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<p>BERLIN, Germany — Michael Braungart is in a hurry.</p>
<p>A former environmental activist who once scaled smokestacks to fight pollution for Greenpeace, the celebrity chemist has emerged over the past two decades as a dark horse in the race to find solutions for saving the planet.</p>
<p>Braungart wants to end the current drive for people to “reduce, reuse and recycle” goods in order to prompt the next industrial revolution. His core idea is for manufacturers and users to no longer “consume” raw materials that are turned into waste, but “borrow” them, a concept he calls cradle-to-cradle.</p>
<p>“It's really reinventing everything,” he says.</p>
<p>But he's running out of time.</p>
<p>“We're losing our industrial base so fast in Europe that in the end we know what to do, but we cannot do it anymore,” he says, talking as though he's trying to fit two hours of interview into a scheduled one-hour slot.</p>
<p>He points to a television set he helped develop for the Dutch electronics giant Philips. The first TV designed not to spew toxic fumes into your living room, it saved so much electricity the company “could have given it away for free, if you converted the energy savings,” Braungart says.</p>
<p>Three months later, however, Philips sold its TV unit to a company in China.</p>
<p>With an unruly mop of sandy curls, wire-rimmed glasses and a rumpled denim blazer, Braungart looks like a Hollywood casting agent’s idea of a genius — Steve Jobs meets Dr. Who. Like a mad scientist turned gossip columnist, he peppers his nonstop riff with bizarre non-sequiturs and the names of luminaries who have embraced his ideas, from Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg to <a href="http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/business/articles/case-study-ford-motor-company-river-rouge-production-plant-michigan-usa" type="external">Ford Motor Company scion</a> Bill Ford and London Mayor Boris Johnson.</p>
<p>“I don't know your sexual preference,” he begins, seemingly apropos of nothing, eventually coming around to comparing the goal of zero emissions to sadomasochism.</p>
<p>“I talked to Boris ... London wants to be climate neutral,” he says. “How stupid! No tree is climate neutral. We want to be more stupid than a tree?”</p>
<p>“We think it's only organic when my own feces cannot go back [to the soil]?” he adds. “This is sick! This is completely perverse.”</p>
<p>It's a heady mix of ideas. But there's substance, and progress, at its heart.</p>
<p>Working with US architect <a href="http://www.mcdonough.com/" type="external">William McDonough</a>, Braungart aims to transform the world's economy through manufacturing processes that not only do no harm, but actually clean the air, replenish topsoil, and, like trees, turn carbon dioxide into oxygen.</p>
<p>It may sound like pie in the sky. But since first presenting the idea in his bestselling 2002 manifesto “Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the way we make things,” Braungart has proven the concept’s validity.</p>
<p>He's helped multinationals develop hundreds of products like Desso's <a href="http://assets.selector.com/assets/documents/gibbon-group-1/desso-carpet-tiles-1/desso-ecobase-brochure.pdf" type="external">EcoBase carpet tiles</a>, designed for the backing to be easily removed and the fabric sent back to the yarn-maker for reuse, and <a href="http://www.designtex.com/climatex_Environments.aspx?f=36310" type="external">Steelcase's Climatex</a> compostable upholstery fabric, so green that the effluent flowing out of the mill was cleaner than the water coming in.</p>
<p>The best proof that cradle-to-cradle works, according to a recent Desso annual report, is that the company’s market share of commercial carpets in Europe rose from 15 percent to 27 percent in the period the changes were made, 2007 to 2013.</p>
<p>Still, change may not be coming fast enough.</p>
<p>Critics point out that the certification program Braungart and McDonnough started to push companies to adopt cradle-to-cradle manufacturing processes is woefully behind schedule: 353 <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1042475/green-guru-gone-wrong-william-mcdonough" type="external">certifications</a>against a targeted 30,000.</p>
<p>In contrast, the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) <a href="http://www.usgbc.org/leed" type="external">certification program</a>, begun in 1994, covers more than 50,000 construction projects worldwide.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, as Braungart's experience with Philips suggests, globalization is driving manufacturers to low-cost countries — where environmental issues are only now beginning to gain prominence — far more rapidly.</p>
<p>Decades of research went into the development of non-toxic ink and compostable leather, for example, before the printing and tanning business pulled up stakes and migrated to China and India.</p>
<p>“It took us 18 years to have a leather which we can compost,” Braungart says. “But in that period all the big tanneries closed down in Europe. Now, I can show you a leather sample which is amazingly nice, but we don't have anybody to use it.”</p>
<p>His biggest obstacle may well be some of the world's most popular green ideas — in which his native Germany is an unquestioned leader.</p>
<p>Obsessively sorting their garbage and reusing bathwater since the 1970s, Germans have turned recycling into a religion. But that well-meaning, paper-or-plastic mentality has spawned huge industries predicated on the creation and incineration of waste.</p>
<p>Strange contradictions in so-called sustainability have resulted, Braungart says.</p>
<p>Among them, the <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/germany-s-booming-incineration-industry-burning-the-world-s-waste-a-467239.html" type="external">construction</a>of high-tech incinerators to dispose of magazines printed in China with ink made from toxic chemicals, and, more remarkably, the import of more than 2,000 tons of hazardous waste to fuel those plants.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/ireland/141015/ireland-gay-marriage-referendum-us" type="external">Is the American right wing influencing Ireland’s vote on same-sex marriage?</a></p>
<p>Citing Germany's ballyhooed energy transition or “ <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/germany/140604/germany-coal-renewable-green-energy-merkel" type="external">Energiewende</a>,” Braungart says dramatic policy changes are needed to shift focus away from minimizing damage, which he says slows our inevitable destruction but also helps ensure it.</p>
<p>First up is encouraging innovation by targeting the elimination of waste incineration by 2030 through converting to the manufacture of products that can be returned to biological cycles.</p>
<p>“Just like socialism was never social, ecologism doesn't help the ecology,” Braungart says about well-meaning but ultimately harmful recycling. “It just keeps us busy.”</p> | This celebrity scientist wants Germans to stop recycling. Here's why | false | https://pri.org/stories/2014-10-17/celebrity-scientist-wants-germans-stop-recycling-heres-why | 2014-10-17 | 3left-center
| This celebrity scientist wants Germans to stop recycling. Here's why
<p>BERLIN, Germany — Michael Braungart is in a hurry.</p>
<p>A former environmental activist who once scaled smokestacks to fight pollution for Greenpeace, the celebrity chemist has emerged over the past two decades as a dark horse in the race to find solutions for saving the planet.</p>
<p>Braungart wants to end the current drive for people to “reduce, reuse and recycle” goods in order to prompt the next industrial revolution. His core idea is for manufacturers and users to no longer “consume” raw materials that are turned into waste, but “borrow” them, a concept he calls cradle-to-cradle.</p>
<p>“It's really reinventing everything,” he says.</p>
<p>But he's running out of time.</p>
<p>“We're losing our industrial base so fast in Europe that in the end we know what to do, but we cannot do it anymore,” he says, talking as though he's trying to fit two hours of interview into a scheduled one-hour slot.</p>
<p>He points to a television set he helped develop for the Dutch electronics giant Philips. The first TV designed not to spew toxic fumes into your living room, it saved so much electricity the company “could have given it away for free, if you converted the energy savings,” Braungart says.</p>
<p>Three months later, however, Philips sold its TV unit to a company in China.</p>
<p>With an unruly mop of sandy curls, wire-rimmed glasses and a rumpled denim blazer, Braungart looks like a Hollywood casting agent’s idea of a genius — Steve Jobs meets Dr. Who. Like a mad scientist turned gossip columnist, he peppers his nonstop riff with bizarre non-sequiturs and the names of luminaries who have embraced his ideas, from Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg to <a href="http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/business/articles/case-study-ford-motor-company-river-rouge-production-plant-michigan-usa" type="external">Ford Motor Company scion</a> Bill Ford and London Mayor Boris Johnson.</p>
<p>“I don't know your sexual preference,” he begins, seemingly apropos of nothing, eventually coming around to comparing the goal of zero emissions to sadomasochism.</p>
<p>“I talked to Boris ... London wants to be climate neutral,” he says. “How stupid! No tree is climate neutral. We want to be more stupid than a tree?”</p>
<p>“We think it's only organic when my own feces cannot go back [to the soil]?” he adds. “This is sick! This is completely perverse.”</p>
<p>It's a heady mix of ideas. But there's substance, and progress, at its heart.</p>
<p>Working with US architect <a href="http://www.mcdonough.com/" type="external">William McDonough</a>, Braungart aims to transform the world's economy through manufacturing processes that not only do no harm, but actually clean the air, replenish topsoil, and, like trees, turn carbon dioxide into oxygen.</p>
<p>It may sound like pie in the sky. But since first presenting the idea in his bestselling 2002 manifesto “Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the way we make things,” Braungart has proven the concept’s validity.</p>
<p>He's helped multinationals develop hundreds of products like Desso's <a href="http://assets.selector.com/assets/documents/gibbon-group-1/desso-carpet-tiles-1/desso-ecobase-brochure.pdf" type="external">EcoBase carpet tiles</a>, designed for the backing to be easily removed and the fabric sent back to the yarn-maker for reuse, and <a href="http://www.designtex.com/climatex_Environments.aspx?f=36310" type="external">Steelcase's Climatex</a> compostable upholstery fabric, so green that the effluent flowing out of the mill was cleaner than the water coming in.</p>
<p>The best proof that cradle-to-cradle works, according to a recent Desso annual report, is that the company’s market share of commercial carpets in Europe rose from 15 percent to 27 percent in the period the changes were made, 2007 to 2013.</p>
<p>Still, change may not be coming fast enough.</p>
<p>Critics point out that the certification program Braungart and McDonnough started to push companies to adopt cradle-to-cradle manufacturing processes is woefully behind schedule: 353 <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1042475/green-guru-gone-wrong-william-mcdonough" type="external">certifications</a>against a targeted 30,000.</p>
<p>In contrast, the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) <a href="http://www.usgbc.org/leed" type="external">certification program</a>, begun in 1994, covers more than 50,000 construction projects worldwide.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, as Braungart's experience with Philips suggests, globalization is driving manufacturers to low-cost countries — where environmental issues are only now beginning to gain prominence — far more rapidly.</p>
<p>Decades of research went into the development of non-toxic ink and compostable leather, for example, before the printing and tanning business pulled up stakes and migrated to China and India.</p>
<p>“It took us 18 years to have a leather which we can compost,” Braungart says. “But in that period all the big tanneries closed down in Europe. Now, I can show you a leather sample which is amazingly nice, but we don't have anybody to use it.”</p>
<p>His biggest obstacle may well be some of the world's most popular green ideas — in which his native Germany is an unquestioned leader.</p>
<p>Obsessively sorting their garbage and reusing bathwater since the 1970s, Germans have turned recycling into a religion. But that well-meaning, paper-or-plastic mentality has spawned huge industries predicated on the creation and incineration of waste.</p>
<p>Strange contradictions in so-called sustainability have resulted, Braungart says.</p>
<p>Among them, the <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/germany-s-booming-incineration-industry-burning-the-world-s-waste-a-467239.html" type="external">construction</a>of high-tech incinerators to dispose of magazines printed in China with ink made from toxic chemicals, and, more remarkably, the import of more than 2,000 tons of hazardous waste to fuel those plants.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/ireland/141015/ireland-gay-marriage-referendum-us" type="external">Is the American right wing influencing Ireland’s vote on same-sex marriage?</a></p>
<p>Citing Germany's ballyhooed energy transition or “ <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/germany/140604/germany-coal-renewable-green-energy-merkel" type="external">Energiewende</a>,” Braungart says dramatic policy changes are needed to shift focus away from minimizing damage, which he says slows our inevitable destruction but also helps ensure it.</p>
<p>First up is encouraging innovation by targeting the elimination of waste incineration by 2030 through converting to the manufacture of products that can be returned to biological cycles.</p>
<p>“Just like socialism was never social, ecologism doesn't help the ecology,” Braungart says about well-meaning but ultimately harmful recycling. “It just keeps us busy.”</p> | 2,800 |
<p>MEDFORD, Wis. (AP) - A man facing felony charges in a fatal Taylor County crash has pleaded not guilty.</p>
<p>A judge on Thursday ordered Gerald Baker to stand trial after the 21-year-old Dorchester man waived his preliminary hearing. Prosecutors say 24-year-old Ben Gosar was killed when Baker flipped his truck into a ditch in the Town of Greenwood last July. Gosar had been sleeping in the bed of the truck.</p>
<p>A criminal complaint says Baker acknowledged he had been drinking, but didn't know Gosar was in the back of the truck. <a href="http://www.waow.com/story/37192583/2018/01/04/dorchester-man-21-pleads-not-guilty-in-july-fatal-crash" type="external">WAOW-TV</a> says Baker entered the pleas to homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle and two other felonies.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: WAOW-TV, <a href="http://www.waow.com" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.waow.com" type="external">http://www.waow.com</a></p>
<p>MEDFORD, Wis. (AP) - A man facing felony charges in a fatal Taylor County crash has pleaded not guilty.</p>
<p>A judge on Thursday ordered Gerald Baker to stand trial after the 21-year-old Dorchester man waived his preliminary hearing. Prosecutors say 24-year-old Ben Gosar was killed when Baker flipped his truck into a ditch in the Town of Greenwood last July. Gosar had been sleeping in the bed of the truck.</p>
<p>A criminal complaint says Baker acknowledged he had been drinking, but didn't know Gosar was in the back of the truck. <a href="http://www.waow.com/story/37192583/2018/01/04/dorchester-man-21-pleads-not-guilty-in-july-fatal-crash" type="external">WAOW-TV</a> says Baker entered the pleas to homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle and two other felonies.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: WAOW-TV, <a href="http://www.waow.com" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.waow.com" type="external">http://www.waow.com</a></p> | Not guilty pleas entered in fatal Taylor County crash | false | https://apnews.com/63a848a43f854e12ad497b9080b3200e | 2018-01-04 | 2least
| Not guilty pleas entered in fatal Taylor County crash
<p>MEDFORD, Wis. (AP) - A man facing felony charges in a fatal Taylor County crash has pleaded not guilty.</p>
<p>A judge on Thursday ordered Gerald Baker to stand trial after the 21-year-old Dorchester man waived his preliminary hearing. Prosecutors say 24-year-old Ben Gosar was killed when Baker flipped his truck into a ditch in the Town of Greenwood last July. Gosar had been sleeping in the bed of the truck.</p>
<p>A criminal complaint says Baker acknowledged he had been drinking, but didn't know Gosar was in the back of the truck. <a href="http://www.waow.com/story/37192583/2018/01/04/dorchester-man-21-pleads-not-guilty-in-july-fatal-crash" type="external">WAOW-TV</a> says Baker entered the pleas to homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle and two other felonies.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: WAOW-TV, <a href="http://www.waow.com" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.waow.com" type="external">http://www.waow.com</a></p>
<p>MEDFORD, Wis. (AP) - A man facing felony charges in a fatal Taylor County crash has pleaded not guilty.</p>
<p>A judge on Thursday ordered Gerald Baker to stand trial after the 21-year-old Dorchester man waived his preliminary hearing. Prosecutors say 24-year-old Ben Gosar was killed when Baker flipped his truck into a ditch in the Town of Greenwood last July. Gosar had been sleeping in the bed of the truck.</p>
<p>A criminal complaint says Baker acknowledged he had been drinking, but didn't know Gosar was in the back of the truck. <a href="http://www.waow.com/story/37192583/2018/01/04/dorchester-man-21-pleads-not-guilty-in-july-fatal-crash" type="external">WAOW-TV</a> says Baker entered the pleas to homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle and two other felonies.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: WAOW-TV, <a href="http://www.waow.com" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.waow.com" type="external">http://www.waow.com</a></p> | 2,801 |
<p />
<p>Woo-hoo! It's&#160;payday! But how do you spend all that money?&#160;Does <a href="https://www.recruiter.com/salary.html" type="external">your salary Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;go straight out the door, do you have a bit of loose change to spend, or do you save as much as you possibly can?</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>It's likely that first option, according to <a href="https://www.wizzcash.com/blog/paydays-uk-britons-spending-saving-habits/" type="external">a new infographic Opens a New Window.</a> from UK payday loans provider Wizzcash. The company polled nearly 1,000 people in the UK to find out about their monthly spending and saving habits, and the results make for pretty rough reading:</p>
<p>- 34 percent of respondents said they run out of cash before the month is out.</p>
<p>- 31 percent say they've fallen into debt after a payday spending spree.</p>
<p>- Nearly half say they struggle to save more than £100 a month.</p>
<p>Furthermore, plenty of people rely on credit – including credit cards, overdrafts, and loans – to&#160;get through the month.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>[The <a href="http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/04/26/Americans-Low-Savings-Rate-Bad-Sign-Good-Economy" type="external">American financial situation Opens a New Window.</a> isn't much better, which is why we felt it a good idea to run these numbers from the UK. – ed. note]</p>
<p>Check out the full infographic below – and think about how your spending habits match up:</p>
<p>Irma Hunkeler works for <a href="http://blueglass.co.uk/" type="external">BlueGlass.co.uk Opens a New Window.</a>, a digital marketing agency.</p> | How Do You Spend Your Paycheck? [Infographic] | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2016/08/03/how-do-spend-your-paycheck-infographic.html | 2016-08-08 | 0right
| How Do You Spend Your Paycheck? [Infographic]
<p />
<p>Woo-hoo! It's&#160;payday! But how do you spend all that money?&#160;Does <a href="https://www.recruiter.com/salary.html" type="external">your salary Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;go straight out the door, do you have a bit of loose change to spend, or do you save as much as you possibly can?</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>It's likely that first option, according to <a href="https://www.wizzcash.com/blog/paydays-uk-britons-spending-saving-habits/" type="external">a new infographic Opens a New Window.</a> from UK payday loans provider Wizzcash. The company polled nearly 1,000 people in the UK to find out about their monthly spending and saving habits, and the results make for pretty rough reading:</p>
<p>- 34 percent of respondents said they run out of cash before the month is out.</p>
<p>- 31 percent say they've fallen into debt after a payday spending spree.</p>
<p>- Nearly half say they struggle to save more than £100 a month.</p>
<p>Furthermore, plenty of people rely on credit – including credit cards, overdrafts, and loans – to&#160;get through the month.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>[The <a href="http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2015/04/26/Americans-Low-Savings-Rate-Bad-Sign-Good-Economy" type="external">American financial situation Opens a New Window.</a> isn't much better, which is why we felt it a good idea to run these numbers from the UK. – ed. note]</p>
<p>Check out the full infographic below – and think about how your spending habits match up:</p>
<p>Irma Hunkeler works for <a href="http://blueglass.co.uk/" type="external">BlueGlass.co.uk Opens a New Window.</a>, a digital marketing agency.</p> | 2,802 |
<p />
<p>A while back, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo put out a research note in which he offered some insight into the display technology that Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) will use in its upcoming premium iPhone 8. As expected, Kuo says that it'll pack an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>What's interesting about this OLED display is that the resolution of the 5.8-inch display is expected to be 2800-by-1242. Using an online <a href="https://www.sven.de/dpi/" type="external">pixels per inch calculator Opens a New Window.</a>, this works out to about 528 pixels per inch.</p>
<p>Image source: KGI Securities via MacRumors.</p>
<p>By contrast, the current 4.7-inch iPhone 7, with its 1334-by-750 display offers a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch, and even the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus, with its 1920-by-1080 display, offers a pixel density of "just" 401 pixels per inch.</p>
<p>If Kuo's info is good, then the OLED iPhone might offer a substantially sharper display than any iPhone that has come before.There may, however, be a catch.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>In Apple's current liquid crystal displays (LCDs), each pixel is made up of three subpixels -- green, blue, and red (this is known as "RGB stripe").</p>
<p>In Samsung's (NASDAQOTH: SSNLF) current OLED displays (remember: Samsung is expected to be the sole manufacturer of Apple's premium OLED displays this year), the subpixel structure is different. Instead of equally sized red, green, and blue subpixels (as this image from <a href="http://images.anandtech.com/doci/8554/WIN_20140927_142500.JPG" type="external">AnandTech Opens a New Window.</a> shows), the subpixels are in what are referred to as "diamond pixels."</p>
<p>These "diamond pixels" (see this image from <a href="http://www.displaymate.com/Diamond_39.html" type="external">DisplayMate Opens a New Window.</a>) essentially make it so that the display has a green subpixel for each pixel but fewer red and blue subpixels than the total number of pixels (though the red and blue subpixels are larger than the green ones).</p>
<p>What all this ultimately means is this: The densities of the red and blue subpixels are lower than the density of the green subpixels. Indeed, DisplayMate ran the numbers for the Galaxy S8's display and came up with 403 subpixels for red and blue and 570 subpixels per inch for the green (corresponding to the total number of pixels on the display).</p>
<p>If Apple uses an OLED display and a PenTile subpixel arrangement, then the OLED iPhone would be the sharpest display ever from a total pixel perspective, but in terms of red and blue subpixel density, it'd actually be worse off than the display on the current iPhone 7 Plus.</p>
<p>At this point, it's not clear how much the display technology used in the iPhone 8 will differ from that of the Galaxy S8. Based on the rumors/leaks, Apple seems to be very interested in making the OLED iPhone 8 unequivocally "better" than the LCD-based iPhone 7s/7s Plus, so we might see it go with an RGB Stripe subpixel configuration if it can achieve the desired yields, brightness, and image quality.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Apple might be willing to make a sacrifice with respect to the red/blue subpixel density in exchange for the advantages that OLEDs bring to the table.</p>
<p>Hopefully, we'll know more in about six months when the in-depth reviews of the device are published.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than AppleWhen 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=https%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=cbe5a514-ebca-40fb-ac6d-a3ed75443a3d&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 Apple 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=https%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=cbe5a514-ebca-40fb-ac6d-a3ed75443a3d&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 April 3, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/aeassa/info.aspx" type="external">Ashraf Eassa Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple. 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> | Will Apple Inc.'s OLED iPhone 8 Have the Sharpest Retina Display Yet? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/investing/2017/04/14/will-apple-inc-oled-iphone-8-have-sharpest-retina-display-yet.html | 2017-04-14 | 0right
| Will Apple Inc.'s OLED iPhone 8 Have the Sharpest Retina Display Yet?
<p />
<p>A while back, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo put out a research note in which he offered some insight into the display technology that Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) will use in its upcoming premium iPhone 8. As expected, Kuo says that it'll pack an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>What's interesting about this OLED display is that the resolution of the 5.8-inch display is expected to be 2800-by-1242. Using an online <a href="https://www.sven.de/dpi/" type="external">pixels per inch calculator Opens a New Window.</a>, this works out to about 528 pixels per inch.</p>
<p>Image source: KGI Securities via MacRumors.</p>
<p>By contrast, the current 4.7-inch iPhone 7, with its 1334-by-750 display offers a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch, and even the 5.5-inch iPhone 7 Plus, with its 1920-by-1080 display, offers a pixel density of "just" 401 pixels per inch.</p>
<p>If Kuo's info is good, then the OLED iPhone might offer a substantially sharper display than any iPhone that has come before.There may, however, be a catch.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>In Apple's current liquid crystal displays (LCDs), each pixel is made up of three subpixels -- green, blue, and red (this is known as "RGB stripe").</p>
<p>In Samsung's (NASDAQOTH: SSNLF) current OLED displays (remember: Samsung is expected to be the sole manufacturer of Apple's premium OLED displays this year), the subpixel structure is different. Instead of equally sized red, green, and blue subpixels (as this image from <a href="http://images.anandtech.com/doci/8554/WIN_20140927_142500.JPG" type="external">AnandTech Opens a New Window.</a> shows), the subpixels are in what are referred to as "diamond pixels."</p>
<p>These "diamond pixels" (see this image from <a href="http://www.displaymate.com/Diamond_39.html" type="external">DisplayMate Opens a New Window.</a>) essentially make it so that the display has a green subpixel for each pixel but fewer red and blue subpixels than the total number of pixels (though the red and blue subpixels are larger than the green ones).</p>
<p>What all this ultimately means is this: The densities of the red and blue subpixels are lower than the density of the green subpixels. Indeed, DisplayMate ran the numbers for the Galaxy S8's display and came up with 403 subpixels for red and blue and 570 subpixels per inch for the green (corresponding to the total number of pixels on the display).</p>
<p>If Apple uses an OLED display and a PenTile subpixel arrangement, then the OLED iPhone would be the sharpest display ever from a total pixel perspective, but in terms of red and blue subpixel density, it'd actually be worse off than the display on the current iPhone 7 Plus.</p>
<p>At this point, it's not clear how much the display technology used in the iPhone 8 will differ from that of the Galaxy S8. Based on the rumors/leaks, Apple seems to be very interested in making the OLED iPhone 8 unequivocally "better" than the LCD-based iPhone 7s/7s Plus, so we might see it go with an RGB Stripe subpixel configuration if it can achieve the desired yields, brightness, and image quality.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Apple might be willing to make a sacrifice with respect to the red/blue subpixel density in exchange for the advantages that OLEDs bring to the table.</p>
<p>Hopefully, we'll know more in about six months when the in-depth reviews of the device are published.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than AppleWhen 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>
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<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%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=cbe5a514-ebca-40fb-ac6d-a3ed75443a3d&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 April 3, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/aeassa/info.aspx" type="external">Ashraf Eassa Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple. 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> | 2,803 |
<p>Journal Article - Quarterly Journal: International Security</p>
<p />
<p>How successful has the diffusion of international norms been in Russia? According to Sarah Mendelson of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, looks can be deceiving. Mendelson holds that “even when conditions that scholars have identified as necessary and sufficient for the spread of international norms are present, significant external and internal barriers can slow or otherwise impede their diffusion.” This problem seems particularly acute in Russia where, despite the proliferation of democratic institutions over the last decade, noncompliance with international norms seems to be on the rise, particularly in Chechnya.</p>
<p /> | Russians' Rights Imperiled: Has Anybody Noticed? | false | http://belfercenter.org/publication/russians-rights-imperiled-has-anybody-noticed | 2018-10-03 | 2least
| Russians' Rights Imperiled: Has Anybody Noticed?
<p>Journal Article - Quarterly Journal: International Security</p>
<p />
<p>How successful has the diffusion of international norms been in Russia? According to Sarah Mendelson of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, looks can be deceiving. Mendelson holds that “even when conditions that scholars have identified as necessary and sufficient for the spread of international norms are present, significant external and internal barriers can slow or otherwise impede their diffusion.” This problem seems particularly acute in Russia where, despite the proliferation of democratic institutions over the last decade, noncompliance with international norms seems to be on the rise, particularly in Chechnya.</p>
<p /> | 2,804 |
<p>On Thursday, Lindsay Graham, who once joked about Ted Cruz, "If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you," <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/17/politics/lindsey-graham-ted-cruz-support-fundrasier-campaign/index.html" type="external">told CNN</a> that he has chosen to support Ted Cruz for president.</p>
<p>Graham, who will host a fundraiser for Cruz next Monday during the AIPAC policy conference in Washington D.C., said:</p>
<p>I’m going to doing a fundraiser with and for Senator Cruz. I think he's the best alternative to beat Donald Trump. He’s certainly not my preference, Senator Cruz is not, but he's a reliable Republican, conservative, of which I've had many differences with. I doubt Donald Trump’s conservatism; I think he’d be a disaster for the party, so I’m going to try to help raise money for Senator Cruz in the pro Israel community.</p>
<p>John Kasich is the most viable general election candidate. I just don't see how John gets through the primary. This is an outsider year, and he is seen as an insider, so I think the best alternative to Donald Trump, to stop him from getting to 1237, is Ted Cruz, and I’m going to help Ted in every way I can. I’m going to raise money for him in the pro-Israel community, and if I were in one of the states coming up in terms of voting, and I didn’t like Trump, I’d vote for Cruz.</p>
<p>It tells you a lot about where we are as a party. I’ve had many differences with Senator Cruz’ tactics and the way he’s behaved in the Senate, but I do believe he’d be a more reliable person for Israel; I do believe he would build the Keystone Pipeline, Senator Clinton would not; I think he’d repeal and replace Obamacare, I don’t think she would. I think he’s a reliable Republican conservative who would pick a true conservative to be on the Supreme Court.</p>
<p>I have doubts about Mr. Trump, I think Mr. Trump is not a Republican. I don't think he's a conservative, I think his campaign's built on xenophobia, race-baiting and religious bigotry, I think he'd be a disaster for our party and as Senator Cruz would not be my first choice, I think he is a Republican conservative who I could support.</p>
<p>Mike Lee became the first senator to <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/cruz-to-land-first-senate-endorsement-in-mike-lee-220574" type="external">endorse</a> Cruz last week. Donald Trump has been endorsed by only one senator, Jeff Sessions. Three governors have <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-endorsement-primary/#endorsements" type="external">supported</a> Cruz: Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Phil Bryant of South Carolina, and Greg Abbott of Texas; three governors have endorsed Trump: Rick Scott of Florida, Paul LePage of Maine, and Chris Christie of New Jersey. 27 members of the House of Representatives have endorsed Cruz; five have endorsed Trump.</p> | Lindsay Graham Endorses Ted Cruz | true | https://dailywire.com/news/4200/lindsay-graham-endorses-ted-cruz-hank-berrien | 2016-03-17 | 0right
| Lindsay Graham Endorses Ted Cruz
<p>On Thursday, Lindsay Graham, who once joked about Ted Cruz, "If you killed Ted Cruz on the floor of the Senate, and the trial was in the Senate, nobody would convict you," <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/17/politics/lindsey-graham-ted-cruz-support-fundrasier-campaign/index.html" type="external">told CNN</a> that he has chosen to support Ted Cruz for president.</p>
<p>Graham, who will host a fundraiser for Cruz next Monday during the AIPAC policy conference in Washington D.C., said:</p>
<p>I’m going to doing a fundraiser with and for Senator Cruz. I think he's the best alternative to beat Donald Trump. He’s certainly not my preference, Senator Cruz is not, but he's a reliable Republican, conservative, of which I've had many differences with. I doubt Donald Trump’s conservatism; I think he’d be a disaster for the party, so I’m going to try to help raise money for Senator Cruz in the pro Israel community.</p>
<p>John Kasich is the most viable general election candidate. I just don't see how John gets through the primary. This is an outsider year, and he is seen as an insider, so I think the best alternative to Donald Trump, to stop him from getting to 1237, is Ted Cruz, and I’m going to help Ted in every way I can. I’m going to raise money for him in the pro-Israel community, and if I were in one of the states coming up in terms of voting, and I didn’t like Trump, I’d vote for Cruz.</p>
<p>It tells you a lot about where we are as a party. I’ve had many differences with Senator Cruz’ tactics and the way he’s behaved in the Senate, but I do believe he’d be a more reliable person for Israel; I do believe he would build the Keystone Pipeline, Senator Clinton would not; I think he’d repeal and replace Obamacare, I don’t think she would. I think he’s a reliable Republican conservative who would pick a true conservative to be on the Supreme Court.</p>
<p>I have doubts about Mr. Trump, I think Mr. Trump is not a Republican. I don't think he's a conservative, I think his campaign's built on xenophobia, race-baiting and religious bigotry, I think he'd be a disaster for our party and as Senator Cruz would not be my first choice, I think he is a Republican conservative who I could support.</p>
<p>Mike Lee became the first senator to <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/cruz-to-land-first-senate-endorsement-in-mike-lee-220574" type="external">endorse</a> Cruz last week. Donald Trump has been endorsed by only one senator, Jeff Sessions. Three governors have <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-endorsement-primary/#endorsements" type="external">supported</a> Cruz: Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Phil Bryant of South Carolina, and Greg Abbott of Texas; three governors have endorsed Trump: Rick Scott of Florida, Paul LePage of Maine, and Chris Christie of New Jersey. 27 members of the House of Representatives have endorsed Cruz; five have endorsed Trump.</p> | 2,805 |
<p>At the Wall Street protest, a young woman carried a sign, “REVOLUTION IS FUN,” and I don’t doubt that she was having a great time, because it can be exhilarating to engage in a just and noble fight, and to feel that you are an agent of change, a participant in history even, and not just one of its faceless victims, as is the common lot. So fun, yes, at least for her, and at least up to that moment, until the violence explodes, as nearly always happens in anything approaching a political revolution.</p>
<p>The violence of September 24th, the 8th day of the anti-Wall Street Protest, appears to not have caused severe or permanent injuries, though it was brutal enough, and some outrage has even flared in the mainstream media. Anthony Bologna, a 28-year-veteran of the New York Police Department, has emerged as a clear cut villain. Without provocation, he pepper sprayed two young women in the faces, and for this he should certainly be fired, then locked up, but this commotion has overshadowed, at least momentarily, the real target and meaning of this protest. Though police brutality is never to be taken lightly, Occupy Wall Street is aiming to expose and hold to account goons much more vicious than any garden variety Anthony Bologna. Though they maim and cripple countless households, even entire countries, these bigger thugs are rarely condemned and never indicted. In fact, some are given plush jobs in the US Treasury, if not a Cabinet appointment.</p>
<p>Who am I talking about, exactly? Here is where it gets murky, and all by intention. (Theirs, not mine.) When people say Wall Street, as in Wall Street has ruined this country, and it certainly has, what do they mean, exactly? Though there are those who object to financial speculation of any kind, most people have in mind the biggest banks when they rail against Wall Street. They’re really talking about Citibank, for example, that gargantuan money-laundering house, or Goldman Sachs, the world’s leading swindling outfit. Their criminality is well documented, though hard to untangle, since most of us are fairly clueless about the intricacies of the dismal science, and since financial, white collar crimes aren’t as vivid as, say, a middle-aged cop pepper spraying the eyes of two defenseless young women, then calmly walking away as they collapse and scream.</p>
<p>But consider this: there are those who are defending Bologna even now and think that these “hippie chicks” got what they deserved, just as there were those who saw nothing wrong with cops whacking Rodney King with a baton 56 times, kicking him 6 times, then bragging and joking about it afterwards, and even the sadism of Abu Ghraib was cheered by many Americans, so it often comes down to where you’re coming from, but what kind of bias can blind anyone to the fact that it’s criminal for Stephen Friedman, Chairman of the New York Fed and a former CEO of Goldman Sachs, to give 10 billion dollars of our money to Goldman Sachs? Bad publicity over conflict of interest forced Friedman to resign, but if you really think about it, there was no conflict. The Fed can give money to these monster banks because the Fed is owned by these monster banks. If you grant private banks the monopoly to create money, of course they will shower themselves with cash, year in and year out, and use this unlimited power to buy up all of our politicians.</p>
<p>So protest police brutality, media whoredom or governmental corruption all you want, but if you’re willing to overlook the fact that our money supply is controlled by an elite group of criminal bankers, nothing will change. And don’t hold your breath waiting for “our” Attorney General, Eric Holder, to prosecute any of these banksters. Where is Eric Holder, by the way? Has anyone, in any time zone, seen him lately? In any case, the last thing Holder would want to do is to inconvenience, in any way, his true bosses.</p>
<p>Considering the violent police reaction to protesters marching from Liberty Plaza to Union Square, what would have happened had they gone to the Goldman Sachs Headquarters instead? Surely the foot soldiers of empire would not allow the unruly riff raff to desecrate this tall, dignified temple to computerized and three-piece-suited mugging. Kitty-corner from the site of the pulverized Twin Towers, it’s also a Ground Zero. Live, in real time, this is the epicenter of the destruction of the American economy.</p>
<p>Remember that Smith Barney commercial where a sonorous, no-nonsense elderly gentleman intoned, “We make money the old fashioned way. We earn it”? Yeah, right, as in generating money out of nothing, then lending it at interest? As in laundering bloody cash for pushers of heroin or weapons of mass destruction? Smith Barney was owned by Citigroup, a main player in the Federal Reserve. You can’t say these boffo mofos don’t have a fine, sick sense of humor.</p>
<p>Though the mainstream media have stayed clear of this topic, the truths about the Fed are leaking out all over the web, so Big Brother has a solution. The New York Fed is seeking a vendor to help it monitor online conversations about the Federal Reserve. It wants “an alerting mechanism that automatically sends out reports or notifications based [on] predefined trigger[s].” This cyber spook will “provide sentiment analysis (positive, negative or neutral) around key conversational topics” and “identify and reach out to key bloggers and influencers.” With the Fed all eyes and ears, even this trifling article may appear on its radar, so I will take this opportunity to send out an unequivocal greeting to all of our fine banksters, “Gentlemen, for enslaving hard working people, taking food from children, stealing money from senior citizens and degrading countless communities, may all of you be locked up as soon as possible, then rot in hell into eternity.”</p>
<p>Linh Dinh&#160;is the author of two books of stories, five of poems, and a just released novel,&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Love Like Hate</a>. He’s tracking our deteriorating socialscape through his frequently updated photo blog,&#160; <a href="http://linhdinhphotos.blogspot.com/" type="external">State of the Union</a>.</p> | Big Brother and the Banksters | true | https://counterpunch.org/2011/09/30/big-brother-and-the-banksters/ | 2011-09-30 | 4left
| Big Brother and the Banksters
<p>At the Wall Street protest, a young woman carried a sign, “REVOLUTION IS FUN,” and I don’t doubt that she was having a great time, because it can be exhilarating to engage in a just and noble fight, and to feel that you are an agent of change, a participant in history even, and not just one of its faceless victims, as is the common lot. So fun, yes, at least for her, and at least up to that moment, until the violence explodes, as nearly always happens in anything approaching a political revolution.</p>
<p>The violence of September 24th, the 8th day of the anti-Wall Street Protest, appears to not have caused severe or permanent injuries, though it was brutal enough, and some outrage has even flared in the mainstream media. Anthony Bologna, a 28-year-veteran of the New York Police Department, has emerged as a clear cut villain. Without provocation, he pepper sprayed two young women in the faces, and for this he should certainly be fired, then locked up, but this commotion has overshadowed, at least momentarily, the real target and meaning of this protest. Though police brutality is never to be taken lightly, Occupy Wall Street is aiming to expose and hold to account goons much more vicious than any garden variety Anthony Bologna. Though they maim and cripple countless households, even entire countries, these bigger thugs are rarely condemned and never indicted. In fact, some are given plush jobs in the US Treasury, if not a Cabinet appointment.</p>
<p>Who am I talking about, exactly? Here is where it gets murky, and all by intention. (Theirs, not mine.) When people say Wall Street, as in Wall Street has ruined this country, and it certainly has, what do they mean, exactly? Though there are those who object to financial speculation of any kind, most people have in mind the biggest banks when they rail against Wall Street. They’re really talking about Citibank, for example, that gargantuan money-laundering house, or Goldman Sachs, the world’s leading swindling outfit. Their criminality is well documented, though hard to untangle, since most of us are fairly clueless about the intricacies of the dismal science, and since financial, white collar crimes aren’t as vivid as, say, a middle-aged cop pepper spraying the eyes of two defenseless young women, then calmly walking away as they collapse and scream.</p>
<p>But consider this: there are those who are defending Bologna even now and think that these “hippie chicks” got what they deserved, just as there were those who saw nothing wrong with cops whacking Rodney King with a baton 56 times, kicking him 6 times, then bragging and joking about it afterwards, and even the sadism of Abu Ghraib was cheered by many Americans, so it often comes down to where you’re coming from, but what kind of bias can blind anyone to the fact that it’s criminal for Stephen Friedman, Chairman of the New York Fed and a former CEO of Goldman Sachs, to give 10 billion dollars of our money to Goldman Sachs? Bad publicity over conflict of interest forced Friedman to resign, but if you really think about it, there was no conflict. The Fed can give money to these monster banks because the Fed is owned by these monster banks. If you grant private banks the monopoly to create money, of course they will shower themselves with cash, year in and year out, and use this unlimited power to buy up all of our politicians.</p>
<p>So protest police brutality, media whoredom or governmental corruption all you want, but if you’re willing to overlook the fact that our money supply is controlled by an elite group of criminal bankers, nothing will change. And don’t hold your breath waiting for “our” Attorney General, Eric Holder, to prosecute any of these banksters. Where is Eric Holder, by the way? Has anyone, in any time zone, seen him lately? In any case, the last thing Holder would want to do is to inconvenience, in any way, his true bosses.</p>
<p>Considering the violent police reaction to protesters marching from Liberty Plaza to Union Square, what would have happened had they gone to the Goldman Sachs Headquarters instead? Surely the foot soldiers of empire would not allow the unruly riff raff to desecrate this tall, dignified temple to computerized and three-piece-suited mugging. Kitty-corner from the site of the pulverized Twin Towers, it’s also a Ground Zero. Live, in real time, this is the epicenter of the destruction of the American economy.</p>
<p>Remember that Smith Barney commercial where a sonorous, no-nonsense elderly gentleman intoned, “We make money the old fashioned way. We earn it”? Yeah, right, as in generating money out of nothing, then lending it at interest? As in laundering bloody cash for pushers of heroin or weapons of mass destruction? Smith Barney was owned by Citigroup, a main player in the Federal Reserve. You can’t say these boffo mofos don’t have a fine, sick sense of humor.</p>
<p>Though the mainstream media have stayed clear of this topic, the truths about the Fed are leaking out all over the web, so Big Brother has a solution. The New York Fed is seeking a vendor to help it monitor online conversations about the Federal Reserve. It wants “an alerting mechanism that automatically sends out reports or notifications based [on] predefined trigger[s].” This cyber spook will “provide sentiment analysis (positive, negative or neutral) around key conversational topics” and “identify and reach out to key bloggers and influencers.” With the Fed all eyes and ears, even this trifling article may appear on its radar, so I will take this opportunity to send out an unequivocal greeting to all of our fine banksters, “Gentlemen, for enslaving hard working people, taking food from children, stealing money from senior citizens and degrading countless communities, may all of you be locked up as soon as possible, then rot in hell into eternity.”</p>
<p>Linh Dinh&#160;is the author of two books of stories, five of poems, and a just released novel,&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Love Like Hate</a>. He’s tracking our deteriorating socialscape through his frequently updated photo blog,&#160; <a href="http://linhdinhphotos.blogspot.com/" type="external">State of the Union</a>.</p> | 2,806 |
<p>&lt;a href="http://www.seniorliving.org/"&gt;teegardin/SeniorLiving.org&lt;/a&gt;</p>
<p />
<p>In his fight for smaller government, Florida Rep. Ritch Workman wants to do something for the little people: He wants to let ’em fly. The Melbourne Republican has decided that the state’s 22-year-old ban on dwarf-tossing in bars is keeping height-challenged residents from realizing their full career potential in a recession. “To me it’s an archaic kind of Big Brother law that says, ‘We don’t like that activity,'” Workman <a href="http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=24841361&amp;utm_source=not_lt_user&amp;utm_medium=article_link&amp;utm_campaign=current_email" type="external">told</a> Florida Current reporter Bruce Ritchie. “Well, there is nothing immoral or illegal about that activity. All we really did by passing that law was take away some employment from some little people.”</p>
<p>Once a staple of spring-break barrooms from Key West to Pensacola, dwarf-tossing (once incorrectly and more offensively referred to as midget-tossing) involves seeing which PBR-pickled frat brother can throw a Velcro-encased dwarf higher up a fabric-lined wall. State lawmakers banned the practice in 1989, finding it <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2001_Dec_10/ai_80677114/" type="external">not only demeaning but physically taxing</a> on the small subjects. But Workman’s introduced legislation that would repeal the ban, taking his lead from such high-minded libertarian thinkers as TV&#160;newsman <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123931&amp;page=1" type="external">John Stossel</a>. (That pundit’s <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123931&amp;page=1" type="external">reaction</a> to a dwarf-toss ban:&#160;“Give me a break!”)</p>
<p>It’s unclear whether the legislator realized that October was <a href="http://www.lpaonline.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=96307" type="external">Dwarfism Awareness Month</a> when he introduced the bill, but its text is pure Workman. Chopping government regulations is kind of his thing; the St. Pete Times has described him as possessing “ <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/rep-ritch-workman-has-zeal-repeal" type="external">a zeal for repeal.</a>” However, it may be that he’s just got the pleasure-seeking heart of a frat boy:&#160;In addition to opening the dwarf-tossing floodgates, he’s crafted legislation to loosen restrictions on <a href="http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=45470" type="external">minors getting tattoos</a> and restaurant patrons <a href="http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=45468" type="external">getting snoggered</a>, and he’s fought for Floridians’ <a href="http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=45458" type="external">right to not control or report</a> “dangerous fires.” And though he identifies as Christian and conservative, the legislator’s got no problem sponsoring a bill that would absolve unmarried adults for “ <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/rep-ritch-workman-has-zeal-repeal" type="external">lewdly and lasciviously</a>” living together. Live and let live, as Workman might say.</p>
<p>Well, not entirely:&#160;He’s also co-sponsored <a href="http://myfloridahouse.com/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=43887&amp;SessionId=64" type="external">restrictions on abortion</a>, and he advocates an Arizona-style law to roll back immigration. “Our legislators cannot allow political correctness and misinformation to obstruct Florida’s right to do the job the federal government refuses to do,” Workman has said. Translation: Workman will make sure unborn dwarves grow up with the option of being hurled by drunks to pay the rent…assuming, of course, the dwarves are born in America.</p>
<p /> | Florida Jobs Plan: Let’s Revive Dwarf-Tossing | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2011/10/florida-job-plan-dwarf-tossing-repeal-gop/ | 2011-10-07 | 4left
| Florida Jobs Plan: Let’s Revive Dwarf-Tossing
<p>&lt;a href="http://www.seniorliving.org/"&gt;teegardin/SeniorLiving.org&lt;/a&gt;</p>
<p />
<p>In his fight for smaller government, Florida Rep. Ritch Workman wants to do something for the little people: He wants to let ’em fly. The Melbourne Republican has decided that the state’s 22-year-old ban on dwarf-tossing in bars is keeping height-challenged residents from realizing their full career potential in a recession. “To me it’s an archaic kind of Big Brother law that says, ‘We don’t like that activity,'” Workman <a href="http://www.thefloridacurrent.com/article.cfm?id=24841361&amp;utm_source=not_lt_user&amp;utm_medium=article_link&amp;utm_campaign=current_email" type="external">told</a> Florida Current reporter Bruce Ritchie. “Well, there is nothing immoral or illegal about that activity. All we really did by passing that law was take away some employment from some little people.”</p>
<p>Once a staple of spring-break barrooms from Key West to Pensacola, dwarf-tossing (once incorrectly and more offensively referred to as midget-tossing) involves seeing which PBR-pickled frat brother can throw a Velcro-encased dwarf higher up a fabric-lined wall. State lawmakers banned the practice in 1989, finding it <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2001_Dec_10/ai_80677114/" type="external">not only demeaning but physically taxing</a> on the small subjects. But Workman’s introduced legislation that would repeal the ban, taking his lead from such high-minded libertarian thinkers as TV&#160;newsman <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123931&amp;page=1" type="external">John Stossel</a>. (That pundit’s <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123931&amp;page=1" type="external">reaction</a> to a dwarf-toss ban:&#160;“Give me a break!”)</p>
<p>It’s unclear whether the legislator realized that October was <a href="http://www.lpaonline.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=96307" type="external">Dwarfism Awareness Month</a> when he introduced the bill, but its text is pure Workman. Chopping government regulations is kind of his thing; the St. Pete Times has described him as possessing “ <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/rep-ritch-workman-has-zeal-repeal" type="external">a zeal for repeal.</a>” However, it may be that he’s just got the pleasure-seeking heart of a frat boy:&#160;In addition to opening the dwarf-tossing floodgates, he’s crafted legislation to loosen restrictions on <a href="http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=45470" type="external">minors getting tattoos</a> and restaurant patrons <a href="http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=45468" type="external">getting snoggered</a>, and he’s fought for Floridians’ <a href="http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=45458" type="external">right to not control or report</a> “dangerous fires.” And though he identifies as Christian and conservative, the legislator’s got no problem sponsoring a bill that would absolve unmarried adults for “ <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/rep-ritch-workman-has-zeal-repeal" type="external">lewdly and lasciviously</a>” living together. Live and let live, as Workman might say.</p>
<p>Well, not entirely:&#160;He’s also co-sponsored <a href="http://myfloridahouse.com/Sections/Bills/billsdetail.aspx?BillId=43887&amp;SessionId=64" type="external">restrictions on abortion</a>, and he advocates an Arizona-style law to roll back immigration. “Our legislators cannot allow political correctness and misinformation to obstruct Florida’s right to do the job the federal government refuses to do,” Workman has said. Translation: Workman will make sure unborn dwarves grow up with the option of being hurled by drunks to pay the rent…assuming, of course, the dwarves are born in America.</p>
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<p>This undated photo provided by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office shows Kitage Lynch. A sheriff's official said Thursday, April 21, 2016, that a man and two women were the victims of a triple homicide discovered in residences on desert property used by Phoenix-area residents for weekend getaways. Lynch was booked on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm in city limits. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office via AP)</p>
<p>PHOENIX - Three people killed in western Arizona have been identified as Washington state residents.</p>
<p>The La Paz County Sheriff's Office said Friday the victims included 83-year-old Lester Lindsay and 76-year-old Ella Lindsay, a married couple from Wenatchee. The third was identified as 81-year-old Alice Boyd of Bingen.</p>
<p>A sheriff's deputy investigating burglaries found the dead victims Sunday in two residences in a desert property that a sheriff's spokesman has described as a getaway spot.</p>
<p>No arrest has been made in the killings, but authorities have called a Phoenix man arrested in a shooting incident Wednesday in a Phoenix suburb an investigative lead in the La Paz County case.</p>
<p>Police say the man had a car belonging to one of the victims and a gun stolen from the La Paz County location.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Arizona triple homicide victims were from Washington state | false | https://abqjournal.com/761982/arizona-triple-homicide-victims-were-from-washington-state.html | 2least
| Arizona triple homicide victims were from Washington state
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<p>This undated photo provided by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office shows Kitage Lynch. A sheriff's official said Thursday, April 21, 2016, that a man and two women were the victims of a triple homicide discovered in residences on desert property used by Phoenix-area residents for weekend getaways. Lynch was booked on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm in city limits. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office via AP)</p>
<p>PHOENIX - Three people killed in western Arizona have been identified as Washington state residents.</p>
<p>The La Paz County Sheriff's Office said Friday the victims included 83-year-old Lester Lindsay and 76-year-old Ella Lindsay, a married couple from Wenatchee. The third was identified as 81-year-old Alice Boyd of Bingen.</p>
<p>A sheriff's deputy investigating burglaries found the dead victims Sunday in two residences in a desert property that a sheriff's spokesman has described as a getaway spot.</p>
<p>No arrest has been made in the killings, but authorities have called a Phoenix man arrested in a shooting incident Wednesday in a Phoenix suburb an investigative lead in the La Paz County case.</p>
<p>Police say the man had a car belonging to one of the victims and a gun stolen from the La Paz County location.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 2,808 |
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<p>Alphabet's (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google recently announced a new partnership with finance software giant Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU) to linktheir cloud ecosystems together. Google will integrate its recently rebranded cloud business platform, G Suite, with the cloud-based version of Intuit's QuickBooks accounting software.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>QuickBooks Online. Image source: Google Play.</p>
<p>The two platforms will be united with a single sign-on, and data will be freely shared between the apps. From now on, G Suite subscribers can schedule tasks and meetings through Google Calendar, and those appointments will be automatically displayed in Quickbooks. This eliminates the need for users to manually enter each appointment in Quickbooks again, which also makes it easier for businesses to invoice their time. With a single sign-on, employees won't need separate credentials to access Quickbooks -- they can simply use their Google login.</p>
<p>Google has been trying to beef up its cloud-based enterprise tools to compete more effectively against Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). That's why Google recently rebranded its Google Apps for Work portfolio (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Google+, Calendar, Hangouts, and Forms) as G Suite.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>G Suite is now a core component of the new"Google Cloud", which includes the Google Cloud Platform, enterprise versions of Android and Chrome OS, and its APIs for machine learning and enterprise mapping services. That reorganization provides companies with a big bundle of cloud services which not only counters Office, but also targets Windows and Azure. Google claims that its Cloud Platform now has over a billion users, putting it in the same league as Android, Chrome, Gmail, Maps, Search, and YouTube.</p>
<p>But despite Google's best efforts, many companies still gravitate toward Microsoft's services due to the familiarity of Office and Windows' support for legacy software. Back in February, research firm Gartnerreported that just over 13% ofpublicly listed companies used Office 365 or Google Apps for email. Within that total, 8.5% used Office 365, while just 4.7% used Google Apps for Work. The remainder used on-premises, hybrid, hosted, or private cloud email solutions hosted by smaller vendors.</p>
<p>Since QuickBooks is one of the world's top accounting software brands, its integration into G Suite could certainly make Google's subscription options more appealing. It also strikes at a weak link in Microsoft's ecosystem, since the Outlook Calendar and QuickBooks can't be seamlessly linked in a similar way yet.</p>
<p>Intuit VP Vinay Pai called the deal "the beginning of an exciting collaboration between Intuit and Google that will deliver huge benefits for the millions of small businesses that we serve around the world." Pai claims that 56% of QuickBooks customers are already using Google Calendar "to book appointments, schedule meetings, and track client work." He also notes that partnering with Google "will create important efficiencies between two solutions customers are already using."</p>
<p>In the past, many companies created budget templates that Intuit customers could use in Google Docs. The tighter links between the two companies will likely encourage the creation of even more templates.</p>
<p>Partnering with Google is another way to ensure that Intuit doesn't fall behind the technological curve. Back in 2013, it integrated its platform with Square's point of sale systems to automatically feed transaction data to its books. In late October, it introduced similar integrations with ApplePay, PayPal, and automated payments company Bill.com. It also agreed to sell its olderQuicken, Demandforce, and QuickBase businesses to focus more heavily on small businesses, cloud software, and tax preparation.</p>
<p>Google and Intuit's partnership clearly helps both companies, but it probably won't help Google close the gap with Microsoft on its own, or ensure that Intuit stays ahead of its smaller rivals. But it's still a win-win deal which supports Google's renewed focus on the enterprise software market, as well as Intuit's ongoing efforts to evolve into a cloud-based company.</p>
<p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;ftm_pit=2668&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSunLion/info.aspx" type="external">Leo Sun Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Apple, Gartner, Intuit, and PayPal Holdings. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft and has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. 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> | Is Google's Partnership With Intuit A Win-Win? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/11/04/is-google-partnership-with-intuit-win-win.html | 2016-11-04 | 0right
| Is Google's Partnership With Intuit A Win-Win?
<p />
<p>Alphabet's (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google recently announced a new partnership with finance software giant Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU) to linktheir cloud ecosystems together. Google will integrate its recently rebranded cloud business platform, G Suite, with the cloud-based version of Intuit's QuickBooks accounting software.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>QuickBooks Online. Image source: Google Play.</p>
<p>The two platforms will be united with a single sign-on, and data will be freely shared between the apps. From now on, G Suite subscribers can schedule tasks and meetings through Google Calendar, and those appointments will be automatically displayed in Quickbooks. This eliminates the need for users to manually enter each appointment in Quickbooks again, which also makes it easier for businesses to invoice their time. With a single sign-on, employees won't need separate credentials to access Quickbooks -- they can simply use their Google login.</p>
<p>Google has been trying to beef up its cloud-based enterprise tools to compete more effectively against Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). That's why Google recently rebranded its Google Apps for Work portfolio (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Google+, Calendar, Hangouts, and Forms) as G Suite.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>G Suite is now a core component of the new"Google Cloud", which includes the Google Cloud Platform, enterprise versions of Android and Chrome OS, and its APIs for machine learning and enterprise mapping services. That reorganization provides companies with a big bundle of cloud services which not only counters Office, but also targets Windows and Azure. Google claims that its Cloud Platform now has over a billion users, putting it in the same league as Android, Chrome, Gmail, Maps, Search, and YouTube.</p>
<p>But despite Google's best efforts, many companies still gravitate toward Microsoft's services due to the familiarity of Office and Windows' support for legacy software. Back in February, research firm Gartnerreported that just over 13% ofpublicly listed companies used Office 365 or Google Apps for email. Within that total, 8.5% used Office 365, while just 4.7% used Google Apps for Work. The remainder used on-premises, hybrid, hosted, or private cloud email solutions hosted by smaller vendors.</p>
<p>Since QuickBooks is one of the world's top accounting software brands, its integration into G Suite could certainly make Google's subscription options more appealing. It also strikes at a weak link in Microsoft's ecosystem, since the Outlook Calendar and QuickBooks can't be seamlessly linked in a similar way yet.</p>
<p>Intuit VP Vinay Pai called the deal "the beginning of an exciting collaboration between Intuit and Google that will deliver huge benefits for the millions of small businesses that we serve around the world." Pai claims that 56% of QuickBooks customers are already using Google Calendar "to book appointments, schedule meetings, and track client work." He also notes that partnering with Google "will create important efficiencies between two solutions customers are already using."</p>
<p>In the past, many companies created budget templates that Intuit customers could use in Google Docs. The tighter links between the two companies will likely encourage the creation of even more templates.</p>
<p>Partnering with Google is another way to ensure that Intuit doesn't fall behind the technological curve. Back in 2013, it integrated its platform with Square's point of sale systems to automatically feed transaction data to its books. In late October, it introduced similar integrations with ApplePay, PayPal, and automated payments company Bill.com. It also agreed to sell its olderQuicken, Demandforce, and QuickBase businesses to focus more heavily on small businesses, cloud software, and tax preparation.</p>
<p>Google and Intuit's partnership clearly helps both companies, but it probably won't help Google close the gap with Microsoft on its own, or ensure that Intuit stays ahead of its smaller rivals. But it's still a win-win deal which supports Google's renewed focus on the enterprise software market, as well as Intuit's ongoing efforts to evolve into a cloud-based company.</p>
<p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;ftm_pit=2668&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSunLion/info.aspx" type="external">Leo Sun Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Apple, Gartner, Intuit, and PayPal Holdings. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft and has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. 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> | 2,809 |
<p>No one in their right mind thought that just because he was elected President of the United States that Donald Trump would take a bit of a break from tweeting, right?</p>
<p>If you were one of the foolish few that thought he might scale back his Twitter retorts, you were wrong.</p>
<p>Trump has just volleyed another anti-Media Twitter attack, this time he takes sole aim at CNN for what the networks reporting about his statement of widespread election voter fraud.</p>
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<p>Trump also stated that he believes anyone that burns the U.S. flag should be put in jail. Even though U.S. Citizens are afforded the First Amendment right of free speech, which also includes burning crosses and flags, resident aliens, illegal immigrants, and all foreign nationals are not.</p>
<p /> | Donald Trump: Burn U.S. Flag, Go To Jail | true | http://shark-tank.com/2016/11/29/donald-trump-burn-u-s-flag-go-to-jail/ | 0right
| Donald Trump: Burn U.S. Flag, Go To Jail
<p>No one in their right mind thought that just because he was elected President of the United States that Donald Trump would take a bit of a break from tweeting, right?</p>
<p>If you were one of the foolish few that thought he might scale back his Twitter retorts, you were wrong.</p>
<p>Trump has just volleyed another anti-Media Twitter attack, this time he takes sole aim at CNN for what the networks reporting about his statement of widespread election voter fraud.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p>Trump also stated that he believes anyone that burns the U.S. flag should be put in jail. Even though U.S. Citizens are afforded the First Amendment right of free speech, which also includes burning crosses and flags, resident aliens, illegal immigrants, and all foreign nationals are not.</p>
<p /> | 2,810 |
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<p>Louise Linton, the wife of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, apologized Tuesday for her photo on Instagram and for lashing out and belittling a poster for having less money than she does, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/22/politics/louise-linton-steve-mnuchin-instagram/index.html" type="external">CNN reported.</a></p>
<p>Just in: Louise Linton apologizes for Instagram post &amp; response to commenter in statement –&gt; <a href="https://t.co/Ww22HFQuni" type="external">pic.twitter.com/Ww22HFQuni</a></p>
<p>— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDiamond1/status/900087376197890048" type="external">August 22, 2017</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/steve-mnuchin-louise-linton-blasts-instagram-poster/2017/08/22/id/809007/" type="external">Linton posted a photo</a> on her Instagram account of her and Mnuchin stepping off a plane with official “United States of America” markings. “Great #daytrip to #Kentucky!” Ms. Linton, 36, wrote under the photo. She then added hashtags for various pieces of her wardrobe, listing #rolandmouret, #hermesscarf, #tomford, and #valentino.</p>
<p>Treasury Sec. Steve Mnuchin’s wife Louise Linton has deleted this Instagram, which contained tagged designers and some interesting comments <a href="https://t.co/MvPhPJtRze" type="external">pic.twitter.com/MvPhPJtRze</a></p>
<p>— Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) <a href="https://twitter.com/betsy_klein/status/899803583587201024" type="external">August 22, 2017</a></p>
<p>Jenni Miller, a mother of three from Portland, posted: “Glad we could pay for your little getaway. #deplorable”</p>
<p>“Aw!!! Did you think this was a personal trip?! Adorable!” Linton replied. “Do you think the US govt paid for our honeymoon or personal travel?! Lololol. Have you given more to the economy than me and my husband? Either as an individual earner in taxes OR in self sacrifice to your country?”</p>
<p>Ms. Linton went on: “I’m pretty sure we paid more taxes toward our day ‘trip’&#160;than you did. Pretty sure the amount we sacrifice per year is a lot more than you’d be willing to sacrifice if the choice was yours.”</p> | Treasury Secretary's Wife Apologizes for Instagram Photo, Snarky Response | false | https://newsline.com/treasury-secretarys-wife-apologizes-for-instagram-photo-snarky-response/ | 2017-08-22 | 1right-center
| Treasury Secretary's Wife Apologizes for Instagram Photo, Snarky Response
<p>Louise Linton, the wife of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, apologized Tuesday for her photo on Instagram and for lashing out and belittling a poster for having less money than she does, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/22/politics/louise-linton-steve-mnuchin-instagram/index.html" type="external">CNN reported.</a></p>
<p>Just in: Louise Linton apologizes for Instagram post &amp; response to commenter in statement –&gt; <a href="https://t.co/Ww22HFQuni" type="external">pic.twitter.com/Ww22HFQuni</a></p>
<p>— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDiamond1/status/900087376197890048" type="external">August 22, 2017</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/steve-mnuchin-louise-linton-blasts-instagram-poster/2017/08/22/id/809007/" type="external">Linton posted a photo</a> on her Instagram account of her and Mnuchin stepping off a plane with official “United States of America” markings. “Great #daytrip to #Kentucky!” Ms. Linton, 36, wrote under the photo. She then added hashtags for various pieces of her wardrobe, listing #rolandmouret, #hermesscarf, #tomford, and #valentino.</p>
<p>Treasury Sec. Steve Mnuchin’s wife Louise Linton has deleted this Instagram, which contained tagged designers and some interesting comments <a href="https://t.co/MvPhPJtRze" type="external">pic.twitter.com/MvPhPJtRze</a></p>
<p>— Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) <a href="https://twitter.com/betsy_klein/status/899803583587201024" type="external">August 22, 2017</a></p>
<p>Jenni Miller, a mother of three from Portland, posted: “Glad we could pay for your little getaway. #deplorable”</p>
<p>“Aw!!! Did you think this was a personal trip?! Adorable!” Linton replied. “Do you think the US govt paid for our honeymoon or personal travel?! Lololol. Have you given more to the economy than me and my husband? Either as an individual earner in taxes OR in self sacrifice to your country?”</p>
<p>Ms. Linton went on: “I’m pretty sure we paid more taxes toward our day ‘trip’&#160;than you did. Pretty sure the amount we sacrifice per year is a lot more than you’d be willing to sacrifice if the choice was yours.”</p> | 2,811 |
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<p>Over the next decade, their tax plan would add at least $1 trillion to the national debt. That would be on top of an additional $10 trillion in deficits over the same period already being by forecast by the Congressional Budget Office. As a share of the economy, the national debt would be rising to levels last seen during the height of World War II.</p>
<p>This borrowing spree would mark a sharp reversal for Republicans who made a career of sounding the alarm that mounting national debt would ultimately crush the economy and perhaps impoverish future generations. House Speaker Paul Ryan warned back in 2013 that endless deficits would “weigh the country down like an anchor. In short, we are on the verge of a debt crisis.”</p>
<p>But on Friday, as the Senate debated its version of tax legislation, which it passed early Saturday, a rather different Republican Party was in full view. The party’s few remaining deficit hawks, like Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, were clearly out of step with most in their party.</p>
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<p>“Obviously, I’m kind of a dinosaur on fiscal issues,” Corker said ruefully before declaring his opposition to the bill.</p>
<p>So what changed?</p>
<p>Republicans gained control of the House and Senate as well as the White House, said Robert Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, an advocate for fiscal responsibility. Its all-inclusive control gave the party the leverage to focus on slashing tax cuts, rather than taking the sometimes painful steps required to curb the debt, which would likely do little on the eve of an election year to rally their donors and base of voters.</p>
<p>“When you don’t have to make legislative compromises and have things you want to do, it’s easy to set aside fears about the budget deficit,” Bixby said.</p>
<p>Congressional Republicans had more incentive to reduce the deficit when President Barack Obama was in office. They ultimately agreed to the 2011 Budget Control Act to pare the deficit by mandating nearly $1 trillion in automatic spending cuts in return for raising the government’s borrowing authority.</p>
<p>The historically low U.S. interest rates that have prevailed for nearly a decade have made managing the debt less of a burden than in the 1980s under President Ronald Reagan. What’s more, the U.S. economy has steadily improved as the unemployment rate has fallen to a 17-year low of 4.1 percent. So any anxiety that deficits could stifle growth has lessened despite the rising debt.</p>
<p>Rather than worry about the debt, President Donald Trump has been eager to increase it. He campaigned on the promise of extravagant tax cuts. And he welcomed the prospect of borrowing to finance them in hopes that the economy would start gushing with growth.</p>
<p>“It’s called priming the pump,” he said in a May interview with The Economist magazine.</p>
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<p>In fact, the president pledged that economic growth propelled by the tax cuts would be so much more robust than the tepid average annual growth rates of roughly 2 percent of recent years that the deficits would start to fall after two years. His budget director, Mick Mulvaney, has gone so far as to argue that higher deficits are even necessary to produce sustained 3 percent annual growth.</p>
<p>Mulvaney contends that such growth would eventually cause the national debt to decline. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has repeated similar versions of this argument that the tax cuts would, over time, pay for themselves.</p>
<p>But no independent analysis of the tax plan has shown that it could generate nearly enough growth to shrink the deficits. Mnuchin’s own Treasury Department never released an analysis to support such claims.</p>
<p>Indeed, the Joint Committee on Taxation concluded this week that, even with a bump in growth, the Senate tax bill as written at the time would swell the national debt by $1 trillion over 10 years.</p>
<p>Upon the release of that conclusion, a spokeswoman for Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch dismissed it as “curious” and deserving of “further scrutiny.” The response suggests that Republican lawmakers are taking it on faith that the tax cuts will generate their own revenue. No leading economist agrees with this belief.</p>
<p>In a survey released last week, the University of Chicago asked 42 top academic economists — including Nobel prize winners — whether they thought the tax cuts would expand the debt. All said the debt would be higher.</p>
<p>Democrats now appear to be reveling in the irony of Republicans’ seeming indifference to the debt.</p>
<p>In answering the survey, Austan Goolsbee, a former Obama economic adviser, summarized the Republican formula for economic growth this way: “Cut taxes. Lose money. Repeat.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP writer Richard Lardner contributed to this report.</p> | Why Republicans who once fought budget debt now embrace it | false | https://abqjournal.com/1101198/why-republicans-who-once-fought-budget-debt-now-embrace-it.html | 2017-12-02 | 2least
| Why Republicans who once fought budget debt now embrace it
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Over the next decade, their tax plan would add at least $1 trillion to the national debt. That would be on top of an additional $10 trillion in deficits over the same period already being by forecast by the Congressional Budget Office. As a share of the economy, the national debt would be rising to levels last seen during the height of World War II.</p>
<p>This borrowing spree would mark a sharp reversal for Republicans who made a career of sounding the alarm that mounting national debt would ultimately crush the economy and perhaps impoverish future generations. House Speaker Paul Ryan warned back in 2013 that endless deficits would “weigh the country down like an anchor. In short, we are on the verge of a debt crisis.”</p>
<p>But on Friday, as the Senate debated its version of tax legislation, which it passed early Saturday, a rather different Republican Party was in full view. The party’s few remaining deficit hawks, like Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, were clearly out of step with most in their party.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“Obviously, I’m kind of a dinosaur on fiscal issues,” Corker said ruefully before declaring his opposition to the bill.</p>
<p>So what changed?</p>
<p>Republicans gained control of the House and Senate as well as the White House, said Robert Bixby, executive director of the Concord Coalition, an advocate for fiscal responsibility. Its all-inclusive control gave the party the leverage to focus on slashing tax cuts, rather than taking the sometimes painful steps required to curb the debt, which would likely do little on the eve of an election year to rally their donors and base of voters.</p>
<p>“When you don’t have to make legislative compromises and have things you want to do, it’s easy to set aside fears about the budget deficit,” Bixby said.</p>
<p>Congressional Republicans had more incentive to reduce the deficit when President Barack Obama was in office. They ultimately agreed to the 2011 Budget Control Act to pare the deficit by mandating nearly $1 trillion in automatic spending cuts in return for raising the government’s borrowing authority.</p>
<p>The historically low U.S. interest rates that have prevailed for nearly a decade have made managing the debt less of a burden than in the 1980s under President Ronald Reagan. What’s more, the U.S. economy has steadily improved as the unemployment rate has fallen to a 17-year low of 4.1 percent. So any anxiety that deficits could stifle growth has lessened despite the rising debt.</p>
<p>Rather than worry about the debt, President Donald Trump has been eager to increase it. He campaigned on the promise of extravagant tax cuts. And he welcomed the prospect of borrowing to finance them in hopes that the economy would start gushing with growth.</p>
<p>“It’s called priming the pump,” he said in a May interview with The Economist magazine.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In fact, the president pledged that economic growth propelled by the tax cuts would be so much more robust than the tepid average annual growth rates of roughly 2 percent of recent years that the deficits would start to fall after two years. His budget director, Mick Mulvaney, has gone so far as to argue that higher deficits are even necessary to produce sustained 3 percent annual growth.</p>
<p>Mulvaney contends that such growth would eventually cause the national debt to decline. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has repeated similar versions of this argument that the tax cuts would, over time, pay for themselves.</p>
<p>But no independent analysis of the tax plan has shown that it could generate nearly enough growth to shrink the deficits. Mnuchin’s own Treasury Department never released an analysis to support such claims.</p>
<p>Indeed, the Joint Committee on Taxation concluded this week that, even with a bump in growth, the Senate tax bill as written at the time would swell the national debt by $1 trillion over 10 years.</p>
<p>Upon the release of that conclusion, a spokeswoman for Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch dismissed it as “curious” and deserving of “further scrutiny.” The response suggests that Republican lawmakers are taking it on faith that the tax cuts will generate their own revenue. No leading economist agrees with this belief.</p>
<p>In a survey released last week, the University of Chicago asked 42 top academic economists — including Nobel prize winners — whether they thought the tax cuts would expand the debt. All said the debt would be higher.</p>
<p>Democrats now appear to be reveling in the irony of Republicans’ seeming indifference to the debt.</p>
<p>In answering the survey, Austan Goolsbee, a former Obama economic adviser, summarized the Republican formula for economic growth this way: “Cut taxes. Lose money. Repeat.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP writer Richard Lardner contributed to this report.</p> | 2,812 |
<p />
<p>Not only are local <a href="" type="internal">DAs farming out debt collection to sleazoids</a> who then get to be pretend to be law enforcement officials, but guess what else? Debt collectors are now <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/business/04dead.html?scp=1&amp;sq=debt%20collectors&amp;st=cse" type="external">gunning after the dead</a>. From the NYT:&#160;</p>
<p>“The banks need another bailout and countless homeowners cannot handle their mortgage payments, but one group is paying its bills: the dead.</p>
<p>Dozens of specially trained agents work on the third floor of DCM Services here, calling up the dear departed’s next of kin and kindly asking if they want to settle the balance on a credit card or bank loan, or perhaps make that final utility bill or cellphone payment.</p>
<p>The people on the other end of the line often have no legal obligation to assume the debt of a spouse, sibling or parent. But they take responsibility for it anyway.”</p>
<p>You have to read the whole piece to understand just how scuzzy their methods are, especially at a time when so many are financially devastated. They give these operators special classes in faking empathy and other forms of emotional blackmail. The only bright spot is that about half of DCM’s grave robbers don’t make it past the first 90 days of torturing an unemployed person whose mom just died. Yoga and foosball is enough to get the rest of them through the day, though.</p>
<p>Imagine DCM going bankrupt (i.e. corporate death). Would it still pay the debts it had legally incurred but was no longer legally responsible for? Yeah, that could happen.</p>
<p /> | Debt Collectors: How Low Will They Go? | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2009/03/debt-collectors-no-limit-how-low-theyll-sink/ | 2009-03-06 | 4left
| Debt Collectors: How Low Will They Go?
<p />
<p>Not only are local <a href="" type="internal">DAs farming out debt collection to sleazoids</a> who then get to be pretend to be law enforcement officials, but guess what else? Debt collectors are now <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/business/04dead.html?scp=1&amp;sq=debt%20collectors&amp;st=cse" type="external">gunning after the dead</a>. From the NYT:&#160;</p>
<p>“The banks need another bailout and countless homeowners cannot handle their mortgage payments, but one group is paying its bills: the dead.</p>
<p>Dozens of specially trained agents work on the third floor of DCM Services here, calling up the dear departed’s next of kin and kindly asking if they want to settle the balance on a credit card or bank loan, or perhaps make that final utility bill or cellphone payment.</p>
<p>The people on the other end of the line often have no legal obligation to assume the debt of a spouse, sibling or parent. But they take responsibility for it anyway.”</p>
<p>You have to read the whole piece to understand just how scuzzy their methods are, especially at a time when so many are financially devastated. They give these operators special classes in faking empathy and other forms of emotional blackmail. The only bright spot is that about half of DCM’s grave robbers don’t make it past the first 90 days of torturing an unemployed person whose mom just died. Yoga and foosball is enough to get the rest of them through the day, though.</p>
<p>Imagine DCM going bankrupt (i.e. corporate death). Would it still pay the debts it had legally incurred but was no longer legally responsible for? Yeah, that could happen.</p>
<p /> | 2,813 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>But New Mexico voters should understand that even if they vote to “tap the permanent fund,” not one dollar will make it to the children we so desperately want to support. It’s not about whether the fund is “permanent” or a “rainy day fund.” It’s about existing federal law that prevents a cent of that money from going to our kids.</p>
<p>Regardless of whether New Mexicans vote to use these funds at the state level, it would take federal legislation to change the Enabling Act, which restricts how the fund can be spent.</p>
<p>Attorney General Gary King states this himself in a Feb. 1, 2014, letter. No one can say how many years this would take or if it will ever happen. But since Congress can’t seem to agree on anything these days, do we really want to gamble one of New Mexico’s strongest assets on an act of Congress?</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>There’s another problem.</p>
<p>Even if New Mexico voters approve the use of permanent fund dollars, and even if a miracle occurs and we pass federal legislation, then early childhood programs still couldn’t receive the money. The Department of Children, Youth and Family and the state Attorney General’s Office have confirmed that there are no entities established to accept this money.</p>
<p>This is no small obstacle.</p>
<p>New Mexico does not have any infrastructure to take this money and ensure it will reach the children and the programs we all support. And considering the pitiful fraction of education funding that actually makes it into our classrooms, we cannot afford to take this for granted.</p>
<p>Even more disheartening, there is no plan to build this infrastructure. Proponents can’t tell us how much it will cost, how long it will take or how these restricted permanent fund dollars will be used. They just want us to hand over the money.</p>
<p>So why do some keep pushing so hard for this? Why are the legislators who ask the tough questions blasted on billboards and social media? Why can’t we have an honest discussion over valid concerns that not one dollar will make it to the children?</p>
<p>The sad truth is it makes for a great sound bite. It makes it easy to say you’re standing up for children, and your opponents are not.</p>
<p>But the facts don’t back that up. The facts don’t support the notion that tapping this fund will improve the quality of our early childhood programs. In reality, it’s just not good policy.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>But there is still hope! Voters should know that funding for early childhood in our state has increased from $40 million to $231.3 million, including a $26.1 million increase just this last year.</p>
<p>These dollars are allocated to programs with accountability measures designed to measure quality. This money will get to the children we are working to help.</p>
<p>Moreover, efforts continue to improve early childhood education quality and access. Groups like ACI and the New Mexico Early Childhood Development Partnership are making progress on sound, responsible policies to help our kids.</p>
<p>Contrary to the rhetoric, the private sector understands the need for strong early childhood programs. Business leaders understand that we need better early childhood education, and that it’s one of the best ways to invest in the next generation, strengthen our state and provide better opportunities for New Mexicans.</p>
<p>It’s now up to all of us to see that the increase in funding continues. The funding must be recurring, transparent and, most importantly, the funding must be used for the children.</p>
<p>“Tapping the permanent fund” is a great sound bite, but it is not a revenue stream New Mexico’s children can count on.</p>
<p>Let’s get past the rhetoric and get real. Our children deserve it.</p>
<p /> | Permanent fund can’t help out kids | false | https://abqjournal.com/469161/permanent-fund-cant-help-out-kids.html | 2least
| Permanent fund can’t help out kids
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>But New Mexico voters should understand that even if they vote to “tap the permanent fund,” not one dollar will make it to the children we so desperately want to support. It’s not about whether the fund is “permanent” or a “rainy day fund.” It’s about existing federal law that prevents a cent of that money from going to our kids.</p>
<p>Regardless of whether New Mexicans vote to use these funds at the state level, it would take federal legislation to change the Enabling Act, which restricts how the fund can be spent.</p>
<p>Attorney General Gary King states this himself in a Feb. 1, 2014, letter. No one can say how many years this would take or if it will ever happen. But since Congress can’t seem to agree on anything these days, do we really want to gamble one of New Mexico’s strongest assets on an act of Congress?</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>There’s another problem.</p>
<p>Even if New Mexico voters approve the use of permanent fund dollars, and even if a miracle occurs and we pass federal legislation, then early childhood programs still couldn’t receive the money. The Department of Children, Youth and Family and the state Attorney General’s Office have confirmed that there are no entities established to accept this money.</p>
<p>This is no small obstacle.</p>
<p>New Mexico does not have any infrastructure to take this money and ensure it will reach the children and the programs we all support. And considering the pitiful fraction of education funding that actually makes it into our classrooms, we cannot afford to take this for granted.</p>
<p>Even more disheartening, there is no plan to build this infrastructure. Proponents can’t tell us how much it will cost, how long it will take or how these restricted permanent fund dollars will be used. They just want us to hand over the money.</p>
<p>So why do some keep pushing so hard for this? Why are the legislators who ask the tough questions blasted on billboards and social media? Why can’t we have an honest discussion over valid concerns that not one dollar will make it to the children?</p>
<p>The sad truth is it makes for a great sound bite. It makes it easy to say you’re standing up for children, and your opponents are not.</p>
<p>But the facts don’t back that up. The facts don’t support the notion that tapping this fund will improve the quality of our early childhood programs. In reality, it’s just not good policy.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>But there is still hope! Voters should know that funding for early childhood in our state has increased from $40 million to $231.3 million, including a $26.1 million increase just this last year.</p>
<p>These dollars are allocated to programs with accountability measures designed to measure quality. This money will get to the children we are working to help.</p>
<p>Moreover, efforts continue to improve early childhood education quality and access. Groups like ACI and the New Mexico Early Childhood Development Partnership are making progress on sound, responsible policies to help our kids.</p>
<p>Contrary to the rhetoric, the private sector understands the need for strong early childhood programs. Business leaders understand that we need better early childhood education, and that it’s one of the best ways to invest in the next generation, strengthen our state and provide better opportunities for New Mexicans.</p>
<p>It’s now up to all of us to see that the increase in funding continues. The funding must be recurring, transparent and, most importantly, the funding must be used for the children.</p>
<p>“Tapping the permanent fund” is a great sound bite, but it is not a revenue stream New Mexico’s children can count on.</p>
<p>Let’s get past the rhetoric and get real. Our children deserve it.</p>
<p /> | 2,814 |
|
<p>At the first hearing on the 2012 budget, officials got an earful from many of the usual CPS critics, like teachers union president Karen Lewis who called for more transparency.&#160;</p>
<p>At the first hearing on the 2012 budget, officials got an earful from many of the usual CPS critics, like teachers union president Karen Lewis who called for more transparency.&#160; But they also heard from voices, such as laid off workers and parents, who thus far have not been present in the discussion about the proposed $5.1 billion operating budget. The budget was made public last Friday. Wednesday’s hearing was at Lane High School on the North Side and will be followed by a Thursday evening hearing at Westinghouse High School on the West Side and a Friday evening hearing at Simeon High School on the South Side.</p>
<p>The hearing started off with CPS finance and budget officials presenting a Powerpoint on the budget. They said they inherited a $712 million deficit and that they planned on closing it by collecting $150 million more in property taxes, making programmatic and administrative cuts, laying off supplemental teachers and pulling from reserves. &#160;The CPS board of education voted in June to rescind promised raises to unionized workers, which, district officials say, will save the district some $100 million.</p>
<p>Some property tax owners were on hand to question the district’s plan. Also, several janitors and other laid off workers came to the hearing to suggest that CPS officials could have found money to continue to fund their jobs.</p>
<p>A point of contention both among the laid off workers and the property tax owners had to do with tax increment finance districts. In TIFs, taxes are frozen to government bodies and additional monies collected are supposed to be used to improve the area. TIFs are a way to entice developers and spur economic growth in blighted areas.</p>
<p>But Sonia Kwan, a mother of CPS students and a member of the parent advocacy group Raise Your Hand, said that a reported $867 million in Chicago’s TIF fund is unallocated. If Mayor Rahm Emanuel would declare that money a surplus and give CPS its share, that would be more than $400 million—enough to take care of a big portion of the deficit.</p>
<p>Kwan said she would have no problem paying additional property taxes, if the city were utilizing all its resources and the students were getting a more wholesome education.</p>
<p>Our students are entering outdated under-resourced classrooms without art, language or recess,” Kwan said.</p>
<p>Milagros Roman, a custodian, also wanted to know why the TIF money was being held onto when her colleagues were being laid off. In the first round of operational budget cuts, CPS announced they were shrinking the custodial staff.&#160;</p>
<p>Roman said the 200 custodians laid off amounted to 10 percent of the workforce. “Please keep our schools safe and clean for our children,” she said.</p>
<p>CPS Budget Director Ginger Ostro said that CPS does get TIF money, but that it can only be used for capital projects.</p>
<p>However, last year, under former Mayor Richard M. Daley, CPS got $250 million in TIF surplus money. CPS officials have said that last year’s TIF surplus was used in the district’s general operating fund. CPS communications staff would not let Ostro or other budget officials answer questions after the budget hearing.</p>
<p>In presenting the budget, CPS officials also have said they are trying to keep cuts away from the classrooms. But some teachers were on hand to complain about the loss of positions at their schools. About 1,000 teachers were laid off, mostly because the positions were determined to be supplemental or the school didn’t have the enrollment to support the position.</p>
<p>Grace Anderson said her West Side elementary school lost four teachers and that one classroom of students has no permanent teacher and is floating between teachers and a special education instructor. &#160;</p>
<p>Lois Jones, the union representative for Schurz High School, said she thinks some of the teachers who were laid off will eventually be replaced with younger, less expensive teachers.&#160;</p>
<p>“If you were getting heart surgery, you wouldn’t want it done by a surgeon for America,” she said, making reference to the Teach for America program, which brings in teachers from top-notch universities, gives them five weeks of training and places them in high-need schools.</p>
<p>Other speakers at the hearing had specific questions, identifying line items and page numbers, and some of them pointed to mistakes made in the documents. CPS officials have admitted to making errors in enrollment projections and school budgets in a budget document, called school segment reports.&#160;</p>
<p>And while some questioned the veracity of official claims that CPS is penniless, Access Living Education Policy Analyst Rod Estvan said he believes the district’s money problems are real. Estvan, whose group advocates for people with disabilities, analyzes the budget every year.</p>
<p>Estvan, however, did say he had some problems with the way the district planned to spend its revenues. He criticized district officials for not identifying where they are going to make cuts.&#160; Some $90 million in promised cuts are yet to be determined. CPS Chief Operating Officer Tim Cawley said on Friday that at the September board meeting many of the specific cuts will be laid out.</p>
<p>We think this is terrible practice,” Estvan said. “It creates this problem with hoarding. Principals sit on money because they don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”</p> | Speakers at first budget hearing make TIF funds a key issue | false | http://chicagoreporter.com/speakers-first-budget-hearing-make-tif-funds-key-issue/ | 2011-08-11 | 3left-center
| Speakers at first budget hearing make TIF funds a key issue
<p>At the first hearing on the 2012 budget, officials got an earful from many of the usual CPS critics, like teachers union president Karen Lewis who called for more transparency.&#160;</p>
<p>At the first hearing on the 2012 budget, officials got an earful from many of the usual CPS critics, like teachers union president Karen Lewis who called for more transparency.&#160; But they also heard from voices, such as laid off workers and parents, who thus far have not been present in the discussion about the proposed $5.1 billion operating budget. The budget was made public last Friday. Wednesday’s hearing was at Lane High School on the North Side and will be followed by a Thursday evening hearing at Westinghouse High School on the West Side and a Friday evening hearing at Simeon High School on the South Side.</p>
<p>The hearing started off with CPS finance and budget officials presenting a Powerpoint on the budget. They said they inherited a $712 million deficit and that they planned on closing it by collecting $150 million more in property taxes, making programmatic and administrative cuts, laying off supplemental teachers and pulling from reserves. &#160;The CPS board of education voted in June to rescind promised raises to unionized workers, which, district officials say, will save the district some $100 million.</p>
<p>Some property tax owners were on hand to question the district’s plan. Also, several janitors and other laid off workers came to the hearing to suggest that CPS officials could have found money to continue to fund their jobs.</p>
<p>A point of contention both among the laid off workers and the property tax owners had to do with tax increment finance districts. In TIFs, taxes are frozen to government bodies and additional monies collected are supposed to be used to improve the area. TIFs are a way to entice developers and spur economic growth in blighted areas.</p>
<p>But Sonia Kwan, a mother of CPS students and a member of the parent advocacy group Raise Your Hand, said that a reported $867 million in Chicago’s TIF fund is unallocated. If Mayor Rahm Emanuel would declare that money a surplus and give CPS its share, that would be more than $400 million—enough to take care of a big portion of the deficit.</p>
<p>Kwan said she would have no problem paying additional property taxes, if the city were utilizing all its resources and the students were getting a more wholesome education.</p>
<p>Our students are entering outdated under-resourced classrooms without art, language or recess,” Kwan said.</p>
<p>Milagros Roman, a custodian, also wanted to know why the TIF money was being held onto when her colleagues were being laid off. In the first round of operational budget cuts, CPS announced they were shrinking the custodial staff.&#160;</p>
<p>Roman said the 200 custodians laid off amounted to 10 percent of the workforce. “Please keep our schools safe and clean for our children,” she said.</p>
<p>CPS Budget Director Ginger Ostro said that CPS does get TIF money, but that it can only be used for capital projects.</p>
<p>However, last year, under former Mayor Richard M. Daley, CPS got $250 million in TIF surplus money. CPS officials have said that last year’s TIF surplus was used in the district’s general operating fund. CPS communications staff would not let Ostro or other budget officials answer questions after the budget hearing.</p>
<p>In presenting the budget, CPS officials also have said they are trying to keep cuts away from the classrooms. But some teachers were on hand to complain about the loss of positions at their schools. About 1,000 teachers were laid off, mostly because the positions were determined to be supplemental or the school didn’t have the enrollment to support the position.</p>
<p>Grace Anderson said her West Side elementary school lost four teachers and that one classroom of students has no permanent teacher and is floating between teachers and a special education instructor. &#160;</p>
<p>Lois Jones, the union representative for Schurz High School, said she thinks some of the teachers who were laid off will eventually be replaced with younger, less expensive teachers.&#160;</p>
<p>“If you were getting heart surgery, you wouldn’t want it done by a surgeon for America,” she said, making reference to the Teach for America program, which brings in teachers from top-notch universities, gives them five weeks of training and places them in high-need schools.</p>
<p>Other speakers at the hearing had specific questions, identifying line items and page numbers, and some of them pointed to mistakes made in the documents. CPS officials have admitted to making errors in enrollment projections and school budgets in a budget document, called school segment reports.&#160;</p>
<p>And while some questioned the veracity of official claims that CPS is penniless, Access Living Education Policy Analyst Rod Estvan said he believes the district’s money problems are real. Estvan, whose group advocates for people with disabilities, analyzes the budget every year.</p>
<p>Estvan, however, did say he had some problems with the way the district planned to spend its revenues. He criticized district officials for not identifying where they are going to make cuts.&#160; Some $90 million in promised cuts are yet to be determined. CPS Chief Operating Officer Tim Cawley said on Friday that at the September board meeting many of the specific cuts will be laid out.</p>
<p>We think this is terrible practice,” Estvan said. “It creates this problem with hoarding. Principals sit on money because they don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”</p> | 2,815 |
<p>PHOENIX (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the Arizona Lottery's "All or Nothing Evening" game were:</p>
<p>03-07-08-09-10-13-16-17-18-20</p>
<p>(three, seven, eight, nine, ten, thirteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, twenty)</p>
<p>PHOENIX (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the Arizona Lottery's "All or Nothing Evening" game were:</p>
<p>03-07-08-09-10-13-16-17-18-20</p>
<p>(three, seven, eight, nine, ten, thirteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, twenty)</p> | Winning numbers drawn in 'All or Nothing Evening' game | false | https://apnews.com/amp/504f9d1664a049f7ba070492e8903c94 | 2018-01-24 | 2least
| Winning numbers drawn in 'All or Nothing Evening' game
<p>PHOENIX (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the Arizona Lottery's "All or Nothing Evening" game were:</p>
<p>03-07-08-09-10-13-16-17-18-20</p>
<p>(three, seven, eight, nine, ten, thirteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, twenty)</p>
<p>PHOENIX (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the Arizona Lottery's "All or Nothing Evening" game were:</p>
<p>03-07-08-09-10-13-16-17-18-20</p>
<p>(three, seven, eight, nine, ten, thirteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, twenty)</p> | 2,816 |
<p>Fixed income investors looking for some extra yield should consider bond exchange traded funds featuring exposure to international markets. One idea from that group is the iShares U.S. Credit Bond ETF (NYSEArca: CRED). CRED, which tracks the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Credit Bond Index, turned 10 years old earlier this year. CRED currently sports a 30-day… <a href="https://www.etftrends.com/2017/04/a-fixed-income-etf-strategy-for-investors-looking-for-extra-yield/" type="external">Click to read more at ETFtrends.com. Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | A Fixed Income ETF Strategy for Investors Looking for Extra Yield | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/04/21/fixed-income-etf-strategy-for-investors-looking-for-extra-yield.html | 2017-04-21 | 0right
| A Fixed Income ETF Strategy for Investors Looking for Extra Yield
<p>Fixed income investors looking for some extra yield should consider bond exchange traded funds featuring exposure to international markets. One idea from that group is the iShares U.S. Credit Bond ETF (NYSEArca: CRED). CRED, which tracks the Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Credit Bond Index, turned 10 years old earlier this year. CRED currently sports a 30-day… <a href="https://www.etftrends.com/2017/04/a-fixed-income-etf-strategy-for-investors-looking-for-extra-yield/" type="external">Click to read more at ETFtrends.com. Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | 2,817 |
<p>and JOE EMERSBERGER</p>
<p>Gunshots were fired at Radio-Tele Ginen (RTG) during the morning of Tuesday, November 6, in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince. The attack injured a female street vendor who was subsequently hospitalized according to RTG employees. A front-side window of one of RTG’s yellow jeeps lay shattered on asphalt in front of the station.</p>
<p>RTG is popular with both rich and poor in Haiti. The broadcaster is respected in poor neighborhoods because it often gave a voice to the residents of Lavalas strongholds while the de facto government of 2004-2006 was in power.</p>
<p>Delmas Wilson Jeudy, the mayor of the community in which RTG is located, visited the station after the attack. He denounced the “bandits” responsible, but added that he did not believe the attack was part of a campaign to muzzle the press. However, he added that an investigation was being carried out to determine if anything broadcast by RTG might have provoked violence.</p>
<p>The director of RTG, Jean Lucien Borges, stated that the attack was typical of other attacks on journalists in Haiti. However, he could not say what, if anything, broadcast by RTG had provoked the attack.</p>
<p>Asked what impact the attack would have on the morale of RTG employees Borges replied by comparing RTG to a boat that takes to sea regardless of the weather and “follows its compass” undaunted.</p>
<p>RTG’s appeal across the political spectrum was apparent after the attack. The station was visited by members of Fanmi Lavalas but also by staunch Lavalas opponents such as RNDDH (Réseau National de Défense des Droits Humains) and representatives of privately owned media. Another group, Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), which has ignored many deadly attacks on poor pro-Lavalas journalists, immediately issued a statement about the attack on RTG.</p>
<p>The attack occurred on the heels of a recent spate of death threats that Reuters journalist Joseph Guyler Delva has reported receiving. Delva is also the director of SOS, a commission launched to investigate the killings of journalists.</p>
<p>Delva has suggested there may be a link with the threats against him and Senator Rudolph Boulos, a founding board member of the Haitian elite’s lobbyist organization in Washington D.C., the Haiti Democracy Project.</p>
<p>Last month Delva revealed on Radio Melodie FM that Senator Boulos holds US citizenship and that according to Haiti’s constitution it is illegal for a Haitian senator to hold a foreign passport. Delva has also revealed that Boulos, claiming senatorial immunity, has refused to respond to questions of Judge Fritzner Fils-Aimé in regards to the investigation into the killing of Haiti’s most well known journalist Jean Dominique of Haiti Inter.</p>
<p>WADNER PIERRE and Joe Emersberger contribute to HaitiAnalysis</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | The Ongoing War on Journalists in Haiti | true | https://counterpunch.org/2007/11/10/the-ongoing-war-on-journalists-in-haiti/ | 2007-11-10 | 4left
| The Ongoing War on Journalists in Haiti
<p>and JOE EMERSBERGER</p>
<p>Gunshots were fired at Radio-Tele Ginen (RTG) during the morning of Tuesday, November 6, in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince. The attack injured a female street vendor who was subsequently hospitalized according to RTG employees. A front-side window of one of RTG’s yellow jeeps lay shattered on asphalt in front of the station.</p>
<p>RTG is popular with both rich and poor in Haiti. The broadcaster is respected in poor neighborhoods because it often gave a voice to the residents of Lavalas strongholds while the de facto government of 2004-2006 was in power.</p>
<p>Delmas Wilson Jeudy, the mayor of the community in which RTG is located, visited the station after the attack. He denounced the “bandits” responsible, but added that he did not believe the attack was part of a campaign to muzzle the press. However, he added that an investigation was being carried out to determine if anything broadcast by RTG might have provoked violence.</p>
<p>The director of RTG, Jean Lucien Borges, stated that the attack was typical of other attacks on journalists in Haiti. However, he could not say what, if anything, broadcast by RTG had provoked the attack.</p>
<p>Asked what impact the attack would have on the morale of RTG employees Borges replied by comparing RTG to a boat that takes to sea regardless of the weather and “follows its compass” undaunted.</p>
<p>RTG’s appeal across the political spectrum was apparent after the attack. The station was visited by members of Fanmi Lavalas but also by staunch Lavalas opponents such as RNDDH (Réseau National de Défense des Droits Humains) and representatives of privately owned media. Another group, Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), which has ignored many deadly attacks on poor pro-Lavalas journalists, immediately issued a statement about the attack on RTG.</p>
<p>The attack occurred on the heels of a recent spate of death threats that Reuters journalist Joseph Guyler Delva has reported receiving. Delva is also the director of SOS, a commission launched to investigate the killings of journalists.</p>
<p>Delva has suggested there may be a link with the threats against him and Senator Rudolph Boulos, a founding board member of the Haitian elite’s lobbyist organization in Washington D.C., the Haiti Democracy Project.</p>
<p>Last month Delva revealed on Radio Melodie FM that Senator Boulos holds US citizenship and that according to Haiti’s constitution it is illegal for a Haitian senator to hold a foreign passport. Delva has also revealed that Boulos, claiming senatorial immunity, has refused to respond to questions of Judge Fritzner Fils-Aimé in regards to the investigation into the killing of Haiti’s most well known journalist Jean Dominique of Haiti Inter.</p>
<p>WADNER PIERRE and Joe Emersberger contribute to HaitiAnalysis</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 2,818 |
<p>PHOENIX (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a woman who was fatally run over by a car while crossing a Phoenix street.</p>
<p>Phoenix police say 66-year-old Patricia Moore was killed on Wednesday night when she was struck by a passing motorist.</p>
<p>She was pronounced dead at the scene.</p>
<p>Police say the driver of the vehicle that hit Moore stopped and cooperated with investigators.</p>
<p>They say neither speed nor impairment appear to be factors in the incident.</p>
<p>PHOENIX (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a woman who was fatally run over by a car while crossing a Phoenix street.</p>
<p>Phoenix police say 66-year-old Patricia Moore was killed on Wednesday night when she was struck by a passing motorist.</p>
<p>She was pronounced dead at the scene.</p>
<p>Police say the driver of the vehicle that hit Moore stopped and cooperated with investigators.</p>
<p>They say neither speed nor impairment appear to be factors in the incident.</p> | Phoenix police identify woman who was fatally struck by car | false | https://apnews.com/03f53d11e94443f38d060ec16a452f93 | 2018-01-19 | 2least
| Phoenix police identify woman who was fatally struck by car
<p>PHOENIX (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a woman who was fatally run over by a car while crossing a Phoenix street.</p>
<p>Phoenix police say 66-year-old Patricia Moore was killed on Wednesday night when she was struck by a passing motorist.</p>
<p>She was pronounced dead at the scene.</p>
<p>Police say the driver of the vehicle that hit Moore stopped and cooperated with investigators.</p>
<p>They say neither speed nor impairment appear to be factors in the incident.</p>
<p>PHOENIX (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a woman who was fatally run over by a car while crossing a Phoenix street.</p>
<p>Phoenix police say 66-year-old Patricia Moore was killed on Wednesday night when she was struck by a passing motorist.</p>
<p>She was pronounced dead at the scene.</p>
<p>Police say the driver of the vehicle that hit Moore stopped and cooperated with investigators.</p>
<p>They say neither speed nor impairment appear to be factors in the incident.</p> | 2,819 |
<p>By Rajan Menon / <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176260/tomgram%3A_rajan_menon%2C_making_america_insecure_again/" type="external">TomDispatch</a></p>
<p>Donald Trump’s supporters believe that his election will end business as usual in Washington. The self-glorifying Trump agrees and indeed has, so far, been the most unorthodox presidency of our era, if not any era. It’s a chaotic and tweet-driven administration that makes headlines daily thanks to scandals, acts of stunning incompetence, rants, accusations, wild claims, and conspiracy theories. On one crucial issue, however, Trump has been a complete conformist. Despite the headline-grabbing uproar over Muslim bans and the like, his stance on national security couldn’t be more recognizable. His list of major threats — terrorism, Iran, North Korea, and China — features the usual suspects that Republicans, Democrats, and the foreign policy establishment have long deemed dangerous.</p>
<p>Trump’s conception of security not only doesn’t break the mold of recent administrations. It’s a remarkably fine fit for it. That’s because his focus is on protecting Americans from foreign groups or governments that could threaten us or destroy physical objects (buildings, bridges, and the like) in the homeland. In doing so, he, like his predecessors, steers clear of a definition of “security” that would include the workaday difficulties that actually make Americans insecure. These include poverty, joblessness or underemployment, wages too meager to enable even full-time workers to make ends meet, and a wealth-based public school system that hampers the economic and professional prospects, as well as futures, of startling numbers of American children. To this list must be added the radical dangers climate change poses to the health and safety of future citizens.</p>
<p>Trump may present himself as a maverick, but on security he never wavers from an all-too-familiar externally focused and militarized narrative.</p>
<p />
<p>Conjurer-in-Chief</p>
<p>Barack Obama wrote a bestselling book titled “The Audacity of Hope.” Perhaps Donald Trump should write one titled “The Audacity of Wealth.” During the presidential campaign of 2016, he morphed unashamedly from plutocrat to populist, assuring millions of people struggling with unemployment, debt, and inadequate incomes that he would solve their problems. The shtick worked. Many Americans believed him. Fifty-two percent of <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/09/behind-trumps-victory-divisions-by-race-gender-education/" type="external">voters</a> who did not have a college degree chose him. Among whites with that same educational profile, he did even better, winning 67 percent of their votes.</p>
<p>Unemployment, underemployment, stagnant wages, and the outsourcing of production (and so jobs) have hit those who lack a college degree especially hard. Yet many of them were convinced by Trump’s populist message. It made no difference that he belonged to the <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2015/07/22/donald-trump-measures-his-riches-generously-perhaps-too-generously/5TBRzcBMOfxpYPnLe94IXK/story.html" type="external">wealthiest 0.00004 percent of Americans</a>, if his net worth is the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/20/forbes-billionaire-list-trump-loses-1bn-as-elite-club-welcomes-233-new-members" type="external">widely reported $3.5 billion</a>, and the top 0.00002 percent if, as he claims, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-taxes-idUSKCN0Y82KO" type="external">it’s actually $10 billion</a>.</p>
<p>Former Louisiana Governor Huey Long, perhaps the country’s best-known populist historically speaking, was born and raised in Winn Parish, a poor part of Louisiana. In the 1930s, his origins and his far-reaching ideas for redistributing wealth gave him credibility. By contrast, Trump wasn’t cut from humble cloth; nor in his present reincarnation has he even claimed to stand for the reallocation of wealth (except possibly to his wealthy compatriots). His father, Fred Trump, was a multimillionaire who, at the time of his death in 1999, had a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/12/03/reviews/001203.03margolt.html" type="external">net worth of $250 million</a>, which was <a href="http://www.factcheck.org/2016/03/factchecking-the-11th-gop-debate/" type="external">divided among his four surviving children</a>. The proportional allocations are not publicly known, though it’s safe to assume that Donald did well. He also got his start in business — and it wasn’t even an impressive one — thanks to <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/2016/08/12/donald-trumps-business-failures-election-2016-486091.html" type="external">lavish help from Fred</a> to the tune of millions of dollars. When he subsequently hit rough patches, Dad’s connections and loan guarantees helped set things right.</p>
<p>A man who himself benefited handsomely from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/06/28/five-ways-donald-trump-benefits-from-the-globalization-he-says-he-hates/?utm_term=.ddc0a7f3896c" type="external">globalization, outsourcing</a>, and a designed-for-the-wealthy tax code nonetheless managed to convince coal miners in West Virginia and workers in Ohio that all of these were terrible things that enriched a “ <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-us-robbed-elite-part/story?id=40185448" type="external">financial elite</a>” that had made itself wealthy at the expense of American workers and that electing him would end the swindle.</p>
<p>He also persuaded millions of voters that foreign enemies were the biggest threat to their security and that he’d crush them by “rebuilding” America’s military machine. Worried about ISIS? Don’t be. Trump would “ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK79N5zOmZQ" type="external">bomb the shit out of them</a>.” Concerned about the nuclear arms race? Not to worry. “We’ll <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/23/us/politics/trump-nuclear-arms-race-russia-united-states.html?_r=0&amp;mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=1204D01D149F6B570A3618193CEB418B&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">outmatch them</a> at every pass and outlast them all.”</p>
<p>Yet few if any Americans lie awake at night fearing invasion by another country or the outbreak of nuclear war. Fifteen years after 9/11, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/09/american-terrorism-fears-september-11/499004/" type="external">terrorism</a> still ranks high on the American list of concerns (especially, the polls tell us, among Republicans). But that danger is not nearly as dire as Trump and the U.S. national security state insist it is. A <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/12/15/are-americans-fears-legitimate/immense-fear-over-a-limited-threat-to-americans" type="external">litany of statistics</a> shows that deaths from car crashes leave death-by-terrorist in the dust, while since 2002 even bee, hornet, and wasp stings have killed more Americans annually in the United States than “Islamic terrorists.”</p>
<p>Since 9/11, only 95 Americans — 95 too many, let it be said — have been killed in terrorist attacks in the U.S. Not one of <a href="http://people.com/politics/donald-trump-refugee-muslim-ban-terrorist-attack-us-statistics/" type="external">the perpetrators</a> was a tourist or someone on another type of temporary visa, and several were non-Muslims. Nor were any of them refugees, or connected to any of the countries in Trump’s two Muslim bans. Indeed, as the <a href="http://reason.com/blog/2017/01/30/number-of-americans-killed-by-terrorists" type="external">journalist Nick Gillespie notes</a>, since the adoption of the 1980 Refugee Act, no refugee has been involved in a terrorist attack that killed Americans.</p>
<p>Still, Trump’s hyperbole has persuaded many in this country that terrorism poses a major, imminent threat to them and that measures like a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by the citizens of certain Muslim countries will protect them. (A recent poll shows that 54 percent of the public <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-02-08/poll-majority-support-trumps-travel-ban" type="external">supports this policy</a>.) As for terrorist plots, successful or not, by <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/02/terror-attacks-trump-wont-talk-about-white-supremacists" type="external">white far-right extremists</a>, the president simply hasn’t felt the urge to say much about them.</p>
<p>In other words, President Trump, like candidate Trump, embraces the standard take on national security. He, too, is focused on war and terrorism. Here, on the other hand, are some threats — a suggestive, not inclusive, list — that genuinely make, or threaten to make, millions of Americans insecure and vulnerable.</p>
<p>Poverty: According to the <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2016/demo/p60-256.html" type="external">U.S. Census Bureau</a>, in 2015, 43 million Americans, 13.5 percent of the population, lived below the <a href="http://familiesusa.org/product/federal-poverty-guidelines#2015" type="external">poverty line</a> ($11,700 for an individual and $20,090 for a three-person household) — an increase of 1 percent since 2007, the year before the Great Recession. For children under 18, the 2015 poverty rate was 19.7 percent. While that was an improvement on the 21.1 percent of 2014, it still meant that nearly a fifth of American children were poor.</p>
<p>The working poor: Yes, you can have a job and still be poor if your wages are low or stagnant or have fallen. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses a <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2015/working-poor-over-10-million-in-2013.htm" type="external">conservative definition</a> for these individuals: “People who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force during the year — either working or looking for work — but whose incomes were below the poverty level.” Though some studies use a <a href="http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WPFP-2015-Report_Racial-Ethnic-Divide.pdf" type="external">more expansive definition</a>, even by the BLS’s criteria, there were <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/working-poor/2014/pdf/home.pdf" type="external">9.5 million working poor</a> in 2014.</p>
<p>Even if you work and bring in wages above the poverty line, you may still barely be getting by. Oxfam reports that 58 million American workers <a href="https://politicsofpoverty.oxfamamerica.org/2016/09/5-myths-about-the-working-poor-in-america/" type="external">make less than $15 an hour</a> and 44 million make less than $12 an hour. Congress last raised the minimum hourly wage to $7.25 in 2007 (and even then <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2014/04/23/smallbusiness/minimum-wage-exemptions/" type="external">included exceptions</a> that applied to several types of workers). That sum has since lost nearly 10 percent of <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/04/5-facts-about-the-minimum-wage/" type="external">its purchasing power</a> thanks to inflation.</p>
<p>Wage stagnation and economic inequality: These two conditions explain a large part of the working-but-barely-making-it phenomenon. Let’s start with those stagnant wages. According to the <a href="http://www.epi.org/publication/charting-wage-stagnation/" type="external">Economic Policy Institute</a> (EPI), for about three decades after World War II, hourly wage increases for workers in non-supervisory roles kept pace with productivity increases: at 91.3 percent and 96.7 percent, respectively. Then things changed dramatically. Between 1973 and 2013, productivity increased by 74.4 percent and wages by only 9.2 percent. In other words, with wages adjusted for inflation, the average American worker made no more in 2013 than in 1973.</p>
<p>As for economic inequality, the EPI reports that from 1980 to 2013 the income of the top 1 percent of wage earners increased by 138 percent compared to 15 percent for the bottom 90 percent. For those at the lowest end of the wage scale, it was even worse. In those years, their hourly pay actually dropped by 5 percent.</p>
<p>When was the last time you heard Donald Trump talk about stagnant wages or growing economic inequality, both of which make his most fervent supporters insecure? In reality, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/us/trump-budget-cuts.html?mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=B754C2A602C43FABB6A90E9597E612F9&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">defunding of federal programs</a> that provide energy subsidies, employment assistance, and legal services to people with low incomes will only hurt many Trump voters who are already struggling economically.</p>
<p>Climate change: There is a <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/" type="external">scientific consensus</a> on this problem, which already contributes to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/report-climate-change-means-more-frequent-droughts-floods-to-come/2011/11/15/gIQAfwqHXN_story.html?utm_term=.64adb841df3a" type="external">droughts and floods</a> that reduce food production, damages property, and threatens lives, not to speak of increasing the range of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/11/science/climate-change-forest-fires.html" type="external">forest fires</a> and lengthening the global fire season, as well as <a href="http://www.chgeharvard.org/topic/climate-change-and-infectious-disease" type="external">helping spread diseases</a> like cholera, malaria, and dengue fever. Trump once infamously described climate change as a Chinese-fabricated “ <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/10/climate/donald-trump-global-warming-views.html?_r=0&amp;mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=E019DC62FBB545AA5DB0CB8413E3B840&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">hoax</a>” meant to reduce the competitiveness of American companies. No matter that, in recent years, the Chinese government has taken serious steps to <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/alvin-lin/chinas-new-plans-deepen-action-climate-change" type="external">reduce greenhouse gas emissions</a>. Now, President Trump is gearing up to take the U.S. out of the climate change sweepstakes entirely. For instance, he <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/316894-trump-will-definitely-pull-out-of-paris-climate-deal-ex-aide-says" type="external">remains determined</a> to withdraw the country from the <a href="http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php" type="external">2015 Paris Agreement</a> (signed by 197 countries and so far ratified by 134 of them) aimed at limiting the increase in global temperature to a maximum of two degrees Celsius during this century. Scott Pruitt, his appointee to run the Environmental Protection Agency, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/09/on-climate-change-scott-pruitt-contradicts-the-epas-own-website/?utm_term=.e91c899a8a58" type="external">denies</a> that climate change is significantly connected to “human activity” and is stocking his agency with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/us/politics/scott-pruitt-environmental-protection-agency.html" type="external">climate change deniers</a> of like mind. Needless to say Pruitt didn’t balk at Trump’s decision to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/15/us/politics/budget-epa-state-department-cuts.html?_r=0&amp;mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=CC94BDC7F6C8AD2413B9CE594B436514&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">cut the EPA’s budget</a> by 31 percent.</p>
<p>Nor do Trump and his team favor promoting alternative sources of energy or reducing carbon emissions, even though the United States is second only to China in <a href="https://wri.org/blog/2014/11/6-graphs-explain-world%E2%80%99s-top-10-emitters" type="external">total emissions</a> and among the globe’s largest emitters on a per-capita basis. Trump seems <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-cafe-fuel-economy-standards-rollback/" type="external">poised to scale back</a> President Obama’s plan to increase the Corporate Annual Fuel Efficiency Standard — created by the government to reduce average automobile gas consumption — from the present 35.5 miles per gallon to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, end the 2015 freeze on leases for <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/21/trump-executive-orders-to-scale-back-obama-era-coal-and-carbon-actions.html" type="external">coal mining</a> on federal land, and <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2017/02/21/426648/president-trumps-coming-war-on-science-environment-edition/" type="external">ease power plant emission limits</a>. Worse yet, Trump’s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/america-first-energy" type="external">America First Energy Plan</a> calls for producing more oil and gas but contains nary a word about climate change or a green energy strategy. If you want a failsafe formula for future environment-related insecurity, this, of course, is it.</p>
<p>Bogus Remedies</p>
<p>Candidate Trump certainly did tap into a deepening sense of insecurity about wage stagnation, the disappearance of good working-class jobs, and increasing economic inequality. But in the classic national security mode, he has artfully framed these problems, too, as examples of the economic hardship that foreign countries have inflicted on America. And the four remedies he offers, all rooted in a nationalistic economic outlook, won’t actually help American workers, could hurt them, or are at best cosmetic.</p>
<p>First, he favors renegotiating multilateral trade deals like NAFTA and wasted no time withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, accords which he believes hurt American workers. Second, he wants to impose tariffs of 35 percent to 45 percent on imports from countries such as Mexico and China that he accuses of unfair trade practices. Third, at least on the campaign trail, he pledged to punish countries like China, Japan, and Germany for supposedly devaluing their currencies in order to boost their exports unfairly at America’s expense. Fourth, he’s high on slapping a <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-to-huddle-with-manufacturing-industry-execs/" type="external">border tax</a> on companies that import from their branches or subcontractors abroad the components needed to make products to be sold in the United States, as well as on firms that simply import finished products and sell them locally.</p>
<p>Some of these punitive moves, if actually pursued, will only <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/06638c26-d42c-11e6-9341-7393bb2e1b51" type="external">provoke retaliation from other countries</a>, harming American exporters and consequently the workers they employ. Tariffs will, of course, also increase the cost of imported goods, hurting consumers with low incomes the most, just as taxing U.S. corporations for importing from their subsidiaries abroad will increase the prices of locally made goods, possibly reducing demand and so jobs.</p>
<p>Even the nullification of trade pacts, whatever positives might be involved, won’t bring industries like steel, textiles, and basic machine-making that once provided good jobs for the working class back to the United States. Trump blames China for the decline in manufacturing employment, as does one of his top economists, Peter Navarro. (Despite holding a Harvard Ph.D. in economics, Navarro evidently <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/peter-navarro-trade-op-ed-wall-street-journal-2017-3" type="external">doesn’t grasp</a> that trade deficits don’t have a major effect on employment and that <a href="http://news.morningstar.com/all/dow-jones/us-markets/201703156872/deficits-are-a-flawed-guide-to-unfair-trade.aspx" type="external">protectionism doesn’t cut trade deficits</a>.)</p>
<p>What’s really required are policies that help displaced manufacturing workers to get decent jobs now, while addressing wage stagnancy, which has been significantly aided and abetted by a sharp decline in union membership in recent decades. According to the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2016/union-membership-in-the-united-states/pdf/union-membership-in-the-united-states.pdf" type="external">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>, between 1983 and 2015 membership in public-sector unions held reasonably steady. Not so for private-sector union membership, which plunged from 12 million in 1983 to 7.6 million in 2015. As a result, workers have been increasingly incapable of combatting wage stagnation through collective bargaining. Tellingly enough, however, as of 2015, the median weekly paycheck of unionized workers was still 21 percent larger than that of workers who did not belong to a union.</p>
<p>Consider Trump’s <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/no-surprise-trump-is-a-union-buster-at-his-own-hotel/" type="external">business history</a> when it comes to labor (including the <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/oct/20/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-correctly-claims-trump-tower-was-p/" type="external">hiring and stiffing of undocumented workers</a>), as well as the make up of his <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176236/tomgram%3A_nomi_prins,_goldmanizing_donald_trump/" type="external">immensely wealthy</a>, Goldman Sachs-ified <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/business/dealbook/james-donovan-goldman-sachs-treasury-trump-administration.html?mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=EB8109C62EDD9440480C178A690FBF97&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">economic team</a>, and the Republican Party’s <a href="http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2017/01/viewpoint-whats-coming-under-president-trump" type="external">attitude toward unions</a>. Then ask yourself: How likely is it that this administration will be well disposed toward unionization or collective bargaining?</p>
<p>And don’t forget automation, a subject Donald Trump has essentially been mum about. It has contributed decisively to job loss and wage stagnancy by reducing or even eliminating the need for labor in certain economic sectors. As economists Michael Hicks and Srikant Devraj <a href="http://conexus.cberdata.org/files/MfgReality.pdf" type="external">have demonstrated</a>, increased productivity through automation has been far more crucial in reducing the need for human labor in U.S. manufacturing than outsourced jobs and imports. Thanks to labor-displacing technologies, U.S. manufacturing output actually increased in value by 17.6 percent between 2006 and 2013 while the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/11/08/the-u-s-labor-force-is-still-shrinking-rapidly-heres-why/?utm_term=.5ba6fb48b47b" type="external">workforce continued to shrink</a>.</p>
<p>Another source of wage stagnancy is rising economic inequality, which stems partly from the fierce <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/02/25/why-companies-are-rewarding-shareholders-instead-of-investing-in-the-real-economy/?utm_term=.93ea03233349" type="external">corporate focus</a> since the 1980s on boosting quarterly earnings and paying dividends that will keep shareholders happy, even if that requires incurring debt, rather than increasing workers’ wages.</p>
<p>Alternative Policies</p>
<p>Trump claims that he will create more jobs by lowering the corporate tax rate. At <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/corporate-income-tax-rates-around-world-2016/" type="external">35 percent</a> — 38.9 percent including the average state tax — the American corporate tax rate is significantly higher than the global average (29.5 percent). Nonetheless, the familiar high-corporate-taxes-kill-jobs narrative that Trump trumpets is simplistic. More than 60 percent of American companies are so-called <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/s-corporations" type="external">S corporations</a>. They pay no corporate tax: They pass their profits on to stockholders who then report the gains when filing income tax returns. And even the corporations that do pay taxes manage to reduce the burden significantly through such steps as claiming accelerated depreciation on equipment and establishing offshore companies whose books reflect their profits. As a result, their true tax rate isn’t anything like 38.9 percent. High corporate taxes aren’t what stops companies from creating jobs or paying workers more, which means that changing that rate won’t fix any problems, not for American workers anyway.</p>
<p>There are other solutions to low wages and unemployment, even if President Trump will never favor them.</p>
<p>Investing more in public education, for example. Local property taxes and state monies still count heavily in <a href="http://www.edcentral.org/edcyclopedia/school-finance/" type="external">funding public schools</a>. (Federal support is less than 15 percent.) So the quality of a school can depend greatly on the zip code in which it’s located, especially because parents in wealthy neighborhoods normally raise more money to help their schools than their non-affluent counterparts can. School quality can also depend on how wealthy your state is.</p>
<p>Though other factors doubtless play a role, in general, the better the quality of the school, the greater the likelihood that a child will go to college and the stronger his or her income and prospects will be. Increasing federal funding to schools that lack adequate resources could improve matters. But if you expect President Trump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to consider such a proposition, think again.</p>
<p>Raising the minimum wage significantly could also help reduce income inequality and the number of working poor. Democrats have favored raising the minimum wage to $10.10, which, it is believed, would reduce the number of people living in poverty by an estimated 4.6 million. That’s hardly an outlandish proposal. Some experts, like former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, have called for a <a href="http://robertreich.org/post/131476708345" type="external">minimum wage of $15 an hour</a>, though they are in the minority. But even certain mainstream economists, like Princeton’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/11/opinion/sunday/the-minimum-wage-how-much-is-too-much.html?_r=0" type="external">Alan Krueger</a>, support a $12 rate and reject the right-wing claim that it would kill jobs.</p>
<p>Don’t expect the Trump administration (or the GOP) to push for any form of such a policy. Take a look at the members of the president’s <a href="https://www.blackstone.com/media/press-releases/president-elect-trump-establishes-the-president-s-strategic-and-policy-forum" type="external">Strategic and Policy Forum</a> (SPF), whose duties include providing advice on job creation, and you’ll realize that such a relatively modest goal will be off the table for at least the next four years. You’ll find representatives from the Blackstone Group, Walmart, IBM, General Motors, Boeing, and General Electric in the SPF, but not one labor advocate. Case closed.</p>
<p>Prepare for Business as Usual</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/01/19/trump-rich-cabinet/?utm_term=.aea70cf809c3" type="external">net worth of Trump’s cabinet</a> (the president excluded) is $5 billion, and that’s a conservative estimate (no pun intended). By some calculations, it may be <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/12/20/trump-cabinet-picks-far-are-worth-combined/XvAJmHCgkHhO3lSxgIKvRM/story.html" type="external">$13 billion</a>. According to PolitiFact’s Tom Kertscher, that “modest” $5 billion figure <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/corporate-income-tax-rates-around-world-2016/" type="external">exceeds the net worth</a> of the bottom one-third of all American families. Now, what likelihood do you think there is that Trump would ever implement policies that threatened to transform the distribution of wealth and power in America to the detriment of the economic class from which he and his cabinet hail? (In that spirit, remember that candidate Trump proposed a <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/09/news/economy/trump-tax-rich/" type="external">tax plan</a> that would focus on the wealthiest Americans by cutting the top tax rate from 39.6 percent to 25 percent and eliminating the estate tax, <a href="http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/who-pays-estate-tax" type="external">90 percent of which</a> is paid by the country’s wealthiest 10 percent.)</p>
<p>It’s much easier to scapegoat outsiders, whether China, Japan, Mexico, and Germany (whose government Trump trade adviser Navarro has also accused of <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/57f104d2-e742-11e6-893c-082c54a7f539" type="external">currency manipulation</a>), or undocumented workers who generally <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/immigrants-arent-stealing-american-jobs/433158/" type="external">hold jobs in the U.S.</a> that require lower skills, pay less, and that most American citizens avoid. It’s also easier to stick with the standard militarized conception of national security and, for good measure, hype the perils posed by Islam, which for Steve Bannon, Trump’s chief political strategist, and Stephen Miller, his senior adviser on policy, amounts to a <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/stephen-bannon-miller-trump-refugee-ban-islamophobia-white-nationalist" type="external">synonym for extremism and violence</a>, even if Islamic terrorists pose the most <a href="https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/terrorism-immigration-risk-analysis#full" type="external">minuscule of threats</a> to most Americans.</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, Trump <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/176213/tomgram%3A_william_hartung,_trump_for_the_defense/" type="external">proposes to increase</a> the country’s already staggering defense spending for next year by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/27/us/politics/trump-budget-military.html?_r=0&amp;mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=9D75099C95D203FC39D72990BE3D4900&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">another $54 billion</a>. To put that increment in perspective, consider that Russia’s total defense spending in 2015 was <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/oct/20/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-correctly-claims-trump-tower-was-p/" type="external">$66 billion</a> and Britain’s $56 billion, while the United States already spends more on defense than at least the <a href="http://www.pgpf.org/chart-archive/0053_defense-comparison" type="external">next seven countries combined</a>. (In fairness to Trump, Senators John McCain and Mac Thornberry, respectively the chairmen of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, want to <a href="http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/02/28/mccain-thornberry-trumps-proposed-defense-spending-not-enough.html" type="external">bulk up the defense budget</a> even more.)</p>
<p>Trump also seems determined to stay the course on America’s forever wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Neither he nor his generals show any sign of abandoning the Obama-era strategy of whack-a-mole drone strikes and raids by Special Operations forces against terrorist redoubts around the world (as witnessed by a recent failed special ops raid in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/29/world/middleeast/american-commando-killed-in-yemen-in-trumps-first-counterterror-operation.html?mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=51C838DB0FCEDEC2C3E600992DEF175D&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">Yemen</a> and 24 drone strikes — half of the maximum number that the United States <a href="http://cdn.defenseone.com/defenseone/interstitial.html?v=2.1.1&amp;rf=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.defenseone.com%2Fnews%2F2017%2F03%2Fthe-d-brief-march-03-2017%2F135869%2F" type="external">launched against that country</a> in any preceding year). Trump has already deployed 400 Marines as well as Army Rangers to fight ISIS in Raqqa, Syria, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/03/15/u-s-military-probably-sending-as-many-as-1000-more-ground-troops-into-syria-ahead-of-raqqa-offensive-officials-say/?utm_term=.b09eef2fae40" type="external">another thousand troops</a> may soon be heading that way. And General John Nicholson, commander of the U.S.-led military coalition in Afghanistan, has called for “a few thousand” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/09/us/politics/us-afghanistan-troops.html?_r=0" type="external">additional troops for that country</a>.</p>
<p>So expect President Trump to dwell obsessively on threats that have a low probability of harming Americans, while offering no effective solutions for the quotidian hardships that actually do make so many citizens feel insecure. Expect, as well, that the more he proves unable to deliver on his economic promises to the working class, the more he’ll harp on the standard threats and engage in saber rattling, hoping that a continual atmosphere of emergency and vulnerability will disarm critics and divert attention from his failures.</p>
<p>In the end, count on one thing: voters who were drawn to Trump because they believed he would rein in interventionism abroad and deal with festering problems at home are in for a disappointment.</p>
<p>Rajan Menon, a <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/authors/rajanmenon/" type="external">TomDispatch regular</a>, is the Anne and Bernard Spitzer Professor of International Relations at the Powell School, City College of New York, and Senior Research Fellow at Columbia University’s Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies. He is the author, most recently, of “ <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199384878/ref=nosim/?tag=tomdispatch-20" type="external">The Conceit of Humanitarian Intervention</a>.”</p> | National Insecurity | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/national-insecurity/ | 2017-03-31 | 4left
| National Insecurity
<p>By Rajan Menon / <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176260/tomgram%3A_rajan_menon%2C_making_america_insecure_again/" type="external">TomDispatch</a></p>
<p>Donald Trump’s supporters believe that his election will end business as usual in Washington. The self-glorifying Trump agrees and indeed has, so far, been the most unorthodox presidency of our era, if not any era. It’s a chaotic and tweet-driven administration that makes headlines daily thanks to scandals, acts of stunning incompetence, rants, accusations, wild claims, and conspiracy theories. On one crucial issue, however, Trump has been a complete conformist. Despite the headline-grabbing uproar over Muslim bans and the like, his stance on national security couldn’t be more recognizable. His list of major threats — terrorism, Iran, North Korea, and China — features the usual suspects that Republicans, Democrats, and the foreign policy establishment have long deemed dangerous.</p>
<p>Trump’s conception of security not only doesn’t break the mold of recent administrations. It’s a remarkably fine fit for it. That’s because his focus is on protecting Americans from foreign groups or governments that could threaten us or destroy physical objects (buildings, bridges, and the like) in the homeland. In doing so, he, like his predecessors, steers clear of a definition of “security” that would include the workaday difficulties that actually make Americans insecure. These include poverty, joblessness or underemployment, wages too meager to enable even full-time workers to make ends meet, and a wealth-based public school system that hampers the economic and professional prospects, as well as futures, of startling numbers of American children. To this list must be added the radical dangers climate change poses to the health and safety of future citizens.</p>
<p>Trump may present himself as a maverick, but on security he never wavers from an all-too-familiar externally focused and militarized narrative.</p>
<p />
<p>Conjurer-in-Chief</p>
<p>Barack Obama wrote a bestselling book titled “The Audacity of Hope.” Perhaps Donald Trump should write one titled “The Audacity of Wealth.” During the presidential campaign of 2016, he morphed unashamedly from plutocrat to populist, assuring millions of people struggling with unemployment, debt, and inadequate incomes that he would solve their problems. The shtick worked. Many Americans believed him. Fifty-two percent of <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/09/behind-trumps-victory-divisions-by-race-gender-education/" type="external">voters</a> who did not have a college degree chose him. Among whites with that same educational profile, he did even better, winning 67 percent of their votes.</p>
<p>Unemployment, underemployment, stagnant wages, and the outsourcing of production (and so jobs) have hit those who lack a college degree especially hard. Yet many of them were convinced by Trump’s populist message. It made no difference that he belonged to the <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2015/07/22/donald-trump-measures-his-riches-generously-perhaps-too-generously/5TBRzcBMOfxpYPnLe94IXK/story.html" type="external">wealthiest 0.00004 percent of Americans</a>, if his net worth is the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/20/forbes-billionaire-list-trump-loses-1bn-as-elite-club-welcomes-233-new-members" type="external">widely reported $3.5 billion</a>, and the top 0.00002 percent if, as he claims, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-taxes-idUSKCN0Y82KO" type="external">it’s actually $10 billion</a>.</p>
<p>Former Louisiana Governor Huey Long, perhaps the country’s best-known populist historically speaking, was born and raised in Winn Parish, a poor part of Louisiana. In the 1930s, his origins and his far-reaching ideas for redistributing wealth gave him credibility. By contrast, Trump wasn’t cut from humble cloth; nor in his present reincarnation has he even claimed to stand for the reallocation of wealth (except possibly to his wealthy compatriots). His father, Fred Trump, was a multimillionaire who, at the time of his death in 1999, had a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/12/03/reviews/001203.03margolt.html" type="external">net worth of $250 million</a>, which was <a href="http://www.factcheck.org/2016/03/factchecking-the-11th-gop-debate/" type="external">divided among his four surviving children</a>. The proportional allocations are not publicly known, though it’s safe to assume that Donald did well. He also got his start in business — and it wasn’t even an impressive one — thanks to <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/2016/08/12/donald-trumps-business-failures-election-2016-486091.html" type="external">lavish help from Fred</a> to the tune of millions of dollars. When he subsequently hit rough patches, Dad’s connections and loan guarantees helped set things right.</p>
<p>A man who himself benefited handsomely from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/06/28/five-ways-donald-trump-benefits-from-the-globalization-he-says-he-hates/?utm_term=.ddc0a7f3896c" type="external">globalization, outsourcing</a>, and a designed-for-the-wealthy tax code nonetheless managed to convince coal miners in West Virginia and workers in Ohio that all of these were terrible things that enriched a “ <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-us-robbed-elite-part/story?id=40185448" type="external">financial elite</a>” that had made itself wealthy at the expense of American workers and that electing him would end the swindle.</p>
<p>He also persuaded millions of voters that foreign enemies were the biggest threat to their security and that he’d crush them by “rebuilding” America’s military machine. Worried about ISIS? Don’t be. Trump would “ <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK79N5zOmZQ" type="external">bomb the shit out of them</a>.” Concerned about the nuclear arms race? Not to worry. “We’ll <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/23/us/politics/trump-nuclear-arms-race-russia-united-states.html?_r=0&amp;mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=1204D01D149F6B570A3618193CEB418B&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">outmatch them</a> at every pass and outlast them all.”</p>
<p>Yet few if any Americans lie awake at night fearing invasion by another country or the outbreak of nuclear war. Fifteen years after 9/11, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/09/american-terrorism-fears-september-11/499004/" type="external">terrorism</a> still ranks high on the American list of concerns (especially, the polls tell us, among Republicans). But that danger is not nearly as dire as Trump and the U.S. national security state insist it is. A <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/12/15/are-americans-fears-legitimate/immense-fear-over-a-limited-threat-to-americans" type="external">litany of statistics</a> shows that deaths from car crashes leave death-by-terrorist in the dust, while since 2002 even bee, hornet, and wasp stings have killed more Americans annually in the United States than “Islamic terrorists.”</p>
<p>Since 9/11, only 95 Americans — 95 too many, let it be said — have been killed in terrorist attacks in the U.S. Not one of <a href="http://people.com/politics/donald-trump-refugee-muslim-ban-terrorist-attack-us-statistics/" type="external">the perpetrators</a> was a tourist or someone on another type of temporary visa, and several were non-Muslims. Nor were any of them refugees, or connected to any of the countries in Trump’s two Muslim bans. Indeed, as the <a href="http://reason.com/blog/2017/01/30/number-of-americans-killed-by-terrorists" type="external">journalist Nick Gillespie notes</a>, since the adoption of the 1980 Refugee Act, no refugee has been involved in a terrorist attack that killed Americans.</p>
<p>Still, Trump’s hyperbole has persuaded many in this country that terrorism poses a major, imminent threat to them and that measures like a 90-day ban on travel to the United States by the citizens of certain Muslim countries will protect them. (A recent poll shows that 54 percent of the public <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2017-02-08/poll-majority-support-trumps-travel-ban" type="external">supports this policy</a>.) As for terrorist plots, successful or not, by <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/02/terror-attacks-trump-wont-talk-about-white-supremacists" type="external">white far-right extremists</a>, the president simply hasn’t felt the urge to say much about them.</p>
<p>In other words, President Trump, like candidate Trump, embraces the standard take on national security. He, too, is focused on war and terrorism. Here, on the other hand, are some threats — a suggestive, not inclusive, list — that genuinely make, or threaten to make, millions of Americans insecure and vulnerable.</p>
<p>Poverty: According to the <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2016/demo/p60-256.html" type="external">U.S. Census Bureau</a>, in 2015, 43 million Americans, 13.5 percent of the population, lived below the <a href="http://familiesusa.org/product/federal-poverty-guidelines#2015" type="external">poverty line</a> ($11,700 for an individual and $20,090 for a three-person household) — an increase of 1 percent since 2007, the year before the Great Recession. For children under 18, the 2015 poverty rate was 19.7 percent. While that was an improvement on the 21.1 percent of 2014, it still meant that nearly a fifth of American children were poor.</p>
<p>The working poor: Yes, you can have a job and still be poor if your wages are low or stagnant or have fallen. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses a <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2015/working-poor-over-10-million-in-2013.htm" type="external">conservative definition</a> for these individuals: “People who spent at least 27 weeks in the labor force during the year — either working or looking for work — but whose incomes were below the poverty level.” Though some studies use a <a href="http://www.workingpoorfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/WPFP-2015-Report_Racial-Ethnic-Divide.pdf" type="external">more expansive definition</a>, even by the BLS’s criteria, there were <a href="https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/working-poor/2014/pdf/home.pdf" type="external">9.5 million working poor</a> in 2014.</p>
<p>Even if you work and bring in wages above the poverty line, you may still barely be getting by. Oxfam reports that 58 million American workers <a href="https://politicsofpoverty.oxfamamerica.org/2016/09/5-myths-about-the-working-poor-in-america/" type="external">make less than $15 an hour</a> and 44 million make less than $12 an hour. Congress last raised the minimum hourly wage to $7.25 in 2007 (and even then <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2014/04/23/smallbusiness/minimum-wage-exemptions/" type="external">included exceptions</a> that applied to several types of workers). That sum has since lost nearly 10 percent of <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/04/5-facts-about-the-minimum-wage/" type="external">its purchasing power</a> thanks to inflation.</p>
<p>Wage stagnation and economic inequality: These two conditions explain a large part of the working-but-barely-making-it phenomenon. Let’s start with those stagnant wages. According to the <a href="http://www.epi.org/publication/charting-wage-stagnation/" type="external">Economic Policy Institute</a> (EPI), for about three decades after World War II, hourly wage increases for workers in non-supervisory roles kept pace with productivity increases: at 91.3 percent and 96.7 percent, respectively. Then things changed dramatically. Between 1973 and 2013, productivity increased by 74.4 percent and wages by only 9.2 percent. In other words, with wages adjusted for inflation, the average American worker made no more in 2013 than in 1973.</p>
<p>As for economic inequality, the EPI reports that from 1980 to 2013 the income of the top 1 percent of wage earners increased by 138 percent compared to 15 percent for the bottom 90 percent. For those at the lowest end of the wage scale, it was even worse. In those years, their hourly pay actually dropped by 5 percent.</p>
<p>When was the last time you heard Donald Trump talk about stagnant wages or growing economic inequality, both of which make his most fervent supporters insecure? In reality, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/us/trump-budget-cuts.html?mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=B754C2A602C43FABB6A90E9597E612F9&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">defunding of federal programs</a> that provide energy subsidies, employment assistance, and legal services to people with low incomes will only hurt many Trump voters who are already struggling economically.</p>
<p>Climate change: There is a <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/" type="external">scientific consensus</a> on this problem, which already contributes to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/report-climate-change-means-more-frequent-droughts-floods-to-come/2011/11/15/gIQAfwqHXN_story.html?utm_term=.64adb841df3a" type="external">droughts and floods</a> that reduce food production, damages property, and threatens lives, not to speak of increasing the range of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/11/science/climate-change-forest-fires.html" type="external">forest fires</a> and lengthening the global fire season, as well as <a href="http://www.chgeharvard.org/topic/climate-change-and-infectious-disease" type="external">helping spread diseases</a> like cholera, malaria, and dengue fever. Trump once infamously described climate change as a Chinese-fabricated “ <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/10/climate/donald-trump-global-warming-views.html?_r=0&amp;mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=E019DC62FBB545AA5DB0CB8413E3B840&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">hoax</a>” meant to reduce the competitiveness of American companies. No matter that, in recent years, the Chinese government has taken serious steps to <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/alvin-lin/chinas-new-plans-deepen-action-climate-change" type="external">reduce greenhouse gas emissions</a>. Now, President Trump is gearing up to take the U.S. out of the climate change sweepstakes entirely. For instance, he <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/316894-trump-will-definitely-pull-out-of-paris-climate-deal-ex-aide-says" type="external">remains determined</a> to withdraw the country from the <a href="http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php" type="external">2015 Paris Agreement</a> (signed by 197 countries and so far ratified by 134 of them) aimed at limiting the increase in global temperature to a maximum of two degrees Celsius during this century. Scott Pruitt, his appointee to run the Environmental Protection Agency, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/09/on-climate-change-scott-pruitt-contradicts-the-epas-own-website/?utm_term=.e91c899a8a58" type="external">denies</a> that climate change is significantly connected to “human activity” and is stocking his agency with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/us/politics/scott-pruitt-environmental-protection-agency.html" type="external">climate change deniers</a> of like mind. Needless to say Pruitt didn’t balk at Trump’s decision to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/15/us/politics/budget-epa-state-department-cuts.html?_r=0&amp;mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=CC94BDC7F6C8AD2413B9CE594B436514&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">cut the EPA’s budget</a> by 31 percent.</p>
<p>Nor do Trump and his team favor promoting alternative sources of energy or reducing carbon emissions, even though the United States is second only to China in <a href="https://wri.org/blog/2014/11/6-graphs-explain-world%E2%80%99s-top-10-emitters" type="external">total emissions</a> and among the globe’s largest emitters on a per-capita basis. Trump seems <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-cafe-fuel-economy-standards-rollback/" type="external">poised to scale back</a> President Obama’s plan to increase the Corporate Annual Fuel Efficiency Standard — created by the government to reduce average automobile gas consumption — from the present 35.5 miles per gallon to 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, end the 2015 freeze on leases for <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/21/trump-executive-orders-to-scale-back-obama-era-coal-and-carbon-actions.html" type="external">coal mining</a> on federal land, and <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2017/02/21/426648/president-trumps-coming-war-on-science-environment-edition/" type="external">ease power plant emission limits</a>. Worse yet, Trump’s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/america-first-energy" type="external">America First Energy Plan</a> calls for producing more oil and gas but contains nary a word about climate change or a green energy strategy. If you want a failsafe formula for future environment-related insecurity, this, of course, is it.</p>
<p>Bogus Remedies</p>
<p>Candidate Trump certainly did tap into a deepening sense of insecurity about wage stagnation, the disappearance of good working-class jobs, and increasing economic inequality. But in the classic national security mode, he has artfully framed these problems, too, as examples of the economic hardship that foreign countries have inflicted on America. And the four remedies he offers, all rooted in a nationalistic economic outlook, won’t actually help American workers, could hurt them, or are at best cosmetic.</p>
<p>First, he favors renegotiating multilateral trade deals like NAFTA and wasted no time withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, accords which he believes hurt American workers. Second, he wants to impose tariffs of 35 percent to 45 percent on imports from countries such as Mexico and China that he accuses of unfair trade practices. Third, at least on the campaign trail, he pledged to punish countries like China, Japan, and Germany for supposedly devaluing their currencies in order to boost their exports unfairly at America’s expense. Fourth, he’s high on slapping a <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-to-huddle-with-manufacturing-industry-execs/" type="external">border tax</a> on companies that import from their branches or subcontractors abroad the components needed to make products to be sold in the United States, as well as on firms that simply import finished products and sell them locally.</p>
<p>Some of these punitive moves, if actually pursued, will only <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/06638c26-d42c-11e6-9341-7393bb2e1b51" type="external">provoke retaliation from other countries</a>, harming American exporters and consequently the workers they employ. Tariffs will, of course, also increase the cost of imported goods, hurting consumers with low incomes the most, just as taxing U.S. corporations for importing from their subsidiaries abroad will increase the prices of locally made goods, possibly reducing demand and so jobs.</p>
<p>Even the nullification of trade pacts, whatever positives might be involved, won’t bring industries like steel, textiles, and basic machine-making that once provided good jobs for the working class back to the United States. Trump blames China for the decline in manufacturing employment, as does one of his top economists, Peter Navarro. (Despite holding a Harvard Ph.D. in economics, Navarro evidently <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/peter-navarro-trade-op-ed-wall-street-journal-2017-3" type="external">doesn’t grasp</a> that trade deficits don’t have a major effect on employment and that <a href="http://news.morningstar.com/all/dow-jones/us-markets/201703156872/deficits-are-a-flawed-guide-to-unfair-trade.aspx" type="external">protectionism doesn’t cut trade deficits</a>.)</p>
<p>What’s really required are policies that help displaced manufacturing workers to get decent jobs now, while addressing wage stagnancy, which has been significantly aided and abetted by a sharp decline in union membership in recent decades. According to the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/spotlight/2016/union-membership-in-the-united-states/pdf/union-membership-in-the-united-states.pdf" type="external">Bureau of Labor Statistics</a>, between 1983 and 2015 membership in public-sector unions held reasonably steady. Not so for private-sector union membership, which plunged from 12 million in 1983 to 7.6 million in 2015. As a result, workers have been increasingly incapable of combatting wage stagnation through collective bargaining. Tellingly enough, however, as of 2015, the median weekly paycheck of unionized workers was still 21 percent larger than that of workers who did not belong to a union.</p>
<p>Consider Trump’s <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/no-surprise-trump-is-a-union-buster-at-his-own-hotel/" type="external">business history</a> when it comes to labor (including the <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/oct/20/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-correctly-claims-trump-tower-was-p/" type="external">hiring and stiffing of undocumented workers</a>), as well as the make up of his <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176236/tomgram%3A_nomi_prins,_goldmanizing_donald_trump/" type="external">immensely wealthy</a>, Goldman Sachs-ified <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/business/dealbook/james-donovan-goldman-sachs-treasury-trump-administration.html?mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=EB8109C62EDD9440480C178A690FBF97&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">economic team</a>, and the Republican Party’s <a href="http://www.labornotes.org/blogs/2017/01/viewpoint-whats-coming-under-president-trump" type="external">attitude toward unions</a>. Then ask yourself: How likely is it that this administration will be well disposed toward unionization or collective bargaining?</p>
<p>And don’t forget automation, a subject Donald Trump has essentially been mum about. It has contributed decisively to job loss and wage stagnancy by reducing or even eliminating the need for labor in certain economic sectors. As economists Michael Hicks and Srikant Devraj <a href="http://conexus.cberdata.org/files/MfgReality.pdf" type="external">have demonstrated</a>, increased productivity through automation has been far more crucial in reducing the need for human labor in U.S. manufacturing than outsourced jobs and imports. Thanks to labor-displacing technologies, U.S. manufacturing output actually increased in value by 17.6 percent between 2006 and 2013 while the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/11/08/the-u-s-labor-force-is-still-shrinking-rapidly-heres-why/?utm_term=.5ba6fb48b47b" type="external">workforce continued to shrink</a>.</p>
<p>Another source of wage stagnancy is rising economic inequality, which stems partly from the fierce <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/02/25/why-companies-are-rewarding-shareholders-instead-of-investing-in-the-real-economy/?utm_term=.93ea03233349" type="external">corporate focus</a> since the 1980s on boosting quarterly earnings and paying dividends that will keep shareholders happy, even if that requires incurring debt, rather than increasing workers’ wages.</p>
<p>Alternative Policies</p>
<p>Trump claims that he will create more jobs by lowering the corporate tax rate. At <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/corporate-income-tax-rates-around-world-2016/" type="external">35 percent</a> — 38.9 percent including the average state tax — the American corporate tax rate is significantly higher than the global average (29.5 percent). Nonetheless, the familiar high-corporate-taxes-kill-jobs narrative that Trump trumpets is simplistic. More than 60 percent of American companies are so-called <a href="https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/s-corporations" type="external">S corporations</a>. They pay no corporate tax: They pass their profits on to stockholders who then report the gains when filing income tax returns. And even the corporations that do pay taxes manage to reduce the burden significantly through such steps as claiming accelerated depreciation on equipment and establishing offshore companies whose books reflect their profits. As a result, their true tax rate isn’t anything like 38.9 percent. High corporate taxes aren’t what stops companies from creating jobs or paying workers more, which means that changing that rate won’t fix any problems, not for American workers anyway.</p>
<p>There are other solutions to low wages and unemployment, even if President Trump will never favor them.</p>
<p>Investing more in public education, for example. Local property taxes and state monies still count heavily in <a href="http://www.edcentral.org/edcyclopedia/school-finance/" type="external">funding public schools</a>. (Federal support is less than 15 percent.) So the quality of a school can depend greatly on the zip code in which it’s located, especially because parents in wealthy neighborhoods normally raise more money to help their schools than their non-affluent counterparts can. School quality can also depend on how wealthy your state is.</p>
<p>Though other factors doubtless play a role, in general, the better the quality of the school, the greater the likelihood that a child will go to college and the stronger his or her income and prospects will be. Increasing federal funding to schools that lack adequate resources could improve matters. But if you expect President Trump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to consider such a proposition, think again.</p>
<p>Raising the minimum wage significantly could also help reduce income inequality and the number of working poor. Democrats have favored raising the minimum wage to $10.10, which, it is believed, would reduce the number of people living in poverty by an estimated 4.6 million. That’s hardly an outlandish proposal. Some experts, like former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, have called for a <a href="http://robertreich.org/post/131476708345" type="external">minimum wage of $15 an hour</a>, though they are in the minority. But even certain mainstream economists, like Princeton’s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/11/opinion/sunday/the-minimum-wage-how-much-is-too-much.html?_r=0" type="external">Alan Krueger</a>, support a $12 rate and reject the right-wing claim that it would kill jobs.</p>
<p>Don’t expect the Trump administration (or the GOP) to push for any form of such a policy. Take a look at the members of the president’s <a href="https://www.blackstone.com/media/press-releases/president-elect-trump-establishes-the-president-s-strategic-and-policy-forum" type="external">Strategic and Policy Forum</a> (SPF), whose duties include providing advice on job creation, and you’ll realize that such a relatively modest goal will be off the table for at least the next four years. You’ll find representatives from the Blackstone Group, Walmart, IBM, General Motors, Boeing, and General Electric in the SPF, but not one labor advocate. Case closed.</p>
<p>Prepare for Business as Usual</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2017/01/19/trump-rich-cabinet/?utm_term=.aea70cf809c3" type="external">net worth of Trump’s cabinet</a> (the president excluded) is $5 billion, and that’s a conservative estimate (no pun intended). By some calculations, it may be <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/12/20/trump-cabinet-picks-far-are-worth-combined/XvAJmHCgkHhO3lSxgIKvRM/story.html" type="external">$13 billion</a>. According to PolitiFact’s Tom Kertscher, that “modest” $5 billion figure <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/corporate-income-tax-rates-around-world-2016/" type="external">exceeds the net worth</a> of the bottom one-third of all American families. Now, what likelihood do you think there is that Trump would ever implement policies that threatened to transform the distribution of wealth and power in America to the detriment of the economic class from which he and his cabinet hail? (In that spirit, remember that candidate Trump proposed a <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2016/05/09/news/economy/trump-tax-rich/" type="external">tax plan</a> that would focus on the wealthiest Americans by cutting the top tax rate from 39.6 percent to 25 percent and eliminating the estate tax, <a href="http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/who-pays-estate-tax" type="external">90 percent of which</a> is paid by the country’s wealthiest 10 percent.)</p>
<p>It’s much easier to scapegoat outsiders, whether China, Japan, Mexico, and Germany (whose government Trump trade adviser Navarro has also accused of <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/57f104d2-e742-11e6-893c-082c54a7f539" type="external">currency manipulation</a>), or undocumented workers who generally <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/immigrants-arent-stealing-american-jobs/433158/" type="external">hold jobs in the U.S.</a> that require lower skills, pay less, and that most American citizens avoid. It’s also easier to stick with the standard militarized conception of national security and, for good measure, hype the perils posed by Islam, which for Steve Bannon, Trump’s chief political strategist, and Stephen Miller, his senior adviser on policy, amounts to a <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/stephen-bannon-miller-trump-refugee-ban-islamophobia-white-nationalist" type="external">synonym for extremism and violence</a>, even if Islamic terrorists pose the most <a href="https://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/terrorism-immigration-risk-analysis#full" type="external">minuscule of threats</a> to most Americans.</p>
<p>Not surprisingly, Trump <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/176213/tomgram%3A_william_hartung,_trump_for_the_defense/" type="external">proposes to increase</a> the country’s already staggering defense spending for next year by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/27/us/politics/trump-budget-military.html?_r=0&amp;mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=9D75099C95D203FC39D72990BE3D4900&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">another $54 billion</a>. To put that increment in perspective, consider that Russia’s total defense spending in 2015 was <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/oct/20/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-correctly-claims-trump-tower-was-p/" type="external">$66 billion</a> and Britain’s $56 billion, while the United States already spends more on defense than at least the <a href="http://www.pgpf.org/chart-archive/0053_defense-comparison" type="external">next seven countries combined</a>. (In fairness to Trump, Senators John McCain and Mac Thornberry, respectively the chairmen of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the House Armed Services Committee, want to <a href="http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/02/28/mccain-thornberry-trumps-proposed-defense-spending-not-enough.html" type="external">bulk up the defense budget</a> even more.)</p>
<p>Trump also seems determined to stay the course on America’s forever wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Neither he nor his generals show any sign of abandoning the Obama-era strategy of whack-a-mole drone strikes and raids by Special Operations forces against terrorist redoubts around the world (as witnessed by a recent failed special ops raid in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/29/world/middleeast/american-commando-killed-in-yemen-in-trumps-first-counterterror-operation.html?mtrref=www.tomdispatch.com&amp;gwh=51C838DB0FCEDEC2C3E600992DEF175D&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">Yemen</a> and 24 drone strikes — half of the maximum number that the United States <a href="http://cdn.defenseone.com/defenseone/interstitial.html?v=2.1.1&amp;rf=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.defenseone.com%2Fnews%2F2017%2F03%2Fthe-d-brief-march-03-2017%2F135869%2F" type="external">launched against that country</a> in any preceding year). Trump has already deployed 400 Marines as well as Army Rangers to fight ISIS in Raqqa, Syria, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/03/15/u-s-military-probably-sending-as-many-as-1000-more-ground-troops-into-syria-ahead-of-raqqa-offensive-officials-say/?utm_term=.b09eef2fae40" type="external">another thousand troops</a> may soon be heading that way. And General John Nicholson, commander of the U.S.-led military coalition in Afghanistan, has called for “a few thousand” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/09/us/politics/us-afghanistan-troops.html?_r=0" type="external">additional troops for that country</a>.</p>
<p>So expect President Trump to dwell obsessively on threats that have a low probability of harming Americans, while offering no effective solutions for the quotidian hardships that actually do make so many citizens feel insecure. Expect, as well, that the more he proves unable to deliver on his economic promises to the working class, the more he’ll harp on the standard threats and engage in saber rattling, hoping that a continual atmosphere of emergency and vulnerability will disarm critics and divert attention from his failures.</p>
<p>In the end, count on one thing: voters who were drawn to Trump because they believed he would rein in interventionism abroad and deal with festering problems at home are in for a disappointment.</p>
<p>Rajan Menon, a <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/authors/rajanmenon/" type="external">TomDispatch regular</a>, is the Anne and Bernard Spitzer Professor of International Relations at the Powell School, City College of New York, and Senior Research Fellow at Columbia University’s Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies. He is the author, most recently, of “ <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199384878/ref=nosim/?tag=tomdispatch-20" type="external">The Conceit of Humanitarian Intervention</a>.”</p> | 2,820 |
<p>#reactionDiv_gig_containerParent { display:none; }</p>
<p>Meteor versus Meteorite.&#160;</p>
<p>What's the difference? Why does it matter?</p>
<p>Well, for starters, when a giant space rock punctures the Earth's atmosphere and <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/russia/130215/meteorite-explodes-over-russia-injuring-over-400-video" type="external">wreaks havoc on infrastrusture and injures nearly 1,000 people</a>, we think it's important to know exactly what the culprit is. And frankly, it looks like there have been conflicting reports.</p>
<p><a href="http://en.rian.ru/russia/20130215/179481049.html" type="external">According to Ria Novosti</a>, a hail of meteorite fragments struck Russia earlier this morning.</p>
<p>And <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21468116" type="external">T</a> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21468116" type="external">he BBC</a>&#160;qualified the fireball that streaked through the clear morning sky as a meteor strike.</p>
<p>While the difference may seem like a mere case of semantics, we saw this as an opportunity to learn something new. And who are we kidding, any excuse to cite NASA is fine by us.</p>
<p>So in the spirit and pursuit of ongoing education — and in light of today's <a href="http://en.rian.ru/russia/20130215/179481049.html" type="external">conflicting headlines</a>&#160;—&#160;we could not think of a better time to set the record straight on these celestial shades of gray.</p>
<p>For the record, here is how <a href="http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/faq/#diff" type="external">NASA</a> defines spacial bodies:</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p /> | Word of the Day: Meteorite | false | https://pri.org/stories/2013-02-15/word-day-meteorite | 2013-02-15 | 3left-center
| Word of the Day: Meteorite
<p>#reactionDiv_gig_containerParent { display:none; }</p>
<p>Meteor versus Meteorite.&#160;</p>
<p>What's the difference? Why does it matter?</p>
<p>Well, for starters, when a giant space rock punctures the Earth's atmosphere and <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/russia/130215/meteorite-explodes-over-russia-injuring-over-400-video" type="external">wreaks havoc on infrastrusture and injures nearly 1,000 people</a>, we think it's important to know exactly what the culprit is. And frankly, it looks like there have been conflicting reports.</p>
<p><a href="http://en.rian.ru/russia/20130215/179481049.html" type="external">According to Ria Novosti</a>, a hail of meteorite fragments struck Russia earlier this morning.</p>
<p>And <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21468116" type="external">T</a> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21468116" type="external">he BBC</a>&#160;qualified the fireball that streaked through the clear morning sky as a meteor strike.</p>
<p>While the difference may seem like a mere case of semantics, we saw this as an opportunity to learn something new. And who are we kidding, any excuse to cite NASA is fine by us.</p>
<p>So in the spirit and pursuit of ongoing education — and in light of today's <a href="http://en.rian.ru/russia/20130215/179481049.html" type="external">conflicting headlines</a>&#160;—&#160;we could not think of a better time to set the record straight on these celestial shades of gray.</p>
<p>For the record, here is how <a href="http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/faq/#diff" type="external">NASA</a> defines spacial bodies:</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p /> | 2,821 |
<p>FBN’s Peter Barnes with Rob Khuzami, former SEC head of enforcement, on his time at the SEC and the commission’s focus on insider trading and dark pool regulation.</p>
<p>The outgoing enforcement chief at the Securities and Exchange Commission has a message for future Bernie Madoffs: you will be caught.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>“The agency has increased its expertise, its use of data, its specialized focus and a whole bunch of new initiatives that makes us better equipped to be a market watchdog and be an effective enforcement authority,“ SEC Division of Enforcement&#160; Director Robert Khuzami said in an exclusive interview with FOX Business on Tuesday.</p>
<p>He said there is always risk of not catching every wrongdoing, but that the agency is in a much better position to do so today than it was four years ago. “We have private-sector experts across the agency who are steeped in the products and market transactions of Wall Street and financial transactions, we have specialized units who are focused on these areas and have reduced process, and &#160;we have better techniques.”</p>
<p>Khuzami, 56, joined the SEC in 2009 in the wake of the financial crisis and the discovery of Bernie &#160;Madoff’s multi-billion-dollar Ponzi Scheme and is often credited with revamping the agency’s enforcement unit. In 2011, the agency reports it brought more actions against Wall Street and financial institutions at the center of the financial crisis than in any comparable four-year period.</p>
<p>Critics, however, argue he hasn’t been tough enough on financial firms and that the agency still relies too heavily on levying fines and settling cases. In his defense, Khuzami said more than 150 individuals and entities have been charged with wrongdoing during the financial crisis.</p>
<p>“We’ve been the most vigorous enforcement agency out there; it’s a very real record of accomplishment,” he said.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>He added that the agency is limited in the amount of damages it can collect in its enforcement cases and has asked Congress for expanded authority.</p>
<p>Khuzami pointed to insider trading as another area the unit has stepped up its enforcement, claiming it has brought more than 160 cases in the last three years. He didn't say how many insider-trading cases the agency is currently investigating, but said it remains “a high priority and active area.” He declined to comment on reports on investigation into hedge fund SAC capital and its founder, Steven Cohen.</p>
<p>High-frequency trading, which is a computer-driven form of trading, has also been a top concern for regulators following the 2010 flash crash that dropped the Dow Jones Industrial Average nearly 1,000 points in a matter of minutes, and the near implosion of Knight Capital Group, which lost a staggering $460 million on Aug.1 on a computer glitch.</p>
<p>Khuzami said the agency is looking at a number of actors and trends in the marketplace.</p>
<p>“We’ve brought cases against dark pools, we brought cases against exchanges including the New York Stock Exchange for failure to (comply) with the rules, so it’s an important and high-priority area for us. In fact, we have a specialized unit dedicated exclusively to these type of market–abuse activities.”</p>
<p>Khuzami, who was a former federal prosecutor and bank executive, announced his February departure in December and said he hasn’t decided on his next move.</p> | SEC Enforcement Chief: We're Better Equipped Now | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/01/22/sec-enforcement-chief-were-better-equipped-than-4-years-ago.html | 2016-03-02 | 0right
| SEC Enforcement Chief: We're Better Equipped Now
<p>FBN’s Peter Barnes with Rob Khuzami, former SEC head of enforcement, on his time at the SEC and the commission’s focus on insider trading and dark pool regulation.</p>
<p>The outgoing enforcement chief at the Securities and Exchange Commission has a message for future Bernie Madoffs: you will be caught.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>“The agency has increased its expertise, its use of data, its specialized focus and a whole bunch of new initiatives that makes us better equipped to be a market watchdog and be an effective enforcement authority,“ SEC Division of Enforcement&#160; Director Robert Khuzami said in an exclusive interview with FOX Business on Tuesday.</p>
<p>He said there is always risk of not catching every wrongdoing, but that the agency is in a much better position to do so today than it was four years ago. “We have private-sector experts across the agency who are steeped in the products and market transactions of Wall Street and financial transactions, we have specialized units who are focused on these areas and have reduced process, and &#160;we have better techniques.”</p>
<p>Khuzami, 56, joined the SEC in 2009 in the wake of the financial crisis and the discovery of Bernie &#160;Madoff’s multi-billion-dollar Ponzi Scheme and is often credited with revamping the agency’s enforcement unit. In 2011, the agency reports it brought more actions against Wall Street and financial institutions at the center of the financial crisis than in any comparable four-year period.</p>
<p>Critics, however, argue he hasn’t been tough enough on financial firms and that the agency still relies too heavily on levying fines and settling cases. In his defense, Khuzami said more than 150 individuals and entities have been charged with wrongdoing during the financial crisis.</p>
<p>“We’ve been the most vigorous enforcement agency out there; it’s a very real record of accomplishment,” he said.</p>
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<p>He added that the agency is limited in the amount of damages it can collect in its enforcement cases and has asked Congress for expanded authority.</p>
<p>Khuzami pointed to insider trading as another area the unit has stepped up its enforcement, claiming it has brought more than 160 cases in the last three years. He didn't say how many insider-trading cases the agency is currently investigating, but said it remains “a high priority and active area.” He declined to comment on reports on investigation into hedge fund SAC capital and its founder, Steven Cohen.</p>
<p>High-frequency trading, which is a computer-driven form of trading, has also been a top concern for regulators following the 2010 flash crash that dropped the Dow Jones Industrial Average nearly 1,000 points in a matter of minutes, and the near implosion of Knight Capital Group, which lost a staggering $460 million on Aug.1 on a computer glitch.</p>
<p>Khuzami said the agency is looking at a number of actors and trends in the marketplace.</p>
<p>“We’ve brought cases against dark pools, we brought cases against exchanges including the New York Stock Exchange for failure to (comply) with the rules, so it’s an important and high-priority area for us. In fact, we have a specialized unit dedicated exclusively to these type of market–abuse activities.”</p>
<p>Khuzami, who was a former federal prosecutor and bank executive, announced his February departure in December and said he hasn’t decided on his next move.</p> | 2,822 |
<p>BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A new set of laws would tax and possibly sanction Hungarian groups assisting illegal migration which receive foreign funding, Hungary’s government said Wednesday.</p>
<p>Such groups would have to register with the courts and, if they get more than half of their funds from foreign sources, pay a 25-percent tax on the funds received from abroad, Interior Minister Sandor Pinter said. Groups failing to register, and which authorities consider to be adding illegal migrants, could be fined.</p>
<p>Pinter, without mentioning anyone by name, gave an example of someone providing a smartphone containing maps and other information “showing the way to Europe” to a migrant in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and part of the “Balkan route” migrants use to try to reach Germany and other destinations in Western Europe.</p>
<p>Also, restraining orders could be issued against Hungarian citizens considered to be “organizing illegal migration,” preventing them from going within eight kilometers (five miles) of Hungary’s Schengen borders, those with countries outside the European Union, like Serbia and Ukraine. Foreigners found to be aiding illegal migrants could be banned from Hungary, Pinter said.</p>
<p>Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said the expectations were that Hungarian non-governmental groups “which deal with illegal migrants or the issue of migration will follow the law and indicate to authorities ... that they are doing this activity.”</p>
<p>The new laws would apparently not apply to, for example, religious charity groups or the Red Cross, which distribute food, medicines and other aid to migrants.</p>
<p>“Giving assistance is not the same as actively ... taking part in someone crossing the border illegally,” Kovacs said.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Viktor Orban is an opponent of immigration, especially by Muslims, and Hungary built long fences along its southern borders in late 2015 to stop the flow of migrants.</p>
<p>The government has dubbed the bills “Stop Soros” laws, as it blames Hungarian-American billionaire and philanthropist George Soros for Europe’s migration challenges, partly because of his funding of groups that advocate for the rights of refugees.</p>
<p>Pinter said, however, that “I don’t believe that so far George Soros has told anyone that he takes part in organizing” illegal migration.</p>
<p>Since the government expects groups or people to declare voluntarily if they aid illegal migration, “we are very curious to see” whether Soros will or will not acknowledge doing so, Kovacs added.</p>
<p>The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a rights group which provides legal aid to asylum-seekers and receives part of its funding from Soros’ Open Society Foundations, drew attention to the government’s proposed eight-kilometer restraining order and compared it to a 1969 decree by Hungary’s then-communist government prohibiting citizens from going nearer than two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the borders.</p>
<p>BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A new set of laws would tax and possibly sanction Hungarian groups assisting illegal migration which receive foreign funding, Hungary’s government said Wednesday.</p>
<p>Such groups would have to register with the courts and, if they get more than half of their funds from foreign sources, pay a 25-percent tax on the funds received from abroad, Interior Minister Sandor Pinter said. Groups failing to register, and which authorities consider to be adding illegal migrants, could be fined.</p>
<p>Pinter, without mentioning anyone by name, gave an example of someone providing a smartphone containing maps and other information “showing the way to Europe” to a migrant in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and part of the “Balkan route” migrants use to try to reach Germany and other destinations in Western Europe.</p>
<p>Also, restraining orders could be issued against Hungarian citizens considered to be “organizing illegal migration,” preventing them from going within eight kilometers (five miles) of Hungary’s Schengen borders, those with countries outside the European Union, like Serbia and Ukraine. Foreigners found to be aiding illegal migrants could be banned from Hungary, Pinter said.</p>
<p>Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said the expectations were that Hungarian non-governmental groups “which deal with illegal migrants or the issue of migration will follow the law and indicate to authorities ... that they are doing this activity.”</p>
<p>The new laws would apparently not apply to, for example, religious charity groups or the Red Cross, which distribute food, medicines and other aid to migrants.</p>
<p>“Giving assistance is not the same as actively ... taking part in someone crossing the border illegally,” Kovacs said.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Viktor Orban is an opponent of immigration, especially by Muslims, and Hungary built long fences along its southern borders in late 2015 to stop the flow of migrants.</p>
<p>The government has dubbed the bills “Stop Soros” laws, as it blames Hungarian-American billionaire and philanthropist George Soros for Europe’s migration challenges, partly because of his funding of groups that advocate for the rights of refugees.</p>
<p>Pinter said, however, that “I don’t believe that so far George Soros has told anyone that he takes part in organizing” illegal migration.</p>
<p>Since the government expects groups or people to declare voluntarily if they aid illegal migration, “we are very curious to see” whether Soros will or will not acknowledge doing so, Kovacs added.</p>
<p>The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a rights group which provides legal aid to asylum-seekers and receives part of its funding from Soros’ Open Society Foundations, drew attention to the government’s proposed eight-kilometer restraining order and compared it to a 1969 decree by Hungary’s then-communist government prohibiting citizens from going nearer than two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the borders.</p> | Hungary seeks to punish those who aid illegal migration | false | https://apnews.com/166dc584455545fdb057400c203081a3 | 2018-01-17 | 2least
| Hungary seeks to punish those who aid illegal migration
<p>BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A new set of laws would tax and possibly sanction Hungarian groups assisting illegal migration which receive foreign funding, Hungary’s government said Wednesday.</p>
<p>Such groups would have to register with the courts and, if they get more than half of their funds from foreign sources, pay a 25-percent tax on the funds received from abroad, Interior Minister Sandor Pinter said. Groups failing to register, and which authorities consider to be adding illegal migrants, could be fined.</p>
<p>Pinter, without mentioning anyone by name, gave an example of someone providing a smartphone containing maps and other information “showing the way to Europe” to a migrant in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and part of the “Balkan route” migrants use to try to reach Germany and other destinations in Western Europe.</p>
<p>Also, restraining orders could be issued against Hungarian citizens considered to be “organizing illegal migration,” preventing them from going within eight kilometers (five miles) of Hungary’s Schengen borders, those with countries outside the European Union, like Serbia and Ukraine. Foreigners found to be aiding illegal migrants could be banned from Hungary, Pinter said.</p>
<p>Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said the expectations were that Hungarian non-governmental groups “which deal with illegal migrants or the issue of migration will follow the law and indicate to authorities ... that they are doing this activity.”</p>
<p>The new laws would apparently not apply to, for example, religious charity groups or the Red Cross, which distribute food, medicines and other aid to migrants.</p>
<p>“Giving assistance is not the same as actively ... taking part in someone crossing the border illegally,” Kovacs said.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Viktor Orban is an opponent of immigration, especially by Muslims, and Hungary built long fences along its southern borders in late 2015 to stop the flow of migrants.</p>
<p>The government has dubbed the bills “Stop Soros” laws, as it blames Hungarian-American billionaire and philanthropist George Soros for Europe’s migration challenges, partly because of his funding of groups that advocate for the rights of refugees.</p>
<p>Pinter said, however, that “I don’t believe that so far George Soros has told anyone that he takes part in organizing” illegal migration.</p>
<p>Since the government expects groups or people to declare voluntarily if they aid illegal migration, “we are very curious to see” whether Soros will or will not acknowledge doing so, Kovacs added.</p>
<p>The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a rights group which provides legal aid to asylum-seekers and receives part of its funding from Soros’ Open Society Foundations, drew attention to the government’s proposed eight-kilometer restraining order and compared it to a 1969 decree by Hungary’s then-communist government prohibiting citizens from going nearer than two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the borders.</p>
<p>BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A new set of laws would tax and possibly sanction Hungarian groups assisting illegal migration which receive foreign funding, Hungary’s government said Wednesday.</p>
<p>Such groups would have to register with the courts and, if they get more than half of their funds from foreign sources, pay a 25-percent tax on the funds received from abroad, Interior Minister Sandor Pinter said. Groups failing to register, and which authorities consider to be adding illegal migrants, could be fined.</p>
<p>Pinter, without mentioning anyone by name, gave an example of someone providing a smartphone containing maps and other information “showing the way to Europe” to a migrant in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and part of the “Balkan route” migrants use to try to reach Germany and other destinations in Western Europe.</p>
<p>Also, restraining orders could be issued against Hungarian citizens considered to be “organizing illegal migration,” preventing them from going within eight kilometers (five miles) of Hungary’s Schengen borders, those with countries outside the European Union, like Serbia and Ukraine. Foreigners found to be aiding illegal migrants could be banned from Hungary, Pinter said.</p>
<p>Government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said the expectations were that Hungarian non-governmental groups “which deal with illegal migrants or the issue of migration will follow the law and indicate to authorities ... that they are doing this activity.”</p>
<p>The new laws would apparently not apply to, for example, religious charity groups or the Red Cross, which distribute food, medicines and other aid to migrants.</p>
<p>“Giving assistance is not the same as actively ... taking part in someone crossing the border illegally,” Kovacs said.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Viktor Orban is an opponent of immigration, especially by Muslims, and Hungary built long fences along its southern borders in late 2015 to stop the flow of migrants.</p>
<p>The government has dubbed the bills “Stop Soros” laws, as it blames Hungarian-American billionaire and philanthropist George Soros for Europe’s migration challenges, partly because of his funding of groups that advocate for the rights of refugees.</p>
<p>Pinter said, however, that “I don’t believe that so far George Soros has told anyone that he takes part in organizing” illegal migration.</p>
<p>Since the government expects groups or people to declare voluntarily if they aid illegal migration, “we are very curious to see” whether Soros will or will not acknowledge doing so, Kovacs added.</p>
<p>The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a rights group which provides legal aid to asylum-seekers and receives part of its funding from Soros’ Open Society Foundations, drew attention to the government’s proposed eight-kilometer restraining order and compared it to a 1969 decree by Hungary’s then-communist government prohibiting citizens from going nearer than two kilometers (1.2 miles) from the borders.</p> | 2,823 |
<p>TROY, N.Y. (AP) - Two men were committing a burglary when they killed two women and two children and fled their New York apartment with a television and an Xbox video game system, according to an indictment handed down Friday.</p>
<p>A Rensselaer County grand jury indicted James White and Justin Mann on 13 murder counts, as well as burglary, robbery and possession of stolen property. The men pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Friday and were sent to the county jail without bail.</p>
<p>The men are accused of the Dec. 21 slayings of Shanta Myers; her lover, Brandi Mells; and Myers' children, ages 5 and 11. The bodies were found by a property manager who was asked to check on them the day after Christmas in Troy, north of Albany. Authorities have not disclosed how the victims were killed.</p>
<p>Lawyers for the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.</p>
<p>Mann, 24, has served time for a 2013 armed robbery in Queens, and White, 38, served prison time for manslaughter in the 1999 stabbing death of a Bronx man. White and Mann were arrested at an apartment in Schenectady on Saturday.</p>
<p>A memorial service for Myers and her two children is scheduled for Saturday in the Troy Middle School auditorium. Funeral arrangements for Mells haven't been announced.</p>
<p>TROY, N.Y. (AP) - Two men were committing a burglary when they killed two women and two children and fled their New York apartment with a television and an Xbox video game system, according to an indictment handed down Friday.</p>
<p>A Rensselaer County grand jury indicted James White and Justin Mann on 13 murder counts, as well as burglary, robbery and possession of stolen property. The men pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Friday and were sent to the county jail without bail.</p>
<p>The men are accused of the Dec. 21 slayings of Shanta Myers; her lover, Brandi Mells; and Myers' children, ages 5 and 11. The bodies were found by a property manager who was asked to check on them the day after Christmas in Troy, north of Albany. Authorities have not disclosed how the victims were killed.</p>
<p>Lawyers for the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.</p>
<p>Mann, 24, has served time for a 2013 armed robbery in Queens, and White, 38, served prison time for manslaughter in the 1999 stabbing death of a Bronx man. White and Mann were arrested at an apartment in Schenectady on Saturday.</p>
<p>A memorial service for Myers and her two children is scheduled for Saturday in the Troy Middle School auditorium. Funeral arrangements for Mells haven't been announced.</p> | Indictment: Men killed 2 women, 2 children during burglary | false | https://apnews.com/amp/aa93b14c8f1c43d5b95d70bbf60e3ad6 | 2018-01-05 | 2least
| Indictment: Men killed 2 women, 2 children during burglary
<p>TROY, N.Y. (AP) - Two men were committing a burglary when they killed two women and two children and fled their New York apartment with a television and an Xbox video game system, according to an indictment handed down Friday.</p>
<p>A Rensselaer County grand jury indicted James White and Justin Mann on 13 murder counts, as well as burglary, robbery and possession of stolen property. The men pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Friday and were sent to the county jail without bail.</p>
<p>The men are accused of the Dec. 21 slayings of Shanta Myers; her lover, Brandi Mells; and Myers' children, ages 5 and 11. The bodies were found by a property manager who was asked to check on them the day after Christmas in Troy, north of Albany. Authorities have not disclosed how the victims were killed.</p>
<p>Lawyers for the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.</p>
<p>Mann, 24, has served time for a 2013 armed robbery in Queens, and White, 38, served prison time for manslaughter in the 1999 stabbing death of a Bronx man. White and Mann were arrested at an apartment in Schenectady on Saturday.</p>
<p>A memorial service for Myers and her two children is scheduled for Saturday in the Troy Middle School auditorium. Funeral arrangements for Mells haven't been announced.</p>
<p>TROY, N.Y. (AP) - Two men were committing a burglary when they killed two women and two children and fled their New York apartment with a television and an Xbox video game system, according to an indictment handed down Friday.</p>
<p>A Rensselaer County grand jury indicted James White and Justin Mann on 13 murder counts, as well as burglary, robbery and possession of stolen property. The men pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Friday and were sent to the county jail without bail.</p>
<p>The men are accused of the Dec. 21 slayings of Shanta Myers; her lover, Brandi Mells; and Myers' children, ages 5 and 11. The bodies were found by a property manager who was asked to check on them the day after Christmas in Troy, north of Albany. Authorities have not disclosed how the victims were killed.</p>
<p>Lawyers for the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.</p>
<p>Mann, 24, has served time for a 2013 armed robbery in Queens, and White, 38, served prison time for manslaughter in the 1999 stabbing death of a Bronx man. White and Mann were arrested at an apartment in Schenectady on Saturday.</p>
<p>A memorial service for Myers and her two children is scheduled for Saturday in the Troy Middle School auditorium. Funeral arrangements for Mells haven't been announced.</p> | 2,824 |
<p>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette About 150 striking Vindicator staffers in Youngstown, Ohio, have been told to report to work Thursday or permanent replacements will begin taking their jobs. General manager Mark Brown says he imposed the deadline because of "excruciatingly slow" negotiations with the union representing newsroom, circulation and classified advertising employees. "It's sad that it's come to this," he says. "But this is the ninth month of the strike, and we need to get back on track."</p> | Vindicator to strikers: Get back to work or you'll be replaced | false | https://poynter.org/news/vindicator-strikers-get-back-work-or-youll-be-replaced | 2005-07-27 | 2least
| Vindicator to strikers: Get back to work or you'll be replaced
<p>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette About 150 striking Vindicator staffers in Youngstown, Ohio, have been told to report to work Thursday or permanent replacements will begin taking their jobs. General manager Mark Brown says he imposed the deadline because of "excruciatingly slow" negotiations with the union representing newsroom, circulation and classified advertising employees. "It's sad that it's come to this," he says. "But this is the ninth month of the strike, and we need to get back on track."</p> | 2,825 |
<p>Voting can often be a fairly mundane task, a ritual we do as some sort of promise to ourselves and others that we care in the shaping of our society. It is a peculiar sensation based upon a collective understanding that the sum is great than its parts; that while our vote may not matter, voting itself matters. It is a commitment to a process, rather than a politic.</p>
<p>On Sunday, all across Catalunya ballot boxes were ripped from people’s hands by masked police and a dangerous violence was unleashed, at random, upon some of the 2,262,424 people who stood in long linesto cast their vote. The repression dealt by the Spanish State to prohibit the Catalan Referendum, in every bloodied baton and ever rubber bullet, transformed the day from a question of independence to a question of democracy. People were voting for the right to vote.</p>
<p>I was one of the tens of thousands who, while we cannot vote, did what I could to make sure that others could. I did not mind what they were voting for, showing up was enough bravery to win my support.</p>
<p>October 1st,&#160;2017</p>
<p>2 am: The center of Barcelona seems as normal, though emptier than is common for a Saturday night. The terraces and bars have jovial youth sipping drinks and speaking louder than the neighbors would like. But no one is speaking Catalan. Catalans know what is coming, the tourists seem to have no idea.</p>
<p>Across Catalonia people are hunkering down into long nights in the polling stations. They know the police will come and try to shut them down, so the best defense is to be inside already. Polling stations are public buildings: schools, museums, and hospital, but since Spain has declared the referendum illegal it is also illegal to physically organize the elections. In response, each polling station has organized “parallel” events. There are poetry readings, movie marathons, open mics, continuous choirs, and countless other slightly boring events advertised to last all through the night. People lay on school floors, trying to sleep, jumping at each noise — voting shouldn’t have to be like this.</p>
<p>9 am: We shuffle across the city to an open polling station. Already a number of those in the city center have been raided by the police, their ballot boxes stolen, and closed. We pass by the tourists taking selfies, I wonder if they know that 5,000 police have been mobilized from all across Spain to come to and stop the referendum. Tensions are high, this could easily slip out of control.</p>
<p>We pass a polling station, a line of umbrellas stretches around the block and out of sight. For the past weeks the city has been awash with the catalan flag and t-shirts that say simply “Si”. But today no one wears propaganda, people understand that they should not express their views as they vote — this must be a safe space for everyone.</p>
<p>We arrive at our polling station, a sign on the door announces the “24-hour pajama party” we have come for. No one is wearing pajamas. There is a small line but the computers are down so it does not move. All day there will be a fierce technological battle to keep the online platform that allows for distributed voting open.</p>
<p>11.30 am: I am sitting on the floor of the polling station in central Barcelona, a long line has grown behind us. We have been here for hours already, but it doesn’t bother us. Just by being here we are useful. The rain has slowed to a drizzle and faces are emerging from beneath the umbrellas. It could be the line of people waiting to see a movie, young couples, the middle-aged with their adult daughters, families with children — these are not protestors, these are people.</p>
<p>There is a nervous tension, as we wait we are seeing realtime images of polling stations that look exactly the same as ours having their doors kicked in, people pulled away by their hair, elderly women thrown down stairs; twitter is a scroll of police clubs and rubber bullets. In some places the hundreds of people, with arms linked or hands in the air are enough to turn back the police, in others masked men walk out of schools holding half-filled ballot boxes.</p>
<p>Please take a second to imagine this: you go to your usual polling station and, as usual, you wait in a short line to vote. As you wait, masked men in dark armored suits smash their way in, pushing the elderly, clubbing your neighbor and firing rubber bullets into the crowd. They grab the ballot boxes and march out. They steal your vote; steal your voice. Twitter says there are 234 people injured.</p>
<p>This is the largest act of civil disobedience I have ever seen, and the bravery it required of the everyday people should not be diminished. Just by standing in that line we were all risking great harm. We wait our turn, patiently and calmly, but nervously. We pass the time by chatting to those next to us in line. The woman in font of us tells us of the first time she voted after fascism ended; of the student protests and the police brutality. In a country with such a recent history of dictatorship, voting means something different for the older generation.</p>
<p>The crowd cheers after an elderly woman walks past the long line after voting, she claps her hands in joy and the crowd joins her. Having spent most of her life under fascism, democracy must taste sweeter. I see the woman in front of me wipe away a tear. The crowd cheers next for a old man in a wheelchair and a young couple with their baby, the noise follows each of them from the polling station. We cheer for everyone, not for how they voted, but becausethey voted. This has become about more than independence, it is about the right to vote; the right of a population to ask itself a question and to answer it.</p>
<p>3.30 pm: We are nearing the front of the line, behind us there are perhaps 500 hundred people. The line folds back upon itself to keep everyone close to the doors so we are ready if the police come. We are ushered into a small room with tables upon which the sealed ballot boxes are placed. Everyone responsible for one of these tables risks a 300,000 euro fine for their participation on the voting process. Identifications are cross-checked and votes are placed into sealed envelopes. I have been impressed all day by the formality with which this referendum is being conducted. Despite all the hardships wrought upon it, there is extreme diligence to conduct this referendum according to the law. Yet the Spanish news states the people are voting as many times as they like, informally on the streets. My partner drops her vote into the ballot box (I cannot vote, for I lack Spanish nationality), it joins a rising tide of paper opinions. We walk past the crowd that is cheering: “Votarem! Votarem!” (“We will vote”).</p>
<p>5 pm: For weeks the Spanish government has been calling the referendum a “farse” and trying to frame it as just another political ploy by the ruling caste of Catalunya. Today they claim “they” are using elderly and children to protect “themselves” from the police. But the elderly shuffle in on their own, the children hold their parents’ hands; the polling centers are self-organized, the risks are shared. This is truly a bottom-up political process. The “farse” spoken of, I believe is far graver. As one tweet commented: “The ruling political party (Partido Popular, PP) are counting their votes with every smashed skull.” The violence here may have less to do with stopping a vote that has already been framed as “illegal”, but with building anti-catalan antagonism across Spain and proving themselves to be the powerful patriarch they claim to be.</p>
<p>Saenz de Santamaria, vice-president, of the Spanish State has held a press conference. She speaks to the cameras: “The complete irresponsibility of the Catalan government demanded to be assuaged by the professionalism of the forces of order. They have carried out the order of law, acting professionally, and adequately. The objective of their interventions has never been the people, but the electoral materials. They have always worked to protect the rights and liberties…. And they have completed their democratic obligation…. There was no referendum, nor anything close to it.”</p>
<p>There is a schizophrenia to the story of this day, in that the official discourse is so far from the lived experience of anyone here. The headlines of the government-aligned papers refer to the referendum continually as the “Catalan Betrayal”. But the betrayal goes far deeper than a single referendum. To anyone who heard the praises of the Spanish State lavished upon the police violence, that they themselves risked or endured — Spain has lost all legitimacy. A trust has been broken and is sowing the seeds of a deception deep enough that I believe many will never trust the words of the Spanish State again. This quantitative shift, may be the most important lasting impact of October 1st. It may be this, in the end, that which pushes Catalunya to independence.</p>
<p>Spain has proved its point: it is an imposed democracy, rather than an elected one, and the tally of the injured rises steadily.</p>
<p>7 pm: The polling stations close in one hour. Dusk is falling. The helicopter swoops across the skyline at regular intervals. A crucial hour has begun — the ballot boxes are filled but uncounted, a single raid police could steal thousands of votes and people could not vote again. 400 hundred of us are gathered outside the polling station where I have spent most of the day. It is an uneasy calm. A woman tells the crowd the plan: “When they come: protect the doors and windows. Link arms and sit down, stay calm and stay peaceful. We will hold this space as long as we can.”</p>
<p>The day has been filled with the mix of bravery and savagery that is perhaps the modern day equivalent of a massacre. As of now 761 people have been brought to the hospital with injuries. I tremble to think what the Spanish “Forces of Order” would have done 200 years ago, if were we not armed with Twitter, cameras and the international eye.</p>
<p>The church clock strikes 8, and the doors to the polling station are closed. A small group retire to a small room to count the votes. The door will be locked until all the votes are counted, or until it is kicked in by the police. A hush falls over the crowd and we wait. A helicopter hovers low over us and a small crowd of police disappear, it seems something is beginning. We huddle closer to the doors.</p>
<p />
<p>9.30 pm: The counting room is unlocked and the votes have officially registered. We have been lucky, or we have been enough to discourage any raid. A relief falls upon us, the votes cannot be stolen now. A joyous man who has been there all day unlocks the doors and tells us the results of their counting: 1,960 votes. 1,668 “si”, 144 “no”, 114 left blank, 34 discounted. A cheer jumps through the crowd almost before his words are out. The chant changes from “We will vote” to “We voted”.</p>
<p>10.30 pm: Across the city the sound of pots and pans banging is spreading. Leaping from balcony to balcony, contagious. These are the largest “caseroladas” I have heard in this city, and every night for the past week even the dishes scream for justice. I walk down a pedestrian avenue, we are all clapping our hands for we have nothing more than our hands. The energy is reciprocal — the more we clap the more they bang the more we clap. The night fills with rebellious music of instruments that will never be taken from us; even the church bells have awakened to join the chorus.</p>
<p>In the end, the Partido Popular mounted not only a media disaster but a strategic one. Despite 844 injuries, only 4% of voting centers had been closed. Despite the violence, the threats, the complications and the uncertainty, 2,262,424 people — 42% of registered voters — were able to cast their vote in the largest act of non-violent civil disobedience I have ever seen. 90% voted for independence. I doubt today will result in an immediate independence from Spain, but it is undoubtably an immediate victory for democracy.</p>
<p />
<p>October 1st has taught me something I will never forget: that democracy is an ongoing process, it is alive and must be nourished. And when well cared for, it grows. The messages of support I have received from around the world reminds me that for many people this is still the political norm. That elections are never simple affairs, that state violence upon civilians is not a rarity. Our freedoms must not be taken for granted. From this day forth, every time I vote I will think of the disobedient bravery of the generations who have won me this privilege, who maintain it and all those who work to share it.</p>
<p>Spain calls this vote illegal. That is precisely the point, we want to write our own laws. And until we do can do that, we must disobey.</p>
<p>All photos by Kevin Buckland.</p> | Disobeying Spain: the Catalan Referendum for Independence | true | https://counterpunch.org/2017/10/03/disobeying-spain-the-catalan-referendum-for-independence/ | 2017-10-03 | 4left
| Disobeying Spain: the Catalan Referendum for Independence
<p>Voting can often be a fairly mundane task, a ritual we do as some sort of promise to ourselves and others that we care in the shaping of our society. It is a peculiar sensation based upon a collective understanding that the sum is great than its parts; that while our vote may not matter, voting itself matters. It is a commitment to a process, rather than a politic.</p>
<p>On Sunday, all across Catalunya ballot boxes were ripped from people’s hands by masked police and a dangerous violence was unleashed, at random, upon some of the 2,262,424 people who stood in long linesto cast their vote. The repression dealt by the Spanish State to prohibit the Catalan Referendum, in every bloodied baton and ever rubber bullet, transformed the day from a question of independence to a question of democracy. People were voting for the right to vote.</p>
<p>I was one of the tens of thousands who, while we cannot vote, did what I could to make sure that others could. I did not mind what they were voting for, showing up was enough bravery to win my support.</p>
<p>October 1st,&#160;2017</p>
<p>2 am: The center of Barcelona seems as normal, though emptier than is common for a Saturday night. The terraces and bars have jovial youth sipping drinks and speaking louder than the neighbors would like. But no one is speaking Catalan. Catalans know what is coming, the tourists seem to have no idea.</p>
<p>Across Catalonia people are hunkering down into long nights in the polling stations. They know the police will come and try to shut them down, so the best defense is to be inside already. Polling stations are public buildings: schools, museums, and hospital, but since Spain has declared the referendum illegal it is also illegal to physically organize the elections. In response, each polling station has organized “parallel” events. There are poetry readings, movie marathons, open mics, continuous choirs, and countless other slightly boring events advertised to last all through the night. People lay on school floors, trying to sleep, jumping at each noise — voting shouldn’t have to be like this.</p>
<p>9 am: We shuffle across the city to an open polling station. Already a number of those in the city center have been raided by the police, their ballot boxes stolen, and closed. We pass by the tourists taking selfies, I wonder if they know that 5,000 police have been mobilized from all across Spain to come to and stop the referendum. Tensions are high, this could easily slip out of control.</p>
<p>We pass a polling station, a line of umbrellas stretches around the block and out of sight. For the past weeks the city has been awash with the catalan flag and t-shirts that say simply “Si”. But today no one wears propaganda, people understand that they should not express their views as they vote — this must be a safe space for everyone.</p>
<p>We arrive at our polling station, a sign on the door announces the “24-hour pajama party” we have come for. No one is wearing pajamas. There is a small line but the computers are down so it does not move. All day there will be a fierce technological battle to keep the online platform that allows for distributed voting open.</p>
<p>11.30 am: I am sitting on the floor of the polling station in central Barcelona, a long line has grown behind us. We have been here for hours already, but it doesn’t bother us. Just by being here we are useful. The rain has slowed to a drizzle and faces are emerging from beneath the umbrellas. It could be the line of people waiting to see a movie, young couples, the middle-aged with their adult daughters, families with children — these are not protestors, these are people.</p>
<p>There is a nervous tension, as we wait we are seeing realtime images of polling stations that look exactly the same as ours having their doors kicked in, people pulled away by their hair, elderly women thrown down stairs; twitter is a scroll of police clubs and rubber bullets. In some places the hundreds of people, with arms linked or hands in the air are enough to turn back the police, in others masked men walk out of schools holding half-filled ballot boxes.</p>
<p>Please take a second to imagine this: you go to your usual polling station and, as usual, you wait in a short line to vote. As you wait, masked men in dark armored suits smash their way in, pushing the elderly, clubbing your neighbor and firing rubber bullets into the crowd. They grab the ballot boxes and march out. They steal your vote; steal your voice. Twitter says there are 234 people injured.</p>
<p>This is the largest act of civil disobedience I have ever seen, and the bravery it required of the everyday people should not be diminished. Just by standing in that line we were all risking great harm. We wait our turn, patiently and calmly, but nervously. We pass the time by chatting to those next to us in line. The woman in font of us tells us of the first time she voted after fascism ended; of the student protests and the police brutality. In a country with such a recent history of dictatorship, voting means something different for the older generation.</p>
<p>The crowd cheers after an elderly woman walks past the long line after voting, she claps her hands in joy and the crowd joins her. Having spent most of her life under fascism, democracy must taste sweeter. I see the woman in front of me wipe away a tear. The crowd cheers next for a old man in a wheelchair and a young couple with their baby, the noise follows each of them from the polling station. We cheer for everyone, not for how they voted, but becausethey voted. This has become about more than independence, it is about the right to vote; the right of a population to ask itself a question and to answer it.</p>
<p>3.30 pm: We are nearing the front of the line, behind us there are perhaps 500 hundred people. The line folds back upon itself to keep everyone close to the doors so we are ready if the police come. We are ushered into a small room with tables upon which the sealed ballot boxes are placed. Everyone responsible for one of these tables risks a 300,000 euro fine for their participation on the voting process. Identifications are cross-checked and votes are placed into sealed envelopes. I have been impressed all day by the formality with which this referendum is being conducted. Despite all the hardships wrought upon it, there is extreme diligence to conduct this referendum according to the law. Yet the Spanish news states the people are voting as many times as they like, informally on the streets. My partner drops her vote into the ballot box (I cannot vote, for I lack Spanish nationality), it joins a rising tide of paper opinions. We walk past the crowd that is cheering: “Votarem! Votarem!” (“We will vote”).</p>
<p>5 pm: For weeks the Spanish government has been calling the referendum a “farse” and trying to frame it as just another political ploy by the ruling caste of Catalunya. Today they claim “they” are using elderly and children to protect “themselves” from the police. But the elderly shuffle in on their own, the children hold their parents’ hands; the polling centers are self-organized, the risks are shared. This is truly a bottom-up political process. The “farse” spoken of, I believe is far graver. As one tweet commented: “The ruling political party (Partido Popular, PP) are counting their votes with every smashed skull.” The violence here may have less to do with stopping a vote that has already been framed as “illegal”, but with building anti-catalan antagonism across Spain and proving themselves to be the powerful patriarch they claim to be.</p>
<p>Saenz de Santamaria, vice-president, of the Spanish State has held a press conference. She speaks to the cameras: “The complete irresponsibility of the Catalan government demanded to be assuaged by the professionalism of the forces of order. They have carried out the order of law, acting professionally, and adequately. The objective of their interventions has never been the people, but the electoral materials. They have always worked to protect the rights and liberties…. And they have completed their democratic obligation…. There was no referendum, nor anything close to it.”</p>
<p>There is a schizophrenia to the story of this day, in that the official discourse is so far from the lived experience of anyone here. The headlines of the government-aligned papers refer to the referendum continually as the “Catalan Betrayal”. But the betrayal goes far deeper than a single referendum. To anyone who heard the praises of the Spanish State lavished upon the police violence, that they themselves risked or endured — Spain has lost all legitimacy. A trust has been broken and is sowing the seeds of a deception deep enough that I believe many will never trust the words of the Spanish State again. This quantitative shift, may be the most important lasting impact of October 1st. It may be this, in the end, that which pushes Catalunya to independence.</p>
<p>Spain has proved its point: it is an imposed democracy, rather than an elected one, and the tally of the injured rises steadily.</p>
<p>7 pm: The polling stations close in one hour. Dusk is falling. The helicopter swoops across the skyline at regular intervals. A crucial hour has begun — the ballot boxes are filled but uncounted, a single raid police could steal thousands of votes and people could not vote again. 400 hundred of us are gathered outside the polling station where I have spent most of the day. It is an uneasy calm. A woman tells the crowd the plan: “When they come: protect the doors and windows. Link arms and sit down, stay calm and stay peaceful. We will hold this space as long as we can.”</p>
<p>The day has been filled with the mix of bravery and savagery that is perhaps the modern day equivalent of a massacre. As of now 761 people have been brought to the hospital with injuries. I tremble to think what the Spanish “Forces of Order” would have done 200 years ago, if were we not armed with Twitter, cameras and the international eye.</p>
<p>The church clock strikes 8, and the doors to the polling station are closed. A small group retire to a small room to count the votes. The door will be locked until all the votes are counted, or until it is kicked in by the police. A hush falls over the crowd and we wait. A helicopter hovers low over us and a small crowd of police disappear, it seems something is beginning. We huddle closer to the doors.</p>
<p />
<p>9.30 pm: The counting room is unlocked and the votes have officially registered. We have been lucky, or we have been enough to discourage any raid. A relief falls upon us, the votes cannot be stolen now. A joyous man who has been there all day unlocks the doors and tells us the results of their counting: 1,960 votes. 1,668 “si”, 144 “no”, 114 left blank, 34 discounted. A cheer jumps through the crowd almost before his words are out. The chant changes from “We will vote” to “We voted”.</p>
<p>10.30 pm: Across the city the sound of pots and pans banging is spreading. Leaping from balcony to balcony, contagious. These are the largest “caseroladas” I have heard in this city, and every night for the past week even the dishes scream for justice. I walk down a pedestrian avenue, we are all clapping our hands for we have nothing more than our hands. The energy is reciprocal — the more we clap the more they bang the more we clap. The night fills with rebellious music of instruments that will never be taken from us; even the church bells have awakened to join the chorus.</p>
<p>In the end, the Partido Popular mounted not only a media disaster but a strategic one. Despite 844 injuries, only 4% of voting centers had been closed. Despite the violence, the threats, the complications and the uncertainty, 2,262,424 people — 42% of registered voters — were able to cast their vote in the largest act of non-violent civil disobedience I have ever seen. 90% voted for independence. I doubt today will result in an immediate independence from Spain, but it is undoubtably an immediate victory for democracy.</p>
<p />
<p>October 1st has taught me something I will never forget: that democracy is an ongoing process, it is alive and must be nourished. And when well cared for, it grows. The messages of support I have received from around the world reminds me that for many people this is still the political norm. That elections are never simple affairs, that state violence upon civilians is not a rarity. Our freedoms must not be taken for granted. From this day forth, every time I vote I will think of the disobedient bravery of the generations who have won me this privilege, who maintain it and all those who work to share it.</p>
<p>Spain calls this vote illegal. That is precisely the point, we want to write our own laws. And until we do can do that, we must disobey.</p>
<p>All photos by Kevin Buckland.</p> | 2,826 |
<p>A judge on Wednesday gave Big River Steel more time to respond to a federal lawsuit filed by a rival company that hopes to stop the $1.3 billion project from moving forward in northeast Arkansas.</p>
<p>U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes agreed to a 28-day extension for the company to respond to the federal lawsuit filed last month by Nucor Steel. The lawsuit seeks to block Big River Steel from building its steel mill south of Osceola and also seeks a revocation of the company's air permit issued by the state.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Big River Steel must now respond to the complaint by Oct. 10. Nucor, which operates its own steel mill in Mississippi County, had opposed the request for an extension, saying any delay in the case will make it more difficult to stop the project.</p>
<p>"With each passing day, more resources are poured into the construction of the facility," attorneys for Nucor wrote in a court filing. "(Big River Steel) will likely argue, in opposition to an injunction, that the extent to which the project has been completed will affect the balance of harm involved in the issuance of an injunction."</p>
<p>A Sept. 22 groundbreaking is planned for the steel mill, which is expected to employ more than 500 people once it's fully operational. Big River Steel is Arkansas' first so-called "superproject" and will receive $125 million in state financing that was approved by the Legislature last year.</p>
<p>Nucor, which operates a steel mill about 20 miles away from the Big River Steel site, alleges that Nucor employees could be sickened by the plant's future emissions.</p>
<p>"Nucor clearly has a vital interest in the air quality of the region, including Mississippi County, Arkansas, because if the air quality goes down, the productivity of Nucor's workforce will likewise go down, hindering Nucor's ability to generate revenue and decreasing the value of Nucor's Arkansas facilities," Nucor's lawsuit said.</p>
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<p>Big River Steel founder John Correnti has called the lawsuit "frivolous."</p> | Federal judge gives Big River Steel more time to respond to lawsuit filed by rival company | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2014/09/10/federal-judge-gives-big-river-steel-more-time-to-respond-to-lawsuit-filed-by.html | 2016-03-05 | 0right
| Federal judge gives Big River Steel more time to respond to lawsuit filed by rival company
<p>A judge on Wednesday gave Big River Steel more time to respond to a federal lawsuit filed by a rival company that hopes to stop the $1.3 billion project from moving forward in northeast Arkansas.</p>
<p>U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes agreed to a 28-day extension for the company to respond to the federal lawsuit filed last month by Nucor Steel. The lawsuit seeks to block Big River Steel from building its steel mill south of Osceola and also seeks a revocation of the company's air permit issued by the state.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Big River Steel must now respond to the complaint by Oct. 10. Nucor, which operates its own steel mill in Mississippi County, had opposed the request for an extension, saying any delay in the case will make it more difficult to stop the project.</p>
<p>"With each passing day, more resources are poured into the construction of the facility," attorneys for Nucor wrote in a court filing. "(Big River Steel) will likely argue, in opposition to an injunction, that the extent to which the project has been completed will affect the balance of harm involved in the issuance of an injunction."</p>
<p>A Sept. 22 groundbreaking is planned for the steel mill, which is expected to employ more than 500 people once it's fully operational. Big River Steel is Arkansas' first so-called "superproject" and will receive $125 million in state financing that was approved by the Legislature last year.</p>
<p>Nucor, which operates a steel mill about 20 miles away from the Big River Steel site, alleges that Nucor employees could be sickened by the plant's future emissions.</p>
<p>"Nucor clearly has a vital interest in the air quality of the region, including Mississippi County, Arkansas, because if the air quality goes down, the productivity of Nucor's workforce will likewise go down, hindering Nucor's ability to generate revenue and decreasing the value of Nucor's Arkansas facilities," Nucor's lawsuit said.</p>
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<p>Big River Steel founder John Correnti has called the lawsuit "frivolous."</p> | 2,827 |
<p />
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Bryan Fischer</a> apparently thinks lesbian and bisexual are the same thing. The <a href="" type="internal">American Family Association</a> spokesperson yesterday claimed that <a href="" type="internal">Hillary Clinton</a> “could be our first lesbian president” because former <a href="" type="internal">Bill Clinton</a> mistress <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2424555/Bill-Clintons-mistress-Gennifer-Flowers-Wed-today-wasnt-Chelsea.html" type="external">Gennifer Flowers recently claimed the former Secretary of State is bisexual</a>. Of course, there is no evidence Mrs. Clinton is a lesbian or bisexual, nor is it currently anyone’s business — and nor is it a slur, despite Fischer’s apparent hopes.</p>
<p>And all this on the day the Pope announced it’s <a href="" type="internal">time to stop being “obsessed” with homosexuality</a>.</p>
<p>“Since Fischer accepts pure speculation from whatever source as indisputable fact so long as it fits his agenda,” Brian Tashman at <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/fischer-hillary-clinton-could-be-our-first-lesbian-president" type="external">Right Wing Watch</a> writes, “it is no surprise that he now claims that ‘the bottom line is that if Hillary Clinton becomes president in 2016 she will not only be our first female president she could be our first lesbian president.’”</p>
<p>It’s hard to tell if a working day goes by that Fischer, the most-recgnizable name in his Mississippi-based anti-gay hate group, doesn’t talk about LGBT people, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, or other issues related to the LGBT community.</p>
<p>When the middle name of the company that gives you a paycheck every week is “family,” isn’t it about time you started actually doing something to support that?</p>
<p>Watch:</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Image by&#160; <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcn/" type="external">Marc Nozell</a>&#160;via <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcn/2166992396/" type="external">Flickr</a></p>
<p>Tagged as: <a href="" type="internal">American Family Association</a>, <a href="" type="internal">Bill Clinton</a>, <a href="" type="internal">Bisexual</a>, <a href="" type="internal">bryan fischer</a>, <a href="" type="internal">hate groups</a>, <a href="" type="internal">Hillary Clinton</a>, <a href="" type="internal">lesbian</a></p>
<p>Friends:</p>
<p>We invite you to <a href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001whLQo73KzGhEjdskYG07rHNy_XoDDkSBBO4INZHx6oD9kfp2yeeQAJeMQUu9oTviZa0VEl5k0rNiLifxlZsOFScMz8rVGmIaN-FFOO3GTKc%3D" type="external">sign up for our new mailing list</a>, and&#160; <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=TheNewCivilRightsMovement&amp;amp;loc=en_US" type="external">subscribe to The New Civil Rights Movement via email</a> or <a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/thenewcivilrightsmovement" type="external">RSS</a>.</p>
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| Hillary Clinton ‘Could Be Our First Lesbian President’ Says Fischer
<p />
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Bryan Fischer</a> apparently thinks lesbian and bisexual are the same thing. The <a href="" type="internal">American Family Association</a> spokesperson yesterday claimed that <a href="" type="internal">Hillary Clinton</a> “could be our first lesbian president” because former <a href="" type="internal">Bill Clinton</a> mistress <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2424555/Bill-Clintons-mistress-Gennifer-Flowers-Wed-today-wasnt-Chelsea.html" type="external">Gennifer Flowers recently claimed the former Secretary of State is bisexual</a>. Of course, there is no evidence Mrs. Clinton is a lesbian or bisexual, nor is it currently anyone’s business — and nor is it a slur, despite Fischer’s apparent hopes.</p>
<p>And all this on the day the Pope announced it’s <a href="" type="internal">time to stop being “obsessed” with homosexuality</a>.</p>
<p>“Since Fischer accepts pure speculation from whatever source as indisputable fact so long as it fits his agenda,” Brian Tashman at <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/fischer-hillary-clinton-could-be-our-first-lesbian-president" type="external">Right Wing Watch</a> writes, “it is no surprise that he now claims that ‘the bottom line is that if Hillary Clinton becomes president in 2016 she will not only be our first female president she could be our first lesbian president.’”</p>
<p>It’s hard to tell if a working day goes by that Fischer, the most-recgnizable name in his Mississippi-based anti-gay hate group, doesn’t talk about LGBT people, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, or other issues related to the LGBT community.</p>
<p>When the middle name of the company that gives you a paycheck every week is “family,” isn’t it about time you started actually doing something to support that?</p>
<p>Watch:</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Image by&#160; <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcn/" type="external">Marc Nozell</a>&#160;via <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcn/2166992396/" type="external">Flickr</a></p>
<p>Tagged as: <a href="" type="internal">American Family Association</a>, <a href="" type="internal">Bill Clinton</a>, <a href="" type="internal">Bisexual</a>, <a href="" type="internal">bryan fischer</a>, <a href="" type="internal">hate groups</a>, <a href="" type="internal">Hillary Clinton</a>, <a href="" type="internal">lesbian</a></p>
<p>Friends:</p>
<p>We invite you to <a href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001whLQo73KzGhEjdskYG07rHNy_XoDDkSBBO4INZHx6oD9kfp2yeeQAJeMQUu9oTviZa0VEl5k0rNiLifxlZsOFScMz8rVGmIaN-FFOO3GTKc%3D" type="external">sign up for our new mailing list</a>, and&#160; <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=TheNewCivilRightsMovement&amp;amp;loc=en_US" type="external">subscribe to The New Civil Rights Movement via email</a> or <a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/thenewcivilrightsmovement" type="external">RSS</a>.</p>
<p>Also, please&#160; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-Civil-Rights-Movement/358168880614" type="external">like us on Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/gaycivilrights" type="external">follow us on Twitter</a>!</p> | 2,828 |
<p>Investing.com – Canada stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the , and sectors led shares lower.</p>
<p>At the close in Toronto, the fell 0.26%.</p>
<p>The best performers of the session on the were Dollarama Inc (TO:), which rose 3.55% or 4.78 points to trade at 139.50 at the close. Meanwhile, Pretium Resources Inc. (TO:) added 2.19% or 0.23 points to end at 10.74 and Transcontinental Inc (TO:) was up 2.08% or 0.54 points to 26.50 in late trade.</p>
<p>The worst performers of the session were HudBay Minerals Inc. (TO:), which fell 10.23% or 1.10 points to trade at 9.65 at the close. Crew Energy Inc (TO:) declined 7.57% or 0.32 points to end at 3.91 and NuVista Energy Ltd . (TO:) was down 5.71% or 0.390 points to 6.440.</p>
<p>Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Toronto Stock Exchange by 620 to 432 and 168 ended unchanged.</p>
<p>Shares in Dollarama Inc (TO:) rose to all time highs; rising 3.55% or 4.78 to 139.50. Shares in Transcontinental Inc (TO:) rose to 5-year highs; rising 2.08% or 0.54 to 26.50.</p>
<p>The , which measures the implied volatility of S&amp;P/TSX Composite options, was up 87.18% to 11.83.</p>
<p>Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.12% or 1.57 to $1351.87 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in October fell 3.14% or 1.54 to hit $47.55 a barrel, while the November Brent oil contract fell 1.39% or 0.76 to trade at $53.73 a barrel.</p>
<p>CAD/USD was down 0.23% to 0.8235, while CAD/EUR fell 0.34% to 0.6842.</p>
<p>The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.23% at 91.28.</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> | Canada stocks lower at close of trade; S&P/TSX Composite down 0.26% | false | https://newsline.com/canada-stocks-lower-at-close-of-trade-sptsx-composite-down-0-26/ | 2017-09-08 | 1right-center
| Canada stocks lower at close of trade; S&P/TSX Composite down 0.26%
<p>Investing.com – Canada stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the , and sectors led shares lower.</p>
<p>At the close in Toronto, the fell 0.26%.</p>
<p>The best performers of the session on the were Dollarama Inc (TO:), which rose 3.55% or 4.78 points to trade at 139.50 at the close. Meanwhile, Pretium Resources Inc. (TO:) added 2.19% or 0.23 points to end at 10.74 and Transcontinental Inc (TO:) was up 2.08% or 0.54 points to 26.50 in late trade.</p>
<p>The worst performers of the session were HudBay Minerals Inc. (TO:), which fell 10.23% or 1.10 points to trade at 9.65 at the close. Crew Energy Inc (TO:) declined 7.57% or 0.32 points to end at 3.91 and NuVista Energy Ltd . (TO:) was down 5.71% or 0.390 points to 6.440.</p>
<p>Falling stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the Toronto Stock Exchange by 620 to 432 and 168 ended unchanged.</p>
<p>Shares in Dollarama Inc (TO:) rose to all time highs; rising 3.55% or 4.78 to 139.50. Shares in Transcontinental Inc (TO:) rose to 5-year highs; rising 2.08% or 0.54 to 26.50.</p>
<p>The , which measures the implied volatility of S&amp;P/TSX Composite options, was up 87.18% to 11.83.</p>
<p>Gold Futures for December delivery was up 0.12% or 1.57 to $1351.87 a troy ounce. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Crude oil for delivery in October fell 3.14% or 1.54 to hit $47.55 a barrel, while the November Brent oil contract fell 1.39% or 0.76 to trade at $53.73 a barrel.</p>
<p>CAD/USD was down 0.23% to 0.8235, while CAD/EUR fell 0.34% to 0.6842.</p>
<p>The US Dollar Index Futures was down 0.23% at 91.28.</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> | 2,829 |
<p />
<p>Oil&#160;futures edged lower on Wednesday following a report showing a surprise build in U.S. crude inventories last week.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>U.S. crude stocks rose by 2.3 million barrels in the week to Dec. 16 as refineries hiked output, while gasoline stocks and distillate inventories fell, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said. [EIA/S]</p>
<p>That was the first weekly build in crude stockpiles in five weeks. Analysts were expecting U.S. crude inventories to fall by 2.5 million barrels, according to a Reuters poll. [EIA/S]</p>
<p>"I thought (the EIA report) was a mixed bag. We usually draw into year-end on crude and it didn't happen. Distillate and gasoline draws were supportive," said Scott Shelton, energy special at ICAP in Durham, North Carolina, adding, "The report was a non-event. This will be forgotten about in an hour."</p>
<p>Brent futures for February delivery fell 15 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $55.20 a barrel by 11:13 a.m. EST (1613 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for February was down 6 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $53.24 per barrel.</p>
<p>The EIA report diverged widely from the American Petroleum Institute industry group's data released late on Tuesday, which showed a much larger-than-expected 4.1-million-barrel crude draw. Analysts said the API report had helped carry WTI futures to a one-week high earlier in the session. [API/S]</p>
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<p>Even though WTI futures for February were little changed, the U.S. front-month was up about 2 percent and trading at its highest level in more than a week due to the contract roll from lower-priced January to higher-priced February on Tuesday.</p>
<p>"This week's trade has thus far provided no surprises as reduced holiday volume has been contributing to some narrow trading ranges," Jim Ritterbusch, president of Chicago-based energy advisory firm Ritterbusch &amp; Associates, said in a report.</p>
<p>French bank Societe Generale said the agreement between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other leading producers to cut output in January should keep crude prices in the $50-to-$60 range in 2017.</p>
<p>Oil&#160;markets are expected to remain well-supplied despite the planned reductions.</p>
<p>Russia's 2016&#160;oil&#160;output is expected to total 547.5 million tonnes (11 million barrels per day), a 2.5 percent increase from last year, Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters late on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Taking advantage of plentiful and relatively cheap crude, refiners especially in Asia are churning out more fuel than the market can absorb.</p>
<p>(Additional reporting by Amanda Cooper in London and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Meredith Mazzilli)</p> | Oil Prices Slip on Unexpected Inventory Build | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/21/oil-prices-slip-on-unexpected-inventory-build.html | 2016-12-21 | 0right
| Oil Prices Slip on Unexpected Inventory Build
<p />
<p>Oil&#160;futures edged lower on Wednesday following a report showing a surprise build in U.S. crude inventories last week.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>U.S. crude stocks rose by 2.3 million barrels in the week to Dec. 16 as refineries hiked output, while gasoline stocks and distillate inventories fell, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said. [EIA/S]</p>
<p>That was the first weekly build in crude stockpiles in five weeks. Analysts were expecting U.S. crude inventories to fall by 2.5 million barrels, according to a Reuters poll. [EIA/S]</p>
<p>"I thought (the EIA report) was a mixed bag. We usually draw into year-end on crude and it didn't happen. Distillate and gasoline draws were supportive," said Scott Shelton, energy special at ICAP in Durham, North Carolina, adding, "The report was a non-event. This will be forgotten about in an hour."</p>
<p>Brent futures for February delivery fell 15 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $55.20 a barrel by 11:13 a.m. EST (1613 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for February was down 6 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $53.24 per barrel.</p>
<p>The EIA report diverged widely from the American Petroleum Institute industry group's data released late on Tuesday, which showed a much larger-than-expected 4.1-million-barrel crude draw. Analysts said the API report had helped carry WTI futures to a one-week high earlier in the session. [API/S]</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Even though WTI futures for February were little changed, the U.S. front-month was up about 2 percent and trading at its highest level in more than a week due to the contract roll from lower-priced January to higher-priced February on Tuesday.</p>
<p>"This week's trade has thus far provided no surprises as reduced holiday volume has been contributing to some narrow trading ranges," Jim Ritterbusch, president of Chicago-based energy advisory firm Ritterbusch &amp; Associates, said in a report.</p>
<p>French bank Societe Generale said the agreement between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other leading producers to cut output in January should keep crude prices in the $50-to-$60 range in 2017.</p>
<p>Oil&#160;markets are expected to remain well-supplied despite the planned reductions.</p>
<p>Russia's 2016&#160;oil&#160;output is expected to total 547.5 million tonnes (11 million barrels per day), a 2.5 percent increase from last year, Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters late on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Taking advantage of plentiful and relatively cheap crude, refiners especially in Asia are churning out more fuel than the market can absorb.</p>
<p>(Additional reporting by Amanda Cooper in London and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Meredith Mazzilli)</p> | 2,830 |
<p>Three years ago, when a reluctant President Barack Obama was about to launch an attack on Syria, supposedly in retaliation for President Bashar al-Assad crossing a “red line” against using chemical weapons, Obama smelled a rat – or rather he sensed a mousetrap.</p>
<p>Advised by some of his intelligence advisers that the evidence blaming the Syrian government for the lethal sarin attack was weak, Obama disappointed many of Washington’s neocons and liberal war hawks, including those in his own administration, by deferring action. He tossed the issue to Congress, thus guaranteeing a delay.</p>
<p>Precisely at that key juncture, Russian President Vladimir Putin took the pressure off Obama by persuading the Syrian government to destroy its chemical weapons, which Assad did – while still denying any role in the attack at Ghouta, just outside Damascus, on Aug. 21, 2013.</p>
<p>Washington’s hardliners were left aching for their lost opportunity to attack Syria by citing the Ghouta attack as a casus belli.&#160;But the evidence suggested, instead, a well-orchestrated Syrian rebel false-flag operation aimed at fabricating a pretext for direct U.S. intervention in the war on Syria.</p>
<p>With Putin’s assistance in getting Assad to surrender the chemical weapons, Obama was able to extricate himself from the corner that he had rather clumsily painted himself into with his earlier bravado talk about a “red line.”</p>
<p>But Washington’s irate neocons and many of their liberal-interventionist chums felt cheated out of their almost-war.&#160;After all, Syria had been on the neocon “regime change” list as long as Iraq and was supposed to follow the 2003 Iraq invasion if that neocon-driven adventure had not turned out so disastrously.</p>
<p>Still, the neocons would make Putin pay for his interference six months later by promoting an anti-Russian putsch in Ukraine, followed by U.S. and European Union sanctions to punish Russia for its “aggression.”</p>
<p>According to Jeffrey Goldberg who conducted a series of interviews with Obama for a lengthy article in The Atlantic, the President boasted about his decision on Aug. 30, 2013, to resist pressure for military action from many of his advisers and instead step outside what he called “the Washington playbook.”</p>
<p>Goldberg described the day as Obama’s “liberation day.”&#160;For Secretary of State John Kerry, however, Aug. 30 ended in disappointment after earlier that day he had shaken the rafters at the State Department bellowing for a U.S. attack on Syria.</p>
<p>Goldberg explained that having already caved in under hardline pressure to double down on sending more troops to Afghanistan for a feckless “counterinsurgency” operation in 2009, Obama was not in the mood for “seeking new dragons to slay” merely to preserve his “credibility.”</p>
<p>According to Goldberg, within the White House, Obama would argue that “dropping bombs on someone to prove that you’re willing to drop bombs on someone is just about the worst reason to use force.”</p>
<p>Nevertheless, Washington’s neocons and liberal hawks – along with the Saudis, Israelis and French – argued strenuously that Obama was obliged to “retaliate” for Syria’s alleged violation of the “red line” he had set a year earlier against Syria’s using – or merely moving – chemical weapons.</p>
<p>Goldberg wrote that Kerry told Obama that he was expecting the President to give the final order for a military strike on Syria on Aug. 31 – the day after Kerry’s afternoon cri de guerre and Obama’s evening volte-face.&#160;</p>
<p>Obama: Sensing a Trap</p>
<p>It took uncharacteristic grit for Obama to face down his advisers and virtually Washington’s entire foreign policy establishment by calling off the planned attack on Syria at the last minute.</p>
<p>Goldberg wrote that Obama had “come to believe that he was walking into a trap — one laid both by allies and by adversaries, and by conventional expectations of what an American president is supposed to do.”</p>
<p>Shortly after Kerry delivered his Aug. 30 philippic at the State Department, in which he blamed the Syrian government no fewer than 35 times for the chemical attack at Ghouta, Obama chose to spend an hour with his Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough, on the South Lawn of the White House.</p>
<p>Goldberg noted: “Obama did not choose McDonough randomly: He is the Obama aide most averse to U.S. military intervention, and someone who, in the words of one of his colleagues, ‘thinks in terms of traps.’”</p>
<p>It was an important conversation.&#160;In my view, Obama’s willingness to listen and then assert himself can be seen as a dress rehearsal for the kind of leadership that was required to hammer out a deal on the nuclear issue with Iran.&#160;The President ended up putting a tighter rein on Kerry and ordered him to avail himself of Moscow’s help in negotiating last year’s landmark deal restraining Iran’s ability to acquire a nuclear weapon.</p>
<p>In that venue also, Putin and Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov proved helpful, and both Obama and Kerry have expressed appreciation for Russia’s assistance in closing that major deal.</p>
<p>Still, in late September 2013, after the dust had settled regarding the Syrian mousetrap – with the Putin-brokered agreement on track to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons on a U.S. ship specially configured for that purpose – it must have become crystal clear to Obama that he had come within inches of letting himself be tricked into starting yet another unnecessary war.</p>
<p>The first step into that trap had come a year earlier, when he was persuaded to set down a red line against Syria’s using or even moving its chemical weapons.</p>
<p>At the end of an impromptu <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBRqRl6RbDM" type="external">press conference</a> on Aug. 20, 2012, NBC’s Chuck Todd primed the mousetrap with some cheese by asking what seemed like an expected question that Obama appeared ready to answer. Todd asked a two-part question (one part was about Mitt Romney’s taxes and the other about Syria’s chemical weapons).&#160;Obama eventually wound around to the Syrian part of Todd’s question:</p>
<p>“I have, at this point, not ordered military engagement …&#160;But the point that you made about chemical and biological weapons is critical.&#160;That’s an issue that doesn’t just concern Syria; it concerns our close allies in the region, including Israel.&#160;It concerns us. … We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized.&#160;That would change my calculus.&#160;That would change my equation.”</p>
<p>Clinton’s Hand</p>
<p>It is a safe bet that this&#160;answer was pushed by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her neocon advisers who had made no secret of their determination to topple Bashar al-Assad, one way or another.&#160;The Washington Post <a href="" type="internal">account</a> of the press conference suggests that White House staffers had been blindsided and were trying to put the best face on it.</p>
<p>Then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told Jeffrey Goldberg, “I didn’t know it [the red line] was coming.”&#160;Goldberg added that Vice President Joe Biden had repeatedly warned Obama against drawing a red line on chemical weapons, fearing that it would one day have to be enforced.</p>
<p>Ten days before Obama’s impromptu press conference, Clinton met with her Turkish counterpart in Istanbul and emphasized the need to jointly plan ways to assist the rebels fighting to topple Assad – including possibly implementing a no-fly zone. Clinton announced the establishment of a working group in Turkey to respond to the Syrian crisis, according to The Associated Press.&#160;The group would increase the Syrian involvement of the intelligence services and militaries of both the U.S. and Turkey.</p>
<p>“We have been closely coordinating over the course of this conflict, but now we need to get into the real details of such operational planning. It needs to be across both of our governments,” Clinton <a href="http://www.rt.com/news/clinton-turkey-syria-damascus-aleppo-437/" type="external">said</a>.</p>
<p>The urgent tone reflected the reality that in early 2012, Syrian government forces were beginning to prevail in key parts of the country.&#160;Middle Eastern history and politics Professor Jeremy Salt of Bilkent University, Ankara, noted that the Syrian opposition had little hope of being effective without help from the West.</p>
<p>Professor Salt pointed out that Damascus had mostly been cleared of rebels and Aleppo was on its way to being cleared, with the rebels very much “on the back foot.&#160; … that’s why Hillary Clinton is in Istanbul. To ask the basic question, ‘What’s next?’”</p>
<p>Foreign affairs analyst Richard Heydarian put it this way: “What the Clinton administration [sic] is trying to do right now is try to coordinate some sort of military approach with Turkey and possibly also with the help of Israel and Arab countries because they feel the opposition has a chance to retain its stronghold in Aleppo.”</p>
<p>These were signs of the times.&#160;Washington’s hawks felt something needed to be done to stanch rebel losses, and Turkey was eager to help – so much so that it appears likely that <a href="" type="internal">Turkey played a key role</a> in enabling and coordinating the sarin false-flag attack in Ghouta a year later. [Also, see “ <a href="" type="internal">A Call for Proof on Syria Sarin Attack.</a>”]</p>
<p>Evidence <a href="" type="internal">reported</a> by Seymour Hersh in April 2014 in the London Review of Books implicates Turkish intelligence and extremist Syrian rebels, NOT the “Syrian regime.”&#160;Hersh does his customarily thorough job of picking apart the story approved by the Establishment.</p>
<p>A Convenient Sarin Attack</p>
<p>So, sure enough, a sarin gas attack took place in Ghouta on Aug. 21, 2013, a year and a day after Obama set his red line.&#160;The Washington establishment and its surrogate media stenographers immediately blamed the attack on Bashar al-Assad – a pantomime villain whom Western media shoehorn into the same category as its other favorite bête noire, Vladimir Putin.</p>
<p>Of course, you would not have learned this history from reading the “mainstream media,” which operated with the same sort of “group think” that is demonstrated before the disastrous invasion of Iraq, but <a href="" type="internal">evidence</a> was available at the time&#160;and accumulating evidence since then has put the finger on jihadist rebels as the most likely sarin culprits.&#160;Intelligence reporting showed that they were getting sarin precursors from Europe via Turkey and making “homemade sarin.”</p>
<p>Though the behind-the-scenes story was ignored by the major U.S. news media, Hersh <a href="" type="internal">reported</a> that British intelligence officials promptly acquired a sarin sample from the debris of the Aug. 21 attack, ran it through their laboratory, and determined it NOT to be the kind of sarin in Syrian army stocks.</p>
<p>(Hersh holds the uncommon twin-distinction of being the quintessential investigative, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter during an earlier era of more independent American journalism and now being blacklisted from today’s U.S. “mainstream media” which shuns such independence in favor of government “access” and lucrative careers.&#160;This is why he must go to the London Review of Books to get published.)</p>
<p>In late 2013, Hersh <a href="http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n24/seymour-m-hersh/whose-sarin" type="external">reported</a> that the al-Nusra Front, a jihadi group affiliated with Al Qaeda had mastered the mechanics of making sarin and should have been an obvious suspect. But U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. (and a top proponent of “humanitarian” wars) Samantha Power told the media the opposite.&#160;After all, blaming the sarin attack on Assad was just what Power and the other hawks needed to push Obama into a major retaliatory strike on Syria.</p>
<p>Hersh noted that intelligence analysts became so upset with “the administration cherry-picking intelligence” to “justify” a strike on Assad that the analysts were “throwing their hands in the air and saying, ‘How can we help this guy [Obama] when he and his cronies in the White House make up the intelligence as they go along?’”</p>
<p>Writing in December 2013, Hersh asked if “we have the whole story of Obama’s willingness to walk away from his ‘red line’ threat to bomb Syria. … It appears possible that at some point he was directly confronted with contradictory information: evidence strong enough to persuade him to cancel his attack plan, and take the criticism sure to come from Republicans.”</p>
<p>We Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) <a href="" type="internal">tried to warn</a> Obama shortly after the sarin attack. But we have little reason to believe that our <a href="https://consortiumnews.com/vips-memos/" type="external">Memoranda to the President</a> are high on his reading list.</p>
<p>More likely, Obama was brought up short when, a few days before Aug. 30, 2013, he was paid a visit by James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence. According to Goldberg’s account, Clapper interrupted the President’s morning intelligence briefing “to make clear that the intelligence on Syria’s use of sarin gas, while robust, was not a ‘slam dunk.’</p>
<p>“He chose the term carefully. Clapper, the chief of an intelligence community traumatized by its failures in the run-up to the Iraq War, was not going to overpromise, in the manner of the onetime CIA director George Tenet, who famously guaranteed George W. Bush a ‘slam dunk’” regarding all those non-existent WMD in Iraq.</p>
<p>Or, who knows?&#160;We should allow for the chance that the President was told the truth by someone else in his entourage.</p>
<p>Pay-Back for Putin</p>
<p>For his part, Russian President Putin had the gall to think that Moscow’s help on Syria might bring a more cooperative spirit in Washington and a chance to cultivate healthy bilateral relations based on mutual interest and respect. He even suggested that Washington might consider abandoning the notion that the U.S. is more equal, so to speak, than other nations.</p>
<p>Perhaps a bit deluded in the immediate afterglow of having helped Obama steer away from an unnecessary war in Syria, Putin published a highly unusual op-ed in the New York Times on Sept. 11, 2013.&#160;Putin reportedly drafted the final paragraph himself.&#160;It is worth citing in full:</p>
<p>“My working and personal relationship with President Obama is marked by growing trust. I appreciate this. I carefully studied his address to the nation&#160;on Tuesday. And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is ‘what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.’ It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.”</p>
<p>So, if you are still wondering why the neocons and their complicit mainstream media have made Putin into the devil incarnate, think about his sin of pulling Obama’s chestnuts out of the fire in September 2013 when war with Syria was so tantalizingly close.&#160;The neocons would make Putin pay for that by moving into high gear plans for a coup d’etat in Ukraine&#160;six months later&#160;(Feb. 22, 2014), as Putin’s attention was focused on the Winter Olympics in Sochi and the fear that it would be disrupted by a terrorist attack.</p>
<p>In more than a half century watching U.S. presidential administrations develop foreign policy, I have not seen a more bizarre sequence of events.</p>
<p>[I provide more detail on the play-by-play during the fall 2013 imbroglio on Syria in a 30-minute <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnITcUQiK1Y" type="external">video</a>.]</p> | When Putin Bailed Out Obama on Syria | true | https://counterpunch.org/2016/09/01/when-putin-bailed-out-obama-on-syria/ | 2016-09-01 | 4left
| When Putin Bailed Out Obama on Syria
<p>Three years ago, when a reluctant President Barack Obama was about to launch an attack on Syria, supposedly in retaliation for President Bashar al-Assad crossing a “red line” against using chemical weapons, Obama smelled a rat – or rather he sensed a mousetrap.</p>
<p>Advised by some of his intelligence advisers that the evidence blaming the Syrian government for the lethal sarin attack was weak, Obama disappointed many of Washington’s neocons and liberal war hawks, including those in his own administration, by deferring action. He tossed the issue to Congress, thus guaranteeing a delay.</p>
<p>Precisely at that key juncture, Russian President Vladimir Putin took the pressure off Obama by persuading the Syrian government to destroy its chemical weapons, which Assad did – while still denying any role in the attack at Ghouta, just outside Damascus, on Aug. 21, 2013.</p>
<p>Washington’s hardliners were left aching for their lost opportunity to attack Syria by citing the Ghouta attack as a casus belli.&#160;But the evidence suggested, instead, a well-orchestrated Syrian rebel false-flag operation aimed at fabricating a pretext for direct U.S. intervention in the war on Syria.</p>
<p>With Putin’s assistance in getting Assad to surrender the chemical weapons, Obama was able to extricate himself from the corner that he had rather clumsily painted himself into with his earlier bravado talk about a “red line.”</p>
<p>But Washington’s irate neocons and many of their liberal-interventionist chums felt cheated out of their almost-war.&#160;After all, Syria had been on the neocon “regime change” list as long as Iraq and was supposed to follow the 2003 Iraq invasion if that neocon-driven adventure had not turned out so disastrously.</p>
<p>Still, the neocons would make Putin pay for his interference six months later by promoting an anti-Russian putsch in Ukraine, followed by U.S. and European Union sanctions to punish Russia for its “aggression.”</p>
<p>According to Jeffrey Goldberg who conducted a series of interviews with Obama for a lengthy article in The Atlantic, the President boasted about his decision on Aug. 30, 2013, to resist pressure for military action from many of his advisers and instead step outside what he called “the Washington playbook.”</p>
<p>Goldberg described the day as Obama’s “liberation day.”&#160;For Secretary of State John Kerry, however, Aug. 30 ended in disappointment after earlier that day he had shaken the rafters at the State Department bellowing for a U.S. attack on Syria.</p>
<p>Goldberg explained that having already caved in under hardline pressure to double down on sending more troops to Afghanistan for a feckless “counterinsurgency” operation in 2009, Obama was not in the mood for “seeking new dragons to slay” merely to preserve his “credibility.”</p>
<p>According to Goldberg, within the White House, Obama would argue that “dropping bombs on someone to prove that you’re willing to drop bombs on someone is just about the worst reason to use force.”</p>
<p>Nevertheless, Washington’s neocons and liberal hawks – along with the Saudis, Israelis and French – argued strenuously that Obama was obliged to “retaliate” for Syria’s alleged violation of the “red line” he had set a year earlier against Syria’s using – or merely moving – chemical weapons.</p>
<p>Goldberg wrote that Kerry told Obama that he was expecting the President to give the final order for a military strike on Syria on Aug. 31 – the day after Kerry’s afternoon cri de guerre and Obama’s evening volte-face.&#160;</p>
<p>Obama: Sensing a Trap</p>
<p>It took uncharacteristic grit for Obama to face down his advisers and virtually Washington’s entire foreign policy establishment by calling off the planned attack on Syria at the last minute.</p>
<p>Goldberg wrote that Obama had “come to believe that he was walking into a trap — one laid both by allies and by adversaries, and by conventional expectations of what an American president is supposed to do.”</p>
<p>Shortly after Kerry delivered his Aug. 30 philippic at the State Department, in which he blamed the Syrian government no fewer than 35 times for the chemical attack at Ghouta, Obama chose to spend an hour with his Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough, on the South Lawn of the White House.</p>
<p>Goldberg noted: “Obama did not choose McDonough randomly: He is the Obama aide most averse to U.S. military intervention, and someone who, in the words of one of his colleagues, ‘thinks in terms of traps.’”</p>
<p>It was an important conversation.&#160;In my view, Obama’s willingness to listen and then assert himself can be seen as a dress rehearsal for the kind of leadership that was required to hammer out a deal on the nuclear issue with Iran.&#160;The President ended up putting a tighter rein on Kerry and ordered him to avail himself of Moscow’s help in negotiating last year’s landmark deal restraining Iran’s ability to acquire a nuclear weapon.</p>
<p>In that venue also, Putin and Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov proved helpful, and both Obama and Kerry have expressed appreciation for Russia’s assistance in closing that major deal.</p>
<p>Still, in late September 2013, after the dust had settled regarding the Syrian mousetrap – with the Putin-brokered agreement on track to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons on a U.S. ship specially configured for that purpose – it must have become crystal clear to Obama that he had come within inches of letting himself be tricked into starting yet another unnecessary war.</p>
<p>The first step into that trap had come a year earlier, when he was persuaded to set down a red line against Syria’s using or even moving its chemical weapons.</p>
<p>At the end of an impromptu <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBRqRl6RbDM" type="external">press conference</a> on Aug. 20, 2012, NBC’s Chuck Todd primed the mousetrap with some cheese by asking what seemed like an expected question that Obama appeared ready to answer. Todd asked a two-part question (one part was about Mitt Romney’s taxes and the other about Syria’s chemical weapons).&#160;Obama eventually wound around to the Syrian part of Todd’s question:</p>
<p>“I have, at this point, not ordered military engagement …&#160;But the point that you made about chemical and biological weapons is critical.&#160;That’s an issue that doesn’t just concern Syria; it concerns our close allies in the region, including Israel.&#160;It concerns us. … We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized.&#160;That would change my calculus.&#160;That would change my equation.”</p>
<p>Clinton’s Hand</p>
<p>It is a safe bet that this&#160;answer was pushed by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her neocon advisers who had made no secret of their determination to topple Bashar al-Assad, one way or another.&#160;The Washington Post <a href="" type="internal">account</a> of the press conference suggests that White House staffers had been blindsided and were trying to put the best face on it.</p>
<p>Then-Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told Jeffrey Goldberg, “I didn’t know it [the red line] was coming.”&#160;Goldberg added that Vice President Joe Biden had repeatedly warned Obama against drawing a red line on chemical weapons, fearing that it would one day have to be enforced.</p>
<p>Ten days before Obama’s impromptu press conference, Clinton met with her Turkish counterpart in Istanbul and emphasized the need to jointly plan ways to assist the rebels fighting to topple Assad – including possibly implementing a no-fly zone. Clinton announced the establishment of a working group in Turkey to respond to the Syrian crisis, according to The Associated Press.&#160;The group would increase the Syrian involvement of the intelligence services and militaries of both the U.S. and Turkey.</p>
<p>“We have been closely coordinating over the course of this conflict, but now we need to get into the real details of such operational planning. It needs to be across both of our governments,” Clinton <a href="http://www.rt.com/news/clinton-turkey-syria-damascus-aleppo-437/" type="external">said</a>.</p>
<p>The urgent tone reflected the reality that in early 2012, Syrian government forces were beginning to prevail in key parts of the country.&#160;Middle Eastern history and politics Professor Jeremy Salt of Bilkent University, Ankara, noted that the Syrian opposition had little hope of being effective without help from the West.</p>
<p>Professor Salt pointed out that Damascus had mostly been cleared of rebels and Aleppo was on its way to being cleared, with the rebels very much “on the back foot.&#160; … that’s why Hillary Clinton is in Istanbul. To ask the basic question, ‘What’s next?’”</p>
<p>Foreign affairs analyst Richard Heydarian put it this way: “What the Clinton administration [sic] is trying to do right now is try to coordinate some sort of military approach with Turkey and possibly also with the help of Israel and Arab countries because they feel the opposition has a chance to retain its stronghold in Aleppo.”</p>
<p>These were signs of the times.&#160;Washington’s hawks felt something needed to be done to stanch rebel losses, and Turkey was eager to help – so much so that it appears likely that <a href="" type="internal">Turkey played a key role</a> in enabling and coordinating the sarin false-flag attack in Ghouta a year later. [Also, see “ <a href="" type="internal">A Call for Proof on Syria Sarin Attack.</a>”]</p>
<p>Evidence <a href="" type="internal">reported</a> by Seymour Hersh in April 2014 in the London Review of Books implicates Turkish intelligence and extremist Syrian rebels, NOT the “Syrian regime.”&#160;Hersh does his customarily thorough job of picking apart the story approved by the Establishment.</p>
<p>A Convenient Sarin Attack</p>
<p>So, sure enough, a sarin gas attack took place in Ghouta on Aug. 21, 2013, a year and a day after Obama set his red line.&#160;The Washington establishment and its surrogate media stenographers immediately blamed the attack on Bashar al-Assad – a pantomime villain whom Western media shoehorn into the same category as its other favorite bête noire, Vladimir Putin.</p>
<p>Of course, you would not have learned this history from reading the “mainstream media,” which operated with the same sort of “group think” that is demonstrated before the disastrous invasion of Iraq, but <a href="" type="internal">evidence</a> was available at the time&#160;and accumulating evidence since then has put the finger on jihadist rebels as the most likely sarin culprits.&#160;Intelligence reporting showed that they were getting sarin precursors from Europe via Turkey and making “homemade sarin.”</p>
<p>Though the behind-the-scenes story was ignored by the major U.S. news media, Hersh <a href="" type="internal">reported</a> that British intelligence officials promptly acquired a sarin sample from the debris of the Aug. 21 attack, ran it through their laboratory, and determined it NOT to be the kind of sarin in Syrian army stocks.</p>
<p>(Hersh holds the uncommon twin-distinction of being the quintessential investigative, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter during an earlier era of more independent American journalism and now being blacklisted from today’s U.S. “mainstream media” which shuns such independence in favor of government “access” and lucrative careers.&#160;This is why he must go to the London Review of Books to get published.)</p>
<p>In late 2013, Hersh <a href="http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n24/seymour-m-hersh/whose-sarin" type="external">reported</a> that the al-Nusra Front, a jihadi group affiliated with Al Qaeda had mastered the mechanics of making sarin and should have been an obvious suspect. But U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. (and a top proponent of “humanitarian” wars) Samantha Power told the media the opposite.&#160;After all, blaming the sarin attack on Assad was just what Power and the other hawks needed to push Obama into a major retaliatory strike on Syria.</p>
<p>Hersh noted that intelligence analysts became so upset with “the administration cherry-picking intelligence” to “justify” a strike on Assad that the analysts were “throwing their hands in the air and saying, ‘How can we help this guy [Obama] when he and his cronies in the White House make up the intelligence as they go along?’”</p>
<p>Writing in December 2013, Hersh asked if “we have the whole story of Obama’s willingness to walk away from his ‘red line’ threat to bomb Syria. … It appears possible that at some point he was directly confronted with contradictory information: evidence strong enough to persuade him to cancel his attack plan, and take the criticism sure to come from Republicans.”</p>
<p>We Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) <a href="" type="internal">tried to warn</a> Obama shortly after the sarin attack. But we have little reason to believe that our <a href="https://consortiumnews.com/vips-memos/" type="external">Memoranda to the President</a> are high on his reading list.</p>
<p>More likely, Obama was brought up short when, a few days before Aug. 30, 2013, he was paid a visit by James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence. According to Goldberg’s account, Clapper interrupted the President’s morning intelligence briefing “to make clear that the intelligence on Syria’s use of sarin gas, while robust, was not a ‘slam dunk.’</p>
<p>“He chose the term carefully. Clapper, the chief of an intelligence community traumatized by its failures in the run-up to the Iraq War, was not going to overpromise, in the manner of the onetime CIA director George Tenet, who famously guaranteed George W. Bush a ‘slam dunk’” regarding all those non-existent WMD in Iraq.</p>
<p>Or, who knows?&#160;We should allow for the chance that the President was told the truth by someone else in his entourage.</p>
<p>Pay-Back for Putin</p>
<p>For his part, Russian President Putin had the gall to think that Moscow’s help on Syria might bring a more cooperative spirit in Washington and a chance to cultivate healthy bilateral relations based on mutual interest and respect. He even suggested that Washington might consider abandoning the notion that the U.S. is more equal, so to speak, than other nations.</p>
<p>Perhaps a bit deluded in the immediate afterglow of having helped Obama steer away from an unnecessary war in Syria, Putin published a highly unusual op-ed in the New York Times on Sept. 11, 2013.&#160;Putin reportedly drafted the final paragraph himself.&#160;It is worth citing in full:</p>
<p>“My working and personal relationship with President Obama is marked by growing trust. I appreciate this. I carefully studied his address to the nation&#160;on Tuesday. And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is ‘what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.’ It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.”</p>
<p>So, if you are still wondering why the neocons and their complicit mainstream media have made Putin into the devil incarnate, think about his sin of pulling Obama’s chestnuts out of the fire in September 2013 when war with Syria was so tantalizingly close.&#160;The neocons would make Putin pay for that by moving into high gear plans for a coup d’etat in Ukraine&#160;six months later&#160;(Feb. 22, 2014), as Putin’s attention was focused on the Winter Olympics in Sochi and the fear that it would be disrupted by a terrorist attack.</p>
<p>In more than a half century watching U.S. presidential administrations develop foreign policy, I have not seen a more bizarre sequence of events.</p>
<p>[I provide more detail on the play-by-play during the fall 2013 imbroglio on Syria in a 30-minute <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnITcUQiK1Y" type="external">video</a>.]</p> | 2,831 |
<p>You may have heard that Social Security is broke, bankrupt, insolvent, or some other variation. This is simply untrue. In fact, Social Security has trillions of dollars in reserves and is expected to run a surplus this year. Here's the truth about Social Security's finances and what to expect for the future.</p>
<p>A full transcript follows the video.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than&#160;Wal-MartWhen investing geniuses David and Tom&#160;Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they&#160;have run for over a decade, the Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom&#160;just revealed what they believe are the&#160; <a href="https://www.fool.com/mms/mark/e-sa-bbn-eg?aid=8867&amp;source=isaeditxt0000476&amp;ftm_cam=sa-bbn-evergreen&amp;ftm_pit=6627&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=bc29c5ca-d4e9-11e7-b98d-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">ten best stocks Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;for investors to buy right now... and Wal-Mart wasn't one of them! That's right -- they&#160;think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.fool.com/mms/mark/e-sa-bbn-eg?aid=8867&amp;source=isaeditxt0000476&amp;ftm_cam=sa-bbn-evergreen&amp;ftm_pit=6627&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=bc29c5ca-d4e9-11e7-b98d-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of November 6, 2017The author(s) may have a position in any stocks mentioned.</p>
<p>This video was recorded on Nov. 27, 2017.</p>
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<p>Michael Douglass: Let's head on over to myth No. 5. This one is kind of a different myth from the others, because if people believe it, it might be in some ways better for them. We'll get to that in a minute. Myth No. 5: Social Security is going broke.</p>
<p>Matt Frankel: Yeah. This is one that, in all honesty, I asked Michael to include in the show because it bothers me a lot, just because of the sheer number of people, especially the younger generation, who believe it. The reality is, Social Security has nearly $3 trillion in reserves. That's enough that if we stopped charging Social Security tax and did nothing else, it could sustain the program for several years. Not only that, Social Security is actually running a surplus right now. Social Security brought in, I think, about $35 billion more than it paid out last year, and it's expected to do the same over the next five or six years. It's beyond that where the problem is. So there's some truth to this myth in that eventually, the number of retirees is going to grow, and it's going to be paying out a little bit more. But Social Security is not close to broke right now. The latest forecasts say, by 2044 is when it will run out of reserves. And keep in mind, there's still going to be payroll tax flowing into it. So, worst-case scenario, you'll see Social Security benefits have to be cut by a quarter. Social Security is not going completely broke or bankrupt, or whatever people want to say these days. It's just not true. That's almost $3 trillion and growing in Social Security's reserves.</p>
<p>Douglass: Yeah. What's interesting about this issue is, as you pointed out, even in the worst-case scenario, which is that no one -- not Congress, not anybody else -- no one figures out a way to fix the system or do things differently, and no one does anything at all, eventually the reserves will run dry. That is true. That's definitely going to happen at some point. But, even so, that would just necessitate a benefit cut. Of course, a benefit cut is a bad thing, to be clear. But it's not nearly as bad as Social Security going completely insolvent and not paying out at all. That's just really not on the table.</p>
<p>What's interesting about this is, at least for me, and Matt, I think this is probably true for you, too, I actually try to invest as if Social Security were going broke. Basically, my idea is to have enough money for retirement so that I'm not dependent on Social Security. I'm not thinking about Social Security. So whatever amount they're paying in benefits is gravy. It's icing on the cake. It's "insert other food metaphor." Instead, I can merely focus on living through my golden years and really enjoying them, and not be concerned about what might happen with a funding mechanism or a cost of living adjustment for Social Security, but really have enough in my savings that that's just not a concern.</p>
<p>Frankel: Right. This was what Michael was talking about, how this could actually be a good myth, in many ways, if you believe it. I'm 35. If I believe Social Security isn't going to be there when I retire, then I'm going, "Oh no, I'd better save a lot more for my retirement and build up a nice nest egg," which is honestly what people should be doing anyway. So in many ways, this is a very good myth, in terms of the effect that it could have.</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;referring_guid=bc29c5ca-d4e9-11e7-b98d-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Is Social Security Going Broke? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/11/30/is-social-security-going-broke.html | 2017-11-30 | 0right
| Is Social Security Going Broke?
<p>You may have heard that Social Security is broke, bankrupt, insolvent, or some other variation. This is simply untrue. In fact, Social Security has trillions of dollars in reserves and is expected to run a surplus this year. Here's the truth about Social Security's finances and what to expect for the future.</p>
<p>A full transcript follows the video.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than&#160;Wal-MartWhen investing geniuses David and Tom&#160;Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they&#160;have run for over a decade, the Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom&#160;just revealed what they believe are the&#160; <a href="https://www.fool.com/mms/mark/e-sa-bbn-eg?aid=8867&amp;source=isaeditxt0000476&amp;ftm_cam=sa-bbn-evergreen&amp;ftm_pit=6627&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=bc29c5ca-d4e9-11e7-b98d-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">ten best stocks Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;for investors to buy right now... and Wal-Mart wasn't one of them! That's right -- they&#160;think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.fool.com/mms/mark/e-sa-bbn-eg?aid=8867&amp;source=isaeditxt0000476&amp;ftm_cam=sa-bbn-evergreen&amp;ftm_pit=6627&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=bc29c5ca-d4e9-11e7-b98d-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of November 6, 2017The author(s) may have a position in any stocks mentioned.</p>
<p>This video was recorded on Nov. 27, 2017.</p>
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<p>Michael Douglass: Let's head on over to myth No. 5. This one is kind of a different myth from the others, because if people believe it, it might be in some ways better for them. We'll get to that in a minute. Myth No. 5: Social Security is going broke.</p>
<p>Matt Frankel: Yeah. This is one that, in all honesty, I asked Michael to include in the show because it bothers me a lot, just because of the sheer number of people, especially the younger generation, who believe it. The reality is, Social Security has nearly $3 trillion in reserves. That's enough that if we stopped charging Social Security tax and did nothing else, it could sustain the program for several years. Not only that, Social Security is actually running a surplus right now. Social Security brought in, I think, about $35 billion more than it paid out last year, and it's expected to do the same over the next five or six years. It's beyond that where the problem is. So there's some truth to this myth in that eventually, the number of retirees is going to grow, and it's going to be paying out a little bit more. But Social Security is not close to broke right now. The latest forecasts say, by 2044 is when it will run out of reserves. And keep in mind, there's still going to be payroll tax flowing into it. So, worst-case scenario, you'll see Social Security benefits have to be cut by a quarter. Social Security is not going completely broke or bankrupt, or whatever people want to say these days. It's just not true. That's almost $3 trillion and growing in Social Security's reserves.</p>
<p>Douglass: Yeah. What's interesting about this issue is, as you pointed out, even in the worst-case scenario, which is that no one -- not Congress, not anybody else -- no one figures out a way to fix the system or do things differently, and no one does anything at all, eventually the reserves will run dry. That is true. That's definitely going to happen at some point. But, even so, that would just necessitate a benefit cut. Of course, a benefit cut is a bad thing, to be clear. But it's not nearly as bad as Social Security going completely insolvent and not paying out at all. That's just really not on the table.</p>
<p>What's interesting about this is, at least for me, and Matt, I think this is probably true for you, too, I actually try to invest as if Social Security were going broke. Basically, my idea is to have enough money for retirement so that I'm not dependent on Social Security. I'm not thinking about Social Security. So whatever amount they're paying in benefits is gravy. It's icing on the cake. It's "insert other food metaphor." Instead, I can merely focus on living through my golden years and really enjoying them, and not be concerned about what might happen with a funding mechanism or a cost of living adjustment for Social Security, but really have enough in my savings that that's just not a concern.</p>
<p>Frankel: Right. This was what Michael was talking about, how this could actually be a good myth, in many ways, if you believe it. I'm 35. If I believe Social Security isn't going to be there when I retire, then I'm going, "Oh no, I'd better save a lot more for my retirement and build up a nice nest egg," which is honestly what people should be doing anyway. So in many ways, this is a very good myth, in terms of the effect that it could have.</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;referring_guid=bc29c5ca-d4e9-11e7-b98d-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 2,832 |
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Coors Boulevard is no longer the only direct artery connecting southwest Albuquerque to Sandoval County. Now, Unser Boulevard will serve as a thoroughfare, with the last stretch of the Unser extension having been completed.</p>
<p>Mayor Richard Berry, City Councilors Dan Lewis and Ken Sanchez and West Side residents were among those on hand Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the approximately two-mile stretch of Unser between Paseo del Norte to Paradise in northwest Albuquerque.</p>
<p>The two-phase extension project cost $6.9 million, and its funding sources included impact fee and quarter-cent transportation tax money.</p>
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<p>With the new connection, Unser Boulevard now continuously spans 38 miles between U.S. 550 in Rio Rancho and Dennis Chavez Boulevard near the Southwest Mesa.</p>
<p>Berry called the completed extension “important infrastructure” and credited taxpayers for helping fund the project.</p>
<p>“Without the taxpayers this simply doesn’t happen,” the mayor said, adding that “none of this happens without great neighborhood support.”</p>
<p>The first phase of the Unser extension project, from Rainbow to Paseo, was opened in September to coincide with the start of school and help relieve traffic on the “education corridor.”</p>
<p>Crews broke ground on the just completed segment in December 2010.</p>
<p>City Councilor Dan Lewis, who represents the northwest area, said the extension was the first bill he sponsored on the council and it was the first bill signed by Berry.</p>
<p>“I’m very grateful for this day,” Lewis said Tuesday. “It’s exciting to complete projects like this. This completes a major arterial and will ease up the congestion along Coors and other arteries.”</p>
<p>Lewis called the project an “example of the power of public involvement.”</p>
<p>Fellow West Side City Councilor Ken Sanchez said it was a 16-year fight to bring the project to fruition.</p>
<p>“This is a community effort,” Sanchez said. “When we are united as a community, there is nothing we cannot do.” — This article appeared on page 1 of the West Side Journal</p> | Connection Opens | false | https://abqjournal.com/95541/connection-opens.html | 2012-03-22 | 2least
| Connection Opens
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<p />
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Coors Boulevard is no longer the only direct artery connecting southwest Albuquerque to Sandoval County. Now, Unser Boulevard will serve as a thoroughfare, with the last stretch of the Unser extension having been completed.</p>
<p>Mayor Richard Berry, City Councilors Dan Lewis and Ken Sanchez and West Side residents were among those on hand Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the approximately two-mile stretch of Unser between Paseo del Norte to Paradise in northwest Albuquerque.</p>
<p>The two-phase extension project cost $6.9 million, and its funding sources included impact fee and quarter-cent transportation tax money.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>With the new connection, Unser Boulevard now continuously spans 38 miles between U.S. 550 in Rio Rancho and Dennis Chavez Boulevard near the Southwest Mesa.</p>
<p>Berry called the completed extension “important infrastructure” and credited taxpayers for helping fund the project.</p>
<p>“Without the taxpayers this simply doesn’t happen,” the mayor said, adding that “none of this happens without great neighborhood support.”</p>
<p>The first phase of the Unser extension project, from Rainbow to Paseo, was opened in September to coincide with the start of school and help relieve traffic on the “education corridor.”</p>
<p>Crews broke ground on the just completed segment in December 2010.</p>
<p>City Councilor Dan Lewis, who represents the northwest area, said the extension was the first bill he sponsored on the council and it was the first bill signed by Berry.</p>
<p>“I’m very grateful for this day,” Lewis said Tuesday. “It’s exciting to complete projects like this. This completes a major arterial and will ease up the congestion along Coors and other arteries.”</p>
<p>Lewis called the project an “example of the power of public involvement.”</p>
<p>Fellow West Side City Councilor Ken Sanchez said it was a 16-year fight to bring the project to fruition.</p>
<p>“This is a community effort,” Sanchez said. “When we are united as a community, there is nothing we cannot do.” — This article appeared on page 1 of the West Side Journal</p> | 2,833 |
<p>A black sociology professor at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, said whites should “f**king die,” calling them “inhuman a**holes,” on Twitter:</p>
<p>Johnny E. Williams, associate professor of sociology at Trinity since 1996, who has authored African-American Religion and the Civil Rights Movement in Arkansas and Decoding Racial Ideology in Genomics and is the author of the upcoming The Persistence of White Sociology, was voicing an opinion that is reminiscent of comments he has made before. Roughly ten years ago, Williams <a href="https://freestudents.blogspot.com/2008/12/trinity-college-in-uproar-over-fake.html" type="external">reportedly said</a> that because he was black, “I’m uncomfortable all the time on this goddamned campus.”</p>
<p>In 2015, Williams spoke at a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXSDqCp_xEI" type="external">forum called</a>, “Reform or Revolution: Building a World Movement for Socialist Change Today and Tomorrow.” Another speaker at the forum was Jeff Mackler, coordinator of the Mobilization to Free Mumia abu Jamal, the notorious cop-killer whose cause the Left has been championing for years.</p>
<p>Williams is not only anti-White, but a virulent anti-Semite as well; here’s <a href="https://www.blackagendareport.com/node/4268" type="external">something he wrote</a> in January 2015:</p>
<p>To accomplish our movement’s objectives we understand we cannot secure our human rights until all people are free of systemic oppression. For this reason the Black Lives Matter movement seeks common cause with other oppressed people. The centrality of ‘race’ is important for the movement but so too is centering gender, sexuality, class, militarism, and the experiences of oppression. To struggle against systemic racism without fighting to rid the world of sexism, heteronormativity, economic exploitation and domination is viewed by the movement as a piecemeal intervention that will not effectively dismantle white supremacy and its associated systems of oppressions. Because oppressions interlock and intersect, the Black Lives Matter movement understands the importance of working with similarly oppressed people to rout global white supremacy.</p>
<p>It does not escape Black Lives Matter participants that state violence techniques used by Israel to control and occupy Palestine are also being deployed against us. We are very much aware that police in the U.S. are receiving training from the Israelis on how to dehumanize and control us as “others” in order to shut down our dissent. Palestinians drew the connection too and sent solidarity messages to Ferguson protestors via social media advising them how to counter the effects of tear gas. One especially illuminating tweet read: #Ferguson: “The tear gas used against you was probably tested on us first by Israel. No worries, Stay Strong.”</p>
<p>… Unlike Ashkenazi Jews and ‘white’ Euro-Americans, Palestinians and blacks face police in full battle gear, ready to unleash their massive firepower on them. During the early stages of the Ferguson uprising a protestor, in the face of an overwhelming show of police force, yelled out, “You gonna shoot us? Is this the Gaza Strip?”</p> | Black Professor: Whites Are 'Inhuman A**holes' And Should 'F**king Die' | true | https://dailywire.com/news/17740/black-professor-whites-are-inhuman-assholes-and-hank-berrien | 2017-06-20 | 0right
| Black Professor: Whites Are 'Inhuman A**holes' And Should 'F**king Die'
<p>A black sociology professor at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, said whites should “f**king die,” calling them “inhuman a**holes,” on Twitter:</p>
<p>Johnny E. Williams, associate professor of sociology at Trinity since 1996, who has authored African-American Religion and the Civil Rights Movement in Arkansas and Decoding Racial Ideology in Genomics and is the author of the upcoming The Persistence of White Sociology, was voicing an opinion that is reminiscent of comments he has made before. Roughly ten years ago, Williams <a href="https://freestudents.blogspot.com/2008/12/trinity-college-in-uproar-over-fake.html" type="external">reportedly said</a> that because he was black, “I’m uncomfortable all the time on this goddamned campus.”</p>
<p>In 2015, Williams spoke at a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXSDqCp_xEI" type="external">forum called</a>, “Reform or Revolution: Building a World Movement for Socialist Change Today and Tomorrow.” Another speaker at the forum was Jeff Mackler, coordinator of the Mobilization to Free Mumia abu Jamal, the notorious cop-killer whose cause the Left has been championing for years.</p>
<p>Williams is not only anti-White, but a virulent anti-Semite as well; here’s <a href="https://www.blackagendareport.com/node/4268" type="external">something he wrote</a> in January 2015:</p>
<p>To accomplish our movement’s objectives we understand we cannot secure our human rights until all people are free of systemic oppression. For this reason the Black Lives Matter movement seeks common cause with other oppressed people. The centrality of ‘race’ is important for the movement but so too is centering gender, sexuality, class, militarism, and the experiences of oppression. To struggle against systemic racism without fighting to rid the world of sexism, heteronormativity, economic exploitation and domination is viewed by the movement as a piecemeal intervention that will not effectively dismantle white supremacy and its associated systems of oppressions. Because oppressions interlock and intersect, the Black Lives Matter movement understands the importance of working with similarly oppressed people to rout global white supremacy.</p>
<p>It does not escape Black Lives Matter participants that state violence techniques used by Israel to control and occupy Palestine are also being deployed against us. We are very much aware that police in the U.S. are receiving training from the Israelis on how to dehumanize and control us as “others” in order to shut down our dissent. Palestinians drew the connection too and sent solidarity messages to Ferguson protestors via social media advising them how to counter the effects of tear gas. One especially illuminating tweet read: #Ferguson: “The tear gas used against you was probably tested on us first by Israel. No worries, Stay Strong.”</p>
<p>… Unlike Ashkenazi Jews and ‘white’ Euro-Americans, Palestinians and blacks face police in full battle gear, ready to unleash their massive firepower on them. During the early stages of the Ferguson uprising a protestor, in the face of an overwhelming show of police force, yelled out, “You gonna shoot us? Is this the Gaza Strip?”</p> | 2,834 |
<p>If you're a programmer, you're probably always looking to&#160; <a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/skills-to-advance-your-career/" type="external">improve your skillset&#160; Opens a New Window.</a>and beef up your resume. IT recruiters certainly see programmers who inadvertently limit their job search options by focusing on the same languages, year after year. If you're thinking about learning a new language soon, a good bet would be Python.</p>
<p>Here's why Python would be the best investment in your career right now.</p>
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<p>Learning Python widens your job search options because it's a language that many companies want to use across various industries.&#160;This might be at least partially because it's free and lowers overhead costs.&#160;Python isn't just big in the tech space (which is, of course, huge in itself), though.&#160;It's also used in hot job sectors like Science, Medicine, Finance (Fintech), Retail, and Entertainment.</p>
<p>Python works for so many of the trends employers want to participate in right now.&#160;It's a language that works for Scrum and Agile development, which is much more popular than Waterfall.&#160;It's also a language that works better for open-source technologies, which many innovative, progressive employers want to use.&#160;Lastly, Python is a trendy language among employers because it gets frequent updates.&#160;Employers never see it as a stale, archaic language.</p>
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<p>Employers, especially in the tech space where it's a job seeker's market, want to pick languages that attract top talent.&#160;Make yourself a&#160; <a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/informed-candidate-survey/" type="external">more viable job candidate Opens a New Window.</a> by playing into this trend and adding Python to your arsenal.&#160;Python attracts programmers&#160;right now for a few reasons.&#160;Firstly, it's easy to learn (partially because it's so readable -- it includes English words). It's also being taught more and more frequently in universities and colleges.&#160;Secondly, it's popular among programmers who want an alternative to the highly corporate, controlled .NET, as it's open source.&#160;Lastly,&#160;IT staffing companies&#160;find that Python appeals to programmers because it's a craftsmen's language.&#160;It allows programmers to really show off their skills and demonstrate a deep mastery that other, less flexible languages don't allow.</p>
<p>This article <a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/and-more-information-technology-jobs/" type="external">originally appeared Opens a New Window.</a> on Glassdoor.com.</p>
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<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;referring_guid=64a8f7ae-d600-11e7-8f5e-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | This Language Will Help You Land (More) IT Jobs | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/12/05/this-language-will-help-land-more-it-jobs.html | 2017-12-05 | 0right
| This Language Will Help You Land (More) IT Jobs
<p>If you're a programmer, you're probably always looking to&#160; <a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/skills-to-advance-your-career/" type="external">improve your skillset&#160; Opens a New Window.</a>and beef up your resume. IT recruiters certainly see programmers who inadvertently limit their job search options by focusing on the same languages, year after year. If you're thinking about learning a new language soon, a good bet would be Python.</p>
<p>Here's why Python would be the best investment in your career right now.</p>
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<p>Learning Python widens your job search options because it's a language that many companies want to use across various industries.&#160;This might be at least partially because it's free and lowers overhead costs.&#160;Python isn't just big in the tech space (which is, of course, huge in itself), though.&#160;It's also used in hot job sectors like Science, Medicine, Finance (Fintech), Retail, and Entertainment.</p>
<p>Python works for so many of the trends employers want to participate in right now.&#160;It's a language that works for Scrum and Agile development, which is much more popular than Waterfall.&#160;It's also a language that works better for open-source technologies, which many innovative, progressive employers want to use.&#160;Lastly, Python is a trendy language among employers because it gets frequent updates.&#160;Employers never see it as a stale, archaic language.</p>
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<p>This article <a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/and-more-information-technology-jobs/" type="external">originally appeared Opens a New Window.</a> on Glassdoor.com.</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.&#160; <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;referring_guid=64a8f7ae-d600-11e7-8f5e-0050569d4be0&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;referring_guid=64a8f7ae-d600-11e7-8f5e-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 2,835 |
<p>DOVER, Del. — <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kyle_Busch/" type="external">Kyle Busch</a> denied <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Chase-Elliott/" type="external">Chase Elliott</a> a first-career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at Dover International Speedway on Sunday.</p>
<p>Busch passed Elliott on the final lap of the Apache Warrior 400 for his fourth win of the season and second in the three-race first round of the 2017 playoffs.</p>
<p>“It’s, no doubt, the moment that you live for,” Busch said. “It’s the moment that all these guys live for and what we do with this M&amp;M’s Caramel team, and this Toyota Camry was not the best there early on, but we made a lot of gains on it and got it where it was really good there at the end.</p>
<p>“And I was making the most out of it, there, and being able to run the top and get some speed going with some momentum around the top side, and I can’t say enough about Chase. I mean, he’s an awesome competitor and great kid, great friend. I raced with him in late models, and coming off of (turn) two, there, you know, he could have pulled up and checked up my momentum.</p>
<p>“I did kind of checkup, because I wasn’t quite sure, but then, he gave me enough room, and I put it back down and just kept my momentum up there, got along side of him and got ready for the entry to (turn) three.”</p>
<p>Elliott finished second, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jimmie_Johnson/" type="external">Jimmie Johnson</a> was third, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Martin_Truex/" type="external">Martin Truex</a> Jr. fourth, and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kyle-Larson/" type="external">Kyle Larson</a> rounded out the top five.</p>
<p>“I’m just so disappointed in myself,” Elliott said. “Golly, I couldn’t have had it any easier. It ran green from the stage break all the way to the end, and I gave it away. I appreciate my team and their efforts today. The pit stops were great and they kept us in the ballgame. I didn’t.”</p>
<p>Elliott led most of the 160 laps that made up the third stage of the race, taking the lead on the restart at the beginning of the final stage when previous leader, Larson, bobbled because of a power issue.</p>
<p>“It was a really good race,” Larson said. “I won that second stage and was the leader off pit road, and then my engine was kind of struggling firing up when I would cycle the engine and cool it down under yellows. It just didn’t re-fire that one time and had to restart fifth and fell back to sixth.</p>
<p>“Kind of hard to pass when I got back there. I couldn’t really move up the race track, because I would be in dirty air. We short-pitted, got to third, but fell back and finished fifth. I felt like, if I could have restarted the leader, I probably would have had a shot to win like the No. 24 (Elliott), but once I had restarted on the inside of the third row, I was kind of done unless I had a caution, which there wasn’t any left the rest of the race.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ryan_Newman/" type="external">Ryan Newman</a> managed to stay just in front of the leaders in the closing laps to finish on the lead lap, but still, he fell one point shy of displacing <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ricky_Stenhouse/" type="external">Ricky Stenhouse</a> Jr., who wasn’t on the lead lap, in one of the 12 advancing playoff positions.</p>
<p>Other drivers not advancing to round two are <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Austin-Dillon/" type="external">Austin Dillon</a>, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kasey_Kahne/" type="external">Kasey Kahne</a> and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kurt_Busch/" type="external">Kurt Busch</a>.</p>
<p>Newman missed advancing by two points, and his <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Richard_Childress_Racing/" type="external">Richard Childress Racing</a> teammate, Dillon, wound up four points shy of playoff advancement.</p>
<p>“The feeling is lucky, really,” Stenhouse said. “We caught the caution, there, right at the right time with a perfect amount of laps left in the stage to get stage points and that was the turning point of the day. Our Fastenal Ford was, definitely, not close to what we needed, especially the last two runs.</p>
<p>“We were close before the last two runs and made some adjustments, there, and really fell off. All in all, like I said, I feel lucky that we had all the mistakes at Chicago and really not a good car at Chicago, Loudon or Dover, but we still made it in. Really, it is hats off to the guys for fighting all day and it is nice that the round starts over.”</p>
<p>Larson and Truex Jr. combined to lead most of the first two stages that made up the first 240 laps of the 400-lap race. Larson won the second stage, but <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Brad_Keselowski/" type="external">Brad Keselowski</a> won stage one.</p>
<p>Keselowski was one of only five drivers who still hadn’t pitted when the yellow flag, followed by a red flag, waved for the first time on lap 87 for a Jeffrey Earnhardt wreck at the entrance of pit road that damaged a barrier of sand barrels.</p>
<p>After everyone but Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Stenhouse, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Danica_Patrick/" type="external">Danica Patrick</a> and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/David_Ragan/" type="external">David Ragan</a> already had pitted under green, those five drivers were the only ones on the lead lap when the yellow waved. Previous lead lap cars got back on the lead lap with a wave-around.</p>
<p>When the race restarted, Truex quickly got up to third and Larson sixth by the end of the first stage.</p>
<p>Busch got off pit road first to restart the second stage with the lead, but on lap 141, Larson got by him for the top spot and Truex took second.</p>
<p>NOTES: <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ryan-Blaney/" type="external">Ryan Blaney</a> dominated and won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Dover International Speedway on Saturday. … Jimmie Johnson is the all-time winningest driver at Dover with 11 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins, including the most recent race at Dover in June. Kyle Busch has 11 wins across all three NASCAR national series at Dover, including two in the Cup Series. … Martin Truex Jr. won last year’s playoff race at Dover. … Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne were the bottom four playoff drivers in the standings, heading into the Apache Warrior 400, the first elimination race of the 2017 playoffs, but Dillon was tied with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the 12th position, the last advancing position, in the standings. … Truex and Kyle Busch secured advancement to the second round of the playoffs with wins in the first two playoff races at Chicagoland Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski also were locked into the second round ahead of the Dover race by virtue of their position in the points standings … Third-place qualifier, Larson, was the only non-Toyota driver to start in the top six for Sunday’s race.</p> | 2017 Apache Warrior 400 results, leaderboard: Kyle Busch wins at Dover with last-lap pass | false | https://newsline.com/2017-apache-warrior-400-results-leaderboard-kyle-busch-wins-at-dover-with-last-lap-pass/ | 2017-10-01 | 1right-center
| 2017 Apache Warrior 400 results, leaderboard: Kyle Busch wins at Dover with last-lap pass
<p>DOVER, Del. — <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kyle_Busch/" type="external">Kyle Busch</a> denied <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Chase-Elliott/" type="external">Chase Elliott</a> a first-career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at Dover International Speedway on Sunday.</p>
<p>Busch passed Elliott on the final lap of the Apache Warrior 400 for his fourth win of the season and second in the three-race first round of the 2017 playoffs.</p>
<p>“It’s, no doubt, the moment that you live for,” Busch said. “It’s the moment that all these guys live for and what we do with this M&amp;M’s Caramel team, and this Toyota Camry was not the best there early on, but we made a lot of gains on it and got it where it was really good there at the end.</p>
<p>“And I was making the most out of it, there, and being able to run the top and get some speed going with some momentum around the top side, and I can’t say enough about Chase. I mean, he’s an awesome competitor and great kid, great friend. I raced with him in late models, and coming off of (turn) two, there, you know, he could have pulled up and checked up my momentum.</p>
<p>“I did kind of checkup, because I wasn’t quite sure, but then, he gave me enough room, and I put it back down and just kept my momentum up there, got along side of him and got ready for the entry to (turn) three.”</p>
<p>Elliott finished second, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jimmie_Johnson/" type="external">Jimmie Johnson</a> was third, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Martin_Truex/" type="external">Martin Truex</a> Jr. fourth, and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kyle-Larson/" type="external">Kyle Larson</a> rounded out the top five.</p>
<p>“I’m just so disappointed in myself,” Elliott said. “Golly, I couldn’t have had it any easier. It ran green from the stage break all the way to the end, and I gave it away. I appreciate my team and their efforts today. The pit stops were great and they kept us in the ballgame. I didn’t.”</p>
<p>Elliott led most of the 160 laps that made up the third stage of the race, taking the lead on the restart at the beginning of the final stage when previous leader, Larson, bobbled because of a power issue.</p>
<p>“It was a really good race,” Larson said. “I won that second stage and was the leader off pit road, and then my engine was kind of struggling firing up when I would cycle the engine and cool it down under yellows. It just didn’t re-fire that one time and had to restart fifth and fell back to sixth.</p>
<p>“Kind of hard to pass when I got back there. I couldn’t really move up the race track, because I would be in dirty air. We short-pitted, got to third, but fell back and finished fifth. I felt like, if I could have restarted the leader, I probably would have had a shot to win like the No. 24 (Elliott), but once I had restarted on the inside of the third row, I was kind of done unless I had a caution, which there wasn’t any left the rest of the race.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ryan_Newman/" type="external">Ryan Newman</a> managed to stay just in front of the leaders in the closing laps to finish on the lead lap, but still, he fell one point shy of displacing <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ricky_Stenhouse/" type="external">Ricky Stenhouse</a> Jr., who wasn’t on the lead lap, in one of the 12 advancing playoff positions.</p>
<p>Other drivers not advancing to round two are <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Austin-Dillon/" type="external">Austin Dillon</a>, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kasey_Kahne/" type="external">Kasey Kahne</a> and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kurt_Busch/" type="external">Kurt Busch</a>.</p>
<p>Newman missed advancing by two points, and his <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Richard_Childress_Racing/" type="external">Richard Childress Racing</a> teammate, Dillon, wound up four points shy of playoff advancement.</p>
<p>“The feeling is lucky, really,” Stenhouse said. “We caught the caution, there, right at the right time with a perfect amount of laps left in the stage to get stage points and that was the turning point of the day. Our Fastenal Ford was, definitely, not close to what we needed, especially the last two runs.</p>
<p>“We were close before the last two runs and made some adjustments, there, and really fell off. All in all, like I said, I feel lucky that we had all the mistakes at Chicago and really not a good car at Chicago, Loudon or Dover, but we still made it in. Really, it is hats off to the guys for fighting all day and it is nice that the round starts over.”</p>
<p>Larson and Truex Jr. combined to lead most of the first two stages that made up the first 240 laps of the 400-lap race. Larson won the second stage, but <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Brad_Keselowski/" type="external">Brad Keselowski</a> won stage one.</p>
<p>Keselowski was one of only five drivers who still hadn’t pitted when the yellow flag, followed by a red flag, waved for the first time on lap 87 for a Jeffrey Earnhardt wreck at the entrance of pit road that damaged a barrier of sand barrels.</p>
<p>After everyone but Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Stenhouse, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Danica_Patrick/" type="external">Danica Patrick</a> and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/David_Ragan/" type="external">David Ragan</a> already had pitted under green, those five drivers were the only ones on the lead lap when the yellow waved. Previous lead lap cars got back on the lead lap with a wave-around.</p>
<p>When the race restarted, Truex quickly got up to third and Larson sixth by the end of the first stage.</p>
<p>Busch got off pit road first to restart the second stage with the lead, but on lap 141, Larson got by him for the top spot and Truex took second.</p>
<p>NOTES: <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ryan-Blaney/" type="external">Ryan Blaney</a> dominated and won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Dover International Speedway on Saturday. … Jimmie Johnson is the all-time winningest driver at Dover with 11 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins, including the most recent race at Dover in June. Kyle Busch has 11 wins across all three NASCAR national series at Dover, including two in the Cup Series. … Martin Truex Jr. won last year’s playoff race at Dover. … Austin Dillon, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne were the bottom four playoff drivers in the standings, heading into the Apache Warrior 400, the first elimination race of the 2017 playoffs, but Dillon was tied with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the 12th position, the last advancing position, in the standings. … Truex and Kyle Busch secured advancement to the second round of the playoffs with wins in the first two playoff races at Chicagoland Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski also were locked into the second round ahead of the Dover race by virtue of their position in the points standings … Third-place qualifier, Larson, was the only non-Toyota driver to start in the top six for Sunday’s race.</p> | 2,836 |
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<p>DENVER — Colorado water officials will get an update on mountain snowpack and an early look at potential flooding threats from the spring runoff on Tuesday.</p>
<p>State task forces on water availability and on floods are holding a joint meeting to hear reports on weather forecasts, snow levels and the possibility of flooding when spring arrives in the high country and the snow begins to melt.</p>
<p>Colorado’s snowpack is closely watched because it provides water for four major river systems that originate in the state: The Colorado, the Platte, the Arkansas and the Rio Grande.</p>
<p>The Colorado River is under especially close scrutiny because it helps supply California, which is in the midst of a historic drought. The most recent assessment available showed 40 percent of California was in an exceptional drought, the driest of five categories used by the federal government’s U.S. Drought Monitor. Nearly 28 percent was in an extreme drought, the second-driest category.</p>
<p>In Colorado, the snowpack in the mountains and valleys that directly feed the Colorado River was 91 percent of the long-term average Monday. In three other Colorado basins that eventually feed into the Colorado River, the snowpack was 73 to 81 percent of average.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>East of the Continental Divide, snowpack in the basin that feeds the South Platte was 104 percent of average, while the North Platte River basin was at 86 percent. The North Platte flows north into Wyoming before turning east into Nebraska, where it joins the South Platte to form the Platte River.</p>
<p>The Arkansas River basin had 96 percent of average snowpack, and the Upper Rio Grande basin had 80 percent.</p>
<p>Rain or extended warm spells in springtime can hasten the spring runoff and trigger floods by putting more snowmelt into Colorado’s rivers and streams than they can handle.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>Follow Dan Elliott at <a href="http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP" type="external">http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP</a></p> | Colorado experts to update snowpack, flood outlook | false | https://abqjournal.com/556664/colorado-experts-to-update-snowpack-flood-outlook.html | 2least
| Colorado experts to update snowpack, flood outlook
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ap file</p>
<p>DENVER — Colorado water officials will get an update on mountain snowpack and an early look at potential flooding threats from the spring runoff on Tuesday.</p>
<p>State task forces on water availability and on floods are holding a joint meeting to hear reports on weather forecasts, snow levels and the possibility of flooding when spring arrives in the high country and the snow begins to melt.</p>
<p>Colorado’s snowpack is closely watched because it provides water for four major river systems that originate in the state: The Colorado, the Platte, the Arkansas and the Rio Grande.</p>
<p>The Colorado River is under especially close scrutiny because it helps supply California, which is in the midst of a historic drought. The most recent assessment available showed 40 percent of California was in an exceptional drought, the driest of five categories used by the federal government’s U.S. Drought Monitor. Nearly 28 percent was in an extreme drought, the second-driest category.</p>
<p>In Colorado, the snowpack in the mountains and valleys that directly feed the Colorado River was 91 percent of the long-term average Monday. In three other Colorado basins that eventually feed into the Colorado River, the snowpack was 73 to 81 percent of average.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>East of the Continental Divide, snowpack in the basin that feeds the South Platte was 104 percent of average, while the North Platte River basin was at 86 percent. The North Platte flows north into Wyoming before turning east into Nebraska, where it joins the South Platte to form the Platte River.</p>
<p>The Arkansas River basin had 96 percent of average snowpack, and the Upper Rio Grande basin had 80 percent.</p>
<p>Rain or extended warm spells in springtime can hasten the spring runoff and trigger floods by putting more snowmelt into Colorado’s rivers and streams than they can handle.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>Follow Dan Elliott at <a href="http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP" type="external">http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP</a></p> | 2,837 |
|
<p>It was 4:30 a.m. and no one said a word.</p>
<p>Jorge Mariscal, his mother and his aunt were on their way to Loyola University Medical Center. It was the moment they all had been anticipating for years and finally it had arrived.</p>
<p>Sonia Lopez was donating her kidney to her 24-year-old son. Mariscal had been on dialysis for seven years and his only obstacle in getting a new kidney was his legal status. After submitting letters to hospital boards, conducting marches and a hunger strike on June 3, Loyola agreed to cover the costs of the transplant.</p>
<p>Here is the story of the long-awaited Dec. 6 surgery.</p>
<p>Mariscal and his mother share a laugh. “I'm glad I didn’t get your bladder," he jokes. "She is always going to the restroom.”</p>
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<p>The Day Before: Jorge Mariscal has dinner at the Tilted Kilt in Schaumburg with two friends from middle school.</p>
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<p>After dinner, Mariscal’s friends wish him luck and they say goodbye.</p>
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<p>4:30 a.m. Jorge Mariscal and his mother Sonia Lopez make their way toward their black Dodge Stratus to leave for Loyola University Medical Center.</p>
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<p>Mariscal’s aunt, a family friend and his mother walk to the surgery waiting room after arriving at Loyola University Medical Center.</p>
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<p>Sonia Lopez, left, is comforted by her friend Laura as they make their way inside the hospital. Lopez is donating her right kidney to her son.</p>
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<p>Mariscal waits outside the surgery waiting room and sends text messages to his friends to pass the time before the surgery.</p>
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<p>5:00 a.m. In the surgery waiting room, Mariscal and his mother continue to wait. Lopez seemed calm, but Mariscal was nervously pacing outside the waiting room.</p>
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<p>5:36 a.m. Their names were called and Lopez gets up from her seat to begin the pre-surgery protocol.</p>
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<p>Lopez and her sister Norma hug before heading into surgery.</p>
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<p>6:03 a.m. Relatives in the waiting room receive a picture message from Mariscal as he and his mother prepare to go under the knife.</p>
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<p>8:07 a.m. Friends and family members have coffee and wait.</p>
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<p>10:51 a.m. Friends and relatives wait. After more than eight long hours of waiting, the doctor gives them the news: the surgery went well and Lopez is available for visitors.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>3:25 p.m. Friends and family make their way up to the seventh floor to visit Lopez in her recovery room. They try to cheer her up, but she tells them not to make her laugh because it hurts too much.</p>
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<p>Lopez calls other friends who have been waiting for an update and explains that everything went well.</p>
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<p>Lopez’s sister, center, and friends joke about how they should ask the nurse to bring a margarita to cheer her up.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>5:06 p.m. A doctor helps Lopez get up from her bed and instructs her to walk around to help her regain her strength.</p>
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<p>Lopez struggles to take her first steps post-surgery.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>8:04 p.m. Her sister wheels Lopez to the Intensive Care Unit on the fourth floor where her son is waiting.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>8:06 p.m. Lopez arrives at her son’s room and immediately tears up. She was filled with joy—the surgery went well.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>Lopez thanked everyone in the room for their continuous support throughout the years.</p>
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<p>Mariscal thanks his mother for her donation.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>Mariscal and his mother share a laugh. “I'm glad I didn’t get your bladder," he jokes. "She is always going to the restroom.”</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>The Day Before: Jorge Mariscal has dinner at the Tilted Kilt in Schaumburg with two friends from middle school.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p> | Jorge Mariscal finally receives his long-awaited kidney transplant | false | http://chicagoreporter.com/jorge-mariscal-finally-receives-his-long-awaited-kidney-transplant/ | 2012-12-14 | 3left-center
| Jorge Mariscal finally receives his long-awaited kidney transplant
<p>It was 4:30 a.m. and no one said a word.</p>
<p>Jorge Mariscal, his mother and his aunt were on their way to Loyola University Medical Center. It was the moment they all had been anticipating for years and finally it had arrived.</p>
<p>Sonia Lopez was donating her kidney to her 24-year-old son. Mariscal had been on dialysis for seven years and his only obstacle in getting a new kidney was his legal status. After submitting letters to hospital boards, conducting marches and a hunger strike on June 3, Loyola agreed to cover the costs of the transplant.</p>
<p>Here is the story of the long-awaited Dec. 6 surgery.</p>
<p>Mariscal and his mother share a laugh. “I'm glad I didn’t get your bladder," he jokes. "She is always going to the restroom.”</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>The Day Before: Jorge Mariscal has dinner at the Tilted Kilt in Schaumburg with two friends from middle school.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>After dinner, Mariscal’s friends wish him luck and they say goodbye.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>4:30 a.m. Jorge Mariscal and his mother Sonia Lopez make their way toward their black Dodge Stratus to leave for Loyola University Medical Center.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>Mariscal’s aunt, a family friend and his mother walk to the surgery waiting room after arriving at Loyola University Medical Center.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>Sonia Lopez, left, is comforted by her friend Laura as they make their way inside the hospital. Lopez is donating her right kidney to her son.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>Mariscal waits outside the surgery waiting room and sends text messages to his friends to pass the time before the surgery.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>5:00 a.m. In the surgery waiting room, Mariscal and his mother continue to wait. Lopez seemed calm, but Mariscal was nervously pacing outside the waiting room.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>5:36 a.m. Their names were called and Lopez gets up from her seat to begin the pre-surgery protocol.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>Lopez and her sister Norma hug before heading into surgery.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>6:03 a.m. Relatives in the waiting room receive a picture message from Mariscal as he and his mother prepare to go under the knife.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>8:07 a.m. Friends and family members have coffee and wait.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>10:51 a.m. Friends and relatives wait. After more than eight long hours of waiting, the doctor gives them the news: the surgery went well and Lopez is available for visitors.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>3:25 p.m. Friends and family make their way up to the seventh floor to visit Lopez in her recovery room. They try to cheer her up, but she tells them not to make her laugh because it hurts too much.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>Lopez calls other friends who have been waiting for an update and explains that everything went well.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>Lopez’s sister, center, and friends joke about how they should ask the nurse to bring a margarita to cheer her up.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>5:06 p.m. A doctor helps Lopez get up from her bed and instructs her to walk around to help her regain her strength.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>Lopez struggles to take her first steps post-surgery.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>8:04 p.m. Her sister wheels Lopez to the Intensive Care Unit on the fourth floor where her son is waiting.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>8:06 p.m. Lopez arrives at her son’s room and immediately tears up. She was filled with joy—the surgery went well.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>Lopez thanked everyone in the room for their continuous support throughout the years.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>Mariscal thanks his mother for her donation.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>Mariscal and his mother share a laugh. “I'm glad I didn’t get your bladder," he jokes. "She is always going to the restroom.”</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p>
<p>The Day Before: Jorge Mariscal has dinner at the Tilted Kilt in Schaumburg with two friends from middle school.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">permalink</a></p> | 2,838 |
<p />
<p>The genius of investing is recognizing the direction of trends, but the uncertainty of the U.S. presidential election made it difficult to do that. Regardless of whether you wanted President Obama in office another four years, you should take comfort in the clarity his re-election provides for your portfolio. Here are some investment moves to consider.Do: &#160; - Overweight traded real estate investment trusts, but avoid non-traded REITs. (Aim for 10%-12% of your portfolio) - Feel comfortable investing in most energy-related companies, with the exception of coal. I believe we will see significantly higher oil prices due to our continuing monetary policy. This devalues the U.S. dollar and makes energy prices higher. (8%-10% of your portfolio) - Buy metals, such as gold, silver, platinum, copper. (No more than 15%, and divide equally) - Buy high-quality diamonds. Try to stay with 2- to 3-carat stones that are VVS1 to VVS2 quality. (Up to 5% of your portfolio) - Buy utility stocks, preferably through exchange-traded funds. (8%-12% percent of your portfolio) - Buy ETFs equally spread among the Russell 1000 index, Russell 2000 index, S&amp;P financial sector, agricultural stocks, master limited partnerships and pharmaceuticals. (20%-30% percent of your portfolio) - Invest in the Russell 2000 value index. It will outperform all U.S. indexes over the next 12 months. (Up to 5% of your portfolio) - Buy Philippine and Vietnam sector funds. (Up to 5% of your portfolio) - Invest in managed futures, which are perfectly positioned for the next four years. There are many ways to access these. (Up to 10% of your portfolio)Don’t: - Don’t invest in interest-rate sensitive long-term bonds (government, municipal and high-grade corporate bonds. High-grade corporate bonds trade very similarly to interest-rate sensitive bonds because of their credit quality.) If you currently own any of these, do a yield-to-maturity calculation to see what your total return is from today. Your yield-to-maturity may only be 1% or 2%, but you’ll have a 40%-50% chance of loss over the next 12 months. - Bond funds are very risky in this climate, especially those that invest in long-dated maturities. - Avoid developed Europe, emerging markets and (for now) all of Asia. A worldwide slowdown is coming and these markets are in the crosshairs of a major pullback. In the summer, Asia might start to do better.The views expressed in this article are those of Ed Butowsky of Chapwood Investments and may not apply to your personal investment situation. It’s important to consult with a financial advisor before implementing any strategy.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | Investment Moves to Make Right Now | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2012/11/09/investment-moves-to-make-right-now.html | 2016-03-04 | 0right
| Investment Moves to Make Right Now
<p />
<p>The genius of investing is recognizing the direction of trends, but the uncertainty of the U.S. presidential election made it difficult to do that. Regardless of whether you wanted President Obama in office another four years, you should take comfort in the clarity his re-election provides for your portfolio. Here are some investment moves to consider.Do: &#160; - Overweight traded real estate investment trusts, but avoid non-traded REITs. (Aim for 10%-12% of your portfolio) - Feel comfortable investing in most energy-related companies, with the exception of coal. I believe we will see significantly higher oil prices due to our continuing monetary policy. This devalues the U.S. dollar and makes energy prices higher. (8%-10% of your portfolio) - Buy metals, such as gold, silver, platinum, copper. (No more than 15%, and divide equally) - Buy high-quality diamonds. Try to stay with 2- to 3-carat stones that are VVS1 to VVS2 quality. (Up to 5% of your portfolio) - Buy utility stocks, preferably through exchange-traded funds. (8%-12% percent of your portfolio) - Buy ETFs equally spread among the Russell 1000 index, Russell 2000 index, S&amp;P financial sector, agricultural stocks, master limited partnerships and pharmaceuticals. (20%-30% percent of your portfolio) - Invest in the Russell 2000 value index. It will outperform all U.S. indexes over the next 12 months. (Up to 5% of your portfolio) - Buy Philippine and Vietnam sector funds. (Up to 5% of your portfolio) - Invest in managed futures, which are perfectly positioned for the next four years. There are many ways to access these. (Up to 10% of your portfolio)Don’t: - Don’t invest in interest-rate sensitive long-term bonds (government, municipal and high-grade corporate bonds. High-grade corporate bonds trade very similarly to interest-rate sensitive bonds because of their credit quality.) If you currently own any of these, do a yield-to-maturity calculation to see what your total return is from today. Your yield-to-maturity may only be 1% or 2%, but you’ll have a 40%-50% chance of loss over the next 12 months. - Bond funds are very risky in this climate, especially those that invest in long-dated maturities. - Avoid developed Europe, emerging markets and (for now) all of Asia. A worldwide slowdown is coming and these markets are in the crosshairs of a major pullback. In the summer, Asia might start to do better.The views expressed in this article are those of Ed Butowsky of Chapwood Investments and may not apply to your personal investment situation. It’s important to consult with a financial advisor before implementing any strategy.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | 2,839 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Several recent developments should ensure the county comes out ahead, County Manager Phil Rios said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The county soon will receive $1.46 million in federal PILT - payment in lieu of taxes - funds. PILT payments are intended to offset the loss of property taxes to local governments because of non-taxable federal lands in their jurisdiction. In addition, the Legislature passed the desired hospital funding bill and protected funding for the detention center and DWI programs.</p>
<p>Rios said almost every county department has stayed on track with budgets and property tax collections look encouraging. His latest projection is a $1.6 million surplus at the end of the fiscal year.</p>
<p>Revenues at the county detention center are below expectations because the county jail has had fewer inmates than anticipated this year, Director Al Casamento told the commission.</p>
<p>Casamento plans to install additional frame bunks at the jail. Rios said the bunks will bring 66 more inmates to the jail from Bernalillo County and federal prisons, which pay $62 and $67 per day, respectively, for inmates.</p>
<p>County reserves will fall from $8.1 million to at least $6 million, Rios said, because of capital expenditures.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>County Commissioner Don Chapman asked several questions about the $55 million bond debt the county incurred in 2004 to fund various projects. He questioned whether the county will be fiscally ready in 2016, when the annual debt service payment rises to $8.1 million.</p>
<p>The county has traditionally paid that debt service with the $4 million it receives each year from Intel Corp., Chief Financial Officer Larry Polanis said. The county receives that money for previously serving as an intermediary when Intel secured a bond to fund upgrades at its local plant.</p>
<p>Rios said that in 2015, the county has the option of refinancing the bond debt. The goal would be to obtain a lower interest rate, which would reduce the county's annual payments, which are currently set to increase.</p>
<p>Chapman said he would like to see each county department trim 10 percent from its budget for next year. He said he will scrutinize the budget of any department that claims it needs more money next year than this year.</p>
<p>Chapman said managers in the private sector don't question their bosses when told they will have to cut their budget. "That's the real world," he said, and "that's what needs to happen here at the county."</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Rios said each department head at the county has to ask, "How do we maintain our services?" He then told Chapman, "we are real world, too." Rios added the county has "a different view than private, we cannot make a profit."</p>
<p>"I've been here 15 years," Rios told Chapmen, "we have not increased this operational budget by that much."</p>
<p>County Commissioner Glenn Walters told Rios that he and Chapman want a different budget process with more transparency. He wants to start with what must be paid, followed by priorities and then a look at cuts to department budgets.</p>
<p>"In the 15 years you've been at the county, the budget's done nothing but explode here," Chapman told Rios, "and the reason is the county (population) grew like crazy."</p>
<p>Chapman said he wants to spend the current year's surplus on economic development. Walters said the county should boost the enrollment in its Summer Youth Employment Program.</p>
<p>County Commissioner Nora Scherzinger said local nonprofits like CASA and Haven House should compete for some of those funds. She also said the surplus should pay to fix county roads and prepare the judicial complex for an additional judge.</p> | County expects $1.6M surplus | false | https://abqjournal.com/361035/county-expects-16m-surplus-debate-arises-on-spending-it.html | 2least
| County expects $1.6M surplus
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Several recent developments should ensure the county comes out ahead, County Manager Phil Rios said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The county soon will receive $1.46 million in federal PILT - payment in lieu of taxes - funds. PILT payments are intended to offset the loss of property taxes to local governments because of non-taxable federal lands in their jurisdiction. In addition, the Legislature passed the desired hospital funding bill and protected funding for the detention center and DWI programs.</p>
<p>Rios said almost every county department has stayed on track with budgets and property tax collections look encouraging. His latest projection is a $1.6 million surplus at the end of the fiscal year.</p>
<p>Revenues at the county detention center are below expectations because the county jail has had fewer inmates than anticipated this year, Director Al Casamento told the commission.</p>
<p>Casamento plans to install additional frame bunks at the jail. Rios said the bunks will bring 66 more inmates to the jail from Bernalillo County and federal prisons, which pay $62 and $67 per day, respectively, for inmates.</p>
<p>County reserves will fall from $8.1 million to at least $6 million, Rios said, because of capital expenditures.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>County Commissioner Don Chapman asked several questions about the $55 million bond debt the county incurred in 2004 to fund various projects. He questioned whether the county will be fiscally ready in 2016, when the annual debt service payment rises to $8.1 million.</p>
<p>The county has traditionally paid that debt service with the $4 million it receives each year from Intel Corp., Chief Financial Officer Larry Polanis said. The county receives that money for previously serving as an intermediary when Intel secured a bond to fund upgrades at its local plant.</p>
<p>Rios said that in 2015, the county has the option of refinancing the bond debt. The goal would be to obtain a lower interest rate, which would reduce the county's annual payments, which are currently set to increase.</p>
<p>Chapman said he would like to see each county department trim 10 percent from its budget for next year. He said he will scrutinize the budget of any department that claims it needs more money next year than this year.</p>
<p>Chapman said managers in the private sector don't question their bosses when told they will have to cut their budget. "That's the real world," he said, and "that's what needs to happen here at the county."</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Rios said each department head at the county has to ask, "How do we maintain our services?" He then told Chapman, "we are real world, too." Rios added the county has "a different view than private, we cannot make a profit."</p>
<p>"I've been here 15 years," Rios told Chapmen, "we have not increased this operational budget by that much."</p>
<p>County Commissioner Glenn Walters told Rios that he and Chapman want a different budget process with more transparency. He wants to start with what must be paid, followed by priorities and then a look at cuts to department budgets.</p>
<p>"In the 15 years you've been at the county, the budget's done nothing but explode here," Chapman told Rios, "and the reason is the county (population) grew like crazy."</p>
<p>Chapman said he wants to spend the current year's surplus on economic development. Walters said the county should boost the enrollment in its Summer Youth Employment Program.</p>
<p>County Commissioner Nora Scherzinger said local nonprofits like CASA and Haven House should compete for some of those funds. She also said the surplus should pay to fix county roads and prepare the judicial complex for an additional judge.</p> | 2,840 |
|
<p>Photo from the Center for American Progress Action Fund, &lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanprogressaction/3821293202/"&gt;via Flickr&lt;/a&gt;.</p>
<p />
<p>Does John Kerry have good reason to be <a href="" type="internal">so optimistic</a> about a climate bill? The Washington Post reports that he’s getting strong signals that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid <a href="" type="external">wants a bill ASAP</a>, indicating that senators might be closer to a deal on climate and energy than many people around Washington have assumed.</p>
<p>Kerry indicated to reporters Tuesday that an energy package is still atop Reid’s agenda for the year. And in a statement to the Post, Kerry said that Reid is “deadly serious about making progress this year on climate and energy reform.” Reid met with Kerry on Tuesday after a he huddled with Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) to discuss the anticipated measure.</p>
<p>“Senator Reid made it clear to me the other day that he wants a bill and he wants it soon,” Kerry said. “I can’t give you an exact timeline, but we are working very very diligently with our colleagues and all of the stakeholders to think this through carefully and get this done right, and get it done in a way that can pass the Senate.”</p>
<p>Finance Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has been less enthusiastic about moving on a bill this year, saying earlier this week that he <a href="" type="external">doesn’t think it stands much of a chance</a> of going anywhere. His committee has jurisdiction over some key elements of the bill, like permit allocation and any revenues it may bring in.</p>
<p>Sources close to the climate debate at environmental and energy industry lobbying groups indicate that they, too, are getting positive signals that the Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman are getting close to a deal. Kerry indicated that they’ve close to agreement on key elements like a nuclear energy title, but the outstanding issue remains what kind of mechanism they will use to price carbon.</p>
<p>Barack Obama’s <a href="" type="internal">appeal to industry leaders</a> to support a cap also seems to have revived hopes that something will move forward soon. So we might well see the fruits of Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman’s efforts some time soon.</p>
<p /> | Reid Bullish on Climate Bill | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2010/02/reid-bullish-climate-bill/ | 2010-02-25 | 4left
| Reid Bullish on Climate Bill
<p>Photo from the Center for American Progress Action Fund, &lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/americanprogressaction/3821293202/"&gt;via Flickr&lt;/a&gt;.</p>
<p />
<p>Does John Kerry have good reason to be <a href="" type="internal">so optimistic</a> about a climate bill? The Washington Post reports that he’s getting strong signals that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid <a href="" type="external">wants a bill ASAP</a>, indicating that senators might be closer to a deal on climate and energy than many people around Washington have assumed.</p>
<p>Kerry indicated to reporters Tuesday that an energy package is still atop Reid’s agenda for the year. And in a statement to the Post, Kerry said that Reid is “deadly serious about making progress this year on climate and energy reform.” Reid met with Kerry on Tuesday after a he huddled with Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) to discuss the anticipated measure.</p>
<p>“Senator Reid made it clear to me the other day that he wants a bill and he wants it soon,” Kerry said. “I can’t give you an exact timeline, but we are working very very diligently with our colleagues and all of the stakeholders to think this through carefully and get this done right, and get it done in a way that can pass the Senate.”</p>
<p>Finance Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) has been less enthusiastic about moving on a bill this year, saying earlier this week that he <a href="" type="external">doesn’t think it stands much of a chance</a> of going anywhere. His committee has jurisdiction over some key elements of the bill, like permit allocation and any revenues it may bring in.</p>
<p>Sources close to the climate debate at environmental and energy industry lobbying groups indicate that they, too, are getting positive signals that the Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman are getting close to a deal. Kerry indicated that they’ve close to agreement on key elements like a nuclear energy title, but the outstanding issue remains what kind of mechanism they will use to price carbon.</p>
<p>Barack Obama’s <a href="" type="internal">appeal to industry leaders</a> to support a cap also seems to have revived hopes that something will move forward soon. So we might well see the fruits of Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman’s efforts some time soon.</p>
<p /> | 2,841 |
<p>Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), an <a href="https://canarymission.org/organizations/jvp/" type="external">anti-Semitic group</a> masquerading as a pacifist organization, wrote a press statement on March 23 defending Rasmea Odeh, a convicted Palestinian-Arab terrorist who <a href="http://legalinsurrection.com/2016/12/new-video-surfaces-implicating-rasmea-odeh-in-deadly-supermarket-bombing/" type="external">slaughtered two Jews</a> in a Jerusalem supermarket bombing in 1969. Odeh, who <a href="http://legalinsurrection.com/2016/12/feds-expand-immigration-fraud-indictment-of-convicted-terrorist-rasmea-odeh/" type="external">lied</a> to U.S. immigration authorities about her conviction and imprisonment in Israel for the bombing, will be <a href="http://www.freep.com/story/news/2017/03/23/woman-accused-terror-deported-under-plea-deal-no-jail-time/99560890/" type="external">deported</a> back to Jordan instead of facing prison time for committing fraud.</p>
<p>In response to her imminent deportation, JVP wrote the following <a href="https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/rasmea-odeh-wont-face-fair-trial-u-s-court/" type="external">statement</a>:</p>
<p>When a leader like Rasmea Odeh who fights for justice chooses to leave a fight, she knows the game is rigged.</p>
<p>Rasmea is leaving the U.S. court system, weighed down by the ever-present shadow of Israeli military regime which has already punished and tortured her.</p>
<p>Does Rasmea, Palestinian leader and seeker of justice, have a real chance for a fair trial in the current political climate and courts?</p>
<p>In the context of a Justice Department led by racist attorney general Jeff Sessions, a prosecutor with a record of demonizing Rasmea and her supporters, and a new indictment that turns her immigration trial into a repeat of the false charges of terrorism against her, Rasmea has made the difficult decision to leave the home and community she has built in the U.S. over the last 20 years.</p>
<p>JVP not only defends Odeh over the Justice Department rightfully pursuing the immigration fraud case against her, but it also labels her a freedom fighter and a "seeker of justice." It blames the "racist" Jeff Sessions for calling for her deportation based off "false charges of terrorism" against her. However, former Palestinian-Arab terrorist Aisha Odeh (no relation) implicated Rasmea in the same supermarket bombing that she was arrested, convicted, and imprisoned for.</p>
<p />
<p>Jewish Voice for Peace also invited Rasmea Odeh as a <a href="https://www.algemeiner.com/2017/02/06/jewish-voice-for-peace-host-convicted-palestinian-terrorist-rasmea-odeh-during-upcoming-national-conference/" type="external">speaker</a> at its conference, which is scheduled to take place from March 31 to April 2. JVP has a long history of anti-Semitic activity and slandering Israel. Members of Boston University's Students for Justice in Palestine <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elliott-hamilton/when-antisemites-use-jews_b_8951792.html" type="external">invited</a> JVP activists to campus in a failed attempt to separate Jewish identity from Zionism, the movement of self-determination of the Jewish people in their indigenous homeland of Judea. JVP <a href="https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/boycott-divestment-and-sanctions/jvp-supports-the-bds-movement/" type="external">endorses</a> the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel. Even the left-leaning Anti-Defamation League <a href="https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/documents/assets/pdf/israel-international/israel--middle-east/adl-report-jewish-voice-for-peace.pdf" type="external">states</a> the following about JVP:</p>
<p>JVP uses its Jewish identity to shield the anti-Israel movement from allegations of anti-Semitism and to provide the movement with a veneer of legitimacy. On its website, JVP recognizes its role as such, noting that the group's Jewish nature gives it a “particular legitimacy in voicing an alternative view of American and Israeli actions and policies” and the ability to distinguish “between real anti-Semitism and the cynical manipulation of that issue.”</p>
<p>Openly defending a Jew-killing terrorist is only the latest feather in JVP's anti-Semitic cap.</p>
<p>Follow Elliott on <a href="https://twitter.com/ElliottRHams" type="external">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ElliottRHams/" type="external">Facebook</a></p> | Jewish Voice For Peace Defends Jew-Killing Palestinian Terrorist | true | https://dailywire.com/news/14759/jewish-voice-peace-defends-jew-killing-palestinian-elliott-hamilton | 2017-03-24 | 0right
| Jewish Voice For Peace Defends Jew-Killing Palestinian Terrorist
<p>Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), an <a href="https://canarymission.org/organizations/jvp/" type="external">anti-Semitic group</a> masquerading as a pacifist organization, wrote a press statement on March 23 defending Rasmea Odeh, a convicted Palestinian-Arab terrorist who <a href="http://legalinsurrection.com/2016/12/new-video-surfaces-implicating-rasmea-odeh-in-deadly-supermarket-bombing/" type="external">slaughtered two Jews</a> in a Jerusalem supermarket bombing in 1969. Odeh, who <a href="http://legalinsurrection.com/2016/12/feds-expand-immigration-fraud-indictment-of-convicted-terrorist-rasmea-odeh/" type="external">lied</a> to U.S. immigration authorities about her conviction and imprisonment in Israel for the bombing, will be <a href="http://www.freep.com/story/news/2017/03/23/woman-accused-terror-deported-under-plea-deal-no-jail-time/99560890/" type="external">deported</a> back to Jordan instead of facing prison time for committing fraud.</p>
<p>In response to her imminent deportation, JVP wrote the following <a href="https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/rasmea-odeh-wont-face-fair-trial-u-s-court/" type="external">statement</a>:</p>
<p>When a leader like Rasmea Odeh who fights for justice chooses to leave a fight, she knows the game is rigged.</p>
<p>Rasmea is leaving the U.S. court system, weighed down by the ever-present shadow of Israeli military regime which has already punished and tortured her.</p>
<p>Does Rasmea, Palestinian leader and seeker of justice, have a real chance for a fair trial in the current political climate and courts?</p>
<p>In the context of a Justice Department led by racist attorney general Jeff Sessions, a prosecutor with a record of demonizing Rasmea and her supporters, and a new indictment that turns her immigration trial into a repeat of the false charges of terrorism against her, Rasmea has made the difficult decision to leave the home and community she has built in the U.S. over the last 20 years.</p>
<p>JVP not only defends Odeh over the Justice Department rightfully pursuing the immigration fraud case against her, but it also labels her a freedom fighter and a "seeker of justice." It blames the "racist" Jeff Sessions for calling for her deportation based off "false charges of terrorism" against her. However, former Palestinian-Arab terrorist Aisha Odeh (no relation) implicated Rasmea in the same supermarket bombing that she was arrested, convicted, and imprisoned for.</p>
<p />
<p>Jewish Voice for Peace also invited Rasmea Odeh as a <a href="https://www.algemeiner.com/2017/02/06/jewish-voice-for-peace-host-convicted-palestinian-terrorist-rasmea-odeh-during-upcoming-national-conference/" type="external">speaker</a> at its conference, which is scheduled to take place from March 31 to April 2. JVP has a long history of anti-Semitic activity and slandering Israel. Members of Boston University's Students for Justice in Palestine <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elliott-hamilton/when-antisemites-use-jews_b_8951792.html" type="external">invited</a> JVP activists to campus in a failed attempt to separate Jewish identity from Zionism, the movement of self-determination of the Jewish people in their indigenous homeland of Judea. JVP <a href="https://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/boycott-divestment-and-sanctions/jvp-supports-the-bds-movement/" type="external">endorses</a> the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel. Even the left-leaning Anti-Defamation League <a href="https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/documents/assets/pdf/israel-international/israel--middle-east/adl-report-jewish-voice-for-peace.pdf" type="external">states</a> the following about JVP:</p>
<p>JVP uses its Jewish identity to shield the anti-Israel movement from allegations of anti-Semitism and to provide the movement with a veneer of legitimacy. On its website, JVP recognizes its role as such, noting that the group's Jewish nature gives it a “particular legitimacy in voicing an alternative view of American and Israeli actions and policies” and the ability to distinguish “between real anti-Semitism and the cynical manipulation of that issue.”</p>
<p>Openly defending a Jew-killing terrorist is only the latest feather in JVP's anti-Semitic cap.</p>
<p>Follow Elliott on <a href="https://twitter.com/ElliottRHams" type="external">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ElliottRHams/" type="external">Facebook</a></p> | 2,842 |
<p />
<p>Women-owned businesses in the New York Tristate area certified by the Women President’s Educational Organization saw 221% growth in contracts in 2013.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>WPEO announced this week that the 1,600 women-owned businesses with its certification stamp completed 45,000 contracts between March 31, 2012 and April 1, 2013, an increase from 14,000 over the same period the previous year. For a $500 certification fee, the WPEO stamps businesses that meet a certain criteria, including being owned and managed by women. The organization operates as a regional affiliate of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council.</p>
<p>“In 1977, when 4.5% of businesses were owned by women, women-owned businesses tended to be in fashion, fitness and beauty,” says Marsha Firestone, Ph.D. and president of the WPEO. “Today, that’s no longer true. It’s everything from construction to health care to human resources, such as executive and temporary search.”</p>
<p>Firestone says the 221% increase is greater than expected, but she says corporations are increasingly realizing that women-owned businesses make great partners.</p>
<p>“If women make 85% of purchases – it’s a very large group to leave out,” says Firestone.</p>
<p>Female Entrepreneurs Still Face Challenges</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>According to Firestone, many female business owners are still experiencing challenges due to what she calls the “old boy’s network.”</p>
<p>“Women still don’t have the connections and don’t have the inroads,” says Firestone, which leaves many qualified women-owned businesses out in the cold when corporations are requesting proposals for lucrative contracts.</p>
<p>Networking is just one of the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs, according to a new survey of 300 women-owned small businesses conducted by American Express OPEN.</p>
<p>Only 39% of women in business say they are excellent when it comes to managing finances or accounting, while 27% say they position themselves as leaders in the industry in order to drive business. Additionally, just 26% of female entrepreneurs say they are excellent negotiators.</p>
<p>While these numbers suggest a lack of confidence among female entrepreneurs when it comes to important aspects of running a business, Firestone says business ownership remains the great equalizer for women.</p>
<p>“There’s still a long way to go,” she says, when it comes to achieving parity for women-owned businesses.</p>
<p>“Women are still only paid 75 cents [on the dollar, in the workforce], but when they have a small business, they can pay themselves what they want. It’s the only place where you have a greater opportunity,” says Firestone. &#160;</p> | Women-Owned Businesses Getting More Deals Done | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/09/23/women-owned-businesses-getting-more-deals-done.html | 2016-03-22 | 0right
| Women-Owned Businesses Getting More Deals Done
<p />
<p>Women-owned businesses in the New York Tristate area certified by the Women President’s Educational Organization saw 221% growth in contracts in 2013.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>WPEO announced this week that the 1,600 women-owned businesses with its certification stamp completed 45,000 contracts between March 31, 2012 and April 1, 2013, an increase from 14,000 over the same period the previous year. For a $500 certification fee, the WPEO stamps businesses that meet a certain criteria, including being owned and managed by women. The organization operates as a regional affiliate of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council.</p>
<p>“In 1977, when 4.5% of businesses were owned by women, women-owned businesses tended to be in fashion, fitness and beauty,” says Marsha Firestone, Ph.D. and president of the WPEO. “Today, that’s no longer true. It’s everything from construction to health care to human resources, such as executive and temporary search.”</p>
<p>Firestone says the 221% increase is greater than expected, but she says corporations are increasingly realizing that women-owned businesses make great partners.</p>
<p>“If women make 85% of purchases – it’s a very large group to leave out,” says Firestone.</p>
<p>Female Entrepreneurs Still Face Challenges</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>According to Firestone, many female business owners are still experiencing challenges due to what she calls the “old boy’s network.”</p>
<p>“Women still don’t have the connections and don’t have the inroads,” says Firestone, which leaves many qualified women-owned businesses out in the cold when corporations are requesting proposals for lucrative contracts.</p>
<p>Networking is just one of the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs, according to a new survey of 300 women-owned small businesses conducted by American Express OPEN.</p>
<p>Only 39% of women in business say they are excellent when it comes to managing finances or accounting, while 27% say they position themselves as leaders in the industry in order to drive business. Additionally, just 26% of female entrepreneurs say they are excellent negotiators.</p>
<p>While these numbers suggest a lack of confidence among female entrepreneurs when it comes to important aspects of running a business, Firestone says business ownership remains the great equalizer for women.</p>
<p>“There’s still a long way to go,” she says, when it comes to achieving parity for women-owned businesses.</p>
<p>“Women are still only paid 75 cents [on the dollar, in the workforce], but when they have a small business, they can pay themselves what they want. It’s the only place where you have a greater opportunity,” says Firestone. &#160;</p> | 2,843 |
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<p />
<p>This is their 13th year driving out to fiesta in their 36-foot fifth-wheel trailer from wherever they may be in their travels. Most recently, they drove in from Alabama.</p>
<p>And, no, these retirees aren’t tired of making the trip to the Duke City. (He cleans and preps the RV park; she helps with office tasks and other items that need doing.)</p>
<p>And, yes, they’re still enthralled with the hot-air balloon event and all it takes to make it happen.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“How can you get sick of the special shapes? You have to see the new ones every year,” Marty Waldie says.</p>
<p>They are among the estimated 1,200 volunteers who help make the Balloon Fiesta run smoothly, says Sandra Wylie, event coordinator for the fiesta. She estimates that 90 percent of the volunteers have been helping out for at least one year. And that number doesn’t include folks who help the chase crews or volunteer to help with parking and admission.</p>
<p>“They are truly the backbone of the event,” Wylie says of the volunteers. “We’ve had volunteers doing mailings and assembly. Then we have a ton of them on the field.”</p>
<p>Long-timers</p>
<p>Those volunteers could be doing a number of chores, from helping pilots to working in hospitality tents. Wylie says there are about 23 different areas people can help out in.</p>
<p>“We have people who have been volunteering for 35, 40 years,” she says.</p>
<p>And, about 25 percent of the volunteers travel from out-of-state to help out, like the Waldies.</p>
<p>“They come in on their own dime,” Wylie says. “They take time off work. It’s an amazing loyalty that people do that.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>For the Waldies, being retired means they have a flexible schedule and arrive in Albuquerque in early September to begin their volunteering duties.</p>
<p>“The best thing about it for me is meeting the people coming for the first time and telling them how great it’s going to be,” Marty Waldie says. “You can’t explain it. You have to experience it in person.”</p>
<p>Volunteers also get some swag, Wylie adds. A biggie is the free admission and parking at the fiesta. All volunteers also receive a T-shirt, invitations to parties, breakfast on the days they volunteer and a coveted Balloon Fiesta pin.</p>
<p>“My job is to recruit and keep people engaged,” Wylie says. “… and keep them excited about coming back to the event.”</p>
<p>Nonprofit efforts</p>
<p>Another volunteering effort at the fiesta involves the Kiwanis and Civitans and lots of other members from nonprofit groups who work together to make sure traffic and parking run smoothly.</p>
<p>The Balloon Fiesta pays the Kiwanis and Civitans to manage those areas throughout fiesta, Wylie says. And the Kiwanis and Civitans call on volunteers from nonprofit organizations interested in raising funds for their group to pitch in at fiesta.</p>
<p>Bob Hurd, a volunteer with the Civitans for 18 years, says he helps coordinate the parking at the fiesta.</p>
<p>He estimates that 100 folks volunteer on the busy fiesta days to help direct traffic. The nonprofit groups that help out get paid based on the number of hours the volunteers work, Hurd says. And that can add up to lots of hours, especially when two events are scheduled.</p>
<p>For many groups, he says, it’s the biggest fundraising effort of the year. For example, one high school ROTC group earned about $13,000 last year working parking, he says.</p>
<p>He says volunteers don’t like to have to turn people away from fiesta when the nearly 10,000 parking spots are filled.</p>
<p>“We tell people to get there early,” Hurd says. “Wait till the last minute … and there’s not enough parking spots.”</p>
<p>There’s a knack to squeezing in as many vehicle as possible, he says.</p>
<p>“There’s a method to how we park the cars in the parking lot. We try to have the cars make as few turns as possible into parking lots because it takes more time,” Hurd says. “We want to get cars into the parking lot as fast as possible.”</p>
<p>Dave Orner, dubbed the 2013 Fiesta Commodore for the Kiwanis, says this is the organization’s 28th year at Balloon Fiesta, where the organization puts volunteers to work selling admission, as well as directing vehicles to parking spots.</p>
<p>“We work with 100 organizations to secure volunteers, about 1,000 for the 15 events we have to staff,” he says.</p>
<p>The Balloon Fiesta pays the Kiwanis, who in turn pay the nonprofits who help out. He says high school groups going on trips to Europe find this is a great way to raise money.</p>
<p>Preparing for fiesta, he says, takes all year.</p>
<p>“It’s elaborate.”</p>
<p /> | Many volunteers ‘truly the backbone’ of fiesta | false | https://abqjournal.com/274410/many-volunteers-truly-the-backbone-of-fiesta.html | 2013-10-04 | 2least
| Many volunteers ‘truly the backbone’ of fiesta
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<p />
<p>This is their 13th year driving out to fiesta in their 36-foot fifth-wheel trailer from wherever they may be in their travels. Most recently, they drove in from Alabama.</p>
<p>And, no, these retirees aren’t tired of making the trip to the Duke City. (He cleans and preps the RV park; she helps with office tasks and other items that need doing.)</p>
<p>And, yes, they’re still enthralled with the hot-air balloon event and all it takes to make it happen.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“How can you get sick of the special shapes? You have to see the new ones every year,” Marty Waldie says.</p>
<p>They are among the estimated 1,200 volunteers who help make the Balloon Fiesta run smoothly, says Sandra Wylie, event coordinator for the fiesta. She estimates that 90 percent of the volunteers have been helping out for at least one year. And that number doesn’t include folks who help the chase crews or volunteer to help with parking and admission.</p>
<p>“They are truly the backbone of the event,” Wylie says of the volunteers. “We’ve had volunteers doing mailings and assembly. Then we have a ton of them on the field.”</p>
<p>Long-timers</p>
<p>Those volunteers could be doing a number of chores, from helping pilots to working in hospitality tents. Wylie says there are about 23 different areas people can help out in.</p>
<p>“We have people who have been volunteering for 35, 40 years,” she says.</p>
<p>And, about 25 percent of the volunteers travel from out-of-state to help out, like the Waldies.</p>
<p>“They come in on their own dime,” Wylie says. “They take time off work. It’s an amazing loyalty that people do that.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>For the Waldies, being retired means they have a flexible schedule and arrive in Albuquerque in early September to begin their volunteering duties.</p>
<p>“The best thing about it for me is meeting the people coming for the first time and telling them how great it’s going to be,” Marty Waldie says. “You can’t explain it. You have to experience it in person.”</p>
<p>Volunteers also get some swag, Wylie adds. A biggie is the free admission and parking at the fiesta. All volunteers also receive a T-shirt, invitations to parties, breakfast on the days they volunteer and a coveted Balloon Fiesta pin.</p>
<p>“My job is to recruit and keep people engaged,” Wylie says. “… and keep them excited about coming back to the event.”</p>
<p>Nonprofit efforts</p>
<p>Another volunteering effort at the fiesta involves the Kiwanis and Civitans and lots of other members from nonprofit groups who work together to make sure traffic and parking run smoothly.</p>
<p>The Balloon Fiesta pays the Kiwanis and Civitans to manage those areas throughout fiesta, Wylie says. And the Kiwanis and Civitans call on volunteers from nonprofit organizations interested in raising funds for their group to pitch in at fiesta.</p>
<p>Bob Hurd, a volunteer with the Civitans for 18 years, says he helps coordinate the parking at the fiesta.</p>
<p>He estimates that 100 folks volunteer on the busy fiesta days to help direct traffic. The nonprofit groups that help out get paid based on the number of hours the volunteers work, Hurd says. And that can add up to lots of hours, especially when two events are scheduled.</p>
<p>For many groups, he says, it’s the biggest fundraising effort of the year. For example, one high school ROTC group earned about $13,000 last year working parking, he says.</p>
<p>He says volunteers don’t like to have to turn people away from fiesta when the nearly 10,000 parking spots are filled.</p>
<p>“We tell people to get there early,” Hurd says. “Wait till the last minute … and there’s not enough parking spots.”</p>
<p>There’s a knack to squeezing in as many vehicle as possible, he says.</p>
<p>“There’s a method to how we park the cars in the parking lot. We try to have the cars make as few turns as possible into parking lots because it takes more time,” Hurd says. “We want to get cars into the parking lot as fast as possible.”</p>
<p>Dave Orner, dubbed the 2013 Fiesta Commodore for the Kiwanis, says this is the organization’s 28th year at Balloon Fiesta, where the organization puts volunteers to work selling admission, as well as directing vehicles to parking spots.</p>
<p>“We work with 100 organizations to secure volunteers, about 1,000 for the 15 events we have to staff,” he says.</p>
<p>The Balloon Fiesta pays the Kiwanis, who in turn pay the nonprofits who help out. He says high school groups going on trips to Europe find this is a great way to raise money.</p>
<p>Preparing for fiesta, he says, takes all year.</p>
<p>“It’s elaborate.”</p>
<p /> | 2,844 |
<p>Statutory rape laws are supposed to protect children from sexual predators. But prosecutors sometimes use these age-of-consent laws to bust teenagers who are just several years apart, and in consensual relationships. Some parents say they are interpreting the law too literally.</p>
<p>The latest case that's been making headlines involves a young lesbian couple in Florida. Kaitlyn Hunt &#160;turned 18 in September and began dating a 15-year-old girl.&#160;Hunt's mother&#160; <a href="http://www.10news.com/news/u-s-world/kaitlyn-hunt-supporters-want-charges-dropped-in-same-sex-relationship05202013" type="external">told WPTV</a>&#160;that the relationship was consensual.</p>
<p>But technically, the age-of-consent in Florida is 18. So the other girl's parents called the police, who then <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/florida-student-18-criminally-charged-lesbian-relationship-article-1.1348422" type="external">arrested Kaitlyn on charges of</a> "lewd and lascivious battery of a child 12 to 16 years old."</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost:&#160; <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/130105/ohio-citys-website-update-community-rape-case" type="external">Ohio city's website to update community on rape case</a></p>
<p>In a Facebook post, Kaitlyn's mother says that the relationship was completely consensual, and that the other girl's parents never brought up any concerns directly with her. "They are out to destroy my daughter, because they feel like she ‘made’ their daughter gay," <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/192262314259128/doc/192326077586085/" type="external">the mother wrote</a>.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/assistant-state-attorney-brian-workman-stop-the-prosecution-of-an-18-year-old-girl-in-a-same-sex-relationship" type="external">Change.org petition supporting Kaitlyn</a> currently has over 59,000 signatures.&#160;</p>
<p>It's not just gay teens who complain about subjective enforcement of age-of-consent laws. In particularly controversial cases, minors who have "sexted" naked pictures of themselves to other minors have been charged with distributing child pornography.</p>
<p>"While minors may regard 'sexting' as no big deal, since it is consensual and usually between friends, the law takes a different stance – minors can be arrested under current child pornography laws, and defendants can be sentenced to a minimum of five years in a federal prison," <a href="http://www.brill-legal.com/Sex-Crimes/Child-Pornography-to-a-Minor.shtml" type="external">wrote the Brill Legal Group</a>, a firm that represents minors facing such charges.&#160;</p>
<p>And <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/us/21sexting.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0" type="external">the New York Times reported in 2010</a> that an 18-year-old was convicted of distributing obscene materials to a minor after a 14-year-old female friend asked him for a picture of his penis.&#160;</p> | Kaitlyn Hunt, 18, expelled and charged with felony for same-sex relationship with 15-year-old | false | https://pri.org/stories/2013-05-20/kaitlyn-hunt-18-expelled-and-charged-felony-same-sex-relationship-15-year-old | 2013-05-20 | 3left-center
| Kaitlyn Hunt, 18, expelled and charged with felony for same-sex relationship with 15-year-old
<p>Statutory rape laws are supposed to protect children from sexual predators. But prosecutors sometimes use these age-of-consent laws to bust teenagers who are just several years apart, and in consensual relationships. Some parents say they are interpreting the law too literally.</p>
<p>The latest case that's been making headlines involves a young lesbian couple in Florida. Kaitlyn Hunt &#160;turned 18 in September and began dating a 15-year-old girl.&#160;Hunt's mother&#160; <a href="http://www.10news.com/news/u-s-world/kaitlyn-hunt-supporters-want-charges-dropped-in-same-sex-relationship05202013" type="external">told WPTV</a>&#160;that the relationship was consensual.</p>
<p>But technically, the age-of-consent in Florida is 18. So the other girl's parents called the police, who then <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/florida-student-18-criminally-charged-lesbian-relationship-article-1.1348422" type="external">arrested Kaitlyn on charges of</a> "lewd and lascivious battery of a child 12 to 16 years old."</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost:&#160; <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/130105/ohio-citys-website-update-community-rape-case" type="external">Ohio city's website to update community on rape case</a></p>
<p>In a Facebook post, Kaitlyn's mother says that the relationship was completely consensual, and that the other girl's parents never brought up any concerns directly with her. "They are out to destroy my daughter, because they feel like she ‘made’ their daughter gay," <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/192262314259128/doc/192326077586085/" type="external">the mother wrote</a>.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/assistant-state-attorney-brian-workman-stop-the-prosecution-of-an-18-year-old-girl-in-a-same-sex-relationship" type="external">Change.org petition supporting Kaitlyn</a> currently has over 59,000 signatures.&#160;</p>
<p>It's not just gay teens who complain about subjective enforcement of age-of-consent laws. In particularly controversial cases, minors who have "sexted" naked pictures of themselves to other minors have been charged with distributing child pornography.</p>
<p>"While minors may regard 'sexting' as no big deal, since it is consensual and usually between friends, the law takes a different stance – minors can be arrested under current child pornography laws, and defendants can be sentenced to a minimum of five years in a federal prison," <a href="http://www.brill-legal.com/Sex-Crimes/Child-Pornography-to-a-Minor.shtml" type="external">wrote the Brill Legal Group</a>, a firm that represents minors facing such charges.&#160;</p>
<p>And <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/us/21sexting.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0" type="external">the New York Times reported in 2010</a> that an 18-year-old was convicted of distributing obscene materials to a minor after a 14-year-old female friend asked him for a picture of his penis.&#160;</p> | 2,845 |
<p>MUMBAI (Reuters) – Apple Inc (O:) has increased the prices of most of its iPhone models sold in India after the government last week raised taxes on imported phones in a bid to boost domestic manufacturing.</p>
<p>Barring its locally-assembled iPhone SE model, Apple raised prices of iPhone handsets by an average 3.5 percent, according to a price sheet reviewed by Reuters.</p>
<p>Its priciest iPhone X model now costs 105,720 rupees ($1,646.61) for a 256 gigabyte (GB) variant, according to Apple’s India website, an increase of 3.6 percent. The price of a 256 GB iPhone 8 has risen by 3.1 percent to 79,420 rupees.</p>
<p>As Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government strives to boost manufacturing of phones in India – the world’s second-biggest market by mobile subscriptions and among the top three countries by annual smartphone sales – it last week raised the customs duty on phones to 15 percent from 10 percent.</p>
<p>That was set to make imported phones, including Apple iPhones, costlier. Some other top phone brands, such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (KS:) and Xiaomi, assemble the majority of their phones sold in the Indian market locally.</p>
<p>Apple’s Taiwanese contract manufacturer, Wistron (TW:), assembles the iPhone SE in the technology hub of Bengaluru in southern India.</p>
<p>Apple also has plans to expand local manufacturing in India but wants a range of incentives and tax breaks from the federal government which New Delhi has yet to agree to.</p>
<p>An analyst said a small increase in the price of iPhones was unlikely to dent Apple’s less than 3 percent market share in India, where it’s seen as an aspirational brand but its steep pricing puts it beyond the reach of many.</p>
<p>“Apple’s halo as a premium brand in India cannot be taken away by this meager price rise,” said Navkendar Singh of technology researcher IDC.</p>
<p>Basic or feature phones still comprise a large chunk of India’s roughly 750 million mobile phones, although sales of smartphones are growing faster. Alphabet Inc’s (O:) Google earlier this month unveiled a new version of its Android mobile phone software with an aim to power low-cost entry-level smartphones.</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> | Apple ups iPhone prices in India as tax increase makes imports costlier | false | https://newsline.com/apple-ups-iphone-prices-in-india-as-tax-increase-makes-imports-costlier/ | 2017-12-18 | 1right-center
| Apple ups iPhone prices in India as tax increase makes imports costlier
<p>MUMBAI (Reuters) – Apple Inc (O:) has increased the prices of most of its iPhone models sold in India after the government last week raised taxes on imported phones in a bid to boost domestic manufacturing.</p>
<p>Barring its locally-assembled iPhone SE model, Apple raised prices of iPhone handsets by an average 3.5 percent, according to a price sheet reviewed by Reuters.</p>
<p>Its priciest iPhone X model now costs 105,720 rupees ($1,646.61) for a 256 gigabyte (GB) variant, according to Apple’s India website, an increase of 3.6 percent. The price of a 256 GB iPhone 8 has risen by 3.1 percent to 79,420 rupees.</p>
<p>As Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government strives to boost manufacturing of phones in India – the world’s second-biggest market by mobile subscriptions and among the top three countries by annual smartphone sales – it last week raised the customs duty on phones to 15 percent from 10 percent.</p>
<p>That was set to make imported phones, including Apple iPhones, costlier. Some other top phone brands, such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (KS:) and Xiaomi, assemble the majority of their phones sold in the Indian market locally.</p>
<p>Apple’s Taiwanese contract manufacturer, Wistron (TW:), assembles the iPhone SE in the technology hub of Bengaluru in southern India.</p>
<p>Apple also has plans to expand local manufacturing in India but wants a range of incentives and tax breaks from the federal government which New Delhi has yet to agree to.</p>
<p>An analyst said a small increase in the price of iPhones was unlikely to dent Apple’s less than 3 percent market share in India, where it’s seen as an aspirational brand but its steep pricing puts it beyond the reach of many.</p>
<p>“Apple’s halo as a premium brand in India cannot be taken away by this meager price rise,” said Navkendar Singh of technology researcher IDC.</p>
<p>Basic or feature phones still comprise a large chunk of India’s roughly 750 million mobile phones, although sales of smartphones are growing faster. Alphabet Inc’s (O:) Google earlier this month unveiled a new version of its Android mobile phone software with an aim to power low-cost entry-level smartphones.</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> | 2,846 |
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<p>ODESSA, Texas - Sheriff's deputies in Odessa have shot and wounded a man at the end of a police chase after authorities say he ran at them armed with a knife.</p>
<p>Ector Sheriff's Sgt. Gary Duesler says the chase began Sunday morning as police responding to a disturbance call were told the man involved had left in a pickup truck. Officers spotted the truck and the chase began as the driver refused to stop.</p>
<p>When he eventually did, Duesler says the man got out, had a knife in his hand "and began charging at deputies." When he ignored their orders to drop the weapon, three officers fired at him.</p>
<p>The man was taken to a hospital. His name hasn't been released and his condition isn't immediately known.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Odessa American, <a href="http://www.oaoa.com" type="external">http://www.oaoa.com</a></p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Knife-wielding man shot by deputies in Odessa | false | https://abqjournal.com/658524/knife-wielding-man-shot-by-deputies-in-odessa.html | 2least
| Knife-wielding man shot by deputies in Odessa
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ODESSA, Texas - Sheriff's deputies in Odessa have shot and wounded a man at the end of a police chase after authorities say he ran at them armed with a knife.</p>
<p>Ector Sheriff's Sgt. Gary Duesler says the chase began Sunday morning as police responding to a disturbance call were told the man involved had left in a pickup truck. Officers spotted the truck and the chase began as the driver refused to stop.</p>
<p>When he eventually did, Duesler says the man got out, had a knife in his hand "and began charging at deputies." When he ignored their orders to drop the weapon, three officers fired at him.</p>
<p>The man was taken to a hospital. His name hasn't been released and his condition isn't immediately known.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Odessa American, <a href="http://www.oaoa.com" type="external">http://www.oaoa.com</a></p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 2,847 |
|
<p>Amazon.com Inc. said Wednesday it's opening a pickup location at California State University to offer students and staffers the chance to pick up and return orders. The 2,500 square-foot space will open in the Fall, the company said in a statement. Amazon shares were up about 1% in premarket trade, but are down 9% in the year so far, while the S&amp;P 500 has gained 2%.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | Amazon To Open Pickup Location At California State University | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/04/27/amazon-to-open-pickup-location-at-california-state-university.html | 2016-04-27 | 0right
| Amazon To Open Pickup Location At California State University
<p>Amazon.com Inc. said Wednesday it's opening a pickup location at California State University to offer students and staffers the chance to pick up and return orders. The 2,500 square-foot space will open in the Fall, the company said in a statement. Amazon shares were up about 1% in premarket trade, but are down 9% in the year so far, while the S&amp;P 500 has gained 2%.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | 2,848 |
<p />
<p>How to choke off clean air with independent expenditures.</p>
<p />
<p>by Romesh Ratnesar and John Cook</p>
<p>#10 David H. Koch, 56, Wichita, Kan. Party: R and Libertarian. $339,000 total contributions.</p>
<p>View Koch’s <a href="" type="internal">itemized contributions</a>.</p>
<p>When the Environmental Protection Agency announced last November it would update Clean Air Act standards to ban dust particle emissions that reportedly cause 40,000 premature deaths annually, big industries sharpened their knives. (Final EPA regulations are due by July.) Oil companies, automakers, and the nation’s largest manufacturers claim it will cost them billions to comply. Among them is David Koch, chairman of Koch Industries, whose oil subsidiary is being sued by the government for Clean Water Act violations, for a reported $55 million. Although Koch gave $339,000 to federal campaigns in 1995-96, it’s only one way he sought influence. He also gives through a tangled web of think tanks, PR agencies, and trade associations, all of which want Congress to gut the Clean Air Act.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p>The 400 List:</p>
<p><a href="/cgi-bin/Database_search/db_search.cgi?setup_file=mojo400totals.setup&amp;submit_search=yes" type="external">Browse</a> The full Mother Jones 400 list.</p>
<p><a href="profiles.html" type="external">Profiles</a> Meet the people with political pull.</p>
<p>Searches:</p>
<p><a href="/cgi-bin/Database_search/db_search.cgi?setup_file=mojo400totals.setup" type="external">Individuals</a> Search the top 400 political donors by name, industry, state, or contribution amount.</p>
<p><a href="mojo400.fm.html" type="external">Itemized Contributions</a> The details of every donation, searchable by donor, recipient, date, amount, and more.</p>
<p>Discuss:</p>
<p><a href="/cgi-bin/WebX?13@@.ee6b3ea" type="external">Money &amp; Politics</a> Is campaign finance reform the way to a better government?</p>
<p />
<p /> | Oil Slick | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/1997/05/oil-slick-2/ | 1997-05-01 | 4left
| Oil Slick
<p />
<p>How to choke off clean air with independent expenditures.</p>
<p />
<p>by Romesh Ratnesar and John Cook</p>
<p>#10 David H. Koch, 56, Wichita, Kan. Party: R and Libertarian. $339,000 total contributions.</p>
<p>View Koch’s <a href="" type="internal">itemized contributions</a>.</p>
<p>When the Environmental Protection Agency announced last November it would update Clean Air Act standards to ban dust particle emissions that reportedly cause 40,000 premature deaths annually, big industries sharpened their knives. (Final EPA regulations are due by July.) Oil companies, automakers, and the nation’s largest manufacturers claim it will cost them billions to comply. Among them is David Koch, chairman of Koch Industries, whose oil subsidiary is being sued by the government for Clean Water Act violations, for a reported $55 million. Although Koch gave $339,000 to federal campaigns in 1995-96, it’s only one way he sought influence. He also gives through a tangled web of think tanks, PR agencies, and trade associations, all of which want Congress to gut the Clean Air Act.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p>The 400 List:</p>
<p><a href="/cgi-bin/Database_search/db_search.cgi?setup_file=mojo400totals.setup&amp;submit_search=yes" type="external">Browse</a> The full Mother Jones 400 list.</p>
<p><a href="profiles.html" type="external">Profiles</a> Meet the people with political pull.</p>
<p>Searches:</p>
<p><a href="/cgi-bin/Database_search/db_search.cgi?setup_file=mojo400totals.setup" type="external">Individuals</a> Search the top 400 political donors by name, industry, state, or contribution amount.</p>
<p><a href="mojo400.fm.html" type="external">Itemized Contributions</a> The details of every donation, searchable by donor, recipient, date, amount, and more.</p>
<p>Discuss:</p>
<p><a href="/cgi-bin/WebX?13@@.ee6b3ea" type="external">Money &amp; Politics</a> Is campaign finance reform the way to a better government?</p>
<p />
<p /> | 2,849 |
<p>BEIJING—With smiles and firm handshakes, North Korea and China used a surprise summit this week to show that despite recent tensions, Pyongyang still has a powerful backer and Beijing will not be sidelined in discussions about the fate of its unpredictable neighbor.</p>
<p>North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s secretive talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing appear aimed at improving both countries’ positions ahead of Kim’s anticipated meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump in the coming weeks.</p>
<p>A key objective for Beijing is to reassert its relevance to the talks, from which it has been excluded. China has appeared increasingly shut out as its relations with the North deteriorated and Pyongyang reached out to Seoul and Washington.</p>
<p>“Kim Jong Un’s visit shows that China is not marginalized, but playing a leading role. This saves China a lot of face,” said Pang Zhongying, a North Korea expert at Renmin University in Beijing.</p>
<p />
<p>“North Korea once again is taking advantage of China,” Pang said. “It plays the China card, showing South Korea and the U.S.: China is still my ally.”</p>
<p>Official reports from both countries on Wednesday depicted in effusive terms warm ties between the leaders in an effort to downplay recent tensions over Kim’s development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.</p>
<p>In the reports, “Kim reaffirms the traditional friendship between the two countries as if nothing had ever happened, when the relationship had plummeted to unprecedented lows,” said Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.</p>
<p>Ties in recent months have frayed as China supported tougher U.N. sanctions on North Korea and suspended coal and iron ore imports. Pyongyang last year seemingly sought to humiliate Beijing by timing some of its missile tests for major global summits in China.</p>
<p>Kim made the visit to China at Xi’s invitation, China’s official Xinhua News Agency said, in his first trip to a foreign country since he took power in 2011. Xinhua said the trip ran from Sunday to Wednesday but appeared to include travel time from Pyongyang on the special armored train that Kim traveled on, which secretly arrived in Beijing on Monday and left Tuesday afternoon.</p>
<p>Rumors of Kim’s presence began circulating on Monday night, with the spotting of his special train, Chinese security teams and official delegations at the border city of Dandong and various points in Beijing.</p>
<p>Although China sought to keep Kim’s visit secret, and described it Wednesday as “unofficial,” it accorded him full honors due to a head of state, including a formal welcoming ceremony and troop review at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.</p>
<p>Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, also hosted a banquet for Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and they watched an art performance together, Xinhua said.</p>
<p>“We speak highly of this visit,” Xi told Kim, according to Xinhua.</p>
<p>For China, the visit also projects to its public that Xi is firmly in charge of steering Beijing’s relations with North Korea in a way that favors China’s interests.</p>
<p>“Here is Xi Jinping saying, ‘Don’t worry, everything is going to be great,’” Glaser said.</p>
<p>Trump tweeted Wednesday that he had received a message from Xi saying that his meeting with Kim “went very well” and that Kim “looks forward to his meeting with me.”</p>
<p>“For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility,” he tweeted. “Now there is a good chance that Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity. Look forward to our meeting!”</p>
<p>Analysts say Kim would have felt a need to consult with China ahead of summits with Moon and Trump. His famously reclusive father, Kim Jong Il, made his first visit to China as North Korean leader in May 2000, reportedly to consult with the Chinese leadership ahead of his summit with South Korea’s then-leader, Kim Dae-jung.</p>
<p>China would also not want Kim’s first foreign meeting to be with someone other than Xi.</p>
<p>“This is China asserting its regional hegemony and influence, saying, ‘Hey, you talk to me first,’” said Michael Kovrig, senior adviser for Northeast Asia at the International Crisis Group.</p>
<p>In video aired by China’s state broadcaster China Central Television, Kim appeared reserved and collected as he sat at a long table across from Xi. Kim wore horn-rimmed glasses and was shown jotting down notes and speaking in a calm manner. In contrast, while meeting with South Korean envoys earlier this month, Kim was shown by his state media frequently smiling, bursting into laughter, proposing toasts and waving at departing limousines.</p>
<p>Kim was described by Xinhua as saying that his country wants “reconciliation and cooperation” with South Korea, with which it is technically still at war. He also said North Korea is willing to hold a summit with the United States, according to Xinhua.</p>
<p>North Korean state media, however, didn’t carry Kim’s comment about his plans to talk with the United States. The North has yet to officially confirm its interest in a summit between Kim and Trump.</p>
<p>North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency published Kim’s personal letter to Xi, dated Wednesday, in which he said he was satisfied that the leaders confirmed their “unified opinions” on mutual issues.</p>
<p>Kim also called for more meetings with Xi and other Chinese officials and asked Xi to visit North Korea at a time convenient for him, to which Xi “gladly accepted,” KCNA said.</p>
<p>“For the North Koreans, it is in their best interests to enter any meetings with Moon or Trump having shored up and repaired to a certain extent their relations with Beijing,” said Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing.</p>
<p>The North’s diplomatic outreach this year follows a tense 2017 when it conducted its most powerful nuclear test to date and tested three intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to target the U.S. mainland.</p>
<p>The developments are being interpreted as the North being desperate to break out of isolation and improve its economy after being squeezed by heavy sanctions. Analysts think Kim may have been seeking promises from Beijing that it wouldn’t hit the North too hard with sanctions if the talks with Washington and Seoul fall apart and the North starts testing nuclear weapons and missiles again.</p>
<p>“At least one of the things that Kim would want out of these meetings is a way forward to begin to ease those sanctions and support from China in that effort,” said Glaser, the Asia expert.</p>
<p>China remains North Korea’s only major ally and chief provider of energy, aid and trade that keep the country’s broken economy afloat.</p>
<p>In addition to the trip being his first abroad as leader, Kim’s talk with Xi was his first meeting with a foreign head of state. Kim’s father had visited China several times during his rule, lastly in May 2011, months before his death that December.</p>
<p>“It’s most proper that my first overseas trip would be the capital of the People’s Republic of China,” Kim Jong Un said, according to the North’s KCNA. “It’s also one of my noble duties to value the North Korea-China friendship as I do my own life.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Kim reported from Seoul, South Korea. Associated Press writers Foster Klug in Seoul, and Christopher Bodeen and researcher Shanshan Wang in Beijing contributed to this report.</p> | China, N. Korea Display Strong Ties After Meeting | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/kim-xi-portray-strong-ties-after-north-korea-leaders-china-trip/ | 2018-03-28 | 4left
| China, N. Korea Display Strong Ties After Meeting
<p>BEIJING—With smiles and firm handshakes, North Korea and China used a surprise summit this week to show that despite recent tensions, Pyongyang still has a powerful backer and Beijing will not be sidelined in discussions about the fate of its unpredictable neighbor.</p>
<p>North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s secretive talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing appear aimed at improving both countries’ positions ahead of Kim’s anticipated meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump in the coming weeks.</p>
<p>A key objective for Beijing is to reassert its relevance to the talks, from which it has been excluded. China has appeared increasingly shut out as its relations with the North deteriorated and Pyongyang reached out to Seoul and Washington.</p>
<p>“Kim Jong Un’s visit shows that China is not marginalized, but playing a leading role. This saves China a lot of face,” said Pang Zhongying, a North Korea expert at Renmin University in Beijing.</p>
<p />
<p>“North Korea once again is taking advantage of China,” Pang said. “It plays the China card, showing South Korea and the U.S.: China is still my ally.”</p>
<p>Official reports from both countries on Wednesday depicted in effusive terms warm ties between the leaders in an effort to downplay recent tensions over Kim’s development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.</p>
<p>In the reports, “Kim reaffirms the traditional friendship between the two countries as if nothing had ever happened, when the relationship had plummeted to unprecedented lows,” said Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.</p>
<p>Ties in recent months have frayed as China supported tougher U.N. sanctions on North Korea and suspended coal and iron ore imports. Pyongyang last year seemingly sought to humiliate Beijing by timing some of its missile tests for major global summits in China.</p>
<p>Kim made the visit to China at Xi’s invitation, China’s official Xinhua News Agency said, in his first trip to a foreign country since he took power in 2011. Xinhua said the trip ran from Sunday to Wednesday but appeared to include travel time from Pyongyang on the special armored train that Kim traveled on, which secretly arrived in Beijing on Monday and left Tuesday afternoon.</p>
<p>Rumors of Kim’s presence began circulating on Monday night, with the spotting of his special train, Chinese security teams and official delegations at the border city of Dandong and various points in Beijing.</p>
<p>Although China sought to keep Kim’s visit secret, and described it Wednesday as “unofficial,” it accorded him full honors due to a head of state, including a formal welcoming ceremony and troop review at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.</p>
<p>Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, also hosted a banquet for Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, and they watched an art performance together, Xinhua said.</p>
<p>“We speak highly of this visit,” Xi told Kim, according to Xinhua.</p>
<p>For China, the visit also projects to its public that Xi is firmly in charge of steering Beijing’s relations with North Korea in a way that favors China’s interests.</p>
<p>“Here is Xi Jinping saying, ‘Don’t worry, everything is going to be great,’” Glaser said.</p>
<p>Trump tweeted Wednesday that he had received a message from Xi saying that his meeting with Kim “went very well” and that Kim “looks forward to his meeting with me.”</p>
<p>“For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility,” he tweeted. “Now there is a good chance that Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity. Look forward to our meeting!”</p>
<p>Analysts say Kim would have felt a need to consult with China ahead of summits with Moon and Trump. His famously reclusive father, Kim Jong Il, made his first visit to China as North Korean leader in May 2000, reportedly to consult with the Chinese leadership ahead of his summit with South Korea’s then-leader, Kim Dae-jung.</p>
<p>China would also not want Kim’s first foreign meeting to be with someone other than Xi.</p>
<p>“This is China asserting its regional hegemony and influence, saying, ‘Hey, you talk to me first,’” said Michael Kovrig, senior adviser for Northeast Asia at the International Crisis Group.</p>
<p>In video aired by China’s state broadcaster China Central Television, Kim appeared reserved and collected as he sat at a long table across from Xi. Kim wore horn-rimmed glasses and was shown jotting down notes and speaking in a calm manner. In contrast, while meeting with South Korean envoys earlier this month, Kim was shown by his state media frequently smiling, bursting into laughter, proposing toasts and waving at departing limousines.</p>
<p>Kim was described by Xinhua as saying that his country wants “reconciliation and cooperation” with South Korea, with which it is technically still at war. He also said North Korea is willing to hold a summit with the United States, according to Xinhua.</p>
<p>North Korean state media, however, didn’t carry Kim’s comment about his plans to talk with the United States. The North has yet to officially confirm its interest in a summit between Kim and Trump.</p>
<p>North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency published Kim’s personal letter to Xi, dated Wednesday, in which he said he was satisfied that the leaders confirmed their “unified opinions” on mutual issues.</p>
<p>Kim also called for more meetings with Xi and other Chinese officials and asked Xi to visit North Korea at a time convenient for him, to which Xi “gladly accepted,” KCNA said.</p>
<p>“For the North Koreans, it is in their best interests to enter any meetings with Moon or Trump having shored up and repaired to a certain extent their relations with Beijing,” said Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy in Beijing.</p>
<p>The North’s diplomatic outreach this year follows a tense 2017 when it conducted its most powerful nuclear test to date and tested three intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to target the U.S. mainland.</p>
<p>The developments are being interpreted as the North being desperate to break out of isolation and improve its economy after being squeezed by heavy sanctions. Analysts think Kim may have been seeking promises from Beijing that it wouldn’t hit the North too hard with sanctions if the talks with Washington and Seoul fall apart and the North starts testing nuclear weapons and missiles again.</p>
<p>“At least one of the things that Kim would want out of these meetings is a way forward to begin to ease those sanctions and support from China in that effort,” said Glaser, the Asia expert.</p>
<p>China remains North Korea’s only major ally and chief provider of energy, aid and trade that keep the country’s broken economy afloat.</p>
<p>In addition to the trip being his first abroad as leader, Kim’s talk with Xi was his first meeting with a foreign head of state. Kim’s father had visited China several times during his rule, lastly in May 2011, months before his death that December.</p>
<p>“It’s most proper that my first overseas trip would be the capital of the People’s Republic of China,” Kim Jong Un said, according to the North’s KCNA. “It’s also one of my noble duties to value the North Korea-China friendship as I do my own life.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Kim reported from Seoul, South Korea. Associated Press writers Foster Klug in Seoul, and Christopher Bodeen and researcher Shanshan Wang in Beijing contributed to this report.</p> | 2,850 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>That was before crisis struck Venezuela. Now the 40-year-old mother of two wouldn’t dare set foot in the plaza after dark, fearing robbers. And this season, for the first time in years, no festive lights will bring it to life.</p>
<p>It’s a sight that many say mirrors the mood in the once-prosperous oil nation. Middle class residents have cut back on gifts and struggle to afford basic ingredients needed to cook traditional Christmas dishes.</p>
<p>The poor have been hit hardest, some scavenging trash piles year-around to fill their stomachs.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Pitre, pausing in Altamira Plaza on a bright afternoon after leaving work, said she tries to look beyond the shortages and political strife to the deeper meaning of Christmas.</p>
<p>“As Catholics, we celebrate the birth of Jesus,” she said. “But it’s not the same as before.”</p>
<p>Venezuela, a country of 30 million people, sits atop the world’s largest oil reserves, but global crude prices crashed three years ago, sending the economy into free fall and sparking social unrest.</p>
<p>Residents endure shortages of cash, soaring inflation and a lack of medicine.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, protesters upset with President Nicolas Maduro’s government clashed daily with riot police for four months in Altamira Plaza and in streets across the country. More than 120 protesters were killed and thousands injured.</p>
<p>Inflation is expected to hit 2,400 percent by the year’s end, said Henkel Garcia, director of the Caracas-based consulting firm Econometrica, adding that minimum wage workers today have a fifth of the purchasing power than nearly two decades ago, when the late President Hugo Chavez launched Venezuela’s socialist revolution.</p>
<p>“This is the darkest Christmas we’ve ever had,” said Guianfranco Perozo, 23, who holds two jobs just to get by.</p>
<p>Searching an open-air market in Caracas for cooking oil, Perozo shrugs when asked if he’s bought any Christmas gifts. Any money left after groceries will go to diapers for his 8-month-old daughter, he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“There’s nothing to celebrate,” he said. “Too many people are hungry. Too many people are eating garbage.”</p>
<p>Unrest simmers across Venezuela in the days before Christmas. Gasoline shortages in two states left long lines at filling stations, and residents in a community on the outskirts of Caracas protested food shortages one night, setting piles of garbage on fire, according to Twitter accounts.</p>
<p>Water rationing is common, and a mid-day blackout lasting five hours struck millions in Caracas and two neighboring states a week before Christmas.</p>
<p>Millions of others desperate for work have fled Venezuela. Antonieta Lopez, 35, will celebrate this Christmas for the first time without her husband, forced to find a job in Chile nearly a year ago when work dried up at home.</p>
<p>Still, money is tight, and Lopez said she could only afford to buy her son, Matias, two items from his wish list — a Captain American action figure and a pair of Star Wars masks.</p>
<p>Sitting next to her on the steps of a quiet plaza, her mother, Evelyn Avellaneda, 70, said she’s not able to buy things she’d normally put on the dinner table for Christmas. That includes a bottle of red wine.</p>
<p>Plenty of people are out walking past shops, but few buy things, Avellaneda said, adding that when they do find affordable items, there are long waits.</p>
<p>“There are lines at the banks. There are lines in the stores,” she said. “There are lines everywhere.”</p> | Dimming Christmas lights reflect Venezuela’s grim crisis | false | https://abqjournal.com/1110796/dimming-christmas-lights-reflect-venezuelas-grim-crisis.html | 2017-12-24 | 2least
| Dimming Christmas lights reflect Venezuela’s grim crisis
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>That was before crisis struck Venezuela. Now the 40-year-old mother of two wouldn’t dare set foot in the plaza after dark, fearing robbers. And this season, for the first time in years, no festive lights will bring it to life.</p>
<p>It’s a sight that many say mirrors the mood in the once-prosperous oil nation. Middle class residents have cut back on gifts and struggle to afford basic ingredients needed to cook traditional Christmas dishes.</p>
<p>The poor have been hit hardest, some scavenging trash piles year-around to fill their stomachs.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Pitre, pausing in Altamira Plaza on a bright afternoon after leaving work, said she tries to look beyond the shortages and political strife to the deeper meaning of Christmas.</p>
<p>“As Catholics, we celebrate the birth of Jesus,” she said. “But it’s not the same as before.”</p>
<p>Venezuela, a country of 30 million people, sits atop the world’s largest oil reserves, but global crude prices crashed three years ago, sending the economy into free fall and sparking social unrest.</p>
<p>Residents endure shortages of cash, soaring inflation and a lack of medicine.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, protesters upset with President Nicolas Maduro’s government clashed daily with riot police for four months in Altamira Plaza and in streets across the country. More than 120 protesters were killed and thousands injured.</p>
<p>Inflation is expected to hit 2,400 percent by the year’s end, said Henkel Garcia, director of the Caracas-based consulting firm Econometrica, adding that minimum wage workers today have a fifth of the purchasing power than nearly two decades ago, when the late President Hugo Chavez launched Venezuela’s socialist revolution.</p>
<p>“This is the darkest Christmas we’ve ever had,” said Guianfranco Perozo, 23, who holds two jobs just to get by.</p>
<p>Searching an open-air market in Caracas for cooking oil, Perozo shrugs when asked if he’s bought any Christmas gifts. Any money left after groceries will go to diapers for his 8-month-old daughter, he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“There’s nothing to celebrate,” he said. “Too many people are hungry. Too many people are eating garbage.”</p>
<p>Unrest simmers across Venezuela in the days before Christmas. Gasoline shortages in two states left long lines at filling stations, and residents in a community on the outskirts of Caracas protested food shortages one night, setting piles of garbage on fire, according to Twitter accounts.</p>
<p>Water rationing is common, and a mid-day blackout lasting five hours struck millions in Caracas and two neighboring states a week before Christmas.</p>
<p>Millions of others desperate for work have fled Venezuela. Antonieta Lopez, 35, will celebrate this Christmas for the first time without her husband, forced to find a job in Chile nearly a year ago when work dried up at home.</p>
<p>Still, money is tight, and Lopez said she could only afford to buy her son, Matias, two items from his wish list — a Captain American action figure and a pair of Star Wars masks.</p>
<p>Sitting next to her on the steps of a quiet plaza, her mother, Evelyn Avellaneda, 70, said she’s not able to buy things she’d normally put on the dinner table for Christmas. That includes a bottle of red wine.</p>
<p>Plenty of people are out walking past shops, but few buy things, Avellaneda said, adding that when they do find affordable items, there are long waits.</p>
<p>“There are lines at the banks. There are lines in the stores,” she said. “There are lines everywhere.”</p> | 2,851 |
<p>Even as the South Korean economy struggled through 2012, there was one bright spot — K-Pop sensation Psy's viral music video " <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0" type="external">Gangnam Style</a>" — that helped bring a record number of tourists to the country boosting tourism revenues to a new high.</p>
<p>According to a report from HSBC, if the momentum in tourism continues it could support the country's economic recovery in 2013. Ronald Man, an economist at HSBC, told CNBC that he expects the tourism sector to boost employment in 2013.</p>
<p>"For every extra job created directly related to tourism — it generates 1.6 jobs indirectly, for example at restaurants or hotels," Man said. "It should support Korea's labor market and put a floor under domestic demand while export growth gradually recovers."</p>
<p>On Thursday, data from Asia's fourth-largest economy showed <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100402659" type="external">gross domestic product (GDP) picked up slightly</a> in the final quarter of 2012 — growing a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent on a quarterly basis, a bump up from the meager 0.1 percent rise in the September quarter which was the slowest growth in over three years.</p>
<p>HSBC estimates that the tourism industry contributed about 5.4 percent to South Korea's GDP in 2012, which is over twice the value of its agricultural output.</p>
<p>Tourism revenues hit a record $13.1 billion in the first 11 months of 2012, and more than 10 million people visited South Korea during that period for the first time in a year, according to the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC).</p>
<p>A large part of the credit for this boom in tourism can go to "Gangnam Style."</p>
<p>"In the second half of the year, while global trade surprised on the downside and dragged down world growth, many danced happily to Psy's viral music video 'Gangnam Style.' A key beneficiary of this rising global interest in Korean culture is the country's tourism industry," HSBC wrote in a report published earlier this week.</p>
<p>Man says a meaningful recovery in China would benefit South Korean tourism as China is the country's second largest source of tourists — accounting for roughly a quarter of all the total visitors last year, a sharp increase from just 10 percent a decade ago.</p>
<p>Exports to Drive Growth</p>
<p>While tourism has been booming in South Korea, exports — the staple of the economy, which is showing recent signs of revival — lagged for the better part of last year on waning global demand. For example, South Korean exports fell 1.3 percent to $548.2 billion in 2012, undoing a 19 percent rise in 2011 and marking its first decline since 2009, according to South Korea's Ministry of Knowledge Economy.</p>
<p>Despite the sector's dismal performance in 2012, economists say exports will recover due to improving global economic conditions, particularly in China, and drive the economy to over 3 percent growth this year.</p>
<p>"We'll still see the export revival continuing in first and second quarters and this will be continuing to be led by electronics," Wai Ho Leong, senior regional economist at <a href="http://www.barcap.com/" type="external">Barclays Capital</a> said. "I'm looking at exports to recover 5-7.5 percent in 2013."</p>
<p>Matthew Circosta, economist at <a href="http://www.moodysanalytics.com/" type="external">Moody's Analytics</a> backed that sentiment by adding that South Korean exporters are going to "enjoy the fruits" of a pickup in demand for handheld devices like smartphones and tablets.</p>
<p>According to Circosta, the "Gangnam Style" effect will be felt on sectors other than tourism, as Psy's success has made people more upbeat about Korea.</p>
<p>"It's certainly a boost for exports and wider economy and the retail sector," Circosta said. "So it's going to boost employment and the bottom lines of a lot of retail companies in Korea."</p>
<p>Follow Rajeshni on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/RajeshniNaidu" type="external">@RajeshniNaidu</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/" type="external" /></p>
<p>More from our partners, <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/" type="external">CNBC</a>:</p>
<p>CNBC: <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100401598" type="external">How lack of immigration reform harms startups, US economy</a></p>
<p>CNBC: <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100404713" type="external">Leaders at Davos put spotlight on Europe's biggest burden</a></p>
<p>CNBC: <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100404660" type="external">S&amp;P tops 1,500: where the market goes from here</a></p>
<p>CNBC: <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100401949" type="external">Netflix CEO dishes on blowout quarter</a></p>
<p>CNBC: <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100401497" type="external">Gasoline futures soar to three-month high</a></p> | 'Gangnam Style' brings fans, tourism to South Korea | false | https://pri.org/stories/2013-01-24/gangnam-style-brings-fans-tourism-south-korea | 2013-01-24 | 3left-center
| 'Gangnam Style' brings fans, tourism to South Korea
<p>Even as the South Korean economy struggled through 2012, there was one bright spot — K-Pop sensation Psy's viral music video " <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0" type="external">Gangnam Style</a>" — that helped bring a record number of tourists to the country boosting tourism revenues to a new high.</p>
<p>According to a report from HSBC, if the momentum in tourism continues it could support the country's economic recovery in 2013. Ronald Man, an economist at HSBC, told CNBC that he expects the tourism sector to boost employment in 2013.</p>
<p>"For every extra job created directly related to tourism — it generates 1.6 jobs indirectly, for example at restaurants or hotels," Man said. "It should support Korea's labor market and put a floor under domestic demand while export growth gradually recovers."</p>
<p>On Thursday, data from Asia's fourth-largest economy showed <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100402659" type="external">gross domestic product (GDP) picked up slightly</a> in the final quarter of 2012 — growing a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent on a quarterly basis, a bump up from the meager 0.1 percent rise in the September quarter which was the slowest growth in over three years.</p>
<p>HSBC estimates that the tourism industry contributed about 5.4 percent to South Korea's GDP in 2012, which is over twice the value of its agricultural output.</p>
<p>Tourism revenues hit a record $13.1 billion in the first 11 months of 2012, and more than 10 million people visited South Korea during that period for the first time in a year, according to the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC).</p>
<p>A large part of the credit for this boom in tourism can go to "Gangnam Style."</p>
<p>"In the second half of the year, while global trade surprised on the downside and dragged down world growth, many danced happily to Psy's viral music video 'Gangnam Style.' A key beneficiary of this rising global interest in Korean culture is the country's tourism industry," HSBC wrote in a report published earlier this week.</p>
<p>Man says a meaningful recovery in China would benefit South Korean tourism as China is the country's second largest source of tourists — accounting for roughly a quarter of all the total visitors last year, a sharp increase from just 10 percent a decade ago.</p>
<p>Exports to Drive Growth</p>
<p>While tourism has been booming in South Korea, exports — the staple of the economy, which is showing recent signs of revival — lagged for the better part of last year on waning global demand. For example, South Korean exports fell 1.3 percent to $548.2 billion in 2012, undoing a 19 percent rise in 2011 and marking its first decline since 2009, according to South Korea's Ministry of Knowledge Economy.</p>
<p>Despite the sector's dismal performance in 2012, economists say exports will recover due to improving global economic conditions, particularly in China, and drive the economy to over 3 percent growth this year.</p>
<p>"We'll still see the export revival continuing in first and second quarters and this will be continuing to be led by electronics," Wai Ho Leong, senior regional economist at <a href="http://www.barcap.com/" type="external">Barclays Capital</a> said. "I'm looking at exports to recover 5-7.5 percent in 2013."</p>
<p>Matthew Circosta, economist at <a href="http://www.moodysanalytics.com/" type="external">Moody's Analytics</a> backed that sentiment by adding that South Korean exporters are going to "enjoy the fruits" of a pickup in demand for handheld devices like smartphones and tablets.</p>
<p>According to Circosta, the "Gangnam Style" effect will be felt on sectors other than tourism, as Psy's success has made people more upbeat about Korea.</p>
<p>"It's certainly a boost for exports and wider economy and the retail sector," Circosta said. "So it's going to boost employment and the bottom lines of a lot of retail companies in Korea."</p>
<p>Follow Rajeshni on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/RajeshniNaidu" type="external">@RajeshniNaidu</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.cnbc.com/" type="external" /></p>
<p>More from our partners, <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/" type="external">CNBC</a>:</p>
<p>CNBC: <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100401598" type="external">How lack of immigration reform harms startups, US economy</a></p>
<p>CNBC: <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100404713" type="external">Leaders at Davos put spotlight on Europe's biggest burden</a></p>
<p>CNBC: <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100404660" type="external">S&amp;P tops 1,500: where the market goes from here</a></p>
<p>CNBC: <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100401949" type="external">Netflix CEO dishes on blowout quarter</a></p>
<p>CNBC: <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100401497" type="external">Gasoline futures soar to three-month high</a></p> | 2,852 |
<p />
<p>Did you notice in my <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/03/4029_giuliani_meltdo.html" type="external">last post</a> that the income gap between rich and poor—or actually rich and everyone else—is at its highest point since the ominous year of 1928?</p>
<p>Yes, indeed. Total reported income in the United States <a type="external" href="">increased</a> by 9 percent in 2005, but average incomes for all but the wealthiest 10 percent of Americans were down by .6 percent.</p>
<p>So who got more money? Why, the top 1 percent, of course. Their incomes rose by 14 percent to an average of more than $1.1 million per household. Sweet! The top 10 percent—those who make more than $100,000—also lived off the fat of the rest of us. Nicely done, lads!</p>
<p>The New York Times reports:</p>
<p>[T]he top 300,000 Americans collectively enjoyed almost as much income as the bottom 150 million Americans. Per person, the top group received 440 times as much as the average person in the bottom half earned, nearly doubling the gap from 1980.</p>
<p>That sounds seriously messed up, right? Well, yeah, but it’s probably even worse for two reasons. First, the wealthiest Americans are the most likely to file late, so the data may be slightly skewed. Second—and this is my favorite—the IRS claims to “find” 99 percent of all wage income but only about 70 percent of business and investment income.</p>
<p>Maybe if they stopped wasting their time <a href="/news/exhibit/2006/07/exhibit.html" type="external">auditing</a> the poor and starting auditing the rich—you know, the ones with big bucks to hide and tax advisors to tell them how to do it—they might find the untold billions of unpaid taxes on the 30 percent all profits and capital gains.</p>
<p /> | Make More than $100 K? Give Me My Money Back! | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/03/make-more-100-k-give-me-my-money-back/ | 2007-03-30 | 4left
| Make More than $100 K? Give Me My Money Back!
<p />
<p>Did you notice in my <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/03/4029_giuliani_meltdo.html" type="external">last post</a> that the income gap between rich and poor—or actually rich and everyone else—is at its highest point since the ominous year of 1928?</p>
<p>Yes, indeed. Total reported income in the United States <a type="external" href="">increased</a> by 9 percent in 2005, but average incomes for all but the wealthiest 10 percent of Americans were down by .6 percent.</p>
<p>So who got more money? Why, the top 1 percent, of course. Their incomes rose by 14 percent to an average of more than $1.1 million per household. Sweet! The top 10 percent—those who make more than $100,000—also lived off the fat of the rest of us. Nicely done, lads!</p>
<p>The New York Times reports:</p>
<p>[T]he top 300,000 Americans collectively enjoyed almost as much income as the bottom 150 million Americans. Per person, the top group received 440 times as much as the average person in the bottom half earned, nearly doubling the gap from 1980.</p>
<p>That sounds seriously messed up, right? Well, yeah, but it’s probably even worse for two reasons. First, the wealthiest Americans are the most likely to file late, so the data may be slightly skewed. Second—and this is my favorite—the IRS claims to “find” 99 percent of all wage income but only about 70 percent of business and investment income.</p>
<p>Maybe if they stopped wasting their time <a href="/news/exhibit/2006/07/exhibit.html" type="external">auditing</a> the poor and starting auditing the rich—you know, the ones with big bucks to hide and tax advisors to tell them how to do it—they might find the untold billions of unpaid taxes on the 30 percent all profits and capital gains.</p>
<p /> | 2,853 |
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<p>SANTA FE, N.M. — A 1962 Cessna made an emergency landing this morning after taking off from the Santa Fe Airport, according to the sheriff’s office.</p>
<p>Maj. Ken Johnson said the plane landed safely in a field about 1.2 miles northeast of the Santa Fe Equestrian Center. The plane wasn’t damaged and neither the pilot or his passenger were injured, Johnson said.</p>
<p>He said the plane took off about 8:30 a.m. but the pilot found it was not getting enough power and was having difficulty gaining elevation. “They were able to make a good landing,” said Johnson.</p>
<p>The two individuals were traveling cross-country from New York to California and had spent Wednesday night in Santa Fe, according to Johnson. He said Federal Aviation Administration personnel out of Albuquerque would investigate the incident.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Small plane makes emergency landing south of Santa Fe | false | https://abqjournal.com/434674/small-plane-makes-emergency-landing-south-of-santa-fe.html | 2least
| Small plane makes emergency landing south of Santa Fe
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<p>SANTA FE, N.M. — A 1962 Cessna made an emergency landing this morning after taking off from the Santa Fe Airport, according to the sheriff’s office.</p>
<p>Maj. Ken Johnson said the plane landed safely in a field about 1.2 miles northeast of the Santa Fe Equestrian Center. The plane wasn’t damaged and neither the pilot or his passenger were injured, Johnson said.</p>
<p>He said the plane took off about 8:30 a.m. but the pilot found it was not getting enough power and was having difficulty gaining elevation. “They were able to make a good landing,” said Johnson.</p>
<p>The two individuals were traveling cross-country from New York to California and had spent Wednesday night in Santa Fe, according to Johnson. He said Federal Aviation Administration personnel out of Albuquerque would investigate the incident.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 2,854 |
|
<p>DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the University of Iowa to temporarily reinstate a conservative Christian group as a registered student organization, saying the university is denying the group its freedom of speech rights.</p>
<p>Business Leaders in Christ sued after the university in Iowa City revoked its campus registration in November, citing the group's denial of a leadership position to a gay student who wouldn't affirm a statement of faith rejecting homosexuality. The university says it respects religious rights but doesn't tolerate discrimination.</p>
<p>In a temporary injunction order issued Tuesday, Judge Stephanie Rose says the university policy isn't enforced uniformly. She cited the Imam Mahdi group which requires members to be Muslim and to respect its religious rules and practices.</p>
<p>Rose says the Christian group would suffer First Amendment freedom loss without a 90-day injunction.</p>
<p>DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the University of Iowa to temporarily reinstate a conservative Christian group as a registered student organization, saying the university is denying the group its freedom of speech rights.</p>
<p>Business Leaders in Christ sued after the university in Iowa City revoked its campus registration in November, citing the group's denial of a leadership position to a gay student who wouldn't affirm a statement of faith rejecting homosexuality. The university says it respects religious rights but doesn't tolerate discrimination.</p>
<p>In a temporary injunction order issued Tuesday, Judge Stephanie Rose says the university policy isn't enforced uniformly. She cited the Imam Mahdi group which requires members to be Muslim and to respect its religious rules and practices.</p>
<p>Rose says the Christian group would suffer First Amendment freedom loss without a 90-day injunction.</p> | Group to be temporarily reinstated at UI on judge's order | false | https://apnews.com/amp/f38de9e06a3c4506b8b9b8c72168962f | 2018-01-23 | 2least
| Group to be temporarily reinstated at UI on judge's order
<p>DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the University of Iowa to temporarily reinstate a conservative Christian group as a registered student organization, saying the university is denying the group its freedom of speech rights.</p>
<p>Business Leaders in Christ sued after the university in Iowa City revoked its campus registration in November, citing the group's denial of a leadership position to a gay student who wouldn't affirm a statement of faith rejecting homosexuality. The university says it respects religious rights but doesn't tolerate discrimination.</p>
<p>In a temporary injunction order issued Tuesday, Judge Stephanie Rose says the university policy isn't enforced uniformly. She cited the Imam Mahdi group which requires members to be Muslim and to respect its religious rules and practices.</p>
<p>Rose says the Christian group would suffer First Amendment freedom loss without a 90-day injunction.</p>
<p>DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the University of Iowa to temporarily reinstate a conservative Christian group as a registered student organization, saying the university is denying the group its freedom of speech rights.</p>
<p>Business Leaders in Christ sued after the university in Iowa City revoked its campus registration in November, citing the group's denial of a leadership position to a gay student who wouldn't affirm a statement of faith rejecting homosexuality. The university says it respects religious rights but doesn't tolerate discrimination.</p>
<p>In a temporary injunction order issued Tuesday, Judge Stephanie Rose says the university policy isn't enforced uniformly. She cited the Imam Mahdi group which requires members to be Muslim and to respect its religious rules and practices.</p>
<p>Rose says the Christian group would suffer First Amendment freedom loss without a 90-day injunction.</p> | 2,855 |
<p>image via Rockwood Camp</p>
<p>Thank you Katniss Everdeen! The popularity of the Hunger Games series, a trilogy book-turned-movie &#160;series, has more girls “aiming” for archery as their sport (I had no idea archery was a sport) of choice. According to <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/11/27/247379498/more-girls-target-archery-inspired-by-the-hunger-games" type="external">NPR</a>, some sellers of sporting equipment&#160;&#160;have noticed an increase in bow and arrow sales since the first movie was released in 2012. And over the past 2 years, membership in USA Archery has doubled. One girl’s experience with the sport is described here.</p>
<p />
<p>“Following in the footsteps of&#160;Hunger Games&#160;heroine Katniss Everdeen, who’s fiercely talented with a bow and arrow, is one reason Y’Jazzmin came through the door here this fall.</p>
<p>Her mom, Alicia Christopher, says positive reinforcement has kept her daughter coming back. Y’Jazzmin competed in her first tournament earlier this month.</p>
<p>‘Watching the way that she’s developed confidence in what she’s doing — she’s very confident,’ Alicia says. ‘She used to be a really shy person, but now she’s opening socially.’&#160;Alicia recently purchased a recurve bow for Y’Jazzmin. It cost about $130. And while that may sound pricey, archery store owner Boyd Wild says the high demand for recurve bows — the type Katniss uses in&#160;The Hunger Games&#160;— makes it hard to keep some models in stock.”</p>
<p>I don’t know about you, but I’d be down to start the first ever Girls Bow and Arrow Fund if it gives more girls like Y’Jazzmin an opportunity to believe in themselves and discover a real passion. The visual I have of a row of girls lined up, aimed, and ready to shoot is kind of too much badassness for me to handle at once. I think this is “spot on”.</p> | Inspired by the Hunger Games, girls “aim” farther with archery | true | http://feministing.com/2013/11/27/inspired-by-the-hunger-games-girls-aim-farther-with-archery/ | 4left
| Inspired by the Hunger Games, girls “aim” farther with archery
<p>image via Rockwood Camp</p>
<p>Thank you Katniss Everdeen! The popularity of the Hunger Games series, a trilogy book-turned-movie &#160;series, has more girls “aiming” for archery as their sport (I had no idea archery was a sport) of choice. According to <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/11/27/247379498/more-girls-target-archery-inspired-by-the-hunger-games" type="external">NPR</a>, some sellers of sporting equipment&#160;&#160;have noticed an increase in bow and arrow sales since the first movie was released in 2012. And over the past 2 years, membership in USA Archery has doubled. One girl’s experience with the sport is described here.</p>
<p />
<p>“Following in the footsteps of&#160;Hunger Games&#160;heroine Katniss Everdeen, who’s fiercely talented with a bow and arrow, is one reason Y’Jazzmin came through the door here this fall.</p>
<p>Her mom, Alicia Christopher, says positive reinforcement has kept her daughter coming back. Y’Jazzmin competed in her first tournament earlier this month.</p>
<p>‘Watching the way that she’s developed confidence in what she’s doing — she’s very confident,’ Alicia says. ‘She used to be a really shy person, but now she’s opening socially.’&#160;Alicia recently purchased a recurve bow for Y’Jazzmin. It cost about $130. And while that may sound pricey, archery store owner Boyd Wild says the high demand for recurve bows — the type Katniss uses in&#160;The Hunger Games&#160;— makes it hard to keep some models in stock.”</p>
<p>I don’t know about you, but I’d be down to start the first ever Girls Bow and Arrow Fund if it gives more girls like Y’Jazzmin an opportunity to believe in themselves and discover a real passion. The visual I have of a row of girls lined up, aimed, and ready to shoot is kind of too much badassness for me to handle at once. I think this is “spot on”.</p> | 2,856 |
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<p>Recently my brother did the same thing to his wife of many years. I find myself feeling very angry and hurt that he would do this. He said it was wrong when it happened to me, but now he expects me to support his decision to abandon his wife. He also expects me to befriend his new wife.</p>
<p>I can’t help but identify with his ex. My heart goes out to her, and I’m furious with my brother and his new wife. Am I wrong for feeling this way? Must my loyalty to my family override my principles? – LOYAL TO A POINT IN MISSISSIPPI</p>
<p>DEAR LOYAL: That you would identify strongly with your former sister-in-law isn’t wrong; it is normal under the circumstances. Not knowing how close your relationship is with your brother, I can’t decide for you whether blood is thicker than water. But I can certainly understand your distaste at the idea of befriending the woman he cheated with.</p>
<p>Whichever you decide to do, continue to be kind to your ex-SIL. She needs all the emotional support she can get now that your brother is cozily ensconced in his new love nest.</p>
<p>DEAR ABBY: I have been carpooling with another mom for about a year. I pick her kids up from the bus stop and take them home. We help each other out, but I do most of the carpooling because of “Kathy’s” work schedule.</p>
<p>Because my daughter “Chris” turned 16, she will be driving to school once the weather improves. I told Kathy we have to discuss the carpool situation. By law, Chris will be allowed to have only one non-family member in the car. She cannot take Kathy’s daughter to and from school because Chris will be taking her best friend.</p>
<p>I feel terrible about it. I am a rule follower and don’t want to put my daughter in an illegal situation. I believe I have given Kathy plenty of time to figure another way home for her daughter. I’m not sure why I feel so bad and am losing sleep over this. Am I wrong? – CARPOOLING IN OHIO</p>
<p>DEAR CARPOOLING: You have been a good friend to Kathy, but her daughter is her responsibility, not yours. You are making Kathy’s problem your problem, and that IS wrong. Now turn over, go back to sleep and let her solve it.</p>
<p>DEAR ABBY: I’ve often wondered what happens to people with an immediate problem that you are unable to answer in print in a timely manner. For example, a bride with an upcoming wedding, or someone trying to decide where to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas. Do you write them outside of your column? – JUST WONDERING IN HARRISBURG, PA.</p>
<p>DEAR JUST WONDERING: Yes. Time-sensitive questions are often dealt with separately, apart from my column.</p>
<p>Contact Dear Abby at <a href="http://www.DearAbby.com" type="external">www.DearAbby.com</a> or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.</p>
<p />
<p /> | DEAR ABBY: Deserted sister doubly angry after brother abandons wife | false | https://abqjournal.com/935001/headline-here.html | 2least
| DEAR ABBY: Deserted sister doubly angry after brother abandons wife
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<p />
<p>Recently my brother did the same thing to his wife of many years. I find myself feeling very angry and hurt that he would do this. He said it was wrong when it happened to me, but now he expects me to support his decision to abandon his wife. He also expects me to befriend his new wife.</p>
<p>I can’t help but identify with his ex. My heart goes out to her, and I’m furious with my brother and his new wife. Am I wrong for feeling this way? Must my loyalty to my family override my principles? – LOYAL TO A POINT IN MISSISSIPPI</p>
<p>DEAR LOYAL: That you would identify strongly with your former sister-in-law isn’t wrong; it is normal under the circumstances. Not knowing how close your relationship is with your brother, I can’t decide for you whether blood is thicker than water. But I can certainly understand your distaste at the idea of befriending the woman he cheated with.</p>
<p>Whichever you decide to do, continue to be kind to your ex-SIL. She needs all the emotional support she can get now that your brother is cozily ensconced in his new love nest.</p>
<p>DEAR ABBY: I have been carpooling with another mom for about a year. I pick her kids up from the bus stop and take them home. We help each other out, but I do most of the carpooling because of “Kathy’s” work schedule.</p>
<p>Because my daughter “Chris” turned 16, she will be driving to school once the weather improves. I told Kathy we have to discuss the carpool situation. By law, Chris will be allowed to have only one non-family member in the car. She cannot take Kathy’s daughter to and from school because Chris will be taking her best friend.</p>
<p>I feel terrible about it. I am a rule follower and don’t want to put my daughter in an illegal situation. I believe I have given Kathy plenty of time to figure another way home for her daughter. I’m not sure why I feel so bad and am losing sleep over this. Am I wrong? – CARPOOLING IN OHIO</p>
<p>DEAR CARPOOLING: You have been a good friend to Kathy, but her daughter is her responsibility, not yours. You are making Kathy’s problem your problem, and that IS wrong. Now turn over, go back to sleep and let her solve it.</p>
<p>DEAR ABBY: I’ve often wondered what happens to people with an immediate problem that you are unable to answer in print in a timely manner. For example, a bride with an upcoming wedding, or someone trying to decide where to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas. Do you write them outside of your column? – JUST WONDERING IN HARRISBURG, PA.</p>
<p>DEAR JUST WONDERING: Yes. Time-sensitive questions are often dealt with separately, apart from my column.</p>
<p>Contact Dear Abby at <a href="http://www.DearAbby.com" type="external">www.DearAbby.com</a> or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.</p>
<p />
<p /> | 2,857 |
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<p><a href="http://pienews.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Truth.jpg" type="external" />Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) suggested that Democrats could not handle the truth on Benghazi, quoting Jack Nicholson from the movie A Few Good Men during a floor debate with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ). "The response of the administration, and sadly the response of Senate Democrats, has been partisan stonewalling, ["]</p>
<p><a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/05/13/Ted-Cruz-Maybe-Democrats-Can-t-Handle-the-Truth-on-Benghazi" type="external">Click here to view original web page at www.breitbart.com</a></p>
<p /> | Ted Cruz: Dems 'Can't Handle the Truth' on Benghazi | true | http://politicalillusionsexposed.com/ted-cruz-suggests-democrats-cant-handle-the-truth-on-benghazi/ | 0right
| Ted Cruz: Dems 'Can't Handle the Truth' on Benghazi
<p><a href="http://pienews.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Truth.jpg" type="external" />Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) suggested that Democrats could not handle the truth on Benghazi, quoting Jack Nicholson from the movie A Few Good Men during a floor debate with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ). "The response of the administration, and sadly the response of Senate Democrats, has been partisan stonewalling, ["]</p>
<p><a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/05/13/Ted-Cruz-Maybe-Democrats-Can-t-Handle-the-Truth-on-Benghazi" type="external">Click here to view original web page at www.breitbart.com</a></p>
<p /> | 2,858 |
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<p>Many employees of Target and I'm sure a host of other retailers and various businesses won't be happy on Thanksgiving. They don't think their employers should open their stores on Thanksgiving night. In fact, a group of Target employees has even started an <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/target-take-the-high-road-and-save-thanksgiving" type="external">online petition Opens a New Window.</a> urging the company to stay closed that night. As of this writing, it has collected more than 212,000 signatures.</p>
<p>First off, let me say this to anyone who has to work on a holiday: I hear you. And I feel you. I work in the news business. And while I could argue with my bosses until I'm blue in the face that no one watches the news on Thanksgiving or Christmas, we're still going to be asked to work.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>That brings me to my "but," and it’s a big one: We - and you- just have to suck it up. Whether you work in retail, media, law enforcement, or any other industry that requires work on holidays, weekends, and late nights, we CHOSE to do so. I chose to work in television news. Am I happy about working holidays? No. Was I happy to leave my family before Sandy hit so I could stay in New York City to ensure I got to work for the first two days of the storm and its aftermath? No. I did it because that's the job I signed up for.</p>
<p>If you chose to work in retail, at a company like Target, you have to expect to work when others aren't working. Target is in business to make money.</p>
<p>That being said, I believe Target or any other store could generate an abundance of goodwill and positive publicity if they announced they were staying closed on Thanksgiving. They could say it’s a day for family and they are all about family. Positive press, for free. The customers would still come bright and early on Black Friday. In droves.</p>
<p>I made the same argument when I worked at a liquor store when I was in college. I thought it was outrageous that we were open on Christmas Day. "If you tell people we're closed on Christmas, they’ll buy their booze ahead of time.” I argued. “If they don't, too bad." I was angry at the thought of people who had the nerve to wait until the actual holiday to buy their $12 bottle of Chardonnay to bring to Christmas dinner. So I skipped work on Christmas. My co-workers were pissed at me, and rightfully so. But I refused to miss the holiday with my family so some degenerate could come in and buy his lottery scratch-off tickets. (I'm not generalizing. The guy I am referring to IS a degenerate.)</p>
<p>The day after Christmas, my boss, who had off for the holiday, asked me where I was. "It was Christmas. I'm off on Christmas," I told her. I was prepared to lose my job. I didn't...because they needed the help for New Year's. I had leverage. (I found a new job the following summer.)</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>That was my choice. And my job, not my career. I was young and idealistic and I took a stand and a calculated risk. We all make choices. And we have to live with the consequences of those choices. No one wants to work on a holiday. But if we are asked to, we have to. Or get another job.</p> | Working on Thanksgiving | true | http://foxbusiness.com/politics/2012/11/16/working-on-thanksgiving.html | 2016-03-04 | 0right
| Working on Thanksgiving
<p>Many employees of Target and I'm sure a host of other retailers and various businesses won't be happy on Thanksgiving. They don't think their employers should open their stores on Thanksgiving night. In fact, a group of Target employees has even started an <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/target-take-the-high-road-and-save-thanksgiving" type="external">online petition Opens a New Window.</a> urging the company to stay closed that night. As of this writing, it has collected more than 212,000 signatures.</p>
<p>First off, let me say this to anyone who has to work on a holiday: I hear you. And I feel you. I work in the news business. And while I could argue with my bosses until I'm blue in the face that no one watches the news on Thanksgiving or Christmas, we're still going to be asked to work.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>That brings me to my "but," and it’s a big one: We - and you- just have to suck it up. Whether you work in retail, media, law enforcement, or any other industry that requires work on holidays, weekends, and late nights, we CHOSE to do so. I chose to work in television news. Am I happy about working holidays? No. Was I happy to leave my family before Sandy hit so I could stay in New York City to ensure I got to work for the first two days of the storm and its aftermath? No. I did it because that's the job I signed up for.</p>
<p>If you chose to work in retail, at a company like Target, you have to expect to work when others aren't working. Target is in business to make money.</p>
<p>That being said, I believe Target or any other store could generate an abundance of goodwill and positive publicity if they announced they were staying closed on Thanksgiving. They could say it’s a day for family and they are all about family. Positive press, for free. The customers would still come bright and early on Black Friday. In droves.</p>
<p>I made the same argument when I worked at a liquor store when I was in college. I thought it was outrageous that we were open on Christmas Day. "If you tell people we're closed on Christmas, they’ll buy their booze ahead of time.” I argued. “If they don't, too bad." I was angry at the thought of people who had the nerve to wait until the actual holiday to buy their $12 bottle of Chardonnay to bring to Christmas dinner. So I skipped work on Christmas. My co-workers were pissed at me, and rightfully so. But I refused to miss the holiday with my family so some degenerate could come in and buy his lottery scratch-off tickets. (I'm not generalizing. The guy I am referring to IS a degenerate.)</p>
<p>The day after Christmas, my boss, who had off for the holiday, asked me where I was. "It was Christmas. I'm off on Christmas," I told her. I was prepared to lose my job. I didn't...because they needed the help for New Year's. I had leverage. (I found a new job the following summer.)</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>That was my choice. And my job, not my career. I was young and idealistic and I took a stand and a calculated risk. We all make choices. And we have to live with the consequences of those choices. No one wants to work on a holiday. But if we are asked to, we have to. Or get another job.</p> | 2,859 |
<p>Against a backdrop of lush green mountains and swaying papaya trees, La‘amea Lunn readies his crop of carrots, kale, and eggplants for the weekly farmers market. He carefully tends his one-third acre on Oahu, Hawaii, preparing produce for a market stall he shares with friends — young farmers like himself, a few of whom he met when they worked neighboring plots on this land owned by the University of Hawaii.</p>
<p>At 32, Lunn has an office job with a career in restaurant kitchens behind him. He hopes to own a farm of his own, to be part of the local food movement, and to help transform the industrial food system. But taking that on now is a substantial investment, so Lunn is starting out here, in an agricultural incubator program called GoFarm Hawaii, where he can share resources, learn from experts, and, perhaps most importantly, join a community.</p>
<p>GoFarm Hawaii and other programs, from California to Maine, aim to soften the start for young growers. By providing access to some or all of the farming fundamentals—capital, acreage, and training—these projects try not only to help the individual farmer, but also to sustain and grow a new generation that will allow the local food movement to flourish.</p>
<p>“Doing it with other people helps you along in the hard times,” Lunn said. “I went into this not just for myself, but to network to help other farmers to make it easier to farm. It was a driving force.”</p>
<p>Lunn is among the thousands of people nationwide trying their hands at a career that traditionally was handed down within families. It is a daunting prospect: New farmers often struggle to find affordable land, pay for equipment, pay down student loans, and develop the myriad skills necessary to farm as a career, not just a hobby.</p>
<p>Farming as an occupation has been graying steadily for more than three decades. In 2012, the average age of American farmers was 58, according to the US Census of Agriculture. In the same census, one-third of farmers were age 65 and older; only 6 percent of farmers were younger than 35.</p>
<p>And fewer new farmers are staying with it. In 2012, not quite 470,000 farmers had been on their land less than a decade — a 19 percent drop from the number of new farmers just five years before. About land for them to grow their products, and create a built-in network of fellow farmers.</p>
<p>Jennifer Hashley, a poultry farmer and director of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, called this a “safe place to learn and to fail.”</p>
<p>In a farm incubator, “they can really just focus on production, gaining the skills they need, and taking their product to market,” she said. “People can try this and see if it works.”</p>
<p>Incubators are in various stages of development. Some have graduated participants and are tracking their progress in commercial farming; others are focusing on specific skills or populations.</p>
<p>Michigan’s Greater Lansing Food Bank, also home to a series of community gardens and a food bank network, operates one such incubator, Lansing Roots. Now in its third growing season, Lansing Roots targets immigrant and refugee farmers who work roughly quarter-acre plots and sell their vegetables at local farmers markets and to wholesalers and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscribers.</p>
<p>At first, explained Alex Bryan, director of the food bank’s agricultural programs, many of the growers were involved in the food bank’s community gardens effort. It soon became clear that some of them were serious about turning the experience—whether by building upon farming backgrounds from their native countries, signing up for multifamily plots, or selling produce on the side—into a business.</p>
<p>“We said, ‘We’re well-resourced. Let’s provide the space and make it transparent that we want them to make money and be farmers,’” Bryan said. “In the long term, it helps the food bank and helps localize our food. It’s important that we have a new generation of farmers.”</p>
<p>Today, there are 25 farmers working the incubator site, down from 29. Of the four who have left, two found other jobs, one is trying to find land for her own farm, and the other decided farming wasn’t the right fit.</p>
<p>“If someone understands that they don’t want to be a farmer, that’s still a success story to me,” said Bryan, who farms with a friend on 4 acres in Detroit and chairs the board of the National Young Farmers Coalition. Better to make the choice about farming while at the incubator, he explained, than after staking hundreds of thousands of dollars on a farm.</p>
<p>That was the theory behind the phased-in structure of GoFarm Hawaii, launched in 2012 by the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and Windward Community College.</p>
<p>GoFarm starts with a three-hour seminar, which leads to a series of weekend workshops meant to introduce people to what they can expect from life as a farmer. From there, the program gets more intense. For four months, students attend two meetings a week that focus on specific topics, such as soil quality, pest control, crop varieties, and food storage. Participants can then move on to six months of AgPro, in which they grow crops and learn how to start a business. Some graduates of AgPro may then take advantage of AgIncubator, growing and marketing crops on land provided by GoFarm Hawaii.</p>
<p>Of AgPro’s first class of 27 graduates, 20 are farming commercially, including La‘amea Lunn.</p>
<p>Steven Chiang, GoFarm’s co-founder, credits the program’s progressive phases with the successful conversion of new farmers. GoFarm focuses on transitioning from stage to stage, on training, and on individual responsibility for a plot of land — surrounded by a cohort of classmates with their own farming responsibilities.</p>
<p>“People have to renew their vows, in a sense. And things get more real as phases continue,” he said. Student cohorts “struggle and work and dream together, [which makes] the prospect of actually doing this farming thing seem more achievable, less lonely.”</p>
<p>Establishing a network of mentors and peers is critical to building confidence and business know-how, Chiang added. It’s not just about the training; it’s about the transition. As the Beginning Farmer Center’s John Baker said, a new farmer also has to learn how to set up and sustain a business.</p>
<p>About 40 miles southeast of Seattle, Abukar Haji surveys his beds of carrots, beans, collard greens, and romaine. Now in his third year with Seattle Tilth’s Farm Works incubator program, Haji has expanded his original one-eighth-acre plot to three-fourths of an acre and hopes to keep growing.</p>
<p>A farmer in his native Somalia, Haji came to the United States five years ago and took a warehouse job until he learned about Farm Works at a local community center presentation. He now spends six days a week on the farm and is one of Farm Works’ top sellers in Seattle Tilth’s food hub, which distributes to its CSA, farmers markets, restaurants, and wholesalers.</p>
<p>Through a translator, Haji emphasized the help that Farm Works provided in learning and using new systems of planting and irrigation and in marketing his crops. Going out on his own, though, would be too stressful. “I’m going to stay here and get bigger,” he said with a laugh, gesturing toward the surrounding land.</p>
<p>And with Farm Works’ structure and goals, farmers like Haji likely will be able to do that. The 5-year-old program enrolls between eight and 10 new farmers a year for its classes and incubator plots, but no one has to leave, explained Andrea Dwyer, Seattle Tilth’s executive director. Rather, Seattle Tilth is actively seeking more land throughout the area to allow current Farm Works’ farmers to expand and to sign on new ones.</p>
<p>In the program’s “co-farming” model, subsidies to new farmers for seeds, equipment, and other resources decrease over time, while the land remains leased to farmers who participate in a farmers’ council to make decisions and solve problems and who can contribute produce to the food hub for revenue.</p>
<p>“We’re trying to re-evaluate what it means to be a farmer,” Farm Works manager Matthew McDermott said as he walked a path between plots. “Maybe a co-farming model is the way to be successful and grow a new generation of farmers.”</p>
<p>On an overcast yet mild weekday afternoon, half a dozen farmers tend to their chores. One motions Haji over to ask for advice. A few yards down, three young women work adjacent plots, maneuvering in and out of greenhouse tunnels packed with tomato plants.</p>
<p>Amber Taulbee pauses from her day’s task of removing thistles to pitch to McDermott the prospect of a Farm Works orchard.</p>
<p>That kind of access and support, Taulbee says later, has made all the difference in getting her dreams off the ground. At 37, Taulbee and her husband hope to find their own farmland and start a CSA.</p>
<p>“Farming is so challenging. I’ve had to become more realistic about how much help I’m going to need,” she said. “Until you start doing it for yourself, you don’t really understand it.”</p>
<p>This&#160; <a href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/good-health/if-there-are-no-new-farmers-who-will-grow-our-food-20160201" type="external">story</a>&#160;was originally published by&#160; <a href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/" type="external">YES! Magazine</a>, a nonprofit publication that supports people’s active engagement in solving today’s social, political, and environmental challenges.&#160;</p> | If there are no new farmers, who will grow our food? | false | https://pri.org/stories/2016-02-09/if-there-are-no-new-farmers-who-will-grow-our-food | 2016-02-09 | 3left-center
| If there are no new farmers, who will grow our food?
<p>Against a backdrop of lush green mountains and swaying papaya trees, La‘amea Lunn readies his crop of carrots, kale, and eggplants for the weekly farmers market. He carefully tends his one-third acre on Oahu, Hawaii, preparing produce for a market stall he shares with friends — young farmers like himself, a few of whom he met when they worked neighboring plots on this land owned by the University of Hawaii.</p>
<p>At 32, Lunn has an office job with a career in restaurant kitchens behind him. He hopes to own a farm of his own, to be part of the local food movement, and to help transform the industrial food system. But taking that on now is a substantial investment, so Lunn is starting out here, in an agricultural incubator program called GoFarm Hawaii, where he can share resources, learn from experts, and, perhaps most importantly, join a community.</p>
<p>GoFarm Hawaii and other programs, from California to Maine, aim to soften the start for young growers. By providing access to some or all of the farming fundamentals—capital, acreage, and training—these projects try not only to help the individual farmer, but also to sustain and grow a new generation that will allow the local food movement to flourish.</p>
<p>“Doing it with other people helps you along in the hard times,” Lunn said. “I went into this not just for myself, but to network to help other farmers to make it easier to farm. It was a driving force.”</p>
<p>Lunn is among the thousands of people nationwide trying their hands at a career that traditionally was handed down within families. It is a daunting prospect: New farmers often struggle to find affordable land, pay for equipment, pay down student loans, and develop the myriad skills necessary to farm as a career, not just a hobby.</p>
<p>Farming as an occupation has been graying steadily for more than three decades. In 2012, the average age of American farmers was 58, according to the US Census of Agriculture. In the same census, one-third of farmers were age 65 and older; only 6 percent of farmers were younger than 35.</p>
<p>And fewer new farmers are staying with it. In 2012, not quite 470,000 farmers had been on their land less than a decade — a 19 percent drop from the number of new farmers just five years before. About land for them to grow their products, and create a built-in network of fellow farmers.</p>
<p>Jennifer Hashley, a poultry farmer and director of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, called this a “safe place to learn and to fail.”</p>
<p>In a farm incubator, “they can really just focus on production, gaining the skills they need, and taking their product to market,” she said. “People can try this and see if it works.”</p>
<p>Incubators are in various stages of development. Some have graduated participants and are tracking their progress in commercial farming; others are focusing on specific skills or populations.</p>
<p>Michigan’s Greater Lansing Food Bank, also home to a series of community gardens and a food bank network, operates one such incubator, Lansing Roots. Now in its third growing season, Lansing Roots targets immigrant and refugee farmers who work roughly quarter-acre plots and sell their vegetables at local farmers markets and to wholesalers and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscribers.</p>
<p>At first, explained Alex Bryan, director of the food bank’s agricultural programs, many of the growers were involved in the food bank’s community gardens effort. It soon became clear that some of them were serious about turning the experience—whether by building upon farming backgrounds from their native countries, signing up for multifamily plots, or selling produce on the side—into a business.</p>
<p>“We said, ‘We’re well-resourced. Let’s provide the space and make it transparent that we want them to make money and be farmers,’” Bryan said. “In the long term, it helps the food bank and helps localize our food. It’s important that we have a new generation of farmers.”</p>
<p>Today, there are 25 farmers working the incubator site, down from 29. Of the four who have left, two found other jobs, one is trying to find land for her own farm, and the other decided farming wasn’t the right fit.</p>
<p>“If someone understands that they don’t want to be a farmer, that’s still a success story to me,” said Bryan, who farms with a friend on 4 acres in Detroit and chairs the board of the National Young Farmers Coalition. Better to make the choice about farming while at the incubator, he explained, than after staking hundreds of thousands of dollars on a farm.</p>
<p>That was the theory behind the phased-in structure of GoFarm Hawaii, launched in 2012 by the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and Windward Community College.</p>
<p>GoFarm starts with a three-hour seminar, which leads to a series of weekend workshops meant to introduce people to what they can expect from life as a farmer. From there, the program gets more intense. For four months, students attend two meetings a week that focus on specific topics, such as soil quality, pest control, crop varieties, and food storage. Participants can then move on to six months of AgPro, in which they grow crops and learn how to start a business. Some graduates of AgPro may then take advantage of AgIncubator, growing and marketing crops on land provided by GoFarm Hawaii.</p>
<p>Of AgPro’s first class of 27 graduates, 20 are farming commercially, including La‘amea Lunn.</p>
<p>Steven Chiang, GoFarm’s co-founder, credits the program’s progressive phases with the successful conversion of new farmers. GoFarm focuses on transitioning from stage to stage, on training, and on individual responsibility for a plot of land — surrounded by a cohort of classmates with their own farming responsibilities.</p>
<p>“People have to renew their vows, in a sense. And things get more real as phases continue,” he said. Student cohorts “struggle and work and dream together, [which makes] the prospect of actually doing this farming thing seem more achievable, less lonely.”</p>
<p>Establishing a network of mentors and peers is critical to building confidence and business know-how, Chiang added. It’s not just about the training; it’s about the transition. As the Beginning Farmer Center’s John Baker said, a new farmer also has to learn how to set up and sustain a business.</p>
<p>About 40 miles southeast of Seattle, Abukar Haji surveys his beds of carrots, beans, collard greens, and romaine. Now in his third year with Seattle Tilth’s Farm Works incubator program, Haji has expanded his original one-eighth-acre plot to three-fourths of an acre and hopes to keep growing.</p>
<p>A farmer in his native Somalia, Haji came to the United States five years ago and took a warehouse job until he learned about Farm Works at a local community center presentation. He now spends six days a week on the farm and is one of Farm Works’ top sellers in Seattle Tilth’s food hub, which distributes to its CSA, farmers markets, restaurants, and wholesalers.</p>
<p>Through a translator, Haji emphasized the help that Farm Works provided in learning and using new systems of planting and irrigation and in marketing his crops. Going out on his own, though, would be too stressful. “I’m going to stay here and get bigger,” he said with a laugh, gesturing toward the surrounding land.</p>
<p>And with Farm Works’ structure and goals, farmers like Haji likely will be able to do that. The 5-year-old program enrolls between eight and 10 new farmers a year for its classes and incubator plots, but no one has to leave, explained Andrea Dwyer, Seattle Tilth’s executive director. Rather, Seattle Tilth is actively seeking more land throughout the area to allow current Farm Works’ farmers to expand and to sign on new ones.</p>
<p>In the program’s “co-farming” model, subsidies to new farmers for seeds, equipment, and other resources decrease over time, while the land remains leased to farmers who participate in a farmers’ council to make decisions and solve problems and who can contribute produce to the food hub for revenue.</p>
<p>“We’re trying to re-evaluate what it means to be a farmer,” Farm Works manager Matthew McDermott said as he walked a path between plots. “Maybe a co-farming model is the way to be successful and grow a new generation of farmers.”</p>
<p>On an overcast yet mild weekday afternoon, half a dozen farmers tend to their chores. One motions Haji over to ask for advice. A few yards down, three young women work adjacent plots, maneuvering in and out of greenhouse tunnels packed with tomato plants.</p>
<p>Amber Taulbee pauses from her day’s task of removing thistles to pitch to McDermott the prospect of a Farm Works orchard.</p>
<p>That kind of access and support, Taulbee says later, has made all the difference in getting her dreams off the ground. At 37, Taulbee and her husband hope to find their own farmland and start a CSA.</p>
<p>“Farming is so challenging. I’ve had to become more realistic about how much help I’m going to need,” she said. “Until you start doing it for yourself, you don’t really understand it.”</p>
<p>This&#160; <a href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/good-health/if-there-are-no-new-farmers-who-will-grow-our-food-20160201" type="external">story</a>&#160;was originally published by&#160; <a href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/" type="external">YES! Magazine</a>, a nonprofit publication that supports people’s active engagement in solving today’s social, political, and environmental challenges.&#160;</p> | 2,860 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — Producers of the upcoming Afghanistan war story “Horse Soldiers” are looking for New Mexico residents to cast as extras.</p>
<p>The Alamogordo Daily News reports ( <a href="http://bit.ly/2eZdZ5w" type="external">http://bit.ly/2eZdZ5w</a> ) that the movie will film in New Mexico in early December to mid-February and will need extras throughout the shoot. Extras casting director Sande Alessi says they will need to fill 2,000 to 3,000 rolls of primarily soldiers and Afghan insurgents.</p>
<p>“Horse Soldiers” is a Jerry Bruckheimer production that depicts a true story about a U.S. Special Forces team and their captain in a rugged, mountainous region of Afghanistan after 9/11.</p>
<p>Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon and Michael Pena are slated to star in the film, which is based off Doug Stanton’s book “Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Alamogordo Daily News, <a href="http://www.alamogordonews.com" type="external">http://www.alamogordonews.com</a></p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Producers of ‘Horse Soldiers’ seek New Mexico extras | false | https://abqjournal.com/887408/producers-of-horse-soldiers-seek-new-mexico-extras.html | 2least
| Producers of ‘Horse Soldiers’ seek New Mexico extras
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — Producers of the upcoming Afghanistan war story “Horse Soldiers” are looking for New Mexico residents to cast as extras.</p>
<p>The Alamogordo Daily News reports ( <a href="http://bit.ly/2eZdZ5w" type="external">http://bit.ly/2eZdZ5w</a> ) that the movie will film in New Mexico in early December to mid-February and will need extras throughout the shoot. Extras casting director Sande Alessi says they will need to fill 2,000 to 3,000 rolls of primarily soldiers and Afghan insurgents.</p>
<p>“Horse Soldiers” is a Jerry Bruckheimer production that depicts a true story about a U.S. Special Forces team and their captain in a rugged, mountainous region of Afghanistan after 9/11.</p>
<p>Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon and Michael Pena are slated to star in the film, which is based off Doug Stanton’s book “Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of US Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Alamogordo Daily News, <a href="http://www.alamogordonews.com" type="external">http://www.alamogordonews.com</a></p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 2,861 |
|
<p>In today’s roundup, <a href="http://variety.com/t/keke-palmer/" type="external">Keke Palmer</a> is set to star in “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/scream/" type="external">Scream</a>,” while numerous additional presenters have been added to the Emmys.</p>
<p>CASTING</p>
<p>Variety has confirmed that Keke Palmer is set to star in Season 3 of MTV’s “Scream.”&#160;Season 3 revolves around Deion Elliot (RJ Cyler), a local star running back whose tragic past comes back to haunt him at the worst time, threatening his hard-earned plans for his future — and the lives of his unlikely group of friends. Palmer will play Kym, a bold and beautiful social activist with a big heart and zero patience for suffering fools. Joining her on Season 3 are Giorgia Whigham, Jessica Sula, and Giullian Yao Gioiello, as well as previously announced Tyga and C.J. Wallace.&#160;Brett Matthews serves as the franchise’s third showrunner and executive produces alongside Queen Latifah, Shakim Conpere and Yaneley Arty for Flavor Unit Entertainment. They join original exec producers Harvey and Bob Weinstein for Dimension TV, the late Wes Craven, Tony DiSanto, Liz Gateley, Marianne Maddalena and Cathy Konrad.&#160;Palmer is repped by UTA.</p>
<p>AWARD SHOWS</p>
<p>The Television Academy has announced the addition of a series of presenters for the&#160;69th Primetime Emmy Awards. Newly announced presenters include:&#160;Iain Armitage, Alexis Bledel, Rachel Bloom, Matt Bomer, Carol Burnett, Dave Chappelle, Priyanka Chopra, James Corden, Viola Davis, Laura Dern, Mark Feuerstein, Jane Fonda, Jermaine Fowler, Chris Hardwick, Zoë Kravitz, Norman Lear, LL COOL J, Sonequa Martin-Green,&#160;Tatiana Maslany,&#160;Melissa McCarthy,&#160;Seth MacFarlane,&#160;Gerald McRaney, Seth Meyers, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kaitlin Olson, Dolly Parton, Sarah Paulson, Jeremy Piven, Issa Rae,Craig Robinson, Gina Rodriguez, Anika Noni Rose, Emmy Rossum, Adam Scott, Lily Tomlin, Cicely Tyson, Gabrielle Union, BD Wong and Shailene Woodley. Christopher Jackson will perform an In Memoriam tribute. The new group joins the previously announced presenters including Riz Ahmed, Anthony Anderson, Alec Baldwin,&#160;Jason Bateman, Jessica Biel, Edie Falco, Anna Faris, Allison Janney, Rashida Jones, Nicole Kidman, Debra Messing, Lea Michele, Shemar Moore,&#160;Kumail Nanjiani,&#160;Jim Parsons, Tracee Ellis Ross, Adam Scott, Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon. The Emmys will take place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. live ET and 5:00 p.m. live PT. Stephen Colbert will host.</p> | TV News Roundup: Keke Palmer to Star in Season 3 of MTV’s ‘Scream’ | false | https://newsline.com/tv-news-roundup-keke-palmer-to-star-in-season-3-of-mtvs-scream/ | 2017-09-13 | 1right-center
| TV News Roundup: Keke Palmer to Star in Season 3 of MTV’s ‘Scream’
<p>In today’s roundup, <a href="http://variety.com/t/keke-palmer/" type="external">Keke Palmer</a> is set to star in “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/scream/" type="external">Scream</a>,” while numerous additional presenters have been added to the Emmys.</p>
<p>CASTING</p>
<p>Variety has confirmed that Keke Palmer is set to star in Season 3 of MTV’s “Scream.”&#160;Season 3 revolves around Deion Elliot (RJ Cyler), a local star running back whose tragic past comes back to haunt him at the worst time, threatening his hard-earned plans for his future — and the lives of his unlikely group of friends. Palmer will play Kym, a bold and beautiful social activist with a big heart and zero patience for suffering fools. Joining her on Season 3 are Giorgia Whigham, Jessica Sula, and Giullian Yao Gioiello, as well as previously announced Tyga and C.J. Wallace.&#160;Brett Matthews serves as the franchise’s third showrunner and executive produces alongside Queen Latifah, Shakim Conpere and Yaneley Arty for Flavor Unit Entertainment. They join original exec producers Harvey and Bob Weinstein for Dimension TV, the late Wes Craven, Tony DiSanto, Liz Gateley, Marianne Maddalena and Cathy Konrad.&#160;Palmer is repped by UTA.</p>
<p>AWARD SHOWS</p>
<p>The Television Academy has announced the addition of a series of presenters for the&#160;69th Primetime Emmy Awards. Newly announced presenters include:&#160;Iain Armitage, Alexis Bledel, Rachel Bloom, Matt Bomer, Carol Burnett, Dave Chappelle, Priyanka Chopra, James Corden, Viola Davis, Laura Dern, Mark Feuerstein, Jane Fonda, Jermaine Fowler, Chris Hardwick, Zoë Kravitz, Norman Lear, LL COOL J, Sonequa Martin-Green,&#160;Tatiana Maslany,&#160;Melissa McCarthy,&#160;Seth MacFarlane,&#160;Gerald McRaney, Seth Meyers, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kaitlin Olson, Dolly Parton, Sarah Paulson, Jeremy Piven, Issa Rae,Craig Robinson, Gina Rodriguez, Anika Noni Rose, Emmy Rossum, Adam Scott, Lily Tomlin, Cicely Tyson, Gabrielle Union, BD Wong and Shailene Woodley. Christopher Jackson will perform an In Memoriam tribute. The new group joins the previously announced presenters including Riz Ahmed, Anthony Anderson, Alec Baldwin,&#160;Jason Bateman, Jessica Biel, Edie Falco, Anna Faris, Allison Janney, Rashida Jones, Nicole Kidman, Debra Messing, Lea Michele, Shemar Moore,&#160;Kumail Nanjiani,&#160;Jim Parsons, Tracee Ellis Ross, Adam Scott, Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon. The Emmys will take place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Sunday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. live ET and 5:00 p.m. live PT. Stephen Colbert will host.</p> | 2,862 |
<p />
<p>Price-to-earnings, or P/E ratio, is perhaps the most commonly used metrics used when valuing stocks. However, P/E ratios aren't always useful all by themselves, as they don't take a company's growth rate into account.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>For this reason, the price-to-earnings-growth ratio, or PEG ratio, takes the P/E ratio and combines it with the company's expected earnings growth, in order to better express the valuation of growing companies. The PEG ratio is easy enough to calculate -- simply divide the P/E ratio by the company's expected earnings growth rate.</p>
<p>In general, a PEG ratio of less than 1 is considered to be indicative of an undervalued stock and a PEG ratio of more than 1 could imply that a stock is too expensive. However, the PEG ratio is only one piece of the valuation puzzle, and different industries have different average PEG ratios.</p>
<p>An exampleLet's say that you're considering two growth stocks in the same industry. The first trades for 18 times earnings, while the second trades for 22 times earnings. So, at a glance the first company may seem like the more attractive investment.</p>
<p>However, the first company is projected to grow its earnings at 12% per year for the next five years, according to the analysts following the company, while the second is forecast to grow earnings at a 16% rate.</p>
<p>Using this information, we can calculate the first stock's PEG ratio as:</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>And, the second company's PEG ratio is:</p>
<p>The takeaway here is that even though the second company has the higher P/E valuation, it is actually the cheaper of the two when growth is taken into account.</p>
<p>LimitationsWhen using the PEG ratio as part of your stock research process, there are a few things to keep in mind.</p>
<p>First, the PEG ratio makes assumptions that may or may not be valid. In our example, we used a projected five-year growth rate, which is a long time. There's no telling exactly when a company's growth could slow down or speed up, so keep in mind that this metric is based on someone's best guess of what will happen.</p>
<p>Also, the PEG ratio doesn't take into account other variables that could add or take away from a company's value. For example, some growth companies keep lots of cash on their balance sheet, but the PEG ratio ignores the obvious value this adds.</p>
<p>Finally, be careful when applying the PEG ratio to slower-growing companies or value stocks. If a certain company trades for 15 times earnings and has grown predictably by 5% per year for decades, its PEG ratio of 3.0 may look expensive. However, with a strong track record of steady growth, this stock could still be a good value for investors seeking safety and stability.</p>
<p>This article is part of The Motley Fool's Knowledge Center, which was created based on the collected wisdom of a fantastic community of investors. We'd love to hear your questions, thoughts, and opinions on the Knowledge Center in general or this page in particular. Your input will help us help the world invest, better! Email us at <a href="http://mailto:[email protected]?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">[email protected] Opens a New Window.</a>. Thanks -- and Fool on!</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/2016/03/14/peg-ratio.aspx" type="external">PEG Ratio Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p>Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | PEG Ratio | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/03/14/peg-ratio.html | 2016-03-14 | 0right
| PEG Ratio
<p />
<p>Price-to-earnings, or P/E ratio, is perhaps the most commonly used metrics used when valuing stocks. However, P/E ratios aren't always useful all by themselves, as they don't take a company's growth rate into account.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>For this reason, the price-to-earnings-growth ratio, or PEG ratio, takes the P/E ratio and combines it with the company's expected earnings growth, in order to better express the valuation of growing companies. The PEG ratio is easy enough to calculate -- simply divide the P/E ratio by the company's expected earnings growth rate.</p>
<p>In general, a PEG ratio of less than 1 is considered to be indicative of an undervalued stock and a PEG ratio of more than 1 could imply that a stock is too expensive. However, the PEG ratio is only one piece of the valuation puzzle, and different industries have different average PEG ratios.</p>
<p>An exampleLet's say that you're considering two growth stocks in the same industry. The first trades for 18 times earnings, while the second trades for 22 times earnings. So, at a glance the first company may seem like the more attractive investment.</p>
<p>However, the first company is projected to grow its earnings at 12% per year for the next five years, according to the analysts following the company, while the second is forecast to grow earnings at a 16% rate.</p>
<p>Using this information, we can calculate the first stock's PEG ratio as:</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>And, the second company's PEG ratio is:</p>
<p>The takeaway here is that even though the second company has the higher P/E valuation, it is actually the cheaper of the two when growth is taken into account.</p>
<p>LimitationsWhen using the PEG ratio as part of your stock research process, there are a few things to keep in mind.</p>
<p>First, the PEG ratio makes assumptions that may or may not be valid. In our example, we used a projected five-year growth rate, which is a long time. There's no telling exactly when a company's growth could slow down or speed up, so keep in mind that this metric is based on someone's best guess of what will happen.</p>
<p>Also, the PEG ratio doesn't take into account other variables that could add or take away from a company's value. For example, some growth companies keep lots of cash on their balance sheet, but the PEG ratio ignores the obvious value this adds.</p>
<p>Finally, be careful when applying the PEG ratio to slower-growing companies or value stocks. If a certain company trades for 15 times earnings and has grown predictably by 5% per year for decades, its PEG ratio of 3.0 may look expensive. However, with a strong track record of steady growth, this stock could still be a good value for investors seeking safety and stability.</p>
<p>This article is part of The Motley Fool's Knowledge Center, which was created based on the collected wisdom of a fantastic community of investors. We'd love to hear your questions, thoughts, and opinions on the Knowledge Center in general or this page in particular. Your input will help us help the world invest, better! Email us at <a href="http://mailto:[email protected]?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">[email protected] Opens a New Window.</a>. Thanks -- and Fool on!</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/2016/03/14/peg-ratio.aspx" type="external">PEG Ratio Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p>Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 2,863 |
<p>Welcome to The Lid, your afternoon dose of the 2016 ethos… The ongoing Olympic games have us longing for a simpler time, back when we could debate the optics of a politician’s equestrian dressage hobby instead of whether one candidate called for a violent uprising against another. #TBT</p>
<p>Get The Lid straight to your inbox each afternoon -- <a href="" type="internal">click here to sign up.</a></p>
<p>‘16 from 30,000</p>
<p>If you adhere to the dusty old rules of politics, you know that the winner of each party’s primary election is supposed to charge into the general election with that classic cliché move lovingly known as “the pivot.” But the political norm is getting some strange variations this cycle, with both candidates declining to bow to the political center when it comes to key parts of their campaigns. We got a vivid reminder of that today from Donald Trump, who was characteristically blunt when telling TIME about his reluctance to change his style now that’s not just talking to GOP primary voters. “I am listening to so-called experts to ease up the rhetoric, and so far, I’m liking the way I ran in the primaries better,” he said, perhaps overestimating the gentleness of his recent statements about ISIS and the Second Amendment. “I got more votes than anybody in the history of the primaries, I got 14 million votes and won most of the states. But I’m now listening to people that are telling me to be easier, to be nicer, be softer. That’s OK, and I’m doing that. Personally, I don’t know if that’s what the country wants.”</p>
<p>On the slightly more traditional side of the 2016 aisle, Hillary Clinton *IS* trying to appeal to Trump-wary Republicans and independents, publicizing the endorsements of big-name GOP defectors on an almost daily basis now. But those endorsements are almost exclusively based on her fitness for the job over an unpredictable and inexperienced nominee, rather than on the ideas she actually espouses. In fact, when it comes to economic policy, we learned again today that she’s giving no ground at all. As our colleague <a href="" type="internal">Alex Seitz-Wald notes,</a> Clinton doubled down on progressive causes in her economic policy speech, offering no nods to “grand bargain”-type compromises on the deficit or entitlements.. As Seitz-Wald notes, “Clinton has paid no price for the leftward shift, since Trump is more interested in litigating her character than her policy in any kind of traditionally ideological way. Trump's own rhetoric on taxes and spending have undercut his and other Republicans' ability to tag Clinton as, say, a tax-and-spend liberal.”</p>
<p>Programming note: The Lid, like our big sib First Read, is taking a break from publishing on Fridays in August. But we WILL recommend a great weekend read instead! <a href="http://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a21997/donald-trump-katy-tur/" type="external">Don’t miss an inside look</a> at the life of our very own Trump campaign correspondent, Katy Tur. Katy has been covering the Trump campaign for NBC News since the very beginning. She wrote about her experiences for Marie Claire <a href="http://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a21997/donald-trump-katy-tur/" type="external">here</a> -- a must read for campaign junkies.</p>
<p>POPPING ON NBC POLITICS</p>
<p>FOR THE RECORD…</p>
<p>“It’s a fire hose. He can set himself on fire at breakfast, kill a nun at lunch and waterboard a puppy in the afternoon. And that doesn’t even get us to prime time.”</p>
<p>-- Senior Clinton adviser to TIME, talking about compiling opposition research against Trump.</p>
<p>TOMORROW’S SKED</p>
<p>Donald Trump campaigns in Erie and Altoona, Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>Bill Clinton speaks to the Asian American Journalists Association in Las Vegas.</p> | The Lid: 89 Days Out, Trump Campaign Remains Pivot Free | false | http://nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/lid-89-days-out-trump-campaign-remains-pivot-free-n628676 | 2016-08-11 | 3left-center
| The Lid: 89 Days Out, Trump Campaign Remains Pivot Free
<p>Welcome to The Lid, your afternoon dose of the 2016 ethos… The ongoing Olympic games have us longing for a simpler time, back when we could debate the optics of a politician’s equestrian dressage hobby instead of whether one candidate called for a violent uprising against another. #TBT</p>
<p>Get The Lid straight to your inbox each afternoon -- <a href="" type="internal">click here to sign up.</a></p>
<p>‘16 from 30,000</p>
<p>If you adhere to the dusty old rules of politics, you know that the winner of each party’s primary election is supposed to charge into the general election with that classic cliché move lovingly known as “the pivot.” But the political norm is getting some strange variations this cycle, with both candidates declining to bow to the political center when it comes to key parts of their campaigns. We got a vivid reminder of that today from Donald Trump, who was characteristically blunt when telling TIME about his reluctance to change his style now that’s not just talking to GOP primary voters. “I am listening to so-called experts to ease up the rhetoric, and so far, I’m liking the way I ran in the primaries better,” he said, perhaps overestimating the gentleness of his recent statements about ISIS and the Second Amendment. “I got more votes than anybody in the history of the primaries, I got 14 million votes and won most of the states. But I’m now listening to people that are telling me to be easier, to be nicer, be softer. That’s OK, and I’m doing that. Personally, I don’t know if that’s what the country wants.”</p>
<p>On the slightly more traditional side of the 2016 aisle, Hillary Clinton *IS* trying to appeal to Trump-wary Republicans and independents, publicizing the endorsements of big-name GOP defectors on an almost daily basis now. But those endorsements are almost exclusively based on her fitness for the job over an unpredictable and inexperienced nominee, rather than on the ideas she actually espouses. In fact, when it comes to economic policy, we learned again today that she’s giving no ground at all. As our colleague <a href="" type="internal">Alex Seitz-Wald notes,</a> Clinton doubled down on progressive causes in her economic policy speech, offering no nods to “grand bargain”-type compromises on the deficit or entitlements.. As Seitz-Wald notes, “Clinton has paid no price for the leftward shift, since Trump is more interested in litigating her character than her policy in any kind of traditionally ideological way. Trump's own rhetoric on taxes and spending have undercut his and other Republicans' ability to tag Clinton as, say, a tax-and-spend liberal.”</p>
<p>Programming note: The Lid, like our big sib First Read, is taking a break from publishing on Fridays in August. But we WILL recommend a great weekend read instead! <a href="http://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a21997/donald-trump-katy-tur/" type="external">Don’t miss an inside look</a> at the life of our very own Trump campaign correspondent, Katy Tur. Katy has been covering the Trump campaign for NBC News since the very beginning. She wrote about her experiences for Marie Claire <a href="http://www.marieclaire.com/politics/a21997/donald-trump-katy-tur/" type="external">here</a> -- a must read for campaign junkies.</p>
<p>POPPING ON NBC POLITICS</p>
<p>FOR THE RECORD…</p>
<p>“It’s a fire hose. He can set himself on fire at breakfast, kill a nun at lunch and waterboard a puppy in the afternoon. And that doesn’t even get us to prime time.”</p>
<p>-- Senior Clinton adviser to TIME, talking about compiling opposition research against Trump.</p>
<p>TOMORROW’S SKED</p>
<p>Donald Trump campaigns in Erie and Altoona, Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>Bill Clinton speaks to the Asian American Journalists Association in Las Vegas.</p> | 2,864 |
<p>Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., blasted the healthcare plan that failed in the Senate Thursday night, saying Obamacare won’t be repealed on “24 hours’ notice” or with a “skinny” bill.</p>
<p>“It’s not going to be done with 24 hours’ notice and a bill that has the word ‘skinny’ in it,” Gowdy told <a href="http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/07/28/health-care-skinny-obamacare-congress-trey-gowdy" type="external">Fox News’ “Fox &amp; Friends”</a> program&#160;on Friday.</p>
<p>A group of Republicans, including Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, <a href="http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/obamacare-skinny-repeal-vote/2017/07/28/id/804299/" type="external">voted against the “skinny” bill</a>, leaving it with 49 votes for and 51 against.&#160;</p>
<p>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said after the defeat that “it’s time to move on.”</p>
<p>On Fox News, Gowdy said that Congress shouldn’t abandon its attempts to repeal Obamacare.</p>
<p>“We’ve got to go back,” Gowdy said. “It was a fundamental promise of the Trump campaign, and it desperately needs to be done.”</p>
<p>He added, “We set unrealistic expectations and then we never meet them, which leads to anger and frustration.”</p>
<p>“Our problem is that for seven years we’ve been telling folks what we’re against and what we’re opposed to and then we’ve had seven months to govern and the best we can come up with is a skinny plan on 24 hours’ notice?” Gowdy asked.</p> | Trey Gowdy: 'Skinny' Bill Written in 24 Hours; 'Best We Can Come Up With?' | false | https://newsline.com/trey-gowdy-skinny-bill-written-in-24-hours-best-we-can-come-up-with/ | 2017-07-28 | 1right-center
| Trey Gowdy: 'Skinny' Bill Written in 24 Hours; 'Best We Can Come Up With?'
<p>Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., blasted the healthcare plan that failed in the Senate Thursday night, saying Obamacare won’t be repealed on “24 hours’ notice” or with a “skinny” bill.</p>
<p>“It’s not going to be done with 24 hours’ notice and a bill that has the word ‘skinny’ in it,” Gowdy told <a href="http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/07/28/health-care-skinny-obamacare-congress-trey-gowdy" type="external">Fox News’ “Fox &amp; Friends”</a> program&#160;on Friday.</p>
<p>A group of Republicans, including Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, <a href="http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/obamacare-skinny-repeal-vote/2017/07/28/id/804299/" type="external">voted against the “skinny” bill</a>, leaving it with 49 votes for and 51 against.&#160;</p>
<p>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said after the defeat that “it’s time to move on.”</p>
<p>On Fox News, Gowdy said that Congress shouldn’t abandon its attempts to repeal Obamacare.</p>
<p>“We’ve got to go back,” Gowdy said. “It was a fundamental promise of the Trump campaign, and it desperately needs to be done.”</p>
<p>He added, “We set unrealistic expectations and then we never meet them, which leads to anger and frustration.”</p>
<p>“Our problem is that for seven years we’ve been telling folks what we’re against and what we’re opposed to and then we’ve had seven months to govern and the best we can come up with is a skinny plan on 24 hours’ notice?” Gowdy asked.</p> | 2,865 |
<p>The owner of The Stingray Café in New Bern, North Carolina apparently has a penchant for <a href="http://www.wcti12.com/news/Lesbian-couple-Restaurant-owner-hands-them-letter-condemning-homosexuality/-/13530444/18086232/-/n0mfvd/-/index.html" type="external">informing his gay customers</a> of his anti-gay views. Lesbian couple Ariel and Shawnee McPhail had a meal at the Café on December 4, but did not leave empty handed. As they were exiting, owner Ed McGovern handed them the following poorly written letter:</p>
<p>God said in the last days that man and wom[a]n would be lover of self, more [than] the lover of God.</p>
<p>That man and woman would have unnatural [affection] for one another. Then, the coming of the Son of Man, who is Jesus. So please, look at your life. See how it hurt[s] everyone around you. And ask the Lord to open your eye[s] before it [is] to[o] late.</p>
<p>The Love of Christ</p>
<p>P.S. my daughter also was gay. It destroy[ed] her life and my grandson.</p>
<p>McGovern said he wrote the letter because he did not approve of the McPhails’ kissing and confirmed that he has done something similar for a lesbian couple in the past. The McPhails say they weren’t kissing — just holding hands — but that’s besides the point.</p>
<p>McGovern’s letter epitomizes the kind of harassment and condemnation that gay couples experience throughout their daily lives, merely for basic activities like going to restaurants together. No member of another targeted group would be expected to tolerate an offense like this, and it’s time an exception stop being made for the LGBT community.</p> | North Carolina Restaurant Owner Writes Lesbian Customers An Anti-Gay Letter | true | http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/01/11/1435611/north-carolina-restaurant-owner-writes-lesbian-customers-an-anti-gay-letter/ | 2013-01-11 | 4left
| North Carolina Restaurant Owner Writes Lesbian Customers An Anti-Gay Letter
<p>The owner of The Stingray Café in New Bern, North Carolina apparently has a penchant for <a href="http://www.wcti12.com/news/Lesbian-couple-Restaurant-owner-hands-them-letter-condemning-homosexuality/-/13530444/18086232/-/n0mfvd/-/index.html" type="external">informing his gay customers</a> of his anti-gay views. Lesbian couple Ariel and Shawnee McPhail had a meal at the Café on December 4, but did not leave empty handed. As they were exiting, owner Ed McGovern handed them the following poorly written letter:</p>
<p>God said in the last days that man and wom[a]n would be lover of self, more [than] the lover of God.</p>
<p>That man and woman would have unnatural [affection] for one another. Then, the coming of the Son of Man, who is Jesus. So please, look at your life. See how it hurt[s] everyone around you. And ask the Lord to open your eye[s] before it [is] to[o] late.</p>
<p>The Love of Christ</p>
<p>P.S. my daughter also was gay. It destroy[ed] her life and my grandson.</p>
<p>McGovern said he wrote the letter because he did not approve of the McPhails’ kissing and confirmed that he has done something similar for a lesbian couple in the past. The McPhails say they weren’t kissing — just holding hands — but that’s besides the point.</p>
<p>McGovern’s letter epitomizes the kind of harassment and condemnation that gay couples experience throughout their daily lives, merely for basic activities like going to restaurants together. No member of another targeted group would be expected to tolerate an offense like this, and it’s time an exception stop being made for the LGBT community.</p> | 2,866 |
<p>To see long excerpts from “Sabato Rodia’s Towers in Watts” at Google Books, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=u_7dAwAAQBAJ&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=editions:_yWApqHCQfoC&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=JrZfVOPKJOG5iALwhoHoBw&amp;ved=0CB8QuwUwAA#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" type="external">click here</a>.</p>
<p>“Sabato Rodia’s Towers in Watts: Art, Migrations, Development” A book edited by Luisa Del Giudice</p>
<p>I first saw Sabato (Simon) Rodia’s majestic towers when I was a young civil rights worker in Watts in 1964. Between organizing and demonstrations, I wandered over to the towers several times, mesmerized by their rich detail, vibrant color and overall imagination. In subsequent years, especially after moving to Los Angeles in 1979, I have returned to the Watts Towers frequently, often as a tour guide for my UCLA students.</p>
<p>They share my pleasure in seeing Rodia’s fantastic city consisting of several interconnected towers, a gazebo and a boat, constructed of junk sculpture and mosaic tiling, wrapped in wire mesh, a remarkable feat of both art and engineering. They see, with wonder and awe, what Rodia called “Nuestro Pueblo” (Our Town in Spanish). They also understand that one trip alone to the Towers is hardly adequate. Many subsequent visits are necessary to see and appreciate the stunning way that Rodia used found objects such as soda bottles, ceramic tiles, shells, pieces of glass and other fragments that he embedded in concrete throughout the work.</p>
<p />
<p>Despite these gratifying field trips, I have been disheartened that so few of my students have ever seen this iconic work by one of the most creative and eccentric artists of the 20th century. Most of them have lived in Southern California their entire lives and have usually heard of the Watts Towers. But they share the typical bias of white (and other) people in Los Angeles: Watts is a dangerous, off-limits area and should be avoided at all costs. Nevertheless, after many educational trips to the Towers and the adjacent Watts Towers Arts Center, I can happily report that no one has been robbed, assaulted or otherwise harmed, and that many students have been exposed to one of the most magnificent works of public art in the world.</p>
<p>Still, a distressing lack of knowledge about both Rodia and his magnificent creation remains the norm in Southern California and elsewhere. That has the potential to change with the recent publication of “Sabato Rodia’s Towers in Watts.” Scholar Luisa Del Giudice has assembled an extensive collection of articles and essays that detail everything about Rodia and his work. The book covers, among many other themes, the Towers’ cultural and art historical context and legacy, their contested and controversial status as a public site in Los Angeles, and their future in a city still struggling with massive economic problems where preservation of a quirky historical landmark may not necessarily be a major political priority for many resident taxpayers.</p>
<p>Several of the volume’s essays have specific appeal to specialized scholars. For them, this book is simply indispensible; Del Giudice has done remarkable work in compiling diverse works of scholarship from multiple sources. It is likely that “Sabato Rodia’s Towers in Watts” will be the definitive academic reference on the topic for decades to come.</p>
<p>It is useful, for example, to understand the significance of Rodia’s Italian heritage and how his life and work fit into the broader pattern of Italian migration and identity. Del Giudice herself and several of her fellow scholars reinvigorate a vision of Italian and Italian American history and culture. This theme has been neglected even in an age of multiculturalism, when Asian-American, Latino and African-American visions have largely dominated educational, journalistic and public discourse.</p>
<p>Likewise, it is fruitful to locate the Watts Towers in a broad art historical perspective. This volume situates Rodia’s monumental work in a broader tradition of “folk” or “vernacular” art. It contains intriguing material, for example, about Antoni Gaudi’s visionary works in Catalonia, Francisco Gonzalez Gragera’s and Justo Gallego Martinez’s constructions in Spain, and Litto Damonte’s Hubcap Ranch in California’s Napa Valley, among many others.</p>
<p>Sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, city planners and other urban specialists may also take special interest in the book’s section on the contested conservation, guardianship, racial and ethnic politics, and cultural heritage of the Watts Towers. Many of the readings detail the highly contentious struggles in Los Angeles for many decades around these issues; they are still far from fully resolved. An understanding of these problems and controversies go beyond the Towers and Los Angeles themselves. They have considerable relevance to many other cities in the United States and elsewhere grappling with ownership, community control, and preservation of large-scale public artworks.</p>
<p>Beyond its research utility for scholars and academics, this book has more general value for many lay readers. Several of the readings lead them to discover how Rodia actually implemented his fervent desire to “do something big” from 1921 to 1954. Even repeat visitors to the Watts Towers regularly wonder how one man managed to produce such a magnificent work. Sarah Schrank’s article, taken from an earlier source, provides some answers.Rodia, who called himself a “steel man,” had worked for a tile company and collected pieces of tile from homes throughout Los Angeles. He gathered the broken glass, shells and other objects from the neighborhood and the beach. He used steel rebar that he bent into shape by placing it under nearby railroad tracks and then bending it with his body. The shaped rebar was overlapped with heavy wire, wrapped with another layer of chicken wire. He created his own brand of cement to encase the entire wire-wrapped joint and pressed broken glass, tiles and other found objects into the mortar.</p>
<p>Rodia did all of this without power tools or scaffolding, using only ladders and pulleys to ease his movements during the construction — a truly remarkable one-man accomplishment. And then, his lifework completed, he gave away his property and left Watts, never seeing his towers again. He died in 1965 in Northern California, a month before the Watts Riots.</p>
<p>Of even greater interest to contemporary readers is the close linkage of the Watts Towers to the African-American community in today’s Los Angeles. Although the demography of Watts is changing from almost exclusively African-American to substantially Latino, in the public’s eye, Watts remains a black neighborhood. “Sabato Rodia’s Towers in Watts” provides an especially useful perspective on the close linkage of the Watts Towers and its surrounding black community.</p>
<p>A key component is the role of the Watts Towers Arts Center, which presently oversees the Towers as a constituent part of the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. Operating as a community arts center, it offers classes to young people, mounts exhibitions, often of African-American artists, and generally serves as a powerful and effective social institution in Watts. It provides low-cost informative tours of the Watts Towers conducted by extremely well-informed guides. Its longtime director, Rosie Lee Hooks, is passionately dedicated to the Towers and their preservation.</p>
<p>Many of the African-American visual artists who have been associated with the Watts Towers Arts Center have themselves been powerfully influenced by Rodia’s masterpiece. This volume details that story effectively. For example, it offers commentary by iconic artists Betye Saar, Judson Powell, John Outterbridge and Charles Dickson on their role as assemblage artists working with found objects in the Rodia tradition. It also focuses extensively on the pioneering efforts of Noah Purifoy, the first director of the Watts Towers Arts Center and the key black artist in Los Angeles to initiate that pioneering assemblage tradition in which black artists turned trash into treasure. One of the initial examples was the iconic exhibition “66 Signs of Neon,” organized by Purifoy and Powell, which used artifacts and detritus from the Watts Riots in a series of engaging and provocative political artworks.</p>
<p>This book invites readers to develop an appreciation for the nontraditional art that Simon Rodia’s Towers so heroically represents. Americans are inundated with overt and subtle messages that only elite art, represented in mainstream museums and commercial galleries, is truly worthwhile. Visual works from ethnic communities and especially works that are whimsical and created by eccentrics (like Rodia) are, perhaps, mildly interesting curiosities, but well beyond truly serious consideration. With a few conspicuous exceptions, that message is reinforced in university art history curricula and texts, mainstream newspapers and art journals, and certainly by major cultural institutions themselves.</p>
<p>In Los Angeles, however, people can see the Latino and African-American murals in East and South Los Angeles as well as many other examples of nontraditional artworks in ethnic communities — if they are willing to stretch their imaginations and abandon their stereotypical visions of crime and danger associated with neighborhoods with large populations of color. This book can also encourage visitors and residents alike to broaden their entertainment choices from the “imagineered” and (outrageously expensive) attractions of Disneyland and the like to the free and lost cost alternatives like the Watts Towers and other creative options.</p>
<p>Above all, beyond its scholarly and informative impact, this book can inspire a broader vision of human creativity. Throughout the world, women and men like Simon Rodia single-mindedly and relentlessly pursue their dreams of producing something unique. Too many of their contemporaries dismiss them as quirky, bizarre or even mentally unbalanced. Instead, we should welcome their efforts, even when few of them reach the stellar heights of the Watts Towers. Their spark and drive make us fully human.</p> | The Watts Towers | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/the-watts-towers/ | 2014-11-14 | 4left
| The Watts Towers
<p>To see long excerpts from “Sabato Rodia’s Towers in Watts” at Google Books, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=u_7dAwAAQBAJ&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=editions:_yWApqHCQfoC&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=JrZfVOPKJOG5iALwhoHoBw&amp;ved=0CB8QuwUwAA#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" type="external">click here</a>.</p>
<p>“Sabato Rodia’s Towers in Watts: Art, Migrations, Development” A book edited by Luisa Del Giudice</p>
<p>I first saw Sabato (Simon) Rodia’s majestic towers when I was a young civil rights worker in Watts in 1964. Between organizing and demonstrations, I wandered over to the towers several times, mesmerized by their rich detail, vibrant color and overall imagination. In subsequent years, especially after moving to Los Angeles in 1979, I have returned to the Watts Towers frequently, often as a tour guide for my UCLA students.</p>
<p>They share my pleasure in seeing Rodia’s fantastic city consisting of several interconnected towers, a gazebo and a boat, constructed of junk sculpture and mosaic tiling, wrapped in wire mesh, a remarkable feat of both art and engineering. They see, with wonder and awe, what Rodia called “Nuestro Pueblo” (Our Town in Spanish). They also understand that one trip alone to the Towers is hardly adequate. Many subsequent visits are necessary to see and appreciate the stunning way that Rodia used found objects such as soda bottles, ceramic tiles, shells, pieces of glass and other fragments that he embedded in concrete throughout the work.</p>
<p />
<p>Despite these gratifying field trips, I have been disheartened that so few of my students have ever seen this iconic work by one of the most creative and eccentric artists of the 20th century. Most of them have lived in Southern California their entire lives and have usually heard of the Watts Towers. But they share the typical bias of white (and other) people in Los Angeles: Watts is a dangerous, off-limits area and should be avoided at all costs. Nevertheless, after many educational trips to the Towers and the adjacent Watts Towers Arts Center, I can happily report that no one has been robbed, assaulted or otherwise harmed, and that many students have been exposed to one of the most magnificent works of public art in the world.</p>
<p>Still, a distressing lack of knowledge about both Rodia and his magnificent creation remains the norm in Southern California and elsewhere. That has the potential to change with the recent publication of “Sabato Rodia’s Towers in Watts.” Scholar Luisa Del Giudice has assembled an extensive collection of articles and essays that detail everything about Rodia and his work. The book covers, among many other themes, the Towers’ cultural and art historical context and legacy, their contested and controversial status as a public site in Los Angeles, and their future in a city still struggling with massive economic problems where preservation of a quirky historical landmark may not necessarily be a major political priority for many resident taxpayers.</p>
<p>Several of the volume’s essays have specific appeal to specialized scholars. For them, this book is simply indispensible; Del Giudice has done remarkable work in compiling diverse works of scholarship from multiple sources. It is likely that “Sabato Rodia’s Towers in Watts” will be the definitive academic reference on the topic for decades to come.</p>
<p>It is useful, for example, to understand the significance of Rodia’s Italian heritage and how his life and work fit into the broader pattern of Italian migration and identity. Del Giudice herself and several of her fellow scholars reinvigorate a vision of Italian and Italian American history and culture. This theme has been neglected even in an age of multiculturalism, when Asian-American, Latino and African-American visions have largely dominated educational, journalistic and public discourse.</p>
<p>Likewise, it is fruitful to locate the Watts Towers in a broad art historical perspective. This volume situates Rodia’s monumental work in a broader tradition of “folk” or “vernacular” art. It contains intriguing material, for example, about Antoni Gaudi’s visionary works in Catalonia, Francisco Gonzalez Gragera’s and Justo Gallego Martinez’s constructions in Spain, and Litto Damonte’s Hubcap Ranch in California’s Napa Valley, among many others.</p>
<p>Sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, city planners and other urban specialists may also take special interest in the book’s section on the contested conservation, guardianship, racial and ethnic politics, and cultural heritage of the Watts Towers. Many of the readings detail the highly contentious struggles in Los Angeles for many decades around these issues; they are still far from fully resolved. An understanding of these problems and controversies go beyond the Towers and Los Angeles themselves. They have considerable relevance to many other cities in the United States and elsewhere grappling with ownership, community control, and preservation of large-scale public artworks.</p>
<p>Beyond its research utility for scholars and academics, this book has more general value for many lay readers. Several of the readings lead them to discover how Rodia actually implemented his fervent desire to “do something big” from 1921 to 1954. Even repeat visitors to the Watts Towers regularly wonder how one man managed to produce such a magnificent work. Sarah Schrank’s article, taken from an earlier source, provides some answers.Rodia, who called himself a “steel man,” had worked for a tile company and collected pieces of tile from homes throughout Los Angeles. He gathered the broken glass, shells and other objects from the neighborhood and the beach. He used steel rebar that he bent into shape by placing it under nearby railroad tracks and then bending it with his body. The shaped rebar was overlapped with heavy wire, wrapped with another layer of chicken wire. He created his own brand of cement to encase the entire wire-wrapped joint and pressed broken glass, tiles and other found objects into the mortar.</p>
<p>Rodia did all of this without power tools or scaffolding, using only ladders and pulleys to ease his movements during the construction — a truly remarkable one-man accomplishment. And then, his lifework completed, he gave away his property and left Watts, never seeing his towers again. He died in 1965 in Northern California, a month before the Watts Riots.</p>
<p>Of even greater interest to contemporary readers is the close linkage of the Watts Towers to the African-American community in today’s Los Angeles. Although the demography of Watts is changing from almost exclusively African-American to substantially Latino, in the public’s eye, Watts remains a black neighborhood. “Sabato Rodia’s Towers in Watts” provides an especially useful perspective on the close linkage of the Watts Towers and its surrounding black community.</p>
<p>A key component is the role of the Watts Towers Arts Center, which presently oversees the Towers as a constituent part of the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. Operating as a community arts center, it offers classes to young people, mounts exhibitions, often of African-American artists, and generally serves as a powerful and effective social institution in Watts. It provides low-cost informative tours of the Watts Towers conducted by extremely well-informed guides. Its longtime director, Rosie Lee Hooks, is passionately dedicated to the Towers and their preservation.</p>
<p>Many of the African-American visual artists who have been associated with the Watts Towers Arts Center have themselves been powerfully influenced by Rodia’s masterpiece. This volume details that story effectively. For example, it offers commentary by iconic artists Betye Saar, Judson Powell, John Outterbridge and Charles Dickson on their role as assemblage artists working with found objects in the Rodia tradition. It also focuses extensively on the pioneering efforts of Noah Purifoy, the first director of the Watts Towers Arts Center and the key black artist in Los Angeles to initiate that pioneering assemblage tradition in which black artists turned trash into treasure. One of the initial examples was the iconic exhibition “66 Signs of Neon,” organized by Purifoy and Powell, which used artifacts and detritus from the Watts Riots in a series of engaging and provocative political artworks.</p>
<p>This book invites readers to develop an appreciation for the nontraditional art that Simon Rodia’s Towers so heroically represents. Americans are inundated with overt and subtle messages that only elite art, represented in mainstream museums and commercial galleries, is truly worthwhile. Visual works from ethnic communities and especially works that are whimsical and created by eccentrics (like Rodia) are, perhaps, mildly interesting curiosities, but well beyond truly serious consideration. With a few conspicuous exceptions, that message is reinforced in university art history curricula and texts, mainstream newspapers and art journals, and certainly by major cultural institutions themselves.</p>
<p>In Los Angeles, however, people can see the Latino and African-American murals in East and South Los Angeles as well as many other examples of nontraditional artworks in ethnic communities — if they are willing to stretch their imaginations and abandon their stereotypical visions of crime and danger associated with neighborhoods with large populations of color. This book can also encourage visitors and residents alike to broaden their entertainment choices from the “imagineered” and (outrageously expensive) attractions of Disneyland and the like to the free and lost cost alternatives like the Watts Towers and other creative options.</p>
<p>Above all, beyond its scholarly and informative impact, this book can inspire a broader vision of human creativity. Throughout the world, women and men like Simon Rodia single-mindedly and relentlessly pursue their dreams of producing something unique. Too many of their contemporaries dismiss them as quirky, bizarre or even mentally unbalanced. Instead, we should welcome their efforts, even when few of them reach the stellar heights of the Watts Towers. Their spark and drive make us fully human.</p> | 2,867 |
<p>There's no other retirement account quite like the <a href="https://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/what-is-a-roth-ira.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=aba332e4-6320-11e7-82f3-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Roth IRA Opens a New Window.</a>. With the opportunity to earn tax-free income on your investments for your entire career, no other tax break comes close to the potential savings that the Roth IRA delivers. If you want to use Roth IRAs effectively, you have to know how they work and what pitfalls you can inadvertently fall into along the way. By avoiding bad moves like the ones below, you can take full advantage of Roth IRAs without losing any of the advantages they offer to retirement savers.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Those with extensive assets in traditional retirement accounts often look at converting all or a portion of their holdings to a Roth IRA. That gives them the benefits of tax-free treatment going forward, but it comes at a cost: paying taxes on the amount you convert from the traditional retirement account. That cost is well worth it for many, but what many people miss out on is the ability to cut taxes on the Roth conversion by using the strategy known as recharacterization.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/iras/2017/01/18/roth-ira-recharacterization-3-reasons-to-reverse-y.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=aba332e4-6320-11e7-82f3-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Recharacterizing a Roth conversion Opens a New Window.</a> essentially involves getting a do-over on the whole process. Working with your financial provider, you arrange to put the converted money back into its original traditional retirement account. For tax purposes, the IRS treats you as never having made a Roth conversion at all. You have until the extended tax deadline for the tax year in which you made the conversion to complete the recharacterization process.</p>
<p>If the value of your Roth investments goes down in the period immediately after you convert, then doing a recharacterization can save you on your taxes. As a simple example, if you convert a $100,000 regular IRA to a Roth and then the value of the Roth assets falls to $80,000, then you'd have to pay taxes on the full $100,000 amount. If you recharacterize, then the $80,000 goes back into the regular IRA, and you pay no taxes at all. After a short waiting period, you can then do a Roth conversion again, but this time you'll just have to pay taxes on the new $80,000 amount. Reducing your taxable income by $20,000 will save you thousands on your return.</p>
<p>Tax-free income in a Roth is great, but you have to follow the rules to get it. <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/iras/2014/08/13/the-2-toughest-roth-ira-rules-explained.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=aba332e4-6320-11e7-82f3-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">One particular pair of Roth IRA rules is especially confusing Opens a New Window.</a> because they both apply to a five-year period but have different implications.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>To comply with the first rule, you have to keep your money in a Roth IRA for five years before you can take earnings on the IRA's investments out of the account on a tax-free basis. What's confusing is that this rule applies even if you reach the normal IRA retirement age of 59 1/2. As an example, if you opened your first Roth IRA in 2017 at age 58, then you'd have to wait to make tax-free withdrawals of Roth IRA earnings until 2022 -- even though you'd turn 63 that year. Keep in mind that you can still take out the amount you initially contributed on a tax- and penalty-free basis; it's just the income on those contributions that is subject to the rule.</p>
<p>If you converted a retirement account to a Roth, then another rule takes effect. You can't withdraw money from a converted Roth within the first five years without paying a 10% penalty, unless you qualify for various exceptions to the IRA penalty provisions. This rule applies to each conversion separately, so it's important to keep track if you do repeated conversion transactions in an effort to manage their tax impact.</p>
<p>Only those who meet the <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2016/11/05/ira-income-limits-for-2016-and-2017.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=aba332e4-6320-11e7-82f3-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">maximum income requirements Opens a New Window.</a> can make Roth IRA contributions. For single filers in 2017, those with adjusted gross income above $118,000 lose a portion of their maximum annual Roth contribution, while those making more than $133,000 can't contribute at all. The corresponding figures for joint filers are $186,000 and $196,000, respectively.</p>
<p>Where things get complicated is that you won't always know when you make a Roth IRA contribution what your full-year earnings will be. If you get a raise or bonus late in the year after you've already made contributions, then you can run afoul of the rules retroactively and seem to be stuck. If you don't take action, you'll owe a 6% penalty on the amount of excess contributions each year until you fix the problem.</p>
<p>There's an easy solution to this problem. The IRS lets you take out the excess contribution without penalty as long as you do so before the extended due date for the tax return in the tax year for which you made the Roth contribution. That gives you plenty of time to remedy the situation, but it's important not to forget about it entirely.</p>
<p>Making sure you avoid mistakes with Roth IRAs is essential to unlock their full value. By knowing about these potential problems, you can avoid them in advance and take care of any issues that might arise with your retirement accounts.</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.&#160; <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;uuid=aba332e4-6320-11e7-82f3-0050569d4be0&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;uuid=aba332e4-6320-11e7-82f3-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 3 Dumb Roth IRA Moves | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/07/08/3-dumb-roth-ira-moves.html | 2017-07-08 | 0right
| 3 Dumb Roth IRA Moves
<p>There's no other retirement account quite like the <a href="https://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/what-is-a-roth-ira.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=aba332e4-6320-11e7-82f3-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Roth IRA Opens a New Window.</a>. With the opportunity to earn tax-free income on your investments for your entire career, no other tax break comes close to the potential savings that the Roth IRA delivers. If you want to use Roth IRAs effectively, you have to know how they work and what pitfalls you can inadvertently fall into along the way. By avoiding bad moves like the ones below, you can take full advantage of Roth IRAs without losing any of the advantages they offer to retirement savers.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Those with extensive assets in traditional retirement accounts often look at converting all or a portion of their holdings to a Roth IRA. That gives them the benefits of tax-free treatment going forward, but it comes at a cost: paying taxes on the amount you convert from the traditional retirement account. That cost is well worth it for many, but what many people miss out on is the ability to cut taxes on the Roth conversion by using the strategy known as recharacterization.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/iras/2017/01/18/roth-ira-recharacterization-3-reasons-to-reverse-y.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=aba332e4-6320-11e7-82f3-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Recharacterizing a Roth conversion Opens a New Window.</a> essentially involves getting a do-over on the whole process. Working with your financial provider, you arrange to put the converted money back into its original traditional retirement account. For tax purposes, the IRS treats you as never having made a Roth conversion at all. You have until the extended tax deadline for the tax year in which you made the conversion to complete the recharacterization process.</p>
<p>If the value of your Roth investments goes down in the period immediately after you convert, then doing a recharacterization can save you on your taxes. As a simple example, if you convert a $100,000 regular IRA to a Roth and then the value of the Roth assets falls to $80,000, then you'd have to pay taxes on the full $100,000 amount. If you recharacterize, then the $80,000 goes back into the regular IRA, and you pay no taxes at all. After a short waiting period, you can then do a Roth conversion again, but this time you'll just have to pay taxes on the new $80,000 amount. Reducing your taxable income by $20,000 will save you thousands on your return.</p>
<p>Tax-free income in a Roth is great, but you have to follow the rules to get it. <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/iras/2014/08/13/the-2-toughest-roth-ira-rules-explained.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=aba332e4-6320-11e7-82f3-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">One particular pair of Roth IRA rules is especially confusing Opens a New Window.</a> because they both apply to a five-year period but have different implications.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>To comply with the first rule, you have to keep your money in a Roth IRA for five years before you can take earnings on the IRA's investments out of the account on a tax-free basis. What's confusing is that this rule applies even if you reach the normal IRA retirement age of 59 1/2. As an example, if you opened your first Roth IRA in 2017 at age 58, then you'd have to wait to make tax-free withdrawals of Roth IRA earnings until 2022 -- even though you'd turn 63 that year. Keep in mind that you can still take out the amount you initially contributed on a tax- and penalty-free basis; it's just the income on those contributions that is subject to the rule.</p>
<p>If you converted a retirement account to a Roth, then another rule takes effect. You can't withdraw money from a converted Roth within the first five years without paying a 10% penalty, unless you qualify for various exceptions to the IRA penalty provisions. This rule applies to each conversion separately, so it's important to keep track if you do repeated conversion transactions in an effort to manage their tax impact.</p>
<p>Only those who meet the <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2016/11/05/ira-income-limits-for-2016-and-2017.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=aba332e4-6320-11e7-82f3-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">maximum income requirements Opens a New Window.</a> can make Roth IRA contributions. For single filers in 2017, those with adjusted gross income above $118,000 lose a portion of their maximum annual Roth contribution, while those making more than $133,000 can't contribute at all. The corresponding figures for joint filers are $186,000 and $196,000, respectively.</p>
<p>Where things get complicated is that you won't always know when you make a Roth IRA contribution what your full-year earnings will be. If you get a raise or bonus late in the year after you've already made contributions, then you can run afoul of the rules retroactively and seem to be stuck. If you don't take action, you'll owe a 6% penalty on the amount of excess contributions each year until you fix the problem.</p>
<p>There's an easy solution to this problem. The IRS lets you take out the excess contribution without penalty as long as you do so before the extended due date for the tax return in the tax year for which you made the Roth contribution. That gives you plenty of time to remedy the situation, but it's important not to forget about it entirely.</p>
<p>Making sure you avoid mistakes with Roth IRAs is essential to unlock their full value. By knowing about these potential problems, you can avoid them in advance and take care of any issues that might arise with your retirement accounts.</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.&#160; <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;uuid=aba332e4-6320-11e7-82f3-0050569d4be0&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;uuid=aba332e4-6320-11e7-82f3-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 2,868 |
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<p>Cruz will formally get into the race during a morning speech at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, choosing to begin his campaign at the Christian college founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell rather than his home state of Texas or the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. It’s a fitting setting for Cruz, a 44-year-old tea party darling whose entry into the 2016 campaign drew cheers Sunday among fellow conservatives.</p>
<p>“The official Republican pool of candidates will take a quantum leap forward with his announcement tomorrow,” said Amy Kremer, the former head of the Tea Party Express. Cruz’s announcement, she said, “will excite the base in a way we haven’t seen in years.”</p>
<p>Elected for the first time just three years ago, when he defeated an establishment figure in Texas politics with decades of experience in office, Cruz has hinted openly for more than a year that he wants to move down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Senate and into the White House. His plans were confirmed Sunday by one of his political strategists, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity so as not to preclude the announcement.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>While Cruz is the first Republican to declare his candidacy, he is all but certain to be followed by several big names in the GOP, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and two Senate colleagues, Kentucky’s Rand Paul and Florida’s Marco Rubio.</p>
<p>The Houston Chronicle first reported details about Cruz’s campaign launch. His move puts him into pole position among those whose strategy to win the nomination counts on courting the party’s most conservative voters, who hold an outsized influence in the Republican nominating process.</p>
<p>“Cruz is going to make it tough for all of the candidates who are fighting to emerge as the champion of the anti-establishment wing of the party,” said GOP strategist Kevin Madden. “That is starting to look like quite a scrum where lots of candidates will be throwing some sharp elbows.”</p>
<p>Following his election to the Senate in 2012, the former Texas solicitor general quickly established himself as an uncompromising conservative willing to take on Democrats and Republicans alike. He won praise from tea party activists in 2013 for leading the GOP’s push to partially shut the federal government during an unsuccessful bid to block money for President Barack Obama’s health care law.</p>
<p>In December, Cruz defied party leaders to force a vote on opposing Obama’s executive actions on immigration. The strategy failed, and led several of his Republican colleagues to call Cruz out. “You should have an end goal in sight if you’re going to do these types of things and I don’t see an end goal other than irritating a lot of people,” said Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch.</p>
<p>Such admonitions mean little to Cruz, who wins over crowds of like-minded conservative voters with his broadsides against Obama, Congress and the federal government. One of the nation’s top college debaters while a student at Princeton University, Cruz continues to be a leading voice for the health law’s repeal, and promises to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and scrap the Department of Education if elected president.</p>
<p>Last weekend in New Hampshire, one voter gave Cruz a blank check and told him to write it for whatever amount he needed.</p>
<p>“He’s awfully good at making promises that he knows the GOP can’t keep and pushing for unachievable goals, but he seems very popular with right wing,” said veteran Republican strategist John Feehery. “Cruz is a lot smarter than the typical darling of the right, and that makes him more dangerous to guys like Scott Walker and Rand Paul.”</p>
<p>The son of an American mother and Cuban-born father, Cruz would be the nation’s first Hispanic president. While in New Hampshire this month, Cruz told voters his daughter, Caroline, had given him permission to join the presidential race in the hopes that the family puppy would get to play on the White House lawn instead of near their Houston high-rise condo.</p>
<p>“If you win, that means Snowflake will finally get a backyard to pee in,” Cruz said his daughter told him.</p>
<p>To get there, Cruz knows he needs to reach out beyond his base. He is set to release a book this summer that he said would reflect themes of his White House campaign, and said in a recent Associated Press interview he will use it to counter the “caricatures” of the right as “stupid,” “evil” or “crazy.”</p>
<p>“The image created in the mainstream media does not comply with the facts,” he said.</p> | Cruz to become first major candidate to jump into 2016 race | false | https://abqjournal.com/558797/cruz-to-become-first-major-candidate-to-jump-into-2016-race.html | 2least
| Cruz to become first major candidate to jump into 2016 race
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<p />
<p>Cruz will formally get into the race during a morning speech at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, choosing to begin his campaign at the Christian college founded by the Rev. Jerry Falwell rather than his home state of Texas or the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire. It’s a fitting setting for Cruz, a 44-year-old tea party darling whose entry into the 2016 campaign drew cheers Sunday among fellow conservatives.</p>
<p>“The official Republican pool of candidates will take a quantum leap forward with his announcement tomorrow,” said Amy Kremer, the former head of the Tea Party Express. Cruz’s announcement, she said, “will excite the base in a way we haven’t seen in years.”</p>
<p>Elected for the first time just three years ago, when he defeated an establishment figure in Texas politics with decades of experience in office, Cruz has hinted openly for more than a year that he wants to move down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Senate and into the White House. His plans were confirmed Sunday by one of his political strategists, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity so as not to preclude the announcement.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>While Cruz is the first Republican to declare his candidacy, he is all but certain to be followed by several big names in the GOP, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and two Senate colleagues, Kentucky’s Rand Paul and Florida’s Marco Rubio.</p>
<p>The Houston Chronicle first reported details about Cruz’s campaign launch. His move puts him into pole position among those whose strategy to win the nomination counts on courting the party’s most conservative voters, who hold an outsized influence in the Republican nominating process.</p>
<p>“Cruz is going to make it tough for all of the candidates who are fighting to emerge as the champion of the anti-establishment wing of the party,” said GOP strategist Kevin Madden. “That is starting to look like quite a scrum where lots of candidates will be throwing some sharp elbows.”</p>
<p>Following his election to the Senate in 2012, the former Texas solicitor general quickly established himself as an uncompromising conservative willing to take on Democrats and Republicans alike. He won praise from tea party activists in 2013 for leading the GOP’s push to partially shut the federal government during an unsuccessful bid to block money for President Barack Obama’s health care law.</p>
<p>In December, Cruz defied party leaders to force a vote on opposing Obama’s executive actions on immigration. The strategy failed, and led several of his Republican colleagues to call Cruz out. “You should have an end goal in sight if you’re going to do these types of things and I don’t see an end goal other than irritating a lot of people,” said Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch.</p>
<p>Such admonitions mean little to Cruz, who wins over crowds of like-minded conservative voters with his broadsides against Obama, Congress and the federal government. One of the nation’s top college debaters while a student at Princeton University, Cruz continues to be a leading voice for the health law’s repeal, and promises to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and scrap the Department of Education if elected president.</p>
<p>Last weekend in New Hampshire, one voter gave Cruz a blank check and told him to write it for whatever amount he needed.</p>
<p>“He’s awfully good at making promises that he knows the GOP can’t keep and pushing for unachievable goals, but he seems very popular with right wing,” said veteran Republican strategist John Feehery. “Cruz is a lot smarter than the typical darling of the right, and that makes him more dangerous to guys like Scott Walker and Rand Paul.”</p>
<p>The son of an American mother and Cuban-born father, Cruz would be the nation’s first Hispanic president. While in New Hampshire this month, Cruz told voters his daughter, Caroline, had given him permission to join the presidential race in the hopes that the family puppy would get to play on the White House lawn instead of near their Houston high-rise condo.</p>
<p>“If you win, that means Snowflake will finally get a backyard to pee in,” Cruz said his daughter told him.</p>
<p>To get there, Cruz knows he needs to reach out beyond his base. He is set to release a book this summer that he said would reflect themes of his White House campaign, and said in a recent Associated Press interview he will use it to counter the “caricatures” of the right as “stupid,” “evil” or “crazy.”</p>
<p>“The image created in the mainstream media does not comply with the facts,” he said.</p> | 2,869 |
|
<p>Farmers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta who have California's oldest water rights are proposing to voluntarily cut their use by 25 percent to avoid the possibility of even harsher restrictions by the state later this summer as the record drought continues.</p>
<p>Under the deal expected to be presented to state officials Wednesday, farmers would either take less river water for irrigation or leave a quarter of their crops unplanted. If the state accepts the deal, Delta water managers say it may become a model for farmers throughout California, who also are facing curtailments.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>It is difficult to predict how many farmers will participate, said attorney Jennifer Spaletta, who represents several Delta growers, but those who do would be able to plan their crops earlier in the season with more certainty.</p>
<p>"From a business standpoint, it makes a lot of sense to do our part and to help in the emergency," Spaletta said. "At this point, obviously we're in an absolute drought emergency."</p>
<p>Gov. Jerry Brown has ordered communities throughout the state to reduce water use by 25 percent. State water officials have encouraged water users to propose conservation measures, drawing the proposal from farmers.</p>
<p>Brown has been criticized for leaving farmers out of tightening regulations that force communities throughout the state to cut back on their water use. But this is the second consecutive year that junior water-rights holders have received orders to stop pumping river water to irrigate their crops.</p>
<p>Those making the proposal are so-called riparian water rights holders, who have the oldest and most secure access to California rivers. The harsh drought has caused state officials to say they may start ordering even these rights holders to stop taking water.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>A coalition of Delta farmers and officials for the State Water Resources Control Board continue to work out the details and Spelatta said officials have responded positively to the proposal.</p>
<p>Delta farmers with the most senior water rights dispute the state can force them to stop irrigating their crops from California rivers, said John Herrick, manager of the South Delta Water Agency, who called this proposal a "safe harbor." He said that it would likely be adopted beyond the Delta by water users in the San Joaquin and Sacramento River watersheds.</p>
<p>Thomas Howard, executive director of the state water board, would ultimately rule on whether to approve the deal.</p>
<p>Michael George, who works for the state water board as the Delta Water Master, said that the proposal is a classic example of risk assessment by the farmers proposing the voluntary cutbacks.</p>
<p>"It is my personal opinion that a certain 25 percent reduction is a reasonable trade-off for regulatory uncertainty," George said. "Nobody benefits if uncertainty persists."</p> | California farmers volunteer to cut water use to avoid bigger state restrictions amid drought | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/05/20/california-farmers-volunteer-to-cut-water-use-to-avoid-bigger-state.html | 2016-03-09 | 0right
| California farmers volunteer to cut water use to avoid bigger state restrictions amid drought
<p>Farmers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta who have California's oldest water rights are proposing to voluntarily cut their use by 25 percent to avoid the possibility of even harsher restrictions by the state later this summer as the record drought continues.</p>
<p>Under the deal expected to be presented to state officials Wednesday, farmers would either take less river water for irrigation or leave a quarter of their crops unplanted. If the state accepts the deal, Delta water managers say it may become a model for farmers throughout California, who also are facing curtailments.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>It is difficult to predict how many farmers will participate, said attorney Jennifer Spaletta, who represents several Delta growers, but those who do would be able to plan their crops earlier in the season with more certainty.</p>
<p>"From a business standpoint, it makes a lot of sense to do our part and to help in the emergency," Spaletta said. "At this point, obviously we're in an absolute drought emergency."</p>
<p>Gov. Jerry Brown has ordered communities throughout the state to reduce water use by 25 percent. State water officials have encouraged water users to propose conservation measures, drawing the proposal from farmers.</p>
<p>Brown has been criticized for leaving farmers out of tightening regulations that force communities throughout the state to cut back on their water use. But this is the second consecutive year that junior water-rights holders have received orders to stop pumping river water to irrigate their crops.</p>
<p>Those making the proposal are so-called riparian water rights holders, who have the oldest and most secure access to California rivers. The harsh drought has caused state officials to say they may start ordering even these rights holders to stop taking water.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>A coalition of Delta farmers and officials for the State Water Resources Control Board continue to work out the details and Spelatta said officials have responded positively to the proposal.</p>
<p>Delta farmers with the most senior water rights dispute the state can force them to stop irrigating their crops from California rivers, said John Herrick, manager of the South Delta Water Agency, who called this proposal a "safe harbor." He said that it would likely be adopted beyond the Delta by water users in the San Joaquin and Sacramento River watersheds.</p>
<p>Thomas Howard, executive director of the state water board, would ultimately rule on whether to approve the deal.</p>
<p>Michael George, who works for the state water board as the Delta Water Master, said that the proposal is a classic example of risk assessment by the farmers proposing the voluntary cutbacks.</p>
<p>"It is my personal opinion that a certain 25 percent reduction is a reasonable trade-off for regulatory uncertainty," George said. "Nobody benefits if uncertainty persists."</p> | 2,870 |
<p>On Saturday, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev signed the French-brokered peace treaty already inked by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. However, this is clearly an uneasy and tentative truce: Russian officials say their troops will stay in Georgia for an indefinite time.</p>
<p>The New York Times:</p>
<p>The Russian announcements came a day after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice went to Georgia to demand a Russian pullout and win the Georgian president’s support for the revised cease-fire agreement.</p>
<p>But on Saturday, Russian troops remained within 25 miles of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. And overall, the situation in Georgia was largely unchanged, with the Russians occupying wide swaths of territory.</p>
<p />
<p>If Russian troops do not begin withdrawing over the weekend, the standoff is likely to touch off more strains between Russia and the United States. Mr. Bush has repeatedly castigated Russia for invading Georgia after intense fighting broke out over a disputed province, South Ossetia, which is an ally of Moscow and wants to secede from Georgia.</p>
<p>The Kremlin has said that Georgia provoked the conflict by sending its troops into South Ossetia, and referred to the Georgia president, Mikheil Saakashvili, as a war criminal. Mr. Saakashvili has contended that Russia is determined to turn Georgia into the kind of vassal state that existed in the region during Soviet times.</p>
<p>It remained an open question on Saturday whether a dispute remained over the interpretation of the precise language of the cease-fire framework.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/world/europe/17georgia.html?hp" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Russia Signs Cease-Fire Agreement, With Reservations | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/russia-signs-cease-fire-agreement-with-reservations/ | 2008-08-17 | 4left
| Russia Signs Cease-Fire Agreement, With Reservations
<p>On Saturday, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev signed the French-brokered peace treaty already inked by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. However, this is clearly an uneasy and tentative truce: Russian officials say their troops will stay in Georgia for an indefinite time.</p>
<p>The New York Times:</p>
<p>The Russian announcements came a day after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice went to Georgia to demand a Russian pullout and win the Georgian president’s support for the revised cease-fire agreement.</p>
<p>But on Saturday, Russian troops remained within 25 miles of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. And overall, the situation in Georgia was largely unchanged, with the Russians occupying wide swaths of territory.</p>
<p />
<p>If Russian troops do not begin withdrawing over the weekend, the standoff is likely to touch off more strains between Russia and the United States. Mr. Bush has repeatedly castigated Russia for invading Georgia after intense fighting broke out over a disputed province, South Ossetia, which is an ally of Moscow and wants to secede from Georgia.</p>
<p>The Kremlin has said that Georgia provoked the conflict by sending its troops into South Ossetia, and referred to the Georgia president, Mikheil Saakashvili, as a war criminal. Mr. Saakashvili has contended that Russia is determined to turn Georgia into the kind of vassal state that existed in the region during Soviet times.</p>
<p>It remained an open question on Saturday whether a dispute remained over the interpretation of the precise language of the cease-fire framework.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/world/europe/17georgia.html?hp" type="external">Read more</a></p> | 2,871 |
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<p />
<p>“It’s like living in a prison,” he said.</p>
<p>Months after IS swept into Shura, the militants killed Abed’s brother because he was a police officer. Last week, another relative died in an airstrike intended to liberate the village.</p>
<p>Abed and his wife, Suriyah, hung thick curtains in their windows to prevent fighters from seeing inside. As shelling and airstrikes broke window panes in their living room, they replaced them with wooden and plastic panels. All the while, Iraqi advances in the south initially made food more expensive, then unavailable altogether.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“If (the Iraqi forces) didn’t come today or tomorrow, we would have died,” Suriyah said.</p>
<p>While the fight on Mosul’s eastern front has moved at a brisk, steady pace since the offensive formally began Oct. 17, the ground assault to the south has been a grinding slog.</p>
<p>The Nineveh desert south of Mosul along the Tigris River valley is dotted with dozens of populated villages that have repeatedly slowed down Iraqi forces. In the three months since the military began moving its forces into the valley and retook a nearby air base, the southern front line has moved only 24 kilometers (15 miles).</p>
<p>The country’s elite special forces — the most experienced and professional of Iraq’s ground troops — have largely been moving through villages east of Mosul that were long emptied of civilians. With fewer chances of casualties, heavy airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi artillery have helped clear territory and speed progress.</p>
<p>The operation that pushed IS out of Shura — a village of fewer than 1,000 houses about 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of Mosul — required days of preparation and about 2,000 Iraqi army and federal police to take on no more than 50 militants.</p>
<p>The methodical assault was intended to minimize casualties among Iraq’s armed forces — a military force still recovering from the catastrophic defeat suffered in Mosul’s fall in 2014. But it also has meant that humanitarian conditions in IS-held territory have deteriorated and are almost like a siege, putting civilians at risk.</p>
<p>The region has long been a hub for insurgents, their finance networks and anti-government sentiment following the U.S-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. When U.S. forces battled al-Qaida in Iraq — the predecessor to the Islamic State group — on these same desert plains, the fighters repeatedly fell back into Mosul and nearby villages to regroup.</p>
<p>On the outskirts of the Shura operation, federal police Brig. Gen. Fakher Ali watched the progress of the offensive on a tablet displaying a satellite map, with about two dozen red dots marking suspected IS positions that were hit by airstrikes or artillery. When his forces are fired on by a suspected sniper, they halt their convoy and wait for artillery to clear the position, he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In the days before the assault, Iraqi forces watched via coalition surveillance drones as hundreds of IS fighters withdrew northward from Shura, taking thousands of civilians with them, said federal police Lt. Col. Hussein Nazim.</p>
<p>“Each time we approach, they almost all flee,” he said, explaining that the militants leave behind only a small unit instructed to fight to the death.</p>
<p>The majority of fighters escape before the slow-moving Iraqi assault begins, he said, melting back into residential areas still under militant control and increasingly using civilian captives as human shields.</p>
<p>“This isn’t something where you can say, ‘if we move slowly, airpower and artillery power are going to deal with the issues,’ because it also gives ISIS time to consolidate,” said Anthony Cordesman, a former adviser to the U.S.-led training effort of Iraqi forces and currently a security analyst with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.</p>
<p>Having the ability to pull back and regroup repeatedly is allowing a relatively small number of IS fighters to punch above their weight and delay overwhelming numbers of Iraqi troops, Cordesman said.</p>
<p>In the wake of Iraqi advances, local tribal and militia fighters have largely taken over security in recently “liberated” Nineveh province as Iraq’s military is increasingly stretched thin. Largely operating in a power vacuum, the local forces have already been accused of abusing civilians fleeing IS-held territory.</p>
<p>Gen. David Petraeus, who commanded U.S. forces in Mosul in 2003, relied heavily on local forces to secure Nineveh province.</p>
<p>“As quickly as we could, we consolidated those forces and put them underneath either the police or the military,” he said.</p>
<p>But the situation was entirely different back then, because he had some 20,000 highly trained U.S. troops at his disposal, Petraeus added.</p>
<p>“I was sort of the sheikh of the strongest tribe,” he said, “Today, there’s no comparable figure in Nineveh province.”</p>
<p>A few kilometers (miles) back from the front-line fighting south of Mosul, a group of Iraqi soldiers played patriotic music in their Humvees, snapped photos with mobile phones and cheered on the artillery blasts rocking a cluster of dusty, low houses on the horizon.</p>
<p>Standing to the side of the noisy onlookers, Iraqi army Sgt. Rakan Nasser’s eyes welled with tears. His wife and young children are trapped in Mosul, and as the fight pushed closer, his worries grew for their safety.</p>
<p>Nasser said he’s able to talk to them every few weeks, depending on cellphone coverage.</p>
<p>“They just say, ‘we’re waiting for you to reach us,'” he said, “I tell them we are very near, but honestly, we are far.”</p> | On Mosul’s southern front, fight against IS grinds on slowly | false | https://abqjournal.com/880339/on-mosuls-southern-front-fight-against-is-grinds-on-slowly.html | 2016-11-02 | 2least
| On Mosul’s southern front, fight against IS grinds on slowly
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<p />
<p>“It’s like living in a prison,” he said.</p>
<p>Months after IS swept into Shura, the militants killed Abed’s brother because he was a police officer. Last week, another relative died in an airstrike intended to liberate the village.</p>
<p>Abed and his wife, Suriyah, hung thick curtains in their windows to prevent fighters from seeing inside. As shelling and airstrikes broke window panes in their living room, they replaced them with wooden and plastic panels. All the while, Iraqi advances in the south initially made food more expensive, then unavailable altogether.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“If (the Iraqi forces) didn’t come today or tomorrow, we would have died,” Suriyah said.</p>
<p>While the fight on Mosul’s eastern front has moved at a brisk, steady pace since the offensive formally began Oct. 17, the ground assault to the south has been a grinding slog.</p>
<p>The Nineveh desert south of Mosul along the Tigris River valley is dotted with dozens of populated villages that have repeatedly slowed down Iraqi forces. In the three months since the military began moving its forces into the valley and retook a nearby air base, the southern front line has moved only 24 kilometers (15 miles).</p>
<p>The country’s elite special forces — the most experienced and professional of Iraq’s ground troops — have largely been moving through villages east of Mosul that were long emptied of civilians. With fewer chances of casualties, heavy airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition and Iraqi artillery have helped clear territory and speed progress.</p>
<p>The operation that pushed IS out of Shura — a village of fewer than 1,000 houses about 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of Mosul — required days of preparation and about 2,000 Iraqi army and federal police to take on no more than 50 militants.</p>
<p>The methodical assault was intended to minimize casualties among Iraq’s armed forces — a military force still recovering from the catastrophic defeat suffered in Mosul’s fall in 2014. But it also has meant that humanitarian conditions in IS-held territory have deteriorated and are almost like a siege, putting civilians at risk.</p>
<p>The region has long been a hub for insurgents, their finance networks and anti-government sentiment following the U.S-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. When U.S. forces battled al-Qaida in Iraq — the predecessor to the Islamic State group — on these same desert plains, the fighters repeatedly fell back into Mosul and nearby villages to regroup.</p>
<p>On the outskirts of the Shura operation, federal police Brig. Gen. Fakher Ali watched the progress of the offensive on a tablet displaying a satellite map, with about two dozen red dots marking suspected IS positions that were hit by airstrikes or artillery. When his forces are fired on by a suspected sniper, they halt their convoy and wait for artillery to clear the position, he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In the days before the assault, Iraqi forces watched via coalition surveillance drones as hundreds of IS fighters withdrew northward from Shura, taking thousands of civilians with them, said federal police Lt. Col. Hussein Nazim.</p>
<p>“Each time we approach, they almost all flee,” he said, explaining that the militants leave behind only a small unit instructed to fight to the death.</p>
<p>The majority of fighters escape before the slow-moving Iraqi assault begins, he said, melting back into residential areas still under militant control and increasingly using civilian captives as human shields.</p>
<p>“This isn’t something where you can say, ‘if we move slowly, airpower and artillery power are going to deal with the issues,’ because it also gives ISIS time to consolidate,” said Anthony Cordesman, a former adviser to the U.S.-led training effort of Iraqi forces and currently a security analyst with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.</p>
<p>Having the ability to pull back and regroup repeatedly is allowing a relatively small number of IS fighters to punch above their weight and delay overwhelming numbers of Iraqi troops, Cordesman said.</p>
<p>In the wake of Iraqi advances, local tribal and militia fighters have largely taken over security in recently “liberated” Nineveh province as Iraq’s military is increasingly stretched thin. Largely operating in a power vacuum, the local forces have already been accused of abusing civilians fleeing IS-held territory.</p>
<p>Gen. David Petraeus, who commanded U.S. forces in Mosul in 2003, relied heavily on local forces to secure Nineveh province.</p>
<p>“As quickly as we could, we consolidated those forces and put them underneath either the police or the military,” he said.</p>
<p>But the situation was entirely different back then, because he had some 20,000 highly trained U.S. troops at his disposal, Petraeus added.</p>
<p>“I was sort of the sheikh of the strongest tribe,” he said, “Today, there’s no comparable figure in Nineveh province.”</p>
<p>A few kilometers (miles) back from the front-line fighting south of Mosul, a group of Iraqi soldiers played patriotic music in their Humvees, snapped photos with mobile phones and cheered on the artillery blasts rocking a cluster of dusty, low houses on the horizon.</p>
<p>Standing to the side of the noisy onlookers, Iraqi army Sgt. Rakan Nasser’s eyes welled with tears. His wife and young children are trapped in Mosul, and as the fight pushed closer, his worries grew for their safety.</p>
<p>Nasser said he’s able to talk to them every few weeks, depending on cellphone coverage.</p>
<p>“They just say, ‘we’re waiting for you to reach us,'” he said, “I tell them we are very near, but honestly, we are far.”</p> | 2,872 |
<p>U.S. stocks closed slightly lower Wednesday as Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen completed her second day of testimony before Congress and polls for the U.K.'s exit from the European Union became too close to call. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 48.90 points, or 0.3%, to close at 17,780.83. The S&amp;P 500 Index declined 3.45 points, or 0.2%, to finish at 2,085.45. The Nasdaq Composite Index slipped 10.44 points, or 0.2%, to close at 4,833.32.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | U.S. Stocks Close Lower Ahead Of 'Brexit' Vote | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/06/22/us-stocks-close-lower-ahead-brexit-vote.html | 2016-06-22 | 0right
| U.S. Stocks Close Lower Ahead Of 'Brexit' Vote
<p>U.S. stocks closed slightly lower Wednesday as Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen completed her second day of testimony before Congress and polls for the U.K.'s exit from the European Union became too close to call. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 48.90 points, or 0.3%, to close at 17,780.83. The S&amp;P 500 Index declined 3.45 points, or 0.2%, to finish at 2,085.45. The Nasdaq Composite Index slipped 10.44 points, or 0.2%, to close at 4,833.32.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | 2,873 |
<p>(Reuters) – American International Group Inc (N:) said on Monday it expected to book pre-tax catastrophe losses of $2.9 billion to $3.1 billion, net of reinsurance, in the third quarter mainly related to recent hurricanes.</p>
<p>The company estimated pre-tax losses of $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion from Hurricane Harvey, $1.0 billion to $1.1 billion from Hurricane Irma and $600 million to $700 million from Hurricane Maria.</p>
<p>AIG said losses from Mexico earthquakes is expected at $150 million.</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> | AIG sees third-quarter catastrophe losses of about $3 billion | false | https://newsline.com/aig-sees-third-quarter-catastrophe-losses-of-about-3-billion/ | 2017-10-09 | 1right-center
| AIG sees third-quarter catastrophe losses of about $3 billion
<p>(Reuters) – American International Group Inc (N:) said on Monday it expected to book pre-tax catastrophe losses of $2.9 billion to $3.1 billion, net of reinsurance, in the third quarter mainly related to recent hurricanes.</p>
<p>The company estimated pre-tax losses of $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion from Hurricane Harvey, $1.0 billion to $1.1 billion from Hurricane Irma and $600 million to $700 million from Hurricane Maria.</p>
<p>AIG said losses from Mexico earthquakes is expected at $150 million.</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> | 2,874 |
<p>Jan 19 (Reuters) - ZEHNDER GROUP AG:</p>
<p>* ACHIEVED FY SALES OF EUR 582.4 MILLION – AN INCREASE OF 8%.‍​</p>
<p>* WAS ABLE TO IMPROVE ITS OPERATING MARGIN FOR 2017 AS A WHOLE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR</p>
<p>* ACQUIRED ASSETS AND THE BRAND NAME OF NUCLIMATE AIR QUALITY SYSTEMS, INC. AS PART OF AN ASSET DEAL‍​‍​ Source text - <a href="http://bit.ly/2DtCKGs" type="external">bit.ly/2DtCKGs</a> Further company coverage: (Gdynia Newsroom)</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a> | BRIEF-Zehnder Group FY Sales Up 8 Pct At EUR 582.4 Million | false | https://reuters.com/article/brief-zehnder-group-fy-sales-up-8-pct-at/brief-zehnder-group-fy-sales-up-8-pct-at-eur-5824-million-idUSFWN1PD1IF | 2018-01-19 | 2least
| BRIEF-Zehnder Group FY Sales Up 8 Pct At EUR 582.4 Million
<p>Jan 19 (Reuters) - ZEHNDER GROUP AG:</p>
<p>* ACHIEVED FY SALES OF EUR 582.4 MILLION – AN INCREASE OF 8%.‍​</p>
<p>* WAS ABLE TO IMPROVE ITS OPERATING MARGIN FOR 2017 AS A WHOLE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR</p>
<p>* ACQUIRED ASSETS AND THE BRAND NAME OF NUCLIMATE AIR QUALITY SYSTEMS, INC. AS PART OF AN ASSET DEAL‍​‍​ Source text - <a href="http://bit.ly/2DtCKGs" type="external">bit.ly/2DtCKGs</a> Further company coverage: (Gdynia Newsroom)</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a> | 2,875 |
<p>By MacDonald Dzirutwe</p>
<p>HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s fate hung in the balance on Friday as he apparently resisted efforts to step down in the wake of an audacious seizure of power by the army, until this week a key pillar of his 37-year-rule.</p>
<p>The unfolding drama in the capital Harare was thrown into confusion when a smiling Mugabe was pictured shaking hands with Zimbabwe’s military chief, the man behind the coup, raising questions about whether or not the end of an era was nigh.</p>
<p>Mugabe unexpectedly drove on Thursday from his lavish “Blue Roof” compound, where he had been confined, to State House, where official media pictured him meeting military boss Constantino Chiwenga and South African mediators.</p>
<p>The official Herald newspaper carried no reports of the meeting’s outcome, leaving Zimbabwe’s 13 million people in the dark about the situation.</p>
<p>The army may want Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980, to go quietly and allow a smooth and bloodless transition to Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice president Mugabe sacked last week, triggering the crisis.</p>
<p>The main goal of the generals is to prevent Mugabe from handing power to his wife Grace, 41 years his junior, who has built a following among the ruling party’s youth wing and appeared on the cusp of power after Mnangagwa was pushed out.</p>
<p>Mugabe, who at 93 has appeared increasingly frail in public, is insisting he remains Zimbabwe’s only legitimate ruler and is refusing to quit. But pressure was mounting on the former guerrilla to accept offers of a graceful exit, sources said.</p>
<p>Zimbabwe’s former head of intelligence, Dumiso Dabengwa, was to hold a news conference in Johannesburg at 1200 GMT. A South African government source said he expected Dabengwa, a close ally of the ousted Mnangagwa, to discuss the events in Zimbabwe. “It seems there is some sort of agreement,” the source said.</p>
<p>The army’s takeover signaled the collapse in less than 36 hours of the security, intelligence and patronage networks that sustained Mugabe through almost four decades in power and built him into the “Grand Old Man” of African politics.</p>
<p>Mugabe is still seen by many Africans as a liberation hero. But he is reviled in the West as a despot whose disastrous handling of the economy and willingness to resort to violence to maintain power pauperized one of Africa’s most promising states.</p>
<p>Once a regional bread-basket, Zimbabwe saw its economy collapse in the wake of the seizure of white-owned farms in the early 2000s, followed by runaway money-printing that catapulted inflation to 500 billion percent in 2008.</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> | Fate of Zimbabwe's Mugabe hangs in the balance amid coup confusion | false | https://newsline.com/fate-of-zimbabwe039s-mugabe-hangs-in-the-balance-amid-coup-confusion/ | 2017-11-16 | 1right-center
| Fate of Zimbabwe's Mugabe hangs in the balance amid coup confusion
<p>By MacDonald Dzirutwe</p>
<p>HARARE (Reuters) – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s fate hung in the balance on Friday as he apparently resisted efforts to step down in the wake of an audacious seizure of power by the army, until this week a key pillar of his 37-year-rule.</p>
<p>The unfolding drama in the capital Harare was thrown into confusion when a smiling Mugabe was pictured shaking hands with Zimbabwe’s military chief, the man behind the coup, raising questions about whether or not the end of an era was nigh.</p>
<p>Mugabe unexpectedly drove on Thursday from his lavish “Blue Roof” compound, where he had been confined, to State House, where official media pictured him meeting military boss Constantino Chiwenga and South African mediators.</p>
<p>The official Herald newspaper carried no reports of the meeting’s outcome, leaving Zimbabwe’s 13 million people in the dark about the situation.</p>
<p>The army may want Mugabe, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980, to go quietly and allow a smooth and bloodless transition to Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice president Mugabe sacked last week, triggering the crisis.</p>
<p>The main goal of the generals is to prevent Mugabe from handing power to his wife Grace, 41 years his junior, who has built a following among the ruling party’s youth wing and appeared on the cusp of power after Mnangagwa was pushed out.</p>
<p>Mugabe, who at 93 has appeared increasingly frail in public, is insisting he remains Zimbabwe’s only legitimate ruler and is refusing to quit. But pressure was mounting on the former guerrilla to accept offers of a graceful exit, sources said.</p>
<p>Zimbabwe’s former head of intelligence, Dumiso Dabengwa, was to hold a news conference in Johannesburg at 1200 GMT. A South African government source said he expected Dabengwa, a close ally of the ousted Mnangagwa, to discuss the events in Zimbabwe. “It seems there is some sort of agreement,” the source said.</p>
<p>The army’s takeover signaled the collapse in less than 36 hours of the security, intelligence and patronage networks that sustained Mugabe through almost four decades in power and built him into the “Grand Old Man” of African politics.</p>
<p>Mugabe is still seen by many Africans as a liberation hero. But he is reviled in the West as a despot whose disastrous handling of the economy and willingness to resort to violence to maintain power pauperized one of Africa’s most promising states.</p>
<p>Once a regional bread-basket, Zimbabwe saw its economy collapse in the wake of the seizure of white-owned farms in the early 2000s, followed by runaway money-printing that catapulted inflation to 500 billion percent in 2008.</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> | 2,876 |
<p>An American citizen will go to trial in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday on charges that he supported al-Qaida and helped prepare a 2009 car bomb attack on a U.S. military base in Afghanistan.</p>
<p>Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges that include conspiring to murder Americans and use a weapon of mass destruction, and supporting a foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, he could face life in prison.</p>
<p>Jurors were scheduled to hear opening arguments in the case Tuesday morning. U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan is presiding over the trial, which is expected to last two weeks.</p>
<p>U.S. prosecutors in 2015 accused Al Farekh, who was born in Texas, of conspiring to support al-Qaida by traveling with two fellow students from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada to Pakistan with the intention of fighting against American forces.</p>
<p>They also charged that Al Farekh helped prepare a vehicle-borne explosive device used in a Jan. 19, 2009 attack on a U.S. base in Afghanistan. The base was not identified.</p>
<p>Prosecutors have said an accomplice detonated one device, while Al Farekh’s fingerprints were found on packing tape for the second device, which another accomplice carried but failed to detonate.</p>
<p>One of the other university students Al Farekh traveled with in 2007, Ferid Imam, has also been indicted, though his whereabouts are unknown.</p>
<p>Prosecutors said Imam provided training at an al-Qaida camp in Pakistan in 2008 to three men later found guilty of plotting a bombing attack in the New York City subway system.</p>
<p>Authorities have said that before going to Pakistan, Farekh and Imam frequently watched videos promoting violent jihad, including online lectures by Anwar Al-Awlaki, the U.S.-born, Yemen-based militant preacher affiliated with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula who was killed in a U.S. drone attack in 2011.</p> | American al-Qaida Suspect Facing Trial on US Terrorism Charges | false | https://newsline.com/american-al-qaida-suspect-facing-trial-on-us-terrorism-charges/ | 2017-09-12 | 1right-center
| American al-Qaida Suspect Facing Trial on US Terrorism Charges
<p>An American citizen will go to trial in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday on charges that he supported al-Qaida and helped prepare a 2009 car bomb attack on a U.S. military base in Afghanistan.</p>
<p>Muhanad Mahmoud Al Farekh, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges that include conspiring to murder Americans and use a weapon of mass destruction, and supporting a foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, he could face life in prison.</p>
<p>Jurors were scheduled to hear opening arguments in the case Tuesday morning. U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan is presiding over the trial, which is expected to last two weeks.</p>
<p>U.S. prosecutors in 2015 accused Al Farekh, who was born in Texas, of conspiring to support al-Qaida by traveling with two fellow students from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada to Pakistan with the intention of fighting against American forces.</p>
<p>They also charged that Al Farekh helped prepare a vehicle-borne explosive device used in a Jan. 19, 2009 attack on a U.S. base in Afghanistan. The base was not identified.</p>
<p>Prosecutors have said an accomplice detonated one device, while Al Farekh’s fingerprints were found on packing tape for the second device, which another accomplice carried but failed to detonate.</p>
<p>One of the other university students Al Farekh traveled with in 2007, Ferid Imam, has also been indicted, though his whereabouts are unknown.</p>
<p>Prosecutors said Imam provided training at an al-Qaida camp in Pakistan in 2008 to three men later found guilty of plotting a bombing attack in the New York City subway system.</p>
<p>Authorities have said that before going to Pakistan, Farekh and Imam frequently watched videos promoting violent jihad, including online lectures by Anwar Al-Awlaki, the U.S.-born, Yemen-based militant preacher affiliated with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula who was killed in a U.S. drone attack in 2011.</p> | 2,877 |
<p>In the 17th century, Artemisia Gentileschi broke the glass ceiling.&#160;</p>
<p>She was&#160;"one of the most remarkable women in the history of western art," says&#160; <a href="http://www.richardsavino.net/" type="external">Richard Savino</a>,&#160;a professor at Sacramento State University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.</p>
<p>Born in Rome in 1593, she led an epic and often tragic life during an age when the city was trying to become the liveliest in Europe, says Savino, also a musician, who has recorded songs from&#160;Gentileschi's time.&#160;</p>
<p />
<p>"St Cecilia Playing a Lute"</p>
<p>Artemisia Gentileschi/Wiki Commons</p>
<p>During her life she faced repeated tragedy, including rape. "Her life consisted of a series of battles. Battles with authoritative figures regarding the rape. Battles with the rapist. Battles with the bureaucracy of Rome. And then battles with the different groups of artists that dominated the working environment for the different cities within which she lived,"&#160;Savino explains.</p>
<p>But Gentileschi, the&#160;daughter of painter Orazio Gentileschi,&#160;lived an incredible life. She traveled extensively — which&#160;was rather extraordinary for a woman painter in that time.&#160;</p>
<p>Savino says after her rapist was convicted, "she basically decided and was given, more-or-less, permission to travel and take commissions. From Rome she went up to Florence, where she became a sort of integral part of the Medici court."</p>
<p>She went on to Venice, Naples and as far as London.&#160;It's believed she died in Naples during a plague that swept through the city. &#160; &#160;</p>
<p>Savino was inspired by Gentileschi's travels in leading his&#160;musical ensemble, El Mundo, which recorded music written when she&#160;was alive. El Mundo's&#160;CD, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Artemisia-Heard-Kapsberger/dp/B014JJB7U4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468508017&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=What+Artemisia+Heard" type="external">"What Artemisia Heard: Music and Art from the Time of Caravaggio and Gentileschi,"</a>&#160;follows her&#160;travels. The music is varied. For example, it includes the Spanish influence found in Naples. &#160;</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>So, what does the music tell us about the life of Gentileschi and the world in which she lived and painted?&#160;</p>
<p>"It's a reflection of the radical changes that took place in 1600," Savino says. "You have to remember, 1600 is the first jubilee year after the Protestant Reformation. And in Rome, in particular, the Vatican wanted to make that city the Las Vegas of Europe. ... We're going to make it even more over the top. And it's reflected both in the music, as well as in the paintings."</p>
<p />
<p>"Judith Slaying Holofernes"</p>
<p>Artemisia Gentileschi/Wiki Commons</p>
<p><a href="http://www.biography.com/people/artemisia-gentileschi-9308725" type="external">Here's more</a> on this&#160;amazing Baroque period painter and&#160;her life.</p> | 400 years ago, a trailblazer: Rediscovered, and remembered, today | false | https://pri.org/stories/2016-07-14/music-time-italian-painter-artemisia-gentileschi | 2016-07-14 | 3left-center
| 400 years ago, a trailblazer: Rediscovered, and remembered, today
<p>In the 17th century, Artemisia Gentileschi broke the glass ceiling.&#160;</p>
<p>She was&#160;"one of the most remarkable women in the history of western art," says&#160; <a href="http://www.richardsavino.net/" type="external">Richard Savino</a>,&#160;a professor at Sacramento State University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.</p>
<p>Born in Rome in 1593, she led an epic and often tragic life during an age when the city was trying to become the liveliest in Europe, says Savino, also a musician, who has recorded songs from&#160;Gentileschi's time.&#160;</p>
<p />
<p>"St Cecilia Playing a Lute"</p>
<p>Artemisia Gentileschi/Wiki Commons</p>
<p>During her life she faced repeated tragedy, including rape. "Her life consisted of a series of battles. Battles with authoritative figures regarding the rape. Battles with the rapist. Battles with the bureaucracy of Rome. And then battles with the different groups of artists that dominated the working environment for the different cities within which she lived,"&#160;Savino explains.</p>
<p>But Gentileschi, the&#160;daughter of painter Orazio Gentileschi,&#160;lived an incredible life. She traveled extensively — which&#160;was rather extraordinary for a woman painter in that time.&#160;</p>
<p>Savino says after her rapist was convicted, "she basically decided and was given, more-or-less, permission to travel and take commissions. From Rome she went up to Florence, where she became a sort of integral part of the Medici court."</p>
<p>She went on to Venice, Naples and as far as London.&#160;It's believed she died in Naples during a plague that swept through the city. &#160; &#160;</p>
<p>Savino was inspired by Gentileschi's travels in leading his&#160;musical ensemble, El Mundo, which recorded music written when she&#160;was alive. El Mundo's&#160;CD, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/What-Artemisia-Heard-Kapsberger/dp/B014JJB7U4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468508017&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=What+Artemisia+Heard" type="external">"What Artemisia Heard: Music and Art from the Time of Caravaggio and Gentileschi,"</a>&#160;follows her&#160;travels. The music is varied. For example, it includes the Spanish influence found in Naples. &#160;</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>So, what does the music tell us about the life of Gentileschi and the world in which she lived and painted?&#160;</p>
<p>"It's a reflection of the radical changes that took place in 1600," Savino says. "You have to remember, 1600 is the first jubilee year after the Protestant Reformation. And in Rome, in particular, the Vatican wanted to make that city the Las Vegas of Europe. ... We're going to make it even more over the top. And it's reflected both in the music, as well as in the paintings."</p>
<p />
<p>"Judith Slaying Holofernes"</p>
<p>Artemisia Gentileschi/Wiki Commons</p>
<p><a href="http://www.biography.com/people/artemisia-gentileschi-9308725" type="external">Here's more</a> on this&#160;amazing Baroque period painter and&#160;her life.</p> | 2,878 |
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p />
<p>Rev. Franklin Graham – son of Rev. Billy Graham – is not ashamed to speak his mind in defense of God and Holy Scripture. And sometimes that means ruffling many features and being “politically incorrect.”</p>
<p />
<p>Graham has a dire warning for Christians about what’s going on in our culture, and is calling out corporations who endorse “homosexual marriage” in their advertising. Not only did he make a bold statement about it, he MOVED the bank accounts for his two ministries (more than $100 million!) away from Wells Fargo bank because one of their ads featured an abnormal lesbian couple:</p>
<p>“This is one way we as Christians can speak out – we have the power of choice,” Graham wrote on Facebook over the weekend. “Let’s just stop doing business with those who promote sin and stand against Almighty God’s laws and His standards. Maybe if enough of us do this, it will get their attention.”</p>
<p>Reached Monday, a spokesperson for Wells Fargo said the bank has proudly supported the LGBT community for a long time – a commitment echoed by the ad.</p>
<p>Graham made an important note – he isn’t targeting companies which hire or do business with gays and lesbians. He is simply upset with corporate America when they promote homosexuality as healthy and accepted. That’s a direct assault on the teachings of Jesus Christ:</p>
<p>During an interview Monday, Graham – the CEO of both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Charlotte and Samaritan’s Purse in Boone – said he was not targeting companies that hire or serve gay and lesbian customers. “There’s lots of businesses out there that do business with gay people,” he said. “That’s fine.”</p>
<p>He wants Christians to stop giving their money to businesses, such as Wells Fargo and Tiffany jewelers, “that use shareholders’ advertising dollars to promote homosexuality. … It’s promoting a godless lifestyle. … A bank should be promoting the best interest rates they’re going to give me and what they can do for me as a business. But they should not be trying to get into a moral debate and take sides.”</p>
<p>via <a href="http://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/religion/article23496706.html" type="external">The Charlotte Observer</a></p>
<p>Here is what Rev. Graham posted on Facebook:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FranklinGraham/posts/935913996464782" type="external" /></p>
<p />
<p>What do you think of Rev. Graham’s bold stance in favor of traditional marriage? Please share his words with your friends on Facebook.</p>
<p /> | Rev. Franklin Graham has DEVASTATING Words for Those Who Oppose God & the Bible! | true | http://thepoliticalinsider.com/rev-franklin-graham-has-devastating-words-for-those-who-oppose-god-the-bible/ | 2015-06-15 | 0right
| Rev. Franklin Graham has DEVASTATING Words for Those Who Oppose God & the Bible!
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p />
<p>Rev. Franklin Graham – son of Rev. Billy Graham – is not ashamed to speak his mind in defense of God and Holy Scripture. And sometimes that means ruffling many features and being “politically incorrect.”</p>
<p />
<p>Graham has a dire warning for Christians about what’s going on in our culture, and is calling out corporations who endorse “homosexual marriage” in their advertising. Not only did he make a bold statement about it, he MOVED the bank accounts for his two ministries (more than $100 million!) away from Wells Fargo bank because one of their ads featured an abnormal lesbian couple:</p>
<p>“This is one way we as Christians can speak out – we have the power of choice,” Graham wrote on Facebook over the weekend. “Let’s just stop doing business with those who promote sin and stand against Almighty God’s laws and His standards. Maybe if enough of us do this, it will get their attention.”</p>
<p>Reached Monday, a spokesperson for Wells Fargo said the bank has proudly supported the LGBT community for a long time – a commitment echoed by the ad.</p>
<p>Graham made an important note – he isn’t targeting companies which hire or do business with gays and lesbians. He is simply upset with corporate America when they promote homosexuality as healthy and accepted. That’s a direct assault on the teachings of Jesus Christ:</p>
<p>During an interview Monday, Graham – the CEO of both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Charlotte and Samaritan’s Purse in Boone – said he was not targeting companies that hire or serve gay and lesbian customers. “There’s lots of businesses out there that do business with gay people,” he said. “That’s fine.”</p>
<p>He wants Christians to stop giving their money to businesses, such as Wells Fargo and Tiffany jewelers, “that use shareholders’ advertising dollars to promote homosexuality. … It’s promoting a godless lifestyle. … A bank should be promoting the best interest rates they’re going to give me and what they can do for me as a business. But they should not be trying to get into a moral debate and take sides.”</p>
<p>via <a href="http://www.charlotteobserver.com/living/religion/article23496706.html" type="external">The Charlotte Observer</a></p>
<p>Here is what Rev. Graham posted on Facebook:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FranklinGraham/posts/935913996464782" type="external" /></p>
<p />
<p>What do you think of Rev. Graham’s bold stance in favor of traditional marriage? Please share his words with your friends on Facebook.</p>
<p /> | 2,879 |
<p>Texas high school coach and United States military veteran Ronnie Ray Mitchem has exactly zero time for his players disrespecting the flag and our national anthem.</p>
<p>Moments after two of his star players took a knee during the anthem on Friday, Mitchem cut the boys from the team and made them give back their uniforms.</p>
<p>Victory &amp; Praise Christian Academy football stars Cedric Ingram-Lewis and Larry McCullough planned their Friday protest in advance, and informed Mitchem of their plans, reports <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-high-school-football-players-thrown-off-team/story?id=50206820" type="external">ABC News</a>.</p>
<p>Mitchem said he warned the players that their protest would have consequences: "I told 'em the day of practice, Thursday, if they do that, you're career as a Shark is over."</p>
<p>The boys claimed they were protesting racial injustice, taking a cue from NFL players, and chose to take a knee during the anthem anyway.</p>
<p>Coach Mitchem, who says he has a longstanding rule for his players to stand during The Star-Spangled Banner, immediately made the boys hand in their uniforms and cut them loose from the team.</p>
<p>"I have nothing against those young men, I love them," said the private school coach.</p>
<p>"As a veteran," he explained, "I have a strong view of what I feel is disrespectful."</p>
<p>"If they feel strongly about that, that's something that should be addressed. But my whole point was, there is a proper time to do something in a proper way," said the coach.</p>
<p>Ingram-Lewis and McCullough said that stripping them of their uniforms in front of their teammates and the crowd was humiliating.​ Ingram-Lewis' mother compared Coach Mitchem to a slave owner.</p>
<p>"He has a slave master mentality," she said. "If you were to go back to that, when they wanted to tell us, 'This is what you are going to do and this is how you do it. And if you didn't comply then you were beaten or even possibly killed."</p>
<p>Last Sunday, nearly 200 NFL players took a knee during the playing of the anthem in "solidarity" with kneelers like former 49er Colin Kaepernick and as a way to resist President Trump, or something.</p>
<p>WATCH:</p> | Texas HS Coach Cuts Star Players For National Anthem Protest | true | https://dailywire.com/news/21764/texas-hs-coach-cuts-star-players-national-anthem-amanda-prestigiacomo | 2017-10-01 | 0right
| Texas HS Coach Cuts Star Players For National Anthem Protest
<p>Texas high school coach and United States military veteran Ronnie Ray Mitchem has exactly zero time for his players disrespecting the flag and our national anthem.</p>
<p>Moments after two of his star players took a knee during the anthem on Friday, Mitchem cut the boys from the team and made them give back their uniforms.</p>
<p>Victory &amp; Praise Christian Academy football stars Cedric Ingram-Lewis and Larry McCullough planned their Friday protest in advance, and informed Mitchem of their plans, reports <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-high-school-football-players-thrown-off-team/story?id=50206820" type="external">ABC News</a>.</p>
<p>Mitchem said he warned the players that their protest would have consequences: "I told 'em the day of practice, Thursday, if they do that, you're career as a Shark is over."</p>
<p>The boys claimed they were protesting racial injustice, taking a cue from NFL players, and chose to take a knee during the anthem anyway.</p>
<p>Coach Mitchem, who says he has a longstanding rule for his players to stand during The Star-Spangled Banner, immediately made the boys hand in their uniforms and cut them loose from the team.</p>
<p>"I have nothing against those young men, I love them," said the private school coach.</p>
<p>"As a veteran," he explained, "I have a strong view of what I feel is disrespectful."</p>
<p>"If they feel strongly about that, that's something that should be addressed. But my whole point was, there is a proper time to do something in a proper way," said the coach.</p>
<p>Ingram-Lewis and McCullough said that stripping them of their uniforms in front of their teammates and the crowd was humiliating.​ Ingram-Lewis' mother compared Coach Mitchem to a slave owner.</p>
<p>"He has a slave master mentality," she said. "If you were to go back to that, when they wanted to tell us, 'This is what you are going to do and this is how you do it. And if you didn't comply then you were beaten or even possibly killed."</p>
<p>Last Sunday, nearly 200 NFL players took a knee during the playing of the anthem in "solidarity" with kneelers like former 49er Colin Kaepernick and as a way to resist President Trump, or something.</p>
<p>WATCH:</p> | 2,880 |
<p>In her 26 years as a classroom teacher, Laura Williams, now principal of Harvard Elementary School in Englewood, never got any advice on how to ease new students into her classroom.</p>
<p>“No one ever told me what do with these kids,” she says. “There was no official policy and no direction from the school on what to do for them.”</p>
<p>DePaul University Professor Leonard Jason seeks to remedy that situation through the book Helping Transfer Students: Strategies for Educational and Social Readjustment. Jason is the lead author.</p>
<p>“In the worst of situations, all schools need is creativity to see and find the resources,” Jason says. “Often they are right in the community, and they don’t cost much.”</p>
<p>He offers the following suggestions:</p>
<p>Hold a mini-orientation to review school rules, identify key school personnel and share other important information. Encourage the students to ask questions about the school and its activities.</p>
<p>Create and distribute a “welcome booklet” that includes a welcome to the school; a list of important school personnel; pages for class schedules and the like; lists of special activities, clubs and holiday activities; information about the special concerns of new students; and information from the student’s teacher, such as rules for the classroom.</p>
<p>Give the new student a buddy, a same-sex, same-age “veteran” that the student can go to for help. The buddy should be chosen with care and should be a high-achiever who values education and can help set a good example.</p>
<p>Give new students a tour of the school.</p>
<p>Get a small group of new students together to let them talk about how it feels to transfer and how the new school compares to their old one.</p>
<p>Tutor new students to bring them up to speed academically. If a school doesn’t have extra staff to do this, it could make arrangements with a nearby high school, whose students could be trained as tutors and receive school credit. Jason advises having tutors use direct instruction, a teaching method he has found to be effective with transfer students. “And because tutors follow a script, it is easy for them to use,” he notes.</p>
<p>Train parents or other relatives to serve as tutors and get them to tutor the transfer students at home.</p>
<p>Increase the awareness of school staff about what it means for a child to be new at a school and what their special needs are</p> | Tips for helping transfer students | false | http://chicagoreporter.com/tips-helping-transfer-students/ | 2005-07-25 | 3left-center
| Tips for helping transfer students
<p>In her 26 years as a classroom teacher, Laura Williams, now principal of Harvard Elementary School in Englewood, never got any advice on how to ease new students into her classroom.</p>
<p>“No one ever told me what do with these kids,” she says. “There was no official policy and no direction from the school on what to do for them.”</p>
<p>DePaul University Professor Leonard Jason seeks to remedy that situation through the book Helping Transfer Students: Strategies for Educational and Social Readjustment. Jason is the lead author.</p>
<p>“In the worst of situations, all schools need is creativity to see and find the resources,” Jason says. “Often they are right in the community, and they don’t cost much.”</p>
<p>He offers the following suggestions:</p>
<p>Hold a mini-orientation to review school rules, identify key school personnel and share other important information. Encourage the students to ask questions about the school and its activities.</p>
<p>Create and distribute a “welcome booklet” that includes a welcome to the school; a list of important school personnel; pages for class schedules and the like; lists of special activities, clubs and holiday activities; information about the special concerns of new students; and information from the student’s teacher, such as rules for the classroom.</p>
<p>Give the new student a buddy, a same-sex, same-age “veteran” that the student can go to for help. The buddy should be chosen with care and should be a high-achiever who values education and can help set a good example.</p>
<p>Give new students a tour of the school.</p>
<p>Get a small group of new students together to let them talk about how it feels to transfer and how the new school compares to their old one.</p>
<p>Tutor new students to bring them up to speed academically. If a school doesn’t have extra staff to do this, it could make arrangements with a nearby high school, whose students could be trained as tutors and receive school credit. Jason advises having tutors use direct instruction, a teaching method he has found to be effective with transfer students. “And because tutors follow a script, it is easy for them to use,” he notes.</p>
<p>Train parents or other relatives to serve as tutors and get them to tutor the transfer students at home.</p>
<p>Increase the awareness of school staff about what it means for a child to be new at a school and what their special needs are</p> | 2,881 |
<p>Published time: 6 Sep, 2017 13:42</p>
<p>Economic growth in China has spurred an increasing demand for aircraft, says Boeing. The US airplane maker has updated China’s purchasing forecast to $1.1 trillion in the next two decades.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/392564-russia-china-jet-engine/" type="external" /></p>
<p>Boeing estimates China will buy 7,240 aircraft by 2036, 6.3 percent higher than the US company’s previous prediction of 6,810 planes last year.</p>
<p>“China’s continuous economic growth, significant investment in infrastructure, growing middle-class and evolving airline business models support this long-term outlook,” said Randy Tinseth, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of marketing.</p>
<p>“China’s fleet size is expected to grow at a pace well above the world average, and almost 20 percent of global new airplane demand will be from airlines based in China,” he added.</p>
<p>China accounts for almost 11 percent of Boeing’s revenue, according to Bloomberg.</p>
<p>About 75 percent of the new aircraft will be single-aisle, as demand for travel within China and throughout Asia grows.</p>
<p>Boeing and its rival Airbus are fighting to increase their share of the fastest-growing market in the world.</p>
<p>According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), China will overtake the United States as the world’s largest aviation market by passengers by 2024.</p>
<p>Both firms have made serious profits in China, as local airlines expanded their fleets aggressively.</p>
<p>Separately, China is developing its own civil aircraft. China’s twin-engine Comac C919, which can carry up to 158 passengers and has a range of 4,075km. A longer-range version can fly up to 5,555km. The plane had its maiden flight in Shanghai this May. Comac says it has more than 600 orders from Chinese carriers.</p>
<p /> | China to buy over $1tn worth of planes by 2036 as economy expands – Boeing | false | https://newsline.com/china-to-buy-over-1tn-worth-of-planes-by-2036-as-economy-expands-boeing/ | 2017-09-06 | 1right-center
| China to buy over $1tn worth of planes by 2036 as economy expands – Boeing
<p>Published time: 6 Sep, 2017 13:42</p>
<p>Economic growth in China has spurred an increasing demand for aircraft, says Boeing. The US airplane maker has updated China’s purchasing forecast to $1.1 trillion in the next two decades.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/392564-russia-china-jet-engine/" type="external" /></p>
<p>Boeing estimates China will buy 7,240 aircraft by 2036, 6.3 percent higher than the US company’s previous prediction of 6,810 planes last year.</p>
<p>“China’s continuous economic growth, significant investment in infrastructure, growing middle-class and evolving airline business models support this long-term outlook,” said Randy Tinseth, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president of marketing.</p>
<p>“China’s fleet size is expected to grow at a pace well above the world average, and almost 20 percent of global new airplane demand will be from airlines based in China,” he added.</p>
<p>China accounts for almost 11 percent of Boeing’s revenue, according to Bloomberg.</p>
<p>About 75 percent of the new aircraft will be single-aisle, as demand for travel within China and throughout Asia grows.</p>
<p>Boeing and its rival Airbus are fighting to increase their share of the fastest-growing market in the world.</p>
<p>According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), China will overtake the United States as the world’s largest aviation market by passengers by 2024.</p>
<p>Both firms have made serious profits in China, as local airlines expanded their fleets aggressively.</p>
<p>Separately, China is developing its own civil aircraft. China’s twin-engine Comac C919, which can carry up to 158 passengers and has a range of 4,075km. A longer-range version can fly up to 5,555km. The plane had its maiden flight in Shanghai this May. Comac says it has more than 600 orders from Chinese carriers.</p>
<p /> | 2,882 |
<p>RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the North Carolina Lottery's "Pick 3 Evening" game were:</p>
<p>9-2-5, Lucky Sum: 16</p>
<p>(nine, two, five; Lucky Sum: sixteen)</p>
<p>RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the North Carolina Lottery's "Pick 3 Evening" game were:</p>
<p>9-2-5, Lucky Sum: 16</p>
<p>(nine, two, five; Lucky Sum: sixteen)</p> | Winning numbers drawn in 'Pick 3 Evening' game | false | https://apnews.com/b6878d74d11a425e8c0467217b8f9348 | 2018-01-24 | 2least
| Winning numbers drawn in 'Pick 3 Evening' game
<p>RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the North Carolina Lottery's "Pick 3 Evening" game were:</p>
<p>9-2-5, Lucky Sum: 16</p>
<p>(nine, two, five; Lucky Sum: sixteen)</p>
<p>RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the North Carolina Lottery's "Pick 3 Evening" game were:</p>
<p>9-2-5, Lucky Sum: 16</p>
<p>(nine, two, five; Lucky Sum: sixteen)</p> | 2,883 |
<p>Just when it appeared that there might be a glimmer of hope in the darkness… <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060706/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage&amp;printer=1;_ylt=Akzc0VN2_1yT.RDx.sQ.RD1H2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-" type="external">New York</a> and <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060706/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage_georgia&amp;printer=1;_ylt=AjrBoLqnN5sS6skhY2LAwzxH2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-" type="external">Georgia</a> go and remind us that when it comes to gay marriage, the USA is still in the Dark Ages.</p>
<p>AP:</p>
<p>New York’s highest court ruled Thursday that gay marriage is not allowed under state law, rejecting arguments by same-sex couples who said the law violates their constitutional rights.</p>
<p>The Court of Appeals, in a 4-2 decision, said New York’s marriage law is constitutional and clearly limits marriage to between a man and a woman.</p>
<p />
<p>Any change in the law would have to come from the state Legislature, Judge Robert Smith said.</p>
<p>“We do not predict what people will think generations from now, but we believe the present generation should have a chance to decide the issue through its elected representatives,” Smith wrote.</p>
<p>Gov. George Pataki’s health department and state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s office had argued New York law prohibits issuing licenses to same-sex couples. The state had prevailed in lower appeals courts.</p>
<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060706/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage&amp;printer=1;_ylt=Akzc0VN2_1yT.RDx.sQ.RD1H2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-" type="external">Link</a></p>
<p>AP:</p>
<p>The state Supreme Court reinstated Georgia’s constitutional ban on gay marriage Thursday, just hours after New York’s highest court upheld that state’s gay-marriage ban.</p>
<p>The Georgia Supreme Court, reversing a lower court judge’s ruling, decided unanimously that the ban did not violate the state’s single-subject rule for ballot measures. Superior Court Judge Constance Russell of Fulton County had ruled that it did. <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060706/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage_georgia" type="external">Link</a></p> | New York and Georgia Rule Against Gay Marriage | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/new-york-and-georgia-rule-against-gay-marriage/ | 2006-07-06 | 4left
| New York and Georgia Rule Against Gay Marriage
<p>Just when it appeared that there might be a glimmer of hope in the darkness… <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060706/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage&amp;printer=1;_ylt=Akzc0VN2_1yT.RDx.sQ.RD1H2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-" type="external">New York</a> and <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060706/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage_georgia&amp;printer=1;_ylt=AjrBoLqnN5sS6skhY2LAwzxH2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-" type="external">Georgia</a> go and remind us that when it comes to gay marriage, the USA is still in the Dark Ages.</p>
<p>AP:</p>
<p>New York’s highest court ruled Thursday that gay marriage is not allowed under state law, rejecting arguments by same-sex couples who said the law violates their constitutional rights.</p>
<p>The Court of Appeals, in a 4-2 decision, said New York’s marriage law is constitutional and clearly limits marriage to between a man and a woman.</p>
<p />
<p>Any change in the law would have to come from the state Legislature, Judge Robert Smith said.</p>
<p>“We do not predict what people will think generations from now, but we believe the present generation should have a chance to decide the issue through its elected representatives,” Smith wrote.</p>
<p>Gov. George Pataki’s health department and state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer’s office had argued New York law prohibits issuing licenses to same-sex couples. The state had prevailed in lower appeals courts.</p>
<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060706/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage&amp;printer=1;_ylt=Akzc0VN2_1yT.RDx.sQ.RD1H2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-" type="external">Link</a></p>
<p>AP:</p>
<p>The state Supreme Court reinstated Georgia’s constitutional ban on gay marriage Thursday, just hours after New York’s highest court upheld that state’s gay-marriage ban.</p>
<p>The Georgia Supreme Court, reversing a lower court judge’s ruling, decided unanimously that the ban did not violate the state’s single-subject rule for ballot measures. Superior Court Judge Constance Russell of Fulton County had ruled that it did. <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060706/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage_georgia" type="external">Link</a></p> | 2,884 |
<p>Nov. 7 (UPI) — A Kansas woman is $50,000 richer after she decided to buy some lottery tickets as a means of cheering herself up during a sick day.</p>
<p>Louisa Dowling of Concordia <a href="http://www.kslottery.com/winners/recentwinners/louisa-dowling.aspx" type="external">told Kansas Lottery</a> officials she woke up feeling ill Friday morning so she called into work and bought four $5 Super Red Hot Crossword instant scratch tickets to pass the time and cheer herself up some.</p>
<p>“After I bought my tickets, I went home to play them,” said Dowling. “As I was scratching one of the tickets, I noticed I had found five Red words in the Crossword puzzle. I was down to one last letter when I noticed all I needed was the letter ‘P’ to complete the sixth Red word. When I scratched off the last letter and it was a ‘P,’ I couldn’t believe it! Needless to say, I started feeling better after that.”</p>
<p>The six red words earned Dowling a $50,000 top prize.</p>
<p>“When I was double checking my ticket, I noticed my mailman was coming to our house, so I stepped out to ask him if he would look at my ticket,” Dowling said. “When he agreed it appeared my ticket was worth $50,000, I still had a hard time believing it. Before calling the Kansas Lottery to have the ticket verified, I had at least five people look at it. I was so afraid I had made a mistake or something. I was relieved when it was verified by the Lottery.”</p>
<p>Dowling said some of the money will go toward publishing her romance novel. She said she also plans to pay off her bills and build a carport at her home.</p> | Taking a sick day leads woman to $50,000 lottery prize | false | https://newsline.com/taking-a-sick-day-leads-woman-to-50000-lottery-prize/ | 2017-11-07 | 1right-center
| Taking a sick day leads woman to $50,000 lottery prize
<p>Nov. 7 (UPI) — A Kansas woman is $50,000 richer after she decided to buy some lottery tickets as a means of cheering herself up during a sick day.</p>
<p>Louisa Dowling of Concordia <a href="http://www.kslottery.com/winners/recentwinners/louisa-dowling.aspx" type="external">told Kansas Lottery</a> officials she woke up feeling ill Friday morning so she called into work and bought four $5 Super Red Hot Crossword instant scratch tickets to pass the time and cheer herself up some.</p>
<p>“After I bought my tickets, I went home to play them,” said Dowling. “As I was scratching one of the tickets, I noticed I had found five Red words in the Crossword puzzle. I was down to one last letter when I noticed all I needed was the letter ‘P’ to complete the sixth Red word. When I scratched off the last letter and it was a ‘P,’ I couldn’t believe it! Needless to say, I started feeling better after that.”</p>
<p>The six red words earned Dowling a $50,000 top prize.</p>
<p>“When I was double checking my ticket, I noticed my mailman was coming to our house, so I stepped out to ask him if he would look at my ticket,” Dowling said. “When he agreed it appeared my ticket was worth $50,000, I still had a hard time believing it. Before calling the Kansas Lottery to have the ticket verified, I had at least five people look at it. I was so afraid I had made a mistake or something. I was relieved when it was verified by the Lottery.”</p>
<p>Dowling said some of the money will go toward publishing her romance novel. She said she also plans to pay off her bills and build a carport at her home.</p> | 2,885 |
<p />
<p />
<p>In no uncertain terms, the United Kingdom government of Theresa May re-affirmed their commitment to the USA as an ally and stated that military action over the actions of North Korea could not be ruled out at this point.</p>
<p />
<p>Mrs. May, who heads a Conservative and Northern Irish Unionists coalition government said: "The actions of North Korea are illegal, they are significant actions of provocation, it's outrageous, that's why we will be redoubling our efforts with our international partners to put pressure on North Korea to stop these illegal activities."</p>
<p />
<p>The UK meanwhile agrees with the government of the USA that the key to this problem lies with China.</p>
<p>The UK Prime Minister was quoted: "China has a key role to play in this? I have said this to President Xi, I know others have as well, we think that China has that important role to play and we would encourage China to do everything it can to bring pressure to bear on North Korea to stop this. The UK is looking at the discussion around further sanctions and the sort of change that China can bring. We see China as being the key in this."</p>
<p />
<p>The UK's message of support to the US government of President Trump comes just after the emergency meeting of the United Nations had condemned North Korea's "outrageous" firing of a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday, and demanded that the regime in the North Korean capital Pyongyang immediately halt its weapons program. The United Nations Security Council did hold off on any threat of new sanctions.</p>
<p />
<p>President Trump has stated that "all options are on the table" at this point.</p>
<p>The UK's war ministry also refused to rule out any use of cyber warfare. A Whitehall (the Uk ministries building) source even stated that cyber warfare might already be in use, saying: "If we were doing that we certainly wouldn't be telling you."</p>
<p />
<p>Source:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/29/britain-calls-sanctions-north-korea-wake-missile-test/" type="external">telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/29/britain-calls-sanctions-north-korea-wake-missile-test</a></p> | UK stands by the USA - refuses to rule out military action over North Korea | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/7305-UK-stands-by-the-USA-refuses-to-rule-out-military-action-over-North-Korea | 2017-08-30 | 0right
| UK stands by the USA - refuses to rule out military action over North Korea
<p />
<p />
<p>In no uncertain terms, the United Kingdom government of Theresa May re-affirmed their commitment to the USA as an ally and stated that military action over the actions of North Korea could not be ruled out at this point.</p>
<p />
<p>Mrs. May, who heads a Conservative and Northern Irish Unionists coalition government said: "The actions of North Korea are illegal, they are significant actions of provocation, it's outrageous, that's why we will be redoubling our efforts with our international partners to put pressure on North Korea to stop these illegal activities."</p>
<p />
<p>The UK meanwhile agrees with the government of the USA that the key to this problem lies with China.</p>
<p>The UK Prime Minister was quoted: "China has a key role to play in this? I have said this to President Xi, I know others have as well, we think that China has that important role to play and we would encourage China to do everything it can to bring pressure to bear on North Korea to stop this. The UK is looking at the discussion around further sanctions and the sort of change that China can bring. We see China as being the key in this."</p>
<p />
<p>The UK's message of support to the US government of President Trump comes just after the emergency meeting of the United Nations had condemned North Korea's "outrageous" firing of a ballistic missile over Japan on Tuesday, and demanded that the regime in the North Korean capital Pyongyang immediately halt its weapons program. The United Nations Security Council did hold off on any threat of new sanctions.</p>
<p />
<p>President Trump has stated that "all options are on the table" at this point.</p>
<p>The UK's war ministry also refused to rule out any use of cyber warfare. A Whitehall (the Uk ministries building) source even stated that cyber warfare might already be in use, saying: "If we were doing that we certainly wouldn't be telling you."</p>
<p />
<p>Source:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/29/britain-calls-sanctions-north-korea-wake-missile-test/" type="external">telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/29/britain-calls-sanctions-north-korea-wake-missile-test</a></p> | 2,886 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Bestselling author Steven Kotler will be the featured speaker at the Anderson School of Management Boerigter Business Breakfast Program on March 30.</p>
<p>Kotler's presentation is based on his New York Times bestselling book "Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth, and Impact the World." Kotler will explain how a shift in mindset can increase performance and ignite passion and he'll explore the mental tactics used by high-performing organizations like Google and the Navy Seals.</p>
<p>Kotler writes "Far Frontiers," a blog about technology and innovation for Forbes.com; is co-founder and director of research for the Flow Genome Project and co-founder of the Rancho de Chihuahua dog sanctuary in Northern New Mexico.</p>
<p>The program will start at 7:30 a.m. at the Albuquerque Country Club. The public is invited but RSVPs are required.&#160; Reservations can be made online at www.mgt.unm.edu/events/business-to-business or by calling Felicia Rodriquez at 505-277-1504.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Best-selling author to speak at Anderson business breakfast | false | https://abqjournal.com/742791/best-selling-author-to-speak-at-anderson-business-breakfast.html | 2least
| Best-selling author to speak at Anderson business breakfast
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Bestselling author Steven Kotler will be the featured speaker at the Anderson School of Management Boerigter Business Breakfast Program on March 30.</p>
<p>Kotler's presentation is based on his New York Times bestselling book "Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth, and Impact the World." Kotler will explain how a shift in mindset can increase performance and ignite passion and he'll explore the mental tactics used by high-performing organizations like Google and the Navy Seals.</p>
<p>Kotler writes "Far Frontiers," a blog about technology and innovation for Forbes.com; is co-founder and director of research for the Flow Genome Project and co-founder of the Rancho de Chihuahua dog sanctuary in Northern New Mexico.</p>
<p>The program will start at 7:30 a.m. at the Albuquerque Country Club. The public is invited but RSVPs are required.&#160; Reservations can be made online at www.mgt.unm.edu/events/business-to-business or by calling Felicia Rodriquez at 505-277-1504.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 2,887 |
|
<p />
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>One sound investing strategy is to buy shares of dividend-paying companies that are temporarily out of favor with Wall Street. After all, if the investment community is down on a company's stock, then its share price is likely to be cheap and its dividend yield artificially high. If the company can prove that its business is still fundamentally strong, then investors can bank both a high yield and price appreciation.</p>
<p>With that in mind, here's a list of three dividend-paying stocks that Wall Street hates right now but I think can safely be purchased.</p>
<p>Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) shares have been in thediscount bin for quite some time now, and it's not hard to understand why. A few years back, the company launched two hepatitis C cures -- Harvoni and Solvaldi -- that grew like wildfire and went on to produce tens of billions in revenue for the company. Now, other pharma companies have caught up and have offered hepatitis C cures of their own. In response, Gilead has been offering its treatments at a discount to maintain market share, which is crushing its growth.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Last quarter, declining hepatitis C revenue caused companywide sales to shrink by 5.7%. Net income plunged by an even sharper 22.2%, and the company even cut itsfull-year sales guidance to a range of $29.5 billion to $30.5 billion, from its prior outlook of $30 billion to $31 billion.</p>
<p>Image source: Gilead Sciences.</p>
<p>Shares are now trading for less than seven times trailing earnings as a result, pushing the company's dividend yield to over 2.3%.</p>
<p>However, despite all the doom and gloom, I still believe there are reasons to be optimistic, especially at today's discounted share price.</p>
<p>First, lower hep-C treatment prices are causing reimbursement restrictions to fall away, which could go a long way toward building volume and helping offset pricing concessions.</p>
<p>Second, the company just launched its next-generation hep-C drug, Epclusa, to market. This drug treats all six hep-C genotypes, which eliminates the need for genetic testing ahead of time. That could give it a clinical edge, especially if it launches in international markets.</p>
<p>Third, Gilead's bread-and-butterHIV/AIDS franchise continues to show strength. Sales just jumped 11% last quarter thanks to a handful of next-generation drug launches.</p>
<p>Finally, there's plenty of optionality ahead in the company's pipeline. Gilead is working on new drugs that could eventually treat cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. There's also its war chest of more than $24 billion, which could be used for a game-changing acquisition.</p>
<p>Gilead's days of fast growth might be a thing of the past, but with shares trading for so cheap, I think investors can still make good money by buying shares today.</p>
<p>Sales of Apple's iPhone have been on the decline over the past two quarters, causing the market to sell off many companies that count themselves as suppliers. That list includesSkyworks Solutions (NASDAQ: SWKS), a supplier of specialized semiconductor chips. And I think its downturn affords investors a great entry price.</p>
<p>For the record, I'm a firm believer that the vast majority of components suppliers should be avoided completely, but I think that Skyworks is the exception. The company has proved itself to be such an important supplier that it's done something very few Apple suppliers can claim -- grow revenuewithout sacrificing profitability.</p>
<p>Have a look at the company's gross, operating, and profit margins over the past few years to see what I mean.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/SWKS/gross_profit_margin_ttm" type="external">SWKS Gross Profit Margin (TTM)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Skyworks is also looking for ways to reduce its dependence on Apple. The company is pushing hard tobe a player in the Internet of Things trend, and with each passing quarter it announces new design wins in growth markets such as industrial GPS tracking, smart homes, wearables, and more.</p>
<p>Right now Wall Street is squarely focused on the smartphone market, which is why shares are currently down more than 38% from their 52-week high. That's pushed the company's dividend yield up to 1.7%, a respectable number for a company that's been paying a dividend for only a few years.</p>
<p>While Wall Street is dumping shares because of the smartphone slowdown, analysts still believe that the company's bottom line will grow by roughly 17% over the next five years. That's an incredibly fast rate for a company that's currently selling for less than 11 times next year's earnings.</p>
<p>It's no secret that energy stocks have been mauled over the past 18 months, given the precipitous decline in commodity prices. And yes, there's value to be found in the space. One of my favorite companies from the sector, Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI), has taken investors on a wild ride over that period, but with shares currently yielding 2.46%, now could be a good time to jump in.</p>
<p>Kinder Morgan currently claims the title of largest energy infrastructure company in North America. That's because it owns a massive network of natural gas pipelines that crisscross the U.S. and are crucial to bringing supply into markets that have demand.</p>
<p>There's a lot to like about Kinder Morgan's business. For one thing, the vast majority of the company's profits don't fluctuate with the price of oil or natural gas, which gives the company tremendous cash-flow stability. For example, last quarter, cash flow was basically flat year over year and earnings grew by 4%. Those are results that nearly every other energy company would kill to have.</p>
<p>However, Kinder Morgan's share price still hasn't recovered from concerns late last year over its debt load. That ultimately forced the company to slash its payout by 75%, which alienated a huge amount of its investor base that was in the stock solely for income. However, I think it was the right strategic move, as it gives the company flexibility toreduce its leverage, right-size its business, and think about ways to return cash to shareholders once the energy markets fully recover.</p>
<p>The shares are far from risk-free, but the company is expecting to show about $4.7 billion in distributable cash flow for the full year. Compare that figure with its market cap of about $46 billion, and you can still see that the stock is trading at a huge discount. Once the company returns to its history of raising the dividend, I think investors will once again warm up to the stock, so buying today could prove to be profit-friendly.</p>
<p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;ftm_pit=2518&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFTypeoh/info.aspx" type="external">Brian Feroldi Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Apple, Gilead Sciences, and Kinder Morgan and has the following options: short January 2018 $30 puts on Kinder Morgan, short January 2018 $35 puts on Kinder Morgan, long January 2017 $35 calls on Kinder Morgan, and short January 2017 $35 puts on Kinder Morgan.Like this article? Follow him onTwitter where he goes by the handle <a href="https://twitter.com/LongTermMindset" type="external">@Longtermmindset Opens a New Window.</a>or connect with him on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-feroldi-mba-46370a5" type="external">LinkedIn Opens a New Window.</a> to see more articles like this.</p>
<p>The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple, Gilead Sciences, Kinder Morgan, and Skyworks Solutions. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. 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://wiki.fool.com/Motley" 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> | These 3 Hated Dividend Stocks Look Like Buys | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/08/14/these-3-hated-dividend-stocks-look-like-buys.html | 2016-08-14 | 0right
| These 3 Hated Dividend Stocks Look Like Buys
<p />
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>One sound investing strategy is to buy shares of dividend-paying companies that are temporarily out of favor with Wall Street. After all, if the investment community is down on a company's stock, then its share price is likely to be cheap and its dividend yield artificially high. If the company can prove that its business is still fundamentally strong, then investors can bank both a high yield and price appreciation.</p>
<p>With that in mind, here's a list of three dividend-paying stocks that Wall Street hates right now but I think can safely be purchased.</p>
<p>Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ: GILD) shares have been in thediscount bin for quite some time now, and it's not hard to understand why. A few years back, the company launched two hepatitis C cures -- Harvoni and Solvaldi -- that grew like wildfire and went on to produce tens of billions in revenue for the company. Now, other pharma companies have caught up and have offered hepatitis C cures of their own. In response, Gilead has been offering its treatments at a discount to maintain market share, which is crushing its growth.</p>
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<p>Last quarter, declining hepatitis C revenue caused companywide sales to shrink by 5.7%. Net income plunged by an even sharper 22.2%, and the company even cut itsfull-year sales guidance to a range of $29.5 billion to $30.5 billion, from its prior outlook of $30 billion to $31 billion.</p>
<p>Image source: Gilead Sciences.</p>
<p>Shares are now trading for less than seven times trailing earnings as a result, pushing the company's dividend yield to over 2.3%.</p>
<p>However, despite all the doom and gloom, I still believe there are reasons to be optimistic, especially at today's discounted share price.</p>
<p>First, lower hep-C treatment prices are causing reimbursement restrictions to fall away, which could go a long way toward building volume and helping offset pricing concessions.</p>
<p>Second, the company just launched its next-generation hep-C drug, Epclusa, to market. This drug treats all six hep-C genotypes, which eliminates the need for genetic testing ahead of time. That could give it a clinical edge, especially if it launches in international markets.</p>
<p>Third, Gilead's bread-and-butterHIV/AIDS franchise continues to show strength. Sales just jumped 11% last quarter thanks to a handful of next-generation drug launches.</p>
<p>Finally, there's plenty of optionality ahead in the company's pipeline. Gilead is working on new drugs that could eventually treat cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. There's also its war chest of more than $24 billion, which could be used for a game-changing acquisition.</p>
<p>Gilead's days of fast growth might be a thing of the past, but with shares trading for so cheap, I think investors can still make good money by buying shares today.</p>
<p>Sales of Apple's iPhone have been on the decline over the past two quarters, causing the market to sell off many companies that count themselves as suppliers. That list includesSkyworks Solutions (NASDAQ: SWKS), a supplier of specialized semiconductor chips. And I think its downturn affords investors a great entry price.</p>
<p>For the record, I'm a firm believer that the vast majority of components suppliers should be avoided completely, but I think that Skyworks is the exception. The company has proved itself to be such an important supplier that it's done something very few Apple suppliers can claim -- grow revenuewithout sacrificing profitability.</p>
<p>Have a look at the company's gross, operating, and profit margins over the past few years to see what I mean.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/SWKS/gross_profit_margin_ttm" type="external">SWKS Gross Profit Margin (TTM)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Skyworks is also looking for ways to reduce its dependence on Apple. The company is pushing hard tobe a player in the Internet of Things trend, and with each passing quarter it announces new design wins in growth markets such as industrial GPS tracking, smart homes, wearables, and more.</p>
<p>Right now Wall Street is squarely focused on the smartphone market, which is why shares are currently down more than 38% from their 52-week high. That's pushed the company's dividend yield up to 1.7%, a respectable number for a company that's been paying a dividend for only a few years.</p>
<p>While Wall Street is dumping shares because of the smartphone slowdown, analysts still believe that the company's bottom line will grow by roughly 17% over the next five years. That's an incredibly fast rate for a company that's currently selling for less than 11 times next year's earnings.</p>
<p>It's no secret that energy stocks have been mauled over the past 18 months, given the precipitous decline in commodity prices. And yes, there's value to be found in the space. One of my favorite companies from the sector, Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI), has taken investors on a wild ride over that period, but with shares currently yielding 2.46%, now could be a good time to jump in.</p>
<p>Kinder Morgan currently claims the title of largest energy infrastructure company in North America. That's because it owns a massive network of natural gas pipelines that crisscross the U.S. and are crucial to bringing supply into markets that have demand.</p>
<p>There's a lot to like about Kinder Morgan's business. For one thing, the vast majority of the company's profits don't fluctuate with the price of oil or natural gas, which gives the company tremendous cash-flow stability. For example, last quarter, cash flow was basically flat year over year and earnings grew by 4%. Those are results that nearly every other energy company would kill to have.</p>
<p>However, Kinder Morgan's share price still hasn't recovered from concerns late last year over its debt load. That ultimately forced the company to slash its payout by 75%, which alienated a huge amount of its investor base that was in the stock solely for income. However, I think it was the right strategic move, as it gives the company flexibility toreduce its leverage, right-size its business, and think about ways to return cash to shareholders once the energy markets fully recover.</p>
<p>The shares are far from risk-free, but the company is expecting to show about $4.7 billion in distributable cash flow for the full year. Compare that figure with its market cap of about $46 billion, and you can still see that the stock is trading at a huge discount. Once the company returns to its history of raising the dividend, I think investors will once again warm up to the stock, so buying today could prove to be profit-friendly.</p>
<p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;ftm_pit=2518&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFTypeoh/info.aspx" type="external">Brian Feroldi Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Apple, Gilead Sciences, and Kinder Morgan and has the following options: short January 2018 $30 puts on Kinder Morgan, short January 2018 $35 puts on Kinder Morgan, long January 2017 $35 calls on Kinder Morgan, and short January 2017 $35 puts on Kinder Morgan.Like this article? Follow him onTwitter where he goes by the handle <a href="https://twitter.com/LongTermMindset" type="external">@Longtermmindset Opens a New Window.</a>or connect with him on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-feroldi-mba-46370a5" type="external">LinkedIn Opens a New Window.</a> to see more articles like this.</p>
<p>The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple, Gilead Sciences, Kinder Morgan, and Skyworks Solutions. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. 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://wiki.fool.com/Motley" 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> | 2,888 |
<p />
<p>Things aren't going so well in Circuit City's waiting room. Shares ofBest Buy fell 7% Tuesday after the consumer electronics retailer followed up <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/05/24/best-buy-co-inc-and-dsw-inc-drop-as-stocks-soar.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">mixed financials Opens a New Window.</a> with an uninspiring near-term outlook.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The first quarter ofBest Buy's fiscal 2017 wasn't horrible. Revenue slid 1.4% to $8.4 billion, but that was the handiwork of an 8% decline internationally and the closing of several namesake superstores and Best Buy Mobile locations.</p>
<p>Store-level comps dipped just 0.1% -- but that's a metric worth digging into deeper. Best Buy divides its online sales -- up 24% and now accounting for 10.6% of its domestic revenue versus 8.5% a year ago -- into its existing store sales to pad comps. That's not cheating. A growing number of retailers do this, and many online sales at Best Buy originate at its stores or consist of online orders that are picked up a physical storefront. However, we still can't assume that store-level activity is merely flat.</p>
<p>The news gets better on the way down to the bottom line, with adjusted earnings up 10% to $144 million. Aggressive share buybacks over the past year are pumping up its profitability on a per-share basis; EPS is up 19% to $0.44 a share.</p>
<p>Best Buy exceeded analysts' expectations for the quarter, and expanding margins on flat sales are certainly the type of numbers that confetti shooters were made for. However, then we get to Best Buy's take on the current quarter. It sees another period of flat comps with international sales dragging down overall performance. It sees $8.35 billion to $8.45 billion in revenue for the fiscal quarter that closes at the end of July, 1% to 2% below the prior fiscal second quarter's tally. The real dagger is its profit outlook. It expects to clock in with adjusted earnings of between $0.38 a share and $0.42 a share, well short of both the $0.49 a share it served up a year earlier and the $0.50 a share that Wall Street pros were targeting. Margins will shrink (which is why it's a good thing you didn't pull the trigger on those confetti shooters).</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>It isn't easy running a consumer electronics superstore these days. Best Buy's stock is now near the $30.45 mark where it began the year, and in its niche, it's the lucky one. Smaller rivals Conn's and hhgregg have sorely vexed their shareholders. They have both surrendered 54% of their value so far in 2016, making Best Buy's flat showing miraculous in relative terms.</p>
<p>Conn's is struggling with stubborn delinquency rates, an unwelcome byproduct of letting customers with poor credit finance big-ticket purchases. Red ink is the problem at hhgregg. It has rattled off nine consecutive quarters of losses,according to <a href="https://www.capitaliq.com/home.aspx" type="external">S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence Opens a New Window.</a>data.</p>
<p>The three company's business models have big differences. Appliances account for just over half of the sales at hhgregg; at Best Buy they're less than 10% of its sales. Conn's, in contrast to both, sells more furniture and mattresses than consumer electronics. However, all are struggling in a period when e-commerce is finally mastering the art of selling larger electronics.</p>
<p>Best Buy has been feeling the pinch for years on its small-ticket items. The mobile and digital revolutions ate into its once-buoyant CD, DVD, and video game sales. Best Buy is holding up well, considering the hand that it's been dealt, but it can't rely on gobbling up market share forever. It may wind up being the last consumer electronics store left standing in a few years, but it's hard to fathom that being the case a decade from now. As good a job as CEO Hubert Joly has done in keeping the blood loss to a minimum, it's hard to deny that Best Buy's best days are in the past.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/05/25/best-buy-isnt-dead-but-it-is-dying.aspx" type="external">Best Buy Isn't Dead, but It Is Dying Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFBreakerRick/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Rick Munarriz Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Best Buy Isn't Dead, but It Is Dying | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/05/25/best-buy-isnt-dead-but-it-is-dying.html | 2016-05-25 | 0right
| Best Buy Isn't Dead, but It Is Dying
<p />
<p>Things aren't going so well in Circuit City's waiting room. Shares ofBest Buy fell 7% Tuesday after the consumer electronics retailer followed up <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/05/24/best-buy-co-inc-and-dsw-inc-drop-as-stocks-soar.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">mixed financials Opens a New Window.</a> with an uninspiring near-term outlook.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The first quarter ofBest Buy's fiscal 2017 wasn't horrible. Revenue slid 1.4% to $8.4 billion, but that was the handiwork of an 8% decline internationally and the closing of several namesake superstores and Best Buy Mobile locations.</p>
<p>Store-level comps dipped just 0.1% -- but that's a metric worth digging into deeper. Best Buy divides its online sales -- up 24% and now accounting for 10.6% of its domestic revenue versus 8.5% a year ago -- into its existing store sales to pad comps. That's not cheating. A growing number of retailers do this, and many online sales at Best Buy originate at its stores or consist of online orders that are picked up a physical storefront. However, we still can't assume that store-level activity is merely flat.</p>
<p>The news gets better on the way down to the bottom line, with adjusted earnings up 10% to $144 million. Aggressive share buybacks over the past year are pumping up its profitability on a per-share basis; EPS is up 19% to $0.44 a share.</p>
<p>Best Buy exceeded analysts' expectations for the quarter, and expanding margins on flat sales are certainly the type of numbers that confetti shooters were made for. However, then we get to Best Buy's take on the current quarter. It sees another period of flat comps with international sales dragging down overall performance. It sees $8.35 billion to $8.45 billion in revenue for the fiscal quarter that closes at the end of July, 1% to 2% below the prior fiscal second quarter's tally. The real dagger is its profit outlook. It expects to clock in with adjusted earnings of between $0.38 a share and $0.42 a share, well short of both the $0.49 a share it served up a year earlier and the $0.50 a share that Wall Street pros were targeting. Margins will shrink (which is why it's a good thing you didn't pull the trigger on those confetti shooters).</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>It isn't easy running a consumer electronics superstore these days. Best Buy's stock is now near the $30.45 mark where it began the year, and in its niche, it's the lucky one. Smaller rivals Conn's and hhgregg have sorely vexed their shareholders. They have both surrendered 54% of their value so far in 2016, making Best Buy's flat showing miraculous in relative terms.</p>
<p>Conn's is struggling with stubborn delinquency rates, an unwelcome byproduct of letting customers with poor credit finance big-ticket purchases. Red ink is the problem at hhgregg. It has rattled off nine consecutive quarters of losses,according to <a href="https://www.capitaliq.com/home.aspx" type="external">S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence Opens a New Window.</a>data.</p>
<p>The three company's business models have big differences. Appliances account for just over half of the sales at hhgregg; at Best Buy they're less than 10% of its sales. Conn's, in contrast to both, sells more furniture and mattresses than consumer electronics. However, all are struggling in a period when e-commerce is finally mastering the art of selling larger electronics.</p>
<p>Best Buy has been feeling the pinch for years on its small-ticket items. The mobile and digital revolutions ate into its once-buoyant CD, DVD, and video game sales. Best Buy is holding up well, considering the hand that it's been dealt, but it can't rely on gobbling up market share forever. It may wind up being the last consumer electronics store left standing in a few years, but it's hard to fathom that being the case a decade from now. As good a job as CEO Hubert Joly has done in keeping the blood loss to a minimum, it's hard to deny that Best Buy's best days are in the past.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/05/25/best-buy-isnt-dead-but-it-is-dying.aspx" type="external">Best Buy Isn't Dead, but It Is Dying Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFBreakerRick/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Rick Munarriz Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 2,889 |
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A 22-year-old man was arrested Wednesday morning on suspicion of planning to have sex with a 13-year-old girl, according to a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office news release.</p>
<p>Walter Brown is facing charges of criminal sexual communications with a minor and attempt to commit criminal sexual penetration of a minor, according to the Sheriff’s Office.</p>
<p>Over a two-week period, Brown allegedly sent text messages describing sex acts and sexually explicit pictures of himself to the girl, according to the news release. Detectives arrested him Wednesday before he was to meet with the girl, the release said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 22-year-old accused of soliciting girl, 13 | false | https://abqjournal.com/426826/bcso-arrest-man-on-suspicion-of-soliciting-child.html | 2least
| 22-year-old accused of soliciting girl, 13
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A 22-year-old man was arrested Wednesday morning on suspicion of planning to have sex with a 13-year-old girl, according to a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office news release.</p>
<p>Walter Brown is facing charges of criminal sexual communications with a minor and attempt to commit criminal sexual penetration of a minor, according to the Sheriff’s Office.</p>
<p>Over a two-week period, Brown allegedly sent text messages describing sex acts and sexually explicit pictures of himself to the girl, according to the news release. Detectives arrested him Wednesday before he was to meet with the girl, the release said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 2,890 |
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<p>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tavrion Dawson had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Lyrik Shreiner scored 12 points with a career-high 11 boards and CSU Northridge beat Cal Poly 72-54 on Saturday night.</p>
<p>Freshman Terrell Gomez added 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting and Micheal Warren scored 10 for CSUN (5-14, 2-3 Big West).</p>
<p>After Cal Poly's Josh Martin made a layup to open the scoring, Dawson scored 11 points — including the first seven — in a 19-4 run and the Matadors led the rest of the way. The Mustangs (6-13, 1-4) scored 11 of the first 13 second-half points to trim their deficit to 38-32, but Shreiner hit two 3s during an 11-0 spurt over the next two-plus minutes and CSUN led by double figures the rest of the way.</p>
<p>Donovan Fields scored 14 points and Martin added 13 with 10 rebounds for Cal Poly. The Mustangs hit just 3 of 21 (14.3 percent) from 3-point range.</p>
<p>CSUN made 25 of 48 (52.1 percent) from the field and 16 of 19 from the free-throw line.</p>
<p>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tavrion Dawson had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Lyrik Shreiner scored 12 points with a career-high 11 boards and CSU Northridge beat Cal Poly 72-54 on Saturday night.</p>
<p>Freshman Terrell Gomez added 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting and Micheal Warren scored 10 for CSUN (5-14, 2-3 Big West).</p>
<p>After Cal Poly's Josh Martin made a layup to open the scoring, Dawson scored 11 points — including the first seven — in a 19-4 run and the Matadors led the rest of the way. The Mustangs (6-13, 1-4) scored 11 of the first 13 second-half points to trim their deficit to 38-32, but Shreiner hit two 3s during an 11-0 spurt over the next two-plus minutes and CSUN led by double figures the rest of the way.</p>
<p>Donovan Fields scored 14 points and Martin added 13 with 10 rebounds for Cal Poly. The Mustangs hit just 3 of 21 (14.3 percent) from 3-point range.</p>
<p>CSUN made 25 of 48 (52.1 percent) from the field and 16 of 19 from the free-throw line.</p> | Dawson, Shreiner have double-doubles, CSUN beats Cal Poly | false | https://apnews.com/amp/58f9722c29e1467f8f36f846522cbcd2 | 2018-01-21 | 2least
| Dawson, Shreiner have double-doubles, CSUN beats Cal Poly
<p>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tavrion Dawson had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Lyrik Shreiner scored 12 points with a career-high 11 boards and CSU Northridge beat Cal Poly 72-54 on Saturday night.</p>
<p>Freshman Terrell Gomez added 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting and Micheal Warren scored 10 for CSUN (5-14, 2-3 Big West).</p>
<p>After Cal Poly's Josh Martin made a layup to open the scoring, Dawson scored 11 points — including the first seven — in a 19-4 run and the Matadors led the rest of the way. The Mustangs (6-13, 1-4) scored 11 of the first 13 second-half points to trim their deficit to 38-32, but Shreiner hit two 3s during an 11-0 spurt over the next two-plus minutes and CSUN led by double figures the rest of the way.</p>
<p>Donovan Fields scored 14 points and Martin added 13 with 10 rebounds for Cal Poly. The Mustangs hit just 3 of 21 (14.3 percent) from 3-point range.</p>
<p>CSUN made 25 of 48 (52.1 percent) from the field and 16 of 19 from the free-throw line.</p>
<p>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tavrion Dawson had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Lyrik Shreiner scored 12 points with a career-high 11 boards and CSU Northridge beat Cal Poly 72-54 on Saturday night.</p>
<p>Freshman Terrell Gomez added 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting and Micheal Warren scored 10 for CSUN (5-14, 2-3 Big West).</p>
<p>After Cal Poly's Josh Martin made a layup to open the scoring, Dawson scored 11 points — including the first seven — in a 19-4 run and the Matadors led the rest of the way. The Mustangs (6-13, 1-4) scored 11 of the first 13 second-half points to trim their deficit to 38-32, but Shreiner hit two 3s during an 11-0 spurt over the next two-plus minutes and CSUN led by double figures the rest of the way.</p>
<p>Donovan Fields scored 14 points and Martin added 13 with 10 rebounds for Cal Poly. The Mustangs hit just 3 of 21 (14.3 percent) from 3-point range.</p>
<p>CSUN made 25 of 48 (52.1 percent) from the field and 16 of 19 from the free-throw line.</p> | 2,891 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Don't fault Griego case judge</p>
<p>IN THE DIFFICULT case (of the sentencing of Nehemiah Griego), I submit that outrage should be directed at the law, not the judge. I am not a legal scholar, however I can and do appreciate the difficulty of the state's burden to prove that an adolescent/teenager is not amenable to treatment. Neither psychiatry nor psychology has ever claimed to be a totally accurate science, especially in the domain of predictability where it resides in a state of abysmal failure.</p>
<p>Arguments on either side of this question in the above case can easily be made: as they were when referencing Nehemiah's history of child abuse and confused parenting; as they were when referencing incomplete development of the teenage brain.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Having said all that, disturbing facts remain - facts such as the premeditated, calculated obliteration of an entire family; the fact that this was not a matter of isolated revenge on a possibly abusive father; the fact that the shooter did not differentiate between the innocence of his siblings and whatever grudge he had against his parents, to name just a few.</p>
<p>The law, as I understand it, appears to focus on rehabilitation and possible future danger to the community at large, apparently offering no options between 120 years in jail or 2 years in a treatment setting without further consequences, as well as the sealing of records, which is akin to expunging of records. If so, it sets up an either/or situation which, on the one hand, rules out treatment and, on the other, excuses culpability. Whether this - or any person - can be rehabilitated is anyone's best guess.</p>
<p>In the meantime, the message sent by this situation is that society will excuse the most heinous crimes based on an inaccurate science. Ethically, is that the message society should be sending?</p>
<p>MARY ELLEN HARRIS-GARCIA</p>
<p>Bernalillo</p>
<p />
<p>Horrible decision for society</p>
<p>SHOCKING! A SCANDAL! What was the judge thinking to allow Nehemiah Griego to be treated as a juvenile for his horrendous, premeditated crime? He may have been insane but still managed this crime.</p>
<p>He should have been incarcerated for a very long time. Amenable to treatment he may be but will it make him new? He sounds as though he might be a volcano waiting to explode.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>What a terrible thing for society!</p>
<p>JANET HARRINGTON</p>
<p>Albuquerque</p>
<p />
<p>Disappointed with the DA</p>
<p>I AM DEEPLY disappointed in District Attorney Kari Brandenburg.</p>
<p>Nehemiah (Griego) was a child when he killed his family. He has already been sentenced to a lifetime of remorse and regret.</p>
<p>KEVIN BEAN</p>
<p>Albuquerque</p> | Letters to the editor | false | https://abqjournal.com/728633/letters-to-the-editor-79.html | 2016-02-23 | 2least
| Letters to the editor
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Don't fault Griego case judge</p>
<p>IN THE DIFFICULT case (of the sentencing of Nehemiah Griego), I submit that outrage should be directed at the law, not the judge. I am not a legal scholar, however I can and do appreciate the difficulty of the state's burden to prove that an adolescent/teenager is not amenable to treatment. Neither psychiatry nor psychology has ever claimed to be a totally accurate science, especially in the domain of predictability where it resides in a state of abysmal failure.</p>
<p>Arguments on either side of this question in the above case can easily be made: as they were when referencing Nehemiah's history of child abuse and confused parenting; as they were when referencing incomplete development of the teenage brain.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Having said all that, disturbing facts remain - facts such as the premeditated, calculated obliteration of an entire family; the fact that this was not a matter of isolated revenge on a possibly abusive father; the fact that the shooter did not differentiate between the innocence of his siblings and whatever grudge he had against his parents, to name just a few.</p>
<p>The law, as I understand it, appears to focus on rehabilitation and possible future danger to the community at large, apparently offering no options between 120 years in jail or 2 years in a treatment setting without further consequences, as well as the sealing of records, which is akin to expunging of records. If so, it sets up an either/or situation which, on the one hand, rules out treatment and, on the other, excuses culpability. Whether this - or any person - can be rehabilitated is anyone's best guess.</p>
<p>In the meantime, the message sent by this situation is that society will excuse the most heinous crimes based on an inaccurate science. Ethically, is that the message society should be sending?</p>
<p>MARY ELLEN HARRIS-GARCIA</p>
<p>Bernalillo</p>
<p />
<p>Horrible decision for society</p>
<p>SHOCKING! A SCANDAL! What was the judge thinking to allow Nehemiah Griego to be treated as a juvenile for his horrendous, premeditated crime? He may have been insane but still managed this crime.</p>
<p>He should have been incarcerated for a very long time. Amenable to treatment he may be but will it make him new? He sounds as though he might be a volcano waiting to explode.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>What a terrible thing for society!</p>
<p>JANET HARRINGTON</p>
<p>Albuquerque</p>
<p />
<p>Disappointed with the DA</p>
<p>I AM DEEPLY disappointed in District Attorney Kari Brandenburg.</p>
<p>Nehemiah (Griego) was a child when he killed his family. He has already been sentenced to a lifetime of remorse and regret.</p>
<p>KEVIN BEAN</p>
<p>Albuquerque</p> | 2,892 |
<p>On Thursday, Julian Assange's Wikileaks released the " <a href="https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/?q=bobama&amp;mfrom=&amp;mto=&amp;title=&amp;notitle=&amp;date_from=&amp;date_to=&amp;nofrom=&amp;noto=&amp;count=50&amp;sort=6#searchresult" type="external">first batch</a>" of President Barack Obama's emails, revealing his email address to be [email protected].​</p>
<p>WikiLeaks reveals first batch of US president Barack Obama emails sent via secret address [email protected] <a href="https://t.co/Ni95WAl8a6" type="external">https://t.co/Ni95WAl8a6</a></p>
<p>These emails look to have been previously released somewhere within the massive WikiLeaks dump of the Hillary campaign chair John Podesta hacking, though these are sorted to only include Obama's email address.</p>
<p>In one <a href="https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/20333" type="external">email exchange</a> between Podesta and Obama, dated November 4, 2008, the day Obama took office, Podesta tells the president "NOT" to attend a G-20 meeting scheduled for November 15 of that year.</p>
<p>"I don't want to bug you today, but the memo pasted below concerns a possible invitation to the G-20 meeting on November 15. On the chance that President Bush would raise this with you tonight, I wanted you to be aware that it is the unanimous recommendation for your advisors that you NOT attend. As long as you are aware of that, we can review the contents of the memo tomorrow," wrote Podesta.</p>
<p>In another exchange, dated October 6, 2008, which predated Obama's taking of the White House, the then-senator is provided two "lists" via attachments, one of minorities and the other of women. The subject line of the email is "Diversity."</p>
<p>Per the email from former Obama official Mike Froman:</p>
<p>Following up on your conversations with John over the weekend, attached are two documents:</p>
<p>-- A list of African American, Latino and Asian American candidates, divided between Cabinet/Deputy and Under/Assistant/Deputy Assistant Sectetary levels, as well as lists of senior Native Americans, Arab/Muslim Americans and Disabled Americans. We have longer lists, but these are candidates whose names have been recommended by a number of sources for senior level jobs in a potential Administration.</p>
<p>-- A list of women, similarly divided between candidates for Cabinet/Deputy and other senior level positions.</p>
<p>To view the lists, <a href="https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/15560" type="external">click here</a>.</p> | Just In: WikiLeaks Releases 'First Batch' of Obama Emails | true | https://dailywire.com/news/10123/wikileaks-releases-first-batch-obama-emails-amanda-prestigiacomo | 2016-10-20 | 0right
| Just In: WikiLeaks Releases 'First Batch' of Obama Emails
<p>On Thursday, Julian Assange's Wikileaks released the " <a href="https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/?q=bobama&amp;mfrom=&amp;mto=&amp;title=&amp;notitle=&amp;date_from=&amp;date_to=&amp;nofrom=&amp;noto=&amp;count=50&amp;sort=6#searchresult" type="external">first batch</a>" of President Barack Obama's emails, revealing his email address to be [email protected].​</p>
<p>WikiLeaks reveals first batch of US president Barack Obama emails sent via secret address [email protected] <a href="https://t.co/Ni95WAl8a6" type="external">https://t.co/Ni95WAl8a6</a></p>
<p>These emails look to have been previously released somewhere within the massive WikiLeaks dump of the Hillary campaign chair John Podesta hacking, though these are sorted to only include Obama's email address.</p>
<p>In one <a href="https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/20333" type="external">email exchange</a> between Podesta and Obama, dated November 4, 2008, the day Obama took office, Podesta tells the president "NOT" to attend a G-20 meeting scheduled for November 15 of that year.</p>
<p>"I don't want to bug you today, but the memo pasted below concerns a possible invitation to the G-20 meeting on November 15. On the chance that President Bush would raise this with you tonight, I wanted you to be aware that it is the unanimous recommendation for your advisors that you NOT attend. As long as you are aware of that, we can review the contents of the memo tomorrow," wrote Podesta.</p>
<p>In another exchange, dated October 6, 2008, which predated Obama's taking of the White House, the then-senator is provided two "lists" via attachments, one of minorities and the other of women. The subject line of the email is "Diversity."</p>
<p>Per the email from former Obama official Mike Froman:</p>
<p>Following up on your conversations with John over the weekend, attached are two documents:</p>
<p>-- A list of African American, Latino and Asian American candidates, divided between Cabinet/Deputy and Under/Assistant/Deputy Assistant Sectetary levels, as well as lists of senior Native Americans, Arab/Muslim Americans and Disabled Americans. We have longer lists, but these are candidates whose names have been recommended by a number of sources for senior level jobs in a potential Administration.</p>
<p>-- A list of women, similarly divided between candidates for Cabinet/Deputy and other senior level positions.</p>
<p>To view the lists, <a href="https://wikileaks.org/podesta-emails/emailid/15560" type="external">click here</a>.</p> | 2,893 |
<p>The English translation of the July 3rd headline in the respected Egyptian daily, Al-Masry Al-Youm (Today’s Egyptian) was long and cumbersome, yet unmistakable:</p>
<p>“Ministry of Interior Calls Scholars to Train State Security Investigation Officers on Combating the Shiite Ideology” (1).</p>
<p>The translation of the translation: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is co-opting the scholars of Al-Azhar—its seminary considered to be the highest religious authority in Sunni Islam—to do his sectarian bidding. More disturbingly, Al-Azhar seems willing to comply.</p>
<p>Egypt is now home to approximately 150,000 of the more than one million Iraqis who fled or were driven out of their neighborhoods in the unending aftermath of the 2003 war. A significant number of those in Egypt, if not the majority, are Shiite Muslims. What apparently attracted the state’s attention to these new arrivals were applications submitted to the Ministry of Endowments asking permission to build mosques and other religious gathering places.</p>
<p>As reported in Al-Masry Al-Youm, Dr. Mohammed Abdel Moneim al-Barri, a prominent scholar and professor of Islamic Culture at Al-Azhar University, revealed that the Interior Ministry has called on him and other scholars to lecture and train state security officers on how to oppose the purported spread of Shiism in Egypt.</p>
<p>Al-Barri himself is known to have conspired with the government in the past, admitting to instructing security officials at the notorious Mazra’ Torah Prison on “the danger of Shiite ideology” to Egypt’s security (Mazra’ Torah Prison is where the country’s political prisoners are held. It once housed leading Egyptian human rights activist Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim and is currently where political dissident Dr. Ayman Noor remains incarcerated).</p>
<p>So why does Mubarak, the quintessential Arab dictator who has ruled Egypt under Emergency Law for the past 27 years, feel threatened by Iraqi Shiites?</p>
<p>In an April 2006 interview with the Arabic satellite channel Al-Arabiyya, Mubarak made the following controversial remark:</p>
<p>“Definitely Iran has influence on Shiites. Shiites are 65 per cent of the Iraqis…Most of the Shiites are loyal to Iran, and not to the countries they are living in” (2).</p>
<p>Mubarak, like many Arab dictators, reflexively and ignorantly links Iraqi Shiites with Iran, and mistakenly worries they harbor ideas of revolution themselves. Arab Shiites as a whole are regarded as the proverbial “fifth column” in the Sunni-dominated Middle East.</p>
<p>Or is Mubarak’s real fear that they will simply not be subservient to the authority of the state? Perhaps they harbor similar ideas as those of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, who advocates a “one-person one-vote” system of government (in which more than one candidate is on the ballot)?&#160; Or Hezbollah, who has the habit of routinely questioning the legitimacy of the established political order?</p>
<p>To solicit Al-Azhar’s scholars to teach the security apparatus how to use religion to harass and intimidate Iraq’s Shiite refugees—and make no mistake that is the intent—is emblematic of the paranoia of a long-standing dictator. Maintaining the status quo and self-preservation are Mubarak’s only real concerns in governing.</p>
<p>Both the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, known as “Sheikh al-Azhar,” and the president of the University are positions appointed by the country’s president. Despite this, Al-Azhar’s acquiescence to and accommodation of Mubarak’s dictates, especially in light of its lofty status it holds in the eyes of the Muslim world, is disconcerting.</p>
<p>Al-Azhar was actually founded by Shiite Muslims of the Fatimid Dynasty, which ruled Egypt in the 10th century. It only changed to a Sunni center of learning after the conquest of Saladin in the 12th century. It came full circle in 1959 when a landmark and groundbreaking fatwa was issued by the renowned Sheikh al-Azhar, Mahmud Shaltut (3).</p>
<p>When asked about the permissibility of Muslims to follow the Shia (Jafari) school, Shaltut wrote:</p>
<p>“2) The Jafari school of thought, which is also known as al-Shia al-Imamiyyah al-Ithna Ashariyyah is a school of thought that is religiously correct to follow in worship as are other Sunni schools of thought.</p>
<p>“Muslims must know this, and ought to refrain from unjust prejudice to any particular school of thought [emphasis added] since the religion of God and His Divine Law was never restricted to a particular school of thought. Their jurists are accepted by Almighty God, and it is permissible to the [non-scholar] to follow them and to accord with their teaching whether in worship or transactions.”</p>
<p>The current head of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Mohammed Tantawi, has not commented on his distinguished institution’s collusion with the state’s security force, long known for torturing opponents and perceived opponents of the regime. Although Mubarak’s actions are consistent with his authoritarian rule, Al-Azhar’s complicity in them is most unsavory and unbecoming of such a great pillar of Islamic education.</p>
<p>Sadly, it appears that Mubarak and Al-Azhar are set to ensure that the harassment and sectarian persecution that caused millions of Iraqis to flee or be driven out of their country, will not end at Egypt’s border.</p>
<p>RANNIE AMIRI is an independent commentator on the Arab and Islamic worlds. He may be reached at: rbamiri (at) yahoo.com.</p>
<p>Notes</p>
<p>1) El-Khatib, Ahmed and Munir Adeeb. “ <a href="http://www.almasry-alyoum.com/article2.aspx?ArticleID=111856" type="external">Ministry of Interior Calls Scholars to Train State Security Investigation Officers on Combating the Shiite Ideology</a>.” Al-Masry Al-Youm 3 July 2008</p>
<p>2) “ <a href="" type="internal">Egypt’s Head Questions Shiites’ Loyalty</a>.” The Associated Press 10 April 2006.</p>
<p>3) <a href="http://www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter1b/azhar-e.gif" type="external">http://www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter1b/azhar-e.gif</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Mubarak Hires the Mosque | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/07/12/mubarak-hires-the-mosque/ | 2008-07-12 | 4left
| Mubarak Hires the Mosque
<p>The English translation of the July 3rd headline in the respected Egyptian daily, Al-Masry Al-Youm (Today’s Egyptian) was long and cumbersome, yet unmistakable:</p>
<p>“Ministry of Interior Calls Scholars to Train State Security Investigation Officers on Combating the Shiite Ideology” (1).</p>
<p>The translation of the translation: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is co-opting the scholars of Al-Azhar—its seminary considered to be the highest religious authority in Sunni Islam—to do his sectarian bidding. More disturbingly, Al-Azhar seems willing to comply.</p>
<p>Egypt is now home to approximately 150,000 of the more than one million Iraqis who fled or were driven out of their neighborhoods in the unending aftermath of the 2003 war. A significant number of those in Egypt, if not the majority, are Shiite Muslims. What apparently attracted the state’s attention to these new arrivals were applications submitted to the Ministry of Endowments asking permission to build mosques and other religious gathering places.</p>
<p>As reported in Al-Masry Al-Youm, Dr. Mohammed Abdel Moneim al-Barri, a prominent scholar and professor of Islamic Culture at Al-Azhar University, revealed that the Interior Ministry has called on him and other scholars to lecture and train state security officers on how to oppose the purported spread of Shiism in Egypt.</p>
<p>Al-Barri himself is known to have conspired with the government in the past, admitting to instructing security officials at the notorious Mazra’ Torah Prison on “the danger of Shiite ideology” to Egypt’s security (Mazra’ Torah Prison is where the country’s political prisoners are held. It once housed leading Egyptian human rights activist Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim and is currently where political dissident Dr. Ayman Noor remains incarcerated).</p>
<p>So why does Mubarak, the quintessential Arab dictator who has ruled Egypt under Emergency Law for the past 27 years, feel threatened by Iraqi Shiites?</p>
<p>In an April 2006 interview with the Arabic satellite channel Al-Arabiyya, Mubarak made the following controversial remark:</p>
<p>“Definitely Iran has influence on Shiites. Shiites are 65 per cent of the Iraqis…Most of the Shiites are loyal to Iran, and not to the countries they are living in” (2).</p>
<p>Mubarak, like many Arab dictators, reflexively and ignorantly links Iraqi Shiites with Iran, and mistakenly worries they harbor ideas of revolution themselves. Arab Shiites as a whole are regarded as the proverbial “fifth column” in the Sunni-dominated Middle East.</p>
<p>Or is Mubarak’s real fear that they will simply not be subservient to the authority of the state? Perhaps they harbor similar ideas as those of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in Najaf, who advocates a “one-person one-vote” system of government (in which more than one candidate is on the ballot)?&#160; Or Hezbollah, who has the habit of routinely questioning the legitimacy of the established political order?</p>
<p>To solicit Al-Azhar’s scholars to teach the security apparatus how to use religion to harass and intimidate Iraq’s Shiite refugees—and make no mistake that is the intent—is emblematic of the paranoia of a long-standing dictator. Maintaining the status quo and self-preservation are Mubarak’s only real concerns in governing.</p>
<p>Both the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, known as “Sheikh al-Azhar,” and the president of the University are positions appointed by the country’s president. Despite this, Al-Azhar’s acquiescence to and accommodation of Mubarak’s dictates, especially in light of its lofty status it holds in the eyes of the Muslim world, is disconcerting.</p>
<p>Al-Azhar was actually founded by Shiite Muslims of the Fatimid Dynasty, which ruled Egypt in the 10th century. It only changed to a Sunni center of learning after the conquest of Saladin in the 12th century. It came full circle in 1959 when a landmark and groundbreaking fatwa was issued by the renowned Sheikh al-Azhar, Mahmud Shaltut (3).</p>
<p>When asked about the permissibility of Muslims to follow the Shia (Jafari) school, Shaltut wrote:</p>
<p>“2) The Jafari school of thought, which is also known as al-Shia al-Imamiyyah al-Ithna Ashariyyah is a school of thought that is religiously correct to follow in worship as are other Sunni schools of thought.</p>
<p>“Muslims must know this, and ought to refrain from unjust prejudice to any particular school of thought [emphasis added] since the religion of God and His Divine Law was never restricted to a particular school of thought. Their jurists are accepted by Almighty God, and it is permissible to the [non-scholar] to follow them and to accord with their teaching whether in worship or transactions.”</p>
<p>The current head of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Mohammed Tantawi, has not commented on his distinguished institution’s collusion with the state’s security force, long known for torturing opponents and perceived opponents of the regime. Although Mubarak’s actions are consistent with his authoritarian rule, Al-Azhar’s complicity in them is most unsavory and unbecoming of such a great pillar of Islamic education.</p>
<p>Sadly, it appears that Mubarak and Al-Azhar are set to ensure that the harassment and sectarian persecution that caused millions of Iraqis to flee or be driven out of their country, will not end at Egypt’s border.</p>
<p>RANNIE AMIRI is an independent commentator on the Arab and Islamic worlds. He may be reached at: rbamiri (at) yahoo.com.</p>
<p>Notes</p>
<p>1) El-Khatib, Ahmed and Munir Adeeb. “ <a href="http://www.almasry-alyoum.com/article2.aspx?ArticleID=111856" type="external">Ministry of Interior Calls Scholars to Train State Security Investigation Officers on Combating the Shiite Ideology</a>.” Al-Masry Al-Youm 3 July 2008</p>
<p>2) “ <a href="" type="internal">Egypt’s Head Questions Shiites’ Loyalty</a>.” The Associated Press 10 April 2006.</p>
<p>3) <a href="http://www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter1b/azhar-e.gif" type="external">http://www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter1b/azhar-e.gif</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 2,894 |
<p>The Newspaper Association of America's New Media Federation has announced <a href="http://www.digitaledge.org/DigArtPage.cfm?AID=5615" type="external">the finalists</a> in its annual Digital Edge awards for best American online newspapers. As always, these announcements are a great opportunity for you to quickly review a bunch of sites that a team of judges has determined are the best in the field (or at least, the best of those that entered). There's much to learn from these finalists.In the overall-best categories, I see some of the usual sites. The large-circulation category includes, predictably, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com" type="external">NYTimes.com</a>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com" type="external">WashingtonPost.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.latimes.com" type="external">LATimes.com</a>. The small-circulation category as usual includes the outstanding <a href="http://www.ljworld.com" type="external">LJWorld.com</a>, plus two Morris Communications sites, <a href="http://www.onlineathens.com" type="external">Online Athens</a> and <a href="http://www.savannahnow.com" type="external">SavannahNow.com</a>. Notable is that in some categories, mostly classified-advertising related, there are no finalists -- because no site met the judges' standards.</p> | Digital Edge Names Finalists | false | https://poynter.org/news/digital-edge-names-finalists | 2003-12-17 | 2least
| Digital Edge Names Finalists
<p>The Newspaper Association of America's New Media Federation has announced <a href="http://www.digitaledge.org/DigArtPage.cfm?AID=5615" type="external">the finalists</a> in its annual Digital Edge awards for best American online newspapers. As always, these announcements are a great opportunity for you to quickly review a bunch of sites that a team of judges has determined are the best in the field (or at least, the best of those that entered). There's much to learn from these finalists.In the overall-best categories, I see some of the usual sites. The large-circulation category includes, predictably, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com" type="external">NYTimes.com</a>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com" type="external">WashingtonPost.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.latimes.com" type="external">LATimes.com</a>. The small-circulation category as usual includes the outstanding <a href="http://www.ljworld.com" type="external">LJWorld.com</a>, plus two Morris Communications sites, <a href="http://www.onlineathens.com" type="external">Online Athens</a> and <a href="http://www.savannahnow.com" type="external">SavannahNow.com</a>. Notable is that in some categories, mostly classified-advertising related, there are no finalists -- because no site met the judges' standards.</p> | 2,895 |
<p>William K. Black, author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One, teaches economics and law at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC). He was the Executive Director of the Institute for Fraud Prevention from 2005-2007. He has taught previously at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and at Santa Clara University, where he was also the distinguished scholar in residence for insurance law and a visiting scholar at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.</p>
<p>Black was litigation director of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, deputy director of the FSLIC, SVP and general counsel of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, and senior deputy chief counsel, Office of Thrift Supervision. He was deputy director of the National Commission on Financial Institution Reform, Recovery and Enforcement.</p>
<p>Black developed the concept of "control fraud" frauds in which the CEO or head of state uses the entity as a "weapon." Control frauds cause greater financial losses than all other forms of property crime combined. He recently helped the World Bank develop anti-corruption initiatives and served as an expert for OFHEO in its enforcement action against Fannie Mae's former senior management.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p /> PAUL JAY, SENIOR EDITOR, TRNN: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Paul Jay in Baltimore.
<p />
<p />And welcome to this week's edition of The Black Financial and Fraud Report with Bill Black, who's an associate professor of economics and law at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. He's a white collar criminologist, a former financial regulator, and author of the book The Best Way to Rob a Bank Is to Own One. Thanks for joining us again, Bill.
<p />
<p />BILL BLACK, ASSOC. PROF. ECONOMICS AND LAW, UMKC: Thank you.
<p />
<p />JAY: So what caught your attention this week?
<p />
<p />BLACK: Well, last time we talked there was the problem that I pointed out, that Obama was promising, if he were reelected, that he was going to enter into what he calls the grand bargain—and what I call the great betrayal—in which they would put cuts in the safety net on the table and begin the process of gutting Social Security, which is, of course, Wall Street's greatest dream.
<p />
<p />So the first thing that happened, even before the election, there's a group called the Third Way—which styles itself as moderate Democrats but has a board that is completely dominated by Wall Street—said, oh, you know, this is terrible, this talk of it being a betrayal; it's the only choice we have to save America. And then as soon as Obama won—in fact, as soon as he was projected to win, commentators began talking about the very first thing the president needs to do is to enter into this supposed grand bargain (to me, great betrayal). And now we have a flurry of written stuff saying that that's—it's vital that Obama do just that.
<p />
<p />Out of the box we have, of course, leading the way, as it always does, The Washington Post, whose greatest goal is to start the privatization of Social Security. And they have a prominent op-ed by Erskine Bowles, he of Bowles–Simpson. This was the BS report that said before the election we needed to start the process of privatizing Social Security and cutting back the safety net.
<p />
<p />JAY: For people—Bill, for people that don't know the issue that well, what does that mean, privatizing Social Security? How would that affect people?
<p />
<p />BLACK: So Social Security is an exceptionally well-run program with incredibly low administrative costs that has gotten people, you know, a healthy retirement. And it's changed old age in America from about 50Â&#160;percent of the time being in poverty to a life that you can lead with some degree of dignity.
<p />
<p />But Wall Street's idea is, instead of the money coming from the government, let's take all, or at least a big chunk of it, and put it in the equivalent of individual retirement accounts, IRAs, through Wall Street. And, of course, this would be trillions of dollars of investment, and every year they would get scores of billions of dollars in fees off of it. So this is the unholy grail of Wall Street.
<p />
<p />JAY: And then, of course, if the market—I shouldn't say if—when the market takes another enormous nosedive again, people then lose even more of their retirement income.
<p />
<p />BLACK: Well, they would, except, of course, that you couldn't have an institution that had large numbers of these retirement accounts fail, because politically it would be devastating. You can imagine if 3Â&#160;million people suddenly lost all of their retirement savings and there was no Social Security backup, and they'd be reduced to literally eating cat food again, like the old days. America would go berserk.
<p />
<p />And so that's another part of the dream of the big banks. They realize that if they get many of these accounts, they would be so far beyond too big to fail that you can't imagine it. You know, no one will even dare criticize them.
<p />
<p />JAY: But people are going to be investing money in mutual funds and stocks and such. So if there's a nosedive, not a crash of the financial institution, but a nosedive in the value of the stocks, there's a nosedive in the value of their retirement savings.
<p />
<p />BLACK: Oh, yes, and catastrophic. You would have no safety net left as a result of this, or a grossly inadequate safety net left. And to give people a real-world example, today, 22, almost 23 years after the Japanese twin bubbles in real estate and the stock market popped, the NIKKEI, which is their equivalent of the Dow Jones, is roughly 25Â&#160;percent of peak value. And that's ignoring inflation. Right? In other words, it's like the Dow Jones lost three-quarters of its value and stayed that way for over 22 years. You can imagine what a catastrophe it would be for anybody, where we had privatized Social Security in a system like that. So this idea is obscene on multiple levels, but is the greatest thing, and it's going to make them hundreds of billions of dollars in fees.
<p />
<p />JAY: Okay. There's one thing I don't get about this, which is this is all supposed to do because of the debt crisis and such. But I thought Social Security was primarily funded by employer and employee contributions. So what the heck has it got to do with reducing the debt anyway?
<p />
<p />BLACK: It really doesn't have anything to do with reducing the debt now. And if we were to reduce the debt now, that would be—try to reduce it, we wouldn't succeed. We'd just throw the country back into recession, like Europe. So the whole idea is to both adopt austerity and to start taking a whack at the safety net, which means both aspects of it are absolutely crazy.
<p />
<p />And, of course, the crazier idea is that the election results show that that's what people want. And there's—of course, that wasn't an issue at all, and the coalition that elected Obama is opposed to this idea on the order of 80Â&#160;percent to 20Â&#160;percent, according to the polls. So this is a pure financial establishment. It's what I call, you know, the Wall Street wing of the Democratic Party.
<p />
<p />JAY: Okay. I got a question for you. As a financial regulator, how did you feel about the election of Elizabeth Warren? And number two, if Elizabeth Warren lives up to the hopes and expectations that have been placed in her as someone that's actually serious about financial regulation, what can one senator do? And two, if she does do something, doesn't that put her at odds with the Obama administration?
<p />
<p />BLACK: So I was thrilled. I was certainly a personal supporter. And our family, you know, sent a small contribution to her, in terms of full disclosure during this discussion.
<p />
<p />She's already an opponent, as perceived by the Obama administration. I mean, I don't think it works the other way around. In other words, I don't think that Elizabeth Warren ever saw herself as an opponent of the administration, as opposed to a proponent of the American people, but the administration hated Elizabeth Warren at times, or at least important aspects of it did—Timothy Geithner and such in Treasury.
<p />
<p />And, you know, we talked about Erskine Bowles. One of the rumors is that Erskine Bowles will replace Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary. So you may have an immediate conflict there.
<p />
<p />What can one senator do? Well, one senator can't do much, especially a junior senator. The tradition of spending your first year saying nothing in the Senate, which was a very long tradition, is somewhat broken, but it's still going to be difficult to accomplish much. Look for what committee assignments she's given. You know, is she put on things like the judiciary committee and such? Will she have an opportunity to engage in her famous intensive questioning of the regulators and the prosecutors who are refusing to prosecute the elite frauds? These are the near-term things that you want to look for especially.
<p />
<p />JAY: Thanks very much for joining us, Bill.
<p />
<p />BLACK: Thank you.
<p />
<p />JAY: And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network. Don't forget there's a Donate button over here. If you don't click it, we can't do this.
<p />
<p />End
<p />
<p />DISCLAIMER: Please note that transcripts for The Real News Network are typed from a recording of the program. TRNN cannot guarantee their complete accuracy. | Drums Beating to Privatize Social Security | true | http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D31%26Itemid%3D74%26jumival%3D9100 | 2012-11-11 | 4left
| Drums Beating to Privatize Social Security
<p>William K. Black, author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One, teaches economics and law at the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC). He was the Executive Director of the Institute for Fraud Prevention from 2005-2007. He has taught previously at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin and at Santa Clara University, where he was also the distinguished scholar in residence for insurance law and a visiting scholar at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.</p>
<p>Black was litigation director of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, deputy director of the FSLIC, SVP and general counsel of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, and senior deputy chief counsel, Office of Thrift Supervision. He was deputy director of the National Commission on Financial Institution Reform, Recovery and Enforcement.</p>
<p>Black developed the concept of "control fraud" frauds in which the CEO or head of state uses the entity as a "weapon." Control frauds cause greater financial losses than all other forms of property crime combined. He recently helped the World Bank develop anti-corruption initiatives and served as an expert for OFHEO in its enforcement action against Fannie Mae's former senior management.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p /> PAUL JAY, SENIOR EDITOR, TRNN: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Paul Jay in Baltimore.
<p />
<p />And welcome to this week's edition of The Black Financial and Fraud Report with Bill Black, who's an associate professor of economics and law at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. He's a white collar criminologist, a former financial regulator, and author of the book The Best Way to Rob a Bank Is to Own One. Thanks for joining us again, Bill.
<p />
<p />BILL BLACK, ASSOC. PROF. ECONOMICS AND LAW, UMKC: Thank you.
<p />
<p />JAY: So what caught your attention this week?
<p />
<p />BLACK: Well, last time we talked there was the problem that I pointed out, that Obama was promising, if he were reelected, that he was going to enter into what he calls the grand bargain—and what I call the great betrayal—in which they would put cuts in the safety net on the table and begin the process of gutting Social Security, which is, of course, Wall Street's greatest dream.
<p />
<p />So the first thing that happened, even before the election, there's a group called the Third Way—which styles itself as moderate Democrats but has a board that is completely dominated by Wall Street—said, oh, you know, this is terrible, this talk of it being a betrayal; it's the only choice we have to save America. And then as soon as Obama won—in fact, as soon as he was projected to win, commentators began talking about the very first thing the president needs to do is to enter into this supposed grand bargain (to me, great betrayal). And now we have a flurry of written stuff saying that that's—it's vital that Obama do just that.
<p />
<p />Out of the box we have, of course, leading the way, as it always does, The Washington Post, whose greatest goal is to start the privatization of Social Security. And they have a prominent op-ed by Erskine Bowles, he of Bowles–Simpson. This was the BS report that said before the election we needed to start the process of privatizing Social Security and cutting back the safety net.
<p />
<p />JAY: For people—Bill, for people that don't know the issue that well, what does that mean, privatizing Social Security? How would that affect people?
<p />
<p />BLACK: So Social Security is an exceptionally well-run program with incredibly low administrative costs that has gotten people, you know, a healthy retirement. And it's changed old age in America from about 50Â&#160;percent of the time being in poverty to a life that you can lead with some degree of dignity.
<p />
<p />But Wall Street's idea is, instead of the money coming from the government, let's take all, or at least a big chunk of it, and put it in the equivalent of individual retirement accounts, IRAs, through Wall Street. And, of course, this would be trillions of dollars of investment, and every year they would get scores of billions of dollars in fees off of it. So this is the unholy grail of Wall Street.
<p />
<p />JAY: And then, of course, if the market—I shouldn't say if—when the market takes another enormous nosedive again, people then lose even more of their retirement income.
<p />
<p />BLACK: Well, they would, except, of course, that you couldn't have an institution that had large numbers of these retirement accounts fail, because politically it would be devastating. You can imagine if 3Â&#160;million people suddenly lost all of their retirement savings and there was no Social Security backup, and they'd be reduced to literally eating cat food again, like the old days. America would go berserk.
<p />
<p />And so that's another part of the dream of the big banks. They realize that if they get many of these accounts, they would be so far beyond too big to fail that you can't imagine it. You know, no one will even dare criticize them.
<p />
<p />JAY: But people are going to be investing money in mutual funds and stocks and such. So if there's a nosedive, not a crash of the financial institution, but a nosedive in the value of the stocks, there's a nosedive in the value of their retirement savings.
<p />
<p />BLACK: Oh, yes, and catastrophic. You would have no safety net left as a result of this, or a grossly inadequate safety net left. And to give people a real-world example, today, 22, almost 23 years after the Japanese twin bubbles in real estate and the stock market popped, the NIKKEI, which is their equivalent of the Dow Jones, is roughly 25Â&#160;percent of peak value. And that's ignoring inflation. Right? In other words, it's like the Dow Jones lost three-quarters of its value and stayed that way for over 22 years. You can imagine what a catastrophe it would be for anybody, where we had privatized Social Security in a system like that. So this idea is obscene on multiple levels, but is the greatest thing, and it's going to make them hundreds of billions of dollars in fees.
<p />
<p />JAY: Okay. There's one thing I don't get about this, which is this is all supposed to do because of the debt crisis and such. But I thought Social Security was primarily funded by employer and employee contributions. So what the heck has it got to do with reducing the debt anyway?
<p />
<p />BLACK: It really doesn't have anything to do with reducing the debt now. And if we were to reduce the debt now, that would be—try to reduce it, we wouldn't succeed. We'd just throw the country back into recession, like Europe. So the whole idea is to both adopt austerity and to start taking a whack at the safety net, which means both aspects of it are absolutely crazy.
<p />
<p />And, of course, the crazier idea is that the election results show that that's what people want. And there's—of course, that wasn't an issue at all, and the coalition that elected Obama is opposed to this idea on the order of 80Â&#160;percent to 20Â&#160;percent, according to the polls. So this is a pure financial establishment. It's what I call, you know, the Wall Street wing of the Democratic Party.
<p />
<p />JAY: Okay. I got a question for you. As a financial regulator, how did you feel about the election of Elizabeth Warren? And number two, if Elizabeth Warren lives up to the hopes and expectations that have been placed in her as someone that's actually serious about financial regulation, what can one senator do? And two, if she does do something, doesn't that put her at odds with the Obama administration?
<p />
<p />BLACK: So I was thrilled. I was certainly a personal supporter. And our family, you know, sent a small contribution to her, in terms of full disclosure during this discussion.
<p />
<p />She's already an opponent, as perceived by the Obama administration. I mean, I don't think it works the other way around. In other words, I don't think that Elizabeth Warren ever saw herself as an opponent of the administration, as opposed to a proponent of the American people, but the administration hated Elizabeth Warren at times, or at least important aspects of it did—Timothy Geithner and such in Treasury.
<p />
<p />And, you know, we talked about Erskine Bowles. One of the rumors is that Erskine Bowles will replace Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary. So you may have an immediate conflict there.
<p />
<p />What can one senator do? Well, one senator can't do much, especially a junior senator. The tradition of spending your first year saying nothing in the Senate, which was a very long tradition, is somewhat broken, but it's still going to be difficult to accomplish much. Look for what committee assignments she's given. You know, is she put on things like the judiciary committee and such? Will she have an opportunity to engage in her famous intensive questioning of the regulators and the prosecutors who are refusing to prosecute the elite frauds? These are the near-term things that you want to look for especially.
<p />
<p />JAY: Thanks very much for joining us, Bill.
<p />
<p />BLACK: Thank you.
<p />
<p />JAY: And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network. Don't forget there's a Donate button over here. If you don't click it, we can't do this.
<p />
<p />End
<p />
<p />DISCLAIMER: Please note that transcripts for The Real News Network are typed from a recording of the program. TRNN cannot guarantee their complete accuracy. | 2,896 |
<p>A new report shows that&#160;skyrocketing rent prices have put basic living arrangements out of reach in nearly every state for most low-income&#160;workers.</p>
<p>In order to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment in the U.S., workers on average need to earn&#160; <a href="http://nlihc.org/oor" type="external">at least $20.30 an hour</a>, according to 2016 data from the National Low-Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC). That’s roughly $13 more per hour than the federal minimum wage, and roughly $5 per hour more than the average national $15.42 hourly wage earned by renters last year.</p>
<p>Even a one-bedroom apartment is out of reach for minimum wage earners today at Fair Market Rent (FMR) levels. FMR is <a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html" type="external">the metric that the Department of Housing and Urban Development uses</a> to determine standard payments for housing choice vouchers, rent ceilings for the HOME rental assistance program, and rents at Section 8 housing developments when contracts are up for renewal.</p>
<p>The NLIHC estimates that a worker earning the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour needed to work an average of 90 hours per week to afford even just a one-bedroom apartment in 2016. The number of hours needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment jumps to 112 hours of minimum wage work.</p>
<p>Fair market rent varies by state. But after&#160;looking at the average cost of rents throughout the U.S., and comparing that side-by-side with the Area Median Income (AMI) of each state, the NLIHC estimated that the average rental wage needed to afford rent for a two-bedroom apartment hovered over a little over $20.30 an hour.</p>
<p>However, because the average renter’s wage is actually just $15.42 an hour, this means that rent needs to be, on average, <a href="http://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/oor/OOR_2016.pdf" type="external">$802 a month or less</a> in order to qualify as affordable. This means each worker would need 1.3 minimum wage jobs in order to make rent for a modest two-bedroom unit.</p>
<p>The NLIHC’s <a href="http://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/oor/OOR_2016.pdf" type="external">2016″Out of Reach” report</a> estimated the wages needed for rent in each state by classifying “affordable” rent as being no more than 30 percent of a worker’s monthly take-home pay.</p>
<p>Puerto Rico, West Virginia, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Ohio ranked as the most affordable places to live, while Hawaii, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, and New York ranked among the most expensive places for renters.</p>
<p>The two maps below show how many hours in each state a minimum wage earner needs to work in each state in order to pay for a one-bedroom apartment, and the hourly wage needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment in each state.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Tom Cahill is a writer for the Resistance Report based in the Pacific northwest. He specializes in coverage of political, economic, and environmental news. You can contact him via email at [email protected], or follow him on Facebook&#160;by <a href="http://facebook.com/tomcahillRR" type="external">clicking here</a>.</p> | This Map Shows the Hourly Wage You Need to Afford an Apartment in Your State | true | http://resistancereport.com/class-war/wage-apartment-your-state/ | 2017-04-19 | 4left
| This Map Shows the Hourly Wage You Need to Afford an Apartment in Your State
<p>A new report shows that&#160;skyrocketing rent prices have put basic living arrangements out of reach in nearly every state for most low-income&#160;workers.</p>
<p>In order to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment in the U.S., workers on average need to earn&#160; <a href="http://nlihc.org/oor" type="external">at least $20.30 an hour</a>, according to 2016 data from the National Low-Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC). That’s roughly $13 more per hour than the federal minimum wage, and roughly $5 per hour more than the average national $15.42 hourly wage earned by renters last year.</p>
<p>Even a one-bedroom apartment is out of reach for minimum wage earners today at Fair Market Rent (FMR) levels. FMR is <a href="https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/fmr.html" type="external">the metric that the Department of Housing and Urban Development uses</a> to determine standard payments for housing choice vouchers, rent ceilings for the HOME rental assistance program, and rents at Section 8 housing developments when contracts are up for renewal.</p>
<p>The NLIHC estimates that a worker earning the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour needed to work an average of 90 hours per week to afford even just a one-bedroom apartment in 2016. The number of hours needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment jumps to 112 hours of minimum wage work.</p>
<p>Fair market rent varies by state. But after&#160;looking at the average cost of rents throughout the U.S., and comparing that side-by-side with the Area Median Income (AMI) of each state, the NLIHC estimated that the average rental wage needed to afford rent for a two-bedroom apartment hovered over a little over $20.30 an hour.</p>
<p>However, because the average renter’s wage is actually just $15.42 an hour, this means that rent needs to be, on average, <a href="http://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/oor/OOR_2016.pdf" type="external">$802 a month or less</a> in order to qualify as affordable. This means each worker would need 1.3 minimum wage jobs in order to make rent for a modest two-bedroom unit.</p>
<p>The NLIHC’s <a href="http://nlihc.org/sites/default/files/oor/OOR_2016.pdf" type="external">2016″Out of Reach” report</a> estimated the wages needed for rent in each state by classifying “affordable” rent as being no more than 30 percent of a worker’s monthly take-home pay.</p>
<p>Puerto Rico, West Virginia, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Ohio ranked as the most affordable places to live, while Hawaii, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, and New York ranked among the most expensive places for renters.</p>
<p>The two maps below show how many hours in each state a minimum wage earner needs to work in each state in order to pay for a one-bedroom apartment, and the hourly wage needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment in each state.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Tom Cahill is a writer for the Resistance Report based in the Pacific northwest. He specializes in coverage of political, economic, and environmental news. You can contact him via email at [email protected], or follow him on Facebook&#160;by <a href="http://facebook.com/tomcahillRR" type="external">clicking here</a>.</p> | 2,897 |
<p>Aug. 11 (UPI) — Mexican refiners along the country’s western coast were relatively spared as the remnants of Tropical Storm Franklin move out to sea, an industry report found.</p>
<p>Franklin bounced along the western Mexican coast this week, hitting the country twice as a Category 1 hurricane. According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, Franklin is still producing strong thunderstorms offshore and could strengthen before moving to colder waters and weakening by Sunday.</p>
<p>According to the energy news service for Argus media, <a href="http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=1514233&amp;menu=yes" type="external">the storm</a> forced several ports in the region to close. The largest, Doc Bocas, exported about 94 million barrels of crude oil and refined products for the first month of the year.</p>
<p>Argus reports no major disruptions or damage associated with the storm. Officials at Petróleos Mexicanos, the Mexican company known informally as Pemex, <a href="http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=1513867&amp;menu=yes" type="external">told Argus</a> that exports weren’t impacted by the storm because it had enough supplies on hand and from future deliveries to cover any short-term issues.</p>
<p>No other warnings were issued from the National Hurricane Center for the region. Two weak systems are brewing off the eastern coast of Florida and further out near the Caribbean Islands.</p>
<p>For retail gasoline prices, the largest one-month increase <a href="https://www.upi.com/Energy-News/2015/08/20/BP-behind-biggest-gas-spike-since-Hurricane-Katrina/2451440073803/" type="external">on record</a> in the United States was Aug. 5 to Sept. 4, 2005, when prices jumped 75 cents largely because of <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Hurricane_Katrina/" type="external">Hurricane Katrina</a>.</p>
<p>Mexico is the fourth largest crude oil exporter to the United States, sending about 652,000 barrels of oil per day north for the week ending Aug. 4.</p> | Mexican energy sector escapes Franklin more or less unscathed | false | https://newsline.com/mexican-energy-sector-escapes-franklin-more-or-less-unscathed/ | 2017-08-11 | 1right-center
| Mexican energy sector escapes Franklin more or less unscathed
<p>Aug. 11 (UPI) — Mexican refiners along the country’s western coast were relatively spared as the remnants of Tropical Storm Franklin move out to sea, an industry report found.</p>
<p>Franklin bounced along the western Mexican coast this week, hitting the country twice as a Category 1 hurricane. According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, Franklin is still producing strong thunderstorms offshore and could strengthen before moving to colder waters and weakening by Sunday.</p>
<p>According to the energy news service for Argus media, <a href="http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=1514233&amp;menu=yes" type="external">the storm</a> forced several ports in the region to close. The largest, Doc Bocas, exported about 94 million barrels of crude oil and refined products for the first month of the year.</p>
<p>Argus reports no major disruptions or damage associated with the storm. Officials at Petróleos Mexicanos, the Mexican company known informally as Pemex, <a href="http://www.argusmedia.com/pages/NewsBody.aspx?id=1513867&amp;menu=yes" type="external">told Argus</a> that exports weren’t impacted by the storm because it had enough supplies on hand and from future deliveries to cover any short-term issues.</p>
<p>No other warnings were issued from the National Hurricane Center for the region. Two weak systems are brewing off the eastern coast of Florida and further out near the Caribbean Islands.</p>
<p>For retail gasoline prices, the largest one-month increase <a href="https://www.upi.com/Energy-News/2015/08/20/BP-behind-biggest-gas-spike-since-Hurricane-Katrina/2451440073803/" type="external">on record</a> in the United States was Aug. 5 to Sept. 4, 2005, when prices jumped 75 cents largely because of <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Hurricane_Katrina/" type="external">Hurricane Katrina</a>.</p>
<p>Mexico is the fourth largest crude oil exporter to the United States, sending about 652,000 barrels of oil per day north for the week ending Aug. 4.</p> | 2,898 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The finding is good news for the county, which is developing a pilot program to enroll all eligible inmates in Medicaid, he said.</p>
<p>The ultimate goal is to prevent inmates from returning to jail by enrolling them in medical, mental health and substance abuse services from the day they leave custody, Swisstack said.</p>
<p>"Fifty-eight percent of 1,748 is a large number," said Swisstack, referring to the total inmate population on June 18, the day the snapshot was taken. "It means the system is doing a pretty good job of enrolling people" in Medicaid, he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Lawmakers this year approved a bill that allows the state Human Services Department to enroll jail and prison inmates in Medicaid while they are in custody. Gov. Susana Martinez signed it into law in April.</p>
<p>The law, which took effect July 1, also ended the practice of terminating Medicaid coverage when an inmate enters jail or prison.</p>
<p>Now, a person's Medicaid coverage is suspended during incarceration, and resumes the day of release.</p>
<p>As of Friday, 805,607 New Mexicans were enrolled in Medicaid, the state and federally funded medical insurance program for the poor.</p>
<p>A goal of the pilot program is to enroll inmates within three days after they are booked in jail, Swisstack said. MDC has identified 13 staff members to serve as case managers responsible for enrolling inmates and connecting them to services at the time of release, he said.</p>
<p>A key part of the program will be a closer working relationship between MDC and the four insurance companies that manage the state's Medicaid program, said Loretta Cordova, director of behavioral health services for Molina Healthcare.</p>
<p>Molina is one of four managed care organizations under contract to manage New Mexico's Centennial Care Medicaid program.</p>
<p>The others are Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico, Presbyterian Health Plan and United Healthcare.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Some inmates released from MDC will be assigned care coordinator by the insurance companies, Cordova said. Care coordinators are responsible for enrolling Medicaid clients in appropriate services, which could include medical and behavioral health care, dental and vision, Cordova said.</p>
<p>Care coordinators also are responsible for helping Medicaid patients navigate the health care system and ensuring they have transportation to appointments, she said.</p>
<p>The program is likely to bring additional Medicaid clients into the system and may require Molina to hire additional employees, she said.</p>
<p>"Our goal is for our members to get the right care at the right time at the right place," she said.</p>
<p />
<p /> | County officials pleased by MDC Medicaid enrollment | false | https://abqjournal.com/615170/county-officials-pleased-by-mdc-medicaid-enrollment.html | 2least
| County officials pleased by MDC Medicaid enrollment
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<p />
<p>The finding is good news for the county, which is developing a pilot program to enroll all eligible inmates in Medicaid, he said.</p>
<p>The ultimate goal is to prevent inmates from returning to jail by enrolling them in medical, mental health and substance abuse services from the day they leave custody, Swisstack said.</p>
<p>"Fifty-eight percent of 1,748 is a large number," said Swisstack, referring to the total inmate population on June 18, the day the snapshot was taken. "It means the system is doing a pretty good job of enrolling people" in Medicaid, he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Lawmakers this year approved a bill that allows the state Human Services Department to enroll jail and prison inmates in Medicaid while they are in custody. Gov. Susana Martinez signed it into law in April.</p>
<p>The law, which took effect July 1, also ended the practice of terminating Medicaid coverage when an inmate enters jail or prison.</p>
<p>Now, a person's Medicaid coverage is suspended during incarceration, and resumes the day of release.</p>
<p>As of Friday, 805,607 New Mexicans were enrolled in Medicaid, the state and federally funded medical insurance program for the poor.</p>
<p>A goal of the pilot program is to enroll inmates within three days after they are booked in jail, Swisstack said. MDC has identified 13 staff members to serve as case managers responsible for enrolling inmates and connecting them to services at the time of release, he said.</p>
<p>A key part of the program will be a closer working relationship between MDC and the four insurance companies that manage the state's Medicaid program, said Loretta Cordova, director of behavioral health services for Molina Healthcare.</p>
<p>Molina is one of four managed care organizations under contract to manage New Mexico's Centennial Care Medicaid program.</p>
<p>The others are Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico, Presbyterian Health Plan and United Healthcare.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Some inmates released from MDC will be assigned care coordinator by the insurance companies, Cordova said. Care coordinators are responsible for enrolling Medicaid clients in appropriate services, which could include medical and behavioral health care, dental and vision, Cordova said.</p>
<p>Care coordinators also are responsible for helping Medicaid patients navigate the health care system and ensuring they have transportation to appointments, she said.</p>
<p>The program is likely to bring additional Medicaid clients into the system and may require Molina to hire additional employees, she said.</p>
<p>"Our goal is for our members to get the right care at the right time at the right place," she said.</p>
<p />
<p /> | 2,899 |
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