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Choosing Your Baby's Gender
Have you always dreamed of sharing everything with a little girl? Or has a little boy always been in your mind? Many couples have strong feelings about which gender they prefer before they even get pregnant. While many see sex selection as a slippery slope into genetically-engineered children, others point to valid health or personal reasons for selecting for a boy or girl. For instance, you may carry a sex-specific genetic defect (such as hemophilia or Duchenne's muscular dystrophy) and want to avoid passing it to your baby. There are several expensive, high-tech methods to help select your baby's gender before conception; however, there are also a number of low-tech and inexpensive - but considerably less reliable - methods you can try at home.
Most gender-selection methods rely on the theory that male sperm swim faster but don't survive as long, while female sperm swim more slowly but live longer. The following techniques each claim a high rate of success; however, scientific studies have been unable to confirm them and most experts agree that their actual success rates are too close to the 50-50 chance you have naturally, making them ineffective predictors.
The Whelan Method
The Whelan method was developed by Elizabeth Whelan, Sc. D., M.P.H., and advises you to have sex four to six days before your basal body temperature spikes if you want to conceive a boy, and two to three days before you ovulate if you want a girl.
Followers of the Whelan Method claim an accuracy rate of 68 percent for boys and 57 percent for girls.
The Shettles Method
The Shettles Method contradicts the Whelan Method by recommending having sex as close as possible to ovulation to conceive a boy and having sex two to four days before you ovulate to conceive a girl.
According to the Shettles Method, shallow penetration, such as from the missionary position, will deposit the sperm closer to the entrance of the vagina, which is more acidic and will inhibit the male sperm and give you a better chance of conceiving a girl. If you're trying for a boy, you should orgasm before your partner ejaculates because the resulting chemical changes in your vagina make the environment more alkaline, which assists male sperm.
If you are trying to conceive a boy, your partner should drink a caffeinated beverage right before sex to stimulate the male sperm. He should also wear loose-fitting boxers and trousers to increase sperm count.
Other Methods
Here are some superstitions and old wives' tales to help you select the sex of your baby:
If you want a girl...


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In a way a new era for Madison schools sounds like a cliché and perhaps a little too grand. But you know what? This has to be a new era for Madison's schools and Jennifer Cheatham has to be the leader who creates it. She's going to need a lot of help. But the stakes are high and we are counting on her.
Let's acknowledge right away the selection process was unnecessarily ugly. It was kind of embarrassing. But we've seen nothing to suggest Dr. Cheatham's not a good choice and is up for the job. In fact we've been very encouraged by the enthusiastic approval offered by Urban League CEO Kaleem Caire, the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, and especially school board member Ed Hughes who claimed in his blog that excitement over Cheatham's candidacy had already resulted in a more unified and energized board.
Obviously Cheatham has a lot to do and do fast. It would behoove us all to start with a pledge to help and then get to it. Cliché or not, this is a new era for Madison's schools, and it can and should be the best one yet.

subset: commoncrawl


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Iowa agency fines bank, excavating company $5,000
A bank and an excavating company have been ordered to jointly pay a $5,000 penalty for an illegal disposal and open burning in the northern Iowa town of Lake Mills.
The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources cited Manufacturers Bank & Trust Co. and Rognes Bros. Excavating Inc., both of Lake Mills.
The department says the bank hired Rognes Bros. to clean up a property it owned in Joice. The department says that after complaints about black smoke coming from the property in July, a department investigator discovered two pits containing burning debris. The debris included remnants of a trailer home, tires and railroad ties.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Leigh - Good Friday
Posted 27 March 2013 - 02:34 PM
We got battered last season by Leigh but we've had a few good performaces over the past month and managed 8 points from 4 games. Plus, we matched them fairly well in the pre-season friendly, but that was massively affected by..well...SNOW!!!
I'd be happy with a BP from this one, but I wouldn't rule us out completely. Leigh looked good in the 2nd half last week against Barrow, but they were very slow starting in the first 40.
Does anyone know the last time we beat Leigh in a league match? I know we beat them 18-14 at Hilton Park around 2005, but that was NRC.
**Please try not to ruin the thread with any partnership comments. Leigh, Swinton or otherwise, cheers**
Posted 27 March 2013 - 03:02 PM
I think we'll be well up for it
Posted 28 March 2013 - 09:04 AM
However, we need to turn up. if we dont it could be another massive defeat.
Posted 28 March 2013 - 12:09 PM
Posted 29 March 2013 - 11:05 AM
Posted 29 March 2013 - 02:48 PM
Few ideaa in atrack and too many spilt early balls
However awesome defensive display
I had leighs answer to Peter kay sat behind me in the south end of the West stand....except he wasn't funny at all. Loved the sound of his own voice. Pity those who sit next to him every week
Ritchie h mom.
Posted 29 March 2013 - 03:05 PM
Posted 29 March 2013 - 03:34 PM
Posted 29 March 2013 - 03:37 PM
Posted 29 March 2013 - 04:29 PM
Message ammended for Peter Perfect !!!
Edited by RIGGY, 29 March 2013 - 10:48 PM.
Posted 29 March 2013 - 04:32 PM
Posted 29 March 2013 - 04:45 PM
Oh we did some excellent kick offs too!!
I think we've got the best re-start in the league! Let's face it, we get to practice a fair bit...bring on Fev!
Posted 29 March 2013 - 07:43 PM
Posted 29 March 2013 - 07:57 PM
We are going to have to be on our metal on Monday at Fev since they got beat today by York !
Sorry Riggy. I think you meant to say mettle, not metal.
Posted 29 March 2013 - 08:08 PM
Next season it'll be back to the same old messy kits which fail miserably to impress.
Posted 31 March 2013 - 03:43 PM
Keep up the good work Steve, you're a star.
Posted 31 March 2013 - 06:15 PM


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Finding, Retaining Top Talent Becoming a Top Challenge
Originally published: 01.01.11 by Thomas Giddens
Boomers, skilled workers looking for comprehensive benefits.
Healthcare reform and economic turmoil have hogged the spotlight in 2010. But as the economy improves, contractors will need to face three workforcerelated issues that are taking center stage. If business decision-makers ignore these important issues, they could be surprised to find their companies behind the competition in the recovery race.
As Top Talent Dwindles, Can You Compete?
High unemployment, aggressive layoffs, and flat hiring have made it easier for employers to compete for top talent. But that power position is becoming more tenuous, particularly when it comes to highly skilled talent. Nevertheless, during economic rebirth, employers need stellar talent to execute a rebound strategy and drive renewal and growth.
Dramatic demographic shifts, unlike our country has seen in more than half a century, will make skilled workers a scarce and precious resource. Jobs requiring only a GED or high school degree are disappearing, as posts that require highly skilled employees multiply.
At the same time, these knowledgeable workers are becoming harder to find as more people retire than there are equivalent replacements. Therefore, competition for proven managers and business leaders will grow fierce. To complicate matters, these soughtafter workers are also the most difficult to recruit
Among the things they are seeking are benefits packages and work environments that foster their professional and personal goals. Organizations that can differentiate themselves with a benefits package unmatched by competitors will be more successful at attracting top talent. But small businesses can find this goal difficult, given their reduced resources and buying power compared with larger companies.
For example, in a recent Aflac Insurance for Living study, nearly onequarter (20%) of small businesses (three to 99 employees) admitted their benefits packages were significantly/slightly less competitive than their industry peers. Employees at small businesses felt similarly, with nearly one-third (32%) saying their overall benefits packages are significantly/slightly less competitive than packages that peers are receiving from their competitors.
1 Small business decision-makers will need to seek out creative and new ways to bolster their benefits offerings, without compromising their budgets. For many, voluntary or supplemental benefits programs will be one such way.
Voluntary benefits — such as dental, vision, life insurance and critical illness policies — can enhance employer-sponsored benefits offerings while having no direct cost to the employer.
Retain, Not Retire, Mature Workers
Second only to cash flow, knowledge is of immense value. At its fundamental level, it is what differentiates one business from another. The loss of intellectual capital is often underestimated. Organizations must begin to think about retaining, not retiring or laying off, their experienced workforce.
Fortunately, the Aflac study has found that more and more mature workers are continuing to delay retirement and plan to continue working in some capacity postretirement. The challenge for small businesses is how to retain these highly skilled employees, and provide benefits specific to these segments of workers, including much-needed assistance in financial preparation for retirement, customized life insurance plans, and portable insurance policies.
Yet, the Aflac study found that only four in 10 employers currently tailor their benefits offerings to their employees based on their needs at different levels or life stages. For this generation, Baby Boomers, a package might include heavy retirement savings plans/incentives, health savings plans, or voluntary insurance policies. These plans help protect their assets in case of serious accident or illness during time of need. Additionally, voluntary insurance policies are portable, which allows them to retain their insurance coverage when they retire.
Clear Up the Benefits Communication Illusion
The Aflac Insurance for Living study uncovered a potentially damaging misperception among small business owners as it relates to the effectiveness of their communication about benefits, and the perceived knowledge that employees have when it comes to the benefits offered at their companies.
More than half (52%) of small businesses believe they communicate very/ extremely effectively with employees about their benefits programs, more so than any other group of companies. In addition, they are most likely to think their employees are extremely/very knowledgeable about benefits offered at their companies, with nearly half (46%) saying so.
Here's the snag — when employees at small businesses were asked to rate how well their HR departments communicated about benefits and how informed they felt, the picture was quite different. More than one-third (35%) of employees at small companies believe their HR departments communicate not very/not at all effectively about benefits offered, and only 30% say they communicate effectively.
One-quarter of workers at small companies say they are not very/not at all informed about benefits offered at their companies, and only 38% say they are very informed. Perhaps most compelling for small business decision-makers is this — nearly half of workers (41%) said a well-communicated benefits program would make them less likely to leave their jobs. While 46% of employees at small companies say their HR departments communicate about employee benefits too little.
Given that many small companies have few resources to dedicate to HR administration, owners ought to consider using a broker or benefits consultant to help identify a benefits provider or carrier that offers these value-added services. Often, insurance providers will include benefits communication vehicles, including online portals, benefits booklets or even in-person meetings, to help educate and inform workers about their benefits options.
Thomas Giddens has nearly 30 years experience in a variety of roles at Aflac. In 2007, Giddens' numerous achievements and contributions were recognized when he became the youngest member of the Aflac Sales Hall of Fame. Thomas Giddens is Senior Vice President and Director of U.S. Sales at Aflac. For more information about Aflac, call 1-800-99-AFLAC (1-800-992-3522) or visit aflacforbusiness.com.
1 "Insurance for Living," a study conducted by Harris Interactive for Aflac, September 2010.
Articles by Thomas Giddens
Finding, Retaining Top Talent Becoming a Top Challenge
Employers need stellar talent to execute a rebound strategy and drive renewal and growth. Competition for proven managers and business leaders will grow fierce. Organizations that can differentiate themselves with a benefits package unmatched by competitors will be more successful at attracting top talent.
View article.
Improving Productivity Through Comprehensive Benefits
Business leaders have an opportunity and responsibility to help Americans close their insurance gaps, and in turn help their businesses. This is especially true at hvacr companies.
View article.


text: I started giving my LO a taste of solids around 5 1/2 months. And when I say taste I mean just a little bit on a spoon. I'd put some on the spoon and hand it to him and he'd chew on the spoon. I just wanted him to get used to it a little. When he turned 6 months I started giving him solids more regularly but all he does is spit it out with his tongue. Sometimes he opens his month to receive it but then will spit it out, other times he turns his head away. I normally try feeding him solids about an hour after bf'ing. I have even tried giving solids first, same reaction. He never liked rice cereal so we tried oatmeal instead. He has tried peas, carrots, apples and bananas. Will he eventually get it?


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Jennifer Lopez Rocks Red Bikini in Brazil with Casper Smart and Her Kids
Barbara DeFranco
| July 5, 2012 - 9:07 am
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Lady Comets Ready For Postseason
Section 3 basketball playoffs get underway this weekend and one Frontier League girls' team is looking for big things in postseason play.
The Carthage lady Comets are on a roll, finishing the regular season with a 12-6 overall record, 9-3 in the league.
Click on the picture for Rob Krone's team profile.
In local action, Jefferson Community College hosted Clinton Community College in men's and women's basketball and in pro hockey, the Thousand Islands Privateers defeated visiting Dayton.
Boys' High School Basketball
Potsdam 83
Salmon River 78
Canton 68
St. Lawrence Central 43
Clinton 66
Clinton 59
SUNY Cobleskill 72
T.I. Privateers 4
Saturday, December 10, 2016, Watertown, NY
On Wall Street


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The Joyful Journeys Phalaenopsis Orchid is a classic plant featuring clean white petals culminating in a yellow throat. Creating a display of gentle grace and timeless sophistication, this Hawaiian Beauty 6-inch orchid plant arrives seated in a tall, sleek designer container imported from Germany, to bring joy and happiness to your special recipient with its elegant demeanor and limitless charm.
*Single-stem phalaenopsis orchid is approx. 20 to 26 inches in height.*Container is high-quality pottery imported from Germany.*Care instructions included.
Your purchase includes a complimentary personalized gift message.
Taxes and fees will be calculated at checkout
Due to holiday availability, fees may vary for non-Gold Members.
Discount fees apply, place your order today!
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Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity
Learn more about how the State Policy Network aids ALEC and spins disinformation in the states.
Learn more about corporations VOTING to rewrite our laws.
The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, publisher of the site "Watchdog.org," is a national 501(c)(3) journalism organization based in Bismarck, North Dakota and started in 2009.[1] According to a previous iteration of the organization's website, the group's mission involves "networking and training independent investigative reporters, as well as journalists from state based news organizations, public-policy institutions & watchdog groups."[2] The Franklin Center funded state reporters in more than 40 states as of August 2011,[3] and in 34 states as of May 2013.[4] Despite their non-partisan description, many of these websites have received criticism for their conservative bias.[5][6]
At a time when there are fewer and fewer statehouse reporters -- as of the American Journalism Review's most recent count in 2009, there were 355 in the entire country, down from 524 in 2003,[7] bluntly called a "statehouse exodus" by the same journal[8] -- former Reuters chief White House correspondent Gene Gibbons described the rush of groups like the Franklin Center to fill the gap as follows: "an army of Internet start-ups, some practicing traditional journalism in a new medium, others delivering political propaganda dressed up as journalism -- are crawling all over the picnic. . . . At the forefront is the one‐year-old Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity . . ."[9]
- 1 Franklin Center "at the Forefront of an Effort to Blur the Distinction Between Statehouse Reporting and Political Advocacy"
- 2 Conflict of Interest in Wisconsin "John Doe" Campaign Finance Investigation
- 3 Accusations of Inaccuracy & 'Manufactured News'
- 4 Ties to Other Right-Wing & GOP Organizations
- 5 Support for the American Legislative Exchange Council
- 6 Funding "Fellows" at "Statehouses Across the Nation"
- 7 Finances and Funding Sources
- 8 Franklin Center-Funded and Affiliated Sites
- 9 Personnel
- 10 Contact Details
- 11 Articles and Resources
Franklin Center "at the Forefront of an Effort to Blur the Distinction Between Statehouse Reporting and Political Advocacy"
"For the most part, the people in charge of these would-be watchdog operations are political hacks out to subvert journalism in their quest to grab and keep power using whatever means they have to do so. . . . At the forefront of an effort to blur the distinction between statehouse reporting and political advocacy is the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity," Gibbons wrote in the Nieman Reports publication of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. He interviewed Franklin Center Executive Director Jason Stverak in March 2010, and Stverak said Franklin sites should be held to the same standard as any news publication -- judged "based upon the content that they produce." But, Gibbons writes, "four months later the Franklin Center cosponsored and played an active role in a two-day conference organized by the Americans for Prosperity Foundation. The Right Online Agenda conference included such breakout sessions as 'Intro to Online Activism' and 'Killing the Death Tax" and featured speakers such as conservative U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and Tea Party activist Sharron Angle, a Republican who was then running against Harry Reid in the election for U.S. Senate in Nevada. No Democratic legislators were included in the program. The finale of the Las Vegas conference was a November is Coming Rally."[10]
Conservative columnist H. Daniel Glover specifically credited the Franklin Center with helping the conservative cause, according to a June 2010 in-depth report by Gibbons written for the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government's Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy. "Once conservatives realize they can conduct great investigations that expose the flaws of intrusive government and the special interests that corrupt it, you will see more of them embracing that kind of journalism," Glover said. "Mainstream publications like the Washington Examiner and organizations like the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, which helps support and fund budding watchdogs, are showing them the way."[11][9]
Gibbons' 2010 report continues:[9]
- "Reporters for news sites in Ohio, Illinois and Idaho funded by the Franklin Center or its affiliates have been denied press credentials by accrediting bodies because of the lack of transparency about donors and links to advocacy groups. Veteran journalist John Dougherty, who was briefly on contract to a Nevada group with links to the Franklin Center, said he quit because it became clear to him the journalism was not non‐partisan.
- "'They were clearly looking for gotcha stories to embarrass Democrats in any way they could. That's not what I do,' he said. 'I'm an equal opportunity basher -- I've written stories that have damaged Democrats as well as Republicans and Independents. I'm apolitical. If it's a story, it's a story; if it's not, it's not,' Dougherty said. (Several weeks after I interviewed him, Dougherty announced he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination to run for the U.S. Senate from Arizona)."
Conflict of Interest in Wisconsin "John Doe" Campaign Finance Investigation
In 2013, Franklin Center's "Wisconsin Reporter" website published over a dozen articles aggressively attacking Wisconsin's "John Doe" probe into possible campaign finance violations during Wisconsin's 2011 and 2012 recall elections, and broke stories about the investigation. The Center for Media and Democracy (publishers of Sourcewatch.org) uncovered in December 2013 that the news outlet may have a conflict of interest, as "Franklin Center has close ties to individuals and groups that may be caught up in the John Doe."
Franklin Center/Wisconsin Reporter called its series on the John Doe "Wisconsin's Secret War," and cited "unnamed sources to reveal that Wisconsin Club for Growth, Americans for Prosperity, and Republican Governors Association had received subpoenas, and describing details about "after-hours visits to homes and offices" and prosecutors' "demands for phone, email and other records." [12]
Franklin Center/Wisconsin Reporter described the John Doe investigation as "an abuse of prosecutorial powers" with "the apparent goal of bringing down Gov. Scott Walker." However, the news outlet had what journalism professors called "a conflict of interest that minimally ought to be disclosed, whenever stories are written."
CMD reported:
"The only name associated with the investigation, Eric O'Keefe, helped launch the Franklin Center's operations in 2009, and his Sam Adams Alliance group provided the majority of its startup budget; O'Keefe has spoken publicly about being subpoenaed in his capacity as director of Wisconsin Club for Growth. Franklin Center's Director of Special Projects John Connors, and the Executive Assistant to the President Claire Milbrandt, also have close ties to a group reportedly involved in the John Doe probe. Its former Director of Operations and General Counsel, James Skyles, worked with another group active in the Wisconsin recalls." [12]
Silence on Pay-to-Play Allegations Highlights Conflicts of Interest
John Menard, owner of the Menard's chain of hardware stores, gave $1.5 million in previously unknown contributions to Wisconsin Club for Growth during the 2012 Wisconsin recall election, according to reporting by investigative journalist Michael Isikoff published March 23, 2015. Isikoff wrote that the contributions "seem to have paid off for the businessman and his company." Over the following two years, Menard's received $1.8 million in tax credits from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, which Walker chairs, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources "sharply scaled back enforcement actions" under Walker.[13] The story made national headlines, including coverage by The New York Times, MSNBC, and U.S. News & World Report the day following its publication.[14]
Wisconsin Reporter, which had previously defended O'Keefe and Wisconsin Club for Growth against allegations of improper coordination with Walker and his campaign, made no mention of the pay-to-play allegations in the days following Isikoff's story despite the national news coverage, according to Media Matters. "Their silence on the story highlights the conflicts of interest that surround the outlet's reporting on Walker and the 'John Doe' investigations," Media Matters wrote.[14]
Accusations of Inaccuracy & 'Manufactured News'
In August 2010, the West Virginia Watchdog blog quoted an unnamed source claiming that Democratic Governor Joe Manchin's office had been subpoenaed as part of a federal grand jury investigation. The story said that the subpoenas asked for contracts and records for businesses that have done work at the governor's mansion. "The target may be Manchin himself, according to a source who asked to remain anonymous," the original story said. The governor's office responded saying that "Neither subpoena was directed to Governor Manchin or the Governor's Office.... No individual in the Governor's Office was served with a subpoena…. The State has not been informed that Governor Manchin or any other state employee is under investigation." The West Virginia Watchdog updated its site with these statements then reported that their "source was ultimately wrong about the purpose of the subpoenas."[15]
In February, the Wisconsin Reporter sponsored a questionable poll asserting that 71% of Wisconsin residents thought the state's Governor Scott Walker's budget proposal to cut the collective bargaining rights of most of the state's public sector workers was "fair." Several local and national news outlets cited the poll without investigation, including MSNBC. The result seemed completely out of whack with other polling leading some to question the source. The same month, We Ask America, largely owned by the Illinois Manufacturing Association, a leading business organization in the region, polled 2,400 Wisconsin residents and found that 52 percent opposed Walker's bill. The Franklin Center's poll was conducted by Pulse Opinion Research. [16]
In 2009, the New Mexico Watchdog reported that based on data from Recovery.gov millions of dollars were spent in non-existent congressional districts in the state. The story picked up steam among reporters, even turned into a Colbert Report segment called "Know your Made-up District." The Franklin Center released a national report that said $6.4 billion in stimulus money had been spent in hundreds of "phantom" congressional districts. There was truth to the New Mexico Watchdog report, but it turned out, as reported by the Associated Press, that the culprit was an error-ridden government database. The funds were actually distributed to the right recipients but errors such as zip codes entered incorrectly accounted for the "phantom districts" rather than, as the report suggested, had been unaccounted for or misused.[9]
Even with this new information on the shortfalls of the Recovery.gov site, the Franklin Center failed to set the record straight. In its 2010 Annual report, the center boasted it found that the "stimulus sent funds in the form of grants, loans and government contracts to support more than 200 projects in imaginary ZIP codes covering 38 states." It did not mention the errors in the database, but let the record stand as a story of government waste.[17][18]
Additional Criticism from Media Watchdog Organizations
The journalistic integrity of these sites has been called into question by media watchdog groups. Laura McGann, assistant editor at the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University, wrote that the Franklin Center is backing news organizations who engage in distorted reporting across the country. "As often as not, their reporting is thin and missing important context, which occasionally leads to gross distortions," wrote McGann, who pointed to several instances where the Watchdog websites wrote stories that turned out to be misleading or untrue.[19]
The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism on a sliding scale of highly ideological, somewhat ideological and non-ideological, ranked the "Watchdog.org" franchise "highly ideological."[20]
Ties to Other Right-Wing & GOP Organizations
The Franklin Center was launched by the Chicago-based Sam Adams Alliance (SAM) in 2009,[21][22] a 501(c)(3) devoted to pushing free-market ideals. In a 2010 interview, Franklin Center Executive Director Jason Stverak told Gene Gibbons that "the Sam Adams Alliance gave his organization a start‐up grant83 but otherwise was not willing to specify where the Franklin Center gets its funds."[9] However, according to an investigation by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Franklin Center also receives funding from the Wisconsin-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation,[23] a conservative grant-making organization.[24]
The Franklin Center's president, Jason Stverak, is the former Regional Field Director for SAM, served as North Dakota Executive Director for the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Committee and former Executive Director of the North Dakota Republican Party.[25]
The Franklin Center also has strong ties to a right-wing web of so-called "think tanks" pushing the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)'s corporate-backed agenda in every statehouse in the country, the State Policy Network (SPN). According to an in-depth 2010 report by Gene Gibbons, "The State Policy Network–Sam Adams Alliance–Franklin Center troika is at least loosely associated with more than a dozen other conservative groups funding news websites in various states. These include the John Locke Foundation, which funds the monthly North Carolina newspaper Carolina Journal and a companion website, www.carolinajournal.com; the Public Policy Foundation of West Virginia, which funds the news website West Virginia Watchdog; the Commonwealth Foundation, which supports the Pennsylvania Independent (www.paindependent.com); and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, which funds Michigan Capitol Confidential (www.michigancapitolconfidential.com)."[9] See SPN Ties to the Franklin Center for more.
In addition, the Center's Director of Donor Relations Matt Hauck is a former Associate at the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation. [26]
The Center's Chief of Staff Gwen Beattie is the former Director of Development and Operations at America's Future Foundation, an organization committed to "identify and develop the next generation of conservative and libertarian leaders."[27]
The Center's 2009 IRS 990 form lists Rudie Martinson as director and secretary, who formerly worked as the assistant state director for North Dakota's chapter of Koch's Americans for Prosperity.[28]
Ties to Coalition for American Values
The Coalition for American Values (CAV) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit whose only major activities have been spending $400,080 on ads supporting Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker in the final weeks of the 2012 recall elections. While the CAV did not disclose its funders at the time, tax filings later revealed that almost all of its funding in 2012 came from the Koch-tied Center to Protect Patient Rights, run by Koch operative Sean Noble.[29]
CAV's lawyer, James D. Skyles, was previously General Counsel and Director of Operations at the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity.[30]
The CAV's federal PAC has also paid money to a consulting firm run by John Connors, a leader of operations at the Franklin Center, and president of the group "Citizens for a Strong America," which was also active in the Wisconsin recall elections and kept its donors hidden, while operating out of a UPS drop box.[29] [31]
Additionally, as the Center for Media and Democracy reported,[32] "[t]he 'treasurer' listed on Coalition for American Values' FEC filings and the contact on its filings with Wisconsin's election board is Brent Downs. In 2008, when Connors chaired the Marquette College Republicans, Downs was his treasurer. Both were both students at Marquette University at the same time, and Downs, like Connors, also chaired the Students for Prosperity chapter of David Koch's Americans for Prosperity at Marquette University."
Connors' Citizens for a Strong America was entirely funded by Wisconsin Club for Growth and has been under investigation in the "John Doe" campaign finance investigation. The Franklin Center was founded in part by Koch operative Eric O'Keefe, head of the Wisconsin Club for Growth.
Support for the American Legislative Exchange Council
The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity was a "Vice-Chairman" level sponsor of 2011 American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) Annual Conference, which in 2010, equated to $25,000. The Franklin Center was one of about 60 companies and institutions represented in the conference exhibition hall.[33]
Franklin Center board member[34] and North Dakota Republican Representative Blair Thoreson chairs ALEC's Communications and Technology Task Force[35] and penned an op-ed supporting ALEC in the face of criticism over its role in pushing "Stand Your Ground" and "Voter ID" legislation in April 2012.[36] Thoreson was not the only Franklin Center personnel member to publicly defend ALEC. As Media Matters reported, Franklin President Jason Stverak and Vice President of Journalism Steven Greenhut joined in as well.[37][38][39] All three commentaries were posted in the days immediately after an ALEC staffer begged for help from Breitbart bloggers and the rest of the right-wing blogosphere at a Heritage Foundation "Bloggers Briefing" April 17, 2012.[40]
|About ALEC
ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, corporations hand state legislators their wishlists to benefit their bottom line. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC's operations. They pay for a seat on ALEC task forces where corporate lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve "model" bills. Learn more at the Center for Media and Democracy's ALECexposed.org, and check out breaking news on our PRWatch.org site.
Funding "Fellows" at "Statehouses Across the Nation"
In 2009, the Franklin Center announced its "Benjamin Franklin Fellows" program beginning January 1, 2010 and lasting 21 weeks, for "enterprising journalists seeking the hands-on experience of a statehouse beat," advertising that "Franklin Fellows will work in a variety of statehouses across the nation with seasoned correspondents to produce daily news as well investigative pieces" and that "[f]ellows also will have unique networking opportunities with a nationwide collection of state capital bureaus."[41]
Finances and Funding Sources
Franklin's "Commercial Fundraiser," ClearWord Communications
Gibbons wrote in June 2010, "The Franklin Center is headquartered in Bismarck, ND, but its mailing address is a law office in Stafford, Texas, and its fundraising agent is a Bristow, VA firm that also raises funds for the Republican Party and the Heritage Foundation."[9] That agent is ClearWord Communications Group, Inc.,[42] a "donor strategies firm" or "commercial fundraiser" that also raises funds for:[43]
- American Council on Science and Health, Inc.
- American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
- American Majority, Inc.
- Bill of Rights Institute
- Claremont Institute For The Study Of Statesmanship & Political Philosophy
- Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow
- Competitive Enterprise Institute
- EndPoverty.org
- FreedomWorks, Inc.
- Illinois Policy Institute (a State Policy Network (SPN) member)
- Institute for Energy Research
- James Partnership
- Lincoln Institute for Research and Education
- Mackinac Center (another SPN member)
- Morton Blackwell's Leadership Institute
- Pacific Legal Foundation
- Sam Adams Alliance, Inc.
- State Policy Network (SPN)
Known funders of the Franklin Foundation include:
- Walton Family Foundation:
- 2013: $200,000
- Searle Freedom Trust:
- 2010: $125,000
- 2011: $87,500
- Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation:
- 2010: $190,500
- 2011: $50,000
- Dunn's Foundation for the Advancement of Right Thinking:
- 2011: $50,000
In 2011 DonorsTrust provided $6.3 million in funding for the Franklin Center. [44] One of the major contributors to Donors Trust is the Knowledge and Progress Fund founded and run by Charles Koch. The foundation gave almost $8 million to DonorsTrust (DT) between 2005 and 2011.[45] The fund began its contributions to DT in 2005, with a $390,000 contribution.[46] In both 2007 and 2008, the foundation gave $1.25 million per year to DT[47] and another $2 million in 2010.[48]
Majority of Funding Comes from "the Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement," Donors Trust
Franklin Center Director of Communications Michael Moroney told the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) that the source of the Franklin Center's funding "is 100 percent anonymous." But 95 percent of its 2011 funding came from DonorsTrust, a spin-off of the Philanthropy Roundtable that functions as a large "donor-advised fund," cloaking the identity of donors to right-wing causes across the country (CPI did a review of Franklin's Internal Revenue Service records).[49] Mother Jones called DonorsTrust "the dark-money ATM of the conservative movement" in a February 2013 article.[50] Franklin received DonorsTrust's second-largest donation in 2011.[49]
Recipients of Franklin Center Funding
According to an in-depth report on the Franklin Center and related "news" websites by Gene Gibbons, "Len Lazarick, editor of the Maryland Reporter (www.marylandreporter.com) told a public radio interviewer he received $100,000 in start‐up funding from the Franklin Center. 'That interview got me in a little hot water with them,' he told me. 'They would just prefer that everything be as anonymous as possible. They really don't want us to talk about our business models very much.'"[9]
The Franklin Center is required by law to disclose the groups to which it gives money, however. In 2011, the Franklin Center funded the following groups:[51]
- Cause of Action and Freedom Through Justice Foundation (Cause of Action's former name): $994,000
- Citizen Outreach Foundation: $25,000
- Small Business Hawaii Foundation (an State Policy Network (SPN) associate member): $5,500
- Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity (an SPN member): $7,500
- Foundation for Ethics in Public Service: $7,500
- Nevada News Bureau: $77,500
- Cowboy State Free Press: $6,000
In 2010, the Franklin Center funded:[52]
- Maryland Reporter: $25,000
- American Majority: $25,000
- Pelican Institute (an SPN member): $36,000
- Tennessee Center for Policy Research (an SPN member): $25,000
- Cowboy State Free Press: $76,600
- Foundation for Ethics in Public Service: $85,000
- Nevada News Bureau: $17,000
In 2009, the Franklin Center funded:[53]
- Lucy Burns Institute (publisher of Ballotpedia.org): $43,413
- Small Business Hawaii Foundation: $45,000
- Maryland Reporter: $7,500
Core Finances
- Total Revenue: $6,614,542
- Total Expenses: $6,672,066
- Net Assets: $473,964
- Total Revenue: $3,775,771
- Total Expenses: $3,942,844
- Net Assets: $531,248
- Total Revenue: $2,378,965
- Total Expenses: $1,689,442
- Net Assets: $690,913
Franklin Center-Funded and Affiliated Sites
"Watchdog Bureaus"
As of May 2013:[4]
- Colorado Watchdog, Colorado, coloradowatchdog.org
- Florida Watchdog, Florida, floridawatchdog.org
- Hawaii Reporter, Hawaii, hawaiireporter.com
- Illinois Watchdog, Illinois, illinoiswatchdog.org
- Iowa Watchdog, Iowa, iowawatchdog.org
- Kansas Watchdog, Kansas, kansaswatchdog.org
- Minnesota Watchdog, Minnesota, minnesotawatchdog.org
- Missouri Watchdog, Missouri, missouriwatchdog.org
- Montana Watchdog, Montana, montanawatchdog.org
- Nebraska Watchdog, Nebraska, nebraskawatchdog.org
- New Jersey Watchdog, New Jersey, newjerseywatchdog.org
- New Mexico Watchdog, New Mexico, newmexicowatchdog.org
- Ohio Watchdog, Ohio, ohiowatchdog.org
- Oklahoma Watchdog, Oklahoma, oklahomawatchdog.org
- Northwest Watchdog, Oregon, northwestwatchdog.org
- Pennsylvania Independent, Pennsylvania, paindependent.com
- Tennessee Watchdog, Tennessee, tennesseewatchdog.org
- Texas Watchdog, Texas, http://watchdog.org/category/texas/
- Watchdog.org Virginia, Virginia, watchdog.org/category/virginia
- Wisconsin Reporter, Wisconsin, wisconsinreporter.com
"Watchdog Partners"
As of May 2013:[4]
- Goldwater Institute, Arizona, goldwaterinstitute.org
- Advance Arkansas Institute, Arkansas, thearkansasproject.com
- Pacific Research Institute, California, calwatchdog.com
- Independence Institute, Colorado, investigates.i2i.org
- Yankee Institute for Public Policy, Connecticut, raisinghale.com
- James Madison Institute, Florida, capitolvanguard.org
- Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho, idahoreporter.com
- Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois, reederreport.com
- Maine Heritage Policy Center, Maine, themainewire.com
- Maryland Reporter, Maryland, marylandreporter.com
- Missouri News Horizon, Missouri, missouri-news.org
- Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Michigan, michigancapitolconfidential.com
- John Locke Foundation, North Carolina, carolinajournal.com
- John W. Pope Civitas Foundation, North Carolina, nccivitas.org
- Say Anything Blog, North Dakota, sayanythingblog.com
- Capital Beat OK, Oklahoma, capitolbeatok.com
- Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity, Rhode Island, oceanstatecurrent.com
- South Carolina Policy Council, South Carolina, thenerve.org
- TN Report, Tennessee, tnreport.com
- Freedom Foundation, Washington, theolympiareport.com
- Public Policy Foundation of West Virginia, West Virginia, westvirginia.watchdog.org
Former Statehouse "News Bureaus"
As of March 2012:[54]
- Pacific Research Institute, California, calwatchdog.com
- Independence Institute, Colarado, comoradonewsagency.com
- Idaho Freedom Foundation, Idaho, idahoreporter.com
- Pelican Institute, Louisiana, thepelicanpost.org
- Maryland Reporter, Maryland, marylandreporter.com
- Michigan Center for Public Policy, Michigan, michigancapitolconfidential.com
- Freedom Foundation of Minnesota, Minnesota, mnstatenews.com
- Missouri News Horizon, Missouri, minewshorizon.org
- Montana Policy Institute, Montana, Montana.watchdog.org
- Nevada News Bureau, Nevada, nevadanewsbeaurea.com
- Rio Grande Foundation, New Mexico, capitolreportnewmexico.com
- John Locke Foundation, North Carolina, carolinajournal.com
- John William Pope Civitas Institute, North Carolina, nccivitas.org
- Say Anything Blog, North Dakota, SayAnythingBlog.com
- Capitol Beat OK, Oklahoma, capitolbeatok.com
- Cascade Policy Institute, Oregon, oregoncapitolnews.com
- South Carolina Policy Council, South Carolina, thenerve.org
- Cowboy State Free Press, Wyoming, cowboystatefreepress.net
Formerly Listed as Hosting "Investigative Reporters"
As of March 2012:[55]
- Alabama Policy Institute, Alabama, alabamarighttoknow.org
- Alaska Policy Forum, Alaska, Alaska.watchdog.org
- Georgia Public Policy Foundation, Georgia, forum.georgiapolicy.org
- Hawaii Reporter, Hawaii, hawaiireporter.com
- Iowa Watchdog, Iowa, Iowa.Watchdog.org
- Kansas Watchdog, Kansas, Kansas.watchdog.org
- Pelican Institute, Louisiana, thepelicanpost.org
- Maine Watchdog, Maine, maine.watchdog.org
- Maryland Public Policy Institute, Maryland, mdpolicy.com
- Pioneer Institute, Massachusetts, pioneerinstitute.org
- MacIver Institute, Wisconsin, MacIverInstitute.com
- Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Michigan, mackinac.org
- Freedom Foundation of Minnesota, Minnesota, freedomfoundationofminnesota.com
- Missouri Watchdog, Missouri, Missouri.watchdog.org
- Montana Policy Institute, Montana, Montana.watchdog.org
- Nebraska Watchdog, Nebraska, Nebraska.watchdog.org
- Nevada Policy Research Institute, Nevada, npri.org
- Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, New Hampshire, newhampshire.watchdog.org
- New Jersey Watchdog, New Jersey, newjersey.watchdog.org
- Rio Grande Foundation, New Mexico, newmexico.watchdog.org
- Plains Daily, North Dakota, plainsdaily.com
- Ohio Watchdog, Ohio, ohio.watchdog.org
- Oklahoma Watchdog, Oklahoma, Oklahoma.watchdog.org
- Cascade Policy Institute, Orgeon, oregoncapitolnews.com
- Pennsylvania Independent, Pennsylvania, paindependent.com
- Tennessee Center for Policy Research, Tennessee, Tennessee.watchdog.org
- Texas Public Policy Foundation, Texas, texasbudgersource.com
- Texas Watchdog, Texas, texaswatchdog.org
- Sutherland Institute, Utah, sutherlandinstitute.org
- Old Dominion Watchdog, Virginia, olddominionwatchdog.org
- MacIver Institute, Wisconsin, maciverinstitute.com
- Wisconsin Reporter, Wisconsin, wisconsinreporter.org
- Wyoming Liberty Group, Wyoming, wyomingreporter.org
Franklin Center in Wisconsin
One of the Franklin Center's sites, the Wisconsin Reporter, was launched in January, and it's articles have been featured in weekly newspapers across the state. In February, the outlet supported a poll that claimed 71% of Wisconsin residents thought Governor Scott Walker's budget proposal to cut the collective bargaining rights of most of the state's public sector workers was 'fair.'[56] The suspiciously high percentage caused some to question the source of the poll.[57] But a lot of local and national news outlets cited the poll without investigation, including MSNBC.[58] Data from the poll of 500 likely voters was managed by Pulse Opinion Research, owned by Scott Rasmussen, a trustee of the Property and Environment Research Center, which has ties to the Koch Brothers and Exxon Mobil.[59] The Rasmussen Poll also released a poll that "showed 48% of American voters supported Walker, while just 38% supported the unions," said Evan McMorris-Santoro writing for TPMuckracking. "That poll was criticized for asking leading questions that seemed to point respondents toward opposing the unions."[60]
Board of Directors
As of September 2013:[61]
- Jason Stverak, Chairman and President
- Rudie Martinson, Director and Secretary
- Doug Loen, Director[62]
- Blair Thoreson, Director (R-ND 44, American Legislative Exchange Council member from North Dakota, current member of ALEC Board of Directors, former ALEC State Chair, ALEC Award Winner 2009)
Advisory Board
As of September 2013:[63]
- Tucker Carlson, Editor-in-Chief, The Daily Caller
- Jack Fowler, Publisher, National Review
- Ashley Landess, President, South Carolina Policy Council
- Joseph Lehman, President, Mackinac Center for Public Policy
- Mark Tapscott, Executive Editor, The Washington Examiner
As of April 2015:[64]
Leadership Team
- Erik Telford, President
- Will Swaim, Vice President of Journalism
- Paul Olivett, Vice President of Investor Relations
Communications and Outreach
- Kevin Glass, Director of Outreach and Policy
- Paul Alfonse, Outreach Coordinator
- Breyana Franklin, Public Affairs Manager
- Victor Nava, Staff Writer
- Shana Davidson, Direct Marketing Manager
- Matthew Hauck, Director of Development
- Christina Pajak, Manager of Investor Relations
- Megan Ritter, Grants Manager and Development Writer
- John Courts, Development Operations and Research Manager
Marketing and Special Projects
- Kristen Hawley, Digital Marketing Manager
- Scott Kocen, Technology Adviser
- Andrew Collins, Digital Media Manager
- Becky Wessels, Director of Operations
Watchdog Arena
- Jackie Moreau, Managing Editor, Watchdog Arena
- Josh Kaib, Assistant Editor, Watchdog Arena
Watchdog.org Staff
- Mary Ellen Beatty, Director of Journalism Operations
- Mark Lisheron, Deputy Editor of Watchdog
- John Trump, Content Editor
- Johnny Kampis, Content Editor
- Arthur Kane, Colorado Watchdog and Oklahoma Watchdog – Reporter
- Moriah Costa, Education Reporter
- Rob Nikolewski, Energy Reporter
- Ben Yount, Illinois Watchdog – Bureau Chief
- Paul Brennan, Iowa Watchdog - Reporter
- Tom Steward, Watchdog.org Minnesota Bureau – Reporter
- Steve Wilson, Mississippi Watchdog – Reporter
- Evan Grossman, National Reporter
- Yaël Ossowski, National Reporter
- Mary C. Tillotson, National Reporter
- Tori Richards, National Reporter
- Deena Winter, Nebraska Watchdog – Reporter
- Mark Lagerkvist, New Jersey Watchdog – Reporter
- Brigette Russell, New Mexico Watchdog – Reporter
- Jason Hart, Ohio Watchdog – Reporter
- Jon Cassidy,Texas Watchdog – Bureau Chief and Reporter
- Eric Boehm, Pennsylvania Independent – Managing Editor
- Chris Butler, Tennessee Watchdog – Reporter
- Kenric Ward, Virginia Watchdog – Bureau Chief and Reporter
- Kathryn Watson, Virginia Watchdog – Investigative Reporter
- Matt Kittle, Wisconsin Watchdog – Bureau Chief and Reporter
Former Staff
- Gwen Beattie (Executive Vice President)
- Steven Greenhut (Vice President of Journalism)
- Raaki Garcia (Colorado Watchdog Reporter)
- Sheena Dooley (Iowa Watchdog Reporter)
- Kevin Mooney (National Reporter)
- Mark Lisheron (Texas Watchdog Reporter)
- Lee Ann O'Neil (Texas Watchdog Reporter & Watchdog.org Content Editor)
- Lynette Wilhelm (Operations Assistant)
- Frank Keegan (National Watchdog Editor)
- Scott Reeder (National Statehouse Editor)
- James Skyles (General Counsel and Director of Operations)
- Meghan Tisinger (Director of Communications)
- Mary Massingale (writing coach and content editor)
- Elizabeth Hillgrove (staff writer and special projects)
- Jonathan Miltimore (national reporter, fiscal issues)
- Bill McMorris (staff writer)
- Drew Thomason (Reporter, Illinois Statehouse News)
- Stephan Burklin (editor, Maine Watchdog)
- Brian R. Hook (editor, Missouri Watchdog)
- Joe Jordan (editor, Nebraska Watchdog)
- Andrew Griffin (reporter, Oklahoma Watchdog)
- Paige Winfield Cunningham (editor, Old Dominion Watchdog)
- Amanda Iacone (Bureau Chief, Virginia Statehouse News)
- Stephen Groves (reporter, Virginia Statehouse News)
- Kevin Lee (Statehouse reporter, Wisconsin Reporter)
Contact Details
Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity
1229 King Street, 3rd Floor
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (571) 384-2090
Fax: (571) 384-2093
Email: email@example.com OR email@example.com
Former Addresses:
DC Office
127 S. Peyton Street, Suite 200
Alexandria, VA, 22314
Office Phone: 571-384-2090
North Dakota Office
547 S. 7th St. #176
Bismarck, ND 58504
Office Phone: 701-214-5612
Email: Meghan Tisinger at email@example.com
Gibbons wrote in June 2010, "The Franklin Center is headquartered in Bismarck, ND, but its mailing address is a law office in Stafford, Texas, and its fundraising agent is a Bristow, VA firm that also raises funds for the Republican Party and the Heritage Foundation."[9]
Articles and Resources
Related SourceWatch Articles
- American Legislative Exchange Council
- Charles Koch
- David H. Koch
- DonorsTrust
- Donors Capital Fund
- Koch
- Koch Family Foundations
- Property and Environment Research Center
- Rodney Fund
- Sam Adams Alliance
- State Policy Network
External Resources
- Franklin Center "For The Media"
- American Bridge 21st Century Foundation, Recipient: Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, funding profile.
- ↑ Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, About, organizational website, accessed August 19, 2011.
- ↑ Franklin Center For Government & Public Integrity, Mission, organizational website, accessed August 19, 2011.
- ↑ The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, Think tank Journalism: The Future of Investigative Journalism, organizational website, accessed August 19, 2011, since modified by the organization.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Franklin Center, Watchdog.org, organizational document, May 2013, obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy June 2013.
- ↑ Rebekah Metzler, 'Watchdog' website puts a new spin on politics', The Portland Press Herald, accessed August 19, 2011.
- ↑ Allison Kilkenny, The Koch Spider Web, Truthout, August 4, 2011.
- ↑ AJR's 2009 Count of Statehouse Reporters, American Journalism Review, April/May 2009, accessed November 2013.
- ↑ Jennifer Dorroh, Statehouse Exodus, American Journalism Review, April/May 2009, accessed November 2013.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 Gene Gibbons, Ants at the Picnic: A Status Report on News Coverage of State Government, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy Discussion Paper Series, #D‐59, June 2010.
- ↑ Gene Gibbons, Statehouse Beat Woes Portend Bad News for Good Government, Nieman Report, Winter 2010.
- ↑ Tony Rogers, Conservatives See Need for More Investigative Reporting, About.com, undated, accessed November 2013.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Brendan Fischer, Why Are the Franklin Center's "Wisconsin Reporter" and "Watchdog.org" Attacking the John Doe?, PRwatch.org, Dec. 19, 2013.
- ↑ Michael Isikoff, "Secret $1.5 million donation from Wisconsin billionaire uncovered in Scott Walker dark-money probe," Yahoo Politics, March 23, 2015.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Daniel Angster, "The Pay-To-Play Allegation Walker's Watchdog Isn't Defending," Media Matters, March 26, 2015.
- ↑ Gov. Joe Manchin's Dept. of Administration, Division of Highways Subpoenaed in Federal Probe, West Virginia Watchdog, August 7, 2010.
- ↑ Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, Poll Shows 71% of Wisconsinites Think Walker's Budget Changes are "Fair," organizational press release, February 24, 2011.
- ↑ Bill McMorris, $6.4 Billion Stimulus Goes to Phantom Districts, New Mexico Watchdog, November 17, 2009.
- ↑ Matt Apuzzo, Stimulus accuracy comes under fire, Associated Press, November 19, 2009.
- ↑ Rebekah Metzler, 'Watchdog' website puts a new spin on politics', Portland Press Herald, October 2, 2010.
- ↑ Pew Center Project for Excellence in Journalism, Watchdog.org, Assessing a New Landscape in Journalism, organizational report, July 18, 2011.
- ↑ Sam Adams Alliance, Sam Adams Alliance Media Kit, organizational PDF, accessed August 19, 2011.
- ↑ Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, Watchdog,org, organizational media report, accessed June 2013.
- ↑ Daniel Bice, Franklin Center boss wants apology from Democratic staffer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, accessed August 19, 2011.
- ↑ Bradley Foundation, The Bradley Foundation, organizational website, accessed August 19, 2011.
- ↑ Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, Staff, organizational website, accessed August 19, 2011.
- ↑ Matt Hauck, Matt Hauck, LinkedIn profile, accessed October 5, 2011.
- ↑ Gwen Beattie, Gwen Beattie, LinkedIn profile, accessed October 5, 2011.
- ↑ Americans for Prosperity, AFP Announces Free Market Essay Contest, organizational blog, accessed October 5, 2011.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Brendan Fischer, "Exclusive: Ads Telling Voters 'Recall Is Not the Wisconsin Way' Funded by Out-of-State Koch Network," Center for Media and Democracy's PRWatch.org, January 8, 2014.
- ↑ Andy Kroll, "Could this Pro-Walker Dark-Money Group Torpedo Recall Turnout?," Mother Jones, June 5, 2012.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named
- ↑ Brendan Fischer, Why Are the Franklin Center's "Wisconsin Reporter" and "Watchdog.org" Attacking the John Doe?, PRWatch.org, December 19, 2013.
- ↑ American Legislative Exchange Council, 2011 Conference Sponsors, conference brochure on file with CMD, August 11, 2011.
- ↑ Franklin Center, Board of Directors, organizational website, accessed July 2013.
- ↑ American Legislative Exchange Council, Communications and Technology Task Force, organizational website, accessed July 2013.
- ↑ Blair Thoreson, Commentary: Progressive War on ALEC, franklincenterhq.org organizational website article, April 18, 2012.
- ↑ Matt Gertz, FLASHBACK: Franklin Center's Full-Throated Defense Of ALEC, Media Matters, July 12, 2012.
- ↑ Jason Stverak, ALEC AND MISLEADING JOURNALISM: A CASE STUDY, Breitbart.com, April 26, 2012.
- ↑ Steven Greenhut, COMMENTARY: Attacks on ALEC hypocritical and unfair, franklincenterhq.org organizational website article, April 19, 2012.
- ↑ Rebekah Wilce, ALEC Sends Out an SOS to Breitbart Bloggers, PRWatch.org, April 18, 2012.
- ↑ Bill McMorris, Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, Benjamin Franklin Fellows, organizational publication, October 2, 2009.
- ↑ Washington State Office of the Secretary of State, Charitable Solicitations Program Charity Profile Report: Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, state governmental agency website, accessed November 19, 2013.
- ↑ Washington State Office of the Secretary of State, Commercial Fundraiser Profile Report: ClearWord Communications Group, Inc., state governmental agency website, accessed November 19, 2013.
- ↑ Joe Strupp,Franklin Center Top Donor Is Right-Wing's "Dark Money" ATM, Media Matters, Feb. 22, 2013.
- ↑ Paul Abowd, "Donors use charity to push free-market policies in states: Nonprofit group lets donors fly 'totally under the radar,'" Center for Public Integrity, February 14, 2013.
- ↑ Knowledge and Progress Fund, 2005 Form 990, organization's annual Internal Revenue Service filing, November 13, 2006.
- ↑ Steve Connor, "Exclusive: Billionaires Secretly Fund Attacks on Climate Science," The Independent, January, 24, 2013.
- ↑ Knowledge and Progress Fund, 2010 Form 990, organization's annual Internal Revenue Service filing, November, 21, 2011.
- ↑ 49.0 49.1 Paul Abowd, Center for Public Integrity, Donors use charity to push free-market policies in states, organizational report, February 14, 2013.
- ↑ Andy Kroll, Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement, Mother Jones, February 5, 2013.
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 Franklin Center, 2011 Form 990, organizational annual IRS filing, November 12, 2012.
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 Franklin Center, 2010 Form 990, organizational annual IRS filing, October 25, 2011.
- ↑ 53.0 53.1 Franklin Center, 2009 Form 990, organizational annual IRS filing, October 20, 2011.
- ↑ Statehouse News Bureaus, SourceWatch.org, accessed March 23, 2012.
- ↑ Statehouse News Bureaus, SourceWatch.org, accessed March 23, 2012.
- ↑ Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity. BREAKING: Poll Shows 71% of Wiscosnites Think Walker's Budget Changes are "Fair," organizational press release, February 24, 2011.
- ↑ The Conservative Group Behind The Poll of Walker's Budget Plan, Talking Points Memo, accessed August 19, 2011.
- ↑ Talking Points Memo TV, MSNBC Pushes Right-Wing Wisconsin Poll, YouTube, accessed August 19, 2011.
- ↑ American Bridge 21st Century Foundation, Recipient: Property and Environment Research Center, Bridge Project profile, accessed June 2013.
- ↑ Evan McMorris-Santoro, Mysterious Conservative Poll of Walker's Budget Plan Hits Wisconsin, Talking Points Memo, February 24, 2011.
- ↑ Franklin Center, Board of Directors, organizational website, accessed September 2013.
- ↑ Guidestar, FRANKLIN CENTER FOR GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC INTEGRITY: People, non-profit organization profile, accessed February 2013.
- ↑ Franklin Center, Advisory Committee, organizational website, accessed September 2013.
- ↑ Franklin Center, Staff, organizational website, accessed April 2015.


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Chris McCaw: Sunburn
05.03.2013 7:00 pm
Join us on the evening of May 3rd for a special lecture by San Francisco based photographer Chris McCaw, who will be speaking about his innovative Sunburn project. In this body of work, begun in 2003, McCaw creates images by allowing the sun to burn its path onto a paper negative during a long exposure, using the camera as a tool for both creation and destruction. The lecture will be followed by a signing of McCaw's most recent book, Sunburn.
About the Photographer
Short Films from the Latino Film Festival
05.05.2013 1:00 pm
May 5th
12:45 pm - 2:30 pm
Free with your $1.00 admission, MOPA will be showing a 90 minute program of short films presented by San Diego Latino Film Festival.
A collection of fun, vivacious, and short films perfect for children and adults alike. Before the film enjoy a performance by Ballet Folklorico Casa Familiar! The dance performance will begin at 12:45 pm.
Films Include:
Avientate (The Big Jump) (2012, 3 min., Mexico)
Europe Day Film Screening: The Intouchables
05.09.2013 6:00 pm
Come see the Intouchables for Europe Day compliments of The European Union American Center of Commerce for Southern California (EUACCSC).
An irreverent, uplifting comedy about friendship, trust and human possibility, The Intouchables has broken box office records in its native France and across Europe. Based on a true story of friendship between a handicap millionaire (Francois Cluzet) and his street smart ex-con caretaker (Omar Sy), The Intouchables depicts an unlikely camaraderie rooted in honesty and humor between two individuals who, on the surface, would seem to have nothing in common. -- © Weinstein
6 - 7 pm : Reception
7 - 9:30 pm: Film Screening
Complimentary admission
RSVP to: www.wtcsd.org/events
Watch the trailer:
SDIFF Monthly Screening: "Sentire l'aria"
05.16.2013 7:00 pm
Sentire l'aria (Feeling the Air)
Manuele Cecconello, 2010, 110 minutes
In this beautiful documentary, 15 year old Andrea from northern Piedmont, chooses to be a shepherd, leaving his comfortable home, surgeon father and teacher mother, and the urban rituals of adolescence, to learn an unusual and dying trade in the mountains around Biellea, an ancient town in wool commerce.
Read more about the film here.
Cost: $10 General, Student & Military discount with valid I.D. (cash and check only)
American Sign Language (ASL) Tour
05.18.2013 1:00 pm
Join us for an ASL tour lead by a Deaf Individual. MOPA's current exhibitions, Jessica Lange: unseen, 30x: three decades. Both the hearing and Deaf community are welcome and encouraged to attend. This tour will be conducted in ASL ONLY. Learn more. For questions please contact Jazmyne Lemar email@example.com or 619.238.7559 X230.
Jessica Lange: unseen
Jessica Lange has maintained a career as a fine art photographer for nearly two decades, alongside her work as an acclaimed actress. As a photographer, Lange documents diverse cultures from regional and international travels. Alternately comforting and disquieting, the artist's striking and unexpected photographs possess a kind of moody mystery that is appropriately cinematic. MOPA is pleased to present the first United States exhibition of Jessica Lange's mid-career retrospective unseen. The exhibition gathers work from Mexico, Ethiopia, Romania, Russia, Finland, Italy, France and the United States.
Exhibition support provided by ResMed Foundation
30x: three decades
In 2013, MOPA celebrates 30 years as a museum in Balboa Park dedicated to exhibiting photography, film, and video. Prior to MOPA's founding in 1983, it existed as the "Center for Photographic Arts," a nonprofit organization created in the early 1970s which exhibited and promoted photography as an art form. Since its founding, MOPA has presented dynamic world-class photography exhibitions in San Diego and built a world class photography collection. 30x: Three Decades highlights one acquisition from each of MOPA's 30 years, showcasing a selection of influential figures in the history of photography, including works by Alexander Rodchenko, Loretta Lux, Thomas Struth, Lee Friedlander, Robert Adams, Marian Drew and other influential artists.
May POP Thursday/Cinema Select
05.23.2013 7:00 pm
FREE for Members!
Members RSVP to email@example.com
Students - $6
General - $8
MOPA's trademark POP Thursdays returns incorporating our newest film program, Cinema Select.
Cinema Select
Voting has ended and the winner is... The Outsiders. So that is what we will be showing at this POP Thursdays event. Thanks to everyone who voted.
Push Pin Party
Mobile Photography Challenge
• DJ's Daniel Sant & Mark Smith play 1983 favorites
• Dress to impress in your best 80's attire
• Stand & Deliver, a MIHO experience
• Libations from Alchemy Cultural Fare & Cocktails
Please note, seating for the movie screening is first come, first serve. Tickets are good for admission to POP Thursday and do not guarantee movie seating.
Pictures of the Year Int'l Opening
05.31.2013 7:00 pm
Members only opening reception.
Members plus one guest are invited to check out the award-winning pictures from tour latest exhibition, Pictures of the Year International.
At 7:30, our Executive Director, Deborah Klochko, will lead a conversation with a number of local photojournalists about the profession they have chosen.
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"I plan to continue financially supporting Catholic Answers Live on a regular basis as it is truly a wonderful apostolate!"
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"To God, most Good and Great, in honor of St. John the Baptist, the Maliseets erected this church A.D. 1717."
~ Inscription (in Latin) on a stone tablet, for what is believed to be the first church built in New Brunswick, Canada, in the Diocese of Saint John.


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MOSCOW – Ali Forde scored a career-high 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting Thursday night as the Idaho women's basketball team got its fifth win in its last six games, a 72-53 victory over New Mexico State.
"It feels pretty good to be honest," the freshman from Woodinville, Wash., said of her career mark. "I made all my layups for once, but I got a bunch of really good passes so I've got to give it to my teammates."
The Vandals shot 48.4 percent (30-of-62) from the field and held NMSU to just 29.7 percent shooting. It was the seventh time in 12 WAC games Idaho's opponent failed to score more than 60 points, and the fifth time a Vandal opponent shot 30.0 percent or less from the field. New Mexico State's Stefanie Gilbreath scored a game-high 21 points but needed 26 shots to do it, going 9-of-26 from the field.
"Defensively we were extremely solid tonight, stuck right to the plan," Idaho coach Jon Newlee said. "Gilbreath is always going to get hers. We wanted to make her a volume shooter, and we did tonight. She had 21 points so it's kind of weird for me to say Jess (Graham) and Ali did a good job on her, but they did. They did a really good job on her, she's just at times unstoppable and we had to just keep running those two at her. I'm happy. If she's going to take 26 shots and only score 21 points, that works for us."
Idaho improves to 11-12 on the season with the win and 8-4 in the Western Athletic Conference, while New Mexico State lost for the eighth straight time, falling to 9-14 overall and 3-9 in WAC play.
Junior Alyssa Charlston scored 14 points for Idaho, going 6-for-11 from the field and 2-for-2 from 3-point range. Freshman Christina Salvatore added 12 points, all in the first half, as she connected on all four of her first-half 3-point attempts. Senior Jessica Graham, who averages 5.6 points per game this season, scored in double-figures for the third time in her last four games, finishing with 10 points, five rebounds and two assists.
"I told her yesterday that this is the best stretch that she's ever played for us," Newlee said of Graham. "She just gives us such a huge life coming off the bench. She's usually out there really early in the game and our leads seem to grow, or if we're behind we seem to take the lead. She's really embraced that roll of coming in and giving us that spark we need."
Freshman Connie Ballestero added six points, five assists and three rebounds in the game, and committed just one turnover. Her 1.97 assist to turnover ratio entering the game was second-best in the WAC.
New Mexico State's only lead in the game came 20 seconds in at 2-0. Idaho responded with a 7-0 run and took its first double-digit lead at 20-10 with 12:29 to play in the first half. The Aggies cut that lead to eight points, but Idaho built it back to 14 at halftime and led by double-digits the entire second half. Idaho's largest lead of the night was a 23-point advantage at 49-26 with just over 15 minutes to play.
Despite giving up 19 offensive rebounds, Idaho out-rebounded the Aggies 42-40. The Vandals finished with 17 assists on their 30 made shots and turned the ball over just 10 times, the second fewest of the season for the team.
The Vandals will have a chance to get to .500 for the first time all season when they welcome Denver to the Cowan Spectrum for a 2 p.m. tip on Saturday. Just five weeks ago Idaho was six games under .500, with a 3-9 record before its win on Jan. 3.
"We keep talking game-by-game," Newlee said. "You've got to defend home court and then take your chances on the road. Every game is huge, we know that. We want to keep winning and keep moving up the standings as best we can and know that March is coming."


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From: Jill Kucera of Catering Works, Raleigh, NC., Past "All-American" Category Winner in the Kikkoman Soy Sauce Masters Recipe Contest. Yield: 24 servings. APPLE-CRANBERRY SAUCE: 3 Tbsp. canola oil 6 lb. golden apples, cut in medium dice 1 lb., 2 oz. yellow onions, cut in medium dice 2 lb., 4 oz. red bell pepper, cut in medium dice 3 Tbsp. grated ginger 3 cups Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce 3 cups apple cider vinegar 3 cups brown sugar 3 cups dried cranberries 1/3 cup lemon zest, minced 1 ...
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In the opening scenes of World War Z, a news montage assaults the viewer. Clips document epidemics, wolves, global warming, reality television, pundits and others forms of dangerous nature. They evoke a world in seeming decline, in which one pivotal moment could lead to the global disaster from which we might not recover. Chaos and inevitable decline set the tone for the film.
But what ends us in World War Z are zombies.
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ECS | CeRTS | IWAS | Teachers
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Springfield, Ill. The Illinois State Board of Education
has awarded more than $14 million in System of Support
Coordination and Services grants to ten educational support
organizations in Illinois. The grant awards represent
the second year of a three-year grant program for regional
providers to support schools in their area either in academic
early warning, on the academic watch list or at risk of
placement on the list.
The State Board of Education is committed to working
with struggling schools to turn things around, said
Gov. Blagojevich. Its what the kids deserve
and what their communities need.
System of Support services may include health services,
nutrition support, family involvement and support, before-
and after-school activities, programs to improve school
climate, community support and services for schools, students,
families and communities. These services may include expanded
community use of school sites and community service by
students and school staff.
Each of the grant recipients has developed and put in
place a plan to help targeted schools and districts develop
school improvement plans focused on academic achievement.
The four components of the plans are:
By focusing on struggling schools and districts
we can target efforts where theyre needed the most,
said Interim State Superintendent Randy Dunn. The
providers have worked one-on-one with these schools to
help them get plans in place that produce positive results.
Evaluation of each programs success is based on:
The Systems of Support Coordination and Services grants
are funded through State School Improvement funds and
Federal Title I School Improvement, Title II Teacher Quality
and Title V Innovative Programs funds.
Organizations receiving grant awards are:
This year, Gov. Blagojevich and members of the General
Assembly approved a state funding increase of $389 million
for targeted education programs. Since taking office,
the Governor increased education funding each year, bringing
the states commitment to education this year to
nearly $800 million over annual funding levels two years
ago. In total, Illinois schools have received more than
a billion dollars in new funding since the Governor took
Illinois State Board of Education
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Street battles pit factions of Egyptians
CAIRO Egypts capital descended into chaos Friday as vigilantes at neighborhood checkpoints battled Muslim Brotherhood-led protesters denouncing the ouster of President Mohammed Morsi and a deadly crackdown. The fiercest street clashes the city has seen in more than two years of turmoil left more than 60 people dead, including several police officers.
The sight of residents firing at one another marked a dark turn in the conflict, as civilians armed with pistols and assault rifles clashed with protesters taking part in what the Muslim Brotherhood called a Day of Rage, ignited by anger at security forces for clearing two sit-in demonstrations Wednesday in clashes that killed more than 600.
Military helicopters circled as residents furious with the Brotherhood protests pelted them with rocks and glass bottles. The two sides also fired on one another, sparking running street battles throughout the capitals residential neighborhoods.
There was little hope that an evening curfew would curb the violence as the Muslim Brotherhood called on supporters of Morsi, the countrys ousted Islamist president, to stage daily protests.
Unlike in past clashes between protesters and police, residents and possibly police in civilian clothing battled those participating in the Brotherhood-led marches. There were few police in uniform to be seen as neighborhood watchdogs and pro-Morsi protesters fired at one another for hours on a bridge that crosses over Cairos Zamalek district, an upscale island neighborhood where many foreigners and ambassadors reside.
Across the country, at least 56 civilians were killed, along with eight police officers, said security officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
The violence erupted shortly after midday weekly prayers when tens of thousands of Brotherhood supporters answered the groups call to protest across Egypt in defiance of a military-imposed state of emergency after the bloodshed earlier this week.
Armed civilians manned impromptu checkpoints throughout the capital, banning Brotherhood marches from approaching and frisking anyone wanting to pass through. At one checkpoint, residents barred ambulances and cars carrying wounded from Cairos main battleground, Ramses Square, from reaching a hospital.
The scenes highlighted how dangerous the divisions in Egypt have become. At least nine police stations were attacked Friday, officials said. Egypts police force was rocked by the countrys 2011 uprising that ousted longtime leader Hosni Mubarak from power and has not fully recovered since.
On Thursday, the Interior Ministry said it had authorized the use of deadly force against anyone targeting police and state institutions. But the threat appeared not to intimidate protesters.
The Brotherhood-led marches in Cairo headed toward Ramses Square, near the countrys main train station. The area is near Tahrir Square, where the army put up barbed wire and deployed 30 tanks outside the Cairo Museum overlooking the square as a buffer between the protesters and a small anti-Brotherhood encampment in the square.
Several of the protesters were seen writing their names and relatives phone numbers on one anothers chests and undershirts in case they were to die in Fridays clashes.
Tawfik Dessouki, a Brotherhood supporter, said he was ready to fight for democracy and against the militarys ouster of Morsi.
I am here for the blood of the people who died. We didnt have a revolution to go back to a police and military state again and to be killed by the state, he said during a march headed toward Ramses Square.
At least 12 people were killed near the square after police fired on protesters. Some appeared to be trying to attack a nearby police station, security officials said. Inside Al-Fath mosque near Ramses Square, where the Brotherhood urged its Cairo supporters to converge, blood-soaked bodies with bullets to the head and chest lay next to one another.
Associated Press photographers saw many of the dead inside the mosque-turned-morgue, which was also acting as a field hospital where the wounded were being wheeled in on wooden crates.
Similar scenes played out in Egypts second-largest city of Alexandria, where at least 10 people were killed in clashes between protesters and their rivals, according to a security official. Violence was also fierce in the province of Fayoum, just west of Cairo, where 11 people died during an attempt to storm the main security building there.
Fighting also broke out in at least five other provinces.
Egypt, the Arab worlds most populous nation, has been in turmoil since Morsi was removed from power by the military July 3 after days of mass protests against him and his Brotherhood group. But Morsis supporters have remained defiant, demanding the ouster be overturned. The international community has urged both sides to show restraint and end the turmoil engulfing the nation.MORE IN Wire NewsMADISON, Wis. Full StoryKABUL, Afghanistan Afghanistan has fallen so far from Americans consciousness that some may... Full StoryCHARLESTON, S.C. Full Story
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INGREDIENTS:8 oz. duck prosciutto 8 oz. arugula, trimmed and washed 2 oz. asiago cheese, thinly shaved 1 Tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar 1 tsp. cracked black peppercorns to taste, salt and pepperSherry Vinaigrette: 1 tsp. Dijon mustrad 1 tsp. honey 1 tsp. shallots, finely diced 1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar ¼ cup olive oil DIRECTIONS:For salad: Thinly slice prosciutto on a meat slicer untli you have 20 pieces. In a small mixing bowl, toss arugula with sherry vinaigrette, salt, and pepper. Lay 5 strips ...
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text: Hitler's Remains (3) tv-14 Play video Select your TV provider to log in to have full access to videos Select your TV provider See all providers Don't see your TV provider? Learn more You can access this video on the free HISTORY® app. *You must verify your TV provider towatch this video on the App Your Parental Control settings do not allow you to view this content. Hitler's Remains (3 min) tv-14 It has been documented that Hitler took his own life at the end of WWII, but what happened to his remains?


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There's no doubt about it: Jeans are a fundamental part of any stylish outfit. Of life basically. Want jeans with an attitude? Jack and Jones is Denim to the bone. Made with a stylish design, you can't go wrong with a pair for any occasion.
We know what you are thinking and you don't have to worry. The best part of this deal is that they do not come along with the shoes in the picture that the model chose to wear. You get to pick what snazzy shoes you have and these jeans will match with most of them.
Who is Jack & Jones?
Jack and Jones is a very well known Brand in Europe and Asia. You can see more about them at Jack & Jones Website. To save you time, here is a quick snapshot from their About Us Section:
The story of JACK & JONES begins in 1990 when BESTSELLER sends a young, fiery soul to the Oslo fashion fair with a modest, but carefully chosen collection aimed at young men. The reception exceeds all expectations and the creation of a new menswear brand is a reality.
In the following years JACK & JONES manifests itself as one of the strongest jeans brands on the market and within a few years, the brand has several hundred stores.
Today JACK & JONES is one of Europe's leading producers of menswear with more than one thousand stores in 38 countries and JACK & JONES clothes are sold by thousands of wholesale partners all over the world.
Jeans are still regarded as the backbone of JACK & JONES' business. We continue to have a high level of expertise when it comes to the craftsmanship, quality and design of jeans, but JACK & JONES is nowadays defined and represented by five unique brands: JACK & JONES VINTAGE CLOTHING, PREMIUM by JACK & JONES, ORIGINALS by JACK & JONES, CORE by JACK & JONES and JACK & JONES TECH.
The brands are designed by independent design teams, each one of them with their own ideas, concepts and designs. They all offer a full range of clothes, accessories and footwear for every man and every occasion.
Brand: Jack and Jones
Model: Tim Phillip Jeans JJ079
Condition: New
Packaging: Retail
What you get:
Jack and Jones Tim Phillip Jeans JJ079
Product Features
- Jack & Jones midrise slim/straight leg fit
- Stone washed denim for awesome whiskering and variation in color with monotone patches and buttons.
- 100% cotton
- Grey Blue Denim


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Orders for durable goods in the United States went up 2.2 percent in February after a steep drop in January, the Associated Press reports. Heavy demand for machinery, computers, automobiles, and aircraft fueled much of the increase. Durable goods are those expected to last at least three years, and orders can fluctuate sharply from month to month__however, durable goods orders have been rising steadily for the past three years.
Orders for core capital goods, a measure of business investment, increased 1.2 percent but are still below December's total. According to Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics, business investment in equipment and software isn't much higher than at the end of 2011. Economists see this as another indicator that economic growth will slow to about 2 percent, down from 3 percent in the final three months of last year.
While some economists are disappointed that the commercial aircraft gain was smaller than expected, most anticipate overall business investment to stay strong this year. Survey data indicate overall business spending should increase in the second quarter, Ashworth says. Many companies delayed upgrading their facilities during the recession, but they now are catching up.
An internal strategy document reveals General Motors plans to increase its production capacity in low-cost countries while it closes two facilities in Europe, Der Spiegel reports. The factories that make GM's Opel brand in Bochum, Germany, and sister brand Vauxhall in Ellesmere Port, England, are expected to cease operations.
The manufacturer faces a shrinking car market in Europe. Opel and Vauxhall sold 20 percent fewer cars in January and February, and a Rüsselsheim, Germany, facility already has implemented a four-day work week for certain periods. Rival automakers Fiat, Peugeot, and Renault also are dependent on the European market and are also expected to close factories.
The GM internal strategy paper is called "Global Assembly Footprint." It reveals that the company plans to produce 80 percent of additional vehicles if sales increase in "low-cost" countries such as Poland, Russia, China, India, Mexico, and Brazil. Currently, about half of GM's automobiles are produced in high-cost countries in North America and Europe.
The document also states that GM plans to consolidate its range of global models, cutting in half the number of vehicle platforms by 2018. Very few models targeted specifically at Europe would remain under this plan.
Leaders in Japan, the world's biggest importer of rare earths, stress the need for international cooperation for alternatives, conservation, diversification, and recycling of the critical materials, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. Continuing dialogue with China to stabilize global supply also is urged.
"The supply chain of rare earth-related products is connected globally," says Keiro Kitagami, vice minister at the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. "Problems with rare earths are a common global challenge."
Rare earths are the chemically similar metallic elements used in the construction of products ranging from wind turbines to guided missiles and hybrid car batteries. China accounts for at least 90 percent of the global supply of rare earths, and has reduced output of the materials since 2009.
Kitagami says broad international cooperation among consumer entities including the European Union, the United States, and Japan, and resource countries such as Canada and Australia is critical. "It is also important for all of us to continue dialogue with China," Kitagami adds.
According to a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce, the country's export controls on rare earths are intended to protect its resources and the environment.
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Mark your calendars! It's time to start getting ready for the 2012 APICS conferences. Visit apics.org/events for information.
You're invited to Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference, May 21-23 in Palm Desert, California, USA, for a unique opportunity to collaborate and connect with the world's leading supply chain executives, all in one place at one time. The conference combines strategic and tactical Gartner advice from industry analysts and thought leaders who collectively have over 150 years of supply chain experience, as well as a chance to interact with leading solution providers at the forefront of the supply chain market. Plus, participate in the live reveal of the 2012 Gartner Supply Chain Top 25. Save $500 when you register at gartner.com/us/supplychain with priority code APICS.
Upcoming Webinar Event
APICS Extra Live: Strategic Imperatives for Improving Supply Networks
Presented by: Darren Pitts, CPIM, CSCP
Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Kraft Foods
Date: April 19, 2012
Time: 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. CT
Attend APICS Extra Live to gain deeper insight into the March/April APICS magazine article "On the Map." Author Darren Pitts, CPIM, CSCP, will discuss tactics for developing superior supply chains through effective mapping, strategic change management, and appropriate education and training.
In this APICS Extra Live, you will learn how to
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Webinars On Demand Available APICS Extra Live: Real-World Strategies for Improving Operational Efficiency Watch the webinar now. APICS Extra Live: Racing Toward Operational Success with Kaizen Watch the webinar now. APICS Extra Live: The People Factor in Supply Chain Excellence Watch the webinar now. APICS Members-Only Webinar: Operations Management Résumé Benchmarking Survey Résumé Structure and Organization Watch this webinar now. APICS Extra Live: Advancing Your Supply Chain with Foreign-Trade Zones Watch this webinar now. APICS Extra Live: Merchandising for a Lean Supply Chain Watch this webinar now. APICS Extra Live: Keep Projects Flowing with Visual Project Management Watch this webinar now. APICS Members-Only Webinar: Résumé Formatting Best Practices Watch this webinar now.
Purchase APICS supply chain risk and supply chain strategy folios
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Supply chain and operations management professionals are increasingly called on to carry the torch of innovation to reduce costs, demands on resources, and waste; while increasing the reuse of existing assets, and enabling lean operations. Employing sustainable practices is critical to meeting these business needs.
APICS Supply Chain Strategy Folio: Make the Most of Supply Chain Strategy Understand challenges and identify areas where senior management and operations management can work together to maximize the effectiveness of your supply chain strategy. Access this APICS folio to delve into critical supply chain functions and tasks that may not be effectively supporting your supply chain strategy.
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Predicting the future generally is thought impossible; yet, S&OP users seek to do just that by strategically directing businesses to achieve competitive advantage. Purchase this APICS folio to understand how you can enable your organization's bottom-line effectiveness with S&OP.
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Download the APICS members-only report 2011 S&OP Practices and Challenges and purchase the APICS Folio: How to Be an S&OP Champion
Predicting the future generally is thought impossible; yet, S&OP users seek to do just that by strategically directing businesses to achieve competitive advantage, and—more and more—are expected to do so to enable their employers' bottom line profitability.
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Nelson said that USDA would continue to work to deliver assistance to those impacted by drought and encouraged producers to contact their local county or state USDA Service Center or Farm Service Agency office. Nelson also highlighted an announcement made earlier this week that will offer additional flexibility in the Conservation Reserve Program to assist producers struggling from drought.
"Our top priority is to make sure that all farmers and ranchers know that we are here for them and that FSA provides programs to help them through one of the worst disasters in this state's history," he said.
Nelson was escorted by Texas State Executive Director and Acting Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs Juan Garcia.
"As a native Texan, I have experienced extremely high temperatures and relatively dry conditions, but never anything of this magnitude," Garcia said. "I have no doubt that with help, Texas producers will bounce back and continue to be one of the driving forces in American agriculture."
In June, the drought – which has plagued the state since January – caused Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to name 213 counties in Texas as primary natural disaster areas. In an effort to further help producers, Vilsack relaxed rules governing the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) earlier this week by extending the emergency grazing period to Oct. 31, without an additional payment reduction.
Generally, land enrolled in CRP cannot be used for grazing unless special circumstances warrant the land to be opened for that purpose. Texas, along with other states have been approved for emergency grazing.
So far this year, producers nationwide have received $693 million in indemnity payments to help recover from disasters, including more than $520 million to those affected by drought. Additional assistance for livestock producers affected by the drought comes from the Livestock Forage Program which has already provided over $50 million in Texas. This timely assistance helps ranchers purchase feed for their livestock when they need it most.
USDA will continue to work with state and local officials to ensure that producers have the necessary resources to recover from these challenges.


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