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<p>Nepalese Buddhists light incense sticks at the Boudhanath Stupa during Buddha Jayanti, or Buddha Purnima, festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, May 4, 2015. Hundreds of people have visited Buddhists shrines and monasteries in Nepal's quake-wracked Kathmandu on the birthday of Gautama Buddha to pray for the country and the people who suffered during April 25 earthquake. (AP Photo/Bernat Amangue)</p>
<p>KATHMANDU, Nepal - Nepal's government will need immense international support as the Himalayan nation begins turning its attention toward reconstruction in the coming weeks, in the wake of the devastating April earthquake, a top official said Monday.</p>
<p>Nepal is one of the world's poorest nations, and its economy, largely based on tourism, has been crippled by the earthquake, which left at least 7,200 people dead. While there are no clear estimates yet of how much it will cost to rebuild, it will certainly be enormously expensive.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"In two to three weeks a serious reconstruction package needs to be developed, where we'll need enormous help from the international community," said Information Minister Minendra Rijal. "There's a huge, huge funding gap."</p>
<p>He also said foreign rescue workers were welcome in Nepal, saying they could remain as long as they are needed. He had earlier said that the need for their services was diminishing, but later denied that he wanted them to leave the country.</p>
<p>Soon, he added, the nation will be shifting away from a rescue mode and "will be concentrating more on relief operations."</p>
<p>Since the April 25 earthquake, 4,050 rescue workers from 34 different nations have flown to Nepal to help in rescue operations, provide emergency medical care and distribute food and other necessities. The still-rising death toll from the quake, Nepal's worst in more than 80 years, has reached 7,276, police said.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Buddhists turned out to visit shrines and monasteries to mark the birthday of Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.</p>
<p>At the base of the Swayambhunath shrine, located atop a hill overlooking Kathmandu, hundreds of people chanted prayers as they walked around the hill where the white iconic stupa with its gazing eyes is located.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Some of the structures around the stupa, built in the 5th century, were damaged in the quake. Police blocked off the steep steps to the top of the shrine, also called the "Monkey Temple" because of the many monkeys who live on its slopes.</p>
<p>"I am praying for peace for the thousands of people who were killed," said Santa Lama, a 60-year-old woman. "I hope there will be peace and calm in the country once again and the worst is over."</p>
<p>Kathmandu's main airport remained closed since Sunday to large aircraft delivering aid due to runaway damage, but U.N. officials said the overall logistics situation was improving.</p>
<p>The airport was built to handle only medium-size jetliners, but not the large military and cargo planes that have been flying in aid supplies, food, medicines, and rescue and humanitarian workers, said Birendra Shrestha, the manager of Tribhuwan International Airport.</p>
<p>There have been reports of cracks on the runway and other problems at the only airport in Nepal capable of handling jetliners.</p>
<p>"You've got one runway, and you've got limited handling facilities, and you've got the ongoing commercial flights," said Jamie McGoldrick, the U.N. coordinator for Nepal. "You put on top of that massive relief items coming in, the search and rescue teams that have clogged up this airport. And I think once they put better systems in place, I think that will get better."</p>
<p>He said the bottlenecks in aid delivery were slowly disappearing, and the Nepalese government eased customs and other bureaucratic hurdles on humanitarian aid following complaints from the U.N.</p>
|
Nepal: We will need huge foreign support for reconstruction
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/579192/nepal-we-will-need-huge-foreign-support-for-reconstruction.html
| 2least
|
Nepal: We will need huge foreign support for reconstruction
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<p>Nepalese Buddhists light incense sticks at the Boudhanath Stupa during Buddha Jayanti, or Buddha Purnima, festival in Kathmandu, Nepal, Monday, May 4, 2015. Hundreds of people have visited Buddhists shrines and monasteries in Nepal's quake-wracked Kathmandu on the birthday of Gautama Buddha to pray for the country and the people who suffered during April 25 earthquake. (AP Photo/Bernat Amangue)</p>
<p>KATHMANDU, Nepal - Nepal's government will need immense international support as the Himalayan nation begins turning its attention toward reconstruction in the coming weeks, in the wake of the devastating April earthquake, a top official said Monday.</p>
<p>Nepal is one of the world's poorest nations, and its economy, largely based on tourism, has been crippled by the earthquake, which left at least 7,200 people dead. While there are no clear estimates yet of how much it will cost to rebuild, it will certainly be enormously expensive.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"In two to three weeks a serious reconstruction package needs to be developed, where we'll need enormous help from the international community," said Information Minister Minendra Rijal. "There's a huge, huge funding gap."</p>
<p>He also said foreign rescue workers were welcome in Nepal, saying they could remain as long as they are needed. He had earlier said that the need for their services was diminishing, but later denied that he wanted them to leave the country.</p>
<p>Soon, he added, the nation will be shifting away from a rescue mode and "will be concentrating more on relief operations."</p>
<p>Since the April 25 earthquake, 4,050 rescue workers from 34 different nations have flown to Nepal to help in rescue operations, provide emergency medical care and distribute food and other necessities. The still-rising death toll from the quake, Nepal's worst in more than 80 years, has reached 7,276, police said.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Buddhists turned out to visit shrines and monasteries to mark the birthday of Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.</p>
<p>At the base of the Swayambhunath shrine, located atop a hill overlooking Kathmandu, hundreds of people chanted prayers as they walked around the hill where the white iconic stupa with its gazing eyes is located.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Some of the structures around the stupa, built in the 5th century, were damaged in the quake. Police blocked off the steep steps to the top of the shrine, also called the "Monkey Temple" because of the many monkeys who live on its slopes.</p>
<p>"I am praying for peace for the thousands of people who were killed," said Santa Lama, a 60-year-old woman. "I hope there will be peace and calm in the country once again and the worst is over."</p>
<p>Kathmandu's main airport remained closed since Sunday to large aircraft delivering aid due to runaway damage, but U.N. officials said the overall logistics situation was improving.</p>
<p>The airport was built to handle only medium-size jetliners, but not the large military and cargo planes that have been flying in aid supplies, food, medicines, and rescue and humanitarian workers, said Birendra Shrestha, the manager of Tribhuwan International Airport.</p>
<p>There have been reports of cracks on the runway and other problems at the only airport in Nepal capable of handling jetliners.</p>
<p>"You've got one runway, and you've got limited handling facilities, and you've got the ongoing commercial flights," said Jamie McGoldrick, the U.N. coordinator for Nepal. "You put on top of that massive relief items coming in, the search and rescue teams that have clogged up this airport. And I think once they put better systems in place, I think that will get better."</p>
<p>He said the bottlenecks in aid delivery were slowly disappearing, and the Nepalese government eased customs and other bureaucratic hurdles on humanitarian aid following complaints from the U.N.</p>
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<p />
<p>Earlier today I published a <a href="" type="internal">timeline</a> that chronicles the history of cheerleading, featuring everything from the debut of the Washington Redskinettes to Robin Williams’ cameo as a Denver Broncos cheerleader. But for all the confounding moments in the hundred-plus years of cheerleading, this clip of a reality TV show called Making the Team might take the cake.</p>
<p>Now in its ninth season on Country Music Television, the show follows candidates as they try out for the famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. In the clip above, from August, team director Kelli Finglass performs “uniform checks,” which she punctuates with choice comments like, “Today, we had a little bit of thigh and butt running together, so we’re calling it a ‘thutt.’ Megan had a little bit of a thutt. We can cover cankles with boots, but we can’t cover thutts.”</p>
<p>Keep in mind: Finglass <a href="http://www.dallascowboyscheerleaders.com/dcc-history/" type="external">has said</a> that she wants her cheerleaders to be “role models” who are a “cross section of the American woman.” Also, it’s 2014.</p>
|
This Video Reveals Just How Degrading Professional Cheerleading Really Is
| true |
https://motherjones.com/politics/2014/12/crazy-cheerleading-video-dallas-cowboys/
|
2014-12-15
| 4left
|
This Video Reveals Just How Degrading Professional Cheerleading Really Is
<p />
<p />
<p>Earlier today I published a <a href="" type="internal">timeline</a> that chronicles the history of cheerleading, featuring everything from the debut of the Washington Redskinettes to Robin Williams’ cameo as a Denver Broncos cheerleader. But for all the confounding moments in the hundred-plus years of cheerleading, this clip of a reality TV show called Making the Team might take the cake.</p>
<p>Now in its ninth season on Country Music Television, the show follows candidates as they try out for the famous Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. In the clip above, from August, team director Kelli Finglass performs “uniform checks,” which she punctuates with choice comments like, “Today, we had a little bit of thigh and butt running together, so we’re calling it a ‘thutt.’ Megan had a little bit of a thutt. We can cover cankles with boots, but we can’t cover thutts.”</p>
<p>Keep in mind: Finglass <a href="http://www.dallascowboyscheerleaders.com/dcc-history/" type="external">has said</a> that she wants her cheerleaders to be “role models” who are a “cross section of the American woman.” Also, it’s 2014.</p>
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<p>Laurie Jurkiewicz, a nurse-midwife, describes the group-learning approach to prenatal care. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Women are the experts in pregnancy and childbirth and can learn as much from one another as they can from physicians, health professionals said Thursday at the launch of a prenatal care program focused on group learning.</p>
<p>The pilot program, based at a University of New Mexico clinic in Albuquerque, will begin enrolling pregnant women this fall in small group sessions, with the aim of improving birth outcomes for African-Americans.</p>
<p>Called Centering Pregnancy, the program is open to all women but focused on African-Americans, said Yvette Kaufman-Bell, director of the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs, which is funding the one-year pilot with a $50,000 state appropriation.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"It's a really different experience for a woman to walk into a group of friends rather than a waiting room," said Laurie Jurkiewicz, a nurse-midwife at San Francisco General Hospital, who will train staff this week at UNM Hospital's North Valley Center for Family and Community Health, where the first event was held.</p>
<p>Women who have similar due dates form groups of up to 12 who meet in two-hour sessions that become more frequent as their due date approaches, Jurkiewicz said. The women will begin by taking their own blood pressure and other vitals, then gather in a circle to engage in a free-form discussion led by a health professional, she said. Group meetings continue after birth to help women adapt to motherhood.</p>
<p>Yvette Kaufman-Bell on Thursday announces a program that offers prenatal care to groups of women. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>"It's about getting women engaged in their own prenatal care," she said. The Centering model was developed by midwives more than a decade ago and is not practiced across much of the U.S., she said.</p>
<p>Kaufman-Bell said state officials sought the model as a way to reduce high rates of infant mortality among African-Americans in New Mexico. If successful, the model could be replicated throughout the state, she said.</p>
<p>The infant mortality rate for African-Americans in 2013 was 10.9 per 1,000 live births, compared with rates of 4.5 for Hispanics and 2.9 for Anglos, according to state Department of Health data.</p>
<p>Dr. Larry Leeman, co-director of UNMH's mother-baby unit, said the group model can address aspects of pregnancy, such as depression, that too often are overlooked by the traditional physician-patient model.</p>
<p>"This program addresses the social determinates of pregnancy," he said. Women "are working as a group. They can learn together."</p>
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Prenatal care program taps women's knowledge
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/601485/prenatal-care-program-taps-womens-knowledge.html
| 2least
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Prenatal care program taps women's knowledge
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<p>Laurie Jurkiewicz, a nurse-midwife, describes the group-learning approach to prenatal care. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Women are the experts in pregnancy and childbirth and can learn as much from one another as they can from physicians, health professionals said Thursday at the launch of a prenatal care program focused on group learning.</p>
<p>The pilot program, based at a University of New Mexico clinic in Albuquerque, will begin enrolling pregnant women this fall in small group sessions, with the aim of improving birth outcomes for African-Americans.</p>
<p>Called Centering Pregnancy, the program is open to all women but focused on African-Americans, said Yvette Kaufman-Bell, director of the New Mexico Office of African American Affairs, which is funding the one-year pilot with a $50,000 state appropriation.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"It's a really different experience for a woman to walk into a group of friends rather than a waiting room," said Laurie Jurkiewicz, a nurse-midwife at San Francisco General Hospital, who will train staff this week at UNM Hospital's North Valley Center for Family and Community Health, where the first event was held.</p>
<p>Women who have similar due dates form groups of up to 12 who meet in two-hour sessions that become more frequent as their due date approaches, Jurkiewicz said. The women will begin by taking their own blood pressure and other vitals, then gather in a circle to engage in a free-form discussion led by a health professional, she said. Group meetings continue after birth to help women adapt to motherhood.</p>
<p>Yvette Kaufman-Bell on Thursday announces a program that offers prenatal care to groups of women. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>"It's about getting women engaged in their own prenatal care," she said. The Centering model was developed by midwives more than a decade ago and is not practiced across much of the U.S., she said.</p>
<p>Kaufman-Bell said state officials sought the model as a way to reduce high rates of infant mortality among African-Americans in New Mexico. If successful, the model could be replicated throughout the state, she said.</p>
<p>The infant mortality rate for African-Americans in 2013 was 10.9 per 1,000 live births, compared with rates of 4.5 for Hispanics and 2.9 for Anglos, according to state Department of Health data.</p>
<p>Dr. Larry Leeman, co-director of UNMH's mother-baby unit, said the group model can address aspects of pregnancy, such as depression, that too often are overlooked by the traditional physician-patient model.</p>
<p>"This program addresses the social determinates of pregnancy," he said. Women "are working as a group. They can learn together."</p>
<p />
<p />
| 7,902 |
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<p>Iceland, an island nation on the edge of the Arctic Ocean, offers some of the planet’s most breathtaking natural wonders, which many producers have used as spectacular backdrops for their movies. Its black sands have even doubled for the South Pacific in Clint Eastwood’s “Letters From Iwo Jima.” And Iceland’s 25% rebate on qualified expenses make the trip worthwhile.</p>
<p>In order to take advantage of the incentive, producers who travel there to shoot are required to engage the services of a local production company and must pass a cultural test. The program has no annual cap but will end on&#160;Dec. 31, 2021, unless the government extends it.</p>
<p>The reimbursements cover 25% of the production costs incurred in Iceland. Payments pertaining to employees and contractors are only to be included in production costs if they are verifiably taxable in Iceland. Applications must be submitted before starting the production.</p>
<p>Projects recently shot or now shooting in Iceland include: “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/justice-league/" type="external">Justice League</a>” (2017), “The Fate of the Furious” (2017), “Money Monster” (2016), “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story/" type="external">Rogue One: A Star Wars Story</a>” (2016), “Captain America: Civil War” (2016), “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015), “Prometheus” (2014), “Game of Thrones” (began shooting in 2011) and “Sense8” (began shooting in 2015).</p>
<p>Information courtesy of EP Financial Solutions, a production incentive consulting and financial services company.</p>
<p />
|
Iceland’s 25% Incentives Combines With Spectacular Scenery to Lure Filmmakers
| false |
https://newsline.com/icelands-25-incentives-combines-with-spectacular-scenery-to-lure-filmmakers/
|
2017-12-01
| 1right-center
|
Iceland’s 25% Incentives Combines With Spectacular Scenery to Lure Filmmakers
<p>Iceland, an island nation on the edge of the Arctic Ocean, offers some of the planet’s most breathtaking natural wonders, which many producers have used as spectacular backdrops for their movies. Its black sands have even doubled for the South Pacific in Clint Eastwood’s “Letters From Iwo Jima.” And Iceland’s 25% rebate on qualified expenses make the trip worthwhile.</p>
<p>In order to take advantage of the incentive, producers who travel there to shoot are required to engage the services of a local production company and must pass a cultural test. The program has no annual cap but will end on&#160;Dec. 31, 2021, unless the government extends it.</p>
<p>The reimbursements cover 25% of the production costs incurred in Iceland. Payments pertaining to employees and contractors are only to be included in production costs if they are verifiably taxable in Iceland. Applications must be submitted before starting the production.</p>
<p>Projects recently shot or now shooting in Iceland include: “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/justice-league/" type="external">Justice League</a>” (2017), “The Fate of the Furious” (2017), “Money Monster” (2016), “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story/" type="external">Rogue One: A Star Wars Story</a>” (2016), “Captain America: Civil War” (2016), “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” (2015), “Prometheus” (2014), “Game of Thrones” (began shooting in 2011) and “Sense8” (began shooting in 2015).</p>
<p>Information courtesy of EP Financial Solutions, a production incentive consulting and financial services company.</p>
<p />
| 7,903 |
<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/eight-women-say-charlie-rose-sexually-harassed-them--with-nudity-groping-and-lewd-calls/2017/11/20/9b168de8-caec-11e7-8321-481fd63f174d_story.html?utm_term=.80561ec9e9fa" type="external">The Washington Post reports that eight women</a> have accused longtime PBS host Charlie Rose of inappropriate and sexually harassing behavior, including lewd phone calls, office nudity, and even groping.</p>
<p>The allegations sent a shock wave through left-leaning media; Rose has been a staple of PBS' political coverage for more than four decades, earning a pile of accolades and even Emmy and Peabody awards for his roundtable discussions with notable cultural and literary figures.</p>
<p>But the women, who range in age from 21 to 37, say Rose's private demeanor is much different from his intellectual public persona — and all eight tell remarkably similar stories of Rose's behind-the-scenes misbehavior.</p>
<p>According to the Post's interviews, the women claim Rose regularly touched them on their legs and thighs, and one woman says Rose actually groped her at a staff party. They also say that while traveling with Rose on business or while working at Rose's home, he would leave mid-meeting to shower, and then return without clothes.</p>
<p>Reah Bravo, a PBS intern who worked with Rose, says she was regularly the subject of his sexual advances, and Kyle Godfrey-Ryan, one of Rose's assistants, says Rose met her in the nude more than 20 times. Godfrey-Ryan also says Rose would call her late at night and relate creepy sexual fantasies.</p>
<p>"He also repeatedly called the then-21-year-old late at night or early in the morning to describe his fantasies of her swimming naked in the Bellport pool [at his upstate New York home] as he watched from his bedroom," the Post reports.</p>
<p>He also asked personal questions. “It would be wanting to know details of my sex life,” Godfrey-Ryan said. “ ‘Who’s next to you? What do you do? Is he touching you?’ And I was like, ‘Okay, Charlie, I’ll see you tomorrow.’ I just acted like it wasn’t happening.”</p>
<p>When the women reported Rose's behavior, they say, they were told that was just "Charlie being Charlie." Around the office, the Post reports, the young women who ended up on Rose's production team were occasionally referred to as “Charlie’s Angels."</p>
<p>In addition to the three women who were willing to go on the record, and five women who spoke to the Post on background — preferring to remain anonymous, they said, because of Rose's reputed temper — the Post also found two dozen former Rose employees who say they experienced what they would describe as "harassing behavior," and eight who said that they were uncomfortable with how Rose treated his female employees.</p>
<p>Others, who never ended up working for the reputed journalist, accused the PBS host of everything from lewd requests to groping; one woman even said that she went to Rose's house for a job interview only to find him wearing nothing but an "untethered" robe. He tried to slide his hand down her pants, she said.</p>
<p>The allegations aren't necessarily novel. According to the Post, Charlie Rose has always had something of a bad reputation among his peers for being what Radar magazine once described as a "toxic bachelor." Rose himself denied the allegations, at least in part, saying that he's always considered himself an advocate for women, and that he "deeply apologizes" for his "inappropriate behavior."</p>
<p>“In my 45 years in journalism, I have prided myself on being an advocate for the careers of the women with whom I have worked,” Rose said in a statement provided to The Post. “Nevertheless, in the past few days, claims have been made about my behavior toward some former female colleagues."</p>
<p>“It is essential that these women know I hear them and that I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior. I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken."</p>
<p>"I have learned a great deal as a result of these events, and I hope others will too. All of us, including me, are coming to a newer and deeper recognition of the pain caused by conduct in the past, and have come to a profound new respect for women and their lives.”</p>
<p>The accusations against Rose are simply the latest in a wave of sexual harassment allegations that have rocked both the entertainment and media industries.</p>
|
SHOCK: Eight Women Accuse PBS' Charlie Rose Of Sexual Harassment
| true |
https://dailywire.com/news/23815/shock-eight-women-accuse-pbss-charlie-rose-sexual-emily-zanotti
|
2017-11-20
| 0right
|
SHOCK: Eight Women Accuse PBS' Charlie Rose Of Sexual Harassment
<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/eight-women-say-charlie-rose-sexually-harassed-them--with-nudity-groping-and-lewd-calls/2017/11/20/9b168de8-caec-11e7-8321-481fd63f174d_story.html?utm_term=.80561ec9e9fa" type="external">The Washington Post reports that eight women</a> have accused longtime PBS host Charlie Rose of inappropriate and sexually harassing behavior, including lewd phone calls, office nudity, and even groping.</p>
<p>The allegations sent a shock wave through left-leaning media; Rose has been a staple of PBS' political coverage for more than four decades, earning a pile of accolades and even Emmy and Peabody awards for his roundtable discussions with notable cultural and literary figures.</p>
<p>But the women, who range in age from 21 to 37, say Rose's private demeanor is much different from his intellectual public persona — and all eight tell remarkably similar stories of Rose's behind-the-scenes misbehavior.</p>
<p>According to the Post's interviews, the women claim Rose regularly touched them on their legs and thighs, and one woman says Rose actually groped her at a staff party. They also say that while traveling with Rose on business or while working at Rose's home, he would leave mid-meeting to shower, and then return without clothes.</p>
<p>Reah Bravo, a PBS intern who worked with Rose, says she was regularly the subject of his sexual advances, and Kyle Godfrey-Ryan, one of Rose's assistants, says Rose met her in the nude more than 20 times. Godfrey-Ryan also says Rose would call her late at night and relate creepy sexual fantasies.</p>
<p>"He also repeatedly called the then-21-year-old late at night or early in the morning to describe his fantasies of her swimming naked in the Bellport pool [at his upstate New York home] as he watched from his bedroom," the Post reports.</p>
<p>He also asked personal questions. “It would be wanting to know details of my sex life,” Godfrey-Ryan said. “ ‘Who’s next to you? What do you do? Is he touching you?’ And I was like, ‘Okay, Charlie, I’ll see you tomorrow.’ I just acted like it wasn’t happening.”</p>
<p>When the women reported Rose's behavior, they say, they were told that was just "Charlie being Charlie." Around the office, the Post reports, the young women who ended up on Rose's production team were occasionally referred to as “Charlie’s Angels."</p>
<p>In addition to the three women who were willing to go on the record, and five women who spoke to the Post on background — preferring to remain anonymous, they said, because of Rose's reputed temper — the Post also found two dozen former Rose employees who say they experienced what they would describe as "harassing behavior," and eight who said that they were uncomfortable with how Rose treated his female employees.</p>
<p>Others, who never ended up working for the reputed journalist, accused the PBS host of everything from lewd requests to groping; one woman even said that she went to Rose's house for a job interview only to find him wearing nothing but an "untethered" robe. He tried to slide his hand down her pants, she said.</p>
<p>The allegations aren't necessarily novel. According to the Post, Charlie Rose has always had something of a bad reputation among his peers for being what Radar magazine once described as a "toxic bachelor." Rose himself denied the allegations, at least in part, saying that he's always considered himself an advocate for women, and that he "deeply apologizes" for his "inappropriate behavior."</p>
<p>“In my 45 years in journalism, I have prided myself on being an advocate for the careers of the women with whom I have worked,” Rose said in a statement provided to The Post. “Nevertheless, in the past few days, claims have been made about my behavior toward some former female colleagues."</p>
<p>“It is essential that these women know I hear them and that I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior. I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken."</p>
<p>"I have learned a great deal as a result of these events, and I hope others will too. All of us, including me, are coming to a newer and deeper recognition of the pain caused by conduct in the past, and have come to a profound new respect for women and their lives.”</p>
<p>The accusations against Rose are simply the latest in a wave of sexual harassment allegations that have rocked both the entertainment and media industries.</p>
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<p>Annette Fuschini was sentenced Monday in state District Court on her convictions for involuntary manslaughter and aggravated DWI in the death of 42-year-old Carlos Nevarez III last June. Nevarez had gotten out of her pickup after they argued.</p>
<p>Fuschini was charged with first-degree murder but a jury on Wednesday convicted her of the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Fuschini testified that she was drunk and didn't remember what happened.</p>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/1c4FLuf" type="external">According to the Las Cruces Sun-News</a>, Fuschini has been in custody since her June arrest and will get credit for nearly nine months behind bars. She could be eligible for parole in July 2015.</p>
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Las Cruces woman gets prison for fiance's death
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/362493/las-cruces-woman-gets-prison-for-finances-death.html
| 2least
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Las Cruces woman gets prison for fiance's death
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Annette Fuschini was sentenced Monday in state District Court on her convictions for involuntary manslaughter and aggravated DWI in the death of 42-year-old Carlos Nevarez III last June. Nevarez had gotten out of her pickup after they argued.</p>
<p>Fuschini was charged with first-degree murder but a jury on Wednesday convicted her of the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Fuschini testified that she was drunk and didn't remember what happened.</p>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/1c4FLuf" type="external">According to the Las Cruces Sun-News</a>, Fuschini has been in custody since her June arrest and will get credit for nearly nine months behind bars. She could be eligible for parole in July 2015.</p>
| 7,905 |
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<p>In a breathless story somehow presented as a groundbreaking revelation, The New York Times recently reported that the Pentagon is — shocker! — using all sorts of media channels to market itself to the nation’s children. Though the Times presents this as a brand-new development, it is nothing of the sort. The armed forces have spent the last three decades carefully constructing a child-focused Military-Entertainment Complex, which has long had the Pentagon subsidizing everything from video games to movies — most of which glorify militarism to kids.</p>
<p>That said, the Times piece did include one important (if buried) piece of genuine news. It concerns a subtle-yet-insidious shift in martial propaganda — one that opens the military up to charges of rank hypocrisy.</p>
<p>You may recall that in recent years the Military-Entertainment Complex has been selling kids on the idea that military service is a gloriously fun adventure. In one famous ad, the Marines pretended that being a soldier is the equivalent of being a “Lord of the Rings” hero who slays fiery monsters. In another series of ads aired as previews in movie theaters, the Air Force portrayed dangerous front-line missions as exciting video games, telling kids: “It’s not science fiction — it’s what we do every day.”</p>
<p>Deceptive as these spots were, they at least held out the (unstated) possibility that military service can be dangerous, and that joining the Army doesn’t give an enlistee death-defying superpowers. The same, though, cannot be said for the new ad campaign covered by the Times — a campaign that both visually and literally suggests that joining the military gives one superpowers.</p>
<p />
<p>Yes, playing off the blockbuster new movie “X-Men: First Class,” the Army’s new ad juxtaposes images of the fictional mutant superheroes with images of real U.S. soldiers and then tells viewers to “try it on” — as if wearing the uniform will give “ordinary people” the ability to single-handedly fight off Magneto.</p>
<p>Obviously, the ads seek to conceal the simple truth that being a soldier is very dangerous — a truth underscored by the tens of thousands of American troops killed or wounded in our state of permanent war (or “persistent conflict,” in the Pentagon’s new parlance). And while the Pentagon cannot be expected to proactively advertise the hazards of military service, the new commercials are particularly deceptive coming from a military establishment that proactively hides those hazards from public view.</p>
<p>Remember, it was only two years ago that Defense Secretary Robert Gates took extraordinary measures to try to prevent news organizations from publishing a journalist’s single photograph showing the battlefield death of an American soldier in Afghanistan. Likewise, the Bush administration banned journalists from photographing flag-draped coffins coming back from Iraq — even though the coffins were unmarked, thus protecting the identity of the dead soldiers.</p>
<p>And, as the British Broadcasting Corp. showed, the entire process of “embedded reporting” through which the Pentagon steers war journalism has resulted in overly sanitized coverage that obscures battlefield violence and bloodshed.</p>
<p>Taken together, we can see the obvious contradiction. One part of the Pentagon is employing every media instrument available — Twitter, Facebook, TV commercials, movies, etc. — to tell America that becoming a soldier gets enlistees immortal superpowers that will keep them safe in combat. Meanwhile, the same Pentagon is trying to prevent the media from documenting the blood-soaked realities of war.</p>
<p>That may help the Pentagon boost its short-term recruitment numbers, but it deceives enlistees who are promised one experience and given another.</p>
<p>David Sirota is a best-selling author of the new book “Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We Live In Now.” He hosts the morning show on AM760 in Colorado. E-mail him at [email protected], follow him on Twitter @davidsirota or visit his website at www.davidsirota.com.</p>
<p>© 2011 Creators.com</p>
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Promoting Militarism While Hiding Bloodshed
| true |
https://truthdig.com/articles/promoting-militarism-while-hiding-bloodshed/
|
2011-06-17
| 4left
|
Promoting Militarism While Hiding Bloodshed
<p>In a breathless story somehow presented as a groundbreaking revelation, The New York Times recently reported that the Pentagon is — shocker! — using all sorts of media channels to market itself to the nation’s children. Though the Times presents this as a brand-new development, it is nothing of the sort. The armed forces have spent the last three decades carefully constructing a child-focused Military-Entertainment Complex, which has long had the Pentagon subsidizing everything from video games to movies — most of which glorify militarism to kids.</p>
<p>That said, the Times piece did include one important (if buried) piece of genuine news. It concerns a subtle-yet-insidious shift in martial propaganda — one that opens the military up to charges of rank hypocrisy.</p>
<p>You may recall that in recent years the Military-Entertainment Complex has been selling kids on the idea that military service is a gloriously fun adventure. In one famous ad, the Marines pretended that being a soldier is the equivalent of being a “Lord of the Rings” hero who slays fiery monsters. In another series of ads aired as previews in movie theaters, the Air Force portrayed dangerous front-line missions as exciting video games, telling kids: “It’s not science fiction — it’s what we do every day.”</p>
<p>Deceptive as these spots were, they at least held out the (unstated) possibility that military service can be dangerous, and that joining the Army doesn’t give an enlistee death-defying superpowers. The same, though, cannot be said for the new ad campaign covered by the Times — a campaign that both visually and literally suggests that joining the military gives one superpowers.</p>
<p />
<p>Yes, playing off the blockbuster new movie “X-Men: First Class,” the Army’s new ad juxtaposes images of the fictional mutant superheroes with images of real U.S. soldiers and then tells viewers to “try it on” — as if wearing the uniform will give “ordinary people” the ability to single-handedly fight off Magneto.</p>
<p>Obviously, the ads seek to conceal the simple truth that being a soldier is very dangerous — a truth underscored by the tens of thousands of American troops killed or wounded in our state of permanent war (or “persistent conflict,” in the Pentagon’s new parlance). And while the Pentagon cannot be expected to proactively advertise the hazards of military service, the new commercials are particularly deceptive coming from a military establishment that proactively hides those hazards from public view.</p>
<p>Remember, it was only two years ago that Defense Secretary Robert Gates took extraordinary measures to try to prevent news organizations from publishing a journalist’s single photograph showing the battlefield death of an American soldier in Afghanistan. Likewise, the Bush administration banned journalists from photographing flag-draped coffins coming back from Iraq — even though the coffins were unmarked, thus protecting the identity of the dead soldiers.</p>
<p>And, as the British Broadcasting Corp. showed, the entire process of “embedded reporting” through which the Pentagon steers war journalism has resulted in overly sanitized coverage that obscures battlefield violence and bloodshed.</p>
<p>Taken together, we can see the obvious contradiction. One part of the Pentagon is employing every media instrument available — Twitter, Facebook, TV commercials, movies, etc. — to tell America that becoming a soldier gets enlistees immortal superpowers that will keep them safe in combat. Meanwhile, the same Pentagon is trying to prevent the media from documenting the blood-soaked realities of war.</p>
<p>That may help the Pentagon boost its short-term recruitment numbers, but it deceives enlistees who are promised one experience and given another.</p>
<p>David Sirota is a best-selling author of the new book “Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We Live In Now.” He hosts the morning show on AM760 in Colorado. E-mail him at [email protected], follow him on Twitter @davidsirota or visit his website at www.davidsirota.com.</p>
<p>© 2011 Creators.com</p>
| 7,906 |
<p>Published time: 28 Aug, 2017 14:24</p>
<p>Sochi 2014 figure skating champion Yulia Lipnitskaya has retired from professional sports, her mother revealed on Monday.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/360/379890-evgenia-medvedeva-free-skate/" type="external" /></p>
<p>“Yulia informed the [Russian Ice Skating] federation about her plans to retire in April, right after she came back from Europe, where she underwent a three-month treatment for anorexia,” Daniela Lipnitskaya told TASS on Monday.</p>
<p>The Figure Skating Federation of Russia, however, says it has not received an official letter from the 19-year-old Lipnitskaya regarding her retirement.</p>
<p>“Although Yulia is in the reserve list, she is the Russian team roster,” the head of the federation, Aleksandr Gorshkov, told TASS.</p>
<p>“I cannot reply to the rumors. My position makes me work with the facts. (We) should wait for the statement from Yulia, before that it’s only talk,” he added.</p>
<p>Lipnitskaya became the youngest-ever Russian athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, when she was part of the victorious team at the 2014 Games in Sochi, aged just 15 years and 249 days old.</p>
<p>She has previously complained about having to follow a strict diet to maintain a suitable weight to compete in figure skating, replying to rumors that she was pregnant by saying that she had simply gained some weight.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/376310-figure-skating-evgenia-medvedeva/" type="external">READ MORE:&#160;‘Get up and keep going:’ RT interviews European figure skating champ Evgenia Medvedeva</a></p>
<p>“I am not pregnant, you are getting to me. Have a conscience. I can’t be 37kg all my life just to make everybody happy. I have been dieting enough already, (it’s) enough!” she wrote replying to comments on the social media.</p>
<p>Aside from winning gold in the team competition in Sochi, she has claimed gold and silver in the Ladies Singles events in Japan and Budapest respectively. She also won gold and silver medals at the Junior Championships in 2012 and 2013.</p>
<p />
|
Sochi Olympics figure skating champ Lipnitskaya 'retires at 19' following anorexia treatment
| false |
https://newsline.com/sochi-olympics-figure-skating-champ-lipnitskaya-039retires-at-19039-following-anorexia-treatment/
|
2017-08-28
| 1right-center
|
Sochi Olympics figure skating champ Lipnitskaya 'retires at 19' following anorexia treatment
<p>Published time: 28 Aug, 2017 14:24</p>
<p>Sochi 2014 figure skating champion Yulia Lipnitskaya has retired from professional sports, her mother revealed on Monday.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/360/379890-evgenia-medvedeva-free-skate/" type="external" /></p>
<p>“Yulia informed the [Russian Ice Skating] federation about her plans to retire in April, right after she came back from Europe, where she underwent a three-month treatment for anorexia,” Daniela Lipnitskaya told TASS on Monday.</p>
<p>The Figure Skating Federation of Russia, however, says it has not received an official letter from the 19-year-old Lipnitskaya regarding her retirement.</p>
<p>“Although Yulia is in the reserve list, she is the Russian team roster,” the head of the federation, Aleksandr Gorshkov, told TASS.</p>
<p>“I cannot reply to the rumors. My position makes me work with the facts. (We) should wait for the statement from Yulia, before that it’s only talk,” he added.</p>
<p>Lipnitskaya became the youngest-ever Russian athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, when she was part of the victorious team at the 2014 Games in Sochi, aged just 15 years and 249 days old.</p>
<p>She has previously complained about having to follow a strict diet to maintain a suitable weight to compete in figure skating, replying to rumors that she was pregnant by saying that she had simply gained some weight.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/376310-figure-skating-evgenia-medvedeva/" type="external">READ MORE:&#160;‘Get up and keep going:’ RT interviews European figure skating champ Evgenia Medvedeva</a></p>
<p>“I am not pregnant, you are getting to me. Have a conscience. I can’t be 37kg all my life just to make everybody happy. I have been dieting enough already, (it’s) enough!” she wrote replying to comments on the social media.</p>
<p>Aside from winning gold in the team competition in Sochi, she has claimed gold and silver in the Ladies Singles events in Japan and Budapest respectively. She also won gold and silver medals at the Junior Championships in 2012 and 2013.</p>
<p />
| 7,907 |
<p>Barack Obama’s team wanted an earthbound speech, and they got it.</p>
<p>While the pundits are generally calling the president’s Thursday night address mediocre, Obama and his advisers had taken great pains to avoid soaring rhetoric that <a href="/content/dailybeast/articles/2012/09/06/obama-needs-a-second-term-agenda-in-his-democratic-convention-speech.html" type="external">might have been derided as empty</a>.</p>
<p>Indeed, they extensively tested the president’s speech in dial groups, a type of focus group where voters twist dials to register approval or disapproval of specific passages, and say it tested off the charts. The reaction, they say, was more positive than to Obama’s 2008 acceptance speech in Denver.</p>
<p>In short, the president deliberately dialed it down, stopping well short of the altitudes he is capable of reaching. Perhaps that will prove to be a mistake, but the decision to go with a less rousing approach was carefully considered.</p>
<p>The campaign’s primary goal at the Democratic convention was to provide a concrete sense of what Obama would do in a second term. That was what independent voters wanted, according to the research, and that was the focus in Charlotte.</p>
<p>The result was a <a href="/content/dailybeast/articles/2012/09/07/obama-a-pedestrian-and-overconfident-speech.html" type="external">tepid media consensus</a> that after the stirring speeches by Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton, the president had <a href="/content/dailybeast/articles/2012/09/07/obama-brings-his-b-game.html" type="external">given a B speech at best</a>.</p>
<p>Strategists felt they were in a box, unable to meet the twin goals of style and substance at once. To be sure, Obama wanted to excite the party’s liberal base. But his brain trust was convinced that they would have gotten killed by going with a red-meat speech that simply bashed Republicans without detailing what Obama would do in the next four years.</p>
<p>The speech was essentially finished on Tuesday, the opening day of the convention, with some last-minute tinkering on Thursday. No Clintonian all-nighters for this crowd.</p>
<p>Tone and delivery aside, Obama did more than lay out a case for investing in energy and education, slashing the deficit by $4 trillion and protecting such entitlements as Medicare and Social Security. He proffered the notion of shared sacrifice and slow progress—a more measured assessment than four years ago and one decidedly less inspirational. It also was to some extent forced by the necessity of defending a mixed record in office.</p>
<p>As if to validate the campaign’s decision to close the convention with a more subdued speech, new figures released Friday show that the <a href="/content/dailybeast/cheats/2012/09/07/u-s-adds-96-00-jobs-in-august.html" type="external">economy created just 96,000 jobs</a> last month, unintentionally underscoring Obama’s message that he has no quick fix for the country’s economic problems.</p>
|
Why Obama Went Low Key in His Democratic Convention Speech
| true |
https://thedailybeast.com/why-obama-went-low-key-in-his-democratic-convention-speech
|
2018-10-06
| 4left
|
Why Obama Went Low Key in His Democratic Convention Speech
<p>Barack Obama’s team wanted an earthbound speech, and they got it.</p>
<p>While the pundits are generally calling the president’s Thursday night address mediocre, Obama and his advisers had taken great pains to avoid soaring rhetoric that <a href="/content/dailybeast/articles/2012/09/06/obama-needs-a-second-term-agenda-in-his-democratic-convention-speech.html" type="external">might have been derided as empty</a>.</p>
<p>Indeed, they extensively tested the president’s speech in dial groups, a type of focus group where voters twist dials to register approval or disapproval of specific passages, and say it tested off the charts. The reaction, they say, was more positive than to Obama’s 2008 acceptance speech in Denver.</p>
<p>In short, the president deliberately dialed it down, stopping well short of the altitudes he is capable of reaching. Perhaps that will prove to be a mistake, but the decision to go with a less rousing approach was carefully considered.</p>
<p>The campaign’s primary goal at the Democratic convention was to provide a concrete sense of what Obama would do in a second term. That was what independent voters wanted, according to the research, and that was the focus in Charlotte.</p>
<p>The result was a <a href="/content/dailybeast/articles/2012/09/07/obama-a-pedestrian-and-overconfident-speech.html" type="external">tepid media consensus</a> that after the stirring speeches by Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton, the president had <a href="/content/dailybeast/articles/2012/09/07/obama-brings-his-b-game.html" type="external">given a B speech at best</a>.</p>
<p>Strategists felt they were in a box, unable to meet the twin goals of style and substance at once. To be sure, Obama wanted to excite the party’s liberal base. But his brain trust was convinced that they would have gotten killed by going with a red-meat speech that simply bashed Republicans without detailing what Obama would do in the next four years.</p>
<p>The speech was essentially finished on Tuesday, the opening day of the convention, with some last-minute tinkering on Thursday. No Clintonian all-nighters for this crowd.</p>
<p>Tone and delivery aside, Obama did more than lay out a case for investing in energy and education, slashing the deficit by $4 trillion and protecting such entitlements as Medicare and Social Security. He proffered the notion of shared sacrifice and slow progress—a more measured assessment than four years ago and one decidedly less inspirational. It also was to some extent forced by the necessity of defending a mixed record in office.</p>
<p>As if to validate the campaign’s decision to close the convention with a more subdued speech, new figures released Friday show that the <a href="/content/dailybeast/cheats/2012/09/07/u-s-adds-96-00-jobs-in-august.html" type="external">economy created just 96,000 jobs</a> last month, unintentionally underscoring Obama’s message that he has no quick fix for the country’s economic problems.</p>
| 7,908 |
<p>Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) says she's a 21st-century version of Saul's son, Jonathan.&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/teambachmann/5923469852/sizes/z/in/photostream/"&gt;Michele Bachmann&lt;/a&gt;/Flickr</p>
<p />
<p>Rep.&#160;Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) has a habit of breaking out Old Testament references when she speaks to religious audiences.&#160;She has <a href="" type="internal">previously compared</a> her (increasingly) small but determined band of followers to the Men of Issachar, one of the 12 Tribes of&#160;Israel that helped ward off the Canaanite invasion in the Book of Judges. Like Bachmann’s teavangelicals, the Men of Issachar were reclaiming their godly inheritance after the Israelites had lost their way. It’s also one of the only instances in the Bible in which men are led into battle by a woman— <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah" type="external">Deborah</a>.</p>
<p>But now, with her presidential campaign on the ropes, the Minnesota congresswoman seems to have picked a new Biblical alter ego; we’re not sure she really thought this one through. Via <a href="http://www.minnpost.com/ericblack/2011/09/12/31404/who_does_michele_bachmann_think_she_is" type="external">MinnPost</a>, this is what she told the conservative activists at RightOnline last week in June:</p>
<p>I want to call to mind in remembrance a hero of mine. And he’s from ancient Israel. And from history we know, in the recorded annals of time, that this was someone considered more inconsequential, but to me he had an inspiring, powerful story.</p>
<p>His name was Jonathan. And it was in ancient Israel. His father was king. He was the first king of ancient Israel and his name was King Saul.</p>
<p>And there was another battle that Israel faced. And that battle was with a group of people called the Philistines. And the Philistines had a position of power. And they were up on a cliff during the time of this battle.</p>
<p>Then, as the story goes, Jonathan and a comrade scaled the cliff and defeated the entire Philistine army by themselves.</p>
<p>If the story ended there, that would be a fantastic metaphor for what Bachmann would like to accomplish as a candidate. The story of Jonathan does not end there, however. Given his lineage and heroics in battle, Jonathan was considered the front-runner to become the next head of state. But another, more charismatic (literally) rural farm boy came along and won over the base by <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/27/AR2010042705323.html" type="external">killing a coyote with a Rueger</a> killing a giant with a slingshot. Jonathan and Saul died tragically in battle on top of Mount Gilboa; David became king.</p>
<p>Goliath’s severed head can only watch.&#160;Wikimedia CommonsBut there’s another twist: Jonathan’s mostly famous because of his very close personal relationship with&#160;David, with some scholars going so far as to suggest that they might have been lovers. Jonathan and David have been cited by gay rights activists as proof that gay rights are biblically enshrined, <a href="http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/wilde/wildeaccount.html" type="external">as well as by Oscar Wilde</a>—at his trial for homosexuality. The&#160;Book of&#160;Samuel describes the relationship thusly:&#160;“The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” Their friendship led to a falling out between&#160;Saul and his son, after Jonathan pleads with the king to stop trying to kill David.</p>
<p>So were they actually lovers?&#160;It’s hardly the mainstream view, but it’s a theory that’s out there:&#160;Dartmouth religion professor Susan&#160;Ackerman <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ATKodvnYS4EC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=When+Heroes+Love:.+The+Ambiguity+of+Eros+in+the+Stories+of+Gilgamesh+and+David&amp;hl=en&amp;src=bmrr&amp;ei=o09uTrmyHrHSiALqvOypDg&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=book_result&amp;ct=result&amp;resnum=1&amp;ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" type="external">wrote a book about it</a>. Here’s how she synthesizes the “Jonathan and David were gay”&#160;(or at least bisexual) argument, seizing on the pair’s falling out with Jonathan’s father:</p>
<p>[A]s Schroer and Staubli particularly argue, the language Saul uses in his diatribe is extremely sexually charged, so much so that we may be meant to interpret it also in sexual terms; that is, to understand this charged language is used in&#160;Saul’s insults because Saul perceives his son’s misdeeds to be sexual as well as political. According, then, to Schroer and Staubli, Jonathan has not only engaged in “the political scandal of a royal son betraying father and kingdom for the sake of a stranger, but also the effrontery of homosexual love.”</p>
<p>Bachmann, for her part, has described homosexuality as “personal bondage” and a “dysfunction” and alleged that gay marriage is an&#160;“earthquake issue” that could shake American society to its core. Given the way her campaign gone since Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the race, though, perhaps Bachmann should have just gone with&#160; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Job" type="external">Job</a>.</p>
<p>Front page image: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Deborah-judge.jpg" type="external">Wikimedia</a>; Davie Hinshaw/Charlotte Observer/Zuma</p>
<p />
|
Michele Bachmann’s Gay Biblical Alter Ego
| true |
https://motherjones.com/politics/2011/09/michele-bachmann-old-testament-jonathan-homosexual/
|
2011-09-16
| 4left
|
Michele Bachmann’s Gay Biblical Alter Ego
<p>Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) says she's a 21st-century version of Saul's son, Jonathan.&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/teambachmann/5923469852/sizes/z/in/photostream/"&gt;Michele Bachmann&lt;/a&gt;/Flickr</p>
<p />
<p>Rep.&#160;Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) has a habit of breaking out Old Testament references when she speaks to religious audiences.&#160;She has <a href="" type="internal">previously compared</a> her (increasingly) small but determined band of followers to the Men of Issachar, one of the 12 Tribes of&#160;Israel that helped ward off the Canaanite invasion in the Book of Judges. Like Bachmann’s teavangelicals, the Men of Issachar were reclaiming their godly inheritance after the Israelites had lost their way. It’s also one of the only instances in the Bible in which men are led into battle by a woman— <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah" type="external">Deborah</a>.</p>
<p>But now, with her presidential campaign on the ropes, the Minnesota congresswoman seems to have picked a new Biblical alter ego; we’re not sure she really thought this one through. Via <a href="http://www.minnpost.com/ericblack/2011/09/12/31404/who_does_michele_bachmann_think_she_is" type="external">MinnPost</a>, this is what she told the conservative activists at RightOnline last week in June:</p>
<p>I want to call to mind in remembrance a hero of mine. And he’s from ancient Israel. And from history we know, in the recorded annals of time, that this was someone considered more inconsequential, but to me he had an inspiring, powerful story.</p>
<p>His name was Jonathan. And it was in ancient Israel. His father was king. He was the first king of ancient Israel and his name was King Saul.</p>
<p>And there was another battle that Israel faced. And that battle was with a group of people called the Philistines. And the Philistines had a position of power. And they were up on a cliff during the time of this battle.</p>
<p>Then, as the story goes, Jonathan and a comrade scaled the cliff and defeated the entire Philistine army by themselves.</p>
<p>If the story ended there, that would be a fantastic metaphor for what Bachmann would like to accomplish as a candidate. The story of Jonathan does not end there, however. Given his lineage and heroics in battle, Jonathan was considered the front-runner to become the next head of state. But another, more charismatic (literally) rural farm boy came along and won over the base by <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/27/AR2010042705323.html" type="external">killing a coyote with a Rueger</a> killing a giant with a slingshot. Jonathan and Saul died tragically in battle on top of Mount Gilboa; David became king.</p>
<p>Goliath’s severed head can only watch.&#160;Wikimedia CommonsBut there’s another twist: Jonathan’s mostly famous because of his very close personal relationship with&#160;David, with some scholars going so far as to suggest that they might have been lovers. Jonathan and David have been cited by gay rights activists as proof that gay rights are biblically enshrined, <a href="http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/wilde/wildeaccount.html" type="external">as well as by Oscar Wilde</a>—at his trial for homosexuality. The&#160;Book of&#160;Samuel describes the relationship thusly:&#160;“The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” Their friendship led to a falling out between&#160;Saul and his son, after Jonathan pleads with the king to stop trying to kill David.</p>
<p>So were they actually lovers?&#160;It’s hardly the mainstream view, but it’s a theory that’s out there:&#160;Dartmouth religion professor Susan&#160;Ackerman <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=ATKodvnYS4EC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=When+Heroes+Love:.+The+Ambiguity+of+Eros+in+the+Stories+of+Gilgamesh+and+David&amp;hl=en&amp;src=bmrr&amp;ei=o09uTrmyHrHSiALqvOypDg&amp;sa=X&amp;oi=book_result&amp;ct=result&amp;resnum=1&amp;ved=0CCoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" type="external">wrote a book about it</a>. Here’s how she synthesizes the “Jonathan and David were gay”&#160;(or at least bisexual) argument, seizing on the pair’s falling out with Jonathan’s father:</p>
<p>[A]s Schroer and Staubli particularly argue, the language Saul uses in his diatribe is extremely sexually charged, so much so that we may be meant to interpret it also in sexual terms; that is, to understand this charged language is used in&#160;Saul’s insults because Saul perceives his son’s misdeeds to be sexual as well as political. According, then, to Schroer and Staubli, Jonathan has not only engaged in “the political scandal of a royal son betraying father and kingdom for the sake of a stranger, but also the effrontery of homosexual love.”</p>
<p>Bachmann, for her part, has described homosexuality as “personal bondage” and a “dysfunction” and alleged that gay marriage is an&#160;“earthquake issue” that could shake American society to its core. Given the way her campaign gone since Texas Gov. Rick Perry entered the race, though, perhaps Bachmann should have just gone with&#160; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Job" type="external">Job</a>.</p>
<p>Front page image: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Deborah-judge.jpg" type="external">Wikimedia</a>; Davie Hinshaw/Charlotte Observer/Zuma</p>
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<p>Since January, President Trump’s eldest daughter has been a highly visible member of her father’s presidency. She has participated in roundtable discussions, flown on Air Force One and met with world leaders. Next month, she will attend an economic summit in Germany on behalf of the Trump administration, at the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.</p>
<p>And perhaps most notably, she recently moved into her own office in the West Wing and gained high-level security clearance – despite not being a government employee and, therefore, not subject to ethics rules. The president’s elder daughter has said that, despite her lack of an official White House job title, she will “voluntarily” comply with those rules.</p>
<p>“I will continue to offer my father my candid advice and counsel, as I have for my entire life,” Ivanka Trump told Politico in a statement about the move to the West Wing office. “While there is no modern precedent for an adult child of the president, I will voluntarily follow all of the ethics rules placed on government employees.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Amid this ambiguity, Vox reporter Liz Plank unearthed a 2014 campaign promoted on IvankaTrump.com from when Trump still controlled the daily decisions for her clothing and accessories brand. In it, she encourages woman to state their job title – or job titles.</p>
<p>“To join the #WomenWhoWork conversation, record yourself giving us your ‘extended job title,’ followed by your name and actual job title,” the website instructs. “Post the video to your social channels and tag a few of the women who inspire you to encourage them to follow suit.”</p>
<p>The goal of the initiative was to “celebrate” the modern working woman, starting with proudly acknowledging their roles in the office and at home.</p>
<p>“The women I know who are working today are working hard to create and build the lives that they want to live, and there’s nothing more compelling and powerful than that,” Ivanka said in an accompanying video. “Let’s show the world what it looks like to be a woman who works.”</p>
<p>The irony that Trump won’t or can’t elaborate on her White House duties, while working at “the nation’s highest office,” should not be lost, according to Plank.</p>
<p>“Trump’s brand emphasizes empowering women at work, and there is nothing feminist about a woman stepping in to do all the work with no credit or pay,” Plank wrote. “If Trump truly wants to preserve her commitment to the cause she supposedly takes the most pride in, she would disclose what her own work entails.”</p>
<p>All the president’s adult children have been under scrutiny since the election, mainly for their roles in the family business and whether they have profited from their father’s position in the White House.</p>
<p>“My father will be president,” Ivanka told ABC’s “20/20” in January. “And hopefully, I can be there to support him and to support those causes I’ve cared about my whole professional career.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>That month, she also announced she would be taking a formal leave of absence from both the Trump Organization and her eponymous fashion line after her father took office. However, she continues to own and receive financial benefits from her brand.</p>
<p>At times, the business and the political roles have collided. In February, President Trump lashed out at Nordstrom on Twitter after the department store said it would no longer carry Ivanka Trump-branded clothing and shoes, though it cited flagging sales, not politics.</p>
<p>Shortly after that, Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway appeared on “Fox &amp; Friends” and promoted the clothing and jewelry line.</p>
<p>“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff is what I would tell you,” Conway said. “I’m going to give a free commercial here. Go buy it today, everybody.”</p>
<p>The White House later said Conway had been “counseled” after touting the first daughter’s brand.</p>
<p>About a week after Trump’s Nordstrom tweet, Ivanka Trump published a photo of herself seated at the Oval Office desk, between her father and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.</p>
<p>That photo came under scrutiny, reflecting the debate over her specific role in the White House.</p>
<p>Her critics immediately zeroed in on the fact that she had taken a seat at not just any table but at one normally reserved for the president. Others defended it as “a photo op, nothing else.”</p>
<p>She has denied that she is serving as a de facto first lady and has spoken about her White House jobs only in broad terms.</p>
<p>Her move to a coveted West Wing office spurred critics and government watchdogs to raise more concerns about potential conflicts of interest – and to push for her to clarify her role in the White House. Her husband, Jared Kushner, serves as senior adviser to the president and is a government employee.</p>
<p>“This is untenable,” Fred Wertheimer, president of the Washington-based watchdog group Democracy 21, told the Associated Press. “She can make a decision at any time not to comply, and there’s no penalty or sanction whatsoever.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>VIDEO:</p>
<p>The president’s daughter will receive classified information and a government-issued communications device, but not a paycheck.</p>
<p><a href="http://wapo.st/2mo2aOb" type="external">http://wapo.st/2mo2aOb</a></p>
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Ivanka Trump once encouraged women to state their job titles. Now she won’t share hers.
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<p />
<p>Since January, President Trump’s eldest daughter has been a highly visible member of her father’s presidency. She has participated in roundtable discussions, flown on Air Force One and met with world leaders. Next month, she will attend an economic summit in Germany on behalf of the Trump administration, at the invitation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.</p>
<p>And perhaps most notably, she recently moved into her own office in the West Wing and gained high-level security clearance – despite not being a government employee and, therefore, not subject to ethics rules. The president’s elder daughter has said that, despite her lack of an official White House job title, she will “voluntarily” comply with those rules.</p>
<p>“I will continue to offer my father my candid advice and counsel, as I have for my entire life,” Ivanka Trump told Politico in a statement about the move to the West Wing office. “While there is no modern precedent for an adult child of the president, I will voluntarily follow all of the ethics rules placed on government employees.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Amid this ambiguity, Vox reporter Liz Plank unearthed a 2014 campaign promoted on IvankaTrump.com from when Trump still controlled the daily decisions for her clothing and accessories brand. In it, she encourages woman to state their job title – or job titles.</p>
<p>“To join the #WomenWhoWork conversation, record yourself giving us your ‘extended job title,’ followed by your name and actual job title,” the website instructs. “Post the video to your social channels and tag a few of the women who inspire you to encourage them to follow suit.”</p>
<p>The goal of the initiative was to “celebrate” the modern working woman, starting with proudly acknowledging their roles in the office and at home.</p>
<p>“The women I know who are working today are working hard to create and build the lives that they want to live, and there’s nothing more compelling and powerful than that,” Ivanka said in an accompanying video. “Let’s show the world what it looks like to be a woman who works.”</p>
<p>The irony that Trump won’t or can’t elaborate on her White House duties, while working at “the nation’s highest office,” should not be lost, according to Plank.</p>
<p>“Trump’s brand emphasizes empowering women at work, and there is nothing feminist about a woman stepping in to do all the work with no credit or pay,” Plank wrote. “If Trump truly wants to preserve her commitment to the cause she supposedly takes the most pride in, she would disclose what her own work entails.”</p>
<p>All the president’s adult children have been under scrutiny since the election, mainly for their roles in the family business and whether they have profited from their father’s position in the White House.</p>
<p>“My father will be president,” Ivanka told ABC’s “20/20” in January. “And hopefully, I can be there to support him and to support those causes I’ve cared about my whole professional career.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>That month, she also announced she would be taking a formal leave of absence from both the Trump Organization and her eponymous fashion line after her father took office. However, she continues to own and receive financial benefits from her brand.</p>
<p>At times, the business and the political roles have collided. In February, President Trump lashed out at Nordstrom on Twitter after the department store said it would no longer carry Ivanka Trump-branded clothing and shoes, though it cited flagging sales, not politics.</p>
<p>Shortly after that, Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway appeared on “Fox &amp; Friends” and promoted the clothing and jewelry line.</p>
<p>“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff is what I would tell you,” Conway said. “I’m going to give a free commercial here. Go buy it today, everybody.”</p>
<p>The White House later said Conway had been “counseled” after touting the first daughter’s brand.</p>
<p>About a week after Trump’s Nordstrom tweet, Ivanka Trump published a photo of herself seated at the Oval Office desk, between her father and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.</p>
<p>That photo came under scrutiny, reflecting the debate over her specific role in the White House.</p>
<p>Her critics immediately zeroed in on the fact that she had taken a seat at not just any table but at one normally reserved for the president. Others defended it as “a photo op, nothing else.”</p>
<p>She has denied that she is serving as a de facto first lady and has spoken about her White House jobs only in broad terms.</p>
<p>Her move to a coveted West Wing office spurred critics and government watchdogs to raise more concerns about potential conflicts of interest – and to push for her to clarify her role in the White House. Her husband, Jared Kushner, serves as senior adviser to the president and is a government employee.</p>
<p>“This is untenable,” Fred Wertheimer, president of the Washington-based watchdog group Democracy 21, told the Associated Press. “She can make a decision at any time not to comply, and there’s no penalty or sanction whatsoever.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>VIDEO:</p>
<p>The president’s daughter will receive classified information and a government-issued communications device, but not a paycheck.</p>
<p><a href="http://wapo.st/2mo2aOb" type="external">http://wapo.st/2mo2aOb</a></p>
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<p>FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation’s newest casino near Flagstaff is off to a slow start, and the tribal company that operates it wants to postpone paying down its debt.</p>
<p>The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise is working on putting together a temporary agreement to delay repayment of money it borrowed to build the $200 million facility.</p>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/1cw8ci0" type="external">The Arizona Daily Sun reports</a> that Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort had a weak start, with sparse crowds at the casino on a recent weekend.</p>
<p>For a time the casino lacked significant signage off casino property, but Twin Arrows recently erected a massive electronic billboard to announce itself to travelers on Interstate 40.</p>
<p>CEO Derrick Watchman says marketing efforts also are being stepped up, with a more aggressive campaign of TV and print advertising.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
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Financing repayment delay sought for Navajo casino
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<p>FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The Navajo Nation’s newest casino near Flagstaff is off to a slow start, and the tribal company that operates it wants to postpone paying down its debt.</p>
<p>The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise is working on putting together a temporary agreement to delay repayment of money it borrowed to build the $200 million facility.</p>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/1cw8ci0" type="external">The Arizona Daily Sun reports</a> that Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort had a weak start, with sparse crowds at the casino on a recent weekend.</p>
<p>For a time the casino lacked significant signage off casino property, but Twin Arrows recently erected a massive electronic billboard to announce itself to travelers on Interstate 40.</p>
<p>CEO Derrick Watchman says marketing efforts also are being stepped up, with a more aggressive campaign of TV and print advertising.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
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<p>Rio Rancho’s Mariah Baker, left, kicks against Cibola’s Emily Avila during their state Class 6A semifinal match Friday at the APS Soccer Complex. The Rams won on penalty kicks. (Marla Brose/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>Rio Rancho-La Cueva seemed like an inevitable state championship pair in Class 6A girls soccer, and the Rams and Bears will reach the finish line together today.</p>
<p>Rio Rancho outlasted Cibola in PKs, while La Cueva edged Volcano Vista in Friday’s semifinals at the APS Complex.</p>
<p>The top two seeds collide at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. They split two regular-season games.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>No. 1 RIO RANCHO 1, No. 5 CIBOLA 0 (Rams won 5-3 in PKs): The Rams (19-3) reached their first state final in seven years, going 5-for-5 in the shootout against the Cougars (14-5-2).</p>
<p>“We were hoping for (penalties),” Rio Rancho coach Uwe Balzis said.</p>
<p>He knew, he said, that he had the right five shooters lined up after neither side could score during 100 minutes of regulation and overtime.</p>
<p>And one by one, they applied pressure to Cibola by going first. Cheyenne Orozco had the game-clinching goal for the Rams.</p>
<p>“Coach Uwe wanted to go to PKs,” Orozco said, laughing. “But all of us didn’t want to.”</p>
<p>Sarah Wilmot, Rio Rancho’s goalkeeper, made the crucial save in the shootout, stopping Cibola’s leading scorer, Jasmine Marwan, in the third round.</p>
<p>“Sara is my MVP,” Balzis said.</p>
<p>Her ascension to starter occurred after the season’s first weekend, when the incumbent was felled with a knee injury in Las Cruces. On the bus ride home, the team voted Wilmot as the replacement.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Two interesting things about that: Wilmot wasn’t on the bus (she was driving home with her father), and she hadn’t played goalkeeper in years.</p>
<p>“Since then,” Balzis said, “she’s been awesome. Beyond expectations.”</p>
<p>On the crucial save, Wilmot said she used common sense.</p>
<p>“I just thought that since she’s right-footed, she’d go to her left,” Wilmot said.</p>
<p>“All year,” Orozco said of Wilmot, “she’s been phenomenal.”</p>
<p>No. 3 LA CUEVA 1, No. 7 VOLCANO VISTA 0: Cassie Boren, who anchors the center of the Bears’ back line, stood about 50 yards away from the Hawks’ net, not necessarily thinking that one swing of her right leg would be the thing that separated these two powers.</p>
<p>But that’s how it played out.</p>
<p>Boren knocked in a direct kick from midfield in the 43rd minute, and the Bears (18-2) made that stand up as they reached the season’s last day.</p>
<p>“It’s just really nice to get back to the final,” coach Amber Ashcraft said. “We’ve been talking about it all year, that this is where we wanted to be.”</p>
<p>It required some accuracy, and a fortuitous bounce, for this to occur.</p>
<p>Boren’s blast landed short of the net, but it hopped over the head and outstretched hands of Volcano Vista goalkeeper Melissa Mancha.</p>
<p>“One of the sweetest feelings,” Boren said.</p>
<p>From there, it was on her and the defense to keep the Hawks (13-7-1) away.</p>
<p>“I know our defense is pretty strong and solid,” Boren said. “We just had to get one in and then shut (them) down.”</p>
<p>La Cueva, until last year, had never failed to reach at least the state semifinals under Ashcraft.</p>
<p>Volcano Vista was appearing in its seventh straight state semi: two in Class 4A, then four in 5A and now this first season in 6A.</p>
<p>RIO RANCHO 1, CIBOLA 0 (Rams won penalty kicks 5-3) Cibola&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 0&#160;&#160;&#160; 0&#160;&#160; 0&#160; — 0 Rio Rancho 0&#160;&#160;&#160; 0&#160;&#160; 0&#160; — 0 Scoring: Cheyenne Orozco had game-clinching goal for Rio Rancho. Shots on goal: C 3; RR 2. Corners: C 1; RR 2. Saves: C, Haley Brown 2 (regulation); Dmitri Fong (PKs).&#160; RR, Sara Wilmot 3. Records: RR 19-3; C 14-5-2.</p>
<p>LA CUEVA 1, VOLCANO VISTA 0 Volcano Vista&#160;&#160;&#160; 0&#160;&#160; 0&#160; — 0 La Cueva&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 0&#160;&#160; 1&#160; — 1 Scoring: LC, 43rd, Cassie Boren. Shots on goal: VV 8; LC 9. Corners: VV 1; LC 1. Saves: VV, Melissa Mancha 5; LC, Caiti Christiansen 7. Records: LC 18-2; VV 13-7-1.</p>
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Class 6A girls soccer: Rams, Bears to meet for championship
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Class 6A girls soccer: Rams, Bears to meet for championship
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<p>Rio Rancho’s Mariah Baker, left, kicks against Cibola’s Emily Avila during their state Class 6A semifinal match Friday at the APS Soccer Complex. The Rams won on penalty kicks. (Marla Brose/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>Rio Rancho-La Cueva seemed like an inevitable state championship pair in Class 6A girls soccer, and the Rams and Bears will reach the finish line together today.</p>
<p>Rio Rancho outlasted Cibola in PKs, while La Cueva edged Volcano Vista in Friday’s semifinals at the APS Complex.</p>
<p>The top two seeds collide at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. They split two regular-season games.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>No. 1 RIO RANCHO 1, No. 5 CIBOLA 0 (Rams won 5-3 in PKs): The Rams (19-3) reached their first state final in seven years, going 5-for-5 in the shootout against the Cougars (14-5-2).</p>
<p>“We were hoping for (penalties),” Rio Rancho coach Uwe Balzis said.</p>
<p>He knew, he said, that he had the right five shooters lined up after neither side could score during 100 minutes of regulation and overtime.</p>
<p>And one by one, they applied pressure to Cibola by going first. Cheyenne Orozco had the game-clinching goal for the Rams.</p>
<p>“Coach Uwe wanted to go to PKs,” Orozco said, laughing. “But all of us didn’t want to.”</p>
<p>Sarah Wilmot, Rio Rancho’s goalkeeper, made the crucial save in the shootout, stopping Cibola’s leading scorer, Jasmine Marwan, in the third round.</p>
<p>“Sara is my MVP,” Balzis said.</p>
<p>Her ascension to starter occurred after the season’s first weekend, when the incumbent was felled with a knee injury in Las Cruces. On the bus ride home, the team voted Wilmot as the replacement.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Two interesting things about that: Wilmot wasn’t on the bus (she was driving home with her father), and she hadn’t played goalkeeper in years.</p>
<p>“Since then,” Balzis said, “she’s been awesome. Beyond expectations.”</p>
<p>On the crucial save, Wilmot said she used common sense.</p>
<p>“I just thought that since she’s right-footed, she’d go to her left,” Wilmot said.</p>
<p>“All year,” Orozco said of Wilmot, “she’s been phenomenal.”</p>
<p>No. 3 LA CUEVA 1, No. 7 VOLCANO VISTA 0: Cassie Boren, who anchors the center of the Bears’ back line, stood about 50 yards away from the Hawks’ net, not necessarily thinking that one swing of her right leg would be the thing that separated these two powers.</p>
<p>But that’s how it played out.</p>
<p>Boren knocked in a direct kick from midfield in the 43rd minute, and the Bears (18-2) made that stand up as they reached the season’s last day.</p>
<p>“It’s just really nice to get back to the final,” coach Amber Ashcraft said. “We’ve been talking about it all year, that this is where we wanted to be.”</p>
<p>It required some accuracy, and a fortuitous bounce, for this to occur.</p>
<p>Boren’s blast landed short of the net, but it hopped over the head and outstretched hands of Volcano Vista goalkeeper Melissa Mancha.</p>
<p>“One of the sweetest feelings,” Boren said.</p>
<p>From there, it was on her and the defense to keep the Hawks (13-7-1) away.</p>
<p>“I know our defense is pretty strong and solid,” Boren said. “We just had to get one in and then shut (them) down.”</p>
<p>La Cueva, until last year, had never failed to reach at least the state semifinals under Ashcraft.</p>
<p>Volcano Vista was appearing in its seventh straight state semi: two in Class 4A, then four in 5A and now this first season in 6A.</p>
<p>RIO RANCHO 1, CIBOLA 0 (Rams won penalty kicks 5-3) Cibola&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 0&#160;&#160;&#160; 0&#160;&#160; 0&#160; — 0 Rio Rancho 0&#160;&#160;&#160; 0&#160;&#160; 0&#160; — 0 Scoring: Cheyenne Orozco had game-clinching goal for Rio Rancho. Shots on goal: C 3; RR 2. Corners: C 1; RR 2. Saves: C, Haley Brown 2 (regulation); Dmitri Fong (PKs).&#160; RR, Sara Wilmot 3. Records: RR 19-3; C 14-5-2.</p>
<p>LA CUEVA 1, VOLCANO VISTA 0 Volcano Vista&#160;&#160;&#160; 0&#160;&#160; 0&#160; — 0 La Cueva&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; 0&#160;&#160; 1&#160; — 1 Scoring: LC, 43rd, Cassie Boren. Shots on goal: VV 8; LC 9. Corners: VV 1; LC 1. Saves: VV, Melissa Mancha 5; LC, Caiti Christiansen 7. Records: LC 18-2; VV 13-7-1.</p>
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<p>More than sixty years ago, when Ford Motor Company closed its Richmond, CA assembly plant, Frank Stevenson was among 250 African-Americans facing unemployment.</p>
<p>Fortunately, his union, the&#160;United Auto Workers (UAW), negotiated an agreement with management permitting all 1,400 UAW members in Richmond to transfer, with their seniority rights intact, to a Ford facility in&#160;Milpitas, a then-rural suburb of San Jose.</p>
<p>With the assistance of federal home mortgage guarantees, low-interest loans, and, for WW II veterans, no down payment, many white UAW members easily took advantage of this deal. They found affordable homes in suburban subdivisions then blossoming in the South Bay. However, Louisiana-born Stevenson and other non-white car builders had far greater difficulty following their work to Ford’s new plant, even though their employment history and level of earnings was similar.</p>
<p>That’s because Milpitas quickly enacted a zoning ordinance, which banned apartment construction and allowed only single-family homes to be built. The latter were off limits to blacks.&#160;&#160;Because available&#160;housing was so limited, some black autoworkers had no choice but to give up their jobs. Others formed car-pools, so they could share the hundred-mile daily round trip down to Milpitas and back to Richmond, a commute that Frank Stevenson made for twenty long years.</p>
<p>Housing bias in the suburbs, like race-based segregation of renters and home-owners in post-war Richmond, was no accident, explains Richard Rothstein&#160;in his new book&#160; <a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1631492853/counterpunchmaga" type="external">The Color of Law:&#160;</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1631492853/counterpunchmaga" type="external">A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America</a>&#160;(W.W. Norton, 2017).&#160;In it, he documents how racial segregation in housing did long-term damage to African-American family wealth, income, job opportunities, and access to good public education. The experience of Richmond Ford workers is one of many case studies of blacks being left behind in all these areas.</p>
<p>Rothstein, now a resident of nearby Berkeley, was a Students for a Democratic Society leader in the 1960s, later became an Urban League staffer and labor organizer, and then a well-known writer about educational policy issues and columnist for the&#160;New York Times. More recently his research for the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), in Washington, DC, and the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund has focused on the discriminatory impact of past federal housing programs.</p>
<p>On Saturday, Jan. 20, Rothstein drew several hundred people to our city council chambers, for a discussion of how workers like&#160;Frank <a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1631492853/counterpunchmaga" type="external" />Stevenson were affected by segregation more de jure than de facto. As&#160;Rothstein reveals in his book,&#160;one of “the federal government’s specifications for mortgages insured in Milpitas was an openly stated prohibition on sales to African Americans.”&#160;&#160;Throughout California, private developers dependent on federal loan insurance would not sell to non-whites–and no state-licensed real estate agent would even show them houses–anywhere that a “mixed-neighborhood” would result.</p>
<p>Even housing co-ops, committed to racial integration, were denied bank loans for new construction and mortgage assistance because “the Federal Housing Administration would not insure locals to a cooperative that included African-American members.”</p>
<p>It was only when Frank Stevenson was close to retirement, in 1975, that he was finally able to buy his first home, moving from North Richmond to a formerly whites-only section on the other side of the city. In the meantime, white co-workers—with job skills, experience, and union wages no different than his–had benefited, far longer, from the much greater appreciation in the value of their homes in Milpitas.&#160;The&#160;multi-generational impact of&#160;this economic disparity, multiplied hundreds of thousands times, was not mitigated by passage of national “fair housing” legislation in the late 1960s or court decisions eventually banning restrictive covenants.</p>
<p>The Richmond public schools attended by Stevenson’s three daughters were also “segregated primarily because federal and local housing policies had segregated the city itself.” Tracing the subsequent non-college careers, modest jobs and incomes of second and third generation Stevenson family members, Rothstein asks:</p>
<p>“What might have become of these Stevenson grandchildren if their parents had grown up and attended school in an integrated Milpitas?&#160;&#160;How much further on the socioeconomic ladder would they have been able to climb….How different might their lives&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;have been were it not for the federal government’s unconstitutional determination to segregate their grandparents and their parents as well? What do we, the American community, owe this family, in this and future generations, for their loss of opportunity? How might we fulfill this obligation?”</p>
<p>The accumulated weight of evidence in&#160;Color of Law&#160;makes for painful reading, as several audience members confessed during a Q&amp;A session with the author after his talk. Rothstein’s older questioners included speakers who personally experienced block-busting tactics by realtors and resulting white flight, the contraction of the black business community in inner cities, and the demographic shift in U.S. public housing from “working class families that were not poor” to its present-day population of much lower-income, far more disadvantaged, and almost entirely non-white residents. The bottom line today, as Rothstein noted, is an enormous disparity in wealth and income, between blacks and whites, largely attributable to the factor of home-ownership (and where, when or whether it existed at all).</p>
<p>One audience member, an African-American women, suggested–like the writer Ta-Nehisi Coates—that financial “reparations” were the only just solution; a later white speaker dismissed this idea as too divisive and impractical. In his book and Richmond appearance, Rothstein emphasized the need for “make whole remedies” that “also include policies that do not involve payments.” What’s most important at the moment, he argues, is arousing in Americans “an understanding of how we created a system of unconstitutional, state-sponsored segregation.” Without a “sense of outrage about that, neither remedies nor reparations will be on the public agenda,” he predicts.</p>
<p>Not long ago, Rothstein and his colleagues at EPI had high hopes for what a Hillary Clinton administration was going to accomplish in the area of housing. Those expectations crashed and burned on November 8, 2016. And, now one year into the Trump era, even existing federal tax incentives and subsidies for low- and moderate-income housing, built by private developers, have been sharply curtailed. The result, proclaims the&#160;New York Times&#160;on its front page Jan. 19 is that “affordable rents may take a hit…” Republican-crafted tax code changes “will reduce the growth of subsidized affordable housing by 235,000 units over the next decade, compounding an existing shortage.” Amid this looming “undersupply” of affordable housing,&#160;developers are building, instead, for buyers of condos in “the pricey glass and steel buildings that have sprouted in downtowns across the country.”</p>
<p>In Richmond, Rothstein reminded his audience that “there won’t be any improvement in government action [on housing] until you create the necessary political base,” something that would have been true even under Clinton, he acknowledged. “Residential segregation is the underlying cause of most of the country’s social and economic problems,” he insisted. But, without developing “a wider understanding of history” and “a new consensus on remedial policies,” the latter will remain “politically unfeasible,” regardless of who controls the White House and Congress.</p>
|
Raising Consciousness About The Color of Law
| true |
https://counterpunch.org/2018/01/26/raising-consciousness-about-the-color-of-law/
|
2018-01-26
| 4left
|
Raising Consciousness About The Color of Law
<p>More than sixty years ago, when Ford Motor Company closed its Richmond, CA assembly plant, Frank Stevenson was among 250 African-Americans facing unemployment.</p>
<p>Fortunately, his union, the&#160;United Auto Workers (UAW), negotiated an agreement with management permitting all 1,400 UAW members in Richmond to transfer, with their seniority rights intact, to a Ford facility in&#160;Milpitas, a then-rural suburb of San Jose.</p>
<p>With the assistance of federal home mortgage guarantees, low-interest loans, and, for WW II veterans, no down payment, many white UAW members easily took advantage of this deal. They found affordable homes in suburban subdivisions then blossoming in the South Bay. However, Louisiana-born Stevenson and other non-white car builders had far greater difficulty following their work to Ford’s new plant, even though their employment history and level of earnings was similar.</p>
<p>That’s because Milpitas quickly enacted a zoning ordinance, which banned apartment construction and allowed only single-family homes to be built. The latter were off limits to blacks.&#160;&#160;Because available&#160;housing was so limited, some black autoworkers had no choice but to give up their jobs. Others formed car-pools, so they could share the hundred-mile daily round trip down to Milpitas and back to Richmond, a commute that Frank Stevenson made for twenty long years.</p>
<p>Housing bias in the suburbs, like race-based segregation of renters and home-owners in post-war Richmond, was no accident, explains Richard Rothstein&#160;in his new book&#160; <a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1631492853/counterpunchmaga" type="external">The Color of Law:&#160;</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1631492853/counterpunchmaga" type="external">A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America</a>&#160;(W.W. Norton, 2017).&#160;In it, he documents how racial segregation in housing did long-term damage to African-American family wealth, income, job opportunities, and access to good public education. The experience of Richmond Ford workers is one of many case studies of blacks being left behind in all these areas.</p>
<p>Rothstein, now a resident of nearby Berkeley, was a Students for a Democratic Society leader in the 1960s, later became an Urban League staffer and labor organizer, and then a well-known writer about educational policy issues and columnist for the&#160;New York Times. More recently his research for the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), in Washington, DC, and the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund has focused on the discriminatory impact of past federal housing programs.</p>
<p>On Saturday, Jan. 20, Rothstein drew several hundred people to our city council chambers, for a discussion of how workers like&#160;Frank <a href="https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1631492853/counterpunchmaga" type="external" />Stevenson were affected by segregation more de jure than de facto. As&#160;Rothstein reveals in his book,&#160;one of “the federal government’s specifications for mortgages insured in Milpitas was an openly stated prohibition on sales to African Americans.”&#160;&#160;Throughout California, private developers dependent on federal loan insurance would not sell to non-whites–and no state-licensed real estate agent would even show them houses–anywhere that a “mixed-neighborhood” would result.</p>
<p>Even housing co-ops, committed to racial integration, were denied bank loans for new construction and mortgage assistance because “the Federal Housing Administration would not insure locals to a cooperative that included African-American members.”</p>
<p>It was only when Frank Stevenson was close to retirement, in 1975, that he was finally able to buy his first home, moving from North Richmond to a formerly whites-only section on the other side of the city. In the meantime, white co-workers—with job skills, experience, and union wages no different than his–had benefited, far longer, from the much greater appreciation in the value of their homes in Milpitas.&#160;The&#160;multi-generational impact of&#160;this economic disparity, multiplied hundreds of thousands times, was not mitigated by passage of national “fair housing” legislation in the late 1960s or court decisions eventually banning restrictive covenants.</p>
<p>The Richmond public schools attended by Stevenson’s three daughters were also “segregated primarily because federal and local housing policies had segregated the city itself.” Tracing the subsequent non-college careers, modest jobs and incomes of second and third generation Stevenson family members, Rothstein asks:</p>
<p>“What might have become of these Stevenson grandchildren if their parents had grown up and attended school in an integrated Milpitas?&#160;&#160;How much further on the socioeconomic ladder would they have been able to climb….How different might their lives&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;have been were it not for the federal government’s unconstitutional determination to segregate their grandparents and their parents as well? What do we, the American community, owe this family, in this and future generations, for their loss of opportunity? How might we fulfill this obligation?”</p>
<p>The accumulated weight of evidence in&#160;Color of Law&#160;makes for painful reading, as several audience members confessed during a Q&amp;A session with the author after his talk. Rothstein’s older questioners included speakers who personally experienced block-busting tactics by realtors and resulting white flight, the contraction of the black business community in inner cities, and the demographic shift in U.S. public housing from “working class families that were not poor” to its present-day population of much lower-income, far more disadvantaged, and almost entirely non-white residents. The bottom line today, as Rothstein noted, is an enormous disparity in wealth and income, between blacks and whites, largely attributable to the factor of home-ownership (and where, when or whether it existed at all).</p>
<p>One audience member, an African-American women, suggested–like the writer Ta-Nehisi Coates—that financial “reparations” were the only just solution; a later white speaker dismissed this idea as too divisive and impractical. In his book and Richmond appearance, Rothstein emphasized the need for “make whole remedies” that “also include policies that do not involve payments.” What’s most important at the moment, he argues, is arousing in Americans “an understanding of how we created a system of unconstitutional, state-sponsored segregation.” Without a “sense of outrage about that, neither remedies nor reparations will be on the public agenda,” he predicts.</p>
<p>Not long ago, Rothstein and his colleagues at EPI had high hopes for what a Hillary Clinton administration was going to accomplish in the area of housing. Those expectations crashed and burned on November 8, 2016. And, now one year into the Trump era, even existing federal tax incentives and subsidies for low- and moderate-income housing, built by private developers, have been sharply curtailed. The result, proclaims the&#160;New York Times&#160;on its front page Jan. 19 is that “affordable rents may take a hit…” Republican-crafted tax code changes “will reduce the growth of subsidized affordable housing by 235,000 units over the next decade, compounding an existing shortage.” Amid this looming “undersupply” of affordable housing,&#160;developers are building, instead, for buyers of condos in “the pricey glass and steel buildings that have sprouted in downtowns across the country.”</p>
<p>In Richmond, Rothstein reminded his audience that “there won’t be any improvement in government action [on housing] until you create the necessary political base,” something that would have been true even under Clinton, he acknowledged. “Residential segregation is the underlying cause of most of the country’s social and economic problems,” he insisted. But, without developing “a wider understanding of history” and “a new consensus on remedial policies,” the latter will remain “politically unfeasible,” regardless of who controls the White House and Congress.</p>
| 7,913 |
<p><a href="http://pienews.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Prince.jpg" type="external" />A 6-year-old boy was stabbed to death and a 7-year-old girl was seriously wounded when they were attacked by a maniac with a butcher knife while heading out to get a snack in Brooklyn. Prince Joshua Avitto, 6, and Mikayla Capers, 7, were in an elevator together when they [?]</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://nypost.com/2014/06/01/1-child-dead-after-double-stabbing-in-brooklyn-elevator/" type="external">Click here to view original web page at nypost.com</a></p>
<p />
|
Maniac wielding butcher knife kills child in elevator
| true |
http://politicalillusionsexposed.com/maniac-wielding-butcher-knife-kills-child-in-elevator/
| 0right
|
Maniac wielding butcher knife kills child in elevator
<p><a href="http://pienews.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Prince.jpg" type="external" />A 6-year-old boy was stabbed to death and a 7-year-old girl was seriously wounded when they were attacked by a maniac with a butcher knife while heading out to get a snack in Brooklyn. Prince Joshua Avitto, 6, and Mikayla Capers, 7, were in an elevator together when they [?]</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://nypost.com/2014/06/01/1-child-dead-after-double-stabbing-in-brooklyn-elevator/" type="external">Click here to view original web page at nypost.com</a></p>
<p />
| 7,914 |
|
<p />
<p>TheS&amp;P 500and theDow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: $INDU)are little changed on Monday morning, down 0.01% and up 0.08%, respectively, at 11:30 a.m. ET.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Image source: Insider Monkey, republished under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/" type="external">CC BY-ND 2.0 Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Financial data provider Markit Ltd <a href="https://www.markit.com/Company/Media-Centre" type="external">announced Opens a New Window.</a> this morning that it is merging with IHS to form IHS Markit in an all-share transaction valued at $13 billion (equity value). The terms, which call for IHS shareholders to receive 3.5566 shares common shares of IHS Markit for every IHS share, implies a per share price of Markit's stock of $31.13, based on the IHS closing price on Friday of $110.71 (that is, $110.71 / 3.5566 = $31.128).</p>
<p>That $31.13 represents a mere 5.6% premium to the Friday closing price of Markit shares. On that basis, my initial reaction is that those terms are more favorable to Markit, but the market appears to disagree this morning.</p>
<p>Indeed, at 10:16 a.m. ET, the ratio of the two shares prices was 3.6699 (and it has not dipped below 3.64), implying the market believes HIS represents a bigger share of the combined companies' value than that implied by the proposed share exchange ratio.</p>
<p>Another way to understand this is that the market is suggesting IHS shareholders ought to receive more shares in the combined company, IHS Markit, than the 3.5566 per IHS share called for in the current deal terms.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>I highlighted the quality of Markit's franchise (capital-light business model, very high recurring revenues, etc.) back when the company <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/06/19/this-buffett-like-company-starts-trading-today.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">went public Opens a New Window.</a> in June 2014, and my view on this has not changed.</p>
<p>The Valeant shuffleThis move was overdue: Embattled pharmaceutical company Valeant Pharmaceuticals International inc announced this morning that CEO J. Michael Pearson, who has only just returned from medical leave, will only remain in the role until a successor is found.</p>
<p>A former McKinsey &amp; Co. consultant, Pearson transformed the company with an "innovative" business model that de-emphasized research, instead relying on aggressive, prolific dealmaking and aggressive pricing to achieve growth.</p>
<p>The announcement is a public repudiation of this newfangled business model, which is <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/12/29/valeant-ceo-michael-pearsons-medical-leave-doesnt.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">clearly broken Opens a New Window.</a> (in fact, it now seems increasingly clear that it was never valid to begin with).</p>
<p>Brash activist investor Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management will join Valeant's board, becoming Pershing Square's second board member and the third representative of an activist hedge fund. Ackman's personal reputation as an investor and, potentially, the viability of Pershing Square are riding on the outcome of his disastrous investment in Valeant. It's past time he took the bull by the horns.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/03/21/mondays-movers-markit-merges-valeant-shuffles.aspx" type="external">Monday's Movers: Markit Merges, Valeant Re-shuffles Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFAleph1/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Alex Dumortier, CFA Opens a New Window.</a>, has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
|
Monday's Movers: Markit Merges, Valeant Re-shuffles
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/03/21/monday-movers-markit-merges-valeant-re-shuffles.html
|
2016-03-21
| 0right
|
Monday's Movers: Markit Merges, Valeant Re-shuffles
<p />
<p>TheS&amp;P 500and theDow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: $INDU)are little changed on Monday morning, down 0.01% and up 0.08%, respectively, at 11:30 a.m. ET.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Image source: Insider Monkey, republished under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/" type="external">CC BY-ND 2.0 Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Financial data provider Markit Ltd <a href="https://www.markit.com/Company/Media-Centre" type="external">announced Opens a New Window.</a> this morning that it is merging with IHS to form IHS Markit in an all-share transaction valued at $13 billion (equity value). The terms, which call for IHS shareholders to receive 3.5566 shares common shares of IHS Markit for every IHS share, implies a per share price of Markit's stock of $31.13, based on the IHS closing price on Friday of $110.71 (that is, $110.71 / 3.5566 = $31.128).</p>
<p>That $31.13 represents a mere 5.6% premium to the Friday closing price of Markit shares. On that basis, my initial reaction is that those terms are more favorable to Markit, but the market appears to disagree this morning.</p>
<p>Indeed, at 10:16 a.m. ET, the ratio of the two shares prices was 3.6699 (and it has not dipped below 3.64), implying the market believes HIS represents a bigger share of the combined companies' value than that implied by the proposed share exchange ratio.</p>
<p>Another way to understand this is that the market is suggesting IHS shareholders ought to receive more shares in the combined company, IHS Markit, than the 3.5566 per IHS share called for in the current deal terms.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>I highlighted the quality of Markit's franchise (capital-light business model, very high recurring revenues, etc.) back when the company <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/06/19/this-buffett-like-company-starts-trading-today.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">went public Opens a New Window.</a> in June 2014, and my view on this has not changed.</p>
<p>The Valeant shuffleThis move was overdue: Embattled pharmaceutical company Valeant Pharmaceuticals International inc announced this morning that CEO J. Michael Pearson, who has only just returned from medical leave, will only remain in the role until a successor is found.</p>
<p>A former McKinsey &amp; Co. consultant, Pearson transformed the company with an "innovative" business model that de-emphasized research, instead relying on aggressive, prolific dealmaking and aggressive pricing to achieve growth.</p>
<p>The announcement is a public repudiation of this newfangled business model, which is <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/12/29/valeant-ceo-michael-pearsons-medical-leave-doesnt.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">clearly broken Opens a New Window.</a> (in fact, it now seems increasingly clear that it was never valid to begin with).</p>
<p>Brash activist investor Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management will join Valeant's board, becoming Pershing Square's second board member and the third representative of an activist hedge fund. Ackman's personal reputation as an investor and, potentially, the viability of Pershing Square are riding on the outcome of his disastrous investment in Valeant. It's past time he took the bull by the horns.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/03/21/mondays-movers-markit-merges-valeant-shuffles.aspx" type="external">Monday's Movers: Markit Merges, Valeant Re-shuffles Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFAleph1/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Alex Dumortier, CFA Opens a New Window.</a>, has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
| 7,915 |
<p />
<p>President Trump made a statement on Tuesday in which he indicated for the second time that he strongly believes that the current wave of anti-Semitic incidents could be false flags that are perpetrated by the left or by the Jews in a bid to make his administration look terrible. Mr. Trump was addressing a gathering of State Attorney Generals from all over the country. Among the crowd was Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro who made a statement telling the reporters in a conference call that Trump suggested that the attacks could reflect something other than anti-Semitism.</p>
<p />
<p>There has been a wave of suggestions on the right-wing conspiracy theory websites claiming that the attacks are false flags that are meant to perpetuate the impression that they were being committed by President Trump's supporters. The same notion is being pushed by white supremacist David Duke on his Twitter account. A similar suggestion was tweeted on Tuesday by a Trump supporter and an informal adviser known as Anthony Scaramucci.</p>
<p>Anthony Scaramucci tweeted saying that it's not yet clear who the #JCC offenders are, adding that people should not forget the efforts that Democrats are putting in to incite violence at Trump's rallies.</p>
<p />
<p>Speaking at a press conference on the 16th of February, President Trump made a suggestion that pointed out to the false flag conspiracy that was being perpetrated by his opponents in a bid to reinforce claims that his election as President was driving anti-Semitism and racism.</p>
<p />
<p>Trump's comments made many people curious, Shapiro made a statement in a teleconference that Trump had promised to expound more during his address to Congress on Tuesday night. The Attorney General also emphasized that he was not certain of what exactly President Trump implied when he used the word "reverse", adding that he didn't get why Trump said that.</p>
|
The Wave Of Anti-Semitic Incidents Could Be A False Flag Perpetrated By Jews: Trump Insinuates
| true |
http://thegoldwater.com/news/1540-The-Wave-Of-Anti-Semitic-Incidents-Could-Be-A-False-Flag-Perpetrated-By-Jews-Trump-Insinuates
|
2017-03-01
| 0right
|
The Wave Of Anti-Semitic Incidents Could Be A False Flag Perpetrated By Jews: Trump Insinuates
<p />
<p>President Trump made a statement on Tuesday in which he indicated for the second time that he strongly believes that the current wave of anti-Semitic incidents could be false flags that are perpetrated by the left or by the Jews in a bid to make his administration look terrible. Mr. Trump was addressing a gathering of State Attorney Generals from all over the country. Among the crowd was Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro who made a statement telling the reporters in a conference call that Trump suggested that the attacks could reflect something other than anti-Semitism.</p>
<p />
<p>There has been a wave of suggestions on the right-wing conspiracy theory websites claiming that the attacks are false flags that are meant to perpetuate the impression that they were being committed by President Trump's supporters. The same notion is being pushed by white supremacist David Duke on his Twitter account. A similar suggestion was tweeted on Tuesday by a Trump supporter and an informal adviser known as Anthony Scaramucci.</p>
<p>Anthony Scaramucci tweeted saying that it's not yet clear who the #JCC offenders are, adding that people should not forget the efforts that Democrats are putting in to incite violence at Trump's rallies.</p>
<p />
<p>Speaking at a press conference on the 16th of February, President Trump made a suggestion that pointed out to the false flag conspiracy that was being perpetrated by his opponents in a bid to reinforce claims that his election as President was driving anti-Semitism and racism.</p>
<p />
<p>Trump's comments made many people curious, Shapiro made a statement in a teleconference that Trump had promised to expound more during his address to Congress on Tuesday night. The Attorney General also emphasized that he was not certain of what exactly President Trump implied when he used the word "reverse", adding that he didn't get why Trump said that.</p>
| 7,916 |
<p>Fayetteville, Ark. (Photo by Brandonrush; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)</p>
<p>FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Voters in the Arkansas city of Fayetteville on Sept. 8 approved a proposed ordinance that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the local anti-discrimination ordinance.</p>
<p>KFSM <a href="http://5newsonline.com/2015/09/08/fayetteville-voters-pass-civil-rights-ordinance/" type="external">reported</a> the Uniform Civil Rights Protection Ordinance 5781 passed by a 53-47 percent margin.</p>
<p>The Fayetteville City Council last August <a href="" type="internal">approved</a> a similar ordinance by a 6-2 vote margin.</p>
<p>Voters less than four months later repealed it.</p>
<p>Michelle Duggar of “19 Kids and Counting,” a now-cancelled reality show that aired on TLC, recorded a robo call that urged Fayetteville voters to vote against the ordinance. The Human Rights Campaign, which contributed more than $166,000 in support of the 2014 campaign, faced criticism for not supporting the pro-Ordinance 5781 effort.</p>
<p>“I am really impressed to see our community come together after the divisive 119 fight and pass ordinance 5781,” said Kyle Smith, chair of For Fayetteville, a group that backed the ordinance, <a href="http://5newsonline.com/2015/09/08/fayetteville-voters-pass-civil-rights-ordinance/" type="external">in a statement.</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">anti-discrimination</a> <a href="" type="internal">Arkansas</a> <a href="" type="internal">Fayetteville</a> <a href="" type="internal">Fayetteville City Council</a> <a href="" type="internal">For Fayetteville</a> <a href="" type="internal">HRC</a> <a href="" type="internal">Human Rights Campaign</a> <a href="" type="internal">Kyle Smith</a> <a href="" type="internal">Michelle Duggar</a> <a href="" type="internal">Uniform Civil Rights Protection Ordinance 5781</a></p>
|
Arkansas city again approves LGBT ordinance
| false |
http://washingtonblade.com/2015/09/09/arkansas-city-again-approves-lgbt-ordinance/
| 3left-center
|
Arkansas city again approves LGBT ordinance
<p>Fayetteville, Ark. (Photo by Brandonrush; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)</p>
<p>FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Voters in the Arkansas city of Fayetteville on Sept. 8 approved a proposed ordinance that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to the local anti-discrimination ordinance.</p>
<p>KFSM <a href="http://5newsonline.com/2015/09/08/fayetteville-voters-pass-civil-rights-ordinance/" type="external">reported</a> the Uniform Civil Rights Protection Ordinance 5781 passed by a 53-47 percent margin.</p>
<p>The Fayetteville City Council last August <a href="" type="internal">approved</a> a similar ordinance by a 6-2 vote margin.</p>
<p>Voters less than four months later repealed it.</p>
<p>Michelle Duggar of “19 Kids and Counting,” a now-cancelled reality show that aired on TLC, recorded a robo call that urged Fayetteville voters to vote against the ordinance. The Human Rights Campaign, which contributed more than $166,000 in support of the 2014 campaign, faced criticism for not supporting the pro-Ordinance 5781 effort.</p>
<p>“I am really impressed to see our community come together after the divisive 119 fight and pass ordinance 5781,” said Kyle Smith, chair of For Fayetteville, a group that backed the ordinance, <a href="http://5newsonline.com/2015/09/08/fayetteville-voters-pass-civil-rights-ordinance/" type="external">in a statement.</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">anti-discrimination</a> <a href="" type="internal">Arkansas</a> <a href="" type="internal">Fayetteville</a> <a href="" type="internal">Fayetteville City Council</a> <a href="" type="internal">For Fayetteville</a> <a href="" type="internal">HRC</a> <a href="" type="internal">Human Rights Campaign</a> <a href="" type="internal">Kyle Smith</a> <a href="" type="internal">Michelle Duggar</a> <a href="" type="internal">Uniform Civil Rights Protection Ordinance 5781</a></p>
| 7,917 |
|
<p />
<p>The Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP, is the defined contribution retirement plan offered to U.S. civil service employees and retirees, as well as members of the uniformed services. With nearly five million participants, the TSP is one of the most popular retirement programs in America. Here's how much you can contribute to your TSP account in 2017, and some advice on how much you should contribute.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>The short answer is that the 2017 TSP elective deferral limit is $18,000. This amount applies to all of your TSP traditional and Roth contributions. An additional catch-up contribution of $6,000 is allowed for participants age 50 or older. These limits refer to money you choose to have withheld from your paycheck and deposited into your TSP.</p>
<p>The overall contribution limit to a TSP, also known as the annual addition limit, is $54,000 for the 2017 tax year. This includes your elective deferrals as I mentioned above, as well as agency automatic contributions and employer matching contributions. This limit does not include the catch-up allowance, if applicable, so the maximum addition to your TSP in 2017 is $60,000.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Because of the TSP matching structure, the overall limit is rarely, if ever, reached. As of this writing, the FERS "agency automatic contribution" rate is 1% of salary per year, and the matching contributions rate is dollar-for-dollar up to 3% of salary and 50 cents on the dollar beyond that percentage, up to 5% of salary altogether. Regardless of salary, catch-up contributions are not matched.</p>
<p>This translates to a maximum matching contribution rate of 4% of salary, and since the highest matching rate is 100% of contributions, even the most highly paid government employees who are over 50 could theoretically contribute $24,000 through elective deferrals, receive an $18,000 match, and get a 1% automatic contribution. Since the first two figures add up to $42,000, we'd be talking about a pretty big salary for the agency automatic contribution to produce a total that's anywhere close to the limit.</p>
<p>There's a special rule for members of the uniformed services serving in a combat zone that could potentially push their contributions toward the limit. Tax-exempt pay earned in a combat zone does not count toward the elective deferral limit if contributed to a TSP, but it does count toward the overall limit.</p>
<p>These are the limits. It may not be practical, or even necessary, for you to contribute anywhere near the TSP limits to create the retirement of your dreams. After all, if a total of $5,000 per year is contributed to your TSP throughout a 30-year career, it could balloon into a $472,000 nest egg, assuming a historically conservative 7% annualized growth rate. This would be in addition to your FERS pension and your Social Security income you'll eventually get.</p>
<p>While you probably don't need to completely max out your TSP contributions, you might be surprised at how big of a difference a small increase can make.</p>
<p>Let's look at an example. We'll say that you're 30 years old and earn $45,000 per year. If you contribute 5% of your salary to the TSP, including matching contributions and the 1% agency automatic contribution, this means that a total contribution of $4,500 is being made this year. Assuming 7% annualized returns and 2% annual raises, your 30-year account value would be about $522,000.</p>
<p>This is certainly a nice amount of money, and would put you in better shape than most American retirees. However, consider the effect of raising your contribution rate by a small amount:</p>
<p>The point is that when it comes to retirement savings, it's far better to over-prepare than under-prepare. Your Social Security and FERS pension may not be quite enough to provide your dream retirement by themselves. Your TSP is an excellent tool to ensure that you have sufficient income for the retirement you want, so take advantage.</p>
<p>The $15,834 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $15,834 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-social-security?aid=8727&amp;source=irreditxt0000002&amp;ftm_cam=ryr-ss-intro-report&amp;ftm_pit=3186&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>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>
|
TSP Contribution Limits in 2017
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http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/27/tsp-contribution-limits-in-2017.html
|
2016-12-27
| 0right
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TSP Contribution Limits in 2017
<p />
<p>The Thrift Savings Plan, or TSP, is the defined contribution retirement plan offered to U.S. civil service employees and retirees, as well as members of the uniformed services. With nearly five million participants, the TSP is one of the most popular retirement programs in America. Here's how much you can contribute to your TSP account in 2017, and some advice on how much you should contribute.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>The short answer is that the 2017 TSP elective deferral limit is $18,000. This amount applies to all of your TSP traditional and Roth contributions. An additional catch-up contribution of $6,000 is allowed for participants age 50 or older. These limits refer to money you choose to have withheld from your paycheck and deposited into your TSP.</p>
<p>The overall contribution limit to a TSP, also known as the annual addition limit, is $54,000 for the 2017 tax year. This includes your elective deferrals as I mentioned above, as well as agency automatic contributions and employer matching contributions. This limit does not include the catch-up allowance, if applicable, so the maximum addition to your TSP in 2017 is $60,000.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Because of the TSP matching structure, the overall limit is rarely, if ever, reached. As of this writing, the FERS "agency automatic contribution" rate is 1% of salary per year, and the matching contributions rate is dollar-for-dollar up to 3% of salary and 50 cents on the dollar beyond that percentage, up to 5% of salary altogether. Regardless of salary, catch-up contributions are not matched.</p>
<p>This translates to a maximum matching contribution rate of 4% of salary, and since the highest matching rate is 100% of contributions, even the most highly paid government employees who are over 50 could theoretically contribute $24,000 through elective deferrals, receive an $18,000 match, and get a 1% automatic contribution. Since the first two figures add up to $42,000, we'd be talking about a pretty big salary for the agency automatic contribution to produce a total that's anywhere close to the limit.</p>
<p>There's a special rule for members of the uniformed services serving in a combat zone that could potentially push their contributions toward the limit. Tax-exempt pay earned in a combat zone does not count toward the elective deferral limit if contributed to a TSP, but it does count toward the overall limit.</p>
<p>These are the limits. It may not be practical, or even necessary, for you to contribute anywhere near the TSP limits to create the retirement of your dreams. After all, if a total of $5,000 per year is contributed to your TSP throughout a 30-year career, it could balloon into a $472,000 nest egg, assuming a historically conservative 7% annualized growth rate. This would be in addition to your FERS pension and your Social Security income you'll eventually get.</p>
<p>While you probably don't need to completely max out your TSP contributions, you might be surprised at how big of a difference a small increase can make.</p>
<p>Let's look at an example. We'll say that you're 30 years old and earn $45,000 per year. If you contribute 5% of your salary to the TSP, including matching contributions and the 1% agency automatic contribution, this means that a total contribution of $4,500 is being made this year. Assuming 7% annualized returns and 2% annual raises, your 30-year account value would be about $522,000.</p>
<p>This is certainly a nice amount of money, and would put you in better shape than most American retirees. However, consider the effect of raising your contribution rate by a small amount:</p>
<p>The point is that when it comes to retirement savings, it's far better to over-prepare than under-prepare. Your Social Security and FERS pension may not be quite enough to provide your dream retirement by themselves. Your TSP is an excellent tool to ensure that you have sufficient income for the retirement you want, so take advantage.</p>
<p>The $15,834 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $15,834 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-social-security?aid=8727&amp;source=irreditxt0000002&amp;ftm_cam=ryr-ss-intro-report&amp;ftm_pit=3186&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>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>
| 7,918 |
<p />
<p>Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) could soon partner with Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) to add HBO Now to its Amazon Channels in a three-year deal, according to <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/" type="external">The Information Opens a New Window.</a>. Could that give Amazon a strategic advantage against Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) in the streaming video market? Let's take a closer look at this deal to decide.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>HBO's Westworld. Image source: HBO.</p>
<p>Amazon Channels are apps which let Prime members subscribe to individual channels for additional monthly fees. There are about 75 apps on the platform, which serves as a "virtual cable service" in which users can simply pay for the channels they want.</p>
<p>On the surface, it's similar to the app-based channels on AppleTV, Roku, and Alphabet's Android TV. However, Amazon Prime members pay less for those subscriptions compared to the stand-alone apps. For example, a stand-alone subscription toCBS'Showtime usually costs $11 per month, but only costs $9 per month on Amazon Channels.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Therefore, the more channels a Prime member signs up for, the more money they save. That's a fairly efficient way to tether more premium streaming channels to its Prime ecosystem, which already offers free streaming TV shows and movies via Amazon Video.</p>
<p>HBO Now is already available on awide variety of devices, including Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Android TV, Samsung smart TVs, and various mobile devices. However, a big complaint about HBO Now is its $15 per month price tag, whichseems high compared to Netflix's $10 (HD) and $12 (4K) plans.</p>
<p>Amazon offers Prime memberships for $99 per year, $11 per month, or $9 for Prime Video. If Amazon Channels offers HBO Now at a lower rate (perhaps $10-$12 to compete against Netflix), many non-subscribers could add HBO Now to their Prime subscriptions. Back in July, CIRP reported that Amazon had63 million Prime members in the U.S. -- an increase of 19 million from a year earlier and enough to outnumber non-Prime members. By comparison, Netflix finished last quarter withabout 46 million paid members.</p>
<p>Image source: Amazon.</p>
<p>That growth gives Amazon tremendous clout in negotiations with streaming content providers, who are likely willing to give Amazon users a discount in exchange for a ride on the Prime bandwagon.</p>
<p>Netflix is available on Amazon's Fire TV platform, but it isn't discounted on Amazon Channels. Since Amazon Video is Netflix's fastest growing competitor, it'shighly unlikely that Netflix wants to tether itself to Amazon's ecosystem and lower its prices for Prime members. But the bigger Amazon Prime grows as a "one stop shop" for e-commerce purchases, video, music, e-books, and other perks, the more attractive Amazon Channels might look as an alternative to traditional cable bundles.</p>
<p>If Amazon signs a partnership with HBO, it could also lead to a closer relationship with AT&amp;T (NYSE: T), which <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/10/31/will-atts-85-billion-purchase-of-time-warner-backf.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">recently agreed to buy Opens a New Window.</a> Time Warner. Amazon, Netflix, and other streaming players currently pay AT&amp;T and other internet service providers "paid peering" fees for faster Internet connections. AT&amp;T also "zero rates" DirecTV videos on its own wireline and wireless networks -- meaning that viewing those videos won't deplete data plans. However, companies like Netflix must pay AT&amp;T to zero-rate their streaming video apps.</p>
<p>If Amazon and AT&amp;T expand their relationship, AT&amp;T may offer lower paid peering rates to Amazon, or even zero-rate Amazon Channels on its networks. Doing so would immediately raise red flags with regulators, but the Trump Administration's soft stance onnet neutrality might let such deals pass. If that happens, Netflix might need to raise its rates again, making it pricier than an Amazon Channels/HBO Now combination.</p>
<p>Getting a discount on HBO Now for Amazon Channels would be a clever move by Amazon, but there's no guarantee that a deal will be signed. If a deal is signed without a Prime discount, it would be redundant because the HBO Now app has been available on Fire TV since its launch last year.</p>
<p>While Amazon Channels extends Amazon's Prime video ecosystem with additional subscriptions, it doesn't directly impact the battle between Amazon Video and Netflix. Netflix investors should keep an eye on a potential deal, but they shouldn't assume that it will let HBO Now hitch a ride on Amazon Prime to become a heavyweight contender in the crowded streaming market.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Time Warner 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=5ac545fc-53ed-4df1-ab56-5f86725a2e7e&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 Time Warner 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=5ac545fc-53ed-4df1-ab56-5f86725a2e7e&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 November 7, 2016</p>
<p>Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSunLion/info.aspx" type="external">Leo Sun Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Amazon.com and AT and T. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon.com, Apple, and Netflix. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Time Warner. 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>
|
Could Amazon's Rumored HBO Deal Hurt Netflix?
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/01/could-amazon-rumored-hbo-deal-hurt-netflix.html
|
2016-12-01
| 0right
|
Could Amazon's Rumored HBO Deal Hurt Netflix?
<p />
<p>Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) could soon partner with Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) to add HBO Now to its Amazon Channels in a three-year deal, according to <a href="https://www.theinformation.com/" type="external">The Information Opens a New Window.</a>. Could that give Amazon a strategic advantage against Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) in the streaming video market? Let's take a closer look at this deal to decide.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>HBO's Westworld. Image source: HBO.</p>
<p>Amazon Channels are apps which let Prime members subscribe to individual channels for additional monthly fees. There are about 75 apps on the platform, which serves as a "virtual cable service" in which users can simply pay for the channels they want.</p>
<p>On the surface, it's similar to the app-based channels on AppleTV, Roku, and Alphabet's Android TV. However, Amazon Prime members pay less for those subscriptions compared to the stand-alone apps. For example, a stand-alone subscription toCBS'Showtime usually costs $11 per month, but only costs $9 per month on Amazon Channels.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Therefore, the more channels a Prime member signs up for, the more money they save. That's a fairly efficient way to tether more premium streaming channels to its Prime ecosystem, which already offers free streaming TV shows and movies via Amazon Video.</p>
<p>HBO Now is already available on awide variety of devices, including Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Android TV, Samsung smart TVs, and various mobile devices. However, a big complaint about HBO Now is its $15 per month price tag, whichseems high compared to Netflix's $10 (HD) and $12 (4K) plans.</p>
<p>Amazon offers Prime memberships for $99 per year, $11 per month, or $9 for Prime Video. If Amazon Channels offers HBO Now at a lower rate (perhaps $10-$12 to compete against Netflix), many non-subscribers could add HBO Now to their Prime subscriptions. Back in July, CIRP reported that Amazon had63 million Prime members in the U.S. -- an increase of 19 million from a year earlier and enough to outnumber non-Prime members. By comparison, Netflix finished last quarter withabout 46 million paid members.</p>
<p>Image source: Amazon.</p>
<p>That growth gives Amazon tremendous clout in negotiations with streaming content providers, who are likely willing to give Amazon users a discount in exchange for a ride on the Prime bandwagon.</p>
<p>Netflix is available on Amazon's Fire TV platform, but it isn't discounted on Amazon Channels. Since Amazon Video is Netflix's fastest growing competitor, it'shighly unlikely that Netflix wants to tether itself to Amazon's ecosystem and lower its prices for Prime members. But the bigger Amazon Prime grows as a "one stop shop" for e-commerce purchases, video, music, e-books, and other perks, the more attractive Amazon Channels might look as an alternative to traditional cable bundles.</p>
<p>If Amazon signs a partnership with HBO, it could also lead to a closer relationship with AT&amp;T (NYSE: T), which <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/10/31/will-atts-85-billion-purchase-of-time-warner-backf.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">recently agreed to buy Opens a New Window.</a> Time Warner. Amazon, Netflix, and other streaming players currently pay AT&amp;T and other internet service providers "paid peering" fees for faster Internet connections. AT&amp;T also "zero rates" DirecTV videos on its own wireline and wireless networks -- meaning that viewing those videos won't deplete data plans. However, companies like Netflix must pay AT&amp;T to zero-rate their streaming video apps.</p>
<p>If Amazon and AT&amp;T expand their relationship, AT&amp;T may offer lower paid peering rates to Amazon, or even zero-rate Amazon Channels on its networks. Doing so would immediately raise red flags with regulators, but the Trump Administration's soft stance onnet neutrality might let such deals pass. If that happens, Netflix might need to raise its rates again, making it pricier than an Amazon Channels/HBO Now combination.</p>
<p>Getting a discount on HBO Now for Amazon Channels would be a clever move by Amazon, but there's no guarantee that a deal will be signed. If a deal is signed without a Prime discount, it would be redundant because the HBO Now app has been available on Fire TV since its launch last year.</p>
<p>While Amazon Channels extends Amazon's Prime video ecosystem with additional subscriptions, it doesn't directly impact the battle between Amazon Video and Netflix. Netflix investors should keep an eye on a potential deal, but they shouldn't assume that it will let HBO Now hitch a ride on Amazon Prime to become a heavyweight contender in the crowded streaming market.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Time Warner 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=5ac545fc-53ed-4df1-ab56-5f86725a2e7e&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 Time Warner 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=5ac545fc-53ed-4df1-ab56-5f86725a2e7e&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 November 7, 2016</p>
<p>Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSunLion/info.aspx" type="external">Leo Sun Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Amazon.com and AT and T. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon.com, Apple, and Netflix. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Time Warner. 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>
| 7,919 |
<p>Earlier this year, federal prosecutors in Manhattan made history by arresting officials at the Federation Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, on charges of racketeering and money laundering.</p>
<p>The case, a groundbreaking example of US authorities policing far beyond America’s borders, raised an interesting question: If prosecutors could target FIFA — an organization headquartered outside the US — could they also take aim at the leaders of another sprawling international enterprise, say, the Roman Catholic Church?&#160;</p>
<p>The sex crimes that Catholic priests have committed across the globe are arguably far more harmful than anything FIFA executives are accused of. Thousands of priests been accused of destroying the innocence of society’s most vulnerable individuals: children.&#160;And in many cases, the church hierarchy has looked the other way, or even obstructed justice — a crime punishable under racketeering statutes. Yet throughout decades of abuse, the Holy See — the church’s central government, housed at the Vatican — has evaded legal consequences.</p>
<p>Objectively, the sex abuse crisis has been destructive for the church. Billions of dollars have been paid out to survivors of sexual abuse by clergy, leading some of the largest Catholic dioceses in the United States to declare bankruptcy. Dozens of priests have been criminally convicted and thrown in prison. But all of this has played out at the local level.</p>
<p>Despite aggressive efforts to put the pope and his senior leadership on trial for concealing priests’ sex crimes, to date not one Vatican official has been successfully sued or jailed, and the Vatican’s coffers have remained untouched — largely thanks to esoteric legal arguments and diplomatic immunity.</p>
<p>The Vatican remains a legal fortress for anyone suspected of aiding predator priests. In some cases, survivor advocates say the Rome-based enclave of Vatican City has even served as a literal sanctuary for prelates: Archbishop Josef Weselowski, for instance, was whisked off to the Vatican following allegations that he abused young boys. The move <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/world/europe/former-vatican-ambassador-faces-child-sex-abuse-trial.html?&amp;_r=1" type="external">sheltered</a> him from prosecution in the Dominican Republic.</p>
<p>Leading legal experts tell GlobalPost that there are three main strategies in seeking justice against the Holy See:</p>
<p>Let’s take a closer look at each of these.</p>
<p>Much of the legal action against the Catholic Church in recent years has been about money.</p>
<p>Spurred on by angry abuse victims, attorneys in the US, Europe and elsewhere have successfully brought huge lawsuits against individual priests and their dioceses or religious orders. In the US, the church has paid more than $3 billion in compensation to victims, according to <a href="http://www.bishopaccountability.org/" type="external">BishopAccountability.org</a>, driving several large dioceses, including San Diego and Milwaukee, into bankruptcy.</p>
<p>Historically, US courts have extracted large payouts from organizations that have gravely harmed the public. An obvious example is the $200 billion settlement between tobacco companies and state attorneys general in 1998. But, so far, no attorney has successfully argued that the Holy See should pay for priests’ transgressions.</p>
<p>Survivor advocates say that’s unfair, considering the church’s history of transferring predator priests from parish to parish, diocese to diocese — and even country to country, as <a href="" type="internal">GlobalPost showed in a yearlong investigation</a>. They say Vatican leaders aided and abetted predator priests, protecting them and exacerbating the harm to victims.</p>
<p>Related story:&#160; <a href="" type="internal">South America has become a safe haven for the Catholic Church’s alleged child molesters. The Vatican has no comment.</a></p>
<p>David Clohessy, national director and spokesman for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said the church’s liability shouldn’t end at the borders of a diocese.</p>
<p>“It’s disingenuous at best and downright immoral at worst for church officials to claim they can’t compensate victims of horrific childhood sexual violence because the crimes happened on one side or another of an internal church boundary,” Clohessy said.</p>
<p>So why haven’t attorneys been able to tap into the Holy See’s incomparable wealth?</p>
<p>Suing the pope, personally, isn’t really an option.</p>
<p>“If you were to try and sue the pope in the United States, you would get absolutely nowhere, even if you could show that he was directly implicated,” said Joseph Dellapenna, a law professor at Villanova University in Pennsylvania who specializes in suing foreign governments.</p>
<p>Under US law, the pope has absolute immunity from civil lawsuits because he’s a sitting head of state, Dellapenna said. The same is true in most countries, he said.</p>
<p>Not that people haven’t tried.</p>
<p>In 2005 a Texas lawyer named the pope as a defendant in a sexual abuse lawsuit against a local diocese. The <a href="http://web.kitsapsun.com/archive/2005/12-23/85400_texas_court_rules_pope_cannot_be.html" type="external">judge ruled the pope had immunity</a>, citing a motion filed by the US Justice Department in the pope’s defense.</p>
<p>That leaves the Holy See, whose defense benefits from its quasi-nation status. The general rule across the developed world is that you can sue a nation or state only for its commercial or private actions, and not for its sovereign or public actions, Dellapenna said.</p>
<p>The crucial question, therefore, is whether the Holy See has direct day-to-day control over its far-flung dioceses and priests. Does it act like a corporate boardroom, exercising control from the Vatican? Or is it simply a spiritual advisory body with no real input from day to day?</p>
<p>So far, the Holy See has argued successfully that each diocese acts as a separate legal entity, rather than branches of a central organization.</p>
<p>“If the Archbishop of Philadelphia does something bad, the Archbishop of Chicago has no legal responsibility,” said Dellapenna. By extension, the church’s defense is that legal culpability therefore doesn’t continue to the Vatican, he said.</p>
<p>The idea that the Catholic Church — with its shared dogma, symbolism, supreme leader and justice system — isn’t akin to a single corporation “doesn’t make any sense,” said Patrick Wall, a victim’s advocate, former priest, and author of a book on the Catholic sex abuse crisis.</p>
<p>“They want to prevent us from piercing the corporate veil,” he said.</p>
<p>On the one hand, Wall said, the US church argues that it’s a loose-leaf organization that merely takes recommendations from the pope with no connection between the dioceses. But on the other hand, the US church has programs like national insurance policies that collectively protect those dioceses, he said.</p>
<p>“People forget about Catholic Mutual Insurance,” Wall said. “If the cathedral in Orange, California falls into a sinkhole, that’s a risk they all share together. At that point, all 195 dioceses would get together, kick in the money and replace the structure.”</p>
<p>Still, for the time being, the Holy See’s argument that it doesn’t share a single corporate structure and doesn’t exercise day-to-day control over priests is winning the battle in America’s courtrooms.</p>
<p>Prominent British barrister Geoffrey Robertson argued in a 2010 column in the Guardian that the ICC is the proper place to “ <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/libertycentral/2010/apr/02/pope-legal-immunity-international-law" type="external">put the pope in the dock</a>.”</p>
<p>“If acts of sexual abuse by priests are not isolated or sporadic, but part of a wide practice both known to and unpunished by their de facto authority then they fall within the temporal jurisdiction of the ICC,” Robertson wrote in the Guardian.</p>
<p>In 2011, the Center for Constitutional Rights, a legal advocacy group in New York, filed a <a href="http://www.ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/assets/Survivors%20Network%20Art%20%2015%20Communication%20to%20ICC%20OTP%20(3).pdf" type="external">complaint at the ICC</a> against then-Pope Benedict XVI and several high-level Holy See officials, on behalf of SNAP.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/assets/Survivors%20Network%20Art%20%2015%20Communication%20to%20ICC%20OTP%20(3).pdf" type="external">It read</a>: “The International Criminal Court is the appropriate forum to ensure accountability for the longstanding and pervasive system of sexual violence within the church given the magnitude, scope and global reach of these crimes.”</p>
<p>But two years later, the court <a href="http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/international-criminal-court-declines-pursue-crimes-against-humanity-case" type="external">declined</a> to hear the case.</p>
<p>The court’s prosecutor said it didn’t fall within the ICC’s primary jurisdiction, defined by the court’s governing rules as "the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, specifically genocide, war crimes, crimes of aggression and crimes against humanity.”</p>
<p>Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told the Religion News Service at the time that he "never doubted this would be the response [of the ICC], given the total groundlessness of the accusation."</p>
<p>Attorney Pam Spees, who filed the ICC complaint, told GlobalPost that the court remains the only adequate forum to hear a case against the pope and the Vatican.</p>
<p>“With these different attempts in the US, everyone’s just trying to touch one part of the elephant and describe what it is, but they can’t see the whole thing,” Spees said.</p>
<p>“There are all of these layers of protection that advocates have had to chip through, to get at what’s really going on.”&#160;</p>
<p>While the criminal case didn’t proceed at the ICC, Spees said it helped bring the Catholic Church to the attention of the United Nations.</p>
<p>The Holy See abides by two UN Conventions relevant to child sexual abuse: The 1984 UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.</p>
<p>These conventions are overseen by independent committees with the power to call representatives of countries before them for questioning.</p>
<p>Last year, the <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2014/02/05/blasts-vatican-sex-abuse/Km17entdovDqdXEubH0ZLM/story.html" type="external">UN Human Rights Committee on the Rights of the Child</a> and the <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/05/22/second-panel-criticzes-vatican-sex-abuse/YuX300eGKJYDNUPVdTXcmJ/story.html" type="external">UN Committee Against Torture</a> lambasted senior Holy See officials in public hearings and issued brutal reports criticizing the Vatican’s handling of child sex abuse cases.</p>
<p>“The Holy See has consistently placed the preservation of the reputation of the church and the protection of the perpetrators above children’s best interests,” Kirsten Sandberg, a chairperson of the rights committee, told reporters.</p>
<p>The Holy See immediately defended itself, saying the committees had a “grave misunderstanding” of its role. Church officials argued that the Holy See is only responsible for enforcing the UN conventions within the walls of the Vatican itself, which is home to just 900 or so people.</p>
<p>SNAP’s Clohessy said the committee actions were warmly welcomed by victims.</p>
<p>“This gives tremendous validation and hope to survivors while literally educating millions about how crimes are covered up in the church even today,” Clohessy said.But while symbolically important, the dressing-down from the committees didn’t have any legal impact. Nobody from the Vatican went on trial. Nobody received a penny in compensation.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, in a landmark prosecution, the US Department of Justice charged several officials at Swiss-headquartered FIFA with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.</p>
<p>The charges, brought under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, were an <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/international/21653613-why-america-and-not-another-country-going-after-fifa-worlds-lawyer" type="external">extraordinary assertion of American justice</a> over an international and foreign-headquartered organization.</p>
<p>The RICO Act was designed to combat organized crime groups like the Mafia. But a growing number of advocates in the US see the FIFA investigation as a precedent for a possible criminal investigation into the Holy See’s role in child sexual abuse cases.</p>
<p>“I don’t think that’s far-fetched at all,” said New Jersey attorney Steve Rubino, who filed a lawsuit against a local Catholic diocese in 1993 alleging civil violations of the RICO Act. “There’s always some straw that breaks the camel’s back.”</p>
<p>But Wall, the advocate from Minnesota, stressed that the church is a far more politically sensitive institution for US prosecutors to investigate than a Swiss soccer organization many Americans have probably never heard of.</p>
<p>The Holy See and the pope engage in crucial diplomatic roles considered vitally important to America’s interests, Wall said. Indeed, Pope Francis was <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/17/us-cuba-pope-franicis-key-roles" type="external">heavily involved</a> in brokering the recent historic thawing of relations between Cuba and the United States. And just look at the " <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/article/6655576/2015/09/23/pope-wows-washington-takes-controversy" type="external">rapturous</a>" reception the pope has had in Washington this week.</p>
<p>“I just don’t think there’s the political will to do it,” Wall said. “The Vatican helps out the United States a lot."</p>
<p>This story was cross-posted from our partner, <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/" type="external">Global Post</a>.</p>
|
Could the Vatican face racketeering charges for harboring abusive clergy?
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https://pri.org/stories/2015-09-25/could-vatican-face-racketeering-charges-harboring-abusive-clergy-0
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2015-09-25
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Could the Vatican face racketeering charges for harboring abusive clergy?
<p>Earlier this year, federal prosecutors in Manhattan made history by arresting officials at the Federation Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, on charges of racketeering and money laundering.</p>
<p>The case, a groundbreaking example of US authorities policing far beyond America’s borders, raised an interesting question: If prosecutors could target FIFA — an organization headquartered outside the US — could they also take aim at the leaders of another sprawling international enterprise, say, the Roman Catholic Church?&#160;</p>
<p>The sex crimes that Catholic priests have committed across the globe are arguably far more harmful than anything FIFA executives are accused of. Thousands of priests been accused of destroying the innocence of society’s most vulnerable individuals: children.&#160;And in many cases, the church hierarchy has looked the other way, or even obstructed justice — a crime punishable under racketeering statutes. Yet throughout decades of abuse, the Holy See — the church’s central government, housed at the Vatican — has evaded legal consequences.</p>
<p>Objectively, the sex abuse crisis has been destructive for the church. Billions of dollars have been paid out to survivors of sexual abuse by clergy, leading some of the largest Catholic dioceses in the United States to declare bankruptcy. Dozens of priests have been criminally convicted and thrown in prison. But all of this has played out at the local level.</p>
<p>Despite aggressive efforts to put the pope and his senior leadership on trial for concealing priests’ sex crimes, to date not one Vatican official has been successfully sued or jailed, and the Vatican’s coffers have remained untouched — largely thanks to esoteric legal arguments and diplomatic immunity.</p>
<p>The Vatican remains a legal fortress for anyone suspected of aiding predator priests. In some cases, survivor advocates say the Rome-based enclave of Vatican City has even served as a literal sanctuary for prelates: Archbishop Josef Weselowski, for instance, was whisked off to the Vatican following allegations that he abused young boys. The move <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/24/world/europe/former-vatican-ambassador-faces-child-sex-abuse-trial.html?&amp;_r=1" type="external">sheltered</a> him from prosecution in the Dominican Republic.</p>
<p>Leading legal experts tell GlobalPost that there are three main strategies in seeking justice against the Holy See:</p>
<p>Let’s take a closer look at each of these.</p>
<p>Much of the legal action against the Catholic Church in recent years has been about money.</p>
<p>Spurred on by angry abuse victims, attorneys in the US, Europe and elsewhere have successfully brought huge lawsuits against individual priests and their dioceses or religious orders. In the US, the church has paid more than $3 billion in compensation to victims, according to <a href="http://www.bishopaccountability.org/" type="external">BishopAccountability.org</a>, driving several large dioceses, including San Diego and Milwaukee, into bankruptcy.</p>
<p>Historically, US courts have extracted large payouts from organizations that have gravely harmed the public. An obvious example is the $200 billion settlement between tobacco companies and state attorneys general in 1998. But, so far, no attorney has successfully argued that the Holy See should pay for priests’ transgressions.</p>
<p>Survivor advocates say that’s unfair, considering the church’s history of transferring predator priests from parish to parish, diocese to diocese — and even country to country, as <a href="" type="internal">GlobalPost showed in a yearlong investigation</a>. They say Vatican leaders aided and abetted predator priests, protecting them and exacerbating the harm to victims.</p>
<p>Related story:&#160; <a href="" type="internal">South America has become a safe haven for the Catholic Church’s alleged child molesters. The Vatican has no comment.</a></p>
<p>David Clohessy, national director and spokesman for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, said the church’s liability shouldn’t end at the borders of a diocese.</p>
<p>“It’s disingenuous at best and downright immoral at worst for church officials to claim they can’t compensate victims of horrific childhood sexual violence because the crimes happened on one side or another of an internal church boundary,” Clohessy said.</p>
<p>So why haven’t attorneys been able to tap into the Holy See’s incomparable wealth?</p>
<p>Suing the pope, personally, isn’t really an option.</p>
<p>“If you were to try and sue the pope in the United States, you would get absolutely nowhere, even if you could show that he was directly implicated,” said Joseph Dellapenna, a law professor at Villanova University in Pennsylvania who specializes in suing foreign governments.</p>
<p>Under US law, the pope has absolute immunity from civil lawsuits because he’s a sitting head of state, Dellapenna said. The same is true in most countries, he said.</p>
<p>Not that people haven’t tried.</p>
<p>In 2005 a Texas lawyer named the pope as a defendant in a sexual abuse lawsuit against a local diocese. The <a href="http://web.kitsapsun.com/archive/2005/12-23/85400_texas_court_rules_pope_cannot_be.html" type="external">judge ruled the pope had immunity</a>, citing a motion filed by the US Justice Department in the pope’s defense.</p>
<p>That leaves the Holy See, whose defense benefits from its quasi-nation status. The general rule across the developed world is that you can sue a nation or state only for its commercial or private actions, and not for its sovereign or public actions, Dellapenna said.</p>
<p>The crucial question, therefore, is whether the Holy See has direct day-to-day control over its far-flung dioceses and priests. Does it act like a corporate boardroom, exercising control from the Vatican? Or is it simply a spiritual advisory body with no real input from day to day?</p>
<p>So far, the Holy See has argued successfully that each diocese acts as a separate legal entity, rather than branches of a central organization.</p>
<p>“If the Archbishop of Philadelphia does something bad, the Archbishop of Chicago has no legal responsibility,” said Dellapenna. By extension, the church’s defense is that legal culpability therefore doesn’t continue to the Vatican, he said.</p>
<p>The idea that the Catholic Church — with its shared dogma, symbolism, supreme leader and justice system — isn’t akin to a single corporation “doesn’t make any sense,” said Patrick Wall, a victim’s advocate, former priest, and author of a book on the Catholic sex abuse crisis.</p>
<p>“They want to prevent us from piercing the corporate veil,” he said.</p>
<p>On the one hand, Wall said, the US church argues that it’s a loose-leaf organization that merely takes recommendations from the pope with no connection between the dioceses. But on the other hand, the US church has programs like national insurance policies that collectively protect those dioceses, he said.</p>
<p>“People forget about Catholic Mutual Insurance,” Wall said. “If the cathedral in Orange, California falls into a sinkhole, that’s a risk they all share together. At that point, all 195 dioceses would get together, kick in the money and replace the structure.”</p>
<p>Still, for the time being, the Holy See’s argument that it doesn’t share a single corporate structure and doesn’t exercise day-to-day control over priests is winning the battle in America’s courtrooms.</p>
<p>Prominent British barrister Geoffrey Robertson argued in a 2010 column in the Guardian that the ICC is the proper place to “ <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/libertycentral/2010/apr/02/pope-legal-immunity-international-law" type="external">put the pope in the dock</a>.”</p>
<p>“If acts of sexual abuse by priests are not isolated or sporadic, but part of a wide practice both known to and unpunished by their de facto authority then they fall within the temporal jurisdiction of the ICC,” Robertson wrote in the Guardian.</p>
<p>In 2011, the Center for Constitutional Rights, a legal advocacy group in New York, filed a <a href="http://www.ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/assets/Survivors%20Network%20Art%20%2015%20Communication%20to%20ICC%20OTP%20(3).pdf" type="external">complaint at the ICC</a> against then-Pope Benedict XVI and several high-level Holy See officials, on behalf of SNAP.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ccrjustice.org/sites/default/files/assets/Survivors%20Network%20Art%20%2015%20Communication%20to%20ICC%20OTP%20(3).pdf" type="external">It read</a>: “The International Criminal Court is the appropriate forum to ensure accountability for the longstanding and pervasive system of sexual violence within the church given the magnitude, scope and global reach of these crimes.”</p>
<p>But two years later, the court <a href="http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/international-criminal-court-declines-pursue-crimes-against-humanity-case" type="external">declined</a> to hear the case.</p>
<p>The court’s prosecutor said it didn’t fall within the ICC’s primary jurisdiction, defined by the court’s governing rules as "the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, specifically genocide, war crimes, crimes of aggression and crimes against humanity.”</p>
<p>Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told the Religion News Service at the time that he "never doubted this would be the response [of the ICC], given the total groundlessness of the accusation."</p>
<p>Attorney Pam Spees, who filed the ICC complaint, told GlobalPost that the court remains the only adequate forum to hear a case against the pope and the Vatican.</p>
<p>“With these different attempts in the US, everyone’s just trying to touch one part of the elephant and describe what it is, but they can’t see the whole thing,” Spees said.</p>
<p>“There are all of these layers of protection that advocates have had to chip through, to get at what’s really going on.”&#160;</p>
<p>While the criminal case didn’t proceed at the ICC, Spees said it helped bring the Catholic Church to the attention of the United Nations.</p>
<p>The Holy See abides by two UN Conventions relevant to child sexual abuse: The 1984 UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.</p>
<p>These conventions are overseen by independent committees with the power to call representatives of countries before them for questioning.</p>
<p>Last year, the <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2014/02/05/blasts-vatican-sex-abuse/Km17entdovDqdXEubH0ZLM/story.html" type="external">UN Human Rights Committee on the Rights of the Child</a> and the <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/05/22/second-panel-criticzes-vatican-sex-abuse/YuX300eGKJYDNUPVdTXcmJ/story.html" type="external">UN Committee Against Torture</a> lambasted senior Holy See officials in public hearings and issued brutal reports criticizing the Vatican’s handling of child sex abuse cases.</p>
<p>“The Holy See has consistently placed the preservation of the reputation of the church and the protection of the perpetrators above children’s best interests,” Kirsten Sandberg, a chairperson of the rights committee, told reporters.</p>
<p>The Holy See immediately defended itself, saying the committees had a “grave misunderstanding” of its role. Church officials argued that the Holy See is only responsible for enforcing the UN conventions within the walls of the Vatican itself, which is home to just 900 or so people.</p>
<p>SNAP’s Clohessy said the committee actions were warmly welcomed by victims.</p>
<p>“This gives tremendous validation and hope to survivors while literally educating millions about how crimes are covered up in the church even today,” Clohessy said.But while symbolically important, the dressing-down from the committees didn’t have any legal impact. Nobody from the Vatican went on trial. Nobody received a penny in compensation.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, in a landmark prosecution, the US Department of Justice charged several officials at Swiss-headquartered FIFA with racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.</p>
<p>The charges, brought under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, were an <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/international/21653613-why-america-and-not-another-country-going-after-fifa-worlds-lawyer" type="external">extraordinary assertion of American justice</a> over an international and foreign-headquartered organization.</p>
<p>The RICO Act was designed to combat organized crime groups like the Mafia. But a growing number of advocates in the US see the FIFA investigation as a precedent for a possible criminal investigation into the Holy See’s role in child sexual abuse cases.</p>
<p>“I don’t think that’s far-fetched at all,” said New Jersey attorney Steve Rubino, who filed a lawsuit against a local Catholic diocese in 1993 alleging civil violations of the RICO Act. “There’s always some straw that breaks the camel’s back.”</p>
<p>But Wall, the advocate from Minnesota, stressed that the church is a far more politically sensitive institution for US prosecutors to investigate than a Swiss soccer organization many Americans have probably never heard of.</p>
<p>The Holy See and the pope engage in crucial diplomatic roles considered vitally important to America’s interests, Wall said. Indeed, Pope Francis was <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/17/us-cuba-pope-franicis-key-roles" type="external">heavily involved</a> in brokering the recent historic thawing of relations between Cuba and the United States. And just look at the " <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/article/6655576/2015/09/23/pope-wows-washington-takes-controversy" type="external">rapturous</a>" reception the pope has had in Washington this week.</p>
<p>“I just don’t think there’s the political will to do it,” Wall said. “The Vatican helps out the United States a lot."</p>
<p>This story was cross-posted from our partner, <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/" type="external">Global Post</a>.</p>
| 7,920 |
<p>The Latest on the Republican effort to repeal and replace the Obama health law (all times local):</p>
<p>8:40 p.m.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>President Donald Trump has invited Senate Republicans to the White House after a GOP attempt to repeal and replace the Obama-era health care law collapsed for a second time.</p>
<p>Press Secretary Sean Spicer confirms that the senators have been invited to lunch to discuss the way forward on health care after it became clear that they did not have the votes to pass a plan to replace "Obamacare."</p>
<p>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced earlier Tuesday that the Senate would move ahead on a straight-up repeal vote early next week. It's a plan Trump has endorsed.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>6:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the Senate will vote early next week on trying to move ahead on a straight-up repeal of Barack Obama's health care law.</p>
<p>McConnell made the announcement Tuesday night. He says the vote was at the request of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.</p>
<p>Three Republican senators — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia — have turned on McConnell's repeal of Obamacare.</p>
<p>McConnell also had delayed action because of Sen. John McCain, who is recuperating in Arizona after having a blood clot removed from above his left eye.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:15 p.m.</p>
<p>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says President Donald Trump's declaration that he and the Republican Party won't take the blame for the health care system's problems is "small and petty."</p>
<p>The New York Democrat made the remarks to The Associated Press after Senate GOP leaders abandoned their effort to rewrite President Barack Obama's health care law due to Republican opposition. Trump said Republicans won't own the issue and said he'll let the statute fail to force Democrats to ask him to fix it.</p>
<p>Schumer says Trump is in charge, but "To hurt millions of people because he's angry and he didn't get his way is not being a leader."</p>
<p>Schumer says Democrats will work with Republicans to fix problems with the law once the GOP abandons its repeal effort.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2:40 p.m.</p>
<p>Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the Senate will vote "sometime in the near future" on repealing the Obama health care law.</p>
<p>Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the Kentucky Republican says "this has been a very, very challenging experience for all of us" after the collapse of the Senate GOP plan to rewrite much of the 2010 law.</p>
<p>McConnell said the GOP doesn't have 50 members to agree on a replacement. He made the comments after the weekly closed-door GOP lunch attended by Vice President Mike Pence.</p>
<p>Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri said the GOP needs to find out "where the votes are."</p>
<p>Opposition from three Republican senators left McConnell's alternative plan to move ahead on a straight repeal in doubt.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1:45 p.m.</p>
<p>A bipartisan group of 11 governors says Senate Republicans should abandon the effort to repeal the Obama health care law and replace it later.</p>
<p>In a statement on Tuesday, the governors, who hold considerable sway with their senators, said the latest approach pushed by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would leave millions of Americans without insurance coverage.</p>
<p>The governors said the best step is a bipartisan approach and a fix to the unstable insurance markets.</p>
<p>Among the Republicans on the statement were Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, Maryland's Larry Hogan, Massachusetts' Charlie Baker and Ohio's John Kasich. Also signing on was Independent Gov. Bill Walker of Alaska.</p>
<p>McConnell lacked the votes to push ahead on his plan as three Republican senators — Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine — opposed it.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>12:45 p.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says he is deeply "disappointed" by the collapse of the GOP effort to rewrite former President Barack Obama's health care law.</p>
<p>Trump told reporters during a lunch with service members Tuesday that Republicans have been talking for years about repealing and replacing "Obamacare," and is disappointed they couldn't deliver.</p>
<p>Trump says it's time to "Let Obamacare fail," and says that "I'm not going to own it."</p>
<p>He says letting Obamacare fail will encourage Democrats to come to the table and negotiate.</p>
<p>Trump also says he does not blame Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for the decision by two more Republican senators to come out against the legislation, effectively killing the bill.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:40 p.m.</p>
<p>Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has announced she will oppose moving forward on an "Obamacare" repeal bill — leaving Republicans once again short of votes.</p>
<p>Murkowski became the third GOP senator to announce her opposition to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's latest health care bill. McConnell can lose only two votes in the closely divided Senate, meaning the bill cannot advance.</p>
<p>McConnell was urging senators to advance to debate on a repeal-only bill on "Obamacare." That was after his earlier repeal-and-replace bill was killed Monday by opposition from Republican senators.</p>
<p>Tuesday's development marked the third straight defeat for McConnell as he struggles to make good on longstanding GOP promises to get rid of "Obamacare."</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>11 a.m.</p>
<p>Vice President Mike Pence says Congress needs to "step up" and "do their job" in the aftermath of the Republican health care plan's failure to win consensus in the Senate.</p>
<p>Pence said in a speech to the National Retail Federation on Tuesday that the Senate should vote to repeal the so-called Obamacare law and replace it with a new plan. Or he says it should return to the "carefully crafted" legislation in the House and the Senate.</p>
<p>But Pence says "inaction is not an option" and Congress needs to act to address health care.</p>
<p>Pence spoke shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted late Monday that Republicans should repeal the law and work on a new health care plan "that will start from a clean slate."</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>10:50 a.m.</p>
<p>At least two Republican senators say they can't vote to repeal the health care law without a replacement.</p>
<p>West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said in a statement Tuesday that she "did not come to Washington to hurt people." She said she had reservations about the GOP health care plan to erase much of Barack Obama's health care law. Her concerns focused on proposed cuts to Medicaid and the impact on treating the opioid epidemic, which has hit her state hard.</p>
<p>Separately, Maine Sen. Susan Collins also said she opposes the repeal and delay approach. Collins said it's not constructive to repeal a law so interwoven within the health care system and then hope over the next two years to come up with a replacement.</p>
<p>Majority Leader Mitch McConnell needs at least 50 votes to move ahead. With Capito and Collins' objections, he can't afford another defection.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>10:30 a.m.</p>
<p>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the Senate will soon vote on a fresh bill repealing much of President Barack Obama's health care law.</p>
<p>The Kentucky Republican is conceding that his party's prized legislation erasing big chunks of the 2010 statute and replacing it with GOP-favored programs won't succeed. He spoke Tuesday, the morning after the GOP bill collapsed under opposition from Republican senators.</p>
<p>McConnell says his chamber will vote in coming days on legislation dismantling much of Obama's law that would take effect in two years. He says that would give lawmakers time to craft a replacement.</p>
<p>The prospects for that bill seem doubtful. Democrats oppose it and many Republicans agree, worrying that a two-year gap would roil insurance markets and be politically damaging to the GOP.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>10:10 a.m.</p>
<p>Speaker Paul Ryan says he would like to see the Senate "move on something" after the collapse of GOP plan to repeal and replace the health care law.</p>
<p>Ryan told reporters on Tuesday that the House is proud of the bill they passed in early May and is waiting to see what Senate can do.</p>
<p>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, faced with defeat on his repeal and replace plan, is pushing ahead with a repeal and delay effort but faces uncertainty in getting that done.</p>
<p>Ryan said he was "worried Obamacare will stand" and repeated that the law is failing.</p>
<p>Ryan said, "We'd like to see the Senate move on something ... We've got a promise to keep."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>9:40 a.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump is calling for a 51-vote majority in the Senate instead of the current 60 votes as a means for getting individual pieces of legislation passed without the threat of a filibuster.</p>
<p>The president tweeted Tuesday, "The Senate must go to a 51 vote majority instead of current 60 votes. Even parts of full Repeal need 60. 8 Dems control Senate. Crazy!"</p>
<p>Trump's health care bill suffered its latest blow after two GOP senators — Utah's Mike Lee and Jerry Moran of Kansas —announced Monday that they would vote "no" in a critical vote.</p>
<p>At least four of the 52 GOP senators were ready to block the measure — two more than Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had to spare in the face of unanimous Democratic opposition.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>7:45 a.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump is blasting Democrats and "a few Republicans" over the failure of the Republican effort to write a new health care law. "We will return," Trump declared in an early morning tweet.</p>
<p>The president tweeted Tuesday that "Most Republicans were loyal, terrific &amp; worked really hard," but says, "We were let down by all of the Democrats and a few Republicans."</p>
<p>He added, "As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned!"</p>
<p>Two GOP senators — Utah's Mike Lee and Jerry Moran of Kansas — sealed the Republican health care bill's doom late Monday when each announced he would vote "no."</p>
<p>At least four of the 52 GOP senators were ready to block the measure — two more than Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had to spare.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>3 a.m.</p>
<p>The implosion of the Senate Republican health care bill leaves a divided GOP with its flagship legislative priority in tatters. And it confronts a wounded President Donald Trump and congressional leaders with difficult decisions about addressing their seven-year-old promise of repealing President Barack Obama's law.</p>
<p>Two GOP senators — Utah's Mike Lee and Jerry Moran of Kansas — sealed the measure's doom late Monday when each said they would vote "no" in an initial, critical vote that had been expected as soon as next week. Their startling announcement meant at least four of the 52 GOP senators were ready to block the measure. That's two more than Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had to spare in the face of a wall of Democratic opposition.</p>
|
The Latest: Trump to discuss health care with GOP senators
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/07/18/latest-trump-blasts-dems-some-in-gop-over-health-bill.html
|
2017-07-19
| 0right
|
The Latest: Trump to discuss health care with GOP senators
<p>The Latest on the Republican effort to repeal and replace the Obama health law (all times local):</p>
<p>8:40 p.m.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>President Donald Trump has invited Senate Republicans to the White House after a GOP attempt to repeal and replace the Obama-era health care law collapsed for a second time.</p>
<p>Press Secretary Sean Spicer confirms that the senators have been invited to lunch to discuss the way forward on health care after it became clear that they did not have the votes to pass a plan to replace "Obamacare."</p>
<p>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced earlier Tuesday that the Senate would move ahead on a straight-up repeal vote early next week. It's a plan Trump has endorsed.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>6:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the Senate will vote early next week on trying to move ahead on a straight-up repeal of Barack Obama's health care law.</p>
<p>McConnell made the announcement Tuesday night. He says the vote was at the request of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.</p>
<p>Three Republican senators — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia — have turned on McConnell's repeal of Obamacare.</p>
<p>McConnell also had delayed action because of Sen. John McCain, who is recuperating in Arizona after having a blood clot removed from above his left eye.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:15 p.m.</p>
<p>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says President Donald Trump's declaration that he and the Republican Party won't take the blame for the health care system's problems is "small and petty."</p>
<p>The New York Democrat made the remarks to The Associated Press after Senate GOP leaders abandoned their effort to rewrite President Barack Obama's health care law due to Republican opposition. Trump said Republicans won't own the issue and said he'll let the statute fail to force Democrats to ask him to fix it.</p>
<p>Schumer says Trump is in charge, but "To hurt millions of people because he's angry and he didn't get his way is not being a leader."</p>
<p>Schumer says Democrats will work with Republicans to fix problems with the law once the GOP abandons its repeal effort.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2:40 p.m.</p>
<p>Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the Senate will vote "sometime in the near future" on repealing the Obama health care law.</p>
<p>Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the Kentucky Republican says "this has been a very, very challenging experience for all of us" after the collapse of the Senate GOP plan to rewrite much of the 2010 law.</p>
<p>McConnell said the GOP doesn't have 50 members to agree on a replacement. He made the comments after the weekly closed-door GOP lunch attended by Vice President Mike Pence.</p>
<p>Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri said the GOP needs to find out "where the votes are."</p>
<p>Opposition from three Republican senators left McConnell's alternative plan to move ahead on a straight repeal in doubt.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1:45 p.m.</p>
<p>A bipartisan group of 11 governors says Senate Republicans should abandon the effort to repeal the Obama health care law and replace it later.</p>
<p>In a statement on Tuesday, the governors, who hold considerable sway with their senators, said the latest approach pushed by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would leave millions of Americans without insurance coverage.</p>
<p>The governors said the best step is a bipartisan approach and a fix to the unstable insurance markets.</p>
<p>Among the Republicans on the statement were Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, Maryland's Larry Hogan, Massachusetts' Charlie Baker and Ohio's John Kasich. Also signing on was Independent Gov. Bill Walker of Alaska.</p>
<p>McConnell lacked the votes to push ahead on his plan as three Republican senators — Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine — opposed it.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>12:45 p.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump says he is deeply "disappointed" by the collapse of the GOP effort to rewrite former President Barack Obama's health care law.</p>
<p>Trump told reporters during a lunch with service members Tuesday that Republicans have been talking for years about repealing and replacing "Obamacare," and is disappointed they couldn't deliver.</p>
<p>Trump says it's time to "Let Obamacare fail," and says that "I'm not going to own it."</p>
<p>He says letting Obamacare fail will encourage Democrats to come to the table and negotiate.</p>
<p>Trump also says he does not blame Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for the decision by two more Republican senators to come out against the legislation, effectively killing the bill.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:40 p.m.</p>
<p>Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has announced she will oppose moving forward on an "Obamacare" repeal bill — leaving Republicans once again short of votes.</p>
<p>Murkowski became the third GOP senator to announce her opposition to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's latest health care bill. McConnell can lose only two votes in the closely divided Senate, meaning the bill cannot advance.</p>
<p>McConnell was urging senators to advance to debate on a repeal-only bill on "Obamacare." That was after his earlier repeal-and-replace bill was killed Monday by opposition from Republican senators.</p>
<p>Tuesday's development marked the third straight defeat for McConnell as he struggles to make good on longstanding GOP promises to get rid of "Obamacare."</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>11 a.m.</p>
<p>Vice President Mike Pence says Congress needs to "step up" and "do their job" in the aftermath of the Republican health care plan's failure to win consensus in the Senate.</p>
<p>Pence said in a speech to the National Retail Federation on Tuesday that the Senate should vote to repeal the so-called Obamacare law and replace it with a new plan. Or he says it should return to the "carefully crafted" legislation in the House and the Senate.</p>
<p>But Pence says "inaction is not an option" and Congress needs to act to address health care.</p>
<p>Pence spoke shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted late Monday that Republicans should repeal the law and work on a new health care plan "that will start from a clean slate."</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>10:50 a.m.</p>
<p>At least two Republican senators say they can't vote to repeal the health care law without a replacement.</p>
<p>West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said in a statement Tuesday that she "did not come to Washington to hurt people." She said she had reservations about the GOP health care plan to erase much of Barack Obama's health care law. Her concerns focused on proposed cuts to Medicaid and the impact on treating the opioid epidemic, which has hit her state hard.</p>
<p>Separately, Maine Sen. Susan Collins also said she opposes the repeal and delay approach. Collins said it's not constructive to repeal a law so interwoven within the health care system and then hope over the next two years to come up with a replacement.</p>
<p>Majority Leader Mitch McConnell needs at least 50 votes to move ahead. With Capito and Collins' objections, he can't afford another defection.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>10:30 a.m.</p>
<p>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the Senate will soon vote on a fresh bill repealing much of President Barack Obama's health care law.</p>
<p>The Kentucky Republican is conceding that his party's prized legislation erasing big chunks of the 2010 statute and replacing it with GOP-favored programs won't succeed. He spoke Tuesday, the morning after the GOP bill collapsed under opposition from Republican senators.</p>
<p>McConnell says his chamber will vote in coming days on legislation dismantling much of Obama's law that would take effect in two years. He says that would give lawmakers time to craft a replacement.</p>
<p>The prospects for that bill seem doubtful. Democrats oppose it and many Republicans agree, worrying that a two-year gap would roil insurance markets and be politically damaging to the GOP.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>10:10 a.m.</p>
<p>Speaker Paul Ryan says he would like to see the Senate "move on something" after the collapse of GOP plan to repeal and replace the health care law.</p>
<p>Ryan told reporters on Tuesday that the House is proud of the bill they passed in early May and is waiting to see what Senate can do.</p>
<p>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, faced with defeat on his repeal and replace plan, is pushing ahead with a repeal and delay effort but faces uncertainty in getting that done.</p>
<p>Ryan said he was "worried Obamacare will stand" and repeated that the law is failing.</p>
<p>Ryan said, "We'd like to see the Senate move on something ... We've got a promise to keep."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>9:40 a.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump is calling for a 51-vote majority in the Senate instead of the current 60 votes as a means for getting individual pieces of legislation passed without the threat of a filibuster.</p>
<p>The president tweeted Tuesday, "The Senate must go to a 51 vote majority instead of current 60 votes. Even parts of full Repeal need 60. 8 Dems control Senate. Crazy!"</p>
<p>Trump's health care bill suffered its latest blow after two GOP senators — Utah's Mike Lee and Jerry Moran of Kansas —announced Monday that they would vote "no" in a critical vote.</p>
<p>At least four of the 52 GOP senators were ready to block the measure — two more than Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had to spare in the face of unanimous Democratic opposition.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>7:45 a.m.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump is blasting Democrats and "a few Republicans" over the failure of the Republican effort to write a new health care law. "We will return," Trump declared in an early morning tweet.</p>
<p>The president tweeted Tuesday that "Most Republicans were loyal, terrific &amp; worked really hard," but says, "We were let down by all of the Democrats and a few Republicans."</p>
<p>He added, "As I have always said, let ObamaCare fail and then come together and do a great healthcare plan. Stay tuned!"</p>
<p>Two GOP senators — Utah's Mike Lee and Jerry Moran of Kansas — sealed the Republican health care bill's doom late Monday when each announced he would vote "no."</p>
<p>At least four of the 52 GOP senators were ready to block the measure — two more than Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had to spare.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>3 a.m.</p>
<p>The implosion of the Senate Republican health care bill leaves a divided GOP with its flagship legislative priority in tatters. And it confronts a wounded President Donald Trump and congressional leaders with difficult decisions about addressing their seven-year-old promise of repealing President Barack Obama's law.</p>
<p>Two GOP senators — Utah's Mike Lee and Jerry Moran of Kansas — sealed the measure's doom late Monday when each said they would vote "no" in an initial, critical vote that had been expected as soon as next week. Their startling announcement meant at least four of the 52 GOP senators were ready to block the measure. That's two more than Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had to spare in the face of a wall of Democratic opposition.</p>
| 7,921 |
<p>Bush administration officials have always been a thoroughly unpleasant bunch, accustomed to silencing critics by hurling insults at those who dare to question their steady stream of lies.</p>
<p>Recently, however, besieged by evidence detailing U.S. war crimes at detention centers at Guantánamo Bay from sources as disparate as Newsweek and Amnesty International, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld are showing signs of fraying at the edges, inadvertently exposing their own pattern of deliberate deception.</p>
<p>Such was the case when Amnesty International issued its May 26 report detailing prisoner mistreatment at Guantánamo. Visibly irked that Amnesty called the U.S. detention center “the gulag of our time,” Bush called the Amnesty report “absurd,” Rumsfeld denounced it as “reprehensible,” and Cheney claimed he “was offended” by it.</p>
<p>But the indignant trio merely drew attention to the administration’s earlier use of Amnesty reports on Saddam Hussein’s human rights abuses to justify its invasion of Iraq. On March 27, 2003, Rumsfeld argued, “Anyone who has read Amnesty International or any of the human rights organizations [knows] about how the regime of Saddam Hussein treats his people.”</p>
<p>Adding to the public relations farce over Amnesty’s Guantánamo report, at a June 2 press conference, Bush dismissed claims of torture as concocted by ex-detainees “who hate America.” “The United States is a country that promotes freedom around the world,” he insisted.</p>
<p>Bush’s claim came as appalling news began to emerge from Falluja, a city of 250,000 people destroyed by U.S. bombs in November 2004 that remains occupied by U.S. Marines.</p>
<p>“There are plenty of women in Falluja who have testified they were raped by American soldiers,” one resident told journalist Dahr Jamail. Mohammed Abdulla, executive director of the Study Center for Human Rights and Democracy, said, “There are daily war crimes being committed in Falluja, even now.”</p>
<p>Only half of Falluja’s residents have returned since last year’s siege. Most found their homes destroyed. They live in tents, without electricity or access to clean water, and curfews don’t allow civilians on the streets after 9 p.m.</p>
<p>Americans refer jokingly to Falluja as Iraq’s “gated community”–since its residents are trapped inside or outside by U.S. checkpoints. All Falluja citizens must carry security passes containing their name, fingerprints and an iris scan that can be cross checked with Iraqi detainees.</p>
<p>On May 29, the U.S. sponsored a new bloodbath reminiscent of Falluja, code named Operation Lightning, in which U.S. and Iraqi forces sealed off the entire population of Baghdad. Some 40,000 Iraqi troops, backed by 10,000 U.S. soldiers, set up 675 checkpoints and have been conducting house-by-house searches–detaining more than 700 Iraqis from Baghdad and 250 from suburbs south of the city.</p>
<p>Hundreds of Baghdad residents demonstrated last Friday, carrying signs that demanded, “Go Home American Troops.” “Even animals deserve more respect,” one woman told the United Nations’ Integrated Regional Information Networks after troops raided her home.</p>
<p>Earlier in May, Operation New Market preceded Operation Lightning in Haditha. A local doctor told Jamail, “The Americans are detaining so many people there, any man between the ages of 16 and 25 years is being immediately detained without question.”</p>
<p>This was preceded by Operation Matador in Al Qa’im, a week-long siege in which the U.S. clamed to have killed 125 followers of al-Qaeda “mastermind” Abu Musab al-Zarqawi–although local civilians and doctors disputed the presence of any foreign fighters. As one resident explained to Inter Press Service, “The fighters are just local people who refuse to be treated like dogs. Nobody wants the Americans here.”</p>
<p>The U.S. military is now working hand-in-glove with paramilitary forces from the so-called “Wolf Brigade”–an armed militia of 20,000 formed in October 2004 by former members of Saddam Hussein’s secret police and Republican Guard. Appropriately, James Steele, the U.S. commander working with the Wolf Brigade, is a Special Forces leader who trained right-wing death squads in El Salvador during the 1980s.</p>
<p>In its brief existence, the Wolf Brigade has become notorious for using beatings, kidnapping and murder to extract confessions–even hosting its own (U.S.-approved) television show “Terrorists in the Grip of Justice,” displaying bruised and battered Iraqis confessing to various acts of “terrorism.”</p>
<p>Since last August, the number of Iraqis in U.S. custody has more than doubled, from 5,495 to over 10,000. Most are eventually released due to lack of evidence.</p>
<p>This figure could be a gross underestimation. An Iraqi doctor told Jamail that an Iraqi human rights group estimates 60,000 Iraqis are in detention facilities throughout Iraq. He continued, “Of course, this only pushes people more towards the resistance, because people are eventually left desperate enough to begin fighting the Americans. People can only take so much.”</p>
<p>The U.S. may claim that it promotes “freedom” around the world, but its victims, if allowed, could testify to the humiliation of an entire population.</p>
<p>SHARON SMITH’s new book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931859116/counterpunchmaga" type="external">Women and Socialism</a>. She can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
|
Masters of Deception
| true |
https://counterpunch.org/2005/06/10/masters-of-deception-2/
|
2005-06-10
| 4left
|
Masters of Deception
<p>Bush administration officials have always been a thoroughly unpleasant bunch, accustomed to silencing critics by hurling insults at those who dare to question their steady stream of lies.</p>
<p>Recently, however, besieged by evidence detailing U.S. war crimes at detention centers at Guantánamo Bay from sources as disparate as Newsweek and Amnesty International, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld are showing signs of fraying at the edges, inadvertently exposing their own pattern of deliberate deception.</p>
<p>Such was the case when Amnesty International issued its May 26 report detailing prisoner mistreatment at Guantánamo. Visibly irked that Amnesty called the U.S. detention center “the gulag of our time,” Bush called the Amnesty report “absurd,” Rumsfeld denounced it as “reprehensible,” and Cheney claimed he “was offended” by it.</p>
<p>But the indignant trio merely drew attention to the administration’s earlier use of Amnesty reports on Saddam Hussein’s human rights abuses to justify its invasion of Iraq. On March 27, 2003, Rumsfeld argued, “Anyone who has read Amnesty International or any of the human rights organizations [knows] about how the regime of Saddam Hussein treats his people.”</p>
<p>Adding to the public relations farce over Amnesty’s Guantánamo report, at a June 2 press conference, Bush dismissed claims of torture as concocted by ex-detainees “who hate America.” “The United States is a country that promotes freedom around the world,” he insisted.</p>
<p>Bush’s claim came as appalling news began to emerge from Falluja, a city of 250,000 people destroyed by U.S. bombs in November 2004 that remains occupied by U.S. Marines.</p>
<p>“There are plenty of women in Falluja who have testified they were raped by American soldiers,” one resident told journalist Dahr Jamail. Mohammed Abdulla, executive director of the Study Center for Human Rights and Democracy, said, “There are daily war crimes being committed in Falluja, even now.”</p>
<p>Only half of Falluja’s residents have returned since last year’s siege. Most found their homes destroyed. They live in tents, without electricity or access to clean water, and curfews don’t allow civilians on the streets after 9 p.m.</p>
<p>Americans refer jokingly to Falluja as Iraq’s “gated community”–since its residents are trapped inside or outside by U.S. checkpoints. All Falluja citizens must carry security passes containing their name, fingerprints and an iris scan that can be cross checked with Iraqi detainees.</p>
<p>On May 29, the U.S. sponsored a new bloodbath reminiscent of Falluja, code named Operation Lightning, in which U.S. and Iraqi forces sealed off the entire population of Baghdad. Some 40,000 Iraqi troops, backed by 10,000 U.S. soldiers, set up 675 checkpoints and have been conducting house-by-house searches–detaining more than 700 Iraqis from Baghdad and 250 from suburbs south of the city.</p>
<p>Hundreds of Baghdad residents demonstrated last Friday, carrying signs that demanded, “Go Home American Troops.” “Even animals deserve more respect,” one woman told the United Nations’ Integrated Regional Information Networks after troops raided her home.</p>
<p>Earlier in May, Operation New Market preceded Operation Lightning in Haditha. A local doctor told Jamail, “The Americans are detaining so many people there, any man between the ages of 16 and 25 years is being immediately detained without question.”</p>
<p>This was preceded by Operation Matador in Al Qa’im, a week-long siege in which the U.S. clamed to have killed 125 followers of al-Qaeda “mastermind” Abu Musab al-Zarqawi–although local civilians and doctors disputed the presence of any foreign fighters. As one resident explained to Inter Press Service, “The fighters are just local people who refuse to be treated like dogs. Nobody wants the Americans here.”</p>
<p>The U.S. military is now working hand-in-glove with paramilitary forces from the so-called “Wolf Brigade”–an armed militia of 20,000 formed in October 2004 by former members of Saddam Hussein’s secret police and Republican Guard. Appropriately, James Steele, the U.S. commander working with the Wolf Brigade, is a Special Forces leader who trained right-wing death squads in El Salvador during the 1980s.</p>
<p>In its brief existence, the Wolf Brigade has become notorious for using beatings, kidnapping and murder to extract confessions–even hosting its own (U.S.-approved) television show “Terrorists in the Grip of Justice,” displaying bruised and battered Iraqis confessing to various acts of “terrorism.”</p>
<p>Since last August, the number of Iraqis in U.S. custody has more than doubled, from 5,495 to over 10,000. Most are eventually released due to lack of evidence.</p>
<p>This figure could be a gross underestimation. An Iraqi doctor told Jamail that an Iraqi human rights group estimates 60,000 Iraqis are in detention facilities throughout Iraq. He continued, “Of course, this only pushes people more towards the resistance, because people are eventually left desperate enough to begin fighting the Americans. People can only take so much.”</p>
<p>The U.S. may claim that it promotes “freedom” around the world, but its victims, if allowed, could testify to the humiliation of an entire population.</p>
<p>SHARON SMITH’s new book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931859116/counterpunchmaga" type="external">Women and Socialism</a>. She can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
| 7,922 |
<p>The FBI has dropped Osama bin Laden from its most wanted list almost a year after he was killed by US special forces in Pakistan, <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/74992.html" type="external">according to Politico</a>.</p>
<p>The person who replaces bin Laden is "computer expert" <a href="http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/eric-justin-toth/person_view_multimedia#images" type="external">Eric Justin Toth</a> and the Bureau is offering $100,000 for information directly leading to his arrest on suspicion of possessing and producing child pornography.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/pakistan/120330/osama-bin-laden-children-wives-afghanistan-pakist" type="external">Osama bin Laden fathered 4 children while on the run, wife says</a>&#160;</p>
<p>According to Politico, FBI spokeswoman Angela Bell said the process of deciding whom to put on the list can take time and is in part determined by whether all other means of apprehension have been exhausted. Sometimes candidates for the list are detained, setting back the process of choosing names for the list.</p>
<p>"We just had a guy from San Juan who we were going to put up on the list who was captured," Bell was quoted as saying.</p>
<p>One reason Toth is being added is the risk he allegedly poses to children so long as he remains at large, <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57411953-504083/former-teacher-eric-toth-added-to-fbis-most-wanted-fugitives-list/" type="external">according to CBS News</a>.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/120217/peru-latin-america-economy-growth" type="external">Peru, Latin America's hidden growth story</a></p>
<p>Toth has been indicted in Maryland and charged in a sealed federal complaint in Washington DC, CBS said. &#160;</p>
|
Osama bin Laden replaced on FBI Most Wanted list by Eric Justin Toth, a child porn suspect
| false |
https://pri.org/stories/2012-04-10/osama-bin-laden-replaced-fbi-most-wanted-list-eric-justin-toth-child-porn-suspect
|
2012-04-10
| 3left-center
|
Osama bin Laden replaced on FBI Most Wanted list by Eric Justin Toth, a child porn suspect
<p>The FBI has dropped Osama bin Laden from its most wanted list almost a year after he was killed by US special forces in Pakistan, <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/74992.html" type="external">according to Politico</a>.</p>
<p>The person who replaces bin Laden is "computer expert" <a href="http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/eric-justin-toth/person_view_multimedia#images" type="external">Eric Justin Toth</a> and the Bureau is offering $100,000 for information directly leading to his arrest on suspicion of possessing and producing child pornography.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/pakistan/120330/osama-bin-laden-children-wives-afghanistan-pakist" type="external">Osama bin Laden fathered 4 children while on the run, wife says</a>&#160;</p>
<p>According to Politico, FBI spokeswoman Angela Bell said the process of deciding whom to put on the list can take time and is in part determined by whether all other means of apprehension have been exhausted. Sometimes candidates for the list are detained, setting back the process of choosing names for the list.</p>
<p>"We just had a guy from San Juan who we were going to put up on the list who was captured," Bell was quoted as saying.</p>
<p>One reason Toth is being added is the risk he allegedly poses to children so long as he remains at large, <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57411953-504083/former-teacher-eric-toth-added-to-fbis-most-wanted-fugitives-list/" type="external">according to CBS News</a>.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/120217/peru-latin-america-economy-growth" type="external">Peru, Latin America's hidden growth story</a></p>
<p>Toth has been indicted in Maryland and charged in a sealed federal complaint in Washington DC, CBS said. &#160;</p>
| 7,923 |
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - Two Republican House members are calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign, criticizing his Justice Department for not cooperating with Congress and for leaks related to its Russia investigation.</p>
<p>Reps. Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio criticized Sessions in an opinion piece published Thursday on the Washington Examiner's website. The headline said: "It's time for Jeff Sessions to go."</p>
<p>They wrote that Sessions "has recused himself from the Russia investigation, but it would appear he has no control at all of the premier law enforcement agency in the world."</p>
<p>A Sessions spokeswoman declined comment.</p>
<p>Sessions, who was part of Donald Trump's presidential campaign, stepped aside last year from the department's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Sessions' deputy, Rod Rosenstein, later appointed special counsel Robert Mueller to take over the probe.</p>
<p>In the opinion piece, Meadows and Jordan were critical of leaks to The New York Times, which published a story Dec. 30 based on anonymous sources that the FBI started its investigation as a result of a tip from an Australian diplomat who had spoken to Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. The Times reported that Papadopoulos told the diplomat that Russia had thousands of emails that would embarrass Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Emails stolen from Democratic officials were later released by WikiLeaks.</p>
<p>Meadows and Jordan questioned the story's sources and premise and suggested that Justice Department officials were behind the leak. They also criticized the department for not answering questions from Congress in recent months.</p>
<p>"It is time for Sessions to start managing in a spirit of transparency to bring all of this improper behavior to light and stop further violations," the lawmakers said. "If Sessions can't address this issue immediately, then we have one final question needing an answer: When is it time for a new attorney general? Sadly, it seems the answer is now."</p>
<p>Both men have frequently gone after the department and FBI in recent weeks as some Republicans have focused on what they contend is perceived bias at the department. Democrats have accused Republicans of trying to divert attention from the Russia investigations.</p>
<p>It's unclear whether any other Republican lawmakers feel the same way about Sessions. Some GOP concerns about the Justice Department were allayed Wednesday when Rosenstein agreed to provide documents and witnesses for the House intelligence committee's Russia probe.</p>
<p>Most Republicans in Congress have continued to be supportive of Sessions, a former Alabama senator who shares many of their views on topics such as immigration and law enforcement.</p>
<p>The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., referred to comments Ryan made last year: "The speaker has said the president gets to decide who serves in the executive branch and his comments stand," spokeswoman AshLee Strong said.</p>
<p>Democrats who have long opposed Sessions are now urging that he stay, indicating concerns that a new attorney general could tamper with Mueller's probe.</p>
<p>"I voted against Jeff Sessions and said he never should be there in the first place given his record on civil rights, on immigration, on so many other issues," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on Thursday. "My view now is very simple: Nothing, nothing, nothing, should ever interfere with the Mueller investigation. He must be allowed to pursue that to wherever it leads."</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - Two Republican House members are calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign, criticizing his Justice Department for not cooperating with Congress and for leaks related to its Russia investigation.</p>
<p>Reps. Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio criticized Sessions in an opinion piece published Thursday on the Washington Examiner's website. The headline said: "It's time for Jeff Sessions to go."</p>
<p>They wrote that Sessions "has recused himself from the Russia investigation, but it would appear he has no control at all of the premier law enforcement agency in the world."</p>
<p>A Sessions spokeswoman declined comment.</p>
<p>Sessions, who was part of Donald Trump's presidential campaign, stepped aside last year from the department's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Sessions' deputy, Rod Rosenstein, later appointed special counsel Robert Mueller to take over the probe.</p>
<p>In the opinion piece, Meadows and Jordan were critical of leaks to The New York Times, which published a story Dec. 30 based on anonymous sources that the FBI started its investigation as a result of a tip from an Australian diplomat who had spoken to Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. The Times reported that Papadopoulos told the diplomat that Russia had thousands of emails that would embarrass Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Emails stolen from Democratic officials were later released by WikiLeaks.</p>
<p>Meadows and Jordan questioned the story's sources and premise and suggested that Justice Department officials were behind the leak. They also criticized the department for not answering questions from Congress in recent months.</p>
<p>"It is time for Sessions to start managing in a spirit of transparency to bring all of this improper behavior to light and stop further violations," the lawmakers said. "If Sessions can't address this issue immediately, then we have one final question needing an answer: When is it time for a new attorney general? Sadly, it seems the answer is now."</p>
<p>Both men have frequently gone after the department and FBI in recent weeks as some Republicans have focused on what they contend is perceived bias at the department. Democrats have accused Republicans of trying to divert attention from the Russia investigations.</p>
<p>It's unclear whether any other Republican lawmakers feel the same way about Sessions. Some GOP concerns about the Justice Department were allayed Wednesday when Rosenstein agreed to provide documents and witnesses for the House intelligence committee's Russia probe.</p>
<p>Most Republicans in Congress have continued to be supportive of Sessions, a former Alabama senator who shares many of their views on topics such as immigration and law enforcement.</p>
<p>The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., referred to comments Ryan made last year: "The speaker has said the president gets to decide who serves in the executive branch and his comments stand," spokeswoman AshLee Strong said.</p>
<p>Democrats who have long opposed Sessions are now urging that he stay, indicating concerns that a new attorney general could tamper with Mueller's probe.</p>
<p>"I voted against Jeff Sessions and said he never should be there in the first place given his record on civil rights, on immigration, on so many other issues," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on Thursday. "My view now is very simple: Nothing, nothing, nothing, should ever interfere with the Mueller investigation. He must be allowed to pursue that to wherever it leads."</p>
|
2 GOP lawmakers want Sessions to quit, say he's lost control
| false |
https://apnews.com/255dbd1412ec4b138ccf7c3c1dab66f7
|
2018-01-04
| 2least
|
2 GOP lawmakers want Sessions to quit, say he's lost control
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - Two Republican House members are calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign, criticizing his Justice Department for not cooperating with Congress and for leaks related to its Russia investigation.</p>
<p>Reps. Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio criticized Sessions in an opinion piece published Thursday on the Washington Examiner's website. The headline said: "It's time for Jeff Sessions to go."</p>
<p>They wrote that Sessions "has recused himself from the Russia investigation, but it would appear he has no control at all of the premier law enforcement agency in the world."</p>
<p>A Sessions spokeswoman declined comment.</p>
<p>Sessions, who was part of Donald Trump's presidential campaign, stepped aside last year from the department's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Sessions' deputy, Rod Rosenstein, later appointed special counsel Robert Mueller to take over the probe.</p>
<p>In the opinion piece, Meadows and Jordan were critical of leaks to The New York Times, which published a story Dec. 30 based on anonymous sources that the FBI started its investigation as a result of a tip from an Australian diplomat who had spoken to Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. The Times reported that Papadopoulos told the diplomat that Russia had thousands of emails that would embarrass Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Emails stolen from Democratic officials were later released by WikiLeaks.</p>
<p>Meadows and Jordan questioned the story's sources and premise and suggested that Justice Department officials were behind the leak. They also criticized the department for not answering questions from Congress in recent months.</p>
<p>"It is time for Sessions to start managing in a spirit of transparency to bring all of this improper behavior to light and stop further violations," the lawmakers said. "If Sessions can't address this issue immediately, then we have one final question needing an answer: When is it time for a new attorney general? Sadly, it seems the answer is now."</p>
<p>Both men have frequently gone after the department and FBI in recent weeks as some Republicans have focused on what they contend is perceived bias at the department. Democrats have accused Republicans of trying to divert attention from the Russia investigations.</p>
<p>It's unclear whether any other Republican lawmakers feel the same way about Sessions. Some GOP concerns about the Justice Department were allayed Wednesday when Rosenstein agreed to provide documents and witnesses for the House intelligence committee's Russia probe.</p>
<p>Most Republicans in Congress have continued to be supportive of Sessions, a former Alabama senator who shares many of their views on topics such as immigration and law enforcement.</p>
<p>The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., referred to comments Ryan made last year: "The speaker has said the president gets to decide who serves in the executive branch and his comments stand," spokeswoman AshLee Strong said.</p>
<p>Democrats who have long opposed Sessions are now urging that he stay, indicating concerns that a new attorney general could tamper with Mueller's probe.</p>
<p>"I voted against Jeff Sessions and said he never should be there in the first place given his record on civil rights, on immigration, on so many other issues," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on Thursday. "My view now is very simple: Nothing, nothing, nothing, should ever interfere with the Mueller investigation. He must be allowed to pursue that to wherever it leads."</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - Two Republican House members are calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign, criticizing his Justice Department for not cooperating with Congress and for leaks related to its Russia investigation.</p>
<p>Reps. Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio criticized Sessions in an opinion piece published Thursday on the Washington Examiner's website. The headline said: "It's time for Jeff Sessions to go."</p>
<p>They wrote that Sessions "has recused himself from the Russia investigation, but it would appear he has no control at all of the premier law enforcement agency in the world."</p>
<p>A Sessions spokeswoman declined comment.</p>
<p>Sessions, who was part of Donald Trump's presidential campaign, stepped aside last year from the department's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Sessions' deputy, Rod Rosenstein, later appointed special counsel Robert Mueller to take over the probe.</p>
<p>In the opinion piece, Meadows and Jordan were critical of leaks to The New York Times, which published a story Dec. 30 based on anonymous sources that the FBI started its investigation as a result of a tip from an Australian diplomat who had spoken to Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. The Times reported that Papadopoulos told the diplomat that Russia had thousands of emails that would embarrass Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Emails stolen from Democratic officials were later released by WikiLeaks.</p>
<p>Meadows and Jordan questioned the story's sources and premise and suggested that Justice Department officials were behind the leak. They also criticized the department for not answering questions from Congress in recent months.</p>
<p>"It is time for Sessions to start managing in a spirit of transparency to bring all of this improper behavior to light and stop further violations," the lawmakers said. "If Sessions can't address this issue immediately, then we have one final question needing an answer: When is it time for a new attorney general? Sadly, it seems the answer is now."</p>
<p>Both men have frequently gone after the department and FBI in recent weeks as some Republicans have focused on what they contend is perceived bias at the department. Democrats have accused Republicans of trying to divert attention from the Russia investigations.</p>
<p>It's unclear whether any other Republican lawmakers feel the same way about Sessions. Some GOP concerns about the Justice Department were allayed Wednesday when Rosenstein agreed to provide documents and witnesses for the House intelligence committee's Russia probe.</p>
<p>Most Republicans in Congress have continued to be supportive of Sessions, a former Alabama senator who shares many of their views on topics such as immigration and law enforcement.</p>
<p>The office of House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., referred to comments Ryan made last year: "The speaker has said the president gets to decide who serves in the executive branch and his comments stand," spokeswoman AshLee Strong said.</p>
<p>Democrats who have long opposed Sessions are now urging that he stay, indicating concerns that a new attorney general could tamper with Mueller's probe.</p>
<p>"I voted against Jeff Sessions and said he never should be there in the first place given his record on civil rights, on immigration, on so many other issues," Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on Thursday. "My view now is very simple: Nothing, nothing, nothing, should ever interfere with the Mueller investigation. He must be allowed to pursue that to wherever it leads."</p>
| 7,924 |
<p />
<p>Contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE: TSM), commonly abbreviated as TSMC, has had a good year in 2016. Its stock price is up 28% year to date, and it's expected to enjoy more than 13% revenue growth this year, as well as nearly 10% earnings-per-share growth for the year.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The company made a lot of good moves this year. Here are three of its best.</p>
<p>In 2014, TSMC won all of Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) A8 chip orders, which meant that every single iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus that was shipped included a TSMC-built applications processor. Considering that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were enormous successes for Apple, this translated into a nice win for TSMC.</p>
<p>In 2015, however, TSMC didn't win the entirety of Apple's A9 chip orders. In fact, numerous reports from the press and the analyst community pointed to TSMC only winning a minority allocation of those chips.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>However, TSMC is believed to be the sole manufacturer of the A10 processors that power Apple's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus smartphones. It's also believed to have won both the chip manufacturing orders, as well as the packaging orders for the A10. (This means more revenue share for TSMC.)</p>
<p>Image source: TSMC.</p>
<p>TSMC is planning to begin generating revenue from its 10-nanometer chip-manufacturing technology in the first half of 2017, but that technology is expected to be short-lived and utilized by only a handful of customers.The next "major" technology from TSMC is expected to be its 7-nanometer technology, which promises performance, power, and area improvements over its 10-nanometer technology.</p>
<p>TSMC has said that this technology "has been adopted not only by high-end mobile customers, but also by high-performance computing customers for [graphics processing units], gaming, [personal computers] and tablet[s], virtual reality, server, FPGA, automotive, and networking applications."</p>
<p>Although it'll be a while before revenue from these design wins start rolling in -- expect the first revenue during the first half of 2018 -- TSMC's commentary points to strong execution in both the technology, as well as in securing a broad range of customers. It will be interesting to see just how much revenue growth it can drive, especially in applications beyond mobile, in the years ahead.</p>
<p>Although much of the fanfare is around the latest manufacturing technologies from companies like TSMC, the reality is that a lot of the revenue and gross profit dollars that contract-chip manufacturers generate comes from older technologies.While there have been worries that less advanced chipmakers might begin to take share from TSMC in older technologies, like the 28-nanometer technology, TSMC has consistently managed to keep demand very high for such technologies.</p>
<p>"Our 28-nanometer capacity remained fully utilized and represented 24% of our wafer revenue in the third quarter," said TSMC CFO Lora Ho.</p>
<p>TSMC co-CEO C.C. Wei also said that demand for its 28-nanometer technology "has continued to be strong throughout this year and is expected to last through many years."When management was asked about potential competitive threats from tier-2 chip manufacturers for 28-nanometer business, co-CEO Mark Liu expressed confidence that the company could maintain market share in this technology generation.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing 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=14e1de8d-b8c0-444d-9db3-f6b44d5561ec&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 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing 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=14e1de8d-b8c0-444d-9db3-f6b44d5561ec&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/aeassa/info.aspx" type="external">Ashraf Eassa Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
|
Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd.s Best Moves in 2016
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/30/taiwan-semiconductor-mfg-co-ltds-best-moves-in-2016.html
|
2016-12-30
| 0right
|
Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd.s Best Moves in 2016
<p />
<p>Contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE: TSM), commonly abbreviated as TSMC, has had a good year in 2016. Its stock price is up 28% year to date, and it's expected to enjoy more than 13% revenue growth this year, as well as nearly 10% earnings-per-share growth for the year.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The company made a lot of good moves this year. Here are three of its best.</p>
<p>In 2014, TSMC won all of Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) A8 chip orders, which meant that every single iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus that was shipped included a TSMC-built applications processor. Considering that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were enormous successes for Apple, this translated into a nice win for TSMC.</p>
<p>In 2015, however, TSMC didn't win the entirety of Apple's A9 chip orders. In fact, numerous reports from the press and the analyst community pointed to TSMC only winning a minority allocation of those chips.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>However, TSMC is believed to be the sole manufacturer of the A10 processors that power Apple's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus smartphones. It's also believed to have won both the chip manufacturing orders, as well as the packaging orders for the A10. (This means more revenue share for TSMC.)</p>
<p>Image source: TSMC.</p>
<p>TSMC is planning to begin generating revenue from its 10-nanometer chip-manufacturing technology in the first half of 2017, but that technology is expected to be short-lived and utilized by only a handful of customers.The next "major" technology from TSMC is expected to be its 7-nanometer technology, which promises performance, power, and area improvements over its 10-nanometer technology.</p>
<p>TSMC has said that this technology "has been adopted not only by high-end mobile customers, but also by high-performance computing customers for [graphics processing units], gaming, [personal computers] and tablet[s], virtual reality, server, FPGA, automotive, and networking applications."</p>
<p>Although it'll be a while before revenue from these design wins start rolling in -- expect the first revenue during the first half of 2018 -- TSMC's commentary points to strong execution in both the technology, as well as in securing a broad range of customers. It will be interesting to see just how much revenue growth it can drive, especially in applications beyond mobile, in the years ahead.</p>
<p>Although much of the fanfare is around the latest manufacturing technologies from companies like TSMC, the reality is that a lot of the revenue and gross profit dollars that contract-chip manufacturers generate comes from older technologies.While there have been worries that less advanced chipmakers might begin to take share from TSMC in older technologies, like the 28-nanometer technology, TSMC has consistently managed to keep demand very high for such technologies.</p>
<p>"Our 28-nanometer capacity remained fully utilized and represented 24% of our wafer revenue in the third quarter," said TSMC CFO Lora Ho.</p>
<p>TSMC co-CEO C.C. Wei also said that demand for its 28-nanometer technology "has continued to be strong throughout this year and is expected to last through many years."When management was asked about potential competitive threats from tier-2 chip manufacturers for 28-nanometer business, co-CEO Mark Liu expressed confidence that the company could maintain market share in this technology generation.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing 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=14e1de8d-b8c0-444d-9db3-f6b44d5561ec&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 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing 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=14e1de8d-b8c0-444d-9db3-f6b44d5561ec&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/aeassa/info.aspx" type="external">Ashraf Eassa Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
| 7,925 |
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The KiMo Theatre will continue its New Mexico Film Series at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, with Billy Wilder’s “Ace in the Hole,” a 1951 movie that also was shown under the title “The Big Carnival,” starring Kirk Douglas and Jan Sterling, the KiMo said in a news release.</p>
<p>The classic and controversial film shows a broke, frustrated former New York reporter named Chuck Tatum (played by Douglas) who lands a job with an Albuquerque newspaper, then tries to make his way back to the big time by turning a local tragedy into a media circus.</p>
<p>“Ace in the Hole” was shot on location around New Mexico, including scenes in Gallup and Laguna Pueblo, according to the release.</p>
<p>It is the first of eight films to be shown this year in the KiMo’s New Mexico Film Series, to be followed at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, with the Western comedy “City Slickers,” a 1991 film starring Billy Crystal and Jack Palance.</p>
<p>General admission tickets for each film is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students.</p>
<p>Tickets are available at www.KiMoTickets.com and at the KiMo box office, (505) 768-3544, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, or on the day of the show, if available.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
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‘Ace in the Hole’ to kick off KiMo series
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https://abqjournal.com/180068/ace-in-the-hole-to-kick-off-kimo-film-series.html
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2013-03-19
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‘Ace in the Hole’ to kick off KiMo series
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The KiMo Theatre will continue its New Mexico Film Series at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, with Billy Wilder’s “Ace in the Hole,” a 1951 movie that also was shown under the title “The Big Carnival,” starring Kirk Douglas and Jan Sterling, the KiMo said in a news release.</p>
<p>The classic and controversial film shows a broke, frustrated former New York reporter named Chuck Tatum (played by Douglas) who lands a job with an Albuquerque newspaper, then tries to make his way back to the big time by turning a local tragedy into a media circus.</p>
<p>“Ace in the Hole” was shot on location around New Mexico, including scenes in Gallup and Laguna Pueblo, according to the release.</p>
<p>It is the first of eight films to be shown this year in the KiMo’s New Mexico Film Series, to be followed at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, with the Western comedy “City Slickers,” a 1991 film starring Billy Crystal and Jack Palance.</p>
<p>General admission tickets for each film is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students.</p>
<p>Tickets are available at www.KiMoTickets.com and at the KiMo box office, (505) 768-3544, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, or on the day of the show, if available.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
| 7,926 |
<p>By Tanya Agrawal</p>
<p>(Reuters) – Wall Street looked set for a weaker opening on Friday on fears that a delay in corporate tax cuts until 2019 may stall the market rally that is partly hinged on President Donald Trump’s election promise to boost corporate profits and create jobs.</p>
<p>Senate Republicans have unveiled a tax-cut plan that would delay lowering corporate rate to 20 percent by a year and provide small-business owners with a deduction rather than a special business rate.</p>
<p>The Senate Republicans version of the bill differs markedly on corporate, business and individual tax cuts from legislation detailed by their counterparts in the House of Representatives.</p>
<p>The has surged more than 20 percent since the 2016 presidential election, fueled by Trump’s promises.</p>
<p>All three major indexes were on track to end lower for the week, with the S&amp;P and the on track to post weekly losses after eight straight weeks of gains.</p>
<p>The S&amp;P 500 is trading at 18 times expected earnings, expensive compared with its 10-year average of 14.3, according to Thomson Reuters Datastream. Cutting corporate taxes would boost earnings and make stocks relatively less expensive.</p>
<p>“The futures are pointing to a bumpy ride as the delay in corporate tax cuts proposed by the GOP tax plan weighs,” said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at First Standard Financial.</p>
<p>“If the Senate version is elected, a market correction will follow and as the battle for tax reform intensify, stocks are likely to feel the pinch of a wobbly market.”</p>
<p>Dow e-minis () were down 35 points, or 0.15 percent, with 35,882 contracts changing hands at 8:28 a.m. ET (1228 GMT).</p>
<p>S&amp;P 500 e-minis () were down 7.5 points, or 0.29 percent, with 251,869 contracts traded.</p>
<p>Nasdaq 100 e-minis () were down 16 points, or 0.25 percent, on volume of 44,107 contracts.</p>
<p>With third-quarter earnings winding down and stocks still trading at record levels, investors are also looking to book profits.</p>
<p>Earnings for the quarter are expected to have climbed 8 percent, compared with expectations of a 5.9 percent rise at the start of October, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.</p>
<p>Shares of Nvidia (O:) were up 4.8 percent after the chipmaker’s revenue forecast for the current quarter topped estimates.</p>
<p>Walt Disney (N:) was up 2 percent as the promise of a new film trilogy overshadowed weak quarterly results and struggles at the media company.</p>
<p>Hertz Global Holdings (N:) jumped 12.4 percent as the car rental company reported a better-than-expected net profit.</p>
<p>Nordstrom (N:) fell 1.9 percent after its quarterly same-store sales came in below expectations, while J.C. Penney (N:) was up 14.9 percent after the department store chain reported third-quarter same-store sales that were twice what it had estimated.</p>
<p />
<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p>
|
Wall Street to open lower on worries over delay in corporate tax cuts
| false |
https://newsline.com/wall-street-to-open-lower-on-worries-over-delay-in-corporate-tax-cuts/
|
2017-11-10
| 1right-center
|
Wall Street to open lower on worries over delay in corporate tax cuts
<p>By Tanya Agrawal</p>
<p>(Reuters) – Wall Street looked set for a weaker opening on Friday on fears that a delay in corporate tax cuts until 2019 may stall the market rally that is partly hinged on President Donald Trump’s election promise to boost corporate profits and create jobs.</p>
<p>Senate Republicans have unveiled a tax-cut plan that would delay lowering corporate rate to 20 percent by a year and provide small-business owners with a deduction rather than a special business rate.</p>
<p>The Senate Republicans version of the bill differs markedly on corporate, business and individual tax cuts from legislation detailed by their counterparts in the House of Representatives.</p>
<p>The has surged more than 20 percent since the 2016 presidential election, fueled by Trump’s promises.</p>
<p>All three major indexes were on track to end lower for the week, with the S&amp;P and the on track to post weekly losses after eight straight weeks of gains.</p>
<p>The S&amp;P 500 is trading at 18 times expected earnings, expensive compared with its 10-year average of 14.3, according to Thomson Reuters Datastream. Cutting corporate taxes would boost earnings and make stocks relatively less expensive.</p>
<p>“The futures are pointing to a bumpy ride as the delay in corporate tax cuts proposed by the GOP tax plan weighs,” said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at First Standard Financial.</p>
<p>“If the Senate version is elected, a market correction will follow and as the battle for tax reform intensify, stocks are likely to feel the pinch of a wobbly market.”</p>
<p>Dow e-minis () were down 35 points, or 0.15 percent, with 35,882 contracts changing hands at 8:28 a.m. ET (1228 GMT).</p>
<p>S&amp;P 500 e-minis () were down 7.5 points, or 0.29 percent, with 251,869 contracts traded.</p>
<p>Nasdaq 100 e-minis () were down 16 points, or 0.25 percent, on volume of 44,107 contracts.</p>
<p>With third-quarter earnings winding down and stocks still trading at record levels, investors are also looking to book profits.</p>
<p>Earnings for the quarter are expected to have climbed 8 percent, compared with expectations of a 5.9 percent rise at the start of October, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.</p>
<p>Shares of Nvidia (O:) were up 4.8 percent after the chipmaker’s revenue forecast for the current quarter topped estimates.</p>
<p>Walt Disney (N:) was up 2 percent as the promise of a new film trilogy overshadowed weak quarterly results and struggles at the media company.</p>
<p>Hertz Global Holdings (N:) jumped 12.4 percent as the car rental company reported a better-than-expected net profit.</p>
<p>Nordstrom (N:) fell 1.9 percent after its quarterly same-store sales came in below expectations, while J.C. Penney (N:) was up 14.9 percent after the department store chain reported third-quarter same-store sales that were twice what it had estimated.</p>
<p />
<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p>
| 7,927 |
<p>Kerry Washington talked politics in an <a href="http://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/kerry-washington-scandal-opi-nail-collection-10329469/" type="external">interview with&#160;WWD</a>&#160;this week. Reflecting on her character Olivia Pope’s abortion on&#160;Scandal last year, she asserted, “[Abortion is] a reality,” and spoke&#160;eloquently&#160;to the importance of media representation as a tactic for combating stigma:</p>
<p>By not having those moments represented in media, we add to the idea that there’s something shameful to be talked about. It’s always important that our storytelling reflects the real experiences of human beings, because it allows us to not feel as alone.</p>
<p>Washington went on to speak about how the personal is political, the political personal. “Politics are not this abstract idea. Laws are the rules that dictate how we live our lives. What we eat is political. How we dress is political. Where we live is political.”</p>
<p>Snaps to that. You can check out the rest of the interview <a href="http://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/kerry-washington-scandal-opi-nail-collection-10329469/" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>Header image <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/07/kerry-washington-marries-nfl-star-nnamdi-asomugha/" type="external">via</a>.</p>
|
Kerry Washington: “Abortion Is a Reality”
| true |
http://feministing.com/2016/01/28/kerry-washington-abortion-is-a-reality/
| 4left
|
Kerry Washington: “Abortion Is a Reality”
<p>Kerry Washington talked politics in an <a href="http://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/kerry-washington-scandal-opi-nail-collection-10329469/" type="external">interview with&#160;WWD</a>&#160;this week. Reflecting on her character Olivia Pope’s abortion on&#160;Scandal last year, she asserted, “[Abortion is] a reality,” and spoke&#160;eloquently&#160;to the importance of media representation as a tactic for combating stigma:</p>
<p>By not having those moments represented in media, we add to the idea that there’s something shameful to be talked about. It’s always important that our storytelling reflects the real experiences of human beings, because it allows us to not feel as alone.</p>
<p>Washington went on to speak about how the personal is political, the political personal. “Politics are not this abstract idea. Laws are the rules that dictate how we live our lives. What we eat is political. How we dress is political. Where we live is political.”</p>
<p>Snaps to that. You can check out the rest of the interview <a href="http://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/kerry-washington-scandal-opi-nail-collection-10329469/" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>Header image <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/07/kerry-washington-marries-nfl-star-nnamdi-asomugha/" type="external">via</a>.</p>
| 7,928 |
|
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>Students at Amherst College have issued a list of demands that includes a threat to stage “ <a href="" type="internal">civil disobedience</a>” if the President of the college doesn’t punish and prevent other students from expressing support for “free speech”.</p>
<p>The demands were issued in support of the “Stand with Mizzou” movement which stoked controversy earlier this week after a professor&#160; <a href="http://www.infowars.com/photographer-threatened-with-mob-violence-for-asserting-first-amendment-rights/" type="external">called for “muscle”</a>&#160; <a href="" type="internal">to silence the First Amendment of a reporter</a> attempting to cover the story.</p>
<p>The list, attributed to a group calling itself ‘Amherst Uprising’, was handed to President Biddy Martin following a “sit in” which took place Thursday and&#160;subsequently&#160; <a href="http://www.amherstsoul.com/post/133122838315/amherst-uprising-what-we-stand-for" type="external">published</a>&#160;by the Amherst Soul website.</p>
<p>Unless action is initiated within 24-48 hours, the students warn they, “will organize and respond in a radical manner, through civil disobedience.”</p>
<p>One of the demands is that, “President Martin must issue a statement to the Amherst College community at large that states we do not tolerate the actions of student(s) who posted the “All Lives Matter” posters, and the “Free Speech” posters that stated that “in memoriam of the true victim of the Missouri Protests: Free Speech.”</p>
<p>In other words, free speech, if it counters the narrative being pushed by ‘Amherst Uprising’ – will not be tolerated.</p>
<p>“Not content merely to purge the school of opinions with which they disagree, the students also demand that they be given time off from class and that the school’s mascot be expunged,”&#160; <a href="http://campusreform.org/?ID=6981" type="external">writes Campus Reform’s</a>&#160;Peter Fricke.</p>
<p>The list includes a demand for President Martin to condemn “the inherently racist nature of the unofficial mascot, the Lord Jeff.” Students assert that Lord Jeff – a representation of British Field Marshal Jeffery Amhersts – is a symbol of how smallpox-infected blankets were given to Native Americans during the Siege of Fort Pitt, an incident for which&#160; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_Pitt" type="external">there is no historical evidence</a>.</p>
<p>The letter also demands that the college issue an official apology to “injustices including but not limited to our institutional legacy of white supremacy, colonialism, anti-black racism, anti-Latinx [sic] racism, anti-Native American racism, anti-Native/indigenous racism, anti-Asian racism, anti-Middle Eastern racism, heterosexism, cis-sexism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, ableism, mental health stigma, and classism.”</p>
<p>This letter merely serves to confirm the fact that “safe spacers” like ‘Amherst Uprising’ are attempting to use race baiting, <a href="" type="internal">mob rule and intimidation</a> tactics in order to completely eviscerate free speech on campus.</p>
<p>Last week, Professor Nicholas Christakis was&#160; <a href="https://reason.com/blog/2015/11/06/watch-students-tell-yale-to-fire-a-staff" type="external">besieged by students at Yale</a>&#160;after he sent an email criticizing their efforts to censor “offensive” Halloween costumes. During <a href="" type="internal">the confrontation</a>, one of the students yelled, “It is not about creating an intellectual space! It is not! Do you understand that? It’s about creating a home here.”</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/paul.j.watson.71" type="external">https://www.facebook.com/paul.j.watson.71</a></p>
<p>*********************</p>
<p>Paul Joseph Watson is the editor at large of <a href="http://infowars.com/" type="external">Infowars.com</a> and <a href="http://prisonplanet.com/" type="external">Prison Planet.com</a>.</p>
<p />
<p />
|
Massachusetts: Amherst College Students Threaten “Civil Disobedience” if President Doesn’t Eliminate “Free Speech”
| true |
http://dcclothesline.com/2015/11/14/massachusetts-amherst-college-students-threaten-civil-disobedience-if-president-doesnt-eliminate-free-speech/
|
2015-11-14
| 0right
|
Massachusetts: Amherst College Students Threaten “Civil Disobedience” if President Doesn’t Eliminate “Free Speech”
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>Students at Amherst College have issued a list of demands that includes a threat to stage “ <a href="" type="internal">civil disobedience</a>” if the President of the college doesn’t punish and prevent other students from expressing support for “free speech”.</p>
<p>The demands were issued in support of the “Stand with Mizzou” movement which stoked controversy earlier this week after a professor&#160; <a href="http://www.infowars.com/photographer-threatened-with-mob-violence-for-asserting-first-amendment-rights/" type="external">called for “muscle”</a>&#160; <a href="" type="internal">to silence the First Amendment of a reporter</a> attempting to cover the story.</p>
<p>The list, attributed to a group calling itself ‘Amherst Uprising’, was handed to President Biddy Martin following a “sit in” which took place Thursday and&#160;subsequently&#160; <a href="http://www.amherstsoul.com/post/133122838315/amherst-uprising-what-we-stand-for" type="external">published</a>&#160;by the Amherst Soul website.</p>
<p>Unless action is initiated within 24-48 hours, the students warn they, “will organize and respond in a radical manner, through civil disobedience.”</p>
<p>One of the demands is that, “President Martin must issue a statement to the Amherst College community at large that states we do not tolerate the actions of student(s) who posted the “All Lives Matter” posters, and the “Free Speech” posters that stated that “in memoriam of the true victim of the Missouri Protests: Free Speech.”</p>
<p>In other words, free speech, if it counters the narrative being pushed by ‘Amherst Uprising’ – will not be tolerated.</p>
<p>“Not content merely to purge the school of opinions with which they disagree, the students also demand that they be given time off from class and that the school’s mascot be expunged,”&#160; <a href="http://campusreform.org/?ID=6981" type="external">writes Campus Reform’s</a>&#160;Peter Fricke.</p>
<p>The list includes a demand for President Martin to condemn “the inherently racist nature of the unofficial mascot, the Lord Jeff.” Students assert that Lord Jeff – a representation of British Field Marshal Jeffery Amhersts – is a symbol of how smallpox-infected blankets were given to Native Americans during the Siege of Fort Pitt, an incident for which&#160; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Fort_Pitt" type="external">there is no historical evidence</a>.</p>
<p>The letter also demands that the college issue an official apology to “injustices including but not limited to our institutional legacy of white supremacy, colonialism, anti-black racism, anti-Latinx [sic] racism, anti-Native American racism, anti-Native/indigenous racism, anti-Asian racism, anti-Middle Eastern racism, heterosexism, cis-sexism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, ableism, mental health stigma, and classism.”</p>
<p>This letter merely serves to confirm the fact that “safe spacers” like ‘Amherst Uprising’ are attempting to use race baiting, <a href="" type="internal">mob rule and intimidation</a> tactics in order to completely eviscerate free speech on campus.</p>
<p>Last week, Professor Nicholas Christakis was&#160; <a href="https://reason.com/blog/2015/11/06/watch-students-tell-yale-to-fire-a-staff" type="external">besieged by students at Yale</a>&#160;after he sent an email criticizing their efforts to censor “offensive” Halloween costumes. During <a href="" type="internal">the confrontation</a>, one of the students yelled, “It is not about creating an intellectual space! It is not! Do you understand that? It’s about creating a home here.”</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/paul.j.watson.71" type="external">https://www.facebook.com/paul.j.watson.71</a></p>
<p>*********************</p>
<p>Paul Joseph Watson is the editor at large of <a href="http://infowars.com/" type="external">Infowars.com</a> and <a href="http://prisonplanet.com/" type="external">Prison Planet.com</a>.</p>
<p />
<p />
| 7,929 |
<p />
<p>Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel on Tuesday blasted Sen. Bill Cassidy’s (R-LA) legislation for repealing and replacing Obamacare.</p>
<p>Kimmel in May made an emotional plea to reduce the cost of health care after his son was born with a heart defect needing immediate surgery.</p>
<p>Cassidy shortly thereafter coined the phrase “the Jimmy Kimmel test” to denote whether potential legislation results in affordable health care for middle-class families.</p>
<p>Kimmel on Tuesday, however, unloaded on Cassidy over the lawmaker’s proposal with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for repealing and replacing Obamacare.</p>
<p>“[Cassidy] said he would only support a health care bill that made sure a child like mine would get the health coverage he needs no matter how much money his parents make,” he said on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”</p>
<p>“And this guy, Bill Cassidy, just lied right to my face,” Kimmel continued of his talks with Cassidy earlier this year.</p>
<p>“With this [proposal], your child with a preexisting condition will get the care he needs – if, and only if, his father in Jimmy Kimmel. Otherwise, you might be screwed.”</p>
<p>Some Twitter users on Wednesday praised Kimmel for entering the health care debate, while others said the comic should stick in entertainment.</p>
<p>Kimmel said that Cassidy’s new legislation would not achieve the goals the senator had previously promised.</p>
<p>“He said he wants coverage for all; no discrimination based on preexisting conditions; lower premiums for middle-class families; and no lifetime caps,” he said. “And guess what? The new bill? [It] does none of those things.”</p>
<p>“Sen. Cassidy, you were on my show, you seem like you’re a decent guy,” Kimmel added. “But here’s the thing: Nobody outside of your buddies in Congress wants this bill.”</p>
<p>“Stop using my name. OK? Because I don’t want my name on it. There’s a new Jimmy Kimmel test for you, it’s called the lie detector test. You’re welcome to stop by my studio and take it anytime.”</p>
<p>Kimmel urged Republican senators to help sink the Cassidy-Graham legislation that is currently being considered in Washington, D.C.</p>
<p>Republicans have until Sept. 30 to pass the bill under special budgetary rules that keep Democrats from stopping it with a filibuster.</p>
|
Jimmy Kimmel said Sen. Bill Cassidy ‘lied right to my face’ on health care
| false |
https://circa.com/story/2017/09/20/politics/jimmy-kimmel-says-bill-cassidy-lied-right-to-my-face-on-health-care
|
2017-09-20
| 1right-center
|
Jimmy Kimmel said Sen. Bill Cassidy ‘lied right to my face’ on health care
<p />
<p>Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel on Tuesday blasted Sen. Bill Cassidy’s (R-LA) legislation for repealing and replacing Obamacare.</p>
<p>Kimmel in May made an emotional plea to reduce the cost of health care after his son was born with a heart defect needing immediate surgery.</p>
<p>Cassidy shortly thereafter coined the phrase “the Jimmy Kimmel test” to denote whether potential legislation results in affordable health care for middle-class families.</p>
<p>Kimmel on Tuesday, however, unloaded on Cassidy over the lawmaker’s proposal with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for repealing and replacing Obamacare.</p>
<p>“[Cassidy] said he would only support a health care bill that made sure a child like mine would get the health coverage he needs no matter how much money his parents make,” he said on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”</p>
<p>“And this guy, Bill Cassidy, just lied right to my face,” Kimmel continued of his talks with Cassidy earlier this year.</p>
<p>“With this [proposal], your child with a preexisting condition will get the care he needs – if, and only if, his father in Jimmy Kimmel. Otherwise, you might be screwed.”</p>
<p>Some Twitter users on Wednesday praised Kimmel for entering the health care debate, while others said the comic should stick in entertainment.</p>
<p>Kimmel said that Cassidy’s new legislation would not achieve the goals the senator had previously promised.</p>
<p>“He said he wants coverage for all; no discrimination based on preexisting conditions; lower premiums for middle-class families; and no lifetime caps,” he said. “And guess what? The new bill? [It] does none of those things.”</p>
<p>“Sen. Cassidy, you were on my show, you seem like you’re a decent guy,” Kimmel added. “But here’s the thing: Nobody outside of your buddies in Congress wants this bill.”</p>
<p>“Stop using my name. OK? Because I don’t want my name on it. There’s a new Jimmy Kimmel test for you, it’s called the lie detector test. You’re welcome to stop by my studio and take it anytime.”</p>
<p>Kimmel urged Republican senators to help sink the Cassidy-Graham legislation that is currently being considered in Washington, D.C.</p>
<p>Republicans have until Sept. 30 to pass the bill under special budgetary rules that keep Democrats from stopping it with a filibuster.</p>
| 7,930 |
<p />
<p>International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) is still struggling to reach the point where its growth businesses fully offset decreases in legacy revenue. The first quarter, results for which IBM reported last week, marked the <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/04/21/this-is-why-ibms-revenue-fell-short.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">20thconsecutive quarterly revenue decline Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>IBM has also extended another streak, one that should make investors happy. The company announced that it was boosting its quarterly dividend payment to $1.50 per share, a 7.1% increase that brings the dividend yield up to about 3.7%. IBM has now increased its dividend annually for 22 years in a row, and it's paid a quarterly dividend uninterrupted since 1916. Even with dividend growth slowing, IBM is a solid dividend stock that just got even better.</p>
<p>Image source: IBM.</p>
<p>On a percentage basis, the latest dividend increase is the smallest in over a decade. IBM's earnings have declined in each of the past three years, so this shouldn't come as a surprise.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Data source: IBM.</p>
<p>The new quarterly dividend, which comes out to $6 per share annually, will eat up 43.5% of IBM's adjusted earnings in 2017, assuming the company hits its guidance. IBM expects to produce adjusted EPS of at least $13.80 this year, up slightly from 2016.</p>
<p>The payout ratio is a bit higher if free cash flow is used instead of earnings. IBM expects its free cash flow this year to be roughly flat compared with 2016, which would put it at about $11.6 billion, excluding receivables from its financing business. Based on the current share count, IBM will pay out about $5.65 billion in dividends during 2017, just shy of half its expected free cash flow.</p>
<p>IBM's payout ratio has soared over the past 20 years, with a big jump in the past few years driven by slumping earnings. The company paid out less than 25% of its earnings to shareholders for much of the past two decades, allowing the dividend to grow faster than earnings. That will be more difficult going forward.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/IBM/payout_ratio_annual" type="external">IBM Payout Ratio (Annual)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Small dividend increases will likely be the norm unless IBM can return to robust earnings growth. Adjusted earnings are expected to grow slightly this year, but it will likely take a return to revenue growth for earnings to really take off. Still, with a 3.7% dividend yield, even sluggish dividend growth makes for an attractive dividend stock.</p>
<p>Shares of IBM plunged after it missed first-quarter revenue estimates, in part due to the timing of some major service deals. The story at IBM hasn't really changed, though, and now the higher dividend makes the stock even more attractive.</p>
<p>IBM's return to revenue growth is still pending, and investors are rightfully hesitant to invest in a company that has seen sales slump for five years running. But IBM's growth businesses are expanding at a double-digit pace. Its cloud business generated nearly $14 billion of revenue in 2016, and cloud-as-a-service is at an $8.6 billion annual run rate, up 61% over the past year.</p>
<p>With $13.80 in adjusted EPS expected this year, IBM stock trades for less than 12 times forward earnings. That's too low, in my opinion, especially considering the 3.7% dividend yield. IBM still needs to prove that its transformation can produce sustained earnings growth, and the market is unlikely to give the company credit for its turnaround until revenue starts growing again. But if you wait for the pessimism to subside, you'll miss out on a great dividend stock selling at a discount.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than IBMWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=3a3f4bee-f653-4ba9-b78f-97932964f3f3&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 IBM wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=3a3f4bee-f653-4ba9-b78f-97932964f3f3&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of April 3, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFBargainBin/info.aspx" type="external">Timothy Green Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of IBM. 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>
|
IBM Boosts Dividend Despite Slumping Sales
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/04/25/ibm-boosts-dividend-despite-slumping-sales.html
|
2017-04-25
| 0right
|
IBM Boosts Dividend Despite Slumping Sales
<p />
<p>International Business Machines (NYSE: IBM) is still struggling to reach the point where its growth businesses fully offset decreases in legacy revenue. The first quarter, results for which IBM reported last week, marked the <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/04/21/this-is-why-ibms-revenue-fell-short.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">20thconsecutive quarterly revenue decline Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>IBM has also extended another streak, one that should make investors happy. The company announced that it was boosting its quarterly dividend payment to $1.50 per share, a 7.1% increase that brings the dividend yield up to about 3.7%. IBM has now increased its dividend annually for 22 years in a row, and it's paid a quarterly dividend uninterrupted since 1916. Even with dividend growth slowing, IBM is a solid dividend stock that just got even better.</p>
<p>Image source: IBM.</p>
<p>On a percentage basis, the latest dividend increase is the smallest in over a decade. IBM's earnings have declined in each of the past three years, so this shouldn't come as a surprise.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Data source: IBM.</p>
<p>The new quarterly dividend, which comes out to $6 per share annually, will eat up 43.5% of IBM's adjusted earnings in 2017, assuming the company hits its guidance. IBM expects to produce adjusted EPS of at least $13.80 this year, up slightly from 2016.</p>
<p>The payout ratio is a bit higher if free cash flow is used instead of earnings. IBM expects its free cash flow this year to be roughly flat compared with 2016, which would put it at about $11.6 billion, excluding receivables from its financing business. Based on the current share count, IBM will pay out about $5.65 billion in dividends during 2017, just shy of half its expected free cash flow.</p>
<p>IBM's payout ratio has soared over the past 20 years, with a big jump in the past few years driven by slumping earnings. The company paid out less than 25% of its earnings to shareholders for much of the past two decades, allowing the dividend to grow faster than earnings. That will be more difficult going forward.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/IBM/payout_ratio_annual" type="external">IBM Payout Ratio (Annual)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Small dividend increases will likely be the norm unless IBM can return to robust earnings growth. Adjusted earnings are expected to grow slightly this year, but it will likely take a return to revenue growth for earnings to really take off. Still, with a 3.7% dividend yield, even sluggish dividend growth makes for an attractive dividend stock.</p>
<p>Shares of IBM plunged after it missed first-quarter revenue estimates, in part due to the timing of some major service deals. The story at IBM hasn't really changed, though, and now the higher dividend makes the stock even more attractive.</p>
<p>IBM's return to revenue growth is still pending, and investors are rightfully hesitant to invest in a company that has seen sales slump for five years running. But IBM's growth businesses are expanding at a double-digit pace. Its cloud business generated nearly $14 billion of revenue in 2016, and cloud-as-a-service is at an $8.6 billion annual run rate, up 61% over the past year.</p>
<p>With $13.80 in adjusted EPS expected this year, IBM stock trades for less than 12 times forward earnings. That's too low, in my opinion, especially considering the 3.7% dividend yield. IBM still needs to prove that its transformation can produce sustained earnings growth, and the market is unlikely to give the company credit for its turnaround until revenue starts growing again. But if you wait for the pessimism to subside, you'll miss out on a great dividend stock selling at a discount.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than IBMWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=3a3f4bee-f653-4ba9-b78f-97932964f3f3&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 IBM wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=3a3f4bee-f653-4ba9-b78f-97932964f3f3&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of April 3, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFBargainBin/info.aspx" type="external">Timothy Green Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of IBM. 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>
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<p />
<p>Now the acclaimed author of “Bless Me, Ultima,” a detective series, and at least 11 children’s books has penned an ode to what he says should be the state flower.</p>
<p>“I always wanted hollyhocks in my garden, but I didn’t have them,” Anaya said in a telephone interview from his Taylor Ranch home on Albuquerque’s West Side.</p>
<p>During the summer, Anaya’s backyard garden boasts fresh tomatoes, ripe for the picking. But when he tried to plant some tiny black hollyhock seeds in the hopes of a show of graduated pink, white and lavender petals, the soil remained barren.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“Finally, they came on their own,” he said. “It’s kind of a miracle when flowers come to grace your garden.”</p>
<p>“How Hollyhocks Came to New Mexico” blends fancy with flowers, magic with miracles and Spanish with English to explain how the tall blossoms came to embody New Mexico summers. The book fairly blooms with the colorful illustrations of santero Nicolas Otero. The children’s tale mixes the nativity with the pueblos and piñons, as well as the charms of chile.</p>
<p>The story began to take shape when Anaya remembered the old Spanish word for hollyhocks: “Varas de San Jose,” or St. Joseph’s staff.</p>
<p>“So I got this inspiration to write a story to explain to the children of New Mexico the story of those flowers and how they grace every home,” he said.</p>
<p>Anaya has created a folk tale tracing the Holy Family fleeing Herod’s wrath. An angel named Sueno leads them to New Mexico, mistaking the state’s high deserts for Egypt. The trio encounter the pueblos, where they learn to survive by adopting Native traditions. When Joseph watches pueblo men cut pine trees for kiva ladders, he decides to carve his own rungs to the clouds, luring the nearsighted Sueno back to the state.</p>
<p>“St. Joseph leaves a gift to the people of New Mexico,” Anaya said. “The poorest home in the state is graced with beautiful hollyhocks in the summer.”</p>
<p>Now 75, Anaya began writing children’s books as he told stories to his then 5-year-old granddaughter Kristan (she’s now 30). Out came 1987’s “The Farolitos of Christmas,” now being revived as a play at Albuquerque’s National Hispanic Cultural Center.</p>
<p>“I was trying to explain to her how those farolitos came about,” Anaya said. “It’s just taking a cultural tradition and then writing a story about it.</p>
<p>“I used to put her to bed and tell her a bedtime story,” he continued. “When her mom put her to bed, she said, ‘You’re not as interesting as Papi.’ ”</p>
<p>Later, Anaya would write the children’s books “The Santero’s Miracle,” “The First Tortilla,” “The Roadrunner’s Dance,” and “The Curse of the Chupa Cabra.”</p>
<p>As last summer dwindled to autumn’s gold, Anaya trimmed back his own hollyhocks to prepare for winter.</p>
<p>“It’s been two weeks since we cut back the stems, but there’s one little hollyhock flower that still blooms in my yard,” he said. “It’s a little miracle. They have a mind of their own or a soul of their own.”</p>
|
Writer Pens Ode to State Flower
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/148242/writer-pens-ode-to-state-flower.html
|
2012-11-23
| 2least
|
Writer Pens Ode to State Flower
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Now the acclaimed author of “Bless Me, Ultima,” a detective series, and at least 11 children’s books has penned an ode to what he says should be the state flower.</p>
<p>“I always wanted hollyhocks in my garden, but I didn’t have them,” Anaya said in a telephone interview from his Taylor Ranch home on Albuquerque’s West Side.</p>
<p>During the summer, Anaya’s backyard garden boasts fresh tomatoes, ripe for the picking. But when he tried to plant some tiny black hollyhock seeds in the hopes of a show of graduated pink, white and lavender petals, the soil remained barren.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“Finally, they came on their own,” he said. “It’s kind of a miracle when flowers come to grace your garden.”</p>
<p>“How Hollyhocks Came to New Mexico” blends fancy with flowers, magic with miracles and Spanish with English to explain how the tall blossoms came to embody New Mexico summers. The book fairly blooms with the colorful illustrations of santero Nicolas Otero. The children’s tale mixes the nativity with the pueblos and piñons, as well as the charms of chile.</p>
<p>The story began to take shape when Anaya remembered the old Spanish word for hollyhocks: “Varas de San Jose,” or St. Joseph’s staff.</p>
<p>“So I got this inspiration to write a story to explain to the children of New Mexico the story of those flowers and how they grace every home,” he said.</p>
<p>Anaya has created a folk tale tracing the Holy Family fleeing Herod’s wrath. An angel named Sueno leads them to New Mexico, mistaking the state’s high deserts for Egypt. The trio encounter the pueblos, where they learn to survive by adopting Native traditions. When Joseph watches pueblo men cut pine trees for kiva ladders, he decides to carve his own rungs to the clouds, luring the nearsighted Sueno back to the state.</p>
<p>“St. Joseph leaves a gift to the people of New Mexico,” Anaya said. “The poorest home in the state is graced with beautiful hollyhocks in the summer.”</p>
<p>Now 75, Anaya began writing children’s books as he told stories to his then 5-year-old granddaughter Kristan (she’s now 30). Out came 1987’s “The Farolitos of Christmas,” now being revived as a play at Albuquerque’s National Hispanic Cultural Center.</p>
<p>“I was trying to explain to her how those farolitos came about,” Anaya said. “It’s just taking a cultural tradition and then writing a story about it.</p>
<p>“I used to put her to bed and tell her a bedtime story,” he continued. “When her mom put her to bed, she said, ‘You’re not as interesting as Papi.’ ”</p>
<p>Later, Anaya would write the children’s books “The Santero’s Miracle,” “The First Tortilla,” “The Roadrunner’s Dance,” and “The Curse of the Chupa Cabra.”</p>
<p>As last summer dwindled to autumn’s gold, Anaya trimmed back his own hollyhocks to prepare for winter.</p>
<p>“It’s been two weeks since we cut back the stems, but there’s one little hollyhock flower that still blooms in my yard,” he said. “It’s a little miracle. They have a mind of their own or a soul of their own.”</p>
| 7,932 |
<p>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ These Indiana lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Cash 5</p>
<p>18-20-23-24-42</p>
<p>(eighteen, twenty, twenty-three, twenty-four, forty-two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $381,000</p>
<p>Lotto Plus</p>
<p>12-17-22-28-31-39</p>
<p>(twelve, seventeen, twenty-two, twenty-eight, thirty-one, thirty-nine)</p>
<p>Quick Draw Midday</p>
<p>01-04-10-13-14-19-24-28-31-34-38-39-40-42-43-59-63-64-77-79, BE: 31</p>
<p>(one, four, ten, thirteen, fourteen, nineteen, twenty-four, twenty-eight, thirty-one, thirty-four, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty, forty-two, forty-three, fifty-nine, sixty-three, sixty-four, seventy-seven, seventy-nine; BE: thirty-one)</p>
<p>Daily Three-Midday</p>
<p>6-2-3, SB: 7</p>
<p>(six, two, three; SB: seven)</p>
<p>Daily Three-Evening</p>
<p>3-9-7, SB: 3</p>
<p>(three, nine, seven; SB: three)</p>
<p>Daily Four-Midday</p>
<p>6-0-4-5, SB: 7</p>
<p>(six, zero, four, five; SB: seven)</p>
<p>Daily Four-Evening</p>
<p>7-2-0-3, SB: 3</p>
<p>(seven, two, zero, three; SB: three)</p>
<p>Quick Draw Evening</p>
<p>05-09-16-24-26-29-36-37-38-43-51-52-58-60-65-70-75-77-78-79, BE: 26</p>
<p>(five, nine, sixteen, twenty-four, twenty-six, twenty-nine, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, forty-three, fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-eight, sixty, sixty-five, seventy, seventy-five, seventy-seven, seventy-eight, seventy-nine; BE: twenty-six)</p>
<p>Hoosier Lotto</p>
<p>02-14-15-18-31-35</p>
<p>(two, fourteen, fifteen, eighteen, thirty-one, thirty-five)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $6.7 million</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $76 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>05-09-11-33-64, Powerball: 21, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(five, nine, eleven, thirty-three, sixty-four; Powerball: twenty-one; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $92 million</p>
<p>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ These Indiana lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Cash 5</p>
<p>18-20-23-24-42</p>
<p>(eighteen, twenty, twenty-three, twenty-four, forty-two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $381,000</p>
<p>Lotto Plus</p>
<p>12-17-22-28-31-39</p>
<p>(twelve, seventeen, twenty-two, twenty-eight, thirty-one, thirty-nine)</p>
<p>Quick Draw Midday</p>
<p>01-04-10-13-14-19-24-28-31-34-38-39-40-42-43-59-63-64-77-79, BE: 31</p>
<p>(one, four, ten, thirteen, fourteen, nineteen, twenty-four, twenty-eight, thirty-one, thirty-four, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty, forty-two, forty-three, fifty-nine, sixty-three, sixty-four, seventy-seven, seventy-nine; BE: thirty-one)</p>
<p>Daily Three-Midday</p>
<p>6-2-3, SB: 7</p>
<p>(six, two, three; SB: seven)</p>
<p>Daily Three-Evening</p>
<p>3-9-7, SB: 3</p>
<p>(three, nine, seven; SB: three)</p>
<p>Daily Four-Midday</p>
<p>6-0-4-5, SB: 7</p>
<p>(six, zero, four, five; SB: seven)</p>
<p>Daily Four-Evening</p>
<p>7-2-0-3, SB: 3</p>
<p>(seven, two, zero, three; SB: three)</p>
<p>Quick Draw Evening</p>
<p>05-09-16-24-26-29-36-37-38-43-51-52-58-60-65-70-75-77-78-79, BE: 26</p>
<p>(five, nine, sixteen, twenty-four, twenty-six, twenty-nine, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, forty-three, fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-eight, sixty, sixty-five, seventy, seventy-five, seventy-seven, seventy-eight, seventy-nine; BE: twenty-six)</p>
<p>Hoosier Lotto</p>
<p>02-14-15-18-31-35</p>
<p>(two, fourteen, fifteen, eighteen, thirty-one, thirty-five)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $6.7 million</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $76 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>05-09-11-33-64, Powerball: 21, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(five, nine, eleven, thirty-three, sixty-four; Powerball: twenty-one; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $92 million</p>
|
IN Lottery
| false |
https://apnews.com/c202c300d8934d5988150ae37842ba00
|
2018-01-25
| 2least
|
IN Lottery
<p>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ These Indiana lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Cash 5</p>
<p>18-20-23-24-42</p>
<p>(eighteen, twenty, twenty-three, twenty-four, forty-two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $381,000</p>
<p>Lotto Plus</p>
<p>12-17-22-28-31-39</p>
<p>(twelve, seventeen, twenty-two, twenty-eight, thirty-one, thirty-nine)</p>
<p>Quick Draw Midday</p>
<p>01-04-10-13-14-19-24-28-31-34-38-39-40-42-43-59-63-64-77-79, BE: 31</p>
<p>(one, four, ten, thirteen, fourteen, nineteen, twenty-four, twenty-eight, thirty-one, thirty-four, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty, forty-two, forty-three, fifty-nine, sixty-three, sixty-four, seventy-seven, seventy-nine; BE: thirty-one)</p>
<p>Daily Three-Midday</p>
<p>6-2-3, SB: 7</p>
<p>(six, two, three; SB: seven)</p>
<p>Daily Three-Evening</p>
<p>3-9-7, SB: 3</p>
<p>(three, nine, seven; SB: three)</p>
<p>Daily Four-Midday</p>
<p>6-0-4-5, SB: 7</p>
<p>(six, zero, four, five; SB: seven)</p>
<p>Daily Four-Evening</p>
<p>7-2-0-3, SB: 3</p>
<p>(seven, two, zero, three; SB: three)</p>
<p>Quick Draw Evening</p>
<p>05-09-16-24-26-29-36-37-38-43-51-52-58-60-65-70-75-77-78-79, BE: 26</p>
<p>(five, nine, sixteen, twenty-four, twenty-six, twenty-nine, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, forty-three, fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-eight, sixty, sixty-five, seventy, seventy-five, seventy-seven, seventy-eight, seventy-nine; BE: twenty-six)</p>
<p>Hoosier Lotto</p>
<p>02-14-15-18-31-35</p>
<p>(two, fourteen, fifteen, eighteen, thirty-one, thirty-five)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $6.7 million</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $76 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>05-09-11-33-64, Powerball: 21, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(five, nine, eleven, thirty-three, sixty-four; Powerball: twenty-one; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $92 million</p>
<p>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ These Indiana lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Cash 5</p>
<p>18-20-23-24-42</p>
<p>(eighteen, twenty, twenty-three, twenty-four, forty-two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $381,000</p>
<p>Lotto Plus</p>
<p>12-17-22-28-31-39</p>
<p>(twelve, seventeen, twenty-two, twenty-eight, thirty-one, thirty-nine)</p>
<p>Quick Draw Midday</p>
<p>01-04-10-13-14-19-24-28-31-34-38-39-40-42-43-59-63-64-77-79, BE: 31</p>
<p>(one, four, ten, thirteen, fourteen, nineteen, twenty-four, twenty-eight, thirty-one, thirty-four, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty, forty-two, forty-three, fifty-nine, sixty-three, sixty-four, seventy-seven, seventy-nine; BE: thirty-one)</p>
<p>Daily Three-Midday</p>
<p>6-2-3, SB: 7</p>
<p>(six, two, three; SB: seven)</p>
<p>Daily Three-Evening</p>
<p>3-9-7, SB: 3</p>
<p>(three, nine, seven; SB: three)</p>
<p>Daily Four-Midday</p>
<p>6-0-4-5, SB: 7</p>
<p>(six, zero, four, five; SB: seven)</p>
<p>Daily Four-Evening</p>
<p>7-2-0-3, SB: 3</p>
<p>(seven, two, zero, three; SB: three)</p>
<p>Quick Draw Evening</p>
<p>05-09-16-24-26-29-36-37-38-43-51-52-58-60-65-70-75-77-78-79, BE: 26</p>
<p>(five, nine, sixteen, twenty-four, twenty-six, twenty-nine, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, forty-three, fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-eight, sixty, sixty-five, seventy, seventy-five, seventy-seven, seventy-eight, seventy-nine; BE: twenty-six)</p>
<p>Hoosier Lotto</p>
<p>02-14-15-18-31-35</p>
<p>(two, fourteen, fifteen, eighteen, thirty-one, thirty-five)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $6.7 million</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $76 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>05-09-11-33-64, Powerball: 21, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(five, nine, eleven, thirty-three, sixty-four; Powerball: twenty-one; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $92 million</p>
| 7,933 |
<p />
<p>Here’s one reason I’m digging <a href="http://www.theawl.com/" type="external">the newly launched Awl</a>, started by former Gawkerites Choire Sicha and Alex Balk:</p>
<p>Remember how when blogging started to get attention the whole gang of print journalists would snort derisively about how it wasn’t “really writing”? And then, a couple of years later, when their papers were dying off and ownership was so desperate for anything to staunch the flow of red ink that it forced them all to start blogging, and they were like, “Holy shit, blogging is hard!” Well, there was a certain protected class of columnists and reporters who, because they were so established, were not made to sully themselves by coding HTML and searching for pooping dog videos. You don’t make a Maureen Dowd blog, particularly when Jennifer 8. Lee will do it five hundred times a day and happily twitpimp the results.</p>
<p>So don’t worry if <a href="http://www.theawl.com/2009/04/person-with-twice-weekly-column-feels-no-need-to-provide-instant-updates" type="external">Maureen Dowd doesn’t like Twitter</a>; it’s not for her. There are plenty of other journalists who desperately need it (and some who definitely need to be weaned from it—David Carr, you are FILLING UP MY DASHBOARD, YOU HAVE TO CHILL). Let the Dowds bury their Dowds; the rest of us are stuck slapping up the minutiae out of fear that we will otherwise become invisible. Which is, of course, the worst thing of all.</p>
<p>Can’t really beat a line like “let the Dowds bury their Dowds.” Go Alex Balk. When did Gawker start to feel like established biggish media, anyone know?</p>
<p />
|
Awl Aboard
| true |
https://motherjones.com/politics/2009/04/awl-aboard/
|
2009-04-22
| 4left
|
Awl Aboard
<p />
<p>Here’s one reason I’m digging <a href="http://www.theawl.com/" type="external">the newly launched Awl</a>, started by former Gawkerites Choire Sicha and Alex Balk:</p>
<p>Remember how when blogging started to get attention the whole gang of print journalists would snort derisively about how it wasn’t “really writing”? And then, a couple of years later, when their papers were dying off and ownership was so desperate for anything to staunch the flow of red ink that it forced them all to start blogging, and they were like, “Holy shit, blogging is hard!” Well, there was a certain protected class of columnists and reporters who, because they were so established, were not made to sully themselves by coding HTML and searching for pooping dog videos. You don’t make a Maureen Dowd blog, particularly when Jennifer 8. Lee will do it five hundred times a day and happily twitpimp the results.</p>
<p>So don’t worry if <a href="http://www.theawl.com/2009/04/person-with-twice-weekly-column-feels-no-need-to-provide-instant-updates" type="external">Maureen Dowd doesn’t like Twitter</a>; it’s not for her. There are plenty of other journalists who desperately need it (and some who definitely need to be weaned from it—David Carr, you are FILLING UP MY DASHBOARD, YOU HAVE TO CHILL). Let the Dowds bury their Dowds; the rest of us are stuck slapping up the minutiae out of fear that we will otherwise become invisible. Which is, of course, the worst thing of all.</p>
<p>Can’t really beat a line like “let the Dowds bury their Dowds.” Go Alex Balk. When did Gawker start to feel like established biggish media, anyone know?</p>
<p />
| 7,934 |
<p>Q: Did Bill Clinton pass up a chance to kill Osama bin Laden?</p>
<p>A: Probably not, and it would not have mattered anyway as there was no evidence at the time that bin Laden had committed any crimes against American citizens.</p>
<p>FULL QUESTION</p>
<p>Was Bill Clinton offered bin Laden on "a silver platter"? Did he refuse? Was there cause at the time?</p>
<p>FULL ANSWER</p>
<p>Let’s start with what everyone agrees on: In April 1996, Osama bin Laden was an official guest of the radical Islamic government of Sudan – a government that had been implicated in the attacks on the World Trade Center in 1993. By 1996, with the international community treating Sudan as a pariah, the Sudanese government attempted to patch its relations with the United States. At a secret meeting in a Rosslyn, Va., hotel, the Sudanese minister of state for defense, Maj. Gen. Elfatih Erwa, met with CIA operatives, where, among other things, they <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/attacked/transcripts/sudanmemotext_100301.html" type="external">discussed</a> Osama bin Laden.</p>
<p>It is here that things get murky. Erwa claims that he offered to hand bin Laden over to the United States. Key American players – President Bill Clinton, then-National Security Adviser Sandy Berger and Director of Counterterrorism <a href="http://intelligence.senate.gov/clark.pdf" type="external">Richard Clarke</a> among them – have testified there were no "credible offers" to hand over bin Laden. The 9/11 Commission <a href="http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch4.pdf" type="external">found</a> "no credible evidence" that Erwa had ever made such an offer. On the other hand, Lawrence Wright, in his Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Looming Tower," flatly states that Sudan did make such an offer. Wright bases his judgment on an interview with Erwa and notes that those who most prominently deny Erwa’s claims were not in fact present for the meeting.</p>
<p>Wright and the 9/11 Commission do agree that the Clinton administration encouraged Sudan to deport bin Laden back to Saudi Arabia and spent 10 weeks trying to convince the Saudi government to accept him. One Clinton security official <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&amp;contentId=A61251-2001Oct2" type="external">told</a> The Washington Post that they had "a fantasy" that the Saudi government would quietly execute bin Laden. When the Saudis refused bin Laden’s return, Clinton officials convinced the Sudanese simply to expel him, hoping that the move would at least disrupt bin Laden’s activities.</p>
<p>Much of the controversy stems from claims that President Clinton made in a February 2002 speech and then retracted in his 2004 testimony to the 9/11 Commission. In the 2002 <a href="http://archive.newsmax.com/audio/BILLVH.mp3" type="external">speech</a> Clinton seems to admit that the Sudanese government offered to turn over bin Laden:</p>
<p>Clinton: So we tried to be quite aggressive with them [al Qaeda]. We got – well, Mr. bin Laden used to live in Sudan. He was expelled from Saudi Arabia in 1991, then he went to Sudan. And we’d been hearing that the Sudanese wanted America to start dealing with them again. They released him. At the time, 1996, he had committed no crime against America, so I did not bring him here because we had no basis on which to hold him, though we knew he wanted to commit crimes against America. So I pleaded with the Saudis to take him, ’cause they could have. But they thought it was a hot potato and they didn’t and that’s how he wound up in Afghanistan.</p>
<p>Clinton later claimed to have misspoken and stated that there had never been an offer to turn over bin Laden. It is clear, however, that Berger, at least, did consider the possibility of bringing bin Laden to the U.S., but, as he told The Washington Post in 2001, "The FBI did not believe we had enough evidence to indict bin Laden at that time, and therefore opposed bringing him to the United States." According to NewsMax.com, Berger later <a href="http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/7/19/231007.shtml" type="external">emphasized</a> in an interview with WABC Radio that, while administration officials had discussed whether or not they had ample evidence to indict bin Laden, that decision "was not pursuant to an offer by the Sudanese."</p>
<p>So on one side, we have Clinton administration officials who say that there were no credible offers on the table, and on the other, we have claims by a Sudanese government that was (and still is) listed as an official state sponsor of terrorism. It’s possible, of course, that both sides are telling the truth: It could be that Erwa did make an offer, but the offer was completely disingenuous. What is clear is that the 9/11 Commission report totally discounts the Sudanese claims. Unless further evidence arises, that has to be the final word.</p>
<p>Ultimately, however, it doesn’t matter. What is not in dispute at all is the fact that, in early 1996, American officials regarded Osama bin Laden as a financier of terrorism and not as a mastermind largely because, at the time, there was no real evidence that bin Laden had harmed American citizens. So even if the Sudanese government really did offer to hand bin Laden over, the U.S. would have had no grounds for detaining him. In fact, the Justice Department did not secure an <a href="http://www.fas.org/irp/news/1998/11/98110602_nlt.html" type="external">indictment</a> against bin Laden until 1998 – at which point Clinton did order a cruise missile attack on an al Qaeda camp in an attempt to kill bin Laden.</p>
<p>We have to be careful about engaging in what historians call "Whig history," which is the practice of assuming that historical figures value exactly the same things that we do today. It’s a fancy term for those "why didn’t someone just shoot Hitler in 1930?" questions that one hears in dorm-room bull sessions. The answer, of course, is that no one knew quite how bad Hitler was in 1930. The same is true of bin Laden in 1996.</p>
<p>Correction: We originally answered this question with a flat ‘yes’ early this week, based on the account in "The Looming Tower," but an alert reader pointed out to us the more tangled history laid out in the 9/11 Commission report. We said flatly that Sudan had made such an offer. We have deleted our original answer and are posting this corrected version in its place.</p>
<p>– Joe Miller</p>
<p>" <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/attacked/transcripts/sudanmemotext_100301.html" type="external">1996 CIA Memo to Sudanese Official.</a>" Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2001.</p>
<p>9/11 Commission. <a href="http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Notes.htm" type="external">9/11 Commission Report Notes.</a> 21 Aug. 2004. 17 Jan. 2008.</p>
<p>9/11 Commission. " <a href="http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch4.pdf" type="external">Chapter 4: Responses to al Qaeda’s Initial Assaults.</a>" 21 Aug. 2004. 9/11 Commission Report. 17 Jan. 2008.</p>
<p>NewsMax.com. <a href="http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/7/19/231007.shtml" type="external">"Berger Flashback: Hard Spin on Sudan Offer,"</a> 19 July 2004.</p>
<p>Clarke, Richard. <a href="http://intelligence.senate.gov/clark.pdf" type="external">Testimony before the House and Senate Intelligence Committee.</a> Lindsey Graham, Chair. 11 June 2002.</p>
<p>Clinton, William. <a href="http://archive.newsmax.com/audio/BILLVH.mp3" type="external">Speech to the Long Island Association.</a> Long Island, NY, Feb. 2002.</p>
<p>Gellman, Barton. " <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&amp;contentId=A61251-2001Oct2" type="external">U.S. Was Foiled Multiple Times in Efforts To Capture Bin Laden or Have Him Killed.</a>" Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2001.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fas.org/irp/news/1998/11/98110602_nlt.html" type="external">U.S. Grand Jury Indictment Against Usama bin Laden.</a> United States District Court: Southern District of New York. 6 Nov. 1998.</p>
<p>Wright, Lawrence. "The Looming Tower." New York: Vintage Books, 2006.</p>
|
Clinton Passed on Killing bin Laden?
| false |
https://factcheck.org/2008/01/clinton-passed-on-killing-bin-laden/
|
2008-01-18
| 2least
|
Clinton Passed on Killing bin Laden?
<p>Q: Did Bill Clinton pass up a chance to kill Osama bin Laden?</p>
<p>A: Probably not, and it would not have mattered anyway as there was no evidence at the time that bin Laden had committed any crimes against American citizens.</p>
<p>FULL QUESTION</p>
<p>Was Bill Clinton offered bin Laden on "a silver platter"? Did he refuse? Was there cause at the time?</p>
<p>FULL ANSWER</p>
<p>Let’s start with what everyone agrees on: In April 1996, Osama bin Laden was an official guest of the radical Islamic government of Sudan – a government that had been implicated in the attacks on the World Trade Center in 1993. By 1996, with the international community treating Sudan as a pariah, the Sudanese government attempted to patch its relations with the United States. At a secret meeting in a Rosslyn, Va., hotel, the Sudanese minister of state for defense, Maj. Gen. Elfatih Erwa, met with CIA operatives, where, among other things, they <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/attacked/transcripts/sudanmemotext_100301.html" type="external">discussed</a> Osama bin Laden.</p>
<p>It is here that things get murky. Erwa claims that he offered to hand bin Laden over to the United States. Key American players – President Bill Clinton, then-National Security Adviser Sandy Berger and Director of Counterterrorism <a href="http://intelligence.senate.gov/clark.pdf" type="external">Richard Clarke</a> among them – have testified there were no "credible offers" to hand over bin Laden. The 9/11 Commission <a href="http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch4.pdf" type="external">found</a> "no credible evidence" that Erwa had ever made such an offer. On the other hand, Lawrence Wright, in his Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Looming Tower," flatly states that Sudan did make such an offer. Wright bases his judgment on an interview with Erwa and notes that those who most prominently deny Erwa’s claims were not in fact present for the meeting.</p>
<p>Wright and the 9/11 Commission do agree that the Clinton administration encouraged Sudan to deport bin Laden back to Saudi Arabia and spent 10 weeks trying to convince the Saudi government to accept him. One Clinton security official <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&amp;contentId=A61251-2001Oct2" type="external">told</a> The Washington Post that they had "a fantasy" that the Saudi government would quietly execute bin Laden. When the Saudis refused bin Laden’s return, Clinton officials convinced the Sudanese simply to expel him, hoping that the move would at least disrupt bin Laden’s activities.</p>
<p>Much of the controversy stems from claims that President Clinton made in a February 2002 speech and then retracted in his 2004 testimony to the 9/11 Commission. In the 2002 <a href="http://archive.newsmax.com/audio/BILLVH.mp3" type="external">speech</a> Clinton seems to admit that the Sudanese government offered to turn over bin Laden:</p>
<p>Clinton: So we tried to be quite aggressive with them [al Qaeda]. We got – well, Mr. bin Laden used to live in Sudan. He was expelled from Saudi Arabia in 1991, then he went to Sudan. And we’d been hearing that the Sudanese wanted America to start dealing with them again. They released him. At the time, 1996, he had committed no crime against America, so I did not bring him here because we had no basis on which to hold him, though we knew he wanted to commit crimes against America. So I pleaded with the Saudis to take him, ’cause they could have. But they thought it was a hot potato and they didn’t and that’s how he wound up in Afghanistan.</p>
<p>Clinton later claimed to have misspoken and stated that there had never been an offer to turn over bin Laden. It is clear, however, that Berger, at least, did consider the possibility of bringing bin Laden to the U.S., but, as he told The Washington Post in 2001, "The FBI did not believe we had enough evidence to indict bin Laden at that time, and therefore opposed bringing him to the United States." According to NewsMax.com, Berger later <a href="http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/7/19/231007.shtml" type="external">emphasized</a> in an interview with WABC Radio that, while administration officials had discussed whether or not they had ample evidence to indict bin Laden, that decision "was not pursuant to an offer by the Sudanese."</p>
<p>So on one side, we have Clinton administration officials who say that there were no credible offers on the table, and on the other, we have claims by a Sudanese government that was (and still is) listed as an official state sponsor of terrorism. It’s possible, of course, that both sides are telling the truth: It could be that Erwa did make an offer, but the offer was completely disingenuous. What is clear is that the 9/11 Commission report totally discounts the Sudanese claims. Unless further evidence arises, that has to be the final word.</p>
<p>Ultimately, however, it doesn’t matter. What is not in dispute at all is the fact that, in early 1996, American officials regarded Osama bin Laden as a financier of terrorism and not as a mastermind largely because, at the time, there was no real evidence that bin Laden had harmed American citizens. So even if the Sudanese government really did offer to hand bin Laden over, the U.S. would have had no grounds for detaining him. In fact, the Justice Department did not secure an <a href="http://www.fas.org/irp/news/1998/11/98110602_nlt.html" type="external">indictment</a> against bin Laden until 1998 – at which point Clinton did order a cruise missile attack on an al Qaeda camp in an attempt to kill bin Laden.</p>
<p>We have to be careful about engaging in what historians call "Whig history," which is the practice of assuming that historical figures value exactly the same things that we do today. It’s a fancy term for those "why didn’t someone just shoot Hitler in 1930?" questions that one hears in dorm-room bull sessions. The answer, of course, is that no one knew quite how bad Hitler was in 1930. The same is true of bin Laden in 1996.</p>
<p>Correction: We originally answered this question with a flat ‘yes’ early this week, based on the account in "The Looming Tower," but an alert reader pointed out to us the more tangled history laid out in the 9/11 Commission report. We said flatly that Sudan had made such an offer. We have deleted our original answer and are posting this corrected version in its place.</p>
<p>– Joe Miller</p>
<p>" <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/attacked/transcripts/sudanmemotext_100301.html" type="external">1996 CIA Memo to Sudanese Official.</a>" Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2001.</p>
<p>9/11 Commission. <a href="http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Notes.htm" type="external">9/11 Commission Report Notes.</a> 21 Aug. 2004. 17 Jan. 2008.</p>
<p>9/11 Commission. " <a href="http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch4.pdf" type="external">Chapter 4: Responses to al Qaeda’s Initial Assaults.</a>" 21 Aug. 2004. 9/11 Commission Report. 17 Jan. 2008.</p>
<p>NewsMax.com. <a href="http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/7/19/231007.shtml" type="external">"Berger Flashback: Hard Spin on Sudan Offer,"</a> 19 July 2004.</p>
<p>Clarke, Richard. <a href="http://intelligence.senate.gov/clark.pdf" type="external">Testimony before the House and Senate Intelligence Committee.</a> Lindsey Graham, Chair. 11 June 2002.</p>
<p>Clinton, William. <a href="http://archive.newsmax.com/audio/BILLVH.mp3" type="external">Speech to the Long Island Association.</a> Long Island, NY, Feb. 2002.</p>
<p>Gellman, Barton. " <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&amp;contentId=A61251-2001Oct2" type="external">U.S. Was Foiled Multiple Times in Efforts To Capture Bin Laden or Have Him Killed.</a>" Washington Post, 3 Oct. 2001.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fas.org/irp/news/1998/11/98110602_nlt.html" type="external">U.S. Grand Jury Indictment Against Usama bin Laden.</a> United States District Court: Southern District of New York. 6 Nov. 1998.</p>
<p>Wright, Lawrence. "The Looming Tower." New York: Vintage Books, 2006.</p>
| 7,935 |
<p />
<p>The DLC just sent out an email <a href="http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=111&amp;subsecid=900033&amp;contentid=253307#item2" type="external">highlighting</a> some of the recent healthcare initiatives being proposed in Montana, the sort of thing that could possibly serve as a model for the nation at large:</p>
<p />
<p>Montana’s new small-business program… will provide direct financial assistance for health care insurance premiums to offset the high insurance costs facing smaller businesses and the large number of low-wage workers in smaller firms. The assistance will be targeted at very small businesses (under 10 employees) and will be more generous for low to moderate-income employees.</p>
<p>These businesses will be able to purchase the coverage through a purchasing pool that can negotiate a lower price with insurance companies, a proposal advanced by Governor Brian Schweitzer. Insurance companies may be willing to offer a lower price because the premium assistance will make coverage affordable to most employees, and in turn, will help solve one big problem in today’s small group insurance market: the tendency of small businesses to buy insurance when they have workers who are sicker and need the coverage. Insurance companies charge extra when they are likely to enroll sicker workers….</p>
<p>In Montana’s purchasing pool, employees and dependents who are eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program will be automatically enrolled as part of their job-based coverage in order to maximize federally matched funding.</p>
<p>Finally, Montana will offer a tax credit to small businesses who currently provide coverage but who are struggling to afford it. This tax credit will send those businesses an important message to keep up the good work.</p>
<p>Now I have doubts that some of these proposals will work, especially that purchasing pool. (Studies have shown that similar programs, known as Association Health Plans, either have a very small impact on covering the uninsured or, paradoxically, increase the number of uninsured. Read <a href="" type="internal">this</a> for the gory details.) Nevertheless, this is precisely the sort of thing that should be tried out on a state level, to see what works and what doesn’t, so that when this current batch of Republicans get kicked out of office and we can finally get serious about health care reform, we have some models to examine. Another “laboratory of health care” to watch will be Gov. Christina Gregoire’s <a href="http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=111&amp;subsecid=900033&amp;contentid=253307#item3" type="external">proposal</a> in Washington to restrain costs by eliminating waste. Again, I’m skeptical that in practice you can really eke that many health savings out of “information technology,” but why not give it a shot?</p>
<p />
|
Health Care Experiments
| true |
https://motherjones.com/politics/2005/05/health-care-experiments/
|
2005-05-05
| 4left
|
Health Care Experiments
<p />
<p>The DLC just sent out an email <a href="http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=111&amp;subsecid=900033&amp;contentid=253307#item2" type="external">highlighting</a> some of the recent healthcare initiatives being proposed in Montana, the sort of thing that could possibly serve as a model for the nation at large:</p>
<p />
<p>Montana’s new small-business program… will provide direct financial assistance for health care insurance premiums to offset the high insurance costs facing smaller businesses and the large number of low-wage workers in smaller firms. The assistance will be targeted at very small businesses (under 10 employees) and will be more generous for low to moderate-income employees.</p>
<p>These businesses will be able to purchase the coverage through a purchasing pool that can negotiate a lower price with insurance companies, a proposal advanced by Governor Brian Schweitzer. Insurance companies may be willing to offer a lower price because the premium assistance will make coverage affordable to most employees, and in turn, will help solve one big problem in today’s small group insurance market: the tendency of small businesses to buy insurance when they have workers who are sicker and need the coverage. Insurance companies charge extra when they are likely to enroll sicker workers….</p>
<p>In Montana’s purchasing pool, employees and dependents who are eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program will be automatically enrolled as part of their job-based coverage in order to maximize federally matched funding.</p>
<p>Finally, Montana will offer a tax credit to small businesses who currently provide coverage but who are struggling to afford it. This tax credit will send those businesses an important message to keep up the good work.</p>
<p>Now I have doubts that some of these proposals will work, especially that purchasing pool. (Studies have shown that similar programs, known as Association Health Plans, either have a very small impact on covering the uninsured or, paradoxically, increase the number of uninsured. Read <a href="" type="internal">this</a> for the gory details.) Nevertheless, this is precisely the sort of thing that should be tried out on a state level, to see what works and what doesn’t, so that when this current batch of Republicans get kicked out of office and we can finally get serious about health care reform, we have some models to examine. Another “laboratory of health care” to watch will be Gov. Christina Gregoire’s <a href="http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=111&amp;subsecid=900033&amp;contentid=253307#item3" type="external">proposal</a> in Washington to restrain costs by eliminating waste. Again, I’m skeptical that in practice you can really eke that many health savings out of “information technology,” but why not give it a shot?</p>
<p />
| 7,936 |
<p>Aug. 14 (UPI) — A hacker or hacking group has released several unaired episodes of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm alongside episodes from upcoming series’ The Deuce and Barry.</p>
<p>Curb You Enthusiasm, which is returning from a long hiatus, is scheduled to <a href="https://www.upi.com/Curb-Your-Enthusiasm-teaser-says-show-will-return-Oct-1/6931499709080/" type="external">premiere</a> Season 9 on Oct. 1. The Deuce starring <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/James_Franco/" type="external">James Franco</a> will premiere on Sept. 10 while Barry with <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Bill_Hader/" type="external">Bill Hader</a>, will air arrive sometime in 2018.</p>
<p>Other series’ affected in the leak included Insecure and Ballers. HBO first had episodes of Game of Thrones released early online in July after hackers claimed to have acquired up to 1.5TB of data in hopes of extorting the network, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/14/hbo-hackers-leak-unaired-curb-your-enthusiasm-insecure-ballers-barry-the-deuce-episodes" type="external">The Guardian</a> reported.</p>
<p>“We are not in communication with the hacker and we’re not going to comment every time a new piece of information is released,” HBO said <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/hacker-leaks-curb-your-enthusiasm-episodes-other-hbo-series-1202526233/" type="external">in a statement</a>. “It has been widely reported that there was a cyber incident at HBO. The hacker may continue to drop bits and pieces of stolen information in an attempt to generate media attention. That’s a game we’re not going to participate in.”</p>
<p>“Obviously, no company wants their proprietary information stolen and released on the internet. Transparency with our employees, partners, and the creative talent that works with us has been our focus throughout this incident and will remain our focus as we move forward. This incident has not deterred us from ensuring HBO continues to do what we do best,” they continued.</p>
<p>In May, streaming service Netflix was also attacked by hackers who <a href="https://www.upi.com/New-episodes-of-Netflixs-Orange-Is-the-New-Black-leaked-by-hacker/3411493643066/" type="external">leaked</a> online new episodes of Orange is the Black.</p>
|
Hacker leaks episodes of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm', new HBO series
| false |
https://newsline.com/hacker-leaks-episodes-of-curb-your-enthusiasm-new-hbo-series/
|
2017-08-14
| 1right-center
|
Hacker leaks episodes of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm', new HBO series
<p>Aug. 14 (UPI) — A hacker or hacking group has released several unaired episodes of HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm alongside episodes from upcoming series’ The Deuce and Barry.</p>
<p>Curb You Enthusiasm, which is returning from a long hiatus, is scheduled to <a href="https://www.upi.com/Curb-Your-Enthusiasm-teaser-says-show-will-return-Oct-1/6931499709080/" type="external">premiere</a> Season 9 on Oct. 1. The Deuce starring <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/James_Franco/" type="external">James Franco</a> will premiere on Sept. 10 while Barry with <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Bill_Hader/" type="external">Bill Hader</a>, will air arrive sometime in 2018.</p>
<p>Other series’ affected in the leak included Insecure and Ballers. HBO first had episodes of Game of Thrones released early online in July after hackers claimed to have acquired up to 1.5TB of data in hopes of extorting the network, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/aug/14/hbo-hackers-leak-unaired-curb-your-enthusiasm-insecure-ballers-barry-the-deuce-episodes" type="external">The Guardian</a> reported.</p>
<p>“We are not in communication with the hacker and we’re not going to comment every time a new piece of information is released,” HBO said <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/hacker-leaks-curb-your-enthusiasm-episodes-other-hbo-series-1202526233/" type="external">in a statement</a>. “It has been widely reported that there was a cyber incident at HBO. The hacker may continue to drop bits and pieces of stolen information in an attempt to generate media attention. That’s a game we’re not going to participate in.”</p>
<p>“Obviously, no company wants their proprietary information stolen and released on the internet. Transparency with our employees, partners, and the creative talent that works with us has been our focus throughout this incident and will remain our focus as we move forward. This incident has not deterred us from ensuring HBO continues to do what we do best,” they continued.</p>
<p>In May, streaming service Netflix was also attacked by hackers who <a href="https://www.upi.com/New-episodes-of-Netflixs-Orange-Is-the-New-Black-leaked-by-hacker/3411493643066/" type="external">leaked</a> online new episodes of Orange is the Black.</p>
| 7,937 |
<p>Former Speaker of the House, now House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi went on a rant during her press conference condemning President Trump’s newest executive order on healthcare.</p>
<p>There is one caveat.</p>
<p>She hasn’t read the new executive order, much like she didn’t do with the <a href="https://youtu.be/hV-05TLiiLU" type="external">ObamaCare bill</a>.</p>
<p>‘[Pelosi]&#160;was fielding questions from reporters when she was asked to weigh-in on President Trump’s new actions on healthcare; opening interstate markets and permitting small companies to band together to negotiate better premium costs,’ reports <a href="https://www.hannity.com/content/2017-10-12-watch-pelosi-rips-trumps-executive-order-admits-she-hasnt-read-it/" type="external">Hannity</a>.</p>
<p>“Can you respond to what we know about the President’s executive order on healthcare that they’re putting out today, and what your take is on him doing anything by executive order after failing to get anything through Congress on healthcare?” asked one reporter.</p>
<p>“Well I don’t know what he’s putting out today, but I do know it’s a sabotage of the affordable care act,” said&#160;Pelosi. “And quite frankly, a great disservice to the American people, many of whom voted for him.”</p>
<p>“We do know that there is bipartisan support, even some of the high-ranking Republicans in Congress have said we should do the cross-sharing funds that are there. We have to take matters into our own hands as to having be navigators ourselves, to say to people this is the time to sign up,” she continued.</p>
<p>“The President, not having seen what he has to say, but just judging from what he has said, knows very little about healthcare legislation,” Pelosi added.</p>
<p>Pelosi’s insanity starts&#160;at&#160;10:15:</p>
<p />
|
WATCH: Nancy Pelosi Goes on Tirade Against Trump’s Executive Order, Busted for Not Reading It [LOL]
| true |
http://girlsjustwannahaveguns.com/watch-nancy-pelosi-goes-on-tirade-against-trumps-executive-order-busted-for-not-reading-it-lol/
| 0right
|
WATCH: Nancy Pelosi Goes on Tirade Against Trump’s Executive Order, Busted for Not Reading It [LOL]
<p>Former Speaker of the House, now House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi went on a rant during her press conference condemning President Trump’s newest executive order on healthcare.</p>
<p>There is one caveat.</p>
<p>She hasn’t read the new executive order, much like she didn’t do with the <a href="https://youtu.be/hV-05TLiiLU" type="external">ObamaCare bill</a>.</p>
<p>‘[Pelosi]&#160;was fielding questions from reporters when she was asked to weigh-in on President Trump’s new actions on healthcare; opening interstate markets and permitting small companies to band together to negotiate better premium costs,’ reports <a href="https://www.hannity.com/content/2017-10-12-watch-pelosi-rips-trumps-executive-order-admits-she-hasnt-read-it/" type="external">Hannity</a>.</p>
<p>“Can you respond to what we know about the President’s executive order on healthcare that they’re putting out today, and what your take is on him doing anything by executive order after failing to get anything through Congress on healthcare?” asked one reporter.</p>
<p>“Well I don’t know what he’s putting out today, but I do know it’s a sabotage of the affordable care act,” said&#160;Pelosi. “And quite frankly, a great disservice to the American people, many of whom voted for him.”</p>
<p>“We do know that there is bipartisan support, even some of the high-ranking Republicans in Congress have said we should do the cross-sharing funds that are there. We have to take matters into our own hands as to having be navigators ourselves, to say to people this is the time to sign up,” she continued.</p>
<p>“The President, not having seen what he has to say, but just judging from what he has said, knows very little about healthcare legislation,” Pelosi added.</p>
<p>Pelosi’s insanity starts&#160;at&#160;10:15:</p>
<p />
| 7,938 |
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<p>LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Jockey Javier Castellano had no problem watching the Maker's 46 Mile unfold from the rear as he made sure to save Jack Milton's speed for the end.</p>
<p>The move paid off when Jack Milton stormed from outside entering the stretch and took charge for his first Grade 1 win in the $300,000 race at Keeneland on Friday.</p>
<p>Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 5-year-old's best finishes in five Grade 1 starts had been thirds at Belmont Park and Arlington and he hadn't run better than fifth in his past three. Jack Milton broke through on a rain-softened turf, starting on the outside and laying back for most of the race before making his move on the final turn and winning by 2 1/4 lengths.</p>
<p>Jack Milton won for the fifth time in 15 career starts and earned his first win since the Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont last May.</p>
<p>"I really liked the way the race set up today," Castellano said about the strategy to hold back Jack Milton. "He's a come-from-behind horse. It was a beautiful pace. I think they went pretty quick early in the race and set it up perfectly. He gave me a good kick. I'm very satisfied with the way he did it."</p>
<p>This race had been the domain of two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, who won the past two runnings. But his ongoing recovery from an ankle injury opened the door for a new winner, and Jack Milton was among several entrants due for a breakthrough at the top level.</p>
<p>Favorite Summer Front was 0 for 9 in Grade 1 races, while Za Approval and Long On Value were also winless.</p>
<p>Jack Milton had also struggled but he patiently waited until finding room on the outside to blow past the field and find Grade 1 success.</p>
<p>"We had two plans," assistant Tristan Berry said in place of Pletcher, who was in Florida. "If he broke well, we were going to sit close to the pace and pounce. If he didn't, we were going to sit back and make one run. Plan B worked well."</p>
<p>Jack Milton covered the mile 1:36.30 and paid $11.20, $6.20 and $4.00. Aripeka returned $10.40 and $4.20, and Long On Value paid $4 to show.</p>
<p>LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Jockey Javier Castellano had no problem watching the Maker's 46 Mile unfold from the rear as he made sure to save Jack Milton's speed for the end.</p>
<p>The move paid off when Jack Milton stormed from outside entering the stretch and took charge for his first Grade 1 win in the $300,000 race at Keeneland on Friday.</p>
<p>Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 5-year-old's best finishes in five Grade 1 starts had been thirds at Belmont Park and Arlington and he hadn't run better than fifth in his past three. Jack Milton broke through on a rain-softened turf, starting on the outside and laying back for most of the race before making his move on the final turn and winning by 2 1/4 lengths.</p>
<p>Jack Milton won for the fifth time in 15 career starts and earned his first win since the Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont last May.</p>
<p>"I really liked the way the race set up today," Castellano said about the strategy to hold back Jack Milton. "He's a come-from-behind horse. It was a beautiful pace. I think they went pretty quick early in the race and set it up perfectly. He gave me a good kick. I'm very satisfied with the way he did it."</p>
<p>This race had been the domain of two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, who won the past two runnings. But his ongoing recovery from an ankle injury opened the door for a new winner, and Jack Milton was among several entrants due for a breakthrough at the top level.</p>
<p>Favorite Summer Front was 0 for 9 in Grade 1 races, while Za Approval and Long On Value were also winless.</p>
<p>Jack Milton had also struggled but he patiently waited until finding room on the outside to blow past the field and find Grade 1 success.</p>
<p>"We had two plans," assistant Tristan Berry said in place of Pletcher, who was in Florida. "If he broke well, we were going to sit close to the pace and pounce. If he didn't, we were going to sit back and make one run. Plan B worked well."</p>
<p>Jack Milton covered the mile 1:36.30 and paid $11.20, $6.20 and $4.00. Aripeka returned $10.40 and $4.20, and Long On Value paid $4 to show.</p>
|
Jack Milton's late charge wins Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland
| false |
https://apnews.com/amp/457c8a8db99d445eb4418f082f971aaa
|
2015-04-10
| 2least
|
Jack Milton's late charge wins Maker's 46 Mile at Keeneland
<p>LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Jockey Javier Castellano had no problem watching the Maker's 46 Mile unfold from the rear as he made sure to save Jack Milton's speed for the end.</p>
<p>The move paid off when Jack Milton stormed from outside entering the stretch and took charge for his first Grade 1 win in the $300,000 race at Keeneland on Friday.</p>
<p>Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 5-year-old's best finishes in five Grade 1 starts had been thirds at Belmont Park and Arlington and he hadn't run better than fifth in his past three. Jack Milton broke through on a rain-softened turf, starting on the outside and laying back for most of the race before making his move on the final turn and winning by 2 1/4 lengths.</p>
<p>Jack Milton won for the fifth time in 15 career starts and earned his first win since the Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont last May.</p>
<p>"I really liked the way the race set up today," Castellano said about the strategy to hold back Jack Milton. "He's a come-from-behind horse. It was a beautiful pace. I think they went pretty quick early in the race and set it up perfectly. He gave me a good kick. I'm very satisfied with the way he did it."</p>
<p>This race had been the domain of two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, who won the past two runnings. But his ongoing recovery from an ankle injury opened the door for a new winner, and Jack Milton was among several entrants due for a breakthrough at the top level.</p>
<p>Favorite Summer Front was 0 for 9 in Grade 1 races, while Za Approval and Long On Value were also winless.</p>
<p>Jack Milton had also struggled but he patiently waited until finding room on the outside to blow past the field and find Grade 1 success.</p>
<p>"We had two plans," assistant Tristan Berry said in place of Pletcher, who was in Florida. "If he broke well, we were going to sit close to the pace and pounce. If he didn't, we were going to sit back and make one run. Plan B worked well."</p>
<p>Jack Milton covered the mile 1:36.30 and paid $11.20, $6.20 and $4.00. Aripeka returned $10.40 and $4.20, and Long On Value paid $4 to show.</p>
<p>LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Jockey Javier Castellano had no problem watching the Maker's 46 Mile unfold from the rear as he made sure to save Jack Milton's speed for the end.</p>
<p>The move paid off when Jack Milton stormed from outside entering the stretch and took charge for his first Grade 1 win in the $300,000 race at Keeneland on Friday.</p>
<p>Trained by Todd Pletcher, the 5-year-old's best finishes in five Grade 1 starts had been thirds at Belmont Park and Arlington and he hadn't run better than fifth in his past three. Jack Milton broke through on a rain-softened turf, starting on the outside and laying back for most of the race before making his move on the final turn and winning by 2 1/4 lengths.</p>
<p>Jack Milton won for the fifth time in 15 career starts and earned his first win since the Grade 3 Poker Stakes at Belmont last May.</p>
<p>"I really liked the way the race set up today," Castellano said about the strategy to hold back Jack Milton. "He's a come-from-behind horse. It was a beautiful pace. I think they went pretty quick early in the race and set it up perfectly. He gave me a good kick. I'm very satisfied with the way he did it."</p>
<p>This race had been the domain of two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan, who won the past two runnings. But his ongoing recovery from an ankle injury opened the door for a new winner, and Jack Milton was among several entrants due for a breakthrough at the top level.</p>
<p>Favorite Summer Front was 0 for 9 in Grade 1 races, while Za Approval and Long On Value were also winless.</p>
<p>Jack Milton had also struggled but he patiently waited until finding room on the outside to blow past the field and find Grade 1 success.</p>
<p>"We had two plans," assistant Tristan Berry said in place of Pletcher, who was in Florida. "If he broke well, we were going to sit close to the pace and pounce. If he didn't, we were going to sit back and make one run. Plan B worked well."</p>
<p>Jack Milton covered the mile 1:36.30 and paid $11.20, $6.20 and $4.00. Aripeka returned $10.40 and $4.20, and Long On Value paid $4 to show.</p>
| 7,939 |
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.religionnews.com/" type="external">Religion News Service</a> has a <a href="http://religionnews.com/ArticleofWeek091307.html" type="external">great story</a> about Steve Lapp, a former member of the Amish community who became an evangelical healer.</p>
<p>While Lapp himself is an interesting character, the story is bigger than just him: Some members of the Amish community, it seems, have begun to adopt evangelical styles of worship:</p>
<p>With his talk of supernatural healings and events, Lapp seems more at home—at least theologically—in Pentecostal churches than among the Amish. But he is just the most extreme example of an evangelical influence creeping into the Old Order Amish community, according to a number of observers. The trend may be most evident here in Lancaster County, which, with 25,000 members, is one of the world’s largest Amish settlements.</p>
<p>The Amish “are realizing that the Great Commission is about going into the world and preaching the gospel and not just having your little community rules and regulations,” Lapp said.</p>
<p>More and more Amish talk about “a personal relationship with Jesus,” and the “assurance of salvation and forgiveness” while attending Bible studies, singalongs and revival meetings. Alarmed Amish leaders have banned large-group prayer meetings and Bible readings as dozens of Amish families consider joining other churches.</p>
<p>Increasingly, evangelical churches are <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/19/opinion/main1727377.shtml" type="external">non-denominational</a>, since many church leaders feel that the differences between Christian sects are arcane and ultimately unimportant. The Amish, though, have long valued their separateness from the rest of society. If evangelical nondenominationalism is beginning to reach all the way into this insular community, its influence must be profound indeed.</p>
<p />
|
Evangelical Influence on the Amish
| true |
https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/09/evangelical-influence-amish/
|
2007-09-19
| 4left
|
Evangelical Influence on the Amish
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.religionnews.com/" type="external">Religion News Service</a> has a <a href="http://religionnews.com/ArticleofWeek091307.html" type="external">great story</a> about Steve Lapp, a former member of the Amish community who became an evangelical healer.</p>
<p>While Lapp himself is an interesting character, the story is bigger than just him: Some members of the Amish community, it seems, have begun to adopt evangelical styles of worship:</p>
<p>With his talk of supernatural healings and events, Lapp seems more at home—at least theologically—in Pentecostal churches than among the Amish. But he is just the most extreme example of an evangelical influence creeping into the Old Order Amish community, according to a number of observers. The trend may be most evident here in Lancaster County, which, with 25,000 members, is one of the world’s largest Amish settlements.</p>
<p>The Amish “are realizing that the Great Commission is about going into the world and preaching the gospel and not just having your little community rules and regulations,” Lapp said.</p>
<p>More and more Amish talk about “a personal relationship with Jesus,” and the “assurance of salvation and forgiveness” while attending Bible studies, singalongs and revival meetings. Alarmed Amish leaders have banned large-group prayer meetings and Bible readings as dozens of Amish families consider joining other churches.</p>
<p>Increasingly, evangelical churches are <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/19/opinion/main1727377.shtml" type="external">non-denominational</a>, since many church leaders feel that the differences between Christian sects are arcane and ultimately unimportant. The Amish, though, have long valued their separateness from the rest of society. If evangelical nondenominationalism is beginning to reach all the way into this insular community, its influence must be profound indeed.</p>
<p />
| 7,940 |
<p>The Supreme Court has spoken: Obamacare will survive, and same-sex marriage is the law of the land.</p>
<p>Has the court under the leadership of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. lost its ideological marbles and, gasp, turned liberal? That’s the billion-dollar question observers of the high tribunal are asking in the wake of the tumultuous October 2014 term.</p>
<p>The answer, though complicated, is that the court’s drift to the left has been exaggerated by cheerleaders on both ends of the mainstream political spectrum. Here are five takeaways from the current term to help explain why:</p>
<p>1. John Roberts is no David Souter, much less Earl Warren.</p>
<p />
<p>According to a detailed report published June 23 by <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/06/23/upshot/the-roberts-courts-surprising-move-leftward.html?_r=1" type="external">The New York Times</a>, two days before the ruling ( <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-114_qol1.pdf" type="external">King v. Burwell</a>) on Obamacare was announced, the court was on track to conclude its most liberal term since the heydays of the Warren Court in the 1950s and&#160;’60s. The Times’ article was based on the findings of the <a href="http://supremecourtdatabase.org/about.php" type="external">Supreme Court Database</a>, an analytics-based research project that uses criteria developed by political scientists to evaluate and code the court’s decisions.</p>
<p>With the release of Roberts’ majority opinion in King and the opinion on same-sex marriage the next day, alarm bells were sounding on the American right, with the chief justice bearing the brunt of the <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2015/06/25/quotes-of-the-day-2124/" type="external">opprobrium</a>.</p>
<p>“Roberts = Souter,” tweeted campaign consultant Matt Mackowiak, founder of the ultra-right Potomac Strategy Group, referring to former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a Republican appointee who compiled a surprisingly moderate record during his tenure on the bench.</p>
<p>Roberts “is now just the water boy for the welfare state,” tweeted the unremittingly hysterical Fox News host <a href="http://www.alternet.org/giant-step-toward-banana-republic-conservative-media-react-supreme-courts-health-care-decision" type="external">Andrea Tantaros</a>, ratcheting up the heat another notch.</p>
<p>Extending the metaphorical social-media lynching of Roberts still further, Fox Business Network anchor Charles Payne bloviated in his tweet of the day that the King ruling was “another giant step toward Banana Republic.” Although unspecified, Payne clearly had in mind the form of government at one time prevalent in Latin America, not the retail clothing chain.</p>
<p>And not to be outdone, Presidential candidate Ted Cruz—the Texas senator whom I have sometimes compared in <a href="https://twitter.com/BlumsLaw" type="external">my own Twitter account</a> to the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., in both physical appearance and vitriolic rhetoric— <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/420409/ted-cruz-supreme-court-constitutional-amendment" type="external">called</a>for a constitutional amendment that would subject Supreme Court justices to periodic judicial-retention elections in order to “restore the rule of law.”</p>
<p>The reality, of course, is that Roberts is neither the second coming of David Souter nor, even more so, Earl Warren. With few exceptions—notably, the King decision and last year’s unanimous ruling in <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/13pdf/13-132_8l9c.pdf" type="external">Riley v. California</a>that shielded arrestees from warrantless searches of their cellphones—Roberts is what he has always been: a reliable conservative who nearly always votes in line with his backward-looking brethren Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. In fact, according to the statistics compiled by <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/statistics/" type="external">Scotusblog.com</a>, Roberts voted in agreement with Scalia during the current term at an 83 percent clip, higher than his agreement rate with any other member of the panel.</p>
<p>Any question as to Roberts’ right-wing bona fides were laid to rest June 26 with his dissenting opinion in the court’s landmark 5-4 ruling on gay marriage, <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-556_3204.pdf" type="external">Obergefell v. Hodges</a>. Penning a dissent, Roberts channeled his own version of Ted Cruz, condemning the Obergefell majority’s endorsement of same-sex marriage as an outrageous form of judicial activism, arguing:</p>
<p>“As a result [of the majority ruling], the Court invalidates the marriage laws of more than half the States and orders the transformation of a social institution that has formed the basis of human society for millennia, for the Kalahari Bushmen and the Han Chinese, the Carthaginians and the Aztecs. Just who do we think we are?”</p>
<p>Coming from the justice who just two years earlier had produced the majority opinion in <a href="http://www2.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/Shelby_Cnty_v_Holder_No_1296_2013_BL_167707_US_June_25_2013_Court" type="external">Shelby County v. Holder</a> that gutted the Voting Rights Act, such words rang hollow and hypocritical.</p>
<p>True to his usual form, on June 29, the last decision day of the current term, Roberts concurred in two conservative 5-4 opinions: a death-penalty ruling <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-7955_aplc.pdf" type="external">(Glossip v. Gross)</a> written by Alito that upheld Oklahoma’s lethal injection procedure; and an environmental opinion <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-46_10n2.pdf" type="external">(Michigan v. EPA)</a> by Scalia that overturned restrictions placed on the emission of hazardous pollutants from coal-based power plants.</p>
<p>Roberts also voted in the minority on the last day in a liberal 5-4 decision written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/13-1314_kjfl.pdf" type="external">(Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission)</a>that upheld the creation of a redistricting agency in Arizona.</p>
<p>In the future, there is no reason not to expect more of the same from the chief.</p>
<p>2. Justice Anthony Kennedy remains the court’s swing vote, but he is at best a moderate.</p>
<p>Long recognized as the court’s pivotal member in close high-profile cases, Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in Obergefell. Earning well-deserved praise for his opinion not just from the LGBT community but broadly from all those who believe the Constitution was designed to protect an evolving rather than fixed set of social values, Kennedy wrote that couples seeking to wed have a fundamental right to “equal dignity in the eyes of the law” that only marriage can bestow. As historic as the Obergefell ruling is, however, it is also modest from a technical legal standpoint. In particular, Kennedy stopped short of holding that sexual orientation generally–like race, national origin or religious affiliation–is what is termed in constitutional law a “suspect classification” entitled the highest degree of judicial protection. To withstand court challenges, laws and governmental practices that discriminate against people who fall within such classifications must pass an exacting “heightened scrutiny” test, under which it must be shown that the laws and practices under review not only further a “compelling state interest” but that they are narrowly tailored to achieve that interest.</p>
<p>Writing in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/26/same-sex-marriage-court-cases-lgbt-rights" type="external">The Guardian</a> last Friday, columnist Scott Lemieux contended that: “The refusal to define sexual orientation as subject to heightened scrutiny will lead to unnecessary confusion, and possibly permit federal and state judges to deny LBGT rights claims [in other contexts] that even Kennedy might think should be upheld.”</p>
<p>As Lemieux notes, “LGBT people face many other types of discrimination — in public accommodations and in employment, for example — that now may have to be fought out case by never-ending case in the lower courts.” Although federal civil rights statutes dealing with accommodations and employment do not specifically refer to sexual orientation, a pronouncement from the Supreme Court conferring suspect classification status on sexual orientation would greatly assist those future legal struggles.</p>
<p>Kennedy’s moderate and cautious stance was also evident in last week’s other 5-4 liberal triumph on discrimination under the federal <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/13-1371_m64o.pdf" type="external">Fair Housing Act</a>. Writing again for the majority, Kennedy held that claims of housing and mortgage-lending discrimination could be based on a showing that established policies had an adverse disparate impact on minorities and that discriminatory intent need not be shown. The court majority nonetheless placed <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/2015/06/disparate-impact-claims-survive-challenge-in-plain-english/" type="external">new procedural limits</a> on when and how disparate-impact claims may be brought.</p>
<p>It should also be remembered that Kennedy’s penchant for swinging goes both ways. In 2010, Kennedy crafted the majority opinion in <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-205.pdf" type="external">Citizens United</a>. And in 2012, he wrote another important 5-4 majority conservative opinion <a href="http://www2.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/FLORENCE_v_BOARD_OF_CHOSEN_FREEHOLDERS_No_10945_2012_BL_78215_US_%20" type="external">(Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders)</a> upholding routine strip searches of all persons detained and admitted to general jail populations, even those arrested on minor traffic violations who are not suspected of harboring contraband.3. Has the court actually moved to the left, or have conservatives overreached?</p>
<p>Amid the headlines trumpeting the court’s tilt to the left, a more thoughtful alternative narrative is emerging that asserts conservatives are losing more big cases because they are pushing meritless claims up the judicial ladder. “While the justices may have shifted their views in some instances,” Dartmouth government professor Brendan Nyhan reasoned in a June 25 <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/26/upshot/supreme-court-liberal-drift-v-conservative-overreach.html?abt=0002&amp;abg=0&amp;_r=0" type="external">New York Times article</a>, “it’s also possible that the types of cases the court is deciding have shifted.”</p>
<p>As Nyhan and other analysts, including University of California Irvine law professor Rick Hasen, see things, conservative lawyers have become so emboldened by their recent high-court victories in areas ranging from the Second Amendment to voting rights and campaign finance, they are gambling more often than in the past that the court will continue to rule in their favor, even on patently weak claims. And while they sometimes secure enough votes to get their cases reviewed — only four affirmative votes from the justices are needed to grant review—prevailing on the merits is another matter.</p>
<p>The Obamacare decision in King v. Burwell is a prime example. Widely panned as a legal long shot when it began, the case contested language buried deep within Section 1311 of the massive Affordable Care Act about the availability of federal income tax subsidies to low-income purchasers of health insurance.</p>
<p>The right-wing activist attorneys who prosecuted the case argued that four words in Section 1311—“established by the state”—meant that subsidies were available only to residents of states that had created their own marketplace insurance exchanges. Never mind, they insisted, that the remainder of the law required the federal government to provide an exchange if a state refused to establish one on its own.</p>
<p>Writing for a 6-3 majority that included Justice Kennedy, who had voted to <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/11-393" type="external">strike down the ACA’s individual mandate in 2012</a>, Chief Justice Roberts did what any judge who had not taken complete leave of his common sense would do: He read Section 1311 in the context of the entire act and concluded that tax subsidies must be made available nationwide to those eligible.</p>
<p>Despite the drubbing they received in King, right-wing groups are sponsoring <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/other-legal-challenges-health-overhaul-153350237.html?soc_src=mail&amp;soc_trk=ma" type="external">additional legal challenges</a> to Obamacare. These include one filed by House Republicans that I have previously <a href="" type="internal">reviewed in this column</a>, which asserts that that the Obama administration has illegally remitted funds to insurance companies to reimburse them for offering lower coverage rates to poor people.</p>
<p>Even in front of a conservative court, such cases will continue to run aground.</p>
<p>4. In the current term’s biggest cases on Obamacare and same-sex marriage, Justices Scalia, Thomas and Alito were the biggest losers.</p>
<p>Whether it is the court as a whole that has drifted leftward or the far-fetched nature of some of the cases that explains the drift, at least three members of the panel—the unholy trinity of Scalia, Thomas and Alito—have remained entirely unmoved. In the term’s biggest cases, they were increasingly isolated, intemperate, ineffectual and unprofessional.</p>
<p>Dissenting in King, on behalf of himself, Alito and Thomas, an exasperated Scalia fulminated, “Words no longer have meaning if an exchange that is not established by a state is ‘established by the State.’&#160;” The majority’s holding to the contrary, he scolded, was little more than “interpretive jiggery-pokery.” Seemingly at his wit’s end, sounding thoroughly beaten, he suggested the Affordable Care Act be renamed “SCOTUScare.”</p>
<p>In Obergefell, all three arch-conservatives wrote <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/us/2014-term-supreme-court-decision-same-sex-marriage.html?_r=0" type="external">separate dissents</a>, along with Roberts. In his, Scalia branded the court’s majority opinion on gay marriage as “a naked judicial claim to legislative—indeed, super-legislative—power.” Lamenting the end of federalism and states’ rights, he charged that “[a] system of government that makes the People subordinate to a committee of nine unelected lawyers does not deserve to be called a democracy.”</p>
<p>And, he added for spite and good measure: “Who ever thought that intimacy and spirituality [whatever that means] were freedoms? And if intimacy is, one would think Freedom of Intimacy is abridged rather than expanded by marriage. Ask the nearest hippie.” Under the majority’s tutelage, he wrote in a pithy footnote, “The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of a fortune cookie.”</p>
<p>Reaching for the same hyperdrama in their dissents, Thomas cited legal history all the way back to the Magna Carta to demonstrate that the court had eroded the basic concept of human liberty, while Alito warned that same-sex marriage rights would be used to “vilify Americans who are unwilling to assent to the new orthodoxy.”</p>
<p>Will the trend continue in the coming years? Unless the 79-year-old Scalia, the leader of the pack, retires — perhaps to launch a new career in standup comedy or host his own regularly scheduled mad half-hour on Fox News — you can count on it.</p>
<p>5. The court remains in play for the coming presidential elections.</p>
<p>Some justices may be more brazenly partisan than others, but from the founding of the republic, everyone elevated to the nation’s highest court has been a political actor. And for the most part, with exceptions like Souter and Warren and Roberts on Obamacare, the justices have reflected the politics of the presidents who appointed them.</p>
<p>It should come as no surprise, then, that the major-party presidential hopefuls–from Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders to Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush–are talking about the kind of judges they would nominate to sit alongside Roberts. It would be nice, if only for a refreshing change, to have a presidential campaign that didn’t frame the court’s future as a central issue. Regrettably, we don’t live in that sort of nice society. Once again, the court will be front and center as we head to the polls next year.</p>
<p>So get used to it. For better or worse, you’ll be hearing a lot more about the nine men and women who head this country’s third branch of government as we move along.</p>
|
SCOTUS Wraps Up: 5 Takeaways From the Supreme Court’s Current Term
| true |
https://truthdig.com/articles/scotus-wraps-up-5-takeaways-from-the-supreme-courts-current-term-2/
|
2015-06-29
| 4left
|
SCOTUS Wraps Up: 5 Takeaways From the Supreme Court’s Current Term
<p>The Supreme Court has spoken: Obamacare will survive, and same-sex marriage is the law of the land.</p>
<p>Has the court under the leadership of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. lost its ideological marbles and, gasp, turned liberal? That’s the billion-dollar question observers of the high tribunal are asking in the wake of the tumultuous October 2014 term.</p>
<p>The answer, though complicated, is that the court’s drift to the left has been exaggerated by cheerleaders on both ends of the mainstream political spectrum. Here are five takeaways from the current term to help explain why:</p>
<p>1. John Roberts is no David Souter, much less Earl Warren.</p>
<p />
<p>According to a detailed report published June 23 by <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/06/23/upshot/the-roberts-courts-surprising-move-leftward.html?_r=1" type="external">The New York Times</a>, two days before the ruling ( <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-114_qol1.pdf" type="external">King v. Burwell</a>) on Obamacare was announced, the court was on track to conclude its most liberal term since the heydays of the Warren Court in the 1950s and&#160;’60s. The Times’ article was based on the findings of the <a href="http://supremecourtdatabase.org/about.php" type="external">Supreme Court Database</a>, an analytics-based research project that uses criteria developed by political scientists to evaluate and code the court’s decisions.</p>
<p>With the release of Roberts’ majority opinion in King and the opinion on same-sex marriage the next day, alarm bells were sounding on the American right, with the chief justice bearing the brunt of the <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2015/06/25/quotes-of-the-day-2124/" type="external">opprobrium</a>.</p>
<p>“Roberts = Souter,” tweeted campaign consultant Matt Mackowiak, founder of the ultra-right Potomac Strategy Group, referring to former Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a Republican appointee who compiled a surprisingly moderate record during his tenure on the bench.</p>
<p>Roberts “is now just the water boy for the welfare state,” tweeted the unremittingly hysterical Fox News host <a href="http://www.alternet.org/giant-step-toward-banana-republic-conservative-media-react-supreme-courts-health-care-decision" type="external">Andrea Tantaros</a>, ratcheting up the heat another notch.</p>
<p>Extending the metaphorical social-media lynching of Roberts still further, Fox Business Network anchor Charles Payne bloviated in his tweet of the day that the King ruling was “another giant step toward Banana Republic.” Although unspecified, Payne clearly had in mind the form of government at one time prevalent in Latin America, not the retail clothing chain.</p>
<p>And not to be outdone, Presidential candidate Ted Cruz—the Texas senator whom I have sometimes compared in <a href="https://twitter.com/BlumsLaw" type="external">my own Twitter account</a> to the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., in both physical appearance and vitriolic rhetoric— <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/420409/ted-cruz-supreme-court-constitutional-amendment" type="external">called</a>for a constitutional amendment that would subject Supreme Court justices to periodic judicial-retention elections in order to “restore the rule of law.”</p>
<p>The reality, of course, is that Roberts is neither the second coming of David Souter nor, even more so, Earl Warren. With few exceptions—notably, the King decision and last year’s unanimous ruling in <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/13pdf/13-132_8l9c.pdf" type="external">Riley v. California</a>that shielded arrestees from warrantless searches of their cellphones—Roberts is what he has always been: a reliable conservative who nearly always votes in line with his backward-looking brethren Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. In fact, according to the statistics compiled by <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/statistics/" type="external">Scotusblog.com</a>, Roberts voted in agreement with Scalia during the current term at an 83 percent clip, higher than his agreement rate with any other member of the panel.</p>
<p>Any question as to Roberts’ right-wing bona fides were laid to rest June 26 with his dissenting opinion in the court’s landmark 5-4 ruling on gay marriage, <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-556_3204.pdf" type="external">Obergefell v. Hodges</a>. Penning a dissent, Roberts channeled his own version of Ted Cruz, condemning the Obergefell majority’s endorsement of same-sex marriage as an outrageous form of judicial activism, arguing:</p>
<p>“As a result [of the majority ruling], the Court invalidates the marriage laws of more than half the States and orders the transformation of a social institution that has formed the basis of human society for millennia, for the Kalahari Bushmen and the Han Chinese, the Carthaginians and the Aztecs. Just who do we think we are?”</p>
<p>Coming from the justice who just two years earlier had produced the majority opinion in <a href="http://www2.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/Shelby_Cnty_v_Holder_No_1296_2013_BL_167707_US_June_25_2013_Court" type="external">Shelby County v. Holder</a> that gutted the Voting Rights Act, such words rang hollow and hypocritical.</p>
<p>True to his usual form, on June 29, the last decision day of the current term, Roberts concurred in two conservative 5-4 opinions: a death-penalty ruling <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-7955_aplc.pdf" type="external">(Glossip v. Gross)</a> written by Alito that upheld Oklahoma’s lethal injection procedure; and an environmental opinion <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-46_10n2.pdf" type="external">(Michigan v. EPA)</a> by Scalia that overturned restrictions placed on the emission of hazardous pollutants from coal-based power plants.</p>
<p>Roberts also voted in the minority on the last day in a liberal 5-4 decision written by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/13-1314_kjfl.pdf" type="external">(Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission)</a>that upheld the creation of a redistricting agency in Arizona.</p>
<p>In the future, there is no reason not to expect more of the same from the chief.</p>
<p>2. Justice Anthony Kennedy remains the court’s swing vote, but he is at best a moderate.</p>
<p>Long recognized as the court’s pivotal member in close high-profile cases, Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in Obergefell. Earning well-deserved praise for his opinion not just from the LGBT community but broadly from all those who believe the Constitution was designed to protect an evolving rather than fixed set of social values, Kennedy wrote that couples seeking to wed have a fundamental right to “equal dignity in the eyes of the law” that only marriage can bestow. As historic as the Obergefell ruling is, however, it is also modest from a technical legal standpoint. In particular, Kennedy stopped short of holding that sexual orientation generally–like race, national origin or religious affiliation–is what is termed in constitutional law a “suspect classification” entitled the highest degree of judicial protection. To withstand court challenges, laws and governmental practices that discriminate against people who fall within such classifications must pass an exacting “heightened scrutiny” test, under which it must be shown that the laws and practices under review not only further a “compelling state interest” but that they are narrowly tailored to achieve that interest.</p>
<p>Writing in <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/26/same-sex-marriage-court-cases-lgbt-rights" type="external">The Guardian</a> last Friday, columnist Scott Lemieux contended that: “The refusal to define sexual orientation as subject to heightened scrutiny will lead to unnecessary confusion, and possibly permit federal and state judges to deny LBGT rights claims [in other contexts] that even Kennedy might think should be upheld.”</p>
<p>As Lemieux notes, “LGBT people face many other types of discrimination — in public accommodations and in employment, for example — that now may have to be fought out case by never-ending case in the lower courts.” Although federal civil rights statutes dealing with accommodations and employment do not specifically refer to sexual orientation, a pronouncement from the Supreme Court conferring suspect classification status on sexual orientation would greatly assist those future legal struggles.</p>
<p>Kennedy’s moderate and cautious stance was also evident in last week’s other 5-4 liberal triumph on discrimination under the federal <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/13-1371_m64o.pdf" type="external">Fair Housing Act</a>. Writing again for the majority, Kennedy held that claims of housing and mortgage-lending discrimination could be based on a showing that established policies had an adverse disparate impact on minorities and that discriminatory intent need not be shown. The court majority nonetheless placed <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/2015/06/disparate-impact-claims-survive-challenge-in-plain-english/" type="external">new procedural limits</a> on when and how disparate-impact claims may be brought.</p>
<p>It should also be remembered that Kennedy’s penchant for swinging goes both ways. In 2010, Kennedy crafted the majority opinion in <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-205.pdf" type="external">Citizens United</a>. And in 2012, he wrote another important 5-4 majority conservative opinion <a href="http://www2.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/FLORENCE_v_BOARD_OF_CHOSEN_FREEHOLDERS_No_10945_2012_BL_78215_US_%20" type="external">(Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders)</a> upholding routine strip searches of all persons detained and admitted to general jail populations, even those arrested on minor traffic violations who are not suspected of harboring contraband.3. Has the court actually moved to the left, or have conservatives overreached?</p>
<p>Amid the headlines trumpeting the court’s tilt to the left, a more thoughtful alternative narrative is emerging that asserts conservatives are losing more big cases because they are pushing meritless claims up the judicial ladder. “While the justices may have shifted their views in some instances,” Dartmouth government professor Brendan Nyhan reasoned in a June 25 <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/26/upshot/supreme-court-liberal-drift-v-conservative-overreach.html?abt=0002&amp;abg=0&amp;_r=0" type="external">New York Times article</a>, “it’s also possible that the types of cases the court is deciding have shifted.”</p>
<p>As Nyhan and other analysts, including University of California Irvine law professor Rick Hasen, see things, conservative lawyers have become so emboldened by their recent high-court victories in areas ranging from the Second Amendment to voting rights and campaign finance, they are gambling more often than in the past that the court will continue to rule in their favor, even on patently weak claims. And while they sometimes secure enough votes to get their cases reviewed — only four affirmative votes from the justices are needed to grant review—prevailing on the merits is another matter.</p>
<p>The Obamacare decision in King v. Burwell is a prime example. Widely panned as a legal long shot when it began, the case contested language buried deep within Section 1311 of the massive Affordable Care Act about the availability of federal income tax subsidies to low-income purchasers of health insurance.</p>
<p>The right-wing activist attorneys who prosecuted the case argued that four words in Section 1311—“established by the state”—meant that subsidies were available only to residents of states that had created their own marketplace insurance exchanges. Never mind, they insisted, that the remainder of the law required the federal government to provide an exchange if a state refused to establish one on its own.</p>
<p>Writing for a 6-3 majority that included Justice Kennedy, who had voted to <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/11-393" type="external">strike down the ACA’s individual mandate in 2012</a>, Chief Justice Roberts did what any judge who had not taken complete leave of his common sense would do: He read Section 1311 in the context of the entire act and concluded that tax subsidies must be made available nationwide to those eligible.</p>
<p>Despite the drubbing they received in King, right-wing groups are sponsoring <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/other-legal-challenges-health-overhaul-153350237.html?soc_src=mail&amp;soc_trk=ma" type="external">additional legal challenges</a> to Obamacare. These include one filed by House Republicans that I have previously <a href="" type="internal">reviewed in this column</a>, which asserts that that the Obama administration has illegally remitted funds to insurance companies to reimburse them for offering lower coverage rates to poor people.</p>
<p>Even in front of a conservative court, such cases will continue to run aground.</p>
<p>4. In the current term’s biggest cases on Obamacare and same-sex marriage, Justices Scalia, Thomas and Alito were the biggest losers.</p>
<p>Whether it is the court as a whole that has drifted leftward or the far-fetched nature of some of the cases that explains the drift, at least three members of the panel—the unholy trinity of Scalia, Thomas and Alito—have remained entirely unmoved. In the term’s biggest cases, they were increasingly isolated, intemperate, ineffectual and unprofessional.</p>
<p>Dissenting in King, on behalf of himself, Alito and Thomas, an exasperated Scalia fulminated, “Words no longer have meaning if an exchange that is not established by a state is ‘established by the State.’&#160;” The majority’s holding to the contrary, he scolded, was little more than “interpretive jiggery-pokery.” Seemingly at his wit’s end, sounding thoroughly beaten, he suggested the Affordable Care Act be renamed “SCOTUScare.”</p>
<p>In Obergefell, all three arch-conservatives wrote <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/us/2014-term-supreme-court-decision-same-sex-marriage.html?_r=0" type="external">separate dissents</a>, along with Roberts. In his, Scalia branded the court’s majority opinion on gay marriage as “a naked judicial claim to legislative—indeed, super-legislative—power.” Lamenting the end of federalism and states’ rights, he charged that “[a] system of government that makes the People subordinate to a committee of nine unelected lawyers does not deserve to be called a democracy.”</p>
<p>And, he added for spite and good measure: “Who ever thought that intimacy and spirituality [whatever that means] were freedoms? And if intimacy is, one would think Freedom of Intimacy is abridged rather than expanded by marriage. Ask the nearest hippie.” Under the majority’s tutelage, he wrote in a pithy footnote, “The Supreme Court of the United States has descended from the disciplined legal reasoning of John Marshall and Joseph Story to the mystical aphorisms of a fortune cookie.”</p>
<p>Reaching for the same hyperdrama in their dissents, Thomas cited legal history all the way back to the Magna Carta to demonstrate that the court had eroded the basic concept of human liberty, while Alito warned that same-sex marriage rights would be used to “vilify Americans who are unwilling to assent to the new orthodoxy.”</p>
<p>Will the trend continue in the coming years? Unless the 79-year-old Scalia, the leader of the pack, retires — perhaps to launch a new career in standup comedy or host his own regularly scheduled mad half-hour on Fox News — you can count on it.</p>
<p>5. The court remains in play for the coming presidential elections.</p>
<p>Some justices may be more brazenly partisan than others, but from the founding of the republic, everyone elevated to the nation’s highest court has been a political actor. And for the most part, with exceptions like Souter and Warren and Roberts on Obamacare, the justices have reflected the politics of the presidents who appointed them.</p>
<p>It should come as no surprise, then, that the major-party presidential hopefuls–from Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders to Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush–are talking about the kind of judges they would nominate to sit alongside Roberts. It would be nice, if only for a refreshing change, to have a presidential campaign that didn’t frame the court’s future as a central issue. Regrettably, we don’t live in that sort of nice society. Once again, the court will be front and center as we head to the polls next year.</p>
<p>So get used to it. For better or worse, you’ll be hearing a lot more about the nine men and women who head this country’s third branch of government as we move along.</p>
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<p>A New Mexico State University student from El Paso was rushed to a hospital emergency room for alcohol poisoning last week, and 10 teenage students were criminally cited for drunkenness on campus in just the first week of school, the <a href="http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_15885393" type="external">Las Cruces Sun-News</a> reported.</p>
<p>The hospitalization occurred just after 2 a.m. Aug. 17 at Chamisa Village, after the El Paso girl’s roommate called 911, and the girl told police in the emergency room that she’d had seven or eight shots of vodka and rum, though she couldn’t say where the drinking took place and couldn’t remember her Social Security number, according to campus police reports.</p>
<p>Another student from Las Cruces also was taken to Memorial Medical Center after being found bloodied and scraped on the morning of Aug. 18 after he allegedly jumped a wall at the campus Natatorium, the Sun-News said.</p>
<p>In another incident, an 18-year-old student from Mescalero was cited on Aug. 17 after dorm workers saw him urinating near a soda machine in Garcia Hall, and the same student was cited again last Saturday night after telling police he’d drunk “one and a half bottles of Bacardi at a party at a different residence hall,” police reports said.</p>
<p>NMSU Deputy Police Chief Stephen Lopez, who also teaches classes on alcohol and drug abuse, told the Sun-News that such over-indulgence spikes on campus at this time of the school year.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“Unfortunately, some of them kind of over-celebrate their freedom from home in the first few weeks and haven’t quite learned to manage themselves,” Lopez told the paper. “This is a pattern that is not out of the norm.”</p>
<p>In all 10 of the most recent incidents, the students who were cited were drinking in campus dormitories and not in any of the school’s fraternities or sororities, according to the Sun-News.</p>
<p>Two NMSU students died from alcohol poisoning during the 2004-2005 school year — one, a fraternity member, fell into a coma after being served 10 to 15 drinks at a local bar on his 21st birthday, the paper reported.</p>
<p>Four months later, another young man died after celebrating his 22nd birthday with a blood-alcohol level of 0.459, the Sun-News said.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
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6:05am — NMSU Student Hospitalized After Drinking
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https://abqjournal.com/9023/605am-nmsu-student-hospitalized-after-drinking.html
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6:05am — NMSU Student Hospitalized After Drinking
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>A New Mexico State University student from El Paso was rushed to a hospital emergency room for alcohol poisoning last week, and 10 teenage students were criminally cited for drunkenness on campus in just the first week of school, the <a href="http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_15885393" type="external">Las Cruces Sun-News</a> reported.</p>
<p>The hospitalization occurred just after 2 a.m. Aug. 17 at Chamisa Village, after the El Paso girl’s roommate called 911, and the girl told police in the emergency room that she’d had seven or eight shots of vodka and rum, though she couldn’t say where the drinking took place and couldn’t remember her Social Security number, according to campus police reports.</p>
<p>Another student from Las Cruces also was taken to Memorial Medical Center after being found bloodied and scraped on the morning of Aug. 18 after he allegedly jumped a wall at the campus Natatorium, the Sun-News said.</p>
<p>In another incident, an 18-year-old student from Mescalero was cited on Aug. 17 after dorm workers saw him urinating near a soda machine in Garcia Hall, and the same student was cited again last Saturday night after telling police he’d drunk “one and a half bottles of Bacardi at a party at a different residence hall,” police reports said.</p>
<p>NMSU Deputy Police Chief Stephen Lopez, who also teaches classes on alcohol and drug abuse, told the Sun-News that such over-indulgence spikes on campus at this time of the school year.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“Unfortunately, some of them kind of over-celebrate their freedom from home in the first few weeks and haven’t quite learned to manage themselves,” Lopez told the paper. “This is a pattern that is not out of the norm.”</p>
<p>In all 10 of the most recent incidents, the students who were cited were drinking in campus dormitories and not in any of the school’s fraternities or sororities, according to the Sun-News.</p>
<p>Two NMSU students died from alcohol poisoning during the 2004-2005 school year — one, a fraternity member, fell into a coma after being served 10 to 15 drinks at a local bar on his 21st birthday, the paper reported.</p>
<p>Four months later, another young man died after celebrating his 22nd birthday with a blood-alcohol level of 0.459, the Sun-News said.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
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<p>An off-the-cuff remark&#160;made by President Trump about the tragic fate of former American captive Otto Warmbier <a href="http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2017/06/19/donald-trump-otto-warmbier-at-least-he-got-home-his-parents/410190001/" type="external">sounded oddly satisfied that his administration</a> “got him home,” saying of North Korea “we’ll be able to handle it.:</p>
<p>“At least we got him home to be with his parents where they were so happy to see him even though he was in very tough condition,” President Donald Trump said&#160;before a meeting of CEOs in the tech industry. Warmbier was returned from his imprisonment in North Korea&#160;last week, when his family learned that Warmbier had been in a coma since March 2016.</p>
<p>“A lot of bad things happened…” Trump said. “It is a brutal regime and we’ll be able to handle it.”</p>
<p>The bizarrely optimistic comment came on the same day that Warmbier died less than a week after returning home in what doctors called “unresponsive wakefulness.”</p>
<p>As often happens with the president, his spoken comments drastically contrast in style and tone with the official written statement released by the White House:</p>
<p>“Melania and I offer our deepest condolences to the family of Otto Warmbier on his untimely passing. There is nothing more tragic than for a parent to lose a child in the prime of life. Our thoughts and prayers are with Otto’s family and friends, and all who loved him.</p>
<p>“Otto’s fate deepens my administration’s determination to prevent such tragedies from befalling innocent people at the hands of regimes that do not respect the rule of law or basic human decency. The United States once again condemns the brutality of the North Korean regime as we mourn its latest victim.”</p>
<p>Warmbier had been abducted by North Korean officials while traveling through the country as part of a student study abroad program, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/06/19/otto-warmbier-dies-days-after-release-from-north-korean-detainment/?utm_term=.57b7ba8fed26" type="external">where he was sentenced to 15 years hard labor</a> for allegedly stealing a pro-Kim Jong Un&#160;propaganda poster off a wall.</p>
<p>Nathan Wellman is a Los Angeles-based journalist, author, and playwright. His less-political Youtube channel&#160; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgTX2M68DdRvR5Jd2YHEH7A" type="external">can be found here</a>.&#160;Follow him on Twitter: @LightningWOW</p>
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This Is What Trump Just Said After North Korea Killed An American Citizen
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http://resistancereport.com/news/trump-just-said-north-korea-killed-american/
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2017-06-19
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This Is What Trump Just Said After North Korea Killed An American Citizen
<p>An off-the-cuff remark&#160;made by President Trump about the tragic fate of former American captive Otto Warmbier <a href="http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2017/06/19/donald-trump-otto-warmbier-at-least-he-got-home-his-parents/410190001/" type="external">sounded oddly satisfied that his administration</a> “got him home,” saying of North Korea “we’ll be able to handle it.:</p>
<p>“At least we got him home to be with his parents where they were so happy to see him even though he was in very tough condition,” President Donald Trump said&#160;before a meeting of CEOs in the tech industry. Warmbier was returned from his imprisonment in North Korea&#160;last week, when his family learned that Warmbier had been in a coma since March 2016.</p>
<p>“A lot of bad things happened…” Trump said. “It is a brutal regime and we’ll be able to handle it.”</p>
<p>The bizarrely optimistic comment came on the same day that Warmbier died less than a week after returning home in what doctors called “unresponsive wakefulness.”</p>
<p>As often happens with the president, his spoken comments drastically contrast in style and tone with the official written statement released by the White House:</p>
<p>“Melania and I offer our deepest condolences to the family of Otto Warmbier on his untimely passing. There is nothing more tragic than for a parent to lose a child in the prime of life. Our thoughts and prayers are with Otto’s family and friends, and all who loved him.</p>
<p>“Otto’s fate deepens my administration’s determination to prevent such tragedies from befalling innocent people at the hands of regimes that do not respect the rule of law or basic human decency. The United States once again condemns the brutality of the North Korean regime as we mourn its latest victim.”</p>
<p>Warmbier had been abducted by North Korean officials while traveling through the country as part of a student study abroad program, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/06/19/otto-warmbier-dies-days-after-release-from-north-korean-detainment/?utm_term=.57b7ba8fed26" type="external">where he was sentenced to 15 years hard labor</a> for allegedly stealing a pro-Kim Jong Un&#160;propaganda poster off a wall.</p>
<p>Nathan Wellman is a Los Angeles-based journalist, author, and playwright. His less-political Youtube channel&#160; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgTX2M68DdRvR5Jd2YHEH7A" type="external">can be found here</a>.&#160;Follow him on Twitter: @LightningWOW</p>
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<p>BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ These Louisiana lotteries were drawn Saturday:</p>
<p>Easy 5</p>
<p>12-20-27-36-37</p>
<p>(twelve, twenty, twenty-seven, thirty-six, thirty-seven)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $70,000</p>
<p>Lotto</p>
<p>06-31-34-35-36-37</p>
<p>(six, thirty-one, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $475,000</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $50 million</p>
<p>Pick 3</p>
<p>1-2-8</p>
<p>(one, two, eight)</p>
<p>Pick 4</p>
<p>0-0-9-3</p>
<p>(zero, zero, nine, three)</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>14-25-35-58-69, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 2</p>
<p>(fourteen, twenty-five, thirty-five, fifty-eight, sixty-nine; Powerball: twenty-four; Power Play: two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $50 million</p>
<p>BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ These Louisiana lotteries were drawn Saturday:</p>
<p>Easy 5</p>
<p>12-20-27-36-37</p>
<p>(twelve, twenty, twenty-seven, thirty-six, thirty-seven)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $70,000</p>
<p>Lotto</p>
<p>06-31-34-35-36-37</p>
<p>(six, thirty-one, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $475,000</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $50 million</p>
<p>Pick 3</p>
<p>1-2-8</p>
<p>(one, two, eight)</p>
<p>Pick 4</p>
<p>0-0-9-3</p>
<p>(zero, zero, nine, three)</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>14-25-35-58-69, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 2</p>
<p>(fourteen, twenty-five, thirty-five, fifty-eight, sixty-nine; Powerball: twenty-four; Power Play: two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $50 million</p>
|
LA Lottery
| false |
https://apnews.com/amp/45cb611fb06145b495c3ba8c7689609c
|
2018-01-14
| 2least
|
LA Lottery
<p>BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ These Louisiana lotteries were drawn Saturday:</p>
<p>Easy 5</p>
<p>12-20-27-36-37</p>
<p>(twelve, twenty, twenty-seven, thirty-six, thirty-seven)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $70,000</p>
<p>Lotto</p>
<p>06-31-34-35-36-37</p>
<p>(six, thirty-one, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $475,000</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $50 million</p>
<p>Pick 3</p>
<p>1-2-8</p>
<p>(one, two, eight)</p>
<p>Pick 4</p>
<p>0-0-9-3</p>
<p>(zero, zero, nine, three)</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>14-25-35-58-69, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 2</p>
<p>(fourteen, twenty-five, thirty-five, fifty-eight, sixty-nine; Powerball: twenty-four; Power Play: two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $50 million</p>
<p>BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) _ These Louisiana lotteries were drawn Saturday:</p>
<p>Easy 5</p>
<p>12-20-27-36-37</p>
<p>(twelve, twenty, twenty-seven, thirty-six, thirty-seven)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $70,000</p>
<p>Lotto</p>
<p>06-31-34-35-36-37</p>
<p>(six, thirty-one, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $475,000</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $50 million</p>
<p>Pick 3</p>
<p>1-2-8</p>
<p>(one, two, eight)</p>
<p>Pick 4</p>
<p>0-0-9-3</p>
<p>(zero, zero, nine, three)</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>14-25-35-58-69, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 2</p>
<p>(fourteen, twenty-five, thirty-five, fifty-eight, sixty-nine; Powerball: twenty-four; Power Play: two)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $50 million</p>
| 7,944 |
<p>Mohamed Elmeshad is an independent journalist based in Cairo and former reporter for Al-Masry Al-Youm's&#160; Egypt Independent. He graduated in 2006 with a B.S. in Economics and a Minor in Journalism from the George Washington University.&#160; He worked in Benin as a Peace Corps Volunteer between 2006-2008 where he focused on Small Enterprise Development and other educational projects.&#160; This was followed by two years as a Corporate Analyst at a Private Equity firm in Bahrain.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p /> JESSICA DESVARIEUX, TRNN PRODUCER: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Jessica Desvarieux in Baltimore.
<p />
<p />On Tuesday, Egyptian police raided a Cairo Islamist stronghold looking for suspects in the killing of five policemen. And the day before, an Egyptian court ordered a ban on all Muslim Brotherhood activities and froze its assets. This is the latest push against the Brotherhood since the ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
<p />
<p />Now joining us to discuss all this is Mohamed Elmeshad. He is a Cairo-based independent journalist who wrote for Egypt Independent.
<p />
<p />Thanks for being with us, Mohamed.
<p />
<p />MOHAMED ELMESHAD, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST: Thanks, Jessica.
<p />
<p />DESVARIEUX: So, Mohamed, we have dozens of Muslim Brotherhood senior figures who have been detained for inciting violence, and we have hundreds of people who've demanded Morsi's reinstatement, most of them Brotherhood members who have been killed in clashes with security forces, and they've been portraying this crackdown as being against terrorism. Now with this latest ban on the Muslim Brotherhood, does this really come as much of a surprise for you?
<p />
<p />ELMESHAD: Well, no, Jessica. To be honest, I was waiting for when this would happen. However, this ban, I mean, you need to look at it more closely, because it seems like from a lot of perspectives, including very anti-Muslim Brotherhood perspectives, that legally it probably won't stand the test of time, I mean, won't stand at least a bunch of legal tests. [incompr.] the very prominent constitutional judge, came out yesterday--very prominent, actually, old-school constitutional judge who is very anti-Muslim Brotherhood--came and said that he doesn't know how this court thought it had the jurisdiction to actually issue this ban, and he thinks that it will be canceled, it will be annulled, the ruling.
<p />
<p />However, looking at, actually, the general trajectory of things, it's not surprising at all that the Muslim Brotherhood would be banned, there would be an attempt to ban them to juridically, because what's one of the first things that the interim prime minister said is that--Hazem Al Beblawi, is that along with the minister of social solidarity, which looks into the NGO statuses in general, they would review the legal status of the Muslim Brotherhood, which we have to remember was only existent for about a year. They only registered as a legal entity last year. They have been an illegal entity for over the past--around 60 years, since 1954, some say since 1949, when it's founder, Hassan al-Banna, was shot.
<p />
<p />DESVARIEUX: So you're saying that they were already considered to be illegal. So this decision, do you think it's going to really weigh in on this whole political debate happening in this country? Is this going to further polarize the two sides?
<p />
<p />ELMESHAD: Well, the point was they were considered illegal before the past year. What happened since the Revolution, since the January&#160;25 Revolution, was that the Brotherhood were trying to establish themselves legally. So initially what happened was they formed the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is the Freedom and Justice Party, which they insist is not officially attached to the Brotherhood and which their leaders say shouldn't even be considered as part of this ruling. And then they instated themselves as a civil society group, an NGO. And that's where the ruling comes in is that these groups, which--Egypt has one of the most stringent NGO laws in the Middle East. They're not allowed to have any sort of political affiliation. And there's also a lot of regulations that have to do with the funding. So they claim that this group is engaged in politics.
<p />
<p />As for the polarization, the polarization is increasing outside of all of this, outside of all of the legal proceedings. If you--a quick look at the meeting has--and if you look at any sort of private station, on the top left or right corner of any screen you'll see, in English letters, usually, Egypt fighting terrorism. The narrative being portrayed in almost all media outlets, all sanctioned media outlets, is that that the Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist organization and that what's happening now is a struggle for the identity of what it is to be Egyptian. And if you look at the majority of the media outlets, it's that the Brotherhood and its members at its supporters are not Egyptian. And so the level of--like, the grassroots polarization is happening on a totally different--sort of using completely different schematics.
<p />
<p />As for, you know, whether or not their legal status will affect their position, I mean, I don't think [incompr.] they've been illegal for the past--like we were saying, for over 60 years, and its members are used to working in the shadows. They actually--you know, arguably, that's when they thrive and that's when they garner the most amount of political support. So maybe it'll increase sympathy.
<p />
<p />But I doubt that people in general, I doubt that the streets in general are at a point where they're sympathizing for the Brotherhood because of their legal status. I think any sympathy they're gaining or any of the polarization is whether or not the crackdowns that are happening against its members and whether or not the killings that happened in the streets were sanctioned, were in any way in tune with the basic human rights that we hope would have been more fine-tuned in the Egyptian police force over the past period but were obviously not. So that's where I think the streets and activists are getting polarized.
<p />
<p />DESVARIEUX: Okay. Just really quickly, Mohamed, do you see the majority of Egyptians actually backing the military in all of this? Are they buying this what you called propaganda that the Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist organization and things of that nature? What do you make of all that?
<p />
<p />ELMESHAD: Well, what I make of it is--I mean, this will take, like, more of a psychoanalyst. But I think that Egyptians now are actually grappling with this concept of fear and this fear of the unknown and where we're going as a country. If you see--the Columbia University study showed Egypt as one of the most unhappiest countries in the world. I think they rank, like, 130 out of 150. So this concept of, like, a sort of a downward spiral--the economy has been in shambles, hasn't looked up at all since 2011. The, I mean, politics, we all see what's happening in politics, the divisions. Morsi--the Muslim Brotherhood had a heavy hand in promoting sort of sectarianism. Morsi allied himself with groups that have actually terrorized (in ways that they admitted) the Egyptians over the past few years.
<p />
<p />So the immediate aftereffect of Morsi's overthrow and the demonstrations that happened indicate that yes, Egyptians are buying into the military narrative and the narrative that what's happening now is for the best of the country, is for the betterment of the country and for national unity. However, as time progressives, you see a lot of the people who want Morsi out, a lot of the activists--I wouldn't say on a grassroots level, but a lot of the activists are starting to come out and speak about how this actually--this negates everything that Egypt and many of the people who engaged in the January Revolution were fighting for, which is basic human rights for all, which is a more inclusive method of engaging in politics.
<p />
<p />DESVARIEUX: Okay, just hang tight. We're going to have an extended version of this interview if our viewers are interested in watching it, and we'll be talking about the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Qatar in all of this and get into, of course, more American foreign policy.
<p />
<p />Thank you so much for joining us, Mohamed.
<p />
<p />ELMESHAD: Thank you, Jessica.
<p />
<p />DESVARIEUX: And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.
<p />
<p />End
<p />
<p />DISCLAIMER: Please note that transcripts for The Real News Network are typed from a recording of the program. TRNN cannot guarantee their complete accuracy.
|
Military Sells Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organization to Public Pt.1
| true |
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D31%26Itemid%3D74%26jumival%3D10771
|
2013-09-23
| 4left
|
Military Sells Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organization to Public Pt.1
<p>Mohamed Elmeshad is an independent journalist based in Cairo and former reporter for Al-Masry Al-Youm's&#160; Egypt Independent. He graduated in 2006 with a B.S. in Economics and a Minor in Journalism from the George Washington University.&#160; He worked in Benin as a Peace Corps Volunteer between 2006-2008 where he focused on Small Enterprise Development and other educational projects.&#160; This was followed by two years as a Corporate Analyst at a Private Equity firm in Bahrain.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p /> JESSICA DESVARIEUX, TRNN PRODUCER: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Jessica Desvarieux in Baltimore.
<p />
<p />On Tuesday, Egyptian police raided a Cairo Islamist stronghold looking for suspects in the killing of five policemen. And the day before, an Egyptian court ordered a ban on all Muslim Brotherhood activities and froze its assets. This is the latest push against the Brotherhood since the ouster of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
<p />
<p />Now joining us to discuss all this is Mohamed Elmeshad. He is a Cairo-based independent journalist who wrote for Egypt Independent.
<p />
<p />Thanks for being with us, Mohamed.
<p />
<p />MOHAMED ELMESHAD, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST: Thanks, Jessica.
<p />
<p />DESVARIEUX: So, Mohamed, we have dozens of Muslim Brotherhood senior figures who have been detained for inciting violence, and we have hundreds of people who've demanded Morsi's reinstatement, most of them Brotherhood members who have been killed in clashes with security forces, and they've been portraying this crackdown as being against terrorism. Now with this latest ban on the Muslim Brotherhood, does this really come as much of a surprise for you?
<p />
<p />ELMESHAD: Well, no, Jessica. To be honest, I was waiting for when this would happen. However, this ban, I mean, you need to look at it more closely, because it seems like from a lot of perspectives, including very anti-Muslim Brotherhood perspectives, that legally it probably won't stand the test of time, I mean, won't stand at least a bunch of legal tests. [incompr.] the very prominent constitutional judge, came out yesterday--very prominent, actually, old-school constitutional judge who is very anti-Muslim Brotherhood--came and said that he doesn't know how this court thought it had the jurisdiction to actually issue this ban, and he thinks that it will be canceled, it will be annulled, the ruling.
<p />
<p />However, looking at, actually, the general trajectory of things, it's not surprising at all that the Muslim Brotherhood would be banned, there would be an attempt to ban them to juridically, because what's one of the first things that the interim prime minister said is that--Hazem Al Beblawi, is that along with the minister of social solidarity, which looks into the NGO statuses in general, they would review the legal status of the Muslim Brotherhood, which we have to remember was only existent for about a year. They only registered as a legal entity last year. They have been an illegal entity for over the past--around 60 years, since 1954, some say since 1949, when it's founder, Hassan al-Banna, was shot.
<p />
<p />DESVARIEUX: So you're saying that they were already considered to be illegal. So this decision, do you think it's going to really weigh in on this whole political debate happening in this country? Is this going to further polarize the two sides?
<p />
<p />ELMESHAD: Well, the point was they were considered illegal before the past year. What happened since the Revolution, since the January&#160;25 Revolution, was that the Brotherhood were trying to establish themselves legally. So initially what happened was they formed the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is the Freedom and Justice Party, which they insist is not officially attached to the Brotherhood and which their leaders say shouldn't even be considered as part of this ruling. And then they instated themselves as a civil society group, an NGO. And that's where the ruling comes in is that these groups, which--Egypt has one of the most stringent NGO laws in the Middle East. They're not allowed to have any sort of political affiliation. And there's also a lot of regulations that have to do with the funding. So they claim that this group is engaged in politics.
<p />
<p />As for the polarization, the polarization is increasing outside of all of this, outside of all of the legal proceedings. If you--a quick look at the meeting has--and if you look at any sort of private station, on the top left or right corner of any screen you'll see, in English letters, usually, Egypt fighting terrorism. The narrative being portrayed in almost all media outlets, all sanctioned media outlets, is that that the Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist organization and that what's happening now is a struggle for the identity of what it is to be Egyptian. And if you look at the majority of the media outlets, it's that the Brotherhood and its members at its supporters are not Egyptian. And so the level of--like, the grassroots polarization is happening on a totally different--sort of using completely different schematics.
<p />
<p />As for, you know, whether or not their legal status will affect their position, I mean, I don't think [incompr.] they've been illegal for the past--like we were saying, for over 60 years, and its members are used to working in the shadows. They actually--you know, arguably, that's when they thrive and that's when they garner the most amount of political support. So maybe it'll increase sympathy.
<p />
<p />But I doubt that people in general, I doubt that the streets in general are at a point where they're sympathizing for the Brotherhood because of their legal status. I think any sympathy they're gaining or any of the polarization is whether or not the crackdowns that are happening against its members and whether or not the killings that happened in the streets were sanctioned, were in any way in tune with the basic human rights that we hope would have been more fine-tuned in the Egyptian police force over the past period but were obviously not. So that's where I think the streets and activists are getting polarized.
<p />
<p />DESVARIEUX: Okay. Just really quickly, Mohamed, do you see the majority of Egyptians actually backing the military in all of this? Are they buying this what you called propaganda that the Muslim Brotherhood is a terrorist organization and things of that nature? What do you make of all that?
<p />
<p />ELMESHAD: Well, what I make of it is--I mean, this will take, like, more of a psychoanalyst. But I think that Egyptians now are actually grappling with this concept of fear and this fear of the unknown and where we're going as a country. If you see--the Columbia University study showed Egypt as one of the most unhappiest countries in the world. I think they rank, like, 130 out of 150. So this concept of, like, a sort of a downward spiral--the economy has been in shambles, hasn't looked up at all since 2011. The, I mean, politics, we all see what's happening in politics, the divisions. Morsi--the Muslim Brotherhood had a heavy hand in promoting sort of sectarianism. Morsi allied himself with groups that have actually terrorized (in ways that they admitted) the Egyptians over the past few years.
<p />
<p />So the immediate aftereffect of Morsi's overthrow and the demonstrations that happened indicate that yes, Egyptians are buying into the military narrative and the narrative that what's happening now is for the best of the country, is for the betterment of the country and for national unity. However, as time progressives, you see a lot of the people who want Morsi out, a lot of the activists--I wouldn't say on a grassroots level, but a lot of the activists are starting to come out and speak about how this actually--this negates everything that Egypt and many of the people who engaged in the January Revolution were fighting for, which is basic human rights for all, which is a more inclusive method of engaging in politics.
<p />
<p />DESVARIEUX: Okay, just hang tight. We're going to have an extended version of this interview if our viewers are interested in watching it, and we'll be talking about the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Qatar in all of this and get into, of course, more American foreign policy.
<p />
<p />Thank you so much for joining us, Mohamed.
<p />
<p />ELMESHAD: Thank you, Jessica.
<p />
<p />DESVARIEUX: And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.
<p />
<p />End
<p />
<p />DISCLAIMER: Please note that transcripts for The Real News Network are typed from a recording of the program. TRNN cannot guarantee their complete accuracy.
| 7,945 |
<p>As expected, Navy veteran and congressional candidate, Jorge Bonilla, absolutely destroyed his Republican opponent, Peter Vivaldi, at the first forum between candidates in FL-CD 9’s Republican congressional primary race.</p>
<p>Bonilla’s answers were detailed, substantive, and direct, while Vivaldi spoke in general terms, talking points, and even tip-toed around directly answering a few questions.</p>
<p>One attendee of the forum pointed out that Vivaldi failed to state whether not he supported immigration reform, but did admit that he did go to Washington, D.C. to lobby for the controversial Senate immigration reform bill.</p>
<p>Vivaldi has publicly stated his support for the “Gang of 8” amnesty-lite immigration bill, and is also a member of NALEC, a Hispanic organization that promotes and supports amnesty for illegal immigrants.</p>
<p>The contrast between the two men was stunning. It was clear from the onset to the attendees we spoke to after the forum, that Bonilla had superior command over the issues, while Vivaldi was relegated to agreeing with Bonilla’s responses to the questions.</p>
<p>But anyone who knows Vivaldi is not surprised by his lackluster performance. This is the same guy who side with Obama when he stated that the the NSA and IRS scandals are just “smoke and mirrors.” <a href="" type="internal">Read that story here.</a></p>
<p>Meanwhile, Carol Platt, who is also running in against Vivaldi and Bonilla, failed to appear to the forum.</p>
<p>Platt told the forum organizer that she had a prior commitment that prevented her from attending, but the organizer divulged the dirty little truth that Platt had earlier told him that her consultants suggested to her not to debate, or attend forums until after the qualifying date.</p>
<p>The winner of this GOP primary will face off against liberal Democrat Congressman Alan Grayson.</p>
<p />
<p />
|
Bonilla Crushes Republican Opponent In First GOP Forum
| true |
http://shark-tank.com/2014/03/19/bonilla-crushes-republican-opponent-in-first-gop-forum/
| 0right
|
Bonilla Crushes Republican Opponent In First GOP Forum
<p>As expected, Navy veteran and congressional candidate, Jorge Bonilla, absolutely destroyed his Republican opponent, Peter Vivaldi, at the first forum between candidates in FL-CD 9’s Republican congressional primary race.</p>
<p>Bonilla’s answers were detailed, substantive, and direct, while Vivaldi spoke in general terms, talking points, and even tip-toed around directly answering a few questions.</p>
<p>One attendee of the forum pointed out that Vivaldi failed to state whether not he supported immigration reform, but did admit that he did go to Washington, D.C. to lobby for the controversial Senate immigration reform bill.</p>
<p>Vivaldi has publicly stated his support for the “Gang of 8” amnesty-lite immigration bill, and is also a member of NALEC, a Hispanic organization that promotes and supports amnesty for illegal immigrants.</p>
<p>The contrast between the two men was stunning. It was clear from the onset to the attendees we spoke to after the forum, that Bonilla had superior command over the issues, while Vivaldi was relegated to agreeing with Bonilla’s responses to the questions.</p>
<p>But anyone who knows Vivaldi is not surprised by his lackluster performance. This is the same guy who side with Obama when he stated that the the NSA and IRS scandals are just “smoke and mirrors.” <a href="" type="internal">Read that story here.</a></p>
<p>Meanwhile, Carol Platt, who is also running in against Vivaldi and Bonilla, failed to appear to the forum.</p>
<p>Platt told the forum organizer that she had a prior commitment that prevented her from attending, but the organizer divulged the dirty little truth that Platt had earlier told him that her consultants suggested to her not to debate, or attend forums until after the qualifying date.</p>
<p>The winner of this GOP primary will face off against liberal Democrat Congressman Alan Grayson.</p>
<p />
<p />
| 7,946 |
|
<p><a href="" type="internal">Amazon</a>.com Inc and Barnes &amp; Noble Inc unveiled Harry Potter e-books on Tuesday in deals that suggest the companies made big concessions with author J.K. Rowling for electronic access to the hit series.</p>
<p>Amazon said it struck a distribution deal with J.K. Rowling's new website pottermore.com.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Amazon customers can search for the Harry Potter e-books in the company's Kindle Store, but will be directed to the Pottermore Shop to register and buy them, then add the titles to their Kindle library, the company said.</p>
<p>Users of Amazon's Kindle e-readers and Kindle Fire tablet will be able to read the e-books through those devices and through applications on other devices.</p>
<p>Barnes &amp; Noble made a similar announcement, saying that customers of its Nook e-readers and tablets can buy Harry Potter e-books through the Pottermore Shop.</p>
<p>Sending customers away from Amazon.com and Barnes &amp; Noble's website is a big concession for the companies because J.K. Rowling's Pottermore site will be able to collect customer information and credit card details. This is valuable information that e-commerce companies usually carefully guard.</p>
<p>"They are her customers now. She knows about them because they have registered with her site," said Mike Shatzkin, head of digital publishing consulting firm The Idea Logical Company. "It's a huge concession. Amazing."</p>
<p>BEATLE POWER</p>
<p>The popularity of Harry Potter means J.K. Rowling likely had more leverage than other authors with companies like Amazon, he added.</p>
<p>"J.K. Rowling is the Beatles," Shatzkin said. "Amazon decided that having the Potter books to sell was more important than the control they usually insist on."</p>
<p>This suggests that publishers may struggle to negotiate similar e-book deals for other authors with retailers, he added.</p>
<p>Jim Friedland, an analyst at Cowen &amp; Co, said Amazon likely accepted a smaller cut of the sale price of the Harry Potter e-books. The usual share is 30 percent, while Amazon likely accepted 20 percent or 10 percent, the analyst noted.</p>
<p>Despite that, there is little extra cost for Amazon to sell Harry Potter e-books this way. The deal may also encourage more readers to buy Kindle devices, Friedland said.</p>
<p>Foreign-language versions of the Harry Potter e-books will be available through Kindle Stores worldwide in coming weeks, Amazon added.</p>
<p>The Potter e-books are compatible with other digital platforms including Sony's Reader and Google's Play, Pottermore said in a statement.</p>
<p>"Not only is this phenomenally popular series available in eBook form for the first time, but across an extensive range of devices and platforms, thanks to unique collaborations with leading online retailers," Pottermore CEO Charlie Redmayne said</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
|
Amazon, B&N Make Concessions for 'Potter' e-Books
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/features/2012/03/28/amazon-bn-make-concessions-for-potter-e-books.html
|
2016-01-29
| 0right
|
Amazon, B&N Make Concessions for 'Potter' e-Books
<p><a href="" type="internal">Amazon</a>.com Inc and Barnes &amp; Noble Inc unveiled Harry Potter e-books on Tuesday in deals that suggest the companies made big concessions with author J.K. Rowling for electronic access to the hit series.</p>
<p>Amazon said it struck a distribution deal with J.K. Rowling's new website pottermore.com.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Amazon customers can search for the Harry Potter e-books in the company's Kindle Store, but will be directed to the Pottermore Shop to register and buy them, then add the titles to their Kindle library, the company said.</p>
<p>Users of Amazon's Kindle e-readers and Kindle Fire tablet will be able to read the e-books through those devices and through applications on other devices.</p>
<p>Barnes &amp; Noble made a similar announcement, saying that customers of its Nook e-readers and tablets can buy Harry Potter e-books through the Pottermore Shop.</p>
<p>Sending customers away from Amazon.com and Barnes &amp; Noble's website is a big concession for the companies because J.K. Rowling's Pottermore site will be able to collect customer information and credit card details. This is valuable information that e-commerce companies usually carefully guard.</p>
<p>"They are her customers now. She knows about them because they have registered with her site," said Mike Shatzkin, head of digital publishing consulting firm The Idea Logical Company. "It's a huge concession. Amazing."</p>
<p>BEATLE POWER</p>
<p>The popularity of Harry Potter means J.K. Rowling likely had more leverage than other authors with companies like Amazon, he added.</p>
<p>"J.K. Rowling is the Beatles," Shatzkin said. "Amazon decided that having the Potter books to sell was more important than the control they usually insist on."</p>
<p>This suggests that publishers may struggle to negotiate similar e-book deals for other authors with retailers, he added.</p>
<p>Jim Friedland, an analyst at Cowen &amp; Co, said Amazon likely accepted a smaller cut of the sale price of the Harry Potter e-books. The usual share is 30 percent, while Amazon likely accepted 20 percent or 10 percent, the analyst noted.</p>
<p>Despite that, there is little extra cost for Amazon to sell Harry Potter e-books this way. The deal may also encourage more readers to buy Kindle devices, Friedland said.</p>
<p>Foreign-language versions of the Harry Potter e-books will be available through Kindle Stores worldwide in coming weeks, Amazon added.</p>
<p>The Potter e-books are compatible with other digital platforms including Sony's Reader and Google's Play, Pottermore said in a statement.</p>
<p>"Not only is this phenomenally popular series available in eBook form for the first time, but across an extensive range of devices and platforms, thanks to unique collaborations with leading online retailers," Pottermore CEO Charlie Redmayne said</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
| 7,947 |
<p>Filmmaker and stage producer Mel Brooks says his western parody “Blazing Saddles” couldn’t have be made in today’s fraught political climate, warning “stupidly politically correct” sensibilities will lead to the “death of comedy.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05gt20d" type="external">In an interview</a> with BBC’s Radio 4’s Today, posted Thursday, the acclaimed producer and director declared political correctness is “not good for comedy.”</p>
<p>Story continues below video.</p>
<p>Asked if he could get a film like his 1974 “Blazing Saddles” made today, he declared: “Never . . .&#160;because we have become stupidly politically correct, which is the death of comedy.”</p>
<p>“Comedy has to walk a thin line, take risks,” he added. “Comedy is the lecherous little elf whispering into the king’s ear . . . always telling the truth about human behavior.”</p>
<p>Brooks said prejudice was behind the culture impact of “Blazing Saddles,” starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, about a black sheriff in a racist town.</p>
<p>“Without that, the movie would not have had nearly the significance, the force, the dynamism and the stakes that were contained in it,” he said.</p>
<p>Still, he said, there’s subjects he just won’t touch.</p>
<p>“I personally would never touch gas chambers or the death of children or Jews at the hands of the Nazis,” he said. “Everything else is ok. Naked people, fine. I like naked people. They’re usually the most polite.”</p>
<p>Brooks, who won took hom an Oscar for best original screenplay for “The Producers,” is turning another of his films, “Young Frankenstein,” into a stage show in London’s West End.</p>
<p>He added he hopes to recreate “Blazing Saddles” for the stage in the future.</p>
|
Mel Brooks: 'Stupidly Politically Correct Society is the Death of Comedy'
| false |
https://newsline.com/mel-brooks-stupidly-politically-correct-society-is-the-death-of-comedy/
|
2017-09-21
| 1right-center
|
Mel Brooks: 'Stupidly Politically Correct Society is the Death of Comedy'
<p>Filmmaker and stage producer Mel Brooks says his western parody “Blazing Saddles” couldn’t have be made in today’s fraught political climate, warning “stupidly politically correct” sensibilities will lead to the “death of comedy.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05gt20d" type="external">In an interview</a> with BBC’s Radio 4’s Today, posted Thursday, the acclaimed producer and director declared political correctness is “not good for comedy.”</p>
<p>Story continues below video.</p>
<p>Asked if he could get a film like his 1974 “Blazing Saddles” made today, he declared: “Never . . .&#160;because we have become stupidly politically correct, which is the death of comedy.”</p>
<p>“Comedy has to walk a thin line, take risks,” he added. “Comedy is the lecherous little elf whispering into the king’s ear . . . always telling the truth about human behavior.”</p>
<p>Brooks said prejudice was behind the culture impact of “Blazing Saddles,” starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, about a black sheriff in a racist town.</p>
<p>“Without that, the movie would not have had nearly the significance, the force, the dynamism and the stakes that were contained in it,” he said.</p>
<p>Still, he said, there’s subjects he just won’t touch.</p>
<p>“I personally would never touch gas chambers or the death of children or Jews at the hands of the Nazis,” he said. “Everything else is ok. Naked people, fine. I like naked people. They’re usually the most polite.”</p>
<p>Brooks, who won took hom an Oscar for best original screenplay for “The Producers,” is turning another of his films, “Young Frankenstein,” into a stage show in London’s West End.</p>
<p>He added he hopes to recreate “Blazing Saddles” for the stage in the future.</p>
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<p />
<p>Only once before in the school’s history had the football team won as few as three games in a single season, and that was a full generation ago, in 1996, when many of these current seniors were born.</p>
<p>But indeed, the Bears stumbled to a 3-7 record, and missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 years.</p>
<p>Nobody expects La Cueva to be absent from a second straight postseason.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“We are definitely a playoff team, if we play to our capabilities, and we feel that we can make a deep run at this,” second-year head coach Brandon Back said.</p>
<p>The Bears come in at No. 3 in the Journal’s preseason top-10 metro rankings, and nearly everyone, including rival coaches, believes La Cueva will be back much closer to its former self.</p>
<p>“We’re coming off a great summer,” said senior linebacker Mitchell Cantwell, “and we’re looking good.”</p>
<p>The Bears return about as many starters as anyone in Class 6A outside of Atrisco Heritage. La Cueva opens against Atrisco at 10 Saturday morning at Community Stadium.</p>
<p>“That first game,” senior quarterback Beau Kujath said, “will set the tone for the rest of the season.”</p>
<p>The Bears have six offensive and nine defensive starters back in the fold. That defense is led by Cantwell, a three-year starter.</p>
<p>“Defense is one of our strong points,” said Cantwell.</p>
<p>La Cueva has balance in all three levels, starting up front with Luke Dekker, and also Malik Curry and Aaron Overacker who both stand 6-feet-3 and weigh 205 pounds and give the Bears speed and athleticism on the edges.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Thomas Vieira and A.J. Miles lend support at linebacker to Cantwell, and Beau Lamey and Ryan Hill anchor the secondary.</p>
<p>“It’s an aggressive, moving defense,” Back said. “We’re gonna be moving and we’re gonna be taking chances. It’ll be a very exciting defense to watch.”</p>
<p>Defense was not La Cueva’s problem last season. Given the difficulty of the schedule, which included games against three of the final four in Class 5A – Cleveland, Valley and Las Cruces – the Bears held their own.</p>
<p>It was the offense that labored.</p>
<p>La Cueva averaged 18.7 points a game, but that’s extremely misleading, because of the Bears’ 187 points, 102 were scored in lopsided wins over Rio Grande and Highland.</p>
<p>Subtract those, and La Cueva only averaged a shade over 10 points in its other eight games. Not only that, but the Bears in the middle of the season were shut out in three consecutive games.</p>
<p>The offense is expected to have more bounce in its step this fall. Although the Bears are replacing all five linemen, Back is not discouraged. Two former skill-position athletes, Miles and Dekker, have been converted into linemen.</p>
<p>Dekker’s story is stunning.</p>
<p>He sprouted like a radiated Godzilla in the offseason, growing three inches and gaining 70 pounds. He once was the Bears’ back-up quarterback.</p>
<p>Now he’s La Cueva’s center.</p>
<p>“I think I picked it up pretty quick,” Dekker said. “I took it as an upgrade in position. The coaches were looking at me as a leader.”</p>
<p>The Bears return nearly all their skill-position athletes, including QB Kujath, tailback Noah Hill, Cantwell at fullback, and receivers Lamey and Vieira, among others.</p>
<p>La Cueva ran the ball nearly three times as often as it passed last season, and Back promises more of the same this year.</p>
<p>“I’m not Cooper Henderson and we don’t wear orange,” Back said with a smile, referencing Artesia’s legendary pass-friendly coach. “Our job is to move people. My philosophy is to run the ball well and play defense better than most.”</p>
<p>The Bears are deep at running back, led by Noah Hill, Cantwell, Javohn Jones and Kyler Padilla. No one has the clear edge, although Back did say that Cantwell must be featured.</p>
<p>“We’ve got to find ways to get him the ball, because that kid is pretty dangerous,” Back said.</p>
<p>But much relates to the progression of the offensive line, which is brand new.</p>
<p>“That is our untested question mark,” Back said. “I expect them to be behind the learning curve a little bit, but they’re a tough group. They understand that we need to have success up front to have success as a whole.”</p>
<p>Big picture, La Cueva is not looking only to return to the playoffs.</p>
<p>“Our goal is a state championship,” Cantwell said. “Anything short of that we consider a failure for this season.”</p>
<p />
<p />
|
Bears expect a return to prominence this year
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https://abqjournal.com/451512/bears-expect-a-return-to-prominence-this-year.html
| 2least
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Bears expect a return to prominence this year
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<p />
<p>Only once before in the school’s history had the football team won as few as three games in a single season, and that was a full generation ago, in 1996, when many of these current seniors were born.</p>
<p>But indeed, the Bears stumbled to a 3-7 record, and missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 years.</p>
<p>Nobody expects La Cueva to be absent from a second straight postseason.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“We are definitely a playoff team, if we play to our capabilities, and we feel that we can make a deep run at this,” second-year head coach Brandon Back said.</p>
<p>The Bears come in at No. 3 in the Journal’s preseason top-10 metro rankings, and nearly everyone, including rival coaches, believes La Cueva will be back much closer to its former self.</p>
<p>“We’re coming off a great summer,” said senior linebacker Mitchell Cantwell, “and we’re looking good.”</p>
<p>The Bears return about as many starters as anyone in Class 6A outside of Atrisco Heritage. La Cueva opens against Atrisco at 10 Saturday morning at Community Stadium.</p>
<p>“That first game,” senior quarterback Beau Kujath said, “will set the tone for the rest of the season.”</p>
<p>The Bears have six offensive and nine defensive starters back in the fold. That defense is led by Cantwell, a three-year starter.</p>
<p>“Defense is one of our strong points,” said Cantwell.</p>
<p>La Cueva has balance in all three levels, starting up front with Luke Dekker, and also Malik Curry and Aaron Overacker who both stand 6-feet-3 and weigh 205 pounds and give the Bears speed and athleticism on the edges.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Thomas Vieira and A.J. Miles lend support at linebacker to Cantwell, and Beau Lamey and Ryan Hill anchor the secondary.</p>
<p>“It’s an aggressive, moving defense,” Back said. “We’re gonna be moving and we’re gonna be taking chances. It’ll be a very exciting defense to watch.”</p>
<p>Defense was not La Cueva’s problem last season. Given the difficulty of the schedule, which included games against three of the final four in Class 5A – Cleveland, Valley and Las Cruces – the Bears held their own.</p>
<p>It was the offense that labored.</p>
<p>La Cueva averaged 18.7 points a game, but that’s extremely misleading, because of the Bears’ 187 points, 102 were scored in lopsided wins over Rio Grande and Highland.</p>
<p>Subtract those, and La Cueva only averaged a shade over 10 points in its other eight games. Not only that, but the Bears in the middle of the season were shut out in three consecutive games.</p>
<p>The offense is expected to have more bounce in its step this fall. Although the Bears are replacing all five linemen, Back is not discouraged. Two former skill-position athletes, Miles and Dekker, have been converted into linemen.</p>
<p>Dekker’s story is stunning.</p>
<p>He sprouted like a radiated Godzilla in the offseason, growing three inches and gaining 70 pounds. He once was the Bears’ back-up quarterback.</p>
<p>Now he’s La Cueva’s center.</p>
<p>“I think I picked it up pretty quick,” Dekker said. “I took it as an upgrade in position. The coaches were looking at me as a leader.”</p>
<p>The Bears return nearly all their skill-position athletes, including QB Kujath, tailback Noah Hill, Cantwell at fullback, and receivers Lamey and Vieira, among others.</p>
<p>La Cueva ran the ball nearly three times as often as it passed last season, and Back promises more of the same this year.</p>
<p>“I’m not Cooper Henderson and we don’t wear orange,” Back said with a smile, referencing Artesia’s legendary pass-friendly coach. “Our job is to move people. My philosophy is to run the ball well and play defense better than most.”</p>
<p>The Bears are deep at running back, led by Noah Hill, Cantwell, Javohn Jones and Kyler Padilla. No one has the clear edge, although Back did say that Cantwell must be featured.</p>
<p>“We’ve got to find ways to get him the ball, because that kid is pretty dangerous,” Back said.</p>
<p>But much relates to the progression of the offensive line, which is brand new.</p>
<p>“That is our untested question mark,” Back said. “I expect them to be behind the learning curve a little bit, but they’re a tough group. They understand that we need to have success up front to have success as a whole.”</p>
<p>Big picture, La Cueva is not looking only to return to the playoffs.</p>
<p>“Our goal is a state championship,” Cantwell said. “Anything short of that we consider a failure for this season.”</p>
<p />
<p />
| 7,949 |
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<p>Shares of InvenSense Inc. surged 4.3% in premarket trade Friday, after Pacific Crest turned bullish on the maker of gyroscopes used in smartphones, on the belief that the rise of Pokemon Go and augmented reality will create a "significant opportunity." Analyst John Vinh upgraded InvenSense to overweight, after being at sector weight since October 2014. His stock price target of $9 is 27% above current trading prices. "Without a gyro in a smartphone, users are unable to effectively play Pokemon Go today because of limited navigation capabilities," Vinh wrote in a note to clients. He sees opportunities for InvenSense in a 500 million unit total addressable market, with every 10% market share raising his 2018 earnings-per-share estimate by 11 cents. The stock has tumbled 34% year to date through Thursday, while the S&amp;P 500 index has gained 6.9%.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
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InvenSense's Stock Surges As Pokemon Go, AR Opportunities Turn Analyst Bullish
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http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/08/12/invensense-stock-surges-as-pokemon-go-ar-opportunities-turn-analyst-bullish.html
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2016-08-12
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InvenSense's Stock Surges As Pokemon Go, AR Opportunities Turn Analyst Bullish
<p>Shares of InvenSense Inc. surged 4.3% in premarket trade Friday, after Pacific Crest turned bullish on the maker of gyroscopes used in smartphones, on the belief that the rise of Pokemon Go and augmented reality will create a "significant opportunity." Analyst John Vinh upgraded InvenSense to overweight, after being at sector weight since October 2014. His stock price target of $9 is 27% above current trading prices. "Without a gyro in a smartphone, users are unable to effectively play Pokemon Go today because of limited navigation capabilities," Vinh wrote in a note to clients. He sees opportunities for InvenSense in a 500 million unit total addressable market, with every 10% market share raising his 2018 earnings-per-share estimate by 11 cents. The stock has tumbled 34% year to date through Thursday, while the S&amp;P 500 index has gained 6.9%.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
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<p />
<p>MasterCard said Thursday it had net income of $1.03 billion, excluding a one-time $50 million charge tied to the termination of the company's pension plan. That is up from $1.02 billion in the same period a year ago. Per-share earnings, excluding that one-time charge, were 91 cents per share compared with 87 cents a share a year earlier.</p>
<p>The results surpassed Wall Street expectations, with analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research looking for earnings of 88 cents per share.</p>
<p>Payment volume on MasterCard's network, a key measure of the company's business, was up 12.3 percent to $852 billion in the quarter on a local currency basis. United States payment volume was $311 billion, up 8 percent from a year earlier. MasterCard, like its major competitor Visa, earns money by taking a small percent of each transaction done on its network as a fee.</p>
<p>"We continue to see double-digit growth in both volume and transactions in most of our regions around the world," said Ajay Banga, MasterCard's president and CEO, in a prepared statement.</p>
<p>Total revenue in the quarter was $2.53 billion, up slightly from $2.49 billion a year earlier. Its revenue missed Street forecasts, however. Fourteen analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $2.54 billion.</p>
<p>Its shares fell $1.79 to $98.30 in premarket trading about an hour before the market open.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>MasterCard shares have risen 16 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard &amp; Poor's 500 index has climbed 1.5 percent. The stock has climbed 32 percent in the last 12 months.</p>
<p>_____</p>
<p>This story was partially generated by Automated Insights ( <a href="http://automatedinsights.com/ap)" type="external">http://automatedinsights.com/ap)</a> using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on MA at <a href="http://www.zacks.com/ap/MA" type="external">http://www.zacks.com/ap/MA</a></p>
<p>_____</p>
<p>Keywords: MasterCard, Earnings Report, Priority Earnings</p>
|
MasterCard tops 3Q profit forecasts
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https://abqjournal.com/667321/mastercard-tops-3q-profit-forecasts.html
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MasterCard tops 3Q profit forecasts
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<p />
<p>MasterCard said Thursday it had net income of $1.03 billion, excluding a one-time $50 million charge tied to the termination of the company's pension plan. That is up from $1.02 billion in the same period a year ago. Per-share earnings, excluding that one-time charge, were 91 cents per share compared with 87 cents a share a year earlier.</p>
<p>The results surpassed Wall Street expectations, with analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research looking for earnings of 88 cents per share.</p>
<p>Payment volume on MasterCard's network, a key measure of the company's business, was up 12.3 percent to $852 billion in the quarter on a local currency basis. United States payment volume was $311 billion, up 8 percent from a year earlier. MasterCard, like its major competitor Visa, earns money by taking a small percent of each transaction done on its network as a fee.</p>
<p>"We continue to see double-digit growth in both volume and transactions in most of our regions around the world," said Ajay Banga, MasterCard's president and CEO, in a prepared statement.</p>
<p>Total revenue in the quarter was $2.53 billion, up slightly from $2.49 billion a year earlier. Its revenue missed Street forecasts, however. Fourteen analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $2.54 billion.</p>
<p>Its shares fell $1.79 to $98.30 in premarket trading about an hour before the market open.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>MasterCard shares have risen 16 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard &amp; Poor's 500 index has climbed 1.5 percent. The stock has climbed 32 percent in the last 12 months.</p>
<p>_____</p>
<p>This story was partially generated by Automated Insights ( <a href="http://automatedinsights.com/ap)" type="external">http://automatedinsights.com/ap)</a> using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on MA at <a href="http://www.zacks.com/ap/MA" type="external">http://www.zacks.com/ap/MA</a></p>
<p>_____</p>
<p>Keywords: MasterCard, Earnings Report, Priority Earnings</p>
| 7,951 |
|
<p>You already know about the <a href="" type="internal">legal issues</a> involving the battle over the Ground Zero cross - the twisted steel beams - the wreckage from the Twin Towers - formed into the shape of a cross at the site.</p>
<p>You already know about the <a href="http://atheists.org/upload/WTC_Complaint.pdf" type="external">lawsuit filed by the American Atheists</a> challenging the cross, claiming that their plaintiffs are experiencing "depression, headaches, anxiety, and mental pain and anguish" - not from the devastating destruction of life caused by the terrorists on 9/11 - but as a "direct and proximate result of the unconstitutional existence of the cross."</p>
<p>You already know about our commitment to defend the cross in court as we prepare to file an amicus brief representing thousands of Americans - standing up for the constitutionality of this historic and vital part of 9/11 history.</p>
<p>What you may not know is that there's a new effort underway to protect this symbol of hope and comfort - a legislative effort by Congressman Michael Grimm of New York. He is introducing legislation entitled the <a href="http://grimm.house.gov/press-release/rep-grimm-introduce-bill-making-911-cross-national-monument" type="external">9/11 Memorial Cross National Monument Establishment Act of 2011</a>, which will establish the 9/11 Memorial Cross located at the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City as a national monument.</p>
<p>In an <a href="" type="internal">interview</a> on Jay Sekulow Live, Rep. Grimm said the actual steel beams - part of the wreckage from Tower One - has become a symbol of hope - a symbol of courage - not only for the families who lost loved ones in that tragic attack, but for the countless number of Americans affected by that horrific event.</p>
<p>"This is the perfect opportunity to take a stand and affirm the fact we are a nation that was built on a belief in God," he told our radio audience. "Because of our religious freedom you can choose not to believe in God, but that doesn't mean we should be denying those who do have faith."</p>
<p>We couldn't agree more. We stand ready to defend the cross in court. And, we applaud legislative efforts like Rep. Grimm's to ensure that this part of 9/11 history is protected. The fact is that steel cross is a very emotional and powerful symbol - which has the <a href="http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/july_2011/72_favor_inclusion_of_9_11_cross_in_world_trade_center_memorial" type="external">overwhelming support of most Americans</a>.</p>
<p>Whether it's through legal or legislative means, the Ground Zero cross must remain in place.</p>
|
Jay Sekulow: New Effort to Protect Ground Zero Cross
| true |
http://aclj.org/american-heritage/jay-sekulow-new-effort-protect-ground-zero-cross
|
2011-09-08
| 0right
|
Jay Sekulow: New Effort to Protect Ground Zero Cross
<p>You already know about the <a href="" type="internal">legal issues</a> involving the battle over the Ground Zero cross - the twisted steel beams - the wreckage from the Twin Towers - formed into the shape of a cross at the site.</p>
<p>You already know about the <a href="http://atheists.org/upload/WTC_Complaint.pdf" type="external">lawsuit filed by the American Atheists</a> challenging the cross, claiming that their plaintiffs are experiencing "depression, headaches, anxiety, and mental pain and anguish" - not from the devastating destruction of life caused by the terrorists on 9/11 - but as a "direct and proximate result of the unconstitutional existence of the cross."</p>
<p>You already know about our commitment to defend the cross in court as we prepare to file an amicus brief representing thousands of Americans - standing up for the constitutionality of this historic and vital part of 9/11 history.</p>
<p>What you may not know is that there's a new effort underway to protect this symbol of hope and comfort - a legislative effort by Congressman Michael Grimm of New York. He is introducing legislation entitled the <a href="http://grimm.house.gov/press-release/rep-grimm-introduce-bill-making-911-cross-national-monument" type="external">9/11 Memorial Cross National Monument Establishment Act of 2011</a>, which will establish the 9/11 Memorial Cross located at the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York City as a national monument.</p>
<p>In an <a href="" type="internal">interview</a> on Jay Sekulow Live, Rep. Grimm said the actual steel beams - part of the wreckage from Tower One - has become a symbol of hope - a symbol of courage - not only for the families who lost loved ones in that tragic attack, but for the countless number of Americans affected by that horrific event.</p>
<p>"This is the perfect opportunity to take a stand and affirm the fact we are a nation that was built on a belief in God," he told our radio audience. "Because of our religious freedom you can choose not to believe in God, but that doesn't mean we should be denying those who do have faith."</p>
<p>We couldn't agree more. We stand ready to defend the cross in court. And, we applaud legislative efforts like Rep. Grimm's to ensure that this part of 9/11 history is protected. The fact is that steel cross is a very emotional and powerful symbol - which has the <a href="http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/july_2011/72_favor_inclusion_of_9_11_cross_in_world_trade_center_memorial" type="external">overwhelming support of most Americans</a>.</p>
<p>Whether it's through legal or legislative means, the Ground Zero cross must remain in place.</p>
| 7,952 |
<p>New York Times columnist Charles Blow just exploded on President Donald Trump, calling him&#160;out in a recent op-ed.</p>
<p>“America elected a parasite,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/13/opinion/trump-and-the-parasitic-presidency.html?action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;clickSource=story-heading&amp;module=opinion-c-col-left-region&amp;region=opinion-c-col-left-region&amp;WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region&amp;_r=1&amp;mtrref=www.nytimes.com&amp;assetType=opinion&amp;mtrref=undefined&amp;assetType=opinion" type="external">Blow wrote</a>, in his description of the 45th President of the United States’ policies in the first 50 days of his administration.</p>
<p>Blow laid out President Trump’s efforts to deregulate a slew of industries and govern by executive order, pointing out that the former reality TV host-turned-president <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-executive-orders-memorandum-proclamations-presidential-action-guide-2017-1/#executive-order-march-6-a-new-travel-ban-1" type="external">signed 34 executive orders</a> in less than two months as president, putting him on track to outpace not only former President Barack Obama, but every president in American history. He then pointed out that this is exactly in line with what chief White House strategist Steve Bannon called the “ <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/us/politics/stephen-bannon-cpac-speech.html?_r=0" type="external">deconstruction of the administrative state</a>” while addressing a room of conservative activists.</p>
<p>One poll Blow cited showed that Americans’ dissatisfaction with the Trump administration was continuing to persist after day 50 of the billionaire real estate mogul’s presidency. USA Today and Suffolk University found that, <a href="http://www.suffolk.edu/academics/10741.php" type="external">by a two-to-one margin</a>, most Americans disapproved of Trump’s temperament and pattern of hurling incendiary attacks at his opposition and constant use of Twitter. The president’s approval rating was just 30 percent, according to the poll sample, with 60 percent of respondents disapproving of the job he was doing so far.</p>
<p>Then, Blow’s column described how, while taking government apart piece by piece, Donald Trump was bankrupting taxpayers with his multiple vacations to his lush Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, costing taxpayers more on presidential vacations in one month than President Obama and his family vacations cost in one year. According to Politico, each Mar-a-Lago trip costs taxpayers an estimated <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-mar-lago-taxpayers-234562" type="external">$3 million</a>.</p>
<p>This was particularly jarring because Trump had been a chief critic of the amount of money the Obamas spent on vacations,” Blow wrote. “Trump appears to view the Treasury as a personal piggy bank and the presidency as a part-time job.”</p>
<p>I think any who have been holding out hope that Trump will eventually change into someone more polished, professional and amenable than the man we have come to know must simply abandon that hope.</p>
<p>This is a 70-year-old man who has lived his entire life as the vile, dishonest, incurious creature who got elected. That election validated his impulses rather than served as a curb on them.</p>
<p>Trump will continue to debase and devalue the presidency with his lies. Trump will continue to follow Bannon’s philosophy of internal deconstruction of our government, its principles and its institutions. And Trump will continue to leech as much personal financial advantage as he can from the flesh of the American public.</p>
<p>Read the full column <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/13/opinion/trump-and-the-parasitic-presidency.html?action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;clickSource=story-heading&amp;module=opinion-c-col-left-region&amp;region=opinion-c-col-left-region&amp;WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region&amp;_r=1&amp;mtrref=www.nytimes.com&amp;assetType=opinion&amp;mtrref=undefined&amp;assetType=opinion" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Tom Cahill is a writer for the Resistance Report based in the Pacific Northwest. He specializes in coverage of political, economic, and environmental news. You can contact him via email at [email protected], or <a href="http://facebook.com/tom.v.cahill" type="external">follow him on Facebook</a>.&#160;</p>
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New York Times columnist sums up Trump’s first 50 days with one word
| true |
http://resistancereport.com/politics/new-york-times-trump-one-word/
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2017-03-13
| 4left
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New York Times columnist sums up Trump’s first 50 days with one word
<p>New York Times columnist Charles Blow just exploded on President Donald Trump, calling him&#160;out in a recent op-ed.</p>
<p>“America elected a parasite,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/13/opinion/trump-and-the-parasitic-presidency.html?action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;clickSource=story-heading&amp;module=opinion-c-col-left-region&amp;region=opinion-c-col-left-region&amp;WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region&amp;_r=1&amp;mtrref=www.nytimes.com&amp;assetType=opinion&amp;mtrref=undefined&amp;assetType=opinion" type="external">Blow wrote</a>, in his description of the 45th President of the United States’ policies in the first 50 days of his administration.</p>
<p>Blow laid out President Trump’s efforts to deregulate a slew of industries and govern by executive order, pointing out that the former reality TV host-turned-president <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-executive-orders-memorandum-proclamations-presidential-action-guide-2017-1/#executive-order-march-6-a-new-travel-ban-1" type="external">signed 34 executive orders</a> in less than two months as president, putting him on track to outpace not only former President Barack Obama, but every president in American history. He then pointed out that this is exactly in line with what chief White House strategist Steve Bannon called the “ <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/us/politics/stephen-bannon-cpac-speech.html?_r=0" type="external">deconstruction of the administrative state</a>” while addressing a room of conservative activists.</p>
<p>One poll Blow cited showed that Americans’ dissatisfaction with the Trump administration was continuing to persist after day 50 of the billionaire real estate mogul’s presidency. USA Today and Suffolk University found that, <a href="http://www.suffolk.edu/academics/10741.php" type="external">by a two-to-one margin</a>, most Americans disapproved of Trump’s temperament and pattern of hurling incendiary attacks at his opposition and constant use of Twitter. The president’s approval rating was just 30 percent, according to the poll sample, with 60 percent of respondents disapproving of the job he was doing so far.</p>
<p>Then, Blow’s column described how, while taking government apart piece by piece, Donald Trump was bankrupting taxpayers with his multiple vacations to his lush Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, costing taxpayers more on presidential vacations in one month than President Obama and his family vacations cost in one year. According to Politico, each Mar-a-Lago trip costs taxpayers an estimated <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-mar-lago-taxpayers-234562" type="external">$3 million</a>.</p>
<p>This was particularly jarring because Trump had been a chief critic of the amount of money the Obamas spent on vacations,” Blow wrote. “Trump appears to view the Treasury as a personal piggy bank and the presidency as a part-time job.”</p>
<p>I think any who have been holding out hope that Trump will eventually change into someone more polished, professional and amenable than the man we have come to know must simply abandon that hope.</p>
<p>This is a 70-year-old man who has lived his entire life as the vile, dishonest, incurious creature who got elected. That election validated his impulses rather than served as a curb on them.</p>
<p>Trump will continue to debase and devalue the presidency with his lies. Trump will continue to follow Bannon’s philosophy of internal deconstruction of our government, its principles and its institutions. And Trump will continue to leech as much personal financial advantage as he can from the flesh of the American public.</p>
<p>Read the full column <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/13/opinion/trump-and-the-parasitic-presidency.html?action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;clickSource=story-heading&amp;module=opinion-c-col-left-region&amp;region=opinion-c-col-left-region&amp;WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region&amp;_r=1&amp;mtrref=www.nytimes.com&amp;assetType=opinion&amp;mtrref=undefined&amp;assetType=opinion" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Tom Cahill is a writer for the Resistance Report based in the Pacific Northwest. He specializes in coverage of political, economic, and environmental news. You can contact him via email at [email protected], or <a href="http://facebook.com/tom.v.cahill" type="external">follow him on Facebook</a>.&#160;</p>
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<p>AMES, Iowa — The University of New Mexico volleyball team kicked off its 2017 season with a win, relying on strong defense and veteran leadership en route to a straight-set sweep of Nebraska Omaha on Friday afternoon.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
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Lobo volleyball sweeps Nebraska Omaha to open season
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Lobo volleyball sweeps Nebraska Omaha to open season
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<p>AMES, Iowa — The University of New Mexico volleyball team kicked off its 2017 season with a win, relying on strong defense and veteran leadership en route to a straight-set sweep of Nebraska Omaha on Friday afternoon.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
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<p>This image taken from a lawsuit filed in federal court by the NJ Turnpike Authority Wednesday, July 23, 2014 shows logos being used by a Florida company that the turnpike authority has taken to court. At left is the trademark of the Garden State Parkway, which is suing the Jersey Boardwalk Pizza Co. over its logos. (AP Photo)</p>
<p>TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Turnpike Authority wants a Florida pizza shop to pay a big toll for using a logo similar to the Garden State Parkway’s green and yellow signs.</p>
<p>The agency sued Jersey Boardwalk Pizza Tuesday in federal court over the logo it uses for its two pizza shops and on merchandise sold online. It said in the suit that the company is trying to trade upon the fame of the Garden State Parkway logo to attract customers and potential franchisees.</p>
<p>JoyAnn Kenny, a lawyer with the Red Bank-based firm of Marks &amp; Klein LLP, which represents the company, defended its use of the logo in a letter to turnpike authority lawyers included in the suit. She wrote that there’s no way anyone would confuse a highway and a pizza place 1,300 miles away.</p>
<p>“Given the very distinct difference in the goods and services offered by our respective clients (yours being a governmental agency providing highway maintenance and travel related services exclusively in the state of New Jersey — ours being a franchisor of pizza restaurants providing the opportunity to provide delicious pizza and Italian food to patrons of its licensed restaurants), there is no plausible likelihood of confusion,” she wrote.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The turnpike authority sued over two logos, one used by the pizza business and one by a franchising business it owns. Kenny said that logo for the restaurants was approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and has been used since April 2011.</p>
<p>New Jersey says that “there is no question” that the logos “were directly copied and appropriated from Plaintiff’s famous Garden State Parkway Logo.” It asked a judge to require the company to stop using the logos and to destroy any merchandise that includes it.</p>
<p>It calls the Garden State Parkway one of the most iconic and well known highways in the country. Its logo includes a green map of the state with a line showing the highway on a yellow background with the words “Garden State Parkway” written in yellow on a green background.</p>
<p>Jersey Boardwalk Pizza also includes a green map of the state and its title written in yellow on a green background.</p>
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New Jersey sues over Florida pizza shop logo
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New Jersey sues over Florida pizza shop logo
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<p>This image taken from a lawsuit filed in federal court by the NJ Turnpike Authority Wednesday, July 23, 2014 shows logos being used by a Florida company that the turnpike authority has taken to court. At left is the trademark of the Garden State Parkway, which is suing the Jersey Boardwalk Pizza Co. over its logos. (AP Photo)</p>
<p>TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Turnpike Authority wants a Florida pizza shop to pay a big toll for using a logo similar to the Garden State Parkway’s green and yellow signs.</p>
<p>The agency sued Jersey Boardwalk Pizza Tuesday in federal court over the logo it uses for its two pizza shops and on merchandise sold online. It said in the suit that the company is trying to trade upon the fame of the Garden State Parkway logo to attract customers and potential franchisees.</p>
<p>JoyAnn Kenny, a lawyer with the Red Bank-based firm of Marks &amp; Klein LLP, which represents the company, defended its use of the logo in a letter to turnpike authority lawyers included in the suit. She wrote that there’s no way anyone would confuse a highway and a pizza place 1,300 miles away.</p>
<p>“Given the very distinct difference in the goods and services offered by our respective clients (yours being a governmental agency providing highway maintenance and travel related services exclusively in the state of New Jersey — ours being a franchisor of pizza restaurants providing the opportunity to provide delicious pizza and Italian food to patrons of its licensed restaurants), there is no plausible likelihood of confusion,” she wrote.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The turnpike authority sued over two logos, one used by the pizza business and one by a franchising business it owns. Kenny said that logo for the restaurants was approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and has been used since April 2011.</p>
<p>New Jersey says that “there is no question” that the logos “were directly copied and appropriated from Plaintiff’s famous Garden State Parkway Logo.” It asked a judge to require the company to stop using the logos and to destroy any merchandise that includes it.</p>
<p>It calls the Garden State Parkway one of the most iconic and well known highways in the country. Its logo includes a green map of the state with a line showing the highway on a yellow background with the words “Garden State Parkway” written in yellow on a green background.</p>
<p>Jersey Boardwalk Pizza also includes a green map of the state and its title written in yellow on a green background.</p>
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<p />
<p>Last Saturday, this column featured the terrible predicament of what to do when a bloated bovine beaches itself in the middle of the Rio Grande at a remote spot north of Corrales.</p>
<p>No one could say how the cow had died right there in the river, decomposing since Oct. 3, if not earlier, just in time for the International Balloon Fiesta.</p>
<p>And no one was willing to take responsibility for removing the fetid carcass.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Except Kate Wood.</p>
<p>The young Albuquerque woman had spotted – and smelled – the decaying cow while walking her dogs along the river. Certainly, she couldn’t remove the 900-pound-plus beast herself, but certainly with a few phone calls she could find the government agency, private entity or sovereign nation responsible for ridding the Rio of the remains.</p>
<p>Well, certainly not. Turns out, it’s not easy to determine who manages the river when it comes to such things as dead cow removal.</p>
<p>So Wood called me.</p>
<p>None of the agencies we and others contacted – Corrales Animal Control, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the state Livestock Board, the Albuquerque District of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office and the Sandia Pueblo, across the river on the east side – appeared willing or able to take the issue by the horns.</p>
<p>In short, all we got was a bunch of bull.</p>
<p>The story was published last Saturday without resolution in the hopes that public exposure, public pride or public duty would inspire some entity to rise to the occasion and collect the carcass.</p>
<p>Corrales Village Councilor John Alsobrook read the column, and his public duty and pride – and perhaps a little outrage and irritation – kicked in.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“I, like you and many others, don’t like it when it appears government or other public servants are passing the buck,” he said. “If we can’t even take care of a dead cow, how can we be expected to handle tax money and write effective laws?”</p>
<p>Alsobrook texted Corrales Fire Chief Anthony Martinez, whose small staff is well-trained and fairly well-equipped in water rescues, though usually of living creatures.</p>
<p>Martinez said he had already heard about the dead cow but was still trying to figure out who “owns” that part of the river and how one might pull the animal out in an area not easily accessibly by vehicle.</p>
<p>Martinez said he had also received a call from a rancher on the Corrales side inquiring about the cow because he believed it might be his.</p>
<p>“We had to do something. We had been wanting to do something,” Martinez said. “But when the article came out, it put a little pressure on us to do something.”</p>
<p>The rancher, whose name Martinez would not disclose, met the Corrales fire crew down by the river Monday morning to contemplate the fate of old Bossy the Corpse.</p>
<p>That morning on the Sandia Pueblo side of the river, folks with the pueblo’s Environment Department had also arrived to contemplate the very same.</p>
<p>But parties on both sides of the river that morning got a surprise: The cow was gone.</p>
<p>Actually, it had simply moved downstream. Weekend rains had swollen the river just enough to dislodge the cow from the spot where Wood had seen it and float it south about a half-mile until it came to rest on a sandbar about 30 feet from the Corrales bank and near Romero Road, a well-traveled recreational spot accessible by vehicle.</p>
<p>It was, it appears, nature’s way of getting things rolling.</p>
<p>The rancher waded out to the animal and tied a rope to its legs and neck. The rope was then attached to a winch on a firetruck, and the cow was hauled to shore where a Corrales public works backhoe scooped up the dripping, oozing hunk of bad beef and deposited it into the bed of the rancher’s truck.</p>
<p>The rancher rode away with his putrid cargo of cow, which turned out not to be his after all, Martinez said.</p>
<p>(Martinez said he didn’t get close enough to the carcass to examine any branding or tags or gender. I don’t blame him.)</p>
<p>All told, it took the coordinated efforts of six agencies to accomplish the gruesome task, including the fire, police, animal control and public works departments from Corrales and the environment and police departments from Sandia Pueblo. It also took the efforts of the unnamed rancher, Councilor Alsobrook and Wood, the young woman who decided she wasn’t going to let a stinking cow and bureaucratic stupor spoil the Rio Grande.</p>
<p>Alsobrook calls her a champ.</p>
<p>“We need more people like that,” he said. “Government, especially local, works best when we hear from everybody.”</p>
<p>Wood is pretty happy with how things turned out – and maybe just a little amazed.</p>
<p>“What’s so incredible is that so many concerned parties got involved,” she said. “It’s encouraging. It’s awesome. It’s such a testament to speaking up.”</p>
<p>It’s also a testament to what government can do when it does do.</p>
<p>UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Joline at 823-3603, <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a> or follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jolinegkg" type="external">@jolinegkg</a>. Go to <a href="" type="internal">ABQjournal.com/letters/new</a> to submit a letter to the editor.</p>
<p />
<p />
|
Cow carcass removed from river
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https://abqjournal.com/482036/cow-carcass-finally-removed-from-river.html
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Cow carcass removed from river
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<p />
<p>Last Saturday, this column featured the terrible predicament of what to do when a bloated bovine beaches itself in the middle of the Rio Grande at a remote spot north of Corrales.</p>
<p>No one could say how the cow had died right there in the river, decomposing since Oct. 3, if not earlier, just in time for the International Balloon Fiesta.</p>
<p>And no one was willing to take responsibility for removing the fetid carcass.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Except Kate Wood.</p>
<p>The young Albuquerque woman had spotted – and smelled – the decaying cow while walking her dogs along the river. Certainly, she couldn’t remove the 900-pound-plus beast herself, but certainly with a few phone calls she could find the government agency, private entity or sovereign nation responsible for ridding the Rio of the remains.</p>
<p>Well, certainly not. Turns out, it’s not easy to determine who manages the river when it comes to such things as dead cow removal.</p>
<p>So Wood called me.</p>
<p>None of the agencies we and others contacted – Corrales Animal Control, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the state Livestock Board, the Albuquerque District of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office and the Sandia Pueblo, across the river on the east side – appeared willing or able to take the issue by the horns.</p>
<p>In short, all we got was a bunch of bull.</p>
<p>The story was published last Saturday without resolution in the hopes that public exposure, public pride or public duty would inspire some entity to rise to the occasion and collect the carcass.</p>
<p>Corrales Village Councilor John Alsobrook read the column, and his public duty and pride – and perhaps a little outrage and irritation – kicked in.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“I, like you and many others, don’t like it when it appears government or other public servants are passing the buck,” he said. “If we can’t even take care of a dead cow, how can we be expected to handle tax money and write effective laws?”</p>
<p>Alsobrook texted Corrales Fire Chief Anthony Martinez, whose small staff is well-trained and fairly well-equipped in water rescues, though usually of living creatures.</p>
<p>Martinez said he had already heard about the dead cow but was still trying to figure out who “owns” that part of the river and how one might pull the animal out in an area not easily accessibly by vehicle.</p>
<p>Martinez said he had also received a call from a rancher on the Corrales side inquiring about the cow because he believed it might be his.</p>
<p>“We had to do something. We had been wanting to do something,” Martinez said. “But when the article came out, it put a little pressure on us to do something.”</p>
<p>The rancher, whose name Martinez would not disclose, met the Corrales fire crew down by the river Monday morning to contemplate the fate of old Bossy the Corpse.</p>
<p>That morning on the Sandia Pueblo side of the river, folks with the pueblo’s Environment Department had also arrived to contemplate the very same.</p>
<p>But parties on both sides of the river that morning got a surprise: The cow was gone.</p>
<p>Actually, it had simply moved downstream. Weekend rains had swollen the river just enough to dislodge the cow from the spot where Wood had seen it and float it south about a half-mile until it came to rest on a sandbar about 30 feet from the Corrales bank and near Romero Road, a well-traveled recreational spot accessible by vehicle.</p>
<p>It was, it appears, nature’s way of getting things rolling.</p>
<p>The rancher waded out to the animal and tied a rope to its legs and neck. The rope was then attached to a winch on a firetruck, and the cow was hauled to shore where a Corrales public works backhoe scooped up the dripping, oozing hunk of bad beef and deposited it into the bed of the rancher’s truck.</p>
<p>The rancher rode away with his putrid cargo of cow, which turned out not to be his after all, Martinez said.</p>
<p>(Martinez said he didn’t get close enough to the carcass to examine any branding or tags or gender. I don’t blame him.)</p>
<p>All told, it took the coordinated efforts of six agencies to accomplish the gruesome task, including the fire, police, animal control and public works departments from Corrales and the environment and police departments from Sandia Pueblo. It also took the efforts of the unnamed rancher, Councilor Alsobrook and Wood, the young woman who decided she wasn’t going to let a stinking cow and bureaucratic stupor spoil the Rio Grande.</p>
<p>Alsobrook calls her a champ.</p>
<p>“We need more people like that,” he said. “Government, especially local, works best when we hear from everybody.”</p>
<p>Wood is pretty happy with how things turned out – and maybe just a little amazed.</p>
<p>“What’s so incredible is that so many concerned parties got involved,” she said. “It’s encouraging. It’s awesome. It’s such a testament to speaking up.”</p>
<p>It’s also a testament to what government can do when it does do.</p>
<p>UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Joline at 823-3603, <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a> or follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/jolinegkg" type="external">@jolinegkg</a>. Go to <a href="" type="internal">ABQjournal.com/letters/new</a> to submit a letter to the editor.</p>
<p />
<p />
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<p>STAMFORD (CT)Hartford CourantBy FRANCES GRANDY TAYLOR, Courant Staff Writer STAMFORD -- Bridgeport Bishop William E. Lori announced Saturday the creation of a new office that will coordinate initiatives aimed at preventing sexual misconduct by any employee of his diocese and oversee a program that will provide training in sexual abuse awareness. Lori, who helped create the charter passed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops last year in response to the sexual abuse scandal, said the new initiatives were designed to be a more "comprehensive and more systematic" way of applying procedures that have evolved over the past few years. "Two years ago, we were responding to a crisis, now we have an opportunity to lead," Lori said. The new office, called Safe Environments, will coordinate all of the new policies and procedures, and "make certain every allegation of sexual misconduct is handled according to civil and church law," Lori said. A director for the office probably will be named shortly, he said.</p>
|
Church Creates Office On Sex Abuse
| false |
https://poynter.org/news/church-creates-office-sex-abuse
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2003-06-08
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Church Creates Office On Sex Abuse
<p>STAMFORD (CT)Hartford CourantBy FRANCES GRANDY TAYLOR, Courant Staff Writer STAMFORD -- Bridgeport Bishop William E. Lori announced Saturday the creation of a new office that will coordinate initiatives aimed at preventing sexual misconduct by any employee of his diocese and oversee a program that will provide training in sexual abuse awareness. Lori, who helped create the charter passed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops last year in response to the sexual abuse scandal, said the new initiatives were designed to be a more "comprehensive and more systematic" way of applying procedures that have evolved over the past few years. "Two years ago, we were responding to a crisis, now we have an opportunity to lead," Lori said. The new office, called Safe Environments, will coordinate all of the new policies and procedures, and "make certain every allegation of sexual misconduct is handled according to civil and church law," Lori said. A director for the office probably will be named shortly, he said.</p>
| 7,957 |
<p>ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Free-agent catcher Rene Rivera and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $2.8 million, one-year contract.</p>
<p>Rivera has played for six teams over nine seasons in a major league career that began with Seattle. He split last season between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, batting .252 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs in 74 games.</p>
<p>The 34-year-old Rivera has a strong arm behind the plate, throwing out 36.8 percent of attempted base-stealers.</p>
<p>He is likely to compete for the Angels’ backup job behind Gold Glove winner Martin Maldonado, who is eligible for arbitration after appearing in 138 games last season.</p>
<p>Rivera’s base salary is guaranteed, and he can earn $200,000 in performance bonuses for games started at catcher: $50,000 each for 45, 50, 55 and 60.</p>
<p>In another move Tuesday night, Angels left-hander Nate Smith was designated for assignment. Smith is a longtime Angels prospect. He won’t pitch in 2018 after having shoulder surgery last month.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP baseball: <a href="" type="internal">www.apnews.com/tags/MLBbaseball</a></p>
<p>ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Free-agent catcher Rene Rivera and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $2.8 million, one-year contract.</p>
<p>Rivera has played for six teams over nine seasons in a major league career that began with Seattle. He split last season between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, batting .252 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs in 74 games.</p>
<p>The 34-year-old Rivera has a strong arm behind the plate, throwing out 36.8 percent of attempted base-stealers.</p>
<p>He is likely to compete for the Angels’ backup job behind Gold Glove winner Martin Maldonado, who is eligible for arbitration after appearing in 138 games last season.</p>
<p>Rivera’s base salary is guaranteed, and he can earn $200,000 in performance bonuses for games started at catcher: $50,000 each for 45, 50, 55 and 60.</p>
<p>In another move Tuesday night, Angels left-hander Nate Smith was designated for assignment. Smith is a longtime Angels prospect. He won’t pitch in 2018 after having shoulder surgery last month.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP baseball: <a href="" type="internal">www.apnews.com/tags/MLBbaseball</a></p>
|
Veteran catcher Rene Rivera reaches $2.8M deal with Angels
| false |
https://apnews.com/15e9240ccc6748de8f400c42b7e74699
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2018-01-10
| 2least
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Veteran catcher Rene Rivera reaches $2.8M deal with Angels
<p>ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Free-agent catcher Rene Rivera and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $2.8 million, one-year contract.</p>
<p>Rivera has played for six teams over nine seasons in a major league career that began with Seattle. He split last season between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, batting .252 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs in 74 games.</p>
<p>The 34-year-old Rivera has a strong arm behind the plate, throwing out 36.8 percent of attempted base-stealers.</p>
<p>He is likely to compete for the Angels’ backup job behind Gold Glove winner Martin Maldonado, who is eligible for arbitration after appearing in 138 games last season.</p>
<p>Rivera’s base salary is guaranteed, and he can earn $200,000 in performance bonuses for games started at catcher: $50,000 each for 45, 50, 55 and 60.</p>
<p>In another move Tuesday night, Angels left-hander Nate Smith was designated for assignment. Smith is a longtime Angels prospect. He won’t pitch in 2018 after having shoulder surgery last month.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP baseball: <a href="" type="internal">www.apnews.com/tags/MLBbaseball</a></p>
<p>ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Free-agent catcher Rene Rivera and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $2.8 million, one-year contract.</p>
<p>Rivera has played for six teams over nine seasons in a major league career that began with Seattle. He split last season between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, batting .252 with 10 homers and 35 RBIs in 74 games.</p>
<p>The 34-year-old Rivera has a strong arm behind the plate, throwing out 36.8 percent of attempted base-stealers.</p>
<p>He is likely to compete for the Angels’ backup job behind Gold Glove winner Martin Maldonado, who is eligible for arbitration after appearing in 138 games last season.</p>
<p>Rivera’s base salary is guaranteed, and he can earn $200,000 in performance bonuses for games started at catcher: $50,000 each for 45, 50, 55 and 60.</p>
<p>In another move Tuesday night, Angels left-hander Nate Smith was designated for assignment. Smith is a longtime Angels prospect. He won’t pitch in 2018 after having shoulder surgery last month.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP baseball: <a href="" type="internal">www.apnews.com/tags/MLBbaseball</a></p>
| 7,958 |
<p />
<p>The Blessed Hope "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." <a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Tts&amp;c=2" type="external">Titus 2:13-15</a></p>
<p>The Tri-fold power of having the Blessed Hope within us</p>
<p>Titus chapter 2 is an amazing chapter because it tells us that the pretribulation rapture of the church is our 'blessed hope', in which we are to do the following while we wait on His return:</p>
<p>So you see that the Blessed Hope is a means by which God uses it to prepare us and purify us as we wait. It is not simply a "get out of jail free card", it is a refining tool of the Lord to make us ready on a daily basis. After all, death is a reality for over 250,000 people a day every day around the world, with lots of them being bible believing Christians.</p>
<p />
<p>Don't you think that to be "ready at any moment" is a pretty good idea? Having the blessed hope in our lives pushes us towards readiness, and way from stagnation and slothfullness in our spiritual walk with the Lord Jesus.</p>
<p>Salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing strengthens the Blessed Hope</p>
<p>As bible believeing Christians in the age of Grace, we live in a period of time that people of no other dispensation were afforded. Salvation by grace through faith is a gift that we in this life will never understand the full measure of. We read about this in the second chapter of the book of Ephesians:</p>
<p>"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)</p>
<p>And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.</p>
<p>For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." <a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?t=KJV&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;b=Eph&amp;c=2&amp;v=1" type="external">Ephesians 2: 4-10</a></p>
<p>We who are saved did nothing to save ourselves, and we do nothing to keep ourselves saved. It is all of the Lord Jesus, this is His great gift to us. We can't fall out, be pulled out, be pushed out, or be talked out of the eternal life He gives us at the moment we recieve this free gift. We can't even jump out! Paul addresses this in the eighth chapter of the book of Romans:</p>
<p>"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." <a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?t=KJV&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;b=Rom&amp;c=8&amp;v=1" type="external">Romans 8:38,39</a></p>
<p>God knows that we are redeemed sinners who still have to live everyday in unredeemed bodies of flesh. He knows that we will still commit sin. So He gives us verses like Romans 8 to assure us and comfort us that we can never be separated from His love no matter where we wander. The Prodigal Son, while he lost his inheritance (a picture of loss of <a href="../doctrine/faith-works-and-the-judgment-seat-of-christ.htm" type="external">rewards at the Judgment Seat</a>), he never lost his sonship with the Father.</p>
<p>Of course, it is God's desire to see us not become like the Prodigal, and to strive to live our lives as He would have us to live them.</p>
<p>Beloved, the bible teaches us that Jesus will 'never leave us or forsake us' after we have been saved. That's a promise you can hang your eternal destiny on. His return for His church to take us our before the Tribulation is also another precious promise you may trust with all your heart.</p>
<p>He said He would come get us...and He will. Be ye always ready....this is our BLESSED HOPE.</p>
<p />
<p>"WATCH" By Warren M. Smith.</p>
<p>Oh, the glory fast approaching, of Ascension's happy morn,� When the watchful servants quickly to His bosom shall be borne; When the dear ones left behind us, shall for us oft seek in vain,� But our spirits shall have risen to the Lamb for sinners slain. Caught up in the air to meet Him, oh! the heights and depths of joy, Lengths and breadths of love surpassing, purest bliss wi ' thout alloy;� Now we see with darkened vision, then we'll see Him face to face,� And we will, through countless ages, sing the glories of His grace. Two shall at a mill be grinding, one be taken, one be left,� Two shall in a bed be sleeping, one of these shall be bereft;� Oh, what wonder and amazement, shall the ones on earth, possess,� They shall pass through tribulation, pain, and sorrow and distress. We shall live with Him forever, in the sunshine of His love,� We shall meet to part, no never, with th' angelic host above;� There we'll hear our Father's welcome, as He calls us, one by one, Saying to each one in person, "Faithful servant, 'tis well done." Let us, then, our lamps keep burning, and our wedding garments on,� Ready to go forth to meet Him, when we hear Him say, "I come;� There will be no time to slumber, lest He come whil'st we're asleep And the door be shut between us; let us then our vigil keep.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p /> The Blessed Hope the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ The Tri-fold power of having the Blessed Hope within us Looking for Jesus: Denying ungodliness: Speak, exhort and rebuke: Click here
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Titus 2:13 And The Blessed Hope
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http://nowtheendbegins.com/pages/rapture/the-blessed-hope.htm
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Titus 2:13 And The Blessed Hope
<p />
<p>The Blessed Hope "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." <a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Tts&amp;c=2" type="external">Titus 2:13-15</a></p>
<p>The Tri-fold power of having the Blessed Hope within us</p>
<p>Titus chapter 2 is an amazing chapter because it tells us that the pretribulation rapture of the church is our 'blessed hope', in which we are to do the following while we wait on His return:</p>
<p>So you see that the Blessed Hope is a means by which God uses it to prepare us and purify us as we wait. It is not simply a "get out of jail free card", it is a refining tool of the Lord to make us ready on a daily basis. After all, death is a reality for over 250,000 people a day every day around the world, with lots of them being bible believing Christians.</p>
<p />
<p>Don't you think that to be "ready at any moment" is a pretty good idea? Having the blessed hope in our lives pushes us towards readiness, and way from stagnation and slothfullness in our spiritual walk with the Lord Jesus.</p>
<p>Salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing strengthens the Blessed Hope</p>
<p>As bible believeing Christians in the age of Grace, we live in a period of time that people of no other dispensation were afforded. Salvation by grace through faith is a gift that we in this life will never understand the full measure of. We read about this in the second chapter of the book of Ephesians:</p>
<p>"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)</p>
<p>And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.</p>
<p>For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." <a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?t=KJV&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;b=Eph&amp;c=2&amp;v=1" type="external">Ephesians 2: 4-10</a></p>
<p>We who are saved did nothing to save ourselves, and we do nothing to keep ourselves saved. It is all of the Lord Jesus, this is His great gift to us. We can't fall out, be pulled out, be pushed out, or be talked out of the eternal life He gives us at the moment we recieve this free gift. We can't even jump out! Paul addresses this in the eighth chapter of the book of Romans:</p>
<p>"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." <a href="http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?t=KJV&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;b=Rom&amp;c=8&amp;v=1" type="external">Romans 8:38,39</a></p>
<p>God knows that we are redeemed sinners who still have to live everyday in unredeemed bodies of flesh. He knows that we will still commit sin. So He gives us verses like Romans 8 to assure us and comfort us that we can never be separated from His love no matter where we wander. The Prodigal Son, while he lost his inheritance (a picture of loss of <a href="../doctrine/faith-works-and-the-judgment-seat-of-christ.htm" type="external">rewards at the Judgment Seat</a>), he never lost his sonship with the Father.</p>
<p>Of course, it is God's desire to see us not become like the Prodigal, and to strive to live our lives as He would have us to live them.</p>
<p>Beloved, the bible teaches us that Jesus will 'never leave us or forsake us' after we have been saved. That's a promise you can hang your eternal destiny on. His return for His church to take us our before the Tribulation is also another precious promise you may trust with all your heart.</p>
<p>He said He would come get us...and He will. Be ye always ready....this is our BLESSED HOPE.</p>
<p />
<p>"WATCH" By Warren M. Smith.</p>
<p>Oh, the glory fast approaching, of Ascension's happy morn,� When the watchful servants quickly to His bosom shall be borne; When the dear ones left behind us, shall for us oft seek in vain,� But our spirits shall have risen to the Lamb for sinners slain. Caught up in the air to meet Him, oh! the heights and depths of joy, Lengths and breadths of love surpassing, purest bliss wi ' thout alloy;� Now we see with darkened vision, then we'll see Him face to face,� And we will, through countless ages, sing the glories of His grace. Two shall at a mill be grinding, one be taken, one be left,� Two shall in a bed be sleeping, one of these shall be bereft;� Oh, what wonder and amazement, shall the ones on earth, possess,� They shall pass through tribulation, pain, and sorrow and distress. We shall live with Him forever, in the sunshine of His love,� We shall meet to part, no never, with th' angelic host above;� There we'll hear our Father's welcome, as He calls us, one by one, Saying to each one in person, "Faithful servant, 'tis well done." Let us, then, our lamps keep burning, and our wedding garments on,� Ready to go forth to meet Him, when we hear Him say, "I come;� There will be no time to slumber, lest He come whil'st we're asleep And the door be shut between us; let us then our vigil keep.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p /> The Blessed Hope the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ The Tri-fold power of having the Blessed Hope within us Looking for Jesus: Denying ungodliness: Speak, exhort and rebuke: Click here
| 7,959 |
|
<p>U.S. stock futures edged lower, pulling back from the sharp gains seen at the end of last week, as investors digested recent signs of lackluster economic growth.</p>
<p>European markets erased early gains to trade little changed, with some downbeat industrial production data weighing on sentiment.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>About 90 minutes ahead of the open, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipped 27 points, or 0.2%, to 15712. Last week, the Dow rose 354 points over the last two sessions, the biggest two-day gain in four months, to erase Monday's 326-point tumble and snap a two-week losing streak.</p>
<p>S&amp;P 500 index futures eased four points, or 0.2%, to 1790 and Nasdaq 100 futures gave up two points, or 0.1%, to 3556. Changes in stock futures don't always accurately predict stock moves after the opening bell.</p>
<p>Despite last week's turnaround, the Dow was still down 4.7% on the year and the S&amp;P 500 was 2.8% below its record high seen Jan. 15. Investors have been grappling with concerns over slowing economic growth at a time with the Federal Reserve paring back on extreme stimulus measures, and recent turbulence in emerging markets. Data on Friday seemed to add to those concerns, as U.S. employment growth data were weaker-than-expected for a second-straight month.</p>
<p>"Investors appear to be accepting that the short-term volatility in the data doesn't call into question the gradually improving trend in the U.S. economy," said Ian Williams, economist and strategist at brokerage Peel Hunt.</p>
<p>The yield on the 10-year Treasury note inched higher to 2.679% from 2.675% late Friday.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>There were no major economic data scheduled for release on Monday. But later in the week, investors will be focusing on new Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen's testimony to Congress on Tuesday and Thursday, jobless claims and retail sales on Thursday and industrial production and consumer sentiment on Friday.</p>
<p>Joel Johnson, founder of JohnsonBrunetti Retirement &amp; Investment Specialists, which oversees $300 million, said the market could remain volatile over the coming weeks as uncertainty over the economy and Federal Reserve policy hang over investors minds, but he recommends investors not to overreact to short-term market weakness.</p>
<p>"We're telling our clients, pullbacks can be expected, stay the course and don't expect what you saw last year," Mr. Johnson said, as the S&amp;P 500 soared 30% in 2013. "Expect a little volatility. But overall, the economy will be in a better spot and the markets will be modestly higher this year."</p>
<p>Crude oil futures lost 0.4% to $99.47 a barrel, after settling Friday at a new high for the year, while gold futures gained 0.7% to $1,272.50 an ounce. The dollar lost some ground against the euro and the yen.</p>
<p>In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 was down less than 0.1% and was in danger of snapping a three-session winning streak. Industrial production in France declined more than expected in December, while production in Italy surprisingly fell on the month.</p>
<p>German's DAX 30 index gave up less than 0.1%, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 edged up less than 0.1% and France's CAC 40 ticked up 0.1%.</p>
<p>Emerging-market currencies were mostly lower against the dollar, but remained well above their weakest levels hit during the recent selloff, having recovered last week. The Turkish lira, South African rand, and Hungarian forint all fell against the buck</p>
<p>Asian markets were mostly higher as strength seen in the U.S. market carried over. China's Shanghai Composite rallied 2% to close at a five-week high and Japan's Nikkei Stock Average ran up 1.8%.</p>
<p>In corporate news, Hasbro slid 1% in premarket trading after the toymaker reported fourth-quarter earnings that missed analyst estimates, amid weakness in its boys' category.</p>
<p>Yelp rallied 8.9% after The Wall Street Journal reported that Yahoo will incorporate Yelp's listings and reviews of local businesses into search results. Yahoo's stock advanced 1.7%.</p>
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Stock Futures Slip Amid Economic Worries
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http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2014/02/10/stock-futures-slip-amid-economic-worries.html
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2016-07-06
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Stock Futures Slip Amid Economic Worries
<p>U.S. stock futures edged lower, pulling back from the sharp gains seen at the end of last week, as investors digested recent signs of lackluster economic growth.</p>
<p>European markets erased early gains to trade little changed, with some downbeat industrial production data weighing on sentiment.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>About 90 minutes ahead of the open, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures slipped 27 points, or 0.2%, to 15712. Last week, the Dow rose 354 points over the last two sessions, the biggest two-day gain in four months, to erase Monday's 326-point tumble and snap a two-week losing streak.</p>
<p>S&amp;P 500 index futures eased four points, or 0.2%, to 1790 and Nasdaq 100 futures gave up two points, or 0.1%, to 3556. Changes in stock futures don't always accurately predict stock moves after the opening bell.</p>
<p>Despite last week's turnaround, the Dow was still down 4.7% on the year and the S&amp;P 500 was 2.8% below its record high seen Jan. 15. Investors have been grappling with concerns over slowing economic growth at a time with the Federal Reserve paring back on extreme stimulus measures, and recent turbulence in emerging markets. Data on Friday seemed to add to those concerns, as U.S. employment growth data were weaker-than-expected for a second-straight month.</p>
<p>"Investors appear to be accepting that the short-term volatility in the data doesn't call into question the gradually improving trend in the U.S. economy," said Ian Williams, economist and strategist at brokerage Peel Hunt.</p>
<p>The yield on the 10-year Treasury note inched higher to 2.679% from 2.675% late Friday.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>There were no major economic data scheduled for release on Monday. But later in the week, investors will be focusing on new Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen's testimony to Congress on Tuesday and Thursday, jobless claims and retail sales on Thursday and industrial production and consumer sentiment on Friday.</p>
<p>Joel Johnson, founder of JohnsonBrunetti Retirement &amp; Investment Specialists, which oversees $300 million, said the market could remain volatile over the coming weeks as uncertainty over the economy and Federal Reserve policy hang over investors minds, but he recommends investors not to overreact to short-term market weakness.</p>
<p>"We're telling our clients, pullbacks can be expected, stay the course and don't expect what you saw last year," Mr. Johnson said, as the S&amp;P 500 soared 30% in 2013. "Expect a little volatility. But overall, the economy will be in a better spot and the markets will be modestly higher this year."</p>
<p>Crude oil futures lost 0.4% to $99.47 a barrel, after settling Friday at a new high for the year, while gold futures gained 0.7% to $1,272.50 an ounce. The dollar lost some ground against the euro and the yen.</p>
<p>In Europe, the Stoxx Europe 600 was down less than 0.1% and was in danger of snapping a three-session winning streak. Industrial production in France declined more than expected in December, while production in Italy surprisingly fell on the month.</p>
<p>German's DAX 30 index gave up less than 0.1%, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 edged up less than 0.1% and France's CAC 40 ticked up 0.1%.</p>
<p>Emerging-market currencies were mostly lower against the dollar, but remained well above their weakest levels hit during the recent selloff, having recovered last week. The Turkish lira, South African rand, and Hungarian forint all fell against the buck</p>
<p>Asian markets were mostly higher as strength seen in the U.S. market carried over. China's Shanghai Composite rallied 2% to close at a five-week high and Japan's Nikkei Stock Average ran up 1.8%.</p>
<p>In corporate news, Hasbro slid 1% in premarket trading after the toymaker reported fourth-quarter earnings that missed analyst estimates, amid weakness in its boys' category.</p>
<p>Yelp rallied 8.9% after The Wall Street Journal reported that Yahoo will incorporate Yelp's listings and reviews of local businesses into search results. Yahoo's stock advanced 1.7%.</p>
| 7,960 |
<p>FOX Business: Capitalism Lives Here</p>
<p>The broad S&amp;P 500 looked to snap a two-day slump on Friday in light trading.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Today's Markets</p>
<p>As of 3:18 p.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 61 points, or 0.39%, to 15606, the S&amp;P 500 advanced 3.9 points, or 0.22%, to 1760 and the Nasdaq Composite slumped 1.4 points, or 0.04%, to 3918.</p>
<p>The S&amp;P has receded from record highs in recent days as traders have grown more concerned about the prospects of the Federal Reserve tapering its giant asset purchasing program in December. Some analysts were looking to March as the beginning of the end of QE3.</p>
<p>Data from the Institute for Supply Management at 10:00 a.m. ET could shed more light on the economic picture. Economists expect the ISM PMI gauge to fall to 55 in October from 56.2 in September. Readings above 50 suggest the manufacturing sector is expanding, while those below signal it is contracting.</p>
<p>A regional report on the Midwestern manufacturing sector Thursday blew past expectations.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>On the corporate front, JP Morgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) revealed in a regulatory filing the U.S. Justice Department and agencies from other jurisdictions are probing its hiring practices in Hong Kong.</p>
<p>Ford (NYSE:F) and Chrysler both posted double-digit increases in October U.S. sales. However, the gains were shy of expectations.</p>
<p>Chevron (NYSE:CVX) posted third-quarter profits of $2.57 a share on sales of $57 billion, missing expectations of $2.71 a share on revenues of $58.4 billion. Shares of the blue-chip energy giant were little changed.</p>
<p>In commodities,&#160;U.S. crude oil futures fell 55 cents, or 0.57%, to $95.82 a barrel. Wholesale New York Harbor gasoline dipped 0.54% to $2.573 a gallon. Gold fell $11.50, or 0.87%, to $1,312 a troy ounce.</p>
<p>Foreign Markets</p>
<p>The Euro Stoxx 50 fell 0.23% to 3061, the English FTSE 100 rose 0.03% to 6733 and the German DAX slipped 0.2% to 9016.</p>
<p>In Asia, the Japanese Nikkei 225 slid 0.88% to 14202 and the Chinese Hang Seng edged up by 0.19% to 23250.</p>
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S&P Looks to Snap Two-Day Dip
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2013/11/01/wall-street-rises-ahead-manufacturing-data.html
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2016-03-06
| 0right
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S&P Looks to Snap Two-Day Dip
<p>FOX Business: Capitalism Lives Here</p>
<p>The broad S&amp;P 500 looked to snap a two-day slump on Friday in light trading.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Today's Markets</p>
<p>As of 3:18 p.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 61 points, or 0.39%, to 15606, the S&amp;P 500 advanced 3.9 points, or 0.22%, to 1760 and the Nasdaq Composite slumped 1.4 points, or 0.04%, to 3918.</p>
<p>The S&amp;P has receded from record highs in recent days as traders have grown more concerned about the prospects of the Federal Reserve tapering its giant asset purchasing program in December. Some analysts were looking to March as the beginning of the end of QE3.</p>
<p>Data from the Institute for Supply Management at 10:00 a.m. ET could shed more light on the economic picture. Economists expect the ISM PMI gauge to fall to 55 in October from 56.2 in September. Readings above 50 suggest the manufacturing sector is expanding, while those below signal it is contracting.</p>
<p>A regional report on the Midwestern manufacturing sector Thursday blew past expectations.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>On the corporate front, JP Morgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) revealed in a regulatory filing the U.S. Justice Department and agencies from other jurisdictions are probing its hiring practices in Hong Kong.</p>
<p>Ford (NYSE:F) and Chrysler both posted double-digit increases in October U.S. sales. However, the gains were shy of expectations.</p>
<p>Chevron (NYSE:CVX) posted third-quarter profits of $2.57 a share on sales of $57 billion, missing expectations of $2.71 a share on revenues of $58.4 billion. Shares of the blue-chip energy giant were little changed.</p>
<p>In commodities,&#160;U.S. crude oil futures fell 55 cents, or 0.57%, to $95.82 a barrel. Wholesale New York Harbor gasoline dipped 0.54% to $2.573 a gallon. Gold fell $11.50, or 0.87%, to $1,312 a troy ounce.</p>
<p>Foreign Markets</p>
<p>The Euro Stoxx 50 fell 0.23% to 3061, the English FTSE 100 rose 0.03% to 6733 and the German DAX slipped 0.2% to 9016.</p>
<p>In Asia, the Japanese Nikkei 225 slid 0.88% to 14202 and the Chinese Hang Seng edged up by 0.19% to 23250.</p>
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<p>Cracks in the ACLU’s strict defense of the First Amendment no matter how offensive the speech opened from the moment a counter-protester was killed during the rally in Virginia. Some critics said the ACLU has blood on its hands for persuading a judge to let the Aug. 12 march go forward. An ACLU leader in Virginia resigned, tweeting, “What’s legal and what’s right are sometimes different.”</p>
<p>“This was a real tragedy and we’re all reeling,” said Lee Rowland, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU’s headquarters in New York City. “Charlottesville should be a wake-up call to all of us.”</p>
<p>The backlash, reminiscent of one that followed the ACLU’s 1978 defense of a neo-Nazi group that wanted to march through Skokie, Illinois, a Chicago suburb with a large number of Holocaust survivors, set off a tumultuous week of soul-searching and led to a three-hour national staff meeting in which the conflict within the group was aired.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>What resulted was an announcement that the ACLU will no longer stand with hate groups seeking to march with weapons, as some of those in Charlottesville did.</p>
<p>“If people are gathering armed to the hilt and hoping for violence, I think the ACLU would be doing damage to our free-speech rights in the long term,” Rowland said.</p>
<p>The newfound limit on how far the nearly century-old ACLU is willing to go to defend free speech sets up intriguing choices in the months ahead. Will it intervene, for example, in the case of a white nationalist rally at Texas A&amp;M that the university canceled after Charlottesville? The ACLU said it won’t discuss when and where it might take a stand.</p>
<p>The seeds of upheaval in Charlottesville were planted when a judge agreed with the ACLU that white nationalists should be able to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee where the monument stands, instead of at a neutral site sought by city officials.</p>
<p>It was a position consistent with the ACLU’s history of defending free-speech rights for protesters on all parts of the spectrum. But then James Alex Fields Jr. was accused of using his car to kill 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injure several others who were staging a counter-demonstration.</p>
<p>Within hours, a board member of the ACLU’s Virginia branch, Waldo Jaquith, resigned and fired off a stinging tweet that ended with, “I won’t be a fig leaf for the Nazis.”</p>
<p>In an opinion piece in The New York Times, K-Sue Park, a race studies fellow at the UCLA School of Law, argued that the ACLU’s defend-in-all-cases approach to the First Amendment “perpetuates a misguided theory that all radical views are equal,” adding that group is “standing on the wrong side of history.”</p>
<p>Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe went further, accusing the ACLU of creating a “powder keg” in Charlottesville. The ACLU of Virginia responded by saying it was “horrified” by the violence but didn’t cause it.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“We do not support Nazis,” it said. “We support the Constitution and the laws of the United States.”</p>
<p>After the 1978 furor over the neo-Nazi rally in Skokie, which never actually got off the ground, the ACLU stood firm even as it received hate mail and hundreds of members quit.</p>
<p>The latest criticism of the ACLU has come from some of the same people who had heaped praise and donations on the organization for its resistance to President Donald Trump’s travel ban. Membership surged from 25,000 to 1.6 million, with $90 million in online contributions, in the months since Trump’s election.</p>
<p>“The ACLU has faced much worse before and emerged stronger and more dynamic,” said Ron Kuby, a New York civil rights attorney. “Refusing to represent people who intend to march while visibly armed is a reasonable line to draw given what we’ve seen from the white supremacists.”</p>
<p>ACLU member and Charlottesville resident Ira Bashkow said he never considered quitting the group but feels the disturbing episode in his city showed it has to rethink its “old-line” approach to the First Amendment.</p>
<p>“I believe in the right to free speech, but it doesn’t mean (demonstrators) can say whatever they want and hold a weapon at the same time,” he said.</p>
<p>Stacy Sullivan, an associate director with the ACLU, said that after Charlottesville, a small increase in people quitting as members or dropping off social media last week was made up for by new sign-ups.</p>
<p>She said the ACLU will not shy away from taking unpopular positions.</p>
<p>“If you can’t stomach respecting the First Amendment rights of people you despise,” Sullivan said, “you don’t work here.”</p>
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Violence in Charlottesville leads to soul-searching at ACLU
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https://abqjournal.com/1052310/violence-in-charlottesville-leads-to-soul-searching-at-aclu.html
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2017-08-23
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Violence in Charlottesville leads to soul-searching at ACLU
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Cracks in the ACLU’s strict defense of the First Amendment no matter how offensive the speech opened from the moment a counter-protester was killed during the rally in Virginia. Some critics said the ACLU has blood on its hands for persuading a judge to let the Aug. 12 march go forward. An ACLU leader in Virginia resigned, tweeting, “What’s legal and what’s right are sometimes different.”</p>
<p>“This was a real tragedy and we’re all reeling,” said Lee Rowland, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU’s headquarters in New York City. “Charlottesville should be a wake-up call to all of us.”</p>
<p>The backlash, reminiscent of one that followed the ACLU’s 1978 defense of a neo-Nazi group that wanted to march through Skokie, Illinois, a Chicago suburb with a large number of Holocaust survivors, set off a tumultuous week of soul-searching and led to a three-hour national staff meeting in which the conflict within the group was aired.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>What resulted was an announcement that the ACLU will no longer stand with hate groups seeking to march with weapons, as some of those in Charlottesville did.</p>
<p>“If people are gathering armed to the hilt and hoping for violence, I think the ACLU would be doing damage to our free-speech rights in the long term,” Rowland said.</p>
<p>The newfound limit on how far the nearly century-old ACLU is willing to go to defend free speech sets up intriguing choices in the months ahead. Will it intervene, for example, in the case of a white nationalist rally at Texas A&amp;M that the university canceled after Charlottesville? The ACLU said it won’t discuss when and where it might take a stand.</p>
<p>The seeds of upheaval in Charlottesville were planted when a judge agreed with the ACLU that white nationalists should be able to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee where the monument stands, instead of at a neutral site sought by city officials.</p>
<p>It was a position consistent with the ACLU’s history of defending free-speech rights for protesters on all parts of the spectrum. But then James Alex Fields Jr. was accused of using his car to kill 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injure several others who were staging a counter-demonstration.</p>
<p>Within hours, a board member of the ACLU’s Virginia branch, Waldo Jaquith, resigned and fired off a stinging tweet that ended with, “I won’t be a fig leaf for the Nazis.”</p>
<p>In an opinion piece in The New York Times, K-Sue Park, a race studies fellow at the UCLA School of Law, argued that the ACLU’s defend-in-all-cases approach to the First Amendment “perpetuates a misguided theory that all radical views are equal,” adding that group is “standing on the wrong side of history.”</p>
<p>Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe went further, accusing the ACLU of creating a “powder keg” in Charlottesville. The ACLU of Virginia responded by saying it was “horrified” by the violence but didn’t cause it.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“We do not support Nazis,” it said. “We support the Constitution and the laws of the United States.”</p>
<p>After the 1978 furor over the neo-Nazi rally in Skokie, which never actually got off the ground, the ACLU stood firm even as it received hate mail and hundreds of members quit.</p>
<p>The latest criticism of the ACLU has come from some of the same people who had heaped praise and donations on the organization for its resistance to President Donald Trump’s travel ban. Membership surged from 25,000 to 1.6 million, with $90 million in online contributions, in the months since Trump’s election.</p>
<p>“The ACLU has faced much worse before and emerged stronger and more dynamic,” said Ron Kuby, a New York civil rights attorney. “Refusing to represent people who intend to march while visibly armed is a reasonable line to draw given what we’ve seen from the white supremacists.”</p>
<p>ACLU member and Charlottesville resident Ira Bashkow said he never considered quitting the group but feels the disturbing episode in his city showed it has to rethink its “old-line” approach to the First Amendment.</p>
<p>“I believe in the right to free speech, but it doesn’t mean (demonstrators) can say whatever they want and hold a weapon at the same time,” he said.</p>
<p>Stacy Sullivan, an associate director with the ACLU, said that after Charlottesville, a small increase in people quitting as members or dropping off social media last week was made up for by new sign-ups.</p>
<p>She said the ACLU will not shy away from taking unpopular positions.</p>
<p>“If you can’t stomach respecting the First Amendment rights of people you despise,” Sullivan said, “you don’t work here.”</p>
| 7,962 |
<p>Like the rally led by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central that brought hundreds of thousands of people into the streets of Washington DC on Saturday, Brazil’s election on Sunday was a contest of “Restore Sanity” versus “Keep Fear Alive.”</p>
<p>Dilma Rousseff of the governing Worker’s Party coasted to victory against the opposition candidate José Serra, with a comfortable margin of 56 – 44 percent. It was a bitter and ugly campaign marked by allegations of corruption and malfeasance on both sides, and ended with Serra’s wife calling Dilma a “baby-killer.”</p>
<p>Religious groups and leaders mobilized for the Serra campaign and accused Dilma of wanting to legalize abortion, ban religious symbols, being “anti-Christian,” and a “terrorist” for her resistance to the military dictatorship during the late 1960s. The whole campaign was all too reminiscent of Republican strategies in the United States, going back to the rise of the religious right in the 1980s, through the “Swift Boat” politics and Karl Rove’s “Weapons of Mass Distraction” of recent years.</p>
<p>Serra even had a right-wing foreign policy strategy that prompted one critic to label him “Serra Palin.” His campaign threatened to alienate Brazil from most of its neighbors by accusing the Bolivian government of being “complicit” in drug trafficking and Venezuela of “sheltering” the FARC (the main guerrilla group) in Colombia. He attacked Lula for his refusal – along with most of the rest of South America – to recognize the government of Honduras. The Honduran government was “elected” following a military coup last year, under conditions of censorship and human rights abuses such that only the United States and a handful of mostly right-wing allies recognized it as “free and fair.”</p>
<p>But in the end, sanity triumphed over fear, as voters proved to be more convinced by the substantial improvements in their well being during the Lula years.</p>
<p>It is perhaps not surprising that Serra, an economist, would try to find a way to avoid the most important economic issues that affect the lives of the majority of Brazilians. The economy has performed much better during the Lula years than during the eight years of Serra’s party (the Social Democratic Party of Brazil [PSDB] ): per capita income grew by 23 percent from 2002-2010, as opposed to just 3.5 percent for 1994-2002. Measured unemployment is now at a record low of 6.2 percent.</p>
<p>Perhaps even more importantly, the majority of Brazilians had some substantial gains: the minimum wage, adjusted for inflation, grew by about 65 percent during Lula’s presidency. This is more than three times the increase during the prior eight years (i.e. the presidency of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, of Serra’s party). This affects not only minimum-wage workers but tens of millions of others whose income is tied to the minimum wage.</p>
<p>In addition, the government has expanded the Bolsa Familia program, which provides small cash grants to poor families, with school attendance and health immunizations required. The program has been successful in reducing illiteracy, and now reaches about 13 million families. More than 19 million people have been brought across the poverty line since 2003. And a new program of subsidies to home ownership has benefited hundreds of thousands of families, with millions likely to take part as it expands.</p>
<p>Although this brand of Republican campaign strategy was effective for most of the last four decades in the United States, it hasn’t performed all that well as an export. The Brazilian electorate tired quickly of the mud-slinging, and swing voters wanted to know what Serra would do for them that would be better than what the Workers’ Party had done. When he couldn’t tell them, he lost their votes.</p>
<p>On the down side, the mudslinging and “Republican strategy” prevented the campaign from addressing some of the vital issues of Brazil’s future. Brazil’s financial elite, which dominates the central bank, has an influence on economic policy that is at least as bad – and as powerful – as that of Wall Street in the United States. This is one reason why Brazil, even under Lula, has had for many years the highest or near-highest real interest rates in the world. Brazil’s growth performance has still not been on a par with the other BRIC countries (Russia, India, China), and the country will have to move away from some of the neoliberal policies of previous governments in order to achieve its potential.</p>
<p>Capital formation during the Lula years was not much different from during the Cardoso years, and was relatively low compared to many developing countries. Public investment was even lower, although it has recently begun to accelerate. The country will need a development strategy, and one that establishes new patterns of investment and consumption that advance the interests of the majority of Brazilians – some 50 million of whom remain in poverty.</p>
<p>The election has enormous implications for the Western Hemisphere, where the Obama State Department has continued with barely a stutter the Bush administration’s strategy of “rollback” against the unprecedented independence that the left governments of South America have won over the last decade. A defeat of the Workers’ Party would have been a big victory for them.</p>
<p>It also has implications for the rest of the world. In May, Brazil and Turkey broke new ground in the world of international diplomacy, by negotiating a nuclear fuel swap arrangement for Iran, in an attempt to resolve the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program. The State Department was probably more upset about this than anything that Brazil had done in the region, including Lula’s strong and consistent support for the Chavéz government in Venezuela. Serra had also attacked the Iran deal during his campaign.</p>
<p>Outside of Washington, the results of this election will be greeted as good news.</p>
<p>MARK WEISBROT is an economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. He is co-author, with Dean Baker, of <a href="" type="internal">Social Security: the Phony Crisis</a>.</p>
<p>This article was originally published by <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/" type="external">The Guardian</a>.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
|
Dilma’s Victory in Brazil
| true |
https://counterpunch.org/2010/11/03/dilma-s-victory-in-brazil/
|
2010-11-03
| 4left
|
Dilma’s Victory in Brazil
<p>Like the rally led by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central that brought hundreds of thousands of people into the streets of Washington DC on Saturday, Brazil’s election on Sunday was a contest of “Restore Sanity” versus “Keep Fear Alive.”</p>
<p>Dilma Rousseff of the governing Worker’s Party coasted to victory against the opposition candidate José Serra, with a comfortable margin of 56 – 44 percent. It was a bitter and ugly campaign marked by allegations of corruption and malfeasance on both sides, and ended with Serra’s wife calling Dilma a “baby-killer.”</p>
<p>Religious groups and leaders mobilized for the Serra campaign and accused Dilma of wanting to legalize abortion, ban religious symbols, being “anti-Christian,” and a “terrorist” for her resistance to the military dictatorship during the late 1960s. The whole campaign was all too reminiscent of Republican strategies in the United States, going back to the rise of the religious right in the 1980s, through the “Swift Boat” politics and Karl Rove’s “Weapons of Mass Distraction” of recent years.</p>
<p>Serra even had a right-wing foreign policy strategy that prompted one critic to label him “Serra Palin.” His campaign threatened to alienate Brazil from most of its neighbors by accusing the Bolivian government of being “complicit” in drug trafficking and Venezuela of “sheltering” the FARC (the main guerrilla group) in Colombia. He attacked Lula for his refusal – along with most of the rest of South America – to recognize the government of Honduras. The Honduran government was “elected” following a military coup last year, under conditions of censorship and human rights abuses such that only the United States and a handful of mostly right-wing allies recognized it as “free and fair.”</p>
<p>But in the end, sanity triumphed over fear, as voters proved to be more convinced by the substantial improvements in their well being during the Lula years.</p>
<p>It is perhaps not surprising that Serra, an economist, would try to find a way to avoid the most important economic issues that affect the lives of the majority of Brazilians. The economy has performed much better during the Lula years than during the eight years of Serra’s party (the Social Democratic Party of Brazil [PSDB] ): per capita income grew by 23 percent from 2002-2010, as opposed to just 3.5 percent for 1994-2002. Measured unemployment is now at a record low of 6.2 percent.</p>
<p>Perhaps even more importantly, the majority of Brazilians had some substantial gains: the minimum wage, adjusted for inflation, grew by about 65 percent during Lula’s presidency. This is more than three times the increase during the prior eight years (i.e. the presidency of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, of Serra’s party). This affects not only minimum-wage workers but tens of millions of others whose income is tied to the minimum wage.</p>
<p>In addition, the government has expanded the Bolsa Familia program, which provides small cash grants to poor families, with school attendance and health immunizations required. The program has been successful in reducing illiteracy, and now reaches about 13 million families. More than 19 million people have been brought across the poverty line since 2003. And a new program of subsidies to home ownership has benefited hundreds of thousands of families, with millions likely to take part as it expands.</p>
<p>Although this brand of Republican campaign strategy was effective for most of the last four decades in the United States, it hasn’t performed all that well as an export. The Brazilian electorate tired quickly of the mud-slinging, and swing voters wanted to know what Serra would do for them that would be better than what the Workers’ Party had done. When he couldn’t tell them, he lost their votes.</p>
<p>On the down side, the mudslinging and “Republican strategy” prevented the campaign from addressing some of the vital issues of Brazil’s future. Brazil’s financial elite, which dominates the central bank, has an influence on economic policy that is at least as bad – and as powerful – as that of Wall Street in the United States. This is one reason why Brazil, even under Lula, has had for many years the highest or near-highest real interest rates in the world. Brazil’s growth performance has still not been on a par with the other BRIC countries (Russia, India, China), and the country will have to move away from some of the neoliberal policies of previous governments in order to achieve its potential.</p>
<p>Capital formation during the Lula years was not much different from during the Cardoso years, and was relatively low compared to many developing countries. Public investment was even lower, although it has recently begun to accelerate. The country will need a development strategy, and one that establishes new patterns of investment and consumption that advance the interests of the majority of Brazilians – some 50 million of whom remain in poverty.</p>
<p>The election has enormous implications for the Western Hemisphere, where the Obama State Department has continued with barely a stutter the Bush administration’s strategy of “rollback” against the unprecedented independence that the left governments of South America have won over the last decade. A defeat of the Workers’ Party would have been a big victory for them.</p>
<p>It also has implications for the rest of the world. In May, Brazil and Turkey broke new ground in the world of international diplomacy, by negotiating a nuclear fuel swap arrangement for Iran, in an attempt to resolve the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program. The State Department was probably more upset about this than anything that Brazil had done in the region, including Lula’s strong and consistent support for the Chavéz government in Venezuela. Serra had also attacked the Iran deal during his campaign.</p>
<p>Outside of Washington, the results of this election will be greeted as good news.</p>
<p>MARK WEISBROT is an economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. He is co-author, with Dean Baker, of <a href="" type="internal">Social Security: the Phony Crisis</a>.</p>
<p>This article was originally published by <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/" type="external">The Guardian</a>.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
| 7,963 |
<p>A technical malfunction occurred on Monday night and caught MSNBC apparently referring to President Trump as “Trash Man”.</p>
<p>Twitter users caught the moment and called out the network:</p>
<p>Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/MSNBC" type="external">@MSNBC</a> who is "TRASH MAN" referring to?</p>
<p>It's the President of the United States. <a href="https://t.co/sDsfbYsACq" type="external">pic.twitter.com/sDsfbYsACq</a></p>
<p>— Drunk Trump (@HugelyDrunkDon) <a href="https://twitter.com/HugelyDrunkDon/status/899809029643522048" type="external">August 22, 2017</a></p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Here’s the moment:</p>
<p />
<p>The president’s speech had concluded and the video showed service members filing out of the hall.</p>
<p>Rachel Maddow appeared to be struggling to determine what she was supposed to talk about next when the multi-colored test bars appeared, along with the “Trash Man” text and the date.</p>
<p>So what exactly did “Trash Man” mean?</p>
|
MYSTERY: MSNBC loses Trump speech feed — ‘Trash Man’ text appears on screen
| true |
http://theamericanmirror.com/mystery-msnbc-loses-trump-speech-feed-trash-man-text-appears-screen/
|
2017-08-22
| 0right
|
MYSTERY: MSNBC loses Trump speech feed — ‘Trash Man’ text appears on screen
<p>A technical malfunction occurred on Monday night and caught MSNBC apparently referring to President Trump as “Trash Man”.</p>
<p>Twitter users caught the moment and called out the network:</p>
<p>Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/MSNBC" type="external">@MSNBC</a> who is "TRASH MAN" referring to?</p>
<p>It's the President of the United States. <a href="https://t.co/sDsfbYsACq" type="external">pic.twitter.com/sDsfbYsACq</a></p>
<p>— Drunk Trump (@HugelyDrunkDon) <a href="https://twitter.com/HugelyDrunkDon/status/899809029643522048" type="external">August 22, 2017</a></p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Here’s the moment:</p>
<p />
<p>The president’s speech had concluded and the video showed service members filing out of the hall.</p>
<p>Rachel Maddow appeared to be struggling to determine what she was supposed to talk about next when the multi-colored test bars appeared, along with the “Trash Man” text and the date.</p>
<p>So what exactly did “Trash Man” mean?</p>
| 7,964 |
<p>Dec. 11 (UPI) — An Australian man captured video of a koala that wandered up to his back door and warded off the family’s dog with a well-placed growl.</p>
<p>Jay Peel captured video Friday when the koala wandered up to his Portland, Victoria, home.</p>
<p>The marsupial attempted unsuccessfully to climb a wall and growled at the family dog when it wandered too close.</p>
<p>The koala eventually climbed up on the back door, where Peel’s wife, Alice, said it remained into the early hours Saturday.</p>
<p>“He was still hanging on our door at 1 a.m. when we went to bed but was gone in the morning,” she said. “He was there for a few hours but quite happy to be there.”</p>
|
Koala perches on home's back door, growls at dog
| false |
https://newsline.com/koala-perches-on-homes-back-door-growls-at-dog/
|
2017-12-11
| 1right-center
|
Koala perches on home's back door, growls at dog
<p>Dec. 11 (UPI) — An Australian man captured video of a koala that wandered up to his back door and warded off the family’s dog with a well-placed growl.</p>
<p>Jay Peel captured video Friday when the koala wandered up to his Portland, Victoria, home.</p>
<p>The marsupial attempted unsuccessfully to climb a wall and growled at the family dog when it wandered too close.</p>
<p>The koala eventually climbed up on the back door, where Peel’s wife, Alice, said it remained into the early hours Saturday.</p>
<p>“He was still hanging on our door at 1 a.m. when we went to bed but was gone in the morning,” she said. “He was there for a few hours but quite happy to be there.”</p>
| 7,965 |
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<p>Valley quarterback Jordan Velasquez, who’s also a strong defensive player, will be taking over the offense from departed Bo Coleman. (Jim Thompson/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>The assumption, the Valley Vikings insist, is wrong.</p>
<p>Don’t, they say, make the mistake of looking at the 2014 Vikings and imagining a precipitous drop-off from their historic 2013 campaign.</p>
<p>“We’re gonna win,” said third-year head coach Rico Marcelli. “I don’t care what they say. We’re gonna win some football games. We’ve got our standard set.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Valley is coming off a spectacular season, perhaps the best in the school’s history. The Vikings had a district championship, an undefeated regular season and a No. 1 seed for the Class 5A playoffs.</p>
<p>That it ended disastrously with a 68-36 state semifinal loss to eventual state champion Las Cruces has not diminished Valley’s expectations, not even with the graduation of virtually every offensive starter.</p>
<p>“It obviously helps when you have a senior class like that,” said Marcelli. “(But the new guys) have seen what the road is to take to be successful.”</p>
<p>Only two of 11 offensive starters are back, including senior tailback C.J. Torres. Which is why expectations – outside the North Valley, anyway – are tempered compared to the previous two seasons.</p>
<p />
<p>&#160; 2014 SCHEDULE (x-denotes District 5-6A game) Aug. 29, at Rio Rancho, 7 p.m. Sept. 5, Eldorado (M), 7 p.m. Sept. 11, at Cibola (C), 7 p.m. Sept. 18, at Sandia (W), 7 p.m. Sept. 25, La Cueva (M), 7 p.m. Oct. 3, Aztec (M), 7 p.m. x-Oct. 9, at West Mesa (C), 7 p.m. x-Oct. 16, Atrisco Heritage (C), 7 p.m. x-Oct. 23, at Albuquerque High (M), 7 p.m. Oct. 31, IDLE x-Nov. 7, Rio Grande (M), 7 p.m. (C) – Community Stadium; (M) – Milne Stadium; (W) – Wilson Stadium</p>
<p>Circle the date: Valley has six Thursday night dates, none bigger than the Oct. 16 showdown with Atrisco Heritage. That game, for the third straight year, should decide the District 5-6A champion.</p>
<p>“I think our expectations are pretty high still,” said senior wide receiver/safety Jaime Ramirez. “Even though we are replacing a lot of guys. As a group, filling in those shoes … we can easily step into those roles.”</p>
<p>Valley opens Aug. 29 at Rio Rancho.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Marcelli is replacing virtually all his skill-position athletes and nearly his entire offensive line.</p>
<p>But, despite myriad newcomers, including quarterback Jordan Velasquez – who replaces three-year starter Bo Coleman – Marcelli promises an offense that will move even more quickly in 2014 than it did in 2013.</p>
<p>This hinges on Velasquez’s efficiency, and on a mostly new offensive line that returns only senior guard Isaac Chavez.</p>
<p>“They’re coming along,” Marcelli said of the line. “If they come around, then we’ll be a team that score 35 to 40 points. If they don’t, we’ll have to be creative.”</p>
<p>Velasquez is one of the state’s top defensive backs and with his superior speed, he’ll be more of a running QB than Coleman was.</p>
<p>“I don’t think teams will want to pressure him,” warned Marcelli. “He’s accurate; he just likes to scramble.”</p>
<p>Velasquez’s management of the offense will draw scrutiny this season, something which Velasquez is keenly aware of.</p>
<p>“It’s definitely a lot more pressure with me,” said Velasquez, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior. “I already had a lot of confidence. I’ve also wrestled for a long time, so I’m used to the big stage.”</p>
<p>With the loss of so many potent weapons – although not Torres, who rushed for about 900 yards last season – and a schedule that remains daunting, Valley’s offense will be tested, to be sure.</p>
<p>“I think we’ll be one of the hardest teams to bring down,” Velasquez said.</p>
<p>Ramirez and senior Lorenzo Herrera have some large shoes to step into after top receivers Aaron Molina, Russell Montoya and Troy Giddings graduated.</p>
<p>But on the plus side, the Vikings have seven defensive starters returning, led by Velasquez, and this is a big team, with about half a dozen players in the 290-pound ballpark.</p>
<p>This defense, Marcelli, is very strong in the secondary and along the front, led by 280-pound senior tackle Dominic Brown. Linebacker is the area where Valley has the most question marks, but the defense has five three-year starters.</p>
<p>“We’re gonna be solid on defense, which is going to take the pressure off the offense,” Marcelli said.</p>
<p>Said Ramirez: “I believe our defense will take us a long way. More than anyone thinks.”</p>
<p>Marcelli does not concede that a veteran and talented Atrisco Heritage squad is the preseason favorite in their district (5-6A), and in fact said his younger classes are further along than many might believe.</p>
<p>“I think the kids are there (to keep winning),” Marcelli said. “Our sophomore and junior classes were 8-0 on the JV the last two years, and we feel like we have developed some depth there.”</p>
<p>Velasquez said the strength of last season’s senior class was not limited to their own legacies. They were cognizant of passing along their experiences.</p>
<p>“They laid a great foundation,” Velasquez said. “They taught us how to win. We feel we can compete with just about any team in the state.”</p>
<p />
<p />
|
Prep football: Valley looking to get over playoff hump
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/443341/valley-confident-its-can-continue-its-surge.html
| 2least
|
Prep football: Valley looking to get over playoff hump
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Valley quarterback Jordan Velasquez, who’s also a strong defensive player, will be taking over the offense from departed Bo Coleman. (Jim Thompson/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>The assumption, the Valley Vikings insist, is wrong.</p>
<p>Don’t, they say, make the mistake of looking at the 2014 Vikings and imagining a precipitous drop-off from their historic 2013 campaign.</p>
<p>“We’re gonna win,” said third-year head coach Rico Marcelli. “I don’t care what they say. We’re gonna win some football games. We’ve got our standard set.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Valley is coming off a spectacular season, perhaps the best in the school’s history. The Vikings had a district championship, an undefeated regular season and a No. 1 seed for the Class 5A playoffs.</p>
<p>That it ended disastrously with a 68-36 state semifinal loss to eventual state champion Las Cruces has not diminished Valley’s expectations, not even with the graduation of virtually every offensive starter.</p>
<p>“It obviously helps when you have a senior class like that,” said Marcelli. “(But the new guys) have seen what the road is to take to be successful.”</p>
<p>Only two of 11 offensive starters are back, including senior tailback C.J. Torres. Which is why expectations – outside the North Valley, anyway – are tempered compared to the previous two seasons.</p>
<p />
<p>&#160; 2014 SCHEDULE (x-denotes District 5-6A game) Aug. 29, at Rio Rancho, 7 p.m. Sept. 5, Eldorado (M), 7 p.m. Sept. 11, at Cibola (C), 7 p.m. Sept. 18, at Sandia (W), 7 p.m. Sept. 25, La Cueva (M), 7 p.m. Oct. 3, Aztec (M), 7 p.m. x-Oct. 9, at West Mesa (C), 7 p.m. x-Oct. 16, Atrisco Heritage (C), 7 p.m. x-Oct. 23, at Albuquerque High (M), 7 p.m. Oct. 31, IDLE x-Nov. 7, Rio Grande (M), 7 p.m. (C) – Community Stadium; (M) – Milne Stadium; (W) – Wilson Stadium</p>
<p>Circle the date: Valley has six Thursday night dates, none bigger than the Oct. 16 showdown with Atrisco Heritage. That game, for the third straight year, should decide the District 5-6A champion.</p>
<p>“I think our expectations are pretty high still,” said senior wide receiver/safety Jaime Ramirez. “Even though we are replacing a lot of guys. As a group, filling in those shoes … we can easily step into those roles.”</p>
<p>Valley opens Aug. 29 at Rio Rancho.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Marcelli is replacing virtually all his skill-position athletes and nearly his entire offensive line.</p>
<p>But, despite myriad newcomers, including quarterback Jordan Velasquez – who replaces three-year starter Bo Coleman – Marcelli promises an offense that will move even more quickly in 2014 than it did in 2013.</p>
<p>This hinges on Velasquez’s efficiency, and on a mostly new offensive line that returns only senior guard Isaac Chavez.</p>
<p>“They’re coming along,” Marcelli said of the line. “If they come around, then we’ll be a team that score 35 to 40 points. If they don’t, we’ll have to be creative.”</p>
<p>Velasquez is one of the state’s top defensive backs and with his superior speed, he’ll be more of a running QB than Coleman was.</p>
<p>“I don’t think teams will want to pressure him,” warned Marcelli. “He’s accurate; he just likes to scramble.”</p>
<p>Velasquez’s management of the offense will draw scrutiny this season, something which Velasquez is keenly aware of.</p>
<p>“It’s definitely a lot more pressure with me,” said Velasquez, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior. “I already had a lot of confidence. I’ve also wrestled for a long time, so I’m used to the big stage.”</p>
<p>With the loss of so many potent weapons – although not Torres, who rushed for about 900 yards last season – and a schedule that remains daunting, Valley’s offense will be tested, to be sure.</p>
<p>“I think we’ll be one of the hardest teams to bring down,” Velasquez said.</p>
<p>Ramirez and senior Lorenzo Herrera have some large shoes to step into after top receivers Aaron Molina, Russell Montoya and Troy Giddings graduated.</p>
<p>But on the plus side, the Vikings have seven defensive starters returning, led by Velasquez, and this is a big team, with about half a dozen players in the 290-pound ballpark.</p>
<p>This defense, Marcelli, is very strong in the secondary and along the front, led by 280-pound senior tackle Dominic Brown. Linebacker is the area where Valley has the most question marks, but the defense has five three-year starters.</p>
<p>“We’re gonna be solid on defense, which is going to take the pressure off the offense,” Marcelli said.</p>
<p>Said Ramirez: “I believe our defense will take us a long way. More than anyone thinks.”</p>
<p>Marcelli does not concede that a veteran and talented Atrisco Heritage squad is the preseason favorite in their district (5-6A), and in fact said his younger classes are further along than many might believe.</p>
<p>“I think the kids are there (to keep winning),” Marcelli said. “Our sophomore and junior classes were 8-0 on the JV the last two years, and we feel like we have developed some depth there.”</p>
<p>Velasquez said the strength of last season’s senior class was not limited to their own legacies. They were cognizant of passing along their experiences.</p>
<p>“They laid a great foundation,” Velasquez said. “They taught us how to win. We feel we can compete with just about any team in the state.”</p>
<p />
<p />
| 7,966 |
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<p>Gains by big technology and health care companies pushed U.S. stocks modestly higher Friday, lifting several major indexes to new highs.</p>
<p>The Standard &amp; Poor’s 500 index, Dow Jones industrial average and Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks each set records as the market posted its third straight day of gains.</p>
<p>Energy companies helped lift the market as crude oil prices rose. High-dividend stocks like real estate companies and utilities also posted big gains following a drop in bond yields. The lower yields and a weak forecast from JPMorgan Chase weighed on banks. Financial stocks were the only sector in the S&amp;P 500 to end lower.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Investors brushed off a report showing U.S. retail sales declined in June and drew encouragement from data indicating industrial production rebounded last month. Traders also welcomed a report showing inflation at the consumer level was flat in June, which suggests that the Federal Reserve may have more reason to delay another interest rate increase.</p>
<p>“The low inflation data will put the Fed more in a wait-and-see mode to really determine if the low inflationary environment is really transitory,” said Lindsey Bell, investment strategist at CFRA Research.</p>
<p>The S&amp;P 500 index gained 11.44 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,459.27. The Dow rose 84.65 points, or 0.4 percent, to 21,637.74. The average has hit a record high three days in a row.</p>
<p>The Nasdaq composite added 38.03 points, or 0.6 percent, to 6,312.47. The Russell 2000 index picked up 3.16 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,428.82.</p>
<p>The indexes all ended the week with gains are on pace to finish higher this month.</p>
<p>Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.33 percent from 2.35 percent late Thursday.</p>
<p>Investors had mix of company earnings and economic data to consider Friday.</p>
<p>The Commerce Department said retail sales fell 0.2 percent in June as Americans curtailed spending at restaurants, department stores and gasoline stations. That followed a 0.1 percent drop in May. In addition, the Federal Reserve said U.S. factory output rebounded in June as manufacturers churned out more cars, appliances and furniture. Overall industrial production rose 0.4 percent and is up 2 percent over the past year.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Labor Department said U.S. consumer prices were flat in June, the latest evidence that inflation remains muted. All told, inflation has climbed just 1.6 percent from a year ago.</p>
<p>The market rallied on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen hinted that the Fed could slow its rate hike plans if inflation continues to run below the Fed’s 2 percent target. As such, the June consumer prices data suggests that “the Fed is not going to get too aggressive on rate hikes,” Bell said.</p>
<p>Several big banks reported their second-quarter earnings on Friday. Among them were JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo, each of which posted results that beat Wall Street’s expectations. But it wasn’t all good news.</p>
<p>JPMorgan, the nation’s largest bank by assets, said it expects weaker net interest income. Falling bond yields also weighed on the sector. When bond yields decline, it forces interest rates on loans lower, which makes it harder for banks to make money from lending.</p>
<p>JPMorgan fell 85 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $92.25, while Citigroup slid 30 cents to $66.72. Wells Fargo lost 61 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $54.99.</p>
<p>“It’s an encouraging sign that the market is rotating outside of financials, but (investors) didn’t use it as a catalyst to take down the whole market,” said Victor Jones, trading director at TD Ameritrade.</p>
<p>Technology and health care companies were among the big gainers. NetApp led all S&amp;P 500 companies, climbing $2.26, or 5.5 percent, to $43.64. Microsoft rose $1.01, or 1.1 percent, to $72.78. Zimmer Biomet Holdings gained $3.51, or 2.7 percent, to $132.49.</p>
<p>High-dividend companies like real estate investment trusts moved higher as bond yields decreased. GGP added 66 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $23.59. Iron Mountain gained 84 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $34.78.</p>
<p>Despite the June decline in retail sales, investors bid up shares in several retail chains after some analysts upgraded the sector a day after Target raised its second-quarter forecasts and said sales and customer traffic increased. Ulta Beauty gained $4.34, or 1.7 percent, to $261.74, while Gap rose 50 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $23.28.</p>
<p>Energy futures closed higher. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 46 cents, or 1 percent, to settle at $46.54 per barrel on New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 49 cents, or 1 percent, to $48.91 per barrel in London.</p>
<p>In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline picked up 3 cents to $1.56 a gallon. Heating oil rose 2 cents to $1.52 a gallon. Natural gas gained 2 cents to $2.98 per 1,000 cubic feet.</p>
<p>The increase in oil and gas prices helped lift energy stocks. Chesapeake Energy gained 9 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $4.87.</p>
<p>The dollar fell sharply, sliding to 112.56 yen from 113.23 yen late Thursday. The ICE U.S. Dollar Index, which compares the dollar against a basket of major currencies, declined to its lowest level since September. The U.S. currency also weakened against the euro, which rose to $1.1467 from $1.1406.</p>
<p>Gold rose $10.20, or 0.8 percent, to $1,227.50 an ounce. Silver gained 24 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $15.93 an ounce. Copper added 3 cents to $2.69 a pound.</p>
<p>Major stock indexes in Europe finished mostly lower Friday. Germany’s DAX fell 0.1 percent, while the CAC 40 in France was flat. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares slid 0.5 percent.</p>
<p>Earlier in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.1 percent and South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.2 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index inched up 0.2 percent.</p>
|
Modest gains push US stocks indexes to record highs
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/1033098/us-stocks-edge-higher-in-early-trading-crude-oil-gains.html
|
2017-07-14
| 2least
|
Modest gains push US stocks indexes to record highs
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Gains by big technology and health care companies pushed U.S. stocks modestly higher Friday, lifting several major indexes to new highs.</p>
<p>The Standard &amp; Poor’s 500 index, Dow Jones industrial average and Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks each set records as the market posted its third straight day of gains.</p>
<p>Energy companies helped lift the market as crude oil prices rose. High-dividend stocks like real estate companies and utilities also posted big gains following a drop in bond yields. The lower yields and a weak forecast from JPMorgan Chase weighed on banks. Financial stocks were the only sector in the S&amp;P 500 to end lower.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Investors brushed off a report showing U.S. retail sales declined in June and drew encouragement from data indicating industrial production rebounded last month. Traders also welcomed a report showing inflation at the consumer level was flat in June, which suggests that the Federal Reserve may have more reason to delay another interest rate increase.</p>
<p>“The low inflation data will put the Fed more in a wait-and-see mode to really determine if the low inflationary environment is really transitory,” said Lindsey Bell, investment strategist at CFRA Research.</p>
<p>The S&amp;P 500 index gained 11.44 points, or 0.5 percent, to 2,459.27. The Dow rose 84.65 points, or 0.4 percent, to 21,637.74. The average has hit a record high three days in a row.</p>
<p>The Nasdaq composite added 38.03 points, or 0.6 percent, to 6,312.47. The Russell 2000 index picked up 3.16 points, or 0.2 percent, to 1,428.82.</p>
<p>The indexes all ended the week with gains are on pace to finish higher this month.</p>
<p>Bond prices rose. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.33 percent from 2.35 percent late Thursday.</p>
<p>Investors had mix of company earnings and economic data to consider Friday.</p>
<p>The Commerce Department said retail sales fell 0.2 percent in June as Americans curtailed spending at restaurants, department stores and gasoline stations. That followed a 0.1 percent drop in May. In addition, the Federal Reserve said U.S. factory output rebounded in June as manufacturers churned out more cars, appliances and furniture. Overall industrial production rose 0.4 percent and is up 2 percent over the past year.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Labor Department said U.S. consumer prices were flat in June, the latest evidence that inflation remains muted. All told, inflation has climbed just 1.6 percent from a year ago.</p>
<p>The market rallied on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen hinted that the Fed could slow its rate hike plans if inflation continues to run below the Fed’s 2 percent target. As such, the June consumer prices data suggests that “the Fed is not going to get too aggressive on rate hikes,” Bell said.</p>
<p>Several big banks reported their second-quarter earnings on Friday. Among them were JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo, each of which posted results that beat Wall Street’s expectations. But it wasn’t all good news.</p>
<p>JPMorgan, the nation’s largest bank by assets, said it expects weaker net interest income. Falling bond yields also weighed on the sector. When bond yields decline, it forces interest rates on loans lower, which makes it harder for banks to make money from lending.</p>
<p>JPMorgan fell 85 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $92.25, while Citigroup slid 30 cents to $66.72. Wells Fargo lost 61 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $54.99.</p>
<p>“It’s an encouraging sign that the market is rotating outside of financials, but (investors) didn’t use it as a catalyst to take down the whole market,” said Victor Jones, trading director at TD Ameritrade.</p>
<p>Technology and health care companies were among the big gainers. NetApp led all S&amp;P 500 companies, climbing $2.26, or 5.5 percent, to $43.64. Microsoft rose $1.01, or 1.1 percent, to $72.78. Zimmer Biomet Holdings gained $3.51, or 2.7 percent, to $132.49.</p>
<p>High-dividend companies like real estate investment trusts moved higher as bond yields decreased. GGP added 66 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $23.59. Iron Mountain gained 84 cents, or 2.5 percent, to $34.78.</p>
<p>Despite the June decline in retail sales, investors bid up shares in several retail chains after some analysts upgraded the sector a day after Target raised its second-quarter forecasts and said sales and customer traffic increased. Ulta Beauty gained $4.34, or 1.7 percent, to $261.74, while Gap rose 50 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $23.28.</p>
<p>Energy futures closed higher. Benchmark U.S. crude rose 46 cents, or 1 percent, to settle at $46.54 per barrel on New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, used to price international oils, gained 49 cents, or 1 percent, to $48.91 per barrel in London.</p>
<p>In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline picked up 3 cents to $1.56 a gallon. Heating oil rose 2 cents to $1.52 a gallon. Natural gas gained 2 cents to $2.98 per 1,000 cubic feet.</p>
<p>The increase in oil and gas prices helped lift energy stocks. Chesapeake Energy gained 9 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $4.87.</p>
<p>The dollar fell sharply, sliding to 112.56 yen from 113.23 yen late Thursday. The ICE U.S. Dollar Index, which compares the dollar against a basket of major currencies, declined to its lowest level since September. The U.S. currency also weakened against the euro, which rose to $1.1467 from $1.1406.</p>
<p>Gold rose $10.20, or 0.8 percent, to $1,227.50 an ounce. Silver gained 24 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $15.93 an ounce. Copper added 3 cents to $2.69 a pound.</p>
<p>Major stock indexes in Europe finished mostly lower Friday. Germany’s DAX fell 0.1 percent, while the CAC 40 in France was flat. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares slid 0.5 percent.</p>
<p>Earlier in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 added 0.1 percent and South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.2 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index inched up 0.2 percent.</p>
| 7,967 |
<p />
<p />
<p>If one wants to add 20 years to his life, maybe it would help to know which county to live in the U.S. to achieve just that.</p>
<p />
<p>Life expectancy varies in the U.S. depending on the location of one's county. Much of the geographic disparities in life expectancy can be explained by a combination of socioeconomic and race/ ethnicity factors, behavioral and metabolic risk factors, and health care factors. Policy action then targeting socioeconomic factor and behavioral and metabolic risk factors may actually help change the trend of increasing disparities in life expectancy in the United States. The findings are discussed in the study Inequalities in Life Expectancy Among U.S. Counties, 1980 to 2014 of JAMA Intern Med.</p>
<p>There was significant differences in mortality risk and life expectancy at the county levels in all years. In 2014, life expectancy for both females and males combined at the national level was 79.1 but there was a 6.2-year gap between the 10th and 99th percentile or ranking. There was also a 10.7-year gap between the 1st and 99th percentile. But the biggest variation is the 20.1 year gap between the lowest and highest life expectancy among all counties.</p>
<p />
<p>The report's findings say that several counties in South and North Dakota ( typically those with Native American reservations) had the lowest life expectancy. Counties along the lower half of the Mississippi and in eastern Kentucky and southwestern West Virginia also had very low life expectancy as compared in other counties in the U.S.</p>
<p />
<p>In sharp contrast, counties in central Colorado had the highest life expectancies.</p>
<p />
<p>In terms of the sexes, life expectancy at birth for both sexes combined in the U.S. increased by 5.3 years, from 73.8 to 79.1 years; by 6.7 years for men from 70 to 76.7 years; and 3.9 years for women from 77.5 to 81. 5. There are still significant variations in the county level. Counties in central Colorado, Alaska and along both coasts experienced much larger increases, while some southern counties in states stretching from Oklahoma to West Virginia saw little improvement over the same period. It was also found out that absolute geographical inequality in life expectancy at birth increased between 1980 and 2014, with the gap between the 1st and 99th percentile increased by 2.4 years. The mortality risks varied by age: the difference between the highest and lowest ranked declined by 42.9% among children aged 0 to 5 years; 18.9 for adolescents aged 5 to 25 years; and increased by 10.1% for age group 25-45 years; 15% for 45-65 years; and 48.2% for those aged 65-85 years. Relative inequality increased for all age groups, likely due to the overall decrease in mortality risk over this period.</p>
<p />
<p>Source:</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2626194" type="external">jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2626194</a></p>
|
Extend Your Life By 20 Years by Moving
| true |
http://thegoldwater.com/news/2797-Extend-Your-Life-By-20-Years-by-Moving
|
2017-05-09
| 0right
|
Extend Your Life By 20 Years by Moving
<p />
<p />
<p>If one wants to add 20 years to his life, maybe it would help to know which county to live in the U.S. to achieve just that.</p>
<p />
<p>Life expectancy varies in the U.S. depending on the location of one's county. Much of the geographic disparities in life expectancy can be explained by a combination of socioeconomic and race/ ethnicity factors, behavioral and metabolic risk factors, and health care factors. Policy action then targeting socioeconomic factor and behavioral and metabolic risk factors may actually help change the trend of increasing disparities in life expectancy in the United States. The findings are discussed in the study Inequalities in Life Expectancy Among U.S. Counties, 1980 to 2014 of JAMA Intern Med.</p>
<p>There was significant differences in mortality risk and life expectancy at the county levels in all years. In 2014, life expectancy for both females and males combined at the national level was 79.1 but there was a 6.2-year gap between the 10th and 99th percentile or ranking. There was also a 10.7-year gap between the 1st and 99th percentile. But the biggest variation is the 20.1 year gap between the lowest and highest life expectancy among all counties.</p>
<p />
<p>The report's findings say that several counties in South and North Dakota ( typically those with Native American reservations) had the lowest life expectancy. Counties along the lower half of the Mississippi and in eastern Kentucky and southwestern West Virginia also had very low life expectancy as compared in other counties in the U.S.</p>
<p />
<p>In sharp contrast, counties in central Colorado had the highest life expectancies.</p>
<p />
<p>In terms of the sexes, life expectancy at birth for both sexes combined in the U.S. increased by 5.3 years, from 73.8 to 79.1 years; by 6.7 years for men from 70 to 76.7 years; and 3.9 years for women from 77.5 to 81. 5. There are still significant variations in the county level. Counties in central Colorado, Alaska and along both coasts experienced much larger increases, while some southern counties in states stretching from Oklahoma to West Virginia saw little improvement over the same period. It was also found out that absolute geographical inequality in life expectancy at birth increased between 1980 and 2014, with the gap between the 1st and 99th percentile increased by 2.4 years. The mortality risks varied by age: the difference between the highest and lowest ranked declined by 42.9% among children aged 0 to 5 years; 18.9 for adolescents aged 5 to 25 years; and increased by 10.1% for age group 25-45 years; 15% for 45-65 years; and 48.2% for those aged 65-85 years. Relative inequality increased for all age groups, likely due to the overall decrease in mortality risk over this period.</p>
<p />
<p>Source:</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2626194" type="external">jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2626194</a></p>
| 7,968 |
<p>Former National Cybersecurity Center Director Rod Beckstrom and Former Cyber Advisor to President Obama Howard Schmidt provide insight into the IRS hack.</p>
<p>It probably seemed harmless last year to give a big shout out on your Facebook page to your first grade teacher. Unfortunately, cyber-thieves can use that information to steal your identity and break into your online accounts.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>That’s what happened to the IRS. The tax agency is the latest target of cyber criminals who used so-called knowledge-based authentication information to illegally access the tax returns of about 100,000 U.S. taxpayers.</p>
<p>The breach at the IRS is particularly onerous because the information included on tax returns is especially detailed and personal – information that includes back account numbers, childrens’ names and ages, health care expenses, addresses of various residences, etc…</p>
<p>Knowledge-based authentication is commonly used by Web sites as an added measure beyond Social Security numbers and dates of birth. Account holders are asked questions such as their mother’s maiden name or the name of their first grade teacher or the account holder’s favorite color. In other words questions whose answers only the account user would know.</p>
<p>“Those are the same questions when resetting a password and they pop up in a variety of places,” said Robert Siciliano, an identity theft expert with BestIDTheftcompanys.com.</p>
<p>The problem is that much of that information can be gleaned from account user’s social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram, where people tend to post every detail of their life, including their mother’s maiden name, the name of their first grade teacher and their favorite color.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>“This is all readily-available data,” said Siciliano. “It’s the simplicity of the questions along with the ubiquity of the answers that make the knowledge-based questions and the sites themselves vulnerable.”</p>
<p>It’s probably too late to scrub all of the personal information that hackers glean from social media sites to break into the personal banking and other financial-related accounts of their victims. But experts say the passwords and security codes of those accounts can – should -- be altered to prevent hackers from illegally gaining access to important accounts.</p>
<p>“The cat’s out of the bag, the horse has left the barn” in terms of information already posted to social media, said Siciliano. But passwords can be changed and new ones created that don’t match up to information readily available on Facebook or Instagram.</p>
<p>Account holders can create codes by using symbols for letters -- @ for a, or 3 for e, for example. Sprinkling those changes into actual words can throw off would-be cyber thieves.</p>
<p>Also, account holders can make up answers to commonly asked questions such as a parent’s maiden name or a recent street address. In addition, account holders can create questions and answers that are too obscure to appear on any social site, such as the lead singer in a popular band.</p>
<p>According to the IRS, &#160;the data theft was primarily designed to steal taxpayers' information to submit fraudulent returns next year. The agency said fewer than 15,000 fraudulent returns were processed as a result of the breach, likely resulting in refunds of less than $50 million.</p>
<p>The IRS security issue follows high-profile cyber breaches at JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) as well as mega-retailers Target (NYSE:TGT) and Home Depot (NYSE:HD), who have all suffered cyber attacks.</p>
<p>The IRS data theft is different because the criminals did not hack into IRS computers. Instead, the cyber thieves used information they had gathered about individuals, presumably on social media sites, to access the system as it was designed to be used, the IRS said.</p>
<p>The IRS said that from February to May, attackers sought to gain access to personal tax information 200,000 times through the agency's "Get Transcript" online application, which calls up information from previous returns. The unidentified cyber thieves were successful about half the time.</p>
|
Taxpayers Need to Protect Themselves When IRS Can’t
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/features/2015/05/27/taxpayers-need-to-protect-themselves-when-irs-cant.html
|
2016-03-06
| 0right
|
Taxpayers Need to Protect Themselves When IRS Can’t
<p>Former National Cybersecurity Center Director Rod Beckstrom and Former Cyber Advisor to President Obama Howard Schmidt provide insight into the IRS hack.</p>
<p>It probably seemed harmless last year to give a big shout out on your Facebook page to your first grade teacher. Unfortunately, cyber-thieves can use that information to steal your identity and break into your online accounts.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>That’s what happened to the IRS. The tax agency is the latest target of cyber criminals who used so-called knowledge-based authentication information to illegally access the tax returns of about 100,000 U.S. taxpayers.</p>
<p>The breach at the IRS is particularly onerous because the information included on tax returns is especially detailed and personal – information that includes back account numbers, childrens’ names and ages, health care expenses, addresses of various residences, etc…</p>
<p>Knowledge-based authentication is commonly used by Web sites as an added measure beyond Social Security numbers and dates of birth. Account holders are asked questions such as their mother’s maiden name or the name of their first grade teacher or the account holder’s favorite color. In other words questions whose answers only the account user would know.</p>
<p>“Those are the same questions when resetting a password and they pop up in a variety of places,” said Robert Siciliano, an identity theft expert with BestIDTheftcompanys.com.</p>
<p>The problem is that much of that information can be gleaned from account user’s social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram, where people tend to post every detail of their life, including their mother’s maiden name, the name of their first grade teacher and their favorite color.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>“This is all readily-available data,” said Siciliano. “It’s the simplicity of the questions along with the ubiquity of the answers that make the knowledge-based questions and the sites themselves vulnerable.”</p>
<p>It’s probably too late to scrub all of the personal information that hackers glean from social media sites to break into the personal banking and other financial-related accounts of their victims. But experts say the passwords and security codes of those accounts can – should -- be altered to prevent hackers from illegally gaining access to important accounts.</p>
<p>“The cat’s out of the bag, the horse has left the barn” in terms of information already posted to social media, said Siciliano. But passwords can be changed and new ones created that don’t match up to information readily available on Facebook or Instagram.</p>
<p>Account holders can create codes by using symbols for letters -- @ for a, or 3 for e, for example. Sprinkling those changes into actual words can throw off would-be cyber thieves.</p>
<p>Also, account holders can make up answers to commonly asked questions such as a parent’s maiden name or a recent street address. In addition, account holders can create questions and answers that are too obscure to appear on any social site, such as the lead singer in a popular band.</p>
<p>According to the IRS, &#160;the data theft was primarily designed to steal taxpayers' information to submit fraudulent returns next year. The agency said fewer than 15,000 fraudulent returns were processed as a result of the breach, likely resulting in refunds of less than $50 million.</p>
<p>The IRS security issue follows high-profile cyber breaches at JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) as well as mega-retailers Target (NYSE:TGT) and Home Depot (NYSE:HD), who have all suffered cyber attacks.</p>
<p>The IRS data theft is different because the criminals did not hack into IRS computers. Instead, the cyber thieves used information they had gathered about individuals, presumably on social media sites, to access the system as it was designed to be used, the IRS said.</p>
<p>The IRS said that from February to May, attackers sought to gain access to personal tax information 200,000 times through the agency's "Get Transcript" online application, which calls up information from previous returns. The unidentified cyber thieves were successful about half the time.</p>
| 7,969 |
<p>When Bill Clinton’s health care proposal was foundering in the summer of 1994, a group of senators suggested that the administration put off trying to get universal coverage and insist instead on insuring all children. The idea was to make, at least, a down payment on reform.</p>
<p>The White House said no and pressed on with its doomed effort to get a bigger bill. The Republicans won control of Congress in the fall. It wasn’t until 1997, thanks to the unlikely duo of Sens. Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch, that a children’s health care program was finally passed.</p>
<p>One of the clearest signals President-elect Barack Obama has sent is his determination to learn from the Clinton years, and particularly from the former president’s failures on health care.</p>
<p>When Tom Daschle, Obama’s pick to be secretary of health and human services, returned to the Senate last week for his first round of confirmation hearings, he offered a long list of criticisms that others had directed at the original health care reform effort. This time, he said, would be different.</p>
<p />
<p>And this week, the House of Representatives is determined to prove Daschle right. It is scheduled to take up an extension of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), as the Kennedy-Hatch initiative is called, so that 10 million kids can get health insurance. Getting more children covered before Congress starts wrangling over the larger health care bill is good politics, and the right thing to do. Congress needs to act anyway, since the program expires March 31. It might as well act fast, and act generously.</p>
<p>The SCHIP bill is unfinished business from the Bush years, and Democrats have no better way to show, and quickly, how different their approach to government will be from the style and priorities that prevailed during the outgoing president’s term.</p>
<p>President Bush twice vetoed an extension of SCHIP. He opposed the additional $35 billion the Democrats wanted to spend to cover more children and also disliked the tobacco tax they proposed using to pay for it. There are many big things people hold against Bush, but this one has always stuck in my craw. If “compassionate conservatism” — remember that phrase? — means anything, surely it should mean helping more kids go to the doctor when they need to.</p>
<p>Some advocates of universal coverage have argued that an expansion of SCHIP should be delayed so that the issue of covering kids can be taken up as part of a larger health proposal. The worry is that passing the most popular part of reform now (is there a more sympathetic group to cover than children?) would make it easier to delay the broader effort.</p>
<p>These are good faith concerns, but Congress would be right to ignore them. The economic downturn has made the expansion of SCHIP all the more urgent.</p>
<p>It’s not just that sharp increases in unemployment add to the ranks of the uninsured. State governments are hurting, too, and they are responding to revenue shortfalls by shrinking health care programs.</p>
<p>According to Families USA, a group that pushes for fundamental health care reform, states have enacted budget cuts that will leave some 275,000 people without health coverage, including 260,000 children in California. By the end of this year, if further proposed cuts go through, the number losing health coverage nationwide could rise to more than 1 million, almost half of them children. Other states have reduced benefits to those they still insure.</p>
<p>All this makes the case for fiscal relief to the states in a stimulus bill more compelling. It also makes clear that universal health insurance coverage should be an urgent priority. But getting the children’s program done in the meantime could create momentum for the larger program and reduce the size of the problem that needs to be solved in a comprehensive bill — 10 million kids now, the rest later.</p>
<p>Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has not made any commitments as to when he would take up children’s health care, though he has listed it as a priority. It would do the new president and members of the Democrats’ expanded congressional majority no harm to move expeditiously on a proposal that is simultaneously bipartisan — SCHIP has always enjoyed significant Republican support — and embodies Obama’s oft-stated commitment to “programs that work.” This one surely does.</p>
<p>How often did Obama promise to “turn the page,” implying that his presidency would be very different from George W. Bush’s while also taking lessons from Bill Clinton’s shortcomings? Winning a quick health care victory for children would prove he’s determined to do both.</p>
<p>E.J. Dionne’s e-mail address is postchat(at)aol.com.</p>
<p>© 2009, Washington Post Writers Group</p>
|
Learning From Clinton's Mistakes
| true |
https://truthdig.com/articles/learning-from-clintons-mistakes/
|
2009-01-12
| 4left
|
Learning From Clinton's Mistakes
<p>When Bill Clinton’s health care proposal was foundering in the summer of 1994, a group of senators suggested that the administration put off trying to get universal coverage and insist instead on insuring all children. The idea was to make, at least, a down payment on reform.</p>
<p>The White House said no and pressed on with its doomed effort to get a bigger bill. The Republicans won control of Congress in the fall. It wasn’t until 1997, thanks to the unlikely duo of Sens. Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch, that a children’s health care program was finally passed.</p>
<p>One of the clearest signals President-elect Barack Obama has sent is his determination to learn from the Clinton years, and particularly from the former president’s failures on health care.</p>
<p>When Tom Daschle, Obama’s pick to be secretary of health and human services, returned to the Senate last week for his first round of confirmation hearings, he offered a long list of criticisms that others had directed at the original health care reform effort. This time, he said, would be different.</p>
<p />
<p>And this week, the House of Representatives is determined to prove Daschle right. It is scheduled to take up an extension of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), as the Kennedy-Hatch initiative is called, so that 10 million kids can get health insurance. Getting more children covered before Congress starts wrangling over the larger health care bill is good politics, and the right thing to do. Congress needs to act anyway, since the program expires March 31. It might as well act fast, and act generously.</p>
<p>The SCHIP bill is unfinished business from the Bush years, and Democrats have no better way to show, and quickly, how different their approach to government will be from the style and priorities that prevailed during the outgoing president’s term.</p>
<p>President Bush twice vetoed an extension of SCHIP. He opposed the additional $35 billion the Democrats wanted to spend to cover more children and also disliked the tobacco tax they proposed using to pay for it. There are many big things people hold against Bush, but this one has always stuck in my craw. If “compassionate conservatism” — remember that phrase? — means anything, surely it should mean helping more kids go to the doctor when they need to.</p>
<p>Some advocates of universal coverage have argued that an expansion of SCHIP should be delayed so that the issue of covering kids can be taken up as part of a larger health proposal. The worry is that passing the most popular part of reform now (is there a more sympathetic group to cover than children?) would make it easier to delay the broader effort.</p>
<p>These are good faith concerns, but Congress would be right to ignore them. The economic downturn has made the expansion of SCHIP all the more urgent.</p>
<p>It’s not just that sharp increases in unemployment add to the ranks of the uninsured. State governments are hurting, too, and they are responding to revenue shortfalls by shrinking health care programs.</p>
<p>According to Families USA, a group that pushes for fundamental health care reform, states have enacted budget cuts that will leave some 275,000 people without health coverage, including 260,000 children in California. By the end of this year, if further proposed cuts go through, the number losing health coverage nationwide could rise to more than 1 million, almost half of them children. Other states have reduced benefits to those they still insure.</p>
<p>All this makes the case for fiscal relief to the states in a stimulus bill more compelling. It also makes clear that universal health insurance coverage should be an urgent priority. But getting the children’s program done in the meantime could create momentum for the larger program and reduce the size of the problem that needs to be solved in a comprehensive bill — 10 million kids now, the rest later.</p>
<p>Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has not made any commitments as to when he would take up children’s health care, though he has listed it as a priority. It would do the new president and members of the Democrats’ expanded congressional majority no harm to move expeditiously on a proposal that is simultaneously bipartisan — SCHIP has always enjoyed significant Republican support — and embodies Obama’s oft-stated commitment to “programs that work.” This one surely does.</p>
<p>How often did Obama promise to “turn the page,” implying that his presidency would be very different from George W. Bush’s while also taking lessons from Bill Clinton’s shortcomings? Winning a quick health care victory for children would prove he’s determined to do both.</p>
<p>E.J. Dionne’s e-mail address is postchat(at)aol.com.</p>
<p>© 2009, Washington Post Writers Group</p>
| 7,970 |
<p>By Ken Camp</p>
<p>Everyone agrees that Christians ought to help those truly in need but differ on how best to help the poor. Experts say that developing a strategy based on the needs of a particular community can help churches minister to the needy around them.</p>
<p>Many Christians do not give money to a person begging on a street corner, because they believe it may enable substance abuse or encourage dependency. Instead, they choose to contribute to a local food pantry or benevolence ministry.</p>
<p>But many of those ministries also struggle with the question: How can Christians meet needs in ways that really help the poor?</p>
<p>Some preach tough love.</p>
<p>“Giving to those in need what they could be gaining from their own initiative may well be the kindest way to destroy people,” said Robert Lupton, founding president of <a href="http://fcsministries.org/" type="external">Focused Community Strategies Urban Ministries</a>.</p>
<p>Lupton, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Charity-Churches-Charities-Reverse/dp/0062076213" type="external">Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Reverse It)</a>, says Christians should never do anything for the poor that they are capable of doing for themselves.</p>
<p>“For disadvantaged people to flourish into their full, God-given potential, they must leave behind dependencies that impede their growth,” he writes. “Initiatives that thwart their development, though rightly motivated, must be restructured to reinforce self-sufficiency if they are to become agents of lasting and positive change.”</p>
<p>Lupton says “one-way” giving should be limited to emergencies such as a natural disasters — and then only for a short time. He encourages micro-lending and investing to encourage small business initiatives, urging that grants be offered sparingly.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fbno.org/staff/" type="external">David Crosby</a>, pastor of <a href="http://www.fbno.org/" type="external">First Baptist Church of New Orleans</a>, couldn’t disagree more.</p>
<p>“True love is never toxic,” he wrote in a November 2011 column for <a href="http://www.baptiststoday.org/" type="external">Baptists Today</a>. “The very idea of toxic love attacks the foundation of Christian ethics and the central truth of human experience.”</p>
<p>Crosby said the New Testament Greek word agape means “one-way, unconditional love,” and that is the kind of love Christians are commanded to show. “If I expect something in return for my supposed ‘charity,’ that is not charity at all but an economic exchange,” he wrote.</p>
<p>Crosby acknowledged that “efforts at social activism may indeed harm the recipients instead of helping them.” But he fears acceptance of the concept of “toxic charity” could result in “the justification of evil attitudes and motives that were never true charity in the first place.”</p>
<p>Even some ministry providers who agree in part with Lupton’s call for empowerment insist they cannot become full-service employment agencies or experts in community renewal. Their ministry may be able to focus only on one need, such as providing food for families or individuals who need help.</p>
<p>Toni Medina, coordinator of the food pantry at <a href="http://fbcelgin.org/" type="external">First Baptist Church in Elgin, Texas</a>, recognizes without the help her church provides, some families in her community east of Austin would suffer.</p>
<p>“There’s great need in Elgin, and we don’t want to turn people away,” she said.</p>
<p>The food pantry, which receives support from the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering, has safeguards and systems in place to avoid abuse.</p>
<p>The Elgin food pantry lacks the resources to provide job training or placement for the unemployed, but workers do their best to provide referrals and link people in need to available services, Medina said.</p>
<p>Still, she wishes volunteers could do more to develop meaningful relationships with the people they serve. “That weighs heavy on my heart,” she said. “We’re first of all a ministry of the church, not just a program.”</p>
<p>That desire to minister to people as individuals and not just maintain a benevolence program, reflects an important step for any Christian ministry to the poor, said Gerald Davis, community development strategist with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.</p>
<p>“Seek the Lord’s direction in putting in place a holistic strategy that goes beyond the handout,” Davis suggested.</p>
<p>He recommends churches develop benevolence strategies with input from recipients. Churches need to understand the causes of poverty and implement effective ways to respond to the specific needs in a community, he said.</p>
<p>“Seek ways of entering into the lives of those you are assisting — or needing to assist — and develop ministries or partner with other agencies that holistically meet the needs of those who continue to come to the benevolence door,” he said.</p>
<p>Joshua and Jessica Hearne understand what it means to enter into the lives of the people they want to help. The Hearnes serve as self-funded Cooperative Baptist Fellowship missionaries living and working with <a href="http://graceandmain.org/" type="external">Grace and Main</a> — an “intentional Christian community” among the poor in Danville, Va.</p>
<p>They open their home to provide overnight lodging for homeless people, as well as meals, medicine, substance-abuse recovery ministries and the gospel.</p>
<p>Hearne believes Christians should build communities and congregations that cultivate relationships among the marginalized.</p>
<p>“Social programs don’t change lives. Relationships change lives,” he said. “As such, we should fill our meals, homes and lives with those least able to pay us back and cultivate the kind of equal and dignity-preserving relationships that allow us to struggle together toward a common goal. If we do that, enabling and dependency fade in the light of love.”</p>
|
How can Christians really help the poor?
| false |
https://baptistnews.com/article/how-can-christians-really-help-the-poor/
| 3left-center
|
How can Christians really help the poor?
<p>By Ken Camp</p>
<p>Everyone agrees that Christians ought to help those truly in need but differ on how best to help the poor. Experts say that developing a strategy based on the needs of a particular community can help churches minister to the needy around them.</p>
<p>Many Christians do not give money to a person begging on a street corner, because they believe it may enable substance abuse or encourage dependency. Instead, they choose to contribute to a local food pantry or benevolence ministry.</p>
<p>But many of those ministries also struggle with the question: How can Christians meet needs in ways that really help the poor?</p>
<p>Some preach tough love.</p>
<p>“Giving to those in need what they could be gaining from their own initiative may well be the kindest way to destroy people,” said Robert Lupton, founding president of <a href="http://fcsministries.org/" type="external">Focused Community Strategies Urban Ministries</a>.</p>
<p>Lupton, author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Charity-Churches-Charities-Reverse/dp/0062076213" type="external">Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Reverse It)</a>, says Christians should never do anything for the poor that they are capable of doing for themselves.</p>
<p>“For disadvantaged people to flourish into their full, God-given potential, they must leave behind dependencies that impede their growth,” he writes. “Initiatives that thwart their development, though rightly motivated, must be restructured to reinforce self-sufficiency if they are to become agents of lasting and positive change.”</p>
<p>Lupton says “one-way” giving should be limited to emergencies such as a natural disasters — and then only for a short time. He encourages micro-lending and investing to encourage small business initiatives, urging that grants be offered sparingly.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fbno.org/staff/" type="external">David Crosby</a>, pastor of <a href="http://www.fbno.org/" type="external">First Baptist Church of New Orleans</a>, couldn’t disagree more.</p>
<p>“True love is never toxic,” he wrote in a November 2011 column for <a href="http://www.baptiststoday.org/" type="external">Baptists Today</a>. “The very idea of toxic love attacks the foundation of Christian ethics and the central truth of human experience.”</p>
<p>Crosby said the New Testament Greek word agape means “one-way, unconditional love,” and that is the kind of love Christians are commanded to show. “If I expect something in return for my supposed ‘charity,’ that is not charity at all but an economic exchange,” he wrote.</p>
<p>Crosby acknowledged that “efforts at social activism may indeed harm the recipients instead of helping them.” But he fears acceptance of the concept of “toxic charity” could result in “the justification of evil attitudes and motives that were never true charity in the first place.”</p>
<p>Even some ministry providers who agree in part with Lupton’s call for empowerment insist they cannot become full-service employment agencies or experts in community renewal. Their ministry may be able to focus only on one need, such as providing food for families or individuals who need help.</p>
<p>Toni Medina, coordinator of the food pantry at <a href="http://fbcelgin.org/" type="external">First Baptist Church in Elgin, Texas</a>, recognizes without the help her church provides, some families in her community east of Austin would suffer.</p>
<p>“There’s great need in Elgin, and we don’t want to turn people away,” she said.</p>
<p>The food pantry, which receives support from the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering, has safeguards and systems in place to avoid abuse.</p>
<p>The Elgin food pantry lacks the resources to provide job training or placement for the unemployed, but workers do their best to provide referrals and link people in need to available services, Medina said.</p>
<p>Still, she wishes volunteers could do more to develop meaningful relationships with the people they serve. “That weighs heavy on my heart,” she said. “We’re first of all a ministry of the church, not just a program.”</p>
<p>That desire to minister to people as individuals and not just maintain a benevolence program, reflects an important step for any Christian ministry to the poor, said Gerald Davis, community development strategist with the Baptist General Convention of Texas.</p>
<p>“Seek the Lord’s direction in putting in place a holistic strategy that goes beyond the handout,” Davis suggested.</p>
<p>He recommends churches develop benevolence strategies with input from recipients. Churches need to understand the causes of poverty and implement effective ways to respond to the specific needs in a community, he said.</p>
<p>“Seek ways of entering into the lives of those you are assisting — or needing to assist — and develop ministries or partner with other agencies that holistically meet the needs of those who continue to come to the benevolence door,” he said.</p>
<p>Joshua and Jessica Hearne understand what it means to enter into the lives of the people they want to help. The Hearnes serve as self-funded Cooperative Baptist Fellowship missionaries living and working with <a href="http://graceandmain.org/" type="external">Grace and Main</a> — an “intentional Christian community” among the poor in Danville, Va.</p>
<p>They open their home to provide overnight lodging for homeless people, as well as meals, medicine, substance-abuse recovery ministries and the gospel.</p>
<p>Hearne believes Christians should build communities and congregations that cultivate relationships among the marginalized.</p>
<p>“Social programs don’t change lives. Relationships change lives,” he said. “As such, we should fill our meals, homes and lives with those least able to pay us back and cultivate the kind of equal and dignity-preserving relationships that allow us to struggle together toward a common goal. If we do that, enabling and dependency fade in the light of love.”</p>
| 7,971 |
|
<p>John Stossel has truly gone off the deep end. While appearing on Glenn Beck's radio show, the co-anchor of ABC News? "20/20" <a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/200702260007" type="external">called</a> Robert Kennedy Jr. an "imbecile," suggested global warming could be "a good thing," and implied combating the crisis would "wreck the lives of poor people."</p>
<p />
<p>GLENN BECK (host): Tell me about global warming. I'm fascinated, John, by the fact that you cannot have a differing opinion in this country now - and really, planetwide, almost - and not be called a fascist. RFK Junior called me a fascist for questioning global warming. What kind of society are we living in?</p>
<p>STOSSEL: Well, he's an imbecile in many ways, and we have him on TV tonight on another subject. But, you know, I guess you can't deny that the globe has warmed. Climate changes. It's warmed a little. The issue is, is it a bad thing? It may be a good thing. And is it a catastrophe, where we have to wreck the lives of poor people and turn our freedom over to Al Gore and he'll tell us what we can drive and whether we can air-condition our house? And even if he does that, it's not going to make any difference. So there are seven issues, and the only one where there's clear truth is that, yes, the globe has warmed and probably will keep warming. And, most likely, man is playing a part. But to then say, "Al Gore is right," what does that mean? What are we going to do?</p>
<p />
|
'20/20' Host Says Global Warming May Be 'a Good Thing'
| true |
https://truthdig.com/articles/2020-host-says-global-warming-may-be-a-good-thing/
|
2007-02-27
| 4left
|
'20/20' Host Says Global Warming May Be 'a Good Thing'
<p>John Stossel has truly gone off the deep end. While appearing on Glenn Beck's radio show, the co-anchor of ABC News? "20/20" <a href="http://mediamatters.org/items/200702260007" type="external">called</a> Robert Kennedy Jr. an "imbecile," suggested global warming could be "a good thing," and implied combating the crisis would "wreck the lives of poor people."</p>
<p />
<p>GLENN BECK (host): Tell me about global warming. I'm fascinated, John, by the fact that you cannot have a differing opinion in this country now - and really, planetwide, almost - and not be called a fascist. RFK Junior called me a fascist for questioning global warming. What kind of society are we living in?</p>
<p>STOSSEL: Well, he's an imbecile in many ways, and we have him on TV tonight on another subject. But, you know, I guess you can't deny that the globe has warmed. Climate changes. It's warmed a little. The issue is, is it a bad thing? It may be a good thing. And is it a catastrophe, where we have to wreck the lives of poor people and turn our freedom over to Al Gore and he'll tell us what we can drive and whether we can air-condition our house? And even if he does that, it's not going to make any difference. So there are seven issues, and the only one where there's clear truth is that, yes, the globe has warmed and probably will keep warming. And, most likely, man is playing a part. But to then say, "Al Gore is right," what does that mean? What are we going to do?</p>
<p />
| 7,972 |
<p>Slate’s Jamelle Bouie makes a case about racism that seems correct. Many Americans — particularly many white Americans — understand racism only in its most extreme iterations. The Klan is racist. Nazis are racist. Beyond that, there is enough wiggle room to excuse a lot of things that might otherwise raise eyebrows. Is it racist for President Trump to call Haiti and Africa “shithole” countries while praising Norway? Well, there are certainly ways to rationalize that it is not, especially if you do not think Trump himself is a racist — which, if your definition of racist is as narrow as the one above, you do not.</p>
<p>The net effect is that, since almost no examples of racism are perpetrated by self-described Klansmen or Nazis, very little ends up being universally agreed upon as racist. As Bouie once <a href="https://twitter.com/jbouie/status/908906337991401472" type="external">tweeted</a>, the bar for “racist” is so high it ends up being “an almost empty set.”</p>
<p>On Friday morning, Trump sat down for an interview with Piers Morgan, a one-time CNN host and now host of the show “Good Morning Britain” in the United Kingdom. Trump’s relationship with the British soured late last year after he <a href="" type="internal">retweeted</a> a series of virulently anti-Muslim videos originally tweeted by a leader of a group called Britain First. Britain First is understood in Britain to be a <a href="" type="internal">hate group</a>; the woman Trump retweeted, Jayda Fransen, had herself been arrested twice shortly before Trump’s retweets for harassment and threatening behavior toward Muslims.</p>
<p>The videos themselves were unsubtle. One showed Muslims throwing someone off a building. Another depicted a Muslim man destroying a statue of the Virgin Mary. A third showed a young man said to be a Muslim immigrant assaulting a physically disabled boy in the Netherlands. (The assailant in that last video was not a Muslim immigrant as it turns out.) They were, in short, cherry-picked or misleading representations of Muslims meant to make the group look bad. They were also retweeted by the president.</p>
<p>Morgan <a href="" type="internal">challenged Trump</a> on his decision to share the videos from Fransen.</p>
<p>“If you are telling me they’re horrible people, horrible, racist people, I would certainly apologize if you’d like me to do that,” Trump said. He later added, “Of course I didn’t know that. I know nothing about them, and I know nothing about them today other than I read a little bit. I don’t know who they are. I know nothing about them, so I wouldn’t be doing that.”</p>
<p>Notice what Trump is not-really-apologizing for. Not the content of the videos, but that he retweeted a group that, in Britain, is generally understood to be one of those verboten racist organizations as the Klan is here. Trump is apologizing not for sharing misleading negative representations of a religious group — he is apologizing for violating the taboo against racism Bouie outlines.</p>
<p>The natural question is whether Trump would regret sharing the videos had the person tweeting them not been associated with a hate group. The answer, it seems clear, is he would not.</p>
<p>politics</p>
<p />
<p>politics</p>
<p>Orlando Shooting Updates</p>
<p>News and analysis on the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.</p>
<p>post_newsletter348</p>
<p>follow-orlando</p>
<p>true</p>
<p>endOfArticle</p>
<p>false</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Please provide a valid email address.</p>
<p>After all, consider his response to the violence in Charlottesville last August. He condemned the racist groups that participated — the Klan, the Nazis. He insisted there were some good people on both sides of those protests, both the side associated with the Klan and the side protesting the Klan. There were people who agreed with but were not members of the Klan, and, in Trump’s view, some of them had a point. If someone not associated with an active hate group who nonetheless shared an opinion that agreed with that hate group shared a video demeaning Muslims, why would Trump feel as though it was inappropriate to retweet that video?</p>
<p>Most Americans think Trump is <a href="" type="internal">biased against black people</a>, though more white people say he is not than say he is. Trump, like many people, seemingly adheres to an understanding of racism which articulates that only racists do racist things, and since he is not racist, what he did is not racist, either.</p>
<p>“I am often the least racist person that anybody is going to meet,” Trump assured Morgan. He just sometimes spreads misleading information about Muslims with the obvious goal of painting them in a negative light.</p>
|
Trump again reveals a remarkably unsophisticated understanding of racism
| false |
http://washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/01/26/trump-again-reveals-a-remarkably-unsophisticated-understanding-of-racism/
|
2018-01-26
| 3left-center
|
Trump again reveals a remarkably unsophisticated understanding of racism
<p>Slate’s Jamelle Bouie makes a case about racism that seems correct. Many Americans — particularly many white Americans — understand racism only in its most extreme iterations. The Klan is racist. Nazis are racist. Beyond that, there is enough wiggle room to excuse a lot of things that might otherwise raise eyebrows. Is it racist for President Trump to call Haiti and Africa “shithole” countries while praising Norway? Well, there are certainly ways to rationalize that it is not, especially if you do not think Trump himself is a racist — which, if your definition of racist is as narrow as the one above, you do not.</p>
<p>The net effect is that, since almost no examples of racism are perpetrated by self-described Klansmen or Nazis, very little ends up being universally agreed upon as racist. As Bouie once <a href="https://twitter.com/jbouie/status/908906337991401472" type="external">tweeted</a>, the bar for “racist” is so high it ends up being “an almost empty set.”</p>
<p>On Friday morning, Trump sat down for an interview with Piers Morgan, a one-time CNN host and now host of the show “Good Morning Britain” in the United Kingdom. Trump’s relationship with the British soured late last year after he <a href="" type="internal">retweeted</a> a series of virulently anti-Muslim videos originally tweeted by a leader of a group called Britain First. Britain First is understood in Britain to be a <a href="" type="internal">hate group</a>; the woman Trump retweeted, Jayda Fransen, had herself been arrested twice shortly before Trump’s retweets for harassment and threatening behavior toward Muslims.</p>
<p>The videos themselves were unsubtle. One showed Muslims throwing someone off a building. Another depicted a Muslim man destroying a statue of the Virgin Mary. A third showed a young man said to be a Muslim immigrant assaulting a physically disabled boy in the Netherlands. (The assailant in that last video was not a Muslim immigrant as it turns out.) They were, in short, cherry-picked or misleading representations of Muslims meant to make the group look bad. They were also retweeted by the president.</p>
<p>Morgan <a href="" type="internal">challenged Trump</a> on his decision to share the videos from Fransen.</p>
<p>“If you are telling me they’re horrible people, horrible, racist people, I would certainly apologize if you’d like me to do that,” Trump said. He later added, “Of course I didn’t know that. I know nothing about them, and I know nothing about them today other than I read a little bit. I don’t know who they are. I know nothing about them, so I wouldn’t be doing that.”</p>
<p>Notice what Trump is not-really-apologizing for. Not the content of the videos, but that he retweeted a group that, in Britain, is generally understood to be one of those verboten racist organizations as the Klan is here. Trump is apologizing not for sharing misleading negative representations of a religious group — he is apologizing for violating the taboo against racism Bouie outlines.</p>
<p>The natural question is whether Trump would regret sharing the videos had the person tweeting them not been associated with a hate group. The answer, it seems clear, is he would not.</p>
<p>politics</p>
<p />
<p>politics</p>
<p>Orlando Shooting Updates</p>
<p>News and analysis on the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.</p>
<p>post_newsletter348</p>
<p>follow-orlando</p>
<p>true</p>
<p>endOfArticle</p>
<p>false</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Please provide a valid email address.</p>
<p>After all, consider his response to the violence in Charlottesville last August. He condemned the racist groups that participated — the Klan, the Nazis. He insisted there were some good people on both sides of those protests, both the side associated with the Klan and the side protesting the Klan. There were people who agreed with but were not members of the Klan, and, in Trump’s view, some of them had a point. If someone not associated with an active hate group who nonetheless shared an opinion that agreed with that hate group shared a video demeaning Muslims, why would Trump feel as though it was inappropriate to retweet that video?</p>
<p>Most Americans think Trump is <a href="" type="internal">biased against black people</a>, though more white people say he is not than say he is. Trump, like many people, seemingly adheres to an understanding of racism which articulates that only racists do racist things, and since he is not racist, what he did is not racist, either.</p>
<p>“I am often the least racist person that anybody is going to meet,” Trump assured Morgan. He just sometimes spreads misleading information about Muslims with the obvious goal of painting them in a negative light.</p>
| 7,973 |
<p>Sen. Rand Paul may have been accused of working for Russia but he got the last laugh in this situation. After McCain’s rant where he said,&#160;“So I repeat again. The senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin,”&#160;Paul had an <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/03/16/rand-paul-unhinged-john-mccain-makes-a-strong-case-for-term-limits/" type="external">interview with&#160;MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”</a> And it was awesome!</p>
<p>“You know, I think he makes a really, really strong case for term limits,” Paul told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”</p>
<p>“I think maybe he’s past his prime,” Paul continued. “I think maybe he’s gotten a little bit unhinged.”</p>
<p>Paul shared the reason he had an objection to Montenegro’s inclusion into NATO, noting&#160;that it may be in the United States’&#160;best interest to be a bit more hands off.</p>
<p>“[McCain’s]&#160;foreign policy is something that would greatly endanger the United&#160;States, greatly overextend us,” Paul&#160;said.</p>
<p />
|
WATCH: Rand Paul DESTROYS John McCain, ‘He Makes a Good Case for Term Limits’ — Are You With Rand?
| true |
http://girlsjustwannahaveguns.com/rand-paul-destroys-john-mccain/
| 0right
|
WATCH: Rand Paul DESTROYS John McCain, ‘He Makes a Good Case for Term Limits’ — Are You With Rand?
<p>Sen. Rand Paul may have been accused of working for Russia but he got the last laugh in this situation. After McCain’s rant where he said,&#160;“So I repeat again. The senator from Kentucky is now working for Vladimir Putin,”&#160;Paul had an <a href="http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/03/16/rand-paul-unhinged-john-mccain-makes-a-strong-case-for-term-limits/" type="external">interview with&#160;MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”</a> And it was awesome!</p>
<p>“You know, I think he makes a really, really strong case for term limits,” Paul told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”</p>
<p>“I think maybe he’s past his prime,” Paul continued. “I think maybe he’s gotten a little bit unhinged.”</p>
<p>Paul shared the reason he had an objection to Montenegro’s inclusion into NATO, noting&#160;that it may be in the United States’&#160;best interest to be a bit more hands off.</p>
<p>“[McCain’s]&#160;foreign policy is something that would greatly endanger the United&#160;States, greatly overextend us,” Paul&#160;said.</p>
<p />
| 7,974 |
|
<p>An unprecedented alliance of transnational corporations and politicians of both parties is behind the U.S. government’s attempt to break the West Coast dockworkers’ union.</p>
<p>George W. Bush’s intervention under the anti-labor Taft-Hartley Act ended a 10-day lockout by employers in October–and allowed a federal judge to ban any work stoppage on the docks for an 80-day cooling-off period that expires December 26.</p>
<p>The Justice Department sent the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) a letter October 25 threatening legal action after management alleged that the union carried out a slowdown after returning to work two weeks earlier.</p>
<p>Months ago, the White House threatened to use troops to move cargo under the guise of “national security.” But preparations for the attack on the union began earlier–when the Clinton administration commissioned a study on “modernizing” the ports.</p>
<p>The proposals were developed in a white paper published in December 2000 by the Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council (MTSNAC), an industry advisory group that reports to the Secretary of Transportation.</p>
<p>The white paper was produced by Joseph Miniace–president of the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), the employers’ group that bargains with the ILWU. The document spelled out Miniace’s goal of breaking the dockworkers’ power.</p>
<p>When the contract covering the 10,500 members of the ILWU expired in July, ILWU president James Spinosa agreed to accept the new technology despite the loss of 600 clerks’ jobs. In exchange, the ILWU sought continued union jurisdiction over new jobs. But Miniace wouldn’t take “yes” for an answer–and locked out the workers instead.</p>
<p>According to the Seattle Times, Miniace’s rise in the PMA was backed by Stevedoring Services of America (SSA), a Seattle-based company that’s one of the world’s biggest port terminal operators. SSA, which operates a massive facility in Los Angeles, has already moved about 150 ILWU clerks’ jobs from that port to a nonunion logistics operation and warehouse in Utah. These are the same hard-line tactics that SSA used when it worked with the Australian government in an attempt to break the dock union there in the 1990s.</p>
<p>The SSA is also pressuring the government of Bangladesh for permission to build a new private terminal to replace the government-owned port and its unionized workforce–and the U.S. ambassador has publicly intervened to support the company.</p>
<p>But Miniace has other powerful supporters, too. Like MTSNAC chair Chuck Raymond, who is also CEO of CSX Lines, the shipping line owned by the rail freight giant CSX–and a PMA board member.</p>
<p>While the MTSNAC includes unions, it’s run by executives from companies like Union Pacific, which dominates rail links to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach–the biggest in the U.S. Union Pacific is the prime beneficiary of a new government-funded $2.4 billion container rail line at those ports.</p>
<p>Known for its hostility to unions, Union Pacific owns Overnite Transportation, which recently defeated the Teamsters in a three-year strike. The company was also a major campaign contributor to Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta when he was a member of Congress.</p>
<p>And Union Pacific CEO Richard Davidson–a major Bush donor–was named to chair Bush’s new National Infrastructure Advisory Board, which will make recommendations for more transportation legislation.</p>
<p>Transportation industry cooperation set the stage for the creation of the West Coast Waterfront Coalition (WCWC), a group of importers that includes Gap, Wal-Mart and Toyota. The WCWC endorsed Miniace’s document, which was later expanded into a formal report to Congress–and will serve as the basis for legislative proposals to be released in November.</p>
<p>All this set the stage for the PMA’s 10-day lockout–timed to induce Bush’s use of the Taft-Hartley law to force the issue into the spotlight. The employers want Congress to put the dockworkers under the Railway Labor Act–which “essentially eliminates the ability of a union to use the threat of a strike to gain the upper hand in contract negotiations,” the editor of the employers’ Journal of Commerce enthusiastically noted last week.</p>
<p>The ILWU has so far concentrated on electing Democrats in the November elections to try to avoid this fate. But it will take a far bigger solidarity campaign–and action on the docks–to defeat these union busters. It’s time for the labor movement to mobilize to meet this challenge.</p>
<p>LEE SUSTAR writes for the <a href="http://www.socialistworker.org/" type="external">Socialist Worker</a>. He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
|
Report from the Docks, This is Union Busting!
| true |
https://counterpunch.org/2002/10/31/report-from-the-docks-this-is-union-busting/
|
2002-10-31
| 4left
|
Report from the Docks, This is Union Busting!
<p>An unprecedented alliance of transnational corporations and politicians of both parties is behind the U.S. government’s attempt to break the West Coast dockworkers’ union.</p>
<p>George W. Bush’s intervention under the anti-labor Taft-Hartley Act ended a 10-day lockout by employers in October–and allowed a federal judge to ban any work stoppage on the docks for an 80-day cooling-off period that expires December 26.</p>
<p>The Justice Department sent the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) a letter October 25 threatening legal action after management alleged that the union carried out a slowdown after returning to work two weeks earlier.</p>
<p>Months ago, the White House threatened to use troops to move cargo under the guise of “national security.” But preparations for the attack on the union began earlier–when the Clinton administration commissioned a study on “modernizing” the ports.</p>
<p>The proposals were developed in a white paper published in December 2000 by the Marine Transportation System National Advisory Council (MTSNAC), an industry advisory group that reports to the Secretary of Transportation.</p>
<p>The white paper was produced by Joseph Miniace–president of the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA), the employers’ group that bargains with the ILWU. The document spelled out Miniace’s goal of breaking the dockworkers’ power.</p>
<p>When the contract covering the 10,500 members of the ILWU expired in July, ILWU president James Spinosa agreed to accept the new technology despite the loss of 600 clerks’ jobs. In exchange, the ILWU sought continued union jurisdiction over new jobs. But Miniace wouldn’t take “yes” for an answer–and locked out the workers instead.</p>
<p>According to the Seattle Times, Miniace’s rise in the PMA was backed by Stevedoring Services of America (SSA), a Seattle-based company that’s one of the world’s biggest port terminal operators. SSA, which operates a massive facility in Los Angeles, has already moved about 150 ILWU clerks’ jobs from that port to a nonunion logistics operation and warehouse in Utah. These are the same hard-line tactics that SSA used when it worked with the Australian government in an attempt to break the dock union there in the 1990s.</p>
<p>The SSA is also pressuring the government of Bangladesh for permission to build a new private terminal to replace the government-owned port and its unionized workforce–and the U.S. ambassador has publicly intervened to support the company.</p>
<p>But Miniace has other powerful supporters, too. Like MTSNAC chair Chuck Raymond, who is also CEO of CSX Lines, the shipping line owned by the rail freight giant CSX–and a PMA board member.</p>
<p>While the MTSNAC includes unions, it’s run by executives from companies like Union Pacific, which dominates rail links to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach–the biggest in the U.S. Union Pacific is the prime beneficiary of a new government-funded $2.4 billion container rail line at those ports.</p>
<p>Known for its hostility to unions, Union Pacific owns Overnite Transportation, which recently defeated the Teamsters in a three-year strike. The company was also a major campaign contributor to Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta when he was a member of Congress.</p>
<p>And Union Pacific CEO Richard Davidson–a major Bush donor–was named to chair Bush’s new National Infrastructure Advisory Board, which will make recommendations for more transportation legislation.</p>
<p>Transportation industry cooperation set the stage for the creation of the West Coast Waterfront Coalition (WCWC), a group of importers that includes Gap, Wal-Mart and Toyota. The WCWC endorsed Miniace’s document, which was later expanded into a formal report to Congress–and will serve as the basis for legislative proposals to be released in November.</p>
<p>All this set the stage for the PMA’s 10-day lockout–timed to induce Bush’s use of the Taft-Hartley law to force the issue into the spotlight. The employers want Congress to put the dockworkers under the Railway Labor Act–which “essentially eliminates the ability of a union to use the threat of a strike to gain the upper hand in contract negotiations,” the editor of the employers’ Journal of Commerce enthusiastically noted last week.</p>
<p>The ILWU has so far concentrated on electing Democrats in the November elections to try to avoid this fate. But it will take a far bigger solidarity campaign–and action on the docks–to defeat these union busters. It’s time for the labor movement to mobilize to meet this challenge.</p>
<p>LEE SUSTAR writes for the <a href="http://www.socialistworker.org/" type="external">Socialist Worker</a>. He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
| 7,975 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>NEW YORK — The Latest on the U.S. Open, the last Grand Slam tournament of the year (all times local):</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:30 a.m.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Top-ranked Rafael Nadal came back from a set and a break down to beat Japan’s Taro Daniel 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 and reach the U.S. Open’s third round.</p>
<p>It took Nadal a little while to figure out Daniel, who is ranked 120 spots lower and often plays on the lower-level Challenger tour. Daniel has never been past the second round at a major tournament.</p>
<p>Daniel was better in the opening set Thursday night and went ahead 2-1 in the second. But Nadal finally converted a break point on his sixth try of the match in the next game to get to 2-all and began to calibrate his big forehand better.</p>
<p>Nadal has won his past 11 second-round matches at Flushing Meadows after losing in first two appearances at that stage back in 2003 and 2004.</p>
<p>Nadal is a 15-time Grand Slam champion, including titles at the U.S. Open in 2010 and 2013.</p>
<p>He plays 59th-ranked Leonardo Mayer next.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>11:20 p.m.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Rafael Nadal’s second-round U.S. Open match against Japan’s Taro Daniel is now even at a set apiece.</p>
<p>Nadal took the second set by a 6-3 score. Daniel grabbed the first set 6-4.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Now it’s Rafael Nadal’s turn to erase a deficit.</p>
<p>The No. 1-seeded Nadal dropped the opening set of his second-round U.S. Open match against Taro Daniel of Japan 6-4.</p>
<p>The match in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night comes a few hours after Roger Federer came back to win his second-rounder in five sets against Mikhail Youzhny on the same court.</p>
<p>Nadal is a 15-time major champion, including twice at Flushing Meadows. Daniel has never been to the third round of a major.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>9:45 p.m.</p>
<p>Past U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova was upset in the second round by 116th-ranked Kurumi Nara of Japan 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.</p>
<p>This was Nara’s first victory in nine career matches against opponents ranked in the top 10. It also allowed her to get to the third round at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2013, equaling her best showing at any Grand Slam tournament.</p>
<p>The No. 8-seeded Kuznetsova’s exit Thursday night means five of the top eight women in the field are already gone before the third round. She joins No. 2 Simona Halep, No. 5 Caroline Wozniacki, No. 6 Angelique Kerber and No. 7 Johanna Konta. Kerber was the defending champion.</p>
<p>Kuznetsova won the title at Flushing Meadows in 2004 and was the runner-up in 2007. She also was the French Open champion in 2009. The Russian came to New York this year as one of eight women with a chance to move up to No. 1 in the WTA rankings after the tournament.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>9:15 p.m.</p>
<p>CoCo Vandeweghe reached the third round of the U.S. Open for the first time in nine appearances by beating Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 7-6 (6), 6-2.</p>
<p>The 20th-seeded American had been 0-4 in second-round matches at Flushing Meadows.</p>
<p>Vandeweghe’s best Grand Slam showing was a run to the Australian Open semifinals in January.</p>
<p>Her next opponent is No. 10 Agnieszka Radwanska, the 2012 Wimbledon runner-up.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>7:10 p.m.</p>
<p>American Shelby Rogers beat Daria Gavrilova 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (5) in 3 hours, 33 minutes, setting the record for the longest women’s match in U.S. Open history.</p>
<p>After Gavrilova’s backhand sailed long on match point, the 62nd-ranked Rogers raised her arms and then put her hands to her face and broke into tears. She said after the match that it didn’t feel like the longest ever at Flushing Meadows but that now she knows that, “I’m going to be sore.”</p>
<p>The 20th-ranked Gavrilova, who actually outpointed Rogers 133-132, had high hopes coming into the U.S. Open after winning the final tuneup event in New Haven, Connecticut.</p>
<p>Rogers next faces No. 4-seeded Elina Svitolina.</p>
<p>Previously, the longest women’s match at the tournament was in the 2015 second round when Johanna Konta downed Garbine Muguruza 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 6-2 in 3:23.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>6:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Roger Federer managed to pull out his second five-set victory in a row at the U.S. Open, coming back to edge 101st-ranked Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.</p>
<p>It was a much tougher test than might have been expected, considering that Federer entered the match 16-0 against Youzhny and 16-0 in second-round matches at Flushing Meadows.</p>
<p>Federer won five consecutive U.S. Open championships from 2004-08 and also was the runner-up twice, including two years ago.</p>
<p>Youzhny is a former top-10 player who reached the U.S. Open semifinals in 2006 and 2010. His level of play dipped considerably over the last two sets Thursday as he appeared to be restricted by a leg cramp.</p>
<p>The 36-year-old Federer was not quite himself for much of the match, either. He committed 68 unforced errors and appearing slowed by a bad back that he tweaked earlier in August.</p>
<p>Federer also needed five sets to win in the first round Monday night against 19-year-old American Frances Tiafoe.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>5:55 p.m.</p>
<p>Roger Federer is heading to another fifth set at the U.S. Open.</p>
<p>Federer took the fourth set against 101st-ranked Mikhail Youzhny 6-4 to force a decider in their second-round match.</p>
<p>Federer had won the opening set 6-1, then dropped the next two 7-6 (3), 6-4.</p>
<p>In the first round, Federer needed five sets to get past 19-year-old American Frances Tiafoe.</p>
<p>Federer won Wimbledon in July without dropping a single set during his seven matches there.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>5:15 p.m.</p>
<p>Roger Federer is trailing two sets to one against Mikhail Youzhny in the U.S. Open’s second round.</p>
<p>Federer won the opening set 6-1, then dropped the next two 7-6 (3), 6-4.</p>
<p>Federer entered this match with a 16-0 career record against Youzhny — and a 16-0 mark in the second round at Flushing Meadows.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:20 p.m.</p>
<p>A player involved in a match at another tournament that’s under scrutiny because of unusual betting patterns eliminated No. 15 seed Tomas Berdych to reach the U.S. Open’s third round.</p>
<p>Alexandr Dolgopolov pulled off the big win Thursday at Flushing Meadows, beating 2010 Wimbledon runner-up Berdych 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5), 6-2.</p>
<p>Tennis Integrity Unit spokesman Mark Harrison said the group “was made aware of concerns over betting patterns” during the match between Dolgopolov and Thiago Monteiro at Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Aug. 20. The match is being assessed but is not yet under formal investigation, Harrison said.</p>
<p>Harrison notes that many reasons other than corruption can explain unusual betting patterns.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:05 p.m.</p>
<p>No. 7 seed Grigor Dimitrov became the latest top-10 man to bow out of the U.S. Open, upset in the second round by 19-year-old Russian Andrey Rublev.</p>
<p>The 53rd-ranked Rublev eliminated Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-3 to reach the third round at a major tournament for the first time.</p>
<p>Dimitrov is a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist who had been playing well leading into Flushing Meadows. He had won 13 consecutive sets heading into Thursday, dating to the Cincinnati Masters, where he won his first title at the tour tier just below the majors.</p>
<p>Against Rublev, Dimitrov double-faulted 11 times and converted only 2 of 10 break points.</p>
<p>Dimitrov’s exit raises to six the number of members of the ATP’s top 10 who are out of the field in New York already. No. 2 Andy Murray, No. 4 Stan Wawrinka, No. 5 Novak Djokovic and No. 10 Kei Nishikori all sat out the U.S. Open with injuries, and No. 6 Alexander Zverev lost to 18-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the second round Wednesday night.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>3 p.m.</p>
<p>No. 1 Karolina Pliskova has advanced to the third round by rallying for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over American Nicole Gibbs.</p>
<p>Pliskova turned around the match after a slow start to avoid becoming the fifth player among the top seven seeds to be eliminated.</p>
<p>The Czech has plenty more to do if she wants to keep the No. 1 ranking. She has to reach the final, or win the title if Garbine Muguruza loses in the semifinals.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2:20 p.m.</p>
<p>No. 1 seed Karolina Pliskova has forced a third set in her match against American qualifier Nicole Gibbs.</p>
<p>Pliskova won the second set 6-3 after Gibbs took the first set 6-2.</p>
<p>Pliskova needs to reach the final to remain atop the rankings — or win the title if Garbine Muguruza loses in the semifinals.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2 p.m.</p>
<p>The U.S. Open is sold out for all day sessions for the next four days.</p>
<p>The U.S. Tennis Association says the U.S. Open box office has sold out of all tickets — including grounds passes — for all day sessions from Thursday through Sunday.</p>
<p>The USTA adds that fans are urged not to come to the box office at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and instead search Ticketmaster for verified resale tickets.</p>
<p>Tickets remain for day and evening sessions on Labor Day Monday, along with day sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1:49 p.m.</p>
<p>Top-seeded Karolina Pliskova is the latest top women’s player to have a tough time at the U.S. Open.</p>
<p>Pliskova dropped the first set 6-2 to qualifier Nicole Gibbs of the U.S. in her second-round match.</p>
<p>The women’s field has already lost No. 2 Simona Halep, No. 5 Carolina Wozniacki, sixth-seeded and defending champion Angelique Kerber, and No. 7 Johanna Konta.</p>
<p>Pliskova lost to Kerber in last year’s final.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1:09 p.m.</p>
<p>On her way out of the U.S. Open, Caroline Wozniacki criticized the big-stadium treatment of Maria Sharapova.</p>
<p>The fifth-seeded Wozniacki, who was eliminated by Ekaterina Makarova on outside court 17 Wednesday night, told Ekstrabladet TV that she felt it was “unacceptable” that Sharapova had both her matches scheduled in the 23,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium.</p>
<p>Sharapova was granted a wild card into the U.S. Open, her first Grand Slam appearance since serving a 15-month doping ban.</p>
<p>Said Wozniacki: “Someone who comes back from a drugs sentence and performance-enhancing drugs, and all of a sudden gets to play every single match on Center Court, I believe is a questionable thing to do.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:30 p.m.</p>
<p>American Jennifer Brady is into the third round of her U.S. Open debut after routing No. 23 Barbora Strycova, 6-1, 6-1.</p>
<p>Brady had failed to qualify the previous three years but is making the most of her first appearance in the main draw.</p>
<p>It’s the 22-year-old Brady’s second time into the third round at a Grand Slam this year. She made it to the round of 16 at the Australian Open in January.</p>
<p>Brady raced to a 5-0 lead in the second set but was broken while serving for the match. She promptly broke back to finish off the victory in 56 minutes.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>11:20 a.m.</p>
<p>Doubles play has begun at the U.S. Open, with the top-seeded men’s team among the first on the court.</p>
<p>The team of John Peers of Australia and Henri Kontinen of Finland is facing Americans William Blumberg and Spencer Papa.</p>
<p>Peers and Kontinen have won two titles this year, including the Australian Open championship in January.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:35 a.m.</p>
<p>Roger Federer looks for his 80th U.S. Open victory, while Rafael Nadal also is in second-round action.</p>
<p>A number of players will be on the court for a second straight day Thursday after almost all of Tuesday’s action was postponed by rain.</p>
<p>Federer and Nadal did get their matches in that day under the roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium, so they both had Wednesday off. Federer used his time to practice at Central Park .</p>
<p>The five-time U.S. Open champion faces Mikhail Youzhny of Russia in an afternoon match. An 80th victory would break a tie with Andre Agassi and leave Federer behind only Jimmy Connors’ 98 victories at the U.S. Open.</p>
<p>Youzhny was a semifinalist at Flushing Meadows in 2006 and 2010, but he’s 0-16 lifetime against Federer.</p>
<p>The top-ranked Nadal faces Japan’s Taro Daniel in the second night match at Ashe.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP tennis coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-Tennis</p>
|
No. 1 Nadal comes back to beat Daniel at US Open
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/1056410/the-latest-american-brady-into-3rd-round-of-us-open.html
|
2017-08-31
| 2least
|
No. 1 Nadal comes back to beat Daniel at US Open
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>NEW YORK — The Latest on the U.S. Open, the last Grand Slam tournament of the year (all times local):</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:30 a.m.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Top-ranked Rafael Nadal came back from a set and a break down to beat Japan’s Taro Daniel 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 and reach the U.S. Open’s third round.</p>
<p>It took Nadal a little while to figure out Daniel, who is ranked 120 spots lower and often plays on the lower-level Challenger tour. Daniel has never been past the second round at a major tournament.</p>
<p>Daniel was better in the opening set Thursday night and went ahead 2-1 in the second. But Nadal finally converted a break point on his sixth try of the match in the next game to get to 2-all and began to calibrate his big forehand better.</p>
<p>Nadal has won his past 11 second-round matches at Flushing Meadows after losing in first two appearances at that stage back in 2003 and 2004.</p>
<p>Nadal is a 15-time Grand Slam champion, including titles at the U.S. Open in 2010 and 2013.</p>
<p>He plays 59th-ranked Leonardo Mayer next.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>11:20 p.m.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Rafael Nadal’s second-round U.S. Open match against Japan’s Taro Daniel is now even at a set apiece.</p>
<p>Nadal took the second set by a 6-3 score. Daniel grabbed the first set 6-4.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Now it’s Rafael Nadal’s turn to erase a deficit.</p>
<p>The No. 1-seeded Nadal dropped the opening set of his second-round U.S. Open match against Taro Daniel of Japan 6-4.</p>
<p>The match in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night comes a few hours after Roger Federer came back to win his second-rounder in five sets against Mikhail Youzhny on the same court.</p>
<p>Nadal is a 15-time major champion, including twice at Flushing Meadows. Daniel has never been to the third round of a major.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>9:45 p.m.</p>
<p>Past U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova was upset in the second round by 116th-ranked Kurumi Nara of Japan 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.</p>
<p>This was Nara’s first victory in nine career matches against opponents ranked in the top 10. It also allowed her to get to the third round at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2013, equaling her best showing at any Grand Slam tournament.</p>
<p>The No. 8-seeded Kuznetsova’s exit Thursday night means five of the top eight women in the field are already gone before the third round. She joins No. 2 Simona Halep, No. 5 Caroline Wozniacki, No. 6 Angelique Kerber and No. 7 Johanna Konta. Kerber was the defending champion.</p>
<p>Kuznetsova won the title at Flushing Meadows in 2004 and was the runner-up in 2007. She also was the French Open champion in 2009. The Russian came to New York this year as one of eight women with a chance to move up to No. 1 in the WTA rankings after the tournament.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>9:15 p.m.</p>
<p>CoCo Vandeweghe reached the third round of the U.S. Open for the first time in nine appearances by beating Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 7-6 (6), 6-2.</p>
<p>The 20th-seeded American had been 0-4 in second-round matches at Flushing Meadows.</p>
<p>Vandeweghe’s best Grand Slam showing was a run to the Australian Open semifinals in January.</p>
<p>Her next opponent is No. 10 Agnieszka Radwanska, the 2012 Wimbledon runner-up.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>7:10 p.m.</p>
<p>American Shelby Rogers beat Daria Gavrilova 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (5) in 3 hours, 33 minutes, setting the record for the longest women’s match in U.S. Open history.</p>
<p>After Gavrilova’s backhand sailed long on match point, the 62nd-ranked Rogers raised her arms and then put her hands to her face and broke into tears. She said after the match that it didn’t feel like the longest ever at Flushing Meadows but that now she knows that, “I’m going to be sore.”</p>
<p>The 20th-ranked Gavrilova, who actually outpointed Rogers 133-132, had high hopes coming into the U.S. Open after winning the final tuneup event in New Haven, Connecticut.</p>
<p>Rogers next faces No. 4-seeded Elina Svitolina.</p>
<p>Previously, the longest women’s match at the tournament was in the 2015 second round when Johanna Konta downed Garbine Muguruza 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 6-2 in 3:23.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>6:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Roger Federer managed to pull out his second five-set victory in a row at the U.S. Open, coming back to edge 101st-ranked Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.</p>
<p>It was a much tougher test than might have been expected, considering that Federer entered the match 16-0 against Youzhny and 16-0 in second-round matches at Flushing Meadows.</p>
<p>Federer won five consecutive U.S. Open championships from 2004-08 and also was the runner-up twice, including two years ago.</p>
<p>Youzhny is a former top-10 player who reached the U.S. Open semifinals in 2006 and 2010. His level of play dipped considerably over the last two sets Thursday as he appeared to be restricted by a leg cramp.</p>
<p>The 36-year-old Federer was not quite himself for much of the match, either. He committed 68 unforced errors and appearing slowed by a bad back that he tweaked earlier in August.</p>
<p>Federer also needed five sets to win in the first round Monday night against 19-year-old American Frances Tiafoe.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>5:55 p.m.</p>
<p>Roger Federer is heading to another fifth set at the U.S. Open.</p>
<p>Federer took the fourth set against 101st-ranked Mikhail Youzhny 6-4 to force a decider in their second-round match.</p>
<p>Federer had won the opening set 6-1, then dropped the next two 7-6 (3), 6-4.</p>
<p>In the first round, Federer needed five sets to get past 19-year-old American Frances Tiafoe.</p>
<p>Federer won Wimbledon in July without dropping a single set during his seven matches there.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>5:15 p.m.</p>
<p>Roger Federer is trailing two sets to one against Mikhail Youzhny in the U.S. Open’s second round.</p>
<p>Federer won the opening set 6-1, then dropped the next two 7-6 (3), 6-4.</p>
<p>Federer entered this match with a 16-0 career record against Youzhny — and a 16-0 mark in the second round at Flushing Meadows.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:20 p.m.</p>
<p>A player involved in a match at another tournament that’s under scrutiny because of unusual betting patterns eliminated No. 15 seed Tomas Berdych to reach the U.S. Open’s third round.</p>
<p>Alexandr Dolgopolov pulled off the big win Thursday at Flushing Meadows, beating 2010 Wimbledon runner-up Berdych 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5), 6-2.</p>
<p>Tennis Integrity Unit spokesman Mark Harrison said the group “was made aware of concerns over betting patterns” during the match between Dolgopolov and Thiago Monteiro at Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Aug. 20. The match is being assessed but is not yet under formal investigation, Harrison said.</p>
<p>Harrison notes that many reasons other than corruption can explain unusual betting patterns.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:05 p.m.</p>
<p>No. 7 seed Grigor Dimitrov became the latest top-10 man to bow out of the U.S. Open, upset in the second round by 19-year-old Russian Andrey Rublev.</p>
<p>The 53rd-ranked Rublev eliminated Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-3 to reach the third round at a major tournament for the first time.</p>
<p>Dimitrov is a three-time Grand Slam semifinalist who had been playing well leading into Flushing Meadows. He had won 13 consecutive sets heading into Thursday, dating to the Cincinnati Masters, where he won his first title at the tour tier just below the majors.</p>
<p>Against Rublev, Dimitrov double-faulted 11 times and converted only 2 of 10 break points.</p>
<p>Dimitrov’s exit raises to six the number of members of the ATP’s top 10 who are out of the field in New York already. No. 2 Andy Murray, No. 4 Stan Wawrinka, No. 5 Novak Djokovic and No. 10 Kei Nishikori all sat out the U.S. Open with injuries, and No. 6 Alexander Zverev lost to 18-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the second round Wednesday night.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>3 p.m.</p>
<p>No. 1 Karolina Pliskova has advanced to the third round by rallying for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over American Nicole Gibbs.</p>
<p>Pliskova turned around the match after a slow start to avoid becoming the fifth player among the top seven seeds to be eliminated.</p>
<p>The Czech has plenty more to do if she wants to keep the No. 1 ranking. She has to reach the final, or win the title if Garbine Muguruza loses in the semifinals.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2:20 p.m.</p>
<p>No. 1 seed Karolina Pliskova has forced a third set in her match against American qualifier Nicole Gibbs.</p>
<p>Pliskova won the second set 6-3 after Gibbs took the first set 6-2.</p>
<p>Pliskova needs to reach the final to remain atop the rankings — or win the title if Garbine Muguruza loses in the semifinals.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2 p.m.</p>
<p>The U.S. Open is sold out for all day sessions for the next four days.</p>
<p>The U.S. Tennis Association says the U.S. Open box office has sold out of all tickets — including grounds passes — for all day sessions from Thursday through Sunday.</p>
<p>The USTA adds that fans are urged not to come to the box office at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and instead search Ticketmaster for verified resale tickets.</p>
<p>Tickets remain for day and evening sessions on Labor Day Monday, along with day sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1:49 p.m.</p>
<p>Top-seeded Karolina Pliskova is the latest top women’s player to have a tough time at the U.S. Open.</p>
<p>Pliskova dropped the first set 6-2 to qualifier Nicole Gibbs of the U.S. in her second-round match.</p>
<p>The women’s field has already lost No. 2 Simona Halep, No. 5 Carolina Wozniacki, sixth-seeded and defending champion Angelique Kerber, and No. 7 Johanna Konta.</p>
<p>Pliskova lost to Kerber in last year’s final.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1:09 p.m.</p>
<p>On her way out of the U.S. Open, Caroline Wozniacki criticized the big-stadium treatment of Maria Sharapova.</p>
<p>The fifth-seeded Wozniacki, who was eliminated by Ekaterina Makarova on outside court 17 Wednesday night, told Ekstrabladet TV that she felt it was “unacceptable” that Sharapova had both her matches scheduled in the 23,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium.</p>
<p>Sharapova was granted a wild card into the U.S. Open, her first Grand Slam appearance since serving a 15-month doping ban.</p>
<p>Said Wozniacki: “Someone who comes back from a drugs sentence and performance-enhancing drugs, and all of a sudden gets to play every single match on Center Court, I believe is a questionable thing to do.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:30 p.m.</p>
<p>American Jennifer Brady is into the third round of her U.S. Open debut after routing No. 23 Barbora Strycova, 6-1, 6-1.</p>
<p>Brady had failed to qualify the previous three years but is making the most of her first appearance in the main draw.</p>
<p>It’s the 22-year-old Brady’s second time into the third round at a Grand Slam this year. She made it to the round of 16 at the Australian Open in January.</p>
<p>Brady raced to a 5-0 lead in the second set but was broken while serving for the match. She promptly broke back to finish off the victory in 56 minutes.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>11:20 a.m.</p>
<p>Doubles play has begun at the U.S. Open, with the top-seeded men’s team among the first on the court.</p>
<p>The team of John Peers of Australia and Henri Kontinen of Finland is facing Americans William Blumberg and Spencer Papa.</p>
<p>Peers and Kontinen have won two titles this year, including the Australian Open championship in January.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:35 a.m.</p>
<p>Roger Federer looks for his 80th U.S. Open victory, while Rafael Nadal also is in second-round action.</p>
<p>A number of players will be on the court for a second straight day Thursday after almost all of Tuesday’s action was postponed by rain.</p>
<p>Federer and Nadal did get their matches in that day under the roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium, so they both had Wednesday off. Federer used his time to practice at Central Park .</p>
<p>The five-time U.S. Open champion faces Mikhail Youzhny of Russia in an afternoon match. An 80th victory would break a tie with Andre Agassi and leave Federer behind only Jimmy Connors’ 98 victories at the U.S. Open.</p>
<p>Youzhny was a semifinalist at Flushing Meadows in 2006 and 2010, but he’s 0-16 lifetime against Federer.</p>
<p>The top-ranked Nadal faces Japan’s Taro Daniel in the second night match at Ashe.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP tennis coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-Tennis</p>
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<p>Joe Anthony Montoya, center, talks with his attorneys Monnica Garcia, left, and Sam Bregman as he is taken into custody in Santa Fe, Wednesday December 17, 2014. Montoya and his company Advantage Asphalt and Seal Coating were convicted on multiple counts of bribery, fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud. (Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>SANTA FE – The road to freedom came to an abrupt end Wednesday for a politically connected Santa Fe paving contractor who prosecutors say went “from rags to riches” in a short period of time.</p>
<p>A jury found Joe Anthony Montoya guilty of multiple counts of bribing a public official, fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud for providing cash and trips to Las Vegas, Nev., in exchange for county road repair work officials steered his way.</p>
<p>Prosecutors also had alleged that Montoya operated a scheme to bilk Santa Fe County by using county-owned recycled asphalt and other materials for county road repairs, done partly with county manpower and equipment, and then charging the county for higher-priced materials.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The defense argued there was no “criminal intent” to bribe and that any road deficiencies belonged in civil court.</p>
<p>Just after 2 p.m., retired Judge James Hall read out a cascading series of guilty verdicts against Montoya and his Advantage Asphalt and Seal Coating Co., of which Montoya owns a 51 percent interest. Montoya and his company were indicted separately on parallel charges.</p>
<p>Montoya was found guilty of 27 counts and not guilty of four, while the company was found guilty of 25 counts and not guilty of three. The not-guilty counts were mostly for lesser charges of submitting fraudulent public vouchers for county payment and for fraud between $500 and $2,500.</p>
<p>Two sheriff’s deputies hovered to handcuff Montoya when Hall ordered him taken into custody, but there were moments of suspense while the defense and prosecution wrangled over Montoya’s release on bail pending appeal, which prosecutors opposed.</p>
<p>“The defendant’s status has changed now that he has been convicted,” said the judge, who said he would consider at a later hearing Montoya’s release on either $250,000 cash bail or at least a $300,000 property bond, pending appeal. Defense attorney Monnica Garcia argued that Montoya had no criminal history and could possibly be sentenced to probation.</p>
<p>But prosecutor Tim Williams said Montoya was a flight risk and, if all the convictions ran consecutively, he could get more prison time than someone convicted of murder.</p>
<p>The investigation covered about $7 million in contracts with Santa Fe County; Advantage also had $4.47 million in contracts with the city of Santa Fe, but none of those were involved in this case. Montoya was a frequent contributor to local political candidates; his wife had been campaign treasurer for Santa Fe City Councilor Carmichael Dominguez’s 2010 election campaign, and former Councilor Matthew Ortiz was Advantage’s attorney while he served on the council.</p>
<p>The case culminated in Montoya, 54, being the fourth person convicted in the white-collar crime that rocked the county when its investigation became public more than four years ago. It was framed by its connections to several current and former county officials.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Former county public works bosses James Lujan and James Martinez pleaded guilty in plea agreements to accepting bribes – the trips to Las Vegas – and they testified against Montoya for the prosecution. Lujan said Montoya paid him about $26,000 after Montoya allegedly said, “Give me work and we’ll both make money.” Montoya’s wife, Marlene, pleaded guilty to two counts of bribing Lujan and to conspiring to defraud the private Rancho Viejo subdivision with fraudulent invoices; she exercised the spousal right not to testify against her husband.</p>
<p>Those three defendants have not been sentenced.</p>
<p>District Attorney Angela “Spence” Pacheco led a team of four other prosecutors who presented their case over five days last week.</p>
<p>“You can tell that the jurors spent a lot of time and looked very hard at everything to come to this conclusion,” said Pacheco, who declined to comment further. Jurors took hundreds of documents with them while they deliberated for more than 10 hours over two days.</p>
<p>“We are pleased with the outcome and (with) justice for the citizens of Santa Fe County,” sheriff’s Maj. Ken Johnson said after the verdict. He praised his investigators, the District Attorney’s Office and Corp. James Yeager, one of the prosecution’s key witnesses.</p>
<p>Yeager testified that he found a document in one of the business’ computers that listed several amounts owed and paid for road projects and had the words “James-county” on it, with the implication being that “James” was James Lujan. Yeager led the jury through a paper trail of invoices submitted by Advantage to the county for payment that had been altered, but admitted under defense questioning that he did not know who altered them.</p>
<p>Defense attorney Sam Bregman did not dispute that Advantage provided three Vegas trips for Lujan and one for road supervisor Martinez, but said that was not a crime because there was no “criminal intent.”</p>
<p>Prosecutor Williams said in closing Tuesday that Montoya directed his wife to provide the Vegas airfare and hotel stays and that Montoya’s goal was “to get work and defraud the county.”</p>
<p />
<p />
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Santa Fe contractor convicted of bribery
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/513986/guilty-on-most-counts-in-advantage-asphalt-briberyfraud-case.html
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2014-12-17
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Santa Fe contractor convicted of bribery
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Joe Anthony Montoya, center, talks with his attorneys Monnica Garcia, left, and Sam Bregman as he is taken into custody in Santa Fe, Wednesday December 17, 2014. Montoya and his company Advantage Asphalt and Seal Coating were convicted on multiple counts of bribery, fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud. (Eddie Moore/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>SANTA FE – The road to freedom came to an abrupt end Wednesday for a politically connected Santa Fe paving contractor who prosecutors say went “from rags to riches” in a short period of time.</p>
<p>A jury found Joe Anthony Montoya guilty of multiple counts of bribing a public official, fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud for providing cash and trips to Las Vegas, Nev., in exchange for county road repair work officials steered his way.</p>
<p>Prosecutors also had alleged that Montoya operated a scheme to bilk Santa Fe County by using county-owned recycled asphalt and other materials for county road repairs, done partly with county manpower and equipment, and then charging the county for higher-priced materials.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The defense argued there was no “criminal intent” to bribe and that any road deficiencies belonged in civil court.</p>
<p>Just after 2 p.m., retired Judge James Hall read out a cascading series of guilty verdicts against Montoya and his Advantage Asphalt and Seal Coating Co., of which Montoya owns a 51 percent interest. Montoya and his company were indicted separately on parallel charges.</p>
<p>Montoya was found guilty of 27 counts and not guilty of four, while the company was found guilty of 25 counts and not guilty of three. The not-guilty counts were mostly for lesser charges of submitting fraudulent public vouchers for county payment and for fraud between $500 and $2,500.</p>
<p>Two sheriff’s deputies hovered to handcuff Montoya when Hall ordered him taken into custody, but there were moments of suspense while the defense and prosecution wrangled over Montoya’s release on bail pending appeal, which prosecutors opposed.</p>
<p>“The defendant’s status has changed now that he has been convicted,” said the judge, who said he would consider at a later hearing Montoya’s release on either $250,000 cash bail or at least a $300,000 property bond, pending appeal. Defense attorney Monnica Garcia argued that Montoya had no criminal history and could possibly be sentenced to probation.</p>
<p>But prosecutor Tim Williams said Montoya was a flight risk and, if all the convictions ran consecutively, he could get more prison time than someone convicted of murder.</p>
<p>The investigation covered about $7 million in contracts with Santa Fe County; Advantage also had $4.47 million in contracts with the city of Santa Fe, but none of those were involved in this case. Montoya was a frequent contributor to local political candidates; his wife had been campaign treasurer for Santa Fe City Councilor Carmichael Dominguez’s 2010 election campaign, and former Councilor Matthew Ortiz was Advantage’s attorney while he served on the council.</p>
<p>The case culminated in Montoya, 54, being the fourth person convicted in the white-collar crime that rocked the county when its investigation became public more than four years ago. It was framed by its connections to several current and former county officials.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Former county public works bosses James Lujan and James Martinez pleaded guilty in plea agreements to accepting bribes – the trips to Las Vegas – and they testified against Montoya for the prosecution. Lujan said Montoya paid him about $26,000 after Montoya allegedly said, “Give me work and we’ll both make money.” Montoya’s wife, Marlene, pleaded guilty to two counts of bribing Lujan and to conspiring to defraud the private Rancho Viejo subdivision with fraudulent invoices; she exercised the spousal right not to testify against her husband.</p>
<p>Those three defendants have not been sentenced.</p>
<p>District Attorney Angela “Spence” Pacheco led a team of four other prosecutors who presented their case over five days last week.</p>
<p>“You can tell that the jurors spent a lot of time and looked very hard at everything to come to this conclusion,” said Pacheco, who declined to comment further. Jurors took hundreds of documents with them while they deliberated for more than 10 hours over two days.</p>
<p>“We are pleased with the outcome and (with) justice for the citizens of Santa Fe County,” sheriff’s Maj. Ken Johnson said after the verdict. He praised his investigators, the District Attorney’s Office and Corp. James Yeager, one of the prosecution’s key witnesses.</p>
<p>Yeager testified that he found a document in one of the business’ computers that listed several amounts owed and paid for road projects and had the words “James-county” on it, with the implication being that “James” was James Lujan. Yeager led the jury through a paper trail of invoices submitted by Advantage to the county for payment that had been altered, but admitted under defense questioning that he did not know who altered them.</p>
<p>Defense attorney Sam Bregman did not dispute that Advantage provided three Vegas trips for Lujan and one for road supervisor Martinez, but said that was not a crime because there was no “criminal intent.”</p>
<p>Prosecutor Williams said in closing Tuesday that Montoya directed his wife to provide the Vegas airfare and hotel stays and that Montoya’s goal was “to get work and defraud the county.”</p>
<p />
<p />
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<p>The office of the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran has become the target of an attack just hours after President Donald Trump made a speech announcing he would not certify the Iran deal. The identity of the suspects who fired bullets into the building is unknown but authorities say the attackers also used an air gun and rocks to assail the building. Mehdi Atefat, the head of the office, said windows were shattered and some bullets even went deeper into the building.</p>
<p />
<p>Credit: PressTV</p>
<p>Graffiti was also left behind, the assailants wrote anti-Islamic slogans on the walls of the building. In his speech, President Trump also said he might ultimately terminate the deal with Iran all together, something which would put the US at odds with the many other world powers who signed it. The President has yet to terminate the deal but in the meantime gave the US Congress 60 days to decide whether to reinstate sanctions that were lifted on Iran during the signing of the original deal. Some would argue the deal is the culmination of multilateral diplomacy and was a huge victory for the Obama Administration.</p>
<p />
<p>Credit: PressTV</p>
<p>President Trump also said in the same speech he was authorizing the US Treasury Department to impose further sanctions on "the entire" Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) for "its support for terrorism." The President of Iran dismissed Trump's speech about the Islamic Republic as insults and delirious talk but his body language and glistening forehead made him appear to be sweating bullets.</p>
<p>On Twitter:</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/ErvinProduction" type="external">@ErvinProduction</a></p>
<p>Tips? Info? Send me a message!</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/10/14/538622/Iran-US-Washington-Interests-Section-Mehdi-Otoufat" type="external">presstv.com/Detail/2017/10/14/538622/Iran-US-Washington-Interests-Section-Mehdi-Otoufat</a></p>
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Iranian Dipomatic Office Attacked In Washington
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http://thegoldwater.com/news/9677-Iranian-Dipomatic-Office-Attacked-In-Washington
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2017-10-15
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Iranian Dipomatic Office Attacked In Washington
<p />
<p />
<p>The office of the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran has become the target of an attack just hours after President Donald Trump made a speech announcing he would not certify the Iran deal. The identity of the suspects who fired bullets into the building is unknown but authorities say the attackers also used an air gun and rocks to assail the building. Mehdi Atefat, the head of the office, said windows were shattered and some bullets even went deeper into the building.</p>
<p />
<p>Credit: PressTV</p>
<p>Graffiti was also left behind, the assailants wrote anti-Islamic slogans on the walls of the building. In his speech, President Trump also said he might ultimately terminate the deal with Iran all together, something which would put the US at odds with the many other world powers who signed it. The President has yet to terminate the deal but in the meantime gave the US Congress 60 days to decide whether to reinstate sanctions that were lifted on Iran during the signing of the original deal. Some would argue the deal is the culmination of multilateral diplomacy and was a huge victory for the Obama Administration.</p>
<p />
<p>Credit: PressTV</p>
<p>President Trump also said in the same speech he was authorizing the US Treasury Department to impose further sanctions on "the entire" Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) for "its support for terrorism." The President of Iran dismissed Trump's speech about the Islamic Republic as insults and delirious talk but his body language and glistening forehead made him appear to be sweating bullets.</p>
<p>On Twitter:</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/ErvinProduction" type="external">@ErvinProduction</a></p>
<p>Tips? Info? Send me a message!</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/10/14/538622/Iran-US-Washington-Interests-Section-Mehdi-Otoufat" type="external">presstv.com/Detail/2017/10/14/538622/Iran-US-Washington-Interests-Section-Mehdi-Otoufat</a></p>
| 7,978 |
<p>Barack Obama’s chances of being reelected hinge on winning over blue-collar voters in the Midwest, but those efforts may have hit a hurdle—or run into a mine shaft, more like it—since a new nonprofit in the region started aggressively going after his administration. Mined in America, a 501(c)(4) created by an unlikely alliance of mine workers and mine owners, is running a series of attack ads against the Environmental Protection Agency, accusing the regulator of stifling resourcing mining that could boost the economy.</p>
<p>“Washington doesn’t get it,” reads one ad running across the region. “Remind environmental regulators to make Ohio jobs America’s priority.”</p>
<p>Also planned are calls and mailers to 500,000 voters in swing districts in the swing states of Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan to ask them to push Obama for job growth over more environmental rules. An online and social media campaign has begun as well.</p>
<p>Despite such microtargeting a few weeks before a tight presidential election, Mined in America insists it’s a nonpartisan group focused on education, not politics. As a 501(c)(4) social-welfare organization, the group isn’t required to disclose who’s funding it or how it’s spending money.</p>
<p>“It is not about President Obama winning or losing,” says Maurice Daniel, the executive director of the coalition, which includes manufacturers and labor unions. A lifelong Democrat, Daniel was the former political director for Al Gore when Gore was vice president. “We are not advocating for one candidate or another. What we are doing is educating the population about the issues at stake.”</p>
<p>Those issues have to do with the way the EPA implements its rules. Mined in America says the rules are arbitrary and unfair. It points to the Spruce Mine project in West Virginia, which the Army Corps of Engineers approved but whose permit was then revoked by the EPA, and to Pebble Mine in Alaska, where it says the EPA is blocking a permit before one has been officially submitted.</p>
<p>The EPA declined to comment for this story, but environmentalists say the EPA’s actions are entirely within its purview.</p>
<p>“What they are advocating for is horrendous,” said Anna Aurilio, director of the Washington D.C. office of Environment America. “What they are saying is that the EPA shouldn’t be able to clear permits for a mine, but that’s absolutely the EPA’s role. It’s like saying your doctor shouldn’t tell you to quit smoking.”</p>
<p>Daniel, who says “metal and mineral deposits are the building blocks of economic growth in this country,” says his group is in favor of environmental regulations; it merely wants those regulations to be clear and consistent. “There is uncertainty and haphazardness in how the rules are enforced, and it creates a level of discomfort. There is a reverberating effect on the culture and climate that sets the tone for any potential investors and as a result the jobs never come.”</p>
<p>With six weeks to go before the election, it remains to be seen if the forces behind Mined in America can pull off criticizing Obama’s handling of an environmental regulator among a key swing constituency, without helping to bring about his defeat—something it says it’s determined to avoid.</p>
<p>Pat Devlin, the CEO of the Michigan Building Trades Council, a coalition of construction unions, and an early backer of Mined in America, says he supported Obama in 2008 and will do so again in 2012. But that doesn’t mean he’s on board with the president’s environmental policies. “I know the president is being pulled in all directions,” says Devlin. “But you know what they say about the squeaky wheel.”</p>
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Miners Gun for Obama
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https://thedailybeast.com/miners-gun-for-obama
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2018-10-03
| 4left
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Miners Gun for Obama
<p>Barack Obama’s chances of being reelected hinge on winning over blue-collar voters in the Midwest, but those efforts may have hit a hurdle—or run into a mine shaft, more like it—since a new nonprofit in the region started aggressively going after his administration. Mined in America, a 501(c)(4) created by an unlikely alliance of mine workers and mine owners, is running a series of attack ads against the Environmental Protection Agency, accusing the regulator of stifling resourcing mining that could boost the economy.</p>
<p>“Washington doesn’t get it,” reads one ad running across the region. “Remind environmental regulators to make Ohio jobs America’s priority.”</p>
<p>Also planned are calls and mailers to 500,000 voters in swing districts in the swing states of Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan to ask them to push Obama for job growth over more environmental rules. An online and social media campaign has begun as well.</p>
<p>Despite such microtargeting a few weeks before a tight presidential election, Mined in America insists it’s a nonpartisan group focused on education, not politics. As a 501(c)(4) social-welfare organization, the group isn’t required to disclose who’s funding it or how it’s spending money.</p>
<p>“It is not about President Obama winning or losing,” says Maurice Daniel, the executive director of the coalition, which includes manufacturers and labor unions. A lifelong Democrat, Daniel was the former political director for Al Gore when Gore was vice president. “We are not advocating for one candidate or another. What we are doing is educating the population about the issues at stake.”</p>
<p>Those issues have to do with the way the EPA implements its rules. Mined in America says the rules are arbitrary and unfair. It points to the Spruce Mine project in West Virginia, which the Army Corps of Engineers approved but whose permit was then revoked by the EPA, and to Pebble Mine in Alaska, where it says the EPA is blocking a permit before one has been officially submitted.</p>
<p>The EPA declined to comment for this story, but environmentalists say the EPA’s actions are entirely within its purview.</p>
<p>“What they are advocating for is horrendous,” said Anna Aurilio, director of the Washington D.C. office of Environment America. “What they are saying is that the EPA shouldn’t be able to clear permits for a mine, but that’s absolutely the EPA’s role. It’s like saying your doctor shouldn’t tell you to quit smoking.”</p>
<p>Daniel, who says “metal and mineral deposits are the building blocks of economic growth in this country,” says his group is in favor of environmental regulations; it merely wants those regulations to be clear and consistent. “There is uncertainty and haphazardness in how the rules are enforced, and it creates a level of discomfort. There is a reverberating effect on the culture and climate that sets the tone for any potential investors and as a result the jobs never come.”</p>
<p>With six weeks to go before the election, it remains to be seen if the forces behind Mined in America can pull off criticizing Obama’s handling of an environmental regulator among a key swing constituency, without helping to bring about his defeat—something it says it’s determined to avoid.</p>
<p>Pat Devlin, the CEO of the Michigan Building Trades Council, a coalition of construction unions, and an early backer of Mined in America, says he supported Obama in 2008 and will do so again in 2012. But that doesn’t mean he’s on board with the president’s environmental policies. “I know the president is being pulled in all directions,” says Devlin. “But you know what they say about the squeaky wheel.”</p>
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<p />
<p>A: I’m guessing from your question that you’ve tried all of the chemical treatments you can find at the retail level to mostly no avail. Well, now is the time to go backward, so to speak. With that, “Got Milk?” No, really! My sister-in-law has been spraying milk — yes, whole milk — as a fungicide and getting fair results using it. She applies a dilution of one to 10, milk to water, sprayed over the plants infected by powdery mildew. It smells a bit funky and you need to apply weekly, but it is working. Use a “dial-n-spray” hose-end sprayer filled with whole milk, with the dial set to 1 ounce, and spray. Best do the spraying in the early evening as our temperatures will be getting very hot very quickly. Any spraying applied during the daylight hours, at a time when the sun could affect the plants, is not the ticket. Having witnessed the remarkable results of applying milk has been amazing, so see if that doesn’t help your unhappy lilac. Be sure, too, that your lilac isn’t sprayed overhead by a sprinkler when you are watering. That sprinkling could be creating the healthy atmosphere for the fungi. Also, if the lilac is in a cramped, not airy spot consider transplanting it this coming autumn to a better locale.</p>
<p>So, see if spraying milk doesn’t help your lilac.</p>
<p>Q: I have inherited a lot of rose bushes on the property I just purchased. They have all finished blooming really well, and now I need to know what to do for them? I’ve never owned roses, much less a yard, before and am a little lost. Help! — N.H., Rio Rancho</p>
<p>A: With the finishing of this first bloom flush you have a bit of work ahead of you, but it’ll be a great learning experience for both you and your roses.</p>
<p>First, invest in a good pair of hand pruners. These will be one of the best investments you’ll make as a new property owner. Now when it’s cool, so you are comfortable, get ready to prune. Don’t go out dressed like you are headed to the beach. Dress comfy, wear a long-sleeved shirt (better white or light denim in color that way any buzzing creatures will be less interested in you), close-toed footwear and wear a good pair of leather gloves. Avoid perfumes, too! Better you don’t smell like a flower.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>OK, look at each finished bloom and follow the stem to a spot where you find the leaves growing. The first spot that has a leaf sporting five leaves at a time is what you are looking for. Cut the spent bloom, stem and all just above that five-leaf node. Don’t be shy either. You can cut off more of the plant, as long as you are snipping at a five-leaf node, with no worries. Go over the whole plant removing all of the spent flowers that way. Eventually, you’ll have a flowerless plant wearing only leaf.</p>
<p>While you are working, look internally for any branches that might be crossing or rubbing. For the continued health of the plant one of those branches has to go. This is where your eyes come into play. You get to decide which way the plant is going to be encouraged to grow by the removal of specific branches. I’m not suggesting you go nuts this time of year with the pruning, but you can get away with some minor tweaking to get the roses in shape. Remember, the best time to do major pruning on your roses is in late March.</p>
<p>After you’ve tidied up the roses, apply fertilization, arrange the watering schedule (once a week to every 10 days) to give a deep soaking and your bushes will be on track to creating the next bloom series they’ll offer. Have fun getting to know your new friends, and Happy Digging In!</p>
<p>Need tips on growing your garden? Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send your garden-related questions to Digging In, Rio Rancho/West Side Journal, P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, NM 87103.</p>
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Spray milk on lilacs in the evenings to kill the fungus
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/200441/spray-milk-on-lilacs-in-the-evenings-to-kill-the-fungus.html
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2013-05-18
| 2least
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Spray milk on lilacs in the evenings to kill the fungus
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>A: I’m guessing from your question that you’ve tried all of the chemical treatments you can find at the retail level to mostly no avail. Well, now is the time to go backward, so to speak. With that, “Got Milk?” No, really! My sister-in-law has been spraying milk — yes, whole milk — as a fungicide and getting fair results using it. She applies a dilution of one to 10, milk to water, sprayed over the plants infected by powdery mildew. It smells a bit funky and you need to apply weekly, but it is working. Use a “dial-n-spray” hose-end sprayer filled with whole milk, with the dial set to 1 ounce, and spray. Best do the spraying in the early evening as our temperatures will be getting very hot very quickly. Any spraying applied during the daylight hours, at a time when the sun could affect the plants, is not the ticket. Having witnessed the remarkable results of applying milk has been amazing, so see if that doesn’t help your unhappy lilac. Be sure, too, that your lilac isn’t sprayed overhead by a sprinkler when you are watering. That sprinkling could be creating the healthy atmosphere for the fungi. Also, if the lilac is in a cramped, not airy spot consider transplanting it this coming autumn to a better locale.</p>
<p>So, see if spraying milk doesn’t help your lilac.</p>
<p>Q: I have inherited a lot of rose bushes on the property I just purchased. They have all finished blooming really well, and now I need to know what to do for them? I’ve never owned roses, much less a yard, before and am a little lost. Help! — N.H., Rio Rancho</p>
<p>A: With the finishing of this first bloom flush you have a bit of work ahead of you, but it’ll be a great learning experience for both you and your roses.</p>
<p>First, invest in a good pair of hand pruners. These will be one of the best investments you’ll make as a new property owner. Now when it’s cool, so you are comfortable, get ready to prune. Don’t go out dressed like you are headed to the beach. Dress comfy, wear a long-sleeved shirt (better white or light denim in color that way any buzzing creatures will be less interested in you), close-toed footwear and wear a good pair of leather gloves. Avoid perfumes, too! Better you don’t smell like a flower.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>OK, look at each finished bloom and follow the stem to a spot where you find the leaves growing. The first spot that has a leaf sporting five leaves at a time is what you are looking for. Cut the spent bloom, stem and all just above that five-leaf node. Don’t be shy either. You can cut off more of the plant, as long as you are snipping at a five-leaf node, with no worries. Go over the whole plant removing all of the spent flowers that way. Eventually, you’ll have a flowerless plant wearing only leaf.</p>
<p>While you are working, look internally for any branches that might be crossing or rubbing. For the continued health of the plant one of those branches has to go. This is where your eyes come into play. You get to decide which way the plant is going to be encouraged to grow by the removal of specific branches. I’m not suggesting you go nuts this time of year with the pruning, but you can get away with some minor tweaking to get the roses in shape. Remember, the best time to do major pruning on your roses is in late March.</p>
<p>After you’ve tidied up the roses, apply fertilization, arrange the watering schedule (once a week to every 10 days) to give a deep soaking and your bushes will be on track to creating the next bloom series they’ll offer. Have fun getting to know your new friends, and Happy Digging In!</p>
<p>Need tips on growing your garden? Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send your garden-related questions to Digging In, Rio Rancho/West Side Journal, P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, NM 87103.</p>
| 7,980 |
<p>Entitled Illegal Aliens Organize Trump Protest, He Sends Perfect "Surprise" While illegal aliens and Democrat activists Enrique "Kike" Balcazar (center) and Zully Palacios were advocating against President Donald Trump's anti-illegal immigration policies, they quickly realized they weren't as entitled to citizen rights as they thought. (Photo source: VT Digger, Time) After Democrat illegal aliens succeeded in pressuring the state government to give them driver's licenses, a pair of criminal migrant activists turned their attention to President Donald Trump. However, shortly after protesting Trump's policies, the entitled illegals quickly regretted making their unconstitutional demands in the first place.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Under Barack Obama, illegals were empowered to flout our nation's laws. In fact, they were so fearless of receiving justice for their criminal behavior that they could be found boasting of their illegal status at protests, in the voting booths, and even at the Democratic National Convention. Now that Trump's in office, they're quickly learning that the time they've spent spitting on our federal legislation is coming to an abrupt end. Toenail Fungus Gone in 3 Days (Just Do This Tonight Before Bed)</p>
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Entitled Illegal Aliens Organize Protest, Trump Sends Perfect 'Surprise'
| true |
http://24dailynew.com/entitled-illegal-aliens-organize-protest-trump-sends-perfect-surprise/
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2017-03-20
| 0right
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Entitled Illegal Aliens Organize Protest, Trump Sends Perfect 'Surprise'
<p>Entitled Illegal Aliens Organize Trump Protest, He Sends Perfect "Surprise" While illegal aliens and Democrat activists Enrique "Kike" Balcazar (center) and Zully Palacios were advocating against President Donald Trump's anti-illegal immigration policies, they quickly realized they weren't as entitled to citizen rights as they thought. (Photo source: VT Digger, Time) After Democrat illegal aliens succeeded in pressuring the state government to give them driver's licenses, a pair of criminal migrant activists turned their attention to President Donald Trump. However, shortly after protesting Trump's policies, the entitled illegals quickly regretted making their unconstitutional demands in the first place.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Under Barack Obama, illegals were empowered to flout our nation's laws. In fact, they were so fearless of receiving justice for their criminal behavior that they could be found boasting of their illegal status at protests, in the voting booths, and even at the Democratic National Convention. Now that Trump's in office, they're quickly learning that the time they've spent spitting on our federal legislation is coming to an abrupt end. Toenail Fungus Gone in 3 Days (Just Do This Tonight Before Bed)</p>
| 7,981 |
<p>A new video from the Pacific Research Institute details why American students are falling behind.</p>
<p>The video explains that there is technological equipment in classrooms to better educate and prepare students for the 21st century. But there's one problem: teachers are not being properly trained to use that equipment.</p>
<p>"The result of this lack of training is usually disaster," the video says. "In Los Angeles, the expensive experiment to give students iPads for their schoolwork crashed and burned. While there were several reasons for this disaster, the U.S. Department of Education highlighted the fact teachers were badly trained on how to use the iPad and the associated curriculum."</p>
<p>The video continues, "According to a Los Angeles school district contractor, teachers were not trained in the system to manage the devices. Nobody at the school was trained."</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Singapore is a "world leader in classroom achievement" because they properly train their teachers to use the technological equipment necessary to succeed in the 21st century.</p>
<p>In order for America's education system to improve, teachers need to be better trained in the use of technology, and that typically happens in charter schools, highlighting the need for school choice.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.pacificresearch.org/about/" type="external">Pacific Research Institute</a> describes itself as an organization dedicated to promoting "freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility for all individuals by advancing free-market policy solutions." Their goals include:</p>
<p>The institute also has <a href="https://www.pacificresearch.org/home/" type="external">upcoming events</a> featuring John Tamny, Andrew McCarthy and Charles Krauthammer.</p>
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PRI: Why Are American Students Falling Behind?
| true |
https://dailywire.com/news/7295/pri-why-are-american-students-falling-behind-aaron-bandler
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2016-07-08
| 0right
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PRI: Why Are American Students Falling Behind?
<p>A new video from the Pacific Research Institute details why American students are falling behind.</p>
<p>The video explains that there is technological equipment in classrooms to better educate and prepare students for the 21st century. But there's one problem: teachers are not being properly trained to use that equipment.</p>
<p>"The result of this lack of training is usually disaster," the video says. "In Los Angeles, the expensive experiment to give students iPads for their schoolwork crashed and burned. While there were several reasons for this disaster, the U.S. Department of Education highlighted the fact teachers were badly trained on how to use the iPad and the associated curriculum."</p>
<p>The video continues, "According to a Los Angeles school district contractor, teachers were not trained in the system to manage the devices. Nobody at the school was trained."</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Singapore is a "world leader in classroom achievement" because they properly train their teachers to use the technological equipment necessary to succeed in the 21st century.</p>
<p>In order for America's education system to improve, teachers need to be better trained in the use of technology, and that typically happens in charter schools, highlighting the need for school choice.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.pacificresearch.org/about/" type="external">Pacific Research Institute</a> describes itself as an organization dedicated to promoting "freedom, opportunity, and personal responsibility for all individuals by advancing free-market policy solutions." Their goals include:</p>
<p>The institute also has <a href="https://www.pacificresearch.org/home/" type="external">upcoming events</a> featuring John Tamny, Andrew McCarthy and Charles Krauthammer.</p>
| 7,982 |
<p />
<p>Investors pumped up their risk in the latest week, delivering U.S.-based stock funds their fifth straight week of net cash, Investment Company Institute data showed on Wednesday. The euphoria comes as the Bull Market turns eight years old on Thursday with the S&amp;P 500 rising from a low of 676.53 hit on March 9, 2009 to 2362.98 at the close.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Stock mutual funds and exchange-traded funds in the United States attracted $9.1 billion, while bond funds gathered $9.7 billion, the trade group's data showed. The data covers the week ended March 1, which was capped by a buying spree that pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average past the 21,000 mark for the first time as investors took a brighter view of economic growth prospects after U.S. President Donald Trump's first speech to Congress.</p>
<p>"We continue to see investors position for a bull market that both ages and rages at the same time, all in an environment where monetary policy is attempting to hand the baton off to fiscal stimulus," said Matt Bartolini, head of SPDR Americas Research at State Street Global Advisors. U.S. Federal Reserve officials have increasingly suggested they may consider raising interest rates as early as the monetary policy meeting scheduled for next week, while Trump has touted policies including tax cuts and infrastructure spending. "If there is any slippage in this delicate relay race of monetary policy handing the baton off to fiscal stimulus, the next leg of the rally may be a bit of an uphill climb," said Bartolini.</p>
<p>For now, investors are shouldering more risk. U.S.-based equity funds that invest domestically attracted $5.8 billion, while those invested abroad took in $3.4 billion in their 13th consecutive week of inflows. Investors also added cash to U.S.-based taxable-bond funds, a category including Treasuries and corporate debt, for the 13th straight week. Those funds took in $9.5 billion in the latest week.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Nick Zieminski)</p>
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Investors Storm Into U.S. Funds as Bull Market 'Ages and Rages'
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/03/08/investors-storm-into-u-s-funds-as-bull-market-ages-and-rages.html
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2017-03-08
| 0right
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Investors Storm Into U.S. Funds as Bull Market 'Ages and Rages'
<p />
<p>Investors pumped up their risk in the latest week, delivering U.S.-based stock funds their fifth straight week of net cash, Investment Company Institute data showed on Wednesday. The euphoria comes as the Bull Market turns eight years old on Thursday with the S&amp;P 500 rising from a low of 676.53 hit on March 9, 2009 to 2362.98 at the close.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Stock mutual funds and exchange-traded funds in the United States attracted $9.1 billion, while bond funds gathered $9.7 billion, the trade group's data showed. The data covers the week ended March 1, which was capped by a buying spree that pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average past the 21,000 mark for the first time as investors took a brighter view of economic growth prospects after U.S. President Donald Trump's first speech to Congress.</p>
<p>"We continue to see investors position for a bull market that both ages and rages at the same time, all in an environment where monetary policy is attempting to hand the baton off to fiscal stimulus," said Matt Bartolini, head of SPDR Americas Research at State Street Global Advisors. U.S. Federal Reserve officials have increasingly suggested they may consider raising interest rates as early as the monetary policy meeting scheduled for next week, while Trump has touted policies including tax cuts and infrastructure spending. "If there is any slippage in this delicate relay race of monetary policy handing the baton off to fiscal stimulus, the next leg of the rally may be a bit of an uphill climb," said Bartolini.</p>
<p>For now, investors are shouldering more risk. U.S.-based equity funds that invest domestically attracted $5.8 billion, while those invested abroad took in $3.4 billion in their 13th consecutive week of inflows. Investors also added cash to U.S.-based taxable-bond funds, a category including Treasuries and corporate debt, for the 13th straight week. Those funds took in $9.5 billion in the latest week.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Nick Zieminski)</p>
| 7,983 |
<p>The BBC <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38183906" type="external">reports</a>:</p>
<p>Yahya Jammeh, The Gambia’s authoritarian president of 22 years, has suffered a surprise defeat in the country’s presidential elections. He will be replaced by property developer Adama Barrow, who won more than 45% of the vote. After his win, Mr Barrow hailed a “new Gambia”. Mr Jammeh, who came to power in a coup in 1994, has not yet spoken publicly.</p>
<p>The West African state has not had a smooth transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1965. Electoral commission chief Alieu Momar Njie appealed for calm as the country entered uncharted waters.</p>
<p>“I am very, very, very happy. I’m excited that we won this election and from now hope starts,” Mr Barrow told the BBC’s Umaru Fofana, adding that he was disappointed not to have won by a larger margin.</p>
<p>Mr Barrow told the BBC that President Jammeh had accepted his defeat and congratulated him. President Jammeh also instructed his successor to arrange a time to meet and organise the transition process. Mr Jammeh, a devout Muslim, had once said he would rule for “one billion years” if “Allah willed it”.</p>
<p>Human rights groups have accused Mr Jammeh, who has in the past claimed he can cure AIDS and infertility, of repression and abuses of the media, the opposition and gay people. In 2014, he called homosexuals “vermin” and said the government would deal with them as it would malaria-carrying mosquitoes.</p>
<p>In November 2014, Jammeh made homosexuality punishable by <a href="" type="internal">life in prison</a>. The following month the US <a href="" type="internal">dropped Gambia</a> from an African free trade agreement in part over Jammeh’s anti-LGBT crackdown. Several months later Jammeh issued a <a href="" type="internal">public promise</a> to “slit the throats” of all homosexuals, prompting a <a href="" type="internal">denouncement</a> from UN national security advisor Susan Rice. It’s unknown if life for Gambia’s LGBT community will improve under the new president.</p>
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GAMBIA: Dictator Who Vowed To “Slit The Throats” Of All Homosexuals Is Defeated In Democratic Election
| true |
http://joemygod.com/2016/12/03/gambia-dictator-who-vowed-to-slit-the-throats-of-all-homosexuals-defeated-in-democratic-election/
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2016-12-03
| 4left
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GAMBIA: Dictator Who Vowed To “Slit The Throats” Of All Homosexuals Is Defeated In Democratic Election
<p>The BBC <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-38183906" type="external">reports</a>:</p>
<p>Yahya Jammeh, The Gambia’s authoritarian president of 22 years, has suffered a surprise defeat in the country’s presidential elections. He will be replaced by property developer Adama Barrow, who won more than 45% of the vote. After his win, Mr Barrow hailed a “new Gambia”. Mr Jammeh, who came to power in a coup in 1994, has not yet spoken publicly.</p>
<p>The West African state has not had a smooth transfer of power since independence from Britain in 1965. Electoral commission chief Alieu Momar Njie appealed for calm as the country entered uncharted waters.</p>
<p>“I am very, very, very happy. I’m excited that we won this election and from now hope starts,” Mr Barrow told the BBC’s Umaru Fofana, adding that he was disappointed not to have won by a larger margin.</p>
<p>Mr Barrow told the BBC that President Jammeh had accepted his defeat and congratulated him. President Jammeh also instructed his successor to arrange a time to meet and organise the transition process. Mr Jammeh, a devout Muslim, had once said he would rule for “one billion years” if “Allah willed it”.</p>
<p>Human rights groups have accused Mr Jammeh, who has in the past claimed he can cure AIDS and infertility, of repression and abuses of the media, the opposition and gay people. In 2014, he called homosexuals “vermin” and said the government would deal with them as it would malaria-carrying mosquitoes.</p>
<p>In November 2014, Jammeh made homosexuality punishable by <a href="" type="internal">life in prison</a>. The following month the US <a href="" type="internal">dropped Gambia</a> from an African free trade agreement in part over Jammeh’s anti-LGBT crackdown. Several months later Jammeh issued a <a href="" type="internal">public promise</a> to “slit the throats” of all homosexuals, prompting a <a href="" type="internal">denouncement</a> from UN national security advisor Susan Rice. It’s unknown if life for Gambia’s LGBT community will improve under the new president.</p>
| 7,984 |
<p>By Bob Allen</p>
<p>Fred Phelps, founder of the virulently anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., may have been excommunicated for having a change of heart toward homosexuals, his grandson revealed in a statement posted on Facebook and an interview with the Huffington Post.</p>
<p>Zach Phelps-Roper, 23, who left the controversial sect in February, said he believes his grandfather rejected the homophobia that propelled his church to infamy prior to his death in March at age 84.</p>
<p>“I think that he got over that,” he <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/23/fred-phelps-equality_n_5378433.html" type="external">told</a> Huffington Post host Marc Lamont Hill in a telephone interview. “I don’t think he hated homosexuals by that point.”</p>
<p>It was reported in March that Phelps was excommunicated from the church prior to his death but church leaders would not say why. Zach Phelps-Roper said on the day he was voted out of fellowship his grandfather was heard voicing support for Equality House, a project of the nonprofit organization Planting Peace located across the street.</p>
<p>Phelps-Roper <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=644133125676725&amp;id=427599210663452" type="external">said</a> his grandfather referred to the house painted in rainbow colors to symbolize sympathy for the LGBT community with words to the effect of, “You are good people.” He said only a couple of church members were within earshot, but they made a big deal about what family members termed “rank blasphemy that he was coming out in support of the homosexuals.”</p>
<p>Fred Phelps, a disbarred lawyer who formed the independent Baptist church comprised mostly of members of his extended family in 1955, was called the most hated man in America for his church’s “outreach ministry” —&#160;anti-gay protests marked by the infamous “God Hates Fags” slogan held in more than 900 cities across the United States.</p>
<p>The protests began with a 1991 demonstration at a Topeka park known to be frequented by gays. The group first gained national attention by appearing at the funeral of <a href="http://www.matthewshepard.org/" type="external">Matthew Shepard</a>, a University of Wyoming student whose 1998 murder prompted hate-crime legislation in many states.</p>
<p>For years the church remained relatively obscure picketing events like religious conventions, including the <a href="http://www.heavy.com/news/2013/06/westboro-baptist-church-pickets-southern-baptist-convention-houston/" type="external">Southern Baptist Convention</a>, and performances of the <a href="http://community.laramieproject.org/" type="external">The Laramie Project</a>, a play based on Shepard’s life.</p>
<p>That changed in 2005 when church members started showing up at funerals of fallen American soldiers proclaiming that casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan are the result of God’s wrath against America for tolerating homosexuality. A number of states responded with laws regulating protests near funerals.</p>
<p>More recently, the church was in the news largely because of defections. Megan Phelps-Roper, a Phelps granddaughter who handled the church’s social media, <a href="http://fox4kc.com/2013/02/07/westboro-founders-granddaughter-leaves-church-takes-sister-with-her/" type="external">left</a> Westboro at age 27 early in 2013, followed by her 19-year-old sister, Grace.</p>
<p>Zach Phelps-Roper <a href="http://cjonline.com/news/2014-05-05/fourth-phelps-roper-sibling-leaves-westboro-baptist-church" type="external">walked</a> away Feb. 20 from the hate-filled preaching and picketing he had participated in since he was 3, saying in the previous three months he had come to believe that empathy and unconditional love —&#160;not harsh judgmentalism —&#160;are keys to solving the world’s problems.</p>
<p>Phelps-Roper said he thinks his grandfather’s attitudes softened when his grandmother nearly passed away from pneumonia. He said the elder Phelps waited for news of her every day while she was in intensive care.</p>
<p>“I think this triggered a chain reaction whereby he developed great empathy for others,” Phelps-Roper said.</p>
<p>Phelps-Roper said he wasn’t present, but he was told his grandfather “seemed to have a change of heart” toward two grandchildren who had left the church more than a year earlier but came to visit him in hospice.</p>
<p>Phelps-Roper said he “absolutely” believes his grandfather had a change of heart and that “people do change, if they are inspired enough.”</p>
<p>Nate Phelps, a son estranged for years from his family <a href="http://natephelps.com/story" type="external">since</a> leaving Westboro Baptist Church the night he turned 18, commented on Facebook “it’s the first I’m hearing” of his father’s supposed epiphany.</p>
<p>“I have heard some remarkable testimony from my niece about his kindness to her near the end,” said Nate, an LGBT and anti-child abuse advocate now living in Canada. “I also heard that he was still singing hymns and praying to his god at the end.”</p>
<p>“It’s hard to know what to believe,” Phelps said.</p>
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Grandson says Fred Phelps changed mind about gays
| false |
https://baptistnews.com/article/grandson-says-fred-phelps-changed-mind-about-gays/
| 3left-center
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Grandson says Fred Phelps changed mind about gays
<p>By Bob Allen</p>
<p>Fred Phelps, founder of the virulently anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., may have been excommunicated for having a change of heart toward homosexuals, his grandson revealed in a statement posted on Facebook and an interview with the Huffington Post.</p>
<p>Zach Phelps-Roper, 23, who left the controversial sect in February, said he believes his grandfather rejected the homophobia that propelled his church to infamy prior to his death in March at age 84.</p>
<p>“I think that he got over that,” he <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/23/fred-phelps-equality_n_5378433.html" type="external">told</a> Huffington Post host Marc Lamont Hill in a telephone interview. “I don’t think he hated homosexuals by that point.”</p>
<p>It was reported in March that Phelps was excommunicated from the church prior to his death but church leaders would not say why. Zach Phelps-Roper said on the day he was voted out of fellowship his grandfather was heard voicing support for Equality House, a project of the nonprofit organization Planting Peace located across the street.</p>
<p>Phelps-Roper <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=644133125676725&amp;id=427599210663452" type="external">said</a> his grandfather referred to the house painted in rainbow colors to symbolize sympathy for the LGBT community with words to the effect of, “You are good people.” He said only a couple of church members were within earshot, but they made a big deal about what family members termed “rank blasphemy that he was coming out in support of the homosexuals.”</p>
<p>Fred Phelps, a disbarred lawyer who formed the independent Baptist church comprised mostly of members of his extended family in 1955, was called the most hated man in America for his church’s “outreach ministry” —&#160;anti-gay protests marked by the infamous “God Hates Fags” slogan held in more than 900 cities across the United States.</p>
<p>The protests began with a 1991 demonstration at a Topeka park known to be frequented by gays. The group first gained national attention by appearing at the funeral of <a href="http://www.matthewshepard.org/" type="external">Matthew Shepard</a>, a University of Wyoming student whose 1998 murder prompted hate-crime legislation in many states.</p>
<p>For years the church remained relatively obscure picketing events like religious conventions, including the <a href="http://www.heavy.com/news/2013/06/westboro-baptist-church-pickets-southern-baptist-convention-houston/" type="external">Southern Baptist Convention</a>, and performances of the <a href="http://community.laramieproject.org/" type="external">The Laramie Project</a>, a play based on Shepard’s life.</p>
<p>That changed in 2005 when church members started showing up at funerals of fallen American soldiers proclaiming that casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan are the result of God’s wrath against America for tolerating homosexuality. A number of states responded with laws regulating protests near funerals.</p>
<p>More recently, the church was in the news largely because of defections. Megan Phelps-Roper, a Phelps granddaughter who handled the church’s social media, <a href="http://fox4kc.com/2013/02/07/westboro-founders-granddaughter-leaves-church-takes-sister-with-her/" type="external">left</a> Westboro at age 27 early in 2013, followed by her 19-year-old sister, Grace.</p>
<p>Zach Phelps-Roper <a href="http://cjonline.com/news/2014-05-05/fourth-phelps-roper-sibling-leaves-westboro-baptist-church" type="external">walked</a> away Feb. 20 from the hate-filled preaching and picketing he had participated in since he was 3, saying in the previous three months he had come to believe that empathy and unconditional love —&#160;not harsh judgmentalism —&#160;are keys to solving the world’s problems.</p>
<p>Phelps-Roper said he thinks his grandfather’s attitudes softened when his grandmother nearly passed away from pneumonia. He said the elder Phelps waited for news of her every day while she was in intensive care.</p>
<p>“I think this triggered a chain reaction whereby he developed great empathy for others,” Phelps-Roper said.</p>
<p>Phelps-Roper said he wasn’t present, but he was told his grandfather “seemed to have a change of heart” toward two grandchildren who had left the church more than a year earlier but came to visit him in hospice.</p>
<p>Phelps-Roper said he “absolutely” believes his grandfather had a change of heart and that “people do change, if they are inspired enough.”</p>
<p>Nate Phelps, a son estranged for years from his family <a href="http://natephelps.com/story" type="external">since</a> leaving Westboro Baptist Church the night he turned 18, commented on Facebook “it’s the first I’m hearing” of his father’s supposed epiphany.</p>
<p>“I have heard some remarkable testimony from my niece about his kindness to her near the end,” said Nate, an LGBT and anti-child abuse advocate now living in Canada. “I also heard that he was still singing hymns and praying to his god at the end.”</p>
<p>“It’s hard to know what to believe,” Phelps said.</p>
| 7,985 |
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<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who was seriously wounded during a shooting rampage in Virginia last June, is resting comfortably after follow-up surgery Wednesday.</p>
<p>In a statement, MedStar Washington Hospital Center says the surgery went well and Scalise is listed in fair condition.</p>
<p>The hospital says he is likely to remain there for several days and will then continue his recovery at home.</p>
<p>The Louisiana Republican was struck by a bullet in the hip, shattering bone and damaging internal organs. He returned to the Capitol in late September.</p>
<p>He issued a statement Wednesday saying the surgery had been planned for about a month and is a "continued part of my recovery."</p>
<p>Scalise said before the surgery that he would return to the Capitol "within the coming weeks."</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who was seriously wounded during a shooting rampage in Virginia last June, is resting comfortably after follow-up surgery Wednesday.</p>
<p>In a statement, MedStar Washington Hospital Center says the surgery went well and Scalise is listed in fair condition.</p>
<p>The hospital says he is likely to remain there for several days and will then continue his recovery at home.</p>
<p>The Louisiana Republican was struck by a bullet in the hip, shattering bone and damaging internal organs. He returned to the Capitol in late September.</p>
<p>He issued a statement Wednesday saying the surgery had been planned for about a month and is a "continued part of my recovery."</p>
<p>Scalise said before the surgery that he would return to the Capitol "within the coming weeks."</p>
|
Hospital says Scalise follow-up surgery 'went well'
| false |
https://apnews.com/amp/dfc23221355c4eba97d04632374eb399
|
2018-01-11
| 2least
|
Hospital says Scalise follow-up surgery 'went well'
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who was seriously wounded during a shooting rampage in Virginia last June, is resting comfortably after follow-up surgery Wednesday.</p>
<p>In a statement, MedStar Washington Hospital Center says the surgery went well and Scalise is listed in fair condition.</p>
<p>The hospital says he is likely to remain there for several days and will then continue his recovery at home.</p>
<p>The Louisiana Republican was struck by a bullet in the hip, shattering bone and damaging internal organs. He returned to the Capitol in late September.</p>
<p>He issued a statement Wednesday saying the surgery had been planned for about a month and is a "continued part of my recovery."</p>
<p>Scalise said before the surgery that he would return to the Capitol "within the coming weeks."</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who was seriously wounded during a shooting rampage in Virginia last June, is resting comfortably after follow-up surgery Wednesday.</p>
<p>In a statement, MedStar Washington Hospital Center says the surgery went well and Scalise is listed in fair condition.</p>
<p>The hospital says he is likely to remain there for several days and will then continue his recovery at home.</p>
<p>The Louisiana Republican was struck by a bullet in the hip, shattering bone and damaging internal organs. He returned to the Capitol in late September.</p>
<p>He issued a statement Wednesday saying the surgery had been planned for about a month and is a "continued part of my recovery."</p>
<p>Scalise said before the surgery that he would return to the Capitol "within the coming weeks."</p>
| 7,986 |
<p>The ultra-wealthy, especially those with dynastic businesses — like President Donald Trump and his family — do very well under a major Republican tax bill moving in the Senate, as they do under legislation passed this week by the House.</p>
<p>Want to toast the anticipated tax win with champagne or a beer — or maybe you're feeling Shakespearean and prefer to quaff mead from a pewter mug? That would cheer producers of beer, wine, liquor — and mead, the ancient beverage fermented from honey. Tax rates on their sales would be reduced under the Senate bill.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>On the other hand, people living in high-tax states, who deduct their local property, income and sales taxes from what they owe Uncle Sam, could lose out from the complete or partial repeal of the deductions. And an estimated 13 million Americans could lose health insurance coverage over 10 years under the Senate bill.</p>
<p>Some winners and losers:</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>WINNERS</p>
<p>— Wealthy individuals and their heirs win big. The hottest class-warfare debate around the tax overhaul legislation involves the inheritance tax on multimillion-dollar estates. Democrats wave the legislation's targeting of the tax as a red flag in the face of Republicans, as proof that they're out to benefit wealthy donors. The House bill initially doubles the limits — to $11 million for individuals and $22 million for couples — on how much money in the estate can be exempted from the inheritance tax, then repeals it entirely after 2023. The Senate version also doubles the limits but doesn't repeal the tax.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Then there's the alternative minimum tax, a levy aimed at ensuring that higher-earning people pay at least some tax. It disappears in both bills.</p>
<p>And the House measure cuts tax rates for many of the millions of "pass-through" businesses big and small — including partnerships and specially organized corporations — whose profits are taxed at the owners' personal income rate. That's potential cha-ching for Trump's far-flung property empire and the holdings of his daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner. The Senate bill lets pass-through owners deduct some of the earnings and then pay at their personal income rate on the remainder.</p>
<p>— Corporations win all around, with a tax rate slashed from 35 percent to 20 percent in both bills — though they'd have to wait a year for it under the Senate measure. Trump and the administration view it as an untouchable centerpiece of the legislation.</p>
<p>— U.S. oil companies with foreign operations would pay reduced taxes under the Senate bill on their income from sales of oil and natural gas abroad.</p>
<p>— Beer, wine and liquor producers would reap tax reductions under the Senate measure.</p>
<p>— Companies that provide management services like maintenance for aircraft get an updated win. The Senate bill clarifies that under current law, the management companies would be exempt from paying taxes on payments they receive from owners of private jets as well as from commercial airlines. That was a request from Ohio Sens. Rob Portman, a Republican, and Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, whose state is home to NetJets, a big aircraft management company.</p>
<p>Portman voted for the overall bill. Brown opposed it.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>LOSERS</p>
<p>— An estimated 13 million Americans could lose health insurance coverage under the Senate bill, which would repeal the "Obamacare" requirement that everyone in the U.S. have health insurance. The projection comes from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Eliminating the fines is expected to mean fewer people would obtain federally subsidized health policies.</p>
<p>— People living in high-tax states would be hit by repeal of federal deductions for state and local taxes under the Senate bill, and partial repeal under the House measure. That result of a compromise allows the deduction for up to $10,000 in property taxes.</p>
<p>— Many families making less than $30,000 a year would face tax increases starting in 2021 under the Senate bill, according to Congress' nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation. By 2027, families earning less than $75,000 would see their tax bills rise while those making more would enjoy reductions, the analysts find. The individual income-tax reductions in the Senate bill would end in 2026.</p>
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Ultra-wealthy win in Senate tax bill, other face hikes
| true |
http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/11/17/ultra-wealthy-win-in-senate-tax-bill-other-face-hikes.html
|
2017-11-17
| 0right
|
Ultra-wealthy win in Senate tax bill, other face hikes
<p>The ultra-wealthy, especially those with dynastic businesses — like President Donald Trump and his family — do very well under a major Republican tax bill moving in the Senate, as they do under legislation passed this week by the House.</p>
<p>Want to toast the anticipated tax win with champagne or a beer — or maybe you're feeling Shakespearean and prefer to quaff mead from a pewter mug? That would cheer producers of beer, wine, liquor — and mead, the ancient beverage fermented from honey. Tax rates on their sales would be reduced under the Senate bill.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>On the other hand, people living in high-tax states, who deduct their local property, income and sales taxes from what they owe Uncle Sam, could lose out from the complete or partial repeal of the deductions. And an estimated 13 million Americans could lose health insurance coverage over 10 years under the Senate bill.</p>
<p>Some winners and losers:</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>WINNERS</p>
<p>— Wealthy individuals and their heirs win big. The hottest class-warfare debate around the tax overhaul legislation involves the inheritance tax on multimillion-dollar estates. Democrats wave the legislation's targeting of the tax as a red flag in the face of Republicans, as proof that they're out to benefit wealthy donors. The House bill initially doubles the limits — to $11 million for individuals and $22 million for couples — on how much money in the estate can be exempted from the inheritance tax, then repeals it entirely after 2023. The Senate version also doubles the limits but doesn't repeal the tax.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Then there's the alternative minimum tax, a levy aimed at ensuring that higher-earning people pay at least some tax. It disappears in both bills.</p>
<p>And the House measure cuts tax rates for many of the millions of "pass-through" businesses big and small — including partnerships and specially organized corporations — whose profits are taxed at the owners' personal income rate. That's potential cha-ching for Trump's far-flung property empire and the holdings of his daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner. The Senate bill lets pass-through owners deduct some of the earnings and then pay at their personal income rate on the remainder.</p>
<p>— Corporations win all around, with a tax rate slashed from 35 percent to 20 percent in both bills — though they'd have to wait a year for it under the Senate measure. Trump and the administration view it as an untouchable centerpiece of the legislation.</p>
<p>— U.S. oil companies with foreign operations would pay reduced taxes under the Senate bill on their income from sales of oil and natural gas abroad.</p>
<p>— Beer, wine and liquor producers would reap tax reductions under the Senate measure.</p>
<p>— Companies that provide management services like maintenance for aircraft get an updated win. The Senate bill clarifies that under current law, the management companies would be exempt from paying taxes on payments they receive from owners of private jets as well as from commercial airlines. That was a request from Ohio Sens. Rob Portman, a Republican, and Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, whose state is home to NetJets, a big aircraft management company.</p>
<p>Portman voted for the overall bill. Brown opposed it.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>LOSERS</p>
<p>— An estimated 13 million Americans could lose health insurance coverage under the Senate bill, which would repeal the "Obamacare" requirement that everyone in the U.S. have health insurance. The projection comes from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. Eliminating the fines is expected to mean fewer people would obtain federally subsidized health policies.</p>
<p>— People living in high-tax states would be hit by repeal of federal deductions for state and local taxes under the Senate bill, and partial repeal under the House measure. That result of a compromise allows the deduction for up to $10,000 in property taxes.</p>
<p>— Many families making less than $30,000 a year would face tax increases starting in 2021 under the Senate bill, according to Congress' nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation. By 2027, families earning less than $75,000 would see their tax bills rise while those making more would enjoy reductions, the analysts find. The individual income-tax reductions in the Senate bill would end in 2026.</p>
| 7,987 |
<p>Republicans are right: The White House is greatly exaggerating when it says that “women, in particular,” benefit from a prevention fund that the House GOP proposes to repeal. The truth is that the fund in question wasn’t set up specifically for women’s health programs, and we could find no concrete evidence that it has paid anything to gender-specific health programs so far.</p>
<p>For example, the fund has paid for programs to discourage tobacco use, encourage physical fitness, and prevent heart disease and cancer — for both sexes. And House Speaker John Boehner is correct when he says the White House itself has proposed cutting this very same fund. The president’s fiscal 2013 budget proposes to slash $4 billion from the fund over 10 years. Furthermore, in February, Democrats agreed to a <a href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/daily-reports/2012/february/16/sgr.aspx" type="external">$5 billion cut</a> in the fund to <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c112:5:./temp/~c112NprzJ1:e4771:" type="external">help pay for</a> extending a payroll tax cut and delaying a reduction in Medicare payment to physicians. That bill passed with bipartisan support.</p>
<p>It’s true that the fund could specifically pay for women’s health programs — in the future. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/fmo/topic/Budget%20Information/appropriations_budget_form_pdf/FY2013_CDC_CJ_Final.pdf" type="external">2013 budget request</a> proposes using money from the fund for its <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/about.htm" type="external">National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program</a>, which started providing such screenings to low-income women more than 20 years ago. The fund is also slated to be tapped in 2012 for a community-based program to encourage breastfeeding, <a href="http://www.hhs.gov/open/recordsandreports/prevention/index.html" type="external">according to the Department of Health and Human Services</a>, which administers the fund.</p>
<p>The flap is yet another front in a political battle over which party is waging a “war on women.” Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his campaign have charged President Obama with doing just that — but they’ve used misleading statistics to do so, as we’ve <a href="" type="internal">pointed</a> <a href="" type="internal">out</a>. This time, it’s the White House accusing House Republicans of sacrificing women’s health in order to pay for a continued reduction in student loan rates.</p>
<p>Students Over Women’s Health?</p>
<p>On April 27, the House <a href="http://www.opencongress.org/vote/2012/h/195" type="external">narrowly approved</a> the Interest Rate Reduction Act, which would extend the 3.4 percent interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans for one year. The rate is set to jump up to 6.8 percent in July. To pay for the rate cut — <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/hr4628.pdf" type="external">a cost of about $6 billion</a> — the bill would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund, a fund set up by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the federal health care law). The law said that HHS was to use money in the fund “for prevention, wellness, and public health activities including prevention research, health screenings, and initiatives, such as the Community Transformation grant program, the Education and Outreach Campaign Regarding Preventive Benefits, and immunization programs.”</p>
<p>Eliminating the fund would save $12 billion over 10 years, twice the cost of the student loan rate extension, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Only 13 Democrats voted for the House bill.</p>
<p>The White House has <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/27/obama-student-loans-white-house-veto_n_1459016.html" type="external">threatened a veto</a> if the bill makes it to the president’s desk, saying in a statement that women would be hurt by the measure:</p>
<p>White House statement: Women, in particular, will benefit from this Prevention Fund, which would provide for hundreds of thousands of screenings for breast and cervical cancer. This is a politically-motivated proposal and not the serious response that the problem facing America’s college students deserves. If the President is presented with H.R. 4628, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.</p>
<p>A White House blog post by Deputy Press Secretary Amy Brundage on April 27 said that eliminating the fund “would have a devastating effect on women’s health and our work to prevent disease and illness.” It went on to claim that “[h]undreds of thousands of women could lose access” to breast and cervical cancer screenings.</p>
<p>A year ago, however, when another Republican bill proposed eliminating the fund, the White House <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/legislative/sap/112/saphr1217h_20110413.pdf" type="external">stated its opposition</a> to the measure but didn’t mention women’s health as a focus of the fund.</p>
<p>House Speaker Boehner was asked about the women’s health dustup by CNN “ <a href="http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1204/29/sotu.01.html" type="external">State of the Union</a>” host Candy Crowley. He countered: “I’ll guarantee you that they’ve not spent a dime out of this fund dealing with anything to do with women’s health.”</p>
<p>Boehner said, “There’s no women’s health issue here.” And he noted, correctly, that “[t]he president’s own budget called for reductions in spending in this fund, in this prevention fund.”</p>
<p>The president’s fiscal 2013 budget proposes cutting $4 billion from the fund over 10 years. But Boehner’s bill would eliminate the fund altogether.</p>
<p>We are unable to determine definitively whether Boehner is correct when he says that “they’ve not spent a dime out of this fund dealing with anything to do with women’s health.” It’s hard to prove a negative, and the prevention initiatives backed with money from the fund have been so broad in many cases that it’s certainly possible specific women’s health issues have been funded, particularly at the state or community level, so far. But the White House is overselling — by a long shot — the idea that the fund specifically helps women.</p>
<p>HHS <a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/02/prevention02092011a.html" type="external">says</a> on its website that much of the money has gone to state and community projects that “are already using Prevention Fund dollars to help control the obesity epidemic, fight health disparities, detect and quickly respond to health threats, reduce tobacco use, train the nation’s public health workforce, modernize vaccine systems, prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, increase public health programs’ effectiveness and efficiency, and improve access to behavioral health services.” There’s no specific mention of women’s health projects.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/02/prevention02092011b.html" type="external">list of programs funded in 2011</a> included: state and community programs to prevent tobacco use and obesity and to reduce disparities in health; behavioral health screenings; programs promoting awareness of preventive care provided by the federal health care law; public health training and the use of information technology; research on prevention; and other initiatives such as first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program.</p>
<p>Women’s health isn’t specifically mentioned in that list, either. For 2012, the program to promote breastfeeding is one in a <a href="http://www.hhs.gov/open/recordsandreports/prevention/index.html" type="external">long list of prevention programs</a>. None of the others specifically mentions women.</p>
<p>When we contacted Health and Human Services about this, an official told us the fund supported the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/about.htm" type="external">National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program</a> and pointed us to the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/fmo/topic/Budget%20Information/appropriations_budget_form_pdf/FY2013_CDC_CJ_Final.pdf" type="external">CDC’s 2013 budget request</a>. The CDC requested $511.7 million from the Prevention and Public Health Fund to pay for various programs, and about half of that amount is slated for “Cancer Prevention and Control.” (See page 138.) The cancer prevention program includes screenings for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers, and cancer registries. While federal appropriations have funded the Cancer Prevention and Control program in the past, for 2013, most of the total funding ($323.7 million) would come from the Prevention and Public Health Fund ($260.9 million). The total 2013 funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund is set at $938 million, as stipulated in the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2013/assets/ccs.pdf" type="external">president’s budget</a> (page 181). That means the money requested by CDC for Cancer Prevention and Control would make up 28 percent of the fund’s 2013 resources.</p>
<p>So, most of the funding for the CDC’s cancer prevention programs, which includes the breast and cervical screening program, would come from the Prevention and Public Health Fund in 2013 for the first time. But as we said previously, the breast and cervical cancer program was set up more than 20 years ago.</p>
<p>The White House blog posting says that without the prevention fund “[h]undreds of thousands of women could lose access to vital cancer screenings. Prevention Fund resources are expected to help more than 300,000 women be screened for breast cancer in 2013 and more than 280,000 be screened for cervical cancer.”</p>
<p>Those are the total expected screenings to be done under the CDC’s program. For calendar year 2010, the breast and cervical cancer program provided screenings for 326,136 women for breast cancer and 283,997 women for cervical cancer, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/about.htm" type="external">according to the CDC</a>. That was before it requested Prevention and Public Health Fund money to do so.</p>
<p>Health and Human Services also sent us a a one-page document that says it is supported by various medical groups, including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, and March of Dimes. It says that reducing or eliminating the prevention fund “will have a significant impact on community efforts to prevent chronic disease and promote and protect the health and safety of all Americans, including women and their families.” It says women benefit from several of the programs slated for funding in 2012, beyond the breastfeeding initiative, such as tobacco cessation programs that can help pregnant women or women of childbearing age quit smoking. “States are already using the Prevention and Public Health funds to help control obesity, reduce tobacco use, and improve nutrition – risk factors known to impact pregnancy outcomes,” the document says.</p>
<p>We don’t argue with the fact that tobacco, obesity, nutrition and other prevention programs can help women, pregnant or otherwise. But those programs also help men, and they show that prevention fund dollars go to many initiatives that aren’t women-specific.</p>
<p>We’ll chalk this up as another distortion in the political “war on women.”</p>
<p>— Lori Robertson</p>
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White House Spins Women’s Health
| false |
https://factcheck.org/2012/05/white-house-spins-womens-health/
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2012-05-02
| 2least
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White House Spins Women’s Health
<p>Republicans are right: The White House is greatly exaggerating when it says that “women, in particular,” benefit from a prevention fund that the House GOP proposes to repeal. The truth is that the fund in question wasn’t set up specifically for women’s health programs, and we could find no concrete evidence that it has paid anything to gender-specific health programs so far.</p>
<p>For example, the fund has paid for programs to discourage tobacco use, encourage physical fitness, and prevent heart disease and cancer — for both sexes. And House Speaker John Boehner is correct when he says the White House itself has proposed cutting this very same fund. The president’s fiscal 2013 budget proposes to slash $4 billion from the fund over 10 years. Furthermore, in February, Democrats agreed to a <a href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/daily-reports/2012/february/16/sgr.aspx" type="external">$5 billion cut</a> in the fund to <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c112:5:./temp/~c112NprzJ1:e4771:" type="external">help pay for</a> extending a payroll tax cut and delaying a reduction in Medicare payment to physicians. That bill passed with bipartisan support.</p>
<p>It’s true that the fund could specifically pay for women’s health programs — in the future. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/fmo/topic/Budget%20Information/appropriations_budget_form_pdf/FY2013_CDC_CJ_Final.pdf" type="external">2013 budget request</a> proposes using money from the fund for its <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/about.htm" type="external">National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program</a>, which started providing such screenings to low-income women more than 20 years ago. The fund is also slated to be tapped in 2012 for a community-based program to encourage breastfeeding, <a href="http://www.hhs.gov/open/recordsandreports/prevention/index.html" type="external">according to the Department of Health and Human Services</a>, which administers the fund.</p>
<p>The flap is yet another front in a political battle over which party is waging a “war on women.” Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his campaign have charged President Obama with doing just that — but they’ve used misleading statistics to do so, as we’ve <a href="" type="internal">pointed</a> <a href="" type="internal">out</a>. This time, it’s the White House accusing House Republicans of sacrificing women’s health in order to pay for a continued reduction in student loan rates.</p>
<p>Students Over Women’s Health?</p>
<p>On April 27, the House <a href="http://www.opencongress.org/vote/2012/h/195" type="external">narrowly approved</a> the Interest Rate Reduction Act, which would extend the 3.4 percent interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans for one year. The rate is set to jump up to 6.8 percent in July. To pay for the rate cut — <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/hr4628.pdf" type="external">a cost of about $6 billion</a> — the bill would eliminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund, a fund set up by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the federal health care law). The law said that HHS was to use money in the fund “for prevention, wellness, and public health activities including prevention research, health screenings, and initiatives, such as the Community Transformation grant program, the Education and Outreach Campaign Regarding Preventive Benefits, and immunization programs.”</p>
<p>Eliminating the fund would save $12 billion over 10 years, twice the cost of the student loan rate extension, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Only 13 Democrats voted for the House bill.</p>
<p>The White House has <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/27/obama-student-loans-white-house-veto_n_1459016.html" type="external">threatened a veto</a> if the bill makes it to the president’s desk, saying in a statement that women would be hurt by the measure:</p>
<p>White House statement: Women, in particular, will benefit from this Prevention Fund, which would provide for hundreds of thousands of screenings for breast and cervical cancer. This is a politically-motivated proposal and not the serious response that the problem facing America’s college students deserves. If the President is presented with H.R. 4628, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill.</p>
<p>A White House blog post by Deputy Press Secretary Amy Brundage on April 27 said that eliminating the fund “would have a devastating effect on women’s health and our work to prevent disease and illness.” It went on to claim that “[h]undreds of thousands of women could lose access” to breast and cervical cancer screenings.</p>
<p>A year ago, however, when another Republican bill proposed eliminating the fund, the White House <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/legislative/sap/112/saphr1217h_20110413.pdf" type="external">stated its opposition</a> to the measure but didn’t mention women’s health as a focus of the fund.</p>
<p>House Speaker Boehner was asked about the women’s health dustup by CNN “ <a href="http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1204/29/sotu.01.html" type="external">State of the Union</a>” host Candy Crowley. He countered: “I’ll guarantee you that they’ve not spent a dime out of this fund dealing with anything to do with women’s health.”</p>
<p>Boehner said, “There’s no women’s health issue here.” And he noted, correctly, that “[t]he president’s own budget called for reductions in spending in this fund, in this prevention fund.”</p>
<p>The president’s fiscal 2013 budget proposes cutting $4 billion from the fund over 10 years. But Boehner’s bill would eliminate the fund altogether.</p>
<p>We are unable to determine definitively whether Boehner is correct when he says that “they’ve not spent a dime out of this fund dealing with anything to do with women’s health.” It’s hard to prove a negative, and the prevention initiatives backed with money from the fund have been so broad in many cases that it’s certainly possible specific women’s health issues have been funded, particularly at the state or community level, so far. But the White House is overselling — by a long shot — the idea that the fund specifically helps women.</p>
<p>HHS <a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/02/prevention02092011a.html" type="external">says</a> on its website that much of the money has gone to state and community projects that “are already using Prevention Fund dollars to help control the obesity epidemic, fight health disparities, detect and quickly respond to health threats, reduce tobacco use, train the nation’s public health workforce, modernize vaccine systems, prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, increase public health programs’ effectiveness and efficiency, and improve access to behavioral health services.” There’s no specific mention of women’s health projects.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/02/prevention02092011b.html" type="external">list of programs funded in 2011</a> included: state and community programs to prevent tobacco use and obesity and to reduce disparities in health; behavioral health screenings; programs promoting awareness of preventive care provided by the federal health care law; public health training and the use of information technology; research on prevention; and other initiatives such as first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move program.</p>
<p>Women’s health isn’t specifically mentioned in that list, either. For 2012, the program to promote breastfeeding is one in a <a href="http://www.hhs.gov/open/recordsandreports/prevention/index.html" type="external">long list of prevention programs</a>. None of the others specifically mentions women.</p>
<p>When we contacted Health and Human Services about this, an official told us the fund supported the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/about.htm" type="external">National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program</a> and pointed us to the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/fmo/topic/Budget%20Information/appropriations_budget_form_pdf/FY2013_CDC_CJ_Final.pdf" type="external">CDC’s 2013 budget request</a>. The CDC requested $511.7 million from the Prevention and Public Health Fund to pay for various programs, and about half of that amount is slated for “Cancer Prevention and Control.” (See page 138.) The cancer prevention program includes screenings for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers, and cancer registries. While federal appropriations have funded the Cancer Prevention and Control program in the past, for 2013, most of the total funding ($323.7 million) would come from the Prevention and Public Health Fund ($260.9 million). The total 2013 funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund is set at $938 million, as stipulated in the <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/budget/fy2013/assets/ccs.pdf" type="external">president’s budget</a> (page 181). That means the money requested by CDC for Cancer Prevention and Control would make up 28 percent of the fund’s 2013 resources.</p>
<p>So, most of the funding for the CDC’s cancer prevention programs, which includes the breast and cervical screening program, would come from the Prevention and Public Health Fund in 2013 for the first time. But as we said previously, the breast and cervical cancer program was set up more than 20 years ago.</p>
<p>The White House blog posting says that without the prevention fund “[h]undreds of thousands of women could lose access to vital cancer screenings. Prevention Fund resources are expected to help more than 300,000 women be screened for breast cancer in 2013 and more than 280,000 be screened for cervical cancer.”</p>
<p>Those are the total expected screenings to be done under the CDC’s program. For calendar year 2010, the breast and cervical cancer program provided screenings for 326,136 women for breast cancer and 283,997 women for cervical cancer, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/about.htm" type="external">according to the CDC</a>. That was before it requested Prevention and Public Health Fund money to do so.</p>
<p>Health and Human Services also sent us a a one-page document that says it is supported by various medical groups, including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, and March of Dimes. It says that reducing or eliminating the prevention fund “will have a significant impact on community efforts to prevent chronic disease and promote and protect the health and safety of all Americans, including women and their families.” It says women benefit from several of the programs slated for funding in 2012, beyond the breastfeeding initiative, such as tobacco cessation programs that can help pregnant women or women of childbearing age quit smoking. “States are already using the Prevention and Public Health funds to help control obesity, reduce tobacco use, and improve nutrition – risk factors known to impact pregnancy outcomes,” the document says.</p>
<p>We don’t argue with the fact that tobacco, obesity, nutrition and other prevention programs can help women, pregnant or otherwise. But those programs also help men, and they show that prevention fund dollars go to many initiatives that aren’t women-specific.</p>
<p>We’ll chalk this up as another distortion in the political “war on women.”</p>
<p>— Lori Robertson</p>
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<p />
<p>The first assessment of European mammals finds nearly one in six mammal species threatened with <a href="/news/feature/2007/05/gone.html" type="external">extinction</a>. According to the <a href="http://www.iucn.org/en/news/archive/2007/05/22_pr_european_mammals.htm" type="external">World Conservation Union</a>, 27% of all mammals have declining populations. Only 8% are increasing, including the European bison, thanks to successful conservation measures. Europe is now home to the world’s most threatened cat species, the Iberian Lynx, and the world’s most threatened seal, the Mediterranean Monk Seal, both classified as critically endangered. <a href="http://julia.whitty.googlepages.com/home" type="external">–JULIA WHITTY</a></p>
<p />
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One In Six European Mammals Threatened With Extinction
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One In Six European Mammals Threatened With Extinction
<p />
<p>The first assessment of European mammals finds nearly one in six mammal species threatened with <a href="/news/feature/2007/05/gone.html" type="external">extinction</a>. According to the <a href="http://www.iucn.org/en/news/archive/2007/05/22_pr_european_mammals.htm" type="external">World Conservation Union</a>, 27% of all mammals have declining populations. Only 8% are increasing, including the European bison, thanks to successful conservation measures. Europe is now home to the world’s most threatened cat species, the Iberian Lynx, and the world’s most threatened seal, the Mediterranean Monk Seal, both classified as critically endangered. <a href="http://julia.whitty.googlepages.com/home" type="external">–JULIA WHITTY</a></p>
<p />
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<p><a href="" type="internal" />When the actions of the federal government succeed in riling up the normally stoic Fox News host Greta Van Susteren, you can be sure that something sinister is afoot.</p>
<p>And she is so ticked by the current <a href="" type="internal">reign of lawlessness</a> she could just vomit!</p>
<p>As elected officials slipped out of town for a 5-week recess, we learned a deal was struck to exempt Congress from new higher premiums associated with ObamaCare. A move designed to avert the provision in the law which said members of Congress and their aides must be covered by plans “created” by the law or “offered through an exchange.”</p>
<p>The Office of Personnel Management, under heavy pressure from Capitol Hill, determined that the health care premiums of members of Congress and their aides can be subsidized by taxpayers, according to Politico.</p>
<p>As noted by Mediaite, Van Susteran responded in a blog post titled with all capital letters “ <a href="http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/2013/08/02/this-will-make-you-want-to-throw-up/" type="external">THIS WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO THROW UP</a>,” in which she railed against the “appalling” exemption, repeatedly expressing her “disgust” with elected officials.</p>
<p>“It is indecent….just WRONG,” she wrote. “So let me get this straight….they push OBAMACARE on EVERY OTHER AMERICAN except themselves. Really? Unbelievable, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>Van Susteran zeroed in on how the exemption was rushed before the August recess, but Congress failed to address the expiring resolution that prevents government shutdown in 60 days, as reported by Mediaite’s <a href="http://www.twitter.com/andrewkirell" type="external">Andrew Kirell.</a></p>
<p>“So…let me get this straight….what matters to YOU and is their job to handle can wait until their 5 week vacation is over, Van Susteran stated. “What matters to them, gets done NOW, before their 5 week vacation.”</p>
<p>“I really don’t know how Members of Congress can sleep at night when they pull these stunts on the rest of America,” she concluded. “I don’t know who voted how, but I want to know who voted FOR this. At the very minimum, this selfish vote should have been put at the back of the line.”</p>
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Greta: What Congress just did ‘will make you want to throw up’
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Greta: What Congress just did ‘will make you want to throw up’
<p><a href="" type="internal" />When the actions of the federal government succeed in riling up the normally stoic Fox News host Greta Van Susteren, you can be sure that something sinister is afoot.</p>
<p>And she is so ticked by the current <a href="" type="internal">reign of lawlessness</a> she could just vomit!</p>
<p>As elected officials slipped out of town for a 5-week recess, we learned a deal was struck to exempt Congress from new higher premiums associated with ObamaCare. A move designed to avert the provision in the law which said members of Congress and their aides must be covered by plans “created” by the law or “offered through an exchange.”</p>
<p>The Office of Personnel Management, under heavy pressure from Capitol Hill, determined that the health care premiums of members of Congress and their aides can be subsidized by taxpayers, according to Politico.</p>
<p>As noted by Mediaite, Van Susteran responded in a blog post titled with all capital letters “ <a href="http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/2013/08/02/this-will-make-you-want-to-throw-up/" type="external">THIS WILL MAKE YOU WANT TO THROW UP</a>,” in which she railed against the “appalling” exemption, repeatedly expressing her “disgust” with elected officials.</p>
<p>“It is indecent….just WRONG,” she wrote. “So let me get this straight….they push OBAMACARE on EVERY OTHER AMERICAN except themselves. Really? Unbelievable, isn’t it?”</p>
<p>Van Susteran zeroed in on how the exemption was rushed before the August recess, but Congress failed to address the expiring resolution that prevents government shutdown in 60 days, as reported by Mediaite’s <a href="http://www.twitter.com/andrewkirell" type="external">Andrew Kirell.</a></p>
<p>“So…let me get this straight….what matters to YOU and is their job to handle can wait until their 5 week vacation is over, Van Susteran stated. “What matters to them, gets done NOW, before their 5 week vacation.”</p>
<p>“I really don’t know how Members of Congress can sleep at night when they pull these stunts on the rest of America,” she concluded. “I don’t know who voted how, but I want to know who voted FOR this. At the very minimum, this selfish vote should have been put at the back of the line.”</p>
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<p>The U.K. government will issue a white paper outlining its strategy for the Brexit process on Thursday, British Prime Minister Theresa May said Wednesday. The white paper -- a government policy document on an upcoming Act of Parliament -- will arrive after Wednesday evening's first vote in parliament on whether lawmakers will authorize the government in triggering Article 50 to set Brexit in motion. The pound hit an intraday hit of $1.2653 in afternoon trade before moving back to $1.2626. Sterling late Tuesday bought $1.2569.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2017 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
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U.K.'s White Paper On Brexit Strategy Set For Thursday Release
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U.K.'s White Paper On Brexit Strategy Set For Thursday Release
<p>The U.K. government will issue a white paper outlining its strategy for the Brexit process on Thursday, British Prime Minister Theresa May said Wednesday. The white paper -- a government policy document on an upcoming Act of Parliament -- will arrive after Wednesday evening's first vote in parliament on whether lawmakers will authorize the government in triggering Article 50 to set Brexit in motion. The pound hit an intraday hit of $1.2653 in afternoon trade before moving back to $1.2626. Sterling late Tuesday bought $1.2569.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2017 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
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<p>President Donald Trump’s Justice Department will defend against efforts to unseal a draft Whitewater indictment against “Crooked Hillary,” despite repeated promises to “lock her up” on the campaign trail.</p>
<p>“Push to unseal the draft Whitewater indictment against Hillary Clinton gets court date,” <a href="http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-federal-appeals-court-hearing-september-22-fighting-draft-criminal-indictments-hillary-clinton-whitewater-scandal/" type="external">Judicial Watch</a> President Tom Fitton tweeted on Wednesday.</p>
<p />
<p>Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the National Archives and Records Administration in 2015 for the draft indictments of Hillary Clinton from the Whitewater scandal in the 1990s, and later sued for the records when the government refused to release them, <a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article174454791.html" type="external">McClatchy DC</a> reports.</p>
<p>According to Judicial Watch:</p>
<p>The draft indictments relate to allegations that Clinton provided false information and withheld evidence from federal investigators to conceal her involvement with the defunct Madison Guaranty Savings &amp; Loan, the collapse of which lead to multiple criminal convictions.&#160; Clinton provided legal representation to Madison Guaranty as an attorney at the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, Arkansas.&#160; Clinton’s Rose Law Firm billing records, long sought by prosecutors, were found in the private quarters of the White House shortly after an important statute of limitations had expired.</p>
<p>The National Archives argues that the documents should be kept secret, citing grand jury secrecy and Clinton’s personal privacy.</p>
<p>Judicial Watch attorneys <a href="http://www.judicialwatch.org/document-archive/jw-v-nara-hrc-indictments-opening-appeal-brief-5366/" type="external">argue</a> that since an “enormous amount of grand jury and other information from the independent counsel’s investigation of Clinton has already been made public, including a January 5, 2001 Final Report of the Independent Counsel and a 206-page “Summary of Evidence Memorandum” detailing the potential charges against Clinton, there is no secrecy or privacy left to protect.”</p>
<p>On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit will hear oral arguments in Judicial Watch’s FOIA lawsuit, and the Trump administration is expected to fight to keep the documents secret.</p>
<p>“Why on Earth is President Trump’s Justice Department defending Hillary Clinton by keeping information about her well-known corruption secret? Who is running the store at the Justice Department?” Fitton questioned. “Tax dollars are wasted as the Deep State rolls along in its frantic efforts to protect Hillary Clinton. President Trump should demand to know why his agencies are defending Hillary Clinton.”</p>
<p>It’s certainly not the first time Judicial Watch has called on the president to take action against Clinton as he promised on the campaign trail.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-huma-abedin-emails-reveal-transmission-classified-information-clinton-foundation-donors-receiving-special-treatment-clinton-state-department/" type="external">Judicial Watch</a> called the president out last month after it obtained emails sent through Clinton’s private server that contained classified information, as well as documents that outlined her admiration for North Korea and former Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, insider politics involving donors, and other political favors.</p>
<p>Judicial Watch requested the records via FOIA from the State Department in 2015, and released 1,606 pages of documents – including 91 Clinton email exchanges not previously turned over to the State Department – on Aug. 2.</p>
<p>“Pay to play, classified information mishandling, influence peddling, cover ups – these new emails show why the criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton’s conduct must be resumed,” Fitton said last month. “The Trump Justice Department and FBI need to reassure the American people they have finally stopped providing political protection to Hillary Clinton.”</p>
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JUDICIAL WATCH: Trump admin fighting FOR Hillary secrecy
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JUDICIAL WATCH: Trump admin fighting FOR Hillary secrecy
<p>President Donald Trump’s Justice Department will defend against efforts to unseal a draft Whitewater indictment against “Crooked Hillary,” despite repeated promises to “lock her up” on the campaign trail.</p>
<p>“Push to unseal the draft Whitewater indictment against Hillary Clinton gets court date,” <a href="http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-federal-appeals-court-hearing-september-22-fighting-draft-criminal-indictments-hillary-clinton-whitewater-scandal/" type="external">Judicial Watch</a> President Tom Fitton tweeted on Wednesday.</p>
<p />
<p>Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the National Archives and Records Administration in 2015 for the draft indictments of Hillary Clinton from the Whitewater scandal in the 1990s, and later sued for the records when the government refused to release them, <a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article174454791.html" type="external">McClatchy DC</a> reports.</p>
<p>According to Judicial Watch:</p>
<p>The draft indictments relate to allegations that Clinton provided false information and withheld evidence from federal investigators to conceal her involvement with the defunct Madison Guaranty Savings &amp; Loan, the collapse of which lead to multiple criminal convictions.&#160; Clinton provided legal representation to Madison Guaranty as an attorney at the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, Arkansas.&#160; Clinton’s Rose Law Firm billing records, long sought by prosecutors, were found in the private quarters of the White House shortly after an important statute of limitations had expired.</p>
<p>The National Archives argues that the documents should be kept secret, citing grand jury secrecy and Clinton’s personal privacy.</p>
<p>Judicial Watch attorneys <a href="http://www.judicialwatch.org/document-archive/jw-v-nara-hrc-indictments-opening-appeal-brief-5366/" type="external">argue</a> that since an “enormous amount of grand jury and other information from the independent counsel’s investigation of Clinton has already been made public, including a January 5, 2001 Final Report of the Independent Counsel and a 206-page “Summary of Evidence Memorandum” detailing the potential charges against Clinton, there is no secrecy or privacy left to protect.”</p>
<p>On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit will hear oral arguments in Judicial Watch’s FOIA lawsuit, and the Trump administration is expected to fight to keep the documents secret.</p>
<p>“Why on Earth is President Trump’s Justice Department defending Hillary Clinton by keeping information about her well-known corruption secret? Who is running the store at the Justice Department?” Fitton questioned. “Tax dollars are wasted as the Deep State rolls along in its frantic efforts to protect Hillary Clinton. President Trump should demand to know why his agencies are defending Hillary Clinton.”</p>
<p>It’s certainly not the first time Judicial Watch has called on the president to take action against Clinton as he promised on the campaign trail.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-huma-abedin-emails-reveal-transmission-classified-information-clinton-foundation-donors-receiving-special-treatment-clinton-state-department/" type="external">Judicial Watch</a> called the president out last month after it obtained emails sent through Clinton’s private server that contained classified information, as well as documents that outlined her admiration for North Korea and former Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, insider politics involving donors, and other political favors.</p>
<p>Judicial Watch requested the records via FOIA from the State Department in 2015, and released 1,606 pages of documents – including 91 Clinton email exchanges not previously turned over to the State Department – on Aug. 2.</p>
<p>“Pay to play, classified information mishandling, influence peddling, cover ups – these new emails show why the criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton’s conduct must be resumed,” Fitton said last month. “The Trump Justice Department and FBI need to reassure the American people they have finally stopped providing political protection to Hillary Clinton.”</p>
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<p>The White House put out the O.G. sanctimonious, lying sack of bones on today's Sunday shows to talk about the new Trumpcare / AHCA bill. Yup, Kellyanne "Gutter Trash Barbie" Conway almost made me throw up my breakfast bright and early this morning.</p>
<p>She rhetorically talked host George Stephanopoulos in circles, around, upside down and inside out trying to defend the utterly indefensible Trumpcare / AHCA bill which would lead to between millions of Americans losing health coverage within ten years. The House version <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2017/05/24/amended-trumpcare-tosses-23m-off-health-insurance-cbo-says/#1760548a744b" type="external">kicks off</a> 23 million by 2026, but the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/cbo-verdict-51-million-uninsured-2026-house-health-care-bill/" type="external">CBO reports</a> the number could be as high as 51 million by 2026.</p>
<p>Just a reminder, this despicable and craven bill is purely to enrich the wealthy, insurance companies and drug companies while gutting coverage to middle and lower class, children, elderly, drug addicted and the mentally ill.</p>
<p>So how do you defend this absolutely disgusting bill? You bring out the big guns, i.e., the Goebbels Girl of the White House.</p>
<p>Here is a little bit of her doublespeak interview with George Stephanopulos. Warning: she is so nauseating to listen to that you may need a Dramamine to not vomit.</p>
<p>STEPHANOPOULOS: A lot of senators have questions about the Senate bill, particularly those cuts in Medicaid. More than $800 billion.</p>
<p>I want to show the president's first speech when he announced for president.</p>
<p>(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)</p>
<p>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, THEN-CANDIDATE: Save Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security without cuts, have to do it.</p>
<p>(END VIDEO CLIP)</p>
<p>STEPHANOPOULOS: The president right there said no cuts in Medicaid, had several tweets on that same subject. This bill has more Medicaid cuts than the House bill. Why is the president going back on his promise?</p>
<p>CONWAY: These are not cuts to Medicaid, George. This slows the rate for the future and it allows governors more flexibility with Medicaid dollars because they're closest to the people in need. Medicaid's imperative, its founding was meant to help the poor, the sick, the needy, the disabled children, some elderly women, particularly pregnant women. We are trying to get Medicaid back to its original moorings.</p>
<p>(CROSSTALK)</p>
<p>STEPHANOPOULOS: Kellyanne, I don't see how you can say the more than $800 billion in savings is not cuts. And you don't have to take my word for it, it's the Republican senators you're facing right now who have that problem, led by Senator Dean Heller in Nevada. He said he's voting no. Also Senator Susan Collins. Here's what they said.</p>
<p>(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)</p>
<p>SEN. DEAN HELLER (R), NEVADA: First, it doesn't protect Nevadans on Medicaid. Second, the cuts to Medicaid threatens critical services in Nevada, services that a lot of Nevadans depend on.</p>
<p>SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: It cannot support a bill that's going to make such deep cuts in Medicaid that it's going to shift billions of dollars of costs to our state governments.</p>
<p>(END VIDEO CLIP)</p>
<p>STEPHANOPOULOS: So these senators are the ones saying these are Medicaid cuts. Is the president prepared to put more money back into Medicaid?</p>
<p>CONWAY: The president is prepared to have a conversation, a discussion, a negotiation with those senators and others. I would point out for the few who say that they're currently a no, you're talking about 45 or more who are currently yeses. So that tells you something.</p>
<p>Yeah, it tells us that most Republicans in Congress don't care at all about Americans.</p>
<p>BUT THEY ARE NOT CUTS, she screamed while waving her decrepit hands around!</p>
<p>CONWAY: You keep calling them as cuts. But we don't see them as cuts. It's slowing the rate of growth in the future and getting Medicaid back to where it was. Obamacare expanded the pool of Medicaid recipients beyond its original intentions.</p>
<p>STEPHANOPOULOS: Again, it's the Republican senators calling this cuts. It's the experts calling this cuts. There's no way you can say...</p>
<p>We could keep going through the entire interview, but it's more of the same. Conway just simply gaslights the nation, denying what everyone else says is true, for no other reason than to bring the political discourse down to gutter level trash. Who let her out of her crypt in the basement?</p>
|
Kellyanne Conway Gaslights Americans About Medicaid Cuts In AHCA
| true |
http://crooksandliars.com/2017/06/white-house-paraded-out-goebbels-20
|
2017-06-25
| 4left
|
Kellyanne Conway Gaslights Americans About Medicaid Cuts In AHCA
<p>The White House put out the O.G. sanctimonious, lying sack of bones on today's Sunday shows to talk about the new Trumpcare / AHCA bill. Yup, Kellyanne "Gutter Trash Barbie" Conway almost made me throw up my breakfast bright and early this morning.</p>
<p>She rhetorically talked host George Stephanopoulos in circles, around, upside down and inside out trying to defend the utterly indefensible Trumpcare / AHCA bill which would lead to between millions of Americans losing health coverage within ten years. The House version <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2017/05/24/amended-trumpcare-tosses-23m-off-health-insurance-cbo-says/#1760548a744b" type="external">kicks off</a> 23 million by 2026, but the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/cbo-verdict-51-million-uninsured-2026-house-health-care-bill/" type="external">CBO reports</a> the number could be as high as 51 million by 2026.</p>
<p>Just a reminder, this despicable and craven bill is purely to enrich the wealthy, insurance companies and drug companies while gutting coverage to middle and lower class, children, elderly, drug addicted and the mentally ill.</p>
<p>So how do you defend this absolutely disgusting bill? You bring out the big guns, i.e., the Goebbels Girl of the White House.</p>
<p>Here is a little bit of her doublespeak interview with George Stephanopulos. Warning: she is so nauseating to listen to that you may need a Dramamine to not vomit.</p>
<p>STEPHANOPOULOS: A lot of senators have questions about the Senate bill, particularly those cuts in Medicaid. More than $800 billion.</p>
<p>I want to show the president's first speech when he announced for president.</p>
<p>(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)</p>
<p>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, THEN-CANDIDATE: Save Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security without cuts, have to do it.</p>
<p>(END VIDEO CLIP)</p>
<p>STEPHANOPOULOS: The president right there said no cuts in Medicaid, had several tweets on that same subject. This bill has more Medicaid cuts than the House bill. Why is the president going back on his promise?</p>
<p>CONWAY: These are not cuts to Medicaid, George. This slows the rate for the future and it allows governors more flexibility with Medicaid dollars because they're closest to the people in need. Medicaid's imperative, its founding was meant to help the poor, the sick, the needy, the disabled children, some elderly women, particularly pregnant women. We are trying to get Medicaid back to its original moorings.</p>
<p>(CROSSTALK)</p>
<p>STEPHANOPOULOS: Kellyanne, I don't see how you can say the more than $800 billion in savings is not cuts. And you don't have to take my word for it, it's the Republican senators you're facing right now who have that problem, led by Senator Dean Heller in Nevada. He said he's voting no. Also Senator Susan Collins. Here's what they said.</p>
<p>(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)</p>
<p>SEN. DEAN HELLER (R), NEVADA: First, it doesn't protect Nevadans on Medicaid. Second, the cuts to Medicaid threatens critical services in Nevada, services that a lot of Nevadans depend on.</p>
<p>SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: It cannot support a bill that's going to make such deep cuts in Medicaid that it's going to shift billions of dollars of costs to our state governments.</p>
<p>(END VIDEO CLIP)</p>
<p>STEPHANOPOULOS: So these senators are the ones saying these are Medicaid cuts. Is the president prepared to put more money back into Medicaid?</p>
<p>CONWAY: The president is prepared to have a conversation, a discussion, a negotiation with those senators and others. I would point out for the few who say that they're currently a no, you're talking about 45 or more who are currently yeses. So that tells you something.</p>
<p>Yeah, it tells us that most Republicans in Congress don't care at all about Americans.</p>
<p>BUT THEY ARE NOT CUTS, she screamed while waving her decrepit hands around!</p>
<p>CONWAY: You keep calling them as cuts. But we don't see them as cuts. It's slowing the rate of growth in the future and getting Medicaid back to where it was. Obamacare expanded the pool of Medicaid recipients beyond its original intentions.</p>
<p>STEPHANOPOULOS: Again, it's the Republican senators calling this cuts. It's the experts calling this cuts. There's no way you can say...</p>
<p>We could keep going through the entire interview, but it's more of the same. Conway just simply gaslights the nation, denying what everyone else says is true, for no other reason than to bring the political discourse down to gutter level trash. Who let her out of her crypt in the basement?</p>
| 7,993 |
<p>NBC News' Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel traveled to Nepal in April in the aftermath of an earthquake that killed more than 8,000 people, destroyed millions of homes and devastated one of the world’s poorest countries. Among the dead were 19 people at base camp on Mount Everest, attempting to climb the world's highest peak. In "Avalanche," a special edition of Dateline, Engel and team tell the harrowing stories of some of climbers who survived the quake — and others who did not. <a href="" type="internal">"Avalanche"</a> <a href="" type="internal">airs at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on Sunday on NBC.</a></p>
<p>The first thing I learned about Nepal was how well people there responded to calamity.</p>
<p>Only moments after we landed in Kathmandu to cover the devastation caused by the April 25 earthquake, a powerful aftershock rocked the airport. People scrambled out of the building, fearing it would collapse, including the border official who was just about to stamp my passport.</p>
<p>The passengers huddled near a column and hoped for the best. The aftershock, magnitude 6.7, eventually passed and, luckily, the terminal building did not come crashing down. Everyone returned to their posts, and the official handed me back my freshly stamped passport with a wary smile. Welcome to Nepal.</p>
<p>Outside of Kathmandu airport, past long lines of people desperately trying to leave the country, we found a city living out on the streets. Parks, parking lots, plazas — every free inch of land had become a makeshift home for a family desperate to avoid spending another night under a building that might collapse. It was a remarkable sight.</p>
<p>The earthquake killed thousands of people. People were still digging though the piles of rubble and pulling out bodies (often) and survivors (rarely). Aftershocks were coming every 20 minutes or so. Most of them were small, but some were just big enough to frighten people into thinking another big quake was beginning. The cellphone system was down. Many of the government buildings were closed and many of the government officials had abandoned their posts to be with their families. And yet, there was no violence as far as I could see and no panic, just a determination to survive.</p>
<p>We covered the story of what happened in Nepal one tragedy at a time. We climbed on a mound of brick and steel where a temple once stood with a woman who was digging through the rubble with her bare hands looking for survivors. “This is my place,” she said when we asked her why she was there; “these are my people.”</p>
<p>We met Kaiser Kaser, a bespectacled, articulate 13-year-old who told us he was scared. “People are running for their lives,” he said, but all the while he was calm and polite.</p>
<p>Under a makeshift canopy at a monastery, we met the orphans of the Kids Shangrila Home who lost the only home they had. Their stories, each and every one of them, were enormous tragedies. But none of them could capture the entirety of the tragedy. Every time, I was amazed and deeply impressed by the quiet resilience of the people of Nepal. As journalists we felt welcome. They were happy we were there telling their stories.</p>
<p>Then, we started seeing images of the aftermath of an avalanche that the earthquake caused at the base of Mount Everest. The details were hard to understand from a distance, so we decided to head up the mountain and find out for ourselves what had happened. What we found was a tragedy within a tragedy.</p>
<p>Nineteen people were killed at Everest base camp when giant clumps of ice came crashing down from a mountain nearby. We decided to focus on the story of one group of climbers, the Madison group, and we spent a couple of weeks finding out what happened to them when the ground shook and the ice fell.</p>
<p>The story is as dramatic as it is tragic. Everest base camp, elevation 17,598 feet, sits on the great Khumbu glacier. Most of the time, the camp is empty. In fact, most of the time, there is not camp at all. But for a few short weeks every year, a tent city appears on the glacier and hundreds, sometimes thousands of climbers, along with their support teams, gather there along with and hikers who just want to see Everest up close. The avalanche struck at the worst time and at the worst spot, sending a deadly blast wave of wind, ice and snow directly through the middle of the camp. The Madison team’s tents were swept away and two of their members were injured. The team’s “doc,” a physician’s assistant from New Jersey, was killed.</p>
<p>Eve Girawong was, by all accounts, a beloved member of the team. She never intended to climb to the summit of Everest, and her death, in the relative safety of base camp, came as a shock to her teammates. But even as we delved deeper into the details of what happened that day at base camp, neither we nor the climbers we were interviewing could stop thinking about the wider tragedy that had struck Nepal.</p>
<p>The earthquake, strangely, connected forever the lives of climbers from the richest nations on Earth with those of Nepalese villagers. Girawong’s family chose to honor her memory by collecting donations for International Medical Corps, an aid organization which is providing medical assistance in Nepal. Other members of the team have been raising money for other relief organizations. Some plan to travel back and deliver the money to villagers themselves. As one of the climbers, Haley Ercanbrack, told us: “This isn’t about me. This is about a disaster, a whole country.” Ercnbrack, who is raising funds for Nepal aid in Arizona where she lives, says she would like to use her experience to raise awareness to the suffering in Nepal.</p>
<p>The earthquake, which killed more than 8,000 people and left thousands injured, is still killing people two months later. That’s because in Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world, the infrastructure that was destroyed will not be replaced anytime soon. The World Health organization estimates that 2.8 million people have been made homeless. These people have been living in makeshift shelters, often with limited access to toilets or to fresh water, for more than two months. And now that the rainy season has arrived, Nepal needs all the help it can get.</p>
|
Richard Engel: Nepal needs all the help it can get
| false |
http://nbcnews.com/storyline/nepal-earthquake/engel-everest-n381286
|
2015-06-24
| 3left-center
|
Richard Engel: Nepal needs all the help it can get
<p>NBC News' Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel traveled to Nepal in April in the aftermath of an earthquake that killed more than 8,000 people, destroyed millions of homes and devastated one of the world’s poorest countries. Among the dead were 19 people at base camp on Mount Everest, attempting to climb the world's highest peak. In "Avalanche," a special edition of Dateline, Engel and team tell the harrowing stories of some of climbers who survived the quake — and others who did not. <a href="" type="internal">"Avalanche"</a> <a href="" type="internal">airs at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on Sunday on NBC.</a></p>
<p>The first thing I learned about Nepal was how well people there responded to calamity.</p>
<p>Only moments after we landed in Kathmandu to cover the devastation caused by the April 25 earthquake, a powerful aftershock rocked the airport. People scrambled out of the building, fearing it would collapse, including the border official who was just about to stamp my passport.</p>
<p>The passengers huddled near a column and hoped for the best. The aftershock, magnitude 6.7, eventually passed and, luckily, the terminal building did not come crashing down. Everyone returned to their posts, and the official handed me back my freshly stamped passport with a wary smile. Welcome to Nepal.</p>
<p>Outside of Kathmandu airport, past long lines of people desperately trying to leave the country, we found a city living out on the streets. Parks, parking lots, plazas — every free inch of land had become a makeshift home for a family desperate to avoid spending another night under a building that might collapse. It was a remarkable sight.</p>
<p>The earthquake killed thousands of people. People were still digging though the piles of rubble and pulling out bodies (often) and survivors (rarely). Aftershocks were coming every 20 minutes or so. Most of them were small, but some were just big enough to frighten people into thinking another big quake was beginning. The cellphone system was down. Many of the government buildings were closed and many of the government officials had abandoned their posts to be with their families. And yet, there was no violence as far as I could see and no panic, just a determination to survive.</p>
<p>We covered the story of what happened in Nepal one tragedy at a time. We climbed on a mound of brick and steel where a temple once stood with a woman who was digging through the rubble with her bare hands looking for survivors. “This is my place,” she said when we asked her why she was there; “these are my people.”</p>
<p>We met Kaiser Kaser, a bespectacled, articulate 13-year-old who told us he was scared. “People are running for their lives,” he said, but all the while he was calm and polite.</p>
<p>Under a makeshift canopy at a monastery, we met the orphans of the Kids Shangrila Home who lost the only home they had. Their stories, each and every one of them, were enormous tragedies. But none of them could capture the entirety of the tragedy. Every time, I was amazed and deeply impressed by the quiet resilience of the people of Nepal. As journalists we felt welcome. They were happy we were there telling their stories.</p>
<p>Then, we started seeing images of the aftermath of an avalanche that the earthquake caused at the base of Mount Everest. The details were hard to understand from a distance, so we decided to head up the mountain and find out for ourselves what had happened. What we found was a tragedy within a tragedy.</p>
<p>Nineteen people were killed at Everest base camp when giant clumps of ice came crashing down from a mountain nearby. We decided to focus on the story of one group of climbers, the Madison group, and we spent a couple of weeks finding out what happened to them when the ground shook and the ice fell.</p>
<p>The story is as dramatic as it is tragic. Everest base camp, elevation 17,598 feet, sits on the great Khumbu glacier. Most of the time, the camp is empty. In fact, most of the time, there is not camp at all. But for a few short weeks every year, a tent city appears on the glacier and hundreds, sometimes thousands of climbers, along with their support teams, gather there along with and hikers who just want to see Everest up close. The avalanche struck at the worst time and at the worst spot, sending a deadly blast wave of wind, ice and snow directly through the middle of the camp. The Madison team’s tents were swept away and two of their members were injured. The team’s “doc,” a physician’s assistant from New Jersey, was killed.</p>
<p>Eve Girawong was, by all accounts, a beloved member of the team. She never intended to climb to the summit of Everest, and her death, in the relative safety of base camp, came as a shock to her teammates. But even as we delved deeper into the details of what happened that day at base camp, neither we nor the climbers we were interviewing could stop thinking about the wider tragedy that had struck Nepal.</p>
<p>The earthquake, strangely, connected forever the lives of climbers from the richest nations on Earth with those of Nepalese villagers. Girawong’s family chose to honor her memory by collecting donations for International Medical Corps, an aid organization which is providing medical assistance in Nepal. Other members of the team have been raising money for other relief organizations. Some plan to travel back and deliver the money to villagers themselves. As one of the climbers, Haley Ercanbrack, told us: “This isn’t about me. This is about a disaster, a whole country.” Ercnbrack, who is raising funds for Nepal aid in Arizona where she lives, says she would like to use her experience to raise awareness to the suffering in Nepal.</p>
<p>The earthquake, which killed more than 8,000 people and left thousands injured, is still killing people two months later. That’s because in Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world, the infrastructure that was destroyed will not be replaced anytime soon. The World Health organization estimates that 2.8 million people have been made homeless. These people have been living in makeshift shelters, often with limited access to toilets or to fresh water, for more than two months. And now that the rainy season has arrived, Nepal needs all the help it can get.</p>
| 7,994 |
<p>The advent of new technologies and government spying in our increasingly inter-connected world has brought a swath of deeply consequential privacy rights cases before the Supreme Court.</p>
<p>Whether it’s privacy in one’s home, car or cellphone, Justice Antonin Scalia has emerged as one of the Court’s most outspoken champions of Fourth Amendment rights in recent years, even if it means breaking faith and siding with liberal justices in closely divided cases.</p>
<p>Scalia’s role as the premier defender of Fourth Amendment rights could be critical in a closely watched case currently before the Court about whether police can search a suspect’s cellphone without a warrant upon arrest.</p>
<p />
<p>“Justice Scalia has been on the pro-privacy side of a lot of divided Fourth Amendment cases, especially recently … [and] often very strongly,” said Orin Kerr, a law professor at George Washington University.</p>
<p>In 2012, Scalia wrote the majority opinion <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/united-states-v-jones/" type="external">reversing</a> a defendant’s conviction because the state gained key evidence by attaching a GPS device to his car. In 2013, he wrote a <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/florida-v-jardines/" type="external">5-4 opinion</a> that police may not send a dog to sniff at a front door based on suspicion that drugs were being grown inside. Also in 2013, he wrote the <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.supremecourt.gov%2Fopinions%2F12pdf%2F12-207_d18e.pdf" type="external">dissenting opinion</a>, joined by three liberal justices, against the court’s 5-4 ruling upholding warrantless collection of DNA from persons who are arrested. Two weeks ago he lead another dissent against a 5-4 ruling permitting a police officer to stop a truck driver based on an anonymous tip that he’s intoxicated.</p>
<p>“Relying on the history of the Fourth Amendment, Justice Scalia has become a frequent champion of broad Fourth Amendment protections — not only joining opinions by his more liberal colleagues, but also often writing powerful opinions in which they join,” said Brianne Gorod, counsel for the liberal Constitutional Accountability Center. “Notably, in every non-unanimous Fourth Amendment case last Term, Justice Scalia sided with the defense.”</p>
<p>During <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/13-132_2co3.pdf" type="external">oral arguments</a> last week, the Reagan-appointed justice shed more light on his attitude toward privacy rights in a case about whether police need a warrant to search a cellphone incident to arrest. He openly wondered if police should have some latitude to search a phone if they have reason to believe a bomb will detonate, but insisted the power be limited. If someone is arrested for not wearing a seat belt, Scalia said, “it seems absurd that you should be able to search that person’s iPhone.” (Scholars aren’t sure what the outcome of the case will be.)</p>
<p>Scalia’s support for privacy rights has earned him praise from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the leader of the Court’s liberal wing, who typically votes with him on Fourth Amendment cases. “Scalia is often criticized by people who would not be labeled conservative. Liberals don’t count his Fourth Amendment cases or the confrontation clause cases. He is one of the most pro-Fourth Amendment judges on the court,” Ginsburg told the <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/05/02/excerpts-from-wsj-interview-with-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg/" type="external">Wall Street Journal</a> last week.</p>
<p>The jurist’s views on privacy sometimes brush up against the “ <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/16/us/in-scalias-new-book-hints-of-health-ruling.html?_r=0&amp;gwh=15BC11ABE616C2E9D9634E349A833ED8&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">confessed law-and-order social conservative</a>” he described himself as in his 2012 book. Indeed, he sides with the government from time to time. In 2013, he voted with his conservative colleagues to deny standing to Amnesty International to challenge the U.S. law that allows for surveillance without showing probable cause that the target is an agent of a foreign power. (The court’s four liberals held that the anti-spying challenge should’ve moved to trial.)</p>
<p>Jonathan Adler, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University, said Scalia’s approach to privacy cases reflects an originalist approach to judging — based on the belief that the Constitution must be interpreted based on its original meaning and intent — and undermines critics’ allegations that he is driven by ideology or results.</p>
<p>“Scalia has often adopted what some consider ‘liberal’ or ‘pro-criminal defendant’ positions. This has not just occurred in the Fourth Amendment context. We also see this in his opinions on the confrontation clause and criminal sentencing,” said Adler, “where he believes the plain text of the relevant constitutional provisions requires the imposition of an absolute, inflexible rule.”</p>
<p>Liberal legal advocates offer qualified praise for Scalia in this area. Caroline Fredrickson, the president of the American Constitution Society, said Scalia has been a leader in privacy cases involving police searches and DNA swabs. She posited that he appeared to be on the side of privacy rights in the warrantless cell phone searches case.</p>
<p>She had her share of criticism, though.</p>
<p>“When it comes to homes, cars and smartphones Scalia’s use of originalism is no hindrance despite technologies unavailable when the Constitution was crafted,” Fredrickson said. “But when it comes to privacy matters concerning women’s bodies and sexuality in general, Scalia is nowhere to be found. The justice’s use of originalism therefore looks opportunistic or irrationally applied.”</p>
|
Antonin Scalia Emerges As Fighter For Fourth Amendment Privacy Rights
| true |
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/antonin-scalia-fighter-privacy-rights-fourth-amendment
| 4left
|
Antonin Scalia Emerges As Fighter For Fourth Amendment Privacy Rights
<p>The advent of new technologies and government spying in our increasingly inter-connected world has brought a swath of deeply consequential privacy rights cases before the Supreme Court.</p>
<p>Whether it’s privacy in one’s home, car or cellphone, Justice Antonin Scalia has emerged as one of the Court’s most outspoken champions of Fourth Amendment rights in recent years, even if it means breaking faith and siding with liberal justices in closely divided cases.</p>
<p>Scalia’s role as the premier defender of Fourth Amendment rights could be critical in a closely watched case currently before the Court about whether police can search a suspect’s cellphone without a warrant upon arrest.</p>
<p />
<p>“Justice Scalia has been on the pro-privacy side of a lot of divided Fourth Amendment cases, especially recently … [and] often very strongly,” said Orin Kerr, a law professor at George Washington University.</p>
<p>In 2012, Scalia wrote the majority opinion <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/united-states-v-jones/" type="external">reversing</a> a defendant’s conviction because the state gained key evidence by attaching a GPS device to his car. In 2013, he wrote a <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/florida-v-jardines/" type="external">5-4 opinion</a> that police may not send a dog to sniff at a front door based on suspicion that drugs were being grown inside. Also in 2013, he wrote the <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.supremecourt.gov%2Fopinions%2F12pdf%2F12-207_d18e.pdf" type="external">dissenting opinion</a>, joined by three liberal justices, against the court’s 5-4 ruling upholding warrantless collection of DNA from persons who are arrested. Two weeks ago he lead another dissent against a 5-4 ruling permitting a police officer to stop a truck driver based on an anonymous tip that he’s intoxicated.</p>
<p>“Relying on the history of the Fourth Amendment, Justice Scalia has become a frequent champion of broad Fourth Amendment protections — not only joining opinions by his more liberal colleagues, but also often writing powerful opinions in which they join,” said Brianne Gorod, counsel for the liberal Constitutional Accountability Center. “Notably, in every non-unanimous Fourth Amendment case last Term, Justice Scalia sided with the defense.”</p>
<p>During <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/13-132_2co3.pdf" type="external">oral arguments</a> last week, the Reagan-appointed justice shed more light on his attitude toward privacy rights in a case about whether police need a warrant to search a cellphone incident to arrest. He openly wondered if police should have some latitude to search a phone if they have reason to believe a bomb will detonate, but insisted the power be limited. If someone is arrested for not wearing a seat belt, Scalia said, “it seems absurd that you should be able to search that person’s iPhone.” (Scholars aren’t sure what the outcome of the case will be.)</p>
<p>Scalia’s support for privacy rights has earned him praise from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the leader of the Court’s liberal wing, who typically votes with him on Fourth Amendment cases. “Scalia is often criticized by people who would not be labeled conservative. Liberals don’t count his Fourth Amendment cases or the confrontation clause cases. He is one of the most pro-Fourth Amendment judges on the court,” Ginsburg told the <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/05/02/excerpts-from-wsj-interview-with-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg/" type="external">Wall Street Journal</a> last week.</p>
<p>The jurist’s views on privacy sometimes brush up against the “ <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/16/us/in-scalias-new-book-hints-of-health-ruling.html?_r=0&amp;gwh=15BC11ABE616C2E9D9634E349A833ED8&amp;gwt=pay" type="external">confessed law-and-order social conservative</a>” he described himself as in his 2012 book. Indeed, he sides with the government from time to time. In 2013, he voted with his conservative colleagues to deny standing to Amnesty International to challenge the U.S. law that allows for surveillance without showing probable cause that the target is an agent of a foreign power. (The court’s four liberals held that the anti-spying challenge should’ve moved to trial.)</p>
<p>Jonathan Adler, a law professor at Case Western Reserve University, said Scalia’s approach to privacy cases reflects an originalist approach to judging — based on the belief that the Constitution must be interpreted based on its original meaning and intent — and undermines critics’ allegations that he is driven by ideology or results.</p>
<p>“Scalia has often adopted what some consider ‘liberal’ or ‘pro-criminal defendant’ positions. This has not just occurred in the Fourth Amendment context. We also see this in his opinions on the confrontation clause and criminal sentencing,” said Adler, “where he believes the plain text of the relevant constitutional provisions requires the imposition of an absolute, inflexible rule.”</p>
<p>Liberal legal advocates offer qualified praise for Scalia in this area. Caroline Fredrickson, the president of the American Constitution Society, said Scalia has been a leader in privacy cases involving police searches and DNA swabs. She posited that he appeared to be on the side of privacy rights in the warrantless cell phone searches case.</p>
<p>She had her share of criticism, though.</p>
<p>“When it comes to homes, cars and smartphones Scalia’s use of originalism is no hindrance despite technologies unavailable when the Constitution was crafted,” Fredrickson said. “But when it comes to privacy matters concerning women’s bodies and sexuality in general, Scalia is nowhere to be found. The justice’s use of originalism therefore looks opportunistic or irrationally applied.”</p>
| 7,995 |
|
<p>During Tuesday's <a href="" type="internal">weepfest</a>, President Barack Obama touted funding for the research of "smart guns." As it turns out, the president's promotion of smart guns has a history. According to a report, Obama's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns received donations from the smart gun industry.</p>
<p>"We need to develop new technologies that make guns safer," Obama <a href="http://time.com/4168056/obama-gun-control-speech-transcript/" type="external">said</a> during his announcement of his executive orders Tuesday. "If we can set it up so you can’t unlock your phone unless you’ve got the right fingerprint, why can’t we do the same thing for our guns? If there’s an app that can help us find a missing tablet—which happens to me often the older I get—if we can do it for your iPad, there’s no reason we can’t do it with a stolen gun. If a child can’t open a bottle of aspirin, we should make sure that they can’t pull a trigger on a gun. Right? So we’re going to advance research. We’re going to work with the private sector to update firearms technology."</p>
<p>The <a href="http://freebeacon.com/politics/obama-top-recipient-smart-gun-cash/" type="external">Washington Free Beacon</a> found through OpenSecrets.org that the following from the smart gun industry donated to Obama's two presidential campaigns, including:</p>
<p>The problem with smart guns is that they don't work. As The Daily Wire editor-in-chief Ben Shapiro <a href="" type="internal">writes,</a> "There are no magical guns that read fingerprints, activate quickly, and work consistently. They do not exist. If they did exist, I would buy one. But President Obama, in his true 'government knows how to invest your money' fashion, thinks throwing money at smart guns will work."</p>
<p>Radio host and author Dana Loesch <a href="http://danaloeschradio.com/a-thorough-fisking-of-obamas-executive-orders-on-gun-control" type="external">explains</a> further:</p>
<p>Gun owners by and large roll their eyes at smart gun tech because it's completely errant, unsafe, unpredictable, and frankly a silly choice for defense. Here is one test where the heralded first choice for smart guns failed miserably. Sorry, but if I'm defending myself against a rapist in a parking garage, I don't think he's going to wait for my wristband to take 20 seconds to pair with my gun (that's if it does so successfully, whereas tests of Armatix iP1 struggled to do even this, to say nothing of the difficulties with the trigger). Read the full review. Additionally, smart gun advocates are championing pricing poor people out of their Second Amendment rights. Smart gun tech is as faulty as it is expensive and if the free market supported firearms with bulky tech that made usage impossible we wouldn't need the President executive ordering federal funds to pay for additional research to again prove the obvious. I suppose in keeping with progressive narrative building I have to ask why they are so against allowing poor people in high crime, urban areas to exercise their Second Amendment right? The poor would be the hardest hit.</p>
<p>The smart gun industry is now becoming the <a href="http://dailysignal.com/2011/11/14/report-80-of-doe-green-energy-loans-went-to-obama-backers/" type="external">green industry</a>–a supposedly noble cause that really is nothing more than Obama paying off his crony campaign bundlers through government funding. Crony capitalism at its finest.</p>
<p>This article has been corrected to reflect the number of smart gun companies donating to Obama's campaigns, the source of the dollar amounts and that some of the donors were employees from Sandia National Laboratories and the New Jersey Institute for Technology.</p>
<p>Image (AP): "President Barack Obama reaches to wipe a tear from his eye as he talks about victims of the Sandy Hook shootings, as he speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, about steps his administration is taking to reduce gun violence."</p>
|
Report: 'Smart Gun' Industry Invested Heavily Into Obama's Presidential Campaigns
| true |
https://dailywire.com/news/2478/report-smart-gun-industry-invested-heavily-obamas-aaron-bandler
|
2016-01-09
| 0right
|
Report: 'Smart Gun' Industry Invested Heavily Into Obama's Presidential Campaigns
<p>During Tuesday's <a href="" type="internal">weepfest</a>, President Barack Obama touted funding for the research of "smart guns." As it turns out, the president's promotion of smart guns has a history. According to a report, Obama's 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns received donations from the smart gun industry.</p>
<p>"We need to develop new technologies that make guns safer," Obama <a href="http://time.com/4168056/obama-gun-control-speech-transcript/" type="external">said</a> during his announcement of his executive orders Tuesday. "If we can set it up so you can’t unlock your phone unless you’ve got the right fingerprint, why can’t we do the same thing for our guns? If there’s an app that can help us find a missing tablet—which happens to me often the older I get—if we can do it for your iPad, there’s no reason we can’t do it with a stolen gun. If a child can’t open a bottle of aspirin, we should make sure that they can’t pull a trigger on a gun. Right? So we’re going to advance research. We’re going to work with the private sector to update firearms technology."</p>
<p>The <a href="http://freebeacon.com/politics/obama-top-recipient-smart-gun-cash/" type="external">Washington Free Beacon</a> found through OpenSecrets.org that the following from the smart gun industry donated to Obama's two presidential campaigns, including:</p>
<p>The problem with smart guns is that they don't work. As The Daily Wire editor-in-chief Ben Shapiro <a href="" type="internal">writes,</a> "There are no magical guns that read fingerprints, activate quickly, and work consistently. They do not exist. If they did exist, I would buy one. But President Obama, in his true 'government knows how to invest your money' fashion, thinks throwing money at smart guns will work."</p>
<p>Radio host and author Dana Loesch <a href="http://danaloeschradio.com/a-thorough-fisking-of-obamas-executive-orders-on-gun-control" type="external">explains</a> further:</p>
<p>Gun owners by and large roll their eyes at smart gun tech because it's completely errant, unsafe, unpredictable, and frankly a silly choice for defense. Here is one test where the heralded first choice for smart guns failed miserably. Sorry, but if I'm defending myself against a rapist in a parking garage, I don't think he's going to wait for my wristband to take 20 seconds to pair with my gun (that's if it does so successfully, whereas tests of Armatix iP1 struggled to do even this, to say nothing of the difficulties with the trigger). Read the full review. Additionally, smart gun advocates are championing pricing poor people out of their Second Amendment rights. Smart gun tech is as faulty as it is expensive and if the free market supported firearms with bulky tech that made usage impossible we wouldn't need the President executive ordering federal funds to pay for additional research to again prove the obvious. I suppose in keeping with progressive narrative building I have to ask why they are so against allowing poor people in high crime, urban areas to exercise their Second Amendment right? The poor would be the hardest hit.</p>
<p>The smart gun industry is now becoming the <a href="http://dailysignal.com/2011/11/14/report-80-of-doe-green-energy-loans-went-to-obama-backers/" type="external">green industry</a>–a supposedly noble cause that really is nothing more than Obama paying off his crony campaign bundlers through government funding. Crony capitalism at its finest.</p>
<p>This article has been corrected to reflect the number of smart gun companies donating to Obama's campaigns, the source of the dollar amounts and that some of the donors were employees from Sandia National Laboratories and the New Jersey Institute for Technology.</p>
<p>Image (AP): "President Barack Obama reaches to wipe a tear from his eye as he talks about victims of the Sandy Hook shootings, as he speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, about steps his administration is taking to reduce gun violence."</p>
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<p>MIAMI - A former TD Bank executive has pleaded guilty to a federal charge for his role in former South Florida lawyer Scott Rothstein's $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme.</p>
<p>Frank Spinosa pleaded guilty Thursday in Miami federal court to wire fraud conspiracy in a plea deal with prosecutors. The charge carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and $250,000 fine. Spinosa's sentencing is set for Dec. 18.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say Spinosa used his position as a regional executive at TD Bank to falsely assure Rothstein's investors their money was safe. Rothstein's scam involved investments in phony legal settlements. It collapsed in fall 2009 and led to the downfall of Rothstein's Fort Lauderdale law firm.</p>
<p>More than two dozen people have been convicted. Rothstein is serving a 50-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to several charges.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
|
Ex-banker pleads guilty in $1.2B Rothstein Ponzi scheme
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/656538/ex-banker-pleads-guilty-in-1-2b-rothstein-ponzi-scheme.html
| 2least
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Ex-banker pleads guilty in $1.2B Rothstein Ponzi scheme
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<p>MIAMI - A former TD Bank executive has pleaded guilty to a federal charge for his role in former South Florida lawyer Scott Rothstein's $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme.</p>
<p>Frank Spinosa pleaded guilty Thursday in Miami federal court to wire fraud conspiracy in a plea deal with prosecutors. The charge carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and $250,000 fine. Spinosa's sentencing is set for Dec. 18.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say Spinosa used his position as a regional executive at TD Bank to falsely assure Rothstein's investors their money was safe. Rothstein's scam involved investments in phony legal settlements. It collapsed in fall 2009 and led to the downfall of Rothstein's Fort Lauderdale law firm.</p>
<p>More than two dozen people have been convicted. Rothstein is serving a 50-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to several charges.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
| 7,997 |
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<p>Image via <a href="http://chooseryanlosechoice.tumblr.com" type="external">Choose Ryan Lose Choice</a>.</p>
<p>As Todd Akin released <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/08/todd-akin-rape-apology-ad-/1#.UDOyFNAsCQ5" type="external">a really terrible video apology</a> this morning about his <a href="" type="internal">“legitimate rape” remarks</a> and Republicans (including Romney) try to distance themselves from the Missouri senatorial candidate, other striking facts have come to light that reminds us what this issue is really about. Just yesterday, the GOP platform committee drafted a revision of the Republican Party platform supporting a “human life amendment” that does <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/08/21/718461/2012-republican-platform-to-advocate-abortion-ban-without-rape-exception/" type="external">not specify exceptions for rape or incest</a>:</p>
<p>Faithful to the ‘self-evident’ truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed.&#160;We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.</p>
<p>An amendment like this wouldn’t just stop there. Jodi Jacobsen at RH Reality Check <a href="http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/article/2012/08/21/as-romney-and-ryan-dissemble-rnc-prepares-deeply-anti-choice-platform-promoting-0" type="external">gets to the heart of it:</a></p>
<p>Let’s be very, very clear that such an amendment–which Mitt Romney has said unequivocally he would sign–would not only criminalize abortions of any kind for any reason, but also would outlaw many forms of contraception, in-vitro fertilization, and treatment of pregnant women with life-threatening conditions such as cancer. Moreover, it would also criminalize miscarriage.</p>
<p>Last week, a pregnant teenager from the&#160;Dominican Republic <a href="http://www.care2.com/causes/pregnant-dominican-teen-dies-in-wake-of-drawn-out-abortion-debate.html" type="external">died after being refused</a> chemotherapy until it was too late because of the country’s abortion ban. Do we really think we’re that far from this reality? <a href="" type="internal">When 55% of women of reproductive age</a> live in states hostile to abortion in the U.S.? When <a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/08/21/please_dont_go_todd/" type="external">so many states already have</a> bans that don’t include an exception for rape or incest?</p>
<p>This is not about Todd Akin. This is about a presidential candidate who <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/mitt-romney-bragged-about-endorsement-from-akin-esque-no-pregnancy-from-rape-quack/" type="external">touted the endorsement of the same doctor</a> who told Akin the bunk science he parroted this weekend. It’s about a <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/08/19/712251/how-todd-akin-and-paul-ryan-partnered-to-redefine-rape/" type="external">VP pick who worked closely with Akin and so many other senators</a> on bills that would put women’s health in direct danger. But mostly, it’s about an entire political party that is hell bet on taking away all of your reproductive rights.</p>
|
Romney, the GOP platform and why this isn’t about Todd Akin
| true |
http://feministing.com/2012/08/21/romney-the-gop-platform-and-why-this-isnt-about-todd-akin/
| 4left
|
Romney, the GOP platform and why this isn’t about Todd Akin
<p>Image via <a href="http://chooseryanlosechoice.tumblr.com" type="external">Choose Ryan Lose Choice</a>.</p>
<p>As Todd Akin released <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/08/todd-akin-rape-apology-ad-/1#.UDOyFNAsCQ5" type="external">a really terrible video apology</a> this morning about his <a href="" type="internal">“legitimate rape” remarks</a> and Republicans (including Romney) try to distance themselves from the Missouri senatorial candidate, other striking facts have come to light that reminds us what this issue is really about. Just yesterday, the GOP platform committee drafted a revision of the Republican Party platform supporting a “human life amendment” that does <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/08/21/718461/2012-republican-platform-to-advocate-abortion-ban-without-rape-exception/" type="external">not specify exceptions for rape or incest</a>:</p>
<p>Faithful to the ‘self-evident’ truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed.&#160;We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.</p>
<p>An amendment like this wouldn’t just stop there. Jodi Jacobsen at RH Reality Check <a href="http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/article/2012/08/21/as-romney-and-ryan-dissemble-rnc-prepares-deeply-anti-choice-platform-promoting-0" type="external">gets to the heart of it:</a></p>
<p>Let’s be very, very clear that such an amendment–which Mitt Romney has said unequivocally he would sign–would not only criminalize abortions of any kind for any reason, but also would outlaw many forms of contraception, in-vitro fertilization, and treatment of pregnant women with life-threatening conditions such as cancer. Moreover, it would also criminalize miscarriage.</p>
<p>Last week, a pregnant teenager from the&#160;Dominican Republic <a href="http://www.care2.com/causes/pregnant-dominican-teen-dies-in-wake-of-drawn-out-abortion-debate.html" type="external">died after being refused</a> chemotherapy until it was too late because of the country’s abortion ban. Do we really think we’re that far from this reality? <a href="" type="internal">When 55% of women of reproductive age</a> live in states hostile to abortion in the U.S.? When <a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/08/21/please_dont_go_todd/" type="external">so many states already have</a> bans that don’t include an exception for rape or incest?</p>
<p>This is not about Todd Akin. This is about a presidential candidate who <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/mitt-romney-bragged-about-endorsement-from-akin-esque-no-pregnancy-from-rape-quack/" type="external">touted the endorsement of the same doctor</a> who told Akin the bunk science he parroted this weekend. It’s about a <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/08/19/712251/how-todd-akin-and-paul-ryan-partnered-to-redefine-rape/" type="external">VP pick who worked closely with Akin and so many other senators</a> on bills that would put women’s health in direct danger. But mostly, it’s about an entire political party that is hell bet on taking away all of your reproductive rights.</p>
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<p />
<p>Of course, these lofty goals are easier said than accomplished. To make bold and timely progress on improving the overall prospects for central New Mexico, we need as many people and as many organizations pulling in the same direction as possible. At Central New Mexico Community College, we believe the best way to generate the kind of momentum that can pull our region toward greater prosperity is through the power of partnerships. Not just symbolic or narrowly focused short-term partnerships, but strategic and very committed partnerships designed for broad and maximum long-term impact.</p>
<p>CNM has a long history of being a willing, able and very effective partner in efforts that support our community and our public education system, as well as our local economy, businesses and industries.</p>
<p>In 2008, CNM, Albuquerque Public Schools and the University of New Mexico signed a groundbreaking agreement to partner on a level never seen before in this state among a public school district, a community college and a university. As a result, it is easier today than it ever has been for students to take the first two years of coursework for a bachelor's degree at CNM and then seamlessly transfer the credits to UNM to complete the final two years.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>We have more APS students taking college-level classes at CNM than ever before. And in fall 2013, we opened the College &amp; Career High School on CNM's Main Campus, an extremely promising partnership between APS and CNM that is a model for transforming education. We also have a strong and productive partnership with Rio Rancho Public Schools to provide dual credit opportunities. Overall, there were more than 2,200 high school students taking CNM classes in the fall term, an all-time record.</p>
<p>CNM has a very diverse student body with a wide range of educational goals. To provide as many student transfer pathways as possible, CNM has also partnered with New Mexico State University, Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico Highlands University and others. Thanks to these partnerships, students seeking bachelor's degrees can save thousands of dollars by attending CNM first, which puts thousands of families in a better financial position.</p>
<p>CNM is a key partner in "Mission: Graduate," which has brought together public education institutions, business leaders and government leaders in central New Mexico for a concerted effort to add an additional 60,000 college graduates to the region by 2020. CNM has responded by graduating an all-time record number of students over the past year.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Since CNM opened in 1965 as Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute, we have been partnering with local businesses and industries to provide them with the skilled workforce they need to thrive and grow. For each of our career technical education (CTE) programs, CNM partners with business and industry professionals to form advisory committees. These committees ensure that CNM teaches curriculum that prepares our students to succeed in the workplace, not just the classroom.</p>
<p>When employers like Intel, General Mills and Eclipse needed specialized training programs to develop a productive workforce, CNM responded and delivered skilled employees. When New Mexico sought to attract the film industry, CNM produced the film crew technicians that helped the state become a hub for the industry. These are just a few examples of what CNM has been doing for nearly 50 years.</p>
<p>At CNM, we understand very well what can be accomplished through partnerships. And we understand that our community needs us to do more as we all try to meet the difficult challenges facing education and economic development in this post-recession era. So we want to remind our community that we are ready, willing and able to join in new partnerships that can help pull education, our economy and our community in a more prosperous direction for all.</p>
<p />
|
Partners for NM prosperity
| false |
https://abqjournal.com/373752/partners-for-nm-prosperity.html
| 2least
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Partners for NM prosperity
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Of course, these lofty goals are easier said than accomplished. To make bold and timely progress on improving the overall prospects for central New Mexico, we need as many people and as many organizations pulling in the same direction as possible. At Central New Mexico Community College, we believe the best way to generate the kind of momentum that can pull our region toward greater prosperity is through the power of partnerships. Not just symbolic or narrowly focused short-term partnerships, but strategic and very committed partnerships designed for broad and maximum long-term impact.</p>
<p>CNM has a long history of being a willing, able and very effective partner in efforts that support our community and our public education system, as well as our local economy, businesses and industries.</p>
<p>In 2008, CNM, Albuquerque Public Schools and the University of New Mexico signed a groundbreaking agreement to partner on a level never seen before in this state among a public school district, a community college and a university. As a result, it is easier today than it ever has been for students to take the first two years of coursework for a bachelor's degree at CNM and then seamlessly transfer the credits to UNM to complete the final two years.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>We have more APS students taking college-level classes at CNM than ever before. And in fall 2013, we opened the College &amp; Career High School on CNM's Main Campus, an extremely promising partnership between APS and CNM that is a model for transforming education. We also have a strong and productive partnership with Rio Rancho Public Schools to provide dual credit opportunities. Overall, there were more than 2,200 high school students taking CNM classes in the fall term, an all-time record.</p>
<p>CNM has a very diverse student body with a wide range of educational goals. To provide as many student transfer pathways as possible, CNM has also partnered with New Mexico State University, Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico Highlands University and others. Thanks to these partnerships, students seeking bachelor's degrees can save thousands of dollars by attending CNM first, which puts thousands of families in a better financial position.</p>
<p>CNM is a key partner in "Mission: Graduate," which has brought together public education institutions, business leaders and government leaders in central New Mexico for a concerted effort to add an additional 60,000 college graduates to the region by 2020. CNM has responded by graduating an all-time record number of students over the past year.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Since CNM opened in 1965 as Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute, we have been partnering with local businesses and industries to provide them with the skilled workforce they need to thrive and grow. For each of our career technical education (CTE) programs, CNM partners with business and industry professionals to form advisory committees. These committees ensure that CNM teaches curriculum that prepares our students to succeed in the workplace, not just the classroom.</p>
<p>When employers like Intel, General Mills and Eclipse needed specialized training programs to develop a productive workforce, CNM responded and delivered skilled employees. When New Mexico sought to attract the film industry, CNM produced the film crew technicians that helped the state become a hub for the industry. These are just a few examples of what CNM has been doing for nearly 50 years.</p>
<p>At CNM, we understand very well what can be accomplished through partnerships. And we understand that our community needs us to do more as we all try to meet the difficult challenges facing education and economic development in this post-recession era. So we want to remind our community that we are ready, willing and able to join in new partnerships that can help pull education, our economy and our community in a more prosperous direction for all.</p>
<p />
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