his decision to block county boards of elections from setting their own early voting hours in the days leading up to the November election.</p>
<p>Last month, Husted and Ohio Republicans <a href="" type="internal">led an effort</a> to limit early voting hours in Democratic counties, including those with major cities like Columbus and Cleveland, while expanding early voting in Republican counties. After the ensuing uproar, Husted moved to <a href="" type="internal">restrict</a> voting hours across the state, only to have his cuts to early voting <a href="" type="internal">restored</a> by a federal court.</p>
<p>Husted responded to the ruling by <a href="" type="internal">refusing to comply</a> with the court order. Expanding voting hours, he claimed in <a href="http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/directives/2012/Dir2012-40.pdf" type="external">Directive 2012–40</a>, will “only serve to confuse voters.” Therefore, the directive read, he was “prohibit[ing] county boards of elections from determining hours for the Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday before the election.” The move led Judge Peter Economus to set a <a href="" type="internal">hearing</a> for September 13: “The Court ORDERS that Defendant Secretary of State Jon Husted personally attend the hearing,” his release read.</p>
<p>Facing a direct court order, Husted has chosen instead to back down. This afternoon, Husted’s office released <a href="http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/Upload/elections/directives/2012/Dir2012-42.pdf" type="external">Directive 2012–42</a> with a brief message: “Directive 2012–40 is hereby rescinded.” As a result, county boards of elections will now be allowed to set their own hours, pending Husted’s appeal of the <a href="" type="internal">Obama for America v. Husted</a> decision.</p>
<p>Husted also issued a <a href="http://electionlawblog.org/wp-content/uploads/State-Response.pdf" type="external">formal apology</a> to the court for Directive 2012–40. “The Secretary’s intention was not to create a stay of this Court’s Order,” the filing read. “The Secretary apologizes to the federal district court for creating that misimpression and has rescinded Directive 2012–40.”</p>
<p>An eagle-eyed reader points out that this decision only affects early voting on the final weekend before the election. There is a separate fight to get Husted to re-instate early voting on all weekends.</p> | 2,250 |
<p>SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea said on Sunday it has developed a more advanced nuclear weapon that has “great destructive power” and leader Kim Jong Un inspected a hydrogen bomb that will be loaded on a new intercontinental ballistic missile.</p>
<p>The hydrogen bomb’s power is adjustable to hundreds of kilotons and can be detonated at high altitudes, with its indigenously produced components allowing the country to build as many nuclear weapons as it wants, the North’s official KCNA news agency said.</p>
<p />
<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | North Korea says has developed more advanced hydrogen bomb: KCNA | false | https://newsline.com/north-korea-says-has-developed-more-advanced-hydrogen-bomb-kcna/ | 2017-09-02 | 1right-center
| North Korea says has developed more advanced hydrogen bomb: KCNA
<p>SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea said on Sunday it has developed a more advanced nuclear weapon that has “great destructive power” and leader Kim Jong Un inspected a hydrogen bomb that will be loaded on a new intercontinental ballistic missile.</p>
<p>The hydrogen bomb’s power is adjustable to hundreds of kilotons and can be detonated at high altitudes, with its indigenously produced components allowing the country to build as many nuclear weapons as it wants, the North’s official KCNA news agency said.</p>
<p />
<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | 2,251 |
<p>President Donald Trump tosses paper towels into a crowd as he hands out supplies at Calvary Chapel on Tuesday in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Evan Vucci/AP</p>
<p>During President Donald Trump’s visit to Puerto Rico on Tuesday, he met with Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, tossed donated items to people at a church in Guaynabo, and boasted about his administration’s efforts that he said had “saved a lot of lives.”</p>
<p>It didn’t go over well with locals.</p>
<p>“There is no respect,” said Zorahya Díaz, 36, who was enjoying a Medalla beer&#160;at El Watusi, a neighborhood hangout in the&#160;Santurce district of San Juan. We were talking over the din of a 10,000-watt portable generator that was keeping the lights on and the drinks cool on an island where <a href="https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/10/f37/Hurricanes%20Maria%2C%20Irma%20and%20Harvey%20Event%20Summary%20October%203%2C%202017.pdf" type="external">roughly 95 percent</a> of people remain without electricity. “That’s the thing. We cannot expect anything good [from the Trump administration] in that respect.”</p>
<p>Earlier in the day, upon his arrival in Puerto Rico, Trump <a href="" type="internal">had said</a> the devastation from Hurricane Maria didn’t constitute a “real catastrophe” like Hurricane Katrina. He also seemed to blame Puerto Ricans for the strain that relief efforts were placing on the federal budget.&#160;“Now, I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you’ve thrown our budget a little out of whack because we’ve spent a lot of money on Puerto Rico,” he said. “And that’s fine. We’ve saved a lot of lives.”</p>
<p>Zorahya Díaz</p>
<p>AJ Vicens/Mother Jones</p>
<p>Díaz, who works at the public radio station at the University of Puerto Rico, was in San Juan for the first time since Maria hit on September 20. She lives in&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Toa Baja</a>, a city about 30 minutes west of the capital. Parts of the town were submerged in water the morning after the storm because the government had to open five floodgates at the La Plata Lake Dam due to the heavy rains. The mayor <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/us/puerto-rico-toa-baja-hurricane-.html?_r=0" type="external">reported</a> that eight people were killed,&#160;and many homes were destroyed. Díaz said she heard from neighbors of a dead body being tied to a doorway to keep it from floating away, and another home where a dead horse ended up on somebody’s roof.</p>
<p>“These are the kind of stories you can hear if you walk in the barrio,” she said.</p>
<p>Trump’s words reinforced in her mind that Puerto Ricans are on their own. “We have to deal with this,” she said, “because gringos don’t know what’s good for Puerto Rico.”</p>
<p>Another man walking next to the hangout&#160;compared Trump’s playful tossing of rolls of paper towels to needy Puerto Ricans to a “t-shirt giveaway” that you’d see at a sporting event. When I asked him to elaborate or share his name, he said he was “too drained” to talk about Hurricane Maria or Trump.</p>
<p>Another woman, who didn’t want to reveal her name, asked, “What can you expect from Trump?” She says she saw part of the livestream video of the president’s meeting with Puerto Rican officials but “stopped because of the disrespect.”</p>
<p>Tito Román Rivera</p>
<p>AJ Vicens/Mother Jones</p>
<p>She added that Trump’s visit and the words of Gov. Rosselló are “all politics at the end of the day,” and that she’s more worried about the ongoing debt crisis and how creditors will use the storm to reap more money from the island.</p>
<p>Tito Román Rivera, 36, said that Puerto Rico’s colonial relationship with the United States is behind much of its debt, and that relationship is the reason Puerto Rico needs help right now. “That’s the reason why we don’t have all the resources as a nation to deal with a situation like this one,” he said.</p>
<p>To him, Trump’s disrespect goes back to his initial tweets about Puerto Rico and Maria, when he wrote that Puerto Rican debt “sadly will have to be dealt with.” He found it “disrespectful” that Trump tweeted positive things about Texas and Florida after the storms there, “but Puerto Rico, you have trouble but you have to pay your debt. Come on, man.”</p>
<p>What else do you want to know about the crisis in Puerto Rico? Our reporters are taking your questions. Submit them&#160; <a href="" type="internal">here</a>.</p> | Trump’s Day in Puerto Rico Did Not Go Over Well With the Locals | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2017/10/trumps-day-in-puerto-rico-did-not-go-over-well-with-the-locals/ | 2017-10-03 | 4left
| Trump’s Day in Puerto Rico Did Not Go Over Well With the Locals
<p>President Donald Trump tosses paper towels into a crowd as he hands out supplies at Calvary Chapel on Tuesday in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Evan Vucci/AP</p>
<p>During President Donald Trump’s visit to Puerto Rico on Tuesday, he met with Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, tossed donated items to people at a church in Guaynabo, and boasted about his administration’s efforts that he said had “saved a lot of lives.”</p>
<p>It didn’t go over well with locals.</p>
<p>“There is no respect,” said Zorahya Díaz, 36, who was enjoying a Medalla beer&#160;at El Watusi, a neighborhood hangout in the&#160;Santurce district of San Juan. We were talking over the din of a 10,000-watt portable generator that was keeping the lights on and the drinks cool on an island where <a href="https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/10/f37/Hurricanes%20Maria%2C%20Irma%20and%20Harvey%20Event%20Summary%20October%203%2C%202017.pdf" type="external">roughly 95 percent</a> of people remain without electricity. “That’s the thing. We cannot expect anything good [from the Trump administration] in that respect.”</p>
<p>Earlier in the day, upon his arrival in Puerto Rico, Trump <a href="" type="internal">had said</a> the devastation from Hurricane Maria didn’t constitute a “real catastrophe” like Hurricane Katrina. He also seemed to blame Puerto Ricans for the strain that relief efforts were placing on the federal budget.&#160;“Now, I hate to tell you, Puerto Rico, but you’ve thrown our budget a little out of whack because we’ve spent a lot of money on Puerto Rico,” he said. “And that’s fine. We’ve saved a lot of lives.”</p>
<p>Zorahya Díaz</p>
<p>AJ Vicens/Mother Jones</p>
<p>Díaz, who works at the public radio station at the University of Puerto Rico, was in San Juan for the first time since Maria hit on September 20. She lives in&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Toa Baja</a>, a city about 30 minutes west of the capital. Parts of the town were submerged in water the morning after the storm because the government had to open five floodgates at the La Plata Lake Dam due to the heavy rains. The mayor <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/us/puerto-rico-toa-baja-hurricane-.html?_r=0" type="external">reported</a> that eight people were killed,&#160;and many homes were destroyed. Díaz said she heard from neighbors of a dead body being tied to a doorway to keep it from floating away, and another home where a dead horse ended up on somebody’s roof.</p>
<p>“These are the kind of stories you can hear if you walk in the barrio,” she said.</p>
<p>Trump’s words reinforced in her mind that Puerto Ricans are on their own. “We have to deal with this,” she said, “because gringos don’t know what’s good for Puerto Rico.”</p>
<p>Another man walking next to the hangout&#160;compared Trump’s playful tossing of rolls of paper towels to needy Puerto Ricans to a “t-shirt giveaway” that you’d see at a sporting event. When I asked him to elaborate or share his name, he said he was “too drained” to talk about Hurricane Maria or Trump.</p>
<p>Another woman, who didn’t want to reveal her name, asked, “What can you expect from Trump?” She says she saw part of the livestream video of the president’s meeting with Puerto Rican officials but “stopped because of the disrespect.”</p>
<p>Tito Román Rivera</p>
<p>AJ Vicens/Mother Jones</p>
<p>She added that Trump’s visit and the words of Gov. Rosselló are “all politics at the end of the day,” and that she’s more worried about the ongoing debt crisis and how creditors will use the storm to reap more money from the island.</p>
<p>Tito Román Rivera, 36, said that Puerto Rico’s colonial relationship with the United States is behind much of its debt, and that relationship is the reason Puerto Rico needs help right now. “That’s the reason why we don’t have all the resources as a nation to deal with a situation like this one,” he said.</p>
<p>To him, Trump’s disrespect goes back to his initial tweets about Puerto Rico and Maria, when he wrote that Puerto Rican debt “sadly will have to be dealt with.” He found it “disrespectful” that Trump tweeted positive things about Texas and Florida after the storms there, “but Puerto Rico, you have trouble but you have to pay your debt. Come on, man.”</p>
<p>What else do you want to know about the crisis in Puerto Rico? Our reporters are taking your questions. Submit them&#160; <a href="" type="internal">here</a>.</p> | 2,252 |
<p />
<p>If you feel trapped in a cubicle, the thought of being your own boss can be intoxicating. But are you really ready to declare your independence from that steady paycheck and start your own business?</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>California native Mark Holtzman, 57, says had reached a stage where he needed something of his own. He had hit a dead end in the small, family-owned truck dealership where he worked after more than two decades in sales. The only career progression was to become a part owner and the owners weren't offering that to him.</p>
<p>"I had a family, wife, and kids that I wanted to at least have something for in the future and I wanted to be able to get ahead and not at the mercy of the whims of somebody else," he recalls.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219932%20" type="external">Read the story on Entrepreneur.com&#160;</a></p>
<p>As an amateur pilot and award-winning photographer, he'd been taking aerial photographs part time for a few years. He began building a clientele in aerial photos on the side and worked part time on his own growing a customer base over four years. Five years ago, he made the jump and launched West Coast Aerial Photography in Sherman Oaks, Calif. Today he earns a six-figure income and also employs his son full time.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219932%20" type="external">Related: How One Family Business Stays Independent</a></p>
<p>Unlike Holtzman, would-be business owners often have their clouds. If a leap to business ownership is in your future, consider this seven-point checklist. Of course, you don't need to check off every single point on the list to ensure business success, as strengths in one area may offset weaknesses in another. And be warned, if you wait for all stars to align perfectly, you may never take the plunge.</p>
<p>1. Owning a business is all you can think about. If starting your own business is all you can think about, that's a good sign to give it a shot, says Chicago-area startup expert Carol Roth, author of The Entrepreneur Equation (Bella Books, 2011). But, she warns, the reality of starting a business is often a lot harder than many could imagine.</p>
<p>"In some cases, people have business 'beer goggles,' " Roth says. "They see an idea and it looks really good to them, so they go for it. Then, they wake up to the reality and it doesn't look so good. You have to know what you're getting into."</p>
<p>2. You've done all the homework. To make sure your business venture is more than just a pipe dream you need to have a firm grasp of what it will take to make your startup a success.</p>
<p>Aside from coming in with previous experience in the sector, Roth says interviewing people who've taken the plunge, reading books and articles about starting a business, and spending time studying the market and potential competition are all essential in the preparation process. If you've done that and you're still as enthusiastic about your idea, you could soon be ready to hang your shingle, she says.</p>
<p>3. All is quiet on the home front. If you're experiencing personal turmoil, such as an illness or other crisis in the family, it's probably not the best time to launch a business, says Niwot, Colo., startup consultant Tommi Wolfe. If you don't have the support of those closest to you, or they are resentful of the sacrifices that a business requires, it's going to make the road to entrepreneurship tougher.</p>
<p>4. You've got a financial cushion and a customer base. Before you say, as the song goes, "Take this job and shove it," it's important to have some resources, including savings and a few customers, says Roth. You need to have enough money to see you through until your business can sustain itself, she adds.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/218105" type="external">Related: Two Weeks to Startup: Day 1. Finding the Right Fit</a></p>
<p>5. You can pinch a penny until it screams. Frugality is a good trait for an entrepreneur, whether you're bootstrapping or starting out with a stash of cash.</p>
<p>"Do the business plan and the financial statements. Figure out how much you'll realistically be making in a year. Understand the expenses and don't be tempted to spend money when you don't need to," Roth says.</p>
<p>6. No one has to tell you what to do. Are you able to get things done without someone telling you to do them? Are you constantly looking for ways to improve operations? Self-motivation is a critical quality for entrepreneurs, says Wolfe. If you have it, that's another sign that you'd do well on your own.</p>
<p>7. You're comfortable with being uncomfortable. Entrepreneurs need to be able to live with the risk and uncertainty that comes with running a business, says Wolfe. If you're risk averse you will have a tougher time riding the roller coaster of business ownership, she says.</p>
<p>At the same time, experts say you're less likely to regret taking the plunge than never taking the chance at all.</p>
<p>"Most successful entrepreneurs have tried and failed many times, but they pressed on and eventually made a success of it," Wolfe says.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219847" type="external">Related: From Paycheck to Pay Dirt: Blazing Your Own Trail As a Business Owner</a></p> | Ready to Declare Your Independence? A Seven-Point Checklist | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/07/05/ready-to-declare-your-independence-seven-point-checklist.html | 2016-03-23 | 0right
| Ready to Declare Your Independence? A Seven-Point Checklist
<p />
<p>If you feel trapped in a cubicle, the thought of being your own boss can be intoxicating. But are you really ready to declare your independence from that steady paycheck and start your own business?</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>California native Mark Holtzman, 57, says had reached a stage where he needed something of his own. He had hit a dead end in the small, family-owned truck dealership where he worked after more than two decades in sales. The only career progression was to become a part owner and the owners weren't offering that to him.</p>
<p>"I had a family, wife, and kids that I wanted to at least have something for in the future and I wanted to be able to get ahead and not at the mercy of the whims of somebody else," he recalls.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219932%20" type="external">Read the story on Entrepreneur.com&#160;</a></p>
<p>As an amateur pilot and award-winning photographer, he'd been taking aerial photographs part time for a few years. He began building a clientele in aerial photos on the side and worked part time on his own growing a customer base over four years. Five years ago, he made the jump and launched West Coast Aerial Photography in Sherman Oaks, Calif. Today he earns a six-figure income and also employs his son full time.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219932%20" type="external">Related: How One Family Business Stays Independent</a></p>
<p>Unlike Holtzman, would-be business owners often have their clouds. If a leap to business ownership is in your future, consider this seven-point checklist. Of course, you don't need to check off every single point on the list to ensure business success, as strengths in one area may offset weaknesses in another. And be warned, if you wait for all stars to align perfectly, you may never take the plunge.</p>
<p>1. Owning a business is all you can think about. If starting your own business is all you can think about, that's a good sign to give it a shot, says Chicago-area startup expert Carol Roth, author of The Entrepreneur Equation (Bella Books, 2011). But, she warns, the reality of starting a business is often a lot harder than many could imagine.</p>
<p>"In some cases, people have business 'beer goggles,' " Roth says. "They see an idea and it looks really good to them, so they go for it. Then, they wake up to the reality and it doesn't look so good. You have to know what you're getting into."</p>
<p>2. You've done all the homework. To make sure your business venture is more than just a pipe dream you need to have a firm grasp of what it will take to make your startup a success.</p>
<p>Aside from coming in with previous experience in the sector, Roth says interviewing people who've taken the plunge, reading books and articles about starting a business, and spending time studying the market and potential competition are all essential in the preparation process. If you've done that and you're still as enthusiastic about your idea, you could soon be ready to hang your shingle, she says.</p>
<p>3. All is quiet on the home front. If you're experiencing personal turmoil, such as an illness or other crisis in the family, it's probably not the best time to launch a business, says Niwot, Colo., startup consultant Tommi Wolfe. If you don't have the support of those closest to you, or they are resentful of the sacrifices that a business requires, it's going to make the road to entrepreneurship tougher.</p>
<p>4. You've got a financial cushion and a customer base. Before you say, as the song goes, "Take this job and shove it," it's important to have some resources, including savings and a few customers, says Roth. You need to have enough money to see you through until your business can sustain itself, she adds.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/218105" type="external">Related: Two Weeks to Startup: Day 1. Finding the Right Fit</a></p>
<p>5. You can pinch a penny until it screams. Frugality is a good trait for an entrepreneur, whether you're bootstrapping or starting out with a stash of cash.</p>
<p>"Do the business plan and the financial statements. Figure out how much you'll realistically be making in a year. Understand the expenses and don't be tempted to spend money when you don't need to," Roth says.</p>
<p>6. No one has to tell you what to do. Are you able to get things done without someone telling you to do them? Are you constantly looking for ways to improve operations? Self-motivation is a critical quality for entrepreneurs, says Wolfe. If you have it, that's another sign that you'd do well on your own.</p>
<p>7. You're comfortable with being uncomfortable. Entrepreneurs need to be able to live with the risk and uncertainty that comes with running a business, says Wolfe. If you're risk averse you will have a tougher time riding the roller coaster of business ownership, she says.</p>
<p>At the same time, experts say you're less likely to regret taking the plunge than never taking the chance at all.</p>
<p>"Most successful entrepreneurs have tried and failed many times, but they pressed on and eventually made a success of it," Wolfe says.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219847" type="external">Related: From Paycheck to Pay Dirt: Blazing Your Own Trail As a Business Owner</a></p> | 2,253 |
<p />
<p>Blackwater Worldwide is facing a “multimillion-dollar” fine from the State Department for allegedly shipping illegal weapons to its contractors in Iraq, <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/1573/story/1292223.html" type="external">McClatchy reports</a>. The fine could be levied in the next few days. State officials charge that Blackwater, which holds a lucrative personnel-protection contract for US diplomats in Iraq, hid the arms inside shrink-wrapped pallets that were shipped directly from the company’s sprawling Moyock, North Carolina, headquarters. About 900 weapons were sent to Iraq without permits, 119 of which were especially “erroneous,” says a State Department official familiar with the shipments. Some of the weapons are thought to have wound up on Iraq’s thriving black market.</p>
<p>The illegal weapons were first discussed publicly at a September 2007 congressional hearing about State Department inspector general Howard Krongard’s alleged obstruction of a Justice Department investigation of Blackwater’s activities in Iraq. It was revealed at the hearing that Krongard’s brother “Buzzy,” a former CIA official, had <a href="/washington_dispatch/2007/11/Krongard-Blackwater-State-Department-Brother.html" type="external">recently been recruited</a> to Blackwater’s board of advisors. Since then, former Blackwater contractors Kenneth Wayne Cashwell and William Ellsworth (Max) Grumiaux have plead guilty to illegal weapons charges and are now cooperating with federal investigators.</p>
<p>For its part, Blackwater says its cooperating with the investigation and has even hired a “vice president of export compliance” and appointed a three-member independent oversight panel, including former Republican congressman Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas. “Our work for the US government around the world, and the nature of teh services we offer have created compliance challenges,” Blackwater founder and president Erik Prince said in a statement.</p>
<p /> | Blackwater To Be Fined For Illegal Weapons Shipments to Iraq | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2008/11/blackwater-be-fined-illegal-weapons-shipments-iraq/ | 2008-11-13 | 4left
| Blackwater To Be Fined For Illegal Weapons Shipments to Iraq
<p />
<p>Blackwater Worldwide is facing a “multimillion-dollar” fine from the State Department for allegedly shipping illegal weapons to its contractors in Iraq, <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/1573/story/1292223.html" type="external">McClatchy reports</a>. The fine could be levied in the next few days. State officials charge that Blackwater, which holds a lucrative personnel-protection contract for US diplomats in Iraq, hid the arms inside shrink-wrapped pallets that were shipped directly from the company’s sprawling Moyock, North Carolina, headquarters. About 900 weapons were sent to Iraq without permits, 119 of which were especially “erroneous,” says a State Department official familiar with the shipments. Some of the weapons are thought to have wound up on Iraq’s thriving black market.</p>
<p>The illegal weapons were first discussed publicly at a September 2007 congressional hearing about State Department inspector general Howard Krongard’s alleged obstruction of a Justice Department investigation of Blackwater’s activities in Iraq. It was revealed at the hearing that Krongard’s brother “Buzzy,” a former CIA official, had <a href="/washington_dispatch/2007/11/Krongard-Blackwater-State-Department-Brother.html" type="external">recently been recruited</a> to Blackwater’s board of advisors. Since then, former Blackwater contractors Kenneth Wayne Cashwell and William Ellsworth (Max) Grumiaux have plead guilty to illegal weapons charges and are now cooperating with federal investigators.</p>
<p>For its part, Blackwater says its cooperating with the investigation and has even hired a “vice president of export compliance” and appointed a three-member independent oversight panel, including former Republican congressman Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas. “Our work for the US government around the world, and the nature of teh services we offer have created compliance challenges,” Blackwater founder and president Erik Prince said in a statement.</p>
<p /> | 2,254 |
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<p />
<p>New ads from House Republicans’ campaign arm and Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., both, in different ways, try to get past the Trump question. And they could be a preview of what’s to come.</p>
<p>The ad from Toomey begins with the senator saying, “I have a lot of disagreements with Donald Trump. I’ve been very clear about that. But what’s important for Pennsylvanians is having a senator who’ll stand up to any president’s bad ideas.”</p>
<p>A new ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee basically assumes that Hillary Clinton will be president, and makes no mention of Trump.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“While Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi seek rubber stamps like Kim Myers to fast-track their agenda, our security and livelihoods are at risk,” the narrator says in the ad for GOP candidate Claudia Tenney in New York’s 22nd district.</p>
<p>The latter ad hearkens back to a John McCain video from September, after his primary victory, in which he talks about a world in which Clinton is the president and needs to be held in-check.</p>
<p>“My opponent, Representative Ann Kirkpatrick, is a good person,” McCain said in the video. “But if Hillary Clinton is elected president, Arizona will need a senator who will act as a check – not a rubber stamp – for the White House.”</p>
<p>This isn’t a new strategy, of course. As The Post’s Amber Phillips wrote when the McCain video came out: McCain is pulling from a playbook Republicans used two decades ago to ditch the Republican presidential nominee. Before McCain, the highest-profile Republican to deliver that message was House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, who sent a fundraising email in August that read, “If we fail to protect our majority in Congress, we could be handing President Hillary Clinton a blank check.” It looked to The Post’s Jenna Johnson and Karen Tumulty that Ryan might have predicted Clinton would win in a landslide (because only a historic Clinton landslide would be enough to put the GOP House majority in peril).</p>
<p>Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who also won his primary Tuesday, said something similar in June: “I feel deeply that no matter who is elected president of the United States,” he told MSNBC, “we’re going to need a Senate that has people willing to check and balance that.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>The Toomey ad, meanwhile, is a more direct repudiation of Trump and his politics. Toomey is basically acknowledging that this guy is weighing him down — which is 100 percent true, if you look at polling in Pennsylvania — and emphasizing that he’s not a Trump Republican. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., in August became the first House Republican to use this tack.</p>
<p>These two new ads represent different approaches to the GOP’s Trump problem. But if Trump can’t right the ship, they’re likely to be imitated in the days and weeks ahead.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Videos: https://youtu.be/9x5XZvFvm1Y</p>
<p />
<p />
<p><a href="http://wapo.st/2cvBoPz" type="external">http://wapo.st/2cvBoPz</a></p>
<p>gop-ads</p> | Republican ads are starting to give up on Donald Trump | false | https://abqjournal.com/867448/republican-ads-are-starting-to-give-up-on-donald-trump.html | 2least
| Republican ads are starting to give up on Donald Trump
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>New ads from House Republicans’ campaign arm and Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., both, in different ways, try to get past the Trump question. And they could be a preview of what’s to come.</p>
<p>The ad from Toomey begins with the senator saying, “I have a lot of disagreements with Donald Trump. I’ve been very clear about that. But what’s important for Pennsylvanians is having a senator who’ll stand up to any president’s bad ideas.”</p>
<p>A new ad from the National Republican Congressional Committee basically assumes that Hillary Clinton will be president, and makes no mention of Trump.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“While Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi seek rubber stamps like Kim Myers to fast-track their agenda, our security and livelihoods are at risk,” the narrator says in the ad for GOP candidate Claudia Tenney in New York’s 22nd district.</p>
<p>The latter ad hearkens back to a John McCain video from September, after his primary victory, in which he talks about a world in which Clinton is the president and needs to be held in-check.</p>
<p>“My opponent, Representative Ann Kirkpatrick, is a good person,” McCain said in the video. “But if Hillary Clinton is elected president, Arizona will need a senator who will act as a check – not a rubber stamp – for the White House.”</p>
<p>This isn’t a new strategy, of course. As The Post’s Amber Phillips wrote when the McCain video came out: McCain is pulling from a playbook Republicans used two decades ago to ditch the Republican presidential nominee. Before McCain, the highest-profile Republican to deliver that message was House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, who sent a fundraising email in August that read, “If we fail to protect our majority in Congress, we could be handing President Hillary Clinton a blank check.” It looked to The Post’s Jenna Johnson and Karen Tumulty that Ryan might have predicted Clinton would win in a landslide (because only a historic Clinton landslide would be enough to put the GOP House majority in peril).</p>
<p>Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who also won his primary Tuesday, said something similar in June: “I feel deeply that no matter who is elected president of the United States,” he told MSNBC, “we’re going to need a Senate that has people willing to check and balance that.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>The Toomey ad, meanwhile, is a more direct repudiation of Trump and his politics. Toomey is basically acknowledging that this guy is weighing him down — which is 100 percent true, if you look at polling in Pennsylvania — and emphasizing that he’s not a Trump Republican. Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., in August became the first House Republican to use this tack.</p>
<p>These two new ads represent different approaches to the GOP’s Trump problem. But if Trump can’t right the ship, they’re likely to be imitated in the days and weeks ahead.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Videos: https://youtu.be/9x5XZvFvm1Y</p>
<p />
<p />
<p><a href="http://wapo.st/2cvBoPz" type="external">http://wapo.st/2cvBoPz</a></p>
<p>gop-ads</p> | 2,255 |
|
<p>It looks like the two senators have decided to skip their respective primaries and run against each other directly on the “Situation Room.” In all fairness this isn’t a feud so much as John McCain sniping at Barack Obama’s airtime with e-mail.</p>
<p>Watch it: <a href="http://www.politicstv.com/" type="external">(h/t: PoliticsTV)</a></p>
<p>Note: This video was apparently condensed and uploaded by the McCain campaign. Still, we think it has value.</p>
<p /> | Obama vs. McCain | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/obama-vs-mccain/ | 2007-04-19 | 4left
| Obama vs. McCain
<p>It looks like the two senators have decided to skip their respective primaries and run against each other directly on the “Situation Room.” In all fairness this isn’t a feud so much as John McCain sniping at Barack Obama’s airtime with e-mail.</p>
<p>Watch it: <a href="http://www.politicstv.com/" type="external">(h/t: PoliticsTV)</a></p>
<p>Note: This video was apparently condensed and uploaded by the McCain campaign. Still, we think it has value.</p>
<p /> | 2,256 |
<p>Mayor Bill de Blasio is unveiling a $77.7 billion preliminary budget that reflects a relatively strong local economy and doesn't include any major spending cuts, service reductions or layoffs of municipal workers in the nation's largest city.</p>
<p>The plan announced Monday doles out additional funding to the police department for bulletproof vests and to the fire department with hopes of cutting ambulances' response times to medical emergencies.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>De Blasio also wants to increase spending to some programs meant to help the less fortunate, including homelessness and children's services programs.</p>
<p>The mayor announced the budget at City Hall. It would take effect July 1 and must be approved by the City Council.</p>
<p>It increases overall spending to $58.8 billion, up $2 billion from a year ago.</p> | New York City mayor unveils preliminary $77.4 billion budget with targeted spending increases | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/02/09/new-york-city-mayor-unveils-preliminary-774-billion-budget-with-targeted.html | 2016-03-09 | 0right
| New York City mayor unveils preliminary $77.4 billion budget with targeted spending increases
<p>Mayor Bill de Blasio is unveiling a $77.7 billion preliminary budget that reflects a relatively strong local economy and doesn't include any major spending cuts, service reductions or layoffs of municipal workers in the nation's largest city.</p>
<p>The plan announced Monday doles out additional funding to the police department for bulletproof vests and to the fire department with hopes of cutting ambulances' response times to medical emergencies.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>De Blasio also wants to increase spending to some programs meant to help the less fortunate, including homelessness and children's services programs.</p>
<p>The mayor announced the budget at City Hall. It would take effect July 1 and must be approved by the City Council.</p>
<p>It increases overall spending to $58.8 billion, up $2 billion from a year ago.</p> | 2,257 |
<p>MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — David DiLeo made 7 of 10 from 3-point range and scored 25 on Friday night to help Central Michigan beat NAIA Lawrence Tech 91-73.</p>
<p>The Chippewas (11-2) lead by at least 18 throughout the second half and improved to 7-0 at home in their final nonconference game before opening their Mid-American Conference schedule.</p>
<p>Cecil Williams added 20 points and Shawn Roundtree scored 16 for Central Michigan, which closed the first half with three straight 3-pointers — the last two by DiLeo — to make it 61-36 at the break.</p>
<p>Lawrence Tech battled for the first 10 minutes, erasing an early eight-point deficit to take the lead at 23-22 and again at 26-25. Central Michigan then pulled away with 13 straight points.</p>
<p>Ty'rese Searles made 7 of 13 3-point attempts and scored 27 for the Blue Devils. Devonte Myles added 21 points and Travis Baker scored 11.</p>
<p>Lawrence Tech was 17 of 32 from 3-point range. Central Michigan was 15 of 43.</p>
<p>MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — David DiLeo made 7 of 10 from 3-point range and scored 25 on Friday night to help Central Michigan beat NAIA Lawrence Tech 91-73.</p>
<p>The Chippewas (11-2) lead by at least 18 throughout the second half and improved to 7-0 at home in their final nonconference game before opening their Mid-American Conference schedule.</p>
<p>Cecil Williams added 20 points and Shawn Roundtree scored 16 for Central Michigan, which closed the first half with three straight 3-pointers — the last two by DiLeo — to make it 61-36 at the break.</p>
<p>Lawrence Tech battled for the first 10 minutes, erasing an early eight-point deficit to take the lead at 23-22 and again at 26-25. Central Michigan then pulled away with 13 straight points.</p>
<p>Ty'rese Searles made 7 of 13 3-point attempts and scored 27 for the Blue Devils. Devonte Myles added 21 points and Travis Baker scored 11.</p>
<p>Lawrence Tech was 17 of 32 from 3-point range. Central Michigan was 15 of 43.</p> | Central Michigan beats NAIA Lawrence Tech 91-73 | false | https://apnews.com/amp/49cc7c8e033545f4bef098eedab4303b | 2017-12-30 | 2least
| Central Michigan beats NAIA Lawrence Tech 91-73
<p>MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — David DiLeo made 7 of 10 from 3-point range and scored 25 on Friday night to help Central Michigan beat NAIA Lawrence Tech 91-73.</p>
<p>The Chippewas (11-2) lead by at least 18 throughout the second half and improved to 7-0 at home in their final nonconference game before opening their Mid-American Conference schedule.</p>
<p>Cecil Williams added 20 points and Shawn Roundtree scored 16 for Central Michigan, which closed the first half with three straight 3-pointers — the last two by DiLeo — to make it 61-36 at the break.</p>
<p>Lawrence Tech battled for the first 10 minutes, erasing an early eight-point deficit to take the lead at 23-22 and again at 26-25. Central Michigan then pulled away with 13 straight points.</p>
<p>Ty'rese Searles made 7 of 13 3-point attempts and scored 27 for the Blue Devils. Devonte Myles added 21 points and Travis Baker scored 11.</p>
<p>Lawrence Tech was 17 of 32 from 3-point range. Central Michigan was 15 of 43.</p>
<p>MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (AP) — David DiLeo made 7 of 10 from 3-point range and scored 25 on Friday night to help Central Michigan beat NAIA Lawrence Tech 91-73.</p>
<p>The Chippewas (11-2) lead by at least 18 throughout the second half and improved to 7-0 at home in their final nonconference game before opening their Mid-American Conference schedule.</p>
<p>Cecil Williams added 20 points and Shawn Roundtree scored 16 for Central Michigan, which closed the first half with three straight 3-pointers — the last two by DiLeo — to make it 61-36 at the break.</p>
<p>Lawrence Tech battled for the first 10 minutes, erasing an early eight-point deficit to take the lead at 23-22 and again at 26-25. Central Michigan then pulled away with 13 straight points.</p>
<p>Ty'rese Searles made 7 of 13 3-point attempts and scored 27 for the Blue Devils. Devonte Myles added 21 points and Travis Baker scored 11.</p>
<p>Lawrence Tech was 17 of 32 from 3-point range. Central Michigan was 15 of 43.</p> | 2,258 |
<p>CARSON CITY — Nevada Supreme Court Justice Michael Cherry is taking a turn as chief of the state high court, beginning Monday.</p>
<p>Cherry will follow Justice Ron Parraguirre, who served a year handling administrative duties for the newly reconstituted seven-member panel.</p>
<p>Justice Lidia Stiglich was sworn in earlier this month to fill the vacancy left when former Justice Nancy Saitta resigned in August.</p>
<p>Cherry has been an attorney in Nevada since 1970. He was elected to the state Supreme Court in 2006.</p>
<p>In another administrative move, Judge Abbi Silver will take a turn as chief of the three-member Nevada Court of Appeals.</p>
<p>She follows Judge Michael Gibbons in leading the three-member court.</p> | Michael Cherry to take turn as chief of Nevada Supreme Court | false | https://reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/michael-cherry-to-take-turn-as-chief-of-nevada-supreme-court/ | 2016-12-27 | 1right-center
| Michael Cherry to take turn as chief of Nevada Supreme Court
<p>CARSON CITY — Nevada Supreme Court Justice Michael Cherry is taking a turn as chief of the state high court, beginning Monday.</p>
<p>Cherry will follow Justice Ron Parraguirre, who served a year handling administrative duties for the newly reconstituted seven-member panel.</p>
<p>Justice Lidia Stiglich was sworn in earlier this month to fill the vacancy left when former Justice Nancy Saitta resigned in August.</p>
<p>Cherry has been an attorney in Nevada since 1970. He was elected to the state Supreme Court in 2006.</p>
<p>In another administrative move, Judge Abbi Silver will take a turn as chief of the three-member Nevada Court of Appeals.</p>
<p>She follows Judge Michael Gibbons in leading the three-member court.</p> | 2,259 |
<p>By Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith</p>
<p>SEOUL (Reuters) – When Kim Jong Un sat down in September to order the sixth and largest of North Korea’s nuclear tests, Hwang Pyong So sat by his side, his khaki military uniform conspicuous among the suits at the table, photos released by state media at the time showed.</p>
<p>Now Hwang, once one of Kim’s most-trusted advisers, is facing unspecified punishment on the orders of another man who also sat at that exclusive table in September, Choe Ryong Hae, South Korean intelligence officials believe.</p>
<p>Information on North Korea is often difficult to obtain, and with few hard details and no official confirmation from Pyongyang, analysts said it was too soon to draw any firm conclusions from the unspecified punishments.</p>
<p>But the moves, which appear to involve two of Kim’s top four advisers, are being closely watched for indications of fractures within his secretive inner circle, and come as North Korea faces increasing international pressure over its nuclear weapons program.</p>
<p>Having his advisers compete with each other suits Kim just fine, said Christopher Green, an analyst with the Crisis Group.</p>
<p>“It is hardwired into autocracy to have underlings in competition,” he said.</p>
<p>Hwang, a shy, bespectacled general in his mid-60s, is a close confidant of Kim Jong Un and has had an unprecedented rise to the top rungs of North Korea’s leadership in the space of a few years.</p>
<p>In 2014, he became one of the most powerful people outside the ruling Kim family when he was named chief of the General Political Bureau of the army, a powerful position that mobilizes the military for the leader.</p>
<p>His apparent punishment takes on additional meaning as it was orchestrated by Choe who has competed with Hwang in the past and stands to gain from any demotion, according to South Korea’s spy agency.</p>
<p>TEA WITH THE ENEMY</p>
<p>The two men were last seen in public together early last month as they watched a gymnastics gala, according to state media.</p>
<p>Hwang has since faded from public view, whereas Choe was the ranking official who met with a senior envoy from China in Pyongyang last week.</p>
<p>Kim has not shied away from removing or punishing even favored leaders who could become powerful enough to threaten his grip on power, said Michael Madden, an expert on the North Korean leadership at 38 North, a project of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced Studies in Washington.</p>
<p>“Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong So could not have continued in the capacity that he was operating in, without it coming back to bite him,” he said.</p>
<p>Both Hwang and Choe came to South Korea during the Asian Games in 2014 – the highest such visit by North Korean officials to the rival South.</p>
<p>Dressed in a drab, olive army uniform and his large officer’s cap, Hwang, who had been promoted to the No.2 spot behind Kim just one week earlier, had tea and lunch with Choe and South Korean officials and waved to crowds at the games’ closing ceremony.</p>
<p>The trip had been announced just one day in advance and took many South Korean observers by surprise. Some suggested there may have been a power struggle between the two men, neither wanting to yield the high-profile visit to the other.</p>
<p>Choe, who was subjected to political “reeducation” himself in the past, now appears to be gaining more influence since he was promoted in October to the party’s powerful Central Military Commission, according to South Korean officials.</p>
<p>The National Intelligence Service indicated Choe now heads the Organisation and Guidance Department (OGD), the secretive body which oversees appointments within North Korea’s leadership.</p>
<p>‘CLIPPING WINGS’</p>
<p>The punishment represents the first time Hwang has faced any major blow to his standing, said Lee Sang-keun, a North Korea leadership expert at Ewha Woman’s University’s Institute of Unification Studies.</p>
<p>Hwang had a reputation of playing a respectful and careful role around the notoriously unpredictable Kim. Photos released by state media often showed him covering his mouth as he politely laughed with the supreme leader.</p>
<p>The punishment may not reflect any specific mistakes on Hwang’s part but could be part of a wider effort by Kim to ensure that the ruling party retains its control over the military, Lee said.</p>
<p>The moves are part of a sweeping ideological scrutiny of the political unit of the military for the first time in 20 years, according to Kim Byung-kee, a lawmaker on South Korea’s parliamentary intelligence committee.</p>
<p>They could also be an effort to prevent a repeat of a major purge in 2013, 38 North’s Madden said.</p>
<p>Kim’s uncle and second most powerful man in the secretive state, Jang Song Thaek, was executed during that purge after a special military tribunal found him guilty of treason.</p>
<p>Preemptively putting Hwang in his place now meant Kim might prevent him from becoming so powerful he could only be dealt with in a similar way, Madden said.</p>
<p>“What (Kim’s) doing can be described as clipping wings.”</p> | Once inside Kim Jong Un's inner circle, top aide's star fades | false | https://newsline.com/once-inside-kim-jong-un039s-inner-circle-top-aide039s-star-fades/ | 2017-11-21 | 1right-center
| Once inside Kim Jong Un's inner circle, top aide's star fades
<p>By Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith</p>
<p>SEOUL (Reuters) – When Kim Jong Un sat down in September to order the sixth and largest of North Korea’s nuclear tests, Hwang Pyong So sat by his side, his khaki military uniform conspicuous among the suits at the table, photos released by state media at the time showed.</p>
<p>Now Hwang, once one of Kim’s most-trusted advisers, is facing unspecified punishment on the orders of another man who also sat at that exclusive table in September, Choe Ryong Hae, South Korean intelligence officials believe.</p>
<p>Information on North Korea is often difficult to obtain, and with few hard details and no official confirmation from Pyongyang, analysts said it was too soon to draw any firm conclusions from the unspecified punishments.</p>
<p>But the moves, which appear to involve two of Kim’s top four advisers, are being closely watched for indications of fractures within his secretive inner circle, and come as North Korea faces increasing international pressure over its nuclear weapons program.</p>
<p>Having his advisers compete with each other suits Kim just fine, said Christopher Green, an analyst with the Crisis Group.</p>
<p>“It is hardwired into autocracy to have underlings in competition,” he said.</p>
<p>Hwang, a shy, bespectacled general in his mid-60s, is a close confidant of Kim Jong Un and has had an unprecedented rise to the top rungs of North Korea’s leadership in the space of a few years.</p>
<p>In 2014, he became one of the most powerful people outside the ruling Kim family when he was named chief of the General Political Bureau of the army, a powerful position that mobilizes the military for the leader.</p>
<p>His apparent punishment takes on additional meaning as it was orchestrated by Choe who has competed with Hwang in the past and stands to gain from any demotion, according to South Korea’s spy agency.</p>
<p>TEA WITH THE ENEMY</p>
<p>The two men were last seen in public together early last month as they watched a gymnastics gala, according to state media.</p>
<p>Hwang has since faded from public view, whereas Choe was the ranking official who met with a senior envoy from China in Pyongyang last week.</p>
<p>Kim has not shied away from removing or punishing even favored leaders who could become powerful enough to threaten his grip on power, said Michael Madden, an expert on the North Korean leadership at 38 North, a project of the U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced Studies in Washington.</p>
<p>“Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong So could not have continued in the capacity that he was operating in, without it coming back to bite him,” he said.</p>
<p>Both Hwang and Choe came to South Korea during the Asian Games in 2014 – the highest such visit by North Korean officials to the rival South.</p>
<p>Dressed in a drab, olive army uniform and his large officer’s cap, Hwang, who had been promoted to the No.2 spot behind Kim just one week earlier, had tea and lunch with Choe and South Korean officials and waved to crowds at the games’ closing ceremony.</p>
<p>The trip had been announced just one day in advance and took many South Korean observers by surprise. Some suggested there may have been a power struggle between the two men, neither wanting to yield the high-profile visit to the other.</p>
<p>Choe, who was subjected to political “reeducation” himself in the past, now appears to be gaining more influence since he was promoted in October to the party’s powerful Central Military Commission, according to South Korean officials.</p>
<p>The National Intelligence Service indicated Choe now heads the Organisation and Guidance Department (OGD), the secretive body which oversees appointments within North Korea’s leadership.</p>
<p>‘CLIPPING WINGS’</p>
<p>The punishment represents the first time Hwang has faced any major blow to his standing, said Lee Sang-keun, a North Korea leadership expert at Ewha Woman’s University’s Institute of Unification Studies.</p>
<p>Hwang had a reputation of playing a respectful and careful role around the notoriously unpredictable Kim. Photos released by state media often showed him covering his mouth as he politely laughed with the supreme leader.</p>
<p>The punishment may not reflect any specific mistakes on Hwang’s part but could be part of a wider effort by Kim to ensure that the ruling party retains its control over the military, Lee said.</p>
<p>The moves are part of a sweeping ideological scrutiny of the political unit of the military for the first time in 20 years, according to Kim Byung-kee, a lawmaker on South Korea’s parliamentary intelligence committee.</p>
<p>They could also be an effort to prevent a repeat of a major purge in 2013, 38 North’s Madden said.</p>
<p>Kim’s uncle and second most powerful man in the secretive state, Jang Song Thaek, was executed during that purge after a special military tribunal found him guilty of treason.</p>
<p>Preemptively putting Hwang in his place now meant Kim might prevent him from becoming so powerful he could only be dealt with in a similar way, Madden said.</p>
<p>“What (Kim’s) doing can be described as clipping wings.”</p> | 2,260 |
<p>President Barack Obama calls for Congress to reform the U.S. tax code.</p>
<p>President Obama is asking Congress to reform the U.S. tax code.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>During a Friday press conference, Obama said the change would help promote growth and job creation.</p>
<p>“I’m calling on Congress to pass new legislation that requires all companies formed inside the United States, to report information about their real owners to the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network,” the president said. “That’s going to help law enforcement better investigate and prevent financial crimes.</p>
<p>Obama continued, saying: “I’m calling on Congress to provide the Justice Department with additional tools to investigate corruption and money launderers. I’m calling on the Senate, in particular Senator Rand Paul who’s been a little quirky on this issue, to stop blocking the implementation of tax treaties that have been pending for years. These treaties actually improve law enforcement’s ability to investigate and crack down on offshore tax evasion.”</p>
<p>The president stated only Congress can close the “loopholes” that wealthy people and strong corporations frequently take advantage of, which hurts the middle class.</p>
<p>“They’re getting out of paying their fair share of taxes,” he said. “That means the rest of us have to shoulder that burden.”</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>However, Obama was blunt, saying he doesn’t think Congress will act on a tax reform plan before the election. He went on to say his administration is looking to see what they can do separately to make the tax system “fair.”</p>
<p>Obama said that battling tax evasion and building up the global financial system have been at the forefront of his agenda since his first day in the White House.</p>
<p>“Combatting this kind of tax evasion and strengthening the global financial system have been priorities of mine…and they’re part of our broader, on-going efforts to make sure the rules aren’t rigged and our economy works for everybody.”</p> | Obama Calls on Congress to Reform U.S. Tax Code | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2016/05/06/obama-calls-on-congress-to-reform-u-s-tax-code.html | 2016-05-06 | 0right
| Obama Calls on Congress to Reform U.S. Tax Code
<p>President Barack Obama calls for Congress to reform the U.S. tax code.</p>
<p>President Obama is asking Congress to reform the U.S. tax code.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>During a Friday press conference, Obama said the change would help promote growth and job creation.</p>
<p>“I’m calling on Congress to pass new legislation that requires all companies formed inside the United States, to report information about their real owners to the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network,” the president said. “That’s going to help law enforcement better investigate and prevent financial crimes.</p>
<p>Obama continued, saying: “I’m calling on Congress to provide the Justice Department with additional tools to investigate corruption and money launderers. I’m calling on the Senate, in particular Senator Rand Paul who’s been a little quirky on this issue, to stop blocking the implementation of tax treaties that have been pending for years. These treaties actually improve law enforcement’s ability to investigate and crack down on offshore tax evasion.”</p>
<p>The president stated only Congress can close the “loopholes” that wealthy people and strong corporations frequently take advantage of, which hurts the middle class.</p>
<p>“They’re getting out of paying their fair share of taxes,” he said. “That means the rest of us have to shoulder that burden.”</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>However, Obama was blunt, saying he doesn’t think Congress will act on a tax reform plan before the election. He went on to say his administration is looking to see what they can do separately to make the tax system “fair.”</p>
<p>Obama said that battling tax evasion and building up the global financial system have been at the forefront of his agenda since his first day in the White House.</p>
<p>“Combatting this kind of tax evasion and strengthening the global financial system have been priorities of mine…and they’re part of our broader, on-going efforts to make sure the rules aren’t rigged and our economy works for everybody.”</p> | 2,261 |
<p />
<p>A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue headlines of the week. None of these stories is legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out; here are the real facts:</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>NOT REAL: The crisis actors of Florida Parkland school shooting</p>
<p>THE FACTS: Suspicion that students speaking to the media about the Florida school shooting that killed 17 were "crisis actors" who had not really been there sparked hundreds of false claims online. Much attention was focused on David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez, who spoke repeatedly on national television about the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The county superintendent, Robert Runcie, said Hogg and Gonzalez are "absolutely students" at the school. Several sites targeted Hogg after finding a YouTube video he posted in 2017 about a beach argument he witnessed while on vacation in California, and suggested he wasn't from Florida and had been seen on video elsewhere rehearsing his remarks.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>NOT REAL: The U.S District Attorney has announced that he will be pursuing charges of TREASON against the former president Barack Obama</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>THE FACTS: No treason prosecution is underway against the former president "and any liberals or Democrats" working to undermine President Donald Trump, despite the claims of a piece on a site called conservativefighters. The site said that Dana Boente will pursue the charges against Obama, identifying him as "the U.S. District Attorney." He is now the general counsel to the FBI and never made any claims of a treason investigation.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>NOT REAL: Florida shooting: No birth records for any of the victims</p>
<p>THE FACTS: A viral online video claimed victims in the Florida shooting are fictitious because their birth records don't appear on a genealogy web site, but Ancestry says it has no birth records at all from the state. Broward County Sheriff's officials released the names of the students and teachers shot to death on Feb. 14 at the Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida, and police reports document officers seeing "multiple dead" people at the scene. The video posted on the website PewTube appears to show 13 Ancestry.com searches for birth records of victims with no results. Florida officials say state birth records are confidential, and an Ancestry spokesman says Florida does not provide those records to the company for its database.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>NOT REAL: Cuba claims Justin Trudeau is Fidel Castro's son</p>
<p>THE FACTS: Cuba never claimed that Canada's prime minister was the child of the Cuban leader. And the public visit by then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and his wife, Margaret, to Cuba, happened more than four years after Justin Trudeau was born. The false report has circulated for years. It resurfaced after the Feb. 1 suicide of Castro's eldest son, Fidelito, and cited a suicide note referring to Trudeau as his half brother. Cuban media were unusually open about the death, but no state or independent media reported the existence of a suicide note.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>NOT REAL: Dunkin' Donuts is providing a free box of Doughnuts! To Celebrate 67th Anniversary!</p>
<p>THE FACTS: Clickable coupon aside, no free pastries are awaiting Dunkin' Donuts customers this week. It's one of many fake giveaways that go viral with offers of free food from prominent national brands like Pizza Hut and Costco. Clicking on the coupon sends users to a three-question survey about the chain and then asks for more personal information. Dunkin' Brands Group Inc. spokeswoman Michelle King says the online offer is not coming from the chain. And it's not their 67th anniversary; this year will be the chain's 68th year in business.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>This is part of The Associated Press' ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Find all AP Fact Checks here: https://www.apnews.com/tag/APFactCheck</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck</p> | NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/11/03/not-real-news-look-at-what-didnt-happen-this-week.html | 2018-02-23 | 0right
| NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn't happen this week
<p />
<p>A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue headlines of the week. None of these stories is legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked these out; here are the real facts:</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>NOT REAL: The crisis actors of Florida Parkland school shooting</p>
<p>THE FACTS: Suspicion that students speaking to the media about the Florida school shooting that killed 17 were "crisis actors" who had not really been there sparked hundreds of false claims online. Much attention was focused on David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez, who spoke repeatedly on national television about the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The county superintendent, Robert Runcie, said Hogg and Gonzalez are "absolutely students" at the school. Several sites targeted Hogg after finding a YouTube video he posted in 2017 about a beach argument he witnessed while on vacation in California, and suggested he wasn't from Florida and had been seen on video elsewhere rehearsing his remarks.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>NOT REAL: The U.S District Attorney has announced that he will be pursuing charges of TREASON against the former president Barack Obama</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>THE FACTS: No treason prosecution is underway against the former president "and any liberals or Democrats" working to undermine President Donald Trump, despite the claims of a piece on a site called conservativefighters. The site said that Dana Boente will pursue the charges against Obama, identifying him as "the U.S. District Attorney." He is now the general counsel to the FBI and never made any claims of a treason investigation.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>NOT REAL: Florida shooting: No birth records for any of the victims</p>
<p>THE FACTS: A viral online video claimed victims in the Florida shooting are fictitious because their birth records don't appear on a genealogy web site, but Ancestry says it has no birth records at all from the state. Broward County Sheriff's officials released the names of the students and teachers shot to death on Feb. 14 at the Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida, and police reports document officers seeing "multiple dead" people at the scene. The video posted on the website PewTube appears to show 13 Ancestry.com searches for birth records of victims with no results. Florida officials say state birth records are confidential, and an Ancestry spokesman says Florida does not provide those records to the company for its database.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>NOT REAL: Cuba claims Justin Trudeau is Fidel Castro's son</p>
<p>THE FACTS: Cuba never claimed that Canada's prime minister was the child of the Cuban leader. And the public visit by then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and his wife, Margaret, to Cuba, happened more than four years after Justin Trudeau was born. The false report has circulated for years. It resurfaced after the Feb. 1 suicide of Castro's eldest son, Fidelito, and cited a suicide note referring to Trudeau as his half brother. Cuban media were unusually open about the death, but no state or independent media reported the existence of a suicide note.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>NOT REAL: Dunkin' Donuts is providing a free box of Doughnuts! To Celebrate 67th Anniversary!</p>
<p>THE FACTS: Clickable coupon aside, no free pastries are awaiting Dunkin' Donuts customers this week. It's one of many fake giveaways that go viral with offers of free food from prominent national brands like Pizza Hut and Costco. Clicking on the coupon sends users to a three-question survey about the chain and then asks for more personal information. Dunkin' Brands Group Inc. spokeswoman Michelle King says the online offer is not coming from the chain. And it's not their 67th anniversary; this year will be the chain's 68th year in business.</p>
<p>____</p>
<p>This is part of The Associated Press' ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Find all AP Fact Checks here: https://www.apnews.com/tag/APFactCheck</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck</p> | 2,262 |
<p>What can Americans learn from the bitter debate over the gun reform bill?</p>
<p>Perhaps the most obvious lesson is that the leadership of the National Rifle Association, the Gun Owners of America and their tame Republican politicians have all earned an epithet of derision they used to hurl regularly at liberals.</p>
<p>Yes, the gun lobby and its legislative servants are “soft on crime” — although they routinely pretend to be tough on criminals.</p>
<p>During the Clinton presidency, NRA president-for-life Wayne LaPierre raised vast amounts of money with direct-mail campaigns against both Bill and Hillary Clinton for supposedly coddling criminals. Dubbed “Crimestrike,” the NRA crusade pushed prison construction, mandatory minimum sentencing and sundry other panaceas designed to position the NRA as the bane of muggers, rapists and murderers. Those themes echoed traditional Republican propaganda messages dating back to the Nixon era, when the presidential crook himself often derided judicial concerns about civil liberties and promised to restore “law and order.” (When Nixon henchmen like the late Chuck Colson went to prison themselves, they often emerged as prison reformers and civil libertarians, of course.)</p>
<p />
<p>But in the aftermath of the Newtown massacre, with the NRA angrily opposing any measure designed to hinder criminals from acquiring firearms, the public is learning who is really soft on crime.</p>
<p>Police officials across the country want universal background checks, magazine limits, and stronger enforcement against illegal weapons sales, but the NRA and its Republican allies insist that such changes will penalize legitimate gun owners. Or they complain that criminals mainly obtain weapons by stealing them, so restrictions on sales won’t make any difference.</p>
<p>Even a cursory examination of the facts demonstrates those claims are false. Gun trafficking experts at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms have long known that less than 15 percent of all crime guns are stolen from their original owners. Much more common sources of guns used by criminals are so-called “straw purchases,” where a person with a clean record buys a gun on behalf of a criminal, and corrupt purchases, where a licensed gun dealer knowingly sells to a criminal. Bipartisan gun legislation now before the Senate would crack down on these sales by increasing penalties for straw purchasers who willfully help criminals buy guns. The NRA has offered tepid support for that provision — but it is virtually meaningless without universal background checks, which the gun lobby opposes.</p>
<p>As Will Saletan pointed out in Slate last January, the NRA has consistently (and successfully) sought to kill the most basic efforts to keep guns away from convicted criminals and other dangerous characters — including abusive spouses under court protection orders, drug dealers and even individuals listed on the Justice Department’s terrorist watch list.</p>
<p>In the wake of the Boston bombing, as the nation ponders how to bolster its security, the gun lobby’s tender concern for the Second Amendment “rights” of terrorists and thugs ought to permanently discredit them and their political servants. Instead they have achieved another bloody victory in Washington.</p>
<p>© 2013 CREATORS.COM</p> | Protecting the 'Second Amendment Rights' of Thugs and Terrorists | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/protecting-the-second-amendment-rights-of-thugs-and-terrorists/ | 2013-04-19 | 4left
| Protecting the 'Second Amendment Rights' of Thugs and Terrorists
<p>What can Americans learn from the bitter debate over the gun reform bill?</p>
<p>Perhaps the most obvious lesson is that the leadership of the National Rifle Association, the Gun Owners of America and their tame Republican politicians have all earned an epithet of derision they used to hurl regularly at liberals.</p>
<p>Yes, the gun lobby and its legislative servants are “soft on crime” — although they routinely pretend to be tough on criminals.</p>
<p>During the Clinton presidency, NRA president-for-life Wayne LaPierre raised vast amounts of money with direct-mail campaigns against both Bill and Hillary Clinton for supposedly coddling criminals. Dubbed “Crimestrike,” the NRA crusade pushed prison construction, mandatory minimum sentencing and sundry other panaceas designed to position the NRA as the bane of muggers, rapists and murderers. Those themes echoed traditional Republican propaganda messages dating back to the Nixon era, when the presidential crook himself often derided judicial concerns about civil liberties and promised to restore “law and order.” (When Nixon henchmen like the late Chuck Colson went to prison themselves, they often emerged as prison reformers and civil libertarians, of course.)</p>
<p />
<p>But in the aftermath of the Newtown massacre, with the NRA angrily opposing any measure designed to hinder criminals from acquiring firearms, the public is learning who is really soft on crime.</p>
<p>Police officials across the country want universal background checks, magazine limits, and stronger enforcement against illegal weapons sales, but the NRA and its Republican allies insist that such changes will penalize legitimate gun owners. Or they complain that criminals mainly obtain weapons by stealing them, so restrictions on sales won’t make any difference.</p>
<p>Even a cursory examination of the facts demonstrates those claims are false. Gun trafficking experts at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms have long known that less than 15 percent of all crime guns are stolen from their original owners. Much more common sources of guns used by criminals are so-called “straw purchases,” where a person with a clean record buys a gun on behalf of a criminal, and corrupt purchases, where a licensed gun dealer knowingly sells to a criminal. Bipartisan gun legislation now before the Senate would crack down on these sales by increasing penalties for straw purchasers who willfully help criminals buy guns. The NRA has offered tepid support for that provision — but it is virtually meaningless without universal background checks, which the gun lobby opposes.</p>
<p>As Will Saletan pointed out in Slate last January, the NRA has consistently (and successfully) sought to kill the most basic efforts to keep guns away from convicted criminals and other dangerous characters — including abusive spouses under court protection orders, drug dealers and even individuals listed on the Justice Department’s terrorist watch list.</p>
<p>In the wake of the Boston bombing, as the nation ponders how to bolster its security, the gun lobby’s tender concern for the Second Amendment “rights” of terrorists and thugs ought to permanently discredit them and their political servants. Instead they have achieved another bloody victory in Washington.</p>
<p>© 2013 CREATORS.COM</p> | 2,263 |
<p>Joe Biden Reveals Skincare Secret: During a segment on The Rachel Ray Show on Monday, Vice President Joe Biden revealed some rather unexpected tips for viewers—his secret to glowing skin. When the chef-turned-talk show host remarked that Biden “[has] the most glowing, perfect skin of any person [she’s] ever seen,” she immediately wanted to know what moisturizer he used. “On Jill’s instructions, about five years ago, she said I could use Clinique, and there’s a men’s Clinique that has an SPF 20," Biden said. "She was worried about my face, so I do whatever Jill tells me.” [ <a href="http://www.elle.com/news/beauty-makeup/joe-biden-reveals-his-skincare-secret?src=spr_TWITTER&amp;spr_id=1448_51250878&amp;linkId=7861448" type="external">Elle</a>]</p>
<p>Monaco Royals Opt Out of Grace Biopic Premiere: According to Page Six, the royal family of Monaco will not be attending the world premiere of Grace of Monaco, the upcoming biopic on the <a href="" type="internal">late princess</a> starring Nicole Kidman. Prince Albert is reportedly <a href="" type="internal">infuriated</a> with the way his father, Prince Rainier, is depicted in the film, as well as other details. “His concern is that Grace is glorified and Prince Rainier is depicted as a weak, one-sided leader, who is controlling over his wife,” a source told Page Six. “Albert fears the movie vilifies his father.” The film will debut in Cannes on May 14. [ <a href="http://pagesix.com/2014/04/02/monaco-royals-will-not-be-at-cannes-grace-of-monaco-premiere/" type="external">Page Six</a>]</p>
<p>Fashion Icons Inspire New Food Art: Cara Delevingne, Twiggy, and Kate Moss are just a few of the international supermodels that inspired a one-night-only art show in London on Tuesday night. The works, created by 24-year-old food artist Nathan Wyburn, were crafted completely out of Jacob’s snack foods—think Mini Cheddars and Twiglets. The exhibit also featured a Harry ‘Minicheddar’ Styles, a Twiggy Stardust (David Bowie), and a Cheddar Cole (Cheryl Cole). [ <a href="http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/columns/olivia-bergin/TMG10739143/Introducing-Cracker-Delevingne-and-Twiggy-let.html" type="external">The Telegraph</a>]</p> | Joe Biden Reveals Skincare Secret; Monaco Royals Opt Out of ‘Grace’ Biopic Premiere | true | https://thedailybeast.com/joe-biden-reveals-skincare-secret-monaco-royals-opt-out-of-grace-biopic-premiere | 2018-10-06 | 4left
| Joe Biden Reveals Skincare Secret; Monaco Royals Opt Out of ‘Grace’ Biopic Premiere
<p>Joe Biden Reveals Skincare Secret: During a segment on The Rachel Ray Show on Monday, Vice President Joe Biden revealed some rather unexpected tips for viewers—his secret to glowing skin. When the chef-turned-talk show host remarked that Biden “[has] the most glowing, perfect skin of any person [she’s] ever seen,” she immediately wanted to know what moisturizer he used. “On Jill’s instructions, about five years ago, she said I could use Clinique, and there’s a men’s Clinique that has an SPF 20," Biden said. "She was worried about my face, so I do whatever Jill tells me.” [ <a href="http://www.elle.com/news/beauty-makeup/joe-biden-reveals-his-skincare-secret?src=spr_TWITTER&amp;spr_id=1448_51250878&amp;linkId=7861448" type="external">Elle</a>]</p>
<p>Monaco Royals Opt Out of Grace Biopic Premiere: According to Page Six, the royal family of Monaco will not be attending the world premiere of Grace of Monaco, the upcoming biopic on the <a href="" type="internal">late princess</a> starring Nicole Kidman. Prince Albert is reportedly <a href="" type="internal">infuriated</a> with the way his father, Prince Rainier, is depicted in the film, as well as other details. “His concern is that Grace is glorified and Prince Rainier is depicted as a weak, one-sided leader, who is controlling over his wife,” a source told Page Six. “Albert fears the movie vilifies his father.” The film will debut in Cannes on May 14. [ <a href="http://pagesix.com/2014/04/02/monaco-royals-will-not-be-at-cannes-grace-of-monaco-premiere/" type="external">Page Six</a>]</p>
<p>Fashion Icons Inspire New Food Art: Cara Delevingne, Twiggy, and Kate Moss are just a few of the international supermodels that inspired a one-night-only art show in London on Tuesday night. The works, created by 24-year-old food artist Nathan Wyburn, were crafted completely out of Jacob’s snack foods—think Mini Cheddars and Twiglets. The exhibit also featured a Harry ‘Minicheddar’ Styles, a Twiggy Stardust (David Bowie), and a Cheddar Cole (Cheryl Cole). [ <a href="http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/columns/olivia-bergin/TMG10739143/Introducing-Cracker-Delevingne-and-Twiggy-let.html" type="external">The Telegraph</a>]</p> | 2,264 |
<p>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA honored the seven astronauts killed aboard shuttle Columbia 15 years ago, with a special musical tribute Thursday by the son of Israel's first astronaut.</p>
<p>Singer and songwriter Tal Ramon joined a few hundred others at Kennedy Space Center to remember the Columbia crew and other astronauts killed in the line of duty over the decades.</p>
<p>Seven astronauts — including Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon— died Feb. 1, 2003, when Columbia shattered in the skies over Texas, just minutes before a Florida touchdown.</p>
<p>Ramon performed two of his own songs, singing in Hebrew and playing the keyboard. Later, he and relatives of other astronauts killed in action, placed long-stemmed, yellow, orange and pink roses at the Space Mirror Memorial. In all, 24 names are engraved in the large granite monument.</p>
<p>"I'm just so emotional to be here with you," Ramon told the crowd before performing at the first Kennedy memorial he's attended.</p>
<p>It was also difficult for forest ranger Gregory Cohrs, who was among the first on the accident scene in Hemphill, Texas. Cohrs worked for three months scouring the area for shuttle debris and the astronauts' remains. He now serves at Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana.</p>
<p>"It was really important for us to bring the crew home to their families. So we're really thankful to have been able to do that," he told The Associated Press.</p>
<p>NASA's held its annual day of remembrance Thursday to honor all its astronauts killed in the line of duty. Seventeen died in three accidents: Columbia, the Apollo 1 fire on the launch pad on Jan. 27, 1967, and the shuttle Challenger launch disaster on Jan. 28, 1986. The seven others died in plane crashes during training or other official business.</p>
<p>NASA's acting administrator, Robert Lightfoot, led observances at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, where several of these astronauts are buried.</p>
<p>At Kennedy, NASA's first female space shuttle commander, Eileen Collins, now retired and board chairman of the <a href="http://www.astronautsmemorial.org/" type="external">Astronauts Memorial Foundation</a> , noted next Wednesday will mark the 60th anniversary of the liftoff of America's first satellite. Explorer 1 launched on Jan. 31, 1958, right as NASA's seven original Mercury astronauts had begun training for their space flights. "They still inspire us today," she said.</p>
<p>Among those attending the Kennedy tribute were family members of four early astronauts killed in plane crashes in the 1960s: Charles Bassett II, Elliot See Jr., Clifton Williams Jr. and Michael Adams, who reached the edge of space in his X-15.</p>
<p>Also on hand were Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, as well as former shuttle astronauts and launch directors. The son of Columbia pilot Willie McCool — Christopher McCool — was there, too. But it was Ramon who addressed the crowd on behalf of the Columbia families.</p>
<p>Ramon recalled how his father's spaceflight was "a very huge thing" not only in Israel, but the United States as well. He shared how his father's mother was a Holocaust survivor and piano teacher, and how his father could play the piano. His own musical journey began after his father's death, when he returned to Israel and his father's Steinway piano.</p>
<p>He performed the title song from his album "Character" — "Dmut" in Hebrew — which is dedicated to his father and older brother Assaf, a pilot in the Israeli Air Force who died in a jet crash in 2009. His second selection, an instrumental piece, was "Victory."</p>
<p>"Even with big tragedy, we believe that there's such a big victory that we are here today to share their stories," he said.</p>
<p>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA honored the seven astronauts killed aboard shuttle Columbia 15 years ago, with a special musical tribute Thursday by the son of Israel's first astronaut.</p>
<p>Singer and songwriter Tal Ramon joined a few hundred others at Kennedy Space Center to remember the Columbia crew and other astronauts killed in the line of duty over the decades.</p>
<p>Seven astronauts — including Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon— died Feb. 1, 2003, when Columbia shattered in the skies over Texas, just minutes before a Florida touchdown.</p>
<p>Ramon performed two of his own songs, singing in Hebrew and playing the keyboard. Later, he and relatives of other astronauts killed in action, placed long-stemmed, yellow, orange and pink roses at the Space Mirror Memorial. In all, 24 names are engraved in the large granite monument.</p>
<p>"I'm just so emotional to be here with you," Ramon told the crowd before performing at the first Kennedy memorial he's attended.</p>
<p>It was also difficult for forest ranger Gregory Cohrs, who was among the first on the accident scene in Hemphill, Texas. Cohrs worked for three months scouring the area for shuttle debris and the astronauts' remains. He now serves at Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana.</p>
<p>"It was really important for us to bring the crew home to their families. So we're really thankful to have been able to do that," he told The Associated Press.</p>
<p>NASA's held its annual day of remembrance Thursday to honor all its astronauts killed in the line of duty. Seventeen died in three accidents: Columbia, the Apollo 1 fire on the launch pad on Jan. 27, 1967, and the shuttle Challenger launch disaster on Jan. 28, 1986. The seven others died in plane crashes during training or other official business.</p>
<p>NASA's acting administrator, Robert Lightfoot, led observances at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, where several of these astronauts are buried.</p>
<p>At Kennedy, NASA's first female space shuttle commander, Eileen Collins, now retired and board chairman of the <a href="http://www.astronautsmemorial.org/" type="external">Astronauts Memorial Foundation</a> , noted next Wednesday will mark the 60th anniversary of the liftoff of America's first satellite. Explorer 1 launched on Jan. 31, 1958, right as NASA's seven original Mercury astronauts had begun training for their space flights. "They still inspire us today," she said.</p>
<p>Among those attending the Kennedy tribute were family members of four early astronauts killed in plane crashes in the 1960s: Charles Bassett II, Elliot See Jr., Clifton Williams Jr. and Michael Adams, who reached the edge of space in his X-15.</p>
<p>Also on hand were Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, as well as former shuttle astronauts and launch directors. The son of Columbia pilot Willie McCool — Christopher McCool — was there, too. But it was Ramon who addressed the crowd on behalf of the Columbia families.</p>
<p>Ramon recalled how his father's spaceflight was "a very huge thing" not only in Israel, but the United States as well. He shared how his father's mother was a Holocaust survivor and piano teacher, and how his father could play the piano. His own musical journey began after his father's death, when he returned to Israel and his father's Steinway piano.</p>
<p>He performed the title song from his album "Character" — "Dmut" in Hebrew — which is dedicated to his father and older brother Assaf, a pilot in the Israeli Air Force who died in a jet crash in 2009. His second selection, an instrumental piece, was "Victory."</p>
<p>"Even with big tragedy, we believe that there's such a big victory that we are here today to share their stories," he said.</p> | NASA honors 7 killed on space shuttle Columbia 15 years ago | false | https://apnews.com/amp/f5847f586a844245a7ee27970d714e55 | 2018-01-25 | 2least
| NASA honors 7 killed on space shuttle Columbia 15 years ago
<p>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA honored the seven astronauts killed aboard shuttle Columbia 15 years ago, with a special musical tribute Thursday by the son of Israel's first astronaut.</p>
<p>Singer and songwriter Tal Ramon joined a few hundred others at Kennedy Space Center to remember the Columbia crew and other astronauts killed in the line of duty over the decades.</p>
<p>Seven astronauts — including Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon— died Feb. 1, 2003, when Columbia shattered in the skies over Texas, just minutes before a Florida touchdown.</p>
<p>Ramon performed two of his own songs, singing in Hebrew and playing the keyboard. Later, he and relatives of other astronauts killed in action, placed long-stemmed, yellow, orange and pink roses at the Space Mirror Memorial. In all, 24 names are engraved in the large granite monument.</p>
<p>"I'm just so emotional to be here with you," Ramon told the crowd before performing at the first Kennedy memorial he's attended.</p>
<p>It was also difficult for forest ranger Gregory Cohrs, who was among the first on the accident scene in Hemphill, Texas. Cohrs worked for three months scouring the area for shuttle debris and the astronauts' remains. He now serves at Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana.</p>
<p>"It was really important for us to bring the crew home to their families. So we're really thankful to have been able to do that," he told The Associated Press.</p>
<p>NASA's held its annual day of remembrance Thursday to honor all its astronauts killed in the line of duty. Seventeen died in three accidents: Columbia, the Apollo 1 fire on the launch pad on Jan. 27, 1967, and the shuttle Challenger launch disaster on Jan. 28, 1986. The seven others died in plane crashes during training or other official business.</p>
<p>NASA's acting administrator, Robert Lightfoot, led observances at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, where several of these astronauts are buried.</p>
<p>At Kennedy, NASA's first female space shuttle commander, Eileen Collins, now retired and board chairman of the <a href="http://www.astronautsmemorial.org/" type="external">Astronauts Memorial Foundation</a> , noted next Wednesday will mark the 60th anniversary of the liftoff of America's first satellite. Explorer 1 launched on Jan. 31, 1958, right as NASA's seven original Mercury astronauts had begun training for their space flights. "They still inspire us today," she said.</p>
<p>Among those attending the Kennedy tribute were family members of four early astronauts killed in plane crashes in the 1960s: Charles Bassett II, Elliot See Jr., Clifton Williams Jr. and Michael Adams, who reached the edge of space in his X-15.</p>
<p>Also on hand were Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, as well as former shuttle astronauts and launch directors. The son of Columbia pilot Willie McCool — Christopher McCool — was there, too. But it was Ramon who addressed the crowd on behalf of the Columbia families.</p>
<p>Ramon recalled how his father's spaceflight was "a very huge thing" not only in Israel, but the United States as well. He shared how his father's mother was a Holocaust survivor and piano teacher, and how his father could play the piano. His own musical journey began after his father's death, when he returned to Israel and his father's Steinway piano.</p>
<p>He performed the title song from his album "Character" — "Dmut" in Hebrew — which is dedicated to his father and older brother Assaf, a pilot in the Israeli Air Force who died in a jet crash in 2009. His second selection, an instrumental piece, was "Victory."</p>
<p>"Even with big tragedy, we believe that there's such a big victory that we are here today to share their stories," he said.</p>
<p>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA honored the seven astronauts killed aboard shuttle Columbia 15 years ago, with a special musical tribute Thursday by the son of Israel's first astronaut.</p>
<p>Singer and songwriter Tal Ramon joined a few hundred others at Kennedy Space Center to remember the Columbia crew and other astronauts killed in the line of duty over the decades.</p>
<p>Seven astronauts — including Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon— died Feb. 1, 2003, when Columbia shattered in the skies over Texas, just minutes before a Florida touchdown.</p>
<p>Ramon performed two of his own songs, singing in Hebrew and playing the keyboard. Later, he and relatives of other astronauts killed in action, placed long-stemmed, yellow, orange and pink roses at the Space Mirror Memorial. In all, 24 names are engraved in the large granite monument.</p>
<p>"I'm just so emotional to be here with you," Ramon told the crowd before performing at the first Kennedy memorial he's attended.</p>
<p>It was also difficult for forest ranger Gregory Cohrs, who was among the first on the accident scene in Hemphill, Texas. Cohrs worked for three months scouring the area for shuttle debris and the astronauts' remains. He now serves at Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana.</p>
<p>"It was really important for us to bring the crew home to their families. So we're really thankful to have been able to do that," he told The Associated Press.</p>
<p>NASA's held its annual day of remembrance Thursday to honor all its astronauts killed in the line of duty. Seventeen died in three accidents: Columbia, the Apollo 1 fire on the launch pad on Jan. 27, 1967, and the shuttle Challenger launch disaster on Jan. 28, 1986. The seven others died in plane crashes during training or other official business.</p>
<p>NASA's acting administrator, Robert Lightfoot, led observances at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, where several of these astronauts are buried.</p>
<p>At Kennedy, NASA's first female space shuttle commander, Eileen Collins, now retired and board chairman of the <a href="http://www.astronautsmemorial.org/" type="external">Astronauts Memorial Foundation</a> , noted next Wednesday will mark the 60th anniversary of the liftoff of America's first satellite. Explorer 1 launched on Jan. 31, 1958, right as NASA's seven original Mercury astronauts had begun training for their space flights. "They still inspire us today," she said.</p>
<p>Among those attending the Kennedy tribute were family members of four early astronauts killed in plane crashes in the 1960s: Charles Bassett II, Elliot See Jr., Clifton Williams Jr. and Michael Adams, who reached the edge of space in his X-15.</p>
<p>Also on hand were Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, as well as former shuttle astronauts and launch directors. The son of Columbia pilot Willie McCool — Christopher McCool — was there, too. But it was Ramon who addressed the crowd on behalf of the Columbia families.</p>
<p>Ramon recalled how his father's spaceflight was "a very huge thing" not only in Israel, but the United States as well. He shared how his father's mother was a Holocaust survivor and piano teacher, and how his father could play the piano. His own musical journey began after his father's death, when he returned to Israel and his father's Steinway piano.</p>
<p>He performed the title song from his album "Character" — "Dmut" in Hebrew — which is dedicated to his father and older brother Assaf, a pilot in the Israeli Air Force who died in a jet crash in 2009. His second selection, an instrumental piece, was "Victory."</p>
<p>"Even with big tragedy, we believe that there's such a big victory that we are here today to share their stories," he said.</p> | 2,265 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez's office says she won't call a special legislative session to fix the state's noncompliance with the federal REAL ID Act.</p>
<p>Martinez spokesman Michael Lonergan says the governor has already tried five times to repeal a New Mexico law that gives driver's licenses to immigrants regardless of legal status. However, Lonergan says Senate Democrats have blocked those bipartisan attempts.</p>
<p>Lonergan says Martinez wants an up and down vote on her proposal that will put the state in compliance with the REAL ID law.</p>
<p>The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently denied New Mexico an extension from tougher federal requirements on state driver's licenses.</p>
<p>The decision means New Mexico driver's licenses and IDs won't be valid for federal purposes, including, eventually, boarding commercial aircraft next year.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Governor: No special session on REAL ID in New Mexico | false | https://abqjournal.com/669189/governor-no-special-session-on-real-id-in-new-mexico.html | 2least
| Governor: No special session on REAL ID in New Mexico
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez's office says she won't call a special legislative session to fix the state's noncompliance with the federal REAL ID Act.</p>
<p>Martinez spokesman Michael Lonergan says the governor has already tried five times to repeal a New Mexico law that gives driver's licenses to immigrants regardless of legal status. However, Lonergan says Senate Democrats have blocked those bipartisan attempts.</p>
<p>Lonergan says Martinez wants an up and down vote on her proposal that will put the state in compliance with the REAL ID law.</p>
<p>The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently denied New Mexico an extension from tougher federal requirements on state driver's licenses.</p>
<p>The decision means New Mexico driver's licenses and IDs won't be valid for federal purposes, including, eventually, boarding commercial aircraft next year.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 2,266 |
|
<p>The songs played between segments on The World for May 6, 2014 include:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Offense-Arturo-OFarrill-Latin-Orchestra/dp/B00J3IW026/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1399394963&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr&amp;keywords=Arturo+O'Farrill+Drum" type="external" />&#160;&#160;&#160; SONG: Alma Vacia&#160;&#160;&#160; ARTIST: Arturo O'Farrill &amp; the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra&#160;&#160;&#160; CD TITLE: The Offense of the Drum&#160;&#160;&#160; CD LABEL: Motema&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cigarros-Explosivos-Jaro-Milko-Cubalkanics/dp/B00J8PZXJG/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=dmusic&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1399395079&amp;sr=1-1-fkmr0&amp;keywords=Jarro+Milko" type="external" />&#160;&#160;&#160; SONG: Cumbia Griega&#160;&#160;&#160; ARTIST: Jaro Milko &amp; Cubalkanics&#160;&#160;&#160; CD TITLE: Cigarros Explosivos!&#160;&#160;&#160; CD LABEL: Asphalt Tango Records&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Long-Road-Christos-DC/dp/B00J610ZYU" type="external" />&#160;&#160;&#160; SONG: Long Road&#160;&#160;&#160; ARTIST: Christos DC&#160;&#160;&#160; CD TITLE: Long Road&#160;&#160;&#160; CD LABEL: Honest Music&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Guide-Scottish-Music-3rd/dp/B00IEPJUV8/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1399395338&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=Rough+Guide+to+Scottish+Music" type="external" />&#160;&#160;&#160; SONG: The Scariest Room&#160;&#160;&#160; ARTIST: The Chair&#160;&#160;&#160; CD TITLE: The Rough Guide to Scottish Music&#160;&#160;&#160; CD LABEL: World Music Network</p> | Music heard on the air for May 6, 2014 | false | https://pri.org/stories/2014-05-06/music-heard-air-may-6-2014 | 2014-05-06 | 3left-center
| Music heard on the air for May 6, 2014
<p>The songs played between segments on The World for May 6, 2014 include:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Offense-Arturo-OFarrill-Latin-Orchestra/dp/B00J3IW026/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1399394963&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr&amp;keywords=Arturo+O'Farrill+Drum" type="external" />&#160;&#160;&#160; SONG: Alma Vacia&#160;&#160;&#160; ARTIST: Arturo O'Farrill &amp; the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra&#160;&#160;&#160; CD TITLE: The Offense of the Drum&#160;&#160;&#160; CD LABEL: Motema&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cigarros-Explosivos-Jaro-Milko-Cubalkanics/dp/B00J8PZXJG/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=dmusic&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1399395079&amp;sr=1-1-fkmr0&amp;keywords=Jarro+Milko" type="external" />&#160;&#160;&#160; SONG: Cumbia Griega&#160;&#160;&#160; ARTIST: Jaro Milko &amp; Cubalkanics&#160;&#160;&#160; CD TITLE: Cigarros Explosivos!&#160;&#160;&#160; CD LABEL: Asphalt Tango Records&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Long-Road-Christos-DC/dp/B00J610ZYU" type="external" />&#160;&#160;&#160; SONG: Long Road&#160;&#160;&#160; ARTIST: Christos DC&#160;&#160;&#160; CD TITLE: Long Road&#160;&#160;&#160; CD LABEL: Honest Music&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Guide-Scottish-Music-3rd/dp/B00IEPJUV8/ref=sr_1_1?s=dmusic&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1399395338&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=Rough+Guide+to+Scottish+Music" type="external" />&#160;&#160;&#160; SONG: The Scariest Room&#160;&#160;&#160; ARTIST: The Chair&#160;&#160;&#160; CD TITLE: The Rough Guide to Scottish Music&#160;&#160;&#160; CD LABEL: World Music Network</p> | 2,267 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Mike Budick of Volcano Vista, top, moves quickly to pin Mayfield’s Gabriel Flores during an early-round match Friday at the Joe Vivian Classic. (Jim Thompson/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>One of the most important state championships Cibola High School ever won was its wrestling title in 1982.</p>
<p>The coach of that team, Hall of Famer Joe Vivian, will return to his old stomping grounds this weekend for the tournament that bears his name.</p>
<p>The Joe Vivian Classic started Friday afternoon at Cibola, with an elite field set to gather on the West Side.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>These are the teams scheduled to compete:</p>
<p>Albuquerque, Cibola, Del Norte, Eldorado, La Cueva, Manzano, Rio Grande, Sandia, West Mesa, Valley, Highland, Volcano Vista, Atrisco Heritage, Belen, Carlsbad, Centennial, Cobre, Los Alamos, Farmington, Hobbs, Las Cruces, Los Lunas, Mayfield, Oñate, Rio Rancho, Robertson, St. Michael’s, Santa Fe, Capital, St. Pius and Valencia.</p>
<p>The two most prominent names not on the list are Cleveland and Piedra Vista, a pair of defending state champions. The only state champion scheduled to appear is 3A winner St. Mike’s.</p>
<p>The finals are set for about 6 p.m. today. Medals go to the top four athletes in each of the 14 weight classes.</p>
<p>The daily admission price is $5 for adults and $3 for students/seniors.</p>
<p>With Cleveland attending a meet in Tucson, Rio Grande and Rio Rancho enter the tournament as co-favorites. The Rio West edition will have Vivian highlights for area wrestlers in next Saturday’s edition.</p>
<p>Last weekend</p>
<p>Rio Rancho placed 13th at last weekend’s Geary (Okla.) Invitational, a meet that included three nationally ranked teams.</p>
<p>The Rams had five placers: eighth-grader Orion Gutierrez at 106 pounds was sixth in his first varsity tournament; junior Brandon Leyba at 120 who was fifth after reaching the semifinals; sophomore Santiago Salazar who was fifth at 126; junior Kirk Holloway, who was sixth at 145; and senior Jordan Lara, who was fourth at 160.</p>
<p>“I was pleased with our performance,” Rams coach Mike Santos said. “Our young wrestlers gained valuable experience (wrestling) at an elite level, and some of our veteran or returning (wrestlers) showed that they still need to do some work before February.”</p>
<p />
<p /> | Cibola hosts Joe Vivian Classic | false | https://abqjournal.com/339096/cibola-hosts-joe-vivian-classic.html | 2least
| Cibola hosts Joe Vivian Classic
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Mike Budick of Volcano Vista, top, moves quickly to pin Mayfield’s Gabriel Flores during an early-round match Friday at the Joe Vivian Classic. (Jim Thompson/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>One of the most important state championships Cibola High School ever won was its wrestling title in 1982.</p>
<p>The coach of that team, Hall of Famer Joe Vivian, will return to his old stomping grounds this weekend for the tournament that bears his name.</p>
<p>The Joe Vivian Classic started Friday afternoon at Cibola, with an elite field set to gather on the West Side.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>These are the teams scheduled to compete:</p>
<p>Albuquerque, Cibola, Del Norte, Eldorado, La Cueva, Manzano, Rio Grande, Sandia, West Mesa, Valley, Highland, Volcano Vista, Atrisco Heritage, Belen, Carlsbad, Centennial, Cobre, Los Alamos, Farmington, Hobbs, Las Cruces, Los Lunas, Mayfield, Oñate, Rio Rancho, Robertson, St. Michael’s, Santa Fe, Capital, St. Pius and Valencia.</p>
<p>The two most prominent names not on the list are Cleveland and Piedra Vista, a pair of defending state champions. The only state champion scheduled to appear is 3A winner St. Mike’s.</p>
<p>The finals are set for about 6 p.m. today. Medals go to the top four athletes in each of the 14 weight classes.</p>
<p>The daily admission price is $5 for adults and $3 for students/seniors.</p>
<p>With Cleveland attending a meet in Tucson, Rio Grande and Rio Rancho enter the tournament as co-favorites. The Rio West edition will have Vivian highlights for area wrestlers in next Saturday’s edition.</p>
<p>Last weekend</p>
<p>Rio Rancho placed 13th at last weekend’s Geary (Okla.) Invitational, a meet that included three nationally ranked teams.</p>
<p>The Rams had five placers: eighth-grader Orion Gutierrez at 106 pounds was sixth in his first varsity tournament; junior Brandon Leyba at 120 who was fifth after reaching the semifinals; sophomore Santiago Salazar who was fifth at 126; junior Kirk Holloway, who was sixth at 145; and senior Jordan Lara, who was fourth at 160.</p>
<p>“I was pleased with our performance,” Rams coach Mike Santos said. “Our young wrestlers gained valuable experience (wrestling) at an elite level, and some of our veteran or returning (wrestlers) showed that they still need to do some work before February.”</p>
<p />
<p /> | 2,268 |
|
<p>The Honduras Congress voted to ban motorcycles from carrying passengers in an attempt to curb drive-by shootings.</p>
<p>Gunmen on motorcycles murdered two people this week, journalist Marina Luz Paz and former government security adviser Alfredo Landaverde, <a href="http://feeds.univision.com/feeds/article/2011-12-08/parlamento-de-honduras-limita-uso" type="external">reported</a> EFE.</p>
<p>"Given the current security situation, we believe that the appropriate response is allowing only one person [to ride] on motorcycles," Honduras Security Minister Pompeyo Bonilla told Congress.</p>
<p>Honduras has the world's highest murder rate at 82 per 100,000 people a year, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.</p>
<p>The measure will last six months and was requested by President Porfirio Lobo.</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/stephaniegarlow" type="external">Follow Stephanie on Twitter: @stephaniegarlow</a> &#160;</p> | Honduras bans motorcycle passengers | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-12-09/honduras-bans-motorcycle-passengers | 2011-12-09 | 3left-center
| Honduras bans motorcycle passengers
<p>The Honduras Congress voted to ban motorcycles from carrying passengers in an attempt to curb drive-by shootings.</p>
<p>Gunmen on motorcycles murdered two people this week, journalist Marina Luz Paz and former government security adviser Alfredo Landaverde, <a href="http://feeds.univision.com/feeds/article/2011-12-08/parlamento-de-honduras-limita-uso" type="external">reported</a> EFE.</p>
<p>"Given the current security situation, we believe that the appropriate response is allowing only one person [to ride] on motorcycles," Honduras Security Minister Pompeyo Bonilla told Congress.</p>
<p>Honduras has the world's highest murder rate at 82 per 100,000 people a year, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.</p>
<p>The measure will last six months and was requested by President Porfirio Lobo.</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/stephaniegarlow" type="external">Follow Stephanie on Twitter: @stephaniegarlow</a> &#160;</p> | 2,269 |
<p />
<p>Squeezing the near freezing trigger of his machine gun, Pvt. Jeff Richardson, an Infantryman with the <a href="http://www.campbell.army.mil/units/101st/2BCT/Pages/2ndBCT.aspx" type="external">2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division</a>, prepares for realistic combat environments during a weapon’s malfunction training session held on a wet, 24-degree Fort Campbell field, Jan. 16. U.S. Army <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soldiersmediacenter/8391360125/in/photostream" type="external">photo</a> by Sgt. Joe Padula.</p>
<p /> | We’re Still at War: Photo of the Day for January 18, 2013 | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2013/01/were-still-war-photo-day-january-18-2013-0/ | 2013-01-18 | 4left
| We’re Still at War: Photo of the Day for January 18, 2013
<p />
<p>Squeezing the near freezing trigger of his machine gun, Pvt. Jeff Richardson, an Infantryman with the <a href="http://www.campbell.army.mil/units/101st/2BCT/Pages/2ndBCT.aspx" type="external">2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division</a>, prepares for realistic combat environments during a weapon’s malfunction training session held on a wet, 24-degree Fort Campbell field, Jan. 16. U.S. Army <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/soldiersmediacenter/8391360125/in/photostream" type="external">photo</a> by Sgt. Joe Padula.</p>
<p /> | 2,270 |
<p>LONDON, United Kingdom - I knew we were in for a rough night here in Stoke Newington in the London Borough of Hackney when my wife called me at 5 p.m. from Sainsbury's, our local supermarket, to say she was in a lock down. They were shuttering the place and the police were telling her trouble had already started outside the Hackney Town Hall. The cops told her to go home and stay off the streets.</p>
<p>I took her call as I was walking into the local library to return a book. Inside, the librarians were watching a BBC live feed on their computers of action a mile and a half away. One of the librarians explained he lived over there.</p>
<p>This morning I awoke to learn that half a dozen or more neighborhoods in London - north to south, east to west - saw outbreaks of violence, looting and arson. In other cities around the country - Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds and Bristol - there were also reports of youth confronting police.</p>
<p>This rioting is something Britain has not seen in recent years. It is a totally new expression of anger from what sociologists would call the "underclass." That said, there are familiar elements in the build-up to last night's anarchy that might help you understand it a little.</p>
<p>Graphic content, police overrun in the Woolwich neighborhood of south London:</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>First, the chronology: The tension began to boil over last Thursday when police shot and killed a young black man named Mark Duggan in Tottenham, a predominantly Afro-Caribbean and African immigrant neighborhood in north London. In the mid-1980s, Tottenham was the scene of terrible race riots which culminated in a policeman being hacked to death by a group of men armed with machetes. Saturday night, following a disappointing visit to the police by Duggan's family and community leaders, a protest about the incident turned violent.</p>
<p>When the smoke cleared on Sunday morning it was obvious that the violence was not about the police and racism - as it had been in the 1980s. The Duggan family were appalled by what had happened, much of it directed against shops owned by black and immigrant businessmen. Back in the 1980s, community leaders were harshly critical of the police and the government. Local black politicians used the riots to point out the institutional racism in the police force. Now the local member of parliament, David Lammy, son of Afro-Caribbean immigrants, led the criticism of the rioters.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/united-kingdom/110808/london-burning-riots-continue-third-day" type="external">London burning as riots spread out of control (VIDEO)</a></p>
<p>On Sunday night, low-level looting spread to other parts of north London not far from Tottenham. The violence's tenuous relationship to the Duggan incident disappeared. The rioters were a heterodox mix of black and white youths who did not come out on the street to demonstrate against the police. They hit the streets to take what they could: electronic goods and sneakers, and then trash the shops they had just looted.</p>
<p>Then last night things exploded. Why?</p>
<p>Partially it's media, old and new. After getting my wife's message I left the library and raced home to watch the 24-hour television news channels. Sky News had scrambled its helicopter and was showing a raw feed of action in Hackney. Police were clearing Mare Street, the main shopping street. As the crowds dispersed into the side streets, cars and dumpsters full of garbage were being set on fire. The police were not grabbing kids and arresting them, they were trying to clear space and hold it.</p>
<p>Meanwhile kids were able to evade police by texting each other meeting places where law enforcement was absent.</p>
<p>It isn't hard to imagine that young people from the same social background around the city watching those pictures and getting texts from people they know in Hackney decided it was worth the risk of arrest to go out to the local shopping area and take what they wanted.</p>
<p>They seem to have been right. Prime Minister David Cameron said that there were 6,000 police on the streets of London last night. That sounds like a lot but London is a vast city. A few hundred people looting in Ealing in the west, a few hundred in Clapham in the south, a few hundred more in Croydon at the city's edge, a few hundred more in Hackney, and three or four other places, all these neigborhoods separated by long distances - five to 10 miles. You can see how thinly stretched law enforcement was.</p>
<p>That explains why things spread so quickly last night.</p>
<p>The underlying causes of the rioting are difficult to determine with certainty, but one key fact must be considered: youth unemployment.</p>
<p>The rioters were overwhelmingly teenagers and kids in their 20s. About 20 percent of 16-24 year olds in Britain are unemployed. That figure is much, much higher on council estates - the British term for housing projects. (You can leave school at the age of 16 in this country). Unemployment statistics in Britain are sadly vague, but a reasonable estimate of youth unemployment just <a href="http://hackneypost.co.uk/?p=4268" type="external">in Hackney</a> is 33 percent. (Those attending college or performing any form of unpaid apprentice work are considered to be employed.) There don't seem to be any statistics for youth unemployment on council estates. As I live in the neighborhood I would say well above 60 or 70 percent is a good guess.</p>
<p>The reason I say this is that unlike in Paris or New York, London doesn't wall its poor people into ghettos or suburbs. There are streets in Hackney where very ordinary row houses cost a million bucks but on the corner there is a council estate. The kids who grow up in the million dollar houses go to college and then on to jobs; many of those in the estates leave school at 16 and find no work. If a third of Hackney's youth is unemployed and the middle class kids are all going on to higher education, the segment of the population pulling the unemployment figure up must come from the estates.</p>
<p>When there are that many young men with nothing to do and no money to spend, it doesn't take much to set off violence. The immediate flash point - in this case the death of Mark Duggan - is quickly forgotten. A group hysteria takes hold.</p>
<p>Having covered riots in Northern Ireland for many years I can say with certainty that this kind of hysteria can take time to burn itself out. With TV cameras focused on them and smartphones at the ready, it may be a few nights yet before the fever subsides. There is very little the police can do.</p>
<p>What happens after the rioting subsides is difficult to predict. Entry level jobs are in short supply these days, and as the government's austerity measures begin to bite here, it's not likely to get better any time soon.</p>
<p>But the government has to be seen to be doing something. British Prime Minister David Cameron flew back to London from his holiday in Tuscany early today to deal with the situation. He told reporters that all police leave had been canceled and that 16,000 officers will be on the streets of London tonight. Parliament has also been recalled from its recess to hold a one-day emergency debate on the rioting.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/110808/social-media-blamed-london-riots" type="external">Social media blamed for London riots</a> &#160;</p>
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<p>}</p> | Why London exploded last night | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-08-09/why-london-exploded-last-night | 2011-08-09 | 3left-center
| Why London exploded last night
<p>LONDON, United Kingdom - I knew we were in for a rough night here in Stoke Newington in the London Borough of Hackney when my wife called me at 5 p.m. from Sainsbury's, our local supermarket, to say she was in a lock down. They were shuttering the place and the police were telling her trouble had already started outside the Hackney Town Hall. The cops told her to go home and stay off the streets.</p>
<p>I took her call as I was walking into the local library to return a book. Inside, the librarians were watching a BBC live feed on their computers of action a mile and a half away. One of the librarians explained he lived over there.</p>
<p>This morning I awoke to learn that half a dozen or more neighborhoods in London - north to south, east to west - saw outbreaks of violence, looting and arson. In other cities around the country - Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds and Bristol - there were also reports of youth confronting police.</p>
<p>This rioting is something Britain has not seen in recent years. It is a totally new expression of anger from what sociologists would call the "underclass." That said, there are familiar elements in the build-up to last night's anarchy that might help you understand it a little.</p>
<p>Graphic content, police overrun in the Woolwich neighborhood of south London:</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>First, the chronology: The tension began to boil over last Thursday when police shot and killed a young black man named Mark Duggan in Tottenham, a predominantly Afro-Caribbean and African immigrant neighborhood in north London. In the mid-1980s, Tottenham was the scene of terrible race riots which culminated in a policeman being hacked to death by a group of men armed with machetes. Saturday night, following a disappointing visit to the police by Duggan's family and community leaders, a protest about the incident turned violent.</p>
<p>When the smoke cleared on Sunday morning it was obvious that the violence was not about the police and racism - as it had been in the 1980s. The Duggan family were appalled by what had happened, much of it directed against shops owned by black and immigrant businessmen. Back in the 1980s, community leaders were harshly critical of the police and the government. Local black politicians used the riots to point out the institutional racism in the police force. Now the local member of parliament, David Lammy, son of Afro-Caribbean immigrants, led the criticism of the rioters.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/united-kingdom/110808/london-burning-riots-continue-third-day" type="external">London burning as riots spread out of control (VIDEO)</a></p>
<p>On Sunday night, low-level looting spread to other parts of north London not far from Tottenham. The violence's tenuous relationship to the Duggan incident disappeared. The rioters were a heterodox mix of black and white youths who did not come out on the street to demonstrate against the police. They hit the streets to take what they could: electronic goods and sneakers, and then trash the shops they had just looted.</p>
<p>Then last night things exploded. Why?</p>
<p>Partially it's media, old and new. After getting my wife's message I left the library and raced home to watch the 24-hour television news channels. Sky News had scrambled its helicopter and was showing a raw feed of action in Hackney. Police were clearing Mare Street, the main shopping street. As the crowds dispersed into the side streets, cars and dumpsters full of garbage were being set on fire. The police were not grabbing kids and arresting them, they were trying to clear space and hold it.</p>
<p>Meanwhile kids were able to evade police by texting each other meeting places where law enforcement was absent.</p>
<p>It isn't hard to imagine that young people from the same social background around the city watching those pictures and getting texts from people they know in Hackney decided it was worth the risk of arrest to go out to the local shopping area and take what they wanted.</p>
<p>They seem to have been right. Prime Minister David Cameron said that there were 6,000 police on the streets of London last night. That sounds like a lot but London is a vast city. A few hundred people looting in Ealing in the west, a few hundred in Clapham in the south, a few hundred more in Croydon at the city's edge, a few hundred more in Hackney, and three or four other places, all these neigborhoods separated by long distances - five to 10 miles. You can see how thinly stretched law enforcement was.</p>
<p>That explains why things spread so quickly last night.</p>
<p>The underlying causes of the rioting are difficult to determine with certainty, but one key fact must be considered: youth unemployment.</p>
<p>The rioters were overwhelmingly teenagers and kids in their 20s. About 20 percent of 16-24 year olds in Britain are unemployed. That figure is much, much higher on council estates - the British term for housing projects. (You can leave school at the age of 16 in this country). Unemployment statistics in Britain are sadly vague, but a reasonable estimate of youth unemployment just <a href="http://hackneypost.co.uk/?p=4268" type="external">in Hackney</a> is 33 percent. (Those attending college or performing any form of unpaid apprentice work are considered to be employed.) There don't seem to be any statistics for youth unemployment on council estates. As I live in the neighborhood I would say well above 60 or 70 percent is a good guess.</p>
<p>The reason I say this is that unlike in Paris or New York, London doesn't wall its poor people into ghettos or suburbs. There are streets in Hackney where very ordinary row houses cost a million bucks but on the corner there is a council estate. The kids who grow up in the million dollar houses go to college and then on to jobs; many of those in the estates leave school at 16 and find no work. If a third of Hackney's youth is unemployed and the middle class kids are all going on to higher education, the segment of the population pulling the unemployment figure up must come from the estates.</p>
<p>When there are that many young men with nothing to do and no money to spend, it doesn't take much to set off violence. The immediate flash point - in this case the death of Mark Duggan - is quickly forgotten. A group hysteria takes hold.</p>
<p>Having covered riots in Northern Ireland for many years I can say with certainty that this kind of hysteria can take time to burn itself out. With TV cameras focused on them and smartphones at the ready, it may be a few nights yet before the fever subsides. There is very little the police can do.</p>
<p>What happens after the rioting subsides is difficult to predict. Entry level jobs are in short supply these days, and as the government's austerity measures begin to bite here, it's not likely to get better any time soon.</p>
<p>But the government has to be seen to be doing something. British Prime Minister David Cameron flew back to London from his holiday in Tuscany early today to deal with the situation. He told reporters that all police leave had been canceled and that 16,000 officers will be on the streets of London tonight. Parliament has also been recalled from its recess to hold a one-day emergency debate on the rioting.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/110808/social-media-blamed-london-riots" type="external">Social media blamed for London riots</a> &#160;</p>
<p>#leftwrapper { border-color:#bbbbbb; border-style:solid; border-width:1px; font-size: 11px; float:left; width: 320px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 30px; line-height:14px display:block; } #rightwrapper { border-color:#bbbbbb; border-style:solid; border-width:1px; font-size: 11px; float:right; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 30px; line-height:14px display:block; }</p>
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<p>}</p> | 2,271 |
<p>Watch out if you live in or visit Washington, D.C.</p>
<p>If you see a camera or microphone, be careful not to be trampled by a politician rushing to shout their “outrage” at AIG, and its brazen scheme to pay $165 million in bonuses to employees at the company unit responsible for driving the company to the edge of insolvency.</p>
<p>Maybe the politicians really are outraged. (They definitely know their constituents are.) But it would have helped if they had expressed some outrage — and opposition — during the decades-long period of deregulation that brought us the AIG collapse and the financial meltdown.</p>
<p>It is indeed unfathomable that AIG went ahead with the bonus payments, and that the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve failed to act to stop the bonus payments before they were made.</p>
<p>What is vital now is that the public’s righteous anger is not expressed only as “no.” There are a lot of things to which We The People do need to say “no.” But we need a lot of “yes’s,” too. We need to demand that policymakers impose public controls over the financial sector. The financial sector restraint, shrinkage and displacement agenda is long and diverse, but there are a number of lessons that flow directly from the AIG debacle.</p>
<p>First, the government must exercise much more direct control over the firms it is bailing out (many of which, like AIG, are very likely to be subjected to government takeovers of one kind or another in the coming months). If the government exercised control commensurate with its ownership stake, it could simply refuse to permit outrages like the AIG bonus payments to occur. Beyond preventing outrages, there should be affirmative demands imposed on the beneficiaries of bailout funds. These should include, for commercial banks, the mandatory write down of principal on home mortgages where the outstanding loan amount now exceed the value of the home, and the end to usurious interest rates on credit cards.</p>
<p>Second, there must be far-reaching reform of compensation arrangements in the financial sector. Never again should anyone get away with saying this is a symbolic issue. The AIG bonus payments, and the manic response from the financial sector to modest executive pay restrictions added by Senator Chris Dodd to the financial bailout reauthorization legislation, demonstrate that the guys on Wall Street certainly don’t think it’s symbolic. Real reform must go beyond giving shareholders a say on pay to imposing public controls. There should be high tax rates on excessive compensation. Most importantly, there should be a prohibition on incentive pay that is linked to short-term performance. Bonuses based on annual performance give traders and others an incentive to take unreasonable risks — threatening the viability of their firms, and the overall financial system.</p>
<p>Third, the regulatory black holes in the financial system must be eradicated. One black hole concerns regulation of financial derivatives — the exotic instruments that threw AIG into virtual insolvency. During the Clinton administration, Fed Chair Alan Greenspan, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and Deputy Treasury Secretary (now director of the National Economic Council) Larry Summers crushed an effort by independent-minded regulators to adopt modest regulation of financial derivatives. In 2000, Congress prohibited such regulation by law. When regulations are finally adopted this year, as they almost certainly will be, they should prohibit certain kinds of financial derivatives altogether, and require that new ones prove their safety and social value before being placed on the market.</p>
<p>Fourth, we need a revitalized antitrust and competition policy to break up and shrink the size of the mega financial institutions (and, not so incidentally, we also need to shrink the size of the overall financial structure). These too-big-to-fail institutions are, as has been said, just too big. Or amended: they are too big and too interconnected. Their very existence poses unacceptable social costs, made worse by the fact they take greater risks knowing that they benefit from an implicit public insurance.</p>
<p>AIG itself has acknowledged the problem. In a company presentation apparently prepared to persuade the federal government to keep the bailout funds coming, AIG explained, “what happens to AIG has the potential to trigger a cascading set of further failures which cannot be stopped except by extraordinary means.”</p>
<p>AIG CEO Edward Liddy has drawn the proper conclusion: “Where safeguards are lacking” — and it should be added, it has proven far beyond the capacity of regulators to impose sufficient safeguards — “such companies need to be restructured or scaled back so they no longer come close to posing a systemic risk.”</p>
<p>Finally, renewed attention must be paid to corporate structure and prohibitions on whole categories of activity. Insurance companies should be prohibited from operating affiliates that function as de facto hedge funds. Commercial banks husbanding depositors’ assets should be prohibited from operating securities firms (as was law until 1999) or making securities firm-style speculative bets.</p>
<p>Will the outraged politicians demand these and other reforms? Will their outrage last once the media move on to the next story? That will depend almost entirely on whether an organized and focused public demands it.</p>
<p>ROBERT WEISSMAN is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based <a href="http://www.multinationalmonitor.org" type="external">Multinational Monitor</a> and director of <a href="http://www.essentialaction.org" type="external">Essential Action</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Lessons From AIG | true | https://counterpunch.org/2009/03/20/lessons-from-aig/ | 2009-03-20 | 4left
| Lessons From AIG
<p>Watch out if you live in or visit Washington, D.C.</p>
<p>If you see a camera or microphone, be careful not to be trampled by a politician rushing to shout their “outrage” at AIG, and its brazen scheme to pay $165 million in bonuses to employees at the company unit responsible for driving the company to the edge of insolvency.</p>
<p>Maybe the politicians really are outraged. (They definitely know their constituents are.) But it would have helped if they had expressed some outrage — and opposition — during the decades-long period of deregulation that brought us the AIG collapse and the financial meltdown.</p>
<p>It is indeed unfathomable that AIG went ahead with the bonus payments, and that the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve failed to act to stop the bonus payments before they were made.</p>
<p>What is vital now is that the public’s righteous anger is not expressed only as “no.” There are a lot of things to which We The People do need to say “no.” But we need a lot of “yes’s,” too. We need to demand that policymakers impose public controls over the financial sector. The financial sector restraint, shrinkage and displacement agenda is long and diverse, but there are a number of lessons that flow directly from the AIG debacle.</p>
<p>First, the government must exercise much more direct control over the firms it is bailing out (many of which, like AIG, are very likely to be subjected to government takeovers of one kind or another in the coming months). If the government exercised control commensurate with its ownership stake, it could simply refuse to permit outrages like the AIG bonus payments to occur. Beyond preventing outrages, there should be affirmative demands imposed on the beneficiaries of bailout funds. These should include, for commercial banks, the mandatory write down of principal on home mortgages where the outstanding loan amount now exceed the value of the home, and the end to usurious interest rates on credit cards.</p>
<p>Second, there must be far-reaching reform of compensation arrangements in the financial sector. Never again should anyone get away with saying this is a symbolic issue. The AIG bonus payments, and the manic response from the financial sector to modest executive pay restrictions added by Senator Chris Dodd to the financial bailout reauthorization legislation, demonstrate that the guys on Wall Street certainly don’t think it’s symbolic. Real reform must go beyond giving shareholders a say on pay to imposing public controls. There should be high tax rates on excessive compensation. Most importantly, there should be a prohibition on incentive pay that is linked to short-term performance. Bonuses based on annual performance give traders and others an incentive to take unreasonable risks — threatening the viability of their firms, and the overall financial system.</p>
<p>Third, the regulatory black holes in the financial system must be eradicated. One black hole concerns regulation of financial derivatives — the exotic instruments that threw AIG into virtual insolvency. During the Clinton administration, Fed Chair Alan Greenspan, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and Deputy Treasury Secretary (now director of the National Economic Council) Larry Summers crushed an effort by independent-minded regulators to adopt modest regulation of financial derivatives. In 2000, Congress prohibited such regulation by law. When regulations are finally adopted this year, as they almost certainly will be, they should prohibit certain kinds of financial derivatives altogether, and require that new ones prove their safety and social value before being placed on the market.</p>
<p>Fourth, we need a revitalized antitrust and competition policy to break up and shrink the size of the mega financial institutions (and, not so incidentally, we also need to shrink the size of the overall financial structure). These too-big-to-fail institutions are, as has been said, just too big. Or amended: they are too big and too interconnected. Their very existence poses unacceptable social costs, made worse by the fact they take greater risks knowing that they benefit from an implicit public insurance.</p>
<p>AIG itself has acknowledged the problem. In a company presentation apparently prepared to persuade the federal government to keep the bailout funds coming, AIG explained, “what happens to AIG has the potential to trigger a cascading set of further failures which cannot be stopped except by extraordinary means.”</p>
<p>AIG CEO Edward Liddy has drawn the proper conclusion: “Where safeguards are lacking” — and it should be added, it has proven far beyond the capacity of regulators to impose sufficient safeguards — “such companies need to be restructured or scaled back so they no longer come close to posing a systemic risk.”</p>
<p>Finally, renewed attention must be paid to corporate structure and prohibitions on whole categories of activity. Insurance companies should be prohibited from operating affiliates that function as de facto hedge funds. Commercial banks husbanding depositors’ assets should be prohibited from operating securities firms (as was law until 1999) or making securities firm-style speculative bets.</p>
<p>Will the outraged politicians demand these and other reforms? Will their outrage last once the media move on to the next story? That will depend almost entirely on whether an organized and focused public demands it.</p>
<p>ROBERT WEISSMAN is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based <a href="http://www.multinationalmonitor.org" type="external">Multinational Monitor</a> and director of <a href="http://www.essentialaction.org" type="external">Essential Action</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 2,272 |
<p>Shortly after news of (the former Nawab of) Pataudi’s death, a friend of mine sent me the following one-line email:</p>
<p>“Who was the other cricketer with one eye?……..Ranjitsinhji.”</p>
<p>I thought this didn’t make any sense. I had read somewhere long ago how Ranji’s cousin Duleepsinhji, on first going to England, was told by some doctor that he had a problem with his eyesight. His house master dismissed any such notion saying that no relative of Ranji could possibly have anything wrong with his eyes. Besides, I reasoned, it’s one of those things you expect would be common knowledge if true.

Then it occurred to me my friend might be joking. He was talking, no doubt, about Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who did indeed have only one eye! One of the Yehudi-Menuhin-is-a-violinist. Mahatma-Gandhi-is-a…non-violinist variety, it seemed.</p>
<p>After dashing off a clever note to my friend saying I wasn’t aware that Maharaja Ranjit Singh played cricket, something impelled me to read up on Ranji just to be sure. On Wikipedia at first glance, there was lots about his time in England, his cricket of course, and his disputes over the title to his principality of Nawanagar. There was no prominent mention of any business of making do with one eye, etc. 

As I read through the Wikipedia page, though, I found the following passage deep in its bowels:</p>
<p>“When the First World War began in August 1914, Ranjitsinhji declared that the resources of his state were available to Britain, including a house that he owned at Staines which was converted into a hospital. In November 1914, he left to serve at the Western Front, leaving Berthon as administrator.[note 9][209] Ranjitsinhji was made an honorary major in the British Army, but as any serving Indian princes were not allowed near the fighting by the British because of the risk involved, he did not see active service. Ranjitsinhji went to France but the cold weather badly affected his health and he returned to England several times.[210]</p>
<p>On 31 August 1915, he took part in a grouse shooting party on the Yorkshire Moors near Langdale End. While on foot, he was accidentally shot in the right eye by another member of the party. After travelling to Leeds via the railway at Scarborough, a specialist removed the badly damaged eye on 2 August.”</p>
<p>Don’t ask me how an eye damaged on 31 August needed removing on 2 August. I’m merely quoting Wikipedia verbatim.</p>
<p>This was long after his prime cricketing years. He had played his last test match in 1908, and seems to have last played serious county cricket in 1912. He played for Sussex, even captaining it briefly (as did Pataudi).

For all that it is my friend who will have the last laugh. Wikipedia again:</p>
<p>“Ranjitsinhji’s last first-class cricket came in 1920; having lost an eye in a hunting accident, he played only three matches and found he could not focus on the ball properly. Possibly prompted by embarrassment at his performance, he later claimed his sole motivation for returning was to write a book about batting with one eye; such a book was never published.[166]”</p>
<p>Was there any famous cricketer (other than Pataudi) from India who played with a visual impairment? Well, you can bet your right eye on it.</p>
<p>Niranjan Ramakrishnan is a writer living in the USA. He can be reached at <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a>.</p> | The Key to Sussex? | true | https://counterpunch.org/2011/09/30/the-key-to-sussex/ | 2011-09-30 | 4left
| The Key to Sussex?
<p>Shortly after news of (the former Nawab of) Pataudi’s death, a friend of mine sent me the following one-line email:</p>
<p>“Who was the other cricketer with one eye?……..Ranjitsinhji.”</p>
<p>I thought this didn’t make any sense. I had read somewhere long ago how Ranji’s cousin Duleepsinhji, on first going to England, was told by some doctor that he had a problem with his eyesight. His house master dismissed any such notion saying that no relative of Ranji could possibly have anything wrong with his eyes. Besides, I reasoned, it’s one of those things you expect would be common knowledge if true.

Then it occurred to me my friend might be joking. He was talking, no doubt, about Maharaja Ranjit Singh, who did indeed have only one eye! One of the Yehudi-Menuhin-is-a-violinist. Mahatma-Gandhi-is-a…non-violinist variety, it seemed.</p>
<p>After dashing off a clever note to my friend saying I wasn’t aware that Maharaja Ranjit Singh played cricket, something impelled me to read up on Ranji just to be sure. On Wikipedia at first glance, there was lots about his time in England, his cricket of course, and his disputes over the title to his principality of Nawanagar. There was no prominent mention of any business of making do with one eye, etc. 

As I read through the Wikipedia page, though, I found the following passage deep in its bowels:</p>
<p>“When the First World War began in August 1914, Ranjitsinhji declared that the resources of his state were available to Britain, including a house that he owned at Staines which was converted into a hospital. In November 1914, he left to serve at the Western Front, leaving Berthon as administrator.[note 9][209] Ranjitsinhji was made an honorary major in the British Army, but as any serving Indian princes were not allowed near the fighting by the British because of the risk involved, he did not see active service. Ranjitsinhji went to France but the cold weather badly affected his health and he returned to England several times.[210]</p>
<p>On 31 August 1915, he took part in a grouse shooting party on the Yorkshire Moors near Langdale End. While on foot, he was accidentally shot in the right eye by another member of the party. After travelling to Leeds via the railway at Scarborough, a specialist removed the badly damaged eye on 2 August.”</p>
<p>Don’t ask me how an eye damaged on 31 August needed removing on 2 August. I’m merely quoting Wikipedia verbatim.</p>
<p>This was long after his prime cricketing years. He had played his last test match in 1908, and seems to have last played serious county cricket in 1912. He played for Sussex, even captaining it briefly (as did Pataudi).

For all that it is my friend who will have the last laugh. Wikipedia again:</p>
<p>“Ranjitsinhji’s last first-class cricket came in 1920; having lost an eye in a hunting accident, he played only three matches and found he could not focus on the ball properly. Possibly prompted by embarrassment at his performance, he later claimed his sole motivation for returning was to write a book about batting with one eye; such a book was never published.[166]”</p>
<p>Was there any famous cricketer (other than Pataudi) from India who played with a visual impairment? Well, you can bet your right eye on it.</p>
<p>Niranjan Ramakrishnan is a writer living in the USA. He can be reached at <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a>.</p> | 2,273 |
<p>CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — With Mikaela Shiffrin dominating the World Cup circuit this season, it can seem like a distant memory when the American was locked in a tight battle with Lara Gut for last year’s title.</p>
<p>That’s because that contest ended prematurely when Gut ruptured her left ACL last February in a crash during slalom warmups for the combined event of her home world championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland.</p>
<p>Gut had surgery and missed the rest of the season. She returned at the start of this season but had recorded just two podiums results — both second-places — before winning the final super-G before next month’s Pyeongchang Olympics on Sunday.</p>
<p>It was Gut’s first victory since winning the downhill in Cortina almost a year ago.</p>
<p>“It’s good to be back — to be back winning,” Gut said. “In super-G I’ve always been fast. ... If I ski the way I can I’m always top 10.”</p>
<p>In a race on a shortened course that was shaped by strong winds, overcast conditions and overnight snowfall, Gut clocked 1 minute, 14.78 seconds for a 0.14-second advantage over Johanna Schnarf of Italy.</p>
<p>Nicole Schmidhofer of Austria finished third, 0.27 behind.</p>
<p>Shiffrin missed a gate midway through her run and Italian favorite Sofia Goggia hit a gate and also did not finish.</p>
<p>“The whole way down I skied way too direct of a line, which is really frustrating because the problem was with my inspection and I’m not exactly sure what we can do for me to be better prepared for super-Gs,” Shiffrin said. “One of my biggest issues right now is still switching from the timing of downhill turns to super-G turns.”</p>
<p>Still, Shiffrin holds a nearly insurmountable 876-point lead over Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein in the overall standings. Gut reclaimed the lead in the super-G ranks, 18 points ahead of Weirather.</p>
<p>After last year’s Cortina races, Shiffrin’s lead over Gut in the overall standings was just 80 points.</p>
<p>Gut won the overall title two seasons ago, which helped her erase memories of the 2014 Sochi Olympics — where she cried in disappointment after taking the bronze medal in the downhill. Gut finished the Sochi race a slim 0.10 seconds behind joint gold medalists Tina Maze of Slovenia and Swiss teammate Dominique Gisin.</p>
<p>“I know what it means to go to the Olympics now,” Gut said. “The first time you go to the Olympics it’s like discovering what it is and you have to tell yourself that it’s just a race. ... I’m going to try to give it something even more.”</p>
<p>Sunday’s win was the 24th victory of Gut’s World Cup career.</p>
<p>Lindsey Vonn, the record-holder in Cortina with 12 wins, was slowed by a strong gust of wind and finished sixth, 0.37 back.</p>
<p>“I’ve never had a gust that strong,” Vonn said. “I could barely make out the next gate and I was just hoping that I would see it at the last minute.”</p>
<p>Vonn started sixth and Gut was next.</p>
<p>“Some people obviously had it worse than others,” Vonn said.</p>
<p>Gut trailed Schnarf at all three checkpoints but then established her lead through the final gates.</p>
<p>“I didn’t have any wind, so I was fast,” Gut said.</p>
<p>Due to increasing wind, the race was called off after 44 of 58 skiers had started.</p>
<p>Thirteen skiers did not finish and there were several crashes — the worst of which involved Nadine Fest of Austria, who spun around at high speed and ended up in the safety netting. She was taken down the course on a sled and was being checked for a suspected knee injury.</p>
<p>Laura Pirovano of Italy also crashed heavily.</p>
<p>Federica Brignone, the Italian who won the previous super-G, did not start due to a fever.</p>
<p>Brignone will be looking to defend her victory in Tuesday’s giant slalom in nearby San Vigilio di Marebbe.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP Olympic coverage: <a href="https://wintergames.ap.org" type="external" /> <a href="https://wintergames.ap.org" type="external">https://wintergames.ap.org</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Andrew Dampf on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/asdampf" type="external">www.twitter.com/asdampf</a></p>
<p>CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — With Mikaela Shiffrin dominating the World Cup circuit this season, it can seem like a distant memory when the American was locked in a tight battle with Lara Gut for last year’s title.</p>
<p>That’s because that contest ended prematurely when Gut ruptured her left ACL last February in a crash during slalom warmups for the combined event of her home world championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland.</p>
<p>Gut had surgery and missed the rest of the season. She returned at the start of this season but had recorded just two podiums results — both second-places — before winning the final super-G before next month’s Pyeongchang Olympics on Sunday.</p>
<p>It was Gut’s first victory since winning the downhill in Cortina almost a year ago.</p>
<p>“It’s good to be back — to be back winning,” Gut said. “In super-G I’ve always been fast. ... If I ski the way I can I’m always top 10.”</p>
<p>In a race on a shortened course that was shaped by strong winds, overcast conditions and overnight snowfall, Gut clocked 1 minute, 14.78 seconds for a 0.14-second advantage over Johanna Schnarf of Italy.</p>
<p>Nicole Schmidhofer of Austria finished third, 0.27 behind.</p>
<p>Shiffrin missed a gate midway through her run and Italian favorite Sofia Goggia hit a gate and also did not finish.</p>
<p>“The whole way down I skied way too direct of a line, which is really frustrating because the problem was with my inspection and I’m not exactly sure what we can do for me to be better prepared for super-Gs,” Shiffrin said. “One of my biggest issues right now is still switching from the timing of downhill turns to super-G turns.”</p>
<p>Still, Shiffrin holds a nearly insurmountable 876-point lead over Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein in the overall standings. Gut reclaimed the lead in the super-G ranks, 18 points ahead of Weirather.</p>
<p>After last year’s Cortina races, Shiffrin’s lead over Gut in the overall standings was just 80 points.</p>
<p>Gut won the overall title two seasons ago, which helped her erase memories of the 2014 Sochi Olympics — where she cried in disappointment after taking the bronze medal in the downhill. Gut finished the Sochi race a slim 0.10 seconds behind joint gold medalists Tina Maze of Slovenia and Swiss teammate Dominique Gisin.</p>
<p>“I know what it means to go to the Olympics now,” Gut said. “The first time you go to the Olympics it’s like discovering what it is and you have to tell yourself that it’s just a race. ... I’m going to try to give it something even more.”</p>
<p>Sunday’s win was the 24th victory of Gut’s World Cup career.</p>
<p>Lindsey Vonn, the record-holder in Cortina with 12 wins, was slowed by a strong gust of wind and finished sixth, 0.37 back.</p>
<p>“I’ve never had a gust that strong,” Vonn said. “I could barely make out the next gate and I was just hoping that I would see it at the last minute.”</p>
<p>Vonn started sixth and Gut was next.</p>
<p>“Some people obviously had it worse than others,” Vonn said.</p>
<p>Gut trailed Schnarf at all three checkpoints but then established her lead through the final gates.</p>
<p>“I didn’t have any wind, so I was fast,” Gut said.</p>
<p>Due to increasing wind, the race was called off after 44 of 58 skiers had started.</p>
<p>Thirteen skiers did not finish and there were several crashes — the worst of which involved Nadine Fest of Austria, who spun around at high speed and ended up in the safety netting. She was taken down the course on a sled and was being checked for a suspected knee injury.</p>
<p>Laura Pirovano of Italy also crashed heavily.</p>
<p>Federica Brignone, the Italian who won the previous super-G, did not start due to a fever.</p>
<p>Brignone will be looking to defend her victory in Tuesday’s giant slalom in nearby San Vigilio di Marebbe.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP Olympic coverage: <a href="https://wintergames.ap.org" type="external" /> <a href="https://wintergames.ap.org" type="external">https://wintergames.ap.org</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Andrew Dampf on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/asdampf" type="external">www.twitter.com/asdampf</a></p> | ‘It’s good to be back’: Gut’s win marks return from injury | false | https://apnews.com/81cad6d95e25438db9eed628b2aee215 | 2018-01-21 | 2least
| ‘It’s good to be back’: Gut’s win marks return from injury
<p>CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — With Mikaela Shiffrin dominating the World Cup circuit this season, it can seem like a distant memory when the American was locked in a tight battle with Lara Gut for last year’s title.</p>
<p>That’s because that contest ended prematurely when Gut ruptured her left ACL last February in a crash during slalom warmups for the combined event of her home world championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland.</p>
<p>Gut had surgery and missed the rest of the season. She returned at the start of this season but had recorded just two podiums results — both second-places — before winning the final super-G before next month’s Pyeongchang Olympics on Sunday.</p>
<p>It was Gut’s first victory since winning the downhill in Cortina almost a year ago.</p>
<p>“It’s good to be back — to be back winning,” Gut said. “In super-G I’ve always been fast. ... If I ski the way I can I’m always top 10.”</p>
<p>In a race on a shortened course that was shaped by strong winds, overcast conditions and overnight snowfall, Gut clocked 1 minute, 14.78 seconds for a 0.14-second advantage over Johanna Schnarf of Italy.</p>
<p>Nicole Schmidhofer of Austria finished third, 0.27 behind.</p>
<p>Shiffrin missed a gate midway through her run and Italian favorite Sofia Goggia hit a gate and also did not finish.</p>
<p>“The whole way down I skied way too direct of a line, which is really frustrating because the problem was with my inspection and I’m not exactly sure what we can do for me to be better prepared for super-Gs,” Shiffrin said. “One of my biggest issues right now is still switching from the timing of downhill turns to super-G turns.”</p>
<p>Still, Shiffrin holds a nearly insurmountable 876-point lead over Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein in the overall standings. Gut reclaimed the lead in the super-G ranks, 18 points ahead of Weirather.</p>
<p>After last year’s Cortina races, Shiffrin’s lead over Gut in the overall standings was just 80 points.</p>
<p>Gut won the overall title two seasons ago, which helped her erase memories of the 2014 Sochi Olympics — where she cried in disappointment after taking the bronze medal in the downhill. Gut finished the Sochi race a slim 0.10 seconds behind joint gold medalists Tina Maze of Slovenia and Swiss teammate Dominique Gisin.</p>
<p>“I know what it means to go to the Olympics now,” Gut said. “The first time you go to the Olympics it’s like discovering what it is and you have to tell yourself that it’s just a race. ... I’m going to try to give it something even more.”</p>
<p>Sunday’s win was the 24th victory of Gut’s World Cup career.</p>
<p>Lindsey Vonn, the record-holder in Cortina with 12 wins, was slowed by a strong gust of wind and finished sixth, 0.37 back.</p>
<p>“I’ve never had a gust that strong,” Vonn said. “I could barely make out the next gate and I was just hoping that I would see it at the last minute.”</p>
<p>Vonn started sixth and Gut was next.</p>
<p>“Some people obviously had it worse than others,” Vonn said.</p>
<p>Gut trailed Schnarf at all three checkpoints but then established her lead through the final gates.</p>
<p>“I didn’t have any wind, so I was fast,” Gut said.</p>
<p>Due to increasing wind, the race was called off after 44 of 58 skiers had started.</p>
<p>Thirteen skiers did not finish and there were several crashes — the worst of which involved Nadine Fest of Austria, who spun around at high speed and ended up in the safety netting. She was taken down the course on a sled and was being checked for a suspected knee injury.</p>
<p>Laura Pirovano of Italy also crashed heavily.</p>
<p>Federica Brignone, the Italian who won the previous super-G, did not start due to a fever.</p>
<p>Brignone will be looking to defend her victory in Tuesday’s giant slalom in nearby San Vigilio di Marebbe.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP Olympic coverage: <a href="https://wintergames.ap.org" type="external" /> <a href="https://wintergames.ap.org" type="external">https://wintergames.ap.org</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Andrew Dampf on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/asdampf" type="external">www.twitter.com/asdampf</a></p>
<p>CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — With Mikaela Shiffrin dominating the World Cup circuit this season, it can seem like a distant memory when the American was locked in a tight battle with Lara Gut for last year’s title.</p>
<p>That’s because that contest ended prematurely when Gut ruptured her left ACL last February in a crash during slalom warmups for the combined event of her home world championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland.</p>
<p>Gut had surgery and missed the rest of the season. She returned at the start of this season but had recorded just two podiums results — both second-places — before winning the final super-G before next month’s Pyeongchang Olympics on Sunday.</p>
<p>It was Gut’s first victory since winning the downhill in Cortina almost a year ago.</p>
<p>“It’s good to be back — to be back winning,” Gut said. “In super-G I’ve always been fast. ... If I ski the way I can I’m always top 10.”</p>
<p>In a race on a shortened course that was shaped by strong winds, overcast conditions and overnight snowfall, Gut clocked 1 minute, 14.78 seconds for a 0.14-second advantage over Johanna Schnarf of Italy.</p>
<p>Nicole Schmidhofer of Austria finished third, 0.27 behind.</p>
<p>Shiffrin missed a gate midway through her run and Italian favorite Sofia Goggia hit a gate and also did not finish.</p>
<p>“The whole way down I skied way too direct of a line, which is really frustrating because the problem was with my inspection and I’m not exactly sure what we can do for me to be better prepared for super-Gs,” Shiffrin said. “One of my biggest issues right now is still switching from the timing of downhill turns to super-G turns.”</p>
<p>Still, Shiffrin holds a nearly insurmountable 876-point lead over Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein in the overall standings. Gut reclaimed the lead in the super-G ranks, 18 points ahead of Weirather.</p>
<p>After last year’s Cortina races, Shiffrin’s lead over Gut in the overall standings was just 80 points.</p>
<p>Gut won the overall title two seasons ago, which helped her erase memories of the 2014 Sochi Olympics — where she cried in disappointment after taking the bronze medal in the downhill. Gut finished the Sochi race a slim 0.10 seconds behind joint gold medalists Tina Maze of Slovenia and Swiss teammate Dominique Gisin.</p>
<p>“I know what it means to go to the Olympics now,” Gut said. “The first time you go to the Olympics it’s like discovering what it is and you have to tell yourself that it’s just a race. ... I’m going to try to give it something even more.”</p>
<p>Sunday’s win was the 24th victory of Gut’s World Cup career.</p>
<p>Lindsey Vonn, the record-holder in Cortina with 12 wins, was slowed by a strong gust of wind and finished sixth, 0.37 back.</p>
<p>“I’ve never had a gust that strong,” Vonn said. “I could barely make out the next gate and I was just hoping that I would see it at the last minute.”</p>
<p>Vonn started sixth and Gut was next.</p>
<p>“Some people obviously had it worse than others,” Vonn said.</p>
<p>Gut trailed Schnarf at all three checkpoints but then established her lead through the final gates.</p>
<p>“I didn’t have any wind, so I was fast,” Gut said.</p>
<p>Due to increasing wind, the race was called off after 44 of 58 skiers had started.</p>
<p>Thirteen skiers did not finish and there were several crashes — the worst of which involved Nadine Fest of Austria, who spun around at high speed and ended up in the safety netting. She was taken down the course on a sled and was being checked for a suspected knee injury.</p>
<p>Laura Pirovano of Italy also crashed heavily.</p>
<p>Federica Brignone, the Italian who won the previous super-G, did not start due to a fever.</p>
<p>Brignone will be looking to defend her victory in Tuesday’s giant slalom in nearby San Vigilio di Marebbe.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP Olympic coverage: <a href="https://wintergames.ap.org" type="external" /> <a href="https://wintergames.ap.org" type="external">https://wintergames.ap.org</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Andrew Dampf on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/asdampf" type="external">www.twitter.com/asdampf</a></p> | 2,274 |
<p>Nov 28 (Reuters) - Tokyo-based bitFlyer will launch a virtual currency exchange platform in the United States, the bitcoin exchange operator said on Tuesday.</p>
<p>The launch comes as the value of bitcoin hovers around a historic $10,000 level after surging since the start of the year.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>BitFlyer received approval from the New York Department of Financial Services to operate as a virtual currency exchange, it said. (Reporting By Aparajita Saxena in Bengaluru; editing by Sai Sachin Ravikumar)</p> | Bitcoin exchange bitFlyer launches in U.S. | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/11/28/bitcoin-exchange-bitflyer-launches-in-us.html | 2017-11-29 | 0right
| Bitcoin exchange bitFlyer launches in U.S.
<p>Nov 28 (Reuters) - Tokyo-based bitFlyer will launch a virtual currency exchange platform in the United States, the bitcoin exchange operator said on Tuesday.</p>
<p>The launch comes as the value of bitcoin hovers around a historic $10,000 level after surging since the start of the year.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>BitFlyer received approval from the New York Department of Financial Services to operate as a virtual currency exchange, it said. (Reporting By Aparajita Saxena in Bengaluru; editing by Sai Sachin Ravikumar)</p> | 2,275 |
<p>More than 10,000 people converged in Washington, D.C., this past week to discuss, organize, mobilize and protest around the issue of climate change. While tax day tea party gatherings of a few hundred scattered around the country made the news, this massive gathering, Power Shift 2011, was largely ignored by the media. They met the week before Earth Day, around the first anniversary of the BP oil rig explosion and the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, while the Fukushima nuclear plant still spews radioactivity into the environment. Against such a calamitous backdrop, this renewed movement’s power and passion ensure that it won’t be ignored for long.</p>
<p>Rallying those attending to the work ahead, environmentalist, author and founder of 350.org Bill McKibben said: “This city is as polluted as Beijing. But instead of coal smoke, it’s polluted by money. Money warps our political life, it obscures our vision. … We know now what we need to do, and the first thing we need to do is build a movement. We will never have as much money as the oil companies, so we need a different currency to work in, we need bodies, we need creativity, we need spirit.”</p>
<p>The organizers of Power Shift describe it as an intensive boot camp, training a new generation of organizers to go back to their communities and build the movement that McKibben called for. Three areas are targeted by the organizers: Catalyzing the Clean Energy Economy, Campus Climate Challenge 2.0 and Beyond Dirty Energy. The campaigns cross major sectors of U.S. society. The move for a clean-energy economy has been embraced by the AFL-CIO, seeing the potential for employment in construction of wind turbines, installation of solar panels and, one of the potentially greenest and oft-ignored sectors, retrofitting of existing buildings with energy efficiencies such as better insulation and weatherproofing.</p>
<p>On April 18, tax day, thousands held a “Make Big Polluters Pay” rally, targeting the fossil-fuel and nonrenewable-energy industries. The demonstrators gathered in Lafayette Park, a traditional protest square wedged between the White House and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. As Bill McKibben said, the Chamber “spends more money lobbying than the next five lobbies combined. It spent more money on politics last year than the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee combined, and 94 percent of that went to climate deniers.”</p>
<p />
<p>The protests also targeted BP’s offices, just after the BP shareholders meeting was held last week in London. There, security officers blocked the entrance of a delegation of four fishermen and -women from the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coast areas heavily damaged by last year’s oil spill. Diane Wilson, a fourth-generation fisherwoman, was arrested for disturbing the peace. “That was pretty outrageous,” she said. “They had disrupted our lives down there. But just appearing at the door of a BP general assembly, and we’re disrupting the peace.”</p>
<p>Many of those gathered at Power Shift 2011 were not yet born when the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear disasters happened. These young people, seeking sustainable, renewable futures, are now learning about what President Barack Obama calls the “nuclear renaissance.” The Fukushima nuclear crisis has escalated in severity to the top rating of seven, on par with Chernobyl. Best estimates are that the radiation leaks will persist for months, with ongoing impacts on health and the environment impossible to forecast.</p>
<p>Will Obama proceed to deliver $80 billion in loan guarantees to build more nuclear power plants in the United States? He claims he’s against tax cuts for the rich, but what about public subsidies for oil, gas, coal and nuclear, among the richest industries on Earth?</p>
<p>We recently built new studios from which to broadcast the “Democracy Now!” news hour on public television and radio around the United States. Ours is the greenest TV/radio/Internet broadcast facility in the nation, receiving the top rating, LEED Platinum (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), from the U.S. Green Building Council. The medium is the message. We all need to do our part in pursuit of sustainability.</p>
<p>Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column.</p>
<p>Amy Goodman is the host of “Democracy Now!,” a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on more than 900 stations in North America. She is the author of “Breaking the Sound Barrier,” recently released in paperback and now a New York Times best-seller.</p>
<p>© 2011 Amy Goodman Distributed by King Features Syndicate</p> | Power Shift vs. The Powers That Be | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/power-shift-vs-the-powers-that-be/ | 2011-04-20 | 4left
| Power Shift vs. The Powers That Be
<p>More than 10,000 people converged in Washington, D.C., this past week to discuss, organize, mobilize and protest around the issue of climate change. While tax day tea party gatherings of a few hundred scattered around the country made the news, this massive gathering, Power Shift 2011, was largely ignored by the media. They met the week before Earth Day, around the first anniversary of the BP oil rig explosion and the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, while the Fukushima nuclear plant still spews radioactivity into the environment. Against such a calamitous backdrop, this renewed movement’s power and passion ensure that it won’t be ignored for long.</p>
<p>Rallying those attending to the work ahead, environmentalist, author and founder of 350.org Bill McKibben said: “This city is as polluted as Beijing. But instead of coal smoke, it’s polluted by money. Money warps our political life, it obscures our vision. … We know now what we need to do, and the first thing we need to do is build a movement. We will never have as much money as the oil companies, so we need a different currency to work in, we need bodies, we need creativity, we need spirit.”</p>
<p>The organizers of Power Shift describe it as an intensive boot camp, training a new generation of organizers to go back to their communities and build the movement that McKibben called for. Three areas are targeted by the organizers: Catalyzing the Clean Energy Economy, Campus Climate Challenge 2.0 and Beyond Dirty Energy. The campaigns cross major sectors of U.S. society. The move for a clean-energy economy has been embraced by the AFL-CIO, seeing the potential for employment in construction of wind turbines, installation of solar panels and, one of the potentially greenest and oft-ignored sectors, retrofitting of existing buildings with energy efficiencies such as better insulation and weatherproofing.</p>
<p>On April 18, tax day, thousands held a “Make Big Polluters Pay” rally, targeting the fossil-fuel and nonrenewable-energy industries. The demonstrators gathered in Lafayette Park, a traditional protest square wedged between the White House and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. As Bill McKibben said, the Chamber “spends more money lobbying than the next five lobbies combined. It spent more money on politics last year than the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee combined, and 94 percent of that went to climate deniers.”</p>
<p />
<p>The protests also targeted BP’s offices, just after the BP shareholders meeting was held last week in London. There, security officers blocked the entrance of a delegation of four fishermen and -women from the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coast areas heavily damaged by last year’s oil spill. Diane Wilson, a fourth-generation fisherwoman, was arrested for disturbing the peace. “That was pretty outrageous,” she said. “They had disrupted our lives down there. But just appearing at the door of a BP general assembly, and we’re disrupting the peace.”</p>
<p>Many of those gathered at Power Shift 2011 were not yet born when the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl nuclear disasters happened. These young people, seeking sustainable, renewable futures, are now learning about what President Barack Obama calls the “nuclear renaissance.” The Fukushima nuclear crisis has escalated in severity to the top rating of seven, on par with Chernobyl. Best estimates are that the radiation leaks will persist for months, with ongoing impacts on health and the environment impossible to forecast.</p>
<p>Will Obama proceed to deliver $80 billion in loan guarantees to build more nuclear power plants in the United States? He claims he’s against tax cuts for the rich, but what about public subsidies for oil, gas, coal and nuclear, among the richest industries on Earth?</p>
<p>We recently built new studios from which to broadcast the “Democracy Now!” news hour on public television and radio around the United States. Ours is the greenest TV/radio/Internet broadcast facility in the nation, receiving the top rating, LEED Platinum (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), from the U.S. Green Building Council. The medium is the message. We all need to do our part in pursuit of sustainability.</p>
<p>Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column.</p>
<p>Amy Goodman is the host of “Democracy Now!,” a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on more than 900 stations in North America. She is the author of “Breaking the Sound Barrier,” recently released in paperback and now a New York Times best-seller.</p>
<p>© 2011 Amy Goodman Distributed by King Features Syndicate</p> | 2,276 |
<p>President Donald Trump’s campaign opponents frequently attacked his character. They said he was unstable and prone to anger. They tried to highlight the purportedly dangerous nature of these traits by pointing to the president’s control of our nuclear arsenal. They asked, “Do you trust Trump with the nuclear codes?” Despite misgivings, Americans ultimately shrugged off those concerns and trusted him with the bomb.</p>
<p>The current North Korea crisis makes these once-hypothetical concerns real. When the U.S. president responds to North Korean provocation with the warning that North Koreans face “fire and fury” if they attack us, the world wonders if that “fury” will fuel nuclear fire. When he follows that statement up with tweets about America’s nuclear arsenal, world leaders begin to think that perhaps the president means what he says.</p>
<p>North Korea’s regular nuclear tests and missile launches have, according to our intelligence agencies, indicated a growing capacity to hit the continental United States with a nuclear bomb. Other presidents have responded to similar but less threatening actions with sanctions and diplomacy. Those efforts have clearly not worked. It’s not unreasonable for the president to think that the establishment’s way hasn’t worked, so something different—and more bellicose—is a better way to deal with the erratic regime in Pyongyang.</p>
<p>He might be right. During the Cold War, elite opinion regularly castigated President Ronald Reagan’s more diplomatic, but no less blunt, talk about the Soviet Union. They said he was increasing the threat of nuclear war by rhetorically confronting the Communists, backing that talk up with a military buildup, and showing the willingness to use that might in strikes against Libya and the invasion of Grenada. Time proved the critics wrong and Reagan right.</p>
<p>Indeed, days after Trump’s “fire and fury” comments, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at least temporarily backed off his threat to bomb the U.S. military base in Guam. The problem comes less with Trump’s talk and more with the implication that he has laid down a red line. Words matter when you are president. Bluffing might work when you are negotiating a real estate deal: Giving an adversary a point you said you would never give matters little in the end when all that’s at stake is money. Bluffing with nuclear weapons is another matter.</p>
<p>Suppose North Korea did respond to Trump’s statement by launching nuclear weapons at Guam. Trump has verbally committed America to a response with the potential to kill millions, and perhaps cause millions of deaths among our allies if North Korea held back enough nuclear weapons to use to retaliate against South Korea and Japan. If backing America costs a country millions of lives, many countries will undoubtedly think it safer outside our nuclear umbrella than under it.</p>
<p>Bluffing would lead to another poor result. President Barack Obama’s failure to carry through on his promise to bomb Syria if it used chemical weapons against its rebellious citizens has encouraged our adversaries to test our resolve around the globe. Failure to enforce one red line inevitably encourages nations to find what the real line is. That always leads to war or endless retreat.</p>
<p>I doubt either North Korea or President Trump will launch the bomb this time. I do think, though, that the result of this conflict will shape the tenor of world affairs for the next few years. And that result will be shaped chiefly by the president’s character.</p>
<p>Henry Olsen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.</p> | Atomic Bluff? | false | https://eppc.org/publications/atomic-bluff/ | 1right-center
| Atomic Bluff?
<p>President Donald Trump’s campaign opponents frequently attacked his character. They said he was unstable and prone to anger. They tried to highlight the purportedly dangerous nature of these traits by pointing to the president’s control of our nuclear arsenal. They asked, “Do you trust Trump with the nuclear codes?” Despite misgivings, Americans ultimately shrugged off those concerns and trusted him with the bomb.</p>
<p>The current North Korea crisis makes these once-hypothetical concerns real. When the U.S. president responds to North Korean provocation with the warning that North Koreans face “fire and fury” if they attack us, the world wonders if that “fury” will fuel nuclear fire. When he follows that statement up with tweets about America’s nuclear arsenal, world leaders begin to think that perhaps the president means what he says.</p>
<p>North Korea’s regular nuclear tests and missile launches have, according to our intelligence agencies, indicated a growing capacity to hit the continental United States with a nuclear bomb. Other presidents have responded to similar but less threatening actions with sanctions and diplomacy. Those efforts have clearly not worked. It’s not unreasonable for the president to think that the establishment’s way hasn’t worked, so something different—and more bellicose—is a better way to deal with the erratic regime in Pyongyang.</p>
<p>He might be right. During the Cold War, elite opinion regularly castigated President Ronald Reagan’s more diplomatic, but no less blunt, talk about the Soviet Union. They said he was increasing the threat of nuclear war by rhetorically confronting the Communists, backing that talk up with a military buildup, and showing the willingness to use that might in strikes against Libya and the invasion of Grenada. Time proved the critics wrong and Reagan right.</p>
<p>Indeed, days after Trump’s “fire and fury” comments, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at least temporarily backed off his threat to bomb the U.S. military base in Guam. The problem comes less with Trump’s talk and more with the implication that he has laid down a red line. Words matter when you are president. Bluffing might work when you are negotiating a real estate deal: Giving an adversary a point you said you would never give matters little in the end when all that’s at stake is money. Bluffing with nuclear weapons is another matter.</p>
<p>Suppose North Korea did respond to Trump’s statement by launching nuclear weapons at Guam. Trump has verbally committed America to a response with the potential to kill millions, and perhaps cause millions of deaths among our allies if North Korea held back enough nuclear weapons to use to retaliate against South Korea and Japan. If backing America costs a country millions of lives, many countries will undoubtedly think it safer outside our nuclear umbrella than under it.</p>
<p>Bluffing would lead to another poor result. President Barack Obama’s failure to carry through on his promise to bomb Syria if it used chemical weapons against its rebellious citizens has encouraged our adversaries to test our resolve around the globe. Failure to enforce one red line inevitably encourages nations to find what the real line is. That always leads to war or endless retreat.</p>
<p>I doubt either North Korea or President Trump will launch the bomb this time. I do think, though, that the result of this conflict will shape the tenor of world affairs for the next few years. And that result will be shaped chiefly by the president’s character.</p>
<p>Henry Olsen is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.</p> | 2,277 |
|
<p>People jokingly say they are addicted to chocolate, McDonald’s french fries, cheesecake or other rich, sweet, fatty foods, but it may be no joke. Scientists have confirmed that fattening foods, particularly those involving sugar, may be addictive, a particular problem in the holiday&#160;season when&#160;cookies, fudge and other high calorie foods abound.</p>
<p>Some experts think it is inappropriate to label food as “addictive” because it is necessary for life and is not something people can quit consuming. A <a href="http://theconversation.com/food-addiction-how-processed-food-makes-you-eat-more-15747" type="external">study</a> on sugar addiction published in the September 2013 issue of&#160;American Journal of Clinical Nutrition provided some insight into why so many&#160;people in developed countries have so much trouble maintaining a normal weight. The study showed that similar brain patterns occurred in participants consuming high fat and sugar foods as occur in people who consume addictive substances such as heroin and cocaine.</p>
<p>Lead researcher Belinda Lennerz, a Harvard University Fellow in Pediatric Endocrinology, said that the study wanted to find out whether eating out of stress, frustration or for pleasure had any relationship to highly-processed, good tasting food. They were particularly interested in those foods with a high glycaemic index, such as refined starches and concentrated sugar that cause rapid fluctuations in blood sugar.</p>
<p>Typically, within a few hours of consuming a high glycaemic index meal, blood sugar falls below fasting levels, leading to hunger and overeating. The research attempted to understand why, whether it was a physical blood sugar level or a psychological reaction to the taste of the food.</p>
<p>The researchers&#160;tested the theory on 12 healthy, overweight, men, giving them identical milkshakes with either a high or low glycaemic index. Four hours after consumption those who drank the high glycaemic index shakes were hungrier than those who drank the shakes with the low glycaemic index.</p>
<p>MRI studies were also done on the participants, which found intense activation of the parts&#160;of the brain that mediate pleasure and feelings of reward and craving after processed sugar consumption. Similar patterns occur in people after they consume addictive substances such as cocaine or heroin.</p>
<p>Another <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/28/fatty.foods.brain/" type="external">study</a>in rats, published in 2010 in the journal Nature Neuroscience, looked at the addictive nature of high-fat, high-calorie foods, and found that their consumption also affected the brain in a way that resembles the response to addictive drugs.&#160;This study looked at the effects of high-fat, high-calorie food consumption, and found that, given unlimited access to tasty food, the rats gorged themselves into obesity, even in the face of electric shocks applied to their feet in the presence of that food.</p>
<p>Paul J. Kenny, Ph.D. is an associate professor of molecular therapeutics at Scripps Research Institute and co-author of the study. He says that “people know intuitively that there’s more to [overeating] than just willpower.” He says there is a system in the brain that gets overactivated or turned on that drives overeating at some subconscious level.</p>
<p>Chair of the medical department at the U.S. Department of Energy’sBrookhaven National Laboratory Gene-Jack Wang, MD, said it is not surprising that junk food could provoke such a brain response, saying that “we make our food very similar to cocaine now.” People have learned to purify cocaine in order to deliver it more efficiently to the brain, making it more addictive. He says food has evolved in a similar way, purified and highly processed. He says that we eat white bread, &#160; &#160; while our ancestors ate whole grains. American Indians ate corn, but instead&#160;we eat corn syrup. Wang says the ingredients in modern, purified and processed foods cause people to eat unconsciously and unnecessarily, like a drug abuser uses drugs.</p>
<p>Kenny says that overeating causes the levels of dopamine receptors in the brain to drop. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in the brain’s pleasure center. Low levels of dopamine, which may be genetic, are&#160;associated with drug addiction and obesity.</p>
<p>Fast food is a land mine for addictive behavior, <a href="http://www.wcpo.com/news/health/healthy-living/are-ingredients-in-fast-food-addictive-say-it-aint-so" type="external">laden with both fat and sugar, highly processed and full of additives</a>. Sugar, usually in the form of highly processed high fructose corn syrup, is present in buns and other fast food items. Fat and overall calorie counts are high. Salt helps keep fast food costs low through its preservative and flavor enhancing characteristics, but is also addictive. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a common fast food additive that enhances flavor, but may hinder the feeling of fullness, leading to overconsumption.</p>
<p>One particularly addictive additive in fast foods is casein, considered the “nicotine of fast food.” Casein is a protein occurring naturally in cow’s milk, but fast food producers concentrate it by adding calcium hydrogen phosphate, a preservative. Casein is added to fast food breads, french fries, salad dressings and milkshakes. <a href="http://www.pcrm.org/" type="external">The Physicians Committee</a> in Washington, D.C. says that as casein breaks apart during digestion it releases opiates, one of which has about one-tenth the painkilling potency of morphine.</p>
<p>Lennerz concludes that more research is needed on the idea of food addiction, but “the fact that a food may affect addiction centers in the brain, independent of calories or pleasure, provides the basis to rethink current dietary recommendations.</p>
<p /> | Food addictions to fat and sugar similar to cocaine and heroin in brain response | false | http://natmonitor.com/2014/12/12/food-addictions-to-fat-and-sugar-similar-to-cocaine-and-heroin-in-brain-response/ | 2014-12-12 | 3left-center
| Food addictions to fat and sugar similar to cocaine and heroin in brain response
<p>People jokingly say they are addicted to chocolate, McDonald’s french fries, cheesecake or other rich, sweet, fatty foods, but it may be no joke. Scientists have confirmed that fattening foods, particularly those involving sugar, may be addictive, a particular problem in the holiday&#160;season when&#160;cookies, fudge and other high calorie foods abound.</p>
<p>Some experts think it is inappropriate to label food as “addictive” because it is necessary for life and is not something people can quit consuming. A <a href="http://theconversation.com/food-addiction-how-processed-food-makes-you-eat-more-15747" type="external">study</a> on sugar addiction published in the September 2013 issue of&#160;American Journal of Clinical Nutrition provided some insight into why so many&#160;people in developed countries have so much trouble maintaining a normal weight. The study showed that similar brain patterns occurred in participants consuming high fat and sugar foods as occur in people who consume addictive substances such as heroin and cocaine.</p>
<p>Lead researcher Belinda Lennerz, a Harvard University Fellow in Pediatric Endocrinology, said that the study wanted to find out whether eating out of stress, frustration or for pleasure had any relationship to highly-processed, good tasting food. They were particularly interested in those foods with a high glycaemic index, such as refined starches and concentrated sugar that cause rapid fluctuations in blood sugar.</p>
<p>Typically, within a few hours of consuming a high glycaemic index meal, blood sugar falls below fasting levels, leading to hunger and overeating. The research attempted to understand why, whether it was a physical blood sugar level or a psychological reaction to the taste of the food.</p>
<p>The researchers&#160;tested the theory on 12 healthy, overweight, men, giving them identical milkshakes with either a high or low glycaemic index. Four hours after consumption those who drank the high glycaemic index shakes were hungrier than those who drank the shakes with the low glycaemic index.</p>
<p>MRI studies were also done on the participants, which found intense activation of the parts&#160;of the brain that mediate pleasure and feelings of reward and craving after processed sugar consumption. Similar patterns occur in people after they consume addictive substances such as cocaine or heroin.</p>
<p>Another <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/28/fatty.foods.brain/" type="external">study</a>in rats, published in 2010 in the journal Nature Neuroscience, looked at the addictive nature of high-fat, high-calorie foods, and found that their consumption also affected the brain in a way that resembles the response to addictive drugs.&#160;This study looked at the effects of high-fat, high-calorie food consumption, and found that, given unlimited access to tasty food, the rats gorged themselves into obesity, even in the face of electric shocks applied to their feet in the presence of that food.</p>
<p>Paul J. Kenny, Ph.D. is an associate professor of molecular therapeutics at Scripps Research Institute and co-author of the study. He says that “people know intuitively that there’s more to [overeating] than just willpower.” He says there is a system in the brain that gets overactivated or turned on that drives overeating at some subconscious level.</p>
<p>Chair of the medical department at the U.S. Department of Energy’sBrookhaven National Laboratory Gene-Jack Wang, MD, said it is not surprising that junk food could provoke such a brain response, saying that “we make our food very similar to cocaine now.” People have learned to purify cocaine in order to deliver it more efficiently to the brain, making it more addictive. He says food has evolved in a similar way, purified and highly processed. He says that we eat white bread, &#160; &#160; while our ancestors ate whole grains. American Indians ate corn, but instead&#160;we eat corn syrup. Wang says the ingredients in modern, purified and processed foods cause people to eat unconsciously and unnecessarily, like a drug abuser uses drugs.</p>
<p>Kenny says that overeating causes the levels of dopamine receptors in the brain to drop. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in the brain’s pleasure center. Low levels of dopamine, which may be genetic, are&#160;associated with drug addiction and obesity.</p>
<p>Fast food is a land mine for addictive behavior, <a href="http://www.wcpo.com/news/health/healthy-living/are-ingredients-in-fast-food-addictive-say-it-aint-so" type="external">laden with both fat and sugar, highly processed and full of additives</a>. Sugar, usually in the form of highly processed high fructose corn syrup, is present in buns and other fast food items. Fat and overall calorie counts are high. Salt helps keep fast food costs low through its preservative and flavor enhancing characteristics, but is also addictive. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a common fast food additive that enhances flavor, but may hinder the feeling of fullness, leading to overconsumption.</p>
<p>One particularly addictive additive in fast foods is casein, considered the “nicotine of fast food.” Casein is a protein occurring naturally in cow’s milk, but fast food producers concentrate it by adding calcium hydrogen phosphate, a preservative. Casein is added to fast food breads, french fries, salad dressings and milkshakes. <a href="http://www.pcrm.org/" type="external">The Physicians Committee</a> in Washington, D.C. says that as casein breaks apart during digestion it releases opiates, one of which has about one-tenth the painkilling potency of morphine.</p>
<p>Lennerz concludes that more research is needed on the idea of food addiction, but “the fact that a food may affect addiction centers in the brain, independent of calories or pleasure, provides the basis to rethink current dietary recommendations.</p>
<p /> | 2,278 |
<p>It’s funny how things come back to you when you lose a friend.</p>
<p>As I was smoking a cigarette on my patio the other night, thinking about Gary Webb and how everything I stood for in journalism was now quaking under my feet, I recalled that Gary told me there was one person, in particular, that he trusted completely: journalist Chuck Bowden.</p>
<p>Gary had once told me that he would “trust Chuck Bowden with his life.”</p>
<p>So in the wake of Gary’s recent death, I decided to look up Bowden and give him a call.</p>
<p>Bowden is the author of some 15 books, including <a href="" type="internal">Down by the River: Drugs, Money, Murder and Family</a>. Bowden also penned an article for Esquire magazine in 1998 that backed up the findings of Gary’s 1996 San Jose Mercury News expose on the CIA/Nicaraguan Contra crack connection. That meant Bowden was one of the few journalists in Gary’s corner when he fell victim to the media-jackal feeding frenzy that enveloped him in the wake of his investigative series.</p>
<p>Bowden’s <a href="" type="internal">1998 Esquire article</a> starts with the following lead in:</p>
<p>Two years ago, Gary Webb wrote a series of articles that said some bad things about the CIA and drug traffickers. The CIA denied the charges, and every major newspaper in the country took the agency’s word for it. Gary Webb was ruined. Which is a shame, because he was right.</p>
<p>When I got Bowden on the phone this week in Tucson, where he lives, it was clear he was upset over Gary’s death. Bowden, 59, said he believed Gary took his own life, despite the two gunshot wounds involved.</p>
<p>“The two-bullet thing does happen,” he said.</p>
<p>“I’m at the age now where I have people dying all around me,” Bowden added. “But Gary was one of those guys, where as long as I knew he was out there in the tall grass, I felt I wasn’t alone.”</p>
<p>Bowden understood what Gary had gone through, how his life’s work had been ripped away from him.</p>
<p>“All he wanted to do was write for a newspaper,” Bowden said.</p>
<p>Bowden recalled that he first met Gary in a hotel bar in April 1998 while doing the research for the Esquire story. He had already fact checked Gary’s Mercury News series and it was all panning out. So he flew out to Sacramento to interview Gary for Esquire.</p>
<p>“He (Gary) was drinking Maker’s Mark whiskey,” Bowden recalled, “and I remember he slapped his hand down on the table and said, ‘I don’t believe in conspiracy theories. I believe in conspiracies.’</p>
<p>“I thought, ‘I like this guy.’ He believed in facts, not theories. In other words, this is.”</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the newspaper industry chose not to believe in Gary.</p>
<p>Bowden said after the Esquire piece came out, he spent a long time trying to help Gary get a foot in the door at a newspaper. He did manage to hook Gary up to write an article for Esquire. But Bowden said it soon became clear to him that the gates of the media industry had closed on Gary.</p>
<p>“I have been telling people for years that it was a disgrace that Webb was not employed,” Bowden said.</p>
<p>And it wasn’t only the mainstream daily newspaper world that had turned its back on Gary. Bowden said he even approached an alternative paper about hiring him. It was the perfect platform for Gary, Bowden reasoned.</p>
<p>But even the alternative weekly didn’t come through for Gary.</p>
<p>Bowden added that over the past year, Gary made yet another push to land a job at a major daily. Again, he struck out.</p>
<p>So when Bowden heard that Gary had recently begun writing for the weekly Sacramento News &amp; Review, he thought maybe it was a sign of things turning around for him.</p>
<p>But it was too little, too late. This past weekend, Gary decided to kick the closed door down and move on.</p>
<p>“In a daily newspaper sense, Gary was the best investigative reporter in the country,” Bowden said. “And he was unemployable.</p>
<p>“That tells me all I need to know about this business I’m in. You can get a paycheck every two weeks, as long as you don’t draw blood.”</p>
<p>BILL CONROY writes for <a href="http://narcosphere.narconews.com/" type="external">Narconews/Narcosphere</a>, where this essay originally appeared.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | "He Drew Blood" | true | https://counterpunch.org/2004/12/20/quot-he-drew-blood-quot/ | 2004-12-20 | 4left
| "He Drew Blood"
<p>It’s funny how things come back to you when you lose a friend.</p>
<p>As I was smoking a cigarette on my patio the other night, thinking about Gary Webb and how everything I stood for in journalism was now quaking under my feet, I recalled that Gary told me there was one person, in particular, that he trusted completely: journalist Chuck Bowden.</p>
<p>Gary had once told me that he would “trust Chuck Bowden with his life.”</p>
<p>So in the wake of Gary’s recent death, I decided to look up Bowden and give him a call.</p>
<p>Bowden is the author of some 15 books, including <a href="" type="internal">Down by the River: Drugs, Money, Murder and Family</a>. Bowden also penned an article for Esquire magazine in 1998 that backed up the findings of Gary’s 1996 San Jose Mercury News expose on the CIA/Nicaraguan Contra crack connection. That meant Bowden was one of the few journalists in Gary’s corner when he fell victim to the media-jackal feeding frenzy that enveloped him in the wake of his investigative series.</p>
<p>Bowden’s <a href="" type="internal">1998 Esquire article</a> starts with the following lead in:</p>
<p>Two years ago, Gary Webb wrote a series of articles that said some bad things about the CIA and drug traffickers. The CIA denied the charges, and every major newspaper in the country took the agency’s word for it. Gary Webb was ruined. Which is a shame, because he was right.</p>
<p>When I got Bowden on the phone this week in Tucson, where he lives, it was clear he was upset over Gary’s death. Bowden, 59, said he believed Gary took his own life, despite the two gunshot wounds involved.</p>
<p>“The two-bullet thing does happen,” he said.</p>
<p>“I’m at the age now where I have people dying all around me,” Bowden added. “But Gary was one of those guys, where as long as I knew he was out there in the tall grass, I felt I wasn’t alone.”</p>
<p>Bowden understood what Gary had gone through, how his life’s work had been ripped away from him.</p>
<p>“All he wanted to do was write for a newspaper,” Bowden said.</p>
<p>Bowden recalled that he first met Gary in a hotel bar in April 1998 while doing the research for the Esquire story. He had already fact checked Gary’s Mercury News series and it was all panning out. So he flew out to Sacramento to interview Gary for Esquire.</p>
<p>“He (Gary) was drinking Maker’s Mark whiskey,” Bowden recalled, “and I remember he slapped his hand down on the table and said, ‘I don’t believe in conspiracy theories. I believe in conspiracies.’</p>
<p>“I thought, ‘I like this guy.’ He believed in facts, not theories. In other words, this is.”</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the newspaper industry chose not to believe in Gary.</p>
<p>Bowden said after the Esquire piece came out, he spent a long time trying to help Gary get a foot in the door at a newspaper. He did manage to hook Gary up to write an article for Esquire. But Bowden said it soon became clear to him that the gates of the media industry had closed on Gary.</p>
<p>“I have been telling people for years that it was a disgrace that Webb was not employed,” Bowden said.</p>
<p>And it wasn’t only the mainstream daily newspaper world that had turned its back on Gary. Bowden said he even approached an alternative paper about hiring him. It was the perfect platform for Gary, Bowden reasoned.</p>
<p>But even the alternative weekly didn’t come through for Gary.</p>
<p>Bowden added that over the past year, Gary made yet another push to land a job at a major daily. Again, he struck out.</p>
<p>So when Bowden heard that Gary had recently begun writing for the weekly Sacramento News &amp; Review, he thought maybe it was a sign of things turning around for him.</p>
<p>But it was too little, too late. This past weekend, Gary decided to kick the closed door down and move on.</p>
<p>“In a daily newspaper sense, Gary was the best investigative reporter in the country,” Bowden said. “And he was unemployable.</p>
<p>“That tells me all I need to know about this business I’m in. You can get a paycheck every two weeks, as long as you don’t draw blood.”</p>
<p>BILL CONROY writes for <a href="http://narcosphere.narconews.com/" type="external">Narconews/Narcosphere</a>, where this essay originally appeared.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 2,279 |
<p />
<p>It’s a dangerous world out there and we should never let our guards down when out and about. That is especially true for your kids and teens. Women are especially targeted by the most evil of men. One such story of evil comes at us from the United Kingdom.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>A 17 year-old teenager became separated from her friends after they all left a club in what is known as the Tower Hamlets in East London. It was night time, she was alone and she was inebriated. She was assaulted that night, but not just one time – three different times as she walked the area.</p>
<p>This poor girl was found half naked by those who where just passing by and now there is a manhunt for the people who where involved in her assault and rape.</p>
<p>Police have reviewed the security cameras that were placed along her pathway and picked up the images of two men. One of them had taken a hold of the girl and swung her over his shoulder, then walked with the other man towards a doorway on that street. The one who had carried the girl was not seen again on camera and some items that were part of the girl’s outfit where found on the ground.</p>
<p>Shortly after midnight, another CCTV camera picks up the girl stumbling half-naked down Mint Street, being followed by a different, bearded male, on a racing bicycle. The man follows the girl as she makes her way down the street and catches up to her. They both head out of sight of any camera and it isn’t till later that we see the bearded man walking away, and then the teen appearing more tousled than before.</p>
<p>John Hawkins's book 101 Things All Young Adults Should Know is filled with lessons that newly minted adults need in order to get the most out of life. Gleaned from a lifetime of trial, error, and writing it down, Hawkins provides advice everyone can benefit from in short, digestible chapters.</p>
<p>Again, she continues her walk further down through the area.</p>
<p>At around 12:45 am, only a few minutes later, she was attacked again by a third set of attackers. This time under a tree by a group of three men. One of the men was described as having bow-legs and all three are suspected drug addicts.</p>
<p>Finally, after all of this, a decent human being finally spotted the girl who was clearly in distress and called the police. It is suspected that at some point during the night, the teen was drugged.</p>
<p>Suzanne Jordan is the detective on the case and has said:</p>
<p>“This is a horrific multiple sexual assault on an young female who was simply making her way home after a night out. We would like to thank the members of the public who intervened to help her and possibly prevented her ordeal from continuing even further. We believe two of the three were very serious sexual assaults indeed, and are determined to catch the persons responsible for these hideous crimes.”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p /> | Teen Girl Sexually Assaulted Three Separate Times While Walking Home – Several Different Men [VIDEO] | true | http://rightwingnews.com/top-news/teen-girl-sexually-assaulted-three-separate-times-walking-home-several-different-men/ | 2018-10-20 | 0right
| Teen Girl Sexually Assaulted Three Separate Times While Walking Home – Several Different Men [VIDEO]
<p />
<p>It’s a dangerous world out there and we should never let our guards down when out and about. That is especially true for your kids and teens. Women are especially targeted by the most evil of men. One such story of evil comes at us from the United Kingdom.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>A 17 year-old teenager became separated from her friends after they all left a club in what is known as the Tower Hamlets in East London. It was night time, she was alone and she was inebriated. She was assaulted that night, but not just one time – three different times as she walked the area.</p>
<p>This poor girl was found half naked by those who where just passing by and now there is a manhunt for the people who where involved in her assault and rape.</p>
<p>Police have reviewed the security cameras that were placed along her pathway and picked up the images of two men. One of them had taken a hold of the girl and swung her over his shoulder, then walked with the other man towards a doorway on that street. The one who had carried the girl was not seen again on camera and some items that were part of the girl’s outfit where found on the ground.</p>
<p>Shortly after midnight, another CCTV camera picks up the girl stumbling half-naked down Mint Street, being followed by a different, bearded male, on a racing bicycle. The man follows the girl as she makes her way down the street and catches up to her. They both head out of sight of any camera and it isn’t till later that we see the bearded man walking away, and then the teen appearing more tousled than before.</p>
<p>John Hawkins's book 101 Things All Young Adults Should Know is filled with lessons that newly minted adults need in order to get the most out of life. Gleaned from a lifetime of trial, error, and writing it down, Hawkins provides advice everyone can benefit from in short, digestible chapters.</p>
<p>Again, she continues her walk further down through the area.</p>
<p>At around 12:45 am, only a few minutes later, she was attacked again by a third set of attackers. This time under a tree by a group of three men. One of the men was described as having bow-legs and all three are suspected drug addicts.</p>
<p>Finally, after all of this, a decent human being finally spotted the girl who was clearly in distress and called the police. It is suspected that at some point during the night, the teen was drugged.</p>
<p>Suzanne Jordan is the detective on the case and has said:</p>
<p>“This is a horrific multiple sexual assault on an young female who was simply making her way home after a night out. We would like to thank the members of the public who intervened to help her and possibly prevented her ordeal from continuing even further. We believe two of the three were very serious sexual assaults indeed, and are determined to catch the persons responsible for these hideous crimes.”</p>
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<p /> | 2,280 |
<p>PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bill Cosby performed in public for the first time since a sex abuse scandal embroiled him in 2015, joking that he “used to be a comedian” and playing with a jazz band in his hometown as a retrial looms in his criminal sexual assault case.</p>
<p>The 80-year-old entertainer took the stage for about an hour Monday night at a Philadelphia jazz club for his first show since May 2015.</p>
<p>Before a friendly crowd, he told stories, honored old friends and finished by leading the band in a set, first using his mouth to scat in place of a missing horn section and then taking a turn at the drums.</p>
<p>Cosby, handing the drumsticks off to the bass player’s 11-year-old son, asked if the boy knew who he was and then told him.</p>
<p>“I used to be a comedian,” Cosby deadpanned.</p>
<p>Cosby reminisced about his childhood, telling the crowd about how, when he was 4, he grilled a relative about the impending birth of his brother. He mimicked his Uncle William, who took a swig from a cocktail before answering every question — including whether a stork was really delivering the baby to his parents.</p>
<p>Afterward, Cosby nearly dropped a glass jar he was using as a prop, prompting a “Whoa!” from the crowd.</p>
<p>Cosby, who’s legally blind, seized on the moment.</p>
<p>“Let me tell you something about people talking to blind people, you sighted people,” Cosby said. “If you see a blind person walking into a pole or something, if you speak perfect English, there’s a word called ‘Stop!’ Not ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!’</p>
<p>“You laugh when blind people walk into things,” he continued. “And guess what: Blind people laugh when sighted people fall down!”</p>
<p>Cosby arrived at the jazz club on the arm of his spokesman, Andrew Wyatt. He wore a gray hoodie bearing the phrase “Hello Friend,” something his late son, Ennis Cosby, often would say.</p>
<p>He posed for photos with friends, including a couple he honored at the start of his set. They all grew up in the same public housing complex.</p>
<p>Cosby said he decided to make his return to the stage because of his friends.</p>
<p>“I came here tonight to enjoy being with my friends and the musicians and the people who came,” he said after the show.</p>
<p>He declined to discuss his upcoming retrial in a sexual assault case.</p>
<p>During the show, the receptive crowd applauded and laughed along with Cosby’s jokes, a far cry from how his last performances went. His last comedy tour ended amid protests as about 60 women were coming forward to accuse him of drugging and molesting them over five decades, something he has denied.</p>
<p>Cosby is scheduled for an April 2 retrial on charges he drugged and molested a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. He has pleaded not guilty and remains free on bail. His first trial ended with a hung jury last year. Jury selection for his retrial will start March 29.</p>
<p>Cosby’s spokesman notified reporters of the comedy performance about two hours before he was to take the stage at the LaRose Jazz Club. The show was part of a program honoring jazz musician Tony Williams.</p>
<p>Outside the jazz club there was one protester, a woman who frequently hounded Cosby at his trial last year. She played Helen Reddy’s song “I Am Woman” on a loop and held up a sign that said, “Perseverance to all survivors.”</p>
<p>The jazz club performance is Cosby’s latest step back into the spotlight he’s mostly shied from since his December 2015 arrest.</p>
<p>Two weeks ago, Cosby invited reporters to tag along as he ate dinner with old friends at a Philadelphia restaurant.</p>
<p>Over the weekend, Cosby’s social media accounts featured photos of him visiting a barber and a cafe in the area and showing support for the Philadelphia Eagles, who won Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings and secured a spot in the Super Bowl.</p> | Cosby jokes that he ‘used to be a comedian’ in 1st show since sex scandal | false | http://valleynewslive.com/content/news/Cosby-jokes-that-he-used-to-be-a-comedian-in-1st-show-since-sex-scandal-470733803.html | 2018-10-09 | 1right-center
| Cosby jokes that he ‘used to be a comedian’ in 1st show since sex scandal
<p>PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bill Cosby performed in public for the first time since a sex abuse scandal embroiled him in 2015, joking that he “used to be a comedian” and playing with a jazz band in his hometown as a retrial looms in his criminal sexual assault case.</p>
<p>The 80-year-old entertainer took the stage for about an hour Monday night at a Philadelphia jazz club for his first show since May 2015.</p>
<p>Before a friendly crowd, he told stories, honored old friends and finished by leading the band in a set, first using his mouth to scat in place of a missing horn section and then taking a turn at the drums.</p>
<p>Cosby, handing the drumsticks off to the bass player’s 11-year-old son, asked if the boy knew who he was and then told him.</p>
<p>“I used to be a comedian,” Cosby deadpanned.</p>
<p>Cosby reminisced about his childhood, telling the crowd about how, when he was 4, he grilled a relative about the impending birth of his brother. He mimicked his Uncle William, who took a swig from a cocktail before answering every question — including whether a stork was really delivering the baby to his parents.</p>
<p>Afterward, Cosby nearly dropped a glass jar he was using as a prop, prompting a “Whoa!” from the crowd.</p>
<p>Cosby, who’s legally blind, seized on the moment.</p>
<p>“Let me tell you something about people talking to blind people, you sighted people,” Cosby said. “If you see a blind person walking into a pole or something, if you speak perfect English, there’s a word called ‘Stop!’ Not ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!’</p>
<p>“You laugh when blind people walk into things,” he continued. “And guess what: Blind people laugh when sighted people fall down!”</p>
<p>Cosby arrived at the jazz club on the arm of his spokesman, Andrew Wyatt. He wore a gray hoodie bearing the phrase “Hello Friend,” something his late son, Ennis Cosby, often would say.</p>
<p>He posed for photos with friends, including a couple he honored at the start of his set. They all grew up in the same public housing complex.</p>
<p>Cosby said he decided to make his return to the stage because of his friends.</p>
<p>“I came here tonight to enjoy being with my friends and the musicians and the people who came,” he said after the show.</p>
<p>He declined to discuss his upcoming retrial in a sexual assault case.</p>
<p>During the show, the receptive crowd applauded and laughed along with Cosby’s jokes, a far cry from how his last performances went. His last comedy tour ended amid protests as about 60 women were coming forward to accuse him of drugging and molesting them over five decades, something he has denied.</p>
<p>Cosby is scheduled for an April 2 retrial on charges he drugged and molested a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. He has pleaded not guilty and remains free on bail. His first trial ended with a hung jury last year. Jury selection for his retrial will start March 29.</p>
<p>Cosby’s spokesman notified reporters of the comedy performance about two hours before he was to take the stage at the LaRose Jazz Club. The show was part of a program honoring jazz musician Tony Williams.</p>
<p>Outside the jazz club there was one protester, a woman who frequently hounded Cosby at his trial last year. She played Helen Reddy’s song “I Am Woman” on a loop and held up a sign that said, “Perseverance to all survivors.”</p>
<p>The jazz club performance is Cosby’s latest step back into the spotlight he’s mostly shied from since his December 2015 arrest.</p>
<p>Two weeks ago, Cosby invited reporters to tag along as he ate dinner with old friends at a Philadelphia restaurant.</p>
<p>Over the weekend, Cosby’s social media accounts featured photos of him visiting a barber and a cafe in the area and showing support for the Philadelphia Eagles, who won Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings and secured a spot in the Super Bowl.</p> | 2,281 |
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<p>Technicians are seen here in September working on NASA’s Maven spacecraft, which was launched successfully Monday on a 10-month journey to the red planet, where it will study the atmosphere in a bid to understand how Mars changed from warm and wet to cold and dry. (AP Photo/John Raoux)</p>
<p>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA’s newest robotic explorer, Maven, rocketed toward Mars on Monday on a quest to unravel the ancient mystery of the red planet’s radical climate change.</p>
<p>The Maven spacecraft is due at Mars next fall following a journey of more than 440 million miles.</p>
<p>“Hey, guys, we’re going to Mars!” Maven’s principal scientist, Bruce Jakosky of the University of Colorado at Boulder, told reporters after liftoff.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Jakosky and others want to know why Mars went from being warm and wet during its first billion years to cold and dry today. The early Martian atmosphere was thick enough to hold water and possibly support microbial life. But much of that atmosphere may have been lost to space, eroded by the sun.</p>
<p>Maven set off through a cloudy afternoon sky in its bid to provide answers. An unmanned Atlas V rocket put the spacecraft on the proper course for Mars, and launch controllers applauded and shook hands over the success.</p>
<p>“What a Monday at the office,” NASA project manager David Mitchell said. “Maybe I’m not showing it, but I’m euphoric.”</p>
<p>Ten years in the making, Maven had Nov. 18, 2013, as its original launch date, “and we hit it,” Mitchell said.</p>
<p>“I just want to say, ‘Safe travels, Maven. We’re with you all the way.'”</p>
<p>Jakosky, Maven’s mastermind, said he was anxious and even shaking as the final seconds of the countdown ticked away. An estimated 10,000 NASA guests gathered for the liftoff – the most exciting one of the year from Cape Canaveral – including a couple of thousand representing the University of Colorado.</p>
<p>Surviving liftoff was the first big hurdle, Jakosky said. The next huge milestone will be Maven’s insertion into orbit around Mars on Sept. 22, 2014.</p>
<p>To help solve Mars’ environmental puzzle, Maven will spend an entire Earth year measuring atmospheric gases.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>This is NASA’s 21st mission to Mars since the 1960s. But it’s the first one devoted to studying the Martian upper atmosphere.</p>
<p>The mission costs $671 million.</p>
<p>Maven – short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, with a capital “N” in EvolutioN – bears eight science instruments. The spacecraft, at 5,410 pounds, weighs as much as an SUV. From solar wingtip to wingtip, it stretches 37.5 feet, about the length of a school bus.</p>
<p>A question underlying all of NASA’s Mars missions to date is whether life could have started on what now seems to be a barren world.</p>
<p>“We don’t have that answer yet, and that’s all part of our quest for trying to answer, ‘Are we alone in the universe?’ in a much broader sense,” said John Grunsfeld, NASA’s science mission director.</p>
<p>Unlike the 2011-launched Curiosity rover, Maven will conduct its experiments from orbit around Mars.</p>
<p>Maven will dip as low as 78 miles above the Martian surface, sampling the atmosphere. The lopsided orbit will stretch as high as 3,864 miles.</p>
<p>Curiosity’s odometer reads 2.6 miles after more than a year of roving the red planet. An astronaut could accomplish that distance in about a day on the Martian surface, Grunsfeld noted.</p>
<p>Grunsfeld, a former astronaut, said considerable technology is needed, however, before humans can fly to Mars in the 2030s, NASA’s ultimate objective.</p>
<p>Mars remains an intimidating target even for robotic craft, more than 50 years after the world’s first shot at the red planet.</p>
<p>Fourteen of NASA’s previous 20 missions to Mars have succeeded, beginning with the 1964-launched Mariner 4, a Martian flyby. The U.S. hasn’t logged a Mars failure, in fact, since the late 1990s. That’s a U.S. success rate of 70 percent. No other country comes close.</p>
<p />
<p /> | Latest Mars explorer launched | false | https://abqjournal.com/303790/latest-mars-explorer-launched.html | 2013-11-19 | 2least
| Latest Mars explorer launched
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Technicians are seen here in September working on NASA’s Maven spacecraft, which was launched successfully Monday on a 10-month journey to the red planet, where it will study the atmosphere in a bid to understand how Mars changed from warm and wet to cold and dry. (AP Photo/John Raoux)</p>
<p>CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA’s newest robotic explorer, Maven, rocketed toward Mars on Monday on a quest to unravel the ancient mystery of the red planet’s radical climate change.</p>
<p>The Maven spacecraft is due at Mars next fall following a journey of more than 440 million miles.</p>
<p>“Hey, guys, we’re going to Mars!” Maven’s principal scientist, Bruce Jakosky of the University of Colorado at Boulder, told reporters after liftoff.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Jakosky and others want to know why Mars went from being warm and wet during its first billion years to cold and dry today. The early Martian atmosphere was thick enough to hold water and possibly support microbial life. But much of that atmosphere may have been lost to space, eroded by the sun.</p>
<p>Maven set off through a cloudy afternoon sky in its bid to provide answers. An unmanned Atlas V rocket put the spacecraft on the proper course for Mars, and launch controllers applauded and shook hands over the success.</p>
<p>“What a Monday at the office,” NASA project manager David Mitchell said. “Maybe I’m not showing it, but I’m euphoric.”</p>
<p>Ten years in the making, Maven had Nov. 18, 2013, as its original launch date, “and we hit it,” Mitchell said.</p>
<p>“I just want to say, ‘Safe travels, Maven. We’re with you all the way.'”</p>
<p>Jakosky, Maven’s mastermind, said he was anxious and even shaking as the final seconds of the countdown ticked away. An estimated 10,000 NASA guests gathered for the liftoff – the most exciting one of the year from Cape Canaveral – including a couple of thousand representing the University of Colorado.</p>
<p>Surviving liftoff was the first big hurdle, Jakosky said. The next huge milestone will be Maven’s insertion into orbit around Mars on Sept. 22, 2014.</p>
<p>To help solve Mars’ environmental puzzle, Maven will spend an entire Earth year measuring atmospheric gases.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>This is NASA’s 21st mission to Mars since the 1960s. But it’s the first one devoted to studying the Martian upper atmosphere.</p>
<p>The mission costs $671 million.</p>
<p>Maven – short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution, with a capital “N” in EvolutioN – bears eight science instruments. The spacecraft, at 5,410 pounds, weighs as much as an SUV. From solar wingtip to wingtip, it stretches 37.5 feet, about the length of a school bus.</p>
<p>A question underlying all of NASA’s Mars missions to date is whether life could have started on what now seems to be a barren world.</p>
<p>“We don’t have that answer yet, and that’s all part of our quest for trying to answer, ‘Are we alone in the universe?’ in a much broader sense,” said John Grunsfeld, NASA’s science mission director.</p>
<p>Unlike the 2011-launched Curiosity rover, Maven will conduct its experiments from orbit around Mars.</p>
<p>Maven will dip as low as 78 miles above the Martian surface, sampling the atmosphere. The lopsided orbit will stretch as high as 3,864 miles.</p>
<p>Curiosity’s odometer reads 2.6 miles after more than a year of roving the red planet. An astronaut could accomplish that distance in about a day on the Martian surface, Grunsfeld noted.</p>
<p>Grunsfeld, a former astronaut, said considerable technology is needed, however, before humans can fly to Mars in the 2030s, NASA’s ultimate objective.</p>
<p>Mars remains an intimidating target even for robotic craft, more than 50 years after the world’s first shot at the red planet.</p>
<p>Fourteen of NASA’s previous 20 missions to Mars have succeeded, beginning with the 1964-launched Mariner 4, a Martian flyby. The U.S. hasn’t logged a Mars failure, in fact, since the late 1990s. That’s a U.S. success rate of 70 percent. No other country comes close.</p>
<p />
<p /> | 2,282 |
<p>While the recently unveiled foreclosure settlement is widely touted as a $26 billion agreement, the deal comes out to closer to $40 billion, according to SNL Research, of which states stand to collect $4.25 billion.</p>
<p>However, the settlement is so flexible that states like Missouri and Wisconsin are using their settlement bucks to paper over big holes in their state budgets, and not help homeowners, reports CNN.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>That's exactly what happened in the historic tobacco settlement between four tobacco companies and 46 states in 1998. But there’s another danger, too — that to raise much-needed money, cash-strapped states could issue what some bank officials euphemistically dub “foreclosure” bonds built on this newfound cash, just as states quickly issued a type of municipal bond called tobacco bonds built on the historic $206 billion tobacco settlement in 1998—and then spent the money on other things, bank officials who asked to remain anonymous tell FOX Business.</p>
<p>The tobacco deal was so lax that 41 out of the 46 states spent their money on all sorts of budget items, and failed to meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's standard that up to 25% of their tobacco settlement ought to be spent to fight tobacco use, says the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.</p>
<p>As we told you last October, the states can get their money and then distribute the settlement funds to help borrowers with foreclosure relief or spend it on other housing programs, like credit counseling or legal aid.</p>
<p>The key here is, will the banks pony up all of this money, and when?</p>
<p>Under the new foreclosure settlement, the banks get to take as long as nine months to figure out who is eligible for relief and, another three years to distribute the aid, says a bank researcher.</p>
<p>According to details of the settlement, it’s unclear if the banks could delay those payments even further, says another bank official who asked to remain anonymous. Moreover, one of the five companies in the settlement, Ally Financial, the old GMAC, still owes U.S. taxpayers $17.2 billion in bailout money, and has been struggling to go public again after it nearly collapsed.</p>
<p>Market history shows states should be wary of issuing “foreclosure” bonds.</p>
<p>States were supposed to use $206 billion in tobacco settlement money coming in their doors over 25 years to treat sick smokers. A number of states, however -- like California, New York, Alabama, South Carolina, and Ohio -- issued tobacco bonds to plug budget deficits.</p>
<p>What they did was yank forward, in one lump sum, the present value of their future tobacco settlement payments. They did so by selling bonds, some with yields as high as 8%. In so doing, they front-loaded their tobacco money into their budgets. Within a decade, it became clear these tobacco bonds should have come with their own health warnings.</p>
<p>The tobacco bonds typically were backed only by these settlement payments and not by any state guarantee. Moreover, the tobacco bonds were floated on the backs of smokers, whose smoking habits fueled profits at tobacco companies.</p>
<p>But smoking plunged more rapidly than the 2% annual declines the states had anticipated when they sold these tobacco bonds. Smoking dropped, ironically, because of government restrictions on smoking, as well as higher federal and state cigarette taxes.</p>
<p>Smoking actually declined 9% in 2009, and 6% in 2010, to an estimated 304 billion cigarettes sold, well off the 441 billion sold in 1999, industry estimates show.</p>
<p>In the fall of 2010, weighing heavily on the muni bond markets were the year-end expiration of the federal stimulus program called the “Build America Bonds” program, plus imperiled budgets in California and Illinois.</p>
<p>Then, suddenly, S&amp;P’s dramatic downgrade of state tobacco bonds sent the muni bond markets into a tailspin.</p>
<p>The markets were closed Veteran’s Day 2010, but on that day S&amp;P downgraded huge slugs of state "tobacco bonds" to junk status. &#160;When the market reopened that Nov. 12, 2010, the states woke up to the bayonets of the bond markets.</p>
<p>A huge dump of these “tobacco” bonds occurred, triggering a nasty whipsaw cycle of selling and redemptions by mutual-funds (whose offering documents generally don’t allow junk bond holdings), as well as <a href="" type="internal">hedge funds</a>, and other investors.</p>
<p>So, here we have federal and state officials touting a $26 billion foreclosure settlement with five of the nation’s biggest banks to settle charges of improper <a href="" type="internal">foreclosures</a> stemming from alleged robosigning, among other things. (That sum rises to $40 billion due to other relief measures like loan modifications, says SNL Research.)</p>
<p>Banks must spend about $17 billion on a variety of programs to help beleaguered borrowers. In addition, the deal includes $3 billion dedicated to refinancing loans and $5 billion to be paid to federal and state governments, says SNL.</p>
<p>California will receive up to $18 billion, “a large proportion of the overall settlement.</p>
<p>“Trouble is, will they actually get the money, and when given how shaky the banks still are?” asks a bank official.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | 'Foreclosure Bonds' Coming? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2012/02/16/foreclosure-bonds-coming.html | 2016-01-26 | 0right
| 'Foreclosure Bonds' Coming?
<p>While the recently unveiled foreclosure settlement is widely touted as a $26 billion agreement, the deal comes out to closer to $40 billion, according to SNL Research, of which states stand to collect $4.25 billion.</p>
<p>However, the settlement is so flexible that states like Missouri and Wisconsin are using their settlement bucks to paper over big holes in their state budgets, and not help homeowners, reports CNN.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>That's exactly what happened in the historic tobacco settlement between four tobacco companies and 46 states in 1998. But there’s another danger, too — that to raise much-needed money, cash-strapped states could issue what some bank officials euphemistically dub “foreclosure” bonds built on this newfound cash, just as states quickly issued a type of municipal bond called tobacco bonds built on the historic $206 billion tobacco settlement in 1998—and then spent the money on other things, bank officials who asked to remain anonymous tell FOX Business.</p>
<p>The tobacco deal was so lax that 41 out of the 46 states spent their money on all sorts of budget items, and failed to meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's standard that up to 25% of their tobacco settlement ought to be spent to fight tobacco use, says the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.</p>
<p>As we told you last October, the states can get their money and then distribute the settlement funds to help borrowers with foreclosure relief or spend it on other housing programs, like credit counseling or legal aid.</p>
<p>The key here is, will the banks pony up all of this money, and when?</p>
<p>Under the new foreclosure settlement, the banks get to take as long as nine months to figure out who is eligible for relief and, another three years to distribute the aid, says a bank researcher.</p>
<p>According to details of the settlement, it’s unclear if the banks could delay those payments even further, says another bank official who asked to remain anonymous. Moreover, one of the five companies in the settlement, Ally Financial, the old GMAC, still owes U.S. taxpayers $17.2 billion in bailout money, and has been struggling to go public again after it nearly collapsed.</p>
<p>Market history shows states should be wary of issuing “foreclosure” bonds.</p>
<p>States were supposed to use $206 billion in tobacco settlement money coming in their doors over 25 years to treat sick smokers. A number of states, however -- like California, New York, Alabama, South Carolina, and Ohio -- issued tobacco bonds to plug budget deficits.</p>
<p>What they did was yank forward, in one lump sum, the present value of their future tobacco settlement payments. They did so by selling bonds, some with yields as high as 8%. In so doing, they front-loaded their tobacco money into their budgets. Within a decade, it became clear these tobacco bonds should have come with their own health warnings.</p>
<p>The tobacco bonds typically were backed only by these settlement payments and not by any state guarantee. Moreover, the tobacco bonds were floated on the backs of smokers, whose smoking habits fueled profits at tobacco companies.</p>
<p>But smoking plunged more rapidly than the 2% annual declines the states had anticipated when they sold these tobacco bonds. Smoking dropped, ironically, because of government restrictions on smoking, as well as higher federal and state cigarette taxes.</p>
<p>Smoking actually declined 9% in 2009, and 6% in 2010, to an estimated 304 billion cigarettes sold, well off the 441 billion sold in 1999, industry estimates show.</p>
<p>In the fall of 2010, weighing heavily on the muni bond markets were the year-end expiration of the federal stimulus program called the “Build America Bonds” program, plus imperiled budgets in California and Illinois.</p>
<p>Then, suddenly, S&amp;P’s dramatic downgrade of state tobacco bonds sent the muni bond markets into a tailspin.</p>
<p>The markets were closed Veteran’s Day 2010, but on that day S&amp;P downgraded huge slugs of state "tobacco bonds" to junk status. &#160;When the market reopened that Nov. 12, 2010, the states woke up to the bayonets of the bond markets.</p>
<p>A huge dump of these “tobacco” bonds occurred, triggering a nasty whipsaw cycle of selling and redemptions by mutual-funds (whose offering documents generally don’t allow junk bond holdings), as well as <a href="" type="internal">hedge funds</a>, and other investors.</p>
<p>So, here we have federal and state officials touting a $26 billion foreclosure settlement with five of the nation’s biggest banks to settle charges of improper <a href="" type="internal">foreclosures</a> stemming from alleged robosigning, among other things. (That sum rises to $40 billion due to other relief measures like loan modifications, says SNL Research.)</p>
<p>Banks must spend about $17 billion on a variety of programs to help beleaguered borrowers. In addition, the deal includes $3 billion dedicated to refinancing loans and $5 billion to be paid to federal and state governments, says SNL.</p>
<p>California will receive up to $18 billion, “a large proportion of the overall settlement.</p>
<p>“Trouble is, will they actually get the money, and when given how shaky the banks still are?” asks a bank official.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | 2,283 |
<p>CLEVELAND (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the Ohio Lottery's "Classic Lotto" game were:</p>
<p>01-08-12-31-36-40, Kicker: 5-4-1-9-0-0</p>
<p>(one, eight, twelve, thirty-one, thirty-six, forty; Kicker: five, four, one, nine, zero, zero)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $26.8 million</p>
<p>CLEVELAND (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the Ohio Lottery's "Classic Lotto" game were:</p>
<p>01-08-12-31-36-40, Kicker: 5-4-1-9-0-0</p>
<p>(one, eight, twelve, thirty-one, thirty-six, forty; Kicker: five, four, one, nine, zero, zero)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $26.8 million</p> | Winning numbers drawn in 'Classic Lotto' game | false | https://apnews.com/amp/b15d59c5c00e40b0890f7bc71a145974 | 2018-01-11 | 2least
| Winning numbers drawn in 'Classic Lotto' game
<p>CLEVELAND (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the Ohio Lottery's "Classic Lotto" game were:</p>
<p>01-08-12-31-36-40, Kicker: 5-4-1-9-0-0</p>
<p>(one, eight, twelve, thirty-one, thirty-six, forty; Kicker: five, four, one, nine, zero, zero)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $26.8 million</p>
<p>CLEVELAND (AP) _ The winning numbers in Wednesday evening's drawing of the Ohio Lottery's "Classic Lotto" game were:</p>
<p>01-08-12-31-36-40, Kicker: 5-4-1-9-0-0</p>
<p>(one, eight, twelve, thirty-one, thirty-six, forty; Kicker: five, four, one, nine, zero, zero)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $26.8 million</p> | 2,284 |
<p />
<p>Dear Your Business Credit,</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>We're looking for credit cards for salesmen as well as two owners. We're looking to consolidate gas cards and to find more usage capabilities than our current Discover Card, which isn't accepted at many businesses.</p>
<p>APR and airline miles are of no concern; however, cash back of 1.5% or better would be great. We purchase supplies from Sam's Club. That's why we have our current card. Your help will be appreciated.&#160;</p>
<p>- Ralph</p>
<p>Dear Ralph,</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>I'm assuming you want to continue to purchase your supplies from Sam's Club. If so, you may not have to do a lot of shopping around. Sam's Club has begun transitioning its members from the Sam's Club Discover Card to co-branded MasterCards that, it says, will improve the cash-back program for the majority of its members. With costs on the rise for many business owners and gas averaging $3.64 a gallon, better rewards could make a real difference in your budget.</p>
<p>The new card is likely to arrive in your mailbox any day, if it hasn't since you wrote to us. As of July 1, Sam's Club has been sending members a new Sam's Club MasterCard; it expects to deliver all of the new cards by Aug. 30, 2014.</p>
<p>Sam's Club is currently replacing the Sam's Club Discover card with a new Sam's Club MasterCard. If you activate the Sam's Club MasterCard, your Sam's Club Discover card will be deactivated. (All Sam's Club Discover cards will be phased out after Feb. 28, 2015.) Sam's Club originally introduced the Sam's Club Discover cards for businesses and consumers in 2005. At the time, Sam's Club announced that Plus members would get up to 2% cash back on every purchase made, anywhere Discover cards were accepted; for Advantage and Business members, there was 1% cash back.</p>
<p>The new Sam's Club MasterCard, which comes with no annual fee, can be used anywhere MasterCard is accepted. It comes with extended warranty coverage for consumers and extended warranty insurance for businesses.</p>
<p>Whether you continue to use your Sam's Club Discover or switch immediately to the Sam's Club MasterCard, you will earn cash back on purchases posted to your account under a new "5-3-1" program. In some categories of purchases, the cash back is more than the 1.5% you are seeking. Sam's Club announced in early June that members will be able to earn 5% cash back on fuel, 3% cash back on dining and travel and 1% cash back on all other purchases, up to $5,000 annually.</p>
<p>As of June 12, all Sam's Plus members were automatically enrolled in the new Plus-only Cash Rewards program. They will receive $10 in Cash Rewards for every $500 spent on qualifying pretax Sam's Club purchases, regardless of the type of payment used. They will be able to earn up to $500 annually, in addition to the $5,000 cash back in the 5-3-1 program. If you are a Sam's Plus member, you can get cash, redeem the money for purchases in the club or on SamsClub.com, or to cover annual membership fees.</p>
<p>I should point out that Discover is more widely accepted than you may think. In 2010, the company said it had a 90% acceptance rate at merchants that also accept Visa and MasterCard.</p>
<p>However, if Discover isn't accepted at merchants you patronize, then that's a real inconvenience. That gives you a good reason to switch over early to MasterCard, which says it is the most widely accepted card in the world.</p>
<p>See related: <a href="http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/rewards-business-gas-1585.php?aid=52aae854" type="external">Compare rewards cards for business gas spending</a>, <a href="http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/choose-best-rewards-small_business-1585.php?aid=52aae854" type="external">How to pick the best rewards card for your business</a></p> | How Sam's Club Card Changes Affect Business Users | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2014/07/14/how-sam-club-card-changes-affect-business-users.html | 2016-03-06 | 0right
| How Sam's Club Card Changes Affect Business Users
<p />
<p>Dear Your Business Credit,</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>We're looking for credit cards for salesmen as well as two owners. We're looking to consolidate gas cards and to find more usage capabilities than our current Discover Card, which isn't accepted at many businesses.</p>
<p>APR and airline miles are of no concern; however, cash back of 1.5% or better would be great. We purchase supplies from Sam's Club. That's why we have our current card. Your help will be appreciated.&#160;</p>
<p>- Ralph</p>
<p>Dear Ralph,</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>I'm assuming you want to continue to purchase your supplies from Sam's Club. If so, you may not have to do a lot of shopping around. Sam's Club has begun transitioning its members from the Sam's Club Discover Card to co-branded MasterCards that, it says, will improve the cash-back program for the majority of its members. With costs on the rise for many business owners and gas averaging $3.64 a gallon, better rewards could make a real difference in your budget.</p>
<p>The new card is likely to arrive in your mailbox any day, if it hasn't since you wrote to us. As of July 1, Sam's Club has been sending members a new Sam's Club MasterCard; it expects to deliver all of the new cards by Aug. 30, 2014.</p>
<p>Sam's Club is currently replacing the Sam's Club Discover card with a new Sam's Club MasterCard. If you activate the Sam's Club MasterCard, your Sam's Club Discover card will be deactivated. (All Sam's Club Discover cards will be phased out after Feb. 28, 2015.) Sam's Club originally introduced the Sam's Club Discover cards for businesses and consumers in 2005. At the time, Sam's Club announced that Plus members would get up to 2% cash back on every purchase made, anywhere Discover cards were accepted; for Advantage and Business members, there was 1% cash back.</p>
<p>The new Sam's Club MasterCard, which comes with no annual fee, can be used anywhere MasterCard is accepted. It comes with extended warranty coverage for consumers and extended warranty insurance for businesses.</p>
<p>Whether you continue to use your Sam's Club Discover or switch immediately to the Sam's Club MasterCard, you will earn cash back on purchases posted to your account under a new "5-3-1" program. In some categories of purchases, the cash back is more than the 1.5% you are seeking. Sam's Club announced in early June that members will be able to earn 5% cash back on fuel, 3% cash back on dining and travel and 1% cash back on all other purchases, up to $5,000 annually.</p>
<p>As of June 12, all Sam's Plus members were automatically enrolled in the new Plus-only Cash Rewards program. They will receive $10 in Cash Rewards for every $500 spent on qualifying pretax Sam's Club purchases, regardless of the type of payment used. They will be able to earn up to $500 annually, in addition to the $5,000 cash back in the 5-3-1 program. If you are a Sam's Plus member, you can get cash, redeem the money for purchases in the club or on SamsClub.com, or to cover annual membership fees.</p>
<p>I should point out that Discover is more widely accepted than you may think. In 2010, the company said it had a 90% acceptance rate at merchants that also accept Visa and MasterCard.</p>
<p>However, if Discover isn't accepted at merchants you patronize, then that's a real inconvenience. That gives you a good reason to switch over early to MasterCard, which says it is the most widely accepted card in the world.</p>
<p>See related: <a href="http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/rewards-business-gas-1585.php?aid=52aae854" type="external">Compare rewards cards for business gas spending</a>, <a href="http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/choose-best-rewards-small_business-1585.php?aid=52aae854" type="external">How to pick the best rewards card for your business</a></p> | 2,285 |
<p />
<p>As much fun as it is to hold your tax refund check in your hands and rub them together with glee, direct deposit is a simpler and faster method of receiving your refund. It may be safer as well. Not only will you be spared the possibility of someone stealing your check out of the mail, you will also be less tempted to spend it.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>However, there is an even better way to avoid spending your refund. You can have it directly deposited into an individual retirement account (IRA) or purchase U.S. savings bonds with it. Some institutions may allow you to directly deposit your refund into other types of accounts such as&#160; <a href="http://www.moneytips.com/college-funds-529-plan/articles" type="external">529 College Savings Plans Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;or mutual funds.</p>
<p>IRS Form 8888, “Allocation of Refund,” allows you to split your refund into a maximum of three direct deposit accounts. You will need to supply the account number and routing number for each account. Verify the routing numbers with your financial institutions. Do not simply copy the routing numbers from your checks.</p>
<p>Tax refunds may be applied toward&#160; <a href="http://www.moneytips.com/ira-choices-roth-vs-traditional" type="external">traditional, Roth Opens a New Window.</a>, or&#160; <a href="http://www.moneytips.com/retirement-and-the-self-employed" type="external">SEP-IRA accounts Opens a New Window.</a>, but not&#160; <a href="http://www.moneytips.com/simple-iras-101" type="external">SIMPLE IRAs Opens a New Window.</a>. The IRA administrator will supply the routing number and the proper account number to use. It may not be your standard account number; some have to be modified to fit the IRS standard format. You will also need to know whether to designate the account as “checking” or “savings.”</p>
<p>Do not forget that this contribution counts against IRA limits, which are $5,500 for tax year 2015 ($6,500 if you are over 50 years old). If you want to apply this contribution to 2015 (covered by this year’s form), the deposit must be received by the typical filing deadline of April 15th, and you must let your custodian know that you wish to apply the contribution to the previous year. Otherwise, it will be considered to be a contribution in 2016.</p>
<p>Part II of Form 8888 allows you to purchase Series I U.S. savings bonds in $50 increments up to $5,000 without registering on TreasuryDirect.gov, where all other bonds must be obtained. These bonds are the only remaining paper bonds that can be bought. All other savings bond sales are handled and stored electronically.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>One benefit of this paper bond purchase is the ability to buy bonds beyond the $10,000 limit per year that applies to electronic bond sales. If you have a large enough refund and other available funds, you could purchase up to $15,000 in bonds by this route – $10,000 electronically and $5,000 in paper bonds.</p>
<p>Bonds can be registered as single owner, co-owner, or beneficiary bonds. Beneficiary bonds are popular purchases by parents for their children (or grandparents for grandchildren).</p>
<p>There are a few limitations and concerns with&#160; <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8888.pdf" type="external">Form 8888 Opens a New Window.</a>. You cannot use Form 8888 if there is also a&#160; <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8379.pdf" type="external">Form 8379 Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;(Injured Spouse Allocation) involved, or if you are filing an amended return. You can make IRA deposits or buy savings bonds, but you cannot use direct deposit to do so.</p>
<p>Generally, a joint refund cannot be direct-deposited to an individual account. Be sure to check the account status before setting up the direct deposit.</p>
<p>If you made a math error filling out your refund amount, any additional amount will be added to the last account on the list. Any decreases will be taken from the last account, and so on from the next-to-last account until the total is correct.</p>
<p>Consider these sensible and responsible options for your tax refund. You really did not need a new HDTV, anyway.</p>
<p>This article was provided&#160;by our partners at <a href="http://www.moneytips.com/tax-refund-direct-deposit" type="external">moneytips.com Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>More From MoneyTips.com Don’t Get A Surprise Tax Bill From Your IRA Top 10 Ways To Cut Your Taxes This Year Using the Saver’s Credit for your Retirement</p> | Turn Your Tax Refund into an IRA or Savings Bond Automatically | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2016/03/11/turn-your-tax-refund-into-ira-or-savings-bond-automatically.html | 2016-03-11 | 0right
| Turn Your Tax Refund into an IRA or Savings Bond Automatically
<p />
<p>As much fun as it is to hold your tax refund check in your hands and rub them together with glee, direct deposit is a simpler and faster method of receiving your refund. It may be safer as well. Not only will you be spared the possibility of someone stealing your check out of the mail, you will also be less tempted to spend it.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>However, there is an even better way to avoid spending your refund. You can have it directly deposited into an individual retirement account (IRA) or purchase U.S. savings bonds with it. Some institutions may allow you to directly deposit your refund into other types of accounts such as&#160; <a href="http://www.moneytips.com/college-funds-529-plan/articles" type="external">529 College Savings Plans Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;or mutual funds.</p>
<p>IRS Form 8888, “Allocation of Refund,” allows you to split your refund into a maximum of three direct deposit accounts. You will need to supply the account number and routing number for each account. Verify the routing numbers with your financial institutions. Do not simply copy the routing numbers from your checks.</p>
<p>Tax refunds may be applied toward&#160; <a href="http://www.moneytips.com/ira-choices-roth-vs-traditional" type="external">traditional, Roth Opens a New Window.</a>, or&#160; <a href="http://www.moneytips.com/retirement-and-the-self-employed" type="external">SEP-IRA accounts Opens a New Window.</a>, but not&#160; <a href="http://www.moneytips.com/simple-iras-101" type="external">SIMPLE IRAs Opens a New Window.</a>. The IRA administrator will supply the routing number and the proper account number to use. It may not be your standard account number; some have to be modified to fit the IRS standard format. You will also need to know whether to designate the account as “checking” or “savings.”</p>
<p>Do not forget that this contribution counts against IRA limits, which are $5,500 for tax year 2015 ($6,500 if you are over 50 years old). If you want to apply this contribution to 2015 (covered by this year’s form), the deposit must be received by the typical filing deadline of April 15th, and you must let your custodian know that you wish to apply the contribution to the previous year. Otherwise, it will be considered to be a contribution in 2016.</p>
<p>Part II of Form 8888 allows you to purchase Series I U.S. savings bonds in $50 increments up to $5,000 without registering on TreasuryDirect.gov, where all other bonds must be obtained. These bonds are the only remaining paper bonds that can be bought. All other savings bond sales are handled and stored electronically.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>One benefit of this paper bond purchase is the ability to buy bonds beyond the $10,000 limit per year that applies to electronic bond sales. If you have a large enough refund and other available funds, you could purchase up to $15,000 in bonds by this route – $10,000 electronically and $5,000 in paper bonds.</p>
<p>Bonds can be registered as single owner, co-owner, or beneficiary bonds. Beneficiary bonds are popular purchases by parents for their children (or grandparents for grandchildren).</p>
<p>There are a few limitations and concerns with&#160; <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8888.pdf" type="external">Form 8888 Opens a New Window.</a>. You cannot use Form 8888 if there is also a&#160; <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8379.pdf" type="external">Form 8379 Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;(Injured Spouse Allocation) involved, or if you are filing an amended return. You can make IRA deposits or buy savings bonds, but you cannot use direct deposit to do so.</p>
<p>Generally, a joint refund cannot be direct-deposited to an individual account. Be sure to check the account status before setting up the direct deposit.</p>
<p>If you made a math error filling out your refund amount, any additional amount will be added to the last account on the list. Any decreases will be taken from the last account, and so on from the next-to-last account until the total is correct.</p>
<p>Consider these sensible and responsible options for your tax refund. You really did not need a new HDTV, anyway.</p>
<p>This article was provided&#160;by our partners at <a href="http://www.moneytips.com/tax-refund-direct-deposit" type="external">moneytips.com Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>More From MoneyTips.com Don’t Get A Surprise Tax Bill From Your IRA Top 10 Ways To Cut Your Taxes This Year Using the Saver’s Credit for your Retirement</p> | 2,286 |
<p>The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is supporting GlaxoSmithKline’s bid to overturn a court decision allowing the state of Louisiana to bring antitrust claims against the drugmaker even though it did not opt out of a related, previous class action settlement.</p>
<p>The Chamber filed a brief on Tuesday asking the full 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia to review a three-judge panel’s decision holding Louisiana’s sovereign immunity meant it was not bound by a deal resolving claims that GSK tried to delay generic versions of its allergy drug Flonase.</p>
<p>To read the full story on Westlaw Practitioner Insights, click here: <a href="http://bit.ly/2mST6yO" type="external">bit.ly/2mST6yO</a></p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>PRAGUE (Reuters) - Milos Forman, the Czech-born movie director who found fame in Hollywood with the Oscar-winning classics “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Amadeus,” has died at the age of 86.</p>
<p>Forman passed away on Friday in the United States, where he lived, after a short illness, his wife, Martina, told Czech news agency CTK on Saturday.</p>
<p>“His departure was calm and he was surrounded the whole time by his family and his closest friends,” she said.</p>
<p>Forman was born in the Czech town of Caslav on Feb. 18, 1932. He moved to the United States after the Communist crackdown on the “Prague Spring” uprising in 1968 and became a U.S. citizen in the 1970s.</p>
<p>“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” in which a psychiatric institution becomes a microcosm of the contemporary world, and “Amadeus,” the life of 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through the eyes of his rival Antonio Salieri, earned 13 Oscars between them, including those for best director to Forman.</p>
<p>His other notable work included the rock musical “Hair” in 1979, “Ragtime” in 1981 and “The People vs Larry Flynt” in 1996, which was nominated for an Academy Award that year.</p>
<p>Jim Carrey, star of Forman’s 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic “Man on the Moon”, said on Twitter: “Another great one passes through the doorway. Milos Foreman. What a force. A lovely man. I’m glad we got to play together. It was a monumental experience.”</p>
<p>Larry Karaszewski, the co-writer for “Man on the Moon” and “The People vs Larry Flynt”, called Forman a master filmmaker.</p>
<p>“No one better at capturing small unrepeatable moments of human behavior,” he said on Twitter. “Milos loved life. I will miss his laughter.”</p> FILE PHOTO: Czech director Milos Forman talks after being presented with the 'Giraldillo' award for his life-long career achievements at Sevilla Festival Film in Seville, Spain November 6, 2004. REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo/File photo NEW WAVE
<p>Before emigrating, Forman studied at the Prague Film Academy (FAMU) and was a leading figure of the Czechoslovak New Wave film movement, along with directors Ivan Passer, Vera Chytilova and others.</p>
<p>He was raised an orphan after both his parents died in concentration camps during World War Two.</p>
<p>His films, such as 1964’s “Black Peter” and the 1967 communist satire “The Fireman’s Ball”, were banned for a time in the former Czechoslovakia.</p>
<p>When Soviet tanks rumbled into Prague in August 1968, Forman was in Paris for negotiations on his first American production and was fired by his Czech studio, leading him to emigrate. The film Taking Off - a look at youth protest movements - found critical acclaim but little financial success</p> Slideshow (4 Images)
<p>He remained connected to his birth country, filming Amadeus there.</p>
<p>Married three times, Forman met his third wife Martina - a writer three decades his junior - in Prague in the 1990s. He was father to two sets of twin boys, with his second and third wives.</p>
<p>Jan Hrebejk, a leading Czech film director and a friend and former classmate of Forman’s wife Martina, told Reuters the director was a gifted storyteller and a great person.</p>
<p>“In his films you can see the author,” he said. “When you watch them it’s as if that person is speaking to you, as the maker; not many people can do that.”</p>
<p>Reporting by Jason Hovet and Robert Muller; editing by Angus MacSwan and Toby Chopra</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>PARIS (Reuters) - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned of a humanitarian disaster in the rebel-controlled Syrian city of Idlib, which could be a next target of the Syrian army.</p> FILE PHOTO - People inspect the damage at a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria February 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah
<p>The northwestern Idlib region remains the largest populated area of Syria in the hands of insurgents fighting the Damascus government. In recent years, tens of thousands of fighters and civilians have fled there from parts of the country which the army has recaptured with the help of Russia and Iran.</p>
<p>Le Drian said Idlib now has some 2 million inhabitants, including hundreds of thousands of Syrians evacuated from rebel-held cities taken back by the Syrian regime.</p>
<p>“There is a risk of a new humanitarian disaster. Idlib’s fate must be settled by a political process, which includes disarming the militias,” Le Drian said in an interview with French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche.</p>
<p>Some insurgent officials have said they feared an onslaught against Idlib, which a senior Iranian official has indicated could be the next target.</p>
<p>He added that France would also keep a close eye on the situation in northeastern Syria, which was freed from Islamic State with French help.</p>
<p>“Let’s not forget that our principal enemy remains Islamic State, as well as other terrorist groups which are currently regrouping in the east of the country,” Le Drian said.</p>
<p>The insurgents controlling Idlib include both jihadist factions and nationalist FSA rebels. The dominant force there is Hayat Tahrir al Sham, an Islamist alliance spearheaded by the former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.</p>
<p>Le Drian also said Russia was denying reality in Syria and that its protection of Bashar al-Assad could not be justified.</p>
<p>“There is a denial of reality, and he have seen this several times. Already in 2013 and then again in 2017 the Russians denied that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons,” he said.</p>
<p>He said that at the time verification mechanisms already put in place by the United Nations had placed responsibility on the regime.</p>
<p>“It is no wonder that Russia voted against the renewal of this mechanism last autumn,” he said, adding that when France proposed last week to put in place a comparable mechanism, Russia had vetoed it.</p>
<p>Reporting by Geert De Clercqd; editing by Jonathan Oatis</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Western powers said on Saturday their missile attacks struck at the heart of Syria’s chemical weapons program, but the restrained assault appeared unlikely to halt Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s progress in the 7-year-old civil war.</p>
<p>The United States, France and Britain launched 105 missiles overnight in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack in Syria a week ago, targeting what the Pentagon said were three chemical weapons facilities, including a research and development center in Damascus’ Barzeh district and two installations near Homs.</p>
<p>The bombing was the biggest intervention by Western countries against Assad and his superpower ally Russia, but the three countries said the strikes were limited to Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities and not aimed at toppling Assad or intervening in the civil war.</p>
<p>The air attack, denounced by Damascus and its allies as an illegal act of aggression, was unlikely to alter the course of a multisided war that has killed at least half a million people.</p>
<p>U.S. President Donald Trump called the operation a success.</p>
<p>He proclaimed on Twitter: “Mission accomplished,” echoing former President George W. Bush, whose use of the same phrase in 2003 to describe the U.S. invasion of Iraq was widely ridiculed as violence there dragged on for years.</p>
<p>“We believe that by hitting Barzeh in particular we’ve attacked the heart of the Syrian chemicals weapon program,” U.S. Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie said at the Pentagon.</p>
<p>However, McKenzie acknowledged elements of the program remain and he could not guarantee that Syria would be unable to conduct a chemical attack in the future.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-trump/trump-mission-accomplished-on-perfectly-executed-syria-strike-idUSKBN1HL0TW" type="external">Trump: 'mission accomplished' on 'perfectly executed' Syria strike</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-idlib/france-warns-of-humanitarian-disaster-in-syrian-city-idlib-idUSKBN1HL1C2" type="external">France warns of humanitarian disaster in Syrian city Idlib</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-un/russia-fails-in-u-n-bid-to-condemn-u-s-led-strikes-on-syria-idUSKBN1HL0S9" type="external">Russia fails in U.N. bid to condemn U.S.-led strikes on Syria</a>
<p>The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that Trump told her that if Syria uses poisonous gas again, “The United States is locked and loaded.”</p>
<p>The Western countries said the strikes were aimed at preventing more Syrian chemical weapons attacks after a suspected poison gas attack in Douma on April 7 killed up to 75 people. They blame Assad’s government for the attack.</p>
<p>In Washington, a senior administration official said on Saturday that “while the available information is much greater on the chlorine use, we do have significant information that also points to sarin use” in the attack.</p>
<p>Speaking at a summit in Peru, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence seemed less sure of the use of sarin, saying that Washington may well determine that it was used along with chlorine.</p> ASSAD ‘RESILIENCE’
<p>Ten hours after the missiles hit, smoke was still rising from the remains of five destroyed buildings of the Syrian Scientific Research Center in Barzeh, where a Syrian employee said medical components were developed.</p>
<p>There were no immediate reports of casualties.</p>
<p>Syria released video of the wreckage of a bombed-out research lab, but also of Assad arriving at work as usual, with the caption “Morning of resilience”.</p>
<p>Late on Saturday Syria time, a large explosion was heard in a Syrian government-controlled area in a rural region south of Aleppo, according to the Britain-based war monitor The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Observatory said the cause of the explosion was unknown, as well as its target.</p>
<p>Russian and Iranian military help over the past three years has allowed Assad to crush the rebel threat to topple him.</p>
<p>The United States, Britain and France have all participated in the Syrian conflict for years, arming rebels, bombing Islamic State fighters and deploying troops on the ground to fight that group. But they have refrained from targeting Assad’s government, apart from a volley of U.S. missiles last year.</p>
<p>Although the Western countries have all said for seven years that Assad must leave power, they held back in the past from striking his government, lacking a wider strategy to defeat him.</p>
<p>Syria and its allies also made clear that they considered the attack a one-off, unlikely to do meaningful harm to Assad.</p>
<p>A senior official in a regional alliance that backs Damascus told Reuters the sites that were targeted had been evacuated days ago thanks to a warning from Russia.</p>
<p>Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the strikes were “unacceptable and lawless.”</p>
<p>Syrian state media called them a “flagrant violation of international law,” while Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called it a crime and the Western leaders criminals.</p>
<p>Russia had promised to respond to any attack on its ally, but the Pentagon said no Russian air defense systems were used. Syria fired 40 unguided surface-to-air missiles - but only after the Western strikes had ended, the Pentagon said.</p>
<p>“We are confident that all of our missiles reached their targets,” McKenzie said.</p>
<p>British Prime Minister Theresa May described the strike as “limited and targeted,” with no intention of toppling Assad or intervening more widely in the war.</p>
<p>Washington described the strike targets as a center near Damascus for the research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological weapons; a chemical weapons storage site near the city of Homs; and another site near Homs that stored chemical weapons equipment and housed a command post.</p>
<p>The Pentagon said there had been chemical weapons agents at one of the targets, and that the strikes had significantly crippled Syria’s ability to produce such weapons.</p>
<p>Trump spoke to May and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss results of the strikes, the leaders’ offices said.</p> A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer, deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, launches a strike as part of the multinational response to Syria's use of chemical weapons is seen in this image from Al Udeid Air Base, Doha, Qatar released on April 14, 2018. U.S. Air Force/Handout via REUTERS
<p>U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all Security Council members to exercise restraint and avoid escalation in Syria, but said allegations of chemical weapons use demand an investigation.</p> WEAPONS INSPECTIONS
<p>Inspectors from the global chemical weapons watchdog OPCW were due to try to visit Douma on Saturday to inspect the site of the suspected gas attack. Moscow condemned the Western states for refusing to wait for their findings.</p>
<p>Russia, whose relations with the West have deteriorated to levels of Cold War-era hostility, has denied any gas attack took place in Douma and even accused Britain of staging it to whip up anti-Russian hysteria.</p>
<p>The Western countries took precautions to avoid unexpected conflict with Russia. French Defence Minister Florence Parly said Russians was warned beforehand to avert conflict.</p>
<p>Dmitry Belik, a Russian member of parliament who was in Damascus and witnessed the strikes, told Reuters: “The attack was more of a psychological nature rather than practical. Luckily there are no substantial losses or damages.”</p>
<p>In Douma, site of the suspected gas attack, the last buses were due on Saturday to transport out rebels and their families who agreed to surrender the town, state TV reported. That effectively ends all resistance in the suburbs of Damascus known as eastern Ghouta, marking one of the biggest victories for Assad’s government of the war.</p>
<p>The Western assault involved more missiles than a U.S. attack last year but struck targets limited to Syria’s chemical weapons facilities. The U.S. intervention last year had effectively no impact on the war.</p> Slideshow (18 Images)
<p>Syria agreed in 2013 to give up its chemical weapons after a nerve gas attack killed hundreds of people in Douma. Damascus is still permitted to have chlorine for civilian use, although its use as a weapon is banned. Allegations of Assad’s chlorine use have been frequent during the war although, unlike nerve agents, chlorine did not produce mass casualties as seen last week.</p>
<p>Reporting by Phil Stewart and Tom Perry; additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Idrees Ali, Yara Bayoumy, Matt Spetalnick and Joel Schectman in Washington; Michelle Nichols in New York; Samia Nakhoul, Tom Perry, Laila Bassam, Ellen Francis and Angus McDowall in Beirut; Kinda Makieh in Barzeh; Michael Holden and Guy Faulconbridge in London; and Jean-Baptiste Vey, Geert de Clerq and Matthias Blamont in Paris; Polina Ivanova in Moscow; writing by Doina Chiacu; editing by Yara Bayoumy, Alistair Bell and Jonathan Oatis</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Twitter praised Western air strikes against the Syrian government on Saturday as “perfectly executed”, and added “Mission Accomplished”.</p>
<p>“A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!” Trump said in a Twitter post.</p>
<p>Trump’s message echoed the words of a banner that hung behind former President George W. Bush when he gave a speech in 2003 from the USS Abraham Lincoln, during the Iraq War.</p>
<p>That visual dogged Bush’s presidency as the war dragged out, with worsening American casualties, for the remainder of his two terms in office.</p> U.S. President Donald Trump makes a statement about Syria at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 13, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
<p>(This version of the story refiles to fix typographical error in paragraph 3).</p>
<p>Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Joel Schectman editing by Jason Neely and David Gregorio</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a> | U.S. Chamber backs GSK bid to reverse ruling allowing Louisiana lawsuit Forman, Oscar-winning director of 'Cuckoo's Nest' and 'Amadeus', dies at 86 France warns of humanitarian disaster in Syrian city Idlib U.S. says air strikes cripple Syria chemical weapons program Trump: 'mission accomplished' on 'perfectly executed' Syria strike | false | https://reuters.com/article/health-flonase/us-chamber-backs-gsk-bid-to-reverse-ruling-allowing-louisiana-lawsuit-idUSL1N1PD0K6 | 2018-01-18 | 2least
| U.S. Chamber backs GSK bid to reverse ruling allowing Louisiana lawsuit Forman, Oscar-winning director of 'Cuckoo's Nest' and 'Amadeus', dies at 86 France warns of humanitarian disaster in Syrian city Idlib U.S. says air strikes cripple Syria chemical weapons program Trump: 'mission accomplished' on 'perfectly executed' Syria strike
<p>The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is supporting GlaxoSmithKline’s bid to overturn a court decision allowing the state of Louisiana to bring antitrust claims against the drugmaker even though it did not opt out of a related, previous class action settlement.</p>
<p>The Chamber filed a brief on Tuesday asking the full 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia to review a three-judge panel’s decision holding Louisiana’s sovereign immunity meant it was not bound by a deal resolving claims that GSK tried to delay generic versions of its allergy drug Flonase.</p>
<p>To read the full story on Westlaw Practitioner Insights, click here: <a href="http://bit.ly/2mST6yO" type="external">bit.ly/2mST6yO</a></p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>PRAGUE (Reuters) - Milos Forman, the Czech-born movie director who found fame in Hollywood with the Oscar-winning classics “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “Amadeus,” has died at the age of 86.</p>
<p>Forman passed away on Friday in the United States, where he lived, after a short illness, his wife, Martina, told Czech news agency CTK on Saturday.</p>
<p>“His departure was calm and he was surrounded the whole time by his family and his closest friends,” she said.</p>
<p>Forman was born in the Czech town of Caslav on Feb. 18, 1932. He moved to the United States after the Communist crackdown on the “Prague Spring” uprising in 1968 and became a U.S. citizen in the 1970s.</p>
<p>“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” in which a psychiatric institution becomes a microcosm of the contemporary world, and “Amadeus,” the life of 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through the eyes of his rival Antonio Salieri, earned 13 Oscars between them, including those for best director to Forman.</p>
<p>His other notable work included the rock musical “Hair” in 1979, “Ragtime” in 1981 and “The People vs Larry Flynt” in 1996, which was nominated for an Academy Award that year.</p>
<p>Jim Carrey, star of Forman’s 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic “Man on the Moon”, said on Twitter: “Another great one passes through the doorway. Milos Foreman. What a force. A lovely man. I’m glad we got to play together. It was a monumental experience.”</p>
<p>Larry Karaszewski, the co-writer for “Man on the Moon” and “The People vs Larry Flynt”, called Forman a master filmmaker.</p>
<p>“No one better at capturing small unrepeatable moments of human behavior,” he said on Twitter. “Milos loved life. I will miss his laughter.”</p> FILE PHOTO: Czech director Milos Forman talks after being presented with the 'Giraldillo' award for his life-long career achievements at Sevilla Festival Film in Seville, Spain November 6, 2004. REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo/File photo NEW WAVE
<p>Before emigrating, Forman studied at the Prague Film Academy (FAMU) and was a leading figure of the Czechoslovak New Wave film movement, along with directors Ivan Passer, Vera Chytilova and others.</p>
<p>He was raised an orphan after both his parents died in concentration camps during World War Two.</p>
<p>His films, such as 1964’s “Black Peter” and the 1967 communist satire “The Fireman’s Ball”, were banned for a time in the former Czechoslovakia.</p>
<p>When Soviet tanks rumbled into Prague in August 1968, Forman was in Paris for negotiations on his first American production and was fired by his Czech studio, leading him to emigrate. The film Taking Off - a look at youth protest movements - found critical acclaim but little financial success</p> Slideshow (4 Images)
<p>He remained connected to his birth country, filming Amadeus there.</p>
<p>Married three times, Forman met his third wife Martina - a writer three decades his junior - in Prague in the 1990s. He was father to two sets of twin boys, with his second and third wives.</p>
<p>Jan Hrebejk, a leading Czech film director and a friend and former classmate of Forman’s wife Martina, told Reuters the director was a gifted storyteller and a great person.</p>
<p>“In his films you can see the author,” he said. “When you watch them it’s as if that person is speaking to you, as the maker; not many people can do that.”</p>
<p>Reporting by Jason Hovet and Robert Muller; editing by Angus MacSwan and Toby Chopra</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>PARIS (Reuters) - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned of a humanitarian disaster in the rebel-controlled Syrian city of Idlib, which could be a next target of the Syrian army.</p> FILE PHOTO - People inspect the damage at a site hit by airstrikes in the rebel-held city of Idlib, Syria February 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ammar Abdullah
<p>The northwestern Idlib region remains the largest populated area of Syria in the hands of insurgents fighting the Damascus government. In recent years, tens of thousands of fighters and civilians have fled there from parts of the country which the army has recaptured with the help of Russia and Iran.</p>
<p>Le Drian said Idlib now has some 2 million inhabitants, including hundreds of thousands of Syrians evacuated from rebel-held cities taken back by the Syrian regime.</p>
<p>“There is a risk of a new humanitarian disaster. Idlib’s fate must be settled by a political process, which includes disarming the militias,” Le Drian said in an interview with French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche.</p>
<p>Some insurgent officials have said they feared an onslaught against Idlib, which a senior Iranian official has indicated could be the next target.</p>
<p>He added that France would also keep a close eye on the situation in northeastern Syria, which was freed from Islamic State with French help.</p>
<p>“Let’s not forget that our principal enemy remains Islamic State, as well as other terrorist groups which are currently regrouping in the east of the country,” Le Drian said.</p>
<p>The insurgents controlling Idlib include both jihadist factions and nationalist FSA rebels. The dominant force there is Hayat Tahrir al Sham, an Islamist alliance spearheaded by the former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.</p>
<p>Le Drian also said Russia was denying reality in Syria and that its protection of Bashar al-Assad could not be justified.</p>
<p>“There is a denial of reality, and he have seen this several times. Already in 2013 and then again in 2017 the Russians denied that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons,” he said.</p>
<p>He said that at the time verification mechanisms already put in place by the United Nations had placed responsibility on the regime.</p>
<p>“It is no wonder that Russia voted against the renewal of this mechanism last autumn,” he said, adding that when France proposed last week to put in place a comparable mechanism, Russia had vetoed it.</p>
<p>Reporting by Geert De Clercqd; editing by Jonathan Oatis</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Western powers said on Saturday their missile attacks struck at the heart of Syria’s chemical weapons program, but the restrained assault appeared unlikely to halt Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s progress in the 7-year-old civil war.</p>
<p>The United States, France and Britain launched 105 missiles overnight in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack in Syria a week ago, targeting what the Pentagon said were three chemical weapons facilities, including a research and development center in Damascus’ Barzeh district and two installations near Homs.</p>
<p>The bombing was the biggest intervention by Western countries against Assad and his superpower ally Russia, but the three countries said the strikes were limited to Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities and not aimed at toppling Assad or intervening in the civil war.</p>
<p>The air attack, denounced by Damascus and its allies as an illegal act of aggression, was unlikely to alter the course of a multisided war that has killed at least half a million people.</p>
<p>U.S. President Donald Trump called the operation a success.</p>
<p>He proclaimed on Twitter: “Mission accomplished,” echoing former President George W. Bush, whose use of the same phrase in 2003 to describe the U.S. invasion of Iraq was widely ridiculed as violence there dragged on for years.</p>
<p>“We believe that by hitting Barzeh in particular we’ve attacked the heart of the Syrian chemicals weapon program,” U.S. Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie said at the Pentagon.</p>
<p>However, McKenzie acknowledged elements of the program remain and he could not guarantee that Syria would be unable to conduct a chemical attack in the future.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-trump/trump-mission-accomplished-on-perfectly-executed-syria-strike-idUSKBN1HL0TW" type="external">Trump: 'mission accomplished' on 'perfectly executed' Syria strike</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-idlib/france-warns-of-humanitarian-disaster-in-syrian-city-idlib-idUSKBN1HL1C2" type="external">France warns of humanitarian disaster in Syrian city Idlib</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-un/russia-fails-in-u-n-bid-to-condemn-u-s-led-strikes-on-syria-idUSKBN1HL0S9" type="external">Russia fails in U.N. bid to condemn U.S.-led strikes on Syria</a>
<p>The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that Trump told her that if Syria uses poisonous gas again, “The United States is locked and loaded.”</p>
<p>The Western countries said the strikes were aimed at preventing more Syrian chemical weapons attacks after a suspected poison gas attack in Douma on April 7 killed up to 75 people. They blame Assad’s government for the attack.</p>
<p>In Washington, a senior administration official said on Saturday that “while the available information is much greater on the chlorine use, we do have significant information that also points to sarin use” in the attack.</p>
<p>Speaking at a summit in Peru, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence seemed less sure of the use of sarin, saying that Washington may well determine that it was used along with chlorine.</p> ASSAD ‘RESILIENCE’
<p>Ten hours after the missiles hit, smoke was still rising from the remains of five destroyed buildings of the Syrian Scientific Research Center in Barzeh, where a Syrian employee said medical components were developed.</p>
<p>There were no immediate reports of casualties.</p>
<p>Syria released video of the wreckage of a bombed-out research lab, but also of Assad arriving at work as usual, with the caption “Morning of resilience”.</p>
<p>Late on Saturday Syria time, a large explosion was heard in a Syrian government-controlled area in a rural region south of Aleppo, according to the Britain-based war monitor The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Observatory said the cause of the explosion was unknown, as well as its target.</p>
<p>Russian and Iranian military help over the past three years has allowed Assad to crush the rebel threat to topple him.</p>
<p>The United States, Britain and France have all participated in the Syrian conflict for years, arming rebels, bombing Islamic State fighters and deploying troops on the ground to fight that group. But they have refrained from targeting Assad’s government, apart from a volley of U.S. missiles last year.</p>
<p>Although the Western countries have all said for seven years that Assad must leave power, they held back in the past from striking his government, lacking a wider strategy to defeat him.</p>
<p>Syria and its allies also made clear that they considered the attack a one-off, unlikely to do meaningful harm to Assad.</p>
<p>A senior official in a regional alliance that backs Damascus told Reuters the sites that were targeted had been evacuated days ago thanks to a warning from Russia.</p>
<p>Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the strikes were “unacceptable and lawless.”</p>
<p>Syrian state media called them a “flagrant violation of international law,” while Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called it a crime and the Western leaders criminals.</p>
<p>Russia had promised to respond to any attack on its ally, but the Pentagon said no Russian air defense systems were used. Syria fired 40 unguided surface-to-air missiles - but only after the Western strikes had ended, the Pentagon said.</p>
<p>“We are confident that all of our missiles reached their targets,” McKenzie said.</p>
<p>British Prime Minister Theresa May described the strike as “limited and targeted,” with no intention of toppling Assad or intervening more widely in the war.</p>
<p>Washington described the strike targets as a center near Damascus for the research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological weapons; a chemical weapons storage site near the city of Homs; and another site near Homs that stored chemical weapons equipment and housed a command post.</p>
<p>The Pentagon said there had been chemical weapons agents at one of the targets, and that the strikes had significantly crippled Syria’s ability to produce such weapons.</p>
<p>Trump spoke to May and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss results of the strikes, the leaders’ offices said.</p> A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer, deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, launches a strike as part of the multinational response to Syria's use of chemical weapons is seen in this image from Al Udeid Air Base, Doha, Qatar released on April 14, 2018. U.S. Air Force/Handout via REUTERS
<p>U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all Security Council members to exercise restraint and avoid escalation in Syria, but said allegations of chemical weapons use demand an investigation.</p> WEAPONS INSPECTIONS
<p>Inspectors from the global chemical weapons watchdog OPCW were due to try to visit Douma on Saturday to inspect the site of the suspected gas attack. Moscow condemned the Western states for refusing to wait for their findings.</p>
<p>Russia, whose relations with the West have deteriorated to levels of Cold War-era hostility, has denied any gas attack took place in Douma and even accused Britain of staging it to whip up anti-Russian hysteria.</p>
<p>The Western countries took precautions to avoid unexpected conflict with Russia. French Defence Minister Florence Parly said Russians was warned beforehand to avert conflict.</p>
<p>Dmitry Belik, a Russian member of parliament who was in Damascus and witnessed the strikes, told Reuters: “The attack was more of a psychological nature rather than practical. Luckily there are no substantial losses or damages.”</p>
<p>In Douma, site of the suspected gas attack, the last buses were due on Saturday to transport out rebels and their families who agreed to surrender the town, state TV reported. That effectively ends all resistance in the suburbs of Damascus known as eastern Ghouta, marking one of the biggest victories for Assad’s government of the war.</p>
<p>The Western assault involved more missiles than a U.S. attack last year but struck targets limited to Syria’s chemical weapons facilities. The U.S. intervention last year had effectively no impact on the war.</p> Slideshow (18 Images)
<p>Syria agreed in 2013 to give up its chemical weapons after a nerve gas attack killed hundreds of people in Douma. Damascus is still permitted to have chlorine for civilian use, although its use as a weapon is banned. Allegations of Assad’s chlorine use have been frequent during the war although, unlike nerve agents, chlorine did not produce mass casualties as seen last week.</p>
<p>Reporting by Phil Stewart and Tom Perry; additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Idrees Ali, Yara Bayoumy, Matt Spetalnick and Joel Schectman in Washington; Michelle Nichols in New York; Samia Nakhoul, Tom Perry, Laila Bassam, Ellen Francis and Angus McDowall in Beirut; Kinda Makieh in Barzeh; Michael Holden and Guy Faulconbridge in London; and Jean-Baptiste Vey, Geert de Clerq and Matthias Blamont in Paris; Polina Ivanova in Moscow; writing by Doina Chiacu; editing by Yara Bayoumy, Alistair Bell and Jonathan Oatis</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Twitter praised Western air strikes against the Syrian government on Saturday as “perfectly executed”, and added “Mission Accomplished”.</p>
<p>“A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!” Trump said in a Twitter post.</p>
<p>Trump’s message echoed the words of a banner that hung behind former President George W. Bush when he gave a speech in 2003 from the USS Abraham Lincoln, during the Iraq War.</p>
<p>That visual dogged Bush’s presidency as the war dragged out, with worsening American casualties, for the remainder of his two terms in office.</p> U.S. President Donald Trump makes a statement about Syria at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 13, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
<p>(This version of the story refiles to fix typographical error in paragraph 3).</p>
<p>Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Joel Schectman editing by Jason Neely and David Gregorio</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a> | 2,287 |
<p>Sept. 6 (UPI) — <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Rob_Gronkowski/" type="external">Rob Gronkowski</a> tops our top 20 fantasy <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/John_Walker/" type="external">football</a> tight end rankings for Week 1.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New_England_Patriots/" type="external">New England Patriots</a> superstar is healthy — for now — and enters the 2017 season as <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Tom_Brady/" type="external">Tom Brady</a>‘s favorite option.</p>
<p>But if you don’t have Gronkowski, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jordan-Reed/" type="external">Jordan Reed</a>, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Greg_Olsen/" type="external">Greg Olsen</a> or another elite option, fear not. I have ranked my favorite options in several tiers for the opening week of the season.</p>
<p>* <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Miami-Dolphins/" type="external">Miami Dolphins</a> and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Tampa-Bay-Buccaneers/" type="external">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</a> players are not included on this list due to their Week 1 contest possibly being impacted by Hurricane Irma.</p>
<p>TOP SHELF</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Cincinnati-Bengals/" type="external">Cincinnati Bengals</a> star <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Tyler-Eifert/" type="external">Tyler Eifert</a> is starting off the season healthy. Eifert’s first game of 2017 comes against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Baltimore-Ravens/" type="external">Baltimore Ravens</a>. The red zone playmaker is always a threat to score, but typically hasn’t spent enough time on the field for a full season to warrant a higher draft selection. When he is active, Eifert is a no-brainer TE1.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Zach-Ertz/" type="external">Zach Ertz</a> is a combination of a player with great talent facing a defense that struggles against tight ends. The Eagles face the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Washington-Redskins/" type="external">Washington Redskins</a> at FedEx Field in Week 1. Last year, the Redskins surrendered the most receiving yards to receiving tight ends. Ertz is a must-start top-5 option for me this week.</p>
<p>SNEAKY PLAYS</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Delanie-Walker/" type="external">Delanie Walker</a> has been one of the most dependable fantasy football tight ends in the last several seasons. He begins the 2017 campaign as a TE1 facing off against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Oakland-Raiders/" type="external">Oakland Raiders</a>. Last season, the Raiders were one of the worst teams at defending tight ends. The Raiders surrendered the fifth-most yards and sixth-most touchdowns and fantasy points to the position in 2016.</p>
<p>Los Angeles Chargers second-year tight end <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Hunter-Henry/" type="external">Hunter Henry</a> is primed for an ascending season as his role increases toward the tail end of <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Antonio_Gates/" type="external">Antonio Gates</a>‘ career. Henry gets the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Denver_Broncos/" type="external">Denver Broncos</a> in Week 1, but he should see plenty of targets as the Broncos’ cornerbacks lock down <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Philip_Rivers/" type="external">Philip Rivers</a>‘ wide receivers. Henry is a low-end TE1 for Week 1.</p>
<p>LONGSHOTS</p>
<p>Charles Clay might be one of the most underrated tight ends this season. The <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Buffalo-Bills/" type="external">Buffalo Bills</a> pass catcher gets to ball against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New-York-Jets/" type="external">New York Jets</a> in Week 1, making him a near must-start. I have Clay penciled in as a low-end TE1 in this match against the team that allowed the third-most touchdowns to the position in 2016.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Evan-Engram/" type="external">Evan Engram</a> might be a rookie, but he should be targeted heavily in the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New_York_Giants/" type="external">New York Giants</a>‘ offense. He’ll get a shot to show off his skillset right away against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Dallas-Cowboys/" type="external">Dallas Cowboys</a> in Week 1. In 2016, the Cowboys gave up the third-most fantasy points to the position. Only take a shot on Engram in very deep leagues or if you are overmatched and desperately need a touchdown.</p> | Fantasy Football: Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce lead Week 1 Tight End Rankings | false | https://newsline.com/fantasy-football-rob-gronkowski-travis-kelce-lead-week-1-tight-end-rankings/ | 2017-09-06 | 1right-center
| Fantasy Football: Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce lead Week 1 Tight End Rankings
<p>Sept. 6 (UPI) — <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Rob_Gronkowski/" type="external">Rob Gronkowski</a> tops our top 20 fantasy <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/John_Walker/" type="external">football</a> tight end rankings for Week 1.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New_England_Patriots/" type="external">New England Patriots</a> superstar is healthy — for now — and enters the 2017 season as <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Tom_Brady/" type="external">Tom Brady</a>‘s favorite option.</p>
<p>But if you don’t have Gronkowski, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jordan-Reed/" type="external">Jordan Reed</a>, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Greg_Olsen/" type="external">Greg Olsen</a> or another elite option, fear not. I have ranked my favorite options in several tiers for the opening week of the season.</p>
<p>* <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Miami-Dolphins/" type="external">Miami Dolphins</a> and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Tampa-Bay-Buccaneers/" type="external">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</a> players are not included on this list due to their Week 1 contest possibly being impacted by Hurricane Irma.</p>
<p>TOP SHELF</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Cincinnati-Bengals/" type="external">Cincinnati Bengals</a> star <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Tyler-Eifert/" type="external">Tyler Eifert</a> is starting off the season healthy. Eifert’s first game of 2017 comes against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Baltimore-Ravens/" type="external">Baltimore Ravens</a>. The red zone playmaker is always a threat to score, but typically hasn’t spent enough time on the field for a full season to warrant a higher draft selection. When he is active, Eifert is a no-brainer TE1.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Zach-Ertz/" type="external">Zach Ertz</a> is a combination of a player with great talent facing a defense that struggles against tight ends. The Eagles face the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Washington-Redskins/" type="external">Washington Redskins</a> at FedEx Field in Week 1. Last year, the Redskins surrendered the most receiving yards to receiving tight ends. Ertz is a must-start top-5 option for me this week.</p>
<p>SNEAKY PLAYS</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Delanie-Walker/" type="external">Delanie Walker</a> has been one of the most dependable fantasy football tight ends in the last several seasons. He begins the 2017 campaign as a TE1 facing off against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Oakland-Raiders/" type="external">Oakland Raiders</a>. Last season, the Raiders were one of the worst teams at defending tight ends. The Raiders surrendered the fifth-most yards and sixth-most touchdowns and fantasy points to the position in 2016.</p>
<p>Los Angeles Chargers second-year tight end <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Hunter-Henry/" type="external">Hunter Henry</a> is primed for an ascending season as his role increases toward the tail end of <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Antonio_Gates/" type="external">Antonio Gates</a>‘ career. Henry gets the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Denver_Broncos/" type="external">Denver Broncos</a> in Week 1, but he should see plenty of targets as the Broncos’ cornerbacks lock down <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Philip_Rivers/" type="external">Philip Rivers</a>‘ wide receivers. Henry is a low-end TE1 for Week 1.</p>
<p>LONGSHOTS</p>
<p>Charles Clay might be one of the most underrated tight ends this season. The <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Buffalo-Bills/" type="external">Buffalo Bills</a> pass catcher gets to ball against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New-York-Jets/" type="external">New York Jets</a> in Week 1, making him a near must-start. I have Clay penciled in as a low-end TE1 in this match against the team that allowed the third-most touchdowns to the position in 2016.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Evan-Engram/" type="external">Evan Engram</a> might be a rookie, but he should be targeted heavily in the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New_York_Giants/" type="external">New York Giants</a>‘ offense. He’ll get a shot to show off his skillset right away against the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Dallas-Cowboys/" type="external">Dallas Cowboys</a> in Week 1. In 2016, the Cowboys gave up the third-most fantasy points to the position. Only take a shot on Engram in very deep leagues or if you are overmatched and desperately need a touchdown.</p> | 2,288 |
<p>Lives without lives praying at mosque five times a day, undoubtedly praying for liberation, and daily life without the spreading toxic sand of unrelenting war and disparity etching the dawn and furrowed brow of every survivor in a land where the next date palm just might kill you</p>
<p>Attacks on occupational forces continue to rise after all of Saddam’s inert circle of doom are gone yet Iraq remains the icon image for terrorist T-Box sporting suicide bombers enacting real time free-for-all and freedom becomes an impossible dream</p>
<p>The cameras have been rolling along the watchtowers spreading the news and breaking it down for the masses after the homeland caucus corn and back-slappin’ is over U.S. troops, British troops, Afghani, Iraqi men, women, and children living and breathing the fumes of so called “freedom” continue to die</p>
<p>Republican conservatives are oiling up their reentry boosters, and Democratic candidates are forming an accumulative no one to represent a heart-bound constituency for revolutionary change without ties that bind America to the Bin Laden family trust, and “other interests” guiding the general disorders of the day</p>
<p>The President spoke to the nation from the Senate rostrum, “War,” he said, is making the homeland a safer place to live under [his] watchful Patriot Acts enabling freedom from fear of terrorist weapons of destruction that will never be found, and by creating an increasingly senseless form of insecurity</p>
<p>In my easy chair with a drink nearby, a virtual mistrust formed, beginning with a smirk, a wink and a nod to his second at hand, both imperceptibly shaking in their boots under two rye smiles that one day their conspiracy might be exposed to public eyes before man sets foot in mouth to militarize the moon and Mars.</p>
<p>HAMMOND GUTHRIE is the author of <a href="" type="internal">AsEverWas: Memoirs of a Beat Survivor</a>. He is the editor of the great online journal <a href="http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/thirdpage/indexstars.html" type="external">The 3rd Page.</a> He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>© 2004– HAMMOND GUTHRIE</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | General Disorders of the Day | true | https://counterpunch.org/2004/01/27/general-disorders-of-the-day/ | 2004-01-27 | 4left
| General Disorders of the Day
<p>Lives without lives praying at mosque five times a day, undoubtedly praying for liberation, and daily life without the spreading toxic sand of unrelenting war and disparity etching the dawn and furrowed brow of every survivor in a land where the next date palm just might kill you</p>
<p>Attacks on occupational forces continue to rise after all of Saddam’s inert circle of doom are gone yet Iraq remains the icon image for terrorist T-Box sporting suicide bombers enacting real time free-for-all and freedom becomes an impossible dream</p>
<p>The cameras have been rolling along the watchtowers spreading the news and breaking it down for the masses after the homeland caucus corn and back-slappin’ is over U.S. troops, British troops, Afghani, Iraqi men, women, and children living and breathing the fumes of so called “freedom” continue to die</p>
<p>Republican conservatives are oiling up their reentry boosters, and Democratic candidates are forming an accumulative no one to represent a heart-bound constituency for revolutionary change without ties that bind America to the Bin Laden family trust, and “other interests” guiding the general disorders of the day</p>
<p>The President spoke to the nation from the Senate rostrum, “War,” he said, is making the homeland a safer place to live under [his] watchful Patriot Acts enabling freedom from fear of terrorist weapons of destruction that will never be found, and by creating an increasingly senseless form of insecurity</p>
<p>In my easy chair with a drink nearby, a virtual mistrust formed, beginning with a smirk, a wink and a nod to his second at hand, both imperceptibly shaking in their boots under two rye smiles that one day their conspiracy might be exposed to public eyes before man sets foot in mouth to militarize the moon and Mars.</p>
<p>HAMMOND GUTHRIE is the author of <a href="" type="internal">AsEverWas: Memoirs of a Beat Survivor</a>. He is the editor of the great online journal <a href="http://www.emptymirrorbooks.com/thirdpage/indexstars.html" type="external">The 3rd Page.</a> He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>© 2004– HAMMOND GUTHRIE</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 2,289 |
<p>In the <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/03/whitehouse200703" type="external">new issue of Vanity Fair</a>, experts in and out of the government report that the groundwork for a war against Iran has already been set. "I've heard from sources at the Pentagon that their impression is that the White House has made a decision that war is going to happen," a former CIA counter-terrorism specialist tells the mag.</p>
<p>Vanity Fair:</p>
<p>"It is absolutely parallel," says Philip Giraldi, a former C.I.A. counterterrorism specialist. "They're using the same dance steps - demonize the bad guys, the pretext of diplomacy, keep out of negotiations, use proxies. It is Iraq redux."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/03/whitehouse200703" type="external">Link</a></p>
<p /> | From the Folks Who Brought You Iraq... | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/from-the-folks-who-brought-you-iraq/ | 2007-02-01 | 4left
| From the Folks Who Brought You Iraq...
<p>In the <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/03/whitehouse200703" type="external">new issue of Vanity Fair</a>, experts in and out of the government report that the groundwork for a war against Iran has already been set. "I've heard from sources at the Pentagon that their impression is that the White House has made a decision that war is going to happen," a former CIA counter-terrorism specialist tells the mag.</p>
<p>Vanity Fair:</p>
<p>"It is absolutely parallel," says Philip Giraldi, a former C.I.A. counterterrorism specialist. "They're using the same dance steps - demonize the bad guys, the pretext of diplomacy, keep out of negotiations, use proxies. It is Iraq redux."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/03/whitehouse200703" type="external">Link</a></p>
<p /> | 2,290 |
<p>Philadelphia WeeklyRachel Buchman, who <a href="" type="internal">resigned</a> from WHYY radio after "making a phone call that would change my life," says she left a nasty message for the people at Laptoplobbyist.com because she was tired of spam. "I was incensed that I wasn't going to finally get to ask a real person to remove me from the list," she writes. "The answering machine asked the caller to leave a name and number, and without thinking, that's what I did."</p> | Ex-radio reporter blames "spam rage" for call to website | false | https://poynter.org/news/ex-radio-reporter-blames-spam-rage-call-website | 2004-12-08 | 2least
| Ex-radio reporter blames "spam rage" for call to website
<p>Philadelphia WeeklyRachel Buchman, who <a href="" type="internal">resigned</a> from WHYY radio after "making a phone call that would change my life," says she left a nasty message for the people at Laptoplobbyist.com because she was tired of spam. "I was incensed that I wasn't going to finally get to ask a real person to remove me from the list," she writes. "The answering machine asked the caller to leave a name and number, and without thinking, that's what I did."</p> | 2,291 |
<p>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The Latest on talks between North and South Korea (all times local):</p>
<p>1:20 p.m.</p>
<p>U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says North Korea is responsible for the suffering of its people due to economic sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons. He is also voicing skepticism that humanitarian aid to alleviate that suffering would reach the people who need it.</p>
<p>Tillerson told reporters late Wednesday that "it's an unacceptable outcome that Kim is making that choice, and we're not going to take any responsibility for the fact that he's choosing to make his own people suffer."</p>
<p>Tillerson was speaking a day after meeting with U.S. allies to discuss intensifying sanctions on North Korea.</p>
<p>The U.S. stance could put it at odds with South Korea, whose government is re-engaging the North after years of escalating tensions and is thought to be considering provision of humanitarian aid.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>4:45 a.m.</p>
<p>The White House says it hopes for a "small taste of freedom" for the North Korean athletes participating on a joint Olympic team with South Korea.</p>
<p>Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says it's also an opportunity for North Korea to see the value of ending its international isolation by getting rid of its nuclear weapons.</p>
<p>Sanders says she hopes the taste of freedom rubs off and affects conversations about North Korea's nuclear weapons program.</p>
<p>South Korea has announced that the rival Koreas have agreed to form their first joint Olympic team and have their athletes march together during the opening ceremony for next month's Winter Olympics in the South.</p>
<p>The agreement was reached during talks Wednesday at the border village of Panmunjom. The International Olympic Committee must sign off on the proposal.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10 p.m.</p>
<p>South Korea says the rival Koreas have agreed to form their first joint Olympic team and have their athletes march together during the opening ceremony of next month's Winter Olympics in the South.</p>
<p>Seoul's Unification Ministry says the Koreas reached the agreement during talks Wednesday at the border village of Panmunjom.</p>
<p>It says athletes from the two Koreas will march together under a "unification flag" depicting their peninsula during the opening ceremony and will field a single women's ice hockey team.</p>
<p>The measures require approval by the International Olympic Committee. The South Korean ministry says the two Koreas will consult with the IOC this weekend.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>3:40 p.m.</p>
<p>South Korea says North Korea plans to send a 230-member cheering squad to South Korea during next month's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.</p>
<p>Seoul's Unification Ministry says in a statement the North also proposed its Olympic delegation travel to South Korea across the land border during talks Wednesday.</p>
<p>It says the two Koreas also discussed fielding a joint women's hockey team and conducting a joint march during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Games.</p>
<p>It says the talks will continue later Wednesday.</p>
<p>The North has said its delegation would also include officials, athletes, journalists, an art troupe and a taekwondo demonstration team.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2 p.m.</p>
<p>South Korea says North Korea will send a delegation to the Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea in March.</p>
<p>Seoul's Unification Ministry says in a statement that the North informed it of such a plan during talks Wednesday at the border. The talks, the third round in less than 10 days, were arranged to discuss cooperation in next month's Pyeongchang Olympics.</p>
<p>The Unification Ministry says the two Korea will hold further talks on a detailed makeup of the North Korean Paralympics delegation.</p>
<p>North Korea agreed last week to send a delegation to the Pyeongchang Olympics in a conciliatory gesture after a year of heightened animosities over its nuclear and missile programs.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Noon</p>
<p>A government spokesman has said that South Korea will ensure that any proposal for a joint women's hockey team with North Korea at the Winter Olympics will not have a negative impact on South Korean players.</p>
<p>Unification Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said Wednesday that the government is aware of public concerns that adding North Korean players could displace South Koreans who have made the team.</p>
<p>His comments came as the two Koreas were holding talks on North Korean participation in the Winter Games in South Korea next month.</p>
<p>South Korea wants the IOC to allow the hockey team's roster to be expanded to make room for North Korean players. If a joint squad is realized, it would be the Koreas' first unified team in an Olympics.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:55 a.m.</p>
<p>The two Koreas are meeting for the third time in 10 days to discuss North Korean participation in next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea.</p>
<p>Officials from both sides met Wednesday in the village of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone that divides their countries.</p>
<p>North Korea agreed last week to send a delegation to the Olympics. The move has provided a tentative thaw in the strained ties between the Koreas.</p>
<p>Proposals expected to be discussed Wednesday include a joint women's hockey team and marching together during the opening ceremony. The talks precede a meeting among the two countries and the IOC in Switzerland on Saturday.</p>
<p>The Koreas agreed earlier this week that 80 North Korean orchestra members and 60 singers and dancers would perform in the South during the games.</p>
<p>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The Latest on talks between North and South Korea (all times local):</p>
<p>1:20 p.m.</p>
<p>U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says North Korea is responsible for the suffering of its people due to economic sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons. He is also voicing skepticism that humanitarian aid to alleviate that suffering would reach the people who need it.</p>
<p>Tillerson told reporters late Wednesday that "it's an unacceptable outcome that Kim is making that choice, and we're not going to take any responsibility for the fact that he's choosing to make his own people suffer."</p>
<p>Tillerson was speaking a day after meeting with U.S. allies to discuss intensifying sanctions on North Korea.</p>
<p>The U.S. stance could put it at odds with South Korea, whose government is re-engaging the North after years of escalating tensions and is thought to be considering provision of humanitarian aid.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>4:45 a.m.</p>
<p>The White House says it hopes for a "small taste of freedom" for the North Korean athletes participating on a joint Olympic team with South Korea.</p>
<p>Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says it's also an opportunity for North Korea to see the value of ending its international isolation by getting rid of its nuclear weapons.</p>
<p>Sanders says she hopes the taste of freedom rubs off and affects conversations about North Korea's nuclear weapons program.</p>
<p>South Korea has announced that the rival Koreas have agreed to form their first joint Olympic team and have their athletes march together during the opening ceremony for next month's Winter Olympics in the South.</p>
<p>The agreement was reached during talks Wednesday at the border village of Panmunjom. The International Olympic Committee must sign off on the proposal.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10 p.m.</p>
<p>South Korea says the rival Koreas have agreed to form their first joint Olympic team and have their athletes march together during the opening ceremony of next month's Winter Olympics in the South.</p>
<p>Seoul's Unification Ministry says the Koreas reached the agreement during talks Wednesday at the border village of Panmunjom.</p>
<p>It says athletes from the two Koreas will march together under a "unification flag" depicting their peninsula during the opening ceremony and will field a single women's ice hockey team.</p>
<p>The measures require approval by the International Olympic Committee. The South Korean ministry says the two Koreas will consult with the IOC this weekend.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>3:40 p.m.</p>
<p>South Korea says North Korea plans to send a 230-member cheering squad to South Korea during next month's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.</p>
<p>Seoul's Unification Ministry says in a statement the North also proposed its Olympic delegation travel to South Korea across the land border during talks Wednesday.</p>
<p>It says the two Koreas also discussed fielding a joint women's hockey team and conducting a joint march during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Games.</p>
<p>It says the talks will continue later Wednesday.</p>
<p>The North has said its delegation would also include officials, athletes, journalists, an art troupe and a taekwondo demonstration team.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2 p.m.</p>
<p>South Korea says North Korea will send a delegation to the Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea in March.</p>
<p>Seoul's Unification Ministry says in a statement that the North informed it of such a plan during talks Wednesday at the border. The talks, the third round in less than 10 days, were arranged to discuss cooperation in next month's Pyeongchang Olympics.</p>
<p>The Unification Ministry says the two Korea will hold further talks on a detailed makeup of the North Korean Paralympics delegation.</p>
<p>North Korea agreed last week to send a delegation to the Pyeongchang Olympics in a conciliatory gesture after a year of heightened animosities over its nuclear and missile programs.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Noon</p>
<p>A government spokesman has said that South Korea will ensure that any proposal for a joint women's hockey team with North Korea at the Winter Olympics will not have a negative impact on South Korean players.</p>
<p>Unification Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said Wednesday that the government is aware of public concerns that adding North Korean players could displace South Koreans who have made the team.</p>
<p>His comments came as the two Koreas were holding talks on North Korean participation in the Winter Games in South Korea next month.</p>
<p>South Korea wants the IOC to allow the hockey team's roster to be expanded to make room for North Korean players. If a joint squad is realized, it would be the Koreas' first unified team in an Olympics.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:55 a.m.</p>
<p>The two Koreas are meeting for the third time in 10 days to discuss North Korean participation in next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea.</p>
<p>Officials from both sides met Wednesday in the village of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone that divides their countries.</p>
<p>North Korea agreed last week to send a delegation to the Olympics. The move has provided a tentative thaw in the strained ties between the Koreas.</p>
<p>Proposals expected to be discussed Wednesday include a joint women's hockey team and marching together during the opening ceremony. The talks precede a meeting among the two countries and the IOC in Switzerland on Saturday.</p>
<p>The Koreas agreed earlier this week that 80 North Korean orchestra members and 60 singers and dancers would perform in the South during the games.</p> | The Latest: Tillerson says NK responsible for suffering | false | https://apnews.com/amp/2f4b6b4523bd431f9ded357155662fb7 | 2018-01-18 | 2least
| The Latest: Tillerson says NK responsible for suffering
<p>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The Latest on talks between North and South Korea (all times local):</p>
<p>1:20 p.m.</p>
<p>U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says North Korea is responsible for the suffering of its people due to economic sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons. He is also voicing skepticism that humanitarian aid to alleviate that suffering would reach the people who need it.</p>
<p>Tillerson told reporters late Wednesday that "it's an unacceptable outcome that Kim is making that choice, and we're not going to take any responsibility for the fact that he's choosing to make his own people suffer."</p>
<p>Tillerson was speaking a day after meeting with U.S. allies to discuss intensifying sanctions on North Korea.</p>
<p>The U.S. stance could put it at odds with South Korea, whose government is re-engaging the North after years of escalating tensions and is thought to be considering provision of humanitarian aid.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>4:45 a.m.</p>
<p>The White House says it hopes for a "small taste of freedom" for the North Korean athletes participating on a joint Olympic team with South Korea.</p>
<p>Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says it's also an opportunity for North Korea to see the value of ending its international isolation by getting rid of its nuclear weapons.</p>
<p>Sanders says she hopes the taste of freedom rubs off and affects conversations about North Korea's nuclear weapons program.</p>
<p>South Korea has announced that the rival Koreas have agreed to form their first joint Olympic team and have their athletes march together during the opening ceremony for next month's Winter Olympics in the South.</p>
<p>The agreement was reached during talks Wednesday at the border village of Panmunjom. The International Olympic Committee must sign off on the proposal.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10 p.m.</p>
<p>South Korea says the rival Koreas have agreed to form their first joint Olympic team and have their athletes march together during the opening ceremony of next month's Winter Olympics in the South.</p>
<p>Seoul's Unification Ministry says the Koreas reached the agreement during talks Wednesday at the border village of Panmunjom.</p>
<p>It says athletes from the two Koreas will march together under a "unification flag" depicting their peninsula during the opening ceremony and will field a single women's ice hockey team.</p>
<p>The measures require approval by the International Olympic Committee. The South Korean ministry says the two Koreas will consult with the IOC this weekend.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>3:40 p.m.</p>
<p>South Korea says North Korea plans to send a 230-member cheering squad to South Korea during next month's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.</p>
<p>Seoul's Unification Ministry says in a statement the North also proposed its Olympic delegation travel to South Korea across the land border during talks Wednesday.</p>
<p>It says the two Koreas also discussed fielding a joint women's hockey team and conducting a joint march during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Games.</p>
<p>It says the talks will continue later Wednesday.</p>
<p>The North has said its delegation would also include officials, athletes, journalists, an art troupe and a taekwondo demonstration team.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2 p.m.</p>
<p>South Korea says North Korea will send a delegation to the Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea in March.</p>
<p>Seoul's Unification Ministry says in a statement that the North informed it of such a plan during talks Wednesday at the border. The talks, the third round in less than 10 days, were arranged to discuss cooperation in next month's Pyeongchang Olympics.</p>
<p>The Unification Ministry says the two Korea will hold further talks on a detailed makeup of the North Korean Paralympics delegation.</p>
<p>North Korea agreed last week to send a delegation to the Pyeongchang Olympics in a conciliatory gesture after a year of heightened animosities over its nuclear and missile programs.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Noon</p>
<p>A government spokesman has said that South Korea will ensure that any proposal for a joint women's hockey team with North Korea at the Winter Olympics will not have a negative impact on South Korean players.</p>
<p>Unification Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said Wednesday that the government is aware of public concerns that adding North Korean players could displace South Koreans who have made the team.</p>
<p>His comments came as the two Koreas were holding talks on North Korean participation in the Winter Games in South Korea next month.</p>
<p>South Korea wants the IOC to allow the hockey team's roster to be expanded to make room for North Korean players. If a joint squad is realized, it would be the Koreas' first unified team in an Olympics.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:55 a.m.</p>
<p>The two Koreas are meeting for the third time in 10 days to discuss North Korean participation in next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea.</p>
<p>Officials from both sides met Wednesday in the village of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone that divides their countries.</p>
<p>North Korea agreed last week to send a delegation to the Olympics. The move has provided a tentative thaw in the strained ties between the Koreas.</p>
<p>Proposals expected to be discussed Wednesday include a joint women's hockey team and marching together during the opening ceremony. The talks precede a meeting among the two countries and the IOC in Switzerland on Saturday.</p>
<p>The Koreas agreed earlier this week that 80 North Korean orchestra members and 60 singers and dancers would perform in the South during the games.</p>
<p>SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The Latest on talks between North and South Korea (all times local):</p>
<p>1:20 p.m.</p>
<p>U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says North Korea is responsible for the suffering of its people due to economic sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons. He is also voicing skepticism that humanitarian aid to alleviate that suffering would reach the people who need it.</p>
<p>Tillerson told reporters late Wednesday that "it's an unacceptable outcome that Kim is making that choice, and we're not going to take any responsibility for the fact that he's choosing to make his own people suffer."</p>
<p>Tillerson was speaking a day after meeting with U.S. allies to discuss intensifying sanctions on North Korea.</p>
<p>The U.S. stance could put it at odds with South Korea, whose government is re-engaging the North after years of escalating tensions and is thought to be considering provision of humanitarian aid.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>4:45 a.m.</p>
<p>The White House says it hopes for a "small taste of freedom" for the North Korean athletes participating on a joint Olympic team with South Korea.</p>
<p>Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says it's also an opportunity for North Korea to see the value of ending its international isolation by getting rid of its nuclear weapons.</p>
<p>Sanders says she hopes the taste of freedom rubs off and affects conversations about North Korea's nuclear weapons program.</p>
<p>South Korea has announced that the rival Koreas have agreed to form their first joint Olympic team and have their athletes march together during the opening ceremony for next month's Winter Olympics in the South.</p>
<p>The agreement was reached during talks Wednesday at the border village of Panmunjom. The International Olympic Committee must sign off on the proposal.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10 p.m.</p>
<p>South Korea says the rival Koreas have agreed to form their first joint Olympic team and have their athletes march together during the opening ceremony of next month's Winter Olympics in the South.</p>
<p>Seoul's Unification Ministry says the Koreas reached the agreement during talks Wednesday at the border village of Panmunjom.</p>
<p>It says athletes from the two Koreas will march together under a "unification flag" depicting their peninsula during the opening ceremony and will field a single women's ice hockey team.</p>
<p>The measures require approval by the International Olympic Committee. The South Korean ministry says the two Koreas will consult with the IOC this weekend.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>3:40 p.m.</p>
<p>South Korea says North Korea plans to send a 230-member cheering squad to South Korea during next month's Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.</p>
<p>Seoul's Unification Ministry says in a statement the North also proposed its Olympic delegation travel to South Korea across the land border during talks Wednesday.</p>
<p>It says the two Koreas also discussed fielding a joint women's hockey team and conducting a joint march during the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Games.</p>
<p>It says the talks will continue later Wednesday.</p>
<p>The North has said its delegation would also include officials, athletes, journalists, an art troupe and a taekwondo demonstration team.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2 p.m.</p>
<p>South Korea says North Korea will send a delegation to the Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea in March.</p>
<p>Seoul's Unification Ministry says in a statement that the North informed it of such a plan during talks Wednesday at the border. The talks, the third round in less than 10 days, were arranged to discuss cooperation in next month's Pyeongchang Olympics.</p>
<p>The Unification Ministry says the two Korea will hold further talks on a detailed makeup of the North Korean Paralympics delegation.</p>
<p>North Korea agreed last week to send a delegation to the Pyeongchang Olympics in a conciliatory gesture after a year of heightened animosities over its nuclear and missile programs.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Noon</p>
<p>A government spokesman has said that South Korea will ensure that any proposal for a joint women's hockey team with North Korea at the Winter Olympics will not have a negative impact on South Korean players.</p>
<p>Unification Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said Wednesday that the government is aware of public concerns that adding North Korean players could displace South Koreans who have made the team.</p>
<p>His comments came as the two Koreas were holding talks on North Korean participation in the Winter Games in South Korea next month.</p>
<p>South Korea wants the IOC to allow the hockey team's roster to be expanded to make room for North Korean players. If a joint squad is realized, it would be the Koreas' first unified team in an Olympics.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:55 a.m.</p>
<p>The two Koreas are meeting for the third time in 10 days to discuss North Korean participation in next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea.</p>
<p>Officials from both sides met Wednesday in the village of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone that divides their countries.</p>
<p>North Korea agreed last week to send a delegation to the Olympics. The move has provided a tentative thaw in the strained ties between the Koreas.</p>
<p>Proposals expected to be discussed Wednesday include a joint women's hockey team and marching together during the opening ceremony. The talks precede a meeting among the two countries and the IOC in Switzerland on Saturday.</p>
<p>The Koreas agreed earlier this week that 80 North Korean orchestra members and 60 singers and dancers would perform in the South during the games.</p> | 2,292 |
<p>Samples of Albert Einstein's brain have been put on display at the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia, <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9R2M6D02&amp;show_article=1" type="external">the Associated Press reported</a> Thursday.</p>
<p>Lucy Rorke-Adams, a neuropathologist who has worked at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for 47 years, donated 46 slides of Einstein's&#160;gray matter to the museum, which is part of the&#160;College of Physicians of Philadelphia.&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/health/20111117_Samples_of_Einsteins_brain_come_to_Mtter_Museum.html" type="external">According to The Philadelphia Inquirer</a>, Einstein's brain was "carefully preserved, partitioned and distributed" after his death in 1955, and parts ended up in the hands of a number of hospitals and researchers. From the Inquirer:</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>A colleague gave the slides to Rorke-Adams in the mid-1970s, having received them from the widow of a physician who had helped arrange for the brain samples to be prepared in 1955.</p>
<p>Most of Einstein's preserved brain is held by the University Medical Center at Princeton.&#160;</p>
<p>In an interview with <a href="http://www.collphyphil.org/site/mutter_museum.html" type="external">CBS? Talk Philly</a>, Rorke-Adams said that the samples show that "Einstein's brain is that of a young person, it's really remarkable, it does not show any of the changes that we associate with age."</p>
<p>Robert Hicks, the director of the Mutter Museum, told Talk Philly that Einstein's brain isn't the first piece of a historical figure that the museum has come by: the institution also boasts pieces of Lincoln assassin&#160;John Wilkes Booth and President Grover Cleveland.&#160;</p> | Museum puts samples of Einstein's brain on display | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-11-17/museum-puts-samples-einstein-s-brain-display | 2011-11-17 | 3left-center
| Museum puts samples of Einstein's brain on display
<p>Samples of Albert Einstein's brain have been put on display at the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia, <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9R2M6D02&amp;show_article=1" type="external">the Associated Press reported</a> Thursday.</p>
<p>Lucy Rorke-Adams, a neuropathologist who has worked at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for 47 years, donated 46 slides of Einstein's&#160;gray matter to the museum, which is part of the&#160;College of Physicians of Philadelphia.&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/health/20111117_Samples_of_Einsteins_brain_come_to_Mtter_Museum.html" type="external">According to The Philadelphia Inquirer</a>, Einstein's brain was "carefully preserved, partitioned and distributed" after his death in 1955, and parts ended up in the hands of a number of hospitals and researchers. From the Inquirer:</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>A colleague gave the slides to Rorke-Adams in the mid-1970s, having received them from the widow of a physician who had helped arrange for the brain samples to be prepared in 1955.</p>
<p>Most of Einstein's preserved brain is held by the University Medical Center at Princeton.&#160;</p>
<p>In an interview with <a href="http://www.collphyphil.org/site/mutter_museum.html" type="external">CBS? Talk Philly</a>, Rorke-Adams said that the samples show that "Einstein's brain is that of a young person, it's really remarkable, it does not show any of the changes that we associate with age."</p>
<p>Robert Hicks, the director of the Mutter Museum, told Talk Philly that Einstein's brain isn't the first piece of a historical figure that the museum has come by: the institution also boasts pieces of Lincoln assassin&#160;John Wilkes Booth and President Grover Cleveland.&#160;</p> | 2,293 |
<p>When it comes to the Analysis of a Stock, Price Target plays a vital role. Analysts reported that the Price Target for ING Groep N.V. might touch $23.17 high while the Average Price Target and Low price Target is $19.91 and $15.25 respectively.</p>
<p>The Relative Volume of the company is 1.38 and Average Volume (3 months) is 2.36 million. The company’s P/E (price to earnings) ratio is 12.79 and Forward P/E ratio of 10.86.</p>
<p>The company shows its Return on Assets (ROA) value of 0.6%. The Return on Equity (ROE) value stands at 10.1%. While it’s Return on Investment (ROI) value is 6.3%.</p>
<p>While looking at the Stock’s Performance, ING Groep N.V. currently shows a Weekly Performance of 1.06%, where Monthly Performance is -2.27%, Quarterly performance is 1.8%, 6 Months performance is 7.1% and yearly performance percentage is 33.38%. Year to Date performance value (YTD perf) value is 28.37%. The Stock currently has a Weekly Volatility of 0.85% and Monthly Volatility of 0.91%.</p>
<p />
<p>Facebook</p>
<p>Twitter</p>
<p /> | Notable Stock Analysts Ratings ING Groep N.V. (ING) | false | https://newsline.com/notable-stock-analysts-ratings-ing-groep-n-v-ing/ | 2017-12-01 | 1right-center
| Notable Stock Analysts Ratings ING Groep N.V. (ING)
<p>When it comes to the Analysis of a Stock, Price Target plays a vital role. Analysts reported that the Price Target for ING Groep N.V. might touch $23.17 high while the Average Price Target and Low price Target is $19.91 and $15.25 respectively.</p>
<p>The Relative Volume of the company is 1.38 and Average Volume (3 months) is 2.36 million. The company’s P/E (price to earnings) ratio is 12.79 and Forward P/E ratio of 10.86.</p>
<p>The company shows its Return on Assets (ROA) value of 0.6%. The Return on Equity (ROE) value stands at 10.1%. While it’s Return on Investment (ROI) value is 6.3%.</p>
<p>While looking at the Stock’s Performance, ING Groep N.V. currently shows a Weekly Performance of 1.06%, where Monthly Performance is -2.27%, Quarterly performance is 1.8%, 6 Months performance is 7.1% and yearly performance percentage is 33.38%. Year to Date performance value (YTD perf) value is 28.37%. The Stock currently has a Weekly Volatility of 0.85% and Monthly Volatility of 0.91%.</p>
<p />
<p>Facebook</p>
<p>Twitter</p>
<p /> | 2,294 |
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>It’s rare that we have positive news to report about police officers lately. It seems every time we turn around, a law enforcement officer is shooting an unarmed African American youth, or simply <a href="" type="internal">a guy running to them for help after a car accident</a>, an <a href="" type="internal">unarmed African American couple who they mistakenly thought were firing gunshots</a> (when they weren’t). But today we have something different, something positive and inspiration to report about one officer Vicki Thomas.</p>
<p>Officer Thomas spotted a mother trying to steal food. Jessica Robles had loaded up a cart full of food in Florida and was trying to exit the store without paying. Instead of arresting her and further ruining her already obviously difficult life, officer Thomas talked to her, and ended up spending $100 of her own money on groceries.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>Thomas said she could identify with the woman’s desperate situation, and that</p>
<p>“I did it just because I needed to.”</p>
<p>“She touched me, when I asked her why she did it and she said she needed to feed her children, I could relate. I was a single mom and without the help of my family, that could have been me.&#160;And so I needed to do my job but I also needed to help her.”</p>
<p>Thomas ran Robles background and found out she had no history of violence, nor habitual shoplifting. This was a genuine case of need that was not being met by the right wing assurances of “Churches” and “private charities” feeding the poor, nor the Food Stamp program, for which many working mothers are simply not eligible for, or receive a tiny monthly allocation. For many, these resources just do not provide enough.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>This comes as the federal government plans to cut food stamps next week, beginning in the month of November. While supporters of the cuts believe it will save tax-payers money, what they don’t realize is that hungry people will get food one way or another. Even good people like Robles, who had no relevant criminal history, will resort to measures such as shoplifting if they children need to eat and their jobs are not paying a living wage. So are we really being saved money when such programs are cut? Aren’t stores just going to raise the cost of goods as incidences of shoplifting go up?</p>
<p>Thomas was called in to arrest the woman but instead of taking Robles into custody, Thomas ran her criminal history and found she didn’t have a dangerous past.</p>
<p>Officer Thomas said, “I made the decision to buy her some groceries because arresting her wasn’t going to solve the problem with her children being hungry. ”</p>
<p>Another local resident and small business owner heard what happened and offered Robles a job on the spot. Robles accepted gratefully.</p>
<p>It is unfortunately that the federal government and so many in the United States do not have as much compassion as those who witnessed this woman in her time of need. She is only one of so very many in the same situation.</p>
<p>(Article by Shante Wooten; images via local WSVN)</p> | Cop Finds Mom Trying To Steal Groceries, Buys Her $100 Worth Of Food | true | http://politicalblindspot.com/cop-finds-mom-trying-to-steal-groceries-buys-her-100-worth-of-food/ | 2013-10-23 | 4left
| Cop Finds Mom Trying To Steal Groceries, Buys Her $100 Worth Of Food
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>It’s rare that we have positive news to report about police officers lately. It seems every time we turn around, a law enforcement officer is shooting an unarmed African American youth, or simply <a href="" type="internal">a guy running to them for help after a car accident</a>, an <a href="" type="internal">unarmed African American couple who they mistakenly thought were firing gunshots</a> (when they weren’t). But today we have something different, something positive and inspiration to report about one officer Vicki Thomas.</p>
<p>Officer Thomas spotted a mother trying to steal food. Jessica Robles had loaded up a cart full of food in Florida and was trying to exit the store without paying. Instead of arresting her and further ruining her already obviously difficult life, officer Thomas talked to her, and ended up spending $100 of her own money on groceries.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>Thomas said she could identify with the woman’s desperate situation, and that</p>
<p>“I did it just because I needed to.”</p>
<p>“She touched me, when I asked her why she did it and she said she needed to feed her children, I could relate. I was a single mom and without the help of my family, that could have been me.&#160;And so I needed to do my job but I also needed to help her.”</p>
<p>Thomas ran Robles background and found out she had no history of violence, nor habitual shoplifting. This was a genuine case of need that was not being met by the right wing assurances of “Churches” and “private charities” feeding the poor, nor the Food Stamp program, for which many working mothers are simply not eligible for, or receive a tiny monthly allocation. For many, these resources just do not provide enough.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>This comes as the federal government plans to cut food stamps next week, beginning in the month of November. While supporters of the cuts believe it will save tax-payers money, what they don’t realize is that hungry people will get food one way or another. Even good people like Robles, who had no relevant criminal history, will resort to measures such as shoplifting if they children need to eat and their jobs are not paying a living wage. So are we really being saved money when such programs are cut? Aren’t stores just going to raise the cost of goods as incidences of shoplifting go up?</p>
<p>Thomas was called in to arrest the woman but instead of taking Robles into custody, Thomas ran her criminal history and found she didn’t have a dangerous past.</p>
<p>Officer Thomas said, “I made the decision to buy her some groceries because arresting her wasn’t going to solve the problem with her children being hungry. ”</p>
<p>Another local resident and small business owner heard what happened and offered Robles a job on the spot. Robles accepted gratefully.</p>
<p>It is unfortunately that the federal government and so many in the United States do not have as much compassion as those who witnessed this woman in her time of need. She is only one of so very many in the same situation.</p>
<p>(Article by Shante Wooten; images via local WSVN)</p> | 2,295 |
<p>At age 14, Pari Noorbakhsh immigrated to the United States in December 1978, a few months after marrying her husband. She flew from Tehran to New York on a Pan Am flight in the early stages of the Iranian Revolution.</p>
<p>She arrived in New York with her grandmother, mother-in-law and her new husband.</p>
<p>"I was really excited, and at the same time kind of anxious and scared," Noorbakhsh says. "I was leaving my family behind, coming to a new land. I didn't speak the language at all. I was wearing hijab," she says. "I looked different but at the same time I was so excited to be coming to the United States that I didn't even think of it."</p>
<p>While she had some family in the United States, everything felt new. She didn't speak English and New York City's skyscrapers, she says, were "kind of cold, dark."</p>
<p>Still, Noorbaksh was thrilled. "It had some aura to it. People just seemed happy. I was excited to see all sorts of different colors, people dressed in different attires I wasn't used to."</p>
<p>"I used to be really in love with all the John Wayne movies, so I thought I'm coming to see horses. That was a little bit of a surprise. There were no cowboys. Not in New York," she remembers.</p>
<p>Noorbakhsh is now 48, and she talked about her first days in the US with her 33-year-old daughter, Zahra Noorbakhsh, in San Francisco.</p>
<p>The World, inspired by the <a href="http://www.saadigitalarchive.org/firstdays" type="external">South Asia Asian American Digital Archive’s&#160;First Days Project</a>, is looking for your stories about your first days in the United States—or those of your parents or grandparents. Share by commenting here, using the hashtag&#160; <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=firstdays&amp;src=typd" type="external">#firstdays on Twitter</a>&#160;or&#160; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/firstdays#_=_" type="external">Facebook</a>, or by pressing the record button below and speaking into your computer's microphone.</p> | First Days: Pari Noorbakhsh on Leaving Tehran, Looking for Cowboys | false | https://pri.org/stories/2013-08-30/first-days-pari-noorbakhsh-leaving-tehran-looking-cowboys | 2013-08-30 | 3left-center
| First Days: Pari Noorbakhsh on Leaving Tehran, Looking for Cowboys
<p>At age 14, Pari Noorbakhsh immigrated to the United States in December 1978, a few months after marrying her husband. She flew from Tehran to New York on a Pan Am flight in the early stages of the Iranian Revolution.</p>
<p>She arrived in New York with her grandmother, mother-in-law and her new husband.</p>
<p>"I was really excited, and at the same time kind of anxious and scared," Noorbakhsh says. "I was leaving my family behind, coming to a new land. I didn't speak the language at all. I was wearing hijab," she says. "I looked different but at the same time I was so excited to be coming to the United States that I didn't even think of it."</p>
<p>While she had some family in the United States, everything felt new. She didn't speak English and New York City's skyscrapers, she says, were "kind of cold, dark."</p>
<p>Still, Noorbaksh was thrilled. "It had some aura to it. People just seemed happy. I was excited to see all sorts of different colors, people dressed in different attires I wasn't used to."</p>
<p>"I used to be really in love with all the John Wayne movies, so I thought I'm coming to see horses. That was a little bit of a surprise. There were no cowboys. Not in New York," she remembers.</p>
<p>Noorbakhsh is now 48, and she talked about her first days in the US with her 33-year-old daughter, Zahra Noorbakhsh, in San Francisco.</p>
<p>The World, inspired by the <a href="http://www.saadigitalarchive.org/firstdays" type="external">South Asia Asian American Digital Archive’s&#160;First Days Project</a>, is looking for your stories about your first days in the United States—or those of your parents or grandparents. Share by commenting here, using the hashtag&#160; <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=firstdays&amp;src=typd" type="external">#firstdays on Twitter</a>&#160;or&#160; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/firstdays#_=_" type="external">Facebook</a>, or by pressing the record button below and speaking into your computer's microphone.</p> | 2,296 |
<p>Confidence, not talent, is what brings success says a new study.</p>
<p>Researchers at the University of California (UC) Berkeley's Haas School of Business found that those who were more confident met with more success than their peers, despite their talent or lackthereof.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249066.php" type="external">According to Medical News Today</a>, the study authors carried out a number of different experiments to draw their conclusions.</p>
<p>One study used 242 MBA students and asked them to identify historical events, books and people on a list containing both real and fictional items.</p>
<p>The measure of overconfidence was when students said they identified items that were in fact made up by the study.</p>
<p>At the end of the semester, researchers used surveys to find out who had attained the highest social status in their class - essentially, who was most popular.</p>
<p>The findings show that those who identified fictional items were also those that attained higher social status in their groups, <a href="http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/08/14/overconfidence-drives-social-status-even-when-unfounded/43071.html" type="external">reported PsychCentral</a>.</p>
<p>In another experiment, the researchers looked at videos of students having discussions in lab settings.</p>
<p>The researchers found that those who were confident spoke more and were able to convince others of their abilities despite members of the discussion who may have been more competent.</p>
<p>Study authors hope that the research will encourage people to look beyond confidence to identify talent.</p>
<p>"Our studies found overconfidence helped people attain social status," said study author&#160;Cameron Anderson of UC Berkeley, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9474973/Key-to-career-success-is-confidence-not-talent.html" type="external">reported the Telegraph</a>.</p>
<p>"Those who believed they were better than others, even when they weren't, were given a higher place in the social ladder, and the motivation to attain higher social status therefore triggered overconfidence."</p>
<p>The study was published in the <a href="http://www.apa.org/journals/psp/" type="external">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a>.</p> | Confidence, not talent, is what really matters in career success, study says | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-08-16/confidence-not-talent-what-really-matters-career-success-study-says | 2012-08-16 | 3left-center
| Confidence, not talent, is what really matters in career success, study says
<p>Confidence, not talent, is what brings success says a new study.</p>
<p>Researchers at the University of California (UC) Berkeley's Haas School of Business found that those who were more confident met with more success than their peers, despite their talent or lackthereof.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/249066.php" type="external">According to Medical News Today</a>, the study authors carried out a number of different experiments to draw their conclusions.</p>
<p>One study used 242 MBA students and asked them to identify historical events, books and people on a list containing both real and fictional items.</p>
<p>The measure of overconfidence was when students said they identified items that were in fact made up by the study.</p>
<p>At the end of the semester, researchers used surveys to find out who had attained the highest social status in their class - essentially, who was most popular.</p>
<p>The findings show that those who identified fictional items were also those that attained higher social status in their groups, <a href="http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/08/14/overconfidence-drives-social-status-even-when-unfounded/43071.html" type="external">reported PsychCentral</a>.</p>
<p>In another experiment, the researchers looked at videos of students having discussions in lab settings.</p>
<p>The researchers found that those who were confident spoke more and were able to convince others of their abilities despite members of the discussion who may have been more competent.</p>
<p>Study authors hope that the research will encourage people to look beyond confidence to identify talent.</p>
<p>"Our studies found overconfidence helped people attain social status," said study author&#160;Cameron Anderson of UC Berkeley, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/9474973/Key-to-career-success-is-confidence-not-talent.html" type="external">reported the Telegraph</a>.</p>
<p>"Those who believed they were better than others, even when they weren't, were given a higher place in the social ladder, and the motivation to attain higher social status therefore triggered overconfidence."</p>
<p>The study was published in the <a href="http://www.apa.org/journals/psp/" type="external">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a>.</p> | 2,297 |
<p />
<p>For all the criticisms being hurled against President Donald Trump by liberals and his haters, at the very least it is remarkable to note that he is getting people interested in political and current affairs, getting Americans talking, inspiring citizens to react.</p>
<p />
<p>The President is more pleased than puzzled that people are now more engaged. He even made special notice and mention of news enjoying more ratings than the once ratings-formidable Super Bowl in a White House meeting earlier.</p>
<p />
<p>Trump told his economic advisory team that impressive ratings used to be "Super Bowl territory" but now news has overtaken the big sporting event in the ratings game. For the Chief Executive, that scenario could only be good.</p>
<p />
<p>The ratings were down for NFL's most recent regular season compared with last year. Some observers and watchers think that viewers' attention and interest veered away from football and shifted towards to the greater spectacle that was the fiercely-fought 2016 presidential election, which has all the elements of a great battle with Trump eventually beating all the odds to pull off an amazing upset victory.</p>
<p />
<p>TV ratings are of special interest to the President, obviously being a product of the phenomenal medium himself, and being knowledgeable of the inner workings of an industry he once became both an insider and player. He also used TV ratings to humor one celebrity who has been critical of him when he asked the nation to " pray for Arnold" at the National Prayer Breakfast, referring to Arnold Schwarzenegger the new host of " The New Celebrity Apprentice". Trump of course used to host the old -and more popular- version of the show, and he noticed that its new version now under the former action star and governor is doing poorly in the ratings game.</p>
<p />
<p>The President has agreed to do a sit down Super Bowl pregame interview with Fox News commentator Bill O' Reilly for the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons battle this Sunday. We just don't know if Trump is in a way hoping to help boost the game's ratings with the interview.</p> | He Is Getting More People Engaged, Trump Says Politics Now Bigger Than The Super Bowl | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/1263-He-Is-Getting-More-People-Engaged-Trump-Says-Politics-Now-Bigger-Than-The-Super-Bowl | 2017-02-04 | 0right
| He Is Getting More People Engaged, Trump Says Politics Now Bigger Than The Super Bowl
<p />
<p>For all the criticisms being hurled against President Donald Trump by liberals and his haters, at the very least it is remarkable to note that he is getting people interested in political and current affairs, getting Americans talking, inspiring citizens to react.</p>
<p />
<p>The President is more pleased than puzzled that people are now more engaged. He even made special notice and mention of news enjoying more ratings than the once ratings-formidable Super Bowl in a White House meeting earlier.</p>
<p />
<p>Trump told his economic advisory team that impressive ratings used to be "Super Bowl territory" but now news has overtaken the big sporting event in the ratings game. For the Chief Executive, that scenario could only be good.</p>
<p />
<p>The ratings were down for NFL's most recent regular season compared with last year. Some observers and watchers think that viewers' attention and interest veered away from football and shifted towards to the greater spectacle that was the fiercely-fought 2016 presidential election, which has all the elements of a great battle with Trump eventually beating all the odds to pull off an amazing upset victory.</p>
<p />
<p>TV ratings are of special interest to the President, obviously being a product of the phenomenal medium himself, and being knowledgeable of the inner workings of an industry he once became both an insider and player. He also used TV ratings to humor one celebrity who has been critical of him when he asked the nation to " pray for Arnold" at the National Prayer Breakfast, referring to Arnold Schwarzenegger the new host of " The New Celebrity Apprentice". Trump of course used to host the old -and more popular- version of the show, and he noticed that its new version now under the former action star and governor is doing poorly in the ratings game.</p>
<p />
<p>The President has agreed to do a sit down Super Bowl pregame interview with Fox News commentator Bill O' Reilly for the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons battle this Sunday. We just don't know if Trump is in a way hoping to help boost the game's ratings with the interview.</p> | 2,298 |
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/george-zimmerman-arrives-at-florida-jail-059/2012/04/12/gIQAjDHXCT_video.html" type="external">The media must be fed</a>:</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-04-11/politics/31325471_1_new-lawyer-press-conference-second-degree-murder" type="external">Mug shot</a>:</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.sao4th.com/documents/AR-M550N_20120412_053049.pdf" type="external">Charges</a>:</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.sao4th.com/documents/Angela%20Corey%20Speech.pdf" type="external">The Speech</a></p>
<p>Let me emphasize that we do not prosecute by pressure or petition.&#160; We prosecute cases based on the relevant facts of each case and on the laws of the state of Florida….</p>
<p>Update:&#160; The <a href="http://www.law.fsu.edu/library/flsupct/sc08-744/op-sc08-744.pdf" type="external">Jury Instruction</a>:</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p> | Perp walk | true | http://legalinsurrection.com/2012/04/perp-walk/ | 2012-04-12 | 0right
| Perp walk
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/george-zimmerman-arrives-at-florida-jail-059/2012/04/12/gIQAjDHXCT_video.html" type="external">The media must be fed</a>:</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-04-11/politics/31325471_1_new-lawyer-press-conference-second-degree-murder" type="external">Mug shot</a>:</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.sao4th.com/documents/AR-M550N_20120412_053049.pdf" type="external">Charges</a>:</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.sao4th.com/documents/Angela%20Corey%20Speech.pdf" type="external">The Speech</a></p>
<p>Let me emphasize that we do not prosecute by pressure or petition.&#160; We prosecute cases based on the relevant facts of each case and on the laws of the state of Florida….</p>
<p>Update:&#160; The <a href="http://www.law.fsu.edu/library/flsupct/sc08-744/op-sc08-744.pdf" type="external">Jury Instruction</a>:</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p> | 2,299 |
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