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<p>(Screenshot via YouTube)</p>
<p>Tyler Oakley releases his documentary <a href="http://www.snervous.com" type="external">“Snervous”</a>on iTunes, Google Play and in select theaters on Friday, Dec. 11. An advanced screening of the film will be shown at Angelika Film Center (2911 District Ave., Fairfax, Va.) on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Oakley, 26, has more than seven million subscribers on YouTube and has garnered more than 500 million total views on all his videos put together.</p>
<p>“I’m not making skits, I’m not making films. So in that sense I guess you could call it like a personality,” Oakley says in the trailer.</p>
<p>The YouTube star has made a name for himself doing silly things with his friends and family. Some of his most popular videos include him watching his own birth with his mother, eating chicken nuggets with his best friend, lip synching to Nicki Minaj and getting drunk while trying to spell words.</p>
<p>Oakley has also been an advocate for helping LGBT youth and is very involved in the Trevor Project, hosting an annual Trevor Project fundraiser every year.</p>
<p>The documentary chronicles his rise to fame from YouTube and the national tour he embarked on to meet fans as a result. It also takes a look at his personal life and how being gay affected his life growing up and his relationship with his father.</p>
<p>Oakley, along with his friend fellow gay YouTuber Korey Kuhl, will appear as a team on the next season of “The Amazing Race.”</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Angelika Film Center</a> <a href="" type="internal">Google Play</a> <a href="" type="internal">itunes</a> <a href="" type="internal">Korey Kuhl</a> <a href="" type="internal">Snervous</a> <a href="" type="internal">The Amazing Race</a> <a href="" type="internal">Trevor Project</a> <a href="" type="internal">Tyler Oakley</a> <a href="" type="internal">youtube</a></p> | YouTuber Oakley releases documentary ‘Snervous’ | false | http://washingtonblade.com/2015/12/09/youtuber-oakley-releases-documentary-snervous/ | 3left-center
| YouTuber Oakley releases documentary ‘Snervous’
<p>(Screenshot via YouTube)</p>
<p>Tyler Oakley releases his documentary <a href="http://www.snervous.com" type="external">“Snervous”</a>on iTunes, Google Play and in select theaters on Friday, Dec. 11. An advanced screening of the film will be shown at Angelika Film Center (2911 District Ave., Fairfax, Va.) on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Oakley, 26, has more than seven million subscribers on YouTube and has garnered more than 500 million total views on all his videos put together.</p>
<p>“I’m not making skits, I’m not making films. So in that sense I guess you could call it like a personality,” Oakley says in the trailer.</p>
<p>The YouTube star has made a name for himself doing silly things with his friends and family. Some of his most popular videos include him watching his own birth with his mother, eating chicken nuggets with his best friend, lip synching to Nicki Minaj and getting drunk while trying to spell words.</p>
<p>Oakley has also been an advocate for helping LGBT youth and is very involved in the Trevor Project, hosting an annual Trevor Project fundraiser every year.</p>
<p>The documentary chronicles his rise to fame from YouTube and the national tour he embarked on to meet fans as a result. It also takes a look at his personal life and how being gay affected his life growing up and his relationship with his father.</p>
<p>Oakley, along with his friend fellow gay YouTuber Korey Kuhl, will appear as a team on the next season of “The Amazing Race.”</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Angelika Film Center</a> <a href="" type="internal">Google Play</a> <a href="" type="internal">itunes</a> <a href="" type="internal">Korey Kuhl</a> <a href="" type="internal">Snervous</a> <a href="" type="internal">The Amazing Race</a> <a href="" type="internal">Trevor Project</a> <a href="" type="internal">Tyler Oakley</a> <a href="" type="internal">youtube</a></p> | 599,400 |
|
<p />
<p>Comedian and activist Russell Brand has urged his fans to vote for Labour Party leader Ed Miliband and the Labour Party in Thursday’s general election in the United Kingdom. The interview with Miliband, who is running for prime minister, was uploaded to Brand’s YouTube political channel, “The Trews,” on April 29. The exchange with the politician seems to have persuaded the activist-actor to finally want to vote.</p>
<p>Brand made headlines over much of the world in October 2013 when he went on the BBC’s “Newsnight” to debate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Paxman" type="external">Jeremy Paxman</a> on why people <a href="" type="internal">should not vote</a>. Up until this week Brand had advocated not voting in part because of his belief that voting feeds the “corporate hegemony.” <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/04/russell-brand-changes-mind-about-voting-and-urges-support-for-labour" type="external">The Guardian</a> reports:</p>
<p>As part of the endorsement [of Miliband], which came at the end of his summary of a month of political interviews, Brand also addressed his previous comments during an interview with Jeremy Paxman on the BBC’s Newsnight that people should not bother voting, saying he had learned since then.</p>
<p>“I know I’ve been Mr. Don’t Vote but what I mean is politics isn’t something we can just be involved in once every five years, not just elections. Democracy is something you should be constantly involved in.”</p>
<p />
<p>The comedian also said Miliband was not perfect but he believed he was the most likely person to listen to people’s concerns.</p>
<p>Here is Brand’s interview of Miliband:</p>
<p />
<p>Below is the video of Brand explaining why he believes people should vote in this week’s U.K. election:</p>
<p /> | VIDEO: Russell Brand: 'Mr. Don't Vote' Changes Mind | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/video-russell-brand-mr-dont-vote-changes-mind/ | 2015-05-06 | 4left
| VIDEO: Russell Brand: 'Mr. Don't Vote' Changes Mind
<p />
<p>Comedian and activist Russell Brand has urged his fans to vote for Labour Party leader Ed Miliband and the Labour Party in Thursday’s general election in the United Kingdom. The interview with Miliband, who is running for prime minister, was uploaded to Brand’s YouTube political channel, “The Trews,” on April 29. The exchange with the politician seems to have persuaded the activist-actor to finally want to vote.</p>
<p>Brand made headlines over much of the world in October 2013 when he went on the BBC’s “Newsnight” to debate <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Paxman" type="external">Jeremy Paxman</a> on why people <a href="" type="internal">should not vote</a>. Up until this week Brand had advocated not voting in part because of his belief that voting feeds the “corporate hegemony.” <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/04/russell-brand-changes-mind-about-voting-and-urges-support-for-labour" type="external">The Guardian</a> reports:</p>
<p>As part of the endorsement [of Miliband], which came at the end of his summary of a month of political interviews, Brand also addressed his previous comments during an interview with Jeremy Paxman on the BBC’s Newsnight that people should not bother voting, saying he had learned since then.</p>
<p>“I know I’ve been Mr. Don’t Vote but what I mean is politics isn’t something we can just be involved in once every five years, not just elections. Democracy is something you should be constantly involved in.”</p>
<p />
<p>The comedian also said Miliband was not perfect but he believed he was the most likely person to listen to people’s concerns.</p>
<p>Here is Brand’s interview of Miliband:</p>
<p />
<p>Below is the video of Brand explaining why he believes people should vote in this week’s U.K. election:</p>
<p /> | 599,401 |
<p>What do First Lady Pat Nixon, the chicken dance, a yellow room and a war ritual performance have in common? Apparently, the California art scene in the 1970’s.</p>
<p>Beginning on Sunday, June 23, State of Mind: New California Art circa 1970 makes its only East Coast stop at the <a href="http://www.bronxmuseum.org/" type="external">Bronx Museum of the Arts</a>. The exhibition captures the far-flung nature of an art world where anything goes, and is organized into various themes that era touched on, including feminism, war, psychology and the art of making art.</p>
<p>Exceptionally curated by Constance Lewallen and Karen Moss, the exhibition features well known artists like Paul McCarthy, Bruce Nauman and Lynn Hershman, but also lesser known artists whose work still shaped an art culture that may have unwillingly left a huge imprint.</p>
<p>Of particular note in the exhibit are the works that touch on issues of politics and feminism. Pictured above is Martha Rosler’s First Lady (Pat Nixon) from her series House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home. In this series, Rosler attempted to juxtapose the complacency of domestic American life with the horrors of the world, and the Vietnam War in particular. In this work, the painting behind Mrs. Nixon is replaced by the iconic final scene in Bonnie and Clyde, where Bonnie is riddled with bullets, and was meant to symbolize the excessive violence in our culture. Other photomontage works by Rosler also stand out, including <a href="http://museum.cornell.edu/collections/view/bowl-of-fruit.html" type="external">Bowl of Fruit</a>, in which she took soft-core porn from men’s magazines and transposed them onto scenes of domesticity—an unmistakable criticism of the role of women in society.</p>
<p>The exhibition also opens with a nod to the rise of performance art during this time with a reenactment, nearly 40 years later, of War Games, which was done by Darryl Sapien and Michael A. Hinton at Third and Howard Streets in San Francisco in 1973, and was meant to recall an era in which disputes were handled in a more personal manner. On Sunday, the performance will be completed by their sons, Joaquin Sapien and Jeffrey Hinton.</p>
<p>This exhibition, which runs through September 8th, is well worth the quick subway ride this summer.</p> | California Takes New York | true | https://thedailybeast.com/california-takes-new-york | 2018-10-04 | 4left
| California Takes New York
<p>What do First Lady Pat Nixon, the chicken dance, a yellow room and a war ritual performance have in common? Apparently, the California art scene in the 1970’s.</p>
<p>Beginning on Sunday, June 23, State of Mind: New California Art circa 1970 makes its only East Coast stop at the <a href="http://www.bronxmuseum.org/" type="external">Bronx Museum of the Arts</a>. The exhibition captures the far-flung nature of an art world where anything goes, and is organized into various themes that era touched on, including feminism, war, psychology and the art of making art.</p>
<p>Exceptionally curated by Constance Lewallen and Karen Moss, the exhibition features well known artists like Paul McCarthy, Bruce Nauman and Lynn Hershman, but also lesser known artists whose work still shaped an art culture that may have unwillingly left a huge imprint.</p>
<p>Of particular note in the exhibit are the works that touch on issues of politics and feminism. Pictured above is Martha Rosler’s First Lady (Pat Nixon) from her series House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home. In this series, Rosler attempted to juxtapose the complacency of domestic American life with the horrors of the world, and the Vietnam War in particular. In this work, the painting behind Mrs. Nixon is replaced by the iconic final scene in Bonnie and Clyde, where Bonnie is riddled with bullets, and was meant to symbolize the excessive violence in our culture. Other photomontage works by Rosler also stand out, including <a href="http://museum.cornell.edu/collections/view/bowl-of-fruit.html" type="external">Bowl of Fruit</a>, in which she took soft-core porn from men’s magazines and transposed them onto scenes of domesticity—an unmistakable criticism of the role of women in society.</p>
<p>The exhibition also opens with a nod to the rise of performance art during this time with a reenactment, nearly 40 years later, of War Games, which was done by Darryl Sapien and Michael A. Hinton at Third and Howard Streets in San Francisco in 1973, and was meant to recall an era in which disputes were handled in a more personal manner. On Sunday, the performance will be completed by their sons, Joaquin Sapien and Jeffrey Hinton.</p>
<p>This exhibition, which runs through September 8th, is well worth the quick subway ride this summer.</p> | 599,402 |
<p>ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the New York Lottery's "Numbers Evening" game were:</p>
<p>0-2-3, Lucky Sum: 5</p>
<p>(zero, two, three; Lucky Sum: five)</p>
<p>ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the New York Lottery's "Numbers Evening" game were:</p>
<p>0-2-3, Lucky Sum: 5</p>
<p>(zero, two, three; Lucky Sum: five)</p> | Winning numbers drawn in 'Numbers Evening' game | false | https://apnews.com/amp/55a9cec132cd42fa9c25931d89f81031 | 2018-01-17 | 2least
| Winning numbers drawn in 'Numbers Evening' game
<p>ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the New York Lottery's "Numbers Evening" game were:</p>
<p>0-2-3, Lucky Sum: 5</p>
<p>(zero, two, three; Lucky Sum: five)</p>
<p>ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday evening's drawing of the New York Lottery's "Numbers Evening" game were:</p>
<p>0-2-3, Lucky Sum: 5</p>
<p>(zero, two, three; Lucky Sum: five)</p> | 599,403 |
<p>From LA Times:</p>
<p>The Rose Parade has long been a magnet for protesters looking for global attention for their causes and grievances.</p>
<p>Native Americans once threw a balloon filled with red paint onto the parade route to represent the spilling of Indian blood.&#160; <a href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/health/diseases-illnesses/aids-HEDAI000003.topic" type="external">AIDS</a>&#160;activists interrupted the parade by staging a sit-in. One year, a Pasadena mayor wore a “Tournament of Racists” t-shirt to protest what he saw as the parade’s lack of ethnic diversity.</p>
<p>But this year, Tournament of Roses organizers and Pasadena police are gearing up for something different as Occupy protesters, fresh from their encampments across the country, plan to converge on Pasadena. Like activists in the past, they are hoping to widen their impact with an estimated domestic TV audience of 50 million people and about 700,000 people along the route.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-occupy-rose-parade-20111222,0,531149.story?track=rss" type="external">(Read Full Article)</a></p>
<p>Photo courtesy of Dave Proffer, flickr</p> | Occupy protesters take aim at Rose Parade | false | http://capoliticalreview.com/trending/occupy-protesters-take-aim-at-rose-parade/ | 2011-12-24 | 1right-center
| Occupy protesters take aim at Rose Parade
<p>From LA Times:</p>
<p>The Rose Parade has long been a magnet for protesters looking for global attention for their causes and grievances.</p>
<p>Native Americans once threw a balloon filled with red paint onto the parade route to represent the spilling of Indian blood.&#160; <a href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/health/diseases-illnesses/aids-HEDAI000003.topic" type="external">AIDS</a>&#160;activists interrupted the parade by staging a sit-in. One year, a Pasadena mayor wore a “Tournament of Racists” t-shirt to protest what he saw as the parade’s lack of ethnic diversity.</p>
<p>But this year, Tournament of Roses organizers and Pasadena police are gearing up for something different as Occupy protesters, fresh from their encampments across the country, plan to converge on Pasadena. Like activists in the past, they are hoping to widen their impact with an estimated domestic TV audience of 50 million people and about 700,000 people along the route.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/la-me-occupy-rose-parade-20111222,0,531149.story?track=rss" type="external">(Read Full Article)</a></p>
<p>Photo courtesy of Dave Proffer, flickr</p> | 599,404 |
<p>and Jeffrey St Clair are available to speak forcefully on ALL the burning issues, as are other CounterPunchers seasoned in stump oratory. Call CounterPunch Speakers Bureau, 1-800-840-3683. Or email <a href="mailto:[email protected]." type="external">[email protected].</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">The Occupation by Patrick Cockburn</a></p>
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<p><a href="" type="internal">Bruce Springsteen On Tour By Dave Marsh</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1583227121/counterpunchmaga" type="external">The Book on 9/11 the White House Denounced as “ABSOLUTE GARBAGE”</a></p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | The Message of Campaign 2006 | true | https://counterpunch.org/2006/11/06/the-message-of-campaign-2006-2/ | 2006-11-06 | 4left
| The Message of Campaign 2006
<p>and Jeffrey St Clair are available to speak forcefully on ALL the burning issues, as are other CounterPunchers seasoned in stump oratory. Call CounterPunch Speakers Bureau, 1-800-840-3683. Or email <a href="mailto:[email protected]." type="external">[email protected].</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">The Occupation by Patrick Cockburn</a></p>
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<p><a href="" type="internal">Bruce Springsteen On Tour By Dave Marsh</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1583227121/counterpunchmaga" type="external">The Book on 9/11 the White House Denounced as “ABSOLUTE GARBAGE”</a></p>
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<p />
<p>A couple accounts have come out that illustrate how Joe Biden works and thinks. I think they provide a pretty interesting look into the mind of the man who may become vice president. Here’s <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_22/guest/27604-1.html" type="external">one</a> from a former U.S. ambassador to Romania:</p>
<p>In the aftermath of NATO’s success in stopping ethnic cleaning in Kosovo, Cabinet members and Members of Congress stopped in Bucharest to thank the Romanians for their support of NATO and get a feel for where the Balkan region was going in its aftermath.</p>
<p>Unlike some of the other visitors whose approach was helpful but remarkably relaxed, Biden was a whirlwind of inquiry, analysis and commentary from the time he landed at Otopeni airport.</p>
<p>On the 20-minute drive into the city, he quizzed me on Romanian attitudes, the status of various government leaders and the inside story on Romania’s foreign policy toward Slobodan Milosevic, who was still in power next door in Yugoslavia. Because Biden has known all the major Romanian leaders since the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, the questions were Ph.D. level, not Romania 101. That was remarkable in itself since he is no specialist on Romania; he could do the same, landing in dozens of nations around the world.</p>
<p>There’s a lot more there; <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_22/guest/27604-1.html" type="external">check it out</a>. And here’s a <a href="http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/biden_interview_2004.php" type="external">very long interview</a> Biden did with Josh Marshall in 2004 — the section below pertains to a visit Biden had with Muammar Qaddafi after Libya <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3335965.stm" type="external">gave up its WMD programs</a>. Biden emerges as a fascinating character — tough, vulgar, down-to-earth, and an expert practitioner of hard-nosed diplomacy.</p>
<p>BIDEN: And as for Qaddafi making the deal? That deal was made two months before we went into Iraq and Qaddafi was very straightforward with me. I mean this was one hard-assed son of a bitch. This guy looked like he had — as big as cue balls, this guy was serious. I looked at him like, whoa, this guy’s like shoe leather… I always put things in the context of me looking at the other guy in the field. Do I know that he knows that I know that I can beat him? Or does he know that I know that he can beat me? Well, look at Qaddafi, it’s like — yo, Richie, this guy, I wouldn’t screw with this guy… he says, “You have a question” — I’m paraphrasing — “do you have a question?”</p>
<p>And I said, “Yeah, why, why the change of heart?” And he says, “The real question is” — through an interpreter — “The real question is, why did we get off this way, why did you sanction me in the first place?”</p>
<p>I looked at him and said, “That’s easy. You’re a terrorist.” I didn’t mince, I said, “You are a terrorist.” I said, you know I leaned to him and said, “You’ve engaged in supporting terrorists. Matter of fact, you blew up 35 of the kids who went to my alma mater along with another hundred or so people. You’re a terrorist, that’s why.”</p>
<p>He sits there and he goes like this, he goes, “That’s logical.” (laughs) I mean the guy was great! And I said, “So, Okay. Tell me why.” And he went, Well — I’m paraphrasing — “Nuclear weapons didn’t help you very much in Vietnam, they didn’t help you in Iraq and if I ever used them you’d blow me away.” Not my phrase, blow me away, but whatever he said, you know. And they’re expensive, they didn’t do anything for me. So what do I need ’em for? Deterrence works for states.</p>
<p>Second, he says… the best one was about terrorist groups. I said to him, I said, “Why refrain from supporting terror?” And he says the following — chime in if you have — if I leave some of — he said, I supported the PLO, the ANC, the IRA, Hamas, and he listed, the Sandinistas —</p>
<p>AIDE: He went way back.</p>
<p>BIDEN: He went way back. He went back and named people I wasn’t even sure he ever supported. And he looks at me and he says — I forget the exact phrase — he says, And they made their own bargains.</p>
<p>AIDE: He said they’ve all been on the White House lawn.</p>
<p>BIDEN: Yeah, he said, they’ve all been on the White House lawn. (laughs) And he says, So basically — I forget the phrase — but he said, “Why should I be purer than they? I’m getting penalized for this, these buys are cutting their own deals.” But the phrase was, “and they all ended up on the White House lawn.” Gerry Adams, Yassir Arafat, etc.</p>
<p>So it’s basically like, what am I doing this for? So he looks at me and he says, “That’s the reason.”</p>
<p>And I said, jokingly, “That’s logical.”</p>
<p>And the next thing he says, he said, And by the way, he says, “We’re an Athenian democracy.” That was the phrase he used about what kind of democracy he is.</p>
<p>And I said, “That’s amazing.” I mean this is the nature — no joke. I said, “That’s amazing. That means your parliament can vote you out of office?”</p>
<p>He said, “No, I’m the revolutionary, I started the revolution.”</p>
<p>I said, “We had a guy like that, his name was George Washington.” I said, “We only kept him for eight years and got rid of him.”</p>
<p>He looked at me and I said, “You know, I’m moving to Libya.” I said, “I like this job security.” I said, “Can I run for the job?”</p>
<p>And he laughed, first time he smiled, he cracked a smile, he kinda laughed. I said, “I love this kind of democracy.” This is great.</p>
<p /> | Biden at Work | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2008/08/biden-work/ | 2008-08-27 | 4left
| Biden at Work
<p />
<p>A couple accounts have come out that illustrate how Joe Biden works and thinks. I think they provide a pretty interesting look into the mind of the man who may become vice president. Here’s <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_22/guest/27604-1.html" type="external">one</a> from a former U.S. ambassador to Romania:</p>
<p>In the aftermath of NATO’s success in stopping ethnic cleaning in Kosovo, Cabinet members and Members of Congress stopped in Bucharest to thank the Romanians for their support of NATO and get a feel for where the Balkan region was going in its aftermath.</p>
<p>Unlike some of the other visitors whose approach was helpful but remarkably relaxed, Biden was a whirlwind of inquiry, analysis and commentary from the time he landed at Otopeni airport.</p>
<p>On the 20-minute drive into the city, he quizzed me on Romanian attitudes, the status of various government leaders and the inside story on Romania’s foreign policy toward Slobodan Milosevic, who was still in power next door in Yugoslavia. Because Biden has known all the major Romanian leaders since the dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, the questions were Ph.D. level, not Romania 101. That was remarkable in itself since he is no specialist on Romania; he could do the same, landing in dozens of nations around the world.</p>
<p>There’s a lot more there; <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_22/guest/27604-1.html" type="external">check it out</a>. And here’s a <a href="http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/08/biden_interview_2004.php" type="external">very long interview</a> Biden did with Josh Marshall in 2004 — the section below pertains to a visit Biden had with Muammar Qaddafi after Libya <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3335965.stm" type="external">gave up its WMD programs</a>. Biden emerges as a fascinating character — tough, vulgar, down-to-earth, and an expert practitioner of hard-nosed diplomacy.</p>
<p>BIDEN: And as for Qaddafi making the deal? That deal was made two months before we went into Iraq and Qaddafi was very straightforward with me. I mean this was one hard-assed son of a bitch. This guy looked like he had — as big as cue balls, this guy was serious. I looked at him like, whoa, this guy’s like shoe leather… I always put things in the context of me looking at the other guy in the field. Do I know that he knows that I know that I can beat him? Or does he know that I know that he can beat me? Well, look at Qaddafi, it’s like — yo, Richie, this guy, I wouldn’t screw with this guy… he says, “You have a question” — I’m paraphrasing — “do you have a question?”</p>
<p>And I said, “Yeah, why, why the change of heart?” And he says, “The real question is” — through an interpreter — “The real question is, why did we get off this way, why did you sanction me in the first place?”</p>
<p>I looked at him and said, “That’s easy. You’re a terrorist.” I didn’t mince, I said, “You are a terrorist.” I said, you know I leaned to him and said, “You’ve engaged in supporting terrorists. Matter of fact, you blew up 35 of the kids who went to my alma mater along with another hundred or so people. You’re a terrorist, that’s why.”</p>
<p>He sits there and he goes like this, he goes, “That’s logical.” (laughs) I mean the guy was great! And I said, “So, Okay. Tell me why.” And he went, Well — I’m paraphrasing — “Nuclear weapons didn’t help you very much in Vietnam, they didn’t help you in Iraq and if I ever used them you’d blow me away.” Not my phrase, blow me away, but whatever he said, you know. And they’re expensive, they didn’t do anything for me. So what do I need ’em for? Deterrence works for states.</p>
<p>Second, he says… the best one was about terrorist groups. I said to him, I said, “Why refrain from supporting terror?” And he says the following — chime in if you have — if I leave some of — he said, I supported the PLO, the ANC, the IRA, Hamas, and he listed, the Sandinistas —</p>
<p>AIDE: He went way back.</p>
<p>BIDEN: He went way back. He went back and named people I wasn’t even sure he ever supported. And he looks at me and he says — I forget the exact phrase — he says, And they made their own bargains.</p>
<p>AIDE: He said they’ve all been on the White House lawn.</p>
<p>BIDEN: Yeah, he said, they’ve all been on the White House lawn. (laughs) And he says, So basically — I forget the phrase — but he said, “Why should I be purer than they? I’m getting penalized for this, these buys are cutting their own deals.” But the phrase was, “and they all ended up on the White House lawn.” Gerry Adams, Yassir Arafat, etc.</p>
<p>So it’s basically like, what am I doing this for? So he looks at me and he says, “That’s the reason.”</p>
<p>And I said, jokingly, “That’s logical.”</p>
<p>And the next thing he says, he said, And by the way, he says, “We’re an Athenian democracy.” That was the phrase he used about what kind of democracy he is.</p>
<p>And I said, “That’s amazing.” I mean this is the nature — no joke. I said, “That’s amazing. That means your parliament can vote you out of office?”</p>
<p>He said, “No, I’m the revolutionary, I started the revolution.”</p>
<p>I said, “We had a guy like that, his name was George Washington.” I said, “We only kept him for eight years and got rid of him.”</p>
<p>He looked at me and I said, “You know, I’m moving to Libya.” I said, “I like this job security.” I said, “Can I run for the job?”</p>
<p>And he laughed, first time he smiled, he cracked a smile, he kinda laughed. I said, “I love this kind of democracy.” This is great.</p>
<p /> | 599,406 |
<p>We’re now in the home stretch of Canada’s federal election campaign — at seventy-eight days, the longest in modern Canadian history and the most important since 1988, when free trade with the United States was the defining issue.</p>
<p>For the first time in Canadian history, it is a close three-way race between the ruling Conservatives, the centrist Liberals, and the social-democratic New Democratic Party (NDP). While the NDP held a slight lead at the beginning of the campaign, the Liberals have&#160;since overtaken them. The party&#160;is now expected to finish third in Monday’s election.</p>
<p>The Liberals have <a href="http://abacusdata.ca/desire-for-change-intensifies-2015election-canada/" type="external">managed to capture</a> the electorate’s desire for change after nine years of Conservative rule.</p>
<p>A change from what? If Harper didn’t create Canada’s neoliberal consensus, his government certainly deepened it, forcing opponents to debate within its terms.</p>
<p>Harper’s economic record has been horrible. Even with rising resource prices — which, though ecologically disastrous, helped Canada avoid the severe economic contraction that hit many advanced capitalist countries — Harper’s economic performance has been worse than any Canadian prime minister since World War II. It was only after his Conservative minority government was nearly toppled that he introduced stimulus spending to deal with the Great Recession.</p>
<p>And while many federal governments have had poor relations with First Nations, Harper’s actions — gutting environmental protections, <a href="http://socialistworker.org/2013/01/29/harpers-attack-on-first-nations" type="external">trying to reform</a> land title on First Nations reserves, proposing contentious First Nations <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/02/09/no-movement-on-controversial-first-nations-education-plan.html" type="external">education reform</a>, and <a href="http://aptn.ca/news/2015/09/09/stephen-harpers-longest-war-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women/" type="external">dismissing</a> repeated calls for an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women — have been particularly egregious, sparking a significant amount of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idle_No_More" type="external">new First Nations activism</a>.</p>
<p>The government’s approach to First Nations’ issues was encapsulated in Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt’s refusal during the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools in Canada <a href="http://www.pressprogress.ca/video_aboriginal_affairs_minister_literally_won_t_stand_up_for_missing_and_murdered_women" type="external">to stand and applaud</a> after a call for such an inquiry for indigenous women. There is now an unprecedented <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/07/canada-first-nations-vote-native-canadian-politics-election" type="external">movement to encourage</a> First Nations to vote to sack Harper.</p>
<p>On the international stage, Canada’s reputation has suffered under the Conservative prime minister. Labeled a “ <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/10/21/canada-climate-change-ranking-oecd-report_n_6024844.html" type="external">climate villain</a>” for declining to seriously tackle climate change, Harper still strongly favors building new pipelines to ship Alberta’s carbon-intensive oil sands to international destinations — and has aggressively lobbied President Obama to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. Though the country cannot provide the type of military aid the US lavishes on Israel, Canada has become Israel’s most fanatic supporter in the diplomatic arena — so much so that <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/05/law-law-canadians-criticise-israel-150517073103880.html" type="external">activists are concerned</a> about how far Harper will go to muzzle criticism of Israel.</p>
<p>Even for leftists generally dispirited by electoral politics, the prospect of an end to Harperism is tantalizing.</p> | Ending Harperism | true | https://jacobinmag.com/2015/10/canada-general-election-ndp-harper-trudeau-mulcair/ | 2018-10-03 | 4left
| Ending Harperism
<p>We’re now in the home stretch of Canada’s federal election campaign — at seventy-eight days, the longest in modern Canadian history and the most important since 1988, when free trade with the United States was the defining issue.</p>
<p>For the first time in Canadian history, it is a close three-way race between the ruling Conservatives, the centrist Liberals, and the social-democratic New Democratic Party (NDP). While the NDP held a slight lead at the beginning of the campaign, the Liberals have&#160;since overtaken them. The party&#160;is now expected to finish third in Monday’s election.</p>
<p>The Liberals have <a href="http://abacusdata.ca/desire-for-change-intensifies-2015election-canada/" type="external">managed to capture</a> the electorate’s desire for change after nine years of Conservative rule.</p>
<p>A change from what? If Harper didn’t create Canada’s neoliberal consensus, his government certainly deepened it, forcing opponents to debate within its terms.</p>
<p>Harper’s economic record has been horrible. Even with rising resource prices — which, though ecologically disastrous, helped Canada avoid the severe economic contraction that hit many advanced capitalist countries — Harper’s economic performance has been worse than any Canadian prime minister since World War II. It was only after his Conservative minority government was nearly toppled that he introduced stimulus spending to deal with the Great Recession.</p>
<p>And while many federal governments have had poor relations with First Nations, Harper’s actions — gutting environmental protections, <a href="http://socialistworker.org/2013/01/29/harpers-attack-on-first-nations" type="external">trying to reform</a> land title on First Nations reserves, proposing contentious First Nations <a href="http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/02/09/no-movement-on-controversial-first-nations-education-plan.html" type="external">education reform</a>, and <a href="http://aptn.ca/news/2015/09/09/stephen-harpers-longest-war-missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women/" type="external">dismissing</a> repeated calls for an inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women — have been particularly egregious, sparking a significant amount of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idle_No_More" type="external">new First Nations activism</a>.</p>
<p>The government’s approach to First Nations’ issues was encapsulated in Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt’s refusal during the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools in Canada <a href="http://www.pressprogress.ca/video_aboriginal_affairs_minister_literally_won_t_stand_up_for_missing_and_murdered_women" type="external">to stand and applaud</a> after a call for such an inquiry for indigenous women. There is now an unprecedented <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/07/canada-first-nations-vote-native-canadian-politics-election" type="external">movement to encourage</a> First Nations to vote to sack Harper.</p>
<p>On the international stage, Canada’s reputation has suffered under the Conservative prime minister. Labeled a “ <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/10/21/canada-climate-change-ranking-oecd-report_n_6024844.html" type="external">climate villain</a>” for declining to seriously tackle climate change, Harper still strongly favors building new pipelines to ship Alberta’s carbon-intensive oil sands to international destinations — and has aggressively lobbied President Obama to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. Though the country cannot provide the type of military aid the US lavishes on Israel, Canada has become Israel’s most fanatic supporter in the diplomatic arena — so much so that <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/05/law-law-canadians-criticise-israel-150517073103880.html" type="external">activists are concerned</a> about how far Harper will go to muzzle criticism of Israel.</p>
<p>Even for leftists generally dispirited by electoral politics, the prospect of an end to Harperism is tantalizing.</p> | 599,407 |
<p>Kids forced out of CHA high-rises by demolition are no better or worse off academically than their peers who have stayed behind, according to a new study.</p>
<p>University of Chicago researcher Brian Jacob looked at school records for 18,369 Chicago Public Schools students who lived in CHA high-rises during the 1990s, comparing those whose buildings were demolished to those whose buildings remained.</p>
<p>“I found that there was no significant difference” in test scores and dropout rates between the two groups, says Jacob.</p>
<p>On average, people displaced by demolition did not move to communities where people moved to and the schools their kids went to. “Demolition,” he says, “did not have the impact of … leading people to move to significantly higher-income neighborhoods or significantly higher-achieving schools.”</p>
<p>Another likely explanation, he suggests, is that moving was a mixed bag: Students may have gotten some benefit from their new neighborhoods and schools, which might have been canceled out by the stress and adjustment of the move itself.</p>
<p>That explanation makes sense to David Kerbow, research associate at the U. of C.’s Center for School Improvement, who has studied student mobility extensively. “In terms of achievement, the effect of a single move is not always dramatic,” says Kerbow. “That was true in my research also. It’s movement that occurs several times over a period that has a cumulative effect. …And I think it is valid that if you move to a school that’s better-organized, then the potential negative effect of mobility can be cancelled out or mitigated.”</p>
<p>“The people who were hoping that this demolition would just be great, and just allow all these families to move to wealthy neighborhoods and get a new start on life– they’re gonna be disappointed,” Jacob predicts.</p>
<p>However, he has found that among his peers in the academic community, some people who favor getting rid of public housing altogether “thought this was great news,” he says. “They say, ‘Since [Section 8] vouchers are so much cheaper [than repairing and maintaining public housing], why not do it [demolish the high-rises], if there’s no negative effect?'”</p>
<p>Jacob says he was a bit surprised—and disappointed—by the results. Many of the kids he studied moved out of Robert Taylor, which he notes is “probably the worst public housing in the country.” Surely, he thought, there would be a positive effect once they moved out. “If anyone shows an effect, it should be kids leaving the worst public housing.” But he found no change.</p>
<p>On the whole, Jacob thinks getting rid of developments like Taylor is a good idea. “Getting rid of this very poor quality housing stock and having some opportunity to de-concentrate poverty … could have positive impacts beyond how well kids do … on standardized tests,” he says. However, it would be better if a plan for new public housing were underway before old building were torn down, he adds.</p>
<p>Jacob’s study, “The Impact of Public Housing Demolitions on Student Achievement in Chicago,” is part of his dissertation at the University’s Harris School of Public Policy. After receiving his doctorate this spring, Jacob will be heading to Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government for a tenure-track teaching position.</p> | Displaced students no better, worse off | false | http://chicagoreporter.com/displaced-students-no-better-worse/ | 2005-07-27 | 3left-center
| Displaced students no better, worse off
<p>Kids forced out of CHA high-rises by demolition are no better or worse off academically than their peers who have stayed behind, according to a new study.</p>
<p>University of Chicago researcher Brian Jacob looked at school records for 18,369 Chicago Public Schools students who lived in CHA high-rises during the 1990s, comparing those whose buildings were demolished to those whose buildings remained.</p>
<p>“I found that there was no significant difference” in test scores and dropout rates between the two groups, says Jacob.</p>
<p>On average, people displaced by demolition did not move to communities where people moved to and the schools their kids went to. “Demolition,” he says, “did not have the impact of … leading people to move to significantly higher-income neighborhoods or significantly higher-achieving schools.”</p>
<p>Another likely explanation, he suggests, is that moving was a mixed bag: Students may have gotten some benefit from their new neighborhoods and schools, which might have been canceled out by the stress and adjustment of the move itself.</p>
<p>That explanation makes sense to David Kerbow, research associate at the U. of C.’s Center for School Improvement, who has studied student mobility extensively. “In terms of achievement, the effect of a single move is not always dramatic,” says Kerbow. “That was true in my research also. It’s movement that occurs several times over a period that has a cumulative effect. …And I think it is valid that if you move to a school that’s better-organized, then the potential negative effect of mobility can be cancelled out or mitigated.”</p>
<p>“The people who were hoping that this demolition would just be great, and just allow all these families to move to wealthy neighborhoods and get a new start on life– they’re gonna be disappointed,” Jacob predicts.</p>
<p>However, he has found that among his peers in the academic community, some people who favor getting rid of public housing altogether “thought this was great news,” he says. “They say, ‘Since [Section 8] vouchers are so much cheaper [than repairing and maintaining public housing], why not do it [demolish the high-rises], if there’s no negative effect?'”</p>
<p>Jacob says he was a bit surprised—and disappointed—by the results. Many of the kids he studied moved out of Robert Taylor, which he notes is “probably the worst public housing in the country.” Surely, he thought, there would be a positive effect once they moved out. “If anyone shows an effect, it should be kids leaving the worst public housing.” But he found no change.</p>
<p>On the whole, Jacob thinks getting rid of developments like Taylor is a good idea. “Getting rid of this very poor quality housing stock and having some opportunity to de-concentrate poverty … could have positive impacts beyond how well kids do … on standardized tests,” he says. However, it would be better if a plan for new public housing were underway before old building were torn down, he adds.</p>
<p>Jacob’s study, “The Impact of Public Housing Demolitions on Student Achievement in Chicago,” is part of his dissertation at the University’s Harris School of Public Policy. After receiving his doctorate this spring, Jacob will be heading to Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government for a tenure-track teaching position.</p> | 599,408 |
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<p />
<p>Curious which Albuquerque public high school is set to receive the most dollars per student this year?</p>
<p>An analysis of the Albuquerque Public Schools’ 2014-15 budget shows Volcano Vista High School in the northwest part of the city is set to receive $3,327 per student – the least amount of funding per pupil among the high schools. District officials say a major reason for the difference in per-student funding has to do with demographics. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>That would be Rio Grande High School, budgeted to receive $1,048 more per student than Volcano Vista, which is scheduled to receive the least amount of funding per pupil.</p>
<p>An analysis of APS’ 2014-15 budget shows Rio Grande is slated to get $4,375 per student when you include the operating funds APS disburses along with grant dollars from federal, state and local governments. That is 31 percent more per student than Volcano Vista High School, which was budgeted $3,327 per student.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>A major reason for the difference in the per-student funding has to do with school demographics, APS officials said. Schools receive more money to educate poor students and special education students.</p>
<p>Another factor is the size of the school – smaller schools tend to receive more per student.</p>
<p>“Budgeting for public schools is very complicated because there are so many factors,” APS spokeswoman Johanna King said.</p>
<p>Don Moya, APS chief financial officer, acknowledged that a lot of factors go into determining which schools get what.</p>
<p>And in the end, “I think our method of allocating money to schools is good,” he said.</p>
<p>Also, budget adjustments occur throughout the year. For example, once the school year has started, the district updates its budget to reflect actual enrollment, he said.</p>
<p>“This is a plan,” Moya said of the budget. “It isn’t actually what’s spent.”</p>
<p>Joining Rio Grande among the schools budgeted the most per student were Highland at $4,361, West Mesa at $4,242 and Del Norte at $4,007. Meanwhile, La Cueva ranks second-lowest at $3,436, and Eldorado ranks third from the bottom at $3,443.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Poverty factory</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />A major factor in determining what schools get more money is poverty. The schools that are budgeted the least amount of money per student have the least amount of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.</p>
<p>La Cueva’s free and reduced rate is 16 percent, Eldorado’s is 22 percent and Volcano Vista’s is 27 percent.</p>
<p>Conversely, Rio Grande ranks second highest at 82.3 percent qualifying for free or reduced lunches, Highland ranks third with 81 percent and West Mesa is fourth at 77 percent.</p>
<p>A seeming outlier is Atrisco Heritage Academy. The school ranks No. 1 among the traditional high schools in student poverty – 84 percent of its students qualifying for free and reduced lunch – but ranks seventh in per-student spending at $3,681.</p>
<p>One reason is the size of the school. When comparing per-student school spending, people must keep in mind the economies of scale that make it less expensive to staff larger schools, Moya said.</p>
<p>Atrisco Heritage is the biggest school in the state with an enrollment of 2,336.</p>
<p>Moya said the number of administrative employees at a larger school is not that much more than that of a smaller school. As such, the district spends less on a per-student basis at large schools like Atrisco Heritage, but that doesn’t mean it’s spending less on instruction at those schools, Moya said.</p>
<p>State tax dollars</p>
<p>APS creates a budget that disburses money to each of its schools based on enrollment and student demographics, Moya said.</p>
<p>Most of the money that goes to schools comes from the state tax dollars that are funneled through New Mexico’s education funding formula, which disburses money on a per-student basis, although different students are weighted more heavily based on need.</p>
<p>For example, the formula provides more funding for a special education student than a general education student.</p>
<p>When building a school’s budget, district officials look at its enrollment and allocates enough money to meet the school’s staffing needs, said Debora Warren, executive director of budget and strategic planning.</p>
<p>“That’s basically how we start,” she said.</p>
<p>The district also provides schools with money for supplies based strictly on enrollment, Warren said.</p>
<p>The district then disburses discretionary funds – money individual schools choose how to budget – based on student demographics. For example, it provides more money to schools with higher levels of student poverty, student mobility, the number of special needs students and other factors.</p>
<p>That is part of the reason why schools don’t receive the exact same dollar amount per student, Moya said.</p>
<p>Grant money</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />Schools receive varying amounts of money from the federal government, including tax dollars that go to help educate poor and special education children, as well as state and local government grants that go to fund education.</p>
<p>The amount of this type of money that makes its way to the district’s schools varies dramatically.</p>
<p>Rio Grande, for example, received $951,323 – or $625 per student – this year from these types of outside dollars, which was the most in the district.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Volcano Vista received only a total of $1,125 in those types of funds, or 52 cents per student.</p>
<p>Capital money</p>
<p>Another source of money for schools – not included in the figures above – is the School Improvement Program fund.</p>
<p>Money from the SIP fund can be used to buy computer equipment, software and other technology. It also can be used to furnish school buildings and to buy activity vehicles to transport students to extracurricular activities, among other uses, according to district budget documents.</p>
<p>Schools receive equal amounts of funding from the SIP fund, which was established to provide schools with discretionary money for capital projects unique to each school site not identified in the district’s capital master plan, according to district documents.</p>
<p>The SIP fund comes out of the district’s capital fund – which is comprised of property tax dollars raised during bond elections – that goes to pay for new construction, major remodeling projects and technology purchases. The SIP fund amounts to 1 percent of the district’s total capital budget.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p />
<p /> | Counting the dollars at APS high schools | false | https://abqjournal.com/528277/a-look-at-the-funding-for-high-schools-in-aps.html | 2least
| Counting the dollars at APS high schools
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Curious which Albuquerque public high school is set to receive the most dollars per student this year?</p>
<p>An analysis of the Albuquerque Public Schools’ 2014-15 budget shows Volcano Vista High School in the northwest part of the city is set to receive $3,327 per student – the least amount of funding per pupil among the high schools. District officials say a major reason for the difference in per-student funding has to do with demographics. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>That would be Rio Grande High School, budgeted to receive $1,048 more per student than Volcano Vista, which is scheduled to receive the least amount of funding per pupil.</p>
<p>An analysis of APS’ 2014-15 budget shows Rio Grande is slated to get $4,375 per student when you include the operating funds APS disburses along with grant dollars from federal, state and local governments. That is 31 percent more per student than Volcano Vista High School, which was budgeted $3,327 per student.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>A major reason for the difference in the per-student funding has to do with school demographics, APS officials said. Schools receive more money to educate poor students and special education students.</p>
<p>Another factor is the size of the school – smaller schools tend to receive more per student.</p>
<p>“Budgeting for public schools is very complicated because there are so many factors,” APS spokeswoman Johanna King said.</p>
<p>Don Moya, APS chief financial officer, acknowledged that a lot of factors go into determining which schools get what.</p>
<p>And in the end, “I think our method of allocating money to schools is good,” he said.</p>
<p>Also, budget adjustments occur throughout the year. For example, once the school year has started, the district updates its budget to reflect actual enrollment, he said.</p>
<p>“This is a plan,” Moya said of the budget. “It isn’t actually what’s spent.”</p>
<p>Joining Rio Grande among the schools budgeted the most per student were Highland at $4,361, West Mesa at $4,242 and Del Norte at $4,007. Meanwhile, La Cueva ranks second-lowest at $3,436, and Eldorado ranks third from the bottom at $3,443.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Poverty factory</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />A major factor in determining what schools get more money is poverty. The schools that are budgeted the least amount of money per student have the least amount of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch.</p>
<p>La Cueva’s free and reduced rate is 16 percent, Eldorado’s is 22 percent and Volcano Vista’s is 27 percent.</p>
<p>Conversely, Rio Grande ranks second highest at 82.3 percent qualifying for free or reduced lunches, Highland ranks third with 81 percent and West Mesa is fourth at 77 percent.</p>
<p>A seeming outlier is Atrisco Heritage Academy. The school ranks No. 1 among the traditional high schools in student poverty – 84 percent of its students qualifying for free and reduced lunch – but ranks seventh in per-student spending at $3,681.</p>
<p>One reason is the size of the school. When comparing per-student school spending, people must keep in mind the economies of scale that make it less expensive to staff larger schools, Moya said.</p>
<p>Atrisco Heritage is the biggest school in the state with an enrollment of 2,336.</p>
<p>Moya said the number of administrative employees at a larger school is not that much more than that of a smaller school. As such, the district spends less on a per-student basis at large schools like Atrisco Heritage, but that doesn’t mean it’s spending less on instruction at those schools, Moya said.</p>
<p>State tax dollars</p>
<p>APS creates a budget that disburses money to each of its schools based on enrollment and student demographics, Moya said.</p>
<p>Most of the money that goes to schools comes from the state tax dollars that are funneled through New Mexico’s education funding formula, which disburses money on a per-student basis, although different students are weighted more heavily based on need.</p>
<p>For example, the formula provides more funding for a special education student than a general education student.</p>
<p>When building a school’s budget, district officials look at its enrollment and allocates enough money to meet the school’s staffing needs, said Debora Warren, executive director of budget and strategic planning.</p>
<p>“That’s basically how we start,” she said.</p>
<p>The district also provides schools with money for supplies based strictly on enrollment, Warren said.</p>
<p>The district then disburses discretionary funds – money individual schools choose how to budget – based on student demographics. For example, it provides more money to schools with higher levels of student poverty, student mobility, the number of special needs students and other factors.</p>
<p>That is part of the reason why schools don’t receive the exact same dollar amount per student, Moya said.</p>
<p>Grant money</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />Schools receive varying amounts of money from the federal government, including tax dollars that go to help educate poor and special education children, as well as state and local government grants that go to fund education.</p>
<p>The amount of this type of money that makes its way to the district’s schools varies dramatically.</p>
<p>Rio Grande, for example, received $951,323 – or $625 per student – this year from these types of outside dollars, which was the most in the district.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Volcano Vista received only a total of $1,125 in those types of funds, or 52 cents per student.</p>
<p>Capital money</p>
<p>Another source of money for schools – not included in the figures above – is the School Improvement Program fund.</p>
<p>Money from the SIP fund can be used to buy computer equipment, software and other technology. It also can be used to furnish school buildings and to buy activity vehicles to transport students to extracurricular activities, among other uses, according to district budget documents.</p>
<p>Schools receive equal amounts of funding from the SIP fund, which was established to provide schools with discretionary money for capital projects unique to each school site not identified in the district’s capital master plan, according to district documents.</p>
<p>The SIP fund comes out of the district’s capital fund – which is comprised of property tax dollars raised during bond elections – that goes to pay for new construction, major remodeling projects and technology purchases. The SIP fund amounts to 1 percent of the district’s total capital budget.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p />
<p /> | 599,409 |
|
<p>While nuclear weapons exist, there remains a danger that they will be used.&#160; After all, for centuries national conflicts have led to wars, with nations employing their deadliest weapons.&#160; The current deterioration of U.S. relations with China might end up providing us with yet another example of this phenomenon.</p>
<p>The gathering tension between the United States and China is clear enough.&#160; Disturbed by China’s growing economic and military strength, the U.S. government recently challenged China’s claims in the South China Sea, increased the U.S. military presence in Australia, and deepened U.S. military ties with other nations in the Pacific region.&#160; According to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the United States was “asserting our own position as a Pacific power.”</p>
<p>But need this lead to nuclear war?</p>
<p>Not necessarily.&#160; And yet, there are signs that it could.&#160; After all, both the United States and China possess large numbers of nuclear weapons.&#160; The U.S. government threatened to attack China with nuclear weapons during the Korean War and, later, during the conflict over the future of China’s offshore islands, Quemoy and Matsu.&#160; In the midst of the latter confrontation, President Dwight Eisenhower declared publicly, and chillingly, that U.S. <a href="" type="internal" /> nuclear weapons would “be used just exactly as you would use a bullet or anything else.”</p>
<p>Of course, China didn’t have nuclear weapons then.&#160; Now that it does, perhaps the behavior of national leaders will be more temperate.&#160; But the loose nuclear threats of U.S. and Soviet government officials during the Cold War, when both nations had vast nuclear arsenals, should convince us that, even as the military ante is raised, nuclear saber-rattling persists.</p>
<p>Some pundits argue that nuclear weapons prevent wars between nuclear-armed nations; and, admittedly, there haven’t been very many—at least not yet.&#160; But the Kargil War of 1999, between nuclear-armed India and nuclear-armed Pakistan, should convince us that such wars can occur.&#160; Indeed, in that case, the conflict almost slipped into a nuclear war.&#160; Pakistan’s foreign secretary threatened that, if the war escalated, his country felt free to use “any weapon” in its arsenal.&#160; During the conflict, Pakistan did move nuclear weapons toward its border, while India, it is claimed, readied its own nuclear missiles for an attack on Pakistan.</p>
<p>At the least, though, don’t nuclear weapons deter a nuclear attack?&#160; Do they?&#160; Obviously, NATO leaders didn’t feel deterred, for, throughout the Cold War, NATO’s strategy was to respond to a Soviet conventional military attack on Western Europe by launching a Western nuclear attack on the nuclear-armed Soviet Union.&#160; Furthermore, if U.S. government officials really believed that nuclear deterrence worked, they would not have resorted to championing “Star Wars” and its modern variant, national missile defense.&#160; Why are these vastly expensive—and probably unworkable—military defense systems needed if other nuclear powers are deterred from attacking by U.S. nuclear might?</p>
<p>Of course, the bottom line for those Americans convinced that nuclear weapons safeguard them from a Chinese nuclear attack might be that the U.S. nuclear arsenal is far greater than its Chinese counterpart.&#160; Today, it is estimated that the U.S. government possesses over five thousand nuclear warheads, while the Chinese government has a total inventory of roughly three hundred.&#160; Moreover, only about forty of these Chinese nuclear weapons can reach the United States.&#160; Surely the United States would “win” any nuclear war with China.</p>
<p>But what would that “victory” entail?&#160; A nuclear attack by China would immediately slaughter at least 10 million Americans in a great storm of blast and fire, while leaving many more dying horribly of sickness and radiation poisoning.&#160; The Chinese death toll in a nuclear war would be far higher.&#160; Both nations would be reduced to smoldering, radioactive wastelands.&#160; Also, radioactive debris sent aloft by the nuclear explosions would blot out the sun and bring on a “nuclear winter” around the globe—destroying agriculture, creating worldwide famine, and generating chaos and destruction.</p>
<p>Moreover, in another decade the extent of this catastrophe would be far worse.&#160; The Chinese government is currently expanding its nuclear arsenal, and by the year 2020 it is expected to more than double its number of nuclear weapons that can hit the United States.&#160; The U.S. government, in turn, has plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars “modernizing” its nuclear weapons and nuclear production facilities over the next decade.</p>
<p>To avert the enormous disaster of a U.S.-China nuclear war, there are two obvious actions that can be taken.&#160; The first is to get rid of nuclear weapons, as the nuclear powers have agreed to do but thus far have resisted doing.&#160; The second, conducted while the nuclear disarmament process is occurring, is to improve U.S.-China relations.&#160; If the American and Chinese people are interested in ensuring their survival and that of the world, they should be working to encourage these policies.</p>
<p>Lawrence S. Wittner&#160;is emeritus professor of History at the State University of New York/Albany. His latest book is&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Confronting the Bomb: A Short History of the World Nuclear Disarmament Movement</a>&#160;(Stanford University Press).</p> | Return to MAD? | true | https://counterpunch.org/2011/11/29/return-to-madd/ | 2011-11-29 | 4left
| Return to MAD?
<p>While nuclear weapons exist, there remains a danger that they will be used.&#160; After all, for centuries national conflicts have led to wars, with nations employing their deadliest weapons.&#160; The current deterioration of U.S. relations with China might end up providing us with yet another example of this phenomenon.</p>
<p>The gathering tension between the United States and China is clear enough.&#160; Disturbed by China’s growing economic and military strength, the U.S. government recently challenged China’s claims in the South China Sea, increased the U.S. military presence in Australia, and deepened U.S. military ties with other nations in the Pacific region.&#160; According to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the United States was “asserting our own position as a Pacific power.”</p>
<p>But need this lead to nuclear war?</p>
<p>Not necessarily.&#160; And yet, there are signs that it could.&#160; After all, both the United States and China possess large numbers of nuclear weapons.&#160; The U.S. government threatened to attack China with nuclear weapons during the Korean War and, later, during the conflict over the future of China’s offshore islands, Quemoy and Matsu.&#160; In the midst of the latter confrontation, President Dwight Eisenhower declared publicly, and chillingly, that U.S. <a href="" type="internal" /> nuclear weapons would “be used just exactly as you would use a bullet or anything else.”</p>
<p>Of course, China didn’t have nuclear weapons then.&#160; Now that it does, perhaps the behavior of national leaders will be more temperate.&#160; But the loose nuclear threats of U.S. and Soviet government officials during the Cold War, when both nations had vast nuclear arsenals, should convince us that, even as the military ante is raised, nuclear saber-rattling persists.</p>
<p>Some pundits argue that nuclear weapons prevent wars between nuclear-armed nations; and, admittedly, there haven’t been very many—at least not yet.&#160; But the Kargil War of 1999, between nuclear-armed India and nuclear-armed Pakistan, should convince us that such wars can occur.&#160; Indeed, in that case, the conflict almost slipped into a nuclear war.&#160; Pakistan’s foreign secretary threatened that, if the war escalated, his country felt free to use “any weapon” in its arsenal.&#160; During the conflict, Pakistan did move nuclear weapons toward its border, while India, it is claimed, readied its own nuclear missiles for an attack on Pakistan.</p>
<p>At the least, though, don’t nuclear weapons deter a nuclear attack?&#160; Do they?&#160; Obviously, NATO leaders didn’t feel deterred, for, throughout the Cold War, NATO’s strategy was to respond to a Soviet conventional military attack on Western Europe by launching a Western nuclear attack on the nuclear-armed Soviet Union.&#160; Furthermore, if U.S. government officials really believed that nuclear deterrence worked, they would not have resorted to championing “Star Wars” and its modern variant, national missile defense.&#160; Why are these vastly expensive—and probably unworkable—military defense systems needed if other nuclear powers are deterred from attacking by U.S. nuclear might?</p>
<p>Of course, the bottom line for those Americans convinced that nuclear weapons safeguard them from a Chinese nuclear attack might be that the U.S. nuclear arsenal is far greater than its Chinese counterpart.&#160; Today, it is estimated that the U.S. government possesses over five thousand nuclear warheads, while the Chinese government has a total inventory of roughly three hundred.&#160; Moreover, only about forty of these Chinese nuclear weapons can reach the United States.&#160; Surely the United States would “win” any nuclear war with China.</p>
<p>But what would that “victory” entail?&#160; A nuclear attack by China would immediately slaughter at least 10 million Americans in a great storm of blast and fire, while leaving many more dying horribly of sickness and radiation poisoning.&#160; The Chinese death toll in a nuclear war would be far higher.&#160; Both nations would be reduced to smoldering, radioactive wastelands.&#160; Also, radioactive debris sent aloft by the nuclear explosions would blot out the sun and bring on a “nuclear winter” around the globe—destroying agriculture, creating worldwide famine, and generating chaos and destruction.</p>
<p>Moreover, in another decade the extent of this catastrophe would be far worse.&#160; The Chinese government is currently expanding its nuclear arsenal, and by the year 2020 it is expected to more than double its number of nuclear weapons that can hit the United States.&#160; The U.S. government, in turn, has plans to spend hundreds of billions of dollars “modernizing” its nuclear weapons and nuclear production facilities over the next decade.</p>
<p>To avert the enormous disaster of a U.S.-China nuclear war, there are two obvious actions that can be taken.&#160; The first is to get rid of nuclear weapons, as the nuclear powers have agreed to do but thus far have resisted doing.&#160; The second, conducted while the nuclear disarmament process is occurring, is to improve U.S.-China relations.&#160; If the American and Chinese people are interested in ensuring their survival and that of the world, they should be working to encourage these policies.</p>
<p>Lawrence S. Wittner&#160;is emeritus professor of History at the State University of New York/Albany. His latest book is&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Confronting the Bomb: A Short History of the World Nuclear Disarmament Movement</a>&#160;(Stanford University Press).</p> | 599,410 |
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>I had a close encounter with the president last week-at least as close as someone of my political leanings and lacking James Guckert’s press pass can hope to get. It felt a little like a Leni Riefensthal moment, scripted to the last detail.</p>
<p>The Man was coming to my neighborhood–the Montgomery County Community College gym just a few miles down the road from my house–to take his Social Security wrecking campaign to the people.</p>
<p>I had just covered a press conference by local activists protesting his planned divide-and-conquer strategy of offering private investment funds for the still young and foolish, and decided to swing by the college to see what was happening there. Along the way, which turned out to be the route the president’s motorcade was to take an hour or so later from the Willow Grove Naval Air Station to the college, the security was astonishing. Every police and emergency vehicle in the county seemed to have converged on this stretch of highway. Every driveway and intersection sported a vehicle blocking access. Bridges over the roadway each had what appeared to be a Secret Service SUV parked nearby, lights flashing.</p>
<p>This is clearly a popular fellow, this George W. Bush.</p>
<p>At the campus, I found a parking space near the gym and started walking towards a long line of people stretching back from the door.</p>
<p>At the end of the line were a cop car, one local police officer in uniform, and several very large young men in sports jackets. The cop looked diminutive and inconsequential next to them, and he wasn’t doing anything. The young men were clearly in charge.</p>
<p>I approached them and they looked at me-dressed in jeans and bearded-skeptically, I thought.</p>
<p>“Do you have a ticket?” one of the big guys asked, unsmilingly.</p>
<p>“No. Where do I get one?” I replied.</p>
<p>“You can’t. It’s too late.” Now there was a smile.</p>
<p>“Where did you get them, before it was too late?” I asked him.</p>
<p>“Senator Santorum,” he said, referring to Pennsylvania’s junior and extremely right wing senator, Rick Santorum, who is up for re-election next year.</p>
<p>“How would I have known that?” I asked. “I don’t recall reading any announcements in the media about how to get tickets for the president’s visit.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know,” the young man said. Now the smile had become a smirk.</p>
<p>“Pretty strange way for a president of all the people to behave, don’t you think?” I asked. “I mean, don’t presidents want to have people come to their speaking engagements?”</p>
<p>This time I got no answer.</p>
<p>“So who are you guys?” I asked them. “You don’t look like Secret Service.”</p>
<p>“We’re from the Republican Party,” one of them answered.</p>
<p>“The president’s having the Republican Party handle security for his visit?” I think I sounded a little incredulous. I was. This was, after all, not a campaign appearance; the campaign ended back in early November. This was the president of the United States making a visit to my neighborhood, wasn’t it? So what is the deal here? Saving money on security by having Republican goons do the security, like Hells Angels at a Dead event?</p>
<p>I revealed myself as a member of the press at that point, mentioning In These Times, a publication that had once issued me an identity card. They looked suspicious.</p>
<p>“The White House press officers are arriving with the president,” I was told. “You can talk with them then about getting to cover the event.”</p>
<p>I didn’t have time for that, and was pretty sure I wouldn’t have had any luck on such short notice anyhow, especially with no assignment letter in hand, and wearing a “No War in Iraq” T-Shirt under my parka.</p>
<p>The following day, the local media were full of stories about how the president, speaking to a full room of local residents, had warned about Social Security going “bankrupt” and about how those of us now over the age of 55 had “nothing to worry about” regarding our retirement.</p>
<p>There wasn’t a word about how the adulating audience in that hall had been hand-selected by the office of one of the Senate’s most hard Right members. My guess is that most of the people sent to cover the event didn’t even think to ask how the crowd had been assembled.</p>
<p>No doubt the same thing was repeated across the country at the various venues where the president went to “sell” his “reform” program for Social Security.</p>
<p>Little wonder then that he’s being allowed to get away with presenting this plan to wreck the system as its opposite-a plan to save it.</p>
<p>He only presents it to people who ideologically oppose Social Security, or who are too ill informed to know what he’s up to.</p>
<p>There is something sick going on in this country, when the president has to be so hermetically sealed off from dissent, and when the media is so ready to help to protect him, and the rest of us, from reality.</p>
<p>DAVE LINDORFF is the author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567512283/counterpunchmaga" type="external">Killing Time: an Investigation into the Death Row Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal</a>. His new book of CounterPunch columns titled “ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567512984/counterpunchmaga" type="external">This Can’t be Happening!</a>” is published by Common Courage Press. Information about both books and other work by Lindorff can be found at <a href="http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/" type="external">www.thiscantbehappening.net</a>.</p>
<p>He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p> | When Bush Came to My Neighborhood | true | https://counterpunch.org/2005/02/14/when-bush-came-to-my-neighborhood/ | 2005-02-14 | 4left
| When Bush Came to My Neighborhood
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>I had a close encounter with the president last week-at least as close as someone of my political leanings and lacking James Guckert’s press pass can hope to get. It felt a little like a Leni Riefensthal moment, scripted to the last detail.</p>
<p>The Man was coming to my neighborhood–the Montgomery County Community College gym just a few miles down the road from my house–to take his Social Security wrecking campaign to the people.</p>
<p>I had just covered a press conference by local activists protesting his planned divide-and-conquer strategy of offering private investment funds for the still young and foolish, and decided to swing by the college to see what was happening there. Along the way, which turned out to be the route the president’s motorcade was to take an hour or so later from the Willow Grove Naval Air Station to the college, the security was astonishing. Every police and emergency vehicle in the county seemed to have converged on this stretch of highway. Every driveway and intersection sported a vehicle blocking access. Bridges over the roadway each had what appeared to be a Secret Service SUV parked nearby, lights flashing.</p>
<p>This is clearly a popular fellow, this George W. Bush.</p>
<p>At the campus, I found a parking space near the gym and started walking towards a long line of people stretching back from the door.</p>
<p>At the end of the line were a cop car, one local police officer in uniform, and several very large young men in sports jackets. The cop looked diminutive and inconsequential next to them, and he wasn’t doing anything. The young men were clearly in charge.</p>
<p>I approached them and they looked at me-dressed in jeans and bearded-skeptically, I thought.</p>
<p>“Do you have a ticket?” one of the big guys asked, unsmilingly.</p>
<p>“No. Where do I get one?” I replied.</p>
<p>“You can’t. It’s too late.” Now there was a smile.</p>
<p>“Where did you get them, before it was too late?” I asked him.</p>
<p>“Senator Santorum,” he said, referring to Pennsylvania’s junior and extremely right wing senator, Rick Santorum, who is up for re-election next year.</p>
<p>“How would I have known that?” I asked. “I don’t recall reading any announcements in the media about how to get tickets for the president’s visit.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know,” the young man said. Now the smile had become a smirk.</p>
<p>“Pretty strange way for a president of all the people to behave, don’t you think?” I asked. “I mean, don’t presidents want to have people come to their speaking engagements?”</p>
<p>This time I got no answer.</p>
<p>“So who are you guys?” I asked them. “You don’t look like Secret Service.”</p>
<p>“We’re from the Republican Party,” one of them answered.</p>
<p>“The president’s having the Republican Party handle security for his visit?” I think I sounded a little incredulous. I was. This was, after all, not a campaign appearance; the campaign ended back in early November. This was the president of the United States making a visit to my neighborhood, wasn’t it? So what is the deal here? Saving money on security by having Republican goons do the security, like Hells Angels at a Dead event?</p>
<p>I revealed myself as a member of the press at that point, mentioning In These Times, a publication that had once issued me an identity card. They looked suspicious.</p>
<p>“The White House press officers are arriving with the president,” I was told. “You can talk with them then about getting to cover the event.”</p>
<p>I didn’t have time for that, and was pretty sure I wouldn’t have had any luck on such short notice anyhow, especially with no assignment letter in hand, and wearing a “No War in Iraq” T-Shirt under my parka.</p>
<p>The following day, the local media were full of stories about how the president, speaking to a full room of local residents, had warned about Social Security going “bankrupt” and about how those of us now over the age of 55 had “nothing to worry about” regarding our retirement.</p>
<p>There wasn’t a word about how the adulating audience in that hall had been hand-selected by the office of one of the Senate’s most hard Right members. My guess is that most of the people sent to cover the event didn’t even think to ask how the crowd had been assembled.</p>
<p>No doubt the same thing was repeated across the country at the various venues where the president went to “sell” his “reform” program for Social Security.</p>
<p>Little wonder then that he’s being allowed to get away with presenting this plan to wreck the system as its opposite-a plan to save it.</p>
<p>He only presents it to people who ideologically oppose Social Security, or who are too ill informed to know what he’s up to.</p>
<p>There is something sick going on in this country, when the president has to be so hermetically sealed off from dissent, and when the media is so ready to help to protect him, and the rest of us, from reality.</p>
<p>DAVE LINDORFF is the author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567512283/counterpunchmaga" type="external">Killing Time: an Investigation into the Death Row Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal</a>. His new book of CounterPunch columns titled “ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1567512984/counterpunchmaga" type="external">This Can’t be Happening!</a>” is published by Common Courage Press. Information about both books and other work by Lindorff can be found at <a href="http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/" type="external">www.thiscantbehappening.net</a>.</p>
<p>He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p> | 599,411 |
<p />
<p>Microsoft&#160; (NASDAQ:MSFT) disclosed a 3.7% dip in fiscal second-quarter profits on Thursday, but the software heavyweight's adjusted earnings easily beat Wall Street's expectations.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Shares of the blue-chip tech company ticked about 2% lower in after-hours trading on the better-than-anticipated profits but slight revenue miss.</p>
<p>Microsoft said it earned $6.38 billion, or 76 cents a share, last quarter, compared with a profit of $6.62 billion, or 78 cents a share, a year earlier.</p>
<p>Excluding one-time items, it earned 81 cents a share, beating forecasts from analysts for 75 cents.</p>
<p>Revenue inched up 2.7% to $21.46 billion, trailing the Street's view of $21.53 billion.</p>
<p>"With new Windows devices, including Surface Pro, and the new Office on the horizon, we’ll continue to drive excitement for the Windows ecosystem and deliver our software through devices and services people love and businesses need," CEO Steve Ballmer said in a statement.</p>
<p>Looking ahead, Microsoft reaffirmed its projection for 2013 operating expense of $30.3 billion to $30.9 billion.</p>
<p>Microsoft said its Windows division, which has sold over 60 million Windows 8 licenses to date, generated a 24% year-over-year jump in revenue to $5.88 billion.</p>
<p>On the enterprise front, Microsoft’s server and tools business grew revenue 9% to $5.19 billion thanks to double-digit growth in SQL server and system center.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Microsoft’s business division reported quarterly sales of $5.69 billion, marking a 10% year-over-year drop.</p>
<p>Microsoft said its online services division drove revenue 11% higher to $869 million, while entertainment and devices suffered an 11% tumble to $3.77 billion despite continued Xbox strength.</p>
<p>Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft saw its shares dropped 1.81% to $27.13 in after-hours action. While Microsoft has gained about 3.5% so far in 2013, it has lagged behind the broader markets over the past 12 months with a 7% slide.</p>
<p>Earlier this week FOX Business's Charlie Gasparino reported that Microsoft is exploring an investment in struggling PC maker Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) as part of a joint venture. Dell is said to be in talks with a number of private-equity firms over a leveraged buyout.</p>
<p>Microsoft didn't address the Dell speculation in its earnings report on Thursday.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | Microsoft Logs Mixed 2Q Results as Net Slips 3.7% | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/01/24/microsoft-reports-quarterly-results.html | 2016-01-29 | 0right
| Microsoft Logs Mixed 2Q Results as Net Slips 3.7%
<p />
<p>Microsoft&#160; (NASDAQ:MSFT) disclosed a 3.7% dip in fiscal second-quarter profits on Thursday, but the software heavyweight's adjusted earnings easily beat Wall Street's expectations.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Shares of the blue-chip tech company ticked about 2% lower in after-hours trading on the better-than-anticipated profits but slight revenue miss.</p>
<p>Microsoft said it earned $6.38 billion, or 76 cents a share, last quarter, compared with a profit of $6.62 billion, or 78 cents a share, a year earlier.</p>
<p>Excluding one-time items, it earned 81 cents a share, beating forecasts from analysts for 75 cents.</p>
<p>Revenue inched up 2.7% to $21.46 billion, trailing the Street's view of $21.53 billion.</p>
<p>"With new Windows devices, including Surface Pro, and the new Office on the horizon, we’ll continue to drive excitement for the Windows ecosystem and deliver our software through devices and services people love and businesses need," CEO Steve Ballmer said in a statement.</p>
<p>Looking ahead, Microsoft reaffirmed its projection for 2013 operating expense of $30.3 billion to $30.9 billion.</p>
<p>Microsoft said its Windows division, which has sold over 60 million Windows 8 licenses to date, generated a 24% year-over-year jump in revenue to $5.88 billion.</p>
<p>On the enterprise front, Microsoft’s server and tools business grew revenue 9% to $5.19 billion thanks to double-digit growth in SQL server and system center.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Microsoft’s business division reported quarterly sales of $5.69 billion, marking a 10% year-over-year drop.</p>
<p>Microsoft said its online services division drove revenue 11% higher to $869 million, while entertainment and devices suffered an 11% tumble to $3.77 billion despite continued Xbox strength.</p>
<p>Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft saw its shares dropped 1.81% to $27.13 in after-hours action. While Microsoft has gained about 3.5% so far in 2013, it has lagged behind the broader markets over the past 12 months with a 7% slide.</p>
<p>Earlier this week FOX Business's Charlie Gasparino reported that Microsoft is exploring an investment in struggling PC maker Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) as part of a joint venture. Dell is said to be in talks with a number of private-equity firms over a leveraged buyout.</p>
<p>Microsoft didn't address the Dell speculation in its earnings report on Thursday.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | 599,412 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />AUSTIN, Texas — Charles Schwab Corp. is getting nearly $6 million in incentives from Texas to open an El Paso operations center and increase its presence in Austin, creating more than 1,200 jobs.</p>
<p>Gov. Rick Perry announced Thursday that the financial services company’s Austin expansion will create 823 jobs and should generate $210 million in capital investment over the next decade.</p>
<p>The governor’s signature Texas Enterprise Fund offered $4.5 million to seal the deal.</p>
<p>San Francisco-based Charles Schwab’s El Paso operations should generate 445 jobs and $21.5 million in capital investment over 10 years, in exchange for $1.45 million in state funds.</p>
<p>The fund attracts top job-creators to Texas. Some legislators have worried about a lack of transparency, but Perry says it’s invested nearly $560 million and generated 75,000 jobs since 2003.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Charles Schwab to add 1,200 jobs in Texas | false | https://abqjournal.com/434698/charles-schwab-to-add-1200-jobs-in-texas.html | 2least
| Charles Schwab to add 1,200 jobs in Texas
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />AUSTIN, Texas — Charles Schwab Corp. is getting nearly $6 million in incentives from Texas to open an El Paso operations center and increase its presence in Austin, creating more than 1,200 jobs.</p>
<p>Gov. Rick Perry announced Thursday that the financial services company’s Austin expansion will create 823 jobs and should generate $210 million in capital investment over the next decade.</p>
<p>The governor’s signature Texas Enterprise Fund offered $4.5 million to seal the deal.</p>
<p>San Francisco-based Charles Schwab’s El Paso operations should generate 445 jobs and $21.5 million in capital investment over 10 years, in exchange for $1.45 million in state funds.</p>
<p>The fund attracts top job-creators to Texas. Some legislators have worried about a lack of transparency, but Perry says it’s invested nearly $560 million and generated 75,000 jobs since 2003.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 599,413 |
|
<p>For quite a while now, it has been believed that Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) upcoming <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/12/is-apple-inc-still-finalizing-the-oled-iphone-8.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">premium OLED iPhone Opens a New Window.</a> (as well as the two "standard" models that are expected to launch this year) would come in two storage configurations: 64GB and 256GB.</p>
<p>That information came from two independent and generally reliable sources: TrendForce&#160;and KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>However, a new leak -- this time from the founder of smartphone repair company GeekBar on social media (via <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/23/iphone-8-64-256-and-512gb-storage/" type="external">MacRumors Opens a New Window.</a>) -- suggests that the OLED iPhone will come not in two storage configurations, but three: 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB.</p>
<p>If this is true -- and I don't think it's unrealistic -- then that's great news for everyone. Here's why.</p>
<p>I'd venture a guess that the most enthusiastic of Apple's customers are going to be willing to spend the big bucks that it'll reportedly cost to buy one of the OLED iPhone models rather than one of the "standard" models equipped with liquid crystal displays (LCDs).</p>
<p>Those enthusiastic customers probably use their iPhones more intensely than the average user. That could mean that such users download more apps, shoot more pictures, and take more (and higher-resolution) videos than, perhaps, a typical iPhone buyer.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Such enthusiastic iPhone users may find value in paying Apple a little extra (especially since they're already spending so much on the device anyway) for the peace of mind and perceived device longevity that 512GB of storage can deliver.</p>
<p>There are also those individuals who simply want to have "the best," even if they're not likely to make use of the additional storage, and they'll buy the top-tier iPhone model to get "the best."</p>
<p>By introducing a 512GB OLED iPhone, Apple would be able to drive its iPhone average selling prices up further -- always a good thing, as higher iPhone average selling prices ultimately translate into better revenue and profit growth for the company.</p>
<p>I don't think Apple should (or, frankly, will) introduce LCD iPhone models with 512GB of storage this year. Customers that aren't willing to fork over the extra to go for the high-end OLED iPhone probably aren't interested in paying a premium for a 512GB iPhone.</p>
<p>Further, while I think the OLED iPhone's core features will be more than enough to push many customers to buy it rather than the cheaper LCD models, reserving 512GB of storage exclusively for the OLED iPhone just gives potential users another reason to pick the OLED iPhone.</p>
<p>And, finally, Apple is <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/06/report-apple-inc-turns-to-frenemy-for-memory-suppl.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">reportedly having a hard time Opens a New Window.</a> sourcing all the 3D NAND flash that it needs for the upcoming iPhone models. Given what is very obviously a <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/08/11/1-thing-thats-hurting-silicon-motion-technology-st.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">tight industrywide 3D NAND supply situation Opens a New Window.</a>, it makes sense to limit the 512GB option to a relatively expensive device.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than AppleWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=33598204-0520-4143-b928-47a4bc83a0e1&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Apple wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=33598204-0520-4143-b928-47a4bc83a0e1&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&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 August 1, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFChipFool/info.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Ashraf Eassa Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Great News for Apple Inc.'s iPhone 8 | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/08/24/great-news-for-apple-inc-s-iphone-8.html | 2017-08-24 | 0right
| Great News for Apple Inc.'s iPhone 8
<p>For quite a while now, it has been believed that Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) upcoming <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/12/is-apple-inc-still-finalizing-the-oled-iphone-8.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">premium OLED iPhone Opens a New Window.</a> (as well as the two "standard" models that are expected to launch this year) would come in two storage configurations: 64GB and 256GB.</p>
<p>That information came from two independent and generally reliable sources: TrendForce&#160;and KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>However, a new leak -- this time from the founder of smartphone repair company GeekBar on social media (via <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/23/iphone-8-64-256-and-512gb-storage/" type="external">MacRumors Opens a New Window.</a>) -- suggests that the OLED iPhone will come not in two storage configurations, but three: 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB.</p>
<p>If this is true -- and I don't think it's unrealistic -- then that's great news for everyone. Here's why.</p>
<p>I'd venture a guess that the most enthusiastic of Apple's customers are going to be willing to spend the big bucks that it'll reportedly cost to buy one of the OLED iPhone models rather than one of the "standard" models equipped with liquid crystal displays (LCDs).</p>
<p>Those enthusiastic customers probably use their iPhones more intensely than the average user. That could mean that such users download more apps, shoot more pictures, and take more (and higher-resolution) videos than, perhaps, a typical iPhone buyer.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Such enthusiastic iPhone users may find value in paying Apple a little extra (especially since they're already spending so much on the device anyway) for the peace of mind and perceived device longevity that 512GB of storage can deliver.</p>
<p>There are also those individuals who simply want to have "the best," even if they're not likely to make use of the additional storage, and they'll buy the top-tier iPhone model to get "the best."</p>
<p>By introducing a 512GB OLED iPhone, Apple would be able to drive its iPhone average selling prices up further -- always a good thing, as higher iPhone average selling prices ultimately translate into better revenue and profit growth for the company.</p>
<p>I don't think Apple should (or, frankly, will) introduce LCD iPhone models with 512GB of storage this year. Customers that aren't willing to fork over the extra to go for the high-end OLED iPhone probably aren't interested in paying a premium for a 512GB iPhone.</p>
<p>Further, while I think the OLED iPhone's core features will be more than enough to push many customers to buy it rather than the cheaper LCD models, reserving 512GB of storage exclusively for the OLED iPhone just gives potential users another reason to pick the OLED iPhone.</p>
<p>And, finally, Apple is <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/06/report-apple-inc-turns-to-frenemy-for-memory-suppl.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">reportedly having a hard time Opens a New Window.</a> sourcing all the 3D NAND flash that it needs for the upcoming iPhone models. Given what is very obviously a <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/08/11/1-thing-thats-hurting-silicon-motion-technology-st.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">tight industrywide 3D NAND supply situation Opens a New Window.</a>, it makes sense to limit the 512GB option to a relatively expensive device.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than AppleWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=33598204-0520-4143-b928-47a4bc83a0e1&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Apple wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=33598204-0520-4143-b928-47a4bc83a0e1&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&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 August 1, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFChipFool/info.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Ashraf Eassa Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=adbc7122-888b-11e7-951d-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 599,414 |
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<p>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An explosion launched a van-sized boiler through the roof a St. Louis box company and slammed much of it down onto a laundry business across the street on Monday, killing three people and injuring four others, authorities said.</p>
<p>One person died in the blast about 8 a.m. at the Loy-Lange Box Co. and two others were killed when a large piece of the boiler crashed into the nearby Faultless Healthcare Linen building’s office area, Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said.</p>
<p>The explosion appears to have been an accident, but investigators were trying to pinpoint what caused the cast iron boiler — estimated to weigh a ton to a ton and a half — to explode, Jenkerson said. The blast occurred in a largely industrial area of south St. Louis.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Two injured victims were in critical condition, and one was undergoing surgery, Jenkerson said. The injured include a linen company worker who was found pinned beneath the boiler, which Jenkerson said was roughly 4 feet in diameter and 10 feet long (1.2 meters in diameter and 3 meters long). The boiler was used to produce steam to power the box company’s equipment.</p>
<p>The boiler was still hot when rescuers arrived, the fire chief said, noting that the equipment traveled up to 500 feet (150 meters).</p>
<p>Though none of the victims’ names has been released, Faultless Healthcare Linen’s chief operating officer, Mark Spence, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the three victims there were new hires who were filling out paperwork when the boiler came crashing down on them, killing two and injuring the third.</p>
<p>“It’s emotionally overwhelming just to think what these poor people experienced,” Spence said.</p>
<p>A third building was damaged when a piece of pipe — about 8 feet (2.5 meters) long — linked to the explosion went through its roof, Jenkerson said. Other debris was found on the street.</p>
<p>Investigators will seek out and review the boiler’s inspection and maintenance records, though “it appears just to be a commercial accident,” Jenkerson said. Investigators from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration were on the scene.</p>
<p>It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was working on the boiler at the time of the blast.</p>
<p>The phone rang unanswered at Loy-Lange Box Co., and an email message from The Associated Press to the company wasn’t returned. The company is described on its website as a “full-service corrugator and custom box manufacturer.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>OSHA’s online records show that Loy-Lange was cited last year for a “general requirement” arising from holes in floors that prevented proper cleaning. The company paid a $3,741 fine, half of what OSHA initially assessed. The company also paid a $6,566 fine in 2015, and a $2,450 fine the year before that for what OSHA classified as “serious” violations.</p>
<p>In 2014, the company paid $2,450 of an initial $3,500 fine for improper energy control procedures, such as failing to properly train employees to ensure machinery was turned off and powered down and for not conducting annual energy control inspections. OSHA spokesman Scott Allen couldn’t say if that violation had anything to do with the boiler.</p>
<p>And in 2015, the company paid $6,566 of a $9,380 fine for defective equipment, including a forklift without lights and damage to safety latches.</p>
<p>A spokeswoman for St. Louis’ mayor said that although the city doesn’t inspect boilers, it has strict licensure requirements governing operations of such equipment.</p>
<p>Maggie Crane said St. Louis requires any boiler-equipped business to have a city-licensed “stationary engineer” on staff whenever one is in use, with such licenses to be renewed each year. Such licensing often requires the applicant to be trained about boilers, then take a written and oral test, Crane said.</p>
<p>Loy-Lange had three engineers on staff with up-to-date licenses as of Monday, Crane said.</p>
<p>Monday’s explosion happened in an industrial portion near St. Louis’ historic Soulard area, among the city’s oldest neighborhoods. Located near the Anheuser-Busch brewery and home to St. Louis’ yearly Mardi Gras festivities, Soulard features an eclectic mix of red brick townhomes, restaurants, shops and a sprawling farmers market.</p>
<p>Spence, the Faultless Healthcare Linen executive, said in a statement that that company “immediately will be giving what practical help we can to our employees and their families.</p>
<p>“We are grateful to the firefighters and other emergency responders who have acted heroically in response to this tragic event,” Spence said.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press reporters Margaret Stafford and Heather Hollingsworth contributed to this report from Kansas City.</p> | Fire chief: 3 dead, 4 hurt when boiler explodes in St. Louis | false | https://abqjournal.com/981299/officials-3-dead-in-reported-boiler-explosion-in-st-louis.html | 2017-04-03 | 2least
| Fire chief: 3 dead, 4 hurt when boiler explodes in St. Louis
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An explosion launched a van-sized boiler through the roof a St. Louis box company and slammed much of it down onto a laundry business across the street on Monday, killing three people and injuring four others, authorities said.</p>
<p>One person died in the blast about 8 a.m. at the Loy-Lange Box Co. and two others were killed when a large piece of the boiler crashed into the nearby Faultless Healthcare Linen building’s office area, Fire Chief Dennis Jenkerson said.</p>
<p>The explosion appears to have been an accident, but investigators were trying to pinpoint what caused the cast iron boiler — estimated to weigh a ton to a ton and a half — to explode, Jenkerson said. The blast occurred in a largely industrial area of south St. Louis.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Two injured victims were in critical condition, and one was undergoing surgery, Jenkerson said. The injured include a linen company worker who was found pinned beneath the boiler, which Jenkerson said was roughly 4 feet in diameter and 10 feet long (1.2 meters in diameter and 3 meters long). The boiler was used to produce steam to power the box company’s equipment.</p>
<p>The boiler was still hot when rescuers arrived, the fire chief said, noting that the equipment traveled up to 500 feet (150 meters).</p>
<p>Though none of the victims’ names has been released, Faultless Healthcare Linen’s chief operating officer, Mark Spence, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the three victims there were new hires who were filling out paperwork when the boiler came crashing down on them, killing two and injuring the third.</p>
<p>“It’s emotionally overwhelming just to think what these poor people experienced,” Spence said.</p>
<p>A third building was damaged when a piece of pipe — about 8 feet (2.5 meters) long — linked to the explosion went through its roof, Jenkerson said. Other debris was found on the street.</p>
<p>Investigators will seek out and review the boiler’s inspection and maintenance records, though “it appears just to be a commercial accident,” Jenkerson said. Investigators from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration were on the scene.</p>
<p>It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was working on the boiler at the time of the blast.</p>
<p>The phone rang unanswered at Loy-Lange Box Co., and an email message from The Associated Press to the company wasn’t returned. The company is described on its website as a “full-service corrugator and custom box manufacturer.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>OSHA’s online records show that Loy-Lange was cited last year for a “general requirement” arising from holes in floors that prevented proper cleaning. The company paid a $3,741 fine, half of what OSHA initially assessed. The company also paid a $6,566 fine in 2015, and a $2,450 fine the year before that for what OSHA classified as “serious” violations.</p>
<p>In 2014, the company paid $2,450 of an initial $3,500 fine for improper energy control procedures, such as failing to properly train employees to ensure machinery was turned off and powered down and for not conducting annual energy control inspections. OSHA spokesman Scott Allen couldn’t say if that violation had anything to do with the boiler.</p>
<p>And in 2015, the company paid $6,566 of a $9,380 fine for defective equipment, including a forklift without lights and damage to safety latches.</p>
<p>A spokeswoman for St. Louis’ mayor said that although the city doesn’t inspect boilers, it has strict licensure requirements governing operations of such equipment.</p>
<p>Maggie Crane said St. Louis requires any boiler-equipped business to have a city-licensed “stationary engineer” on staff whenever one is in use, with such licenses to be renewed each year. Such licensing often requires the applicant to be trained about boilers, then take a written and oral test, Crane said.</p>
<p>Loy-Lange had three engineers on staff with up-to-date licenses as of Monday, Crane said.</p>
<p>Monday’s explosion happened in an industrial portion near St. Louis’ historic Soulard area, among the city’s oldest neighborhoods. Located near the Anheuser-Busch brewery and home to St. Louis’ yearly Mardi Gras festivities, Soulard features an eclectic mix of red brick townhomes, restaurants, shops and a sprawling farmers market.</p>
<p>Spence, the Faultless Healthcare Linen executive, said in a statement that that company “immediately will be giving what practical help we can to our employees and their families.</p>
<p>“We are grateful to the firefighters and other emergency responders who have acted heroically in response to this tragic event,” Spence said.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press reporters Margaret Stafford and Heather Hollingsworth contributed to this report from Kansas City.</p> | 599,415 |
<p>Published time: 11 Nov, 2017 09:12Edited time: 11 Nov, 2017 09:27</p>
<p>With tensions between Russia and the US not letting up, the nations’ presidents did not give each other the cold shoulder as they crossed paths at the APEC summit in Vietnam on Saturday. The two leaders chatted amiably with each other.</p>
<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump had a cordial chat on their way to a group photograph of summit leaders. The pair later stood next to each other in the second row for the photo.</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p>
<p>Both the Kremlin and the White House gave conflicting reports on the possibility of a meeting between the two leaders, before eventually stating that there will not be an official meeting this time around. Nonetheless, Putin and Trump met and shook hands at a dinner on Friday night, and again at the start of the main meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders on Saturday.</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p>
<p>Eyebrows were raised when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson questioned the necessity of the Russian and US presidents sitting down for a meeting. “The view has been if the two leaders are going to meet, is there something sufficiently substantive to talk about that would warrant a formal meeting?” he <a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/409452-tillerson-putin-trump-meeting/" type="external">told</a> a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday. Tillerson’s statement comes at a time when US-Russian relations have reached one of the lowest points in decades.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/409539-putin-trump-syria-apec/" type="external">READ MORE: ‘No military solution to Syrian crisis’: Putin &amp; Trump in joint statement</a></p>
<p>On Saturday, the two leaders agreed on a joint statement confirming their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. “Moscow and Washington agree there is no military solution to the conflict,” the text of the joint statement, published on the Kremlin’s website, <a href="http://kremlin.ru/supplement/5252" type="external">said</a>.</p>
<p>Putin and Trump have called on all parties to the Syrian conflict to “take an active part in the Geneva political process and support efforts aimed at ensuring its success.”</p> | On the same page? Putin & Trump cross paths at APEC and chat cordially (VIDEO) | false | https://newsline.com/on-the-same-page-putin-trump-cross-paths-at-apec-and-chat-cordially-video/ | 2017-11-11 | 1right-center
| On the same page? Putin & Trump cross paths at APEC and chat cordially (VIDEO)
<p>Published time: 11 Nov, 2017 09:12Edited time: 11 Nov, 2017 09:27</p>
<p>With tensions between Russia and the US not letting up, the nations’ presidents did not give each other the cold shoulder as they crossed paths at the APEC summit in Vietnam on Saturday. The two leaders chatted amiably with each other.</p>
<p>Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump had a cordial chat on their way to a group photograph of summit leaders. The pair later stood next to each other in the second row for the photo.</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p>
<p>Both the Kremlin and the White House gave conflicting reports on the possibility of a meeting between the two leaders, before eventually stating that there will not be an official meeting this time around. Nonetheless, Putin and Trump met and shook hands at a dinner on Friday night, and again at the start of the main meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders on Saturday.</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p>
<p>Eyebrows were raised when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson questioned the necessity of the Russian and US presidents sitting down for a meeting. “The view has been if the two leaders are going to meet, is there something sufficiently substantive to talk about that would warrant a formal meeting?” he <a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/409452-tillerson-putin-trump-meeting/" type="external">told</a> a press briefing in Beijing on Thursday. Tillerson’s statement comes at a time when US-Russian relations have reached one of the lowest points in decades.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/409539-putin-trump-syria-apec/" type="external">READ MORE: ‘No military solution to Syrian crisis’: Putin &amp; Trump in joint statement</a></p>
<p>On Saturday, the two leaders agreed on a joint statement confirming their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. “Moscow and Washington agree there is no military solution to the conflict,” the text of the joint statement, published on the Kremlin’s website, <a href="http://kremlin.ru/supplement/5252" type="external">said</a>.</p>
<p>Putin and Trump have called on all parties to the Syrian conflict to “take an active part in the Geneva political process and support efforts aimed at ensuring its success.”</p> | 599,416 |
<p />
<p>45-8-351. Restriction on local government regulation of firearms.</p>
<p>(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), a county, city, town, consolidated local government, or other local government unit may not prohibit, register, tax, license, or regulate the purchase, sale or other transfer (including delay in purchase, sale, or other transfer), ownership, possession, transportation, use, or unconcealed carrying of any weapon, including a rifle, shotgun, handgun, or concealed handgun.&#160;</p>
<p>(2) (a) For public safety purposes, a city or town may regulate the discharge of rifles, shotguns, and handguns. A county, city, town, consolidated local government, or other local government unit has power to prevent and suppress the carrying of concealed or unconcealed weapons to a public assembly, publicly owned building, park under its jurisdiction, or school, and the possession of firearms by convicted felons, adjudicated mental incompetents, illegal aliens, and minors.&#160;</p>
<p>(b) Nothing contained in this section allows any government to prohibit the legitimate display of firearms at shows or other public occasions by collectors and others or to prohibit the legitimate transportation of firearms through any jurisdiction, whether in airports or otherwise.&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-city-council-oks-gun-sale-background-checks/article_bfcad7c0-1576-59f1-bc94-f1ff263a43c3.html" type="external">From missoulian.com</a>:</p>
<p>In an 8-4 vote, the Missoula City Council on Monday passed an ordinance requiring criminal background checks on all private gun sales within city limits, effective in 30 days.</p>
<p>Ward 4 representative Jon Wilkins abstained from the vote, but after hearing a 7-4 roll call from his fellow council members changed his vote to yes, prompting a round of applause from the audience even though the ordinance would have passed with seven in favor.</p>
<p>Last year the City Attorney claimed that a background check law was exempted under paragraph 2, that allows a city to prohibit possession “by convicted felons, adjudicated mental incompetents, illegal aliens, and minors”. &#160;</p>
<p>But the law does not prohibit possession.&#160; It requires private purchasers to submit to a background check, directly regulating the sale of firearms. The ordinance claims it has the authority to “prevent and suppress” possession of firearms by prohibited possessors. From <a href="http://missoula.siretechnologies.com/sirepub/agdocs.aspx?doctype=agenda&amp;itemid=36236" type="external">the ordinance(pdf)</a>:</p>
<p>9.60.010 Purpose and Intent. This ordinance is adopted pursuant to the statutorypowers explicitly granted to Montana local governments pursuant to subsection 45-8-351(2) MCA for public safety purposes to prevent and suppress the possession of firearms by convicted felons, adjudicated mental incompetents illegal aliens, and minors in order to ensure that background checks generally occur with respect to firearm ownership transfers as a prevention mechanism to serve as a deterrent to convicted felons, adjudicated mental incompetents illegal aliens and minors unlawfully obtaining possession of firearms.&#160;</p>
<p>I suspect the City Council was well aware that what they were doing was illegal.&#160; They simply did not care.&#160; If they do not care about violating the law, why do they think criminals will?</p>
<p>John Lott does an good job in showing the ineffectiveness and harm caused by the “instant” background check system.&#160; Most of the people who are prevented from obtaining firearms are not legally prohibited.&#160; They simply have names that are close to someone who is prohibited.&#160; The majority of those prevented are blacks and Hispanics, because the majority of felons are blacks and Hispanics with similar names.&#160; <a href="http://www.newsmax.com/US/John-Lott-guns-background-checks/2014/03/05/id/556155/" type="external">From newsmax.com</a>:</p>
<p>“In reality, the ‘Brady Checks’ are quite ineffective in stopping criminals from getting guns,” wrote the president of the Crime Prevention Research Center. “There are actually very few hard-core criminals that are stupid enough to even try to buy a gun from a dealer that does a background check.”</p>
<p>Lott explains that these 2 million “initial denials” are usually mishaps “because they have a similar name to a felon” a lot like what Americans might deal with if their name is similar to someone else’s who is on the “no fly” list.</p>
<p>This is political theater with a serious side.&#160; “Progressives” believe that they may violate the law with impunity, because they believe their intentions are good. In this case they are likely correct. There does not seem to be any penalty for violating the preemption law.&#160; Several states have found that they need to put teeth in the law to gain compliance.&#160; Florida put in penalties that held individual officers and elected officials responsible. The taxpayers will pay the attorney fees used to defend the city from litigation.</p>
<p>©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included. <a href="http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/" type="external">Link to Gun Watch</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse.</p> | A City Council In Montana Breaks Law to Pass Illegal Gun Control, Violating Preemption | true | http://bulletsfirst.net/2016/09/29/a-city-council-in-montana-breaks-law-to-pass-illegal-gun-control-violating-preemption/ | 0right
| A City Council In Montana Breaks Law to Pass Illegal Gun Control, Violating Preemption
<p />
<p>45-8-351. Restriction on local government regulation of firearms.</p>
<p>(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), a county, city, town, consolidated local government, or other local government unit may not prohibit, register, tax, license, or regulate the purchase, sale or other transfer (including delay in purchase, sale, or other transfer), ownership, possession, transportation, use, or unconcealed carrying of any weapon, including a rifle, shotgun, handgun, or concealed handgun.&#160;</p>
<p>(2) (a) For public safety purposes, a city or town may regulate the discharge of rifles, shotguns, and handguns. A county, city, town, consolidated local government, or other local government unit has power to prevent and suppress the carrying of concealed or unconcealed weapons to a public assembly, publicly owned building, park under its jurisdiction, or school, and the possession of firearms by convicted felons, adjudicated mental incompetents, illegal aliens, and minors.&#160;</p>
<p>(b) Nothing contained in this section allows any government to prohibit the legitimate display of firearms at shows or other public occasions by collectors and others or to prohibit the legitimate transportation of firearms through any jurisdiction, whether in airports or otherwise.&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-city-council-oks-gun-sale-background-checks/article_bfcad7c0-1576-59f1-bc94-f1ff263a43c3.html" type="external">From missoulian.com</a>:</p>
<p>In an 8-4 vote, the Missoula City Council on Monday passed an ordinance requiring criminal background checks on all private gun sales within city limits, effective in 30 days.</p>
<p>Ward 4 representative Jon Wilkins abstained from the vote, but after hearing a 7-4 roll call from his fellow council members changed his vote to yes, prompting a round of applause from the audience even though the ordinance would have passed with seven in favor.</p>
<p>Last year the City Attorney claimed that a background check law was exempted under paragraph 2, that allows a city to prohibit possession “by convicted felons, adjudicated mental incompetents, illegal aliens, and minors”. &#160;</p>
<p>But the law does not prohibit possession.&#160; It requires private purchasers to submit to a background check, directly regulating the sale of firearms. The ordinance claims it has the authority to “prevent and suppress” possession of firearms by prohibited possessors. From <a href="http://missoula.siretechnologies.com/sirepub/agdocs.aspx?doctype=agenda&amp;itemid=36236" type="external">the ordinance(pdf)</a>:</p>
<p>9.60.010 Purpose and Intent. This ordinance is adopted pursuant to the statutorypowers explicitly granted to Montana local governments pursuant to subsection 45-8-351(2) MCA for public safety purposes to prevent and suppress the possession of firearms by convicted felons, adjudicated mental incompetents illegal aliens, and minors in order to ensure that background checks generally occur with respect to firearm ownership transfers as a prevention mechanism to serve as a deterrent to convicted felons, adjudicated mental incompetents illegal aliens and minors unlawfully obtaining possession of firearms.&#160;</p>
<p>I suspect the City Council was well aware that what they were doing was illegal.&#160; They simply did not care.&#160; If they do not care about violating the law, why do they think criminals will?</p>
<p>John Lott does an good job in showing the ineffectiveness and harm caused by the “instant” background check system.&#160; Most of the people who are prevented from obtaining firearms are not legally prohibited.&#160; They simply have names that are close to someone who is prohibited.&#160; The majority of those prevented are blacks and Hispanics, because the majority of felons are blacks and Hispanics with similar names.&#160; <a href="http://www.newsmax.com/US/John-Lott-guns-background-checks/2014/03/05/id/556155/" type="external">From newsmax.com</a>:</p>
<p>“In reality, the ‘Brady Checks’ are quite ineffective in stopping criminals from getting guns,” wrote the president of the Crime Prevention Research Center. “There are actually very few hard-core criminals that are stupid enough to even try to buy a gun from a dealer that does a background check.”</p>
<p>Lott explains that these 2 million “initial denials” are usually mishaps “because they have a similar name to a felon” a lot like what Americans might deal with if their name is similar to someone else’s who is on the “no fly” list.</p>
<p>This is political theater with a serious side.&#160; “Progressives” believe that they may violate the law with impunity, because they believe their intentions are good. In this case they are likely correct. There does not seem to be any penalty for violating the preemption law.&#160; Several states have found that they need to put teeth in the law to gain compliance.&#160; Florida put in penalties that held individual officers and elected officials responsible. The taxpayers will pay the attorney fees used to defend the city from litigation.</p>
<p>©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included. <a href="http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/" type="external">Link to Gun Watch</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse.</p> | 599,417 |
|
<p>Dec. 1 (UPI) — <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/North_Korea/" type="external">North Korea</a> said the only way it would negotiate with the United States is if Washington agrees to recognize it as a nuclear weapons state, according to Russian delegates who recently visited.</p>
<p>Vitaly Pashin, a member of the delegation, told Russian news service Interfax that North Korea is “ready to sit at the negotiating table.”</p>
<p>“We met with <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kim_Yong_Nam/" type="external">Kim Yong Nam</a>, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly of North Korea,” Pashin said. “He said North Korea is ready to sit down at the negotiating table.”</p>
<p>The only condition under which Pyongyang would agree to negotiate is if the United States recognizes the regime as a nuclear power, said the member of the Russian State Duma delegation.</p>
<p>The Russians were also told the North had successfully launched the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-15, and that the country had already achieved its aim of becoming a nuclear weapons state.</p>
<p>The bilateral meeting took place Thursday, following North Korea’s launch of its latest ICBM.</p>
<p>Alexei Chepa, a deputy chairman of the State Duma International Affairs Committee, told Tass news agency North Korea disagreed with the Russians on denuclearization.</p>
<p>“The Russian delegation delivered its position of condemning the missile launch, but the North Korean representatives refuted the statement, and said the measures were necessary to respond to U.S. threats,” Chepa said, adding North Korea is conducting tests to “achieve a balance of power” with its rivals.</p>
<p>The Russian politician also said if the United States and South Korea did not “aggravate” the situation, North Korea would not have needed to test-launch the Hwasong-15.</p> | North Korea seeks U.S. recognition as nuclear weapons state | false | https://newsline.com/north-korea-seeks-u-s-recognition-as-nuclear-weapons-state/ | 2017-12-01 | 1right-center
| North Korea seeks U.S. recognition as nuclear weapons state
<p>Dec. 1 (UPI) — <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/North_Korea/" type="external">North Korea</a> said the only way it would negotiate with the United States is if Washington agrees to recognize it as a nuclear weapons state, according to Russian delegates who recently visited.</p>
<p>Vitaly Pashin, a member of the delegation, told Russian news service Interfax that North Korea is “ready to sit at the negotiating table.”</p>
<p>“We met with <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kim_Yong_Nam/" type="external">Kim Yong Nam</a>, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly of North Korea,” Pashin said. “He said North Korea is ready to sit down at the negotiating table.”</p>
<p>The only condition under which Pyongyang would agree to negotiate is if the United States recognizes the regime as a nuclear power, said the member of the Russian State Duma delegation.</p>
<p>The Russians were also told the North had successfully launched the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-15, and that the country had already achieved its aim of becoming a nuclear weapons state.</p>
<p>The bilateral meeting took place Thursday, following North Korea’s launch of its latest ICBM.</p>
<p>Alexei Chepa, a deputy chairman of the State Duma International Affairs Committee, told Tass news agency North Korea disagreed with the Russians on denuclearization.</p>
<p>“The Russian delegation delivered its position of condemning the missile launch, but the North Korean representatives refuted the statement, and said the measures were necessary to respond to U.S. threats,” Chepa said, adding North Korea is conducting tests to “achieve a balance of power” with its rivals.</p>
<p>The Russian politician also said if the United States and South Korea did not “aggravate” the situation, North Korea would not have needed to test-launch the Hwasong-15.</p> | 599,418 |
<p>It’s the end of an era for Iranians, who can begin to emerge from years of punishing economic sanctions that have kept Iran’s national economy locked out of the global financial system.</p>
<p>But just one day later, the US Treasury Department announced yet another set of new sanctions for Iran, this time aimed at its ballistic missile program.</p>
<p>Iranian officials quickly denounced the penalties as having&#160;“no legal or moral legitimacy.”</p>
<p>In October, Iran tested a new precision-guided ballistic missile. By December, a United Nations panel determined that the test was a violation of a UN Security Council ban on testing missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.</p>
<p>The Obama administration had said that sanctions on Iran’s missile program — along with sanctions for terrorist funding and human rights violations — would remain in effect, even after its landmark nuclear agreement with Iran is implemented.</p>
<p>But by mid-January, nothing followed that missile test. It’s now clear why. US administration officials say they were holding off on imposing new sanctions while they finalized a prisoner exchange that led to the release of five Americans detained by Iran.</p>
<p>On Sunday, as the news of the freed detainees dominated US headlines, the Obama administration announced the new round of sanctions targeting 11 Iranian entities and individuals linked to the country’s missile program.</p>
<p>“Iran’s ballistic missile program poses a significant threat to regional and global security, and it will continue to be subject to international sanctions,” said Adam J. Szubin, acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. “We have consistently made clear that the United States will vigorously press sanctions against Iranian activities outside of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — including those related to Iran’s support for terrorism, regional destabilization, human rights abuses and ballistic missile program.”</p>
<p>These new sanctions do very little by themselves, says Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. But there is symbolic value to them, he adds. &#160;</p>
<p>“First of all, there’s a naming and shaming element here," he says. "Second of all, [the 11 Iranian entities and individuals targeted] can’t do business with the United States. But most importantly, the secondary sanctions remain. And that means that foreigners, say European banks, Asian banks, cannot do business with these entities if they want to continue to do business with the Unites States ... Even though this is really a unilateral action, it gives it a kind of multilateral or international effect."</p>
<p>Republicans in the US have made a lot of political noise about billions of dollars in frozen funds that are being released to Iran as part of the nuclear deal reached with the Obama administration. But there is apparently some confusion here, starting with the total amount of money involved.</p>
<p>“There’s been a lot of hype,” Levitt says. “You’ve seen or heard probably numbers in the $100 billion or $150 billion [range], the number seems to be much closer to about $56 billion.”</p>
<p>Some of that money is tied up in business arrangements that were made in years past and will not be available for spending by the Iranian government. But Iran is free to use most of those funds however it wants to.</p>
<p>“[Iran] has huge needs at home, but it’s also clearly committed to the war in Syria, to supporting terrorism and other things. We’re going to have to watch that very carefully. And that’s what these sanctions are supposed to help us do,” Levitt says.</p>
<p>All in all, Levitt says there are plenty of ways Iran can attempt to cheat on the terms of the nuclear agreement that is only beginning to be implemented now.</p>
<p>“But the deal could still be a positive thing if it is fully enforced,” he says. “We’re going to have to be extremely vigilant in how we pursue existing sanctions and how we array our collection platforms for intelligence in order to be on top of what they are and are not doing.”</p> | As the old nuclear sanctions on Iran are lifted, the US slaps Tehran with new missile sanctions | false | https://pri.org/stories/2016-01-18/old-nuclear-sanctions-iran-are-lifted-us-slaps-tehran-new-missile-sanctions | 2016-01-18 | 3left-center
| As the old nuclear sanctions on Iran are lifted, the US slaps Tehran with new missile sanctions
<p>It’s the end of an era for Iranians, who can begin to emerge from years of punishing economic sanctions that have kept Iran’s national economy locked out of the global financial system.</p>
<p>But just one day later, the US Treasury Department announced yet another set of new sanctions for Iran, this time aimed at its ballistic missile program.</p>
<p>Iranian officials quickly denounced the penalties as having&#160;“no legal or moral legitimacy.”</p>
<p>In October, Iran tested a new precision-guided ballistic missile. By December, a United Nations panel determined that the test was a violation of a UN Security Council ban on testing missiles capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.</p>
<p>The Obama administration had said that sanctions on Iran’s missile program — along with sanctions for terrorist funding and human rights violations — would remain in effect, even after its landmark nuclear agreement with Iran is implemented.</p>
<p>But by mid-January, nothing followed that missile test. It’s now clear why. US administration officials say they were holding off on imposing new sanctions while they finalized a prisoner exchange that led to the release of five Americans detained by Iran.</p>
<p>On Sunday, as the news of the freed detainees dominated US headlines, the Obama administration announced the new round of sanctions targeting 11 Iranian entities and individuals linked to the country’s missile program.</p>
<p>“Iran’s ballistic missile program poses a significant threat to regional and global security, and it will continue to be subject to international sanctions,” said Adam J. Szubin, acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. “We have consistently made clear that the United States will vigorously press sanctions against Iranian activities outside of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — including those related to Iran’s support for terrorism, regional destabilization, human rights abuses and ballistic missile program.”</p>
<p>These new sanctions do very little by themselves, says Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. But there is symbolic value to them, he adds. &#160;</p>
<p>“First of all, there’s a naming and shaming element here," he says. "Second of all, [the 11 Iranian entities and individuals targeted] can’t do business with the United States. But most importantly, the secondary sanctions remain. And that means that foreigners, say European banks, Asian banks, cannot do business with these entities if they want to continue to do business with the Unites States ... Even though this is really a unilateral action, it gives it a kind of multilateral or international effect."</p>
<p>Republicans in the US have made a lot of political noise about billions of dollars in frozen funds that are being released to Iran as part of the nuclear deal reached with the Obama administration. But there is apparently some confusion here, starting with the total amount of money involved.</p>
<p>“There’s been a lot of hype,” Levitt says. “You’ve seen or heard probably numbers in the $100 billion or $150 billion [range], the number seems to be much closer to about $56 billion.”</p>
<p>Some of that money is tied up in business arrangements that were made in years past and will not be available for spending by the Iranian government. But Iran is free to use most of those funds however it wants to.</p>
<p>“[Iran] has huge needs at home, but it’s also clearly committed to the war in Syria, to supporting terrorism and other things. We’re going to have to watch that very carefully. And that’s what these sanctions are supposed to help us do,” Levitt says.</p>
<p>All in all, Levitt says there are plenty of ways Iran can attempt to cheat on the terms of the nuclear agreement that is only beginning to be implemented now.</p>
<p>“But the deal could still be a positive thing if it is fully enforced,” he says. “We’re going to have to be extremely vigilant in how we pursue existing sanctions and how we array our collection platforms for intelligence in order to be on top of what they are and are not doing.”</p> | 599,419 |
<p>Sri Lanka opened a $292 million Chinese-funded airport highway on Sunday, amid Indian concern about Chinese influence as the island nation rebuilds after a nearly three-decade war.</p>
<p>Sri Lanka has invested heavily in infrastructure since the war ended in 2009 with defeat for separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The new 25.6 km (16 mile) airport highway was built with a loan of $248.2 million from Exim Bank of China, with China Metallurgical Group Corporation as the contractor .</p>
<p>China provided weapons to Sri Lanka in the final phase of the civil war and President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government has awarded more than $4 billion worth of infrastructure projects to China, mainly with Chinese loans.</p>
<p>India, Sri Lanka's giant neighbor, shared intelligence with Colombo late in the war, but has also asked Rajapaksa to seek a political solution to the conflict's root causes.</p>
<p>Rajapaksa's government has come under heavy pressure from the West and human rights groups for alleged war crimes.</p>
<p>The Sri Lankan president, responding to Indian concerns over Chinese commercial deals, has said the relationship with China is more commercial than political in nature.</p>
<p>Sri Lanka has planned over $6 billion worth of projects, including airports and sea ports, highways, coal and hydro power plants and railways, mainly to be funded by Chinese loans.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal; Editing by Alistair Lyon)</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | Sri Lanka opens $292 million Chinese-funded airport highway | true | http://foxbusiness.com/politics/2013/10/27/sri-lanka-opens-22-million-chinese-funded-airport-highway.html | 2016-03-02 | 0right
| Sri Lanka opens $292 million Chinese-funded airport highway
<p>Sri Lanka opened a $292 million Chinese-funded airport highway on Sunday, amid Indian concern about Chinese influence as the island nation rebuilds after a nearly three-decade war.</p>
<p>Sri Lanka has invested heavily in infrastructure since the war ended in 2009 with defeat for separatist Tamil Tiger rebels.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The new 25.6 km (16 mile) airport highway was built with a loan of $248.2 million from Exim Bank of China, with China Metallurgical Group Corporation as the contractor .</p>
<p>China provided weapons to Sri Lanka in the final phase of the civil war and President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government has awarded more than $4 billion worth of infrastructure projects to China, mainly with Chinese loans.</p>
<p>India, Sri Lanka's giant neighbor, shared intelligence with Colombo late in the war, but has also asked Rajapaksa to seek a political solution to the conflict's root causes.</p>
<p>Rajapaksa's government has come under heavy pressure from the West and human rights groups for alleged war crimes.</p>
<p>The Sri Lankan president, responding to Indian concerns over Chinese commercial deals, has said the relationship with China is more commercial than political in nature.</p>
<p>Sri Lanka has planned over $6 billion worth of projects, including airports and sea ports, highways, coal and hydro power plants and railways, mainly to be funded by Chinese loans.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal; Editing by Alistair Lyon)</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | 599,420 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>It’s worth finding your way to this relatively new addition to Santa Fe’s culinary scene, with a few caveats. As of our mid-July visit, the location did not have air conditioning. While open doors and fans helped keep the air moving, diners found limited respite from the mid-90-degree temperatures outside.</p>
<p>The Cuban music playing in the background created a festive mood, along with the happy chatter and the community table that projected down the center of the room.</p>
<p>Service, provided by the owners themselves, was friendly and informative, but they seemed to struggle a bit in keeping up with the needs of their customers, who kept popping in for late lunches even well after 1:30 p.m. For example, no effort was made to offer refills of the drinks on a day when additional cool liquid would have been welcome.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The food itself, though, won kudos from our table of three. The selections were limited, but tasty, providing a welcome addition to Santa Fe’s ethnic palette.</p>
<p>One guest tried the picadillo ($11), a mix of spiced ground beef, onions, green peppers and potatoes with a side of rice and beans. He detected some sweetness in the combination, saying that it reminded him somewhat of a meaty Italian bolognese sauce.</p>
<p>The rice and beans, which received a thumbs-up and could be ordered as a full meal for vegetarians, also accompanied another guest’s lechon plate ($11). Lechon is pork marinated in mojo, a sauce that includes citrus, garlic, oil and seasoning such as cumin. The pork is slow-cooked for nine hours, according to Cuba Fe’s website. The meat was very tender and the spicing perfect, according to my happy guest.</p>
<p>I considered ordering the arroz con pollo, promised to be fresh out of the oven, but it seemed a little overwhelming for a hot day. Instead, I opted for “The Little Cuban,” ($8) a half-sandwich comfortably lined with pressed roast pork, ham, melted Swiss cheese and a pickle. The medianoche, an eggy bread, was thin and grilled to a slight crispness, added a little crunch to each bite. Accompanying it was a fresh salad of spinach, carrot, cucumber, mushrooms and tomatoes (unfortunately of the hothouse grocery store ilk). The sandwich, a traditional Cuban combo, was satisfying, despite a lingering salty aftertaste.</p>
<p>We all raved over the side order of cornbread ($2.50), which had a raspberry-chipotle sauce on the bottom and a honey glaze on top. The mix of fruity sweetness and slight, slow heat, together with the sweet bread itself speckled with whole kernels of corn, had one guest raving, “I could eat that all day!”</p>
<p>Our drinks included standard iced tea, along with a watermelon drink that was made only from liquified watermelon. Yummy!</p>
<p>The meal, which co-owner Robert McCormick assured us was made up of food that would be served in his own Cuban grandmother’s kitchen, came to a satisfying conclusion with a house-made flan ($4). Sweet, smooth and custardy, it disappeared quickly.</p>
<p>Much more is on the way, said McCormick. He and partner David Michael Tardy are looking to add a soul food line, with shrimp and grits, gumbo and greens planned. Plans also are to add veggie juices made on the site, he said.</p>
<p>And, yeah, air conditioning is another goal, he said.</p>
<p>We definitely will return to try some other menu items, such as the chicken or the Cuban Eggs Benedict, or maybe even the fried bananas. But probably on a cooler day.</p>
<p /> | Cuba Fe a welcome addition to the city’s ethnic array | false | https://abqjournal.com/1039608/cuba-fe-a-welcome-addition-to-citys-ethnic-array.html | 2least
| Cuba Fe a welcome addition to the city’s ethnic array
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>It’s worth finding your way to this relatively new addition to Santa Fe’s culinary scene, with a few caveats. As of our mid-July visit, the location did not have air conditioning. While open doors and fans helped keep the air moving, diners found limited respite from the mid-90-degree temperatures outside.</p>
<p>The Cuban music playing in the background created a festive mood, along with the happy chatter and the community table that projected down the center of the room.</p>
<p>Service, provided by the owners themselves, was friendly and informative, but they seemed to struggle a bit in keeping up with the needs of their customers, who kept popping in for late lunches even well after 1:30 p.m. For example, no effort was made to offer refills of the drinks on a day when additional cool liquid would have been welcome.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The food itself, though, won kudos from our table of three. The selections were limited, but tasty, providing a welcome addition to Santa Fe’s ethnic palette.</p>
<p>One guest tried the picadillo ($11), a mix of spiced ground beef, onions, green peppers and potatoes with a side of rice and beans. He detected some sweetness in the combination, saying that it reminded him somewhat of a meaty Italian bolognese sauce.</p>
<p>The rice and beans, which received a thumbs-up and could be ordered as a full meal for vegetarians, also accompanied another guest’s lechon plate ($11). Lechon is pork marinated in mojo, a sauce that includes citrus, garlic, oil and seasoning such as cumin. The pork is slow-cooked for nine hours, according to Cuba Fe’s website. The meat was very tender and the spicing perfect, according to my happy guest.</p>
<p>I considered ordering the arroz con pollo, promised to be fresh out of the oven, but it seemed a little overwhelming for a hot day. Instead, I opted for “The Little Cuban,” ($8) a half-sandwich comfortably lined with pressed roast pork, ham, melted Swiss cheese and a pickle. The medianoche, an eggy bread, was thin and grilled to a slight crispness, added a little crunch to each bite. Accompanying it was a fresh salad of spinach, carrot, cucumber, mushrooms and tomatoes (unfortunately of the hothouse grocery store ilk). The sandwich, a traditional Cuban combo, was satisfying, despite a lingering salty aftertaste.</p>
<p>We all raved over the side order of cornbread ($2.50), which had a raspberry-chipotle sauce on the bottom and a honey glaze on top. The mix of fruity sweetness and slight, slow heat, together with the sweet bread itself speckled with whole kernels of corn, had one guest raving, “I could eat that all day!”</p>
<p>Our drinks included standard iced tea, along with a watermelon drink that was made only from liquified watermelon. Yummy!</p>
<p>The meal, which co-owner Robert McCormick assured us was made up of food that would be served in his own Cuban grandmother’s kitchen, came to a satisfying conclusion with a house-made flan ($4). Sweet, smooth and custardy, it disappeared quickly.</p>
<p>Much more is on the way, said McCormick. He and partner David Michael Tardy are looking to add a soul food line, with shrimp and grits, gumbo and greens planned. Plans also are to add veggie juices made on the site, he said.</p>
<p>And, yeah, air conditioning is another goal, he said.</p>
<p>We definitely will return to try some other menu items, such as the chicken or the Cuban Eggs Benedict, or maybe even the fried bananas. But probably on a cooler day.</p>
<p /> | 599,421 |
|
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Graph via <a href="//www.berkeleyearth.org/" type="external">Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature</a></p>
<p>This week, a climate hearing was held in the US House of Reps. Six 'experts' on climate were brought in, but only three were scientists. And it turns out that one of the GOP's star witnesses -- a scientist who's been vocal in his skepticism of global temperature records, the physicist Richard Muller, of University of California, Berkeley, didn't quite help them disprove climate change. <a href="//www.grist.org/list/#item-2011-04-01-science-bites-climate-skeptics-in-the-ass-on-the-house-floor" type="external">Quite the opposite</a>, in fact.</p>
<p><a type="external" href="" /></p>
<p><a href="//www.good.is/post/scientist-beloved-by-climate-deniers-pulls-rug-out-from-their-argument/" type="external">GOOD reports</a> on what's got to be my favorite anecdote from the climate hearings. But first, some background:</p>
<p>Skeptics of climate science have been licking their lips waiting for his latest research, which they hoped would undermine the data behind basic theories of anthropogenic climate change. At the hearing today, however, Muller threw them for a loop with this graph ...</p>
<p>That's the one above.</p>
<p>As you can see -- and more importantly, as Muller himself has come to believe -- the established data collected by temperature stations around the world are accurate. Muller's independent work confirms that the data on which the majority of the best climate models rely upon is actually quite good.</p>
<p>Which is why it must have pissed off the GOP Reps, who were counting on him to offer testimony skeptical of climate change, when he announced the following: "We see a global warming trend that is very similar to that previously reported by the other groups. The world temperature data has sufficient integrity to be used to determine global temperature trends."</p>
<p>In other words, Muller's Koch-funded project, which skeptics had hoped would call into question the validity of the data backing the projections of climate models, instead provided even further evidence yet that they are correct. There's even better reason to believe that the climate models are accurate than there was before. It's science, folks.</p> | Koch-Funded Climate Skeptic's Own Data Confirms Warming | true | http://alternet.org/newsandviews/article/546941/koch-funded_climate_skeptic%27s_own_data_confirms_warming/ | 4left
| Koch-Funded Climate Skeptic's Own Data Confirms Warming
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Graph via <a href="//www.berkeleyearth.org/" type="external">Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature</a></p>
<p>This week, a climate hearing was held in the US House of Reps. Six 'experts' on climate were brought in, but only three were scientists. And it turns out that one of the GOP's star witnesses -- a scientist who's been vocal in his skepticism of global temperature records, the physicist Richard Muller, of University of California, Berkeley, didn't quite help them disprove climate change. <a href="//www.grist.org/list/#item-2011-04-01-science-bites-climate-skeptics-in-the-ass-on-the-house-floor" type="external">Quite the opposite</a>, in fact.</p>
<p><a type="external" href="" /></p>
<p><a href="//www.good.is/post/scientist-beloved-by-climate-deniers-pulls-rug-out-from-their-argument/" type="external">GOOD reports</a> on what's got to be my favorite anecdote from the climate hearings. But first, some background:</p>
<p>Skeptics of climate science have been licking their lips waiting for his latest research, which they hoped would undermine the data behind basic theories of anthropogenic climate change. At the hearing today, however, Muller threw them for a loop with this graph ...</p>
<p>That's the one above.</p>
<p>As you can see -- and more importantly, as Muller himself has come to believe -- the established data collected by temperature stations around the world are accurate. Muller's independent work confirms that the data on which the majority of the best climate models rely upon is actually quite good.</p>
<p>Which is why it must have pissed off the GOP Reps, who were counting on him to offer testimony skeptical of climate change, when he announced the following: "We see a global warming trend that is very similar to that previously reported by the other groups. The world temperature data has sufficient integrity to be used to determine global temperature trends."</p>
<p>In other words, Muller's Koch-funded project, which skeptics had hoped would call into question the validity of the data backing the projections of climate models, instead provided even further evidence yet that they are correct. There's even better reason to believe that the climate models are accurate than there was before. It's science, folks.</p> | 599,422 |
|
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<p />
<p>In the first, a core component of the Voting Rights Act was gutted, enabling Southern states to enact regressive voting laws that will likely disenfranchise the ever-growing number of voters of color.</p>
<p>The second pair of cases threw out the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the legal travesty that defined marriage in federal law as only between a man and a woman, and effectively overturned California’s Prop 8, which bans same-sex marriage.</p>
<p>For those who struggle for equality and civil rights, these three decisions mark one brutal defeat and two stunning victories.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“What the court did … is stab the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in its very heart,” Georgia Congressman John Lewis said of Tuesday’s decision. “It is a major setback. We may not have people being beaten today. Maybe they’re not being denied the right to participate or to register to vote. They’re not being chased by police dogs or trampled by horses. But in the 11 states of the old Confederacy, and even in some of the states outside of the South, there’s been a systematic, deliberate attempt to take us back to another period.”</p>
<p>Lewis is the 73-year-old dean of the Georgia congressional delegation. As a young man, he led the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and was the youngest speaker to address the March on Washington 50 years ago. He recently recalled a signal moment in that struggle, appearing on the “Democracy Now!” news hour:</p>
<p>“On March 7, 1965, a group of us attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to dramatize to the nation that people wanted to register to vote. … In Selma, Alabama, in 1965, only 2.1 percent of blacks of voting age were registered to vote. The only place you could attempt to register was to go down to the courthouse. You had to pass a so-called literacy test. And they would tell people over and over again that they didn’t or couldn’t pass the literacy test.”</p>
<p>What happened to those marchers as they tried to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge into Selma has entered the canon of American protest history. Lewis continued: “We got to the top of the bridge. We saw a sea of blue – Alabama state troopers – and we continued to walk. We came within hearing distance of the state troopers … you saw these guys putting on their gas masks. They came toward us, beating us with nightsticks and bullwhips, trampling us with horses. I was hit in the head by a state trooper with a nightstick. I had a concussion at the bridge. My legs went out from under me. I felt like I was going to die. I thought I saw Death.”</p>
<p>Lewis had his head bashed in, and was one of 17 seriously injured that day. He recovered and continued the struggle. Months later, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law.</p>
<p>Throughout his career, John Lewis has forged a solid record of fighting for civil rights – not just for African-Americans, but for all who suffer discrimination.</p>
<p>Which brings us to the second key decision this week from the Supreme Court. The court ruled unconstitutional the Defense of Marriage Act, which federally defined marriage as between a man and a woman. Backing that up was another 5-4 decision that essentially overturns California’s notorious Prop 8, which banned same-sex marriage. Soon, it will be legal for gay and lesbian couples to marry in the most populous state in the country.</p>
<p>Back when DOMA was being debated in 1996, with President Bill Clinton championing it and with bipartisan support in Congress, John Lewis spoke out against it with the same passion he showed in the struggle for voting rights. Lewis said then, on the floor of the House: “This bill is a slap in the face of the Declaration of Independence. It denies gay men and women the right of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Marriage is a basic human right. You cannot tell people they cannot fall in love. I will not turn my back on another American. I will not oppress my fellow human being. I fought too hard and too long against discrimination based on race and color not to stand up against discrimination based on sexual orientation.” After this week’s DOMA decision, he reiterated, “It’s better to love than to hate.”</p>
<p>For John Lewis, human rights cannot be compromised, they are indivisible. Following his lead, people should channel the joy they feel for the marriage equality victories today to a renewed struggle for voting rights, for equality for all.</p>
<p>Amy Goodman is the host of “Democracy Now!,” a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on more than 900 stations in North America. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.</p>
<p /> | One major defeat, two victories | false | https://abqjournal.com/215753/one-major-defeat-two-victories.html | 2013-06-29 | 2least
| One major defeat, two victories
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>In the first, a core component of the Voting Rights Act was gutted, enabling Southern states to enact regressive voting laws that will likely disenfranchise the ever-growing number of voters of color.</p>
<p>The second pair of cases threw out the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the legal travesty that defined marriage in federal law as only between a man and a woman, and effectively overturned California’s Prop 8, which bans same-sex marriage.</p>
<p>For those who struggle for equality and civil rights, these three decisions mark one brutal defeat and two stunning victories.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“What the court did … is stab the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in its very heart,” Georgia Congressman John Lewis said of Tuesday’s decision. “It is a major setback. We may not have people being beaten today. Maybe they’re not being denied the right to participate or to register to vote. They’re not being chased by police dogs or trampled by horses. But in the 11 states of the old Confederacy, and even in some of the states outside of the South, there’s been a systematic, deliberate attempt to take us back to another period.”</p>
<p>Lewis is the 73-year-old dean of the Georgia congressional delegation. As a young man, he led the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and was the youngest speaker to address the March on Washington 50 years ago. He recently recalled a signal moment in that struggle, appearing on the “Democracy Now!” news hour:</p>
<p>“On March 7, 1965, a group of us attempted to march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to dramatize to the nation that people wanted to register to vote. … In Selma, Alabama, in 1965, only 2.1 percent of blacks of voting age were registered to vote. The only place you could attempt to register was to go down to the courthouse. You had to pass a so-called literacy test. And they would tell people over and over again that they didn’t or couldn’t pass the literacy test.”</p>
<p>What happened to those marchers as they tried to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge into Selma has entered the canon of American protest history. Lewis continued: “We got to the top of the bridge. We saw a sea of blue – Alabama state troopers – and we continued to walk. We came within hearing distance of the state troopers … you saw these guys putting on their gas masks. They came toward us, beating us with nightsticks and bullwhips, trampling us with horses. I was hit in the head by a state trooper with a nightstick. I had a concussion at the bridge. My legs went out from under me. I felt like I was going to die. I thought I saw Death.”</p>
<p>Lewis had his head bashed in, and was one of 17 seriously injured that day. He recovered and continued the struggle. Months later, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law.</p>
<p>Throughout his career, John Lewis has forged a solid record of fighting for civil rights – not just for African-Americans, but for all who suffer discrimination.</p>
<p>Which brings us to the second key decision this week from the Supreme Court. The court ruled unconstitutional the Defense of Marriage Act, which federally defined marriage as between a man and a woman. Backing that up was another 5-4 decision that essentially overturns California’s notorious Prop 8, which banned same-sex marriage. Soon, it will be legal for gay and lesbian couples to marry in the most populous state in the country.</p>
<p>Back when DOMA was being debated in 1996, with President Bill Clinton championing it and with bipartisan support in Congress, John Lewis spoke out against it with the same passion he showed in the struggle for voting rights. Lewis said then, on the floor of the House: “This bill is a slap in the face of the Declaration of Independence. It denies gay men and women the right of liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Marriage is a basic human right. You cannot tell people they cannot fall in love. I will not turn my back on another American. I will not oppress my fellow human being. I fought too hard and too long against discrimination based on race and color not to stand up against discrimination based on sexual orientation.” After this week’s DOMA decision, he reiterated, “It’s better to love than to hate.”</p>
<p>For John Lewis, human rights cannot be compromised, they are indivisible. Following his lead, people should channel the joy they feel for the marriage equality victories today to a renewed struggle for voting rights, for equality for all.</p>
<p>Amy Goodman is the host of “Democracy Now!,” a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on more than 900 stations in North America. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.</p>
<p /> | 599,423 |
<p>New data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has brought some good news for advocates of US natural gas production. In three of the first five months of 2017, the United States exported more natural gas than it imported, reversing a trend of net-imports that’s endured for nearly sixty years.</p>
<p>Rising exports, fueled by a the shale boom which has seen a marked increase in US natural gas production, have been facilitated by new infrastructure and rising demand outside the US, most notably in Mexico and eastern Canada.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/398934-us-lng-europe-expensive-uniper/" type="external" /></p>
<p>The United States began importing large amounts of Canadian natural gas in 1958, when the TransCanada natural gas pipeline was completed. Significant quantities of Canadian natural gas continue to flow over the border, chiefly through pipelines in Idaho and Montana.</p>
<p>But now, rising natural gas output from the shale boom has displaced Canadian production, reducing the volume of Canadian imports. There has been a simultaneous increase in demand for US natural gas in eastern Canada, which is better supplied from US sources than from distant Alberta, the hub of Canada’s energy industry. While the US remains a net importer of Canadian energy, the urban centers of Toronto, Quebec and Montreal are becoming increasingly reliant on US natural gas piped in from the south.</p>
<p>In March 2017, US natural gas exports to Canada reached 3.21 billion cubic feet/day, nearly breaking a record of 3.25 bcf/d set in 2012. Imports of Canadian natural gas, which&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/n9102cn2m.htm" type="external">reached</a>&#160;a peak of 12 bcf/day in 2007, were&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/NG_MOVE_IMPC_S1_M.htm" type="external">around</a>&#160;8 bcf/day.</p>
<p><a href="http://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Daily-OPEC-Oil-Prices-Now-Public-For-The-First-Time-Ever.html" type="external">Read More on Oilprice.com:&#160;Daily OPEC Oil Prices Now Public For The First Time Ever</a></p>
<p>The real story in US natural gas exports, however, is in Mexico. Natural gas exports south of the border reached near-record levels in the first half of 2017, averaging 4.04 bcf/d.</p>
<p>Exports to Mexico have been&#160; <a href="http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=28932" type="external">steadily increasing</a>&#160;since 2010, a sign of growing US production and declining Mexican output, but also an indicator of the growing demand in Mexico for natural gas for electricity production and industrial activities. Natural gas accounts for sixty percent of Mexican electricity demand, though upstream activities have been&#160; <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/judeclemente/2017/08/06/nine-natural-gas-facts-that-you-should-know/#cffaf787e446" type="external">increasing</a>&#160;since the 2013 Energy Reforms and the country’s domestic production could swing back in the years to come.</p>
<p>The&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=28972" type="external">pipeline network</a>&#160;linking the US to Mexico has been improved and updated in the last five years, with new pipelines increasing the total export volume to 7.3 bcf/d. Plans for additional pipelines featured heavily in US President Donald Trump’s&#160; <a href="http://time.com/4839884/energy-dominance-energy-independence-donald-trump/" type="external">speech on energy policy</a>&#160;in late June 2017, despite his repeated calls that a wall be built between the two nations. The President suggested the new pipeline could be built “under the wall,” eliciting a few chuckles from his audience.</p>
<p>Jokes aside, the US is likely to remain a major source of energy for Mexican consumption in the years ahead. New pipelines, including the Roadrunner (Phase II), Comanche Trail and Presidio Crossing projects will increase U.S. capacity to deliver natural gas to Mexico, directly linking the nation’s most productive shale areas to high-growth markets. Total US natural gas export capacity to Mexico is set to increase to 15 bcf/d.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/374942-trump-dakota-keystone-approval/" type="external" /></p>
<p>The other aspect of U.S. natural gas export growth has been the increase in liquefied natural gas shipments (LNG) from the nation’s single operational LNG terminal at Sabine Pass in Louisiana. Since&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/naturalgas/weekly/archivenew_ngwu/2016/02_25/" type="external">coming on line</a>&#160;in February 2016, Sabine Pass has commissioned three liquefaction trains, allowing exports to reach 2 bcf/d in 2017.</p>
<p>Some of this product has been delivered to Mexico, largely to feed demand in the country’s central regions which have experienced natural gas shortages.&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/ngm_epg0_eve_nus-nmx_mmcfm.htm" type="external">Shipments</a>&#160;to Mexico reached 14 bcf in January 2017.</p>
<p>Harold Hamm, a pioneer of the US shale boom, is&#160;anticipating&#160;a surge of US LNG exports. The energy lobbyist has the ear of President Trump, who has been vigorously promoting increased US energy production. Yet Hamm has acknowledged that the real barrier to LNG exports is not capacity, but demand. Right now, the US&#160;competes with other LNG exporters for markets in East Asia and South America.</p>
<p>Mexico, which has been taking LNG shipments to correct for natural gas shortages in its central regions, may be weaning itself off LNG as more natural gas becomes available via pipeline. The boom in pipeline construction linking US shale to markets in Mexico may price LNG out of the market: liquefying and transporting the gas via tanker is more expensive than simply pumping it through a pipeline.</p>
<p><a href="http://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Libyas-Oil-King-Wont-Be-Stopped-By-OPEC.html" type="external">Read More on Oilprice.com:&#160;Libya’s Oil King Won’t Be Stopped By OPEC</a></p>
<p>The EIA&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=30052" type="external">believes</a>&#160;LNG will drive increasing US energy exports, amounting to more than half of all energy exports by 2040. With natural gas now flowing out of the US to markets north and south, and with new capacity being added yearly, it seems likely that the boom in natural gas will endure&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/rngwhhdm.htm" type="external">despite</a>&#160;lower-than-average prices. All that is required is for demand to match the abundant supply.</p>
<p>This <a href="http://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Natural-Gas-Prices-Poised-To-Rise-As-Exports-Boom.html" type="external">article</a> was originally published on&#160; <a href="http://oilprice.com/" type="external">Oilprice.com</a></p> | Natural gas prices poised to rise as exports boom | false | https://newsline.com/natural-gas-prices-poised-to-rise-as-exports-boom/ | 2017-08-09 | 1right-center
| Natural gas prices poised to rise as exports boom
<p>New data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has brought some good news for advocates of US natural gas production. In three of the first five months of 2017, the United States exported more natural gas than it imported, reversing a trend of net-imports that’s endured for nearly sixty years.</p>
<p>Rising exports, fueled by a the shale boom which has seen a marked increase in US natural gas production, have been facilitated by new infrastructure and rising demand outside the US, most notably in Mexico and eastern Canada.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/398934-us-lng-europe-expensive-uniper/" type="external" /></p>
<p>The United States began importing large amounts of Canadian natural gas in 1958, when the TransCanada natural gas pipeline was completed. Significant quantities of Canadian natural gas continue to flow over the border, chiefly through pipelines in Idaho and Montana.</p>
<p>But now, rising natural gas output from the shale boom has displaced Canadian production, reducing the volume of Canadian imports. There has been a simultaneous increase in demand for US natural gas in eastern Canada, which is better supplied from US sources than from distant Alberta, the hub of Canada’s energy industry. While the US remains a net importer of Canadian energy, the urban centers of Toronto, Quebec and Montreal are becoming increasingly reliant on US natural gas piped in from the south.</p>
<p>In March 2017, US natural gas exports to Canada reached 3.21 billion cubic feet/day, nearly breaking a record of 3.25 bcf/d set in 2012. Imports of Canadian natural gas, which&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/n9102cn2m.htm" type="external">reached</a>&#160;a peak of 12 bcf/day in 2007, were&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/NG_MOVE_IMPC_S1_M.htm" type="external">around</a>&#160;8 bcf/day.</p>
<p><a href="http://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Daily-OPEC-Oil-Prices-Now-Public-For-The-First-Time-Ever.html" type="external">Read More on Oilprice.com:&#160;Daily OPEC Oil Prices Now Public For The First Time Ever</a></p>
<p>The real story in US natural gas exports, however, is in Mexico. Natural gas exports south of the border reached near-record levels in the first half of 2017, averaging 4.04 bcf/d.</p>
<p>Exports to Mexico have been&#160; <a href="http://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=28932" type="external">steadily increasing</a>&#160;since 2010, a sign of growing US production and declining Mexican output, but also an indicator of the growing demand in Mexico for natural gas for electricity production and industrial activities. Natural gas accounts for sixty percent of Mexican electricity demand, though upstream activities have been&#160; <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/judeclemente/2017/08/06/nine-natural-gas-facts-that-you-should-know/#cffaf787e446" type="external">increasing</a>&#160;since the 2013 Energy Reforms and the country’s domestic production could swing back in the years to come.</p>
<p>The&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=28972" type="external">pipeline network</a>&#160;linking the US to Mexico has been improved and updated in the last five years, with new pipelines increasing the total export volume to 7.3 bcf/d. Plans for additional pipelines featured heavily in US President Donald Trump’s&#160; <a href="http://time.com/4839884/energy-dominance-energy-independence-donald-trump/" type="external">speech on energy policy</a>&#160;in late June 2017, despite his repeated calls that a wall be built between the two nations. The President suggested the new pipeline could be built “under the wall,” eliciting a few chuckles from his audience.</p>
<p>Jokes aside, the US is likely to remain a major source of energy for Mexican consumption in the years ahead. New pipelines, including the Roadrunner (Phase II), Comanche Trail and Presidio Crossing projects will increase U.S. capacity to deliver natural gas to Mexico, directly linking the nation’s most productive shale areas to high-growth markets. Total US natural gas export capacity to Mexico is set to increase to 15 bcf/d.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/374942-trump-dakota-keystone-approval/" type="external" /></p>
<p>The other aspect of U.S. natural gas export growth has been the increase in liquefied natural gas shipments (LNG) from the nation’s single operational LNG terminal at Sabine Pass in Louisiana. Since&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/naturalgas/weekly/archivenew_ngwu/2016/02_25/" type="external">coming on line</a>&#160;in February 2016, Sabine Pass has commissioned three liquefaction trains, allowing exports to reach 2 bcf/d in 2017.</p>
<p>Some of this product has been delivered to Mexico, largely to feed demand in the country’s central regions which have experienced natural gas shortages.&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/ngm_epg0_eve_nus-nmx_mmcfm.htm" type="external">Shipments</a>&#160;to Mexico reached 14 bcf in January 2017.</p>
<p>Harold Hamm, a pioneer of the US shale boom, is&#160;anticipating&#160;a surge of US LNG exports. The energy lobbyist has the ear of President Trump, who has been vigorously promoting increased US energy production. Yet Hamm has acknowledged that the real barrier to LNG exports is not capacity, but demand. Right now, the US&#160;competes with other LNG exporters for markets in East Asia and South America.</p>
<p>Mexico, which has been taking LNG shipments to correct for natural gas shortages in its central regions, may be weaning itself off LNG as more natural gas becomes available via pipeline. The boom in pipeline construction linking US shale to markets in Mexico may price LNG out of the market: liquefying and transporting the gas via tanker is more expensive than simply pumping it through a pipeline.</p>
<p><a href="http://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Libyas-Oil-King-Wont-Be-Stopped-By-OPEC.html" type="external">Read More on Oilprice.com:&#160;Libya’s Oil King Won’t Be Stopped By OPEC</a></p>
<p>The EIA&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=30052" type="external">believes</a>&#160;LNG will drive increasing US energy exports, amounting to more than half of all energy exports by 2040. With natural gas now flowing out of the US to markets north and south, and with new capacity being added yearly, it seems likely that the boom in natural gas will endure&#160; <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist/rngwhhdm.htm" type="external">despite</a>&#160;lower-than-average prices. All that is required is for demand to match the abundant supply.</p>
<p>This <a href="http://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Natural-Gas-Prices-Poised-To-Rise-As-Exports-Boom.html" type="external">article</a> was originally published on&#160; <a href="http://oilprice.com/" type="external">Oilprice.com</a></p> | 599,424 |
<p>On Monday, the head of the House Homeland Security Committee cited evidence by intelligence officials determining that ISIS has targeted President Obama's refugee program to enter the United States.</p>
<p>"ISIS members in Syria have attempted to exploit it to get into the United States," <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/262316-isis-has-targeted-refugee-program-to-enter-us-chairman-says" type="external">stated</a> Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) "The U.S. government has information to indicate that individuals tied to terrorist groups in Syria have already attempted to gain access to our country through the U.S. refugee program.”</p>
<p>McCaul was sparse on the details, citing "elements of the intelligence community" as his source. According to the House Homeland Security leader, the intel came from a closed door briefing, rather than senior Obama-orchestrated intelligence officials. “That was very courageous for them to come forward with this, to tell me about this personally, given the political debate on the Hill."</p>
<p>This game-changing leak may change the contours of the immigration and refugee debate in Washington. According to <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/262316-isis-has-targeted-refugee-program-to-enter-us-chairman-says" type="external">The Hill</a>, "the disclosure could add ammunition to critics of the White House’s refugee plans who have warned that the program is vulnerable to infiltration by adherents of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)."</p>
<p>Public opinion is beginning to shift on the absorption of Muslim refugees, and this be the straw that broke the camel's back. Already, nearly half of the nation's country has rejected the Obama administration's refugee program, insisting that it irreparably harms America's national security.</p> | ISIS Targeting Refugee Program To Infiltrate US, Confirms Homeland Security Chairman | true | https://dailywire.com/news/1664/breaking-isis-targeting-refugee-program-infiltrate-michael-qazvini | 2015-12-07 | 0right
| ISIS Targeting Refugee Program To Infiltrate US, Confirms Homeland Security Chairman
<p>On Monday, the head of the House Homeland Security Committee cited evidence by intelligence officials determining that ISIS has targeted President Obama's refugee program to enter the United States.</p>
<p>"ISIS members in Syria have attempted to exploit it to get into the United States," <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/262316-isis-has-targeted-refugee-program-to-enter-us-chairman-says" type="external">stated</a> Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) "The U.S. government has information to indicate that individuals tied to terrorist groups in Syria have already attempted to gain access to our country through the U.S. refugee program.”</p>
<p>McCaul was sparse on the details, citing "elements of the intelligence community" as his source. According to the House Homeland Security leader, the intel came from a closed door briefing, rather than senior Obama-orchestrated intelligence officials. “That was very courageous for them to come forward with this, to tell me about this personally, given the political debate on the Hill."</p>
<p>This game-changing leak may change the contours of the immigration and refugee debate in Washington. According to <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/262316-isis-has-targeted-refugee-program-to-enter-us-chairman-says" type="external">The Hill</a>, "the disclosure could add ammunition to critics of the White House’s refugee plans who have warned that the program is vulnerable to infiltration by adherents of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)."</p>
<p>Public opinion is beginning to shift on the absorption of Muslim refugees, and this be the straw that broke the camel's back. Already, nearly half of the nation's country has rejected the Obama administration's refugee program, insisting that it irreparably harms America's national security.</p> | 599,425 |
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<p />
<p>Fewer people are visiting state-run museums, but revenue is up.</p>
<p>Both results can be attributed in part to an increase in the price of admission approved and implemented more than a year ago.</p>
<p>And the museum system now offers New Mexico residents only one free Sunday a month. Previously, locals could visit the museums free every Sunday.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>According to the Department of Cultural Affairs, in fiscal year 2017 – which ended on June 30 – 835,135 people visited the state’s eight museums. That is down from 2016’s tally of 898,381, or about 7 percent.</p>
<p>But all’s not bad.</p>
<p>“While we saw a slight overall decrease (in attendance) during the last fiscal year, it’s important to note that our revenue is still growing – and some of our sites are showcasing New Mexico to more people than we’ve seen in years,” said Michael S. Delello, Cultural Affairs deputy secretary, in an email. “For example, visits to the National Hispanic Cultural Center are up nearly 20 percent, and visits to the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo have increased significantly as well.”</p>
<p>In fact, the National Hispanic Cultural Center was the most visited state museum this fiscal year, with 226,793 visitors. This is up from 189,933 in 2016.</p>
<p>Rebecca Avitia, NHCC executive director, credited the increase to a recent focus on events for smaller groups.</p>
<p>A host of events like book readings, children’s storytime, history lecture series and artist tours have been made into regular offerings over the course of the past three years, in addition to the big shows offered in the large theaters.</p>
<p>She said the increase is the result of nearly three years of planning.</p>
<p>“In fiscal year 2015, we focused on the number of large events,” Avitia said. “Once we were stabilized, we started focusing on smaller events. It created an ecosystem of events. People are starting to think of (the NHCC) as a place to go. We’ve become part of what Albuquerque has to offer. When I look at the numbers, I see a long-term strategy that has come to fruition.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Avitia said the NHCC’s success also comes from offering programming that resonates with the community.</p>
<p>“Our approach is to home-grow the exhibits and the programming so that one day we can export it,” Avitia said. “Familiarity is a huge part of Hispanic culture. When we talk about business decisions, we don’t step away from the (center’s) mission. We’re going to do it through the lens of Hispanic culture.”</p>
<p>The New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo saw attendance grow for a fifth-straight year, with 95,833 visitors this fiscal year. (Courtesy of The N.M. Museum Of Space History)</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo recorded its fifth year of increased visitation.</p>
<p>“We are up 11.2 percent over last year and 37.8 percent over our lowest attendance in fiscal year 2012,” museum Executive Director Christopher Orwoll said.</p>
<p>The museum’s highest attendance topped 200,000 guests in fiscal year 1990 but began dropping steadily after that until it reached a low of just over 74,000 in fiscal year 2012. In fiscal year 2017, the number of visitors was 95,833.</p>
<p>Over the past five years, significant work has been done at the space museum, from installing carpet to replacement of the theater’s 30-year-old projection system. In addition, new and interactive exhibits have been installed and thousands of artifacts have been added to the museum’s collection.</p>
<p>“There are many more improvements that we’ll be making over the next year,” said Orwoll. “And one of the major upgrades will be replacement of the theater’s aging dome. We’ll also be installing a brand new playground area near our rocket park.”</p>
<p>One of the biggest decreases in attendance was felt at the Museum of Natural History &amp; Science, which saw 198,141 visitors last fiscal year. This is down from 240,031 in 2016.</p>
<p>The Albuquerque museum had cut back to a six-day week in October as the state struggled to balance its budget. It began once again operating a seven-day week schedule on June 23.</p>
<p>“We are thrilled to be able to bring the many resources of the Museum of Natural History &amp; Science to New Mexicans and our visitors seven days a week,” said Margie Marino, the museum’s executive director.</p>
<p>Delello said the museums continue to work on keeping attendance up by bringing top-tier exhibits to the state, which will also build on the state’s reputation as a national cultural leader.</p>
<p>“For example, next February, Natural History is opening ‘Da Vinci: The Genius,’ the largest exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci ever assembled,” Delello said. “The New Mexico Museum of Art currently has an amazing exhibit from the British Museum, ‘Lines of Thought,’ which includes drawings from such masters as Michelangelo – and is getting ready to kick off its year-long Centennial celebration and grand re-opening on Nov. 25.”</p>
<p />
<p /> | NM museums see fewer customers but more cash | false | https://abqjournal.com/1035481/nm-museums-fewer-customers-more-cash.html | 2017-07-19 | 2least
| NM museums see fewer customers but more cash
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<p />
<p>Fewer people are visiting state-run museums, but revenue is up.</p>
<p>Both results can be attributed in part to an increase in the price of admission approved and implemented more than a year ago.</p>
<p>And the museum system now offers New Mexico residents only one free Sunday a month. Previously, locals could visit the museums free every Sunday.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>According to the Department of Cultural Affairs, in fiscal year 2017 – which ended on June 30 – 835,135 people visited the state’s eight museums. That is down from 2016’s tally of 898,381, or about 7 percent.</p>
<p>But all’s not bad.</p>
<p>“While we saw a slight overall decrease (in attendance) during the last fiscal year, it’s important to note that our revenue is still growing – and some of our sites are showcasing New Mexico to more people than we’ve seen in years,” said Michael S. Delello, Cultural Affairs deputy secretary, in an email. “For example, visits to the National Hispanic Cultural Center are up nearly 20 percent, and visits to the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo have increased significantly as well.”</p>
<p>In fact, the National Hispanic Cultural Center was the most visited state museum this fiscal year, with 226,793 visitors. This is up from 189,933 in 2016.</p>
<p>Rebecca Avitia, NHCC executive director, credited the increase to a recent focus on events for smaller groups.</p>
<p>A host of events like book readings, children’s storytime, history lecture series and artist tours have been made into regular offerings over the course of the past three years, in addition to the big shows offered in the large theaters.</p>
<p>She said the increase is the result of nearly three years of planning.</p>
<p>“In fiscal year 2015, we focused on the number of large events,” Avitia said. “Once we were stabilized, we started focusing on smaller events. It created an ecosystem of events. People are starting to think of (the NHCC) as a place to go. We’ve become part of what Albuquerque has to offer. When I look at the numbers, I see a long-term strategy that has come to fruition.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Avitia said the NHCC’s success also comes from offering programming that resonates with the community.</p>
<p>“Our approach is to home-grow the exhibits and the programming so that one day we can export it,” Avitia said. “Familiarity is a huge part of Hispanic culture. When we talk about business decisions, we don’t step away from the (center’s) mission. We’re going to do it through the lens of Hispanic culture.”</p>
<p>The New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo saw attendance grow for a fifth-straight year, with 95,833 visitors this fiscal year. (Courtesy of The N.M. Museum Of Space History)</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo recorded its fifth year of increased visitation.</p>
<p>“We are up 11.2 percent over last year and 37.8 percent over our lowest attendance in fiscal year 2012,” museum Executive Director Christopher Orwoll said.</p>
<p>The museum’s highest attendance topped 200,000 guests in fiscal year 1990 but began dropping steadily after that until it reached a low of just over 74,000 in fiscal year 2012. In fiscal year 2017, the number of visitors was 95,833.</p>
<p>Over the past five years, significant work has been done at the space museum, from installing carpet to replacement of the theater’s 30-year-old projection system. In addition, new and interactive exhibits have been installed and thousands of artifacts have been added to the museum’s collection.</p>
<p>“There are many more improvements that we’ll be making over the next year,” said Orwoll. “And one of the major upgrades will be replacement of the theater’s aging dome. We’ll also be installing a brand new playground area near our rocket park.”</p>
<p>One of the biggest decreases in attendance was felt at the Museum of Natural History &amp; Science, which saw 198,141 visitors last fiscal year. This is down from 240,031 in 2016.</p>
<p>The Albuquerque museum had cut back to a six-day week in October as the state struggled to balance its budget. It began once again operating a seven-day week schedule on June 23.</p>
<p>“We are thrilled to be able to bring the many resources of the Museum of Natural History &amp; Science to New Mexicans and our visitors seven days a week,” said Margie Marino, the museum’s executive director.</p>
<p>Delello said the museums continue to work on keeping attendance up by bringing top-tier exhibits to the state, which will also build on the state’s reputation as a national cultural leader.</p>
<p>“For example, next February, Natural History is opening ‘Da Vinci: The Genius,’ the largest exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci ever assembled,” Delello said. “The New Mexico Museum of Art currently has an amazing exhibit from the British Museum, ‘Lines of Thought,’ which includes drawings from such masters as Michelangelo – and is getting ready to kick off its year-long Centennial celebration and grand re-opening on Nov. 25.”</p>
<p />
<p /> | 599,426 |
<p>When CIA-agent Raymond Davis gunned down two Pakistani civilians in broad daylight on a crowded street in Lahore, he probably never imagined that the entire Washington establishment would spring to his defense. But that’s precisely what happened. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Mike Mullen, John Kerry, Leon Panetta and a number of other US bigwigs have all made appeals on Davis’s behalf. None of these stalwart defenders of “the rule of law” have shown a speck of interest in justice for the victims or of even allowing the investigation to go forward so they could know what really happened. Oh, no. What Clinton and the rest want, is to see their man Davis packed onto the next plane to Langley so he can play shoot-’em-up someplace else in the world.</p>
<p>Does Clinton know that after Davis shot his victims 5 times in the back, he calmly strode back to his car, grabbed his camera, and photographed the dead bodies? Does she know that the two so-called “diplomats” who came to his rescue in a Land Rover (which killed a passerby) have been secretly spirited out of the country so they won’t have to appear in court? Does she know that the families of the victims are now being threatened and attacked to keep them from testifying against Davis? Here’s a clip from Thursday’s edition of The Nation”:</p>
<p>“Three armed men forcibly gave poisonous pills to Muhammad Sarwar, the uncle of Shumaila Kanwal, the widow of Fahim shot dead by Raymond Davis, after barging into his house in Rasool Nagar, Chak Jhumra.</p>
<p>Sarwar was rushed to Allied Hospital in critical condition where doctors were trying to save his life till early Thursday morning. The brother of Muhammad Sarwar told The Nation that three armed men forced their entry into the house after breaking the windowpane of one of the rooms. When they broke the glass, Muhammad Sarwar came out. The outlaws started beating him up.</p>
<p>The other family members, including women and children, coming out for his rescue, were taken hostage and beaten up. The three outlaws then took everyone hostage at gunpoint and forced poisonous pills down Sarwar’s throat.” (“Shumaila’s uncle forced to take poisonous pills”, The Nation)</p>
<p>Good show, Hillary. We’re all about the rule of law in the good old USA.</p>
<p>But why all the intrigue and arm-twisting? Why has the State Department invoked the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to make its case that Davis is entitled to diplomatic immunity? If Davis is innocent, then he has nothing to worry about, right? Why not let the trial go forward and stop reinforcing the widely-held belief that Davis is a vital cog in the US’s clandestine operations in Pakistan?</p>
<p>The truth is that Davis had been photographing sensitive installations and madrassas for some time, the kind of intelligence gathering that spies do when scouting-out prospective targets. Also, he’d been in close contact with members of terrorist organizations, which suggests a link between the CIA and terrorist incidents in Pakistan. Here’s an excerpt from Wednesday’s The Express Tribune:</p>
<p>“His cell phone has revealed contacts with two ancillaries of al Qaeda in Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban of Pakistan (TTP) and sectarian Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), which has led to the public conclusion that he was behind terrorism committed against Pakistan’s security personnel and its people ….This will strike people as America in cahoots with the Taliban and al Qaeda against the state of Pakistan targeting, as one official opined, Pakistan’s nuclear installations.” (“Raymond Davis: The plot thickens, The Express Tribune)</p>
<p>“Al Qaeda”? The CIA is working with “ancillaries of al Qaeda in Pakistan”? No wonder the US media has been keeping a wrap on this story for so long.</p>
<p>Naturally, most Pakistanis now believe that the US is colluding with terrorists to spread instability, weaken the state, and increase its power in the region. But isn’t that America’s M.O. everywhere?</p>
<p>Also, many people noticed that US drone attacks suddenly stopped as soon as Davis was arrested. Was that a coincidence? Not likely. Davis was probably getting coordinates from his new buddies in the tribal hinterland and then passing them along to the Pentagon. The drone bombings are extremely unpopular in Pakistan. More then 1400 people have been killed since August 2008, and most of them have been civilians.</p>
<p>And, there’s more. This is from (Pakistan’s) The Nation:</p>
<p>“A local lawyer has moved a petition in the court of Additional District and Sessions … contending that the accused (Davis)… was preparing a map of sensitive places in Pakistan through the GPS system installed in his car. He added that mobile phone sims, lethal weapons, and videos camera were recovered from the murder accused on January 27, 2011.” (“Davis mapped Pakistan targets court told”, The Nation)</p>
<p>So, Davis’s GPS chip was being used to identify targets for drone attacks in the tribal region. Most likely, he was being assisted on the other end by recruits or members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban.</p>
<p>A lot of extravagant claims have been made about what Davis was up to, much of which is probably just speculation. One report which appeared on ANI news service is particularly dire, but produces little evidence to support its claims. Here’s an excerpt:</p>
<p>“Double murder-accused US official Raymond Davis has been found in possession of top-secret CIA documents, which point to him or the feared American Task Force 373 (TF373) operating in the region, providing Al-Qaeda terrorists with “nuclear fissile material” and “biological agents,” according to a report.</p>
<p>Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is warning that the situation on the sub-continent has turned “grave” as it appears that open warfare is about to break out between Pakistan and the United States, The European Union Times reports…..The most ominous point in this SVR report is “Pakistan’s ISI stating that top-secret CIA documents found in Davis’s possession point to his, and/or TF373, providing to al Qaeda terrorists “nuclear fissile material” and “biological agents”, which they claim are to be used against the United States itself in order to ignite an all-out war in order to re-establish the West’s hegemony over a Global economy that is warned is just months away from collapse,” the paper added. (“CIA Spy Davis was giving nuclear bomb material to Al Qaeda, says report”, ANI)</p>
<p>Although there’s no way to prove that this is false, it seems like a bit of a stretch. But that doesn’t mean that what Davis was up to shouldn’t be taken seriously. Quite the contrary. If Davis was working with Tehreek-e-Taliban, (as alleged in many reports) then we can assume that the war on terror is basically a ruse to advance a broader imperial agenda. According to Sify News, the president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, believes this to be the case. Here’s an excerpt:</p>
<p>“Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US envoy to Afghanistan, once brushed off Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s claim, that the US was “arranging” the (suicide) attacks by Pakistani Taliban inside his country, as ‘madness’, and was of the view that both Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who believed in this US conspiracy theory, were “dysfunctional” leaders.</p>
<p>The account of Zardari’s claim about the US’ hand in the attacks has been elaborately reproduced by US journalist Bob Woodward, on Page 116 of his famous book ‘Obama’s Wars,’ The News reported.</p>
<p>Woodward’s account goes like this: “One evening during the trilateral summit (in Washington, between Obama, Karzai and Zardari) Zardari had dinner with Zalmay Khalilzad, the 58-year-old former US ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the UN, during the Bush presidency.</p>
<p>“Zardari dropped his diplomatic guard. He suggested that one of the two countries was arranging the attacks by the Pakistani Taliban inside his country: India or the US. Zardari didn’t think India could be that clever, but the US could. Karzai had told him the US was behind the attacks, confirming the claims made by the Pakistani ISI.”</p>
<p>“Mr President,” Khalilzad said, “what would we gain from doing this? You explain the logic to me.”</p>
<p>“This was a plot to destabilize Pakistan, Zardari hypothesized, so that the US could invade and seize its nuclear weapons. He could not explain the rapid expansion in violence otherwise. And the CIA had not pursued the leaders of the Pakistani Taliban, a group known as Tehreek-e-Taliban or TTP that had attacked the government. TTP was also blamed for the assassination of Zardari’s wife, Benazir Bhutto.” (“Pakistan President says CIA Involved in Plot to Destabilize Country and Seize Nukes”, Sify News)</p>
<p>Zardari’s claim will sound familiar to those who followed events in Iraq. Many people are convinced that the only rational explanation for the wave of bombings directed at civilians, was that the violence was caused by those groups who stood to gain from a civil war.</p>
<p>And who might that be?</p>
<p>Despite the Obama administration’s efforts to derail the investigation, the case against Davis is going forward. Whether he is punished or not is irrelevant. This isn’t about Davis anyway. It’s a question of whether the US is working hand-in-hand with the very organizations that it publicly condemns in order to advance its global agenda. If that’s the case, then the war on terror is a fraud.</p>
<p>MIKE WHITNEY lives in Washington state and&#160; can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p /> | The CIA’s Killing Spree in Lahore | true | https://counterpunch.org/2011/02/24/the-cia-s-killing-spree-in-lahore/ | 2011-02-24 | 4left
| The CIA’s Killing Spree in Lahore
<p>When CIA-agent Raymond Davis gunned down two Pakistani civilians in broad daylight on a crowded street in Lahore, he probably never imagined that the entire Washington establishment would spring to his defense. But that’s precisely what happened. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Mike Mullen, John Kerry, Leon Panetta and a number of other US bigwigs have all made appeals on Davis’s behalf. None of these stalwart defenders of “the rule of law” have shown a speck of interest in justice for the victims or of even allowing the investigation to go forward so they could know what really happened. Oh, no. What Clinton and the rest want, is to see their man Davis packed onto the next plane to Langley so he can play shoot-’em-up someplace else in the world.</p>
<p>Does Clinton know that after Davis shot his victims 5 times in the back, he calmly strode back to his car, grabbed his camera, and photographed the dead bodies? Does she know that the two so-called “diplomats” who came to his rescue in a Land Rover (which killed a passerby) have been secretly spirited out of the country so they won’t have to appear in court? Does she know that the families of the victims are now being threatened and attacked to keep them from testifying against Davis? Here’s a clip from Thursday’s edition of The Nation”:</p>
<p>“Three armed men forcibly gave poisonous pills to Muhammad Sarwar, the uncle of Shumaila Kanwal, the widow of Fahim shot dead by Raymond Davis, after barging into his house in Rasool Nagar, Chak Jhumra.</p>
<p>Sarwar was rushed to Allied Hospital in critical condition where doctors were trying to save his life till early Thursday morning. The brother of Muhammad Sarwar told The Nation that three armed men forced their entry into the house after breaking the windowpane of one of the rooms. When they broke the glass, Muhammad Sarwar came out. The outlaws started beating him up.</p>
<p>The other family members, including women and children, coming out for his rescue, were taken hostage and beaten up. The three outlaws then took everyone hostage at gunpoint and forced poisonous pills down Sarwar’s throat.” (“Shumaila’s uncle forced to take poisonous pills”, The Nation)</p>
<p>Good show, Hillary. We’re all about the rule of law in the good old USA.</p>
<p>But why all the intrigue and arm-twisting? Why has the State Department invoked the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to make its case that Davis is entitled to diplomatic immunity? If Davis is innocent, then he has nothing to worry about, right? Why not let the trial go forward and stop reinforcing the widely-held belief that Davis is a vital cog in the US’s clandestine operations in Pakistan?</p>
<p>The truth is that Davis had been photographing sensitive installations and madrassas for some time, the kind of intelligence gathering that spies do when scouting-out prospective targets. Also, he’d been in close contact with members of terrorist organizations, which suggests a link between the CIA and terrorist incidents in Pakistan. Here’s an excerpt from Wednesday’s The Express Tribune:</p>
<p>“His cell phone has revealed contacts with two ancillaries of al Qaeda in Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Taliban of Pakistan (TTP) and sectarian Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), which has led to the public conclusion that he was behind terrorism committed against Pakistan’s security personnel and its people ….This will strike people as America in cahoots with the Taliban and al Qaeda against the state of Pakistan targeting, as one official opined, Pakistan’s nuclear installations.” (“Raymond Davis: The plot thickens, The Express Tribune)</p>
<p>“Al Qaeda”? The CIA is working with “ancillaries of al Qaeda in Pakistan”? No wonder the US media has been keeping a wrap on this story for so long.</p>
<p>Naturally, most Pakistanis now believe that the US is colluding with terrorists to spread instability, weaken the state, and increase its power in the region. But isn’t that America’s M.O. everywhere?</p>
<p>Also, many people noticed that US drone attacks suddenly stopped as soon as Davis was arrested. Was that a coincidence? Not likely. Davis was probably getting coordinates from his new buddies in the tribal hinterland and then passing them along to the Pentagon. The drone bombings are extremely unpopular in Pakistan. More then 1400 people have been killed since August 2008, and most of them have been civilians.</p>
<p>And, there’s more. This is from (Pakistan’s) The Nation:</p>
<p>“A local lawyer has moved a petition in the court of Additional District and Sessions … contending that the accused (Davis)… was preparing a map of sensitive places in Pakistan through the GPS system installed in his car. He added that mobile phone sims, lethal weapons, and videos camera were recovered from the murder accused on January 27, 2011.” (“Davis mapped Pakistan targets court told”, The Nation)</p>
<p>So, Davis’s GPS chip was being used to identify targets for drone attacks in the tribal region. Most likely, he was being assisted on the other end by recruits or members of the Tehreek-e-Taliban.</p>
<p>A lot of extravagant claims have been made about what Davis was up to, much of which is probably just speculation. One report which appeared on ANI news service is particularly dire, but produces little evidence to support its claims. Here’s an excerpt:</p>
<p>“Double murder-accused US official Raymond Davis has been found in possession of top-secret CIA documents, which point to him or the feared American Task Force 373 (TF373) operating in the region, providing Al-Qaeda terrorists with “nuclear fissile material” and “biological agents,” according to a report.</p>
<p>Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) is warning that the situation on the sub-continent has turned “grave” as it appears that open warfare is about to break out between Pakistan and the United States, The European Union Times reports…..The most ominous point in this SVR report is “Pakistan’s ISI stating that top-secret CIA documents found in Davis’s possession point to his, and/or TF373, providing to al Qaeda terrorists “nuclear fissile material” and “biological agents”, which they claim are to be used against the United States itself in order to ignite an all-out war in order to re-establish the West’s hegemony over a Global economy that is warned is just months away from collapse,” the paper added. (“CIA Spy Davis was giving nuclear bomb material to Al Qaeda, says report”, ANI)</p>
<p>Although there’s no way to prove that this is false, it seems like a bit of a stretch. But that doesn’t mean that what Davis was up to shouldn’t be taken seriously. Quite the contrary. If Davis was working with Tehreek-e-Taliban, (as alleged in many reports) then we can assume that the war on terror is basically a ruse to advance a broader imperial agenda. According to Sify News, the president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, believes this to be the case. Here’s an excerpt:</p>
<p>“Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US envoy to Afghanistan, once brushed off Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s claim, that the US was “arranging” the (suicide) attacks by Pakistani Taliban inside his country, as ‘madness’, and was of the view that both Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who believed in this US conspiracy theory, were “dysfunctional” leaders.</p>
<p>The account of Zardari’s claim about the US’ hand in the attacks has been elaborately reproduced by US journalist Bob Woodward, on Page 116 of his famous book ‘Obama’s Wars,’ The News reported.</p>
<p>Woodward’s account goes like this: “One evening during the trilateral summit (in Washington, between Obama, Karzai and Zardari) Zardari had dinner with Zalmay Khalilzad, the 58-year-old former US ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the UN, during the Bush presidency.</p>
<p>“Zardari dropped his diplomatic guard. He suggested that one of the two countries was arranging the attacks by the Pakistani Taliban inside his country: India or the US. Zardari didn’t think India could be that clever, but the US could. Karzai had told him the US was behind the attacks, confirming the claims made by the Pakistani ISI.”</p>
<p>“Mr President,” Khalilzad said, “what would we gain from doing this? You explain the logic to me.”</p>
<p>“This was a plot to destabilize Pakistan, Zardari hypothesized, so that the US could invade and seize its nuclear weapons. He could not explain the rapid expansion in violence otherwise. And the CIA had not pursued the leaders of the Pakistani Taliban, a group known as Tehreek-e-Taliban or TTP that had attacked the government. TTP was also blamed for the assassination of Zardari’s wife, Benazir Bhutto.” (“Pakistan President says CIA Involved in Plot to Destabilize Country and Seize Nukes”, Sify News)</p>
<p>Zardari’s claim will sound familiar to those who followed events in Iraq. Many people are convinced that the only rational explanation for the wave of bombings directed at civilians, was that the violence was caused by those groups who stood to gain from a civil war.</p>
<p>And who might that be?</p>
<p>Despite the Obama administration’s efforts to derail the investigation, the case against Davis is going forward. Whether he is punished or not is irrelevant. This isn’t about Davis anyway. It’s a question of whether the US is working hand-in-hand with the very organizations that it publicly condemns in order to advance its global agenda. If that’s the case, then the war on terror is a fraud.</p>
<p>MIKE WHITNEY lives in Washington state and&#160; can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p /> | 599,427 |
<p>The Senate defeated a pair of spending-cut bills on Wednesday -- a Republican plan for nearly $60 billion in reductions and a far smaller Democratic alternative -- increasing pressure on both sides to cut a bipartisan deal.</p>
<p>The two votes were staged by congressional leaders as a way of demonstrating that both parties need to compromise on spending and deficit-reduction for the rest of this fiscal year, which ends on September 30.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>"Our goal is to fund the government the rest of this year and in outyears. This isn't just the next few weeks (of funding). We're going to try to get a universal deal," Senate Majority Leader <a href="" type="internal">Harry Reid</a> told reporters after the votes.</p>
<p>The <a href="" type="internal">White House</a> said in a statement that the Senate votes showed Republicans and Democrats "must come together to find common ground" on the budget.</p>
<p>With public opinion polls ambivalent over the call for deep spending cuts, the next steps were unclear.A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Wednesday found 51% of Americans want to see defense spending cut, with much weaker support for cutting government retirement and health programs. Only 45% thought the Republican proposals to deeply cut domestic, non-defense programs were "essential" to balancing the budget.</p>
<p>Republicans emboldened by congressional election wins last year are at loggerheads with President Barack Obama's Democrats over how to reduce the budget deficit, due to hit a record $1.65 trillion this year.</p>
<p>Spurred on by <a href="" type="internal">Tea Party</a> fiscal conservatives, Republicans want steep spending cuts for this year, but Obama has warned that too much belt tightening will hurt economic recovery.</p>
<p>Obama met on Wednesday with a group of Democratic senators and Vice President <a href="" type="internal">Joe Biden</a> called Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner and Senate Republican leader <a href="" type="internal">Mitch McConnell</a>.</p>
<p>"The president and vice president urged them to come together to find a solution that funds the government through the end of the fiscal year and reiterated their commitment to helping make this happen," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.</p>
<p>Negotiators face a March 18 deadline, when current funding for government programs expires. Lacking the time to work out a bipartisan spending deal for the remainder of the year, Congress is expected to pass a sixth stop-gap funding bill to avert a government shutdown.</p>
<p>The House could unveil its newest temporary spending bill as soon as Friday and pass it early next week, a source said.</p>
<p>On a mostly partisan vote of 56-44, the Democratic-controlled Senate rejected the House Republicans' measure, which also would have stopped Obama's healthcare reform law from being implemented.</p>
<p>Then the Democratic alternative to trim $4.7 billion from current spending fared even worse when it was defeated by a vote of 58-42.</p>
<p>Senator <a href="" type="internal">Charles Schumer</a> called the Republicans' plan a "scorched earth spending proposal that counts among the casualties such critical priorities as border security, cancer research and food safety inspectors."</p>
<p>GETTING SERIOUS</p>
<p>But the two Senate votes, Schumer predicted, will be a "breakthrough" as they make clear that "both parties' opening bids ... are non-starters" and "we can finally get serious about sitting down and narrowing the huge gap that exists."</p>
<p>Washington's intense interest in the budget is prompted by successive years of record deficits topped by an estimated $1.65 trillion in red ink just for this fiscal year, which ends September 30. That deficit would be equal to 10.9% of the U.S. economy.</p>
<p>This has led to fears of an eventual meltdown of the world's largest economy as total debt, now at $14.2 trillion, is piling up to a level that economists warn is unsustainable.</p>
<p>Tackling government spending comes as the Obama administration is trying to steer the U.S. economy onto a path of sound economic growth after the 2007-2009 recession.</p>
<p>Democrats warn that cutting domestic spending too deeply too soon will jeopardize the recovery and kill jobs. But conservatives are insisting on accelerating spending cuts.</p>
<p>Republican Senator <a href="" type="internal">Rand Paul</a>, a Tea Party favorite, said the two spending-cut options killed by the Senate were "inadequate and do not significantly alter ... our course."</p>
<p>He has called for spending cuts near $500 billion, urged the shuttering of entire Cabinet offices such as the <a href="" type="internal">Education Department</a> and sought to send the federal Medicare healthcare program for the elderly "back to the states."</p>
<p>On Wednesday, both the liberal Schumer and the conservative Paul spoke of cutting U.S. defense spending, now hovering at $700 billion a year, or about one-fifth of the entire budgetSchumer, in a speech to the Center for American Progress think tank, proposed targeting not just defense spending but also programs with powerful constituencies -- farm subsidies and the Medicare and <a href="" type="internal">Medicaid</a> health programs -- along with hundreds of billions of dollars in duplicative programs.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | Senate Kills Competing Spending Cut Bills | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/03/10/senate-kills-competing-spending-cut-bills.html | 2016-01-28 | 0right
| Senate Kills Competing Spending Cut Bills
<p>The Senate defeated a pair of spending-cut bills on Wednesday -- a Republican plan for nearly $60 billion in reductions and a far smaller Democratic alternative -- increasing pressure on both sides to cut a bipartisan deal.</p>
<p>The two votes were staged by congressional leaders as a way of demonstrating that both parties need to compromise on spending and deficit-reduction for the rest of this fiscal year, which ends on September 30.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>"Our goal is to fund the government the rest of this year and in outyears. This isn't just the next few weeks (of funding). We're going to try to get a universal deal," Senate Majority Leader <a href="" type="internal">Harry Reid</a> told reporters after the votes.</p>
<p>The <a href="" type="internal">White House</a> said in a statement that the Senate votes showed Republicans and Democrats "must come together to find common ground" on the budget.</p>
<p>With public opinion polls ambivalent over the call for deep spending cuts, the next steps were unclear.A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Wednesday found 51% of Americans want to see defense spending cut, with much weaker support for cutting government retirement and health programs. Only 45% thought the Republican proposals to deeply cut domestic, non-defense programs were "essential" to balancing the budget.</p>
<p>Republicans emboldened by congressional election wins last year are at loggerheads with President Barack Obama's Democrats over how to reduce the budget deficit, due to hit a record $1.65 trillion this year.</p>
<p>Spurred on by <a href="" type="internal">Tea Party</a> fiscal conservatives, Republicans want steep spending cuts for this year, but Obama has warned that too much belt tightening will hurt economic recovery.</p>
<p>Obama met on Wednesday with a group of Democratic senators and Vice President <a href="" type="internal">Joe Biden</a> called Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner and Senate Republican leader <a href="" type="internal">Mitch McConnell</a>.</p>
<p>"The president and vice president urged them to come together to find a solution that funds the government through the end of the fiscal year and reiterated their commitment to helping make this happen," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.</p>
<p>Negotiators face a March 18 deadline, when current funding for government programs expires. Lacking the time to work out a bipartisan spending deal for the remainder of the year, Congress is expected to pass a sixth stop-gap funding bill to avert a government shutdown.</p>
<p>The House could unveil its newest temporary spending bill as soon as Friday and pass it early next week, a source said.</p>
<p>On a mostly partisan vote of 56-44, the Democratic-controlled Senate rejected the House Republicans' measure, which also would have stopped Obama's healthcare reform law from being implemented.</p>
<p>Then the Democratic alternative to trim $4.7 billion from current spending fared even worse when it was defeated by a vote of 58-42.</p>
<p>Senator <a href="" type="internal">Charles Schumer</a> called the Republicans' plan a "scorched earth spending proposal that counts among the casualties such critical priorities as border security, cancer research and food safety inspectors."</p>
<p>GETTING SERIOUS</p>
<p>But the two Senate votes, Schumer predicted, will be a "breakthrough" as they make clear that "both parties' opening bids ... are non-starters" and "we can finally get serious about sitting down and narrowing the huge gap that exists."</p>
<p>Washington's intense interest in the budget is prompted by successive years of record deficits topped by an estimated $1.65 trillion in red ink just for this fiscal year, which ends September 30. That deficit would be equal to 10.9% of the U.S. economy.</p>
<p>This has led to fears of an eventual meltdown of the world's largest economy as total debt, now at $14.2 trillion, is piling up to a level that economists warn is unsustainable.</p>
<p>Tackling government spending comes as the Obama administration is trying to steer the U.S. economy onto a path of sound economic growth after the 2007-2009 recession.</p>
<p>Democrats warn that cutting domestic spending too deeply too soon will jeopardize the recovery and kill jobs. But conservatives are insisting on accelerating spending cuts.</p>
<p>Republican Senator <a href="" type="internal">Rand Paul</a>, a Tea Party favorite, said the two spending-cut options killed by the Senate were "inadequate and do not significantly alter ... our course."</p>
<p>He has called for spending cuts near $500 billion, urged the shuttering of entire Cabinet offices such as the <a href="" type="internal">Education Department</a> and sought to send the federal Medicare healthcare program for the elderly "back to the states."</p>
<p>On Wednesday, both the liberal Schumer and the conservative Paul spoke of cutting U.S. defense spending, now hovering at $700 billion a year, or about one-fifth of the entire budgetSchumer, in a speech to the Center for American Progress think tank, proposed targeting not just defense spending but also programs with powerful constituencies -- farm subsidies and the Medicare and <a href="" type="internal">Medicaid</a> health programs -- along with hundreds of billions of dollars in duplicative programs.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | 599,428 |
<p />
<p>We’re highlighting small businesses from around the country as nominated by you, our readers. If your favorite small business is using&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Twitter</a>&#160;to communicate with customers, let us know about it @fbsmallbiz with the hashtag #mysbc, and it may be featured as an upcoming Small Business Spotlight.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Small Business Spotlight: <a href="http://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/" type="external">Mitsubishi Electric Cooling &amp; Heating Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>Who: Bill Rau, 58, SVP and general manager, @MitsubishiHVAC</p>
<p>What: HVAC solutions</p>
<p>Where: Outside of Atlanta, Ga.</p>
<p>When: 1980</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>How:&#160; Rau said Mitsubishi Electric introduced the cooling &amp; heating product line as part of an extension in the 1980s.</p>
<p>Quote: “Our product is radically different from products available in the U.S. market,” he said. “We deliver the air directly to the space, making it more efficient. We can also set up zoning and allow you to turn off cooling or heating when you leave a room, as you would a light.”</p> | Heating and Cooling in a New Way | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2012/09/12/mitsubishi-hvac-heating-and-cooling.html | 2016-03-22 | 0right
| Heating and Cooling in a New Way
<p />
<p>We’re highlighting small businesses from around the country as nominated by you, our readers. If your favorite small business is using&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Twitter</a>&#160;to communicate with customers, let us know about it @fbsmallbiz with the hashtag #mysbc, and it may be featured as an upcoming Small Business Spotlight.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Small Business Spotlight: <a href="http://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/" type="external">Mitsubishi Electric Cooling &amp; Heating Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>Who: Bill Rau, 58, SVP and general manager, @MitsubishiHVAC</p>
<p>What: HVAC solutions</p>
<p>Where: Outside of Atlanta, Ga.</p>
<p>When: 1980</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>How:&#160; Rau said Mitsubishi Electric introduced the cooling &amp; heating product line as part of an extension in the 1980s.</p>
<p>Quote: “Our product is radically different from products available in the U.S. market,” he said. “We deliver the air directly to the space, making it more efficient. We can also set up zoning and allow you to turn off cooling or heating when you leave a room, as you would a light.”</p> | 599,429 |
<p />
<p />
<p>A few days ago ten Russian paratroopers were said to have accidentally crossed the Ukraine border. Now a few thousand Russian troops are supposedly spending their vacations there. But those tanks aren’t loaded with coolers and beach chairs.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/angela-merkel/11060559/Serving-Russian-soldiers-on-leave-fighting-Ukrainian-troops-alongside-rebels-pro-Russian-separatist-leader-says.html" type="external">Serving Russian soldiers on leave fighting Ukrainian troops alongside rebels, pro-Russian separatist leader says</a></p>
<p>East Ukrainian pro-Russian separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko said 3-4,000 serving Russian soldiers, on leave from their posts, are fighting Ukrainian troops alongside the rebels, Russian state television reported.</p>
<p>“Among us are fighting serving soldiers, who would rather take their vacation not on a beach but with us, among brothers, who are fighting for their freedom,” said Mr Zakharchenko in an interview posted on Vesti.ru, the website of a Russian state television station.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/28/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/" type="external">Official: Russian forces back rebels with tanks in eastern Ukraine</a></p>
<p />
<p>Russia’s military fired Grad rockets into the town and its suburbs before sending in two convoys of tanks and armored personnel carriers from Russia’s Rostov region, it said in a statement.</p>
<p>“Ukrainian troops were ordered to pull out to save their lives. By late afternoon both Russian convoys had entered the town. Ukraine is now fortifying nearby Mariupol to the west,” the NDSC said.</p>
<p>Vacations. At last we’re dealing with something in Obama’s skill set.</p>
<p /> | true | http://tammybruce.com/2014/08/russian-troops-on-vacation-in-ukraine.html | 0right
|
<p />
<p />
<p>A few days ago ten Russian paratroopers were said to have accidentally crossed the Ukraine border. Now a few thousand Russian troops are supposedly spending their vacations there. But those tanks aren’t loaded with coolers and beach chairs.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/angela-merkel/11060559/Serving-Russian-soldiers-on-leave-fighting-Ukrainian-troops-alongside-rebels-pro-Russian-separatist-leader-says.html" type="external">Serving Russian soldiers on leave fighting Ukrainian troops alongside rebels, pro-Russian separatist leader says</a></p>
<p>East Ukrainian pro-Russian separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenko said 3-4,000 serving Russian soldiers, on leave from their posts, are fighting Ukrainian troops alongside the rebels, Russian state television reported.</p>
<p>“Among us are fighting serving soldiers, who would rather take their vacation not on a beach but with us, among brothers, who are fighting for their freedom,” said Mr Zakharchenko in an interview posted on Vesti.ru, the website of a Russian state television station.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/28/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/" type="external">Official: Russian forces back rebels with tanks in eastern Ukraine</a></p>
<p />
<p>Russia’s military fired Grad rockets into the town and its suburbs before sending in two convoys of tanks and armored personnel carriers from Russia’s Rostov region, it said in a statement.</p>
<p>“Ukrainian troops were ordered to pull out to save their lives. By late afternoon both Russian convoys had entered the town. Ukraine is now fortifying nearby Mariupol to the west,” the NDSC said.</p>
<p>Vacations. At last we’re dealing with something in Obama’s skill set.</p>
<p /> | 599,430 |
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<p>My neighbor called tonight to come by and pay my son. I told him I had been mowing and that he didn’t need to pay, but he said he still wanted to pay. I didn’t want to take his money, but he insisted. What’s the proper thing to do here?</p>
<p>A: By paying your son for his work, your neighbor is able to manage his own landscaping affairs and not rely strictly on your kindness. It probably pleases him to give your son an opportunity to do some work and earn some money. It’s also probably cheaper than hiring a landscaping company to maintain his yard.</p>
<p>Accept his payment to keep him from feeling like he’s indebted to you for your kindness. Going forward, make sure your son gets the work done. Talk with him about his responsibility and how he can manage his time to fulfill it. If your son really can’t fit it into his schedule, he needs to tell the neighbor and give him a chance to find another neighborhood kid he can employ.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Dear Thelma: My seventh-grade daughter recently began attending a new school. It’s a very small school where most of the kids have attended since kindergarten. She has fit in just fine. I, on the other hand, did not make a real effort to meet the parents of her classmates at the beginning of the year. We’re often in a group as all the girls in the class play on a volleyball team together, but I feel I’ve let too much time pass to introduce myself. Can I fix this?</p>
<p>A: It’s great that you’re often in a group because that makes fixing it easy. The next time you’re waiting for a game to start, sit next to a parent or group of parents and say hello. You can add, “I’m sorry to just be getting around to introducing myself, but I really wanted to meet the families of my daughter’s new friends.” The best way to get a conversation started is by asking questions and these parents should have a lot of information to share.</p>
<p>Dear Thelma: My neighbor recently lost a very public job. It was headline news in our community. I see him in his yard a time or two a week and always speak to him. My question is do I bring up the loss of his job and offer sympathy, or just pretend I’m unaware of his situation. Both are awkward.</p>
<p>A: It is appropriate to express being sorry that your neighbor is in a troubling situation. To ignore it completely would feel awkward for both of you.</p>
<p>Keep your comment sincere and brief – “I’m sorry to hear about your situation.” – and offer it in a way that shows your neighbor that you don’t expect him to expound on the issue or make it a conversation topic. A simple “Thanks” is all the response he needs to give. If your neighbor does choose to share information with you, be attentive without prying. Your listening ear may be what he needs at that time.</p>
<p>Good relations and good manners never go out of style.</p>
<p>Agree or disagree with Thelma’s advice? Post your comments or ask a question about etiquette at <a href="http://thelmadomenici.com" type="external">thelmadomenici.com</a>. Thelma Domenici is CEO of Thelma Domenici &amp; Associates, offering corporate coaching and contemporary social skills development programs to all ages.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p /> | Payment frees neighbor from feeling indebted | false | https://abqjournal.com/271040/payment-frees-neighbor-from-feeling-indebted.html | 2least
| Payment frees neighbor from feeling indebted
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<p />
<p>My neighbor called tonight to come by and pay my son. I told him I had been mowing and that he didn’t need to pay, but he said he still wanted to pay. I didn’t want to take his money, but he insisted. What’s the proper thing to do here?</p>
<p>A: By paying your son for his work, your neighbor is able to manage his own landscaping affairs and not rely strictly on your kindness. It probably pleases him to give your son an opportunity to do some work and earn some money. It’s also probably cheaper than hiring a landscaping company to maintain his yard.</p>
<p>Accept his payment to keep him from feeling like he’s indebted to you for your kindness. Going forward, make sure your son gets the work done. Talk with him about his responsibility and how he can manage his time to fulfill it. If your son really can’t fit it into his schedule, he needs to tell the neighbor and give him a chance to find another neighborhood kid he can employ.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Dear Thelma: My seventh-grade daughter recently began attending a new school. It’s a very small school where most of the kids have attended since kindergarten. She has fit in just fine. I, on the other hand, did not make a real effort to meet the parents of her classmates at the beginning of the year. We’re often in a group as all the girls in the class play on a volleyball team together, but I feel I’ve let too much time pass to introduce myself. Can I fix this?</p>
<p>A: It’s great that you’re often in a group because that makes fixing it easy. The next time you’re waiting for a game to start, sit next to a parent or group of parents and say hello. You can add, “I’m sorry to just be getting around to introducing myself, but I really wanted to meet the families of my daughter’s new friends.” The best way to get a conversation started is by asking questions and these parents should have a lot of information to share.</p>
<p>Dear Thelma: My neighbor recently lost a very public job. It was headline news in our community. I see him in his yard a time or two a week and always speak to him. My question is do I bring up the loss of his job and offer sympathy, or just pretend I’m unaware of his situation. Both are awkward.</p>
<p>A: It is appropriate to express being sorry that your neighbor is in a troubling situation. To ignore it completely would feel awkward for both of you.</p>
<p>Keep your comment sincere and brief – “I’m sorry to hear about your situation.” – and offer it in a way that shows your neighbor that you don’t expect him to expound on the issue or make it a conversation topic. A simple “Thanks” is all the response he needs to give. If your neighbor does choose to share information with you, be attentive without prying. Your listening ear may be what he needs at that time.</p>
<p>Good relations and good manners never go out of style.</p>
<p>Agree or disagree with Thelma’s advice? Post your comments or ask a question about etiquette at <a href="http://thelmadomenici.com" type="external">thelmadomenici.com</a>. Thelma Domenici is CEO of Thelma Domenici &amp; Associates, offering corporate coaching and contemporary social skills development programs to all ages.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The 22nd-ranked New Mexico Lobos men's soccer team beat No. 16 Georgetown 3-1 on Friday night at the Lobo Soccer Complex to set up a rematch Sunday with the No. 18 Portland Pilots.</p>
<p />
<p>Lobos Levi Ross and Lance Rozeboom scored in a two-minute span of the second half, turning a 1-0 lead into a 3-0 rout in the nightcap of a TLC Plumbing, Heating &amp; Cooling Invitational doubleheader.</p>
<p>The Hoyas' Seth C'deBaca, a Sandia Prep graduate, picked up a red card on Rozeboom's long-distance shot, leaving Georgetown a man short.</p>
<p>The Pilots eliminated the Lobos from the NCAA Touranament last year, a 2-1 overtime win at UNM. Portland and Denver played to a 3-3 double-overtime draw earlier Friday.</p>
<p>The Lobos dominated Georgetown on the stats sheet, outshooting the Hoyas 17-6. UNM had 10 corners to five for Georgetown.</p>
<p />
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Lobos Knock Off No. 16 Hoyas 3-1 | false | https://abqjournal.com/232657/lobos-knock-off-no-16-hoyas-3-1.html | 2least
| Lobos Knock Off No. 16 Hoyas 3-1
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The 22nd-ranked New Mexico Lobos men's soccer team beat No. 16 Georgetown 3-1 on Friday night at the Lobo Soccer Complex to set up a rematch Sunday with the No. 18 Portland Pilots.</p>
<p />
<p>Lobos Levi Ross and Lance Rozeboom scored in a two-minute span of the second half, turning a 1-0 lead into a 3-0 rout in the nightcap of a TLC Plumbing, Heating &amp; Cooling Invitational doubleheader.</p>
<p>The Hoyas' Seth C'deBaca, a Sandia Prep graduate, picked up a red card on Rozeboom's long-distance shot, leaving Georgetown a man short.</p>
<p>The Pilots eliminated the Lobos from the NCAA Touranament last year, a 2-1 overtime win at UNM. Portland and Denver played to a 3-3 double-overtime draw earlier Friday.</p>
<p>The Lobos dominated Georgetown on the stats sheet, outshooting the Hoyas 17-6. UNM had 10 corners to five for Georgetown.</p>
<p />
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 599,432 |
|
<p>Alphabet Inc.'s Google has proposed overhauling its shopping search results so that rivals can bid for space to display products for sale, as part of the tech giant's efforts to comply with a European Union's antitrust order, according to people familiar with the matter.</p>
<p>Under the proposal, Google would bid against rivals to display products for sale in the space above its general search results, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Google would set itself a price cap that it wouldn't be able to bid above, but competitors could if they wished.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The European Commission fined Google a record EUR2.42 billion ($2.89 billion) in June for discriminating against rival comparison-shopping sites in its search ranking. The regulator ordered the company to revamp its search results by late September so that it treated its competitors' offerings and its own shopping service equally.</p>
<p>Google submitted a plan to the EU in August that sketched out how it would amend its search results to comply, but declined to provide more details at the time.</p>
<p>A Google spokesman couldn't immediately be reached for comment Monday.</p>
<p>The proposal is similar to one made by Google several years ago as part of settlement talks with the previous EU antitrust chief, Joaquín Almunia. Those talks crumbled under pressure from complainants and politicians in France and Germany, paving the way for EU regulators to fine the company and command changes as part of that decision.</p>
<p>Reuters was the first to report the details of the proposed remedies.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Write to Natalia Drozdiak at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>September 18, 2017 10:15 ET (14:15 GMT)</p> | Google Offers to Auction off Shopping Ad Spaces to Rivals | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/09/18/google-offers-to-auction-off-shopping-ad-spaces-to-rivals.html | 2017-09-18 | 0right
| Google Offers to Auction off Shopping Ad Spaces to Rivals
<p>Alphabet Inc.'s Google has proposed overhauling its shopping search results so that rivals can bid for space to display products for sale, as part of the tech giant's efforts to comply with a European Union's antitrust order, according to people familiar with the matter.</p>
<p>Under the proposal, Google would bid against rivals to display products for sale in the space above its general search results, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Google would set itself a price cap that it wouldn't be able to bid above, but competitors could if they wished.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The European Commission fined Google a record EUR2.42 billion ($2.89 billion) in June for discriminating against rival comparison-shopping sites in its search ranking. The regulator ordered the company to revamp its search results by late September so that it treated its competitors' offerings and its own shopping service equally.</p>
<p>Google submitted a plan to the EU in August that sketched out how it would amend its search results to comply, but declined to provide more details at the time.</p>
<p>A Google spokesman couldn't immediately be reached for comment Monday.</p>
<p>The proposal is similar to one made by Google several years ago as part of settlement talks with the previous EU antitrust chief, Joaquín Almunia. Those talks crumbled under pressure from complainants and politicians in France and Germany, paving the way for EU regulators to fine the company and command changes as part of that decision.</p>
<p>Reuters was the first to report the details of the proposed remedies.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Write to Natalia Drozdiak at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>September 18, 2017 10:15 ET (14:15 GMT)</p> | 599,433 |
<p />
<p>While big companies such as Forever21 and In-N-Out Burger quietly stamp Bible verse John 3:16 on the bottom of their bags and cups, other companies are more outward in their devotion.&#160;But when it comes to integrating faith into your branding or business, it often can be a tricky line to toe.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Regardless of the size of the company, faith-based marketing can help reach an expansive Christian demographic with an estimated purchasing power of around $5.1 trillion a year.</p>
<p>“One of the things that makes the faith-based market unique is they gather weekly as a group to share and fellowship with each other,” said Greg Stielstra, founder of <a href="http://www.pyromarketing.com" type="external">PyroMarketing</a>, a social media marketing agency in Franklin, Tenn.</p>
<p>That means the opportunity for information to spread, including product endorsements, is huge, particularly since people trust recommendations of peers with similar interests. “For Christians in America, their faith in Jesus Christ is a defining characteristic, which makes word of mouth in that community more powerful than it would be for other communities,” Stielstra added.</p>
<p>Paul Jankowski, CEO of Access Brand Strategies and author of <a href="http://www.howtospeakamerican.com/" type="external">How to Speak American: Building Brands in the New Heartland</a>, agreed that faith as a core value in many Americans’ lives cannot be understated.</p>
<p>“Be cognizant of the role of faith, specifically, may play in the lives of this massive consumer group,” he said.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Stielstra marketed for Christian publications for 17 years, including the wildly-successful promotion of The Purpose Driven Life. He is also the co-author of F <a href="http://www.faithbasedmarketing.com/" type="external">aith-Based Marketing: The Guide to Reaching 140 Million Christian Customers.</a></p>
<p>Stielstra attributed the success of The Purpose Driven Life, which is the fastest-selling hardcover book in American history, to the tightness of the faith-based community.</p>
<p>“By lighting that fuse in a number of key places, it was possible to reach almost everyone because that community is so tight.”</p>
<p>A 40-day marketing campaign for the book included having ministers preach six consecutive sermons about the book, with worshippers reading a chapter a day for 40 days. Readers were given the entire book, instead of just a sampling, and they would meet once a week to discuss it. Word of the book spread like wildfire through faith-based communities.</p>
<p>“It created an army of 400,000 customer evangelists who had a deep familiarity and a positive experience with the book, and that turned into irrepressible word of mouth,” Stielstra said. “It wasn’t valuing them for their purchase potential. What it unleashed was their promotional potential.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cbac.com/" type="external">Christian Brothers Automotive</a>is proof of that promotional potential.</p>
<p>CEO Mark Carr founded the company in 1982 after another man from his church asked if he could help start an automotive repair service. Carr, who was working in graphic arts prior – and continued to for seven years before working on his auto service full time – named the company Christian Brothers Automotive because it was literally opened by two brothers in Christ. What started out as a single repair shop outside of Houston, has turned into an operation of 88 franchises in 11 states, with another 32 under construction or getting ready to open.</p>
<p>Some franchise locations have Bibles in the waiting rooms or lobbies, along with TIME magazine and other reading material. Some franchisees also place prayer request books in the lobby open to people of any faith.</p>
<p>“We’re not going to outwardly proselytize ... but we hope and pray that they feel the love of God when they come into our stores,” said Josh Wall, vice president of franchise development.</p>
<p>Although most franchisees are Christians, the company has never specifically focused its marketing efforts on faith-based consumers. It simply made sure to take good care of customers, who in turn, helped boost the customer base with word-of-mouth, referral-based marketing.</p>
<p>“We’re not targeting faith-based customers, per se,” Wall said. “What we’re doing … is just saying, ‘we want to be in a business that glorifies God in everything we do, by providing ethical and excellent automotive repair for our customers.’ That’s something that’s not lip service – that’s who we are.”</p>
<p>As Christian Brothers Automotive expanded, it began advertising on Christian and talk radio – an “incredibly valuable” medium for the faith-based market, according to Stielstra, because many of the stations are listener supported, forging a deep bond between the station and its listeners.</p>
<p>“Many listeners turn to it as safe programming … they have come to trust Christian radio as a sort of gatekeeper,” Stielstra said. “I think brands can use Christian radio effectively to make an introduction and to get the kind of credibility that would take years and millions of dollars to build any other way.”</p>
<p>But you won’t see any type of Christian or religious arts in any of Christian Brothers Automotive's ads.</p>
<p>“We don’t want to offend anyone or create a pre-conceived notion before they walk in the door,” Wall said.</p>
<p>When deciding a franchise location, Christian Brothers looks at demographics like number of people, income levels, traffic, as well as competitive forces like other independent auto repair shops in the area. Ethnic or religious makeup isn’t considered in choosing a location. Some of its strongest franchise locations are in areas dense with people who identify with Eastern religions, not Christianity, according to Wall.</p>
<p>“Overwhelmingly, I would say it typically doesn’t offend non-evangelical Christians because they just want to be taken care of very well. We service people of all different faith backgrounds."</p>
<p>As to how companies or brands can tap into the faith-based market, Stielstra recommends becoming a trusted name in churches, first and foremost. That may mean sitting down with local pastors and presenting your product and explaining how it can be beneficial to his or her congregation.</p>
<p>“Let them speak back to you. Pastors are shepherds of their flock and shepherds protect their flock,” Stielstra said. “If you show how your product is genuinely helpful, they would be a great consultant.”</p>
<p>When it comes to displaying your faith, it’s the personal preference of business owners as to just how much they display. Some say it’s good to find the right balance of showing “we’re one of you” – or “homophily,” meaning “love of the same” - but not beating people senseless with it.</p>
<p>“If you can identify yourself as being a Christian and that your business is guided by Christian principles, other Christians will want to reward you and give them your business,” Stielstra said. “Other businesses can win patronage by Christians by saying there are aligned with the same values – that’s stopping short of sharing your faith, but there are at least a certain set of standards by which we all adhere.”</p> | Faith-Based Marketing Can Tap Into Powerful Consumer Base | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/09/28/faith-based-marketing-can-tap-into-powerful-consumer-base.html | 2016-03-22 | 0right
| Faith-Based Marketing Can Tap Into Powerful Consumer Base
<p />
<p>While big companies such as Forever21 and In-N-Out Burger quietly stamp Bible verse John 3:16 on the bottom of their bags and cups, other companies are more outward in their devotion.&#160;But when it comes to integrating faith into your branding or business, it often can be a tricky line to toe.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Regardless of the size of the company, faith-based marketing can help reach an expansive Christian demographic with an estimated purchasing power of around $5.1 trillion a year.</p>
<p>“One of the things that makes the faith-based market unique is they gather weekly as a group to share and fellowship with each other,” said Greg Stielstra, founder of <a href="http://www.pyromarketing.com" type="external">PyroMarketing</a>, a social media marketing agency in Franklin, Tenn.</p>
<p>That means the opportunity for information to spread, including product endorsements, is huge, particularly since people trust recommendations of peers with similar interests. “For Christians in America, their faith in Jesus Christ is a defining characteristic, which makes word of mouth in that community more powerful than it would be for other communities,” Stielstra added.</p>
<p>Paul Jankowski, CEO of Access Brand Strategies and author of <a href="http://www.howtospeakamerican.com/" type="external">How to Speak American: Building Brands in the New Heartland</a>, agreed that faith as a core value in many Americans’ lives cannot be understated.</p>
<p>“Be cognizant of the role of faith, specifically, may play in the lives of this massive consumer group,” he said.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Stielstra marketed for Christian publications for 17 years, including the wildly-successful promotion of The Purpose Driven Life. He is also the co-author of F <a href="http://www.faithbasedmarketing.com/" type="external">aith-Based Marketing: The Guide to Reaching 140 Million Christian Customers.</a></p>
<p>Stielstra attributed the success of The Purpose Driven Life, which is the fastest-selling hardcover book in American history, to the tightness of the faith-based community.</p>
<p>“By lighting that fuse in a number of key places, it was possible to reach almost everyone because that community is so tight.”</p>
<p>A 40-day marketing campaign for the book included having ministers preach six consecutive sermons about the book, with worshippers reading a chapter a day for 40 days. Readers were given the entire book, instead of just a sampling, and they would meet once a week to discuss it. Word of the book spread like wildfire through faith-based communities.</p>
<p>“It created an army of 400,000 customer evangelists who had a deep familiarity and a positive experience with the book, and that turned into irrepressible word of mouth,” Stielstra said. “It wasn’t valuing them for their purchase potential. What it unleashed was their promotional potential.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cbac.com/" type="external">Christian Brothers Automotive</a>is proof of that promotional potential.</p>
<p>CEO Mark Carr founded the company in 1982 after another man from his church asked if he could help start an automotive repair service. Carr, who was working in graphic arts prior – and continued to for seven years before working on his auto service full time – named the company Christian Brothers Automotive because it was literally opened by two brothers in Christ. What started out as a single repair shop outside of Houston, has turned into an operation of 88 franchises in 11 states, with another 32 under construction or getting ready to open.</p>
<p>Some franchise locations have Bibles in the waiting rooms or lobbies, along with TIME magazine and other reading material. Some franchisees also place prayer request books in the lobby open to people of any faith.</p>
<p>“We’re not going to outwardly proselytize ... but we hope and pray that they feel the love of God when they come into our stores,” said Josh Wall, vice president of franchise development.</p>
<p>Although most franchisees are Christians, the company has never specifically focused its marketing efforts on faith-based consumers. It simply made sure to take good care of customers, who in turn, helped boost the customer base with word-of-mouth, referral-based marketing.</p>
<p>“We’re not targeting faith-based customers, per se,” Wall said. “What we’re doing … is just saying, ‘we want to be in a business that glorifies God in everything we do, by providing ethical and excellent automotive repair for our customers.’ That’s something that’s not lip service – that’s who we are.”</p>
<p>As Christian Brothers Automotive expanded, it began advertising on Christian and talk radio – an “incredibly valuable” medium for the faith-based market, according to Stielstra, because many of the stations are listener supported, forging a deep bond between the station and its listeners.</p>
<p>“Many listeners turn to it as safe programming … they have come to trust Christian radio as a sort of gatekeeper,” Stielstra said. “I think brands can use Christian radio effectively to make an introduction and to get the kind of credibility that would take years and millions of dollars to build any other way.”</p>
<p>But you won’t see any type of Christian or religious arts in any of Christian Brothers Automotive's ads.</p>
<p>“We don’t want to offend anyone or create a pre-conceived notion before they walk in the door,” Wall said.</p>
<p>When deciding a franchise location, Christian Brothers looks at demographics like number of people, income levels, traffic, as well as competitive forces like other independent auto repair shops in the area. Ethnic or religious makeup isn’t considered in choosing a location. Some of its strongest franchise locations are in areas dense with people who identify with Eastern religions, not Christianity, according to Wall.</p>
<p>“Overwhelmingly, I would say it typically doesn’t offend non-evangelical Christians because they just want to be taken care of very well. We service people of all different faith backgrounds."</p>
<p>As to how companies or brands can tap into the faith-based market, Stielstra recommends becoming a trusted name in churches, first and foremost. That may mean sitting down with local pastors and presenting your product and explaining how it can be beneficial to his or her congregation.</p>
<p>“Let them speak back to you. Pastors are shepherds of their flock and shepherds protect their flock,” Stielstra said. “If you show how your product is genuinely helpful, they would be a great consultant.”</p>
<p>When it comes to displaying your faith, it’s the personal preference of business owners as to just how much they display. Some say it’s good to find the right balance of showing “we’re one of you” – or “homophily,” meaning “love of the same” - but not beating people senseless with it.</p>
<p>“If you can identify yourself as being a Christian and that your business is guided by Christian principles, other Christians will want to reward you and give them your business,” Stielstra said. “Other businesses can win patronage by Christians by saying there are aligned with the same values – that’s stopping short of sharing your faith, but there are at least a certain set of standards by which we all adhere.”</p> | 599,434 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Jason Gale was arrested for drunken driving in 1995 in Grand Forks but wasn't called to court until last July, when a jury found him guilty. Gale's attorney, Scott Brand, argued to justices in December that the delay violated Gale's right to a speedy trial.</p>
<p>"The government was clearly negligent. It's 20 years, memories are going to fade and that was obvious at the trial," Brand told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "The officer just memorized his report. He didn't have any independent recollection as to what happened on that night."</p>
<p>Grand Forks city prosecutor Kristi Pettit Venhuizen did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.</p>
<p>The opinion released late Tuesday said justices can't presume that a 20-year-old case was "diligently prosecuted when there is no evidence of any prosecution at all" and that two decades is an unprecedented amount of time for a DUI case to remain idle.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"I have never seen a case like this in my life or even so much heard of one," Brand said.</p>
<p>Venhuizen had argued that Gale made a concerted effort to avoid prosecution and that there was ample evidence to pursue the case. But Brand said Gale moved to Colorado shortly after the DUI arrest and was told by his previous lawyer that he would settle the case in Gale's absence. Later, Gale was involved in separate court cases in two North Dakota counties and authorities failed to flag the outstanding warrant.</p>
<p>Venhuizen said the city sent Gale three notices two decades ago telling him the case was not settled. Gale said he wasn't aware of the warrant until he discovered it while applying for a job earlier this year. A judge rejected his request to dismiss the case and it went to trial. Gale lost and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.</p>
<p>"This shows that justice may not be swift," Brand said, "but it will come when the right case presents itself."</p> | N. Dakota court strikes conviction on 20-year-old DUI charge | false | https://abqjournal.com/741501/n-dakota-court-strikes-conviction-on-20-year-old-dui-charge.html | 2016-03-16 | 2least
| N. Dakota court strikes conviction on 20-year-old DUI charge
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<p />
<p>Jason Gale was arrested for drunken driving in 1995 in Grand Forks but wasn't called to court until last July, when a jury found him guilty. Gale's attorney, Scott Brand, argued to justices in December that the delay violated Gale's right to a speedy trial.</p>
<p>"The government was clearly negligent. It's 20 years, memories are going to fade and that was obvious at the trial," Brand told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "The officer just memorized his report. He didn't have any independent recollection as to what happened on that night."</p>
<p>Grand Forks city prosecutor Kristi Pettit Venhuizen did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.</p>
<p>The opinion released late Tuesday said justices can't presume that a 20-year-old case was "diligently prosecuted when there is no evidence of any prosecution at all" and that two decades is an unprecedented amount of time for a DUI case to remain idle.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"I have never seen a case like this in my life or even so much heard of one," Brand said.</p>
<p>Venhuizen had argued that Gale made a concerted effort to avoid prosecution and that there was ample evidence to pursue the case. But Brand said Gale moved to Colorado shortly after the DUI arrest and was told by his previous lawyer that he would settle the case in Gale's absence. Later, Gale was involved in separate court cases in two North Dakota counties and authorities failed to flag the outstanding warrant.</p>
<p>Venhuizen said the city sent Gale three notices two decades ago telling him the case was not settled. Gale said he wasn't aware of the warrant until he discovered it while applying for a job earlier this year. A judge rejected his request to dismiss the case and it went to trial. Gale lost and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.</p>
<p>"This shows that justice may not be swift," Brand said, "but it will come when the right case presents itself."</p> | 599,435 |
<p>Array BioPharma (NASDAQ:ARRY) said its lung cancer drug failed to meet the primary goal in a mid-stage study of demonstrating statistical significance of overall survival.</p>
<p>In the study, which was conducted by <a href="" type="internal">AstraZeneca</a> (NYSE:AZN), the drug, called selumetinib, was tested in 87 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>While the treatment demonstrated a numerically greater increase in survival, the statistical improvement fell short when compared with chemotherapy drug docetaxel.</p>
<p>The study's second most important goals, however, including progression-free survival, objective response rate, and alive and progression-free at six months, all demonstrated statistical significance over the placebo.</p>
<p>Non-small-cell lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in the U.S., and some 186,000 new cases have been estimated for 2011.</p>
<p>The drug was licensed by AstraZeneca, which is also conducting a mid-stage trial with selumetinib as a treatment for melanoma.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | BioPharma Lung Cancer Drug Fails to Meet Main Goal in Study | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/09/30/bioparma-lung-cancer-drug-fails-to-meet-main-goal-in-study.html | 2016-01-29 | 0right
| BioPharma Lung Cancer Drug Fails to Meet Main Goal in Study
<p>Array BioPharma (NASDAQ:ARRY) said its lung cancer drug failed to meet the primary goal in a mid-stage study of demonstrating statistical significance of overall survival.</p>
<p>In the study, which was conducted by <a href="" type="internal">AstraZeneca</a> (NYSE:AZN), the drug, called selumetinib, was tested in 87 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>While the treatment demonstrated a numerically greater increase in survival, the statistical improvement fell short when compared with chemotherapy drug docetaxel.</p>
<p>The study's second most important goals, however, including progression-free survival, objective response rate, and alive and progression-free at six months, all demonstrated statistical significance over the placebo.</p>
<p>Non-small-cell lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in the U.S., and some 186,000 new cases have been estimated for 2011.</p>
<p>The drug was licensed by AstraZeneca, which is also conducting a mid-stage trial with selumetinib as a treatment for melanoma.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | 599,436 |
<p>A university president has <a href="http://campusreform.org/?ID=7804" type="external">received an award</a> for using his position to promote diversity and equality by eliminating math from the university's required curriculum, Campus Reform reports.</p>
<p>Wayne State University president Dr. M. Roy Wilson and Judge Terrence Berg of Michigan’s Eastern District were honored for their social justice efforts at the second annual Justice Awards Tribute last month. The awards were given by the Arab American Civil Rights league (ACRL) and the Detroit chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).</p>
<p>Wilson was honored for his efforts to promote diversity at Wayne State. The university had recently eliminated math from its required curriculum and is considering a new mandatory diversity course instead. Because of this June 12 measure, students at Wayne State will not have to take a single math class <a href="http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2016/06/12/wayne-state-drops-math-general-ed-requirement/85648592/" type="external">unless</a> their major requires it.</p>
<p>"The beauty and stature of this award is that these individuals are getting an award from their community," ACRL chair Nasser Beydoun said. "We just wanted to recognize those individuals who work to protect civil rights and civil liberties of Americans and recognize them for their efforts."</p>
<p>In 2014, Wilson had <a href="http://president.wayne.edu/about.php" type="external">created</a> the position of Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Office, as well as the Office of Multicultural Student Engagement to promote awareness of the success of “underrepresented and historically marginalized students.”</p>
<p>Former ACRL chair Nabih Ayad said Wilson was responsible for promoting diversity among students and faculty at Wayne State.</p>
<p>“We are proposing the creation of specific ‘Diversity’ courses, with students required to take one course in this designation,” the school’s General Education Reform Community announced in May. “These courses will provide opportunities for students to explore diversity at the domestic level and consider the ways in which it intersects with real world challenges at the local, national and/or global level.”</p>
<p>The committee’s cochair, Monica Brockmeyer, said the decision to remove mathematics from the school’s general curriculum was to ensure students learn the subjects that are “most important” for them.</p>
<p>“We felt the math requirement was better left to the various programs and majors to decide and to decide what levels of mathematics would be needed,” she said, adding, “We still continue to support mathematics at Wayne State.”</p>
<p>Reports from the 2015-2016 fiscal year indicate WSU <a href="http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/22537" type="external">received</a> $190 million, 32 percent of its general fund budget, from Michigan state aid.</p>
<p>Follow Pardes Seleh on <a href="https://twitter.com/PardesSeleh" type="external">Twitter</a>.</p> | College President Awarded For Dropping Math Requirements | true | https://dailywire.com/news/7276/college-president-awarded-dropping-math-pardes-seleh | 2016-07-07 | 0right
| College President Awarded For Dropping Math Requirements
<p>A university president has <a href="http://campusreform.org/?ID=7804" type="external">received an award</a> for using his position to promote diversity and equality by eliminating math from the university's required curriculum, Campus Reform reports.</p>
<p>Wayne State University president Dr. M. Roy Wilson and Judge Terrence Berg of Michigan’s Eastern District were honored for their social justice efforts at the second annual Justice Awards Tribute last month. The awards were given by the Arab American Civil Rights league (ACRL) and the Detroit chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).</p>
<p>Wilson was honored for his efforts to promote diversity at Wayne State. The university had recently eliminated math from its required curriculum and is considering a new mandatory diversity course instead. Because of this June 12 measure, students at Wayne State will not have to take a single math class <a href="http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2016/06/12/wayne-state-drops-math-general-ed-requirement/85648592/" type="external">unless</a> their major requires it.</p>
<p>"The beauty and stature of this award is that these individuals are getting an award from their community," ACRL chair Nasser Beydoun said. "We just wanted to recognize those individuals who work to protect civil rights and civil liberties of Americans and recognize them for their efforts."</p>
<p>In 2014, Wilson had <a href="http://president.wayne.edu/about.php" type="external">created</a> the position of Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Office, as well as the Office of Multicultural Student Engagement to promote awareness of the success of “underrepresented and historically marginalized students.”</p>
<p>Former ACRL chair Nabih Ayad said Wilson was responsible for promoting diversity among students and faculty at Wayne State.</p>
<p>“We are proposing the creation of specific ‘Diversity’ courses, with students required to take one course in this designation,” the school’s General Education Reform Community announced in May. “These courses will provide opportunities for students to explore diversity at the domestic level and consider the ways in which it intersects with real world challenges at the local, national and/or global level.”</p>
<p>The committee’s cochair, Monica Brockmeyer, said the decision to remove mathematics from the school’s general curriculum was to ensure students learn the subjects that are “most important” for them.</p>
<p>“We felt the math requirement was better left to the various programs and majors to decide and to decide what levels of mathematics would be needed,” she said, adding, “We still continue to support mathematics at Wayne State.”</p>
<p>Reports from the 2015-2016 fiscal year indicate WSU <a href="http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/22537" type="external">received</a> $190 million, 32 percent of its general fund budget, from Michigan state aid.</p>
<p>Follow Pardes Seleh on <a href="https://twitter.com/PardesSeleh" type="external">Twitter</a>.</p> | 599,437 |
<p>Photo from flickr user &lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/1987porsche944/3283335473/" target="blank"&gt;1987porsche944 (Infinite recursion)&lt;/a&gt; used under a Creative Commons license</p>
<p />
<p>From last year’s outbreak of salmonella-tainted tomatoes, to an internal <a href="http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/AC/07/briefing/2007-4329b_02_01_FDA%20Report%20on%20Science%20and%20Technology.pdf" type="external">analysis</a> (PDF) warning the agency can’t adequately regulate new medical devices or protect the safety of the nation’s food supply, all the bad publicity the Food and Drug Administration has earned in the last two years revealed an agency plagued by lack of funding and incompetence.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.pogo.org/pogo-files/reports/public-health/safety-of-medical-devices/ph-fda-20090218.html" type="external">report</a> released Wednesday by Project on Government Oversight, a Washington-based watchdog group, adds another item to the list of bad ink for the FDA, this one a product of downright negligence.</p>
<p>POGO alleges the Food and Drug Administration deliberately disregarded regulations governing non-clinical tests of medical devices such as defibrillators, pacemakers and stents.</p>
<p>According to the report, officials at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health decided not to subject certain devices to the rigorous testing outlined by the Good Laboratory Practice regulation, which ensures the accuracy and integrity of safety data submitted to the FDA. Why? It isn’t quite clear. GLP testing can be costly and lengthy. According to the <a href="http://pogoarchives.org/m/science/fda-device/appendix-d.pdf" type="external">whistle-blowers</a> (PDF) who contacted POGO, employees were pressured to overlook any false data submitted by device manufacturers who didn’t subject their products to GLP oversight.</p>
<p>An excerpt from one letter sent to POGO by an anonymous FDA staffer:</p>
<p>There is mandatory indoctrination of employees to overlook fraud and omissions in applications. Also incentives (bonuses, outstanding appraisals, and public recognition) reinforce this behavior.</p>
<p>And another:</p>
<p>Irresponsible management, supervisors, and team leaders have put corporate interests above public safety and undermine the health and lives of American citizens. The world does not know about the government’s ineptitude in the review of medical and radiological devices.</p>
<p /> | Report: FDA Ignores Safety Regs, Risks Lives | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2009/02/report-fda-ignores-safety-regs-puts-lives-risk/ | 2009-02-18 | 4left
| Report: FDA Ignores Safety Regs, Risks Lives
<p>Photo from flickr user &lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/1987porsche944/3283335473/" target="blank"&gt;1987porsche944 (Infinite recursion)&lt;/a&gt; used under a Creative Commons license</p>
<p />
<p>From last year’s outbreak of salmonella-tainted tomatoes, to an internal <a href="http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/AC/07/briefing/2007-4329b_02_01_FDA%20Report%20on%20Science%20and%20Technology.pdf" type="external">analysis</a> (PDF) warning the agency can’t adequately regulate new medical devices or protect the safety of the nation’s food supply, all the bad publicity the Food and Drug Administration has earned in the last two years revealed an agency plagued by lack of funding and incompetence.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.pogo.org/pogo-files/reports/public-health/safety-of-medical-devices/ph-fda-20090218.html" type="external">report</a> released Wednesday by Project on Government Oversight, a Washington-based watchdog group, adds another item to the list of bad ink for the FDA, this one a product of downright negligence.</p>
<p>POGO alleges the Food and Drug Administration deliberately disregarded regulations governing non-clinical tests of medical devices such as defibrillators, pacemakers and stents.</p>
<p>According to the report, officials at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health decided not to subject certain devices to the rigorous testing outlined by the Good Laboratory Practice regulation, which ensures the accuracy and integrity of safety data submitted to the FDA. Why? It isn’t quite clear. GLP testing can be costly and lengthy. According to the <a href="http://pogoarchives.org/m/science/fda-device/appendix-d.pdf" type="external">whistle-blowers</a> (PDF) who contacted POGO, employees were pressured to overlook any false data submitted by device manufacturers who didn’t subject their products to GLP oversight.</p>
<p>An excerpt from one letter sent to POGO by an anonymous FDA staffer:</p>
<p>There is mandatory indoctrination of employees to overlook fraud and omissions in applications. Also incentives (bonuses, outstanding appraisals, and public recognition) reinforce this behavior.</p>
<p>And another:</p>
<p>Irresponsible management, supervisors, and team leaders have put corporate interests above public safety and undermine the health and lives of American citizens. The world does not know about the government’s ineptitude in the review of medical and radiological devices.</p>
<p /> | 599,438 |
<p />
<p>More and more companies are turning to&#160; <a href="https://www.recruiter.com/job/using-linkedin.html" type="external">LinkedIn Opens a New Window.</a> to find the perfect&#160;candidates. In fact, 93 percent of hiring managers search this professional social network for potential hires, according to <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-recruiters-screen-you-on-linkedin-2014-05-02" type="external">MarketWatch Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>This means your LinkedIn profile is an important piece of real estate, regardless of whether you're searching for a job right at the moment.</p>
<p>To make the most of this opportunity, you need to ensure that your profile is fully fleshed out and up to snuff. Pay special attention to the following five aspects of your profile, which can be easy to forget:</p>
<p>1. Volunteer Work</p>
<p><a href="https://blog.linkedin.com/2011/09/07/profile-volunteer-field" type="external">According to LinkedIn Opens a New Window.</a>, one in five hiring managers have hired someone because of their volunteer experiences. Volunteering shows that you're compassionate and have accomplished things outside of your industry and career path. It also shows you're willing to spend time doing something that doesn't directly benefit you, and many hiring managers&#160;count it as a form of job experience.</p>
<p>However, it's not enough to say that you participated in some volunteering initiative. Specify the organization you volunteered with, the cause your worked for, and your role (e.g., team leader, organizer, etc.).</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Showcase&#160;all your volunteer work on your profile, both big and small, even if it was done with another company you worked for.</p>
<p>2. A New Status</p>
<p>While Facebook and Twitter are great places to share updates about things that you love or find entertaining, LinkedIn is a place to share about your career. Many people overlook the status update function on LinkedIn, but it's incredibly important nonetheless.</p>
<p>If you're a writer, sharing your best work as it's published is a great way to show recruiters and potential bosses that you're staying up to date, working on your craft, and focusing on pushing your career forward.</p>
<p>Even if you're not a writer, you should use your status updates to show that you're keeping up with your&#160;industry. You should also take time to comment on other people's statuses, too. You never whom they might be connected to. Your next boss might find you because of a comment you made!</p>
<p>Try to brag (tastefully!) about your career successes and new work with at least one status update per week. Aim to make at 1-3 comments as well.</p>
<p>Join the Conversation: Has LinkedIn Helped You Land a Job?</p>
<p>3. Recommendations</p>
<p>On LinkedIn, there are "endorsements" and "recommendations." Endorsements are easier to collect, since they were created as a way for LinkedIn to encourage activity on the site. These are important in helping recruiters fill lower- and mid-level positions, according to <a href="http://time.com/4403286/linkedin-tips/" type="external">Time. Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>Recommendations, on the other hand, are more difficult to get; you usually have to ask someone to write them for you, perhaps in return for a recommendation that you write for them. Perhaps this is why recommendations carry more weight with companies. In the eyes of recruiters, they act as formal references&#160;and&#160;could be the difference between getting the job and not.</p>
<p>Ask for recommendations from a supervisor or boss, preferably. It's customary to do this when leaving a position, but is also important if you're sticking around. Ask a coworker if you don't feel comfortable asking your boss.</p>
<p>4. Languages</p>
<p>We live in global times,&#160;and demand for people who know a second language is on the rise. In fact, interpreter and translator jobs are among the 15 fastest-growing occupations in the United States, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/30/news/economy/job-skills-foreign-language/" type="external">according to CNN Money Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>If you're not a translator, learning a language is still valuable. Professionals who speak more than one language have an average household income that's $10,000 higher than those who don't, according to <a href="https://www.careerwise.mnscu.edu/news/fw/fw6715FutureWork.html" type="external">RosettaStone data Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>French, Spanish (in the United States especially), and Chinese are some of the most in-demand languages. So, if you want to learn a second language, start there.</p>
<p>Luckily, you don't need to be fluent in the language for it to be a valuable part of your LinkedIn profile. Simply showing that you have learned it could be enough to get you in the door for an interview. While you may be asked to brush up on it when you get the job, you're still one step ahead of the competition&#160;during the recruiting process.</p>
<p>5. Specialized Certifications</p>
<p>Certifications show that you take your career seriously enough to seek out opportunities to learn more and become better at your job. In some cases, these certifications are also required, so recruiters will automatically know if you're qualified by looking at your profile.</p>
<p>Certifications are important to include, even if they aren't related directly to your career. This section of your LinkedIn profile provides you with an easy way to show what you're interested in without coming right out and saying it, which can be hard to do if it doesn't fit within your "I'm a great employee" spiel.</p>
<p>Recruiters like well-rounded candidates, and certifications outside of your career can help show that you fit that bill.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>Take advantage of your LinkedIn profile as a way to draw a clear picture of the kind of employee you would be. Don't forget to fill in these important blank spaces. They can be easily looked, but they can make all the difference in the world when it comes to landing your next job.</p>
<p>Jessica Thiefels has been writing for more than 10 years and has 5 years of experience in the marketing world. Follow her on Twitter: @Jlsander07.</p> | 5 Things You Forgot to Include in Your LinkedIn Profile | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2016/07/25/5-things-forgot-to-include-in-your-linkedin-profile.html | 2016-07-30 | 0right
| 5 Things You Forgot to Include in Your LinkedIn Profile
<p />
<p>More and more companies are turning to&#160; <a href="https://www.recruiter.com/job/using-linkedin.html" type="external">LinkedIn Opens a New Window.</a> to find the perfect&#160;candidates. In fact, 93 percent of hiring managers search this professional social network for potential hires, according to <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-recruiters-screen-you-on-linkedin-2014-05-02" type="external">MarketWatch Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>This means your LinkedIn profile is an important piece of real estate, regardless of whether you're searching for a job right at the moment.</p>
<p>To make the most of this opportunity, you need to ensure that your profile is fully fleshed out and up to snuff. Pay special attention to the following five aspects of your profile, which can be easy to forget:</p>
<p>1. Volunteer Work</p>
<p><a href="https://blog.linkedin.com/2011/09/07/profile-volunteer-field" type="external">According to LinkedIn Opens a New Window.</a>, one in five hiring managers have hired someone because of their volunteer experiences. Volunteering shows that you're compassionate and have accomplished things outside of your industry and career path. It also shows you're willing to spend time doing something that doesn't directly benefit you, and many hiring managers&#160;count it as a form of job experience.</p>
<p>However, it's not enough to say that you participated in some volunteering initiative. Specify the organization you volunteered with, the cause your worked for, and your role (e.g., team leader, organizer, etc.).</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Showcase&#160;all your volunteer work on your profile, both big and small, even if it was done with another company you worked for.</p>
<p>2. A New Status</p>
<p>While Facebook and Twitter are great places to share updates about things that you love or find entertaining, LinkedIn is a place to share about your career. Many people overlook the status update function on LinkedIn, but it's incredibly important nonetheless.</p>
<p>If you're a writer, sharing your best work as it's published is a great way to show recruiters and potential bosses that you're staying up to date, working on your craft, and focusing on pushing your career forward.</p>
<p>Even if you're not a writer, you should use your status updates to show that you're keeping up with your&#160;industry. You should also take time to comment on other people's statuses, too. You never whom they might be connected to. Your next boss might find you because of a comment you made!</p>
<p>Try to brag (tastefully!) about your career successes and new work with at least one status update per week. Aim to make at 1-3 comments as well.</p>
<p>Join the Conversation: Has LinkedIn Helped You Land a Job?</p>
<p>3. Recommendations</p>
<p>On LinkedIn, there are "endorsements" and "recommendations." Endorsements are easier to collect, since they were created as a way for LinkedIn to encourage activity on the site. These are important in helping recruiters fill lower- and mid-level positions, according to <a href="http://time.com/4403286/linkedin-tips/" type="external">Time. Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>Recommendations, on the other hand, are more difficult to get; you usually have to ask someone to write them for you, perhaps in return for a recommendation that you write for them. Perhaps this is why recommendations carry more weight with companies. In the eyes of recruiters, they act as formal references&#160;and&#160;could be the difference between getting the job and not.</p>
<p>Ask for recommendations from a supervisor or boss, preferably. It's customary to do this when leaving a position, but is also important if you're sticking around. Ask a coworker if you don't feel comfortable asking your boss.</p>
<p>4. Languages</p>
<p>We live in global times,&#160;and demand for people who know a second language is on the rise. In fact, interpreter and translator jobs are among the 15 fastest-growing occupations in the United States, <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/30/news/economy/job-skills-foreign-language/" type="external">according to CNN Money Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>If you're not a translator, learning a language is still valuable. Professionals who speak more than one language have an average household income that's $10,000 higher than those who don't, according to <a href="https://www.careerwise.mnscu.edu/news/fw/fw6715FutureWork.html" type="external">RosettaStone data Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>French, Spanish (in the United States especially), and Chinese are some of the most in-demand languages. So, if you want to learn a second language, start there.</p>
<p>Luckily, you don't need to be fluent in the language for it to be a valuable part of your LinkedIn profile. Simply showing that you have learned it could be enough to get you in the door for an interview. While you may be asked to brush up on it when you get the job, you're still one step ahead of the competition&#160;during the recruiting process.</p>
<p>5. Specialized Certifications</p>
<p>Certifications show that you take your career seriously enough to seek out opportunities to learn more and become better at your job. In some cases, these certifications are also required, so recruiters will automatically know if you're qualified by looking at your profile.</p>
<p>Certifications are important to include, even if they aren't related directly to your career. This section of your LinkedIn profile provides you with an easy way to show what you're interested in without coming right out and saying it, which can be hard to do if it doesn't fit within your "I'm a great employee" spiel.</p>
<p>Recruiters like well-rounded candidates, and certifications outside of your career can help show that you fit that bill.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>Take advantage of your LinkedIn profile as a way to draw a clear picture of the kind of employee you would be. Don't forget to fill in these important blank spaces. They can be easily looked, but they can make all the difference in the world when it comes to landing your next job.</p>
<p>Jessica Thiefels has been writing for more than 10 years and has 5 years of experience in the marketing world. Follow her on Twitter: @Jlsander07.</p> | 599,439 |
<p>Just a few weeks ago, a federal judge <a href="" type="internal">ruled the Obama administration’s system of family detention illegal</a>, saying that the conditions under which immigrant children and their parents have been held are essentially too similar to prisons to be appropriate for families.</p>
<p>Since the summer of 2014, the number of people being held in family detention has grown exponentially, while conditions in these centers have remained <a href="" type="internal">mediocre at best</a>. Children are getting sick, sexual assault survivors are not given any semblance of mental health care, and families who pose no flight or safety risk are often held for months.</p>
<p>“The&#160;times&#160;they&#160;offer&#160;us&#160;food&#160;is&#160;scarce&#160;and&#160;the&#160;best&#160;food&#160;there&#160;is&#160;to&#160;eat&#160;is&#160;in&#160;the&#160;commissary,” <a href="http://endfamilydetention.com/a-letter-from-carmen/" type="external">writes one of the mothers.</a>&#160;Many women in detention have taken big risks to call attention to the deplorable conditions they face, writing letters and <a href="" type="internal">participating in hunger strikes</a>.</p>
<p>Image by <a href="http://www.rommytorrico.com" type="external">Rommy Torico</a></p>
<p>CultureStrike’s latest project is helping to further amplify the voices of these women. <a href="http://visionsfromtheinside.tumblr.com" type="external">“Visions from the Inside”</a> brings together women in detention and 15 artists from around the country to create powerful visuals about life inside a for-profit detention center.</p>
<p>The artists created their pieces based on letters written by the women, and then had a chance to receive feedback from the authors to strengthen their pieces.&#160;The result is a series of heart-wrenching images&#160;that capture the fear and hopelessness that detainees go through. Some authors <a href="http://endfamilydetention.com/a-letter-from-melisa/" type="external">ask for help</a> “because&#160;we&#160;feel&#160;depressed&#160;and&#160;forgotten&#160;in&#160;this&#160;place.”</p>
<p>Though the women frequently ask for help, the artists makes it clear that they are heroes, not victims.&#160;Says Rommy Torico about the women whose letters they worked with:</p>
<p>“They&#160;are&#160;luchadoras,&#160;fighters,&#160;and&#160;we&#160;must&#160;remember&#160;that.&#160;They&#160;fight&#160;every&#160;day&#160;to&#160;protect&#160;their children&#160;and&#160;to&#160;survive&#160;the&#160;darkness.&#160;I&#160;want&#160;to&#160;honor&#160;that&#160;strength&#160;and&#160;that&#160;love,&#160;which&#160;shines bright&#160;even&#160;in&#160;the&#160;most oppressive&#160;conditions&#160;and&#160;to&#160;honor&#160;their&#160;urgent&#160;request&#160;for&#160;action.”</p>
<p>Other artists chose to emphasize that prison and detention is no place for people. Incorporating <a href="http://visionsfromtheinside.tumblr.com/day/2015/08/3/" type="external">the quetzal bird into her piece</a>, Breena Nuñez draws a parallel between a bird that&#160;cannot survive in captivity, and the mothers and children who also need liberation.</p>
<p><a href="http://visionsfromtheinside.tumblr.com" type="external">“Visions From the Inside”</a> helps to close gaps in empathy that articles and podcasts can’t always tackle. Sometimes it takes a visual representation from someone being mistreated to begin to understand the pain they are going through. “We are human, just like you,” Angie writes from detention.</p>
<p>Header image by <a href="http://jessxchen.com" type="external">Jess X Chen.</a></p> | “Visions From the Inside” art series looks at women in detention | true | http://feministing.com/2015/08/11/visions-from-the-inside-art-series-looks-at-women-in-detention/ | 4left
| “Visions From the Inside” art series looks at women in detention
<p>Just a few weeks ago, a federal judge <a href="" type="internal">ruled the Obama administration’s system of family detention illegal</a>, saying that the conditions under which immigrant children and their parents have been held are essentially too similar to prisons to be appropriate for families.</p>
<p>Since the summer of 2014, the number of people being held in family detention has grown exponentially, while conditions in these centers have remained <a href="" type="internal">mediocre at best</a>. Children are getting sick, sexual assault survivors are not given any semblance of mental health care, and families who pose no flight or safety risk are often held for months.</p>
<p>“The&#160;times&#160;they&#160;offer&#160;us&#160;food&#160;is&#160;scarce&#160;and&#160;the&#160;best&#160;food&#160;there&#160;is&#160;to&#160;eat&#160;is&#160;in&#160;the&#160;commissary,” <a href="http://endfamilydetention.com/a-letter-from-carmen/" type="external">writes one of the mothers.</a>&#160;Many women in detention have taken big risks to call attention to the deplorable conditions they face, writing letters and <a href="" type="internal">participating in hunger strikes</a>.</p>
<p>Image by <a href="http://www.rommytorrico.com" type="external">Rommy Torico</a></p>
<p>CultureStrike’s latest project is helping to further amplify the voices of these women. <a href="http://visionsfromtheinside.tumblr.com" type="external">“Visions from the Inside”</a> brings together women in detention and 15 artists from around the country to create powerful visuals about life inside a for-profit detention center.</p>
<p>The artists created their pieces based on letters written by the women, and then had a chance to receive feedback from the authors to strengthen their pieces.&#160;The result is a series of heart-wrenching images&#160;that capture the fear and hopelessness that detainees go through. Some authors <a href="http://endfamilydetention.com/a-letter-from-melisa/" type="external">ask for help</a> “because&#160;we&#160;feel&#160;depressed&#160;and&#160;forgotten&#160;in&#160;this&#160;place.”</p>
<p>Though the women frequently ask for help, the artists makes it clear that they are heroes, not victims.&#160;Says Rommy Torico about the women whose letters they worked with:</p>
<p>“They&#160;are&#160;luchadoras,&#160;fighters,&#160;and&#160;we&#160;must&#160;remember&#160;that.&#160;They&#160;fight&#160;every&#160;day&#160;to&#160;protect&#160;their children&#160;and&#160;to&#160;survive&#160;the&#160;darkness.&#160;I&#160;want&#160;to&#160;honor&#160;that&#160;strength&#160;and&#160;that&#160;love,&#160;which&#160;shines bright&#160;even&#160;in&#160;the&#160;most oppressive&#160;conditions&#160;and&#160;to&#160;honor&#160;their&#160;urgent&#160;request&#160;for&#160;action.”</p>
<p>Other artists chose to emphasize that prison and detention is no place for people. Incorporating <a href="http://visionsfromtheinside.tumblr.com/day/2015/08/3/" type="external">the quetzal bird into her piece</a>, Breena Nuñez draws a parallel between a bird that&#160;cannot survive in captivity, and the mothers and children who also need liberation.</p>
<p><a href="http://visionsfromtheinside.tumblr.com" type="external">“Visions From the Inside”</a> helps to close gaps in empathy that articles and podcasts can’t always tackle. Sometimes it takes a visual representation from someone being mistreated to begin to understand the pain they are going through. “We are human, just like you,” Angie writes from detention.</p>
<p>Header image by <a href="http://jessxchen.com" type="external">Jess X Chen.</a></p> | 599,440 |
|
<p>ROME (AP) — The head of an anti-migrant party who is running to be Italy’s premier came to the defense Monday of an Italian gubernatorial candidate who advocated for clamping down on immigrants’ numbers to preserve “our white race.”</p>
<p>While political opponents condemned the comment by Attilio Fontana, who is running for the governorship of prosperous Lombardy, his League party leader, Matteo Salvini, said Fontana had rightly raised a worry about an “invasion” by Muslims.</p>
<p>Fontana, who is running with support from a center-right alliance, whose backers include former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, made the incendiary comments on Sunday on Radio Padania, the mouthpiece of the League.</p>
<p>He said that being unwilling to “accept all” immigrants “isn’t a question of being xenophobic or racist, but a question of being logical or rational.”</p>
<p>“We can’t (accept all) because we all don’t fit, thus we must make choices,” Fontana said. “We must decide if our ethnicity, if our white race, if our society must continue to exist or if it must be cancelled out.”</p>
<p>As outrage grew, Fontana, sought to downplay the remarks on Monday while out on the campaign trail in northern Italy. He explained that his remark, indicating the white race should get priority to live in Italy, to “a lapse, an error in expression. I meant to say we must all re-organize a different kind of welcome that respects our history, our society.”</p>
<p>The vote for governor is being held on March 4, the same day as national elections, which sees Salvini as one of the candidates who have so far announced their candidacy for the premiership.</p>
<p>Salvini’s party is running in elections for Parliament in a center-right alliance with Berlusconi’s party and a small right-wing party.</p>
<p>On Monday, Salvini defended Fontana and said his party in government will “regulate every Islamic presence in the country.”</p>
<p>“Our culture, society, traditions, way of live are at risk,” he said. “An invasion is underway.”</p>
<p>Under Salvini’s leadership, the League has whipped up anti-migrant sentiment, blasting Italy’s hosting of hundreds of thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers, many of whom were rescued at sea from smugglers’ boats.</p>
<p>Jewish leaders said Fontana’s remark recalled anti-Semitic racial laws enacted in 1938 during Benito Mussolini’s dictatorship.</p>
<p>“It’s inconceivable that in 2018 one must repeat to ignorant ones that there doesn’t exist a white race to defend, 80 years after the promulgation of the racial laws,” Ruth Dureghello, president of Rome’s Jewish community, said in a tweet.</p>
<p>Jews are a small minority in Italy, which is largely Roman Catholic.</p>
<p>Fontana’s center-left opponent, Giorgio Gori, countered that his own campaign is “without hysterics and demagoguery.”</p>
<p>The leader of Gori’s Democratic Party and former premier, Matteo Renzi, said that with Gori, the center-left chooses to “speak about innovation and human capital” over “‘white race’ and invasions.“”</p>
<p>The candidate for the premiership from the populist 5-Star Movement, which leads in the polls, also blasted Fontana’s white-race remark. Luigi Di Maio scoffed at an earlier characterization by Berlusconi’ that the 5-Stars were the extremists and the center-right the moderates.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Frances D’Emilio on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fdemilio" type="external">www.twitter.com/fdemilio</a></p>
<p>ROME (AP) — The head of an anti-migrant party who is running to be Italy’s premier came to the defense Monday of an Italian gubernatorial candidate who advocated for clamping down on immigrants’ numbers to preserve “our white race.”</p>
<p>While political opponents condemned the comment by Attilio Fontana, who is running for the governorship of prosperous Lombardy, his League party leader, Matteo Salvini, said Fontana had rightly raised a worry about an “invasion” by Muslims.</p>
<p>Fontana, who is running with support from a center-right alliance, whose backers include former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, made the incendiary comments on Sunday on Radio Padania, the mouthpiece of the League.</p>
<p>He said that being unwilling to “accept all” immigrants “isn’t a question of being xenophobic or racist, but a question of being logical or rational.”</p>
<p>“We can’t (accept all) because we all don’t fit, thus we must make choices,” Fontana said. “We must decide if our ethnicity, if our white race, if our society must continue to exist or if it must be cancelled out.”</p>
<p>As outrage grew, Fontana, sought to downplay the remarks on Monday while out on the campaign trail in northern Italy. He explained that his remark, indicating the white race should get priority to live in Italy, to “a lapse, an error in expression. I meant to say we must all re-organize a different kind of welcome that respects our history, our society.”</p>
<p>The vote for governor is being held on March 4, the same day as national elections, which sees Salvini as one of the candidates who have so far announced their candidacy for the premiership.</p>
<p>Salvini’s party is running in elections for Parliament in a center-right alliance with Berlusconi’s party and a small right-wing party.</p>
<p>On Monday, Salvini defended Fontana and said his party in government will “regulate every Islamic presence in the country.”</p>
<p>“Our culture, society, traditions, way of live are at risk,” he said. “An invasion is underway.”</p>
<p>Under Salvini’s leadership, the League has whipped up anti-migrant sentiment, blasting Italy’s hosting of hundreds of thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers, many of whom were rescued at sea from smugglers’ boats.</p>
<p>Jewish leaders said Fontana’s remark recalled anti-Semitic racial laws enacted in 1938 during Benito Mussolini’s dictatorship.</p>
<p>“It’s inconceivable that in 2018 one must repeat to ignorant ones that there doesn’t exist a white race to defend, 80 years after the promulgation of the racial laws,” Ruth Dureghello, president of Rome’s Jewish community, said in a tweet.</p>
<p>Jews are a small minority in Italy, which is largely Roman Catholic.</p>
<p>Fontana’s center-left opponent, Giorgio Gori, countered that his own campaign is “without hysterics and demagoguery.”</p>
<p>The leader of Gori’s Democratic Party and former premier, Matteo Renzi, said that with Gori, the center-left chooses to “speak about innovation and human capital” over “‘white race’ and invasions.“”</p>
<p>The candidate for the premiership from the populist 5-Star Movement, which leads in the polls, also blasted Fontana’s white-race remark. Luigi Di Maio scoffed at an earlier characterization by Berlusconi’ that the 5-Stars were the extremists and the center-right the moderates.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Frances D’Emilio on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fdemilio" type="external">www.twitter.com/fdemilio</a></p> | Italian candidate for premier defends ‘white race’ remark | false | https://apnews.com/f808dda8e586458790ef6d942952ac5c | 2018-01-15 | 2least
| Italian candidate for premier defends ‘white race’ remark
<p>ROME (AP) — The head of an anti-migrant party who is running to be Italy’s premier came to the defense Monday of an Italian gubernatorial candidate who advocated for clamping down on immigrants’ numbers to preserve “our white race.”</p>
<p>While political opponents condemned the comment by Attilio Fontana, who is running for the governorship of prosperous Lombardy, his League party leader, Matteo Salvini, said Fontana had rightly raised a worry about an “invasion” by Muslims.</p>
<p>Fontana, who is running with support from a center-right alliance, whose backers include former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, made the incendiary comments on Sunday on Radio Padania, the mouthpiece of the League.</p>
<p>He said that being unwilling to “accept all” immigrants “isn’t a question of being xenophobic or racist, but a question of being logical or rational.”</p>
<p>“We can’t (accept all) because we all don’t fit, thus we must make choices,” Fontana said. “We must decide if our ethnicity, if our white race, if our society must continue to exist or if it must be cancelled out.”</p>
<p>As outrage grew, Fontana, sought to downplay the remarks on Monday while out on the campaign trail in northern Italy. He explained that his remark, indicating the white race should get priority to live in Italy, to “a lapse, an error in expression. I meant to say we must all re-organize a different kind of welcome that respects our history, our society.”</p>
<p>The vote for governor is being held on March 4, the same day as national elections, which sees Salvini as one of the candidates who have so far announced their candidacy for the premiership.</p>
<p>Salvini’s party is running in elections for Parliament in a center-right alliance with Berlusconi’s party and a small right-wing party.</p>
<p>On Monday, Salvini defended Fontana and said his party in government will “regulate every Islamic presence in the country.”</p>
<p>“Our culture, society, traditions, way of live are at risk,” he said. “An invasion is underway.”</p>
<p>Under Salvini’s leadership, the League has whipped up anti-migrant sentiment, blasting Italy’s hosting of hundreds of thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers, many of whom were rescued at sea from smugglers’ boats.</p>
<p>Jewish leaders said Fontana’s remark recalled anti-Semitic racial laws enacted in 1938 during Benito Mussolini’s dictatorship.</p>
<p>“It’s inconceivable that in 2018 one must repeat to ignorant ones that there doesn’t exist a white race to defend, 80 years after the promulgation of the racial laws,” Ruth Dureghello, president of Rome’s Jewish community, said in a tweet.</p>
<p>Jews are a small minority in Italy, which is largely Roman Catholic.</p>
<p>Fontana’s center-left opponent, Giorgio Gori, countered that his own campaign is “without hysterics and demagoguery.”</p>
<p>The leader of Gori’s Democratic Party and former premier, Matteo Renzi, said that with Gori, the center-left chooses to “speak about innovation and human capital” over “‘white race’ and invasions.“”</p>
<p>The candidate for the premiership from the populist 5-Star Movement, which leads in the polls, also blasted Fontana’s white-race remark. Luigi Di Maio scoffed at an earlier characterization by Berlusconi’ that the 5-Stars were the extremists and the center-right the moderates.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Frances D’Emilio on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fdemilio" type="external">www.twitter.com/fdemilio</a></p>
<p>ROME (AP) — The head of an anti-migrant party who is running to be Italy’s premier came to the defense Monday of an Italian gubernatorial candidate who advocated for clamping down on immigrants’ numbers to preserve “our white race.”</p>
<p>While political opponents condemned the comment by Attilio Fontana, who is running for the governorship of prosperous Lombardy, his League party leader, Matteo Salvini, said Fontana had rightly raised a worry about an “invasion” by Muslims.</p>
<p>Fontana, who is running with support from a center-right alliance, whose backers include former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, made the incendiary comments on Sunday on Radio Padania, the mouthpiece of the League.</p>
<p>He said that being unwilling to “accept all” immigrants “isn’t a question of being xenophobic or racist, but a question of being logical or rational.”</p>
<p>“We can’t (accept all) because we all don’t fit, thus we must make choices,” Fontana said. “We must decide if our ethnicity, if our white race, if our society must continue to exist or if it must be cancelled out.”</p>
<p>As outrage grew, Fontana, sought to downplay the remarks on Monday while out on the campaign trail in northern Italy. He explained that his remark, indicating the white race should get priority to live in Italy, to “a lapse, an error in expression. I meant to say we must all re-organize a different kind of welcome that respects our history, our society.”</p>
<p>The vote for governor is being held on March 4, the same day as national elections, which sees Salvini as one of the candidates who have so far announced their candidacy for the premiership.</p>
<p>Salvini’s party is running in elections for Parliament in a center-right alliance with Berlusconi’s party and a small right-wing party.</p>
<p>On Monday, Salvini defended Fontana and said his party in government will “regulate every Islamic presence in the country.”</p>
<p>“Our culture, society, traditions, way of live are at risk,” he said. “An invasion is underway.”</p>
<p>Under Salvini’s leadership, the League has whipped up anti-migrant sentiment, blasting Italy’s hosting of hundreds of thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers, many of whom were rescued at sea from smugglers’ boats.</p>
<p>Jewish leaders said Fontana’s remark recalled anti-Semitic racial laws enacted in 1938 during Benito Mussolini’s dictatorship.</p>
<p>“It’s inconceivable that in 2018 one must repeat to ignorant ones that there doesn’t exist a white race to defend, 80 years after the promulgation of the racial laws,” Ruth Dureghello, president of Rome’s Jewish community, said in a tweet.</p>
<p>Jews are a small minority in Italy, which is largely Roman Catholic.</p>
<p>Fontana’s center-left opponent, Giorgio Gori, countered that his own campaign is “without hysterics and demagoguery.”</p>
<p>The leader of Gori’s Democratic Party and former premier, Matteo Renzi, said that with Gori, the center-left chooses to “speak about innovation and human capital” over “‘white race’ and invasions.“”</p>
<p>The candidate for the premiership from the populist 5-Star Movement, which leads in the polls, also blasted Fontana’s white-race remark. Luigi Di Maio scoffed at an earlier characterization by Berlusconi’ that the 5-Stars were the extremists and the center-right the moderates.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Frances D’Emilio on Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fdemilio" type="external">www.twitter.com/fdemilio</a></p> | 599,441 |
<p>VANRHYNSDORP, South Africa - The detritus of South Africa's mining past rises like a ghost town from the arid expanses of the Namaqualand region: the apartheid-era hostels for black workers, and a distance away, the houses for white managers. Razor wire and warning signs block the mine shaft entrance, and rusty old equipment is heaped nearby.</p>
<p>But a half-century after the Steenkampskraal mine was abandoned, it is returning to life.</p>
<p>The old buildings are being torn down, and buried beneath impermeable clay because of their radioactivity. The mine shaft is being restored, and the entire site brought up to environmental code.</p>
<p>Steenkampskraal, abandoned in 1963 when demand for thorium went bust, is being refurbished because of the modern need for rare earth minerals - the minute particles used in smartphones, high-tech weaponry, electric cars and a host of other electronics.</p>
<p>South Africa: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/flying-rhino-video-black-rhino-relocation-south-africa" type="external">"Flying rhino" video shows dramatic black rhino relocation (VIDEO)</a></p>
<p>Crucially, rare earths are being mined here to challenge China's dominance of the supply of these strategically important yet obscure elements.</p>
<p>China controls about 95 percent of the world's available supply of rare earth minerals, driving the interest in remote mine sites such as this one in South Africa. Mining companies are seeking new supplies that can quickly enter the market, and effectively dilute China's ability to control rare earth minerals for political gain.</p>
<p>Last year China halted its rare earth exports to Japan in a spat over disputed islands in the East China Sea - a move that also made the United States nervous, and determined to reduce its reliance on Chinese rare earths.</p>
<p>Great Western Minerals Group Ltd., a small company based in Saskatoon, Canada, is one of the many firms vying to provide an option to China - and is betting that it is faster to refurbish an old mine like Steenkampskraal than to start from scratch.</p>
<p>The Canadian company bought the mine from the South African company Rare Earth Extraction Co. Ltd. (Rareco), and is aiming to begin production by January 1, 2013, with an expected 5,000 tons of rare earth oxide a year. Currently, about 120,000 tons annually enter the world market.</p>
<p>"The site is cleared and mine refurbishment is well under way, with completion of the shaft refurbishment by year end," said Jim Engdahl, president and chief officer of Great Western, in an email.</p>
<p>South Africa: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/south-africa/110927/south-africa-debates-permitting-visit-dalai-lama" type="external">&#160;Ties with China spur debate over visit of Dalai Lama</a></p>
<p>Another company, Luxemburg-based Frontier Rare Earths, is also building a mine in the Namaqualand, a semi-desert region stretching up South Africa's West Coast that is famous for bursting into flowers every spring. Frontier's Zandkopsdrift mine is located 60 miles north of Steenkampskraal.</p>
<p>Experts point out that rare earth minerals aren't actually rare - it is just the processing of them that can be costly and difficult.</p>
<p>To that end, Great Western has announced a tentative agreement to develop a rare earth separation plant in the nearby town of Vrendendal, in a joint venture with Chinese company Ganzhou Qiandong Rare Earth Group Ltd., which has 20 years of operational experience in processing rare earth oxides and metals.</p>
<p>At Steenkampskraal, another problem is dealing with the past: the highly radioactive waste left behind when the mine was abandoned by an Anglo American subsidiary in the 1960s.</p>
<p>Steenkampskraal is among the most radioactive contaminated sites in the world - approaching the levels of Chernobyl and Fukushima, according to Robbie Louw, former managing director of Rareco and now a consultant to Great Western.</p>
<p>Staff and visitors to the site must wear blue plastic booties over their shoes, and clip dosimeters to their clothing, to measure radiation exposure.</p>
<p>Steenkampskraal is being brought up to current environmental standards - and, Louw said, the site is even being "overdesigned" in case environmental regulations are tightened in future.</p>
<p>South Africa: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/south-africa/111122/south-africa-freedom-fat-obesity" type="external">Has freedom made us fat?</a></p>
<p>But despite the difficulty of processing rare earth oxides, and challenges such as the radiation at Steenkampskraal, analysts have warned of the danger of a glut of the minerals eventually hitting the market because of the many international projects currently under development.</p>
<p>Vincent Mora, project director at Steenkampskraal, said speed is essential: companies that are in first, fast track and open first will have a significant advantage.&#160;</p> | South Africa re-opens rare earth mines | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-11-27/south-africa-re-opens-rare-earth-mines | 2011-11-27 | 3left-center
| South Africa re-opens rare earth mines
<p>VANRHYNSDORP, South Africa - The detritus of South Africa's mining past rises like a ghost town from the arid expanses of the Namaqualand region: the apartheid-era hostels for black workers, and a distance away, the houses for white managers. Razor wire and warning signs block the mine shaft entrance, and rusty old equipment is heaped nearby.</p>
<p>But a half-century after the Steenkampskraal mine was abandoned, it is returning to life.</p>
<p>The old buildings are being torn down, and buried beneath impermeable clay because of their radioactivity. The mine shaft is being restored, and the entire site brought up to environmental code.</p>
<p>Steenkampskraal, abandoned in 1963 when demand for thorium went bust, is being refurbished because of the modern need for rare earth minerals - the minute particles used in smartphones, high-tech weaponry, electric cars and a host of other electronics.</p>
<p>South Africa: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/flying-rhino-video-black-rhino-relocation-south-africa" type="external">"Flying rhino" video shows dramatic black rhino relocation (VIDEO)</a></p>
<p>Crucially, rare earths are being mined here to challenge China's dominance of the supply of these strategically important yet obscure elements.</p>
<p>China controls about 95 percent of the world's available supply of rare earth minerals, driving the interest in remote mine sites such as this one in South Africa. Mining companies are seeking new supplies that can quickly enter the market, and effectively dilute China's ability to control rare earth minerals for political gain.</p>
<p>Last year China halted its rare earth exports to Japan in a spat over disputed islands in the East China Sea - a move that also made the United States nervous, and determined to reduce its reliance on Chinese rare earths.</p>
<p>Great Western Minerals Group Ltd., a small company based in Saskatoon, Canada, is one of the many firms vying to provide an option to China - and is betting that it is faster to refurbish an old mine like Steenkampskraal than to start from scratch.</p>
<p>The Canadian company bought the mine from the South African company Rare Earth Extraction Co. Ltd. (Rareco), and is aiming to begin production by January 1, 2013, with an expected 5,000 tons of rare earth oxide a year. Currently, about 120,000 tons annually enter the world market.</p>
<p>"The site is cleared and mine refurbishment is well under way, with completion of the shaft refurbishment by year end," said Jim Engdahl, president and chief officer of Great Western, in an email.</p>
<p>South Africa: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/south-africa/110927/south-africa-debates-permitting-visit-dalai-lama" type="external">&#160;Ties with China spur debate over visit of Dalai Lama</a></p>
<p>Another company, Luxemburg-based Frontier Rare Earths, is also building a mine in the Namaqualand, a semi-desert region stretching up South Africa's West Coast that is famous for bursting into flowers every spring. Frontier's Zandkopsdrift mine is located 60 miles north of Steenkampskraal.</p>
<p>Experts point out that rare earth minerals aren't actually rare - it is just the processing of them that can be costly and difficult.</p>
<p>To that end, Great Western has announced a tentative agreement to develop a rare earth separation plant in the nearby town of Vrendendal, in a joint venture with Chinese company Ganzhou Qiandong Rare Earth Group Ltd., which has 20 years of operational experience in processing rare earth oxides and metals.</p>
<p>At Steenkampskraal, another problem is dealing with the past: the highly radioactive waste left behind when the mine was abandoned by an Anglo American subsidiary in the 1960s.</p>
<p>Steenkampskraal is among the most radioactive contaminated sites in the world - approaching the levels of Chernobyl and Fukushima, according to Robbie Louw, former managing director of Rareco and now a consultant to Great Western.</p>
<p>Staff and visitors to the site must wear blue plastic booties over their shoes, and clip dosimeters to their clothing, to measure radiation exposure.</p>
<p>Steenkampskraal is being brought up to current environmental standards - and, Louw said, the site is even being "overdesigned" in case environmental regulations are tightened in future.</p>
<p>South Africa: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/south-africa/111122/south-africa-freedom-fat-obesity" type="external">Has freedom made us fat?</a></p>
<p>But despite the difficulty of processing rare earth oxides, and challenges such as the radiation at Steenkampskraal, analysts have warned of the danger of a glut of the minerals eventually hitting the market because of the many international projects currently under development.</p>
<p>Vincent Mora, project director at Steenkampskraal, said speed is essential: companies that are in first, fast track and open first will have a significant advantage.&#160;</p> | 599,442 |
<p>Photocredit: The Green Schools Alliance</p>
<p />
<p>When bank robber Willie Sutton was asked why he knocked over those temples of finance, he famously replied: “Because that’s where the money is.”</p>
<p>Duh.</p>
<p>And yet, even with a growing understanding of global warming and the realization that fossil fuels are finite, we’re having a hard time implementing Mr. Sutton’s wise, if obvious, rule: get the biggest bang for your buck. (Actually, Sutton’s rule is more accurately rephrased as “getting the biggest bucks for your bang.”)</p>
<p>Every day, millions of children, tweens and teenagers, leave their homes to spend the day in&#160; school. And no matter how “green” parents try to make things at home, an enormous amount of energy is used to keep the kids cool (on hot days) and warm (on cold ones). According to the <a href="http://www.greenschools.net/article.php?id=148" type="external">Green Schools Initiative</a>, US schools spend around $6 billion dollars a year on energy.</p>
<p>A couple of other important things about schools — they usually have large amounts of roof space. And schools are mostly occupied when the sun is out. It should be easy to put solar panels up on the old rooftop and generate clean, renewable energy.</p>
<p>It should be. But it isn’t.</p>
<p>Our regulatory system acts as a kind of beauracratic bank vault, keeping eletrons locked up, so that we have to pay a utility to burn more fossil fuels and produce eletricity the old fashioned way — expensive, polluting, wasteful.</p>
<p>That didn’t make much sense to the Scottsdale, Arizona school system. With 300-plus clear days a year, they thought about the sun the same way Willie Sutton thought of banks.</p>
<p>That was a year ago. Last Wednesday, the district received approval to sign a contract with a solar installation company to buy electricity at a reduced rate from solar panels owned by the company and placed on the school’s roof.</p>
<p>Two major hurdles had to be cleared ( <a href="http://thephoenixsun.com/archives/5075" type="external">the full story is here</a>).</p>
<p>Solar panels will be gracing the rooftops of two Scottsdale high schools soon. As for other schools throughout Arizona — they’re awaiting a finally ruling by the ACC. Are companies like SolarCity and SunRun (which has a similar program) “utilities” subject to ACC regs? And if they are, what regulations should apply?</p>
<p>The good news is that the ACC has been as pro-renewable power and consumer-friendly as any in the nation, under the leadership of chairwoman Kris Mayes. The head of the Vote Solar Initiative, Adam Browning, has called her “a rock star” of the solar movement.</p>
<p>The bad news is that even with visionary leaders like Mayes, the old dirty energy system — the source of so many social, strategic, environmental and health problems — slows progress to a crawl — at a moment in history that requires a sprint.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Osh Gray Davidson is contributing blogger for Mother Jones and publisher of the online solar energy news service, <a href="http://thephoenixsun.com/" type="external">The Phoenix Sun</a>.</p>
<p /> | Solar-Powered Schools | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2009/09/solar-powered-schools/ | 2009-09-13 | 4left
| Solar-Powered Schools
<p>Photocredit: The Green Schools Alliance</p>
<p />
<p>When bank robber Willie Sutton was asked why he knocked over those temples of finance, he famously replied: “Because that’s where the money is.”</p>
<p>Duh.</p>
<p>And yet, even with a growing understanding of global warming and the realization that fossil fuels are finite, we’re having a hard time implementing Mr. Sutton’s wise, if obvious, rule: get the biggest bang for your buck. (Actually, Sutton’s rule is more accurately rephrased as “getting the biggest bucks for your bang.”)</p>
<p>Every day, millions of children, tweens and teenagers, leave their homes to spend the day in&#160; school. And no matter how “green” parents try to make things at home, an enormous amount of energy is used to keep the kids cool (on hot days) and warm (on cold ones). According to the <a href="http://www.greenschools.net/article.php?id=148" type="external">Green Schools Initiative</a>, US schools spend around $6 billion dollars a year on energy.</p>
<p>A couple of other important things about schools — they usually have large amounts of roof space. And schools are mostly occupied when the sun is out. It should be easy to put solar panels up on the old rooftop and generate clean, renewable energy.</p>
<p>It should be. But it isn’t.</p>
<p>Our regulatory system acts as a kind of beauracratic bank vault, keeping eletrons locked up, so that we have to pay a utility to burn more fossil fuels and produce eletricity the old fashioned way — expensive, polluting, wasteful.</p>
<p>That didn’t make much sense to the Scottsdale, Arizona school system. With 300-plus clear days a year, they thought about the sun the same way Willie Sutton thought of banks.</p>
<p>That was a year ago. Last Wednesday, the district received approval to sign a contract with a solar installation company to buy electricity at a reduced rate from solar panels owned by the company and placed on the school’s roof.</p>
<p>Two major hurdles had to be cleared ( <a href="http://thephoenixsun.com/archives/5075" type="external">the full story is here</a>).</p>
<p>Solar panels will be gracing the rooftops of two Scottsdale high schools soon. As for other schools throughout Arizona — they’re awaiting a finally ruling by the ACC. Are companies like SolarCity and SunRun (which has a similar program) “utilities” subject to ACC regs? And if they are, what regulations should apply?</p>
<p>The good news is that the ACC has been as pro-renewable power and consumer-friendly as any in the nation, under the leadership of chairwoman Kris Mayes. The head of the Vote Solar Initiative, Adam Browning, has called her “a rock star” of the solar movement.</p>
<p>The bad news is that even with visionary leaders like Mayes, the old dirty energy system — the source of so many social, strategic, environmental and health problems — slows progress to a crawl — at a moment in history that requires a sprint.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Osh Gray Davidson is contributing blogger for Mother Jones and publisher of the online solar energy news service, <a href="http://thephoenixsun.com/" type="external">The Phoenix Sun</a>.</p>
<p /> | 599,443 |
<p>The nation’s largest banks are facing a fresh torrent of lawsuits asserting that they sold shoddy mortgage securities that imploded during the financial crisis, potentially adding significantly to the tens of billions of dollars the banks have already paid to settle other cases.</p>
<p>Regulators, prosecutors, investors and insurers have filed dozens of new claims against Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and others, related to more than $1 trillion worth of securities backed by residential mortgages.</p>
<p>Estimates of potential costs from these cases vary widely, but some in the banking industry fear they could reach $300 billion if the institutions lose all of the litigation. Depending on the final price tag, the costs could lower profits and slow the economic recovery by weakening the banks’ ability to lend just as the housing market is showing signs of life.</p>
<p>The banks are battling on three fronts: with prosecutors who accuse them of fraud, with regulators who claim that they duped investors into buying bad mortgage securities, and with investors seeking to force them to buy back the soured loans.</p>
<p>“We are at an all-time high for this mortgage litigation,” said Christopher J. Willis, a lawyer with Ballard Spahr, which handles securities and consumer litigation.</p>
<p>Efforts by the banks to limit their losses could depend on the outcome of one of the highest-stakes lawsuits to date — <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/03/business/bank-suits-over-mortgages-are-filed.html" type="external">the $200 billion case</a> that the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees the housing twins Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, filed against 17 banks last year, claiming that they duped the mortgage finance giants into buying shaky securities.</p>
<p>Last month, lawyers for some of the nation’s largest banks descended on a federal appeals court in Manhattan to make their case that the agency had waited too long to sue. A favorable ruling could overturn a decision by Judge Denise L. Cote, who is presiding over the litigation and has so far rejected virtually every defense raised by the banks, and would be cheered in bank boardrooms. It could also allow the banks to avoid federal housing regulators’ claims.</p>
<p>At the same time, though, some major banks are hoping to reach a broad settlement with housing agency officials, according to several people with knowledge of the talks. Although the negotiations are at a very tentative stage, the banks are broaching a potential cease-fire.</p>
<p>As the housing market and the nation’s economy slowly recover from the 2008 financial crisis, Wall Street is vulnerable on several fronts, including tighter regulations assembled in the aftermath of the crisis and continuing investigations into possible rigging of <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/l/london_interbank_offered_rate_libor/index.html?8qa" type="external">a major international interest rate</a>. But the mortgage lawsuits could be the most devastating and expensive threat, bank analysts say.</p>
<p>“All of Wall Street has essentially refused to deal with the real costs of the litigation that they are up against,” said Christopher Whalen, a senior managing director at Tangent Capital Partners. “The real price tag is terrifying.”</p>
<p>Anticipating painful costs from mortgage litigation, the five major sellers of mortgage-backed securities set aside $22.5 billion as of June 30 just to cushion themselves against demands that they repurchase soured loans from trusts, according to an analysis by Natoma Partners.</p>
<p>But in the most extreme situation, the litigation could empty even more well-stocked reserves and weigh down profits as the banks are forced to pay penance for the subprime housing crisis, according to several senior officials in the industry.</p>
<p>There is no industry-wide tally of how much banks have paid since the financial crisis to put the mortgage litigation behind them, but analysts say that future settlements will dwarf the payouts so far. That is because banks, for the most part, have settled only a small fraction of the lawsuits against them.</p>
<p>JPMorgan Chase and Credit Suisse, for example, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/17/business/jpmorgan-and-credit-suisse-to-pay-417-million-in-mortgage-settlement.html" type="external">agreed last month</a> to settle mortgage securities cases with the Securities and Exchange Commission for $417 million, but still face billions of dollars in outstanding claims.</p>
<p>Bank of America is in the most precarious position, analysts say, in part because of its acquisition of the troubled subprime lender Countrywide Financial.</p>
<p>Last year, Bank of America paid $2.5 billion <a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/01/03/fannie-and-freddie-continue-to-collect-on-bad-loans/" type="external">to repurchase troubled mortgages</a> from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and $1.6 billion <a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/bank-of-americas-legal-woes/" type="external">to Assured Guaranty</a>, which insured the shaky mortgage bonds.</p>
<p>But in October, federal prosecutors in New York <a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/federal-prosecutors-sue-bank-of-america-over-mortgage-program/" type="external">accused the bank</a> of perpetrating a fraud through Countrywide by churning out loans at such a fast pace that controls were largely ignored. A settlement in that case could reach well beyond $1 billion because the Justice Department sued the bank under a law that could allow roughly triple the damages incurred by taxpayers.</p>
<p>Bank of America’s attempts to resolve some mortgage litigation with an umbrella settlement have stalled. In June 2011, the bank <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/30/business/30mortgage.html?pagewanted=all" type="external">agreed to pay $8.5 billion</a> to appease investors, including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Pimco, that lost billions of dollars when the mortgage securities assembled by the bank went bad. But the settlement is in limbo <a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/08/30/homeowners-seek-to-block-bank-of-america-settlement/" type="external">after being challenged</a> by investors. Kathy D. Patrick, the lawyer representing investors, has said she will set her sights on Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo next.</p>
<p>Of the more than $1 trillion in troubled mortgage-backed securities remaining, Bank of America has more than $417 billion from Countrywide alone, according to an analysis of lawsuits and company filings. The bank does not disclose the volume of its mortgage litigation reserves.</p>
<p>“We have resolved many Countrywide mortgage-related matters, established large reserves to address these issues and identified a range of possible losses beyond those reserves, which we believe adequately addresses our exposures,” said Lawrence Grayson, a spokesman for Bank of America.</p>
<p>Adding to the legal fracas, New York’s attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/business/new-york-sues-credit-suisse-over-mortgage-backed-securities.html" type="external">accused Credit Suisse</a> last month of perpetrating an $11.2 billion fraud by deceiving investors into buying shoddy mortgage-backed securities. According to the complaint, the bank dismissed flaws in the loans packaged into securities even while assuring investors that the quality was sound. The bank disputes the claims.</p>
<p>“We need real accountability for the illegal and deceptive conduct in the creation of the housing bubble in order to bring justice for New York’s homeowners and investors,” Mr. Schneiderman said.</p>
<p>It is the second time that Mr. Schneiderman — who is also co-chairman of the Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group, created by President Obama in January — has taken aim at Wall Street for problems related to the subprime mortgage morass. In October, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/business/suit-accuses-jpmorgan-unit-of-broad-misconduct-on-mortgage-securities.html" type="external">he filed a civil suit</a> in New York State Supreme Court against Bear Stearns &amp; Company, which JPMorgan Chase bought in 2008. The complaint claims that Bear Stearns and its lending unit harmed investors who bought mortgage securities put together from 2005 through 2007. JPMorgan denies the allegations. Another potentially costly prospect for the banks are the demands from a number of private investors who want the banks to buy back securities that violated representations and warranties vouching for the loans.</p>
<p>JPMorgan Chase told investors that as of the second quarter of this year, it was contending with more than $3.5 billion in repurchase demands. In the same quarter, it received more than $1.5 billion in fresh demands. Bank of America reported that as of the second quarter, it was dealing with more than $22 billion in unresolved demands, more than $8 billion of which were received during that quarter.</p> | Record Mortgage Fraud Litigation Hits Nation's Biggest Banks | true | http://occupy.com/article/record-mortgage-fraud-litigation-hits-nations-biggest-banks | 4left
| Record Mortgage Fraud Litigation Hits Nation's Biggest Banks
<p>The nation’s largest banks are facing a fresh torrent of lawsuits asserting that they sold shoddy mortgage securities that imploded during the financial crisis, potentially adding significantly to the tens of billions of dollars the banks have already paid to settle other cases.</p>
<p>Regulators, prosecutors, investors and insurers have filed dozens of new claims against Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and others, related to more than $1 trillion worth of securities backed by residential mortgages.</p>
<p>Estimates of potential costs from these cases vary widely, but some in the banking industry fear they could reach $300 billion if the institutions lose all of the litigation. Depending on the final price tag, the costs could lower profits and slow the economic recovery by weakening the banks’ ability to lend just as the housing market is showing signs of life.</p>
<p>The banks are battling on three fronts: with prosecutors who accuse them of fraud, with regulators who claim that they duped investors into buying bad mortgage securities, and with investors seeking to force them to buy back the soured loans.</p>
<p>“We are at an all-time high for this mortgage litigation,” said Christopher J. Willis, a lawyer with Ballard Spahr, which handles securities and consumer litigation.</p>
<p>Efforts by the banks to limit their losses could depend on the outcome of one of the highest-stakes lawsuits to date — <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/03/business/bank-suits-over-mortgages-are-filed.html" type="external">the $200 billion case</a> that the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees the housing twins Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, filed against 17 banks last year, claiming that they duped the mortgage finance giants into buying shaky securities.</p>
<p>Last month, lawyers for some of the nation’s largest banks descended on a federal appeals court in Manhattan to make their case that the agency had waited too long to sue. A favorable ruling could overturn a decision by Judge Denise L. Cote, who is presiding over the litigation and has so far rejected virtually every defense raised by the banks, and would be cheered in bank boardrooms. It could also allow the banks to avoid federal housing regulators’ claims.</p>
<p>At the same time, though, some major banks are hoping to reach a broad settlement with housing agency officials, according to several people with knowledge of the talks. Although the negotiations are at a very tentative stage, the banks are broaching a potential cease-fire.</p>
<p>As the housing market and the nation’s economy slowly recover from the 2008 financial crisis, Wall Street is vulnerable on several fronts, including tighter regulations assembled in the aftermath of the crisis and continuing investigations into possible rigging of <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/l/london_interbank_offered_rate_libor/index.html?8qa" type="external">a major international interest rate</a>. But the mortgage lawsuits could be the most devastating and expensive threat, bank analysts say.</p>
<p>“All of Wall Street has essentially refused to deal with the real costs of the litigation that they are up against,” said Christopher Whalen, a senior managing director at Tangent Capital Partners. “The real price tag is terrifying.”</p>
<p>Anticipating painful costs from mortgage litigation, the five major sellers of mortgage-backed securities set aside $22.5 billion as of June 30 just to cushion themselves against demands that they repurchase soured loans from trusts, according to an analysis by Natoma Partners.</p>
<p>But in the most extreme situation, the litigation could empty even more well-stocked reserves and weigh down profits as the banks are forced to pay penance for the subprime housing crisis, according to several senior officials in the industry.</p>
<p>There is no industry-wide tally of how much banks have paid since the financial crisis to put the mortgage litigation behind them, but analysts say that future settlements will dwarf the payouts so far. That is because banks, for the most part, have settled only a small fraction of the lawsuits against them.</p>
<p>JPMorgan Chase and Credit Suisse, for example, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/17/business/jpmorgan-and-credit-suisse-to-pay-417-million-in-mortgage-settlement.html" type="external">agreed last month</a> to settle mortgage securities cases with the Securities and Exchange Commission for $417 million, but still face billions of dollars in outstanding claims.</p>
<p>Bank of America is in the most precarious position, analysts say, in part because of its acquisition of the troubled subprime lender Countrywide Financial.</p>
<p>Last year, Bank of America paid $2.5 billion <a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/01/03/fannie-and-freddie-continue-to-collect-on-bad-loans/" type="external">to repurchase troubled mortgages</a> from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and $1.6 billion <a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/bank-of-americas-legal-woes/" type="external">to Assured Guaranty</a>, which insured the shaky mortgage bonds.</p>
<p>But in October, federal prosecutors in New York <a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/federal-prosecutors-sue-bank-of-america-over-mortgage-program/" type="external">accused the bank</a> of perpetrating a fraud through Countrywide by churning out loans at such a fast pace that controls were largely ignored. A settlement in that case could reach well beyond $1 billion because the Justice Department sued the bank under a law that could allow roughly triple the damages incurred by taxpayers.</p>
<p>Bank of America’s attempts to resolve some mortgage litigation with an umbrella settlement have stalled. In June 2011, the bank <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/30/business/30mortgage.html?pagewanted=all" type="external">agreed to pay $8.5 billion</a> to appease investors, including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Pimco, that lost billions of dollars when the mortgage securities assembled by the bank went bad. But the settlement is in limbo <a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/08/30/homeowners-seek-to-block-bank-of-america-settlement/" type="external">after being challenged</a> by investors. Kathy D. Patrick, the lawyer representing investors, has said she will set her sights on Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo next.</p>
<p>Of the more than $1 trillion in troubled mortgage-backed securities remaining, Bank of America has more than $417 billion from Countrywide alone, according to an analysis of lawsuits and company filings. The bank does not disclose the volume of its mortgage litigation reserves.</p>
<p>“We have resolved many Countrywide mortgage-related matters, established large reserves to address these issues and identified a range of possible losses beyond those reserves, which we believe adequately addresses our exposures,” said Lawrence Grayson, a spokesman for Bank of America.</p>
<p>Adding to the legal fracas, New York’s attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/business/new-york-sues-credit-suisse-over-mortgage-backed-securities.html" type="external">accused Credit Suisse</a> last month of perpetrating an $11.2 billion fraud by deceiving investors into buying shoddy mortgage-backed securities. According to the complaint, the bank dismissed flaws in the loans packaged into securities even while assuring investors that the quality was sound. The bank disputes the claims.</p>
<p>“We need real accountability for the illegal and deceptive conduct in the creation of the housing bubble in order to bring justice for New York’s homeowners and investors,” Mr. Schneiderman said.</p>
<p>It is the second time that Mr. Schneiderman — who is also co-chairman of the Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group, created by President Obama in January — has taken aim at Wall Street for problems related to the subprime mortgage morass. In October, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/business/suit-accuses-jpmorgan-unit-of-broad-misconduct-on-mortgage-securities.html" type="external">he filed a civil suit</a> in New York State Supreme Court against Bear Stearns &amp; Company, which JPMorgan Chase bought in 2008. The complaint claims that Bear Stearns and its lending unit harmed investors who bought mortgage securities put together from 2005 through 2007. JPMorgan denies the allegations. Another potentially costly prospect for the banks are the demands from a number of private investors who want the banks to buy back securities that violated representations and warranties vouching for the loans.</p>
<p>JPMorgan Chase told investors that as of the second quarter of this year, it was contending with more than $3.5 billion in repurchase demands. In the same quarter, it received more than $1.5 billion in fresh demands. Bank of America reported that as of the second quarter, it was dealing with more than $22 billion in unresolved demands, more than $8 billion of which were received during that quarter.</p> | 599,444 |
|
<p>July 12 (UPI) — For the first time, scientists in China have successfully teleported a photon to space using quantum entanglement — the coupling of two quantum particles over vast distances.</p>
<p>The quantum information was sent from a ground station in China to the Micius satellite in space, orbiting 746 miles above Earth’s surface. Micius was launched into space in August 2016.</p>
<p>The feat marks the first time scientists have launched quantum information into space, shattering the record for the longest distance over which quantum entanglement has been demonstrated.</p>
<p>Quantum entanglement describes the connected nature of two quantum particles generated at the same time and point space. The particles exist within in the same wave function, mimicking one another regardless of the distance between the two.</p>
<p>By teleporting quantum information, researchers can cause a photon in one place to behave like the photon in another. The phenomenon has a been demonstrated countless times in laboratories on Earth, and used to move information through quantum computing. But until now, scientists had never transferred quantum information into space.</p>
<p>The feat could set the stage for testing all kinds of quantum technologies scaled for use in space.</p>
<p>“Long-distance teleportation has been recognized as a fundamental element in protocols such as large-scale quantum networks and distributed quantum computation,” the <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608252/first-object-teleported-from-earth-to-orbit/" type="external">Chinese research team said</a> in a news release.</p>
<p>Over a period of 32 days, the scientist generated millions of tangled photos, sending one of each pair into space. They successfully measured quantum entanglement in 911 cases.</p>
<p><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/physics/chinese-scientists-teleport-a-photon-to-space" type="external">Researchers described</a> the feat as “the first ground-to-satellite up-link for faithful and ultra-long-distance quantum teleportation, an essential step toward global-scale quantum internet.”</p>
<p>The research was <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1707.00934" type="external">published this week online</a>.</p> | China teleports quantum information to space, a first | false | https://newsline.com/china-teleports-quantum-information-to-space-a-first/ | 2017-07-12 | 1right-center
| China teleports quantum information to space, a first
<p>July 12 (UPI) — For the first time, scientists in China have successfully teleported a photon to space using quantum entanglement — the coupling of two quantum particles over vast distances.</p>
<p>The quantum information was sent from a ground station in China to the Micius satellite in space, orbiting 746 miles above Earth’s surface. Micius was launched into space in August 2016.</p>
<p>The feat marks the first time scientists have launched quantum information into space, shattering the record for the longest distance over which quantum entanglement has been demonstrated.</p>
<p>Quantum entanglement describes the connected nature of two quantum particles generated at the same time and point space. The particles exist within in the same wave function, mimicking one another regardless of the distance between the two.</p>
<p>By teleporting quantum information, researchers can cause a photon in one place to behave like the photon in another. The phenomenon has a been demonstrated countless times in laboratories on Earth, and used to move information through quantum computing. But until now, scientists had never transferred quantum information into space.</p>
<p>The feat could set the stage for testing all kinds of quantum technologies scaled for use in space.</p>
<p>“Long-distance teleportation has been recognized as a fundamental element in protocols such as large-scale quantum networks and distributed quantum computation,” the <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/608252/first-object-teleported-from-earth-to-orbit/" type="external">Chinese research team said</a> in a news release.</p>
<p>Over a period of 32 days, the scientist generated millions of tangled photos, sending one of each pair into space. They successfully measured quantum entanglement in 911 cases.</p>
<p><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/physics/chinese-scientists-teleport-a-photon-to-space" type="external">Researchers described</a> the feat as “the first ground-to-satellite up-link for faithful and ultra-long-distance quantum teleportation, an essential step toward global-scale quantum internet.”</p>
<p>The research was <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1707.00934" type="external">published this week online</a>.</p> | 599,445 |
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<p />
<p>Blais moves slowly, unassumingly about the room. Some of the women, who are sleeping or checking email, don’t notice her; some acknowledge Blais but look at the young red-headed woman skeptically. But several stay, even after they learn why there is no TV access for the next 45 minutes. It’s Thursday morning, and every week in this space, Blais leads the women in a discussion about philosophy.</p>
<p>The women at the shelter appear curious as Blais attempts to move chairs into a semicircle. They accept her offer of free notebooks and pens and her urging that they take another breakfast pastry.</p>
<p>Each week, the Boston University philosophy major comes here with a philosophical quandary she asks the women to ponder. Similar discussions play out at homeless shelters across the Boston area as part of the Free Philosophy Project Blais founded more than 18 months ago to help homeless people reflect on their lives and values and connect across the class divide with people like her.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>During one recent discussion at the St. Francis House, Blais asks a group of four women who stick around for the session: “Are people born good, or do they learn how to be good?”</p>
<p>They agree that even if their early home lives didn’t instill it in them, people could still learn to be good. They also agree that doing good things for people helps people learn how to be good and happy. “Balance” is one word raised by another woman who says she believes people can learn to be good by practicing. “Being good makes you feel good inside and out,” she says, emphasizing that politeness, such as saying “please,” “excuse me,” and “thank you,” goes a long way in her mind.</p>
<p>They acknowledge there’s a link between goodness and happiness, though one woman declares, “Some people are just not gonna be happy.”</p>
<p>Blais points out that Aristotle’s theory on happiness is complicated. Aristotle, she says, thinks happiness has a certain standard. Reaching happiness entails first understanding what it means for humans to be good. Ultimately, “The byproduct of learning to be good is happiness,” she explains.</p>
<p>Sometimes, the group doesn’t come to a consensus – and often, Blais says, the conclusions the students at the shelters reach are the opposite of the ancient philosophers’ conclusions. But the exercise isn’t to find agreement, but rather to engage the women in active debate, to get them thinking and analyzing these great life questions.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Blais first gathered homeless women together on a summer morning in 2015 at St. Francis House, which is one of Downtown Boston’s most well-known shelters. Blais began sharing the teachings of Plato and Aristotle, the concepts of free will and moral responsibility, and what it means to be good or happy people.</p>
<p>Blais, a BU senior, had volunteered at the shelter serving breakfast, but it didn’t feel like enough. The 22-year-old wanted to find a way, she said, “to bridge what sometimes seems like an insurmountable distance between two kinds of people”: Those who have experienced homelessness and those who haven’t.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The Free Philosophy Project has since spread to 11 shelters for women, men and families in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Blais trains students from BU and Harvard College to lead the workshops and plans to expand to other area colleges. Boston University’s philosophy department funds the project and will continue to do so as Blais develops a manual for national expansion that she’ll begin work on this summer.</p>
<p>The idea works with the homeless because philosophy is “actually the most accessible of all academic fields – it just requires you to reflect on your experience, and everyone has their own experience,” Blais said.</p>
<p>Blais is adamant, however, that she’s not seeking to solve homelessness with philosophy. She merely seeks to give them a voice and understand their world, something vastly different from her middle-class upbringing in Upstate New York. As a result, Blais doesn’t shy away from tough topics like racism, inequality and income, and says it’s actually when topics make her uncomfortable that she knows she must cover them.</p>
<p>In early 2015, when Blais first brought her idea for a philosophy group aimed at the homeless to multiple Boston shelters, they consistently turned her away. To eventually get into St. Francis House, Blais realized she needed to think smaller and set her sights on the women’s only center inside the larger shelter. Even so, expectations for success weren’t high. “I said to her, ‘I don’t think this will work,’ ” says Rachel Klein, coordinator of the women’s center. Over a year later, Klein admits, “I was totally wrong.”</p>
<p>The St. Francis House had not historically had success with group classes, Klein explains. Why would the homeless be interested in philosophical discussions when they may be more immediately concerned with health care, clothing, when they will eat next and where they will sleep? But Klein says that contrary to preconceived notions about the homeless, many of the women who visit St. Francis House have higher education degrees. As a result, Klein allowed Blais weekly access to the women’s center, which around 40 women use daily.</p>
<p>Klein said it’s been working out. She recalls one memorable lesson: “If someone is using [drugs] and they think they’re happy, are we to say that they’re not happy if they think that they are? It was such an interesting conversation,” Klein said.</p>
<p>Over time, Blais has also gotten to know many of the women at a large day shelter called Women’s Lunch Place, in the basement of a church steps from the Boston Garden.</p>
<p>Elizabeth Keeley, executive director of the Women’s Lunch Place, was the first to support the Free Philosophy Project at the shelter, which serves more than 225 women daily. Keeley knows how important it is for the women to be heard and how open to learning they are.</p>
<p>“So many of these women have lost their voices or were silenced by trauma,” Keeley says. “Our whole philosophy around dignity and restoring women’s feelings of positive self-worth is tied into their being able to talk about what brought them here and how they move forward.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Hope Daniels, a 50-year-old native of Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood has attended Blais’s St. Francis House workshops for over a year. Daniels battles a crack addiction, collects disability for asthma issues and is also recovering from a brain tumor. She said she enjoys the classes because she likes being listened to, and Daniels said she likes the temporary escape from her reality where she has struggled consistently to find permanent housing.</p>
<p>“I get to tell my story. I get to tell my feelings,” Daniels said. Blais “doesn’t look at me funny when I say whatever comes out of my mouth. I just let it go.”</p>
<p>The classes have taught her to be open minded, she said, and the group has helped improve her quick temper.</p>
<p>In November, Daniels was finally placed into an apartment in downtown Boston after three years of moving between shelters and her abusive boyfriend’s place. But she still visits St. Francis House to pass the time at the philosophy group, attend a meditation class, get free clothing and go to addiction recovery meetings.</p>
<p>In her new home, Daniels keeps the philosophy handouts Blais gives to her students around and easily accessible, she said.</p>
<p>“Over the past year and half or so, I’ve noticed a big change in Hope,” Blais said. “She’s become much more willing to listen, genuinely curious about the material I have, and adamant about getting whatever papers I have for her to bring home. She is always eager to participate, but notably more mindful of other’s roles in the workshop, including my own.”</p>
<p>Allen Speight, chair of BU’s philosophy department and Blais’s adviser, says analyzing philosophy is a surprisingly natural fit for the homeless population. “People who live by their wits and whose lives have had a more difficult passage are people who have a lot of philosophical questions that might be sharper in some ways, much rawer than people who have had a more privileged existence,” he said.</p>
<p>BU gave Blais $2,000 initially to launch the project, and she’s since used another $3,000. She spends most of the money on supplies like notebooks, and she has jokingly become known as “the doughnut lady” at shelters she visits.</p>
<p>Students at Harvard, under Blais’s guidance, have helped expand the Free Philosophy Project to shelters in Cambridge. After her May graduation from BU, Blais plans to take the summer to work on a manual or textbook to expand her Free Philosophy Project beyond Boston.</p>
<p>Because the women that populate the shelters are transient, it’s difficult to assess the long-term impacts. But one day Blais got reinforcement from a checkout clerk at a local Whole Foods. He noticed her first name on her credit card and said, “[Clarinda is] a very famous name in my house.”</p>
<p>His aunt, he told her, had a philosophy teacher with the same name.</p>
<p>“Guilty. That’s me,” Blais said, smiling.</p>
<p>“Can I give you a hug?” the clerk asked as he came around the counter. “You have no idea what you did for her or for our family.”</p>
<p>His aunt had been a regular participant in Blais’s workshop the previous summer. Just a week prior, Blais saw her at one of the shelters after not seeing her for months.</p>
<p>Blais said the woman hugged her and thanked her for helping to change her perspective.</p>
<p>“She used to only rely on God and her faith, and never realized how much she could rely on herself,” Blais said. “She said she found it a lot easier to be happy.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Derby Berg is an independent writer and video producer based in Greater Boston. Her work has appeared in the Boston Globe Magazine, Fusion and the Marshall Project. She teaches journalism at Boston University.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Video: College student takes her love of philosophy to a women’s shelter</p>
<p>URL: <a href="http://wapo.st/2nIcsZ5" type="external">http://wapo.st/2nIcsZ5</a></p> | This college student teaches philosophy to homeless women to help them ponder life’s great questions | false | https://abqjournal.com/975482/this-college-student-teaches-philosophy-to-homeless-women-to-help-them-ponder-lifes-great-questions.html | 2least
| This college student teaches philosophy to homeless women to help them ponder life’s great questions
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<p />
<p>Blais moves slowly, unassumingly about the room. Some of the women, who are sleeping or checking email, don’t notice her; some acknowledge Blais but look at the young red-headed woman skeptically. But several stay, even after they learn why there is no TV access for the next 45 minutes. It’s Thursday morning, and every week in this space, Blais leads the women in a discussion about philosophy.</p>
<p>The women at the shelter appear curious as Blais attempts to move chairs into a semicircle. They accept her offer of free notebooks and pens and her urging that they take another breakfast pastry.</p>
<p>Each week, the Boston University philosophy major comes here with a philosophical quandary she asks the women to ponder. Similar discussions play out at homeless shelters across the Boston area as part of the Free Philosophy Project Blais founded more than 18 months ago to help homeless people reflect on their lives and values and connect across the class divide with people like her.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>During one recent discussion at the St. Francis House, Blais asks a group of four women who stick around for the session: “Are people born good, or do they learn how to be good?”</p>
<p>They agree that even if their early home lives didn’t instill it in them, people could still learn to be good. They also agree that doing good things for people helps people learn how to be good and happy. “Balance” is one word raised by another woman who says she believes people can learn to be good by practicing. “Being good makes you feel good inside and out,” she says, emphasizing that politeness, such as saying “please,” “excuse me,” and “thank you,” goes a long way in her mind.</p>
<p>They acknowledge there’s a link between goodness and happiness, though one woman declares, “Some people are just not gonna be happy.”</p>
<p>Blais points out that Aristotle’s theory on happiness is complicated. Aristotle, she says, thinks happiness has a certain standard. Reaching happiness entails first understanding what it means for humans to be good. Ultimately, “The byproduct of learning to be good is happiness,” she explains.</p>
<p>Sometimes, the group doesn’t come to a consensus – and often, Blais says, the conclusions the students at the shelters reach are the opposite of the ancient philosophers’ conclusions. But the exercise isn’t to find agreement, but rather to engage the women in active debate, to get them thinking and analyzing these great life questions.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Blais first gathered homeless women together on a summer morning in 2015 at St. Francis House, which is one of Downtown Boston’s most well-known shelters. Blais began sharing the teachings of Plato and Aristotle, the concepts of free will and moral responsibility, and what it means to be good or happy people.</p>
<p>Blais, a BU senior, had volunteered at the shelter serving breakfast, but it didn’t feel like enough. The 22-year-old wanted to find a way, she said, “to bridge what sometimes seems like an insurmountable distance between two kinds of people”: Those who have experienced homelessness and those who haven’t.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The Free Philosophy Project has since spread to 11 shelters for women, men and families in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Blais trains students from BU and Harvard College to lead the workshops and plans to expand to other area colleges. Boston University’s philosophy department funds the project and will continue to do so as Blais develops a manual for national expansion that she’ll begin work on this summer.</p>
<p>The idea works with the homeless because philosophy is “actually the most accessible of all academic fields – it just requires you to reflect on your experience, and everyone has their own experience,” Blais said.</p>
<p>Blais is adamant, however, that she’s not seeking to solve homelessness with philosophy. She merely seeks to give them a voice and understand their world, something vastly different from her middle-class upbringing in Upstate New York. As a result, Blais doesn’t shy away from tough topics like racism, inequality and income, and says it’s actually when topics make her uncomfortable that she knows she must cover them.</p>
<p>In early 2015, when Blais first brought her idea for a philosophy group aimed at the homeless to multiple Boston shelters, they consistently turned her away. To eventually get into St. Francis House, Blais realized she needed to think smaller and set her sights on the women’s only center inside the larger shelter. Even so, expectations for success weren’t high. “I said to her, ‘I don’t think this will work,’ ” says Rachel Klein, coordinator of the women’s center. Over a year later, Klein admits, “I was totally wrong.”</p>
<p>The St. Francis House had not historically had success with group classes, Klein explains. Why would the homeless be interested in philosophical discussions when they may be more immediately concerned with health care, clothing, when they will eat next and where they will sleep? But Klein says that contrary to preconceived notions about the homeless, many of the women who visit St. Francis House have higher education degrees. As a result, Klein allowed Blais weekly access to the women’s center, which around 40 women use daily.</p>
<p>Klein said it’s been working out. She recalls one memorable lesson: “If someone is using [drugs] and they think they’re happy, are we to say that they’re not happy if they think that they are? It was such an interesting conversation,” Klein said.</p>
<p>Over time, Blais has also gotten to know many of the women at a large day shelter called Women’s Lunch Place, in the basement of a church steps from the Boston Garden.</p>
<p>Elizabeth Keeley, executive director of the Women’s Lunch Place, was the first to support the Free Philosophy Project at the shelter, which serves more than 225 women daily. Keeley knows how important it is for the women to be heard and how open to learning they are.</p>
<p>“So many of these women have lost their voices or were silenced by trauma,” Keeley says. “Our whole philosophy around dignity and restoring women’s feelings of positive self-worth is tied into their being able to talk about what brought them here and how they move forward.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Hope Daniels, a 50-year-old native of Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood has attended Blais’s St. Francis House workshops for over a year. Daniels battles a crack addiction, collects disability for asthma issues and is also recovering from a brain tumor. She said she enjoys the classes because she likes being listened to, and Daniels said she likes the temporary escape from her reality where she has struggled consistently to find permanent housing.</p>
<p>“I get to tell my story. I get to tell my feelings,” Daniels said. Blais “doesn’t look at me funny when I say whatever comes out of my mouth. I just let it go.”</p>
<p>The classes have taught her to be open minded, she said, and the group has helped improve her quick temper.</p>
<p>In November, Daniels was finally placed into an apartment in downtown Boston after three years of moving between shelters and her abusive boyfriend’s place. But she still visits St. Francis House to pass the time at the philosophy group, attend a meditation class, get free clothing and go to addiction recovery meetings.</p>
<p>In her new home, Daniels keeps the philosophy handouts Blais gives to her students around and easily accessible, she said.</p>
<p>“Over the past year and half or so, I’ve noticed a big change in Hope,” Blais said. “She’s become much more willing to listen, genuinely curious about the material I have, and adamant about getting whatever papers I have for her to bring home. She is always eager to participate, but notably more mindful of other’s roles in the workshop, including my own.”</p>
<p>Allen Speight, chair of BU’s philosophy department and Blais’s adviser, says analyzing philosophy is a surprisingly natural fit for the homeless population. “People who live by their wits and whose lives have had a more difficult passage are people who have a lot of philosophical questions that might be sharper in some ways, much rawer than people who have had a more privileged existence,” he said.</p>
<p>BU gave Blais $2,000 initially to launch the project, and she’s since used another $3,000. She spends most of the money on supplies like notebooks, and she has jokingly become known as “the doughnut lady” at shelters she visits.</p>
<p>Students at Harvard, under Blais’s guidance, have helped expand the Free Philosophy Project to shelters in Cambridge. After her May graduation from BU, Blais plans to take the summer to work on a manual or textbook to expand her Free Philosophy Project beyond Boston.</p>
<p>Because the women that populate the shelters are transient, it’s difficult to assess the long-term impacts. But one day Blais got reinforcement from a checkout clerk at a local Whole Foods. He noticed her first name on her credit card and said, “[Clarinda is] a very famous name in my house.”</p>
<p>His aunt, he told her, had a philosophy teacher with the same name.</p>
<p>“Guilty. That’s me,” Blais said, smiling.</p>
<p>“Can I give you a hug?” the clerk asked as he came around the counter. “You have no idea what you did for her or for our family.”</p>
<p>His aunt had been a regular participant in Blais’s workshop the previous summer. Just a week prior, Blais saw her at one of the shelters after not seeing her for months.</p>
<p>Blais said the woman hugged her and thanked her for helping to change her perspective.</p>
<p>“She used to only rely on God and her faith, and never realized how much she could rely on herself,” Blais said. “She said she found it a lot easier to be happy.”</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Derby Berg is an independent writer and video producer based in Greater Boston. Her work has appeared in the Boston Globe Magazine, Fusion and the Marshall Project. She teaches journalism at Boston University.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Video: College student takes her love of philosophy to a women’s shelter</p>
<p>URL: <a href="http://wapo.st/2nIcsZ5" type="external">http://wapo.st/2nIcsZ5</a></p> | 599,446 |
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<p>SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — A Costco store in Southern California drew some unwanted attention this week after labeling some of its Bibles as fiction.</p>
<p>The Los Angeles Times reports Wednesday that Discovery Church pastor Caleb Kaltenbach recently came across the Bibles with “Fiction” written on the price tag while shopping for a gift at a Costco store in Simi Valley. He took a photo and posted it on social media with the comment: “Costco has Bibles for sale under the genre of FICTION Hmmmm…”</p>
<p>Costco has since apologized, saying in a statement a distributor mislabeled a small percentage of Bibles before they were sent to the store. The company said it is correcting the mistake for future distribution.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Costco apologizes for labeling Bible ‘fiction’ | false | https://abqjournal.com/305412/costco-apologizes-for-labeling-bible-fiction.html | 2least
| Costco apologizes for labeling Bible ‘fiction’
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<p>SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — A Costco store in Southern California drew some unwanted attention this week after labeling some of its Bibles as fiction.</p>
<p>The Los Angeles Times reports Wednesday that Discovery Church pastor Caleb Kaltenbach recently came across the Bibles with “Fiction” written on the price tag while shopping for a gift at a Costco store in Simi Valley. He took a photo and posted it on social media with the comment: “Costco has Bibles for sale under the genre of FICTION Hmmmm…”</p>
<p>Costco has since apologized, saying in a statement a distributor mislabeled a small percentage of Bibles before they were sent to the store. The company said it is correcting the mistake for future distribution.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 599,447 |
|
<p />
<p>Image source: Skechers.com</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Skechers (NYSE: SKX) posted 27% growth in its international wholesale segment in 2016, bringing its international business to 46.1% of revenue as reported in its fourth quarter <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/02/09/skechers-stock-earns-its-keep-this-time.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">earnings release Opens a New Window.</a>. The company's strategic investments in its international concept stores over the last several years played a key role in its international growth by ensuring the right products are available for its wholesale customers, thereby increasing sales and reducing markdowns. With Skechers having twice the number of international concept stores as its U.S. domestic segment, there is clear potential for tremendous international growth in 2017 and beyond.</p>
<p>Skechers concept stores play a key role in the company's operating strategy. These stores are located in marquee locations -- major tourist areas or key shopping malls in metropolitan cities -- to get the most traffic and "maximum marketing value". These stores showcase the entire Skechers product line, and are a testing ground for new marketing campaigns and products. Skechers uses customer feedback and product sales data from these stores to adjust new product rollouts and marketing campaigns. The benefits to the company's supply chain is explained in the company's annual report:</p>
<p>Although Skechers concept store sales are reported in the retail segment, the product sales data these stores provide informs and facilitates its international wholesale segment growth.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>As reported in Skechers most recent 10-K, Skechers believes "that we have established our [store] presence in most major domestic retail markets,"but clearly there is plenty of room for growth in the company's international business. As you can see from the graph below, domestically, the number of concept stores has been flat since 2012, but the combined number of company-owned international concept stores and international joint venture stores (JV) has more than doubled. In 2016, Skechers added 19 additional international company-owned concept stores.Note that the joint venture concept store count has not yet been released for 2016.</p>
<p>Image source: Author's graph from Skechers 10-K reports.</p>
<p>The growth in international concept stores has helped Skechers international wholesale segment sales triple from $432 million in 2012 to $1.3 billion in 2016. With stores in over 160 countries and territories internationally, it is critically important that Skechers understand product demand down to the regional level to have the right products in stock and reduce the chance for product markdowns. The concept stores do exactly that. Skechers states in its most recent 10-K that "sales in our concept stores can also help forecast sales in national retail stores, and we share this sales information with our wholesale customers." Additionally, this helps Skechers ensure it has the right "in-stock" inventory to fulfill customer orders quickly.</p>
<p>With all this growth from its international business in the last 5 years, will Skechers continue to grow internationally? The answer is definitely yes.</p>
<p>As reported in Skechers fourth quarter earnings release, Skechers international wholesale segment became the company's largest segment by revenue. David Weinberg, Skechers' Chief Financial Officer, stressed the importance of growth for the international business going forward in the company's most recent earnings call.</p>
<p>As of its 2015 annual report, Skechers details more than 15,000 total US retail "doors" where Skechers products can be purchased, with US concept stores representing less than 1% of that total. While Skechers believes the US market is well represented, with retail outlets carrying Skechers products, this is not the case internationally. With international concept stores almost double the number of domestic stores (and growing), it's feasible to think that Skechers international business could be twice that of the US, which gives the international business a lot of room to run.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than SkechersWhen 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=433bc5fd-2908-4b16-9b75-6c366ae5a438&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 Skechers 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=433bc5fd-2908-4b16-9b75-6c366ae5a438&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFBwithbike/info.aspx" type="external">Brian Withers Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Skechers. 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> | Skechers Concept Stores Help Drive International Growth | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/02/14/skechers-concept-stores-help-drive-international-growth.html | 2017-02-14 | 0right
| Skechers Concept Stores Help Drive International Growth
<p />
<p>Image source: Skechers.com</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Skechers (NYSE: SKX) posted 27% growth in its international wholesale segment in 2016, bringing its international business to 46.1% of revenue as reported in its fourth quarter <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/02/09/skechers-stock-earns-its-keep-this-time.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">earnings release Opens a New Window.</a>. The company's strategic investments in its international concept stores over the last several years played a key role in its international growth by ensuring the right products are available for its wholesale customers, thereby increasing sales and reducing markdowns. With Skechers having twice the number of international concept stores as its U.S. domestic segment, there is clear potential for tremendous international growth in 2017 and beyond.</p>
<p>Skechers concept stores play a key role in the company's operating strategy. These stores are located in marquee locations -- major tourist areas or key shopping malls in metropolitan cities -- to get the most traffic and "maximum marketing value". These stores showcase the entire Skechers product line, and are a testing ground for new marketing campaigns and products. Skechers uses customer feedback and product sales data from these stores to adjust new product rollouts and marketing campaigns. The benefits to the company's supply chain is explained in the company's annual report:</p>
<p>Although Skechers concept store sales are reported in the retail segment, the product sales data these stores provide informs and facilitates its international wholesale segment growth.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>As reported in Skechers most recent 10-K, Skechers believes "that we have established our [store] presence in most major domestic retail markets,"but clearly there is plenty of room for growth in the company's international business. As you can see from the graph below, domestically, the number of concept stores has been flat since 2012, but the combined number of company-owned international concept stores and international joint venture stores (JV) has more than doubled. In 2016, Skechers added 19 additional international company-owned concept stores.Note that the joint venture concept store count has not yet been released for 2016.</p>
<p>Image source: Author's graph from Skechers 10-K reports.</p>
<p>The growth in international concept stores has helped Skechers international wholesale segment sales triple from $432 million in 2012 to $1.3 billion in 2016. With stores in over 160 countries and territories internationally, it is critically important that Skechers understand product demand down to the regional level to have the right products in stock and reduce the chance for product markdowns. The concept stores do exactly that. Skechers states in its most recent 10-K that "sales in our concept stores can also help forecast sales in national retail stores, and we share this sales information with our wholesale customers." Additionally, this helps Skechers ensure it has the right "in-stock" inventory to fulfill customer orders quickly.</p>
<p>With all this growth from its international business in the last 5 years, will Skechers continue to grow internationally? The answer is definitely yes.</p>
<p>As reported in Skechers fourth quarter earnings release, Skechers international wholesale segment became the company's largest segment by revenue. David Weinberg, Skechers' Chief Financial Officer, stressed the importance of growth for the international business going forward in the company's most recent earnings call.</p>
<p>As of its 2015 annual report, Skechers details more than 15,000 total US retail "doors" where Skechers products can be purchased, with US concept stores representing less than 1% of that total. While Skechers believes the US market is well represented, with retail outlets carrying Skechers products, this is not the case internationally. With international concept stores almost double the number of domestic stores (and growing), it's feasible to think that Skechers international business could be twice that of the US, which gives the international business a lot of room to run.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than SkechersWhen 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=433bc5fd-2908-4b16-9b75-6c366ae5a438&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 Skechers 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=433bc5fd-2908-4b16-9b75-6c366ae5a438&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFBwithbike/info.aspx" type="external">Brian Withers Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Skechers. 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> | 599,448 |
<p>Gold futures tallied a seventh straight session decline on Wednesday to end at their lowest level since the beginning of February. Upbeat data on U.S. private-sector jobs helped boost the dollar and fed expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at its meeting next week. April gold lost $6.70, or 0.6%, to settle at $1,209.40 an ounce.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2017 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | Gold Prices Drop For 7th Straight Session | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/03/08/gold-prices-drop-for-7th-straight-session.html | 2017-03-17 | 0right
| Gold Prices Drop For 7th Straight Session
<p>Gold futures tallied a seventh straight session decline on Wednesday to end at their lowest level since the beginning of February. Upbeat data on U.S. private-sector jobs helped boost the dollar and fed expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at its meeting next week. April gold lost $6.70, or 0.6%, to settle at $1,209.40 an ounce.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2017 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | 599,449 |
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<p>Look for world-class men’s and women’s pole vault fields to soar above the crowd.</p>
<p>To be precise, University of New Mexico track and field coach Joe Franklin said, UNM’s Collegiate Classic has attracted a field of 762 athletes representing 50 college programs.</p>
<p>A number of top post-college athletes will compete, as well, including Olympic pole vaulters Brad Walker of the United States and Steve Lewis of Great Britain.</p>
<p>Walker is a former outdoor and indoor world champion; Lewis placed fifth at the 2012 Olympics in London.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Franklin said a height of 5.5 meters (18 feet) is a standard that roughly equates to world-class status in men’s pole vaulting.</p>
<p>“There’s nine guys entered here (who have cleared) 5.50,” he said.</p>
<p>The men’s pole vault is scheduled for today, starting at 4 p.m.</p>
<p>Franklin said the women’s pole vault is equally loaded.</p>
<p>Demi Payne of Stephen F. Austin set a collegiate record of 15 feet, 7 inches at the same venue Jan. 24. She’ll be challenged by Arkansas’ Sandi Morris, defending NCAA champion Kaitllin Petrillose of Texas and others in a huge field of 41 vaulters.</p>
<p>The women’s pole vault will be contested Saturday in two sections, the first at 10:30 a.m. and the second at 1:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Payne’s record-setting effort two weeks ago at the Lobo Collegiate Invitational is hardly the first time pole vaulting history was made at the Convention Center. In March 2013, at the USA Track &amp; Field Indoor Championships, 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jenn Suhr set a world record with a vault of 16-5½.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“It’s the best (pole vault) runway in the United States,” Franklin said.</p>
<p>There’ll be quality, as well as quantity, on the track, as well.</p>
<p>Texas coach Mario Sategna, who grew up in Bloomfield, will bring an impressive group of sprinters.</p>
<p>“Mario’s 400 (meter) runners are absolutely incredible, with three of the top four NCAA marks (this indoor season),” Franklin said.</p>
<p>The Longhorns’ Kendall Baisden is the reigning World Junior Outdoor champion at 400 meters.</p>
<p>For UNM, Franklin said, much of the focus will be on the jumping events: Aasha Marler in the women’s long jump, Yannick Roggatz in the men’s long jump and Django Lovett in the men’s high jump.</p>
<p>Former Lobo Kendall Spencer, the 2012 NCAA indoor long jump champion, will compete unattached in his specialty. Spencer is the student-athlete representative on the NCAA Division I board of directors.</p>
<p>To convey an idea of how huge this weekend’s field is, Franklin noted that 112 women are entered in the women’s 200 meters.</p>
<p />
<p /> | UNM Collegiate Classic draws 762 athletes from 50 colleges | false | https://abqjournal.com/537381/unm-meet-draws-a-crowd.html | 2least
| UNM Collegiate Classic draws 762 athletes from 50 colleges
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<p />
<p>Look for world-class men’s and women’s pole vault fields to soar above the crowd.</p>
<p>To be precise, University of New Mexico track and field coach Joe Franklin said, UNM’s Collegiate Classic has attracted a field of 762 athletes representing 50 college programs.</p>
<p>A number of top post-college athletes will compete, as well, including Olympic pole vaulters Brad Walker of the United States and Steve Lewis of Great Britain.</p>
<p>Walker is a former outdoor and indoor world champion; Lewis placed fifth at the 2012 Olympics in London.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Franklin said a height of 5.5 meters (18 feet) is a standard that roughly equates to world-class status in men’s pole vaulting.</p>
<p>“There’s nine guys entered here (who have cleared) 5.50,” he said.</p>
<p>The men’s pole vault is scheduled for today, starting at 4 p.m.</p>
<p>Franklin said the women’s pole vault is equally loaded.</p>
<p>Demi Payne of Stephen F. Austin set a collegiate record of 15 feet, 7 inches at the same venue Jan. 24. She’ll be challenged by Arkansas’ Sandi Morris, defending NCAA champion Kaitllin Petrillose of Texas and others in a huge field of 41 vaulters.</p>
<p>The women’s pole vault will be contested Saturday in two sections, the first at 10:30 a.m. and the second at 1:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Payne’s record-setting effort two weeks ago at the Lobo Collegiate Invitational is hardly the first time pole vaulting history was made at the Convention Center. In March 2013, at the USA Track &amp; Field Indoor Championships, 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jenn Suhr set a world record with a vault of 16-5½.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“It’s the best (pole vault) runway in the United States,” Franklin said.</p>
<p>There’ll be quality, as well as quantity, on the track, as well.</p>
<p>Texas coach Mario Sategna, who grew up in Bloomfield, will bring an impressive group of sprinters.</p>
<p>“Mario’s 400 (meter) runners are absolutely incredible, with three of the top four NCAA marks (this indoor season),” Franklin said.</p>
<p>The Longhorns’ Kendall Baisden is the reigning World Junior Outdoor champion at 400 meters.</p>
<p>For UNM, Franklin said, much of the focus will be on the jumping events: Aasha Marler in the women’s long jump, Yannick Roggatz in the men’s long jump and Django Lovett in the men’s high jump.</p>
<p>Former Lobo Kendall Spencer, the 2012 NCAA indoor long jump champion, will compete unattached in his specialty. Spencer is the student-athlete representative on the NCAA Division I board of directors.</p>
<p>To convey an idea of how huge this weekend’s field is, Franklin noted that 112 women are entered in the women’s 200 meters.</p>
<p />
<p /> | 599,450 |
|
<p>On Thursday, President Trump made the first major move of his administration since the appointment of Judge Gorsuch to the Supreme Court: he withdrew from the Paris Accord, a non-treaty entered into by President Obama that committed the United States to serious economic deprivation in order to accomplish nearly nothing in terms of climate change. It’s true that Trump laid all that out in a well-written, fact-laden speech. The Left predictably went nuts — they’ve been lighting up buildings green (wasting energy) and quitting his economic council (who cares) and tweeting incessantly about the end of the world all day.</p>
<p>But Trump is right.</p>
<p>Here are five reasons why.</p>
<p>1. The Accord Was A Treaty, And President Obama Refused To Treat It Like One. President Obama joined the Paris Accord shortly before leaving office, but never sent the agreement to the Senate for ratification. There was good reason for that: it wouldn’t have been ratified. Instead, Obama simply assumed that America would now be bound by requirements to tamp down carbon emissions in serious ways. In his statement ripping Trump for pulling out of the agreement, for example, Obama stated, “the world came together in Paris around the first-ever global agreement to set the world on a low-carbon course and protect the world we leave to our children.” But none of that was true. Which meant that the accord was essentially symbolic, but would create a bevy of headlines about America abandoning global leadership every time we didn’t meet an arbitrary line not approved by the American people.</p>
<p>2. There Were Legal Implementation Problems With The Paris Accord. Donald McGahn, the White House counsel, spelled out that courts could theoretically use the Paris Accord to strike down Trump’s attempted rollback of carbon emissions regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency. The Left claimed that this was empty talk — no enabling legislation regarding the Paris Accord had been signed, so it was symbolic. But these are the same people who now say the world will burn up because we’ve pulled out of the accord, and the same people who think the courts should ignore law in order to strike down executive orders they don’t like.</p>
<p>3. It Would Have Had No Impact. Obama himself says, “The private sector already chose a low-carbon future.” So if that was true, what’s the need for governmental cram-downs, exactly? Beyond that, Trump is correct that MIT has estimated that even if the Paris Accord were implemented with current commitments by the various countries, the global climate would be lowered by a grand total of 0.2 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Meanwhile, we’d put crippling regulations on our economy. MIT and the Left insist that other steps would follow the Paris Accord — but there’s no evidence of that.</p>
<p>4. It Let Other Countries Free-Ride. Obama said in his petulant statement, “It was bold American ambition that encouraged dozens of other nations to set their sights higher as well.” This is absolute nonsense. One of the reasons to be skeptical of the Paris Accord is that it asked nations for non-binding commitments on climate change. Non-binding. As Oren Cass pointed out at <a href="https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/goodbye-paris-accord-climate/" type="external">Commentary</a>:</p>
<p>China committed to begin reducing emissions by 2030, roughly when its economic development would have caused this to happen regardless. India made no emissions commitment, pledging only to make progress on efficiency—at half the rate it had progressed in recent years. Pakistan outdid the rest, submitting a single page that offered to “reduce its emissions after reaching peak levels to the extent possible.” This is a definition of the word “peak,” not a commitment. ... An April report by Transport Environment <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2017/04/12/3-european-union-countries-pursuing-policies-line-paris-climate-agreement/" type="external">found</a> only three European countries pursuing policies in line with their Paris commitments and one of those, Germany, has now <a href="http://www.environmentalprogress.org/big-news/2017/1/13/breaking-german-emissions-increase-in-2016-for-second-year-in-a-row-due-to-nuclear-closure" type="external">seen</a> two straight years of emissions increases. The Philippines has outright <a href="http://www.climatechangenews.com/2016/07/18/philippines-wont-honour-un-climate-deal-says-president/" type="external">renounced</a> its commitment. A study published by the American Geophysical Union <a href="https://phys.org/news/2017-04-india-coal-conflict-climate-commitments.html" type="external">warns</a> that India’s planned coal-plant construction is incompatible with its own targets. All this behavior is socially acceptable amongst the climate crowd. Only Trump’s presumption that the agreement means something, and that countries should be forthright about their commitments, is beyond the pale.</p>
<p>5. It Put America Last. Obama and the Left have claimed for years that “green jobs” will be produced by government. There is no evidence of that happening. It’s a chimera. Van Jones, Obama’s “green jobs czar,” couldn’t point to any job creation for which he was responsible. We do know that additional regulations would cripple key industries in the United States without making up for them with these magical new “investments.” The private sector, as Obama recognizes, is already moving toward more efficient energy solutions. But this agreement wasn’t about forwarding that. It was about creating public pressure for the US government to intervene in its own economy, without requiring anything of those with whom we compete.</p>
<p>Good for Trump. The Paris Accord was a meaningless sham, designed mainly to shame the United States into harming its own economy for the vicarious pleasure of others.</p> | EXCELLENT TRUMP: 5 Reasons Trump Is Right To Pull Out Of The Paris Accord | true | https://dailywire.com/news/17086/excellent-trump-5-reasons-trump-right-pull-out-ben-shapiro | 2017-06-02 | 0right
| EXCELLENT TRUMP: 5 Reasons Trump Is Right To Pull Out Of The Paris Accord
<p>On Thursday, President Trump made the first major move of his administration since the appointment of Judge Gorsuch to the Supreme Court: he withdrew from the Paris Accord, a non-treaty entered into by President Obama that committed the United States to serious economic deprivation in order to accomplish nearly nothing in terms of climate change. It’s true that Trump laid all that out in a well-written, fact-laden speech. The Left predictably went nuts — they’ve been lighting up buildings green (wasting energy) and quitting his economic council (who cares) and tweeting incessantly about the end of the world all day.</p>
<p>But Trump is right.</p>
<p>Here are five reasons why.</p>
<p>1. The Accord Was A Treaty, And President Obama Refused To Treat It Like One. President Obama joined the Paris Accord shortly before leaving office, but never sent the agreement to the Senate for ratification. There was good reason for that: it wouldn’t have been ratified. Instead, Obama simply assumed that America would now be bound by requirements to tamp down carbon emissions in serious ways. In his statement ripping Trump for pulling out of the agreement, for example, Obama stated, “the world came together in Paris around the first-ever global agreement to set the world on a low-carbon course and protect the world we leave to our children.” But none of that was true. Which meant that the accord was essentially symbolic, but would create a bevy of headlines about America abandoning global leadership every time we didn’t meet an arbitrary line not approved by the American people.</p>
<p>2. There Were Legal Implementation Problems With The Paris Accord. Donald McGahn, the White House counsel, spelled out that courts could theoretically use the Paris Accord to strike down Trump’s attempted rollback of carbon emissions regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency. The Left claimed that this was empty talk — no enabling legislation regarding the Paris Accord had been signed, so it was symbolic. But these are the same people who now say the world will burn up because we’ve pulled out of the accord, and the same people who think the courts should ignore law in order to strike down executive orders they don’t like.</p>
<p>3. It Would Have Had No Impact. Obama himself says, “The private sector already chose a low-carbon future.” So if that was true, what’s the need for governmental cram-downs, exactly? Beyond that, Trump is correct that MIT has estimated that even if the Paris Accord were implemented with current commitments by the various countries, the global climate would be lowered by a grand total of 0.2 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. Meanwhile, we’d put crippling regulations on our economy. MIT and the Left insist that other steps would follow the Paris Accord — but there’s no evidence of that.</p>
<p>4. It Let Other Countries Free-Ride. Obama said in his petulant statement, “It was bold American ambition that encouraged dozens of other nations to set their sights higher as well.” This is absolute nonsense. One of the reasons to be skeptical of the Paris Accord is that it asked nations for non-binding commitments on climate change. Non-binding. As Oren Cass pointed out at <a href="https://www.commentarymagazine.com/politics-ideas/goodbye-paris-accord-climate/" type="external">Commentary</a>:</p>
<p>China committed to begin reducing emissions by 2030, roughly when its economic development would have caused this to happen regardless. India made no emissions commitment, pledging only to make progress on efficiency—at half the rate it had progressed in recent years. Pakistan outdid the rest, submitting a single page that offered to “reduce its emissions after reaching peak levels to the extent possible.” This is a definition of the word “peak,” not a commitment. ... An April report by Transport Environment <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2017/04/12/3-european-union-countries-pursuing-policies-line-paris-climate-agreement/" type="external">found</a> only three European countries pursuing policies in line with their Paris commitments and one of those, Germany, has now <a href="http://www.environmentalprogress.org/big-news/2017/1/13/breaking-german-emissions-increase-in-2016-for-second-year-in-a-row-due-to-nuclear-closure" type="external">seen</a> two straight years of emissions increases. The Philippines has outright <a href="http://www.climatechangenews.com/2016/07/18/philippines-wont-honour-un-climate-deal-says-president/" type="external">renounced</a> its commitment. A study published by the American Geophysical Union <a href="https://phys.org/news/2017-04-india-coal-conflict-climate-commitments.html" type="external">warns</a> that India’s planned coal-plant construction is incompatible with its own targets. All this behavior is socially acceptable amongst the climate crowd. Only Trump’s presumption that the agreement means something, and that countries should be forthright about their commitments, is beyond the pale.</p>
<p>5. It Put America Last. Obama and the Left have claimed for years that “green jobs” will be produced by government. There is no evidence of that happening. It’s a chimera. Van Jones, Obama’s “green jobs czar,” couldn’t point to any job creation for which he was responsible. We do know that additional regulations would cripple key industries in the United States without making up for them with these magical new “investments.” The private sector, as Obama recognizes, is already moving toward more efficient energy solutions. But this agreement wasn’t about forwarding that. It was about creating public pressure for the US government to intervene in its own economy, without requiring anything of those with whom we compete.</p>
<p>Good for Trump. The Paris Accord was a meaningless sham, designed mainly to shame the United States into harming its own economy for the vicarious pleasure of others.</p> | 599,451 |
<p>If a regular old picture is worth a thousand words, how much does a digitally altered image fetch on the international market today? I ask because a lot of words have been spilled over one digitally altered photograph in particular.</p>
<p>I’ve spent a great deal of time as of late poring over a pair of images, both allegedly derived from a single click of the shutter by Reuters photographer Adnan Hajj on August 5. Both depict a Beirut skyline filled with black smoke after an Israeli bombardment. The one cited as the original unedited version shows a jet blue sky over white, sun-soaked buildings from which inky smoke plumes rise. In the obviously altered second photo, the sky is washed out and pale, the skyline is noticeable higher in the frame, the buildings are darker and have strangely sharpened edges, and the cloud plumes have been digitally cloned with no dramatic or even realistic effect. Smoke just doesn’t look like that.</p>
<p>Because of this and one other photo attributed to Hajj – one containing a suspected alteration to the weapons being fired by an Israeli jet – he no longer works for Reuters, and the news agency has pulled from circulation 920 other photos he has taken for for the agency, though it said there is no indication those were tampered with.</p>
<p>Of course, altering the content of an image meant to depict actual events is unethical. And until people hear from this particular photographer himself, we won’t know the full story. My own attempts to gain further information for the Reuters news agency were met without response. In the meantime, the rampant speculation about staged and altered photographs in Lebanon has its poster child. Bloggers on conservative, pro-war websites like Little Green Footballs, IsraPundit, The Jawa Report and others had already been floating test conspiracies about the aftermath of a July 30 Israeli air raid on a Qana apartment building being staged. Hajj had taken photos there as well. When Reuters issued a “Photo Kill” announcement for that one Beirut skyline shot, these and other pajama pundits seized on it. Not only did they suggest that Hajj’s Qana photos might also be false, but that other photographers’ work also was suspect, and well, maybe there was no massacre of civilians at all. PIXEL BY PIXEL</p>
<p>As someone who has worked as a photojournalist and editor, and who once outed another photographer for altering a photo (though not one of nearly such a dramatic subject as a Beirut missile attack), I wondered why Hajj would ruin an entirely useable, clean image in such a crude and obvious fashion. This faked image just didn’t jive with those of his earlier work, which is replete with crisp, clean photos, their details sharp, darks and lights in high contrast and colors brilliant. Of the two Beirut photos in question, the first more closely matches his resumé. The edited one is muddy in places and washed out as well as blatantly faked. Some speculate that the extra smoke was added for dramatic effect. It didn’t add any. Aside from the artificiality, it also lacked the more marketable composition of the so-called original. Not only was it a forgery, it was just a bad photo.</p>
<p>According to a published statement by Reuters public relations person Moira Whittle, Hajj denied he attempted to manipulate his images. He did say he had used software to remove dust marks from the lens, a standard practice among photographers that still would not produce the image Reuters had initially released, then retracted. Interestingly, according to the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, photographers for Reuters are seldom the last to have control over their images. The article says “all photographs taken for Reuters around the world are sent to Singapore, where they undergo certain editorial processes before being distributed to the agency’s many clients.”</p>
<p>If true, one wonders if the “dust marks” comment had been made by a photographer who had even seen the heavily altered image in question.</p>
<p>The Beirut photo fiasco opened the floodgates for all coverage to be lambasted by those who believe one side, the Israeli one in this instance, is more justified in it’s bloodletting than the other. But if it’s unethical to add puffs of black smoke to a Beirut scene, for whatever reason, what are the ethics of using said puffs as an equally artificial smokescreen to justify the attempted whitewashing of an entire war zone, denying that innocent civilians are suffering, and holding up their killers as blameless victims?</p>
<p>There are things we don’t know and things we do. What is not known is how the digitally falsified image of Beirut came about. We do know that on June 30, 2006, an Israeli airstrike on the nearby southern Lebanese town of Qana destroyed an apartment building and killed many of those inside. The photos from that single attack gushed like blood from a shrapnel wound, and that seems to be what’s really bothering the folks who spend their hours studying every photo out of Lebanon pixel by pixel.</p>
<p>Qana was too real, too immediate. It’s difficult to position an argument on the need for wholesale carnage when it could be printed in text wrapped around images of young corpses in the next day’s morning edition. Much better to simply attack the images themselves. Out of the thousands of pictures that have come out of Lebanon, these people found one to hang their helmets on. Conservative bloggers began to analyze photo time stamps from the Qana coverage, suggesting without proof or merit that they indicated a lapse between the incident and the coverage for a set to be designed and used for a fake news story. They suggested it proved that missile attack hadn’t destroyed the building, that it somehow proved that aid workers brought in already dead bodies to parade in front of cameras. Everything was game.</p>
<p>The Lebanese Red Cross uncovered 27 bodies amid the rubble of the Qana building. About 17 of them were children. Area residents and some local officials initially said that about 60 people were unaccounted for. Some days later, the organization Human Rights Watch was able to estimate the civilian deaths from the missile attack on that particular building to be what the Red Cross had reported.</p>
<p>But as the New York Times article that appeared later that day said, “Whatever the actual toll, the deaths in Qana set off a chain reaction.” The story goes on to cite protests in Beirut against the U.S., Israel and the United Nations, as well as the litany of predictable statements to from Hamas and Hezbollah, which was still allegedly holding two Israeli soldiers hostage.</p>
<p>Those reactions weren’t particularly interesting or unpredictable. I was far more intrigued by the response here in the United States, especially among the media, pundits, lobbyists and various wonks employed by some Christian, conservative and pro-Israeli special interest groups. Ostensibly, Israeli forces were blowing the hell out of southern Lebanon in order to free those two Israeli soldiers who were seized by Hezbollah fighters on July 12. Israel was also pounding the Gaza Strip, supposedly over the abduction of a soldier there as well. On June 25, the day after the army entered Gaza in an operation that included the seizing of a pair of alleged Palestinian fighters, a group of actual confirmed fighters used a secret tunnel to take an Israeli soldier to barter for the release of those two and other political prisoners held in Israel.</p>
<p>As the civilian death toll in Gaza topped 100, the relentless pounding in Lebanon had killed between 600 and 900 people. Either end of that estimation should provide for more than enough outrage, but Qana got the attention, perhaps because Qana is special: On April 18, 1996, Israeli howitzers fired on the United Nation’s Fijian battalion headquarters where nearly 800 Lebanese civilians had taken refuge from “Operation Grapes of Wrath.” More than 100 of civilians in that compound were killed. Outcry was international, and suddenly there were witnesses, mediators and media involved. It changed the course of the rest of the operation there.</p>
<p>But while that decade-old massacre remains an open, raw wound for the people of Lebanon, here in what Gore Vidal refers to as “The United States of Amnesia,” there is no recollection of it having taken place. No one recalls what happened in Qana in 1996. Most people in the U.S. likely didn’t know what was going on in Qana in 1996 while it was going on. Most people in this country don’t know Qana exists. A lot of them might know the story about Jesus turning water into wine, but they don’t know he supposedly pulled off that stunt in Qana. It’s just another khaki place on the TV screen that bombs run into.</p>
<p>This time around, with the downpour of news detailing the carnage in Lebanon, I wondered why so many talking heads and bloggers were taking so much time to argue the Israeli case for blowing up this one apartment building and challenging the death toll of doing so. As horrible as the killing of those 27 civilians was, why did that need so much more slick PR than the rest of the bloodshed?</p>
<p>Why, for example, was Paula Zahn using unsubstantiated, grainy black-and-white arial photos on CNN that were provided by the Israeli military itself as proof positive that the building had to be attacked? From the looks of them, those could have been just as fake as the Beirut skyline photo. On the July 31 performance of the show Paula Zahn Now, she used the photos to castigate Mohammed El-Harake, the consul general of Lebanon. Here’s a snippet:</p>
<p>EL-HARAKE: I have witnessed 600 civilians killed, my city completely destroyed, wounded by thousands. And now you’re asking me if these people who killed all these people are capable of killing civilians? Yes, they are capable of killing civilians.</p>
<p>ZAHN: Are you defending Hezbollah and their tactics, their tactics of moving freely among the civilian population your people? Do you defend what they’re doing?</p>
<p>HEZBOLLYWOOD</p>
<p>Much of the spin was hitting the internet, radio and TV on August 4. While perusing the various articles and back-and-forth reader commentary on websites and blogs, I came across something new: “Hezbollywood.” The mutt offspring of Hezbollah and Bollywood threw me a bit. Who came up with it? A Google search produced more than 120,000 hits. That’s a lot, most of them in near-identical posts in comment areas on various websites. None of them seemed much older than late July.</p>
<p>To the best of my searching, it appears as though the right-wing website Israel Insider coined the word. It’s snappy, though, and essentially punctuates any argument that claims the Israel military is not killing civilians in Lebanon, at least to the extent being reported. Rather, the Hezbollywood thesis rests on the notion that Hezbollah itself is employing tactics reminiscent from the 1997 Dustin Hoffman film Wag the Dog, in which Hollywood types team up with shady U.S. government officials to manufacture a fake TV war to distract the voting public from a White House scandal with pedophiliac overtones. The movie’s premise was fairly ridiculous. As anyone who lived through the Clinton administration knows, people are far more willing to follow the delicious details of of an Oval Office sex scandal than spend time thinking about how many bombs the U.S. is dropping on foreigners or selling to foreigners to drop on other foreigners.</p>
<p>But Hezbollywood was something new. The war was real enough. The attempt now was to come up with a fake story about the real story – the massacre at Qana- being faked. While someone at Israel Insider may be clamoring for a bonus for thinking up “Hezbollywood,” the idea that all these civilian casualties were somehow forged was making the rounds elsewhere as well. It seemed as though neo-con bloggers and right-wing pundits had all received their talking points and were on message.</p>
<p>Conservative British blogger Richard North, who runs a blogspot site called “EU Referendum” – popular amongst the armchair general set – spared no bandwidth to critique nearly every photo resulting from the Qana bombing. In one of his longer posts, North concludes all the photos taken in Qana were “staged for effect, exploiting the victims in an unwholesome manner. In so doing, they are no longer news photographs – they are propaganda.”</p>
<p>It was an interesting screed, especially the part about “exploiting the victims.” In other posts, North denies the existence of civilian victims, claiming that the events were staged. Not long after North’s posting, and similar ones aping it elsewhere on the internet, disgraced right-wing pundit Rush Limbaugh became one more talking head in a growing cacophony: “These photographers are obviously willing to participate in propaganda. They know exactly what’s being done, all these photos, bringing the bodies out of the rubble, posing them for the cameras, it’s all staged. Every bit of it is staged and the still photographers know it.”</p>
<p>Other conspiracy theorists took things further, doubting that the apartment building in Qana was targeted by Israeli air raids (in spite of Israeli statements saying it had been and providing their own photos as proof), and alleging that the bodies were brought in from nearby morgues, or were the remains of people forced to stay in the building by Hezbollah.</p>
<p>All of a sudden, every right-wing blogger and broadcaster was a character in the television show CSI. They all analyzed photos and footage, offering commentary on structural integrity, wounds on bodies, the amount of time it reportedly took for emergency workers and the press to arrive and so forth.</p>
<p>My favorite theories incorporated elements, sometimes contradictory, from other theories. The website PipeLineNews.org, for example, says that the “The Israeli Air Force was not responsible for the collapse of the building in question” and that Hezbollah was using it to fire rockets from “at the time of the IDF air strike.” The same article alleges that those civilians in the building “were not permitted to leave” by Hezbollah, and thus were killed as “human shields” in the attack, but that the corpses brought out of the wreckage looked as though “they died much earlier and under different circumstances.”</p>
<p>No one who actually witnessed the attack was saying these things. The accusations come from those pecking at computer keyboards or speaking from radio studios far from the scene. So it was weird that the conspiracy theorists gained enough traction to spur the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse to make public statements on August 1 in defense of their work.</p>
<p>“Do you really think these people would risk their lives under Israeli shelling to set up a digging ceremony for dead Lebanese kids?” Patrick Baz, Mideast photo director for AFP, was quoted as saying in a story about the controversy. “I’m totally stunned by first the question, and I can’t imagine that somebody would think something like that would have happened.”</p>
<p>Immediately after the news agencies’ statements, North and others declared their victory in spite of the fact that the photojournalists stood by their work. By making the actual news folks pay attention to them, North and company decided they had won. “The news agencies that stitched up the photos at the Qana site have all huddled together” gushed North in one particularly self-congratulatory posting, “and got AP staff writer David Bauder to issue a story rebutting lil ol’ EU Referendum. And the imaginative title? ‘News agencies stand by Lebanon photos’.” Elsewhere on his site, North enthuses: “We have helped to plant seeds of doubt in some and strengthened doubts in others about the MSM (mainstream media) reporting of the Middle Eastern conflict, in particular of the war in the Lebanon.”</p>
<p>Maybe they did win. While the bombardment of Lebanon has claimed hundreds of lives, the controversy over a single demolished apartment building kept the media spotlight on Qana. The argument here in the United States shifted away from the brutality of Israel’s actions and U.S. culpability for it, and became entrenched in whether casualties on the ground took place at all. Debate about the morality or reasons behind the death, destruction went up in a cloud of digitally manufactured smoke.</p>
<p>There’s a fair chance it won’t return. Like the Qana attack in 1996, like the rape and murders carried out by U.S. soldiers in Haditha, the Qana attack of July ’06 will vanish from American memory before long. The game plan is simple: Question it for a week or two and people will get bored and want to talk about Mel Gibson. While Hezbollywood may be interesting for a week, Hollywood will always come up with something better.</p>
<p>ANDREW FORD LYONS is an English teacher,writer and activist with the International Solidarity Movement from Olympia, WA. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Why Hezbollywood Was Born | true | https://counterpunch.org/2006/08/15/why-hezbollywood-was-born/ | 2006-08-15 | 4left
| Why Hezbollywood Was Born
<p>If a regular old picture is worth a thousand words, how much does a digitally altered image fetch on the international market today? I ask because a lot of words have been spilled over one digitally altered photograph in particular.</p>
<p>I’ve spent a great deal of time as of late poring over a pair of images, both allegedly derived from a single click of the shutter by Reuters photographer Adnan Hajj on August 5. Both depict a Beirut skyline filled with black smoke after an Israeli bombardment. The one cited as the original unedited version shows a jet blue sky over white, sun-soaked buildings from which inky smoke plumes rise. In the obviously altered second photo, the sky is washed out and pale, the skyline is noticeable higher in the frame, the buildings are darker and have strangely sharpened edges, and the cloud plumes have been digitally cloned with no dramatic or even realistic effect. Smoke just doesn’t look like that.</p>
<p>Because of this and one other photo attributed to Hajj – one containing a suspected alteration to the weapons being fired by an Israeli jet – he no longer works for Reuters, and the news agency has pulled from circulation 920 other photos he has taken for for the agency, though it said there is no indication those were tampered with.</p>
<p>Of course, altering the content of an image meant to depict actual events is unethical. And until people hear from this particular photographer himself, we won’t know the full story. My own attempts to gain further information for the Reuters news agency were met without response. In the meantime, the rampant speculation about staged and altered photographs in Lebanon has its poster child. Bloggers on conservative, pro-war websites like Little Green Footballs, IsraPundit, The Jawa Report and others had already been floating test conspiracies about the aftermath of a July 30 Israeli air raid on a Qana apartment building being staged. Hajj had taken photos there as well. When Reuters issued a “Photo Kill” announcement for that one Beirut skyline shot, these and other pajama pundits seized on it. Not only did they suggest that Hajj’s Qana photos might also be false, but that other photographers’ work also was suspect, and well, maybe there was no massacre of civilians at all. PIXEL BY PIXEL</p>
<p>As someone who has worked as a photojournalist and editor, and who once outed another photographer for altering a photo (though not one of nearly such a dramatic subject as a Beirut missile attack), I wondered why Hajj would ruin an entirely useable, clean image in such a crude and obvious fashion. This faked image just didn’t jive with those of his earlier work, which is replete with crisp, clean photos, their details sharp, darks and lights in high contrast and colors brilliant. Of the two Beirut photos in question, the first more closely matches his resumé. The edited one is muddy in places and washed out as well as blatantly faked. Some speculate that the extra smoke was added for dramatic effect. It didn’t add any. Aside from the artificiality, it also lacked the more marketable composition of the so-called original. Not only was it a forgery, it was just a bad photo.</p>
<p>According to a published statement by Reuters public relations person Moira Whittle, Hajj denied he attempted to manipulate his images. He did say he had used software to remove dust marks from the lens, a standard practice among photographers that still would not produce the image Reuters had initially released, then retracted. Interestingly, according to the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, photographers for Reuters are seldom the last to have control over their images. The article says “all photographs taken for Reuters around the world are sent to Singapore, where they undergo certain editorial processes before being distributed to the agency’s many clients.”</p>
<p>If true, one wonders if the “dust marks” comment had been made by a photographer who had even seen the heavily altered image in question.</p>
<p>The Beirut photo fiasco opened the floodgates for all coverage to be lambasted by those who believe one side, the Israeli one in this instance, is more justified in it’s bloodletting than the other. But if it’s unethical to add puffs of black smoke to a Beirut scene, for whatever reason, what are the ethics of using said puffs as an equally artificial smokescreen to justify the attempted whitewashing of an entire war zone, denying that innocent civilians are suffering, and holding up their killers as blameless victims?</p>
<p>There are things we don’t know and things we do. What is not known is how the digitally falsified image of Beirut came about. We do know that on June 30, 2006, an Israeli airstrike on the nearby southern Lebanese town of Qana destroyed an apartment building and killed many of those inside. The photos from that single attack gushed like blood from a shrapnel wound, and that seems to be what’s really bothering the folks who spend their hours studying every photo out of Lebanon pixel by pixel.</p>
<p>Qana was too real, too immediate. It’s difficult to position an argument on the need for wholesale carnage when it could be printed in text wrapped around images of young corpses in the next day’s morning edition. Much better to simply attack the images themselves. Out of the thousands of pictures that have come out of Lebanon, these people found one to hang their helmets on. Conservative bloggers began to analyze photo time stamps from the Qana coverage, suggesting without proof or merit that they indicated a lapse between the incident and the coverage for a set to be designed and used for a fake news story. They suggested it proved that missile attack hadn’t destroyed the building, that it somehow proved that aid workers brought in already dead bodies to parade in front of cameras. Everything was game.</p>
<p>The Lebanese Red Cross uncovered 27 bodies amid the rubble of the Qana building. About 17 of them were children. Area residents and some local officials initially said that about 60 people were unaccounted for. Some days later, the organization Human Rights Watch was able to estimate the civilian deaths from the missile attack on that particular building to be what the Red Cross had reported.</p>
<p>But as the New York Times article that appeared later that day said, “Whatever the actual toll, the deaths in Qana set off a chain reaction.” The story goes on to cite protests in Beirut against the U.S., Israel and the United Nations, as well as the litany of predictable statements to from Hamas and Hezbollah, which was still allegedly holding two Israeli soldiers hostage.</p>
<p>Those reactions weren’t particularly interesting or unpredictable. I was far more intrigued by the response here in the United States, especially among the media, pundits, lobbyists and various wonks employed by some Christian, conservative and pro-Israeli special interest groups. Ostensibly, Israeli forces were blowing the hell out of southern Lebanon in order to free those two Israeli soldiers who were seized by Hezbollah fighters on July 12. Israel was also pounding the Gaza Strip, supposedly over the abduction of a soldier there as well. On June 25, the day after the army entered Gaza in an operation that included the seizing of a pair of alleged Palestinian fighters, a group of actual confirmed fighters used a secret tunnel to take an Israeli soldier to barter for the release of those two and other political prisoners held in Israel.</p>
<p>As the civilian death toll in Gaza topped 100, the relentless pounding in Lebanon had killed between 600 and 900 people. Either end of that estimation should provide for more than enough outrage, but Qana got the attention, perhaps because Qana is special: On April 18, 1996, Israeli howitzers fired on the United Nation’s Fijian battalion headquarters where nearly 800 Lebanese civilians had taken refuge from “Operation Grapes of Wrath.” More than 100 of civilians in that compound were killed. Outcry was international, and suddenly there were witnesses, mediators and media involved. It changed the course of the rest of the operation there.</p>
<p>But while that decade-old massacre remains an open, raw wound for the people of Lebanon, here in what Gore Vidal refers to as “The United States of Amnesia,” there is no recollection of it having taken place. No one recalls what happened in Qana in 1996. Most people in the U.S. likely didn’t know what was going on in Qana in 1996 while it was going on. Most people in this country don’t know Qana exists. A lot of them might know the story about Jesus turning water into wine, but they don’t know he supposedly pulled off that stunt in Qana. It’s just another khaki place on the TV screen that bombs run into.</p>
<p>This time around, with the downpour of news detailing the carnage in Lebanon, I wondered why so many talking heads and bloggers were taking so much time to argue the Israeli case for blowing up this one apartment building and challenging the death toll of doing so. As horrible as the killing of those 27 civilians was, why did that need so much more slick PR than the rest of the bloodshed?</p>
<p>Why, for example, was Paula Zahn using unsubstantiated, grainy black-and-white arial photos on CNN that were provided by the Israeli military itself as proof positive that the building had to be attacked? From the looks of them, those could have been just as fake as the Beirut skyline photo. On the July 31 performance of the show Paula Zahn Now, she used the photos to castigate Mohammed El-Harake, the consul general of Lebanon. Here’s a snippet:</p>
<p>EL-HARAKE: I have witnessed 600 civilians killed, my city completely destroyed, wounded by thousands. And now you’re asking me if these people who killed all these people are capable of killing civilians? Yes, they are capable of killing civilians.</p>
<p>ZAHN: Are you defending Hezbollah and their tactics, their tactics of moving freely among the civilian population your people? Do you defend what they’re doing?</p>
<p>HEZBOLLYWOOD</p>
<p>Much of the spin was hitting the internet, radio and TV on August 4. While perusing the various articles and back-and-forth reader commentary on websites and blogs, I came across something new: “Hezbollywood.” The mutt offspring of Hezbollah and Bollywood threw me a bit. Who came up with it? A Google search produced more than 120,000 hits. That’s a lot, most of them in near-identical posts in comment areas on various websites. None of them seemed much older than late July.</p>
<p>To the best of my searching, it appears as though the right-wing website Israel Insider coined the word. It’s snappy, though, and essentially punctuates any argument that claims the Israel military is not killing civilians in Lebanon, at least to the extent being reported. Rather, the Hezbollywood thesis rests on the notion that Hezbollah itself is employing tactics reminiscent from the 1997 Dustin Hoffman film Wag the Dog, in which Hollywood types team up with shady U.S. government officials to manufacture a fake TV war to distract the voting public from a White House scandal with pedophiliac overtones. The movie’s premise was fairly ridiculous. As anyone who lived through the Clinton administration knows, people are far more willing to follow the delicious details of of an Oval Office sex scandal than spend time thinking about how many bombs the U.S. is dropping on foreigners or selling to foreigners to drop on other foreigners.</p>
<p>But Hezbollywood was something new. The war was real enough. The attempt now was to come up with a fake story about the real story – the massacre at Qana- being faked. While someone at Israel Insider may be clamoring for a bonus for thinking up “Hezbollywood,” the idea that all these civilian casualties were somehow forged was making the rounds elsewhere as well. It seemed as though neo-con bloggers and right-wing pundits had all received their talking points and were on message.</p>
<p>Conservative British blogger Richard North, who runs a blogspot site called “EU Referendum” – popular amongst the armchair general set – spared no bandwidth to critique nearly every photo resulting from the Qana bombing. In one of his longer posts, North concludes all the photos taken in Qana were “staged for effect, exploiting the victims in an unwholesome manner. In so doing, they are no longer news photographs – they are propaganda.”</p>
<p>It was an interesting screed, especially the part about “exploiting the victims.” In other posts, North denies the existence of civilian victims, claiming that the events were staged. Not long after North’s posting, and similar ones aping it elsewhere on the internet, disgraced right-wing pundit Rush Limbaugh became one more talking head in a growing cacophony: “These photographers are obviously willing to participate in propaganda. They know exactly what’s being done, all these photos, bringing the bodies out of the rubble, posing them for the cameras, it’s all staged. Every bit of it is staged and the still photographers know it.”</p>
<p>Other conspiracy theorists took things further, doubting that the apartment building in Qana was targeted by Israeli air raids (in spite of Israeli statements saying it had been and providing their own photos as proof), and alleging that the bodies were brought in from nearby morgues, or were the remains of people forced to stay in the building by Hezbollah.</p>
<p>All of a sudden, every right-wing blogger and broadcaster was a character in the television show CSI. They all analyzed photos and footage, offering commentary on structural integrity, wounds on bodies, the amount of time it reportedly took for emergency workers and the press to arrive and so forth.</p>
<p>My favorite theories incorporated elements, sometimes contradictory, from other theories. The website PipeLineNews.org, for example, says that the “The Israeli Air Force was not responsible for the collapse of the building in question” and that Hezbollah was using it to fire rockets from “at the time of the IDF air strike.” The same article alleges that those civilians in the building “were not permitted to leave” by Hezbollah, and thus were killed as “human shields” in the attack, but that the corpses brought out of the wreckage looked as though “they died much earlier and under different circumstances.”</p>
<p>No one who actually witnessed the attack was saying these things. The accusations come from those pecking at computer keyboards or speaking from radio studios far from the scene. So it was weird that the conspiracy theorists gained enough traction to spur the Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse to make public statements on August 1 in defense of their work.</p>
<p>“Do you really think these people would risk their lives under Israeli shelling to set up a digging ceremony for dead Lebanese kids?” Patrick Baz, Mideast photo director for AFP, was quoted as saying in a story about the controversy. “I’m totally stunned by first the question, and I can’t imagine that somebody would think something like that would have happened.”</p>
<p>Immediately after the news agencies’ statements, North and others declared their victory in spite of the fact that the photojournalists stood by their work. By making the actual news folks pay attention to them, North and company decided they had won. “The news agencies that stitched up the photos at the Qana site have all huddled together” gushed North in one particularly self-congratulatory posting, “and got AP staff writer David Bauder to issue a story rebutting lil ol’ EU Referendum. And the imaginative title? ‘News agencies stand by Lebanon photos’.” Elsewhere on his site, North enthuses: “We have helped to plant seeds of doubt in some and strengthened doubts in others about the MSM (mainstream media) reporting of the Middle Eastern conflict, in particular of the war in the Lebanon.”</p>
<p>Maybe they did win. While the bombardment of Lebanon has claimed hundreds of lives, the controversy over a single demolished apartment building kept the media spotlight on Qana. The argument here in the United States shifted away from the brutality of Israel’s actions and U.S. culpability for it, and became entrenched in whether casualties on the ground took place at all. Debate about the morality or reasons behind the death, destruction went up in a cloud of digitally manufactured smoke.</p>
<p>There’s a fair chance it won’t return. Like the Qana attack in 1996, like the rape and murders carried out by U.S. soldiers in Haditha, the Qana attack of July ’06 will vanish from American memory before long. The game plan is simple: Question it for a week or two and people will get bored and want to talk about Mel Gibson. While Hezbollywood may be interesting for a week, Hollywood will always come up with something better.</p>
<p>ANDREW FORD LYONS is an English teacher,writer and activist with the International Solidarity Movement from Olympia, WA. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 599,452 |
<p />
<p>College students expecting a refund from Uncle Sam and planning to splurge should think twice and re-evaluate their paycheck withholdings.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>According to a recent survey by <a href="https://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_logon/Logon" type="external">USAA Opens a New Window.</a>, 56% of Millennial taxpayers ages 18 to 34 expect the same amount or a higher refund this year compared to last year. (https://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_logon/Logon)</p>
<p>What’s more, the survey shows 63% of Millennials who have not yet received this year’s refund plan on putting the cash towards savings, an 11% increase compared to how they allocated last year’s refund.</p>
<p>Although a refund may feel like “free money,” students should remember their refund was their money to begin with and it’s in their best interest to put the funds to good use, says Stephanie Kaplan, CEO of <a href="http://www.hercampus.com/" type="external">Her Campus Media Opens a New Window.</a>. (http://www.hercampus.com/)</p>
<p>“It's money that is part of what you think of as your salary, wherever that comes from, not an extra bonus or gift you're getting on top of it, so it should be allocated wisely the same way your paychecks are,” she says.</p>
<p>Although it may be tempting to spend the entire amount on a shopping spree or springing for a new gadget, here are four ways personal finance experts recommend students use the money to benefit their financial situation.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Money Move No.1: Pay Down High Interest Debt</p>
<p>High interest credit card debt should be students’ first priority when it comes to using tax return funds, says <a href="http://www.ericasandberg.com/" type="external">Erica Sandberg Opens a New Window.</a>, personal finance expert and editor at large for <a href="http://www.bankrate.com/?ec_id=m1035904&amp;ef_id=yXFPy@sbKE4AAFga:20130423222636:s" type="external">Bankrate’s Opens a New Window.</a> Credit Card Guide. ( <a href="http://www.ericasandberg.com/" type="external">http://www.ericasandberg.com/</a>) (http://www.bankrate.com/?ec_id=m1035904&amp;ef_id=yXFPy@sbKE4AAFga:20130423222636:s)</p>
<p>“It makes absolutely no sense to hang on to debt where your interest rate is in the 20% mark, it’s expensive--get rid of it,” she says. “That really is the best use of a tax refund because it’s just a ridiculous waste of money to hang on to it and I would apply as much as possible.”</p>
<p>If students have multiple sources of debt and aren’t sure how to allocate the money, focus on the debt with higher interest rates and fees, suggests Candice Cerro, consumer savings expert with <a href="http://www.promotionalcodes.com/" type="external">PromotionalCodes.com Opens a New Window.</a>. (http://www.promotionalcodes.com/)</p>
<p>“When you’ve determined the most costly, use a portion of your tax return to make a payment towards that or split the payment between both if necessary.”</p>
<p>Money Move No.2: Reduce School-Related Costs</p>
<p>Textbooks, project materials and tuition can add up for students on a budget and using tax return money to chip away at expenses is a better strategy than putting it all on a credit card or taking out a loan, says Cerro.</p>
<p>“School supplies like books, computers, etc. can be very pricey so it is ideal to have some money set aside to buy new books at the beginning of each semester or in case your computer is in need of replacement or updating,” she says.</p>
<p>To get a head start on repayment, students can also start paying down their loans while in school, suggests Chanel Greene, manager of Financial Aid at&#160; <a href="http://www.peirce.edu/" type="external">Peirce College Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;in Philadelphia. (http://www.peirce.edu/)</p>
<p>“Call your lender or the Department of Education prior to sending in the payment because you want to make sure these funds go toward your unsubsidized loans first as they are accruing interest while you are in school.”</p>
<p>Money Move No.3: Bolster Savings/Emergency Fund</p>
<p>While students may not have the wherewithal to constantly contribute to a savings account for a rainy day or emergency fund, even putting a small amount aside can be a significant start.</p>
<p>“Let’s face it--$100 is not going to do you much good in an emergency, but it’s not the practical aspect of it…it’s going to set a pattern,” says Sandberg. “It really is about establishing smart habits that make you feel that you’re doing the right thing.”</p>
<p>Having a financial cushion for unexpected emergency expenses such as car repairs or medical bills can provide a huge relief in times of need, Greene says.</p>
<p>“If you have one class left to graduate and will not be able to receive federal loans during this period to help cover your educational expenses, use your tax refund,” she says.</p>
<p>Money Move No.4: Plan for Future Expenses</p>
<p>Especially for seniors on the brink of graduation, it’s a good idea to start planning for post-collegiate expenses and investments.</p>
<p>“Consider purchasing something with your end goal in mind, like a suit to wear to job interviews,” Greene says.</p>
<p>If seniors have not yet found a job, having a little extra cash set aside to rely upon while job searching can help relieve tension during an already stressful time, suggests Cerro.</p>
<p>Although students can certainly benefit from using their tax return funds to get ahead and take care of necessary expenses, the experts maintain it’s also acceptable to use a small portion to treat themselves.</p>
<p>“If you've carefully budgeted all year and are up-to-date on paying any bills, there is certainly nothing wrong with spending part of your tax refund on yourself and indulging a little,” says Kaplan. &#160;“It's totally ok to reward yourself for your financial prudence all year with something like a manicure or spa trip or nice meal out.”</p> | 4 Ways College Students Should Spend Their Tax Refund | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/04/26/4-ways-college-students-should-spend-their-tax-refund.html | 2016-03-06 | 0right
| 4 Ways College Students Should Spend Their Tax Refund
<p />
<p>College students expecting a refund from Uncle Sam and planning to splurge should think twice and re-evaluate their paycheck withholdings.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>According to a recent survey by <a href="https://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_logon/Logon" type="external">USAA Opens a New Window.</a>, 56% of Millennial taxpayers ages 18 to 34 expect the same amount or a higher refund this year compared to last year. (https://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_logon/Logon)</p>
<p>What’s more, the survey shows 63% of Millennials who have not yet received this year’s refund plan on putting the cash towards savings, an 11% increase compared to how they allocated last year’s refund.</p>
<p>Although a refund may feel like “free money,” students should remember their refund was their money to begin with and it’s in their best interest to put the funds to good use, says Stephanie Kaplan, CEO of <a href="http://www.hercampus.com/" type="external">Her Campus Media Opens a New Window.</a>. (http://www.hercampus.com/)</p>
<p>“It's money that is part of what you think of as your salary, wherever that comes from, not an extra bonus or gift you're getting on top of it, so it should be allocated wisely the same way your paychecks are,” she says.</p>
<p>Although it may be tempting to spend the entire amount on a shopping spree or springing for a new gadget, here are four ways personal finance experts recommend students use the money to benefit their financial situation.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Money Move No.1: Pay Down High Interest Debt</p>
<p>High interest credit card debt should be students’ first priority when it comes to using tax return funds, says <a href="http://www.ericasandberg.com/" type="external">Erica Sandberg Opens a New Window.</a>, personal finance expert and editor at large for <a href="http://www.bankrate.com/?ec_id=m1035904&amp;ef_id=yXFPy@sbKE4AAFga:20130423222636:s" type="external">Bankrate’s Opens a New Window.</a> Credit Card Guide. ( <a href="http://www.ericasandberg.com/" type="external">http://www.ericasandberg.com/</a>) (http://www.bankrate.com/?ec_id=m1035904&amp;ef_id=yXFPy@sbKE4AAFga:20130423222636:s)</p>
<p>“It makes absolutely no sense to hang on to debt where your interest rate is in the 20% mark, it’s expensive--get rid of it,” she says. “That really is the best use of a tax refund because it’s just a ridiculous waste of money to hang on to it and I would apply as much as possible.”</p>
<p>If students have multiple sources of debt and aren’t sure how to allocate the money, focus on the debt with higher interest rates and fees, suggests Candice Cerro, consumer savings expert with <a href="http://www.promotionalcodes.com/" type="external">PromotionalCodes.com Opens a New Window.</a>. (http://www.promotionalcodes.com/)</p>
<p>“When you’ve determined the most costly, use a portion of your tax return to make a payment towards that or split the payment between both if necessary.”</p>
<p>Money Move No.2: Reduce School-Related Costs</p>
<p>Textbooks, project materials and tuition can add up for students on a budget and using tax return money to chip away at expenses is a better strategy than putting it all on a credit card or taking out a loan, says Cerro.</p>
<p>“School supplies like books, computers, etc. can be very pricey so it is ideal to have some money set aside to buy new books at the beginning of each semester or in case your computer is in need of replacement or updating,” she says.</p>
<p>To get a head start on repayment, students can also start paying down their loans while in school, suggests Chanel Greene, manager of Financial Aid at&#160; <a href="http://www.peirce.edu/" type="external">Peirce College Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;in Philadelphia. (http://www.peirce.edu/)</p>
<p>“Call your lender or the Department of Education prior to sending in the payment because you want to make sure these funds go toward your unsubsidized loans first as they are accruing interest while you are in school.”</p>
<p>Money Move No.3: Bolster Savings/Emergency Fund</p>
<p>While students may not have the wherewithal to constantly contribute to a savings account for a rainy day or emergency fund, even putting a small amount aside can be a significant start.</p>
<p>“Let’s face it--$100 is not going to do you much good in an emergency, but it’s not the practical aspect of it…it’s going to set a pattern,” says Sandberg. “It really is about establishing smart habits that make you feel that you’re doing the right thing.”</p>
<p>Having a financial cushion for unexpected emergency expenses such as car repairs or medical bills can provide a huge relief in times of need, Greene says.</p>
<p>“If you have one class left to graduate and will not be able to receive federal loans during this period to help cover your educational expenses, use your tax refund,” she says.</p>
<p>Money Move No.4: Plan for Future Expenses</p>
<p>Especially for seniors on the brink of graduation, it’s a good idea to start planning for post-collegiate expenses and investments.</p>
<p>“Consider purchasing something with your end goal in mind, like a suit to wear to job interviews,” Greene says.</p>
<p>If seniors have not yet found a job, having a little extra cash set aside to rely upon while job searching can help relieve tension during an already stressful time, suggests Cerro.</p>
<p>Although students can certainly benefit from using their tax return funds to get ahead and take care of necessary expenses, the experts maintain it’s also acceptable to use a small portion to treat themselves.</p>
<p>“If you've carefully budgeted all year and are up-to-date on paying any bills, there is certainly nothing wrong with spending part of your tax refund on yourself and indulging a little,” says Kaplan. &#160;“It's totally ok to reward yourself for your financial prudence all year with something like a manicure or spa trip or nice meal out.”</p> | 599,453 |
<p />
<p />
<p>When is a Medicaid expansion not a Medicaid expansion? When corrupt Republican governors try to get their greedy mitts on federal dollars while imposing draconian measures intended to shame the poor even more than they already do.</p>
<p>Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has decided to avail the state of the Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. Sort of. <a href="http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/09/corbett_medicaid_obama_obamaca.html" type="external">Not really</a>.</p>
<p>But Gov. Tom Corbett said Monday he's willing to use billions in federal Medicaid expansion funds to enable roughly 500,000 uninsured Pennsylvania residents to buy health insurance coverage on the Obamacare health insurance exchange.</p>
<p>He'll do so only if the Obama administration gives in on many things, including allowing Corbett to impose new work and cost sharing requirements on people already covered by Medicaid, as well as on those who would obtain the new coverage.</p>
<p>In announcing his plan, Corbett argued Medicaid is intended to cover only the most vulnerable, and Pennsylvania's version has grown far too big and is bloated with unneeded benefits.</p>
<p>He said he refuses to add more people to Medicaid, and he won't use Obamacare funds to expand coverage unless his requested changes are allowed.</p>
<p>Those requested changes include cost-sharing requirements and the added requirement that anyone qualifying for coverage because they earn less than 138 percent of the poverty level also fulfill a work requirement.</p>
<p>Think about that, Governor Corbett. You're telling people who already earn less than $15,600 or so a year that they're supposed to look for work because why? Does it occur to this corrupt, cynical SOB that those people earning less than that are already screwed by their fast food and Wal-Mart overlords? This is nothing more than yet another way to shame people who are already struggling with poverty. There's more.</p>
<p>Basically, the way Corbett plans to roll this out, people who qualify for the Medicaid expansion will still select their insurance from the exchange and will be expected to pay some amount toward it -- about $25 per month. But they will be expected to be working. If they're unfortunate enough to be among the unemployed or worse, a healthy unemployed worker, it sounds as though they'll only be eligible for substandard coverage.</p>
<p>Corbett officials said the plan is to revise Pennsylvania's Medicaid program so that it has just two options: a more basic plan for people who don't have major medical needs, and a more robust plan for people who do.</p>
<p>Officials said the coverage will match a federally-endorsed set of Medicaid benefits. They pledged it will include mental health benefits and drug and alcohol abuse treatment.</p>
<p>Oh, and one feature of this Medicaid expansion-not-really program is that doctors will be allowed to apologize for mistakes without risking a lawsuit. There's some tort reform right there for you. Imagine the possibilities. Sorry patient, I amputated your leg instead of removing your appendix. So sorry. Now move on.</p>
<p>Corbett also has not set a timeline for implementing his plan, but I guarantee you it'll be built into the next budget so he can crow about how he paid off his cronies, balanced the budget, and screwed poor people just in time for the next election.</p> | Corbett's Medicaid Expansion: Work For That Obamacare, Knaves | true | http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/corbetts-medicaid-expansion-work-obamacare- | 2013-09-17 | 4left
| Corbett's Medicaid Expansion: Work For That Obamacare, Knaves
<p />
<p />
<p>When is a Medicaid expansion not a Medicaid expansion? When corrupt Republican governors try to get their greedy mitts on federal dollars while imposing draconian measures intended to shame the poor even more than they already do.</p>
<p>Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has decided to avail the state of the Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. Sort of. <a href="http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/09/corbett_medicaid_obama_obamaca.html" type="external">Not really</a>.</p>
<p>But Gov. Tom Corbett said Monday he's willing to use billions in federal Medicaid expansion funds to enable roughly 500,000 uninsured Pennsylvania residents to buy health insurance coverage on the Obamacare health insurance exchange.</p>
<p>He'll do so only if the Obama administration gives in on many things, including allowing Corbett to impose new work and cost sharing requirements on people already covered by Medicaid, as well as on those who would obtain the new coverage.</p>
<p>In announcing his plan, Corbett argued Medicaid is intended to cover only the most vulnerable, and Pennsylvania's version has grown far too big and is bloated with unneeded benefits.</p>
<p>He said he refuses to add more people to Medicaid, and he won't use Obamacare funds to expand coverage unless his requested changes are allowed.</p>
<p>Those requested changes include cost-sharing requirements and the added requirement that anyone qualifying for coverage because they earn less than 138 percent of the poverty level also fulfill a work requirement.</p>
<p>Think about that, Governor Corbett. You're telling people who already earn less than $15,600 or so a year that they're supposed to look for work because why? Does it occur to this corrupt, cynical SOB that those people earning less than that are already screwed by their fast food and Wal-Mart overlords? This is nothing more than yet another way to shame people who are already struggling with poverty. There's more.</p>
<p>Basically, the way Corbett plans to roll this out, people who qualify for the Medicaid expansion will still select their insurance from the exchange and will be expected to pay some amount toward it -- about $25 per month. But they will be expected to be working. If they're unfortunate enough to be among the unemployed or worse, a healthy unemployed worker, it sounds as though they'll only be eligible for substandard coverage.</p>
<p>Corbett officials said the plan is to revise Pennsylvania's Medicaid program so that it has just two options: a more basic plan for people who don't have major medical needs, and a more robust plan for people who do.</p>
<p>Officials said the coverage will match a federally-endorsed set of Medicaid benefits. They pledged it will include mental health benefits and drug and alcohol abuse treatment.</p>
<p>Oh, and one feature of this Medicaid expansion-not-really program is that doctors will be allowed to apologize for mistakes without risking a lawsuit. There's some tort reform right there for you. Imagine the possibilities. Sorry patient, I amputated your leg instead of removing your appendix. So sorry. Now move on.</p>
<p>Corbett also has not set a timeline for implementing his plan, but I guarantee you it'll be built into the next budget so he can crow about how he paid off his cronies, balanced the budget, and screwed poor people just in time for the next election.</p> | 599,454 |
<p>‘The Dana Show’ host Dana Loesch on immigration reform under President Trump.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump signed two executive orders Wednesday aimed at tightening immigration policy and border security. Along with expanding tools for repatriating illegal immigrants, the executive orders call for withholding federal funds for sanctuary cities and the construction of a physical wall along the southern border.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>"Building this barrier is more than just a campaign promise. It's a common sense first step to really securing our porous border," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said during a press conference on Wednesday. "This will stem the flow of drugs, crime, illegal immigration into the United States."</p>
<p>The executive action will include directing funds to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall, ending the catch and release program, increasing the number of Border Patrol agents and clamping down on sanctuary cities.</p>
<p>During an interview on the FOX Business Network’s Varney &amp; Co., syndicated talk show host Dana Loesch said President Trump is following through on his campaign promises effectively by transforming the nation’s immigration system.</p>
<p>“His whole entire campaign was built on immigration policy,” she said. “His campaign was kick started by promising to build this wall… just on the southern border right there.”</p>
<p>The border between the U.S. and Mexico stretches more than 1,900 miles and spans across four states: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Loesch said border agents in her resident state of Texas are looking forward to the construction of a wall because they have been dealing with limited resources for far too long.</p>
<p>“I’ve been literally right there at the banks of the river Rio [Grande], where just hours earlier the last time I was there, there were drug cartels that were trying to fire up on our border agents,” she said.</p>
<p>The host of the “The Dana Show" said she also looks forward to the Trump administration ending the “catch and release” policy, which prevents Border Patrol agents from arresting and deporting new illegal immigrants.</p>
<p>“We have to be able to do some things to the interior as well as putting up the wall,” Loesch told host Stuart Varney.</p> | Texas Border Agents Fired Up Over Trump's Wall | true | http://foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/01/25/texas-border-agents-fired-up-over-trumps-wall.html | 2017-01-25 | 0right
| Texas Border Agents Fired Up Over Trump's Wall
<p>‘The Dana Show’ host Dana Loesch on immigration reform under President Trump.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump signed two executive orders Wednesday aimed at tightening immigration policy and border security. Along with expanding tools for repatriating illegal immigrants, the executive orders call for withholding federal funds for sanctuary cities and the construction of a physical wall along the southern border.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>"Building this barrier is more than just a campaign promise. It's a common sense first step to really securing our porous border," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said during a press conference on Wednesday. "This will stem the flow of drugs, crime, illegal immigration into the United States."</p>
<p>The executive action will include directing funds to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall, ending the catch and release program, increasing the number of Border Patrol agents and clamping down on sanctuary cities.</p>
<p>During an interview on the FOX Business Network’s Varney &amp; Co., syndicated talk show host Dana Loesch said President Trump is following through on his campaign promises effectively by transforming the nation’s immigration system.</p>
<p>“His whole entire campaign was built on immigration policy,” she said. “His campaign was kick started by promising to build this wall… just on the southern border right there.”</p>
<p>The border between the U.S. and Mexico stretches more than 1,900 miles and spans across four states: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Loesch said border agents in her resident state of Texas are looking forward to the construction of a wall because they have been dealing with limited resources for far too long.</p>
<p>“I’ve been literally right there at the banks of the river Rio [Grande], where just hours earlier the last time I was there, there were drug cartels that were trying to fire up on our border agents,” she said.</p>
<p>The host of the “The Dana Show" said she also looks forward to the Trump administration ending the “catch and release” policy, which prevents Border Patrol agents from arresting and deporting new illegal immigrants.</p>
<p>“We have to be able to do some things to the interior as well as putting up the wall,” Loesch told host Stuart Varney.</p> | 599,455 |
<p>After repeatedly <a href="/blog/2012/10/11/cnn-fails-to-disclose-regular-panelist-carly-fi/190544" type="external">failing to disclose</a> Carly Fiorina's involvement with the Romney campaign during her appearances on the network, CNN identified Fiorina as the "California Co-chair, Romney For President" during her appearance on The Situation Room last week:</p>
<p>Several media outlets have&#160; <a href="/blog/2012/09/21/john-bolton-the-medias-favorite-undisclosed-rom/190060" type="external">recently</a>&#160; <a href="/blog/2012/10/02/70-percent-of-wall-street-journal-romney-advise/190272" type="external">struggled&#160;</a>with proper disclosure of Romney advisers and&#160; <a href="/blog/2012/09/26/wsj-finally-discloses-karl-roves-link-to-americ/190159" type="external">other figures</a>&#160;closely involved in the upcoming elections; CNN's move is a step in the right direction.</p>
<p>As Media Matters <a href="/blog/2012/10/11/cnn-fails-to-disclose-regular-panelist-carly-fi/190544" type="external">noted</a>, Fiorina made several appearances on CNN in September and October, frequently boosting Mitt Romney while attacking President Obama with a range of often-false Romney campaign talking points. During those appearances, Fiorina was identified&#160;in a variety of ways, such as&#160;former CEO of Hewlett-Packard; chair of the charity group Good360; former Republican Senate candidate and vice-chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.</p>
<p>In addition to being the California Co-Chair of Romney's campaign, Fiorina has also been named to the <a href="http://www.mittromney.com/blogs/mitts-view/2012/08/women-mitt-coalition" type="external">Women for Mitt National Advisory Board</a>.</p> | After Criticism, CNN Discloses Fiorina's Role With The Romney Campaign | true | http://mediamatters.org/blog/2012/10/29/after-criticism-cnn-discloses-fiorinas-role-wit/190996 | 2012-10-29 | 4left
| After Criticism, CNN Discloses Fiorina's Role With The Romney Campaign
<p>After repeatedly <a href="/blog/2012/10/11/cnn-fails-to-disclose-regular-panelist-carly-fi/190544" type="external">failing to disclose</a> Carly Fiorina's involvement with the Romney campaign during her appearances on the network, CNN identified Fiorina as the "California Co-chair, Romney For President" during her appearance on The Situation Room last week:</p>
<p>Several media outlets have&#160; <a href="/blog/2012/09/21/john-bolton-the-medias-favorite-undisclosed-rom/190060" type="external">recently</a>&#160; <a href="/blog/2012/10/02/70-percent-of-wall-street-journal-romney-advise/190272" type="external">struggled&#160;</a>with proper disclosure of Romney advisers and&#160; <a href="/blog/2012/09/26/wsj-finally-discloses-karl-roves-link-to-americ/190159" type="external">other figures</a>&#160;closely involved in the upcoming elections; CNN's move is a step in the right direction.</p>
<p>As Media Matters <a href="/blog/2012/10/11/cnn-fails-to-disclose-regular-panelist-carly-fi/190544" type="external">noted</a>, Fiorina made several appearances on CNN in September and October, frequently boosting Mitt Romney while attacking President Obama with a range of often-false Romney campaign talking points. During those appearances, Fiorina was identified&#160;in a variety of ways, such as&#160;former CEO of Hewlett-Packard; chair of the charity group Good360; former Republican Senate candidate and vice-chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.</p>
<p>In addition to being the California Co-Chair of Romney's campaign, Fiorina has also been named to the <a href="http://www.mittromney.com/blogs/mitts-view/2012/08/women-mitt-coalition" type="external">Women for Mitt National Advisory Board</a>.</p> | 599,456 |
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<p>Officials in Ciudad Juarez have canceled that city’s Independence Day celebration this year, but Palomas, the far smaller border town to the west which also has suffered some from the violence between warring drug cartels, will mark the event with the traditional grito at midnight between Sept. 15 and 16, the <a href="http://www.demingheadlight.com/ci_16001679" type="external">Deming Headlight</a> reported.</p>
<p>Plans are under way for several patriotic events in Palomas, including a parade of students, military, law enforcement and other officials, the Headlight said.</p>
<p>This year’s celebration marks the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence from Spain.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>8:15am 8/31/10 — Juarez Cancels Independence Day Celebration: City officials blame ongoing violence for scaling back Sept. 16 festivities.</p>
<p>For the first time since the Mexican Revolution a century ago, Juarez city government has canceled the festivities surrounding one of Mexico’s most patriotic holidays, the <a href="http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_15935968" type="external">El Paso Times</a> reported.</p>
<p>“First comes the safety of the population,” said Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz. “Because of threats, because of criminal activities that exist in Juarez, we don’t want to take any risks.”</p>
<p>On the eve of Sept. 16, mayors of cities throughout Mexico traditionally celebrate the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grito_de_Dolores" type="external">grito de independencia</a>, or call to independence, first uttered in 1810 by Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla when he launched the 11-year rebellion against the Spanish crown, the Times said.</p>
<p>Juarez has observed the patriotic holiday since even before it gained official status in 1888, and thousands of Juarenses have flocked every year to city hall to attend a festival featuring Mariachis, folk dancers and singers, according to the Times.</p>
<p>But not this year, thanks to a turf war between the Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels that have killed nearly 2,000 people so far in 2010 and around 6,200 since the drug wars began in 2008, the paper reported.</p>
<p>Reyes Ferriz still plans to appear on the third-floor balcony at the city hall esplanade on the night of Sept. 15 to commemorate the holiday with a cry of Viva Mexico!, the Times said.</p>
<p>But the traditional parade of schoolchildren, marching bands and soldiers on the morning of Sept. 16 will take a different, shorter route than usual — running from the Bridge of the Americas to the Malecon, according to the paper.</p>
<p>“We can have better public safety there with no buildings and residences,” mayoral spokesman Sergio Belmonte said. “In that area there are only trees.”</p>
<p>Dr. Arturo Valenzuela Zorrilla, who heads the volunteer committe of public safety, told the Times that canceling the festival was not a sign of surrender to the drug cartels, but a matter of prudence.</p>
<p>“Right now Ciudad Juarez should not be celebrating,” Valenzuela said.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Updated at 7:20am — Palomas To Celebrate 16 de Septiembre | false | https://abqjournal.com/9204/updated-at-720am-palomas-to-celebrate-16-de-septiembre.html | 2least
| Updated at 7:20am — Palomas To Celebrate 16 de Septiembre
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Officials in Ciudad Juarez have canceled that city’s Independence Day celebration this year, but Palomas, the far smaller border town to the west which also has suffered some from the violence between warring drug cartels, will mark the event with the traditional grito at midnight between Sept. 15 and 16, the <a href="http://www.demingheadlight.com/ci_16001679" type="external">Deming Headlight</a> reported.</p>
<p>Plans are under way for several patriotic events in Palomas, including a parade of students, military, law enforcement and other officials, the Headlight said.</p>
<p>This year’s celebration marks the bicentennial of Mexico’s independence from Spain.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>8:15am 8/31/10 — Juarez Cancels Independence Day Celebration: City officials blame ongoing violence for scaling back Sept. 16 festivities.</p>
<p>For the first time since the Mexican Revolution a century ago, Juarez city government has canceled the festivities surrounding one of Mexico’s most patriotic holidays, the <a href="http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_15935968" type="external">El Paso Times</a> reported.</p>
<p>“First comes the safety of the population,” said Juarez Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz. “Because of threats, because of criminal activities that exist in Juarez, we don’t want to take any risks.”</p>
<p>On the eve of Sept. 16, mayors of cities throughout Mexico traditionally celebrate the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grito_de_Dolores" type="external">grito de independencia</a>, or call to independence, first uttered in 1810 by Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla when he launched the 11-year rebellion against the Spanish crown, the Times said.</p>
<p>Juarez has observed the patriotic holiday since even before it gained official status in 1888, and thousands of Juarenses have flocked every year to city hall to attend a festival featuring Mariachis, folk dancers and singers, according to the Times.</p>
<p>But not this year, thanks to a turf war between the Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels that have killed nearly 2,000 people so far in 2010 and around 6,200 since the drug wars began in 2008, the paper reported.</p>
<p>Reyes Ferriz still plans to appear on the third-floor balcony at the city hall esplanade on the night of Sept. 15 to commemorate the holiday with a cry of Viva Mexico!, the Times said.</p>
<p>But the traditional parade of schoolchildren, marching bands and soldiers on the morning of Sept. 16 will take a different, shorter route than usual — running from the Bridge of the Americas to the Malecon, according to the paper.</p>
<p>“We can have better public safety there with no buildings and residences,” mayoral spokesman Sergio Belmonte said. “In that area there are only trees.”</p>
<p>Dr. Arturo Valenzuela Zorrilla, who heads the volunteer committe of public safety, told the Times that canceling the festival was not a sign of surrender to the drug cartels, but a matter of prudence.</p>
<p>“Right now Ciudad Juarez should not be celebrating,” Valenzuela said.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 599,457 |
|
<p>NASCAR levied a blow to the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Joe_Gibbs/" type="external">Joe Gibbs</a> Racing team on Wednesday after <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Denny_Hamlin/" type="external">Denny Hamlin</a>‘s car was deemed to have an illegal rear suspension during the Southern 500 race this past weekend at Darlington Raceway.</p>
<p>It suspended crew chief Mike Wheeler for two races and fined him $50,000 while Hamlin will not be awarded the five playoff points for winning the race. Hamlin’s first-place finish in the event was ruled encumbered as a result of the infraction.</p>
<p>The team was also assessed with a loss of 25 owner and driver points.</p>
<p>Hamlin’s winning car in the Xfinity Series also had an illegal suspension, resulting in a two-race suspension for crew chief Eric Phillips in addition to a fine of $25,000.</p>
<p>In the Monster Energy Series, Hendrick Motorsports was handed a safety violation for having two loose lug nuts on the right rear tire following <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Dale_Earnhardt/" type="external">Dale Earnhardt</a> Jr.’s 22nd-place finish Sunday in the Southern 500. Crew chief Greg Ives was fined $20,000.</p>
<p>Hendrick Motorsports will not appeal the penalty, according to a team statement. Travis Mack will serve as the No. 88’s interim crew chief.</p>
<p>In the Xfinity Series, Team Penske was handed a penalty for having an illegal rear suspension.</p>
<p>Crew chief Greg Erwin was fined $25,000 and suspended from two races, the team was assessed with the loss of 25 owner points, and Joey Logano’s second-place finish was ruled encumbered.</p> | NASCAR penalizes Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. teams | false | https://newsline.com/nascar-penalizes-denny-hamlin-dale-earnhardt-jr-teams/ | 2017-09-06 | 1right-center
| NASCAR penalizes Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. teams
<p>NASCAR levied a blow to the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Joe_Gibbs/" type="external">Joe Gibbs</a> Racing team on Wednesday after <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Denny_Hamlin/" type="external">Denny Hamlin</a>‘s car was deemed to have an illegal rear suspension during the Southern 500 race this past weekend at Darlington Raceway.</p>
<p>It suspended crew chief Mike Wheeler for two races and fined him $50,000 while Hamlin will not be awarded the five playoff points for winning the race. Hamlin’s first-place finish in the event was ruled encumbered as a result of the infraction.</p>
<p>The team was also assessed with a loss of 25 owner and driver points.</p>
<p>Hamlin’s winning car in the Xfinity Series also had an illegal suspension, resulting in a two-race suspension for crew chief Eric Phillips in addition to a fine of $25,000.</p>
<p>In the Monster Energy Series, Hendrick Motorsports was handed a safety violation for having two loose lug nuts on the right rear tire following <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Dale_Earnhardt/" type="external">Dale Earnhardt</a> Jr.’s 22nd-place finish Sunday in the Southern 500. Crew chief Greg Ives was fined $20,000.</p>
<p>Hendrick Motorsports will not appeal the penalty, according to a team statement. Travis Mack will serve as the No. 88’s interim crew chief.</p>
<p>In the Xfinity Series, Team Penske was handed a penalty for having an illegal rear suspension.</p>
<p>Crew chief Greg Erwin was fined $25,000 and suspended from two races, the team was assessed with the loss of 25 owner points, and Joey Logano’s second-place finish was ruled encumbered.</p> | 599,458 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The Detroit automaker says it purchased Cruise Automation, a 40-person firm that was founded just three years ago.</p>
<p>The move, coupled with GM's in-house research, should help the company in its race with Google and others to have autonomous cars start transporting people on public roadways.</p>
<p>GM wouldn't give a timetable for rolling out the technology, but President Dan Ammann said it would happen as soon as the company can demonstrate that the cars are ready.</p>
<p>"It's our view that driverless technology will be demonstrably safer than the human driver," Ammann said in a telephone interview.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Cruise Technology, along with Google, is among the few companies with permits from the state of California to test the cars, said Kyle Vogt, the company founder and CEO. The company is working to tackle the biggest obstacles to autonomous cars - seeing the lane lines in bad weather and integrating data from cameras and other sensors so the cars make the right decisions on the road, Vogt said. "I agree that's a challenge," he said. "Looking at lane markers isn't going to get you there."</p>
<p>Cruise reported one crash to the state Department of Motor Vehicles in which an autonomous car rear-ended a city of San Francisco parking enforcement vehicle. Vogt said the car's backup human driver had taken control of the vehicle when it crashed.</p>
<p>GM wouldn't disclose the purchase price of deal, which was announced Friday. It said all Cruise Technology employees will join GM and work as a separate unit, and there are plans to hire more people.</p>
<p>It's GM's third high-profile venture this year in new mobility. The company has invested $500 million in the ride-sharing company Lyft and it has started a car-sharing service in Ann Arbor, Michigan that it plans to expand to other metro areas.</p> | GM buys software company to speed autonomous car development | false | https://abqjournal.com/738965/gm-buys-software-company-to-speed-autonomous-car-development.html | 2least
| GM buys software company to speed autonomous car development
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The Detroit automaker says it purchased Cruise Automation, a 40-person firm that was founded just three years ago.</p>
<p>The move, coupled with GM's in-house research, should help the company in its race with Google and others to have autonomous cars start transporting people on public roadways.</p>
<p>GM wouldn't give a timetable for rolling out the technology, but President Dan Ammann said it would happen as soon as the company can demonstrate that the cars are ready.</p>
<p>"It's our view that driverless technology will be demonstrably safer than the human driver," Ammann said in a telephone interview.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Cruise Technology, along with Google, is among the few companies with permits from the state of California to test the cars, said Kyle Vogt, the company founder and CEO. The company is working to tackle the biggest obstacles to autonomous cars - seeing the lane lines in bad weather and integrating data from cameras and other sensors so the cars make the right decisions on the road, Vogt said. "I agree that's a challenge," he said. "Looking at lane markers isn't going to get you there."</p>
<p>Cruise reported one crash to the state Department of Motor Vehicles in which an autonomous car rear-ended a city of San Francisco parking enforcement vehicle. Vogt said the car's backup human driver had taken control of the vehicle when it crashed.</p>
<p>GM wouldn't disclose the purchase price of deal, which was announced Friday. It said all Cruise Technology employees will join GM and work as a separate unit, and there are plans to hire more people.</p>
<p>It's GM's third high-profile venture this year in new mobility. The company has invested $500 million in the ride-sharing company Lyft and it has started a car-sharing service in Ann Arbor, Michigan that it plans to expand to other metro areas.</p> | 599,459 |
|
<p>Jaisal Noor is a producer for The Real News Network. His stories have appeared on Democracy Now!, Free Speech Radio News and other independent news outlets. Jaisal was raised in the Baltimore-area, and has a degree in history from the University of Maryland, College Park.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p /> JAISAL NOOR, PRODUCER, TRNN: I'm Jaisal Noor in Baltimore.
<p />
<p />A U.S. appeals court has reversed a 2013 ruling that allowed bond holders to hold Argentina's Central Bank accountable for the country's debt obligations which has been in default since 2002, a number originating at $100 billion U.S. dollars, the largest sovereign debt default in world history at the time.
<p />
<p />Now joining us to unpack this is Bill Black. He's a former bank regulator, author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One. As always, Bill, thanks for joining us.
<p />
<p />BILL BLACK, ASSOCIATE PROF. OF ECONOMICS AND LAW, UMKC: Thank you.
<p />
<p />NOOR: Bill, this court ruling is national news. It's international, really significant news. Tell us what it means and what the significance is for Argentina and the rest of the world.
<p />
<p />BLACK: Okay, so a little background. The Argentina dollarized its economy by pegging its peso at 1:1 with the U.S. dollar. And this was heavily supported by the right in the United States and by conservative economists, who held Argentina out as the great lesson for everybody else. But it ended in disaster. Because they no longer had a sovereign currency, as the U.S. dollar went up in value. Argentina could no longer export successfully, and there was an economic disaster. They were forced into the largest sovereign default in world history at roughly $100 billion, and this led to an economic crisis in Argentina. But also Argentina, in some sense, had no choice. The debt was completely unsustainable at $100 billion.
<p />
<p />They cut a deal eventually with the creditors, with 93 percent of the creditors accepted this deal in which they got less than 30 cents on the dollar. These kinds of deals are absolutely normal, done literally hundreds of times a day in the commercial sphere between two corporations. We have a name for it, troubled debt restructurings, and such. But in this context there is no, of course, equivalent of an international bankruptcy court that says, your debts are discharged. So you had the rise of what are now called the vulture fund. These are hedge funds that go and buy up that 7 percent of the bond holders who didn't tender their debt and get roughly 25 cents on the dollar for it. Instead, the vulture funds say hey, I'll pay you 28 cents on the dollar. And then the vulture funds try to collect 100 cents on the dollar from Argentina.
<p />
<p />And so they went to the U.S. District Court in New York and they said, don't allow Argentina to do the settlements that it's negotiated with the 93 percent, which is again roughly $93 billion. All of those creditors. Hold that hostage and say that Argentina can only pay if it pays us, the vultures, 100 cents on the dollar instead of 25 cents on the dollar.
<p />
<p />Now of course if this is allowed you will never be able to do a troubled debt restructuring again in the international sphere. And it is absolutely essential to do these troubled debt restructurings. The Obama administration filed a friend of the court brief arguing in favor of Argentina. And by the way, of the 50-plus nations that we've done troubled debt restructurings for, Germany is one of them, which is why Germany was able to recover.
<p />
<p />But the District Court ruled against Argentina, and that was upheld by the Second Circuit. But Argentina says, we're not about to pay the vultures 100 cents on the dollar. They would make a, you know, a huge killing, probably, around 75 cents on the dollar.
<p />
<p />NOOR: And Bill, Argentina even went to the world court over this, over the vultures trying to take over their debt at a higher rate last year.
<p />
<p />BLACK: Well, not only tried to take over the debt but trying to seize assets of the Argentine government all over the world. Including--Argentina has a tall ship that it uses to help train young naval officers who, you know, they do world cruises. And they seized the ship in Africa, and kicked the crew off. Stranded them in the middle of an African nation, and such.
<p />
<p />So yes, Argentina has other litigation, and it's also going to the United Nations, saying you need to declare these practices unlawful. Sadly, the Obama administration that started out correctly has basically given up, and if anything is very hostile to Argentina at this point. So Argentina, of course, is not willing to pay under these terms. The District Court has been outraged about all of this, and it said, I will allow the creditors to seize the assets not of Argentina but of the Argentine Central Bank. You would totally disrupt the global economy if you were going to do all of this. So the Second Circuit has said, well, this is a bridge too far. You can't do that. You can't seize the central bank.
<p />
<p />And by the way, the vulture funds said as soon as we get done seizing the central bank we're going to go to the Bank for International Settlements in Switzerland and try to steal that money, take that money, as well. And of course if you do that, since BIS, the Bank for International Settlements, is critical to the world economy, then you screw up the entire world economy in these circumstances. But the Second Circuit didn't just end its decision that way. It said, well, probably those lousy Argentines are going to use this as another excuse for not paying their debts that they can, in fact, pay.
<p />
<p />So this is a little subtle, but Argentina clearly could not have paid in 2002, which is a long time ago. Thirteen years, as we speak. The debt was absolutely unsustainable. If you look many, many years later where 93 percent of the claimants have accepted the deal to write down the debt, well then the remaining $7 billion of course Argentina will be able to pay. But if you use that kind of logic you'll never get the 93 percent to give up their claims in these circumstances. So the court's logic is completely wrong.
<p />
<p />And note that it moralizes. It says, oh, Argentina's a bad place for not paying this, whereas it never does that when it's a dispute between two corporations. And by the way, we just had in the big Republican debate Donald Trump say, I'm proud of the fact that while I could have paid the debts of my corporations, instead I filed for bankruptcy four times. And then he said, and all the greats--by which he means the wealthy--do exactly what I do. So again we have one rule for the plutocrats and a completely different rule if it's the government and you're going to be seizing assets that would otherwise go into health and education and such.
<p />
<p />NOOR: All right, Bill. Thanks so much for joining us.
<p />
<p />BLACK: Thank you.
<p />
<p />NOOR: Thank you for joining us at 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. | Court Rules Argentina Creditors Can't Seize Its Central Bank | true | http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D31%26Itemid%3D74%26jumival%3D14607 | 2015-09-03 | 4left
| Court Rules Argentina Creditors Can't Seize Its Central Bank
<p>Jaisal Noor is a producer for The Real News Network. His stories have appeared on Democracy Now!, Free Speech Radio News and other independent news outlets. Jaisal was raised in the Baltimore-area, and has a degree in history from the University of Maryland, College Park.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p /> JAISAL NOOR, PRODUCER, TRNN: I'm Jaisal Noor in Baltimore.
<p />
<p />A U.S. appeals court has reversed a 2013 ruling that allowed bond holders to hold Argentina's Central Bank accountable for the country's debt obligations which has been in default since 2002, a number originating at $100 billion U.S. dollars, the largest sovereign debt default in world history at the time.
<p />
<p />Now joining us to unpack this is Bill Black. He's a former bank regulator, author of The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Own One. As always, Bill, thanks for joining us.
<p />
<p />BILL BLACK, ASSOCIATE PROF. OF ECONOMICS AND LAW, UMKC: Thank you.
<p />
<p />NOOR: Bill, this court ruling is national news. It's international, really significant news. Tell us what it means and what the significance is for Argentina and the rest of the world.
<p />
<p />BLACK: Okay, so a little background. The Argentina dollarized its economy by pegging its peso at 1:1 with the U.S. dollar. And this was heavily supported by the right in the United States and by conservative economists, who held Argentina out as the great lesson for everybody else. But it ended in disaster. Because they no longer had a sovereign currency, as the U.S. dollar went up in value. Argentina could no longer export successfully, and there was an economic disaster. They were forced into the largest sovereign default in world history at roughly $100 billion, and this led to an economic crisis in Argentina. But also Argentina, in some sense, had no choice. The debt was completely unsustainable at $100 billion.
<p />
<p />They cut a deal eventually with the creditors, with 93 percent of the creditors accepted this deal in which they got less than 30 cents on the dollar. These kinds of deals are absolutely normal, done literally hundreds of times a day in the commercial sphere between two corporations. We have a name for it, troubled debt restructurings, and such. But in this context there is no, of course, equivalent of an international bankruptcy court that says, your debts are discharged. So you had the rise of what are now called the vulture fund. These are hedge funds that go and buy up that 7 percent of the bond holders who didn't tender their debt and get roughly 25 cents on the dollar for it. Instead, the vulture funds say hey, I'll pay you 28 cents on the dollar. And then the vulture funds try to collect 100 cents on the dollar from Argentina.
<p />
<p />And so they went to the U.S. District Court in New York and they said, don't allow Argentina to do the settlements that it's negotiated with the 93 percent, which is again roughly $93 billion. All of those creditors. Hold that hostage and say that Argentina can only pay if it pays us, the vultures, 100 cents on the dollar instead of 25 cents on the dollar.
<p />
<p />Now of course if this is allowed you will never be able to do a troubled debt restructuring again in the international sphere. And it is absolutely essential to do these troubled debt restructurings. The Obama administration filed a friend of the court brief arguing in favor of Argentina. And by the way, of the 50-plus nations that we've done troubled debt restructurings for, Germany is one of them, which is why Germany was able to recover.
<p />
<p />But the District Court ruled against Argentina, and that was upheld by the Second Circuit. But Argentina says, we're not about to pay the vultures 100 cents on the dollar. They would make a, you know, a huge killing, probably, around 75 cents on the dollar.
<p />
<p />NOOR: And Bill, Argentina even went to the world court over this, over the vultures trying to take over their debt at a higher rate last year.
<p />
<p />BLACK: Well, not only tried to take over the debt but trying to seize assets of the Argentine government all over the world. Including--Argentina has a tall ship that it uses to help train young naval officers who, you know, they do world cruises. And they seized the ship in Africa, and kicked the crew off. Stranded them in the middle of an African nation, and such.
<p />
<p />So yes, Argentina has other litigation, and it's also going to the United Nations, saying you need to declare these practices unlawful. Sadly, the Obama administration that started out correctly has basically given up, and if anything is very hostile to Argentina at this point. So Argentina, of course, is not willing to pay under these terms. The District Court has been outraged about all of this, and it said, I will allow the creditors to seize the assets not of Argentina but of the Argentine Central Bank. You would totally disrupt the global economy if you were going to do all of this. So the Second Circuit has said, well, this is a bridge too far. You can't do that. You can't seize the central bank.
<p />
<p />And by the way, the vulture funds said as soon as we get done seizing the central bank we're going to go to the Bank for International Settlements in Switzerland and try to steal that money, take that money, as well. And of course if you do that, since BIS, the Bank for International Settlements, is critical to the world economy, then you screw up the entire world economy in these circumstances. But the Second Circuit didn't just end its decision that way. It said, well, probably those lousy Argentines are going to use this as another excuse for not paying their debts that they can, in fact, pay.
<p />
<p />So this is a little subtle, but Argentina clearly could not have paid in 2002, which is a long time ago. Thirteen years, as we speak. The debt was absolutely unsustainable. If you look many, many years later where 93 percent of the claimants have accepted the deal to write down the debt, well then the remaining $7 billion of course Argentina will be able to pay. But if you use that kind of logic you'll never get the 93 percent to give up their claims in these circumstances. So the court's logic is completely wrong.
<p />
<p />And note that it moralizes. It says, oh, Argentina's a bad place for not paying this, whereas it never does that when it's a dispute between two corporations. And by the way, we just had in the big Republican debate Donald Trump say, I'm proud of the fact that while I could have paid the debts of my corporations, instead I filed for bankruptcy four times. And then he said, and all the greats--by which he means the wealthy--do exactly what I do. So again we have one rule for the plutocrats and a completely different rule if it's the government and you're going to be seizing assets that would otherwise go into health and education and such.
<p />
<p />NOOR: All right, Bill. Thanks so much for joining us.
<p />
<p />BLACK: Thank you.
<p />
<p />NOOR: Thank you for joining us at 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. | 599,460 |
<p>Sometimes the internet might seem like a vast wasteland of empty-headed blogs (ahem!), pornography, and pop-up ads, but then something like this happens, and it renews one’s faith in having this series of tubes hooked up to our idea trucks. Or whatever. Journalist Muntather al Zaidi not only expressed Iraqi frustrations at still-President Bush with <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2008/12/11329_iraqi_journalist_throws_shoe_bush.html" type="external">his famous footwear lob</a>, but also inspired legions of Photoshoppers to create their own chuckle-riffic versions of the event and provide them on their internets for all to see. My ten favorite, via <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2008/12/15/iraq-shoe-tosser-guy.html" type="external">Boing Boing</a>, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/15/orldbush-shoe-throwing-re_n_151129.html" type="external">HuffPo</a>, <a href="http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/12/bush-shoe-toss.html" type="external">Wired</a>, and <a href="http://www.urlesque.com/2008/12/15/the-6-best-animated-gifs-of-the-bush-shoe-throwing-incident/" type="external">Urlesque</a> after the jump.</p>
<p>10. Pokemon</p>
<p />
<p>9. Some weird video game (help?)</p>
<p />
<p>8. Tis the Season</p>
<p />
<p>7. Monty Python’s Stomping Foot</p>
<p />
<p>6. The Oozinator!!</p>
<p />
<p>5. The Matrix</p>
<p />
<p>4. Bom</p>
<p />
<p>3. Austin Powers</p>
<p />
<p>2. Stooges</p>
<p />
<p>1. Cat</p>
<p /> | Top Ten Awesome Bush Shoe-Toss Animated GIFs | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2008/12/top-ten-awesome-bush-shoe-toss-animated-gifs/ | 2008-12-16 | 4left
| Top Ten Awesome Bush Shoe-Toss Animated GIFs
<p>Sometimes the internet might seem like a vast wasteland of empty-headed blogs (ahem!), pornography, and pop-up ads, but then something like this happens, and it renews one’s faith in having this series of tubes hooked up to our idea trucks. Or whatever. Journalist Muntather al Zaidi not only expressed Iraqi frustrations at still-President Bush with <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2008/12/11329_iraqi_journalist_throws_shoe_bush.html" type="external">his famous footwear lob</a>, but also inspired legions of Photoshoppers to create their own chuckle-riffic versions of the event and provide them on their internets for all to see. My ten favorite, via <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2008/12/15/iraq-shoe-tosser-guy.html" type="external">Boing Boing</a>, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/15/orldbush-shoe-throwing-re_n_151129.html" type="external">HuffPo</a>, <a href="http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/12/bush-shoe-toss.html" type="external">Wired</a>, and <a href="http://www.urlesque.com/2008/12/15/the-6-best-animated-gifs-of-the-bush-shoe-throwing-incident/" type="external">Urlesque</a> after the jump.</p>
<p>10. Pokemon</p>
<p />
<p>9. Some weird video game (help?)</p>
<p />
<p>8. Tis the Season</p>
<p />
<p>7. Monty Python’s Stomping Foot</p>
<p />
<p>6. The Oozinator!!</p>
<p />
<p>5. The Matrix</p>
<p />
<p>4. Bom</p>
<p />
<p>3. Austin Powers</p>
<p />
<p>2. Stooges</p>
<p />
<p>1. Cat</p>
<p /> | 599,461 |
<p>Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) explained on Tuesday that real estate mogul Donald Trump and President Barack Obama are similar in that they share a "Messiah complex."</p>
<p>In an <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/ted-cruz-says-trump-shares-obamas-messiah-complex/" type="external">interview</a> with Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody, Cruz said, "This election is not about any one person, any one individual who believes that he or she will make America great. You know what, for seven years we’ve had a president in the White House who has had a Messiah complex."</p>
<p>Brody asked Cruz if he was referring to Trump, to which Cruz emphasized that the election isn't about one particular individual; whether it be he, Trump or Obama, the election is about the American people. Cruz added:</p>
<p>"The way to make America great again is for we the people to rise up and take this country back, and what our campaign is focused on is trying to energize and empower the grassroots. That's where sovereignty resides in this country." ​</p>
<p />
<p>While Cruz didn't explicitly call out Trump by name, his "Messiah complex" remark was an indirect swipe at Trump since he referenced making America great, which is Trump's campaign slogan.</p>
<p>Obama certainly does have a Messianic complex, given that he said in his nomination victory speech at the Democratic National Committee convention in 2008 that his nomination was "the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal." While Trump hasn't said anything quite at the same level of absurdity, he does have a penchant for expressing how much he loves himself.</p>
<p>(h/t: <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/ted-cruz-says-trump-shares-obamas-messiah-complex/" type="external">Mediaite</a>)</p> | WATCH Ted Cruz Describe How Trump And Obama Are Similar | true | https://dailywire.com/news/2938/watch-ted-cruz-describe-how-trump-and-obama-are-aaron-bandler | 2016-01-27 | 0right
| WATCH Ted Cruz Describe How Trump And Obama Are Similar
<p>Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) explained on Tuesday that real estate mogul Donald Trump and President Barack Obama are similar in that they share a "Messiah complex."</p>
<p>In an <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/ted-cruz-says-trump-shares-obamas-messiah-complex/" type="external">interview</a> with Christian Broadcasting Network's David Brody, Cruz said, "This election is not about any one person, any one individual who believes that he or she will make America great. You know what, for seven years we’ve had a president in the White House who has had a Messiah complex."</p>
<p>Brody asked Cruz if he was referring to Trump, to which Cruz emphasized that the election isn't about one particular individual; whether it be he, Trump or Obama, the election is about the American people. Cruz added:</p>
<p>"The way to make America great again is for we the people to rise up and take this country back, and what our campaign is focused on is trying to energize and empower the grassroots. That's where sovereignty resides in this country." ​</p>
<p />
<p>While Cruz didn't explicitly call out Trump by name, his "Messiah complex" remark was an indirect swipe at Trump since he referenced making America great, which is Trump's campaign slogan.</p>
<p>Obama certainly does have a Messianic complex, given that he said in his nomination victory speech at the Democratic National Committee convention in 2008 that his nomination was "the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal." While Trump hasn't said anything quite at the same level of absurdity, he does have a penchant for expressing how much he loves himself.</p>
<p>(h/t: <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/ted-cruz-says-trump-shares-obamas-messiah-complex/" type="external">Mediaite</a>)</p> | 599,462 |
<p>An Iraqi soldier tracks an ISIS sniper near Tikrit in April.Sebastian Backhaus/ZUMA</p>
<p />
<p>On Monday, Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley made an astute observation about ISIS in an interview with <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/videos/2015-07-20/martin-o-malley-s-journey-from-gary-hart-84-to-2016" type="external">Bloomberg</a>.</p>
<p>“One of the things that preceded the failure of the nation-state of Syria, the rise of ISIS, was the effect of climate change and the mega-drought that affected that region, wiped out farmers, drove people to cities, created a humanitarian crisis [that] created the…conditions of extreme poverty that has led now to the rise of ISIL and this extreme violence,” said the former Maryland governor.</p>
<p>Republicans were quick to seize on the comment as an indication of O’Malley’s weak grasp of foreign policy. Reince Priebus, chair of the Republican National Committee, <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelcshort/status/623307999038341120/photo/1" type="external">said</a> the suggestion of a link between ISIS’s rise to power and climate change was “absurd” and a sign that “no one in the Democratic Party has the foreign policy vision to keep America safe.”</p>
<p>Here’s the thing, though: O’Malley is totally right. As we’ve <a href="" type="internal">reported</a> <a href="" type="internal">here</a> <a href="" type="internal">many</a> <a href="" type="internal">times</a>, Syria’s civil war is the best-understood and least ambiguous example of a case where an impact of climate change—in this case, an unprecedented drought that devastated rural farmers—directly contributed to violent conflict and political upheaval. There is no shortage of high-quality, <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2015/03/02/study_climate_change_helped_spark_syrian_civil_war.html" type="external">peer-reviewed research</a> explicating this link. As O’Malley said, the drought made it more difficult for rural families to survive off of farming. So they moved to cities in huge numbers, where they were confronted with urban poverty and an intransigent, autocratic government. Those elements clearly existed regardless of the drought. But the drought was the final straw, the factor that brought all the others to a boiling point.</p>
<p>Does this mean that America’s greenhouse gas emissions are solely responsible for ISIS’s rise to power? Obviously not. But it does mean that, without accounting for climate change, you have an incomplete picture of the current military situation in the Middle East. And without that understanding, it will be very difficult for a prospective commander-in-chief to predict where terrorist threats might emerge in the future.</p>
<p>The link between climate and security isn’t particularly controversial in the defense community. Earlier this year, President Barack Obama <a href="" type="internal">called</a> climate change an “urgent and growing threat” to national security. A recent <a href="http://www.defense.gov/pubs/2014_Quadrennial_Defense_Review.pdf" type="external">review</a> by the Defense Department concluded that climate change is a “threat multiplier” that exacerbates other precursors to war, while the Center for Naval Analysis <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/us/politics/climate-change-deemed-growing-security-threat-by-military-researchers.html" type="external">found</a> that climate change-induced drought is already leading to conflict across Africa and the Middle East.</p>
<p>In other words, O’Malley’s comment is completely on-point. If Priebus and his party are serious about defeating ISIS and preventing future terrorist uprisings, they can’t continue to dismiss the role of climate change.</p>
<p /> | Republicans Are Still Totally Wrong About ISIS | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2015/07/martin-omalley-totally-right-about-isis-and-climate-change/ | 2015-07-21 | 4left
| Republicans Are Still Totally Wrong About ISIS
<p>An Iraqi soldier tracks an ISIS sniper near Tikrit in April.Sebastian Backhaus/ZUMA</p>
<p />
<p>On Monday, Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley made an astute observation about ISIS in an interview with <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/videos/2015-07-20/martin-o-malley-s-journey-from-gary-hart-84-to-2016" type="external">Bloomberg</a>.</p>
<p>“One of the things that preceded the failure of the nation-state of Syria, the rise of ISIS, was the effect of climate change and the mega-drought that affected that region, wiped out farmers, drove people to cities, created a humanitarian crisis [that] created the…conditions of extreme poverty that has led now to the rise of ISIL and this extreme violence,” said the former Maryland governor.</p>
<p>Republicans were quick to seize on the comment as an indication of O’Malley’s weak grasp of foreign policy. Reince Priebus, chair of the Republican National Committee, <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelcshort/status/623307999038341120/photo/1" type="external">said</a> the suggestion of a link between ISIS’s rise to power and climate change was “absurd” and a sign that “no one in the Democratic Party has the foreign policy vision to keep America safe.”</p>
<p>Here’s the thing, though: O’Malley is totally right. As we’ve <a href="" type="internal">reported</a> <a href="" type="internal">here</a> <a href="" type="internal">many</a> <a href="" type="internal">times</a>, Syria’s civil war is the best-understood and least ambiguous example of a case where an impact of climate change—in this case, an unprecedented drought that devastated rural farmers—directly contributed to violent conflict and political upheaval. There is no shortage of high-quality, <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2015/03/02/study_climate_change_helped_spark_syrian_civil_war.html" type="external">peer-reviewed research</a> explicating this link. As O’Malley said, the drought made it more difficult for rural families to survive off of farming. So they moved to cities in huge numbers, where they were confronted with urban poverty and an intransigent, autocratic government. Those elements clearly existed regardless of the drought. But the drought was the final straw, the factor that brought all the others to a boiling point.</p>
<p>Does this mean that America’s greenhouse gas emissions are solely responsible for ISIS’s rise to power? Obviously not. But it does mean that, without accounting for climate change, you have an incomplete picture of the current military situation in the Middle East. And without that understanding, it will be very difficult for a prospective commander-in-chief to predict where terrorist threats might emerge in the future.</p>
<p>The link between climate and security isn’t particularly controversial in the defense community. Earlier this year, President Barack Obama <a href="" type="internal">called</a> climate change an “urgent and growing threat” to national security. A recent <a href="http://www.defense.gov/pubs/2014_Quadrennial_Defense_Review.pdf" type="external">review</a> by the Defense Department concluded that climate change is a “threat multiplier” that exacerbates other precursors to war, while the Center for Naval Analysis <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/us/politics/climate-change-deemed-growing-security-threat-by-military-researchers.html" type="external">found</a> that climate change-induced drought is already leading to conflict across Africa and the Middle East.</p>
<p>In other words, O’Malley’s comment is completely on-point. If Priebus and his party are serious about defeating ISIS and preventing future terrorist uprisings, they can’t continue to dismiss the role of climate change.</p>
<p /> | 599,463 |
<p>The man found guilty of slaying human rights lawyer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Markelov" type="external">Stanislav Markelov</a> and journalist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anastasia_Baburova" type="external">Anastasia Baburova</a> was <a href="http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/russia-jails-nationalist-for-life-for-killings" type="external">sentenced to life in prison</a> Friday by a Moscow court.</p>
<p>Nikita Tikhonov, 30, was found guilty last week of the two murders. Markelov and Baburova were shot dead in the very center of Moscow in the middle of the day in January 2009. Tikhonov's girlfriend, Yevgeniya Khasis, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13307560" type="external">was sentenced to 18 years</a> in jail for acting as an accessory to the murder.</p>
<p>Prosecutors said Tikhonov and Khasis were members of an ultranationalist group who opposed Markelovs work defending anti-fascist campaigners. &#160;</p> | Russian nationalists sentenced for killing lawyer | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-05-06/russian-nationalists-sentenced-killing-lawyer | 2011-05-06 | 3left-center
| Russian nationalists sentenced for killing lawyer
<p>The man found guilty of slaying human rights lawyer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Markelov" type="external">Stanislav Markelov</a> and journalist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anastasia_Baburova" type="external">Anastasia Baburova</a> was <a href="http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/russia-jails-nationalist-for-life-for-killings" type="external">sentenced to life in prison</a> Friday by a Moscow court.</p>
<p>Nikita Tikhonov, 30, was found guilty last week of the two murders. Markelov and Baburova were shot dead in the very center of Moscow in the middle of the day in January 2009. Tikhonov's girlfriend, Yevgeniya Khasis, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13307560" type="external">was sentenced to 18 years</a> in jail for acting as an accessory to the murder.</p>
<p>Prosecutors said Tikhonov and Khasis were members of an ultranationalist group who opposed Markelovs work defending anti-fascist campaigners. &#160;</p> | 599,464 |
<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee House has sworn in Republican Rep. Clark Boyd to replace Sen. Mark Pody, who recently won a special election to the Senate.</p>
<p>The Wilson County small business owner was sworn into the House on Thursday.</p>
<p>Boyd, who served in the Tennessee Army National Guard, has been married to his wife Jada for 15 years and they have a 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter.</p>
<p>Body is filling the vacancy left by Pody, a Lebanon Republican who was sworn into the state Senate this week.</p>
<p>Pody replaced former Republican Sen. Mae Beavers, who left office to run for governor alongside four other leading Republicans and two Democrats in the field.</p>
<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee House has sworn in Republican Rep. Clark Boyd to replace Sen. Mark Pody, who recently won a special election to the Senate.</p>
<p>The Wilson County small business owner was sworn into the House on Thursday.</p>
<p>Boyd, who served in the Tennessee Army National Guard, has been married to his wife Jada for 15 years and they have a 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter.</p>
<p>Body is filling the vacancy left by Pody, a Lebanon Republican who was sworn into the state Senate this week.</p>
<p>Pody replaced former Republican Sen. Mae Beavers, who left office to run for governor alongside four other leading Republicans and two Democrats in the field.</p> | Tennessee House swears in new Republican Rep. Boyd | false | https://apnews.com/amp/e9f43daa1671409485754898c4dfa4d0 | 2018-01-11 | 2least
| Tennessee House swears in new Republican Rep. Boyd
<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee House has sworn in Republican Rep. Clark Boyd to replace Sen. Mark Pody, who recently won a special election to the Senate.</p>
<p>The Wilson County small business owner was sworn into the House on Thursday.</p>
<p>Boyd, who served in the Tennessee Army National Guard, has been married to his wife Jada for 15 years and they have a 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter.</p>
<p>Body is filling the vacancy left by Pody, a Lebanon Republican who was sworn into the state Senate this week.</p>
<p>Pody replaced former Republican Sen. Mae Beavers, who left office to run for governor alongside four other leading Republicans and two Democrats in the field.</p>
<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee House has sworn in Republican Rep. Clark Boyd to replace Sen. Mark Pody, who recently won a special election to the Senate.</p>
<p>The Wilson County small business owner was sworn into the House on Thursday.</p>
<p>Boyd, who served in the Tennessee Army National Guard, has been married to his wife Jada for 15 years and they have a 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter.</p>
<p>Body is filling the vacancy left by Pody, a Lebanon Republican who was sworn into the state Senate this week.</p>
<p>Pody replaced former Republican Sen. Mae Beavers, who left office to run for governor alongside four other leading Republicans and two Democrats in the field.</p> | 599,465 |
<p />
<p>The Washington Post <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/24/AR2007102402758.html?hpid=topnews" type="external">reports</a>:</p>
<p>The Bush administration plans to roll out an unprecedented package of unilateral sanctions against Iran today, including the long-awaited designations of its Revolutionary Guard Corps as a proliferator of weapons of mass destruction and of the elite Quds Force as a supporter of terrorism, according to senior administration officials.</p>
<p>The package, scheduled to be announced jointly by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., marks the first time that the United States has tried to isolate or punish another country’s military. It is the broadest set of punitive measures imposed on Tehran since the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy, the officials said. …</p>
<p>The Bush administration plans to roll out an unprecedented package of unilateral sanctions against Iran today, including the long-awaited designations of its Revolutionary Guard Corps as a proliferator of weapons of mass destruction and of the elite Quds Force as a supporter of terrorism, according to senior administration officials.</p>
<p>The package, scheduled to be announced jointly by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., marks the first time that the United States has tried to isolate or punish another country’s military. It is the broadest set of punitive measures imposed on Tehran since the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy, the officials said.</p>
<p>“I wonder why it took them so long,” comments a Hill staffer of the administration’s long reported plans to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps and/or its Quds Force as a sponsor of terrorism. “Sounds like a tug of war between Rice/Gates and the VP office. They apparently cut down the middle, designating the entire Revolutionary Guard as a WMD proliferator, but limiting the state sponsor of terror designation to the Qods Force alone.”</p>
<p>Washington is ratcheting up the pressure as the administration continues to be riven by a dispute between those who believe the US should continue to pursue tough diplomacy to get Iran to change its behavior, and those who believe the US should strike Iran. As the Post notes, “Administration officials say that they are imposing new sanctions to demonstrate a commitment to diplomacy, even amid increasing rumblings from neoconservatives outside the administration about possible military action.”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p /> | U.S. Imposes Toughest New Sanctions on Iran Since ’79 Embassy Seizure | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/10/us-imposes-toughest-new-sanctions-iran-79-embassy-seizure/ | 2007-10-25 | 4left
| U.S. Imposes Toughest New Sanctions on Iran Since ’79 Embassy Seizure
<p />
<p>The Washington Post <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/24/AR2007102402758.html?hpid=topnews" type="external">reports</a>:</p>
<p>The Bush administration plans to roll out an unprecedented package of unilateral sanctions against Iran today, including the long-awaited designations of its Revolutionary Guard Corps as a proliferator of weapons of mass destruction and of the elite Quds Force as a supporter of terrorism, according to senior administration officials.</p>
<p>The package, scheduled to be announced jointly by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., marks the first time that the United States has tried to isolate or punish another country’s military. It is the broadest set of punitive measures imposed on Tehran since the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy, the officials said. …</p>
<p>The Bush administration plans to roll out an unprecedented package of unilateral sanctions against Iran today, including the long-awaited designations of its Revolutionary Guard Corps as a proliferator of weapons of mass destruction and of the elite Quds Force as a supporter of terrorism, according to senior administration officials.</p>
<p>The package, scheduled to be announced jointly by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., marks the first time that the United States has tried to isolate or punish another country’s military. It is the broadest set of punitive measures imposed on Tehran since the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy, the officials said.</p>
<p>“I wonder why it took them so long,” comments a Hill staffer of the administration’s long reported plans to designate Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps and/or its Quds Force as a sponsor of terrorism. “Sounds like a tug of war between Rice/Gates and the VP office. They apparently cut down the middle, designating the entire Revolutionary Guard as a WMD proliferator, but limiting the state sponsor of terror designation to the Qods Force alone.”</p>
<p>Washington is ratcheting up the pressure as the administration continues to be riven by a dispute between those who believe the US should continue to pursue tough diplomacy to get Iran to change its behavior, and those who believe the US should strike Iran. As the Post notes, “Administration officials say that they are imposing new sanctions to demonstrate a commitment to diplomacy, even amid increasing rumblings from neoconservatives outside the administration about possible military action.”</p>
<p />
<p />
<p /> | 599,466 |
<p>By Noah Browning</p>
<p>DUBAI (Reuters) – A day before they killed Yemen’s former president, gunmen from the Iran-aligned Houthi militia group overran one of Ali Abdullah Saleh’s fortified compounds in Sanaa.</p>
<p>Ransacking the villa, they snapped photos of liquor flasks and vodka bottles and posted them online.</p>
<p>“This is how the traitor (Saleh) and his family lived during a time of war, siege and cholera,” Hamid Rizq, a senior Houthi official, said on his official Twitter account.</p>
<p>The Houthi gunmen acted fast and mercilessly to punish the 75-year-old Saleh for having appeared to switch sides in Yemen’s three-year civil war – a proxy battle for influence between regional powers Iran and Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>Allied with the Houthis for three years, Saleh had called on Saturday for a “new page” in relations with Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>The murder is a setback for Riyadh, which had hoped the backing of Saleh – and his loyalist army units in northern Yemen&#160;– would help close a war that has killed 10,000 people and caused one of the world’s most acute humanitarian crises.</p>
<p>Saudi Arabia fears the Houthis will become as powerful a force in the Middle East as Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah.</p>
<p>The Houthis are holding their ground despite air strikes by Saudi Arabia and its allied forces and a naval blockade that has prevented food, medicine and fuel from arriving in Houthi-controlled northern areas, bringing the region to the brink of famine.</p>
<p>Last month, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile into Riyadh.</p>
<p>Now, the Saudis are turning their hopes to Saleh’s son Ahmed Ali – and his good ties with Saudi ally United Arab Emirates – to do the job his father couldn’t.</p>
<p>Photos of Ahmed Ali, a military leader admired by thousands of soldiers in Houthi-run lands, appeared on the front page of UAE newspapers on Wednesday meeting the UAE’s de-facto leader Mohammed bin Zayed.</p>
<p>Saleh’s death caps a 40-year political career that charts Yemen’s tragic modern history. A country with few natural resources, awash in weapons and fractured along tribal and religious lines, Yemen has long been buffeted by its powerful neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>Saleh was the first leader of a unified Yemen in 1990. But he shifted loyalties various times – fighting the Houthis in the 2000s, for example – as the plates of influence shifted in the Middle East.</p>
<p>In this latest geopolitical drama, the UAE is emerging as playmaker in the Yemen crisis. The UAE has been financing and training armed groups that have been pushing toward the Red Sea port of Hodeida, a Houthi stronghold and entry point for supplies getting to millions of civilians in northern Yemen.</p>
<p>The Saleh family has long enjoyed good relations with the wealthy Gulf state, which had over the decades funded infrastructure projects in Yemen before becoming a key member of the Saudi-led coalition.</p>
<p>Hamza al-Houthi, a top Houthi leader, said the Houthis had suspected the Saleh family’s allegiance to the Saudi-held coalition for some time and that tensions had been brewing since August. Al-Houthi said his troops had intercepted UAE arms shipments bound for Saleh’s family late last month. As punishment, the Houthis killed his nephew Tareq on Monday.</p>
<p>Joost Hiltermann of the International Crisis Group said the latest events mean the war in Yemen is likely to escalate.</p>
<p>“The Houthis, while an important military force, are not particularly adept at&#160;politics or governance. Their reach…in the population is limited, and over time that will play into their opponents’ hands.</p>
<p>“But that won’t happen anytime soon, so it looks like the conflict will worsen.”</p>
<p>RISKY GAMBLE</p>
<p>Saleh’s relationship with Saudi Arabia and its allies has been marked by politics and prayer.</p>
<p>Over the past few decades, Riyadh has tried, in succession, to quash an anti-royalist revolution, Marxism and al Qaeda militancy in Yemen. Riyadh backed Saleh, an Arab nationalist strongman, between 1978 and 2012 to help him quash those ideologies before they could seep next door to Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>But as Arab Spring protests rocked Yemen swept through the Middle East, Riyadh realized Saleh was no longer strong enough for the job and backed a transition to his deputy Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.</p>
<p>When the Houthis attacked Sanaa in 2014 and swept Hadi&#160;into Saudi exile, Riyadh began the bombing campaign that continues today.</p>
<p>At that time, Saleh took one of the riskiest gambles of his turbulent career, allying himself to the Houthis, heirs to a theocratic sect that ruled Yemen for a thousand years.</p>
<p>Saleh’s Yemeni military — which had jets, tank brigades and long-range missiles&#160;— had fought the Houthis in six wars over ten years at the time Saleh had allied himself with Saudi and Western powers.</p>
<p>With Saleh’s experience administering the country and cultivating a strong military, the Houthis made major military gains around the country and together their forces withstood thousands of Saudi-led air strikes.</p>
<p>CRACKING ENTENTE</p>
<p>But the Houthi-Saleh entente cracked in August when a Houthi leader passed over a trusted Saleh confidante for a key military position, according to people in the General People’s Congress Party, the grouping of technocrats and tribal grandees that did Saleh’s bidding throughout his rule.</p>
<p>Saleh loyalists itched for revenge, they said. Fearing disloyalty, the Houthis restricted Saleh to his fief in Sanaa’s political district. Gerald Feierstein, a former U.S. ambassador to Yemen of the Middle East Institute in Washington, said the Houthis then waged their war largely without him.</p>
<p>“Saleh was largely a spent force by the time he died in a weekend’s fighting,” wrote Feierstein in a policy brief.</p>
<p>On November 29, tensions exploded. Rumors swirled in the city of Sanaa that the Houthis were planning to paint the domes of a giant mosque and palace that Saleh had built and named after himself in their trademark green.</p>
<p>When Houthi militia neared the palace, Saleh’s guards fired. The Houthis, experts in mountain guerrilla warfare, overran the palace with grenades and seized it.&#160;</p>
<p>The Houthis wanted Saleh to “hand over his weapons and disarm his fighters,” a senior Saleh party official told Reuters. “He refused.”</p>
<p>Another party official said that, contrary to reports that Saleh was in his car trying to flee when he was killed on Dec. 4, the former president had been executed with a gunshot to the head after making a last stand at his house.</p>
<p>Now, the Saleh associate says he and his colleagues are afraid the Houthis will turn against all of them.</p>
<p>“The Houthis want to kill us all.”</p>
<p>For a graphic on Yemen’s stalemated war, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2zqGyq9</p> | The last hours of Yemen's Saleh | false | https://newsline.com/the-last-hours-of-yemen039s-saleh/ | 2017-12-08 | 1right-center
| The last hours of Yemen's Saleh
<p>By Noah Browning</p>
<p>DUBAI (Reuters) – A day before they killed Yemen’s former president, gunmen from the Iran-aligned Houthi militia group overran one of Ali Abdullah Saleh’s fortified compounds in Sanaa.</p>
<p>Ransacking the villa, they snapped photos of liquor flasks and vodka bottles and posted them online.</p>
<p>“This is how the traitor (Saleh) and his family lived during a time of war, siege and cholera,” Hamid Rizq, a senior Houthi official, said on his official Twitter account.</p>
<p>The Houthi gunmen acted fast and mercilessly to punish the 75-year-old Saleh for having appeared to switch sides in Yemen’s three-year civil war – a proxy battle for influence between regional powers Iran and Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>Allied with the Houthis for three years, Saleh had called on Saturday for a “new page” in relations with Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>The murder is a setback for Riyadh, which had hoped the backing of Saleh – and his loyalist army units in northern Yemen&#160;– would help close a war that has killed 10,000 people and caused one of the world’s most acute humanitarian crises.</p>
<p>Saudi Arabia fears the Houthis will become as powerful a force in the Middle East as Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah.</p>
<p>The Houthis are holding their ground despite air strikes by Saudi Arabia and its allied forces and a naval blockade that has prevented food, medicine and fuel from arriving in Houthi-controlled northern areas, bringing the region to the brink of famine.</p>
<p>Last month, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile into Riyadh.</p>
<p>Now, the Saudis are turning their hopes to Saleh’s son Ahmed Ali – and his good ties with Saudi ally United Arab Emirates – to do the job his father couldn’t.</p>
<p>Photos of Ahmed Ali, a military leader admired by thousands of soldiers in Houthi-run lands, appeared on the front page of UAE newspapers on Wednesday meeting the UAE’s de-facto leader Mohammed bin Zayed.</p>
<p>Saleh’s death caps a 40-year political career that charts Yemen’s tragic modern history. A country with few natural resources, awash in weapons and fractured along tribal and religious lines, Yemen has long been buffeted by its powerful neighbors, particularly Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>Saleh was the first leader of a unified Yemen in 1990. But he shifted loyalties various times – fighting the Houthis in the 2000s, for example – as the plates of influence shifted in the Middle East.</p>
<p>In this latest geopolitical drama, the UAE is emerging as playmaker in the Yemen crisis. The UAE has been financing and training armed groups that have been pushing toward the Red Sea port of Hodeida, a Houthi stronghold and entry point for supplies getting to millions of civilians in northern Yemen.</p>
<p>The Saleh family has long enjoyed good relations with the wealthy Gulf state, which had over the decades funded infrastructure projects in Yemen before becoming a key member of the Saudi-led coalition.</p>
<p>Hamza al-Houthi, a top Houthi leader, said the Houthis had suspected the Saleh family’s allegiance to the Saudi-held coalition for some time and that tensions had been brewing since August. Al-Houthi said his troops had intercepted UAE arms shipments bound for Saleh’s family late last month. As punishment, the Houthis killed his nephew Tareq on Monday.</p>
<p>Joost Hiltermann of the International Crisis Group said the latest events mean the war in Yemen is likely to escalate.</p>
<p>“The Houthis, while an important military force, are not particularly adept at&#160;politics or governance. Their reach…in the population is limited, and over time that will play into their opponents’ hands.</p>
<p>“But that won’t happen anytime soon, so it looks like the conflict will worsen.”</p>
<p>RISKY GAMBLE</p>
<p>Saleh’s relationship with Saudi Arabia and its allies has been marked by politics and prayer.</p>
<p>Over the past few decades, Riyadh has tried, in succession, to quash an anti-royalist revolution, Marxism and al Qaeda militancy in Yemen. Riyadh backed Saleh, an Arab nationalist strongman, between 1978 and 2012 to help him quash those ideologies before they could seep next door to Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>But as Arab Spring protests rocked Yemen swept through the Middle East, Riyadh realized Saleh was no longer strong enough for the job and backed a transition to his deputy Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.</p>
<p>When the Houthis attacked Sanaa in 2014 and swept Hadi&#160;into Saudi exile, Riyadh began the bombing campaign that continues today.</p>
<p>At that time, Saleh took one of the riskiest gambles of his turbulent career, allying himself to the Houthis, heirs to a theocratic sect that ruled Yemen for a thousand years.</p>
<p>Saleh’s Yemeni military — which had jets, tank brigades and long-range missiles&#160;— had fought the Houthis in six wars over ten years at the time Saleh had allied himself with Saudi and Western powers.</p>
<p>With Saleh’s experience administering the country and cultivating a strong military, the Houthis made major military gains around the country and together their forces withstood thousands of Saudi-led air strikes.</p>
<p>CRACKING ENTENTE</p>
<p>But the Houthi-Saleh entente cracked in August when a Houthi leader passed over a trusted Saleh confidante for a key military position, according to people in the General People’s Congress Party, the grouping of technocrats and tribal grandees that did Saleh’s bidding throughout his rule.</p>
<p>Saleh loyalists itched for revenge, they said. Fearing disloyalty, the Houthis restricted Saleh to his fief in Sanaa’s political district. Gerald Feierstein, a former U.S. ambassador to Yemen of the Middle East Institute in Washington, said the Houthis then waged their war largely without him.</p>
<p>“Saleh was largely a spent force by the time he died in a weekend’s fighting,” wrote Feierstein in a policy brief.</p>
<p>On November 29, tensions exploded. Rumors swirled in the city of Sanaa that the Houthis were planning to paint the domes of a giant mosque and palace that Saleh had built and named after himself in their trademark green.</p>
<p>When Houthi militia neared the palace, Saleh’s guards fired. The Houthis, experts in mountain guerrilla warfare, overran the palace with grenades and seized it.&#160;</p>
<p>The Houthis wanted Saleh to “hand over his weapons and disarm his fighters,” a senior Saleh party official told Reuters. “He refused.”</p>
<p>Another party official said that, contrary to reports that Saleh was in his car trying to flee when he was killed on Dec. 4, the former president had been executed with a gunshot to the head after making a last stand at his house.</p>
<p>Now, the Saleh associate says he and his colleagues are afraid the Houthis will turn against all of them.</p>
<p>“The Houthis want to kill us all.”</p>
<p>For a graphic on Yemen’s stalemated war, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2zqGyq9</p> | 599,467 |
<p>We're going to be real with you. There are right and wrong answers when it comes to food, and in this quiz, we're going to seriously judge your choices. Because some foods are just so much tastier than others. So put your tastes to the test, and we'll let you know whether or not we'd want to go out to dinner with you.</p>
<p>Mexican food is so good. Seriously, everything from burritos to enchiladas to tacos is delicious. Right? Well, in honor of this amazing cuisine, we've determined a very secret formula to use your Mexican food opinions to identify your zodiac sign. It's highly scientific and guaranteed to be correct. No way we're getting this wrong. Take the quiz, and find out just how right we are!</p>
<p>It's really no secret that seafood is totally related to your love life. After all, oysters are one of the most well-known aphrodisiacs. And who wouldn't love a first date at a nice seafood restaurant? That's just a classy way to begin a relationship. But did you know just how much your taste in seafood can reveal? Fill us in on your favorite types of fish, and we'll tell you everything.</p> | Quiz: Can you identify the superior food? | false | https://circa.com/story/2017/11/08/food/quiz-can-you-identify-the-superior-food | 2017-11-08 | 1right-center
| Quiz: Can you identify the superior food?
<p>We're going to be real with you. There are right and wrong answers when it comes to food, and in this quiz, we're going to seriously judge your choices. Because some foods are just so much tastier than others. So put your tastes to the test, and we'll let you know whether or not we'd want to go out to dinner with you.</p>
<p>Mexican food is so good. Seriously, everything from burritos to enchiladas to tacos is delicious. Right? Well, in honor of this amazing cuisine, we've determined a very secret formula to use your Mexican food opinions to identify your zodiac sign. It's highly scientific and guaranteed to be correct. No way we're getting this wrong. Take the quiz, and find out just how right we are!</p>
<p>It's really no secret that seafood is totally related to your love life. After all, oysters are one of the most well-known aphrodisiacs. And who wouldn't love a first date at a nice seafood restaurant? That's just a classy way to begin a relationship. But did you know just how much your taste in seafood can reveal? Fill us in on your favorite types of fish, and we'll tell you everything.</p> | 599,468 |
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<p>LAS CRUCES, N.M. - A former Catholic school teacher has been sentenced to nearly a year in jail after pleading guilty to having a sexual relationship with a student.</p>
<p>The Las Cruces Sun-News reports ( <a href="http://bit.ly/24G5kK6" type="external">http://bit.ly/24G5kK6</a> ) that prosecutors say 32-year-old Gary Vau Jr. had a relationship with a 17-year-old female student at Las Cruces Catholic School, where he was a volunteer art teacher.</p>
<p>Prosecutor Davis R. Ruark says Vau and the student began texting each other in April 2014. He says the student became Vau's classroom assistant in the fall and they engaged in sexual acts at the school between October 2014 and January 2015.</p>
<p>The judge sentenced Vau to 364 days in jail and five years of probation. He will also have to register as a sex offender, complete community service and pay the victim restitution for her counseling services.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, <a href="http://www.lcsun-news.com" type="external">http://www.lcsun-news.com</a></p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Las Cruces teacher gets jail time for sex with student | false | https://abqjournal.com/734968/las-cruces-teacher-gets-jail-time-for-sex-with-student.html | 2least
| Las Cruces teacher gets jail time for sex with student
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>LAS CRUCES, N.M. - A former Catholic school teacher has been sentenced to nearly a year in jail after pleading guilty to having a sexual relationship with a student.</p>
<p>The Las Cruces Sun-News reports ( <a href="http://bit.ly/24G5kK6" type="external">http://bit.ly/24G5kK6</a> ) that prosecutors say 32-year-old Gary Vau Jr. had a relationship with a 17-year-old female student at Las Cruces Catholic School, where he was a volunteer art teacher.</p>
<p>Prosecutor Davis R. Ruark says Vau and the student began texting each other in April 2014. He says the student became Vau's classroom assistant in the fall and they engaged in sexual acts at the school between October 2014 and January 2015.</p>
<p>The judge sentenced Vau to 364 days in jail and five years of probation. He will also have to register as a sex offender, complete community service and pay the victim restitution for her counseling services.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, <a href="http://www.lcsun-news.com" type="external">http://www.lcsun-news.com</a></p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 599,469 |
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In order to prepare spellers for the national bee, the New Mexico Spelling Bee will include several oral vocabulary rounds and the other rounds will be spelling. If a speller misses an answer in a vocabulary round, the speller will be eliminated as spellers are eliminated during spelling rounds. There will be no written vocabulary rounds.</p>
<p>Vocabulary words will be from <a href="https://d3el53au0d7w62.cloudfront.net/assets/spellingbee/spellit-2015.pdf" type="external">Spell It!</a> and will be listed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee Final Local Bee Book 1 which is the final authority for the NM Spelling Bee. Spell It! can be accessed by all spellers in preparation for the NM Spelling Bee. Spellers may download the document <a href="https://d3el53au0d7w62.cloudfront.net/assets/spellingbee/spellit-2015.pdf" type="external">here</a>&#160;or&#160;go to <a href="http://www.myspellit.com" type="external">www.myspellit.com</a> to get Spell It! and teachers in schools registered with Scripps National Spelling Bee may get copies at <a href="http://www.spellingbee.com" type="external">www.spellingbee.com</a>, the national website.</p>
<p>Oral rounds will consist of the pronouncer giving a word and then a choice of two possible definitions. If the word is a homonym, the pronouncer will spell the word. Spellers may ask to have the word and definitions repeated.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 2015 NM Spelling Bee Vocabulary Component | false | https://abqjournal.com/449319/nm-spelling-bee-vocabulary-component.html | 2014-08-15 | 2least
| 2015 NM Spelling Bee Vocabulary Component
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In order to prepare spellers for the national bee, the New Mexico Spelling Bee will include several oral vocabulary rounds and the other rounds will be spelling. If a speller misses an answer in a vocabulary round, the speller will be eliminated as spellers are eliminated during spelling rounds. There will be no written vocabulary rounds.</p>
<p>Vocabulary words will be from <a href="https://d3el53au0d7w62.cloudfront.net/assets/spellingbee/spellit-2015.pdf" type="external">Spell It!</a> and will be listed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee Final Local Bee Book 1 which is the final authority for the NM Spelling Bee. Spell It! can be accessed by all spellers in preparation for the NM Spelling Bee. Spellers may download the document <a href="https://d3el53au0d7w62.cloudfront.net/assets/spellingbee/spellit-2015.pdf" type="external">here</a>&#160;or&#160;go to <a href="http://www.myspellit.com" type="external">www.myspellit.com</a> to get Spell It! and teachers in schools registered with Scripps National Spelling Bee may get copies at <a href="http://www.spellingbee.com" type="external">www.spellingbee.com</a>, the national website.</p>
<p>Oral rounds will consist of the pronouncer giving a word and then a choice of two possible definitions. If the word is a homonym, the pronouncer will spell the word. Spellers may ask to have the word and definitions repeated.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 599,470 |
<p>The past week should have proven beyond all doubt that we do indeed have a semi-literate malignant narcissist in charge of our country. I’m not sure that we’ve ever had a president without a bit of that inclination; those in power seem to always spring from that fetid pool, but this time it seems to have a clarity that only those in denial can’t see.</p>
<p>I heard that a local around here said Trump is a good thing for the nation because “he doesn’t play by rules”. This is true. Rules are for college students mired in debt, not guys with gold toilets who strategically utilize bankruptcy…what, 40 times now? He promised to keep his hands off certain safety nets which he is gnawing on with his tiny, sharp incisors. Rules such as telling even a modicum of truth are not observed by Trump. He’s King Gaslighter, the man who made “Idiocracy” an unwatchable documentary. The ugly brutish side of Empire is at least clearly on display. Andrew Jackson is tattooed on the ass of the ass for all to see.</p>
<p>They say that the poor are more likely to extend generosity to others, despite being the least likely to be able to afford it. A thought is that this is due to a need for reciprocity, and a natural inclination for communal benefit. This is a concept that the 1% do not need to cultivate. Why assist friends when you can buy sycophants? Why nurture a loving long-term relationship when you can purchase a newer model (sometimes they malfunction and slap your hand away twice, but no mechanical device is perfect). The hollow nature of these interactions are probably only realized on the proverbial deathbed.</p>
<p>The great tragedy of it all is that most people do not want to be cruel. They are manipulated into a fevered notion that somehow the poor deserve a life as only a commodity. It is a difficult thing to encourage these beliefs, but we’ve had marketing experts at it for a very long time……. like since the first food was locked up in an attempt to bring about excess labor for the few. You know, jackasses on stone fainting couches—someone fanning them with ostrich feathers. I’m pretty sure that was what it looked like. Hey, even the army has difficulty getting killers out of the kids they bring in. It’s a science to encourage these unnatural impulses. Most shots fired are said to be aimed to miss. When given the chance, soldiers often play and share with the enemy as they did during WWI at Christmas—all it took was for the brass to be away from the front-lines (they were in town enjoying the holiday).</p>
<p>This is not to say humans don’t have the capacity for incredible cruelty, but in most instances, even the most deranged acts of war derive from an escalation of inhumanity, and the desire to protect the new family group that forms among soldier peers. The elite, the Trumps of the world…..they know this. They amassed fortunes from the exploitation of these basic inclinations to do a perceived good, and for these young individuals to protect those they care about. As we talk about this, those who have benefited from the manufacture of weapons of war continue to push for enhanced punitive measures, whether it be clownishly named murder devices like the “Mother of all Bombs” or simply arming rebels who will likely turn on their benefactors rapidly. But they will still perpetuate chaos, which in many instances, is the real goal. Life forms like Henry Kissinger ooze next to those in power, D or R, and whisper rationales that salve any leftover form of conscience.</p>
<p>The media focuses on touching glowing orbs (which honestly was pretty fucking weird) and then salacious bursts of murder video from a concert that pulled in so many adolescent girls. But never a panel that rationally discusses how to stop these events without escalating the violence and creating a growing tower of retribution and hate. And that’s because it feels good to hate without reason, to not consider the why of the situation. There’s no existential crisis in that. One can feel like a monster truck mud flap, casting away all the mire while being fully a part of it. Filthy and dull-witted, maybe have a curvy girl with you in the muck on your flap.</p>
<p>I think away from those we’ve allowed to be in power and consider the kind souls who exist because I don’t want to suffer from intractable vomiting. There are those out there with simple wishes—individuals like Riley Hancey and his family. He died not long ago after being denied a lung transplant because he had marijuana in his system. After a delay, he did receive a transplant from a more decent facility, but it was all too late. “In his honor, we ask that you take a moment to do a random act of kindness for someone” —that is all that his family requested. I know the connection is tenuous, but I have to consider if we all do this, even extending some kindness to the souls in denial about the cruelty coming from those in power, then the erosion process can begin. The hateful build-up that will do nothing but enrich individuals so out of touch that they think it is appropriate to crap in gold toilets and pretend to eat strings of pearls for photo shoots….all this when kids in Flint have no clean water. Kids in Gaza…well, hell they don’t have much of anything—except maybe shrapnel. Syrian children continue to drown in boats propelled by their parents despair. The worth of a human has to be measured in the lives touched and the experiences had in our very short time here, not the work the Trumps of the world can extract from us to gild their hollow existence. This bilious incongruity has got to end.</p> | The Bilious Incongruity of Trump’s Toilet | true | https://counterpunch.org/2017/05/26/the-bilious-incongruity-of-trumps-toilet/ | 2017-05-26 | 4left
| The Bilious Incongruity of Trump’s Toilet
<p>The past week should have proven beyond all doubt that we do indeed have a semi-literate malignant narcissist in charge of our country. I’m not sure that we’ve ever had a president without a bit of that inclination; those in power seem to always spring from that fetid pool, but this time it seems to have a clarity that only those in denial can’t see.</p>
<p>I heard that a local around here said Trump is a good thing for the nation because “he doesn’t play by rules”. This is true. Rules are for college students mired in debt, not guys with gold toilets who strategically utilize bankruptcy…what, 40 times now? He promised to keep his hands off certain safety nets which he is gnawing on with his tiny, sharp incisors. Rules such as telling even a modicum of truth are not observed by Trump. He’s King Gaslighter, the man who made “Idiocracy” an unwatchable documentary. The ugly brutish side of Empire is at least clearly on display. Andrew Jackson is tattooed on the ass of the ass for all to see.</p>
<p>They say that the poor are more likely to extend generosity to others, despite being the least likely to be able to afford it. A thought is that this is due to a need for reciprocity, and a natural inclination for communal benefit. This is a concept that the 1% do not need to cultivate. Why assist friends when you can buy sycophants? Why nurture a loving long-term relationship when you can purchase a newer model (sometimes they malfunction and slap your hand away twice, but no mechanical device is perfect). The hollow nature of these interactions are probably only realized on the proverbial deathbed.</p>
<p>The great tragedy of it all is that most people do not want to be cruel. They are manipulated into a fevered notion that somehow the poor deserve a life as only a commodity. It is a difficult thing to encourage these beliefs, but we’ve had marketing experts at it for a very long time……. like since the first food was locked up in an attempt to bring about excess labor for the few. You know, jackasses on stone fainting couches—someone fanning them with ostrich feathers. I’m pretty sure that was what it looked like. Hey, even the army has difficulty getting killers out of the kids they bring in. It’s a science to encourage these unnatural impulses. Most shots fired are said to be aimed to miss. When given the chance, soldiers often play and share with the enemy as they did during WWI at Christmas—all it took was for the brass to be away from the front-lines (they were in town enjoying the holiday).</p>
<p>This is not to say humans don’t have the capacity for incredible cruelty, but in most instances, even the most deranged acts of war derive from an escalation of inhumanity, and the desire to protect the new family group that forms among soldier peers. The elite, the Trumps of the world…..they know this. They amassed fortunes from the exploitation of these basic inclinations to do a perceived good, and for these young individuals to protect those they care about. As we talk about this, those who have benefited from the manufacture of weapons of war continue to push for enhanced punitive measures, whether it be clownishly named murder devices like the “Mother of all Bombs” or simply arming rebels who will likely turn on their benefactors rapidly. But they will still perpetuate chaos, which in many instances, is the real goal. Life forms like Henry Kissinger ooze next to those in power, D or R, and whisper rationales that salve any leftover form of conscience.</p>
<p>The media focuses on touching glowing orbs (which honestly was pretty fucking weird) and then salacious bursts of murder video from a concert that pulled in so many adolescent girls. But never a panel that rationally discusses how to stop these events without escalating the violence and creating a growing tower of retribution and hate. And that’s because it feels good to hate without reason, to not consider the why of the situation. There’s no existential crisis in that. One can feel like a monster truck mud flap, casting away all the mire while being fully a part of it. Filthy and dull-witted, maybe have a curvy girl with you in the muck on your flap.</p>
<p>I think away from those we’ve allowed to be in power and consider the kind souls who exist because I don’t want to suffer from intractable vomiting. There are those out there with simple wishes—individuals like Riley Hancey and his family. He died not long ago after being denied a lung transplant because he had marijuana in his system. After a delay, he did receive a transplant from a more decent facility, but it was all too late. “In his honor, we ask that you take a moment to do a random act of kindness for someone” —that is all that his family requested. I know the connection is tenuous, but I have to consider if we all do this, even extending some kindness to the souls in denial about the cruelty coming from those in power, then the erosion process can begin. The hateful build-up that will do nothing but enrich individuals so out of touch that they think it is appropriate to crap in gold toilets and pretend to eat strings of pearls for photo shoots….all this when kids in Flint have no clean water. Kids in Gaza…well, hell they don’t have much of anything—except maybe shrapnel. Syrian children continue to drown in boats propelled by their parents despair. The worth of a human has to be measured in the lives touched and the experiences had in our very short time here, not the work the Trumps of the world can extract from us to gild their hollow existence. This bilious incongruity has got to end.</p> | 599,471 |
<p />
<p>Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is <a href="http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-daily-news-story/article-1/Aaron-Rodgers-calls-for-fans-to-link-arms-like-players/f16805e2-fd9f-4c1e-956c-48c940c59237?campaign=sf117088976_FB_C%2DContent%2DGB%5FCT%2DStories%2DGB_sf117088976&amp;sf117088976=1" type="external">spearheading a campaign</a> encouraging attendees to ‘lock arms’ in a “display of unity,” along with the entire team and coaching staff.</p>
<p>Rodgers, who went to the University of California at Berkeley, made clear his left-leaning political motivation in comments on the upcoming divisive display of mass virtue-signaling.</p>
<p>“This is about equality,” the quarterback <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20829185/green-bay-packers-want-their-fans-link-arms-anthem" type="external">said</a>. “This is about unity and love and growing together as a society and starting a conversation around something that may be a little bit uncomfortable for people.”</p>
<p>“But we’ve got to come together and talk about these things and grow as a community, as a connected group of individuals in our society, and we’re going to continue to show love and unity, and this week we’re going to ask the fans to join in as well and come together and show people that we can be connected and we can grow together.”</p>
<p>Packers fans – many of whom are in the unique position of also being team owners, as the franchise is a publicly-owned, non-profit corporation – have expressed disgust and outrage, and are making their views <a href="http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2017/09/27/packers-national-anthem-plans-continue-rile-fans/703520001/" type="external">known to the press</a> and on social media.</p>
<p>The Packers have released an <a href="http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-press-release/article-1/Statement-from-the-Green-Bay-Packers-players/d745d3ad-bfa7-4e74-9130-b3180b0171be?campaign=sf117028964_TW__sf117028964&amp;sf117028964=1" type="external">official statement</a> on their aspirations for Thursday night’s game –</p>
<p>The NFL family is one of the most diverse communities in the world. Just look around! The eclectic group of players that you root for, the coaches you admire, the people you sit next to in the stands, those high-fiving on military bases, fans at the sports bar or during tailgate parties—we all come from different walks of life and have unique backgrounds and stories.</p>
<p>The game of football brings people together. As NFL players, we are a living testimony that individuals from different backgrounds and with different life experiences can work together toward a common goal.</p>
<p>This Thursday during the national anthem at Lambeau Field, Packers players, coaches and staff will join together with arms intertwined—connected like the threads on your favorite jersey. When we take this action, what you will see will be so much more than just a bunch of football players locking arms. The image you will see on September 28th will be one of unity. It will represent a coming together of players who want the same things that all of us do—freedom, equality, tolerance, understanding, and justice for those who have been unjustly treated, discriminated against or otherwise treated unfairly. You will see the sons of police officers, kids who grew up in military families, people who have themselves experienced injustice and discrimination firsthand, and an array of others all linking together in a display of unity.</p>
<p>Those of us joining arms on Thursday will be different in so many ways, but one thing that binds us together is that we are all individuals who want to help make our society, our country and our world a better place. We believe that in diversity there can be UNI-versity. Intertwined, we represent the many people who helped build this country, and we are joining together to show that we are ready to continue to build.</p>
<p>Let’s work together to build a society that is more fair and just.</p>
<p>Join us this Thursday by locking arms with whoever you’re with, stranger or loved one, wherever you are—intertwined and included—in this moment of unification.</p>
<p>– The Packers Players</p>
<p>On Sunday, most Packers players participated in the amended anthem demonstration by locking arms, but some chose to sit on the bench in defiance, namely Martellus Bennett, Lance Kendricks, and Kevin King. <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20829185/green-bay-packers-want-their-fans-link-arms-anthem" type="external">According to ESPN</a>, it was Bennett’s idea to push the plan on their fans.</p>
<p>Laughably, ESPN also reports that Kendricks executed his seated protest to “bring awareness to people in Puerto Rico affected by Hurricane Maria,” so apparently anti-American demonstrations can now mean whatever suits each according to their agendas.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Packers Fans Outraged After Team Pressures Them to Join Anthem Protests | true | http://silenceisconsent.net/packers-fans-outraged-team-pressures-join-anthem-protests/ | 2018-05-04 | 0right
| Packers Fans Outraged After Team Pressures Them to Join Anthem Protests
<p />
<p>Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is <a href="http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-daily-news-story/article-1/Aaron-Rodgers-calls-for-fans-to-link-arms-like-players/f16805e2-fd9f-4c1e-956c-48c940c59237?campaign=sf117088976_FB_C%2DContent%2DGB%5FCT%2DStories%2DGB_sf117088976&amp;sf117088976=1" type="external">spearheading a campaign</a> encouraging attendees to ‘lock arms’ in a “display of unity,” along with the entire team and coaching staff.</p>
<p>Rodgers, who went to the University of California at Berkeley, made clear his left-leaning political motivation in comments on the upcoming divisive display of mass virtue-signaling.</p>
<p>“This is about equality,” the quarterback <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20829185/green-bay-packers-want-their-fans-link-arms-anthem" type="external">said</a>. “This is about unity and love and growing together as a society and starting a conversation around something that may be a little bit uncomfortable for people.”</p>
<p>“But we’ve got to come together and talk about these things and grow as a community, as a connected group of individuals in our society, and we’re going to continue to show love and unity, and this week we’re going to ask the fans to join in as well and come together and show people that we can be connected and we can grow together.”</p>
<p>Packers fans – many of whom are in the unique position of also being team owners, as the franchise is a publicly-owned, non-profit corporation – have expressed disgust and outrage, and are making their views <a href="http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2017/09/27/packers-national-anthem-plans-continue-rile-fans/703520001/" type="external">known to the press</a> and on social media.</p>
<p>The Packers have released an <a href="http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-press-release/article-1/Statement-from-the-Green-Bay-Packers-players/d745d3ad-bfa7-4e74-9130-b3180b0171be?campaign=sf117028964_TW__sf117028964&amp;sf117028964=1" type="external">official statement</a> on their aspirations for Thursday night’s game –</p>
<p>The NFL family is one of the most diverse communities in the world. Just look around! The eclectic group of players that you root for, the coaches you admire, the people you sit next to in the stands, those high-fiving on military bases, fans at the sports bar or during tailgate parties—we all come from different walks of life and have unique backgrounds and stories.</p>
<p>The game of football brings people together. As NFL players, we are a living testimony that individuals from different backgrounds and with different life experiences can work together toward a common goal.</p>
<p>This Thursday during the national anthem at Lambeau Field, Packers players, coaches and staff will join together with arms intertwined—connected like the threads on your favorite jersey. When we take this action, what you will see will be so much more than just a bunch of football players locking arms. The image you will see on September 28th will be one of unity. It will represent a coming together of players who want the same things that all of us do—freedom, equality, tolerance, understanding, and justice for those who have been unjustly treated, discriminated against or otherwise treated unfairly. You will see the sons of police officers, kids who grew up in military families, people who have themselves experienced injustice and discrimination firsthand, and an array of others all linking together in a display of unity.</p>
<p>Those of us joining arms on Thursday will be different in so many ways, but one thing that binds us together is that we are all individuals who want to help make our society, our country and our world a better place. We believe that in diversity there can be UNI-versity. Intertwined, we represent the many people who helped build this country, and we are joining together to show that we are ready to continue to build.</p>
<p>Let’s work together to build a society that is more fair and just.</p>
<p>Join us this Thursday by locking arms with whoever you’re with, stranger or loved one, wherever you are—intertwined and included—in this moment of unification.</p>
<p>– The Packers Players</p>
<p>On Sunday, most Packers players participated in the amended anthem demonstration by locking arms, but some chose to sit on the bench in defiance, namely Martellus Bennett, Lance Kendricks, and Kevin King. <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20829185/green-bay-packers-want-their-fans-link-arms-anthem" type="external">According to ESPN</a>, it was Bennett’s idea to push the plan on their fans.</p>
<p>Laughably, ESPN also reports that Kendricks executed his seated protest to “bring awareness to people in Puerto Rico affected by Hurricane Maria,” so apparently anti-American demonstrations can now mean whatever suits each according to their agendas.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 599,472 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>CHICAGO – To all the gay men and women out there deeply offended by the Boy Scouts of America’s unfortunate decision to keep out openly gay boys and gay or lesbian adults who want to serve as leaders: Just you wait.</p>
<p>Like many others, I was saddened to hear that unlike the Girl Scouts, the Boys and Girls Clubs, 4-H Clubs and the country’s armed forces, the Boy Scouts will continue their exclusion of a growing and accepted segment of our American community.</p>
<p>It’s obvious that the decision to treat gays as unfit for membership in an organization that seeks to instill loyalty, friendliness and bravery in their young charges is far from, in the words of the Scout oath, “morally straight.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>But it’s their rope, and it’s up to the Boy Scouts to decide whether to use it as a lifeline or a noose.</p>
<p>The Scouts have a legal right to select whom to employ or serve – in 2000, the Supreme Court upheld the rights of the Boy Scouts, a private organization, to decide what values it wants to espouse – but this doesn’t mean the organization is making the best long-term decision.</p>
<p>The fact is that the days in which people hide their sexual orientation for fear of persecution or exclusion are coming to a close. Not as rapidly as they should, but the out-and-proud contingent of American society has made gains in the last few years that would have been unimaginable a decade ago.</p>
<p>In the years that I’ve been writing about the gay community, I’ve gone from fielding study after study showing how it has been bullied, marginalized, neglected and discriminated against, to watching it blossom into a powerful social and political force with allies who are unafraid to express their support.</p>
<p>A selection of previously thought impossible headlines from my email inbox: “Latino Republicans More Approving of Gay Marriage than Rest of GOP,” “Conservative Republicans Support Marriage for Committed Gay and Lesbian Couples,” and “Poll Shows Many Religious Groups Support Gay Marriage.”</p>
<p>Just last May, Robert Spitzer, the so-called “father of modern psychiatry,” apologized to the gay community for having previously backed a study that suggested gays could be cured of their sexual preference.</p>
<p>Thanks to popular culture, sociological research and the bravery of those who chose to live in the spotlight to prove that homosexuality is just as normal and varied as heterosexual life, gayness has for the most part been demystified, de-scandalized and de-pathologized.</p>
<p>We’re really talking about an explosion of people who want to take their place in the mainstream of American life by forming households, getting married, committing to a lifetime of community service and, in more and more cases, bringing up children in loving, stable families.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>For the Boy Scouts, excluding this growing base of potential members and leaders – and their many supporters – even as it spends more resources attracting ever fewer people might not work so well in the long run. According to the Boy Scouts of America’s 2011 annual report, it is currently serving 2.7 million youth members – about half the peak of 4,852,827 youths in 1973.</p>
<p>Those numbers alone tell me that the Scouts will soon have to reconsider their future. And though this process isn’t going nearly fast enough for scores of young men who are in no less need of character-building and leadership training because they happened to be born with a different sexual orientation, it progresses every day as the world changes before the eyes of all our long-standing organizations.</p>
<p>So as painful as it is for any group to be publicly shamed by being rejected from one of America’s oldest and most respected social service groups, the gay community can still take heart – it’s just a matter of time.</p>
<p>While public pressure has the potential to claim the victory that legal pressure was unable to win, no one wants to put their young boys into the uncomfortable position of having to break a bitterly fought barrier. The metamorphosis from unwelcoming straight-boys club to inclusive incubator of upstanding citizens with varying sexual identities must come from within – a maturation that even some of the Boy Scouts’ top executive board members already desire.</p>
<p>It’s hard to imagine that transformation not eventually coming about. The alternative is a slow fade into irrelevance as a result of, ironically, refusing to heed the Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared” in our rapidly evolving world.</p>
<p>Email: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>. Copyright 2011, Washington Post Writers Group.</p> | Time Will Catch Up With Scouts | false | https://abqjournal.com/120336/time-will-catch-up-with-scouts.html | 2012-07-26 | 2least
| Time Will Catch Up With Scouts
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>CHICAGO – To all the gay men and women out there deeply offended by the Boy Scouts of America’s unfortunate decision to keep out openly gay boys and gay or lesbian adults who want to serve as leaders: Just you wait.</p>
<p>Like many others, I was saddened to hear that unlike the Girl Scouts, the Boys and Girls Clubs, 4-H Clubs and the country’s armed forces, the Boy Scouts will continue their exclusion of a growing and accepted segment of our American community.</p>
<p>It’s obvious that the decision to treat gays as unfit for membership in an organization that seeks to instill loyalty, friendliness and bravery in their young charges is far from, in the words of the Scout oath, “morally straight.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>But it’s their rope, and it’s up to the Boy Scouts to decide whether to use it as a lifeline or a noose.</p>
<p>The Scouts have a legal right to select whom to employ or serve – in 2000, the Supreme Court upheld the rights of the Boy Scouts, a private organization, to decide what values it wants to espouse – but this doesn’t mean the organization is making the best long-term decision.</p>
<p>The fact is that the days in which people hide their sexual orientation for fear of persecution or exclusion are coming to a close. Not as rapidly as they should, but the out-and-proud contingent of American society has made gains in the last few years that would have been unimaginable a decade ago.</p>
<p>In the years that I’ve been writing about the gay community, I’ve gone from fielding study after study showing how it has been bullied, marginalized, neglected and discriminated against, to watching it blossom into a powerful social and political force with allies who are unafraid to express their support.</p>
<p>A selection of previously thought impossible headlines from my email inbox: “Latino Republicans More Approving of Gay Marriage than Rest of GOP,” “Conservative Republicans Support Marriage for Committed Gay and Lesbian Couples,” and “Poll Shows Many Religious Groups Support Gay Marriage.”</p>
<p>Just last May, Robert Spitzer, the so-called “father of modern psychiatry,” apologized to the gay community for having previously backed a study that suggested gays could be cured of their sexual preference.</p>
<p>Thanks to popular culture, sociological research and the bravery of those who chose to live in the spotlight to prove that homosexuality is just as normal and varied as heterosexual life, gayness has for the most part been demystified, de-scandalized and de-pathologized.</p>
<p>We’re really talking about an explosion of people who want to take their place in the mainstream of American life by forming households, getting married, committing to a lifetime of community service and, in more and more cases, bringing up children in loving, stable families.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>For the Boy Scouts, excluding this growing base of potential members and leaders – and their many supporters – even as it spends more resources attracting ever fewer people might not work so well in the long run. According to the Boy Scouts of America’s 2011 annual report, it is currently serving 2.7 million youth members – about half the peak of 4,852,827 youths in 1973.</p>
<p>Those numbers alone tell me that the Scouts will soon have to reconsider their future. And though this process isn’t going nearly fast enough for scores of young men who are in no less need of character-building and leadership training because they happened to be born with a different sexual orientation, it progresses every day as the world changes before the eyes of all our long-standing organizations.</p>
<p>So as painful as it is for any group to be publicly shamed by being rejected from one of America’s oldest and most respected social service groups, the gay community can still take heart – it’s just a matter of time.</p>
<p>While public pressure has the potential to claim the victory that legal pressure was unable to win, no one wants to put their young boys into the uncomfortable position of having to break a bitterly fought barrier. The metamorphosis from unwelcoming straight-boys club to inclusive incubator of upstanding citizens with varying sexual identities must come from within – a maturation that even some of the Boy Scouts’ top executive board members already desire.</p>
<p>It’s hard to imagine that transformation not eventually coming about. The alternative is a slow fade into irrelevance as a result of, ironically, refusing to heed the Boy Scout motto of “Be Prepared” in our rapidly evolving world.</p>
<p>Email: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>. Copyright 2011, Washington Post Writers Group.</p> | 599,473 |
<p />
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Clorox (NYSE: CLX) stock rose 14% last month, according to data provided by <a href="https://www.capitaliq.com/home.aspx" type="external">S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/CLX" type="external">CLX</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts</a>.</p>
<p>The rally left the consumer products giant just below a new all-time high and put further distance between it and industry rivals like Procter &amp; Gamble (NYSE: PG).</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Clorox shares jumped in response to surprisingly strong fiscal second-quarter earnings results. Sales volume was up 8% behind double-digit growth in its home care division, which houses the hit Clorox disinfectant wipe franchise. That result was good enough to mark the highest volume gains for the company in nearly a decade.</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Profitability expanded as well, ticking up to 44.7% of sales from 44.6% a year ago. "We feel good about our strong sales results to date," Chief Financial Officer Steve Robb said in a press release, "and look forward to continued topline momentum in the second half of the fiscal year supported by our upcoming new product launches."</p>
<p>Clorox raised its full-year outlook to between 3% and 4% from the prior forecast of between 2% and 4%. The boost should keep the company firmly in market share expansion territory. Procter &amp; Gamble, after all, is projecting a range of between 2% and 3% organic growth for its 2017 fiscal year as its laundry and home care division expands by roughly 2%.</p>
<p>To hit its aggressive targets, Clorox is counting on momentum from its home cleaning brands and a significant boost from the recent acquisition of the RenewLife business. Optimism around its improving business trends has pushed the stock up 20% in the last three months. Yet, given that the company is enjoying record volume growth and steadily rising profitability, investors have good reasons to bid up the shares.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than The Clorox CompanyWhen 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=27d6ab65-14be-4470-af72-f6a96faa1699&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks</a> for investors to buy right now...and The Clorox Company 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=27d6ab65-14be-4470-af72-f6a96faa1699&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSigma/info.aspx" type="external">Demitrios Kalogeropoulos</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy</a>.</p> | Why Clorox Stock Jumped 14% in February | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/03/07/why-clorox-stock-jumped-14-in-february.html | 2017-03-17 | 0right
| Why Clorox Stock Jumped 14% in February
<p />
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Clorox (NYSE: CLX) stock rose 14% last month, according to data provided by <a href="https://www.capitaliq.com/home.aspx" type="external">S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/CLX" type="external">CLX</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts</a>.</p>
<p>The rally left the consumer products giant just below a new all-time high and put further distance between it and industry rivals like Procter &amp; Gamble (NYSE: PG).</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Clorox shares jumped in response to surprisingly strong fiscal second-quarter earnings results. Sales volume was up 8% behind double-digit growth in its home care division, which houses the hit Clorox disinfectant wipe franchise. That result was good enough to mark the highest volume gains for the company in nearly a decade.</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Profitability expanded as well, ticking up to 44.7% of sales from 44.6% a year ago. "We feel good about our strong sales results to date," Chief Financial Officer Steve Robb said in a press release, "and look forward to continued topline momentum in the second half of the fiscal year supported by our upcoming new product launches."</p>
<p>Clorox raised its full-year outlook to between 3% and 4% from the prior forecast of between 2% and 4%. The boost should keep the company firmly in market share expansion territory. Procter &amp; Gamble, after all, is projecting a range of between 2% and 3% organic growth for its 2017 fiscal year as its laundry and home care division expands by roughly 2%.</p>
<p>To hit its aggressive targets, Clorox is counting on momentum from its home cleaning brands and a significant boost from the recent acquisition of the RenewLife business. Optimism around its improving business trends has pushed the stock up 20% in the last three months. Yet, given that the company is enjoying record volume growth and steadily rising profitability, investors have good reasons to bid up the shares.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than The Clorox CompanyWhen 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=27d6ab65-14be-4470-af72-f6a96faa1699&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks</a> for investors to buy right now...and The Clorox Company 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=27d6ab65-14be-4470-af72-f6a96faa1699&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSigma/info.aspx" type="external">Demitrios Kalogeropoulos</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy</a>.</p> | 599,474 |
<p>Thousands of women are concerned after it came out recently that breast implants manufactured in France and distributed around the world — though not in the U.S. — were made with industrial grade silicone, rather than medical grade.</p>
<p>The French government is so concerned it's willing to pay for every woman who has received the implants to have them surgically removed and replaced. In the United Kingdom and Australia, however, the governments say there's no reason for alarm.</p>
<p>"British women do not need to be worried," said Suzanne Ludgate, U.K. Medical Regulator. "We've looked extensively with our experts at an association with cancer, at the toxicity of the filler with breast feeding and we can find no issues."</p>
<p>The French company that made the implants, PIP, has gone out of business in the wake of the scandal, which includes the implants being linked, in France at least, to a rare form of cancer: anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Several lawsuits have also been initiated and a criminal investigation is underway.</p>
<p>Rachael Jacomb received the implants and had one of them rupture recently. And she had a baby four weeks ago. She said breast feeding has been "a nightmare."</p>
<p>"I can't breast feed on my right breast properly," she explained.&#160;</p>
<p>Plastic surgeons are encouraging women to get their implants checked out by a doctor and then discuss appropriate actions with them.</p> | VIDEO: Rare cancer linked to breast implant in thousands of women | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-12-22/video-rare-cancer-linked-breast-implant-thousands-women | 2011-12-22 | 3left-center
| VIDEO: Rare cancer linked to breast implant in thousands of women
<p>Thousands of women are concerned after it came out recently that breast implants manufactured in France and distributed around the world — though not in the U.S. — were made with industrial grade silicone, rather than medical grade.</p>
<p>The French government is so concerned it's willing to pay for every woman who has received the implants to have them surgically removed and replaced. In the United Kingdom and Australia, however, the governments say there's no reason for alarm.</p>
<p>"British women do not need to be worried," said Suzanne Ludgate, U.K. Medical Regulator. "We've looked extensively with our experts at an association with cancer, at the toxicity of the filler with breast feeding and we can find no issues."</p>
<p>The French company that made the implants, PIP, has gone out of business in the wake of the scandal, which includes the implants being linked, in France at least, to a rare form of cancer: anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Several lawsuits have also been initiated and a criminal investigation is underway.</p>
<p>Rachael Jacomb received the implants and had one of them rupture recently. And she had a baby four weeks ago. She said breast feeding has been "a nightmare."</p>
<p>"I can't breast feed on my right breast properly," she explained.&#160;</p>
<p>Plastic surgeons are encouraging women to get their implants checked out by a doctor and then discuss appropriate actions with them.</p> | 599,475 |
<p><a href="http://variety.com/tag/denis-villeneuve/" type="external">Denis Villeneuve</a> is in early talks to direct Sony’s long-in-development biopic “ <a href="http://variety.com/tag/cleopatra/" type="external">Cleopatra</a>.”</p>
<p>Amy Pascal and Scott Rudin are producing based on Stacy Schiff’s book about the powerful Egyptian ruler who created a dynasty before her eventual downfall due to her love affair with Roman soldier Marc Anthony.</p>
<p>Sony has been trying to get the film off the ground for quite some time with filmmakers like Paul Greengrass and James Cameron circling at one point. Villeneuve is currently attached to direct a “Dune” reboot at Legendary. He will helm the latter while developing “ <a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/news/most-expensive-movie-pirates-of-the-caribbean-cleopatra-avatar-hollywood-budgets-1202434333/" type="external">Cleopatra</a>.”</p>
<p>David Scarpa, Eric Roth, and Brian Helgeland have all worked on past drafts. Angelina Jolie has long been linked to the project, but it’s unknown whether she is still on board to star.</p>
<p>In leaked emails that surfaced following the Sony hack, Rudin infamously attacked&#160;Jolie’s involvement in the film, calling&#160;her “a minimally talented spoiled brat.”&#160;“Kill me please. Immediately,” he also told Pascal&#160; <a href="https://wikileaks.org/sony/emails/emailid/50716" type="external">in June 2014</a>&#160;when he learned Jolie was interested in directing the movie.</p>
<p>Villeneuve is about to start his world press tour on the highly anticipated “Blade Runner 2049,” starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. He was nominated for best director at this year’s Oscars for “Arrival.”</p>
<p>He is repped by CAA. Deadline Hollywood first reported the news.</p>
<p /> | Denis Villeneuve in Talks to Direct ‘Cleopatra’ at Sony | false | https://newsline.com/denis-villeneuve-in-talks-to-direct-cleopatra-at-sony/ | 2017-09-27 | 1right-center
| Denis Villeneuve in Talks to Direct ‘Cleopatra’ at Sony
<p><a href="http://variety.com/tag/denis-villeneuve/" type="external">Denis Villeneuve</a> is in early talks to direct Sony’s long-in-development biopic “ <a href="http://variety.com/tag/cleopatra/" type="external">Cleopatra</a>.”</p>
<p>Amy Pascal and Scott Rudin are producing based on Stacy Schiff’s book about the powerful Egyptian ruler who created a dynasty before her eventual downfall due to her love affair with Roman soldier Marc Anthony.</p>
<p>Sony has been trying to get the film off the ground for quite some time with filmmakers like Paul Greengrass and James Cameron circling at one point. Villeneuve is currently attached to direct a “Dune” reboot at Legendary. He will helm the latter while developing “ <a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/news/most-expensive-movie-pirates-of-the-caribbean-cleopatra-avatar-hollywood-budgets-1202434333/" type="external">Cleopatra</a>.”</p>
<p>David Scarpa, Eric Roth, and Brian Helgeland have all worked on past drafts. Angelina Jolie has long been linked to the project, but it’s unknown whether she is still on board to star.</p>
<p>In leaked emails that surfaced following the Sony hack, Rudin infamously attacked&#160;Jolie’s involvement in the film, calling&#160;her “a minimally talented spoiled brat.”&#160;“Kill me please. Immediately,” he also told Pascal&#160; <a href="https://wikileaks.org/sony/emails/emailid/50716" type="external">in June 2014</a>&#160;when he learned Jolie was interested in directing the movie.</p>
<p>Villeneuve is about to start his world press tour on the highly anticipated “Blade Runner 2049,” starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. He was nominated for best director at this year’s Oscars for “Arrival.”</p>
<p>He is repped by CAA. Deadline Hollywood first reported the news.</p>
<p /> | 599,476 |
<p>More than four tons of marijuana were recovered by US authorities from the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California, on Sunday, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/21/us-usa-marijuana-california-idUSBRE84K14S20120521" type="external">according to Reuters</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/21/four-tons-of-marijuana-pulled-from-ocean-off-california/" type="external">CNN reported</a> that the value of the pot that was fished out amounted to $3.6 million.</p>
<p>The Border Patrol, the US Coast Guard and the Orange County sheriff's office were all involved in seizing the 160 bales of pot, floating 13 miles off Dana Point, California, <a href="http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/21/four-tons-of-marijuana-pulled-from-ocean-off-california/" type="external">said CNN</a>.</p>
<p>The seizure was one of the largest of its kind along the maritime smuggling route.</p>
<p>More on GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/uk-police-criticized-keeping-500-old-body-parts-storage" type="external">UK police criticized for keeping 500 old body parts in storage</a></p>
<p>Lt. Joe Balicki from the Orange County sheriff's department said the first calls reporting the suspicious bales came around noon, <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/marijuana-bales-off-dana-point-investigation.html" type="external">according to The Los Angeles Times</a>.</p>
<p>Border Patrol Agent Supervisor Michael Jimenez said the case was unusual as usually such dumps of cargo happened when the drug traffickers were trying to flee the authorities. "At other events, they've dumped the bales to get rid of weight if they're being chased," he said, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/3-6m-worth-marijuana-found-floating-coast-orange-county-calif-article-1.1081857" type="external">according to The New York Daily News</a>.</p>
<p>Jimenez added, "What's more unusual is that the bales were floating with no boat in sight."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/21/us-usa-marijuana-california-idUSBRE84K14S20120521" type="external">Reuters noted</a>that the coastal strip near California has become more commonly used as smugglers try to avoid security on land borders.</p> | Four tons of pot found floating in the Pacific | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-05-21/four-tons-pot-found-floating-pacific | 2012-05-21 | 3left-center
| Four tons of pot found floating in the Pacific
<p>More than four tons of marijuana were recovered by US authorities from the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California, on Sunday, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/21/us-usa-marijuana-california-idUSBRE84K14S20120521" type="external">according to Reuters</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/21/four-tons-of-marijuana-pulled-from-ocean-off-california/" type="external">CNN reported</a> that the value of the pot that was fished out amounted to $3.6 million.</p>
<p>The Border Patrol, the US Coast Guard and the Orange County sheriff's office were all involved in seizing the 160 bales of pot, floating 13 miles off Dana Point, California, <a href="http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/21/four-tons-of-marijuana-pulled-from-ocean-off-california/" type="external">said CNN</a>.</p>
<p>The seizure was one of the largest of its kind along the maritime smuggling route.</p>
<p>More on GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/uk-police-criticized-keeping-500-old-body-parts-storage" type="external">UK police criticized for keeping 500 old body parts in storage</a></p>
<p>Lt. Joe Balicki from the Orange County sheriff's department said the first calls reporting the suspicious bales came around noon, <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/marijuana-bales-off-dana-point-investigation.html" type="external">according to The Los Angeles Times</a>.</p>
<p>Border Patrol Agent Supervisor Michael Jimenez said the case was unusual as usually such dumps of cargo happened when the drug traffickers were trying to flee the authorities. "At other events, they've dumped the bales to get rid of weight if they're being chased," he said, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/3-6m-worth-marijuana-found-floating-coast-orange-county-calif-article-1.1081857" type="external">according to The New York Daily News</a>.</p>
<p>Jimenez added, "What's more unusual is that the bales were floating with no boat in sight."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/21/us-usa-marijuana-california-idUSBRE84K14S20120521" type="external">Reuters noted</a>that the coastal strip near California has become more commonly used as smugglers try to avoid security on land borders.</p> | 599,477 |
<p>When bebop was born, it was the voice of black America. Black Americans were calling for freedom, and jazz expressed it better than mere words. Charlie “Bird” Parker played Now’s the Time, insisting the moment was right for social change. Charles Mingus composed Fable of Faubus (1959) in response to Orval Faubus’s racism as governor of Arkansas. John Coltrane recorded Alabama after four black girls died in the Birmingham church bombing. When Martin Luther King started his campaign for civil rights, the American jazz community, white and black, stood right behind him. Not only was jazz aiming for freedom; the music itself was a real-time exercise in human liberation, as performers reinvented themselves night after night. It was hardly surprising that they became symbols of the black civil rights campaign. Coltrane, whose music was deeply rooted in African culture, became a hero of the civil rights movement in America and around the world.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long for America’s white elite to realise that jazz endangered their hegemony, and that jazz and America represented opposing ideologies. While the American ethos is traditionally presented as a celebration of civil freedom, jazz, as it appeared in the late 1950s, laid bare crucial flaws in the American dream. Not only did it expose the fundamental injustice within the capitalistic system; it also valued beauty far higher than money. This was foreign to the American way of thinking.</p>
<p>After the second world war, jazz became hugely popular in western Europe, and jazz giants such as Bird, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Dexter Gordon were treated as major cultural figures. At home, those very legends had to enter jazz clubs via back entrances, because the front ones were for the white clients.</p>
<p>So jazz became the cultural ambassador of the American civil rights movement–a fact that was highly embarrassing for the establishment, already presenting itself as the leader of the “free” and “democratic” world. Since America’s main motivation at the time was to convince the world that Coca-Cola was the only way forward, jazz was clearly in the way. It was anti-American. It revealed the relentless and abusive face of hard capitalism.</p>
<p>For the white bourgeoisie, jazz became a problem that had to be addressed. Its political and philosophical message was about to be crushed. The best way to beat a resentful rival is to integrate it into your system–so Voice of America, the government’s broadcaster, adopted jazz as its own and transmitted it to the world. Black Americans became simply Americans, and jazz ceased to be subversive. It wasn’t long before black Americans were found qualified enough to die en masse in Vietnam.</p>
<p>Soon after their alleged “liberation”, black Americans lost interest in their own revolutionary music. Jazz was no longer the black American call for freedom, but a white middle-class adventure. It was transformed from a vivid, authentic and socially motivated artform into an academic exercise. In the 1970s, more and more colleges launched jazz courses as if jazz were a form of knowledge, rather than spirit.</p>
<p>The new challenge in jazz was to play as fast as you could. By the late 1970s this challenge was achieved: jazz became a form of meaningless white noise. The melodic sensation had dried out. Swing was turned into endless polyrhythmic exercises. American jazz was about to be declared dead. Not many were kind or patient enough to listen to an endless algorithmic musical exercise.</p>
<p>Jazz became a vanishing marginal music, but then a miracle happened. Decision-makers in the ever-growing record industry defined a fresh challenge for jazz. Rather than play as fast as you could, they suggested, you should sell as much as you could.</p>
<p>We are now at the apex of this commercial phase. Occasionally, we hear that a new-born artist has signed a multi-million-dollar record deal. As long as jazz is in the hands of big business it will never produce acute social criticism. The music industry, like any other industry, is aimed at accumulating money and the best way to achieve this is to maintain the existing world order.</p>
<p>Sadly, jazz isn’t a subversive art form any more. It isn’t even gymnastically challenging–merely a marginal genre associated with easy listening background music a la Kenny G and Norah Jones. A few first- and second-generation veterans are still with us, playing as well as ever, and promising young talents are queueing to enter the shrinking scene. But neither group is socially engaged.</p>
<p>Jazz is still established enough to occupy the back quarter of the second floor of every multi-storey record shop. It fits nicely into the American-led globalised market philosophy. It provides us with an image of diversity, of an expanding music market rich with sounds and colours. In the shop they will tell you: “You name it, we have it.” And they are right–you can now buy Coltrane’s revolutionary album A Love Supreme for just £6.99 in almost every music shop. What a bargain, what a great Christmas present! I would argue that our devoted Big Brother has almost won. Jazz’s spiritual and political message is almost defeated.</p>
<p>This is where I try to interfere. As a bop player, I refuse to view jazz as a technical adventure. It isn’t about the speed with which I move my fingers or the complexity of my rhythmic figures. I insist that jazz is a form not of knowledge but of spirit. Jazz is a world view, an innovative form of resistance. For me, to play jazz is to fight the BBS (Bush, Blair and Sharon) world order, to aim towards liberation while knowing you may never get there, to fight the new American colonialism. To say what I believe in, to campaign for the liberation of my Palestinian and Iraqi brothers. To play jazz is to suggest an alternative reality, to reinvent myself, to be ready to do it till the bitter end.</p>
<p>GILAD ATZMON was born in Israel and served in the Israeli military. He is the author of the new novel <a href="" type="internal">A Guide to the Perplexed</a> . Atzmon is also one of the most accomplished jazz saxophonists in Europe. His new CD, <a href="" type="internal">Exile</a>, was just named the year’s best jazz CD by the BBC. He now lives in London and can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Politics and Jazz | true | https://counterpunch.org/2004/11/20/politics-and-jazz/ | 2004-11-20 | 4left
| Politics and Jazz
<p>When bebop was born, it was the voice of black America. Black Americans were calling for freedom, and jazz expressed it better than mere words. Charlie “Bird” Parker played Now’s the Time, insisting the moment was right for social change. Charles Mingus composed Fable of Faubus (1959) in response to Orval Faubus’s racism as governor of Arkansas. John Coltrane recorded Alabama after four black girls died in the Birmingham church bombing. When Martin Luther King started his campaign for civil rights, the American jazz community, white and black, stood right behind him. Not only was jazz aiming for freedom; the music itself was a real-time exercise in human liberation, as performers reinvented themselves night after night. It was hardly surprising that they became symbols of the black civil rights campaign. Coltrane, whose music was deeply rooted in African culture, became a hero of the civil rights movement in America and around the world.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long for America’s white elite to realise that jazz endangered their hegemony, and that jazz and America represented opposing ideologies. While the American ethos is traditionally presented as a celebration of civil freedom, jazz, as it appeared in the late 1950s, laid bare crucial flaws in the American dream. Not only did it expose the fundamental injustice within the capitalistic system; it also valued beauty far higher than money. This was foreign to the American way of thinking.</p>
<p>After the second world war, jazz became hugely popular in western Europe, and jazz giants such as Bird, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Dexter Gordon were treated as major cultural figures. At home, those very legends had to enter jazz clubs via back entrances, because the front ones were for the white clients.</p>
<p>So jazz became the cultural ambassador of the American civil rights movement–a fact that was highly embarrassing for the establishment, already presenting itself as the leader of the “free” and “democratic” world. Since America’s main motivation at the time was to convince the world that Coca-Cola was the only way forward, jazz was clearly in the way. It was anti-American. It revealed the relentless and abusive face of hard capitalism.</p>
<p>For the white bourgeoisie, jazz became a problem that had to be addressed. Its political and philosophical message was about to be crushed. The best way to beat a resentful rival is to integrate it into your system–so Voice of America, the government’s broadcaster, adopted jazz as its own and transmitted it to the world. Black Americans became simply Americans, and jazz ceased to be subversive. It wasn’t long before black Americans were found qualified enough to die en masse in Vietnam.</p>
<p>Soon after their alleged “liberation”, black Americans lost interest in their own revolutionary music. Jazz was no longer the black American call for freedom, but a white middle-class adventure. It was transformed from a vivid, authentic and socially motivated artform into an academic exercise. In the 1970s, more and more colleges launched jazz courses as if jazz were a form of knowledge, rather than spirit.</p>
<p>The new challenge in jazz was to play as fast as you could. By the late 1970s this challenge was achieved: jazz became a form of meaningless white noise. The melodic sensation had dried out. Swing was turned into endless polyrhythmic exercises. American jazz was about to be declared dead. Not many were kind or patient enough to listen to an endless algorithmic musical exercise.</p>
<p>Jazz became a vanishing marginal music, but then a miracle happened. Decision-makers in the ever-growing record industry defined a fresh challenge for jazz. Rather than play as fast as you could, they suggested, you should sell as much as you could.</p>
<p>We are now at the apex of this commercial phase. Occasionally, we hear that a new-born artist has signed a multi-million-dollar record deal. As long as jazz is in the hands of big business it will never produce acute social criticism. The music industry, like any other industry, is aimed at accumulating money and the best way to achieve this is to maintain the existing world order.</p>
<p>Sadly, jazz isn’t a subversive art form any more. It isn’t even gymnastically challenging–merely a marginal genre associated with easy listening background music a la Kenny G and Norah Jones. A few first- and second-generation veterans are still with us, playing as well as ever, and promising young talents are queueing to enter the shrinking scene. But neither group is socially engaged.</p>
<p>Jazz is still established enough to occupy the back quarter of the second floor of every multi-storey record shop. It fits nicely into the American-led globalised market philosophy. It provides us with an image of diversity, of an expanding music market rich with sounds and colours. In the shop they will tell you: “You name it, we have it.” And they are right–you can now buy Coltrane’s revolutionary album A Love Supreme for just £6.99 in almost every music shop. What a bargain, what a great Christmas present! I would argue that our devoted Big Brother has almost won. Jazz’s spiritual and political message is almost defeated.</p>
<p>This is where I try to interfere. As a bop player, I refuse to view jazz as a technical adventure. It isn’t about the speed with which I move my fingers or the complexity of my rhythmic figures. I insist that jazz is a form not of knowledge but of spirit. Jazz is a world view, an innovative form of resistance. For me, to play jazz is to fight the BBS (Bush, Blair and Sharon) world order, to aim towards liberation while knowing you may never get there, to fight the new American colonialism. To say what I believe in, to campaign for the liberation of my Palestinian and Iraqi brothers. To play jazz is to suggest an alternative reality, to reinvent myself, to be ready to do it till the bitter end.</p>
<p>GILAD ATZMON was born in Israel and served in the Israeli military. He is the author of the new novel <a href="" type="internal">A Guide to the Perplexed</a> . Atzmon is also one of the most accomplished jazz saxophonists in Europe. His new CD, <a href="" type="internal">Exile</a>, was just named the year’s best jazz CD by the BBC. He now lives in London and can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 599,478 |
<p>HILO, Hawaii (AP) - A former Hilo driver was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading no contest to allegations that he sexually assaulted a disabled woman.</p>
<p>Louis Sardis, 65, was a driver for the nonprofit organization The Arc of Hilo, which works with individuals who have developmental or other disabilities.</p>
<p>Two witnesses told police that they saw Louis Sardis assaulting the woman last year in the van owned by the nonprofit.</p>
<p>Deputy Prosecutor Kimberly Angay said Sardis initially confessed to the attack but has since changed his story.</p>
<p>Sardis was sentenced Wednesday after pleading no contest in October to two counts of first-degree sexual assault, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald <a href="http://bit.ly/2lYq68u" type="external">reported</a> .</p>
<p>The woman's sister told the judge that Sardis' actions impacted their family.</p>
<p>"My mom and dad and I . have trouble sleeping at night. My mom has basically gone into a state of depression," the victim's sister said. "I feel the sentence the defendant is getting is, basically, letting him off easy, as opposed to what my family is going through."</p>
<p>Sardis, who is originally from Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia, apologized in court.</p>
<p>The victim's parents filed suit in September against Sardis and The Arc of Hilo, seeking unspecified monetary damages and changes made in the way the nonprofit organization transports and supervises clients.</p>
<p>The Arc of Hilo filed a motion in November seeking dismissal of the civil complaint.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, <a href="http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/" type="external">http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/</a></p>
<p>HILO, Hawaii (AP) - A former Hilo driver was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading no contest to allegations that he sexually assaulted a disabled woman.</p>
<p>Louis Sardis, 65, was a driver for the nonprofit organization The Arc of Hilo, which works with individuals who have developmental or other disabilities.</p>
<p>Two witnesses told police that they saw Louis Sardis assaulting the woman last year in the van owned by the nonprofit.</p>
<p>Deputy Prosecutor Kimberly Angay said Sardis initially confessed to the attack but has since changed his story.</p>
<p>Sardis was sentenced Wednesday after pleading no contest in October to two counts of first-degree sexual assault, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald <a href="http://bit.ly/2lYq68u" type="external">reported</a> .</p>
<p>The woman's sister told the judge that Sardis' actions impacted their family.</p>
<p>"My mom and dad and I . have trouble sleeping at night. My mom has basically gone into a state of depression," the victim's sister said. "I feel the sentence the defendant is getting is, basically, letting him off easy, as opposed to what my family is going through."</p>
<p>Sardis, who is originally from Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia, apologized in court.</p>
<p>The victim's parents filed suit in September against Sardis and The Arc of Hilo, seeking unspecified monetary damages and changes made in the way the nonprofit organization transports and supervises clients.</p>
<p>The Arc of Hilo filed a motion in November seeking dismissal of the civil complaint.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, <a href="http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/" type="external">http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/</a></p> | Man sentenced in sex assault of disabled Hilo woman | false | https://apnews.com/amp/6cd5447fa6a04306bc05ba978af48394 | 2018-01-05 | 2least
| Man sentenced in sex assault of disabled Hilo woman
<p>HILO, Hawaii (AP) - A former Hilo driver was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading no contest to allegations that he sexually assaulted a disabled woman.</p>
<p>Louis Sardis, 65, was a driver for the nonprofit organization The Arc of Hilo, which works with individuals who have developmental or other disabilities.</p>
<p>Two witnesses told police that they saw Louis Sardis assaulting the woman last year in the van owned by the nonprofit.</p>
<p>Deputy Prosecutor Kimberly Angay said Sardis initially confessed to the attack but has since changed his story.</p>
<p>Sardis was sentenced Wednesday after pleading no contest in October to two counts of first-degree sexual assault, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald <a href="http://bit.ly/2lYq68u" type="external">reported</a> .</p>
<p>The woman's sister told the judge that Sardis' actions impacted their family.</p>
<p>"My mom and dad and I . have trouble sleeping at night. My mom has basically gone into a state of depression," the victim's sister said. "I feel the sentence the defendant is getting is, basically, letting him off easy, as opposed to what my family is going through."</p>
<p>Sardis, who is originally from Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia, apologized in court.</p>
<p>The victim's parents filed suit in September against Sardis and The Arc of Hilo, seeking unspecified monetary damages and changes made in the way the nonprofit organization transports and supervises clients.</p>
<p>The Arc of Hilo filed a motion in November seeking dismissal of the civil complaint.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, <a href="http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/" type="external">http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/</a></p>
<p>HILO, Hawaii (AP) - A former Hilo driver was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading no contest to allegations that he sexually assaulted a disabled woman.</p>
<p>Louis Sardis, 65, was a driver for the nonprofit organization The Arc of Hilo, which works with individuals who have developmental or other disabilities.</p>
<p>Two witnesses told police that they saw Louis Sardis assaulting the woman last year in the van owned by the nonprofit.</p>
<p>Deputy Prosecutor Kimberly Angay said Sardis initially confessed to the attack but has since changed his story.</p>
<p>Sardis was sentenced Wednesday after pleading no contest in October to two counts of first-degree sexual assault, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald <a href="http://bit.ly/2lYq68u" type="external">reported</a> .</p>
<p>The woman's sister told the judge that Sardis' actions impacted their family.</p>
<p>"My mom and dad and I . have trouble sleeping at night. My mom has basically gone into a state of depression," the victim's sister said. "I feel the sentence the defendant is getting is, basically, letting him off easy, as opposed to what my family is going through."</p>
<p>Sardis, who is originally from Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia, apologized in court.</p>
<p>The victim's parents filed suit in September against Sardis and The Arc of Hilo, seeking unspecified monetary damages and changes made in the way the nonprofit organization transports and supervises clients.</p>
<p>The Arc of Hilo filed a motion in November seeking dismissal of the civil complaint.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, <a href="http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/" type="external">http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/</a></p> | 599,479 |
<p />
<p>Sharron Angle’s campaign is accusing Harry Reid and his supporters of using “ACORN-style tactics” to buy off people’s votes in the Nevada Senate race. “Harry Reid intends to steal this election if he can’t win it outright,” Cleta Mitchell, Angle’s campaign attorney, <a href="http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/ralstons-flash/2010/oct/26/angle-campaign-attorney-reid/" type="external">wrote in a fundraising email</a> to supporters on Tuesday, saying that the campaign needed to raise $80,000 to send “dozens of election law attorneys and poll watchers” to the polls. Mitchell continues:</p>
<p>As Sharron Angle’s campaign attorney, I am sorry to report that the Democrats and their cronies are up to their same old tricks, of trying to manipulate the election in hopes of skewing the results in their favor.</p>
<p>Two days ago, the Democratic Secretary of State announced that voters can be provided “free food” at “voter turnout events.” Harry Reid has been offering free food and, according to other reports, some Democratic allies such as teachers’ unions are offering gift cards in return for a vote for Reid….Now, this week in Las Vegas, at our election hotline, we received reports that some teachers’ union representatives were offering Starbucks cards to people to get them to vote for Harry Reid. It is even more disturbing and may be possible that they are using their influence and authority as educators to entice students on behalf of Reid…</p>
<p>The Democrats’ willingness to allow voters to be enticed with a promise of any thing of value is a debasement of the process- and it may just destroy everything we’ve worked for.</p>
<p>Nevada’s Secretary of State dismissed the Angle campaign’s vote-buying allegations yesterday, <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/battle10/251016/angle-campaign-attorney-alleges-vote-buying-democrat-friendly-groups-elizabeth-crum" type="external">saying</a> that Mitchell “fails fails to cite any evidence of ‘vote buying’ in the State of Nevada other than reports to their election hotline about representatives of unions.” The Secretary of State urged anyone who had an election crime to report provide supporting evidence such as witness statements, contact information, and specific descriptions of violative conduct.”</p>
<p>Angle may the first major candidate to accuse her opponent of stealing the election outright this year, but it’s unlikely that she’ll be the last. A growing number of Republicans in tight races have taken up the <a href="" type="internal">crusade against voter fraud</a>, including Mark Kirk, who’s planning a large-scale operation to send poll watchers and lawyers on Election Day. In the meantime, it’s also a good way to stoke the conservative base, which is already primed to believe that union thugs and New Black Panther wannabes will steal the election anyway.</p>
<p /> | Angle Campaign: Reid Wants to “Steal This Election” | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2010/10/sharon-angles-lawyer-accuses-reid-vote-buying/ | 2010-10-26 | 4left
| Angle Campaign: Reid Wants to “Steal This Election”
<p />
<p>Sharron Angle’s campaign is accusing Harry Reid and his supporters of using “ACORN-style tactics” to buy off people’s votes in the Nevada Senate race. “Harry Reid intends to steal this election if he can’t win it outright,” Cleta Mitchell, Angle’s campaign attorney, <a href="http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/ralstons-flash/2010/oct/26/angle-campaign-attorney-reid/" type="external">wrote in a fundraising email</a> to supporters on Tuesday, saying that the campaign needed to raise $80,000 to send “dozens of election law attorneys and poll watchers” to the polls. Mitchell continues:</p>
<p>As Sharron Angle’s campaign attorney, I am sorry to report that the Democrats and their cronies are up to their same old tricks, of trying to manipulate the election in hopes of skewing the results in their favor.</p>
<p>Two days ago, the Democratic Secretary of State announced that voters can be provided “free food” at “voter turnout events.” Harry Reid has been offering free food and, according to other reports, some Democratic allies such as teachers’ unions are offering gift cards in return for a vote for Reid….Now, this week in Las Vegas, at our election hotline, we received reports that some teachers’ union representatives were offering Starbucks cards to people to get them to vote for Harry Reid. It is even more disturbing and may be possible that they are using their influence and authority as educators to entice students on behalf of Reid…</p>
<p>The Democrats’ willingness to allow voters to be enticed with a promise of any thing of value is a debasement of the process- and it may just destroy everything we’ve worked for.</p>
<p>Nevada’s Secretary of State dismissed the Angle campaign’s vote-buying allegations yesterday, <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/battle10/251016/angle-campaign-attorney-alleges-vote-buying-democrat-friendly-groups-elizabeth-crum" type="external">saying</a> that Mitchell “fails fails to cite any evidence of ‘vote buying’ in the State of Nevada other than reports to their election hotline about representatives of unions.” The Secretary of State urged anyone who had an election crime to report provide supporting evidence such as witness statements, contact information, and specific descriptions of violative conduct.”</p>
<p>Angle may the first major candidate to accuse her opponent of stealing the election outright this year, but it’s unlikely that she’ll be the last. A growing number of Republicans in tight races have taken up the <a href="" type="internal">crusade against voter fraud</a>, including Mark Kirk, who’s planning a large-scale operation to send poll watchers and lawyers on Election Day. In the meantime, it’s also a good way to stoke the conservative base, which is already primed to believe that union thugs and New Black Panther wannabes will steal the election anyway.</p>
<p /> | 599,480 |
<p />
<p>Reality Check: Proposition 30</p>
<p>By John Kabateck NFIB/CA Executive Director</p>
<p>With so much clutter on this November’s ballot, it’s important for California voters to know which of the 11 propositions will have the biggest impacts on them.&#160; The most highlighted proposition this election is 30 because of the drastic implications it could have on the entire state.&#160; The proponents of Prop. 30 are out proclaiming that it will help fund classrooms – but they need a reality check – Prop. 30 is not as it appears.</p>
<p>You may notice that in the recent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/YesOnProp30?feature=CAQQwRs%3D" type="external">Yes on Prop 30</a> television ads, proponents didn’t even mention the word “tax” in any of them.&#160; But Prop. 30 actually increases the state’s sales and income tax by <a href="http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/30/" type="external">$6 billion</a> a year.&#160; These tax increases will hurt California small businesses and families and they don’t even guarantee one cent of new money to schools.</p>
<p>Proposition 30 will raise taxes in California to the <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-20/brown-tax-increase-losing-support-of-voters-poll-finds" type="external">highest in the nation</a>, both sales and income taxes target consumers and small businesses, further damaging our economic recovery, and killing jobs. An increased sales tax will hurt the buying power of California families, causing them to dig deeper into their pocketbooks to pay for the increased prices of their everyday items.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />Small businesses will take on the brunt of these tax increases as most small employers file their income taxes as individuals, not corporate.&#160; So while Prop. 30 increases taxes on small businesses, the backbone of our economy, corporations will not be paying any higher taxes.&#160; The nearly 4 million small businesses in California are already trying to stay afloat during these hard economic times and now they will have yet another burden placed upon them in the form of increased taxes.&#160; California should be encouraging small business growth, not inhibiting it in the form of increased taxes.</p>
<p>Proponents have been misleading voters with their false claims of helping schools.&#160; Though the promises made of increased funding for education from Prop. 30 tax increases sound like a good idea, the reality is that Prop. 30 is a budget gimmick.&#160; Prop. 30 doesn’t require that the money raised go to the classroom and it even allows politicians to spend it on things beside schools.&#160; We’ll never really know where the money goes.&#160; Politicians say Prop 30’s money goes to schools but the official ballot label says it can be used for <a href="http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/30/" type="external">“funding state budget”.</a>&#160;This proposition is just another gimmick.</p>
<p>Prop. 30 is a bad idea that is opposed by taxpayer groups and small businesses across the state because it raises fifty billion dollars in taxes, hurts California small businesses and families, but doesn’t even guarantee new funding for schools.&#160; We need real solutions to California’s problems.&#160; Prop 30 will only make things worse. Please vote NO on 30.</p> | Op-Ed: Proposition 30 Will Raise Taxes in California | false | https://ivn.us/2012/10/16/proposition-30-will-raise-taxes-in-california/ | 2012-10-16 | 2least
| Op-Ed: Proposition 30 Will Raise Taxes in California
<p />
<p>Reality Check: Proposition 30</p>
<p>By John Kabateck NFIB/CA Executive Director</p>
<p>With so much clutter on this November’s ballot, it’s important for California voters to know which of the 11 propositions will have the biggest impacts on them.&#160; The most highlighted proposition this election is 30 because of the drastic implications it could have on the entire state.&#160; The proponents of Prop. 30 are out proclaiming that it will help fund classrooms – but they need a reality check – Prop. 30 is not as it appears.</p>
<p>You may notice that in the recent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/YesOnProp30?feature=CAQQwRs%3D" type="external">Yes on Prop 30</a> television ads, proponents didn’t even mention the word “tax” in any of them.&#160; But Prop. 30 actually increases the state’s sales and income tax by <a href="http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/30/" type="external">$6 billion</a> a year.&#160; These tax increases will hurt California small businesses and families and they don’t even guarantee one cent of new money to schools.</p>
<p>Proposition 30 will raise taxes in California to the <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-20/brown-tax-increase-losing-support-of-voters-poll-finds" type="external">highest in the nation</a>, both sales and income taxes target consumers and small businesses, further damaging our economic recovery, and killing jobs. An increased sales tax will hurt the buying power of California families, causing them to dig deeper into their pocketbooks to pay for the increased prices of their everyday items.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" />Small businesses will take on the brunt of these tax increases as most small employers file their income taxes as individuals, not corporate.&#160; So while Prop. 30 increases taxes on small businesses, the backbone of our economy, corporations will not be paying any higher taxes.&#160; The nearly 4 million small businesses in California are already trying to stay afloat during these hard economic times and now they will have yet another burden placed upon them in the form of increased taxes.&#160; California should be encouraging small business growth, not inhibiting it in the form of increased taxes.</p>
<p>Proponents have been misleading voters with their false claims of helping schools.&#160; Though the promises made of increased funding for education from Prop. 30 tax increases sound like a good idea, the reality is that Prop. 30 is a budget gimmick.&#160; Prop. 30 doesn’t require that the money raised go to the classroom and it even allows politicians to spend it on things beside schools.&#160; We’ll never really know where the money goes.&#160; Politicians say Prop 30’s money goes to schools but the official ballot label says it can be used for <a href="http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/30/" type="external">“funding state budget”.</a>&#160;This proposition is just another gimmick.</p>
<p>Prop. 30 is a bad idea that is opposed by taxpayer groups and small businesses across the state because it raises fifty billion dollars in taxes, hurts California small businesses and families, but doesn’t even guarantee new funding for schools.&#160; We need real solutions to California’s problems.&#160; Prop 30 will only make things worse. Please vote NO on 30.</p> | 599,481 |
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<p />
<p>The general consensus at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s annual Commercial Real Estate Finance/Multifamily Conference, recently held in San Diego, is the economy is slowly improving and, with it, commercial real estate or CRE fundamentals. Most forecast a continuation of tepid job growth and quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates low.</p>
<p>The following summary includes our high-level takeaways from the conference, which had more than 3,000 attendees, as well as a more detailed look at each major lender group.</p>
<p>There is far more liquidity in the mortgage markets now than we have seen since 2007, up and down the capital stack and from all the major providers of debt capital to our industry. There are plenty of different kinds of financing available. Treasury yields have come in resulting in lower interest rates and there will be more competition from lenders in 2013, which will ultimately benefit borrowers.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Credit spreads have contracted significantly over the past two quarters. This has been most noticeable with government-sponsored entities and commercial mortgage-backed securities or CMBS spreads. The spread contraction now enables the CMBS lenders to compete much more effectively in the market. We caution our clients, however, that credit spreads cannot move much lower, so any increase in Treasury yields will likely be passed along to the borrower.</p>
<p>Most lenders think interest rates will rise in late 2013. The general consensus is that the 10-year Treasury yield will be around 2.5 percent by year-end.</p>
<p>Here’s a look at the main lender groups in commercial real estate:</p>
<p>Life-insurance companies accounted for approximately $65 billion in loan production in 2012. This was a record high for the group and an indicator that most life companies have returned to CRE lending.</p>
<p>The appetite remains high, as these investments still provide better returns on a relative basis compared to other fixed-income alternatives. As such, allocations are up for 2013 almost across the board.</p>
<p>In an effort to increase absolute yield, some life companies have announced mezzanine and other higher-leverage loans. Many are also actively seeking equity investments with joint venture partners in the quest for yield.</p>
<p>CMBS issuance increased by nearly 50 percent from 2011 to approximately $48 billion in 2012. Approximately two-thirds came from multi-property, multi-borrower loans. In a return to the exuberance of the pre-recession lending environment, predictions for 2013 CMBS issuance ranged from $50 billion to $100 billion, with the consensus forecast around $60 billion to $70 billion.</p>
<p>Notwithstanding the more difficult process, the attractiveness of full (70-80 percent loan-to-value ratio) leverage, a wider palate for property quality and location, 30-year amortization schedules, partial-term interest-only and creative structuring will draw many borrowers back to CMBS lenders. We will also see the return of short-term, floating-rate securitizations in 2013.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and HUD combined for a record $63 billion in new originations in 2012, and FHA multifamily lending added over $12 billion to the agency segment. For the GSEs, the credit pendulum has swung toward modestly more conservative underwriting for full-leverage requests and a continued reduction in partial interest-only payment periods.</p>
<p>While it is unlikely that we will see enactment of definitive GSE/housing finance reform in 2013, discussions are ongoing and the political outcome is uncertain. In the meantime, they will remain the dominant capital source for multifamily borrowers in 2013. However, we expect to see continued erosion of their market share to banks, life companies and CMBS lenders, whose aggressive underwriting, loan structuring and speed of execution will be attractive.</p>
<p>Bank borrowers felt a discernible shift toward more aggressive lending starting in the third quarter of 2012. Bank lenders now have more room on their balance sheets for CRE loans due to payoffs, fewer problem loans and the desire to put earning assets on their books.</p>
<p>Many bank lenders have returned to non-recourse lending in certain markets, and many banks are also willing to consider loan terms of seven years or longer. Given the interest-rate swap curve, these executions can be very price competitive with other fixed-rate loan sources. Many borrowers will still like the prepayment flexibility afforded by floating-rate loans and bank lending in general.</p>
<p>While much of the increased lending activity will take place on a national scale, that bodes well for the New Mexico market as well. The larger lenders with the largest volume to invest will win the deals in those “first tier” cities. This will force the small- and medium-size lenders to be more active in smaller markets in order to achieve their lending volume level for the year.</p>
<p>Deals get done through good financing. NAME: Peter J. GinerisTITLE: Senior Vice President I Debt &amp; Equity FinanceORGANIZATION: CBRE/Capital Markets in AlbuquerqueLenders more aggressive as economy heals</p>
<p>Executive’s Desk</p> | Lenders more aggressive as economy heals | false | https://abqjournal.com/191267/lenders-more-aggressive-as-economy-heals.html | 2013-04-22 | 2least
| Lenders more aggressive as economy heals
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The general consensus at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s annual Commercial Real Estate Finance/Multifamily Conference, recently held in San Diego, is the economy is slowly improving and, with it, commercial real estate or CRE fundamentals. Most forecast a continuation of tepid job growth and quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates low.</p>
<p>The following summary includes our high-level takeaways from the conference, which had more than 3,000 attendees, as well as a more detailed look at each major lender group.</p>
<p>There is far more liquidity in the mortgage markets now than we have seen since 2007, up and down the capital stack and from all the major providers of debt capital to our industry. There are plenty of different kinds of financing available. Treasury yields have come in resulting in lower interest rates and there will be more competition from lenders in 2013, which will ultimately benefit borrowers.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Credit spreads have contracted significantly over the past two quarters. This has been most noticeable with government-sponsored entities and commercial mortgage-backed securities or CMBS spreads. The spread contraction now enables the CMBS lenders to compete much more effectively in the market. We caution our clients, however, that credit spreads cannot move much lower, so any increase in Treasury yields will likely be passed along to the borrower.</p>
<p>Most lenders think interest rates will rise in late 2013. The general consensus is that the 10-year Treasury yield will be around 2.5 percent by year-end.</p>
<p>Here’s a look at the main lender groups in commercial real estate:</p>
<p>Life-insurance companies accounted for approximately $65 billion in loan production in 2012. This was a record high for the group and an indicator that most life companies have returned to CRE lending.</p>
<p>The appetite remains high, as these investments still provide better returns on a relative basis compared to other fixed-income alternatives. As such, allocations are up for 2013 almost across the board.</p>
<p>In an effort to increase absolute yield, some life companies have announced mezzanine and other higher-leverage loans. Many are also actively seeking equity investments with joint venture partners in the quest for yield.</p>
<p>CMBS issuance increased by nearly 50 percent from 2011 to approximately $48 billion in 2012. Approximately two-thirds came from multi-property, multi-borrower loans. In a return to the exuberance of the pre-recession lending environment, predictions for 2013 CMBS issuance ranged from $50 billion to $100 billion, with the consensus forecast around $60 billion to $70 billion.</p>
<p>Notwithstanding the more difficult process, the attractiveness of full (70-80 percent loan-to-value ratio) leverage, a wider palate for property quality and location, 30-year amortization schedules, partial-term interest-only and creative structuring will draw many borrowers back to CMBS lenders. We will also see the return of short-term, floating-rate securitizations in 2013.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and HUD combined for a record $63 billion in new originations in 2012, and FHA multifamily lending added over $12 billion to the agency segment. For the GSEs, the credit pendulum has swung toward modestly more conservative underwriting for full-leverage requests and a continued reduction in partial interest-only payment periods.</p>
<p>While it is unlikely that we will see enactment of definitive GSE/housing finance reform in 2013, discussions are ongoing and the political outcome is uncertain. In the meantime, they will remain the dominant capital source for multifamily borrowers in 2013. However, we expect to see continued erosion of their market share to banks, life companies and CMBS lenders, whose aggressive underwriting, loan structuring and speed of execution will be attractive.</p>
<p>Bank borrowers felt a discernible shift toward more aggressive lending starting in the third quarter of 2012. Bank lenders now have more room on their balance sheets for CRE loans due to payoffs, fewer problem loans and the desire to put earning assets on their books.</p>
<p>Many bank lenders have returned to non-recourse lending in certain markets, and many banks are also willing to consider loan terms of seven years or longer. Given the interest-rate swap curve, these executions can be very price competitive with other fixed-rate loan sources. Many borrowers will still like the prepayment flexibility afforded by floating-rate loans and bank lending in general.</p>
<p>While much of the increased lending activity will take place on a national scale, that bodes well for the New Mexico market as well. The larger lenders with the largest volume to invest will win the deals in those “first tier” cities. This will force the small- and medium-size lenders to be more active in smaller markets in order to achieve their lending volume level for the year.</p>
<p>Deals get done through good financing. NAME: Peter J. GinerisTITLE: Senior Vice President I Debt &amp; Equity FinanceORGANIZATION: CBRE/Capital Markets in AlbuquerqueLenders more aggressive as economy heals</p>
<p>Executive’s Desk</p> | 599,482 |
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<p />
<p>The word fascism, as Merriam-Webster noted on Twitter on Tuesday, is likely to be crowned 2016’s winner. The unusually high interest in its definition over the course of 2016 has propelled it to the fourth-most searched word in the history of the dictionary’s website.</p>
<p>“Guys, 2016 is so bad it made the dictionary sad,” went one reply, capturing the general pathos prompted by Merriam-Webster’s tweet. Within two hours, Merriam-Webster said there was an uptick in searches for flummadiddle, meaning nonsense. Flummadiddle’s only fighting chance against fascism, however, was if “everyone” searched it twice a day for the rest of the year.</p>
<p>The words of the year are more than the “most frequently looked up in the dictionary,” as Merriam-Webster put it in its end-of-2015 announcement. The words also “give us a window into what people are thinking.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In 2015, people were apparently thinking about the suffix “-ism.” Fascism scored high, but socialism topped the charts. Its popularity spiked after rallies held by self-avowed democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, according to the dictionary.</p>
<p>Likewise, 2008 was the year of the bailout, as well as searches for what “bailout” meant.</p>
<p>This year, words like misogyny and fascism have had huge bursts of interest, particularly after the election. Users looked up fascism at a rate 400 percent higher in 2016 than in 2015, the dictionary said on Nov. 14.</p>
<p>Merriam-Webster was unable to respond to a query from The Washington Post early Friday, to see if the dictionary was so against fascism it would suppress the rules to allow another word to win.</p>
<p>After all, the dictionary altered the selection process in the past. In 2006, the Merriam-Webster introduced an online poll to allow users to submit and vote for the word of the year. That year, the winner was “truthiness,” a joke word coined by Stephen Colbert on “The Colbert Report” in October 2005. Truthiness was followed by 2007’s “w00t,” a victory whoop popular among video-gamers in the mid-2000s; neither w00t nor truthiness was an official inclusion in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary at the time of their victories. The dictionary made the change back to search volume in time for 2008’s bailout.</p>
<p>For the record, Merriam-Webster defines fascism as:</p>
<p>1 A political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.</p>
<p>2 A tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control.</p>
<p>If fascism wins, as it seems likely to do, it will round out a cluster of bleak words for the year 2016. Across the pond, the Oxford Dictionaries announced that “post-truth” was this year’s word. As The Washington Post reported in November, the phrase does not mean beyond fact, but rather the sense that objective truth may be less relevant than appeals to emotion or belief. Paranoid occupied the brains at Cambridge Dictionary. And Dictionary.com chose xenophobia – the fear of strangers, foreigners or the alien – as its word of the year.</p>
<p>There are 29 days left to go in 2016.</p>
<p>fascism</p> | ‘Fascism’ leads in race for Merriam-Webster’s word of the year | false | https://abqjournal.com/900553/fascism-leads-in-race-for-merriam-websters-word-of-the-year.html | 2least
| ‘Fascism’ leads in race for Merriam-Webster’s word of the year
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>The word fascism, as Merriam-Webster noted on Twitter on Tuesday, is likely to be crowned 2016’s winner. The unusually high interest in its definition over the course of 2016 has propelled it to the fourth-most searched word in the history of the dictionary’s website.</p>
<p>“Guys, 2016 is so bad it made the dictionary sad,” went one reply, capturing the general pathos prompted by Merriam-Webster’s tweet. Within two hours, Merriam-Webster said there was an uptick in searches for flummadiddle, meaning nonsense. Flummadiddle’s only fighting chance against fascism, however, was if “everyone” searched it twice a day for the rest of the year.</p>
<p>The words of the year are more than the “most frequently looked up in the dictionary,” as Merriam-Webster put it in its end-of-2015 announcement. The words also “give us a window into what people are thinking.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In 2015, people were apparently thinking about the suffix “-ism.” Fascism scored high, but socialism topped the charts. Its popularity spiked after rallies held by self-avowed democratic socialist Bernie Sanders, according to the dictionary.</p>
<p>Likewise, 2008 was the year of the bailout, as well as searches for what “bailout” meant.</p>
<p>This year, words like misogyny and fascism have had huge bursts of interest, particularly after the election. Users looked up fascism at a rate 400 percent higher in 2016 than in 2015, the dictionary said on Nov. 14.</p>
<p>Merriam-Webster was unable to respond to a query from The Washington Post early Friday, to see if the dictionary was so against fascism it would suppress the rules to allow another word to win.</p>
<p>After all, the dictionary altered the selection process in the past. In 2006, the Merriam-Webster introduced an online poll to allow users to submit and vote for the word of the year. That year, the winner was “truthiness,” a joke word coined by Stephen Colbert on “The Colbert Report” in October 2005. Truthiness was followed by 2007’s “w00t,” a victory whoop popular among video-gamers in the mid-2000s; neither w00t nor truthiness was an official inclusion in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary at the time of their victories. The dictionary made the change back to search volume in time for 2008’s bailout.</p>
<p>For the record, Merriam-Webster defines fascism as:</p>
<p>1 A political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.</p>
<p>2 A tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control.</p>
<p>If fascism wins, as it seems likely to do, it will round out a cluster of bleak words for the year 2016. Across the pond, the Oxford Dictionaries announced that “post-truth” was this year’s word. As The Washington Post reported in November, the phrase does not mean beyond fact, but rather the sense that objective truth may be less relevant than appeals to emotion or belief. Paranoid occupied the brains at Cambridge Dictionary. And Dictionary.com chose xenophobia – the fear of strangers, foreigners or the alien – as its word of the year.</p>
<p>There are 29 days left to go in 2016.</p>
<p>fascism</p> | 599,483 |
|
<p>On Tuesday, President Obama gave one of the most humiliating speeches by an American leader in the history of the country. Standing on stage at the behest of murderous tyrant Raul Castro, Obama led off by lying that he would stand with the world against Islamic terrorists, just 24 hours after posing in front of a mural honoring a communist terrorist.</p>
<p>Then it got worse.</p>
<p>Obama began by thanking the Castro regime for their generous treatment; he had no words for the dissenters being held in prison to avoid Obama’s gaze. He described the distance from Havana to Florida as a “great distance” separated by “barriers of history and ideology; barriers of pain and separation.” As is his wont, he equated the builders of those barriers – he had no harsh words for the communists directly, but slammed America for our attempts “to liberate, but also to exert control over Cuba.”</p>
<p>He cast Cuba’s history as his own personal history: “Like so many people in both of our countries, my lifetime has spanned a time of isolation between us….As the decades rolled by, our governments settled into a seemingly endless confrontation, fighting battles through proxies.” Never mind that the vicious Castro regime funded terror abroad for decades while impoverishing and pillaging its population at home. The conflict was mutually blameworthy.</p>
<p>But, said Obama, all that was about to change with a wave of his magic wand: “I have come here to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas.”</p>
<p>The Cubans do not feel the same. They released no prisoners, nor did Obama ask them to. They did nothing to remove censorship across the island, nor did Obama ask them to. No, Obama unilaterally declared the war on communism over; Cuba continues to fight.</p>
<p>In colloquial terms, this is generally called surrender.</p>
<p>In surrender, Obama was gracious. He brushed aside “the differences between our governments” as mere quarrels, instead terming “The United States and Cuba…like two brothers who’ve been estranged for many years, even as we share the same blood.”</p>
<p>What would that blood be, per se? Why, victimization at the hands of Western civilization, it turns out:</p>
<p>We both live in a new world, colonized by Europeans. Cuba, like the United States, was built in part by slaves brought here from Africa. Like the United States, the Cuban people can trace their heritage to both slaves and slave-owners. We’ve welcomed both immigrants who came a great distance to start new lives in the Americas.</p>
<p>If this seems like a perverse view of American history, focusing on race and slavery rather than on what separates us from Cuba – namely, foundational principles of liberty – that’s because it is. It’s deeply perverse. But don’t worry: Obama assured the world that aside from shared legacies of slavery at the hands of white people, Cuba shared with America the literature of Ernest Hemingway, baseball, and boxing.</p>
<p>Surely the Cuban people living in chains could take solace in such facts.</p>
<p>And they could take solace in Obama’s decision to legitimize the Castro regime even as the Castro brothers neared death. After all, said Obama, “What the United States was doing was not working.”</p>
<p>So giving the Castros lots of money and a good deal of global honor would be more likely to destabilize their fascistic government?</p>
<p>But that isn’t Obama’s goal. His goal is just to make purty pictures with the purty people on the purty island. As he put it:</p>
<p>I want the Cuban people -- especially the young people -- to understand why I believe that you should look to the future with hope; not the false promise which insists that things are better than they really are, or the blind optimism that says all your problems can go away tomorrow. Hope that is rooted in the future that you can choose and that you can shape, and that you can build for your country.</p>
<p>There’s only one obstacle to all of this, of course: Obama’s own determination to prop up the people who will stop any of it from happening for his own glorification.</p>
<p>Obama spoke about a fantasyland of entrepreneurship – in communist Cuba! – and choice for the Cuban people. “What changes come will depend on the Cuban people,” Obama said – as the Cuban people prepared to spend another day under the iron boot of the Castros.</p>
<p>Finally, Obama went full-bore socialist in honor of his communist hosts:</p>
<p>Every child deserves the dignity that comes with education, and health care and food on the table and a roof over their heads….Now, there’s no secret that our governments disagree on many of these issues. I’ve had frank conversations with President Castro. For many years, he has pointed out the flaws in the American system -- economic inequality; the death penalty; racial discrimination; wars abroad. That’s just a sample. He has a much longer list. (Laughter.) But here’s what the Cuban people need to understand: I welcome this open debate and dialogue.</p>
<p>Because being lectured by reprehensible totalitarians is now “dialogue.” In fact, Obama went on to agree with Castro’s critiques. “We do have too much money in American politics,” Obama said. “We do have challenges with racial bias – in our communities, in our criminal justice system, in our society – the legacy of slavery and segregation,” Obama explained.</p>
<p>In Cuba, the per capita income is one third that of the United States.</p>
<p>Obama concluded by bashing Ronald Reagan, the scourge of communism: “Many suggested that I come here and ask the people of Cuba to tear something down – but I’m appealing to the young people of Cuba who will lift something up, build something new.”</p>
<p>Actually, we asked that you ask the Castros to tear something down. But Obama only went to Cuba to tear down the legacy of America’s anti-communism, and enshrine misery for another generation. “I’ve urged the people of the Americas to leave behind the ideological battles of the past,” Obama bragged. But the past will remain the present so long as people like Obama allow evil to flourish and victimize. Obama can talk about the Cuban people as much as he wants. But they have no power so long as Obama makes kissy-face with the men with the guns pointed at those people.</p> | Obama to Cubans Seeking Freedom: You're On Your Own | true | https://dailywire.com/news/4322/obama-cubans-seeking-freedom-youre-your-own-ben-shapiro | 2016-03-22 | 0right
| Obama to Cubans Seeking Freedom: You're On Your Own
<p>On Tuesday, President Obama gave one of the most humiliating speeches by an American leader in the history of the country. Standing on stage at the behest of murderous tyrant Raul Castro, Obama led off by lying that he would stand with the world against Islamic terrorists, just 24 hours after posing in front of a mural honoring a communist terrorist.</p>
<p>Then it got worse.</p>
<p>Obama began by thanking the Castro regime for their generous treatment; he had no words for the dissenters being held in prison to avoid Obama’s gaze. He described the distance from Havana to Florida as a “great distance” separated by “barriers of history and ideology; barriers of pain and separation.” As is his wont, he equated the builders of those barriers – he had no harsh words for the communists directly, but slammed America for our attempts “to liberate, but also to exert control over Cuba.”</p>
<p>He cast Cuba’s history as his own personal history: “Like so many people in both of our countries, my lifetime has spanned a time of isolation between us….As the decades rolled by, our governments settled into a seemingly endless confrontation, fighting battles through proxies.” Never mind that the vicious Castro regime funded terror abroad for decades while impoverishing and pillaging its population at home. The conflict was mutually blameworthy.</p>
<p>But, said Obama, all that was about to change with a wave of his magic wand: “I have come here to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas.”</p>
<p>The Cubans do not feel the same. They released no prisoners, nor did Obama ask them to. They did nothing to remove censorship across the island, nor did Obama ask them to. No, Obama unilaterally declared the war on communism over; Cuba continues to fight.</p>
<p>In colloquial terms, this is generally called surrender.</p>
<p>In surrender, Obama was gracious. He brushed aside “the differences between our governments” as mere quarrels, instead terming “The United States and Cuba…like two brothers who’ve been estranged for many years, even as we share the same blood.”</p>
<p>What would that blood be, per se? Why, victimization at the hands of Western civilization, it turns out:</p>
<p>We both live in a new world, colonized by Europeans. Cuba, like the United States, was built in part by slaves brought here from Africa. Like the United States, the Cuban people can trace their heritage to both slaves and slave-owners. We’ve welcomed both immigrants who came a great distance to start new lives in the Americas.</p>
<p>If this seems like a perverse view of American history, focusing on race and slavery rather than on what separates us from Cuba – namely, foundational principles of liberty – that’s because it is. It’s deeply perverse. But don’t worry: Obama assured the world that aside from shared legacies of slavery at the hands of white people, Cuba shared with America the literature of Ernest Hemingway, baseball, and boxing.</p>
<p>Surely the Cuban people living in chains could take solace in such facts.</p>
<p>And they could take solace in Obama’s decision to legitimize the Castro regime even as the Castro brothers neared death. After all, said Obama, “What the United States was doing was not working.”</p>
<p>So giving the Castros lots of money and a good deal of global honor would be more likely to destabilize their fascistic government?</p>
<p>But that isn’t Obama’s goal. His goal is just to make purty pictures with the purty people on the purty island. As he put it:</p>
<p>I want the Cuban people -- especially the young people -- to understand why I believe that you should look to the future with hope; not the false promise which insists that things are better than they really are, or the blind optimism that says all your problems can go away tomorrow. Hope that is rooted in the future that you can choose and that you can shape, and that you can build for your country.</p>
<p>There’s only one obstacle to all of this, of course: Obama’s own determination to prop up the people who will stop any of it from happening for his own glorification.</p>
<p>Obama spoke about a fantasyland of entrepreneurship – in communist Cuba! – and choice for the Cuban people. “What changes come will depend on the Cuban people,” Obama said – as the Cuban people prepared to spend another day under the iron boot of the Castros.</p>
<p>Finally, Obama went full-bore socialist in honor of his communist hosts:</p>
<p>Every child deserves the dignity that comes with education, and health care and food on the table and a roof over their heads….Now, there’s no secret that our governments disagree on many of these issues. I’ve had frank conversations with President Castro. For many years, he has pointed out the flaws in the American system -- economic inequality; the death penalty; racial discrimination; wars abroad. That’s just a sample. He has a much longer list. (Laughter.) But here’s what the Cuban people need to understand: I welcome this open debate and dialogue.</p>
<p>Because being lectured by reprehensible totalitarians is now “dialogue.” In fact, Obama went on to agree with Castro’s critiques. “We do have too much money in American politics,” Obama said. “We do have challenges with racial bias – in our communities, in our criminal justice system, in our society – the legacy of slavery and segregation,” Obama explained.</p>
<p>In Cuba, the per capita income is one third that of the United States.</p>
<p>Obama concluded by bashing Ronald Reagan, the scourge of communism: “Many suggested that I come here and ask the people of Cuba to tear something down – but I’m appealing to the young people of Cuba who will lift something up, build something new.”</p>
<p>Actually, we asked that you ask the Castros to tear something down. But Obama only went to Cuba to tear down the legacy of America’s anti-communism, and enshrine misery for another generation. “I’ve urged the people of the Americas to leave behind the ideological battles of the past,” Obama bragged. But the past will remain the present so long as people like Obama allow evil to flourish and victimize. Obama can talk about the Cuban people as much as he wants. But they have no power so long as Obama makes kissy-face with the men with the guns pointed at those people.</p> | 599,484 |
<p />
<p>There’s one thing that can’t be disputed about the evangelicals who attended the Family Research Council’s “Values Voters Summit” in Washington D.C. this past weekend: they are all wonderfully nice people. They may view homosexuals as abominations of nature; they may want to run the United States based on biblical dictates; and they may see immigrants as a corruption of American culture, but they will wish God’s blessing upon you a million times over.</p>
<p>As a reporter from Mother Jones at the event, I needed all the blessings I could get. My employer was a constant source of amusement to the attendees I spoke with.</p>
<p>“Who are you with?” asked a heavy-set attendee from Texas who I chatted with outside a Sam Brownback book signing.</p>
<p>“Mother Jones magazine,” I said. “It’s a national magazine covering prog—”</p>
<p>He cut me off before I could finish. “I read Mother Jones in college,” he said, grinning. “Back when I was around your age, I believe. What did Winston Churchill say? ‘A young man who is not a liberal is heartless, an old man who is not a conservative….'” He started laughing. I started laughing. Turns out, the end of the quote is “is an idiot” or “is a fool”—the <a href="http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=112" type="external">Churchill Centre</a> says the quote is a false attribution, so end it however you please.</p>
<p>Later, as I was perusing books like Last Days Madness and The Criminalization of Christianity, a skinny man standing nearby spotted my press pass and made a beeline in my direction. “Can I introduce you to a candidate?” he asked, pressing a piece of campaign literature into my hand. “Daniel Gilbert, a fourth-tier candidate who believes ordinary citizens should run against professional politicians and win. A strong conservative.” I paused to read the handout, but hadn’t gotten past the quote “I love America” before the man asked me what news outlet I was with.</p>
<p>“Mother Jones,” I said.</p>
<p>“Oh, Mother Jones! This must be a weird environment for someone from Mother Jones.”</p>
<p>I laughed good-naturedly. Previously, I had been warned by an attendee that coastal areas like San Francisco and Massachusetts were declining into “hedonism.” Mother Jones, the skinny man’s tone implied, was ushering that descent. I smiled at the man and said, “I left my liberal media membership card at home.”</p>
<p>“That’s probably a good idea,” he responded, chuckling. I tucked the handout in my bag (next to a “Jihad in America” pamphlet with a picture of a knife-wielding Muslim boy) and said goodbye. He may have said “God bless you” as I left. Most everyone did.</p>
<p>The highlight of my weekend came when I took a seat next to a pair of elderly ladies named Alice and Jayne, from Virginia and West Virginia respectively, asking both of them if they had a favorite candidate. Sam Brownback, said an unhappy-looking Alice.</p>
<p>“Are you disappointed he dropped out?” I asked.</p>
<p>“Yes and no,” she said. “He’s such a wonderful senator. I’m happy he’ll be back there. And I believe he has done what he was supposed to do as far as being a candidate. He has been a strong candidate for God’s principles. He has spoken truth.” As I jotted down her comments, she looked at my notebook and repeated, “He has spoken truth.” Duly noted.</p>
<p>I turned to Jayne. “Have you selected a candidate?” I asked.</p>
<p>“I just don’t know. That’s why we’re here,” she said, gesturing around the room. “We hear them all, and then we pray and ask God what to do.”</p>
<p>“God tells you who to vote for?” I asked.</p>
<p>She nodded forcefully. “You pray and say, ‘God, what’s truth?’ And he tells us,” she said, adding, “We’re sensitive. That’s why we pray.”</p>
<p>“And He’s after you,” said Alice. I looked up to find her staring me directly in the eye. “He’s raising up a strong new generation. He’s after young men like you.”</p>
<p>I blushed and laughed politely. Avoiding eye contact, I started writing again.</p>
<p>“You seek truth, don’t you?” asked Alice. I kept writing furiously. She waited until I glanced up again. “Don’t you?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” I said, which was true enough, regardless of my views on faith.</p>
<p>“Then you just ask God, ‘Is this truth?’ And he will tell you. You’re open to the truth, aren’t you?” I kept writing, hoping she wouldn’t be interested in converting the top of my head to the Christian faith. She waited until I made eye contact again. She was determined. “Aren’t you?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” I muttered.</p>
<p>“I love you,” she said abruptly, but with a clear voice. I stared at her. I contemplated saying that I loved her too, but didn’t.</p>
<p>“You know what that is?” asked Jayne. “That’s God’s love. God loves you, and we love you through Him. You don’t get that kind of love anywhere else.”</p>
<p>“Now wait a minute,” I said. “Yes, I do. From my family.”</p>
<p>“Ah, your mom and dad?” said Jayne. “They’ll let you down.”</p>
<p>“I know I’ve let my kids down from time to time,” added Alice.</p>
<p>What to do? Defend my parents in the face of two God-loving and very polite old ladies who were going to insist, as a matter of faith, that my mother and father would someday betray me? “But I’ll forgive my parents if they let me down,” I said.</p>
<p>“Ah! You’re on the right track!” squealed Alice. For some reason, my response pleased her greatly.</p>
<p>“You’re on the right track,” concurred Jayne.</p>
<p>“Thanks very much folks,” I said, reaching out to shake hands. “Have fun this weekend.”</p>
<p>“God bless you,” said Jayne, grasping my hand.</p>
<p>“God bless you,” said Alice, with a wide smile.</p>
<p>They sure were nice.</p>
<p>(My coverage of the “Values Voters Summit” can be found in parts <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5860_live_from_the_m.html" type="external">1</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5861_tancredo.html" type="external">2</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5862_thompson.html" type="external">3</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5867_duncan_hunter_i.html" type="external">4</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5866_american_stool.html" type="external">5</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5875_romney_makes_hi.html" type="external">6</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5877_rudy_giuliani.html" type="external">7</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5879_huckabee_fever.html" type="external">8</a>, and <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5880_family_research.html" type="external">9</a>.)</p>
<p /> | God Bless You, Jonathan Stein | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/10/god-bless-you-jonathan-stein/ | 2007-10-22 | 4left
| God Bless You, Jonathan Stein
<p />
<p>There’s one thing that can’t be disputed about the evangelicals who attended the Family Research Council’s “Values Voters Summit” in Washington D.C. this past weekend: they are all wonderfully nice people. They may view homosexuals as abominations of nature; they may want to run the United States based on biblical dictates; and they may see immigrants as a corruption of American culture, but they will wish God’s blessing upon you a million times over.</p>
<p>As a reporter from Mother Jones at the event, I needed all the blessings I could get. My employer was a constant source of amusement to the attendees I spoke with.</p>
<p>“Who are you with?” asked a heavy-set attendee from Texas who I chatted with outside a Sam Brownback book signing.</p>
<p>“Mother Jones magazine,” I said. “It’s a national magazine covering prog—”</p>
<p>He cut me off before I could finish. “I read Mother Jones in college,” he said, grinning. “Back when I was around your age, I believe. What did Winston Churchill say? ‘A young man who is not a liberal is heartless, an old man who is not a conservative….'” He started laughing. I started laughing. Turns out, the end of the quote is “is an idiot” or “is a fool”—the <a href="http://www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=112" type="external">Churchill Centre</a> says the quote is a false attribution, so end it however you please.</p>
<p>Later, as I was perusing books like Last Days Madness and The Criminalization of Christianity, a skinny man standing nearby spotted my press pass and made a beeline in my direction. “Can I introduce you to a candidate?” he asked, pressing a piece of campaign literature into my hand. “Daniel Gilbert, a fourth-tier candidate who believes ordinary citizens should run against professional politicians and win. A strong conservative.” I paused to read the handout, but hadn’t gotten past the quote “I love America” before the man asked me what news outlet I was with.</p>
<p>“Mother Jones,” I said.</p>
<p>“Oh, Mother Jones! This must be a weird environment for someone from Mother Jones.”</p>
<p>I laughed good-naturedly. Previously, I had been warned by an attendee that coastal areas like San Francisco and Massachusetts were declining into “hedonism.” Mother Jones, the skinny man’s tone implied, was ushering that descent. I smiled at the man and said, “I left my liberal media membership card at home.”</p>
<p>“That’s probably a good idea,” he responded, chuckling. I tucked the handout in my bag (next to a “Jihad in America” pamphlet with a picture of a knife-wielding Muslim boy) and said goodbye. He may have said “God bless you” as I left. Most everyone did.</p>
<p>The highlight of my weekend came when I took a seat next to a pair of elderly ladies named Alice and Jayne, from Virginia and West Virginia respectively, asking both of them if they had a favorite candidate. Sam Brownback, said an unhappy-looking Alice.</p>
<p>“Are you disappointed he dropped out?” I asked.</p>
<p>“Yes and no,” she said. “He’s such a wonderful senator. I’m happy he’ll be back there. And I believe he has done what he was supposed to do as far as being a candidate. He has been a strong candidate for God’s principles. He has spoken truth.” As I jotted down her comments, she looked at my notebook and repeated, “He has spoken truth.” Duly noted.</p>
<p>I turned to Jayne. “Have you selected a candidate?” I asked.</p>
<p>“I just don’t know. That’s why we’re here,” she said, gesturing around the room. “We hear them all, and then we pray and ask God what to do.”</p>
<p>“God tells you who to vote for?” I asked.</p>
<p>She nodded forcefully. “You pray and say, ‘God, what’s truth?’ And he tells us,” she said, adding, “We’re sensitive. That’s why we pray.”</p>
<p>“And He’s after you,” said Alice. I looked up to find her staring me directly in the eye. “He’s raising up a strong new generation. He’s after young men like you.”</p>
<p>I blushed and laughed politely. Avoiding eye contact, I started writing again.</p>
<p>“You seek truth, don’t you?” asked Alice. I kept writing furiously. She waited until I glanced up again. “Don’t you?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” I said, which was true enough, regardless of my views on faith.</p>
<p>“Then you just ask God, ‘Is this truth?’ And he will tell you. You’re open to the truth, aren’t you?” I kept writing, hoping she wouldn’t be interested in converting the top of my head to the Christian faith. She waited until I made eye contact again. She was determined. “Aren’t you?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” I muttered.</p>
<p>“I love you,” she said abruptly, but with a clear voice. I stared at her. I contemplated saying that I loved her too, but didn’t.</p>
<p>“You know what that is?” asked Jayne. “That’s God’s love. God loves you, and we love you through Him. You don’t get that kind of love anywhere else.”</p>
<p>“Now wait a minute,” I said. “Yes, I do. From my family.”</p>
<p>“Ah, your mom and dad?” said Jayne. “They’ll let you down.”</p>
<p>“I know I’ve let my kids down from time to time,” added Alice.</p>
<p>What to do? Defend my parents in the face of two God-loving and very polite old ladies who were going to insist, as a matter of faith, that my mother and father would someday betray me? “But I’ll forgive my parents if they let me down,” I said.</p>
<p>“Ah! You’re on the right track!” squealed Alice. For some reason, my response pleased her greatly.</p>
<p>“You’re on the right track,” concurred Jayne.</p>
<p>“Thanks very much folks,” I said, reaching out to shake hands. “Have fun this weekend.”</p>
<p>“God bless you,” said Jayne, grasping my hand.</p>
<p>“God bless you,” said Alice, with a wide smile.</p>
<p>They sure were nice.</p>
<p>(My coverage of the “Values Voters Summit” can be found in parts <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5860_live_from_the_m.html" type="external">1</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5861_tancredo.html" type="external">2</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5862_thompson.html" type="external">3</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5867_duncan_hunter_i.html" type="external">4</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5866_american_stool.html" type="external">5</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5875_romney_makes_hi.html" type="external">6</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5877_rudy_giuliani.html" type="external">7</a>, <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5879_huckabee_fever.html" type="external">8</a>, and <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2007/10/5880_family_research.html" type="external">9</a>.)</p>
<p /> | 599,485 |
<p>When it's the 4th of July and you get a call complaining about a neighborhood street that was blocked off to celebrate America's birthday, what do you do? Well, if you're a police officer in Asheville, North Carolina, you make the kids day by rafting down the make-shift slip-n'-slide with them!</p>
<p>According to <a href="http://wlos.com/news/local/asheville-police-respond-to-call-end-up-joining-in-on-neighborhood-4th-of-july-party" type="external">WLOS</a>:</p>
<p>Resident Katlen Joyce Smith tells News 13, the neighborhood has over 20 kids in a 4 block area. For fun, every year, the neighborhood gets together for a 4th of July block party.</p>
<p>This year, the neighborhood adults built a giant slide for young and old to enjoy.</p>
<p>Apparently, not all the neighbors were excited about the street being blocked off and contacted authorities.</p>
<p>The responding officers, after stressing safety and addressing the neighbors concerns, ended up joining in on the fun!</p>
<p>The police department hilariously responded to WLOS' tweet with:</p>
<p>Thankfully, no tickets or citations were issued.</p> | 4th Of July Fun: Cops Respond To Party Complaint. End Up On The Water Slide With The Kiddos! | true | https://dailywire.com/news/18256/4th-july-fun-cop-responds-party-complaint-ends-chase-stephens | 2017-07-04 | 0right
| 4th Of July Fun: Cops Respond To Party Complaint. End Up On The Water Slide With The Kiddos!
<p>When it's the 4th of July and you get a call complaining about a neighborhood street that was blocked off to celebrate America's birthday, what do you do? Well, if you're a police officer in Asheville, North Carolina, you make the kids day by rafting down the make-shift slip-n'-slide with them!</p>
<p>According to <a href="http://wlos.com/news/local/asheville-police-respond-to-call-end-up-joining-in-on-neighborhood-4th-of-july-party" type="external">WLOS</a>:</p>
<p>Resident Katlen Joyce Smith tells News 13, the neighborhood has over 20 kids in a 4 block area. For fun, every year, the neighborhood gets together for a 4th of July block party.</p>
<p>This year, the neighborhood adults built a giant slide for young and old to enjoy.</p>
<p>Apparently, not all the neighbors were excited about the street being blocked off and contacted authorities.</p>
<p>The responding officers, after stressing safety and addressing the neighbors concerns, ended up joining in on the fun!</p>
<p>The police department hilariously responded to WLOS' tweet with:</p>
<p>Thankfully, no tickets or citations were issued.</p> | 599,486 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A hazardous weather outlook issued by the National Weather Service for Monday warns of dangerous fire conditions in northern and central New Mexico.</p>
<p>The warning will be in effect from noon to 9 p.m. MDT and is the result of single-digit humidity levels and gusty winds.</p>
<p>Forecasters in Albuquerque say the most critical fire conditions are expected from the central highlands to the northeast plains.</p>
<p>More strong winds are expected from a strong cold front that is expected to move through the Four Corners region by early evening and advance eastward Monday night and Tuesday morning.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Warning issued on New Mexico fire conditions | false | https://abqjournal.com/370119/warning-issued-on-new-mexico-fire-conditions.html | 2least
| Warning issued on New Mexico fire conditions
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A hazardous weather outlook issued by the National Weather Service for Monday warns of dangerous fire conditions in northern and central New Mexico.</p>
<p>The warning will be in effect from noon to 9 p.m. MDT and is the result of single-digit humidity levels and gusty winds.</p>
<p>Forecasters in Albuquerque say the most critical fire conditions are expected from the central highlands to the northeast plains.</p>
<p>More strong winds are expected from a strong cold front that is expected to move through the Four Corners region by early evening and advance eastward Monday night and Tuesday morning.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 599,487 |
|
<p>Sept. 2 (UPI) — The NBA regular season is still more than a month away, but <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New-York-Knicks/" type="external">New York Knicks</a> star Kristaps Porzingis is showing off for team Latvia.</p>
<p>Porzingis displayed the versatility that granted him the nickname “Unicorn” Friday in a showing for the Latvians against Serbia in EuroBasket 17.</p>
<p>Serbia won the Group D match 92-82.</p>
<p>But Porzingis took over in the second quarter. Latvia led the game 24-23 with nine minutes left in the frame when the Latvian big man blocked a shot. He jogged down the court at the back of the break and stepped right into a long 3-point attempt. After draining the shot, Porzingis got another block against the Serbians.</p>
<p>On the ensuing possession, he spotted up for another 3-pointer, before faking the shot. He then ducked inside and drove to the hoop before throwing down a two-handed slam over a Serbian defender.</p>
<p>Porzingis had 18 points and three rebounds in the loss. The 7-foot-3, 240 pounder scored a career-high 18.1 points and had 7.2 rebounds per game in 66 games last season for the Knicks. Porzingis is due $4.5 million this season. He has a team option for $5.6 million in 2018 and a qualifying offer of $7.5 million in 2019 before he becomes a restricted free agent.</p>
<p>Porzingis poured in 27 points and had six rebounds and two assists Saturday in Latvia’s 92-64 throttling of Belgium at Fenerbahce Arena in Istanbul.</p> | Kristaps Porzingis: New York Knicks star blocks shot, hits 3, goes in for dunk for Latvian squad | false | https://newsline.com/kristaps-porzingis-new-york-knicks-star-blocks-shot-hits-3-goes-in-for-dunk-for-latvian-squad/ | 2017-09-02 | 1right-center
| Kristaps Porzingis: New York Knicks star blocks shot, hits 3, goes in for dunk for Latvian squad
<p>Sept. 2 (UPI) — The NBA regular season is still more than a month away, but <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/New-York-Knicks/" type="external">New York Knicks</a> star Kristaps Porzingis is showing off for team Latvia.</p>
<p>Porzingis displayed the versatility that granted him the nickname “Unicorn” Friday in a showing for the Latvians against Serbia in EuroBasket 17.</p>
<p>Serbia won the Group D match 92-82.</p>
<p>But Porzingis took over in the second quarter. Latvia led the game 24-23 with nine minutes left in the frame when the Latvian big man blocked a shot. He jogged down the court at the back of the break and stepped right into a long 3-point attempt. After draining the shot, Porzingis got another block against the Serbians.</p>
<p>On the ensuing possession, he spotted up for another 3-pointer, before faking the shot. He then ducked inside and drove to the hoop before throwing down a two-handed slam over a Serbian defender.</p>
<p>Porzingis had 18 points and three rebounds in the loss. The 7-foot-3, 240 pounder scored a career-high 18.1 points and had 7.2 rebounds per game in 66 games last season for the Knicks. Porzingis is due $4.5 million this season. He has a team option for $5.6 million in 2018 and a qualifying offer of $7.5 million in 2019 before he becomes a restricted free agent.</p>
<p>Porzingis poured in 27 points and had six rebounds and two assists Saturday in Latvia’s 92-64 throttling of Belgium at Fenerbahce Arena in Istanbul.</p> | 599,488 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>A Voting Rights Act complaint submitted Thursday to the U.S. Justice Department in Los Angeles goes to a politically delicate subject that states have grappled with over the years: Where is the line to disqualify someone from the voting booth because of a cognitive or developmental impairment?</p>
<p>The complaint by the Disability and Abuse Project argues that intellectual and developmental disabilities, including conditions such as Down syndrome, are not automatic barriers to participating in elections.</p>
<p>It seeks a sweeping review of voting eligibility in Los Angeles County in such cases, arguing that thousands of people with those disabilities have lost the right to vote during the last decade.</p>
<p>“If somebody can articulate in whatever way … that they want to vote, that they have an interest in voting, that’s the only test that should be applied nationwide,” Thomas F. Coleman, the group’s legal director, said at a news conference outside the federal courthouse, echoing a recommendation from the American Bar Association.</p>
<p>At issue in the California case is access to the ballot box for adults who enter so-called limited conservatorships, legal arrangements in which parents or guardians assume the right to make certain decisions for people who lack the ability to manage their financial and medical affairs. In the course of taking that step in court, voting rights are routinely voided, according to the advocacy group.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>California has over 40,000 such cases, and those covered by the arrangements usually live with their families or in group homes.</p>
<p>A recent sample of 61 cases by the advocacy group in Los Angeles County found that 90 percent of the people covered by limited conservatorships had been disqualified from voting.</p>
<p>The complaint says judges in Los Angeles Superior Court use literacy tests to determine if adults in limited conservatorships should have voting rights, a violation of the federal Voting Rights Act.</p>
<p />
<p /> | Activists say disabled denied voting rights | false | https://abqjournal.com/427790/activists-say-disabled-denied-voting-rights.html | 2least
| Activists say disabled denied voting rights
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>A Voting Rights Act complaint submitted Thursday to the U.S. Justice Department in Los Angeles goes to a politically delicate subject that states have grappled with over the years: Where is the line to disqualify someone from the voting booth because of a cognitive or developmental impairment?</p>
<p>The complaint by the Disability and Abuse Project argues that intellectual and developmental disabilities, including conditions such as Down syndrome, are not automatic barriers to participating in elections.</p>
<p>It seeks a sweeping review of voting eligibility in Los Angeles County in such cases, arguing that thousands of people with those disabilities have lost the right to vote during the last decade.</p>
<p>“If somebody can articulate in whatever way … that they want to vote, that they have an interest in voting, that’s the only test that should be applied nationwide,” Thomas F. Coleman, the group’s legal director, said at a news conference outside the federal courthouse, echoing a recommendation from the American Bar Association.</p>
<p>At issue in the California case is access to the ballot box for adults who enter so-called limited conservatorships, legal arrangements in which parents or guardians assume the right to make certain decisions for people who lack the ability to manage their financial and medical affairs. In the course of taking that step in court, voting rights are routinely voided, according to the advocacy group.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>California has over 40,000 such cases, and those covered by the arrangements usually live with their families or in group homes.</p>
<p>A recent sample of 61 cases by the advocacy group in Los Angeles County found that 90 percent of the people covered by limited conservatorships had been disqualified from voting.</p>
<p>The complaint says judges in Los Angeles Superior Court use literacy tests to determine if adults in limited conservatorships should have voting rights, a violation of the federal Voting Rights Act.</p>
<p />
<p /> | 599,489 |
|
<p />
<p>A FUNCTIONING SENATE: Maine Senate hopeful Angus King is running as an independent and has yet to decide who he will caucus with. "My principal issue is the functioning of the Senate," King says. "I'm not arrogant or naive enough to think that one guy from Maine is going to be able to fundamentally change this structure, but I do think you've got to start somewhere, and I do think I can be a catalyst for it."&#160; <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-06-15/maine-candidate-king/55675188/1" type="external">Susan Davis for&#160;USA Today: Maine candidate: Don't assume party affiliation.&#160;</a></p>
<p>TOP CONCERNS: The economy, jobs and the deficit are the top concerns of independent voters, Linda Killian writes. As both parties continue to appeal to their bases the center of American politics is left unrepresented, she says:&#160; <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/stuck_in_the_middle_zLeJwJDntWt9jS3VRaYXfK" type="external">Linda Killian for&#160;The New York Post: Stuck in the middle</a></p>
<p>GOOD AND EVIL:&#160;Some members of Congress are leaving the body because they're fed up with the gridlock. "'Kent Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat who heads the Senate Budget Committee, said he realized it was “time for me to leave” when a senior colleague told him 'your problem, Conrad, is you’re too solutions-oriented. You’ve never understood this is political theater.'"&#160; <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-18/u-dot-s-dot-lawmakers-head-to-exits-as-partisanship-trumps-legislating" type="external">James Rowley for&#160;Businessweek: U.S. Lawmakers Head to Exits as Partisanship Trumps Legislating</a></p>
<p>FARM BILL APPROVED: In a rare sign today of putting problem-solving before party, senators on Monday came to a bipartisan agreement on the farm bill that will likely allow the bill to pass the chamber some time this week. Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and ranking-Republican Pat Roberts were able to rally their respective sides to support the bill, in a sign of the good that can happen when both parties work together to find common ground.&#160; <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77550.html" type="external">David Rogers for&#160;POLITICO: Big breakthrough on farm bill</a></p>
<p>REJECTING CYNICISM:&#160;Newark Mayor and No Labels supporter Cory Booker spoke at the Stanford University Commencement over the weekend. He urged graduates to reject the political cynicism of today and instead "take the more difficult road" in life.&#160; <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkG03_BfRpk&amp;feature=player_embedded" type="external">Click here to watch Booker's address.</a></p>
<p>ACTION OF THE DAY:&#160; <a href="http://goog_1679039332/" type="external">Click here to check out the No Labels Facebook Action Center</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NoLabels/app_378015658906883" type="external">&#160;to help build the movement.</a>&#160;NOTE: This link will not work for mobile devices.</p>
<p>STAT OF THE DAY: Come 2013, roughly half of state lawmakers could have two years or less of experience:&#160; <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-06-14/state-legislatures-turnover/55675528/1" type="external">Chuck Raasch for&#160;USA TODAY: State lawmakers short on experience</a></p>
<p>Written &amp; edited by&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Collin Berglund</a>,&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Lauren Gilbert</a>,&#160; <a href="" type="internal">John Thornburgh</a>&#160;and&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Jack McCullough</a></p>
<p>Tips, questions or ideas? Email the Problem-Solver's Daily team at&#160; <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a>&#160;or tweet at us ( <a href="" type="internal">@nolabelsorg</a>).</p> | Angus King hopes to be a catalyst for a functioning government | false | https://nolabels.org/blog/angus-king-hopes-to-be-a-catalyst-for-a-functioning-government/ | 2012-06-19 | 2least
| Angus King hopes to be a catalyst for a functioning government
<p />
<p>A FUNCTIONING SENATE: Maine Senate hopeful Angus King is running as an independent and has yet to decide who he will caucus with. "My principal issue is the functioning of the Senate," King says. "I'm not arrogant or naive enough to think that one guy from Maine is going to be able to fundamentally change this structure, but I do think you've got to start somewhere, and I do think I can be a catalyst for it."&#160; <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-06-15/maine-candidate-king/55675188/1" type="external">Susan Davis for&#160;USA Today: Maine candidate: Don't assume party affiliation.&#160;</a></p>
<p>TOP CONCERNS: The economy, jobs and the deficit are the top concerns of independent voters, Linda Killian writes. As both parties continue to appeal to their bases the center of American politics is left unrepresented, she says:&#160; <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/stuck_in_the_middle_zLeJwJDntWt9jS3VRaYXfK" type="external">Linda Killian for&#160;The New York Post: Stuck in the middle</a></p>
<p>GOOD AND EVIL:&#160;Some members of Congress are leaving the body because they're fed up with the gridlock. "'Kent Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat who heads the Senate Budget Committee, said he realized it was “time for me to leave” when a senior colleague told him 'your problem, Conrad, is you’re too solutions-oriented. You’ve never understood this is political theater.'"&#160; <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-18/u-dot-s-dot-lawmakers-head-to-exits-as-partisanship-trumps-legislating" type="external">James Rowley for&#160;Businessweek: U.S. Lawmakers Head to Exits as Partisanship Trumps Legislating</a></p>
<p>FARM BILL APPROVED: In a rare sign today of putting problem-solving before party, senators on Monday came to a bipartisan agreement on the farm bill that will likely allow the bill to pass the chamber some time this week. Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and ranking-Republican Pat Roberts were able to rally their respective sides to support the bill, in a sign of the good that can happen when both parties work together to find common ground.&#160; <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77550.html" type="external">David Rogers for&#160;POLITICO: Big breakthrough on farm bill</a></p>
<p>REJECTING CYNICISM:&#160;Newark Mayor and No Labels supporter Cory Booker spoke at the Stanford University Commencement over the weekend. He urged graduates to reject the political cynicism of today and instead "take the more difficult road" in life.&#160; <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkG03_BfRpk&amp;feature=player_embedded" type="external">Click here to watch Booker's address.</a></p>
<p>ACTION OF THE DAY:&#160; <a href="http://goog_1679039332/" type="external">Click here to check out the No Labels Facebook Action Center</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NoLabels/app_378015658906883" type="external">&#160;to help build the movement.</a>&#160;NOTE: This link will not work for mobile devices.</p>
<p>STAT OF THE DAY: Come 2013, roughly half of state lawmakers could have two years or less of experience:&#160; <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012-06-14/state-legislatures-turnover/55675528/1" type="external">Chuck Raasch for&#160;USA TODAY: State lawmakers short on experience</a></p>
<p>Written &amp; edited by&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Collin Berglund</a>,&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Lauren Gilbert</a>,&#160; <a href="" type="internal">John Thornburgh</a>&#160;and&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Jack McCullough</a></p>
<p>Tips, questions or ideas? Email the Problem-Solver's Daily team at&#160; <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a>&#160;or tweet at us ( <a href="" type="internal">@nolabelsorg</a>).</p> | 599,490 |
<p>U.S. airlines American Airlines and American Eagle said on Sunday they will be suspending operations at a number of airports in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions due to severe weather from Hurricane Sandy.</p>
<p>The shutdown starts from late on Sunday and would last until about midday on Wednesday, the airlines said.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The companies said it was also possible additional delays might be seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and some scheduled flights might be canceled beyond Wednesday.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by Robert Birsel)</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | American Airlines suspends operations due to Hurricane Sandy | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2012/10/28/american-airlines-suspends-operations-due-to-hurricane-sandy.html | 2016-01-26 | 0right
| American Airlines suspends operations due to Hurricane Sandy
<p>U.S. airlines American Airlines and American Eagle said on Sunday they will be suspending operations at a number of airports in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions due to severe weather from Hurricane Sandy.</p>
<p>The shutdown starts from late on Sunday and would last until about midday on Wednesday, the airlines said.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The companies said it was also possible additional delays might be seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and some scheduled flights might be canceled beyond Wednesday.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by Robert Birsel)</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | 599,491 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>• Good Shepherd Center, 218 Iron SW, “Thanksgiving Brunch,” 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. About 300 people expected.</p>
<p>• Joy Junction, 4500 Second SW, “Traditional Thanksgiving Feast,” 2 to 4 p.m. Expect up to 300 guests.</p>
<p>• La Mesa Presbyterian Church, 7401 Copper NE, Thanksgiving Day meal and clothing giveaway, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Expect 900 for sitdown meal, and deliveries to an additional 700 homebound people.</p>
<p>• Project Share, 1515 Yale SE, serving from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Expect 200 guests.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>• St. Felix Pantry, serving at McDonald’s, 1390 Rio Rancho Blvd., from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Store closed to regular restaurant business until 5 p.m. Anticipate 800 guests.</p>
<p>• St. Martin’s Hospitality Center, 1115 Third NW, serving non-traditional Thanksgiving morning meal of green chile enchiladas, 8-11 a.m. Expect 300-400 guests.</p>
<p>• Salvation Army, 501 Broadway SE, serving from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also holding a winter clothing giveaway. Expect 900 on-site guests and another 200 meals prepared for homebound people.</p> | Thanksgiving meals offered around town | false | https://abqjournal.com/502463/thanksgiving-meals-offered-around-town-journal-staff-report.html | 2least
| Thanksgiving meals offered around town
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>• Good Shepherd Center, 218 Iron SW, “Thanksgiving Brunch,” 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. About 300 people expected.</p>
<p>• Joy Junction, 4500 Second SW, “Traditional Thanksgiving Feast,” 2 to 4 p.m. Expect up to 300 guests.</p>
<p>• La Mesa Presbyterian Church, 7401 Copper NE, Thanksgiving Day meal and clothing giveaway, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Expect 900 for sitdown meal, and deliveries to an additional 700 homebound people.</p>
<p>• Project Share, 1515 Yale SE, serving from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Expect 200 guests.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>• St. Felix Pantry, serving at McDonald’s, 1390 Rio Rancho Blvd., from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Store closed to regular restaurant business until 5 p.m. Anticipate 800 guests.</p>
<p>• St. Martin’s Hospitality Center, 1115 Third NW, serving non-traditional Thanksgiving morning meal of green chile enchiladas, 8-11 a.m. Expect 300-400 guests.</p>
<p>• Salvation Army, 501 Broadway SE, serving from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also holding a winter clothing giveaway. Expect 900 on-site guests and another 200 meals prepared for homebound people.</p> | 599,492 |
|
<p>By Robert Dilday</p>
<p>A celebration of South African culture — and the country’s remarkable transformation into “the rainbow nation” — highlighted the opening session of the Baptist World Congress July 22 in a colorful display of music and dance.</p>
<p>The five-day Congress in Durban, the first time the meeting has been held in Africa, has drawn more than 2,500 people from about 80 countries to this city on the Indian Ocean.</p>
<p>“We welcome you to the rainbow nation,” said Michael Mabuyakhulu, an official of KwaZulu-Natal province, referring to the country’s adopted nickname that reflects its diversity of ethnicities and languages.</p>
<p>African dancers, a Korean children’s choir and contemporary Christian praise bands joined keynote speaker Peter Chin, a South Korean pastor, to interpret the Congress theme, “Jesus Christ, the Door.”</p>
<p>Earlier, BWA leaders said South African’s recent history — its transformation from an oppressive apartheid regime to a multicultural democracy, with forgiveness and reconciliation as key drivers of the largely peaceful change – set an appropriate context for the Congress.</p>
<p>Especially meaningful, they said, was the southern African concept of Ubuntu, often translated as “human-ness” or “humanity toward others” and described as a belief in a “universal bond of sharing which connects humanity.”</p>
<p>The congress theme is “being received in the perspective of Ubuntu,” BWA General Secretary Neville Callam said. “We have come to see this spirit manifested in Ubuntu. In seeking to probe the depths of the riches of Jesus, we are going beyond our own narrow ecclesiological confines and thinking of the world in which God placed us, a world of many different religions and ideologies.”</p>
<p>Meeting in South Africa is “so absolutely enthralling and inspiring,” Callam said. “It will fill our conference with … a feeling that we should concern ourselves with the welfare of others, seek ways we can be for others what we want others to be for us, that the welfare of one is a concern of all, that the destiny of one is bound up in the destiny of all.”</p>
<p>Outgoing BWA president John Upton noted that “humans are experts at building walls,” but added: “Jesus Christ knocks down the dividing walls and he does it with the cross. “</p>
<p>“As we [the BWA] live into the next five years, what does it mean that Jesus knocks down dividing walls?” he said. “I look forward to seeing what that could possibly mean. It’s going to be an exciting five years. And that conversation could only begin here in South Africa.”</p> | South African culture featured in BWA congress opening | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/south-african-culture-featured-in-bwa-congress-opening/ | 3left-center
| South African culture featured in BWA congress opening
<p>By Robert Dilday</p>
<p>A celebration of South African culture — and the country’s remarkable transformation into “the rainbow nation” — highlighted the opening session of the Baptist World Congress July 22 in a colorful display of music and dance.</p>
<p>The five-day Congress in Durban, the first time the meeting has been held in Africa, has drawn more than 2,500 people from about 80 countries to this city on the Indian Ocean.</p>
<p>“We welcome you to the rainbow nation,” said Michael Mabuyakhulu, an official of KwaZulu-Natal province, referring to the country’s adopted nickname that reflects its diversity of ethnicities and languages.</p>
<p>African dancers, a Korean children’s choir and contemporary Christian praise bands joined keynote speaker Peter Chin, a South Korean pastor, to interpret the Congress theme, “Jesus Christ, the Door.”</p>
<p>Earlier, BWA leaders said South African’s recent history — its transformation from an oppressive apartheid regime to a multicultural democracy, with forgiveness and reconciliation as key drivers of the largely peaceful change – set an appropriate context for the Congress.</p>
<p>Especially meaningful, they said, was the southern African concept of Ubuntu, often translated as “human-ness” or “humanity toward others” and described as a belief in a “universal bond of sharing which connects humanity.”</p>
<p>The congress theme is “being received in the perspective of Ubuntu,” BWA General Secretary Neville Callam said. “We have come to see this spirit manifested in Ubuntu. In seeking to probe the depths of the riches of Jesus, we are going beyond our own narrow ecclesiological confines and thinking of the world in which God placed us, a world of many different religions and ideologies.”</p>
<p>Meeting in South Africa is “so absolutely enthralling and inspiring,” Callam said. “It will fill our conference with … a feeling that we should concern ourselves with the welfare of others, seek ways we can be for others what we want others to be for us, that the welfare of one is a concern of all, that the destiny of one is bound up in the destiny of all.”</p>
<p>Outgoing BWA president John Upton noted that “humans are experts at building walls,” but added: “Jesus Christ knocks down the dividing walls and he does it with the cross. “</p>
<p>“As we [the BWA] live into the next five years, what does it mean that Jesus knocks down dividing walls?” he said. “I look forward to seeing what that could possibly mean. It’s going to be an exciting five years. And that conversation could only begin here in South Africa.”</p> | 599,493 |
|
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p>The Las Vegas Police Department has just released bodycam video of a shooting that took place around 1pm Tuesday.</p>
<p />
<p>The officer was responding to an attempted carjacking call when he encountered the suspect wielding a knife in a parking lot of 4111 North Rancho Drive.</p>
<p />
<p>27-year-old Caleb Blaylock, was armed with a 10-inch knife. The officer can be heard yelling at Blaylock, "stop!" The suspect not only failed to obey the officer's command, but lunged at the police car. And now he's dead.</p>
<p />
<p>Before getting justifiably shot, Blaylock used a hammer to assail his attempted carjacking victim.</p> | Graphic Video: Vegas PD Shoots Knife-Weilding Man Six Times | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/5198-Graphic-Video-Vegas-PD-Shoots-Knife-Weilding-Man-Six-Times | 2017-07-15 | 0right
| Graphic Video: Vegas PD Shoots Knife-Weilding Man Six Times
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p>The Las Vegas Police Department has just released bodycam video of a shooting that took place around 1pm Tuesday.</p>
<p />
<p>The officer was responding to an attempted carjacking call when he encountered the suspect wielding a knife in a parking lot of 4111 North Rancho Drive.</p>
<p />
<p>27-year-old Caleb Blaylock, was armed with a 10-inch knife. The officer can be heard yelling at Blaylock, "stop!" The suspect not only failed to obey the officer's command, but lunged at the police car. And now he's dead.</p>
<p />
<p>Before getting justifiably shot, Blaylock used a hammer to assail his attempted carjacking victim.</p> | 599,494 |
<p>Stocks on Wall Street <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/02/markets-stocks-idUSN1E7711ZJ20110802" type="external">tanked today</a>.</p>
<p>Here are the lowlights, as compiled by Reuters:</p>
<p>"It is going to be a long week," said Jim Maguire Jr., a NYSE floor trader at E.H. Smith Jacobs told Reuters. "The bid is not here in the market."</p>
<p>"Investors have made the shift from Washington to what I'm calling economic realities," added Fred Dickson, chief market strategist at The Davidson Cos. in Lake Oswego, Oregon.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/business-tech/110729/7-deadly-stories-us-economy-debt-ceiling-house-senate" type="external">Here's the real reason&#160;</a>why everyone on Wall Street is suddenly spooked.</p>
<p>It's the weakening U.S. economy, of course. And big parts of the rest of the world, too.&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p /> | Wall Street tanks: Here's why | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-08-02/wall-street-tanks-heres-why | 2011-08-02 | 3left-center
| Wall Street tanks: Here's why
<p>Stocks on Wall Street <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/02/markets-stocks-idUSN1E7711ZJ20110802" type="external">tanked today</a>.</p>
<p>Here are the lowlights, as compiled by Reuters:</p>
<p>"It is going to be a long week," said Jim Maguire Jr., a NYSE floor trader at E.H. Smith Jacobs told Reuters. "The bid is not here in the market."</p>
<p>"Investors have made the shift from Washington to what I'm calling economic realities," added Fred Dickson, chief market strategist at The Davidson Cos. in Lake Oswego, Oregon.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/business-tech/110729/7-deadly-stories-us-economy-debt-ceiling-house-senate" type="external">Here's the real reason&#160;</a>why everyone on Wall Street is suddenly spooked.</p>
<p>It's the weakening U.S. economy, of course. And big parts of the rest of the world, too.&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p /> | 599,495 |
<p>[Editor’s note: During August, Catalyst Chicago is featuring op-eds from our archives that relate to current news in the education world. This column on one young black man’s experience with school discipline disparity is from our 2009 Catalyst In Depth, “Reaching Black Boys.”]&#160; From kindergarten to 4th grade, I had serious problems in school. It started the day I came home and told my father that Columbus had discovered America, something that I had just learned in school. Instead of being excited about my “good news,” he had a reality check for me.</p>
<p>The following weekend, my father took me to the Museum of Natural History and showed me a map and then explained the realities of Columbus’ journey.&#160; His story stood in stark contrast to the song my teacher had us singing in class with the lyrics, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” My father taught me that Columbus’ journey proved disastrous for the Taino people.</p>
<p>Once the lie was revealed, my 5-year-old mind told me teachers were no longer to be trusted.&#160; From then on, I was labeled a “problem.”</p>
<p>As a child, my family supported my questioning of authority despite how much I got in trouble for it. While no one in my immediate family was an activist or organizer, they always conveyed to me their sense of justice. In their view, if something wasn’t right, it was the duty and responsibility of the person experiencing the injustice to address the issue head-on. As long as I was respectful in the process, they approved of me speaking my mind.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the school I attended didn’t adhere to such beliefs.&#160; My sense of justice led to a career of trips to the office, talking back to teachers, and all sorts of disciplinary infractions. I became the one in class who “didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut.”</p>
<p>In the end, these experiences influenced my decision to become an educator. Working with schools over the last 18 years, teachers and administrators often approach me about their black male “problem.”&#160; As soon as I hear black male students referred to this way, I cringe.</p>
<p>In my 37 years of life, I’ve heard many claim they know how to solve the “problem” of being an African-American male, but few have attempted to get to know me—or other black males—personally, or to address systematically our issues and concerns.</p>
<p>Few have been bold enough to say that there was never a problem with me. The problem, rather, is society and the decisions I made when I didn’t understand the fallacy of conventional social perspectives on black males. Someone had to explain to me that when I had a raging fit because I felt mistreated, I was doing exactly what society expected me to do, what society is afraid I will do. In fact, when I physically reacted to unfair treatment, people in positions of power were provided greater leverage in rationalizing their decision to remove me from school.</p>
<p>Someone had to explain to me that teachers would respond more positively to me if, when I spoke up for myself, I organized my thoughts and actions to focus on changing my condition. For me, this happened in 4th grade when the teacher, Ms. Lester, told me that education is more than what happens in the classroom.&#160; To her, education was the sum total of the decisions I made in life to change my condition and the conscious decision to work collectively with others to change conditions in my community. These lessons stuck with me. Yet, for many black males, this may never happen.</p>
<p>There are some African-American male graduates of Chicago’s public schools who are able to make it through school relatively unscathed.&#160; Some move on to prominent positions in society and prove to be a success. Yet those achievements are individual. Those victories are reached in spite of the resources provided by Chicago Public Schools.&#160;</p>
<p>My concern is for the young African-American men who are never given a chance. These are the young people who are asked to learn under severely adverse conditions. In 2009, some schools still are without books in their libraries. Students are not allowed to take books home because educators fear loss or theft. Mobility is an issue for students whose homes or schools were demolished to make way for high-priced housing that their families cannot afford.&#160;</p>
<p>Statistics comparing the number of African-American males in schools to those in prison are harrowing.&#160; Almost 75 percent of African-American males in state, local or federal prison systems are illiterate.&#160; Eighty percent have not graduated high school. To effect lasting change for the benefit of black male students, we need to ask these questions:</p>
<p>We cannot make the mistake of treating African-American males as problems. Instead, we must be thoughtful in listening to their individual concerns and working with their families to address their specific situations. It is a lot of work, but our black male students are worth it.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Today, every time I see a young black male in the principal’s office, I reach out through eye contact and often say, “I know what you’re going through. Be strong.”&#160; To this day, we still don’t recognize their strengths.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>David Stovall is an&#160; associate professor of Educational Policy Studies/College of Education and African-American Studies/College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, at the University of Illinois at Chicago.</p> | Suspended because I ‘didn’t know when to keep [my] mouth shut’ | false | http://chicagoreporter.com/suspended-because-i-didnt-know-when-keep-my-mouth-shut/ | 2012-08-10 | 3left-center
| Suspended because I ‘didn’t know when to keep [my] mouth shut’
<p>[Editor’s note: During August, Catalyst Chicago is featuring op-eds from our archives that relate to current news in the education world. This column on one young black man’s experience with school discipline disparity is from our 2009 Catalyst In Depth, “Reaching Black Boys.”]&#160; From kindergarten to 4th grade, I had serious problems in school. It started the day I came home and told my father that Columbus had discovered America, something that I had just learned in school. Instead of being excited about my “good news,” he had a reality check for me.</p>
<p>The following weekend, my father took me to the Museum of Natural History and showed me a map and then explained the realities of Columbus’ journey.&#160; His story stood in stark contrast to the song my teacher had us singing in class with the lyrics, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” My father taught me that Columbus’ journey proved disastrous for the Taino people.</p>
<p>Once the lie was revealed, my 5-year-old mind told me teachers were no longer to be trusted.&#160; From then on, I was labeled a “problem.”</p>
<p>As a child, my family supported my questioning of authority despite how much I got in trouble for it. While no one in my immediate family was an activist or organizer, they always conveyed to me their sense of justice. In their view, if something wasn’t right, it was the duty and responsibility of the person experiencing the injustice to address the issue head-on. As long as I was respectful in the process, they approved of me speaking my mind.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the school I attended didn’t adhere to such beliefs.&#160; My sense of justice led to a career of trips to the office, talking back to teachers, and all sorts of disciplinary infractions. I became the one in class who “didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut.”</p>
<p>In the end, these experiences influenced my decision to become an educator. Working with schools over the last 18 years, teachers and administrators often approach me about their black male “problem.”&#160; As soon as I hear black male students referred to this way, I cringe.</p>
<p>In my 37 years of life, I’ve heard many claim they know how to solve the “problem” of being an African-American male, but few have attempted to get to know me—or other black males—personally, or to address systematically our issues and concerns.</p>
<p>Few have been bold enough to say that there was never a problem with me. The problem, rather, is society and the decisions I made when I didn’t understand the fallacy of conventional social perspectives on black males. Someone had to explain to me that when I had a raging fit because I felt mistreated, I was doing exactly what society expected me to do, what society is afraid I will do. In fact, when I physically reacted to unfair treatment, people in positions of power were provided greater leverage in rationalizing their decision to remove me from school.</p>
<p>Someone had to explain to me that teachers would respond more positively to me if, when I spoke up for myself, I organized my thoughts and actions to focus on changing my condition. For me, this happened in 4th grade when the teacher, Ms. Lester, told me that education is more than what happens in the classroom.&#160; To her, education was the sum total of the decisions I made in life to change my condition and the conscious decision to work collectively with others to change conditions in my community. These lessons stuck with me. Yet, for many black males, this may never happen.</p>
<p>There are some African-American male graduates of Chicago’s public schools who are able to make it through school relatively unscathed.&#160; Some move on to prominent positions in society and prove to be a success. Yet those achievements are individual. Those victories are reached in spite of the resources provided by Chicago Public Schools.&#160;</p>
<p>My concern is for the young African-American men who are never given a chance. These are the young people who are asked to learn under severely adverse conditions. In 2009, some schools still are without books in their libraries. Students are not allowed to take books home because educators fear loss or theft. Mobility is an issue for students whose homes or schools were demolished to make way for high-priced housing that their families cannot afford.&#160;</p>
<p>Statistics comparing the number of African-American males in schools to those in prison are harrowing.&#160; Almost 75 percent of African-American males in state, local or federal prison systems are illiterate.&#160; Eighty percent have not graduated high school. To effect lasting change for the benefit of black male students, we need to ask these questions:</p>
<p>We cannot make the mistake of treating African-American males as problems. Instead, we must be thoughtful in listening to their individual concerns and working with their families to address their specific situations. It is a lot of work, but our black male students are worth it.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Today, every time I see a young black male in the principal’s office, I reach out through eye contact and often say, “I know what you’re going through. Be strong.”&#160; To this day, we still don’t recognize their strengths.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>David Stovall is an&#160; associate professor of Educational Policy Studies/College of Education and African-American Studies/College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, at the University of Illinois at Chicago.</p> | 599,496 |
<p>Newt Gingrich attacks Mitt Romney once again, this time in a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyFaWhygzjQ&amp;feature=player_embedded" type="external">Web video</a> that bashes Romney for raising taxes, giving money to Democrats (back in 1992) and — sacre bleu! — speaking French. But a few of the claims, besides the French one, could use some context.</p>
<p>The one-minute video says that Romney “donated to Democrats.” That’s true, but voters might want to know that he gave a total of $1,500 to three congressional candidates 20 years ago, in 1992. Since 1990, Romney has given $138,680 to Republican candidates and Republican organizations. That’s according to data compiled by the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.php?name=Romney%2C+willard&amp;state=MA&amp;zip=&amp;employ=&amp;cand=&amp;old=Y&amp;sort=N&amp;capcode=vrwhd&amp;submit=Submit+your+Donor+Query" type="external">Center for Responsive Politics</a> (search for both “Mitt Romney” and “Willard Romney”). Gingrich hasn’t given any money to Democrats; <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.php?name=Gingrich%2C+Newt&amp;state=&amp;zip=&amp;employ=&amp;cand=&amp;old=Y&amp;sort=N&amp;capcode=7qgmy&amp;submit=Submit+your+Donor+Query" type="external">he has given $20,885 to Republicans</a>, including a <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.php?name=Gingrich%2C+Newt&amp;state=&amp;zip=&amp;employ=&amp;cand=&amp;c2012=Y&amp;c2010=Y&amp;c2008=Y&amp;sort=N&amp;capcode=k9dcq&amp;submit=Submit+your+Donor+Query" type="external">$2,500 donation to himself</a>.</p>
<p>The ad says Romney “opposed the <a href="http://www.heritage.org/research/lecture/the-contract-with-america-implementing-new-ideas-in-the-us" type="external">Contract with America</a>,” a House GOP document in 1994 outlining what Republicans would do if they won a majority in the House, which is what happened in that year’s election. Technically, Romney declined to support it, which is not exactly the same as opposing it. (And yes, we realize this is a quibble.) At the time, Romney was running against Sen. Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts. The Boston Globe <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/285380/romney-didnt-back-contract-america-katrina-trinko" type="external">also pointed out</a> that while his aides said he didn’t plan to support it, several of the proposals in the contract were part of Romney’s campaign pitch. An <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jzno_apP1Q" type="external">old video</a> shows Romney saying that contracts like this were not “a good idea” and that politicians should “work together” rather than “picking teams” where one side feels like a winner and the other, a loser.</p>
<p>Continuing a pattern for Gingrich ads, this one also goes after Romney on abortion, repeating a misleading claim that Romney’s health care law called for “taxpayer-funded abortions.” As <a href="" type="internal">we’ve said</a> <a href="" type="internal">a few times</a> now, the law didn’t say anything about abortions. Instead, the state exchange later determined that subsidized health plans would cover abortions, following a state Supreme Court decision that the state must cover medically necessary abortions if it’s covering other necessary care for pregnant women.</p>
<p>Gingrich’s anti-French ad is close to the mark when it says Romney “raised taxes.” It’s true that <a href="" type="internal">he raised many “fees,”</a> which some may view as taxes, while governor of Massachusetts as <a href="" type="internal">part of his effort to close a $1.2 billion budget gap</a>. And he cut local aid, shifting a higher tax burden to localities, and closed loopholes, raising more tax revenue from corporations. The ad also correctly says Romney voted for a Democrat in the 1992 presidential primary. He has said that he voted for Paul Tsongas in the Democratic primary, rather than vote for President George H.W. Bush in the Republican primary, because Bush was assured the nomination. Romney, who was then a registered independent, <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2007/02/romney_explains/" type="external">told ABC News in 2007</a>: “When there was no real contest in the Republican primary, I’d vote in the Democrat primary, vote for the person who I thought would be the weakest opponent for the Republican.” But he also had told the Boston Globe in 1994 that he chose to vote in the Democratic primary because Tsongas was from Massachusetts and he liked his ideas better than Bill Clinton’s — and also, because Bush was going to win the GOP nomination.</p>
<p>The ad attributes the quote that “Romney will say anything” to the Manchester Union Leader in New Hampshire. That was the <a href="http://www.unionleader.com/article/20111230/OPINION01/712309977&amp;source=RSS" type="external">headline on a short column by the publisher</a> of the paper, and that was the gist of his remarks.</p>
<p>As for his French-speaking skills, Romney honed those as <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/talesfromthetrail/2011/12/21/romney-on-his-work-as-a-mormon-missionary-we-didnt-convert-one-person/" type="external">a Mormon missionary in France</a> for a few years in the 1960s. Gingrich’s ad highlights a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyP2M0DTch8" type="external">clip</a> of Romney greeting French volunteers to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. We’ll have to leave it to voters to decide whether being able to chat in français is a good thing or a bad thing.&#160; <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/gingrich-sends-an-e-mail-in-spanish-asking-for-support-in-iowa/" type="external">Gingrich</a> (as well as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=i6PYDh6Wgts" type="external">Romney)</a>has no problem reaching out to U.S. voters in Spanish.</p>
<p>— Lori Robertson</p> | Gingrich Makes a French Connection | false | https://factcheck.org/2012/01/gingrich-makes-a-french-connection/ | 2012-01-13 | 2least
| Gingrich Makes a French Connection
<p>Newt Gingrich attacks Mitt Romney once again, this time in a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyFaWhygzjQ&amp;feature=player_embedded" type="external">Web video</a> that bashes Romney for raising taxes, giving money to Democrats (back in 1992) and — sacre bleu! — speaking French. But a few of the claims, besides the French one, could use some context.</p>
<p>The one-minute video says that Romney “donated to Democrats.” That’s true, but voters might want to know that he gave a total of $1,500 to three congressional candidates 20 years ago, in 1992. Since 1990, Romney has given $138,680 to Republican candidates and Republican organizations. That’s according to data compiled by the <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.php?name=Romney%2C+willard&amp;state=MA&amp;zip=&amp;employ=&amp;cand=&amp;old=Y&amp;sort=N&amp;capcode=vrwhd&amp;submit=Submit+your+Donor+Query" type="external">Center for Responsive Politics</a> (search for both “Mitt Romney” and “Willard Romney”). Gingrich hasn’t given any money to Democrats; <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.php?name=Gingrich%2C+Newt&amp;state=&amp;zip=&amp;employ=&amp;cand=&amp;old=Y&amp;sort=N&amp;capcode=7qgmy&amp;submit=Submit+your+Donor+Query" type="external">he has given $20,885 to Republicans</a>, including a <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.php?name=Gingrich%2C+Newt&amp;state=&amp;zip=&amp;employ=&amp;cand=&amp;c2012=Y&amp;c2010=Y&amp;c2008=Y&amp;sort=N&amp;capcode=k9dcq&amp;submit=Submit+your+Donor+Query" type="external">$2,500 donation to himself</a>.</p>
<p>The ad says Romney “opposed the <a href="http://www.heritage.org/research/lecture/the-contract-with-america-implementing-new-ideas-in-the-us" type="external">Contract with America</a>,” a House GOP document in 1994 outlining what Republicans would do if they won a majority in the House, which is what happened in that year’s election. Technically, Romney declined to support it, which is not exactly the same as opposing it. (And yes, we realize this is a quibble.) At the time, Romney was running against Sen. Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts. The Boston Globe <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/285380/romney-didnt-back-contract-america-katrina-trinko" type="external">also pointed out</a> that while his aides said he didn’t plan to support it, several of the proposals in the contract were part of Romney’s campaign pitch. An <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jzno_apP1Q" type="external">old video</a> shows Romney saying that contracts like this were not “a good idea” and that politicians should “work together” rather than “picking teams” where one side feels like a winner and the other, a loser.</p>
<p>Continuing a pattern for Gingrich ads, this one also goes after Romney on abortion, repeating a misleading claim that Romney’s health care law called for “taxpayer-funded abortions.” As <a href="" type="internal">we’ve said</a> <a href="" type="internal">a few times</a> now, the law didn’t say anything about abortions. Instead, the state exchange later determined that subsidized health plans would cover abortions, following a state Supreme Court decision that the state must cover medically necessary abortions if it’s covering other necessary care for pregnant women.</p>
<p>Gingrich’s anti-French ad is close to the mark when it says Romney “raised taxes.” It’s true that <a href="" type="internal">he raised many “fees,”</a> which some may view as taxes, while governor of Massachusetts as <a href="" type="internal">part of his effort to close a $1.2 billion budget gap</a>. And he cut local aid, shifting a higher tax burden to localities, and closed loopholes, raising more tax revenue from corporations. The ad also correctly says Romney voted for a Democrat in the 1992 presidential primary. He has said that he voted for Paul Tsongas in the Democratic primary, rather than vote for President George H.W. Bush in the Republican primary, because Bush was assured the nomination. Romney, who was then a registered independent, <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2007/02/romney_explains/" type="external">told ABC News in 2007</a>: “When there was no real contest in the Republican primary, I’d vote in the Democrat primary, vote for the person who I thought would be the weakest opponent for the Republican.” But he also had told the Boston Globe in 1994 that he chose to vote in the Democratic primary because Tsongas was from Massachusetts and he liked his ideas better than Bill Clinton’s — and also, because Bush was going to win the GOP nomination.</p>
<p>The ad attributes the quote that “Romney will say anything” to the Manchester Union Leader in New Hampshire. That was the <a href="http://www.unionleader.com/article/20111230/OPINION01/712309977&amp;source=RSS" type="external">headline on a short column by the publisher</a> of the paper, and that was the gist of his remarks.</p>
<p>As for his French-speaking skills, Romney honed those as <a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/talesfromthetrail/2011/12/21/romney-on-his-work-as-a-mormon-missionary-we-didnt-convert-one-person/" type="external">a Mormon missionary in France</a> for a few years in the 1960s. Gingrich’s ad highlights a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyP2M0DTch8" type="external">clip</a> of Romney greeting French volunteers to the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. We’ll have to leave it to voters to decide whether being able to chat in français is a good thing or a bad thing.&#160; <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/gingrich-sends-an-e-mail-in-spanish-asking-for-support-in-iowa/" type="external">Gingrich</a> (as well as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=i6PYDh6Wgts" type="external">Romney)</a>has no problem reaching out to U.S. voters in Spanish.</p>
<p>— Lori Robertson</p> | 599,497 |
<p>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Afghan police say the death toll from the previous night's suicide attack in Kabul has jumped to 20, with another 27 policemen wounded.</p>
<p>The attack took place on Thursday night in the eastern part of the Afghan capital where dozens of security officers had congregated to protect a demonstration of shopkeepers that had been held earlier in the day.</p>
<p>First reports immediately after the blast put the death toll at six officers but police official Jan Agha said that by Friday morning, the number of those killed had significantly increased.</p>
<p>No one has so far claimed responsibility for the bombing but both Taliban insurgents and the Islamic State group's affiliate in Afghanistan have targeted the country's security forces in the past.</p>
<p>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Afghan police say the death toll from the previous night's suicide attack in Kabul has jumped to 20, with another 27 policemen wounded.</p>
<p>The attack took place on Thursday night in the eastern part of the Afghan capital where dozens of security officers had congregated to protect a demonstration of shopkeepers that had been held earlier in the day.</p>
<p>First reports immediately after the blast put the death toll at six officers but police official Jan Agha said that by Friday morning, the number of those killed had significantly increased.</p>
<p>No one has so far claimed responsibility for the bombing but both Taliban insurgents and the Islamic State group's affiliate in Afghanistan have targeted the country's security forces in the past.</p> | Afghan police: Kabul suicide attack death toll soars to 20 | false | https://apnews.com/4034b649cbf447e2a9d71d75c1c68990 | 2018-01-05 | 2least
| Afghan police: Kabul suicide attack death toll soars to 20
<p>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Afghan police say the death toll from the previous night's suicide attack in Kabul has jumped to 20, with another 27 policemen wounded.</p>
<p>The attack took place on Thursday night in the eastern part of the Afghan capital where dozens of security officers had congregated to protect a demonstration of shopkeepers that had been held earlier in the day.</p>
<p>First reports immediately after the blast put the death toll at six officers but police official Jan Agha said that by Friday morning, the number of those killed had significantly increased.</p>
<p>No one has so far claimed responsibility for the bombing but both Taliban insurgents and the Islamic State group's affiliate in Afghanistan have targeted the country's security forces in the past.</p>
<p>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Afghan police say the death toll from the previous night's suicide attack in Kabul has jumped to 20, with another 27 policemen wounded.</p>
<p>The attack took place on Thursday night in the eastern part of the Afghan capital where dozens of security officers had congregated to protect a demonstration of shopkeepers that had been held earlier in the day.</p>
<p>First reports immediately after the blast put the death toll at six officers but police official Jan Agha said that by Friday morning, the number of those killed had significantly increased.</p>
<p>No one has so far claimed responsibility for the bombing but both Taliban insurgents and the Islamic State group's affiliate in Afghanistan have targeted the country's security forces in the past.</p> | 599,498 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>HOUSTON — Investigators say 22 people have been indicted in an alleged street gang operation in Houston involving human smuggling, brothels and drugs.</p>
<p>Federal prosecutors say a 37-count indictment was returned earlier this month in Houston and partly unsealed Wednesday. The conspiracy-related counts are linked to sex trafficking, prostitution, transportation of immigrants, plus drug and weapons charges.</p>
<p>Authorities say the defendants are accused of operating several brothels in apartments throughout Houston, plus in Mexico. Prosecutors say some female immigrants were promised they could pay off the cost of smuggling them into the U.S. by working in Houston restaurants. The immigrants were instead forced into prostitution.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say some defendants were arrested this week, while others were already in custody as part of the investigation. Nine suspects remained at large Wednesday.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 22 indicted in Houston gang-related brothels, drugs case | false | https://abqjournal.com/1089697/22-indicted-in-houston-gang-related-brothels-drugs-case.html | 2least
| 22 indicted in Houston gang-related brothels, drugs case
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>HOUSTON — Investigators say 22 people have been indicted in an alleged street gang operation in Houston involving human smuggling, brothels and drugs.</p>
<p>Federal prosecutors say a 37-count indictment was returned earlier this month in Houston and partly unsealed Wednesday. The conspiracy-related counts are linked to sex trafficking, prostitution, transportation of immigrants, plus drug and weapons charges.</p>
<p>Authorities say the defendants are accused of operating several brothels in apartments throughout Houston, plus in Mexico. Prosecutors say some female immigrants were promised they could pay off the cost of smuggling them into the U.S. by working in Houston restaurants. The immigrants were instead forced into prostitution.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say some defendants were arrested this week, while others were already in custody as part of the investigation. Nine suspects remained at large Wednesday.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | 599,499 |
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