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<p />
<p>Image source: Flickr user <a href="http://www.stockmonkeys.com" type="external">stockmonkeys Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Drugmaking giant Gilead Sciences has fallen out of favor with investors because sales of its hepatitis C drugs are flat-lining, but shunning Gilead Sciences may not be best long-term decision. Here are three reasons I believe Gilead Sciences shares should be bought in portfolios rather than sold.</p>
<p>Gilead Sciences hasn't become the market-share-leading maker of HIV drugs and hepatitis C medicine by sitting on its laurels. The company's success stems from massive investments in M&amp;A and R&amp;D that have advanced care in these indications to a point where they're increasingly considered treatable life-long diseases.</p>
<p>Recently, investors have become concerned that mounting competition in HIV by GlaxoSmithKline'sVIIV and by Merck &amp; Coand others in HCV will knock Gilead Sciences off of its market-share-leading pedestal.</p>
<p>While competition in both of these indications is more intense than it was previously, Gilead Sciences' HIV sales are growing, and slowing hepatitis sales may be temporary.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Last year, Gilead Sciences R&amp;D team successfully reformulated its long-standing HIV drug Viread so that it poses less of a risk to the liver. This new formulation, or TAF, is part of a slate of Gilead Sciences' newly launched combination drugs, including Genvoya, Odefsey, and Discovy. Thanks to TAF's reinvigorating Gilead Sciences' HIV product lineup, the company's HIV drug sales climbed 18% from a year ago to $2.8 billion in Q1.</p>
<p>Similarly, the company is refreshing its hepatitis C line-up with a new pan-genotype therapy that's expected to receive a FDA go-ahead on June 28. If regulators green light this drug, it will become the first genotype-agnostic drug on the market. Couple that convenience with a nearly 100% functional cure rate and arguably best-in-class safety, and I think it has a very good shot at solidifying the company's market-leading position in the indication.</p>
<p>Image source: Gilead Sciences.</p>
<p>Just as the company's sales soared when it entered the hepatitis C market with a bang in 2014, there's a good chance Gilead Sciences' future sales could head nicely higher if research under way in autoimmune disease and nonalcoholic steteohepatitis (NASH) pans out.</p>
<p>In December, Gilead Sciences licensed rights to Galapagos NV'srheumatoid arthritis drug filgotinib. Management plans to kick off a confirmatory phase 3 study soon in that indication, and if that trial pans out, filgotinib could compete in a market that boasts multiple billion-dollar blockbuster drugs, including $14 billion per year Humira.</p>
<p>Another blockbuster opportunity exists if Gilead Sciences' attempts to treat NASH are successful. NASH is a liver disease resembling alcoholic liver disease that's caused by fat in the liver, and it's quickly becoming a major reason for liver transplants.</p>
<p>As many as 5% of all Americans are affected by NASH, and expectations are that NASH's prevalence will climb alongside rising obesity rates.</p>
<p>Since the addressable patient population in NASH is already big and still growing, Gilead Sciences could end up a market share leader in yet another blockbuster indication. Currently, the company has four NASH programs in clinical trials.</p>
<p>Image source: Flickr user <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pictures-of-money/" type="external">Pictures of Money Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Financial flexibility has always been a hallmark of Gilead Sciences' success, and thanks to soaring revenue over the past couple years thanks to its hep C drug launches, the company has in better financial shape than at any point in the past.</p>
<p>Despite spending billions on share buybacks and another $1.7 billion on quarterly dividend payments, Gilead Sciences' balance sheet boasted $21 billion in cash exiting March.</p>
<p>With a 66% operating margin, $20.3 billion in operating cash flow, and that much cash at its disposal, Gilead Sciences may be on better financial footing than any other company in biotechnology.</p>
<p>Of course, no one knows when a bottom will be found for Gilead Sciences' shares, but most investors would be better off focusing less on where this company's shares will trade this week or next month and far more on where shares will trade in five or 10 years. Given the reasons I've just outlined, I think Gilead Sciences' long-term future is bright, and therefore, it can be a core holding in most investors' long-term portfolios.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/17/3-reasons-gilead-sciences-is-a-buy.aspx" type="external">3 Reasons Gilead Sciences Is a Buy Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/EBCapitalMarkets/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Todd Campbell Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Gilead Sciences. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Gilead Sciences. 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> | 3 Reasons Gilead Sciences Is a Buy | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/06/17/3-reasons-gilead-sciences-is-buy.html | 2016-06-17 | 0right
| 3 Reasons Gilead Sciences Is a Buy
<p />
<p>Image source: Flickr user <a href="http://www.stockmonkeys.com" type="external">stockmonkeys Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Drugmaking giant Gilead Sciences has fallen out of favor with investors because sales of its hepatitis C drugs are flat-lining, but shunning Gilead Sciences may not be best long-term decision. Here are three reasons I believe Gilead Sciences shares should be bought in portfolios rather than sold.</p>
<p>Gilead Sciences hasn't become the market-share-leading maker of HIV drugs and hepatitis C medicine by sitting on its laurels. The company's success stems from massive investments in M&amp;A and R&amp;D that have advanced care in these indications to a point where they're increasingly considered treatable life-long diseases.</p>
<p>Recently, investors have become concerned that mounting competition in HIV by GlaxoSmithKline'sVIIV and by Merck &amp; Coand others in HCV will knock Gilead Sciences off of its market-share-leading pedestal.</p>
<p>While competition in both of these indications is more intense than it was previously, Gilead Sciences' HIV sales are growing, and slowing hepatitis sales may be temporary.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Last year, Gilead Sciences R&amp;D team successfully reformulated its long-standing HIV drug Viread so that it poses less of a risk to the liver. This new formulation, or TAF, is part of a slate of Gilead Sciences' newly launched combination drugs, including Genvoya, Odefsey, and Discovy. Thanks to TAF's reinvigorating Gilead Sciences' HIV product lineup, the company's HIV drug sales climbed 18% from a year ago to $2.8 billion in Q1.</p>
<p>Similarly, the company is refreshing its hepatitis C line-up with a new pan-genotype therapy that's expected to receive a FDA go-ahead on June 28. If regulators green light this drug, it will become the first genotype-agnostic drug on the market. Couple that convenience with a nearly 100% functional cure rate and arguably best-in-class safety, and I think it has a very good shot at solidifying the company's market-leading position in the indication.</p>
<p>Image source: Gilead Sciences.</p>
<p>Just as the company's sales soared when it entered the hepatitis C market with a bang in 2014, there's a good chance Gilead Sciences' future sales could head nicely higher if research under way in autoimmune disease and nonalcoholic steteohepatitis (NASH) pans out.</p>
<p>In December, Gilead Sciences licensed rights to Galapagos NV'srheumatoid arthritis drug filgotinib. Management plans to kick off a confirmatory phase 3 study soon in that indication, and if that trial pans out, filgotinib could compete in a market that boasts multiple billion-dollar blockbuster drugs, including $14 billion per year Humira.</p>
<p>Another blockbuster opportunity exists if Gilead Sciences' attempts to treat NASH are successful. NASH is a liver disease resembling alcoholic liver disease that's caused by fat in the liver, and it's quickly becoming a major reason for liver transplants.</p>
<p>As many as 5% of all Americans are affected by NASH, and expectations are that NASH's prevalence will climb alongside rising obesity rates.</p>
<p>Since the addressable patient population in NASH is already big and still growing, Gilead Sciences could end up a market share leader in yet another blockbuster indication. Currently, the company has four NASH programs in clinical trials.</p>
<p>Image source: Flickr user <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pictures-of-money/" type="external">Pictures of Money Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Financial flexibility has always been a hallmark of Gilead Sciences' success, and thanks to soaring revenue over the past couple years thanks to its hep C drug launches, the company has in better financial shape than at any point in the past.</p>
<p>Despite spending billions on share buybacks and another $1.7 billion on quarterly dividend payments, Gilead Sciences' balance sheet boasted $21 billion in cash exiting March.</p>
<p>With a 66% operating margin, $20.3 billion in operating cash flow, and that much cash at its disposal, Gilead Sciences may be on better financial footing than any other company in biotechnology.</p>
<p>Of course, no one knows when a bottom will be found for Gilead Sciences' shares, but most investors would be better off focusing less on where this company's shares will trade this week or next month and far more on where shares will trade in five or 10 years. Given the reasons I've just outlined, I think Gilead Sciences' long-term future is bright, and therefore, it can be a core holding in most investors' long-term portfolios.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/17/3-reasons-gilead-sciences-is-a-buy.aspx" type="external">3 Reasons Gilead Sciences Is a Buy Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/EBCapitalMarkets/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Todd Campbell Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Gilead Sciences. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Gilead Sciences. 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> | 3,600 |
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<p>LONDON — Economic growth across the 19-country eurozone was even higher than previously thought during June, according to a closely watched survey Wednesday, in yet more evidence of momentum in the single currency bloc.</p>
<p>Financial information firm IHS Markit said its main purchasing managers’ index, which surveys both the manufacturing and services sectors, was at 56.3 points in June. Though that is slightly down on the previous month’s 56.8, it’s well ahead of the previous estimate of 55.7. Anything above 50 indicates expansion.</p>
<p>The average reading over the second quarter was 56.6, the best outcome since the first quarter of 2011. That, according to the firm, indicates healthy quarterly growth of 0.7 percent, which compares favorably with most of the past decade and with the current performance of peers like the United States.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the survey is that it’s broad-based and not just isolated to Europe’s biggest economy, Germany, which has borne the lion’s share of the region’s growth since the global financial crisis. And with new orders to companies rising, employment is improving.</p>
<p>“All four of the largest euro nations (Germany, France, Italy and Spain) are reporting faster growth in the second quarter as a whole, adding to the picture of an increasingly self-sustaining recovery amid rising domestic demand in the single currency area,” said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>According to the monthly survey, which is one of the key indicators informing the interest rate decisions of the European Central Bank, the expansion was again led by the manufacturing sector, where production rose at its fastest tick since April 2011. And though the rate of growth in the services sector moderated, it was still among the strongest seen over the past six years.</p>
<p>Separately Wednesday, the Eurostat statistics agency reported that retail sales across the eurozone rose by a monthly 0.4 percent in May. Though that’s still only modest, it does mean retail sales have risen for all five months this year. For a region that’s spent the last few years taking two steps forward and one step back, that counts for something.</p>
<p>The mounting evidence of an economic revival in the eurozone suggests the ECB will at least start considering how to ease up on its stimulus measures. As well as slashing interest rates, including its main one to zero, the ECB has gone on a massive bond-buying spree in the hope of keeping a lid on interest rates in the markets.</p>
<p>However, too-low inflation has so far tempered any urge to move. The ECB, after all, is mandated to set inflation just below 2 percent and at last count, in the year to June, inflation was only 1.3 percent. If anything, Wednesday’s survey from IHS Markit may work against any imminent tightening in monetary policy as average output prices — those charged by firms — rose at their slowest pace for five months in the wake of a recent dip in oil prices.</p> | Eurozone growth ‘higher than previously thought’ | false | https://abqjournal.com/1028213/eurozone-growth-higher-than-previously-thought.html | 2017-07-05 | 2least
| Eurozone growth ‘higher than previously thought’
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<p>LONDON — Economic growth across the 19-country eurozone was even higher than previously thought during June, according to a closely watched survey Wednesday, in yet more evidence of momentum in the single currency bloc.</p>
<p>Financial information firm IHS Markit said its main purchasing managers’ index, which surveys both the manufacturing and services sectors, was at 56.3 points in June. Though that is slightly down on the previous month’s 56.8, it’s well ahead of the previous estimate of 55.7. Anything above 50 indicates expansion.</p>
<p>The average reading over the second quarter was 56.6, the best outcome since the first quarter of 2011. That, according to the firm, indicates healthy quarterly growth of 0.7 percent, which compares favorably with most of the past decade and with the current performance of peers like the United States.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the survey is that it’s broad-based and not just isolated to Europe’s biggest economy, Germany, which has borne the lion’s share of the region’s growth since the global financial crisis. And with new orders to companies rising, employment is improving.</p>
<p>“All four of the largest euro nations (Germany, France, Italy and Spain) are reporting faster growth in the second quarter as a whole, adding to the picture of an increasingly self-sustaining recovery amid rising domestic demand in the single currency area,” said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>According to the monthly survey, which is one of the key indicators informing the interest rate decisions of the European Central Bank, the expansion was again led by the manufacturing sector, where production rose at its fastest tick since April 2011. And though the rate of growth in the services sector moderated, it was still among the strongest seen over the past six years.</p>
<p>Separately Wednesday, the Eurostat statistics agency reported that retail sales across the eurozone rose by a monthly 0.4 percent in May. Though that’s still only modest, it does mean retail sales have risen for all five months this year. For a region that’s spent the last few years taking two steps forward and one step back, that counts for something.</p>
<p>The mounting evidence of an economic revival in the eurozone suggests the ECB will at least start considering how to ease up on its stimulus measures. As well as slashing interest rates, including its main one to zero, the ECB has gone on a massive bond-buying spree in the hope of keeping a lid on interest rates in the markets.</p>
<p>However, too-low inflation has so far tempered any urge to move. The ECB, after all, is mandated to set inflation just below 2 percent and at last count, in the year to June, inflation was only 1.3 percent. If anything, Wednesday’s survey from IHS Markit may work against any imminent tightening in monetary policy as average output prices — those charged by firms — rose at their slowest pace for five months in the wake of a recent dip in oil prices.</p> | 3,601 |
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<p />
<p>The symposium, held April 2-4 at the Hyatt Tamaya Resort at Santa Ana Pueblo, attracted about 370 investors, entrepreneurs and technology commercialization professionals from across the country, up from about 250 last year, said TVC President and CEO John Freisinger.</p>
<p>“We’ve seen a lot more out-of-state people this year, and a more diverse group of investors from across a range of technology sectors,” Freisinger said. “People are traveling and spending more money to come here. New Mexico is back on the map.”</p>
<p>A dozen high-tech startups, including nine from New Mexico, pitched their wares to investors. Most showcased technologies licensed from research universities and U.S. Department of Energy laboratories.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>They included mobile device applications, new computer software programs, and renewable energy-related innovations, such as products to improve the durability, safety and efficiency of solar panels. But nearly half were medical-related technologies, including breakthrough diagnostic devices for cancer and other diseases.</p>
<p>“We’re seeing a very strong bioscience focus in New Mexico, with a lot of companies that have advanced enough to attract investors,” Freisinger said.</p>
<p>Presenters sought from $350,000 to $7.5 million to further develop their technologies or launch sales and marketing campaigns. Typically, one out of every three technologies gets funding after presenting at the symposium, now in its 20th year.</p>
<p>“I think a number of these companies will draw investor interest,” said John Chavez, president of the New Mexico Angels pool investment group.</p>
<p>That’s difficult in today’s economy. Annual venture investments in New Mexico are running at about half the level achieved before the recession, making equity capital events like the TVC summit critical for startups.</p>
<p>Todd Stevens, managing director of Utah-based RenewableTech Ventures, told conference participants that tight capital markets have made it difficult to raise new venture funds, making fewer investment dollars available.</p>
<p>“Venture capital as an investment sector has fallen out of favor,” Stevens said.</p>
<p>However, a recent decision by the New Mexico State Investment Council to put more money in New Mexico-based venture funds could reinvigorate the industry.</p>
<p>“That’s terrific news,” Stevens said. “It could make a huge difference for startups here.” — This article appeared on page B01 of the Albuquerque Journal</p> | TVC Deal Stream Summit draws hundreds from across the country | false | https://abqjournal.com/185233/tvc-deal-stream-summit-draws-hundreds-from-across-the-country.html | 2least
| TVC Deal Stream Summit draws hundreds from across the country
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<p />
<p>The symposium, held April 2-4 at the Hyatt Tamaya Resort at Santa Ana Pueblo, attracted about 370 investors, entrepreneurs and technology commercialization professionals from across the country, up from about 250 last year, said TVC President and CEO John Freisinger.</p>
<p>“We’ve seen a lot more out-of-state people this year, and a more diverse group of investors from across a range of technology sectors,” Freisinger said. “People are traveling and spending more money to come here. New Mexico is back on the map.”</p>
<p>A dozen high-tech startups, including nine from New Mexico, pitched their wares to investors. Most showcased technologies licensed from research universities and U.S. Department of Energy laboratories.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>They included mobile device applications, new computer software programs, and renewable energy-related innovations, such as products to improve the durability, safety and efficiency of solar panels. But nearly half were medical-related technologies, including breakthrough diagnostic devices for cancer and other diseases.</p>
<p>“We’re seeing a very strong bioscience focus in New Mexico, with a lot of companies that have advanced enough to attract investors,” Freisinger said.</p>
<p>Presenters sought from $350,000 to $7.5 million to further develop their technologies or launch sales and marketing campaigns. Typically, one out of every three technologies gets funding after presenting at the symposium, now in its 20th year.</p>
<p>“I think a number of these companies will draw investor interest,” said John Chavez, president of the New Mexico Angels pool investment group.</p>
<p>That’s difficult in today’s economy. Annual venture investments in New Mexico are running at about half the level achieved before the recession, making equity capital events like the TVC summit critical for startups.</p>
<p>Todd Stevens, managing director of Utah-based RenewableTech Ventures, told conference participants that tight capital markets have made it difficult to raise new venture funds, making fewer investment dollars available.</p>
<p>“Venture capital as an investment sector has fallen out of favor,” Stevens said.</p>
<p>However, a recent decision by the New Mexico State Investment Council to put more money in New Mexico-based venture funds could reinvigorate the industry.</p>
<p>“That’s terrific news,” Stevens said. “It could make a huge difference for startups here.” — This article appeared on page B01 of the Albuquerque Journal</p> | 3,602 |
|
<p>by Sean Carberry Ajdebia, Libya</p>
<p>Ambulances come screaming up to the hospital entrance. Wounded are arriving from the front lines in Bin Jawad, more than 150 miles to the west. A scrum of people unloads the first patient.</p>
<p>It's a large man in his 50s. No one can confirm whether he is a rebel or a bystander. His physique is not one of a soldier, but rebels here come in all shapes and sizes.</p>
<p>More than a dozen people scurry around the emergency room. One doctor pulls back a bandage on the patient's chest to reveal a small round hole.</p>
<p>"A bullet in his chest, inlet and exit." says Dr. Ahmed Raduwan. He has "air in this lung and blood in this lung."</p>
<p>Dr. Raduwan heads of one of three teams working the ER. He's Egyptian. He and five other doctors came from Cairo 10 days ago. He says what they are dealing with at this small hospital is way beyond its capacity.</p>
<p>"This is the best we can do now," says Dr. Raduwan. "But for four days, in Ajdbiya all the patients who came here, there's no patients that died. All the patients we received, no one died here," he says Dina Omar is a 30-year-old cardiologist from Egypt, and she's part of the Cairo team.</p>
<p>They have all volunteered to help their neighbors. "I was in our Egyptian revolution," she says, "I was in Tahrir Square, and I know what doctors mean to protestors, so when I saw these ugly images on TV and how they inhumanly treat them, I decide that I have to be here."</p>
<p>And "here" happens to be a hospital that was never designed to handle casualties of war.</p>
<p>"Actually it's a challenging condition for any hospital," says Dr. Omar. "Even if it is big with better equipment so it would be a challenge also. Here it's also not that good or not that big hospital."</p>
<p>In fact, the ER here is one small room that looks like it can fit at most two patients. But it's not just the facilities that are the problem says Dr. Omar.</p>
<p>"We have deficiency regarding staff, specialized, qualified staff," she says. "Of course hospital staff, many of them are very good, but they are not enough."</p>
<p>But, she says that they are coping. Though it it hasn't been easy. About a week ago, there was fighting just a few miles from the hospital. "Here it's serious condition," says Dr. Omar. "They shoot at us too many times, while we were sleeping we heard bomb and gunshot." She says that it's not easy to work in those conditions. "I was scared," she says. "but I'm vaccinated now. I'm not anymore."</p>
<p>Some of the people working in the hospital are still scared, and not just because of the fighting. Marwa is 22-year-old medical student. This is her first day volunteering at the hospital. She's joined by 29 other classmates from medical school in Libya. Marwa wears a surgical gown and a headscarf.</p>
<p>"I'm worried about, I have not all training, not too much," she says wearing a surgical gown and a blue headscarf. "I just try to help and learn to help," says Marwa. "I'm so scared. I'm so afraid, afraid from people who will come injured and maybe they will be dying. I hope they not die," she says.</p>
<p>In addition to scared medical students, there are untrained volunteers, from people in the neighborhood to a troop of Libyan Boy Scouts. Saleh Omar is one of a handful of scouts on hand today. "We are here for helping, for lifting, for making some first aid procedures," he says.</p>
<p>But, as much as the scouts and other volunteers want to help, Dr. Dina Omar isn't sure that they're serving the patients' best interests. She says that there are many volunteers with no medical training or experience. "They are a burden really," says Dr. Omar. She says that they make the situation more chaotic and bizarre and they rush around not knowing what to do. "So it doesn't help at all," she says.</p>
<p>It's also not easy when most of the doctors have never encountered cases like the dozens wheeling up to Ajdabiya hospital today, says Dr. Anis Hweis. He usually works in Tobruk hospital in northeast Libya about seven hours away.</p>
<p>"We are not used to see this before," he says, "bullet injury, this firearms, bullets, no. We don't have very good experience, but I believe we have good experience."</p>
<p>As day wears on, word comes down the hall that they've lost their first patient. A 10-year-old boy who arrived two days ago passed away in the ICU. He succumbed to a gunshot wound he suffered while playing outside his house in Ras Lanuf, which is next to Bin Jawad.</p>
<p>Dr Dina Omar says that she and the other medical personnel from Cairo had hoped to go home by now. "They need us, they need us," she says. "Yesterday we were thinking, me and my team, we were thinking to leave, but they said no, please stay." So, for now, Dr. Omar and the rest of the Egyptian team are staying.</p> | Casualties of Libya's civil war | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-03-08/casualties-libyas-civil-war | 2011-03-08 | 3left-center
| Casualties of Libya's civil war
<p>by Sean Carberry Ajdebia, Libya</p>
<p>Ambulances come screaming up to the hospital entrance. Wounded are arriving from the front lines in Bin Jawad, more than 150 miles to the west. A scrum of people unloads the first patient.</p>
<p>It's a large man in his 50s. No one can confirm whether he is a rebel or a bystander. His physique is not one of a soldier, but rebels here come in all shapes and sizes.</p>
<p>More than a dozen people scurry around the emergency room. One doctor pulls back a bandage on the patient's chest to reveal a small round hole.</p>
<p>"A bullet in his chest, inlet and exit." says Dr. Ahmed Raduwan. He has "air in this lung and blood in this lung."</p>
<p>Dr. Raduwan heads of one of three teams working the ER. He's Egyptian. He and five other doctors came from Cairo 10 days ago. He says what they are dealing with at this small hospital is way beyond its capacity.</p>
<p>"This is the best we can do now," says Dr. Raduwan. "But for four days, in Ajdbiya all the patients who came here, there's no patients that died. All the patients we received, no one died here," he says Dina Omar is a 30-year-old cardiologist from Egypt, and she's part of the Cairo team.</p>
<p>They have all volunteered to help their neighbors. "I was in our Egyptian revolution," she says, "I was in Tahrir Square, and I know what doctors mean to protestors, so when I saw these ugly images on TV and how they inhumanly treat them, I decide that I have to be here."</p>
<p>And "here" happens to be a hospital that was never designed to handle casualties of war.</p>
<p>"Actually it's a challenging condition for any hospital," says Dr. Omar. "Even if it is big with better equipment so it would be a challenge also. Here it's also not that good or not that big hospital."</p>
<p>In fact, the ER here is one small room that looks like it can fit at most two patients. But it's not just the facilities that are the problem says Dr. Omar.</p>
<p>"We have deficiency regarding staff, specialized, qualified staff," she says. "Of course hospital staff, many of them are very good, but they are not enough."</p>
<p>But, she says that they are coping. Though it it hasn't been easy. About a week ago, there was fighting just a few miles from the hospital. "Here it's serious condition," says Dr. Omar. "They shoot at us too many times, while we were sleeping we heard bomb and gunshot." She says that it's not easy to work in those conditions. "I was scared," she says. "but I'm vaccinated now. I'm not anymore."</p>
<p>Some of the people working in the hospital are still scared, and not just because of the fighting. Marwa is 22-year-old medical student. This is her first day volunteering at the hospital. She's joined by 29 other classmates from medical school in Libya. Marwa wears a surgical gown and a headscarf.</p>
<p>"I'm worried about, I have not all training, not too much," she says wearing a surgical gown and a blue headscarf. "I just try to help and learn to help," says Marwa. "I'm so scared. I'm so afraid, afraid from people who will come injured and maybe they will be dying. I hope they not die," she says.</p>
<p>In addition to scared medical students, there are untrained volunteers, from people in the neighborhood to a troop of Libyan Boy Scouts. Saleh Omar is one of a handful of scouts on hand today. "We are here for helping, for lifting, for making some first aid procedures," he says.</p>
<p>But, as much as the scouts and other volunteers want to help, Dr. Dina Omar isn't sure that they're serving the patients' best interests. She says that there are many volunteers with no medical training or experience. "They are a burden really," says Dr. Omar. She says that they make the situation more chaotic and bizarre and they rush around not knowing what to do. "So it doesn't help at all," she says.</p>
<p>It's also not easy when most of the doctors have never encountered cases like the dozens wheeling up to Ajdabiya hospital today, says Dr. Anis Hweis. He usually works in Tobruk hospital in northeast Libya about seven hours away.</p>
<p>"We are not used to see this before," he says, "bullet injury, this firearms, bullets, no. We don't have very good experience, but I believe we have good experience."</p>
<p>As day wears on, word comes down the hall that they've lost their first patient. A 10-year-old boy who arrived two days ago passed away in the ICU. He succumbed to a gunshot wound he suffered while playing outside his house in Ras Lanuf, which is next to Bin Jawad.</p>
<p>Dr Dina Omar says that she and the other medical personnel from Cairo had hoped to go home by now. "They need us, they need us," she says. "Yesterday we were thinking, me and my team, we were thinking to leave, but they said no, please stay." So, for now, Dr. Omar and the rest of the Egyptian team are staying.</p> | 3,603 |
<p>(ABP) — Timed nearest to the anniversary of the Dec. 10, 1948, adoption of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights Day has been sponsored for more than 20 years by the <a href="http://www.bwanet.org/programs/freedom-and-justice/human-rights-day" type="external">Baptist World Alliance</a>. This year the date coincides with a BWA delegation visiting Nigeria, Dec. 4-10, to observe Human Rights Day and draw attention to episodes of violence committed by extremist rebels in northern and central Nigeria.</p>
<p>“As people of faith, there should be continuous encouragement to pray for and act on behalf of all people facing human rights threats and violations in different parts of the world,” Raimundo Barreto, BWA director of freedom and justice, said in a news release.</p>
<p>“The BWA intends to use 2012 Human Rights Day as a common day of prayer for the people of Nigeria, in light of the increasing episodes of violence in northern and central Nigeria, where more than 1,400 people have been killed in attacks by extremist groups since 2010,” Barreto said. “This environment of violence and fear inhibits individual freedom of expression and the safety to speak out against these injustices.”</p>
<p>A prayer guide highlights extremism and sectarian violence disproportionately affecting Christians carried out by Boko Haram, an Islamic name which roughly translated means “Western education is forbidden.” Other ills facing Nigerians include human trafficking/prostitution, bribery and corruption, poverty and domestic violence.</p>
<p>The idea of human rights as a moral and theological duty has been part of the Baptist World Alliance agenda since the group was organized in 1905. The BWA constitution states that one of the BWA’s main objectives is “to act as an agency of reconciliation seeking peace for all persons, and uphold the claims of fundamental human rights, including full religious liberty.”</p>
<p>Through its history the BWA has produced numerous statements on human rights, including support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as early as the 1950 Baptist World Congress in Cleveland.</p>
<p>Many BWA churches will make a symbolic contribution to that commitment this weekend by designating a specific Sunday during the year to collectively and jointly think about human rights and what they mean to those whose rights are being violated.</p>
<p>“Our brothers and sisters in Palestine, in Syria, in Egypt, in the DR Congo, in Nigeria, in Pakistan, in Burma/Myanmar, in Malaysia, in Kazakhstan, in Uzbekistan, in India, in the Caribbean, in Latin America, in some Western European countries, and in several sectors of North American societies, particularly among ethnic and other minorities, continue to call on the Baptist global community to help them in their plight, to show love and solidarity, to remember them, and to help to empower their voices,” the BWA said.</p>
<p>Bob Allen ( <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a>) is managing editor of Associated Baptist Press.</p> | Baptist World Alliance observes Human Rights Day Dec. 9 | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/baptistworldallianceobserveshumanrightsdaydec9/ | 3left-center
| Baptist World Alliance observes Human Rights Day Dec. 9
<p>(ABP) — Timed nearest to the anniversary of the Dec. 10, 1948, adoption of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, Human Rights Day has been sponsored for more than 20 years by the <a href="http://www.bwanet.org/programs/freedom-and-justice/human-rights-day" type="external">Baptist World Alliance</a>. This year the date coincides with a BWA delegation visiting Nigeria, Dec. 4-10, to observe Human Rights Day and draw attention to episodes of violence committed by extremist rebels in northern and central Nigeria.</p>
<p>“As people of faith, there should be continuous encouragement to pray for and act on behalf of all people facing human rights threats and violations in different parts of the world,” Raimundo Barreto, BWA director of freedom and justice, said in a news release.</p>
<p>“The BWA intends to use 2012 Human Rights Day as a common day of prayer for the people of Nigeria, in light of the increasing episodes of violence in northern and central Nigeria, where more than 1,400 people have been killed in attacks by extremist groups since 2010,” Barreto said. “This environment of violence and fear inhibits individual freedom of expression and the safety to speak out against these injustices.”</p>
<p>A prayer guide highlights extremism and sectarian violence disproportionately affecting Christians carried out by Boko Haram, an Islamic name which roughly translated means “Western education is forbidden.” Other ills facing Nigerians include human trafficking/prostitution, bribery and corruption, poverty and domestic violence.</p>
<p>The idea of human rights as a moral and theological duty has been part of the Baptist World Alliance agenda since the group was organized in 1905. The BWA constitution states that one of the BWA’s main objectives is “to act as an agency of reconciliation seeking peace for all persons, and uphold the claims of fundamental human rights, including full religious liberty.”</p>
<p>Through its history the BWA has produced numerous statements on human rights, including support for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as early as the 1950 Baptist World Congress in Cleveland.</p>
<p>Many BWA churches will make a symbolic contribution to that commitment this weekend by designating a specific Sunday during the year to collectively and jointly think about human rights and what they mean to those whose rights are being violated.</p>
<p>“Our brothers and sisters in Palestine, in Syria, in Egypt, in the DR Congo, in Nigeria, in Pakistan, in Burma/Myanmar, in Malaysia, in Kazakhstan, in Uzbekistan, in India, in the Caribbean, in Latin America, in some Western European countries, and in several sectors of North American societies, particularly among ethnic and other minorities, continue to call on the Baptist global community to help them in their plight, to show love and solidarity, to remember them, and to help to empower their voices,” the BWA said.</p>
<p>Bob Allen ( <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a>) is managing editor of Associated Baptist Press.</p> | 3,604 |
|
<p>HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday evening’s drawing of the Pennsylvania Lottery’s “Pick 3 Evening” game were:</p>
<p>2-6-5, Wild: 6</p>
<p>(two, six, five; Wild: six)</p>
<p>HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday evening’s drawing of the Pennsylvania Lottery’s “Pick 3 Evening” game were:</p>
<p>2-6-5, Wild: 6</p>
<p>(two, six, five; Wild: six)</p> | Winning numbers drawn in ‘Pick 3 Evening’ game | false | https://apnews.com/8bc4057ef6234398a71d8a7044f522f9 | 2018-01-20 | 2least
| Winning numbers drawn in ‘Pick 3 Evening’ game
<p>HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday evening’s drawing of the Pennsylvania Lottery’s “Pick 3 Evening” game were:</p>
<p>2-6-5, Wild: 6</p>
<p>(two, six, five; Wild: six)</p>
<p>HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday evening’s drawing of the Pennsylvania Lottery’s “Pick 3 Evening” game were:</p>
<p>2-6-5, Wild: 6</p>
<p>(two, six, five; Wild: six)</p> | 3,605 |
<p>By Ralph NaderThe following was first posted on Ralph Nader’s <a href="http://nader.org/2013/05/22/more-exposes-less-action/" type="external">website</a>.</p>
<p>There must be reasons why people are weary of the flood of excellent documentary films, books and articles showing us what the corporate state – that is, the fusion of big business and government to constantly serve the former against the peoples’ interest – is doing to our beloved country.</p>
<p>We are in a golden age of exposés, detailed revelations about out-of-control polluters, corporate tax escapees, corruption of government, cheating of consumers, abandonment of workers, freezing or reduction of wages, and a general hijacking of America for perpetual wars, militarism and profiteering. Even from mainstream television, newspapers and magazines, these exposés pour out in numbers that far exceed our weakened democracy’s ability to respond.</p>
<p>Why does so little change when the truths, the facts and the grim realities are available on request? In the past more prosecutors, legislators, and regulators would be informed and goaded by exposés. The wider media would echo such responses which further encouraged these enforcers to challenge wrongdoing. A cycle of public agitation and official responses kept things moving.</p>
<p />
<p>But there were fewer exposés and therefore less information overload. Today, exposés are running into each other and receiving smaller audiences. The shrinking mass media does not give the authors and producers the time that was afforded their predecessors.</p>
<p>Nothing has replaced the Phil Donahue Show that reveled in showcasing injustices. The Today Show and Good Morning America have fewer authors on their stages. Charlie Rose is heavily into entertainers, favored columnist Tom Friedman, and business celebrities. Once welcoming radio talk show hosts are off the air, replaced by curled lip ideologues or soft, fluffy commentators. Local daily city television talk shows that made author tours successful and often would jump-start investigative reports are nearly extinct, replaced by syndicated programs featuring touchy-feely or sadomasochistic fare.</p>
<p>This new media landscape is more hostile to the civic community and discourages the younger generation from believing that change is truly within our grasp. As the years pass, our examples of national re-directions, as if people matter, come from the 1960s and ’70s. There are dwindling illustrations from more variously-troubled, recent decades, even as the information revolution should have accelerated the pace of change.</p>
<p>There may be proportionately as much civic activism today, though the smaller marches and rallies and much less mass media coverage do not demonstrate that there is as much public protest. What is certain is that there are now far more problems, declines in livelihoods, and other deprivations and lockouts from participating in our legislative and executive governments and courts. It doesn’t help that there are far fewer differences between the two major parties and far more gridlocks, garnished by far more campaign cash, resulting in chronic avoidance or postponements of remedies.</p>
<p>Let’s go back to the exposés. What can documentary film makers, for example, do beyond putting out a fine product for theater audiences and DVD purchasers?</p>
<p>An ongoing development pushing the envelope toward change comes from Eugene Jarecki’s documentary “The House I Live In.” Saturating the country with his public and private showings, action meetings with prison wardens and lawmakers – urban and rural – and continuing media coverage, he seeks to make his film “a widely-recognized and galvanizing tool for a national rethinking of America’s drug control policies.” His two-year plan of coalition building and direct legislative pressure is breathtaking in its scope, depth, agility and strategic thinking (for more information visit the website here).</p>
<p>Mr. Jarecki is plowing new ground through relentless follow-through – an extension more authors, capable of doing so, should undertake. After all they have proven themselves as knowledgeable, interesting communicators.</p>
<p>Another contemporary documentary receiving serious follow-up by its production team is “The Invisible War” – the story of rape and other sexual assaults within the U.S. military. This film, directed and written by Kirby Dick, is being taken seriously by the Pentagon which is showing it to commanders and high-ranking military leaders. Attendance is often required thanks to a few enlisted commanders and constant prodding from the filmmakers.</p>
<p>Realistically, many reporters and producers are unable to pursue their findings into the realms of action. Often they are onto their next investigative project and are economically hard-pressed. Here is where some farseeing foundations or enlightened wealthy persons can make a difference by funding small civic groups taking the findings and recommendations into the public policy arenas backed by civic mobilization. After all, civic advocates have proven their worth over the long run.</p>
<p>Or existing groups, such as the anti-nuclear steadfast organizations – Beyond Nuclear and Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) – can be the beneficiaries of funders viewing documentaries such “Knocking on the Devil’s Door: Our Deadly Nuclear Legacy.”</p>
<p>Maybe we need a 24/7 documentary cable channel with a citizen action focus so that fortuitous rendezvous can occur among all these parties at any given time around the ticking clock.</p>
<p /> | More Exposés, Less Action | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/more-exposes-less-action/ | 2013-05-23 | 4left
| More Exposés, Less Action
<p>By Ralph NaderThe following was first posted on Ralph Nader’s <a href="http://nader.org/2013/05/22/more-exposes-less-action/" type="external">website</a>.</p>
<p>There must be reasons why people are weary of the flood of excellent documentary films, books and articles showing us what the corporate state – that is, the fusion of big business and government to constantly serve the former against the peoples’ interest – is doing to our beloved country.</p>
<p>We are in a golden age of exposés, detailed revelations about out-of-control polluters, corporate tax escapees, corruption of government, cheating of consumers, abandonment of workers, freezing or reduction of wages, and a general hijacking of America for perpetual wars, militarism and profiteering. Even from mainstream television, newspapers and magazines, these exposés pour out in numbers that far exceed our weakened democracy’s ability to respond.</p>
<p>Why does so little change when the truths, the facts and the grim realities are available on request? In the past more prosecutors, legislators, and regulators would be informed and goaded by exposés. The wider media would echo such responses which further encouraged these enforcers to challenge wrongdoing. A cycle of public agitation and official responses kept things moving.</p>
<p />
<p>But there were fewer exposés and therefore less information overload. Today, exposés are running into each other and receiving smaller audiences. The shrinking mass media does not give the authors and producers the time that was afforded their predecessors.</p>
<p>Nothing has replaced the Phil Donahue Show that reveled in showcasing injustices. The Today Show and Good Morning America have fewer authors on their stages. Charlie Rose is heavily into entertainers, favored columnist Tom Friedman, and business celebrities. Once welcoming radio talk show hosts are off the air, replaced by curled lip ideologues or soft, fluffy commentators. Local daily city television talk shows that made author tours successful and often would jump-start investigative reports are nearly extinct, replaced by syndicated programs featuring touchy-feely or sadomasochistic fare.</p>
<p>This new media landscape is more hostile to the civic community and discourages the younger generation from believing that change is truly within our grasp. As the years pass, our examples of national re-directions, as if people matter, come from the 1960s and ’70s. There are dwindling illustrations from more variously-troubled, recent decades, even as the information revolution should have accelerated the pace of change.</p>
<p>There may be proportionately as much civic activism today, though the smaller marches and rallies and much less mass media coverage do not demonstrate that there is as much public protest. What is certain is that there are now far more problems, declines in livelihoods, and other deprivations and lockouts from participating in our legislative and executive governments and courts. It doesn’t help that there are far fewer differences between the two major parties and far more gridlocks, garnished by far more campaign cash, resulting in chronic avoidance or postponements of remedies.</p>
<p>Let’s go back to the exposés. What can documentary film makers, for example, do beyond putting out a fine product for theater audiences and DVD purchasers?</p>
<p>An ongoing development pushing the envelope toward change comes from Eugene Jarecki’s documentary “The House I Live In.” Saturating the country with his public and private showings, action meetings with prison wardens and lawmakers – urban and rural – and continuing media coverage, he seeks to make his film “a widely-recognized and galvanizing tool for a national rethinking of America’s drug control policies.” His two-year plan of coalition building and direct legislative pressure is breathtaking in its scope, depth, agility and strategic thinking (for more information visit the website here).</p>
<p>Mr. Jarecki is plowing new ground through relentless follow-through – an extension more authors, capable of doing so, should undertake. After all they have proven themselves as knowledgeable, interesting communicators.</p>
<p>Another contemporary documentary receiving serious follow-up by its production team is “The Invisible War” – the story of rape and other sexual assaults within the U.S. military. This film, directed and written by Kirby Dick, is being taken seriously by the Pentagon which is showing it to commanders and high-ranking military leaders. Attendance is often required thanks to a few enlisted commanders and constant prodding from the filmmakers.</p>
<p>Realistically, many reporters and producers are unable to pursue their findings into the realms of action. Often they are onto their next investigative project and are economically hard-pressed. Here is where some farseeing foundations or enlightened wealthy persons can make a difference by funding small civic groups taking the findings and recommendations into the public policy arenas backed by civic mobilization. After all, civic advocates have proven their worth over the long run.</p>
<p>Or existing groups, such as the anti-nuclear steadfast organizations – Beyond Nuclear and Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) – can be the beneficiaries of funders viewing documentaries such “Knocking on the Devil’s Door: Our Deadly Nuclear Legacy.”</p>
<p>Maybe we need a 24/7 documentary cable channel with a citizen action focus so that fortuitous rendezvous can occur among all these parties at any given time around the ticking clock.</p>
<p /> | 3,606 |
<p>NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Devils have given qualifying offers to forward Stefan Matteau and defensemen Eric Gelinas, Seth Helgeson and Adam Larsson.</p>
<p>The Devils announced the moves on Monday, adding that defenseman Corbin McPherson and goaltender Maxime Clermont did not receive qualifying offers.</p>
<p>Larsson played in 64 games this past season, collecting three goals and 21 assists. The fourth pick overall in the 2011 NHL draft, the 22-year-old played his best hockey in the second half of the season.</p>
<p>Gelinas, 24, has six goals and 13 assists in 61 games.</p>
<p>Matteau, the Devils' first-round pick in 2012, had a goal in seven games after being called up from Albany (AHL) late in the season.</p>
<p>Helgeson spent time in Albany and New Jersey last season, collecting two assists in 22 NHL games.</p>
<p>NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Devils have given qualifying offers to forward Stefan Matteau and defensemen Eric Gelinas, Seth Helgeson and Adam Larsson.</p>
<p>The Devils announced the moves on Monday, adding that defenseman Corbin McPherson and goaltender Maxime Clermont did not receive qualifying offers.</p>
<p>Larsson played in 64 games this past season, collecting three goals and 21 assists. The fourth pick overall in the 2011 NHL draft, the 22-year-old played his best hockey in the second half of the season.</p>
<p>Gelinas, 24, has six goals and 13 assists in 61 games.</p>
<p>Matteau, the Devils' first-round pick in 2012, had a goal in seven games after being called up from Albany (AHL) late in the season.</p>
<p>Helgeson spent time in Albany and New Jersey last season, collecting two assists in 22 NHL games.</p> | Devils give qualifying offers to Larsson, Gelinas, 2 others | false | https://apnews.com/amp/c8f618a832614b29a961545a9f78b6b2 | 2015-06-29 | 2least
| Devils give qualifying offers to Larsson, Gelinas, 2 others
<p>NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Devils have given qualifying offers to forward Stefan Matteau and defensemen Eric Gelinas, Seth Helgeson and Adam Larsson.</p>
<p>The Devils announced the moves on Monday, adding that defenseman Corbin McPherson and goaltender Maxime Clermont did not receive qualifying offers.</p>
<p>Larsson played in 64 games this past season, collecting three goals and 21 assists. The fourth pick overall in the 2011 NHL draft, the 22-year-old played his best hockey in the second half of the season.</p>
<p>Gelinas, 24, has six goals and 13 assists in 61 games.</p>
<p>Matteau, the Devils' first-round pick in 2012, had a goal in seven games after being called up from Albany (AHL) late in the season.</p>
<p>Helgeson spent time in Albany and New Jersey last season, collecting two assists in 22 NHL games.</p>
<p>NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The New Jersey Devils have given qualifying offers to forward Stefan Matteau and defensemen Eric Gelinas, Seth Helgeson and Adam Larsson.</p>
<p>The Devils announced the moves on Monday, adding that defenseman Corbin McPherson and goaltender Maxime Clermont did not receive qualifying offers.</p>
<p>Larsson played in 64 games this past season, collecting three goals and 21 assists. The fourth pick overall in the 2011 NHL draft, the 22-year-old played his best hockey in the second half of the season.</p>
<p>Gelinas, 24, has six goals and 13 assists in 61 games.</p>
<p>Matteau, the Devils' first-round pick in 2012, had a goal in seven games after being called up from Albany (AHL) late in the season.</p>
<p>Helgeson spent time in Albany and New Jersey last season, collecting two assists in 22 NHL games.</p> | 3,607 |
<p>Members of the No Labels team went to the Stratham Fair to see what citizens of the Granite State think about the current state of American politics.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Please share this video with&#160;your friends on <a href="" type="internal">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsharer%2Fsharer.php%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fbit.ly%252F1Uor3jG%26ret%3Dlogin&amp;display=popup" type="external">Facebook</a>&#160;and&#160; <a href="" type="internal">email</a>!</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Click here if you would like to learn more the Problem Solver Convention.</a></p> | New Hampshire: Ready for Change | false | https://nolabels.org/blog/new-hampshire-ready-change/ | 2015-08-05 | 2least
| New Hampshire: Ready for Change
<p>Members of the No Labels team went to the Stratham Fair to see what citizens of the Granite State think about the current state of American politics.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Please share this video with&#160;your friends on <a href="" type="internal">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/login.php?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsharer%2Fsharer.php%3Fu%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fbit.ly%252F1Uor3jG%26ret%3Dlogin&amp;display=popup" type="external">Facebook</a>&#160;and&#160; <a href="" type="internal">email</a>!</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Click here if you would like to learn more the Problem Solver Convention.</a></p> | 3,608 |
<p>PARIS ATTACK, REVELATIONS ABOUT GUNMAN JOLT FRENCH ELECTION</p>
<p>Candidates in Sunday's French presidential vote seized on the Champs-Élysées shooting and the finding that attacker Cheurfi had been investigated.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>SUSPECT IN ISTANBUL TERROR ATTACK WAS KILLED IN U.S. RAID IN SYRIA EARLIER THIS MONTH</p>
<p>An associate of Islamic State's leader who U.S. officials said was behind a terror attack in Istanbul on New Year's Eve was killed by U.S. forces in Syria in early April, the Pentagon said.</p>
<p>A FATHER'S TORMENT: IRAN TOOK RICHARD RATCLIFFE'S FAMILY AND HE CAN'T GET THEM BACK</p>
<p>For a year, the British accountant has sought the release of his aid-worker wife, Nazanin, after Iran jailed her for allegedly threatening national security. His daughter's future hangs in the balance.</p>
<p>GERMAN BOMB SUSPECT ATTACKED SOCCER TEAM TO MAKE $1 MILLION FROM STOCK DROP</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>A Russian-German man allegedly bombed one of Germany's most prominent soccer teams in order to make more than $1 million off a drop in the team's stock price.</p>
<p>HUNTERS KIDNAPPED IN IRAQ SET FREE AFTER 16 MONTHS</p>
<p>The abduction of 26 Qatari hunters, including members of its royal family, was widely believed to have been carried out by one of the Shiite Muslim militias active in Iraq's southern provinces.</p>
<p>CHINA'S SECRET WEAPON IN SOUTH KOREA MISSILE FIGHT: HACKERS</p>
<p>Chinese state-backed hackers have recently targeted South Korean entities involved in deploying a U.S. missile-defense system, says an American cybersecurity firm, despite Beijing's denial of retaliation against Seoul over the issue.</p>
<p>PALESTINIANS CONDEMN BARBECUE OUTSIDE ISRAELI JAIL</p>
<p>Palestinians protested and expressed outrage Friday, a day after pro-settlement Israelis organized a barbecue next to an Israeli jail in the West Bank where Palestinian prisoners are on a hunger strike to demand better conditions.</p>
<p>U.S. DEFENSE CHIEF MATTIS: 'NO DOUBT' SYRIAN REGIME HAS CHEMICAL WEAPONS</p>
<p>During a visit to Israel for talks with officials there, Jim Mattis declines, however, to say how many chemical weapons the Assad government has in its arsenal.</p>
<p>(For continuously updated news from the Wall Street Journal, see WSJ.com at http://wsj.com.)</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>April 21, 2017 17:20 ET (21:20 GMT)</p> | WSJ.com What's News - Worldwide News Briefs for Apr 21 | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/04/21/wsj-com-whats-news-worldwide-news-briefs-for-apr-21.html | 2017-04-21 | 0right
| WSJ.com What's News - Worldwide News Briefs for Apr 21
<p>PARIS ATTACK, REVELATIONS ABOUT GUNMAN JOLT FRENCH ELECTION</p>
<p>Candidates in Sunday's French presidential vote seized on the Champs-Élysées shooting and the finding that attacker Cheurfi had been investigated.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>SUSPECT IN ISTANBUL TERROR ATTACK WAS KILLED IN U.S. RAID IN SYRIA EARLIER THIS MONTH</p>
<p>An associate of Islamic State's leader who U.S. officials said was behind a terror attack in Istanbul on New Year's Eve was killed by U.S. forces in Syria in early April, the Pentagon said.</p>
<p>A FATHER'S TORMENT: IRAN TOOK RICHARD RATCLIFFE'S FAMILY AND HE CAN'T GET THEM BACK</p>
<p>For a year, the British accountant has sought the release of his aid-worker wife, Nazanin, after Iran jailed her for allegedly threatening national security. His daughter's future hangs in the balance.</p>
<p>GERMAN BOMB SUSPECT ATTACKED SOCCER TEAM TO MAKE $1 MILLION FROM STOCK DROP</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>A Russian-German man allegedly bombed one of Germany's most prominent soccer teams in order to make more than $1 million off a drop in the team's stock price.</p>
<p>HUNTERS KIDNAPPED IN IRAQ SET FREE AFTER 16 MONTHS</p>
<p>The abduction of 26 Qatari hunters, including members of its royal family, was widely believed to have been carried out by one of the Shiite Muslim militias active in Iraq's southern provinces.</p>
<p>CHINA'S SECRET WEAPON IN SOUTH KOREA MISSILE FIGHT: HACKERS</p>
<p>Chinese state-backed hackers have recently targeted South Korean entities involved in deploying a U.S. missile-defense system, says an American cybersecurity firm, despite Beijing's denial of retaliation against Seoul over the issue.</p>
<p>PALESTINIANS CONDEMN BARBECUE OUTSIDE ISRAELI JAIL</p>
<p>Palestinians protested and expressed outrage Friday, a day after pro-settlement Israelis organized a barbecue next to an Israeli jail in the West Bank where Palestinian prisoners are on a hunger strike to demand better conditions.</p>
<p>U.S. DEFENSE CHIEF MATTIS: 'NO DOUBT' SYRIAN REGIME HAS CHEMICAL WEAPONS</p>
<p>During a visit to Israel for talks with officials there, Jim Mattis declines, however, to say how many chemical weapons the Assad government has in its arsenal.</p>
<p>(For continuously updated news from the Wall Street Journal, see WSJ.com at http://wsj.com.)</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>April 21, 2017 17:20 ET (21:20 GMT)</p> | 3,609 |
<p>Visa, Mastercard and a group of retailers plan to ask a judge this week to approve a landmark settlement of a lawsuit over credit card fees, setting the stage for a battle with Wal-Mart and hundreds of other merchants who say it is a bad deal.</p>
<p>Announced in July, the $7.2 billion settlement is intended to resolve seven years of antitrust litigation between merchants and credit-card companies and their banks over so-called "swipe fees" that retailers pay to process credit-card transactions.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Merchants alleged the card companies and banks worked together to inflate rates for these interchange fees, costing billions of dollars each year.</p>
<p>If approved, the settlement would apply to the nearly 8 million merchants that take Visa Inc and MasterCard Inc's cards.</p>
<p>But in the months since it was filed, a number of major retailers and trade groups have said they would rather have no deal than the one that court-appointed lawyers negotiated on their behalf. On Friday, 10 of the 19 trade groups and stores that led the litigation against the card companies said they would ask U.S. District Judge John Gleeson to reject the settlement.</p>
<p>If approved, the deal would be the largest federal antitrust settlement in U.S. history. In addition to a $6.05 billion payment and $1.2 billion in temporary fee reductions, the deal calls on card companies to allow merchants to charge customers extra for using certain cards. It would also release Visa and Mastercard from a wide range of antitrust claims and new lawsuits over interchange fees.</p>
<p>"This is a remarkably and fatally flawed deal," said Jeff Shinder of law firm Constantine Cannon, who argues that the settlement forces merchants to give up valuable legal rights.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Four of the major trade groups now opposing the deal have replaced their court-appointed counsel with Shinder, a veteran antitrust lawyer who has already represented clients in two other multi-billion dollar antitrust settlements with Visa and Mastercard.</p>
<p>Shinder also represents Wal-Mart Stores Inc , the world's largest retailer, which was not part of the original lawsuit, but would be bound by the settlement if approved.</p>
<p>Retail and restaurant heavyweights such as Target Corp , Starbucks Corp and Lowe's Cos Inc , and other national restaurant and retailer groups have also signaled they plan to fight the deal.</p>
<p>That is an unusual show of force against a proposed class-action settlement, legal experts said.</p>
<p>"You don't usually see a lot of objectors in class actions and you don't usually see them of this size and significance," said Jay Tidmarsh, a professor at Notre Dame School of Law.</p>
<p>The settlement also has the support of some big-name retailers, including Kroger Co , the largest U.S. grocery chain operator, and its No. 2 rival, Safeway Inc .</p>
<p>Among questions the settlement's supporters raise are whether objecting merchants are trying to create a legal stalemate to pressure Congress for credit-card fee legislation.</p>
<p>The "over-the-top criticism" from Shinder and the objectors is "untethered to the law, economics and dynamics of this case," Richard Arnold, who represents individual stores, including Kroger and Safeway, said in a September 18 letter to Shinder filed with the court. His clients include a group of about 20 large stores that have agreed to settle.</p>
<p>Those stores, mostly supermarket and drug store chains, have maintained individual lawsuits alongside the class action. They struck a separate deal for $550 million from the credit card companies and banks, but would still be subject to the non-monetary portions of the class action settlement - including the rule changes and litigation releases.</p>
<p>Representatives for Kroger and Safeway said the settlement would let them communicate with customers directly for the first time about swipe fees. They said consumer awareness of swipe-fee costs could motivate them to switch to less costly payment methods, such as cash.</p>
<p>"We think it will begin to produce real competition in the payments business and potentially lower costs for all consumers," Melissa Plaisance, Safeway's senior vice-president of finance, said of the settlement.</p>
<p>Those who favor the settlement ��� the individual plaintiffs and a shrinking number of the stores that originally brought the suit - say that without a deal, stores will have to continue to operate in a broken interchange system for years longer.</p>
<p>Attorneys appointed by the court to represent and negotiate on the merchants' behalf are scheduled to formally submit the settlement by October 19 for preliminary approval.</p>
<p>Even without the high-profile objectors, the legal process for approving the proposed settlement was expected to stretch well into 2013. If the objectors succeed in convincing the lawyers, or Gleeson, to reject the deal in its current form, that process could go on even longer.</p>
<p>What merchants such as Wal-Mart say they really want is transparency into how swipe-fee rates are set by banks and credit card companies, and they do not think this deal delivers, said Mallory Duncan, general counsel for the National Retail Federation, which opposes the settlement.</p>
<p>The legal standard for approving class action settlements is that it be "fair, reasonable and adequate."</p>
<p>To Shinder, the deal falls short.</p>
<p>"Because of the scope of the (litigation) release, which by its express terms gives defendants more than they could ever win at trial, this settlement is worse than losing," Shinder said.</p>
<p>He explained that, if merchants lost, they would be back to square one, but at least they could go back to court and try again.</p>
<p>Craig Wildfang, one of the lawyers appointed by the court to represent U.S. merchants affected by the settlement, said merchants got "95 percent of what they wanted" from the settlement and that objectors were asking for relief that only Congress or bank regulators could provide.</p>
<p>The lawyers who favor of the deal, along with Visa and Mastercard and the individual plaintiff stores, say they are confident the settlement will be approved.</p>
<p>While the stores supporting the deal have portrayed Shinder, his clients and other objectors as malcontents trying to drag out the litigation to get Congress' attention, scholars say the legal concerns are legitimate ��� even though those concerns must be weighed carefully against the court's general reluctance to upset such difficult settlements.</p>
<p>But Gleeson, a well-respected federal district judge, will not have an easy time setting aside the concerns of the nation's largest retailer, particularly when it has joined forces yet again with Shinder and Constantine Cannon. After all, Wal-Mart was the lead plaintiff on behalf of 5 million merchants in a $3.05 billion antitrust settlement with Visa and Mastercard over card-acceptance rules in 2003. Constantine Cannon was its law firm in the litigation and Gleeson was the judge who ultimately approved that deal.</p>
<p>"You have a top judge, you have very fine lawyers for the settlement's proponents, and you're going to have the same thing on the other side," said Howard Langer, a managing partner at Langer Grogan &amp; Diver. "The overwhelming number of settlements are approved, but the overwhelming number of settlements aren't for $7.2 billion and aren't before this kind of judge with this quality of objectors."</p>
<p>(Reporting By Jessica Dye.; Additional reporting by Lisa Baertlein. Editing by Brad Dorfman and Andre Grenon)</p> | Card fee "settlement" just start of big legal battle | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2012/10/14/card-fee-settlement-just-start-big-legal-battle.html | 2016-03-03 | 0right
| Card fee "settlement" just start of big legal battle
<p>Visa, Mastercard and a group of retailers plan to ask a judge this week to approve a landmark settlement of a lawsuit over credit card fees, setting the stage for a battle with Wal-Mart and hundreds of other merchants who say it is a bad deal.</p>
<p>Announced in July, the $7.2 billion settlement is intended to resolve seven years of antitrust litigation between merchants and credit-card companies and their banks over so-called "swipe fees" that retailers pay to process credit-card transactions.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Merchants alleged the card companies and banks worked together to inflate rates for these interchange fees, costing billions of dollars each year.</p>
<p>If approved, the settlement would apply to the nearly 8 million merchants that take Visa Inc and MasterCard Inc's cards.</p>
<p>But in the months since it was filed, a number of major retailers and trade groups have said they would rather have no deal than the one that court-appointed lawyers negotiated on their behalf. On Friday, 10 of the 19 trade groups and stores that led the litigation against the card companies said they would ask U.S. District Judge John Gleeson to reject the settlement.</p>
<p>If approved, the deal would be the largest federal antitrust settlement in U.S. history. In addition to a $6.05 billion payment and $1.2 billion in temporary fee reductions, the deal calls on card companies to allow merchants to charge customers extra for using certain cards. It would also release Visa and Mastercard from a wide range of antitrust claims and new lawsuits over interchange fees.</p>
<p>"This is a remarkably and fatally flawed deal," said Jeff Shinder of law firm Constantine Cannon, who argues that the settlement forces merchants to give up valuable legal rights.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Four of the major trade groups now opposing the deal have replaced their court-appointed counsel with Shinder, a veteran antitrust lawyer who has already represented clients in two other multi-billion dollar antitrust settlements with Visa and Mastercard.</p>
<p>Shinder also represents Wal-Mart Stores Inc , the world's largest retailer, which was not part of the original lawsuit, but would be bound by the settlement if approved.</p>
<p>Retail and restaurant heavyweights such as Target Corp , Starbucks Corp and Lowe's Cos Inc , and other national restaurant and retailer groups have also signaled they plan to fight the deal.</p>
<p>That is an unusual show of force against a proposed class-action settlement, legal experts said.</p>
<p>"You don't usually see a lot of objectors in class actions and you don't usually see them of this size and significance," said Jay Tidmarsh, a professor at Notre Dame School of Law.</p>
<p>The settlement also has the support of some big-name retailers, including Kroger Co , the largest U.S. grocery chain operator, and its No. 2 rival, Safeway Inc .</p>
<p>Among questions the settlement's supporters raise are whether objecting merchants are trying to create a legal stalemate to pressure Congress for credit-card fee legislation.</p>
<p>The "over-the-top criticism" from Shinder and the objectors is "untethered to the law, economics and dynamics of this case," Richard Arnold, who represents individual stores, including Kroger and Safeway, said in a September 18 letter to Shinder filed with the court. His clients include a group of about 20 large stores that have agreed to settle.</p>
<p>Those stores, mostly supermarket and drug store chains, have maintained individual lawsuits alongside the class action. They struck a separate deal for $550 million from the credit card companies and banks, but would still be subject to the non-monetary portions of the class action settlement - including the rule changes and litigation releases.</p>
<p>Representatives for Kroger and Safeway said the settlement would let them communicate with customers directly for the first time about swipe fees. They said consumer awareness of swipe-fee costs could motivate them to switch to less costly payment methods, such as cash.</p>
<p>"We think it will begin to produce real competition in the payments business and potentially lower costs for all consumers," Melissa Plaisance, Safeway's senior vice-president of finance, said of the settlement.</p>
<p>Those who favor the settlement ��� the individual plaintiffs and a shrinking number of the stores that originally brought the suit - say that without a deal, stores will have to continue to operate in a broken interchange system for years longer.</p>
<p>Attorneys appointed by the court to represent and negotiate on the merchants' behalf are scheduled to formally submit the settlement by October 19 for preliminary approval.</p>
<p>Even without the high-profile objectors, the legal process for approving the proposed settlement was expected to stretch well into 2013. If the objectors succeed in convincing the lawyers, or Gleeson, to reject the deal in its current form, that process could go on even longer.</p>
<p>What merchants such as Wal-Mart say they really want is transparency into how swipe-fee rates are set by banks and credit card companies, and they do not think this deal delivers, said Mallory Duncan, general counsel for the National Retail Federation, which opposes the settlement.</p>
<p>The legal standard for approving class action settlements is that it be "fair, reasonable and adequate."</p>
<p>To Shinder, the deal falls short.</p>
<p>"Because of the scope of the (litigation) release, which by its express terms gives defendants more than they could ever win at trial, this settlement is worse than losing," Shinder said.</p>
<p>He explained that, if merchants lost, they would be back to square one, but at least they could go back to court and try again.</p>
<p>Craig Wildfang, one of the lawyers appointed by the court to represent U.S. merchants affected by the settlement, said merchants got "95 percent of what they wanted" from the settlement and that objectors were asking for relief that only Congress or bank regulators could provide.</p>
<p>The lawyers who favor of the deal, along with Visa and Mastercard and the individual plaintiff stores, say they are confident the settlement will be approved.</p>
<p>While the stores supporting the deal have portrayed Shinder, his clients and other objectors as malcontents trying to drag out the litigation to get Congress' attention, scholars say the legal concerns are legitimate ��� even though those concerns must be weighed carefully against the court's general reluctance to upset such difficult settlements.</p>
<p>But Gleeson, a well-respected federal district judge, will not have an easy time setting aside the concerns of the nation's largest retailer, particularly when it has joined forces yet again with Shinder and Constantine Cannon. After all, Wal-Mart was the lead plaintiff on behalf of 5 million merchants in a $3.05 billion antitrust settlement with Visa and Mastercard over card-acceptance rules in 2003. Constantine Cannon was its law firm in the litigation and Gleeson was the judge who ultimately approved that deal.</p>
<p>"You have a top judge, you have very fine lawyers for the settlement's proponents, and you're going to have the same thing on the other side," said Howard Langer, a managing partner at Langer Grogan &amp; Diver. "The overwhelming number of settlements are approved, but the overwhelming number of settlements aren't for $7.2 billion and aren't before this kind of judge with this quality of objectors."</p>
<p>(Reporting By Jessica Dye.; Additional reporting by Lisa Baertlein. Editing by Brad Dorfman and Andre Grenon)</p> | 3,610 |
<p />
<p>Nike on Feb. 17, 2016, announced it has cut ties with Manny Pacquiao over his controversial comments against marriage rights for same-sex couples. (Photo by inboundpass; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)</p>
<p />
<p>The boxer who is running for the Philippine Senate on Sunday said that nuptials for gays and lesbians are <a href="" type="internal">“more disgusting than (sex) between animals.”</a> Pacquiao on Tuesday apologized for his comments, but reiterated his opposition to marriage rights for same-sex couples.</p>
<p>“We find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent,” said a Nike spokesperson on Wednesday in a statement. “Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community. We no longer have a relationship with Manny Pacquiao.”</p>
<p>Jonas Bagas, a Philippine LGBT rights advocate, was among those who urged Nike to sever ties with Pacquiao.</p>
<p>“This is a a great victory not just for the LGBT community, but also for those who struggle inequality,” Bagas told the Washington Blade on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Dindi Tan, a member of the Quezon City Pride Council board of directors, agreed.</p>
<p>“We welcome the recent move of Nike to drop Manny Pacquiao from its list of global endorsers,” she said.</p>
<p>Bagas said other companies that have endorsement deals with Pacquiao should “follow” Nike’s example.</p>
<p>“Our work doesn’t end here,” Bagas told the Blade, noting the country’s national elections are scheduled to take place on May 9. “We will actively campaign against Pacquiao this elections. His treatment of LGBTs means that he is unfit for public service.”</p>
<p>“We hope that other global brands that have inked partnerships with Manny will also follow suit,” added Tan. “More than the severing of ties, Nike’s decision reaffirms our collective fight against bigotry and homophobia. Statements that clearly offend the sensibilities of a community like the LGBT community have no place in a civilized society. We believe that Nike’s commitment to equality and love runs paramount over bigotry and hatred.”</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Dindi Tan</a> <a href="" type="internal">Jonas Bagas</a> <a href="" type="internal">Manny Pacquiao</a> <a href="" type="internal">Nike</a> <a href="" type="internal">Philippines</a> <a href="" type="internal">same-sex marriage</a> <a href="" type="internal">TFL Sexuality</a></p> | Nike cuts ties with Manny Pacquiao | false | http://washingtonblade.com/2016/02/17/nike-cuts-ties-with-manny-pacquiao/ | 3left-center
| Nike cuts ties with Manny Pacquiao
<p />
<p>Nike on Feb. 17, 2016, announced it has cut ties with Manny Pacquiao over his controversial comments against marriage rights for same-sex couples. (Photo by inboundpass; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)</p>
<p />
<p>The boxer who is running for the Philippine Senate on Sunday said that nuptials for gays and lesbians are <a href="" type="internal">“more disgusting than (sex) between animals.”</a> Pacquiao on Tuesday apologized for his comments, but reiterated his opposition to marriage rights for same-sex couples.</p>
<p>“We find Manny Pacquiao’s comments abhorrent,” said a Nike spokesperson on Wednesday in a statement. “Nike strongly opposes discrimination of any kind and has a long history of supporting and standing up for the rights of the LGBT community. We no longer have a relationship with Manny Pacquiao.”</p>
<p>Jonas Bagas, a Philippine LGBT rights advocate, was among those who urged Nike to sever ties with Pacquiao.</p>
<p>“This is a a great victory not just for the LGBT community, but also for those who struggle inequality,” Bagas told the Washington Blade on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Dindi Tan, a member of the Quezon City Pride Council board of directors, agreed.</p>
<p>“We welcome the recent move of Nike to drop Manny Pacquiao from its list of global endorsers,” she said.</p>
<p>Bagas said other companies that have endorsement deals with Pacquiao should “follow” Nike’s example.</p>
<p>“Our work doesn’t end here,” Bagas told the Blade, noting the country’s national elections are scheduled to take place on May 9. “We will actively campaign against Pacquiao this elections. His treatment of LGBTs means that he is unfit for public service.”</p>
<p>“We hope that other global brands that have inked partnerships with Manny will also follow suit,” added Tan. “More than the severing of ties, Nike’s decision reaffirms our collective fight against bigotry and homophobia. Statements that clearly offend the sensibilities of a community like the LGBT community have no place in a civilized society. We believe that Nike’s commitment to equality and love runs paramount over bigotry and hatred.”</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Dindi Tan</a> <a href="" type="internal">Jonas Bagas</a> <a href="" type="internal">Manny Pacquiao</a> <a href="" type="internal">Nike</a> <a href="" type="internal">Philippines</a> <a href="" type="internal">same-sex marriage</a> <a href="" type="internal">TFL Sexuality</a></p> | 3,611 |
|
<p>This article is being republished as part of our daily reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S. print edition of The Wall Street Journal (October 18, 2017).</p>
<p>Johnson &amp; Johnson increased its 2017 sales and adjusted profit guidance for the third quarter in a row, though net income in the quarter fell due to one-time items and amortization related to the company's Actelion acquisition.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>J&amp;J, one of the largest health-products companies by revenue based in the U.S., urged lawmakers in Washington to "unite behind" a plan to overhaul the corporate tax system but said its 2017 guidance doesn't assume there will be tax reform this year.</p>
<p>Overall in the third quarter, J&amp;J's revenue rose 10% to $19.7 billion. The company posted earnings per share of $1.37 on net income of $3.7 billion, which decreased 12% from $4.3 billion in the previous year's quarter.</p>
<p>A J&amp;J spokesman said profit fell "due to amortization and inventory step-up charges primarily related to" the company's recent $30 billion acquisition of rare-disease drugmaker Actelion.</p>
<p>Adjusted earnings per share, which exclude one-time items and amortization expenses, were $1.90 on adjusted net income of $5.2 billion, which rose 11% from a year ago. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected adjusted net income of $4.9 billion.</p>
<p>J&amp;J is now forecasting adjusted earnings per share for the year of $7.25 to $7.30, up from $7.12 to $7.22. It also raised its sales outlook to $76.1 billion to $76.5 billion, from $75.8 billion to $76.1 billion.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>The New Brunswick, N.J., company's shares, which are up 18% for the year, were up 2.3% Tuesday.</p>
<p>The company gave an indication of the impact of Hurricane Maria, which has devastated Puerto Rico, on the manufacturing of medical products there. J&amp;J CFO Dominic Caruso said J&amp;J's six plants on the island are making and shipping products using generator power.</p>
<p>"Considering the magnitude of the storm, our sites fared very well," Mr. Caruso said during a conference call with investors and analysts. He said he doesn't expect the hurricane will have "any material impact to our future results."</p>
<p>Mr. Caruso said the storm season had a "limited" negative impact on the company's medical-device business because some hospitals canceled surgeries due to the bad weather.</p>
<p>Despite the storms' impact, J&amp;J's medical-device sales rose 7.1% to $6.6 billion world-wide. Meanwhile, global consumer-health sales grew 2.9% to $3.4 billion.</p>
<p>Joaquin Duato, who runs J&amp;J's pharmaceuticals business, said its performance is accelerating during the second half of the year. Revenue from the prescription-drugs business, J&amp;J's largest, jumped 15% to $9.4 billion world-wide during the third quarter.</p>
<p>The pharmaceutical results were bolstered by J&amp;J's purchase of Swiss biotech Actelion earlier this year and gains by key brands, such as autoimmune disease treatment Stelara and blood-thinner Xarelto.</p>
<p>Revenue from Remicade, a rheumatoid-arthritis treatment that is J&amp;J's top-selling product, fell 7.6% to $1.6 billion amid competition from lower-priced copies called biosimilars.</p>
<p>Last month Pfizer Inc., which makes one of the Remicade biosimilars, sued J&amp;J, alleging it had protected Remicade from Pfizer's biosimilars through "exclusionary contracts" that violate federal antitrust law.</p>
<p>Mr. Duato said during the conference call that Remicade's price after discounts has fallen amid the competition.</p>
<p>"The key factor to Remicade being successful is physicians and patients have a high confidence in Remicade based on experience" using the drug, and they don't want to switch to another therapy, Mr. Duato said, noting the biosimilars aren't "interchangeable" with Remicade.</p>
<p>The company also said it is dropping development of two drugs that it had expressed high hopes for: rheumatoid-arthritis therapy sirukumab and talacotuzumab for acute myeloid leukemia.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, J&amp;J abandoned its insulin pump business in the U.S. and Canada, and pledged to help transition its roughly 90,000 diabetes patients to Medtronic PLC's pumps instead. Medtronic commands about 65% of the insulin pump market, while analysts estimate J&amp;J held 10%. Groups representing diabetes patients have said they are concerned that J&amp;J's decision will limit options and stunt innovation.</p>
<p>Write to Jonathan D. Rockoff at [email protected] and Cara Lombardo at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>October 18, 2017 02:47 ET (06:47 GMT)</p> | J&J Net Income Falls After Actelion Deal -- WSJ | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/10/18/j-j-net-income-falls-after-actelion-deal-wsj.html | 2017-10-18 | 0right
| J&J Net Income Falls After Actelion Deal -- WSJ
<p>This article is being republished as part of our daily reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S. print edition of The Wall Street Journal (October 18, 2017).</p>
<p>Johnson &amp; Johnson increased its 2017 sales and adjusted profit guidance for the third quarter in a row, though net income in the quarter fell due to one-time items and amortization related to the company's Actelion acquisition.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>J&amp;J, one of the largest health-products companies by revenue based in the U.S., urged lawmakers in Washington to "unite behind" a plan to overhaul the corporate tax system but said its 2017 guidance doesn't assume there will be tax reform this year.</p>
<p>Overall in the third quarter, J&amp;J's revenue rose 10% to $19.7 billion. The company posted earnings per share of $1.37 on net income of $3.7 billion, which decreased 12% from $4.3 billion in the previous year's quarter.</p>
<p>A J&amp;J spokesman said profit fell "due to amortization and inventory step-up charges primarily related to" the company's recent $30 billion acquisition of rare-disease drugmaker Actelion.</p>
<p>Adjusted earnings per share, which exclude one-time items and amortization expenses, were $1.90 on adjusted net income of $5.2 billion, which rose 11% from a year ago. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected adjusted net income of $4.9 billion.</p>
<p>J&amp;J is now forecasting adjusted earnings per share for the year of $7.25 to $7.30, up from $7.12 to $7.22. It also raised its sales outlook to $76.1 billion to $76.5 billion, from $75.8 billion to $76.1 billion.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>The New Brunswick, N.J., company's shares, which are up 18% for the year, were up 2.3% Tuesday.</p>
<p>The company gave an indication of the impact of Hurricane Maria, which has devastated Puerto Rico, on the manufacturing of medical products there. J&amp;J CFO Dominic Caruso said J&amp;J's six plants on the island are making and shipping products using generator power.</p>
<p>"Considering the magnitude of the storm, our sites fared very well," Mr. Caruso said during a conference call with investors and analysts. He said he doesn't expect the hurricane will have "any material impact to our future results."</p>
<p>Mr. Caruso said the storm season had a "limited" negative impact on the company's medical-device business because some hospitals canceled surgeries due to the bad weather.</p>
<p>Despite the storms' impact, J&amp;J's medical-device sales rose 7.1% to $6.6 billion world-wide. Meanwhile, global consumer-health sales grew 2.9% to $3.4 billion.</p>
<p>Joaquin Duato, who runs J&amp;J's pharmaceuticals business, said its performance is accelerating during the second half of the year. Revenue from the prescription-drugs business, J&amp;J's largest, jumped 15% to $9.4 billion world-wide during the third quarter.</p>
<p>The pharmaceutical results were bolstered by J&amp;J's purchase of Swiss biotech Actelion earlier this year and gains by key brands, such as autoimmune disease treatment Stelara and blood-thinner Xarelto.</p>
<p>Revenue from Remicade, a rheumatoid-arthritis treatment that is J&amp;J's top-selling product, fell 7.6% to $1.6 billion amid competition from lower-priced copies called biosimilars.</p>
<p>Last month Pfizer Inc., which makes one of the Remicade biosimilars, sued J&amp;J, alleging it had protected Remicade from Pfizer's biosimilars through "exclusionary contracts" that violate federal antitrust law.</p>
<p>Mr. Duato said during the conference call that Remicade's price after discounts has fallen amid the competition.</p>
<p>"The key factor to Remicade being successful is physicians and patients have a high confidence in Remicade based on experience" using the drug, and they don't want to switch to another therapy, Mr. Duato said, noting the biosimilars aren't "interchangeable" with Remicade.</p>
<p>The company also said it is dropping development of two drugs that it had expressed high hopes for: rheumatoid-arthritis therapy sirukumab and talacotuzumab for acute myeloid leukemia.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, J&amp;J abandoned its insulin pump business in the U.S. and Canada, and pledged to help transition its roughly 90,000 diabetes patients to Medtronic PLC's pumps instead. Medtronic commands about 65% of the insulin pump market, while analysts estimate J&amp;J held 10%. Groups representing diabetes patients have said they are concerned that J&amp;J's decision will limit options and stunt innovation.</p>
<p>Write to Jonathan D. Rockoff at [email protected] and Cara Lombardo at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>October 18, 2017 02:47 ET (06:47 GMT)</p> | 3,612 |
<p />
<p>&gt;&gt; Special <a href="" type="internal">MRC 25th Anniversary Gala and DisHonors Awards</a> Web section, with videos of the entire event, plus all the nominee videos and archival compilations &lt;&lt; <a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>Chris Plante, Laura Ingraham, Steve Hayes, Jonah Goldberg, Cal Thomas, Tony Perkins, Reince Priebus, Marjorie Dannenfelser, Lynn and Foster Friess and a performance by The Davisson Brothers Band, highlighted the MRC's “25th Anniversary Gala featuring the DisHonors Awards: Roasting the Most Outrageously Biased Liberal Reporting,” presented on Thursday night, September 27, before a boisterous audience of one thousand at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.In addition to the presentation of the DisHonors Awards videos in four categories and a look at some “funny clips,” the audience assigned the “Worst Reporter in the History of Man Award.” MRC President Brent Bozell led the audience in watching compilations of the most obnoxious bias from Dan Rather, Bryant Gumbel, Katie Couric and Brian Williams. He then asked the audience to show their derision via jeers and noisemakers and, after a head-to-head comparison of audience opinion toward Couric and Rather, Couric was declared the clear winner.(Video of all the nominated quotes and archival compilations are already online. We’ll be loading up video highlights from the event starting late Friday morning, so check our “ <a href="" type="internal">MRC 25th Anniversary Gala and DisHonors Awards</a>” section on MRC.org throughout the day.)The MRC also honored the late Andrew Breitbart with the MRC’s sixth annual “William F. Buckley Award for Media Excellence.” Cal Thomas, who earned the honor in 2011, presented the award to Breitbart’s father-in-law, Orson Bean.DisHonors Awards winners were selected by a distinguished panel of 12 leading media observers, including Ann Coulter, Monica Crowley, Lou Dobbs, Mark Levin, David Limbaugh, Rush Limbaugh, Walter E. Williams and Thomas S. Winter.</p>
<p>Winners: Chris Matthews earned “The Obamagasm Award,” MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts captured “The Vast Right-Wing Knuckle-Draggers Award,” NBC’s Ann Curry got the “Damn Those Conservatives to Hell Award” and Sean Penn won “The Barbra Streisand Political IQ Award for Celebrity Vapidity.”</p>
<p>Chris Plante, a talk show host on Washington, DC’s WMAL, served as Master of Ceremonies. Laura Ingraham, a nationally-syndicated talk radio host and the principal substitute host of The O’Reilly Factor, presented the first two awards; followed by Weekly Standard senior writer and Fox News contributor Stephen Hayes who handled the “funnies,” and National Review Online founding editor Jonah Goldberg, who presented the third and fourth award categories. To mark the MRC’s 25th anniversary, each award category was introduced with a “through the years” video retrospective of the worst bias on that topic over the MRC’s first 25 years.&#160;&#160; &#160;&#160;&#160; &#160;&#160;&#160; &#160;&#160;&#160; &#160;&#160;&#160; &#160;In place of the journalist who won each award, a conservative accepted it in jest. Those standing in for the winners: Reince Priebus, Chairman of the Republican National Committee; Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council; Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony List; and conservative philanthropists Foster and Lynn Friess. The evening began with an invocation by Father Terence Henry, President of the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. Dr. Seymour Fein, Chairman of the MRC’s Board of Trustees, came on stage to lead the Pledge of Allegiance, but instead directed the audience to a video from Marine Captain Joseph Bozell in Afghanistan whose squad recited the pledge.When Bozell came to the podium for the “Worst Reporter in the History of Man,” he was soon interrupted by Karl Ottosen of the MRC’s Board of Directors. He introduced Fein who presented Bozell with a plaque commemorating his 25 years leading the MRC.</p>
<p>-- Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/brenthbaker" type="external">Click here</a> to follow Brent Baker on Twitter.</p> | Matthews, Curry, Penn and Couric All ‘Winners’ at MRC’s ‘DisHonors Awards’ | true | http://mrc.org/node/41365 | 2012-09-28 | 0right
| Matthews, Curry, Penn and Couric All ‘Winners’ at MRC’s ‘DisHonors Awards’
<p />
<p>&gt;&gt; Special <a href="" type="internal">MRC 25th Anniversary Gala and DisHonors Awards</a> Web section, with videos of the entire event, plus all the nominee videos and archival compilations &lt;&lt; <a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>Chris Plante, Laura Ingraham, Steve Hayes, Jonah Goldberg, Cal Thomas, Tony Perkins, Reince Priebus, Marjorie Dannenfelser, Lynn and Foster Friess and a performance by The Davisson Brothers Band, highlighted the MRC's “25th Anniversary Gala featuring the DisHonors Awards: Roasting the Most Outrageously Biased Liberal Reporting,” presented on Thursday night, September 27, before a boisterous audience of one thousand at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.In addition to the presentation of the DisHonors Awards videos in four categories and a look at some “funny clips,” the audience assigned the “Worst Reporter in the History of Man Award.” MRC President Brent Bozell led the audience in watching compilations of the most obnoxious bias from Dan Rather, Bryant Gumbel, Katie Couric and Brian Williams. He then asked the audience to show their derision via jeers and noisemakers and, after a head-to-head comparison of audience opinion toward Couric and Rather, Couric was declared the clear winner.(Video of all the nominated quotes and archival compilations are already online. We’ll be loading up video highlights from the event starting late Friday morning, so check our “ <a href="" type="internal">MRC 25th Anniversary Gala and DisHonors Awards</a>” section on MRC.org throughout the day.)The MRC also honored the late Andrew Breitbart with the MRC’s sixth annual “William F. Buckley Award for Media Excellence.” Cal Thomas, who earned the honor in 2011, presented the award to Breitbart’s father-in-law, Orson Bean.DisHonors Awards winners were selected by a distinguished panel of 12 leading media observers, including Ann Coulter, Monica Crowley, Lou Dobbs, Mark Levin, David Limbaugh, Rush Limbaugh, Walter E. Williams and Thomas S. Winter.</p>
<p>Winners: Chris Matthews earned “The Obamagasm Award,” MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts captured “The Vast Right-Wing Knuckle-Draggers Award,” NBC’s Ann Curry got the “Damn Those Conservatives to Hell Award” and Sean Penn won “The Barbra Streisand Political IQ Award for Celebrity Vapidity.”</p>
<p>Chris Plante, a talk show host on Washington, DC’s WMAL, served as Master of Ceremonies. Laura Ingraham, a nationally-syndicated talk radio host and the principal substitute host of The O’Reilly Factor, presented the first two awards; followed by Weekly Standard senior writer and Fox News contributor Stephen Hayes who handled the “funnies,” and National Review Online founding editor Jonah Goldberg, who presented the third and fourth award categories. To mark the MRC’s 25th anniversary, each award category was introduced with a “through the years” video retrospective of the worst bias on that topic over the MRC’s first 25 years.&#160;&#160; &#160;&#160;&#160; &#160;&#160;&#160; &#160;&#160;&#160; &#160;&#160;&#160; &#160;In place of the journalist who won each award, a conservative accepted it in jest. Those standing in for the winners: Reince Priebus, Chairman of the Republican National Committee; Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council; Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony List; and conservative philanthropists Foster and Lynn Friess. The evening began with an invocation by Father Terence Henry, President of the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio. Dr. Seymour Fein, Chairman of the MRC’s Board of Trustees, came on stage to lead the Pledge of Allegiance, but instead directed the audience to a video from Marine Captain Joseph Bozell in Afghanistan whose squad recited the pledge.When Bozell came to the podium for the “Worst Reporter in the History of Man,” he was soon interrupted by Karl Ottosen of the MRC’s Board of Directors. He introduced Fein who presented Bozell with a plaque commemorating his 25 years leading the MRC.</p>
<p>-- Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/brenthbaker" type="external">Click here</a> to follow Brent Baker on Twitter.</p> | 3,613 |
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<p />
<p>His thought was not to settle into cozy retirement. If that was the case, he would not have taken the job as coach of the New Mexico Junior College women’s program.</p>
<p>“It wasn’t very good,” Sanders said. “I think they won three games the year before.”</p>
<p>The Thunderbirds won only five games his first year, then 18 his second. But they have won two of the past three Western Junior College Athletic Conference titles outright and were co-champs in 2013. In 2012, they were 29-4 and finished fifth in the national tournament. They were 25-5 last year and a No. 15 seed in the NJCAA championships.</p>
<p>New Mexico Junior College women’s basketball head coach Drew Sanders cuts the net after his Thunderbirds won the 2014 regional tournament. (Courtesy of New Mexico Junior College)</p>
<p>This year they are 12-1 and ranked 13th in the NJCAA.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“There’s no secret,” said Sanders, who is 149-79 at NMJC, was 145-70 at Eastern Oklahoma State and 340-169 as a high school coach. “It’s players. You’ve got to get better players. Then, when you get the players, you work very hard.”</p>
<p>With his credentials (he’s a member of the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Hall of Fame), Sanders has persuaded a variety of talented players to venture to Hobbs.</p>
<p>Since 2011, 23 of Sanders’ players have earned scholarships to four-year schools, including Kassandra Harris, a Cibola grad now at New Mexico State.</p>
<p>This year’s team includes two Brazilians – sophomore forward Angelica de Paulo (14.5 points a game, 6.0 rebounds) and freshman guard Alana da Silva (4.8 assists). Kelsey Criner, a sophomore guard from Dallas, averages 15.2 points and 3.8 assists a game.</p>
<p>“From a talent standpoint, I would say we’re very good,” Sanders said. “From a mental toughness and chemistry standpoint, we still have some building to do. You have to be mentally, emotionally tough to win this conference. I’m hoping we get there. We’re probably more talented than last year.”</p>
<p>Helping hone that talent is Sandia High grad Kendra Coveal, a former All-State player and an All-RMAC first-teamer for Adams State. Coveal was working as an assistant at Adams State last year when the head coach was released.</p>
<p>“She was looking for a job and we were looking for an assistant,” Sanders said. “Sometimes God smiles at the opportune time. Kendra has a great work ethic. She’s very intelligent, very organized. She’s great at all the day-to-day jobs that some people hate to do. Booking trips, meals, hotels. At a junior college, you have to do everything. Study hall, weight training, conditioning. She brings all of that.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“And as she’s learned my system, she’s better coaching on the floor. Not that my system always works, but it’s what we do.”</p>
<p>Sanders’ philosophy centers on defense. The Thunderbirds average 77.6 points a game but limit opponents to 41.6 a game, while holding them to 28.5 percent shooting.</p>
<p>“You’ve got to be good defensively,” Sanders said. “At times you can execute everything correctly on offense and the ball doesn’t go into the basket for whatever reason. What keeps you in the game is defense. Transition baskets are the easiest way to score.</p>
<p>“This particular club is very, very good defensively. Very athletic. Good team speed. We transition really well. We can extend our defense and apply good ball pressure. We force people out of their comfort zone.”</p>
<p>So, is the goal to go to Salina, Kan., home of the NJCAA Tournament?</p>
<p>“No,” Sanders said. “The goal is to win at Salina, Kan. I don’t want to just get there. I want to win the dang thing.”</p>
<p>WNMU: The Western New Mexico men (0-6, 0-2) and women (4-1, 2-0 RMAC) visit Colorado Mesa today and Western State (Colo.) on Saturday. The Lady Mustangs are ranked 10th in the South Central Region.</p>
<p>NMHU: Angelina Sanchez, a 5-9 senior guard, leads Highlands (3-2, 2-0 RMAC) in scoring at 14.4 points a game. The Cowgirls and Cowboys (0-5, 0-2) both visit Western State today and Colorado Mesa on Saturday.</p>
<p>ENMU: The Zias (1-5) play defending Heartland Conference champion Texas A&amp;M International today in Clovis, while the Greyhounds (5-4) visit Texas-Permian Basin on Saturday. ‘Hounds junior guard Chris Wims had 27 points and nine assists in a 91-90 win over Northern New Mexico.</p>
<p>NORTHERN NEW MEXICO: Senior Eric Garcia scored 19 points in a 92-91 loss to the College of the Southwest, while sophomore William Harvey had 26 points in the loss to Eastern. The NAIA D-II Eagles are 5-7.</p>
<p />
<p /> | Sanders coaches NMJC Thunderbirds to hoops success | false | https://abqjournal.com/510490/sanders-coaches-thunderbirds-to-success.html | 2least
| Sanders coaches NMJC Thunderbirds to hoops success
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<p />
<p>His thought was not to settle into cozy retirement. If that was the case, he would not have taken the job as coach of the New Mexico Junior College women’s program.</p>
<p>“It wasn’t very good,” Sanders said. “I think they won three games the year before.”</p>
<p>The Thunderbirds won only five games his first year, then 18 his second. But they have won two of the past three Western Junior College Athletic Conference titles outright and were co-champs in 2013. In 2012, they were 29-4 and finished fifth in the national tournament. They were 25-5 last year and a No. 15 seed in the NJCAA championships.</p>
<p>New Mexico Junior College women’s basketball head coach Drew Sanders cuts the net after his Thunderbirds won the 2014 regional tournament. (Courtesy of New Mexico Junior College)</p>
<p>This year they are 12-1 and ranked 13th in the NJCAA.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“There’s no secret,” said Sanders, who is 149-79 at NMJC, was 145-70 at Eastern Oklahoma State and 340-169 as a high school coach. “It’s players. You’ve got to get better players. Then, when you get the players, you work very hard.”</p>
<p>With his credentials (he’s a member of the Oklahoma Girls Basketball Hall of Fame), Sanders has persuaded a variety of talented players to venture to Hobbs.</p>
<p>Since 2011, 23 of Sanders’ players have earned scholarships to four-year schools, including Kassandra Harris, a Cibola grad now at New Mexico State.</p>
<p>This year’s team includes two Brazilians – sophomore forward Angelica de Paulo (14.5 points a game, 6.0 rebounds) and freshman guard Alana da Silva (4.8 assists). Kelsey Criner, a sophomore guard from Dallas, averages 15.2 points and 3.8 assists a game.</p>
<p>“From a talent standpoint, I would say we’re very good,” Sanders said. “From a mental toughness and chemistry standpoint, we still have some building to do. You have to be mentally, emotionally tough to win this conference. I’m hoping we get there. We’re probably more talented than last year.”</p>
<p>Helping hone that talent is Sandia High grad Kendra Coveal, a former All-State player and an All-RMAC first-teamer for Adams State. Coveal was working as an assistant at Adams State last year when the head coach was released.</p>
<p>“She was looking for a job and we were looking for an assistant,” Sanders said. “Sometimes God smiles at the opportune time. Kendra has a great work ethic. She’s very intelligent, very organized. She’s great at all the day-to-day jobs that some people hate to do. Booking trips, meals, hotels. At a junior college, you have to do everything. Study hall, weight training, conditioning. She brings all of that.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“And as she’s learned my system, she’s better coaching on the floor. Not that my system always works, but it’s what we do.”</p>
<p>Sanders’ philosophy centers on defense. The Thunderbirds average 77.6 points a game but limit opponents to 41.6 a game, while holding them to 28.5 percent shooting.</p>
<p>“You’ve got to be good defensively,” Sanders said. “At times you can execute everything correctly on offense and the ball doesn’t go into the basket for whatever reason. What keeps you in the game is defense. Transition baskets are the easiest way to score.</p>
<p>“This particular club is very, very good defensively. Very athletic. Good team speed. We transition really well. We can extend our defense and apply good ball pressure. We force people out of their comfort zone.”</p>
<p>So, is the goal to go to Salina, Kan., home of the NJCAA Tournament?</p>
<p>“No,” Sanders said. “The goal is to win at Salina, Kan. I don’t want to just get there. I want to win the dang thing.”</p>
<p>WNMU: The Western New Mexico men (0-6, 0-2) and women (4-1, 2-0 RMAC) visit Colorado Mesa today and Western State (Colo.) on Saturday. The Lady Mustangs are ranked 10th in the South Central Region.</p>
<p>NMHU: Angelina Sanchez, a 5-9 senior guard, leads Highlands (3-2, 2-0 RMAC) in scoring at 14.4 points a game. The Cowgirls and Cowboys (0-5, 0-2) both visit Western State today and Colorado Mesa on Saturday.</p>
<p>ENMU: The Zias (1-5) play defending Heartland Conference champion Texas A&amp;M International today in Clovis, while the Greyhounds (5-4) visit Texas-Permian Basin on Saturday. ‘Hounds junior guard Chris Wims had 27 points and nine assists in a 91-90 win over Northern New Mexico.</p>
<p>NORTHERN NEW MEXICO: Senior Eric Garcia scored 19 points in a 92-91 loss to the College of the Southwest, while sophomore William Harvey had 26 points in the loss to Eastern. The NAIA D-II Eagles are 5-7.</p>
<p />
<p /> | 3,614 |
|
<p>BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ These Louisiana lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Easy 5</p>
<p>14-16-18-20-33</p>
<p>(fourteen, sixteen, eighteen, twenty, thirty-three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $80,000</p>
<p>Lotto</p>
<p>06-19-23-30-36-39</p>
<p>(six, nineteen, twenty-three, thirty, thirty-six, thirty-nine)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $500,000</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $55 million</p>
<p>Pick 3</p>
<p>2-7-9</p>
<p>(two, seven, nine)</p>
<p>Pick 4</p>
<p>0-1-5-6</p>
<p>(zero, one, five, six)</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>03-33-37-51-57, Powerball: 21, Power Play: 2</p>
<p>(three, thirty-three, thirty-seven, fifty-one, fifty-seven; Powerball: twenty-one; Power Play: two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $62 million</p>
<p>BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ These Louisiana lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Easy 5</p>
<p>14-16-18-20-33</p>
<p>(fourteen, sixteen, eighteen, twenty, thirty-three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $80,000</p>
<p>Lotto</p>
<p>06-19-23-30-36-39</p>
<p>(six, nineteen, twenty-three, thirty, thirty-six, thirty-nine)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $500,000</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $55 million</p>
<p>Pick 3</p>
<p>2-7-9</p>
<p>(two, seven, nine)</p>
<p>Pick 4</p>
<p>0-1-5-6</p>
<p>(zero, one, five, six)</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>03-33-37-51-57, Powerball: 21, Power Play: 2</p>
<p>(three, thirty-three, thirty-seven, fifty-one, fifty-seven; Powerball: twenty-one; Power Play: two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $62 million</p> | LA Lottery | false | https://apnews.com/9699d250e2494a5db295e38939df5108 | 2018-01-18 | 2least
| LA Lottery
<p>BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ These Louisiana lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Easy 5</p>
<p>14-16-18-20-33</p>
<p>(fourteen, sixteen, eighteen, twenty, thirty-three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $80,000</p>
<p>Lotto</p>
<p>06-19-23-30-36-39</p>
<p>(six, nineteen, twenty-three, thirty, thirty-six, thirty-nine)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $500,000</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $55 million</p>
<p>Pick 3</p>
<p>2-7-9</p>
<p>(two, seven, nine)</p>
<p>Pick 4</p>
<p>0-1-5-6</p>
<p>(zero, one, five, six)</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>03-33-37-51-57, Powerball: 21, Power Play: 2</p>
<p>(three, thirty-three, thirty-seven, fifty-one, fifty-seven; Powerball: twenty-one; Power Play: two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $62 million</p>
<p>BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ These Louisiana lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Easy 5</p>
<p>14-16-18-20-33</p>
<p>(fourteen, sixteen, eighteen, twenty, thirty-three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $80,000</p>
<p>Lotto</p>
<p>06-19-23-30-36-39</p>
<p>(six, nineteen, twenty-three, thirty, thirty-six, thirty-nine)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $500,000</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $55 million</p>
<p>Pick 3</p>
<p>2-7-9</p>
<p>(two, seven, nine)</p>
<p>Pick 4</p>
<p>0-1-5-6</p>
<p>(zero, one, five, six)</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>03-33-37-51-57, Powerball: 21, Power Play: 2</p>
<p>(three, thirty-three, thirty-seven, fifty-one, fifty-seven; Powerball: twenty-one; Power Play: two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $62 million</p> | 3,615 |
<p>The collapse of Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid is surely one of the most striking developments of the 2008 campaign. Strategic mistake? I don't think so. Rudy lost because he dissed social conservatives. In fact, the reason Giuliani missed those early primaries is because he dissed social conservatives. Giuliani's attempt to take apart and reconstitute Ronald Reagan's winning political coalition was his original sin. And Rudy's primal transgression continues to shape the dynamics of 2008's Republican presidential race. With Reagan's erstwhile coalition now cast out of the garden of amity, only recognizing and understanding Rudy's fault will allow us to find our way back.</p>
<p>I'm not saying Giuliani's social liberalism doomed him to failure. On the contrary, I remember talking to a socially conservative state legislator from the midwest early in the campaign and finding, to my surprise, a genuine willingness to support Giuliani, while being fully aware of Rudy's social liberalism. There was a conventional wisdom among knowledgeable conservatives during the campaign's early stages that Giuliani's support would collapse when the Republican base discovered his social liberalism. Yet to everyone's amazement, Rudy kept rising in the polls. The broader public — including social conservatives — respected and admired the hero of 9/11, and wanted to back a winner in the general election. The problem is not that Giuliani's personal social liberalism was unacceptable. The problem was Rudy's failure to meet social conservatives halfway.</p>
<p>Without caring much about social issues one way or the other, plenty of Rudy's most enthusiastic backers supported him for his tough stand in the war on terror and his record of governing New York City. Yet a significant number of Rudy's key supporters backed him precisely because of his social liberalism. Their hope was that a national victory for Rudy, powered by socially liberal Republicans and moderates, would break the Reagan coalition and leave social conservatives out in the cold. Although he would never have spoken so baldly, Giuliani gave far too many indications of belonging to this group himself.</p>
<p>Rudy's initial campaign forays were marked by a series of awkward and ill-informed statements on the abortion issue. At a minimum, this betrayed a cavalier attitude toward a significant portion of the Reagan coalition. As time went on, however, it became clear that something more was at work. Rudy could have said that while his personal views on abortion were more liberal than many other Republicans, he nonetheless recognized some significant problems in the Supreme Court's abortion jurisprudence. A stance like that might have come close to winning Giuliani the nomination early on. Instead, in a bold and controversial move, Rudy pointedly refused to shift right on abortion. Despite his subsequent efforts to assure conservatives about Supreme Court nominations, and despite his very general condemnations of judicial activism, Rudy's fundamental unwillingness to more openly compromise with social conservatives on life issues split the party and doomed his campaign.</p>
<p>On the marriage issue, Rudy could also have done a good deal more, without in any way giving up his basic stance of accepting civil unions while opposing same-sex marriage. With a pro-same-sex-marriage court decision in Iowa so legally shaky that even some prominent gay-marriage activists hesitated to embrace it, Giuliani could have personally denounced the ruling as a prime example of judicial activism. Instead, Rudy refused to take up social issues in a way that showed his willingness to play even a modest leadership role. So, no matter who Giulinai put on his judicial selection committee, the overall message was: “I'll take your votes, but I don't like your issues, and I won't pay them attention.”</p>
<p>This is the context in which we have to understand what followed. The use of false or mistaken reports to stir up scandal over Giuliani's personal life might have been received very differently had Giuliani taken steps long before to reassure social conservatives. He ought to shown social conservatives by his actions that, despite his relative liberalism on these issues, they would have at least a respected place at the table in a Giuliani administration. Instead, the message of the campaign was that victory for Giuliani meant defeat for social conservatives. This is what powered the rise of Mike Huckabee, the next major candidate to attempt to reshape rather than lead the Reagan coalition (this time by shorting business and foreign policy conservatives).</p>
<p>So why did Rudy hold back from contesting the initial primaries? Chiefly because he himself had created the conditions for his own rejection in the early states. Had Giuliani moved to meet social conservatives halfway, Huckabee would likely have remained an also-ran and Rudy could have contested Iowa. Instead, Giuliani had to shun this socially conservative state, now catching fire for a rival whose campaign he himself had helped to jump-start.</p>
<p>With Huckabee's triumph weakening Giuliani further in New Hampshire, Rudy decided on strategic retreat to Florida as his best option. Perhaps in retrospect Giuliani could and should have made a bolder stand in New Hampshire. But Rudy's early decisions on how to handle social conservatives underpin his logic of retreat. South Carolina was another socially conservative state where Rudy was profoundly handicapped. Had Giuliani coopted at least a significant group of social conservatives back when he was seen as the party's savior, Huckabee would not have been able to take so many of South Carolina's evangelicals, and McCain would have had to fight a viable Rudy for South Carolina's hawks.</p>
<p>Did the success of the surge and the consequent decline of the war as an issue do Giuliani in? Not really. Rudy was always much more than the 9/11 candidate. Giuliani's executive experience and his famous turn-around of New York city gave him a huge edge over McCain in executive leadership, and easily made him a match for Romney in that category. The dynamic in which Giuliani alienated a surprisingly receptive social conservative base and helped give rise to the Huckabee phenomenon in reaction is what controlled the critical early phases of the race, and set the stage for all that followed. National-security matters remain a huge concern for Republicans. Had Rudy handled social conservatives differently from the start, he and not John McCain would now be benefiting from ongoing Republican hawkishness.</p>
<p>Probably Rudy himself, and certainly a significant number of his core supporters, saw the Giuliani campaign as a test of whether Republicans might be able to win without social conservatives. Well, the test is over and the results are in. A candidate who effectively cuts out any key element of the Reagan coalition — be it social conservatives, business conservatives, or national-security conservatives — is doomed to failure. It's fitting, therefore, that both Giuliani and Huckabee seem to be passing from the scene at the same time. Their campaigns are historically linked reverse mirror images. Like interdependent parts that fall useless if not united, these factions of the coalition only work when they work together.</p>
<p>Some folks believe that over time, say by 2012 or 2016, social conservatives will cease to be a necessary element of a winning Republican coalition. I have my doubts about that, but the point to keep in mind here is that this is 2008. At the moment, social conservatives clearly remain an indispensable component of any winning Republican coalition, and any attempt to cut them out is proven folly. Arguably, if Rudy had compromised with social conservatives and won, he could have done far more to effectively keep the coalition hospitable to people with a wide range of views on so cial issues. But by giving so little, Rudy was left with nothing.</p>
<p>I've said that Rudy's was the original sin, but what about John McCain, whose positions on a range of issues also threaten to push important segments of the Republican coalition out into the cold? The McCain problem is real, yet it doesn't quite rise to the level of ejecting one of the three key wings of the coalition. For all the controversies, McCain offers something important to social conservatives, economic conservatives, and national-security conservatives alike. The most serious barrier is immigration, where McCain's position puts him at odds with a major and deeply committed party constituency. This reflects a problem internal to the coalition itself — the split between business conservatives and critics of uncontrolled immigration. It's far from unprecedented, since we're already struggling with the issue under President Bush.</p>
<p>The key lesson of the Giuliani campaign is that the Republican coalition as it is (and not as some might wish it to be) must be attended to. The public — social conservatives very much included — is far less doctrinaire than the usual stereotypes hold. The base is willing to compromise with our leaders for the sake of unity and victory, but our leaders have to be willing to compromise with the coalition as well. Rudy's mistake was to take early poll support from social conservatives as a free pass. Those poll numbers were actually an invitation to a discerning leader to show some ability to compromise. Rudy missed the boat. Will John McCain get it, or will arrogance push him to repeat Rudy's mistakes? Mitt Romney clearly does get it, and it's time we gave him more credit than we have up to now for respecting the coalition he aspires to lead.</p>
<p>— Stanley Kurtz is a senior fellow at the <a href="" type="internal">Ethics and Public Policy Center</a> and an NRO contributing editor.</p> | Original Sin | false | https://eppc.org/publications/original-sin/ | 1right-center
| Original Sin
<p>The collapse of Rudy Giuliani's presidential bid is surely one of the most striking developments of the 2008 campaign. Strategic mistake? I don't think so. Rudy lost because he dissed social conservatives. In fact, the reason Giuliani missed those early primaries is because he dissed social conservatives. Giuliani's attempt to take apart and reconstitute Ronald Reagan's winning political coalition was his original sin. And Rudy's primal transgression continues to shape the dynamics of 2008's Republican presidential race. With Reagan's erstwhile coalition now cast out of the garden of amity, only recognizing and understanding Rudy's fault will allow us to find our way back.</p>
<p>I'm not saying Giuliani's social liberalism doomed him to failure. On the contrary, I remember talking to a socially conservative state legislator from the midwest early in the campaign and finding, to my surprise, a genuine willingness to support Giuliani, while being fully aware of Rudy's social liberalism. There was a conventional wisdom among knowledgeable conservatives during the campaign's early stages that Giuliani's support would collapse when the Republican base discovered his social liberalism. Yet to everyone's amazement, Rudy kept rising in the polls. The broader public — including social conservatives — respected and admired the hero of 9/11, and wanted to back a winner in the general election. The problem is not that Giuliani's personal social liberalism was unacceptable. The problem was Rudy's failure to meet social conservatives halfway.</p>
<p>Without caring much about social issues one way or the other, plenty of Rudy's most enthusiastic backers supported him for his tough stand in the war on terror and his record of governing New York City. Yet a significant number of Rudy's key supporters backed him precisely because of his social liberalism. Their hope was that a national victory for Rudy, powered by socially liberal Republicans and moderates, would break the Reagan coalition and leave social conservatives out in the cold. Although he would never have spoken so baldly, Giuliani gave far too many indications of belonging to this group himself.</p>
<p>Rudy's initial campaign forays were marked by a series of awkward and ill-informed statements on the abortion issue. At a minimum, this betrayed a cavalier attitude toward a significant portion of the Reagan coalition. As time went on, however, it became clear that something more was at work. Rudy could have said that while his personal views on abortion were more liberal than many other Republicans, he nonetheless recognized some significant problems in the Supreme Court's abortion jurisprudence. A stance like that might have come close to winning Giuliani the nomination early on. Instead, in a bold and controversial move, Rudy pointedly refused to shift right on abortion. Despite his subsequent efforts to assure conservatives about Supreme Court nominations, and despite his very general condemnations of judicial activism, Rudy's fundamental unwillingness to more openly compromise with social conservatives on life issues split the party and doomed his campaign.</p>
<p>On the marriage issue, Rudy could also have done a good deal more, without in any way giving up his basic stance of accepting civil unions while opposing same-sex marriage. With a pro-same-sex-marriage court decision in Iowa so legally shaky that even some prominent gay-marriage activists hesitated to embrace it, Giuliani could have personally denounced the ruling as a prime example of judicial activism. Instead, Rudy refused to take up social issues in a way that showed his willingness to play even a modest leadership role. So, no matter who Giulinai put on his judicial selection committee, the overall message was: “I'll take your votes, but I don't like your issues, and I won't pay them attention.”</p>
<p>This is the context in which we have to understand what followed. The use of false or mistaken reports to stir up scandal over Giuliani's personal life might have been received very differently had Giuliani taken steps long before to reassure social conservatives. He ought to shown social conservatives by his actions that, despite his relative liberalism on these issues, they would have at least a respected place at the table in a Giuliani administration. Instead, the message of the campaign was that victory for Giuliani meant defeat for social conservatives. This is what powered the rise of Mike Huckabee, the next major candidate to attempt to reshape rather than lead the Reagan coalition (this time by shorting business and foreign policy conservatives).</p>
<p>So why did Rudy hold back from contesting the initial primaries? Chiefly because he himself had created the conditions for his own rejection in the early states. Had Giuliani moved to meet social conservatives halfway, Huckabee would likely have remained an also-ran and Rudy could have contested Iowa. Instead, Giuliani had to shun this socially conservative state, now catching fire for a rival whose campaign he himself had helped to jump-start.</p>
<p>With Huckabee's triumph weakening Giuliani further in New Hampshire, Rudy decided on strategic retreat to Florida as his best option. Perhaps in retrospect Giuliani could and should have made a bolder stand in New Hampshire. But Rudy's early decisions on how to handle social conservatives underpin his logic of retreat. South Carolina was another socially conservative state where Rudy was profoundly handicapped. Had Giuliani coopted at least a significant group of social conservatives back when he was seen as the party's savior, Huckabee would not have been able to take so many of South Carolina's evangelicals, and McCain would have had to fight a viable Rudy for South Carolina's hawks.</p>
<p>Did the success of the surge and the consequent decline of the war as an issue do Giuliani in? Not really. Rudy was always much more than the 9/11 candidate. Giuliani's executive experience and his famous turn-around of New York city gave him a huge edge over McCain in executive leadership, and easily made him a match for Romney in that category. The dynamic in which Giuliani alienated a surprisingly receptive social conservative base and helped give rise to the Huckabee phenomenon in reaction is what controlled the critical early phases of the race, and set the stage for all that followed. National-security matters remain a huge concern for Republicans. Had Rudy handled social conservatives differently from the start, he and not John McCain would now be benefiting from ongoing Republican hawkishness.</p>
<p>Probably Rudy himself, and certainly a significant number of his core supporters, saw the Giuliani campaign as a test of whether Republicans might be able to win without social conservatives. Well, the test is over and the results are in. A candidate who effectively cuts out any key element of the Reagan coalition — be it social conservatives, business conservatives, or national-security conservatives — is doomed to failure. It's fitting, therefore, that both Giuliani and Huckabee seem to be passing from the scene at the same time. Their campaigns are historically linked reverse mirror images. Like interdependent parts that fall useless if not united, these factions of the coalition only work when they work together.</p>
<p>Some folks believe that over time, say by 2012 or 2016, social conservatives will cease to be a necessary element of a winning Republican coalition. I have my doubts about that, but the point to keep in mind here is that this is 2008. At the moment, social conservatives clearly remain an indispensable component of any winning Republican coalition, and any attempt to cut them out is proven folly. Arguably, if Rudy had compromised with social conservatives and won, he could have done far more to effectively keep the coalition hospitable to people with a wide range of views on so cial issues. But by giving so little, Rudy was left with nothing.</p>
<p>I've said that Rudy's was the original sin, but what about John McCain, whose positions on a range of issues also threaten to push important segments of the Republican coalition out into the cold? The McCain problem is real, yet it doesn't quite rise to the level of ejecting one of the three key wings of the coalition. For all the controversies, McCain offers something important to social conservatives, economic conservatives, and national-security conservatives alike. The most serious barrier is immigration, where McCain's position puts him at odds with a major and deeply committed party constituency. This reflects a problem internal to the coalition itself — the split between business conservatives and critics of uncontrolled immigration. It's far from unprecedented, since we're already struggling with the issue under President Bush.</p>
<p>The key lesson of the Giuliani campaign is that the Republican coalition as it is (and not as some might wish it to be) must be attended to. The public — social conservatives very much included — is far less doctrinaire than the usual stereotypes hold. The base is willing to compromise with our leaders for the sake of unity and victory, but our leaders have to be willing to compromise with the coalition as well. Rudy's mistake was to take early poll support from social conservatives as a free pass. Those poll numbers were actually an invitation to a discerning leader to show some ability to compromise. Rudy missed the boat. Will John McCain get it, or will arrogance push him to repeat Rudy's mistakes? Mitt Romney clearly does get it, and it's time we gave him more credit than we have up to now for respecting the coalition he aspires to lead.</p>
<p>— Stanley Kurtz is a senior fellow at the <a href="" type="internal">Ethics and Public Policy Center</a> and an NRO contributing editor.</p> | 3,616 |
|
<p />
<p />
<p>Hillary Clinton's supporters felt that it's all over but the shouting- that they have this election in the bag. They refer to Clinton as the inevitable next U.S. president, and hail the historic element that she will be the first American woman president. Such was their narrative just a few days ago. But the FBI's announcement of its revival of the Hillary private email server scandal completely changes all the premature celebrations of the Hillary camp. The FBI development is proving to be the ultimate buzzer-beater game changer.</p>
<p />
<p>Pollster John Zogby believes that the substance and timing of the FBI decision could not be worse for Hillary who has been leading all through out the presidential race. Zogby thinks this latest controversy has the potential of completely derailing Hillary's journey to the White House, and may be just the 11-th hour miracle that Donald Trump needed to beat Hillary to the finish line.</p>
<p />
<p>Zogby gives five reasons why Trump will win, and Hillary will lose in this election.</p>
<p />
<p>1. The FBI's decision to reopen its investigation into the Hillary email scandal changes the conversation of the election and undermines Clinton.</p>
<p />
<p>It will be very tough, if not nearly improbable, for Hillary to get back on track after the issue has seriously derailed her candidacy and once almost apparent victory. The issue from now to election will simply not disappear, especially in the minds of voters. While it is unlikely that the FBI will conclude its reinvestigation in just a week's time, the cloud of doubt on Hillary will persist. It will be a strong reminder to voters , especially among undecided voters, of why they seem to have a difficult time coming to terms with voting for Hillary in the first place. This FBI probe will reaffirm such doubt all the more.</p>
<p />
<p>2. It will supercharge Clinton's declining numbers in the polls while Trump is rising.</p>
<p />
<p>Again, the timing could not have been worse for Hillary just as the race is getting tighter. Her once formidable 12- point advantage in the ABC News/Washington Post national daily tracking poll has been cut to a mere 2-percentage point yesterday; and now it's down to a mere 1 point lead. The next poll could see Trump overtake Hillary.</p>
<p />
<p>3. The email scandal and FBI's reopening the case completely shatters the myth that in this election, Hillary is the lesser evil between her and Trump.</p>
<p />
<p>Just as the undecided voters are on the verge of narrowly choosing "the-lesser-evil-Hillary" now with this revelation, they are very likely to change their minds. Millennials who have been struggling with serious doubts now have all the more reason to run away from Hillary. They have not been very enthusiastic with her candidacy in the first place, and news like the FBI's announcement just raised their doubts further.</p>
<p />
<p>4. The email scandal reminds people of why they have a strong dislike for Hillary. As Zogby puts it " regardless of public service and advocacy, Bill and Hillary Clinton seem to have the smell of self- aggrandizement surrounding them."</p>
<p />
<p>5. Linking former Rep. Anthony Weiner and the FBI probe of his sexting to Clinton is simply a kiss of death. Zogby says Anthony Weiner is absolutely the last name Hillary and her Democrats want to hear right now. It will simply be difficult for Hillary to take the high moral ground when the " lowest of the low" is linked to her campaign.</p>
<p />
<p>The FBI reopening of the Hillary case may just be the biggest story of the campaign- for both parties. And now we're looking at a completely changed ballgame in our midst.</p> | Pollster Give 5 Reasons Why Trump Will Win and Hillary Will Lose | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/330-Pollster-Give-5-Reasons-Why-Trump-Will-Win-and-Hillary-Will-Lose | 2016-10-31 | 0right
| Pollster Give 5 Reasons Why Trump Will Win and Hillary Will Lose
<p />
<p />
<p>Hillary Clinton's supporters felt that it's all over but the shouting- that they have this election in the bag. They refer to Clinton as the inevitable next U.S. president, and hail the historic element that she will be the first American woman president. Such was their narrative just a few days ago. But the FBI's announcement of its revival of the Hillary private email server scandal completely changes all the premature celebrations of the Hillary camp. The FBI development is proving to be the ultimate buzzer-beater game changer.</p>
<p />
<p>Pollster John Zogby believes that the substance and timing of the FBI decision could not be worse for Hillary who has been leading all through out the presidential race. Zogby thinks this latest controversy has the potential of completely derailing Hillary's journey to the White House, and may be just the 11-th hour miracle that Donald Trump needed to beat Hillary to the finish line.</p>
<p />
<p>Zogby gives five reasons why Trump will win, and Hillary will lose in this election.</p>
<p />
<p>1. The FBI's decision to reopen its investigation into the Hillary email scandal changes the conversation of the election and undermines Clinton.</p>
<p />
<p>It will be very tough, if not nearly improbable, for Hillary to get back on track after the issue has seriously derailed her candidacy and once almost apparent victory. The issue from now to election will simply not disappear, especially in the minds of voters. While it is unlikely that the FBI will conclude its reinvestigation in just a week's time, the cloud of doubt on Hillary will persist. It will be a strong reminder to voters , especially among undecided voters, of why they seem to have a difficult time coming to terms with voting for Hillary in the first place. This FBI probe will reaffirm such doubt all the more.</p>
<p />
<p>2. It will supercharge Clinton's declining numbers in the polls while Trump is rising.</p>
<p />
<p>Again, the timing could not have been worse for Hillary just as the race is getting tighter. Her once formidable 12- point advantage in the ABC News/Washington Post national daily tracking poll has been cut to a mere 2-percentage point yesterday; and now it's down to a mere 1 point lead. The next poll could see Trump overtake Hillary.</p>
<p />
<p>3. The email scandal and FBI's reopening the case completely shatters the myth that in this election, Hillary is the lesser evil between her and Trump.</p>
<p />
<p>Just as the undecided voters are on the verge of narrowly choosing "the-lesser-evil-Hillary" now with this revelation, they are very likely to change their minds. Millennials who have been struggling with serious doubts now have all the more reason to run away from Hillary. They have not been very enthusiastic with her candidacy in the first place, and news like the FBI's announcement just raised their doubts further.</p>
<p />
<p>4. The email scandal reminds people of why they have a strong dislike for Hillary. As Zogby puts it " regardless of public service and advocacy, Bill and Hillary Clinton seem to have the smell of self- aggrandizement surrounding them."</p>
<p />
<p>5. Linking former Rep. Anthony Weiner and the FBI probe of his sexting to Clinton is simply a kiss of death. Zogby says Anthony Weiner is absolutely the last name Hillary and her Democrats want to hear right now. It will simply be difficult for Hillary to take the high moral ground when the " lowest of the low" is linked to her campaign.</p>
<p />
<p>The FBI reopening of the Hillary case may just be the biggest story of the campaign- for both parties. And now we're looking at a completely changed ballgame in our midst.</p> | 3,617 |
<p>Tens of thousands of Greeks took to the streets on Tuesday as unions, protesting controversial plans to slash 25,000 public sector jobs, brought the country to a standstill in a fourth general strike this year.</p>
<p>In one of the biggest anti-austerity outbursts since prime minister Antonis Samaras took power 13 months ago, demonstrators poured into Athens' central Syntagma Square to oppose the cuts, which will be put to a parliamentary vote on Wednesday.</p>
<p>"We are people, not numbers," many chanted against a backdrop of screeching whistles and beating drums. "Fire the troika," they screamed, referring to the triumvirate of creditors at the EU, ECB and IMF keeping bankrupt Athens afloat. The lenders have warned that unless the job cuts are voted through they will halt aid payments.</p>
<p>The political opposition backed teachers, municipal policemen, school guards and other local employees affected by the cuts in denouncing the layoffs, saying they would only exacerbate the plight of a nation ravaged by record levels of unemployment, recession and debt. At nearly 27%, Greece has the highest unemployment rate in the eurozone.</p>
<p>"The policy of mass firings, the dismantling of public institutions and the demolition of any notion of labor rights initiate a new, undemocratic governance of the country," railed ADEDY, the public sector union which organized the strike along with GSEE, the confederation of Greek workers representing private sector employees.</p>
<p>The sackings – part of a much-delayed campaign to overhaul a civil service widely blamed for Greece's woeful economic state – are the latest in a series of measures demanded by the troika.</p>
<p>Almost four years into the debt crisis – and with bailout loans due to end next May – creditors have become increasingly impatient with the slow pace of progress in streamlining the 800,000 strong public sector. Almost all the approximately 130,000 Greeks who have left the service have been retirees – in sharp contrast to the private sector where job losses have soared.</p>
<p>In a move adding to pressure on the governing coalition, the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schauble, will visit the country on Thursday.</p>
<p>Greece has received €240bn in emergency rescue funds, the biggest bailout in history, since the eruption of the crisis in late 2009. By the end of the year its debt-to-GDP ratio is expected to reach 180%.</p>
<p>Last week, after a round of frequently fraught negotiations between the country and visiting Troika chiefs, eurozone finance ministers agreed to disburse an additional €8.1bn vital to paying salaries and pensions. But the conditions attached have raised fears that the crisis-hit nation is being pushed too far.</p>
<p>Last month the conservative-dominated administration almost collapsed after Samaras attempted to cut the public payroll by shutting down the state broadcaster, ERT, overnight.</p>
<p>In the upheaval that followed the small Democratic Left party abruptly withdrew its support leaving the coalition with 155 seats in the 300-seat house.</p>
<p>Commentators questioned the wisdom of inflicting further austerity on a nation where more than 1.3 million are out of work, salaries have been cut by an average 25%, and poverty has been imposed on more than a third of the entire population.</p>
<p>"I can understand, in principle, where the Troika is coming from and the pressure the government is under but the timing is very unfortunate," said Dr Thanos Dokos, director general of Eliamep, Greece's leading thinktank. "If they had done this two years ago it might have been acceptable but not now."</p>
<p>Under the scheme some 25,000 public employees will be placed on reduced wages in a so-called "mobility pool" by the end of the year. They will then have eight months to find work in another department or lose their jobs altogether. A further 15,000 dismissals will be made in 2014.</p>
<p>Critics argue that entire institutions – including the municipal police who patrol the streets of an increasingly crime-ridden capital – will be abolished in the process.</p>
<p>"Instead of only looking at the numbers, both the Troika and the government should also look at the social and political consequences of laying off so many," Dokos added. "There's a time to pick battles and it's definitely not now."</p> | Tens of Thousands of Greeks Retake the Streets In General Strike Over Job Cuts | true | http://occupy.com/article/tens-thousands-greeks-retake-streets-general-strike-over-job-cuts | 4left
| Tens of Thousands of Greeks Retake the Streets In General Strike Over Job Cuts
<p>Tens of thousands of Greeks took to the streets on Tuesday as unions, protesting controversial plans to slash 25,000 public sector jobs, brought the country to a standstill in a fourth general strike this year.</p>
<p>In one of the biggest anti-austerity outbursts since prime minister Antonis Samaras took power 13 months ago, demonstrators poured into Athens' central Syntagma Square to oppose the cuts, which will be put to a parliamentary vote on Wednesday.</p>
<p>"We are people, not numbers," many chanted against a backdrop of screeching whistles and beating drums. "Fire the troika," they screamed, referring to the triumvirate of creditors at the EU, ECB and IMF keeping bankrupt Athens afloat. The lenders have warned that unless the job cuts are voted through they will halt aid payments.</p>
<p>The political opposition backed teachers, municipal policemen, school guards and other local employees affected by the cuts in denouncing the layoffs, saying they would only exacerbate the plight of a nation ravaged by record levels of unemployment, recession and debt. At nearly 27%, Greece has the highest unemployment rate in the eurozone.</p>
<p>"The policy of mass firings, the dismantling of public institutions and the demolition of any notion of labor rights initiate a new, undemocratic governance of the country," railed ADEDY, the public sector union which organized the strike along with GSEE, the confederation of Greek workers representing private sector employees.</p>
<p>The sackings – part of a much-delayed campaign to overhaul a civil service widely blamed for Greece's woeful economic state – are the latest in a series of measures demanded by the troika.</p>
<p>Almost four years into the debt crisis – and with bailout loans due to end next May – creditors have become increasingly impatient with the slow pace of progress in streamlining the 800,000 strong public sector. Almost all the approximately 130,000 Greeks who have left the service have been retirees – in sharp contrast to the private sector where job losses have soared.</p>
<p>In a move adding to pressure on the governing coalition, the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schauble, will visit the country on Thursday.</p>
<p>Greece has received €240bn in emergency rescue funds, the biggest bailout in history, since the eruption of the crisis in late 2009. By the end of the year its debt-to-GDP ratio is expected to reach 180%.</p>
<p>Last week, after a round of frequently fraught negotiations between the country and visiting Troika chiefs, eurozone finance ministers agreed to disburse an additional €8.1bn vital to paying salaries and pensions. But the conditions attached have raised fears that the crisis-hit nation is being pushed too far.</p>
<p>Last month the conservative-dominated administration almost collapsed after Samaras attempted to cut the public payroll by shutting down the state broadcaster, ERT, overnight.</p>
<p>In the upheaval that followed the small Democratic Left party abruptly withdrew its support leaving the coalition with 155 seats in the 300-seat house.</p>
<p>Commentators questioned the wisdom of inflicting further austerity on a nation where more than 1.3 million are out of work, salaries have been cut by an average 25%, and poverty has been imposed on more than a third of the entire population.</p>
<p>"I can understand, in principle, where the Troika is coming from and the pressure the government is under but the timing is very unfortunate," said Dr Thanos Dokos, director general of Eliamep, Greece's leading thinktank. "If they had done this two years ago it might have been acceptable but not now."</p>
<p>Under the scheme some 25,000 public employees will be placed on reduced wages in a so-called "mobility pool" by the end of the year. They will then have eight months to find work in another department or lose their jobs altogether. A further 15,000 dismissals will be made in 2014.</p>
<p>Critics argue that entire institutions – including the municipal police who patrol the streets of an increasingly crime-ridden capital – will be abolished in the process.</p>
<p>"Instead of only looking at the numbers, both the Troika and the government should also look at the social and political consequences of laying off so many," Dokos added. "There's a time to pick battles and it's definitely not now."</p> | 3,618 |
|
<p><a href="http://pienews.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/FUCK.jpg" type="external" />A Republican attempt to pass a bill making it easier to fire incompetent Veterans Affairs officials was blocked in the Senate on Thursday. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) went to the Senate floor to ask that the Senate quickly approve the House VA bill that was passed on Wednesday . [?]</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/05/22/the-senate-just-blocked-legislation-to-speed-up-va-firings/" type="external">Click here to view original web page at www.theblaze.com</a></p>
<p /> | OUTRAGEOUS! The Senate Just Blocked Legislation to Speed Up VA Firings | true | http://politicalillusionsexposed.com/the-senate-just-blocked-legislation-to-speed-up-va-firings/ | 0right
| OUTRAGEOUS! The Senate Just Blocked Legislation to Speed Up VA Firings
<p><a href="http://pienews.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/FUCK.jpg" type="external" />A Republican attempt to pass a bill making it easier to fire incompetent Veterans Affairs officials was blocked in the Senate on Thursday. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) went to the Senate floor to ask that the Senate quickly approve the House VA bill that was passed on Wednesday . [?]</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/05/22/the-senate-just-blocked-legislation-to-speed-up-va-firings/" type="external">Click here to view original web page at www.theblaze.com</a></p>
<p /> | 3,619 |
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<p />
<p>A brown-haired, brown-eyed girl, about 2 or 3 years old, was left inside a Pic Quik convenience store at Del Rey Boulevard and Bataan Memorial West around 1 a.m. Wednesday, the <a href="http://www.lcsun-news.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060209/NEWS01/602090317" type="external">Las Cruces Sun-News</a> reported today on its Web site. For a photo of the girl, go to the Sun-News story.</p>
<p>Las Cruces police are looking for two vehicles — a newer model gray Kia SUV and a mid-`90s model Silverado pickup — that appeared to pull into the store parking lot together.</p>
<p>Witnesses said a 10- to 12-year-old boy took the girl inside the store and left her there and returned to the pickup, the paper reported.</p>
<p>Both cars left at a high rate of speed, the Kia eastbound on U.S. 70 and the pickup north on Del Rey, witnesses told police.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The girl, who speaks only Spanish and was unable to give police any definite information, weighs 34 pounds and was wearing a medallion on a string necklace, a blue fleece coat, pink pants and white Nike shoes with a pink swoosh, the paper reported.</p>
<p>She appeared to be in good health, police told the Sun-News, and she has been turned over to the Children, Youth and Families Department.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, police are working with authorities in other states and Mexico to see whether the girl may have been abducted, the Sun-News reported.</p>
<p>Anyone with information should call Las Cruces police at (505) 528-4222 or Crime Stoppers at (505) 526-8000.</p> | 6:55am — Toddler Abandoned | false | https://abqjournal.com/22217/655am-toddler-abandoned.html | 2least
| 6:55am — Toddler Abandoned
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<p />
<p>A brown-haired, brown-eyed girl, about 2 or 3 years old, was left inside a Pic Quik convenience store at Del Rey Boulevard and Bataan Memorial West around 1 a.m. Wednesday, the <a href="http://www.lcsun-news.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060209/NEWS01/602090317" type="external">Las Cruces Sun-News</a> reported today on its Web site. For a photo of the girl, go to the Sun-News story.</p>
<p>Las Cruces police are looking for two vehicles — a newer model gray Kia SUV and a mid-`90s model Silverado pickup — that appeared to pull into the store parking lot together.</p>
<p>Witnesses said a 10- to 12-year-old boy took the girl inside the store and left her there and returned to the pickup, the paper reported.</p>
<p>Both cars left at a high rate of speed, the Kia eastbound on U.S. 70 and the pickup north on Del Rey, witnesses told police.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The girl, who speaks only Spanish and was unable to give police any definite information, weighs 34 pounds and was wearing a medallion on a string necklace, a blue fleece coat, pink pants and white Nike shoes with a pink swoosh, the paper reported.</p>
<p>She appeared to be in good health, police told the Sun-News, and she has been turned over to the Children, Youth and Families Department.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, police are working with authorities in other states and Mexico to see whether the girl may have been abducted, the Sun-News reported.</p>
<p>Anyone with information should call Las Cruces police at (505) 528-4222 or Crime Stoppers at (505) 526-8000.</p> | 3,620 |
|
<p />
<p>A new report suggests a "sophisticated" Russian propaganda campaign helped flood social media with fake news stories leading up to the presidential election.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The Washington Post, citing a yet-to-be published report from independent researchers, said the goal was to punish Hillary Clinton, help Donald Trump, and undermine faith in American democracy.</p>
<p>The report comes from a nonpartisan group of researchers called PropOrNot. The group describes itself as "concerned American citizens" with expertise in computer science, national security and public policy. The researchers say they traced the origins of posts and mapped the connections among accounts that delivered similar messages.</p>
<p>The findings show just how effective the bogus reports and propaganda were, according to the report. On Facebook, PropOrNot estimates that stories planted or promoted by the disinformation campaign were viewed 213 million times.</p>
<p>While it's not clear whether fake news and propaganda helped sway the election in Trump's favor, millions of Americans get their news from what's shared on Facebook and other social media. In recent months, fake and misleading stories have proliferated, even as Facebook has insisted that they make up a tiny fraction of the overall stuff users share on the site.</p>
<p>Both Facebook and Google have said they are taking steps to stop the spread of misinformation on their sites, including by turning off access to advertising.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>PropOrNot's report, provided to The Post in advance of its public release, identified more than 200 websites as "peddlers of Russian propaganda during the election season, with combined audiences of at least 15 million Americans."</p>
<p>PropOrNot did immediately not respond to a message asking for the report on Friday afternoon.</p> | Report: Russian propaganda effort spread fake news | true | http://foxbusiness.com/technology/2016/11/25/report-russian-propaganda-effort-spread-fake-news.html | 2016-11-25 | 0right
| Report: Russian propaganda effort spread fake news
<p />
<p>A new report suggests a "sophisticated" Russian propaganda campaign helped flood social media with fake news stories leading up to the presidential election.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The Washington Post, citing a yet-to-be published report from independent researchers, said the goal was to punish Hillary Clinton, help Donald Trump, and undermine faith in American democracy.</p>
<p>The report comes from a nonpartisan group of researchers called PropOrNot. The group describes itself as "concerned American citizens" with expertise in computer science, national security and public policy. The researchers say they traced the origins of posts and mapped the connections among accounts that delivered similar messages.</p>
<p>The findings show just how effective the bogus reports and propaganda were, according to the report. On Facebook, PropOrNot estimates that stories planted or promoted by the disinformation campaign were viewed 213 million times.</p>
<p>While it's not clear whether fake news and propaganda helped sway the election in Trump's favor, millions of Americans get their news from what's shared on Facebook and other social media. In recent months, fake and misleading stories have proliferated, even as Facebook has insisted that they make up a tiny fraction of the overall stuff users share on the site.</p>
<p>Both Facebook and Google have said they are taking steps to stop the spread of misinformation on their sites, including by turning off access to advertising.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>PropOrNot's report, provided to The Post in advance of its public release, identified more than 200 websites as "peddlers of Russian propaganda during the election season, with combined audiences of at least 15 million Americans."</p>
<p>PropOrNot did immediately not respond to a message asking for the report on Friday afternoon.</p> | 3,621 |
<p>0655 GMT - Some noted tech names in Hong Kong are sagging today amid words of caution about the sector regionally from giant asset manager BlackRock. Tencent is off 1%, not helping as the Hang Seng tries to notch its first close above 30000 in a decade. Meanwhile, spinoff China Literature hits its lowest level since going public 2 weeks ago, falling another 4.2% today. But it's still far above its IPO price. Zhongan Online slides 4.3%, hitting a 7-week low, and Yixin fell further below its IPO price, dropping as much as 10%. ([email protected])</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>November 22, 2017 02:10 ET (07:10 GMT)</p> | Hong Kong Techs Pull Back -- Market Talk | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/11/22/hong-kong-techs-pull-back-market-talk.html | 2017-11-22 | 0right
| Hong Kong Techs Pull Back -- Market Talk
<p>0655 GMT - Some noted tech names in Hong Kong are sagging today amid words of caution about the sector regionally from giant asset manager BlackRock. Tencent is off 1%, not helping as the Hang Seng tries to notch its first close above 30000 in a decade. Meanwhile, spinoff China Literature hits its lowest level since going public 2 weeks ago, falling another 4.2% today. But it's still far above its IPO price. Zhongan Online slides 4.3%, hitting a 7-week low, and Yixin fell further below its IPO price, dropping as much as 10%. ([email protected])</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>November 22, 2017 02:10 ET (07:10 GMT)</p> | 3,622 |
<p>Every week the Truthdig editorial staff selects a <a href="" type="internal">Truthdigger of the Week</a>, a group or person worthy of recognition for speaking truth to power, breaking the story or blowing the whistle. It is not a lifetime achievement award. Rather, we’re looking for newsmakers whose actions in a given week are worth celebrating. Nominate our next Truthdigger <a href="" type="internal">here</a>.</p>
<p>Soldiers often say the experience of war can never be fully appreciated by those who haven’t lived through it. This seems difficult to doubt. But journalist Ann Jones knows the shooting and killing endured in battle is relatively short-lived compared to the pain, suffering and violence that follows veterans home. Thanks to her new book, “ <a href="http://www.annjonesonline.com/Soldiers-details.html" type="external">They Were Soldiers: How the Wounded Return From America’s Wars — The Untold Story</a>,” which will be available Tuesday, right after Veterans Day, a great many more of us can be certain about that.</p>
<p>Across eight books dating back to the mid-1980s, Jones, a daughter of an American veteran of World War I, has dealt up-close with themes of violence in war and against women, and chronicled some of the efforts of people determined to put an end to both. Her latest offering is the product of a yearlong investigation into the experience of wounded U.S. soldiers and their military caretakers in trauma hospitals in Afghanistan, Germany and Washington, D.C., as well as the damage’s lasting effect on them, their families and their — our — communities. In the hands of a typical journalist, the book would consist of a series of stories about the sacrifice and misfortune of American servicemen and women. But Jones is not a typical journalist. Her questions are those of an anthropologist determined to understand both how her subjects view their experience and what objectively happens. This is extraordinarily welcome. Soldiering is among the most mythologized professions in the narrowing spectrum of American employment, and its continued misunderstanding by the public, which is often committed out of an honorable sense of respect for its victims, is a major part of its perpetuation.</p>
<p>War is “a human invention,” Jones writes in her first pages, that vast research into the causes of human behavior shows is not and never was necessary. Unnecessary then is its long and repeating pageant of horrors unleashed on the battlefield and at home, each represented in stories of veterans and families she interviewed. We learn of the shredded remains of soldiers scooped up by those who were “lucky” enough to avoid being hit in a war fought mostly with bombs; the arm, leg and genital amputations of those who were not so fortunate; the sometimes invisible post-traumatic stress that accumulates in the minds of survivors; violent mood swings and chronic depression; the helplessness of isolated wives, girlfriends and mothers; the rapes, of which a majority of victims are men; the crushing loss of a sense of purpose, self and pride; the empowerment of criminals and the already-disturbed due to inadequate enlistment rates; the training of certain men who are likely to embark upon careers of crime upon returning home, a practice that amounts to the state sanctioning of terror and sadism; soul-deadening drugs and painkiller addictions; pharmaceutical corporations that collude with interest groups and (almost certainly) lawmakers to pull profits out of chronic pain; thousands of suicides; the personality-shaping confusion and abuse of children; and $1.1 trillion in taxpayer wealth delivered over 10 years to dozens of contractors guilty of fraud. The list goes on. If the wars ended tomorrow, Jones points out, these evils would still be with us in 50 years or more, and their effects would influence subsequent generations.</p>
<p />
<p>The callousness of the official responses to the wounded and their families features in many of the book’s major scenes. Like wind-up dolls, generals and hospital officials ply bed-ridden soldiers experiencing perhaps their first, profound moments of doubt with empty compliments about greatness and bravery. Newly wed wives complaining in group counseling sessions of how their husbands have changed are told only to give their soldier “his space” and suppress their own needs and desires indefinitely. “What about my space?” just one asks. A section on sexual assault tells how the military redefined rape to “remove it from the realm of criminal prosecution to the shelter of the old boys’ network, the military chain of command.” We have long known about the difficulty many veterans have obtaining adequate medical care; the aged, homeless Vietnam soldier is a familiar feature of the downtown areas of nearly every major American city. Jones presents a decisive update of an unaccountable military establishment interested primarily in protecting itself and willing and able to dissemble and distract to evade accountability.</p>
<p>Although the corrupt failings of military brass are well exposed, the most controversial and socially important parts of the book come when the author assaults what she identifies as the myths of military brotherhood and the soldier’s alleged entitlement to emotional distance and silence. The “biggest military secret of all,” one veteran reveals to her, is that the bond between soldiers, so vaunted in movies and presidential speeches, consists of little more than the stripped-down instinct to survive. Soldiers may not even like one another, she learns. But they rarely afford their families the willingness to cooperate that they give to one another. And unsure of what to do about it, spouses, children and parents often opt for what seems to be the security of silence. But of course silence leads nowhere. “The worst we can say of war is that it is ‘unspeakable,’&#160;” Jones writes.</p>
<p>With these rare revelations, Jones gives readers a basis for a conversation that is necessary to the healing of soldiers whose lives, bodies and minds were deformed by war, and to the mending of the nation at large. War will always define some measure of the lives of combat veterans and their families. But the well-being of communities demands that all groups, veterans included, be willing to address the problems that separate them. Remarkably, Jones does this with indisputable respect for the men and women whose precious but acquired values and behaviors she unflinchingly criticizes. Among endless opportunities for division, “They Were Soldiers” was written to give people alienated and estranged by war a chance to find their way back to one another. For that invaluable public service, Ann Jones is our Truthdigger of the Week.</p>
<p /> | Truthdigger of the Week: Ann Jones | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/truthdigger-of-the-week-ann-jones/ | 2013-11-10 | 4left
| Truthdigger of the Week: Ann Jones
<p>Every week the Truthdig editorial staff selects a <a href="" type="internal">Truthdigger of the Week</a>, a group or person worthy of recognition for speaking truth to power, breaking the story or blowing the whistle. It is not a lifetime achievement award. Rather, we’re looking for newsmakers whose actions in a given week are worth celebrating. Nominate our next Truthdigger <a href="" type="internal">here</a>.</p>
<p>Soldiers often say the experience of war can never be fully appreciated by those who haven’t lived through it. This seems difficult to doubt. But journalist Ann Jones knows the shooting and killing endured in battle is relatively short-lived compared to the pain, suffering and violence that follows veterans home. Thanks to her new book, “ <a href="http://www.annjonesonline.com/Soldiers-details.html" type="external">They Were Soldiers: How the Wounded Return From America’s Wars — The Untold Story</a>,” which will be available Tuesday, right after Veterans Day, a great many more of us can be certain about that.</p>
<p>Across eight books dating back to the mid-1980s, Jones, a daughter of an American veteran of World War I, has dealt up-close with themes of violence in war and against women, and chronicled some of the efforts of people determined to put an end to both. Her latest offering is the product of a yearlong investigation into the experience of wounded U.S. soldiers and their military caretakers in trauma hospitals in Afghanistan, Germany and Washington, D.C., as well as the damage’s lasting effect on them, their families and their — our — communities. In the hands of a typical journalist, the book would consist of a series of stories about the sacrifice and misfortune of American servicemen and women. But Jones is not a typical journalist. Her questions are those of an anthropologist determined to understand both how her subjects view their experience and what objectively happens. This is extraordinarily welcome. Soldiering is among the most mythologized professions in the narrowing spectrum of American employment, and its continued misunderstanding by the public, which is often committed out of an honorable sense of respect for its victims, is a major part of its perpetuation.</p>
<p>War is “a human invention,” Jones writes in her first pages, that vast research into the causes of human behavior shows is not and never was necessary. Unnecessary then is its long and repeating pageant of horrors unleashed on the battlefield and at home, each represented in stories of veterans and families she interviewed. We learn of the shredded remains of soldiers scooped up by those who were “lucky” enough to avoid being hit in a war fought mostly with bombs; the arm, leg and genital amputations of those who were not so fortunate; the sometimes invisible post-traumatic stress that accumulates in the minds of survivors; violent mood swings and chronic depression; the helplessness of isolated wives, girlfriends and mothers; the rapes, of which a majority of victims are men; the crushing loss of a sense of purpose, self and pride; the empowerment of criminals and the already-disturbed due to inadequate enlistment rates; the training of certain men who are likely to embark upon careers of crime upon returning home, a practice that amounts to the state sanctioning of terror and sadism; soul-deadening drugs and painkiller addictions; pharmaceutical corporations that collude with interest groups and (almost certainly) lawmakers to pull profits out of chronic pain; thousands of suicides; the personality-shaping confusion and abuse of children; and $1.1 trillion in taxpayer wealth delivered over 10 years to dozens of contractors guilty of fraud. The list goes on. If the wars ended tomorrow, Jones points out, these evils would still be with us in 50 years or more, and their effects would influence subsequent generations.</p>
<p />
<p>The callousness of the official responses to the wounded and their families features in many of the book’s major scenes. Like wind-up dolls, generals and hospital officials ply bed-ridden soldiers experiencing perhaps their first, profound moments of doubt with empty compliments about greatness and bravery. Newly wed wives complaining in group counseling sessions of how their husbands have changed are told only to give their soldier “his space” and suppress their own needs and desires indefinitely. “What about my space?” just one asks. A section on sexual assault tells how the military redefined rape to “remove it from the realm of criminal prosecution to the shelter of the old boys’ network, the military chain of command.” We have long known about the difficulty many veterans have obtaining adequate medical care; the aged, homeless Vietnam soldier is a familiar feature of the downtown areas of nearly every major American city. Jones presents a decisive update of an unaccountable military establishment interested primarily in protecting itself and willing and able to dissemble and distract to evade accountability.</p>
<p>Although the corrupt failings of military brass are well exposed, the most controversial and socially important parts of the book come when the author assaults what she identifies as the myths of military brotherhood and the soldier’s alleged entitlement to emotional distance and silence. The “biggest military secret of all,” one veteran reveals to her, is that the bond between soldiers, so vaunted in movies and presidential speeches, consists of little more than the stripped-down instinct to survive. Soldiers may not even like one another, she learns. But they rarely afford their families the willingness to cooperate that they give to one another. And unsure of what to do about it, spouses, children and parents often opt for what seems to be the security of silence. But of course silence leads nowhere. “The worst we can say of war is that it is ‘unspeakable,’&#160;” Jones writes.</p>
<p>With these rare revelations, Jones gives readers a basis for a conversation that is necessary to the healing of soldiers whose lives, bodies and minds were deformed by war, and to the mending of the nation at large. War will always define some measure of the lives of combat veterans and their families. But the well-being of communities demands that all groups, veterans included, be willing to address the problems that separate them. Remarkably, Jones does this with indisputable respect for the men and women whose precious but acquired values and behaviors she unflinchingly criticizes. Among endless opportunities for division, “They Were Soldiers” was written to give people alienated and estranged by war a chance to find their way back to one another. For that invaluable public service, Ann Jones is our Truthdigger of the Week.</p>
<p /> | 3,623 |
<p>Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Dr. Ali Anbori, a health consultant and civil rights activist in Iraq, about the violent crackdown on protests, as well as media coverage, there. Dozens of small scale demonstrations have been popping up in Iraq during the past few weeks in response to the turmoil in North Africa. Iraqi security forces have detained and beaten journalists and activists and attacked TV and radio stations.&#160;</p> | Iraqi forces crack down on protests | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-03-08/iraqi-forces-crack-down-protests | 2011-03-08 | 3left-center
| Iraqi forces crack down on protests
<p>Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Dr. Ali Anbori, a health consultant and civil rights activist in Iraq, about the violent crackdown on protests, as well as media coverage, there. Dozens of small scale demonstrations have been popping up in Iraq during the past few weeks in response to the turmoil in North Africa. Iraqi security forces have detained and beaten journalists and activists and attacked TV and radio stations.&#160;</p> | 3,624 |
<p>US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was met with global condemnation, with some Muslim nations calling for armed resistance and the European Union urging compliance with UN resolutions.</p>
<p>Shortly after Trump’s announcement Wednesday, Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, said the US could no longer serve as mediator of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. He dismissed the American move, saying Jerusalem is the “eternal capital of the State of Palestine.”</p>
<p>Palestinian group Hamas called for a new uprising against Israel in response to the American decision.</p>
<p>Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, backed Hamas’ calls for a new “intifada” against Israel. Nasrallah said by this announcement, “Trump told Israel, that his Jerusalem is for you and it is under your sovereignty.” He also warned that Muslim people and their sacred sites in the city, including the al-Aqsa Mosque, were now in “extreme danger” as a result of Trump’s announcement.</p>
<p>The recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital is America’s “new conspiracy” against the Islamic world, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said. The nations in the region must “be aware and ready in the face of the US, the Zionist entity (Israel) and their tails,” added.</p>
<p>Turkey’s leadership warned that Trump’s ruling would have disastrous consequences for the Middle East and called on Washington to reverse its decision. “The US has pulled the pin on a bomb ready to blow in the region,” Turkish Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, said, echoing an earlier statement by his president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.</p>
<p>Syria also slammed the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, saying it amounted to a “crime.”</p>
<p>Saudi Arabia said it has followed Trump’s announcement with “with deep sorrow” as it represented “a big step back in efforts to advance the peace process” between Israel and Palestine. The Gulf Kingdom urged Washington to reverse the move, also warning against “dangerous consequences” of moving the American embassy to the disputed Holy City.</p>
<p>The Iraqi government expressed concern that Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem may lead to a “dangerous escalation that would fuel extremism and create conditions favorable to terrorism.” While a local Shia paramilitary group, Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba, said the “stupid decision” places US troops in Iraq in danger.</p>
<p>European reaction to Trump’s declaration was less emotional, but negative as well, with France and Germany pointing out that it disregarded all international agreements. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed regret at Trump’s “unilateral” decision, underlining that France “does not approve of” it.</p>
<p>Angela Merkel’s spokesman said the German Chancellor “doesn’t support” the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. In a statement, Merkel said Berlin was sticking to the relevant UN resolutions, which make clear that “the status of Jerusalem needs to be negotiated as part of negotiations on a two-state solution.” German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel warned the new US stance would provoke a “new escalation in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.”</p>
<p>American recognition of Jerusalem’s capital status was only welcomed by Israel itself, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praising Trump.</p>
<p>“This is a historic day,” Netanyahu said, expressing hope that “many” other nations will follow in footsteps of the US.</p> | ‘Bomb ready to blow': Muslim, European leaders slam Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem | false | https://newsline.com/bomb-ready-to-blow039-muslim-european-leaders-slam-trumps-recognition-of-jerusalem/ | 2017-12-07 | 1right-center
| ‘Bomb ready to blow': Muslim, European leaders slam Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem
<p>US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was met with global condemnation, with some Muslim nations calling for armed resistance and the European Union urging compliance with UN resolutions.</p>
<p>Shortly after Trump’s announcement Wednesday, Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, said the US could no longer serve as mediator of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. He dismissed the American move, saying Jerusalem is the “eternal capital of the State of Palestine.”</p>
<p>Palestinian group Hamas called for a new uprising against Israel in response to the American decision.</p>
<p>Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, backed Hamas’ calls for a new “intifada” against Israel. Nasrallah said by this announcement, “Trump told Israel, that his Jerusalem is for you and it is under your sovereignty.” He also warned that Muslim people and their sacred sites in the city, including the al-Aqsa Mosque, were now in “extreme danger” as a result of Trump’s announcement.</p>
<p>The recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital is America’s “new conspiracy” against the Islamic world, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said. The nations in the region must “be aware and ready in the face of the US, the Zionist entity (Israel) and their tails,” added.</p>
<p>Turkey’s leadership warned that Trump’s ruling would have disastrous consequences for the Middle East and called on Washington to reverse its decision. “The US has pulled the pin on a bomb ready to blow in the region,” Turkish Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, said, echoing an earlier statement by his president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.</p>
<p>Syria also slammed the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, saying it amounted to a “crime.”</p>
<p>Saudi Arabia said it has followed Trump’s announcement with “with deep sorrow” as it represented “a big step back in efforts to advance the peace process” between Israel and Palestine. The Gulf Kingdom urged Washington to reverse the move, also warning against “dangerous consequences” of moving the American embassy to the disputed Holy City.</p>
<p>The Iraqi government expressed concern that Washington’s recognition of Jerusalem may lead to a “dangerous escalation that would fuel extremism and create conditions favorable to terrorism.” While a local Shia paramilitary group, Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba, said the “stupid decision” places US troops in Iraq in danger.</p>
<p>European reaction to Trump’s declaration was less emotional, but negative as well, with France and Germany pointing out that it disregarded all international agreements. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed regret at Trump’s “unilateral” decision, underlining that France “does not approve of” it.</p>
<p>Angela Merkel’s spokesman said the German Chancellor “doesn’t support” the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. In a statement, Merkel said Berlin was sticking to the relevant UN resolutions, which make clear that “the status of Jerusalem needs to be negotiated as part of negotiations on a two-state solution.” German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel warned the new US stance would provoke a “new escalation in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.”</p>
<p>American recognition of Jerusalem’s capital status was only welcomed by Israel itself, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praising Trump.</p>
<p>“This is a historic day,” Netanyahu said, expressing hope that “many” other nations will follow in footsteps of the US.</p> | 3,625 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>NEW YORK — A Yale University history professor’s suggestions for resisting Donald Trump’s presidency and his warnings about the demise of democracy, a list widely shared on social media, have been expanded into a book.</p>
<p>Timothy Snyder’s “On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century” will be published next Tuesday, according to the Penguin Random House imprint Tim Duggan Books. “Tyranny” is based on a Facebook posting by Snyder that he wrote after the election last November.</p>
<p>Snyder’s advice ranges from “Do not obey in advance” to “Learn from others in other countries.” He is a specialist in European history. His other books include “Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin” and “Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Yale professor’s guide to resisting tyranny coming next week | false | https://abqjournal.com/955948/yale-professors-guide-to-resisting-tyranny-coming-next-week.html | 2least
| Yale professor’s guide to resisting tyranny coming next week
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>NEW YORK — A Yale University history professor’s suggestions for resisting Donald Trump’s presidency and his warnings about the demise of democracy, a list widely shared on social media, have been expanded into a book.</p>
<p>Timothy Snyder’s “On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century” will be published next Tuesday, according to the Penguin Random House imprint Tim Duggan Books. “Tyranny” is based on a Facebook posting by Snyder that he wrote after the election last November.</p>
<p>Snyder’s advice ranges from “Do not obey in advance” to “Learn from others in other countries.” He is a specialist in European history. His other books include “Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin” and “Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 3,626 |
|
<p />
<p />
<p>Leave it to LA to find a way to combine efficiency, sex, and eco-street cred. In the city of instant gratification, there’s now an easy way to determine if that cute guy at the gym will build a LEED-rated home with you: green speed dating!</p>
<p>Jenean Smith, founder of the Green Speed Dating <a href="http://www.greenspeeddating.com/Index.html" type="external">website</a>, came up with the idea while brainstorming ways to raise money to install solar panels at a rural school in Nicaragua. “One day—I have no idea why—I said, you know what the world really needs? Green speed dating!” She set up an event in Santa Monica, where for $20 participants could spend three minutes on green mini-dates. Eco-conscious Angelenos couldn’t get enough. “There’s all these green singles’ sites that don’t have enough people on them, and there’s regular speed-dating where you don’t know who you’re going to meet,” says Smith. “People liked that this was a green event for a good cause.”</p>
<p>And how did the LA speed-daters evaluate their potential partners’ green-ness? By asking what they drove, of course! One lucky guy narrowly escaped having to admit he owned an SUV; another found his bicyling habit made him a little too green for most dates. NPR caught some of the oh-so-awkward car convos; listen yourself <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92537810" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>Okay, okay, so only in LA would cars be the focus of a green dating event. (To each his own: Portland, OR offers <a href="http://bikeportland.org/2008/06/16/pedalpalooza-update-police-on-bikes-and-speed-dating/" type="external">bicycle speed dating</a>.) But the cause is indeed worthy, and word of the site is spreading fast. California readers take note: This could be your summer of green love.</p>
<p /> | LA’s Lean, Green, Dating Machines | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2008/07/las-lean-green-dating-machines/ | 2008-07-17 | 4left
| LA’s Lean, Green, Dating Machines
<p />
<p />
<p>Leave it to LA to find a way to combine efficiency, sex, and eco-street cred. In the city of instant gratification, there’s now an easy way to determine if that cute guy at the gym will build a LEED-rated home with you: green speed dating!</p>
<p>Jenean Smith, founder of the Green Speed Dating <a href="http://www.greenspeeddating.com/Index.html" type="external">website</a>, came up with the idea while brainstorming ways to raise money to install solar panels at a rural school in Nicaragua. “One day—I have no idea why—I said, you know what the world really needs? Green speed dating!” She set up an event in Santa Monica, where for $20 participants could spend three minutes on green mini-dates. Eco-conscious Angelenos couldn’t get enough. “There’s all these green singles’ sites that don’t have enough people on them, and there’s regular speed-dating where you don’t know who you’re going to meet,” says Smith. “People liked that this was a green event for a good cause.”</p>
<p>And how did the LA speed-daters evaluate their potential partners’ green-ness? By asking what they drove, of course! One lucky guy narrowly escaped having to admit he owned an SUV; another found his bicyling habit made him a little too green for most dates. NPR caught some of the oh-so-awkward car convos; listen yourself <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92537810" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>Okay, okay, so only in LA would cars be the focus of a green dating event. (To each his own: Portland, OR offers <a href="http://bikeportland.org/2008/06/16/pedalpalooza-update-police-on-bikes-and-speed-dating/" type="external">bicycle speed dating</a>.) But the cause is indeed worthy, and word of the site is spreading fast. California readers take note: This could be your summer of green love.</p>
<p /> | 3,627 |
<p>Syrian archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/18/isis-beheads-archaeologist-syria" type="external">was brutally killed Tuesday</a> by ISIS. The militant group beheaded Asaad, the foremost expert on Palmyra history, and then hanged&#160;his body from one of the Greco-Roman columns in the ancient city.</p>
<p>The octogenarian archaeologist&#160; <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33984006" type="external">had been held for about a month</a> by ISIS and was killed after refusing to give up information on the whereabouts of Palmyra artifacts, according to&#160;Syria's director of antiquities, Maamoun Abdul Karim.</p>
<p>"Al-Asaad was a treasure for Syria and the world," Khalil Hariri, Asaad's son-in-law, who works at the Palmyra's archaeological department <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/137747b424b54d94b4c0595e1449eaf4/beheads-leading-syrian-antiquities-scholar-palmyra" type="external">told The Associated Press</a>. "Why did they kill him?"</p>
<p>Amr al-Azm, an associate professor in Middle Eastern history and anthropology at Shawnee State University in Ohio who worked for a period with Asaad, added that Asaad dedicated his life to working at ancient archaeological sites.</p>
<p>“Because he’d spent so many years working on this site, he was so familiar with the archaeology of the area and the city, he was a huge repository of knowledge, all acquired first hand just by being there, and working it," Azm says. "And really this vast repository of information has now been lost to us. And it’s not the kind of information you can acquire by reading a book or attending a lecture, it’s all very practical knowledge and information. And it’s all gone now.”</p>
<p>Asaad helped evacuate many of Palmyra’s movable artifacts as ISIS approached. But he decided to stay when ISIS arrived.</p>
<p>“The trucks were literally rolling out of the city from one end as ISIS were breaking into the city from the other," Azm says. "He could have jumped on those trucks and left with the artifacts. But he chose to stay instead. And I suppose paid the ultimate price for that.”</p>
<p>Palmyra, considered an archaeological jewel of the Middle East and a UNESCO World Heritage site, was seized by ISIS in May. The ancient city was an important trading hub along the Silk Road.</p>
<p>Asaad had worked over the past few decades with US and European archaeological missions on excavations and research in Palmyra and was widely recognized as an expert on the ancient ruins there.</p>
<p>There are fears that ISIS will destroy Palmyra. The group <a href="" type="internal">has very publicly demolished</a>several ancient sites already in Iraq.</p> | He looked after the ancient ruins of Palmyra for 40 years. Now ISIS has killed him. | false | https://pri.org/stories/2015-08-19/he-looked-after-ancient-ruins-palmyra-syria-40-years-now-isis-has-killed-him | 2015-08-19 | 3left-center
| He looked after the ancient ruins of Palmyra for 40 years. Now ISIS has killed him.
<p>Syrian archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/18/isis-beheads-archaeologist-syria" type="external">was brutally killed Tuesday</a> by ISIS. The militant group beheaded Asaad, the foremost expert on Palmyra history, and then hanged&#160;his body from one of the Greco-Roman columns in the ancient city.</p>
<p>The octogenarian archaeologist&#160; <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33984006" type="external">had been held for about a month</a> by ISIS and was killed after refusing to give up information on the whereabouts of Palmyra artifacts, according to&#160;Syria's director of antiquities, Maamoun Abdul Karim.</p>
<p>"Al-Asaad was a treasure for Syria and the world," Khalil Hariri, Asaad's son-in-law, who works at the Palmyra's archaeological department <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/137747b424b54d94b4c0595e1449eaf4/beheads-leading-syrian-antiquities-scholar-palmyra" type="external">told The Associated Press</a>. "Why did they kill him?"</p>
<p>Amr al-Azm, an associate professor in Middle Eastern history and anthropology at Shawnee State University in Ohio who worked for a period with Asaad, added that Asaad dedicated his life to working at ancient archaeological sites.</p>
<p>“Because he’d spent so many years working on this site, he was so familiar with the archaeology of the area and the city, he was a huge repository of knowledge, all acquired first hand just by being there, and working it," Azm says. "And really this vast repository of information has now been lost to us. And it’s not the kind of information you can acquire by reading a book or attending a lecture, it’s all very practical knowledge and information. And it’s all gone now.”</p>
<p>Asaad helped evacuate many of Palmyra’s movable artifacts as ISIS approached. But he decided to stay when ISIS arrived.</p>
<p>“The trucks were literally rolling out of the city from one end as ISIS were breaking into the city from the other," Azm says. "He could have jumped on those trucks and left with the artifacts. But he chose to stay instead. And I suppose paid the ultimate price for that.”</p>
<p>Palmyra, considered an archaeological jewel of the Middle East and a UNESCO World Heritage site, was seized by ISIS in May. The ancient city was an important trading hub along the Silk Road.</p>
<p>Asaad had worked over the past few decades with US and European archaeological missions on excavations and research in Palmyra and was widely recognized as an expert on the ancient ruins there.</p>
<p>There are fears that ISIS will destroy Palmyra. The group <a href="" type="internal">has very publicly demolished</a>several ancient sites already in Iraq.</p> | 3,628 |
<p>Iraqi forces have detained a group of female Islamic State fighters in Mosul, five of whom are reportedly German. Berlin is investigating whether one of them is a 16-year-old girl who left the country a year ago to join the terrorist group.</p>
<p>Iraqi troops captured a group of some 20 female fighters last week in the city of Mosul, which was held by Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS/ISIL), Die Welt reported.</p>
<p>It added that at least five of them were German citizens, while others came from Russia, Turkey, Canada, Syria, Libya and the Caucasus.&#160;</p>
<p>The women were hiding in tunnels built by the terrorists, media reported, adding that Iraqi forces allegedly found weapons and suicide vests during the arrests.&#160;</p>
<p>A 16-year-old student from the German federal state of Saxony, Linda W., is presumably among the five German women, Die Welt newspaper&#160; <a href="https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article166732312/Deutsches-IS-Maedchen-aus-Sachsen-in-Mossul-aufgegriffen.html" type="external">reported</a>, citing security sources.&#160;The authorities are investigating whether the teen held in Mosul was Linda, Lorenz Haase, chief prosecutor for the state of Saxony, said.</p>
<p>She reportedly converted to Islam and falsified documents to travel alone to Istanbul, Turkey, and then on to Syria back in the summer of 2016.</p>
<p>Linda’s parents reported that she was missing immediately after her disappearance. The authorities issued an international search warrant for the student in July 2016. The General Prosecutor’s Office in Dresden, Saxony, began an investigation into the girl for alleged preparations of violent acts against Germany. The probe was suspended due to the absence of the main suspect, DW earlier&#160; <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/five-islamic-state-german-women-found-in-tunnel-in-mosul/a-39729581" type="external">reported</a>.&#160;</p>
<p>“There are new details in the case of Linda W., which are being examined at the moment,”&#160;a spokeswoman from Saxony’s State Criminal Police Office (LKA) told Die Welt on Monday.</p>
<p>According to the LKA, Linda was in contact with IS supporters while in Germany and allegedly got in touch with the terrorist group online, DW&#160; <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/five-islamic-state-german-women-found-in-tunnel-in-mosul/a-39729581" type="external">reported</a>.&#160;</p>
<p>Vian Dakhil, a Yazidi member of the Council of Representatives of Iraq, confirmed the identity of the girl on Twitter, releasing pictures during her alleged capture by Iraqi forces. Linda was an IS sniper, Dakhil claimed, adding that her mother “didn’t deny” that the girl in the photos was Linda.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/395316-germany-extremism-radicalization-report/" type="external">READ MORE: Germany must expect attacks by lone wolves &amp; terrorist groups at ‘any time’ – intel chief</a></p>
<p>Some 930 people left Germany to fight in Syria or Iraq, 20 percent of whom were women, Hans-Georg Maassen, the president of Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), the German domestic security agency, said earlier in July.</p>
<p>A BfV <a href="http://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/EN/Broschueren/2017/vsb-kurzfassung-engl-2016.pdf?__blob=publicationFile" type="external">report</a>, also released in July this year, states that young people can easily be indoctrinated to “develop a readiness to consequently obey the order to kill unbelievers.”&#160;</p>
<p>The report warns that Germany is the focus of Islamist terrorism and “terrorist incidents are possible in Germany at any time in the future.” The Islamist following in Germany in 2016 amounted to approximately 24,400 individuals, the document added.</p> | 5 Germans incl 16yo girl reportedly among 20 female ISIS fighters captured in Mosul | false | https://newsline.com/5-germans-incl-16yo-girl-reportedly-among-20-female-isis-fighters-captured-in-mosul/ | 2017-07-18 | 1right-center
| 5 Germans incl 16yo girl reportedly among 20 female ISIS fighters captured in Mosul
<p>Iraqi forces have detained a group of female Islamic State fighters in Mosul, five of whom are reportedly German. Berlin is investigating whether one of them is a 16-year-old girl who left the country a year ago to join the terrorist group.</p>
<p>Iraqi troops captured a group of some 20 female fighters last week in the city of Mosul, which was held by Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS/ISIL), Die Welt reported.</p>
<p>It added that at least five of them were German citizens, while others came from Russia, Turkey, Canada, Syria, Libya and the Caucasus.&#160;</p>
<p>The women were hiding in tunnels built by the terrorists, media reported, adding that Iraqi forces allegedly found weapons and suicide vests during the arrests.&#160;</p>
<p>A 16-year-old student from the German federal state of Saxony, Linda W., is presumably among the five German women, Die Welt newspaper&#160; <a href="https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article166732312/Deutsches-IS-Maedchen-aus-Sachsen-in-Mossul-aufgegriffen.html" type="external">reported</a>, citing security sources.&#160;The authorities are investigating whether the teen held in Mosul was Linda, Lorenz Haase, chief prosecutor for the state of Saxony, said.</p>
<p>She reportedly converted to Islam and falsified documents to travel alone to Istanbul, Turkey, and then on to Syria back in the summer of 2016.</p>
<p>Linda’s parents reported that she was missing immediately after her disappearance. The authorities issued an international search warrant for the student in July 2016. The General Prosecutor’s Office in Dresden, Saxony, began an investigation into the girl for alleged preparations of violent acts against Germany. The probe was suspended due to the absence of the main suspect, DW earlier&#160; <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/five-islamic-state-german-women-found-in-tunnel-in-mosul/a-39729581" type="external">reported</a>.&#160;</p>
<p>“There are new details in the case of Linda W., which are being examined at the moment,”&#160;a spokeswoman from Saxony’s State Criminal Police Office (LKA) told Die Welt on Monday.</p>
<p>According to the LKA, Linda was in contact with IS supporters while in Germany and allegedly got in touch with the terrorist group online, DW&#160; <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/five-islamic-state-german-women-found-in-tunnel-in-mosul/a-39729581" type="external">reported</a>.&#160;</p>
<p>Vian Dakhil, a Yazidi member of the Council of Representatives of Iraq, confirmed the identity of the girl on Twitter, releasing pictures during her alleged capture by Iraqi forces. Linda was an IS sniper, Dakhil claimed, adding that her mother “didn’t deny” that the girl in the photos was Linda.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/395316-germany-extremism-radicalization-report/" type="external">READ MORE: Germany must expect attacks by lone wolves &amp; terrorist groups at ‘any time’ – intel chief</a></p>
<p>Some 930 people left Germany to fight in Syria or Iraq, 20 percent of whom were women, Hans-Georg Maassen, the president of Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), the German domestic security agency, said earlier in July.</p>
<p>A BfV <a href="http://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/EN/Broschueren/2017/vsb-kurzfassung-engl-2016.pdf?__blob=publicationFile" type="external">report</a>, also released in July this year, states that young people can easily be indoctrinated to “develop a readiness to consequently obey the order to kill unbelievers.”&#160;</p>
<p>The report warns that Germany is the focus of Islamist terrorism and “terrorist incidents are possible in Germany at any time in the future.” The Islamist following in Germany in 2016 amounted to approximately 24,400 individuals, the document added.</p> | 3,629 |
<p>Amid this volatile economic climate, small business owners may be facing a number of challenges, such as holding too much inventory or sluggish receivables, which can send a business's cash flow into the red.By identifying the areas where you can reduce costs and increase revenue, you can begin managing debt more efficiently and revive your business's cash flow.Use these tips to help manage your business debt:</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>These tips could help increase revenue:</p>
<p>Managing debt is integral to sustaining your business's cash flow. Reducing expenses and increasing revenue can help manage your business debt. Consider consulting a certified public accountant or a trusted financial advisor for additional advice about managing debt.Joseph Benoit is the small business banking executive for Union Bank, N.A. Visit <a href="http://www.unionbank.com/" type="external">www.unionbank.com Opens a New Window.</a>for more information.</p>
<p>More from Entrepreneur.com</p> | Manage Debt Effectively | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2009/10/14/manage-debt-effectively.html | 2016-03-23 | 0right
| Manage Debt Effectively
<p>Amid this volatile economic climate, small business owners may be facing a number of challenges, such as holding too much inventory or sluggish receivables, which can send a business's cash flow into the red.By identifying the areas where you can reduce costs and increase revenue, you can begin managing debt more efficiently and revive your business's cash flow.Use these tips to help manage your business debt:</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>These tips could help increase revenue:</p>
<p>Managing debt is integral to sustaining your business's cash flow. Reducing expenses and increasing revenue can help manage your business debt. Consider consulting a certified public accountant or a trusted financial advisor for additional advice about managing debt.Joseph Benoit is the small business banking executive for Union Bank, N.A. Visit <a href="http://www.unionbank.com/" type="external">www.unionbank.com Opens a New Window.</a>for more information.</p>
<p>More from Entrepreneur.com</p> | 3,630 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The drop in oil prices had already caused revenue projections for the coming budget year to be scaled back twice before – new money for next year was projected to be $141 million in December and had been pegged at $285 million last summer.</p>
<p>With pay raises for state employees likely already off the table, the pared-back projections for money on hand could mean less funding for K-12 public schools, universities and health care programs.</p>
<p>Some lawmakers sought to view the revenue situation in a more positive light, as overall state spending is still on track to increase for the fourth consecutive year after an economic downturn prompted several years of budget-tightening.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“In the real world, $83 million more than what we had last year is still a good thing,” said Rep. Dennis Roch, R-Logan, during Wednesday’s committee hearing at which the new revenue figures were unveiled.</p>
<p>However, other legislators warned the revenue situation will mean scaling back proposed funding levels for schools, which make up about 44 percent of the state’s current $6.2 billion budget, and other spending areas.</p>
<p>“It’s very clear that we’re going to have to cut the budget,” said Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup.</p>
<p>The revenue estimates, compiled by executive and legislative branch economists, are a key tool for lawmakers in crafting the state’s annual spending bill.</p>
<p>New money means the difference between funds available to be spent in the coming budget year and current spending levels.</p>
<p>Finance and Administration Secretary Tom Clifford told reporters there should still be enough money to pay for proposals that include hiring more social workers for the Children, Youth and Families Department and expanding early childhood education programs.</p>
<p>“There’s enough money for those targeted initiatives,” said Clifford, an appointee of Gov. Susana Martinez.</p>
<p>He said he expects to provide lawmakers with a revised spending plan in the next week or so.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>However, Clifford acknowledged that the downward revenue projections – for the third time – could hamper a Martinez-backed attempt to enact, and expand, state tax breaks.</p>
<p>Both the Republican governor and the Legislative Finance Committee have already rolled out spending plans based on previous revenue estimates. Although details differ, the two spending proposals both call for state spending in the coming year to be increased by about $140 million – or 2.3 percent – from this year’s levels.</p>
<p>Although lower-than-expected oil prices have caused the state’s revenue estimates to be pared back, tax collections in other areas have actually surpassed previous projections and hint at overall improvement in the state’s economy, Clifford said.</p>
<p>The state is now projected to collect about $82 million more tax dollars than previously estimated in gross receipts, personal income and other types of taxes, though that increase was not enough to offset the impact of the low oil prices.</p>
<p>Taxes and royalties on the energy industry make up nearly 20 percent of the revenue that flows directly into the state’s general fund.</p>
<p>The drop in oil prices – which are now projected to end up at $56 per barrel in the coming year – will also affect the amount of money available to be spent on statewide infrastructure projects, via severance tax bonds backed by future tax revenue.</p>
<p>The amount of money available for such projects is now set at about $212 million, down from roughly $230 million, according to Wednesday’s revised estimates.</p>
<p>Members of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee have begun cobbling together a budget bill for the coming fiscal year, which begins in July. The budget is one of the top tasks facing legislators in the 60-day session that ends March 21.</p>
<p />
<p /> | Projected ‘new’ money for state budget plunges to $83 million | false | https://abqjournal.com/536622/nm-revenue-estimates-trimmed-again-83m-in-new-money-now-projected.html | 2015-02-04 | 2least
| Projected ‘new’ money for state budget plunges to $83 million
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The drop in oil prices had already caused revenue projections for the coming budget year to be scaled back twice before – new money for next year was projected to be $141 million in December and had been pegged at $285 million last summer.</p>
<p>With pay raises for state employees likely already off the table, the pared-back projections for money on hand could mean less funding for K-12 public schools, universities and health care programs.</p>
<p>Some lawmakers sought to view the revenue situation in a more positive light, as overall state spending is still on track to increase for the fourth consecutive year after an economic downturn prompted several years of budget-tightening.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“In the real world, $83 million more than what we had last year is still a good thing,” said Rep. Dennis Roch, R-Logan, during Wednesday’s committee hearing at which the new revenue figures were unveiled.</p>
<p>However, other legislators warned the revenue situation will mean scaling back proposed funding levels for schools, which make up about 44 percent of the state’s current $6.2 billion budget, and other spending areas.</p>
<p>“It’s very clear that we’re going to have to cut the budget,” said Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup.</p>
<p>The revenue estimates, compiled by executive and legislative branch economists, are a key tool for lawmakers in crafting the state’s annual spending bill.</p>
<p>New money means the difference between funds available to be spent in the coming budget year and current spending levels.</p>
<p>Finance and Administration Secretary Tom Clifford told reporters there should still be enough money to pay for proposals that include hiring more social workers for the Children, Youth and Families Department and expanding early childhood education programs.</p>
<p>“There’s enough money for those targeted initiatives,” said Clifford, an appointee of Gov. Susana Martinez.</p>
<p>He said he expects to provide lawmakers with a revised spending plan in the next week or so.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>However, Clifford acknowledged that the downward revenue projections – for the third time – could hamper a Martinez-backed attempt to enact, and expand, state tax breaks.</p>
<p>Both the Republican governor and the Legislative Finance Committee have already rolled out spending plans based on previous revenue estimates. Although details differ, the two spending proposals both call for state spending in the coming year to be increased by about $140 million – or 2.3 percent – from this year’s levels.</p>
<p>Although lower-than-expected oil prices have caused the state’s revenue estimates to be pared back, tax collections in other areas have actually surpassed previous projections and hint at overall improvement in the state’s economy, Clifford said.</p>
<p>The state is now projected to collect about $82 million more tax dollars than previously estimated in gross receipts, personal income and other types of taxes, though that increase was not enough to offset the impact of the low oil prices.</p>
<p>Taxes and royalties on the energy industry make up nearly 20 percent of the revenue that flows directly into the state’s general fund.</p>
<p>The drop in oil prices – which are now projected to end up at $56 per barrel in the coming year – will also affect the amount of money available to be spent on statewide infrastructure projects, via severance tax bonds backed by future tax revenue.</p>
<p>The amount of money available for such projects is now set at about $212 million, down from roughly $230 million, according to Wednesday’s revised estimates.</p>
<p>Members of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee have begun cobbling together a budget bill for the coming fiscal year, which begins in July. The budget is one of the top tasks facing legislators in the 60-day session that ends March 21.</p>
<p />
<p /> | 3,631 |
<p>Facebook users in the U.S. will soon be able to send their friends money using the social network's Messenger app.</p>
<p>The new tool announced Tuesday joins a crowded field of services aimed at an increasingly wireless and cashless generation that let people beam money to their friends and family using smartphones linked to bank accounts or credit cards.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>To send money, Messenger users can tap a new "$'' icon that's next to the buttons that let you send photos, stickers or a thumbs up sign. Then, enter the amount you want to send, tap "pay" on the top right corner and enter your debit card number. To receive money for the first time, enter the card number.</p>
<p>Sending or receiving money is free and only works with debit cards.</p> | Facebook to let US users send money to friends using Messenger app | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/03/17/facebook-to-let-us-users-send-money-to-friends-using-messenger-app.html | 2016-03-05 | 0right
| Facebook to let US users send money to friends using Messenger app
<p>Facebook users in the U.S. will soon be able to send their friends money using the social network's Messenger app.</p>
<p>The new tool announced Tuesday joins a crowded field of services aimed at an increasingly wireless and cashless generation that let people beam money to their friends and family using smartphones linked to bank accounts or credit cards.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>To send money, Messenger users can tap a new "$'' icon that's next to the buttons that let you send photos, stickers or a thumbs up sign. Then, enter the amount you want to send, tap "pay" on the top right corner and enter your debit card number. To receive money for the first time, enter the card number.</p>
<p>Sending or receiving money is free and only works with debit cards.</p> | 3,632 |
<p />
<p>So far, the Senate investigation that revealed Teodoro Obiang’s questionable dealings with the Riggs Bank and American oil companies has caused relatively little fallout for his regime. It has moved its money to accounts outside the jurisdiction of U.S. regulators, and it continues to do business with the same firms that made millions of dollars worth of unorthodox payments to Obiang’s family and associates.</p>
<p>Yet Equatorial Guinea’s strongman did not completely brush off last summer’s brief P.R. hit. In September, his government issued a statement condemning the investigation and its findings. As detailed in its indignant 82-point rebuttal, the Equatoguinean government claimed the Senate investigators not only got their facts horribly wrong, but that they did so with the “clear intention of denigrating” its image.</p>
<p>But the document does not dispute the Senate investigation’s main finding, namely, that Equatoguinean officials freely moved hundreds of millions of dollars through Riggs Bank and blurred the line between public and private monies. It maintains, however, that these transactions were entirely legal, transparent, and not related to money laundering or corruption. The Senate, it contends, overstepped its authority and littered its report with “conceptual confusions,” “repeated imprecisions,” and “unfounded extrapolations.” And even if the Senate was onto something, Equatorial Guinea says it was under no obligation to “answer questions as regards the observance, or otherwise” of American banking laws.</p>
<p>Such stridency is typical of the Obiang regime’s response to international scrutiny. Understandably, a leader who is accustomed to being <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3098007.stm" type="external">hailed as God’s earthly agent</a> on state radio does not readily embrace criticism. In recent interviews, Obiang has branded his opponents as “bad losers,” and accused Amnesty International and the United Nations of misrepresenting his human rights record.</p>
<p>Obiang also is not afraid to challenge the U.S. government directly. During a personal visit to Washington, D.C. in March 2001, the president tried to discredit a recent State Department report that had detailed the torture and repression of political dissidents in Equatorial Guinea. While conceding there had been “excesses of behavior from some people in authority,” he asserted that “there are no abuses on human rights issues.” Another Equatoguinean official went further, claiming the incidents listed in the report “were old stories from people who are not in the country,” and suggesting, enigmatically, that the report was “the work of one man.”</p>
<p>This umbrageous and at times paranoid tone is echoed in the Equatoguinean government’s response to the Riggs investigation. If your only impression of the country came from the response, you might think that it is an unfairly beleaguered free-market democracy. Politically, Equatorial Guinea, is portrayed as a smoothly functioning multiparty state. “Indeed,” the response boasts, “its electoral system is superior to many others internationally.” Economically, the country is described as an even playing field. “Many Equatorial Guineans,” it states, “not just the President of the Republic and his family,” have gained substantial wealth due to their “entrepreneurial flair.” Financial conflicts of interest are regulated by a decree that prohibits public servants from owning or running companies. (This decree, however, was issued in February 2004, months after the events described in the Senate investigation involving the Obiang clan’s companies took place.)</p>
<p>In an bizarre twist, the document also offers a defense of Simon Kareri, the Riggs Bank official who had handled the Equatoguinean accounts and was accused of embezzlement in the Senate hearings. As reported in the Senate report, Kareri transferred $1.2 million dollars from Equatorial Guinea’s accounts into his own. However, according to the Obiang government, Kareri’s unorthodox million-dollar deposit was an authorized payment to a construction company in Equatorial Guinea. Kareri took the Fifth during the hearings.</p>
<p>If all this is true, then how did the Senate manage to misinterpret Equatorial Guinea’s financial dealings? It was, according to the document, duped by “pressure groups” leading a disinformation campaign against the country. “Equatorial Guinea and its Political Institutions are the victims of a conspiracy of considerable and major proportions,” it claims. The figure behind this conspiracy is identified as Severo Moto Nsa, an opposition leader who has been convicted in absentia of trying to overthrow Obiang and now heads a “government in exile” in Spain. A $40,000 contract between Moto and an American lobbying firm “has come to light,” the document reports, implying that the firm influenced the Senate to target Equatorial Guinea.</p>
<p>The response letter does not acknowledge that Equatorial Guinea also retains American lobby shops to represent it in Washington. According to records filed with the Justice Department, the Obiang regime has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on P.R. and lobbying in the past five years. Earlier in 2004, it paid C/R International $120,000 to coordinate meetings between Equatoguinean and American officials. The firm also helped secure banking facilities for the country’s embassy—a task necessitated by the Riggs scandal, which had forced Equatorial Guinea to take its money elsewhere. It also organized a visit to the U.S. for Obiang in the summer of 2004, just as news of the Riggs investigation was emerging. On June 17, Condoleezza Rice accepted an award for international diplomacy in Washington, exhorting the audience, “Americans must never excuse tyranny or corruption in Africa.” Sitting with Bill Clinton and the other guests of honor was Teodoro Obiang.</p>
<p>In spite of its success cozying up to the Bush administration, the Obiang regime realizes that it must clean up its image, if not its behavior. After the Senate report came out, it signed a $50,000-a-month contract with the New York-based Farragut Advisors to help “improve the country’s public image and reputation in the United States.” And in its written response to the Riggs investigation, it insisted that it would “collaborate with any action aimed at clarifying the matters dealt with in the report.” Yet until now, most of the glimpses into its inner workings have not come from its promises of transparency, but rather the work of journalists, human rights groups, and now, Senate investigators. As more unpleasant details about Obiang’s petroligarchy seep out, no doubt he will continue to pump out more bluster and spin.</p>
<p /> | Oil Slick | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2004/12/oil-slick/ | 2004-12-20 | 4left
| Oil Slick
<p />
<p>So far, the Senate investigation that revealed Teodoro Obiang’s questionable dealings with the Riggs Bank and American oil companies has caused relatively little fallout for his regime. It has moved its money to accounts outside the jurisdiction of U.S. regulators, and it continues to do business with the same firms that made millions of dollars worth of unorthodox payments to Obiang’s family and associates.</p>
<p>Yet Equatorial Guinea’s strongman did not completely brush off last summer’s brief P.R. hit. In September, his government issued a statement condemning the investigation and its findings. As detailed in its indignant 82-point rebuttal, the Equatoguinean government claimed the Senate investigators not only got their facts horribly wrong, but that they did so with the “clear intention of denigrating” its image.</p>
<p>But the document does not dispute the Senate investigation’s main finding, namely, that Equatoguinean officials freely moved hundreds of millions of dollars through Riggs Bank and blurred the line between public and private monies. It maintains, however, that these transactions were entirely legal, transparent, and not related to money laundering or corruption. The Senate, it contends, overstepped its authority and littered its report with “conceptual confusions,” “repeated imprecisions,” and “unfounded extrapolations.” And even if the Senate was onto something, Equatorial Guinea says it was under no obligation to “answer questions as regards the observance, or otherwise” of American banking laws.</p>
<p>Such stridency is typical of the Obiang regime’s response to international scrutiny. Understandably, a leader who is accustomed to being <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3098007.stm" type="external">hailed as God’s earthly agent</a> on state radio does not readily embrace criticism. In recent interviews, Obiang has branded his opponents as “bad losers,” and accused Amnesty International and the United Nations of misrepresenting his human rights record.</p>
<p>Obiang also is not afraid to challenge the U.S. government directly. During a personal visit to Washington, D.C. in March 2001, the president tried to discredit a recent State Department report that had detailed the torture and repression of political dissidents in Equatorial Guinea. While conceding there had been “excesses of behavior from some people in authority,” he asserted that “there are no abuses on human rights issues.” Another Equatoguinean official went further, claiming the incidents listed in the report “were old stories from people who are not in the country,” and suggesting, enigmatically, that the report was “the work of one man.”</p>
<p>This umbrageous and at times paranoid tone is echoed in the Equatoguinean government’s response to the Riggs investigation. If your only impression of the country came from the response, you might think that it is an unfairly beleaguered free-market democracy. Politically, Equatorial Guinea, is portrayed as a smoothly functioning multiparty state. “Indeed,” the response boasts, “its electoral system is superior to many others internationally.” Economically, the country is described as an even playing field. “Many Equatorial Guineans,” it states, “not just the President of the Republic and his family,” have gained substantial wealth due to their “entrepreneurial flair.” Financial conflicts of interest are regulated by a decree that prohibits public servants from owning or running companies. (This decree, however, was issued in February 2004, months after the events described in the Senate investigation involving the Obiang clan’s companies took place.)</p>
<p>In an bizarre twist, the document also offers a defense of Simon Kareri, the Riggs Bank official who had handled the Equatoguinean accounts and was accused of embezzlement in the Senate hearings. As reported in the Senate report, Kareri transferred $1.2 million dollars from Equatorial Guinea’s accounts into his own. However, according to the Obiang government, Kareri’s unorthodox million-dollar deposit was an authorized payment to a construction company in Equatorial Guinea. Kareri took the Fifth during the hearings.</p>
<p>If all this is true, then how did the Senate manage to misinterpret Equatorial Guinea’s financial dealings? It was, according to the document, duped by “pressure groups” leading a disinformation campaign against the country. “Equatorial Guinea and its Political Institutions are the victims of a conspiracy of considerable and major proportions,” it claims. The figure behind this conspiracy is identified as Severo Moto Nsa, an opposition leader who has been convicted in absentia of trying to overthrow Obiang and now heads a “government in exile” in Spain. A $40,000 contract between Moto and an American lobbying firm “has come to light,” the document reports, implying that the firm influenced the Senate to target Equatorial Guinea.</p>
<p>The response letter does not acknowledge that Equatorial Guinea also retains American lobby shops to represent it in Washington. According to records filed with the Justice Department, the Obiang regime has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on P.R. and lobbying in the past five years. Earlier in 2004, it paid C/R International $120,000 to coordinate meetings between Equatoguinean and American officials. The firm also helped secure banking facilities for the country’s embassy—a task necessitated by the Riggs scandal, which had forced Equatorial Guinea to take its money elsewhere. It also organized a visit to the U.S. for Obiang in the summer of 2004, just as news of the Riggs investigation was emerging. On June 17, Condoleezza Rice accepted an award for international diplomacy in Washington, exhorting the audience, “Americans must never excuse tyranny or corruption in Africa.” Sitting with Bill Clinton and the other guests of honor was Teodoro Obiang.</p>
<p>In spite of its success cozying up to the Bush administration, the Obiang regime realizes that it must clean up its image, if not its behavior. After the Senate report came out, it signed a $50,000-a-month contract with the New York-based Farragut Advisors to help “improve the country’s public image and reputation in the United States.” And in its written response to the Riggs investigation, it insisted that it would “collaborate with any action aimed at clarifying the matters dealt with in the report.” Yet until now, most of the glimpses into its inner workings have not come from its promises of transparency, but rather the work of journalists, human rights groups, and now, Senate investigators. As more unpleasant details about Obiang’s petroligarchy seep out, no doubt he will continue to pump out more bluster and spin.</p>
<p /> | 3,633 |
<p>Ms. Sophia was not exaggerating. She was not overstating her point or poetically embellishing when she expressed to Ms. Celie in Alice Walker’s novel, The Color Purple, that “A girl child ain’t safe in a family of men.” Because the appalling truth is that they are not. Women and girls, especially Black women and girls, more times than we acknowledge, are unsafe and at-risk around men. Therefore, it is not liberal arts hyperbole or lightly veiled misandry to declare that the presence of men, across the globe, is oftentimes a menace to women’s overall welfare and safety—especially those with whom they share close proximity. A close reading of the statistics for domestic violence bears this disturbing fact. According to the Violence Policy Center’s “When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2013 Homicide Data”, in 2013, 1,615 women were murdered by males in single victim/single offender incidents. That means roughly three to four women are killed by their (ex) partners a day. And according to the CDC, an astounding 4,774,000 women in the U.S. experience intimate partner violence every single year. Violence against women is a global health crisis and we as a society are failing to create preventive measures against this shame. And since we are failing in our preventive efforts, women and even young girls, are being unfairly punished and incarcerated for violently protecting themselves against the men in their lives. This is a growing injustice. I assert that we need to listen closely to organizations like the Michigan Women’s Justice &amp; Clemency Project and offer nationwide clemency and grace for women who have had to use violence – and even murder – against their (ex) partners for their freedom and safety. If we do not start having a nuanced more complex interpretation of the protective measures women take against their abusers, we will continue to create a society that helps men abuse women with glaring impunity.</p>
<p>Bresha Meadows is the case in point. Bresha is the daughter of Brandi and Jonathan Meadows. Brandi Meadows and Jonathan Meadows were married for 21 years. They had a wedding. They had children. They had a roof over their heads. From the outside, their life resembled a healthy home. But inside their abode, Jonathan allegedly fostered a living purgatory. Tyrannized by physical and mental abuse, Brandi and their family existed in overbearing anguish. This anguish was so severe that Brandi Meadows filed a civil domestic violence protection order against Jonathan, stating, “In the 17 years of our marriage, he has cut me, broken my ribs, fingers, the blood vessels in my hand, my mouth, blackened my eyes. If he finds me, I am 100 percent sure he will kill me and the children.” Brandi later dropped the protection order after he promised to no longer abuse her, a common occurrence in a relationship poisoned with domestic violence.</p>
<p>Other family members were aware of the intimate violence in their relationship. Martina Latessam, Bresha’s aunt and a detective in the Cleveland Police Domestic Violence Unit remarked,</p>
<p>I understand that there [was] mental abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, emotional abuse. The kids didn’t get, you know, hit—that was my sister Brandi who got that—but those kids had to watch that, including Bresha. They had to sit there, and he did cuss at them and call them names… My sister Brandi was abused, pushed around and punched and smacked and kicked, while all of her children watched. And it did take a toll on [Bresha]. [Bresha] did run away. And she, you know, told me about it, and she expressed great fear for herself and her family.</p>
<p>But there was little intervention from authorities while Jonathan was continually subjecting them to daily injury. That is until Bresha Meadows, their 14-year-old daughter (now, 15 years old) decided to take the law into her own hands and protect her family. On July 28th, as her father slept in his bed, Bresha took a .45 caliber, semi-automatic handgun and shot him directly in his skull.</p>
<p>In the eyes of the law, this is aggravated murder; but, for Brandi this was her daughter’s desperate act of liberation. While speaking to Fox 8 Cleveland after Bresha’s arrest, Brandi said, “I’m sorry, Bresha. I love her. You’re my hero. She helped us all. And she’s my hero, our hero. And now we need to move forward and have us a better life.” Brandi calls her daughter her “hero” for freeing their family from the terror and misery in which they lived. But the law so far does not see Bresha in similar light. The law considers her a criminal, a murderer, someone deserving of punishment and imprisonment and the prosecution has yet to decide on whether to try Bresha as an adult or child.</p>
<p>The Bresha Meadows Freedom Campaign and their 10,000 signatures disagrees with the prosecutors and rightfully believes she should not be tried at all. They argue,</p>
<p>Bresha Meadows is a child survivor of domestic violence who just turned 15 while incarcerated at the Trumbull County Ohio Juvenile Detention Center. Bresha is charged with aggravated murder for defending herself, and her family from a father who had a long history of abusing them. We demand that the Trumbull County Ohio Prosecutor’s office drop all charges against Bresha Meadows and release her immediately.</p>
<p>I am in full agreement with the Freedom Campaign. I also agree with scholars like Joanne Belknap who write about the deplorable statistics of women who are incarcerated for defending themselves against their abusers. I agree with scholars like Stephanie Crumpton who argue that violence against women – especially Black women – is too deeply ingrained in the psyche of this society, so the very notion of protecting them is almost inimical to the daily function of the law to which I am referring.</p>
<p>I believe that dropping all charges against Bresha is the correct moral response. In fact, I believe, dropping all charges and releasing Bresha is the only moral response. The habit of imprisoning survivors for protecting themselves against their abusers must stop. It must cease. It must end. We need a world where the voice and complaints of an abused victim are not drowned by laws that ignore their grievance. We need laws that protect and listen to women from the unsafe men harming them. And outside of the law, because of its practical insufficiencies, we need to watch and listen to women around the world who explicitly say they fear for their lives and are being abused by men who appear safe to the rest of society. Lastly, we need to keep a close, caring watch of women who show signs of living in fear, abuse and shame. If we do not, we will never rid ourselves of a world where intimate partner violence is not only tragic, but normal, usual and intricate. Bresha does not need prison. She needs help. Her freedom campaign accurately states,</p>
<p>As a child impacted by extreme violence, Bresha needs a safe and supportive environment to heal and rebuild. Bresha should be released immediately and not have to endure the re-traumatization of prosecution and incarceration. If Bresha is tried as a youth, she risks rampant abuses in the juvenile system, including a high chance of isolation in solitary confinement. If Bresha is tried as an adult, she risks direct transfer to an adult prison in Ohio. Young people incarcerated in adult prisons face horrifying rates of sexual and physical violence. If convicted as an adult, she faces the possibility of spending the rest of her life in prison. Even if Bresha is acquitted of all charges, once she’s prosecuted as an adult, any future charges will track her into the adult system.</p>
<p>They are correct. She should not be tried at all. I think there are more responsible, more productive ways to respond to this event that do not include a false application of retributive justice. That response would be another heinous injustice experienced by this family, especially this child.</p>
<p>Through the reports, which include the testimony and response of her mother, I argue that Jonathan was killing his family into killing him. What I mean is, Jonathan created and cultivated the conditions of this tragedy through his rampant terrorizing and verbal threats. Bresha Meadows, therefore, should be given grace, should be evaluated by the law as someone defending herself through an act of Necessity, as someone whose mens rea was conditioned by the fright of inevitable death and the experience of constant rampant abuse. Therefore, instead of criminal charges, what she needs now, desperately, as opposed to incarceration, is productive psychological counseling and treatment for severe post-traumatic stress. Bresha (and her family) need psychological attention and help, not a conviction from the courts. In fact, it is the courts, it is our law and authorities who need convicting for such a callous response to this ordeal and every ordeal like it. Black women are disproportionately punished for defending themselves in this society against domestic and family violence. Marissa Alexander is just one example among multiple women who were punished for merely defending themselves against their abusers. In Marissa’s case, no one was killed, yet she was punished for merely sending warning shots, warning shots that should have came from authorities in the first place.</p>
<p>As a theologian, I am fully and unequivocally against oppressive violence, and I am slow to condemn those who use force and violence to attain freedom. Morality is never neat and the law is scathingly imperfect. But the statistics and reports are not propaganda. The statistics tell too many unwritten and ignored stories of women harmed and murdered by their partners. That is why we need grace and clemency for victims and survivors who use violence, even justifiable homicide, for their safety. These atrocities are not cold, calculated killings. These people are not cold blooded murderers. These are women at the end of their ropes who see no other way of escape, no other means of a new life, no other avenue for which to take flight than through the death of their abusers. These are women trying to live and live safely. Bresha, as a little girl, was one of them. That is why she needs to be released immediately. And she needs a life, a childhood, the one that was taken from her by a man who was killing her and her family. So please, sign the petition demanding her freedom. Make disruptive noise on her behalf and behalf of every woman and child who need clemency and grace. And listen to women when they say they are in trouble. Listen closely, because a life – may urgently – depend on it.</p>
<p>Jamall Andrew Calloway is from Oakland, CA and he is a PhD student in Philosophical Theology at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. He received his Masters of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and his Bachelors of Arts in interdisciplinary humanities from Tougaloo College in Jackson, MS. Jamall writes about faith, resistance and hope in the face of evil.</p> | Domestic Violence, Murder and Bresha Meadows | true | https://counterpunch.org/2016/09/16/domestic-violence-murder-and-bresha-meadows/ | 2016-09-16 | 4left
| Domestic Violence, Murder and Bresha Meadows
<p>Ms. Sophia was not exaggerating. She was not overstating her point or poetically embellishing when she expressed to Ms. Celie in Alice Walker’s novel, The Color Purple, that “A girl child ain’t safe in a family of men.” Because the appalling truth is that they are not. Women and girls, especially Black women and girls, more times than we acknowledge, are unsafe and at-risk around men. Therefore, it is not liberal arts hyperbole or lightly veiled misandry to declare that the presence of men, across the globe, is oftentimes a menace to women’s overall welfare and safety—especially those with whom they share close proximity. A close reading of the statistics for domestic violence bears this disturbing fact. According to the Violence Policy Center’s “When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2013 Homicide Data”, in 2013, 1,615 women were murdered by males in single victim/single offender incidents. That means roughly three to four women are killed by their (ex) partners a day. And according to the CDC, an astounding 4,774,000 women in the U.S. experience intimate partner violence every single year. Violence against women is a global health crisis and we as a society are failing to create preventive measures against this shame. And since we are failing in our preventive efforts, women and even young girls, are being unfairly punished and incarcerated for violently protecting themselves against the men in their lives. This is a growing injustice. I assert that we need to listen closely to organizations like the Michigan Women’s Justice &amp; Clemency Project and offer nationwide clemency and grace for women who have had to use violence – and even murder – against their (ex) partners for their freedom and safety. If we do not start having a nuanced more complex interpretation of the protective measures women take against their abusers, we will continue to create a society that helps men abuse women with glaring impunity.</p>
<p>Bresha Meadows is the case in point. Bresha is the daughter of Brandi and Jonathan Meadows. Brandi Meadows and Jonathan Meadows were married for 21 years. They had a wedding. They had children. They had a roof over their heads. From the outside, their life resembled a healthy home. But inside their abode, Jonathan allegedly fostered a living purgatory. Tyrannized by physical and mental abuse, Brandi and their family existed in overbearing anguish. This anguish was so severe that Brandi Meadows filed a civil domestic violence protection order against Jonathan, stating, “In the 17 years of our marriage, he has cut me, broken my ribs, fingers, the blood vessels in my hand, my mouth, blackened my eyes. If he finds me, I am 100 percent sure he will kill me and the children.” Brandi later dropped the protection order after he promised to no longer abuse her, a common occurrence in a relationship poisoned with domestic violence.</p>
<p>Other family members were aware of the intimate violence in their relationship. Martina Latessam, Bresha’s aunt and a detective in the Cleveland Police Domestic Violence Unit remarked,</p>
<p>I understand that there [was] mental abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, emotional abuse. The kids didn’t get, you know, hit—that was my sister Brandi who got that—but those kids had to watch that, including Bresha. They had to sit there, and he did cuss at them and call them names… My sister Brandi was abused, pushed around and punched and smacked and kicked, while all of her children watched. And it did take a toll on [Bresha]. [Bresha] did run away. And she, you know, told me about it, and she expressed great fear for herself and her family.</p>
<p>But there was little intervention from authorities while Jonathan was continually subjecting them to daily injury. That is until Bresha Meadows, their 14-year-old daughter (now, 15 years old) decided to take the law into her own hands and protect her family. On July 28th, as her father slept in his bed, Bresha took a .45 caliber, semi-automatic handgun and shot him directly in his skull.</p>
<p>In the eyes of the law, this is aggravated murder; but, for Brandi this was her daughter’s desperate act of liberation. While speaking to Fox 8 Cleveland after Bresha’s arrest, Brandi said, “I’m sorry, Bresha. I love her. You’re my hero. She helped us all. And she’s my hero, our hero. And now we need to move forward and have us a better life.” Brandi calls her daughter her “hero” for freeing their family from the terror and misery in which they lived. But the law so far does not see Bresha in similar light. The law considers her a criminal, a murderer, someone deserving of punishment and imprisonment and the prosecution has yet to decide on whether to try Bresha as an adult or child.</p>
<p>The Bresha Meadows Freedom Campaign and their 10,000 signatures disagrees with the prosecutors and rightfully believes she should not be tried at all. They argue,</p>
<p>Bresha Meadows is a child survivor of domestic violence who just turned 15 while incarcerated at the Trumbull County Ohio Juvenile Detention Center. Bresha is charged with aggravated murder for defending herself, and her family from a father who had a long history of abusing them. We demand that the Trumbull County Ohio Prosecutor’s office drop all charges against Bresha Meadows and release her immediately.</p>
<p>I am in full agreement with the Freedom Campaign. I also agree with scholars like Joanne Belknap who write about the deplorable statistics of women who are incarcerated for defending themselves against their abusers. I agree with scholars like Stephanie Crumpton who argue that violence against women – especially Black women – is too deeply ingrained in the psyche of this society, so the very notion of protecting them is almost inimical to the daily function of the law to which I am referring.</p>
<p>I believe that dropping all charges against Bresha is the correct moral response. In fact, I believe, dropping all charges and releasing Bresha is the only moral response. The habit of imprisoning survivors for protecting themselves against their abusers must stop. It must cease. It must end. We need a world where the voice and complaints of an abused victim are not drowned by laws that ignore their grievance. We need laws that protect and listen to women from the unsafe men harming them. And outside of the law, because of its practical insufficiencies, we need to watch and listen to women around the world who explicitly say they fear for their lives and are being abused by men who appear safe to the rest of society. Lastly, we need to keep a close, caring watch of women who show signs of living in fear, abuse and shame. If we do not, we will never rid ourselves of a world where intimate partner violence is not only tragic, but normal, usual and intricate. Bresha does not need prison. She needs help. Her freedom campaign accurately states,</p>
<p>As a child impacted by extreme violence, Bresha needs a safe and supportive environment to heal and rebuild. Bresha should be released immediately and not have to endure the re-traumatization of prosecution and incarceration. If Bresha is tried as a youth, she risks rampant abuses in the juvenile system, including a high chance of isolation in solitary confinement. If Bresha is tried as an adult, she risks direct transfer to an adult prison in Ohio. Young people incarcerated in adult prisons face horrifying rates of sexual and physical violence. If convicted as an adult, she faces the possibility of spending the rest of her life in prison. Even if Bresha is acquitted of all charges, once she’s prosecuted as an adult, any future charges will track her into the adult system.</p>
<p>They are correct. She should not be tried at all. I think there are more responsible, more productive ways to respond to this event that do not include a false application of retributive justice. That response would be another heinous injustice experienced by this family, especially this child.</p>
<p>Through the reports, which include the testimony and response of her mother, I argue that Jonathan was killing his family into killing him. What I mean is, Jonathan created and cultivated the conditions of this tragedy through his rampant terrorizing and verbal threats. Bresha Meadows, therefore, should be given grace, should be evaluated by the law as someone defending herself through an act of Necessity, as someone whose mens rea was conditioned by the fright of inevitable death and the experience of constant rampant abuse. Therefore, instead of criminal charges, what she needs now, desperately, as opposed to incarceration, is productive psychological counseling and treatment for severe post-traumatic stress. Bresha (and her family) need psychological attention and help, not a conviction from the courts. In fact, it is the courts, it is our law and authorities who need convicting for such a callous response to this ordeal and every ordeal like it. Black women are disproportionately punished for defending themselves in this society against domestic and family violence. Marissa Alexander is just one example among multiple women who were punished for merely defending themselves against their abusers. In Marissa’s case, no one was killed, yet she was punished for merely sending warning shots, warning shots that should have came from authorities in the first place.</p>
<p>As a theologian, I am fully and unequivocally against oppressive violence, and I am slow to condemn those who use force and violence to attain freedom. Morality is never neat and the law is scathingly imperfect. But the statistics and reports are not propaganda. The statistics tell too many unwritten and ignored stories of women harmed and murdered by their partners. That is why we need grace and clemency for victims and survivors who use violence, even justifiable homicide, for their safety. These atrocities are not cold, calculated killings. These people are not cold blooded murderers. These are women at the end of their ropes who see no other way of escape, no other means of a new life, no other avenue for which to take flight than through the death of their abusers. These are women trying to live and live safely. Bresha, as a little girl, was one of them. That is why she needs to be released immediately. And she needs a life, a childhood, the one that was taken from her by a man who was killing her and her family. So please, sign the petition demanding her freedom. Make disruptive noise on her behalf and behalf of every woman and child who need clemency and grace. And listen to women when they say they are in trouble. Listen closely, because a life – may urgently – depend on it.</p>
<p>Jamall Andrew Calloway is from Oakland, CA and he is a PhD student in Philosophical Theology at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. He received his Masters of Divinity from Yale Divinity School and his Bachelors of Arts in interdisciplinary humanities from Tougaloo College in Jackson, MS. Jamall writes about faith, resistance and hope in the face of evil.</p> | 3,634 |
<p>BENGBU, China -- A push by the Chinese government to ease local housing gluts and fill empty apartments is creating a different headache by driving indebted cities deeper into the red.</p>
<p>Under Beijing's direction, more than 200 cities across China for the last three years have been buying surplus apartments from property developers and moving in families from condemned city blocks and nearby villages. China's Housing Ministry, which is behind the purchases, said it plans to continue the program through 2020.</p>
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<p>The strategy, supported by central-government bank lending, has rescued housing developers and lifted the property market, which accounts for a third of China's economic growth according to Moody's Investors Service.</p>
<p>It is a sharp illustration of China's economy under President Xi Jinping and the economic challenges he will face as he renews his 5-year term at a twice-a-decade Communist Party Congress that opens on Wednesday.</p>
<p>"The government's creativity in coming up with new ways of supporting the housing market is impressive -- but it's also an indication that it still depends on housing for growth," wrote Rosealea Yao, an analyst at Beijing research firm Gavekal Dragonomics.</p>
<p>China's government used to build homes for families who lost theirs to development or decay. But last year, local governments, from the northeast rust belt to this city of 3.7 million amid the croplands of central Anhui province, spent more than $100 billion to buy housing from developers or subsidize purchases, according to Gavekal Dragonomics.</p>
<p>Underpinning the strategy is a cycle of debt. Cities borrow from state banks for purchases and subsidies, then sell more land to developers to repay the loans. As developers build more housing, they, too, accrue more debt, setting up the state to bail them out again. The burden on the state rises, as does the risk of collapse.</p>
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<p>The government has tried other ways of filling apartments, such as offering cash subsidies to encourage rural migrants to buy in urban areas, but the program is the first large-scale case of the government becoming a home buyer itself.</p>
<p>In May, Lu Kehua, China's deputy housing minister, said the program has "played a positive role in steady economic growth," and called for a push to clear housing inventory as early as possible, according to an article by the official Xinhua News Agency.</p>
<p>The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development didn't respond to questions about the program sent this week.</p>
<p>Three years ago, Bengbu's housing prices were falling. Housing inventory in 2014 would have taken almost five years to fill at the pace of sales at the time, said Shanghai-based research firm E-House China R&amp;D Institute.</p>
<p>Around the same time, the Bengbu government began to gobble up homes, and it has continued to do so. The city said it bought nearly 6,000 apartments from developers last year.</p>
<p>Housing stock in Bengbu was down to four months in September, a city official overseeing the government program said in September. Home prices had increased by 15% in August from a year earlier. That exceeded the 8.2% growth across a benchmark of 70 cities compiled by the national statistics agency.</p>
<p>Beijing and Shanghai residents are used to such price surges, but it is unusual in a smaller Chinese city lacking any particular tourism or job-market appeal.</p>
<p>Bengbu was once known for freshwater pearls, but its oyster markets are long gone and its economy now centers on grain, peanuts, cotton -- and the housing blocks that now encroach on the farmland surrounding the city. For nightlife, an official from the city's propaganda department pointed to a square where a group of middle-aged women were dancing to Chinese pop and techno beats. "This is it," he said.</p>
<p>In smaller cities, letting housing developments gather moss or fail could have serious consequences. Oversupply discourages developers from starting new projects and depresses prices, making families more wary about spending. Accelerated buying, however, ramps up debt and leaves the financial system vulnerable if prices suddenly fall.</p>
<p>Bengbu officials are wary about publicizing its hand in the market for fear of driving up prices and speculative buying. "We don't mention it as much now as in the past two years," the city official in charge of the program said. "Prices have been fluctuating a lot, and it's a little bit out of control."</p>
<p>The Oriental Metropolis housing project on Bengbu's outskirts broke ground during a building boom four years ago. But excess building dragged down prices and discouraged buyers. The developer was stuck with a large amount of unsold apartments.</p>
<p>In 2015, groups of families on government-organized apartment tours started showing up, said Ding Qian, a planner at the developer, Bengbu Mingyuan Real Estate Development. By October 2016, the developer had sold 20 blocks of finished apartments, about 10% of them paid for with government funds, Ms. Ding said.</p>
<p>"We have run out of apartments to sell," she said. The developer has sped up construction of 42 new blocks, about 4,000 apartments, and has raised prices by 40%.</p>
<p>One new resident, a 26-year-old auto factory worker, said he moved into Oriental Metropolis four months ago after his home was torn down by the government. He used part of his government compensation of 810,000 yuan ($122,000) to buy an apartment for 430,000 yuan. "The apartment is not as good as our village home," he said. "It's much smaller." He said he plans to use the rest of the money to buy another home.</p>
<p>The Bengbu official in charge of the program declined to disclose details about the city's apartment purchases, but said the city had borrowed 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) of the 19 billion yuan of available credit extended by China Development Bank for housing purchases and subsidies.</p>
<p>Local governments in 2016 borrowed 972.5 billion yuan from the bank, the government's main housing lender, nine times the level three years earlier, according to E-House China R&amp;D Institute, which compiled data from official bank and government websites. More than half of last year's loans went to purchases or subsidized buying, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. The rest of the loans funded housing projects built by the government.</p>
<p>The government's role in the housing market continues to grow. Of all the residential floor space sold in China last year, 18% was purchased by government entities or with state subsidies, E-House China determined from official government data. The share could reach 24% this year, the firm said.</p>
<p>--Junya Qian contributed to this article.</p>
<p>Write to Dominique Fong at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>October 13, 2017 05:44 ET (09:44 GMT)</p> | Chinese Cities Buy Off Housing Glut With Borrowed Money | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/10/13/chinese-cities-buy-off-housing-glut-with-borrowed-money.html | 2017-10-13 | 0right
| Chinese Cities Buy Off Housing Glut With Borrowed Money
<p>BENGBU, China -- A push by the Chinese government to ease local housing gluts and fill empty apartments is creating a different headache by driving indebted cities deeper into the red.</p>
<p>Under Beijing's direction, more than 200 cities across China for the last three years have been buying surplus apartments from property developers and moving in families from condemned city blocks and nearby villages. China's Housing Ministry, which is behind the purchases, said it plans to continue the program through 2020.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The strategy, supported by central-government bank lending, has rescued housing developers and lifted the property market, which accounts for a third of China's economic growth according to Moody's Investors Service.</p>
<p>It is a sharp illustration of China's economy under President Xi Jinping and the economic challenges he will face as he renews his 5-year term at a twice-a-decade Communist Party Congress that opens on Wednesday.</p>
<p>"The government's creativity in coming up with new ways of supporting the housing market is impressive -- but it's also an indication that it still depends on housing for growth," wrote Rosealea Yao, an analyst at Beijing research firm Gavekal Dragonomics.</p>
<p>China's government used to build homes for families who lost theirs to development or decay. But last year, local governments, from the northeast rust belt to this city of 3.7 million amid the croplands of central Anhui province, spent more than $100 billion to buy housing from developers or subsidize purchases, according to Gavekal Dragonomics.</p>
<p>Underpinning the strategy is a cycle of debt. Cities borrow from state banks for purchases and subsidies, then sell more land to developers to repay the loans. As developers build more housing, they, too, accrue more debt, setting up the state to bail them out again. The burden on the state rises, as does the risk of collapse.</p>
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<p>The government has tried other ways of filling apartments, such as offering cash subsidies to encourage rural migrants to buy in urban areas, but the program is the first large-scale case of the government becoming a home buyer itself.</p>
<p>In May, Lu Kehua, China's deputy housing minister, said the program has "played a positive role in steady economic growth," and called for a push to clear housing inventory as early as possible, according to an article by the official Xinhua News Agency.</p>
<p>The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development didn't respond to questions about the program sent this week.</p>
<p>Three years ago, Bengbu's housing prices were falling. Housing inventory in 2014 would have taken almost five years to fill at the pace of sales at the time, said Shanghai-based research firm E-House China R&amp;D Institute.</p>
<p>Around the same time, the Bengbu government began to gobble up homes, and it has continued to do so. The city said it bought nearly 6,000 apartments from developers last year.</p>
<p>Housing stock in Bengbu was down to four months in September, a city official overseeing the government program said in September. Home prices had increased by 15% in August from a year earlier. That exceeded the 8.2% growth across a benchmark of 70 cities compiled by the national statistics agency.</p>
<p>Beijing and Shanghai residents are used to such price surges, but it is unusual in a smaller Chinese city lacking any particular tourism or job-market appeal.</p>
<p>Bengbu was once known for freshwater pearls, but its oyster markets are long gone and its economy now centers on grain, peanuts, cotton -- and the housing blocks that now encroach on the farmland surrounding the city. For nightlife, an official from the city's propaganda department pointed to a square where a group of middle-aged women were dancing to Chinese pop and techno beats. "This is it," he said.</p>
<p>In smaller cities, letting housing developments gather moss or fail could have serious consequences. Oversupply discourages developers from starting new projects and depresses prices, making families more wary about spending. Accelerated buying, however, ramps up debt and leaves the financial system vulnerable if prices suddenly fall.</p>
<p>Bengbu officials are wary about publicizing its hand in the market for fear of driving up prices and speculative buying. "We don't mention it as much now as in the past two years," the city official in charge of the program said. "Prices have been fluctuating a lot, and it's a little bit out of control."</p>
<p>The Oriental Metropolis housing project on Bengbu's outskirts broke ground during a building boom four years ago. But excess building dragged down prices and discouraged buyers. The developer was stuck with a large amount of unsold apartments.</p>
<p>In 2015, groups of families on government-organized apartment tours started showing up, said Ding Qian, a planner at the developer, Bengbu Mingyuan Real Estate Development. By October 2016, the developer had sold 20 blocks of finished apartments, about 10% of them paid for with government funds, Ms. Ding said.</p>
<p>"We have run out of apartments to sell," she said. The developer has sped up construction of 42 new blocks, about 4,000 apartments, and has raised prices by 40%.</p>
<p>One new resident, a 26-year-old auto factory worker, said he moved into Oriental Metropolis four months ago after his home was torn down by the government. He used part of his government compensation of 810,000 yuan ($122,000) to buy an apartment for 430,000 yuan. "The apartment is not as good as our village home," he said. "It's much smaller." He said he plans to use the rest of the money to buy another home.</p>
<p>The Bengbu official in charge of the program declined to disclose details about the city's apartment purchases, but said the city had borrowed 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) of the 19 billion yuan of available credit extended by China Development Bank for housing purchases and subsidies.</p>
<p>Local governments in 2016 borrowed 972.5 billion yuan from the bank, the government's main housing lender, nine times the level three years earlier, according to E-House China R&amp;D Institute, which compiled data from official bank and government websites. More than half of last year's loans went to purchases or subsidized buying, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. The rest of the loans funded housing projects built by the government.</p>
<p>The government's role in the housing market continues to grow. Of all the residential floor space sold in China last year, 18% was purchased by government entities or with state subsidies, E-House China determined from official government data. The share could reach 24% this year, the firm said.</p>
<p>--Junya Qian contributed to this article.</p>
<p>Write to Dominique Fong at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>October 13, 2017 05:44 ET (09:44 GMT)</p> | 3,635 |
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<p>SANTA FE, N.M. — Three years ago, Bob DeVries presented a plan to New Mexico Highlands athletic director Ed Manzanares that would bring a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title to the Cowgirls’ track and field program by 2012.</p>
<p>Sure, DeVries may have been a bit overambitious — the Cowgirls finished third behind Adams State and Western State, respectively — but after qualifying his athletes for a school-best nine events in next week’s NCAA National Championships, which run from May 24-26, in Pueblo, Colo., there’s little doubt that his plan is working.</p>
<p>“This is exciting for us. Until three years ago, I was a middle school teacher who coached track or cross country after work. Then I presented my plan to Ed and he hired me full time — that showed the commitment Highlands made to athletics,” he said. “I did say we would be RMAC champs in 2012 — we didn’t get there — but we’re going to nationals with our biggest group.</p>
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<p>“Now we have logistical problems we’ve never had before — like travel arrangements and feeding them — but those are problems every coach would like to have.”</p>
<p>The Cowgirls are led by NCAA Division II indoor and outdoor long jump national champion Jillisa Grant, who’s also a favorite in the 100-meter dash and was this year’s indoor champ in the 200. And DeVries said he is fully expecting Grant, an Olympic hopeful for Jamaica in the upcoming summer games, to deliver again.</p>
<p>“In April we were at the Drake relays, where there were Division I jumpers that had beaten Jillisa before,” he said. “She was maybe seeded fourth, and the conditions were wet and cold. Jillisa just went up there and blasted a big jump on her first one, putting the pressure on everyone else. No one responded and she won. She’s even won in the opposite way, needing a big jump in the finals and getting it. That’s how she jumps. She always competes — that’s what I admire about her.”</p>
<p>Along with qualifying in the 100, 200 and long jump, Grant will compete in the 4×100-meter relay, alongside Sheneika Rochester, Quiana Fair and Fiona James. So don’t count out national titles in four events for the Highlands senior, DeVries said.</p>
<p>“The 4×1 is ranked fourth nationally,” he said, “and they’ve only started to run their best these last two meets. If we run strong and run our best, anything can happen.”</p>
<p>Rochester and James will go head-to-head against Grant in the 100 and 200, respectively.</p>
<p>James is also part of the Cowgirls 4×400-meter relay squad, which includes Jereece Maxwell, Sessyon Crawford and LaShondra Ray.</p>
<p>Other qualifiers for Highlands in the field events include Kearah Danville in the triple jump, Kemoy Christie in the discus and Rochelle Robb in the high jump.</p>
<p>But while Highlands’ strength currently rests with its sprinters, DeVries hopes to have success within the next few years in the hurdles, middle distance and distance events.</p>
<p>“Recruiting never stops,” he said. “This morning I’m sending out emails that say I’m really trying to bolster our distance and middle-distance core for the coming years, and right now I have a group of freshmen that I call the fantastic four that I think can do really well. We just have a lot of good distance runners in our conference, but I definitely think we’ll be able to compete.”</p> | Highlands’ Ambitions Pay Off | false | https://abqjournal.com/107108/highlands-ambitions-pay-off.html | 2012-05-17 | 2least
| Highlands’ Ambitions Pay Off
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<p />
<p>SANTA FE, N.M. — Three years ago, Bob DeVries presented a plan to New Mexico Highlands athletic director Ed Manzanares that would bring a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title to the Cowgirls’ track and field program by 2012.</p>
<p>Sure, DeVries may have been a bit overambitious — the Cowgirls finished third behind Adams State and Western State, respectively — but after qualifying his athletes for a school-best nine events in next week’s NCAA National Championships, which run from May 24-26, in Pueblo, Colo., there’s little doubt that his plan is working.</p>
<p>“This is exciting for us. Until three years ago, I was a middle school teacher who coached track or cross country after work. Then I presented my plan to Ed and he hired me full time — that showed the commitment Highlands made to athletics,” he said. “I did say we would be RMAC champs in 2012 — we didn’t get there — but we’re going to nationals with our biggest group.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“Now we have logistical problems we’ve never had before — like travel arrangements and feeding them — but those are problems every coach would like to have.”</p>
<p>The Cowgirls are led by NCAA Division II indoor and outdoor long jump national champion Jillisa Grant, who’s also a favorite in the 100-meter dash and was this year’s indoor champ in the 200. And DeVries said he is fully expecting Grant, an Olympic hopeful for Jamaica in the upcoming summer games, to deliver again.</p>
<p>“In April we were at the Drake relays, where there were Division I jumpers that had beaten Jillisa before,” he said. “She was maybe seeded fourth, and the conditions were wet and cold. Jillisa just went up there and blasted a big jump on her first one, putting the pressure on everyone else. No one responded and she won. She’s even won in the opposite way, needing a big jump in the finals and getting it. That’s how she jumps. She always competes — that’s what I admire about her.”</p>
<p>Along with qualifying in the 100, 200 and long jump, Grant will compete in the 4×100-meter relay, alongside Sheneika Rochester, Quiana Fair and Fiona James. So don’t count out national titles in four events for the Highlands senior, DeVries said.</p>
<p>“The 4×1 is ranked fourth nationally,” he said, “and they’ve only started to run their best these last two meets. If we run strong and run our best, anything can happen.”</p>
<p>Rochester and James will go head-to-head against Grant in the 100 and 200, respectively.</p>
<p>James is also part of the Cowgirls 4×400-meter relay squad, which includes Jereece Maxwell, Sessyon Crawford and LaShondra Ray.</p>
<p>Other qualifiers for Highlands in the field events include Kearah Danville in the triple jump, Kemoy Christie in the discus and Rochelle Robb in the high jump.</p>
<p>But while Highlands’ strength currently rests with its sprinters, DeVries hopes to have success within the next few years in the hurdles, middle distance and distance events.</p>
<p>“Recruiting never stops,” he said. “This morning I’m sending out emails that say I’m really trying to bolster our distance and middle-distance core for the coming years, and right now I have a group of freshmen that I call the fantastic four that I think can do really well. We just have a lot of good distance runners in our conference, but I definitely think we’ll be able to compete.”</p> | 3,636 |
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<p>SANTA FE — State officials say the influenza season is off to an early start and are warning that it may be more severe than in recent years.</p>
<p>The New Mexico Department of Health says flu is circulating throughout the state. Health officials say anyone six months of age and older, particularly pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions, should get vaccinated.</p>
<p>The department says many of the influenza cases seen so far are a more severe type that has led to higher number of hospitalizations and deaths in previous flu seasons than other types.</p>
<p>Symptoms can include a fever, body aches, tiredness and cough.</p>
<p>The Health Department doesn’t track every case of flu in New Mexico. However, it does track influenza-like illness at several locations statewide to estimate the amount of flu activity.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | State Health Officials Say Flu Off to Early Start | false | https://abqjournal.com/151708/state-health-officials-say-flu-off-to-early-start.html | 2012-12-07 | 2least
| State Health Officials Say Flu Off to Early Start
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<p>SANTA FE — State officials say the influenza season is off to an early start and are warning that it may be more severe than in recent years.</p>
<p>The New Mexico Department of Health says flu is circulating throughout the state. Health officials say anyone six months of age and older, particularly pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions, should get vaccinated.</p>
<p>The department says many of the influenza cases seen so far are a more severe type that has led to higher number of hospitalizations and deaths in previous flu seasons than other types.</p>
<p>Symptoms can include a fever, body aches, tiredness and cough.</p>
<p>The Health Department doesn’t track every case of flu in New Mexico. However, it does track influenza-like illness at several locations statewide to estimate the amount of flu activity.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 3,637 |
<p>Is there anything less threatening than a morbidly obese cop on motor scooter?</p>
<p>Okay, 25 morbidly obese cops on motor scooters–that’s even more unthreatening. When I’m out in the streets chanting, “Show me what a police state looks like! THIS is what a police state looks like!” I think I have a right to be oppressed by proper storm troopers who have spent enough time at the gym to bristle instead of sag. They don’t have to be television actors or anything, but as a taxpayer, am I getting my money’s worth when I’m being beaten and arrested by a parade of fried dumplings?</p>
<p>I’m going to be fair here and admit that I did see a morbidly obese cop on a motor scooter run over somebody’s foot last fall. That was moderately threatening until the ambulance arrived.</p>
<p>Note to Mayor Bloomberg: Is this why you banned the 32 oz. Big Gulps? All the guards at your cement bunker on East 79th Street were getting diabetes?</p>
<p>Note to Commissioner Kelly: Make your cops get off the motor scooters and chase those anarchists on foot. It’s good exercise. You might lose some anarchists, but think how much less embarrassing it will be to display fewer bulges in blue uniforms the next time Obama ties up midtown.</p>
<p>At least 60% of the NYPD looks like the governor of New Jersey. Where is your pride?</p>
<p>It must be uncomfortable to have a hundred pounds of potbelly squeezing like toothpaste out the edges of those bullet-proof vests. You guys aren’t fooling anyone, using those vests like girdles.</p>
<p>It’s probably even more uncomfortable to work for a mayor who is cutting your pension while claiming you as a soldier in his “personal army.”</p>
<p>At the next big general assembly of Occupy Wall Street, I’m going make a motion that we have no demonstrations at all for the next three years and let the NYPD just waste away from lack of exercise. It’s hard to believe those guys have done anything since the last big OWS demonstration on May 1 except eat Big Macs and play with their gadgets from the Department of Homeland Security. Who will protect the ruling class when everyone in the NYPD has occluded arteries?</p>
<p>Such were my thoughts on Monday morning, the first birthday of Occupy Wall Street. I was with about 800 people of the Strike Debt branch of OWS who gathered at 55 Water Street, an unloved and unused Vietnam memorial with no grass in the tradition of Zucotti Park before the original occupation. The future of parks under late-stage capitalism: Nothing that requires maintenance, even for the casualties of empire.</p>
<p>There were several other “meetup” areas surrounding Wall Street with, I’m told, similar numbers of people, plus lots of freelancers who had their own plans. Nobody knows what the real numbers were, but when the corporate media estimated “less than a thousand,” as they all did, it’s because they didn’t understand what was going on, as always. There was never a single mass of people in one place to count. The point was disruption, not a mass rally.</p>
<p>We discussed strategy informally and formally in general assembly from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and then took off in the direction of Wall Street. The idea was to “civilian” (yeah, that’s a verb) and proceed in small groups as normal pedestrians and seize on opportunities to cause chaos as they arose. This really messed up the morbidly obese cops on motor scooters, because they prefer to stay in lines to intimidate demonstrators into staying on the sidewalk. Since we weren’t demonstrating, and were going every which way on the confusing and windy streets of the financial district, the motor scooters had no one to herd and couldn’t figure out where to go.</p>
<p>My small affinity group (or AG) was mostly personal friends from Brooklyn, all gainfully employed and thoroughly disillusioned with capitalism, numbering from six to ten over the course of the morning. We didn’t quite know what we were doing at first, but latched on to a black bloc anarchist group at 9:20 who had the moves for tying up an intersection. I had previously thought of blocking an intersection as sitting down in the middle of the street and refusing to move until the cops came and administered a dose of pepper spray. The anarchists had a technique of “swirling,” which means a bunch of people walk around in a big circle from corner to corner, never letting cars through. It causes a big traffic jam, particularly in the narrow streets of Lower Manhattan, and the police have a hard time getting there. When they do arrive, the swirl goes civilian and everybody runs off to the next unguarded intersection. The police strategy of barricading Wall Street and demanding company IDs from pedestrians was irrelevant. We caused traffic jams wherever the police weren’t. I would guess that a thousand cops were chasing many thousands of demonstrators all day and catching very few. It was chaos, and it was fun.</p>
<p>So my mostly Brooklyn AG joined the anarchists in a rousing chant of “1-2-3-4, this is fucking class war! 5-6-7-8, eat the rich and smash the state!” as we swirled around an intersection a couple blocks south of Wall Street. It was too much for some asshole in an $80,000 Porsche, who nudged his honking way into and out of the swirl, taking off at a high rate of speed, until he hit the next traffic jam a block away.</p>
<p>We lost the black bloc after a couple more swirls and hooked up with some splinter of the Guitarmy, led by two young men with cheap acoustic guitars. We found an intersection already full of stopped cars, walked into the middle of it and sang several verses of “The Times They Are A-Changin’”. &#160;The two guitar players were only intermittently familiar with the chord progression and the verses, but we made a lot of noise. Finally, one of the white-shirted middle-management cops (more fat-necked than fat) dared to come into the street and scream that he was going to arrest us for singing in a traffic jam. So we walked into a Starbucks and sang several more verses, until the middle-management cop came in and screamed that he was going to arrest us for…I don’t know…maybe the crime was singing folk songs for free when Starbucks was trying to sell them on overpriced CDs by the cash register. The veins were popping out of his fat neck, I remember that.</p>
<p>“Those cops must be getting blue balls,” said a friend. “By the time enough of them show up with their clubs out, we’re gone.”</p>
<p>I never saw the scheduled Labor Walk of Shame at 8:30 a.m. Nor did I witness any of the 10 a.m. Storm Wall Street thing, whatever it was, if it happened. I did go to the 11:15 Action Spokescouncil at Bowling Green park. They had many “report backs,” with all the spokespersons from the various AGs reporting to the large crowd a feeling exhilaration and satisfaction with swirling. The police had two or three helicopters doing their own swirl overhead, making it difficult to hear. There were also hundreds of people milling about the open space around the Bowling Green subway stop, and another large contingent in Zucotti Park/Liberty Plaza, and an unknown number still blocking traffic around Wall Street. And it just kept going all afternoon. A good time was had by all, except maybe by the morbidly obese, who were gassed before their deep-fried lunch. 185 honorable Occupiers got arrested, most &#160;allowing themselves to be arrested.</p>
<p>When Occupy Wall Street started on September 17, 2011, everyone remarked on the brilliance of the slogans. All the imagery of the oppressed 99% versus the opulent 1% caught the country’s imagination as much as the actual encampment. Many great chants, like “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out!”, followed from the basic insight that the many were getting screwed by the few. The Democrats looked on enviously while never missing an opportunity to demoralize their own voters. “Lets steal some of that Occupy language while raising most of our money on Wall Street” was their response. It fell flat, and now we are in the middle of yet another presidential campaign that is more dismal than the last. Dismal, dismal, dismal–all the way back, and all the way forward. The Democrats learned nothing from Occupy Wall Street, least of all courage.</p>
<p>My own favorite Occupy slogan emerged from the dark tents of the lumpenized/bohemian elements: “Shit is fucked up and bullshit.” The first time I heard it, probably last October, I laughed out loud. It was perfect in its lack of art, theory, &#160;grace, abstraction, education or pretense. It was at once inarticulate and eloquent, stupid and profound. It was Zen in its brevity and hints of vastly deeper insight. You didn’t need to understand Marx’s theory of surplus value, you didn’t need to understand the nuances of gambling on bubbles of collateralized mortgage obligations. You just needed to understand that shit was fucked up and bullshit. And if you did understand, you had to act.</p>
<p>At first I assumed it must be a quote from some rapper I didn’t know. But I asked around, and everybody insisted it came out of the park, even though nobody knew who originated the phrase. Maybe someone said it at a general assembly and it got echoed by the people’s microphone. The mainstream of Occupy, wary of offending the middle class, never pushed the slogan, but it lived on as an inside joke among the cognescenti of rebellion.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>I was happy to see “Shit Is Fucked Up And Bullshit” on a sign someone was carrying in the distance on Monday. The slogan perseveres. Occupy perseveres. Wall Street would love to forget it. The corporate media would love to forget it. Both political parties would love to forget it. The union leaders who have thrown in again with Democrats would love to forget it. The sectarian far left, always uncomfortable with a large tent, would love to forget it. But they can’t forget, whatever they all claim, because shit is still fucked up and bullshit.</p>
<p>CHARLES M. YOUNG is a founding member of ThisCantBeHappenng!, the new independent Project Censored Award-winning online alternative newspaper.&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Reflections on New York’s Fattest | true | https://counterpunch.org/2012/09/19/reflections-on-new-yorks-fattest/ | 2012-09-19 | 4left
| Reflections on New York’s Fattest
<p>Is there anything less threatening than a morbidly obese cop on motor scooter?</p>
<p>Okay, 25 morbidly obese cops on motor scooters–that’s even more unthreatening. When I’m out in the streets chanting, “Show me what a police state looks like! THIS is what a police state looks like!” I think I have a right to be oppressed by proper storm troopers who have spent enough time at the gym to bristle instead of sag. They don’t have to be television actors or anything, but as a taxpayer, am I getting my money’s worth when I’m being beaten and arrested by a parade of fried dumplings?</p>
<p>I’m going to be fair here and admit that I did see a morbidly obese cop on a motor scooter run over somebody’s foot last fall. That was moderately threatening until the ambulance arrived.</p>
<p>Note to Mayor Bloomberg: Is this why you banned the 32 oz. Big Gulps? All the guards at your cement bunker on East 79th Street were getting diabetes?</p>
<p>Note to Commissioner Kelly: Make your cops get off the motor scooters and chase those anarchists on foot. It’s good exercise. You might lose some anarchists, but think how much less embarrassing it will be to display fewer bulges in blue uniforms the next time Obama ties up midtown.</p>
<p>At least 60% of the NYPD looks like the governor of New Jersey. Where is your pride?</p>
<p>It must be uncomfortable to have a hundred pounds of potbelly squeezing like toothpaste out the edges of those bullet-proof vests. You guys aren’t fooling anyone, using those vests like girdles.</p>
<p>It’s probably even more uncomfortable to work for a mayor who is cutting your pension while claiming you as a soldier in his “personal army.”</p>
<p>At the next big general assembly of Occupy Wall Street, I’m going make a motion that we have no demonstrations at all for the next three years and let the NYPD just waste away from lack of exercise. It’s hard to believe those guys have done anything since the last big OWS demonstration on May 1 except eat Big Macs and play with their gadgets from the Department of Homeland Security. Who will protect the ruling class when everyone in the NYPD has occluded arteries?</p>
<p>Such were my thoughts on Monday morning, the first birthday of Occupy Wall Street. I was with about 800 people of the Strike Debt branch of OWS who gathered at 55 Water Street, an unloved and unused Vietnam memorial with no grass in the tradition of Zucotti Park before the original occupation. The future of parks under late-stage capitalism: Nothing that requires maintenance, even for the casualties of empire.</p>
<p>There were several other “meetup” areas surrounding Wall Street with, I’m told, similar numbers of people, plus lots of freelancers who had their own plans. Nobody knows what the real numbers were, but when the corporate media estimated “less than a thousand,” as they all did, it’s because they didn’t understand what was going on, as always. There was never a single mass of people in one place to count. The point was disruption, not a mass rally.</p>
<p>We discussed strategy informally and formally in general assembly from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and then took off in the direction of Wall Street. The idea was to “civilian” (yeah, that’s a verb) and proceed in small groups as normal pedestrians and seize on opportunities to cause chaos as they arose. This really messed up the morbidly obese cops on motor scooters, because they prefer to stay in lines to intimidate demonstrators into staying on the sidewalk. Since we weren’t demonstrating, and were going every which way on the confusing and windy streets of the financial district, the motor scooters had no one to herd and couldn’t figure out where to go.</p>
<p>My small affinity group (or AG) was mostly personal friends from Brooklyn, all gainfully employed and thoroughly disillusioned with capitalism, numbering from six to ten over the course of the morning. We didn’t quite know what we were doing at first, but latched on to a black bloc anarchist group at 9:20 who had the moves for tying up an intersection. I had previously thought of blocking an intersection as sitting down in the middle of the street and refusing to move until the cops came and administered a dose of pepper spray. The anarchists had a technique of “swirling,” which means a bunch of people walk around in a big circle from corner to corner, never letting cars through. It causes a big traffic jam, particularly in the narrow streets of Lower Manhattan, and the police have a hard time getting there. When they do arrive, the swirl goes civilian and everybody runs off to the next unguarded intersection. The police strategy of barricading Wall Street and demanding company IDs from pedestrians was irrelevant. We caused traffic jams wherever the police weren’t. I would guess that a thousand cops were chasing many thousands of demonstrators all day and catching very few. It was chaos, and it was fun.</p>
<p>So my mostly Brooklyn AG joined the anarchists in a rousing chant of “1-2-3-4, this is fucking class war! 5-6-7-8, eat the rich and smash the state!” as we swirled around an intersection a couple blocks south of Wall Street. It was too much for some asshole in an $80,000 Porsche, who nudged his honking way into and out of the swirl, taking off at a high rate of speed, until he hit the next traffic jam a block away.</p>
<p>We lost the black bloc after a couple more swirls and hooked up with some splinter of the Guitarmy, led by two young men with cheap acoustic guitars. We found an intersection already full of stopped cars, walked into the middle of it and sang several verses of “The Times They Are A-Changin’”. &#160;The two guitar players were only intermittently familiar with the chord progression and the verses, but we made a lot of noise. Finally, one of the white-shirted middle-management cops (more fat-necked than fat) dared to come into the street and scream that he was going to arrest us for singing in a traffic jam. So we walked into a Starbucks and sang several more verses, until the middle-management cop came in and screamed that he was going to arrest us for…I don’t know…maybe the crime was singing folk songs for free when Starbucks was trying to sell them on overpriced CDs by the cash register. The veins were popping out of his fat neck, I remember that.</p>
<p>“Those cops must be getting blue balls,” said a friend. “By the time enough of them show up with their clubs out, we’re gone.”</p>
<p>I never saw the scheduled Labor Walk of Shame at 8:30 a.m. Nor did I witness any of the 10 a.m. Storm Wall Street thing, whatever it was, if it happened. I did go to the 11:15 Action Spokescouncil at Bowling Green park. They had many “report backs,” with all the spokespersons from the various AGs reporting to the large crowd a feeling exhilaration and satisfaction with swirling. The police had two or three helicopters doing their own swirl overhead, making it difficult to hear. There were also hundreds of people milling about the open space around the Bowling Green subway stop, and another large contingent in Zucotti Park/Liberty Plaza, and an unknown number still blocking traffic around Wall Street. And it just kept going all afternoon. A good time was had by all, except maybe by the morbidly obese, who were gassed before their deep-fried lunch. 185 honorable Occupiers got arrested, most &#160;allowing themselves to be arrested.</p>
<p>When Occupy Wall Street started on September 17, 2011, everyone remarked on the brilliance of the slogans. All the imagery of the oppressed 99% versus the opulent 1% caught the country’s imagination as much as the actual encampment. Many great chants, like “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out!”, followed from the basic insight that the many were getting screwed by the few. The Democrats looked on enviously while never missing an opportunity to demoralize their own voters. “Lets steal some of that Occupy language while raising most of our money on Wall Street” was their response. It fell flat, and now we are in the middle of yet another presidential campaign that is more dismal than the last. Dismal, dismal, dismal–all the way back, and all the way forward. The Democrats learned nothing from Occupy Wall Street, least of all courage.</p>
<p>My own favorite Occupy slogan emerged from the dark tents of the lumpenized/bohemian elements: “Shit is fucked up and bullshit.” The first time I heard it, probably last October, I laughed out loud. It was perfect in its lack of art, theory, &#160;grace, abstraction, education or pretense. It was at once inarticulate and eloquent, stupid and profound. It was Zen in its brevity and hints of vastly deeper insight. You didn’t need to understand Marx’s theory of surplus value, you didn’t need to understand the nuances of gambling on bubbles of collateralized mortgage obligations. You just needed to understand that shit was fucked up and bullshit. And if you did understand, you had to act.</p>
<p>At first I assumed it must be a quote from some rapper I didn’t know. But I asked around, and everybody insisted it came out of the park, even though nobody knew who originated the phrase. Maybe someone said it at a general assembly and it got echoed by the people’s microphone. The mainstream of Occupy, wary of offending the middle class, never pushed the slogan, but it lived on as an inside joke among the cognescenti of rebellion.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>I was happy to see “Shit Is Fucked Up And Bullshit” on a sign someone was carrying in the distance on Monday. The slogan perseveres. Occupy perseveres. Wall Street would love to forget it. The corporate media would love to forget it. Both political parties would love to forget it. The union leaders who have thrown in again with Democrats would love to forget it. The sectarian far left, always uncomfortable with a large tent, would love to forget it. But they can’t forget, whatever they all claim, because shit is still fucked up and bullshit.</p>
<p>CHARLES M. YOUNG is a founding member of ThisCantBeHappenng!, the new independent Project Censored Award-winning online alternative newspaper.&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 3,638 |
<p>Most writers learn by imitation—at least that is the common assumption.&#160; The late Brazilian writer, Clarice Lispector, obliterates that belief.&#160; In a letter to Robert Lowell, written in 1963, Elizabeth Bishop, Lispector’s original translator, stated of her, “She’s the most non-literary writer I’ve ever known, and ‘never cracks a book’ as we used to say.&#160; She’s never read anything that I can discover—I think she’s a ‘self-taught’ writer, like a primitive painter.” In his introduction to <a href="" type="internal">The Hour of the Star</a>, Colm Tóibín remarks, “Lispector had, in common with Borges in his fiction, an ability to write as though no one had ever written before….”&#160; One of a kind, unique, sui generis, the first writer on earth.</p>
<p>And, yet, what an unexpected voice—mesmerizing, tantalizing, deceptive, fresh, original.&#160; These qualities apply to both the language itself (which must have been an incredible challenge for Benjamin Moser is this most recent translation of Lispector’s work) and the narrative structure.&#160; Here, for example, the narrator (identified as a man) writing about his main character, identified repeatedly as “the northeastern girl” named Macabéa: “Since life’s like that: you press a button and life lights up.&#160; Except she didn’t know which button to press.&#160; She didn’t even realize she lived in a technical society in which she was a dispensable cog.&#160; But one thing she’d unsettingly discovered: she no longer knew what it was to have a father and mother, she’d forgotten the taste.&#160; And, if she thought about it, she might say she sprouted from the soil of the Alagoas backlands like an instantly molded mushroom.&#160; She talked, yes, but was extremely mute.&#160; Sometimes I manage to get a word out of her but it slips through my fingers.”</p>
<p>What do we know of Macabéa?&#160; Not much.&#160; She’s come to Rio, where she is employed as a typist—a rather startling revelation since she appears to be illiterate.&#160; The narrator observes of her that “Her life was a long meditation on nothing.”&#160; Elsewhere, she’s described as stuck in the present, because “having a future was a luxury.”&#160; She’s so unworldly that the one time she goes to see a doctor (because of emaciation and TB) “She thought that going to the doctor was a cure in and of itself.”&#160; In short, Macabéa is a poor, unworldly young woman with few prospects and no future, living in a slum in Rio.&#160; Olimpico de Jesus—her boyfriend for a brief time—tells her when he dumps her, “You, Macabéa, are like a hair in the soup.&#160; Nobody feels like eating it.&#160; Sorry to hurt your feelings, but I’m being honest.” &#160;Is she upset by these remarks?&#160; Not really.</p>
<p>The narrator, one Rodrigo S. M. (Lispector regendered as a man?) isn’t exactly known for his self-confidence either.&#160; In dozens of asides to himself as the writer, he tells us that “The toothache that runs through this story has given me a sharp stab in the middle of our mouth,” a confusing <a href="" type="internal" />statement for certain.&#160; “Our” mouth rather that “my mouth”?&#160; Shortly thereafter—to shore up the difficulty of writing itself—he states that “this book is a silence.” &#160;And much later (in this relatively short narrative), after repeatedly denigrating his main character, Rodrigo remarks, “Ah if only I could grab Macabéa, give her a good bath, a plate of hot soup, a kiss on the forehead as I tucked her into bed.&#160; And cause her to wake up and find simply the great luxury of living.”</p>
<p>There’s a problem here.&#160; Can’t a writer or a narrator do whatever she (or he) wants to do with her characters?&#160; Isn’t that what a writer does?&#160; And if she doesn’t do that, who’s to blame?&#160; Stories are constructed around silences, missing scenes.&#160; That’s what writers do.&#160; You write a novel called Crime and Punishment and leave out the murder scene.&#160; Or the seduction in The Scarlet Letter.&#160; Which may be why Lispector in her introductory note to The Hour of the Star –“Dedication by the Author (actually Clarice Lispector)”—states of her craft, “What trips up my life is writing.”</p>
<p>The Hour of the Star trips up our concept of the novel.&#160; What a story is expected to do.&#160; How characters act.&#160; Why writers write.&#160; Why readers read.&#160; It’s an experience you won’t forget.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">The Hour of the Star By Clarice Lispector</a>Trans. by Benjamin Moser New Directions, 81 pp., $12.95</p>
<p>Charles R. Larson is Emeritus Professor of Literature at American University, in Washington, D.C.&#160; Email: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Brazil’s Unique Voice | true | https://counterpunch.org/2012/02/24/brazils-unique-voice/ | 2012-02-24 | 4left
| Brazil’s Unique Voice
<p>Most writers learn by imitation—at least that is the common assumption.&#160; The late Brazilian writer, Clarice Lispector, obliterates that belief.&#160; In a letter to Robert Lowell, written in 1963, Elizabeth Bishop, Lispector’s original translator, stated of her, “She’s the most non-literary writer I’ve ever known, and ‘never cracks a book’ as we used to say.&#160; She’s never read anything that I can discover—I think she’s a ‘self-taught’ writer, like a primitive painter.” In his introduction to <a href="" type="internal">The Hour of the Star</a>, Colm Tóibín remarks, “Lispector had, in common with Borges in his fiction, an ability to write as though no one had ever written before….”&#160; One of a kind, unique, sui generis, the first writer on earth.</p>
<p>And, yet, what an unexpected voice—mesmerizing, tantalizing, deceptive, fresh, original.&#160; These qualities apply to both the language itself (which must have been an incredible challenge for Benjamin Moser is this most recent translation of Lispector’s work) and the narrative structure.&#160; Here, for example, the narrator (identified as a man) writing about his main character, identified repeatedly as “the northeastern girl” named Macabéa: “Since life’s like that: you press a button and life lights up.&#160; Except she didn’t know which button to press.&#160; She didn’t even realize she lived in a technical society in which she was a dispensable cog.&#160; But one thing she’d unsettingly discovered: she no longer knew what it was to have a father and mother, she’d forgotten the taste.&#160; And, if she thought about it, she might say she sprouted from the soil of the Alagoas backlands like an instantly molded mushroom.&#160; She talked, yes, but was extremely mute.&#160; Sometimes I manage to get a word out of her but it slips through my fingers.”</p>
<p>What do we know of Macabéa?&#160; Not much.&#160; She’s come to Rio, where she is employed as a typist—a rather startling revelation since she appears to be illiterate.&#160; The narrator observes of her that “Her life was a long meditation on nothing.”&#160; Elsewhere, she’s described as stuck in the present, because “having a future was a luxury.”&#160; She’s so unworldly that the one time she goes to see a doctor (because of emaciation and TB) “She thought that going to the doctor was a cure in and of itself.”&#160; In short, Macabéa is a poor, unworldly young woman with few prospects and no future, living in a slum in Rio.&#160; Olimpico de Jesus—her boyfriend for a brief time—tells her when he dumps her, “You, Macabéa, are like a hair in the soup.&#160; Nobody feels like eating it.&#160; Sorry to hurt your feelings, but I’m being honest.” &#160;Is she upset by these remarks?&#160; Not really.</p>
<p>The narrator, one Rodrigo S. M. (Lispector regendered as a man?) isn’t exactly known for his self-confidence either.&#160; In dozens of asides to himself as the writer, he tells us that “The toothache that runs through this story has given me a sharp stab in the middle of our mouth,” a confusing <a href="" type="internal" />statement for certain.&#160; “Our” mouth rather that “my mouth”?&#160; Shortly thereafter—to shore up the difficulty of writing itself—he states that “this book is a silence.” &#160;And much later (in this relatively short narrative), after repeatedly denigrating his main character, Rodrigo remarks, “Ah if only I could grab Macabéa, give her a good bath, a plate of hot soup, a kiss on the forehead as I tucked her into bed.&#160; And cause her to wake up and find simply the great luxury of living.”</p>
<p>There’s a problem here.&#160; Can’t a writer or a narrator do whatever she (or he) wants to do with her characters?&#160; Isn’t that what a writer does?&#160; And if she doesn’t do that, who’s to blame?&#160; Stories are constructed around silences, missing scenes.&#160; That’s what writers do.&#160; You write a novel called Crime and Punishment and leave out the murder scene.&#160; Or the seduction in The Scarlet Letter.&#160; Which may be why Lispector in her introductory note to The Hour of the Star –“Dedication by the Author (actually Clarice Lispector)”—states of her craft, “What trips up my life is writing.”</p>
<p>The Hour of the Star trips up our concept of the novel.&#160; What a story is expected to do.&#160; How characters act.&#160; Why writers write.&#160; Why readers read.&#160; It’s an experience you won’t forget.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">The Hour of the Star By Clarice Lispector</a>Trans. by Benjamin Moser New Directions, 81 pp., $12.95</p>
<p>Charles R. Larson is Emeritus Professor of Literature at American University, in Washington, D.C.&#160; Email: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 3,639 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office will promote five individuals at an 11 a.m. ceremony Friday at 400 Roma NW, 5th floor conference room, according to a BCSO news release.</p>
<p>Capt. Greg Rees will be promoted to chief deputy; Lt. Edward Mims will be named captain; Sgt. Broderick Sharp will be promoted to lieutenant; and Deputy 1st Class Christopher Romero and Deputy 1st Class Aaron Williamson both will be promoted to sergeant.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | BCSO to promote five on Friday | false | https://abqjournal.com/184990/bcso-to-promote-five-on-friday.html | 2least
| BCSO to promote five on Friday
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office will promote five individuals at an 11 a.m. ceremony Friday at 400 Roma NW, 5th floor conference room, according to a BCSO news release.</p>
<p>Capt. Greg Rees will be promoted to chief deputy; Lt. Edward Mims will be named captain; Sgt. Broderick Sharp will be promoted to lieutenant; and Deputy 1st Class Christopher Romero and Deputy 1st Class Aaron Williamson both will be promoted to sergeant.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 3,640 |
|
<p>Rep.&#160;Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) stands opposed to any sort of expansion to Medicaid because he believes&#160;poor people will reject using any sort of health care, even free care, "just like Jesus said" they would.</p>
<p>Citing a biblical passage where Jesus justifies a woman anointing him with expensive oils, <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/roger-marshall-poor-people-do-not-want-health-care-obamacare-repeal-b49325664fd9#.g4pte4uzi" type="external">Marshall explained</a>, "There is a group of people that just don't want health care and aren't going to take care of themselves."</p>
<p>"The Medicaid population, which is [on] a free credit card, as a group, do probably the least preventive medicine and taking care of themselves and eating healthy and exercising," <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2017/03/03/roger-marshall-kansas-obamacare/" type="external">Marshall said in an interview</a> with STAT news. "And I'm not judging, I'm just saying socially that's where they are. So there's a group of people that even with unlimited access to health care are only going to use the emergency room when their arm is chopped off or when their pneumonia is so bad they get brought [into] the ER."</p>
<p>But Rep. Marshall's claims go against measured outcomes. <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/medicaid-expansion-aca-lbetter-health-care-improved-health-low-income-adults/" type="external">A Harvard study</a> of the Affordable Care Act actually found the opposite held true, that individuals with lower incomes benefited positively from Obamacare's Medicaid expansion, and made fewer trips to the ER and more trips for preventative care.</p>
<p>And the Bible verse Marshall cites doesn't even say to ignore the poor. It's more about <a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=mhc&amp;b=41&amp;c=14" type="external">honoring those who honor Jesus</a>, and not chastising the poor for being unable to fend for themselves. The Bible itself is riddled with examples of Jesus <a href="http://www.borgenmagazine.com/9-quotes-from-jesus-on-why-we-must-help-the-poor/" type="external">lashing out at those</a> who refuse to help the poor.</p>
<p>Marshall was also recently criticized for a survey he sent constituents about what should be done about the Affordable Care Act. His survey, according to statisticians, <a href="http://www.gctelegram.com/news/state/marshall-s-aca-survey-may-be-misleading/article_9550e8e2-e735-5e26-92cf-cb94391046bf.html" type="external">could lead respondents</a> to select answers that support Marshall's politics, and don't include answers that go against his beliefs.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Chris Walker has been writing about political issues for the past decade, including for sites such as Elite Daily, AMERICAblog, and Mic. You can follow him on Twitter&#160; <a href="http://twitter.com/thatchriswalker" type="external">@thatchriswalker</a>.</p> | Republican Congressman: Poor people don't want healthcare, 'like Jesus said' | true | http://resistancereport.com/class-war/congressman-healthcare-jesus/ | 2017-03-03 | 4left
| Republican Congressman: Poor people don't want healthcare, 'like Jesus said'
<p>Rep.&#160;Roger Marshall (R-Kansas) stands opposed to any sort of expansion to Medicaid because he believes&#160;poor people will reject using any sort of health care, even free care, "just like Jesus said" they would.</p>
<p>Citing a biblical passage where Jesus justifies a woman anointing him with expensive oils, <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/roger-marshall-poor-people-do-not-want-health-care-obamacare-repeal-b49325664fd9#.g4pte4uzi" type="external">Marshall explained</a>, "There is a group of people that just don't want health care and aren't going to take care of themselves."</p>
<p>"The Medicaid population, which is [on] a free credit card, as a group, do probably the least preventive medicine and taking care of themselves and eating healthy and exercising," <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2017/03/03/roger-marshall-kansas-obamacare/" type="external">Marshall said in an interview</a> with STAT news. "And I'm not judging, I'm just saying socially that's where they are. So there's a group of people that even with unlimited access to health care are only going to use the emergency room when their arm is chopped off or when their pneumonia is so bad they get brought [into] the ER."</p>
<p>But Rep. Marshall's claims go against measured outcomes. <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/medicaid-expansion-aca-lbetter-health-care-improved-health-low-income-adults/" type="external">A Harvard study</a> of the Affordable Care Act actually found the opposite held true, that individuals with lower incomes benefited positively from Obamacare's Medicaid expansion, and made fewer trips to the ER and more trips for preventative care.</p>
<p>And the Bible verse Marshall cites doesn't even say to ignore the poor. It's more about <a href="http://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=mhc&amp;b=41&amp;c=14" type="external">honoring those who honor Jesus</a>, and not chastising the poor for being unable to fend for themselves. The Bible itself is riddled with examples of Jesus <a href="http://www.borgenmagazine.com/9-quotes-from-jesus-on-why-we-must-help-the-poor/" type="external">lashing out at those</a> who refuse to help the poor.</p>
<p>Marshall was also recently criticized for a survey he sent constituents about what should be done about the Affordable Care Act. His survey, according to statisticians, <a href="http://www.gctelegram.com/news/state/marshall-s-aca-survey-may-be-misleading/article_9550e8e2-e735-5e26-92cf-cb94391046bf.html" type="external">could lead respondents</a> to select answers that support Marshall's politics, and don't include answers that go against his beliefs.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Chris Walker has been writing about political issues for the past decade, including for sites such as Elite Daily, AMERICAblog, and Mic. You can follow him on Twitter&#160; <a href="http://twitter.com/thatchriswalker" type="external">@thatchriswalker</a>.</p> | 3,641 |
<p>SACRAMENTO (AP) _ These California lotteries were drawn Tuesday:</p>
<p>Daily 3 Evening</p>
<p>4-4-4</p>
<p>(four, four, four)</p>
<p>Daily 3 Midday</p>
<p>0-3-9</p>
<p>(zero, three, nine)</p>
<p>Daily 4</p>
<p>6-0-2-2</p>
<p>(six, zero, two, two)</p>
<p>Daily Derby</p>
<p>1st:2 Lucky Star-2nd:7 Eureka-3rd:5 California Classic, Race Time: 1:49.79</p>
<p>(1st: 2 Lucky Star, 2nd: 7 Eureka, 3rd: 5 California Classic; Race Time: one: 49.79)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $137,000</p>
<p>Fantasy 5</p>
<p>02-05-07-21-26</p>
<p>(two, five, seven, twenty-one, twenty-six)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $79,000</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>02-06-30-31-55, Mega Ball: 7, Megaplier: 4</p>
<p>(two, six, thirty, thirty-one, fifty-five; Mega Ball: seven; Megaplier: four)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $63 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $92 million</p>
<p>SACRAMENTO (AP) _ These California lotteries were drawn Tuesday:</p>
<p>Daily 3 Evening</p>
<p>4-4-4</p>
<p>(four, four, four)</p>
<p>Daily 3 Midday</p>
<p>0-3-9</p>
<p>(zero, three, nine)</p>
<p>Daily 4</p>
<p>6-0-2-2</p>
<p>(six, zero, two, two)</p>
<p>Daily Derby</p>
<p>1st:2 Lucky Star-2nd:7 Eureka-3rd:5 California Classic, Race Time: 1:49.79</p>
<p>(1st: 2 Lucky Star, 2nd: 7 Eureka, 3rd: 5 California Classic; Race Time: one: 49.79)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $137,000</p>
<p>Fantasy 5</p>
<p>02-05-07-21-26</p>
<p>(two, five, seven, twenty-one, twenty-six)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $79,000</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>02-06-30-31-55, Mega Ball: 7, Megaplier: 4</p>
<p>(two, six, thirty, thirty-one, fifty-five; Mega Ball: seven; Megaplier: four)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $63 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $92 million</p> | CA Lottery | false | https://apnews.com/282af47c354f42678ecc873b23221c9d | 2018-01-24 | 2least
| CA Lottery
<p>SACRAMENTO (AP) _ These California lotteries were drawn Tuesday:</p>
<p>Daily 3 Evening</p>
<p>4-4-4</p>
<p>(four, four, four)</p>
<p>Daily 3 Midday</p>
<p>0-3-9</p>
<p>(zero, three, nine)</p>
<p>Daily 4</p>
<p>6-0-2-2</p>
<p>(six, zero, two, two)</p>
<p>Daily Derby</p>
<p>1st:2 Lucky Star-2nd:7 Eureka-3rd:5 California Classic, Race Time: 1:49.79</p>
<p>(1st: 2 Lucky Star, 2nd: 7 Eureka, 3rd: 5 California Classic; Race Time: one: 49.79)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $137,000</p>
<p>Fantasy 5</p>
<p>02-05-07-21-26</p>
<p>(two, five, seven, twenty-one, twenty-six)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $79,000</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>02-06-30-31-55, Mega Ball: 7, Megaplier: 4</p>
<p>(two, six, thirty, thirty-one, fifty-five; Mega Ball: seven; Megaplier: four)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $63 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $92 million</p>
<p>SACRAMENTO (AP) _ These California lotteries were drawn Tuesday:</p>
<p>Daily 3 Evening</p>
<p>4-4-4</p>
<p>(four, four, four)</p>
<p>Daily 3 Midday</p>
<p>0-3-9</p>
<p>(zero, three, nine)</p>
<p>Daily 4</p>
<p>6-0-2-2</p>
<p>(six, zero, two, two)</p>
<p>Daily Derby</p>
<p>1st:2 Lucky Star-2nd:7 Eureka-3rd:5 California Classic, Race Time: 1:49.79</p>
<p>(1st: 2 Lucky Star, 2nd: 7 Eureka, 3rd: 5 California Classic; Race Time: one: 49.79)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $137,000</p>
<p>Fantasy 5</p>
<p>02-05-07-21-26</p>
<p>(two, five, seven, twenty-one, twenty-six)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $79,000</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>02-06-30-31-55, Mega Ball: 7, Megaplier: 4</p>
<p>(two, six, thirty, thirty-one, fifty-five; Mega Ball: seven; Megaplier: four)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $63 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $92 million</p> | 3,642 |
<p>Mohamed El Erian, Allianz chief economic advisor, said a June rate hike is uncertain due to the Brexit vote, but definitely by July due to better economic data.</p>
<p>With the Federal Reserve’s June meeting just around the corner, analysts and investors are cautiously awaiting the decision on interest rates.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Mohamed El-Erian, the chief economic advisor at Allianz, believes the Fed will raise rates “definitely by July.”</p>
<p>“June is a bit ‘if-ish,’ not because of the domestic economic conditions,” he said. “If it were only up to the U.S. economy the Fed would hike in June.”</p>
<p>El-Erian said that while parts of the U.S. economy show a green light towards raising interest rates, the global economic outlook and the “BREXIT referendum” in June are factors in the Fed’s decision.</p>
<p>“If you look at the rest of the world you have China’s soft-landing with imbalances still there," El-Erian said. “You have Russia and Brazil in recession. You have Europe and Japan that are giving up some of the cyclical gains, so it’s not a great global economy. So any policy mistake outside or a small market accident and that could be a significant headwind. That is what the Fed is worried about.”</p>
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<p>El-Erian also commented on the current economic crisis and political unrest in Venezuela.</p>
<p>“They [Venezuela] shouldn’t be anywhere near where they are today,” he said. “Is it a major systemic risk? No. It’s a big problem for the Venezuelans, but it’s not a major systemic risk. What we’re seeing throughout the region is a shift to right-wing politics. If you look at what’s happening in Brazil, in Chile, in Argentina—potentially in Venezuela—you’re seeing somewhat of a shift away from populist, fiscally irresponsible policies towards more right-wing policies.”</p>
<p>However, despite several global economic trouble spots, El-Erian said the odds of a recession are low.</p>
<p>“If you extend it to 2017, I would put the probability of a recession in 2017 at about 30%,” he said. “So it’s not an overwhelming probability. It’s a risk and something that we should look at. And again, the risk is from outside the U.S. and that’s important to recognize.”</p> | El-Erian Predicts Fed Rate Hike By July, Not June | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2016/05/31/el-erian-predicts-fed-rate-hike-by-july-not-june.html | 2016-05-31 | 0right
| El-Erian Predicts Fed Rate Hike By July, Not June
<p>Mohamed El Erian, Allianz chief economic advisor, said a June rate hike is uncertain due to the Brexit vote, but definitely by July due to better economic data.</p>
<p>With the Federal Reserve’s June meeting just around the corner, analysts and investors are cautiously awaiting the decision on interest rates.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Mohamed El-Erian, the chief economic advisor at Allianz, believes the Fed will raise rates “definitely by July.”</p>
<p>“June is a bit ‘if-ish,’ not because of the domestic economic conditions,” he said. “If it were only up to the U.S. economy the Fed would hike in June.”</p>
<p>El-Erian said that while parts of the U.S. economy show a green light towards raising interest rates, the global economic outlook and the “BREXIT referendum” in June are factors in the Fed’s decision.</p>
<p>“If you look at the rest of the world you have China’s soft-landing with imbalances still there," El-Erian said. “You have Russia and Brazil in recession. You have Europe and Japan that are giving up some of the cyclical gains, so it’s not a great global economy. So any policy mistake outside or a small market accident and that could be a significant headwind. That is what the Fed is worried about.”</p>
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<p>El-Erian also commented on the current economic crisis and political unrest in Venezuela.</p>
<p>“They [Venezuela] shouldn’t be anywhere near where they are today,” he said. “Is it a major systemic risk? No. It’s a big problem for the Venezuelans, but it’s not a major systemic risk. What we’re seeing throughout the region is a shift to right-wing politics. If you look at what’s happening in Brazil, in Chile, in Argentina—potentially in Venezuela—you’re seeing somewhat of a shift away from populist, fiscally irresponsible policies towards more right-wing policies.”</p>
<p>However, despite several global economic trouble spots, El-Erian said the odds of a recession are low.</p>
<p>“If you extend it to 2017, I would put the probability of a recession in 2017 at about 30%,” he said. “So it’s not an overwhelming probability. It’s a risk and something that we should look at. And again, the risk is from outside the U.S. and that’s important to recognize.”</p> | 3,643 |
<p>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday evening's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Pick 3 Night" game were:</p>
<p>2-3-0, Sum It Up: 5</p>
<p>(two, three, zero; Sum It Up: five)</p>
<p>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday evening's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Pick 3 Night" game were:</p>
<p>2-3-0, Sum It Up: 5</p>
<p>(two, three, zero; Sum It Up: five)</p> | Winning numbers drawn in 'Pick 3 Night' game | false | https://apnews.com/amp/65f73093833d47c894bd24dcdfb3ea49 | 2018-01-20 | 2least
| Winning numbers drawn in 'Pick 3 Night' game
<p>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday evening's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Pick 3 Night" game were:</p>
<p>2-3-0, Sum It Up: 5</p>
<p>(two, three, zero; Sum It Up: five)</p>
<p>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Friday evening's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Pick 3 Night" game were:</p>
<p>2-3-0, Sum It Up: 5</p>
<p>(two, three, zero; Sum It Up: five)</p> | 3,644 |
<p>Image: Courtesy &lt;a href="http://www.cta.org"&gt;CTA.org&lt;/a&gt;</p>
<p />
<p>“We are not here to lobby. We’re here to raise some hell,” Betty Olson-Jones, president of the <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/oaklandea.org/oea/" type="external">Oakland Education Association</a>, <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/10/3614591/california-teachers-budget-protests.html" type="external">told</a> The Sacramento Bee this morning, as California Highway Patrol officers arrested 65 protesters in Sacramento today. Olson was there along with about 1,000 teachers, parents, and students to urge California lawmakers to pass a tax extension to avoid deeper cuts to education budgets around the state. California, which educates <a href="" type="internal">one in eight</a> public school children in America, is staring down a $28 billion budgetary hole.</p>
<p>The protest in Sacramento—along with hundreds of other protests throughout the Golden State—was organized by the <a href="http://www.cta.org/" type="external">California Teachers Association</a> as part of a weeklong “ <a href="http://castateofemergency.com/?page_id=158" type="external">State of Emergency</a>” campaign to stave off a third round of cuts to California’s schools. Tom Torlakson, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, <a href="" type="internal">argued</a> earlier this year that there’s no more meat on the bone. <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/08/MNSS1JD2T8.DTL&amp;ao=2#ixzz1LzHdq4hG" type="external">According</a> to the non-partisan Legislative Analysts Office, per-student spending for California schools has dropped by 6.6 percent, or about $540 per student, over the past three years. California&#160; <a href="" type="internal">ranks</a> close to the bottom when it comes to funding per student. Many of the state’s school districts have <a href="" type="internal">already cut</a> teaching materials, increased class size, and cut teachers, nurses, counselors, and psychologists. Some teachers buy supplies with their own money, share tips for donation websites, and clip coupons together in staff rooms.</p>
<p>In San Francisco, more than <a href="http://www.baycitizen.org/education/story/states-powerful-teachers-union-launches/" type="external">100 teachers</a> marched by City Hall, chanting “close tax loopholes, not schools,” and “textbooks, not taxbreaks.” The San Francisco Unified School District <a href="http://www.baycitizen.org/education/story/states-powerful-teachers-union-launches/" type="external">sent out</a> preliminary pink slips to 400 teachers, and other staff, including <a href="" type="internal">Steven Hankle</a>, the choir director at Mission High. “We’ve made great progress in the last few years,” Mission High principal Eric Guthertz told me earlier this year. “I worry what the cuts will do to that.”</p>
<p>What will it take to stave off these cuts? California Teachers Association says that first, state legislators should extend some existing taxes immediately. And after that, Jerry Brown will continue to push legislators to agree to a special election that will ask voters for an additional tax hike on their purchases, cars, and income. A CBS poll in March <a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/03/16/field-poll-california-voters-support-extending-taxes/" type="external">found</a> that the majority of Californians support a special election to let voters decide whether to extend tax increases to help close California’s massive budget deficit.</p>
<p /> | California Teachers: Textbooks, Not Tax Breaks | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2011/05/california-teachers-textbooks-not-taxbreaks/ | 2011-05-10 | 4left
| California Teachers: Textbooks, Not Tax Breaks
<p>Image: Courtesy &lt;a href="http://www.cta.org"&gt;CTA.org&lt;/a&gt;</p>
<p />
<p>“We are not here to lobby. We’re here to raise some hell,” Betty Olson-Jones, president of the <a href="https://sites.google.com/a/oaklandea.org/oea/" type="external">Oakland Education Association</a>, <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/10/3614591/california-teachers-budget-protests.html" type="external">told</a> The Sacramento Bee this morning, as California Highway Patrol officers arrested 65 protesters in Sacramento today. Olson was there along with about 1,000 teachers, parents, and students to urge California lawmakers to pass a tax extension to avoid deeper cuts to education budgets around the state. California, which educates <a href="" type="internal">one in eight</a> public school children in America, is staring down a $28 billion budgetary hole.</p>
<p>The protest in Sacramento—along with hundreds of other protests throughout the Golden State—was organized by the <a href="http://www.cta.org/" type="external">California Teachers Association</a> as part of a weeklong “ <a href="http://castateofemergency.com/?page_id=158" type="external">State of Emergency</a>” campaign to stave off a third round of cuts to California’s schools. Tom Torlakson, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, <a href="" type="internal">argued</a> earlier this year that there’s no more meat on the bone. <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/08/MNSS1JD2T8.DTL&amp;ao=2#ixzz1LzHdq4hG" type="external">According</a> to the non-partisan Legislative Analysts Office, per-student spending for California schools has dropped by 6.6 percent, or about $540 per student, over the past three years. California&#160; <a href="" type="internal">ranks</a> close to the bottom when it comes to funding per student. Many of the state’s school districts have <a href="" type="internal">already cut</a> teaching materials, increased class size, and cut teachers, nurses, counselors, and psychologists. Some teachers buy supplies with their own money, share tips for donation websites, and clip coupons together in staff rooms.</p>
<p>In San Francisco, more than <a href="http://www.baycitizen.org/education/story/states-powerful-teachers-union-launches/" type="external">100 teachers</a> marched by City Hall, chanting “close tax loopholes, not schools,” and “textbooks, not taxbreaks.” The San Francisco Unified School District <a href="http://www.baycitizen.org/education/story/states-powerful-teachers-union-launches/" type="external">sent out</a> preliminary pink slips to 400 teachers, and other staff, including <a href="" type="internal">Steven Hankle</a>, the choir director at Mission High. “We’ve made great progress in the last few years,” Mission High principal Eric Guthertz told me earlier this year. “I worry what the cuts will do to that.”</p>
<p>What will it take to stave off these cuts? California Teachers Association says that first, state legislators should extend some existing taxes immediately. And after that, Jerry Brown will continue to push legislators to agree to a special election that will ask voters for an additional tax hike on their purchases, cars, and income. A CBS poll in March <a href="http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/03/16/field-poll-california-voters-support-extending-taxes/" type="external">found</a> that the majority of Californians support a special election to let voters decide whether to extend tax increases to help close California’s massive budget deficit.</p>
<p /> | 3,645 |
<p>By Bob Allen</p>
<p>A conservative Baptist lobbyist in Missouri has vowed to continue searching for his missing wife, who disappeared July 8 without a trace from their home on a 270-acre family farm an hour south of St. Louis.</p>
<p>“Lynn, if you can see this: We love you. I love you. I love you to the bottom of my heart,” Kerry Messer, president of the Missouri Family Network and lobbyist for the Missouri Baptist Convention Christian Life Commission, spoke into cameras covering a&#160; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp-vMfyT8z4&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;t=26s" type="external">press conference</a>&#160;July 17 sponsored by the Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Office.</p>
<p>Messer says he woke up around 4 a.m. on July 8 to discover his wife of 34 years, 52-year-old Lynn Messer, was nowhere to be found. Her cell phone, purse and house keys were all left behind, along with a walking boot she had been wearing while nursing a broken toe.</p>
<p>A 48-hour search of the farm and surrounding acreage produced nothing. A “Find Lynn Messer” <a href="https://www.facebook.com/findlynnmesser" type="external">page</a> on Facebook sought help from the community, asking volunteers to join in organized searches and check their own properties.</p>
<p>Police <a href="http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/local/2014/07/08/lynn-messer-missing-ste-genevieve/12391963/" type="external">issued</a> an Endangered Person Advisory, conducted traffic check points and established a tip line for anyone who might have information about her whereabouts.</p>
<p>“I want to you know we are looking, we’re searching,” Messer continued in the message directed to his missing wife. “We’re not going to quit until we find you. If you can respond in any way to let us know something, do so. If you’re in a situation where you can’t respond, don’t despair, we are not going to stop looking.”</p>
<p>Police say they do not suspect foul play at this time, but they “are taking any and all scenarios into account.” Lynn Messer reportedly has no history of mental problems, like dementia, that would cause her to wander away.</p>
<p>Search dogs picked up her scent, but it was everywhere, because she is an active farmer and had been all over the property in the previous few days.</p>
<p>The couple attends First Baptist Church of Festus-Crystal City, where Lynn Messer <a href="http://www.mbcpathway.com/2014/07/17/massive-search-continues-for-lynn-messer/" type="external">reportedly</a> had worked at Vacation Bible School the day before her disappearance.</p>
<p>Kerry Messer founded the Missouri Family Network in 1984. He and fellow conservative layman Roger Moran formed the Missouri Baptist Laymen’s Association in 1990, a <a href="http://www.txbc.org/2001Journals/MayJune2001/May01obscurelaymenwithacause.htm" type="external">gadfly</a> alleging liberalism in moderate groups like the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Baptist General Convention of Texas.</p>
<p>Currently Messer is a plaintiff, <a href="" type="internal">along</a> with Missouri Baptist Convention leaders including Pathway Editor Don Hinkle, in a <a href="http://missourifamilynetwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Petition-for-Declaratory-Judgment_20140107151257.pdf" type="external">lawsuit</a> against Gov. Jay Nixon challenging an executive order saying that while Missouri doesn’t recognize gay marriage, same-sex couples married in another state who reside in Missouri can file joint returns on state taxes.</p> | Search for lobbyist’s wife in second week | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/search-for-lobbyist-s-wife-in-second-week/ | 3left-center
| Search for lobbyist’s wife in second week
<p>By Bob Allen</p>
<p>A conservative Baptist lobbyist in Missouri has vowed to continue searching for his missing wife, who disappeared July 8 without a trace from their home on a 270-acre family farm an hour south of St. Louis.</p>
<p>“Lynn, if you can see this: We love you. I love you. I love you to the bottom of my heart,” Kerry Messer, president of the Missouri Family Network and lobbyist for the Missouri Baptist Convention Christian Life Commission, spoke into cameras covering a&#160; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp-vMfyT8z4&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;t=26s" type="external">press conference</a>&#160;July 17 sponsored by the Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Office.</p>
<p>Messer says he woke up around 4 a.m. on July 8 to discover his wife of 34 years, 52-year-old Lynn Messer, was nowhere to be found. Her cell phone, purse and house keys were all left behind, along with a walking boot she had been wearing while nursing a broken toe.</p>
<p>A 48-hour search of the farm and surrounding acreage produced nothing. A “Find Lynn Messer” <a href="https://www.facebook.com/findlynnmesser" type="external">page</a> on Facebook sought help from the community, asking volunteers to join in organized searches and check their own properties.</p>
<p>Police <a href="http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/local/2014/07/08/lynn-messer-missing-ste-genevieve/12391963/" type="external">issued</a> an Endangered Person Advisory, conducted traffic check points and established a tip line for anyone who might have information about her whereabouts.</p>
<p>“I want to you know we are looking, we’re searching,” Messer continued in the message directed to his missing wife. “We’re not going to quit until we find you. If you can respond in any way to let us know something, do so. If you’re in a situation where you can’t respond, don’t despair, we are not going to stop looking.”</p>
<p>Police say they do not suspect foul play at this time, but they “are taking any and all scenarios into account.” Lynn Messer reportedly has no history of mental problems, like dementia, that would cause her to wander away.</p>
<p>Search dogs picked up her scent, but it was everywhere, because she is an active farmer and had been all over the property in the previous few days.</p>
<p>The couple attends First Baptist Church of Festus-Crystal City, where Lynn Messer <a href="http://www.mbcpathway.com/2014/07/17/massive-search-continues-for-lynn-messer/" type="external">reportedly</a> had worked at Vacation Bible School the day before her disappearance.</p>
<p>Kerry Messer founded the Missouri Family Network in 1984. He and fellow conservative layman Roger Moran formed the Missouri Baptist Laymen’s Association in 1990, a <a href="http://www.txbc.org/2001Journals/MayJune2001/May01obscurelaymenwithacause.htm" type="external">gadfly</a> alleging liberalism in moderate groups like the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and Baptist General Convention of Texas.</p>
<p>Currently Messer is a plaintiff, <a href="" type="internal">along</a> with Missouri Baptist Convention leaders including Pathway Editor Don Hinkle, in a <a href="http://missourifamilynetwork.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Petition-for-Declaratory-Judgment_20140107151257.pdf" type="external">lawsuit</a> against Gov. Jay Nixon challenging an executive order saying that while Missouri doesn’t recognize gay marriage, same-sex couples married in another state who reside in Missouri can file joint returns on state taxes.</p> | 3,646 |
|
<p>“The danger is, as ever with these things, unintended consequences.”&#160; <a href="" type="internal">So wrote</a> Prime Minister Tony Blair to President George W. Bush in 2002, as Bush prepared to invade Iraq.&#160; Blair’s unstinting support of US policy, notwithstanding numerous unknowns and acknowledged large-scale obstacles, is more than a case of over-optimism or misplaced friendship.&#160; For as the Chilcot Commission has just concluded after a seven-year long investigation of British policy, bad judgment was multiplied by hubris, a deeply flawed decision-making process, and an unquestioned faith in the ability of military power to resolve political and economic problems.</p>
<p>The essential message from the Chilcot Report goes well beyond British policy in Iraq, or even beyond US policy under Bush, which suffered from the same problems.&#160; The report, to my mind, is a commentary on certain diseases that infect foreign policy decision-making processes everywhere.&#160; Decision-making groups are always subject to misjudgments, blunders, and misperceptions; but the bigger picture has to do with what Sen. J.W. Fulbright called “the arrogance of power.”&#160; Powerful likeminded members of a leader’s inner circle (far more often men than women), meeting in secret, with enormous destructive power at their disposal, and believing their country is invincible and their arguments infallible, make for a dangerous combination.</p>
<p>In 2002-2003, we know for a fact that Bush and Blair were determined to go ahead with invading Iraq regardless of any evidence or argument to the contrary.&#160; The decision for war, far from having been due to an intelligence failure, was predetermined.&#160; War was the answer to “getting” Saddam Hussein, the first and last resort, and the job of both governments’ leaders was to sell the war, in large part by massaging intelligence concerning weapons of mass destruction and outright lying to the public.&#160; Opposition to war—in legislatures, in public opinion, in the UN, in domestic and international law, among allies and other friendly governments—was simply a problem to be overcome.&#160; This was the Vietnam story for 30 years.&#160; It is likely to be the Afghanistan story (if the US ever gets out of there), China’s South China Sea story, and Russia’s Crimea story—if we ever gain access to the relevant documents.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.iraqinquiry.org.uk/media/246416/the-report-of-the-iraq-inquiry_executive-summary.pdf" type="external">Chilcot Report</a> points up another policymaking failure that is fairly universal when it comes to questions of war and peace: an unwillingness to consider alternatives to the use of force.&#160; The inner circle of decision makers simply never goes there.&#160; Peace is unthinkable, at least not until victory has been achieved.&#160; That means avoiding planning for negotiations and post-conflict rebuilding.&#160; It’s a time for warriors, not diplomats.&#160; Officials who argue against aggressive policies thus find themselves sidelined; they are “soft,” hence no longer useful members of “the team.”</p>
<p>At least one writer, Trevor Timm in The Guardian, has <a href="" type="internal">already called</a> for a Chilcot-style report on George W.’s Iraq policy.&#160; But we all know that such an investigation is not going to happen, even under a Democratic leadership.&#160; As Barack Obama has made clear in not pursuing criminal charges against CIA and other torturers, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and the lot are free to enjoy their retirement. After all, Iraq is history, and besides, we must always value social stability over punishment when the criminal behavior of state leaders is concerned.&#160; The International Criminal Court is for others.</p>
<p>The Chilcot Report provides a public service by reminding us that there will always be “unintended consequences,” and that those consequences may prove considerably greater than the policy problem everyone had originally addressed. One look at the Middle East today compared with 2002 makes that assessment plain enough.&#160; Failing to stop the war train long enough to consider what those unintended consequences might be, and whether they might be formidable enough to keep the train in the station, is the Achilles heel of great powers.&#160; How to overcome that dilemma requires much more than tinkering with the decision-making system, for at bottom the arrogance of power is the enemy, and the Chilcot Report provides no antidote for it.</p> | Unintended Consequences and the Warfare State | true | https://counterpunch.org/2016/07/11/unintended-consequences-and-the-warfare-state/ | 2016-07-11 | 4left
| Unintended Consequences and the Warfare State
<p>“The danger is, as ever with these things, unintended consequences.”&#160; <a href="" type="internal">So wrote</a> Prime Minister Tony Blair to President George W. Bush in 2002, as Bush prepared to invade Iraq.&#160; Blair’s unstinting support of US policy, notwithstanding numerous unknowns and acknowledged large-scale obstacles, is more than a case of over-optimism or misplaced friendship.&#160; For as the Chilcot Commission has just concluded after a seven-year long investigation of British policy, bad judgment was multiplied by hubris, a deeply flawed decision-making process, and an unquestioned faith in the ability of military power to resolve political and economic problems.</p>
<p>The essential message from the Chilcot Report goes well beyond British policy in Iraq, or even beyond US policy under Bush, which suffered from the same problems.&#160; The report, to my mind, is a commentary on certain diseases that infect foreign policy decision-making processes everywhere.&#160; Decision-making groups are always subject to misjudgments, blunders, and misperceptions; but the bigger picture has to do with what Sen. J.W. Fulbright called “the arrogance of power.”&#160; Powerful likeminded members of a leader’s inner circle (far more often men than women), meeting in secret, with enormous destructive power at their disposal, and believing their country is invincible and their arguments infallible, make for a dangerous combination.</p>
<p>In 2002-2003, we know for a fact that Bush and Blair were determined to go ahead with invading Iraq regardless of any evidence or argument to the contrary.&#160; The decision for war, far from having been due to an intelligence failure, was predetermined.&#160; War was the answer to “getting” Saddam Hussein, the first and last resort, and the job of both governments’ leaders was to sell the war, in large part by massaging intelligence concerning weapons of mass destruction and outright lying to the public.&#160; Opposition to war—in legislatures, in public opinion, in the UN, in domestic and international law, among allies and other friendly governments—was simply a problem to be overcome.&#160; This was the Vietnam story for 30 years.&#160; It is likely to be the Afghanistan story (if the US ever gets out of there), China’s South China Sea story, and Russia’s Crimea story—if we ever gain access to the relevant documents.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.iraqinquiry.org.uk/media/246416/the-report-of-the-iraq-inquiry_executive-summary.pdf" type="external">Chilcot Report</a> points up another policymaking failure that is fairly universal when it comes to questions of war and peace: an unwillingness to consider alternatives to the use of force.&#160; The inner circle of decision makers simply never goes there.&#160; Peace is unthinkable, at least not until victory has been achieved.&#160; That means avoiding planning for negotiations and post-conflict rebuilding.&#160; It’s a time for warriors, not diplomats.&#160; Officials who argue against aggressive policies thus find themselves sidelined; they are “soft,” hence no longer useful members of “the team.”</p>
<p>At least one writer, Trevor Timm in The Guardian, has <a href="" type="internal">already called</a> for a Chilcot-style report on George W.’s Iraq policy.&#160; But we all know that such an investigation is not going to happen, even under a Democratic leadership.&#160; As Barack Obama has made clear in not pursuing criminal charges against CIA and other torturers, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and the lot are free to enjoy their retirement. After all, Iraq is history, and besides, we must always value social stability over punishment when the criminal behavior of state leaders is concerned.&#160; The International Criminal Court is for others.</p>
<p>The Chilcot Report provides a public service by reminding us that there will always be “unintended consequences,” and that those consequences may prove considerably greater than the policy problem everyone had originally addressed. One look at the Middle East today compared with 2002 makes that assessment plain enough.&#160; Failing to stop the war train long enough to consider what those unintended consequences might be, and whether they might be formidable enough to keep the train in the station, is the Achilles heel of great powers.&#160; How to overcome that dilemma requires much more than tinkering with the decision-making system, for at bottom the arrogance of power is the enemy, and the Chilcot Report provides no antidote for it.</p> | 3,647 |
<p>It takes a village to fix a failing school. In his job at Perspectives Charter Schools, Ray Thompson draws on an approach that links neighborhoods and schools, called Asset-Based Community Development.</p>
<p>What is it? The strategy turns the traditional approach to creating change in poor neighborhoods on its head: Instead of focusing on what poor communities need and what the problems are, this approach focuses on using the existing strengths of a community as the basis for revitalization.</p>
<p>Who developed it?&#160; John P. Kretzmann and John L. McKnight, co-directors of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute at Northwestern University. In 1993, the two co-authored “Building Communities from the Inside Out,” summarizing the lessons learned from their research across the country. To promote the concept nationally, Kretzmann has been working as an advisory board member for the Coalition for Community Schools, a group that advocates for more neighborhood involvement in schools.</p>
<p>How can it help schools? Many schools and communities have little or no interaction with each other, but ending that isolation so that schools and neighborhoods can take advantage of each other’s strengths is essential. “When you see the walls come tumbling down and the interactions multiplying, everyone turns out to be a winner,” says Kretzmann. The Institute is studying how community-oriented schools like Al Raby and Perspectives work, and plans to compile training materials for other schools interested in the concept.</p>
<p>How can it help students? Bringing community into the classroom can begin with simple strategies such as analyzing local stream water in a chemistry class or having English students write articles in conjunction with neighborhood newspapers. “The more students are connected to the community around them,” Kretzmann says, “the more sense they get that their education exists in a real-life context, and that it’s connected to the well-being of the community.”</p> | Better neighborhoods, better schools | false | http://chicagoreporter.com/better-neighborhoods-better-schools/ | 2008-09-10 | 3left-center
| Better neighborhoods, better schools
<p>It takes a village to fix a failing school. In his job at Perspectives Charter Schools, Ray Thompson draws on an approach that links neighborhoods and schools, called Asset-Based Community Development.</p>
<p>What is it? The strategy turns the traditional approach to creating change in poor neighborhoods on its head: Instead of focusing on what poor communities need and what the problems are, this approach focuses on using the existing strengths of a community as the basis for revitalization.</p>
<p>Who developed it?&#160; John P. Kretzmann and John L. McKnight, co-directors of the Asset-Based Community Development Institute at Northwestern University. In 1993, the two co-authored “Building Communities from the Inside Out,” summarizing the lessons learned from their research across the country. To promote the concept nationally, Kretzmann has been working as an advisory board member for the Coalition for Community Schools, a group that advocates for more neighborhood involvement in schools.</p>
<p>How can it help schools? Many schools and communities have little or no interaction with each other, but ending that isolation so that schools and neighborhoods can take advantage of each other’s strengths is essential. “When you see the walls come tumbling down and the interactions multiplying, everyone turns out to be a winner,” says Kretzmann. The Institute is studying how community-oriented schools like Al Raby and Perspectives work, and plans to compile training materials for other schools interested in the concept.</p>
<p>How can it help students? Bringing community into the classroom can begin with simple strategies such as analyzing local stream water in a chemistry class or having English students write articles in conjunction with neighborhood newspapers. “The more students are connected to the community around them,” Kretzmann says, “the more sense they get that their education exists in a real-life context, and that it’s connected to the well-being of the community.”</p> | 3,648 |
<p>During the second half of the 20th century, forged artworks by a young Englishman&#160;named&#160;Eric Hebborn&#160;flooded the galleries and auction houses of Europe and America.</p>
<p>Now, nearly 20&#160;years after his death, the work of the so-called "Master Forger"&#160;is fetching high prices&#160;again —&#160;this time under his own name. More than 200&#160;of his sketches in the style of Rubens, Van Dyck, Michelangelo and others were auctioned off by Webbs&#160;of Wilton&#160;in England this week.</p>
<p>Hebborn’s success lay in the details:&#160;He prepared his own historically authentic ink and paper, and would create a detailed paper trail for each drawing. But&#160;his work couldn't have convinced others without his genuine&#160;talent, his ability to recreate almost perfectly the style of the great artists.</p>
<p>So was Hebborn himself a genius of a kind? “Oh, absolutely —&#160;he fooled many people.&#160;And it was extremely expensive fooling for very wealthy collectors and museums," says&#160;Philip Hoffman, the chief&#160;executive&#160;of The Fine Art Fund Group, which&#160;buys art on behalf of investors.&#160;</p>
<p>It's&#160;possible that some of Hebborn's&#160;drawings are still hanging on the walls of galleries as genuine old masters.&#160;And for&#160;art buyers like Hoffman, the risk of buying one of those&#160;forgeries&#160;remains very real. “It can be a nightmare," he says. "Sometimes the paperwork is too good to be true,&#160;and I always think, 'If it is too good to be true, then it usually is too good to be true.'”</p>
<p>Certain artists are more prone to forgery than others. Whereas the works of the most famous artists are too well documented to fake, lesser-known artists are still frequently targeted.</p>
<p>According to Hoffman, the 19th&#160;century French artist&#160;Corot is a particular favorite of forgers: “The story goes that there are about 2,500 Corots in the world —&#160;and at least 3,000 are in Japan."&#160;Hebborn himself used Corot's works as favorite "subject."</p>
<p>Hebborn was eventually caught when experts noticed similarities in the paper he had used for different artists’ work. But he&#160;remained proud of the fact that he was never given away by the drawings themselves, and that experts continued to be taken in by his work.</p>
<p>He explained his philosophy to the BBC shortly before his death: “Only the experts are worth fooling.&#160;The greater the expert, the greater the satisfaction in deceiving him.”</p> | A master forger's works go to auction — under his own name for once | false | https://pri.org/stories/2014-10-24/master-forgers-works-go-auction-under-his-own-name-once | 2014-10-24 | 3left-center
| A master forger's works go to auction — under his own name for once
<p>During the second half of the 20th century, forged artworks by a young Englishman&#160;named&#160;Eric Hebborn&#160;flooded the galleries and auction houses of Europe and America.</p>
<p>Now, nearly 20&#160;years after his death, the work of the so-called "Master Forger"&#160;is fetching high prices&#160;again —&#160;this time under his own name. More than 200&#160;of his sketches in the style of Rubens, Van Dyck, Michelangelo and others were auctioned off by Webbs&#160;of Wilton&#160;in England this week.</p>
<p>Hebborn’s success lay in the details:&#160;He prepared his own historically authentic ink and paper, and would create a detailed paper trail for each drawing. But&#160;his work couldn't have convinced others without his genuine&#160;talent, his ability to recreate almost perfectly the style of the great artists.</p>
<p>So was Hebborn himself a genius of a kind? “Oh, absolutely —&#160;he fooled many people.&#160;And it was extremely expensive fooling for very wealthy collectors and museums," says&#160;Philip Hoffman, the chief&#160;executive&#160;of The Fine Art Fund Group, which&#160;buys art on behalf of investors.&#160;</p>
<p>It's&#160;possible that some of Hebborn's&#160;drawings are still hanging on the walls of galleries as genuine old masters.&#160;And for&#160;art buyers like Hoffman, the risk of buying one of those&#160;forgeries&#160;remains very real. “It can be a nightmare," he says. "Sometimes the paperwork is too good to be true,&#160;and I always think, 'If it is too good to be true, then it usually is too good to be true.'”</p>
<p>Certain artists are more prone to forgery than others. Whereas the works of the most famous artists are too well documented to fake, lesser-known artists are still frequently targeted.</p>
<p>According to Hoffman, the 19th&#160;century French artist&#160;Corot is a particular favorite of forgers: “The story goes that there are about 2,500 Corots in the world —&#160;and at least 3,000 are in Japan."&#160;Hebborn himself used Corot's works as favorite "subject."</p>
<p>Hebborn was eventually caught when experts noticed similarities in the paper he had used for different artists’ work. But he&#160;remained proud of the fact that he was never given away by the drawings themselves, and that experts continued to be taken in by his work.</p>
<p>He explained his philosophy to the BBC shortly before his death: “Only the experts are worth fooling.&#160;The greater the expert, the greater the satisfaction in deceiving him.”</p> | 3,649 |
<p>NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — North Little Rock police released dashcam video Wednesday that shows a 17-year-old pull a gun and fire it during a traffic stop before officers fired back, killing him.</p>
<p>Police Chief Mike Davis said he hopes that releasing the video will dispel "misinformation" that Charles Smith was unarmed during the confrontation early Sunday.</p>
<p>"Since the incident, a great deal of erroneous information has appeared on social media outlets. ... I want to make sure we clear that up today," Davis said.</p>
<p>Smith was a rear-seat passenger in a car pulled over for speeding and a headlight violation. The five-minute video shows a patrolman tell the driver to step out of the car, asking, "You ain't got anything crazy on you, do you?" and "Why were you driving so dang-gummed fast, man?"</p>
<p>After searching the driver and a front-seat passenger, the officer searched Smith and asked about weapons, marijuana and his Nike Air Force 1 shoes. "How do you like them?" the officer said, chit-chatting during a pat-down.</p>
<p>After twice telling Smith to not reach for something, the two suddenly wrestled to the ground.</p>
<p>"I can't go to jail," Smith cried out. An officer's attempt to use a Taser failed.</p>
<p>"Get your (expletive) hand out," an officer told Smith, whose hands were out of the camera's view. Then the officer yelled, "It's a (expletive) gun."</p>
<p>The video shows Smith pointing a handgun at officers, cocking it while his right hand is pinned against a curb, firing it, and then cocking it again. The officers then opened fire, killing Smith.</p>
<p>A lawyer for Smith's family, Willard Proctor Jr., said police showed the video to the teenager's relatives earlier Wednesday.</p>
<p>"We're not at a point where we can make any conclusions," Proctor said. He said that once a complete set of video footage is released, there could be an opportunity to look into "what, if anything, could have been done differently."</p>
<p>Davis said the officers involved did not have body cameras. He said the names of the officers involved could be released after a plan is in place to protect them, since the agency has received threats.</p>
<p>"Misinformation gets out that says ... the subject wasn't armed, the subject didn't shoot," Davis said. "He was armed and we, in fact, had to take action because of that. I want people to see what happened."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Kelly P. Kissel on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/kisselAP" type="external">https://twitter.com/kisselAP</a></p>
<p>NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — North Little Rock police released dashcam video Wednesday that shows a 17-year-old pull a gun and fire it during a traffic stop before officers fired back, killing him.</p>
<p>Police Chief Mike Davis said he hopes that releasing the video will dispel "misinformation" that Charles Smith was unarmed during the confrontation early Sunday.</p>
<p>"Since the incident, a great deal of erroneous information has appeared on social media outlets. ... I want to make sure we clear that up today," Davis said.</p>
<p>Smith was a rear-seat passenger in a car pulled over for speeding and a headlight violation. The five-minute video shows a patrolman tell the driver to step out of the car, asking, "You ain't got anything crazy on you, do you?" and "Why were you driving so dang-gummed fast, man?"</p>
<p>After searching the driver and a front-seat passenger, the officer searched Smith and asked about weapons, marijuana and his Nike Air Force 1 shoes. "How do you like them?" the officer said, chit-chatting during a pat-down.</p>
<p>After twice telling Smith to not reach for something, the two suddenly wrestled to the ground.</p>
<p>"I can't go to jail," Smith cried out. An officer's attempt to use a Taser failed.</p>
<p>"Get your (expletive) hand out," an officer told Smith, whose hands were out of the camera's view. Then the officer yelled, "It's a (expletive) gun."</p>
<p>The video shows Smith pointing a handgun at officers, cocking it while his right hand is pinned against a curb, firing it, and then cocking it again. The officers then opened fire, killing Smith.</p>
<p>A lawyer for Smith's family, Willard Proctor Jr., said police showed the video to the teenager's relatives earlier Wednesday.</p>
<p>"We're not at a point where we can make any conclusions," Proctor said. He said that once a complete set of video footage is released, there could be an opportunity to look into "what, if anything, could have been done differently."</p>
<p>Davis said the officers involved did not have body cameras. He said the names of the officers involved could be released after a plan is in place to protect them, since the agency has received threats.</p>
<p>"Misinformation gets out that says ... the subject wasn't armed, the subject didn't shoot," Davis said. "He was armed and we, in fact, had to take action because of that. I want people to see what happened."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Kelly P. Kissel on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/kisselAP" type="external">https://twitter.com/kisselAP</a></p> | Video shows Arkansas teen firing at cops before being shot | false | https://apnews.com/amp/f8d5233bb3df4baa894b41c1e8f0e6dc | 2018-01-11 | 2least
| Video shows Arkansas teen firing at cops before being shot
<p>NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — North Little Rock police released dashcam video Wednesday that shows a 17-year-old pull a gun and fire it during a traffic stop before officers fired back, killing him.</p>
<p>Police Chief Mike Davis said he hopes that releasing the video will dispel "misinformation" that Charles Smith was unarmed during the confrontation early Sunday.</p>
<p>"Since the incident, a great deal of erroneous information has appeared on social media outlets. ... I want to make sure we clear that up today," Davis said.</p>
<p>Smith was a rear-seat passenger in a car pulled over for speeding and a headlight violation. The five-minute video shows a patrolman tell the driver to step out of the car, asking, "You ain't got anything crazy on you, do you?" and "Why were you driving so dang-gummed fast, man?"</p>
<p>After searching the driver and a front-seat passenger, the officer searched Smith and asked about weapons, marijuana and his Nike Air Force 1 shoes. "How do you like them?" the officer said, chit-chatting during a pat-down.</p>
<p>After twice telling Smith to not reach for something, the two suddenly wrestled to the ground.</p>
<p>"I can't go to jail," Smith cried out. An officer's attempt to use a Taser failed.</p>
<p>"Get your (expletive) hand out," an officer told Smith, whose hands were out of the camera's view. Then the officer yelled, "It's a (expletive) gun."</p>
<p>The video shows Smith pointing a handgun at officers, cocking it while his right hand is pinned against a curb, firing it, and then cocking it again. The officers then opened fire, killing Smith.</p>
<p>A lawyer for Smith's family, Willard Proctor Jr., said police showed the video to the teenager's relatives earlier Wednesday.</p>
<p>"We're not at a point where we can make any conclusions," Proctor said. He said that once a complete set of video footage is released, there could be an opportunity to look into "what, if anything, could have been done differently."</p>
<p>Davis said the officers involved did not have body cameras. He said the names of the officers involved could be released after a plan is in place to protect them, since the agency has received threats.</p>
<p>"Misinformation gets out that says ... the subject wasn't armed, the subject didn't shoot," Davis said. "He was armed and we, in fact, had to take action because of that. I want people to see what happened."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Kelly P. Kissel on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/kisselAP" type="external">https://twitter.com/kisselAP</a></p>
<p>NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — North Little Rock police released dashcam video Wednesday that shows a 17-year-old pull a gun and fire it during a traffic stop before officers fired back, killing him.</p>
<p>Police Chief Mike Davis said he hopes that releasing the video will dispel "misinformation" that Charles Smith was unarmed during the confrontation early Sunday.</p>
<p>"Since the incident, a great deal of erroneous information has appeared on social media outlets. ... I want to make sure we clear that up today," Davis said.</p>
<p>Smith was a rear-seat passenger in a car pulled over for speeding and a headlight violation. The five-minute video shows a patrolman tell the driver to step out of the car, asking, "You ain't got anything crazy on you, do you?" and "Why were you driving so dang-gummed fast, man?"</p>
<p>After searching the driver and a front-seat passenger, the officer searched Smith and asked about weapons, marijuana and his Nike Air Force 1 shoes. "How do you like them?" the officer said, chit-chatting during a pat-down.</p>
<p>After twice telling Smith to not reach for something, the two suddenly wrestled to the ground.</p>
<p>"I can't go to jail," Smith cried out. An officer's attempt to use a Taser failed.</p>
<p>"Get your (expletive) hand out," an officer told Smith, whose hands were out of the camera's view. Then the officer yelled, "It's a (expletive) gun."</p>
<p>The video shows Smith pointing a handgun at officers, cocking it while his right hand is pinned against a curb, firing it, and then cocking it again. The officers then opened fire, killing Smith.</p>
<p>A lawyer for Smith's family, Willard Proctor Jr., said police showed the video to the teenager's relatives earlier Wednesday.</p>
<p>"We're not at a point where we can make any conclusions," Proctor said. He said that once a complete set of video footage is released, there could be an opportunity to look into "what, if anything, could have been done differently."</p>
<p>Davis said the officers involved did not have body cameras. He said the names of the officers involved could be released after a plan is in place to protect them, since the agency has received threats.</p>
<p>"Misinformation gets out that says ... the subject wasn't armed, the subject didn't shoot," Davis said. "He was armed and we, in fact, had to take action because of that. I want people to see what happened."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Kelly P. Kissel on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/kisselAP" type="external">https://twitter.com/kisselAP</a></p> | 3,650 |
<p>Five U.S. soldiers are accused of getting high and murdering Afghan civilians without cause. In leaked interrogation tapes, at least two appear to confess to as much.</p>
<p>In one tape, Specialist Jeremy N. Morlock, who, if convicted, faces a death sentence, was asked whether one victim in particular was carrying weapons or acting aggressively. Morlock replied candidly: "No, not at all. Nothing, he wasn't a threat."</p>
<p>The soldiers are accused of taking souvenirs of their alleged crimes, including body parts and photos in which they are said to pose with the victims.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>The New York Times:</p>
<p>The soldiers are accused of possessing dismembered body parts, including fingers and a skull, and collecting photographs of dead Afghans. Some images show soldiers posing with the dead. As many as 70 images are believed to be in evidence.</p>
<p>Some of the soldiers have said in court documents that they were forced to participate in the killings by a supervisor, Sgt. Calvin Gibbs, who is also accused in the killings. All five defendants have said they are not guilty.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/us/28soldier.html?src=mv" type="external">Read more</a></p> | American Soldiers Accused of Shooting Afghans for the Hell of It | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/american-soldiers-accused-of-shooting-afghans-for-the-hell-of-it/ | 2010-09-28 | 4left
| American Soldiers Accused of Shooting Afghans for the Hell of It
<p>Five U.S. soldiers are accused of getting high and murdering Afghan civilians without cause. In leaked interrogation tapes, at least two appear to confess to as much.</p>
<p>In one tape, Specialist Jeremy N. Morlock, who, if convicted, faces a death sentence, was asked whether one victim in particular was carrying weapons or acting aggressively. Morlock replied candidly: "No, not at all. Nothing, he wasn't a threat."</p>
<p>The soldiers are accused of taking souvenirs of their alleged crimes, including body parts and photos in which they are said to pose with the victims.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>The New York Times:</p>
<p>The soldiers are accused of possessing dismembered body parts, including fingers and a skull, and collecting photographs of dead Afghans. Some images show soldiers posing with the dead. As many as 70 images are believed to be in evidence.</p>
<p>Some of the soldiers have said in court documents that they were forced to participate in the killings by a supervisor, Sgt. Calvin Gibbs, who is also accused in the killings. All five defendants have said they are not guilty.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/us/28soldier.html?src=mv" type="external">Read more</a></p> | 3,651 |
<p>Could it be that the worm is finally turning?</p>
<p>On Friday, January 19, it was announced that journalists, copy editors, and other workers at the LA Times, long regarded as one of this country’s great daily newspapers, had voted to join a union. Why was this particular election so special? Because it marked the first time in the paper’s 136 year history that its employees had ever been represented by a union.</p>
<p>According to the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board), which monitored the election and counted the votes, Times employees, by a whopping mandate of 284-44, voted to affiliate with the NewsGuild-CWA (Communication Workers of America).</p>
<p>As for being regarded as a “great” newspaper, people can quibble all they like, but they can’t deny the fact that the Times’ unambiguously anti-union, pro-corporate ownership (beginning with the Chandler family) was able to largely keep the editorial side independent and separated from the business side.</p>
<p>Besides regularly endorsing Democratic candidates over Republicans in state and national elections, the LA Times has featured such left-wing columnists as Harry Bernstein, Robert Scheer and the late, great Alexander Cockburn. I was privileged to meet Harry Bernstein in the 1980s, during an industrial strike, and began a long and gratifying correspondence with him.</p>
<p>As for the new union, its first order of business—before local union officers even sit down to negotiate its inaugural contract—was to request that Tronc, Inc. (since 2000, the parent company of the Times, and also the owners of, among others, the Chicago Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, and Orlando Sentinel) fire Ross Levinsohn, the paper’s despised publisher and CEO, who’s been accused of blatant sexual harassment and other misconduct.</p>
<p>Levinsohn, a slick, photogenic corporate creature with a winning smile, a marketing and public relations background, and virtually no experience as a reporter, journalist or anything resembling a “newspaper man,” has been accused of encouraging a male chauvinistic “frat boy” environment at the paper. Levinsohn himself has twice been named as defendant in lawsuits alleging sexual harassment.</p>
<p>Of course, for anyone who has followed the tortuous anti-union history of the LA Times, October 1, 1910, will forever be regarded as the ruination of any chance management and labor had for reaching any kind of agreement. It was on that date that over-zealous, pro-union thugs planted dynamite at Times headquarters.</p>
<p>The explosion and subsequent fire wound up killing 21 people, and injuring more than 100 others. The LA Times, which referred to the dynamiting as the “crime of the century,” has remained stubbornly, almost “metaphysically,” non-union ever since. Until last Friday.</p>
<p>In 1911, two members of the International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers, brothers James and Joseph McNamara, were charged with the bombing. Due to the intensity and vehemence of the Times’ anti-union crusade, the case became a cause celebre of the labor movement.</p>
<p>The AFL (American Federation of Labor) hired noted attorney Clarence Darrow to defend the brothers. Before going to trial, James pleaded guilty to setting the bomb, and was sentenced to life in prison.</p>
<p>So now the LA Times has joined the proud, collectivist ranks of the unionized. It was a huge move, an historic move, one that will finally offer the employees an active voice in determining their own fate. In any event, it has to be taken as a major step forward for whatever remains of the American labor movement.</p> | Great News for Organized Labor | true | https://counterpunch.org/2018/01/24/great-news-for-organized-labor/ | 2018-01-24 | 4left
| Great News for Organized Labor
<p>Could it be that the worm is finally turning?</p>
<p>On Friday, January 19, it was announced that journalists, copy editors, and other workers at the LA Times, long regarded as one of this country’s great daily newspapers, had voted to join a union. Why was this particular election so special? Because it marked the first time in the paper’s 136 year history that its employees had ever been represented by a union.</p>
<p>According to the NLRB (National Labor Relations Board), which monitored the election and counted the votes, Times employees, by a whopping mandate of 284-44, voted to affiliate with the NewsGuild-CWA (Communication Workers of America).</p>
<p>As for being regarded as a “great” newspaper, people can quibble all they like, but they can’t deny the fact that the Times’ unambiguously anti-union, pro-corporate ownership (beginning with the Chandler family) was able to largely keep the editorial side independent and separated from the business side.</p>
<p>Besides regularly endorsing Democratic candidates over Republicans in state and national elections, the LA Times has featured such left-wing columnists as Harry Bernstein, Robert Scheer and the late, great Alexander Cockburn. I was privileged to meet Harry Bernstein in the 1980s, during an industrial strike, and began a long and gratifying correspondence with him.</p>
<p>As for the new union, its first order of business—before local union officers even sit down to negotiate its inaugural contract—was to request that Tronc, Inc. (since 2000, the parent company of the Times, and also the owners of, among others, the Chicago Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, and Orlando Sentinel) fire Ross Levinsohn, the paper’s despised publisher and CEO, who’s been accused of blatant sexual harassment and other misconduct.</p>
<p>Levinsohn, a slick, photogenic corporate creature with a winning smile, a marketing and public relations background, and virtually no experience as a reporter, journalist or anything resembling a “newspaper man,” has been accused of encouraging a male chauvinistic “frat boy” environment at the paper. Levinsohn himself has twice been named as defendant in lawsuits alleging sexual harassment.</p>
<p>Of course, for anyone who has followed the tortuous anti-union history of the LA Times, October 1, 1910, will forever be regarded as the ruination of any chance management and labor had for reaching any kind of agreement. It was on that date that over-zealous, pro-union thugs planted dynamite at Times headquarters.</p>
<p>The explosion and subsequent fire wound up killing 21 people, and injuring more than 100 others. The LA Times, which referred to the dynamiting as the “crime of the century,” has remained stubbornly, almost “metaphysically,” non-union ever since. Until last Friday.</p>
<p>In 1911, two members of the International Association of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers, brothers James and Joseph McNamara, were charged with the bombing. Due to the intensity and vehemence of the Times’ anti-union crusade, the case became a cause celebre of the labor movement.</p>
<p>The AFL (American Federation of Labor) hired noted attorney Clarence Darrow to defend the brothers. Before going to trial, James pleaded guilty to setting the bomb, and was sentenced to life in prison.</p>
<p>So now the LA Times has joined the proud, collectivist ranks of the unionized. It was a huge move, an historic move, one that will finally offer the employees an active voice in determining their own fate. In any event, it has to be taken as a major step forward for whatever remains of the American labor movement.</p> | 3,652 |
<p>After a <a href="" type="internal">machete-wielding terrorist</a> injured four people in his restaurant, Hany Baransi, owner of Nazareth deli in Columbus, Ohio will update his decor.</p>
<p>The attacker asked if</p>
<p>Initial reports indicated a small Israeli flag greeted Nazareth customers when they entered the deli along with an Arabic sign, “Ahlan Wa Sahalan” or ““You are my family, take it easy.” The little symbol of Israeli pride will be replaced for a much bigger one.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p />
<p>From <a href="http://www.thetower.org/2961-exclusive-owner-of-ohio-deli-targeted-by-machete-terrorist-we-are-israeli-we-fight-back/" type="external">The Tower</a>:</p>
<p>The assailant, identified by police as 30-year-old Mohamed Barry, “came in and asked where I was from,” Baransi told The Tower. While Baransi was at home nursing a headache at the time, one of his employees– a young waitress– told Barry that the owner is from Israel. The man left after he determined that Baransi wasn’t at the restaurant, only to return around 30 minutes later with a machete and start hacking people.</p>
<p>“He came to each table and just started hitting them,” Karen Bass, who was in the restaurant at the time, told WBNS. “There were tables and chairs overturned, there was a man on the floor bleeding, there was blood on the floor.”</p>
<p>According to authorities, Nazareth’s employees and patrons fought back and threw chairs at Barry, who fled the eatery after injuring four diners. He led cops on a five-mile chase before his vehicle spun off the road and, armed with his machete and another knife, he lunged at the officers.</p>
<p>“He yelled ‘Allahu Akbar’ and then he attacked them with the machete and that’s when they shot him and killed him,” Baransi said.</p>
<p>No cops were wounded during the attack, and the four victims who were injured inside the restaurant are expected to recover.</p>
<p>While Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs said shortly after the assault that she believed Nazareth’s diners “were just randomly attacked, spontaneously, without warning,” Baransi wasn’t so certain.</p>
<p>“Is it a random attack? Yes, but it wasn’t a random attack like you’re walking in the street and there are 10 shops and you pick one,” he said. “It was a random attack [insofar] that I was one of the Israelis [picked] between all of the Israelis that are around here. It was a terrorist attack.”</p>
<p>…When asked whether he would consider removing the Israeli flag seen from his restaurant’s entryway as a precaution, Baransi swiftly rejected the idea.</p>
<p>“Actually I have another flag, and I am going to get a bigger flag, and I am going to get a Star of David necklace and put it on my chest, and I am going to get a tattoo,” he declared. “Honest to God, I am not kidding. They don’t scare me. We are Israelis. We are Israelis. We are resilient, we fight back.”</p>
<p>“We are used to these bastards,” he added. “We are used to these kinds of attacks, that they hate us just for what we are. They don’t know us, they don’t know anything about us, and they do that. You know, I don’t care if I was an Arab or not, because I am an Israeli, and if you don’t like Israelis you don’t like me.”</p>
<p>[h/t <a href="http://tammybruce.com/2016/02/owner-of-deli-attacked-by-machete-terrorist-to-fly-bigger-israeli-flag.html" type="external">Tammy Bruce</a>]</p>
<p>Follow Kemberlee on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/KemberleeKaye" type="external">@kemberleekaye</a></p> | Ohio Restaurant Owner to Fly Bigger Israeli Flag After Machete Attack | true | http://legalinsurrection.com/2016/02/ohio-restaurant-owner-to-fly-bigger-israeli-flag-after-machete-attack/ | 2016-02-17 | 0right
| Ohio Restaurant Owner to Fly Bigger Israeli Flag After Machete Attack
<p>After a <a href="" type="internal">machete-wielding terrorist</a> injured four people in his restaurant, Hany Baransi, owner of Nazareth deli in Columbus, Ohio will update his decor.</p>
<p>The attacker asked if</p>
<p>Initial reports indicated a small Israeli flag greeted Nazareth customers when they entered the deli along with an Arabic sign, “Ahlan Wa Sahalan” or ““You are my family, take it easy.” The little symbol of Israeli pride will be replaced for a much bigger one.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p />
<p>From <a href="http://www.thetower.org/2961-exclusive-owner-of-ohio-deli-targeted-by-machete-terrorist-we-are-israeli-we-fight-back/" type="external">The Tower</a>:</p>
<p>The assailant, identified by police as 30-year-old Mohamed Barry, “came in and asked where I was from,” Baransi told The Tower. While Baransi was at home nursing a headache at the time, one of his employees– a young waitress– told Barry that the owner is from Israel. The man left after he determined that Baransi wasn’t at the restaurant, only to return around 30 minutes later with a machete and start hacking people.</p>
<p>“He came to each table and just started hitting them,” Karen Bass, who was in the restaurant at the time, told WBNS. “There were tables and chairs overturned, there was a man on the floor bleeding, there was blood on the floor.”</p>
<p>According to authorities, Nazareth’s employees and patrons fought back and threw chairs at Barry, who fled the eatery after injuring four diners. He led cops on a five-mile chase before his vehicle spun off the road and, armed with his machete and another knife, he lunged at the officers.</p>
<p>“He yelled ‘Allahu Akbar’ and then he attacked them with the machete and that’s when they shot him and killed him,” Baransi said.</p>
<p>No cops were wounded during the attack, and the four victims who were injured inside the restaurant are expected to recover.</p>
<p>While Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs said shortly after the assault that she believed Nazareth’s diners “were just randomly attacked, spontaneously, without warning,” Baransi wasn’t so certain.</p>
<p>“Is it a random attack? Yes, but it wasn’t a random attack like you’re walking in the street and there are 10 shops and you pick one,” he said. “It was a random attack [insofar] that I was one of the Israelis [picked] between all of the Israelis that are around here. It was a terrorist attack.”</p>
<p>…When asked whether he would consider removing the Israeli flag seen from his restaurant’s entryway as a precaution, Baransi swiftly rejected the idea.</p>
<p>“Actually I have another flag, and I am going to get a bigger flag, and I am going to get a Star of David necklace and put it on my chest, and I am going to get a tattoo,” he declared. “Honest to God, I am not kidding. They don’t scare me. We are Israelis. We are Israelis. We are resilient, we fight back.”</p>
<p>“We are used to these bastards,” he added. “We are used to these kinds of attacks, that they hate us just for what we are. They don’t know us, they don’t know anything about us, and they do that. You know, I don’t care if I was an Arab or not, because I am an Israeli, and if you don’t like Israelis you don’t like me.”</p>
<p>[h/t <a href="http://tammybruce.com/2016/02/owner-of-deli-attacked-by-machete-terrorist-to-fly-bigger-israeli-flag.html" type="external">Tammy Bruce</a>]</p>
<p>Follow Kemberlee on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/KemberleeKaye" type="external">@kemberleekaye</a></p> | 3,653 |
<p>An Ohio police officer was injured on Thanksgiving Day after his partner accidentally used a stun gun on him, the Dayton Daily News reported.</p>
<p>The officers were responding to a report of domestic violence on Thursday afternoon when the man believed to be involved in the incident refused to show his identification, the local newspaper reported. The officers then pulled the man from the car, and one of them deployed his Taser when the man refused to cooperate, according to the Dayton Daily News.</p>
<p>During the scuffle, one of the officers was hit with one of stun gun’s prongs, causing him to fall back and hit her head on the ground, the video shows. The other prong struck the suspect, the Dayton Daily News reported.</p>
<p>The injured officer was taken to a local hospital for treatment and was expected to be OK, according to the Daily News.</p>
<p>The 22-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with obstructing official business, failure to disclose personal information and resisting arrest, according to the Daily News. He pleaded not guilty to those charges on Monday.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | WATCH: Ohio Police Officer Shocks Partner With Stun Gun | false | https://studionewsnetwork.com/police-videos/watch-ohio-police-officer-shocks-partner-stun-gun/ | 2017-12-05 | 3left-center
| WATCH: Ohio Police Officer Shocks Partner With Stun Gun
<p>An Ohio police officer was injured on Thanksgiving Day after his partner accidentally used a stun gun on him, the Dayton Daily News reported.</p>
<p>The officers were responding to a report of domestic violence on Thursday afternoon when the man believed to be involved in the incident refused to show his identification, the local newspaper reported. The officers then pulled the man from the car, and one of them deployed his Taser when the man refused to cooperate, according to the Dayton Daily News.</p>
<p>During the scuffle, one of the officers was hit with one of stun gun’s prongs, causing him to fall back and hit her head on the ground, the video shows. The other prong struck the suspect, the Dayton Daily News reported.</p>
<p>The injured officer was taken to a local hospital for treatment and was expected to be OK, according to the Daily News.</p>
<p>The 22-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with obstructing official business, failure to disclose personal information and resisting arrest, according to the Daily News. He pleaded not guilty to those charges on Monday.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 3,654 |
<p>Jehovah's Witness: A History of Deception</p>
<p>"And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." 2 Timothy 2:26 Ok, so let's start with the definition of what a Jehovah's Witness is:</p>
<p>Unlike the bible which never changes, the doctrine of the Jehovah's Witness has changed markedly over time as the things that they have predicted to come true...haven't. In 1920, they published a book called "Millions Now Living Will Never Die". Well, nearly all of those people are now dead. Do they admit their false prophecy? Of course not. Instead, they simply republish the book with the title of "Millions Now Dead Will Live Again. (Watchtower, May 1, 1990). This is what is known in the used car business as a cover up. Or a lie. Take your pick. "The deliverance of the saints must take place some time before 1914"- Charles Taze Russell</p>
<p>How the Jehovah's Witness got started Jehovah's Witnesses trace their origins to the nineteenth century Adventist movement in America. That movement began with William Miller, a Baptist lay preacher who, in the year 1816, began proclaiming that Christ would return in 1843. His predictions of the Second Coming or Second Advent captured the imagination of thousands in Baptist and other mainline churches. Perhaps as many as 50,000 followers put their trust in Miller's chronological calculations and prepared to welcome the Lord, while, as the appointed time approached, others watched nervously from a distance. Recalculations moved the promised second advent from March, 1843 to March, 1844, and then to October of that year. Alas, that date too passed uneventfully. After the "Disappointment of 1844" Miller's following fell apart, with most of those who had looked to him returning to their respective churches before his death in 1849. But other disappointed followers kept the movement alive, although in fragmented form. Their activities eventually led to the formation of several sects under the broad heading of "Adventism" including the Advent Christian Church, the Life and Advent Union, the Seventh-Day Adventists, and various Second Adventist groups. An interesting side-note: The Branch Davidians who died at Waco, Texas, under the leadership of David Koresh also trace their roots to the same Millerite source through a different line of descent. In 1935 the Seventh Day Adventist Church expelled a Bulgarian immigrant named Victor Houteff, who had begun teaching his own views on certain passages of the Revelation or Apocalypse, the last book of the Bible. Houteff set up shop on the property at Waco. After first referring to his tiny new sect as The Shepherd's Rod, Houteff and his people in 1942 incorporated and renamed themselves Davidian Seventh Day Adventists. Houteff died in 1955, and in 1961 his wife Florence officially disbanded the sect, but a few followers under the leadership of west Texas businessman Benjamin Roden took over the real estate. Roden died in 1978, leaving behind his wife Lois and his son George to lead the group. Then, in 1987, David Koresh took over the leadership position, and the tragedy that followed is public knowledge. Jehovah's Witnesses, likewise, trace their roots back to the Adventists. But they do not often admit this to outsiders; nor do many Witnesses know the details themselves. JWs are accustomed to defending themselves against the charge that they are a new religious cult. They will often respond that theirs is the most ancient religious group, older than Catholic and Protestant churches. In fact, their book Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose asserts that "Jehovah's witnesses have a history almost 6,000 years long, beginning while the first man, Adam, was still alive," that Adam's son Abel was "the first of an unbroken line of Witnesses," and that "Jesus' disciples were all Jehovah's witnesses [sic] too." (pp. 8-9) An outsider listening to such claims quickly realizes, of course, that the sect has simply appropriated unto itself all the characters named in the Bible as faithful witnesses of God. By such extrapolation the denomination is able to stretch its history back to the beginnings of the human family-at least in the eyes of adherents who are willing to accept such arguments. But outside observers generally dismiss this sort of rhetoric and instead reckon the Witnesses as dating back only to Charles Taze Russell, who was born on February 16, 1852, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>They deny the triune nature of God and teaches that such a belief is inspired by Satan and teaches that Jehovah, the name of the one true God, corresponds only to God the Father. JWs also deny that Jesus is God (see next point). They deny the Holy Spirit is a person, and instead teach he is merely God's active force, similar to electricity.</p> Ok, so let's start with the definition of what a Jehovah's Witness is : | Jehovah's Witness: A History of Deception | true | http://nowtheendbegins.com/pages/cults/jehovahs-witness.htm | 0right
| Jehovah's Witness: A History of Deception
<p>Jehovah's Witness: A History of Deception</p>
<p>"And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." 2 Timothy 2:26 Ok, so let's start with the definition of what a Jehovah's Witness is:</p>
<p>Unlike the bible which never changes, the doctrine of the Jehovah's Witness has changed markedly over time as the things that they have predicted to come true...haven't. In 1920, they published a book called "Millions Now Living Will Never Die". Well, nearly all of those people are now dead. Do they admit their false prophecy? Of course not. Instead, they simply republish the book with the title of "Millions Now Dead Will Live Again. (Watchtower, May 1, 1990). This is what is known in the used car business as a cover up. Or a lie. Take your pick. "The deliverance of the saints must take place some time before 1914"- Charles Taze Russell</p>
<p>How the Jehovah's Witness got started Jehovah's Witnesses trace their origins to the nineteenth century Adventist movement in America. That movement began with William Miller, a Baptist lay preacher who, in the year 1816, began proclaiming that Christ would return in 1843. His predictions of the Second Coming or Second Advent captured the imagination of thousands in Baptist and other mainline churches. Perhaps as many as 50,000 followers put their trust in Miller's chronological calculations and prepared to welcome the Lord, while, as the appointed time approached, others watched nervously from a distance. Recalculations moved the promised second advent from March, 1843 to March, 1844, and then to October of that year. Alas, that date too passed uneventfully. After the "Disappointment of 1844" Miller's following fell apart, with most of those who had looked to him returning to their respective churches before his death in 1849. But other disappointed followers kept the movement alive, although in fragmented form. Their activities eventually led to the formation of several sects under the broad heading of "Adventism" including the Advent Christian Church, the Life and Advent Union, the Seventh-Day Adventists, and various Second Adventist groups. An interesting side-note: The Branch Davidians who died at Waco, Texas, under the leadership of David Koresh also trace their roots to the same Millerite source through a different line of descent. In 1935 the Seventh Day Adventist Church expelled a Bulgarian immigrant named Victor Houteff, who had begun teaching his own views on certain passages of the Revelation or Apocalypse, the last book of the Bible. Houteff set up shop on the property at Waco. After first referring to his tiny new sect as The Shepherd's Rod, Houteff and his people in 1942 incorporated and renamed themselves Davidian Seventh Day Adventists. Houteff died in 1955, and in 1961 his wife Florence officially disbanded the sect, but a few followers under the leadership of west Texas businessman Benjamin Roden took over the real estate. Roden died in 1978, leaving behind his wife Lois and his son George to lead the group. Then, in 1987, David Koresh took over the leadership position, and the tragedy that followed is public knowledge. Jehovah's Witnesses, likewise, trace their roots back to the Adventists. But they do not often admit this to outsiders; nor do many Witnesses know the details themselves. JWs are accustomed to defending themselves against the charge that they are a new religious cult. They will often respond that theirs is the most ancient religious group, older than Catholic and Protestant churches. In fact, their book Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose asserts that "Jehovah's witnesses have a history almost 6,000 years long, beginning while the first man, Adam, was still alive," that Adam's son Abel was "the first of an unbroken line of Witnesses," and that "Jesus' disciples were all Jehovah's witnesses [sic] too." (pp. 8-9) An outsider listening to such claims quickly realizes, of course, that the sect has simply appropriated unto itself all the characters named in the Bible as faithful witnesses of God. By such extrapolation the denomination is able to stretch its history back to the beginnings of the human family-at least in the eyes of adherents who are willing to accept such arguments. But outside observers generally dismiss this sort of rhetoric and instead reckon the Witnesses as dating back only to Charles Taze Russell, who was born on February 16, 1852, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>They deny the triune nature of God and teaches that such a belief is inspired by Satan and teaches that Jehovah, the name of the one true God, corresponds only to God the Father. JWs also deny that Jesus is God (see next point). They deny the Holy Spirit is a person, and instead teach he is merely God's active force, similar to electricity.</p> Ok, so let's start with the definition of what a Jehovah's Witness is : | 3,655 |
|
<p>Bizuayehu Tesfaye/ZUMA</p>
<p />
<p>Donald Trump is about to take office as the <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-least-popular-new-president-in-at-least-a-generation-poll-finds-1484690456" type="external">least popular</a> incoming president in four decades, with Americans largely disapproving of his character and the way he’s handled the transition process. According to a new poll, Trump is even less popular than the Affordable Care Act, the very law he successfully campaigned on dismantling.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/interactive/2017/01/19/fox-news-poll-1117/" type="external">Fox News poll,</a> which was released just one day before the inauguration, shows Obamacare is now viewed more favorably than the next commander in chief, with 50 percent of those polled approving of President Barack Obama’s healthcare reforms. The same poll found only 42 percent viewed Trump favorably.</p>
<p>President Barack Obama out-performed both his signature healthcare law and his successor, with an overwhelming 60 percent approval rating of the outgoing president.</p>
<p>The poll results arrive as Republicans have already taken major steps to repeal Obamacare, most notably without a serious replacement for the millions of Americans expected to lose coverage in the political fallout. But trashing Obamacare <a href="" type="internal">may not be as easy</a> as some Republicans think.</p>
<p /> | Yep, Obamacare Is Now More Popular Than Donald Trump | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/obamacare-now-more-popular-donald-trump/ | 2017-01-20 | 4left
| Yep, Obamacare Is Now More Popular Than Donald Trump
<p>Bizuayehu Tesfaye/ZUMA</p>
<p />
<p>Donald Trump is about to take office as the <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-least-popular-new-president-in-at-least-a-generation-poll-finds-1484690456" type="external">least popular</a> incoming president in four decades, with Americans largely disapproving of his character and the way he’s handled the transition process. According to a new poll, Trump is even less popular than the Affordable Care Act, the very law he successfully campaigned on dismantling.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/interactive/2017/01/19/fox-news-poll-1117/" type="external">Fox News poll,</a> which was released just one day before the inauguration, shows Obamacare is now viewed more favorably than the next commander in chief, with 50 percent of those polled approving of President Barack Obama’s healthcare reforms. The same poll found only 42 percent viewed Trump favorably.</p>
<p>President Barack Obama out-performed both his signature healthcare law and his successor, with an overwhelming 60 percent approval rating of the outgoing president.</p>
<p>The poll results arrive as Republicans have already taken major steps to repeal Obamacare, most notably without a serious replacement for the millions of Americans expected to lose coverage in the political fallout. But trashing Obamacare <a href="" type="internal">may not be as easy</a> as some Republicans think.</p>
<p /> | 3,656 |
<p>"Call [Donald Trump] out on what is really racist - it’s just racist!” exclaimed Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee, on Sunday during a press conference.</p>
<p>“When Donald Trump talks about deporting 11 million illegal immigrants, that’s just wrong," <a href="http://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2016/05/29/libertarian-frontrunner-gary-johnson-gets-boos-from-crowd-at-presidential-debate" type="external">said</a> Johnson during Saturday’s Libertarian debate. "When he talks about building a fence across the border, that is just wrong...He’s wrong. He’s wrong!”</p>
<p>Asked by a reporter to elaborate on his view of Trump’s call for deportation of foreigners illegally residing within the country and border security with a physical barrier, Johnson derided the Republican presidential nominee as “racist.”</p>
<p>“Well, taking him on the the fact that he wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, taking him on on wanting to build a fence across the border, that’s nuts. Taking him on when he says that Mexicans are murderers and rapists, I mean, it’s incendiary!” announced Johnson.</p>
<p>“As a border state governor, it’s incendiary to 50% of the population of New Mexico that he’s talking about Hispanics and Mexicans in this way when the absolute opposite is true!” said Johnson, casting Trump’s description of Mexico’s informal foreign policy of unloading some of its worst people onto America as insulting towards all Mexicans and Hispanics.</p>
<p>Johnson <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/libertarian-gary-johnson-trumpers-im-39400437" type="external">sought to appeal</a> to the “Never Trump” movement.</p>
<p>"I will be the only third-party candidate on the ballot in all 50 states," Johnson said. "I'm it."</p>
<p>Watch a brief video featuring libertarians from left-wing news outlet The New York Times below.</p>
<p>Follow Robert Kraychik on <a href="https://twitter.com/kr3ch3k" type="external">Twitter</a>.</p>
<p /> | Gary Johnson: Donald Trump Saying 'Mexicans Are Murderers And Rapists' Is 'Racist' | true | https://dailywire.com/news/6134/gary-johnson-donald-trump-says-mexicans-are-robert-kraychik | 2016-05-29 | 0right
| Gary Johnson: Donald Trump Saying 'Mexicans Are Murderers And Rapists' Is 'Racist'
<p>"Call [Donald Trump] out on what is really racist - it’s just racist!” exclaimed Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee, on Sunday during a press conference.</p>
<p>“When Donald Trump talks about deporting 11 million illegal immigrants, that’s just wrong," <a href="http://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2016/05/29/libertarian-frontrunner-gary-johnson-gets-boos-from-crowd-at-presidential-debate" type="external">said</a> Johnson during Saturday’s Libertarian debate. "When he talks about building a fence across the border, that is just wrong...He’s wrong. He’s wrong!”</p>
<p>Asked by a reporter to elaborate on his view of Trump’s call for deportation of foreigners illegally residing within the country and border security with a physical barrier, Johnson derided the Republican presidential nominee as “racist.”</p>
<p>“Well, taking him on the the fact that he wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, taking him on on wanting to build a fence across the border, that’s nuts. Taking him on when he says that Mexicans are murderers and rapists, I mean, it’s incendiary!” announced Johnson.</p>
<p>“As a border state governor, it’s incendiary to 50% of the population of New Mexico that he’s talking about Hispanics and Mexicans in this way when the absolute opposite is true!” said Johnson, casting Trump’s description of Mexico’s informal foreign policy of unloading some of its worst people onto America as insulting towards all Mexicans and Hispanics.</p>
<p>Johnson <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/libertarian-gary-johnson-trumpers-im-39400437" type="external">sought to appeal</a> to the “Never Trump” movement.</p>
<p>"I will be the only third-party candidate on the ballot in all 50 states," Johnson said. "I'm it."</p>
<p>Watch a brief video featuring libertarians from left-wing news outlet The New York Times below.</p>
<p>Follow Robert Kraychik on <a href="https://twitter.com/kr3ch3k" type="external">Twitter</a>.</p>
<p /> | 3,657 |
<p>Photo by Osha Gray Davidson</p>
<p />
<p>If anyone still doubts that solar power is the future (other than oil barons, coal kings and the jokers in Congress), <a href="http://bit.ly/1IR0hT" type="external">a new report</a>from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) might change their mind.</p>
<p>In the study released this week, author Larry Sherwood has assembled an impressive collection of data proving that (as Sherwood writes), “Solar markets are booming in the United States due to rising energy prices, strong consumer demand, and financial incentives from the federal government, states and utilities.”</p>
<p>Here are some specifics from the IREC report:</p>
<p>&#160;To find how your state fared — solarly-speaking — check appendix ‘C’ on the report’s last page. ( <a href="http://bit.ly/SH4Zi" type="external">Or click here to see that chart by itself</a>.)</p>
<p>Osha Gray Davidson covers solar energy for <a href="http://thephoenixsun.com/" type="external">The Phoenix Sun</a>, and is a contributing blogger for Mother Jones. For more of his stories, <a href="../../../../../../authors/osha-gray-davidson" type="external">click here</a>. This post appeared first in The Phoenix Sun.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p /> | US Solar Power Glows (and Grows) | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2009/07/us-solar-power-soars/ | 2009-07-23 | 4left
| US Solar Power Glows (and Grows)
<p>Photo by Osha Gray Davidson</p>
<p />
<p>If anyone still doubts that solar power is the future (other than oil barons, coal kings and the jokers in Congress), <a href="http://bit.ly/1IR0hT" type="external">a new report</a>from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) might change their mind.</p>
<p>In the study released this week, author Larry Sherwood has assembled an impressive collection of data proving that (as Sherwood writes), “Solar markets are booming in the United States due to rising energy prices, strong consumer demand, and financial incentives from the federal government, states and utilities.”</p>
<p>Here are some specifics from the IREC report:</p>
<p>&#160;To find how your state fared — solarly-speaking — check appendix ‘C’ on the report’s last page. ( <a href="http://bit.ly/SH4Zi" type="external">Or click here to see that chart by itself</a>.)</p>
<p>Osha Gray Davidson covers solar energy for <a href="http://thephoenixsun.com/" type="external">The Phoenix Sun</a>, and is a contributing blogger for Mother Jones. For more of his stories, <a href="../../../../../../authors/osha-gray-davidson" type="external">click here</a>. This post appeared first in The Phoenix Sun.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p /> | 3,658 |
<p>This article will be useful for those who are going to move into their new apartment or house in the near future, but don’t want to pack clothes, furniture, and small accessories for ages. If you believe that moving is a tiresome process, which demands a lot of patience, follow our 15 tips to prove the opposite.</p>
<p>The following packing strategy will be useful for <a href="https://www.moveprola.com/valley-village-moving-company/" type="external">village movers</a>, riverside movers, and city movers as well. It will help you to start, organize, and finish the moving process without delays and sleepless nights. Don’t waste a minute. Pack your belongings in 1 day only and start a new life in a new house.</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Good luck with your next packing-moving experience!</p> | 15 Packing Tips to Move in 1 Day | false | https://newsline.com/15-packing-tips-move-1-day/ | 2017-08-04 | 1right-center
| 15 Packing Tips to Move in 1 Day
<p>This article will be useful for those who are going to move into their new apartment or house in the near future, but don’t want to pack clothes, furniture, and small accessories for ages. If you believe that moving is a tiresome process, which demands a lot of patience, follow our 15 tips to prove the opposite.</p>
<p>The following packing strategy will be useful for <a href="https://www.moveprola.com/valley-village-moving-company/" type="external">village movers</a>, riverside movers, and city movers as well. It will help you to start, organize, and finish the moving process without delays and sleepless nights. Don’t waste a minute. Pack your belongings in 1 day only and start a new life in a new house.</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Good luck with your next packing-moving experience!</p> | 3,659 |
<p>As one of the most famous American World War II era photographs circulated again in celebration of the anniversary of Victory over Japan Day on Friday, the New York Daily News ran a piece on the " <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/famed-image-marking-v-j-day-sinister-shade-article-1.2774540" type="external">sinister shade</a>" the photo has taken on, as a supposed example of "sexual assault."</p>
<p>"V-J Day in Times Square," a photograph taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt, features an American sailor kissing a woman in a white uniform dress on Victory over Japan Day in Times Square, New York on August 14, 1945. The sailor, later identified as George Mendonsa, had just left from the USS The Sullivans (DD-537) and had joined the partying in the streets. In the midst of his gleeful intoxication, Mendonsa planted a kiss on a complete stranger, 21-year-old Greta Zimmer, and continued on his way.</p>
<p />
<p>Above: Eisenstadt with his iconic photo.</p>
<p>Unbeknownst to the two of them at the time, they were being photographed by a famous photojournalist. Eisenstaedt's photo was published a week later in Life magazine in a section titled "Victory Celebrations," featuring three additional kissing poses to celebrate relief from war in the United States. The image of a spontaneous kiss between the sailor and a young woman shortly before it was announced that the war on Japan was over became a national victory symbol in no time.</p>
<p>"I turned around and clicked the moment the sailor kissed the nurse," Eisenstaedt wrote in his book, quoted by the NY Daily News. "If she had been dressed in a dark dress I would never have taken the picture. If the sailor had worn a white uniform, the same. I took exactly four pictures. It was done within a few seconds."</p>
<p>But to some on the left, the image is not a symbol of victory but, rather, an example of the mainstreaming of sexual assault.</p>
<p>"The photo has also remained the subject of intense scrutiny," writes Andy Martino in his article - <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/famed-image-marking-v-j-day-sinister-shade-article-1.2774540" type="external">How a V-J Day kiss in Times Square has taken on a sinister shade</a>.? Martino continues by describing the origins of the kiss and the comments of the two individuals in the photo years later, presenting a <a href="https://cratesandribbons.com/2012/09/30/the-kissing-sailor-or-the-selective-blindness-of-rape-culture-vj-day-times-square/" type="external">London-based blogger's "viral" post</a> arguing that the iconic celebratory kiss was "nothing short of sexual assault."</p>
<p>The accusation is based on modern guidelines "of what we would call consent" and an interview with the later-married Greta Zimmer Friedman. When reporters had asked Friedman about her intentions in kissing a married man in middle of Times Square in front of the man's wife, she had responded that it was not her "choice to be kissed."</p>
<p>"That guy just came over and grabbed!" she said, adding, "That man was very strong. I wasn't kissing him. He was kissing me."</p>
<p>Martino underscores the argument that the photo is "problematic," and compares it to the modern-day sexual harassment charges against Fox News CEO Roger Ailes (because other prominent figures like Democrats Anthony Weiner and Bill Clinton are irrelevant to left-wing crybaby rants).</p>
<p>Zimmer was a dental hygienist at the time, but Mendonsa said he "had quite a few drinks," and when he saw the figure of the woman he thought was a nurse, he had "considered her one of the troops." Just out of war, Mendonsa had grown accustomed to the sight of nurses, whom he had so regularly watched work tirelessly to help his fellow veterans.</p>
<p>"Those nurses went right to work on these guys, and I mean those guys were hurting," he said. "And when I saw what those nurses did that day, it stuck with me, I guess, for most of my life."</p>
<p>Mendonsa told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sailor-nurse-from-iconic-vj-day-photo-reunited/" type="external">CBS News</a> he does not think his actions at the time would be considered inappropriate today.</p>
<p>Though Friedman and Mendonsa appear to get along, as Martino's article highlights, some on the Left don't agree with their nonchalant response to the incident.</p>
<p>"(Mendonsa) is perfectly entitled to celebrate," Martino quotes the viral blog posts. "However, this entitlement does not extend to his impinging on someone else's bodily autonomy."</p>
<p>Follow Pardes Seleh on <a href="https://twitter.com/PardesSeleh" type="external">Twitter</a>.</p> | The Left Laments Famous WWII Kissing Photo: It's Sexual Assault! | true | https://dailywire.com/news/8905/left-laments-famous-wwii-kissing-photo-its-sexual-pardes-seleh | 2016-09-05 | 0right
| The Left Laments Famous WWII Kissing Photo: It's Sexual Assault!
<p>As one of the most famous American World War II era photographs circulated again in celebration of the anniversary of Victory over Japan Day on Friday, the New York Daily News ran a piece on the " <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/famed-image-marking-v-j-day-sinister-shade-article-1.2774540" type="external">sinister shade</a>" the photo has taken on, as a supposed example of "sexual assault."</p>
<p>"V-J Day in Times Square," a photograph taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt, features an American sailor kissing a woman in a white uniform dress on Victory over Japan Day in Times Square, New York on August 14, 1945. The sailor, later identified as George Mendonsa, had just left from the USS The Sullivans (DD-537) and had joined the partying in the streets. In the midst of his gleeful intoxication, Mendonsa planted a kiss on a complete stranger, 21-year-old Greta Zimmer, and continued on his way.</p>
<p />
<p>Above: Eisenstadt with his iconic photo.</p>
<p>Unbeknownst to the two of them at the time, they were being photographed by a famous photojournalist. Eisenstaedt's photo was published a week later in Life magazine in a section titled "Victory Celebrations," featuring three additional kissing poses to celebrate relief from war in the United States. The image of a spontaneous kiss between the sailor and a young woman shortly before it was announced that the war on Japan was over became a national victory symbol in no time.</p>
<p>"I turned around and clicked the moment the sailor kissed the nurse," Eisenstaedt wrote in his book, quoted by the NY Daily News. "If she had been dressed in a dark dress I would never have taken the picture. If the sailor had worn a white uniform, the same. I took exactly four pictures. It was done within a few seconds."</p>
<p>But to some on the left, the image is not a symbol of victory but, rather, an example of the mainstreaming of sexual assault.</p>
<p>"The photo has also remained the subject of intense scrutiny," writes Andy Martino in his article - <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/famed-image-marking-v-j-day-sinister-shade-article-1.2774540" type="external">How a V-J Day kiss in Times Square has taken on a sinister shade</a>.? Martino continues by describing the origins of the kiss and the comments of the two individuals in the photo years later, presenting a <a href="https://cratesandribbons.com/2012/09/30/the-kissing-sailor-or-the-selective-blindness-of-rape-culture-vj-day-times-square/" type="external">London-based blogger's "viral" post</a> arguing that the iconic celebratory kiss was "nothing short of sexual assault."</p>
<p>The accusation is based on modern guidelines "of what we would call consent" and an interview with the later-married Greta Zimmer Friedman. When reporters had asked Friedman about her intentions in kissing a married man in middle of Times Square in front of the man's wife, she had responded that it was not her "choice to be kissed."</p>
<p>"That guy just came over and grabbed!" she said, adding, "That man was very strong. I wasn't kissing him. He was kissing me."</p>
<p>Martino underscores the argument that the photo is "problematic," and compares it to the modern-day sexual harassment charges against Fox News CEO Roger Ailes (because other prominent figures like Democrats Anthony Weiner and Bill Clinton are irrelevant to left-wing crybaby rants).</p>
<p>Zimmer was a dental hygienist at the time, but Mendonsa said he "had quite a few drinks," and when he saw the figure of the woman he thought was a nurse, he had "considered her one of the troops." Just out of war, Mendonsa had grown accustomed to the sight of nurses, whom he had so regularly watched work tirelessly to help his fellow veterans.</p>
<p>"Those nurses went right to work on these guys, and I mean those guys were hurting," he said. "And when I saw what those nurses did that day, it stuck with me, I guess, for most of my life."</p>
<p>Mendonsa told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sailor-nurse-from-iconic-vj-day-photo-reunited/" type="external">CBS News</a> he does not think his actions at the time would be considered inappropriate today.</p>
<p>Though Friedman and Mendonsa appear to get along, as Martino's article highlights, some on the Left don't agree with their nonchalant response to the incident.</p>
<p>"(Mendonsa) is perfectly entitled to celebrate," Martino quotes the viral blog posts. "However, this entitlement does not extend to his impinging on someone else's bodily autonomy."</p>
<p>Follow Pardes Seleh on <a href="https://twitter.com/PardesSeleh" type="external">Twitter</a>.</p> | 3,660 |
<p><a href="http://variety.com/t/smokey-robinson/" type="external">Smokey Robinson</a>, the legendary singer, songwriter, Motown record producer and executive, has signed with talent agency <a href="http://variety.com/t/apa/" type="external">APA</a> for representation across all services worldwide.</p>
<p>Robinson, born William Robinson, Jr., began his musical career as the lead singer and frontman of “The Miracles,” which produced several Top 40 hits including “My Girl,” “Tears of a Clown,” and “You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me.” In 1972, Robinson exited the group to launch a solo career. His own hits include songs like “Cruisin’” and “Being With You.” In 1983, Robinson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, won a Grammy for his song “Just to See Her,” and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Miracles also received a star in 2009.</p>
<p>Robinson is also credited with contributing to the success of Motown and “The Miracles” was the first act signed by the record company. Robinson later became vice president of the company and&#160;is responsible for discovering Diana Ross.</p>
<p>Recently, Robinson&#160;&#160;released several standard albums like “Timeless,” “Now and Then,” and “Smokey and Friends;” released his first-ever solo Christmas album,&#160;“Christmas Everyday,” as an Amazon exclusive on November 11; and currently serves as executive music producer on the new Motown-themed original animated children’s series, “Melodia,” for Netflix. In 2006, Robinson was awarded the&#160;Kennedy Center Honor&#160;for his lifetime of contributions to American culture.</p>
<p>Robinson is represented by Eric Custer at Manatt, Phelps &amp; Phillips, LLP.</p> | Smokey Robinson Signs With APA (EXCLUSIVE) | false | https://newsline.com/smokey-robinson-signs-with-apa-exclusive/ | 2017-12-01 | 1right-center
| Smokey Robinson Signs With APA (EXCLUSIVE)
<p><a href="http://variety.com/t/smokey-robinson/" type="external">Smokey Robinson</a>, the legendary singer, songwriter, Motown record producer and executive, has signed with talent agency <a href="http://variety.com/t/apa/" type="external">APA</a> for representation across all services worldwide.</p>
<p>Robinson, born William Robinson, Jr., began his musical career as the lead singer and frontman of “The Miracles,” which produced several Top 40 hits including “My Girl,” “Tears of a Clown,” and “You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me.” In 1972, Robinson exited the group to launch a solo career. His own hits include songs like “Cruisin’” and “Being With You.” In 1983, Robinson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, won a Grammy for his song “Just to See Her,” and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Miracles also received a star in 2009.</p>
<p>Robinson is also credited with contributing to the success of Motown and “The Miracles” was the first act signed by the record company. Robinson later became vice president of the company and&#160;is responsible for discovering Diana Ross.</p>
<p>Recently, Robinson&#160;&#160;released several standard albums like “Timeless,” “Now and Then,” and “Smokey and Friends;” released his first-ever solo Christmas album,&#160;“Christmas Everyday,” as an Amazon exclusive on November 11; and currently serves as executive music producer on the new Motown-themed original animated children’s series, “Melodia,” for Netflix. In 2006, Robinson was awarded the&#160;Kennedy Center Honor&#160;for his lifetime of contributions to American culture.</p>
<p>Robinson is represented by Eric Custer at Manatt, Phelps &amp; Phillips, LLP.</p> | 3,661 |
<p>The last time a major American political party fell completely apart, it did so over the expansion of slavery. The split between the Whig Party’s northern and southern factions resulted in the party’s dissolution, the ascendance of the Republican Party (the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, was a former Whig), and the Civil War. Between 1854 and 1856 the Whigs faded from the second largest party in Congress to non-existence.</p>
<p>The last time a major American party came anywhere close to falling completely apart, the divisive issue was racial segregation. Several southern state Democratic Parties split off to form the States’ Rights Democratic Party (the “Dixiecrats”), running Strom Thurmond instead of Harry Truman in the 1948 presidential election, carrying four states and racking up 39 electoral votes. Truman won anyway.</p>
<p>The Dixiecrats were more or less an historical footnote by 1952, although a “National States’ Rights Party” persisted for awhile. Alabama governor George Wallace appealed to the same constituency in his independent presidential campaigns, and 2008 Libertarian Party presidential nominee Bob Barr tried to dog-whistle up a Dixiecrat resurgence.</p>
<p>Next week’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland may be ground zero for America’s next great partisan implosion. The issues involved are both more numerous and more nebulous — foreign policy, immigration policy, trade policy, gun policy, tax policy, what have you — than in similar previous episodes.</p>
<p>In the past a few of those internal policy disputes could be kicked down the road every four years for the sake of party unity and political victory. This year something’s changed. The rise of Donald Trump has brought all of them to a single head in one moment. In addition, the man himself scares the bejabbers out of the party establishment with his garish, faux-populist, medicine show style.</p>
<p>For that establishment, the closest thing possible to victory is for Trump to lose, either to revolting delegates in Cleveland or to Hillary Clinton in November. The party can’t win the White House with Trump, then go back to being the party of George W. Bush, let alone Ronald Reagan. If Trump wins, the establishment loses and the GOP becomes, more overtly than ever and probably irreversibly, the party of banana republic nationalism.</p>
<p>For Trump’s supporters, victory looks like … well, like winning with Trump and making the GOP, more overtly than ever and probably irreversibly, the party of banana republic nationalism.</p>
<p>That signpost reads “all downhill from here.”</p>
<p>In this election, the functional equivalent of the 1948 Dixiecrat ticket are the Libertarian Party’s nominees, two “moderate Republicans” who will be on the ballot in at least 40-odd states rather than four. But where the Dixiecrats were a menace to the Democratic establishment, Gary Johnson and William Weld may be the Republican establishment’s only hope.</p> | Is the Party Over for Republicans? | true | https://counterpunch.org/2016/07/15/is-the-party-over-for-republicans/ | 2016-07-15 | 4left
| Is the Party Over for Republicans?
<p>The last time a major American political party fell completely apart, it did so over the expansion of slavery. The split between the Whig Party’s northern and southern factions resulted in the party’s dissolution, the ascendance of the Republican Party (the first Republican president, Abraham Lincoln, was a former Whig), and the Civil War. Between 1854 and 1856 the Whigs faded from the second largest party in Congress to non-existence.</p>
<p>The last time a major American party came anywhere close to falling completely apart, the divisive issue was racial segregation. Several southern state Democratic Parties split off to form the States’ Rights Democratic Party (the “Dixiecrats”), running Strom Thurmond instead of Harry Truman in the 1948 presidential election, carrying four states and racking up 39 electoral votes. Truman won anyway.</p>
<p>The Dixiecrats were more or less an historical footnote by 1952, although a “National States’ Rights Party” persisted for awhile. Alabama governor George Wallace appealed to the same constituency in his independent presidential campaigns, and 2008 Libertarian Party presidential nominee Bob Barr tried to dog-whistle up a Dixiecrat resurgence.</p>
<p>Next week’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland may be ground zero for America’s next great partisan implosion. The issues involved are both more numerous and more nebulous — foreign policy, immigration policy, trade policy, gun policy, tax policy, what have you — than in similar previous episodes.</p>
<p>In the past a few of those internal policy disputes could be kicked down the road every four years for the sake of party unity and political victory. This year something’s changed. The rise of Donald Trump has brought all of them to a single head in one moment. In addition, the man himself scares the bejabbers out of the party establishment with his garish, faux-populist, medicine show style.</p>
<p>For that establishment, the closest thing possible to victory is for Trump to lose, either to revolting delegates in Cleveland or to Hillary Clinton in November. The party can’t win the White House with Trump, then go back to being the party of George W. Bush, let alone Ronald Reagan. If Trump wins, the establishment loses and the GOP becomes, more overtly than ever and probably irreversibly, the party of banana republic nationalism.</p>
<p>For Trump’s supporters, victory looks like … well, like winning with Trump and making the GOP, more overtly than ever and probably irreversibly, the party of banana republic nationalism.</p>
<p>That signpost reads “all downhill from here.”</p>
<p>In this election, the functional equivalent of the 1948 Dixiecrat ticket are the Libertarian Party’s nominees, two “moderate Republicans” who will be on the ballot in at least 40-odd states rather than four. But where the Dixiecrats were a menace to the Democratic establishment, Gary Johnson and William Weld may be the Republican establishment’s only hope.</p> | 3,662 |
<p>There's a chill in the air, but that's no reason to feel the heat in your utility costs. Here are a few tips on how to keep your utility expenses under control during these winter and fall months:</p>
<p>DO AN AUDIT: Consider having an energy audit done to find out where you have energy inefficiencies and how to improve your energy savings. You can pay a professional for these checkups, but some local programs or utility companies may provide one for free.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The Department of Energy also has tips on do-it-yourself home energy audits at http://energy.gov/energysaver/do-it-yourself-home-energy-audits .</p>
<p>WEATHERIZE: Seal leaks around the house. This could include caulking or weather-stripping around leaky doors and windows or gaps around chimneys or recessed lights.</p>
<p>The Energy Trust of Oregon says weatherization is one of the easiest ways to increase comfort, conserve energy and save money.</p>
<p>Fixes could be as small as covering drafty windows with insulating drapes, shades or even heavy-duty plastic. Or you may want to replace older windows with newer, more energy efficient ones.</p>
<p>There are often local programs to help pay for energy upgrades to your home - check with your local utility companies for information.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>TAKE CONTROL OF THE THERMOSTAT: Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable when you are home and turn it down when you are asleep or out of the house. The Department of Energy estimates that lowering your thermostat by 10 to 15 degrees during these periods will save about 10 percent a year on your heating bills.</p>
<p>Better yet — get a programmable thermostat that automatically makes this adjustment on schedule.</p>
<p>HELP THE HEAT: Service your furnace and change the air filter regularly, once a month or so, to keep it in optimal running order. If you have a wood or pellet-burning heater, clean the flue to ensure your home is heated efficiently. And keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning. Leaving it open is like keeping a window wide open in the winter, according to the Department of Energy.</p>
<p>SEE THE LIGHT: Update your lightbulbs to energy efficient light-emitting-diode, known as LED, lights. Some energy audits may offer you these for free as part of the evaluation. Residential LEDs use at least 75 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than traditional incandescent lighting. And consider using LED holiday lights to lower the cost for decorating your home.</p> | Saving on utility costs for fall and winter | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/11/06/saving-on-utility-costs-for-fall-and-winter.html | 2016-11-07 | 0right
| Saving on utility costs for fall and winter
<p>There's a chill in the air, but that's no reason to feel the heat in your utility costs. Here are a few tips on how to keep your utility expenses under control during these winter and fall months:</p>
<p>DO AN AUDIT: Consider having an energy audit done to find out where you have energy inefficiencies and how to improve your energy savings. You can pay a professional for these checkups, but some local programs or utility companies may provide one for free.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The Department of Energy also has tips on do-it-yourself home energy audits at http://energy.gov/energysaver/do-it-yourself-home-energy-audits .</p>
<p>WEATHERIZE: Seal leaks around the house. This could include caulking or weather-stripping around leaky doors and windows or gaps around chimneys or recessed lights.</p>
<p>The Energy Trust of Oregon says weatherization is one of the easiest ways to increase comfort, conserve energy and save money.</p>
<p>Fixes could be as small as covering drafty windows with insulating drapes, shades or even heavy-duty plastic. Or you may want to replace older windows with newer, more energy efficient ones.</p>
<p>There are often local programs to help pay for energy upgrades to your home - check with your local utility companies for information.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>TAKE CONTROL OF THE THERMOSTAT: Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable when you are home and turn it down when you are asleep or out of the house. The Department of Energy estimates that lowering your thermostat by 10 to 15 degrees during these periods will save about 10 percent a year on your heating bills.</p>
<p>Better yet — get a programmable thermostat that automatically makes this adjustment on schedule.</p>
<p>HELP THE HEAT: Service your furnace and change the air filter regularly, once a month or so, to keep it in optimal running order. If you have a wood or pellet-burning heater, clean the flue to ensure your home is heated efficiently. And keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning. Leaving it open is like keeping a window wide open in the winter, according to the Department of Energy.</p>
<p>SEE THE LIGHT: Update your lightbulbs to energy efficient light-emitting-diode, known as LED, lights. Some energy audits may offer you these for free as part of the evaluation. Residential LEDs use at least 75 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than traditional incandescent lighting. And consider using LED holiday lights to lower the cost for decorating your home.</p> | 3,663 |
<p>WALTERS, OK – A Cotton County Reserve Sheriff’s Deputy is suspended after being charged with three crimes Thursday.</p>
<p>26-year-old Chase Berry is charged with disturbing the peace, obstructing an officer and breaking and entering, all misdemeanors.</p>
<p>Police said it all stems from a domestic incident Tuesday night on West Nebraska street in Walters. Court records say it started when someone called Berry and told him his ex-girlfriend and his daughter were seen at a store with another man. When Berry heard, police say he drove to his ex-girlfriend’s home, broke in and tried to leave with his young daughter.</p>
<p>The ex-girlfriend said when Berry showed up, she locked the door. She said Berry told her he was there looking for her new boyfriend and was threatening to hurt him. When she refused to let Berry into the home, she said he forced his way inside, grabbed their daughter and tried to leave. The woman called the police and as Berry was leaving, Walters police officer Brooke Stranahan arrived on the scene.</p>
<p>“She attempted to do an investigation to find out what was going on at the residence to make sure everyone was safe,” said Walters Police Department Public Information Officer Ben Lehew. “The individual she encountered would not stop and comply with her request. He continued telling her she had no business there, she had no jurisdiction there. As the conversation continued, he became aggressive with the officer and came at her. At that point in time, she repelled him, pushed him away and handcuffed him.”</p>
<p>After Berry was placed under arrest, his car was searched and police found a loaded handgun and a loaded shotgun. The investigation is still ongoing but Lehew said he is disappointed with the way this entire situation has unfolded.</p>
<p>“It’s more disappointing for us when you have a law enforcement officer carrying a badge and they’re not carrying a good decision out there. they are there to set the example,” Lehew said. “That places another burden on the fellow law enforcement officers to have to do something like that to their own colleagues.”</p>
<p>The police report said Berry repeatedly told the arresting officer that she did not have jurisdiction and that she could not arrest him, but Lehew said that could not be further from the truth. He said if you break the law, no matter who you are, you will be arrested.</p>
<p>“People need to understand officers are human beings, everyone makes mistakes,” Lehew said. “But we’re not above reproach and we’re not above correcting those mistakes. The law applies to everyone and people need to understand we are going to enforce the law fairly for everyone.”</p>
<p>Berry has been released $3,000 bond. The terms of his bond state that he cannot carry a firearm and that he must stay away from the victim. Berry has been suspended from the Cotton County Sheriff’s Department pending an investigation.</p> | WATCH: Cotton County Reserve Deputy Suspended After Being Charged With Three Crimes | false | https://studionewsnetwork.com/police-news/watch-cotton-county-reserve-deputy-suspended-charged-three-crimes/ | 2017-12-04 | 3left-center
| WATCH: Cotton County Reserve Deputy Suspended After Being Charged With Three Crimes
<p>WALTERS, OK – A Cotton County Reserve Sheriff’s Deputy is suspended after being charged with three crimes Thursday.</p>
<p>26-year-old Chase Berry is charged with disturbing the peace, obstructing an officer and breaking and entering, all misdemeanors.</p>
<p>Police said it all stems from a domestic incident Tuesday night on West Nebraska street in Walters. Court records say it started when someone called Berry and told him his ex-girlfriend and his daughter were seen at a store with another man. When Berry heard, police say he drove to his ex-girlfriend’s home, broke in and tried to leave with his young daughter.</p>
<p>The ex-girlfriend said when Berry showed up, she locked the door. She said Berry told her he was there looking for her new boyfriend and was threatening to hurt him. When she refused to let Berry into the home, she said he forced his way inside, grabbed their daughter and tried to leave. The woman called the police and as Berry was leaving, Walters police officer Brooke Stranahan arrived on the scene.</p>
<p>“She attempted to do an investigation to find out what was going on at the residence to make sure everyone was safe,” said Walters Police Department Public Information Officer Ben Lehew. “The individual she encountered would not stop and comply with her request. He continued telling her she had no business there, she had no jurisdiction there. As the conversation continued, he became aggressive with the officer and came at her. At that point in time, she repelled him, pushed him away and handcuffed him.”</p>
<p>After Berry was placed under arrest, his car was searched and police found a loaded handgun and a loaded shotgun. The investigation is still ongoing but Lehew said he is disappointed with the way this entire situation has unfolded.</p>
<p>“It’s more disappointing for us when you have a law enforcement officer carrying a badge and they’re not carrying a good decision out there. they are there to set the example,” Lehew said. “That places another burden on the fellow law enforcement officers to have to do something like that to their own colleagues.”</p>
<p>The police report said Berry repeatedly told the arresting officer that she did not have jurisdiction and that she could not arrest him, but Lehew said that could not be further from the truth. He said if you break the law, no matter who you are, you will be arrested.</p>
<p>“People need to understand officers are human beings, everyone makes mistakes,” Lehew said. “But we’re not above reproach and we’re not above correcting those mistakes. The law applies to everyone and people need to understand we are going to enforce the law fairly for everyone.”</p>
<p>Berry has been released $3,000 bond. The terms of his bond state that he cannot carry a firearm and that he must stay away from the victim. Berry has been suspended from the Cotton County Sheriff’s Department pending an investigation.</p> | 3,664 |
<p>For real. Via <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/audition-for-musical-about-martin-shkreli-160224138.html" type="external">Yahoo News</a>:</p>
<p>Auditions are being held this weekend to play Martin Shkreli in a upcoming musical about the infamous millionaire, hoverboard-riding pharma bro called “Martin Shkreli’s Game.”</p>
<p>“Remember when the internet thought that Bill Murray could legally steal back the $2 million Wu-Tang Clan album, Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, from that pharma bro Martin Shkreli? Well, get excited world, because we’re bringing that heist to you! That’s right, this show has Bill Murray teaming up with the Wu-Tang Clan in an epic battle against the most hated man in America. Will Bill Murray succeed, or will he just end up another pawn in Martin Shkreli’s Game?” the musical’s website says.</p>
<p>The musical’s plot begins with Shkreli winning the Wu-Tang album auction and follows Bill Murray and Wu-Tang as they attempt a heist to reclaim it. Some of the songs include “I’m Martin F—kin’ Shkreli” and “Every Day’s The Same When You’re Bill Murray.”</p>
<p>I will reluctantly star in and fund this new musical <a href="https://twitter.com/shkrelisgame" type="external">@shkrelisgame</a>. Sorry all of you Broadway bros but my time is now.</p>
<p>— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) <a href="https://twitter.com/MartinShkreli/status/740757136813268992" type="external">June 9, 2016</a></p>
<p />
<p>I've never acted or sang before but I believe <a href="https://twitter.com/shkrelisgame" type="external">@shkrelisgame</a> will be the greatest musical ever made. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pleasedonate?src=hash" type="external">#pleasedonate</a></p>
<p>— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) <a href="https://twitter.com/MartinShkreli/status/740765446463496192" type="external">June 9, 2016</a></p>
<p /> | Pharma Douche, The Musical | true | http://joemygod.com/2016/06/10/pharma-douche-the-musical/ | 2016-06-10 | 4left
| Pharma Douche, The Musical
<p>For real. Via <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/audition-for-musical-about-martin-shkreli-160224138.html" type="external">Yahoo News</a>:</p>
<p>Auditions are being held this weekend to play Martin Shkreli in a upcoming musical about the infamous millionaire, hoverboard-riding pharma bro called “Martin Shkreli’s Game.”</p>
<p>“Remember when the internet thought that Bill Murray could legally steal back the $2 million Wu-Tang Clan album, Once Upon A Time In Shaolin, from that pharma bro Martin Shkreli? Well, get excited world, because we’re bringing that heist to you! That’s right, this show has Bill Murray teaming up with the Wu-Tang Clan in an epic battle against the most hated man in America. Will Bill Murray succeed, or will he just end up another pawn in Martin Shkreli’s Game?” the musical’s website says.</p>
<p>The musical’s plot begins with Shkreli winning the Wu-Tang album auction and follows Bill Murray and Wu-Tang as they attempt a heist to reclaim it. Some of the songs include “I’m Martin F—kin’ Shkreli” and “Every Day’s The Same When You’re Bill Murray.”</p>
<p>I will reluctantly star in and fund this new musical <a href="https://twitter.com/shkrelisgame" type="external">@shkrelisgame</a>. Sorry all of you Broadway bros but my time is now.</p>
<p>— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) <a href="https://twitter.com/MartinShkreli/status/740757136813268992" type="external">June 9, 2016</a></p>
<p />
<p>I've never acted or sang before but I believe <a href="https://twitter.com/shkrelisgame" type="external">@shkrelisgame</a> will be the greatest musical ever made. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pleasedonate?src=hash" type="external">#pleasedonate</a></p>
<p>— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) <a href="https://twitter.com/MartinShkreli/status/740765446463496192" type="external">June 9, 2016</a></p>
<p /> | 3,665 |
<p>In early 1994 a small Islamic think tank affiliated with the University of South Florida (USF) planned an academic forum to host Rachid Ghannouchi, the leader of the main opposition party in Tunisia, Ennahdha. The objective of this annual event was to give Western academics and intellectuals a rare opportunity to engage an Islamically-oriented intellectual or political leader at a time when the political discourse was dominated by Samuel Huntington’s much hyped clash of civilizations thesis.Shortly after the public announcement of the event, pro-Israeli groups and advocates led by Martin Kramer, Daniel Pipes, Steven Emerson, the head of the local B’nai B’rith, and a small-time journalist for the local rightwing newspaper began a coordinated campaign to discredit the event and scare the university.</p>
<p>According to Arthur Lowrie, a former State Department official who was an adjunct professor at USF at the time, AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups exerted enormous pressure on the State Department to rescind its visa to Ghannouchi two weeks after it was issued in London. Consequently the university had to cancel the event, despite the strong protests by more than two-dozen scholars and academics.&#160;As a result, a valuable encounter between western intellectuals and opinion makers on the one hand, and a major figure in the Islamic world on the other, was obstructed because of a foreign agenda of a small but powerful interest group. This episode foreshadowed the anti-intellectual movement in subsequent years that sought to limit the ability of Islamic groups and figures to contribute to the national dialogue, especially after 9/11.</p>
<p>Since that day in 1994, Ghannouchi has never been issued a visa to enter the United States, although he had been to the country several times in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At the time, he was living in the United Kingdom after being granted political asylum and cleared by the British authorities of any links to violence. He had also won a defamation lawsuit in the U.K. against detractors and regime loyalists who accused him of fomenting violence and strife inside Tunisia.</p>
<p>Seventeen years later, Ghannouchi’s Islamically-oriented Ennahdha movement has won the elections in Tunisia with a commanding 42 percent of the vote. In effect, it received three times as many seats as the next highest party. These elections were largely praised by all relevant parties and international observers as democratic, free, fair, and transparent.</p>
<p>But these free and fair elections could not have taken place without the popular revolution that erupted last December17 in Sidi Bouzid following decades of &#160;repression and rampant corruption. It quickly spread throughout the country, ultimately culminating on January 14 when the long-time dictator Zine al-Abdine Ben Ali and his family fled to Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>Since Tunisia’s independence from France in 1956, the country has been ruled by a one-party system that imposed its autocratic version of strict secularism. But when Ben Ali took power in a bloodless coup in 1987, he treated the country to a brief period of political openness until the security apparatus cracked down on all political opposition, particularly Ennahdha and other pro-democracy and human rights groups.</p>
<p>So who were the major contenders in these elections? What was the main platform of each party? How did each one fair in the end? What do the results mean for Tunisia? And what happens next?</p>
<p>On October 23rd, Tunisians went to the polls for the first time since their revolution to elect a Constituent National Assembly (CNA) consisting of 217 seats, including 18 representing more than one million expatriates living abroad, out of 11 million Tunisians. The main role of the CNA is to write a new constitution for Tunisia that embodies the democratic aspirations of the popular revolution.</p>
<p>There were about 91 party lists as well as independents distributed over 27 geographical districts around the country and 6 districts abroad, mainly in Europe. According to the Tunisian Independent Elections Commission, the voter turnout exceeded all estimates, as nearly ninety percent of all registered voters participated, with some waiting as long as four hours to cast their votes.&#160;Amidst the dozens of lists, there were actually four major contenders. But a win of nine percent of the votes by a newly formed party with questionable leadership, was a major surprise to all political observers in Tunisia. Here is a list of the elections’ major winners and losers.</p>
<p>1) Ennahdha Party was the successor to the Tunisian Islamic Trend Movement that was once affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1960s and has been led by Ghannouchi, 70, since the mid 1970s. In 1989 it changed its name to Ennahdha or Renaissance Party and declared its commitment to democracy and pluralism.&#160;The movement considers itself a moderate Islamic party concerned with the preservation of Tunisia’s identity as an Arab and Islamic nation. For much of the past decade it has called for a political model similar to the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Prime Minister Recep Tayeb Erdogan in Turkey. More recently, it has advocated the accommodation of liberal and secular-humanist values with Islamic principles, especially in social and economic spheres. It also favors a parliamentary system of government.</p>
<p>After almost gaining a fifth of the vote in the 1989 elections, Ben Ali banned the movement and cracked down on its institutions, imprisoning around thirty thousand of its members over the span of two decades.&#160;As the main opposition group in the past three decades, Ennahdha was well organized and known throughout the country. Its leaders were respected and admired not only in urban centers but also in rural areas. Consequently, in this election it won overwhelmingly in all districts but one, gaining 90 seats, including half the seats abroad.</p>
<p>2) Congress for the Republic (CFR). Established in 2001 it has been led by Moncef Marzouki, 66, a charismatic physician and human rights advocate. The CFR is considered a leftist party that emphasizes Arab nationalism and identity as well as mainly secular values. Moreover, it calls for public accommodation of moderate Islamic principles and groups. It also advocates for a presidential system with strong parliamentary powers.&#160;Marzouki is well known for his fierce advocacy of human rights, democracy and transparency. CFR came in second in voting, receiving 30 seats across the country.</p>
<p>3) Block (Takattol) for Labor and Liberties. Established in 1994 by progressive and leftist activists and professionals, Takattol rejected dictatorship and advocated for socialist and nationalist policies. Its leader is Mustafa Bin Jaafar, 71, who was named Health Minister in the cabinet appointed shortly after the revolution. Although very secular in its policies, it recognizes the importance of Islam in society and has a moderate and accommodationist view on the inclusion of political Islam in public life. It gained 21 seats in the elections.</p>
<p>4) The Progressive Democratic Party (PDP). Established in 1998, PDP was considered the main opposition party challenging the corrupt ruling party during the reign of Ben Ali. It advocated strict secular principles and was regarded as the main ideological nemesis of Ennahdha. Its historical leader was Ahmad Nejib Chabbi, 67, a well known attorney, and leftist politician. Since 2006 it has been led by Maya Jribi, 51, a biologist, human rights activist, and a feminist with enormous political skills.&#160;During the campaign PDP leaders challenged Ennahdha and pledged to come first. However, it was crushed in the elections receiving only 17 seats. After the elections it conceded defeat and congratulated Ennahdha, but vowed not to join any governing coalition and to remain in the opposition.</p>
<p>5) Popular List (Al-Aridha Chabiyya). The elections result of this list was a complete surprise to all observers. This list, which has only existed for few months, was led by Al-Hashmi Al-Hamdi, the owner of a TV satellite channel based in London and a former Ennahdha member who broke with the group in the mid 1990s. Since then he has openly attacked Ennahdha and worked closely with Ben Ali’s regime. His group gained 19 seats in the elections.</p>
<p>Many political observers charge that this party was financed and supported by the remnants of the old regime and Ben Ali’s banned Constitutional Party. After announcing the results, the Elections Commission invalidated the seats of the Popular List in six districts charging the party with elections violations, including bribery.</p>
<p>The remaining seats were distributed over twenty other parties including tribal, liberal, communist, and other far-left parties. But most significantly the main loser was the coalition of eleven rigidly anti-Islamic secular parties and former communists under the name the Democratic Modernist Pole (DMP). Throughout the country DMP could not garner more than five seats.</p>
<p>The huge win by Ennahdha, followed by CFR represents a total break from the parties and political movements of the corrupt and repressive era of Ben Ali. The collective will of the Tunisian people as embodied by the results of this election was to empower the main groups that associated strongly with moderate Islamic principles and Arab-Islamic identity.</p>
<p>By choosing moderate political groups that were not corrupt or part of the old archaic political structure, the Tunisian people &#160;sent an unsmbiguous &#160;message that they want moderate Islamists and secularists to work together in establishing democratic governance and building a just socio-economic system, while preserving hard-won freedoms and liberties, as well as respecting human rights and the Arab-Islamic identity of Tunisia.</p>
<p>Upon winning the elections in convincing fashion, Ennahdha gave assurances that it will not impose Islamic social and moral edicts on society, but rather intends to preserve the legal rights given to women with regards to personal status law. It also announced that it would not ban alcohol or bathing suits as its opponents had charged.&#160;The day after announcing the elections results Ghannouchi himself met with the leaders of Tunisia’s stock market to assure them of his party’s strong support for vigorous economic growth, especially in the tourism sector. His party’s platform calls for a robust annual economic growth of eight percent.</p>
<p>Ennahdha announced that its Secretary General Hamadi Jebali, 62, a former journalist and engineer by training, would be its candidate for prime minister. He pledged to form a national unity government within a month that will include as many of the elected parties as possible. At minimum, the three major winners with a commanding majority of 141 seats have pledged to work together for the future of Tunisia. Furthermore, in a spirit of reconciliation Jebali announced that Ennahdha’s candidate for interim president would be either Marzouki of CFR or Bin Jaafar of Takattol.</p>
<p>But the major challenges facing the next government are three-fold. Not only should Ennahdha be able to form a unity government, but an effective government that will be able to deliver to the common man and woman in the street physical and economic security as well public services at a moment of tremendous political turmoil and social change. Luckily for the new government the economic challenge was softened this week when Qatar – as a state that has been at the forefront of supporting the Arab Spring – has pledged an immediate economic assistance package of $500 million.</p>
<p>Simultaneously, the elected Assembly must write the new constitution for Tunisia’s second republic within one year. Although the will of the Tunisian people was determined in this election by favoring a moderate Islamic movement and other moderate secular parties, how this might translate into a constitution that will yield a national consensus is a major undertaking and cannot be underestimated.</p>
<p>But perhaps the major immediate challenge facing the new government will be the reaction of the foreign powers, especially in the West, that for decades have been warning against the days where “Islamists” will be empowered.</p>
<p>The memory of the siege and boycott of Hamas following its victory in the Palestinian elections in 2006 is still very vivid. So far, the U.S. administration and its European allies have had a wait and see attitude, despite the noise coming from neo-conservative, Zionist, and right-wing circles. In a span of two weeks, Israeli leaders Bibi Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Shimon Peres, and Tzipi Livni were warning the West against the upcoming “radical Islamic groups” taking charge throughout the Middle East and threatening Israel and Western interests.</p>
<p>The same old Islamophobic voices, that raised false alarms echoing Israeli hyped fears over twenty years ago and poisoned the atmosphere between the West and moderate Islamic groups, are back at it again. The real question now is: Have Western political leaders learned anything during this time or are we about to initiate a predictable sequel to the clash of civilizations?</p>
<p>Esam Al-Amin can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p> | Understanding Tunisia’s Elections Results | true | https://counterpunch.org/2011/10/28/understanding-tunisias-elections-results/ | 2011-10-28 | 4left
| Understanding Tunisia’s Elections Results
<p>In early 1994 a small Islamic think tank affiliated with the University of South Florida (USF) planned an academic forum to host Rachid Ghannouchi, the leader of the main opposition party in Tunisia, Ennahdha. The objective of this annual event was to give Western academics and intellectuals a rare opportunity to engage an Islamically-oriented intellectual or political leader at a time when the political discourse was dominated by Samuel Huntington’s much hyped clash of civilizations thesis.Shortly after the public announcement of the event, pro-Israeli groups and advocates led by Martin Kramer, Daniel Pipes, Steven Emerson, the head of the local B’nai B’rith, and a small-time journalist for the local rightwing newspaper began a coordinated campaign to discredit the event and scare the university.</p>
<p>According to Arthur Lowrie, a former State Department official who was an adjunct professor at USF at the time, AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups exerted enormous pressure on the State Department to rescind its visa to Ghannouchi two weeks after it was issued in London. Consequently the university had to cancel the event, despite the strong protests by more than two-dozen scholars and academics.&#160;As a result, a valuable encounter between western intellectuals and opinion makers on the one hand, and a major figure in the Islamic world on the other, was obstructed because of a foreign agenda of a small but powerful interest group. This episode foreshadowed the anti-intellectual movement in subsequent years that sought to limit the ability of Islamic groups and figures to contribute to the national dialogue, especially after 9/11.</p>
<p>Since that day in 1994, Ghannouchi has never been issued a visa to enter the United States, although he had been to the country several times in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At the time, he was living in the United Kingdom after being granted political asylum and cleared by the British authorities of any links to violence. He had also won a defamation lawsuit in the U.K. against detractors and regime loyalists who accused him of fomenting violence and strife inside Tunisia.</p>
<p>Seventeen years later, Ghannouchi’s Islamically-oriented Ennahdha movement has won the elections in Tunisia with a commanding 42 percent of the vote. In effect, it received three times as many seats as the next highest party. These elections were largely praised by all relevant parties and international observers as democratic, free, fair, and transparent.</p>
<p>But these free and fair elections could not have taken place without the popular revolution that erupted last December17 in Sidi Bouzid following decades of &#160;repression and rampant corruption. It quickly spread throughout the country, ultimately culminating on January 14 when the long-time dictator Zine al-Abdine Ben Ali and his family fled to Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>Since Tunisia’s independence from France in 1956, the country has been ruled by a one-party system that imposed its autocratic version of strict secularism. But when Ben Ali took power in a bloodless coup in 1987, he treated the country to a brief period of political openness until the security apparatus cracked down on all political opposition, particularly Ennahdha and other pro-democracy and human rights groups.</p>
<p>So who were the major contenders in these elections? What was the main platform of each party? How did each one fair in the end? What do the results mean for Tunisia? And what happens next?</p>
<p>On October 23rd, Tunisians went to the polls for the first time since their revolution to elect a Constituent National Assembly (CNA) consisting of 217 seats, including 18 representing more than one million expatriates living abroad, out of 11 million Tunisians. The main role of the CNA is to write a new constitution for Tunisia that embodies the democratic aspirations of the popular revolution.</p>
<p>There were about 91 party lists as well as independents distributed over 27 geographical districts around the country and 6 districts abroad, mainly in Europe. According to the Tunisian Independent Elections Commission, the voter turnout exceeded all estimates, as nearly ninety percent of all registered voters participated, with some waiting as long as four hours to cast their votes.&#160;Amidst the dozens of lists, there were actually four major contenders. But a win of nine percent of the votes by a newly formed party with questionable leadership, was a major surprise to all political observers in Tunisia. Here is a list of the elections’ major winners and losers.</p>
<p>1) Ennahdha Party was the successor to the Tunisian Islamic Trend Movement that was once affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood in the 1960s and has been led by Ghannouchi, 70, since the mid 1970s. In 1989 it changed its name to Ennahdha or Renaissance Party and declared its commitment to democracy and pluralism.&#160;The movement considers itself a moderate Islamic party concerned with the preservation of Tunisia’s identity as an Arab and Islamic nation. For much of the past decade it has called for a political model similar to the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Prime Minister Recep Tayeb Erdogan in Turkey. More recently, it has advocated the accommodation of liberal and secular-humanist values with Islamic principles, especially in social and economic spheres. It also favors a parliamentary system of government.</p>
<p>After almost gaining a fifth of the vote in the 1989 elections, Ben Ali banned the movement and cracked down on its institutions, imprisoning around thirty thousand of its members over the span of two decades.&#160;As the main opposition group in the past three decades, Ennahdha was well organized and known throughout the country. Its leaders were respected and admired not only in urban centers but also in rural areas. Consequently, in this election it won overwhelmingly in all districts but one, gaining 90 seats, including half the seats abroad.</p>
<p>2) Congress for the Republic (CFR). Established in 2001 it has been led by Moncef Marzouki, 66, a charismatic physician and human rights advocate. The CFR is considered a leftist party that emphasizes Arab nationalism and identity as well as mainly secular values. Moreover, it calls for public accommodation of moderate Islamic principles and groups. It also advocates for a presidential system with strong parliamentary powers.&#160;Marzouki is well known for his fierce advocacy of human rights, democracy and transparency. CFR came in second in voting, receiving 30 seats across the country.</p>
<p>3) Block (Takattol) for Labor and Liberties. Established in 1994 by progressive and leftist activists and professionals, Takattol rejected dictatorship and advocated for socialist and nationalist policies. Its leader is Mustafa Bin Jaafar, 71, who was named Health Minister in the cabinet appointed shortly after the revolution. Although very secular in its policies, it recognizes the importance of Islam in society and has a moderate and accommodationist view on the inclusion of political Islam in public life. It gained 21 seats in the elections.</p>
<p>4) The Progressive Democratic Party (PDP). Established in 1998, PDP was considered the main opposition party challenging the corrupt ruling party during the reign of Ben Ali. It advocated strict secular principles and was regarded as the main ideological nemesis of Ennahdha. Its historical leader was Ahmad Nejib Chabbi, 67, a well known attorney, and leftist politician. Since 2006 it has been led by Maya Jribi, 51, a biologist, human rights activist, and a feminist with enormous political skills.&#160;During the campaign PDP leaders challenged Ennahdha and pledged to come first. However, it was crushed in the elections receiving only 17 seats. After the elections it conceded defeat and congratulated Ennahdha, but vowed not to join any governing coalition and to remain in the opposition.</p>
<p>5) Popular List (Al-Aridha Chabiyya). The elections result of this list was a complete surprise to all observers. This list, which has only existed for few months, was led by Al-Hashmi Al-Hamdi, the owner of a TV satellite channel based in London and a former Ennahdha member who broke with the group in the mid 1990s. Since then he has openly attacked Ennahdha and worked closely with Ben Ali’s regime. His group gained 19 seats in the elections.</p>
<p>Many political observers charge that this party was financed and supported by the remnants of the old regime and Ben Ali’s banned Constitutional Party. After announcing the results, the Elections Commission invalidated the seats of the Popular List in six districts charging the party with elections violations, including bribery.</p>
<p>The remaining seats were distributed over twenty other parties including tribal, liberal, communist, and other far-left parties. But most significantly the main loser was the coalition of eleven rigidly anti-Islamic secular parties and former communists under the name the Democratic Modernist Pole (DMP). Throughout the country DMP could not garner more than five seats.</p>
<p>The huge win by Ennahdha, followed by CFR represents a total break from the parties and political movements of the corrupt and repressive era of Ben Ali. The collective will of the Tunisian people as embodied by the results of this election was to empower the main groups that associated strongly with moderate Islamic principles and Arab-Islamic identity.</p>
<p>By choosing moderate political groups that were not corrupt or part of the old archaic political structure, the Tunisian people &#160;sent an unsmbiguous &#160;message that they want moderate Islamists and secularists to work together in establishing democratic governance and building a just socio-economic system, while preserving hard-won freedoms and liberties, as well as respecting human rights and the Arab-Islamic identity of Tunisia.</p>
<p>Upon winning the elections in convincing fashion, Ennahdha gave assurances that it will not impose Islamic social and moral edicts on society, but rather intends to preserve the legal rights given to women with regards to personal status law. It also announced that it would not ban alcohol or bathing suits as its opponents had charged.&#160;The day after announcing the elections results Ghannouchi himself met with the leaders of Tunisia’s stock market to assure them of his party’s strong support for vigorous economic growth, especially in the tourism sector. His party’s platform calls for a robust annual economic growth of eight percent.</p>
<p>Ennahdha announced that its Secretary General Hamadi Jebali, 62, a former journalist and engineer by training, would be its candidate for prime minister. He pledged to form a national unity government within a month that will include as many of the elected parties as possible. At minimum, the three major winners with a commanding majority of 141 seats have pledged to work together for the future of Tunisia. Furthermore, in a spirit of reconciliation Jebali announced that Ennahdha’s candidate for interim president would be either Marzouki of CFR or Bin Jaafar of Takattol.</p>
<p>But the major challenges facing the next government are three-fold. Not only should Ennahdha be able to form a unity government, but an effective government that will be able to deliver to the common man and woman in the street physical and economic security as well public services at a moment of tremendous political turmoil and social change. Luckily for the new government the economic challenge was softened this week when Qatar – as a state that has been at the forefront of supporting the Arab Spring – has pledged an immediate economic assistance package of $500 million.</p>
<p>Simultaneously, the elected Assembly must write the new constitution for Tunisia’s second republic within one year. Although the will of the Tunisian people was determined in this election by favoring a moderate Islamic movement and other moderate secular parties, how this might translate into a constitution that will yield a national consensus is a major undertaking and cannot be underestimated.</p>
<p>But perhaps the major immediate challenge facing the new government will be the reaction of the foreign powers, especially in the West, that for decades have been warning against the days where “Islamists” will be empowered.</p>
<p>The memory of the siege and boycott of Hamas following its victory in the Palestinian elections in 2006 is still very vivid. So far, the U.S. administration and its European allies have had a wait and see attitude, despite the noise coming from neo-conservative, Zionist, and right-wing circles. In a span of two weeks, Israeli leaders Bibi Netanyahu, Ehud Barak, Shimon Peres, and Tzipi Livni were warning the West against the upcoming “radical Islamic groups” taking charge throughout the Middle East and threatening Israel and Western interests.</p>
<p>The same old Islamophobic voices, that raised false alarms echoing Israeli hyped fears over twenty years ago and poisoned the atmosphere between the West and moderate Islamic groups, are back at it again. The real question now is: Have Western political leaders learned anything during this time or are we about to initiate a predictable sequel to the clash of civilizations?</p>
<p>Esam Al-Amin can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p> | 3,666 |
<p />
<p>Illumina's new NovaSeq 6000 system. Image source: Illumina.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>After Illumina(NASDAQ: ILMN) announceda number of new partnerships, products, and an upbeat financial guidance atthe 2017 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, its stock rose by more than 16% as of 12:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday.</p>
<p>It was an eventful day for the genomic equipment maker. Here's a review of the key announcements that combined to drive the company's share price higher:</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>First, Illumina and Bio-Rad Laboratories(NYSE: BIO)announced the launch of a new product called the Illumina Bio-Rad Single-Cell Sequencing Solution. The two companies stated that this next-generation sequencing machine will give researchers the ability to "investigate the coordinated contribution of individual cells in tissue function, disease progression, and therapeutic response." The system is expected to ship in early February.</p>
<p>The Illumina Bio-Rad Single-Cell Sequencing Solution. Image source: Illumina.</p>
<p>Next, Illumina andPhilipsannounced that they have entered into a new strategic collaboration. The aim of the partnership is to use the two companies' expertise to "provide new solutions aimed at the acquisition, analysis, annotation and interpretation of genomics data in oncology cases."</p>
<p>In addition, Illumina also announced a new partnership with tech giantIBM (NYSE: IBM). The goal of this collaboration is to combine Illumina's sequencing platform with IBM's Watson to "help standardize and simplify genomic data interpretation." The two companies believe that combining Illumina's TruSight Tumor 170 technology with Watson's advanced pattern recognition software will allow it to comb through thousands of scientific articles, medical books, and clinical trials to produce highly detailed genetic reports in a matter of minutes. Those same reports currently take scientists more than a week to produce, so this collaboration promises to be a game changer in genetic reporting and data interpretations. This new software is expected to be availablein early 2017.</p>
<p>If all of the above weren't enough, Illumina also introduced its next-generation high-throughput sequencing system, which it calls the NovaSeq series. The company claims that this new system will one day enable researchers to sequence a genome for as little as $100.Illumina stated that they are initially offering two versions of thenew system -- called the NovaSeq 5000 and NovaSeq 6000 -- which are priced at$850,000and$985,000, respectively. The 6000 series will begin shipping in March and the 5000 series will ship by mid-year.</p>
<p>Finally, Illumina forecasted that its fourth-quarter revenue will land at $619 million, which is nicely ahead of the $610 million that Wall Street was anticipating. What's more, the company expects that its full-year revenue will grow by 10% to 12%. That number also compares favorably to what market watchers were projecting.</p>
<p>Given the barrage of exciting announcements, it is no surprise to see that Illumina's shares are soaring today.</p>
<p>While each of these news releases provides shareholders with reasons to be optimistic about the company's future, I think that the launch of new NovaSeq series is the most compelling.</p>
<p>Here's what Illumina's CEO Francis deSouza had to say about this new product line:</p>
<p>What's more, Illumina believes that the NovaSeq series will provide laboratories that cannot afford the high up-front cost of a HiSeq X Five or HiSeq X Ten System with a road map to bring down their genomic sequencing costs to$1,000per genome. That's an attractive proposition that could go a long way toward <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2017/01/05/3-things-we-might-see-from-illumina-next-week.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">reviving Opens a New Window.</a> the company's waning instrument revenue growth rates.</p>
<p>Overall, Illumina provided investors with plenty of reasons to believe that its best days still lie ahead. If you agree, then buying Illumina's stock while it is <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2017/01/08/why-illumina-corp-lost-one-third-of-its-value-in-2.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">still on sale Opens a New Window.</a> could prove to be a profit-friendly move.</p>
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<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=0e4e7320-a19f-45b1-9806-60c71d08527d&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 January 4, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFTypeoh/info.aspx" type="external">Brian Feroldi Opens a New Window.</a> has the following options: long January 2017 $195 calls on IBM, short January 2019 $185 puts on IBM, short January 2019 $180 puts on IBM, long January 2018 $175 calls on IBM, and short January 2018 $175 puts on IBM. Like this article? Follow him onTwitter, where he goes by the handle <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianFeroldi" type="external">@BrianFeroldi 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 Illumina.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> | Here's Why Illumina Is Soaring Today | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/01/10/here-why-illumina-is-soaring-today.html | 2017-01-10 | 0right
| Here's Why Illumina Is Soaring Today
<p />
<p>Illumina's new NovaSeq 6000 system. Image source: Illumina.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>After Illumina(NASDAQ: ILMN) announceda number of new partnerships, products, and an upbeat financial guidance atthe 2017 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, its stock rose by more than 16% as of 12:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday.</p>
<p>It was an eventful day for the genomic equipment maker. Here's a review of the key announcements that combined to drive the company's share price higher:</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>First, Illumina and Bio-Rad Laboratories(NYSE: BIO)announced the launch of a new product called the Illumina Bio-Rad Single-Cell Sequencing Solution. The two companies stated that this next-generation sequencing machine will give researchers the ability to "investigate the coordinated contribution of individual cells in tissue function, disease progression, and therapeutic response." The system is expected to ship in early February.</p>
<p>The Illumina Bio-Rad Single-Cell Sequencing Solution. Image source: Illumina.</p>
<p>Next, Illumina andPhilipsannounced that they have entered into a new strategic collaboration. The aim of the partnership is to use the two companies' expertise to "provide new solutions aimed at the acquisition, analysis, annotation and interpretation of genomics data in oncology cases."</p>
<p>In addition, Illumina also announced a new partnership with tech giantIBM (NYSE: IBM). The goal of this collaboration is to combine Illumina's sequencing platform with IBM's Watson to "help standardize and simplify genomic data interpretation." The two companies believe that combining Illumina's TruSight Tumor 170 technology with Watson's advanced pattern recognition software will allow it to comb through thousands of scientific articles, medical books, and clinical trials to produce highly detailed genetic reports in a matter of minutes. Those same reports currently take scientists more than a week to produce, so this collaboration promises to be a game changer in genetic reporting and data interpretations. This new software is expected to be availablein early 2017.</p>
<p>If all of the above weren't enough, Illumina also introduced its next-generation high-throughput sequencing system, which it calls the NovaSeq series. The company claims that this new system will one day enable researchers to sequence a genome for as little as $100.Illumina stated that they are initially offering two versions of thenew system -- called the NovaSeq 5000 and NovaSeq 6000 -- which are priced at$850,000and$985,000, respectively. The 6000 series will begin shipping in March and the 5000 series will ship by mid-year.</p>
<p>Finally, Illumina forecasted that its fourth-quarter revenue will land at $619 million, which is nicely ahead of the $610 million that Wall Street was anticipating. What's more, the company expects that its full-year revenue will grow by 10% to 12%. That number also compares favorably to what market watchers were projecting.</p>
<p>Given the barrage of exciting announcements, it is no surprise to see that Illumina's shares are soaring today.</p>
<p>While each of these news releases provides shareholders with reasons to be optimistic about the company's future, I think that the launch of new NovaSeq series is the most compelling.</p>
<p>Here's what Illumina's CEO Francis deSouza had to say about this new product line:</p>
<p>What's more, Illumina believes that the NovaSeq series will provide laboratories that cannot afford the high up-front cost of a HiSeq X Five or HiSeq X Ten System with a road map to bring down their genomic sequencing costs to$1,000per genome. That's an attractive proposition that could go a long way toward <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2017/01/05/3-things-we-might-see-from-illumina-next-week.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">reviving Opens a New Window.</a> the company's waning instrument revenue growth rates.</p>
<p>Overall, Illumina provided investors with plenty of reasons to believe that its best days still lie ahead. If you agree, then buying Illumina's stock while it is <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2017/01/08/why-illumina-corp-lost-one-third-of-its-value-in-2.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">still on sale Opens a New Window.</a> could prove to be a profit-friendly move.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Illumina When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=0e4e7320-a19f-45b1-9806-60c71d08527d&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 Illumina wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=0e4e7320-a19f-45b1-9806-60c71d08527d&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 January 4, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFTypeoh/info.aspx" type="external">Brian Feroldi Opens a New Window.</a> has the following options: long January 2017 $195 calls on IBM, short January 2019 $185 puts on IBM, short January 2019 $180 puts on IBM, long January 2018 $175 calls on IBM, and short January 2018 $175 puts on IBM. Like this article? Follow him onTwitter, where he goes by the handle <a href="https://twitter.com/BrianFeroldi" type="external">@BrianFeroldi 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 Illumina.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> | 3,667 |
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<p>MONKTON, Vt. — Botanists in Vermont say a flowering plant long thought to be extinct in the state is making a comeback.</p>
<p>Botanist Everett Marshall was hiking with his wife, Deb Parrella, in the Raven Ridge Natural Area in Monkton recently. She saw the small purple flowers of the native winged loosestrife while crossing a boardwalk through a wet meadow. A guidebook confirmed the identification.</p>
<p>The state says a small number of winged loosestrife plants were last observed by a botanist in Middlebury in 1979. Before that, there were only eight records of the plant in Vermont, the most recent in 1933.</p>
<p>The winged loosestrife is closely related to purple loosestrife, which is native to Europe and Asia and is invasive in Vermont.</p>
<p>The 365-acre Raven Ridge is owned by The Nature Conservancy.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Flowering plant thought to be extinct seen in Vermont | false | https://abqjournal.com/1039233/flowering-plant-thought-to-be-extinct-seen-in-vermont.html | 2017-07-27 | 2least
| Flowering plant thought to be extinct seen in Vermont
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<p>MONKTON, Vt. — Botanists in Vermont say a flowering plant long thought to be extinct in the state is making a comeback.</p>
<p>Botanist Everett Marshall was hiking with his wife, Deb Parrella, in the Raven Ridge Natural Area in Monkton recently. She saw the small purple flowers of the native winged loosestrife while crossing a boardwalk through a wet meadow. A guidebook confirmed the identification.</p>
<p>The state says a small number of winged loosestrife plants were last observed by a botanist in Middlebury in 1979. Before that, there were only eight records of the plant in Vermont, the most recent in 1933.</p>
<p>The winged loosestrife is closely related to purple loosestrife, which is native to Europe and Asia and is invasive in Vermont.</p>
<p>The 365-acre Raven Ridge is owned by The Nature Conservancy.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 3,668 |
<p>The ride-sharing service Uber X has entered the Philadelphia market, running up against the same kind of opposition from regulators it has faced in cities around the country.</p>
<p>The Philadelphia Parking Authority, which regulates taxi service, has accused Uber X of operating a "hack" taxi service with unlicensed, unregulated drivers. The agency has impounded 15 vehicles and slapped each driver with a $1,000 fine since the service started recently.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Uber has muscled its way onto taxicabs' turf, sparking controversy in cities such as Washington, D.C., Chicago and Miami as regulators try to decide how, or if, the company should operate and the taxi industry seeks to protect drivers' livelihoods.</p>
<p>"Uber has no license to be here. They're operating as hack cabs," parking authority director Vincent Fenerty said Wednesday. "If the Legislature changed the law, where people could ride-share, and set the proper guidelines ... the PPA would abide by (that)."</p>
<p>The state's Public Utility Commission was expected to vote Thursday on Uber X's application to operate in other parts of Pennsylvania on a two-year "experimental" license. The designation is meant to address new ride-sharing platforms hosted by Uber, Lyft and others.</p>
<p>Uber spokesman Taylor Bennett called Uber a technology company, not a transportation company.</p>
<p>"The rules and regulations out there, they were built decades ago," Bennett said. "We've been trying to craft new regulations that actually apply to this business model, that welcome more choice into the city, and give people opportunities to start their own companies."</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Riders use Uber's smartphone app to seek out independent drivers using their own cars. Uber does not own the vehicles or employ the drivers, but instead "partners" with them, and takes 20 percent of their earnings.</p>
<p>The company started about four years ago in San Francisco and now operates in 230 cities worldwide, Bennett said.</p>
<p>The Uber X service started in Philadelphia in recent weeks despite failed talks to win approval from Fenerty's agency. Uber has been paying the drivers' fines, Bennett said.</p>
<p>"Uber Black" and "Uber SUV" drivers have been operating legally with limousine licenses for about two years in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and elsewhere.</p>
<p>"The cars I've been in have been immaculately clean," said Philadelphia lawyer Richard J. Fuschino Jr. "It was cheaper, and cleaner and nicer."</p>
<p>The statewide Uber X application has attracted fervent opposition from the state's taxi industry and others. Administrative law judges reviewing the file for the PUC recommend that the board reject the experimental license, citing safety and insurance concerns.</p>
<p>Uber X "has failed to propose adequate insurance, education and training for (its) drivers, its passengers and the general public, and it leaves unanswered several crucial insurance-related issues," law judges Mary D. Long and Jeffrey A. Watson wrote in a lengthy opinion.</p>
<p>Uber insists that its drivers go through thorough background checks, and that it offers passengers $1 million insurance coverage per ride.</p>
<p>The company's fluid pricing plan is another source of concern, and occasional ire. Prices surge at peak times, such as during snowstorm or outside an NFL arena after a game - occasionally leaving riders on the hook for hundreds of dollars for even short rides.</p>
<p>Bennett said that is an "incentive for more drivers to get out and meet that demand. That brings prices down to normal levels. It's purely supply and demand."</p> | Ride-sharing service seeks OK for non-limo rides as Philadelphia impounds cars, issues fines | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2014/11/13/ride-sharing-service-seeks-ok-for-non-limo-rides-as-philadelphia-impounds-cars.html | 2016-03-09 | 0right
| Ride-sharing service seeks OK for non-limo rides as Philadelphia impounds cars, issues fines
<p>The ride-sharing service Uber X has entered the Philadelphia market, running up against the same kind of opposition from regulators it has faced in cities around the country.</p>
<p>The Philadelphia Parking Authority, which regulates taxi service, has accused Uber X of operating a "hack" taxi service with unlicensed, unregulated drivers. The agency has impounded 15 vehicles and slapped each driver with a $1,000 fine since the service started recently.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Uber has muscled its way onto taxicabs' turf, sparking controversy in cities such as Washington, D.C., Chicago and Miami as regulators try to decide how, or if, the company should operate and the taxi industry seeks to protect drivers' livelihoods.</p>
<p>"Uber has no license to be here. They're operating as hack cabs," parking authority director Vincent Fenerty said Wednesday. "If the Legislature changed the law, where people could ride-share, and set the proper guidelines ... the PPA would abide by (that)."</p>
<p>The state's Public Utility Commission was expected to vote Thursday on Uber X's application to operate in other parts of Pennsylvania on a two-year "experimental" license. The designation is meant to address new ride-sharing platforms hosted by Uber, Lyft and others.</p>
<p>Uber spokesman Taylor Bennett called Uber a technology company, not a transportation company.</p>
<p>"The rules and regulations out there, they were built decades ago," Bennett said. "We've been trying to craft new regulations that actually apply to this business model, that welcome more choice into the city, and give people opportunities to start their own companies."</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Riders use Uber's smartphone app to seek out independent drivers using their own cars. Uber does not own the vehicles or employ the drivers, but instead "partners" with them, and takes 20 percent of their earnings.</p>
<p>The company started about four years ago in San Francisco and now operates in 230 cities worldwide, Bennett said.</p>
<p>The Uber X service started in Philadelphia in recent weeks despite failed talks to win approval from Fenerty's agency. Uber has been paying the drivers' fines, Bennett said.</p>
<p>"Uber Black" and "Uber SUV" drivers have been operating legally with limousine licenses for about two years in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and elsewhere.</p>
<p>"The cars I've been in have been immaculately clean," said Philadelphia lawyer Richard J. Fuschino Jr. "It was cheaper, and cleaner and nicer."</p>
<p>The statewide Uber X application has attracted fervent opposition from the state's taxi industry and others. Administrative law judges reviewing the file for the PUC recommend that the board reject the experimental license, citing safety and insurance concerns.</p>
<p>Uber X "has failed to propose adequate insurance, education and training for (its) drivers, its passengers and the general public, and it leaves unanswered several crucial insurance-related issues," law judges Mary D. Long and Jeffrey A. Watson wrote in a lengthy opinion.</p>
<p>Uber insists that its drivers go through thorough background checks, and that it offers passengers $1 million insurance coverage per ride.</p>
<p>The company's fluid pricing plan is another source of concern, and occasional ire. Prices surge at peak times, such as during snowstorm or outside an NFL arena after a game - occasionally leaving riders on the hook for hundreds of dollars for even short rides.</p>
<p>Bennett said that is an "incentive for more drivers to get out and meet that demand. That brings prices down to normal levels. It's purely supply and demand."</p> | 3,669 |
<p>Transcript from the O’Reilly Factor, FoxNews</p>
<p>O’REILLY: In the past Miss [Cindy] Sheehan has criticized Israel, saying it is occupying Palestine, has called Iraqi insurgents “freedom fighters,” has accused Americans of killing people ever since we stepped on this continent, has threatened Hillary Clinton with the loss her job unless she calls for a pullout of US troops from Iraq and has called the US action against Afghanistan a failure. Quite a resume and with us now is Phil Donahue, who supports Miss Sheehan’s “dissent.” So, I’m assuming you don’t – you don’t support all her positions that I just chronicled.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Let’s understand what’s happening here. Once again we have a woman who got to be just a little too famous for the people who support this war, a minority of the American population, by the way, and so the effort to marginalize this woman is underway and you’re helping out.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I’m the leader of the pack!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You’re suggesting …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I’m the leader of the pack!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: First of all, Cindy Sheehan is one tough mother and nothing you say or anyone else is gonna slow her down.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: That’s fine. She has a right to …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You can’t hurt her. She’s already taken the biggest punch in the nose that a woman can take.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: How?!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: She lost a son.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Oh. OK.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: She’s lost a child.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: But look – I’m not puttin’ words in her mouth …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: And by the way, she is going to be at the center of one of the largest rallies since the Vietnam War. Proud, patriotic Americans who will show up in Washington this week for one of the most massive, largest demonstrations – protest demonstrations …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: OK. And we’ll cover it.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … right outside the President’s window.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: And we’ll cover it.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: And FOX is in the business of saying that this woman is somehow saying un-American things – hyperbole.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (getting angry): No. No. No. No.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Listen to what she’s saying.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (checking his notes): Nobody said she said anything un-American. We say that her positions are radical. And they are radical!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Let me tell you what’s radical. (getting a little angry himself) What’s radical is to send more Americans to die in this war, which is a monumental blunder by a President …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (under his breath): Alright.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … who swaggered us into it with – by the way – the at least tacit approval of the Democratic Party.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (shifts in his chair, upset): You know what’s radical …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: There’s a lot of sin to go around here!</p>
<p>O’REILLY (angry, wags finger at Donahue): What’s radical for this –</p>
<p>DONAHUE (won’t let O’Reilly finish sentence): Do you want to send more people to this war?</p>
<p>O’REILY: Hey listen …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Is that your postiion?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: If we cut and run outta there, like you wanna do, we would be putting every American in a thousand times more jeopardy than they’re in now.</p>
<p>DONAHUE (forcefully): We’re going to cut and run anyway, Bill.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Well, that’s your opinion. I don’t think we are.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: It’s not my opinion. American military leaders have said we’re gonna draw down beginning next year. The reason they’ve said that …</p>
<p>O’REILLY(angry now): There’s a difference between drawin’ down and cuttin’ and runnin’!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Alright….</p>
<p>O’REILLY (angry, jabs finger at Donahue): You’re a cut and run guy and I don’t want my family in danger because of you …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You wanna stay the course, don’t ya’?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Look.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You don’t …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (getting angrier): Here’s what I want to do. I want to give the Iraqis a chance to train their army so they can defeat these people who are tryin’ to turn it into a terror state.</p>
<p>DONAHUE (calmly): Bill</p>
<p>O’REILLY: That’s what I want to do! Go!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Bill. This – Iraq was not a terrorist state.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (exasperated): Oh, no!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: I hope I don’t patronize you for saying …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (dismissive hand gesture) : Saddam was a swell guy!!</p>
<p>DONAUME: Saddam …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (loudly, sarcastically): He was just a great guy!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE (louder): Saddam – Saddam was a bastard, but he was our bastard!!</p>
<p>O’REILLY: He wasn’t anybody’s …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Donald Rumsfeld shook his hand in the 80s.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Alright. Well that’s great.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You saw the pictures! (reasonable tone of voice) Now listen – listen. You wouldn’t send your children to this war, Bill.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (very angry, pointing): My nephew just enlisted in the Army. You don’t know what the hell you’re talkin’ about!!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Very good. Very good. Congratulations! You should be proud ..</p>
<p>O’REILLY (starts to lose it, shouting, pointing finger, hand shaking): And he’s a patriot, so don’t denigrate his service or I’ll boot you right off the set!!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: I’m not … I’m not …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (very, very loud): That boy made a decision to serve his country!!! Do not denigrate him or you’re outta here!!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE (calmly): I’m not Jeremy Glick, Billy.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: That’s right!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You can’t intimidate me!!</p>
<p>O’REILLY: You’re a little bit more intelligent that he is!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: I’m not somebody you can come and just spew all your …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Don’t tell me I wouldn’t send my kids.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Loud doesn’t mean right!</p>
<p>O’REILLY: My nephew just enlisted. You don’t know what you’re talkin’ about!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Your nephew is not your kid. You are like …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: He’s my blood!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You are part of a loud group of people who wanna prove they’re tough …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (shifts angrily in his chair, under his breath): Aw fer …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … and send other people’s kids to war to make the case.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (very loud): You have no clue …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: This ..</p>
<p>O’REILLY: … about how to fight a war on terror or how to defend your country. You are clueless! So is Miss Sheehan and for Miss Sheehan to say that the insurgents have a right to kill Americans and you’re shakin’ her hand! You oughta just walk away.</p>
<p>DONHUE (quieter): How many more young men and women are you gonna send to have their arms and legs blown off …</p>
<p>O’REILY: Hey, this is a war on terror!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … so that you can be tough (points his finger at O’Reilly) and point at people in a kind of cowardly way..</p>
<p>O’REILLY (disgusted, under his breath): Oh, yeah.</p>
<p>DONHUE: Take people like Jeremy Glick who comes on to – in memory of his parents …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Oh bull.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … and you go off on him.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Jeremy Glick accu …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … like a big bully.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Hey!</p>
<p>DOAHUE: Billy, you hafta be – you hafta feel sorry …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Mr. Donahue, with all due respect …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Have you apologized to him for that?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Baloney!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Do you know …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Jeremy Glick came on this program …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Do you know what I’m talking about?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: … and accused the President of the United States …</p>
<p>DONAHUE (sarcastically): Oh, and you had to ..</p>
<p>O’REILLY: … of orchestrating 9/11. That’s what he did. Right after 9/11!! Do you know what the pain that brought the families who lost people in 9/11?</p>
<p>DONAHUE: This war …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: You buy into left-wing propaganda …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: This war ..</p>
<p>O’REILLY: … and you’re a mouthpiece for it. (shifts in seat, clenched mouth) Go ahead.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: This war is not fair to the American troops. This war is unconstitutional. This war turned its back on the people who framed the most fabulous document in the history of civilization. I speak of the United States Constitution.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Alright. Why …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: This … By the way …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Why isn’t the Democratic party speaking that way?</p>
<p>DONAHUE: I’m sorry that it isn’t. I am. But let’s understand something …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Are we all …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Excuse me.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Are well so misguided …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Excuse me. Twenty-one Democrats in the Senate voted against this war as well as Jeffords, an Independent, and- may the Lord shine His blessings down upon Lincoln Chaffee …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Alright. I’m gonna say something and I’m gonna …</p>
<p>DONAHUE (louder, refuses to be stopped): I’m almost finished, Billy!!</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I’m gonna give ya’ the last word.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: I’m almost finished!</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Alright.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Lincoln Chaffee, the only Republican in the Senate to vote against this war. We should be building statues to all these people. October 2002 …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Alright;</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … they stood up to as President and they knew that, first of all, only Congress can declare war. Why is that unimportant to you, Billy?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Listen. It’s not – I’m not …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Become the patriot that your loud voice proclaims you to be …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: The loud voice …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … and stand behind the Constitution and insist that we never go to war again without the approval and the consent of the United States Congress.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Alright . That’s why we have the Congress. If they want to take action, they can take action. Now I’m gonna say somethin’ then I’ll give you the last word. The Iraq War is not something I embrace.</p>
<p>DONAHUE makes surprised sound.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: It absolutely could be a tactical error.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Well you should …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (louder): Just listen.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: It’s hard to know this.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (louder): Listen ta’ me ..</p>
<p>DONAHUE: It’s hard to know this.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: … and I’ll give you the last word. Not something they embrace. Could be a tactical error and we have not waged it the way I had hoped we would wage it.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: But, what?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: But ,,,</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You want to send more kids …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: The war on terror …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … to die.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: We’re in a war on terror. Our cause is noble.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: It has nothing to do with the war on terror.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (louder again): Yes, it does. And if you don’t understand geopolitics, if you don’t understand Iraq would be a terrorist state if we pulled outta there…</p>
<p>DONAHUE (loudly): It’s a mistake.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: … then you don’t know anything. Go ahead.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: It was poorly planned …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Go ahead.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … and poorly executed but Bill O’Reilly wants to send more kids to fight and die. We’ve already had two thou – almost thousand – (gestures for O’Reilly to hold off) – just let me have the last word. In the last year two things have doubled. The number of dead American troops in Iraq has doubled and you know what else doubled, Billy? The price of Halliburton stock.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (upset): Alright.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: From $33 to $66. That doesn’t shame you? That doesn’t make you wonder …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I’m not upset by Halliburton stock.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … whether this is an enterprise that is worth the support of the American people. We need you at this rally on Saturday, Billy..</p>
<p>O’REILLY: OK. I’m not gonna be at your rally.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: We need you out there in front of it to protest.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I’m not gonna be at your rally.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: There is no democracy without dissent.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I’m not gonna protest.</p>
<p>DONHUE: You should be proud of people who stand up and dissent.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I am. I respect your …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: A lot of fine men died to give me that freedom.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: You got. You got it. I respect your dissent. I think you’re way off in your analysis of the war on terror.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You want to send more people to die? Is that your position?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I wanna win the war in Iraq.</p>
<p>DONABHUE: Win. What does “win” mean?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Means …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Tell me what “win” means?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Means those people have a chance at democracy.</p>
<p>DOPNAHUE: How long’s that gonna take.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I gotta go. I gotta go.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: How long’s that gonna take?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Those people deserve a chance at freedom.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>CLARIFICATION</p>
<p>ALEXANDER COCKBURN, JEFFREY ST CLAIR, BECKY GRANT AND THE INSTITUTE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF JOURNALISTIC CLARITY, COUNTERPUNCH</p>
<p>We published an article entitled “A Saudiless Arabia” by Wayne Madsen dated October 22, 2002 (the “Article”), on the website of the Institute for the Advancement of Journalistic Clarity, CounterPunch, www.counterpunch.org (the “Website”).</p>
<p>Although it was not our intention, counsel for Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi has advised us the Article suggests, or could be read as suggesting, that Mr Al Amoudi has funded, supported, or is in some way associated with, the terrorist activities of Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda terrorist network.</p>
<p>We do not have any evidence connecting Mr Al Amoudi with terrorism.</p>
<p>As a result of an exchange of communications with Mr Al Amoudi’s lawyers, we have removed the Article from the Website.</p>
<p>We are pleased to clarify the position.</p>
<p>August 17, 2005</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Bill O’Reilly vs. Phil Donahue | true | https://counterpunch.org/2005/09/16/bill-o-reilly-vs-phil-donahue/ | 2005-09-16 | 4left
| Bill O’Reilly vs. Phil Donahue
<p>Transcript from the O’Reilly Factor, FoxNews</p>
<p>O’REILLY: In the past Miss [Cindy] Sheehan has criticized Israel, saying it is occupying Palestine, has called Iraqi insurgents “freedom fighters,” has accused Americans of killing people ever since we stepped on this continent, has threatened Hillary Clinton with the loss her job unless she calls for a pullout of US troops from Iraq and has called the US action against Afghanistan a failure. Quite a resume and with us now is Phil Donahue, who supports Miss Sheehan’s “dissent.” So, I’m assuming you don’t – you don’t support all her positions that I just chronicled.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Let’s understand what’s happening here. Once again we have a woman who got to be just a little too famous for the people who support this war, a minority of the American population, by the way, and so the effort to marginalize this woman is underway and you’re helping out.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I’m the leader of the pack!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You’re suggesting …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I’m the leader of the pack!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: First of all, Cindy Sheehan is one tough mother and nothing you say or anyone else is gonna slow her down.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: That’s fine. She has a right to …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You can’t hurt her. She’s already taken the biggest punch in the nose that a woman can take.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: How?!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: She lost a son.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Oh. OK.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: She’s lost a child.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: But look – I’m not puttin’ words in her mouth …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: And by the way, she is going to be at the center of one of the largest rallies since the Vietnam War. Proud, patriotic Americans who will show up in Washington this week for one of the most massive, largest demonstrations – protest demonstrations …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: OK. And we’ll cover it.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … right outside the President’s window.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: And we’ll cover it.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: And FOX is in the business of saying that this woman is somehow saying un-American things – hyperbole.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (getting angry): No. No. No. No.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Listen to what she’s saying.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (checking his notes): Nobody said she said anything un-American. We say that her positions are radical. And they are radical!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Let me tell you what’s radical. (getting a little angry himself) What’s radical is to send more Americans to die in this war, which is a monumental blunder by a President …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (under his breath): Alright.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … who swaggered us into it with – by the way – the at least tacit approval of the Democratic Party.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (shifts in his chair, upset): You know what’s radical …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: There’s a lot of sin to go around here!</p>
<p>O’REILLY (angry, wags finger at Donahue): What’s radical for this –</p>
<p>DONAHUE (won’t let O’Reilly finish sentence): Do you want to send more people to this war?</p>
<p>O’REILY: Hey listen …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Is that your postiion?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: If we cut and run outta there, like you wanna do, we would be putting every American in a thousand times more jeopardy than they’re in now.</p>
<p>DONAHUE (forcefully): We’re going to cut and run anyway, Bill.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Well, that’s your opinion. I don’t think we are.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: It’s not my opinion. American military leaders have said we’re gonna draw down beginning next year. The reason they’ve said that …</p>
<p>O’REILLY(angry now): There’s a difference between drawin’ down and cuttin’ and runnin’!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Alright….</p>
<p>O’REILLY (angry, jabs finger at Donahue): You’re a cut and run guy and I don’t want my family in danger because of you …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You wanna stay the course, don’t ya’?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Look.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You don’t …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (getting angrier): Here’s what I want to do. I want to give the Iraqis a chance to train their army so they can defeat these people who are tryin’ to turn it into a terror state.</p>
<p>DONAHUE (calmly): Bill</p>
<p>O’REILLY: That’s what I want to do! Go!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Bill. This – Iraq was not a terrorist state.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (exasperated): Oh, no!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: I hope I don’t patronize you for saying …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (dismissive hand gesture) : Saddam was a swell guy!!</p>
<p>DONAUME: Saddam …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (loudly, sarcastically): He was just a great guy!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE (louder): Saddam – Saddam was a bastard, but he was our bastard!!</p>
<p>O’REILLY: He wasn’t anybody’s …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Donald Rumsfeld shook his hand in the 80s.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Alright. Well that’s great.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You saw the pictures! (reasonable tone of voice) Now listen – listen. You wouldn’t send your children to this war, Bill.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (very angry, pointing): My nephew just enlisted in the Army. You don’t know what the hell you’re talkin’ about!!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Very good. Very good. Congratulations! You should be proud ..</p>
<p>O’REILLY (starts to lose it, shouting, pointing finger, hand shaking): And he’s a patriot, so don’t denigrate his service or I’ll boot you right off the set!!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: I’m not … I’m not …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (very, very loud): That boy made a decision to serve his country!!! Do not denigrate him or you’re outta here!!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE (calmly): I’m not Jeremy Glick, Billy.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: That’s right!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You can’t intimidate me!!</p>
<p>O’REILLY: You’re a little bit more intelligent that he is!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: I’m not somebody you can come and just spew all your …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Don’t tell me I wouldn’t send my kids.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Loud doesn’t mean right!</p>
<p>O’REILLY: My nephew just enlisted. You don’t know what you’re talkin’ about!!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Your nephew is not your kid. You are like …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: He’s my blood!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You are part of a loud group of people who wanna prove they’re tough …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (shifts angrily in his chair, under his breath): Aw fer …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … and send other people’s kids to war to make the case.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (very loud): You have no clue …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: This ..</p>
<p>O’REILLY: … about how to fight a war on terror or how to defend your country. You are clueless! So is Miss Sheehan and for Miss Sheehan to say that the insurgents have a right to kill Americans and you’re shakin’ her hand! You oughta just walk away.</p>
<p>DONHUE (quieter): How many more young men and women are you gonna send to have their arms and legs blown off …</p>
<p>O’REILY: Hey, this is a war on terror!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … so that you can be tough (points his finger at O’Reilly) and point at people in a kind of cowardly way..</p>
<p>O’REILLY (disgusted, under his breath): Oh, yeah.</p>
<p>DONHUE: Take people like Jeremy Glick who comes on to – in memory of his parents …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Oh bull.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … and you go off on him.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Jeremy Glick accu …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … like a big bully.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Hey!</p>
<p>DOAHUE: Billy, you hafta be – you hafta feel sorry …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Mr. Donahue, with all due respect …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Have you apologized to him for that?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Baloney!</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Do you know …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Jeremy Glick came on this program …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Do you know what I’m talking about?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: … and accused the President of the United States …</p>
<p>DONAHUE (sarcastically): Oh, and you had to ..</p>
<p>O’REILLY: … of orchestrating 9/11. That’s what he did. Right after 9/11!! Do you know what the pain that brought the families who lost people in 9/11?</p>
<p>DONAHUE: This war …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: You buy into left-wing propaganda …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: This war ..</p>
<p>O’REILLY: … and you’re a mouthpiece for it. (shifts in seat, clenched mouth) Go ahead.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: This war is not fair to the American troops. This war is unconstitutional. This war turned its back on the people who framed the most fabulous document in the history of civilization. I speak of the United States Constitution.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Alright. Why …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: This … By the way …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Why isn’t the Democratic party speaking that way?</p>
<p>DONAHUE: I’m sorry that it isn’t. I am. But let’s understand something …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Are we all …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Excuse me.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Are well so misguided …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Excuse me. Twenty-one Democrats in the Senate voted against this war as well as Jeffords, an Independent, and- may the Lord shine His blessings down upon Lincoln Chaffee …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Alright. I’m gonna say something and I’m gonna …</p>
<p>DONAHUE (louder, refuses to be stopped): I’m almost finished, Billy!!</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I’m gonna give ya’ the last word.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: I’m almost finished!</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Alright.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Lincoln Chaffee, the only Republican in the Senate to vote against this war. We should be building statues to all these people. October 2002 …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Alright;</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … they stood up to as President and they knew that, first of all, only Congress can declare war. Why is that unimportant to you, Billy?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Listen. It’s not – I’m not …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Become the patriot that your loud voice proclaims you to be …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: The loud voice …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … and stand behind the Constitution and insist that we never go to war again without the approval and the consent of the United States Congress.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Alright . That’s why we have the Congress. If they want to take action, they can take action. Now I’m gonna say somethin’ then I’ll give you the last word. The Iraq War is not something I embrace.</p>
<p>DONAHUE makes surprised sound.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: It absolutely could be a tactical error.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Well you should …</p>
<p>O’REILLY (louder): Just listen.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: It’s hard to know this.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (louder): Listen ta’ me ..</p>
<p>DONAHUE: It’s hard to know this.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: … and I’ll give you the last word. Not something they embrace. Could be a tactical error and we have not waged it the way I had hoped we would wage it.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: But, what?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: But ,,,</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You want to send more kids …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: The war on terror …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … to die.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: We’re in a war on terror. Our cause is noble.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: It has nothing to do with the war on terror.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (louder again): Yes, it does. And if you don’t understand geopolitics, if you don’t understand Iraq would be a terrorist state if we pulled outta there…</p>
<p>DONAHUE (loudly): It’s a mistake.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: … then you don’t know anything. Go ahead.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: It was poorly planned …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Go ahead.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … and poorly executed but Bill O’Reilly wants to send more kids to fight and die. We’ve already had two thou – almost thousand – (gestures for O’Reilly to hold off) – just let me have the last word. In the last year two things have doubled. The number of dead American troops in Iraq has doubled and you know what else doubled, Billy? The price of Halliburton stock.</p>
<p>O’REILLY (upset): Alright.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: From $33 to $66. That doesn’t shame you? That doesn’t make you wonder …</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I’m not upset by Halliburton stock.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: … whether this is an enterprise that is worth the support of the American people. We need you at this rally on Saturday, Billy..</p>
<p>O’REILLY: OK. I’m not gonna be at your rally.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: We need you out there in front of it to protest.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I’m not gonna be at your rally.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: There is no democracy without dissent.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I’m not gonna protest.</p>
<p>DONHUE: You should be proud of people who stand up and dissent.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I am. I respect your …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: A lot of fine men died to give me that freedom.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: You got. You got it. I respect your dissent. I think you’re way off in your analysis of the war on terror.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: You want to send more people to die? Is that your position?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I wanna win the war in Iraq.</p>
<p>DONABHUE: Win. What does “win” mean?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Means …</p>
<p>DONAHUE: Tell me what “win” means?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Means those people have a chance at democracy.</p>
<p>DOPNAHUE: How long’s that gonna take.</p>
<p>O’REILLY: I gotta go. I gotta go.</p>
<p>DONAHUE: How long’s that gonna take?</p>
<p>O’REILLY: Those people deserve a chance at freedom.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>CLARIFICATION</p>
<p>ALEXANDER COCKBURN, JEFFREY ST CLAIR, BECKY GRANT AND THE INSTITUTE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF JOURNALISTIC CLARITY, COUNTERPUNCH</p>
<p>We published an article entitled “A Saudiless Arabia” by Wayne Madsen dated October 22, 2002 (the “Article”), on the website of the Institute for the Advancement of Journalistic Clarity, CounterPunch, www.counterpunch.org (the “Website”).</p>
<p>Although it was not our intention, counsel for Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi has advised us the Article suggests, or could be read as suggesting, that Mr Al Amoudi has funded, supported, or is in some way associated with, the terrorist activities of Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda terrorist network.</p>
<p>We do not have any evidence connecting Mr Al Amoudi with terrorism.</p>
<p>As a result of an exchange of communications with Mr Al Amoudi’s lawyers, we have removed the Article from the Website.</p>
<p>We are pleased to clarify the position.</p>
<p>August 17, 2005</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 3,670 |
<p>July 19 (UPI) — French military chief Gen. Pierre de Villiers resigned Wednesday after a public clash with President <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Emmanuel-Macron/" type="external">Emmanuel Macron</a> over defense funding.</p>
<p>De Villiers, upset by $980 million in proposed <a href="http://news.sky.com/story/french-military-chief-pierre-de-villiers-resigns-after-clash-with-president-macron-10953603" type="external">defense budget cuts</a>, said in a statement that he could no longer command an army that’s “necessary to guarantee the protection of France and the French people.”</p>
<p>At a parliamentary committee meeting last week, de Villiers said he would not allow the French armed forces to be “screwed” by budget cuts.</p>
<p>“I may be stupid, but I know when I’m being had,” he said.</p>
<p>Macron responded in a meeting with military leaders on Friday that, “I am your president,” and encouraged loyalty and acceptance of his directions.</p>
<p>De Villiers, in a later Facebook post, did not name Macron but commented, “No one deserves to be blindly followed.”</p>
<p>Macon was criticized by some for his public dressing down of his country’s chief of military staff.</p>
<p>De Villiers’ resignation comes before France faces its first military crisis under Macron, who was elected in June.</p>
<p>“Armies basically obey. So in substance the president was within his rights to restate his authority, but the way [Macron] did it will leave marks.” former French chief of armed forces Henri Bentégeat <a href="https://www.thelocal.fr/20170719/macron-hammered-after-french-army-chief-resigns" type="external">told Le Monde</a>. “You cannot publicly question a military leader like that in front of his subordinates. When Macron attends the first ceremony for a soldier killed because of a lack of equipment, all the criticism will be directed at him.”</p> | French defense chief de Villiers quits over clash with Macron | false | https://newsline.com/french-defense-chief-de-villiers-quits-over-clash-with-macron/ | 2017-07-19 | 1right-center
| French defense chief de Villiers quits over clash with Macron
<p>July 19 (UPI) — French military chief Gen. Pierre de Villiers resigned Wednesday after a public clash with President <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Emmanuel-Macron/" type="external">Emmanuel Macron</a> over defense funding.</p>
<p>De Villiers, upset by $980 million in proposed <a href="http://news.sky.com/story/french-military-chief-pierre-de-villiers-resigns-after-clash-with-president-macron-10953603" type="external">defense budget cuts</a>, said in a statement that he could no longer command an army that’s “necessary to guarantee the protection of France and the French people.”</p>
<p>At a parliamentary committee meeting last week, de Villiers said he would not allow the French armed forces to be “screwed” by budget cuts.</p>
<p>“I may be stupid, but I know when I’m being had,” he said.</p>
<p>Macron responded in a meeting with military leaders on Friday that, “I am your president,” and encouraged loyalty and acceptance of his directions.</p>
<p>De Villiers, in a later Facebook post, did not name Macron but commented, “No one deserves to be blindly followed.”</p>
<p>Macon was criticized by some for his public dressing down of his country’s chief of military staff.</p>
<p>De Villiers’ resignation comes before France faces its first military crisis under Macron, who was elected in June.</p>
<p>“Armies basically obey. So in substance the president was within his rights to restate his authority, but the way [Macron] did it will leave marks.” former French chief of armed forces Henri Bentégeat <a href="https://www.thelocal.fr/20170719/macron-hammered-after-french-army-chief-resigns" type="external">told Le Monde</a>. “You cannot publicly question a military leader like that in front of his subordinates. When Macron attends the first ceremony for a soldier killed because of a lack of equipment, all the criticism will be directed at him.”</p> | 3,671 |
<p>Jan 23 (Reuters) -</p>
<p>* VERIZON CEO LOWELL MCADAM SAYS CO GIVING 50 SHARES OF RESTRICTED STOCK TO NON-EXECUTIVES - CNBC ‍​</p>
<p>* VERIZON CEO LOWELL MCADAM SAYS WE’LL KEEP OUR DEAL OPTIONS OPEN - CNBC ‍​ Further company coverage:</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SACRAMENTO/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Did police tell an unarmed black man who they were before shooting him to death in a dark backyard in Sacramento, California? That question is forcing an examination of policies dictating when and how police identify themselves while encountering suspects.</p> Stephon Clark, 22, is visible on the ground after two police officers (L) shot him, in this still image captured from police aerial video footage released by Sacramento Police Department, California, U.S., on March 21, 2018. Courtesy Sacramento Police Department/Handout via REUTERS
<p>Two Sacramento police officers, responding to a report of someone shattering car windows, killed Stephon Alonzo Clark, 22, on Sunday in a hail of bullets.</p>
<p>Police video has shown the officers chasing Clark around the side of his grandparents’ house, yelling “Show me your hands” and “Gun” before firing. Police said they believed Clark held a gun, but it turned out to be a mobile phone.</p>
<p>The release of the video late on Wednesday sparked street protests. Clark’s family, through their attorney Benjamin Crump, disputed the police account that Clark was breaking windows.</p>
<p>Many protesters have said police did not appear to have identified themselves when they confronted Clark on that dark night as he stood in his grandparents’ backyard. On the video, the officers cannot be heard saying they are police.</p>
<p>“He (Clark) didn’t make any threats against the police, there is no evidence he committed a crime, there was no warning from the police, there was no identification from the police,” Crump said.</p>
<p>Crump represented the family of black teenager Michael Brown, whose shooting death in Ferguson, Missouri, by police in 2014 sparked nationwide protests.</p>
<p>Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said this week that city officials would examine police protocol for how they identify themselves in such cases.</p>
<p>“I have a 21-year-old son and I never had to teach him the importance of holding his hands high if he is ever stopped by a police officer,” Steinberg said Friday on Facebook. “No words can describe how it must feel for an African-American family who has to teach that lesson as a reality of growing up black.”</p> Demonstrators march to protest the police shooting of Stephon Clark, in Sacramento, California, U.S. March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Bob Strong
<p>Sacramento police guidelines posted on the department’s website do not specify that officers must identify themselves when encountering suspects. Sacramento police spokeswoman Linda Matthew said she did not believe such a policy existed.</p>
<p>Jim Pasco, executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police, said that policies for departments vary across the country, but it would be impractical under such circumstances to expect officers to identify themselves.</p>
<p>“If you’re in a chase and everybody’s running, there isn’t a lot of talking back and forth going on,” he said.</p> Slideshow (5 Images)
<p>The Sacramento shooting could lead some police departments to change their rules, but such policies can be difficult to follow in the heat of the moment, said Eugene O’Donnell, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.</p>
<p>“It won’t surprise me if some departments add some other specific rule after this, but the cops are already weighed down with rules,” he said.</p>
<p>Sacramento police spokeswoman Matthew said Clark could have assumed police were in the area because a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department helicopter was circling overhead.</p>
<p>“The officers were in full uniform and the suspect fled from them,” she said.</p>
<p>Investigators are looking into whether the officers, who were searching the neighborhood for several minutes for a suspect, announced to Clark that they were police, Matthew said.</p>
<p>“With this incident and with every incident we have, we always look for ways in which we can improve,” Matthew said. “However, this was very rapidly evolving.”</p>
<p>Reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Ben Klayman, Toni Reinhold</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>PARIS (Reuters) - A gendarme who was shot three times after voluntarily taking the place of a hostage during a supermarket siege in southwestern France on Friday has died, France announced on Saturday.</p> A general view shows gendarmes and police officers at a supermarket after a hostage situation in Trebes, France, March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
<p>Arnaud Beltrame, who once served in Iraq, had been raced to hospital fighting for his life after the siege in which he took the place of a female hostage at the Super U store in the town of Trebes, near the Pyrenees mountains.</p>
<p>“He fell as a hero, giving up his life to halt the murderous outfit of a jihadist terrorist,” President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement shortly before dawn on Saturday.</p>
<p>Friday’s attacker was identified by authorities as Redouane Lakdim, a 25-year-old Moroccan-born French national from the city of Carcassonne, not far from Trebes, a tranquil town of about 5,000 people where he struck on Friday afternoon.</p>
<p>Lakdim was known to authorities for drug-dealing and other petty crimes, but had also been under surveillance by security services in 2016-2017 for links to the radical Salafist movement, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said on Friday.</p>
<p>The attacker, whose rampage began when he shot at a group of police joggers and also shot the occupants of a car he stole, killed three people and injured 16 others on Friday, according to a government readout.</p>
<p>Beltrame was part of a team of gendarmes who were among the first to arrive at the supermarket scene; most of the people in the supermarket escaped after hiding in a cold storage room and then fleeing through an emergency exit.</p>
<p>He offered to trade places with a hostage the attacker was still holding, whereafter he took her place and left his mobile phone on a table, line open. When shots rang out, elite police stormed the building to kill the assailant. Police sources said Beltrame was shot three times.</p>
<p>The 44-year-old’s death takes the number killed to four.</p>
<p>The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Macron has said security services are checking that claim.</p>
<p>More than 240 people have been killed in France in attacks since 2015 by assailants who either pledged allegiance to Islamic State or were inspired by the group.</p>
<p>France is part of a group of countries whose warplanes have been bombing Islamic State strongholds in Iraq and Syria, where the group has lost substantial ground in recent months.</p>
<p>One multiple attack by Islamist gunmen and suicide bombers killed 130 people in Paris while another killed close to 90 when a man ran a truck into partying crowds in the Riviera seaside city of Nice.</p>
<p>Beltrame, who would have turned 45 in April, was a qualified parachutist who served in Iraq in 2005. He also worked as part of the elite Republican Guard that protects the presidential Elysee Place offices and residence in Paris, Macron said.</p>
<p>Friday’s assault was the first deadly attack since October 2017, when a man stabbed two young women to death in the port city of Marseille before soldiers killed him.</p>
<p>Several attacks over the past year or more have targeted police and soldiers deployed in big numbers to protect civilians and patrol sensitive spots such as airports and train stations.</p>
<p>Macron said of Beltrame: “In offering himself as a hostage to the terrorist holed up in the Trebes supermarket, lieutenant colonel Beltrame saved the life of a civilian hostage, showing exceptional self-sacrifice and courage.”</p>
<p>The news of Beltrame’s death was first announced France’s interior minister, who said in a Twitter post: “Dead for his country. France will never forget his heroism, bravery and sacrifice.”</p>
<p>Additional reporting by BEmmanuel Jarry; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Mark Potter</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>TREBES, France (Reuters) - A gunman killed three people in southwestern France on Friday as he held up a car, fired on police and seized hostages in a supermarket, screaming “Allahu Akbar” before security forces stormed the building and killed him, authorities said.</p>
<p>Sixteen other people were wounded, including two who were seriously hurt, in what President Emmanuel Macron called an act of “Islamist terrorism”.</p>
<p>The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. Macron said security services were checking that claim.</p>
<p>“I want to tell the nation tonight of my absolute determination in leading this fight,” said Macron, who returned to Paris from Brussels to chair a crisis meeting with ministers and security officials.</p>
<p>More than 240 people have been killed in France in attacks since 2015 by assailants who pledged allegiance to Islamic State or were inspired by the group.</p>
<p>Friday’s attacker was identified by authorities as Redouane Lakdim, 25, from the city of Carcassonne.</p>
<p>Two people were killed when he attacked the supermarket in the nearby small town of Trebes.</p>
<p>Witnesses said about 20 people in the supermarket found refuge in its cold storage room.</p>
<p>A lieutenant-colonel of the gendarmes who swapped himself in exchange for one of the hostages was fighting for his life in hospital, Macron said.</p>
<p>Moroccan-born Lakdim was known to authorities for petty crimes, but had been under surveillance by security services in 2016-2017 for links to the radical Salafist movement, said Paris prosecutor Francois Molins, who is leading the investigation.</p>
<p>“The monitoring ... did not reveal any apparent signs that could lead (us) to foresee he would act,” Molins said.</p>
<p>He said one woman connected to Lakdim had been arrested.</p>
<p>Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told reporters at the scene that he believed Lakdim had acted alone.</p>
<p>“Every day we detect facts and foil new attacks. Alas, this one struck without us being able to counter it,” Collomb said.</p>
<p>Lakdim first killed one person with a bullet in the head while stealing a car in Carcassonne, a walled city with a medieval citadel that is one of France’s top tourist attractions.</p>
<p>He pulled up in the car to four police officers who were jogging in the city and opened fire, hitting one in the shoulder, then sped off to Trebes, about 8 km (5 miles) to the east, where he took the hostages in the supermarket.</p>
<p>“The perpetrator entered the store shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ and indicated that he was an Islamic State soldier who was ready to die for Syria, seeking the release of brothers, before shooting at a client and a store employee who died on the spot,” Molins said.</p>
<p>Police were carrying out searches at Lakdim’s family home.</p> A general view shows police officers and investigators at a supermarket after a hostage situation in Trebes, France, March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau ESCAPE
<p>One supermarket worker said some shoppers had escaped from the building after the gunman burst in.</p>
<p>“I was in my department when I heard gunshots. I went to the area of the gunshots and came face to face with the person,” said the employee, who gave his name only as Francois.</p>
<p>“He raised his gun and fired, I ran away, he shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and spoke about the Islamic State. I then evacuated the clients, about 20, who were in my area and we went quietly out of the back,” said Francois, who has been employed at the supermarket since November.</p>
<p>Collomb said the gunman had demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam - the prime surviving suspect in Islamic State suicide bombing and mass shooting attacks on a sports stadium, concert hall and restaurants that killed 130 people in Paris in 2015.</p>
<p>Abdeslam, a French citizen born and raised in Brussels, went on trial in Belgium last month. He is accused of “attempted murder in a terrorist context” over a Brussels shootout in March 2016, four months after he fled Paris on the night of the carnage during which his brother was among the suicide bombers.</p> Slideshow (14 Images) “THE THREAT IS EVERYWHERE”
<p>France is part of a U.S.-led coalition fighting against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and also has thousands of soldiers in West Africa fighting al Qaeda-linked militants.</p>
<p>In February, Collomb said French security forces had foiled two planned attacks so far this year as Islamic State militants set their sights on domestic targets in response to the group’s military setbacks in Iraq and Syria.</p>
<p>“This is a small, quiet town. Unfortunately the threat is everywhere,” Collomb told reporters in Trebes.</p>
<p>Carcassonne, a UNESCO heritage site, lies in the Languedoc region, known for its wine and picturesque countryside but also one of the poorest areas in France, with unemployment about 3 percentage points above the national average.</p>
<p>Nearby Beziers is one of the biggest cities controlled by the far-right, while the smaller town of Lunel further east became a breeding ground for many French jihadists who travelled to Syria to fight.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-france-security-molins/prosecutor-says-one-person-arrested-after-southern-france-attack-idUSKBN1GZ2XN" type="external">Prosecutor says one person arrested after southern France attack</a>
<a href="/article/us-france-security-gendarme/french-policeman-who-took-place-of-hostage-dies-of-gunshot-wounds-idUSKBN1GZ2ZF" type="external">French policeman who took place of hostage dies of gunshot wounds</a>
<a href="/article/us-france-security-witness/french-supermarket-hostages-dodge-attacker-hide-in-cold-store-idUSKBN1GZ2T4" type="external">French supermarket hostages dodge attacker, hide in cold store</a>
<p>Almost six years ago to the day, Islamist gunman Mohammed Merah killed seven people in the Toulouse region, about 90 km from Carcassonne. He was killed by security forces after a more than 30-hour stand-off.</p>
<p>The last lethal Islamist attack in France was in October 2017 when a Tunisian-born man stabbed two young women to death in Marseille before he was shot dead by soldiers. Islamic State also claimed responsibility for that attack.</p>
<p>For other stories on the attack, click on:</p>
<p>French gendarme fighting for his life after trading places with hostage</p>
<p>France supermarket attacker pledged to “die for Syria”</p>
<p>French supermarket hostages dodge attacker, hide in cold store</p>
<p>Reporting by Emmanuel Jarry, Sophie Louet, John Irish, Michel Rose, Leigh Thomas, Brian Love and Bate Felix in Paris; Writing by Ingrid Melander and David Stamp; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Catherine Evans</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Friday that bans some transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military, but gives the armed forces latitude in implementing policies.</p> U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs for Palm Beach, Florida, from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
<p>The memorandum said transgender individuals with a history of gender dysphoria, defined as “those who may require substantial medical treatment, including through medical drugs or surgery,” are disqualified from military service “except under certain limited circumstances.”</p>
<p>It added that the secretaries of defense and homeland security “may exercise their authority to implement any appropriate policies concerning military service by transgender individuals.”</p>
<p>The White House said Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had found that individuals with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria presented a risk to military effectiveness.</p>
<p>“This new policy will enable the military to apply well-established mental and physical health standards ... equally to all individuals who want to join and fight for the best military force the world has ever seen,” it said.</p>
<p>The Democratic National Committee criticized the move as an insult to transgender service members. In a strongly-worded statement, U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said the policy would harm the nation.</p>
<p>“This latest memorandum is the same cowardly, disgusting ban the President announced last summer,” she said. “The President’s hateful ban is purpose-built to humiliate our brave transgender members of the military who serve with honor and dignity.”</p>
<p>Trump’s decision is less restrictive than his initial comments in a July Twitter message saying he would prohibit transgender people from military service. That blanket ban reversed former President Barack Obama’s policy.</p>
<p>At the time, Trump said on Twitter, the military “cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.”</p>
<p>However, a number of federal judges have already issued rulings blocking Trump’s ban, saying it would probably violate the right, under the U.S. Constitution, to equal protection under the law.</p>
<p>On Friday, the Pentagon reaffirmed that it would continue to comply with federal law.</p>
<p>“(The Pentagon) will continue to assess and retain transgender service members,” Pentagon spokesman Major David Eastburn said.</p>
<p>In a February memorandum to the White House, made public on Friday, Mattis said transgender individuals with a history of gender dysphoria were disqualified from military service.</p>
<p>But he added that those currently serving could continue to serve if they had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria since Obama’s policy took effect.</p>
<p>Mattis also recommended that transgender individuals who require or have undergone gender transition be disqualified from military service.</p>
<p>“In my professional judgment, these policies will place the Department of Defense in the strongest position to protect the American people, to fight and win America’s wars, and to ensure the survival and success of our service members around the world,” Mattis wrote.</p>
<p>A court filing by the Trump administration said 8,980 service members reportedly identify as transgender, but only 937 active duty service members were diagnosed with gender dysphoria since June 30, 2016.</p>
<p>At least one openly transgender recruit has already signed a contract to join the U.S. military since a federal court ruled late last year that the military would have to accept transgender individuals.</p>
<p>The Department of Justice said it would continue to defend the defense department’s authority to create and implement personnel policies.</p> Related Video
<p>“Consistent with this new policy, we are asking the courts to lift all related preliminary injunctions in order to ensure the safety and security of the American people and the best fighting force in the world,” it said in a statement.</p>
<p>Advocates have said they believe dozens, if not hundreds, of transgender people will seek to join those already serving.</p>
<p>The Human Rights Campaign, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy group, condemned the Trump policy.</p>
<p>“There is simply no way to spin it, the Trump-Pence administration is going all in on its discriminatory, unconstitutional and despicable ban on transgender troops,” Chad Griffin, its president, said in a statement.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Richard Pullin</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a> | BRIEF-Verizon CEO Says Co Giving 50 Shares Of Restricted Stock To Non-Executives - CNBC California police shooting of unarmed black man forcing look at policies French policeman who took place of hostage dies of gunshot wounds Islamist gunman attacks French supermarket, kills three Trump moves to limit transgender individuals from military service | false | https://reuters.com/article/brief-verizon-ceo-says-co-giving-50-shar/brief-verizon-ceo-says-co-giving-50-shares-of-restricted-stock-to-non-executives-cnbc-idUSFWN1PI17E | 2018-01-23 | 2least
| BRIEF-Verizon CEO Says Co Giving 50 Shares Of Restricted Stock To Non-Executives - CNBC California police shooting of unarmed black man forcing look at policies French policeman who took place of hostage dies of gunshot wounds Islamist gunman attacks French supermarket, kills three Trump moves to limit transgender individuals from military service
<p>Jan 23 (Reuters) -</p>
<p>* VERIZON CEO LOWELL MCADAM SAYS CO GIVING 50 SHARES OF RESTRICTED STOCK TO NON-EXECUTIVES - CNBC ‍​</p>
<p>* VERIZON CEO LOWELL MCADAM SAYS WE’LL KEEP OUR DEAL OPTIONS OPEN - CNBC ‍​ Further company coverage:</p> Our Standards:
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<p>SACRAMENTO/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Did police tell an unarmed black man who they were before shooting him to death in a dark backyard in Sacramento, California? That question is forcing an examination of policies dictating when and how police identify themselves while encountering suspects.</p> Stephon Clark, 22, is visible on the ground after two police officers (L) shot him, in this still image captured from police aerial video footage released by Sacramento Police Department, California, U.S., on March 21, 2018. Courtesy Sacramento Police Department/Handout via REUTERS
<p>Two Sacramento police officers, responding to a report of someone shattering car windows, killed Stephon Alonzo Clark, 22, on Sunday in a hail of bullets.</p>
<p>Police video has shown the officers chasing Clark around the side of his grandparents’ house, yelling “Show me your hands” and “Gun” before firing. Police said they believed Clark held a gun, but it turned out to be a mobile phone.</p>
<p>The release of the video late on Wednesday sparked street protests. Clark’s family, through their attorney Benjamin Crump, disputed the police account that Clark was breaking windows.</p>
<p>Many protesters have said police did not appear to have identified themselves when they confronted Clark on that dark night as he stood in his grandparents’ backyard. On the video, the officers cannot be heard saying they are police.</p>
<p>“He (Clark) didn’t make any threats against the police, there is no evidence he committed a crime, there was no warning from the police, there was no identification from the police,” Crump said.</p>
<p>Crump represented the family of black teenager Michael Brown, whose shooting death in Ferguson, Missouri, by police in 2014 sparked nationwide protests.</p>
<p>Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said this week that city officials would examine police protocol for how they identify themselves in such cases.</p>
<p>“I have a 21-year-old son and I never had to teach him the importance of holding his hands high if he is ever stopped by a police officer,” Steinberg said Friday on Facebook. “No words can describe how it must feel for an African-American family who has to teach that lesson as a reality of growing up black.”</p> Demonstrators march to protest the police shooting of Stephon Clark, in Sacramento, California, U.S. March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Bob Strong
<p>Sacramento police guidelines posted on the department’s website do not specify that officers must identify themselves when encountering suspects. Sacramento police spokeswoman Linda Matthew said she did not believe such a policy existed.</p>
<p>Jim Pasco, executive director of the National Fraternal Order of Police, said that policies for departments vary across the country, but it would be impractical under such circumstances to expect officers to identify themselves.</p>
<p>“If you’re in a chase and everybody’s running, there isn’t a lot of talking back and forth going on,” he said.</p> Slideshow (5 Images)
<p>The Sacramento shooting could lead some police departments to change their rules, but such policies can be difficult to follow in the heat of the moment, said Eugene O’Donnell, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.</p>
<p>“It won’t surprise me if some departments add some other specific rule after this, but the cops are already weighed down with rules,” he said.</p>
<p>Sacramento police spokeswoman Matthew said Clark could have assumed police were in the area because a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department helicopter was circling overhead.</p>
<p>“The officers were in full uniform and the suspect fled from them,” she said.</p>
<p>Investigators are looking into whether the officers, who were searching the neighborhood for several minutes for a suspect, announced to Clark that they were police, Matthew said.</p>
<p>“With this incident and with every incident we have, we always look for ways in which we can improve,” Matthew said. “However, this was very rapidly evolving.”</p>
<p>Reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento and Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Ben Klayman, Toni Reinhold</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>PARIS (Reuters) - A gendarme who was shot three times after voluntarily taking the place of a hostage during a supermarket siege in southwestern France on Friday has died, France announced on Saturday.</p> A general view shows gendarmes and police officers at a supermarket after a hostage situation in Trebes, France, March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier
<p>Arnaud Beltrame, who once served in Iraq, had been raced to hospital fighting for his life after the siege in which he took the place of a female hostage at the Super U store in the town of Trebes, near the Pyrenees mountains.</p>
<p>“He fell as a hero, giving up his life to halt the murderous outfit of a jihadist terrorist,” President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement shortly before dawn on Saturday.</p>
<p>Friday’s attacker was identified by authorities as Redouane Lakdim, a 25-year-old Moroccan-born French national from the city of Carcassonne, not far from Trebes, a tranquil town of about 5,000 people where he struck on Friday afternoon.</p>
<p>Lakdim was known to authorities for drug-dealing and other petty crimes, but had also been under surveillance by security services in 2016-2017 for links to the radical Salafist movement, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said on Friday.</p>
<p>The attacker, whose rampage began when he shot at a group of police joggers and also shot the occupants of a car he stole, killed three people and injured 16 others on Friday, according to a government readout.</p>
<p>Beltrame was part of a team of gendarmes who were among the first to arrive at the supermarket scene; most of the people in the supermarket escaped after hiding in a cold storage room and then fleeing through an emergency exit.</p>
<p>He offered to trade places with a hostage the attacker was still holding, whereafter he took her place and left his mobile phone on a table, line open. When shots rang out, elite police stormed the building to kill the assailant. Police sources said Beltrame was shot three times.</p>
<p>The 44-year-old’s death takes the number killed to four.</p>
<p>The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Macron has said security services are checking that claim.</p>
<p>More than 240 people have been killed in France in attacks since 2015 by assailants who either pledged allegiance to Islamic State or were inspired by the group.</p>
<p>France is part of a group of countries whose warplanes have been bombing Islamic State strongholds in Iraq and Syria, where the group has lost substantial ground in recent months.</p>
<p>One multiple attack by Islamist gunmen and suicide bombers killed 130 people in Paris while another killed close to 90 when a man ran a truck into partying crowds in the Riviera seaside city of Nice.</p>
<p>Beltrame, who would have turned 45 in April, was a qualified parachutist who served in Iraq in 2005. He also worked as part of the elite Republican Guard that protects the presidential Elysee Place offices and residence in Paris, Macron said.</p>
<p>Friday’s assault was the first deadly attack since October 2017, when a man stabbed two young women to death in the port city of Marseille before soldiers killed him.</p>
<p>Several attacks over the past year or more have targeted police and soldiers deployed in big numbers to protect civilians and patrol sensitive spots such as airports and train stations.</p>
<p>Macron said of Beltrame: “In offering himself as a hostage to the terrorist holed up in the Trebes supermarket, lieutenant colonel Beltrame saved the life of a civilian hostage, showing exceptional self-sacrifice and courage.”</p>
<p>The news of Beltrame’s death was first announced France’s interior minister, who said in a Twitter post: “Dead for his country. France will never forget his heroism, bravery and sacrifice.”</p>
<p>Additional reporting by BEmmanuel Jarry; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Mark Potter</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>TREBES, France (Reuters) - A gunman killed three people in southwestern France on Friday as he held up a car, fired on police and seized hostages in a supermarket, screaming “Allahu Akbar” before security forces stormed the building and killed him, authorities said.</p>
<p>Sixteen other people were wounded, including two who were seriously hurt, in what President Emmanuel Macron called an act of “Islamist terrorism”.</p>
<p>The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack. Macron said security services were checking that claim.</p>
<p>“I want to tell the nation tonight of my absolute determination in leading this fight,” said Macron, who returned to Paris from Brussels to chair a crisis meeting with ministers and security officials.</p>
<p>More than 240 people have been killed in France in attacks since 2015 by assailants who pledged allegiance to Islamic State or were inspired by the group.</p>
<p>Friday’s attacker was identified by authorities as Redouane Lakdim, 25, from the city of Carcassonne.</p>
<p>Two people were killed when he attacked the supermarket in the nearby small town of Trebes.</p>
<p>Witnesses said about 20 people in the supermarket found refuge in its cold storage room.</p>
<p>A lieutenant-colonel of the gendarmes who swapped himself in exchange for one of the hostages was fighting for his life in hospital, Macron said.</p>
<p>Moroccan-born Lakdim was known to authorities for petty crimes, but had been under surveillance by security services in 2016-2017 for links to the radical Salafist movement, said Paris prosecutor Francois Molins, who is leading the investigation.</p>
<p>“The monitoring ... did not reveal any apparent signs that could lead (us) to foresee he would act,” Molins said.</p>
<p>He said one woman connected to Lakdim had been arrested.</p>
<p>Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told reporters at the scene that he believed Lakdim had acted alone.</p>
<p>“Every day we detect facts and foil new attacks. Alas, this one struck without us being able to counter it,” Collomb said.</p>
<p>Lakdim first killed one person with a bullet in the head while stealing a car in Carcassonne, a walled city with a medieval citadel that is one of France’s top tourist attractions.</p>
<p>He pulled up in the car to four police officers who were jogging in the city and opened fire, hitting one in the shoulder, then sped off to Trebes, about 8 km (5 miles) to the east, where he took the hostages in the supermarket.</p>
<p>“The perpetrator entered the store shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ and indicated that he was an Islamic State soldier who was ready to die for Syria, seeking the release of brothers, before shooting at a client and a store employee who died on the spot,” Molins said.</p>
<p>Police were carrying out searches at Lakdim’s family home.</p> A general view shows police officers and investigators at a supermarket after a hostage situation in Trebes, France, March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau ESCAPE
<p>One supermarket worker said some shoppers had escaped from the building after the gunman burst in.</p>
<p>“I was in my department when I heard gunshots. I went to the area of the gunshots and came face to face with the person,” said the employee, who gave his name only as Francois.</p>
<p>“He raised his gun and fired, I ran away, he shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ and spoke about the Islamic State. I then evacuated the clients, about 20, who were in my area and we went quietly out of the back,” said Francois, who has been employed at the supermarket since November.</p>
<p>Collomb said the gunman had demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam - the prime surviving suspect in Islamic State suicide bombing and mass shooting attacks on a sports stadium, concert hall and restaurants that killed 130 people in Paris in 2015.</p>
<p>Abdeslam, a French citizen born and raised in Brussels, went on trial in Belgium last month. He is accused of “attempted murder in a terrorist context” over a Brussels shootout in March 2016, four months after he fled Paris on the night of the carnage during which his brother was among the suicide bombers.</p> Slideshow (14 Images) “THE THREAT IS EVERYWHERE”
<p>France is part of a U.S.-led coalition fighting against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and also has thousands of soldiers in West Africa fighting al Qaeda-linked militants.</p>
<p>In February, Collomb said French security forces had foiled two planned attacks so far this year as Islamic State militants set their sights on domestic targets in response to the group’s military setbacks in Iraq and Syria.</p>
<p>“This is a small, quiet town. Unfortunately the threat is everywhere,” Collomb told reporters in Trebes.</p>
<p>Carcassonne, a UNESCO heritage site, lies in the Languedoc region, known for its wine and picturesque countryside but also one of the poorest areas in France, with unemployment about 3 percentage points above the national average.</p>
<p>Nearby Beziers is one of the biggest cities controlled by the far-right, while the smaller town of Lunel further east became a breeding ground for many French jihadists who travelled to Syria to fight.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-france-security-molins/prosecutor-says-one-person-arrested-after-southern-france-attack-idUSKBN1GZ2XN" type="external">Prosecutor says one person arrested after southern France attack</a>
<a href="/article/us-france-security-gendarme/french-policeman-who-took-place-of-hostage-dies-of-gunshot-wounds-idUSKBN1GZ2ZF" type="external">French policeman who took place of hostage dies of gunshot wounds</a>
<a href="/article/us-france-security-witness/french-supermarket-hostages-dodge-attacker-hide-in-cold-store-idUSKBN1GZ2T4" type="external">French supermarket hostages dodge attacker, hide in cold store</a>
<p>Almost six years ago to the day, Islamist gunman Mohammed Merah killed seven people in the Toulouse region, about 90 km from Carcassonne. He was killed by security forces after a more than 30-hour stand-off.</p>
<p>The last lethal Islamist attack in France was in October 2017 when a Tunisian-born man stabbed two young women to death in Marseille before he was shot dead by soldiers. Islamic State also claimed responsibility for that attack.</p>
<p>For other stories on the attack, click on:</p>
<p>French gendarme fighting for his life after trading places with hostage</p>
<p>France supermarket attacker pledged to “die for Syria”</p>
<p>French supermarket hostages dodge attacker, hide in cold store</p>
<p>Reporting by Emmanuel Jarry, Sophie Louet, John Irish, Michel Rose, Leigh Thomas, Brian Love and Bate Felix in Paris; Writing by Ingrid Melander and David Stamp; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Catherine Evans</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Friday that bans some transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military, but gives the armed forces latitude in implementing policies.</p> U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One as he departs for Palm Beach, Florida, from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., March 23, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
<p>The memorandum said transgender individuals with a history of gender dysphoria, defined as “those who may require substantial medical treatment, including through medical drugs or surgery,” are disqualified from military service “except under certain limited circumstances.”</p>
<p>It added that the secretaries of defense and homeland security “may exercise their authority to implement any appropriate policies concerning military service by transgender individuals.”</p>
<p>The White House said Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had found that individuals with a history or diagnosis of gender dysphoria presented a risk to military effectiveness.</p>
<p>“This new policy will enable the military to apply well-established mental and physical health standards ... equally to all individuals who want to join and fight for the best military force the world has ever seen,” it said.</p>
<p>The Democratic National Committee criticized the move as an insult to transgender service members. In a strongly-worded statement, U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said the policy would harm the nation.</p>
<p>“This latest memorandum is the same cowardly, disgusting ban the President announced last summer,” she said. “The President’s hateful ban is purpose-built to humiliate our brave transgender members of the military who serve with honor and dignity.”</p>
<p>Trump’s decision is less restrictive than his initial comments in a July Twitter message saying he would prohibit transgender people from military service. That blanket ban reversed former President Barack Obama’s policy.</p>
<p>At the time, Trump said on Twitter, the military “cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.”</p>
<p>However, a number of federal judges have already issued rulings blocking Trump’s ban, saying it would probably violate the right, under the U.S. Constitution, to equal protection under the law.</p>
<p>On Friday, the Pentagon reaffirmed that it would continue to comply with federal law.</p>
<p>“(The Pentagon) will continue to assess and retain transgender service members,” Pentagon spokesman Major David Eastburn said.</p>
<p>In a February memorandum to the White House, made public on Friday, Mattis said transgender individuals with a history of gender dysphoria were disqualified from military service.</p>
<p>But he added that those currently serving could continue to serve if they had been diagnosed with gender dysphoria since Obama’s policy took effect.</p>
<p>Mattis also recommended that transgender individuals who require or have undergone gender transition be disqualified from military service.</p>
<p>“In my professional judgment, these policies will place the Department of Defense in the strongest position to protect the American people, to fight and win America’s wars, and to ensure the survival and success of our service members around the world,” Mattis wrote.</p>
<p>A court filing by the Trump administration said 8,980 service members reportedly identify as transgender, but only 937 active duty service members were diagnosed with gender dysphoria since June 30, 2016.</p>
<p>At least one openly transgender recruit has already signed a contract to join the U.S. military since a federal court ruled late last year that the military would have to accept transgender individuals.</p>
<p>The Department of Justice said it would continue to defend the defense department’s authority to create and implement personnel policies.</p> Related Video
<p>“Consistent with this new policy, we are asking the courts to lift all related preliminary injunctions in order to ensure the safety and security of the American people and the best fighting force in the world,” it said in a statement.</p>
<p>Advocates have said they believe dozens, if not hundreds, of transgender people will seek to join those already serving.</p>
<p>The Human Rights Campaign, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy group, condemned the Trump policy.</p>
<p>“There is simply no way to spin it, the Trump-Pence administration is going all in on its discriminatory, unconstitutional and despicable ban on transgender troops,” Chad Griffin, its president, said in a statement.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Richard Pullin</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a> | 3,672 |
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<p>BERLIN — Lufthansa has canceled more than 200 short-haul flights as a result of a planned six-hour strike by pilots at Frankfurt airport, its main hub.</p>
<p>The Vereinigung Cockpit union called pilots on Lufthansa’s short-haul fleet out on strike from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. (1500 to 2100 GMT) Friday. The airline canceled a raft of flights to and from Frankfurt, the last on Saturday morning.</p>
<p>The walkout is part of a dispute over the pilots’ demand that Lufthansa keep paying a transition payment for those wanting to retire early. The airline, which faces tough competition from European budget airlines and major Gulf airlines, wants to cut those payments.</p>
<p>The pilots are also asking for a salary increase of 10 percent. They staged a strike last week at Lufthansa’s Germanwings subsidiary.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Lufthansa nixes over 200 flights as pilots strike | false | https://abqjournal.com/457347/lufthansa-nixes-over-200-flights-as-pilots-strike.html | 2least
| Lufthansa nixes over 200 flights as pilots strike
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<p>BERLIN — Lufthansa has canceled more than 200 short-haul flights as a result of a planned six-hour strike by pilots at Frankfurt airport, its main hub.</p>
<p>The Vereinigung Cockpit union called pilots on Lufthansa’s short-haul fleet out on strike from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. (1500 to 2100 GMT) Friday. The airline canceled a raft of flights to and from Frankfurt, the last on Saturday morning.</p>
<p>The walkout is part of a dispute over the pilots’ demand that Lufthansa keep paying a transition payment for those wanting to retire early. The airline, which faces tough competition from European budget airlines and major Gulf airlines, wants to cut those payments.</p>
<p>The pilots are also asking for a salary increase of 10 percent. They staged a strike last week at Lufthansa’s Germanwings subsidiary.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 3,673 |
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<p />
<p>The figures are based on the number of students who scored at or above proficient on the state’s Standards Based Assessment this year.</p>
<p>According to the New Mexico Public Education Department, 80 percent of the school’s 11th-graders are proficient or above while the statewide average is 55.5 percent. The Rio Rancho High figure is also a double-digit gain over its 2012 reading proficiency numbers of 66.7 percent.</p>
<p>Districtwide, the percentage of those proficient in reading is 66 percent compared to 64.3 percent last year. This year’s districtwide figure for math is 57.7 percent, while last year’s was 60.3, according to district figures.</p>
<p>Source: New Mexico Public Education Department and Rio Rancho Public Schools</p>
<p>Superintendent V. Sue Cleveland called the gains at Rio Rancho High “impressive.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“I give the credit to the instructional leader and the teachers in that department,” she said. “Those folks have worked really hard.”</p>
<p>Principal Richard VonAncken said the improvement is the result of schoolwide concentrated effort to improve reading skills for all students.</p>
<p>“Whether they are in science, math or an elective, we emphasize reading,” she said. “We focus on reading everywhere.”</p>
<p>Cleveland High also saw an increase in 11th-grade reading scores from 73.8 percent to 78.2 percent.</p>
<p>The district made progress on closing the reading achievement gap for Hispanic and low-income 11th-graders. Hispanic juniors districtwide went from 59.8 percent to 71.1 percent, while low-income students improved from 53.2 percent to 66.3 percent.</p>
<p>Both schools, however, did see a slight dip in their math scores. Cleveland fell about two percentage points to 68.1 and Rio Rancho High dropped the same amount to 60.8 percent.</p>
<p>The district had a bright spot among its middle schools. Eagle Ridge, which has struggled with student achievement, saw gains in both math and reading.</p>
<p>The news was not as great for elementary schools. Many scores stayed flat or decreased slightly. Vista Grande was the only elementary school to see gains in both math and reading. Reading proficiency jumped from 66.7 percent to 71.1 percent and math from 62.4 percent to 66.5 percent.</p>
<p />
<p /> | SBA stats show good progress | false | https://abqjournal.com/215942/sba-stats-show-good-progress.html | 2013-06-29 | 2least
| SBA stats show good progress
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<p />
<p>The figures are based on the number of students who scored at or above proficient on the state’s Standards Based Assessment this year.</p>
<p>According to the New Mexico Public Education Department, 80 percent of the school’s 11th-graders are proficient or above while the statewide average is 55.5 percent. The Rio Rancho High figure is also a double-digit gain over its 2012 reading proficiency numbers of 66.7 percent.</p>
<p>Districtwide, the percentage of those proficient in reading is 66 percent compared to 64.3 percent last year. This year’s districtwide figure for math is 57.7 percent, while last year’s was 60.3, according to district figures.</p>
<p>Source: New Mexico Public Education Department and Rio Rancho Public Schools</p>
<p>Superintendent V. Sue Cleveland called the gains at Rio Rancho High “impressive.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“I give the credit to the instructional leader and the teachers in that department,” she said. “Those folks have worked really hard.”</p>
<p>Principal Richard VonAncken said the improvement is the result of schoolwide concentrated effort to improve reading skills for all students.</p>
<p>“Whether they are in science, math or an elective, we emphasize reading,” she said. “We focus on reading everywhere.”</p>
<p>Cleveland High also saw an increase in 11th-grade reading scores from 73.8 percent to 78.2 percent.</p>
<p>The district made progress on closing the reading achievement gap for Hispanic and low-income 11th-graders. Hispanic juniors districtwide went from 59.8 percent to 71.1 percent, while low-income students improved from 53.2 percent to 66.3 percent.</p>
<p>Both schools, however, did see a slight dip in their math scores. Cleveland fell about two percentage points to 68.1 and Rio Rancho High dropped the same amount to 60.8 percent.</p>
<p>The district had a bright spot among its middle schools. Eagle Ridge, which has struggled with student achievement, saw gains in both math and reading.</p>
<p>The news was not as great for elementary schools. Many scores stayed flat or decreased slightly. Vista Grande was the only elementary school to see gains in both math and reading. Reading proficiency jumped from 66.7 percent to 71.1 percent and math from 62.4 percent to 66.5 percent.</p>
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<p>BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — The spokesman for Libya’s internationally-recognized parliament on Thursday rebuffed pressure by the West and United Nations on lawmakers to accept a peace deal that stipulates power-sharing with rival Islamists.</p>
<p>Faraj Abu-Hashim, spokesman for the parliament based in Libya’s eastern city of Tobruk, told reporters that lawmakers will not accept “pressures” and attempts to “legitimize militias” — a reference to the militia-backed government based in the capital, Tripoli.</p>
<p>Since last year, Libya has been split between an elected parliament, which was forced to convene in the country’s far east, and Islamist-led government backed by militias that seized Tripoli last August.</p>
<p>The elected parliament has suspended its participation in U.N.-brokered negotiations. However, there are internal divisions and Tobruk negotiators have backed the deal, saying it has “many positive elements.”</p>
<p>On Wednesday, Bernardino Leon, the U.N. envoy leading talks aimed at stemming Libya’s collapse said he hoped to win consensus over the deal by next week, before the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.</p>
<p>Leon spoke at a meeting in Berlin that brought together nearly two dozen Libyan participants in ongoing U.N.-brokered talks with the Libya envoys of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members, Italy, Spain and the European Union.</p>
<p>The talks are taking place as extremists from Libya’s Islamic State affiliate are pushing to expand their territorial gains after taking over central and eastern cities and towns.</p>
<p>On Thursday, the IS affiliate released an online video purporting to show its members blowing up two fighter jets parked at an air base near the central city of Sirte, one of the IS strongholds in the country. The video was released a day after the group suffered a setback in the eastern city of Darna, when al-Qaida-linked militias declared war on IS after the assassination of their top leader.</p>
<p>But a military official affiliated with the Tripoli government said there were no functional fighter jets at the Sirte base, suggesting the two destroyed aircraft were out of service. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.</p>
<p>BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — The spokesman for Libya’s internationally-recognized parliament on Thursday rebuffed pressure by the West and United Nations on lawmakers to accept a peace deal that stipulates power-sharing with rival Islamists.</p>
<p>Faraj Abu-Hashim, spokesman for the parliament based in Libya’s eastern city of Tobruk, told reporters that lawmakers will not accept “pressures” and attempts to “legitimize militias” — a reference to the militia-backed government based in the capital, Tripoli.</p>
<p>Since last year, Libya has been split between an elected parliament, which was forced to convene in the country’s far east, and Islamist-led government backed by militias that seized Tripoli last August.</p>
<p>The elected parliament has suspended its participation in U.N.-brokered negotiations. However, there are internal divisions and Tobruk negotiators have backed the deal, saying it has “many positive elements.”</p>
<p>On Wednesday, Bernardino Leon, the U.N. envoy leading talks aimed at stemming Libya’s collapse said he hoped to win consensus over the deal by next week, before the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.</p>
<p>Leon spoke at a meeting in Berlin that brought together nearly two dozen Libyan participants in ongoing U.N.-brokered talks with the Libya envoys of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members, Italy, Spain and the European Union.</p>
<p>The talks are taking place as extremists from Libya’s Islamic State affiliate are pushing to expand their territorial gains after taking over central and eastern cities and towns.</p>
<p>On Thursday, the IS affiliate released an online video purporting to show its members blowing up two fighter jets parked at an air base near the central city of Sirte, one of the IS strongholds in the country. The video was released a day after the group suffered a setback in the eastern city of Darna, when al-Qaida-linked militias declared war on IS after the assassination of their top leader.</p>
<p>But a military official affiliated with the Tripoli government said there were no functional fighter jets at the Sirte base, suggesting the two destroyed aircraft were out of service. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.</p> | Libya’s parliament rebuffs pressure to accept UN deal | false | https://apnews.com/2696538aef804e6baac86b4bc8ad28ba | 2015-06-11 | 2least
| Libya’s parliament rebuffs pressure to accept UN deal
<p>BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — The spokesman for Libya’s internationally-recognized parliament on Thursday rebuffed pressure by the West and United Nations on lawmakers to accept a peace deal that stipulates power-sharing with rival Islamists.</p>
<p>Faraj Abu-Hashim, spokesman for the parliament based in Libya’s eastern city of Tobruk, told reporters that lawmakers will not accept “pressures” and attempts to “legitimize militias” — a reference to the militia-backed government based in the capital, Tripoli.</p>
<p>Since last year, Libya has been split between an elected parliament, which was forced to convene in the country’s far east, and Islamist-led government backed by militias that seized Tripoli last August.</p>
<p>The elected parliament has suspended its participation in U.N.-brokered negotiations. However, there are internal divisions and Tobruk negotiators have backed the deal, saying it has “many positive elements.”</p>
<p>On Wednesday, Bernardino Leon, the U.N. envoy leading talks aimed at stemming Libya’s collapse said he hoped to win consensus over the deal by next week, before the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.</p>
<p>Leon spoke at a meeting in Berlin that brought together nearly two dozen Libyan participants in ongoing U.N.-brokered talks with the Libya envoys of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members, Italy, Spain and the European Union.</p>
<p>The talks are taking place as extremists from Libya’s Islamic State affiliate are pushing to expand their territorial gains after taking over central and eastern cities and towns.</p>
<p>On Thursday, the IS affiliate released an online video purporting to show its members blowing up two fighter jets parked at an air base near the central city of Sirte, one of the IS strongholds in the country. The video was released a day after the group suffered a setback in the eastern city of Darna, when al-Qaida-linked militias declared war on IS after the assassination of their top leader.</p>
<p>But a military official affiliated with the Tripoli government said there were no functional fighter jets at the Sirte base, suggesting the two destroyed aircraft were out of service. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.</p>
<p>BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — The spokesman for Libya’s internationally-recognized parliament on Thursday rebuffed pressure by the West and United Nations on lawmakers to accept a peace deal that stipulates power-sharing with rival Islamists.</p>
<p>Faraj Abu-Hashim, spokesman for the parliament based in Libya’s eastern city of Tobruk, told reporters that lawmakers will not accept “pressures” and attempts to “legitimize militias” — a reference to the militia-backed government based in the capital, Tripoli.</p>
<p>Since last year, Libya has been split between an elected parliament, which was forced to convene in the country’s far east, and Islamist-led government backed by militias that seized Tripoli last August.</p>
<p>The elected parliament has suspended its participation in U.N.-brokered negotiations. However, there are internal divisions and Tobruk negotiators have backed the deal, saying it has “many positive elements.”</p>
<p>On Wednesday, Bernardino Leon, the U.N. envoy leading talks aimed at stemming Libya’s collapse said he hoped to win consensus over the deal by next week, before the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.</p>
<p>Leon spoke at a meeting in Berlin that brought together nearly two dozen Libyan participants in ongoing U.N.-brokered talks with the Libya envoys of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members, Italy, Spain and the European Union.</p>
<p>The talks are taking place as extremists from Libya’s Islamic State affiliate are pushing to expand their territorial gains after taking over central and eastern cities and towns.</p>
<p>On Thursday, the IS affiliate released an online video purporting to show its members blowing up two fighter jets parked at an air base near the central city of Sirte, one of the IS strongholds in the country. The video was released a day after the group suffered a setback in the eastern city of Darna, when al-Qaida-linked militias declared war on IS after the assassination of their top leader.</p>
<p>But a military official affiliated with the Tripoli government said there were no functional fighter jets at the Sirte base, suggesting the two destroyed aircraft were out of service. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.</p> | 3,675 |
<p>Sept. 7 (UPI) — Gap Inc. will close 200 of its Gap and Banana Republic stores over the next three years, the company announced Wednesday.</p>
<p>The closure amounts to about a 10 percent reduction of the company’s total number of Gap and Banana Republic retail outlets after years of declining sales, reported <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/06/news/companies/gap-banana-republic-stores-closing/index.html" type="external">CNN</a>.</p>
<p>The company did not reveal which stores will close.</p>
<p>While fewer people have been shopping at both stores, the company has had robust sales at its Old Navy and Athleta stores. As a result, Gap Inc. is planning to open approximately 270 more of those stores at the same time it shutters the others.</p>
<p>“Over the past two years, we’ve made significant progress evolving how we operate,” Gap Inc. CEO and President Art Peck said <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/09/06/gap-close-roughly-200-stores-next-three-years/637784001/" type="external">in a statement</a>. “With much of this foundation in place, we’re now shifting our focus to growth.’</p>
<p>Gap expects Old Navy to exceed $10 billion in sales over the next few years, according to <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gap-expects-old-navy-brand-to-exceed-10-billion-in-the-next-few-years-2017-09-06" type="external">MarketWatch</a>.</p>
<p>Large retailers have been <a href="http://time.com/money/4812870/retailers-bankruptcy-risk-sears-amazon/" type="external">at risk of going bankrupt</a> as a result of an increase in online shopping and fewer people going to malls.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, Sears Holdings <a href="https://www.upi.com/Another-150-Sears-Kmart-stores-to-close-by-April/7941483570174/" type="external">closed down 150</a> of its Sears and Kmart stores.</p> | About 200 Gap, Banana Republic stores to close over next 3 years | false | https://newsline.com/about-200-gap-banana-republic-stores-to-close-over-next-3-years/ | 2017-09-07 | 1right-center
| About 200 Gap, Banana Republic stores to close over next 3 years
<p>Sept. 7 (UPI) — Gap Inc. will close 200 of its Gap and Banana Republic stores over the next three years, the company announced Wednesday.</p>
<p>The closure amounts to about a 10 percent reduction of the company’s total number of Gap and Banana Republic retail outlets after years of declining sales, reported <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/06/news/companies/gap-banana-republic-stores-closing/index.html" type="external">CNN</a>.</p>
<p>The company did not reveal which stores will close.</p>
<p>While fewer people have been shopping at both stores, the company has had robust sales at its Old Navy and Athleta stores. As a result, Gap Inc. is planning to open approximately 270 more of those stores at the same time it shutters the others.</p>
<p>“Over the past two years, we’ve made significant progress evolving how we operate,” Gap Inc. CEO and President Art Peck said <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/09/06/gap-close-roughly-200-stores-next-three-years/637784001/" type="external">in a statement</a>. “With much of this foundation in place, we’re now shifting our focus to growth.’</p>
<p>Gap expects Old Navy to exceed $10 billion in sales over the next few years, according to <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gap-expects-old-navy-brand-to-exceed-10-billion-in-the-next-few-years-2017-09-06" type="external">MarketWatch</a>.</p>
<p>Large retailers have been <a href="http://time.com/money/4812870/retailers-bankruptcy-risk-sears-amazon/" type="external">at risk of going bankrupt</a> as a result of an increase in online shopping and fewer people going to malls.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, Sears Holdings <a href="https://www.upi.com/Another-150-Sears-Kmart-stores-to-close-by-April/7941483570174/" type="external">closed down 150</a> of its Sears and Kmart stores.</p> | 3,676 |
<p>The Obama administration set a bad precedent by launching a surprise war for regime change in Libya without congressional authorization or informed public debate, in violation of the letter and spirit of the War Powers Resolution enacted by Congress in 1973.</p>
<p>The War Powers Resolution – which is a law – explicitly affirms that:</p>
<p>The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to</p>
<p>(1) a declaration of war,</p>
<p>(2) specific statutory authorization, or</p>
<p>(3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.</p>
<p>With Libya, there was no declaration of war, no specific statutory authorization, and no attack on the U.S. or its armed forces.</p>
<p>Nor did the administration comply with the intent of the War Powers Resolution. The goal of the War Powers Resolution was to stop the Executive Branch from going around Congress through the creation of facts on the ground – exactly what happened in this case.</p>
<p>There was no congressional or public debate of what the administration intended to do. There was debate over a “no fly zone,” but the military campaign the administration has conducted has been something else. As Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) recently said, “It seems to me, and I think everybody else, that we are clearly involved in regime change.”</p>
<p>Trafficking in Euphemisms</p>
<p>The public posture of the administration, a few days prior to the UN Security Council resolution, was to oppose a “no-fly zone.” It argued that such a strategy would not effectively protect civilians and would require extensive bombing. The last thing the United States needed to do right was to engage in a third war in a Muslim country. But the military campaign we have been engaged in goes well beyond a no-fly zone and involves much more bombing.</p>
<p>On Thursday, The Washington Post reported, that “some of the United States’ partners have acknowledged that the initial descriptions of the intervention in Libya no longer apply. ‘What is happening in Libya is not a no-fly zone,’ a senior European diplomat told reporters, speaking on the customary condition of anonymity. ‘The no-fly zone was a diplomatic thing, to get the Arabs on board. What we have in Libya is more than that.'”</p>
<p>It wasn’t just “the Arabs” who got a euphemistic story. The U.S. public also got a euphemistic story, and continues to get a euphemistic story about what is taking place.</p>
<p>Mission Creep</p>
<p>When President Obama addressed the nation Monday, he said that “our military mission is narrowly focused on saving lives.” But as The New York Times reported, “Even as President Obama on Monday described a narrower role for the United States in a NATO-led operation,” the U.S. military has been carrying out an “expansive and increasingly potent air campaign,” amounting to “an all-out assault on Libya’s military.”</p>
<p>According to the Times report, the real military mission is different: “The strategy for White House officials nervous that the Libya operation could drag on for weeks or months, even under a NATO banner, is to hit Libyan forces hard enough to force them to oust Colonel Qaddafi, a result that Mr. Obama has openly encouraged.”</p>
<p>The UN Security Council never approved a military mission to overthrow the Libyan government. Neither did Congress or the American people. The U.S. public has very different feelings about “using military force to protect civilians” and “using military force to remove Qaddafi.” In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, voters said by a 65 to 27 percent margin that “the U.S. should use military force to protect civilians,” while splitting 46 to 45 percent on whether protecting Libyan civilians from Qaddafi is a goal worth having U.S. troops “fight and possibly die.”</p>
<p>But they said by a margin of 48 to 41percent the United States should not use military force to remove Gaddafi from power. By a margin of 61 to 30 percent respondents believed that removing Gaddafi is not worth having American troops “fight and possibly die.”</p>
<p>Thus, depending on the involvement and risk to U.S. soldiers, the public would strongly support or be evenly divided on what the administration has told them it is doing; but it opposes or strongly opposes what the administration is actually doing.</p>
<p>Why Congress?</p>
<p>Lack of congressional authorization is not a mere matter of procedure. Congress is the main vehicle through which the public has influence on government policy between elections. To weaken congressional war powers is to weaken the ability of the public to have a say.</p>
<p>Minimum conditions for a war to be considered “just” include that alternatives to military force have been exhausted and that the minimum force necessary is used to achieve the stated objective. This has not been true in the Libya war.</p>
<p>The United States and allies summarily dismissed diplomatic initiatives by the African Union and the government of Venezuela for negotiations between the Libyan government and armed rebels.</p>
<p>The early move to refer Gaddafi to the International Criminal Court limited space for a negotiated resolution, by limiting the possibility that Gaddafi could go into exile. And on Wednesday, The Independent reported, “divisions over a plan – put forward by the Italian Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini, to provide a safe-haven for Gaddafi if he were to go into exile. This is supported by Turkey but is less enthusiastically backed by Britain and the US who would prefer him to face an investigation by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.”</p>
<p>If the goal were to “protect civilians,” or even to “remove Gaddafi from power,” the minimum force necessary was not being used at the time of The Independent’s report, if insistence that Qaddafi face the ICC was an obstacle to a political resolution of the conflict.</p>
<p>Trade-offs</p>
<p>The choice to go to war and continue it involve trade-offs, not only financial costs and casualties but also political costs. Much has been made of “double standards” – why Libya, not elsewhere? This is dismissed by noting we cannot intervene militarily everywhere.</p>
<p>But the military campaign directed at regime change involves political costs that undermine the goal of protecting civilians elsewhere.</p>
<p>According to recent reports from diplomatic sources at the UN, the United States gave a green light for Saudi Arabia to invade Bahrain and crush the pro-democracy movement in exchange for a “yes” vote by the Arab League for a no-fly zone over Libya. Former British diplomat Craig Murray made the same claim earlier, citing a senior Western diplomat at the UN. Last week, The Telegraph reported that “Saudi officials say they gave their backing to Western air strikes on Libya in exchange for the United States muting its criticism of the authorities in Bahrain, a close ally of the desert kingdom.</p>
<p>Indeed, the United States has been largely silent on the crackdown in Bahrain. It would strain credulity to claim that this silence is unrelated to support of the Gulf Arab states – the driving force behind the Arab League resolution – for Western military intervention in Libya.</p>
<p>The foregoing concerns are related. There is little direct public pressure in the United States to pursue negotiations to resolve international conflicts. But there is strong public resistance to engaging in new military conflicts and keeping U.S. soldiers there, and the two are directly related: the interest of the United States in pursuing negotiations is proportional to the resistance of the public to military alternatives.</p>
<p>That’s why it’s in the interest of those who want the United States to pursue negotiations to keep the ball in the congressional court. Regardless of what happened in the past, what needs to happen now is a serious effort at a negotiated resolution of the conflict, and that is most likely to happen if there is firm congressional resistance to any further military escalation, such as the introduction of U.S. ground troops or an indefinite extension of U.S. air strikes.</p>
<p>ROBERT NAIMAN is the policy director at Just Foreign Policy and a contributor to <a href="http://www.fpif.org/" type="external">Foreign Policy In Focus</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | War of the Euphemisms | true | https://counterpunch.org/2011/04/14/war-of-the-euphemisms/ | 2011-04-14 | 4left
| War of the Euphemisms
<p>The Obama administration set a bad precedent by launching a surprise war for regime change in Libya without congressional authorization or informed public debate, in violation of the letter and spirit of the War Powers Resolution enacted by Congress in 1973.</p>
<p>The War Powers Resolution – which is a law – explicitly affirms that:</p>
<p>The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to</p>
<p>(1) a declaration of war,</p>
<p>(2) specific statutory authorization, or</p>
<p>(3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.</p>
<p>With Libya, there was no declaration of war, no specific statutory authorization, and no attack on the U.S. or its armed forces.</p>
<p>Nor did the administration comply with the intent of the War Powers Resolution. The goal of the War Powers Resolution was to stop the Executive Branch from going around Congress through the creation of facts on the ground – exactly what happened in this case.</p>
<p>There was no congressional or public debate of what the administration intended to do. There was debate over a “no fly zone,” but the military campaign the administration has conducted has been something else. As Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) recently said, “It seems to me, and I think everybody else, that we are clearly involved in regime change.”</p>
<p>Trafficking in Euphemisms</p>
<p>The public posture of the administration, a few days prior to the UN Security Council resolution, was to oppose a “no-fly zone.” It argued that such a strategy would not effectively protect civilians and would require extensive bombing. The last thing the United States needed to do right was to engage in a third war in a Muslim country. But the military campaign we have been engaged in goes well beyond a no-fly zone and involves much more bombing.</p>
<p>On Thursday, The Washington Post reported, that “some of the United States’ partners have acknowledged that the initial descriptions of the intervention in Libya no longer apply. ‘What is happening in Libya is not a no-fly zone,’ a senior European diplomat told reporters, speaking on the customary condition of anonymity. ‘The no-fly zone was a diplomatic thing, to get the Arabs on board. What we have in Libya is more than that.'”</p>
<p>It wasn’t just “the Arabs” who got a euphemistic story. The U.S. public also got a euphemistic story, and continues to get a euphemistic story about what is taking place.</p>
<p>Mission Creep</p>
<p>When President Obama addressed the nation Monday, he said that “our military mission is narrowly focused on saving lives.” But as The New York Times reported, “Even as President Obama on Monday described a narrower role for the United States in a NATO-led operation,” the U.S. military has been carrying out an “expansive and increasingly potent air campaign,” amounting to “an all-out assault on Libya’s military.”</p>
<p>According to the Times report, the real military mission is different: “The strategy for White House officials nervous that the Libya operation could drag on for weeks or months, even under a NATO banner, is to hit Libyan forces hard enough to force them to oust Colonel Qaddafi, a result that Mr. Obama has openly encouraged.”</p>
<p>The UN Security Council never approved a military mission to overthrow the Libyan government. Neither did Congress or the American people. The U.S. public has very different feelings about “using military force to protect civilians” and “using military force to remove Qaddafi.” In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, voters said by a 65 to 27 percent margin that “the U.S. should use military force to protect civilians,” while splitting 46 to 45 percent on whether protecting Libyan civilians from Qaddafi is a goal worth having U.S. troops “fight and possibly die.”</p>
<p>But they said by a margin of 48 to 41percent the United States should not use military force to remove Gaddafi from power. By a margin of 61 to 30 percent respondents believed that removing Gaddafi is not worth having American troops “fight and possibly die.”</p>
<p>Thus, depending on the involvement and risk to U.S. soldiers, the public would strongly support or be evenly divided on what the administration has told them it is doing; but it opposes or strongly opposes what the administration is actually doing.</p>
<p>Why Congress?</p>
<p>Lack of congressional authorization is not a mere matter of procedure. Congress is the main vehicle through which the public has influence on government policy between elections. To weaken congressional war powers is to weaken the ability of the public to have a say.</p>
<p>Minimum conditions for a war to be considered “just” include that alternatives to military force have been exhausted and that the minimum force necessary is used to achieve the stated objective. This has not been true in the Libya war.</p>
<p>The United States and allies summarily dismissed diplomatic initiatives by the African Union and the government of Venezuela for negotiations between the Libyan government and armed rebels.</p>
<p>The early move to refer Gaddafi to the International Criminal Court limited space for a negotiated resolution, by limiting the possibility that Gaddafi could go into exile. And on Wednesday, The Independent reported, “divisions over a plan – put forward by the Italian Foreign Minister, Franco Frattini, to provide a safe-haven for Gaddafi if he were to go into exile. This is supported by Turkey but is less enthusiastically backed by Britain and the US who would prefer him to face an investigation by the International Criminal Court in The Hague.”</p>
<p>If the goal were to “protect civilians,” or even to “remove Gaddafi from power,” the minimum force necessary was not being used at the time of The Independent’s report, if insistence that Qaddafi face the ICC was an obstacle to a political resolution of the conflict.</p>
<p>Trade-offs</p>
<p>The choice to go to war and continue it involve trade-offs, not only financial costs and casualties but also political costs. Much has been made of “double standards” – why Libya, not elsewhere? This is dismissed by noting we cannot intervene militarily everywhere.</p>
<p>But the military campaign directed at regime change involves political costs that undermine the goal of protecting civilians elsewhere.</p>
<p>According to recent reports from diplomatic sources at the UN, the United States gave a green light for Saudi Arabia to invade Bahrain and crush the pro-democracy movement in exchange for a “yes” vote by the Arab League for a no-fly zone over Libya. Former British diplomat Craig Murray made the same claim earlier, citing a senior Western diplomat at the UN. Last week, The Telegraph reported that “Saudi officials say they gave their backing to Western air strikes on Libya in exchange for the United States muting its criticism of the authorities in Bahrain, a close ally of the desert kingdom.</p>
<p>Indeed, the United States has been largely silent on the crackdown in Bahrain. It would strain credulity to claim that this silence is unrelated to support of the Gulf Arab states – the driving force behind the Arab League resolution – for Western military intervention in Libya.</p>
<p>The foregoing concerns are related. There is little direct public pressure in the United States to pursue negotiations to resolve international conflicts. But there is strong public resistance to engaging in new military conflicts and keeping U.S. soldiers there, and the two are directly related: the interest of the United States in pursuing negotiations is proportional to the resistance of the public to military alternatives.</p>
<p>That’s why it’s in the interest of those who want the United States to pursue negotiations to keep the ball in the congressional court. Regardless of what happened in the past, what needs to happen now is a serious effort at a negotiated resolution of the conflict, and that is most likely to happen if there is firm congressional resistance to any further military escalation, such as the introduction of U.S. ground troops or an indefinite extension of U.S. air strikes.</p>
<p>ROBERT NAIMAN is the policy director at Just Foreign Policy and a contributor to <a href="http://www.fpif.org/" type="external">Foreign Policy In Focus</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 3,677 |
<p>The Republican debate season is in full swing and based on the ratings to date it’s no wonder network executives are tripping over themselves to sponsor more.</p>
<p />
<p>Just four years ago the debates got off to a much slower start and didn’t cross the 3 million viewer threshold until September compared to this year where all the measured debates have been attracting a minimum of 3 million and more often considerably more. The exception to this is the recent Bloomberg/Washington Post debate for which the figures would be estimates at best since Bloomberg doesn’t subscribe to the Nielsen rating service.</p>
<p>In short the debates have been a rousing success for the networks with the MSNBC debate at the Reagan Library attracting 5.4 million viewers which s more than six times what O’Donnell, Maddow and Schultz average on any given night.</p>
<p>But as high as those numbers were the next debate on Fox News did even better averaging 6.1 million viewers or about double the audience their top newsmaker Bill O’Reilly attracts each night.</p>
<p>The last debate sponsored by CNN dropped off a bit averaging “only” 5.5. million viewers but an improvement over the debate they sponsored with the Tea Party&#160; in September that drew 3.6 million viewers and caused a howl in the liberal media who thought that partnering with the Tea Party was&#160; a bad idea.</p>
<p>Even though the ratings are high from the debates, the profits are low as there are fewer commercial breaks than during their normal primetime programming.&#160; But that doesn’t seem to bother cable television news executives who see a chance to gain some credibility and maybe attract more viewers in the future as a result of their debate coverage.</p>
<p>It isn’t clear why the debates this year have attracted so many more viewers than in 2007 but speculation runs from the fact that the field is so unsettled and has more interesting candidates than four years ago to the lack of Democratic debates which are attracting additional viewers as they size up Obama’s potential competition.</p>
<p>Another potential factor may be the inclusion of social media into the debates with questions being submitted to the candidates via YouTube and Twitter which resulted in thousands of submissions boosting interest.</p>
<p>Whatever the reason&#160; may be for the higher than normal ratings ,they have provided a brief ray of sunshine for MSNBC and CNN in an otherwise gloomy ratings battle against runaway leader Fox News.</p>
<p>And we only have twelve more to go.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Strong Ratings Propel Republican Debates To the Top | true | http://aim.org/don-irvine-blog/strong-ratings-propel-republican-debates-to-the-top/ | 2011-10-23 | 0right
| Strong Ratings Propel Republican Debates To the Top
<p>The Republican debate season is in full swing and based on the ratings to date it’s no wonder network executives are tripping over themselves to sponsor more.</p>
<p />
<p>Just four years ago the debates got off to a much slower start and didn’t cross the 3 million viewer threshold until September compared to this year where all the measured debates have been attracting a minimum of 3 million and more often considerably more. The exception to this is the recent Bloomberg/Washington Post debate for which the figures would be estimates at best since Bloomberg doesn’t subscribe to the Nielsen rating service.</p>
<p>In short the debates have been a rousing success for the networks with the MSNBC debate at the Reagan Library attracting 5.4 million viewers which s more than six times what O’Donnell, Maddow and Schultz average on any given night.</p>
<p>But as high as those numbers were the next debate on Fox News did even better averaging 6.1 million viewers or about double the audience their top newsmaker Bill O’Reilly attracts each night.</p>
<p>The last debate sponsored by CNN dropped off a bit averaging “only” 5.5. million viewers but an improvement over the debate they sponsored with the Tea Party&#160; in September that drew 3.6 million viewers and caused a howl in the liberal media who thought that partnering with the Tea Party was&#160; a bad idea.</p>
<p>Even though the ratings are high from the debates, the profits are low as there are fewer commercial breaks than during their normal primetime programming.&#160; But that doesn’t seem to bother cable television news executives who see a chance to gain some credibility and maybe attract more viewers in the future as a result of their debate coverage.</p>
<p>It isn’t clear why the debates this year have attracted so many more viewers than in 2007 but speculation runs from the fact that the field is so unsettled and has more interesting candidates than four years ago to the lack of Democratic debates which are attracting additional viewers as they size up Obama’s potential competition.</p>
<p>Another potential factor may be the inclusion of social media into the debates with questions being submitted to the candidates via YouTube and Twitter which resulted in thousands of submissions boosting interest.</p>
<p>Whatever the reason&#160; may be for the higher than normal ratings ,they have provided a brief ray of sunshine for MSNBC and CNN in an otherwise gloomy ratings battle against runaway leader Fox News.</p>
<p>And we only have twelve more to go.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 3,678 |
<p>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A San Francisco man has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for severely burning his girlfriend during a dispute at a coin laundry.</p>
<p>The San Francisco Chronicle <a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/SF-man-gets-27-years-in-prison-for-setting-12474475.php" type="external">reported</a> Thursday that 27-year-old Dexter Oliver was sentenced to state prison for the Jan. 6, 2013 attack. The 30-year-old victim told Oliver that he turned her world upside down and made her children afraid of her because of her injuries.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say Oliver filled two baby bottles with gas and squirted them on the victim's face and body before igniting her with a lighter. Police found her in the street with life-threatening injuries to her face and upper body.</p>
<p>San Francisco Police Inspector John Keane says the incident is the worst case of domestic violence he's investigated in 25 years.</p>
<p>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A San Francisco man has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for severely burning his girlfriend during a dispute at a coin laundry.</p>
<p>The San Francisco Chronicle <a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/SF-man-gets-27-years-in-prison-for-setting-12474475.php" type="external">reported</a> Thursday that 27-year-old Dexter Oliver was sentenced to state prison for the Jan. 6, 2013 attack. The 30-year-old victim told Oliver that he turned her world upside down and made her children afraid of her because of her injuries.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say Oliver filled two baby bottles with gas and squirted them on the victim's face and body before igniting her with a lighter. Police found her in the street with life-threatening injuries to her face and upper body.</p>
<p>San Francisco Police Inspector John Keane says the incident is the worst case of domestic violence he's investigated in 25 years.</p> | San Francisco man gets 27 years for lighting partner on fire | false | https://apnews.com/2b078bef87754ef59a8d6acf1cef962b | 2018-01-05 | 2least
| San Francisco man gets 27 years for lighting partner on fire
<p>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A San Francisco man has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for severely burning his girlfriend during a dispute at a coin laundry.</p>
<p>The San Francisco Chronicle <a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/SF-man-gets-27-years-in-prison-for-setting-12474475.php" type="external">reported</a> Thursday that 27-year-old Dexter Oliver was sentenced to state prison for the Jan. 6, 2013 attack. The 30-year-old victim told Oliver that he turned her world upside down and made her children afraid of her because of her injuries.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say Oliver filled two baby bottles with gas and squirted them on the victim's face and body before igniting her with a lighter. Police found her in the street with life-threatening injuries to her face and upper body.</p>
<p>San Francisco Police Inspector John Keane says the incident is the worst case of domestic violence he's investigated in 25 years.</p>
<p>SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A San Francisco man has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for severely burning his girlfriend during a dispute at a coin laundry.</p>
<p>The San Francisco Chronicle <a href="http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/SF-man-gets-27-years-in-prison-for-setting-12474475.php" type="external">reported</a> Thursday that 27-year-old Dexter Oliver was sentenced to state prison for the Jan. 6, 2013 attack. The 30-year-old victim told Oliver that he turned her world upside down and made her children afraid of her because of her injuries.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say Oliver filled two baby bottles with gas and squirted them on the victim's face and body before igniting her with a lighter. Police found her in the street with life-threatening injuries to her face and upper body.</p>
<p>San Francisco Police Inspector John Keane says the incident is the worst case of domestic violence he's investigated in 25 years.</p> | 3,679 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>After stabbing his mother, Tristan Critzer chased her to a car where four younger children were waiting, and threatened to stab the 1-year-old child before smashing out the rear window, police said.</p>
<p>The children were not hurt.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Critzer is facing charges of criminal damage to property, aggravated battery against a household member with a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to Santa Fe police Sgt. Andrea Dobyns.</p>
<p>Dobyns said police were called to a home on Pueblo Pintado about 12:15 p.m.</p>
<p>“What it looks like was 14-year-old was asked to clean his room, and, when he didn’t, the mom got upset, so took away his Playstation,” Dobyns said.</p>
<p>The boy then got on a computer, but his mother took that away, too. He then started watching TV, and the mother wouldn’t allow that either.</p>
<p>“As she was carrying the TV out of the room, the boy stabbed the back of the TV. She dropped it and started running away, and that’s when he started swinging the knife,” Dobyns said.</p>
<p>The mother, Madelynn Schmayne, ran to a Dodge Durango parked in the driveway where she was already preparing to leave with four other children ranging in age from one to 10 years old.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“She locked the (car) door and called 911. While she was doing that, her son threatened to stab the 1-year-old, who was also in the vehicle,” Dobyns said. “The 14-year-old then picked up a large rock and threw it at the driver’s side window.”</p>
<p>Failing to penetrate the side window, the boy then took the rock and broke out the back window.</p>
<p>“The back window shattered, and glass flew all over,” Dobyns said. Critzer then fled the scene. “The children were checked out and didn’t sustain any injuries from the glass,” Dobyns said.</p>
<p>Schmayne was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, where she was treated for a puncture wound on the back of her left thigh, which required stitches.</p>
<p>Schmayne can be heard on the recording of the 911 call she made from the Durango, begging for help and telling an emergency dispatcher, “Oh my God, he’s got a rock.” The woman shouts “No, no, no!” and says she’s bleeding. Then, after the teen smashes the vehicle window, the woman screams, “I’ve got glass all over my other kids.” Young children can be heard crying or screaming in the background.</p>
<p>When the dispatcher asks if the assailant is her husband or boyfriend, the mother says, “This is my son!”</p>
<p>Police picked Critzer up about an hour later in the same neighborhood near the intersection of Richards and Rodeo roads.</p>
<p>Dobyns said Critzer is in the Santa Fe County Juvenile Detention Center awaiting arraignment.</p> | Son Stabs Mom, Threatens Siblings | false | https://abqjournal.com/144113/son-stabs-mom-threatens-siblings.html | 2012-11-06 | 2least
| Son Stabs Mom, Threatens Siblings
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>After stabbing his mother, Tristan Critzer chased her to a car where four younger children were waiting, and threatened to stab the 1-year-old child before smashing out the rear window, police said.</p>
<p>The children were not hurt.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Critzer is facing charges of criminal damage to property, aggravated battery against a household member with a deadly weapon, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to Santa Fe police Sgt. Andrea Dobyns.</p>
<p>Dobyns said police were called to a home on Pueblo Pintado about 12:15 p.m.</p>
<p>“What it looks like was 14-year-old was asked to clean his room, and, when he didn’t, the mom got upset, so took away his Playstation,” Dobyns said.</p>
<p>The boy then got on a computer, but his mother took that away, too. He then started watching TV, and the mother wouldn’t allow that either.</p>
<p>“As she was carrying the TV out of the room, the boy stabbed the back of the TV. She dropped it and started running away, and that’s when he started swinging the knife,” Dobyns said.</p>
<p>The mother, Madelynn Schmayne, ran to a Dodge Durango parked in the driveway where she was already preparing to leave with four other children ranging in age from one to 10 years old.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“She locked the (car) door and called 911. While she was doing that, her son threatened to stab the 1-year-old, who was also in the vehicle,” Dobyns said. “The 14-year-old then picked up a large rock and threw it at the driver’s side window.”</p>
<p>Failing to penetrate the side window, the boy then took the rock and broke out the back window.</p>
<p>“The back window shattered, and glass flew all over,” Dobyns said. Critzer then fled the scene. “The children were checked out and didn’t sustain any injuries from the glass,” Dobyns said.</p>
<p>Schmayne was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, where she was treated for a puncture wound on the back of her left thigh, which required stitches.</p>
<p>Schmayne can be heard on the recording of the 911 call she made from the Durango, begging for help and telling an emergency dispatcher, “Oh my God, he’s got a rock.” The woman shouts “No, no, no!” and says she’s bleeding. Then, after the teen smashes the vehicle window, the woman screams, “I’ve got glass all over my other kids.” Young children can be heard crying or screaming in the background.</p>
<p>When the dispatcher asks if the assailant is her husband or boyfriend, the mother says, “This is my son!”</p>
<p>Police picked Critzer up about an hour later in the same neighborhood near the intersection of Richards and Rodeo roads.</p>
<p>Dobyns said Critzer is in the Santa Fe County Juvenile Detention Center awaiting arraignment.</p> | 3,680 |
<p>Oil futures settled with a loss on Thursday, with prices failing to finish above the key $35-a-barrel level as traders weighed the likelihood of an agreement this week among major producers to stabilize output. April West Texas Intermediate crude fell 9 cents, or 0.3%, to settle at $34.57 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices had posted gains in each of the last three trading sessions, settling Wednesday at a two-month high.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | Oil Ends Lower For The First Time In Four Sessions | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/03/03/oil-ends-lower-for-first-time-in-four-sessions.html | 2016-03-03 | 0right
| Oil Ends Lower For The First Time In Four Sessions
<p>Oil futures settled with a loss on Thursday, with prices failing to finish above the key $35-a-barrel level as traders weighed the likelihood of an agreement this week among major producers to stabilize output. April West Texas Intermediate crude fell 9 cents, or 0.3%, to settle at $34.57 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices had posted gains in each of the last three trading sessions, settling Wednesday at a two-month high.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | 3,681 |
<p>Photoillustration: Nick Baumann</p>
<p />
<p>Perhaps the strangest moment of Thursday’s Fox News/Google debate came when Texas Gov. Rick Perry was asked who he would pick as his running mate. His reply: “I don’t know how you would do this, but if you could take Herman Cain and mate him up with Newt Gingrich, I think you would have a couple of really interesting guys to work with.”</p>
<p>Former Massachussetts Governor Mitt Romney quipped, “There are a couple of images I’m going to have a hard time getting out of my mind.”</p>
<p>I suspect Perry’s plan to “mate up” Gingrich and Cain (who actually did say he would choose Gingrich as his running mate) doesn’t actually <a href="http://prospect.org/csnc/blogs/adam_serwer_archive?month=07&amp;year=2011&amp;base_name=rick_perrys_moderate_positions" type="external">signify a shift</a> in Perry’s views on marriage equality. But if the image of a mutant spawn of Cain and Gingrich running alongside Perry doesn’t frighten you, consider that Perry didn’t exactly excel in his animal science major in college, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/05/rick-perry-college-transcript_n_919357.html" type="external">receiving</a> “a D in veterinary anatomy, a F in a second course on organic chemistry and a C in animal breeding.” We can only hope that when this Hermewt Caingrich emerges, Tokyo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla" type="external">will be spared</a>.</p>
<p /> | Perry Wants To “Mate Up” Gingrich and Cain | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2011/09/perry-wants-mate-up-gingrich-cain/ | 2011-09-23 | 4left
| Perry Wants To “Mate Up” Gingrich and Cain
<p>Photoillustration: Nick Baumann</p>
<p />
<p>Perhaps the strangest moment of Thursday’s Fox News/Google debate came when Texas Gov. Rick Perry was asked who he would pick as his running mate. His reply: “I don’t know how you would do this, but if you could take Herman Cain and mate him up with Newt Gingrich, I think you would have a couple of really interesting guys to work with.”</p>
<p>Former Massachussetts Governor Mitt Romney quipped, “There are a couple of images I’m going to have a hard time getting out of my mind.”</p>
<p>I suspect Perry’s plan to “mate up” Gingrich and Cain (who actually did say he would choose Gingrich as his running mate) doesn’t actually <a href="http://prospect.org/csnc/blogs/adam_serwer_archive?month=07&amp;year=2011&amp;base_name=rick_perrys_moderate_positions" type="external">signify a shift</a> in Perry’s views on marriage equality. But if the image of a mutant spawn of Cain and Gingrich running alongside Perry doesn’t frighten you, consider that Perry didn’t exactly excel in his animal science major in college, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/05/rick-perry-college-transcript_n_919357.html" type="external">receiving</a> “a D in veterinary anatomy, a F in a second course on organic chemistry and a C in animal breeding.” We can only hope that when this Hermewt Caingrich emerges, Tokyo <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla" type="external">will be spared</a>.</p>
<p /> | 3,682 |
<p>MINOT, N.D. (AP) — Sentencing has been delayed for a Minot woman accused of helping with the murder of her husband's ex-wife.</p>
<p>Cynthia Wilder was to be sentenced March 29, but the state needs more time to complete a pre-sentence investigation. <a href="http://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2018/01/sentencing-delayed-in-murder-conspiracy-case/" type="external">The Minot Daily News reports</a> a new sentencing date hasn't been set.</p>
<p>Authorities say Cynthia Wilder helped clean blood evidence from a car after Richie Wilder Jr. killed his ex-wife, Angila Wilder, in November 2015. Richie Wilder was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.</p>
<p>Cynthia Wilder also was accused of trying to help Richie Wilder in an aborted escape attempt from the Ward County Jail.</p>
<p>She entered an Alford plea in November. That means she acknowledges there's enough evidence to convict her. The court treats it like a guilty plea.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Minot Daily News, <a href="http://www.minotdailynews.com" type="external">http://www.minotdailynews.com</a></p>
<p>MINOT, N.D. (AP) — Sentencing has been delayed for a Minot woman accused of helping with the murder of her husband's ex-wife.</p>
<p>Cynthia Wilder was to be sentenced March 29, but the state needs more time to complete a pre-sentence investigation. <a href="http://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2018/01/sentencing-delayed-in-murder-conspiracy-case/" type="external">The Minot Daily News reports</a> a new sentencing date hasn't been set.</p>
<p>Authorities say Cynthia Wilder helped clean blood evidence from a car after Richie Wilder Jr. killed his ex-wife, Angila Wilder, in November 2015. Richie Wilder was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.</p>
<p>Cynthia Wilder also was accused of trying to help Richie Wilder in an aborted escape attempt from the Ward County Jail.</p>
<p>She entered an Alford plea in November. That means she acknowledges there's enough evidence to convict her. The court treats it like a guilty plea.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Minot Daily News, <a href="http://www.minotdailynews.com" type="external">http://www.minotdailynews.com</a></p> | Sentencing delayed for Minot woman accused of aiding murder | false | https://apnews.com/amp/dcf5963fff2940e08c1adf75fec25082 | 2018-01-24 | 2least
| Sentencing delayed for Minot woman accused of aiding murder
<p>MINOT, N.D. (AP) — Sentencing has been delayed for a Minot woman accused of helping with the murder of her husband's ex-wife.</p>
<p>Cynthia Wilder was to be sentenced March 29, but the state needs more time to complete a pre-sentence investigation. <a href="http://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2018/01/sentencing-delayed-in-murder-conspiracy-case/" type="external">The Minot Daily News reports</a> a new sentencing date hasn't been set.</p>
<p>Authorities say Cynthia Wilder helped clean blood evidence from a car after Richie Wilder Jr. killed his ex-wife, Angila Wilder, in November 2015. Richie Wilder was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.</p>
<p>Cynthia Wilder also was accused of trying to help Richie Wilder in an aborted escape attempt from the Ward County Jail.</p>
<p>She entered an Alford plea in November. That means she acknowledges there's enough evidence to convict her. The court treats it like a guilty plea.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Minot Daily News, <a href="http://www.minotdailynews.com" type="external">http://www.minotdailynews.com</a></p>
<p>MINOT, N.D. (AP) — Sentencing has been delayed for a Minot woman accused of helping with the murder of her husband's ex-wife.</p>
<p>Cynthia Wilder was to be sentenced March 29, but the state needs more time to complete a pre-sentence investigation. <a href="http://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2018/01/sentencing-delayed-in-murder-conspiracy-case/" type="external">The Minot Daily News reports</a> a new sentencing date hasn't been set.</p>
<p>Authorities say Cynthia Wilder helped clean blood evidence from a car after Richie Wilder Jr. killed his ex-wife, Angila Wilder, in November 2015. Richie Wilder was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.</p>
<p>Cynthia Wilder also was accused of trying to help Richie Wilder in an aborted escape attempt from the Ward County Jail.</p>
<p>She entered an Alford plea in November. That means she acknowledges there's enough evidence to convict her. The court treats it like a guilty plea.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Minot Daily News, <a href="http://www.minotdailynews.com" type="external">http://www.minotdailynews.com</a></p> | 3,683 |
<p />
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Retail gas station owner Sunoco LP (NYSE: SUN) certainly catches the eye of an income investor. With a yield approaching 15%, its payout could provide an investor's portfolio with plenty of cash flow -- if the company can maintain the payout, which is a big if these days. Because of the concerns surrounding the payout's sustainability, investors are better off forgetting about Sunoco LP and consideringEnergy Transfer Partners (NYSE: ETP), Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ), or Valero Logistics Partners (NYSE: VLP) instead. Here's what makes them better dividend stocks.</p>
<p>Energy Transfer Partners currently is the majority owner of Sunoco LP with a 50.8% stake. It acquired that position via a series of drop-down transactions whereby Energy Transfer Partners sold its retail marketing business to Sunoco LP for cash and units. Because of that arrangement, it would make more sense for investors to buy Energy Transfer Partners because it gets control of Sunoco LP plus access to the midstream giant's other assets.</p>
<p>That said, the Energy Transfer Partners of today should look a bit different in the future after it merges with fellow sibling Sunoco Logistics Partners (NYSE: SXL). While that deal will result in a reduction in Energy Transfer's payout to Sunoco Logistics' current rate, the <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/11/28/what-can-investors-expect-from-the-new-energy-tran.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">combined entity Opens a New Window.</a> will have a stronger balance sheet and growth profile. In fact, those improvements position the new Energy Transfer to deliver double-digit distribution growth over the near term while <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/12/15/danger-lurks-for-these-3-high-yield-dividend-sto-3.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">lurking danger Opens a New Window.</a> could send Sunoco LP's payout much lower.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>In late 2015, Sunoco LP's parent company, Energy Transfer Equity, agreed to acquire fellow midstream general partner Williams Companies (NYSE: WMB) in a cash-and-stock deal. Doing so would have brought Williams Companies' MLP,Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ), into the Energy Transfer Equity family. However, that deal <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/29/energy-transfer-equity-lp-bails-on-its-troubled-me.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">fell apart Opens a New Window.</a> earlier this year, which forced Williams Companies to go it alone.</p>
<p>Williams' go-forward strategy included <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/08/04/williams-companies-incs-dividend-reduction-is-surp.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">cutting its dividend Opens a New Window.</a> to provide capital to Williams Partners by supporting the MLP through a major expansion phase. That decision enabled Williams Partners to not only maintain its lucrative payout, but position it to resume growth in 2018. Those efforts should also lead to a significant improvement in Williams Partners' balance sheet, enabling the company to maintain an investment-grade credit rating, while Sunoco's credit remains junk-rated.</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Another of Sunoco LP's issues is the volatility of its cash flow. For example, last quarter adjusted EBITDA was $188.9 million compared to $253.7 million in the year-ago quarter. Driving that decline was lower fuel margin in its retail and wholesale segments. That cash flow volatility is one reason why the company's leverage metrics have deteriorated this year, which put its distribution at risk.</p>
<p>Contrast this with Valero Logistics Partners (NYSE: VLP), which gets 100% of its revenue from fee-based contracts. Instead of earning a fluctuating margin by selling gasoline to retail and wholesale customers, Valero Logistics Partners earns a stable fee by storing and transporting gasoline and other refined products from refineries owned by its parent company, Valero, to retail gas stations. Those fees provide very steady cash flow, and when combined with Valero Logistics Partners' low leverage, put its payout on solid ground.</p>
<p>While it is possible that Sunoco LP could maintain its lucrative payout, the company's weak balance sheet and cash flow volatility might leave it with no chose but to reduce the distribution. On the other hand, the payouts of Energy Transfer Partners, Williams Partners, and Valero Logistics Partners are either already on solid ground, or show sure signs of heading in that direction. That's why income investors should forget about Sunoco LP and consider those safer payouts instead.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Energy Transfer Partners When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=353a90d0-0154-47f9-acb0-249fefc33d27&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 Energy Transfer Partners wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=353a90d0-0154-47f9-acb0-249fefc33d27&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of Nov. 7, 2016</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFmd19/info.aspx" type="external">Matt DiLallo Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Forget Sunoco LP: Here Are 3 Better Dividend Stocks | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/22/forget-sunoco-lp-here-are-3-better-dividend-stocks.html | 2016-12-22 | 0right
| Forget Sunoco LP: Here Are 3 Better Dividend Stocks
<p />
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Retail gas station owner Sunoco LP (NYSE: SUN) certainly catches the eye of an income investor. With a yield approaching 15%, its payout could provide an investor's portfolio with plenty of cash flow -- if the company can maintain the payout, which is a big if these days. Because of the concerns surrounding the payout's sustainability, investors are better off forgetting about Sunoco LP and consideringEnergy Transfer Partners (NYSE: ETP), Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ), or Valero Logistics Partners (NYSE: VLP) instead. Here's what makes them better dividend stocks.</p>
<p>Energy Transfer Partners currently is the majority owner of Sunoco LP with a 50.8% stake. It acquired that position via a series of drop-down transactions whereby Energy Transfer Partners sold its retail marketing business to Sunoco LP for cash and units. Because of that arrangement, it would make more sense for investors to buy Energy Transfer Partners because it gets control of Sunoco LP plus access to the midstream giant's other assets.</p>
<p>That said, the Energy Transfer Partners of today should look a bit different in the future after it merges with fellow sibling Sunoco Logistics Partners (NYSE: SXL). While that deal will result in a reduction in Energy Transfer's payout to Sunoco Logistics' current rate, the <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/11/28/what-can-investors-expect-from-the-new-energy-tran.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">combined entity Opens a New Window.</a> will have a stronger balance sheet and growth profile. In fact, those improvements position the new Energy Transfer to deliver double-digit distribution growth over the near term while <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/12/15/danger-lurks-for-these-3-high-yield-dividend-sto-3.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">lurking danger Opens a New Window.</a> could send Sunoco LP's payout much lower.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>In late 2015, Sunoco LP's parent company, Energy Transfer Equity, agreed to acquire fellow midstream general partner Williams Companies (NYSE: WMB) in a cash-and-stock deal. Doing so would have brought Williams Companies' MLP,Williams Partners (NYSE: WPZ), into the Energy Transfer Equity family. However, that deal <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/29/energy-transfer-equity-lp-bails-on-its-troubled-me.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">fell apart Opens a New Window.</a> earlier this year, which forced Williams Companies to go it alone.</p>
<p>Williams' go-forward strategy included <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/08/04/williams-companies-incs-dividend-reduction-is-surp.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">cutting its dividend Opens a New Window.</a> to provide capital to Williams Partners by supporting the MLP through a major expansion phase. That decision enabled Williams Partners to not only maintain its lucrative payout, but position it to resume growth in 2018. Those efforts should also lead to a significant improvement in Williams Partners' balance sheet, enabling the company to maintain an investment-grade credit rating, while Sunoco's credit remains junk-rated.</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Another of Sunoco LP's issues is the volatility of its cash flow. For example, last quarter adjusted EBITDA was $188.9 million compared to $253.7 million in the year-ago quarter. Driving that decline was lower fuel margin in its retail and wholesale segments. That cash flow volatility is one reason why the company's leverage metrics have deteriorated this year, which put its distribution at risk.</p>
<p>Contrast this with Valero Logistics Partners (NYSE: VLP), which gets 100% of its revenue from fee-based contracts. Instead of earning a fluctuating margin by selling gasoline to retail and wholesale customers, Valero Logistics Partners earns a stable fee by storing and transporting gasoline and other refined products from refineries owned by its parent company, Valero, to retail gas stations. Those fees provide very steady cash flow, and when combined with Valero Logistics Partners' low leverage, put its payout on solid ground.</p>
<p>While it is possible that Sunoco LP could maintain its lucrative payout, the company's weak balance sheet and cash flow volatility might leave it with no chose but to reduce the distribution. On the other hand, the payouts of Energy Transfer Partners, Williams Partners, and Valero Logistics Partners are either already on solid ground, or show sure signs of heading in that direction. That's why income investors should forget about Sunoco LP and consider those safer payouts instead.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Energy Transfer Partners When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=353a90d0-0154-47f9-acb0-249fefc33d27&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 Energy Transfer Partners wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=353a90d0-0154-47f9-acb0-249fefc33d27&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of Nov. 7, 2016</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFmd19/info.aspx" type="external">Matt DiLallo Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 3,684 |
<p>Donald Berwick, the Medicare administrator who is President Barrack Obama's point man for healthcare reform, has quit after only 17 months in the job.</p>
<p>Berwick, a long-time advocate of patient safety, is resigning as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), effective Dec. 2, <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hPzTj894aEwN1IGMkVXMz2fESPSw?docId=37023e510fee4d0c9007092fb03df140" type="external">The Associated Press</a> reports, citing the White House.</p>
<p>According to the AP, Berwick - "a Harvard professor widely respected for his ideas on how to improve the health care system" - is stepping down after Republicans blocked his confirmation in the Senate.</p>
<p>They have branded the pediatrician an advocate of health care rationing, a claim Berwick denies, "countering that the best way to cut costs is to improve the quality of care," <a href="http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/754204" type="external">according to Medscape</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204630904577056402219017504.html" type="external">The Wall Street Journal reported</a> that:</p>
<p>Berwick's statements as an academic praising Britain's government-run health care had become a source of controversy in politically polarized Washington. Although he later told Congress that "the American system needs its own solution" and Britain's shouldn't be copied here, his critics were not swayed.</p>
<p>Berwick had been running the CMS under a temporary appointment, set to expire at the end of 2011.</p>
<p>He oversaw the early stages of the health care overhaul, which involves significant change to the Medicare and Medicaid health programs, last year.</p>
<p>In June, Berwick presented a report showing that more than 5 million Americans with Medicare took advantage of one or more recommended free preventive medical benefits made available by the Affordable Care Act.</p>
<p>Preventive care services include "wellness" visits, bone mass measurements and cardiovascular, colorectal cancer and diabetes screenings.</p>
<p>White House deputy press secretary Jamie Smith criticized Republicans for "putting political interests above the best interests of the American people," the AP reports</p>
<p>Berwick wrote of "bittersweet emotions"&#160;in an email to his staff.</p>
<p>"Our work has been challenging, and the journey is not complete, but we are now well on our way to achieving a whole new level of security and quality for health care in America, helping not just the millions of Americans affected directly by our programs, but truly health care as a whole in our nation," the email read, according to the AP.</p>
<p>Obama will nominate as Berwick's successor Marilyn Tavenner, a former nurse and hospital chief executive who was secretary of the Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.&#160;</p> | Donald Berwick, Medicare chief and Obama's health care point man, quits | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-11-23/donald-berwick-medicare-chief-and-obamas-health-care-point-man-quits | 2011-11-23 | 3left-center
| Donald Berwick, Medicare chief and Obama's health care point man, quits
<p>Donald Berwick, the Medicare administrator who is President Barrack Obama's point man for healthcare reform, has quit after only 17 months in the job.</p>
<p>Berwick, a long-time advocate of patient safety, is resigning as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), effective Dec. 2, <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hPzTj894aEwN1IGMkVXMz2fESPSw?docId=37023e510fee4d0c9007092fb03df140" type="external">The Associated Press</a> reports, citing the White House.</p>
<p>According to the AP, Berwick - "a Harvard professor widely respected for his ideas on how to improve the health care system" - is stepping down after Republicans blocked his confirmation in the Senate.</p>
<p>They have branded the pediatrician an advocate of health care rationing, a claim Berwick denies, "countering that the best way to cut costs is to improve the quality of care," <a href="http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/754204" type="external">according to Medscape</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204630904577056402219017504.html" type="external">The Wall Street Journal reported</a> that:</p>
<p>Berwick's statements as an academic praising Britain's government-run health care had become a source of controversy in politically polarized Washington. Although he later told Congress that "the American system needs its own solution" and Britain's shouldn't be copied here, his critics were not swayed.</p>
<p>Berwick had been running the CMS under a temporary appointment, set to expire at the end of 2011.</p>
<p>He oversaw the early stages of the health care overhaul, which involves significant change to the Medicare and Medicaid health programs, last year.</p>
<p>In June, Berwick presented a report showing that more than 5 million Americans with Medicare took advantage of one or more recommended free preventive medical benefits made available by the Affordable Care Act.</p>
<p>Preventive care services include "wellness" visits, bone mass measurements and cardiovascular, colorectal cancer and diabetes screenings.</p>
<p>White House deputy press secretary Jamie Smith criticized Republicans for "putting political interests above the best interests of the American people," the AP reports</p>
<p>Berwick wrote of "bittersweet emotions"&#160;in an email to his staff.</p>
<p>"Our work has been challenging, and the journey is not complete, but we are now well on our way to achieving a whole new level of security and quality for health care in America, helping not just the millions of Americans affected directly by our programs, but truly health care as a whole in our nation," the email read, according to the AP.</p>
<p>Obama will nominate as Berwick's successor Marilyn Tavenner, a former nurse and hospital chief executive who was secretary of the Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.&#160;</p> | 3,685 |
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<p>Customers shop at a Wal-Mart in Bristol, Pa., in September. The retailer has again cut its annual outlook. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)</p>
<p>NEW YORK – Wal-Mart shoppers – much like many Americans – still feel like they’re in a recession.</p>
<p>In the uneven economic recovery, their bills are going up, but their wages are not. While the well-heeled crowd benefits from gains in the stock market, they’re still struggling with a higher payroll tax. And shopping for bargains isn’t a hobby, but a necessity.</p>
<p>For these reasons, the world’s largest retailer on Thursday cut its annual outlook for the second time in three months and offered fourth-quarter guidance that’s below Wall Street’s expectations. On the news, its shares fell 10 cents to $79.</p>
<p>The disappointing forecast shows how vulnerable Wal-Mart – and its customers – are to the ups and downs in the economy. Wal-Mart’s shoppers are dealing with a 2 percentage-point increase in the Social Security payroll tax since Jan. 1. A partial 16-day government shutdown this year also hurt business in areas with large military bases. And the Nov. 1 expiration of a temporary boost in government food stamps could also hurt customers’ ability to spend, though the discounter says it’s too early to know.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>On top of that, Wal-Mart also is facing increased competition from online rivals.</p>
<p>“The retail environment, both in stores and online, remains competitive,” said Mike Duke, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. “At the same time, some customers feel uncertainty about the economy, government, jobs stability and their need to take care of their families through the holidays.”</p>
<p />
<p /> | Wal-Mart Q4 guidance undercuts forecasts | false | https://abqjournal.com/301128/walmart-q4-guidance-undercuts-forecasts.html | 2013-11-14 | 2least
| Wal-Mart Q4 guidance undercuts forecasts
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<p>Customers shop at a Wal-Mart in Bristol, Pa., in September. The retailer has again cut its annual outlook. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)</p>
<p>NEW YORK – Wal-Mart shoppers – much like many Americans – still feel like they’re in a recession.</p>
<p>In the uneven economic recovery, their bills are going up, but their wages are not. While the well-heeled crowd benefits from gains in the stock market, they’re still struggling with a higher payroll tax. And shopping for bargains isn’t a hobby, but a necessity.</p>
<p>For these reasons, the world’s largest retailer on Thursday cut its annual outlook for the second time in three months and offered fourth-quarter guidance that’s below Wall Street’s expectations. On the news, its shares fell 10 cents to $79.</p>
<p>The disappointing forecast shows how vulnerable Wal-Mart – and its customers – are to the ups and downs in the economy. Wal-Mart’s shoppers are dealing with a 2 percentage-point increase in the Social Security payroll tax since Jan. 1. A partial 16-day government shutdown this year also hurt business in areas with large military bases. And the Nov. 1 expiration of a temporary boost in government food stamps could also hurt customers’ ability to spend, though the discounter says it’s too early to know.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>On top of that, Wal-Mart also is facing increased competition from online rivals.</p>
<p>“The retail environment, both in stores and online, remains competitive,” said Mike Duke, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. “At the same time, some customers feel uncertainty about the economy, government, jobs stability and their need to take care of their families through the holidays.”</p>
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<p><a href="" type="internal" />DENVER — Quiznos says it has emerged from bankruptcy after restructuring its finances.</p>
<p>The toasted sandwich chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March and reduced its debt by more than $400 million.</p>
<p>The Denver company owns and operates only seven of the nearly 2,100 Quiznos restaurants around the country. The rest are owned operated by franchisees and weren’t part of the bankruptcy proceedings.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Quiznos emerges from bankruptcy | false | https://abqjournal.com/423413/quiznos-emerges-from-bankruptcy.html | 2least
| Quiznos emerges from bankruptcy
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<p><a href="" type="internal" />DENVER — Quiznos says it has emerged from bankruptcy after restructuring its finances.</p>
<p>The toasted sandwich chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March and reduced its debt by more than $400 million.</p>
<p>The Denver company owns and operates only seven of the nearly 2,100 Quiznos restaurants around the country. The rest are owned operated by franchisees and weren’t part of the bankruptcy proceedings.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 3,687 |
|
<p>MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Injured fast bowler Mitchell Starc is eyeing a quick return to the Australian team after being forced to miss the fourth Ashes test against England in Melbourne.</p>
<p>The leading wicket-taker from the first three tests, all won by Australia, Starc was ruled out of the Melbourne match because of a bruised heel but hopes to be back for the series finale, starting in Sydney on Jan. 4.</p>
<p>“Hopefully it will be good enough,” he told Australia’s Nine Network on Tuesday. “It was touch and go for this one.</p>
<p>“It was a bit more caution than anything. We will see how it comes up next week. Hopefully it goes away in the next couple of days and I can get ready for Sydney.”</p>
<p>With the left-arm Starc ruled unfit for Melbourne, Jackson Bird was recalled to play his first test in a year.</p>
<p>Bird was not involved in any action after Australia won the toss and elected to bat first on what proved to be a flat pitch.</p>
<p>The home team, who have already clinched the five-game series, finished with 244 for three on the opening day, with David Warner making 103 and captain Steve Smith finishing 65 not out.</p>
<p>MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Injured fast bowler Mitchell Starc is eyeing a quick return to the Australian team after being forced to miss the fourth Ashes test against England in Melbourne.</p>
<p>The leading wicket-taker from the first three tests, all won by Australia, Starc was ruled out of the Melbourne match because of a bruised heel but hopes to be back for the series finale, starting in Sydney on Jan. 4.</p>
<p>“Hopefully it will be good enough,” he told Australia’s Nine Network on Tuesday. “It was touch and go for this one.</p>
<p>“It was a bit more caution than anything. We will see how it comes up next week. Hopefully it goes away in the next couple of days and I can get ready for Sydney.”</p>
<p>With the left-arm Starc ruled unfit for Melbourne, Jackson Bird was recalled to play his first test in a year.</p>
<p>Bird was not involved in any action after Australia won the toss and elected to bat first on what proved to be a flat pitch.</p>
<p>The home team, who have already clinched the five-game series, finished with 244 for three on the opening day, with David Warner making 103 and captain Steve Smith finishing 65 not out.</p> | Starc eyeing speedy Ashes comeback in Sydney | false | https://apnews.com/53f8751fd6b84176bddb70776701eb14 | 2017-12-26 | 2least
| Starc eyeing speedy Ashes comeback in Sydney
<p>MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Injured fast bowler Mitchell Starc is eyeing a quick return to the Australian team after being forced to miss the fourth Ashes test against England in Melbourne.</p>
<p>The leading wicket-taker from the first three tests, all won by Australia, Starc was ruled out of the Melbourne match because of a bruised heel but hopes to be back for the series finale, starting in Sydney on Jan. 4.</p>
<p>“Hopefully it will be good enough,” he told Australia’s Nine Network on Tuesday. “It was touch and go for this one.</p>
<p>“It was a bit more caution than anything. We will see how it comes up next week. Hopefully it goes away in the next couple of days and I can get ready for Sydney.”</p>
<p>With the left-arm Starc ruled unfit for Melbourne, Jackson Bird was recalled to play his first test in a year.</p>
<p>Bird was not involved in any action after Australia won the toss and elected to bat first on what proved to be a flat pitch.</p>
<p>The home team, who have already clinched the five-game series, finished with 244 for three on the opening day, with David Warner making 103 and captain Steve Smith finishing 65 not out.</p>
<p>MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Injured fast bowler Mitchell Starc is eyeing a quick return to the Australian team after being forced to miss the fourth Ashes test against England in Melbourne.</p>
<p>The leading wicket-taker from the first three tests, all won by Australia, Starc was ruled out of the Melbourne match because of a bruised heel but hopes to be back for the series finale, starting in Sydney on Jan. 4.</p>
<p>“Hopefully it will be good enough,” he told Australia’s Nine Network on Tuesday. “It was touch and go for this one.</p>
<p>“It was a bit more caution than anything. We will see how it comes up next week. Hopefully it goes away in the next couple of days and I can get ready for Sydney.”</p>
<p>With the left-arm Starc ruled unfit for Melbourne, Jackson Bird was recalled to play his first test in a year.</p>
<p>Bird was not involved in any action after Australia won the toss and elected to bat first on what proved to be a flat pitch.</p>
<p>The home team, who have already clinched the five-game series, finished with 244 for three on the opening day, with David Warner making 103 and captain Steve Smith finishing 65 not out.</p> | 3,688 |
<p />
<p>Tuesday was a poor day for the stock market, as major market benchmarks were down between 0.3% and 0.6% on the day. Investors appear to view Friday's inauguration of Donald Trump as president as a potential endpoint to the stock market rally of the past couple of months, and uncertainty about the priorities of the new administration have left some business leaders wondering if they'll be the federal government's next targets.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Still, some companies benefited from solid economic conditions in their industries and other good news, with Clayton Williams Energy (NYSE: CWEI), Forward Pharma (NASDAQ: FWP), and Luxottica Group (NYSE: LUX) leading the way higher. Below, we'll look more closely at these stocks to tell you why they did so well.</p>
<p>Image source: Clayton Williams Energy.</p>
<p>Clayton Williams Energy soared nearly 40%, after the energy company got a buyout bid worth $2.7 billion Monday from Noble Energy (NYSE: NBL). Under the terms of the deal, Clayton Williams shareholders will get $34.75 in cash, plus 2.7874 shares of Noble Energy stock, in exchange for every share of Clayton Williams they own. In addition, Noble Energy will assume $500 million in Clayton Williams debt. Clayton W. Williams, Jr., CEO of the target company, cited the buying company's "long track record of operational excellence and value creation, as well as its reputation as a tremendous corporate citizen [as] mak[ing] it the ideal partner for us."</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Noble Energy investors hope that the acquisition will scale up the combined company's production efforts in the Delaware Basin region of West Texas, and bring synergies and other benefits in the future.</p>
<p>Forward Pharma saw its share price jump by nearly half in the wake of its decision to enter into a settlement and licensing agreement with Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB). The agreement involves Biogen paying Forward Pharma $1.25 billion in cash to license Forward's intellectual property for future development. It also gives Forward Pharma royalties: up to 10% to 20% of net sales of Biogen treatments for multiple sclerosis that use certain patents held by Forward. The deal specifically names Tecfidera, which is Biogen's top-selling MS drug. The additional royalty payment kicks in if Forward ends up winning its patent disputes against Biogen, with the 10% amount starting to apply in 2021 and then rising to 20% by 2029.</p>
<p>By doing this, Biogen ensures that it will be able to keep selling its drugs regardless of how the court case turns out, and Forward hedges against a court loss that could leave it without a recovery at all.</p>
<p>Finally, Luxottica climbed 8%. The eyewear giant agreed to a merger with French company Essilor (NASDAQOTH: ESLOF), which is also a leading European producer of eyeglass lenses. Controlling shareholder and founder Leonardo Del Vecchio has agreed to the deal, in which Luxottica investors will receive 0.461 Essilor shares for every Luxottica share they own. As Del Vecchio said, "two products which are naturally complementary -- namely frames and lenses -- will be designed, manufactured, and distributed under the same roof."</p>
<p>Shares of both companies rose, as investors see an industry colossus that could capitalize on aging populations with greater needs for corrective eyewear in the years to come.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Clayton Williams Energy When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=1810db43-c315-4968-8da5-d54290c47aaa&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 Clayton Williams Energy wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=1810db43-c315-4968-8da5-d54290c47aaa&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 January 4, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFGalagan/info.aspx" type="external">Dan Caplinger Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Biogen. 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> | Why Clayton Williams Energy, Forward Pharma, and Luxottica Jumped Today | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/01/17/why-clayton-williams-energy-forward-pharma-and-luxottica-jumped-today.html | 2017-01-17 | 0right
| Why Clayton Williams Energy, Forward Pharma, and Luxottica Jumped Today
<p />
<p>Tuesday was a poor day for the stock market, as major market benchmarks were down between 0.3% and 0.6% on the day. Investors appear to view Friday's inauguration of Donald Trump as president as a potential endpoint to the stock market rally of the past couple of months, and uncertainty about the priorities of the new administration have left some business leaders wondering if they'll be the federal government's next targets.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Still, some companies benefited from solid economic conditions in their industries and other good news, with Clayton Williams Energy (NYSE: CWEI), Forward Pharma (NASDAQ: FWP), and Luxottica Group (NYSE: LUX) leading the way higher. Below, we'll look more closely at these stocks to tell you why they did so well.</p>
<p>Image source: Clayton Williams Energy.</p>
<p>Clayton Williams Energy soared nearly 40%, after the energy company got a buyout bid worth $2.7 billion Monday from Noble Energy (NYSE: NBL). Under the terms of the deal, Clayton Williams shareholders will get $34.75 in cash, plus 2.7874 shares of Noble Energy stock, in exchange for every share of Clayton Williams they own. In addition, Noble Energy will assume $500 million in Clayton Williams debt. Clayton W. Williams, Jr., CEO of the target company, cited the buying company's "long track record of operational excellence and value creation, as well as its reputation as a tremendous corporate citizen [as] mak[ing] it the ideal partner for us."</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Noble Energy investors hope that the acquisition will scale up the combined company's production efforts in the Delaware Basin region of West Texas, and bring synergies and other benefits in the future.</p>
<p>Forward Pharma saw its share price jump by nearly half in the wake of its decision to enter into a settlement and licensing agreement with Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB). The agreement involves Biogen paying Forward Pharma $1.25 billion in cash to license Forward's intellectual property for future development. It also gives Forward Pharma royalties: up to 10% to 20% of net sales of Biogen treatments for multiple sclerosis that use certain patents held by Forward. The deal specifically names Tecfidera, which is Biogen's top-selling MS drug. The additional royalty payment kicks in if Forward ends up winning its patent disputes against Biogen, with the 10% amount starting to apply in 2021 and then rising to 20% by 2029.</p>
<p>By doing this, Biogen ensures that it will be able to keep selling its drugs regardless of how the court case turns out, and Forward hedges against a court loss that could leave it without a recovery at all.</p>
<p>Finally, Luxottica climbed 8%. The eyewear giant agreed to a merger with French company Essilor (NASDAQOTH: ESLOF), which is also a leading European producer of eyeglass lenses. Controlling shareholder and founder Leonardo Del Vecchio has agreed to the deal, in which Luxottica investors will receive 0.461 Essilor shares for every Luxottica share they own. As Del Vecchio said, "two products which are naturally complementary -- namely frames and lenses -- will be designed, manufactured, and distributed under the same roof."</p>
<p>Shares of both companies rose, as investors see an industry colossus that could capitalize on aging populations with greater needs for corrective eyewear in the years to come.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Clayton Williams Energy When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=1810db43-c315-4968-8da5-d54290c47aaa&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 Clayton Williams Energy wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=1810db43-c315-4968-8da5-d54290c47aaa&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 January 4, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFGalagan/info.aspx" type="external">Dan Caplinger Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Biogen. 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> | 3,689 |
<p>I wanted to let you know that we are continuing our evaluation of President Obama's troubling appointments last week - appointments that we believe violated the Constitution. As you know, I presented a sound legal argument posted <a href="" type="internal">here</a> underscoring the fact that the President not only acted arrogantly in bypassing Congress with these appointments, he did so in a manner that clearly ignored the separation of powers - one of the key constitutional components put in place by our Founders.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/obama-visits-consumer-agency-despite-legal-questions/2012/01/06/gIQA4aVrfP_story.html" type="external">As I told the Washington Post</a>, we're examing all avenues - legal and otherwise - to see what can be done to challenge these very problematic appointments.</p>
<p>Now, <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-seek-legal-answers-obama-appointments-003850969.html" type="external">new pressure from top Republicans in Congress.</a> Questions have now been raised from Sen. Charles Grassley, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and House Financial Services Chairman Spencer Bachus. They want to know if Attorney General Holder had been consulted by the White House about these appointments.</p>
<p>"The Justice Department and the White House owe it to the American people to provide a clear understanding of the process that transpired and the rationale it used to circumvent the checks and balances promised by the Constitution," <a href="http://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/Article.cfm?customel_dataPageID_1502=38462" type="external">Grassley said</a>. "Overturning 90 years of historical precedent is a major shift in policy that should not be done in a legal opinion made behind closed doors hidden from public scrutiny."&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>The fact is these appointments are <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_78/Recess-Picks-Still-Open-Question-211382-1.html?pos=htmbtxt" type="external">still very much an issue</a> - still a question that needs to be addressed.</p>
<p>I am pleased to report that over the weekend, thousands have added their names to our Petition to Retract Obama's Unconstitutional Appointments. More than&#160;15,000 Americans already have signed on. <a href="" type="internal">Please take a moment and add your name now.</a></p>
<p>The stakes are significant. We can't permit President Obama to ignore hundreds of years of precedent by this brazen rejection of the rule of law. Stand with the ACLJ and stand-up for the Constitution.</p> | Turning Up the Heat on Obama's Unconstitutional Appointments | true | http://aclj.org/us-constitution/turning-up-the-heat-on-obama-s-unconstitutional-appointments | 2012-01-09 | 0right
| Turning Up the Heat on Obama's Unconstitutional Appointments
<p>I wanted to let you know that we are continuing our evaluation of President Obama's troubling appointments last week - appointments that we believe violated the Constitution. As you know, I presented a sound legal argument posted <a href="" type="internal">here</a> underscoring the fact that the President not only acted arrogantly in bypassing Congress with these appointments, he did so in a manner that clearly ignored the separation of powers - one of the key constitutional components put in place by our Founders.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/obama-visits-consumer-agency-despite-legal-questions/2012/01/06/gIQA4aVrfP_story.html" type="external">As I told the Washington Post</a>, we're examing all avenues - legal and otherwise - to see what can be done to challenge these very problematic appointments.</p>
<p>Now, <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-seek-legal-answers-obama-appointments-003850969.html" type="external">new pressure from top Republicans in Congress.</a> Questions have now been raised from Sen. Charles Grassley, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and House Financial Services Chairman Spencer Bachus. They want to know if Attorney General Holder had been consulted by the White House about these appointments.</p>
<p>"The Justice Department and the White House owe it to the American people to provide a clear understanding of the process that transpired and the rationale it used to circumvent the checks and balances promised by the Constitution," <a href="http://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/Article.cfm?customel_dataPageID_1502=38462" type="external">Grassley said</a>. "Overturning 90 years of historical precedent is a major shift in policy that should not be done in a legal opinion made behind closed doors hidden from public scrutiny."&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>The fact is these appointments are <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_78/Recess-Picks-Still-Open-Question-211382-1.html?pos=htmbtxt" type="external">still very much an issue</a> - still a question that needs to be addressed.</p>
<p>I am pleased to report that over the weekend, thousands have added their names to our Petition to Retract Obama's Unconstitutional Appointments. More than&#160;15,000 Americans already have signed on. <a href="" type="internal">Please take a moment and add your name now.</a></p>
<p>The stakes are significant. We can't permit President Obama to ignore hundreds of years of precedent by this brazen rejection of the rule of law. Stand with the ACLJ and stand-up for the Constitution.</p> | 3,690 |
<p>DETROIT (AP) _ These Michigan lotteries were drawn Saturday:</p>
<p>Classic Lotto 47</p>
<p>02-14-25-33-34-36</p>
<p>(two, fourteen, twenty-five, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-six)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $1.4 million</p>
<p>Poker Lotto</p>
<p>JC-3C-5C-10D-10S</p>
<p>(JC, 3C, 5C, 10D, 10S)</p>
<p>Midday Daily 3</p>
<p>1-3-5</p>
<p>(one, three, five)</p>
<p>Midday Daily 4</p>
<p>4-9-1-9</p>
<p>(four, nine, one, nine)</p>
<p>Daily 3</p>
<p>9-8-6</p>
<p>(nine, eight, six)</p>
<p>Daily 4</p>
<p>3-4-1-1</p>
<p>(three, four, one, one)</p>
<p>Fantasy 5</p>
<p>01-11-18-21-38</p>
<p>(one, eleven, eighteen, twenty-one, thirty-eight)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $100,000</p>
<p>Keno</p>
<p>05-06-13-17-18-20-22-26-33-34-35-38-41-43-44-47-49-53-54-57-58-79</p>
<p>(five, six, thirteen, seventeen, eighteen, twenty, twenty-two, twenty-six, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-eight, forty-one, forty-three, forty-four, forty-seven, forty-nine, fifty-three, fifty-four, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, seventy-nine)</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $40 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>12-29-30-33-61, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(twelve, twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-three, sixty-one; Powerball: twenty-six; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $570 million</p>
<p>DETROIT (AP) _ These Michigan lotteries were drawn Saturday:</p>
<p>Classic Lotto 47</p>
<p>02-14-25-33-34-36</p>
<p>(two, fourteen, twenty-five, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-six)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $1.4 million</p>
<p>Poker Lotto</p>
<p>JC-3C-5C-10D-10S</p>
<p>(JC, 3C, 5C, 10D, 10S)</p>
<p>Midday Daily 3</p>
<p>1-3-5</p>
<p>(one, three, five)</p>
<p>Midday Daily 4</p>
<p>4-9-1-9</p>
<p>(four, nine, one, nine)</p>
<p>Daily 3</p>
<p>9-8-6</p>
<p>(nine, eight, six)</p>
<p>Daily 4</p>
<p>3-4-1-1</p>
<p>(three, four, one, one)</p>
<p>Fantasy 5</p>
<p>01-11-18-21-38</p>
<p>(one, eleven, eighteen, twenty-one, thirty-eight)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $100,000</p>
<p>Keno</p>
<p>05-06-13-17-18-20-22-26-33-34-35-38-41-43-44-47-49-53-54-57-58-79</p>
<p>(five, six, thirteen, seventeen, eighteen, twenty, twenty-two, twenty-six, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-eight, forty-one, forty-three, forty-four, forty-seven, forty-nine, fifty-three, fifty-four, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, seventy-nine)</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $40 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>12-29-30-33-61, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(twelve, twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-three, sixty-one; Powerball: twenty-six; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $570 million</p> | MI Lottery | false | https://apnews.com/0a82e7c25f8245d0b3ce120ccc24d183 | 2018-01-07 | 2least
| MI Lottery
<p>DETROIT (AP) _ These Michigan lotteries were drawn Saturday:</p>
<p>Classic Lotto 47</p>
<p>02-14-25-33-34-36</p>
<p>(two, fourteen, twenty-five, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-six)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $1.4 million</p>
<p>Poker Lotto</p>
<p>JC-3C-5C-10D-10S</p>
<p>(JC, 3C, 5C, 10D, 10S)</p>
<p>Midday Daily 3</p>
<p>1-3-5</p>
<p>(one, three, five)</p>
<p>Midday Daily 4</p>
<p>4-9-1-9</p>
<p>(four, nine, one, nine)</p>
<p>Daily 3</p>
<p>9-8-6</p>
<p>(nine, eight, six)</p>
<p>Daily 4</p>
<p>3-4-1-1</p>
<p>(three, four, one, one)</p>
<p>Fantasy 5</p>
<p>01-11-18-21-38</p>
<p>(one, eleven, eighteen, twenty-one, thirty-eight)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $100,000</p>
<p>Keno</p>
<p>05-06-13-17-18-20-22-26-33-34-35-38-41-43-44-47-49-53-54-57-58-79</p>
<p>(five, six, thirteen, seventeen, eighteen, twenty, twenty-two, twenty-six, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-eight, forty-one, forty-three, forty-four, forty-seven, forty-nine, fifty-three, fifty-four, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, seventy-nine)</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $40 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>12-29-30-33-61, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(twelve, twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-three, sixty-one; Powerball: twenty-six; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $570 million</p>
<p>DETROIT (AP) _ These Michigan lotteries were drawn Saturday:</p>
<p>Classic Lotto 47</p>
<p>02-14-25-33-34-36</p>
<p>(two, fourteen, twenty-five, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-six)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $1.4 million</p>
<p>Poker Lotto</p>
<p>JC-3C-5C-10D-10S</p>
<p>(JC, 3C, 5C, 10D, 10S)</p>
<p>Midday Daily 3</p>
<p>1-3-5</p>
<p>(one, three, five)</p>
<p>Midday Daily 4</p>
<p>4-9-1-9</p>
<p>(four, nine, one, nine)</p>
<p>Daily 3</p>
<p>9-8-6</p>
<p>(nine, eight, six)</p>
<p>Daily 4</p>
<p>3-4-1-1</p>
<p>(three, four, one, one)</p>
<p>Fantasy 5</p>
<p>01-11-18-21-38</p>
<p>(one, eleven, eighteen, twenty-one, thirty-eight)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $100,000</p>
<p>Keno</p>
<p>05-06-13-17-18-20-22-26-33-34-35-38-41-43-44-47-49-53-54-57-58-79</p>
<p>(five, six, thirteen, seventeen, eighteen, twenty, twenty-two, twenty-six, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-eight, forty-one, forty-three, forty-four, forty-seven, forty-nine, fifty-three, fifty-four, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, seventy-nine)</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $40 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>12-29-30-33-61, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(twelve, twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-three, sixty-one; Powerball: twenty-six; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $570 million</p> | 3,691 |
<p>AP</p>
<p>: SHANGHAI, Feb. 17 — China is hastening to complete a deal worth as much as $100 billion that would allow a Chinese state-owned energy firm to take a leading role in developing a vast oil field in Iran, complicating the Bush administration’s efforts to isolate the Middle Eastern nation and roll back its nuclear development plans, according to published reports.</p>
<p>The completion of the agreement would advance China’s global quest for new stocks of energy. It could also undermine U.S. and European initiatives to halt Tehran’s nuclear plans, possibly generating friction in Beijing’s relations with outside powers.</p>
<p>Truthdig says: What is this? A spec script for “Syriana 2”? Can someone please call <a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0300866/" type="external">Stephen Gaghan</a> to figure this one out for us? Or maybe this is a case for Truthdig’s Orville Schell, who knows a <a href="" type="internal">thing or two</a> about China?</p>
<p />
<p /> | 'Syriana 2' | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/syriana-2/ | 2006-02-18 | 4left
| 'Syriana 2'
<p>AP</p>
<p>: SHANGHAI, Feb. 17 — China is hastening to complete a deal worth as much as $100 billion that would allow a Chinese state-owned energy firm to take a leading role in developing a vast oil field in Iran, complicating the Bush administration’s efforts to isolate the Middle Eastern nation and roll back its nuclear development plans, according to published reports.</p>
<p>The completion of the agreement would advance China’s global quest for new stocks of energy. It could also undermine U.S. and European initiatives to halt Tehran’s nuclear plans, possibly generating friction in Beijing’s relations with outside powers.</p>
<p>Truthdig says: What is this? A spec script for “Syriana 2”? Can someone please call <a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0300866/" type="external">Stephen Gaghan</a> to figure this one out for us? Or maybe this is a case for Truthdig’s Orville Schell, who knows a <a href="" type="internal">thing or two</a> about China?</p>
<p />
<p /> | 3,692 |
<p />
<p>The <a href="" type="internal">carve-out</a> that the National Rifle Association managed to secure in the House’s campaign finance reform bill has left many liberals gnashing their teeth. A slew of liberal groups have <a href="http://www.afj.org/about-afj/press/061610forty-five-groups-send-letter.html" type="external">threatened</a> to pull their support for the DISCLOSE Act—meant to curb the excesses of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision—if the NRA’s exemption stays in. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has even suggested the NRA deal may be unconstitutional in a statement released Wednesday.</p>
<p>But not all Democratic allies have followed suit. Labor unions are currently <a href="" type="internal">lobbying to push through</a> their own deal in exchange for supporting the bill, which would require independent groups to out the donors that back campaign ads. Five watchdog groups—Common Cause, Public Citizen, the Campaign Legal Center, the League of Women Voters, and Democracy 21—have urged lawmakers to vote for the bill, though some have made no secret of their distaste for the NRA deal. “We’re uncomfortable with giving anyone any exemption. It continues to be a hard decision,” Craig Holman of Public Citizen <a href="http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/06/16/1503400/nra-deal-moves-disclosure-bill.html" type="external">told</a> McClatchy.</p>
<p>Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington (CREW) announced its own support for the bill after mistakenly being included as a signatory on a letter to Nancy Pelosi signed by a host of liberal groups that opposed it. The group’s followed up with its own letter to Pelosi, noting the error and <a href="" type="external">hailing</a> the importance of political compromise: “We are not interested in seeing the perfect be the enemy of the good and are well aware that the NRA’s opposition to the bill might be sufficient to doom its chance of passage.”</p>
<p>Given the nearly unanimous opposition from the right on the bill, the Democrats will need all the friends they can get if the bill stands a chance. And it will be interesting to see if President Obama himself ends up making a strong case for the legislation. Only a few weeks ago, Obama was <a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/05/obama-calls-for-support-of-campaign-finance-reform-bill-post-citizens-united-ruling.html" type="external">publicly railing against</a> Citizens United and arguing for the need for campaign finance reform. But that was before <a href="" type="internal">BP</a>‘s big oily mess had engulfed his presidency.</p>
<p /> | Watchdog Groups Begrudgingly Back DISCLOSE Act | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2010/06/watchdog-groups-begrudgingly-back-disclose-act/ | 2010-06-17 | 4left
| Watchdog Groups Begrudgingly Back DISCLOSE Act
<p />
<p>The <a href="" type="internal">carve-out</a> that the National Rifle Association managed to secure in the House’s campaign finance reform bill has left many liberals gnashing their teeth. A slew of liberal groups have <a href="http://www.afj.org/about-afj/press/061610forty-five-groups-send-letter.html" type="external">threatened</a> to pull their support for the DISCLOSE Act—meant to curb the excesses of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision—if the NRA’s exemption stays in. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has even suggested the NRA deal may be unconstitutional in a statement released Wednesday.</p>
<p>But not all Democratic allies have followed suit. Labor unions are currently <a href="" type="internal">lobbying to push through</a> their own deal in exchange for supporting the bill, which would require independent groups to out the donors that back campaign ads. Five watchdog groups—Common Cause, Public Citizen, the Campaign Legal Center, the League of Women Voters, and Democracy 21—have urged lawmakers to vote for the bill, though some have made no secret of their distaste for the NRA deal. “We’re uncomfortable with giving anyone any exemption. It continues to be a hard decision,” Craig Holman of Public Citizen <a href="http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/06/16/1503400/nra-deal-moves-disclosure-bill.html" type="external">told</a> McClatchy.</p>
<p>Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington (CREW) announced its own support for the bill after mistakenly being included as a signatory on a letter to Nancy Pelosi signed by a host of liberal groups that opposed it. The group’s followed up with its own letter to Pelosi, noting the error and <a href="" type="external">hailing</a> the importance of political compromise: “We are not interested in seeing the perfect be the enemy of the good and are well aware that the NRA’s opposition to the bill might be sufficient to doom its chance of passage.”</p>
<p>Given the nearly unanimous opposition from the right on the bill, the Democrats will need all the friends they can get if the bill stands a chance. And it will be interesting to see if President Obama himself ends up making a strong case for the legislation. Only a few weeks ago, Obama was <a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/05/obama-calls-for-support-of-campaign-finance-reform-bill-post-citizens-united-ruling.html" type="external">publicly railing against</a> Citizens United and arguing for the need for campaign finance reform. But that was before <a href="" type="internal">BP</a>‘s big oily mess had engulfed his presidency.</p>
<p /> | 3,693 |
<p>Democrats won only two of six state Senate seats in Wisconsin on Tuesday, leaving Republicans with control of the Senate, the Assembly and the governor’s office. Put another way, the Dems managed to unseat two Republicans and reduce the GOP majority in the Senate to the smallest possible margin.</p>
<p>It’s not over for the Democrats, who risk two of their own seats next week. — PZS</p>
<p>Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel:</p>
<p>Republicans may be able to gain back some of the losses next week, when two Democrats face recall elections.</p>
<p />
<p>Democrats had hoped to block the Republican agenda by taking control of the Senate in the recall elections, but the GOP should be able to continue to advance its agenda.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/127435173.html" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Wisconsin Republicans Win Recall Battle, 4-2 | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/wisconsin-republicans-win-recall-battle-4-2/ | 2011-08-10 | 4left
| Wisconsin Republicans Win Recall Battle, 4-2
<p>Democrats won only two of six state Senate seats in Wisconsin on Tuesday, leaving Republicans with control of the Senate, the Assembly and the governor’s office. Put another way, the Dems managed to unseat two Republicans and reduce the GOP majority in the Senate to the smallest possible margin.</p>
<p>It’s not over for the Democrats, who risk two of their own seats next week. — PZS</p>
<p>Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel:</p>
<p>Republicans may be able to gain back some of the losses next week, when two Democrats face recall elections.</p>
<p />
<p>Democrats had hoped to block the Republican agenda by taking control of the Senate in the recall elections, but the GOP should be able to continue to advance its agenda.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/127435173.html" type="external">Read more</a></p> | 3,694 |
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<p />
<p>Yet, in other areas, including North Korea, India and Pakistan, Trump appears ready to carry forward well-established U.S. policy. As Trump prepares to be sworn-in as president on Friday, here is a look at some of the stand-out issues and how developments might play out:</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>TRADE — Trump says he plans to scrap the 12-nation trade pact known as the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, or TPP. The pact was the centerpiece of the Obama administration’s outreach policy to America’s Asian partners known as “the pivot,” which also involves a greater military commitment to the region.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Obama said the TPP would allow the U.S. to impose higher labor, environmental and human-rights standards, as well as give U.S. businesses access to some of the fastest-growing economies. The deal would have slashed 18,000 taxes that other countries impose on American goods and services, but Congress failed to act amid skepticism from both Republicans and Democrats.</p>
<p>Trump’s opposition to free-trade agreements has fueled fears of protectionism and puts him at odds not only with U.S. trading partners but also with many in the Republican Party. Killing the TPP may open the way for other regional free-trade initiatives, including those pushed by rival China.</p>
<p>“With the U.S. withdrawing from TPP, Japan will have to redesign its external economic policy,” said Harukata Takenaka, politics professor at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. Other options “may not be easy,” Takenaka said.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>CHINA — Trump raised China in speech after speech during his campaign, at times accusing the country of ripping America off in trade and threatening a 45 percent tariff on all Chinese imports.</p>
<p>Things turned far more serious after his election win when he took a phone call from the president of self-governing Taiwan, upending four decades of diplomatic protocol barring such direct contacts. Critics accused him of ignoring the “one-China policy,” long considered unassailable in China-U.S. relations, to which Trump responded by questioning why the U.S. should be bound by such an arrangement without economic incentives.</p>
<p>He again touched on the issue in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Friday, saying “everything is under negotiation, including ‘one China.'” While the Chinese government’s response was muted, the official China Daily newspaper said he was “playing with fire.”</p>
<p>Trump has also criticized the Chinese military’s island-building program in the South China Sea, and accused it of blocking U.S. imports through high taxes and manipulating its currency to the detriment of American exports.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>ALLIANCES WITH JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA — Trump raised eyebrows during the campaign when he appeared to question the inviolability of long-standing U.S. military alliances with Japan and South Korea, seen as bulwarks against North Korea’s military threats and China’s push for regional dominance. The two were included in a list of countries that Trump said he would be “respectfully asking … to pay more for the tremendous security we provide them.”</p>
<p>During the campaign, Trump suggested Japan and South Korea should obtain nuclear weapons so the U.S. would no longer be burdened with the costs of defending them, a disquieting notion in many Asian capitals. But after Trump’s election win, Japan’s Shinzo Abe became the first foreign leader to meet with him, sitting down in Trump Tower with the business mogul and his daughter, Ivanka.</p>
<p>Japan is concerned about how spill-over from China-U.S. conflicts might affect its economy and foreign relations, possibly compelling it to play a larger role in regional security, said Harukata Takenaka, politics professor at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. “Trump measures would be the top priority for Prime Minister Abe this year. The biggest question is that Trump is unpredictable,” he said.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>NORTH KOREA’S NUCLEAR THREAT — Trump’s approach to North Korea probably offers the least divergence from previous administrations, but he faces stark choices on countering North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s missile threat. After Kim, announced in his annual New Year’s address that the country had reached the “final stages” of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile, Trump responded by Twitter: “North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won’t happen!”</p>
<p>Trump has not said how his approach to the North might differ from Barack Obama’s, although his campaign’s position paper talked of more “modern destroyers to counter the ballistic missile threat from Iran and North Korea.” That would appear to indicate continued support for deploying the advanced Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, anti-missile system in South Korea, despite Chinese and Russian objections. Trump appears to be a firm believer that North Korea could be reined-in if only its sole significant ally China would tighten the screws.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>INDIA AND PAKISTAN — During the campaign, Trump was largely positive toward both India and Pakistan, even while he piled negative rhetoric on China and other nations. However, his threat to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. has raised accusations of Islamophobia.</p>
<p>In the days after his win, Trump appeared to follow in the well-trodden path of seeking a balance between the nuclear rivals — albeit in his unorthodox style. A phone call between Trump and Pakistan’s prime minister was remarkable mainly for the effusive praise he reportedly lavished on the struggling state. Pakistan is a U.S. ally in the battle against Islamic extremism but is also close to U.S. rival in Asia, China. In its readout of that call, Pakistan said Trump described the country as “amazing” and expressed a desire to visit — something President Barack Obama did not do.</p>
<p>India’s national security adviser followed the Pakistan exchange with a low-key visit to Washington to meet with a senior Trump aide in a sign of New Delhi’s desire to forge close ties with the incoming U.S. administration.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report from Tokyo.</p> | A look at how Trump might shake things up in Asia | false | https://abqjournal.com/928487/a-look-at-how-trump-might-shake-things-up-in-asia.html | 2017-01-16 | 2least
| A look at how Trump might shake things up in Asia
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<p />
<p>Yet, in other areas, including North Korea, India and Pakistan, Trump appears ready to carry forward well-established U.S. policy. As Trump prepares to be sworn-in as president on Friday, here is a look at some of the stand-out issues and how developments might play out:</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>TRADE — Trump says he plans to scrap the 12-nation trade pact known as the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, or TPP. The pact was the centerpiece of the Obama administration’s outreach policy to America’s Asian partners known as “the pivot,” which also involves a greater military commitment to the region.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Obama said the TPP would allow the U.S. to impose higher labor, environmental and human-rights standards, as well as give U.S. businesses access to some of the fastest-growing economies. The deal would have slashed 18,000 taxes that other countries impose on American goods and services, but Congress failed to act amid skepticism from both Republicans and Democrats.</p>
<p>Trump’s opposition to free-trade agreements has fueled fears of protectionism and puts him at odds not only with U.S. trading partners but also with many in the Republican Party. Killing the TPP may open the way for other regional free-trade initiatives, including those pushed by rival China.</p>
<p>“With the U.S. withdrawing from TPP, Japan will have to redesign its external economic policy,” said Harukata Takenaka, politics professor at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. Other options “may not be easy,” Takenaka said.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>CHINA — Trump raised China in speech after speech during his campaign, at times accusing the country of ripping America off in trade and threatening a 45 percent tariff on all Chinese imports.</p>
<p>Things turned far more serious after his election win when he took a phone call from the president of self-governing Taiwan, upending four decades of diplomatic protocol barring such direct contacts. Critics accused him of ignoring the “one-China policy,” long considered unassailable in China-U.S. relations, to which Trump responded by questioning why the U.S. should be bound by such an arrangement without economic incentives.</p>
<p>He again touched on the issue in an interview with The Wall Street Journal published Friday, saying “everything is under negotiation, including ‘one China.'” While the Chinese government’s response was muted, the official China Daily newspaper said he was “playing with fire.”</p>
<p>Trump has also criticized the Chinese military’s island-building program in the South China Sea, and accused it of blocking U.S. imports through high taxes and manipulating its currency to the detriment of American exports.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>ALLIANCES WITH JAPAN AND SOUTH KOREA — Trump raised eyebrows during the campaign when he appeared to question the inviolability of long-standing U.S. military alliances with Japan and South Korea, seen as bulwarks against North Korea’s military threats and China’s push for regional dominance. The two were included in a list of countries that Trump said he would be “respectfully asking … to pay more for the tremendous security we provide them.”</p>
<p>During the campaign, Trump suggested Japan and South Korea should obtain nuclear weapons so the U.S. would no longer be burdened with the costs of defending them, a disquieting notion in many Asian capitals. But after Trump’s election win, Japan’s Shinzo Abe became the first foreign leader to meet with him, sitting down in Trump Tower with the business mogul and his daughter, Ivanka.</p>
<p>Japan is concerned about how spill-over from China-U.S. conflicts might affect its economy and foreign relations, possibly compelling it to play a larger role in regional security, said Harukata Takenaka, politics professor at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies. “Trump measures would be the top priority for Prime Minister Abe this year. The biggest question is that Trump is unpredictable,” he said.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>NORTH KOREA’S NUCLEAR THREAT — Trump’s approach to North Korea probably offers the least divergence from previous administrations, but he faces stark choices on countering North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s missile threat. After Kim, announced in his annual New Year’s address that the country had reached the “final stages” of developing an intercontinental ballistic missile, Trump responded by Twitter: “North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S. It won’t happen!”</p>
<p>Trump has not said how his approach to the North might differ from Barack Obama’s, although his campaign’s position paper talked of more “modern destroyers to counter the ballistic missile threat from Iran and North Korea.” That would appear to indicate continued support for deploying the advanced Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, anti-missile system in South Korea, despite Chinese and Russian objections. Trump appears to be a firm believer that North Korea could be reined-in if only its sole significant ally China would tighten the screws.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>INDIA AND PAKISTAN — During the campaign, Trump was largely positive toward both India and Pakistan, even while he piled negative rhetoric on China and other nations. However, his threat to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. has raised accusations of Islamophobia.</p>
<p>In the days after his win, Trump appeared to follow in the well-trodden path of seeking a balance between the nuclear rivals — albeit in his unorthodox style. A phone call between Trump and Pakistan’s prime minister was remarkable mainly for the effusive praise he reportedly lavished on the struggling state. Pakistan is a U.S. ally in the battle against Islamic extremism but is also close to U.S. rival in Asia, China. In its readout of that call, Pakistan said Trump described the country as “amazing” and expressed a desire to visit — something President Barack Obama did not do.</p>
<p>India’s national security adviser followed the Pakistan exchange with a low-key visit to Washington to meet with a senior Trump aide in a sign of New Delhi’s desire to forge close ties with the incoming U.S. administration.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report from Tokyo.</p> | 3,695 |
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<p>The New Mexico Department of Transportation will be getting four grants worth more than $365,000 to help prevent drunken driving and improve safety on the state's roads.</p>
<p>The funding will be awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's State Traffic Safety Information Systems Grants program.</p>
<p>The money will be used for sobriety checkpoints, seatbelt safety education and enforcement, and ignition interlock programs.</p>
<p>U.S. Sen. Tom Udall says New Mexico's work to combat drunken driving demonstrates that progress is possible but that any number of preventable deaths on the state's roads is too many.</p>
<p>U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich says raising awareness and funding preventative efforts are keys to keeping roads and families safe.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Federal grants to help fight DWI in New Mexico | false | https://abqjournal.com/608870/federal-grants-to-help-fight-dwi-in-new-mexico.html | 2least
| Federal grants to help fight DWI in New Mexico
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>The New Mexico Department of Transportation will be getting four grants worth more than $365,000 to help prevent drunken driving and improve safety on the state's roads.</p>
<p>The funding will be awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation's State Traffic Safety Information Systems Grants program.</p>
<p>The money will be used for sobriety checkpoints, seatbelt safety education and enforcement, and ignition interlock programs.</p>
<p>U.S. Sen. Tom Udall says New Mexico's work to combat drunken driving demonstrates that progress is possible but that any number of preventable deaths on the state's roads is too many.</p>
<p>U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich says raising awareness and funding preventative efforts are keys to keeping roads and families safe.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 3,696 |
|
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<p />
<p>The Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement that after “friendly negotiation” the drone was transferred to the U.S. In a separate statement, the Pentagon confirmed the drone’s return, but offered a less friendly-sounding account.</p>
<p>The incident was “inconsistent with both international law and standards of professionalism for conduct between navies at sea,” the Pentagon statement said.</p>
<p>The U.S. has “called on Chinese authorities to comply with their obligations under international law and to refrain from further efforts to impede lawful U.S. activities,” the statement said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The standoff started last week after a Chinese submarine rescue ship close to the USNS Bowditch, an oceanographic survey vessel operating northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines, took possession of the U.S. drone. The U.S. side said it asked the ship to return the vessel and the Chinese side refused.</p>
<p>The drone was seized about 50 nautical northwest of Subic Bay, a Philippine port that was once a U.S. military base and still plays host to visiting U.S. troops and ships. The area is not far Scarborough Shoal, a u-shaped cluster of reefs and rocks that has been a flashpoint in China-Philippines and China-U.S. relations.</p>
<p>Though Washington says it has no position on rival sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, it has been critical of China’s posture, particularly island building in contested waters. The U.S. Navy conducts patrols – officially called “freedom of navigation operations” – in the area.</p>
<p>China sees the presence of U.S. ships as unwanted interference and has repeatedly said that it is the United States, not China, that wants to militarize the South China Sea.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, Beijing and Washington offered conflicting accounts of the drone flap. The U.S. side the vessel, known as a “glider,” collects unclassified data on water temperature, salinity and other factors that may affect navigation.</p>
<p>In Washington, its seizure was seen as a provocation. Sen. John McCain, R.-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Friday called the incident a “flagrant violation” of the law of the sea.</p>
<p>China, meanwhile, downplayed the incident. Yang Yujun, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, said in a statement that the Chinese ship took the U.S. drone “in order to prevent the device from harming the navigation safety and personnel safety of the ship.”</p>
<p>“The U.S. military has frequently dispatched naval vessels to carry out reconnaissance and military measurements in China’s water. China resolutely opposes this and urges the U.S. side to stop such activities,” he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>As the stand-off dragged on, President-elect Trump weighed in, posting a message on Twitter that said: “China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters – rips it out of water and takes it to China in unprecedented act.”</p>
<p>When the Chinese side eventually agreed to return the vessel, Trump weighed in again. “We should tell China that we don’t want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!” he wrote.</p>
<p>Asked about Trump’s comment, Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday questioned his wording. “We don’t like the word ‘steal’ – the word is absolutely inaccurate,” she said.</p>
<p>“This is just like you found a thing on the street, and you have to take a look and investigate it to see if the thing belongs to one who wants it back.”</p>
<p>Han Xudong, a military expert in Beijing, said the U.S. had “made a mountain out of a molehill” by hyping up the seizure. “It’s a simple matter that could have been easily resolved via diplomatic or military channels,” he said, adding that China’s handling of the event was following the book.</p>
<p>“It’s not appropriate for Trump to comment on this.”</p>
<p>But Han said the outcome showed that, tweets aside, Washington and Beijing wanted a peaceful resolution. “The U.S. turn from high-key to low-key helped solving the problem smoothly.”</p>
<p>Trump’s response to the drone incident will no doubt compound Chinese concerns about the president-elect’s Asia policy. Since winning the U.S. presidential election, he surprised Beijing by taking a phone call from Taiwan’s leader, Tsai Ing-wen, a move that broke with decades of diplomatic practice.</p>
<p>Trump’s Twitter comments on both Taiwan and the drone have made him a figure of derision and ridicule in the Communist Party-controlled press.</p>
<p>“Trump is not behaving as a president who will become master of the White House in a month,” the Global Times, a Communist party-controlled newspaper, wrote in an editorial. “He bears no sense of how to lead a superpower.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>The Washington Post’s Luna Lin in Beijing contributed to this report</p>
<p>china-navy</p> | China returns seized U.S. naval drone despite Trump call to ‘keep it’ | false | https://abqjournal.com/912580/china-returns-seized-u-s-naval-drone-despite-trump-call-to-keep-it.html | 2least
| China returns seized U.S. naval drone despite Trump call to ‘keep it’
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The Chinese Ministry of Defense said in a statement that after “friendly negotiation” the drone was transferred to the U.S. In a separate statement, the Pentagon confirmed the drone’s return, but offered a less friendly-sounding account.</p>
<p>The incident was “inconsistent with both international law and standards of professionalism for conduct between navies at sea,” the Pentagon statement said.</p>
<p>The U.S. has “called on Chinese authorities to comply with their obligations under international law and to refrain from further efforts to impede lawful U.S. activities,” the statement said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The standoff started last week after a Chinese submarine rescue ship close to the USNS Bowditch, an oceanographic survey vessel operating northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines, took possession of the U.S. drone. The U.S. side said it asked the ship to return the vessel and the Chinese side refused.</p>
<p>The drone was seized about 50 nautical northwest of Subic Bay, a Philippine port that was once a U.S. military base and still plays host to visiting U.S. troops and ships. The area is not far Scarborough Shoal, a u-shaped cluster of reefs and rocks that has been a flashpoint in China-Philippines and China-U.S. relations.</p>
<p>Though Washington says it has no position on rival sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, it has been critical of China’s posture, particularly island building in contested waters. The U.S. Navy conducts patrols – officially called “freedom of navigation operations” – in the area.</p>
<p>China sees the presence of U.S. ships as unwanted interference and has repeatedly said that it is the United States, not China, that wants to militarize the South China Sea.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, Beijing and Washington offered conflicting accounts of the drone flap. The U.S. side the vessel, known as a “glider,” collects unclassified data on water temperature, salinity and other factors that may affect navigation.</p>
<p>In Washington, its seizure was seen as a provocation. Sen. John McCain, R.-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Friday called the incident a “flagrant violation” of the law of the sea.</p>
<p>China, meanwhile, downplayed the incident. Yang Yujun, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Defense, said in a statement that the Chinese ship took the U.S. drone “in order to prevent the device from harming the navigation safety and personnel safety of the ship.”</p>
<p>“The U.S. military has frequently dispatched naval vessels to carry out reconnaissance and military measurements in China’s water. China resolutely opposes this and urges the U.S. side to stop such activities,” he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>As the stand-off dragged on, President-elect Trump weighed in, posting a message on Twitter that said: “China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters – rips it out of water and takes it to China in unprecedented act.”</p>
<p>When the Chinese side eventually agreed to return the vessel, Trump weighed in again. “We should tell China that we don’t want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!” he wrote.</p>
<p>Asked about Trump’s comment, Hua Chunying, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday questioned his wording. “We don’t like the word ‘steal’ – the word is absolutely inaccurate,” she said.</p>
<p>“This is just like you found a thing on the street, and you have to take a look and investigate it to see if the thing belongs to one who wants it back.”</p>
<p>Han Xudong, a military expert in Beijing, said the U.S. had “made a mountain out of a molehill” by hyping up the seizure. “It’s a simple matter that could have been easily resolved via diplomatic or military channels,” he said, adding that China’s handling of the event was following the book.</p>
<p>“It’s not appropriate for Trump to comment on this.”</p>
<p>But Han said the outcome showed that, tweets aside, Washington and Beijing wanted a peaceful resolution. “The U.S. turn from high-key to low-key helped solving the problem smoothly.”</p>
<p>Trump’s response to the drone incident will no doubt compound Chinese concerns about the president-elect’s Asia policy. Since winning the U.S. presidential election, he surprised Beijing by taking a phone call from Taiwan’s leader, Tsai Ing-wen, a move that broke with decades of diplomatic practice.</p>
<p>Trump’s Twitter comments on both Taiwan and the drone have made him a figure of derision and ridicule in the Communist Party-controlled press.</p>
<p>“Trump is not behaving as a president who will become master of the White House in a month,” the Global Times, a Communist party-controlled newspaper, wrote in an editorial. “He bears no sense of how to lead a superpower.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>The Washington Post’s Luna Lin in Beijing contributed to this report</p>
<p>china-navy</p> | 3,697 |
|
<p>U.S. financial markets closed sharply higher Thursday as investors welcomed encouraging news on corporate earnings and the job market.</p>
<p>The rally ended a two-day losing streak for the major market indexes. Oil prices ended slightly higher.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>On Thursday:</p>
<p>The Dow Jones industrial average rose 225.48 points, or 1.3 percent, to 17,416.85.</p>
<p>The Standard &amp; Poor's 500 index climbed 19.09 points, or 1 percent, to 2,021.25.</p>
<p>The Nasdaq composite gained 45.41 points, or 1 percent, to 4,683.41.</p>
<p>For the week:</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>The Dow is down 255.75 points, or 1.5 percent.</p>
<p>The S&amp;P 500 index is down 30.57 points, or 1.5 percent.</p>
<p>The Nasdaq is down 74.47 points, or 1.6 percent.</p>
<p>For the year:</p>
<p>The Dow is down 406.22 points, or 2.3 percent.</p>
<p>The S&amp;P 500 index is down 37.65 points, or 1.8 percent.</p>
<p>The Nasdaq is down 52.65 points, or 1.1 percent.</p> | How the Dow Jones industrial average and other major indexes did Thursday | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2014/10/16/how-dow-jones-industrial-average-and-other-major-indexes-did-thursday.html | 2016-03-06 | 0right
| How the Dow Jones industrial average and other major indexes did Thursday
<p>U.S. financial markets closed sharply higher Thursday as investors welcomed encouraging news on corporate earnings and the job market.</p>
<p>The rally ended a two-day losing streak for the major market indexes. Oil prices ended slightly higher.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>On Thursday:</p>
<p>The Dow Jones industrial average rose 225.48 points, or 1.3 percent, to 17,416.85.</p>
<p>The Standard &amp; Poor's 500 index climbed 19.09 points, or 1 percent, to 2,021.25.</p>
<p>The Nasdaq composite gained 45.41 points, or 1 percent, to 4,683.41.</p>
<p>For the week:</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>The Dow is down 255.75 points, or 1.5 percent.</p>
<p>The S&amp;P 500 index is down 30.57 points, or 1.5 percent.</p>
<p>The Nasdaq is down 74.47 points, or 1.6 percent.</p>
<p>For the year:</p>
<p>The Dow is down 406.22 points, or 2.3 percent.</p>
<p>The S&amp;P 500 index is down 37.65 points, or 1.8 percent.</p>
<p>The Nasdaq is down 52.65 points, or 1.1 percent.</p> | 3,698 |
<p>Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. dropped 2% in premarket trade Monday, after the trucking company reported second-quarter profit and sales that fell short of expectations. Net profit fell to $97.9 million, or 88 cents a share, from $105.0 million, or 92 cents a share, in the same period a year ago, below the FactSet consensus for earnings per share of 91 cents. Revenue rose 7% to $1.73 billion from $1.62 billion, but was just shy of the FactSet consensus of $1.74 billion, as misses in dedicated contract services and truck revenue offset a beat in the largest intermodal segment. The stock has lost 5.4% year to date through Friday, while the Dow Jones Transportation Average has gained 7.7% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average has advanced 9.5%.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2017 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | J.B. Hunt's Stock Drops After Profit Falls Below Expectations | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/07/17/jb-hunt-stock-drops-after-profit-falls-below-expectations.html | 2017-07-17 | 0right
| J.B. Hunt's Stock Drops After Profit Falls Below Expectations
<p>Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. dropped 2% in premarket trade Monday, after the trucking company reported second-quarter profit and sales that fell short of expectations. Net profit fell to $97.9 million, or 88 cents a share, from $105.0 million, or 92 cents a share, in the same period a year ago, below the FactSet consensus for earnings per share of 91 cents. Revenue rose 7% to $1.73 billion from $1.62 billion, but was just shy of the FactSet consensus of $1.74 billion, as misses in dedicated contract services and truck revenue offset a beat in the largest intermodal segment. The stock has lost 5.4% year to date through Friday, while the Dow Jones Transportation Average has gained 7.7% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average has advanced 9.5%.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2017 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | 3,699 |
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