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<p>Safiyah Riddle reports at <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/cindy-jacobs-god-has-a-skilled-surgical-precise-solution-in-place-to-neutralize-the-threat-from-north-korea/" type="external">Right Wing Watch</a>:</p>
<p>Self-proclaimed prophet Cindy Jacobs received a message from God about the national security of the United States, announcing that she “decreed” that the Lord would “expose, expose, and expose” terrorist threats to the U.S. “in the name of Jesus.”</p>
<p>These visions, according to Jacobs, are “an anointing and an authority and an intercession” from God that allow her “to avert disasters” from occurring in the United States. “Even right now the Lord is saying to me,” Jacobs proclaimed, “there is something major being planned, that in God’s will it’s going to exposed. So let’s agree together: Father, in the name of Jesus, we decree the exposure of terrorist attacks.”</p>
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Prophetess Cindy Jacobs: I’ve Decreed That God Expose Terror Threats To The US In Jesus’ Name [VIDEO]
| true |
http://joemygod.com/2017/07/17/prophetess-cindy-jacobs-ive-decreed-god-expose-terror-threats-us-jesus-name-video/
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2017-07-17
| 4left
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Prophetess Cindy Jacobs: I’ve Decreed That God Expose Terror Threats To The US In Jesus’ Name [VIDEO]
<p>Safiyah Riddle reports at <a href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/cindy-jacobs-god-has-a-skilled-surgical-precise-solution-in-place-to-neutralize-the-threat-from-north-korea/" type="external">Right Wing Watch</a>:</p>
<p>Self-proclaimed prophet Cindy Jacobs received a message from God about the national security of the United States, announcing that she “decreed” that the Lord would “expose, expose, and expose” terrorist threats to the U.S. “in the name of Jesus.”</p>
<p>These visions, according to Jacobs, are “an anointing and an authority and an intercession” from God that allow her “to avert disasters” from occurring in the United States. “Even right now the Lord is saying to me,” Jacobs proclaimed, “there is something major being planned, that in God’s will it’s going to exposed. So let’s agree together: Father, in the name of Jesus, we decree the exposure of terrorist attacks.”</p>
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<p>A man is facing four years in prison after taking a plea deal that dropped a murder charge.</p>
<p>KOB-TV reports ( <a href="http://bit.ly/1QtexwO)" type="external">http://bit.ly/1QtexwO)</a> prosecutors determined Antavio Cox was not present at the time of David Gonzalez's death.</p>
<p>Cox had been charged along with Duane Yazzie in the killing. Police say Gonzalez was beaten to death for using $20 worth of heroin that wasn't his.</p>
<p>Yazzie has pleaded not guilty. His trial is set for May.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say Cox, while not present at the time of the beating, tampered with evidence when he destroyed a cell phone and its contents in order to prevent authorities from apprehending, prosecuting or convicting a suspect.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: KOB-TV, <a href="http://www.kob.com" type="external">http://www.kob.com</a></p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
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Murder charge dropped in plea deal for evidence tampering
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https://abqjournal.com/659752/murder-charge-dropped-in-plea-deal-for-evidence-tampering.html
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Murder charge dropped in plea deal for evidence tampering
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<p>A man is facing four years in prison after taking a plea deal that dropped a murder charge.</p>
<p>KOB-TV reports ( <a href="http://bit.ly/1QtexwO)" type="external">http://bit.ly/1QtexwO)</a> prosecutors determined Antavio Cox was not present at the time of David Gonzalez's death.</p>
<p>Cox had been charged along with Duane Yazzie in the killing. Police say Gonzalez was beaten to death for using $20 worth of heroin that wasn't his.</p>
<p>Yazzie has pleaded not guilty. His trial is set for May.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say Cox, while not present at the time of the beating, tampered with evidence when he destroyed a cell phone and its contents in order to prevent authorities from apprehending, prosecuting or convicting a suspect.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: KOB-TV, <a href="http://www.kob.com" type="external">http://www.kob.com</a></p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
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<p>A Texas grand jury has cleared a Planned Parenthood affiliate of accusations it sold fetal tissue for profit, and instead indicted two pro-life activists whose secret recordings ignited a national debate over the abortion provider’s activities, a state prosecutor said Monday.</p>
<p>The activists, <a href="/topics/david-daleiden/" type="external">David Daleiden</a> and <a href="/topics/sandra-merritt/" type="external">Sandra Merritt</a>, were indicted on charges of tampering with a government record. Both posed as executives of a fake biomedical research company to tape Planned Parenthood doctors and clinic managers talking about harvesting fetal tissue, according to court documents.</p>
<p><a href="/topics/david-daleiden/" type="external">Mr. Daleiden</a> was also indicted under a law prohibiting the solicitation or sale of human organs, which suggests grand jurors thought he went too far in trying to snare Planned Parenthood.</p>
<p>“As I stated at the outset of this investigation, we must go where the evidence leads us,” Harris County District Attorney <a href="/topics/devon-anderson/" type="external">Devon Anderson</a> said in announcing the findings.</p>
<p>The indictments mark a stunning reversal for pro-life activists, who seized on the secret videos as evidence that Planned Parenthood, the country’s largest abortion provider network, was breaking the law through the actions of some of its affiliates.</p>
<p>Harvesting and selling fetal tissue for profit is illegal, and a series of videos released last summer by the Center for Medical Progress, which <a href="/topics/david-daleiden/" type="external">Mr. Daleiden</a> heads, appeared to show employees at several Planned Parenthood facilities negotiating sales.</p>
<p><a href="/topics/david-daleiden/" type="external">Mr. Daleiden</a>, in a statement Monday night, questioned how he could be charged with buying fetal tissue if Planned Parenthood wasn’t also charged with selling it.</p>
<p>“The Center for Medical Progress uses the same undercover techniques that investigative journalists have used for decades in exercising our First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and of the press, and follows all applicable laws,” he said. “We respect the processes of the Harris County District Attorney, and note that buying fetal tissue requires a seller as well. Planned Parenthood still cannot deny the admissions from their leadership about fetal organ sales captured on video for all the world to see.”</p>
<p>Planned Parenthood said the videos were misleadingly edited and insisted that it had done no wrong. On Monday, the organization said the indictments were vindication.</p>
<p>“These anti-abortion extremists spent three years creating a fake company, creating fake identities, lying and breaking the law. When they couldn’t find any improper or illegal activity, they made it up,” said Eric Ferrero, vice president of communications for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.</p>
<p>A number of investigations of Planned Parenthood, including several in Texas, are continuing. Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have voted to form a special committee to investigate the abortion provider. A number of Republican-led states have cut funding for Planned Parenthood in the wake of the videos.</p>
<p>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, said the indictments are just a first step and that he is awaiting the other investigations’ conclusions.</p>
<p>“The Health and Human Service Commission’s Inspector General and the Attorney General’s office have an ongoing investigation into Planned Parenthood’s actions,” he said in a statement after the indictments were announced. “Nothing about today’s announcement in Harris County impacts the state’s ongoing investigation. The State of Texas will continue to protect life, and I will continue to support legislation prohibiting the sale or transfer of fetal tissue.”</p>
<p>In the meantime, legal troubles are mounting for <a href="/topics/david-daleiden/" type="external">Mr. Daleiden</a> and his group.</p>
<p>Last week, Planned Parenthood filed a federal racketeering lawsuit against the Center for Medical Progress, saying the activists engaged in a conspiracy to damage clinic business with misleading videos.</p>
<p>That case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick, who is handling another case against the Center for Medical Progress filed by the National Abortion Federation. In that case, Judge Orrick sided with the National Abortion Federation in a preliminary ruling that the activists with the Center for Medical Progress likely misrepresented themselves as they tried to sneak video footage of abortion providers.</p>
<p>According to the racketeering lawsuit, <a href="/topics/sandra-merritt/" type="external">Ms. Merritt</a> portrayed the CEO of Biomax, the fake medical research company the activists used. She assumed the name of Susan Tennenbaum, printed a fake driver’s license and created a Facebook page where she listed herself as a fan of liberal causes and figures, such as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.</p>
<p><a href="/topics/david-daleiden/" type="external">Mr. Daleiden</a> portrayed himself as Robert Daoud Sarkis, vice president of operations at Biomax, according to the racketeering lawsuit.</p>
<p>The charge of tampering with a government record is a felony in Texas. Soliciting or selling human organs is a misdemeanor.</p>
<p><a href="/topics/devon-anderson/" type="external">Ms. Anderson</a>, the Republican district attorney who presented the case, said she approached the case as an investigation into Planned Parenthood and presented all the evidence to the grand jury, which made its decision.</p>
<p>“I respect their decision in this difficult case,” she said.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2018 The Washington Times, LLC. <a href="http://license.icopyright.net/3.7280?icx_id=/news/2016/jan/25/david-daleiden-sandra-merritt-indicted-planned-par/" type="external">Click here for reprint permission</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
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Pro-life activists indicted, Planned Parenthood cleared in fetal tissue case
| true |
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jan/25/david-daleiden-sandra-merritt-indicted-planned-par/
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2016-01-25
| 0right
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Pro-life activists indicted, Planned Parenthood cleared in fetal tissue case
<p>A Texas grand jury has cleared a Planned Parenthood affiliate of accusations it sold fetal tissue for profit, and instead indicted two pro-life activists whose secret recordings ignited a national debate over the abortion provider’s activities, a state prosecutor said Monday.</p>
<p>The activists, <a href="/topics/david-daleiden/" type="external">David Daleiden</a> and <a href="/topics/sandra-merritt/" type="external">Sandra Merritt</a>, were indicted on charges of tampering with a government record. Both posed as executives of a fake biomedical research company to tape Planned Parenthood doctors and clinic managers talking about harvesting fetal tissue, according to court documents.</p>
<p><a href="/topics/david-daleiden/" type="external">Mr. Daleiden</a> was also indicted under a law prohibiting the solicitation or sale of human organs, which suggests grand jurors thought he went too far in trying to snare Planned Parenthood.</p>
<p>“As I stated at the outset of this investigation, we must go where the evidence leads us,” Harris County District Attorney <a href="/topics/devon-anderson/" type="external">Devon Anderson</a> said in announcing the findings.</p>
<p>The indictments mark a stunning reversal for pro-life activists, who seized on the secret videos as evidence that Planned Parenthood, the country’s largest abortion provider network, was breaking the law through the actions of some of its affiliates.</p>
<p>Harvesting and selling fetal tissue for profit is illegal, and a series of videos released last summer by the Center for Medical Progress, which <a href="/topics/david-daleiden/" type="external">Mr. Daleiden</a> heads, appeared to show employees at several Planned Parenthood facilities negotiating sales.</p>
<p><a href="/topics/david-daleiden/" type="external">Mr. Daleiden</a>, in a statement Monday night, questioned how he could be charged with buying fetal tissue if Planned Parenthood wasn’t also charged with selling it.</p>
<p>“The Center for Medical Progress uses the same undercover techniques that investigative journalists have used for decades in exercising our First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and of the press, and follows all applicable laws,” he said. “We respect the processes of the Harris County District Attorney, and note that buying fetal tissue requires a seller as well. Planned Parenthood still cannot deny the admissions from their leadership about fetal organ sales captured on video for all the world to see.”</p>
<p>Planned Parenthood said the videos were misleadingly edited and insisted that it had done no wrong. On Monday, the organization said the indictments were vindication.</p>
<p>“These anti-abortion extremists spent three years creating a fake company, creating fake identities, lying and breaking the law. When they couldn’t find any improper or illegal activity, they made it up,” said Eric Ferrero, vice president of communications for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.</p>
<p>A number of investigations of Planned Parenthood, including several in Texas, are continuing. Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives have voted to form a special committee to investigate the abortion provider. A number of Republican-led states have cut funding for Planned Parenthood in the wake of the videos.</p>
<p>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, said the indictments are just a first step and that he is awaiting the other investigations’ conclusions.</p>
<p>“The Health and Human Service Commission’s Inspector General and the Attorney General’s office have an ongoing investigation into Planned Parenthood’s actions,” he said in a statement after the indictments were announced. “Nothing about today’s announcement in Harris County impacts the state’s ongoing investigation. The State of Texas will continue to protect life, and I will continue to support legislation prohibiting the sale or transfer of fetal tissue.”</p>
<p>In the meantime, legal troubles are mounting for <a href="/topics/david-daleiden/" type="external">Mr. Daleiden</a> and his group.</p>
<p>Last week, Planned Parenthood filed a federal racketeering lawsuit against the Center for Medical Progress, saying the activists engaged in a conspiracy to damage clinic business with misleading videos.</p>
<p>That case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick, who is handling another case against the Center for Medical Progress filed by the National Abortion Federation. In that case, Judge Orrick sided with the National Abortion Federation in a preliminary ruling that the activists with the Center for Medical Progress likely misrepresented themselves as they tried to sneak video footage of abortion providers.</p>
<p>According to the racketeering lawsuit, <a href="/topics/sandra-merritt/" type="external">Ms. Merritt</a> portrayed the CEO of Biomax, the fake medical research company the activists used. She assumed the name of Susan Tennenbaum, printed a fake driver’s license and created a Facebook page where she listed herself as a fan of liberal causes and figures, such as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and MSNBC host Rachel Maddow.</p>
<p><a href="/topics/david-daleiden/" type="external">Mr. Daleiden</a> portrayed himself as Robert Daoud Sarkis, vice president of operations at Biomax, according to the racketeering lawsuit.</p>
<p>The charge of tampering with a government record is a felony in Texas. Soliciting or selling human organs is a misdemeanor.</p>
<p><a href="/topics/devon-anderson/" type="external">Ms. Anderson</a>, the Republican district attorney who presented the case, said she approached the case as an investigation into Planned Parenthood and presented all the evidence to the grand jury, which made its decision.</p>
<p>“I respect their decision in this difficult case,” she said.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2018 The Washington Times, LLC. <a href="http://license.icopyright.net/3.7280?icx_id=/news/2016/jan/25/david-daleiden-sandra-merritt-indicted-planned-par/" type="external">Click here for reprint permission</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
| 7,002 |
<p>MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont Mayors Coalition is going to announce legislative session goals for 2018.</p>
<p>The group is holding a news conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Statehouse.</p>
<p>Scheduled to attend are Mike Daniels, of Vergennes; John Hollar, of Montpelier; Thom Lauzon, of Barre; Seth Leonard, of Winooski; Paul Monette, of Newport; and Miro Weinberger, of Burlington.</p>
<p>MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont Mayors Coalition is going to announce legislative session goals for 2018.</p>
<p>The group is holding a news conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Statehouse.</p>
<p>Scheduled to attend are Mike Daniels, of Vergennes; John Hollar, of Montpelier; Thom Lauzon, of Barre; Seth Leonard, of Winooski; Paul Monette, of Newport; and Miro Weinberger, of Burlington.</p>
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Vermont Mayors Coalition to announce legislative goals
| false |
https://apnews.com/ee0007dace354941978a62d92f690323
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2018-01-24
| 2least
|
Vermont Mayors Coalition to announce legislative goals
<p>MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont Mayors Coalition is going to announce legislative session goals for 2018.</p>
<p>The group is holding a news conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Statehouse.</p>
<p>Scheduled to attend are Mike Daniels, of Vergennes; John Hollar, of Montpelier; Thom Lauzon, of Barre; Seth Leonard, of Winooski; Paul Monette, of Newport; and Miro Weinberger, of Burlington.</p>
<p>MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The Vermont Mayors Coalition is going to announce legislative session goals for 2018.</p>
<p>The group is holding a news conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Statehouse.</p>
<p>Scheduled to attend are Mike Daniels, of Vergennes; John Hollar, of Montpelier; Thom Lauzon, of Barre; Seth Leonard, of Winooski; Paul Monette, of Newport; and Miro Weinberger, of Burlington.</p>
| 7,003 |
<p>There are not that many pigs in his home state. But there are millions in the early presidential voting state of Iowa. And that's making for a tough decision for Chris Christie, both New Jersey's governor and a potential presidential candidate.</p>
<p>Christie has until early December to decide whether to sign a bill that would ban pig farmers in the state from using devices called gestation crates. The metal cages are so small that pregnant pigs can't turn around.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The bill has the support of Republican and Democratic state lawmakers in New Jersey. But it is opposed by the pork lobby, which is based in Iowa, a state that's home to millions of pigs. And that could cause problems for Christie if he decides to run for president in 2016.</p>
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Chris Christie's White House ambitions come into play in pig proposal in New Jersey
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2014/11/12/chris-christie-white-house-ambitions-come-into-play-in-pig-proposal-in-new.html
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2016-03-09
| 0right
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Chris Christie's White House ambitions come into play in pig proposal in New Jersey
<p>There are not that many pigs in his home state. But there are millions in the early presidential voting state of Iowa. And that's making for a tough decision for Chris Christie, both New Jersey's governor and a potential presidential candidate.</p>
<p>Christie has until early December to decide whether to sign a bill that would ban pig farmers in the state from using devices called gestation crates. The metal cages are so small that pregnant pigs can't turn around.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The bill has the support of Republican and Democratic state lawmakers in New Jersey. But it is opposed by the pork lobby, which is based in Iowa, a state that's home to millions of pigs. And that could cause problems for Christie if he decides to run for president in 2016.</p>
| 7,004 |
<p>Trigger Photo/Getty Images</p>
<p />
<p>A source with knowledge of the information tells Mother Jones that two Secret Service agents who were assigned to protect Donald Trump III, President Donald Trump’s grandson, took selfies with the eight-year-old while he was sleeping. The incident is now under investigation.</p>
<p>The source was clear that the agents were not under investigation for criminal behavior; rather, this investigation is about the agents abandoning their post while charged with protecting the grandson of the president.</p>
<p>The incident took place last weekend when the two agents, who were assigned to protect Trump III, were driving him from Westchester County, New York, where the Trump family has an estate, to Manhattan. Trump III was sleeping in the car when the agents began to take selfies with him while he was still asleep. Trump III woke up and, as the source framed it, “freaked out.” Upon return to Manhattan, he shared the experience with his mother, Vanessa Trump, who relayed her concerns to his father, Donald Trump Jr. The issue was quickly escalated to top management of the Secret Service. The two agents were ordered to report to the Secret Service Office of Professional Responsibility in Washington, DC.</p>
<p>In a statement, a spokesman for the Secret Service confirmed that an investigation was underway.</p>
<p>“The US Secret Service is aware of a matter involving two of our agents and one of our protectees,” he said. “Our Office of Professional Responsibility will always thoroughly review a matter to determine the facts and to ensure proper, long-standing protocols and procedures are followed. The Secret Service would caution individuals to not jump to conclusions that may grossly mischaracterize the matter.”</p>
<p>This revelation comes at a time when the Secret Service is doing damage control after an intruder was able to penetrate the outer perimeter of the White House grounds and get close to the entrance of the north portico of the White House. According to two sources, President Trump has had a good relationship with his detail, and this is seen as an isolated incident that is not symptomatic of issues with his or his family’s protective detail.</p>
<p />
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Secret Service Agents Under Investigation for Taking Photos of Donald Trump’s Sleeping Grandson
| true |
https://motherjones.com/politics/2017/03/secret-service-investigation-selfies-donald-trump-grandson/
|
2017-03-16
| 4left
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Secret Service Agents Under Investigation for Taking Photos of Donald Trump’s Sleeping Grandson
<p>Trigger Photo/Getty Images</p>
<p />
<p>A source with knowledge of the information tells Mother Jones that two Secret Service agents who were assigned to protect Donald Trump III, President Donald Trump’s grandson, took selfies with the eight-year-old while he was sleeping. The incident is now under investigation.</p>
<p>The source was clear that the agents were not under investigation for criminal behavior; rather, this investigation is about the agents abandoning their post while charged with protecting the grandson of the president.</p>
<p>The incident took place last weekend when the two agents, who were assigned to protect Trump III, were driving him from Westchester County, New York, where the Trump family has an estate, to Manhattan. Trump III was sleeping in the car when the agents began to take selfies with him while he was still asleep. Trump III woke up and, as the source framed it, “freaked out.” Upon return to Manhattan, he shared the experience with his mother, Vanessa Trump, who relayed her concerns to his father, Donald Trump Jr. The issue was quickly escalated to top management of the Secret Service. The two agents were ordered to report to the Secret Service Office of Professional Responsibility in Washington, DC.</p>
<p>In a statement, a spokesman for the Secret Service confirmed that an investigation was underway.</p>
<p>“The US Secret Service is aware of a matter involving two of our agents and one of our protectees,” he said. “Our Office of Professional Responsibility will always thoroughly review a matter to determine the facts and to ensure proper, long-standing protocols and procedures are followed. The Secret Service would caution individuals to not jump to conclusions that may grossly mischaracterize the matter.”</p>
<p>This revelation comes at a time when the Secret Service is doing damage control after an intruder was able to penetrate the outer perimeter of the White House grounds and get close to the entrance of the north portico of the White House. According to two sources, President Trump has had a good relationship with his detail, and this is seen as an isolated incident that is not symptomatic of issues with his or his family’s protective detail.</p>
<p />
| 7,005 |
<p>Obama Should Nudge India Towards Early Resolution of Kashmir Issue</p>
<p>American Clout With India</p>
<p />
<p>Even though the US has come to exercise considerable political influence over India in recent years, it has shied away from using it to play an active role to help find a solution of the Kashmir dispute that has undermined relations between India and Pakistan ever since the two countries became independent in 1947. The issue continues to bedevil peace in this region.</p>
<p>India increasingly relies on the US for its technology, nuclear collaboration, investment and upgrading of its defence arsenal. The US for its part eyes India as a huge market and a key partner in its future regional geostrategic framework. The US has even being trying to create a role for India in Afghanistan where none exists and which the Indians love to have in order to promote their regional power status and keep Pakistan cornered. This has brought the two countries much closer than ever before.</p>
<p>India Rejects Obama’s Interest In The Kashmir Issue</p>
<p>Candidate Barack Obama was convinced, and rightly so, that the US regional interests would be better served in South Asia if the major cause of conflict – Kashmir, could be removed, thus eliminating the possibility of the two nuclear armed neighbors coming to blows again and encouraging them to devote their energies and resources to development. Upon taking office, President Obama went on to float the idea of naming an American special envoy for Kashmir to explore a US role in facilitating a settlement.</p>
<p>Showing aversion to third party arbitration or mediation, India has consistently refused Pakistan’s proposals in this regard. This time too, India’s noisy protests caused Obama to back off for fear of upsetting the Indians. Ambassador Holbrooke was subsequently confined to overseeing American interests in Afghanistan and Pakistan, or AfPak as the State Department preferred to call it. The pity is that India adamantly refuses to settle the dispute bilaterally either.</p>
<p />
<p>India’s Refusal To Reach A Settlement With Pakistan</p>
<p>Pakistan’s offer for a paradigm shift in considering new proposals acceptable to India, Pakistan and the Kashmiri people did not draw a positive response. President Musharraf’s plea for out-of-the-box thinking fell on deaf ears. In the sporadic and inconclusive bilateral dialogue that India has held with Pakistan over many decades, its leadership has been taking one step forward and two steps backwards. As a consequence there remains an impasse.</p>
<p>Although of late a realization seems to be emerging in the senior Indian leadership for the need to explore common ground in search of a solution, weak decision making at the prime-ministerial level has stood in the way. There has been a lack of will, so to say, that is attributable to the very nature of coalition governments that have ruled at the center in recent times. Major coalition parties have had to make substantial concessions to smaller partners who have espoused an extremist anti-Pakistan agenda.</p>
<p>This resulted in a lost opportunity to move towards the resolution of the Kashmir dispute in July 2001. After a joint declaration about the solution of the Kashmir dispute had been worked out between Prime Minister Vajpayee and then Pakistani President Musharraf after secret back-channel talks and both of them were about to sign it on conclusion of&#160; the Agra summit, the whole effort was scuttled at the last moment by the hawks within the Indian prime minister’s camp. In retrospect, perhaps the Indian prime minister must now be regretting his inability to seize that historic moment and bring peace.</p>
<p />
<p>Need For Strong Indian Leadership</p>
<p>Therefore, what is needed in this historical constellation is strong leadership that can decisively act, not shirk from bold and timely decisions and move away from traditional enemy stereotypes and attitude of deep mistrust. It is important that mainstream Indian leadership should refuse to succumb to Hindu extremists who, in spite of being a small minority, have historically held Indo-Pakistan relations hostage to their agenda of hate and animosity. It is time that the will of the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir is given preference over positions taken by extremist quarters, for the future of South Asia is at stake.</p>
<p>It might be of help if India’s friends could play a supportive role. The dispute that has been hanging fire for 63 years cannot be swept under the carpet and will continue to threaten peace. It would be in the interest of all parties to the conflict and the US which has a geo-strategic interest in this region that India moves towards reconciliation.</p>
<p />
<p>Why Is Settlement Of Kashmir Dispute In the American Interest?</p>
<p>The upcoming visit of President Obama to India in November presents him an ideal opportunity to pick up the thread of his efforts to help secure a deal on Kashmir. There are cogent reasons why President Obama should renew his interest.</p>
<p>Kashmir has been on his agenda from day one and now the need for a fair solution is increasingly felt by the Congress too because of concerns about human rights violations, the arms race in South Asia, and the fear of nuclear conflict.</p>
<p>“During the presidential campaign, President Obama pledged … that solving the ‘Kashmir crisis’ was one of his ‘critical tasks’. So far, this has been a promise unfulfilled,” said Congressman Dan Burton, a Republican from Indiana who believes that this has direct impact on the global war against terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said he believed that “an end to the violence and uncertainty in Kashmir would be widely welcomed in India and Pakistan as well as by our military commanders in Afghanistan.”</p>
<p>“Regrettably, the conflict has garnered little attention from the American media and zero attention from the White House,” Burton said in his speech on the floor of the US House of Representatives recently.</p>
<p>That the people of Kashmir want independence from Indian rule has been established by independent polls conducted by international agencies time and again. The people have voiced their will loud and clear and have shown determination to gain independence even in the face of atrocities perpetrated by the state and unbelievable violations of human rights for the last six decades. India unsuccessfully tries to suppress it with a 700,000 strong army and police force brutally garrisoning the valley.</p>
<p>“Grave breaches of humanitarian law continued unabated in Indian-Occupied Kashmir. Civilian casualties which include women, children and people of all ages have reached over 100,000 since January of 1990,” said Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Executive Director, Kashmiri American Council, while lecturing on, “The Humanitarian Crisis in Kashmir” at Wilmington, Delaware.</p>
<p>This unrest is assuming troubling dimensions, getting out of hand and promising to tarnish the image of the world’s ‘biggest democracy’ with the stone-throwing Kashmiri youth now engaging the Indian army and getting killed in the process – a Kashmiri version of the first Palestinian intifada of the late 1980s. With negotiations between Karzai government and the Taliban likely to succeed one way or the other and with the Americans forces getting ready to withdraw, the Jehadis in Afghanistan would most certainly be free to turn their attention to Kashmir in response to calls for help. India would then find this Jehadist Frankenstein impossible to deal with.</p>
<p>This spread of terrorism in Kashmir, and possibly in India, would prove counterproductive for US interests in South Asia. To be able to face up to China in the long term as America’s proxy power, India has to grow economically, overcome pervasive poverty and gain strength militarily. An India at risk of getting involved in another conflict with Pakistan and Jehadis knocking at its door in aid of the Kashmiris is not what the US wants to see.</p>
<p>Besides, by keeping the issue alive, India does not even help Pakistan to isolate and neutralize extremist elements that seek to gain control and destabilize the region through terrorism.</p>
<p>Therefore for the success of the US policy framework that encompasses Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, the Kashmir component is more urgent and critical today than it ever was and hence the need for Obama to nudge India towards a settlement. And this does not amount to mediation or arbitration.</p>
<p>Obama Can Do It</p>
<p>President Obama has the image, the ability and the leverage to do this, and the Indian top leadership would listen to him when he meets it in November. He will have to push the issue firmly without being fearful of annoying the Indians, something that has been holding him back. &#160;They cannot really afford to derail their cooperation with the US.</p>
<p>By working behind the scenes, he could subtly lead New Delhi to complete the unfinished agenda of Manmohan Singh and Musharraf, on which a great deal of home work is already done and which Pakistan should also welcome. If successful, this would open a new chapter in the history of relationship between these old rivals and bring relief to the people of Kashmir, who have suffered long enough.</p>
<p>Kashmiris Have Goodwill For America And The United Nations</p>
<p>It would be worthwhile for President Obama to know that Kashmir happens to be one of the few places in the Muslim world that still has considerable goodwill for the US. Even the Kashmiri hardliners like Syed Ali Shah Geelani have repeatedly appealed to the US to use its influence for resolving the Kashmir issue. Unlike Palestine, where a similar struggle for independence is underway, one does not hear anti-American slogans in Kashmir.</p>
<p>And despite the fact that the UN has failed to deliver on its resolutions on Kashmir or rescue the Kashmiri people from the brutalities of Indian security forces, they still repose confidence in this world body, while the rest of the world dismisses it as only a debating club. This was visible during the 2008 non-violent uprising in Kashmir when people carried banners and placards reading “Ban Ki Moon, Come Soon, Come Soon.”</p>
<p>Will you then, President Obama, please listen to these people, for they are in misery and stand in need of your help? Let not their faith in your leadership be in vain.</p>
<p>Correction appended: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf at the Agra summit in 2001. The Indian Prime Minister at the time was Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and it was Vajpayee who met with Musharraf. The error has been corrected above.</p>
|
The US Will Also Lose If Peace Does Not Prevail in South Asia
| false |
http://foreignpolicyjournal.com/2010/10/25/the-us-will-also-lose-if-peace-does-not-prevail-in-south-asia/
|
2010-10-25
| 1right-center
|
The US Will Also Lose If Peace Does Not Prevail in South Asia
<p>Obama Should Nudge India Towards Early Resolution of Kashmir Issue</p>
<p>American Clout With India</p>
<p />
<p>Even though the US has come to exercise considerable political influence over India in recent years, it has shied away from using it to play an active role to help find a solution of the Kashmir dispute that has undermined relations between India and Pakistan ever since the two countries became independent in 1947. The issue continues to bedevil peace in this region.</p>
<p>India increasingly relies on the US for its technology, nuclear collaboration, investment and upgrading of its defence arsenal. The US for its part eyes India as a huge market and a key partner in its future regional geostrategic framework. The US has even being trying to create a role for India in Afghanistan where none exists and which the Indians love to have in order to promote their regional power status and keep Pakistan cornered. This has brought the two countries much closer than ever before.</p>
<p>India Rejects Obama’s Interest In The Kashmir Issue</p>
<p>Candidate Barack Obama was convinced, and rightly so, that the US regional interests would be better served in South Asia if the major cause of conflict – Kashmir, could be removed, thus eliminating the possibility of the two nuclear armed neighbors coming to blows again and encouraging them to devote their energies and resources to development. Upon taking office, President Obama went on to float the idea of naming an American special envoy for Kashmir to explore a US role in facilitating a settlement.</p>
<p>Showing aversion to third party arbitration or mediation, India has consistently refused Pakistan’s proposals in this regard. This time too, India’s noisy protests caused Obama to back off for fear of upsetting the Indians. Ambassador Holbrooke was subsequently confined to overseeing American interests in Afghanistan and Pakistan, or AfPak as the State Department preferred to call it. The pity is that India adamantly refuses to settle the dispute bilaterally either.</p>
<p />
<p>India’s Refusal To Reach A Settlement With Pakistan</p>
<p>Pakistan’s offer for a paradigm shift in considering new proposals acceptable to India, Pakistan and the Kashmiri people did not draw a positive response. President Musharraf’s plea for out-of-the-box thinking fell on deaf ears. In the sporadic and inconclusive bilateral dialogue that India has held with Pakistan over many decades, its leadership has been taking one step forward and two steps backwards. As a consequence there remains an impasse.</p>
<p>Although of late a realization seems to be emerging in the senior Indian leadership for the need to explore common ground in search of a solution, weak decision making at the prime-ministerial level has stood in the way. There has been a lack of will, so to say, that is attributable to the very nature of coalition governments that have ruled at the center in recent times. Major coalition parties have had to make substantial concessions to smaller partners who have espoused an extremist anti-Pakistan agenda.</p>
<p>This resulted in a lost opportunity to move towards the resolution of the Kashmir dispute in July 2001. After a joint declaration about the solution of the Kashmir dispute had been worked out between Prime Minister Vajpayee and then Pakistani President Musharraf after secret back-channel talks and both of them were about to sign it on conclusion of&#160; the Agra summit, the whole effort was scuttled at the last moment by the hawks within the Indian prime minister’s camp. In retrospect, perhaps the Indian prime minister must now be regretting his inability to seize that historic moment and bring peace.</p>
<p />
<p>Need For Strong Indian Leadership</p>
<p>Therefore, what is needed in this historical constellation is strong leadership that can decisively act, not shirk from bold and timely decisions and move away from traditional enemy stereotypes and attitude of deep mistrust. It is important that mainstream Indian leadership should refuse to succumb to Hindu extremists who, in spite of being a small minority, have historically held Indo-Pakistan relations hostage to their agenda of hate and animosity. It is time that the will of the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir is given preference over positions taken by extremist quarters, for the future of South Asia is at stake.</p>
<p>It might be of help if India’s friends could play a supportive role. The dispute that has been hanging fire for 63 years cannot be swept under the carpet and will continue to threaten peace. It would be in the interest of all parties to the conflict and the US which has a geo-strategic interest in this region that India moves towards reconciliation.</p>
<p />
<p>Why Is Settlement Of Kashmir Dispute In the American Interest?</p>
<p>The upcoming visit of President Obama to India in November presents him an ideal opportunity to pick up the thread of his efforts to help secure a deal on Kashmir. There are cogent reasons why President Obama should renew his interest.</p>
<p>Kashmir has been on his agenda from day one and now the need for a fair solution is increasingly felt by the Congress too because of concerns about human rights violations, the arms race in South Asia, and the fear of nuclear conflict.</p>
<p>“During the presidential campaign, President Obama pledged … that solving the ‘Kashmir crisis’ was one of his ‘critical tasks’. So far, this has been a promise unfulfilled,” said Congressman Dan Burton, a Republican from Indiana who believes that this has direct impact on the global war against terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said he believed that “an end to the violence and uncertainty in Kashmir would be widely welcomed in India and Pakistan as well as by our military commanders in Afghanistan.”</p>
<p>“Regrettably, the conflict has garnered little attention from the American media and zero attention from the White House,” Burton said in his speech on the floor of the US House of Representatives recently.</p>
<p>That the people of Kashmir want independence from Indian rule has been established by independent polls conducted by international agencies time and again. The people have voiced their will loud and clear and have shown determination to gain independence even in the face of atrocities perpetrated by the state and unbelievable violations of human rights for the last six decades. India unsuccessfully tries to suppress it with a 700,000 strong army and police force brutally garrisoning the valley.</p>
<p>“Grave breaches of humanitarian law continued unabated in Indian-Occupied Kashmir. Civilian casualties which include women, children and people of all ages have reached over 100,000 since January of 1990,” said Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Executive Director, Kashmiri American Council, while lecturing on, “The Humanitarian Crisis in Kashmir” at Wilmington, Delaware.</p>
<p>This unrest is assuming troubling dimensions, getting out of hand and promising to tarnish the image of the world’s ‘biggest democracy’ with the stone-throwing Kashmiri youth now engaging the Indian army and getting killed in the process – a Kashmiri version of the first Palestinian intifada of the late 1980s. With negotiations between Karzai government and the Taliban likely to succeed one way or the other and with the Americans forces getting ready to withdraw, the Jehadis in Afghanistan would most certainly be free to turn their attention to Kashmir in response to calls for help. India would then find this Jehadist Frankenstein impossible to deal with.</p>
<p>This spread of terrorism in Kashmir, and possibly in India, would prove counterproductive for US interests in South Asia. To be able to face up to China in the long term as America’s proxy power, India has to grow economically, overcome pervasive poverty and gain strength militarily. An India at risk of getting involved in another conflict with Pakistan and Jehadis knocking at its door in aid of the Kashmiris is not what the US wants to see.</p>
<p>Besides, by keeping the issue alive, India does not even help Pakistan to isolate and neutralize extremist elements that seek to gain control and destabilize the region through terrorism.</p>
<p>Therefore for the success of the US policy framework that encompasses Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, the Kashmir component is more urgent and critical today than it ever was and hence the need for Obama to nudge India towards a settlement. And this does not amount to mediation or arbitration.</p>
<p>Obama Can Do It</p>
<p>President Obama has the image, the ability and the leverage to do this, and the Indian top leadership would listen to him when he meets it in November. He will have to push the issue firmly without being fearful of annoying the Indians, something that has been holding him back. &#160;They cannot really afford to derail their cooperation with the US.</p>
<p>By working behind the scenes, he could subtly lead New Delhi to complete the unfinished agenda of Manmohan Singh and Musharraf, on which a great deal of home work is already done and which Pakistan should also welcome. If successful, this would open a new chapter in the history of relationship between these old rivals and bring relief to the people of Kashmir, who have suffered long enough.</p>
<p>Kashmiris Have Goodwill For America And The United Nations</p>
<p>It would be worthwhile for President Obama to know that Kashmir happens to be one of the few places in the Muslim world that still has considerable goodwill for the US. Even the Kashmiri hardliners like Syed Ali Shah Geelani have repeatedly appealed to the US to use its influence for resolving the Kashmir issue. Unlike Palestine, where a similar struggle for independence is underway, one does not hear anti-American slogans in Kashmir.</p>
<p>And despite the fact that the UN has failed to deliver on its resolutions on Kashmir or rescue the Kashmiri people from the brutalities of Indian security forces, they still repose confidence in this world body, while the rest of the world dismisses it as only a debating club. This was visible during the 2008 non-violent uprising in Kashmir when people carried banners and placards reading “Ban Ki Moon, Come Soon, Come Soon.”</p>
<p>Will you then, President Obama, please listen to these people, for they are in misery and stand in need of your help? Let not their faith in your leadership be in vain.</p>
<p>Correction appended: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf at the Agra summit in 2001. The Indian Prime Minister at the time was Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and it was Vajpayee who met with Musharraf. The error has been corrected above.</p>
| 7,006 |
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<p />
<p>BUST Circus Camp tonight, Saturday</p>
<p>Wise Fool New Mexico will present its 11th Annual BUST Circus Camp Performance at 7 p.m. tonight at 2778 Agua Fria Road, Suite D. Performances will continue at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets $10-$15; $5 kids. Call 982-2588.</p>
<p>‘Deadwood Duet’ premieres tonight</p>
<p>The Southwest Rural Theatre Project will premiere “Deadwood Duet” at Teatro Paraguas, 3205 Calle Marie, at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $12/general; $10/seniors and students and $8 children under 12. Call 424-1601 or <a href="http://www.teatroparaguas.org" type="external">www.teatroparaguas.org</a>.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>‘Chapter Two’ at SF Playhouse</p>
<p>The Santa Fe Playhouse will present Neil Simon’s “Chapter Two” at 7:30 p.m. tonight at 142 E. DeVargas St. Tickets are $15-$20. Call 988-4262.</p>
<p>‘Safety Last’ at arts center</p>
<p>The Center for Contemporary Arts, 1050 Old Pecos Trail, will show the classic comedy “Safety Last” starring Harold Lloyd at 11 a.m. today. Screenings will continue at 11 a.m. Saturday. Tickets $7-$9.50. Call 982-1338.</p>
<p>Author reads from ‘Green-Eyed Lady’</p>
<p>Author Chuck Greaves will read from “Green-Eyed Lady” at Collected Works, 202 Galisteo St., at 11 a.m. today. Call 988-4226.</p>
<p>Film about ’70s Europe revolution</p>
<p>The Harwood Museum of Art, 238 Ledoux St., Taos, will show “Something in the Air,” a film about youth and political revolution in 1970s Europe, at 7 p.m. today. Tickets $10; $8/seniors and students. Call 575-758-4802.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>‘Mexico to the Arctic Ocean’</p>
<p>Darrell Gardner will talk about his 6,000 mile journey in “Mexico to the Arctic Ocean: Under Human Power” at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Travel Bug Coffee Shop, 839 Paseo de Peralta. Call 992-0418.</p>
<p>Two monologues at Warehouse 21</p>
<p>Warehouse 21, 1614 Paseo de Peralta, will present “The Valerie of Now &amp; Imagining Brad” at 4 p.m. Saturday.One monologue is about a 12-year-old girl’s coming of age; the second is a story of abuse. Tickets $18. Call 989-4423.</p>
<p>‘Hannah Arendt’ biopic at Harwood</p>
<p>The Harwood Museum of Art, 238 Ledoux St., Taos, will show “Hannah Arendt,” a biopic about the German-Jewish philosopher, political theorist and New Yorker reporter at 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets $10; $8 seniors/students. Call 575-758-4802.</p>
<p>Talk centers on end of life issues</p>
<p>Collected Works, 202 Galisteo St., will host “Dr. Aroop Mangalik: A Judicious Death Begins with the Judicious Use of Medical Treatments —— Part II in a Continuing Conversation on End of Life Issues and New Mexico Law” at 11 a.m. Sunday. Call 988-4226.</p>
<p>Jewish folk tales at Collected Works</p>
<p>Collected Works, 202 Galisteo St., will present Jewish folk tales with Peninnah Schram at 2 p.m. Sunday. Call 988-4226.</p>
<p>‘African American Cowboys’ shown</p>
<p>“African American Cowboys,” a “Cowboys Real and Imagined” event, will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday at the New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln Ave. in the auditorium. See the short documentary “African American Cowboy: The Forgotten Man of the West,” by film student Victoria Lioznyansky, followed by a discussion with Kevin Woodson and Aaron Hopkins of Cowboys of Color, sponsors of the biggest national rodeo for black cowboys. Free with admission; children 16 and under free. Call 476-5200.</p>
|
Short takes
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/215481/short-takes-5.html
|
2013-06-28
| 2least
|
Short takes
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>BUST Circus Camp tonight, Saturday</p>
<p>Wise Fool New Mexico will present its 11th Annual BUST Circus Camp Performance at 7 p.m. tonight at 2778 Agua Fria Road, Suite D. Performances will continue at 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets $10-$15; $5 kids. Call 982-2588.</p>
<p>‘Deadwood Duet’ premieres tonight</p>
<p>The Southwest Rural Theatre Project will premiere “Deadwood Duet” at Teatro Paraguas, 3205 Calle Marie, at 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $12/general; $10/seniors and students and $8 children under 12. Call 424-1601 or <a href="http://www.teatroparaguas.org" type="external">www.teatroparaguas.org</a>.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>‘Chapter Two’ at SF Playhouse</p>
<p>The Santa Fe Playhouse will present Neil Simon’s “Chapter Two” at 7:30 p.m. tonight at 142 E. DeVargas St. Tickets are $15-$20. Call 988-4262.</p>
<p>‘Safety Last’ at arts center</p>
<p>The Center for Contemporary Arts, 1050 Old Pecos Trail, will show the classic comedy “Safety Last” starring Harold Lloyd at 11 a.m. today. Screenings will continue at 11 a.m. Saturday. Tickets $7-$9.50. Call 982-1338.</p>
<p>Author reads from ‘Green-Eyed Lady’</p>
<p>Author Chuck Greaves will read from “Green-Eyed Lady” at Collected Works, 202 Galisteo St., at 11 a.m. today. Call 988-4226.</p>
<p>Film about ’70s Europe revolution</p>
<p>The Harwood Museum of Art, 238 Ledoux St., Taos, will show “Something in the Air,” a film about youth and political revolution in 1970s Europe, at 7 p.m. today. Tickets $10; $8/seniors and students. Call 575-758-4802.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>‘Mexico to the Arctic Ocean’</p>
<p>Darrell Gardner will talk about his 6,000 mile journey in “Mexico to the Arctic Ocean: Under Human Power” at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Travel Bug Coffee Shop, 839 Paseo de Peralta. Call 992-0418.</p>
<p>Two monologues at Warehouse 21</p>
<p>Warehouse 21, 1614 Paseo de Peralta, will present “The Valerie of Now &amp; Imagining Brad” at 4 p.m. Saturday.One monologue is about a 12-year-old girl’s coming of age; the second is a story of abuse. Tickets $18. Call 989-4423.</p>
<p>‘Hannah Arendt’ biopic at Harwood</p>
<p>The Harwood Museum of Art, 238 Ledoux St., Taos, will show “Hannah Arendt,” a biopic about the German-Jewish philosopher, political theorist and New Yorker reporter at 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets $10; $8 seniors/students. Call 575-758-4802.</p>
<p>Talk centers on end of life issues</p>
<p>Collected Works, 202 Galisteo St., will host “Dr. Aroop Mangalik: A Judicious Death Begins with the Judicious Use of Medical Treatments —— Part II in a Continuing Conversation on End of Life Issues and New Mexico Law” at 11 a.m. Sunday. Call 988-4226.</p>
<p>Jewish folk tales at Collected Works</p>
<p>Collected Works, 202 Galisteo St., will present Jewish folk tales with Peninnah Schram at 2 p.m. Sunday. Call 988-4226.</p>
<p>‘African American Cowboys’ shown</p>
<p>“African American Cowboys,” a “Cowboys Real and Imagined” event, will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday at the New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln Ave. in the auditorium. See the short documentary “African American Cowboy: The Forgotten Man of the West,” by film student Victoria Lioznyansky, followed by a discussion with Kevin Woodson and Aaron Hopkins of Cowboys of Color, sponsors of the biggest national rodeo for black cowboys. Free with admission; children 16 and under free. Call 476-5200.</p>
| 7,007 |
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<p>This combo made from images provided by Facebook shows the company’s Slingshot app. After accidentally launching the ephemeral messaging app last week, Facebook says Slingshot is now ready for prime time, and owners of Android or Apple’s iOS devices can download it starting on Tuesday afternoon, June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Facebook)</p>
<p>NEW YORK — Facebook is taking another stab at ephemeral mobile messaging with an app called Slingshot.</p>
<p>The app is designed to appeal to fans of Snapchat and other messaging apps that let people send self-destructing messages to friends.</p>
<p>Slingshot draws inevitable comparisons to Snapchat. Facebook even tried to buy Snapchat’s maker — for $3 billion, according to published reports. But there are some key differences between the two.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>— AVAILABILITY:</p>
<p>Slingshot was set to be available Tuesday for U.S. users, though the company accidentally released it last week in Apple’s app store, giving some vigilant Facebook watchers an early glimpse before the app was removed from the store. Slingshot works with both Apple and Android devices. A Facebook account isn’t required.</p>
<p>— HOW IT WORKS:</p>
<p>After downloading, you can sign up either with a Facebook account or your mobile phone number. You add contacts based on your Facebook friends and phone contacts.</p>
<p>Opening the app takes you to its camera, which has a “shoot” button for taking a snapshot and a “selfie” button for, you guessed it, a selfie. After taking a photo, you can type a message of up to 140 characters on it, or draw a picture. You can then send it to some or all of your Slingshot contacts.</p>
<p>— UNLIKE SNAPCHAT:</p>
<p>On Snapchat, people can see a photo sent to them by tapping on it and holding their finger down until it disappears, always within a few seconds. On Slingshot, you can see a message only if you send one back. Until you do, you’ll only see a pixelated preview of what’s in store. Facebook product designer Joey Flynn says this gives it a “reciprocal, kind of community feel.”</p>
<p>Unlike with Snapchat, there is no time limit on when a message disappears. Once you are done looking at it, you can flick it off to the side and it self-destructs, much the same way you’d reject a potential mate on Tinder’s dating app.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Slingshot also allows reaction shots. This splits your screen in half and lets you snap a photo to return to the sender. In this case, the recipient won’t have to send back a message to view your response.</p>
<p>— SECOND TAKE:</p>
<p>Facebook had a previous Snapchat-like app called Poke, but it never caught on.</p>
<p>Slingshot is the second app to come out of Facebook’s Creative Labs, an internal project designed to develop separate apps in a startup-like environment.</p>
<p>The first app from the lab was Paper, a social news reader that came out in February. The effort comes as Facebook seeks to broaden its reach beyond its 1.28 billion users by splintering off some of its functions to separate apps — and creating stand-alone apps for entirely new features and audiences.</p>
<p>Ten people have been working on Slingshot since January. It grew out of a December hackathon at Facebook where people were trying to figure out out “new ways of sharing,” Flynn says.</p>
<p>Flynn says he thought of his two brothers, both of whom are “non-technical, they don’t live in San Francisco.” The three communicate on iMessage, the iPhone’s built in-messaging system, and Flynn would often send photos and messages to his brothers to no response other than a “seen” receipt. Slingshot, he says, is intended to make sharing stuff more reciprocal.</p>
<p>— THE PROSPECTS:</p>
<p>Even Facebook acknowledges that its Creative Labs apps are starting small and might not reach an audience that Facebook itself reaches. The idea is to offer something for everyone.</p>
<p>But with a plethora of social sharing apps out there, Slingshot faces fiery competition — not just from Snapchat but also Instagram, which Facebook owns, and WhatsApp, which Facebook is buying for $19 billion. The challenge will be to show how it’s different.</p>
|
App Watch: Facebook’s Slingshot for fleeting posts
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/416920/app-watch-facebooks-slingshot-for-fleeting-posts.html
| 2least
|
App Watch: Facebook’s Slingshot for fleeting posts
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>This combo made from images provided by Facebook shows the company’s Slingshot app. After accidentally launching the ephemeral messaging app last week, Facebook says Slingshot is now ready for prime time, and owners of Android or Apple’s iOS devices can download it starting on Tuesday afternoon, June 17, 2014. (AP Photo/Facebook)</p>
<p>NEW YORK — Facebook is taking another stab at ephemeral mobile messaging with an app called Slingshot.</p>
<p>The app is designed to appeal to fans of Snapchat and other messaging apps that let people send self-destructing messages to friends.</p>
<p>Slingshot draws inevitable comparisons to Snapchat. Facebook even tried to buy Snapchat’s maker — for $3 billion, according to published reports. But there are some key differences between the two.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>— AVAILABILITY:</p>
<p>Slingshot was set to be available Tuesday for U.S. users, though the company accidentally released it last week in Apple’s app store, giving some vigilant Facebook watchers an early glimpse before the app was removed from the store. Slingshot works with both Apple and Android devices. A Facebook account isn’t required.</p>
<p>— HOW IT WORKS:</p>
<p>After downloading, you can sign up either with a Facebook account or your mobile phone number. You add contacts based on your Facebook friends and phone contacts.</p>
<p>Opening the app takes you to its camera, which has a “shoot” button for taking a snapshot and a “selfie” button for, you guessed it, a selfie. After taking a photo, you can type a message of up to 140 characters on it, or draw a picture. You can then send it to some or all of your Slingshot contacts.</p>
<p>— UNLIKE SNAPCHAT:</p>
<p>On Snapchat, people can see a photo sent to them by tapping on it and holding their finger down until it disappears, always within a few seconds. On Slingshot, you can see a message only if you send one back. Until you do, you’ll only see a pixelated preview of what’s in store. Facebook product designer Joey Flynn says this gives it a “reciprocal, kind of community feel.”</p>
<p>Unlike with Snapchat, there is no time limit on when a message disappears. Once you are done looking at it, you can flick it off to the side and it self-destructs, much the same way you’d reject a potential mate on Tinder’s dating app.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Slingshot also allows reaction shots. This splits your screen in half and lets you snap a photo to return to the sender. In this case, the recipient won’t have to send back a message to view your response.</p>
<p>— SECOND TAKE:</p>
<p>Facebook had a previous Snapchat-like app called Poke, but it never caught on.</p>
<p>Slingshot is the second app to come out of Facebook’s Creative Labs, an internal project designed to develop separate apps in a startup-like environment.</p>
<p>The first app from the lab was Paper, a social news reader that came out in February. The effort comes as Facebook seeks to broaden its reach beyond its 1.28 billion users by splintering off some of its functions to separate apps — and creating stand-alone apps for entirely new features and audiences.</p>
<p>Ten people have been working on Slingshot since January. It grew out of a December hackathon at Facebook where people were trying to figure out out “new ways of sharing,” Flynn says.</p>
<p>Flynn says he thought of his two brothers, both of whom are “non-technical, they don’t live in San Francisco.” The three communicate on iMessage, the iPhone’s built in-messaging system, and Flynn would often send photos and messages to his brothers to no response other than a “seen” receipt. Slingshot, he says, is intended to make sharing stuff more reciprocal.</p>
<p>— THE PROSPECTS:</p>
<p>Even Facebook acknowledges that its Creative Labs apps are starting small and might not reach an audience that Facebook itself reaches. The idea is to offer something for everyone.</p>
<p>But with a plethora of social sharing apps out there, Slingshot faces fiery competition — not just from Snapchat but also Instagram, which Facebook owns, and WhatsApp, which Facebook is buying for $19 billion. The challenge will be to show how it’s different.</p>
| 7,008 |
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<p>When you think of all the nifty things Donald Trump has done to improve U.S. relations with Russia—all those back channel meetings by his henchmen with Russian ambassadors and black-bag operatives, all the towel-snapping good times with Vladimir Putin—it’s a shame to think that the Evil Empire could be responsible for bringing down his presidency. But that’s the way it is with Russia: in the end—just ask FDR and his pal Uncle Joe at Yalta—it breaks your heart.</p>
<p>The only American politician ever to figure out the Russians was William Seward, Abraham Lincoln’s and Andrew Johnson’s Secretary of State. He paid them $7.2 million for Alaska, which celebrated the transaction by sending the secretary enough local hardwood to panel his staircase in Auburn, New York.</p>
<p>As for the rest, up to and including his excellency, the Fakir of Twitter, Russia has remained an enigma wrapped inside a photo op or a soundbite, there to convince the American people that the president is bringing his A game to some reelection campaign.</p>
<p>The reality in Russia has never mattered. What does is how it can be positioned to poison the opposition’s well in American politics—which is why Russian relations are a variation on presidential blind man’s bluff.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Remember when W gazed into Putin’s eyes? (“I looked the man in the eye. I found him very straightforward and trustworthy – I was able to get a sense of his soul.”) Too bad he failed to notice, while leaning in, that Putin can get by without much soul food.</p>
<p>Nor to be forgotten is that Richard Nixon gave Russian strongman Leonid Brezhnev a 1972 Eldorado Cadillac (not the Fleetwood station wagon that looked like a hearse) just in time for the gas lines of the 1970s. No wonder Brezhnev said thank you a few years later by invading Afghanistan.</p>
<p>John F. Kennedy tried to charm his way through a June 1961 Vienna summit with Nikita Khrushchev only for the Russian shoe pounder to wall off East Berlin and send nuclear weapons to Cuba. (“Nasdrovia, Jack.”)</p>
<p>Not that JFK’s predecessor Dwight Eisenhower, the five-star general, had any better insight into Russian intentions. During the war, Stalin rolled Ike by saying he wasn’t interested in taking Berlin, which explains why Eisenhower’s men were liberating Meissen’s porcelain factories on the Elbe River while the Russians were raping their way along the Unter den Linden.</p>
<p>As president, Eisenhower—well, his frontman John Foster Dulles—talked about rolling back the Iron Curtain, but that only brought Russian tanks into Budapest.</p>
<p>World War II is thought of as the glory days of Russian-American cooperation—with Liberty ships bringing the armaments of democracy to Murmansk and Archangel.</p>
<p>But FDR was never able to square Stalin’s Non-Aggression Pact with Hitler with Russia’s allied status, and at Yalta he failed to notice that retired bank robber Iosif Dzhugashvili’s idea of the Four Freedoms was to have his way in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria.</p>
<p>Even the messianic Woodrow Wilson, who fought for the world to “be made safe for democracy,” could not divine the Russians. In 1918, he sent American troops to Siberia in support of tsarist pretenders who were themselves trying to make the world safe for the autocracy of a Romanov restoration.</p>
<p>All Barack Obama saw when he looked at Russia was himself in a mirror—a society of law professors and community organizers with aspirations to have a summer house on Martha’s Vineyard.</p>
<p>It never occurred to him that Putin’s book club would spend more time with Lenin’s What Is To Be Done or Stalin’s Marxism and the National Question than, say, with the short stories of Barbara Kingsolver, which may explain why the president’s 333 rounds of White House golf did not keep the Russians out of Crimea or Donetsk.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>In trying to assess why his Russian dealings might bring down the House of Trump, it’s useful to summarize how the president got into this mess, where now both the FBI and Congress are eager to ask all the president’s men, “Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Putinist party?”</p>
<p>The reason for the Un-American questions is that for Trump, personally and politically, Russia is the mother of all conflicts-of-interest.</p>
<p>Before Trump saw Russia as a convenient hacker of Democratic emails, he could well have “turned east” in the 1990s and 2000s when many of his companies were bankrupt and he was frantic for flight capital to roost along Fifth Avenue and the boardwalk in Atlantic City.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that Trump’s current business model is to front deals and have them funded with other people’s money. The owners get to fly the Trump flag over their investment properties, and he keeps 30 percent of the take—in the words of Caddyshack’s Carl Spackler, “a little something, you know, for the effort.”</p>
<p>When Trump was building properties and tying to flog the condos, he lost hundreds of millions of dollars, which could well have brought him into the arms of the Russian oligarchy.</p>
<p>At the time it was flush with billions in hot cash and desperate to find safe havens outside Russia for the easy money. What better match could there have been than one between Putin’s bagmen and Trump’s capital-starved monopoly with hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place.</p>
<p>Best of all, at the pinnacle of many Russian fortunes, there is often—of all things—a Delaware limited liability company, known in the trade by the letters LLC.</p>
<p>Everyone assumes that Russian fortunes are stashed away in Switzerland, Cyprus, the Cook Islands, or Jersey. The reality is that many Russians prefer the secrecy that “the first state” confers upon its beneficial owners.</p>
<p>Banking secrecy may be dead in Zurich and Singapore, but it is alive and well in Delaware, and of late, it would allow Trump to say (with a clear conscience) that he has “no business in Russia.” Of course not: if he is dealing with Russian capital, the booking center would likely be in Wilmington.</p>
<p>Even a cursory glance at Trump’s financial disclosure forms online shows that of the 564 organizations in which Trump has a financial interest—including the Jeddah Hotel Manager and Trump Drinks Israel—many of the listed companies are LLCs. So he knows how that political-economic animal leaves few footprints.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>The problem with the Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Form (OGE Form 278e) is that it only lists the asset side of the Trump balance sheet, and then without valuations.</p>
<p>To whom Trump owes money and why is buried—not in his non-disclosed tax returns, but deeper in the financial statements of his many privately held companies, few of which are required to publish their annual reports.</p>
<p>The magic of real estate partnership accounting, especially when it comes to Trump’s boardwalk empire, is that unraveling both the assets and liabilities would require more auditors than were needed to reconcile the malfeasance of Bernie Madoff.</p>
<p>Why? Because Trump’s liabilities are hidden not just in private companies but in a trust, while his investors (whoever they might be) will have structured their own affairs to mask their beneficiary under layers of front companies, not just in Delaware, but around the world in places like the Channel Islands, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Singapore, or maybe Nauru. Good luck untangling that knotted fishing line.</p>
<p>You want to find out if Putin has investments in Trump Inc.? First, try to unravel Putin’s financial empire of dummy corporations and cut-out trustees. Then try to marry its investments to Trump’s equally opaque empire.</p>
<p>In other words, it’s a job on par with finishing a 10,000-piece puzzle, for which all the pieces are white, maybe with a hammer-and-sickle in shadow on the front of a high-rise hotel.</p>
<p>Under the Constitution, Congress has the right and obligation to sort out Trump’s foreign engagements (to use the words of George Washington). If any time in the next four years Democrats obtain a majority in the House or Senate, you can be sure that a full audit of Trump Inc. will be on the agenda. With, however, some Republican support—“Hey, John McCain, this Bud’s for you”—the fun can start sooner.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Clearly Russia is the 800-pound gorilla loose on the grounds at Mar-a-Lago, and it explains the Trump meltdown over the decision of Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself in any Russian investigations.</p>
<p>Trump had his temper tantrum last week in the Oval Office when he learned from his consiglieri, Messrs. Bannon and Priebus, that Sessions would not oversee any probe into the Russian connection.</p>
<p>The day before Trump had a field trip to the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and had basked in the glow of having delivered, on March 1, a speech that, according to Press Secretary Spicer, ranked up there, among presidential addresses, with Lincoln’s Second Inaugural and FDR’s remarks that we have “nothing to fear but fear itself.”</p>
<p>On the aircraft carrier, draft-dodger Trump was given a hero’s welcome. They even gave him a top-gun jacket and cap to wear on deck, although he still looked more like Hot Shots’ Admiral Benson (“Really? That’s my name too”) than Maverick or Iceman.</p>
<p>Back at the White House, Trump became furious with Bannon and Priebus and told them they could not ride on Air Force One that weekend down to Mar-a-Lago. In Trumpworld, such an injunction counts as cruel and unusual punishment.</p>
<p>According to Spicer, Trump’s anger stemmed from the Sessions headlines over his hookups with Russians and how they stole thunder from the president’s Gettysburg Address. But my feeling is that the Sessions recusal is no small matter and that it gets to the heart of Trump’s coming Siberian exile.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>The only reason any president appoints an attorney general is to keep the impeachment wolves from the doors of the Oval Office.</p>
<p>Trump may have appreciated Sessions’ opposition to the Voting Rights Act, if not his air kisses to the Klan, but the reason that the Alabaman got the top job in the Justice Department was to watch Trump’s back, and that meant keeping a lid on any Russian investigations.</p>
<p>Already when Sessions was appointed to the job of attorney general, Trump had worries on the Russian front. He knew that the FBI was investigating possible conversations between his campaign and Russian operatives about lifting sanctions and the release Hillary’s emails to influence the election.</p>
<p>Then there was the kompromat report written by a former British intelligence agent, Christopher Steele, that placed Trump on the receiving end of some isolated showers in a Russian hotel suite that President Obama had rented for more statesman-like purposes.</p>
<p>When Trump picked Sessions, he knew well that if the Democrats were going to gin up impeachment charges, they would probably start in the Russian rain.</p>
<p>No wonder Sessions chose to lie to the Senate when asked, in his confirmation hearings, if he had any contacts with the Russians. In the cabinet, his mission impossible was to wash Trump clean of Russian escorts (broadly defined).</p>
<p>Hence Trump’s foaming rage at Bannon and Priebus for agreeing when Sessions decided (while Trump was at general quarters on the Ford) that he would recuse himself from any witch hunting in Russia.</p>
<p>Now the investigation could end up in the hands of a runaway Congress or some jarhead civil servant in the Justice Department who grew up reading Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan novels.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Is it an impeachable offense for the campaign of a presidential candidate to speak to foreign countries? Hardly. The presence of foreign interference in presidential elections goes back to George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, who fought bitterly over whether the English or the French ought to be the best friend of the young republic.</p>
<p>A great insult of the time was the word “Jacobin,” which implied a politician was in the pay of revolutionary France. In his history of the Jefferson and Madison administrations, Henry Adams quotes one prominent Federalist grand dame, who said: “There was no exclusiveness, but I should as soon have expected to see a cow in a drawing-room as a Jacobin.”</p>
<p>All through the 19th and 20th centuries, most elections had denunciations of foreign tampering—for example, with William McKinley in 1896 running against Spanish perfidy or Dwight Eisenhower campaigning in 1952 against communist subversion (Richard Nixon and the House Un-American Activities Committee were his running mates).</p>
<p>Trump’s Russian problems, however, go deeper than simple influence peddling for the Reds in exchange for some Kremlin condos. It’s that he lied or that his minions lied about the nature of the complicated relationship.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>One of the non-sequiturs of the 2016 electoral campaign was the deference Trump and his surrogates paid to the Russians. They wanted to build walls to keep out Mexicans and Canadians, saber-rattled against the Chinese in the Spratly Islands, talked trash to the European Union over Brexit, and threatened Iran and other Middle Eastern states with nuclear winter. But with Russia the tone was that of a lullaby.</p>
<p>Putin was treated as if he were some high roller in Atlantic City, down for the weekend with his mistress and entourage. Trump’s campaign surrogates (Sessions, Flynn, and others) were sent around—as if floor men at the old Trump Taj Mahal—to greet limos, hold doors, fetch drinks, cash chips, and otherwise cater to someone that the house clearly valued as a whale.</p>
<p>On the campaign trail, Trump spoke of doing “a deal” with Putin, about having good relations with Russia. The rest of the world—at least the European Union, China, and the Middle East (save Israel)—could piss up a rope.</p>
<p>Russia was romanticized as a tropical paradise, a nation of temperate men and climate, open to reason and persuasion, a possible partner in the coming battles against ISIS.</p>
<p>During the campaign Trump was all in on Russia, especially if it could leak more John Podesta messages or track down Hillary’s purloined wedding letters (“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press…”).</p>
<p>He even spoke warmly about Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange. And we know his surrogates were whispering to Russian moles that Trump might do away with the Obama sanctions against Putin’s merry men.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Just as the Watergate break-in, during the 1972 election, was a misunderstood scandal (the cover up mattered more than the crime), so too are the contacts of Trump’s campaign with what on The Americans is called the Rezidentura (basically a nest of spies).</p>
<p>Who really cares if Senator Jeff Sessions went to a cocktail party or a conference with the Russian ambassador in Washington?</p>
<p>It has only become a story because the attorney general designate was willing to lie under oath to the Senate on the issue and because those lies now open up the possibility of a special prosecutor being appointed to investigate Trump’s Russian assets.</p>
<p>In any investigation, Trump would have to prove to Congress that none of the tentacles in his real estate empire reach into Russian holding companies or oligarchic trusts. Proving such a negative could, however, unravel his presidency.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Helping Trump in these patriot games is that he is up against a Democratic leadership in Congress that for the moment looks no more competent than Maxwell Smart, Agent 86, in tracking down the enemies of CONTROL. (KOAS agent: “I can drown the city that houses your finest minds, your most brilliant intellects.” Max to Agent 99: “Well at least Washington is safe.”)</p>
<p>Neither Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer nor Representative Nancy Pelosi looks capable of tangling with an angry, possibly unhinged Trump, wandering the halls of Mar-a-Lago as if King Lear with a Blackberry, in a rage at his treacherous footmen Bannon and Priebus. (Beware, fayre Ivanka, he is attended with a desperate train.)</p>
<p>Incompetent as the opposition seems (Schumer’s problem could be that Trump bankrolled many of his elections and must have the cancelled checks), it has been given what in football is called a weak schedule—and in a division where the Trump administration is suiting up amateurs.</p>
<p>For starters, it will not be hard to prove that Trump’s people had entangling alliances with the Russians during the campaign and after. A big deal? Only because everyone from the president on down has denied any connection.</p>
<p>Next, details about Russian hacking to influence the 2016 election can be played out in lurid detail, this time by an FBI intent on restoring the virtue it lost in bringing Hillary’s server problems to primetime.</p>
<p>When the FBI tires of defending the moral high ground, the CIA and NSA can weigh in with their own Russian revelations, especially if Trump sends gumshoes to indict intelligence agents who leaked the Flynn phone intercepts to the press.</p>
<p>On slow days for news, investigators can amuse themselves with Trump’s byzantine financial affairs—by searching for a dividend check from a foreign government or Putin’s fingerprints on a bank transfer.</p>
<p>Watergate was great reality television. Isn’t it time for a remake, with Bernie Sanders in the starring role of Senator Sam Ervin?</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Whether any of these charges will be proven true is beside the point. The idea is bring down Trump.</p>
<p>Nor will anyone in Congress or elsewhere dig into the true nature of Russian foreign policy—the question of whether Putin’s Soviet Risorgimento is a threat to American interests or merely a dagger pointed at the heart of Moldova.</p>
<p>Sadly, in the great game of American politics, the reality in Russia—for better or for worse—has never dictated how the U.S. deals with Moscow, which is best understood as a distant sound-and-light show.</p>
<p>The Cold War—all those dragons on conference-room walls in Washington—spoke to the need for American defense spending and bureaucratic enlargement much more than it did to Russian threats to West Germany.</p>
<p>When Ronald Reagan exhorted, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” he was speaking to an audience in the American heartland, not Red Square.</p>
<p>Even the accomplished John Quincy Adams, who first went to St. Petersburg on his own as a fourteen-year-old boy to represent his father on a diplomatic mission and who later served as an ambassador at the Romanov court, wrote about Russian life in his diary as a way to decode the riddle of America.</p>
<p>In compromising Trump, Russia again will become a straw man—an imagined nation of double agents, loan sharks, inside traders, hit men, and rounders looking for a friendly game in Atlantic City. Whether Russia has a historic claim to eastern Ukraine or Crimea will not be under discussion, nor will Putin’s aspirations in the Baltic or the Caucasus.</p>
<p>The only question on the table will be the presumed fallen innocence of American democracy and that of the compromised virgin republic, which, clearly, those lowlifes Trump and Putin will have taken for a joy ride in Brezhnev’s Cadillac.</p>
<p>Matthew Stevenson, a contributing editor of Harper’s Magazine, is the author of many books including, most recently, <a href="" type="internal">Reading the Rails</a>.</p>
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Trump’s Excellent Russian Adventure
| true |
https://counterpunch.org/2017/03/10/91103/
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2017-03-10
| 4left
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Trump’s Excellent Russian Adventure
<p>When you think of all the nifty things Donald Trump has done to improve U.S. relations with Russia—all those back channel meetings by his henchmen with Russian ambassadors and black-bag operatives, all the towel-snapping good times with Vladimir Putin—it’s a shame to think that the Evil Empire could be responsible for bringing down his presidency. But that’s the way it is with Russia: in the end—just ask FDR and his pal Uncle Joe at Yalta—it breaks your heart.</p>
<p>The only American politician ever to figure out the Russians was William Seward, Abraham Lincoln’s and Andrew Johnson’s Secretary of State. He paid them $7.2 million for Alaska, which celebrated the transaction by sending the secretary enough local hardwood to panel his staircase in Auburn, New York.</p>
<p>As for the rest, up to and including his excellency, the Fakir of Twitter, Russia has remained an enigma wrapped inside a photo op or a soundbite, there to convince the American people that the president is bringing his A game to some reelection campaign.</p>
<p>The reality in Russia has never mattered. What does is how it can be positioned to poison the opposition’s well in American politics—which is why Russian relations are a variation on presidential blind man’s bluff.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Remember when W gazed into Putin’s eyes? (“I looked the man in the eye. I found him very straightforward and trustworthy – I was able to get a sense of his soul.”) Too bad he failed to notice, while leaning in, that Putin can get by without much soul food.</p>
<p>Nor to be forgotten is that Richard Nixon gave Russian strongman Leonid Brezhnev a 1972 Eldorado Cadillac (not the Fleetwood station wagon that looked like a hearse) just in time for the gas lines of the 1970s. No wonder Brezhnev said thank you a few years later by invading Afghanistan.</p>
<p>John F. Kennedy tried to charm his way through a June 1961 Vienna summit with Nikita Khrushchev only for the Russian shoe pounder to wall off East Berlin and send nuclear weapons to Cuba. (“Nasdrovia, Jack.”)</p>
<p>Not that JFK’s predecessor Dwight Eisenhower, the five-star general, had any better insight into Russian intentions. During the war, Stalin rolled Ike by saying he wasn’t interested in taking Berlin, which explains why Eisenhower’s men were liberating Meissen’s porcelain factories on the Elbe River while the Russians were raping their way along the Unter den Linden.</p>
<p>As president, Eisenhower—well, his frontman John Foster Dulles—talked about rolling back the Iron Curtain, but that only brought Russian tanks into Budapest.</p>
<p>World War II is thought of as the glory days of Russian-American cooperation—with Liberty ships bringing the armaments of democracy to Murmansk and Archangel.</p>
<p>But FDR was never able to square Stalin’s Non-Aggression Pact with Hitler with Russia’s allied status, and at Yalta he failed to notice that retired bank robber Iosif Dzhugashvili’s idea of the Four Freedoms was to have his way in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria.</p>
<p>Even the messianic Woodrow Wilson, who fought for the world to “be made safe for democracy,” could not divine the Russians. In 1918, he sent American troops to Siberia in support of tsarist pretenders who were themselves trying to make the world safe for the autocracy of a Romanov restoration.</p>
<p>All Barack Obama saw when he looked at Russia was himself in a mirror—a society of law professors and community organizers with aspirations to have a summer house on Martha’s Vineyard.</p>
<p>It never occurred to him that Putin’s book club would spend more time with Lenin’s What Is To Be Done or Stalin’s Marxism and the National Question than, say, with the short stories of Barbara Kingsolver, which may explain why the president’s 333 rounds of White House golf did not keep the Russians out of Crimea or Donetsk.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>In trying to assess why his Russian dealings might bring down the House of Trump, it’s useful to summarize how the president got into this mess, where now both the FBI and Congress are eager to ask all the president’s men, “Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Putinist party?”</p>
<p>The reason for the Un-American questions is that for Trump, personally and politically, Russia is the mother of all conflicts-of-interest.</p>
<p>Before Trump saw Russia as a convenient hacker of Democratic emails, he could well have “turned east” in the 1990s and 2000s when many of his companies were bankrupt and he was frantic for flight capital to roost along Fifth Avenue and the boardwalk in Atlantic City.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that Trump’s current business model is to front deals and have them funded with other people’s money. The owners get to fly the Trump flag over their investment properties, and he keeps 30 percent of the take—in the words of Caddyshack’s Carl Spackler, “a little something, you know, for the effort.”</p>
<p>When Trump was building properties and tying to flog the condos, he lost hundreds of millions of dollars, which could well have brought him into the arms of the Russian oligarchy.</p>
<p>At the time it was flush with billions in hot cash and desperate to find safe havens outside Russia for the easy money. What better match could there have been than one between Putin’s bagmen and Trump’s capital-starved monopoly with hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place.</p>
<p>Best of all, at the pinnacle of many Russian fortunes, there is often—of all things—a Delaware limited liability company, known in the trade by the letters LLC.</p>
<p>Everyone assumes that Russian fortunes are stashed away in Switzerland, Cyprus, the Cook Islands, or Jersey. The reality is that many Russians prefer the secrecy that “the first state” confers upon its beneficial owners.</p>
<p>Banking secrecy may be dead in Zurich and Singapore, but it is alive and well in Delaware, and of late, it would allow Trump to say (with a clear conscience) that he has “no business in Russia.” Of course not: if he is dealing with Russian capital, the booking center would likely be in Wilmington.</p>
<p>Even a cursory glance at Trump’s financial disclosure forms online shows that of the 564 organizations in which Trump has a financial interest—including the Jeddah Hotel Manager and Trump Drinks Israel—many of the listed companies are LLCs. So he knows how that political-economic animal leaves few footprints.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>The problem with the Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Form (OGE Form 278e) is that it only lists the asset side of the Trump balance sheet, and then without valuations.</p>
<p>To whom Trump owes money and why is buried—not in his non-disclosed tax returns, but deeper in the financial statements of his many privately held companies, few of which are required to publish their annual reports.</p>
<p>The magic of real estate partnership accounting, especially when it comes to Trump’s boardwalk empire, is that unraveling both the assets and liabilities would require more auditors than were needed to reconcile the malfeasance of Bernie Madoff.</p>
<p>Why? Because Trump’s liabilities are hidden not just in private companies but in a trust, while his investors (whoever they might be) will have structured their own affairs to mask their beneficiary under layers of front companies, not just in Delaware, but around the world in places like the Channel Islands, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Singapore, or maybe Nauru. Good luck untangling that knotted fishing line.</p>
<p>You want to find out if Putin has investments in Trump Inc.? First, try to unravel Putin’s financial empire of dummy corporations and cut-out trustees. Then try to marry its investments to Trump’s equally opaque empire.</p>
<p>In other words, it’s a job on par with finishing a 10,000-piece puzzle, for which all the pieces are white, maybe with a hammer-and-sickle in shadow on the front of a high-rise hotel.</p>
<p>Under the Constitution, Congress has the right and obligation to sort out Trump’s foreign engagements (to use the words of George Washington). If any time in the next four years Democrats obtain a majority in the House or Senate, you can be sure that a full audit of Trump Inc. will be on the agenda. With, however, some Republican support—“Hey, John McCain, this Bud’s for you”—the fun can start sooner.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Clearly Russia is the 800-pound gorilla loose on the grounds at Mar-a-Lago, and it explains the Trump meltdown over the decision of Attorney General Jeff Sessions to recuse himself in any Russian investigations.</p>
<p>Trump had his temper tantrum last week in the Oval Office when he learned from his consiglieri, Messrs. Bannon and Priebus, that Sessions would not oversee any probe into the Russian connection.</p>
<p>The day before Trump had a field trip to the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and had basked in the glow of having delivered, on March 1, a speech that, according to Press Secretary Spicer, ranked up there, among presidential addresses, with Lincoln’s Second Inaugural and FDR’s remarks that we have “nothing to fear but fear itself.”</p>
<p>On the aircraft carrier, draft-dodger Trump was given a hero’s welcome. They even gave him a top-gun jacket and cap to wear on deck, although he still looked more like Hot Shots’ Admiral Benson (“Really? That’s my name too”) than Maverick or Iceman.</p>
<p>Back at the White House, Trump became furious with Bannon and Priebus and told them they could not ride on Air Force One that weekend down to Mar-a-Lago. In Trumpworld, such an injunction counts as cruel and unusual punishment.</p>
<p>According to Spicer, Trump’s anger stemmed from the Sessions headlines over his hookups with Russians and how they stole thunder from the president’s Gettysburg Address. But my feeling is that the Sessions recusal is no small matter and that it gets to the heart of Trump’s coming Siberian exile.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>The only reason any president appoints an attorney general is to keep the impeachment wolves from the doors of the Oval Office.</p>
<p>Trump may have appreciated Sessions’ opposition to the Voting Rights Act, if not his air kisses to the Klan, but the reason that the Alabaman got the top job in the Justice Department was to watch Trump’s back, and that meant keeping a lid on any Russian investigations.</p>
<p>Already when Sessions was appointed to the job of attorney general, Trump had worries on the Russian front. He knew that the FBI was investigating possible conversations between his campaign and Russian operatives about lifting sanctions and the release Hillary’s emails to influence the election.</p>
<p>Then there was the kompromat report written by a former British intelligence agent, Christopher Steele, that placed Trump on the receiving end of some isolated showers in a Russian hotel suite that President Obama had rented for more statesman-like purposes.</p>
<p>When Trump picked Sessions, he knew well that if the Democrats were going to gin up impeachment charges, they would probably start in the Russian rain.</p>
<p>No wonder Sessions chose to lie to the Senate when asked, in his confirmation hearings, if he had any contacts with the Russians. In the cabinet, his mission impossible was to wash Trump clean of Russian escorts (broadly defined).</p>
<p>Hence Trump’s foaming rage at Bannon and Priebus for agreeing when Sessions decided (while Trump was at general quarters on the Ford) that he would recuse himself from any witch hunting in Russia.</p>
<p>Now the investigation could end up in the hands of a runaway Congress or some jarhead civil servant in the Justice Department who grew up reading Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan novels.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Is it an impeachable offense for the campaign of a presidential candidate to speak to foreign countries? Hardly. The presence of foreign interference in presidential elections goes back to George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, who fought bitterly over whether the English or the French ought to be the best friend of the young republic.</p>
<p>A great insult of the time was the word “Jacobin,” which implied a politician was in the pay of revolutionary France. In his history of the Jefferson and Madison administrations, Henry Adams quotes one prominent Federalist grand dame, who said: “There was no exclusiveness, but I should as soon have expected to see a cow in a drawing-room as a Jacobin.”</p>
<p>All through the 19th and 20th centuries, most elections had denunciations of foreign tampering—for example, with William McKinley in 1896 running against Spanish perfidy or Dwight Eisenhower campaigning in 1952 against communist subversion (Richard Nixon and the House Un-American Activities Committee were his running mates).</p>
<p>Trump’s Russian problems, however, go deeper than simple influence peddling for the Reds in exchange for some Kremlin condos. It’s that he lied or that his minions lied about the nature of the complicated relationship.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>One of the non-sequiturs of the 2016 electoral campaign was the deference Trump and his surrogates paid to the Russians. They wanted to build walls to keep out Mexicans and Canadians, saber-rattled against the Chinese in the Spratly Islands, talked trash to the European Union over Brexit, and threatened Iran and other Middle Eastern states with nuclear winter. But with Russia the tone was that of a lullaby.</p>
<p>Putin was treated as if he were some high roller in Atlantic City, down for the weekend with his mistress and entourage. Trump’s campaign surrogates (Sessions, Flynn, and others) were sent around—as if floor men at the old Trump Taj Mahal—to greet limos, hold doors, fetch drinks, cash chips, and otherwise cater to someone that the house clearly valued as a whale.</p>
<p>On the campaign trail, Trump spoke of doing “a deal” with Putin, about having good relations with Russia. The rest of the world—at least the European Union, China, and the Middle East (save Israel)—could piss up a rope.</p>
<p>Russia was romanticized as a tropical paradise, a nation of temperate men and climate, open to reason and persuasion, a possible partner in the coming battles against ISIS.</p>
<p>During the campaign Trump was all in on Russia, especially if it could leak more John Podesta messages or track down Hillary’s purloined wedding letters (“Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press…”).</p>
<p>He even spoke warmly about Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange. And we know his surrogates were whispering to Russian moles that Trump might do away with the Obama sanctions against Putin’s merry men.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Just as the Watergate break-in, during the 1972 election, was a misunderstood scandal (the cover up mattered more than the crime), so too are the contacts of Trump’s campaign with what on The Americans is called the Rezidentura (basically a nest of spies).</p>
<p>Who really cares if Senator Jeff Sessions went to a cocktail party or a conference with the Russian ambassador in Washington?</p>
<p>It has only become a story because the attorney general designate was willing to lie under oath to the Senate on the issue and because those lies now open up the possibility of a special prosecutor being appointed to investigate Trump’s Russian assets.</p>
<p>In any investigation, Trump would have to prove to Congress that none of the tentacles in his real estate empire reach into Russian holding companies or oligarchic trusts. Proving such a negative could, however, unravel his presidency.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Helping Trump in these patriot games is that he is up against a Democratic leadership in Congress that for the moment looks no more competent than Maxwell Smart, Agent 86, in tracking down the enemies of CONTROL. (KOAS agent: “I can drown the city that houses your finest minds, your most brilliant intellects.” Max to Agent 99: “Well at least Washington is safe.”)</p>
<p>Neither Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer nor Representative Nancy Pelosi looks capable of tangling with an angry, possibly unhinged Trump, wandering the halls of Mar-a-Lago as if King Lear with a Blackberry, in a rage at his treacherous footmen Bannon and Priebus. (Beware, fayre Ivanka, he is attended with a desperate train.)</p>
<p>Incompetent as the opposition seems (Schumer’s problem could be that Trump bankrolled many of his elections and must have the cancelled checks), it has been given what in football is called a weak schedule—and in a division where the Trump administration is suiting up amateurs.</p>
<p>For starters, it will not be hard to prove that Trump’s people had entangling alliances with the Russians during the campaign and after. A big deal? Only because everyone from the president on down has denied any connection.</p>
<p>Next, details about Russian hacking to influence the 2016 election can be played out in lurid detail, this time by an FBI intent on restoring the virtue it lost in bringing Hillary’s server problems to primetime.</p>
<p>When the FBI tires of defending the moral high ground, the CIA and NSA can weigh in with their own Russian revelations, especially if Trump sends gumshoes to indict intelligence agents who leaked the Flynn phone intercepts to the press.</p>
<p>On slow days for news, investigators can amuse themselves with Trump’s byzantine financial affairs—by searching for a dividend check from a foreign government or Putin’s fingerprints on a bank transfer.</p>
<p>Watergate was great reality television. Isn’t it time for a remake, with Bernie Sanders in the starring role of Senator Sam Ervin?</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Whether any of these charges will be proven true is beside the point. The idea is bring down Trump.</p>
<p>Nor will anyone in Congress or elsewhere dig into the true nature of Russian foreign policy—the question of whether Putin’s Soviet Risorgimento is a threat to American interests or merely a dagger pointed at the heart of Moldova.</p>
<p>Sadly, in the great game of American politics, the reality in Russia—for better or for worse—has never dictated how the U.S. deals with Moscow, which is best understood as a distant sound-and-light show.</p>
<p>The Cold War—all those dragons on conference-room walls in Washington—spoke to the need for American defense spending and bureaucratic enlargement much more than it did to Russian threats to West Germany.</p>
<p>When Ronald Reagan exhorted, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” he was speaking to an audience in the American heartland, not Red Square.</p>
<p>Even the accomplished John Quincy Adams, who first went to St. Petersburg on his own as a fourteen-year-old boy to represent his father on a diplomatic mission and who later served as an ambassador at the Romanov court, wrote about Russian life in his diary as a way to decode the riddle of America.</p>
<p>In compromising Trump, Russia again will become a straw man—an imagined nation of double agents, loan sharks, inside traders, hit men, and rounders looking for a friendly game in Atlantic City. Whether Russia has a historic claim to eastern Ukraine or Crimea will not be under discussion, nor will Putin’s aspirations in the Baltic or the Caucasus.</p>
<p>The only question on the table will be the presumed fallen innocence of American democracy and that of the compromised virgin republic, which, clearly, those lowlifes Trump and Putin will have taken for a joy ride in Brezhnev’s Cadillac.</p>
<p>Matthew Stevenson, a contributing editor of Harper’s Magazine, is the author of many books including, most recently, <a href="" type="internal">Reading the Rails</a>.</p>
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<p>Victoria Baker, 34, of Belen, is charged with six counts of criminal sexual penetration, eight counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, two counts of child neglect or abuse and five counts of tampering with evidence.</p>
<p>The Belen Consolidated School district has placed Baker on paid administrative leave.</p>
<p>BAKER: 10 years on and off with district</p>
<p>Baker was arraigned in Magistrate Court in Los Lunas where Magistrate John “Buddy” Sanchez lowered her bond from $300,000 to $100,000 cash or surety, or 10 percent to the court.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Defense attorney Joshua Sanchez asked the judge to grant a third-party release to her father, and said Baker’s two young children are now in the custody of her sister in Colorado.</p>
<p>Judge Sanchez ordered that if Baker was to post bond and be released from jail, she is not allowed to have any electronic communication devices, such as a cellphone or computer.</p>
<p>He also ordered that Baker not communicate with anyone 18 years old or younger.</p>
<p>New Mexico State Police arrested Baker last week after interviewing a 17-year-old Belen High School student, who told them he had been having a sexual relationship with her since November.</p>
<p>According to the criminal complaint, the teenager told the agents he had started a personal relationship with Baker after he got her cellphone number.</p>
<p>He said his first sexual encounter with Baker was in November at her home. The relationship continued through December, and the teen said they had sex about seven more times at her house as well as his cousin’s home.</p>
<p>The student also told police that during his text message conversations with Baker she sent him multiple nude photographs of herself, according to the complaint.</p>
<p>“(The teen) said that during their relationship, he would stay at her house almost every day and on three occasions, he drank Dos Equis beer she provided him and his friend …,” the complaint said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Baker admitted to the sexual relationship with the student and giving him alcohol during an interview with an investigator, according to the complaint. Baker also admitted to State Police that she had the provocative text messages to the student, but had later deleted them.</p>
<p>Belen Schools Superintendent Ron Marquez said he was told about the allegations against Baker on the morning of Jan. 15. Marquez said an assistant principal at the high school received information from a teacher at BHS about the relationship.</p>
<p>“Our human resources director, Jennifer Brown, went to the high school and immediately placed Ms. Baker on paid administrative leave,” Marquez said.</p>
<p>The superintendent said the parents of the student were contacted, and the district notified and made a referral to the Children, Youth and Families Department. Marquez said it was his understanding that the 17-year-old male is a special needs student.</p>
<p>Baker has worked for the district on and off for about 10 years, he said.</p>
<p>School officials said they conducted a background check on Baker but they said they could not say whether they found any red flags.</p>
<p>Assistant Editor Julia M. Dendinger contributed to this story.</p>
<p />
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Aide charged in affair with student
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https://abqjournal.com/530470/aide-charged-in-affair-with-student.html
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Aide charged in affair with student
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<p />
<p>Victoria Baker, 34, of Belen, is charged with six counts of criminal sexual penetration, eight counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, two counts of child neglect or abuse and five counts of tampering with evidence.</p>
<p>The Belen Consolidated School district has placed Baker on paid administrative leave.</p>
<p>BAKER: 10 years on and off with district</p>
<p>Baker was arraigned in Magistrate Court in Los Lunas where Magistrate John “Buddy” Sanchez lowered her bond from $300,000 to $100,000 cash or surety, or 10 percent to the court.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Defense attorney Joshua Sanchez asked the judge to grant a third-party release to her father, and said Baker’s two young children are now in the custody of her sister in Colorado.</p>
<p>Judge Sanchez ordered that if Baker was to post bond and be released from jail, she is not allowed to have any electronic communication devices, such as a cellphone or computer.</p>
<p>He also ordered that Baker not communicate with anyone 18 years old or younger.</p>
<p>New Mexico State Police arrested Baker last week after interviewing a 17-year-old Belen High School student, who told them he had been having a sexual relationship with her since November.</p>
<p>According to the criminal complaint, the teenager told the agents he had started a personal relationship with Baker after he got her cellphone number.</p>
<p>He said his first sexual encounter with Baker was in November at her home. The relationship continued through December, and the teen said they had sex about seven more times at her house as well as his cousin’s home.</p>
<p>The student also told police that during his text message conversations with Baker she sent him multiple nude photographs of herself, according to the complaint.</p>
<p>“(The teen) said that during their relationship, he would stay at her house almost every day and on three occasions, he drank Dos Equis beer she provided him and his friend …,” the complaint said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Baker admitted to the sexual relationship with the student and giving him alcohol during an interview with an investigator, according to the complaint. Baker also admitted to State Police that she had the provocative text messages to the student, but had later deleted them.</p>
<p>Belen Schools Superintendent Ron Marquez said he was told about the allegations against Baker on the morning of Jan. 15. Marquez said an assistant principal at the high school received information from a teacher at BHS about the relationship.</p>
<p>“Our human resources director, Jennifer Brown, went to the high school and immediately placed Ms. Baker on paid administrative leave,” Marquez said.</p>
<p>The superintendent said the parents of the student were contacted, and the district notified and made a referral to the Children, Youth and Families Department. Marquez said it was his understanding that the 17-year-old male is a special needs student.</p>
<p>Baker has worked for the district on and off for about 10 years, he said.</p>
<p>School officials said they conducted a background check on Baker but they said they could not say whether they found any red flags.</p>
<p>Assistant Editor Julia M. Dendinger contributed to this story.</p>
<p />
<p />
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<p>At least a half-dozen New Mexico Democrats have expressed interest in running for governor in two years, a list that includes Attorney General Hector Balderas, U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., and state Sen. Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces.</p>
<p>Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales added his name to the mix in recent days, saying he’s “reflecting” on a possible gubernatorial bid, partly because of concerns that the state is not properly funding education.</p>
<p>Other potential candidates have also emerged, including media executive Jeff Apodaca, the son of former Gov. Jerry Apodaca, and Santa Fe businessman Alan Webber, who sought the Democratic Party nomination for governor in 2014.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Webber told the Journal he would not have weighed a 2018 run if U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., had decided to pursue the race, but Udall said last week that he would remain in the Senate and bypass the gubernatorial race.</p>
<p>“I think Tom Udall would have made a great governor,” Webber said. “But if he’s not going to run, I think I should take a hard look at it.”</p>
<p>Apodaca, who has never run for elected office, said he would have considered entering the race regardless of Udall’s decision, describing himself as frustrated by the state’s low rankings in numerous national studies.</p>
<p>“I think there needs to be some new ideas, new direction and new blood,” Apodaca said.</p>
<p>The 2018 governor’s race could be attractive for Democrats and Republicans alike, because two-term GOP Gov. Susana Martinez is barred from seeking re-election.</p>
<p>However, winning election as the state’s chief executive requires lots of time on the campaign trail and serious fundraising chops – Martinez took in more than $6.7 million in contributions during her 2010 gubernatorial bid.</p>
<p>Although no candidates have formally announced for the 2018 race yet, don’t be surprised if they start coming soon, as the field will likely be solidified by the end of next year.</p>
<p>One high-profile Democrat who has ruled out a run is state Auditor Tim Keller, who told the Journal last week, “I’m not looking at governor.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Keller has acknowledged his interest in running next year for mayor of Albuquerque.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Republicans who are considered possible 2018 gubernatorial candidates include Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce and Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry, who will not seek re-election next year to his current job.</p>
<p>Dan Boyd: <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
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Governor’s race could get crowded
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https://abqjournal.com/906519/governors-race-could-get-crowded.html
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Governor’s race could get crowded
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<p />
<p>At least a half-dozen New Mexico Democrats have expressed interest in running for governor in two years, a list that includes Attorney General Hector Balderas, U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., and state Sen. Joseph Cervantes of Las Cruces.</p>
<p>Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales added his name to the mix in recent days, saying he’s “reflecting” on a possible gubernatorial bid, partly because of concerns that the state is not properly funding education.</p>
<p>Other potential candidates have also emerged, including media executive Jeff Apodaca, the son of former Gov. Jerry Apodaca, and Santa Fe businessman Alan Webber, who sought the Democratic Party nomination for governor in 2014.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Webber told the Journal he would not have weighed a 2018 run if U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., had decided to pursue the race, but Udall said last week that he would remain in the Senate and bypass the gubernatorial race.</p>
<p>“I think Tom Udall would have made a great governor,” Webber said. “But if he’s not going to run, I think I should take a hard look at it.”</p>
<p>Apodaca, who has never run for elected office, said he would have considered entering the race regardless of Udall’s decision, describing himself as frustrated by the state’s low rankings in numerous national studies.</p>
<p>“I think there needs to be some new ideas, new direction and new blood,” Apodaca said.</p>
<p>The 2018 governor’s race could be attractive for Democrats and Republicans alike, because two-term GOP Gov. Susana Martinez is barred from seeking re-election.</p>
<p>However, winning election as the state’s chief executive requires lots of time on the campaign trail and serious fundraising chops – Martinez took in more than $6.7 million in contributions during her 2010 gubernatorial bid.</p>
<p>Although no candidates have formally announced for the 2018 race yet, don’t be surprised if they start coming soon, as the field will likely be solidified by the end of next year.</p>
<p>One high-profile Democrat who has ruled out a run is state Auditor Tim Keller, who told the Journal last week, “I’m not looking at governor.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Keller has acknowledged his interest in running next year for mayor of Albuquerque.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Republicans who are considered possible 2018 gubernatorial candidates include Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce and Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry, who will not seek re-election next year to his current job.</p>
<p>Dan Boyd: <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p />
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<p>&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brainchildvn/2659859601/sizes/m/in/photostream/"&gt;brainchildvn&lt;/a&gt;/Flickr</p>
<p />
<p>Tuesday was an historic first for gay marriage—three&#160;times over.</p>
<p>Voters in Maryland, Maine, and Washington all approved ballot measures—by significant margins—allowing gay marriage in their states. Never before have voters gone to the polls in any state and directly approved gay marriage.</p>
<p>Maryland’s <a href="http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/07/14978747-same-sex-marriage-gets-ok-from-voters-in-maryland?lite" type="external">vote affirms</a> the state legislature’s <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2012-02-23/us/us_maryland-same-sex-marriage_1_marriage-bill-marriage-law-civil-unions?_s=PM:US" type="external">passage of same-sex marriage in February.</a> Maine’s reverses a 2009 referendum that blocked gay marriage. Washington state’s decision to approve marriage equality builds on its 2009 vote that <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/New-gay-rights-law-being-approved-by-voters-891382.php" type="external">expanded domestic partnerships</a> to something called, at the time, “everything but marriage.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, marriage rights advocates await a final tally in Minnesota, where a ballot measure asked voters whether to amend the state constitution to explicitly ban gay marriage. Since the state <a href="http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/issues/issues.aspx?issue=gay" type="external">already has a law</a> banning same-sex marriages, a defeat of the measure wouldn’t make gay marriage legal.&#160; But it would prevent the state from erecting yet another obstacle to approving them in the future.</p>
<p>UPDATE, 12:40 PDT: Minnesotans have defeated the attempt to amend the state’s constituition to ban gay marriage, giving four victories to same-sex marriage supporters.</p>
<p />
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Gay Marriage Finally Wins at the Polls
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https://motherjones.com/politics/2012/11/gay-marriage-post/
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2012-11-07
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Gay Marriage Finally Wins at the Polls
<p>&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brainchildvn/2659859601/sizes/m/in/photostream/"&gt;brainchildvn&lt;/a&gt;/Flickr</p>
<p />
<p>Tuesday was an historic first for gay marriage—three&#160;times over.</p>
<p>Voters in Maryland, Maine, and Washington all approved ballot measures—by significant margins—allowing gay marriage in their states. Never before have voters gone to the polls in any state and directly approved gay marriage.</p>
<p>Maryland’s <a href="http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/07/14978747-same-sex-marriage-gets-ok-from-voters-in-maryland?lite" type="external">vote affirms</a> the state legislature’s <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2012-02-23/us/us_maryland-same-sex-marriage_1_marriage-bill-marriage-law-civil-unions?_s=PM:US" type="external">passage of same-sex marriage in February.</a> Maine’s reverses a 2009 referendum that blocked gay marriage. Washington state’s decision to approve marriage equality builds on its 2009 vote that <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/New-gay-rights-law-being-approved-by-voters-891382.php" type="external">expanded domestic partnerships</a> to something called, at the time, “everything but marriage.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, marriage rights advocates await a final tally in Minnesota, where a ballot measure asked voters whether to amend the state constitution to explicitly ban gay marriage. Since the state <a href="http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/issues/issues.aspx?issue=gay" type="external">already has a law</a> banning same-sex marriages, a defeat of the measure wouldn’t make gay marriage legal.&#160; But it would prevent the state from erecting yet another obstacle to approving them in the future.</p>
<p>UPDATE, 12:40 PDT: Minnesotans have defeated the attempt to amend the state’s constituition to ban gay marriage, giving four victories to same-sex marriage supporters.</p>
<p />
| 7,012 |
<p>The recent surge in companies offering fantasy sports leagues with big payouts to participants could help New Jersey's stalled attempt to allow legal sports gambling, a congressman involved in the effort said Monday.</p>
<p>At a panel discussion hosted by the International Centre for Sport Security, Rep. Frank Pallone renewed his call for a closer look at the fantasy leagues and their relationship to the four major professional sports leagues, all of which joined in a lawsuit with the NCAA three years ago to stop New Jersey from allowing sports betting on individual games.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Separate legislation proposed in 2012 by Pallone, a Democrat, and Rep. Frank LoBiondo, a New Jersey Republican, to allow the expansion of sports gambling outside Nevada has been stuck in committee.</p>
<p>Supporters of legal sports gambling say the major pro leagues are hypocritical for opposing its expansion when some are partners in fantasy sports leagues, in which participants "draft" players from different teams and then compete against each other daily or weekly using the players' individual performances. Ads for the fantasy leagues have filled NFL telecasts in the season that began recently.</p>
<p>The leagues say the two aren't the same. Along with the NCAA, they sued New Jersey in 2012 to stop its sports betting effort and have been successful so far, though an appeal is pending in federal court.</p>
<p>Last week Pallone wrote to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over professional sports, to request a hearing into the relationship among the pro leagues, fantasy sports leagues and traditional sports gambling. On Monday, he said the proliferation of fantasy leagues has pushed the issue to the forefront.</p>
<p>"It's been a gradual process, but I think this is going to put them on the spot if we have this hearing," he said, referring to the pro leagues.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Through a spokesman, LoBiondo noted that commissioners of the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League have come out in recent months "in varying degrees in favor of re-examining sports betting."</p>
<p>Representatives for the four pro leagues didn't immediately return requests for comment.</p>
|
As New Jersey sports betting court case inches along, congressmen pursue legislative path
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http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/09/21/as-new-jersey-sports-betting-court-case-inches-along-congressmen-pursue.html
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2016-03-05
| 0right
|
As New Jersey sports betting court case inches along, congressmen pursue legislative path
<p>The recent surge in companies offering fantasy sports leagues with big payouts to participants could help New Jersey's stalled attempt to allow legal sports gambling, a congressman involved in the effort said Monday.</p>
<p>At a panel discussion hosted by the International Centre for Sport Security, Rep. Frank Pallone renewed his call for a closer look at the fantasy leagues and their relationship to the four major professional sports leagues, all of which joined in a lawsuit with the NCAA three years ago to stop New Jersey from allowing sports betting on individual games.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Separate legislation proposed in 2012 by Pallone, a Democrat, and Rep. Frank LoBiondo, a New Jersey Republican, to allow the expansion of sports gambling outside Nevada has been stuck in committee.</p>
<p>Supporters of legal sports gambling say the major pro leagues are hypocritical for opposing its expansion when some are partners in fantasy sports leagues, in which participants "draft" players from different teams and then compete against each other daily or weekly using the players' individual performances. Ads for the fantasy leagues have filled NFL telecasts in the season that began recently.</p>
<p>The leagues say the two aren't the same. Along with the NCAA, they sued New Jersey in 2012 to stop its sports betting effort and have been successful so far, though an appeal is pending in federal court.</p>
<p>Last week Pallone wrote to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over professional sports, to request a hearing into the relationship among the pro leagues, fantasy sports leagues and traditional sports gambling. On Monday, he said the proliferation of fantasy leagues has pushed the issue to the forefront.</p>
<p>"It's been a gradual process, but I think this is going to put them on the spot if we have this hearing," he said, referring to the pro leagues.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Through a spokesman, LoBiondo noted that commissioners of the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League have come out in recent months "in varying degrees in favor of re-examining sports betting."</p>
<p>Representatives for the four pro leagues didn't immediately return requests for comment.</p>
| 7,013 |
<p>MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ These Wisconsin lotteries were drawn Friday:</p>
<p>5 Card Cash</p>
<p>5C-9C-10D-8H-9S</p>
<p>(5C, 9C, 10D, 8H, 9S)</p>
<p>SuperCash</p>
<p>19-20-33-34-35-37, Doubler: N</p>
<p>(nineteen, twenty, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-seven; Doubler: N)</p>
<p>Badger 5</p>
<p>01-02-11-16-31</p>
<p>(one, two, eleven, sixteen, thirty-one)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $10,000</p>
<p>Daily Pick 3</p>
<p>2-5-7</p>
<p>(two, five, seven)</p>
<p>Daily Pick 4</p>
<p>2-3-2-2</p>
<p>(two, three, two, two)</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>03-17-23-49-66, Mega Ball: 23, Megaplier: 3</p>
<p>(three, seventeen, twenty-three, forty-nine, sixty-six; Mega Ball: twenty-three; Megaplier: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $55 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $78 million</p>
<p>MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ These Wisconsin lotteries were drawn Friday:</p>
<p>5 Card Cash</p>
<p>5C-9C-10D-8H-9S</p>
<p>(5C, 9C, 10D, 8H, 9S)</p>
<p>SuperCash</p>
<p>19-20-33-34-35-37, Doubler: N</p>
<p>(nineteen, twenty, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-seven; Doubler: N)</p>
<p>Badger 5</p>
<p>01-02-11-16-31</p>
<p>(one, two, eleven, sixteen, thirty-one)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $10,000</p>
<p>Daily Pick 3</p>
<p>2-5-7</p>
<p>(two, five, seven)</p>
<p>Daily Pick 4</p>
<p>2-3-2-2</p>
<p>(two, three, two, two)</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>03-17-23-49-66, Mega Ball: 23, Megaplier: 3</p>
<p>(three, seventeen, twenty-three, forty-nine, sixty-six; Mega Ball: twenty-three; Megaplier: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $55 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $78 million</p>
|
WI Lottery
| false |
https://apnews.com/7b612e96d7aa4027a54b3f66c27a7ce8
|
2018-01-20
| 2least
|
WI Lottery
<p>MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ These Wisconsin lotteries were drawn Friday:</p>
<p>5 Card Cash</p>
<p>5C-9C-10D-8H-9S</p>
<p>(5C, 9C, 10D, 8H, 9S)</p>
<p>SuperCash</p>
<p>19-20-33-34-35-37, Doubler: N</p>
<p>(nineteen, twenty, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-seven; Doubler: N)</p>
<p>Badger 5</p>
<p>01-02-11-16-31</p>
<p>(one, two, eleven, sixteen, thirty-one)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $10,000</p>
<p>Daily Pick 3</p>
<p>2-5-7</p>
<p>(two, five, seven)</p>
<p>Daily Pick 4</p>
<p>2-3-2-2</p>
<p>(two, three, two, two)</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>03-17-23-49-66, Mega Ball: 23, Megaplier: 3</p>
<p>(three, seventeen, twenty-three, forty-nine, sixty-six; Mega Ball: twenty-three; Megaplier: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $55 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $78 million</p>
<p>MADISON, Wis. (AP) _ These Wisconsin lotteries were drawn Friday:</p>
<p>5 Card Cash</p>
<p>5C-9C-10D-8H-9S</p>
<p>(5C, 9C, 10D, 8H, 9S)</p>
<p>SuperCash</p>
<p>19-20-33-34-35-37, Doubler: N</p>
<p>(nineteen, twenty, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-seven; Doubler: N)</p>
<p>Badger 5</p>
<p>01-02-11-16-31</p>
<p>(one, two, eleven, sixteen, thirty-one)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $10,000</p>
<p>Daily Pick 3</p>
<p>2-5-7</p>
<p>(two, five, seven)</p>
<p>Daily Pick 4</p>
<p>2-3-2-2</p>
<p>(two, three, two, two)</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>03-17-23-49-66, Mega Ball: 23, Megaplier: 3</p>
<p>(three, seventeen, twenty-three, forty-nine, sixty-six; Mega Ball: twenty-three; Megaplier: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $55 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $78 million</p>
| 7,014 |
<p />
<p />
<p>Wednesday night’s CNN/YouTube Republican debate contained no Hillary Moment–that is, no time when a leading candidate muffed an answer in a manner that created an opportunity for the others to pile on. (Remember Clinton’s triple-reverse answer to that question about issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants?) But this latest face-off did produce telling moments.</p>
<p>Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney had the most difficult ones. He froze more than once–which is odd, considering he’s had ample opportunity to ready himself for this Republican Party-sponsored debate. In one video query, a fellow named Joseph from Dallas held up a Bible and said, “How you answer this question will tell us everything we need to know about you. Do you believe every word of this book? Specifically, this book that I am holding in my hand, do you believe this book?” The question first went to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He seemed unsure of how to start, and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who was ordained as a Baptist minister, quipped, “Do I need to help you out, Mayor, on this one?” Giuliani recovered quickly and offered the obvious answer: It’s “the greatest book ever written….I read it frequently,” some parts are “allegorical,” some are “meant to be interpreted in a modern context.”</p>
<p>Then came Romney’s turn. “I believe,” he said, “the Bible is the word of God, absolutely.” CNN’s Anderson Cooper reminded him of the question: “Does that mean you believe every word?” Romney stuttered: “You know–yes, I believe it’s the word of God, the Bible is the word of God.” He then repeated that answer twice and said, “I don’t disagree with the Bible.” In other words, he stumbled through a question about the Holy Book. When Huckabee fielded the question, he handled it, naturally, with natural aplomb: “As the only person here on the stage with a theology degree, there are parts of it I don’t fully comprehend and understand, because the Bible is a revelation of an infinite god, and no finite person is ever going to fully understand it. If they do, their god is too small.” For any social conservatives who care about a candidate’s relation to the Bible, Huckabee had slammed Romney.</p>
<p>Later in the debate, Romney hit another bad spot in an exchange during which Senator John McCain shined. A college student from Seattle named Andrew offered this question: “Senator McCain has come out strongly against using waterboarding as an instrument of interrogation. My question for the rest of you is, considering that Mr. McCain is the only one with any firsthand knowledge on the subject, how can those of you sharing the stage with him disagree with his position?” Romney went first: “I do not believe that as a presidential candidate, it is wise for us to describe precisely what techniques we will use in interrogating people. I oppose torture. I would not be in favor of torture in any way, shape or form.” It was a non-answer, and Cooper pressed him: “Is waterboarding torture?” Romney repeated himself: “I don’t think it’s wise for us to describe specifically which measures we would and would not use.”</p>
<p>McCain moved in:</p>
<p />
<p>MCCAIN: Well, Governor, I’m astonished that you haven’t found out what waterboarding is.</p>
<p>ROMNEY: I know what waterboarding is, Senator.</p>
<p>MCCAIN: Then I am astonished that you would think such a — such a torture would be inflicted on anyone in our — who we are held captive and anyone could believe that that’s not torture. It’s in violation of the Geneva Convention. It’s in violation of existing law. And, Governor, let me tell you, if we’re going to get the high ground in this world and we’re going to be the America that we have cherished and loved for more than 200 years. We’re not going to torture people. We’re not going to do what Pol Pot did. We’re not going to do what’s being done to Burmese monks as we speak. I suggest that you talk to retired military officers and active duty military officers like Colin Powell and others, and how in the world anybody could think that that kind of thing could be inflicted by Americans on people who are held in our custody is absolutely beyond me.</p>
<p>People in the auditorium cheered. Romney stuck to his talking points, reiterating that he does not favor torture but will not say “what is and what is not torture.” McCain fired back that Romney would then “have to advocate that we withdraw from the Geneva Conventions” because under that agreement waterboarding is considered torture. McCain added, “I would hope that we would understand, my friends, that life is not 24 and Jack Bauer….This is a defining issue and, clearly, we should be able, if we want to be commander in chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, to take a definite and positive position on, and that is, we will never allow torture to take place in the United States of America.” More applause. McCain had come across looking committed and principled. Romney had appeared tethered to an index-card response.</p>
<p>Minutes later, Romney was tripped up by a question about a statement he had once made. After retired Brigadier General Keith Kerr, an openly gay man who <a href="" type="internal">apparently is working with the Hillary Clinton campaign</a>, posed a question about gays and lesbians in the military, Cooper noted that in 1994 Romney had said he looked forward to the day when homosexuals could serve “openly and honestly in our nation’s military.” Anderson then asked the former Massachusetts governor, “Do you stand by that?”</p>
<p>Romney should have been well prepared. He wasn’t:</p>
<p />
<p>ROMNEY: This is not that time. We’re in the middle of a war. The people who have…</p>
<p>COOPER: Do you look forward to that time, though, one day?</p>
<p>ROMNEY: I’m going to listen to the people who run the military to see what the circumstances are like….</p>
<p>COOPER: So, just so I’m clear, at this point, do you still look forward to a day when gays can serve openly in the military or no longer?</p>
<p>ROMNEY: I look forward to hearing from the military exactly what they believe is the right way to have the right kind of cohesion and support in our troops and I listen to what they have to say.</p>
<p>People in the audience booed at this point–though it was unclear which Romney position they were booing. While Romney had earlier been able to explain his reversal on abortion (from pro-choice to pro-life), he was unable to say what had caused him to switch regarding gays in the military. In fact, he looked flummoxed by what was an obvious question. It was very un-CEO-like.</p>
<p>Representative Ron Paul had a revealing moment. When asked by a YouTuber if he believes–as does some of his followers–that the Council on Foreign Relations is part of a secret conspiracy to merge the United States with Canada and Mexico, he did not say, “No way, Jose.” Instead, he noted that there is “a move on toward a North America Union, just like early on there was a move on for a European Union” and that “they” don’t talk about it. He cited Nafta and a “Nafta highway.” The problem: the Nafta highway is <a href="http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070827/hayes" type="external">a myth</a>. So Paul continues on as the <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/11/6281_ron_paul_winnin.html" type="external">black helicopter</a> candidate. Later in the debate, Paul referred to “the people in the north” of Iraq and called them Shia, not Kurds.</p>
<p>Giuliani, who (by his standards) barely mentioned 9/11, had his red-meat moment when he advocated cutting 5 to 10 percent from the budget of every federal agency. Would that meaning cutting back on consumer safety, education, environmental protection programs? Presumably. Giuliani didn’t address the consequences of such slashing.</p>
<p>Giuliani didn’t pander every chance he got. Asked about gun control, he said he backed the notion that individuals (as opposed to members of militias) have the right to possess guns but the government has the right to impose “reasonable” though limited regulations. Audience members hissed. Yet when GIuliani said he would not sign a bill imposing a federal ban on abortion, there were scattered applause.</p>
<p>Former Senator Fred Thompson put in a competent though hardly inspiring performance. But he serve up a head-scratcher of an answer to a question from Texan Leroy Brooks, who asked if the Confederate flag is a symbol of racism or of Southern heritage. “I know that everybody who hangs the flag up in their room like that is not racist,” Thompson responded. “I also know that for a great many Americans it’s a symbol of racism….As far as a public place is concerned, I am glad that people have made the decision not to display it as a prominent flag…at a state capitol.” So far, so good. Then Thompson added, “As a part of a group of flags or something of that nature, you know, honoring various service people at different times in different parts of the country, I think that’s different.” So it’s not kosher to fly the flag over a state capitol, but it’s fine to hoist it among a group of other flags to honor soldiers who fought to divide the Union and protect slavery?</p>
<p>Despite these particular moments, the debate is unlikely to shift voter sentiment. No one soared, no one flopped–though Romney came closest to the latter. The debate opened with <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/11/6335_republicans_fue.html" type="external">sharp bickering between him and Giuliani on the immigration issue</a>. But there was not as much R-on-R violence as there could have been. One surprise: few of the candidates bothered to attack Huckabee, who’s surging in Iowa. The intra-party punching already occurring (Romney vs. Giuliani, Thompson vs. Huckabee) will now continue away from the hot lights of the debate stage.</p>
<p />
|
Telling Moments from the GOP Debate: Romney Freezes, Rudy Slashes, McCain Shines
| true |
https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/11/telling-moments-gop-debate-romney-freezes-rudy-slashes-mccain-shines/
|
2007-11-29
| 4left
|
Telling Moments from the GOP Debate: Romney Freezes, Rudy Slashes, McCain Shines
<p />
<p />
<p>Wednesday night’s CNN/YouTube Republican debate contained no Hillary Moment–that is, no time when a leading candidate muffed an answer in a manner that created an opportunity for the others to pile on. (Remember Clinton’s triple-reverse answer to that question about issuing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants?) But this latest face-off did produce telling moments.</p>
<p>Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney had the most difficult ones. He froze more than once–which is odd, considering he’s had ample opportunity to ready himself for this Republican Party-sponsored debate. In one video query, a fellow named Joseph from Dallas held up a Bible and said, “How you answer this question will tell us everything we need to know about you. Do you believe every word of this book? Specifically, this book that I am holding in my hand, do you believe this book?” The question first went to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. He seemed unsure of how to start, and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who was ordained as a Baptist minister, quipped, “Do I need to help you out, Mayor, on this one?” Giuliani recovered quickly and offered the obvious answer: It’s “the greatest book ever written….I read it frequently,” some parts are “allegorical,” some are “meant to be interpreted in a modern context.”</p>
<p>Then came Romney’s turn. “I believe,” he said, “the Bible is the word of God, absolutely.” CNN’s Anderson Cooper reminded him of the question: “Does that mean you believe every word?” Romney stuttered: “You know–yes, I believe it’s the word of God, the Bible is the word of God.” He then repeated that answer twice and said, “I don’t disagree with the Bible.” In other words, he stumbled through a question about the Holy Book. When Huckabee fielded the question, he handled it, naturally, with natural aplomb: “As the only person here on the stage with a theology degree, there are parts of it I don’t fully comprehend and understand, because the Bible is a revelation of an infinite god, and no finite person is ever going to fully understand it. If they do, their god is too small.” For any social conservatives who care about a candidate’s relation to the Bible, Huckabee had slammed Romney.</p>
<p>Later in the debate, Romney hit another bad spot in an exchange during which Senator John McCain shined. A college student from Seattle named Andrew offered this question: “Senator McCain has come out strongly against using waterboarding as an instrument of interrogation. My question for the rest of you is, considering that Mr. McCain is the only one with any firsthand knowledge on the subject, how can those of you sharing the stage with him disagree with his position?” Romney went first: “I do not believe that as a presidential candidate, it is wise for us to describe precisely what techniques we will use in interrogating people. I oppose torture. I would not be in favor of torture in any way, shape or form.” It was a non-answer, and Cooper pressed him: “Is waterboarding torture?” Romney repeated himself: “I don’t think it’s wise for us to describe specifically which measures we would and would not use.”</p>
<p>McCain moved in:</p>
<p />
<p>MCCAIN: Well, Governor, I’m astonished that you haven’t found out what waterboarding is.</p>
<p>ROMNEY: I know what waterboarding is, Senator.</p>
<p>MCCAIN: Then I am astonished that you would think such a — such a torture would be inflicted on anyone in our — who we are held captive and anyone could believe that that’s not torture. It’s in violation of the Geneva Convention. It’s in violation of existing law. And, Governor, let me tell you, if we’re going to get the high ground in this world and we’re going to be the America that we have cherished and loved for more than 200 years. We’re not going to torture people. We’re not going to do what Pol Pot did. We’re not going to do what’s being done to Burmese monks as we speak. I suggest that you talk to retired military officers and active duty military officers like Colin Powell and others, and how in the world anybody could think that that kind of thing could be inflicted by Americans on people who are held in our custody is absolutely beyond me.</p>
<p>People in the auditorium cheered. Romney stuck to his talking points, reiterating that he does not favor torture but will not say “what is and what is not torture.” McCain fired back that Romney would then “have to advocate that we withdraw from the Geneva Conventions” because under that agreement waterboarding is considered torture. McCain added, “I would hope that we would understand, my friends, that life is not 24 and Jack Bauer….This is a defining issue and, clearly, we should be able, if we want to be commander in chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, to take a definite and positive position on, and that is, we will never allow torture to take place in the United States of America.” More applause. McCain had come across looking committed and principled. Romney had appeared tethered to an index-card response.</p>
<p>Minutes later, Romney was tripped up by a question about a statement he had once made. After retired Brigadier General Keith Kerr, an openly gay man who <a href="" type="internal">apparently is working with the Hillary Clinton campaign</a>, posed a question about gays and lesbians in the military, Cooper noted that in 1994 Romney had said he looked forward to the day when homosexuals could serve “openly and honestly in our nation’s military.” Anderson then asked the former Massachusetts governor, “Do you stand by that?”</p>
<p>Romney should have been well prepared. He wasn’t:</p>
<p />
<p>ROMNEY: This is not that time. We’re in the middle of a war. The people who have…</p>
<p>COOPER: Do you look forward to that time, though, one day?</p>
<p>ROMNEY: I’m going to listen to the people who run the military to see what the circumstances are like….</p>
<p>COOPER: So, just so I’m clear, at this point, do you still look forward to a day when gays can serve openly in the military or no longer?</p>
<p>ROMNEY: I look forward to hearing from the military exactly what they believe is the right way to have the right kind of cohesion and support in our troops and I listen to what they have to say.</p>
<p>People in the audience booed at this point–though it was unclear which Romney position they were booing. While Romney had earlier been able to explain his reversal on abortion (from pro-choice to pro-life), he was unable to say what had caused him to switch regarding gays in the military. In fact, he looked flummoxed by what was an obvious question. It was very un-CEO-like.</p>
<p>Representative Ron Paul had a revealing moment. When asked by a YouTuber if he believes–as does some of his followers–that the Council on Foreign Relations is part of a secret conspiracy to merge the United States with Canada and Mexico, he did not say, “No way, Jose.” Instead, he noted that there is “a move on toward a North America Union, just like early on there was a move on for a European Union” and that “they” don’t talk about it. He cited Nafta and a “Nafta highway.” The problem: the Nafta highway is <a href="http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070827/hayes" type="external">a myth</a>. So Paul continues on as the <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/11/6281_ron_paul_winnin.html" type="external">black helicopter</a> candidate. Later in the debate, Paul referred to “the people in the north” of Iraq and called them Shia, not Kurds.</p>
<p>Giuliani, who (by his standards) barely mentioned 9/11, had his red-meat moment when he advocated cutting 5 to 10 percent from the budget of every federal agency. Would that meaning cutting back on consumer safety, education, environmental protection programs? Presumably. Giuliani didn’t address the consequences of such slashing.</p>
<p>Giuliani didn’t pander every chance he got. Asked about gun control, he said he backed the notion that individuals (as opposed to members of militias) have the right to possess guns but the government has the right to impose “reasonable” though limited regulations. Audience members hissed. Yet when GIuliani said he would not sign a bill imposing a federal ban on abortion, there were scattered applause.</p>
<p>Former Senator Fred Thompson put in a competent though hardly inspiring performance. But he serve up a head-scratcher of an answer to a question from Texan Leroy Brooks, who asked if the Confederate flag is a symbol of racism or of Southern heritage. “I know that everybody who hangs the flag up in their room like that is not racist,” Thompson responded. “I also know that for a great many Americans it’s a symbol of racism….As far as a public place is concerned, I am glad that people have made the decision not to display it as a prominent flag…at a state capitol.” So far, so good. Then Thompson added, “As a part of a group of flags or something of that nature, you know, honoring various service people at different times in different parts of the country, I think that’s different.” So it’s not kosher to fly the flag over a state capitol, but it’s fine to hoist it among a group of other flags to honor soldiers who fought to divide the Union and protect slavery?</p>
<p>Despite these particular moments, the debate is unlikely to shift voter sentiment. No one soared, no one flopped–though Romney came closest to the latter. The debate opened with <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/11/6335_republicans_fue.html" type="external">sharp bickering between him and Giuliani on the immigration issue</a>. But there was not as much R-on-R violence as there could have been. One surprise: few of the candidates bothered to attack Huckabee, who’s surging in Iowa. The intra-party punching already occurring (Romney vs. Giuliani, Thompson vs. Huckabee) will now continue away from the hot lights of the debate stage.</p>
<p />
| 7,015 |
<p>KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Police in Congo used tear gas and gunfire to disperse thousands of anti-government demonstrators across the nation on Sunday, leaving five people dead and injuring more than 33 who marched after church services calling for President Joseph Kabila to step down, the United Nations said.</p>
<p>Catholic churches and activists had called for peaceful demonstrations Sunday in Kinshasa, Goma, Lubumbashi and other cities. The protests turned violent as police tried to disperse the demonstrators.</p>
<p>Security forces arrested 69 people countrywide, said U.N. spokeswoman in Congo Florence Marchal. The five dead were in Kinshasa, though it was unclear if police were among any of the casualties, she said. The government cut off SMS and internet services Sunday across the country to discourage gatherings.</p>
<p>In Congo’s eastern Beni, police arrested about a dozen members of a civic organization, LUCHA, which in English is known as Fight for Change. Protesters there were also injured by stones being thrown when the demonstration turned more violent.</p>
<p>“We are asking President Joseph Kabila to give up power and to respect the New Year’s agreement,” said Vyanney Kasondwa, a LUCHA member.</p>
<p>The violence prompted Pope Francis to appeal for peace in Congo. Francis made the appeal Sunday from the Peruvian capital, where he led thousands of young people in prayer.</p>
<p>He said of Congo: “I ask the authorities and those responsible and all those in this beloved country that they use maximum commitment and effort to avoid all forms of violence and look for solutions in favor of the common good.”</p>
<p>In a similar protest on Dec. 31 police killed at least seven people after the Saint-Sylvestre Accord was signed to set a new election date, free political prisoners and ease tensions in this vast, mineral-rich Central African country.</p>
<p>The United States and others have condemned Congolese security forces’ response to the protests at more than 160 churches, which included tear gas being fired in churches and the altar boys being arrested.</p>
<p>On Jan. 12, police in the capital fired into the air and used tear gas to disperse people, including ambassadors, attending a mass at Kinshasa’s Catholic cathedral to honor protesters killed in clashes with security forces.</p>
<p>Kabila, whose mandate ended in December 2016, had agreed to hold an election by the end of 2017. But Congo’s election commission later said the vote cannot be held until December 2018.</p>
<p>Critics accuse Kabila of postponing elections to maintain his grip on power, while international observers have warned that Congo’s political tensions could further destabilize the impoverished country and the region at large.</p>
<p>Kabila can remain in power until the next election is held, although he is barred by the Constitution from seeking another term in office.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP writer Carley Petesch contributed to this report from Dakar, Senegal.</p>
<p>KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Police in Congo used tear gas and gunfire to disperse thousands of anti-government demonstrators across the nation on Sunday, leaving five people dead and injuring more than 33 who marched after church services calling for President Joseph Kabila to step down, the United Nations said.</p>
<p>Catholic churches and activists had called for peaceful demonstrations Sunday in Kinshasa, Goma, Lubumbashi and other cities. The protests turned violent as police tried to disperse the demonstrators.</p>
<p>Security forces arrested 69 people countrywide, said U.N. spokeswoman in Congo Florence Marchal. The five dead were in Kinshasa, though it was unclear if police were among any of the casualties, she said. The government cut off SMS and internet services Sunday across the country to discourage gatherings.</p>
<p>In Congo’s eastern Beni, police arrested about a dozen members of a civic organization, LUCHA, which in English is known as Fight for Change. Protesters there were also injured by stones being thrown when the demonstration turned more violent.</p>
<p>“We are asking President Joseph Kabila to give up power and to respect the New Year’s agreement,” said Vyanney Kasondwa, a LUCHA member.</p>
<p>The violence prompted Pope Francis to appeal for peace in Congo. Francis made the appeal Sunday from the Peruvian capital, where he led thousands of young people in prayer.</p>
<p>He said of Congo: “I ask the authorities and those responsible and all those in this beloved country that they use maximum commitment and effort to avoid all forms of violence and look for solutions in favor of the common good.”</p>
<p>In a similar protest on Dec. 31 police killed at least seven people after the Saint-Sylvestre Accord was signed to set a new election date, free political prisoners and ease tensions in this vast, mineral-rich Central African country.</p>
<p>The United States and others have condemned Congolese security forces’ response to the protests at more than 160 churches, which included tear gas being fired in churches and the altar boys being arrested.</p>
<p>On Jan. 12, police in the capital fired into the air and used tear gas to disperse people, including ambassadors, attending a mass at Kinshasa’s Catholic cathedral to honor protesters killed in clashes with security forces.</p>
<p>Kabila, whose mandate ended in December 2016, had agreed to hold an election by the end of 2017. But Congo’s election commission later said the vote cannot be held until December 2018.</p>
<p>Critics accuse Kabila of postponing elections to maintain his grip on power, while international observers have warned that Congo’s political tensions could further destabilize the impoverished country and the region at large.</p>
<p>Kabila can remain in power until the next election is held, although he is barred by the Constitution from seeking another term in office.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP writer Carley Petesch contributed to this report from Dakar, Senegal.</p>
|
5 dead, dozens injured as Congo police disperse protests
| false |
https://apnews.com/956a7f2620bd4c7fb6f9181978f072d0
|
2018-01-21
| 2least
|
5 dead, dozens injured as Congo police disperse protests
<p>KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Police in Congo used tear gas and gunfire to disperse thousands of anti-government demonstrators across the nation on Sunday, leaving five people dead and injuring more than 33 who marched after church services calling for President Joseph Kabila to step down, the United Nations said.</p>
<p>Catholic churches and activists had called for peaceful demonstrations Sunday in Kinshasa, Goma, Lubumbashi and other cities. The protests turned violent as police tried to disperse the demonstrators.</p>
<p>Security forces arrested 69 people countrywide, said U.N. spokeswoman in Congo Florence Marchal. The five dead were in Kinshasa, though it was unclear if police were among any of the casualties, she said. The government cut off SMS and internet services Sunday across the country to discourage gatherings.</p>
<p>In Congo’s eastern Beni, police arrested about a dozen members of a civic organization, LUCHA, which in English is known as Fight for Change. Protesters there were also injured by stones being thrown when the demonstration turned more violent.</p>
<p>“We are asking President Joseph Kabila to give up power and to respect the New Year’s agreement,” said Vyanney Kasondwa, a LUCHA member.</p>
<p>The violence prompted Pope Francis to appeal for peace in Congo. Francis made the appeal Sunday from the Peruvian capital, where he led thousands of young people in prayer.</p>
<p>He said of Congo: “I ask the authorities and those responsible and all those in this beloved country that they use maximum commitment and effort to avoid all forms of violence and look for solutions in favor of the common good.”</p>
<p>In a similar protest on Dec. 31 police killed at least seven people after the Saint-Sylvestre Accord was signed to set a new election date, free political prisoners and ease tensions in this vast, mineral-rich Central African country.</p>
<p>The United States and others have condemned Congolese security forces’ response to the protests at more than 160 churches, which included tear gas being fired in churches and the altar boys being arrested.</p>
<p>On Jan. 12, police in the capital fired into the air and used tear gas to disperse people, including ambassadors, attending a mass at Kinshasa’s Catholic cathedral to honor protesters killed in clashes with security forces.</p>
<p>Kabila, whose mandate ended in December 2016, had agreed to hold an election by the end of 2017. But Congo’s election commission later said the vote cannot be held until December 2018.</p>
<p>Critics accuse Kabila of postponing elections to maintain his grip on power, while international observers have warned that Congo’s political tensions could further destabilize the impoverished country and the region at large.</p>
<p>Kabila can remain in power until the next election is held, although he is barred by the Constitution from seeking another term in office.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP writer Carley Petesch contributed to this report from Dakar, Senegal.</p>
<p>KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Police in Congo used tear gas and gunfire to disperse thousands of anti-government demonstrators across the nation on Sunday, leaving five people dead and injuring more than 33 who marched after church services calling for President Joseph Kabila to step down, the United Nations said.</p>
<p>Catholic churches and activists had called for peaceful demonstrations Sunday in Kinshasa, Goma, Lubumbashi and other cities. The protests turned violent as police tried to disperse the demonstrators.</p>
<p>Security forces arrested 69 people countrywide, said U.N. spokeswoman in Congo Florence Marchal. The five dead were in Kinshasa, though it was unclear if police were among any of the casualties, she said. The government cut off SMS and internet services Sunday across the country to discourage gatherings.</p>
<p>In Congo’s eastern Beni, police arrested about a dozen members of a civic organization, LUCHA, which in English is known as Fight for Change. Protesters there were also injured by stones being thrown when the demonstration turned more violent.</p>
<p>“We are asking President Joseph Kabila to give up power and to respect the New Year’s agreement,” said Vyanney Kasondwa, a LUCHA member.</p>
<p>The violence prompted Pope Francis to appeal for peace in Congo. Francis made the appeal Sunday from the Peruvian capital, where he led thousands of young people in prayer.</p>
<p>He said of Congo: “I ask the authorities and those responsible and all those in this beloved country that they use maximum commitment and effort to avoid all forms of violence and look for solutions in favor of the common good.”</p>
<p>In a similar protest on Dec. 31 police killed at least seven people after the Saint-Sylvestre Accord was signed to set a new election date, free political prisoners and ease tensions in this vast, mineral-rich Central African country.</p>
<p>The United States and others have condemned Congolese security forces’ response to the protests at more than 160 churches, which included tear gas being fired in churches and the altar boys being arrested.</p>
<p>On Jan. 12, police in the capital fired into the air and used tear gas to disperse people, including ambassadors, attending a mass at Kinshasa’s Catholic cathedral to honor protesters killed in clashes with security forces.</p>
<p>Kabila, whose mandate ended in December 2016, had agreed to hold an election by the end of 2017. But Congo’s election commission later said the vote cannot be held until December 2018.</p>
<p>Critics accuse Kabila of postponing elections to maintain his grip on power, while international observers have warned that Congo’s political tensions could further destabilize the impoverished country and the region at large.</p>
<p>Kabila can remain in power until the next election is held, although he is barred by the Constitution from seeking another term in office.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP writer Carley Petesch contributed to this report from Dakar, Senegal.</p>
| 7,016 |
<p>O.J. Simpson has spent nearly nine years in prison&#160;for a September 2007 robbery of sports memorabilia dealers in Las Vegas. Now the former&#160;football star famously not guilty in the grisly 1994 murder of his ex-wife&#160;soon should go free, said prosecutors.</p>
<p>A Nevada parole board will hold a hearing in Carson City on Thursday to decide whether the former National Football League star and actor should be released from prison, reported Agence France-Presse.</p>
<p>Simpson was convicted in October 2008 of armed robbery, assault, kidnapping and other offenses after he and five associates — two of whom were armed — ambushed the two sports memorabilia dealers in a casino hotel room.</p>
<p>Simpson, 70, who earned the nickname “The Juice” during his playing days, claimed he was just trying to recover mementos from his career which he said the dealers had stolen.</p>
<p>A Las Vegas jury didn’t buy it and Simpson was sentenced to a minimum of nine years in prison and a maximum of 33 years.</p>
<p>Simpson was granted parole in 2013 on some of the charges and he could be freed as early as Oct. 1 if the board agrees on Thursday to grant him parole on the remaining offenses.</p>
<p>Former Clark County district attorney David Roger, who led the 2008 prosecution of Simpson, said he is likely to be given his freedom.</p>
<p>“The guy did a lot of time on a robbery charge,” Roger told the New York Post. “I expect he’ll probably be paroled.”</p>
<p>“Assuming he didn’t do anything bad on the inside, I think nine years is a pretty good stay for his charges,” he said.</p>
<p>Steve Wolfson, the current Clark County district attorney, told AFP he believes Simpson “makes an excellent candidate for parole.”</p>
<p>“The fact that he is a celebrity will have very little bearing (on the hearing), if any,” Wolfson said. “He’s not going to be treated differently by the parole commissioners.”</p>
<p>Simpson will not personally attend the 10 a.m. hearing of a four-member panel of the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners.</p>
<p>He will appear by videoconference link from the Lovelock Correctional Center, the medium-security prison where he is serving his sentence.</p>
<p>Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson shot to fame in the 1970s with the Buffalo Bills after winning the Heisman Trophy as a running back at the University of Southern California.</p>
<p>He retired from football in 1979 after setting numerous rushing records and went on to become an advertising pitchman and actor (“The Towering Inferno, “The Naked Gun”).</p>
<p>In June 1994, Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and a friend of hers, Ron Goldman, were found stabbed to death outside her Los Angeles home.</p>
<p>Simpson was arrested after a low-speed car chase through Los Angeles which was broadcast live by television stations and watched by millions.</p>
<p>He was acquitted in October 1995 after a nine-month racially charged trial, with a verdict that was greeted with widespread disbelief by many Americans.</p>
<p>Public views on the African-American athlete’s guilt or innocence divided sharply along racial lines.</p>
<p>Simpson was subsequently found liable for the deaths in a 1997 civil suit and was ordered to pay damages totaling $33.5 million to the families of the victims.</p>
<p>Simpson has been out of the limelight while behind bars but fascination with the former football star lives on.</p>
<p>“O.J.: Made in America,” a nearly eight-hour documentary about his murder trial, won the best documentary Oscar in February.</p>
<p>And ESPN, the sports television behemoth, plans live coverage of Thursday’s parole hearing.</p>
|
OJ Simpson Parole Not a Sure Thing on Thursday, But …
| false |
https://newsline.com/oj-simpson-parole-not-a-sure-thing-on-thursday-but/
|
2017-07-18
| 1right-center
|
OJ Simpson Parole Not a Sure Thing on Thursday, But …
<p>O.J. Simpson has spent nearly nine years in prison&#160;for a September 2007 robbery of sports memorabilia dealers in Las Vegas. Now the former&#160;football star famously not guilty in the grisly 1994 murder of his ex-wife&#160;soon should go free, said prosecutors.</p>
<p>A Nevada parole board will hold a hearing in Carson City on Thursday to decide whether the former National Football League star and actor should be released from prison, reported Agence France-Presse.</p>
<p>Simpson was convicted in October 2008 of armed robbery, assault, kidnapping and other offenses after he and five associates — two of whom were armed — ambushed the two sports memorabilia dealers in a casino hotel room.</p>
<p>Simpson, 70, who earned the nickname “The Juice” during his playing days, claimed he was just trying to recover mementos from his career which he said the dealers had stolen.</p>
<p>A Las Vegas jury didn’t buy it and Simpson was sentenced to a minimum of nine years in prison and a maximum of 33 years.</p>
<p>Simpson was granted parole in 2013 on some of the charges and he could be freed as early as Oct. 1 if the board agrees on Thursday to grant him parole on the remaining offenses.</p>
<p>Former Clark County district attorney David Roger, who led the 2008 prosecution of Simpson, said he is likely to be given his freedom.</p>
<p>“The guy did a lot of time on a robbery charge,” Roger told the New York Post. “I expect he’ll probably be paroled.”</p>
<p>“Assuming he didn’t do anything bad on the inside, I think nine years is a pretty good stay for his charges,” he said.</p>
<p>Steve Wolfson, the current Clark County district attorney, told AFP he believes Simpson “makes an excellent candidate for parole.”</p>
<p>“The fact that he is a celebrity will have very little bearing (on the hearing), if any,” Wolfson said. “He’s not going to be treated differently by the parole commissioners.”</p>
<p>Simpson will not personally attend the 10 a.m. hearing of a four-member panel of the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners.</p>
<p>He will appear by videoconference link from the Lovelock Correctional Center, the medium-security prison where he is serving his sentence.</p>
<p>Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson shot to fame in the 1970s with the Buffalo Bills after winning the Heisman Trophy as a running back at the University of Southern California.</p>
<p>He retired from football in 1979 after setting numerous rushing records and went on to become an advertising pitchman and actor (“The Towering Inferno, “The Naked Gun”).</p>
<p>In June 1994, Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and a friend of hers, Ron Goldman, were found stabbed to death outside her Los Angeles home.</p>
<p>Simpson was arrested after a low-speed car chase through Los Angeles which was broadcast live by television stations and watched by millions.</p>
<p>He was acquitted in October 1995 after a nine-month racially charged trial, with a verdict that was greeted with widespread disbelief by many Americans.</p>
<p>Public views on the African-American athlete’s guilt or innocence divided sharply along racial lines.</p>
<p>Simpson was subsequently found liable for the deaths in a 1997 civil suit and was ordered to pay damages totaling $33.5 million to the families of the victims.</p>
<p>Simpson has been out of the limelight while behind bars but fascination with the former football star lives on.</p>
<p>“O.J.: Made in America,” a nearly eight-hour documentary about his murder trial, won the best documentary Oscar in February.</p>
<p>And ESPN, the sports television behemoth, plans live coverage of Thursday’s parole hearing.</p>
| 7,017 |
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<p />
<p>Royce "Pancho" Maples said he's not sure if his removal from the Roswell-Chaves County Extraterritorial Zoning Commission is related to his pro-marijuana stance, reports the Roswell Daily Record.</p>
<p>"I wouldn't care to speculate on that because I don't know that," said Maples on Friday. He said he wasn't disappointed to lose the unpaid position.</p>
<p>Maples chaired the Roswell-Chaves County Extraterritorial Zoning Commission and voted on May 12 in favor of allowing Pecos Valley Pharmaceuticals Inc. to convert an old dairy processing plant into a medical marijuana production facility.</p>
<p>The vote passed 4-2 with the support of Maples and the board's Roswell city representatives, sending shockwaves through culturally conservative Chaves County. Several residents had spoken against the proposal during the ETZ meeting.</p>
<p>The two Chaves County representatives who voted against the marijuana proposal were both reappointed on Thursday.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>ETZ approval does not ensure the facility will be built at the former Nature's Dairy site, but improves the chance that Pecos Valley will get a license from the state to grow marijuana, according to the company.</p>
<p>Roswell Mayor Dennis Kintigh told the Daily Record that he is concerned about the ETZ's decision and hasn't decided whether he will reappoint the Roswell representatives.</p>
<p>"I do not believe any of these individuals intended to break the law," said Kintigh, who noted that marijuana distribution is still a crime under federal law.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Roswell Daily Record, <a href="http://www.roswell-record.com" type="external">http://www.roswell-record.com</a></p>
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Chaves County drops commissioner who supports marijuana farm
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/592219/chaves-county-drops-commissioner-who-supports-marijuana-farm.html
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Chaves County drops commissioner who supports marijuana farm
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Royce "Pancho" Maples said he's not sure if his removal from the Roswell-Chaves County Extraterritorial Zoning Commission is related to his pro-marijuana stance, reports the Roswell Daily Record.</p>
<p>"I wouldn't care to speculate on that because I don't know that," said Maples on Friday. He said he wasn't disappointed to lose the unpaid position.</p>
<p>Maples chaired the Roswell-Chaves County Extraterritorial Zoning Commission and voted on May 12 in favor of allowing Pecos Valley Pharmaceuticals Inc. to convert an old dairy processing plant into a medical marijuana production facility.</p>
<p>The vote passed 4-2 with the support of Maples and the board's Roswell city representatives, sending shockwaves through culturally conservative Chaves County. Several residents had spoken against the proposal during the ETZ meeting.</p>
<p>The two Chaves County representatives who voted against the marijuana proposal were both reappointed on Thursday.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>ETZ approval does not ensure the facility will be built at the former Nature's Dairy site, but improves the chance that Pecos Valley will get a license from the state to grow marijuana, according to the company.</p>
<p>Roswell Mayor Dennis Kintigh told the Daily Record that he is concerned about the ETZ's decision and hasn't decided whether he will reappoint the Roswell representatives.</p>
<p>"I do not believe any of these individuals intended to break the law," said Kintigh, who noted that marijuana distribution is still a crime under federal law.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Roswell Daily Record, <a href="http://www.roswell-record.com" type="external">http://www.roswell-record.com</a></p>
| 7,018 |
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<p>In this June 5, 2014 photo, LG’s Lifeband Touch, bottom, and Samsung’s Gear Fit, top, are shown for photographs in Seoul, South Korea. LG Electronics Inc. has entered the fledging market for wearable gadgets with a wristband that tracks workouts and calories burned. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)</p>
<p>SEOUL, South Korea — Smart capabilities have become the latest marketing pitch to sell more wristwatches, TVs, eyeglasses, refrigerators, cars and even toothbrushes. But have we figured out why they need to be smart?</p>
<p>I asked myself that as I wore LG’s Lifeband Touch day and night for a week.</p>
<p>The new computerized wristband tracks workouts and calories burned and syncs with the LG Fitness app on an iPhone, iPad or Android device. It can also control music on a phone and alerts incoming calls and emails, at least for Android users.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The Lifeband marks the entry of LG Electronics Inc. into the fledgling market of wearable gadgets and follows smartwatches from Samsung Electronics Co., Sony Corp. and others. LG started selling the Lifeband in the U.S. last month for $150. It will be available in parts of Asia and Europe in coming weeks.</p>
<p>— THE SCREEN</p>
<p>As a fitness tracker, the Lifeband is meant to be used a lot outdoors. But its finger-length touch screen is hard to see in direct sunlight. I was unable to adjust the brightness, and I needed to find shade to make out the characters.</p>
<p>For just $50 more, you can get Samsung’s Gear Fit with a curved screen capable of displaying clear and vibrant colors and which is readable in direct sunlight. The LG’s screen offers only black and white.</p>
<p>— ODD FIT</p>
<p>The Lifeband doesn’t have a strap that can be fastened and adjusted to the size of the wearer’s wrist. Rather, it has a bendable plastic band, with a gap that widens to let the wrist slip in. The band then locks itself in place once on the wrist.</p>
<p>Although not having a strap to buckle on and off makes the Lifeband easy to wear and remove, it will dangle if the band is too big. The Lifeband comes in three sizes, and if your wrist is narrower, you might have to pull the wristband toward your forearm. By contrast, you can adjust the Gear’s strap.</p>
<p>I often had to take off the gadget while writing or typing on a computer because it was too thick and heavy. I described it to friends as a digital handcuff because it squeezed my arm and kept moving between my wrist and my forearm.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>— FITNESS TRACKING</p>
<p>You click the device’s timer before beginning a workout, such as a run. Afterward, the phone or tablet app shows the route along with the distance, calories consumed and speed.</p>
<p>The Lifeband also counts the number of steps walked throughout the day. It can also measure heart rate with a $180 companion earphone.</p>
<p>— FITNESS COACHING</p>
<p>The Lifeband vibrated as I got closer to the goal I set of one hour of walking each day. At a quarter of the way in, it vibrated and displayed: “25 percent achieved.” It also vibrates at random moments and tells you to “Stretch stretch” or “Move move.”</p>
<p>That was more distracting than motivating. It’s one thing to have a personal trainer at a gym tell you what to do. It’s another to have a wristband that doesn’t understand how my day was going. It wanted me to stretch when I was busy typing on a keyboard. It wanted me to move when I was having a coffee with a friend. Instead, I simply ignored the device.</p>
<p>I would have been more likely to exercise had the wristband been mindful of my daily routines. My only option was to turn this feature off.</p>
<p>— NOTIFICATIONS</p>
<p>The Lifeband alerts you to incoming calls, but it cannot receive or make calls. I got a vibration for a call I would have missed with my iPhone in silent mode. To answer it, however, I still scratched my head wondering where I had left the phone.</p>
<p>The Lifeband also gives notifications for incoming emails but not when it’s paired with an iPhone or an iPad. With Android, you get the sender’s name and subject line, but none of the message itself. It’s a common problem with the small screens on wrist devices, and it left me wondering why I would need one.</p>
<p>THE BRIGHT SIDE</p>
<p>— Its battery lasted as long as promised — five days on a full charge. But other fitness trackers offer similar functions, often at lower prices.</p>
<p>— THE CASE FOR IT?</p>
<p>Not compelling.</p>
<p>If it’s meant to be an outdoor fitness device, then it needs a display that works outdoors. If it’s meant to encourage you to work out, then it needs to avoid nagging and let you work exercise into your schedule.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>Follow Lee on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/YKLeeAP" type="external">www.twitter.com/YKLeeAP</a></p>
|
Gadget Watch: LG Lifeband Touch needs a purpose
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/411682/gadget-watch-lg-lifeband-touch-needs-a-purpose.html
| 2least
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Gadget Watch: LG Lifeband Touch needs a purpose
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>In this June 5, 2014 photo, LG’s Lifeband Touch, bottom, and Samsung’s Gear Fit, top, are shown for photographs in Seoul, South Korea. LG Electronics Inc. has entered the fledging market for wearable gadgets with a wristband that tracks workouts and calories burned. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)</p>
<p>SEOUL, South Korea — Smart capabilities have become the latest marketing pitch to sell more wristwatches, TVs, eyeglasses, refrigerators, cars and even toothbrushes. But have we figured out why they need to be smart?</p>
<p>I asked myself that as I wore LG’s Lifeband Touch day and night for a week.</p>
<p>The new computerized wristband tracks workouts and calories burned and syncs with the LG Fitness app on an iPhone, iPad or Android device. It can also control music on a phone and alerts incoming calls and emails, at least for Android users.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The Lifeband marks the entry of LG Electronics Inc. into the fledgling market of wearable gadgets and follows smartwatches from Samsung Electronics Co., Sony Corp. and others. LG started selling the Lifeband in the U.S. last month for $150. It will be available in parts of Asia and Europe in coming weeks.</p>
<p>— THE SCREEN</p>
<p>As a fitness tracker, the Lifeband is meant to be used a lot outdoors. But its finger-length touch screen is hard to see in direct sunlight. I was unable to adjust the brightness, and I needed to find shade to make out the characters.</p>
<p>For just $50 more, you can get Samsung’s Gear Fit with a curved screen capable of displaying clear and vibrant colors and which is readable in direct sunlight. The LG’s screen offers only black and white.</p>
<p>— ODD FIT</p>
<p>The Lifeband doesn’t have a strap that can be fastened and adjusted to the size of the wearer’s wrist. Rather, it has a bendable plastic band, with a gap that widens to let the wrist slip in. The band then locks itself in place once on the wrist.</p>
<p>Although not having a strap to buckle on and off makes the Lifeband easy to wear and remove, it will dangle if the band is too big. The Lifeband comes in three sizes, and if your wrist is narrower, you might have to pull the wristband toward your forearm. By contrast, you can adjust the Gear’s strap.</p>
<p>I often had to take off the gadget while writing or typing on a computer because it was too thick and heavy. I described it to friends as a digital handcuff because it squeezed my arm and kept moving between my wrist and my forearm.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>— FITNESS TRACKING</p>
<p>You click the device’s timer before beginning a workout, such as a run. Afterward, the phone or tablet app shows the route along with the distance, calories consumed and speed.</p>
<p>The Lifeband also counts the number of steps walked throughout the day. It can also measure heart rate with a $180 companion earphone.</p>
<p>— FITNESS COACHING</p>
<p>The Lifeband vibrated as I got closer to the goal I set of one hour of walking each day. At a quarter of the way in, it vibrated and displayed: “25 percent achieved.” It also vibrates at random moments and tells you to “Stretch stretch” or “Move move.”</p>
<p>That was more distracting than motivating. It’s one thing to have a personal trainer at a gym tell you what to do. It’s another to have a wristband that doesn’t understand how my day was going. It wanted me to stretch when I was busy typing on a keyboard. It wanted me to move when I was having a coffee with a friend. Instead, I simply ignored the device.</p>
<p>I would have been more likely to exercise had the wristband been mindful of my daily routines. My only option was to turn this feature off.</p>
<p>— NOTIFICATIONS</p>
<p>The Lifeband alerts you to incoming calls, but it cannot receive or make calls. I got a vibration for a call I would have missed with my iPhone in silent mode. To answer it, however, I still scratched my head wondering where I had left the phone.</p>
<p>The Lifeband also gives notifications for incoming emails but not when it’s paired with an iPhone or an iPad. With Android, you get the sender’s name and subject line, but none of the message itself. It’s a common problem with the small screens on wrist devices, and it left me wondering why I would need one.</p>
<p>THE BRIGHT SIDE</p>
<p>— Its battery lasted as long as promised — five days on a full charge. But other fitness trackers offer similar functions, often at lower prices.</p>
<p>— THE CASE FOR IT?</p>
<p>Not compelling.</p>
<p>If it’s meant to be an outdoor fitness device, then it needs a display that works outdoors. If it’s meant to encourage you to work out, then it needs to avoid nagging and let you work exercise into your schedule.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>Follow Lee on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/YKLeeAP" type="external">www.twitter.com/YKLeeAP</a></p>
| 7,019 |
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<p>NORMAN, Okla. — Forecasters say residents in the southern and central plains states will face a critical risk of wildfires on Monday.</p>
<p>The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, said Sunday sustained southwesterly winds from 20-30 mph and low humidity are likely from southeastern Colorado, along the border between Texas and New Mexico and in far western Texas. The wildfire danger will also be elevated in western Oklahoma.</p>
<p>Forecasters say wildfire conditions will remain critical Tuesday across western Oklahoma and western north Texas due to warm, dry, and breezy conditions.</p>
<p>Elevated fire weather conditions will also be possible Wednesday through Friday across western Oklahoma and western north Texas.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, issued a national fire advisory for Oklahoma because of persistent drought and dry vegetation.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
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Portions of Southern Plains face critical wildfire risk
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/957944/portions-of-southern-plains-face-critical-wildfire-risk.html
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Portions of Southern Plains face critical wildfire risk
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>NORMAN, Okla. — Forecasters say residents in the southern and central plains states will face a critical risk of wildfires on Monday.</p>
<p>The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, said Sunday sustained southwesterly winds from 20-30 mph and low humidity are likely from southeastern Colorado, along the border between Texas and New Mexico and in far western Texas. The wildfire danger will also be elevated in western Oklahoma.</p>
<p>Forecasters say wildfire conditions will remain critical Tuesday across western Oklahoma and western north Texas due to warm, dry, and breezy conditions.</p>
<p>Elevated fire weather conditions will also be possible Wednesday through Friday across western Oklahoma and western north Texas.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, issued a national fire advisory for Oklahoma because of persistent drought and dry vegetation.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
| 7,020 |
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<p>The small city of Hamtramck, Mich. may be surrounded by the Goliath of Detroit, but it has always been an independent city of 22,000 people. Last week during the local elections that were held all over the country, the people of Hamtramck voted in three new city councilors. They are all Muslim, and that brings the council to a total of four members of the Islamic faith on a city panel&#160;that only has six members.</p>
<p>It is believed that this is the first time a Muslim majority leading a city council&#160;has happened in the United States, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/11/05/this-u-s-city-has-become-the-first-to-elect-a-muslim-majority-city-council/" type="external">The Washington Post</a>. This small city of mostly Polish ancestry and staunchly Catholic Christians shocked the country over a decade ago by giving the local mosque permission to call the Muslim faithful to their daily prayers over the mosque’s speaker system located on the roof of the mosque.</p>
<p>Ten years ago, the ordinance declared by the city council brought much controversy and outrage to the city. Many believed that it was a nuisance and an intrusion that the mosque was making calls to prayer over speakers that could be heard all over the city. Many felt that they were forcing Islam into the public sector whether people liked it or not.</p>
<p>The Poles had originally settled in Detroit but soon moved to nearby Hamtramck when the Germans and the Irish came to dominate the cultural and political nature of Detroit. The Poles found the city favorable especially after the Dodge brothers opened a car manufacturing plant in Hamtramck in 1914.</p>
<p>Hamtramck now has a majority population that is Muslim as they consist of about half of the city’s current population. The city also boasts seven mosques, which is the most per capita of any city or town in the United States. In the 1970s, over 90 percent of the city was Polish Catholic Christians. The Poles, however, began spreading out into the surrounding suburbs and Hamtramck became a magnet for Muslim immigrants from Yemen, Bosnia and Bangladesh.</p>
<p />
|
Michigan City Elects First Muslim Majority Led City Council in the Country
| false |
http://natmonitor.com/2015/11/09/michigan-city-elects-first-muslim-majority-led-city-council-in-the-country/
|
2015-11-09
| 3left-center
|
Michigan City Elects First Muslim Majority Led City Council in the Country
<p>The small city of Hamtramck, Mich. may be surrounded by the Goliath of Detroit, but it has always been an independent city of 22,000 people. Last week during the local elections that were held all over the country, the people of Hamtramck voted in three new city councilors. They are all Muslim, and that brings the council to a total of four members of the Islamic faith on a city panel&#160;that only has six members.</p>
<p>It is believed that this is the first time a Muslim majority leading a city council&#160;has happened in the United States, according to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/11/05/this-u-s-city-has-become-the-first-to-elect-a-muslim-majority-city-council/" type="external">The Washington Post</a>. This small city of mostly Polish ancestry and staunchly Catholic Christians shocked the country over a decade ago by giving the local mosque permission to call the Muslim faithful to their daily prayers over the mosque’s speaker system located on the roof of the mosque.</p>
<p>Ten years ago, the ordinance declared by the city council brought much controversy and outrage to the city. Many believed that it was a nuisance and an intrusion that the mosque was making calls to prayer over speakers that could be heard all over the city. Many felt that they were forcing Islam into the public sector whether people liked it or not.</p>
<p>The Poles had originally settled in Detroit but soon moved to nearby Hamtramck when the Germans and the Irish came to dominate the cultural and political nature of Detroit. The Poles found the city favorable especially after the Dodge brothers opened a car manufacturing plant in Hamtramck in 1914.</p>
<p>Hamtramck now has a majority population that is Muslim as they consist of about half of the city’s current population. The city also boasts seven mosques, which is the most per capita of any city or town in the United States. In the 1970s, over 90 percent of the city was Polish Catholic Christians. The Poles, however, began spreading out into the surrounding suburbs and Hamtramck became a magnet for Muslim immigrants from Yemen, Bosnia and Bangladesh.</p>
<p />
| 7,021 |
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Would half a water bond sell better to voters than the full <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/California_Water_Bond_(2014)" type="external">$11 billion bond</a>&#160;scheduled to be on the ballot in November? That’s what’s now before the California Legislature in a new proposal from Gov. Jerry Brown.</p>
<p>In 2009 the &#160;Legislature passed Assembly Bill 29, the <a href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_39_bill_20090909_proposed.html" type="external">Safe, Clean Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act</a>,&#160;authorizing an $11 billion general obligation bond that excluded any new dams for water storage. The bond would need to be approved&#160;by two-thirds of voters. The Legislature pulled the bond from&#160;2010 and 2012 ballots over concerns voters would balk at its&#160;size and excessive earmarking during&#160;the recession.</p>
<p>Any new water bond must pass both houses of the Legislature and be signed by the Governor by June 26, 2014 — today — or it will not be placed on the November ballot.</p>
<p>Democratic senators want&#160;a larger bond without tunnels, while Republicans wanted the tunnels included. But Brown gave neither side what it&#160;totally wanted by cutting down the bond’s size from $10.5 billion to $6 billion and saying he wanted a “tunnel neutral” bond.</p>
<p>Since the Twin Tunnels and the Bay Delta Conservation Plan are linked, a tunnel-less bond is also likely to end up a “fish-less” bond as well.</p>
<p>The Twin Tunnels is a plan to convey water underneath the Sacramento Delta to southerly farms and cities in two huge tunnels.</p>
<p>Today the Delta has to mix southerly water flows to farms and cities with northerly water flows for salmon to migrate to the ocean.&#160;The Delta has thus become dysfunctional because it cannot do both unless someone can devise a system where water can flow in opposite directions at the same time.&#160;</p>
<p>That is what the Twin Tunnels would do. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmon" type="external">Salmon</a> are <a href="http://www.allwords.com/word-anadromus.html" type="external">anadromus</a>fish (swimming up rivers to breed) that are born in mountain fresh water streams and migrate to ocean salt water, then return to fresh water again to spawn.</p>
<p>Water economist <a href="http://hydrowonk.com/blog/2013/09/16/what-would-be-californias-water-supply-situation-without-the-bdcp-and-what-it-means-for-tunnels/#more-997" type="external">Rodney T. Smith, Ph.D., of Stratecon Water Policy Markets</a>, has devised a statistical water prediction service to answer the following questions:</p>
<p>Smith’s statistical forecast in August 2013 indicated the prospects for passing a water bond in 2014 based solely on bond size, as follows: Electoral Prospects of 2014 Water Bond by Size</p>
<p>Even Gov. Brown’s <a href="http://hydrowonk.com/blog/2013/08/08/is-relying-on-the-2014-water-bond-to-help-fund-californias-bay-delta-conservation-plan-a-good-bet/#more-886" type="external">downsizing</a> of the bond to $6 billion wouldn’t likely gain voter approval with or without the tunnels or the fish-flow improvements.</p>
<p>Smith says the crucial factor in approval of bonds by voters is the amount of state debt burden. While Brown touts a balanced state budget, his budget only partly deals with an&#160; <a href="http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-04-13/how-jerry-brown-hoodwinks-reporters" type="external">$80 billion deficit</a> in the&#160;California State Teachers’ Retirement Fund, let alone other huge pension and unfunded retiree health care costs.</p>
<p>Another issue is the typical understating of true costs of large capital projects, especially bottomless environmental projects. According to Smith, without the tunnels, California would be facing a very high cost of <a href="http://hydrowonk.com/blog/2013/09/16/what-would-be-californias-water-supply-situation-without-the-bdcp-and-what-it-means-for-tunnels/#more-997" type="external">$1,000 per acre-foot</a> for unreliable, untreated water.&#160;At that cost, it would be better off to stop pursuing the tunnels and think about local alternatives for water resources development.</p>
<p>He added that a&#160; <a href="http://hydrowonk.com/blog/2013/09/06/do-the-benefits-of-the-bay-delta-conservation-plan-exceed-costs/#more-962" type="external">water storage component</a> should be included in any new water bond to increase the reliability of water deliveries, especially during drought years.</p>
<p>If new water storage is retained in any new bond, there still is a way to convey water south to farms and cities in the existing State Water Project without any new tunnels.</p>
<p>Voters are ultimately unlikely to pass any water bond unless the state’s long-term debt situation improves. However, the newly released U.S. Gross Domestic Product data might spell doom for any water bond.&#160; The first quarter of 2014 saw the national economy shrank by <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/25/how-obamacare-helped-crash-the-economy.html" type="external">2.9 percent, mainly due to Obamacare costs</a>.</p>
<p>Two consecutive quarters of GDP decline indicate a recession. Assuming a water bond is put on the ballot by the Legislature and governor today, by November we will know whether we are in another recession and whether we will have a water bond.</p>
|
Brown cuts down size, scope of water bond
| false |
https://calwatchdog.com/2014/06/26/brown-cuts-down-size-scope-of-water-bond/
|
2018-06-20
| 3left-center
|
Brown cuts down size, scope of water bond
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Would half a water bond sell better to voters than the full <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/California_Water_Bond_(2014)" type="external">$11 billion bond</a>&#160;scheduled to be on the ballot in November? That’s what’s now before the California Legislature in a new proposal from Gov. Jerry Brown.</p>
<p>In 2009 the &#160;Legislature passed Assembly Bill 29, the <a href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_39_bill_20090909_proposed.html" type="external">Safe, Clean Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act</a>,&#160;authorizing an $11 billion general obligation bond that excluded any new dams for water storage. The bond would need to be approved&#160;by two-thirds of voters. The Legislature pulled the bond from&#160;2010 and 2012 ballots over concerns voters would balk at its&#160;size and excessive earmarking during&#160;the recession.</p>
<p>Any new water bond must pass both houses of the Legislature and be signed by the Governor by June 26, 2014 — today — or it will not be placed on the November ballot.</p>
<p>Democratic senators want&#160;a larger bond without tunnels, while Republicans wanted the tunnels included. But Brown gave neither side what it&#160;totally wanted by cutting down the bond’s size from $10.5 billion to $6 billion and saying he wanted a “tunnel neutral” bond.</p>
<p>Since the Twin Tunnels and the Bay Delta Conservation Plan are linked, a tunnel-less bond is also likely to end up a “fish-less” bond as well.</p>
<p>The Twin Tunnels is a plan to convey water underneath the Sacramento Delta to southerly farms and cities in two huge tunnels.</p>
<p>Today the Delta has to mix southerly water flows to farms and cities with northerly water flows for salmon to migrate to the ocean.&#160;The Delta has thus become dysfunctional because it cannot do both unless someone can devise a system where water can flow in opposite directions at the same time.&#160;</p>
<p>That is what the Twin Tunnels would do. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmon" type="external">Salmon</a> are <a href="http://www.allwords.com/word-anadromus.html" type="external">anadromus</a>fish (swimming up rivers to breed) that are born in mountain fresh water streams and migrate to ocean salt water, then return to fresh water again to spawn.</p>
<p>Water economist <a href="http://hydrowonk.com/blog/2013/09/16/what-would-be-californias-water-supply-situation-without-the-bdcp-and-what-it-means-for-tunnels/#more-997" type="external">Rodney T. Smith, Ph.D., of Stratecon Water Policy Markets</a>, has devised a statistical water prediction service to answer the following questions:</p>
<p>Smith’s statistical forecast in August 2013 indicated the prospects for passing a water bond in 2014 based solely on bond size, as follows: Electoral Prospects of 2014 Water Bond by Size</p>
<p>Even Gov. Brown’s <a href="http://hydrowonk.com/blog/2013/08/08/is-relying-on-the-2014-water-bond-to-help-fund-californias-bay-delta-conservation-plan-a-good-bet/#more-886" type="external">downsizing</a> of the bond to $6 billion wouldn’t likely gain voter approval with or without the tunnels or the fish-flow improvements.</p>
<p>Smith says the crucial factor in approval of bonds by voters is the amount of state debt burden. While Brown touts a balanced state budget, his budget only partly deals with an&#160; <a href="http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-04-13/how-jerry-brown-hoodwinks-reporters" type="external">$80 billion deficit</a> in the&#160;California State Teachers’ Retirement Fund, let alone other huge pension and unfunded retiree health care costs.</p>
<p>Another issue is the typical understating of true costs of large capital projects, especially bottomless environmental projects. According to Smith, without the tunnels, California would be facing a very high cost of <a href="http://hydrowonk.com/blog/2013/09/16/what-would-be-californias-water-supply-situation-without-the-bdcp-and-what-it-means-for-tunnels/#more-997" type="external">$1,000 per acre-foot</a> for unreliable, untreated water.&#160;At that cost, it would be better off to stop pursuing the tunnels and think about local alternatives for water resources development.</p>
<p>He added that a&#160; <a href="http://hydrowonk.com/blog/2013/09/06/do-the-benefits-of-the-bay-delta-conservation-plan-exceed-costs/#more-962" type="external">water storage component</a> should be included in any new water bond to increase the reliability of water deliveries, especially during drought years.</p>
<p>If new water storage is retained in any new bond, there still is a way to convey water south to farms and cities in the existing State Water Project without any new tunnels.</p>
<p>Voters are ultimately unlikely to pass any water bond unless the state’s long-term debt situation improves. However, the newly released U.S. Gross Domestic Product data might spell doom for any water bond.&#160; The first quarter of 2014 saw the national economy shrank by <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/06/25/how-obamacare-helped-crash-the-economy.html" type="external">2.9 percent, mainly due to Obamacare costs</a>.</p>
<p>Two consecutive quarters of GDP decline indicate a recession. Assuming a water bond is put on the ballot by the Legislature and governor today, by November we will know whether we are in another recession and whether we will have a water bond.</p>
| 7,022 |
<p><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/291972-lewandowski-manaforts-departure-shows-trump-campaign" type="external">Filed under WUT</a>:</p>
<p>Donald Trump’s former campaign manager says the exit of the campaign’s top figure shows how serious Trump is about winning the presidency. Corey Lewandowski on Friday said that campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s resignation illustrates that Trump will do anything he can to get his campaign on track and win.</p>
<p>“This is a step the campaign has taken to continue to demonstrate how serious they are, that they are moving forward, that it is ready for the next 81 days,” Lewandowski told CNN. “I think what you’ll find is this campaign is squarely focused now on attacking Hillary Clinton, on laying out their plan to make America great again to the American public.”</p>
<p>Lewandowski was fired from the campaign in June, after reportedly clashing with Manafort on the campaign’s approach. But he said Friday that he had nothing to do with Manafort’s exit. “People think I won. I had nothing to do with this. This is about Donald Trump. He’s running for president. This is about what’s best for Donald Trump, what is best for the American people.”</p>
<p />
|
Corey Lewandowski: Paul Manafort’s Resignation Proves That Trump Is Serious About Winning [VIDEO]
| true |
http://joemygod.com/2016/08/19/corey-lewandowski-paul-manaforts-resignation-proves-trump-serious-winning-video/
|
2016-08-19
| 4left
|
Corey Lewandowski: Paul Manafort’s Resignation Proves That Trump Is Serious About Winning [VIDEO]
<p><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/291972-lewandowski-manaforts-departure-shows-trump-campaign" type="external">Filed under WUT</a>:</p>
<p>Donald Trump’s former campaign manager says the exit of the campaign’s top figure shows how serious Trump is about winning the presidency. Corey Lewandowski on Friday said that campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s resignation illustrates that Trump will do anything he can to get his campaign on track and win.</p>
<p>“This is a step the campaign has taken to continue to demonstrate how serious they are, that they are moving forward, that it is ready for the next 81 days,” Lewandowski told CNN. “I think what you’ll find is this campaign is squarely focused now on attacking Hillary Clinton, on laying out their plan to make America great again to the American public.”</p>
<p>Lewandowski was fired from the campaign in June, after reportedly clashing with Manafort on the campaign’s approach. But he said Friday that he had nothing to do with Manafort’s exit. “People think I won. I had nothing to do with this. This is about Donald Trump. He’s running for president. This is about what’s best for Donald Trump, what is best for the American people.”</p>
<p />
| 7,023 |
<p>Published time: 11 Oct, 2017 17:07</p>
<p>An asteroid measuring about 45 to 100ft (15 to 30 meters) in length is set to skirt by Earth on Thursday.</p>
<p>Asteroid ‘2012 TC4’ will come one-10th of the distance between us and the Moon, sailing just above the orbital altitude of communications satellites, some 26,000 miles (42,000 km) from Earth. &#160;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/405930-moon-atmosphere-nasa-study/" type="external">READ MORE: NASA lunar lava study ‘dramatically changes our view of the moon’</a></p>
<p>While there is no risk of the asteroid impacting Earth, astronomers say this close approach is a perfect opportunity for the International Asteroid Warning Network to work together and coordinate radar observations in a real scenario.</p>
<p>It’s hoped the practice run will help hone the skills of asteroid trackers in the event of an actual strike on Earth. It’s worth noting that no known asteroid is predicted to impact Earth within the next 100 years, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/this-is-a-test-asteroid-tracking-network-observes-oct-12-close-approach" type="external">reports</a> NASA.</p>
<p>“Asteroid trackers are using this flyby to test the worldwide asteroid detection and tracking network, assessing our capability to work together in response to finding a potential real asteroid-impact threat,” <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/this-is-a-test-asteroid-tracking-network-observes-oct-12-close-approach" type="external">said</a> Michael Kelley, program scientist and NASA PDCO lead for the TC4 observation campaign.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/405733-asteroid-earth-close-pass/" type="external">READ MORE: Huge asteroid to fly past Earth at 1/8 of distance to moon</a></p>
<p>TC4 was first discovered by the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) on Hawaii back in 2012. Based on that initial observation, experts were able to predict another close flyby in the fall of 2017.</p>
<p>The European Space Agency and the European Southern Observatory picked up on TC4 once again in July this year using one of their larger telescopes, and</p>
|
100ft asteroid to career past Earth in ‘close’ flyby – NASA
| false |
https://newsline.com/100ft-asteroid-to-career-past-earth-in-close-flyby-nasa/
|
2017-10-11
| 1right-center
|
100ft asteroid to career past Earth in ‘close’ flyby – NASA
<p>Published time: 11 Oct, 2017 17:07</p>
<p>An asteroid measuring about 45 to 100ft (15 to 30 meters) in length is set to skirt by Earth on Thursday.</p>
<p>Asteroid ‘2012 TC4’ will come one-10th of the distance between us and the Moon, sailing just above the orbital altitude of communications satellites, some 26,000 miles (42,000 km) from Earth. &#160;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/405930-moon-atmosphere-nasa-study/" type="external">READ MORE: NASA lunar lava study ‘dramatically changes our view of the moon’</a></p>
<p>While there is no risk of the asteroid impacting Earth, astronomers say this close approach is a perfect opportunity for the International Asteroid Warning Network to work together and coordinate radar observations in a real scenario.</p>
<p>It’s hoped the practice run will help hone the skills of asteroid trackers in the event of an actual strike on Earth. It’s worth noting that no known asteroid is predicted to impact Earth within the next 100 years, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/this-is-a-test-asteroid-tracking-network-observes-oct-12-close-approach" type="external">reports</a> NASA.</p>
<p>“Asteroid trackers are using this flyby to test the worldwide asteroid detection and tracking network, assessing our capability to work together in response to finding a potential real asteroid-impact threat,” <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/this-is-a-test-asteroid-tracking-network-observes-oct-12-close-approach" type="external">said</a> Michael Kelley, program scientist and NASA PDCO lead for the TC4 observation campaign.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/405733-asteroid-earth-close-pass/" type="external">READ MORE: Huge asteroid to fly past Earth at 1/8 of distance to moon</a></p>
<p>TC4 was first discovered by the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) on Hawaii back in 2012. Based on that initial observation, experts were able to predict another close flyby in the fall of 2017.</p>
<p>The European Space Agency and the European Southern Observatory picked up on TC4 once again in July this year using one of their larger telescopes, and</p>
| 7,024 |
<p>About 100 people gather at City Hall in Houston to rally for a $15 minimum wage. One by one, speakers take the bullhorn — a state representative, a union organizer, a preacher.</p>
<p>The speakers are poised and polished, but also kind of predictable. Then, 17-year-old high school senior Mario Sidonio steps forward. He looks shaky and raw, in a good way. My ears perk up. &#160;</p>
<p>“It’s not enough staying here and yelling,” says Sidonio, shifting between Spanish and English. “We have to go out and vote, we have to want that change. We have to make it happen, OK?”</p>
<p>Sidonio is part of a new program called “ <a href="http://ellfellowship.org/" type="external">Emerging Latino Leaders</a>.” It’s a five-month fellowship being tried in six cities in Texas and California, with the goal of attracting 180 qualified participants. High school and college students apply to&#160;attend weekend seminars, shadow local public officials, and experience&#160;their rights to assemble, in this case demanding a higher minimum wage. &#160;</p>
<p>In Houston, the rally transforms into a march through downtown Houston&#160;with people yelling call-and-respond chants. A handful of other teens, including Daniel Meza who also spoke at the rally, join in the march.</p>
<p>“There is an adrenalin, yeah,” says Meza at the march. “My throat is sore.&#160;I feel good, I really do feel good.”</p>
<p>I ask Meza what he thinks he’s accomplishing in the streets.</p>
<p>“At the very least, increasing awareness. A&#160;lot of people passing in cars have been taking pictures and just watching us. So I’m sure they’ll share it — social media does a lot nowadays to get the word out.”</p>
<p>A major goal of Emerging Latino Leaders Latinos is simple: engagement. Latinos are the <a href="http://www.electproject.org/home/voter-turnout/demographics" type="external">least likely ethnic group to go to the polls</a>. If they <a href="http://www.pewhispanic.org/2014/10/16/latino-voters-and-the-2014-midterm-elections/" type="external">voted more</a>, Latinos could be a force in coming elections — <a href="http://www.latinpost.com/articles/15441/20140623/latino-millennials-more-civically-engaged-less-vote-baby-boomers.htm" type="external">roughly every 30 seconds</a>, a Latino in the US turns 18. Seventy&#160;percent of those teens were&#160;born in the US and&#160;automatically have the right to vote.</p>
<p>After the march, I went out for pizza with the teens and their mentors, where the students debriefed each other on the evening’s events.</p>
<p>“I had a lot of stories that I wanted to tell, and as soon as I got the bullhorn in my hand, I forgot them all,” says Meza.</p>
<p>Sidonio says, “It was great to see a group of people wanting the same thing and actually fighting for it, actually doing something about it, not just complaining.”</p>
<p>“I was able to take part in a part of history,” says Christian Ornelas. “I am more sure that it will cause change in the near future.”</p>
<p>A few days later, I attend a Saturday morning seminar run by Carlos Duarte with the non-profit <a href="http://www.mifamiliavota.org/" type="external">Mi Familia Vota</a>, which runs the student fellowship. Duarte conducts an exercise about voting rights, power&#160;and resources, using candy.</p>
<p>“So there are going to be two options here,” explains Duarte holding a bag of candy. “One, the people who are voting keep all of the candy. And option two is that we’re going to distribute the candy evenly.” &#160;</p>
<p>The teens all seem pretty into the exercise. The seminar is&#160;also a fun, social gathering that brings together 30 kids from different schools.</p>
<p />
<p>About 30 students are giving up some of their Saturdays to learn about civic issues like the history of voting rights.&#160;</p>
<p>Jason Margolis</p>
<p>I pull Mario Sidonio out of class and ask how he’s feeling a few days after his speech with the bullhorn.</p>
<p>“I was granted a crowd and was able to express my thoughts, and I’m really proud of myself. I’m just a bit shocked of how I was able to do that.”</p>
<p>I asked if he wants to do it again.</p>
<p>“Definitely,” he says. “Despite the nerves. Nerves come and go, but experiences like that, it doesn’t really leave.”</p>
<p>I ask Sidonio why he’s giving up his Saturdays to be here. He says he feels responsible to vote this year, in part, because his parents can’t.</p>
<p>“My dad was deported actually back in 2006, and my mother was about to be deported when I was in the sixth&#160;grade. That really impacted me because I was just kind of scared at night&#160;knowing the potential that my parents could be taken away from me.”</p>
<p>I hear similar stories from a lot of the students. By the way, Sidonio says his dad made it back to Texas illegally and his mom is now a legal resident.</p>
<p>I also met with high school senior Nirka Flores. I ask her if there are any presidential candidates she especially dislikes. She says what all the students I met say: Donald Trump and his harsh rhetoric against Latino immigrants.</p>
<p>“Not Donald Trump becoming president,&#160;because I’m pretty sure he’s just a show. But the scary part is that many people think like him," says Flores.&#160;</p>
<p>Most of the students I meet say they’re planning to vote for Bernie Sanders. A couple say Hillary Clinton. And Dulce Ramriez, who’s 18, says she won’t vote for anyone — she’s not a US citizen.</p>
<p>“Well, I wasn’t born here, but I’ve been here for 14 years.”</p>
<p>I ask her why she's&#160;giving up her Saturdays to learn about a political process she can’t fully participate in.</p>
<p>“I can really make a difference. I can still tell my friends, it’s important for you to vote because, if you don’t vote, you’re pretty much letting somebody else make the decision for you.” &#160;</p>
<p>The student leaders all seem to grasp the challenge they’ve been given: not only voting themselves, but motivating a historically apathetic group to put faith in the democratic process.</p>
<p />
<p>Mario Sidonio, left, and Daniel Meza standing behind a sign at a Houston rally for a $15 an hour minimum wage.</p>
<p>Jason Margolis</p>
|
Every 30 seconds a Latino in the US turns 18. The challenge is getting them to vote.
| false |
https://pri.org/stories/2016-01-05/every-30-seconds-latino-us-turns-18-challenge-getting-them-vote
|
2016-01-05
| 3left-center
|
Every 30 seconds a Latino in the US turns 18. The challenge is getting them to vote.
<p>About 100 people gather at City Hall in Houston to rally for a $15 minimum wage. One by one, speakers take the bullhorn — a state representative, a union organizer, a preacher.</p>
<p>The speakers are poised and polished, but also kind of predictable. Then, 17-year-old high school senior Mario Sidonio steps forward. He looks shaky and raw, in a good way. My ears perk up. &#160;</p>
<p>“It’s not enough staying here and yelling,” says Sidonio, shifting between Spanish and English. “We have to go out and vote, we have to want that change. We have to make it happen, OK?”</p>
<p>Sidonio is part of a new program called “ <a href="http://ellfellowship.org/" type="external">Emerging Latino Leaders</a>.” It’s a five-month fellowship being tried in six cities in Texas and California, with the goal of attracting 180 qualified participants. High school and college students apply to&#160;attend weekend seminars, shadow local public officials, and experience&#160;their rights to assemble, in this case demanding a higher minimum wage. &#160;</p>
<p>In Houston, the rally transforms into a march through downtown Houston&#160;with people yelling call-and-respond chants. A handful of other teens, including Daniel Meza who also spoke at the rally, join in the march.</p>
<p>“There is an adrenalin, yeah,” says Meza at the march. “My throat is sore.&#160;I feel good, I really do feel good.”</p>
<p>I ask Meza what he thinks he’s accomplishing in the streets.</p>
<p>“At the very least, increasing awareness. A&#160;lot of people passing in cars have been taking pictures and just watching us. So I’m sure they’ll share it — social media does a lot nowadays to get the word out.”</p>
<p>A major goal of Emerging Latino Leaders Latinos is simple: engagement. Latinos are the <a href="http://www.electproject.org/home/voter-turnout/demographics" type="external">least likely ethnic group to go to the polls</a>. If they <a href="http://www.pewhispanic.org/2014/10/16/latino-voters-and-the-2014-midterm-elections/" type="external">voted more</a>, Latinos could be a force in coming elections — <a href="http://www.latinpost.com/articles/15441/20140623/latino-millennials-more-civically-engaged-less-vote-baby-boomers.htm" type="external">roughly every 30 seconds</a>, a Latino in the US turns 18. Seventy&#160;percent of those teens were&#160;born in the US and&#160;automatically have the right to vote.</p>
<p>After the march, I went out for pizza with the teens and their mentors, where the students debriefed each other on the evening’s events.</p>
<p>“I had a lot of stories that I wanted to tell, and as soon as I got the bullhorn in my hand, I forgot them all,” says Meza.</p>
<p>Sidonio says, “It was great to see a group of people wanting the same thing and actually fighting for it, actually doing something about it, not just complaining.”</p>
<p>“I was able to take part in a part of history,” says Christian Ornelas. “I am more sure that it will cause change in the near future.”</p>
<p>A few days later, I attend a Saturday morning seminar run by Carlos Duarte with the non-profit <a href="http://www.mifamiliavota.org/" type="external">Mi Familia Vota</a>, which runs the student fellowship. Duarte conducts an exercise about voting rights, power&#160;and resources, using candy.</p>
<p>“So there are going to be two options here,” explains Duarte holding a bag of candy. “One, the people who are voting keep all of the candy. And option two is that we’re going to distribute the candy evenly.” &#160;</p>
<p>The teens all seem pretty into the exercise. The seminar is&#160;also a fun, social gathering that brings together 30 kids from different schools.</p>
<p />
<p>About 30 students are giving up some of their Saturdays to learn about civic issues like the history of voting rights.&#160;</p>
<p>Jason Margolis</p>
<p>I pull Mario Sidonio out of class and ask how he’s feeling a few days after his speech with the bullhorn.</p>
<p>“I was granted a crowd and was able to express my thoughts, and I’m really proud of myself. I’m just a bit shocked of how I was able to do that.”</p>
<p>I asked if he wants to do it again.</p>
<p>“Definitely,” he says. “Despite the nerves. Nerves come and go, but experiences like that, it doesn’t really leave.”</p>
<p>I ask Sidonio why he’s giving up his Saturdays to be here. He says he feels responsible to vote this year, in part, because his parents can’t.</p>
<p>“My dad was deported actually back in 2006, and my mother was about to be deported when I was in the sixth&#160;grade. That really impacted me because I was just kind of scared at night&#160;knowing the potential that my parents could be taken away from me.”</p>
<p>I hear similar stories from a lot of the students. By the way, Sidonio says his dad made it back to Texas illegally and his mom is now a legal resident.</p>
<p>I also met with high school senior Nirka Flores. I ask her if there are any presidential candidates she especially dislikes. She says what all the students I met say: Donald Trump and his harsh rhetoric against Latino immigrants.</p>
<p>“Not Donald Trump becoming president,&#160;because I’m pretty sure he’s just a show. But the scary part is that many people think like him," says Flores.&#160;</p>
<p>Most of the students I meet say they’re planning to vote for Bernie Sanders. A couple say Hillary Clinton. And Dulce Ramriez, who’s 18, says she won’t vote for anyone — she’s not a US citizen.</p>
<p>“Well, I wasn’t born here, but I’ve been here for 14 years.”</p>
<p>I ask her why she's&#160;giving up her Saturdays to learn about a political process she can’t fully participate in.</p>
<p>“I can really make a difference. I can still tell my friends, it’s important for you to vote because, if you don’t vote, you’re pretty much letting somebody else make the decision for you.” &#160;</p>
<p>The student leaders all seem to grasp the challenge they’ve been given: not only voting themselves, but motivating a historically apathetic group to put faith in the democratic process.</p>
<p />
<p>Mario Sidonio, left, and Daniel Meza standing behind a sign at a Houston rally for a $15 an hour minimum wage.</p>
<p>Jason Margolis</p>
| 7,025 |
<p>BY: <a href="" type="internal">Alyssa Canobbio</a> August 10, 2016 8:18 am</p>
<p>A Tuesday night CNN panel agreed that Seddique&#160;Mateen's appearance at a Florida rally directly behind Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was an "embarrassing episode" for the campaign Tuesday.</p>
<p>"This guy is a potential threat to Hillary," John Phillips said. "How could you let someone that unvetted stand that close to a candidate as close as she is as a major party nominee to the presidency? It's unbelievable."</p>
<p>Host Don Lemon called it an "embarrassing episode" and Democratic strategist Basil Smikle said that he did not recognize Mateen immediately and that the events person in charge of the rally probably did not recognize him either.</p>
<p>"My guess is that if someone had or if it came to the attention of someone higher up, they would have said that it's not appropriate," Smikle said.</p>
<p>Mateen claims that he was invited to the rally but the Clinton campaign said that Mateen was not invited but that the event was open to the public. The campaign has also disavowed Mateen's support for Clinton.</p>
<p>"In any ordinary year, this would be an episode that would set the Clinton campaign back at least&#160;a week because this is a terrible unforced error," GOP strategist Margaret Hoover said. "I mean really, this should never have happened in a presidential campaign. You vet every single person who appears behind the candidate on stage. That's just how you run campaigns, especially someone as experienced as Hillary Clinton and running for national office."</p>
<p>Hoover added that Clinton won the opponent lottery because Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been giving Clinton enough ammunition for attacks that this embarrassing mistake will get overlooked.</p>
<p>Mateen is the father of Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen. The eldest Mateen has claimed that he is Afghanistan's president in exile and and also <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the-orlando-shooters-afghan-roots/2016/06/13/d89a8cd0-30e4-11e6-ab9d-1da2b0f24f93_story.html" type="external">voiced</a>&#160;support for the Taliban.</p>
|
CNN Rips Mateen’s Attendance at Clinton Rally as ‘Embarrassing Episode’ for Campaign
| true |
http://freebeacon.com/politics/cnn-mateen-clinton-rally-embarassing-for-campaign/
|
2016-08-10
| 0right
|
CNN Rips Mateen’s Attendance at Clinton Rally as ‘Embarrassing Episode’ for Campaign
<p>BY: <a href="" type="internal">Alyssa Canobbio</a> August 10, 2016 8:18 am</p>
<p>A Tuesday night CNN panel agreed that Seddique&#160;Mateen's appearance at a Florida rally directly behind Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was an "embarrassing episode" for the campaign Tuesday.</p>
<p>"This guy is a potential threat to Hillary," John Phillips said. "How could you let someone that unvetted stand that close to a candidate as close as she is as a major party nominee to the presidency? It's unbelievable."</p>
<p>Host Don Lemon called it an "embarrassing episode" and Democratic strategist Basil Smikle said that he did not recognize Mateen immediately and that the events person in charge of the rally probably did not recognize him either.</p>
<p>"My guess is that if someone had or if it came to the attention of someone higher up, they would have said that it's not appropriate," Smikle said.</p>
<p>Mateen claims that he was invited to the rally but the Clinton campaign said that Mateen was not invited but that the event was open to the public. The campaign has also disavowed Mateen's support for Clinton.</p>
<p>"In any ordinary year, this would be an episode that would set the Clinton campaign back at least&#160;a week because this is a terrible unforced error," GOP strategist Margaret Hoover said. "I mean really, this should never have happened in a presidential campaign. You vet every single person who appears behind the candidate on stage. That's just how you run campaigns, especially someone as experienced as Hillary Clinton and running for national office."</p>
<p>Hoover added that Clinton won the opponent lottery because Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been giving Clinton enough ammunition for attacks that this embarrassing mistake will get overlooked.</p>
<p>Mateen is the father of Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen. The eldest Mateen has claimed that he is Afghanistan's president in exile and and also <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the-orlando-shooters-afghan-roots/2016/06/13/d89a8cd0-30e4-11e6-ab9d-1da2b0f24f93_story.html" type="external">voiced</a>&#160;support for the Taliban.</p>
| 7,026 |
<p />
<p>Mobile devices and solutions are not only making the lives of small <a href="http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4672-mobile-technologies-necessary-for-small-business.html#" type="external">business Opens a New Window.</a> owners easier, they are also becoming an essential part of the way they do business.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>New research has found that 42 percent of <a href="http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4672-mobile-technologies-necessary-for-small-business.html#" type="external">small business owners Opens a New Window.</a>say it would be a huge challenge to operate their businesses without mobile services. Furthermore, an additional one in three business owners say their businesses could not survive without mobile services. Mobile services are defined as those able to be accessed through smartphones, tablets and other devices.</p>
<p>Small business owners are embracing <a href="http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/byod-mobility-resources,1-1093.html" type="external">mobile technologies Opens a New Window.</a> because they want to be able to work from anywhere at any time. Nearly 90 percent of business owners say that the ability to work remotely at any time is a top concern. An additional 79 percent of respondents say the ability to work remotely from vacation is important, despite the fact that 41 percent of respondents take vacation less than two times a year and 18 percent never take vacation.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.laptopmag.com/best-apps.aspx" type="external">[The Best Mobile Apps...For Everything] Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>"Small and medium-sized businesses have clearly confirmed the growing importance of mobile services accessed via phone, smartphone and tablet devices when it comes to operating their business,"said Bill Thomson, senior director of product management at Cbeyond, a provider of cloud and communication services that conducted the research. "Like any growing business, they want to ensure that they are serving their customers and prospects with the highest possible quality and responsiveness."</p>
<p>To ensure their success, small business owners are also planning to spend on new technologies. Nearly 60 percent of respondents say they will increase spending on tech in 2013 while 13 percent expect a decrease in spending. The top technologies on which those business owners will be spending include high-speed network access, mobile services, support, applications, voice, broadband and cloud services.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Business owners are also investing in social media. Forty-seven percent of business owners say social media is important to growth.</p>
<p>Those technologies make entrepreneurs' lives easier in a number of ways, but respondents admit they create problems as well. Nearly one-third of respondents say their information is not adequately protected. To that end, data security is seen as being equally as important as serving customers in the minds of small business owners.</p>
<p>"The findings continue to shed light on the business and economic issues impacting American small and midsized businesses today, as reflected through regional diversity and the mix of business to business and business to consumer company leaders represented in our survey," said Paul Carmody, chief marketing officer at Cbeyond. "Most interestingly, rather than accepting restrictions, small- and medium-sized businesses are increasingly adopting technology and communication solutions — such as mobility and consumer-driven social media — that enable them to break free of traditional boundaries in order to compete and remain successful."</p>
<p>The research was based on the responses of 711 executives running businesses that employ less than 250 workers.</p>
<p>Follow David Mielach on Twitter @D_M89. Follow us @bndarticles, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on BusinessNewsDaily.</p>
|
Mobile Technology Key to Future Growth, Biz Owners Say
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/06/24/mobile-technology-key-to-future-growth-biz-owners-say.html
|
2016-04-07
| 0right
|
Mobile Technology Key to Future Growth, Biz Owners Say
<p />
<p>Mobile devices and solutions are not only making the lives of small <a href="http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4672-mobile-technologies-necessary-for-small-business.html#" type="external">business Opens a New Window.</a> owners easier, they are also becoming an essential part of the way they do business.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>New research has found that 42 percent of <a href="http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4672-mobile-technologies-necessary-for-small-business.html#" type="external">small business owners Opens a New Window.</a>say it would be a huge challenge to operate their businesses without mobile services. Furthermore, an additional one in three business owners say their businesses could not survive without mobile services. Mobile services are defined as those able to be accessed through smartphones, tablets and other devices.</p>
<p>Small business owners are embracing <a href="http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/byod-mobility-resources,1-1093.html" type="external">mobile technologies Opens a New Window.</a> because they want to be able to work from anywhere at any time. Nearly 90 percent of business owners say that the ability to work remotely at any time is a top concern. An additional 79 percent of respondents say the ability to work remotely from vacation is important, despite the fact that 41 percent of respondents take vacation less than two times a year and 18 percent never take vacation.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.laptopmag.com/best-apps.aspx" type="external">[The Best Mobile Apps...For Everything] Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>"Small and medium-sized businesses have clearly confirmed the growing importance of mobile services accessed via phone, smartphone and tablet devices when it comes to operating their business,"said Bill Thomson, senior director of product management at Cbeyond, a provider of cloud and communication services that conducted the research. "Like any growing business, they want to ensure that they are serving their customers and prospects with the highest possible quality and responsiveness."</p>
<p>To ensure their success, small business owners are also planning to spend on new technologies. Nearly 60 percent of respondents say they will increase spending on tech in 2013 while 13 percent expect a decrease in spending. The top technologies on which those business owners will be spending include high-speed network access, mobile services, support, applications, voice, broadband and cloud services.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Business owners are also investing in social media. Forty-seven percent of business owners say social media is important to growth.</p>
<p>Those technologies make entrepreneurs' lives easier in a number of ways, but respondents admit they create problems as well. Nearly one-third of respondents say their information is not adequately protected. To that end, data security is seen as being equally as important as serving customers in the minds of small business owners.</p>
<p>"The findings continue to shed light on the business and economic issues impacting American small and midsized businesses today, as reflected through regional diversity and the mix of business to business and business to consumer company leaders represented in our survey," said Paul Carmody, chief marketing officer at Cbeyond. "Most interestingly, rather than accepting restrictions, small- and medium-sized businesses are increasingly adopting technology and communication solutions — such as mobility and consumer-driven social media — that enable them to break free of traditional boundaries in order to compete and remain successful."</p>
<p>The research was based on the responses of 711 executives running businesses that employ less than 250 workers.</p>
<p>Follow David Mielach on Twitter @D_M89. Follow us @bndarticles, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on BusinessNewsDaily.</p>
| 7,027 |
<p>In a sleepy suburb of Dohuk in Northern Iraq, a group of young Yazidi women are taking refuge in a half-way house of sorts, set up by a wealthy member of their small, insular community.&#160;</p>
<p>These 19 and 20-years-olds were kidnapped by ISIS fighters when their village was taken over by the group in August. They’ve since escaped, but only to find that their families were killed or are missing, leaving the young women isolated.</p>
<p>“When the fighters came, they separated us from our families,” said a woman who asked to be referred to only by the name Jan.&#160;In a quiet voice, she described what happened the day she was taken. “They put the women in big cars and drove us to Mosul.”</p>
<p>Yazidis in Northern Iraq say Islamic State fighters are holding thousands of their women as hostages and that they're being raped, married off to fighters or sold as slaves.&#160;</p>
<p>Once in Mosul, Jan says she was put in a house with four other women. One night, she says one of the girls with her was taken away and raped. Other girls, she says, were beaten. Terrified, after a few days she decided it was time to escape.&#160;</p>
<p>“I waited until Friday afternoon when all the men were at the Mosque for prayers, even the guards,” she explains. Jan says she covered her hair and face with a black veil so no one would recognize her and slipped out through an unlocked door. Once in the street, she saw a woman, asked to borrow her phone, then took it and ran away.&#160;</p>
<p>“But the phone was out of credit,” she says softly. Eventually, she was able to get into a taxi, and the driver lent her his phone and took her to safety.&#160;</p>
<p>Once free, she learned that her father and brothers had been killed by militants and her mother and younger sisters hadn’t been seen or heard from since her village was attacked.&#160;</p>
<p>“Without my family and my mother and father, I have no idea what the future will be,” she says, “I don’t think I can live like that.”&#160;</p>
<p>At 19, Jan already has tired eyes. She barely looks up when she speaks. Her hands twist nervously in her lap.&#160;</p>
<p>Yazidi women generally marry young and the marriages are usually arranged by their families. Most women don’t work outside the home, so without a family or a husband, it’s almost impossible for a woman to support herself. Not yet married herself, Jan has a real reason to feel adrift.&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>The men running the house where Jan is staying say they’ll take care of her and the other young women for as long as they need it, including helping them find husbands, but the women admit its difficult to think about starting their own families now.</p>
<p>Talal Haskany is another Yazidi displaced to Dohuk. He’s working for a local NGO documenting the plight of the Yazidis. He says there are all kinds of rumors about what’s happening to the women still being held by Islamic State fighters, many of them confirmed by Jan’s situation.&#160;</p>
<p>As for the women who’ve escaped, Haskany says even those who have been raped shouldn’t worry they’ll be ostracized or cast out. He says the community understands and will take care of them.&#160;</p>
<p>“In our tradition, it's not to be a stigma for them,” he says over tea at his family’s temporary home. “There are so many guys or boys ready to marry them.”</p>
<p>Talal says he'd be honored to marry one of the women himself, “if she accepts me, yes, I am ready.”&#160;</p>
<p>For now, Talal says he’s just hoping that the rest of the women currently being held will be freed, or find a way to escape themselves.</p>
|
Some Yazidi women who have escaped ISIS barbarism aren't hopeful for their futures
| false |
https://pri.org/stories/2014-09-26/some-yezidi-women-who-have-escaped-isis-barbarism-arent-hopeful-their-futures
|
2014-09-26
| 3left-center
|
Some Yazidi women who have escaped ISIS barbarism aren't hopeful for their futures
<p>In a sleepy suburb of Dohuk in Northern Iraq, a group of young Yazidi women are taking refuge in a half-way house of sorts, set up by a wealthy member of their small, insular community.&#160;</p>
<p>These 19 and 20-years-olds were kidnapped by ISIS fighters when their village was taken over by the group in August. They’ve since escaped, but only to find that their families were killed or are missing, leaving the young women isolated.</p>
<p>“When the fighters came, they separated us from our families,” said a woman who asked to be referred to only by the name Jan.&#160;In a quiet voice, she described what happened the day she was taken. “They put the women in big cars and drove us to Mosul.”</p>
<p>Yazidis in Northern Iraq say Islamic State fighters are holding thousands of their women as hostages and that they're being raped, married off to fighters or sold as slaves.&#160;</p>
<p>Once in Mosul, Jan says she was put in a house with four other women. One night, she says one of the girls with her was taken away and raped. Other girls, she says, were beaten. Terrified, after a few days she decided it was time to escape.&#160;</p>
<p>“I waited until Friday afternoon when all the men were at the Mosque for prayers, even the guards,” she explains. Jan says she covered her hair and face with a black veil so no one would recognize her and slipped out through an unlocked door. Once in the street, she saw a woman, asked to borrow her phone, then took it and ran away.&#160;</p>
<p>“But the phone was out of credit,” she says softly. Eventually, she was able to get into a taxi, and the driver lent her his phone and took her to safety.&#160;</p>
<p>Once free, she learned that her father and brothers had been killed by militants and her mother and younger sisters hadn’t been seen or heard from since her village was attacked.&#160;</p>
<p>“Without my family and my mother and father, I have no idea what the future will be,” she says, “I don’t think I can live like that.”&#160;</p>
<p>At 19, Jan already has tired eyes. She barely looks up when she speaks. Her hands twist nervously in her lap.&#160;</p>
<p>Yazidi women generally marry young and the marriages are usually arranged by their families. Most women don’t work outside the home, so without a family or a husband, it’s almost impossible for a woman to support herself. Not yet married herself, Jan has a real reason to feel adrift.&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>The men running the house where Jan is staying say they’ll take care of her and the other young women for as long as they need it, including helping them find husbands, but the women admit its difficult to think about starting their own families now.</p>
<p>Talal Haskany is another Yazidi displaced to Dohuk. He’s working for a local NGO documenting the plight of the Yazidis. He says there are all kinds of rumors about what’s happening to the women still being held by Islamic State fighters, many of them confirmed by Jan’s situation.&#160;</p>
<p>As for the women who’ve escaped, Haskany says even those who have been raped shouldn’t worry they’ll be ostracized or cast out. He says the community understands and will take care of them.&#160;</p>
<p>“In our tradition, it's not to be a stigma for them,” he says over tea at his family’s temporary home. “There are so many guys or boys ready to marry them.”</p>
<p>Talal says he'd be honored to marry one of the women himself, “if she accepts me, yes, I am ready.”&#160;</p>
<p>For now, Talal says he’s just hoping that the rest of the women currently being held will be freed, or find a way to escape themselves.</p>
| 7,028 |
<p>President Obama will be traveling to Yokohama, Japan this week for the APEC summit where one of the items on the agenda will be beefing up the protection of intellectual property rights. Had the summit taken place a month later the delegates could have taken a short train ride to Tokyo’s Big Sight arena and witnessed perhaps the largest gathering of intellectual property criminals ever assembled under one roof.</p>
<p>This gang will be coming together just as they have for over the last 35 years to participate in an ever growing event known as the Comic Market, or Comiket for short. It’s an event teeming with costume clad participants who look as if they have been ripped right from the pages of some bizarre Japanese comic book. If you look beyond the French maids, sailor suits and all the blue hair, you’ll find at the heart of Comiket you’ll find a serious group of artists who have come to showcase and distribute their independently published comic zines, known as doujinshi in Japanese. These are for the most part original works featuring a cast of cartoon characters lifted directly from between the covers of some of the most popular commercial comic book publications and put in scenarios their original creators would never have dreamed possible. They are essentially derivative works based on existing comic books, anime, etc., and in some way violate practically every copyright law on the books.</p>
<p>It would be unimaginable for a similar event of this magnitude featuring parodies of characters the likes of Daffy Duck or Bugs Bunny to occur on US soil. When a group of artists known as the Air Pirates got together in 1971 to publish an underground comic featuring Mickey Mouse as the protagonist in a parody that had the Disney character engaging in sex, using drugs and exploring an alternative universe formed in the big bang of the 60’s counter-culture, Disney sued for copyright infringement right away. The alternative comic book, The Air Pirates Funnies, never again saw the light of day and Disney was given the right to lock the mouse away in its corporate safe. The lesson being, “don’t mess with the mouse,” or anything else real or imagined that the corporate world has laid claim to.</p>
<p>If you’re thinking this comic book business is kids’ stuff, think again. The comic book business in Japan is huge, raking in well over 3 billion dollars annually from men, women, boys and girls of all ages. Comiket is basically a celebration of that industry by some of its biggest fans. It’s billed by event organizers as “Japan’s largest public indoor gathering operated by a single private non-governmental group.” This winter, upwards of 500,000 people are expected to descend upon the three-day fair. Comiket is far from being kids’ stuff either. Not unlike the Air Pirates Funnies, the comic zines available at Comiket have earned a dubious reputation for depicting innocent comic book characters in pornographic poses and more. In the early 90’s concerns over obscenity in comic books and in particular its poorer cousin, the comic zine, sparked a huge public debate in Japan that culminated in police raids on a number of small book shops selling the questionable material.</p>
<p>While the comic zines in Japan as a whole range from naughty to nice, there is still the even more obvious question of copyright violation. Practically every single zine at Comiket infringes upon the intellectual property rights of some author or publisher, but nobody makes a fuss about it. While there have been a few court battles over copyright infringement in the past, most of the zine authors, or zinesters, have gone unscathed. Some speculate that the main reason this offense goes unchallenged is because Japan lacks enough lawyers to put up a good fight. Others claim that the publishers themselves are unwilling to rock the boat that floats their fan base.</p>
<p>Then there are those who see building on and transforming these copyrighted artistic works as only natural, a kind of circle of life thing. This was clearly the view in 1994 when astute viewers of Disney’s animated hit, The Lion King, noticed something interesting. The tale and its characters bore a striking resemblance to the classic animated Japanese movie, Jungle Emperor Leo, by one of the countries most revered comic book artists, Osamu Tezuka. The response at the time from Takayuki Matsutani, president of Tezuka Productions in Tokyo was just as striking. “If Disney took hints from The Jungle Emperor, our founder, the late Osamu Tezuka, would be very pleased by it,” he said. The statement was worlds away from the legal jungles where Disney and other companies have permanently set up camp to keep the control of their intellectual property out of the hands of the public.</p>
<p>While the Mardi Gras atmosphere of Comiket may seem just plain silly at first glance, the zinesters who come there are serious about keeping the keys to artistic expression in the public domain where anyone can have access to them. The event oozes the kind of freedom of expression we haven’t seen in the U.S. since, well since Walt Disney first borrowed the idea of Mickey Mouse from a 1928 movie starring Buster Keaton. It all just goes to prove that the work of creative visionaries is carried out in retrospect. Using the intellectual building blocks of the past they lay a foundation upon which we can build a better future. All writers, artists, engineers, scientists, stand on the shoulders of those who came before, enabling each generation to see a little further ahead and perhaps reach greater heights than ever before in fields ranging from arts and music to technology, medicine and more.</p>
<p>Unfortunately intellectual property rights regimes around the world have put a lock on those ideas, some of which could already hold the key to curing cancer, solving our energy woes and who knows what else. Against this backdrop, the zinesters of Japan’s Comiket stand out as more than fringe fanatics possessing nothing more than an alternative view to some imaginary comic book universe. In a world where ideas have become property to be locked away in some corporate safe, they bear the torch that will light the future. Imagine what a universe it would be if our leaders could share their vision and create an alternative legislative landscape in which ideas are held in common and used freely for the greater benefit of all.</p>
<p>J.T. Cassidy lives in Yokohama, Japan.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
|
Unlocking Imagination in Japan
| true |
https://counterpunch.org/2010/11/12/unlocking-imagination-in-japan/
|
2010-11-12
| 4left
|
Unlocking Imagination in Japan
<p>President Obama will be traveling to Yokohama, Japan this week for the APEC summit where one of the items on the agenda will be beefing up the protection of intellectual property rights. Had the summit taken place a month later the delegates could have taken a short train ride to Tokyo’s Big Sight arena and witnessed perhaps the largest gathering of intellectual property criminals ever assembled under one roof.</p>
<p>This gang will be coming together just as they have for over the last 35 years to participate in an ever growing event known as the Comic Market, or Comiket for short. It’s an event teeming with costume clad participants who look as if they have been ripped right from the pages of some bizarre Japanese comic book. If you look beyond the French maids, sailor suits and all the blue hair, you’ll find at the heart of Comiket you’ll find a serious group of artists who have come to showcase and distribute their independently published comic zines, known as doujinshi in Japanese. These are for the most part original works featuring a cast of cartoon characters lifted directly from between the covers of some of the most popular commercial comic book publications and put in scenarios their original creators would never have dreamed possible. They are essentially derivative works based on existing comic books, anime, etc., and in some way violate practically every copyright law on the books.</p>
<p>It would be unimaginable for a similar event of this magnitude featuring parodies of characters the likes of Daffy Duck or Bugs Bunny to occur on US soil. When a group of artists known as the Air Pirates got together in 1971 to publish an underground comic featuring Mickey Mouse as the protagonist in a parody that had the Disney character engaging in sex, using drugs and exploring an alternative universe formed in the big bang of the 60’s counter-culture, Disney sued for copyright infringement right away. The alternative comic book, The Air Pirates Funnies, never again saw the light of day and Disney was given the right to lock the mouse away in its corporate safe. The lesson being, “don’t mess with the mouse,” or anything else real or imagined that the corporate world has laid claim to.</p>
<p>If you’re thinking this comic book business is kids’ stuff, think again. The comic book business in Japan is huge, raking in well over 3 billion dollars annually from men, women, boys and girls of all ages. Comiket is basically a celebration of that industry by some of its biggest fans. It’s billed by event organizers as “Japan’s largest public indoor gathering operated by a single private non-governmental group.” This winter, upwards of 500,000 people are expected to descend upon the three-day fair. Comiket is far from being kids’ stuff either. Not unlike the Air Pirates Funnies, the comic zines available at Comiket have earned a dubious reputation for depicting innocent comic book characters in pornographic poses and more. In the early 90’s concerns over obscenity in comic books and in particular its poorer cousin, the comic zine, sparked a huge public debate in Japan that culminated in police raids on a number of small book shops selling the questionable material.</p>
<p>While the comic zines in Japan as a whole range from naughty to nice, there is still the even more obvious question of copyright violation. Practically every single zine at Comiket infringes upon the intellectual property rights of some author or publisher, but nobody makes a fuss about it. While there have been a few court battles over copyright infringement in the past, most of the zine authors, or zinesters, have gone unscathed. Some speculate that the main reason this offense goes unchallenged is because Japan lacks enough lawyers to put up a good fight. Others claim that the publishers themselves are unwilling to rock the boat that floats their fan base.</p>
<p>Then there are those who see building on and transforming these copyrighted artistic works as only natural, a kind of circle of life thing. This was clearly the view in 1994 when astute viewers of Disney’s animated hit, The Lion King, noticed something interesting. The tale and its characters bore a striking resemblance to the classic animated Japanese movie, Jungle Emperor Leo, by one of the countries most revered comic book artists, Osamu Tezuka. The response at the time from Takayuki Matsutani, president of Tezuka Productions in Tokyo was just as striking. “If Disney took hints from The Jungle Emperor, our founder, the late Osamu Tezuka, would be very pleased by it,” he said. The statement was worlds away from the legal jungles where Disney and other companies have permanently set up camp to keep the control of their intellectual property out of the hands of the public.</p>
<p>While the Mardi Gras atmosphere of Comiket may seem just plain silly at first glance, the zinesters who come there are serious about keeping the keys to artistic expression in the public domain where anyone can have access to them. The event oozes the kind of freedom of expression we haven’t seen in the U.S. since, well since Walt Disney first borrowed the idea of Mickey Mouse from a 1928 movie starring Buster Keaton. It all just goes to prove that the work of creative visionaries is carried out in retrospect. Using the intellectual building blocks of the past they lay a foundation upon which we can build a better future. All writers, artists, engineers, scientists, stand on the shoulders of those who came before, enabling each generation to see a little further ahead and perhaps reach greater heights than ever before in fields ranging from arts and music to technology, medicine and more.</p>
<p>Unfortunately intellectual property rights regimes around the world have put a lock on those ideas, some of which could already hold the key to curing cancer, solving our energy woes and who knows what else. Against this backdrop, the zinesters of Japan’s Comiket stand out as more than fringe fanatics possessing nothing more than an alternative view to some imaginary comic book universe. In a world where ideas have become property to be locked away in some corporate safe, they bear the torch that will light the future. Imagine what a universe it would be if our leaders could share their vision and create an alternative legislative landscape in which ideas are held in common and used freely for the greater benefit of all.</p>
<p>J.T. Cassidy lives in Yokohama, Japan.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
| 7,029 |
<p>Dec. 7 (UPI) — A New Jersey family who put out a tray of candy, lip balm and other gifts for local delivery workers found the display ransacked and later identified the culprit — a fat squirrel.</p>
<p>Michele Boudreaux said her family <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/Obese-Squirrel-Steals-Chocolate-Blistex-New-Jersey-Family-Treat-Tray-462368763.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_LABrand" type="external">likes to put out a tray of goodies</a> each year for postal workers and other delivery drivers, and the offered objects include candy, lip balm, tissues and hand warmers.</p>
<p>Boudreaux said she found the tray ransacked only hours after it was placed outside.</p>
<p>“This thief took the good stuff. And I wanted to cry,” Boudreaux wrote on Facebook. “Why would they take the most expensive chocolate on the tray? Why not rob us blind of all the Reese’s and Mini Snickers since I can’t seem to stop eating them?”</p>
<p>Boudreaux’s husband set up a camera to catch the culprit and, after discovering the thief had struck again, they <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZyYr7aFkco" type="external">reviewed the footage</a>.</p>
<p>The perpetrator turned out to be a particularly obese squirrel.</p>
<p>The family has now squirrel-proofed the display.</p>
<p>“We now have our chocolate in a jar that requires opposable thumbs,” Boudreaux wrote.</p>
|
Obese squirrel ransacks family's tray of candy for delivery workers
| false |
https://newsline.com/obese-squirrel-ransacks-familys-tray-of-candy-for-delivery-workers/
|
2017-12-07
| 1right-center
|
Obese squirrel ransacks family's tray of candy for delivery workers
<p>Dec. 7 (UPI) — A New Jersey family who put out a tray of candy, lip balm and other gifts for local delivery workers found the display ransacked and later identified the culprit — a fat squirrel.</p>
<p>Michele Boudreaux said her family <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/Obese-Squirrel-Steals-Chocolate-Blistex-New-Jersey-Family-Treat-Tray-462368763.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_LABrand" type="external">likes to put out a tray of goodies</a> each year for postal workers and other delivery drivers, and the offered objects include candy, lip balm, tissues and hand warmers.</p>
<p>Boudreaux said she found the tray ransacked only hours after it was placed outside.</p>
<p>“This thief took the good stuff. And I wanted to cry,” Boudreaux wrote on Facebook. “Why would they take the most expensive chocolate on the tray? Why not rob us blind of all the Reese’s and Mini Snickers since I can’t seem to stop eating them?”</p>
<p>Boudreaux’s husband set up a camera to catch the culprit and, after discovering the thief had struck again, they <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZyYr7aFkco" type="external">reviewed the footage</a>.</p>
<p>The perpetrator turned out to be a particularly obese squirrel.</p>
<p>The family has now squirrel-proofed the display.</p>
<p>“We now have our chocolate in a jar that requires opposable thumbs,” Boudreaux wrote.</p>
| 7,030 |
<p>New moms struggling to get back into shape had probably best avoid this post.</p>
<p>It's all very well for nude Russian supermodels like Natalia Vodianova to share photos of themselves breastfeeding <a href="http://instagram.com/p/o0HYC-tpBG/" type="external">on Instagram</a> but for other mere mortals such - ahem - naked displays of nurturing may be somewhat depressing.</p>
<p>Especially when one pauses to consider that this is the fourth child of the catwalk queen, who is the face of Calvin Klein.</p>
<p>The 32-year-old is in a relationship with Antoine Arnault, son of LVMH chief Bernard Arnault, to whom a message with the photo was addressed; "Happy birthday baby from Paolo, Maxim and I. Love you @antoinearnault S))))," Natalia wrote alongside the snap.</p>
<p>Italian photographer Paolo Raversi took the picture.</p>
<p>So, you know, without a professional photographer on hand she would probably look tired and wrecked as well.</p>
<p>Right?</p>
|
Russian Model Natalia Vodianova Posts Picture Of Herself Breastfeeding In The Nude
| true |
https://thedailybeast.com/russian-model-natalia-vodianova-posts-picture-of-herself-breastfeeding-in-the-nude
|
2018-10-03
| 4left
|
Russian Model Natalia Vodianova Posts Picture Of Herself Breastfeeding In The Nude
<p>New moms struggling to get back into shape had probably best avoid this post.</p>
<p>It's all very well for nude Russian supermodels like Natalia Vodianova to share photos of themselves breastfeeding <a href="http://instagram.com/p/o0HYC-tpBG/" type="external">on Instagram</a> but for other mere mortals such - ahem - naked displays of nurturing may be somewhat depressing.</p>
<p>Especially when one pauses to consider that this is the fourth child of the catwalk queen, who is the face of Calvin Klein.</p>
<p>The 32-year-old is in a relationship with Antoine Arnault, son of LVMH chief Bernard Arnault, to whom a message with the photo was addressed; "Happy birthday baby from Paolo, Maxim and I. Love you @antoinearnault S))))," Natalia wrote alongside the snap.</p>
<p>Italian photographer Paolo Raversi took the picture.</p>
<p>So, you know, without a professional photographer on hand she would probably look tired and wrecked as well.</p>
<p>Right?</p>
| 7,031 |
<p>From Daily Breeze:</p>
<p>President Obama’s State of the Union speech was ostensibly addressed to Congress and actually directed at the nation’s voters. But for much of the speech on Tuesday, Southern Californians might have felt as if Obama was talking specifically to us.</p>
<p>Obama addressed three topics of particular interest to this region:</p>
<p>Immigration: “The opponents are out of excuses,” Obama said. “We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now.”</p>
<p>Indeed.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dailybreeze.com/opinions/ci_19821474?source=rss" type="external">(Read Full Article)</a> <a href="" type="internal" /></p>
|
Obama’s State of the Union address touched on issues close to home
| false |
http://capoliticalreview.com/trending/obamas-state-of-the-union-address-touched-on-issues-close-to-home/
|
2012-01-26
| 1right-center
|
Obama’s State of the Union address touched on issues close to home
<p>From Daily Breeze:</p>
<p>President Obama’s State of the Union speech was ostensibly addressed to Congress and actually directed at the nation’s voters. But for much of the speech on Tuesday, Southern Californians might have felt as if Obama was talking specifically to us.</p>
<p>Obama addressed three topics of particular interest to this region:</p>
<p>Immigration: “The opponents are out of excuses,” Obama said. “We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now.”</p>
<p>Indeed.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dailybreeze.com/opinions/ci_19821474?source=rss" type="external">(Read Full Article)</a> <a href="" type="internal" /></p>
| 7,032 |
<p>As Trump promised, the #MuslimBan is back - dressed in more timid clothes but keeping the same hateful essence. In the next two weeks, the new 90-day travel ban - including six rather than seven countries - will be instituted. Iraq has been spared from the list after the uproar resulting from collaborators with the US military being barred from entry. Even Defense Secretary Mattis suggested taking Iraq off of the list because, as he argued, it would be more difficult to coordinate efforts against ISIS.</p>
<p>There are some important differences between the newest executive order and the previous one. First of all, permanent residents and current visa holders will be allowed into the country. Also, in an attempt to disguise the Islamophobic nature of the ban, the exception for persecuted religious minorities (meant to favor Christians) has been removed. Trump also backtracked on a permanent ban against Syrian refugees. The current executive order includes a 120 day ban that will be revisited.</p>
<p>From The New York Times</p>
<p>However, key elements remain the same. For 90 days, people will be denied entry from six predominantly Muslim countries. The number of refugees allowed in the country this year will drop from 110,000 to 50,000, compounding the worldwide refugee crisis.</p>
<p>The official justification for the travel ban is that these countries breed terrorists, due to the influence of ISIS. In Trump's logic, the US should therefore be more careful in letting these immigrants into the country.</p>
<p>This official justification simply does not hold up to the facts. Nationals from the seven originally targeted countries have <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/01/trump-immigration-ban-terrorism/514361/" type="external">not committed any terrorist attack</a> on American soil from 1975-2015. This fact led Kellyanne Conway to have to invent a terrorist attack that never happened in order to justify the original travel ban.</p>
<p>Other people certainly have committed terrorist attacks on US soil. Mass shootings have become commonplace, and many, like the Charleston Church shooting, are perpetrated by white supremacists. Hate crimes against people of color and religious minorities are on the rise while Trump stokes fear of those very same people.</p>
<p>The sick irony of xenophobia is that mass immigration is created by American imperialism. In fact, the Obama administration bombed more countries than Bush - seven to Bush's four. These seven countries are the ones in Trump's original travel ban.</p>
<p>American foreign policy in the Middle East helped create the refugee crisis: Obama dropped three bombs an hour in the past year and destroyed the homes and lives of families, making them refugees to begin with. Despite the tremendous propaganda campaign by corporations, Hollywood and American leaders, most people would rather stay in their homeland than come to the US. However, their homes have been demolished and their families murdered, so they seek a safer life elsewhere. The US, which helped create the refugee crisis, is further closing its doors to these refugees.</p>
<p>Two days after the new Muslim Ban will be the International Women's Strike. The fight against the travel ban and all of Trump's xenophobic policies must be at the center of our struggle.</p>
<p>#NoBanNoWall.</p>
<p>Related</p>
<p><a href="Muslim-Rights" type="external">Muslim Rights</a>&#160;&#160;&#160;/&#160;&#160;&#160; <a href="Donald-Trump" type="external">Donald Trump</a>&#160;&#160;&#160;/&#160;&#160;&#160; <a href="United-States" type="external">United States</a></p>
|
Trump Revives the Travel Ban
| true |
https://leftvoice.org/Trump-Revives-the-Travel-Ban
|
2017-03-07
| 4left
|
Trump Revives the Travel Ban
<p>As Trump promised, the #MuslimBan is back - dressed in more timid clothes but keeping the same hateful essence. In the next two weeks, the new 90-day travel ban - including six rather than seven countries - will be instituted. Iraq has been spared from the list after the uproar resulting from collaborators with the US military being barred from entry. Even Defense Secretary Mattis suggested taking Iraq off of the list because, as he argued, it would be more difficult to coordinate efforts against ISIS.</p>
<p>There are some important differences between the newest executive order and the previous one. First of all, permanent residents and current visa holders will be allowed into the country. Also, in an attempt to disguise the Islamophobic nature of the ban, the exception for persecuted religious minorities (meant to favor Christians) has been removed. Trump also backtracked on a permanent ban against Syrian refugees. The current executive order includes a 120 day ban that will be revisited.</p>
<p>From The New York Times</p>
<p>However, key elements remain the same. For 90 days, people will be denied entry from six predominantly Muslim countries. The number of refugees allowed in the country this year will drop from 110,000 to 50,000, compounding the worldwide refugee crisis.</p>
<p>The official justification for the travel ban is that these countries breed terrorists, due to the influence of ISIS. In Trump's logic, the US should therefore be more careful in letting these immigrants into the country.</p>
<p>This official justification simply does not hold up to the facts. Nationals from the seven originally targeted countries have <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/01/trump-immigration-ban-terrorism/514361/" type="external">not committed any terrorist attack</a> on American soil from 1975-2015. This fact led Kellyanne Conway to have to invent a terrorist attack that never happened in order to justify the original travel ban.</p>
<p>Other people certainly have committed terrorist attacks on US soil. Mass shootings have become commonplace, and many, like the Charleston Church shooting, are perpetrated by white supremacists. Hate crimes against people of color and religious minorities are on the rise while Trump stokes fear of those very same people.</p>
<p>The sick irony of xenophobia is that mass immigration is created by American imperialism. In fact, the Obama administration bombed more countries than Bush - seven to Bush's four. These seven countries are the ones in Trump's original travel ban.</p>
<p>American foreign policy in the Middle East helped create the refugee crisis: Obama dropped three bombs an hour in the past year and destroyed the homes and lives of families, making them refugees to begin with. Despite the tremendous propaganda campaign by corporations, Hollywood and American leaders, most people would rather stay in their homeland than come to the US. However, their homes have been demolished and their families murdered, so they seek a safer life elsewhere. The US, which helped create the refugee crisis, is further closing its doors to these refugees.</p>
<p>Two days after the new Muslim Ban will be the International Women's Strike. The fight against the travel ban and all of Trump's xenophobic policies must be at the center of our struggle.</p>
<p>#NoBanNoWall.</p>
<p>Related</p>
<p><a href="Muslim-Rights" type="external">Muslim Rights</a>&#160;&#160;&#160;/&#160;&#160;&#160; <a href="Donald-Trump" type="external">Donald Trump</a>&#160;&#160;&#160;/&#160;&#160;&#160; <a href="United-States" type="external">United States</a></p>
| 7,033 |
<p />
<p />
<p>The Trump administration is issuing a strong warning to Syria, gas even just one another beautiful baby and the U.S. will not hesitate to use military action against Syria anew.</p>
<p />
<p>White House spokesperson minced no words for Syria by warning the terrorist country that if they gas a baby or drop a barrel bomb onto innocent people again, Syria will definitely get a response from President Trump.</p>
<p />
<p>Spicer also said that there is only one option left for Syrian president Bashar-al Assad: he must go. He said a peaceful and stable Syria is unimaginable for as long as Assad remains in power.</p>
<p />
<p>The White House warning coincides with the G7 foreign ministers meeting in Lucca, Italy where the group is considering a response to the chemical attack launched by Assad in Idlib province which killed at least 86 innocent people, many of them children, and as President Trump put it during his address to the American nation, included in the "horrible" and "brutal" gassing were "beautiful babies".</p>
<p />
<p>The attack triggered a military action from the U.S. as President Trump decisively ordered the U.S. military to conduct airstrikes last week targeting a Syrian airbase. The U.S. utilized 59 cruise missiles to carry out the strikes.</p>
<p />
<p>U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said the airstrikes destroyed 20% of Syria's working jets. He added that destruction as well of full communication sites and air defense capabilities. Mattis stressed also that it would be ill-advised on the part of Syria to provocatively use chemical weapons again.</p>
<p />
<p>President Trump also called other civilized nations during his post-strike speech to condemn Syria's chemical attacks and stand for justice.</p>
<p />
<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hasaan Rouhani both said the U.S. airstrikes crossed red lines. But their responses were expected as they are considered allies of Syria. There are mounting international pressure for both leaders to withdraw their support for Assad so peace in Syria can be worked out and negotiated.</p>
<p />
<p>At home, surveys show that more Americans support Trump's quick and firm decision to launch the airstrikes against Syria. Even the mainstream liberal media and his political opponents applauded the decision.</p>
<p />
<p>Source: <a href="http://news.sky.com/story/us-threatens-new-syria-strikes-for-gas-attacks-and-barrel-bombs-10833185" type="external">news.sky.com/story/us-threatens-new-syria-strikes-for-gas-attacks-and-barrel-bombs-10833185</a></p>
|
U.S. To Syria: Gas Another Baby And You'll See More Military Action
| true |
http://thegoldwater.com/news/2187-U-S-To-Syria-Gas-Another-Baby-And-You-ll-See-More-Military-Action
|
2017-04-10
| 0right
|
U.S. To Syria: Gas Another Baby And You'll See More Military Action
<p />
<p />
<p>The Trump administration is issuing a strong warning to Syria, gas even just one another beautiful baby and the U.S. will not hesitate to use military action against Syria anew.</p>
<p />
<p>White House spokesperson minced no words for Syria by warning the terrorist country that if they gas a baby or drop a barrel bomb onto innocent people again, Syria will definitely get a response from President Trump.</p>
<p />
<p>Spicer also said that there is only one option left for Syrian president Bashar-al Assad: he must go. He said a peaceful and stable Syria is unimaginable for as long as Assad remains in power.</p>
<p />
<p>The White House warning coincides with the G7 foreign ministers meeting in Lucca, Italy where the group is considering a response to the chemical attack launched by Assad in Idlib province which killed at least 86 innocent people, many of them children, and as President Trump put it during his address to the American nation, included in the "horrible" and "brutal" gassing were "beautiful babies".</p>
<p />
<p>The attack triggered a military action from the U.S. as President Trump decisively ordered the U.S. military to conduct airstrikes last week targeting a Syrian airbase. The U.S. utilized 59 cruise missiles to carry out the strikes.</p>
<p />
<p>U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said the airstrikes destroyed 20% of Syria's working jets. He added that destruction as well of full communication sites and air defense capabilities. Mattis stressed also that it would be ill-advised on the part of Syria to provocatively use chemical weapons again.</p>
<p />
<p>President Trump also called other civilized nations during his post-strike speech to condemn Syria's chemical attacks and stand for justice.</p>
<p />
<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hasaan Rouhani both said the U.S. airstrikes crossed red lines. But their responses were expected as they are considered allies of Syria. There are mounting international pressure for both leaders to withdraw their support for Assad so peace in Syria can be worked out and negotiated.</p>
<p />
<p>At home, surveys show that more Americans support Trump's quick and firm decision to launch the airstrikes against Syria. Even the mainstream liberal media and his political opponents applauded the decision.</p>
<p />
<p>Source: <a href="http://news.sky.com/story/us-threatens-new-syria-strikes-for-gas-attacks-and-barrel-bombs-10833185" type="external">news.sky.com/story/us-threatens-new-syria-strikes-for-gas-attacks-and-barrel-bombs-10833185</a></p>
| 7,034 |
<p>Getting into the weeds of full-blown “Oscar predictions” four months before the nominations are announced increasingly feels like a waste of time. The Academy demographic is changing rapidly and finding the pulse with any real authority is, more and more, a fool’s errand. But with the early festivals behind us and a handful more on the horizon, most of this year’s crop has already been seen. The best picture race has taken shape and <a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/in-contention/are-you-ready-for-the-most-exciting-oscar-race-in-years-1202560228/" type="external">it promises to be an exciting one</a>, with no frontrunner in sight. Here are, at least in one observer’s estimation, the 10 strongest contenders for recognition in this year’s contest.</p>
<p>“Call Me By Your Name” (Luca Guadagnino; Sony Pictures Classics)PROS: It’s an important film and a landmark in queer cinema. As the Academy’s collective taste leans more international (and cinephile), movies like this will only benefit.CONS: Thrifty Sony Classics always has an Oscar presence, but the distributor’s best picture tally is fewer than you might think (seven nominees in two decades). Are the resources going to be there for a challenging push?</p>
<p>“Darkest Hour” (Joe Wright; Focus)PROS: Having the likely best actor winner chewing scenery front and center is helpful. And though a chamber piece driven by dialogue isn’t necessarily “traditional,” it might be the closest thing to it on offer this year.CONS: Then again, Academy tastes are shifting away from “traditional.” Will rolling out the carpet for Gary Oldman all season suffice?</p>
<p>“Dunkirk” (Christopher Nolan; Warner Bros.)PROS: It’s likely to be the box office success of the group, unless “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” manages to be a player. The “it’s time” Christopher Nolan narrative also writes itself.CONS: The film could be too fussy for some voters. And even though Mark Rylance is right there doing God’s work, there are complaints that no one on the cast pops enough to engage the emotions.</p>
<p>“The Florida Project” (Sean Baker; A24)PROS: It’s a scrappy contender right in A24’s wheelhouse coming off a banner year for the distributor, and those can make for darling campaigns. It’s also, ultimately, one of the most emotional films in the lineup.CONS: It’s probably the “smallest” film in the lineup, too. And outside of Willem Dafoe the cast is filled with unknowns. A24 also had a plateful of contenders, none of which would be a sure-thing even with all of the distributor’s focus.</p>
<p>“Lady Bird” (Greta Gerwig; A24)PROS: Of this year’s female-directed players, it’s probably the strongest. Crowdpleasers are a major commodity in the race and this one also finds its way to the heartstrings. Having producer Scott Rudin advocating behind the scenes is helpful, too.CONS: It doesn’t soar for everyone. Some feel like it’s too familiar, a story they’ve seen before, etc. There won’t be much below-the-line support, either.</p>
<p>“Last Flag Flying” (Richard Linklater; Amazon/Lionsgate)PROS: On the heels of Trump laying out his Afghanistan “strategy,” and with the threat of war looming every day, the human toll represented here is sure to resonate. Also, an Oscar season comeback for Linklater seems inevitable; the goodwill is there.CONS: It’s a talky drama that almost feels like a play. So, like “Lady Bird,” below-the-line support might be difficult to come by.</p>
<p>“Mudbound” (Dee Rees; Netflix)PROS: Another one for traditionalists, it tells an unfussy, emotional story with handsome production values and an impressive ensemble performance. There’s an epic scope to it that makes it feel like a fuller experience than much of the year’s slate.CONS: Netflix itself is the question mark: “Beasts of No Nation” seemed to suffer from the identity crisis of film vs. TV. Cannes put its foot down. Industry revolt could be simmering.</p>
<p>“The Post” (Steven Spielberg; Fox)PROS: The only film on the list that hasn’t screened, it could capture the zeitgeist. Themes of press freedom protections and a woman taking charge in a male-dominated industry give it a whiff of “importance.” Oh, and let’s not forget: Spielberg! Hanks! Streep! The cast is stacked.CONS: It may suffer somewhat in the shadow of “Spotlight.” Also, Oscar history is littered with on-paper sure-things that flamed out.</p>
<p>“The Shape of Water” (Guillermo del Toro; Fox Searchlight)PROS: Those who are passionate are really passionate. It’s the auteur-driven Hollywood film, with a robust crafts element and possibly the year’s frontrunning lead actress contender (Sally Hawkins).CONS: There’s some serious tonal whiplash on display. Del Toro’s more overt genre tendencies could make it difficult for some to love it.</p>
<p>“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (Martin McDonagh; Fox Searchlight)PROS: The <a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/news/toronto-film-festival-audience-award-three-billboards-1202561527/" type="external">People’s Choice victory in Toronto</a> proves it plays widely. Themes of forgiveness will resonate and — not just speaking personally, but anecdotally — it’s one of the most satisfying contenders of the year.CONS: Dark comedy isn’t easy in an Oscar race. And Fox Searchlight has a lot to handle.</p>
<p>Other possibilities: “All the Money in the World” (Ridley Scott; Sony); “Battle of the Sexes” (Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris; Fox Searchlight); “The Big Sick” (Michael Showalter; Amazon/Lionsgate); “Detroit” (Kathryn Bigelow; Annapurna); “The Disaster Artist” (James Franco; A24); “Get Out” (Jordan Peele; Universal); “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (Rian Johnson; Disney); “Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Film” (Paul Thomas Anderson; Focus)</p>
|
Oscars: Predicting This Year’s Best Picture Landscape
| false |
https://newsline.com/oscars-predicting-this-years-best-picture-landscape/
|
2017-09-21
| 1right-center
|
Oscars: Predicting This Year’s Best Picture Landscape
<p>Getting into the weeds of full-blown “Oscar predictions” four months before the nominations are announced increasingly feels like a waste of time. The Academy demographic is changing rapidly and finding the pulse with any real authority is, more and more, a fool’s errand. But with the early festivals behind us and a handful more on the horizon, most of this year’s crop has already been seen. The best picture race has taken shape and <a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/in-contention/are-you-ready-for-the-most-exciting-oscar-race-in-years-1202560228/" type="external">it promises to be an exciting one</a>, with no frontrunner in sight. Here are, at least in one observer’s estimation, the 10 strongest contenders for recognition in this year’s contest.</p>
<p>“Call Me By Your Name” (Luca Guadagnino; Sony Pictures Classics)PROS: It’s an important film and a landmark in queer cinema. As the Academy’s collective taste leans more international (and cinephile), movies like this will only benefit.CONS: Thrifty Sony Classics always has an Oscar presence, but the distributor’s best picture tally is fewer than you might think (seven nominees in two decades). Are the resources going to be there for a challenging push?</p>
<p>“Darkest Hour” (Joe Wright; Focus)PROS: Having the likely best actor winner chewing scenery front and center is helpful. And though a chamber piece driven by dialogue isn’t necessarily “traditional,” it might be the closest thing to it on offer this year.CONS: Then again, Academy tastes are shifting away from “traditional.” Will rolling out the carpet for Gary Oldman all season suffice?</p>
<p>“Dunkirk” (Christopher Nolan; Warner Bros.)PROS: It’s likely to be the box office success of the group, unless “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” manages to be a player. The “it’s time” Christopher Nolan narrative also writes itself.CONS: The film could be too fussy for some voters. And even though Mark Rylance is right there doing God’s work, there are complaints that no one on the cast pops enough to engage the emotions.</p>
<p>“The Florida Project” (Sean Baker; A24)PROS: It’s a scrappy contender right in A24’s wheelhouse coming off a banner year for the distributor, and those can make for darling campaigns. It’s also, ultimately, one of the most emotional films in the lineup.CONS: It’s probably the “smallest” film in the lineup, too. And outside of Willem Dafoe the cast is filled with unknowns. A24 also had a plateful of contenders, none of which would be a sure-thing even with all of the distributor’s focus.</p>
<p>“Lady Bird” (Greta Gerwig; A24)PROS: Of this year’s female-directed players, it’s probably the strongest. Crowdpleasers are a major commodity in the race and this one also finds its way to the heartstrings. Having producer Scott Rudin advocating behind the scenes is helpful, too.CONS: It doesn’t soar for everyone. Some feel like it’s too familiar, a story they’ve seen before, etc. There won’t be much below-the-line support, either.</p>
<p>“Last Flag Flying” (Richard Linklater; Amazon/Lionsgate)PROS: On the heels of Trump laying out his Afghanistan “strategy,” and with the threat of war looming every day, the human toll represented here is sure to resonate. Also, an Oscar season comeback for Linklater seems inevitable; the goodwill is there.CONS: It’s a talky drama that almost feels like a play. So, like “Lady Bird,” below-the-line support might be difficult to come by.</p>
<p>“Mudbound” (Dee Rees; Netflix)PROS: Another one for traditionalists, it tells an unfussy, emotional story with handsome production values and an impressive ensemble performance. There’s an epic scope to it that makes it feel like a fuller experience than much of the year’s slate.CONS: Netflix itself is the question mark: “Beasts of No Nation” seemed to suffer from the identity crisis of film vs. TV. Cannes put its foot down. Industry revolt could be simmering.</p>
<p>“The Post” (Steven Spielberg; Fox)PROS: The only film on the list that hasn’t screened, it could capture the zeitgeist. Themes of press freedom protections and a woman taking charge in a male-dominated industry give it a whiff of “importance.” Oh, and let’s not forget: Spielberg! Hanks! Streep! The cast is stacked.CONS: It may suffer somewhat in the shadow of “Spotlight.” Also, Oscar history is littered with on-paper sure-things that flamed out.</p>
<p>“The Shape of Water” (Guillermo del Toro; Fox Searchlight)PROS: Those who are passionate are really passionate. It’s the auteur-driven Hollywood film, with a robust crafts element and possibly the year’s frontrunning lead actress contender (Sally Hawkins).CONS: There’s some serious tonal whiplash on display. Del Toro’s more overt genre tendencies could make it difficult for some to love it.</p>
<p>“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (Martin McDonagh; Fox Searchlight)PROS: The <a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/news/toronto-film-festival-audience-award-three-billboards-1202561527/" type="external">People’s Choice victory in Toronto</a> proves it plays widely. Themes of forgiveness will resonate and — not just speaking personally, but anecdotally — it’s one of the most satisfying contenders of the year.CONS: Dark comedy isn’t easy in an Oscar race. And Fox Searchlight has a lot to handle.</p>
<p>Other possibilities: “All the Money in the World” (Ridley Scott; Sony); “Battle of the Sexes” (Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris; Fox Searchlight); “The Big Sick” (Michael Showalter; Amazon/Lionsgate); “Detroit” (Kathryn Bigelow; Annapurna); “The Disaster Artist” (James Franco; A24); “Get Out” (Jordan Peele; Universal); “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (Rian Johnson; Disney); “Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Film” (Paul Thomas Anderson; Focus)</p>
| 7,035 |
<p>During a Wednesday press conference, President Trump said taxes for “the wealthy” might go up under a bipartisan tax plan:</p>
<p>And the rich will not be gaining at all with this plan. We're looking for the middle class and we're looking for jobs, jobs meaning companies. So we're looking at, for the middle class, and we're looking at jobs…</p>
<p>I think the wealthy will be pretty much where they are, pretty much where they are. If we can do that, we'd like it. If they have to go higher, they'll go higher, frankly.</p>
<p>This behavior is the inevitable result of an individual with no consistent political philosophy.</p>
<p>A conservative would advocate for a flat tax across the board; a conservative would understand that setting an arbitrary earnings cap beyond which Americans are financially penalized disincentivizes further labor, while stifling innovation, investment, and productivity; and a conservative would know that the word “bipartisan” is Democratic code for “I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” In other words, Democrats get what they want now in exchange for promises that never come to fruition.</p>
<p>Trump, however, is most assuredly not a conservative. He is an unmoored ship, and his policies reflect that state of being.</p>
<p>Higher taxes for the wealthy may further the class warfare narrative promulgated by progressives, but as long as Trump gets to sign a bill and be praised by Democrats, he doesn't seem to care.</p>
|
Trump: If Taxes For The Wealthy 'Have To Go Higher, They'll Go Higher'
| true |
https://dailywire.com/news/21102/trump-if-taxes-wealthy-have-go-higher-theyll-go-frank-camp
|
2017-09-14
| 0right
|
Trump: If Taxes For The Wealthy 'Have To Go Higher, They'll Go Higher'
<p>During a Wednesday press conference, President Trump said taxes for “the wealthy” might go up under a bipartisan tax plan:</p>
<p>And the rich will not be gaining at all with this plan. We're looking for the middle class and we're looking for jobs, jobs meaning companies. So we're looking at, for the middle class, and we're looking at jobs…</p>
<p>I think the wealthy will be pretty much where they are, pretty much where they are. If we can do that, we'd like it. If they have to go higher, they'll go higher, frankly.</p>
<p>This behavior is the inevitable result of an individual with no consistent political philosophy.</p>
<p>A conservative would advocate for a flat tax across the board; a conservative would understand that setting an arbitrary earnings cap beyond which Americans are financially penalized disincentivizes further labor, while stifling innovation, investment, and productivity; and a conservative would know that the word “bipartisan” is Democratic code for “I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” In other words, Democrats get what they want now in exchange for promises that never come to fruition.</p>
<p>Trump, however, is most assuredly not a conservative. He is an unmoored ship, and his policies reflect that state of being.</p>
<p>Higher taxes for the wealthy may further the class warfare narrative promulgated by progressives, but as long as Trump gets to sign a bill and be praised by Democrats, he doesn't seem to care.</p>
| 7,036 |
<p>SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon’s drawing of the “Pick Four-Midday” game were:</p>
<p>8-7-6-2, Fireball: 7</p>
<p>(eight, seven, six, two; Fireball: seven)</p>
<p>SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon’s drawing of the “Pick Four-Midday” game were:</p>
<p>8-7-6-2, Fireball: 7</p>
<p>(eight, seven, six, two; Fireball: seven)</p>
|
Winning numbers drawn in ‘Pick Four-Midday’ game
| false |
https://apnews.com/8f7c167ce7f349e1848033d8191678a6
|
2017-12-31
| 2least
|
Winning numbers drawn in ‘Pick Four-Midday’ game
<p>SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon’s drawing of the “Pick Four-Midday” game were:</p>
<p>8-7-6-2, Fireball: 7</p>
<p>(eight, seven, six, two; Fireball: seven)</p>
<p>SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday afternoon’s drawing of the “Pick Four-Midday” game were:</p>
<p>8-7-6-2, Fireball: 7</p>
<p>(eight, seven, six, two; Fireball: seven)</p>
| 7,037 |
<p>Teachers have all attended bad professional development. Your principal tells you a sub will cover your class the next day because she is sending you to a workshop described only by a five-letter acronym. You go to the district’s online PD catalogue, CPS University, where it takes you half of your prep period to sign up. When you arrive, you spend an hour playing get-to-know-you games before you realize that the session is meant for beginning teachers–but you are entering your eighth year.&#160;</p>
<p>You sit in the back, and your mind wanders to all the things you could be doing with this time: planning for next quarter, analyzing data from your latest assessment, or finding ways to reach a group of English language learners who are struggling despite your best efforts. You wish this PD would address those things. You leave with a book, binder, and t-shirt, but with no understanding of how to improve your practice.&#160; &#160;</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this type of dispiriting professional development is all too common and its impact is doubly devastating. Not only do teachers miss a chance for professional growth, but students lose critical instructional time with their teacher.&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>However, high-quality professional development is critical to teachers’ long-term effectiveness. A teacher’s work is dynamic: Students and responsibilities change, new research is conducted, and more rigorous standards are adopted. PD needs to be reformed, not eliminated.</p>
<p>As teachers, we welcome any proven changes that will benefit our students, but we need support.&#160; We need strategies to engage students, data to monitor their learning, and new methods to help them meet demands of the 21st Century. And sometimes, all we need are a few ways to get our students to sit down and listen!</p>
<p>As teachers, we have experienced effective professional development. It was collaborative, ongoing, and connected research to our unique work in the classroom. This kind of PD changed the way we taught and directly affected our students’ achievement. In order to ensure more of this high-quality PD in CPS, we suggest the following modifications:</p>
<p>Protect professional development time from administrative tasks.</p>
<p>Time reserved for professional development needs to be protected to maintain the focus on teacher learning. Currently, many schools use portions of full-day PD to hold all-staff administrative meetings, to give teachers time to catch up on grading or classroom work, or to train teachers on a variety of administrative programs.&#160; While all of these activities are necessary, meetings, grading, and trainings are not professional development, and should not be labeled as such. Schools need to find ways to communicate logistical information to teachers in more efficient ways (for example, online communication such as email or webinars, or before- or after-school meetings) and ensure that professional development days are not co-opted by anything except high-quality learning for teachers.</p>
<p>Differentiate professional development by content, expertise, and delivery method.</p>
<p>Teachers have different strengths and weaknesses. A first-year teacher who has problems controlling his classroom needs different professional development than a 12th-year teacher who is fine-tuning her approach to support vocabulary acquisition for ELL students.</p>
<p>One way to create more differentiation is to give teachers with excellent or superior ratings on the new evaluation system more autonomy to choose PD offerings to best suit their individual needs. However, this choice is only significant if the PD offerings are diverse and clearly connected to classroom practice. Professional development should be aligned with the new observation rubric, and there should be several options for each strand.</p>
<p>Further, CPS should use the power of technology to afford teachers greater flexibility in their PD offerings, perhaps by creating online communities for teachers to share questions and suggestions with their peers or by building a bank of classroom videos so they can watch specific techniques in action.</p>
<p>Finally, PD should be realized as an opportunity to create dialogue between public and high-performing charter schools to share techniques that will benefit all of Chicago’s students.</p>
<p>Maximize the productivity of CPS’s online professional development catalog:</p>
<p>CPS University, the district’s online professional development headquarters, has serious problems. Searching for specific classes is cumbersome, the descriptions of the classes and providers are often unclear, and the site design is dated. Small changes to CPSU could greatly increase its productivity. For example, labeling classes according to content or level of experience (like college courses) would make it much easier to find relevant PD. Ratings and post-survey feedback should be made public, essentially turning CPS University into something akin to <a href="http://yelp.com/" type="external">yelp</a> <a href="http://yelp.com/" type="external">.</a> <a href="http://yelp.com/" type="external">com</a>.&#160;</p>
<p>In addition to directing teachers to PD that would best meet their individual need, the site would also give teachers a voice in supporting high-quality PD offerings while deterring them from courses that others haven’t found beneficial.</p>
<p>Cultivate teacher leadership and collaboration.</p>
<p>Often, it is teacher-leaders in a school who can most effectively diagnose and address teacher needs. CPS and CTU should identify, train, and nurture a class of school-based teacher-leaders–who have consistently earned high evaluation scores–to lead professional development in each school.&#160; These leaders should be given the guidance to identify their school’s particular areas of need, research effective solutions, and create systems of communication and trust among their colleagues. They should work cooperatively with their principals and collaborate with teacher-leaders from other schools.&#160; Finally, they should be compensated monetarily or with a reduced teaching load in exchange for their leadership.</p>
<p>Establish professional development using an ongoing cohort model.</p>
<p>The Consortium on Chicago School Research defines effective PD as a blend of quality pedagogy, exposure to content and frequent participation over time. Unfortunately, a majority of our professional development opportunities are “one-and-done,” standing in stark contrast to the recommendations of research. We need more professional development options that are continuous and cohort-based, allowing the same groups of teachers to meet regularly throughout the year in a professional learning community. In a learning community, teachers build relationships as they learn together, try what they’ve learned in their classrooms, and bring it back to their peers to share experiences, reflect, and recalibrate.</p>
<p>We believe that while PD can be complicated and expensive, it is an essential component of improving teacher practice. We think the suggestions we have outlined will enable teachers to connect innovative strategies and new research into their classroom, thereby ensuring that professional development can succeed in the way that matters the most – raising student achievement.</p>
<p>Laura Meili and Alex Seeskin are Chicago Public Schools teachers and Teach Plus Policy Fellows. Meili teaches middle school English at Mollison Elementary School. Seeskin is the English Department Chair at Lake View High School and is a National Board Certified Teacher.</p>
<p>For more information about Teach Plus, please visit: <a href="http://www.teachplus.org/%20" type="external">http://www.teachplus.org</a></p>
|
Teachers suggest five steps to better professional development
| false |
http://chicagoreporter.com/teachers-suggest-five-steps-better-professional-development/
|
2011-09-29
| 3left-center
|
Teachers suggest five steps to better professional development
<p>Teachers have all attended bad professional development. Your principal tells you a sub will cover your class the next day because she is sending you to a workshop described only by a five-letter acronym. You go to the district’s online PD catalogue, CPS University, where it takes you half of your prep period to sign up. When you arrive, you spend an hour playing get-to-know-you games before you realize that the session is meant for beginning teachers–but you are entering your eighth year.&#160;</p>
<p>You sit in the back, and your mind wanders to all the things you could be doing with this time: planning for next quarter, analyzing data from your latest assessment, or finding ways to reach a group of English language learners who are struggling despite your best efforts. You wish this PD would address those things. You leave with a book, binder, and t-shirt, but with no understanding of how to improve your practice.&#160; &#160;</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this type of dispiriting professional development is all too common and its impact is doubly devastating. Not only do teachers miss a chance for professional growth, but students lose critical instructional time with their teacher.&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>However, high-quality professional development is critical to teachers’ long-term effectiveness. A teacher’s work is dynamic: Students and responsibilities change, new research is conducted, and more rigorous standards are adopted. PD needs to be reformed, not eliminated.</p>
<p>As teachers, we welcome any proven changes that will benefit our students, but we need support.&#160; We need strategies to engage students, data to monitor their learning, and new methods to help them meet demands of the 21st Century. And sometimes, all we need are a few ways to get our students to sit down and listen!</p>
<p>As teachers, we have experienced effective professional development. It was collaborative, ongoing, and connected research to our unique work in the classroom. This kind of PD changed the way we taught and directly affected our students’ achievement. In order to ensure more of this high-quality PD in CPS, we suggest the following modifications:</p>
<p>Protect professional development time from administrative tasks.</p>
<p>Time reserved for professional development needs to be protected to maintain the focus on teacher learning. Currently, many schools use portions of full-day PD to hold all-staff administrative meetings, to give teachers time to catch up on grading or classroom work, or to train teachers on a variety of administrative programs.&#160; While all of these activities are necessary, meetings, grading, and trainings are not professional development, and should not be labeled as such. Schools need to find ways to communicate logistical information to teachers in more efficient ways (for example, online communication such as email or webinars, or before- or after-school meetings) and ensure that professional development days are not co-opted by anything except high-quality learning for teachers.</p>
<p>Differentiate professional development by content, expertise, and delivery method.</p>
<p>Teachers have different strengths and weaknesses. A first-year teacher who has problems controlling his classroom needs different professional development than a 12th-year teacher who is fine-tuning her approach to support vocabulary acquisition for ELL students.</p>
<p>One way to create more differentiation is to give teachers with excellent or superior ratings on the new evaluation system more autonomy to choose PD offerings to best suit their individual needs. However, this choice is only significant if the PD offerings are diverse and clearly connected to classroom practice. Professional development should be aligned with the new observation rubric, and there should be several options for each strand.</p>
<p>Further, CPS should use the power of technology to afford teachers greater flexibility in their PD offerings, perhaps by creating online communities for teachers to share questions and suggestions with their peers or by building a bank of classroom videos so they can watch specific techniques in action.</p>
<p>Finally, PD should be realized as an opportunity to create dialogue between public and high-performing charter schools to share techniques that will benefit all of Chicago’s students.</p>
<p>Maximize the productivity of CPS’s online professional development catalog:</p>
<p>CPS University, the district’s online professional development headquarters, has serious problems. Searching for specific classes is cumbersome, the descriptions of the classes and providers are often unclear, and the site design is dated. Small changes to CPSU could greatly increase its productivity. For example, labeling classes according to content or level of experience (like college courses) would make it much easier to find relevant PD. Ratings and post-survey feedback should be made public, essentially turning CPS University into something akin to <a href="http://yelp.com/" type="external">yelp</a> <a href="http://yelp.com/" type="external">.</a> <a href="http://yelp.com/" type="external">com</a>.&#160;</p>
<p>In addition to directing teachers to PD that would best meet their individual need, the site would also give teachers a voice in supporting high-quality PD offerings while deterring them from courses that others haven’t found beneficial.</p>
<p>Cultivate teacher leadership and collaboration.</p>
<p>Often, it is teacher-leaders in a school who can most effectively diagnose and address teacher needs. CPS and CTU should identify, train, and nurture a class of school-based teacher-leaders–who have consistently earned high evaluation scores–to lead professional development in each school.&#160; These leaders should be given the guidance to identify their school’s particular areas of need, research effective solutions, and create systems of communication and trust among their colleagues. They should work cooperatively with their principals and collaborate with teacher-leaders from other schools.&#160; Finally, they should be compensated monetarily or with a reduced teaching load in exchange for their leadership.</p>
<p>Establish professional development using an ongoing cohort model.</p>
<p>The Consortium on Chicago School Research defines effective PD as a blend of quality pedagogy, exposure to content and frequent participation over time. Unfortunately, a majority of our professional development opportunities are “one-and-done,” standing in stark contrast to the recommendations of research. We need more professional development options that are continuous and cohort-based, allowing the same groups of teachers to meet regularly throughout the year in a professional learning community. In a learning community, teachers build relationships as they learn together, try what they’ve learned in their classrooms, and bring it back to their peers to share experiences, reflect, and recalibrate.</p>
<p>We believe that while PD can be complicated and expensive, it is an essential component of improving teacher practice. We think the suggestions we have outlined will enable teachers to connect innovative strategies and new research into their classroom, thereby ensuring that professional development can succeed in the way that matters the most – raising student achievement.</p>
<p>Laura Meili and Alex Seeskin are Chicago Public Schools teachers and Teach Plus Policy Fellows. Meili teaches middle school English at Mollison Elementary School. Seeskin is the English Department Chair at Lake View High School and is a National Board Certified Teacher.</p>
<p>For more information about Teach Plus, please visit: <a href="http://www.teachplus.org/%20" type="external">http://www.teachplus.org</a></p>
| 7,038 |
<p />
<p>Drivers have benefited from unusually low gasoline prices to start the summer, but the reprieve will be short lived, AAA said Thursday.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The travel group expects the national average to spike at least 10 cents by the end of the summer. That means pump prices could surpass the current 2017 high of $2.72 a gallon, which was seen in March.</p>
<p>Motorists are used to seeing gas prices surge as the summer driving season kicks off. However, bucking the typical price trends, gasoline hit a new low of $2.23 a gallon in June amid cheap oil prices and high rates of production at refineries. The oil market continues to deal with large U.S. inventories, and domestic crude production is on pace to set an all-time high in 2018.</p>
<p>“In spite of industry predictions to the contrary, gas prices this summer are cheaper than at the beginning of the year,” said AAA spokesperson Jeanette Casselano.</p>
<p>The next few weeks will “paint a different picture,” Casselano added, as Americans are expected to drive more miles to wrap up the summer. AAA predicts that gas prices will surpass $2.32 a gallon as early as next week. The upward swing will continue until Labor Day, when pump prices should begin to subside. AAA is forecasting an average of less than $2.25 a gallon for the second half of the year.</p>
<p>The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $2.275 on Thursday, according to AAA data.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>AAA said consumers can find gas for $2.25 or less at 57% of U.S. gas stations. Forty percent or more of gas stations in nine states have a posted price of $2 a gallon or less, including South Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas.</p>
|
Drivers should brace for higher gas prices: AAA
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/07/20/drivers-should-brace-for-higher-gas-prices-aaa.html
|
2017-07-20
| 0right
|
Drivers should brace for higher gas prices: AAA
<p />
<p>Drivers have benefited from unusually low gasoline prices to start the summer, but the reprieve will be short lived, AAA said Thursday.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The travel group expects the national average to spike at least 10 cents by the end of the summer. That means pump prices could surpass the current 2017 high of $2.72 a gallon, which was seen in March.</p>
<p>Motorists are used to seeing gas prices surge as the summer driving season kicks off. However, bucking the typical price trends, gasoline hit a new low of $2.23 a gallon in June amid cheap oil prices and high rates of production at refineries. The oil market continues to deal with large U.S. inventories, and domestic crude production is on pace to set an all-time high in 2018.</p>
<p>“In spite of industry predictions to the contrary, gas prices this summer are cheaper than at the beginning of the year,” said AAA spokesperson Jeanette Casselano.</p>
<p>The next few weeks will “paint a different picture,” Casselano added, as Americans are expected to drive more miles to wrap up the summer. AAA predicts that gas prices will surpass $2.32 a gallon as early as next week. The upward swing will continue until Labor Day, when pump prices should begin to subside. AAA is forecasting an average of less than $2.25 a gallon for the second half of the year.</p>
<p>The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $2.275 on Thursday, according to AAA data.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>AAA said consumers can find gas for $2.25 or less at 57% of U.S. gas stations. Forty percent or more of gas stations in nine states have a posted price of $2 a gallon or less, including South Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas.</p>
| 7,039 |
<p>Published time: 13 Jul, 2017 10:45</p>
<p>Several Russian officials and politicians, including the foreign ministry spokesperson, criticized a documentary about the ‘Forest Brothers’ – pro-Nazi guerillas from the Baltic nations – recently released by NATO.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/politics/latvia-nazi-veterans-march/" type="external" /></p>
<p>“I remember that 6 months ago the international community, including the leading mass media, was discussing whether Holocaust-themed dance shows should be allowed. I have a strong hope that these same people who claim that they care a lot about the tragic pages of history will also give their appraisal to this appalling stunt by NATO. I also hope that no one needs a reminder concerning mass executions performed by those who later started calling themselves Forest Brothers,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova wrote on her Facebook page.&#160;</p>
<p>The reaction came to the eight-minute reenactment film ‘Forest Brothers – Fight for the Baltics’ which was released by NATO. The film glorifies guerillas who fought against the Soviet regime in the Baltic countries, and depicts an ambush in which some Forest Brothers attacked and killed Soviet soldiers.</p>
<p>Zakharova called upon historians, reporters, and political scientists not to remain indifferent to this new attempt of distorting history. “Don’t remain indifferent, this is a perversion of history that NATO knowingly spreads in order to undermine the outcome of the Nuremberg Tribunal and it must be cut short!” she wrote. She also reminded her readers that many of the Forest Brothers were former Nazi collaborators and members of the Baltic Waffen SS, and that members of these guerilla groups killed thousands of civilians in their raids.&#160;</p>
<p>Russian deputy PM and former envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin was even harsher in his reaction to the film: “This reel with Forest Brothers killing our soldiers confirms the fact that when we face NATO we face the heirs to those of Hitler’s collaborators who survived the war,” he tweeted. The official noted that some time ago, when he worked as a plenipotentiary with NATO, such things would not have been allowed, but now “their insolence has reached the limit.”</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/207899-un-anti-nazism-resolution/" type="external" /></p>
<p>Speaking to RT, Lower House MP Iosif Kobzon (United Russia) called the NATO film “vandalism and Russophobia,” adding that he was ready to propose the making of a film that would describe the story of the Forest Brothers movement in a more realistic light. He also recommended everyone watch the 1965 documentary ‘Triumph Over Violence’ by Soviet director Mikhail Romm, which describes in detail the atrocities committed by the Nazis and their allies and collaborators.</p>
<p>‘Forest Brothers’ is the unofficial name for guerilla units that offered armed resistance to the Soviet authorities in the three Baltic republics – Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia – from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. These guerilla groups killed at least 25,000 people in Lithuania alone, most of them civilians.</p>
<p>After the Baltic nations declared independence from the Soviet Union in early 1990, nationalist politicians in these countries began frequently using the images of Forest Brothers and Waffen SS veterans in their propaganda, depicting the Nazi collaborators as patriots who fought the Soviet regime. Russia has repeatedly denounced such moves as rewriting history and warned of the possible dire consequences of justifying Nazism.</p>
|
‘Perversion of history’: Russian officials blast NATO film glorifying Nazi collaborators
| false |
https://newsline.com/perversion-of-history-russian-officials-blast-nato-film-glorifying-nazi-collaborators/
|
2017-07-13
| 1right-center
|
‘Perversion of history’: Russian officials blast NATO film glorifying Nazi collaborators
<p>Published time: 13 Jul, 2017 10:45</p>
<p>Several Russian officials and politicians, including the foreign ministry spokesperson, criticized a documentary about the ‘Forest Brothers’ – pro-Nazi guerillas from the Baltic nations – recently released by NATO.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/politics/latvia-nazi-veterans-march/" type="external" /></p>
<p>“I remember that 6 months ago the international community, including the leading mass media, was discussing whether Holocaust-themed dance shows should be allowed. I have a strong hope that these same people who claim that they care a lot about the tragic pages of history will also give their appraisal to this appalling stunt by NATO. I also hope that no one needs a reminder concerning mass executions performed by those who later started calling themselves Forest Brothers,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova wrote on her Facebook page.&#160;</p>
<p>The reaction came to the eight-minute reenactment film ‘Forest Brothers – Fight for the Baltics’ which was released by NATO. The film glorifies guerillas who fought against the Soviet regime in the Baltic countries, and depicts an ambush in which some Forest Brothers attacked and killed Soviet soldiers.</p>
<p>Zakharova called upon historians, reporters, and political scientists not to remain indifferent to this new attempt of distorting history. “Don’t remain indifferent, this is a perversion of history that NATO knowingly spreads in order to undermine the outcome of the Nuremberg Tribunal and it must be cut short!” she wrote. She also reminded her readers that many of the Forest Brothers were former Nazi collaborators and members of the Baltic Waffen SS, and that members of these guerilla groups killed thousands of civilians in their raids.&#160;</p>
<p>Russian deputy PM and former envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin was even harsher in his reaction to the film: “This reel with Forest Brothers killing our soldiers confirms the fact that when we face NATO we face the heirs to those of Hitler’s collaborators who survived the war,” he tweeted. The official noted that some time ago, when he worked as a plenipotentiary with NATO, such things would not have been allowed, but now “their insolence has reached the limit.”</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/207899-un-anti-nazism-resolution/" type="external" /></p>
<p>Speaking to RT, Lower House MP Iosif Kobzon (United Russia) called the NATO film “vandalism and Russophobia,” adding that he was ready to propose the making of a film that would describe the story of the Forest Brothers movement in a more realistic light. He also recommended everyone watch the 1965 documentary ‘Triumph Over Violence’ by Soviet director Mikhail Romm, which describes in detail the atrocities committed by the Nazis and their allies and collaborators.</p>
<p>‘Forest Brothers’ is the unofficial name for guerilla units that offered armed resistance to the Soviet authorities in the three Baltic republics – Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia – from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. These guerilla groups killed at least 25,000 people in Lithuania alone, most of them civilians.</p>
<p>After the Baltic nations declared independence from the Soviet Union in early 1990, nationalist politicians in these countries began frequently using the images of Forest Brothers and Waffen SS veterans in their propaganda, depicting the Nazi collaborators as patriots who fought the Soviet regime. Russia has repeatedly denounced such moves as rewriting history and warned of the possible dire consequences of justifying Nazism.</p>
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<p>BOXING By Rick Wright Journal Staff Writer</p>
<p>Neither life nor boxing has smiled on Joaquin Zamora lately. Yet, it’s rare to see the 35-year-old Santa Fe resident without a smile on his face.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The source of that smile this week is a scheduled eight-round bout Saturday against El Paso’s Bernardo Guereca in the main event of a professional card at the Crowne Plaza.</p>
<p>Zamora, a skillful left-handed middleweight, has an excellent record (18-4-1, 12 knockouts). Yet, he hasn’t fought in 17 months and hasn’t won a fight since June 2009.</p>
<p>Of the prospect of facing Guereca (16-14-1, three KOs), he says, “Oh, man, I’m excited. It’s everything.</p>
<p>“This whole year for me has been a rough year, just personal-wise, boxing-wise, everything. I’m just excited to get in there.”</p>
<p>Zamora hasn’t fought since his brutal loss by eight-round decision to Elco Garcia in June 2011. Knocked down three times during the fight, Zamora considered retirement afterward but decided that was no way to end a career.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>He was supposed to have resumed that career in April, but, after two opponents were scratched, so was his fight.</p>
<p>The hardest punches, though, occurred in his personal life.</p>
<p>In May, legendary world champion Johnny Tapia – Zamora’s trainer, his idol and his close friend – died of a heart condition.</p>
<p>“I grew up idolizing Johnny,” he says. “… He was an amazing guy.”</p>
<p>Earlier this month, Zamora’s wife, Micah, suffered a miscarriage.</p>
<p>“It’s part of life,” he says of the couple’s loss. “A lot of people go through it and they’ve gotten past it, and me and my wife will be the same.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“I’ve always believed in being good to everybody, because when things happen like that it really helps when you have a lot of support. I appreciate everybody that showed their love and support.”</p>
<p>The Zamoras have a son, Enrique, who will turn 2 later this month.</p>
<p>A Navy veteran, Zamora turned pro at the relatively advanced age of 25. Fights came easily at first – 18 in some five years – but have slowed to a trickle of late. In the past 51 months, he has fought just six times.</p>
<p>In part, he says, the inactivity has been by choice. Zamora generally has refused to take fights on short notice as “the opponent” simply for the money.</p>
<p>He remembers getting a phone call from a promoter, offering him a $10,000 payday to fight in Puerto Rico.</p>
<p>“I said, ‘Yeah, when is it?'” Zamora says. “He says, ‘Friday.’ This was a Tuesday morning.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“I said, ‘No, thanks.’ I’ve got too much pride to take fights just to be taking them.”</p>
<p>Zamora’s reputation as a slick-boxing southpaw, he says, also has cost him bouts.</p>
<p>“About three years ago, I was offered a fight with Joey Fernandez in Miami, Florida, and then when they found out I was a southpaw they turned me down. And (Fernandez) is a southpaw himself.</p>
<p>“To me, they can only throw the left or the right, so it really doesn’t matter to me. But a lot of guys, (fighting a southpaw) kind of freaks them out.”</p>
<p>The Zamora-Guereca bout, by coincidence, is a southpaw-vs.-southpaw matchup.</p>
<p>Guereca, 39, was 12-4-1 after scoring a stunning, first-round knockout of Albuquerque’s Hector Muñoz – Zamora’s Team Tapia stablemate – in June 2004. Since then, the El Paso resident is 4-10.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Zamora says he learned long ago not to take anyone lightly.</p>
<p>In July 2006, he was matched against a fighter with a record of 7-48-2.</p>
<p>People, he says, asked him why he was training so hard.</p>
<p>“I was like, ‘I do not want to be win No. 8,” he says, laughing. He won by second-round knockout.</p>
<p>Making Guereca his own 19th victim on Saturday, Zamora says, would be a happy ending to a tough year. — This article appeared on page D3 of the Albuquerque Journal</p>
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Boxer Zamora Fights Through Adversity
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https://abqjournal.com/238185/boxer-zamora-fights-through-adversity.html
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Boxer Zamora Fights Through Adversity
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<p />
<p>BOXING By Rick Wright Journal Staff Writer</p>
<p>Neither life nor boxing has smiled on Joaquin Zamora lately. Yet, it’s rare to see the 35-year-old Santa Fe resident without a smile on his face.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The source of that smile this week is a scheduled eight-round bout Saturday against El Paso’s Bernardo Guereca in the main event of a professional card at the Crowne Plaza.</p>
<p>Zamora, a skillful left-handed middleweight, has an excellent record (18-4-1, 12 knockouts). Yet, he hasn’t fought in 17 months and hasn’t won a fight since June 2009.</p>
<p>Of the prospect of facing Guereca (16-14-1, three KOs), he says, “Oh, man, I’m excited. It’s everything.</p>
<p>“This whole year for me has been a rough year, just personal-wise, boxing-wise, everything. I’m just excited to get in there.”</p>
<p>Zamora hasn’t fought since his brutal loss by eight-round decision to Elco Garcia in June 2011. Knocked down three times during the fight, Zamora considered retirement afterward but decided that was no way to end a career.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>He was supposed to have resumed that career in April, but, after two opponents were scratched, so was his fight.</p>
<p>The hardest punches, though, occurred in his personal life.</p>
<p>In May, legendary world champion Johnny Tapia – Zamora’s trainer, his idol and his close friend – died of a heart condition.</p>
<p>“I grew up idolizing Johnny,” he says. “… He was an amazing guy.”</p>
<p>Earlier this month, Zamora’s wife, Micah, suffered a miscarriage.</p>
<p>“It’s part of life,” he says of the couple’s loss. “A lot of people go through it and they’ve gotten past it, and me and my wife will be the same.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“I’ve always believed in being good to everybody, because when things happen like that it really helps when you have a lot of support. I appreciate everybody that showed their love and support.”</p>
<p>The Zamoras have a son, Enrique, who will turn 2 later this month.</p>
<p>A Navy veteran, Zamora turned pro at the relatively advanced age of 25. Fights came easily at first – 18 in some five years – but have slowed to a trickle of late. In the past 51 months, he has fought just six times.</p>
<p>In part, he says, the inactivity has been by choice. Zamora generally has refused to take fights on short notice as “the opponent” simply for the money.</p>
<p>He remembers getting a phone call from a promoter, offering him a $10,000 payday to fight in Puerto Rico.</p>
<p>“I said, ‘Yeah, when is it?'” Zamora says. “He says, ‘Friday.’ This was a Tuesday morning.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“I said, ‘No, thanks.’ I’ve got too much pride to take fights just to be taking them.”</p>
<p>Zamora’s reputation as a slick-boxing southpaw, he says, also has cost him bouts.</p>
<p>“About three years ago, I was offered a fight with Joey Fernandez in Miami, Florida, and then when they found out I was a southpaw they turned me down. And (Fernandez) is a southpaw himself.</p>
<p>“To me, they can only throw the left or the right, so it really doesn’t matter to me. But a lot of guys, (fighting a southpaw) kind of freaks them out.”</p>
<p>The Zamora-Guereca bout, by coincidence, is a southpaw-vs.-southpaw matchup.</p>
<p>Guereca, 39, was 12-4-1 after scoring a stunning, first-round knockout of Albuquerque’s Hector Muñoz – Zamora’s Team Tapia stablemate – in June 2004. Since then, the El Paso resident is 4-10.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Zamora says he learned long ago not to take anyone lightly.</p>
<p>In July 2006, he was matched against a fighter with a record of 7-48-2.</p>
<p>People, he says, asked him why he was training so hard.</p>
<p>“I was like, ‘I do not want to be win No. 8,” he says, laughing. He won by second-round knockout.</p>
<p>Making Guereca his own 19th victim on Saturday, Zamora says, would be a happy ending to a tough year. — This article appeared on page D3 of the Albuquerque Journal</p>
| 7,041 |
|
<p>Extreme Solution 1</p>
<p>The old movies used to feature a priest walking alongside the condemned man towards the scaffold, offering last seconds of comfort, plea-bargaining strategies with St Peter, a bolstering hand under the elbow. Some time in the next decade maybe the scene will be reversed, with a lay counselor assisting the condemned priest as he totters towards that final rendez-vous with the executioner.</p>
<p>The death penalty is being vigorously touted as the best way to deal with child molesters. And as the world knows, the Roman Catholic Church has sheltered many a child molester.</p>
<p>On the cutting edge here are three states noted for the moral refinement of their legislators: to wit, Montana, Louisiana and Alabama.</p>
<p>The first two states have already put Death for Molesters into their statute books and when the legislators of Alabama convene again next year they will press forward into legislation from an overwhelming vote last year in favor molester executions from its House of Representatives.</p>
<p>The Montana law allows a person previously convicted of “sexual intercourse without consent” with a person younger than 16 in any state to be sentenced to death if convicted of that crime in Montana. The law was passed in 1997 but no one has yet been charged under that provision.</p>
<p>Louisiana has had a law on the books since 1995 that allows people convicted of raping a child under the age of 12 to be sentenced to death. A handful of people in the state have been charged under the law this year alone, but no one has yet been convicted and sentenced to death</p>
<p>Alabama’s bill, would authorize the death penalty for people convicted a second time of having sex with a child younger than 12. No other states have the death penalty for a sex crime.</p>
<p>ABC News quoted Marcel Black, the chairman of the Alabama House Judiciary Committee as saying, “The very serious meaning of this is to send a message to child molesters that it is a bad thing to do”.</p>
<p>Molesters can take comfort in the fact that these laws would probably not survive challenges from higher courts. The US Supreme Court ruled in 1977 that the death penalty is excessive punishment for rape.</p>
<p>But who knows, in the current atmosphere anything is possible.</p>
<p>Extreme Solution 2</p>
<p>Professor Martin van Creveld is Israel’s best known military historian. On April 28 Britain’s conservative newspaper The Telegraph, published an article outlining what Van Creveld believes Sharon’s near-term goal: “transfer”, otherwise known as expulsion of the Palestinians.</p>
<p>According to Van Creveld, Sharon’s plan is to drive two million Palestinians across the Jordan using the pretext of a US attack on Iraq or a terrorist strike in Israel. This could trigger a massive mobilization to clear the occupied territories of their two million Arabs.</p>
<p>Van Creveld notes that two years ago less than eight per cent of those who took part in a Gallup poll among Jewish Israelis said they were in favor of what is euphemistically called “transfer” – that is, the expulsion of perhaps two million Palestinians across the River Jordan. This month that figure reached 44 per cent.</p>
<p>In September 1970, Van Creveld recalls, King Hussein of Jordan attacked the Palestinians in his kingdom, killing perhaps 5,000 to 10,000. The then General Sharon, serving as Commanding Officer, Southern Front, argued that Israel’s policy of helping the king was a mistake; instead it should have tried to topple the Hashemite regime. Sharon has often said since that Jordan, which, according to him, has a Palestinian majority even now, is the Palestinian state. The inference – that the Palestinians should go there – is clear.</p>
<p>Van Creveld writes that Sharon has always harbored a very clear plan to rid Israel of the Palestinians.He has wait for a pretext – such as an American attack on Iraq, which some Israelis think is going to take place in early summer. Sharon himself told Secretary of State Colin Powell that America should not allow the situation in Israel to delay such an operation. An uprising in Jordan, followed by the collapse of King Abdullah’s regime, would also present such an opportunity – as would a terrorist attack inside Israel that killed hundreds.</p>
<p>Should such circumstances arise, according to Van Creveld, then Israel would mobilize within hours. “First, the country’s three ultra-modern submarines would take up firing positions out at sea. Borders would be closed, a news blackout imposed, and all foreign journalists rounded up and confined to a hotel as guests of the Government. A force of 12 divisions, 11 of them armored, plus various territorial units suitable for occupation duties, would be deployed: five against Egypt, three against Syria, and one opposite Lebanon. This would leave three to face east as well as enough forces to put a tank inside every Arab-Israeli village just in case their populations get any funny ideas.”</p>
<p>In Van Creveld’s view (he does say flatly that he is utterly opposed to any form of “transfer”), “The expulsion of the Palestinians would require only a few brigades. They would not drag people out of their houses but use heavy artillery to drive them out; the damage caused to Jenin would look like a pinprick in comparison. He discounts any effective response from Egypt, Syrpia, Lebanon or Iraq. “Saddam Hussein may launch some of the 30 to 40 missiles he probably has. The damage they can do, however, is limited. Should Saddam be mad enough to resort to weapons of mass destruction, then Israel’s response would be so ‘awesome and terrible’ (as Yitzhak Shamir, the former prime minister, once said) as to defy the imagination.”</p>
<p>But what about international reaction? Van Creveld thinks it would not be an effective deterrent. “Some believe that the international community will not permit such an ethnic cleansing. I would not count on it. If Mr Sharon decides to go ahead, the only country that can stop him is the United States. The US, however, regards itself as being at war with parts of the Muslim world that have supported Osama bin Laden. America will not necessarily object to that world being taught a lesson – particularly if it could be as swift and brutal as the 1967 campaign; and also particularly if it does not disrupt the flow of oil for too long.”</p>
<p>Israeli military experts estimate that such a war could be over in just eight days,” Van Creveld writes.”Ifthe Arab states do not intervene, it will end with the Palestinians expelled and Jordan in ruins. If they do intervene, the result will be the same, with the main Arab armies destroyed. Israel would, of course, take some casualties, especially in the north, where its population would come under fire from Hizbollah. However, their number would be limited and Israel would stand triumphant, as it did in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973.”</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
|
Extreme Solutions
| true |
https://counterpunch.org/2002/05/01/extreme-solutions/
|
2002-05-01
| 4left
|
Extreme Solutions
<p>Extreme Solution 1</p>
<p>The old movies used to feature a priest walking alongside the condemned man towards the scaffold, offering last seconds of comfort, plea-bargaining strategies with St Peter, a bolstering hand under the elbow. Some time in the next decade maybe the scene will be reversed, with a lay counselor assisting the condemned priest as he totters towards that final rendez-vous with the executioner.</p>
<p>The death penalty is being vigorously touted as the best way to deal with child molesters. And as the world knows, the Roman Catholic Church has sheltered many a child molester.</p>
<p>On the cutting edge here are three states noted for the moral refinement of their legislators: to wit, Montana, Louisiana and Alabama.</p>
<p>The first two states have already put Death for Molesters into their statute books and when the legislators of Alabama convene again next year they will press forward into legislation from an overwhelming vote last year in favor molester executions from its House of Representatives.</p>
<p>The Montana law allows a person previously convicted of “sexual intercourse without consent” with a person younger than 16 in any state to be sentenced to death if convicted of that crime in Montana. The law was passed in 1997 but no one has yet been charged under that provision.</p>
<p>Louisiana has had a law on the books since 1995 that allows people convicted of raping a child under the age of 12 to be sentenced to death. A handful of people in the state have been charged under the law this year alone, but no one has yet been convicted and sentenced to death</p>
<p>Alabama’s bill, would authorize the death penalty for people convicted a second time of having sex with a child younger than 12. No other states have the death penalty for a sex crime.</p>
<p>ABC News quoted Marcel Black, the chairman of the Alabama House Judiciary Committee as saying, “The very serious meaning of this is to send a message to child molesters that it is a bad thing to do”.</p>
<p>Molesters can take comfort in the fact that these laws would probably not survive challenges from higher courts. The US Supreme Court ruled in 1977 that the death penalty is excessive punishment for rape.</p>
<p>But who knows, in the current atmosphere anything is possible.</p>
<p>Extreme Solution 2</p>
<p>Professor Martin van Creveld is Israel’s best known military historian. On April 28 Britain’s conservative newspaper The Telegraph, published an article outlining what Van Creveld believes Sharon’s near-term goal: “transfer”, otherwise known as expulsion of the Palestinians.</p>
<p>According to Van Creveld, Sharon’s plan is to drive two million Palestinians across the Jordan using the pretext of a US attack on Iraq or a terrorist strike in Israel. This could trigger a massive mobilization to clear the occupied territories of their two million Arabs.</p>
<p>Van Creveld notes that two years ago less than eight per cent of those who took part in a Gallup poll among Jewish Israelis said they were in favor of what is euphemistically called “transfer” – that is, the expulsion of perhaps two million Palestinians across the River Jordan. This month that figure reached 44 per cent.</p>
<p>In September 1970, Van Creveld recalls, King Hussein of Jordan attacked the Palestinians in his kingdom, killing perhaps 5,000 to 10,000. The then General Sharon, serving as Commanding Officer, Southern Front, argued that Israel’s policy of helping the king was a mistake; instead it should have tried to topple the Hashemite regime. Sharon has often said since that Jordan, which, according to him, has a Palestinian majority even now, is the Palestinian state. The inference – that the Palestinians should go there – is clear.</p>
<p>Van Creveld writes that Sharon has always harbored a very clear plan to rid Israel of the Palestinians.He has wait for a pretext – such as an American attack on Iraq, which some Israelis think is going to take place in early summer. Sharon himself told Secretary of State Colin Powell that America should not allow the situation in Israel to delay such an operation. An uprising in Jordan, followed by the collapse of King Abdullah’s regime, would also present such an opportunity – as would a terrorist attack inside Israel that killed hundreds.</p>
<p>Should such circumstances arise, according to Van Creveld, then Israel would mobilize within hours. “First, the country’s three ultra-modern submarines would take up firing positions out at sea. Borders would be closed, a news blackout imposed, and all foreign journalists rounded up and confined to a hotel as guests of the Government. A force of 12 divisions, 11 of them armored, plus various territorial units suitable for occupation duties, would be deployed: five against Egypt, three against Syria, and one opposite Lebanon. This would leave three to face east as well as enough forces to put a tank inside every Arab-Israeli village just in case their populations get any funny ideas.”</p>
<p>In Van Creveld’s view (he does say flatly that he is utterly opposed to any form of “transfer”), “The expulsion of the Palestinians would require only a few brigades. They would not drag people out of their houses but use heavy artillery to drive them out; the damage caused to Jenin would look like a pinprick in comparison. He discounts any effective response from Egypt, Syrpia, Lebanon or Iraq. “Saddam Hussein may launch some of the 30 to 40 missiles he probably has. The damage they can do, however, is limited. Should Saddam be mad enough to resort to weapons of mass destruction, then Israel’s response would be so ‘awesome and terrible’ (as Yitzhak Shamir, the former prime minister, once said) as to defy the imagination.”</p>
<p>But what about international reaction? Van Creveld thinks it would not be an effective deterrent. “Some believe that the international community will not permit such an ethnic cleansing. I would not count on it. If Mr Sharon decides to go ahead, the only country that can stop him is the United States. The US, however, regards itself as being at war with parts of the Muslim world that have supported Osama bin Laden. America will not necessarily object to that world being taught a lesson – particularly if it could be as swift and brutal as the 1967 campaign; and also particularly if it does not disrupt the flow of oil for too long.”</p>
<p>Israeli military experts estimate that such a war could be over in just eight days,” Van Creveld writes.”Ifthe Arab states do not intervene, it will end with the Palestinians expelled and Jordan in ruins. If they do intervene, the result will be the same, with the main Arab armies destroyed. Israel would, of course, take some casualties, especially in the north, where its population would come under fire from Hizbollah. However, their number would be limited and Israel would stand triumphant, as it did in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973.”</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
| 7,042 |
<p>Jared Ogden, a decorated (Combat Action Ribbon, Bronze Star with “V” for Valor, multiple Joint Awards) former Navy SEAL, business owner, and star of National Geographic's hit show “Ultimate Survival Alaska” today endorsed Peter Kinder for Missouri Governor.</p>
<p>Says Ogden:</p>
<p>The choice is simple for me. Lt. Governor Peter Kinder is the only candidate with a steady and proven conservative record. He’s the only candidate with an A+ rating from the NRA. His stance on limited government aligns with mine and he leads the way by fighting Obamacare and challenging its constitutionality. As a small business owner, he’s cut taxes for job creators. As a combat veteran, a Missouri resident, and an American very concerned with the direction of our country, I trust Peter Kinder to do what’s right for Missouri.</p>
<p>Ogden is the co-founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.triumph-systems.com/" type="external">Triumph Systems</a>, a Missouri-based company that creates and manufacturers affordable firearm training targets that bring Tier One military tools and methodologies to the law enforcement community and law-abiding citizens.</p>
<p />
<p>Related: <a href="" type="internal">Why I'm Supporting Peter Kinder for Governor</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/missouri-lt-governor-peter-kinder-takes-on-obamacare" type="external">Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder takes on Obamacare</a></p>
|
Navy SEAL, National Geographic Star Endorses Peter Kinder For Missouri Governor
| true |
http://danaloeschradio.com/navy-seal-national-geographic-star-endorses-peter-kinder-for-missouri-gover
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2016-07-06
| 0right
|
Navy SEAL, National Geographic Star Endorses Peter Kinder For Missouri Governor
<p>Jared Ogden, a decorated (Combat Action Ribbon, Bronze Star with “V” for Valor, multiple Joint Awards) former Navy SEAL, business owner, and star of National Geographic's hit show “Ultimate Survival Alaska” today endorsed Peter Kinder for Missouri Governor.</p>
<p>Says Ogden:</p>
<p>The choice is simple for me. Lt. Governor Peter Kinder is the only candidate with a steady and proven conservative record. He’s the only candidate with an A+ rating from the NRA. His stance on limited government aligns with mine and he leads the way by fighting Obamacare and challenging its constitutionality. As a small business owner, he’s cut taxes for job creators. As a combat veteran, a Missouri resident, and an American very concerned with the direction of our country, I trust Peter Kinder to do what’s right for Missouri.</p>
<p>Ogden is the co-founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.triumph-systems.com/" type="external">Triumph Systems</a>, a Missouri-based company that creates and manufacturers affordable firearm training targets that bring Tier One military tools and methodologies to the law enforcement community and law-abiding citizens.</p>
<p />
<p>Related: <a href="" type="internal">Why I'm Supporting Peter Kinder for Governor</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.examiner.com/article/missouri-lt-governor-peter-kinder-takes-on-obamacare" type="external">Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder takes on Obamacare</a></p>
| 7,043 |
<p>Greg Rogers has had mentors, ministerial support groups and an array of denominational colleagues to draw on during his long&#160;career in ministry.</p>
<p>But most of the strength Rogers needed to weather the challenges of pastoring a church, at least in the past decade or more, has come through a long friendship with a layman.</p>
<p>Greg Rogers</p>
<p>“I don’t think I’d be there,” Rogers said of Oakmont Baptist Church in Greenville, N.C., where he has served as pastor since 1986. “I might be alive, but I might not be in the vocation of pastoral ministry today if it were not for that.”</p>
<p>For Rogers, the spiritually intimate relationship he has with Lester Zeager falls under the category of preventing pastoral loneliness, an occupational hazard that befalls ministers when their high-pressure jobs isolate them from church and family members alike. It’s a condition that can lead to other ills often associated with ministry, such as depression, pastor burnout, poor health and sometimes even death.</p>
<p>The seriousness of the issue inspired Rogers and Zeager to lead a workshop on the topic at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s General Assembly last month in Greensboro, N.C.</p>
<p>In subsequent interviews with Baptist News Global, the men shared how their spiritual friendship, and their shared spiritual practices, has sustained them through significant challenges to their faith and ministries.</p>
<p>‘A matter of survival’</p>
<p>The seeds of their alliance were planted years earlier when Zeager said he was&#160;influenced by the writings of Dallas Willard, known for his ideas on Christian formation.</p>
<p>Lester Zeager</p>
<p>“It challenged me to take discipleship to Jesus more seriously,” said Zeager, an economics professor at East Carolina University and a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Greenville, where he is heavily involved in ministry to college students and internationals.</p>
<p>“It was about living life as a collaborator with God,” he said. That approach to faith also required community.</p>
<p>“When you take discipleship seriously, you need some people to be there with you,” Zeager said.</p>
<p>In about 1998, Zeager launched a spiritual formation reading group that consisted of several ministers and laypeople from the area. Rogers was one of them and out of book study developed the friendship between the two in 2005.</p>
<p>Zeager said the reading group and his relationship with Rogers helped him weather several years of uncertainty as his church continued to struggle and decline. Eventually it turned around and now has a thriving outreach to internationals, but the ups-and-downs before that were often discouraging.</p>
<p>“For me, it was a matter of survival,” he said. “I don’t think I would have been able to do it without the friendship with Greg.”</p>
<p>‘A safe, confidential space’</p>
<p>Rogers said the relationship is not a mentorship or coaching arrangement. Rather, it’s a spiritually focused friendship in which both men are free to open up on subjects or situations they find challenging or rewarding.</p>
<p>“You are getting as much as you are receiving,” Rogers said. “The focus is on what God is doing in our lives and our vocations.”</p>
<p>He said it helps him break the isolation that results from church dynamics that keep pastors from being able to form friendships with their members.</p>
<p>“This offers a place to feel be&#160;understood,” Rogers said. “It’s a safe, confidential space to talk about what’s happening.”</p>
<p>The spiritual friendship with Zeager is just one of the tools Rogers said he uses to maintain a positive perspective on his life and ministry. Others include the practices of silence, attending solitude retreats, daily devotionals and continuing to attend the monthly reading group.</p>
|
‘Spiritual friendship’ sustains pastor, layman through vocational challenges
| false |
https://baptistnews.com/article/spiritual-friendship-sustains-pastor-layman-through-vocational-challenges/
| 3left-center
|
‘Spiritual friendship’ sustains pastor, layman through vocational challenges
<p>Greg Rogers has had mentors, ministerial support groups and an array of denominational colleagues to draw on during his long&#160;career in ministry.</p>
<p>But most of the strength Rogers needed to weather the challenges of pastoring a church, at least in the past decade or more, has come through a long friendship with a layman.</p>
<p>Greg Rogers</p>
<p>“I don’t think I’d be there,” Rogers said of Oakmont Baptist Church in Greenville, N.C., where he has served as pastor since 1986. “I might be alive, but I might not be in the vocation of pastoral ministry today if it were not for that.”</p>
<p>For Rogers, the spiritually intimate relationship he has with Lester Zeager falls under the category of preventing pastoral loneliness, an occupational hazard that befalls ministers when their high-pressure jobs isolate them from church and family members alike. It’s a condition that can lead to other ills often associated with ministry, such as depression, pastor burnout, poor health and sometimes even death.</p>
<p>The seriousness of the issue inspired Rogers and Zeager to lead a workshop on the topic at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s General Assembly last month in Greensboro, N.C.</p>
<p>In subsequent interviews with Baptist News Global, the men shared how their spiritual friendship, and their shared spiritual practices, has sustained them through significant challenges to their faith and ministries.</p>
<p>‘A matter of survival’</p>
<p>The seeds of their alliance were planted years earlier when Zeager said he was&#160;influenced by the writings of Dallas Willard, known for his ideas on Christian formation.</p>
<p>Lester Zeager</p>
<p>“It challenged me to take discipleship to Jesus more seriously,” said Zeager, an economics professor at East Carolina University and a member of Immanuel Baptist Church in Greenville, where he is heavily involved in ministry to college students and internationals.</p>
<p>“It was about living life as a collaborator with God,” he said. That approach to faith also required community.</p>
<p>“When you take discipleship seriously, you need some people to be there with you,” Zeager said.</p>
<p>In about 1998, Zeager launched a spiritual formation reading group that consisted of several ministers and laypeople from the area. Rogers was one of them and out of book study developed the friendship between the two in 2005.</p>
<p>Zeager said the reading group and his relationship with Rogers helped him weather several years of uncertainty as his church continued to struggle and decline. Eventually it turned around and now has a thriving outreach to internationals, but the ups-and-downs before that were often discouraging.</p>
<p>“For me, it was a matter of survival,” he said. “I don’t think I would have been able to do it without the friendship with Greg.”</p>
<p>‘A safe, confidential space’</p>
<p>Rogers said the relationship is not a mentorship or coaching arrangement. Rather, it’s a spiritually focused friendship in which both men are free to open up on subjects or situations they find challenging or rewarding.</p>
<p>“You are getting as much as you are receiving,” Rogers said. “The focus is on what God is doing in our lives and our vocations.”</p>
<p>He said it helps him break the isolation that results from church dynamics that keep pastors from being able to form friendships with their members.</p>
<p>“This offers a place to feel be&#160;understood,” Rogers said. “It’s a safe, confidential space to talk about what’s happening.”</p>
<p>The spiritual friendship with Zeager is just one of the tools Rogers said he uses to maintain a positive perspective on his life and ministry. Others include the practices of silence, attending solitude retreats, daily devotionals and continuing to attend the monthly reading group.</p>
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<p />
<p>I’m scratching my head over <a href="http://www.tnr.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20051121&amp;s=crowley112105" type="external">this</a> Michael Crowley piece on Russ Feingold’s potential as a 2008 Democratic presidential candidate. After laying out a case for why the Wisconsin Senator gets pretty good ratings in, um, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/20/134155/622" type="external">Daily Kos polls</a>—turns out the answer is (surprise!) that he supports a fixed exit date to get out of Iraq—Crowley drops this ominous phrase:</p>
<p />
<p>But much of what these bloggers know about him is based on his votes on Iraq and the Patriot Act. The rest of his career might surprise them.</p>
<p>Oh no! Do tell us more. What Dairy State secrets lie obscured under the milky waters of Lake Minnetonka? Prince-like puffy-shirts? Cannibalism? A poor golf game? No, the biggest fault Crowley can find is that his colleagues in the Senate just don’t like him. As it turns out, when you push for campaign finance reform, forbid your staffers to take trade association freebies, argue against raising congressional salaries, and worry about your party’s slide to economic conservatism, well, you just end up making everyone else look bad.</p>
<p />
<p>Correct me if I’m wrong, that’s exactly the sort of thing that Democratic primary voters—and bloggers—eat up, especially as more and more Dems are calling for the party to take a clear stance against <a href="http://www.dccc.org/hos_get_involved/ethics_petition/" type="external">“business as usual”</a> and <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/11/8/113820/804" type="external">corruption</a> in Congress. Those stances are his bread and butter. (You may remember a little something called McCain-Feingold, perhaps the most famous senatorial hyphenate of the past decade.)</p>
<p>The only other two objections are pretty silly too. Crowley fears that an opponent might cut and add pointing out that Feingold was among the more post-Monica impeachment-friendly Senators. But I can’t imagine any other candidate, come Winter ’07, thinking it would be a good idea to refight that decade-old battle. Finally he worries that Feingold’s rather consistent stand on deferring to the President’s prerogative in Senate confirmations will be a liability. Maybe—but that’s precious little to hang 4,000 words on.</p>
<p>Correction: My bad. Lake Minnetonka is one of the thousand un-milky lakes in Minnesota. The mistake stems from thinking <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087957/quotes" type="external">Prince</a> hails from Milwaukee.</p>
<p />
|
The Fuss About Russ
| true |
https://motherjones.com/politics/2005/11/fuss-about-russ/
|
2005-11-11
| 4left
|
The Fuss About Russ
<p />
<p>I’m scratching my head over <a href="http://www.tnr.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20051121&amp;s=crowley112105" type="external">this</a> Michael Crowley piece on Russ Feingold’s potential as a 2008 Democratic presidential candidate. After laying out a case for why the Wisconsin Senator gets pretty good ratings in, um, <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/9/20/134155/622" type="external">Daily Kos polls</a>—turns out the answer is (surprise!) that he supports a fixed exit date to get out of Iraq—Crowley drops this ominous phrase:</p>
<p />
<p>But much of what these bloggers know about him is based on his votes on Iraq and the Patriot Act. The rest of his career might surprise them.</p>
<p>Oh no! Do tell us more. What Dairy State secrets lie obscured under the milky waters of Lake Minnetonka? Prince-like puffy-shirts? Cannibalism? A poor golf game? No, the biggest fault Crowley can find is that his colleagues in the Senate just don’t like him. As it turns out, when you push for campaign finance reform, forbid your staffers to take trade association freebies, argue against raising congressional salaries, and worry about your party’s slide to economic conservatism, well, you just end up making everyone else look bad.</p>
<p />
<p>Correct me if I’m wrong, that’s exactly the sort of thing that Democratic primary voters—and bloggers—eat up, especially as more and more Dems are calling for the party to take a clear stance against <a href="http://www.dccc.org/hos_get_involved/ethics_petition/" type="external">“business as usual”</a> and <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/11/8/113820/804" type="external">corruption</a> in Congress. Those stances are his bread and butter. (You may remember a little something called McCain-Feingold, perhaps the most famous senatorial hyphenate of the past decade.)</p>
<p>The only other two objections are pretty silly too. Crowley fears that an opponent might cut and add pointing out that Feingold was among the more post-Monica impeachment-friendly Senators. But I can’t imagine any other candidate, come Winter ’07, thinking it would be a good idea to refight that decade-old battle. Finally he worries that Feingold’s rather consistent stand on deferring to the President’s prerogative in Senate confirmations will be a liability. Maybe—but that’s precious little to hang 4,000 words on.</p>
<p>Correction: My bad. Lake Minnetonka is one of the thousand un-milky lakes in Minnesota. The mistake stems from thinking <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087957/quotes" type="external">Prince</a> hails from Milwaukee.</p>
<p />
| 7,045 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>A total of 144,790 properties received notices of default, auction or seizure, down 5 percent from March and 23 percent from a year earlier, RealtyTrac said Thursday. It was the lowest tally since February 2007, the Irvine, Calif.-based data seller said in a report. One in 905 households got a filing.</p>
<p>New Mexico reflected the national trend of homes somewhere in the foreclosure process dropping to a pre-mortgage meltdown level.</p>
<p>There were 325 homes in the process in April, down by 57 percent from 758 in the preceding March and by 45 percent from 590 in April 2012. April’s rate of foreclosure activity is roughly at the level of 2005.</p>
<p>Most significantly, RealtyTrac reported only eight homeowners statewide receiving notice that their homes were officially going into foreclosure, the lowest rate of monthly foreclosure starts in recent history.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>While encouraging, the low rate of foreclosure starts will probably turn out to be a glitch.</p>
<p>New Mexico’s comparatively small housing stock, combined with the ebb and flow of foreclosure actions by a handful of major mortgage lenders, tends to make foreclosure activity extremely volatile from month to month.</p>
<p>Bank repossessions of homes numbered 236 in April, down from 301 in the preceding March but the fifth-highest monthly tally of repos since the beginning of 2011, according to RealtyTrac data.</p>
<p>Borrowing costs close to historic lows and an improving labor market have combined to aid the housing market, boosting prices and allowing distressed homeowners to rework loans or sell property for less than the amount owed, known as a short sale. U.S. home prices rose 10.5 percent in March from a year earlier, data provider CoreLogic said earlier this week.</p>
|
Foreclosure filings slide to 6-year low in April
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/197630/foreclosure-filings-slide-to-6year-low-in-april.html
| 2least
|
Foreclosure filings slide to 6-year low in April
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>A total of 144,790 properties received notices of default, auction or seizure, down 5 percent from March and 23 percent from a year earlier, RealtyTrac said Thursday. It was the lowest tally since February 2007, the Irvine, Calif.-based data seller said in a report. One in 905 households got a filing.</p>
<p>New Mexico reflected the national trend of homes somewhere in the foreclosure process dropping to a pre-mortgage meltdown level.</p>
<p>There were 325 homes in the process in April, down by 57 percent from 758 in the preceding March and by 45 percent from 590 in April 2012. April’s rate of foreclosure activity is roughly at the level of 2005.</p>
<p>Most significantly, RealtyTrac reported only eight homeowners statewide receiving notice that their homes were officially going into foreclosure, the lowest rate of monthly foreclosure starts in recent history.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>While encouraging, the low rate of foreclosure starts will probably turn out to be a glitch.</p>
<p>New Mexico’s comparatively small housing stock, combined with the ebb and flow of foreclosure actions by a handful of major mortgage lenders, tends to make foreclosure activity extremely volatile from month to month.</p>
<p>Bank repossessions of homes numbered 236 in April, down from 301 in the preceding March but the fifth-highest monthly tally of repos since the beginning of 2011, according to RealtyTrac data.</p>
<p>Borrowing costs close to historic lows and an improving labor market have combined to aid the housing market, boosting prices and allowing distressed homeowners to rework loans or sell property for less than the amount owed, known as a short sale. U.S. home prices rose 10.5 percent in March from a year earlier, data provider CoreLogic said earlier this week.</p>
| 7,046 |
|
<p>LAGOS (Reuters) - With Africa’s most populous country out of recession, and the wider region on the path to growth, the world’s consumer goods companies are looking to cash in.</p>
<p>Last month, Unilever opened a $12 million Blue Band margarine factory in Nigeria’s southwestern state of Ogun so that it does not have to import margarine from Ghana, as it has in recent years. It is also in talks with suppliers to switch to a locally-sourced flavoring agent for its toothpaste.</p>
<p>These are examples of how the Anglo-Dutch group, like its global rivals, has been forced to adapt its business to cope with a central bank decision to restrict access to foreign currency for the import of certain products since 2015 to boost the economy.</p>
<p>Another way Unilever ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=ULVR.L" type="external">ULVR.L</a>) is tailoring its operations to the local market is by offering smaller pack sizes of a range of products, from tea to stock cubes, to appeal to more customers in a country and region plagued by poverty and inequality.</p>
<p>Shops in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos sell packets containing just two Unilever-produced tea bags or two stock cubes, for example. “These are all packs that we use to gain penetration and to develop the market,” said Yaw Nsarkoh, managing director of Unilever Nigeria.</p>
<p>But again, the firm is not alone in such tactics; the same shops stock Nestle ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=NESN.S" type="external">NESN.S</a>) cereals ranging in size from 50 grams to 250 grams and 1 kilogram.</p>
<p>Britain’s PZ Cussons ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=PZC.L" type="external">PZC.L</a>) meanwhile has rolled out a range of small pack sizes over the last three years for products from soap and detergent to milk and vegetable oil. “They have been popular and the biggest contributor in sales to each brand,” said Christos Giannopoulos, CEO of the company’s Nigerian business.</p>
<p>How best to navigate the African consumer market is on the agenda to be discussed by corporate leaders at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos this week.</p>
<p>The potential prize is alluring. It helps explains why these companies, plus the likes of Procter &amp; Gamble ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=PG.N" type="external">PG.N</a>), Diageo ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=DGE.L" type="external">DGE.L</a>) and Danone ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=DANO.PA" type="external">DANO.PA</a>), have long operated in Nigeria and are willing to go to some lengths to build brands and market share.</p>
<p>The market is huge: Nigeria has about 190 million people, and that is expected to rise to 300 million by 2030 and 400 million by 2050, according to U.N. data, which would make it the world’s third most populous country after China and India.</p>
<p>Companies are positioning themselves in the expectation that low household spending will rise as the economy grows and people come out of poverty and become consumers of packaged goods.</p>
<p>“If you look at the per capita consumption levels and the penetration levels of consumer categories in Nigeria generally,&#160;they are below many comparable markets,” said Nsarkoh, pointing to India as an example.</p> EMERGING FROM DOWNTURN
<p>But Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa has not been the mecca some envisioned. A continent-wide downturn since 2014, tied to low commodity prices, has dampened hopes for companies.</p> Slideshow (8 Images)
<p>Net earnings of 28 consumer companies in nine African countries have grown just 2 percent per year in local currency in the five years to 2016, and even less in dollar terms, according to Exotix, an emerging markets-focused financial services firm.</p>
<p>But Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer, last year emerged from its first recession in 25 years which was largely caused by low crude prices.&#160;The World Bank sees the country’s economy growing from 1 percent in 2017 to 2.5 percent this year. &#160;&#160;</p>
<p>Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy is meanwhile projected to pick up this year, with the World Bank predicting growth of 3.2 percent in 2018 and 3.5 percent in 2019, up from 2.4 percent in 2017, due to firmer commodity prices.</p>
<p>In Nigeria, doing business has been particularly tough since 2015, when the foreign exchange curbs and the devaluation of the naira currency meant the cost of importing certain goods, which the government wanted to be grown locally, increased markedly.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=ULVR.L" type="external">Unilever PLC</a> 3767.5 ULVR.L London Stock Exchange -8.50 (-0.23%) ULVR.L NESN.S PZC.L PG.N DGE.L
<p>However Unilever Nigeria’s financial results suggest that some of the tactics adopted to counter this may be paying off.</p>
<p>Its operating profit almost tripled to 9.2 billion naira ($30.1 million) in the first nine months of 2017, the latest figures available, after growing 25 percent in 2016. Before that, profits were flat in 2015 and fell 40 percent in 2014.</p>
<p>Fola Abimbola, an analyst at Nigerian bank FCMB, credited the latest profit rise to price increases, taken to offset the impact of currency devaluation, as well as the use of smaller pack sizes.</p>
<p>“All of these companies have been selling smaller packs because, during the recession, people have less money to spend. People opt for smaller packs,” said Abimbola.</p>
<p>The use of smaller packaging is not new in emerging markets, but industry experts say that in Sub-Saharan Africa, it has not yet been widely adopted beyond the beer industry, and expect it to catch on further in coming years.</p> MAIZE, MILLET, PALM OIL
<p>Unilever’s Nsarkoh said 90 percent of its Nigerian goods were now manufactured locally, up from 80 percent about three years ago, to make its business more resilient. As well as margarine, locally-made products include soap, tea and toothpaste.</p>
<p>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;In a sprawling manufacturing plant in the bustling Ikeja district of Lagos, for example, Unilever workers clad in white lab coats oversee production lines capable of producing hundreds of tubes of Close-Up toothpaste a minute.</p>
<p>&#160;&#160;&#160; Among rivals, Swiss group Nestle said that 41,600 local farmers suppled maize, soybean, sorghum and millet to its Nigerian factories. It said 82 percent of its inputs were sourced locally and that it aimed to extend to 100 percent where possible. It cited Golden Morn cereal, made from maize farmed in the northwestern state of Kaduna, as a product in which the goal had been achieved.</p>
<p>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;PZ Cussons meanwhile has a stake in a 26,000-hectare palm oil plantation in the state of Cross River. Half of its vegetable oil is made using local palm oil, said Giannopoulos.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Martinne Geller; Editing by Pravin Char</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
|
Unilever and consumer rivals raise bets on Nigeria
| false |
https://reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-unilever/unilever-and-consumer-rivals-raise-bets-on-nigeria-idUSKBN1FD20Q
|
2018-01-24
| 2least
|
Unilever and consumer rivals raise bets on Nigeria
<p>LAGOS (Reuters) - With Africa’s most populous country out of recession, and the wider region on the path to growth, the world’s consumer goods companies are looking to cash in.</p>
<p>Last month, Unilever opened a $12 million Blue Band margarine factory in Nigeria’s southwestern state of Ogun so that it does not have to import margarine from Ghana, as it has in recent years. It is also in talks with suppliers to switch to a locally-sourced flavoring agent for its toothpaste.</p>
<p>These are examples of how the Anglo-Dutch group, like its global rivals, has been forced to adapt its business to cope with a central bank decision to restrict access to foreign currency for the import of certain products since 2015 to boost the economy.</p>
<p>Another way Unilever ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=ULVR.L" type="external">ULVR.L</a>) is tailoring its operations to the local market is by offering smaller pack sizes of a range of products, from tea to stock cubes, to appeal to more customers in a country and region plagued by poverty and inequality.</p>
<p>Shops in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos sell packets containing just two Unilever-produced tea bags or two stock cubes, for example. “These are all packs that we use to gain penetration and to develop the market,” said Yaw Nsarkoh, managing director of Unilever Nigeria.</p>
<p>But again, the firm is not alone in such tactics; the same shops stock Nestle ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=NESN.S" type="external">NESN.S</a>) cereals ranging in size from 50 grams to 250 grams and 1 kilogram.</p>
<p>Britain’s PZ Cussons ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=PZC.L" type="external">PZC.L</a>) meanwhile has rolled out a range of small pack sizes over the last three years for products from soap and detergent to milk and vegetable oil. “They have been popular and the biggest contributor in sales to each brand,” said Christos Giannopoulos, CEO of the company’s Nigerian business.</p>
<p>How best to navigate the African consumer market is on the agenda to be discussed by corporate leaders at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos this week.</p>
<p>The potential prize is alluring. It helps explains why these companies, plus the likes of Procter &amp; Gamble ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=PG.N" type="external">PG.N</a>), Diageo ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=DGE.L" type="external">DGE.L</a>) and Danone ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=DANO.PA" type="external">DANO.PA</a>), have long operated in Nigeria and are willing to go to some lengths to build brands and market share.</p>
<p>The market is huge: Nigeria has about 190 million people, and that is expected to rise to 300 million by 2030 and 400 million by 2050, according to U.N. data, which would make it the world’s third most populous country after China and India.</p>
<p>Companies are positioning themselves in the expectation that low household spending will rise as the economy grows and people come out of poverty and become consumers of packaged goods.</p>
<p>“If you look at the per capita consumption levels and the penetration levels of consumer categories in Nigeria generally,&#160;they are below many comparable markets,” said Nsarkoh, pointing to India as an example.</p> EMERGING FROM DOWNTURN
<p>But Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa has not been the mecca some envisioned. A continent-wide downturn since 2014, tied to low commodity prices, has dampened hopes for companies.</p> Slideshow (8 Images)
<p>Net earnings of 28 consumer companies in nine African countries have grown just 2 percent per year in local currency in the five years to 2016, and even less in dollar terms, according to Exotix, an emerging markets-focused financial services firm.</p>
<p>But Nigeria, Africa’s top oil producer, last year emerged from its first recession in 25 years which was largely caused by low crude prices.&#160;The World Bank sees the country’s economy growing from 1 percent in 2017 to 2.5 percent this year. &#160;&#160;</p>
<p>Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy is meanwhile projected to pick up this year, with the World Bank predicting growth of 3.2 percent in 2018 and 3.5 percent in 2019, up from 2.4 percent in 2017, due to firmer commodity prices.</p>
<p>In Nigeria, doing business has been particularly tough since 2015, when the foreign exchange curbs and the devaluation of the naira currency meant the cost of importing certain goods, which the government wanted to be grown locally, increased markedly.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=ULVR.L" type="external">Unilever PLC</a> 3767.5 ULVR.L London Stock Exchange -8.50 (-0.23%) ULVR.L NESN.S PZC.L PG.N DGE.L
<p>However Unilever Nigeria’s financial results suggest that some of the tactics adopted to counter this may be paying off.</p>
<p>Its operating profit almost tripled to 9.2 billion naira ($30.1 million) in the first nine months of 2017, the latest figures available, after growing 25 percent in 2016. Before that, profits were flat in 2015 and fell 40 percent in 2014.</p>
<p>Fola Abimbola, an analyst at Nigerian bank FCMB, credited the latest profit rise to price increases, taken to offset the impact of currency devaluation, as well as the use of smaller pack sizes.</p>
<p>“All of these companies have been selling smaller packs because, during the recession, people have less money to spend. People opt for smaller packs,” said Abimbola.</p>
<p>The use of smaller packaging is not new in emerging markets, but industry experts say that in Sub-Saharan Africa, it has not yet been widely adopted beyond the beer industry, and expect it to catch on further in coming years.</p> MAIZE, MILLET, PALM OIL
<p>Unilever’s Nsarkoh said 90 percent of its Nigerian goods were now manufactured locally, up from 80 percent about three years ago, to make its business more resilient. As well as margarine, locally-made products include soap, tea and toothpaste.</p>
<p>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;In a sprawling manufacturing plant in the bustling Ikeja district of Lagos, for example, Unilever workers clad in white lab coats oversee production lines capable of producing hundreds of tubes of Close-Up toothpaste a minute.</p>
<p>&#160;&#160;&#160; Among rivals, Swiss group Nestle said that 41,600 local farmers suppled maize, soybean, sorghum and millet to its Nigerian factories. It said 82 percent of its inputs were sourced locally and that it aimed to extend to 100 percent where possible. It cited Golden Morn cereal, made from maize farmed in the northwestern state of Kaduna, as a product in which the goal had been achieved.</p>
<p>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;PZ Cussons meanwhile has a stake in a 26,000-hectare palm oil plantation in the state of Cross River. Half of its vegetable oil is made using local palm oil, said Giannopoulos.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Martinne Geller; Editing by Pravin Char</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
| 7,047 |
<p>Washington Post The office-supply retailer made the move after hearing from customers angry at the broadcaster's alleged right-wing bias in news and commentary. Advertising during Sinclair's news programs accounts for "a very small part of the overall buy," says a Staples spokesman. (Related Baltimore Sun <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.staples05jan05,1,2945764.story?coll=bal-pe-business" type="external">story</a>.) &gt; <a href="http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA490495.html?display=Breaking+News&amp;referral=SUPP" type="external">Newsman fired by Sinclair before election has yet to find a job (B&amp;C)</a></p>
|
Staples pulls ads from news shows on Sinclair TV stations
| false |
https://poynter.org/news/staples-pulls-ads-news-shows-sinclair-tv-stations
|
2005-01-05
| 2least
|
Staples pulls ads from news shows on Sinclair TV stations
<p>Washington Post The office-supply retailer made the move after hearing from customers angry at the broadcaster's alleged right-wing bias in news and commentary. Advertising during Sinclair's news programs accounts for "a very small part of the overall buy," says a Staples spokesman. (Related Baltimore Sun <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.staples05jan05,1,2945764.story?coll=bal-pe-business" type="external">story</a>.) &gt; <a href="http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA490495.html?display=Breaking+News&amp;referral=SUPP" type="external">Newsman fired by Sinclair before election has yet to find a job (B&amp;C)</a></p>
| 7,048 |
<p>There’s no future in transporting coal, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/888b05c4-6c95-11e7-bfeb-33fe0c5b7eaa" type="external">says</a> Hunter Harrison, CEO of CSX freight railroad.</p>
<p>Harrison told analysts on Wednesday that CSX, one of the country’s largest transporters of coal, won’t buy any new locomotives to haul the fuel. “Coal is not a long-term issue,” he said. The company currently <a href="http://marketrealist.com/2017/05/why-csxs-carloads-fell-in-week-17-of-2017/" type="external">hauls some</a>800,000 carloads of coal a year.</p>
<p>“Fossil fuels are dead,” Harrison continued. “That’s a long-term view. It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s not going to be in two or three years. But it’s going away, in my view.”</p>
<p>Harrison joins a <a href="" type="internal">chorus of experts</a> who understand that economic reality makes President Donald Trump’s pledges to significantly expand the use of coal just empty words.</p>
<p>BlackRock investment group, with $5 trillion in assets, is bullish on electric cars and renewables.</p>
<p>“These [coal plants] will not reopen whatever anything President Trump does,” as Bloomberg New Energy Finance <a href="https://about.bnef.com/blog/10-renewable-energy-predictions-2017/" type="external">explained</a> earlier this year, “nor do we see much appetite among investors for ploughing money into U.S. coal extraction — stranded asset risk will trump rhetoric.”</p>
<p>Even a recent draft report for Trump’s Energy Secretary Rick Perry concluded that a large fraction of U.S. coal plants were <a href="" type="internal">no longer economic</a>.</p>
|
‘Fossil fuels are dead’ says rail baron who hauls 800,000 carloads of coal a year
| true |
https://thinkprogress.org/b177af077344
|
2017-07-19
| 4left
|
‘Fossil fuels are dead’ says rail baron who hauls 800,000 carloads of coal a year
<p>There’s no future in transporting coal, <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/888b05c4-6c95-11e7-bfeb-33fe0c5b7eaa" type="external">says</a> Hunter Harrison, CEO of CSX freight railroad.</p>
<p>Harrison told analysts on Wednesday that CSX, one of the country’s largest transporters of coal, won’t buy any new locomotives to haul the fuel. “Coal is not a long-term issue,” he said. The company currently <a href="http://marketrealist.com/2017/05/why-csxs-carloads-fell-in-week-17-of-2017/" type="external">hauls some</a>800,000 carloads of coal a year.</p>
<p>“Fossil fuels are dead,” Harrison continued. “That’s a long-term view. It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s not going to be in two or three years. But it’s going away, in my view.”</p>
<p>Harrison joins a <a href="" type="internal">chorus of experts</a> who understand that economic reality makes President Donald Trump’s pledges to significantly expand the use of coal just empty words.</p>
<p>BlackRock investment group, with $5 trillion in assets, is bullish on electric cars and renewables.</p>
<p>“These [coal plants] will not reopen whatever anything President Trump does,” as Bloomberg New Energy Finance <a href="https://about.bnef.com/blog/10-renewable-energy-predictions-2017/" type="external">explained</a> earlier this year, “nor do we see much appetite among investors for ploughing money into U.S. coal extraction — stranded asset risk will trump rhetoric.”</p>
<p>Even a recent draft report for Trump’s Energy Secretary Rick Perry concluded that a large fraction of U.S. coal plants were <a href="" type="internal">no longer economic</a>.</p>
| 7,049 |
<p>Germany's unemployment rate dropped to 6.5 percent in April as the labor market in Europe's largest economy remained strong.</p>
<p>The Federal Labor Agency said Thursday the unadjusted rate was down from 6.8 percent in March. Some 2.8 million Germans were registered as unemployed, about 89,000 fewer than the previous month.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>In seasonally adjusted terms the unemployment remained unchanged at 6.4 percent.</p>
<p>ING economist Carsten Brzeski says even though there is "still some room for improvement, the extremely solid labor market remains the showcase model of the German recovery."</p>
|
Unemployment in Germany, Europe's largest economy, drops to 6.5 percent in April
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/04/30/unemployment-in-germany-europe-largest-economy-drops-to-65-percent-in-april.html
|
2016-03-05
| 0right
|
Unemployment in Germany, Europe's largest economy, drops to 6.5 percent in April
<p>Germany's unemployment rate dropped to 6.5 percent in April as the labor market in Europe's largest economy remained strong.</p>
<p>The Federal Labor Agency said Thursday the unadjusted rate was down from 6.8 percent in March. Some 2.8 million Germans were registered as unemployed, about 89,000 fewer than the previous month.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>In seasonally adjusted terms the unemployment remained unchanged at 6.4 percent.</p>
<p>ING economist Carsten Brzeski says even though there is "still some room for improvement, the extremely solid labor market remains the showcase model of the German recovery."</p>
| 7,050 |
<p>BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Southern Baptist churches that have Woman's Missionary Union organizations support the denomination's missions programs at significantly higher levels than congregations without WMU, according to an analysis of reported church giving.</p>
<p>Tensions over several issues surfaced in recent years between some Southern Baptist Convention leaders and leaders of the independently governed auxiliary group, founded in 1888 to promote SBC missions. They included WMU's refusal to submit to direct oversight by the denomination and the group's decision to remain part of the Baptist World Alliance women's department after the SBC severed ties with the global Baptist group in 2004.</p>
<p>Despite those differences, a new breakdown of giving patterns suggests missions education by WMU continues to play an important role in inspiring local churches to give more money to SBC home and foreign missions.</p>
<p>A review of annual statistics collected by LifeWay Christian Resources found that churches that have age-level WMU organizations like Girls in Action and Women on Mission support the SBC's unified budget and two annual special missions offerings at higher per-capita levels than those without ongoing missions education.</p>
<p>The study, conducted jointly by WMU and the SBC North American Mission Board, found that churches with missions-education programs supported by one or both of the organizations gave $43.28 per member to the Cooperative Program. That compared to $23.65 per capita by churches without such programs.</p>
<p>Giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions was $3.29 per capita from churches without missions education, compared to $9.05 from those with missions education. Per-member giving for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for home missions was $5.34 for churches with missions education, compared to $1.54 for those without.</p>
<p>Wanda Lee, WMU's executive director, acknowledged to a group of Baptist state convention executive directors and editors that “there have been some rocky times” with recent years' leadership transitions at WMU and the SBC's two mission boards, “but we are learning how to work together for missions.”</p>
<p>Lee, meeting with Baptist leaders at a Dec. 2-3 briefing at WMU headquarters in Birmingham, Ala., said that communication between the auxiliary and the SBC agencies has improved in the last year.</p>
<p>“Do we always agree about everything?” she asked. “No, but we seek to have healthy communication.” She reported on both recent visits and planned future visits from NAMB President Geoff Hammond and Jerry Rankin, president of the SBC's International Mission Board.</p>
|
Study says churches with WMU stronger supporters of SBC
| false |
https://baptistnews.com/article/studysayschurcheswithwmustrongersupportersofsbc/
| 3left-center
|
Study says churches with WMU stronger supporters of SBC
<p>BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (ABP) — Southern Baptist churches that have Woman's Missionary Union organizations support the denomination's missions programs at significantly higher levels than congregations without WMU, according to an analysis of reported church giving.</p>
<p>Tensions over several issues surfaced in recent years between some Southern Baptist Convention leaders and leaders of the independently governed auxiliary group, founded in 1888 to promote SBC missions. They included WMU's refusal to submit to direct oversight by the denomination and the group's decision to remain part of the Baptist World Alliance women's department after the SBC severed ties with the global Baptist group in 2004.</p>
<p>Despite those differences, a new breakdown of giving patterns suggests missions education by WMU continues to play an important role in inspiring local churches to give more money to SBC home and foreign missions.</p>
<p>A review of annual statistics collected by LifeWay Christian Resources found that churches that have age-level WMU organizations like Girls in Action and Women on Mission support the SBC's unified budget and two annual special missions offerings at higher per-capita levels than those without ongoing missions education.</p>
<p>The study, conducted jointly by WMU and the SBC North American Mission Board, found that churches with missions-education programs supported by one or both of the organizations gave $43.28 per member to the Cooperative Program. That compared to $23.65 per capita by churches without such programs.</p>
<p>Giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions was $3.29 per capita from churches without missions education, compared to $9.05 from those with missions education. Per-member giving for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for home missions was $5.34 for churches with missions education, compared to $1.54 for those without.</p>
<p>Wanda Lee, WMU's executive director, acknowledged to a group of Baptist state convention executive directors and editors that “there have been some rocky times” with recent years' leadership transitions at WMU and the SBC's two mission boards, “but we are learning how to work together for missions.”</p>
<p>Lee, meeting with Baptist leaders at a Dec. 2-3 briefing at WMU headquarters in Birmingham, Ala., said that communication between the auxiliary and the SBC agencies has improved in the last year.</p>
<p>“Do we always agree about everything?” she asked. “No, but we seek to have healthy communication.” She reported on both recent visits and planned future visits from NAMB President Geoff Hammond and Jerry Rankin, president of the SBC's International Mission Board.</p>
| 7,051 |
|
<p>Ascension Episcopal 58, Westminster Christian 40</p>
<p>B.T. Washington 69, Benton 64</p>
<p>Cecilia 64, Tioga 34</p>
<p>Delta Charter 106, Block 46</p>
<p>Family Christian Academy 53, St. Charles Catholic 42</p>
<p>Fontainebleau 51, Mary Montgomery, Ala. 46</p>
<p>Green Oaks 44, Mansfield 33</p>
<p>Hammond 80, Archbishop Hannan 60</p>
<p>Lee Magnet 46, Lusher Charter 42</p>
<p>Lee-Montgomery, Ala. 46, Lusher Charter 42</p>
<p>Lincoln Preparatory School 60, Jonesboro-Hodge 52</p>
<p>Pine 43, French Settlement 34</p>
<p>South Lafourche 78, West St. John 59</p>
<p>Welsh 51, Grand Lake 37</p>
<p>Live Oak 51, St. John 45</p>
<p>Westgate 74, Hamilton Christian Academy 61</p>
<p>Dunham 63, Doyle 32</p>
<p>Jennings 70, Elton 45</p>
<p>Red River 70, Parkway 53</p>
<p>Lake Arthur 76, Iowa 33</p>
<p>Baton Rouge Episcopal 66, Northlake Christian 36</p>
<p>Sulphur 55, Iota 52</p>
<p>Tensas 67, Madison 61, OT</p>
<p>Madison Prep 48, Bossier 46</p>
<p>Ascension Episcopal 58, Westminster Christian 40</p>
<p>B.T. Washington 69, Benton 64</p>
<p>Cecilia 64, Tioga 34</p>
<p>Delta Charter 106, Block 46</p>
<p>Family Christian Academy 53, St. Charles Catholic 42</p>
<p>Fontainebleau 51, Mary Montgomery, Ala. 46</p>
<p>Green Oaks 44, Mansfield 33</p>
<p>Hammond 80, Archbishop Hannan 60</p>
<p>Lee Magnet 46, Lusher Charter 42</p>
<p>Lee-Montgomery, Ala. 46, Lusher Charter 42</p>
<p>Lincoln Preparatory School 60, Jonesboro-Hodge 52</p>
<p>Pine 43, French Settlement 34</p>
<p>South Lafourche 78, West St. John 59</p>
<p>Welsh 51, Grand Lake 37</p>
<p>Live Oak 51, St. John 45</p>
<p>Westgate 74, Hamilton Christian Academy 61</p>
<p>Dunham 63, Doyle 32</p>
<p>Jennings 70, Elton 45</p>
<p>Red River 70, Parkway 53</p>
<p>Lake Arthur 76, Iowa 33</p>
<p>Baton Rouge Episcopal 66, Northlake Christian 36</p>
<p>Sulphur 55, Iota 52</p>
<p>Tensas 67, Madison 61, OT</p>
<p>Madison Prep 48, Bossier 46</p>
|
Saturday’s Scores
| false |
https://apnews.com/8ad760f9cae2434281a8b7f5856160e8
|
2017-12-31
| 2least
|
Saturday’s Scores
<p>Ascension Episcopal 58, Westminster Christian 40</p>
<p>B.T. Washington 69, Benton 64</p>
<p>Cecilia 64, Tioga 34</p>
<p>Delta Charter 106, Block 46</p>
<p>Family Christian Academy 53, St. Charles Catholic 42</p>
<p>Fontainebleau 51, Mary Montgomery, Ala. 46</p>
<p>Green Oaks 44, Mansfield 33</p>
<p>Hammond 80, Archbishop Hannan 60</p>
<p>Lee Magnet 46, Lusher Charter 42</p>
<p>Lee-Montgomery, Ala. 46, Lusher Charter 42</p>
<p>Lincoln Preparatory School 60, Jonesboro-Hodge 52</p>
<p>Pine 43, French Settlement 34</p>
<p>South Lafourche 78, West St. John 59</p>
<p>Welsh 51, Grand Lake 37</p>
<p>Live Oak 51, St. John 45</p>
<p>Westgate 74, Hamilton Christian Academy 61</p>
<p>Dunham 63, Doyle 32</p>
<p>Jennings 70, Elton 45</p>
<p>Red River 70, Parkway 53</p>
<p>Lake Arthur 76, Iowa 33</p>
<p>Baton Rouge Episcopal 66, Northlake Christian 36</p>
<p>Sulphur 55, Iota 52</p>
<p>Tensas 67, Madison 61, OT</p>
<p>Madison Prep 48, Bossier 46</p>
<p>Ascension Episcopal 58, Westminster Christian 40</p>
<p>B.T. Washington 69, Benton 64</p>
<p>Cecilia 64, Tioga 34</p>
<p>Delta Charter 106, Block 46</p>
<p>Family Christian Academy 53, St. Charles Catholic 42</p>
<p>Fontainebleau 51, Mary Montgomery, Ala. 46</p>
<p>Green Oaks 44, Mansfield 33</p>
<p>Hammond 80, Archbishop Hannan 60</p>
<p>Lee Magnet 46, Lusher Charter 42</p>
<p>Lee-Montgomery, Ala. 46, Lusher Charter 42</p>
<p>Lincoln Preparatory School 60, Jonesboro-Hodge 52</p>
<p>Pine 43, French Settlement 34</p>
<p>South Lafourche 78, West St. John 59</p>
<p>Welsh 51, Grand Lake 37</p>
<p>Live Oak 51, St. John 45</p>
<p>Westgate 74, Hamilton Christian Academy 61</p>
<p>Dunham 63, Doyle 32</p>
<p>Jennings 70, Elton 45</p>
<p>Red River 70, Parkway 53</p>
<p>Lake Arthur 76, Iowa 33</p>
<p>Baton Rouge Episcopal 66, Northlake Christian 36</p>
<p>Sulphur 55, Iota 52</p>
<p>Tensas 67, Madison 61, OT</p>
<p>Madison Prep 48, Bossier 46</p>
| 7,052 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>FRIENDSWOOD, Texas — The Barbie house is gone, and it’s important for Matilda Rose Brown, 8, to explain this.</p>
<p>The Galveston County Daily News reports her voice is a little raspy through her tracheostomy tube and her eyes are wide with a dreamy look as she walks through the skeleton of her Friendswood home, which flooded during Hurricane Harvey and took the Barbie house away.</p>
<p>The Browns’ house got 53 inches of floodwater, her father, Daniel Brown, said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Daniel and Beverly Brown evacuated their six special-needs children from their home near Mary’s Creek on the Wednesday before Hurricane Harvey hit Texas. As soon as they heard about the potential for catastrophic floods, they packed their children and their medical equipment and left.</p>
<p>“We’re the first to leave and last to come back,” Beverly Brown said. “There’s too many things that could possibly go wrong.”</p>
<p>Geronimo Brown, 8, lifts his shirt to show two tubes in his abdomen.</p>
<p>“This is where I do my flush every night,” he said as looked at his belly.</p>
<p>When the Browns bought their home on Shady Oaks Lane in Friendswood, 20 miles southeast of Houston, it was in a non-flood zone. Their insurance carrier told them in August, just days before Harvey hit, that a new flood zone map changed their status along with a new hefty payment due. They paid it days before Harvey made landfall Aug. 25 in Rockport.</p>
<p>The six children need constant attention. Five are on ventilators and feeding tubes during the night, and the family typically has five to six nurses who stay overnight, Beverly Brown said.</p>
<p>“We have to have electricity and running water,” Daniel Brown said. “They could get more sick if we don’t.”</p>
<p>The Browns evacuated to the Choctaw reservation in Oklahoma where Beverly Brown grew up. Her tribe got the family a hotel room and sent food. They helped all the children get their prescriptions filled, even though the adopted children aren’t Choctaws. They are several different races.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The children needed to come back home, though, to see their regular doctors and therapists, Beverly Brown said.</p>
<p>The Browns are now staying with relatives in Deer Park, but space is cramped. The Browns are not sure when or if they will be able to move back into the Shady Oaks Lane house.</p>
<p>Several houses on their block have “for sale” signs in the pocked front yards.</p>
<p>Daniel Brown, who is a member of the Cocopah tribe in California, adapted the two-story home to fit his family’s unusual needs. The Browns needed a space for nurses, outlets for medical equipment and strategically placed toilets.</p>
<p>“This is the only home they’ve known,” Daniel Brown said. “It’s looking more and more like this isn’t going to work.”</p>
<p>That’s because if he has to repair more than 50 percent of the house, building codes will require him to raise the house, he said. Combined with all the other needed repairs, he’s looking at spending more than $350,000, he said. Because the Browns had insurance, they won’t be getting any Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance. They also never got any assistance from the American Red Cross, he said.</p>
<p>It probably makes more sense not to move back because the house could flood again, Daniel Brown said.</p>
<p>“We’re built on a drain,” he said. “Friendswood is a bathtub, and you are built on a drain.”</p>
<p>Even if their insurance pays their mortgage value, the Browns will lose equity.</p>
<p>“We don’t want to walk away,” Daniel Brown said. “We don’t want to ruin our credit. And we agree, it’s not safe to stay here. I don’t want to go through this again.”</p>
<p>Along with the furniture, the drywall, the carpet and the Barbie house, the Browns also lost their children’s school. The family home-schools, and the flood swept away all the textbooks, workbooks and records, Beverly Brown said.</p>
<p>Daniel and Beverly Brown adopted the six children after fostering them first.</p>
<p>None of the children have one single medical condition; they all have myriad conditions, Beverly Brown said.</p>
<p>Cesar, 12, was the first special-needs child the Browns took in when he was 16 months old. He was born prematurely, at just 23 weeks. He weighed only 12 ounces.</p>
<p>He was dependent on a ventilator and was abandoned. Until the Browns took him home, he had never been outside the hospital.</p>
<p>After Cesar, the Browns adopted Rudy, who is now 12. Then they adopted Xander, now 11. Next came Liliah, 10, and then Matilda, 8. Next came Geronimo, 8.</p>
<p>When Daniel and Beverly Brown were dating, she talked about adopting babies with serious medical problems who were abandoned at hospitals.</p>
<p>“When I was finishing nursing school, they were putting a name on AIDS then,” Beverly Brown said. “People would leave HIV babies in the hospital. I wanted a home to take them to.”</p>
<p>The Browns got married, had their own baby, who is now an adult, and worked at their jobs, Beverly as a nurse and Daniel as a contractor.</p>
<p>In 2006, they decided it was time to take in an abandoned baby in need.</p>
<p>“We had done a lot of things we wanted to do by then,” Beverly Brown said.</p>
<p>They started out as foster parents.</p>
<p>“We don’t make good foster parents,” Beverly Brown said. “We just adopt them. It’s hard to take a child in your home, love them like they are yours and then let them go.”</p>
<p>But the Browns did foster a special-needs baby once to help the mother.</p>
<p>“That is the goal, to reunite families,” she said.</p>
<p>But their calling is to get the children with no families to go back to.</p>
<p>“Nobody else would step up,” Daniel Brown said. “And they turn out to be the most needy, most medically fragile children. For a lot of people, it’s too hard. We waited and we picked the hardest ones.”</p>
<p>When they became foster parents, they got a license as an intense-level home to care for special needs children. It’s not just the medical attention these children need, Beverly Brown said. Unmet emotional needs — such as love — contribute to a failure to thrive.</p>
<p>“Nurses don’t have time to touch them and cuddle them,” she said. “If no one is fighting for them, they just languish in hospitals or nursing homes.”</p>
<p>The early years with Cesar, Rudy and Xander were hard and exhausting.</p>
<p>“I’d show you pictures, but all our pictures are gone,” Beverly Brown said.</p>
<p>The Browns are teaching their children to understand their medical issues and to face adversity.</p>
<p>“Our goal is to push self-care,” Beverly Brown said. “Understand why you had a tracheotomy. If they are going to have these conditions, they have to know how to take care of themselves. I push, push, push for independence.”</p>
<p>One of her house rules is that everyone has to be able to walk by 3 if it’s possible, she said. Another is not to sugarcoat things.</p>
<p>“We don’t lie to them,” she said. “We’re honest. That’s the easiest way. We help them to be strong enough to process truth. That’s what life is about.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: The Galveston County Daily News, <a href="http://www.galvnews.com" type="external">http://www.galvnews.com</a></p>
<p>This is an AP Member Exchange shared by The Galveston County Daily News</p>
|
Texans with 6 special-needs children face Harvey challenges
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/1085786/texans-with-6-special-needs-children-face-harvey-challenges.html
|
2017-10-31
| 2least
|
Texans with 6 special-needs children face Harvey challenges
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>FRIENDSWOOD, Texas — The Barbie house is gone, and it’s important for Matilda Rose Brown, 8, to explain this.</p>
<p>The Galveston County Daily News reports her voice is a little raspy through her tracheostomy tube and her eyes are wide with a dreamy look as she walks through the skeleton of her Friendswood home, which flooded during Hurricane Harvey and took the Barbie house away.</p>
<p>The Browns’ house got 53 inches of floodwater, her father, Daniel Brown, said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Daniel and Beverly Brown evacuated their six special-needs children from their home near Mary’s Creek on the Wednesday before Hurricane Harvey hit Texas. As soon as they heard about the potential for catastrophic floods, they packed their children and their medical equipment and left.</p>
<p>“We’re the first to leave and last to come back,” Beverly Brown said. “There’s too many things that could possibly go wrong.”</p>
<p>Geronimo Brown, 8, lifts his shirt to show two tubes in his abdomen.</p>
<p>“This is where I do my flush every night,” he said as looked at his belly.</p>
<p>When the Browns bought their home on Shady Oaks Lane in Friendswood, 20 miles southeast of Houston, it was in a non-flood zone. Their insurance carrier told them in August, just days before Harvey hit, that a new flood zone map changed their status along with a new hefty payment due. They paid it days before Harvey made landfall Aug. 25 in Rockport.</p>
<p>The six children need constant attention. Five are on ventilators and feeding tubes during the night, and the family typically has five to six nurses who stay overnight, Beverly Brown said.</p>
<p>“We have to have electricity and running water,” Daniel Brown said. “They could get more sick if we don’t.”</p>
<p>The Browns evacuated to the Choctaw reservation in Oklahoma where Beverly Brown grew up. Her tribe got the family a hotel room and sent food. They helped all the children get their prescriptions filled, even though the adopted children aren’t Choctaws. They are several different races.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The children needed to come back home, though, to see their regular doctors and therapists, Beverly Brown said.</p>
<p>The Browns are now staying with relatives in Deer Park, but space is cramped. The Browns are not sure when or if they will be able to move back into the Shady Oaks Lane house.</p>
<p>Several houses on their block have “for sale” signs in the pocked front yards.</p>
<p>Daniel Brown, who is a member of the Cocopah tribe in California, adapted the two-story home to fit his family’s unusual needs. The Browns needed a space for nurses, outlets for medical equipment and strategically placed toilets.</p>
<p>“This is the only home they’ve known,” Daniel Brown said. “It’s looking more and more like this isn’t going to work.”</p>
<p>That’s because if he has to repair more than 50 percent of the house, building codes will require him to raise the house, he said. Combined with all the other needed repairs, he’s looking at spending more than $350,000, he said. Because the Browns had insurance, they won’t be getting any Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance. They also never got any assistance from the American Red Cross, he said.</p>
<p>It probably makes more sense not to move back because the house could flood again, Daniel Brown said.</p>
<p>“We’re built on a drain,” he said. “Friendswood is a bathtub, and you are built on a drain.”</p>
<p>Even if their insurance pays their mortgage value, the Browns will lose equity.</p>
<p>“We don’t want to walk away,” Daniel Brown said. “We don’t want to ruin our credit. And we agree, it’s not safe to stay here. I don’t want to go through this again.”</p>
<p>Along with the furniture, the drywall, the carpet and the Barbie house, the Browns also lost their children’s school. The family home-schools, and the flood swept away all the textbooks, workbooks and records, Beverly Brown said.</p>
<p>Daniel and Beverly Brown adopted the six children after fostering them first.</p>
<p>None of the children have one single medical condition; they all have myriad conditions, Beverly Brown said.</p>
<p>Cesar, 12, was the first special-needs child the Browns took in when he was 16 months old. He was born prematurely, at just 23 weeks. He weighed only 12 ounces.</p>
<p>He was dependent on a ventilator and was abandoned. Until the Browns took him home, he had never been outside the hospital.</p>
<p>After Cesar, the Browns adopted Rudy, who is now 12. Then they adopted Xander, now 11. Next came Liliah, 10, and then Matilda, 8. Next came Geronimo, 8.</p>
<p>When Daniel and Beverly Brown were dating, she talked about adopting babies with serious medical problems who were abandoned at hospitals.</p>
<p>“When I was finishing nursing school, they were putting a name on AIDS then,” Beverly Brown said. “People would leave HIV babies in the hospital. I wanted a home to take them to.”</p>
<p>The Browns got married, had their own baby, who is now an adult, and worked at their jobs, Beverly as a nurse and Daniel as a contractor.</p>
<p>In 2006, they decided it was time to take in an abandoned baby in need.</p>
<p>“We had done a lot of things we wanted to do by then,” Beverly Brown said.</p>
<p>They started out as foster parents.</p>
<p>“We don’t make good foster parents,” Beverly Brown said. “We just adopt them. It’s hard to take a child in your home, love them like they are yours and then let them go.”</p>
<p>But the Browns did foster a special-needs baby once to help the mother.</p>
<p>“That is the goal, to reunite families,” she said.</p>
<p>But their calling is to get the children with no families to go back to.</p>
<p>“Nobody else would step up,” Daniel Brown said. “And they turn out to be the most needy, most medically fragile children. For a lot of people, it’s too hard. We waited and we picked the hardest ones.”</p>
<p>When they became foster parents, they got a license as an intense-level home to care for special needs children. It’s not just the medical attention these children need, Beverly Brown said. Unmet emotional needs — such as love — contribute to a failure to thrive.</p>
<p>“Nurses don’t have time to touch them and cuddle them,” she said. “If no one is fighting for them, they just languish in hospitals or nursing homes.”</p>
<p>The early years with Cesar, Rudy and Xander were hard and exhausting.</p>
<p>“I’d show you pictures, but all our pictures are gone,” Beverly Brown said.</p>
<p>The Browns are teaching their children to understand their medical issues and to face adversity.</p>
<p>“Our goal is to push self-care,” Beverly Brown said. “Understand why you had a tracheotomy. If they are going to have these conditions, they have to know how to take care of themselves. I push, push, push for independence.”</p>
<p>One of her house rules is that everyone has to be able to walk by 3 if it’s possible, she said. Another is not to sugarcoat things.</p>
<p>“We don’t lie to them,” she said. “We’re honest. That’s the easiest way. We help them to be strong enough to process truth. That’s what life is about.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: The Galveston County Daily News, <a href="http://www.galvnews.com" type="external">http://www.galvnews.com</a></p>
<p>This is an AP Member Exchange shared by The Galveston County Daily News</p>
| 7,053 |
<p>On Monday, President-Elect Trump held a meeting at Trump Tower with top members of the media. The New York Post reported:</p>
<p>Donald Trump scolded media big shots during an off-the-record Trump Tower sitdown on Monday, sources told The Post. “It was like a f–ing firing squad,” one source said of the encounter. “Trump started with [CNN chief] Jeff Zucker and said ‘I hate your network, everyone at CNN is a liar and you should be ashamed,’ ” the source said. “The meeting was a total disaster. The TV execs and anchors went in there thinking they would be discussing the access they would get to the Trump administration, but instead they got a Trump-style dressing down,” the source added.</p>
<p>According to the Post, attendees included NBC’s Lester Holt and Chuck Todd, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, David Muir, and Martha Raddatz, Fox News’ Bill Shine, MSNBC’s Phil Griffin, and CNN’s Jeff Zucker and Erin Burnett.</p>
<p>Here, in no particular order, are some random thoughts.</p>
<p>1. The Media Deserve This. The media destroyed Mitt Romney in 2012 by turning him from an honorable family man and excellent businessperson into the scourge of the earth, searching far and wide for gay kids so he could practice his haircutting skills, hunting down dogs to strap to his car. The media then decided to treat Barack Obama with kid gloves for eight years, soft-pedalling his lies on everything from Obamacare to Benghazi. Then, finally, the media built up Donald Trump in the primaries, then attempted to tear him down in the general. They’ve earned every bit of scorn Trump can level at them.</p>
<p>2. Trump’s Going To Start Every Firefight He Can. The media didn’t leak this story to The Post. Trump’s people did. The Post was one of the friendliest publications in the country to Trump. And this bolsters Trump’s favorite case – that he’s a powerful godking willing to face down the scurrilous media and hammer them into the ground. Trump relishes this sort of fisticuffs. It’s why he singled out reporters during the campaign. It’s why he went to war with Hamilton and Saturday Night Live over the weekend. Trump understands that most of his voters are sick of watching the media monopoly, and they’re more than willing to countenance a president blasting away at the media if it means destroying that monopoly.</p>
<p>3. The Media Will Seek Revenge By Turning Up The Volume. The media don’t know how to handle a Republican who doesn’t seem to care about their adoration. Their solution thus far: turning up the volume to 11. But that’s not working. They’re treating every Trump tweet as apocalyptic, every Trump outrage as plumbing new depths of Dante’s Inferno. That only succeeds in making Trump look justified in slapping them with both hands, then poking them in the eyes like a member of the Three Stooges. The only way for the media to cover Trump properly would be to understate their case rather than trotting out Howard Dean to label Trump cabinet appointees “Nazis,” or covering Richard Spencer’s alt-right hatefest as an extension of Trumpworld.</p>
<p>4. This Isn’t Great News For Americans. Despite the delicious schadenfreude, this isn’t good news. Americans are best served when press of every stripe have access to information about our executive branch. Closing off access for political gain was bad when Obama did it, and it isn’t any better when Trump does it. Many conservatives can’t see past their chortling over the media shamefacedly shuffling from Trump Tower, tails between their legs. That’s understandable. But the presidency is still a government office, requiring more daylight, not less.</p>
|
4 Thoughts On Trump Slapping Around Members Of The Media
| true |
https://dailywire.com/news/10986/4-thoughts-trump-slapping-around-members-media-ben-shapiro
|
2016-11-21
| 0right
|
4 Thoughts On Trump Slapping Around Members Of The Media
<p>On Monday, President-Elect Trump held a meeting at Trump Tower with top members of the media. The New York Post reported:</p>
<p>Donald Trump scolded media big shots during an off-the-record Trump Tower sitdown on Monday, sources told The Post. “It was like a f–ing firing squad,” one source said of the encounter. “Trump started with [CNN chief] Jeff Zucker and said ‘I hate your network, everyone at CNN is a liar and you should be ashamed,’ ” the source said. “The meeting was a total disaster. The TV execs and anchors went in there thinking they would be discussing the access they would get to the Trump administration, but instead they got a Trump-style dressing down,” the source added.</p>
<p>According to the Post, attendees included NBC’s Lester Holt and Chuck Todd, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, David Muir, and Martha Raddatz, Fox News’ Bill Shine, MSNBC’s Phil Griffin, and CNN’s Jeff Zucker and Erin Burnett.</p>
<p>Here, in no particular order, are some random thoughts.</p>
<p>1. The Media Deserve This. The media destroyed Mitt Romney in 2012 by turning him from an honorable family man and excellent businessperson into the scourge of the earth, searching far and wide for gay kids so he could practice his haircutting skills, hunting down dogs to strap to his car. The media then decided to treat Barack Obama with kid gloves for eight years, soft-pedalling his lies on everything from Obamacare to Benghazi. Then, finally, the media built up Donald Trump in the primaries, then attempted to tear him down in the general. They’ve earned every bit of scorn Trump can level at them.</p>
<p>2. Trump’s Going To Start Every Firefight He Can. The media didn’t leak this story to The Post. Trump’s people did. The Post was one of the friendliest publications in the country to Trump. And this bolsters Trump’s favorite case – that he’s a powerful godking willing to face down the scurrilous media and hammer them into the ground. Trump relishes this sort of fisticuffs. It’s why he singled out reporters during the campaign. It’s why he went to war with Hamilton and Saturday Night Live over the weekend. Trump understands that most of his voters are sick of watching the media monopoly, and they’re more than willing to countenance a president blasting away at the media if it means destroying that monopoly.</p>
<p>3. The Media Will Seek Revenge By Turning Up The Volume. The media don’t know how to handle a Republican who doesn’t seem to care about their adoration. Their solution thus far: turning up the volume to 11. But that’s not working. They’re treating every Trump tweet as apocalyptic, every Trump outrage as plumbing new depths of Dante’s Inferno. That only succeeds in making Trump look justified in slapping them with both hands, then poking them in the eyes like a member of the Three Stooges. The only way for the media to cover Trump properly would be to understate their case rather than trotting out Howard Dean to label Trump cabinet appointees “Nazis,” or covering Richard Spencer’s alt-right hatefest as an extension of Trumpworld.</p>
<p>4. This Isn’t Great News For Americans. Despite the delicious schadenfreude, this isn’t good news. Americans are best served when press of every stripe have access to information about our executive branch. Closing off access for political gain was bad when Obama did it, and it isn’t any better when Trump does it. Many conservatives can’t see past their chortling over the media shamefacedly shuffling from Trump Tower, tails between their legs. That’s understandable. But the presidency is still a government office, requiring more daylight, not less.</p>
| 7,054 |
<p>I periodically hear from skeptics that readership of blogs is small, so perhaps they don't deserve all the hype they get. But new research from Forrester (as <a href="http://www.techweb.com/wire/ebiz/171201403;jsessionid=3SK4GIJGAKW5CQSNDBCSKHSCJUMEKJVN" type="external">reported at TechWebNews</a>) shows that readership is climbing quickly. Ten percent of consumers read blogs once a week or more, according to Forrester, up from half that in 2004. And use of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_%28file_format%29" type="external">RSS</a>, the research company claims, tripled in the same period, from 2 percent to 6 percent. Part of that growth, I suspect, is because mainstream news organizations are developing more blogs. That's been going on for some time, but now it's mainstream. At The Times in the U.K., for instance, a new blogger has just been added to a growing line-up: <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/peterstothard" type="external">Sir Peter Stothard</a>, the former editor of the paper and now editor of The Times Literary Supplement. He's described on The Times website: "A renowned observer of politics and scholarship and a critic who ranges from poetry to the theatre, from Downing Street to the rites of Greece and Rome, Sir Peter will be writing about books, book people, Blair and Bush -- plus general observations on the way we are now." As the "old guard" of journalism joins the blogging revolution, it's no wonder that blogging's numbers are rising. As for RSS, with non-geeky RSS reading solutions made available by the likes of <a href="http://my.yahoo.com/" type="external">My Yahoo!</a>, more and more people are utilizing the technology without realizing it.</p>
|
Blog, RSS Usage Growing Quickly
| false |
https://poynter.org/news/blog-rss-usage-growing-quickly
|
2005-09-30
| 2least
|
Blog, RSS Usage Growing Quickly
<p>I periodically hear from skeptics that readership of blogs is small, so perhaps they don't deserve all the hype they get. But new research from Forrester (as <a href="http://www.techweb.com/wire/ebiz/171201403;jsessionid=3SK4GIJGAKW5CQSNDBCSKHSCJUMEKJVN" type="external">reported at TechWebNews</a>) shows that readership is climbing quickly. Ten percent of consumers read blogs once a week or more, according to Forrester, up from half that in 2004. And use of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_%28file_format%29" type="external">RSS</a>, the research company claims, tripled in the same period, from 2 percent to 6 percent. Part of that growth, I suspect, is because mainstream news organizations are developing more blogs. That's been going on for some time, but now it's mainstream. At The Times in the U.K., for instance, a new blogger has just been added to a growing line-up: <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/peterstothard" type="external">Sir Peter Stothard</a>, the former editor of the paper and now editor of The Times Literary Supplement. He's described on The Times website: "A renowned observer of politics and scholarship and a critic who ranges from poetry to the theatre, from Downing Street to the rites of Greece and Rome, Sir Peter will be writing about books, book people, Blair and Bush -- plus general observations on the way we are now." As the "old guard" of journalism joins the blogging revolution, it's no wonder that blogging's numbers are rising. As for RSS, with non-geeky RSS reading solutions made available by the likes of <a href="http://my.yahoo.com/" type="external">My Yahoo!</a>, more and more people are utilizing the technology without realizing it.</p>
| 7,055 |
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>Brick Stone, who follows the Westboro Baptist Church to its pickets in order to mercilessly troll them (see the awesome earlier clips we've posted <a href="" type="internal">here</a> and <a href="" type="internal">here</a>) takes Shirley Phelps-Roper and her clan on at churches, synagogues, and the Academy Awards in New York, Virginia, and Hollywood.</p>
<p>Megan Phelps is seen here enjoying getting mocked months before <a href="" type="internal">quitting the church</a>.</p>
<p>Watch, <a href="" type="internal">AFTER THE JUMP</a>...</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
|
Reporter Mercilessly Trolls the Westboro Baptist Church: VIDEO
| true |
http://towleroad.com/2013/05/brickstone.html
| 4left
|
Reporter Mercilessly Trolls the Westboro Baptist Church: VIDEO
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>Brick Stone, who follows the Westboro Baptist Church to its pickets in order to mercilessly troll them (see the awesome earlier clips we've posted <a href="" type="internal">here</a> and <a href="" type="internal">here</a>) takes Shirley Phelps-Roper and her clan on at churches, synagogues, and the Academy Awards in New York, Virginia, and Hollywood.</p>
<p>Megan Phelps is seen here enjoying getting mocked months before <a href="" type="internal">quitting the church</a>.</p>
<p>Watch, <a href="" type="internal">AFTER THE JUMP</a>...</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
| 7,056 |
|
<p>It made sense. Knowing that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and that our industrialized world is adding a large amount of it to the atmosphere on a yearly basis, I accepted the premise that this would cause global temperatures to rise. But one day about 7 years ago, I looked at the ubiquitous graph showing the “global” temperature of the last 150 years and noticed something odd. It was subtle, and as I found out later, disguised so that it would be overlooked. There appeared to be a period of about 40 years between 1940 and 1980 where the global temperatures actually declined a bit. As a data analysis expert, I could not ignore that subtle hint and began to look into it a little more. Forty years is a long time, and while carbon dioxide concentrations were increasing exponentially over the same period, I could not overlook that this showed an unexpected shift in the correlation between global temperatures and CO2 concentrations. Thus I began to look into it a little further and here are some of the results 7 years later.</p>
<p>Before we begin, let’s establish what we know to be correct. The global average temperature has increased since the 1980’s. Since the 1980’s glaciers around the world are receding and the ice cap of the Arctic Ocean has lost ice since the 1980’s, especially during the summer months. The average global temperature for the last 10 years is approximately 0.35 degrees centigrade higher than it was during the 1980’s. The global warming community has exploited these facts to “prove” that human activity (aka burning of fossil fuels) is the cause of these increasing temperatures. But no direct scientific proof or data has been shown that link the current observations to human activity. The link is assumed to be simply a fact, with no need to investigate or discuss any scientific data.</p>
<p>Here are 10 of the many scientific problems with the assumption human activity is causing “global warming” or “climate change”:</p>
<p>1. Temperature records from around the world do not support the assumption that today’s temperatures are unusual.</p>
<p>The all-time high temperature record for the world was set in 1913, while the all-time cold temperature record was set in 1983. By continent, all but one set their all-time high temperature record more recently than their all-time cold temperature records. In the United States, which has more weather stations than any other location in the world, more cold temperature records by state were set more recently than hot temperature records. When the temperature records for each state were considered for each month of the year, a total of 600 data points (50 states x 12 months), again cold temperature records were set in far greater numbers more recently and hot temperature records were set longer ago. This is directly contradictory to what would be expected if global warming were real.</p>
<p>2. Satellite temperature data does not support the assumption that temperatures are rising rapidly:</p>
<p>Starting at the end of 1978, satellites began to collect temperature data from around the globe. For the next 20 years, until 1998, the global average temperature remained unchanged in direct contradiction to the earth-bound weather station data, which indicated “unprecedented” temperature increases. In 1998 there was a strong El Nino year with high temperatures, which returned to pre-1998 levels until 2001. In 2001 there was a sudden jump in the global temperature of about 0.3 degrees centigrade which then remained at about that level for the next 14 years, with a very slight overall decrease in the global temperatures during that time.</p>
<p>3. Current temperatures are always compared to the temperatures of the 1980’s, but for many parts of the world the 1980’s was the coldest decade of the last 100+ years:</p>
<p>If the current temperatures are compared to those of the 1930’s one would find nothing remarkable. For many places around the world, the 1930’s were the warmest decade of the last 100 years, including those found in Greenland. Comparing today’s temperatures to the 1980’s is like comparing our summer temperatures to those in April, rather than those of last summer. It is obvious why the global warming community does this, and very misleading (or deceiving).</p>
<p>4. The world experienced a significant cooling trend between 1940 and 1980:</p>
<p>Many places around the world experienced a quite significant and persistent cooling trend to the point where scientists began to wonder if the world was beginning to slide into a new ice age period. For example, Greenland experienced some of the coldest years in 120 years during the 1980’s, as was the case in many other places around the world. During that same 40-year period, the CO2 levels around the world increased by 17%, which is a very significant increase. If global temperatures decreased by such a significant amount over 40 years while atmospheric CO2 increased by such a large amount we can only reach two conclusions: 1. There must be a weak correlation, at best, between atmospheric CO2 and global temperatures, 2. There must be stronger factors driving climate and temperature than atmospheric CO2.</p>
<p>5. Urban heat island effect skews the temperature data of a significant number of weather stations:</p>
<p>It has been shown that nighttime temperatures recorded by many weather stations have been artificially raised by the expulsion of radiant heat collected and stored during the daytime by concrete and brick structures such as houses, buildings, roads, and also cars. Since land area of cities and large towns containing these weather stations only make up a very small fraction of the total land area, this influence on global average temperature data is significant. Since the daytime and nighttime temperatures are combined to form an average, these artificially-raised nighttime temperatures skew the average data. When one only looks at daytime temperatures only from larger urban areas, the “drastic global warming” is no longer visible. (This can also be seen when looking at nearby rural area weather station data, which is more indicative of the true climate of that area).</p>
<p>6. There is a natural inverse relationship between global temperatures and atmospheric CO2 levels:</p>
<p>Contrary to what would be assumed when listening to global warming banter or while watching An Inconvenient Truth, higher temperatures increase atmospheric CO2 levels and lower temperatures decrease atmospheric CO2 levels, not the other way around. Any college freshman chemistry student knows that the solubility of CO2 decreases with increasing temperatures and thus Earth’s oceans will release large amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere when the water is warmer and will absorb more CO2 when the water is colder. That is why the CO2 level during the ice ages was so much lower than the levels today. That doesn’t take away the fact that we are artificially raising the atmospheric CO2 levels, but just because we do, that doesn’t mean that this will cause temperatures to increase in any significant way. The 40-year cooling period between 1940 and 1980 appear to support that premise. What we can conclude is that the ice ages were not caused by changes in the atmospheric CO2 levels and that other stronger factors were involved with these very large climate changes.</p>
<p>7. The CO2 cannot, from a scientific perspective, be the cause of significant global temperature changes:</p>
<p>The CO2 molecule is a linear molecule and thus only has limited natural vibrational frequencies, which in turn give this molecule only limited capability of absorbing radiation that is radiated from the Earth’s surface. The three main wavelengths that can be absorbed by CO2 are 4.26 micrometers, 7.2 micrometers, and 15.0 micrometers. Of those 3, only the 15-micrometer is significant because it falls right in range of the infrared frequencies emitted by Earth. However, the H2O molecule which is much more prevalent in the Earth’s atmosphere, and which is a bend molecule, thus having many more vibrational modes, absorbs many more frequencies emitted by the Earth, including to some extent the radiation absorbed by CO2. It turns out that between water vapor and CO2, nearly all of the radiation that can be absorbed by CO2 is already being absorbed. Thus increasing the CO2 levels should have very minimal impact on the atmosphere’s ability to retain heat radiated from the Earth. That explains why there appears to be a very weak correlation at best between CO2 levels and global temperatures and why after the CO2 levels have increased by 40% since the beginning of the industrial revolution the global average temperature has increased only 0.8 degrees centigrade, even if we want to contribute all of that increase to atmospheric CO2 increases and none of it to natural causes.</p>
<p>8. There have been many periods during our recent history that a warmer climate was prevalent long before the industrial revolution:</p>
<p>Even in the 1990 IPCC report a chart appeared that showed the medieval warm period as having had warmer temperatures than those currently being experienced. But it is hard to convince people about global warming with that information, so five years later a new graph was presented, now known as the famous hockey stick graph, which did away with the medieval warm period. Yet the evidence is overwhelming at so many levels that warmer periods existed on Earth during the medieval warm period as well as during Roman Times and other time periods during the last 10,000 years. There is plenty of evidence found in the Dutch archives that shows that over the centuries, parts of the Netherlands disappeared beneath the water during these warm periods, only to appear again when the climate turned colder. The famous Belgian city of Brugge, once known as “Venice of the North,” was a sea port during the warm period that set Europe free from the dark ages (when temperatures were much colder), but when temperatures began to drop with the onset of the little ice age, the ocean receded and now Brugge is ten miles away from the coastline. Consequently, during the medieval warm period the Vikings settled in Iceland and Greenland and even along the coast of Canada, where they enjoyed the warmer temperatures, until the climate turned cold again, after which they perished from Greenland and Iceland became ice-locked again during the bitter cold winters. The camps promoting global warming have been systematically erasing mention of these events in order to bolster the notion that today’s climate is unusual compared to our recent history.</p>
<p>9. Glaciers have been melting for more than 150 years</p>
<p>The notion of melting glaciers as prove positive that global warming is real has no real scientific basis. Glaciers have been melting for over 150 years. It is no secret that glaciers advanced to unprecedented levels in recent human history during the period known as the Little Ice Age. Many villages in the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps saw their homes threatened and fields destroyed by these large ice masses. Pleas went out to local bishops and even the Pope in Rome to come and pray in front of these glaciers in the hope of stopping their unrelenting advance. Around 1850, the climate returned to more “normal” temperatures and the glaciers began to recede. But then between 1940 and 1980, as the temperatures declined again, most of the glaciers halted their retreat and began to expand again, until warmer weather at the end of the last century caused them to continue the retreat they started 150 years earlier. Furthermore, we now know that many of the glaciers around the world did not exist 4000 to 6000 years ago. As a case in point, there is a glacier to the far north of Greenland above the large ice sheet covering most of the island called the Hans Tausen Glacier. It is 50 miles long ,30 miles wide and up to 1000 feet thick. A Scandinavian research team bored ice cores all the way to the bottom and discovered that 4000 years ago this glacier did not exist. It was so warm 4000 years ago that many of the glaciers around the world didn’t exist but have returned because of the onset of colder weather. Today’s temperatures are much lower than those that were predominant during the Holocene era as substantiated by studying the many cores that were dug from Greenland’s ice sheet.</p>
<p>10. “Data adjustment” is used to continue the perception of global warming:</p>
<p>For the first several years of my research I relied on the climate data banks of NASA and GISS, two of the most prestigious scientific bodies of our country. After years of painstaking gathering of data, and relentless graphing of that data, I discovered that I was not looking at the originally gathered data, but data that had been “adjusted” for what was deemed “scientific reasons.” Unadjusted data is simply not available from these data banks. Fortunately I was able to find the original weather station data from over 7000 weather stations from around the world in the KNMI database. (Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute). There I was able to review both the adjusted and unadjusted data as well as the breakout of the daytime and nighttime data. The results were astounding. I found that data from many stations around the world had been systematically “adjusted” to make it seem that global warming was happening when, in fact, for many places around the world the opposite was true. Following will be a few of the myriad of examples of this data adjustment. When I present my material during presentations at local colleges, these are the charts that have some of the greatest impact in affecting the opinion of the students, especially when they realize that there is a concerted effort to misrepresent what is actually happening. Another amazing result was that when only graphing the daily highs from around the country, a very different picture arises from the historical temperature data.</p>
<p>There are many more specific areas that I have researched and for which I have compiled data and presentation material, equally compelling regarding at exposing the fallacies of global warming. A new twist has swept the global warming movement lately, especially since they had to admit that their own data showed that there was a “hiatus” on the warming, as illustrated in the 2014 IPCC report; their data showed an actual cooling over the last 10 years. The new term: “climate change” is now taking over, such that unusual events of any kind, like the record snowfall in Boston, can be blamed on the burning of fossil fuels without offering any concrete scientific data as to how one could cause the other.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p>Mike van Biezen is adjunct professor at Compton College, Santa Monica College, El Camino College, and Loyola Marymount University teaching Physics, Mathematics, Astronomy, and Earth Science.</p>
|
The Most Comprehensive Assault On 'Global Warming' Ever
| true |
https://dailywire.com/news/2071/most-comprehensive-assault-global-warming-ever-mike-van-biezen
|
2015-12-23
| 0right
|
The Most Comprehensive Assault On 'Global Warming' Ever
<p>It made sense. Knowing that CO2 is a greenhouse gas and that our industrialized world is adding a large amount of it to the atmosphere on a yearly basis, I accepted the premise that this would cause global temperatures to rise. But one day about 7 years ago, I looked at the ubiquitous graph showing the “global” temperature of the last 150 years and noticed something odd. It was subtle, and as I found out later, disguised so that it would be overlooked. There appeared to be a period of about 40 years between 1940 and 1980 where the global temperatures actually declined a bit. As a data analysis expert, I could not ignore that subtle hint and began to look into it a little more. Forty years is a long time, and while carbon dioxide concentrations were increasing exponentially over the same period, I could not overlook that this showed an unexpected shift in the correlation between global temperatures and CO2 concentrations. Thus I began to look into it a little further and here are some of the results 7 years later.</p>
<p>Before we begin, let’s establish what we know to be correct. The global average temperature has increased since the 1980’s. Since the 1980’s glaciers around the world are receding and the ice cap of the Arctic Ocean has lost ice since the 1980’s, especially during the summer months. The average global temperature for the last 10 years is approximately 0.35 degrees centigrade higher than it was during the 1980’s. The global warming community has exploited these facts to “prove” that human activity (aka burning of fossil fuels) is the cause of these increasing temperatures. But no direct scientific proof or data has been shown that link the current observations to human activity. The link is assumed to be simply a fact, with no need to investigate or discuss any scientific data.</p>
<p>Here are 10 of the many scientific problems with the assumption human activity is causing “global warming” or “climate change”:</p>
<p>1. Temperature records from around the world do not support the assumption that today’s temperatures are unusual.</p>
<p>The all-time high temperature record for the world was set in 1913, while the all-time cold temperature record was set in 1983. By continent, all but one set their all-time high temperature record more recently than their all-time cold temperature records. In the United States, which has more weather stations than any other location in the world, more cold temperature records by state were set more recently than hot temperature records. When the temperature records for each state were considered for each month of the year, a total of 600 data points (50 states x 12 months), again cold temperature records were set in far greater numbers more recently and hot temperature records were set longer ago. This is directly contradictory to what would be expected if global warming were real.</p>
<p>2. Satellite temperature data does not support the assumption that temperatures are rising rapidly:</p>
<p>Starting at the end of 1978, satellites began to collect temperature data from around the globe. For the next 20 years, until 1998, the global average temperature remained unchanged in direct contradiction to the earth-bound weather station data, which indicated “unprecedented” temperature increases. In 1998 there was a strong El Nino year with high temperatures, which returned to pre-1998 levels until 2001. In 2001 there was a sudden jump in the global temperature of about 0.3 degrees centigrade which then remained at about that level for the next 14 years, with a very slight overall decrease in the global temperatures during that time.</p>
<p>3. Current temperatures are always compared to the temperatures of the 1980’s, but for many parts of the world the 1980’s was the coldest decade of the last 100+ years:</p>
<p>If the current temperatures are compared to those of the 1930’s one would find nothing remarkable. For many places around the world, the 1930’s were the warmest decade of the last 100 years, including those found in Greenland. Comparing today’s temperatures to the 1980’s is like comparing our summer temperatures to those in April, rather than those of last summer. It is obvious why the global warming community does this, and very misleading (or deceiving).</p>
<p>4. The world experienced a significant cooling trend between 1940 and 1980:</p>
<p>Many places around the world experienced a quite significant and persistent cooling trend to the point where scientists began to wonder if the world was beginning to slide into a new ice age period. For example, Greenland experienced some of the coldest years in 120 years during the 1980’s, as was the case in many other places around the world. During that same 40-year period, the CO2 levels around the world increased by 17%, which is a very significant increase. If global temperatures decreased by such a significant amount over 40 years while atmospheric CO2 increased by such a large amount we can only reach two conclusions: 1. There must be a weak correlation, at best, between atmospheric CO2 and global temperatures, 2. There must be stronger factors driving climate and temperature than atmospheric CO2.</p>
<p>5. Urban heat island effect skews the temperature data of a significant number of weather stations:</p>
<p>It has been shown that nighttime temperatures recorded by many weather stations have been artificially raised by the expulsion of radiant heat collected and stored during the daytime by concrete and brick structures such as houses, buildings, roads, and also cars. Since land area of cities and large towns containing these weather stations only make up a very small fraction of the total land area, this influence on global average temperature data is significant. Since the daytime and nighttime temperatures are combined to form an average, these artificially-raised nighttime temperatures skew the average data. When one only looks at daytime temperatures only from larger urban areas, the “drastic global warming” is no longer visible. (This can also be seen when looking at nearby rural area weather station data, which is more indicative of the true climate of that area).</p>
<p>6. There is a natural inverse relationship between global temperatures and atmospheric CO2 levels:</p>
<p>Contrary to what would be assumed when listening to global warming banter or while watching An Inconvenient Truth, higher temperatures increase atmospheric CO2 levels and lower temperatures decrease atmospheric CO2 levels, not the other way around. Any college freshman chemistry student knows that the solubility of CO2 decreases with increasing temperatures and thus Earth’s oceans will release large amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere when the water is warmer and will absorb more CO2 when the water is colder. That is why the CO2 level during the ice ages was so much lower than the levels today. That doesn’t take away the fact that we are artificially raising the atmospheric CO2 levels, but just because we do, that doesn’t mean that this will cause temperatures to increase in any significant way. The 40-year cooling period between 1940 and 1980 appear to support that premise. What we can conclude is that the ice ages were not caused by changes in the atmospheric CO2 levels and that other stronger factors were involved with these very large climate changes.</p>
<p>7. The CO2 cannot, from a scientific perspective, be the cause of significant global temperature changes:</p>
<p>The CO2 molecule is a linear molecule and thus only has limited natural vibrational frequencies, which in turn give this molecule only limited capability of absorbing radiation that is radiated from the Earth’s surface. The three main wavelengths that can be absorbed by CO2 are 4.26 micrometers, 7.2 micrometers, and 15.0 micrometers. Of those 3, only the 15-micrometer is significant because it falls right in range of the infrared frequencies emitted by Earth. However, the H2O molecule which is much more prevalent in the Earth’s atmosphere, and which is a bend molecule, thus having many more vibrational modes, absorbs many more frequencies emitted by the Earth, including to some extent the radiation absorbed by CO2. It turns out that between water vapor and CO2, nearly all of the radiation that can be absorbed by CO2 is already being absorbed. Thus increasing the CO2 levels should have very minimal impact on the atmosphere’s ability to retain heat radiated from the Earth. That explains why there appears to be a very weak correlation at best between CO2 levels and global temperatures and why after the CO2 levels have increased by 40% since the beginning of the industrial revolution the global average temperature has increased only 0.8 degrees centigrade, even if we want to contribute all of that increase to atmospheric CO2 increases and none of it to natural causes.</p>
<p>8. There have been many periods during our recent history that a warmer climate was prevalent long before the industrial revolution:</p>
<p>Even in the 1990 IPCC report a chart appeared that showed the medieval warm period as having had warmer temperatures than those currently being experienced. But it is hard to convince people about global warming with that information, so five years later a new graph was presented, now known as the famous hockey stick graph, which did away with the medieval warm period. Yet the evidence is overwhelming at so many levels that warmer periods existed on Earth during the medieval warm period as well as during Roman Times and other time periods during the last 10,000 years. There is plenty of evidence found in the Dutch archives that shows that over the centuries, parts of the Netherlands disappeared beneath the water during these warm periods, only to appear again when the climate turned colder. The famous Belgian city of Brugge, once known as “Venice of the North,” was a sea port during the warm period that set Europe free from the dark ages (when temperatures were much colder), but when temperatures began to drop with the onset of the little ice age, the ocean receded and now Brugge is ten miles away from the coastline. Consequently, during the medieval warm period the Vikings settled in Iceland and Greenland and even along the coast of Canada, where they enjoyed the warmer temperatures, until the climate turned cold again, after which they perished from Greenland and Iceland became ice-locked again during the bitter cold winters. The camps promoting global warming have been systematically erasing mention of these events in order to bolster the notion that today’s climate is unusual compared to our recent history.</p>
<p>9. Glaciers have been melting for more than 150 years</p>
<p>The notion of melting glaciers as prove positive that global warming is real has no real scientific basis. Glaciers have been melting for over 150 years. It is no secret that glaciers advanced to unprecedented levels in recent human history during the period known as the Little Ice Age. Many villages in the French, Swiss, and Italian Alps saw their homes threatened and fields destroyed by these large ice masses. Pleas went out to local bishops and even the Pope in Rome to come and pray in front of these glaciers in the hope of stopping their unrelenting advance. Around 1850, the climate returned to more “normal” temperatures and the glaciers began to recede. But then between 1940 and 1980, as the temperatures declined again, most of the glaciers halted their retreat and began to expand again, until warmer weather at the end of the last century caused them to continue the retreat they started 150 years earlier. Furthermore, we now know that many of the glaciers around the world did not exist 4000 to 6000 years ago. As a case in point, there is a glacier to the far north of Greenland above the large ice sheet covering most of the island called the Hans Tausen Glacier. It is 50 miles long ,30 miles wide and up to 1000 feet thick. A Scandinavian research team bored ice cores all the way to the bottom and discovered that 4000 years ago this glacier did not exist. It was so warm 4000 years ago that many of the glaciers around the world didn’t exist but have returned because of the onset of colder weather. Today’s temperatures are much lower than those that were predominant during the Holocene era as substantiated by studying the many cores that were dug from Greenland’s ice sheet.</p>
<p>10. “Data adjustment” is used to continue the perception of global warming:</p>
<p>For the first several years of my research I relied on the climate data banks of NASA and GISS, two of the most prestigious scientific bodies of our country. After years of painstaking gathering of data, and relentless graphing of that data, I discovered that I was not looking at the originally gathered data, but data that had been “adjusted” for what was deemed “scientific reasons.” Unadjusted data is simply not available from these data banks. Fortunately I was able to find the original weather station data from over 7000 weather stations from around the world in the KNMI database. (Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute). There I was able to review both the adjusted and unadjusted data as well as the breakout of the daytime and nighttime data. The results were astounding. I found that data from many stations around the world had been systematically “adjusted” to make it seem that global warming was happening when, in fact, for many places around the world the opposite was true. Following will be a few of the myriad of examples of this data adjustment. When I present my material during presentations at local colleges, these are the charts that have some of the greatest impact in affecting the opinion of the students, especially when they realize that there is a concerted effort to misrepresent what is actually happening. Another amazing result was that when only graphing the daily highs from around the country, a very different picture arises from the historical temperature data.</p>
<p>There are many more specific areas that I have researched and for which I have compiled data and presentation material, equally compelling regarding at exposing the fallacies of global warming. A new twist has swept the global warming movement lately, especially since they had to admit that their own data showed that there was a “hiatus” on the warming, as illustrated in the 2014 IPCC report; their data showed an actual cooling over the last 10 years. The new term: “climate change” is now taking over, such that unusual events of any kind, like the record snowfall in Boston, can be blamed on the burning of fossil fuels without offering any concrete scientific data as to how one could cause the other.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
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<p>Mike van Biezen is adjunct professor at Compton College, Santa Monica College, El Camino College, and Loyola Marymount University teaching Physics, Mathematics, Astronomy, and Earth Science.</p>
| 7,057 |
<p>Following in the footsteps of other Texas lawmakers, Texas&#160;Rep. Blake Farenthold plans to send letters to gun makers in the Northeast, urging them to move their businesses to the Lone Star State, away from the persecution of Connecticut's move to restrict assault weapons.</p>
<p><a href="http://gawker.com/5994890/texas-smells-a-business-opportunity-in-newtown-massacre" type="external">Gawker has</a> the full text of&#160;Farenthold's letter. Here are some excerpts:</p>
<p>In Texas, we are committed to protecting our right under the constitution to own and use guns. My fellow Congressmen and I urge you to consider relocating your firearms manufacturing facilities to Texas. We are also committed to being a business friendly state with low taxes and reasonable regulations.</p>
<p>.... We're getting things right in the Texas state, and I'm working hard every day to show my colleagues in Washington how our nation could benefit from following the Texas model. I encourage you to relocate to Texas, where we can provide a business-friendly environment that encourages innovation and understands the right to bear arms. We look forward to calling y'all Texans!</p>
<p>Farenthold isn't the first to put out such a call. On April 12, Texas Gov. Rick Perry invited the Bristol, Conn.-based manufacturer PTR Industries to his state via Twitter:</p>
<p>Hey PTR...Texas is still wide open for business!!Come on down! <a href="http://t.co/5V3bFTVry9" type="external">tinyurl.com/csmn5ps</a></p>
<p>— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorPerry/status/322702331261100032" type="external">April 12, 2013</a></p>
<p>Perry <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/04/13/rick-perry-wants-connecticut-gun-maker-to-move-to-texas/" type="external">told the local Fox News affiliate</a>, "There is still a place where freedom is very much alive and well — freedom from over-taxation, freedom from over-regulation, freedom from over-litigation ... and that place is called Texas."</p>
<p>Earlier in April, Perry <a href="http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Texas-Senate-to-gun-makers-C-mon-down-4421180.php" type="external">sent letters</a> to more than 30 out-of-state firearms and accessories makers, singling out states like Colorado where laws to restrict gun ownership had recently been passed.</p>
<p>In fact, the state's Senate gave preliminary approval to a bill in April which would "facilitate the relocation or expansion of businesses that manufacture firearms, ammunition and accessories." <a href="http://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/2013/04/divided-senate-gives-early-approval-to-luring-gun-manufacturers-to-texas/" type="external">Senate Bill 1467 grants</a> state officials the authority to draw money from the Texas Enterprise fund to seek tax exemptions and other incentives for companies which are planning to move or expand.</p>
<p>Rep. Steve Stockman <a href="http://stockman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/stockman-to-persecuted-gun-makers-come-home-to-texas" type="external">issued an invitation</a> to gun makers on April 5, which said, "Come home to Texas!"</p>
<p>It reads:</p>
<p>Recent draconian gun legislation passed in Colorado, Connecticut and Maryland has made those states unfriendly to law abiding gun owners, weapons manufactures, and weapons parts manufactures. These states have proven they do not value those who obey the law and pump millions of dollars into local economies. This is not the way for government to treat people.</p>
<p>Come to Texas!!! The state which believes the whole Bill of Rights should be followed, not just the “politically correct” parts. Your rights will not be infringed upon here, unlike many current local regimes.</p>
<p>Stockman adds, "Magpul, HiViz, Beretta, and Colt, your businesses are welcomed with open arms in the 36th District of Texas."</p>
<p>The message from Texas is loud and clear: If other states don't want your business, we sure do.</p>
|
Texas lawmakers woo gun makers
| false |
https://pri.org/stories/2013-04-18/texas-lawmakers-woo-gun-makers
|
2013-04-18
| 3left-center
|
Texas lawmakers woo gun makers
<p>Following in the footsteps of other Texas lawmakers, Texas&#160;Rep. Blake Farenthold plans to send letters to gun makers in the Northeast, urging them to move their businesses to the Lone Star State, away from the persecution of Connecticut's move to restrict assault weapons.</p>
<p><a href="http://gawker.com/5994890/texas-smells-a-business-opportunity-in-newtown-massacre" type="external">Gawker has</a> the full text of&#160;Farenthold's letter. Here are some excerpts:</p>
<p>In Texas, we are committed to protecting our right under the constitution to own and use guns. My fellow Congressmen and I urge you to consider relocating your firearms manufacturing facilities to Texas. We are also committed to being a business friendly state with low taxes and reasonable regulations.</p>
<p>.... We're getting things right in the Texas state, and I'm working hard every day to show my colleagues in Washington how our nation could benefit from following the Texas model. I encourage you to relocate to Texas, where we can provide a business-friendly environment that encourages innovation and understands the right to bear arms. We look forward to calling y'all Texans!</p>
<p>Farenthold isn't the first to put out such a call. On April 12, Texas Gov. Rick Perry invited the Bristol, Conn.-based manufacturer PTR Industries to his state via Twitter:</p>
<p>Hey PTR...Texas is still wide open for business!!Come on down! <a href="http://t.co/5V3bFTVry9" type="external">tinyurl.com/csmn5ps</a></p>
<p>— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorPerry/status/322702331261100032" type="external">April 12, 2013</a></p>
<p>Perry <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/04/13/rick-perry-wants-connecticut-gun-maker-to-move-to-texas/" type="external">told the local Fox News affiliate</a>, "There is still a place where freedom is very much alive and well — freedom from over-taxation, freedom from over-regulation, freedom from over-litigation ... and that place is called Texas."</p>
<p>Earlier in April, Perry <a href="http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/Texas-Senate-to-gun-makers-C-mon-down-4421180.php" type="external">sent letters</a> to more than 30 out-of-state firearms and accessories makers, singling out states like Colorado where laws to restrict gun ownership had recently been passed.</p>
<p>In fact, the state's Senate gave preliminary approval to a bill in April which would "facilitate the relocation or expansion of businesses that manufacture firearms, ammunition and accessories." <a href="http://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/2013/04/divided-senate-gives-early-approval-to-luring-gun-manufacturers-to-texas/" type="external">Senate Bill 1467 grants</a> state officials the authority to draw money from the Texas Enterprise fund to seek tax exemptions and other incentives for companies which are planning to move or expand.</p>
<p>Rep. Steve Stockman <a href="http://stockman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/stockman-to-persecuted-gun-makers-come-home-to-texas" type="external">issued an invitation</a> to gun makers on April 5, which said, "Come home to Texas!"</p>
<p>It reads:</p>
<p>Recent draconian gun legislation passed in Colorado, Connecticut and Maryland has made those states unfriendly to law abiding gun owners, weapons manufactures, and weapons parts manufactures. These states have proven they do not value those who obey the law and pump millions of dollars into local economies. This is not the way for government to treat people.</p>
<p>Come to Texas!!! The state which believes the whole Bill of Rights should be followed, not just the “politically correct” parts. Your rights will not be infringed upon here, unlike many current local regimes.</p>
<p>Stockman adds, "Magpul, HiViz, Beretta, and Colt, your businesses are welcomed with open arms in the 36th District of Texas."</p>
<p>The message from Texas is loud and clear: If other states don't want your business, we sure do.</p>
| 7,058 |
<p>This week, readers sent us letters about videos of Planned Parenthood officials discussing fetal tissue donation, as well as a note of thanks.</p>
<p>In the FactCheck Mailbag, we feature some of the email we receive. Readers can send comments to [email protected]. Letters may be edited for length.</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>I’m afraid I don’t buy FactCheck.org’s analysis [“ <a href="" type="internal">Unspinning the Planned Parenthood Video</a>,” July 21] that Planned Parenthood is simply trying to recover costs associated with supplying fetal tissues to labs.</p>
<p>If that were all they were doing, they would have said to the lab reps, “This is what we need to cover our costs. If you can meet it, we can help you.”</p>
<p>That’s not what they said. The video clearly shows the PP rep talking about “lowballing,” saying “tell me what you’re used to paying,” and telling them that she would check around to see what other clinics were getting, and if they were getting more, she’d renegotiate.</p>
<p>What other clinics get or what the lab is used to paying is completely irrelevant if PP is simply interested in recovering their costs. It is clear from the videos that PP is trying to get as much as they can. As I said, if they were only interested in recovering their costs, they would have been up front about how much the arrangement would cost them and explain that if that figure could be met, PP could help the lab.</p>
<p>Jeanette Koenig Tallahassee, Florida</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>My home page, refdesk.com, has a “site of the day” and your site is featured. This is one of the most valuable sites I have ever seen. I have wished for an ombudsman like you. There are no superlatives to describe it.</p>
<p>I am sending it to all my family and friends. Thank you VERY much for this service.</p>
<p>Sharon Patrick Washington, D.C.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
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Mailbag: Planned Parenthood Videos
| false |
https://factcheck.org/2015/08/mailbag-planned-parenthood-videos/
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2015-08-07
| 2least
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Mailbag: Planned Parenthood Videos
<p>This week, readers sent us letters about videos of Planned Parenthood officials discussing fetal tissue donation, as well as a note of thanks.</p>
<p>In the FactCheck Mailbag, we feature some of the email we receive. Readers can send comments to [email protected]. Letters may be edited for length.</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>I’m afraid I don’t buy FactCheck.org’s analysis [“ <a href="" type="internal">Unspinning the Planned Parenthood Video</a>,” July 21] that Planned Parenthood is simply trying to recover costs associated with supplying fetal tissues to labs.</p>
<p>If that were all they were doing, they would have said to the lab reps, “This is what we need to cover our costs. If you can meet it, we can help you.”</p>
<p>That’s not what they said. The video clearly shows the PP rep talking about “lowballing,” saying “tell me what you’re used to paying,” and telling them that she would check around to see what other clinics were getting, and if they were getting more, she’d renegotiate.</p>
<p>What other clinics get or what the lab is used to paying is completely irrelevant if PP is simply interested in recovering their costs. It is clear from the videos that PP is trying to get as much as they can. As I said, if they were only interested in recovering their costs, they would have been up front about how much the arrangement would cost them and explain that if that figure could be met, PP could help the lab.</p>
<p>Jeanette Koenig Tallahassee, Florida</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>My home page, refdesk.com, has a “site of the day” and your site is featured. This is one of the most valuable sites I have ever seen. I have wished for an ombudsman like you. There are no superlatives to describe it.</p>
<p>I am sending it to all my family and friends. Thank you VERY much for this service.</p>
<p>Sharon Patrick Washington, D.C.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
| 7,059 |
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<p />
<p>Home visiting can include a wide variety of services offered in the homes of families with young children.</p>
<p>A state Children, Youth and Families official responded last week that the state today has active home visiting programs at all four sites, but in some cases grant money was used to expand existing programs rather than start new ones.</p>
<p>CYFD received the two-year grant in September 2011 to set up pilot programs at sites in Luna, Quay and McKinley counties and Albuquerque’s South Valley.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The state’s original plan called for home visiting programs to be in operation at all four sites by September 2012, the report said.</p>
<p>“The evaluation we conducted shows that, after two years, a small amount of progress has been made” toward the project’s objectives, according to the evaluation by RAND Corp., a nonprofit think tank based in Arlington, Va.</p>
<p>The state paid RAND about $300,000 to evaluate the grant program from September 2011 to November 2013, CYFD estimated. The report was published online in July.</p>
<p>“McKinley County and South Valley did not begin home visiting services as part of this project during the evaluation time frame,” the report said. Only Luna and Quay counties had started home visiting programs, it said.</p>
<p>The evaluation cited “contracting and administrative delays” for the slow progress.</p>
<p>A CYFD official said this week that the agency used the federal grant and state money to develop new programs and expand existing programs in both McKinley County and the South Valley.</p>
<p>Dan Haggard, CYFD’s deputy director for programs in the early childhood services division, said the plan to start all four programs in a year “was really impossible” because state procurement laws caused delays in selecting contractors.</p>
<p>In McKinley County, CYFD used grant money to expand a home visiting program started by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation, Haggard said. Grant money also expanded a second program operated by McKinley County Public Schools, he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In the South Valley, federal grant funds were used to expand a home visiting program called a nurse-family partnership, in which nurses provide prenatal and well-child services in the home.</p>
<p>Also in the South Valley, CYFD created a new home visiting program called Parents as Teachers, which teach parenting, nutrition and other skills to help children succeed in school, Haggard said.</p>
<p>CYFD contracts with the University of New Mexico’s Center for Development and Disability to operate both South Valley programs, he said.</p>
<p>State and federal officials have made home visiting a centerpiece of childhood services in recent years.</p>
<p>In New Mexico, state and federal funding totals $8.5 million for home visiting this year, up from about $5.9 million last year, CYFD said in an annual report. The agency operates home visiting programs in 22 of the state’s 33 counties and served more than 1,000 families in 2013.</p>
<p>The RAND report found merit in portions of the program put in place.</p>
<p>“Luna and Quay counties began implementing the (Parents as Teachers) program, which was perceived positively by the community,” it said.</p>
<p>Luna County was the first to begin offering services in March 2013 and had 81 families enrolled in November. Five staff members had performed 1,934 home visits.</p>
<p />
<p />
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CYFD slow to start home visiting program, evaluation finds
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/444588/cyfd-slow-to-start-home-services-evaluation-finds.html
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2014-08-12
| 2least
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CYFD slow to start home visiting program, evaluation finds
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Home visiting can include a wide variety of services offered in the homes of families with young children.</p>
<p>A state Children, Youth and Families official responded last week that the state today has active home visiting programs at all four sites, but in some cases grant money was used to expand existing programs rather than start new ones.</p>
<p>CYFD received the two-year grant in September 2011 to set up pilot programs at sites in Luna, Quay and McKinley counties and Albuquerque’s South Valley.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The state’s original plan called for home visiting programs to be in operation at all four sites by September 2012, the report said.</p>
<p>“The evaluation we conducted shows that, after two years, a small amount of progress has been made” toward the project’s objectives, according to the evaluation by RAND Corp., a nonprofit think tank based in Arlington, Va.</p>
<p>The state paid RAND about $300,000 to evaluate the grant program from September 2011 to November 2013, CYFD estimated. The report was published online in July.</p>
<p>“McKinley County and South Valley did not begin home visiting services as part of this project during the evaluation time frame,” the report said. Only Luna and Quay counties had started home visiting programs, it said.</p>
<p>The evaluation cited “contracting and administrative delays” for the slow progress.</p>
<p>A CYFD official said this week that the agency used the federal grant and state money to develop new programs and expand existing programs in both McKinley County and the South Valley.</p>
<p>Dan Haggard, CYFD’s deputy director for programs in the early childhood services division, said the plan to start all four programs in a year “was really impossible” because state procurement laws caused delays in selecting contractors.</p>
<p>In McKinley County, CYFD used grant money to expand a home visiting program started by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation, Haggard said. Grant money also expanded a second program operated by McKinley County Public Schools, he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In the South Valley, federal grant funds were used to expand a home visiting program called a nurse-family partnership, in which nurses provide prenatal and well-child services in the home.</p>
<p>Also in the South Valley, CYFD created a new home visiting program called Parents as Teachers, which teach parenting, nutrition and other skills to help children succeed in school, Haggard said.</p>
<p>CYFD contracts with the University of New Mexico’s Center for Development and Disability to operate both South Valley programs, he said.</p>
<p>State and federal officials have made home visiting a centerpiece of childhood services in recent years.</p>
<p>In New Mexico, state and federal funding totals $8.5 million for home visiting this year, up from about $5.9 million last year, CYFD said in an annual report. The agency operates home visiting programs in 22 of the state’s 33 counties and served more than 1,000 families in 2013.</p>
<p>The RAND report found merit in portions of the program put in place.</p>
<p>“Luna and Quay counties began implementing the (Parents as Teachers) program, which was perceived positively by the community,” it said.</p>
<p>Luna County was the first to begin offering services in March 2013 and had 81 families enrolled in November. Five staff members had performed 1,934 home visits.</p>
<p />
<p />
| 7,060 |
<p>Chocolate, wine, coffee —these are just some of the foods we’ll lose due to climate change; an American expat living in France explains why “Americans are suckers who have themselves to blame for crappy broadband”; meanwhile, a town in Alaska may become the first place in the U.S. to tax churches. These discoveries and more below.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/vital-signs/2014/oct/29/diet-climate-maple-syrup-coffee-global-warming" type="external">Eight Foods You’re About to Lose Due to Climate Change</a> As worsening drought and extreme weather devastate crops, you may begin seeing global warming when you open your fridge.</p>
<p><a href="http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/27509-it-s-time-for-honest-conversation-about-why-people-don-t-vote" type="external">It’s Time for an Honest Conversation About Why People Don’t Vote</a> The recent U.S. election had the lowest voter turnout since World War II.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.626809" type="external">All Signs Point Toward Ethnocracy, Not Democracy, in Israel</a> Democratic countries define themselves as belonging to all their citizens, not just some of them. Israel is headed in the opposite direction with its Basic Law on Israel as nation-state of the Jews.</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2014/11/will_alaskan_town_become_first_to_tax_churches.php" type="external">Will Alaskan Town Become First to Tax Churches?</a> Kudos to Nome, Alaska. The small town is the first in the nation to consider taxing churches to plug up holes in the town budget and allow the city to continue offering threatened social services.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2014/11/pope_francis_endorses_marriage_discrimination_at_v.php" type="external">Pope Francis Endorses Marriage Discrimination at Vatican Conference</a> “It is fitting that you have gathered here in this international colloquium to explore the complementarity of man and woman. This complementarity is a root of marriage and family,” said Pope Francis.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/11/16/orange_county_register_asks_journalists_to_deliver_paper_for_gift_cards.html?wpsrc=slatest_newsletter&amp;sid=5388f213dd52b8ed11001224" type="external">Newspaper Asks Journalists to Deliver the Paper After They’re Done Writing It</a> These are tough times in the newspaper biz. Journalists are routinely asked to do more with less these days, so perhaps it was inevitable that the reporters of the news would also be asked to take up a paper route and help deliver it.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/15/the-worlds-biggest-chocolate-maker-says-were-running-out-of-chocolate/?tid=sm_fb" type="external">The World’s Biggest Chocolate-Maker Says We’re Running Out of Chocolate</a> There’s no easy way to say this: You’re eating too much chocolate, all of you.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/may/26/not-paying-artists-gallery-culture-publicaly-funded-exhibitions" type="external">Not Paying Artists Deeply Entrenched in Gallery Culture, Research Suggests</a> A-n finds 71% of contemporary visual artists received no fee for taking part in publicly funded exhibitions in last three years.</p>
<p><a href="http://venturebeat.com/2014/11/12/what-france-has-taught-me-americans-are-suckers-who-have-themselves-to-blame-for-crappy-broadband/" type="external">What France Has Taught Me: Americans Are Suckers Who Have Themselves to Blame for Crappy Broadband</a> I’m going to tell you something about my new life in France. And then you are going to weep. Ready?</p>
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You Can Say Goodbye to Some of Your Favorite Foods Thanks to Climate Change
| true |
https://truthdig.com/articles/you-can-say-goodbye-to-some-of-your-favorite-foods-thanks-to-climate-change/
|
2014-11-19
| 4left
|
You Can Say Goodbye to Some of Your Favorite Foods Thanks to Climate Change
<p>Chocolate, wine, coffee —these are just some of the foods we’ll lose due to climate change; an American expat living in France explains why “Americans are suckers who have themselves to blame for crappy broadband”; meanwhile, a town in Alaska may become the first place in the U.S. to tax churches. These discoveries and more below.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/vital-signs/2014/oct/29/diet-climate-maple-syrup-coffee-global-warming" type="external">Eight Foods You’re About to Lose Due to Climate Change</a> As worsening drought and extreme weather devastate crops, you may begin seeing global warming when you open your fridge.</p>
<p><a href="http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/27509-it-s-time-for-honest-conversation-about-why-people-don-t-vote" type="external">It’s Time for an Honest Conversation About Why People Don’t Vote</a> The recent U.S. election had the lowest voter turnout since World War II.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.626809" type="external">All Signs Point Toward Ethnocracy, Not Democracy, in Israel</a> Democratic countries define themselves as belonging to all their citizens, not just some of them. Israel is headed in the opposite direction with its Basic Law on Israel as nation-state of the Jews.</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2014/11/will_alaskan_town_become_first_to_tax_churches.php" type="external">Will Alaskan Town Become First to Tax Churches?</a> Kudos to Nome, Alaska. The small town is the first in the nation to consider taxing churches to plug up holes in the town budget and allow the city to continue offering threatened social services.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2014/11/pope_francis_endorses_marriage_discrimination_at_v.php" type="external">Pope Francis Endorses Marriage Discrimination at Vatican Conference</a> “It is fitting that you have gathered here in this international colloquium to explore the complementarity of man and woman. This complementarity is a root of marriage and family,” said Pope Francis.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/11/16/orange_county_register_asks_journalists_to_deliver_paper_for_gift_cards.html?wpsrc=slatest_newsletter&amp;sid=5388f213dd52b8ed11001224" type="external">Newspaper Asks Journalists to Deliver the Paper After They’re Done Writing It</a> These are tough times in the newspaper biz. Journalists are routinely asked to do more with less these days, so perhaps it was inevitable that the reporters of the news would also be asked to take up a paper route and help deliver it.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/15/the-worlds-biggest-chocolate-maker-says-were-running-out-of-chocolate/?tid=sm_fb" type="external">The World’s Biggest Chocolate-Maker Says We’re Running Out of Chocolate</a> There’s no easy way to say this: You’re eating too much chocolate, all of you.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/may/26/not-paying-artists-gallery-culture-publicaly-funded-exhibitions" type="external">Not Paying Artists Deeply Entrenched in Gallery Culture, Research Suggests</a> A-n finds 71% of contemporary visual artists received no fee for taking part in publicly funded exhibitions in last three years.</p>
<p><a href="http://venturebeat.com/2014/11/12/what-france-has-taught-me-americans-are-suckers-who-have-themselves-to-blame-for-crappy-broadband/" type="external">What France Has Taught Me: Americans Are Suckers Who Have Themselves to Blame for Crappy Broadband</a> I’m going to tell you something about my new life in France. And then you are going to weep. Ready?</p>
| 7,061 |
<p>Several Southern states boast flags that incorporate some Confederate symbolism — but only one state actually includes the Confederate battle standard in its official state flag: Mississippi. And the Republican speaker of the state House wants it gone.</p>
<p>"We must always remember our past, but that does not mean we must let it define us," Speaker Philip Gunn said Monday in a statement. "As a Christian, I believe our state's flag has become a point of offense that needs to be removed. We need to begin having conversations about changing Mississippi's flag."</p>
<p>The Mississippi chapter of the NAACP applauded Gunn's call, saying he had "shown tremendous courage and we hope our state's other political leaders will follow him. If they do, history will applaud their courage."</p>
<p>A decades-long battle over official displays of the Confederate battle flag may have reached a tipping point with the massacre of nine African-Americans last week at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.</p>
<p>Related: <a href="" type="internal">Charleston Church Shooting Renews Confederate Flag Debate</a></p>
<p>South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and the state's two U.S. senators, Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott — all of them Republicans — called for the flag to be removed from its memorial location at the state Capitol on Monday.</p>
<p>As recently as 2013, Haley maintained that South Carolinians had made peace with the flag, <a href="http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130810/PC16/130819917" type="external">saying through a spokesman</a>: "Outside groups are free to voice their concerns and problems with it, but revisiting this issue is not part of the governor's agenda."</p>
<p>Across the country, sentiment appears to be turning against the flag and other Confederate symbols:</p>
<p />
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Tide Turning? Mississippi GOP Leader Says Banish the Confederate Flag
| false |
http://nbcnews.com/storyline/confederate-flag-furor/tide-turning-mississippi-gop-leader-says-banish-confederate-flag-n380066
|
2015-06-23
| 3left-center
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Tide Turning? Mississippi GOP Leader Says Banish the Confederate Flag
<p>Several Southern states boast flags that incorporate some Confederate symbolism — but only one state actually includes the Confederate battle standard in its official state flag: Mississippi. And the Republican speaker of the state House wants it gone.</p>
<p>"We must always remember our past, but that does not mean we must let it define us," Speaker Philip Gunn said Monday in a statement. "As a Christian, I believe our state's flag has become a point of offense that needs to be removed. We need to begin having conversations about changing Mississippi's flag."</p>
<p>The Mississippi chapter of the NAACP applauded Gunn's call, saying he had "shown tremendous courage and we hope our state's other political leaders will follow him. If they do, history will applaud their courage."</p>
<p>A decades-long battle over official displays of the Confederate battle flag may have reached a tipping point with the massacre of nine African-Americans last week at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.</p>
<p>Related: <a href="" type="internal">Charleston Church Shooting Renews Confederate Flag Debate</a></p>
<p>South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and the state's two U.S. senators, Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott — all of them Republicans — called for the flag to be removed from its memorial location at the state Capitol on Monday.</p>
<p>As recently as 2013, Haley maintained that South Carolinians had made peace with the flag, <a href="http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130810/PC16/130819917" type="external">saying through a spokesman</a>: "Outside groups are free to voice their concerns and problems with it, but revisiting this issue is not part of the governor's agenda."</p>
<p>Across the country, sentiment appears to be turning against the flag and other Confederate symbols:</p>
<p />
| 7,062 |
<p />
<p>Alaska Air (NYSE: ALK) finalized its acquisition of trendy competitor Virgin America last week. This acquisition should provide a <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/12/15/alaska-air-stock-has-soared-55-since-late-june-why.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">big boost to Alaska Air's earnings Opens a New Window.</a> next year. Virgin America has earned a pre-tax profit of nearly $200 million over the past 12 months, whereas the annual cost of financing for the deal is less than $50 million.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Alaska Air closed its acquisition of Virgin America last week. Image source: Alaska Airlines.</p>
<p>However, in the long run, the main way that Alaska will benefit from this acquisition is through revenue synergies and new organic growth opportunities. In particular, Alaska Air's experience with using regional aircraft like Embraer's (NYSE: ERJ) E175 opens up lots of growth opportunities in San Francisco, Virgin America's main base. That could be worrisome for market leader United Continental (NYSE: UAL).</p>
<p>Virgin America is a fairly small airline by U.S. standards, with only 63 aircraft. Fifty-three of those planes are A320s with 146 to 149 seats. There is also a small subfleet of 10 119-seat A319s.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>As a result, Virgin America only serves 21 airports (representing 19 cities) from San Francisco. Furthermore, nearly all of its destinations are very large markets -- it lacks the smaller regional aircraft that it would need to be successful on many other routes.</p>
<p>Even with this relatively limited footprint, Virgin America has been quite successful in competing against United Airlines in San Francisco. However, United is a behemoth. It operates about 275 daily flights to roughly 100 destinations from San Francisco. Virgin America's comparatively small scale complicates its efforts to gain share among business travelers.</p>
<p>United Airlines is the dominant carrier in San Francisco. Image source: The Motley Fool.</p>
<p>Unlike Virgin America, Alaska Air uses regional aircraft to supplement its mainline fleet. This allows it to serve a wider range of destinations from its hubs.</p>
<p>In the past few years, Alaska Air's regional subsidiary Horizon Air has operated a fleet of more than 50 turboprops on short-haul regional routes. Alaska has also been relying increasingly on regional airline partner SkyWest to operate roomier Embraer E175 regional jets on so-called "long and thin" routes. By next spring, SkyWest will operate 20 E175s for Alaska Air, flying routes like Seattle-Milwaukee and Portland-St. Louis.</p>
<p>The Embraer E175 appears to be working very well for Alaska. As a result, earlier this year, it ordered 30 E175s for Horizon Air to operate in-house, with another 33 options. Fifteen of these new planes will be used to replace turboprops; the rest will be used for growth.</p>
<p>By deploying some of these E175s in San Francisco over the next few years, Alaska Air and Virgin America can build up their route network there in a way that wouldn't be possible with mainline aircraft. This will enable them to challenge United Continental on more routes than ever.</p>
<p>Alaska Air hasn't wasted any time in bringing new regional jet service to San Francisco. On the day that the merger closed, it announced three new nonstop routes from San Francisco. Two of those will use Embraer E175s.</p>
<p>Starting next summer, Alaska Air will offer two daily roundtrips between San Francisco and Minneapolis using E175s. It will also offer four daily roundtrips between San Francisco and John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. With these flight additions, Virgin America and Alaska will together serve 20 of the top 25 destinations from San Francisco.</p>
<p>Alaska Air will open two new routes in San Francisco next year using the E175. Image source: Embraer.</p>
<p>Both of these new routes have plenty of passenger traffic. However, as a new entrant, Alaska Air is likely to be more successful by starting with small planes, in order to offer multiple daily flights without flooding the market with capacity. As these routes mature in the coming years, they could potentially be upgauged to mainline aircraft.</p>
<p>There are plenty of other routes from San Francisco for which the Embraer E175 would be an ideal aircraft, either for opening new markets or as a long-term solution. The more business routes that Alaska and Virgin America serve from San Francisco, the greater their chances of luring corporate accounts away from United Airlines with the promise of lower fares.</p>
<p>In the next few years, the biggest constraint on adding new E175 flights is likely to be gate space. Fortunately, San Francisco International Airport recently started work on a terminal expansion project that will start to address overcrowding at the airport, enabling incremental growth by 2019 or 2020.</p>
<p>If Alaska Air's E175 regional jet operations in San Francisco perform well, the company could exercise many of its E175 purchase options in order to expand further. That would be very good for Embraer, which is in the midst of a tricky model transition.</p>
<p>Embraer is already <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/10/17/embraer-isnt-getting-credit-for-its-successful-mod.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">essentially sold out Opens a New Window.</a> of production slots for 2017. It is scheduled to deliver the first next-generation E2 planes in early 2018, but the current-generation E175 will remain in production for at least three or four years beyond that. Unfortunately, Embraer doesn't have many E175 firm orders for 2018 and beyond as of now.</p>
<p>Alaska Air could be a key source of incremental E175 orders for Embraer during the 2018-2021 transition period. Indeed, the E175 is uniquely suited to accelerating Alaska Air's growth in San Francisco, enabling it to expand into markets where Virgin America has historically been unable to compete.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Alaska Air Group 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=686acbc6-e5e4-4ed3-8057-f870b821b879&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 Alaska Air Group 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=686acbc6-e5e4-4ed3-8057-f870b821b879&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/TMFGemHunter/info.aspx" type="external">Adam Levine-Weinberg Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Alaska Air Group and Embraer-Empresa Brasileira. The Motley Fool recommends Embraer-Empresa Brasileira. 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>
|
1 Key Way That the Alaska Air-Virgin America Merger Is a Game Changer
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/22/1-key-way-that-alaska-air-virgin-america-merger-is-game-changer.html
|
2016-12-22
| 0right
|
1 Key Way That the Alaska Air-Virgin America Merger Is a Game Changer
<p />
<p>Alaska Air (NYSE: ALK) finalized its acquisition of trendy competitor Virgin America last week. This acquisition should provide a <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/12/15/alaska-air-stock-has-soared-55-since-late-june-why.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">big boost to Alaska Air's earnings Opens a New Window.</a> next year. Virgin America has earned a pre-tax profit of nearly $200 million over the past 12 months, whereas the annual cost of financing for the deal is less than $50 million.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Alaska Air closed its acquisition of Virgin America last week. Image source: Alaska Airlines.</p>
<p>However, in the long run, the main way that Alaska will benefit from this acquisition is through revenue synergies and new organic growth opportunities. In particular, Alaska Air's experience with using regional aircraft like Embraer's (NYSE: ERJ) E175 opens up lots of growth opportunities in San Francisco, Virgin America's main base. That could be worrisome for market leader United Continental (NYSE: UAL).</p>
<p>Virgin America is a fairly small airline by U.S. standards, with only 63 aircraft. Fifty-three of those planes are A320s with 146 to 149 seats. There is also a small subfleet of 10 119-seat A319s.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>As a result, Virgin America only serves 21 airports (representing 19 cities) from San Francisco. Furthermore, nearly all of its destinations are very large markets -- it lacks the smaller regional aircraft that it would need to be successful on many other routes.</p>
<p>Even with this relatively limited footprint, Virgin America has been quite successful in competing against United Airlines in San Francisco. However, United is a behemoth. It operates about 275 daily flights to roughly 100 destinations from San Francisco. Virgin America's comparatively small scale complicates its efforts to gain share among business travelers.</p>
<p>United Airlines is the dominant carrier in San Francisco. Image source: The Motley Fool.</p>
<p>Unlike Virgin America, Alaska Air uses regional aircraft to supplement its mainline fleet. This allows it to serve a wider range of destinations from its hubs.</p>
<p>In the past few years, Alaska Air's regional subsidiary Horizon Air has operated a fleet of more than 50 turboprops on short-haul regional routes. Alaska has also been relying increasingly on regional airline partner SkyWest to operate roomier Embraer E175 regional jets on so-called "long and thin" routes. By next spring, SkyWest will operate 20 E175s for Alaska Air, flying routes like Seattle-Milwaukee and Portland-St. Louis.</p>
<p>The Embraer E175 appears to be working very well for Alaska. As a result, earlier this year, it ordered 30 E175s for Horizon Air to operate in-house, with another 33 options. Fifteen of these new planes will be used to replace turboprops; the rest will be used for growth.</p>
<p>By deploying some of these E175s in San Francisco over the next few years, Alaska Air and Virgin America can build up their route network there in a way that wouldn't be possible with mainline aircraft. This will enable them to challenge United Continental on more routes than ever.</p>
<p>Alaska Air hasn't wasted any time in bringing new regional jet service to San Francisco. On the day that the merger closed, it announced three new nonstop routes from San Francisco. Two of those will use Embraer E175s.</p>
<p>Starting next summer, Alaska Air will offer two daily roundtrips between San Francisco and Minneapolis using E175s. It will also offer four daily roundtrips between San Francisco and John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. With these flight additions, Virgin America and Alaska will together serve 20 of the top 25 destinations from San Francisco.</p>
<p>Alaska Air will open two new routes in San Francisco next year using the E175. Image source: Embraer.</p>
<p>Both of these new routes have plenty of passenger traffic. However, as a new entrant, Alaska Air is likely to be more successful by starting with small planes, in order to offer multiple daily flights without flooding the market with capacity. As these routes mature in the coming years, they could potentially be upgauged to mainline aircraft.</p>
<p>There are plenty of other routes from San Francisco for which the Embraer E175 would be an ideal aircraft, either for opening new markets or as a long-term solution. The more business routes that Alaska and Virgin America serve from San Francisco, the greater their chances of luring corporate accounts away from United Airlines with the promise of lower fares.</p>
<p>In the next few years, the biggest constraint on adding new E175 flights is likely to be gate space. Fortunately, San Francisco International Airport recently started work on a terminal expansion project that will start to address overcrowding at the airport, enabling incremental growth by 2019 or 2020.</p>
<p>If Alaska Air's E175 regional jet operations in San Francisco perform well, the company could exercise many of its E175 purchase options in order to expand further. That would be very good for Embraer, which is in the midst of a tricky model transition.</p>
<p>Embraer is already <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/10/17/embraer-isnt-getting-credit-for-its-successful-mod.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">essentially sold out Opens a New Window.</a> of production slots for 2017. It is scheduled to deliver the first next-generation E2 planes in early 2018, but the current-generation E175 will remain in production for at least three or four years beyond that. Unfortunately, Embraer doesn't have many E175 firm orders for 2018 and beyond as of now.</p>
<p>Alaska Air could be a key source of incremental E175 orders for Embraer during the 2018-2021 transition period. Indeed, the E175 is uniquely suited to accelerating Alaska Air's growth in San Francisco, enabling it to expand into markets where Virgin America has historically been unable to compete.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Alaska Air Group 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=686acbc6-e5e4-4ed3-8057-f870b821b879&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 Alaska Air Group 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=686acbc6-e5e4-4ed3-8057-f870b821b879&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/TMFGemHunter/info.aspx" type="external">Adam Levine-Weinberg Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Alaska Air Group and Embraer-Empresa Brasileira. The Motley Fool recommends Embraer-Empresa Brasileira. 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>
| 7,063 |
<p>On the Sunday before confirmation hearings kicked off for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, we heard several misleading comments having to do with her or nominations of earlier years. We also found no evidence to back up Sen. John Cornyn’s claim that the new health care law was negatively impacting seniors’ access to health care. And Sen. Lindsey Graham’s assertion that Rahm Emanuel said it’s administration "policy" to pull troops out of Afghanistan "in large numbers" in July 2011 is false.</p>
<p>As for Phoenix holding the title of "number two kidnapping capital of the world"? We’re still looking to nail that one down.</p>
<p>Spinning for Kagan</p>
<p>With Republicans refusing to rule out a filibuster on Kagan, Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy denied that Democrats had tried to filibuster the nomination of Justice Samuel Alito in 2006. On CBS’ "Face the Nation," he said:</p>
<p>Jan Crawford (CBS News chief legal correspondent): But Senator Leahy, I mean, Justice Alito, obviously President Bush’s nominee was widely viewed as highly qualified, intellectual giant. He got the highest rating by the American Bar Association. He had support from liberals just like Elena Kagan has support from conservatives. Yet, you not only voted against Justice Alito, you and the president and the vice president then in the Senate thought that she should be filibustered. So how can you–</p>
<p>Leahy (overlapping): No, actually– actually we had– we– we had–</p>
<p>Crawford: –criticize Republicans for kind of doing the same thing?</p>
<p>Leahy: We had, sort of, a test vote on– on him. Everybody knew that was more symbolic.</p>
<p>Crawford (overlapping): Well, 25 Democrats voted not to have–</p>
<p>Leahy: Sure. And– and then we immediately went and we still could have held it up for a day. We went immediately to a vote on him.</p>
<p>The Vermont Democrat may call it "sort of a test vote," but most of the world called it a filibuster. Some headlines from the news of January 2006: " <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&amp;sid=avX8dE4XhVkw&amp;refer=us" type="external">Senate Plans to Cut Off Alito Debate as Democrats Filibuster</a>," " <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jan/27/nation/na-alito27" type="external">Key Democrats Try to Mount Filibuster Against Alito</a>," " <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/27/politics/main1246773.shtml" type="external">Alito Filibuster Try Lacks Support</a>." Democrats may have known ahead of time that they <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/30/politics/politicsspecial1/30wire-rollcall.html?_r=1" type="external">didn’t have the 41 votes</a> they needed to block the Republicans, but they went through the filibuster motions.</p>
<p>Records Released</p>
<p>Sen. Jeff Sessions, a Republican from Alabama, also complained on "Face the Nation" that “the White House, Obama and President Clinton’s lawyers” might be unfairly holding up the release of documents about Kagan. But the general counsel at the National Archives says the processing of records has been consistent with those of previous confirmation hearings.</p>
<p>Sessions: The problem is the White House, Obama and President Clinton’s lawyers are reviewing these documents without any second independent review. They are deciding what we get. And I think that’s … not good.</p>
<p>Leahy: They’re doing the same review we had of Justice Roberts by the Reagan Library. And I felt that was fair and honest.</p>
<p>Gary Stern, general counsel at the National Archives and Records Administration, wrote in a <a href="http://judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/SupremeCourt/upload/061910SternToLeahySessions2.pdf" type="external">June 19 letter to Leahy and Sessions</a>: “NARA has processed these additional documents consistent with the other productions we have made” and “consistent with our prior three releases and the records provided by in Chief Justice Roberts’ confirmation.” Stern acknowledged that certain documents were withheld, and he cited “personal privacy restriction.” He added: ”We have made every effort to withhold as little as possible and to provide portions of documents where possible, rather than withholding an entire document.”</p>
<p>Gunning for Kagan</p>
<p>Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn sounded a skeptical note about Kagan’s interpretation of the Second Amendment on CNN’s "State of the Union":</p>
<p>Cornyn: We know she has expressed hostility to second amendment rights, saying she wasn’t sympathetic to the arguments of gun owners when she clerked for Justice Thurgood Marshall.</p>
<p>Cornyn is referring to a very brief 1987 memo that Kagan wrote to Marshall recommending that the court decline to hear a case involving a man convicted of carrying a firearm in Washington, D.C., which had strong gun control laws. He challenged the conviction based on the Second Amendment, and was trying to get the Supreme Court to hear his appeal. <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704414504575244714220283610.html" type="external">Kagan wrote</a>: "I’m not sympathetic."</p>
<p>Kagan has said she was channeling Marshall’s views. But it’s also true that it was settled law at the time that localities could impose gun bans without being held in violation of the Constitution. That changed with a 2008 Supreme Court opinion, <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/07-290.ZS.html" type="external">District of Columbia v. Heller</a>, which was extended by a decision issued by the Court on June 28 in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/us/29scotus.html?src=me" type="external">McDonald v. Chicago</a>. Kagan, in her capacity as solicitor general, had decided not to file a brief on either side of the Chicago case on behalf of the government, a fact that is now <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2010/05/14/kagans-inaction-on-second-amendment-case-raises-questions/" type="external">being held against her</a> by conservatives.</p>
<p>It’s a stretch to call her actions, and lack thereof, "hostility." In <a href="http://documents.nytimes.com/elena-kagan-documents#document/p318" type="external">responses to questions</a> posed to her when she was seeking confirmation as solicitor general, Kagan certainly seemed to accept that the legal landscape had changed:</p>
<p>Kagan: There is no question, after Heller, that the Second Amendment guarantees Americans "the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation."</p>
<p>Health Care Claims</p>
<p>Cornyn also said that cuts to Medicare in the new health care law were “having a very negative impact on access to health care.” But his support for the claim doesn’t show that the law is currently having that effect. He also said the legislation wouldn’t lower the cost curve, despite Obama’s claims to the contrary. That’s true, according to a government report.</p>
<p>Cornyn: Things like the health care bill which we’re just now learning that all of the promises the president made about the health care bill, that most of them have proven to be untrue in terms of lowering the cost curve — reducing the cost curve. Indeed, what we have seen is the increased taxes, the increased premiums that are caused by the government mandates, and the cuts in Medicare are having a very negative impact on access to health care in this country.</p>
<p>Cornyn is correct when he says President Obama promised the legislation would reduce the growth in health care spending. For instance, in a September 2009 address to Congress, Obama <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/remarks-by-the-president-to-a-joint-session-of-congress-on-health-care/" type="external">said</a> his plan would “slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government.” When he signed the legislation into law, the president again <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-and-vice-president-signing-health-insurance-reform-bill" type="external">said</a> it would “lower costs.”</p>
<p>And Cornyn is right that an <a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/health/oactmemo1.pdf" type="external">April report from Richard Foster,</a> the chief actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said that the health care law wouldn’t do that. Specifically, Foster wrote that national health expenditures "would increase by a total of $311 billion (0.9 percent) during calendar years 2010-2019." Why? Mainly because the law expands coverage to 34 million people and provides better coverage to others, so they’ll be using more services. Projected savings in the law from changes to Medicare and Medicaid, Foster said, would be more than offset by the cost of expanding coverage.</p>
<p>But Cornyn went on to claim that “the cuts in Medicare are having a very negative impact on access to health care in this country.” His office cited the same CMS report as support for that claim, but that’s not what the report said. And it in no way measures what’s happening because of the law now. In Foster’s report, he only said that access to care could "possibly" be affected, if – and he describes it as a big if — prescribed cuts in payment updates to health care providers were actually sustained. If those cuts are kept, he said, providers with a lot of Medicare clients “could find it difficult to remain profitable and, absent legislative intervention, might end their participation in the program (possibly jeopardizing access to care for beneficiaries).” In other words, access to doctors and hospitals could be affected, or the Medicare cuts won’t be fully carried out, resulting in far less savings than originally advertised.</p>
<p>Cornyn’s office also pointed to a <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-06-20-medicare_N.htm" type="external">USA Today article from June</a> about some doctors refusing to take new Medicare patients, because of low payment rates and the inability of Congress to stop a scheduled 21 percent cut in payments. The health care law didn’t fix that scheduled cut, but Obama recently <a href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2010/June/25/Medicare-Pay-Fix.aspx" type="external">signed legislation delaying that reduction</a>.</p>
<p>On CNN, Cornyn also mentioned “increased premiums that are caused by the government mandates.” As we’ve <a href="" type="internal">written before</a>, premiums are not expected to change significantly for most people, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. Those likely to see an increase are persons who buy their own health insurance. Benefits for those in this individual market are expected to get much better, because of those government mandates. More than half of those in this market, however, would receive subsidies that make their total bills much lower than they normally would be.</p>
<p>Afghan Quicksand</p>
<p>On "Fox News Sunday," Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina misquoted White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel on the subject of getting U.S. troops out of Afghanistan:</p>
<p>Graham: Is he [Vice President Joseph Biden] saying what the policy is — we’re going to leave in large numbers July of 2011, you can bet on it? If that’s the policy, that will doom this operation. If it’s not the policy, he shouldn’t be saying it. My belief is that he thinks it’s the policy. Rahm Emanuel said last week it’s the policy.</p>
<p>Graham referred to a book by Newsweek columnist Jonathan Alter, <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/2010/05/15/secrets-from-inside-the-obama-war-room.html" type="external">who quoted Biden</a> as saying, "In July of 2011 you’re going to see a whole lot of people moving out. Bet on it."</p>
<p>But contrary to Graham’s claim, Emanuel did not say that "it’s the policy" of the administration to “leave in large numbers” in July 2011. Appearing <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=10962588" type="external">one week earlier</a>on ABC’s "This Week," Emanuel simply said the number of troops to be withdrawn “will be determined at that date," echoing what President Obama has said.</p>
<p>ABC’s Jake Tapper (June 20): So what exactly does the July 2011 deadline mean? Is it going to be a whole lot of people moving out, definitely, as Vice President Biden says? Or could it be more nuanced, as General Petraeus says, maybe just a couple of people leaving one province?</p>
<p>Emanuel: Well, no, everybody knows there’s a firm date. And that firm date is a date — deals with the troops that are part of the surge, the additional 30,000. What will be determined at that date or going into that date will be the scale and scope of that reduction.</p>
<p>… And the goal is to take this opportunity, focus on what needs to get done, and then on July 2011, is to begin the reduction of …</p>
<p>Tapper: But it could be any…</p>
<p>Emanuel: … troops.</p>
<p>Tapper: But it could be any number of people.</p>
<p>Emanuel: That’s what you’ll evaluate based on the conditions on the ground.</p>
<p>Kidnap Capital?</p>
<p>Discussing border security on <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37943252/ns/meet_the_press-transcripts/" type="external">NBC’s "Meet the Press</a>," Arizona Sen. John McCain asked host David Gregory, "why is it that Phoenix, Arizona, is the number two kidnapping capital of the world?" We didn’t know that. And, after doing some research, we still don’t – and wonder how McCain does.</p>
<p>We contacted McCain’s office to see where his information came from, but we haven’t received a response. However, it may well have come from a <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6848672&amp;page=1" type="external">Feb. 11, 2009, ABC News investigative report</a>, claiming "Phoenix, Arizona, has become the kidnapping capital of America, with more incidents than any other city in the world outside of Mexico City." But the network’s report doesn’t say exactly how that conclusion was reached. Our own Internet search turned up <a href="http://www.abqjournal.com/abqnews/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=10735:110pm-phoenix-kidnap-capital-of-us&amp;catid=1:latest&amp;Itemid=39" type="external">several</a> <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519559,00.html" type="external">news</a> <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-drug-kidnappings12-2009feb12,0,1264800.story" type="external">articles</a> from 2009 referring to Phoenix as our nation’s "kidnapping capital," but they don’t source the information.</p>
<p>Don’t get us wrong: There’s little doubt that Phoenix has had its share of kidnappings. <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=9429552" type="external">According to a Dec. 27, 2009, Associated Press report</a>, the Arizona capital was on track to record a decline in kidnappings for the year for the first time since 2005. But just one year prior, in 2008, the city reported 359 kidnappings, a 10-year high. But second in the world?</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/07/11/20090711Montini0712.html" type="external">July 12, 2009, Arizona Republic report</a> seeking to answer whether Phoenix is "really the ‘kidnapping capital,’ " quoted the city’s police Sgt. Tommy Thompson admitting to the city’s problem, but questioning whether other cities around the world were as forthcoming with data. "Does anyone know how many kidnappings there are in Bogotá [Colombia]? In Mogadishu [Somalia]? In Baghdad [Iraq]?," Thompson asked, according to the Republic. And we certainly have had trouble finding statistics on kidnappings not just in the U.S. (FBI’s Uniform Crime Report does not have a specific crime category for kidnapping), but outside the country as well. As far as we know, there’s no handy list ranking world cities for this dubious honor.</p>
<p>Besides McCain’s office, we’ve also contacted ABC News to see if anyone there can shed light on the matter. We’ll keep you posted if we hear back.</p>
<p>— by Viveca Novak, Lori Robertson, Brooks Jackson, D’Angelo Gore and Melissa Siegel</p>
|
Sunday Replay
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https://factcheck.org/2010/06/sunday-replay-10/
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2010-06-28
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Sunday Replay
<p>On the Sunday before confirmation hearings kicked off for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, we heard several misleading comments having to do with her or nominations of earlier years. We also found no evidence to back up Sen. John Cornyn’s claim that the new health care law was negatively impacting seniors’ access to health care. And Sen. Lindsey Graham’s assertion that Rahm Emanuel said it’s administration "policy" to pull troops out of Afghanistan "in large numbers" in July 2011 is false.</p>
<p>As for Phoenix holding the title of "number two kidnapping capital of the world"? We’re still looking to nail that one down.</p>
<p>Spinning for Kagan</p>
<p>With Republicans refusing to rule out a filibuster on Kagan, Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy denied that Democrats had tried to filibuster the nomination of Justice Samuel Alito in 2006. On CBS’ "Face the Nation," he said:</p>
<p>Jan Crawford (CBS News chief legal correspondent): But Senator Leahy, I mean, Justice Alito, obviously President Bush’s nominee was widely viewed as highly qualified, intellectual giant. He got the highest rating by the American Bar Association. He had support from liberals just like Elena Kagan has support from conservatives. Yet, you not only voted against Justice Alito, you and the president and the vice president then in the Senate thought that she should be filibustered. So how can you–</p>
<p>Leahy (overlapping): No, actually– actually we had– we– we had–</p>
<p>Crawford: –criticize Republicans for kind of doing the same thing?</p>
<p>Leahy: We had, sort of, a test vote on– on him. Everybody knew that was more symbolic.</p>
<p>Crawford (overlapping): Well, 25 Democrats voted not to have–</p>
<p>Leahy: Sure. And– and then we immediately went and we still could have held it up for a day. We went immediately to a vote on him.</p>
<p>The Vermont Democrat may call it "sort of a test vote," but most of the world called it a filibuster. Some headlines from the news of January 2006: " <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&amp;sid=avX8dE4XhVkw&amp;refer=us" type="external">Senate Plans to Cut Off Alito Debate as Democrats Filibuster</a>," " <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jan/27/nation/na-alito27" type="external">Key Democrats Try to Mount Filibuster Against Alito</a>," " <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/27/politics/main1246773.shtml" type="external">Alito Filibuster Try Lacks Support</a>." Democrats may have known ahead of time that they <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/30/politics/politicsspecial1/30wire-rollcall.html?_r=1" type="external">didn’t have the 41 votes</a> they needed to block the Republicans, but they went through the filibuster motions.</p>
<p>Records Released</p>
<p>Sen. Jeff Sessions, a Republican from Alabama, also complained on "Face the Nation" that “the White House, Obama and President Clinton’s lawyers” might be unfairly holding up the release of documents about Kagan. But the general counsel at the National Archives says the processing of records has been consistent with those of previous confirmation hearings.</p>
<p>Sessions: The problem is the White House, Obama and President Clinton’s lawyers are reviewing these documents without any second independent review. They are deciding what we get. And I think that’s … not good.</p>
<p>Leahy: They’re doing the same review we had of Justice Roberts by the Reagan Library. And I felt that was fair and honest.</p>
<p>Gary Stern, general counsel at the National Archives and Records Administration, wrote in a <a href="http://judiciary.senate.gov/nominations/SupremeCourt/upload/061910SternToLeahySessions2.pdf" type="external">June 19 letter to Leahy and Sessions</a>: “NARA has processed these additional documents consistent with the other productions we have made” and “consistent with our prior three releases and the records provided by in Chief Justice Roberts’ confirmation.” Stern acknowledged that certain documents were withheld, and he cited “personal privacy restriction.” He added: ”We have made every effort to withhold as little as possible and to provide portions of documents where possible, rather than withholding an entire document.”</p>
<p>Gunning for Kagan</p>
<p>Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn sounded a skeptical note about Kagan’s interpretation of the Second Amendment on CNN’s "State of the Union":</p>
<p>Cornyn: We know she has expressed hostility to second amendment rights, saying she wasn’t sympathetic to the arguments of gun owners when she clerked for Justice Thurgood Marshall.</p>
<p>Cornyn is referring to a very brief 1987 memo that Kagan wrote to Marshall recommending that the court decline to hear a case involving a man convicted of carrying a firearm in Washington, D.C., which had strong gun control laws. He challenged the conviction based on the Second Amendment, and was trying to get the Supreme Court to hear his appeal. <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704414504575244714220283610.html" type="external">Kagan wrote</a>: "I’m not sympathetic."</p>
<p>Kagan has said she was channeling Marshall’s views. But it’s also true that it was settled law at the time that localities could impose gun bans without being held in violation of the Constitution. That changed with a 2008 Supreme Court opinion, <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/07-290.ZS.html" type="external">District of Columbia v. Heller</a>, which was extended by a decision issued by the Court on June 28 in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/us/29scotus.html?src=me" type="external">McDonald v. Chicago</a>. Kagan, in her capacity as solicitor general, had decided not to file a brief on either side of the Chicago case on behalf of the government, a fact that is now <a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2010/05/14/kagans-inaction-on-second-amendment-case-raises-questions/" type="external">being held against her</a> by conservatives.</p>
<p>It’s a stretch to call her actions, and lack thereof, "hostility." In <a href="http://documents.nytimes.com/elena-kagan-documents#document/p318" type="external">responses to questions</a> posed to her when she was seeking confirmation as solicitor general, Kagan certainly seemed to accept that the legal landscape had changed:</p>
<p>Kagan: There is no question, after Heller, that the Second Amendment guarantees Americans "the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation."</p>
<p>Health Care Claims</p>
<p>Cornyn also said that cuts to Medicare in the new health care law were “having a very negative impact on access to health care.” But his support for the claim doesn’t show that the law is currently having that effect. He also said the legislation wouldn’t lower the cost curve, despite Obama’s claims to the contrary. That’s true, according to a government report.</p>
<p>Cornyn: Things like the health care bill which we’re just now learning that all of the promises the president made about the health care bill, that most of them have proven to be untrue in terms of lowering the cost curve — reducing the cost curve. Indeed, what we have seen is the increased taxes, the increased premiums that are caused by the government mandates, and the cuts in Medicare are having a very negative impact on access to health care in this country.</p>
<p>Cornyn is correct when he says President Obama promised the legislation would reduce the growth in health care spending. For instance, in a September 2009 address to Congress, Obama <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/remarks-by-the-president-to-a-joint-session-of-congress-on-health-care/" type="external">said</a> his plan would “slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government.” When he signed the legislation into law, the president again <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-and-vice-president-signing-health-insurance-reform-bill" type="external">said</a> it would “lower costs.”</p>
<p>And Cornyn is right that an <a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/health/oactmemo1.pdf" type="external">April report from Richard Foster,</a> the chief actuary of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said that the health care law wouldn’t do that. Specifically, Foster wrote that national health expenditures "would increase by a total of $311 billion (0.9 percent) during calendar years 2010-2019." Why? Mainly because the law expands coverage to 34 million people and provides better coverage to others, so they’ll be using more services. Projected savings in the law from changes to Medicare and Medicaid, Foster said, would be more than offset by the cost of expanding coverage.</p>
<p>But Cornyn went on to claim that “the cuts in Medicare are having a very negative impact on access to health care in this country.” His office cited the same CMS report as support for that claim, but that’s not what the report said. And it in no way measures what’s happening because of the law now. In Foster’s report, he only said that access to care could "possibly" be affected, if – and he describes it as a big if — prescribed cuts in payment updates to health care providers were actually sustained. If those cuts are kept, he said, providers with a lot of Medicare clients “could find it difficult to remain profitable and, absent legislative intervention, might end their participation in the program (possibly jeopardizing access to care for beneficiaries).” In other words, access to doctors and hospitals could be affected, or the Medicare cuts won’t be fully carried out, resulting in far less savings than originally advertised.</p>
<p>Cornyn’s office also pointed to a <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-06-20-medicare_N.htm" type="external">USA Today article from June</a> about some doctors refusing to take new Medicare patients, because of low payment rates and the inability of Congress to stop a scheduled 21 percent cut in payments. The health care law didn’t fix that scheduled cut, but Obama recently <a href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2010/June/25/Medicare-Pay-Fix.aspx" type="external">signed legislation delaying that reduction</a>.</p>
<p>On CNN, Cornyn also mentioned “increased premiums that are caused by the government mandates.” As we’ve <a href="" type="internal">written before</a>, premiums are not expected to change significantly for most people, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office. Those likely to see an increase are persons who buy their own health insurance. Benefits for those in this individual market are expected to get much better, because of those government mandates. More than half of those in this market, however, would receive subsidies that make their total bills much lower than they normally would be.</p>
<p>Afghan Quicksand</p>
<p>On "Fox News Sunday," Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina misquoted White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel on the subject of getting U.S. troops out of Afghanistan:</p>
<p>Graham: Is he [Vice President Joseph Biden] saying what the policy is — we’re going to leave in large numbers July of 2011, you can bet on it? If that’s the policy, that will doom this operation. If it’s not the policy, he shouldn’t be saying it. My belief is that he thinks it’s the policy. Rahm Emanuel said last week it’s the policy.</p>
<p>Graham referred to a book by Newsweek columnist Jonathan Alter, <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/2010/05/15/secrets-from-inside-the-obama-war-room.html" type="external">who quoted Biden</a> as saying, "In July of 2011 you’re going to see a whole lot of people moving out. Bet on it."</p>
<p>But contrary to Graham’s claim, Emanuel did not say that "it’s the policy" of the administration to “leave in large numbers” in July 2011. Appearing <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=10962588" type="external">one week earlier</a>on ABC’s "This Week," Emanuel simply said the number of troops to be withdrawn “will be determined at that date," echoing what President Obama has said.</p>
<p>ABC’s Jake Tapper (June 20): So what exactly does the July 2011 deadline mean? Is it going to be a whole lot of people moving out, definitely, as Vice President Biden says? Or could it be more nuanced, as General Petraeus says, maybe just a couple of people leaving one province?</p>
<p>Emanuel: Well, no, everybody knows there’s a firm date. And that firm date is a date — deals with the troops that are part of the surge, the additional 30,000. What will be determined at that date or going into that date will be the scale and scope of that reduction.</p>
<p>… And the goal is to take this opportunity, focus on what needs to get done, and then on July 2011, is to begin the reduction of …</p>
<p>Tapper: But it could be any…</p>
<p>Emanuel: … troops.</p>
<p>Tapper: But it could be any number of people.</p>
<p>Emanuel: That’s what you’ll evaluate based on the conditions on the ground.</p>
<p>Kidnap Capital?</p>
<p>Discussing border security on <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37943252/ns/meet_the_press-transcripts/" type="external">NBC’s "Meet the Press</a>," Arizona Sen. John McCain asked host David Gregory, "why is it that Phoenix, Arizona, is the number two kidnapping capital of the world?" We didn’t know that. And, after doing some research, we still don’t – and wonder how McCain does.</p>
<p>We contacted McCain’s office to see where his information came from, but we haven’t received a response. However, it may well have come from a <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6848672&amp;page=1" type="external">Feb. 11, 2009, ABC News investigative report</a>, claiming "Phoenix, Arizona, has become the kidnapping capital of America, with more incidents than any other city in the world outside of Mexico City." But the network’s report doesn’t say exactly how that conclusion was reached. Our own Internet search turned up <a href="http://www.abqjournal.com/abqnews/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=10735:110pm-phoenix-kidnap-capital-of-us&amp;catid=1:latest&amp;Itemid=39" type="external">several</a> <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519559,00.html" type="external">news</a> <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-drug-kidnappings12-2009feb12,0,1264800.story" type="external">articles</a> from 2009 referring to Phoenix as our nation’s "kidnapping capital," but they don’t source the information.</p>
<p>Don’t get us wrong: There’s little doubt that Phoenix has had its share of kidnappings. <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=9429552" type="external">According to a Dec. 27, 2009, Associated Press report</a>, the Arizona capital was on track to record a decline in kidnappings for the year for the first time since 2005. But just one year prior, in 2008, the city reported 359 kidnappings, a 10-year high. But second in the world?</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/07/11/20090711Montini0712.html" type="external">July 12, 2009, Arizona Republic report</a> seeking to answer whether Phoenix is "really the ‘kidnapping capital,’ " quoted the city’s police Sgt. Tommy Thompson admitting to the city’s problem, but questioning whether other cities around the world were as forthcoming with data. "Does anyone know how many kidnappings there are in Bogotá [Colombia]? In Mogadishu [Somalia]? In Baghdad [Iraq]?," Thompson asked, according to the Republic. And we certainly have had trouble finding statistics on kidnappings not just in the U.S. (FBI’s Uniform Crime Report does not have a specific crime category for kidnapping), but outside the country as well. As far as we know, there’s no handy list ranking world cities for this dubious honor.</p>
<p>Besides McCain’s office, we’ve also contacted ABC News to see if anyone there can shed light on the matter. We’ll keep you posted if we hear back.</p>
<p>— by Viveca Novak, Lori Robertson, Brooks Jackson, D’Angelo Gore and Melissa Siegel</p>
| 7,064 |
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<p>WASHINGTON — Walking gingerly, Sen. Rand Paul returned to the Senate on Monday following an attack in his yard that left him with six broken ribs.</p>
<p>The Kentucky Republican cast votes with his arms at his sides, finding it difficult to execute the customary Senate step of raising a hand and signaling yes or no. He simply expressed his decision to a Senate clerk before chatting briefly with several senators.</p>
<p>As Paul arrived in the Capitol, a smiling Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., extended his hand to Paul, but he declined to shake it, indicating even that minor motion would cause discomfort.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“While I’m still in a good deal of pain, I will be returning to work in the Senate today, ready to fight for liberty and help move forward with tax cuts in the coming days and weeks,” Paul posted on his Twitter account earlier in the day.</p>
<p>He declined to answer reporters’ questions about the assault.</p>
<p>Paul’s return was welcomed by President Donald Trump, who tweeted from the Philippines, “Great to see @RandPaul looking well and back on the Senate floor.” Trump said on the final day of his lengthy trip to Asia that Paul would “help us with TAX CUTS and REFORM!”</p>
<p>Paul was attacked Nov. 3 while mowing his lawn, authorities said. Robert Porter, Paul’s close friend of 20 years, said the senator had gotten off his riding lawn mower to remove a limb when he was tackled from behind. Porter said Paul was wearing ear protection, so he did not hear the attack coming.</p>
<p>Police charged Paul’s neighbor Rene Boucher with misdemeanor assault. Boucher pleaded not guilty last week in Bowling Green and could face more charges. The FBI is investigating to see if any federal laws were broken.</p>
<p>Boucher and Paul have been neighbors for 17 years. Boucher’s attorney said the attack was not motivated by politics but “by a dispute most people would find trivial.” He has not elaborated.</p>
<p>Some residents of the gated neighborhood where Paul and Boucher live have speculated the attack was prompted by a long-simmering lawn care dispute between the two men. Paul’s senior adviser Doug Stafford has denied the two men had a dispute of any kind, saying Paul had not had a conversation with Boucher in years.</p>
<p>“This was not a fight, it was a blind side, violent attack by a disturbed person,” Stafford said in a statement last week.</p>
<p>Boucher’s attorney, Matt Baker, said it appears Paul has hired a personal injury lawyer, which could mean he is planning a lawsuit. Paul’s office has declined to comment on that.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Ken Thomas contributed to this report.</p>
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Rand Paul back in the Senate, walking gingerly after assault
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/1091891/sen-rand-paul-returns-to-washington-following-assault.html
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2017-11-13
| 2least
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Rand Paul back in the Senate, walking gingerly after assault
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>WASHINGTON — Walking gingerly, Sen. Rand Paul returned to the Senate on Monday following an attack in his yard that left him with six broken ribs.</p>
<p>The Kentucky Republican cast votes with his arms at his sides, finding it difficult to execute the customary Senate step of raising a hand and signaling yes or no. He simply expressed his decision to a Senate clerk before chatting briefly with several senators.</p>
<p>As Paul arrived in the Capitol, a smiling Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., extended his hand to Paul, but he declined to shake it, indicating even that minor motion would cause discomfort.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“While I’m still in a good deal of pain, I will be returning to work in the Senate today, ready to fight for liberty and help move forward with tax cuts in the coming days and weeks,” Paul posted on his Twitter account earlier in the day.</p>
<p>He declined to answer reporters’ questions about the assault.</p>
<p>Paul’s return was welcomed by President Donald Trump, who tweeted from the Philippines, “Great to see @RandPaul looking well and back on the Senate floor.” Trump said on the final day of his lengthy trip to Asia that Paul would “help us with TAX CUTS and REFORM!”</p>
<p>Paul was attacked Nov. 3 while mowing his lawn, authorities said. Robert Porter, Paul’s close friend of 20 years, said the senator had gotten off his riding lawn mower to remove a limb when he was tackled from behind. Porter said Paul was wearing ear protection, so he did not hear the attack coming.</p>
<p>Police charged Paul’s neighbor Rene Boucher with misdemeanor assault. Boucher pleaded not guilty last week in Bowling Green and could face more charges. The FBI is investigating to see if any federal laws were broken.</p>
<p>Boucher and Paul have been neighbors for 17 years. Boucher’s attorney said the attack was not motivated by politics but “by a dispute most people would find trivial.” He has not elaborated.</p>
<p>Some residents of the gated neighborhood where Paul and Boucher live have speculated the attack was prompted by a long-simmering lawn care dispute between the two men. Paul’s senior adviser Doug Stafford has denied the two men had a dispute of any kind, saying Paul had not had a conversation with Boucher in years.</p>
<p>“This was not a fight, it was a blind side, violent attack by a disturbed person,” Stafford said in a statement last week.</p>
<p>Boucher’s attorney, Matt Baker, said it appears Paul has hired a personal injury lawyer, which could mean he is planning a lawsuit. Paul’s office has declined to comment on that.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Ken Thomas contributed to this report.</p>
| 7,065 |
<p>The 50th anniversary of President Eisenhower’s signing of the Interstate Highway Act is a good time to dust off this review of the PBS documentary, “Taken for a Ride” that I wrote 10 years ago when President Clinton visited my city during the 1996 presidential campaign.</p>
<p>Riding a “Presidential Special” from Columbus to Toledo on tracks that no longer carry passenger trains, Clinton crowed, “I’m goin’ to Chicago (for the Democratic Party convention) and I’m goin’ on a train!”</p>
<p>I wanted to ask him why the rest of us could no longer travel to our state capital by train; why we are the only industrialized nation on earth that refuses to subsidize its passenger rail system? And I asked a question that makes me sick to my stomach to read 10 years later: “How many more billions of dollars and how many more lives will we pay for Mideast oil.?”</p>
<p>Of course I never got to ask him those questions in person, but luckily, two fellow Ohioans, Dayton-area independent filmmakers, Jim Klein and Martha Olson, replied with their film, “Taken for a Ride.”</p>
<p>Their documentary tells the dramatic story of how America’s passenger trains and streetcars were systematically and deliberately killed by what we now call the “highway lobby.” What makes their film so important is that it goes beyond vague conspiracy theories to name names.</p>
<p>Klein and Olson weave General Motors promotional films, Congressional archives, interviews with citizen activists, and Department of Justice memos into a compelling pattern of events that make it clear: we didn’t get into the traffic jam we’re in today by accident.</p>
<p>For example, “Ride” explains, the oft-scorned highway lobby was not born of fuzzy environmentalist folklore. The “most powerful pressure group in Washington,” began in June, 1932, when GM President, Alfred P. Sloan, created the National Highway Users Conference, inviting oil and rubber firms to help GM bankroll a propaganda and lobbying effort that continues to this day.</p>
<p>Sloan, unhappy with a transportation system in which the majority of people rode streetcars and trains, not automobiles, bought out Omnibus Corp., the nation’s largest bus operating company, and Yellow Coach, the largest bus manufacturer. With these, he began a campaign to “modernize” New York City’s railways with buses.</p>
<p>With New York as an example, GM formed National City Lines in 1936 and the assault on mass transit across America began with a vengeance.</p>
<p>Within ten years, NCL controlled transit systems in over 80 cities. GM denied any control of NCL, but the bus line’s Director of Operations came from Yellow Coach, and board members came from Greyhound, a company founded by GM. Later, Standard Oil of California, Mack Truck, Phillips Petroleum, and Firestone joined GM’s support of NCL.</p>
<p>If you’ve inched through traffic on a city bus or followed one for any distance, you know why people abandoned NCL’s buses for cars whenever they could. It doesn’t take a rabid conspiracy nut to see the subsequent benefit to GM, Firestone, and Standard Oil.</p>
<p>“Ride” is most compelling when it documents how the U.S. Justice Department prosecuted NCL, General Motors, and other companies for combining to destroy America’s transit systems.</p>
<p>Brad Snell, an auto industry historian who spent 16 years researching GM, said that key lawyers involved with the case told him “there wasn’t a scintilla of doubt that the defendants had set out to destroy the streetcars.”</p>
<p>For eliminating a system “worth $300 billion today,” Snell laments, the corporations were eventually found guilty and fined $5,000. Key individuals, such as the Treasurer of GM, were fined one dollar.</p>
<p>The post-war boom in housing, suburbs, and freeways is a familiar story. Not so familiar is the highway lobby’s high-level efforts to determine our transportation future.</p>
<p>In 1953, President Eisenhower appointed then-GM President Charles Wilson as his Secretary of Defense, who pushed relentlessly for a system of interstate highways. Francis DuPont, whose family owned the largest share of GM stock, was appointed chief administrator of federal highways.</p>
<p>Funding for this largest of all U.S. public works programs came from the Highway Trust Fund’s tax on gasoline, to be used only for highways. Its formula assured that more highways meant more driving, more money from the gasoline tax, and more highways.</p>
<p>Helping to keep the driving spirit alive, Dow Chemical, producer of asphalt, entered the PR campaign with a film featuring a staged testimonial from a grade school teacher standing up to her anti-highway neighbors with quiet indignation. “Can’t you see this highway means a whole new way of life for the children?”</p>
<p>Citizens might agree that highways meant a whole new way of life, but not necessarily for the better. The wrecking ball cleared whole neighborhoods for the interstate highways and public protestgrew accordingly. One Washington, D.C. activist recalls, “this was a brutal period in our history; a very brutal period.”</p>
<p>The documentary concludes with a peek into the future, interviewing corporate sponsors of the Intelligent Vehicle Highway System, a computer-controlled vision of travel which currently receives the lion’s share of federal transportation research funding.</p>
<p>“Taken for a Ride” is more timely today than when it was made a decade ago.</p>
<p>Watch it.</p>
<p>MIKE FERNER served as a Navy Corpsman during Vietnam and is a member of Veterans For Peace, whose slogan is “Abolish War!” He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
|
Taken for a Ride on the Interstate Highway System
| true |
https://counterpunch.org/2006/06/28/taken-for-a-ride-on-the-interstate-highway-system/
|
2006-06-28
| 4left
|
Taken for a Ride on the Interstate Highway System
<p>The 50th anniversary of President Eisenhower’s signing of the Interstate Highway Act is a good time to dust off this review of the PBS documentary, “Taken for a Ride” that I wrote 10 years ago when President Clinton visited my city during the 1996 presidential campaign.</p>
<p>Riding a “Presidential Special” from Columbus to Toledo on tracks that no longer carry passenger trains, Clinton crowed, “I’m goin’ to Chicago (for the Democratic Party convention) and I’m goin’ on a train!”</p>
<p>I wanted to ask him why the rest of us could no longer travel to our state capital by train; why we are the only industrialized nation on earth that refuses to subsidize its passenger rail system? And I asked a question that makes me sick to my stomach to read 10 years later: “How many more billions of dollars and how many more lives will we pay for Mideast oil.?”</p>
<p>Of course I never got to ask him those questions in person, but luckily, two fellow Ohioans, Dayton-area independent filmmakers, Jim Klein and Martha Olson, replied with their film, “Taken for a Ride.”</p>
<p>Their documentary tells the dramatic story of how America’s passenger trains and streetcars were systematically and deliberately killed by what we now call the “highway lobby.” What makes their film so important is that it goes beyond vague conspiracy theories to name names.</p>
<p>Klein and Olson weave General Motors promotional films, Congressional archives, interviews with citizen activists, and Department of Justice memos into a compelling pattern of events that make it clear: we didn’t get into the traffic jam we’re in today by accident.</p>
<p>For example, “Ride” explains, the oft-scorned highway lobby was not born of fuzzy environmentalist folklore. The “most powerful pressure group in Washington,” began in June, 1932, when GM President, Alfred P. Sloan, created the National Highway Users Conference, inviting oil and rubber firms to help GM bankroll a propaganda and lobbying effort that continues to this day.</p>
<p>Sloan, unhappy with a transportation system in which the majority of people rode streetcars and trains, not automobiles, bought out Omnibus Corp., the nation’s largest bus operating company, and Yellow Coach, the largest bus manufacturer. With these, he began a campaign to “modernize” New York City’s railways with buses.</p>
<p>With New York as an example, GM formed National City Lines in 1936 and the assault on mass transit across America began with a vengeance.</p>
<p>Within ten years, NCL controlled transit systems in over 80 cities. GM denied any control of NCL, but the bus line’s Director of Operations came from Yellow Coach, and board members came from Greyhound, a company founded by GM. Later, Standard Oil of California, Mack Truck, Phillips Petroleum, and Firestone joined GM’s support of NCL.</p>
<p>If you’ve inched through traffic on a city bus or followed one for any distance, you know why people abandoned NCL’s buses for cars whenever they could. It doesn’t take a rabid conspiracy nut to see the subsequent benefit to GM, Firestone, and Standard Oil.</p>
<p>“Ride” is most compelling when it documents how the U.S. Justice Department prosecuted NCL, General Motors, and other companies for combining to destroy America’s transit systems.</p>
<p>Brad Snell, an auto industry historian who spent 16 years researching GM, said that key lawyers involved with the case told him “there wasn’t a scintilla of doubt that the defendants had set out to destroy the streetcars.”</p>
<p>For eliminating a system “worth $300 billion today,” Snell laments, the corporations were eventually found guilty and fined $5,000. Key individuals, such as the Treasurer of GM, were fined one dollar.</p>
<p>The post-war boom in housing, suburbs, and freeways is a familiar story. Not so familiar is the highway lobby’s high-level efforts to determine our transportation future.</p>
<p>In 1953, President Eisenhower appointed then-GM President Charles Wilson as his Secretary of Defense, who pushed relentlessly for a system of interstate highways. Francis DuPont, whose family owned the largest share of GM stock, was appointed chief administrator of federal highways.</p>
<p>Funding for this largest of all U.S. public works programs came from the Highway Trust Fund’s tax on gasoline, to be used only for highways. Its formula assured that more highways meant more driving, more money from the gasoline tax, and more highways.</p>
<p>Helping to keep the driving spirit alive, Dow Chemical, producer of asphalt, entered the PR campaign with a film featuring a staged testimonial from a grade school teacher standing up to her anti-highway neighbors with quiet indignation. “Can’t you see this highway means a whole new way of life for the children?”</p>
<p>Citizens might agree that highways meant a whole new way of life, but not necessarily for the better. The wrecking ball cleared whole neighborhoods for the interstate highways and public protestgrew accordingly. One Washington, D.C. activist recalls, “this was a brutal period in our history; a very brutal period.”</p>
<p>The documentary concludes with a peek into the future, interviewing corporate sponsors of the Intelligent Vehicle Highway System, a computer-controlled vision of travel which currently receives the lion’s share of federal transportation research funding.</p>
<p>“Taken for a Ride” is more timely today than when it was made a decade ago.</p>
<p>Watch it.</p>
<p>MIKE FERNER served as a Navy Corpsman during Vietnam and is a member of Veterans For Peace, whose slogan is “Abolish War!” He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
| 7,066 |
<p>Scientists plan to use chemicals to create human genome.</p>
<p>A group of 130 scientists and entrepreneurs met by invitation-only, and behind closed doors at Harvard Medical School, to discuss a ten-year project to create synthetic human genomes.&#160; The genome is the complete set of DNA containing the instructions needed for an organism to survive and thrive. The proposed project would use chemicals in the laboratory to create all the DNA in human chromosomes. If the project is successful, it could be a step toward human cloning.</p>
<p>Those who back the project think that a synthetic human genome could lead to important medical breakthroughs. Such bioengineering could make it possible to grow organs for transplant, speed up the development of vaccines, and create cancer resistance in new therapeutic cell lines. It also has the potential of creating children without biological parents.</p>
<p>Critics of the project are concerned that synthetic human genomes could be used to create designer babies—those infants with traits desired by parents, such as blue eyes—or even to create some kind of genetic super-race. However, the scientists explain that the project is &#160;&#160;not intended to create complete humans (clones); it is meant to create human cells only. They also say the research will not be restricted to humans but could be applied to various plants, animals, and other species.</p>
<p>The project is now in the idea stage. Founders want to attract companies, foundations, and government grants to participate in the project. Backers of the project hope to begin later this year after raising $100 million.</p>
<p />
|
Scientists May Create a Human in the Lab
| true |
http://politicalblindspot.com/scientists-may-create-a-human-in-the-lab/
|
2016-06-23
| 4left
|
Scientists May Create a Human in the Lab
<p>Scientists plan to use chemicals to create human genome.</p>
<p>A group of 130 scientists and entrepreneurs met by invitation-only, and behind closed doors at Harvard Medical School, to discuss a ten-year project to create synthetic human genomes.&#160; The genome is the complete set of DNA containing the instructions needed for an organism to survive and thrive. The proposed project would use chemicals in the laboratory to create all the DNA in human chromosomes. If the project is successful, it could be a step toward human cloning.</p>
<p>Those who back the project think that a synthetic human genome could lead to important medical breakthroughs. Such bioengineering could make it possible to grow organs for transplant, speed up the development of vaccines, and create cancer resistance in new therapeutic cell lines. It also has the potential of creating children without biological parents.</p>
<p>Critics of the project are concerned that synthetic human genomes could be used to create designer babies—those infants with traits desired by parents, such as blue eyes—or even to create some kind of genetic super-race. However, the scientists explain that the project is &#160;&#160;not intended to create complete humans (clones); it is meant to create human cells only. They also say the research will not be restricted to humans but could be applied to various plants, animals, and other species.</p>
<p>The project is now in the idea stage. Founders want to attract companies, foundations, and government grants to participate in the project. Backers of the project hope to begin later this year after raising $100 million.</p>
<p />
| 7,067 |
<p><a href="" type="internal">Download MP3</a> (right click)</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />This week on CounterSpin: The Supreme Court hears the Hobby Lobby case, which is about women’s health, reproductive rights and claims of religious freedom. Jodi Jacobson of RH Reality Check says it’s all that and more: one more front in the right’s battle against the Affordable Care Act. She’ll join us to explain.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />Also on the show: 25 years after the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, the Sound is still not fully recovered and spills are still in the news: The latest are in Galveston Bay and Lake Michigan. What does this say about the state of regulation? We’ll talk to Huffington Post environmental reporter Kate Sheppard.</p>
<p>&#160;LINKS:</p>
<p>— <a href="http://rhrealitycheck.org" type="external">RH Reality Check</a></p>
<p>–“25 Years After Exxon Valdez Spill, Environmental Advocates Say Oil Laws Outdated,” by Kate Sheppard (Huffington Post, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/24/exxon-valdez-oil-spill_n_5022839.html" type="external">3/24/14</a>)</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Subscribe: <a href="" type="internal">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="" type="internal">Android</a> | <a href="" type="internal">RSS</a></p>
|
Jodi Jacobson on Hobby Lobby, Kate Sheppard on Oil Spills
| true |
http://fair.org/counterspin-radio/jodi-jacobson-on-hobby-lobby-kate-sheppard-on-oil-spills/
|
2014-03-28
| 4left
|
Jodi Jacobson on Hobby Lobby, Kate Sheppard on Oil Spills
<p><a href="" type="internal">Download MP3</a> (right click)</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />This week on CounterSpin: The Supreme Court hears the Hobby Lobby case, which is about women’s health, reproductive rights and claims of religious freedom. Jodi Jacobson of RH Reality Check says it’s all that and more: one more front in the right’s battle against the Affordable Care Act. She’ll join us to explain.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />Also on the show: 25 years after the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, the Sound is still not fully recovered and spills are still in the news: The latest are in Galveston Bay and Lake Michigan. What does this say about the state of regulation? We’ll talk to Huffington Post environmental reporter Kate Sheppard.</p>
<p>&#160;LINKS:</p>
<p>— <a href="http://rhrealitycheck.org" type="external">RH Reality Check</a></p>
<p>–“25 Years After Exxon Valdez Spill, Environmental Advocates Say Oil Laws Outdated,” by Kate Sheppard (Huffington Post, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/24/exxon-valdez-oil-spill_n_5022839.html" type="external">3/24/14</a>)</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Subscribe: <a href="" type="internal">Apple Podcasts</a> | <a href="" type="internal">Android</a> | <a href="" type="internal">RSS</a></p>
| 7,068 |
<p />
<p>Infosys (NYSE: INFY) reported quarterly results on Jan. 13 and notched another increase in business. However, the company's outsourcing services have come under fire since the election of President Donald Trump. The outsourcing industry has also been facing headwinds from disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence. CEO Vishal Sikka addressed both issues the day before the new U.S. president's inauguration in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Infosys' CEO Vishal Sikka. Image source: Infosys.</p>
<p>Compared with the previous quarter, revenue shrank 1.4% in Infosys' most recent quarter, partly because of what the company deemed seasonal weakness. However, the top line was up 6% compared with the same period the previous year. Through the first nine months of the company's fiscal year, revenue was up 8.3% compared with the previous year. Profit was up 6.1% so far on the year.</p>
<p>Guidance for the full fiscal year was updated. Management sees full-year revenue increasing from 8.4% to 8.8% when negating currency factors.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>In spite of the overall positive update, share prices have been under pressure. In the last year, political talk about the theft (real or perceived) of jobs from local workers has cast a shadow over outsourcing companies. Also of concern are new technologies like artificial intelligence and automation, which could eliminate the need for some jobs completely.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/INFY/" type="external">INFY</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>In a recent interview, Sikka addressed these potential threats to Infosys and struck a positive tone, pointing out reasons that he's still optimistic for his company.</p>
<p>When asked about the impact the new administration could have on Infosys, Sikka indicated his company is not overly concerned about it: "My sense is that it's going to be a business-friendly, technology-friendly, and entrepreneurship-friendly administration."</p>
<p>That isn't to say there couldn't be an impact in the near term, though. During his campaign, Trump spoke out against the H-1B visa program for foreign skilled workers, a program that foreign tech and outsourcing firms have relied on in the past. Said Sikka:</p>
<p>Basically, companies like Infosys are aware of the impact new policy could have on them in the U.S., and they're on it. Thus, a push to keep operations on a more local level could develop soon for businesses like Infosys.</p>
<p>Image source: Infosys Foundation USA.</p>
<p>One way this is being addressed is through local foundations, like the Infosys Foundation USA, set up to foster technology education. The goal is to bring computer science education to the classroom at the high-school and middle-school levels. With H-1B visas under scrutiny, the plan is to tap into such local foundations to hire, train, and manage staff from within the U.S. rather than from the outside.</p>
<p>Innovations in technology are also potential disruptors for Infosys. Artificial intelligence and automation have eliminated the need for many positions, including some outsourced services. Infosys has been making the transition, though, to becoming an organization that embraces AI and uses it to supplement what its workforce is already doing.</p>
<p>Rather than eliminating the need for Infosys, the trend has been that even more skilled labor is needed. Sikka continued:</p>
<p>Image source: Infosys.</p>
<p>Rather than being a disruptor, AI is helping Infosys gather new clients. Customer service, prediction analytics, and risk management have all been enhanced by the introduction of technology. The company's business software platform has also been on the rise as more businesses look that direction for help solving problems.</p>
<p>Question marks still linger. While Infosys has been working to stay ahead of the curve as technology changes the needs of businesses, the company could yet run into political headwinds in the short term. Nearly two-thirds of Infosys' business comes from the U.S.</p>
<p>Those uncertainties are keeping me from buying shares just yet, but as the question marks get cleared, this stock is one worth watching.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Infosys Technologies 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=99290de7-b903-419e-a121-736897fbd32d&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 Infosys Technologies 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=99290de7-b903-419e-a121-736897fbd32d&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/nrossolillo/info.aspx" type="external">Nicholas Rossolillo Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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>
|
Infosys' CEO Talks Politics and Artificial Intelligence
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/02/02/infosys-ceo-talks-politics-and-artificial-intelligence.html
|
2017-02-02
| 0right
|
Infosys' CEO Talks Politics and Artificial Intelligence
<p />
<p>Infosys (NYSE: INFY) reported quarterly results on Jan. 13 and notched another increase in business. However, the company's outsourcing services have come under fire since the election of President Donald Trump. The outsourcing industry has also been facing headwinds from disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence. CEO Vishal Sikka addressed both issues the day before the new U.S. president's inauguration in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Infosys' CEO Vishal Sikka. Image source: Infosys.</p>
<p>Compared with the previous quarter, revenue shrank 1.4% in Infosys' most recent quarter, partly because of what the company deemed seasonal weakness. However, the top line was up 6% compared with the same period the previous year. Through the first nine months of the company's fiscal year, revenue was up 8.3% compared with the previous year. Profit was up 6.1% so far on the year.</p>
<p>Guidance for the full fiscal year was updated. Management sees full-year revenue increasing from 8.4% to 8.8% when negating currency factors.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>In spite of the overall positive update, share prices have been under pressure. In the last year, political talk about the theft (real or perceived) of jobs from local workers has cast a shadow over outsourcing companies. Also of concern are new technologies like artificial intelligence and automation, which could eliminate the need for some jobs completely.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/INFY/" type="external">INFY</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>In a recent interview, Sikka addressed these potential threats to Infosys and struck a positive tone, pointing out reasons that he's still optimistic for his company.</p>
<p>When asked about the impact the new administration could have on Infosys, Sikka indicated his company is not overly concerned about it: "My sense is that it's going to be a business-friendly, technology-friendly, and entrepreneurship-friendly administration."</p>
<p>That isn't to say there couldn't be an impact in the near term, though. During his campaign, Trump spoke out against the H-1B visa program for foreign skilled workers, a program that foreign tech and outsourcing firms have relied on in the past. Said Sikka:</p>
<p>Basically, companies like Infosys are aware of the impact new policy could have on them in the U.S., and they're on it. Thus, a push to keep operations on a more local level could develop soon for businesses like Infosys.</p>
<p>Image source: Infosys Foundation USA.</p>
<p>One way this is being addressed is through local foundations, like the Infosys Foundation USA, set up to foster technology education. The goal is to bring computer science education to the classroom at the high-school and middle-school levels. With H-1B visas under scrutiny, the plan is to tap into such local foundations to hire, train, and manage staff from within the U.S. rather than from the outside.</p>
<p>Innovations in technology are also potential disruptors for Infosys. Artificial intelligence and automation have eliminated the need for many positions, including some outsourced services. Infosys has been making the transition, though, to becoming an organization that embraces AI and uses it to supplement what its workforce is already doing.</p>
<p>Rather than eliminating the need for Infosys, the trend has been that even more skilled labor is needed. Sikka continued:</p>
<p>Image source: Infosys.</p>
<p>Rather than being a disruptor, AI is helping Infosys gather new clients. Customer service, prediction analytics, and risk management have all been enhanced by the introduction of technology. The company's business software platform has also been on the rise as more businesses look that direction for help solving problems.</p>
<p>Question marks still linger. While Infosys has been working to stay ahead of the curve as technology changes the needs of businesses, the company could yet run into political headwinds in the short term. Nearly two-thirds of Infosys' business comes from the U.S.</p>
<p>Those uncertainties are keeping me from buying shares just yet, but as the question marks get cleared, this stock is one worth watching.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Infosys Technologies 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=99290de7-b903-419e-a121-736897fbd32d&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 Infosys Technologies 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=99290de7-b903-419e-a121-736897fbd32d&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/nrossolillo/info.aspx" type="external">Nicholas Rossolillo Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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>
| 7,069 |
<p>(Photo courtesy of Rotem Pesso)</p>
<p>Michael, &#160; I’m so angry and sad about the shooting in Orlando. &#160; It seems to me like we can do our best in life, be kind and caring, push for gay equality, and some moron can still come along and kill us. What kind of crazy world is this? &#160; I was so happy last June with the gay marriage decision and felt like everything was looking up. Now I don’t even feel safe going out and think I should just stay home. &#160; Everything seems to be going downhill and I’m starting to believe that there’s really no point to life. How do we go forward when everything seems so hopeless? &#160;</p>
<p>Yes, the news is beyond awful and life seems increasingly unsafe.</p>
<p>But to put things in perspective, this isn’t really new. We’re seeing the latest round of an old, old story. Again and again throughout history, hatred and violence build up and explode.&#160; Then people struggle to patch things up — until the next time.</p>
<p>We humans often seem to have a hard time learning that we have to find a way to get along. We’re all on this small planet together and have no place else to go.</p>
<p>While we’ve made some progress over the last few thousand years, that progress has gone hand in hand with the development of increased means of causing mass suffering, destruction and death. That’s a sad realization, but it’s the truth.</p>
<p>You might say that the choice you and all of us are facing is to either give up or do our best to keep pushing for our world to go in a more positive direction. Do we have any certainty that we’ll succeed? No. But if we don’t make an effort, how can we have any hope that the situation will not continue to get worse?</p>
<p>If we want to have a more peaceful and just world, we must keep working for one.&#160; Apathy or hopelessness will not get us anywhere good.</p>
<p>I get it that you’re scared to go out. A lot of us are. But what is our alternative? Give up on living our lives?</p>
<p>Helen Keller once wrote that, “life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Of course, she wasn’t saying that you’re not really living unless you sky dive or BASE jump. She was saying that risk is an essential part of being alive. Now none of us can ignore the stark truth of her statement.</p>
<p>We each have to decide for ourselves how we want to go forward. You may choose to shut down and give up, but what sort of life would that be? My hope is that all of us who have hope for a better world, will choose to make the most of our lives — fleeting as our lives inevitably are.</p>
<p>But what does this mean for each individual? Doing your best to be compassionate to all sentient beings? Fighting for justice? Enjoying the moment? Walking the path that has integrity for you, even if it is a dangerous one?</p>
<p>However any of us decide to go forward, we should remember that making this choice — how we want to lead our life — is the most important and powerful decision that we ever have to make.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Michael Radkowsky, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist who works with LGBTQ couples and individuals in D.C. He can be found online at <a href="http://personalgrowthzone.com" type="external">personalgrowthzone.com</a>. All identifying information has been changed for reasons of confidentiality. Have a question? Send it to <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Advice</a> <a href="" type="internal">gay advice</a> <a href="" type="internal">mass shooting</a> <a href="" type="internal">Michael Radkowsky</a> <a href="" type="internal">Orlando</a> <a href="" type="internal">Orlando killings</a> <a href="" type="internal">Personal Growth Zone</a> <a href="" type="internal">Processing Orlando</a> <a href="" type="internal">the Pulse nightclub</a></p>
|
Processing Orlando
| false |
http://washingtonblade.com/2016/06/17/advice-tragedys-toll/
| 3left-center
|
Processing Orlando
<p>(Photo courtesy of Rotem Pesso)</p>
<p>Michael, &#160; I’m so angry and sad about the shooting in Orlando. &#160; It seems to me like we can do our best in life, be kind and caring, push for gay equality, and some moron can still come along and kill us. What kind of crazy world is this? &#160; I was so happy last June with the gay marriage decision and felt like everything was looking up. Now I don’t even feel safe going out and think I should just stay home. &#160; Everything seems to be going downhill and I’m starting to believe that there’s really no point to life. How do we go forward when everything seems so hopeless? &#160;</p>
<p>Yes, the news is beyond awful and life seems increasingly unsafe.</p>
<p>But to put things in perspective, this isn’t really new. We’re seeing the latest round of an old, old story. Again and again throughout history, hatred and violence build up and explode.&#160; Then people struggle to patch things up — until the next time.</p>
<p>We humans often seem to have a hard time learning that we have to find a way to get along. We’re all on this small planet together and have no place else to go.</p>
<p>While we’ve made some progress over the last few thousand years, that progress has gone hand in hand with the development of increased means of causing mass suffering, destruction and death. That’s a sad realization, but it’s the truth.</p>
<p>You might say that the choice you and all of us are facing is to either give up or do our best to keep pushing for our world to go in a more positive direction. Do we have any certainty that we’ll succeed? No. But if we don’t make an effort, how can we have any hope that the situation will not continue to get worse?</p>
<p>If we want to have a more peaceful and just world, we must keep working for one.&#160; Apathy or hopelessness will not get us anywhere good.</p>
<p>I get it that you’re scared to go out. A lot of us are. But what is our alternative? Give up on living our lives?</p>
<p>Helen Keller once wrote that, “life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” Of course, she wasn’t saying that you’re not really living unless you sky dive or BASE jump. She was saying that risk is an essential part of being alive. Now none of us can ignore the stark truth of her statement.</p>
<p>We each have to decide for ourselves how we want to go forward. You may choose to shut down and give up, but what sort of life would that be? My hope is that all of us who have hope for a better world, will choose to make the most of our lives — fleeting as our lives inevitably are.</p>
<p>But what does this mean for each individual? Doing your best to be compassionate to all sentient beings? Fighting for justice? Enjoying the moment? Walking the path that has integrity for you, even if it is a dangerous one?</p>
<p>However any of us decide to go forward, we should remember that making this choice — how we want to lead our life — is the most important and powerful decision that we ever have to make.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Michael Radkowsky, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist who works with LGBTQ couples and individuals in D.C. He can be found online at <a href="http://personalgrowthzone.com" type="external">personalgrowthzone.com</a>. All identifying information has been changed for reasons of confidentiality. Have a question? Send it to <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Advice</a> <a href="" type="internal">gay advice</a> <a href="" type="internal">mass shooting</a> <a href="" type="internal">Michael Radkowsky</a> <a href="" type="internal">Orlando</a> <a href="" type="internal">Orlando killings</a> <a href="" type="internal">Personal Growth Zone</a> <a href="" type="internal">Processing Orlando</a> <a href="" type="internal">the Pulse nightclub</a></p>
| 7,070 |
|
<p>Trevor Noah went after Fox News last night for how they've covered the Las Vegas shooting.</p>
<p>“Right now, he doesn’t fit any profile of any mass shooter, and you know who’s having a hard time processing all of that information? The good people at Fox News,” Trevor said.</p>
<p>He then talked about how the shooting didn't really fit their standard narratives, so they couldn't figure out how to politicize it.</p>
<p>“What kind of terrible people would push a political agenda the day after a mass shooting, a shooting like with Orlando?” Noah said. He played clips of Fox regulars doing just that.</p>
<p>“So clearly Fox’s whole ‘don’t politicize it’ is B.S.,” he said.</p>
<p>Noah then went after Jesse Watters for connecting the Las Vegas shooting to ... NFL players kneeling.</p>
<p>“I hear Watters’ point. You’ve got to show respect to the police,” Noah said. “Personally, I’d rather respect the police by reducing the number of guns that risk killing police, but yeah- I mean, not kneeling is good, too. Do whatever you want.”</p>
<p>He called Sean Hannity “Spongebob Squarehead” for bragging about his gun training.</p>
<p>“According to Sean Hannity, what really stops a bad guy with a gun is a Sean Hannity with a gun."</p>
|
Trevor Noah: Fox News Can't Decide How To Politicize Shootings
| true |
http://crooksandliars.com/2017/10/trevor-noah-how-fox-news-cant-decide-how
|
2017-10-04
| 4left
|
Trevor Noah: Fox News Can't Decide How To Politicize Shootings
<p>Trevor Noah went after Fox News last night for how they've covered the Las Vegas shooting.</p>
<p>“Right now, he doesn’t fit any profile of any mass shooter, and you know who’s having a hard time processing all of that information? The good people at Fox News,” Trevor said.</p>
<p>He then talked about how the shooting didn't really fit their standard narratives, so they couldn't figure out how to politicize it.</p>
<p>“What kind of terrible people would push a political agenda the day after a mass shooting, a shooting like with Orlando?” Noah said. He played clips of Fox regulars doing just that.</p>
<p>“So clearly Fox’s whole ‘don’t politicize it’ is B.S.,” he said.</p>
<p>Noah then went after Jesse Watters for connecting the Las Vegas shooting to ... NFL players kneeling.</p>
<p>“I hear Watters’ point. You’ve got to show respect to the police,” Noah said. “Personally, I’d rather respect the police by reducing the number of guns that risk killing police, but yeah- I mean, not kneeling is good, too. Do whatever you want.”</p>
<p>He called Sean Hannity “Spongebob Squarehead” for bragging about his gun training.</p>
<p>“According to Sean Hannity, what really stops a bad guy with a gun is a Sean Hannity with a gun."</p>
| 7,071 |
<p>This year Catalyst Chicago analyzed reams of data on high school demographics and performance. Our findings fill out this year’s annual school report card.</p>
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Predicting college success</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">View from the top</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Pushing college in high-poverty schools</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Chicago closing gap on ACT</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">College readiness in question</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">More students college bound</a></p>
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Too few options</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Neighborhood schools of choice</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Racial gap for selective schools</a></p>
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Small gains for small schools on ACT</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Big gains in safe, rigorous schools</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Making gains at low-scoring neighborhood schools</a></p>
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Graduation gap persists</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">CPS graduates, dropouts, 2007</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Failing top students</a></p>
|
High School Report Card
| false |
http://chicagoreporter.com/high-school-report-card/
|
2008-03-27
| 3left-center
|
High School Report Card
<p>This year Catalyst Chicago analyzed reams of data on high school demographics and performance. Our findings fill out this year’s annual school report card.</p>
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Predicting college success</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">View from the top</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Pushing college in high-poverty schools</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Chicago closing gap on ACT</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">College readiness in question</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">More students college bound</a></p>
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Too few options</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Neighborhood schools of choice</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Racial gap for selective schools</a></p>
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Small gains for small schools on ACT</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Big gains in safe, rigorous schools</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Making gains at low-scoring neighborhood schools</a></p>
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Graduation gap persists</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">CPS graduates, dropouts, 2007</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Failing top students</a></p>
| 7,072 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Well, OK, there was the David Boies and Ted Olson confederacy fighting for gay marriage rights after they took opposite sides during the 2000 Bush-Gore election dispute. Still, witnessing Dershowitz and Starr discuss and largely agree on religious liberty issues raised by the popularly known Hobby Lobby case was pleasantly jarring.</p>
<p>The two convened at the Willard Hotel on Monday, the day before Hobby Lobby oral arguments were presented to the U.S. Supreme Court.</p>
<p>In a delightful back-and-forth punctuated by yarns and anecdotes, the two legal luminaries affirmed at least two points of agreement: (1) separation of church and state is good for religion; (2) corporations are people and people are corporations (echo Mitt Romney?) and, therefore, Hobby Lobby should be permitted an exemption from the contraceptive mandate imposed by the Affordable Care Act.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>To back and fill a bit: Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., a family-owned arts and crafts chain of 500 stores and 13,000 employees, is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the federal government. Hobby Lobby President Steve Green, who told a dinner crowd Monday night that he has distributed Bibles to a billion people worldwide through his personal ministry, claims that he shouldn't be forced to participate in what he views as life-terminating contraception, including IUDs and the so-called morning-after pill.</p>
<p>The core of the argument is that Green's business is protected by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, passed by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993. The act basically requires that the government prove "compelling interest" when someone's religious rights are "substantially burdened" by what the state wishes to do. Although individuals and religious groups are clearly covered by the act, it isn't clear whether its protections also extend to companies.</p>
<p>Dershowitz and Starr kicked off an afternoon of discussions as part of a symposium co-sponsored by Baylor University and Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace &amp; World Affairs.</p>
<p>Starr, who pointed out that 84 amicus briefs have been filed in the case, described the lawsuit as a "conflict of vision" - big government versus a family that has devoted itself to Christian mission work. While Starr's stewardship of a Baptist university made his views unsurprising, Dershowitz's were pleasantly jarring.</p>
<p>Proclaiming his love both for religion and the separation of church and state, he called the government's brief "silly and trivial." And though he thinks birth control is good for society - and he approves of the ACA - neither of those considerations matter.</p>
<p>It's the principle.</p>
<p>Contrary to protestations from certain entities that subvert all issues for political gain, the case is not about birth control or women's rights or even universal health care. It is, in Dershowitz's summation, about "whether or not the statutes in the penumbra of the Constitution require a religious exemption."</p>
<p>Period.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>As a final note of clarification, the Green family did not pick this battle. The federal government did when it imposed what could be considered a secular belief system on people who happen to be business owners with strong religious convictions about abortion and abortifacients.</p>
<p>In a brief sidebar: Don't you find it curious that the biological fact of life at conception is characterized as an article of faith (religious), while denial of that life vis-a-vis its involuntary termination is viewed as ultimately sacred? One of life's little mysteries.</p>
<p>Whatever one's views on these matters, they are of no consequence. The fact that I personally favor birth control doesn't alter the logic of what I've just written. It merely suits me to believe as I do in order to get through life as I find most convenient. It doesn't make me right, except under secular law, which a great many people find less compelling than the higher laws of nature - or of God. Your choice.</p>
<p>In any case, the first principle of religious freedom should be treated as paramount, as often and at every stage possible, agreed both Starr and Dershowitz. And both hope that the Supreme Court will find a way to accommodate Hobby Lobby.</p>
<p>The court's ruling is expected sometime in June. In the meantime, one wishes only to bottle the gracious, erudite and humorous civility of Dershowitz and Starr and infuse the water supply of the nation's capital. Perhaps a dash or two of their significant brain power might also filter through.</p>
<p>Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group</p>
<p />
<p />
|
Religious freedom is the trump card
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/374698/religious-freedom-is-the-trump-card.html
| 2least
|
Religious freedom is the trump card
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Well, OK, there was the David Boies and Ted Olson confederacy fighting for gay marriage rights after they took opposite sides during the 2000 Bush-Gore election dispute. Still, witnessing Dershowitz and Starr discuss and largely agree on religious liberty issues raised by the popularly known Hobby Lobby case was pleasantly jarring.</p>
<p>The two convened at the Willard Hotel on Monday, the day before Hobby Lobby oral arguments were presented to the U.S. Supreme Court.</p>
<p>In a delightful back-and-forth punctuated by yarns and anecdotes, the two legal luminaries affirmed at least two points of agreement: (1) separation of church and state is good for religion; (2) corporations are people and people are corporations (echo Mitt Romney?) and, therefore, Hobby Lobby should be permitted an exemption from the contraceptive mandate imposed by the Affordable Care Act.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>To back and fill a bit: Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., a family-owned arts and crafts chain of 500 stores and 13,000 employees, is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit against the federal government. Hobby Lobby President Steve Green, who told a dinner crowd Monday night that he has distributed Bibles to a billion people worldwide through his personal ministry, claims that he shouldn't be forced to participate in what he views as life-terminating contraception, including IUDs and the so-called morning-after pill.</p>
<p>The core of the argument is that Green's business is protected by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, passed by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993. The act basically requires that the government prove "compelling interest" when someone's religious rights are "substantially burdened" by what the state wishes to do. Although individuals and religious groups are clearly covered by the act, it isn't clear whether its protections also extend to companies.</p>
<p>Dershowitz and Starr kicked off an afternoon of discussions as part of a symposium co-sponsored by Baylor University and Georgetown University's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace &amp; World Affairs.</p>
<p>Starr, who pointed out that 84 amicus briefs have been filed in the case, described the lawsuit as a "conflict of vision" - big government versus a family that has devoted itself to Christian mission work. While Starr's stewardship of a Baptist university made his views unsurprising, Dershowitz's were pleasantly jarring.</p>
<p>Proclaiming his love both for religion and the separation of church and state, he called the government's brief "silly and trivial." And though he thinks birth control is good for society - and he approves of the ACA - neither of those considerations matter.</p>
<p>It's the principle.</p>
<p>Contrary to protestations from certain entities that subvert all issues for political gain, the case is not about birth control or women's rights or even universal health care. It is, in Dershowitz's summation, about "whether or not the statutes in the penumbra of the Constitution require a religious exemption."</p>
<p>Period.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>As a final note of clarification, the Green family did not pick this battle. The federal government did when it imposed what could be considered a secular belief system on people who happen to be business owners with strong religious convictions about abortion and abortifacients.</p>
<p>In a brief sidebar: Don't you find it curious that the biological fact of life at conception is characterized as an article of faith (religious), while denial of that life vis-a-vis its involuntary termination is viewed as ultimately sacred? One of life's little mysteries.</p>
<p>Whatever one's views on these matters, they are of no consequence. The fact that I personally favor birth control doesn't alter the logic of what I've just written. It merely suits me to believe as I do in order to get through life as I find most convenient. It doesn't make me right, except under secular law, which a great many people find less compelling than the higher laws of nature - or of God. Your choice.</p>
<p>In any case, the first principle of religious freedom should be treated as paramount, as often and at every stage possible, agreed both Starr and Dershowitz. And both hope that the Supreme Court will find a way to accommodate Hobby Lobby.</p>
<p>The court's ruling is expected sometime in June. In the meantime, one wishes only to bottle the gracious, erudite and humorous civility of Dershowitz and Starr and infuse the water supply of the nation's capital. Perhaps a dash or two of their significant brain power might also filter through.</p>
<p>Copyright, Washington Post Writers Group</p>
<p />
<p />
| 7,073 |
|
<p>On Tuesday night, the establishment took a massive uppercut to the chin in both parties. In the Democratic Party, the most establishment politician of all time, Hillary Clinton, got her clock cleaned by Bernie Sanders. He won 93 percent to 5 percent among those who valued honesty and trustworthiness. He won women by 11 points (Satan, obeying Madeline Albright’s advice, is already preparing their cubicles in hell). He won every non-elderly, non-wealthy group. Sanders beat Clinton by a massive margin – at 7:00 PM PST, he was up 59 percent to 38 percent.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, on the Republican side, Trump ran away with the race. He doubled up the second-place finisher, Ohio Governor John Kasich, taking 34 percent to Kasich’s 16 percent; as of 7:00 PM PST, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), the man who beat Trump in Iowa, held third place with 12 percent, while former Florida Governor and official sad sack Jeb! Bush held fourth with 11 percent. Marco Rubio underwent an epic collapse – all the way down to 10 percent and a fifth place finish.</p>
<p>I’ll save my thoughts about the imminent collapse of the republic for tomorrow; I’ll also save my commentary about American politics going full European. For now, here’s where each candidate stands going into South Carolina.</p>
<p>Hillary Clinton. Clinton desperately needs South Carolina. She may not have won Iowa, and she got schlonged by Sanders in New Hampshire. She’s always seen South Carolina, with its heavy black primary voter population, as her firewall. But today, racial radical Harry Belafonte announced he would support Sanders, and Sanders is set to meet with shakedown master Al Sharpton as well. Should Sanders begin to carve away at Hillary’s minority support base, she’s toast. She’s likely making frantic phone calls to the White House tonight attempting to drag the Obama FBI off her back, and to get Obama to endorse her. Neither will happen – at least not before South Carolina. Her entire dream now rests on a razor’s edge.</p>
<p>Bernie Sanders. Sanders could never have expected to capture lightning a bottle the way that he has. He’s also running against one of the worst candidates in American history. His massive victory in New Hampshire crossed gender lines and income lines. Now he hopes to take that forward to South Carolina. Even a competitive showing there would be a major win. Hillary must be near-suicidal.</p>
<p>Donald Trump. Trump is back to being the clear frontrunner now. The last polls in South Carolina are several weeks old, but they show Trump with a massive lead. And New Hampshire showed that Trump only underperforms caucus polls, not traditional election polls. Even better for Trump, so many candidates were bunched behind him that no one is likely to drop out. That means they will continue to split the anti-Trump establishment support base. Nobody on the establishment side has both clear momentum and an organizational infrastructure – not with Marco Rubio’s collapse. Trump’s only real rival, then, is Ted Cruz. Look for more fireworks there.</p>
<p>Ted Cruz. Cruz outperformed expectations in New Hampshire. He spent less than a million dollars in advertising in the state for the same performance as Jeb!, who spent $35 million. Cruz is the only real rival to Trump in South Carolina, and he has the ground game and data machine for a long run. The establishment may be forced to choose between Cruz and Trump – and there’s a significant possibility they choose Trump.</p>
<p>John Kasich. Don’t let the excellent results in New Hampshire fool you. Kasich has ground game in precisely one state: New Hampshire. His left-leaning Republican support in South Carolina will go to Trump. He has no game plan after New Hampshire.</p>
<p>Jeb! Bush. Bush suggested that if he finished outside the top three, he’d reconsider his campaign. But with Rubio’s collapse, Jeb! has to think that he still has a shot to be the representative of the establishment. He’s still got all that money, and he has name recognition and some southern support as well. Bush will stay in – and that’s the best thing that could happen to Trump, who has utilized Jeb!’s presence in the race for his narrative foil.</p>
<p>Marco Rubio. Rubio is now in serious, serious trouble. His stated strategy – third in Iowa, second in New Hampshire, first in South Carolina – has been blown out of the water. Worse, the consolidation expected after New Hampshire will not happen. How many states can he go without winning? Three? Four? Seven? And now he has to overcome the stigma associated with the campaign’s biggest gaffe.</p>
<p>So here we are. Trump is the clear frontrunner on the Republican side, and circumstances seem to be working almost perfectly to his advantage; Hillary is collapsing on the Democratic side, and one more stumble with ethnic minorities will finish her.</p>
<p>Perhaps that’s the greatest legacy of Barack Obama: he didn’t just fundamentally transform the country, he may have burned down both parties, too.</p>
|
Trump, Sanders DOMINATE In New Hampshire. What The Hell Is Next?
| true |
https://dailywire.com/news/3271/trump-sanders-dominate-new-hampshire-what-hell-ben-shapiro
|
2016-02-09
| 0right
|
Trump, Sanders DOMINATE In New Hampshire. What The Hell Is Next?
<p>On Tuesday night, the establishment took a massive uppercut to the chin in both parties. In the Democratic Party, the most establishment politician of all time, Hillary Clinton, got her clock cleaned by Bernie Sanders. He won 93 percent to 5 percent among those who valued honesty and trustworthiness. He won women by 11 points (Satan, obeying Madeline Albright’s advice, is already preparing their cubicles in hell). He won every non-elderly, non-wealthy group. Sanders beat Clinton by a massive margin – at 7:00 PM PST, he was up 59 percent to 38 percent.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, on the Republican side, Trump ran away with the race. He doubled up the second-place finisher, Ohio Governor John Kasich, taking 34 percent to Kasich’s 16 percent; as of 7:00 PM PST, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), the man who beat Trump in Iowa, held third place with 12 percent, while former Florida Governor and official sad sack Jeb! Bush held fourth with 11 percent. Marco Rubio underwent an epic collapse – all the way down to 10 percent and a fifth place finish.</p>
<p>I’ll save my thoughts about the imminent collapse of the republic for tomorrow; I’ll also save my commentary about American politics going full European. For now, here’s where each candidate stands going into South Carolina.</p>
<p>Hillary Clinton. Clinton desperately needs South Carolina. She may not have won Iowa, and she got schlonged by Sanders in New Hampshire. She’s always seen South Carolina, with its heavy black primary voter population, as her firewall. But today, racial radical Harry Belafonte announced he would support Sanders, and Sanders is set to meet with shakedown master Al Sharpton as well. Should Sanders begin to carve away at Hillary’s minority support base, she’s toast. She’s likely making frantic phone calls to the White House tonight attempting to drag the Obama FBI off her back, and to get Obama to endorse her. Neither will happen – at least not before South Carolina. Her entire dream now rests on a razor’s edge.</p>
<p>Bernie Sanders. Sanders could never have expected to capture lightning a bottle the way that he has. He’s also running against one of the worst candidates in American history. His massive victory in New Hampshire crossed gender lines and income lines. Now he hopes to take that forward to South Carolina. Even a competitive showing there would be a major win. Hillary must be near-suicidal.</p>
<p>Donald Trump. Trump is back to being the clear frontrunner now. The last polls in South Carolina are several weeks old, but they show Trump with a massive lead. And New Hampshire showed that Trump only underperforms caucus polls, not traditional election polls. Even better for Trump, so many candidates were bunched behind him that no one is likely to drop out. That means they will continue to split the anti-Trump establishment support base. Nobody on the establishment side has both clear momentum and an organizational infrastructure – not with Marco Rubio’s collapse. Trump’s only real rival, then, is Ted Cruz. Look for more fireworks there.</p>
<p>Ted Cruz. Cruz outperformed expectations in New Hampshire. He spent less than a million dollars in advertising in the state for the same performance as Jeb!, who spent $35 million. Cruz is the only real rival to Trump in South Carolina, and he has the ground game and data machine for a long run. The establishment may be forced to choose between Cruz and Trump – and there’s a significant possibility they choose Trump.</p>
<p>John Kasich. Don’t let the excellent results in New Hampshire fool you. Kasich has ground game in precisely one state: New Hampshire. His left-leaning Republican support in South Carolina will go to Trump. He has no game plan after New Hampshire.</p>
<p>Jeb! Bush. Bush suggested that if he finished outside the top three, he’d reconsider his campaign. But with Rubio’s collapse, Jeb! has to think that he still has a shot to be the representative of the establishment. He’s still got all that money, and he has name recognition and some southern support as well. Bush will stay in – and that’s the best thing that could happen to Trump, who has utilized Jeb!’s presence in the race for his narrative foil.</p>
<p>Marco Rubio. Rubio is now in serious, serious trouble. His stated strategy – third in Iowa, second in New Hampshire, first in South Carolina – has been blown out of the water. Worse, the consolidation expected after New Hampshire will not happen. How many states can he go without winning? Three? Four? Seven? And now he has to overcome the stigma associated with the campaign’s biggest gaffe.</p>
<p>So here we are. Trump is the clear frontrunner on the Republican side, and circumstances seem to be working almost perfectly to his advantage; Hillary is collapsing on the Democratic side, and one more stumble with ethnic minorities will finish her.</p>
<p>Perhaps that’s the greatest legacy of Barack Obama: he didn’t just fundamentally transform the country, he may have burned down both parties, too.</p>
| 7,074 |
<p>By Jodie Evans / <a href="http://www.alternet.org/local-peace-economy/now-more-ever-we-must-tell-truth-about-iraq-war" type="external">AlterNet</a></p>
<p>“The only silver lining of the Brexit vote is that it will reduce medium term attention on Chilcot – though it will not stop the day of publication being uncomfortable,” former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw <a href="https://theintercept.com/2016/09/13/in-leaked-emails-iraq-war-architect-expressed-relief-that-brexit-distracted-from-u-k-war-inquiry/" type="external">told</a> the previous U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in a July 4th email obtained by the Intercept.</p>
<p>As it turns out, these words would be prescient. The <a href="http://www.iraqinquiry.org.uk/" type="external">Chilcot Report</a>, a damning 12-volume, 2.6-million-word inquiry into Britain’s role in the Iraq War, did not get much attention on either side of the pond upon its July release. The probe was overlooked at a time that the Iraq War was still raging even though everyone thought it was over, and the millennials I talked to had little idea of the lies or the costs. This summer and fall, it became increasingly clear that the tumultuous U.S. election cycle will not propel anyone with a peace platform to the presidency. I decided I needed to do something that will be useful in the face of even more wars after the election madness is over.</p>
<p>So we launched a <a href="http://iraqtribunal.org/" type="external">People’s Tribunal on the Iraq War</a> as a tool to bring the anti-war movement together and build what is needed for 2017. We aim to lay the lies and costs at the feet of President Barack Obama and call for a commission on Truth and Accountability. There are years’ worth of testimony in reports, lawsuits, books and articles. We have read the facts about the lies and costs over the years. But the totality has never been been pulled together to show the breadth of all effected.</p>
<p />
<p>According to a <a href="http://www.psr.org/assets/pdfs/body-count.pdf" type="external">report</a> released last year by Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), Physicians for Global Survival and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, the U.S. invasion and occupation killed at least one million Iraqi people. That would be more 10 million people in the United States if we compared it in terms of percentage of the population. Imagine the effect of 10 million people dying.</p>
<p>There are <a href="https://antiwar.com/casualties/" type="external">over 100,000</a> casualties on the side of the U.S. and the coalition of the willing, with a small percentage of those dead. The rest are living with permanent physical and psychological wounds, some so bad that U.S. military veterans are committing suicide at a <a href="http://www.militarytimes.com/story/veterans/2016/07/07/va-suicide-20-daily-research/86788332/" type="external">rate</a> of 20 a day. In 2012, suicides <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/nation/2014/10/31/suicide-deaths-us-military-war-study/18261185/" type="external">surpassed</a> war as a the leading cause of death in the U.S. military.</p>
<p>Since 2001, U.S. wars have cost taxpayers nearly $5 trillion, according to a <a href="https://www.brown.edu/web/documents/nosearch/2016CostsofWar.pdf" type="external">new report</a> from Brown University’s Watson Institute. But few can understand what that number actually means. Nor does this amount count the cost to people in Iraq or other members of the coalition of the willing.</p>
<p>I have heard these reports at various tribunals over the years. But numbers and facts don’t change hearts and minds. This tribunal will be different. It will be a people’s tribunal, to be witnessed by the public, which will be presented with a large body of evidence.</p>
<p>The participants on the days of the tribunal will be “delivering” evidence with a five-minute statement about the meaning of that evidence. Dennis Kucinich will present the letter he wrote to Congress in October of 2002 outlining his research which showed there was no operational connection between the Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda or weapons of mass destruction. Jeremy Corbyn will deliver the Chilcot Report. Elizabeth Holtzman, the member of Congress in the 1970s recognized as the woman who impeached Nixon, will deliver her book calling for the Impeachment of George W. Bush.</p>
<p>We will be joined by people from across the United States and world. The <a href="http://www.iraktribunal.de/internat/wti_rome_session.htm" type="external">World Tribunal on Iraq</a>, which culminated in Istanbul, Turkey and has held sessions across the globe, will deliver all of these testimonies. The Brussels Tribunal will deliver the book and testimony that emerged from their efforts. Inder Comar will deliver the documents that make up the ongoing <a href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/why-an-iraqi-single-mom-is-suing-george-bush-for-war-crimes" type="external">class action</a> suit against six members of the George W. Bush administration alleging that the Iraq War constituted a war of aggression. There will be over 50 offers of testimony each day.</p>
<p>On day one, December first, we will focus on the lies that fed the drive to war. On day two, we will hear more than 50 people testify to innumerable costs of U.S. war in Iraq, which in fact goes back <a href="https://www.warresisters.org/25-years-standing-amiriyah" type="external">at least 25 years</a>.</p>
<p>Yes, there is a staggering cost to U.S. taxpayers—but also the cost to the planet and the militarization of our cities and police departments. We will hear from the mother of a young black man who was killed the last week of high school by a cop who was a veteran of the Iraq War suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. We will hear from soldiers who were raped by fellow soldiers. Rabbis and priests will discuss the cost to our morality. We will hear about the costs of the U.S. use of depleted uranium to Iraqis and the children of American soldiers who served there.</p>
<p>The event will be live streamed on The Real News, with testimony delivered in person, by live stream or by video. The combination of all the testimony will be delivered to Obama and Congress.</p>
<p>But the real work has already begun. The coalition is using the tribunal to gather local communities to discuss the cost of war to them, encouraging them to review <a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/codepink/pages/8922/attachments/original/1477249348/CODEPINK_Cost_Tool2.pdf?1477249348" type="external">what they could have</a> had instead of war. Such collective exercises demonstrate how the costs of war come home, literally.</p>
<p>Most of the members of our coalition are outreaching to their lists to join with a <a href="http://www.codepink.org/endorse_the_iraq_tribunal" type="external">call to Obama</a> for a Commission on Truth and Accountability. Other partners are outreaching for voices that still need to join those testifying. When the election is finally over, testifiers will begin to discuss their testimony in the media, laying a path to the tribunal of details, broken hearts, destroyed communities and devastated families.</p>
<p>We must tell our truth as passionately and effectively as the architects of war tell their lies. We must come together and gather the stories of destruction and loss, in order to witness and remember. Join in. Make it your own. Share with your community. Raise awareness. The time to stop the next war is now.</p>
|
We Must Tell the Truth About the Iraq War
| true |
https://truthdig.com/articles/we-must-tell-the-truth-about-the-iraq-war/
|
2016-10-30
| 4left
|
We Must Tell the Truth About the Iraq War
<p>By Jodie Evans / <a href="http://www.alternet.org/local-peace-economy/now-more-ever-we-must-tell-truth-about-iraq-war" type="external">AlterNet</a></p>
<p>“The only silver lining of the Brexit vote is that it will reduce medium term attention on Chilcot – though it will not stop the day of publication being uncomfortable,” former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw <a href="https://theintercept.com/2016/09/13/in-leaked-emails-iraq-war-architect-expressed-relief-that-brexit-distracted-from-u-k-war-inquiry/" type="external">told</a> the previous U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in a July 4th email obtained by the Intercept.</p>
<p>As it turns out, these words would be prescient. The <a href="http://www.iraqinquiry.org.uk/" type="external">Chilcot Report</a>, a damning 12-volume, 2.6-million-word inquiry into Britain’s role in the Iraq War, did not get much attention on either side of the pond upon its July release. The probe was overlooked at a time that the Iraq War was still raging even though everyone thought it was over, and the millennials I talked to had little idea of the lies or the costs. This summer and fall, it became increasingly clear that the tumultuous U.S. election cycle will not propel anyone with a peace platform to the presidency. I decided I needed to do something that will be useful in the face of even more wars after the election madness is over.</p>
<p>So we launched a <a href="http://iraqtribunal.org/" type="external">People’s Tribunal on the Iraq War</a> as a tool to bring the anti-war movement together and build what is needed for 2017. We aim to lay the lies and costs at the feet of President Barack Obama and call for a commission on Truth and Accountability. There are years’ worth of testimony in reports, lawsuits, books and articles. We have read the facts about the lies and costs over the years. But the totality has never been been pulled together to show the breadth of all effected.</p>
<p />
<p>According to a <a href="http://www.psr.org/assets/pdfs/body-count.pdf" type="external">report</a> released last year by Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), Physicians for Global Survival and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, the U.S. invasion and occupation killed at least one million Iraqi people. That would be more 10 million people in the United States if we compared it in terms of percentage of the population. Imagine the effect of 10 million people dying.</p>
<p>There are <a href="https://antiwar.com/casualties/" type="external">over 100,000</a> casualties on the side of the U.S. and the coalition of the willing, with a small percentage of those dead. The rest are living with permanent physical and psychological wounds, some so bad that U.S. military veterans are committing suicide at a <a href="http://www.militarytimes.com/story/veterans/2016/07/07/va-suicide-20-daily-research/86788332/" type="external">rate</a> of 20 a day. In 2012, suicides <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/nation/2014/10/31/suicide-deaths-us-military-war-study/18261185/" type="external">surpassed</a> war as a the leading cause of death in the U.S. military.</p>
<p>Since 2001, U.S. wars have cost taxpayers nearly $5 trillion, according to a <a href="https://www.brown.edu/web/documents/nosearch/2016CostsofWar.pdf" type="external">new report</a> from Brown University’s Watson Institute. But few can understand what that number actually means. Nor does this amount count the cost to people in Iraq or other members of the coalition of the willing.</p>
<p>I have heard these reports at various tribunals over the years. But numbers and facts don’t change hearts and minds. This tribunal will be different. It will be a people’s tribunal, to be witnessed by the public, which will be presented with a large body of evidence.</p>
<p>The participants on the days of the tribunal will be “delivering” evidence with a five-minute statement about the meaning of that evidence. Dennis Kucinich will present the letter he wrote to Congress in October of 2002 outlining his research which showed there was no operational connection between the Saddam Hussein and Al-Qaeda or weapons of mass destruction. Jeremy Corbyn will deliver the Chilcot Report. Elizabeth Holtzman, the member of Congress in the 1970s recognized as the woman who impeached Nixon, will deliver her book calling for the Impeachment of George W. Bush.</p>
<p>We will be joined by people from across the United States and world. The <a href="http://www.iraktribunal.de/internat/wti_rome_session.htm" type="external">World Tribunal on Iraq</a>, which culminated in Istanbul, Turkey and has held sessions across the globe, will deliver all of these testimonies. The Brussels Tribunal will deliver the book and testimony that emerged from their efforts. Inder Comar will deliver the documents that make up the ongoing <a href="http://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/why-an-iraqi-single-mom-is-suing-george-bush-for-war-crimes" type="external">class action</a> suit against six members of the George W. Bush administration alleging that the Iraq War constituted a war of aggression. There will be over 50 offers of testimony each day.</p>
<p>On day one, December first, we will focus on the lies that fed the drive to war. On day two, we will hear more than 50 people testify to innumerable costs of U.S. war in Iraq, which in fact goes back <a href="https://www.warresisters.org/25-years-standing-amiriyah" type="external">at least 25 years</a>.</p>
<p>Yes, there is a staggering cost to U.S. taxpayers—but also the cost to the planet and the militarization of our cities and police departments. We will hear from the mother of a young black man who was killed the last week of high school by a cop who was a veteran of the Iraq War suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. We will hear from soldiers who were raped by fellow soldiers. Rabbis and priests will discuss the cost to our morality. We will hear about the costs of the U.S. use of depleted uranium to Iraqis and the children of American soldiers who served there.</p>
<p>The event will be live streamed on The Real News, with testimony delivered in person, by live stream or by video. The combination of all the testimony will be delivered to Obama and Congress.</p>
<p>But the real work has already begun. The coalition is using the tribunal to gather local communities to discuss the cost of war to them, encouraging them to review <a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/codepink/pages/8922/attachments/original/1477249348/CODEPINK_Cost_Tool2.pdf?1477249348" type="external">what they could have</a> had instead of war. Such collective exercises demonstrate how the costs of war come home, literally.</p>
<p>Most of the members of our coalition are outreaching to their lists to join with a <a href="http://www.codepink.org/endorse_the_iraq_tribunal" type="external">call to Obama</a> for a Commission on Truth and Accountability. Other partners are outreaching for voices that still need to join those testifying. When the election is finally over, testifiers will begin to discuss their testimony in the media, laying a path to the tribunal of details, broken hearts, destroyed communities and devastated families.</p>
<p>We must tell our truth as passionately and effectively as the architects of war tell their lies. We must come together and gather the stories of destruction and loss, in order to witness and remember. Join in. Make it your own. Share with your community. Raise awareness. The time to stop the next war is now.</p>
| 7,075 |
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Viacom</a> (NYSE:VIA) posted a lower first-quarter profit on Thursday on weaker advertising revenues at some of its biggest networks, including Nickelodeon.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The parent of Comedy Central and MTV earned $591 million, or $1.06 a share, down 5% from $620 million, or $1.02, in the year-earlier period. The results narrowly beat average analyst estimates in a Thomson Reuters poll.</p>
<p>However, advertising revenue fell 3% on lower ratings and softness in the U.S., sending &#160;&#160;Viacom’s shares down 5.5% to $50.50 Thursday.</p>
<p>Children’s channel Nickelodeon suffered an unexpected drop in ratings during the quarter. The company said it is working to fix that problem and expects advertisers to return in the current year.</p>
<p>Revenue for the three months ended Dec. 31 was $3.95 billion, up 3% from $3.8 billion a year ago, just missing the Street’s view of $3.99 billion.</p>
<p>The sales increased on stronger worldwide ancillary and affiliate fees, or those paid by cable, satellite and phone distributors that carry its networks, as well as higher rates and blockbusters at the box office, including “Paranormal Activity 3” by its Paramount Studios unit.</p>
<p>In a statement, Viacom CEO <a href="" type="internal">Philippe Dauman</a> attributed the first-quarter improvements to “operational resolve and financial strength,” saying the New York-based company delivered value to shareholders despite “short term economic headwinds.”</p>
<p>“Our proven strategy of continuing to invest in creative content is fueling momentum across our properties,” he said.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
|
Poor Nickelodeon Ratings Push Viacom 1Q Profit Lower
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/features/2012/02/02/poor-nickelodeon-ratings-push-viacom-1q-profit-lower.html
|
2016-01-26
| 0right
|
Poor Nickelodeon Ratings Push Viacom 1Q Profit Lower
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Viacom</a> (NYSE:VIA) posted a lower first-quarter profit on Thursday on weaker advertising revenues at some of its biggest networks, including Nickelodeon.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The parent of Comedy Central and MTV earned $591 million, or $1.06 a share, down 5% from $620 million, or $1.02, in the year-earlier period. The results narrowly beat average analyst estimates in a Thomson Reuters poll.</p>
<p>However, advertising revenue fell 3% on lower ratings and softness in the U.S., sending &#160;&#160;Viacom’s shares down 5.5% to $50.50 Thursday.</p>
<p>Children’s channel Nickelodeon suffered an unexpected drop in ratings during the quarter. The company said it is working to fix that problem and expects advertisers to return in the current year.</p>
<p>Revenue for the three months ended Dec. 31 was $3.95 billion, up 3% from $3.8 billion a year ago, just missing the Street’s view of $3.99 billion.</p>
<p>The sales increased on stronger worldwide ancillary and affiliate fees, or those paid by cable, satellite and phone distributors that carry its networks, as well as higher rates and blockbusters at the box office, including “Paranormal Activity 3” by its Paramount Studios unit.</p>
<p>In a statement, Viacom CEO <a href="" type="internal">Philippe Dauman</a> attributed the first-quarter improvements to “operational resolve and financial strength,” saying the New York-based company delivered value to shareholders despite “short term economic headwinds.”</p>
<p>“Our proven strategy of continuing to invest in creative content is fueling momentum across our properties,” he said.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
| 7,076 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Because the giraffe population has shrunk nearly 40 percent in just 30 years, scientists put it on the official watch list of threatened and endangered species worldwide, calling it “vulnerable.” That’s two steps up the danger ladder from its previous designation of being a species of least concern. In 1985, there were between 151,000 and 163,000 giraffes but in 2015 the number was down to 97,562, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).</p>
<p>At a biodiversity meeting Wednesday in Mexico, the IUCN increased the threat level for 35 species and lowered the threat level for seven species on its “Red List” of threatened species, considered by scientists the official list of what animals and plants are in danger of disappearing.</p>
<p>The giraffe is the only mammal whose status changed on the list this year. Scientists blame habitat loss.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>While everyone worries about elephants, Earth has four times as many pachyderms as giraffes, said Julian Fennessy and Noelle Kumpel, co-chairs of the specialty group of biologists that put the giraffe on the IUCN Red List. They both called what’s happening to giraffes a “silent extinction.”</p>
<p>“Everyone assumes giraffes are everywhere,” said Fennessy, co-director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.</p>
<p>But they’re not, Fennessy said. Until recently, biologists hadn’t done a good job assessing giraffes’ numbers and where they can be found, and they have been lumped into one broad species instead of nine separate subspecies.</p>
<p>“There’s a strong tendency to think that familiar species (such as giraffes, chimps, etc.) must be OK because they are familiar and we see them in zoos,” said Duke University conservation biologist Stuart Pimm, who wasn’t part of the work and has criticized the IUCN for not putting enough species on the threat list. “This is dangerous.”</p>
<p>Fennessy blamed shrinking living space as the main culprit in the declining giraffe population, worsened by poaching and disease. People are moving into giraffe areas especially in central and eastern Africa. Giraffe numbers are plunging most in central and eastern Africa and are being offset by increases in southern Africa, he said.</p>
<p>This has fragmented giraffe populations, making them shrink in size with wild giraffes gone from seven countries — Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Guinea, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria and Senegal, said Kumpel of the Zoological Society of London.</p>
<p>The IUCN says 860 plant and animal species are extinct, and another 68 are extinct in the wild. Nearly 13,000 are endangered or critically endangered. The next level is vulnerable, where giraffes were placed, followed by near threatened and least concerned.</p>
<p>The status of two snake species worsened. The ornate ground snake, which lives on the tiny island of Saint Lucia, deteriorated from endangered to critically endangered. The Lacepede’s ground snake of Martinique, which was already critically endangered, is now considered possibly extinct, pending confirmation, as is the trondo mainty, a river fish in Madagascar.</p>
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<p>But there is also good news for some species. The Victoria stonebasher, a freshwater fish in Africa, went from being considered endangered to least concerned with a stable population. And an African plant, the acmadenia candida, which was declared extinct, has been rediscovered and is now considered endangered. Another freshwater fish, ptychochromoides itasy, which hadn’t been seen since the 1960s, has been rediscovered in small numbers in Africa’s Sakay River and is now considered critically endangered.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Online:</p>
<p>International Union for the Conservation of Nature: https://www.iucn.org/</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Seth Borenstein at <a href="http://twitter.com/borenbears" type="external">http://twitter.com/borenbears</a> and his work can be found at <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/content/seth-borenstein" type="external">http://bigstory.ap.org/content/seth-borenstein</a></p>
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Giraffes, rarer than elephants, put on extinction watch list
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/905219/giraffes-rarer-than-elephants-put-on-extinction-watch-list.html
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2016-12-08
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Giraffes, rarer than elephants, put on extinction watch list
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<p>Because the giraffe population has shrunk nearly 40 percent in just 30 years, scientists put it on the official watch list of threatened and endangered species worldwide, calling it “vulnerable.” That’s two steps up the danger ladder from its previous designation of being a species of least concern. In 1985, there were between 151,000 and 163,000 giraffes but in 2015 the number was down to 97,562, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).</p>
<p>At a biodiversity meeting Wednesday in Mexico, the IUCN increased the threat level for 35 species and lowered the threat level for seven species on its “Red List” of threatened species, considered by scientists the official list of what animals and plants are in danger of disappearing.</p>
<p>The giraffe is the only mammal whose status changed on the list this year. Scientists blame habitat loss.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>While everyone worries about elephants, Earth has four times as many pachyderms as giraffes, said Julian Fennessy and Noelle Kumpel, co-chairs of the specialty group of biologists that put the giraffe on the IUCN Red List. They both called what’s happening to giraffes a “silent extinction.”</p>
<p>“Everyone assumes giraffes are everywhere,” said Fennessy, co-director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.</p>
<p>But they’re not, Fennessy said. Until recently, biologists hadn’t done a good job assessing giraffes’ numbers and where they can be found, and they have been lumped into one broad species instead of nine separate subspecies.</p>
<p>“There’s a strong tendency to think that familiar species (such as giraffes, chimps, etc.) must be OK because they are familiar and we see them in zoos,” said Duke University conservation biologist Stuart Pimm, who wasn’t part of the work and has criticized the IUCN for not putting enough species on the threat list. “This is dangerous.”</p>
<p>Fennessy blamed shrinking living space as the main culprit in the declining giraffe population, worsened by poaching and disease. People are moving into giraffe areas especially in central and eastern Africa. Giraffe numbers are plunging most in central and eastern Africa and are being offset by increases in southern Africa, he said.</p>
<p>This has fragmented giraffe populations, making them shrink in size with wild giraffes gone from seven countries — Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Guinea, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria and Senegal, said Kumpel of the Zoological Society of London.</p>
<p>The IUCN says 860 plant and animal species are extinct, and another 68 are extinct in the wild. Nearly 13,000 are endangered or critically endangered. The next level is vulnerable, where giraffes were placed, followed by near threatened and least concerned.</p>
<p>The status of two snake species worsened. The ornate ground snake, which lives on the tiny island of Saint Lucia, deteriorated from endangered to critically endangered. The Lacepede’s ground snake of Martinique, which was already critically endangered, is now considered possibly extinct, pending confirmation, as is the trondo mainty, a river fish in Madagascar.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>But there is also good news for some species. The Victoria stonebasher, a freshwater fish in Africa, went from being considered endangered to least concerned with a stable population. And an African plant, the acmadenia candida, which was declared extinct, has been rediscovered and is now considered endangered. Another freshwater fish, ptychochromoides itasy, which hadn’t been seen since the 1960s, has been rediscovered in small numbers in Africa’s Sakay River and is now considered critically endangered.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Online:</p>
<p>International Union for the Conservation of Nature: https://www.iucn.org/</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Seth Borenstein at <a href="http://twitter.com/borenbears" type="external">http://twitter.com/borenbears</a> and his work can be found at <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/content/seth-borenstein" type="external">http://bigstory.ap.org/content/seth-borenstein</a></p>
| 7,077 |
<p>Sami Al-Arian is a political prisoner in Police State America. This article reviews his case briefly and updates it to the present.</p>
<p>Because of his faith, ethnicity and political activism, the Bush administration targeted Al-Arian for supporting “terrorism.” In fact, he’s a Palestinian refugee, distinguished professor and scholar, community leader and civil activist.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, the FBI harassed him for 11 years, arrested him on February 20, 2003, and falsely accused him of backing organizations fronting for Palestinian Islamic Jihad–a 1997 State Department-designated “Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).”</p>
<p>A week later, in spite of his many awards, impeccable credentials and tenured status, University of South Florida president Judy Genshaft fired him under right wing pressure.</p>
<p>Since February 20, 2003, Al-Arian has been imprisoned–first at Tampa, Florida’s Orient Road jail, then on to more than a dozen different maximum and other federal prison facilities. He’s currently on hunger strike at Warsaw, Virginia’s Northern Neck Regional jail after being transferred back March 18 from Butner, North Carolina’s medical prison.</p>
<p>Al-Arian’s trial began in June 2005 and was a travesty. It lasted six months, cost an estimated $50 million, and the prosecution called 80 witnesses, including Israeli intelligence agents and victims of suicide bombings to prejudice the jury. It introduced portions of hundreds of wiretapped phone calls from over a half million recorded; “evidence” from faxes, emails and what was seized from his home; quotes from his speeches and lectures; conferences, events and rallies he attended; articles he wrote; books he owned; magazines he edited; and various publications he read–all legal and in no way incriminating unless falsely twisted to appear that way.</p>
<p>After years of effort and millions spent, Al-Arian was exonerated. On December 6, 2005 after 13 days of deliberation, the jury acquitted him of all (eight) “terrorism” charges. They were deadlocked 10–2 for acquittal on nine others. All of them were false and unjust.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, within days, the Justice Department said it would re-try him on the lesser charges. His lawyers called it legal but a highly unusual move. At the same time and in secret, a plea bargain deal was struck. It stipulated:</p>
<p>* Al-Arian neither engaged in or had any knowledge of violent acts;</p>
<p>* that he would not be required to cooperate further with prosecutors; and</p>
<p>* that he would be released on time served and deported voluntarily to his country of choice.</p>
<p>In the meantime, Al-Arian remained in custody pending sentencing and deportation on May 1, 2006. He expected to be free and his ordeal ended. Instead, the presiding judge changed the deal. He sentenced Al-Arian to the maximum 57 months, gave him credit for time served, and ordered him held for the remaining 11 months, after which an April 2007 deportation would follow. Now it’s extended as explained below.</p>
<p>In October 2006, assistant prosecutor Gordon Kromberg violated plea bargain terms by subpoenaing Al-Arian before a grand jury. His defense attorneys tried to block it by citing his “no-grand jury cooperation” provision to prevent DOJ from springing a perjury-obstruction trap. Defense’s motion was denied, and on November 16 Al-Arian refused to testify and was held in contempt.</p>
<p>A month later, the grand jury expired, a new one was convened, and Al-Arian was again subpoenaed to testify. He continued to refuse, was held in contempt, and had his sentence increased without mitigation to April 7, 2008.</p>
<p>On March 3, 2008 Kromberg ordered Al-Arian before still another March 19 grand jury, three weeks before his scheduled release and deportation. On the same day, Al-Arian began a hunger strike against the government’s continued harassment. It’s his third one but is life-threatening for a man in his condition. He’s diabetic and needs regular sustenance to avoid serious health problems. His January through March, 2007 strike depleted one-fourth of his body weight, gravely harmed him, and ended only at the urging of his family.</p>
<p>He’s now 20 days into his latest fast, lost 30 pounds, is weakening, and his life is endangered. On March 12, Al-Arian was transferred to the Butner, North Carolina medical facility where treatment is poor, the staff indifferent, and in Al-Arian’s case hostile to a designated enemy of the state. On March 18, he was returned to Warsaw, Virginia’s Northern Neck Regional jail ahead of his third grand jury appearance. Again, he refused to testify, so he’ll likely face new contempt charges and continued confinement.</p>
<p>George Washington University Law School Professor Jonathan Turley heads up Al-Arian’s legal team. On March 3, he released the following statement:</p>
<p>“On behalf of Mr. Olson and Mr. Meitl and the entire legal team, (we are greatly disappointed by) the Justice Department(‘s) continu(ing)….effort to mete out punishment that it could not secure from a jury. Having lost (its) case (it’s) openly sought to extend (Al-Arian’s) confinement by daisy-chaining grand juries. As in other cases, the government has given Dr. Al-Arian the choice of an obvious perjury trap or a contempt sanction. (Either way assures his imprisonment. This) choice….is obnoxious to our legal system and contrary to any standard of decency. The mistreatment of Dr. Al-Arian remains an international symbol of how the Bush Administration has discarded fundamental principles of fairness in a blind pursuit of retribution against this political activist. We stand committed to fighting this great injustice and hopefully reuniting Dr. Al-Arian with his family and friends.”</p>
<p>In the meantime, his long ordeal continues at a time lawlessness prevails over justice, and we’re all Sami-Al-Arians in America’s “war on terrorism.”</p>
<p>STEPHEN LENDMAN lives in Chicago and can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
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Sami Al-Arian’s Long Ordeal
| true |
https://counterpunch.org/2008/03/24/sami-al-arian-s-long-ordeal/
|
2008-03-24
| 4left
|
Sami Al-Arian’s Long Ordeal
<p>Sami Al-Arian is a political prisoner in Police State America. This article reviews his case briefly and updates it to the present.</p>
<p>Because of his faith, ethnicity and political activism, the Bush administration targeted Al-Arian for supporting “terrorism.” In fact, he’s a Palestinian refugee, distinguished professor and scholar, community leader and civil activist.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, the FBI harassed him for 11 years, arrested him on February 20, 2003, and falsely accused him of backing organizations fronting for Palestinian Islamic Jihad–a 1997 State Department-designated “Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).”</p>
<p>A week later, in spite of his many awards, impeccable credentials and tenured status, University of South Florida president Judy Genshaft fired him under right wing pressure.</p>
<p>Since February 20, 2003, Al-Arian has been imprisoned–first at Tampa, Florida’s Orient Road jail, then on to more than a dozen different maximum and other federal prison facilities. He’s currently on hunger strike at Warsaw, Virginia’s Northern Neck Regional jail after being transferred back March 18 from Butner, North Carolina’s medical prison.</p>
<p>Al-Arian’s trial began in June 2005 and was a travesty. It lasted six months, cost an estimated $50 million, and the prosecution called 80 witnesses, including Israeli intelligence agents and victims of suicide bombings to prejudice the jury. It introduced portions of hundreds of wiretapped phone calls from over a half million recorded; “evidence” from faxes, emails and what was seized from his home; quotes from his speeches and lectures; conferences, events and rallies he attended; articles he wrote; books he owned; magazines he edited; and various publications he read–all legal and in no way incriminating unless falsely twisted to appear that way.</p>
<p>After years of effort and millions spent, Al-Arian was exonerated. On December 6, 2005 after 13 days of deliberation, the jury acquitted him of all (eight) “terrorism” charges. They were deadlocked 10–2 for acquittal on nine others. All of them were false and unjust.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, within days, the Justice Department said it would re-try him on the lesser charges. His lawyers called it legal but a highly unusual move. At the same time and in secret, a plea bargain deal was struck. It stipulated:</p>
<p>* Al-Arian neither engaged in or had any knowledge of violent acts;</p>
<p>* that he would not be required to cooperate further with prosecutors; and</p>
<p>* that he would be released on time served and deported voluntarily to his country of choice.</p>
<p>In the meantime, Al-Arian remained in custody pending sentencing and deportation on May 1, 2006. He expected to be free and his ordeal ended. Instead, the presiding judge changed the deal. He sentenced Al-Arian to the maximum 57 months, gave him credit for time served, and ordered him held for the remaining 11 months, after which an April 2007 deportation would follow. Now it’s extended as explained below.</p>
<p>In October 2006, assistant prosecutor Gordon Kromberg violated plea bargain terms by subpoenaing Al-Arian before a grand jury. His defense attorneys tried to block it by citing his “no-grand jury cooperation” provision to prevent DOJ from springing a perjury-obstruction trap. Defense’s motion was denied, and on November 16 Al-Arian refused to testify and was held in contempt.</p>
<p>A month later, the grand jury expired, a new one was convened, and Al-Arian was again subpoenaed to testify. He continued to refuse, was held in contempt, and had his sentence increased without mitigation to April 7, 2008.</p>
<p>On March 3, 2008 Kromberg ordered Al-Arian before still another March 19 grand jury, three weeks before his scheduled release and deportation. On the same day, Al-Arian began a hunger strike against the government’s continued harassment. It’s his third one but is life-threatening for a man in his condition. He’s diabetic and needs regular sustenance to avoid serious health problems. His January through March, 2007 strike depleted one-fourth of his body weight, gravely harmed him, and ended only at the urging of his family.</p>
<p>He’s now 20 days into his latest fast, lost 30 pounds, is weakening, and his life is endangered. On March 12, Al-Arian was transferred to the Butner, North Carolina medical facility where treatment is poor, the staff indifferent, and in Al-Arian’s case hostile to a designated enemy of the state. On March 18, he was returned to Warsaw, Virginia’s Northern Neck Regional jail ahead of his third grand jury appearance. Again, he refused to testify, so he’ll likely face new contempt charges and continued confinement.</p>
<p>George Washington University Law School Professor Jonathan Turley heads up Al-Arian’s legal team. On March 3, he released the following statement:</p>
<p>“On behalf of Mr. Olson and Mr. Meitl and the entire legal team, (we are greatly disappointed by) the Justice Department(‘s) continu(ing)….effort to mete out punishment that it could not secure from a jury. Having lost (its) case (it’s) openly sought to extend (Al-Arian’s) confinement by daisy-chaining grand juries. As in other cases, the government has given Dr. Al-Arian the choice of an obvious perjury trap or a contempt sanction. (Either way assures his imprisonment. This) choice….is obnoxious to our legal system and contrary to any standard of decency. The mistreatment of Dr. Al-Arian remains an international symbol of how the Bush Administration has discarded fundamental principles of fairness in a blind pursuit of retribution against this political activist. We stand committed to fighting this great injustice and hopefully reuniting Dr. Al-Arian with his family and friends.”</p>
<p>In the meantime, his long ordeal continues at a time lawlessness prevails over justice, and we’re all Sami-Al-Arians in America’s “war on terrorism.”</p>
<p>STEPHEN LENDMAN lives in Chicago and can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
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| 7,078 |
<p>Richard Ellis/ZUMA</p>
<p />
<p>Coming off big wins in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Donald Trump secured his position as the clear front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday night with another resounding victory in the Nevada caucuses.</p>
<p>The major networks called the race for Trump shortly after the caucuses concluded. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas were locked in a battle for second place, with Ohio Gov. John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson trailing.</p>
<p>Trump, who has broken all the usual campaign rules with brash promises that range from building a wall along the Mexican border to banning Muslims from entering the country, has now won the last three caucuses or primaries. He enters the Super Tuesday contests on March 1 with a commanding lead in the delegate count.</p>
<p />
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Donald Trump Wins Nevada Caucuses
| true |
https://motherjones.com/politics/2016/02/republican-caucus-nevada-winner/
|
2016-02-24
| 4left
|
Donald Trump Wins Nevada Caucuses
<p>Richard Ellis/ZUMA</p>
<p />
<p>Coming off big wins in New Hampshire and South Carolina, Donald Trump secured his position as the clear front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday night with another resounding victory in the Nevada caucuses.</p>
<p>The major networks called the race for Trump shortly after the caucuses concluded. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas were locked in a battle for second place, with Ohio Gov. John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson trailing.</p>
<p>Trump, who has broken all the usual campaign rules with brash promises that range from building a wall along the Mexican border to banning Muslims from entering the country, has now won the last three caucuses or primaries. He enters the Super Tuesday contests on March 1 with a commanding lead in the delegate count.</p>
<p />
| 7,079 |
<p>For the second time in as many years, a House panel has approved a bill that would allow some government-funded charities to discriminate in hiring on the basis of religion.</p>
<p>On a party-line vote Feb. 9, a subpanel of the House Education and Workforce Committee approved the “Job Training Improvement Act.” The act reauthorizes a federal program that funds local organizations helping provide unemployed people with marketable job skills.</p>
<p>The committee's 15 Democrats voted against the bill, while its 18 Republicans supported it.</p>
<p>The proposal would remove protections for employees seeking jobs from religious social-service providers funded under the program. The 1964 Civil Rights Act already allows churches and synagogues to discriminate in hiring for most positions on the basis of religious principles. However, the courts have not definitively settled the issue of whether religious groups retain that right when hiring for a position wholly or partly funded by tax dollars.</p>
<p>The 1982 Workforce Investment Act, which set up the program, originally prohibited organizations receiving grants under it from discriminating on the basis of religion, race, gender and other categories. The new bill would remove those protections only for religious providers, and only on the basis of religion.</p>
<p>Associated Baptist Press</p>
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House committee OKs discrimination bill
| false |
https://baptistnews.com/article/housecommitteeoksdiscriminationbill/
| 3left-center
|
House committee OKs discrimination bill
<p>For the second time in as many years, a House panel has approved a bill that would allow some government-funded charities to discriminate in hiring on the basis of religion.</p>
<p>On a party-line vote Feb. 9, a subpanel of the House Education and Workforce Committee approved the “Job Training Improvement Act.” The act reauthorizes a federal program that funds local organizations helping provide unemployed people with marketable job skills.</p>
<p>The committee's 15 Democrats voted against the bill, while its 18 Republicans supported it.</p>
<p>The proposal would remove protections for employees seeking jobs from religious social-service providers funded under the program. The 1964 Civil Rights Act already allows churches and synagogues to discriminate in hiring for most positions on the basis of religious principles. However, the courts have not definitively settled the issue of whether religious groups retain that right when hiring for a position wholly or partly funded by tax dollars.</p>
<p>The 1982 Workforce Investment Act, which set up the program, originally prohibited organizations receiving grants under it from discriminating on the basis of religion, race, gender and other categories. The new bill would remove those protections only for religious providers, and only on the basis of religion.</p>
<p>Associated Baptist Press</p>
| 7,080 |
|
<p>Image: Sacha Eckes</p>
<p />
<p>Malik Aziz, 42, is a law-abiding citizen of the United States, a Philadelphia resident and a political activist. But until last month, he wasn’t allowed to vote.</p>
<p>Aziz is an ex-con with several drug-related convictions behind him. After his release from state prison in 1997, he launched a respectable career in local politics. In Pennsylvania, however, if you weren’t registered to vote when you went into prison, you couldn’t vote for a full five years after you finished serving your time.</p>
<p>“I’m a law-abiding citizen,” Aziz fumed last summer. “I have a job, I pay taxes. I made a mistake and now I want to rectify the wrongs.”</p>
<p>Aziz has since won back his voting rights, because a Pennsylvania appellate court struck down the state’s voting restriction on ex-cons in September. But across the country, millions of other citizens convicted of felonies — including many long since released from prison — are not so lucky. And many of those disenfranchised this way are minorities — so many, in fact, that the impact of the laws suspending their voting rights is beginning to resemble that of Jim Crow laws.</p>
<p>Last June in Hillsborough County, Fla. alone, 3,000 citizens received letters from the state’s Division of Elections informing them that they would not be allowed to vote because they had one or more felony conviction in their pasts. All told, some three-quarters of a million Floridians, according to recent estimates, will not be permitted to help choose a president next month. Add Texas, and there are well over 1.2 million disenfranchised people living in just two states.</p>
<p>The Sentencing Project, in conjunction with Human Rights Watch, <a href="http://www.sentencingproject.org/policy/9080.htm" type="external">published a study</a> two years ago revealing that 25 percent of all black men in the seven states surveyed had been permanently disenfranchised through entanglement in the criminal justice system.</p>
<p>Now, new figures suggest the situation is even worse. According to an upcoming report by University of Minnesota sociology professor Christopher Uggen and Northwestern University’s Jeff Manza, more than four million Americans are prevented by the laws of the states they live in from voting. In most states, such laws apply to those currently in prison, on probation, or on parole.</p>
<p>But in 13 other states, the disenfranchisement is permanent. A fourteenth, Delaware, also permanently disenfranchises certain categories of felons. Serve your time, pay your debt to society, come out of prison, get a job, pay taxes, send your kids to school — no matter what you do, you still won’t regain that most basic right of citizenship. You will be subject to the laws of the land, but you will have no input into the decision-making system out of which those laws emerge.</p>
<p>Already in 10 states, according to Uggen and Manza’s report, between 4 percent and 6 percent of the adult population is barred from voting. And despite the Pennsylvania court ruling, with tough-on-crime politics still dominating national discourse, other states are also looking toward disenfranchisement policies: In November, voters in the traditionally liberal state of Massachusetts will decide on a ballot initiative aiming to prevent incarcerated felons from voting while in prison.</p>
<p>Several legal challenges have been mounted to the practice outside of Pennsylvania, with no results. A suit in Mississippi has failed, and others in Washington and Mississippi haven’t yet produced any results. A bill to change Florida’s disenfranchisement laws has gathered dust in a general assembly committee for the past three years.</p>
<p>The hammer of these laws has fallen hardest on black and Latino communities, source of a hugely disproportionate number of American prisoners. Fully 35 years after the Voting Rights Act was passed to end Jim Crow’s reign over the ballot box, nearly 7 percent of the African American population nationwide is disenfranchised. And in seven states, more than one quarter of black men are now permanently deprived of the right to vote.</p>
<p>Many of the felony convictions which have since left these citizens voteless grew out of the war on drugs, which has helped send quadruple the number of prisoners in the US since 1980 to nearly two million.</p>
<p>Even non-southern states such as Minnesota have seen a huge percentage of their minority populations disenfranchised. In another not-yet-published paper, Uggen and two colleagues estimate that while Minnesota only deprives about one percent of adults of the vote, almost 10 percent of the state’s small black population is currently forbidden the ballot.</p>
<p>“It’s just more punishment after you come out of prison,” Aziz says. “Once a person has done his time, why should you further punish him? ”</p>
<p>Because most of those who can’t vote are poor and/or people of color — exactly the demographic groups most likely to vote Democrat — many close elections won by Republicans in recent years might have turned out very differently had ex-felons had the right to vote.</p>
<p>Indeed, factoring in what percentage of a population matching the economic, racial, and educational backgrounds of the disenfranchised population is actually likely to vote, and looking at the percentages of these votes likely to go to each of the two major parties in any given election year, Uggen and Manza calculated that four Senate seats won by Republicans between 1988 and 1998 would have been won by Democrats had so many residents not been disenfranchised. That four seat difference may have meant Democratic control of the Senate through the 1990s.</p>
<p>There may be an even greater impact on the local level: had just a fraction of the more than 200,000 disenfranchised potential-voters in Alabama, including nearly 100,000 African Americans, been able to vote, three crucial state races would likely have been won by Democrats in 1998. For that matter, according to Manza and Uggen’s research, had as many people been incarcerated and disenfranchised in 1960 as in 2000, Richard Nixon would have beaten Kennedy to the presidency.</p>
<p>It is an issue you would expect the Democrats to be hammering on: Poor people, many from racial minorities, denied the right to vote, skewing the political system toward the Republican Party. With the presidential race still too close to call, less than a month before election day, mass disenfranchisement in toss-up states such as Florida could end up playing a crucial role in determining who becomes the next president. If Bush wins by as small an Electoral College majority as did Kennedy 40 years ago, restrictions in ballot access, especially in the South, may have made the difference.</p>
<p>Yet because politicians of all political stripes are terrified of appearing “soft on crime,” few Democrats, with the exception of Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), have taken up this cause. Conyers, a liberal politician from Michigan, has been pushing a bill that would override state voter restrictions and allow disenfranchised ex-felons to vote in national elections. But despite 26 co-sponsors, the bill has languished in the Subcommittee on the Constitution, and shows no signs of passing anytime soon.</p>
<p>The most recent legal challenge came on Sept. 21, when the New York-based Brennan Center for Justice filed suit in Florida’s courts arguing that the state’s disenfranchisement laws are unconstitutional. According to Uggen and Manza’s research, more than 6 percent of the state’s total voting-age population can’t vote. “It’s creating a democratic crisis when such a large group in society are not given the right to vote,” say Brennan Center attorney Gillian Metzger. The last time so many blacks were legally prevented from voting, Metzger believes, “was before the Voting Rights Act, when you had literacy tests and poll taxes and so on.” All of these laws were overturned — except for the web of laws, created in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, relating to those convicted of felonies.</p>
<p>According to historian Andrew Shapiro, these laws were specifically designed by ante-bellum southern politicians to bar blacks from the ballot box. Indeed, when Alabama adopted such a law in 1901, John Knox, the politician presiding over the constitutional convention, stated that the aim of such provisions was to help preserve white supremacy without directly challenging the constitution of the United States.</p>
<p>Supporters of the disenfranchisement laws say the laws aren’t about race, but accountability. “The purpose is to try to deter people from committing crime,” explains Alabama state representative Phil Crigler. “You’re not going to go back to life as usual. It’s just an extension of the punishment. With all the things accessible to criminals today, like plea-bargaining, good-time credits, it’s almost like there’s no consequences to committing crime. I don’t believe that’s right.”</p>
<p>As more and more ex-felons emerge from the penal system, and as more people go into prison, the cumulative disenfranchisement numbers, both nationally and at state levels, will only get worse. “We’re mass-producing ex-felons,” Uggen asserts. “Those numbers are going to be staggering.”</p>
<p />
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Barring Democracy
| true |
https://motherjones.com/politics/2000/10/barring-democracy/
|
2000-10-17
| 4left
|
Barring Democracy
<p>Image: Sacha Eckes</p>
<p />
<p>Malik Aziz, 42, is a law-abiding citizen of the United States, a Philadelphia resident and a political activist. But until last month, he wasn’t allowed to vote.</p>
<p>Aziz is an ex-con with several drug-related convictions behind him. After his release from state prison in 1997, he launched a respectable career in local politics. In Pennsylvania, however, if you weren’t registered to vote when you went into prison, you couldn’t vote for a full five years after you finished serving your time.</p>
<p>“I’m a law-abiding citizen,” Aziz fumed last summer. “I have a job, I pay taxes. I made a mistake and now I want to rectify the wrongs.”</p>
<p>Aziz has since won back his voting rights, because a Pennsylvania appellate court struck down the state’s voting restriction on ex-cons in September. But across the country, millions of other citizens convicted of felonies — including many long since released from prison — are not so lucky. And many of those disenfranchised this way are minorities — so many, in fact, that the impact of the laws suspending their voting rights is beginning to resemble that of Jim Crow laws.</p>
<p>Last June in Hillsborough County, Fla. alone, 3,000 citizens received letters from the state’s Division of Elections informing them that they would not be allowed to vote because they had one or more felony conviction in their pasts. All told, some three-quarters of a million Floridians, according to recent estimates, will not be permitted to help choose a president next month. Add Texas, and there are well over 1.2 million disenfranchised people living in just two states.</p>
<p>The Sentencing Project, in conjunction with Human Rights Watch, <a href="http://www.sentencingproject.org/policy/9080.htm" type="external">published a study</a> two years ago revealing that 25 percent of all black men in the seven states surveyed had been permanently disenfranchised through entanglement in the criminal justice system.</p>
<p>Now, new figures suggest the situation is even worse. According to an upcoming report by University of Minnesota sociology professor Christopher Uggen and Northwestern University’s Jeff Manza, more than four million Americans are prevented by the laws of the states they live in from voting. In most states, such laws apply to those currently in prison, on probation, or on parole.</p>
<p>But in 13 other states, the disenfranchisement is permanent. A fourteenth, Delaware, also permanently disenfranchises certain categories of felons. Serve your time, pay your debt to society, come out of prison, get a job, pay taxes, send your kids to school — no matter what you do, you still won’t regain that most basic right of citizenship. You will be subject to the laws of the land, but you will have no input into the decision-making system out of which those laws emerge.</p>
<p>Already in 10 states, according to Uggen and Manza’s report, between 4 percent and 6 percent of the adult population is barred from voting. And despite the Pennsylvania court ruling, with tough-on-crime politics still dominating national discourse, other states are also looking toward disenfranchisement policies: In November, voters in the traditionally liberal state of Massachusetts will decide on a ballot initiative aiming to prevent incarcerated felons from voting while in prison.</p>
<p>Several legal challenges have been mounted to the practice outside of Pennsylvania, with no results. A suit in Mississippi has failed, and others in Washington and Mississippi haven’t yet produced any results. A bill to change Florida’s disenfranchisement laws has gathered dust in a general assembly committee for the past three years.</p>
<p>The hammer of these laws has fallen hardest on black and Latino communities, source of a hugely disproportionate number of American prisoners. Fully 35 years after the Voting Rights Act was passed to end Jim Crow’s reign over the ballot box, nearly 7 percent of the African American population nationwide is disenfranchised. And in seven states, more than one quarter of black men are now permanently deprived of the right to vote.</p>
<p>Many of the felony convictions which have since left these citizens voteless grew out of the war on drugs, which has helped send quadruple the number of prisoners in the US since 1980 to nearly two million.</p>
<p>Even non-southern states such as Minnesota have seen a huge percentage of their minority populations disenfranchised. In another not-yet-published paper, Uggen and two colleagues estimate that while Minnesota only deprives about one percent of adults of the vote, almost 10 percent of the state’s small black population is currently forbidden the ballot.</p>
<p>“It’s just more punishment after you come out of prison,” Aziz says. “Once a person has done his time, why should you further punish him? ”</p>
<p>Because most of those who can’t vote are poor and/or people of color — exactly the demographic groups most likely to vote Democrat — many close elections won by Republicans in recent years might have turned out very differently had ex-felons had the right to vote.</p>
<p>Indeed, factoring in what percentage of a population matching the economic, racial, and educational backgrounds of the disenfranchised population is actually likely to vote, and looking at the percentages of these votes likely to go to each of the two major parties in any given election year, Uggen and Manza calculated that four Senate seats won by Republicans between 1988 and 1998 would have been won by Democrats had so many residents not been disenfranchised. That four seat difference may have meant Democratic control of the Senate through the 1990s.</p>
<p>There may be an even greater impact on the local level: had just a fraction of the more than 200,000 disenfranchised potential-voters in Alabama, including nearly 100,000 African Americans, been able to vote, three crucial state races would likely have been won by Democrats in 1998. For that matter, according to Manza and Uggen’s research, had as many people been incarcerated and disenfranchised in 1960 as in 2000, Richard Nixon would have beaten Kennedy to the presidency.</p>
<p>It is an issue you would expect the Democrats to be hammering on: Poor people, many from racial minorities, denied the right to vote, skewing the political system toward the Republican Party. With the presidential race still too close to call, less than a month before election day, mass disenfranchisement in toss-up states such as Florida could end up playing a crucial role in determining who becomes the next president. If Bush wins by as small an Electoral College majority as did Kennedy 40 years ago, restrictions in ballot access, especially in the South, may have made the difference.</p>
<p>Yet because politicians of all political stripes are terrified of appearing “soft on crime,” few Democrats, with the exception of Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), have taken up this cause. Conyers, a liberal politician from Michigan, has been pushing a bill that would override state voter restrictions and allow disenfranchised ex-felons to vote in national elections. But despite 26 co-sponsors, the bill has languished in the Subcommittee on the Constitution, and shows no signs of passing anytime soon.</p>
<p>The most recent legal challenge came on Sept. 21, when the New York-based Brennan Center for Justice filed suit in Florida’s courts arguing that the state’s disenfranchisement laws are unconstitutional. According to Uggen and Manza’s research, more than 6 percent of the state’s total voting-age population can’t vote. “It’s creating a democratic crisis when such a large group in society are not given the right to vote,” say Brennan Center attorney Gillian Metzger. The last time so many blacks were legally prevented from voting, Metzger believes, “was before the Voting Rights Act, when you had literacy tests and poll taxes and so on.” All of these laws were overturned — except for the web of laws, created in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, relating to those convicted of felonies.</p>
<p>According to historian Andrew Shapiro, these laws were specifically designed by ante-bellum southern politicians to bar blacks from the ballot box. Indeed, when Alabama adopted such a law in 1901, John Knox, the politician presiding over the constitutional convention, stated that the aim of such provisions was to help preserve white supremacy without directly challenging the constitution of the United States.</p>
<p>Supporters of the disenfranchisement laws say the laws aren’t about race, but accountability. “The purpose is to try to deter people from committing crime,” explains Alabama state representative Phil Crigler. “You’re not going to go back to life as usual. It’s just an extension of the punishment. With all the things accessible to criminals today, like plea-bargaining, good-time credits, it’s almost like there’s no consequences to committing crime. I don’t believe that’s right.”</p>
<p>As more and more ex-felons emerge from the penal system, and as more people go into prison, the cumulative disenfranchisement numbers, both nationally and at state levels, will only get worse. “We’re mass-producing ex-felons,” Uggen asserts. “Those numbers are going to be staggering.”</p>
<p />
| 7,081 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>to listen to the Star-Spangled Banner at Lobo basketball games. The committee that chooses the singers needs to remember it’s our national anthem, not an audition for American Idol. It would be far more respectful for the excellent band to play, with the fans singing along. – B.L.</p>
<p>PLEASE DON’T</p>
<p>confuse your church donations with charity donations. Those were your dues. Charity donations help needy people. – K.R.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>I WILL BUY into the green living and world warming when the United Nations outlaws the 112 active volcanoes that are spewing gas and pollution 24/7. The U.N. needs to provide the policing troops to enforce the law on the countries that allow the volcanoes to erupt. – P.A.</p>
<p>A QUESTION POSED by a relative while visiting over the holidays. Why does Albuquerque spend tax dollars to clean up graffiti when they let another eyesore of vagrant loitering/panhandling go unchecked? They noticed it at every major intersection and on/off ramp in town. – R.N.</p>
<p>RETENTION IS A life-changing moment in a child’s life and should be left up to those who know the child best: the facts are true! Children who are retained overall become low achievers. As a community, we shoot ourselves in the leg when we base retention on one area of a child’s academic career. – E.H.</p>
<p>TRAPS AND SNARES should be banned everywhere because they are cruel and too often indiscriminate. Too, it would be a sign of progress if the word “vermin” were to become obsolete: Everything has a purpose. – G.C.</p>
<p>THE PROBLEM REALLY is that we don’t have a two-party system – we have two sides to a single party with big government as its goal. – P.S.</p>
<p>UNIONS ARE TERRIFIED people will find out just how unnecessary they are – like a typewriter. – S.T.</p>
<p>A RESTORED WOLF population would manage the coyotes for free. – B.B.</p>
<p>AS SEEN IN Albuquerque’s most recent officer-involved shooting, APD refused to allow the DA’s office access to their briefing, citing conflict of interest. Hope this doesn’t turn into a tit-for-tat game between the two entities. It will benefit no one! – E.M.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>STOP USING the word “harvest” for killing. Coyotes are sentient canines just like our dogs. They are not turnips. – M.K.R.</p>
<p>JUST LOVE IT when someone writes a story and quotes the alcohol limit in N.M. – when no one is driving. The alcohol limit applies to driving a vehicle, not sitting in a bar. – J.E.H.</p>
<p>TALK ABOUT BEING thrown under the bus. You try to protect the citizens and they throw you to a pack of lawyers. The city should take the responsibility to pay for the legal fees of its officers. I guess that means if one pulls two knives on you, you should just walk away and let someone else get cut up. – G.W.T.</p>
<p>DRIVING IMPAIRMENT : Alcoholic vs. pot head at a stop sign – an alcoholic might pass out while a pot head will wait for it to say “go.” In both cases the vehicle is stopped, engine on. – R.E.C.</p>
<p>RIGHT TO WORK would also mean the right for under qualified plumbers, metalworkers and electricians to be hired by companies cheaply, taking away the monitoring and experience required for adequate training in these key professions. Another knee-jerk conservative bad idea. – G.L.</p>
<p>MAYBE DRIVERS keep going the wrong way on traffic circles because you keep calling them “roundabouts.” That makes people think they’re in England when they meet up with them! – B.L.</p>
<p>FEDERAL AND STATE leaders are upset over lost gasoline tax revenue since the pump prices are down. But gasoline tax is per gallon, not per dollar. Cheaper gas, people drive more and buy more gas. Could it be we’ve been lied to in an effort to raise gasoline tax? – M.B.B.</p>
<p>THANK YOU SO much to the kind person who put my father’s cane up on the curb at the DMV on Thursday so he could find it when we came back a few minutes later. – S.B.</p>
<p />
|
Speak Up!
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/528778/speak-up-147.html
|
2015-01-20
| 2least
|
Speak Up!
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>to listen to the Star-Spangled Banner at Lobo basketball games. The committee that chooses the singers needs to remember it’s our national anthem, not an audition for American Idol. It would be far more respectful for the excellent band to play, with the fans singing along. – B.L.</p>
<p>PLEASE DON’T</p>
<p>confuse your church donations with charity donations. Those were your dues. Charity donations help needy people. – K.R.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>I WILL BUY into the green living and world warming when the United Nations outlaws the 112 active volcanoes that are spewing gas and pollution 24/7. The U.N. needs to provide the policing troops to enforce the law on the countries that allow the volcanoes to erupt. – P.A.</p>
<p>A QUESTION POSED by a relative while visiting over the holidays. Why does Albuquerque spend tax dollars to clean up graffiti when they let another eyesore of vagrant loitering/panhandling go unchecked? They noticed it at every major intersection and on/off ramp in town. – R.N.</p>
<p>RETENTION IS A life-changing moment in a child’s life and should be left up to those who know the child best: the facts are true! Children who are retained overall become low achievers. As a community, we shoot ourselves in the leg when we base retention on one area of a child’s academic career. – E.H.</p>
<p>TRAPS AND SNARES should be banned everywhere because they are cruel and too often indiscriminate. Too, it would be a sign of progress if the word “vermin” were to become obsolete: Everything has a purpose. – G.C.</p>
<p>THE PROBLEM REALLY is that we don’t have a two-party system – we have two sides to a single party with big government as its goal. – P.S.</p>
<p>UNIONS ARE TERRIFIED people will find out just how unnecessary they are – like a typewriter. – S.T.</p>
<p>A RESTORED WOLF population would manage the coyotes for free. – B.B.</p>
<p>AS SEEN IN Albuquerque’s most recent officer-involved shooting, APD refused to allow the DA’s office access to their briefing, citing conflict of interest. Hope this doesn’t turn into a tit-for-tat game between the two entities. It will benefit no one! – E.M.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>STOP USING the word “harvest” for killing. Coyotes are sentient canines just like our dogs. They are not turnips. – M.K.R.</p>
<p>JUST LOVE IT when someone writes a story and quotes the alcohol limit in N.M. – when no one is driving. The alcohol limit applies to driving a vehicle, not sitting in a bar. – J.E.H.</p>
<p>TALK ABOUT BEING thrown under the bus. You try to protect the citizens and they throw you to a pack of lawyers. The city should take the responsibility to pay for the legal fees of its officers. I guess that means if one pulls two knives on you, you should just walk away and let someone else get cut up. – G.W.T.</p>
<p>DRIVING IMPAIRMENT : Alcoholic vs. pot head at a stop sign – an alcoholic might pass out while a pot head will wait for it to say “go.” In both cases the vehicle is stopped, engine on. – R.E.C.</p>
<p>RIGHT TO WORK would also mean the right for under qualified plumbers, metalworkers and electricians to be hired by companies cheaply, taking away the monitoring and experience required for adequate training in these key professions. Another knee-jerk conservative bad idea. – G.L.</p>
<p>MAYBE DRIVERS keep going the wrong way on traffic circles because you keep calling them “roundabouts.” That makes people think they’re in England when they meet up with them! – B.L.</p>
<p>FEDERAL AND STATE leaders are upset over lost gasoline tax revenue since the pump prices are down. But gasoline tax is per gallon, not per dollar. Cheaper gas, people drive more and buy more gas. Could it be we’ve been lied to in an effort to raise gasoline tax? – M.B.B.</p>
<p>THANK YOU SO much to the kind person who put my father’s cane up on the curb at the DMV on Thursday so he could find it when we came back a few minutes later. – S.B.</p>
<p />
| 7,082 |
<p>JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — More than 1,000 police officers saluted at the flag-draped coffin of a Jersey City police lieutenant who was struck and killed on the New Jersey Turnpike after a traffic accident last week.</p>
<p>Newark archbishop Cardinal Joseph Tobin celebrated Mass for 49-year-old Lt. Christopher Robateau during his funeral Thursday at St. Aeden's Church in Jersey City.</p>
<p>Authorities have said Robateau was in uniform and on his way to work Friday when he was involved in a minor accident with a large truck while heading northbound near Exit 14. He got out of his vehicle to assist the truck driver but was struck by a pickup before he reached the other driver.</p>
<p>Robateau is survived by a wife and three children.</p>
<p>JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — More than 1,000 police officers saluted at the flag-draped coffin of a Jersey City police lieutenant who was struck and killed on the New Jersey Turnpike after a traffic accident last week.</p>
<p>Newark archbishop Cardinal Joseph Tobin celebrated Mass for 49-year-old Lt. Christopher Robateau during his funeral Thursday at St. Aeden's Church in Jersey City.</p>
<p>Authorities have said Robateau was in uniform and on his way to work Friday when he was involved in a minor accident with a large truck while heading northbound near Exit 14. He got out of his vehicle to assist the truck driver but was struck by a pickup before he reached the other driver.</p>
<p>Robateau is survived by a wife and three children.</p>
|
Funeral held for officer struck, killed on turnpike
| false |
https://apnews.com/amp/df1a7d6003994d12b8981ed79d83af29
|
2018-01-11
| 2least
|
Funeral held for officer struck, killed on turnpike
<p>JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — More than 1,000 police officers saluted at the flag-draped coffin of a Jersey City police lieutenant who was struck and killed on the New Jersey Turnpike after a traffic accident last week.</p>
<p>Newark archbishop Cardinal Joseph Tobin celebrated Mass for 49-year-old Lt. Christopher Robateau during his funeral Thursday at St. Aeden's Church in Jersey City.</p>
<p>Authorities have said Robateau was in uniform and on his way to work Friday when he was involved in a minor accident with a large truck while heading northbound near Exit 14. He got out of his vehicle to assist the truck driver but was struck by a pickup before he reached the other driver.</p>
<p>Robateau is survived by a wife and three children.</p>
<p>JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — More than 1,000 police officers saluted at the flag-draped coffin of a Jersey City police lieutenant who was struck and killed on the New Jersey Turnpike after a traffic accident last week.</p>
<p>Newark archbishop Cardinal Joseph Tobin celebrated Mass for 49-year-old Lt. Christopher Robateau during his funeral Thursday at St. Aeden's Church in Jersey City.</p>
<p>Authorities have said Robateau was in uniform and on his way to work Friday when he was involved in a minor accident with a large truck while heading northbound near Exit 14. He got out of his vehicle to assist the truck driver but was struck by a pickup before he reached the other driver.</p>
<p>Robateau is survived by a wife and three children.</p>
| 7,083 |
<p>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ These Minnesota lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Daily 3</p>
<p>2-1-5</p>
<p>(two, one, five)</p>
<p>Gopher 5</p>
<p>17-18-28-30-36</p>
<p>(seventeen, eighteen, twenty-eight, thirty, thirty-six)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $1.03 million</p>
<p>Lotto America</p>
<p>04-30-38-47-48, Star Ball: 3, ASB: 2</p>
<p>(four, thirty, thirty-eight, forty-seven, forty-eight; Star Ball: three; ASB: two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $17.23 million</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $306 million</p>
<p>Northstar Cash</p>
<p>08-09-11-12-20</p>
<p>(eight, nine, eleven, twelve, twenty)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $30,000</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>03-09-16-56-60, Powerball: 3, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(three, nine, sixteen, fifty-six, sixty; Powerball: three; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $337 million</p>
<p>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ These Minnesota lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Daily 3</p>
<p>2-1-5</p>
<p>(two, one, five)</p>
<p>Gopher 5</p>
<p>17-18-28-30-36</p>
<p>(seventeen, eighteen, twenty-eight, thirty, thirty-six)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $1.03 million</p>
<p>Lotto America</p>
<p>04-30-38-47-48, Star Ball: 3, ASB: 2</p>
<p>(four, thirty, thirty-eight, forty-seven, forty-eight; Star Ball: three; ASB: two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $17.23 million</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $306 million</p>
<p>Northstar Cash</p>
<p>08-09-11-12-20</p>
<p>(eight, nine, eleven, twelve, twenty)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $30,000</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>03-09-16-56-60, Powerball: 3, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(three, nine, sixteen, fifty-six, sixty; Powerball: three; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $337 million</p>
|
MN Lottery
| false |
https://apnews.com/amp/83e99ee1a77e485583aec38fbff5a811
|
2017-12-28
| 2least
|
MN Lottery
<p>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ These Minnesota lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Daily 3</p>
<p>2-1-5</p>
<p>(two, one, five)</p>
<p>Gopher 5</p>
<p>17-18-28-30-36</p>
<p>(seventeen, eighteen, twenty-eight, thirty, thirty-six)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $1.03 million</p>
<p>Lotto America</p>
<p>04-30-38-47-48, Star Ball: 3, ASB: 2</p>
<p>(four, thirty, thirty-eight, forty-seven, forty-eight; Star Ball: three; ASB: two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $17.23 million</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $306 million</p>
<p>Northstar Cash</p>
<p>08-09-11-12-20</p>
<p>(eight, nine, eleven, twelve, twenty)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $30,000</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>03-09-16-56-60, Powerball: 3, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(three, nine, sixteen, fifty-six, sixty; Powerball: three; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $337 million</p>
<p>MINNEAPOLIS (AP) _ These Minnesota lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Daily 3</p>
<p>2-1-5</p>
<p>(two, one, five)</p>
<p>Gopher 5</p>
<p>17-18-28-30-36</p>
<p>(seventeen, eighteen, twenty-eight, thirty, thirty-six)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $1.03 million</p>
<p>Lotto America</p>
<p>04-30-38-47-48, Star Ball: 3, ASB: 2</p>
<p>(four, thirty, thirty-eight, forty-seven, forty-eight; Star Ball: three; ASB: two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $17.23 million</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $306 million</p>
<p>Northstar Cash</p>
<p>08-09-11-12-20</p>
<p>(eight, nine, eleven, twelve, twenty)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $30,000</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>03-09-16-56-60, Powerball: 3, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(three, nine, sixteen, fifty-six, sixty; Powerball: three; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $337 million</p>
| 7,084 |
<p>Driving up to the apartment, Chicago lead inspector Delfin Diaz can tell the building is in poor condition. He points out the Irving Park neighborhood is gentrifying, and many of the other homes are spiffed up and have new windows. But the windows on this mustard-colored brick building, built in 1920, are covered with a film, and their edges are thick with layers of paint.</p>
<p>The building’s door is propped open with a brick. When Diaz knocks on the apartment door, a short Mexican woman tells him, in Spanish and in no uncertain terms, that the child who lives there did not get lead poisoning from the apartment. He nods. The child was tested at a local clinic and found to have a high blood lead level, and the law requires that city inspectors try to find the source of the exposure.</p>
<p>Diaz tells the woman that he understands her family is frightened that the discovery of lead will upset their landlord. But he needs to check it out and politely pushes his way inside.</p>
<p>The apartment smells of cleaning spray. The living room’s bare wood floors are spotless, and the furniture is covered in plastic. The walls are decorated with posters of roses in plastic gold-colored frames. A young woman comes out of a bedroom carrying a chubby boy, about 18 months old, and two steps behind her is a 3-year-old. The woman is the mother of the toddler, whose lead level is slightly elevated. She carries a folded copy of the report from the clinic and shows it to Diaz.</p>
<p>The toddler immediately goes to an open front window. Outside, it is raining, and the boy watches the big raindrops hit the ground. “That is the ideal scenario for how he could have been poisoned,” Diaz says. “Eighty percent of the problems are old windows and old porches.” He discovers that the lead level on the windowsills is extremely high.</p>
<p>Despite progress over the past decade, for families in Chicago like the one whose apartment is being inspected by Diaz, lead poisoning remains one of the top environmental health concerns for children. And it’s much more serious a problem here than anywhere else in the country.</p>
<p>In seven of Chicago’s 77 community areas, more than 20 percent of the children screened had elevated lead levels in 2002, according to Chicago Department of Public Health data. The city’s overall rate is 11 percent, the state’s is 6 percent and the country’s is 2.2 percent.</p>
<p>The most-affected areas in Chicago were all poor and on the South and West sides of the city.</p>
<p>And these numbers might be undercounted. In late August, a federal judge ruled that Illinois’ Medicaid program violated federal law by not giving 600,000 children the proper preventative screenings, including lead tests. Since children participating in Medicaid come from poor families that often live in dilapidated buildings, they are most at risk for lead poisoning.</p>
<p>Community advocates say low-income families continue to feel as though the discovery of lead in their homes puts them in an unsavory position. High levels of lead can cause physical symptoms such as nausea, comas or even death. But even small amounts of lead in a child’s system can cause irreversible brain damage, making their acquisition of knowledge slow and causing them to be hyperactive.</p>
<p>Parents, advocates say, do not want their children to be harmed or have their potential dimmed. But the price of fixing the problem can be daunting.</p>
<p>Homeowners often can’t afford it, and renters sometimes have trouble getting their landlords to get the work done. Activists say the presence of lead in a home is especially hard for families of undocumented immigrants. Not only has an affordable housing crunch made it difficult to find reasonably priced apartments, but they also are wary of any type of intervention by authorities. This is underscored when Diaz inspects the apartment.</p>
<p>When he enters the kitchen, the older woman turns from a big pot of rice on the stove and starts at him again. She insists there is no way the boy got the lead from the home. “There are five families living here,” she says, “and we need this place to live.”</p>
<p>In the 20 years since Diaz began his work as a lead inspector, he says the lead situation has gotten markedly better for a number of reasons. A concerted effort by public health officials and community organizations have made parents better educated about the damage lead can do, causing them to take it more seriously, he says.</p>
<p>Along with gentrification has come renovation of old structures, doing away with some lead problems. And the city no longer forces property owners to completely get rid of lead, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.</p>
<p>“We try to tell them that all they need is elbow grease and plastic,” says Anthony Amato, the city’s supervisor of lead inspectors. “What we say now is, ‘Let’s manage lead by getting rid of the hazards.’ Completely removing lead was cost prohibitive. The landlords couldn’t afford to do it.”</p>
<p>Two-thirds of the 2,280 Chicago property owners cited for violations in 2003 complied within 30 days, or as soon as the weather permitted, according to city officials. But 570 landlords had to be referred to an administrative court. Anne Evens, director of the city’s lead prevention program, says, in some cases, prosecuting a landlord can take more than a year.</p>
<p>Raveese Gladney, whose daughter Jessica Chess is now 5, says the time between the discovery of a child with an elevated blood lead level and the city forcing a landlord to fix the problems can be excruciating for parents.</p>
<p>When Jessica was 3, she took the lead test required for preschool. Two days later, the doctor told Gladney her daughter’s lead level was 54.5—well above the 10 threshold, the higheset level still considered safe. “I was so upset,” she says. “I didn’t know where to go.” Gladney says she understood the dangers of lead. To bring down the lead levels, her daughter took medication three times a day.</p>
<p>Soon after Gladney’s daughter was diagnosed, the city’s lead inspector came out to examine the family’s apartment. The inspector found the windows filled with lead paint. Gladney was given instructions on how to wipe down the windowsills, and the city sent a letter to the owner of the building, Mercedes Reyes.</p>
<p>As far as Gladney knows, the landlord didn’t respond to the letter until the city threatened more than a year later to bring her to court. Then, Gladney says Reyes hired a painter to scrape off the paint around the windows and repaint. Reyes didn’t respond to interview requests.</p>
<p>Between the time Gladney discovered the lead paint and the time Reyes removed it, Gladney kept the house “spic and span” and had Jessica, her only child, wash her hands regularly.</p>
<p>Then, when her lease came up, Gladney got a shock. Her landlord told her to move. “I am sure it is because of the lead,” she says. Gladney moved into a building owned by her aunt down the block. This time, though, she refused to move in until an inspector made sure her new place didn’t have any hazards.</p>
<p>Gladney says her daughter seems to be doing fine. But she is worried about the consequences down the road. She can’t afford a private education, so she desperately wants her daughter to be able to test into either a magnet or classical school.</p>
<p>She says she’s praying Jessica’s elevated lead levels will not hinder her chances. “I still like to think that she has the same potential,” she says. “I hope I am right.”</p>
|
Parent Trap
| false |
http://chicagoreporter.com/parent-trap/
|
2007-09-25
| 3left-center
|
Parent Trap
<p>Driving up to the apartment, Chicago lead inspector Delfin Diaz can tell the building is in poor condition. He points out the Irving Park neighborhood is gentrifying, and many of the other homes are spiffed up and have new windows. But the windows on this mustard-colored brick building, built in 1920, are covered with a film, and their edges are thick with layers of paint.</p>
<p>The building’s door is propped open with a brick. When Diaz knocks on the apartment door, a short Mexican woman tells him, in Spanish and in no uncertain terms, that the child who lives there did not get lead poisoning from the apartment. He nods. The child was tested at a local clinic and found to have a high blood lead level, and the law requires that city inspectors try to find the source of the exposure.</p>
<p>Diaz tells the woman that he understands her family is frightened that the discovery of lead will upset their landlord. But he needs to check it out and politely pushes his way inside.</p>
<p>The apartment smells of cleaning spray. The living room’s bare wood floors are spotless, and the furniture is covered in plastic. The walls are decorated with posters of roses in plastic gold-colored frames. A young woman comes out of a bedroom carrying a chubby boy, about 18 months old, and two steps behind her is a 3-year-old. The woman is the mother of the toddler, whose lead level is slightly elevated. She carries a folded copy of the report from the clinic and shows it to Diaz.</p>
<p>The toddler immediately goes to an open front window. Outside, it is raining, and the boy watches the big raindrops hit the ground. “That is the ideal scenario for how he could have been poisoned,” Diaz says. “Eighty percent of the problems are old windows and old porches.” He discovers that the lead level on the windowsills is extremely high.</p>
<p>Despite progress over the past decade, for families in Chicago like the one whose apartment is being inspected by Diaz, lead poisoning remains one of the top environmental health concerns for children. And it’s much more serious a problem here than anywhere else in the country.</p>
<p>In seven of Chicago’s 77 community areas, more than 20 percent of the children screened had elevated lead levels in 2002, according to Chicago Department of Public Health data. The city’s overall rate is 11 percent, the state’s is 6 percent and the country’s is 2.2 percent.</p>
<p>The most-affected areas in Chicago were all poor and on the South and West sides of the city.</p>
<p>And these numbers might be undercounted. In late August, a federal judge ruled that Illinois’ Medicaid program violated federal law by not giving 600,000 children the proper preventative screenings, including lead tests. Since children participating in Medicaid come from poor families that often live in dilapidated buildings, they are most at risk for lead poisoning.</p>
<p>Community advocates say low-income families continue to feel as though the discovery of lead in their homes puts them in an unsavory position. High levels of lead can cause physical symptoms such as nausea, comas or even death. But even small amounts of lead in a child’s system can cause irreversible brain damage, making their acquisition of knowledge slow and causing them to be hyperactive.</p>
<p>Parents, advocates say, do not want their children to be harmed or have their potential dimmed. But the price of fixing the problem can be daunting.</p>
<p>Homeowners often can’t afford it, and renters sometimes have trouble getting their landlords to get the work done. Activists say the presence of lead in a home is especially hard for families of undocumented immigrants. Not only has an affordable housing crunch made it difficult to find reasonably priced apartments, but they also are wary of any type of intervention by authorities. This is underscored when Diaz inspects the apartment.</p>
<p>When he enters the kitchen, the older woman turns from a big pot of rice on the stove and starts at him again. She insists there is no way the boy got the lead from the home. “There are five families living here,” she says, “and we need this place to live.”</p>
<p>In the 20 years since Diaz began his work as a lead inspector, he says the lead situation has gotten markedly better for a number of reasons. A concerted effort by public health officials and community organizations have made parents better educated about the damage lead can do, causing them to take it more seriously, he says.</p>
<p>Along with gentrification has come renovation of old structures, doing away with some lead problems. And the city no longer forces property owners to completely get rid of lead, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars.</p>
<p>“We try to tell them that all they need is elbow grease and plastic,” says Anthony Amato, the city’s supervisor of lead inspectors. “What we say now is, ‘Let’s manage lead by getting rid of the hazards.’ Completely removing lead was cost prohibitive. The landlords couldn’t afford to do it.”</p>
<p>Two-thirds of the 2,280 Chicago property owners cited for violations in 2003 complied within 30 days, or as soon as the weather permitted, according to city officials. But 570 landlords had to be referred to an administrative court. Anne Evens, director of the city’s lead prevention program, says, in some cases, prosecuting a landlord can take more than a year.</p>
<p>Raveese Gladney, whose daughter Jessica Chess is now 5, says the time between the discovery of a child with an elevated blood lead level and the city forcing a landlord to fix the problems can be excruciating for parents.</p>
<p>When Jessica was 3, she took the lead test required for preschool. Two days later, the doctor told Gladney her daughter’s lead level was 54.5—well above the 10 threshold, the higheset level still considered safe. “I was so upset,” she says. “I didn’t know where to go.” Gladney says she understood the dangers of lead. To bring down the lead levels, her daughter took medication three times a day.</p>
<p>Soon after Gladney’s daughter was diagnosed, the city’s lead inspector came out to examine the family’s apartment. The inspector found the windows filled with lead paint. Gladney was given instructions on how to wipe down the windowsills, and the city sent a letter to the owner of the building, Mercedes Reyes.</p>
<p>As far as Gladney knows, the landlord didn’t respond to the letter until the city threatened more than a year later to bring her to court. Then, Gladney says Reyes hired a painter to scrape off the paint around the windows and repaint. Reyes didn’t respond to interview requests.</p>
<p>Between the time Gladney discovered the lead paint and the time Reyes removed it, Gladney kept the house “spic and span” and had Jessica, her only child, wash her hands regularly.</p>
<p>Then, when her lease came up, Gladney got a shock. Her landlord told her to move. “I am sure it is because of the lead,” she says. Gladney moved into a building owned by her aunt down the block. This time, though, she refused to move in until an inspector made sure her new place didn’t have any hazards.</p>
<p>Gladney says her daughter seems to be doing fine. But she is worried about the consequences down the road. She can’t afford a private education, so she desperately wants her daughter to be able to test into either a magnet or classical school.</p>
<p>She says she’s praying Jessica’s elevated lead levels will not hinder her chances. “I still like to think that she has the same potential,” she says. “I hope I am right.”</p>
| 7,085 |
<p />
<p>Spring is a time of growth both literally and figuratively.&#160; Just as spring showers coax the dormant bulbs to bloom into flowers, research indicates that the capital needed to spur business growth is flowing better than it has in a long time.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>There has been a steady climb in small business loan approvals in 2013.&#160;As the economy slowly ticks up, banks both large and small are jumping back into the small business credit markets.&#160; The latest Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index, which tracks loan approval rates at banks and other lenders on a monthly basis, reported that big banks are approving loans as the highest rates in over two years.&#160; Meanwhile, small banks are now granting more than half the small business funding requests they receive.&#160;This is good news for aspiring entrepreneurs and growing companies.</p>
<p>Often the infusion of capital is used for expansion.&#160; Many companies use funding to improve their information technology (IT)&#160;capabilities.&#160; For instance, many doctors are converting from paper records to digital medicals, which are easier to organize and more readily shared among health professionals.&#160; Converting to a 21st century system can be costly, and physicians do not always have the cash on hand to pay for the conversion, which can be quite expensive for larger practices.</p>
<p>With interest rates still at low levels, now is a good time to make investments in property, buildings and equipment.&#160; Real estate prices still have not returned to pre-2008 levels, and interest rates for property purchases may never get any lower.&#160; More and more companies are seeking building and equipment loans, and with banks and other funders looking to build their lending portfolios, borrowers are having a much easier time in securing the financing they need for growth.</p>
<p>For would-be entrepreneurs, startup capital is critical.&#160; Think of it as the roots of your business.&#160; Any type of business, whether it be retail or service based, needs seed money.&#160; New franchisees need money to pay the fees, purchase land and buildings, etc.&#160; These are things that the franchise companies don't focus on when they are selling the dream of business ownership.</p>
<p>A common mistake for people starting businesses from scratch is that they underestimate the amount of seed money they require. While many people want to refrain from borrowing money and making financial commitments, a frequent failing of startup companies is that their owners don't have enough cash to get the operation up and running.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Startup costs include property purchase (or rent), utilities, permits and other fees, advertising and other marketing costs, legal fees, graphic design and signage, printing, office equipment, and inventory.&#160; It is not uncommon for someone who has never been in business before to overlook some of these expenses in the early stages.</p>
<p>The problem is that when a borrower has to go back to the bank (or other lender), it indicates that either the business is not as viable as the entrepreneur thought or he/she was a poor planner. &#160;Neither bodes well for receiving a second infusion of cash.</p>
<p>I often advise entrepreneurs to ask for more money than they think they will need. This provides some cushion when the company hits some snags.&#160; If the extra money ultimately is not needed, the business can simply pay it back to the bank.&#160; (A benefit of doing so it that it establishes a track record of prompt payment, which is especially important for a young entrepreneur who might not yet have built a credit history.)</p>
<p>The year 2013 has begun with some positive signs of recovery.&#160; As winter gives way to spring, I am encouraged that sunny days are ahead for small business owners.</p>
<p>Rohit Arora is co-founder and CEO of <a href="http://www.biz2credit.com" type="external">Biz2Credit Opens a New Window.</a>, an online resource that connects 1.6 million small business owners with 1,100+ lenders, credit rating agencies and service providers such as CPAs and attorneys via its Internet platform.&#160; Since 2007, Biz2Credit has secured $800 million in startup funding, small business loans and business lines of credit for entrepreneurs across the U.S.</p>
|
Signs of Springtime Growth in Business
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/03/26/signs-springtime-growth-in-business.html
|
2016-03-23
| 0right
|
Signs of Springtime Growth in Business
<p />
<p>Spring is a time of growth both literally and figuratively.&#160; Just as spring showers coax the dormant bulbs to bloom into flowers, research indicates that the capital needed to spur business growth is flowing better than it has in a long time.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>There has been a steady climb in small business loan approvals in 2013.&#160;As the economy slowly ticks up, banks both large and small are jumping back into the small business credit markets.&#160; The latest Biz2Credit Small Business Lending Index, which tracks loan approval rates at banks and other lenders on a monthly basis, reported that big banks are approving loans as the highest rates in over two years.&#160; Meanwhile, small banks are now granting more than half the small business funding requests they receive.&#160;This is good news for aspiring entrepreneurs and growing companies.</p>
<p>Often the infusion of capital is used for expansion.&#160; Many companies use funding to improve their information technology (IT)&#160;capabilities.&#160; For instance, many doctors are converting from paper records to digital medicals, which are easier to organize and more readily shared among health professionals.&#160; Converting to a 21st century system can be costly, and physicians do not always have the cash on hand to pay for the conversion, which can be quite expensive for larger practices.</p>
<p>With interest rates still at low levels, now is a good time to make investments in property, buildings and equipment.&#160; Real estate prices still have not returned to pre-2008 levels, and interest rates for property purchases may never get any lower.&#160; More and more companies are seeking building and equipment loans, and with banks and other funders looking to build their lending portfolios, borrowers are having a much easier time in securing the financing they need for growth.</p>
<p>For would-be entrepreneurs, startup capital is critical.&#160; Think of it as the roots of your business.&#160; Any type of business, whether it be retail or service based, needs seed money.&#160; New franchisees need money to pay the fees, purchase land and buildings, etc.&#160; These are things that the franchise companies don't focus on when they are selling the dream of business ownership.</p>
<p>A common mistake for people starting businesses from scratch is that they underestimate the amount of seed money they require. While many people want to refrain from borrowing money and making financial commitments, a frequent failing of startup companies is that their owners don't have enough cash to get the operation up and running.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Startup costs include property purchase (or rent), utilities, permits and other fees, advertising and other marketing costs, legal fees, graphic design and signage, printing, office equipment, and inventory.&#160; It is not uncommon for someone who has never been in business before to overlook some of these expenses in the early stages.</p>
<p>The problem is that when a borrower has to go back to the bank (or other lender), it indicates that either the business is not as viable as the entrepreneur thought or he/she was a poor planner. &#160;Neither bodes well for receiving a second infusion of cash.</p>
<p>I often advise entrepreneurs to ask for more money than they think they will need. This provides some cushion when the company hits some snags.&#160; If the extra money ultimately is not needed, the business can simply pay it back to the bank.&#160; (A benefit of doing so it that it establishes a track record of prompt payment, which is especially important for a young entrepreneur who might not yet have built a credit history.)</p>
<p>The year 2013 has begun with some positive signs of recovery.&#160; As winter gives way to spring, I am encouraged that sunny days are ahead for small business owners.</p>
<p>Rohit Arora is co-founder and CEO of <a href="http://www.biz2credit.com" type="external">Biz2Credit Opens a New Window.</a>, an online resource that connects 1.6 million small business owners with 1,100+ lenders, credit rating agencies and service providers such as CPAs and attorneys via its Internet platform.&#160; Since 2007, Biz2Credit has secured $800 million in startup funding, small business loans and business lines of credit for entrepreneurs across the U.S.</p>
| 7,086 |
<p>Dec. 29 (UPI) — A French romance drama set during the 2015 Paris terror attacks has been postponed by public broadcaster France 2 following backlash.</p>
<p>The film, titled Ce Soir-La (That Night), was set to star Sandrine Bonnaire and Simon Abkarian as a single mother and a former Taliban member who meet after they rescue survivors from Paris’ Bataclan venue where 89 people were killed during an Eagles of Death Metal concert,” <a href="http://deadline.com/2017/12/france-2-ce-soir-la-pulled-paris-attacks-2015-tv-movie-1202233378/" type="external">Deadline</a> reported.</p>
<p>France 2 announced Thursday they were postponing the film after a <a href="https://www.change.org/p/pour-que-france-2-renonce-%C3%A0-son-projet-de-t%C3%A9l%C3%A9film-sur-fond-d-attentat-au-bataclan" type="external">Change.org</a> petition created by Claire Peltier, a partner of one of the Bataclan victims, had gathered over 39,000 signatures asking the broadcaster to halt production.</p>
<p>Peltier, in the petition, calls the film “too painful” and that it should be renounced “out of respect for those who were lost and injured” and “out of respect for the service of public television.”</p>
<p>France 2 released a <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/french-tv-postpones-bataclan-attack-film-following-backlash-w514811" type="external">statement</a> regarding the film and noted that a premeire air date for the project was not set.</p>
<p>“The film, which is still being edited, has not been seen by the channel’s management. France 2 has made the decision to postpone this project until the production has widely consulted all victims’ associations,” France 2 said.</p>
|
Film set during the 2015 Paris attacks postponed following backlash
| false |
https://newsline.com/film-set-during-the-2015-paris-attacks-postponed-following-backlash/
|
2017-12-30
| 1right-center
|
Film set during the 2015 Paris attacks postponed following backlash
<p>Dec. 29 (UPI) — A French romance drama set during the 2015 Paris terror attacks has been postponed by public broadcaster France 2 following backlash.</p>
<p>The film, titled Ce Soir-La (That Night), was set to star Sandrine Bonnaire and Simon Abkarian as a single mother and a former Taliban member who meet after they rescue survivors from Paris’ Bataclan venue where 89 people were killed during an Eagles of Death Metal concert,” <a href="http://deadline.com/2017/12/france-2-ce-soir-la-pulled-paris-attacks-2015-tv-movie-1202233378/" type="external">Deadline</a> reported.</p>
<p>France 2 announced Thursday they were postponing the film after a <a href="https://www.change.org/p/pour-que-france-2-renonce-%C3%A0-son-projet-de-t%C3%A9l%C3%A9film-sur-fond-d-attentat-au-bataclan" type="external">Change.org</a> petition created by Claire Peltier, a partner of one of the Bataclan victims, had gathered over 39,000 signatures asking the broadcaster to halt production.</p>
<p>Peltier, in the petition, calls the film “too painful” and that it should be renounced “out of respect for those who were lost and injured” and “out of respect for the service of public television.”</p>
<p>France 2 released a <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/french-tv-postpones-bataclan-attack-film-following-backlash-w514811" type="external">statement</a> regarding the film and noted that a premeire air date for the project was not set.</p>
<p>“The film, which is still being edited, has not been seen by the channel’s management. France 2 has made the decision to postpone this project until the production has widely consulted all victims’ associations,” France 2 said.</p>
| 7,087 |
<p>The Hill recently published a <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/323300-trump-leans-on-executive-power-in-his-first-50-days" type="external">piece</a> summarizing what has occurred in the first 50 days of Donald Trump's presidency, as well as what he has accomplished. Trump hasn't signed a lot of legislation, but The Hill notes that he has signed 16 executive orders so far. Barack Obama signed 17 at this point in his presidency.</p>
<p>Here are 15 things Trump has done since his inauguration.</p>
<p>1. An executive order pausing refugees and immigration from six Islamic countries. Among the first of Trump's actions was this executive order; it originally applied to seven countries, but was struck down by the activist Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals following a bumpy rollout. The <a href="" type="internal">revised executive order</a> no longer applies to Iraq, but still applies to Somalia, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and Sudan, and doesn't prioritize Christians who face persecution in these countries.</p>
<p>2. An <a href="" type="internal">executive order</a> cracking down on sanctuary cities. The order strips funding from sanctuary cities and invokes "public shaming" against these cities by compiling "a comprehensive list of criminal actions committed by aliens" that take place in sanctuary cities.</p>
<p>3. The aforementioned executive order also stated the wall will start being built. Granted, <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-border-wall-politics-235904" type="external">the process has been slow and there have been issues regarding how to pay for it</a>, but at least Trump is making a serious attempt at securing the border.</p>
<p>4. <a href="" type="internal">Nominated</a> Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. The nomination was lauded by conservatives, who almost uniformly consider Gorsuch a solid replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Gorsuch's confirmation hearings are scheduled to start on <a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2017/03/10/gorsuch-hearings-to-begin-on-march-20-n2297223" type="external">March 20</a>.</p>
<p>5. Reinstated the "Mexico City Policy" banning federal funding for international abortions. The policy was reversed by Barack Obama, but Trump put it back into effect when he took office. <a href="" type="internal">The Daily Wire's Frank Camp has more details on it here.</a></p>
<p>6. <a href="" type="internal">Repealed an unconstitutional Obama regulation on guns.</a> The regulation basically prevented seniors who had trouble maintaining finances from obtaining firearms without due process. That didn't stop the media from mischaracterizing it as the Republicans allowing crazy old people to purchase guns.</p>
<p>7. <a href="" type="internal">The Obama regulation raising automobile emissions standards has also been repealed</a>.</p>
<p>8. Approved the <a href="" type="internal">construction of the Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines</a>. This was an important move to help create jobs and increase the supply of oil.</p>
<p>9. <a href="" type="internal">Froze</a> the Obama administration's last-minute $220 million funding to the Palestinian Authority (PA). The Obama administration bypassed the objections of congressional Republicans in its waning hours to provide the aid to the PA. The Trump administration put the funding on hold until further review.</p>
<p>10. Exited from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro <a href="" type="internal">wrote</a>: "He’s killed the Trans-Pacific Partnership without a suitable plan for replacement, opening the door wide to Chinese influence in the Pacific and pleasing the very labor unions that have helped make American business less competitive."</p>
<p>11. Slapped Iran with new sanctions. The sanctions were aimed at punishing Iran for sponsoring terrorism and conducting a ballistic missile test, as <a href="" type="internal">the Daily Wire explained here</a>.</p>
<p>12. <a href="" type="internal">Repealed</a> the Obama regulation banning lead bullets for hunting and fishing tackle.</p>
<p>13. Beefed up immigration enforcement. According to Shapiro, Trump's executive actions on immigration included:</p>
<p>1. Broaden Enforcement Priorities. According to Section 5(c), the Secretary of Homeland Security has now been granted the power to prioritize for removal those who “have committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense.” This means anyone who has crossed the border illegally. Whereas under President Obama, other crimes were prioritized, now illegal presence in the country has become a priority for law enforcement. The executive action also extends prioritization to false use of a Social Security number, for example (Section 5(d)), or taking public benefits illegally (Section 5(e)).</p>
<p>2. Add Agents. The order grants the Secretary the ability to hire 10,000 additional law enforcement officers with money to be found under current allocations.</p>
<p>3. Allow States To Help Police Immigration. Whereas the Obama administration sued the Arizona state government for aiding in enforcement of federal immigration law, Section 8(b) of the order allows States and local law enforcement officials to “perform the functions of immigration officers in relation to investigation, apprehension, or detention of alients in the United States.”</p>
<p>14. Trumpcare. Trump rolled out his replacement for Obamacare, and <a href="" type="internal">it's a disaster</a>.</p>
<p>15. Released a budget. The budget makes cuts to various departments and agencies, but increases spending for defense and other agencies, while cutting taxes, <a href="" type="internal">as Shapiro explains here</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/bandlersbanter" type="external">Follow Aaron Bandler on Twitter.</a></p>
|
Here Are 15 Things Trump Has Done Since His Inauguration
| true |
https://dailywire.com/news/14319/here-are-15-things-trump-has-done-his-inauguration-aaron-bandler
|
2017-03-12
| 0right
|
Here Are 15 Things Trump Has Done Since His Inauguration
<p>The Hill recently published a <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/323300-trump-leans-on-executive-power-in-his-first-50-days" type="external">piece</a> summarizing what has occurred in the first 50 days of Donald Trump's presidency, as well as what he has accomplished. Trump hasn't signed a lot of legislation, but The Hill notes that he has signed 16 executive orders so far. Barack Obama signed 17 at this point in his presidency.</p>
<p>Here are 15 things Trump has done since his inauguration.</p>
<p>1. An executive order pausing refugees and immigration from six Islamic countries. Among the first of Trump's actions was this executive order; it originally applied to seven countries, but was struck down by the activist Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals following a bumpy rollout. The <a href="" type="internal">revised executive order</a> no longer applies to Iraq, but still applies to Somalia, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and Sudan, and doesn't prioritize Christians who face persecution in these countries.</p>
<p>2. An <a href="" type="internal">executive order</a> cracking down on sanctuary cities. The order strips funding from sanctuary cities and invokes "public shaming" against these cities by compiling "a comprehensive list of criminal actions committed by aliens" that take place in sanctuary cities.</p>
<p>3. The aforementioned executive order also stated the wall will start being built. Granted, <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-border-wall-politics-235904" type="external">the process has been slow and there have been issues regarding how to pay for it</a>, but at least Trump is making a serious attempt at securing the border.</p>
<p>4. <a href="" type="internal">Nominated</a> Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. The nomination was lauded by conservatives, who almost uniformly consider Gorsuch a solid replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Gorsuch's confirmation hearings are scheduled to start on <a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2017/03/10/gorsuch-hearings-to-begin-on-march-20-n2297223" type="external">March 20</a>.</p>
<p>5. Reinstated the "Mexico City Policy" banning federal funding for international abortions. The policy was reversed by Barack Obama, but Trump put it back into effect when he took office. <a href="" type="internal">The Daily Wire's Frank Camp has more details on it here.</a></p>
<p>6. <a href="" type="internal">Repealed an unconstitutional Obama regulation on guns.</a> The regulation basically prevented seniors who had trouble maintaining finances from obtaining firearms without due process. That didn't stop the media from mischaracterizing it as the Republicans allowing crazy old people to purchase guns.</p>
<p>7. <a href="" type="internal">The Obama regulation raising automobile emissions standards has also been repealed</a>.</p>
<p>8. Approved the <a href="" type="internal">construction of the Keystone and Dakota Access Pipelines</a>. This was an important move to help create jobs and increase the supply of oil.</p>
<p>9. <a href="" type="internal">Froze</a> the Obama administration's last-minute $220 million funding to the Palestinian Authority (PA). The Obama administration bypassed the objections of congressional Republicans in its waning hours to provide the aid to the PA. The Trump administration put the funding on hold until further review.</p>
<p>10. Exited from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro <a href="" type="internal">wrote</a>: "He’s killed the Trans-Pacific Partnership without a suitable plan for replacement, opening the door wide to Chinese influence in the Pacific and pleasing the very labor unions that have helped make American business less competitive."</p>
<p>11. Slapped Iran with new sanctions. The sanctions were aimed at punishing Iran for sponsoring terrorism and conducting a ballistic missile test, as <a href="" type="internal">the Daily Wire explained here</a>.</p>
<p>12. <a href="" type="internal">Repealed</a> the Obama regulation banning lead bullets for hunting and fishing tackle.</p>
<p>13. Beefed up immigration enforcement. According to Shapiro, Trump's executive actions on immigration included:</p>
<p>1. Broaden Enforcement Priorities. According to Section 5(c), the Secretary of Homeland Security has now been granted the power to prioritize for removal those who “have committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense.” This means anyone who has crossed the border illegally. Whereas under President Obama, other crimes were prioritized, now illegal presence in the country has become a priority for law enforcement. The executive action also extends prioritization to false use of a Social Security number, for example (Section 5(d)), or taking public benefits illegally (Section 5(e)).</p>
<p>2. Add Agents. The order grants the Secretary the ability to hire 10,000 additional law enforcement officers with money to be found under current allocations.</p>
<p>3. Allow States To Help Police Immigration. Whereas the Obama administration sued the Arizona state government for aiding in enforcement of federal immigration law, Section 8(b) of the order allows States and local law enforcement officials to “perform the functions of immigration officers in relation to investigation, apprehension, or detention of alients in the United States.”</p>
<p>14. Trumpcare. Trump rolled out his replacement for Obamacare, and <a href="" type="internal">it's a disaster</a>.</p>
<p>15. Released a budget. The budget makes cuts to various departments and agencies, but increases spending for defense and other agencies, while cutting taxes, <a href="" type="internal">as Shapiro explains here</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/bandlersbanter" type="external">Follow Aaron Bandler on Twitter.</a></p>
| 7,088 |
<p>A recent Boston Globe article focused on the fact that the Democrats are struggling to find one voice on Iraq. We don’t need one voice from the Democrats. We need every Democrat who voted for this war to apologize for this illegal and immoral war and to insist that we leave Iraq immediately.</p>
<p>On October 11, 2002, the Senate voted 77-23 and the House voted 296-133 to authorize President Bush to attack Iraq if Saddam Hussein refused to give up weapons of mass destruction as required by UN resolutions.</p>
<p>It didn’t matter that Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction and hadn’t had any since 1995, according to UN Weapons Inspector, Scott Ritter, a fact he says was known by US, British, Israeli and German intelligence. It didn’t matter that Iraq harbored no Al Qaeda terrorists. It didn’t matter that the weapons inspections were moving along, despite Hussein’s moodiness on the subject. It didn’t matter that the whole world was watching Hussein and there was no way he could possibly bring any more harm to his own or any other people.</p>
<p>To get the Congress and we-the-people on board, in the words of General Anthony Zinni, the administration “cooked the books” and the majority of us nodded approvingly. On March 20, 2003, President Bush, well armed with the unchecked power handed to him by Congress, declared pre-emptive war against Iraq. Well over two thousand Americans and, according to the Iraq Body Count Project, over 42,000 Iraqis have died to date. Thousands have been wounded. Many have been tortured. An anti-American insurgence has grown long, sharp teeth. No one has been held accountable.</p>
<p>The truth was available to all members of Congress at the time of the vote and some chose to heed it. Senator Mark Dayton said, “There was never any suggestion in any briefings I attended that Iraq had or was about to acquire a nuclear weapons program.” Senator Kent Conrad took it upon himself before the Iraq vote to read the book, “1919,” a history of Iraq’s independence. He learned about the long-standing conflicts between ethnic factions and knew that the Iraqi people would not be waving US victory flags. “I knew none of that was true,” he said. Senator Dick Durbin didn’t believe the hastily produced national intelligence document about Iraq’s weapons, stating “I knew that much of the document was conjecture.” According to Senator Lincoln Chafee, the only Republican to oppose the war, “I never believed that the Iraq war was about weapons of mass destruction. It was this grand vision of changing the Middle East.”</p>
<p>Grand vision of the Middle East? How grand is a vision that requires bombing a country and depriving its children of medical care for ten year during sanctions? How grand, even effective, can the vision be if the visionaries don’t even know the history of the region? How grand is a vision that requires killing over 42,000 people, over 26,000 of whom were civilians. How grand is a vision that destroys the infrastructure of another county and pays your own people big bucks to build it back up again?</p>
<p>Even though many of the dead and wounded are their own constituents and the children of their own constituents, the High Profile Democrats–the ones who have announced or who are rumored to be preparing to announce a bid for the Presidency–are not hollering about having been lied to. They are not apologizing to the families of the dead for their misguided votes. They are not insisting upon an immediate withdrawal from Iraq.</p>
<p>These Democrats who voted for the war, including Joseph Biden, Hillary Clinton, Diane Feinstein and Joe Lieberman, are muttering about political divisions, stewing on mindless strategy about why the US should stay in Iraq or mildly asking the administration for exit strategy plans.</p>
<p>To his credit, John Kerry has proposed a tepid plan for withdrawing the troops, but insodoing, he referred to the war as “a foreign policy misadventure.” It is not a misadventure. It is a bloody, immoral foray backwards into cruel US colonialism which was illegally manipulated by a bankrupt administration and approved by a large majority of our elected officials. The only possible choice open to us is to denounce the action and bring it to an end as quickly as possible. The best way to support our troops is to bring them home before any more lives are lost.</p>
<p>Melvin Laird, former Republican Secretary of Defense, urges expeditious withdrawal contending, “Our presence is what feeds the insurgency in Iraq.” Howard Zinn, historian and author, argues that “because the US occupation lies at the root of the civil war in Iraq, the slower you phase it out, the slower you end the insurgency. Troops should begin leaving as fast as ships and planes can bring them out.”</p>
<p>It is time for the elected Democrats who supported this tragic debacle to come clean and start running.</p>
<p>LAURA SANTINA lives in San Francisco, where she writes on political affairs. She can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
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Why Aren’t the Democrats Screaming Bloody Murder?
| true |
https://counterpunch.org/2005/10/29/why-aren-t-the-democrats-screaming-bloody-murder/
|
2005-10-29
| 4left
|
Why Aren’t the Democrats Screaming Bloody Murder?
<p>A recent Boston Globe article focused on the fact that the Democrats are struggling to find one voice on Iraq. We don’t need one voice from the Democrats. We need every Democrat who voted for this war to apologize for this illegal and immoral war and to insist that we leave Iraq immediately.</p>
<p>On October 11, 2002, the Senate voted 77-23 and the House voted 296-133 to authorize President Bush to attack Iraq if Saddam Hussein refused to give up weapons of mass destruction as required by UN resolutions.</p>
<p>It didn’t matter that Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction and hadn’t had any since 1995, according to UN Weapons Inspector, Scott Ritter, a fact he says was known by US, British, Israeli and German intelligence. It didn’t matter that Iraq harbored no Al Qaeda terrorists. It didn’t matter that the weapons inspections were moving along, despite Hussein’s moodiness on the subject. It didn’t matter that the whole world was watching Hussein and there was no way he could possibly bring any more harm to his own or any other people.</p>
<p>To get the Congress and we-the-people on board, in the words of General Anthony Zinni, the administration “cooked the books” and the majority of us nodded approvingly. On March 20, 2003, President Bush, well armed with the unchecked power handed to him by Congress, declared pre-emptive war against Iraq. Well over two thousand Americans and, according to the Iraq Body Count Project, over 42,000 Iraqis have died to date. Thousands have been wounded. Many have been tortured. An anti-American insurgence has grown long, sharp teeth. No one has been held accountable.</p>
<p>The truth was available to all members of Congress at the time of the vote and some chose to heed it. Senator Mark Dayton said, “There was never any suggestion in any briefings I attended that Iraq had or was about to acquire a nuclear weapons program.” Senator Kent Conrad took it upon himself before the Iraq vote to read the book, “1919,” a history of Iraq’s independence. He learned about the long-standing conflicts between ethnic factions and knew that the Iraqi people would not be waving US victory flags. “I knew none of that was true,” he said. Senator Dick Durbin didn’t believe the hastily produced national intelligence document about Iraq’s weapons, stating “I knew that much of the document was conjecture.” According to Senator Lincoln Chafee, the only Republican to oppose the war, “I never believed that the Iraq war was about weapons of mass destruction. It was this grand vision of changing the Middle East.”</p>
<p>Grand vision of the Middle East? How grand is a vision that requires bombing a country and depriving its children of medical care for ten year during sanctions? How grand, even effective, can the vision be if the visionaries don’t even know the history of the region? How grand is a vision that requires killing over 42,000 people, over 26,000 of whom were civilians. How grand is a vision that destroys the infrastructure of another county and pays your own people big bucks to build it back up again?</p>
<p>Even though many of the dead and wounded are their own constituents and the children of their own constituents, the High Profile Democrats–the ones who have announced or who are rumored to be preparing to announce a bid for the Presidency–are not hollering about having been lied to. They are not apologizing to the families of the dead for their misguided votes. They are not insisting upon an immediate withdrawal from Iraq.</p>
<p>These Democrats who voted for the war, including Joseph Biden, Hillary Clinton, Diane Feinstein and Joe Lieberman, are muttering about political divisions, stewing on mindless strategy about why the US should stay in Iraq or mildly asking the administration for exit strategy plans.</p>
<p>To his credit, John Kerry has proposed a tepid plan for withdrawing the troops, but insodoing, he referred to the war as “a foreign policy misadventure.” It is not a misadventure. It is a bloody, immoral foray backwards into cruel US colonialism which was illegally manipulated by a bankrupt administration and approved by a large majority of our elected officials. The only possible choice open to us is to denounce the action and bring it to an end as quickly as possible. The best way to support our troops is to bring them home before any more lives are lost.</p>
<p>Melvin Laird, former Republican Secretary of Defense, urges expeditious withdrawal contending, “Our presence is what feeds the insurgency in Iraq.” Howard Zinn, historian and author, argues that “because the US occupation lies at the root of the civil war in Iraq, the slower you phase it out, the slower you end the insurgency. Troops should begin leaving as fast as ships and planes can bring them out.”</p>
<p>It is time for the elected Democrats who supported this tragic debacle to come clean and start running.</p>
<p>LAURA SANTINA lives in San Francisco, where she writes on political affairs. She can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
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<p />
<p>“I’ve always said, when I’m dead and gone, if there’s anything I could be remembered for, I would want it to be my ‘Decline’ films,” she says, referring to her series of three documentaries on youth subcultures. “That would be the greatest honor.”</p>
<p>Spheeris is now one step closer to that dream.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, the Library of Congress announced that the first film in Spheeris’ “The Decline of Western Civilization” trilogy – a controversial look at the burgeoning Los Angeles punk rock scene – was one of the 25 films selected for inclusion in the 2016 National Film Registry. Reached by phone, Spheeris described herself as “astonished” at the inclusion of her 1981 low-budget film, which she calls “one of the most written-about films of that year,” despite the fact that “no one saw it.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Including performances by such bands as X, Black Flag, the Circle Jerks and Fear – and featuring slam-dancing mosh pits so rambunctious that Spheeris’s cameraman, Steve Conant, jokingly requested a “shark cage” for his own protection – the film shocked the bourgeoisie, and delighted the counterculture, upon its release. The title of the film, she explains, was meant ironically. By the time “Decline 3” came out, with its sobering look at homeless teenagers known as “gutter punks,” Spheeris says the series had “grown into its name.”</p>
<p>Now numbering 700 films, the registry each year selects titles for their “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance,” typically preserving a copy of each film for posterity at the library’s Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia. Other films honored this year include Rob Reiner’s “The Princess Bride” (1987); Ridley Scott’s “Thelma &amp; Louise” (1991); Disney’s “The Lion King” (1994); a 17-minute gangster film by D.W. Griffith called “The Musketeers of Pig Alley” (1912); and an archive of footage documenting African-American life in the 1920s by minister, businessman and amateur filmmaker Solomon Sir Jones. This year’s films, which must be at least 10 years old, were selected by the Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, with input from members of the National Film Preservation Board and other Library of Congress film experts. Members of the public are encouraged to nominate their own favorite films.</p>
<p>“Decline” is one of a handful of movies on this year’s registry that touch on the themes of teen angst and/or disaffected youth. That’s a coincidence that is completely unintentional, according to the 64-year-old Hayden, whose cinematic taste from her teen years hews closer to the 1965 musical “The Sound of Music.” Other titles from this year’s list that share that spirit of hormonal rebellion include the James Dean vehicle “East of Eden” and the juvenile-delinquency drama “Blackboard Jungle,” both from 1955; John Hughes’s high school detention-set “The Breakfast Club” (1985); and “Rushmore,” a 1998 comedy by Wes Anderson about an adolescent misfit who is in love with his teacher.</p>
<p>Spheeris doesn’t find it odd that thematically related films appear on the list. The youth-in-revolt genre, she says, has an enduring appeal, since adolescence and early adulthood are when we are forming our identities. “You become angry,” she says. “You want to change the world.”</p>
<p>The genre is, however, one that she feels is in dire need of preservation.</p>
<p>“The children of today have access to so much information, via the web and social media, that it’s confusing,” says the 71-year-old filmmaker, who is at work on her fourth installment in the “Decline” series, about which she won’t reveal any details. “What this access has done is totally eradicate what I’ve always called the ‘underground’: the hippies, the punks, etc. Today, there are no unique and different films coming out of the underground.” In fact, she says, “the underground is aboveground.”</p>
<p>All the more reason, Spheeris says, for the registry. “It’s become a vital reference library for upcoming generations of young people. Today’s kids don’t know who they are.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Films selected for the 2016 National Film Registry:</p>
<p>-“Atomic Cafe” (1982)</p>
<p>-“Ball of Fire” (1941)</p>
<p>-“The Beau Brummels” (1928)</p>
<p>-“The Birds” (1963)</p>
<p>-“Blackboard Jungle” (1955)</p>
<p>-“The Breakfast Club” (1985)</p>
<p>-“The Decline of Western Civilization” (1981)</p>
<p>-“East of Eden” (1955)</p>
<p>-“Funny Girl” (1968)</p>
<p>-“Life of an American Fireman” (1903)</p>
<p>-“The Lion King” (1994)</p>
<p>-“Lost Horizon” (1937)</p>
<p>-“The Musketeers of Pig Alley” (1912)</p>
<p>-“Paris Is Burning” (1990)</p>
<p>-“Point Blank” (1967)</p>
<p>-“The Princess Bride” (1987)</p>
<p>-“Putney Swope” (1969)</p>
<p>-“Rushmore” (1998)</p>
<p>-“Solomon Sir Jones” films (1924-28)</p>
<p>-“Steamboat Bill, Jr.” (1928)</p>
<p>-“Suzanne, Suzanne” (1982)</p>
<p>-“Thelma &amp; Louise” (1991)</p>
<p>-“20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” (1916)</p>
<p>-“A Walk in the Sun” (1945)</p>
<p>-“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988)</p>
<p>film-registry</p>
|
National Film Registry honors ‘Breakfast Club,’ ‘Rushmore’ and other teen angst movies
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/908576/national-film-registry-honors-breakfast-club-rushmore-and-other-teen-angst-movies.html
| 2least
|
National Film Registry honors ‘Breakfast Club,’ ‘Rushmore’ and other teen angst movies
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>“I’ve always said, when I’m dead and gone, if there’s anything I could be remembered for, I would want it to be my ‘Decline’ films,” she says, referring to her series of three documentaries on youth subcultures. “That would be the greatest honor.”</p>
<p>Spheeris is now one step closer to that dream.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, the Library of Congress announced that the first film in Spheeris’ “The Decline of Western Civilization” trilogy – a controversial look at the burgeoning Los Angeles punk rock scene – was one of the 25 films selected for inclusion in the 2016 National Film Registry. Reached by phone, Spheeris described herself as “astonished” at the inclusion of her 1981 low-budget film, which she calls “one of the most written-about films of that year,” despite the fact that “no one saw it.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Including performances by such bands as X, Black Flag, the Circle Jerks and Fear – and featuring slam-dancing mosh pits so rambunctious that Spheeris’s cameraman, Steve Conant, jokingly requested a “shark cage” for his own protection – the film shocked the bourgeoisie, and delighted the counterculture, upon its release. The title of the film, she explains, was meant ironically. By the time “Decline 3” came out, with its sobering look at homeless teenagers known as “gutter punks,” Spheeris says the series had “grown into its name.”</p>
<p>Now numbering 700 films, the registry each year selects titles for their “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance,” typically preserving a copy of each film for posterity at the library’s Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia. Other films honored this year include Rob Reiner’s “The Princess Bride” (1987); Ridley Scott’s “Thelma &amp; Louise” (1991); Disney’s “The Lion King” (1994); a 17-minute gangster film by D.W. Griffith called “The Musketeers of Pig Alley” (1912); and an archive of footage documenting African-American life in the 1920s by minister, businessman and amateur filmmaker Solomon Sir Jones. This year’s films, which must be at least 10 years old, were selected by the Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, with input from members of the National Film Preservation Board and other Library of Congress film experts. Members of the public are encouraged to nominate their own favorite films.</p>
<p>“Decline” is one of a handful of movies on this year’s registry that touch on the themes of teen angst and/or disaffected youth. That’s a coincidence that is completely unintentional, according to the 64-year-old Hayden, whose cinematic taste from her teen years hews closer to the 1965 musical “The Sound of Music.” Other titles from this year’s list that share that spirit of hormonal rebellion include the James Dean vehicle “East of Eden” and the juvenile-delinquency drama “Blackboard Jungle,” both from 1955; John Hughes’s high school detention-set “The Breakfast Club” (1985); and “Rushmore,” a 1998 comedy by Wes Anderson about an adolescent misfit who is in love with his teacher.</p>
<p>Spheeris doesn’t find it odd that thematically related films appear on the list. The youth-in-revolt genre, she says, has an enduring appeal, since adolescence and early adulthood are when we are forming our identities. “You become angry,” she says. “You want to change the world.”</p>
<p>The genre is, however, one that she feels is in dire need of preservation.</p>
<p>“The children of today have access to so much information, via the web and social media, that it’s confusing,” says the 71-year-old filmmaker, who is at work on her fourth installment in the “Decline” series, about which she won’t reveal any details. “What this access has done is totally eradicate what I’ve always called the ‘underground’: the hippies, the punks, etc. Today, there are no unique and different films coming out of the underground.” In fact, she says, “the underground is aboveground.”</p>
<p>All the more reason, Spheeris says, for the registry. “It’s become a vital reference library for upcoming generations of young people. Today’s kids don’t know who they are.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Films selected for the 2016 National Film Registry:</p>
<p>-“Atomic Cafe” (1982)</p>
<p>-“Ball of Fire” (1941)</p>
<p>-“The Beau Brummels” (1928)</p>
<p>-“The Birds” (1963)</p>
<p>-“Blackboard Jungle” (1955)</p>
<p>-“The Breakfast Club” (1985)</p>
<p>-“The Decline of Western Civilization” (1981)</p>
<p>-“East of Eden” (1955)</p>
<p>-“Funny Girl” (1968)</p>
<p>-“Life of an American Fireman” (1903)</p>
<p>-“The Lion King” (1994)</p>
<p>-“Lost Horizon” (1937)</p>
<p>-“The Musketeers of Pig Alley” (1912)</p>
<p>-“Paris Is Burning” (1990)</p>
<p>-“Point Blank” (1967)</p>
<p>-“The Princess Bride” (1987)</p>
<p>-“Putney Swope” (1969)</p>
<p>-“Rushmore” (1998)</p>
<p>-“Solomon Sir Jones” films (1924-28)</p>
<p>-“Steamboat Bill, Jr.” (1928)</p>
<p>-“Suzanne, Suzanne” (1982)</p>
<p>-“Thelma &amp; Louise” (1991)</p>
<p>-“20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” (1916)</p>
<p>-“A Walk in the Sun” (1945)</p>
<p>-“Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988)</p>
<p>film-registry</p>
| 7,090 |
|
<p>Beirut.</p>
<p>The Egyptian people are demanding the return of their sovereignty. &#160; According to recent opinion surveys they believe it was partially ceded to Israel by the two post-Nasser dictators, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak, at the behest of American administrations, from Nixon to Obama.</p>
<p>The removal of three humiliating shackles for Egyptians, the gas give-away scheme, the 1979 Camp David Accords and the US forced recognition of Israel, constitute a strategic national security objective for most of Egypt’s 82 millioncitizens. &#160; According to the results of an opinion poll, conducted for Press TV and published on October 3, 2011, 73 percent of the Egyptian respondents opposed the terms of the agreement. Today the figure is estimated at 90%.</p>
<p>For the past eight years, the 2004 gas deal has been widely unpopular, and one of the charges in the current indictment against Mubarak is that the deposed President sold Egypt’s gas as part of a sweetheart deal involving kickbacks to family members, associates and Israeli officials. Mohamed Shoeib, the chairman of state-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company, told AFP last week that the gas deal was “annulled with the Israeli East Mediterranean Gas Co (EMG), because the company failed to respect conditions stipulated in the contract.”</p>
<p>Once Mubarak was toppled and his 14 secret police agencies began to lose some of their omnipresence, the gas line to Israel was severed 14 times in 12 months by a series of explosions that cut off 40%, of Israel’s supply which was used to generate electricity.</p>
<p>In the recent parliamentary elections and now during the presidential campaign, Egyptians have been debating relations with Israel publicly for the first time. Previously Mubarak was Israel’s protector and like some other Arab leaders still clinging to power, ignored his people’s demands for actively supporting for the liberation of Palestine.</p>
<p>In late January 2011, an Alexandria University student briefed this observer and a small group of Americans and Europeans sitting on benches opposite the ancient city’s majestic Great Library. He explained, recalling the demands of the Tahrir Square protests on January 25, 2011, “Our slogans at Tahrir Square were bread, freedom, dignity, and social justice. That was almost exactly one year ago. God willing, we will soon achieve the demands of our historic revolution which include canceling Camp David and withdrawing recognition of the Zionist regime still occupying Palestine. &#160; Egypt must again lead the Arab Nation’s sacred obligation to liberate Jerusalem and all of Palestine from the river to the sea.”</p>
<p>A stunning hijabed female student continued the dialogue, giving us her opinion: &#160; “The USA bought some of our leaders with billions in generous cash from your people but without any real benefit to ours. &#160; Camp David was essentially a private agreement by Sadat and then Mubarak. Our people had no say and were never asked whether we agreed. &#160; If we protested, we were jailed or worse. &#160; Now, the Egyptian people are gaining power despite a likely military coup by the SCAF military junta before the scheduled June elections.”</p>
<p>Israeli officials, in tandem with the US Zionist lobby are claiming that the abrogation of the gas agreement constitutes an “existential threat”. &#160; According to a researcher at the US Congressional Research Service in the Madison Building on Capitol Hill whose job includes keeping track of Israeli claims, it’s the 29th “existential threat” the Zionist colony has identified in its 64 year history. &#160;These perceived existential threats range from the internationally recognized Right of Return for Palestinians ethnically cleansed from their homes during and &#160; since the 1948 Nakba, to various Palestinian groups, more than two dozen UN Resolutions including, 194 and 242, Hezbollah naturally, &#160; international solidarity movement projects, a Jewish academic or two, Iran for sure, the rise of internet blogs, and potentially virtually every &#160; Christian, Arab and Muslim on the planet, not to mention the claimed rise of global anti-Zionism which the US Zionist lobby has recently decreed was always just another form of virulent anti-Semitism.</p>
<p>Despite all these perceived “existential threats” including recently the so-called “Road Map”, Israeli leaders continue to eschew any substantive negotiations which could mean Arabs and Jews sharing Palestine as part of one democratic, secular state on the basis of one person one vote, minus any “chosen people’ lunacy.</p>
<p>Yuval Steinitz, Israel’s finance minister warned that Egypt’s questioning its relations with Israel was “a dangerous precedent that threatens the peace agreements between Israel and Egypt.”</p>
<p>Ampal, the Israeli company which buys the gas, said that it considers the termination of the contract “unlawful and in bad faith”, and demanded its full restoration. Ampal, is planning to use international arbitration to attempt redress and is sending a corporate delegation to Washington to meet with AIPAC and administration officials &#160; to ask them to get the Egyptian action nullified and to force Egypt to keep selling its natural gas at below market prices. &#160;One congressional staffer joked in an email that Israeli companies get way better constituent services out of Congress than American companies, or even the voters who elect its members.</p>
<p>Israeli political analyst Israel Hayom wrote last weekend:” The painful conclusion from the collapse of the gas agreement with Egypt is that we are regressing to the days before the peace agreement with Egypt and the horizon does not look rosy at all. Camp David is in mortal danger. The painful conclusion is, once again, that we have no genuine friends in the region.&#160; Certainly not for the long term.”</p>
<p>The ADL’s Abe Foxman lamented, “Israel gave Egypt a great deal in exchange for the Camp David peace agreement, much more than we should have. Among other things, a free trade zone, in which we veritably pushed for the establishment of sewing workshops and an Egyptian textile industry so that they would be able to easily export cheap cotton and other goods to the United States as well as to Israel.&#160;We made the Egyptians a respectable people in the eyes of the American public. And this is how we are repaid what they owe us?”</p>
<p>Never idle for long, AIPAC began circulating a draft resolution this week to its key Congressional operatives aimed at having the US Congress condemn the cancellation of the gas giveaway and demanding its immediate renewal under threat of the US terminating aid to Egypt. The lobby has also begun to squeeze the Obama administration, threating a cut off of Jewish donors if nothing is done to convince Egypt “to get real” in the words of ultra-Zionist Howard Berman, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.</p>
<p>The political reality is that American diplomats, AIPAC, and Israeli officials, sometimes difficult to distinguish from one another, have been bracing for a breach in Egyptian-Israeli relations since last spring’s demonstration in Tahrir Square. &#160;They rightly fear that Camp David and the Israeli embassy in Cairo will be next on the chopping block as the Egyptian people stand up.</p>
<p>Regarding the expected closing of the Israeli embassy, according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth: “What we have at the moment is a swift deterioration in relations: Israelis can no longer set foot in Egypt, and the Egyptian consulate in Tel Aviv does not have a mandate to issue entry visas.&#160; Anyone who insists on going to Egypt from Israel even with a foreign passport can expect to get into trouble.&#160; His name could join the list of “spies”&#160; and “Mossad agents” They don ‘ t want us. It’s that simple and it is very dangerous now for Israelis to be in Egypt.”</p>
<p>According to Netanyahu spokesman Mark Regev, “There is also no one who will rent a building to the Israeli embassy in Cairo, for the small embassy staff headed by Ambassador Yaakov Amitai.&#160; Due to security considerations, we have cut drastically their work week. The staff lands every Monday afternoon and leaves early Thursday.&#160; Every time an address is found for the embassy (at an exorbitant price), the local security officials shoot down the deal.&#160; As far as the Egyptians are concerned, the Israeli diplomats can stay in Jerusalem until their next president is elected and then we will see what happens.”</p>
<p>Franklin Lamb is doing research in Lebanon and can be reached c/o <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p />
|
Will Sadat’s Camp David and the Zionist Embassy be Next?
| true |
https://counterpunch.org/2012/05/02/will-sadats-camp-david-and-the-zionist-embassy-be-next/
|
2012-05-02
| 4left
|
Will Sadat’s Camp David and the Zionist Embassy be Next?
<p>Beirut.</p>
<p>The Egyptian people are demanding the return of their sovereignty. &#160; According to recent opinion surveys they believe it was partially ceded to Israel by the two post-Nasser dictators, Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak, at the behest of American administrations, from Nixon to Obama.</p>
<p>The removal of three humiliating shackles for Egyptians, the gas give-away scheme, the 1979 Camp David Accords and the US forced recognition of Israel, constitute a strategic national security objective for most of Egypt’s 82 millioncitizens. &#160; According to the results of an opinion poll, conducted for Press TV and published on October 3, 2011, 73 percent of the Egyptian respondents opposed the terms of the agreement. Today the figure is estimated at 90%.</p>
<p>For the past eight years, the 2004 gas deal has been widely unpopular, and one of the charges in the current indictment against Mubarak is that the deposed President sold Egypt’s gas as part of a sweetheart deal involving kickbacks to family members, associates and Israeli officials. Mohamed Shoeib, the chairman of state-owned Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company, told AFP last week that the gas deal was “annulled with the Israeli East Mediterranean Gas Co (EMG), because the company failed to respect conditions stipulated in the contract.”</p>
<p>Once Mubarak was toppled and his 14 secret police agencies began to lose some of their omnipresence, the gas line to Israel was severed 14 times in 12 months by a series of explosions that cut off 40%, of Israel’s supply which was used to generate electricity.</p>
<p>In the recent parliamentary elections and now during the presidential campaign, Egyptians have been debating relations with Israel publicly for the first time. Previously Mubarak was Israel’s protector and like some other Arab leaders still clinging to power, ignored his people’s demands for actively supporting for the liberation of Palestine.</p>
<p>In late January 2011, an Alexandria University student briefed this observer and a small group of Americans and Europeans sitting on benches opposite the ancient city’s majestic Great Library. He explained, recalling the demands of the Tahrir Square protests on January 25, 2011, “Our slogans at Tahrir Square were bread, freedom, dignity, and social justice. That was almost exactly one year ago. God willing, we will soon achieve the demands of our historic revolution which include canceling Camp David and withdrawing recognition of the Zionist regime still occupying Palestine. &#160; Egypt must again lead the Arab Nation’s sacred obligation to liberate Jerusalem and all of Palestine from the river to the sea.”</p>
<p>A stunning hijabed female student continued the dialogue, giving us her opinion: &#160; “The USA bought some of our leaders with billions in generous cash from your people but without any real benefit to ours. &#160; Camp David was essentially a private agreement by Sadat and then Mubarak. Our people had no say and were never asked whether we agreed. &#160; If we protested, we were jailed or worse. &#160; Now, the Egyptian people are gaining power despite a likely military coup by the SCAF military junta before the scheduled June elections.”</p>
<p>Israeli officials, in tandem with the US Zionist lobby are claiming that the abrogation of the gas agreement constitutes an “existential threat”. &#160; According to a researcher at the US Congressional Research Service in the Madison Building on Capitol Hill whose job includes keeping track of Israeli claims, it’s the 29th “existential threat” the Zionist colony has identified in its 64 year history. &#160;These perceived existential threats range from the internationally recognized Right of Return for Palestinians ethnically cleansed from their homes during and &#160; since the 1948 Nakba, to various Palestinian groups, more than two dozen UN Resolutions including, 194 and 242, Hezbollah naturally, &#160; international solidarity movement projects, a Jewish academic or two, Iran for sure, the rise of internet blogs, and potentially virtually every &#160; Christian, Arab and Muslim on the planet, not to mention the claimed rise of global anti-Zionism which the US Zionist lobby has recently decreed was always just another form of virulent anti-Semitism.</p>
<p>Despite all these perceived “existential threats” including recently the so-called “Road Map”, Israeli leaders continue to eschew any substantive negotiations which could mean Arabs and Jews sharing Palestine as part of one democratic, secular state on the basis of one person one vote, minus any “chosen people’ lunacy.</p>
<p>Yuval Steinitz, Israel’s finance minister warned that Egypt’s questioning its relations with Israel was “a dangerous precedent that threatens the peace agreements between Israel and Egypt.”</p>
<p>Ampal, the Israeli company which buys the gas, said that it considers the termination of the contract “unlawful and in bad faith”, and demanded its full restoration. Ampal, is planning to use international arbitration to attempt redress and is sending a corporate delegation to Washington to meet with AIPAC and administration officials &#160; to ask them to get the Egyptian action nullified and to force Egypt to keep selling its natural gas at below market prices. &#160;One congressional staffer joked in an email that Israeli companies get way better constituent services out of Congress than American companies, or even the voters who elect its members.</p>
<p>Israeli political analyst Israel Hayom wrote last weekend:” The painful conclusion from the collapse of the gas agreement with Egypt is that we are regressing to the days before the peace agreement with Egypt and the horizon does not look rosy at all. Camp David is in mortal danger. The painful conclusion is, once again, that we have no genuine friends in the region.&#160; Certainly not for the long term.”</p>
<p>The ADL’s Abe Foxman lamented, “Israel gave Egypt a great deal in exchange for the Camp David peace agreement, much more than we should have. Among other things, a free trade zone, in which we veritably pushed for the establishment of sewing workshops and an Egyptian textile industry so that they would be able to easily export cheap cotton and other goods to the United States as well as to Israel.&#160;We made the Egyptians a respectable people in the eyes of the American public. And this is how we are repaid what they owe us?”</p>
<p>Never idle for long, AIPAC began circulating a draft resolution this week to its key Congressional operatives aimed at having the US Congress condemn the cancellation of the gas giveaway and demanding its immediate renewal under threat of the US terminating aid to Egypt. The lobby has also begun to squeeze the Obama administration, threating a cut off of Jewish donors if nothing is done to convince Egypt “to get real” in the words of ultra-Zionist Howard Berman, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.</p>
<p>The political reality is that American diplomats, AIPAC, and Israeli officials, sometimes difficult to distinguish from one another, have been bracing for a breach in Egyptian-Israeli relations since last spring’s demonstration in Tahrir Square. &#160;They rightly fear that Camp David and the Israeli embassy in Cairo will be next on the chopping block as the Egyptian people stand up.</p>
<p>Regarding the expected closing of the Israeli embassy, according to the daily Yedioth Ahronoth: “What we have at the moment is a swift deterioration in relations: Israelis can no longer set foot in Egypt, and the Egyptian consulate in Tel Aviv does not have a mandate to issue entry visas.&#160; Anyone who insists on going to Egypt from Israel even with a foreign passport can expect to get into trouble.&#160; His name could join the list of “spies”&#160; and “Mossad agents” They don ‘ t want us. It’s that simple and it is very dangerous now for Israelis to be in Egypt.”</p>
<p>According to Netanyahu spokesman Mark Regev, “There is also no one who will rent a building to the Israeli embassy in Cairo, for the small embassy staff headed by Ambassador Yaakov Amitai.&#160; Due to security considerations, we have cut drastically their work week. The staff lands every Monday afternoon and leaves early Thursday.&#160; Every time an address is found for the embassy (at an exorbitant price), the local security officials shoot down the deal.&#160; As far as the Egyptians are concerned, the Israeli diplomats can stay in Jerusalem until their next president is elected and then we will see what happens.”</p>
<p>Franklin Lamb is doing research in Lebanon and can be reached c/o <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p />
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<p>OREM, Utah (AP) - Jake Toolson scored 15 points and led five players into double-figure scoring as Utah Valley opened Western Athletic Conference play with a 75-42 rout of CSU Bakersfield on Saturday night.</p>
<p>The Wolverines held CSU Bakersfield to just 17 second-half points, outscoring the Roadrunners by 32 points over the final 20 minutes.</p>
<p>Utah Valley (12-5, 1-0) closed out its non-conference schedule by beating Cal State Fullerton, 87-78 to cap the best start in program history at 11-5. The Wolverines now are 13-6 all-time against CSU Bakersfield.</p>
<p>Toolson grabbed seven boards and dished four assists in addition to his point total. Brandon Randolph added 13 points, Jerrelle DeBerry contributed 12 points off the bench, and Kenneth Ogbe and Conner Toolson added 11 and 10 points, respectively.</p>
<p>CSU Bakersfield (7-9, 0-1) got 12 points from Justin Davis and 11 points each from Shon Briggs and Moataz Aly. The Roadrunners now have lost three straight.</p>
<p>OREM, Utah (AP) - Jake Toolson scored 15 points and led five players into double-figure scoring as Utah Valley opened Western Athletic Conference play with a 75-42 rout of CSU Bakersfield on Saturday night.</p>
<p>The Wolverines held CSU Bakersfield to just 17 second-half points, outscoring the Roadrunners by 32 points over the final 20 minutes.</p>
<p>Utah Valley (12-5, 1-0) closed out its non-conference schedule by beating Cal State Fullerton, 87-78 to cap the best start in program history at 11-5. The Wolverines now are 13-6 all-time against CSU Bakersfield.</p>
<p>Toolson grabbed seven boards and dished four assists in addition to his point total. Brandon Randolph added 13 points, Jerrelle DeBerry contributed 12 points off the bench, and Kenneth Ogbe and Conner Toolson added 11 and 10 points, respectively.</p>
<p>CSU Bakersfield (7-9, 0-1) got 12 points from Justin Davis and 11 points each from Shon Briggs and Moataz Aly. The Roadrunners now have lost three straight.</p>
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Utah Valley opens WAC by routing CSU Bakersfield, 75-42
| false |
https://apnews.com/5b544d609f354ac1b59aa6d61af093cb
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2018-01-07
| 2least
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Utah Valley opens WAC by routing CSU Bakersfield, 75-42
<p>OREM, Utah (AP) - Jake Toolson scored 15 points and led five players into double-figure scoring as Utah Valley opened Western Athletic Conference play with a 75-42 rout of CSU Bakersfield on Saturday night.</p>
<p>The Wolverines held CSU Bakersfield to just 17 second-half points, outscoring the Roadrunners by 32 points over the final 20 minutes.</p>
<p>Utah Valley (12-5, 1-0) closed out its non-conference schedule by beating Cal State Fullerton, 87-78 to cap the best start in program history at 11-5. The Wolverines now are 13-6 all-time against CSU Bakersfield.</p>
<p>Toolson grabbed seven boards and dished four assists in addition to his point total. Brandon Randolph added 13 points, Jerrelle DeBerry contributed 12 points off the bench, and Kenneth Ogbe and Conner Toolson added 11 and 10 points, respectively.</p>
<p>CSU Bakersfield (7-9, 0-1) got 12 points from Justin Davis and 11 points each from Shon Briggs and Moataz Aly. The Roadrunners now have lost three straight.</p>
<p>OREM, Utah (AP) - Jake Toolson scored 15 points and led five players into double-figure scoring as Utah Valley opened Western Athletic Conference play with a 75-42 rout of CSU Bakersfield on Saturday night.</p>
<p>The Wolverines held CSU Bakersfield to just 17 second-half points, outscoring the Roadrunners by 32 points over the final 20 minutes.</p>
<p>Utah Valley (12-5, 1-0) closed out its non-conference schedule by beating Cal State Fullerton, 87-78 to cap the best start in program history at 11-5. The Wolverines now are 13-6 all-time against CSU Bakersfield.</p>
<p>Toolson grabbed seven boards and dished four assists in addition to his point total. Brandon Randolph added 13 points, Jerrelle DeBerry contributed 12 points off the bench, and Kenneth Ogbe and Conner Toolson added 11 and 10 points, respectively.</p>
<p>CSU Bakersfield (7-9, 0-1) got 12 points from Justin Davis and 11 points each from Shon Briggs and Moataz Aly. The Roadrunners now have lost three straight.</p>
| 7,092 |
<p>By Jeff Brumley</p>
<p>American John Upton has been succeeded by South African Ngwedla Paul Msiza to lead the Baptist World Alliance.</p>
<p>Msiza, 53, is only the second African ever elected to the BWA presidency. The first was Liberian William Tolbert, who held the office from 1965 to 1970.</p>
<p>Msiza’s election came in voting during the BWA’s six-day Annual Gathering which concludes Saturday in Izmir, Turkey. Voters also selected 12 vice presidents to help oversee the global Baptist organization.</p>
<p>He will assume the leadership at the conclusion of BWA’s next annual meeting in July 2015 in Durban, South Africa, leaders of the organization <a href="http://www.bwanet.org/news/news-releases/409-new-bwa-president" type="external">announced on Friday</a>.</p>
<p>Msiza who is pastor of Peniel-Salem Baptist Church in Pretoria, holds degrees from the University of Witwatersrand, the University of South Africa, the Baptist Theological Seminary of Southern Africa and the Baptist Bible Institute. He has worked bivocationally as a pastor and a school teacher from 1988 until 1995, when he became the founding principle of the Baptist Convention College.</p>
<p>Msiza has extensive experience in national and international religious affairs, and also with the Alliance since 2000.</p>
<p>Currently a vice president with the organization, he also serves on the General Council, and the Executive, Nominations, Congress, Promotion and Development and Mission, Evangelism and Theological Reflection committees. He’s also served on the Membership Committee and on the Academic and Theological Education Workgroup.</p>
<p>He is now helping arrange next year’s Baptist World Congress. Held every five years, the congress is the largest gathering of global Baptists.</p>
<p>Msiza was president of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, one of six BWA regional groups, from 2006 to 2011 and served as general secretary of the Baptist Convention of South Africa from 2001 to 2010.</p>
<p>BWA also announced the names of its 12 newly elected vice presidents: Michael Okwakol, Uganda; Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, Ghana; Tapan Chowdhury, Bangladesh; Miyon Chung, South Korea; Anslem Warrick, Trinidad and Tobago; Jules Casseus, Haiti; Dimitrina Oprenova, Bulgaria; Jan Saethre, Norway; Naomi Tyler-Lloyd and Jerry Carlisle of the United States; Jorge Quinteros, Chile; and Luiz Roberto Silvado, Brazil.</p>
<p>Saethre of Norway will serve as first vice president, BWA leaders said.</p>
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South African tapped to lead Baptist World Alliance
| false |
https://baptistnews.com/article/african-tapped-to-lead-bwa/
| 3left-center
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South African tapped to lead Baptist World Alliance
<p>By Jeff Brumley</p>
<p>American John Upton has been succeeded by South African Ngwedla Paul Msiza to lead the Baptist World Alliance.</p>
<p>Msiza, 53, is only the second African ever elected to the BWA presidency. The first was Liberian William Tolbert, who held the office from 1965 to 1970.</p>
<p>Msiza’s election came in voting during the BWA’s six-day Annual Gathering which concludes Saturday in Izmir, Turkey. Voters also selected 12 vice presidents to help oversee the global Baptist organization.</p>
<p>He will assume the leadership at the conclusion of BWA’s next annual meeting in July 2015 in Durban, South Africa, leaders of the organization <a href="http://www.bwanet.org/news/news-releases/409-new-bwa-president" type="external">announced on Friday</a>.</p>
<p>Msiza who is pastor of Peniel-Salem Baptist Church in Pretoria, holds degrees from the University of Witwatersrand, the University of South Africa, the Baptist Theological Seminary of Southern Africa and the Baptist Bible Institute. He has worked bivocationally as a pastor and a school teacher from 1988 until 1995, when he became the founding principle of the Baptist Convention College.</p>
<p>Msiza has extensive experience in national and international religious affairs, and also with the Alliance since 2000.</p>
<p>Currently a vice president with the organization, he also serves on the General Council, and the Executive, Nominations, Congress, Promotion and Development and Mission, Evangelism and Theological Reflection committees. He’s also served on the Membership Committee and on the Academic and Theological Education Workgroup.</p>
<p>He is now helping arrange next year’s Baptist World Congress. Held every five years, the congress is the largest gathering of global Baptists.</p>
<p>Msiza was president of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, one of six BWA regional groups, from 2006 to 2011 and served as general secretary of the Baptist Convention of South Africa from 2001 to 2010.</p>
<p>BWA also announced the names of its 12 newly elected vice presidents: Michael Okwakol, Uganda; Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, Ghana; Tapan Chowdhury, Bangladesh; Miyon Chung, South Korea; Anslem Warrick, Trinidad and Tobago; Jules Casseus, Haiti; Dimitrina Oprenova, Bulgaria; Jan Saethre, Norway; Naomi Tyler-Lloyd and Jerry Carlisle of the United States; Jorge Quinteros, Chile; and Luiz Roberto Silvado, Brazil.</p>
<p>Saethre of Norway will serve as first vice president, BWA leaders said.</p>
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<p>Swimming legend Murray Rose was a true gentleman and a national hero, fellow Olympian Dawn Fraser has told his memorial service in Sydney.</p>
<p>The champion - who won four Olympic gold medals, in Melbourne in 1956 and Rome in 1960, and set 15 world records - died from Leukemia last week, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-23/27true-gentleman27-murray-rose-farewelled-at-funeral/3966630/?site=sydney" type="external">according to Australia's ABC</a>. He was 73.</p>
<p>A gathering of 200 mourners included other Australian sporting greats, such as Olympian John Konrads.</p>
<p>Two of Rose's Olympic gold medals and a white Olympic flag were placed on his casket, <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/olympic-champion-murray-rose-had-a-heart-of-gold/story-e6frexni-1226336622426" type="external">Australia's Daily Telegraph reported</a>.</p>
<p>Australian Olympic Committee boss John Coates called Rose the finest swimmer in the world of his era.</p>
<p>''But he was so much more than a great swimmer,'' Coates added, <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/mourners-line-up-to-remember-rose-at-starstudded-funeral-20120423-1xhea.html" type="external">according to The Sydney Morning Herald</a>.</p>
<p>He was ''an understated perfectionist, a perfect communicator who never seemed to raise his voice'' whose decency, dignity and generosity of spirit inspired contemporaries and subsequent champions, such as Kieren Perkins and Ian Thorpe.</p>
<p>Coates said Rose ''represented all that's good in life, embodying the values and virtues of the Olympic movement''.</p>
<p>The wife of the British-born swimmer, who lived and worked in the US for more than 30 years - several of them as a Hollywood actor - remembered him by paddling out on a wave at Bondi Beach.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/united-kingdom/120418/100-days-2012-london-olympics" type="external">100 days to 2012 London Olympics (PHOTOS)</a></p>
<p>''He was my husband, my beloved, my man of the sea,'' Jodi - an American ballerina - said, the SMH reported.</p>
<p>Fraser, herself a multi-Olympic gold medal winner, simply remembered a gentleman hero in an age before celebrity endorsement.&#160;</p>
<p>"Before celebrity became code for promotion, Murray was a national hero," Fraser said in her eulogy.</p>
<p>"It was a pleasure to have him as a friend and a team-mate. It was great to sit next to him in the dining room where you could swap your vegies for his meat," she said, a reference to Rose's vegetarianism.</p>
<p>"He will always be known as the pioneer of distance swimming in Australia. Murray was a true gentlemen, he will be a great loss to the Olympic family, he will be a great loss to the swimming community, and he will be a great loss to the wider community.</p>
<p>"To me personally, I have lost a true friend and a great team-mate. But the greatest loss will be felt by his wife Jodi and his son Trevor.</p>
<p>"The master of cool. The only guy to go through life and not cause a ripple, but certainly make enormous waves."</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/120306/australian-economy-wayne-swan-mining-billionaires" type="external">Tough times for Australian billionaires</a> &#160;</p>
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Murray Rose, Australian Olympic swimming great, farewelled in Sydney
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https://pri.org/stories/2012-04-23/murray-rose-australian-olympic-swimming-great-farewelled-sydney
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2012-04-23
| 3left-center
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Murray Rose, Australian Olympic swimming great, farewelled in Sydney
<p>Swimming legend Murray Rose was a true gentleman and a national hero, fellow Olympian Dawn Fraser has told his memorial service in Sydney.</p>
<p>The champion - who won four Olympic gold medals, in Melbourne in 1956 and Rome in 1960, and set 15 world records - died from Leukemia last week, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-23/27true-gentleman27-murray-rose-farewelled-at-funeral/3966630/?site=sydney" type="external">according to Australia's ABC</a>. He was 73.</p>
<p>A gathering of 200 mourners included other Australian sporting greats, such as Olympian John Konrads.</p>
<p>Two of Rose's Olympic gold medals and a white Olympic flag were placed on his casket, <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/olympic-champion-murray-rose-had-a-heart-of-gold/story-e6frexni-1226336622426" type="external">Australia's Daily Telegraph reported</a>.</p>
<p>Australian Olympic Committee boss John Coates called Rose the finest swimmer in the world of his era.</p>
<p>''But he was so much more than a great swimmer,'' Coates added, <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/mourners-line-up-to-remember-rose-at-starstudded-funeral-20120423-1xhea.html" type="external">according to The Sydney Morning Herald</a>.</p>
<p>He was ''an understated perfectionist, a perfect communicator who never seemed to raise his voice'' whose decency, dignity and generosity of spirit inspired contemporaries and subsequent champions, such as Kieren Perkins and Ian Thorpe.</p>
<p>Coates said Rose ''represented all that's good in life, embodying the values and virtues of the Olympic movement''.</p>
<p>The wife of the British-born swimmer, who lived and worked in the US for more than 30 years - several of them as a Hollywood actor - remembered him by paddling out on a wave at Bondi Beach.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/united-kingdom/120418/100-days-2012-london-olympics" type="external">100 days to 2012 London Olympics (PHOTOS)</a></p>
<p>''He was my husband, my beloved, my man of the sea,'' Jodi - an American ballerina - said, the SMH reported.</p>
<p>Fraser, herself a multi-Olympic gold medal winner, simply remembered a gentleman hero in an age before celebrity endorsement.&#160;</p>
<p>"Before celebrity became code for promotion, Murray was a national hero," Fraser said in her eulogy.</p>
<p>"It was a pleasure to have him as a friend and a team-mate. It was great to sit next to him in the dining room where you could swap your vegies for his meat," she said, a reference to Rose's vegetarianism.</p>
<p>"He will always be known as the pioneer of distance swimming in Australia. Murray was a true gentlemen, he will be a great loss to the Olympic family, he will be a great loss to the swimming community, and he will be a great loss to the wider community.</p>
<p>"To me personally, I have lost a true friend and a great team-mate. But the greatest loss will be felt by his wife Jodi and his son Trevor.</p>
<p>"The master of cool. The only guy to go through life and not cause a ripple, but certainly make enormous waves."</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/120306/australian-economy-wayne-swan-mining-billionaires" type="external">Tough times for Australian billionaires</a> &#160;</p>
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<p>(By Paul Buchheit)</p>
<p>Anyone reviewing the data is likely to conclude that there must be some mistake. It doesn't seem possible that one out of twenty American families could each have made a million dollars since Obama became President, while the average American family's net worth has barely recovered. But the evidence comes from numerous reputable sources.</p>
<p>Some conservatives continue to claim that President Obama is <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/01/17/1461871/corporate-profits-anti-business-obama/" type="external">unfriendly to business</a>, but the facts show that the richest Americans and the biggest businesses have been the main - perhaps only - beneficiaries of the massive wealth gain over the past five years.</p>
<p>1. $5 Million to Each of the 1%, and $1 Million to Each of the Next 4%</p>
<p>From the end of 2008 to the middle of 2013 total U.S. wealth <a href="https://publications.credit-suisse.com/tasks/render/file/?fileID=1949208D-E59A-F2D9-6D0361266E44A2F8" type="external">increased</a> from $47 trillion to $72 trillion. About $16 trillion of that is financial gain (stocks and other financial instruments).</p>
<p>The richest 1% own about <a href="http://epi.3cdn.net/2a7ccb3e9e618f0bbc_3nm6idnax.pdf" type="external">38 percent</a> of stocks, and half of non-stock financial assets. So they've gained at least $6.1 trillion (38 percent of $16 trillion). That's over $5 million for each of 1.2 million households.</p>
<p>The next richest 4%, based on similar <a href="http://www.UsAgainstGreed.org/20131230_Analysis.txt" type="external">calculations</a>, gained about $5.1 trillion. That's over a million dollars for each of their 4.8 million households.</p>
<p>The least wealthy 90% in our country own only <a href="http://epi.3cdn.net/2a7ccb3e9e618f0bbc_3nm6idnax.pdf" type="external">11 percent</a> of all stocks excluding pensions (which are fast disappearing). The frantic recent surge in the stock market has largely bypassed these families.</p>
<p>2. Evidence of Our Growing Wealth Inequality</p>
<p>This first fact is nearly ungraspable: In 2009 the average wealth for almost half of American families was <a href="http://epi.3cdn.net/2a7ccb3e9e618f0bbc_3nm6idnax.pdf" type="external">ZERO</a> (their debt exceeded their assets).</p>
<p>In 1983 the families in America's poorer half owned an average of about <a href="http://epi.3cdn.net/2a7ccb3e9e618f0bbc_3nm6idnax.pdf" type="external">$15,000</a>. But from 1983 to 1989 <a href="http://www.epi.org/press/news_from_epi_th_great_recession_exacerbated_existing_wealth_disparities_in/" type="external">median wealth</a> fell from over $70,000 to about <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/11/news/economy/wealth-net-worth/index.html" type="external">$60,000</a>. From 1998 to 2009, fully 80% of American families <a href="http://epi.3cdn.net/2a7ccb3e9e618f0bbc_3nm6idnax.pdf" type="external">LOST wealth</a>. They had to borrow to stay afloat.</p>
<p>It seems the disparity couldn't get much worse, but after the recession it did. According to a <a href="http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/04/23/a-rise-in-wealth-for-the-wealthydeclines-for-the-lower-93/" type="external">Pew Research Center</a> study, in the first two years of recovery the mean net worth of households in the upper 7% of the wealth distribution rose by an estimated 28%, while the mean net worth of households in the lower 93% dropped by 4%. And then, from 2011 to 2013, the stock market grew by <a href="http://www.gurufocus.com/stock-market-valuations.php" type="external">almost 50 percent</a>, with again the great majority of that gain going to the richest 5%.</p>
<p>Today our wealth gap is worse than that of the third world. Out of all developed and undeveloped countries with at least a quarter-million adults, the U.S. has the 4th-highest degree of <a href="http://usagainstgreed.org/GlobalWealthDatabook2013.pdf" type="external">wealth inequality</a> in the world, trailing only Russia, Ukraine, and Lebanon.</p>
<p>3. Congress' Solution: Take from the Poor</p>
<p>Congress has responded by cutting <a href="http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/20722-voices-of-unemployed-americans-as-benefits-are-slashed-at-christmas" type="external">unemployment benefits</a> and <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/11/24-4" type="external">food stamps</a>, along with other 'sequester' targets like Meals on Wheels for seniors and Head Start for preschoolers. The more the super-rich make, the more they seem to believe in the cruel fantasy that the poor are to blame for their own struggles.</p>
<p>President Obama recently <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/12/04/obama-income-inequality-speech-center-for-american-progress/3867747/" type="external">proclaimed</a> that inequality "drives everything I do in this office." Indeed it may, but in the wrong direction.</p>
<p>Mirrored from <a href="" type="external">Commondreams.org</a></p>
<p>Related video:</p>
<p><a href="" type="external">PBS Newshour reports on the end of extended unemployment benefits and growing economic inequality</a>:</p>
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Obama Era a new Gilded Age, with Rich Getting Richer, Poor Poorer
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http://juancole.com/2014/01/gilded-getting-richer.html
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2014-01-05
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Obama Era a new Gilded Age, with Rich Getting Richer, Poor Poorer
<p>(By Paul Buchheit)</p>
<p>Anyone reviewing the data is likely to conclude that there must be some mistake. It doesn't seem possible that one out of twenty American families could each have made a million dollars since Obama became President, while the average American family's net worth has barely recovered. But the evidence comes from numerous reputable sources.</p>
<p>Some conservatives continue to claim that President Obama is <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/01/17/1461871/corporate-profits-anti-business-obama/" type="external">unfriendly to business</a>, but the facts show that the richest Americans and the biggest businesses have been the main - perhaps only - beneficiaries of the massive wealth gain over the past five years.</p>
<p>1. $5 Million to Each of the 1%, and $1 Million to Each of the Next 4%</p>
<p>From the end of 2008 to the middle of 2013 total U.S. wealth <a href="https://publications.credit-suisse.com/tasks/render/file/?fileID=1949208D-E59A-F2D9-6D0361266E44A2F8" type="external">increased</a> from $47 trillion to $72 trillion. About $16 trillion of that is financial gain (stocks and other financial instruments).</p>
<p>The richest 1% own about <a href="http://epi.3cdn.net/2a7ccb3e9e618f0bbc_3nm6idnax.pdf" type="external">38 percent</a> of stocks, and half of non-stock financial assets. So they've gained at least $6.1 trillion (38 percent of $16 trillion). That's over $5 million for each of 1.2 million households.</p>
<p>The next richest 4%, based on similar <a href="http://www.UsAgainstGreed.org/20131230_Analysis.txt" type="external">calculations</a>, gained about $5.1 trillion. That's over a million dollars for each of their 4.8 million households.</p>
<p>The least wealthy 90% in our country own only <a href="http://epi.3cdn.net/2a7ccb3e9e618f0bbc_3nm6idnax.pdf" type="external">11 percent</a> of all stocks excluding pensions (which are fast disappearing). The frantic recent surge in the stock market has largely bypassed these families.</p>
<p>2. Evidence of Our Growing Wealth Inequality</p>
<p>This first fact is nearly ungraspable: In 2009 the average wealth for almost half of American families was <a href="http://epi.3cdn.net/2a7ccb3e9e618f0bbc_3nm6idnax.pdf" type="external">ZERO</a> (their debt exceeded their assets).</p>
<p>In 1983 the families in America's poorer half owned an average of about <a href="http://epi.3cdn.net/2a7ccb3e9e618f0bbc_3nm6idnax.pdf" type="external">$15,000</a>. But from 1983 to 1989 <a href="http://www.epi.org/press/news_from_epi_th_great_recession_exacerbated_existing_wealth_disparities_in/" type="external">median wealth</a> fell from over $70,000 to about <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/11/news/economy/wealth-net-worth/index.html" type="external">$60,000</a>. From 1998 to 2009, fully 80% of American families <a href="http://epi.3cdn.net/2a7ccb3e9e618f0bbc_3nm6idnax.pdf" type="external">LOST wealth</a>. They had to borrow to stay afloat.</p>
<p>It seems the disparity couldn't get much worse, but after the recession it did. According to a <a href="http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2013/04/23/a-rise-in-wealth-for-the-wealthydeclines-for-the-lower-93/" type="external">Pew Research Center</a> study, in the first two years of recovery the mean net worth of households in the upper 7% of the wealth distribution rose by an estimated 28%, while the mean net worth of households in the lower 93% dropped by 4%. And then, from 2011 to 2013, the stock market grew by <a href="http://www.gurufocus.com/stock-market-valuations.php" type="external">almost 50 percent</a>, with again the great majority of that gain going to the richest 5%.</p>
<p>Today our wealth gap is worse than that of the third world. Out of all developed and undeveloped countries with at least a quarter-million adults, the U.S. has the 4th-highest degree of <a href="http://usagainstgreed.org/GlobalWealthDatabook2013.pdf" type="external">wealth inequality</a> in the world, trailing only Russia, Ukraine, and Lebanon.</p>
<p>3. Congress' Solution: Take from the Poor</p>
<p>Congress has responded by cutting <a href="http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/20722-voices-of-unemployed-americans-as-benefits-are-slashed-at-christmas" type="external">unemployment benefits</a> and <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/11/24-4" type="external">food stamps</a>, along with other 'sequester' targets like Meals on Wheels for seniors and Head Start for preschoolers. The more the super-rich make, the more they seem to believe in the cruel fantasy that the poor are to blame for their own struggles.</p>
<p>President Obama recently <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/12/04/obama-income-inequality-speech-center-for-american-progress/3867747/" type="external">proclaimed</a> that inequality "drives everything I do in this office." Indeed it may, but in the wrong direction.</p>
<p>Mirrored from <a href="" type="external">Commondreams.org</a></p>
<p>Related video:</p>
<p><a href="" type="external">PBS Newshour reports on the end of extended unemployment benefits and growing economic inequality</a>:</p>
| 7,095 |
<p>Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of 2.</p>
<p>California lawmakers object to “dark money,” a term for campaign contributions used to pay for an election campaign without disclosing the source of the money. But while Democratic lawmakers object to “dark money,” they don’t seem to want to talk about&#160;public employee union campaign contributions.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />On Aug 13, the <a href="http://aelc.assembly.ca.gov" type="external">Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee</a>heard testimony on several bills that supposedly would “reform” the campaign money process.</p>
<p><a href="http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB27" type="external">SB 27,</a> by state Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, and <a href="http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB594" type="external">SB-594,</a> by state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, were the two standout bills.</p>
<p>SB 27 would require state ballot measure committees and state candidate committees which raise $1 million or more for an election to maintain an accurate list of the committee’s top 10 contributors, and provide that list to the California Fair Political Practices Commission.</p>
<p>SB 27 was sparked by the now infamous contributions last fall from Phoenix-based <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/california-budget/ci_21796431/shadowy-arizona-group-inserts-itself-into-california-campaigns" type="external">Americans for Responsible Leadership,</a>an Arizona nonprofit organization. According to Correa, ARL donated $11 million. Receiving the money were the campaign against Proposition 30, which raised Californians’ taxes $7 million; and the campaign for Proposition 32, which would have prevented labor unions from automatically deducting union dues for political campaigns.</p>
<p>After a court battle with the FPPC, this “dark money” nonprofit group revealed that it was not the original source of the $11 million contribution but merely an intermediary. “They disclosed the true origin of the money was another nonprofit, and another nonprofit,” Correa said at the hearing.</p>
<p>Correa said the purpose of his bill is to require nonprofits to reveal the true sources of campaign contributions. While Correa’s bill is sponsored by the FPPC, other groups stepped up to renounce “dark money.”</p>
<p>The original source of this campaign money is still unknown to the public and the matter is still the subject of an ongoing FPPC investigation, Correa added.</p>
<p>However, ARL lost handily on both counts. Prop. 30, backed with more than $30 million in union money, won 55-44, And <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_32,_the_%22Paycheck_Protection%22_Initiative_%282012%29" type="external">Prop. 32</a>, opposed with more than $60 million in union money, lost 57-43.</p>
<p>“I see this as an attempt to silence and crush out dissent,” said Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks. “Government and media demonize opponents’ positions.”</p>
<p>Donnelly asked Correa why, if SB 27 was intended to shed light on the sources of money flowing into campaigns, the educational system was not also being scrutinized for openly lobbying on behalf of Prop. 30? State law prohibits public officials from using their offices to promote initiatives.</p>
<p>Donnelly said teachers and school administrators handed out flyers to students and parents, and talked in classrooms about the need for the parents to vote for Prop. 30. “It’s an illegal use of state resources,” Donnelly said. “But nobody here talked about the illegal use of K-12 grade employees and the university system being used to lobby parents on Prop. 30.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fppc.ca.gov/index.php?id=29" type="external">Zackery Morazzini</a>, counsel for the FPPC, suggested Donnelly file a complaint. Morazzini explained his department was just the enforcement arm of the FPPC and could not do anything without a complaint. But he assured Donnelly that the FPPC has gone after many public entities.</p>
<p>“To hear from thousands of Californians that their schools were using public resources to lobby on behalf of Prop. 30 was deeply disturbing,” Donnelly said. “But when you’re only going after one side, I can’t get behind that. We have a much more corrupt system here than just the ‘dark money.’”</p>
<p>California Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and the&#160;Alliance for Justice, which “represents thousands of legitimate nonprofits,” according to its representative at the hearing, support SB 27.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/91-2105611/california-clean-money-campaign.aspx" type="external">California Clean Money Campaign</a>, also in support of SB 27, is more of a mystery.&#160;Also a nonprofit, the CCMC appears to be largely <a href="http://www.caclean.org/aboutus/boardofdirectors.php" type="external">staffed</a> with community organizers. And it is unclear where their own funding comes from.</p>
<p>But each of the groups in support of SB 27 was largely mum on campaign funding from public employee unions.</p>
<p>I <a href="" type="internal">covered a situation</a>of campaigning and <a href="" type="internal">lobbying in the classroom</a> at California State University, Fresno during the 2012 election. Despite receiving a rebuke from school officials, professors and teachers had no intention of stopping.</p>
<p>“State college instructors and professors continue to promote Prop. 30 during class time, according to Daniel Harrison, a student at California State University, Fresno, and president of the Fresno State College Republicans,” I <a href="" type="internal">wrote</a>.</p>
<p>“From talking about Prop. 30 during irrelevant class time, to student fees funding campaign materials, to giving an essay exam question mandating students explain the rationale and virtues of Governor Brown’s tax initiative, Fresno State is using taxpayer dollars for illegal political advocacy,” Harrison said during an interview.</p>
<p>During the campaign, one professor even assigned an essay question on a midterm exam, demanding that students “argue for virtues of Proposition 30 by referring to relevant parts of Jean Jacques Rousseau’s political philosophy.” The professor’s instructions included, “You will not earn any credit at all just by saying what Prop 30 is all about. Your goal is to demonstrate that you can use J.J. Rousseau’s ideas and concepts to explain the rationale for Prop. 30.”</p>
<p>“Prop. 30 is the poster child for a campaign that misused public resources,” Donnelly told me after the hearing. “Not only was the use of public school classrooms to campaign for the massive tax increase illegal, but the very idea of using the unlimited resources of government to lobby against the interest of hardworking taxpayer is downright immoral.”</p>
<p>Part 2 tomorrow.</p>
|
Bills address campaign donations from private parties, not unions
| false |
https://calwatchdog.com/2013/08/19/bills-address-campaign-donations-from-private-parties-not-unions/
|
2018-08-20
| 3left-center
|
Bills address campaign donations from private parties, not unions
<p>Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of 2.</p>
<p>California lawmakers object to “dark money,” a term for campaign contributions used to pay for an election campaign without disclosing the source of the money. But while Democratic lawmakers object to “dark money,” they don’t seem to want to talk about&#160;public employee union campaign contributions.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />On Aug 13, the <a href="http://aelc.assembly.ca.gov" type="external">Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee</a>heard testimony on several bills that supposedly would “reform” the campaign money process.</p>
<p><a href="http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB27" type="external">SB 27,</a> by state Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, and <a href="http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201320140SB594" type="external">SB-594,</a> by state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, were the two standout bills.</p>
<p>SB 27 would require state ballot measure committees and state candidate committees which raise $1 million or more for an election to maintain an accurate list of the committee’s top 10 contributors, and provide that list to the California Fair Political Practices Commission.</p>
<p>SB 27 was sparked by the now infamous contributions last fall from Phoenix-based <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/california-budget/ci_21796431/shadowy-arizona-group-inserts-itself-into-california-campaigns" type="external">Americans for Responsible Leadership,</a>an Arizona nonprofit organization. According to Correa, ARL donated $11 million. Receiving the money were the campaign against Proposition 30, which raised Californians’ taxes $7 million; and the campaign for Proposition 32, which would have prevented labor unions from automatically deducting union dues for political campaigns.</p>
<p>After a court battle with the FPPC, this “dark money” nonprofit group revealed that it was not the original source of the $11 million contribution but merely an intermediary. “They disclosed the true origin of the money was another nonprofit, and another nonprofit,” Correa said at the hearing.</p>
<p>Correa said the purpose of his bill is to require nonprofits to reveal the true sources of campaign contributions. While Correa’s bill is sponsored by the FPPC, other groups stepped up to renounce “dark money.”</p>
<p>The original source of this campaign money is still unknown to the public and the matter is still the subject of an ongoing FPPC investigation, Correa added.</p>
<p>However, ARL lost handily on both counts. Prop. 30, backed with more than $30 million in union money, won 55-44, And <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_32,_the_%22Paycheck_Protection%22_Initiative_%282012%29" type="external">Prop. 32</a>, opposed with more than $60 million in union money, lost 57-43.</p>
<p>“I see this as an attempt to silence and crush out dissent,” said Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Twin Peaks. “Government and media demonize opponents’ positions.”</p>
<p>Donnelly asked Correa why, if SB 27 was intended to shed light on the sources of money flowing into campaigns, the educational system was not also being scrutinized for openly lobbying on behalf of Prop. 30? State law prohibits public officials from using their offices to promote initiatives.</p>
<p>Donnelly said teachers and school administrators handed out flyers to students and parents, and talked in classrooms about the need for the parents to vote for Prop. 30. “It’s an illegal use of state resources,” Donnelly said. “But nobody here talked about the illegal use of K-12 grade employees and the university system being used to lobby parents on Prop. 30.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fppc.ca.gov/index.php?id=29" type="external">Zackery Morazzini</a>, counsel for the FPPC, suggested Donnelly file a complaint. Morazzini explained his department was just the enforcement arm of the FPPC and could not do anything without a complaint. But he assured Donnelly that the FPPC has gone after many public entities.</p>
<p>“To hear from thousands of Californians that their schools were using public resources to lobby on behalf of Prop. 30 was deeply disturbing,” Donnelly said. “But when you’re only going after one side, I can’t get behind that. We have a much more corrupt system here than just the ‘dark money.’”</p>
<p>California Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and the&#160;Alliance for Justice, which “represents thousands of legitimate nonprofits,” according to its representative at the hearing, support SB 27.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/91-2105611/california-clean-money-campaign.aspx" type="external">California Clean Money Campaign</a>, also in support of SB 27, is more of a mystery.&#160;Also a nonprofit, the CCMC appears to be largely <a href="http://www.caclean.org/aboutus/boardofdirectors.php" type="external">staffed</a> with community organizers. And it is unclear where their own funding comes from.</p>
<p>But each of the groups in support of SB 27 was largely mum on campaign funding from public employee unions.</p>
<p>I <a href="" type="internal">covered a situation</a>of campaigning and <a href="" type="internal">lobbying in the classroom</a> at California State University, Fresno during the 2012 election. Despite receiving a rebuke from school officials, professors and teachers had no intention of stopping.</p>
<p>“State college instructors and professors continue to promote Prop. 30 during class time, according to Daniel Harrison, a student at California State University, Fresno, and president of the Fresno State College Republicans,” I <a href="" type="internal">wrote</a>.</p>
<p>“From talking about Prop. 30 during irrelevant class time, to student fees funding campaign materials, to giving an essay exam question mandating students explain the rationale and virtues of Governor Brown’s tax initiative, Fresno State is using taxpayer dollars for illegal political advocacy,” Harrison said during an interview.</p>
<p>During the campaign, one professor even assigned an essay question on a midterm exam, demanding that students “argue for virtues of Proposition 30 by referring to relevant parts of Jean Jacques Rousseau’s political philosophy.” The professor’s instructions included, “You will not earn any credit at all just by saying what Prop 30 is all about. Your goal is to demonstrate that you can use J.J. Rousseau’s ideas and concepts to explain the rationale for Prop. 30.”</p>
<p>“Prop. 30 is the poster child for a campaign that misused public resources,” Donnelly told me after the hearing. “Not only was the use of public school classrooms to campaign for the massive tax increase illegal, but the very idea of using the unlimited resources of government to lobby against the interest of hardworking taxpayer is downright immoral.”</p>
<p>Part 2 tomorrow.</p>
| 7,096 |
<p>Editor &amp; PublisherJames Goldsborough, a veteran San Diego Union-Tribune columnist, says publisher David Copley pulled a column that was scheduled to run Monday as "payback" for his criticism of President Bush. <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/op-ed/goldsborough/" type="external">Goldsborough</a> tells Mark Fitzgerald: "I've written columns for everybody. I've been edited, criticized. … But never have I gotten a call Sunday night that the column is not running Monday, and there's no discussion. The editor explained to me publishers have that right, but it's never happened to me. This sort of came like a bolt from Olympus."</p>
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Union-Trib's Goldsborough quits after publisher kills column
| false |
https://poynter.org/news/union-tribs-goldsborough-quits-after-publisher-kills-column
|
2004-12-01
| 2least
|
Union-Trib's Goldsborough quits after publisher kills column
<p>Editor &amp; PublisherJames Goldsborough, a veteran San Diego Union-Tribune columnist, says publisher David Copley pulled a column that was scheduled to run Monday as "payback" for his criticism of President Bush. <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/op-ed/goldsborough/" type="external">Goldsborough</a> tells Mark Fitzgerald: "I've written columns for everybody. I've been edited, criticized. … But never have I gotten a call Sunday night that the column is not running Monday, and there's no discussion. The editor explained to me publishers have that right, but it's never happened to me. This sort of came like a bolt from Olympus."</p>
| 7,097 |
<p />
<p>The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, but not enough to suggest a shift in the recent pattern of modest job gains.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 354,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 4,000 more applications received than previously reported.</p>
<p>Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time applications to hold steady at 340,000 last week.</p>
<p>A Labor Department analyst said claims for five states, including Virginia, Minnesota and Oregon, were estimated since state offices had less time to prepare data because of the national holiday on Monday.</p>
<p>This could have the distorted the readings, making last week's claims a less useful gauge of labor market trends.</p>
<p>The four-week moving average for new claims, which irons out week-to-week volatility, edged up 6,750 to 347,250.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Despite the rise last week, claims remained in the middle of their range for this year and below levels economists normally associate with modest job gains.</p>
<p>There is still no sign of layoffs related to belt-tightening in Washington, particularly the $85 billion in across-the-board government spending cuts which has slowed factory production.</p>
<p>Steady improvement in labor market conditions and rising house prices are helping to sustain consumer spending, limiting the impact of the drag from fiscal policy on the economy.</p>
<p>The economy's unexpected show of resilience has fueled speculation the Federal Reserve could start scaling back its monetary stimulus by the end of the year, pushing up government bond yields.</p>
<p>Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said last week a decision to start tapering the $85 billion in bonds the U.S. central bank is buying each month could come at one of its ``next few meetings'' if the economy appeared set to maintain momentum.</p>
<p>The claims report showed the number of people still receiving benefits under regular state programs after an initial week of aid rose 63,000 to 2.99 million in the week ended May 18. The so-called continuing claims covered the week of the government's household employment survey from which the unemployment rate is calculated.</p>
<p>Continuing claims have dropped 21,000 between the April and May household survey week, which could see the jobless rate holding at an almost 4-1/2 year low of 7.5%.</p>
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Weekly Jobless Claims Make Surprise Jump
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/politics/2013/05/30/weekly-jobless-claims-make-surprise-jump.html
|
2016-03-05
| 0right
|
Weekly Jobless Claims Make Surprise Jump
<p />
<p>The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, but not enough to suggest a shift in the recent pattern of modest job gains.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 354,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 4,000 more applications received than previously reported.</p>
<p>Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time applications to hold steady at 340,000 last week.</p>
<p>A Labor Department analyst said claims for five states, including Virginia, Minnesota and Oregon, were estimated since state offices had less time to prepare data because of the national holiday on Monday.</p>
<p>This could have the distorted the readings, making last week's claims a less useful gauge of labor market trends.</p>
<p>The four-week moving average for new claims, which irons out week-to-week volatility, edged up 6,750 to 347,250.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Despite the rise last week, claims remained in the middle of their range for this year and below levels economists normally associate with modest job gains.</p>
<p>There is still no sign of layoffs related to belt-tightening in Washington, particularly the $85 billion in across-the-board government spending cuts which has slowed factory production.</p>
<p>Steady improvement in labor market conditions and rising house prices are helping to sustain consumer spending, limiting the impact of the drag from fiscal policy on the economy.</p>
<p>The economy's unexpected show of resilience has fueled speculation the Federal Reserve could start scaling back its monetary stimulus by the end of the year, pushing up government bond yields.</p>
<p>Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said last week a decision to start tapering the $85 billion in bonds the U.S. central bank is buying each month could come at one of its ``next few meetings'' if the economy appeared set to maintain momentum.</p>
<p>The claims report showed the number of people still receiving benefits under regular state programs after an initial week of aid rose 63,000 to 2.99 million in the week ended May 18. The so-called continuing claims covered the week of the government's household employment survey from which the unemployment rate is calculated.</p>
<p>Continuing claims have dropped 21,000 between the April and May household survey week, which could see the jobless rate holding at an almost 4-1/2 year low of 7.5%.</p>
| 7,098 |
<p>Double-amputee Olympian sprinter Oscar Pistorius is set to return to the witness stand Tuesday to continue answering questions about why he shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year.</p>
<p>Pistorius, 27, has yet to be cross-examined about the Feb. 14, 2013, shooting — and that wrenching testimony could be the dramatic climax of a trial that has transfixed viewers around the world.</p>
<p>In his first day of testimony Monday, <a href="" type="internal">Pistorius showed anguish and remorse</a>, testifying that he is ravaged by grief and haunted by memories of the fatal shooting of Steenkamp.</p>
<p>Here are the high points of the South African superstar's first day on the witness stand:</p>
<p>Pistorius began his testimony by apologizing to the parents of Steenkamp, 29, who died from wounds after the athlete shot her through a bathroom door in his home.</p>
<p>"There hasn't been a moment since this tragedy happened that I haven't thought about your family," Pistorius said while <a href="" type="internal">Steenkamp's mother, June, looked stoically at him</a> in the courtroom.</p>
<p>"I can't imagine the pain and the sorrow and the emptiness that I've caused you and your family. I was simply trying to protect Reeva. I can promise you that when she went to bed that night she felt loved," he said.</p>
<p>He has said he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder. Prosecutors allege that he killed her after a heated argument.</p>
<p>Pistorius told the court he is taking antidepressant medication and is tortured by panic attacks.</p>
<p>"I have terrible nightmares about things that happened that night where I wake up and I can smell the blood," Pistorius said. "If I hear a noise, I always wake up just in a complete state of terror, to the point where I would rather not sleep."</p>
<p>Pistorius described a fit of panic that drove him to hide in a closet one day.</p>
<p>"I climbed into a cupboard, and I phoned my sister to come and sit by me, which she did for a while," he said.</p>
<p>Pistorius told the court about the positive influence of his mother, Sheila. He said he was stricken with grief after she died when the athlete was just a teenager.</p>
<p>"My mother had a lot of security concerns," Pistorius said, adding that his family was struck by home break-ins and carjackings throughout his childhood.</p>
<p>He said his mother kept a firearm "under her bed, under the pillow in a padded leather bag."</p>
<p>Pistorius told the court that he felt vulnerable to crime — a potential attempt to explain his claim that he reacted to what he thought was a threatening intruder in his bathroom by firing his 9mm pistol.</p>
<p>"I think everybody in South Africa has been exposed to crime at some point," he said.</p>
<p>He said he had occasionally been trailed by unidentified people while driving home.</p>
<p>Pistorius also alluded to a 2012 incident in which he was allegedly assaulted at a social function and was forced to have stitches on the back of his head.</p>
<p>Judge Thokozile Masipa granted an early adjournment Monday because she said Pistorius looked "exhausted." He told the court he had not slept the night before.</p>
<p>"I'm just very tired at the moment. ... I think it's a lot of things going through my mind," he said. "The weight of this is extremely overbearing."</p>
<p>Pistorius is charged with premeditated murder and faces 25 years to life behind bars if convicted.</p>
<p>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</p>
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Anguish, Panic, Remorse: Oscar Pistorius Takes the Stand
| false |
http://nbcnews.com/storyline/pistorius-trial/anguish-panic-remorse-oscar-pistorius-takes-stand-n74066
|
2014-04-07
| 3left-center
|
Anguish, Panic, Remorse: Oscar Pistorius Takes the Stand
<p>Double-amputee Olympian sprinter Oscar Pistorius is set to return to the witness stand Tuesday to continue answering questions about why he shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year.</p>
<p>Pistorius, 27, has yet to be cross-examined about the Feb. 14, 2013, shooting — and that wrenching testimony could be the dramatic climax of a trial that has transfixed viewers around the world.</p>
<p>In his first day of testimony Monday, <a href="" type="internal">Pistorius showed anguish and remorse</a>, testifying that he is ravaged by grief and haunted by memories of the fatal shooting of Steenkamp.</p>
<p>Here are the high points of the South African superstar's first day on the witness stand:</p>
<p>Pistorius began his testimony by apologizing to the parents of Steenkamp, 29, who died from wounds after the athlete shot her through a bathroom door in his home.</p>
<p>"There hasn't been a moment since this tragedy happened that I haven't thought about your family," Pistorius said while <a href="" type="internal">Steenkamp's mother, June, looked stoically at him</a> in the courtroom.</p>
<p>"I can't imagine the pain and the sorrow and the emptiness that I've caused you and your family. I was simply trying to protect Reeva. I can promise you that when she went to bed that night she felt loved," he said.</p>
<p>He has said he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder. Prosecutors allege that he killed her after a heated argument.</p>
<p>Pistorius told the court he is taking antidepressant medication and is tortured by panic attacks.</p>
<p>"I have terrible nightmares about things that happened that night where I wake up and I can smell the blood," Pistorius said. "If I hear a noise, I always wake up just in a complete state of terror, to the point where I would rather not sleep."</p>
<p>Pistorius described a fit of panic that drove him to hide in a closet one day.</p>
<p>"I climbed into a cupboard, and I phoned my sister to come and sit by me, which she did for a while," he said.</p>
<p>Pistorius told the court about the positive influence of his mother, Sheila. He said he was stricken with grief after she died when the athlete was just a teenager.</p>
<p>"My mother had a lot of security concerns," Pistorius said, adding that his family was struck by home break-ins and carjackings throughout his childhood.</p>
<p>He said his mother kept a firearm "under her bed, under the pillow in a padded leather bag."</p>
<p>Pistorius told the court that he felt vulnerable to crime — a potential attempt to explain his claim that he reacted to what he thought was a threatening intruder in his bathroom by firing his 9mm pistol.</p>
<p>"I think everybody in South Africa has been exposed to crime at some point," he said.</p>
<p>He said he had occasionally been trailed by unidentified people while driving home.</p>
<p>Pistorius also alluded to a 2012 incident in which he was allegedly assaulted at a social function and was forced to have stitches on the back of his head.</p>
<p>Judge Thokozile Masipa granted an early adjournment Monday because she said Pistorius looked "exhausted." He told the court he had not slept the night before.</p>
<p>"I'm just very tired at the moment. ... I think it's a lot of things going through my mind," he said. "The weight of this is extremely overbearing."</p>
<p>Pistorius is charged with premeditated murder and faces 25 years to life behind bars if convicted.</p>
<p>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</p>
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