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<p>PHOENIX — A search of a Phoenix-area landfill has passed the halfway mark without finding any sign of a missing 34-year-old woman believed to be a homicide victim.</p>
<p>Phoenix police on Wednesday completed the fifth week of what could be a nine-week search begun Oct. 23 for remains of Christine Mustafa.</p>
<p>Crews have examined nearly 6,000 tons (5,443 metric tons) of material, said Sgt. Alan Pfohl, a Police Department spokesman. “So far we have not located anything of evidentiary value.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Oct. 23 video previously released by the department showed dozens of searchers wearing rubber boots and protective clothing and face masks using long-tined rakes to examine material excavated from the landfill by a power shovel.</p>
<p>Mustafa was reported missing May 11, and police have said investigators eliminated all other possibilities before concluding that her body is likely at the landfill southwest of Phoenix.</p>
<p>A Feb. 22 trial is scheduled for ex-boyfriend Robert John Interval, who on June 27 pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.</p>
<p>A hearing is scheduled Monday in Maricopa County Superior Court on a defense motion to allow Interval to be released either on his own recognizance or on bond.</p>
<p>Prosecutors’ position on the defense motion isn’t known. They filed a response under seal.</p>
<p>Family members told police that Mustafa feared Interval and planned to leave him. Police checking on Mustafa found her car, purse and cellphone at the couple’s home.</p>
<p>Authorities unsuccessfully searched a Phoenix-area landfill after a 5-year-old Glendale girl’s body was dumped in 2011 after she was beaten, neglected and confined to a closet.</p>
<p>Jhessye Shockley’s mother, Jerice Hunter, was convicted of first-degree murder and child abuse and sentenced to life in prison.</p>
<p>Jhessye’s body was never found.</p> | Landfill search for missing woman’s body passes halfway mark | false | https://abqjournal.com/1096851/search-for-missing-womans-body-at-phoenix-area-landfill-passes-halfway-mark.html | 2017-11-23 | 2 |
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>AUGUST 12, 2010</p>
<p>By JOHN SEILER</p>
<p>California’s government soon could be paying its bills with IOUs, <a href="http://www.nbclosangeles.com/blogs/prop-zero/IOUs-By-Months-End-100413059.html" type="external">Controller John Chang</a> announced this week. And&#160; <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/11/2950736/californians-lost-out-on-40-billion.html" type="external">a new report</a> found that Californians’ personal income dropped 2.5 percent in 2009, the first decline since World War II.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the state budget still hasn’t been passed, despite a June 15 requirement in California Constitution. The governor and Legislature remain gridlocked. And the projected deficit for the state budget, for the year that began July 1 — assuming a budget gets passed eventually — is $19 billion.</p>
<p>Is it time for “Thinking About the Unthinkable” as the title of <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=DVsaUFPUv4AC&amp;printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" type="external">a famous book</a> once put it? Although in this case it’s not nuclear bomb policy, but what could be called a “Nuclear Option” on state debt — that is, defaulting on that debt.</p>
<p>The state’s debt currently stands at $68.8 billion, according to <a href="" type="internal">Treasurer Bill Lockyer’s Web site</a>.&#160;The cost to service the debt is $5.5 billion in fiscal 2010-11, <a href="http://www.dof.ca.gov/about_finance/staff/hd_palmer/" type="external">H.D. Palmer</a>told me; he’s the deputy director for external affairs at Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Department of Finance.</p>
<p>Last December, the possibility of default <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2009/12/bill-watkins-california-muni-bond-default-risk.html" type="external">was brought u</a>p by Bill Watkins, an economist at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. He wrote on his blog:</p>
<p>In my opinion, California is now more likely to default than it is to not default. It is not a certainty, but it is a possibility that is increasingly likely….</p>
<p>Already, we’ve seen California officials surprised with the interest rates they have had to pay. What happens if no one buys California’s debt? We saw last September [2008] what happens when lenders refuse to lend to large creditors.</p>
<p>That statement immediately was repudiated by Lockyer:</p>
<p>After paying for education, the General Fund has tens of billions of dollars left to pay debt service. Even at historically high levels, debt service does not come remotely close to needing all the funds left over after schools get paid.</p>
<p>However, as I wrote in an <a href="" type="internal">April article for CalWatchDog.com</a>, a 2009 report by Lockyer’s own department noted that total yearly “debt service payments” would rise to $11.09 billion by fiscal 2014-15, almost double the current amount, just four years away; and to&#160;$19.64 billion by fiscal 2027-08.</p>
<p>What if a governor, to sharply reduce an endemic $20 billion deficit, refuses to pay the loans? For perspective, I talked to Joseph Salerno, who teaches economics at <a href="http://www.pace.edu/pace/" type="external">Pace University in New York</a> and is a senior fellow of the <a href="http://mises.org/" type="external">Mises Institute</a>, a think tank in Auburn, Ala.&#160;&#160;He has studied and written about government debt and possible repudiation, for example <a href="http://mises.org/daily/965" type="external">on Argentina</a>.</p>
<p>“First of all, you wouldn’t get any more loans,” he said of the state government. “That would be good discipline. You would have to sell off assets to fund current programs. You could bundle up a lot of the assets and just sell all of them off. The state could make deals with creditors.”</p>
<p>Something similar is happening in Greece, which is <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:BT-CO-20100625-706063.html" type="external">selling some of its islands</a> to avoid defaulting on its loans. But in April, <a href="http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/91773109.html" type="external">Schwarzenegger announced</a> that previous plans to sell some state assets would not include an extensive sale of state-owned buildings. A debt repudiation could force such sales.</p>
<p>Salerno continued that debt repudiation would “reduce the burden on taxpayers to cover the interest payments,” saving, as noted, debt payments of $5.5 billion a year now, and even more in the future. “It would improve the business climate in the state” because government would be smaller.</p>
<p>Another benefit, he said, is that the state would not be able to fund expensive projects such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High-Speed_Rail" type="external">California High Speed Rail</a>, being paid for by a $10 billion bond voters approved in November 2008, just as the economy was imploding. Today, it’s unlikely such a bond would pass. The rail also has been <a href="http://reason.com/blog/2010/05/07/silver-bullet-train-california" type="external">criticized as a boondoggle</a>.</p>
<p>Indeed, the governor and the Legislature just voted to pull from the November 2010 ballot a bond measure of a similar amount, $11 billion for state water projects. <a href="http://www.ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Water_Bond_Proposition_(2010)#cite_note-after-5" type="external">According to Ballotopedia</a>, the measure was postponed to November 2012. The debt cost of this measure, as well as of the train, would be about $800 billion to the general fund.</p>
<p>Instead of debt, Salerno urged that “pay as you go is good for every state. A good example is New Jersey, where new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Christie" type="external">Gov. Chris Christie</a> turned out to really take the whole thing seriously.”</p>
<p>Elected in January, Christie faced a budget deficit of $11 billion in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey" type="external">population of 8.7 million</a>. The equivalent, adjusting for California’s 37 million population, would be about a $44 billion deficit, more than double the current amount. Christie immediately <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61A49V20100211" type="external">declared a fiscal emergency</a>, slashing spending and even suspending $3 billion in pension payments.</p>
<p>Salerno pointed out that Christie also refused to borrow his way out of the crisis, with one exception: a $267 million loan from the federal government for education. If that money had been refused, “President Obama would have given it anyway directly to the school districts of his Democratic opponents.”</p>
<p>Have the austerities to the state government brought disaster to New Jersey? “Nothing has happened to the rest of us,” said Salerno, a New Jersey native.</p>
<p>Schwarzenegger has been unwilling to make such serious efforts to fend off a default. And gubernatorial candidates Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman, although issuing plans to deal with the state’s deficit, have not proposed taking things as far as Christie.</p>
<p>A default would force their hands, Salerno said. “It would force the state to go back to the basics of protecting the people and their property and operating a court system. Stop the payoffs to cronies and their constituents.”</p>
<p>“California should immediately repudiate the state debt,” Lew Rockwell told me; he’s president of the Mises Institute. “Either you repudiate it, or make people who aren’t part of the deal pay for it. That would make it virtually impossible for California to borrow for a long time. That’s too bad for the investor in the bonds. But investing is a risk. Why should the bond holders have to force their neighbors to pay for it” through tax collections?”</p>
<p>He pointed out that debt repudiation by a state is nothing new. The last one was by Arkansas in 1933, during the darkest days of the Great Depression — the worst economic calamity before the current one. And <a href="http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?StoryId=8442" type="external">according to the Globalist</a>, after the Panic of 1837:</p>
<p>Nine U.S. states (of the 26 that had joined the United States by this time) ended up defaulting on their debts. Four repudiated all or part of their debts — and three went through substantial renegotiations.</p>
<p>Two of the defaulting states — Maryland and Pennsylvania — were able to resume debt payments, with back interest, as soon as a property tax was enacted. The other defaulting states, however, already had high property taxes. Without access to new revenue sources, these states were forced to default, and then either renegotiate or repudiate their debts.</p>
<p>In the wake of this crisis, states began to enact laws that forced fiscal restraint on their governments, initially to limit state guarantees of private borrowing.</p>
<p>California, of course, already is <a href="http://reason.org/news/show/californias-high-taxes-and-bur" type="external">one of the most heavily taxed states</a>in the country. And a record tax increase of $13 billion in 2009 failed to end the deficit problem. So that option probably isn’t available. But perhaps restoring the <a href="http://www.caltax.org/member/digest/July2000/jul00-9.htm" type="external">Gann Limit</a> on state spending is a possibility.</p>
<p>The state’s bond rating is <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1322681620100114" type="external">the lowest of the 50 states</a>, and just four notches above junk-bond status, meaning it already pays a premium on its debt.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the governor’s <a href="http://gov.ca.gov/may-revise/" type="external">May Revise</a> budget projections expect economic growth to continue, so the state’s tax base can expand and pay the debt. But the past week has seen increasingly gloomy national economic news:</p>
<p>* The federal deficit <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704901104575423601722830706.html" type="external">rose $165 billion</a> in just one month.</p>
<p>* The stock market <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/38659576" type="external">dropped 250</a>points on August 11 “as investors continued to lose confidence in the strength of the global economy in the wake of the Federal Reserve’s dimmer outlook and a decline in China’s domestic economy.”</p>
<p>* Bloomberg analyst <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-11/u-s-is-bankrupt-and-we-don-t-even-know-commentary-by-laurence-kotlikoff.html" type="external">Laurence Kotlikoff wrote</a>, “Let’s get real.&#160;The U.S. is bankrupt.”</p>
<p>* <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/New-claims-for-unemployment-apf-3180551258.html?x=0&amp;.v=1" type="external">Jobless claims rose</a> to the their highest level since January.</p>
<p>In these circumstances, Rockwell brought up the now mostly extinct tradition of a family holding <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106242731" type="external">a mortgage-burning party</a>. For California, he urged, “Gov. Schwarzenegger, burn the debt.”</p>
<p>John Seiler, an editorial writer with The Orange County Register for 20 years, is a reporter and analyst for <a href="" type="internal">CalWatchDog.com</a>. His email: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
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<p /> | Will California repudiate its debt? | false | https://calwatchdog.com/2010/08/12/will-california-repudiate-its-debt/ | 2018-08-20 | 3 |
<p>CURWOOD: Protecting vast areas of the Pacific Ocean round far-distant U.S. possessions may be an important key to conserving ocean species and biodiversity, but right on the Pacific Northwest coast, some beloved ocean-dwellers are in serious trouble. Scientists have been puzzled and alarmed to watch sea stars sickening and dying with a peculiar malady that makes them rip themselves apart. But now, as Ashley Ahearn of the public media collaborative EarthFix reports, science is getting a better handle on what exactly what is going on. AHEARN: The village of Eastsound on Orcas Island draws thousands of tourists in the summer months. They come to see whales, bald eagles and, for avid beachcombers, sea stars. In fact, the little beach in Eastsound is a sea star hotspot. Thousands of them cluster in the nooks and crannies of this rocky patch of island coast. But that may not be the case for much longer. HARVELL: Oh, boy. Well Ill tell you, Ashley, its a lot worse than it was last week, which is what we expected but it still doesnt help to see the future when you see it. Look at all these. Morgan Eisenlord holds two juvenile starfish, one with abnormal limbs. She's looking for signs of how the next generation of young stars will be impacted by the wasting disease. (Photo: EarthFix/ Katie Campbell) AHEARN: Drew Harvell has been studying marine disease for decades. Shes a marine epidemiologist with Cornell University and the University of Washington. The Sea Star Wasting Syndrome has just arrived in the San Juan Islands after decimating populations up and down the west coast. Scientists think the cooler waters and swift currents surrounding these islands may have been protecting the population. But now, the suns out. The waters warming, and the sea stars are getting sick. Harvell points at a handful of orange and purple stars nestled into the rocks nearby. Ones arm is hanging on by a single gnarled string of flesh. HARVELL: It kind of just looks dried out, wasted, thin, deflated. Sea stars are not supposed to look like that. Drew Harvell, a marine epidemiologist, surveys the intertidal zone of Eastsound on Orcas Island, looking for signs of sea star wasting syndrome. (Photo: EarthFix/ Katie Campbell) AHEARN: Last week when Harvells team visited this site they found one out of every ten stars was sick. Now almost half of the sea stars here are showing signs of the wasting syndrome. HARVELL: Heres a lesion on this one. Lets get a picture of that. So thats, kind of the next stage, is the appearance of lesions. And then, of course the bad part is the arms start to tear off. AHEARN: Harvell says this is the largest documented marine epidemic in human history. Scientists have confirmed that there is an infectious agent to blame, but theyre not sure if its a bacteria or a virus. It appears to be transmitted through the water, or through physical contact. HARVELL: Most of the stars in our waters probably have already been exposed because if we bring them into the lab, and expose them to temperature stress, they get sick. Drew Harvell, Cornell University (photo: EarthFix/ Katie Campbell) AHEARN: Warm water stresses out sea stars, sort of like when youre fighting a cold and you get overtired, and then the sickness takes hold. So the hypothesis is that warmer waters may not cause the disease, but they can exacerbate it. That hypothesis seems to hold true further down the coast. Carol Blanchette is a research biologist at UC Santa Barbara whose been following the disease outbreak there. BLANCHETTE: Sea stars across Southern California, at least, have been pretty much wiped out at most sites and the period of time in which the disease has progressed rapidly has been a period of time in which waters have been warmer than usual winter conditions. AHEARN: But theres another new hypothesis that Blanchette wants to explore. She thinks there could be a connection to what sea stars are eating. UC Santa Barbara has an aquarium right on the ocean. The tanks are filled with seawater thats pumped in, and the aquariums sea stars got sick at the same time as the nearby wild population did. But then scientists noticed something interesting. In one tank, sea stars were being fed mussels that were harvested from the shore near the aquarium. In another tank the sea stars were fed frozen squid. The stars that ate the wild mussels got sick; the stars that ate the squid, didnt. BLANCHETTE: I dont want to make too much of this because its a very small sample size, but it is interesting that there may be a link to acquiring the disease through the food that theyre eating. Scientists inspect young starfish for signs of wasting disease. (Photo: EarthFix/ Katie Campbell) AHEARN: As filter feeders, mussels could be concentrating the pathogen in their flesh, and sea stars eat a lot of mussels. So what happens if all the sea stars die off? Theyre an apex predatora keystone species. BLANCHETTE: Losing a predator like that to the system is bound to have some pretty serious ecological consequences. And we really dont know exactly what the system is going to look like in the absence of having these predators around, but were quite certain that its going to have an impact. AHEARN: Scientists at Cornell hope to identify the pathogen behind sea star wasting syndrome in the coming weeks. Their findings will be submitted to the journal Science. Sea stars have survived mass wasting syndromes in the past, but no one has ever seen a die off as big as the one taking place on the west coast now. Eastsound, Washington (photo: Wikimedia Commons) I'm Ashley Ahearn on Orcas Island. CURWOOD: Ashley reports for the public media collaborative, EarthFix. There's more at our website LOE dot org.</p> | Sick Sea Stars | false | https://pri.org/stories/2014-06-20/sick-sea-stars | 2014-06-20 | 3 |
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Traffic is flowing normally again after an accident blocked traffic on I-40 eastbound Monday morning.</p>
<p>Traffic stalled during the morning commute from exit 153 at 98th St to exit 157 at Rio Grande Blvd.</p>
<p>Injuries have been reported in the wreck, according to the Albuquerque Police Department’s twitter feed.</p>
<p>As of&#160;7:32&#160;a.m. two lanes were blocked. Expect at least a 20-minute delay on this route, according to the Albuquerque Journal traffic map at <a href="" type="internal">ABQjournal.com/traffic</a>.</p>
<p />
<p>I-40 at Unser Monday at 8 a.m. (screenshot from NMDOT)</p>
<p>I-40 at Rio Grande exit. (screenshot from NMDOT)</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Accident blocks I-40 eastbound | false | https://abqjournal.com/1078629/accident-blocks-i-40-eastbound.html | 2017-10-16 | 2 |
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<p>FILE - In this Oct. 16, 2015, file photo, an employee of Doctors Without Borders walks inside the charred remains of the organization's hospital after it was hit by a U.S. airstrike in Kunduz, Afghanistan. More than a dozen U.S. military personnel have been disciplined but face no criminal charges for mistakes that led to the bombing of a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Afghanistan last year that killed 42 Afghans, U.S. defense officials say. (AP Photo/Najim Rahim, File)</p>
<p>WASHINGTON - Senior defense officials say more than a dozen U.S. military personnel, including special operations forces, have been disciplined for the breakdowns that led to the mistaken bombing of a civilian hospital in Afghanistan last year. The bombing killed 42 people.</p>
<p>Officials familiar with the process say the punishments are mostly administrative in nature and include no criminal charges. The process is nearly complete. The officials were not authorized to discuss the matter because it has not yet been announced, and so spoke on condition of anonymity.</p>
<p>The disciplinary actions, as well as the results of an extensive military investigation of the incident, likely will be made public this month.</p>
<p>The Doctors Without Borders hospital was attacked Oct. 3 by a U.S. Air Force special operations AC-130 gunship.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | More than 12 punished for mistaken hospital attack | false | https://abqjournal.com/741496/more-than-12-punished-for-mistaken-hospital-attack.html | 2 |
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<p>Jewish-American superstar Barbra Streisand has arrived in Israel, where she will receive her doctorate and sing for&#160;President Shimon Peres'&#160;90th birthday party on Tuesday, <a href="http://www.jpost.com/Arts-and-Culture/Music/Barbara-Streisand-arrives-in-Israel-with-pet-dog-316750" type="external">reported the Jerusalem Post</a>.</p>
<p>She arrived Saturday "along with her pet dog," <a href="http://www.jpost.com/Arts-and-Culture/Music/Barbara-Streisand-arrives-in-Israel-with-pet-dog-316750" type="external">said the Post</a>, and "sporting a white hat," <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/barbra-streisand-lands-in-israel-sporting-white-hat-and-dog-1.530168" type="external">according to Haaretz</a>.</p>
<p>She joins a high-profile list of guests streaming into Jerusalem for Peres' birthday, <a href="http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4391847,00.html" type="external">reported Israel's YnetNews</a>, listing a total of 3,000 people invited, among them Bill Clinton and Robert DeNiro.&#160;</p>
<p>During her visit, the beloved singer and actress will also receive an honorary award from Jerusalem's&#160;Hebrew University for her "professional achievements, outstanding humanitarianism, leadership in the realm of human and civil rights, and dedication to Israel and the Jewish people," <a href="http://www.jpost.com/Arts-and-Culture/Music/Barbara-Streisand-arrives-in-Israel-with-pet-dog-316750" type="external">said the Post</a>.</p>
<p>She will also appear at a special meeting with 20 sick children from the&#160;Make-A-Wish foundation to see their wish come true — meeting Peres in person.&#160;</p>
<p>The two will speak with the children and listen to the song "People," &#160;a Streisand song, performed by 16-year-old cancer patient Coral.&#160;</p>
<p>Streisand, 70, will hold two concerts in Israel after touring five European cities, <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/barbra-streisand-lands-in-israel-sporting-white-hat-and-dog-1.530168" type="external">said Haaretz</a>, one on June 20 and the other on June 22.&#160;</p> | Barbra Streisand arrives in Israel for Peres' 90th | false | https://pri.org/stories/2013-06-16/barbra-streisand-arrives-israel-peres-90th | 2013-06-16 | 3 |
<p><a href="" type="internal" />I've noticed that a lot of people like to complain about Wal-Mart and their business practices, yet they'll often follow those grievances with "but I really don't have anywhere else to go" as an excuse to shop there when it's convenient. Sure, Wal-Mart is often really convenient when you need to buy bread, cheese, bullets, bass worms and a made in China Duck Dynasty t-shirt off the $5 clearance rack. I'll even admit I've broken down and gone there because it's just too far out of my way to buy a spool of fishing line anywhere else when I'm rushing to go fishing. However, especially when it comes to groceries, many of us have options that don't involve giving our money to the disgustingly rich Walton heirs - and so here's a list of places you can start giving your money to instead of Wal-Mart.</p>
<p>6. Winco: As I've mentioned in a <a href="" type="internal">previous article</a>, WinCo is an employee-owned grocery chain with prices that match or even beat Wal-Mart. From their <a href="http://wincofoods.com/about/" type="external">website</a>:</p>
<p>"WinCo is continuing this record of success, now operating <a href="http://wincofoods.com/about/locations" type="external">94 Employee Owned Stores</a> in eight states ( <a href="http://wincofoods.com/about/locations/washington" type="external">Washington</a>, <a href="http://wincofoods.com/about/locations/idaho" type="external">Idaho</a>, <a href="http://wincofoods.com/about/locations/california" type="external">California</a>, <a href="http://wincofoods.com/about/locations/nevada" type="external">Nevada</a>, <a href="http://wincofoods.com/about/locations/oregon" type="external">Oregon</a>, <a href="http://wincofoods.com/about/locations/utah" type="external">Utah</a>, <a href="http://wincofoods.com/about/locations/arizona" type="external">Arizona</a> and <a href="http://wincofoods.com/about/locations/texas" type="external">Texas</a>) with nearly 15,000 employees and continues to grow by opening new stores and adding new members to the company every year."</p>
<p>94 stores isn't a lot, but this company is slowly expanding and constantly receives requests from people in locations around the country to build a store in their town.</p>
<p>5. Trader Joe's: I've been in a lot of grocery stores and I've never seen employees as happy and cheerful as the people at Trader Joe's. The average salary is much higher than Wal-Mart and it shows both in the cleanliness of the store as well as the friendliness of the employees. Also, if you're opposed to GMOs, Trader Joe's has a <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/about/customer-updates-responses.asp?i=4" type="external">policy</a> of not selling products containing GMOs under their label. Trader Joe's has more <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/stores/index.asp" type="external">locations</a> than WinCo currently and even if you don't care about ethical practices, who can pass up a decent bottle of wine for only $2.99?</p>
<p>4. Costco: <a href="http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=83830&amp;p=irol-homeprofile" type="external">Costco</a> has been referred to as the - <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/17/business/yourmoney/17costco.html?pagewanted=all" type="external">Anti-Walmart</a>" due to both their notoriously high <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/19/reasons-love-costco_n_4275774.html" type="external">employee pay</a> which is almost unheard of in the and their CEO's support of raising the minimum wage. And where else can you get a good hot dog and a drink for only $1.50"</p>
<p>3. Wegman's: Currently, <a href="http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=281152&amp;storeId=10052&amp;catalogId=10002&amp;langId=-1" type="external">Wegmans</a> has 83 stores and employs over 44,000 people in New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey. Their commitment to the community statement is indicative of what kind of company they are:</p>
<p>Wegmans is a major corporate contributor in communities where stores are located. In addition to corporate giving, every store has a budget for community support. Giving is focused in these five areas:</p>
<p>Wegmans has awarded $90 million in scholarships to 28,400 employees since the company inaugurated the Wegmans Scholarship Program in 1984. About&#160;4,000&#160;employees have active scholarships each year while they attend colleges and universities across the country.</p>
<p>2. Your local family owned grocery store: In many rural communities, the mom and pop shops have mostly gone the way of the buffalo. Local stores may cost a little more, but the money is put right back into the community instead of into Wal-Mart's coffers.</p>
<p>1. Your local farmer's market: The very best bet for fresh meat, eggs and produce is your local farmer's market. With most of your food these days, you don't see where it actually comes from. Do you trust a company's word that the chickens your eggs came from were treated in an ethical way? With local foods, you can meet the dairy farmer and possibly even the cow your milk came from. With the growing popularity of locally sourced food, farmer's markets have <a href="http://www.therepublic.com/view/local_story/County-farmers-markets-growing_1397349778" type="external">exploded in numbers</a> since the year 2000.</p>
<p>Of course, we certainly aren't going to change the world simply by just changing our buying habits but it is still an important step in creating a better future for our children, and the rest of humanity.</p>
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Corporate Greed Could Mean The End Of Wal-Mart's Dominance</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Meet The Employee-Centered Company That Could Eventually Take Down Wal-Mart</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Senator Vitter's Proposed Legislation Is The Far Right's Latest Attack On The Poor</a></p>
<p>0 Facebook comments</p> | 6 Stores You Can Feel Good About Shopping At Instead Of Wal-Mart | true | http://forwardprogressives.com/6-stores-can-feel-good-about-shopping-instead-wal-mart/ | 2014-05-07 | 4 |
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<p>FILE - In April 9, 2013 file photo, a shopper carries a J.C. Penney bag, in New York. J.C. Penney Co. reports quarterly financial results on Wednesday, May 13, 2015. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, file)</p>
<p>PLANO, Texas - J.C. Penney Co. raised its guidance for a key sales measure as it reported a narrower loss in the first quarter than it had a year ago.</p>
<p>The results offered some encouragement for investors who are worried about the company's slow turnaround. Penney has been trying to recover from a disastrous reinvention push by former CEO Ron Johnson.</p>
<p>Under Johnson's tenure, the company had alienated customers and lost billions of dollars in revenue in getting rid of discounting and some basic merchandise. Johnson was fired in April 2013.</p>
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<p>To help get the company back on track, the board brought back Mike Ullman out of retirement. He has been restoring sales and some of the goods that Johnson got rid of. Last year, the company named Marvin Ellison, a former executive at Home Depot, as president. He is designated to take over as CEO in August.</p>
<p>To drive sales, the company said Wednesday it plans to launch an online business for the beauty brand Sephora on Penney's website. The retailer has been expanding its exclusive Sephora shops, which have been key attractions.</p>
<p>The company is also working to boost its online business with new services. In the first quarter, the retailer saw more customers choosing to buy online and ship to a store. That results in more trips and extra purchases when they visit the store, Penney officials said. On average, that customer will buy 20 percent more additional merchandise at the time they visit the store.</p>
<p>It also expanded the number of stores used to fulfill online order to more than 160 of its 1,100 stores. Penney officials noted that a customer who shops both online and in the store buys two and a half times more frequently in a year than a customer who shops only at a physical store.</p>
<p>The home furnishings area is also a big opportunity. The company was pleased with results of its spring home catalog and plans an additional catalog later. It's working with celebrity actress Eva Longoria on a new line of bedding.</p>
<p>"This year we are switching gears, going on the offensive to gain back share and grow our business profitably while executing our vision to become the preferred shopping choice for Middle America," said Ullman.</p>
<p>Still, Penney faces a tough road ahead.</p>
<p>The Plano, Texas-based retailer said that it lost $167 million, or 55 cents per share, in its fiscal first quarter. Losses, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were 57 cents per share. It lost $352 million, or $1.15 per share, in the year-ago period.</p>
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<p>The latest results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for a loss of 79 cents per share.</p>
<p>The department store operator posted revenue of $2.86 billion in the period, which fell short the $2.87 billion expected by analysts surveyed by Zacks.</p>
<p>Revenue at stores open at least a year rose 3.4 percent for the quarter. The figure is a key indicator of a retailer's health. Penney said that it now expects revenue at stores open at least a year to rise 4 percent to 5 percent, up from the original forecast of 3 to 5 percent.</p>
<p>Shares slipped 17 cents, or 2 percent, to close at $8.71 in regular market trading before the report was released. In after-hours trading, shares slipped 5 cents to $8.66. Shares are well below the $43 price that they reached when investor enthusiasm was high over Johnson's plan back in February 2012.</p>
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<p>Elements of this story were generated by Automated Insights ( <a href="http://automatedinsights.com/ap)" type="external">http://automatedinsights.com/ap)</a> using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on JCP at <a href="http://www.zacks.com/ap/JCP" type="external">http://www.zacks.com/ap/JCP</a></p>
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<p>Keywords: J.C. Penney, Earnings Report, Priority Earnings</p> | J.C. Penney's 1Q loss narrows | false | https://abqjournal.com/584258/j-c-penneys-1q-loss-narrows.html | 2 |
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<p>The Hill <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/house/353714-scalise-shooting-fortified-view-on-gun-rights" type="external">reports</a>:</p>
<p>Fox News’s Martha MacCallum asked Rep. Steve Scalise in an interview to be aired later Tuesday if his experience and the deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas on Sunday night have changed his views about the Constitution’s Second Amendment. “I think it’s fortified it,” Scalise said.</p>
<p>“Because first of all you’ve got to recognize that when there’s a tragedy like this, the first thing we should be thinking about is praying for the people who were injured and doing whatever we can to help them, to help law enforcement. We shouldn’t first be thinking of promoting our political agenda,” Scalise said.</p>
<p /> | Shooting Victim Steve Scalise: The Massacre In Las Vegas Only “Fortified” My Opposition To Gun Control | true | http://joemygod.com/2017/10/03/shooting-victim-steve-scalise-massacre-las-vegas-fortified-opposition-gun-control-video/ | 2017-10-03 | 4 |
<p>Their politics differ in significant ways. And without question, the website has changed in a direction that does not appeal to me personally. But after his final stop in his Dangerous Faggot tour, the only person I can think to compare Milo Yiannopoulos to is Andrew Breitbart himself.</p>
<p>That, I think, is because despite their differences, Milo and Andrew share one critical character trait. They love the fight. They just love it.</p>
<p>And they both drew blood. Andrew (with James O’Keefe and Hana Giles) brought down that towering oak of corruption called ACORN. A moment ago, I entered "MILO" into a Google image search. There are dozens and dozens of green ads for Nestle’s "Milo" drink, which I had never heard of, probably because there were soccer stars on the boxes and it’s a drink marketed to communists. There are a few images of Yiannopoulos scattered across the page, but anyone who typed in that single word could not come to any reasonable conclusion other than that student thugs <a href="" type="internal">set fire to a university campus</a> in order to protest a brand of hot chocolate.</p>
<p>I’m sure this is completely accidental. Google intentionally hiding images of the most talked about single name in the country would be journalistically unethical: they would be suppressing access to certain people and viewpoints because they disagree with them politically, and after the last few weeks we know that the left could never, ever do something as vile and as low as that.</p>
<p>Milo waltzes past lines of people calling for his death in a faux military costume once turned down by Michael Jackson as being too over-the-top. Andrew once saw a mass of protestors after his blood too, so he put on a pair of roller skates and glided right into the heart of them. I think he might have bought them lunch afterward.</p>
<p>Both of them have the gift to see through the moral armor of the left and insert the dagger of ridicule, which is the one thing progressives cannot survive. The Left burns cars and smashes windows when challenged, but they go into paroxysms of blind rage when they are ridiculed.</p>
<p />
<p>Milo and Andrew understand that mockery is fatal to the left because the entire progressive argument is that they themselves are the Moral Templars of modern American society, the guardians of an eco-friendly, peace-loving, racially tolerant, borderless, inclusive, LGBT-friendly dream society that will be here just as soon as all of the intolerant people are silenced or killed. When a group of men in black hoodies, with black pants, and black boots, and black masks – the miserable cowards – beat a person to the ground because that person wants to hear someone speak on a university campus, and then shout at the person they have assaulted "That’s for you, you Nazi fascist!" you know you are dealing with people so violent, so emotional, so blinded by rage that the natural response is to laugh at them.</p>
<p>But when cultural icons, multi-millionaires like <a href="https://heatst.com/politics/filmmaker-judd-apatow-tweets-then-deletes-support-for-violent-berkeley-protests/" type="external">Judd Apatow</a> and <a href="" type="internal">Sarah Silverman</a> egg this violence on, and try to give it moral weight, we have a problem that transcends mockery and debate.</p>
<p>And amazingly, these stupid, violent children calling for war in the streets; these Social Justice Warriors who faint dead away at the site of a paring knife; these barbarian savages who have never met a problem that a temper tantrum has not solved for them immediately… these thugs still wonder why the other half of America is armed to the teeth.</p>
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<p>Editor's note: This article was initially accidentally entered under the wrong byline.</p> | MILO and Andrew vs. the Mob | true | https://dailywire.com/news/13118/milo-and-andrew-vs-mob-bill-whittle | 2017-02-03 | 0 |
<p>Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodges of Massachusetts discusses how prison inmates could build President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed border wall.</p>
<p>President-elect Donald Trump made border control and immigration a central issue during his campaign run. Trump has pledged to build a wall along America’s southern border and make Mexico pay for it instead of U.S. taxpayers.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Trump said on Friday, Americans may have to foot the bill for expediency purposes before Mexico could pay for the wall that could cost billions of dollars to the build.</p>
<p>“The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later!” Trump wrote on Twitter Friday morning.</p>
<p>Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodges of Massachusetts has come up with an idea to cut the cost for the Southern border wall by allowing prison inmates to build it.</p>
<p>“This is an opportunity for inmates from across the country to be dispatched to the wall where we will be able to not only save tax payers millions of millions of dollars in building it but giving the inmates a chance to do something for America but also learn a skill and prepare themselves for reentry,” Hodges said during an interview on FOX Business Network Risk &amp; Reward with Deirdre Bolton.</p>
<p>Hodges said no other project will have as much of a positive impact on both the inmates and the country. According to Hodges, the use of inmates for labor is allowed under a volunteer process where many inmates across the country have been participated in community projects through various sheriffs.</p>
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<p>“This really broadens out to more like a Peace Corp type prison program where these inmates would be able to get a chance to be in another part of the country it could be for a natural disaster, it could be laying the pipes that may not be able to be funded right now in Flint, Michigan,” he said.</p>
<p>When asked if the inmates would receive wages for their work, Hodges responded, “They earn their good time is basically how it works and the experience of being there is almost an opportunity for them to learn a trait and work off their sentence.”</p> | Massachusetts Sheriff Proposes Using Inmates to Build Trump's Wall | true | http://foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/01/09/massachusetts-sheriff-proposes-using-inmates-to-build-trumps-wall.html | 2017-01-10 | 0 |
<p>By David Ingram</p>
<p>SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc (O:) this week stopped advertisers from targeting messages to people interested in topics such as “Jew haters” and “how to burn Jews” after journalists inquired about it, the news organization ProPublica reported on Thursday.</p>
<p>ProPublica, a nonprofit outlet based in New York, said it found the topics in Facebook’s self-service ad-buying platform and paid $30 to test them with its own content. Another category it found was “History of ‘why Jews ruin the world.'”</p>
<p>The anti-Semitic categories were created by an algorithm rather than by people, ProPublica reported. Some 2,300 people had expressed interest in them.</p>
<p>Facebook, the world’s largest social network, said in a statement that it had removed the ability to buy targeted marketing based on those topics and believed the use of the topics in ad campaigns had not been widespread.</p>
<p>Along with Alphabet Inc’s (O:) Google, Facebook dominates the fast-growing market for online advertising, in part because it lets marketers target their ads based on huge volumes of data.</p>
<p>Facebook, though, has had difficulty ensuring that advertisers on its self-service system comply with its terms and conditions.</p>
<p>Last year, ProPublica reported that Facebook allowed advertisers to exclude users by race when running housing or other ads, despite a prohibition on such ads under the U.S. Fair Housing Act 1969.</p>
<p>Facebook last week said an operation likely based in Russia spent $100,000 on thousands of U.S. ads promoting social and political messages over a two-year period through May, fueling concerns about foreign meddling in U.S. elections. [nL2N1LN261]</p>
<p>The company said it shut down 470 “inauthentic” accounts as part of an internal investigation into those ads.</p>
<p>The anti-Semitic targeting categories likely were generated because people listed those themes on their Facebook profiles as an interest, an employer or field of study, ProPublica reported.</p>
<p>Rob Leathern, product management director at Facebook, said in a statement on Thursday that sometimes content appears on the network that “violates our standards.”</p>
<p>“In this case,” he went on, “we’ve removed the associated targeting fields in question. We know we have more work to do, so we’re also building new guardrails in our product and review processes to prevent other issues like this from happening in the future.”</p>
<p>Facebook said it was considering other changes to its advertising platform, such as adding more reviews of targeting categories before they show up in the self-service platform.</p>
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<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | Facebook removes feature that let ads reach 'Jew haters' | false | https://newsline.com/facebook-removes-feature-that-let-ads-reach-039jew-haters039/ | 2017-09-14 | 1 |
<p>The departure of Keith Schiller, a longtime aide and confidante of President Donald Trump’s, has left the President’s allies worried how Trump will act without Schiller at his side, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-05/key-trump-aide-s-departure-is-said-to-rattle-president-s-allies" type="external">Bloomberg News reported</a> Tuesday morning.</p>
<p>Schiller, who led the Trump Organization’s security operations before working in the White House as director of Oval Office operations, has decided to leave the White House, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/01/politics/keith-schiller-donald-trump/index.html" type="external">CNN</a> and <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-aide-keith-schiller-out-at-the-white-house/" type="external">CBS News</a> reported over the weekend. Schiller had never planned to stay long at the White House, and he will soon&#160;return to a job in private security, according to Bloomberg News.</p>
<p>His decision to leave the White House was accelerated by the new regime implemented by chief of staff John Kelly, who revoked Oval Office walk-in privileges from Schiller and several others, according to CBS and Bloomberg News.</p>
<p>As a longtime employee of Trump’s, Schiller was one of Trump’s most loyal and trusted aides. The President dispatched Schiller to <a href="" type="internal">fire FBI Director James Comey</a> and former White House aide <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-28/trump-is-said-to-punish-longtime-aide-after-angry-phoenix-speech" type="external">George Gigicos</a>.</p>
<p>Trump was “crushed” by Schiller’s decision to leave the White House, per Bloomberg News.&#160;Several allies told Bloomberg news that Trump was losing an “emotional anchor” with&#160;Schiller’s departure, and that the loss could lead Trump to butt heads with Kelly.</p> | Report: Trump Allies Worried About How POTUS Will Fare With Loss Of Key Aide | true | http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/trump-losing-key-ally-keith-schiller-departure | 4 |
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<p />
<p>Most people only have to deal with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or think about their filing their taxes once a year.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>In general, if most of your income comes from a traditional job where taxes are taken out of your paycheck, and you get a W-2 at the end of the year, that's the case. People in that common situation essentially make little payments to the IRS every time they get paid, and filing their taxes before the mid-April deadline just rectifies any small discrepancies. You may owe a little, you may get a little back, but the paycheck withholding should keep your account in good standing with the tax authority.</p>
<p>However, the self-employed, business owners, and people who have income that has not had taxes deducted from it do not have things so easy. Those people must, in most cases, pay quarterly estimated taxes.</p>
<p>Quarterly tax filers still have to file a full tax form before the annual deadline. Image source: Getty Images.</p>
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<p>Essentially, it's an educated guess as to what taxes you will owe for the full year. In many cases, freelancers, business owners, and some of the others who pay quarterly estimated taxes get the number wrong, but there is a way to be be incorrect and not have to pay an IRS penalty.</p>
<p>If your four total estimated tax payments equal 100% of the federal income taxes you paid last year (after all credits and deductions were taken out) you will not be assessed a penalty. However, you will still owe the difference of any underpayment or receive a refund for any over-payment.</p>
<p>The IRS requires <a href="https://www.irs.gov/help-resources/tools-faqs/faqs-for-individuals/frequently-asked-tax-questions-answers/estimated-tax/individuals/individuals" type="external">quarterly tax payments Opens a New Window.</a> of anyone who meets the following two requirements:</p>
<p>There are some exceptions to this for farmers and fishermen (along with a few other specialized cases), but in general, if you think you will owe $1,000 over the course of the tax year, you are required to pay quarterly estimated taxes. This includes taxable income from sources including, but not limited to, interest, dividends, alimony, self-employment income, capital gains, unemployment benefits, some social security income, and prizes (like the cash value of a car or trip won on a game show).</p>
<p>Where estimated taxes get confusing is that for the self-employed, estimated taxes cover not only income tax, but also "but other taxes such as self-employment tax and alternative minimum tax," according to the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf" type="external">IRS Opens a New Window.</a>. Fortunately, the agency offers a fairly simple <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf" type="external">worksheet Opens a New Window.</a> (or at least simple by tax form standards) to help you calculate what you owe each quarter.</p>
<p>The IRS likes to get its money on time, so it's important pay what you owe each quarter, not underpay then catch up in Q4. If you do that, even if you end up overpaying, you could still be assessed a penalty for not paying enough in the previous quarters.</p>
<p>Individuals paying estimated taxes have some choice in when to pay. You can pay the full amount you expect to owe for the year by April 18, 2017. That, of course, might be easier, but it's loaning the government money when you don't have to. The second option is to make four equal payments on April 18, 2017, June 15, 2017, Sept. 15, 2017, and Jan. 16, 2018, though if you file your full tax return by Jan. 31, 2018, you can pay the fourth quarter balance then without penalty.</p>
<p>The IRS also makes it very easy to pay your quarterly estimated taxes. They can be mailed, with an official United States postmark counting as the submission day even if your tax forms arrive at the IRS after the due date.</p>
<p>In addition, the agency offers a number of ways to pay <a href="http://%20%20IRS.gov/%20payments" type="external">online Opens a New Window.</a>, including debiting the amount direct from a saving or checking account, which is free, or paying via a credit card, which has fees associated with it. The agency also takes payment from various tax preparation software, and it will even take your payment through outside agencies via phone, though fees apply there as well. If you don't have the money to pay in any given quarter, the IRS also lets people apply for a monthly installment agreement at <a href="http://IRS.gov/payments" type="external">IRS.gov/payments Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Quarterly estimated tax payments are essentially a way for the IRS to not have to wait for its money from people who do not work jobs where taxes are immediately deducted. Because of that, in addition to using any of the methods above, people can also meet their estimated tax obligations through one other method.</p>
<p>If you also have a traditional job where taxes are withheld, it's allowable to increase your paycheck withholding so it covers your tax obligations on any non-taxed income. For people with a side job, or outside income that's smaller than their traditional job income, doing that (as long as the proper amount is withheld) eliminates the need to file quarterly estimated taxes.</p>
<p>The $16,122 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: One easy trick could pay you as much as $16,122 more...each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-social-security?aid=8727&amp;source=irreditxt0000002&amp;ftm_cam=ryr-ss-intro-report&amp;ftm_pit=3186&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>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> | Who Should Pay Quarterly Estimated Taxes? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/03/16/who-should-pay-quarterly-estimated-taxes.html | 2017-03-17 | 0 |
<p>Australia's new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has revealed his new cabinet, with key allies landing key ministerial spots.</p>
<p>Several supporters of Rudd's predecessor, Julia Gillard, were moved to other roles, though not all were demoted.</p>
<p>Rudd, who Gillard accused of misogyny during her time in office, named <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130701/australia-pm-names-record-number-women-cabinet" type="external">six new female ministers</a> — giving Australia the most women ministers it's ever had. &#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-01/rudd-unveils-new-ministry/4790720" type="external">The ABC quoted</a>Rudd as saying:</p>
<p>"This is a strong team, I am proud to lead this team. This team has been selected on the basis of merit. I am delighted that in this cabinet of ours, we will have the largest number of women of any cabinet in Australia's history."</p>
<p>Rudd last Wednesday deposed Gillard in a leadership challenge, the third since she deposed him back in 2010. Wednesday's ballot among Labor lawmakers was called by Gillard herself, after months of tension and infighting over her falling popularity ahead of the Sept. 14 general election.</p>
<p>Seven Gillard ministers, many of them experience politicians in key roles, quit their positions in the wake of the leadership ballot.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/130626/australia-julia-gillard-kevin-rudd-labor-politics-video" type="external">Rudd sworn in as Australian prime minister after Gillard dumped by ruling party</a></p>
<p>Rudd said that he would not exact retribution over those who backed Gillard.</p>
<p>He has stuck to his word in several instances — including in the case of former environment minister Tony Burke, who supported Gillard over Rudd but was moved by Rudd Monday onto the immigration portfolio. The post is a sensitive one as the Australian government tackles the growing problem of asylum seekers arriving by boat.</p>
<p>Burke tried to resign after the party replaced Gillard with Rudd in a leadership spill last week, but Rudd rejected his resignation.</p>
<p>However, Rudd also reinstated several lawmakers who backed him against Gillard in recent times and were demoted as a result, moving them back into key ministries such as trade, agriculture and industry.</p>
<p>Brendan O'Connor, another Gillard supporter, was moved from the Immigration Ministry to the vital portfolio of employment.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-06-30/rudd-s-new-look-ministry-seeks-to-unify-australia-s-riven-labor" type="external">Bloomberg quoted</a> a politics lecturer at Monash University in Melbourne, Zareh Ghazarian, as saying:</p>
<p>"The new ministry needs to strike a balance of rewarding Rudd’s allies who have stuck by him for the past three years, and keeping some of Gillard’s backers to prove to voters he can be conciliatory and not vindictive. He doesn’t want to lose all the experienced talent already there because the ranks of senior Labor people have been bled dry."</p>
<p>Rudd, 55, needs to move fast if he is to turn the Labor party into a viable challenger to the conservative coalition led by Tony Abbott at September's election.</p>
<p>His reinstatement has already resulted in a surge of support for the party, according to polls.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/130627/kevin-rudd-julia-gillard-australian-politics-australian-peter-garrett" type="external">Kevin Rudd's return as Australian Prime Minister boosts support for ruling Labor Party</a></p> | Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd reveals new-look cabinet | false | https://pri.org/stories/2013-07-01/australian-prime-minister-kevin-rudd-reveals-new-look-cabinet | 2013-07-01 | 3 |
<p>The South American giants are nowhere to be seen.</p>
<p>Mighty Brazil and tournament host Argentina were both kicked out in the quarterfinals.</p>
<p>Instead, Paraguay - which beat Brazil, but has yet to win a match outright - earned one of the slots in&#160;this&#160;weekend's Copa America final. It hasn't won the tournament since 1979.</p>
<p>Uruguay claimed the other, knocking off Argentina along the way. If it&#160;triumphs, it will become the most successful nation in Copa America history with 15 titles.</p>
<p>The game is Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.</p>
<p />
<p>Villar jumps to clear the ball from Venezuelan forward Jose Rondon.&#160;(Rodrigo Arangua/AFP/Getty Images)</p>
<p>Paraguayan midfielder Cristian Riverdos, Venezuelan forward Jose Rondon and Paraguayan defender Marcos Caceres jump for the ball. (Rodrigo Arangua/AFP/Getty Images)</p>
<p>Uruguayan defender Diego Lugano heads the ball over Peruvian forward Paolo Guerrero. (Eitan Abramovich/AFP/Getty Images)</p>
<p>Lugano fights for the ball against Peruvian midfielder Juan Vargas. (Eitan Abramovich/AFP/Getty Images)</p>
<p>Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez eyes the ball as Peruvian Alberto Rodriguez falls to the ground. (Eitan Abramovich/AFP/Getty Images)</p>
<p>Supporters of Paraguay cheer on their team during the semifinal round of Copa America. (Antonio Scorza/AFP/Getty Images)</p>
<p>Uruguayan supporters cheer on their team during the semifinal round of Copa America. (Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images)</p>
<p>Uruguayan defender Martin Caceres celebrates with teammates after the team scored a goal. (Daniel Garcia/AFP/Getty Images)</p>
<p>Hannah McGoldrick contributed to this story.</p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/#!/stephaniegarlow" type="external">Follow Stephanie on Twitter: @stephaniegarlow</a></p>
<p>Read more: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/que-pasa/copa-america-uruguay-argentina" type="external">Battle of the Rio Plate</a></p> | Photos: Surprise finalists battle for Copa America title | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-07-21/photos-surprise-finalists-battle-copa-america-title | 2011-07-21 | 3 |
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<p>The biggest beneficiary of the spending will be the National Institutes of Health, which will get $195 million this year and the vast majority of the $755 million that the White House plans to spend in 2017. The Food and Drug Administration, the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs will receive smaller amounts of money focused on data research and broader cancer studies.</p>
<p>President Barack Obama announced the new effort to speed cancer research last month in his State of the Union address and put Vice President Joe Biden, whose son died of brain cancer last year, in charge of the effort. The White House effort, for now, is focused on speed and seizing opportunities over carefully laid out plans.</p>
<p>"We believe starting the moonshot now will allow us to capitalize on recent advances," said a senior administration official who spoke to reporters.</p>
<p>The White House said it would boost spending on immunotherapy, a promising field of treatment that seeks to activate the immune system to fight cancer cells. The White House also has promised to boost data-sharing among researchers who, in the past, have tended to keep a close hold on their proprietary work. Other areas of focus include research to improve early cancer detection and efforts to develop a better understanding of the genetic changes that occur within a cancer cell.</p>
<p>Obama and Biden were scheduled to meet Monday with top administration officials taking part in the Cancer Moonshot Task Force to talk about the way forward. Some of the details of the White House effort, though, remain a work in progress.</p>
<p>Asked how the White House will measure progress towards its goals, a senior administration official told reporters that those details were still being studied.</p>
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<p>"We're going to develop specific metrics in the coming weeks," the official said. "With something as big as cancer, we have to think big. We need a new model."</p>
<p>To jump start new kinds of treatments, the White House said it was launching the Vice President's Exceptional Opportunities in Cancer Research Fund. The fund would focus on "high-risk, high-return research" and "out-of-the-box thinking" that's often overlooked by traditional research channels, the official told reporters. But White House officials were reluctant to point to specific initiatives that the fund will target.</p>
<p>With only 11 months left in the administration, the White House focus seems to be on pressing forward as fast as possible. "The science is ready for the concerted new effort this initiative will deliver," the White House said in a press release.</p>
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<p /> | White House to spend $1B on cancer research | false | https://abqjournal.com/716547/white-house-to-spend-1b-on-cancer-research.html | 2 |
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<p>AP</p>
<p>BY: <a href="" type="internal">Mary Lou Lang</a> January 14, 2013 10:00 am</p>
<p>School districts in Pennsylvania, Alabama, New Jersey, and Rhode Island have hired armed officers in the weeks since&#160;the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., the&#160;Free Beacon&#160;has found.</p>
<p>Additionally, schools in Florida, Tennessee, Arizona, and New York are in the process of hiring armed officers or recommending they be placed in schools.</p>
<p>Vice President Joe Biden will present his recommendations on school safety to President Barack Obama on&#160; <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/100370373/Biden_to_Give_Obama_Gun_Recommendations_by_Tuesday" type="external">Tuesday</a>. Reports indicate that the Obama administration will seek to tighten gun control laws.</p>
<p>"Although school shootings are very rare, they are unpredictable and they always occur in communities where people say it would never happen here," said&#160;Arab City School District superintendent John Mullins. His district in Alabama hired three additional armed school resource officers recently, placing armed officers in each of the district’s four schools.</p>
<p>"When it comes to the safety and well-being of our children, there is no price too high," he said. The district allocated $66,000 of its $20 million budget for armed officers because they "seem to be a powerful deterrent from being victimized by an irrational violent person."</p>
<p>The officers hired for the Arab City schools are part of the town’s police department and work on their days off&#160;for $15 per hour.</p>
<p>"I think our parents are appreciative of our efforts, especially the parents of our youngest school that teaches pre-kindergarten through second grade," Mullins&#160;said. "We have received nothing but positive responses not only from parents but also from our teachers."</p>
<p>Armed officers were also hired in the city of Vestavia, Ala., and funding for armed officers in all schools in Alabama is now under consideration. The state’s superintendent and legislators met on Jan. 9 to discuss the possibility of funding for officers for all schools in the state, Mullins said.</p>
<p>Superintendent MaryEllen Elia of the Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida is sending safety recommendations to its Board of Education this week that&#160; <a href="http://communication.sdhc.k12.fl.us/news/index.php?paged=2" type="external">include</a> the hiring an additional 130 officers so all schools will have armed and trained personnel.</p>
<p>"Let me tell you that I wish this wasn’t necessary. I wish we didn’t have to consider any of these strategies but the world has changed since I was in school. It changed again on December 14th," said Elia in a release. She said she will lobby aggressively&#160;for school security funding and has been in contact with U.S. education secretary Arne Duncan as well as Florida representatives.</p>
<p>"Here in Hillsborough County, we don’t believe it’s all someone else’s responsibility. We have a role and a responsibility. We’re not going to wait around hoping our students and staff are safe," Elia said.</p>
<p>Gary Rudick, the chief of police for the Tulsa Public School District, wrote in an email to the Free Beacon that armed officers in schools are a deterrent against crime and armed intruders. The district formed and funded its own police department in 2008 and the results have been positive.</p>
<p>"Armed offices are a visible deterrent. There has never been a school shooting in the United States where there was an armed, in uniform, sworn police officer on duty," Rudick said, adding that there are other benefits to having police on grounds.</p>
<p>"Within the five-year period, we have seen arrests decrease as we continue to develop relationships with students in schools. We have recovered an average of four to six firearms from students each year, most always based on the relationships developed with students who come to the officers and give information on the presence of the gun," Rudick said.</p>
<p>Not all the Tulsa schools have an officer stationed full time because of budget constraints. But Rudick said there are police "rovers" who go from one site to another.</p>
<p>A school in New Castle, Penn., now has six more armed officers since its board <a href="http://www.ncnewsonline.com/topstories/x526167392/In-The-Schools-New-Castle-hires-armed-officers" type="external">approved</a> their hiring on Dec. 20. Additional safety measures include appointments being necessary for all visitors to the schools, according to a <a href="http://www.ncasd.com/site/images/documents/ParentSafetyLetter.pdf" type="external">letter</a> from the superintendent.</p>
<p>The Marlboro, N.J., district’s public information officer Sharon Witchel said officers hired to patrol all the schools in their township since early January are active members of the Marlboro Police Department.</p>
<p>"It is a temporary 90-day measure as we evaluate our safety and security measures," Witchel said. The district plans to collect input and data, evaluate all safety measures, and then make recommendations to its board before the 90-day police contract expires.</p>
<p>Another school district in New Jersey, Totowa School District, also hired armed officers. The superintendent of the Fort Lee Public Schools in New Jersey is reportedly requesting armed officers in all schools there.</p>
<p>Schools in <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/07/tennessee-officers-schools-funding/1813231/" type="external">Williamson County, Tenn</a>., and <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-staten-island-armed-officers-schools-20130108,0,1565450.story" type="external">Staten Island, N.Y</a>., appear poised to hire armed officers. Discussions and recommendations as well as funding options have taken place, according to media reports.</p>
<p>"If our actions result in saving only one life, they're worth taking," Biden <a href="http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/09/16432417-biden-white-house-determined-to-take-action-on-gun-reform?lite" type="external">said</a> at a meeting of victims and gun control proponents at the White House last week.</p>
<p>At least one life was saved in 2010 when an armed officer in a high school protected the principal and students from a gunman. That incident was reported in the local media but did not garner national media attention.</p>
<p>When Thomas Cowan arrived at Sullivan Central High School in Blountsville, Tenn., he pointed his gun at the principal’s face. An armed officer stationed at the school shielded the principal’s body with her own and lured the gunman into an isolated area of the school. A school surveillance video posted on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEDEi8ZZ--E" type="external">YouTube</a> shows the armed officer, Carolyn Gudger, in a standoff with the gunman at minute 6:32 and beyond.</p>
<p>"There is not a doubt in my mind that Officer Gudger saved lives that day, as did the responding officers who backed her up," Sullivan County sheriff Wayne Anderson wrote in an email to the Free Beacon.</p>
<p>"What we know is that Thomas Cowan pulled a gun and pointed it at the principal’s face. People typically don’t do something like that unless their intent is to inflict harm. The important thing is he was stopped before he got the opportunity to harm students and staff," Anderson said.</p>
<p>The shooter may have been intent on pulling the fire alarm, possibly to get children into the hallways and into his path. "We can only speculate about that and I think everyone will speculate why he wanted to pull a fire alarm. We feel it may have been to get the students out of class but we really just will never know sure," said Anderson.</p>
<p>"I feel we need an armed police officer in every school. They not only serve as a deterrent but, in the event an incident does occur, they don’t have to respond to the school because they are already there. That saves precious time," Anderson said.</p>
<p>The sheriff said patrol officers started to stop by schools several times a day since the Newtown shooting. "Security in our schools should be a top priority and my hope is that soon we will have a school resource officer in every single one of our schools in Sullivan County."</p>
<p>Another shooter in a high school in 1997 in Pearl, Miss., was stopped in the midst of a shooting spree when the vice principal ran out to his car, loaded his gun, and held the gunman at bay until police arrived, according to local media reports. The student reportedly wanted to head to another nearby school and kill additional students. He first killed his mother then arrived at Pearl High School and killed two students. No mention of the vice principal’s actions appeared in stories&#160;on the shooting published at the time on <a href="http://www.cnn.com/US/9710/01/shooting.update/" type="external">CNN</a> and in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/11/us/witnesses-recount-shooting-at-mississippi-high-school.html" type="external">New York Times</a>.</p>
<p>Obama’s own Justice Department has recommended putting armed guards in schools. The DoJ’s Center for Problem-Oriented Policing issued a report in 2010 that concluded there are possible benefits from having armed officers in schools. "Research suggests that although SRO [security resource officer] programs do not significantly impact youth criminality, the presence of an officer nonetheless can enhance school safety," the <a href="http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/files/RIC/Publications/e041028272-assign-officers-to-schools.pdf" type="external">report</a> stated.</p>
<p>The DoJ’s report pointed to two programs in the United Kingdom and Canada. "At least two programs have evaluated specific safety outcomes and found improvements due to the presence of police in schools. These are the Safer Schools Partnership (SSP) in the United Kingdom and the Toronto Police-School Districts School Resource Officer program. These programs hold lessons for school safety efforts in the United States," the report stated.</p>
<p>Most Americans and a majority of parents with school age children believe a police presence in schools would make them safer, two recent surveys show.</p>
<p>Rasmussen <a href="http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/december_2012/most_feel_safer_with_armed_security_guard_at_child_s_school" type="external">reports</a> 62 percent of parents with school-age children said they would feel safer having an armed guard at school, compared with 22 percent if their child attended a gun-free school. A Christian Science Monitor/TIPP <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2013/0109/Sheriff-Joe-Arpaio-s-bid-to-make-schools-safer-armed-posse-patrols-nearby" type="external">poll</a> shows 64 percent of Americans support increasing a police presence in schools while 29 percent oppose it.</p>
<p>Obama’s own daughters have armed officers in their school, according to <a href="http://now.msn.com/obama-daughters-attend-school-with-11-armed-guards" type="external">reports</a>.</p> | Protecting Our Kids | true | http://freebeacon.com/protecting-our-kids/ | 2013-01-14 | 0 |
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<p>Americans spend an average of around $100 a month for pay-television. If they follow a few simple steps, they can not only get rid of cable, they can save a lot of money while still getting most of the programming they want to watch.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The major pay-television companies including Comcast, Charter Communications, AT&amp;T (which also owns DirecTV), Verizon, and DISH Networkhave essentially controlled the market for most of their existence. Consumers could either pony up for a service, which (as <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/cable-satellite-tv-costs-will-climb-again-2016-n484531" type="external">NBC News Opens a New Window.</a>reported)has increased an average of 8% each year since 2010,or they could go without a lot of top programming.</p>
<p>Now, however, the choice is no longer between paying for cable or suffering through fuzzy programming dependent upon adjusting rabbit-ear antennas. In 2016, it has become easier to get rid of cable TV altogether. You can now spend less without sacrificing much in the way of programming.</p>
<p>Here are the steps to cutting the cord and finally getting rid of Comcast, Charter, AT&amp;T, Verizon, and DISH (at least its full-price service) for good. More details to follow below.</p>
<p>1. Make sure you can leave without a penalty.2. Close out your cable account.3. Get an HDTV antenna.4. Decide what you actually want to watch.5. Buy streaming devices.6. Consider a skinny bundle.7. Adjust and adapt as you go along.</p>
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<p>In the quest to keep their monthly costs down, a lot of people hop between cable providers or jump over to satellite. In many cases, in order to get the best deal, they sign a two-year contract that enforces penalties for leaving early. If that's your situation, it's often better to wait until your contract expires, because the penalties involved would dramatically lessen any savings.</p>
<p>Cable companies do not want you to leave, and many are very aggressive in trying to keep you on board. But, while they may offer lower prices or free months of various premium services, remember that none of them will offer a deal that's worth not getting rid of cable. It's also important to return all of your equipment (and get a receipt), because the pay-TV providers will happily keep billing you if you do not.</p>
<p>Unless you live in the absolute sticks, one of the keys to eliminating cable is buying an HDTV antenna. These devices, which are plugged into your television and mounted on the wall, cost under $30 (though more expensive ones are available), and you will need one for each television in the house. An HDTV antenna will allow you to pick up whatever over-the-air channels are available in your market. In most cases, that includes affiliates for all of the major networks as well as a few others.</p>
<p>To see what's available in your market, visit this <a href="https://www.tablotv.com/tools/" type="external">site Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>If you live in a market where you can pick up the major broadcast networks with an HDTV antenna, that may be enough for you. But if you want more, there are a number of streaming services that can greatly enhance your viewing options should you get rid of cable.</p>
<p>Hulu offers current and past seasons of network programming along with its own originals for under $10 a month. Netflixhas perhaps the most highly regarded originals as well as movies, older shows, and a lot of children's programming -- also for less than $10. In addition, if you just can't give up Game of Thrones,then you might want HBO Go, the most expensive of the services at about $15, but for that money, you get a deep archive, a rotating movie selection, originals, sports, and more.</p>
<p>Of course, there are also lots of specialty choices likeWWE Network and services from many of the major sports leagues.</p>
<p>Assuming you decide you want to subscribe to one or more of the streaming services, and that you actually want to watch their programming on a television, you'll need one or more streaming devices. This is fairly inexpensive, with devices like Amazon's Fire TV Stick coming in under $40, and Google's Chromecast being sold for $35. Even a top-tier Roku player only costs $129.99, and most people will be just fine with the cheaper devices.</p>
<p>Fire TV Stick starts at $39.99 and it allows users to stream all sorts of programming. Image source: Amazon.</p>
<p>Currently, one option for people who want to eliminate cable but aren't quite ready to give up live cable programming is to opt for a skinny bundle. The most prominent of these, DISH's Sling TV, offers roughly 20 popular cable channels for $20. That's well less than what most people pay for a full cable package for a service that includes ESPN, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, and a lot of other popular choices.</p>
<p>Aside from never having to deal with Comcast, Charter, AT&amp;T, Verizon, or (maybe) DISH again, the reason most people eliminate cable is to save money. To maximize that, it's worth remembering that all of the major streaming services operate on a month-to-month basis. That means you can pay for a month of Hulu to watch new episodes of The Mindy Project, and then cancel that subscription until there's something else you want to watch.</p>
<p>Given how easy the streaming services make joining and quitting, it actually might be silly not to do this.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/04/7-steps-to-getting-rid-of-cable.aspx" type="external">7 Steps to Getting Rid of Cable Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/Dankline/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Daniel Kline Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. He has pretty much every service mentioned here and pays for cable in three locations. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon.com, Netflix, and Verizon Communications. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 7 Steps to Getting Rid of Cable | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/06/04/7-steps-to-getting-rid-cable.html | 2016-06-04 | 0 |
<p>The Vatican announced that Pope Francis supports a controversial plan approved one year ago by Pope Benedict which calls for leaders of the organization representing the majority of American nuns to function under a Vatican-appointed overseer. The pope's decision lets stand an investigation critics say is of dubious research, and which has been likened to a modern 'inquisition.' &#160;</p>
<p>Upholding the "supervision" of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) signals that despite his conciliatory words on working with women that drew favorable attention in his first days as pope, Francis has taken a traditionalist stance toward progressive American nuns.</p>
<p>A Doctrinal Assessment issued last April by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) empowered Seattle Archbishop Peter Sartain as delegate, or effective overseer of LCWR, which represents the superiors of 80 percent of American nuns.</p>
<p>A Vatican Press Office communiqué today said that LCWR officials met in Rome at CDF, the office that enforces doctrinal conformity among theologians and religious groups. The CDF also has responsibility for defrocking priests found guilty of abusing children.</p>
<p>CDF prefect Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Muller and Sartain met with LCWR officials who are in Rome on an annual trip, making the rounds at various Vatican offices. Muller said that religious order conferences “are constituted by and remain under the direction of the Holy See.”</p>
<p>Pope Francis “reaffirmed the findings” of a CDF Doctrinal Assessment issued in April 2012, according to the Vatican.</p>
<p>That document released by now-retired Cardinal William Levada, drew heavy public criticism for the accusation that LCWR espoused “radical feminist themes” at the expense of opposing abortion and speaking out on issues like gay rights.</p>
<p>“The conversation was open and frank,” said an LCWR website posting. “We pray that these conversations may bear fruit for the good of the Church.” &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;</p>
<p>LCWR spokeswoman Sister Annmarie Sanders in Silver Springs, Maryland, told GlobalPost that the president, Sister Florence Deacon, and other officials were still in Rome and unavailable for comment.</p>
<p>But the last year has been marked by a standoff between Sartain and the progressive nuns’ organization. The Doctrinal Assessment gave the Seattle prelate sweeping power to revise LCWR statutes; vet publications; approve or reject the choice of conference speakers; monitor LCWR ties to other organizations and create new programs — everything short of running day-to-day office operations.</p>
<p>The LCWR functioned for decades as an organization under canon law with approval by the Vatican. The investigation was spurred by Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned as Boston archbishop in 2002 because of his role in the clergy abuse scandal. He moved to Rome in 2004 to become pastor of a basilica and served on several influential Vatican boards until his recent retirement at age 80. &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160;</p>
<p>How far Sartain goes in using the power stipulated is a question that looms large behind today’s decision. Another issue raised by the 2012 assessment is its accuracy. Levada’s document criticized a scripture scholar, Sister Laurie Brink, for a speech to LCWR that the CDF distorted, taking remarks out of context and failing to acknowledge her call for renewing ties to the Vatican.</p>
<p>Sartain has not taken decisive action since meetings with the nuns’ leadership group last fall. When Pope Benedict announced his resignation, the Assessment became a dangling question mark. Levada retired to his native California. Benedict replaced him with Muller, a German theologian and bishop.</p>
<p>LCWR has held to a strategy of playing for time, with few public statements, trying to negotiate with Sartain for more limited oversight.</p>
<p>The alternate course, which has been increasingly discussed in many religious communities, is for LCWR to refuse cooperation with Sartain, thereby ending the nuns’ association with the Vatican — in effect, ceasing to function as an official Catholic group.</p>
<p>A smaller organization of traditionalist nuns represents about 20 percent of American sisters.</p>
<p>“This may be an indication of having a living former pope,” Syracuse University Professor Margaret Susan Thompson, a historian of women religious, told GlobalPost. “Does the new pope a month after taking office radically contradict a policy established by his predecessor living down the street?”</p>
<p>Another question mark hangs over a report on American nuns from a 2009 apostolic visitation, or investigation ordered by Cardinal Franc Rodé, who was the congregation prefect in charge of religious orders. Rodé has since retired and the report has not been released. The office has a new prefect and undersecretary.</p>
<p>"Right now the most accurate interpretation is that nothing has changed,” said Thompson, who has close ties with many convents and LCWR. “I don’t know if that is a good or bad message. It may be indicative of the shadow of a living pope. This is going to take time to play out.” &#160;</p> | Pope Francis reaffirms Vatican's punitive position on US nuns | false | https://pri.org/stories/2013-04-16/pope-francis-reaffirms-vaticans-punitive-position-us-nuns | 2013-04-16 | 3 |
<p>A FBI counterterrorism supervisor is under internal investigation after his gun was stolen following a night of heavy drinking in North Carolina, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/us/politics/fbi-stolen-gun-stolen-charlotte.html" type="external">The New York Times</a>.</p>
<p>The Times on Thursday that Robert Manson had his Glock .40-caliber handgun stolen from his room at the Westin hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, last July.</p>
<p>Manson, a unit chief in the FBI’s international terrorism division, also had a $6,000 Rolex watch and $60 in cash taken from the room, according to a police report.</p>
<p>FBI spokesman Michael P. Kortan on Thursday confirmed the incident is the subject of an internal investigation but declined to give additional comment.</p>
<p>Manson oversees all terrorism probes in the Carolinas and the Midwest as a FBI unit chief assigned to the bureau’s headquarters.</p>
<p>A law enforcement official familiar with the episode earlier this year said Manson and other senior FBI agents were in Charlotte for training.</p>
<p>A second person who was briefed on the probe said that the agents later told police that they had been drinking with women who said they were exotic dancers.</p>
<p>“Investigators determined that the victim, Robert Manson, met a woman in the hotel bar the prior night and took her back to his hotel room,” Robert Tufano, a spokesman for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, said in a statement.</p>
<p>Police officers from the department were called to the hotel at 6:30 a.m. local time the following morning.</p>
<p>Manson was incapacitated because of alcohol, according to the police report, which he did not personally file.</p>
<p>Kevin Thuman, a fellow FBI agent, gave the report, noting the theft happened from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. local time, adding that the Westin’s bar closes at the former hour.</p>
<p>The report identifies the thief only as “an unknown suspect,” and it does not mention Manson’s work for the FBI.</p>
<p>The gun was listed in the report as a Glock 27, a compact model that is easily concealed, and it is unclear where Manson was storing it.</p>
<p>Federal law allows agents to carry concealed firearms while off duty, but not while they are intoxicated.</p>
<p>FBI rules forbid agents from leaving their guns in unsecured places, and the Charlotte Westin has a safe in every room.</p> | An FBI supervisor's gun was reportedly stolen after a night of drinking | false | https://circa.com/story/2017/11/09/nation/robert-manson-fbi-supervisor-has-gun-reportedly-stolen-after-night-of-drinking | 2017-11-09 | 1 |
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<p>Only less than three months into office, President Donald Trump's tough stance on illegal immigration is bearing great results already. One of the success stories being felt this early is the dramatic decrease in Haitians illegally entering the U.S. border.</p>
<p>Only six months ago, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers guarding the ports were apprehending more than 100 Haitians a day. By March this year under President Trump, the number had dropped to just 100 for the entire month. Said decrease in the number of Haitians trying to enter the country illegally translates to a stunning 97 percent.</p>
<p />
<p>Rep. Duncan Hunter from California said all it took was a serious commitment of law enforcement to turn things around. Rep. Duncan knows what he speaks of since he was one of the first to expose the surge of Haitians last year and has closely followed the situation since then.</p>
<p />
<p>Hunter's chief of staff Joe Kasper credits the Trump administration for the dramatic decrease in the numbers of illegal Haitian immigrants. He said what a message of enforcement first signals to the rest of the world. Kasper added that it also proves how problematic the policies of the previous Obama administration were in comparison.</p>
<p />
<p>Kasper said they did everything before to warn the Obama administration about how serious the problem was on illegal immigration coming from Haiti, and how they have contributed to the mess. Kasper said they then proposed a solution that centered on strong leadership and good decision-making. But the Obama administration did not listen. Hunter's lead staff member is thankful for the change in the approach of the Trump administration leading to greater results. He also said that what made the accomplishment even more remarkable is that it was done so without needing to pass a single piece of legislation or providing new authorities.</p>
<p />
<p>The changes also include those outside Haitians, on illegal immigration as a whole. The number of "inadmissible" migrants showing up at U.S. ports of entry and demanding to be permitted to enter has dropped from more than 20,000 in October to about 4,400 in March. Such translates to an amazing drop of almost 80 percent.</p>
<p />
<p>The number of illegal immigrants apprehended while attempting to sneak into the U.S. between the ports is also down from more than 46,000 in October to a little more than 12,000 last month.</p>
<p />
<p>Most deportations from the U.S. to Haiti had been stopped since after the January 2010 killer earthquake that devastated the island nation, destroying widely the infrastructure of the poor country.</p>
<p />
<p>The disaster has also sent tens of thousands of Haitians escaping to South America to look for jobs. Many of them picked up temporary work helping Brazil prepare for soccer's 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. The end of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics started the exit of the Haitians, and U.S. became a prominent target for the destination. Many migrants were encouraged by their families or relatives' reports about lax enforcement in the U.S. Many were even coached by their families on how to use asylum claim to reach and enter American soil.</p>
<p />
<p>Migrants were reportedly paying more than $2,300 for the journey which could last for several months.</p>
<p>Haitians trying to enter the U.S. get support from relatives who wire money to them to pay off smugglers or cover other transit costs. Illegally supporting the entry of Haitians into the U.S. were corrupt Mexican officials. Hunter was able to get video proving how Mexican officials were able to help Haitians enter the U.S.</p>
<p />
<p>Things took a dramatic change when Trump won, and especially when he was sworn into office. Over the past couple of months under the Trump administration, the U.S. deported more than 1,700 Haitians.</p>
<p />
<p>Now with the U.S. being tougher and refusing entry, Reuters reported that thousands of Haitians have ended up stuck in northern Mexico. The Haitians were hoping to get legal status from Mexico but the country said there were no immediate plans for a fresh round of legalization.</p>
<p />
<p>Source :</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/apr/16/haitians-at-border-down-as-trump-crackdown-news-sp/" type="external">washingtontimes.com/news/2017/apr/16/haitians-at-border-down-as-trump-crackdown-news-sp</a></p> | Under Trump, Illegal Haitians Entering The U.S. Down By 97% | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/2329-Under-Trump-Illegal-Haitians-Entering-The-U-S-Down-By-97 | 2017-04-17 | 0 |
<p><a href="http://pienews.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/MERS.jpg" type="external" />NEW YORK (AP) - Health officials say a deadly virus from the Middle East has turned up for the first time in the U.S. No details about the case have been released. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention planned a Friday afternoon briefing about the case. Middle East [?]</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_MERS_VIRUS_AMERICAN?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2014-05-02-14-29-04" type="external">Click here to view original web page at hosted.ap.org</a></p>
<p /> | CDC confirms first case of MERS in US | true | http://politicalillusionsexposed.com/cdc-confirms-first-case-of-mers-infection-in-us/ | 0 |
|
<p>Aug. 3 (UPI) — Massachusetts researchers taking underwater video of a great white shark captured the moment the ocean predator chomped down on a GoPro camera.</p>
<p>The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries posted a video <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MAMarineFisheries/videos/1787246871565374/" type="external">to Facebook</a> that was filmed by researcher Greg Skomal while he was with a crew from the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy on Monday afternoon.</p>
<p>“I had the camera on a pole in the water and the shark was swimming and I’m thinking, ‘I’ll get a great view of the face of the shark and that will help us identify it.’ It kept coming and then opened its mouth and bit it,” Skomal <a href="http://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Shark-Chomps-Down-on-GoPro-in-Chatham-438006933.html" type="external">told New England Cable News</a>.</p>
<p>Skomal said he and his fellow researchers were surprised when the 11-foot female shark bit the camera. He said he has filmed hundreds of sharks and the great white Monday was the first to chomp down on the camera.</p>
<p>“This is new behavior for us,” Skomal said. “I hope we know this shark. I’d like to know what the behavior of this particular animal is.”</p>
<p>He said the bite appeared to have been exploratory in nature, amounting to the shark trying to identify the camera. Skomal said the shark would have destroyed the camera if the bite was meant to be predatory.</p>
<p>Skomal said the shark was not one of the 110 tagged by his team, so they are now reviewing the footage to analyze the shark’s markings and see if it is known to researchers.</p> | Great white shark chomps down on researcher's camera | false | https://newsline.com/great-white-shark-chomps-down-on-researchers-camera/ | 2017-08-03 | 1 |
<p>ROME (Reuters) – Members of Italy’s anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, which leads most opinion polls before a national election early next year, began voting on Thursday to elect their leader and candidate for prime minister.</p>
<p>Barring a colossal surprise the winner will be Luigi Di Maio, the 31-year-old lower house deputy who has been groomed as leader over the last few years by Beppe Grillo, the comedian who founded 5-Star as a protest movement in 2009.</p>
<p>The party’s supporters are voting online on a dedicated platform linked to Grillo’s blog, reflecting 5-Star’s credo of internet-based direct democracy.</p>
<p>Voting will end at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Thursday, but the result will not be known until Saturday, when it is announced at 5-Star’s annual three-day gathering in the Adriatic coastal town of Rimini.</p>
<p>There are eight candidates, but Di Maio’s victory is considered a formality. He is one of Italy’s most prominent and popular politicians and his seven rivals, mostly local councillors, are virtually unknown even to 5-Star supporters.</p>
<p>The only people seen as having any chance against him decided not to run, opening the party up to accusations of failing to run a proper contest.</p>
<p>Roberto Saviano, author of the best-selling novel Gomorra, said on Facebook (NASDAQ:) that he wanted to run for the post “to help 5-Star out of a pathetic situation”. Saviano is not a party member and so is not eligible.</p>
<p>Probably the only risk for Di Maio would be if voting were distorted by another hacking attack against 5-Star’s internet platform. In August an anonymous hacker revealed he had broken into the system to obtain secret data on 5-Star’s members and donors.</p>
<p />
<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | Italy's 5-Star Movement votes for leader, Di Maio seen winning | false | https://newsline.com/italy039s-5-star-movement-votes-for-leader-di-maio-seen-winning/ | 2017-09-21 | 1 |
<p>July 30, 2012</p>
<p>By John Seiler</p>
<p>In the following YouTube, America’s top gun scholar, John Lott, faces off against two gun-control fanatics who hardly let him get in a word edgewise. One is host Piers Morgan, who like a lot of Brit expatriates thinks America would be a fantastic country if it became a lot more like Britain. But Britain today is an <a href="http://theintelhub.com/2012/07/05/in-david-camerons-orwellian-britain-they-now-snoop-on-seaside-postcards/" type="external">Orwellian police-state hellhole</a>.</p>
<p>The other is Alan Dershowitz, the leftist Harvard Law prof, best known for helping O.J. Simpson beat a murder rap. In all his screaming, Dershowitz didn’t note that, if Nicole Brown Simpson had been carrying a handgun when O.J. attacked her with a knife, she would be alive today and O.J. wouldn’t.</p>
<p>And note that Dershowitz wants to take away&#160;all our guns. Imagine what a Nazi government would be needed to take more than 300 million guns from Americans.</p>
<p>By the way, you can get Lott’s book, “ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/More-Guns-Less-Crime-ebook/dp/B003S9W5HQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1343625904&amp;sr=8-3&amp;keywords=more+guns+less+crime" type="external">More Guns, Less Crime</a>,” through Amazon Kindle for just $5.13.</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p> | Video: John Lott dissects two gun control fanatics | false | https://calwatchdog.com/2012/07/29/video-john-lott-dissects-two-gun-control-fanatics/ | 2018-07-20 | 3 |
<p>Today, we are hand-delivering a <a href="" type="internal">petition directly to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton</a> on behalf of over 156,000 Americans, urging Secretary Clinton to engage Iran at the highest levels to secure Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani's release.</p>
<p>We are also asking Secretary Clinton to work with the United Nations, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, and other foreign leaders to ensure that this ultimate human rights abuse - the execution of a man for his faith - is not carried out.</p>
<p>Now that Iran's Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei, <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/10/10/case-iranian-pastor-referred-to-countrys-supreme-leader/" type="external">will decide whether Pastor Youcef lives or dies</a>, it is critical that America take the lead in preventing this atrocity.</p>
<p>As more than 150,000 Americans are telling Secretary Clinton: "As other world leaders denounce Iran's condemning this man to death just for being a Christian, it is critical that America - the land of liberty - take a stand and pressure Iran to release Pastor Youcef."</p>
<p>Because of your support this number of signatures continues to grow by the minute, and we have informed Secretary Clinton that she can expect the outcry of Americans to continue to increase until she takes direct action to call for Pastor Youcef's release.</p>
<p>Secretary Clinton is planning to meet with the Swiss Embassy - which handles U.S. relations with Iran - tomorrow to discuss the Iranian plot to carry out attacks on the Israeli Embassy and other targets in Washington, D.C. That meeting would provide the perfect opportunity to urge Iran to release Pastor Youcef.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Please continue to add your name to this critical petition today.</a></p>
<p>In addition to the ACLJ's petition, <a href="" type="internal">over forty Members of Congress are sending a letter</a> to Secretary Clinton urging her to engage Iran to save the life of Pastor Youcef, and more and more Representatives are signing on to this letter every day. Please continue to <a href="" type="internal">contact your Representatives</a> and encourage them to join this bipartisan letter today.</p>
<p>Your voice is being heard by the State Department, Congress, the <a href="" type="internal">international media</a>, the <a href="" type="internal">United Nations</a>, and most importantly by <a href="" type="internal">Iran's leaders</a>. Please continue to share these updates and pray for Pastor Youcef.</p> | Americans Support for Pastor Youcef Overwhelming | true | http://aclj.org/iran/americans-support-pastor-youcef-overwhelming | 2011-10-11 | 0 |
<p />
<p>For weeks I’ve been hearing how great Kanye West’s new CD is, so I was chomping at the bit to see his performance on Saturday Night Live’s season opener this weekend. His first song? Awesome. But by the time his second song had ended, I was scratching my head trying to figure out what the hell happened.</p>
<p>His <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gal3thHtUlo" type="external">first</a>, a “Stronger/Good Life” medley, was a seamless performance. He was high energy (almost too high), he had an all-female (under-utilized) backup orchestra, solid backup vocalists, a tight live band, and stage lighting brighter and flashier than I remember seeing anyone under on the SNL stage. So far, so good.</p>
<p>Then came his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdZP3k6jeJE" type="external">second song</a>, “Champion.” Once again, high energy coming from everyone on stage. Then Kanye tells the band to break it down, and he goes “off the dome” (what came across as an improvised, off the top of his head freestyle) without any backup from the band. A risky move indeed, considering he didn’t really have much to say. There were several lines about him being on top of his game, being number one, and being “the Don,” but unfortunately his freestyle meandered toward a complete anti-climax of him saying “I keep going, going, going going…” Well, yeah, that’s what he did alright, for way too long (about six minutes).</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>He recognized the flubs of the performance by mixing “I meant to mess up” into one line. I give him a lot of credit for improvising on live television; that’s a bold move. But in this case, I’m thinking he should have stuck to the script.</p>
<p /> | Kanye on SNL: What the Hell? | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/10/kanye-snl-what-hell/ | 2007-10-01 | 4 |
<p>House Republicans are on track to easily pass legislation to authorize the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, moving the GOP-led Congress closer to a clash with President Barack Obama.</p>
<p>The House will vote later Friday on a bill identical to one headed to the Senate floor next week. The Senate bill is backed by 60 members, enough for passage.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>But it's still likely to hit a dead end. The White House says Obama will veto the bill if it passes the Republican-controlled Congress, wanting the review process to play out.</p>
<p>It will be the 10th time since July 2011 the House has voted on legislation advancing the pipeline.</p>
<p>Twice before, the House has passed bills authorizing construction. The last one failed to pass the Senate by a vote.</p> | House looks to pass bill on Keystone XL pipeline for 10th time - and likely still a dead end | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/01/09/house-looks-to-pass-bill-on-keystone-xl-pipeline-for-10th-time-and-likely-still.html | 2016-03-09 | 0 |
<p>TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran said Saturday it won't accept any changes to its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers after President Donald Trump vowed to pull out of the accord in a few months if European allies did not fix its "terrible flaws."</p>
<p>In a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, the Foreign Ministry said Iran "will not accept any change in the deal, neither now nor in future," adding that it will "not take any action beyond its commitments."</p>
<p>It also said Iran would not allow the deal to be linked to other issues, after Trump suggested that the sanctions relief under the deal be tied to Iran limiting its long-range ballistic missile program.</p>
<p>Trump on Friday extended the waivers of key economic sanctions that were lifted under the agreement limiting Iran's nuclear program. But he said he would work with European allies to remove so-called "sunset clauses" that allow Iran to gradually resume advanced nuclear activities in the next decade.</p>
<p>He paired Friday's concession with other, targeted sanctions on Iran for human rights abuses and ballistic missile development. The Treasury Department's action hits 14 Iranian officials and companies and businessmen from Iran, China and Malaysia, freezing any assets they have in the U.S. and banning Americans from doing business with them.</p>
<p>The Iranian statement said the targeting of one of the officials, judiciary chief Sadegh Amoli Larijani, "crossed all behavioral red lines of the international community." It said the sanctions are against international law and go against U.S. commitments, saying they would bring a "strong reaction" from Iran.</p>
<p>The 2015 nuclear accord, reached after months of painstaking negotiations with the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia, lifted international sanctions in exchange for Iran limiting its nuclear program. Trump has repeatedly criticized the accord, while Iran has accused the U.S. of failing to comply with it. The next sanctions waivers are due in May.</p>
<p>TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran said Saturday it won't accept any changes to its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers after President Donald Trump vowed to pull out of the accord in a few months if European allies did not fix its "terrible flaws."</p>
<p>In a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, the Foreign Ministry said Iran "will not accept any change in the deal, neither now nor in future," adding that it will "not take any action beyond its commitments."</p>
<p>It also said Iran would not allow the deal to be linked to other issues, after Trump suggested that the sanctions relief under the deal be tied to Iran limiting its long-range ballistic missile program.</p>
<p>Trump on Friday extended the waivers of key economic sanctions that were lifted under the agreement limiting Iran's nuclear program. But he said he would work with European allies to remove so-called "sunset clauses" that allow Iran to gradually resume advanced nuclear activities in the next decade.</p>
<p>He paired Friday's concession with other, targeted sanctions on Iran for human rights abuses and ballistic missile development. The Treasury Department's action hits 14 Iranian officials and companies and businessmen from Iran, China and Malaysia, freezing any assets they have in the U.S. and banning Americans from doing business with them.</p>
<p>The Iranian statement said the targeting of one of the officials, judiciary chief Sadegh Amoli Larijani, "crossed all behavioral red lines of the international community." It said the sanctions are against international law and go against U.S. commitments, saying they would bring a "strong reaction" from Iran.</p>
<p>The 2015 nuclear accord, reached after months of painstaking negotiations with the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia, lifted international sanctions in exchange for Iran limiting its nuclear program. Trump has repeatedly criticized the accord, while Iran has accused the U.S. of failing to comply with it. The next sanctions waivers are due in May.</p> | Iran rejects Trump's demand for changing nuclear deal | false | https://apnews.com/amp/650a6ec5b8544a93bccc6aff2332e7b6 | 2018-01-13 | 2 |
<p>A program designed to promote ethanol and biodiesel fuels will be expanded to companies using plant-based plastic, rubber and fiber in manufacturing products such as bottles and packaging, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Wednesday.</p>
<p>The USDA is proposing to add manufacturers of these plant-based products to a loan guarantee program that has provided more than $844 million for 10 biofuel projects since 2008. Loan guarantees allow companies building new plants to borrow money at lower interest rates. Under the proposed new rules loans of up to $250 million will be offered to projects involving development of plant-based materials for manufacturing, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>It's part of a government program initiated by President Barack Obama designed to promote replacement of petroleum in plastic, rubber and fiber with plant-based materials.</p>
<p>A report released Wednesday by the USDA said the plant-based materials industry created four million jobs and contributed $369 billion to the nation's economy in 2013.</p>
<p>From sugarcane-based plastic Coke bottles to soybean oil-derived Ford Mustang seat cushions, bio-based manufacturing has accelerated over the last decade.</p>
<p>The report, mandated in the 2014 farm bill and commissioned by the USDA was researched and written by professors at Duke University and North Carolina State University.</p>
<p>It details how the agency's BioPreferred program, created in the 2002 Farm Bill, has driven new development by requiring government agencies to use their purchasing power to buy when possible products made with plant-based materials. The program also has initiated a labeling program which identifies more than 2,200 products as USDA certified bio-based materials. The program was part of Obama's initiative to revitalize and modernize the rural economy, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>"This is, I think, the beginning of a very exciting opportunity for rural America, the beginning of an opportunity to attract manufacturing to rural communities, to add additional market opportunities for those who grow and raise crops and products in the U.S.," he said.</p>
<p>The report said the industry making products from plant-based materials has displaced 300 million gallons of petroleum a year, which Vilsack said is the equivalent from an emissions standpoint of removing 200,000 cars off the road.</p>
<p>Oil and natural gas industry trade group American Petroleum Institute declined to comment on the expansion of the program.</p>
<p>Some U.S. companies, embracing plant-based materials research, have been studying alternatives to petroleum based fibers, foams and rubbers for several years.</p>
<p>The Coca Cola Company is one example of a company that has researched and developed bio-based products. The company makes all of its bottles from a fully recyclable plastic, one-third of which is plant based. Earlier this year the company unveiled a bottle made entirely from bio-based materials and its ultimate goal is to have a 100 percent recyclable plant-based plastic bottle. The company currently uses Brazilian sugarcane and is researching other plant-based materials.</p>
<p>Since 2009 the company said it has distributed more than 30 billion PlantBottle packages in nearly 40 countries, saving more than 30 million gallons of gas and eliminating 270,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent to the amount emitted from burning more than 630,000 barrels of oil.</p>
<p>The Coke bottle material is used by Ford Motor Co. in the interior fabric of its Fusion Energi hybrid electric/gas engine car.</p>
<p>Ford also uses soybean-based oil to replace about 12 percent of petroleum-based materials used in the foam inserted in seat cushions. More than three million Ford vehicles have some soy foam in them, the company said.</p>
<p>Closer to the farm, tractor maker John Deere uses panels made of half soy oil and half corn ethanol in body components of combines and small agricultural tractors once made solely with petroleum-based polymers.</p> | USDA expands loan program, promotes plant-based products such as plastic bottles | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/06/17/usda-expands-loan-program-promotes-plant-based-products-such-as-plastic-bottles.html | 2016-03-09 | 0 |
<p>The IAEA announced it has received Iran’s reply to a U.N.-backed proposal to send that country’s enriched uranium abroad to be turned into fuel rods — not weapons. The reply, which remains secret, is expected to agree to the overall framework of the proposal while demanding significant changes.</p>
<p>The BBC:</p>
<p>The UN’s nuclear watchdog says it is hopeful an agreement with Iran can be reached after Tehran’s response to a new offer on uranium refinement.</p>
<p>The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it received Iran’s reply to the UN-backed proposal on Thursday.</p>
<p />
<p>Under the plan, most of Iran’s enriched uranium would be sent abroad to be turned into fuel rods for research use.</p>
<p>No details of Iran’s reply have been given but its president said it was ready to co-operate with the proposal.</p>
<p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8331626.stm" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Iran Counters U.N. Offer | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/iran-counters-u-n-offer/ | 2009-10-29 | 4 |
<p>PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Just a few years ago, she was reportedly executed by a North Korean firing squad. Now, Pyongyang’s top pop diva is a senior ruling party official and a surprise headliner in the run-up to the South Korean Winter Olympics.</p>
<p>Hyon Song Wol, the photogenic leader of Kim Jong Un’s hand-picked Moranbong Band, has made two excursions across the Demilitarized Zone as a negotiator and advance team leader working out the details of Kim’s surprise offer for the North to participate in the Pyeongchang Games.</p>
<p>South Korea’s media have been treating her like a true K-pop celebrity.</p>
<p>On Monday, as she wrapped up her latest visit and prepared to return to Pyongyang, the South’s Yonhap news agency reported a large crowd waited outside her hotel for a glimpse of her eating breakfast. Journalists, it noted, received only a “subtle smile” in response to their questions before she was whisked away with the North Korean delegation.</p>
<p>But not all South Koreans welcomed her or North Korea’s plan to join the games.</p>
<p>After a visit to the eastern city of Gangneung, Hyon was met at Seoul railway station by about 150 to 200 activists. The demonstrators later burned Kim’s photo, a North Korean flag and a “unification flag” the rival Koreas plan to carry during the opening ceremony.</p>
<p>North Korea is expected to send 22 athletes, a demonstration taekwondo team, several hundred members of an all-female cheering group and the 140-member Samjiyon Band to the games.</p>
<p>Hyon will lead the Samjiyon Band, which is made up of an orchestra with dancers and vocalists.</p>
<p>Hyon is no stranger to the South Korean media.</p>
<p>Several years ago, it was widely reported in South Korea that she had been executed in connection with a salacious sex-and-porn scandal. She appeared on North Korean television the following year, effectively putting that theory to rest. She is now an alternate member of the ruling party’s powerful central committee, making her one of the most influential women in the country.</p>
<p>Viewed from North Korea, the South’s intense interest in Hyon and the frenzied megastar treatment given her are somewhat ironic. There are no paparazzi in North Korea and no celebrity news. Whatever “hype” any performer receives depends completely on what the government wants the public to see.</p>
<p>Hyon’s role in the pre-Olympic preparations is a good example. It has received virtually no coverage in North Korea’s official media, which hasn’t said much at all about whom it is sending. And while Hyon is the leader of North Korea’s best-known pop band, the overriding message is that in North Korea there is only one megastar, Kim Jong Un. The Moranbong Band was created specifically to sing his praises.</p>
<p>The band, which has 10 or so members, made its debut in 2012, less than a year after Kim assumed power upon the death of his father, Kim Jong Il. Hyon and the band were supposed to make their international debut in Beijing in 2015, but that plan was derailed mysteriously at the last minute.</p>
<p>The women’s short skirts, electric guitars, suggestive shimmies and inclusion of some Western music early on generated quite a lot of speculation about how it was a sign the Kim Jong Un regime would be more open to the outside world.</p>
<p>The band has instead been a stalwart component of the North’s time-tested propaganda machine.</p>
<p>It has held firmly to the party line with lyrics that inevitably stress love and devotion to Kim Jong Un or hail the wisdom of the ruling party and the values of selfless sacrifice and “single-minded unity.” It frequently is called on to perform for major party events — often with Kim Jong Un, the military and missiles on big screens behind them — and alternate between mini-skirts and military uniforms when they take the stage.</p>
<p>Kim Jong Il, who was much more involved in the arts, and particularly in filmmaking, also founded a band, which he called the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble. It was known for its synthesizer-heavy sound and Hyon was a prominent member.</p>
<p>While still guaranteed a special role as the “soft” face of Kim’s regime, the novelty of Moranbong Band might be wearing thin.</p>
<p>A similar group, the Chongbong Band, was created in 2015 in what appeared to be an effort to revive interest in a similar kind of vaguely youth-oriented, pop-influenced music.</p>
<p>But the regime doesn’t seem to be promoting the Chongbong Band very seriously and it now rarely appears in public.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Talmadge is the AP’s Pyongyang bureau chief. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @erictalmadge</p>
<p>PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Just a few years ago, she was reportedly executed by a North Korean firing squad. Now, Pyongyang’s top pop diva is a senior ruling party official and a surprise headliner in the run-up to the South Korean Winter Olympics.</p>
<p>Hyon Song Wol, the photogenic leader of Kim Jong Un’s hand-picked Moranbong Band, has made two excursions across the Demilitarized Zone as a negotiator and advance team leader working out the details of Kim’s surprise offer for the North to participate in the Pyeongchang Games.</p>
<p>South Korea’s media have been treating her like a true K-pop celebrity.</p>
<p>On Monday, as she wrapped up her latest visit and prepared to return to Pyongyang, the South’s Yonhap news agency reported a large crowd waited outside her hotel for a glimpse of her eating breakfast. Journalists, it noted, received only a “subtle smile” in response to their questions before she was whisked away with the North Korean delegation.</p>
<p>But not all South Koreans welcomed her or North Korea’s plan to join the games.</p>
<p>After a visit to the eastern city of Gangneung, Hyon was met at Seoul railway station by about 150 to 200 activists. The demonstrators later burned Kim’s photo, a North Korean flag and a “unification flag” the rival Koreas plan to carry during the opening ceremony.</p>
<p>North Korea is expected to send 22 athletes, a demonstration taekwondo team, several hundred members of an all-female cheering group and the 140-member Samjiyon Band to the games.</p>
<p>Hyon will lead the Samjiyon Band, which is made up of an orchestra with dancers and vocalists.</p>
<p>Hyon is no stranger to the South Korean media.</p>
<p>Several years ago, it was widely reported in South Korea that she had been executed in connection with a salacious sex-and-porn scandal. She appeared on North Korean television the following year, effectively putting that theory to rest. She is now an alternate member of the ruling party’s powerful central committee, making her one of the most influential women in the country.</p>
<p>Viewed from North Korea, the South’s intense interest in Hyon and the frenzied megastar treatment given her are somewhat ironic. There are no paparazzi in North Korea and no celebrity news. Whatever “hype” any performer receives depends completely on what the government wants the public to see.</p>
<p>Hyon’s role in the pre-Olympic preparations is a good example. It has received virtually no coverage in North Korea’s official media, which hasn’t said much at all about whom it is sending. And while Hyon is the leader of North Korea’s best-known pop band, the overriding message is that in North Korea there is only one megastar, Kim Jong Un. The Moranbong Band was created specifically to sing his praises.</p>
<p>The band, which has 10 or so members, made its debut in 2012, less than a year after Kim assumed power upon the death of his father, Kim Jong Il. Hyon and the band were supposed to make their international debut in Beijing in 2015, but that plan was derailed mysteriously at the last minute.</p>
<p>The women’s short skirts, electric guitars, suggestive shimmies and inclusion of some Western music early on generated quite a lot of speculation about how it was a sign the Kim Jong Un regime would be more open to the outside world.</p>
<p>The band has instead been a stalwart component of the North’s time-tested propaganda machine.</p>
<p>It has held firmly to the party line with lyrics that inevitably stress love and devotion to Kim Jong Un or hail the wisdom of the ruling party and the values of selfless sacrifice and “single-minded unity.” It frequently is called on to perform for major party events — often with Kim Jong Un, the military and missiles on big screens behind them — and alternate between mini-skirts and military uniforms when they take the stage.</p>
<p>Kim Jong Il, who was much more involved in the arts, and particularly in filmmaking, also founded a band, which he called the Pochonbo Electronic Ensemble. It was known for its synthesizer-heavy sound and Hyon was a prominent member.</p>
<p>While still guaranteed a special role as the “soft” face of Kim’s regime, the novelty of Moranbong Band might be wearing thin.</p>
<p>A similar group, the Chongbong Band, was created in 2015 in what appeared to be an effort to revive interest in a similar kind of vaguely youth-oriented, pop-influenced music.</p>
<p>But the regime doesn’t seem to be promoting the Chongbong Band very seriously and it now rarely appears in public.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Talmadge is the AP’s Pyongyang bureau chief. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @erictalmadge</p> | ‘Executed’ North Korean pop diva takes Olympic spotlight | false | https://apnews.com/5aae4fbe1a3442129beb1c5cd48dac99 | 2018-01-22 | 2 |
<p>Global stocks mostly rose on Monday after a parliamentary election victory by Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's party, which had promised stability and growth, and on hopes for U.S. tax reform.</p>
<p>KEEPING SCORE: France's CAC 40 was up 0.3 percent at 5,390, while Germany's DAX rose 0.1 percent to 13,000. Britain's FTSE 100 was up 0.1 percent at 7,530. Dow futures were 0.1 percent higher and the S&amp;P 500 futures were flat.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>JAPAN ELECTION: Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party scored a win in the nationwide parliamentary election Sunday, partly because of a splintered opposition. But a new pacifist opposition party made dramatic gains, underscoring voters' doubts about Abe's agenda for revising Japan's war-renouncing constitution and strengthening the military.</p>
<p>ASIA'S DAY: Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 1.1 percent to close at 21,696.65. Australia's S&amp;P/ASX 200 lost 0.2 percent to 5,894.00. South Korea's Kospi was flat at 2,490.05. Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.6 percent to 28,322.08, while the Shanghai Composite inched up nearly 0.1 percent to 3,380.70. India's Sensex was flat at 32,399.55 and shares in Southeast Asia were mixed.</p>
<p>ANALYST VIEWPOINT: "While the win by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party had been widely expected, the strong mandate awarded via the landslide win made all the difference for markets this morning," Jingyi Pan of IG said in a commentary.</p>
<p>TRUMP TAXES: Investor sentiment has gotten a boost from President Donald Trump's plan to slash corporate taxes and make other business-friendly changes to U.S. tax laws. Under the administration's plan, the first major overhaul of the tax code in three decades, corporations would see their top tax rate cut from 35 percent to 20 percent. Should the reforms be approved, interest rates are also likely to move higher, which will benefit banks and other financial companies.</p>
<p>ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude added 17 cents to $52.01 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Friday it gained 33 cents. Brent crude, used to price international oils, fell 13 cents to $57.62 a barrel.</p>
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<p>CURRENCIES: The dollar strengthened to 113.83 yen from 113.34 yen late Friday in Asia. The euro fell to $1.1737 from $1.1802.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP Business Writer Yuri Kageyama can be reached at https://twitter.com/yurikageyama</p>
<p>Her work can be found at https://www.apnews.com/search/yuri%20kageyama</p> | Stocks mostly rise amid Japanese election, US tax hopes | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/10/23/japan-ruling-party-victory-boosts-nikkei-rest-asia-mixed.html | 2017-10-23 | 0 |
<p>No group has contributed more to this cesspool we now call "Western Culture" than modern third-wave feminists: the Gloria Steinems, the Betty Friedans, the Margaret Sangers, and the Simone De Beauvoirs.</p>
<p>Though we ragingly shake the steering wheel as cavalcades of Black Lives Matter protesters <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-protest-inglewood-20160710-snap-story.html" type="external">clog our morning commutes</a> on the 405 freeway and occasionally shield our eyes from the <a href="https://www.peta.org/blog/peta-members-plated-served-shreveport-dallas/" type="external">naked PETA activist</a> laying on a Manhattan sidewalk, their behavior personally affects us only insofar as it corresponds to the reach of their individual members.</p>
<p>When it comes to the wrath of feminists, no such shield exists. Unlike the groups above, feminists hit us at our most vulnerable spots: our wives, our husbands, our children, our bedrooms and our houses of worship. Simply put, feminists get personal. Not only do they seek to brainwash our daughters into becoming promiscuous she-wolves who think waving "My P–ssy, My Choice" signs at an Amber Rose "SlutWalk" is a great way to spend the weekend, they also conspire to mutate every man into a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pajama_Boy" type="external">sniveling pajama boy</a>.</p>
<p>Wherever they go, they impugn without mercy. Like vampires, they suck their prey dry of organic life until all that remains is a hollowed out shell of something that resembles its former self.</p>
<p>Feminists. Ruin. Everything.</p>
<p>Not just some things, or a few things, or even a lot of things, but everything. Since I can't list everything, because it's EVERYTHING, I will list below only some things. Here are just a few to get you thinking:</p>
<p>FEMINISTS RUIN CHRISTIANITY</p>
<p>FEMINISTS RUIN HATS</p>
<p>FEMINISTS RUIN MAKEUP</p>
<p>Below is an actual makeup brand brought to you by <a href="https://www.lipslut.com/" type="external">the company "Lipslut"</a>:</p>
<p>FEMINISTS RUIN ART</p>
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<p>FEMINISTS RUIN POLITICS</p>
<p>FEMINISTS RUIN COMEDY</p>
<p>FEMINISTS RUIN DANCING</p>
<p>This actually took place at a Women's Rally:</p>
<p>FEMINISTS RUIN CANADA</p>
<p />
<p>FEMINISTS RUINED GLOW</p>
<p>GLOW, as in the Netflix show about Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. I wrote a whole <a href="" type="internal">article about that here</a>.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">FEMINISTS RUINED THIS LITTLE GIRL’S PRINCESS BOOK</a></p>
<p>FEMINISTS RUINED EMMA WATSON</p>
<p>FEMINISTS RUINED JENNIFER LAWRENCE</p>
<p>FEMINISTS RUINED THESE SIX-YEAR-OLD GIRLS</p>
<p>FEMINISTS RUIN ESPN</p>
<p>Below is a screenshot of <a href="http://www.espn.com/espnw/voices/article/19201723/four-poets-new-feminism" type="external">feminist poetry</a> that ESPN actually featured on their site:</p>
<p>FEMINISTS RUINED GHOSTBUSTERS</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sheknows.com/living/slideshow/5123/ruth-bader-ginsburg-coloring-book/color-outside-the-lines" type="external">FEMINISTS RUIN COLORING BOOKS</a></p>
<p>This is an actual Ruth Bader Ginsburg themed coloring book for kids.</p>
<p />
<p>FEMINISTS RUIN HAUNTED HOUSES</p>
<p>FEMINISTS RUIN OSCAR ACCEPTANCE SPEECHES</p> | Feminists RUIN Everything, And Since I Can't List Everything, Here Are Some Things | true | https://dailywire.com/news/19425/feminists-ruin-everything-i-cant-list-everything-paul-bois | 2017-08-07 | 0 |
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<p>Nearly two decades ago, lyricist Ellen Fitzhugh and composer Jan Hammer wrote a ditty called “Torture” for a Star Wars musical that never came to light. The tune was supposed to be crooned by a robot controlled by Darth Vader. Instead, it’s being released to lament the robotic <a href="" type="internal">torture policies</a> controlled by <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyK-hDc7_2g" type="external">Vader’s doppelganger,</a> <a href="" type="internal">Dick Cheney</a>, for Friday’s <a href="http://www.un.org/events/torture/" type="external">U.N. International Day in Support of Torture Victims and Survivors.</a></p>
<p>Today, the words ring eerily true. Sample lyric: “For you it’s just a pain/For us it’s justified/But you’re too self-absorbed/To see it from our side.”</p>
<p>Watch the song’s YouTube treatment—set to creepy old cartoons—here:</p>
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<p /> | “Torture”: The Song | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2009/06/commemorating-torture-song/ | 2009-06-23 | 4 |
<p>Soccer moms, NASCAR dads and Reagan Democrats are all old news. This year an emerging new group will decide the outcome in November: problem-solving voters (PSVs). That’s the conclusion of a <a href="" type="internal">new No Labels poll</a> finding that 54 percent of American voters are more likely to support candidates focused on solving problems than those who align most with their parties. And these voters are up for grabs too as PSVs are twice as likely as other voters to change their minds about who should be president between now and November.</p>
<p>Problem-solving voters recognize that the magnitude of challenges facing our country are too serious for a continuation of the partisan bickering and gridlock that has dominated our politics for too long. They want real solutions, and candidates who think they can get by in this election purely by throwing red meat to their bases do so at their own peril.</p>
<p />
<p>Candidates from all parties running for all levels of elected office will have to appeal to this significant voting bloc if they hope to win in November. As you might expect, 94 percent of independent voters are PSVs. More surprising is that 30 percent of Democrats and 33 percent of Republicans identify as PSVs as well. Even the partisans are getting tired of all this hyper-partisanship.</p>
<p>PSVs also understand it will take bipartisanship to solve any of our country’s deepest problems. That’s why more than eight in 10 voters (84 percent) want candidates who will work across the aisle to find solutions to our country’s problems.</p>
<p>For years, politicians and pundits have assumed that beyond their bases, they are only competing for a narrow band of independent voters. This year may well be different, with significant margins of Democrats and Republicans showing an openness to candidates more focused on solutions than ideology. PSVs are a new and fast growing voting category, but they share at least one characteristic with almost all voters. The vast majority of PSVs believe America is on the wrong track and they want problems addressed, not just more politics. They’re on to something. Candidates beware.</p> | The Problem-Solving Voter | false | https://nolabels.org/blog/the-problem-solving-voter/ | 2012-06-15 | 2 |
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<p>To follow up on <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2009/01/12012_who_should_progessive_root_for_super_bowl.html" type="external">my post</a> arguing that all good liberals ought to support the Steelers this Sunday, I thought I’d bring you the President’s thoughts. <a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2009/01/white_house_super_bowl_picks.cfm" type="external">From a press appearance Thursday</a>:</p>
<p>Q: The Steelers or Cardinals, sir?</p>
<p>THE PRESIDENT: I have to say, you know, I wish the Cardinals the best. Kurt Warner is a great story and he’s closer to my age than anybody else on the field, but I am a long-time Steelers fan. Mr. Rooney, the owner, was just an extraordinary supporter during the course of the campaign. Franco Harris was campaigning for me in Pittsburgh. So —</p>
<p>THE VICE PRESIDENT: <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/bellantoni/2008/Aug/29/steelers-coach-said-obama-brightened-bad-day/" type="external">Coach signed up with you, too.</a></p>
<p>THE PRESIDENT: Right, <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08351/935360-314.stm" type="external">Coach Tomlin</a> was a supporter. So I — you know, I wish the best to the Cardinals. They’ve been long-suffering; it’s a great Cinderella story. But other than the Bears, the Steelers are probably the team that’s closest to my heart.</p>
<p>Our President, by his own admission, doesn’t get too high for things. But from what I can tell, <a href="http://www.freshnews.in/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/barack_obama.jpg" type="external">the man has Steelers fever</a>. My prediction: Steelers 20, Cardinals 13. (This is your final Super Bowl-related post, I promise. Unless they win, in which case the blog will be covered in drunken exultations. Stillllers Win!!!!1!11)</p>
<p /> | Obama Weighs In On Super Bowl | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2009/01/obama-weighs-super-bowl/ | 2009-01-30 | 4 |
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<p>Sandoval County Master Gardeners’ Corrales-based Seed2Need program donated more than 65,000 pounds of tomatoes, chile, squash, zucchini, cucumbers and other produce to pantries in Rio Rancho, Albuquerque and Bernalillo in 2012.</p>
<p>Food crops are grown on plots of land donated by property owners in Corrales. This year, the program has the opportunity to increase its cultivated area from 1.5 acres to 5 acres if it can enlist help from enough volunteers, said Sam Thompson, a former coordinator for Sandoval County Master Gardeners.</p>
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<p>“We know that the need is out there,” Thompson said.</p>
<p>The goal is to start planting seeds in a greenhouse in March or April, then progress to tilling the garden space and transplanting seedlings. The main effort would be during harvesting season from July through September. Seed2Need also needs volunteers to help harvest fruit from local orchards.</p>
<p>Volunteers can commit to as much or as little time as they can spare; 10 hours a month would be ideal, Thompson said.</p>
<p>Harvesting takes place one weekday and one Saturday morning and one evening each week during the summer. Volunteers will work alongside master gardeners who have been trained by New Mexico State University horticulturists through the Sandoval County extension service.</p>
<p>“It is also a great way to meet people within the community and to learn gardening techniques,” Sandoval County Master Gardener Penny Davis said in an email.</p>
<p>Davis launched the program in 2008. Since then, food pantries like St. Felix in Rio Rancho have reported the number of families seeking food assistance has increased thanks to the sluggish economy and persistent high unemployment.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Sandoval County Master Gardeners also give courses on gardening, advise homeowners on planting and landscaping, and they oversee demonstration gardens Rio Rancho, Corrales and Placitas.</p>
<p>In the spring, Seed2Need will launch a “Grow a Row” program, encouraging local gardeners to plant an extra row of vegetables and donate the produce to a food pantry.</p>
<p>“Most home gardeners grow more produce than they need and we will be providing an opportunity to make sure the produce doesn’t go to waste,” Thompson said.</p>
<p>Seed2Need will have a booth at the Corrales Grower’s Market where it will collect the Grow a Row produce.</p>
<p>For information about volunteering email <a href="" type="external">[email protected].</a></p>
<p>Vegetables harvested by volunteers in Sandoval County Master Gardener’s Seed2Need program. Last year the program donated more than 65,000 pounds of produce to local food pantries. The program hopes to expand this year and is seeking volunteers. (journal file)</p>
<p>— This article appeared on page 10 of the Albuquerque Journal</p> | Nonprofit Needs Help In Garden | false | https://abqjournal.com/158987/nonprofit-needs-help-in-garden.html | 2013-01-10 | 2 |
<p>A judge has ruled that the federal government is responsible from some of the catastrophic flooding that wrecked the city of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, a major development in a lawsuit that has dragged on for nearly a decade.</p>
<p>Judge Susan Braden of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C., said the flooding falls under the Fifth Amendment and the “taking” of property, and therefore the plaintiffs in the lawsuit should be awarded damages — although it’s still yet to be determined what kind of damages they can expect.</p>
<p>Braden will attempt to have a mediator to come to some sort of assessment of damages, which will take place in a conference next Wednesday in New Orleans.</p>
<p>The beneficiaries are also up in the air, as although there are just a few plaintiffs, a class-action lawsuit could lead to a vast increase in the number of people who would receive damages.</p>
<p>The lawsuit was filed all the way back in October 2005, just months after Katrina ravaged the city. The government of St. Bernard Parish filed the suit against property owners, the central issue of which was a navigation canal that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built that many believe resulted in most of the flooding of St. Bernard and the Lower 9th district of New Orleans, which were hit hardest.</p>
<p>The suit accuses the government of contributing to the catastrophic flooding in August 2005 by building the canal. It essentially says the federal government illegally took property without providing adequate compensation, which would be unconstitutional under the Fifth Amendment.</p>
<p>The Corps’ infrastructure work has been blamed for resulting in the breach of levees and floodwalls, but until now court rulings had kept the government from having to shell out billions of dollars in flood damage.</p>
<p /> | Stunning ruling: U.S. government is liable for Katrina flooding, judge says | false | http://natmonitor.com/2015/05/02/stunning-ruling-u-s-government-is-liable-for-katrina-flooding-judge-says/ | 2015-05-02 | 3 |
<p>Photo: Wikimedia Commons</p>
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<p>1482 Portuguese explorers arrive at mouth of Congo River, <a href="http://www.mgfa-potsdam.de/html/einsatzunterstuetzung/downloads/1_wwkongoenglisch.pdf" type="external">find well-developed African kingdom</a> (pdf) of Kongo.</p>
<p>1520s Sugarcane plantations in Brazil ignite vast demand for African slaves. Over next 350 years more than 12 million people will be <a href="http://www.slavevoyages.org/tast/assessment/estimates.faces" type="external">taken from African coast</a> near the mouth of the Congo River.</p>
<p>1526 In letter to Portuguese King João III, Kongo King Afonso I writes, “ <a href="http://h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrowse.pl?trx=vx&amp;list=h-afrteach&amp;month=9911&amp;week=c&amp;msg=qBR39UCtdx%2BIzckJSURdPg&amp;user=&amp;pw=" type="external">Our country is being completely depopulated</a>” by slave trade.</p>
<p>Mid-1800s Reports from David Livingstone and other explorers whet European appetite for ivory.</p>
<p>1885 Belgian King Leopold II wins recognition of Congo as his personal colony.</p>
<p>1887 Scottish veterinarian John Dunlop creates inflatable tire, launching worldwide rubber boom.</p>
<p>1893-1913 Peak of Congo rubber trade. Leopold’s private army occupies villages, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/scramble_for_africa_article_01.shtml" type="external">holds women hostage</a> to force men into the rain forest to gather wild rubber. Famine, disease, displacement ensue; uprisings bloodily suppressed. Congo’s population drops from 20 million to 10 million in 40 years.</p>
<p>1895 First reported find of Congo gold, in Ituri.</p>
<p>1907 Diamonds discovered in Kasai province. Today Congo produces 17 percent of world’s uncut diamonds.</p>
<p>1911 British soap tycoon William Lever visits to <a href="http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,787466,00.html" type="external">inspect his new holdings</a> of palm groves.</p>
<p>1931 Railway completed from Katanga through Angola to Atlantic, parallel to old slave-trade route, for faster export of Congo copper. Profits mainly go to Belgium.</p>
<p>1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs built with Congolese uranium.</p>
<p>1960 After months of violent protests, Belgium grants Congo independence. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrcX3XUm7eA&amp;feature=related" type="external">Patrice Lumumba becomes prime minister</a>, advocates African ownership of African resources.</p>
<p>1961 Lumumba killed, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/06/world/world-briefing-europe-belgium-apology-for-lumumba-killing.html?pagewanted=1" type="external">with Belgian help</a>, after CIA assassination attempt fails.</p>
<p>1965 Joseph Mobutu, a 35-year-old army officer, seizes power in CIA-approved coup, ruthlessly crushes all opposition.</p>
<p>1966 Mobutu nationalizes mining, goes on to embezzle billions from trade in copper, cobalt, diamond, and coffee industries.</p>
<p>1971 Mobutu changes nation’s name to Zaire and his own to Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga—”The all-powerful warrior who, because of his endurance and inflexible will to win, goes from conquest to conquest, leaving fire in his wake.”</p>
<p>1974 Muhammad Ali <a href="http://encyclopedia.stateuniversity.com/pages/15499/Muhammad-Ali.html" type="external">regains heavyweight crown</a> by defeating George Foreman in “Rumble in the Jungle” in Kinshasa.</p>
<p>1977 Commodore begins selling personal computers; demand accelerates for minerals used in electronics, including gold, coltan (colombite-tantalite), and cassiterite (tin ore), all of which Congo produces in abundance.</p>
<p>1997 Mobutu overthrown, <a href="http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/35/080.html" type="external">dies in exile</a> following year. Country renamed Democratic Republic of Congo.</p>
<p>1998 Rwanda and Uganda invade, try to overthrow Mobutu successor Laurent Kabila. Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola, Chad, Sudan also get involved, supporting Kabila and seizing mining concessions. Armed rebel groups proliferate, also capture mine sites.</p>
<p>1999 About 100 Congolese miners die when gold mine run by Ugandan military caves in.</p>
<p>1999 Six countries involved in war <a href="http://www.globalpolicy.org/security-council/index-of-countries-on-the-security-council-agenda/democratic-republic-of-congo.html" type="external">sign peace accord</a> in Zambia; UN peacekeepers deployed. Fighting for control of mining sites continues. Hundreds of thousands of civilians forced to flee.</p>
<p>2000 Coltan, in demand for cell phone manufacturing, sells at $380 a pound. Demand for tungsten, used to make phones vibrate (and lightbulbs glow), also surges.</p>
<p>2000 Kabila grants timber rights on 15 percent of Congo’s land area to joint venture that includes high Zimbabwean officials and army officers.</p>
<p>2001 Kabila <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/20/world/witnesses-describe-kabila-assassination-scene-but-motive-is-still-murky.html?pagewanted=1" type="external">assassinated, succeeded</a> by his son Joseph.</p>
<p>2002 Second peace accord signed in South African luxury resort Sun City. Rebel warlords continue to fight.</p>
<p>2002 UN panel of experts estimates Rwanda has removed $320 million worth of minerals from eastern Congo during war.</p>
<p>2003 Amnesty International also targets Rwanda, saying that plunder of Congo’s coltan and other minerals was a “ <a href="http://asiapacific.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR620102003?open&amp;of=ENG-398" type="external">carefully managed military operation</a>.”</p>
<p>2006 UN <a href="http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/publications/yir/2006/congo.htm" type="external">helps arrange first free</a> elections since 1960. Joseph Kabila wins presidency, incorporates former rebel warlords into army and administration as price of shaky peace.</p>
<p>2007 Congo hit with Ebola outbreak.</p>
<p>2007 China signs long-term deal investing $9 billion in Congo in exchange for minerals worth some $50 billion, mainly copper and cobalt.</p>
<p /> | Steal This Country | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2010/03/democratic-republic-congo-timeline/ | 2018-03-01 | 4 |
<p>SAN FRANCISCO (BP) — The California Supreme Court turned back pro-family groups June 4 by refusing to delay its gay marriage decision from going into effect, giving the green light for same-sex couples statewide to get married June 17.</p>
<p>The 4-3 margin ruling — identical to its earlier decision — came without comment and was a serious blow to social conservatives who had hoped the justices would stay their ruling until citizens consider a proposed constitutional marriage amendment on the November ballot. Some amendment opponents believe they have a greater chance of defeating the amendment if gay marriages already are taking place, a scenario which now will be the case.</p>
<p>Two Christian legal groups, the Alliance Defense Fund and Liberty Counsel, had filed legal briefs requesting the delay.</p>
<p>California now will become the second state, after Massachusetts, to legalize marriage between homosexuals. The amendment promoted by the group ProtectMarriage.com would reverse the court's ruling, although there will be some legal debate as to what happens to the licenses if the amendment in fact passes.</p>
<p>Glen Lavy, Alliance Defense Fund senior counsel, said in a news release that the original decision, handed down May 15, was “the most egregious case of judicial activism in modern American history.”</p>
<p>“The refusal to wait for the people to decide by the constitutional process confirms that,” Lavy said.</p>
<p>Liberty Counsel's Mathew D. Staver agreed.</p>
<p>“Denying a stay in light of the certification of the Marriage Protection Act for the November ballot reveals the political agenda of a handful of judges,” Staver said in a news release. “Judges acting as judges and not as legislators would have granted the stay. The battle over marriage is far from over and will not be decided by four judges. The people will decide in November.”</p>
<p>Compiled by Michael Foust, an assistant editor for Baptist Press.</p> | California court won’t delay gay marriage | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/californiacourtwontdelaygaymarriage/ | 3 |
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<p>There seems to be nothing liberals inside the beltway and on the internet enjoy carping about more than The New Republic, which has certainly earned its share of criticism. It has provided Republicans with liberal cover for some of their most outrageous wrongdoings, the Iraq War being the most obvious. It’s been a haven for an incredibly long list of conservative writers, and it has often taken more joy at being contrary and at slamming liberals than in defending the causes one would expect a liberal magazine to defend. Oh, and its long time owner and top editor who just sold the mag is an Arab-hating neocon who allowed a pro-Israel fever to overtake all else. We’re all familiar with the problem.</p>
<p>Eric Alterman has a <a href="http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=my_marty_peretz_problem_and_ours" type="external">solid piece in the American Prospect</a> arguing all of this and more. It’s worth reading, but let me just say that while I get that deconstructing liberalism’s past, and TNR’s place within it, is important because it helps illustrate the present, pieces like Alterman’s often feel like they are done for gossipy reasons, to draw stark lines and remind everyone that one or two influential people stood on the wrong side of divisive issues. We all know Marty Peretz is only ironically called a “liberal” and we all know that TNR has a nasty past. We all know they screwed up on health care in the ’90s and screwed up the Iraq War in a horrible, horrible way. But if we focus on getting our pound of flesh instead of hitting the mutual foe we now share with a much-improved TNR, aren’t we in a way committing the same sin as TNR did for many years?</p>
<p>I never thought I’d defend The New Republic. I guess my point is this. We all know the magazine has gotten better under Frank Foer and we all know the criticisms — so what’s the point in drudging up the old hits and slamming the magazine all over again?</p>
<p /> | A Justified but Tiring Hit Job on The New Republic | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/06/justified-tiring-hit-job-new-republic/ | 2007-06-18 | 4 |
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<p>Takata Corp. is nearing a settlement with federal prosecutors to resolve allegations of criminal wrongdoing in the Japanese automotive supplier’s handling of rupture-prone air bags linked to numerous deaths and injuries, said people familiar with the discussions, with an agreement expected early next year.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Takata’s lawyers and U.S. Justice Department officials are discussing the prospect of the company pleading guilty to criminal misconduct as part of the settlement, the people said. The two sides are aiming to settle a criminal case against Takata as soon as January, though the timing could slip, the people said.</p>
<p>Takata is expected to pay a financial penalty of up to $1 billion to settle the case developed by federal prosecutors, though the final figure could be in the high hundreds of millions of dollars, the people said.</p>
<p>The Japanese company faces significant financial pressures from an onslaught of recalled air bags. Under settlement terms being discussed, Takata is expected to pay some of the financial penalty up front and the rest over a number of years, the people said. The total financial penalty isn’t likely to eclipse $1 billion, they said.</p>
<p>Prosecutors are weighing charging Takata with wire fraud after determining the company likely made misleading statements and concealed information about air bags that can explode and spray shrapnel in vehicle cabins, a safety problem linked to 11 deaths and 184 injuries in the U.S., the people said.</p>
<p>One focus of the criminal probe centers on Takata providing misleading testing reports to customers including Honda Motor Co., the people said. Takata has acknowledged the lapses, while adding the discrepancies weren’t tied to later air-bag ruptures.</p>
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<p>The expected settlement of a criminal case would mark one bookend to an unprecedented safety crisis gripping Takata, regulators, motorists and nearly all car companies across the globe.</p>
<p>In the U.S. alone, 19 auto makers are recalling 42 million vehicles with nearly 70 million Takata air bags that risk rupturing. The crisis represents the largest automotive safety recall in U.S. history and has sparked widespread litigation and government probes.</p>
<p>The Justice Department and other government agencies are racing to complete long-running corporate investigations before Inauguration Day. The practice, common in an administration’s waning days, reflects top officials’ eagerness to finish work before leaving their perches and some uncertainty over how the incoming Trump administration will approach open cases.</p>
<p>Two European banks agreed last week to pay $12.5 billion in cash and help to consumers to resolve financial crisis-era investigations into the banks’ selling of mortgage securities. Volkswagen AG earlier this month agreed to a second civil settlement with the Justice Department over emissions-cheating claims, though discussions to resolve a related criminal probe are likely to languish into the next administration, according to people familiar with the matter. Volkswagen, which has admitted to the emissions cheating and promised to make amends, has said it is cooperating with U.S. officials.</p>
<p>For Takata, a settlement that further cements future financial liabilities would likely help smooth negotiations with suppliers bidding for control of the Japanese company to put it on surer footing. Takata is expected to reach a deal with a rival supplier next year and eventually seek bankruptcy protection to address mushrooming recall costs and help clear a path for a takeover, people familiar with the matter have said.</p>
<p>Takata earlier admitted to failing to alert regulators within five days of uncovering safety defects as legally required, according to a November 2015 civil settlement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency found Takata several times produced testing reports with “selective, incomplete or inaccurate data” and failed to “clarify inaccurate information” provided to regulators during a January 2012 presentation, according to settlement documents.</p>
<p>With the expected Justice Department settlement, Takata is likely to agree to an independent monitor who will audit the company’s safety practices, the people familiar with the matter said. It isn’t clear whether that monitor would be separate or the same as one assigned to Takata in the previous settlement with regulators.</p>
<p>Auto makers so far have recalled 29 million vehicles with 46 million Takata air bags, according to regulators. As of Dec. 2, roughly 12.5 million air bags have been fixed.</p>
<p>U.S. regulators this month increased pressure on Takata and auto makers to address the rupture-prone air bags, setting new deadlines for recalling and fixing millions of the devices. A government order parcels the air bags into a dozen priority groups based on their risk of exploding and requires auto makers to launch recalls by certain dates and complete them within 2½ years.</p>
<p>Air bags at the greatest risk of rupturing are older and have had prolonged exposure to heat and humidity that can destabilize the chemical compound used to inflate the devices. That prioritizes air bags in humid climes such as Texas and Florida.</p>
<p>By Mike Spector and Aruna Viswanatha</p> | Takata Nears Settling U.S. Criminal Probe Over Defective Air Bags | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/28/takata-nears-settling-u-s-criminal-probe-over-defective-air-bags.html | 2016-12-28 | 0 |
<p>In Monday night’s debate, Donald Trump repeated his assertion that the Chinese “are devaluing their currency and there’s nobody in our government to fight them….So we’re losing our good jobs, so many of them.” The implication is, therefore, that we are now overmatched against a powerful China.</p>
<p>Trump’s claims regarding China are as much wrong as they are right. China, while its size and power continue to increase, has significant problems of its own and is not as potent as Trump implies.</p>
<p>First of all, Trump’s currency claims are indeed a little musty. He charges that China is devaluing its currency—i.e., making it weaker—but China’s currency is 20 percent stronger than it was in 2000, and is at rough parity with where it was in the crisis year of 2008. Since that time, it has both strengthened and weakened, but all within about a 10 percentage point range. That’s a lot if you are a leveraged currency trader, but it should be reasonably manageable for most U.S. businesses.</p>
<p>Putting Trump’s currency claim aside, however, his more fundamental point is that we are losing jobs because of our trade policy, and trade policy involves much more than currency issues—it involves things like trade agreements, tariffs, and taxes. It is regarding this set of issues that Trump may have made one of the better points of his campaign.</p>
<p>Mainstream economists dismiss the significance of trade deficits and view free trade as an indispensable part of sound economic policy. Furthermore, economists and politicians alike are quick to invoke the specter of the highly protectionist Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930 as either the cause of the Great Depression or as the act that deepened and prolonged it.</p>
<p>But it may not be that simple. As iconic a free market figure as Ronald Reagan once imposed a 100 percent tariff on Japan to force the modification of that country’s trade practices. And the United States has had very long periods where it had both highly protectionist tariffs—often as high as 50 percent—and very strong growth. Smoot-Hawley was neither the cause of the Great Depression nor a major factor in its severity. (That distinction belongs to the massive private debt accumulated in the 1920s and the misguided practices of banks and of the Federal Reserve in the 1930s.) I don’t mention these things in order to advocate protectionism. Far from it. Instead, I mention them to suggest that the issue is more multi-dimensional than many policymakers choose to recognize.</p>
<p>There is very little that Trump has said in his campaign that I can agree with, and much that has horrified me, but this is one area that deserves attention. It has clearly struck a chord with certain large and important constituencies. We have lost jobs. Over the last few decades, the bias in trade policy for both Democrats and Republicans has been in favor of the shareholders and management of large corporations (or in some cases to trade economic benefit for political support), often at the expense of workers. Perhaps it is time to modify this bias and do a more thorough and careful job of thinking through the issues and the outcomes of our trade policy on workers.</p>
<p>As regards our trade deficit, it has declined from 6 percent in the pre-crisis boom year of 2006 to 3 percent today. That is still high by historical standards, and two-thirds of that deficit is with China. We do need to address that imbalance over time and as opportunity allows.</p>
<p>But, in doing that, we need to properly understand China’s economic situation. China may again devalue its currency, but, if it does, it will be from a position of weakness instead of strength. And, given the lack of demand in the rest of the world, it will yield little benefit. China is now confronted by an array of problems unlike any it has faced since Deng Xiaoping&#160;introduced market reforms in 1978. It now has a massive private debt burden, millions of empty homes, unprecedented overcapacity in key industries, growing worker unrest, and vigorous competition from cheaper labor markets such as Vietnam. Like Japan in the 1990s, which, after its boom in the previous decade, entered a period of economic stagnation that persists to this day, China is now facing a slowdown that could last a generation.</p>
<p>Trump may not have his facts quite straight on China, but beneath it all, he may have made an important point. The United States has long had the size and influence to achieve its ends in trade negotiations. We should make sure that, where a domestic industry risks disruption from a trade agreement, our trading partners open their markets to create opportunities that truly compensate for this disruption, and that the affected workers are provided the training and counsel to continue commensurate careers. The American worker deserves a higher priority in the trade equation.</p> | Yes, We Can Beat China | true | http://democracyjournal.org/arguments/yes-we-can-beat-china/ | 2016-09-28 | 4 |
<p>There were a couple of big movie premieres this week, and the stars went all out on the red carpets. At the "Pitch Perfect 3" premiere in Los Angeles, we were completely obsessed with Elizabeth Banks and Anna Camp's gowns. Not quite sure how we felt about Anna Kendrick's outfit, though. And Gwendoline Christie went for total drama at the "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" premiere in London. Click through the slideshow to see all of the outfits, and weigh in on your favorites!</p>
<p>Missed last week's slideshow? Catch up on the best celebrity looks below!</p>
<p>Last week was a big one for red carpet style. The British Fashion Awards ensured that celebrities pulled out some of their most head-turning looks, while other events were filled with romantic floral prints. Our personal favorite? We'd have to give that honor to FKA Twigs, although Jourdan Dunn is a close second. How about you? Let us know!</p>
<p>And how about your own style?</p>
<p>It's not easy to keep up with constantly changing trends. Before you know it, one style is out and another one is in. If you want to be on top of the current fashion trends, you have to work for it. And even then, you might just not have natural style. Sorry, but it's true. Not everyone can be stylish. So have you ever wondered how your clothes stack up? We'll give it to you straight with this quiz! It just might be time for a wardrobe revamp.</p> | Wearing It Out: See what the stars wore to the 'Pitch Perfect 3' premiere and more this week | false | https://circa.com/story/2017/12/14/hollywood/pitch-perfect-3-and-star-wars-the-last-jedi-red-carpet-style | 2017-12-14 | 1 |
<p>The Associated Press' Top 10 teams in each of Tennessee's three Division I non-financial aid classifications and in the combined Division II financial aid classification as selected by Tennessee AP-member sportswriters and broadcasters. With first-place votes in parentheses, records through January 15, total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote:</p>
<p>The Associated Press' Top 10 teams in each of Tennessee's three Division I non-financial aid classifications and in the combined Division II financial aid classification as selected by Tennessee AP-member sportswriters and broadcasters. With first-place votes in parentheses, records through January 15, total points based on 10 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 10th-place vote:</p> | Tennessee Boys Basketball Prep Poll | false | https://apnews.com/amp/b0759cb1af5345169536acd125f22125 | 2018-01-16 | 2 |
<p>Some might call it "bollocks," but Sex Pistols artwork is set to grace a new range of credit cards – much to the dismay of adoring fans.</p>
<p>Virgin Money has launched a line of credit cards featuring two of the punk band's iconic record covers. The images will be taken from the 1976 single "Anarchy in the U.K." and the "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" albums.</p>
<p>"It's time for consumers to put a little bit of rebellion in their pocket," a bank press release said, quoting the company's Director of Cards, Michael Greene.</p>
<p>"The Sex Pistols challenged convention and the established ways of thinking - just as we are doing today in our quest to shake up U.K. banking."</p>
<p>But the news caused an uproar on Twitter, with fans denouncing the former proponents of anarchy for the move.</p>
<p>"So THE SEX PISTOLS are now appearing on Virgin debit cards?" one Tweeter called Neil Michael Burke said. "Punk is officially dead, they dragged it out and crucified it."</p>
<p>It's not the first time that fans have accused the band of selling out.</p>
<p>Former Sex Pistols lead singer John Lydon - aka Johnny Rotten – came under fire when he teamed up with Country Life Butter for a TV ad back in 2008. He was also criticised for appearing in reality TV show "I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!" in 2004.</p>
<p>Lydon defended the move in an 2009 interview with the New Camden Journal, saying: "I'm promoting a British product which I'm very proud of. ­Anything I can do to help British industry is fine by me."</p>
<p>The Sex Pistols do have a long history with Virgin, however, after singing with Virgin Records in 1977.</p>
<p>In the press release, Virgin founder Richard Branson said the Virgin Money was a bank that "can be proud of its past."</p>
<p>"The Sex Pistols are an iconic band and an important part of Virgin's history," he added.</p>
<p>-- <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/102447082" type="external">Kalyeena Makortoff</a>, CNBC</p> | Punk Is Dead: Fans Slam Sex Pistols Credit Cards | false | http://nbcnews.com/business/consumer/punk-dead-fans-slam-sex-pistols-credit-card-n372241 | 2015-06-09 | 3 |
<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday evening's drawing of the Tennessee Lottery's "Cash 3 Evening" game were:</p>
<p>2-1-3, Lucky Sum: 6</p>
<p>(two, one, three; Lucky Sum: six)</p>
<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday evening's drawing of the Tennessee Lottery's "Cash 3 Evening" game were:</p>
<p>2-1-3, Lucky Sum: 6</p>
<p>(two, one, three; Lucky Sum: six)</p> | Winning numbers drawn in 'Cash 3 Evening' game | false | https://apnews.com/amp/037e6c88def842f3bd26ae5b3e8873af | 2018-01-22 | 2 |
<p />
<p>IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.</p>
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<p>If you've decided to get a new credit card, or are thinking about canceling one of your existing cards and need to decide which one, it's important to make an informed decision. Credit card issuers tend to handle fees and interest in different ways, and sometimes an issuer will even use different rules for the different cards in its lineup. Before you make a decision about any credit card, pull out a copy of its disclosures, get out your magnifying glass, and look for the following danger zones.</p>
<p>When you compare two or more credit cards, the first thing you look at is probably the cards' interest rates. Credit card issuers know this, so to attract new borrowers, they will sometimes offer a "teaser" rate. This low introductory rate will balloon upward into a much higher APR within a few months, and any balance on that card at that point will be charged the new, higher interest rate. Worse, if you're even one day late on payments during the introductory period, the interest rate may change to a higher rate immediately.</p>
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<p>Most credit card companies use one of three basic methods to calculate your monthly finance charge: the adjusted balance method, the average daily balance method, or the previous balance method.</p>
<p>The adjusted balance method takes your balance at the end of the previous billing cycle, subtracts any payments you made during the current billing cycle, and uses the result to determine your finance charge. The average daily balance method looks at the beginning balance for each and every day in the billing cycle and subtracts any payments made to your account on that day. These daily balances are then added up and divided by the number of days in the billing cycle to find an "average daily balance." In the previous balance method, finance charges are based on your balance at the beginning of the billing cycle (in other words, your previous balance).Credit cards also used to use a fourth method known as the two-cycle balance, which could end up charging interest twice on the same debt -- but fortunately, that computation method was outlawed by the CARD Act.</p>
<p>The adjusted balance method typically yields the lowest finance charge and is therefore the most favorable method for borrowers. The average daily balance method typically yields the highest finance charge, with the previous balance method falling somewhere in between the two. Not surprisingly, most credit card issuers use the average daily balance method to calculate finance charges.</p>
<p>Once upon a time, credit cards each had a single interest rate for all kinds of purchases and other activities. Nowadays, it's common for a credit card to have multiple interest rates: one for purchases, one for balance transfers, one for cash advances, a punitive one if you're so much as a day late making a payment, and so on. It's important to take all of these rates into consideration when choosing a card, not just the familiar "purchase" rate.</p>
<p>Most credit cards charge a variable interest rate pegged to an index of some sort (typically the prime rate). These rates are expressed in the form "Prime + 15%," for example. Depending on how stable the prime rate is at the moment, the rate on variable interest rate cards can bounce up and down from month to month, sometimes dramatically.</p>
<p>A few cards offer borrowers a fixed rate of interest instead, which can be reassuringly stable -- especially if the prime rate is rising fast. However, read the fine print carefully regarding that fixed rate: It may only apply for a limited period of time, or the credit card issuer may replace it with a much higher variable rate should you fall behind on payments or go over your card limit.</p>
<p>IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.</p>
<p>Along with a plethora of interest rates, credit cards typically come with a plethora of fees. There are annual fees, transaction fees, late fees, over limit fees, balance transfer fees, and so on, ad nauseum. Review the fee schedule to determine how much different fees will cost you as well as what will trigger them; this can make a significant difference in how good of a deal a card really is. When considering a new credit card, it's particularly important to search the fine print for any mention of an annual fee. For example, some credit card offers will boast "No Annual Fee!*" in huge letters, and buried in the footnotes, in tiny little letters, you'll find the text "*...for the first year."</p>
<p>Most borrowers assume that if they pay off their balance during the current statement cycle, they won't be charged interest. That's only true if your credit card gives you a grace period, which isn't always the case. Some cards have no grace period at all; others only give you a grace period if you pay off your balance in full every month. If your card does have a grace period, the CARD Act requires the issuer to send you your bill at least 21 days before the grace period ends so you have a chance to pay off the balance before interest charges apply.</p>
<p>Some credit cards, especially store cards, will offer you a 0% interest rate for a certain period of time. Sounds like a great deal, right? It can be -- but only if you pay off the balance in full before the promotional period expires. If you have any balance at all on the card when the promotion runs out, the card issuer can charge you for your entire balance, retroactively, at the card's normal rate of interest. So, if you buy a $2,000 computer during your promotional period, and you pay off all but $10 of that balance before the promotion runs out, you may still get charged interest on the full $2,000.</p>
<p>Thanks to the CARD Act, credit card issuers are required to disclose information on interest rates, fees, and more. Unfortunately, these disclosures are written in a way that makes them almost impossible for someone without a law degree to read.</p>
<p>The CARD Act also requires card issuers to post these disclosures on their websites, so you can cheat a little by pulling up the disclosure and searching for important terms (such as "grace period"), and then reading the relevant paragraph in detail. Most web browsers will open a search box for you if you type the CTRL and F keys; just type the term you're searching for into that box and hit enter.</p>
<p>If you get an offer in the mail, look for a separate disclosure that hits the highlights on fees and other critical information; this may give you enough information to decide whether or not to apply for the card. And if you just can't find the information you need, move on to another card. You'll save a lot of money in the long term.</p>
<p>5 Simple Tips to Skyrocket Your Credit Score Over 800!Increasing your credit score above 800 will put you in rare company. So rare that only 1 in 9 Americans can claim they're members of this elite club. But contrary to popular belief, racking up a high credit score is a lot easier than you may have imagined following 5 simple, disciplined strategies. You'll find a full rundown of each inside our <a href="http://www.fool.com/ecap/the_motley_fool/mortgage-creditscore/?ftm_cam=the-motley-fool&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;source=ic3editxt0000001&amp;aid=8985&amp;ftm_pit=6983&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">FREE credit score guide Opens a New Window.</a>. It's time to put your financial future first and secure a lifetime of savings by increasing your credit score. Simply <a href="http://www.fool.com/ecap/the_motley_fool/mortgage-creditscore/?ftm_cam=the-motley-fool&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;source=ic3editxt0000001&amp;aid=8985&amp;ftm_pit=6983&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">click here Opens a New Window.</a>to claim a copy 5 Simple Tips to Skyrocket Your Credit Score over 800.</p>
<p>The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 7 Things to Watch Out For When Applying for a Credit Card | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/03/09/7-things-to-watch-out-for-when-applying-for-credit-card.html | 2017-03-17 | 0 |
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<p>So many Americans were killed and yet Obama didn’t budge a finger to rescue them.</p>
<p>A Yazidi woman kidnapped and detained as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s personal sex slave has told how the&#160; <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/isis/index.html" type="external">ISIS&#160;</a>leader repeatedly raped U.S. hostage Kayla Mueller&#160;– who he had taken as a secret bride.</p>
<p>Speaking to MailOnline, blue-eyed Muna, 16, revealed that after his depraved jihadi cohorts ripped out Miss Mueller’s finger nails, Baghdadi told her that she would become his wife ‘by force’.</p>
<p>But despite his image as the world’s most notorious terrorist, Baghdadi was terrified that his other wives would find out about the 26-year-old aid worker, so insisted she was imprisoned at the home of his deputy Abu Sayaff.</p>
<p>Sayaff was allegedly killed alongside Miss Mueller, 26, in an airstrike on the property earlier this year.</p>
<p />
<p>Muna’s harrowing account of her time as a sex slave gives unprecedented insight into the life, cruelty and daily routines of elusive terror chief Baghdadi, who has only made one public appearance since he declared himself caliph – leader of the world’s Muslims – during a sermon in Mosul last summer.</p>
<p>With a face veil covering everything but her piercing blue eyes, Muna revealed the horrors she witnessed while being moved from location to location to be abused at Baghdadi’s convenience.</p>
<p>She told MailOnline how the terror leader picked her out from 61 Yazidi women and girls aged between nine and 22 who were among the hundreds taken hostage during last year’s devastating siege of Mount Sinjar.</p>
<p>The average age of those ‘sold at the slave market was 15’, Muna said, adding that it took place at a Christian building in Mosul, which she described as a ‘a white palace’.</p>
<p>Having been held for two nights under the guard of five militants at a property in ISIS’ de facto capital Raqqa, Baghdadi himself turned up&#160;at around 10pm on August 15 last year.</p>
<p>He was accompanied by a 30-year-old Kurdish man named Mansour from the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, who is understood to be both his son-in-law and bodyguard.</p>
<p>Having been selected as his sex slave, Muna told MailOnline how Baghdadi transported her to a two-storey house elsewhere in the centre of Raqqa, where he lived with three other wives, three sons and three daughters – the eldest of which was Mansour’s wife.</p>
<p>‘The wives were always worse than Baghdadi,’ Muna said. ‘They were always telling the children that they were lazy and beating them.’</p>
<p>Read more: <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3227607/U-S-hostage-Kayla-Mueller-fingernails-pulled-repeatedly-raped-ISIS-leader-Yazidi-sex-slave-reveals-torment-aid-worker-s-harrowing-final-months-forced-secret-wife-Al-Baghdadi.html" type="external">DailyMail.co.uk</a></p> | THE WOMAN OBAMA DIDN’T BOTHER TO SAVE: Escaped ISIS Sex Slave Reveals How U.S. Hostage Kayla Mueller was Brutally Tortured | true | http://girlsjustwannahaveguns.com/the-woman-obama-didnt-bother-to-save-escaped-isis-sex-slave-reveals-how-u-s-hostage-kayla-mueller-was-brutally-tortured/ | 0 |
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<p>The nonprofit foundation that runs the Connecticut Tennis Center has begun marketing the 13,500-seat stadium as an ideal site for conventions and business meetings, hoping to get more out of the building than a once-a-year tournament.</p>
<p>The state this summer added a new media center, completing $2.5 million in renovations that began last year with new facilities for players — including a lounge, a gym and a dining center.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The state approved spending for the improvements after buying the rights to the Connecticut Open tournament, the final women's event before the U.S. Open, for $618,000 in 2013 to prevent it from moving to North Carolina.</p>
<p>Just over 50,000 fans attended last week's event, well below the 76,480 who came in 2010, the last year it was a combined men's and women's event.</p>
<p>Anne Worcester, tournament's director, said the attendance ranks among the highest for a WTA tournament and pumps about $10 million into the local economy. But, she acknowledges that other events are needed to keep the stadium viable.</p>
<p>The new facilities are ideal for corporate outings, trade shows, even weddings, she said.</p>
<p>"We have to be more than tennis," Worcester said. "It's absolutely essential."</p>
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<p>An organization can rent a meeting room or the dining room for $90 an hour, with discounts for nonprofits. The stadium court can be rented for six hours at a cost of $1,200. There are additional costs for the facilities manager and custodial staff.</p>
<p>"We would like to rent it out every day from September through July if we could," said Lucas Bohr, the operations manager for the Tennis Foundation of Connecticut.</p>
<p>A local business group became the first to use the space, hosting about 150 people there for an event earlier this month. New HYTEs, the New Haven youth tennis and education initiative, is now housed in the new media center when the press isn't using it.</p>
<p>Worcester said Yale University also is exploring holding meetings at the stadium.</p>
<p>There also was an attempt to stage an Aretha Franklin concert in September. That fell through, Worcester said, because it was not possible to get all the details worked out in time. The stadium last hosted a concert in 1994. Officials say holding live music there is logistically difficult because the stadium's tunnels are too narrow to accommodate production trucks.</p>
<p>Mark Ojakian helped save the tournament when he was Democrat Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's chief of staff and now sits on the tennis foundation's board. He said the possibility of such events helped get support for the state's investment in what he acknowledges was viewed at the time as a "big white elephant."</p>
<p>"It wasn't just like, the state's going to give you money, we're going to renovate this and make it nice for the players," said Ojakian, who is now president of the Connecticut State Colleges and University system. "There was an expectation that the new board would be very engaged in making this facility have other revenue sources."</p>
<p>Worcester said she's optimistic the effort will be successful, especially if marketed properly.</p>
<p>"The corporations that we've engaged with love to be able to say, 'Oh, our meeting is going to be in the players' center at the Connecticut Open," she said.</p> | Tennis center wants to serve up meetings, events, weddings | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/08/28/tennis-center-wants-to-serve-up-meetings-events-weddings.html | 2017-08-28 | 0 |
<p>The rebound in U.S. home values over the past couple of years has placed many homeowners in a better position to sell their home for a profit.</p>
<p>Still, getting a home sold can be challenging, even in markets where tight supply favors sellers.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Here are five tips on how to get your home sold for the best price:</p>
<p>1. STUDY THE MARKET</p>
<p>Most homeowners enlist the services of a real estate agent to market their home and perform a variety of tasks, including reaching out to a network of buyers' agents, preparing the home for viewing and dealing directly with prospective buyers.</p>
<p>That shouldn't preclude sellers from being knowledgeable about the process, however.</p>
<p>"The most important thing in pricing and getting your house sold fast is to do your homework," said Michael Corbett, a real estate expert at Trulia, a housing information and listing website.</p>
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<p>Trulia and other online real estate sites, such as Redfin.com and Zillow.com feature searchable maps and home sales data.</p>
<p>Look up what similar homes have sold for in the last 30 to 60 days and how long they've been on the market. You can also see whether those homes sold for less or more than their initial asking price.</p>
<p>2. BE PATIENT</p>
<p>Some sellers may be tempted to press their agent to list their home well above comparable sales. Others may want to briefly test the market with a high price only to relist the home later. This strategy can backfire.</p>
<p>"Ideally your goal is to price it perfectly so that it sells immediately," Corbett said. "The longer a property stays on the market, the more it becomes stale, and it's very hard to garner momentum once a property is stale."</p>
<p>3. SET A DEADLINE</p>
<p>One strategy that can help create competing bids among potential buyers is to require that any offers be made within the first week or two that the home is on the market.</p>
<p>The approach, coupled with hosting an open house as soon as the home goes on sale, works best on homes that are priced competitively, said Karen Krupsaw, vice president of real estate operations for Redfin.</p>
<p>"That's a strategy where you can certainly try to get as many offers as quickly as possible," she said.</p>
<p>4. STICK WITH LOCAL AGENTS</p>
<p>When it comes to selling your home, the ideal agent should be an expert on your neighborhood. They will be in position to know even which transactions might be in the works but not yet available on public records — key to gauging how to price your home.</p>
<p>When evaluating prospective agents, find out the pricing of their recent sales to see whether the homes sold for less or more than initially priced.</p>
<p>"You want to get their track record, you want to understand their philosophy and what that listing agent has done in the past, because it's highly likely they're going to repeat that same success or failure," Krupsaw said.</p>
<p>Also, ask how the agent would handle being approached by an independent buyer looking for the agent to represent them in their bid to buy your home.</p>
<p>Taking on a so-called unrepresented buyer can earn the agent a higher commission, but it's nearly impossible for them to only consider your best interests and not those of the other party, Krupsaw noted.</p>
<p>Several real estate websites, including RatedAgent.com, Zillow and Trulia have sections for finding an agent by location. They also feature reviews from past clients and other attributes to help narrow your search.</p>
<p>5. WEIGH COMMISSION OPTIONS</p>
<p>Traditionally, listing agents will charge sellers a 5 or 6 percent commission on the sale price of the home. This commission is typically split equally between the selling agent and the buyer's agent, although many listing agents often split their own share with their brokerage.</p>
<p>Sellers can negotiate for a lower commission, but it could make their home less of a priority for the agent than the other properties they may be working to sell.</p>
<p>One option is electing to work with an agent who works on lower commissions. Redfin agents, for example, charge 1.5 percent of the sale price, with a minimum fee of $5,500. (Though you still have to pay the buyer's agent's regular commission.)</p> | Determining right asking price, enlisting knowledgeable agent among keys to getting home sold | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2014/07/23/determining-right-asking-price-enlisting-knowledgeable-agent-among-keys-to.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
<p>A 35-year-old Florida man is likely to be sentenced to two years in jail after pleading guilty to twisting three bunny rabbits to death with his bare hands after arguing with his wife, <a href="http://www.theledger.com/article/20110524/NEWS/110529701/1410?tc=ar" type="external">according to The Ledger</a>, a newspaper in Lakeland, FL.</p>
<p>Police said last year that Reginald Owen Sear's wife had expected that he would wake her to feed the bunny rabbits but that when she awoke she discovered that Sear had failed to do so, <a href="http://www.theledger.com/article/20110524/NEWS/110529701/1410?tc=ar" type="external">The Ledger reported</a>.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/germany-rare-rabbit-without-ears-accidentally-killed" type="external">Germany: Rare rabbit without ears accidentally killed by TV cameraman</a></p>
<p>"He was so outraged that he took the cardboard box into the bathroom and killed the baby bunnies by twisting them, resulting in their deaths," Jamie Brown, a spokesman for police in Winter Haven, was quoted as saying.</p>
<p>Police said the couple's two children saw the man emerge from the bathroom with blood on his face, according to The Ledger.</p>
<p>Shortly after the killings, the local ABC affiliate produced this report:</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Sear pleaded guilty yesterday to three counts of cruelty to an animal, two counts of child abuse one count of domestic battery, the newspaper said.</p>
<p>The charges listed on the record of his arrest <a href="http://www.polksheriff.org/inq/pages/inmate.aspx?BookingNumber=2011-012108" type="external">posted online</a> by the Polk County Sherrif's office.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/120306/australian-economy-wayne-swan-mining-billionaires" type="external">Tough times for Australian billionaires</a></p>
<p>The Ledger said the conditions of Sear's probation, he will not be able to own or take care of any animals. He must also follow a course in anger management and be subjected to a mental health evaluation.</p>
<p>Sentencing is scheduled for April 11.</p> | Florida man Reginald Owen Sear to get 2 years for killing bunny rabbits with his hands (Video) | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-03-31/florida-man-reginald-owen-sear-get-2-years-killing-bunny-rabbits-his-hands-video | 2012-03-31 | 3 |
<p>At a rally in Buffalo Monday evening, <a href="/topics/republican-party/" type="external">GOP</a> presidential front-runner <a href="/topics/donald-trump/" type="external">Donald Trump</a> inadvertently made a reference to “7/11” as he was talking about the response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in <a href="/topics/new-york/" type="external">New York</a>.</p>
<p>“I think what I want to do is I want to talk just for a second - I wrote this out and it’s very close to my heart because I was down there and I watched our police and our firemen down on 7/11, down at the World Trade Center right after it came down,” <a href="/topics/donald-trump/" type="external">Mr. Trump</a> said.</p>
<p>“And I saw the greatest people I’ve ever seen in action,” he said, continuing on with his address. “I saw the bravest people I’ve ever seen, including the construction workers - including every person down there. That’s what <a href="/topics/new-york/" type="external">New York</a> values [are] about.”</p>
<p>Ahead of the New York <a href="/topics/republican-party/" type="external">GOP</a> presidential primary Tuesday, <a href="/topics/donald-trump/" type="external">Mr. Trump</a> has repeatedly hammered Sen. Ted Cruz for saying before the Iowa caucuses that <a href="/topics/donald-trump/" type="external">Mr. Trump</a> embodied “ <a href="/topics/new-york/" type="external">New York</a> values”</p>
<p><a href="/topics/donald-trump/" type="external">Mr. Trump</a> said Monday that Mr. Cruz “hates <a href="/topics/new-york/" type="external">New York</a>.”</p>
<p>“No New Yorker can vote for Ted Cruz,” he said.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2018 The Washington Times, LLC. <a href="http://license.icopyright.net/3.7280?icx_id=/news/2016/apr/19/donald-trump-inadvertently-refers-711-talking-worl/" type="external">Click here for reprint permission</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Donald Trump inadvertently refers to ‘7/11’ talking World Trade Center response | true | http://washingtontimes.com/news/2016/apr/19/donald-trump-inadvertently-refers-711-talking-worl/ | 2016-04-19 | 0 |
<p>Rainbow balloons, drum beats, and fabulous humans from all genders, sexualities, and backgrounds filled the Delhi streets on Sunday at the 9th annual <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1943757459187050/" type="external">Delhi Queer Pride</a>.</p>
<p>Organized by the Delhi Queer Pride Committee and supported only by community funds, the pride marked nearly a decade of Pride-related organized queer visibility in Delhi.</p>
<p>But it wasn’t all jubilation: Pride was as much a time of anger and remembrance as it was one of solidarity and re-energization. This year’s pride demands included some long-standing demands on the state related specifically to LGBT issues, as well as the expression of solidarity with related struggles.</p>
<p>Participants in the march decried the non-implementation of the <a href="http://thewire.in/35978/over-two-years-after-landmark-judgment-transgender-people-are-still-struggling/" type="external">NALSA</a> judgement, a <a href="http://www.lawyerscollective.org/updates/supreme-court-recognises-the-right-to-determine-and-express-ones-gender-grants-legal-status-to-third-gender.html" type="external">landmark</a> Supreme Court judgement acknowledging sweeping rights for transgender Indians, including the right to have identification matching one’s chosen gender without need for medical procedures. While many queer and trans activists have lauded the decision and advocated for more along those lines, <a href="http://www.caravanmagazine.in/vantage/transgender-bill-discriminates-people-claims-protect" type="external">a recent bill</a> ostensibly securing the judgement’s provisions in law was met with widespread disapproval for failing to adequately implement the ruling.</p>
<p>The march demanded the repeal of an 1860 British&#160;anti-sodomy law <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/To-be-equal-before-the-law/article14479752.ece" type="external">Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code</a>. 377 prohibits “carnal intercourse against the order of nature,” and includes anal and oral sex. While the law is not just geared toward LGBT communities—technically, heterosexual anal and oral sex would come under its provinces—its enforcement has specifically targeted queer populations, especially transgender, sex working, and begging trans people. There have only been several hundred cases brought to court under the law in its over 150 years of existence, resulting in a handful of convictions, but blackmail, terrorizing, and policing of LGBT populations under the threat of its auspices continues to affect especially the most vulnerable of India’s LGBT population. While a Delhi High Court Case struck down the law in 2009 as unconstitutional, the Indian Supreme Court overturned that decision to re-establish it in 2013. The legal and social battle against 377 continues.</p>
<p>Attendees also raised slogans&#160;for <a href="http://thewire.in/80402/justice-for-tara-how-many-deaths-do-we-need-to-resist-police-brutality/" type="external">justice for Tara</a>, a trans woman who died after enduring brutal treatment by police in Chennai. Tara had been taken to the police station for being a sex worker, and at the station she endured brutality at the police officers’ hands. Afterward, in a story too familiar to trans activists both in India and the US, she died in front of the station in circumstances the police called a suicide, but which activists are calling a forced suicide due to the violence she had endured. Protests around the country following Tara’s death raged against police violence against trans women, whose lack of state and social acceptance means they are often economically vulnerable with little protections from police.</p>
<p>Finally, marchers&#160;protested the <a href="" type="internal">crackdown on dissent</a> under the Modi government, the rise of <a href="http://thewire.in/69665/surgical-strikes-know-dont-know/" type="external">nationalistic jingoism</a> and <a href="http://thewire.in/69516/mohammad-akhlaq-dadri-bisara-village/" type="external">anti-minority violence</a>, and the exclusion of <a href="http://feminisminindia.com/2016/03/12/maneka-gandhi-marital-rape/" type="external">marital rape</a> from Indian rape laws, among other connected struggles. They highlighted the intersectionality of queer struggles in India (and indeed, around the world), expressing solidarity with diverse struggles from&#160;the <a href="http://www.caravanmagazine.in/vantage/jignesh-mevani-dalit-leader-una" type="external">Dalit uprisings</a>&#160;in Una, Gujarat to&#160;the continued struggle of the <a href="http://scroll.in/article/812010/do-you-need-700000-soldiers-to-fight-150-militants-kashmiri-rights-activist-khurram-parvez" type="external">Kashmiri people</a> against <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/world/asia/pellet-guns-used-in-kashmir-protests-cause-dead-eyes-epidemic.html?_r=0" type="external">state violence</a>.</p>
<p>After the march, participants assembled at the public protest site Jantar Mantar for an open mic performance of rage, resistance, and, of course, drag. It was a beautiful afternoon and a beautiful reminder of the potent mix of joy and rage that characterizes intersectional queer struggle, summed up perfectly in the organizers’ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1943757459187050/" type="external">statement</a>:</p>
<p>When we take to the streets on Sunday, we will walk as queer people who imagine a queer world that is anti-caste, feminist, sex and body positive. We will walk in support of a rising tide of Dalits, muslims, women, disabled, Kashmiris, people in the North East, adivasis, academics, filmmakers and students in resistance against the forces that threaten our freedoms. This Pride, we resist freedoms that come with conditions and assert justice for all. If some of us aren’t free, no one is.</p>
<p>Here’s to resisting freedoms that come with conditions in queer struggles around the world.</p> | Happy Pride from Delhi! | true | http://feministing.com/2016/11/29/happy-pride-from-delhi/ | 4 |
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<p>In April, researchers who have closely tracked Chicago’s practice of retaining students who have especially low test scores switched from a cautionary yellow light to a blazing red.</p>
<p>Their latest studies again found that holding low-achieving students back did not help them academically and increased the likelihood they would drop out. The retained students had fallen far behind their peers in the earliest years of school. By the time the school system provided extra help to these students, researchers found, the help was not enough.</p>
<p>“They should get rid of retention,” says Melissa Roderick, a director of the Consortium on Chicago School Research and a co-author of one of the studies. “It just didn’t do anything for these kids.”</p>
<p>Anticipating the Consortium’s red light, the School Board already had tapped the breaks on its policy, removing math scores from the promotional criteria and barring repeat retentions under certain circumstances. But the board refused to stop retaining students altogether.</p>
<p>“I am convinced in my heart this is the right thing to do,” said Chief Executive Officer Arne Duncan, arguing that promotion standards are needed to motivate schools and students. Duncan has lots of company.</p>
<p>Decades of research on student retention have found that repeating a grade generally does not improve students’ academic performance and, in the long run, increases their chances of dropping out. Yet the popularity of such policies is growing.</p>
<p>Chicago, which began retaining low-scoring 8th-graders in 1996 and 3rd- and 6th-graders in 1997, has led the most recent wave of retention policies.</p>
<p>In two State of the Union addresses, President Bill Clinton praised Chicago’s tough stand on promoting students as a model for the nation.</p>
<p>Since then a handful of states, including Texas, Florida and North Carolina, and at least 18 cities have mandated promotion requirements at certain grade levels. “Many cities took their cue from Chicago,” observes Michael Casserly, of the Council of the Great City Schools.</p>
<p>In the 1980s, New York City was in the lead with its Promotional Gates program, which required low-scoring 4th- and 7th-graders to repeat those grades. The students were put in classes with 20 or fewer students who were taught by specially trained teachers. Initially, their achievement rose, but then the gains subsided, according to a Board of Education study. Meanwhile, the dropout rate among students who had been retained in 7th grade began to climb. By 1990, the program was gone.</p>
<p>Despite this experience, New York City again has a policy to retain low-scoring students. This time, it is aimed at 3rd-graders.</p>
<p>Nationwide, 68 percent of parents would support standards for promotion even if it meant that their own child would be held back a grade, a 2000 survey by Public Agenda, a non-profit polling and research organization, found.</p>
<p>In Chicago at least, the overwhelming majority of teachers agree that the CPS promotion policy is consistent with their own views about what’s best for student learning, according to a recent Consortium survey.</p>
<p>Kathy Christie, who tracks polices and research for the Education Commission of the States, says that policy makers tend to disregard the research on retention because they don’t see better alternatives. Passing unprepared students to the next grade is likewise ineffective, she continues, and legislators feel that retention policies can at least spur schools and parents to focus more attention on low-achieving kids.</p>
<p>Indeed, when the Chicago Board of Education dropped math scores as a retention trigger, it drew fire from local editorial pages. “If the kids aren’t learning, the solution isn’t to surrender, to push them on through the school system and pop them out with a degree that is meaningless,” the Chicago Tribune protested.</p>
<p>Gary Orfield, Harvard University professor of education and social policy, thinks politicians are ignoring retention’s long-term negative impact in favor of short-term political gain. Cracking down on automatic promotion “seems bold and decisive,” he says.</p>
<p>Opponents of retention say the remedy is to promote students but give them individualized help in the next grade. That way, students have a chance to catch up without the negative effects of retention, explains Don Moore, executive director of the research and advocacy group Designs for Change.</p>
<p>MOTIVATES BORDERLINE KIDS</p>
<p>However, others fear that automatic promotion, even with extra help, will undermine the motivational force that promotion standards provide in some cases.</p>
<p>“The argument for this policy is not that the retained students would do better but that students overall would do better in order to avoid retention,” says Fred Hess, director of the Center for Urban School Policy at Northwestern University. “The tradeoff is between a few kids who might drop out anyway and a great number of students who do better throughout school as a result of the policy.”</p>
<p>Chicago’s policy did in fact motivate 6th- and 8th-graders to work harder, and their teachers and parents to offer low-achievers more support, according to surveys conducted between 1994 and 2001 by the Consortium.</p>
<p>Roderick also acknowledges that it would be hard to get students to attend summer school without the threat of retention. In the 1998-99 school year, the Consortium asked 6th- and 8th-graders whether they would do so.</p>
<p>“Their answer was 100 percent ‘No,'” says Roderick.</p>
<p>Roderick doubts that retention provides any motivation in 3rd grade, where the largest number of students are retained. Compared to older students, 3rd-graders are less able to manage their own study habits, she observes. And while many older students simply needed to fill in gaps in their learning—a manageable task with short-term effort—many 3rd-graders are encountering material for the first time with huge deficits in vocabulary and reading comprehension.</p>
<p>Besides, she says, “I don’t think a 3rd-grader, particularly a low-skilled 3rd-grader can think that far ahead and understand what it means to be retained.”</p>
<p>CPS officials credit the motivational effects of the promotion policy for spurring systemwide improvements. Standardized test scores did rise in the wake of the promotion policy, especially among the lowest achievers, but researchers say there likely were many causes, including the policy of putting schools on probation and removing principals from some of those schools.</p>
<p>With rising test scores among students entering high school, the dropout rate for students who got to high school declined. However, Consortium researcher Elaine Allensworth found that students who were retained under the board’s policy faced an even higher risk of dropping out. Being retained in 8th grade raised a student’s likelihood for dropping out by age 19 by 29 percent, she reports.</p>
<p>STILL MORE HELP ON THE WAY</p>
<p>While the School Board has rejected the researchers’ advice to scrap retention, it has taken to heart their recommendations to provide extra help earlier. Next school year, 20 to 40 high-retention schools are to get full-day kindergartens and preschools, a new literacy program, an expanded summer school and closer supervision.</p>
<p>Citywide, retained students also will get extra attention, school officials say. For example, all schools will be required to write and follow a personalized learning plan for each retained student. Previously retained 4th- and 7th-graders will be required to attend summer school. And the district’s 320 school-based reading specialists will work with classroom teachers on strategies to help retained students.</p>
<p>Roderick, who opposes automatic promotion alone, thinks the school system is headed in the right direction with its new interventions.</p>
<p>But for many children, the district’s intensified focus on reading instruction will not be enough to prevent school failure, Roderick predicts. In case studies conducted during the 1998-99 school year, she found that retained students had fallen behind for many reasons, including undiagnosed health problems, needing eyeglasses and high absenteeism.</p>
<p>Retaining students won’t solve any of these underlying problems, she observes. Yet a comprehensive program to address their health and family issues is unlikely given the district’s financial constraints. “Without any extra help from the state, I don’t know how they’re going to do it.”</p>
<p>To contact Elizabeth Duffrin, call (312) 673-3879 or send an e-mail to [email protected].</p> | Popular despite the research | false | http://chicagoreporter.com/popular-despite-research/ | 2005-08-18 | 3 |
<p>OWL’S HEAD, Maine — Nothing like a good military take-over in one of the key Arab countries to bring out the best in the chattering classes. Analysts, and politicians, and columnists and their editorial boards, were on all sides of the issue: it was a coup, it wasn't a coup; the US interfered, the US didn't interfere enough.</p>
<p>David Rothkopf, the CEO and editor-in-large of Foreign Policy magazine, wrote, "rather than look at the mechanics of democracy, we should look at the spirit and trends involved." By this standard, he concluded, the overthrow of Morsi shows Egypt is "democratizing."</p>
<p>Marc Lynch, an editor of Foreign Policy's Middle East channel, had a different take: "Nobody should celebrate a military coup against Egypt's freely elected president, no matter how badly he failed." He added that while "few in Washington are sorry to see Morsi go…few believe that this process, a mass uprising culminating in a military coup, will restore stability or lead to a democratic outcome."</p>
<p>The Obama administration, meanwhile, was still struggling with how not to call a coup a coup. While the White House expressed President Obama's "deep concern about the decision made by the Egyptian military to remove President Morsi from power, tens of millions of Egyptians have legitimate grievances with President Morsi's undemocratic" ways, and they "do not believe that this was a coup." And the White House was agreeing with those tens of millions.</p>
<p>The problem with calling this coup a coup is that Congress, in all its self-righteous glory, has ruled that no aid can be provided a nation following a military overthrow of a democratically elected leader.</p>
<p>The military-appointed head of the interim Egyptian government announced elections for early next year, for which the White House was "cautiously encouraged." But who knows if they'll actually be held then and what further waning of US influence might occur in the meantime were the US to pull its aid from an Egyptian economy in free fall.</p>
<p>The good news is that the Saudis and the Emirates have rushed in with $8 billion in short-term aid, buttressing the Egyptian government and, naturally, their own influence as well.</p>
<p>Michele Dunne, vice president of the Atlantic Council, blames Washington for the outcome, be it a coup or no: "What is apparent to all is the US has made a hash of its Egyptian policy."</p>
<p>The Washington Post's right-wing columnist Jennifer Rubin agreed: the Obama administration "has neither the personnel nor the policy heft to help navigate through a dangerous period in the Middle East. No wonder American influence is at a low ebb in the region." Her moderate Post colleague, David Ignatius, however, saw little blame for the US: "For once, the Middle East conspiracy theorists who always see America as the controlling force in events seem to have been wrong. President Obama has been a back-seat passenger."</p>
<p>Arguably, one could say that Egyptians demonstrating with pictures of the American ambassador in Cairo, a big X defacing her photograph, is proof of US incompetence. Not really.</p>
<p>Sure, the US supported Mubarak for 30 years, which through two highly explosive Palestinian intifadas at least helped keep the Egyptian-Israeli peace. And sure, we tried to work with Morsi, who for all his ideological and practical faults, was key in getting a truce between Israel and Hamas last November.</p>
<p>Would the Middle East had been more stable if we had refused to deal with Mubarak? Would Egypt be on a faster track to democracy if we had snubbed Morsi?</p>
<p>A Washington Post editorial condemned the coup: "There is no ambiguity about what happened in Egypt: a military coup against a democratically elected government and the wrong response to the country's problems." And then, having attacked the Egyptian military, it turned its guns on the Obama administration for failing "to forthrightly oppose the military intervention," concluding that "there should be no question that…US aid to Egypt — including the $1.3 billion annual grant to the military — must be suspended."</p>
<p>Not to do so, the newspaper added in a subsequent editorial, would "merely encourage the generals to continue their reckless and counterproductive behavior."</p>
<p>Not so fast, suggested the New Yokr Times. Noting in its own editorial that the US "has little leverage over either Morsi or the opposition," it opined that the Obama administration had "reacted with appropriate caution."</p>
<p>An Egyptian analyst had a different perspective: "We should not get carried away and start drawing wrong lessons from the coup. The ouster of democracy from Egypt is indeed a very sad development. However, it is not the beginning or the end of any trend right now." His right-on conclusion: "It takes decades, even centuries for countries to develop a functioning democracy."</p>
<p>Aaron David Miller, who spent several decades as one of Washington's chief mediators between Israel and the Palestinians, had an equally cautious view: "Before July 3, Egypt was headed for a dead end. Now Egypt has another shot to get things right."</p>
<p>But, he asks, "Will this new reality prove better than the old one? Will it bring more prosperity, more security, and a semblance of democratic life?" And he answered his question with the only legitimate answer: "Right now, there's no way to know."</p>
<p>In fact, we may not know for many years. Egypt has deep problems, way beyond the incompetence of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and the stumble it produced on an already rocky road towards a more representative government.</p>
<p>Look at some statistics: the population, which is now over 80 million, has quadrupled from around 20 million since the late 1950s — or in the lifetime of those trying to run the overcrowded country. Urbanization has turned Cairo into an unmanageable megacity of 20 million. Climate change, on top of overpopulation, has begun to affect the annual Nile flooding, the lifeblood of the country, with salt water creeping into the Nile Delta.</p>
<p>Close to half the population lives at or below the poverty line, and unemployment, or severe underemployment, especially among those under 30 — and 60 percent of the population is under 30 -- is endemic. The government's lost more than half of its foreign reserves since Mubarak was overthrown and the pace is accelerating. Over the coming months, it's going to need a continued influx of cash from its Gulf neighbors. What it doesn't need is for the US to cut off financial support.</p>
<p>Democracy does not come easy. There are worse things than a military coup; and the deaths of over 50 Morsi supporters on Monday at the hands of the military may bring them on. Even if it doesn't degenerate into a total civil war, Iraqi-style violence and al-Qaeda-supported terrorism could turn Egypt into an on-going basket case, with no tourism, no investment, and indefinite military rule.</p>
<p>To expect that Egypt — its 5,000 years of history including no exposure to democracy, and its modern incarnation an untidy mix of moderate Muslims, fundamentalists of the Brotherhood variety, wild-eyed extremists, westernized secularists, and Coptic Christians — to, overnight, find a way to subsume their differences for the common good is clearly unrealistic.</p>
<p>So what, if anything, should be the role of the US going ahead? Maintain open channels with those in power; keep below the radar while offering sought-for advice; encourage our Gulf friends to continue their financial support.</p>
<p>Beyond that? As things deteriorate further, two realistic appraisals from two Middle East experts are worth keeping in mind. Foreign Policy's Steve Walt: "Washington's ability to influence events will be extremely limited." And Fareed Zakaria: "The reality is that leadership from Washington is largely irrelevant. What matters is leadership in Cairo."</p>
<p>Egypt needs good leadership, desperately. But then, looking around, they're not the only country that could do with a leadership upgrade.</p>
<p>Mac Deford is retired after a career as a Foreign Service officer, an international banker, and a museum director, who lives at Owl’s Head, Maine.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | US role in Egypt: keep channels open with those in power | false | https://pri.org/stories/2013-07-11/us-role-egypt-keep-channels-open-those-power | 2013-07-11 | 3 |
<p>OLATHE, Kan. (AP) - A former nurse at two Kansas City suburban hospitals has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for sexually abusing anesthetized patients.</p>
<p>Fifty-year-old Dennis Clark was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty in November to one count of aggravated sodomy. As part of his plea, less serious charges involving two other patients were dropped.</p>
<p>The Kansas City Star <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article193168909.html" type="external">reports</a> that misdemeanor charges alleging that Clark exposed himself to neighbors in Gardner were also dismissed.</p>
<p>The incidents occurred at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park and Providence Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.</p>
<p>Police began investigating Clark in May 2014, after a patient reported being sexually assaulted. Two other women reported similar incidents.</p>
<p>Charges are still pending in Wyandotte County.</p>
<p>Clark's registered nursing license was revoked after he was charged.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: The Kansas City Star, <a href="http://www.kcstar.com" type="external">http://www.kcstar.com</a></p>
<p>OLATHE, Kan. (AP) - A former nurse at two Kansas City suburban hospitals has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for sexually abusing anesthetized patients.</p>
<p>Fifty-year-old Dennis Clark was sentenced Friday after pleading guilty in November to one count of aggravated sodomy. As part of his plea, less serious charges involving two other patients were dropped.</p>
<p>The Kansas City Star <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article193168909.html" type="external">reports</a> that misdemeanor charges alleging that Clark exposed himself to neighbors in Gardner were also dismissed.</p>
<p>The incidents occurred at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park and Providence Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.</p>
<p>Police began investigating Clark in May 2014, after a patient reported being sexually assaulted. Two other women reported similar incidents.</p>
<p>Charges are still pending in Wyandotte County.</p>
<p>Clark's registered nursing license was revoked after he was charged.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: The Kansas City Star, <a href="http://www.kcstar.com" type="external">http://www.kcstar.com</a></p> | Kansas nurse sentenced for sexual assault of patients | false | https://apnews.com/amp/5b0dbf668a7d4893a9955f97f46cb2d4 | 2018-01-05 | 2 |
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Albuquerque Police were called to Central and San Pedro Tuesday evening after an anonymous caller reported that a man had been shot or stabbed.</p>
<p>Officers quickly arrived found a 26-year-old man bleeding from the chest at the location, according to APD Public Information Officer&#160;Luiz Hernandez.</p>
<p>The condition of the man is not known this morning and police have not released any further information. More information will be posted as it becomes available.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Man shot near Central and San Pedro | false | https://abqjournal.com/593516/man-shot-near-central-and-san-pedro.html | 2 |
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<p>Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: JNCE) Q3 2017 Earnings Conference CallNov. 13, 2017 8:00 a.m. ET</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Operator</p>
<p>Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Jounce Therapeutics Third Quarter 2017 Earnings Conference Call. At this time all participants are in a listen-only mode. Later we will conduct a question and answer session and instructions will follow at that time. As a reminder, this conference is being recorded at the company's request.</p>
<p>The contents of this call are the property Jounce Therapeutics, and any other recordings, reproduction or transmission of this call without consent of Jounce Therapeutics is strictly prohibited. I will now turn the call over to the host, Komal Joshi with Jounce Therapeutics. Please go ahead.</p>
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<p>Komal Joshi -- Head of Investor Relations and Strategic Finance</p>
<p>Thank you, operator. Good morning, and welcome to the Jounce Therapeutics Third Quarter 2017 Financial and Operating Results Conference call. This morning, we issued a press release which outlines the topics that we plan to discuss today. The release is available in the Investors and Media section of our website at www.jouncetx.com.</p>
<p>Before we begin, I would like to remind you that today's discussion will include about our future expectations, plans, and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements for the purposes of the Safe Harbor provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including those discussed in the Risk Factors section of our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with SEC. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent our views only as of today, November 13, 2017, and should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date. While we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so even if our views change.</p>
<p>Leading today's call is our CEO and President, Dr. Rich Murray, who will discuss Jounce's corporate highlights, our lead clinical program with JTX-2011 and the Translational Science Platform; followed by our CFO, Kim Drapkin, who will review our third quarter 2017 financial results. We will then open the call for your questions. Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Beth Trehu will also be available during the Q&amp;A portion. With that, it is my pleasure to turn the call over to Rich.</p>
<p>Rich Murray -- Chief Executive Officer and President</p>
<p>Thanks, Komal. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining our third quarter earnings call. 2017 continues to be an exciting time for Jounce as we operate and execute to our goals, with an eye toward 2018 and beyond. As a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, we're dedicated to transforming the treatment of cancer by developing therapies that enable the immune system to attack tumors and provide long-lasting benefit to patients.</p>
<p>At Jounce, we envision a precision immunotherapy approach that matches the right immunotherapy to the right patients, and our innovative pipeline reflects this mission. This work is facilitated by our Translational Science Platform, which focuses on immune cell types within the tumor microenvironment. We utilize the platform to both enable target prioritization for first-in-class mechanisms and to identify potential biomarkers in patient populations that may be most likely to benefit. To achieve this vision, we remain focused on executing across the four key value drivers of our company, and we'll provide updates within each this morning.</p>
<p>First, we're building a team and a culture to support not only our R&amp;D activities but broadening our corporate development to be ready to be forward integrating. Second, we continue to progress our ongoing Phase II portion of our ICONIC study and remain on track to share preliminary efficacy data in the first half of 2018, together with updated safety and biomarker data. Third, we continue to emphasize and build our earlier-stage research efforts to expand our pipeline and maximize the value of our Translational Science Platform, both with our partner Celgene and for wholly owned programs. And fourth, we believe we're well positioned to deliver value from a strong financial vantage point.</p>
<p>With those areas in mind, we will provide a review of several corporate highlights before discussing the ongoing Phase II portion of our ICONIC study. First, we're pleased to reiterate key appointments that were made recently to strengthen our leadership team and Board of Directors. In late October, we announced the appointment of Dr. Luis Diaz to our Board of Directors.</p>
<p>Luis currently serves as the Head of the Division of Solid Tumor Oncology and as a faculty member at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In particular, his work on PD-1 inhibition and microsatellite instability-high or MSI-high selected cancer patients has truly pioneered the vision of a biomarker-driven, tumor type-agnostic future for immuno-oncology. We believe this focus matches well with our approach at Jounce.</p>
<p>In August, we announced the addition of Hugh Cole to our leadership team as Chief Business Officer and Head of Corporate Development. Hugh brings over 25 years of industry experience in business, commercial and strategic leadership. With these key appointments, Jounce is well poised for success. The growth and development of an experienced team and a patient-focused culture has always been a top priority for the company, and we feel we have done just that, created an environment committed to building a differentiated immunotherapy company.</p>
<p>With that, I want to now update you on the ongoing Phase II portion of the ICONIC study of our lead product candidate, JTX-2011. As a reminder, JTX-2011 is a monoclonal antibody which binds to and activates ICOS, a co-stimulatory receptor on the surface of T cells, which is commonly found in solid tumors. We began enrollment in the Phase II monotherapy cohorts of ICONIC in April 2017 and the nivolumab combination cohorts in July 2017. In the Phase II portion of our ICONIC study, we're evaluating JTX-2011 alone and in combination for preliminary efficacy across 6 different tumor types, each chosen based on the high prevalence of ICOS expression on immune cells within those tumors. This includes PD-1 refractory patients from non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck squamous cell cancer and melanoma.</p>
<p>There are also patient cohorts of gastric, triple-negative breast cancer, and additional tumor types based on emerging data from our Translational Science Platform. Collectively all the patients currently in our studies are advanced cancer patients, where the unmet medical need is very high. Focusing on these types of patients, PD-1 failures -- or patients where PD-1 response rates are low, we are evaluating the potential of JTX-2011 to add much-needed benefit. Across all portions of the study, we are then enriching for individual patients with high ICOS biomarker scores to allow for the testing of our predictive biomarker strategy.</p>
<p>We expect to enroll at least 50% of the patients in each tumor-specific cohort to have high ICOS biomarker scores to enable the correlation with preliminary efficacy. We believe this type of approach, applied early in development, is a step toward a precision medicine future for immunotherapy. We continue to be pleased with the technical performance of the ICOS biomarker methodology and study, where we are seeing rates of ICOS-high tumors consistent with those predicted by our earlier work with our Translational Science Platform. We are also pleased with the continued study enrollment and remain on track to deliver preliminary efficacy data from the ICONIC study in the first half of 2018, together with updated safety and biomarker data.</p>
<p>I'd like to make one additional remark regarding our investment in our Translational Science Platform, which was reflected in our poster just presented at SITC meeting. We continue to add technologies to our capabilities that can impact our pipeline vision. In brief, we've established a histocultures system, where live human tumors are treated with JTX-2011 then profiled. We've developed an RNA signature that we believe is linked to JTX-2011 activity and can then correlate those particular ex vivo responding versus non-responding tumors to a pretreatment profile, establishing potential response predictive signatures.</p>
<p>In this way, we've been able to add to and refine our exploratory biomarker work in ICONIC, in addition to the primary biomarkers already employed. That continued commitment may point us to better identification of patients, and the approach described in SITC is amenable to all our programs. As our lead program continues to advance in the clinic, we've also made progress with our earlier-stage programs. Our founding principle is that an in-depth understanding of the immune system within solid tumors is key to the development of impactful immunotherapies.</p>
<p>As such, we can prioritize targets that go beyond T effector cell-directed approaches that are the current focus of checkpoint blockade. Our early discovery efforts include programs that target innate immune cells, such as immunosuppressive macrophages. We believe this cell type, which is highly prevalent in certain patients' tumors across indication can add additional layers of immunosuppression to the tumor microenvironment. Our goal is to convert but not deplete immunosuppressive macrophages to an immune-activating state, thus engaging innate immune system in response to cancer.</p>
<p>More recently and along with our Celgene colleagues, we began to focus on potential new mechanisms for T Regulatory cells. Overall, we continue to believe that additional immunotherapies are needed to address the spectrum of tumors, from immunologically hot to cold. The prioritization of macrophage targets is a good example of our initial foray into developing cancer therapies that address colder tumors, which represent a significant area of unmet need. We look forward to providing you a helpful framework as we advance these programs in 2018.</p>
<p>Now I'd like to turn the call over to Kim Drapkin, our CFO, for discussion of our third quarter 2017 financial results and our fourth area of focus, our strong financial position. Kim?</p>
<p>Kim Drapkin -- Chief Financial Officer</p>
<p>Thank you, Rich. Good morning, everyone. Jounce continues to operate from a position of financial strength as we advance our lead program and discovery platform toward T value inflection points. In this morning's press release, we reported cash, cash equivalents and investments as of September 30, 2017, totaling $283.4 million compared to $257.4 million as of December 31, 2016.</p>
<p>This increase was primarily due to the $106.4 million in net proceeds from our IPO, offset by operating costs throughout the year. Based on our current operating plans, Jounce have narrowed its financial guidance previously provided for the full year 2017. Jounce now expects to use approximately $100 million to $110 million in cash for the full year 2017 versus previous guidance of $100 million to $120 million. This includes the projected expense of operating activities, build-out and capital costs associated with the relocation of our lab and office space in Cambridge and payments of federal and state income taxes related to the receipt of the Celgene upfront payment.</p>
<p>Turning to the P&amp;L. Collaboration revenues were $18.1 million for the third quarter compared to $16.9 million for the same period in 2016. Collaboration revenue, currently noncash, reflects the amortization of the Celgene upfront payment of $225 million received in July 2016. During the third quarter of 2017, management adjusted certain accounting estimates related to this amortization, and therefore, we are revising our noncash revenue guidance for 2017 to be approximately $70 million to $75 million versus previous guidance of approximately $80 million.</p>
<p>Research and development expenditures were $17.1 million for the third quarter compared to $9.5 million for the same period in 2016. The increase in R&amp;D expenses was primarily due to $2.8 million in [ increased ] clinical costs and $1.9 million in increased external R&amp;D costs, primarily attributable to manufacturing costs for clinical trial material, both related to the Phase I/II ICONIC study of JTX-2011. We also recognized $2 million of increased lab consumable costs attributable to higher headcount and general R&amp;D activities and $0.8 million of increased facilities cost.</p>
<p>General and administrative expenses were $5.4 million for the third quarter compared to $3.6 million for the same period in 2016. The increase in G&amp;A expenses is the result of $0.7 million in employee compensation costs related to higher headcount and recruiting costs, $0.7 million in facilities costs and $0.4 million in other costs attributable to operating as a public company. Net loss was $4.1 million for the third quarter or basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders of $0.13 per share as compared to a net income of $4.1 million or basic net income per share attributable to common stockholders of $0.07 per share and diluted net income per share attributable to common stockholders of $0.03 per share for the same period in 2016. Operating expenses increased from the third quarter of 2016 to the third quarter of 2017 as a result of higher headcount, R&amp;D activities and typical costs attributable to operating as a public company, offset by increased collaboration revenue. Based on our current operating plans, we continue to expect our existing cash, cash equivalents and investments will be sufficient to enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 24 months.</p>
<p>With that, I will now turn the call back over to Rich to wrap up.</p>
<p>Rich Murray -- Chief Executive Officer and President</p>
<p>Thanks, Kim. At Jounce, we're building a sustainable company. Our mission begins with helping cancer patients, and our goal, first and foremost, is to deliver novel immunotherapies to these patients. I'm excited about what's to come from our team and our approach at Jounce, and I look forward to sharing more with you as we near the remainder of 2017 and continue to position ourselves for 2018 and beyond.</p>
<p>Now we would like to open the call for your questions. Operator?</p>
<p>Operator</p>
<p>Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have a question at this time please press * then 1 on your touchtone telephone. If at any time your question has been answered we wish to remove yourself from the queue, please press the # key. To prevent any background noise we ask that you please place your line on mute if your question has been stated.</p>
<p>Our first question is from Mike Ulz with Baird. Your line is now open.</p>
<p>Mike Ulz -- Robert W. Baird</p>
<p>Great. Hey, guys, thanks for taking the question. Just with respect to the biomarkers, it sounds like you've done some fine-tuning there and improved things in the ICONIC study. But just curious what's your vision for the study in the commercial setting and then maybe where you are in development there and some of the next steps and timelines around that.</p>
<p>Beth Trehu -- Chief Medical Officer</p>
<p>Sure. This is Beth Trehu, the Chief Medical Officer. So as you're aware, the biomarker that we're using initially for patients' enrichment in the trial is an IHC biomarker. That's clearly the easiest thing to do.</p>
<p>But as Rich mentioned and I think we've said earlier, we have a predefined ICOS RNA signature that's already incorporated into the trial, and then there's a number of exploratory signatures that we're looking at as well. And at some point in the clinical development of the molecule, we will pick what we think is the best biomarker to develop further with the program. That may happen in the first trial. It may happen in subsequent trials.</p>
<p>But we believe it's a great idea to be looking for what's the best predictor, and then we'll do an assessment of what makes most sense commercially.</p>
<p>Mike Ulz -- Robert W. Baird</p>
<p>Great. Thanks.</p>
<p>Operator</p>
<p>Our next question is from Cory Kasimov with JP Morgan. Your line is now open.</p>
<p>Cory Kasimov -- JPMorgan Chase -- Anaylst</p>
<p>Hey, good morning, guys. Thanks for taking the questions. I have two of them for you. I guess, in the first one, in terms of the ongoing Phase II ICONIC trial, what triggers the disclosure of data? Is it a minimum amount of follow-up you're looking for, a minimum number of patients in the various cohorts or something else?</p>
<p>Rich Murray -- Chief Executive Officer and President</p>
<p>Yes. I'll take that one, Cory. Thanks for the question. I think we've said all along, as we have started to aggregate the data for looking to presentation in first half -- not, for now, first half of next year, we're really looking toward kind of portions of that study and what would be disclosed in the data.</p>
<p>We're thinking about that in the way of cohorts. We've also been consistent since our descriptions that we don't expect all of that data to be ready in the first half of 2018. But we're happy with the progress of the study, and we're on track.</p>
<p>Cory Kasimov -- JPMorgan Chase -- Anaylst</p>
<p>Okay. Are you able to say roughly how much follow-up we could expect to see when that data comes out?</p>
<p>Beth Trehu -- Chief Medical Officer</p>
<p>This is Beth. I think, if you think about when the different parts of the study started enrolling, that will tell you. I mean, if the Phase II combo started enrolling in July, then we'll have follow-up on some patients from that period, but it all depends on when people come into the study. But our aim is to present as robust a dataset as possible first half of 2018.</p>
<p>Cory Kasimov -- JPMorgan Chase -- Anaylst</p>
<p>Okay. And then the follow-up question is, are you applying the histoculture selection profiles to the initial enrollment in ICONIC? Or is that something that's going to come later?</p>
<p>Beth Trehu -- Chief Medical Officer</p>
<p>Great question. So no, we're using the IHC assay initially in ICONIC. What the histoculture does is it gives us hypotheses to test. And so we have a very, again, robust biomarker assessment going on in the study, where we can use new methodologies to test new signatures, and then we can use some groups of the study to test them and then other groups to validate them are.</p>
<p>So right now, IHC is what's used for patient enrichment. But we have ongoing analyses of additional and potentially better signatures, but that will remain to be determined with more clinical data.</p>
<p>Cory Kasimov -- JPMorgan Chase -- Anaylst</p>
<p>Great. Thanks for taking the questions.</p>
<p>Operator</p>
<p>As a reminder, if you would like to ask a question please press * then 1. Our next question is from Boris Peaker with Cowen. Your line is open.</p>
<p>Boris Peaker -- Cowen &amp; Co. -- Anaylst</p>
<p>Great. Good morning. My first question is, I was wondering if you can give more details on the success of your ICOS enrichment. Specifically, what are you seeing as frequency of ICOS expression in screening? And what is it in the enrolled cohort? Or do you have some kind of a quantitative enrichment target in the enrolled patients?</p>
<p>Beth Trehu -- Chief Medical Officer</p>
<p>Sure. So the first question, I think, is regarding -- we've shown kind of what our expectations were for the percentage of patients with the ICOS high and the tumor types that we selected for ICONIC. And actually, one of our scientists presented at the biomarker pre-conference meeting at SITC and did provide some information. So we're very happy to report that in our preliminary results with the ICOS biomarker, the prevalence -- the percentage of patients with high ICOS scores in our selected tumor types is very consistent with what we predicted.</p>
<p>So in head and neck cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, gastric cancer, we're seeing rates of high ICOS scores very consistent with what our translational platform work predicted. So I think that gets to the first part of your question. We are seeing relative -- the prevalence of patients with high ICOS scores is similar to what we expected. And then I think, the second part of your question, maybe you can repeat it again.</p>
<p>Boris Peaker -- Cowen &amp; Co. -- Anaylst</p>
<p>Yes. I'm just curious -- so you're talking about now the screened patients, but I'm curious what is it in the enrolled. Like what is the factor of enrichment that you're using? And what's the target for enrichment?</p>
<p>Beth Trehu -- Chief Medical Officer</p>
<p>Right. So as Rich mentioned, at least 50% of each indication-specific cohort is required to have a high ICOS score, and that's based on the archival score. But then we actually keep enrolling until we have at least 10 patients with a high ICOS score on fresh tumor biopsy.</p>
<p>Boris Peaker -- Cowen &amp; Co. -- Anaylst</p>
<p>Great. And my second question, I'm just curious on the competitive front. Do you know when we'll see data from GSK's INDUCE-1 study, their ICOS agonist?</p>
<p>Rich Murray -- Chief Executive Officer and President</p>
<p>Yes. Boris, I'll take that one. It's Rich. We don't know.</p>
<p>We obviously are following that closely, but it's not something we have necessarily an accurate read on at this point.</p>
<p>Boris Peaker -- Cowen &amp; Co. -- Anaylst</p>
<p>Okay, great. And lastly, any other competitors out there that you think will be presented before or around your disclosure next year?</p>
<p>Rich Murray -- Chief Executive Officer and President</p>
<p>You know, we have started to see additional ICOS programs start to emerge, not surprising. I think more is known about the biology and the target and the mechanism that's a natural for immunotherapy. But in terms of kind of where we are in the position of those programs, I -- we suspect we'll be certainly in a very competitive position as to releasing results first half of next year.</p>
<p>Boris Peaker -- Cowen &amp; Co. -- Anaylst</p>
<p>Thanks so much for taking my question.</p>
<p>Rich Murray -- Chief Executive Officer and President</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Operator</p>
<p>Our next question is from Jim Birchenough with Wells Fargo.</p>
<p>Yanan Zhu -- Wells Fargo</p>
<p>Hi, thanks for taking the question. This is that Yanan Zhu in for Jim. First, a question -- a follow-up of a previous question. In terms of the one -- first-half '18 preliminary efficacy for Phase II, would you be able to comment on what cohorts -- what cancer -- tumor cohorts might have the data presented then?</p>
<p>Beth Trehu -- Chief Medical Officer</p>
<p>We are not disclosing that at this time. As Rich mentioned, we will be presenting the data in cohort fashion, and we may have provided additional guidance as the time draws closer.</p>
<p>Yanan Zhu -- Wells Fargo</p>
<p>Got it. And then two quick questions on the earlier-stage programs, one on the macrophage -- immunosuppressive macrophage program. Would you be able to comment on potential differentiation from the ones targeting CSF1R that's in development by other companies? And also, for the Treg program, could you talk about the rationale for that program, also in light of your observation that ICOS 2011 actually has some activity depleting Tregs?</p>
<p>Rich Murray -- Chief Executive Officer and President</p>
<p>Sure. I can -- this is Rich. I'll take those ones. I think a really important element of our immunosuppressive macrophage undertaking, and this was kind of our biological hypothesis right from the start, was we really wanted to convert macrophages, so kind of the M2, M1 conversion that we believe happens in the biology of immunosuppressed tissues versus immunoactive tissues.</p>
<p>So our programs are aimed at kind of flipping that switch between immunoactivation and immunosuppression. And we see that as different than a growth factor starvation, which may lead to more of a depleting function of cell lineages. So I think there's an importance to recognize the importance of the cell type, and how you modulate it then becomes how you choose targets, validate those and go after lead molecules. So for us, it's conversion, not depletion.</p>
<p>The second part of the question on Treg biology, we certainly have an element in the preclinical biological activity from JTX-2011 that we think impacts T Regulatory cells. However, we do see, as others have, that there are different cancers with different levels of Tregs populating tumors. We think it's an important piece of the biology to try to kind of dampen down or remove the function of Tregs within the tumor microenvironment. And so the programs we have lining up now are really aimed much more at that directly through different mechanisms that are in addition to what JTX-2011 and ICOS might provide.</p>
<p>Yanan Zhu -- Wells Fargo</p>
<p>Got it. Very helpful, thank you.</p>
<p>Operator</p>
<p>Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for participating in today's conference. You may all disconnect. Have a good day, everyone.</p>
<p>Duration: 28 minutes</p>
<p>Komal Joshi -- Head of Investor Relations and Strategic Finance</p>
<p>Rich Murray -- Chief Executive Officer and President</p>
<p>Kim Drapkin -- Chief Financial Officer</p>
<p>Mike Ulz -- Robert W. Baird -- Analyst</p>
<p>Beth Trehu -- Chief Medical Officer</p>
<p>Cory Kasimov -- JPMorgan Chase -- Anaylst</p>
<p>Boris Peaker -- Cowen &amp; Co. -- Anaylst</p>
<p>Yanan Zhu -- Wells Fargo -- Analyst</p>
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<p>Maria von Trapp, the last surviving original member and second-eldest daughter of the musical family whose escape from Nazi-occupied Austria was the basis for "The Sound of Music," has died. She was 99.</p>
<p>Von Trapp died at her home in Vermont on Tuesday, according to her brother Johannes von Trapp.</p>
<p>"She was a lovely woman who was one of the few truly good people," he said. "There wasn't a mean or miserable bone in her body. I think everyone who knew her would agree with that."</p>
<p>Maria von Trapp was the last surviving member of the seven original Trapp Family Singers made famous in "The Sound of Music." Their story was turned into a Broadway musical in 1959 and a 1965 film, which won the Oscar for best picture. Trapp was portrayed as Louisa in the film and musical.</p>
<p>She was the third child and second-oldest daughter of Austrian Naval Capt. Georg von Trapp and his first wife, Agathe Whitehead von Trapp. Their seven children were the basis for the singing family in the musical and film.</p>
<p>"The Sound of Music" was based loosely on a 1949 book by von Trapp's second wife, also Maria von Trapp, who died in 1987. It tells the story of an Austrian woman who married a widower with seven children and teaches them music.</p>
<p>In 1938, the family escaped from Nazi-occupied Austria. After they arrived in New York, the family became popular with concert audiences. The family eventually settled in Vermont, where they opened a ski lodge in Stowe.</p>
<p>Von Trapp played accordion and taught Austrian dance at the lodge.</p>
<p>She wrote in a biography posted on the Trapp Family's website that she was born in the Austrian Alps after her family fled fighting from World War I.</p>
<p>"Growing up we were surrounded by music. Father played the violin, accordion and mandolin. Mother played piano and violin," she wrote.</p>
<p>Her biography on the website also said that she worked as a lay missionary in Papua, New Guinea.</p>
<p>Rosmarie von Trapp, Johannes von Trapp and Eleonore Von Trapp Campbell were born to Georg von Trapp and Maria von Trapp.</p> | Last of Original ‘Sound of Music’ Family Dies | false | http://nbcnews.com/news/us-news/last-original-sound-music-family-dies-n36446 | 2014-02-23 | 3 |
<p>At least five people at a Quebec City, Canada, mosque were killed Sunday night when gunmen opened fire during evening prayers, according to multiple news reports. Witnesses said as many as three gunmen were involved in the attack at the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Center. There were apparently about 40 people inside, and witnesses reported "many" wounded. CBC News reported two suspects had been arrested.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2017 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | At Least 5 Killed In Shooting At Quebec Mosque | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/01/29/at-least-5-killed-in-shooting-at-quebec-mosque.html | 2017-01-29 | 0 |
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<p>At an ancient Hindu riverside festival, the millions hoping to cleanse themselves of sin are also unwittingly informing high-tech solutions in crowd control, disease outbreak and public security.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>A group of technology innovators has launched a digital information platform at the six-week Kumbh Mela, or Pitcher Festival, that they say is helping to maintain order and calm among those camping near the river bank and piling into the water for one of humanity's largest religious gatherings.</p>
<p>Twelve years ago, dozens died in a stampede in the same festival. Halfway through this year's event there have been no such incidents as the immense crowds as they wade into the temperate waters of Godavari River, in an ancient ritual seeking spiritual rebirth from Hindu gods. They pour trickles of water from cupped hands held over their foreheads. Gently, they lower their bodies until they are fully immersed.</p>
<p>"We had thought about Kumbh Mela as this gathering of masses, people who are on path of self-discovery. But in a way, innovation and innovators are also always on a path of self-discovery," said Ramesh Raskar, associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, which has been leading scientists, charity workers and officials from around India in a two-year effort dubbed "KumbhaThon" to develop technology solutions to better manage population-dense events.</p>
<p>"We want to see how we can take this amazing challenge in crowds and food and security and housing and transportation ... and see how we can make this a tech-savvy Kumbh Mela," he said.</p>
<p>The digital platform, accessible by a free Android cellphone app, allows authorities and festival-goers in the central Indian city of Nashik to collect, view and share data about festival food carts, traffic jams and the location of porta-potties or medical tents, giving users an up-to-date record of what's happening and where. The information is also available online at www.kumbha.org . Developers skipped making an iOS app for iPhones because there are at least 10 times as many Android users in India as those using the more expensive iPhone.</p>
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<p>Compiling data taken at medical tents, the app tells festival-goers about any outbreaks of dengue, jaundice or other diseases, though so far there have been no outbreaks of note. Using cellphone power data to estimate crowd sizes, the digital platform also gives officials information that helps them decide when to put up blockades or disperse crowds.</p>
<p>"If the density of the crowd is increasing at some location, we will control the crowd using a hold-and-release method," district official Raghunath Gawade said. "We have created many holding areas."</p>
<p>The KumbhaThon team has discovered that most bathers prefer to go into the river in the afternoon, and mornings are relatively unpopulated. On the most auspicious bathing days, however, the riverfront is constantly jam-packed.</p>
<p>"It's amazing. You can see where the crowds are, you can see the hot spots in the city," said Raskar, who grew up in Nashik and believes the ancient festival is ideal for launching the app. "If you look at AirBnB or Uber or redBus, they're turning the world upside down because they're relying on making smart citizens more empowered."</p>
<p>Indian officials are embracing the new tech, and have ordered telecommunications companies to share data with them.</p>
<p>"We are getting (data on) how many people are in the vicinity of a particular tower for that company, and we are using that data to track crowds in the Nashik city as well as provide the administration with tips or analytics on how they can better plan according to that data," MIT student Mrinal Mohit said.</p>
<p>Another innovation for counting crowds came from a 15-year-old boy from Nashik. Hearing about the KumbaThon effort almost two years ago, Nilay Kulkami teamed up with three other tech engineers to develop a rubber doormat that counts footsteps and then reports the data back to officials.</p>
<p>"I wanted to do something that is useful for people. Developing a game, that's not useful. It's better to make something to help people," he said of their invention, which they call "Ashioto," which means "the power of footsteps" in Japanese.</p>
<p>This is not the first time India has looked to technology to leapfrog toward modernity. High-tech solutions have increasingly provided India's hundreds of millions of poor with lifestyle solutions — for example, giving them cellphones in places without landlines, or solar power for communities not yet hooked to the electricity grid.</p>
<p>Pilgrims at the Kumbh Mela were enthusiastic about the tech being shown through the KumbhaThon app.</p>
<p>"It is really wonderful," said Khemchand Dagga, a 45-year-old who came to the festival from the southern city of Hyderabad. "It will be very easy for everybody to manage the routes for the entry, exit, everything."</p>
<p>At the same time, the MIT team is compiling an enormous dataset that can help shed light on how people use technology.</p>
<p>"Millions of Indians from all over the country, of all castes, classes, races and ethnic backgrounds congregate on Nashik. And we think that this is a perfect setting to sample the country," MIT Media Lab scientist Pratik Shah said.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Katy Daigle reported from New Delhi. Follow Daigle: www.twitter.com/katydaigle</p> | Technology solutions at ancient Indian bathing festival tackle safety woes, crowd control | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2015/09/19/technology-solutions-at-ancient-indian-bathing-festival-tackle-safety-woes.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
<p>Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 2015 and now retired, is now acknowledging the Russian attempt to hack into the e-mail system used by the Pentagon’s Joint Chiefs of Staff in August 2015.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-hack-almost-brought-the-u-s-military-to-its-knees/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&amp;linkId=32446094" type="external">CBS News</a>, Dempsey got an emergency early-morning phone call from the Director of the National Security Agency, Admiral Mike Rogers alerting him to the attack.</p>
<p>Dempsey told CBS News that the ferocity of the attack was terribly alarming; within one hour, hackers seized control of the unclassified e-mail system used by the Pentagon’s Joint Staff, comprised of roughly 3,500 military officers and civilians who work for the Chairman. The network had to be closed because the hackers grabbed the passwords and electronic signatures computer credentials of Dempsey and hundreds of other senior officers.</p>
<p>The attack commenced with 30,000 e-mails sent to a West Coast university, four of which were forwarded to members of the Joint Staff. The hackers penetrated the system when one email was opened.</p>
<p>CBS News reported:</p>
<p>It was not spying, but a full-on assault whose only apparent purpose was to cause damage and force the Pentagon to replace both hardware and software, which took about two weeks to accomplish. The motive for the attack was believed to be Russian anger at economic sanctions orchestrated by the Obama administration in response to Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea and interference in Ukraine.</p>
<p>Last year, all that was clear was that a cyber-attack had been launched. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/06/russia-hacks-pentagon-computers-nbc-citing-sources.html" type="external">NBC News reported</a> in August 2015 that U.S. officials announced a "sophisticated cyberattack" against the Pentagon's Joint Staff unclassified email system sometime around July 25 which affected some 4,000 military and civilian personnel who work for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.</p>
<p>NBC News stated, “The officials say its not clear whether the attack was sanctioned by the Russian government or conducted by individuals. But, given the scope of the attack, ‘It was clearly the work of a state actor,’ the officials say.”</p> | Report: Russians Almost Hacked The US Military In 2015 | true | https://dailywire.com/news/11695/report-russians-almost-hacked-us-military-2015-hank-berrien | 2016-12-16 | 0 |
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<p>ATHENS, Greece — Angering the country’s government, Greece’s central bank governor on Thursday said he would welcome a precautionary credit line from bailout lenders after the international rescue program officially ends in August.</p>
<p>Bank of Greece governor Yannis Stournaras said in a report that a contingency credit scheme could have a “supportive effect” on the Greek economy.</p>
<p>His remarks rekindled spat between Stournaras and the left-wing government which has promised a “clean exit” from the bailout and a full return to markets, ending eight painful years of rescue programs.</p>
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<p>Stournaras served as finance minister under the previous conservative-led government.</p>
<p>A government official Thursday reacted angrily to Stournaras’ suggestion.</p>
<p>“Just because a failed finance minister from a failed government had favored a credit line, instead of a return to markets, does not mean that a successful government can’t do things better,” he said, asking not to be named pending official comment.</p>
<p>The spat broke as Greece heads into the final year of the bailout, under pressure from lenders to resolve a long list of outstanding problems over the next few months.</p>
<p>Lawmakers late Thursday approved tougher restrictions against anti-bailout protesters who have sought to block the auction of homes that have gone into default because their owners can’t meet mortgage payments.</p>
<p>They debated draft legislation that would impose three and six-month minimum jail sentences on activists that gather regularly at courts to disrupt the auctions.</p>
<p>About 500 Communist Party supporters took part in a peaceful demonstration outside Parliament late Thursday against the new regulations, a day after clashes between protesters and police.</p>
<p>The government promised bailout lenders that it will restart auctions, and introduce online transactions, to try and reduce the huge number of bad loans at Greek banks that are hindering the country’s economic recovery from recession.</p>
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<p>Anti-government campaigners argue that vulnerable households will no longer be protected from home seizures.</p>
<p>The outgoing head of a parliamentary budget oversight committee warned that unless the auctions proceed, banks could be forced to impose a haircut on depositors — a measure that has been emphatically ruled out by the government.</p>
<p>Also Thursday, Greece’s privatization agency said it has signed an agreement with an international consortium for the sale of a 67 percent stake in the Port of Thessaloniki — the country’s second-largest city — for 232 million euros ($275 million).</p>
<p>The transaction is expected to be completed early next year, the agency said.</p>
<p>Under its bailout commitments, Greece has agreed to sell off large parcels of state holdings to private investors.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Nicholas Paphitis in Athens contributed. Follow Gatopoulos at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/dgatopoulos</a></p> | Greece: Central bank backs post-bailout contingency loan | false | https://abqjournal.com/1109557/greece-central-bank-backs-post-bailout-contingency-loan.html | 2017-12-21 | 2 |
<p>&#160; The days of the dollar as the world’s “reserve currency” may be drawing to a close. In August, foreign central banks and governments dumped a whopping 3.8 per cent of their holdings of US debt. Rising unemployment and the ongoing housing slump have triggered fears of a recession sending wary foreign investors running for the exits. China, Japan and Taiwan&#160;have been leading the sell&#160;off which&#160;has caused&#160;the steepest decline since 1992.</p>
<p>To some extent, the losses have been concealed by the up-tick in Treasuries sales to US investors who’ve been fleeing the money markets in droves. Investors have been trying to avoid the fallout from money funds that have been contaminated by mortgage-backed assets. Naturally, they bought US government bonds which are considered a safe bet. But that doesn’t change the fact that the dollar’s foundation is steadily eroding and that foreign support for the dollar is vanishing. &#160;US bonds are no longer regarded as a “safe haven”.</p>
<p>The dollar slumped to a 15 year low against 6 of its most actively traded peers and set the stage for an early morning market rout on Wall Street.</p>
<p>Foreign investment and currency deregulation has been a real boon for the stock market which thrives of a steady flow of cheap capital. It’s also been good for ravenous consumers who like to borrow boatloads of low interest cash for their toys, SUVs and McMansions.</p>
<p>Of course, when things seem too good to last—they usually don’t. The economy is contracting; credit is getting tighter, and the stock market is flailing about aimlessly. As capital flight accelerates; interest rates in the US will rise, unemployment will mushroom, and the dollar will fall. It can’t be avoided. American markets and consumers will be compelled to curb their appetite for cheap foreign credit. Overseas investors own more than $4.4 trillion in US debt in the form of bonds and securities.&#160; Even if they sell only 25 per cent of that sum, the US would&#160;feel the&#160;pinch of hyper-inflation. For the last decade foreigners have been eager to by our Treasuries and equities—gobbling up America’s enormous $800 billion current account deficit and keeping demand for the dollar artificially high. But just like the subprime mortgage holder whose “teaser rate” has suddenly expired; the US now faces the painful adjustment of higher payments and less discretionary income for indulgences. Maybe the charade could have&#160;carried on a bit&#160;longer if not for the belligerent Bush foreign policy that has alienated friends and foes alike. But, then, maybe not. After all, the Fed’s loose monetary policies added to Bush’s extravagant spending—$3 trillion added to the National Debt in just 6 years— doomed the country from the beginning. Deficit spending has been the&#160;central organizing principle&#160;from day</p>
<p>1. Now comes the hangover. Federal Reserve chairman Bernanke is expected to drop the Fed funds rate on September 18. The move will provide more “easy credit-crack” for the addicts on Wall Street but it could also trigger a run on the dollar. That’s what keeps the Fed chief&#160;up at night.</p>
<p>The Bush Team was warned repeatedly by the Bank of International Settlements, the World Bank, the IMF and the European Central Bank that its policies were “unsustainable” and would end in an economic meltdown. But they brushed aside the warnings with the same casual indifference as they did the critics of the war in Iraq.</p>
<p>Why would they care if the country suffered? Their friends would still get their unfunded tax cuts. Their private armies and “no bid” contractors would still get their payola. The Democrats would still cave in on the enormous “off budget” war spending. And, they’d still be able to print as much counterfeit money as they chose until every last copper farthing was drained from the public till.</p>
<p>No worries. Besides the media would mop up the mess they’d made with their usual “happy talk”. As the economic calamity unfolds, we can expect to see the usual parade of lacquer-haired phonies on the Business Channel singing the praises of “free markets”.&#160;&#160;The problems we’re now facing should have been easy to spot for anyone willing to look beyond the empty rhetoric of the TV Pollyannas or their cheerleading co-conspirators at the White House.</p>
<p>It was a hoax. And the seven years of sleepwalking has cost us dearly. Unemployment is up, consumer spending is down, the housing market has slipped into recession, and the stock market is lurching back and forth like an overloaded washing machine. All of this could have been foreseen by anyone with minimal critical thinking skills and a healthy dose of skepticism of government.</p>
<p>Consider this: US GDP is 70 per cent consumer spending. That means that wages have to increase beyond the rate of inflation OR THE ECONOMY CAN’T GROW. It’s just that simple. So how is it that 50 per cent of the American people still believe Bush’s supply side baloney that cutting taxes for the uber-rich strengthens the economy? How does that increase wages or build a healthy middle class. If we want a strong economy wages have to keep pace with productivity so that workers can buy the goods they produce.</p>
<p>Greenspan knows that. So does Bush. But they chose to hide it behind an “easy credit” smokescreen so they could weaken the dollar, off-shore thousands of industries, out-source 3 million manufacturing jobs, fund an illegal war, and maintain the lethal flow of the $800 billion current account deficit into American equities and Treasuries. In truth, there hasn’t been any growth in the economy since Bush took office in 2000. What we’ve seen is an ever-expanding bubble of personal and corporate debt amplified by a “structured finance” system that magically transforms liabilities (subprime loans) into securities and increases their value through leveraging.</p>
<p>That’s it. No growth—just a galaxy of debt-instruments with odd-sounding names (CDOs, MBSs, CDSs, etc)&#160; stacked precariously&#160;on top of each other. That’s what we call “wealth” in America.</p>
<p>It’s all smoke and mirrors. The financial system has decoupled from the productive elements of the economy and is now beginning to show disturbing signs of instability. That’s why there’s the big blow-off in the bond market. The halcyon days of supplying our armies, funding our markets and building our subprime “ownership society” empire on the backs of foreign creditors is over.&#160; The stock market is headed for the landfill and housing is leading the way. Economic fundamentals can only be ignored for so long. The problems began when Greenspan dropped interest rates to 1 per cent in 2003 for more than a year pumping trillions of low interest credit into the economy. This created the appearance of prosperity but it also inflated a massive equity bubble in housing which is now in its death throes. The Fed “rubber stamped” many of the “creative financing” scams which lowered lending standards and turned the subprime fiasco into a $1.5 trillion doomsday machine. Greenspan said this week that he hadn’t anticipated the real estate disaster.</p>
<p>The devastation in real estate is almost too vast to comprehend. The mortgage bubble is roughly $5.5 trillion, and yet, prices have just begun to fall. It’s a long way to the bottom and there’s bound to be plenty of bloodshed ahead. Two million homeowners will lose their homes. 151 mortgage lenders have already gone belly up. Many of the hedge funds—which are loaded with billions of dollars in “mortgage-backed” securities are struggling to stay alive. Perhaps the most shocking projection was made by Yale University Professor, Robert Schiller, who believes that home prices could decline as much as 50 per cent in some of the “hotter markets”. (Schiller’s book “Irrational Exuberance” predicted the dot.com bust before it took place.) The effects on the US economy would be considerable. If other factors come into play—like a stock market crash and a subsequent period of deflation—we could see housing prices descend 90 per cent as they did between 1928 and 1933.</p>
<p>It’s possible. Typically, housing bubbles deflate very slowly, over a period of 5 to 10 years. Not this time. Credit problems in the broader market are speeding up the pace of the decline. The subprime sarcoma has spread to all loan categories and filtered into the banking system. This is forcing the banks to hoard reserves to cover their potential losses (from CDOs and mortgage-backed bonds “gone bad”). Now, even credit worthy applicants are being turned away on new mortgages. At the same time, “nearly half of borrowers with adjustable rate mortgages were not able to refinance their loans. That’s a major concern for policymakers as an estimated 2.5 million mortgages given to borrowers with weak credit will reset at higher rates by the end of next year.” (Associated Press)</p>
<p>Think about that. It’s no longer just a matter of 40 per cent of loan-types disappearing overnight (Subprime, Alt-A, piggyback, negative amortization, interest only etc). Even people with good credit are being rejected because the banks are hoarding capital. That suggests the banks are in dire straights and hiding losses that are kept off their balance sheets. (more on this later) So, it’s harder to get a mortgage. And, if you already have one you may not be able to roll it over. This will greatly accelerate the rate of the housing crash. (In fact, the LA Business Journal reported on Sunday that home sales plunged 50 per cent in one month. We can expect to see similar numbers in all the hot spots.)</p>
<p>Dollar Woes</p>
<p>The troubles facing the dollar are as grave as those in housing. The stock market and the teetering hedge funds are counting on an interest rate cut, but they’ve ignored&#160;the effects it will have on the greenback. If Bernanke lowers rates, as everyone expects, the bottom could drop out of the dollar. We’re already seeing gold soar to new highs (above $700 per Ounce) That’s an indication of dollar-weakness and a potential sell-off of US Treasuries. &#160;If Bernanke lowers rates, the greenback will nosedive. Author Gary Dorsch explains the potential hazards in his recent article, “Hopes for an Easier Fed Policy Boost the Euro and Copper”:</p>
<p>&#160;“Interest rate differentials have played a key role in determining exchange rates. Since the ECB (European Central Bank) began its rate hike campaign in December 2005, the US dollar’s interest rate advantage over the Euro has narrowed from 240 basis points to as low as 70 basis points today. Thus, the Fed can only afford a small rate cut to bail out Wall Street bankers who hold toxic sub-prime debt and avoid tipping the dollar into a free-fall. But that might not be enough to prevent a housing led recession in the months ahead.”</p>
<p>After years of abuse under Greenspan–an $800 billion current account deficit, a $9 billion per month war, and a 13 per cent yearly increase in the money supply—the poor dollar has run out of wiggle-room. If the Fed slashes rates, the mighty greenback will be a dead duck.</p>
<p>Commercial Paper: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You Commercial paper is something that is rarely understood outside of the investor class. It is, however, a critical factor in keeping the markets operating smoothly.&#160; “Commercial paper is highly-rated short-term notes that offer investors a safe haven investment with a yield slightly above certificates of deposit or government debt. Banks use the money to purchase longer-term investments such as corporate receivables, auto loans credit card debt, or mortgagees.” (Wall Street Journal 9-5-07)</p>
<p>Commercial paper has been vanishing at an alarming rate in the last month. $240 billion&#160;has been drained in just the last 3 weeks. (There is $2.2 trillion of commercial paper in circulation in the US) Because CP is “short term”, hundreds of billions of dollars need to roll over (be refinanced) regularly. CP is at the very heart of the credit crisis which has spread through the financial markets and it could result in a massive catastrophe. The large investment banks are in a panic—and that is probably an understatement. Consider this article in the UK Telegraph which provides an eye-popping summary of what is going on behind the scenes. U.K. Telegraph, “Banks Face 10-Day Debt Time Bomb”: “Britain’s biggest banks could be forced to cough up as much as £70bn over the next 10 days, as the credit crisis that has seized the global financial system sparks a fresh wave of chaos.</p>
<p>“Almost 20 per cent of the short-term money market loans issued by European banks are due to mature between September 11 and September 19. Senior bankers fear that they will have to refinance almost all of these debts with funds from their own coffers, putting a further strain on bank balance sheets.</p>
<p>“Tens of billions of pounds of these commercial paper loans have already built up in the financial system, because fear-ridden investors no longer want to buy them. Roughly £23bn of these loans expire on September 17 alone.</p>
<p>“Fears of this impending call on bank credit lines are the true reason that lending between banks has ground to a halt, according to senior money market sources.</p>
<p>“Banks have been stockpiling cash in preparation for this ‘double rollover’ week, which sees quarterly loans expire alongside shorter term debts – exacerbating a problem that lies at the heart of the credit crisis.” (UK Telegraph)</p>
<p>Fortunately, the British still have a few newspapers—like the Telegraph– that still report the news. That is not the case in the US.</p>
<p>There’s roughly $1.3 trillion in “asset-backed” commercial paper filtering through American markets. These are the notes that are connected to mortgage-backed securities (MBSs) that no one wants and which have NO MARKET VALUE. They are referred to as “toxic waste”. (No one is buying anything remotely connected to real estate CDOs)</p>
<p>Hundreds of billions of dollars of CP has been issued through SIVs (structured investment vehicles) and “conduits” which are affiliates (subsidiaries) of the large banks. The banks have kept these operations hidden from the public, but now they are in the spotlight because they cannot meet their obligations and are stuck with billions of CP that they cannot refinance. (The reader may recall that Enron kept similar “off balance sheets” operations secret from the public before they declared bankruptcy)</p>
<p>The banks are now forced to assume responsibility for the commercial paper held by their affiliates, which means that they need sufficient capitalization to cover the losses.</p>
<p>Sound confusing? Don’t give up, yet!</p>
<p>The bottom line is this: The banks are responsible for hundreds of billions of dollars in commercial paper that probably won’t be refinanced. It is beginning to look like they don’t have the reserves to cover their losses.</p>
<p>That’s why we continue to believe that the banks are in trouble.</p>
<p>According to the Wall Street Journal:</p>
<p>So do the banks and their shareholders have nothing to worry about? Not quite….Negligible losses in August were enough to force the banks to run to the authorities for help. Regulators may decide that the best way to prevent a recurrence is to require banks to hold more capital. They might even limit some types of transactions. Such moves might be good for the economy, but would reduce the bank’s returns on equity. (“Banks Seem Fine—For Now”, WSJ, 9-8-07)</p>
<p>Read carefully and I think you will agree with me that the WSJ is “tipping its hand” and suggesting that the banks needed “more capital” even after “negligible losses.” The predicament is much more serious now.</p>
<p>Bank troubles are never minor. That’s why there has been so much effort put into covering up the real source of the problem. When people lose their confidence in the banks, they lose their confidence in the system. That ends up inciting social turmoil. Don’t think they’re not aware of that at the White House.</p>
<p>The Likelihood of a Hard Landing</p>
<p>Notwithstanding the imminent shakeup at the major investment banks, the path ahead is&#160;poorly lit and full of potholes. The reckless policies of the last 7 years have edged us ever-closer to&#160;the inevitable day of reckoning. Professor Nouriel Roubini summed it up best in a recent blog-entry, “The Coming US Hard Landing”:</p>
<p>The forthcoming easing of monetary policy by the Fed will not rescue the economy and financial markets from a hard landing as it will be too little too late. The Fed underestimated the severity of the housing recession, its spillovers to other sectors, and the contagion of the sub-prime carnage to other mortgage markets and to the overall financial markets. Fed easing will not work for several reasons: the Fed will cut rate too slowly as it is still worried about inflation and about the moral hazard of perceptions of rescuing reckless investors and lenders; we have a glut of housing, autos and consumer durables and the demand for these goods becomes relatively interest rate insensitive once you have a glut that requires years to work out; serious credit problems and insolvencies cannot be resolved by monetary policy alone; and the liquidity injections by the Fed are being stashed in excess reserves by the banks, not re-lent to the parts of the financial markets where the liquidity crunch is most severe and worsening. The Fed provided liquidity to banking institutions but it cannot provide direct liquidity to hedge funds, investment banks, other highly leveraged institutions and parts of the credit markets – such as asset backed commercial paper – where the crunch is severe. Thus, the liquidity crunch in most credit markets remains severe, even in the usually most liquid interbank markets.(Nouriel Roubini’s Blog)</p>
<p>There are no quick-fixes or “silver bullets” as Bush likes to say. It’ll take years to dig our way out of this mess. In the meantime, there’s little to look forward to except the steady weakening of the dollar, the persistent decline in housing and the looming police-state apparatus that’s supposed to keep us in line while the soup kitchens open.</p>
<p>MIKE WHITNEY lives in Washington state. He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Final Stop: Soup Kitchen U.S.A. | true | https://counterpunch.org/2007/09/15/final-stop-soup-kitchen-u-s-a/ | 2007-09-15 | 4 |
<p>The death knell has been sounded for the Rocky Mountain News, E.W. Scripps’ Denver-area newspaper, which is scheduled to close after Friday’s edition is churned out, no doubt signaling more mayhem to come in the old media world.</p>
<p>The New York Times:</p>
<p>Changing readership habits and increasing competition from the Internet have hit the newspaper industry especially hard, cutting overall circulation sharply over the last decade. Those forces, and the severe economic downturn, have significantly eroded advertising, the primary revenue source for newspapers.</p>
<p>The Rocky has about 230 reporters, editors and other employees in its newsroom. It will close just two months short of its 150th anniversary.</p>
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<p><a href="http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/rocky-mountain-news-to-shut-down/?ref=media" type="external">Read more</a></p> | The Rocky Going the Way of the Dodo | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/the-rocky-going-the-way-of-the-dodo/ | 2009-02-27 | 4 |
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<p>Want to know the number one rule of life? Be awesome, and thanks to the <a href="http://socialmediaclub.org/chapter/san-diego-ca" type="external">Social Media Club San Diego</a>, you can learn how to be “business awesome” first-hand from Un-Marketing’s Scott Stratten next Tuesday, November 13. The event will begin at 5:30pm at the&#160;Lyceum Space, and is the Social Media Club San Diego presents “An Evening with Scott Stratten,” the president of <a href="http://www.unmarketing.com" type="external">Un-Marketing</a>.</p>
<p>Stratten has familiarized himself with social media, and now has over 135,000 people following him on <a href="https://twitter.com/unmarketing" type="external">Twitter</a>. Named one of the top five social media influences in the world on Forbes.com, Stratten will spend an hour explaining his philosophy on marketing and attendees will have the opportunity to meet him in person.</p>
<p>“It’s all about positioning yourself as a trusted expert in front of your target market, so when they have the need, they choose you,” his <a href="http://www.unmarketing.com/about/" type="external">un-bio</a> reads.&#160;</p>
<p>Calling all business owners, human resources professionals, marketers, PR professionals, social media marketers, customer service reps, and San Diegans who just want to be awesome, the perks of attending include, but are not limited to:</p>
<p>You can purchase tickets <a href="http://securesite.sdrep.org/single/eventDetail.aspx?p=6811" type="external">here</a>, but make sure to “Like”&#160; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SMCSanDiego" type="external">Social Media Club San Diego on Facebook</a> for discounts and social media updates. Join the Social Media Club San Diego and “Stop Marketing, Start Engaging.”</p>
<p>IVN San Diego will be at&#160;Be Business Awesome, with Scott Stratten, will you?</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Learn How to Be Business Awesome, with Scott Stratten | false | https://ivn.us/2012/11/09/learn-how-to-be-business-awesome-with-scott-stratten/ | 2012-11-09 | 2 |
<p>The body of a 15-year-old boy was found burned near a garage in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood early Saturday morning, with the family pleading with Black Lives Matter activists not to “turn” their backs and fight for real change.</p>
<p>Firefighters responded to the garage fire in the 5500 block of West Cortez Street about 1:25 a.m. Saturday, a local ABC News affiliate <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/1518771/" type="external">reported</a>.</p>
<p>The body of Demetrius Griffin Jr., a freshman at Steinmetz High School, was found in a trash can near the burned garage, the family said.</p>
<p>Police have not confirmed that Demetrius was found in a trash can, ABC reported.&#160;Investigators were reported seen in an alley near the garage searching for evidence.</p>
<p>Family members said the boy was very well behaved and always respected his curfew.</p>
<p>“Once I realized he didn’t come in on his curfew, I knew something was wrong,” Polly Sykes, the victim’s mother, told ABC.</p>
<p>Ms. Sykes appeared at a vigil Tuesday evening with Chicago Survivors crisis responder Dawn Valenti, pleading with the public to help investigators bring Demetrius’ killer to justice.</p>
<p>“Community, I need your help. They killed my baby out here in this alley,” Ms. Sykes told the crowd. “He wasn’t a gang member. He was a very respectful kid. He walked everybody in the neighborhood’s dogs.”</p>
<p>Virginia Riley, the boy’s great-aunt, added, “Don’t turn your back this time, y’all. We really need to find the solution or real, I mean, if you all talk about ‘Black Lives Matter,’ this life did matter.”</p>
<p>“These are not TV monsters, video game monsters,” said family friend Ashake Banks, ABC reported. “They’re like the devil. They’re out of control. They don’t care and don’t respect human life.”</p>
<p>The cause of Demetrius’ death is unknown, and an investigation is ongoing, police said.</p>
<p>On Friday, another body was found inside a burned garage in the Pilsen neighborhood, but the two cases appeared to be unrelated, ABC reported.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2018 The Washington Times, LLC. <a href="https://goo.gl/forms/xGjXcUKYsKxMeCUl1" type="external">Click here for reprint permission</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 15-year-old Chicago boy’s burned body found in trash can, family says: ‘This life did matter’ | true | http://washingtontimes.com/news/2016/sep/22/15-year-old-chicago-boys-burned-body-found-in-tras/ | 2016-09-22 | 0 |
<p>Published time: 24 Jul, 2017 19:07</p>
<p>Top Congressional Democrats have unveiled their new economic pitch to middle-class Americans, admitting nine months after the election that Donald Trump won because “he campaigned talking to working people.”</p>
<p>Democratic lawmakers took a field trip to Virginia on Monday to roll out what they branded as “A Better Deal” for American workers. They talked about breaking up monopolies, raising the minimum wage and investing in workers’ training.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/397360-trump-russia-collusion-kushner/" type="external" /></p>
<p>“President Trump campaigned talking to working people, that’s how he won,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) said as he introduced the Democrats’ new messaging campaign. “Too many Americans don’t know what we stand for.”</p>
<p>Over the weekend, Schumer broke with the narrative that many other Democrats still adhere to and blamed Hillary Clinton for her loss in last year’s presidential election.</p>
<p>“When you lose to somebody who has a 40 percent popularity, you don’t blame other things – Comey, Russia – you blame yourself,” Schumer said.</p>
<p>Clinton has blamed both Russia and former FBI Director James Comey for her electoral loss. For the better part of 2017, the Democratic leadership in Congress has likewise been focused on the question of whether Russia tried to help Trump get elected.</p>
<p>With the 2018 midterm elections approaching, it has occurred to some Democrats that their current message – or lack thereof – may not actually win them votes.</p>
<p>“A Better Deal” is being put forward to appeal to working-class Americans, many of whom supported Donald Trump because he promised to bring back jobs by cracking down on multinational trade deals that have resulted in the outsourcing of the country’s manufacturing over the past two decades.</p>
<p>The Democrats said their plan has three promises: to increase people’s pay, reduce their everyday expenses, and provide them with tools and training for the 21st century economy.</p>
<p>“The middle class is the backbone of our democracy,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California).</p> | Democrats offer new explanation for why Trump won – and it’s not Russia | false | https://newsline.com/democrats-offer-new-explanation-for-why-trump-won-and-its-not-russia/ | 2017-07-24 | 1 |
<p>Ubisoft is top gainer; Gemalto also jumps</p>
<p>European stocks declined Wednesday, enduring a second straight loss, as Credit Agricole SA was a decliner among bank shares.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>What markets are doing: The Stoxx Europe 600 edged down by less than 0.1% to end at 394.45, pulling back further from its 52-week closing high made last week. On Tuesday, the benchmark fell 0.5% (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/european-stocks-wobble-around-1-year-high-2017-11-07).</p>
<p>In Wednesday's trade, Germany's DAX 30 index was up less than 0.1% to end at 13,382.42, while France's CAC 40 shed 0.2% to 5,471.43.</p>
<p>The U.K.'s FTSE 100 closed up 0.2% at 7,529.72, creeping back toward Monday's record close. Spain's IBEX 35 was down less than 0.1% at 10,228.70.</p>
<p>The euro traded at $1.1591, slightly higher than $1.1587 late Tuesday in New York.</p>
<p>What is moving markets: A new wave of corporate earnings reports rolled in Wednesday. French lender Crédit Agricole's decline in profit was narrower than anticipated, but there was a shortfall in revenue. But among advancing shares, Ubisoft Entertainment SA hit a record high after the French videogame maker's sales exceeded expectations.</p>
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<p>Meanwhile, the Stoxx Europe 600 Bank Index fell 0.1%. Analysts have been noting that declining bond yields in the eurozone in the wake of the ECB's recent monetary policy decision has been a source of pressure for lenders. Bond yields fall when prices rise.</p>
<p>Stock movers: Crédit Agricole shares (ACA.FR) sank 3.2% as the lender's third-quarter revenue rose 22% to EUR4.58 billion, but that was below a FactSet consensus estimate of EUR4.74 billion (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/credit-agricole-net-profit-falls-beats-forecasts-2017-11-08). Quarterly profit slid 43% to EUR1.07 billion ($1.24 billion), which was above expectations of EUR993 million.</p>
<p>Ubisoft Entertainment SA (UBI.FR) rallied 9.3% to a record high, according to FactSet data, as the company behind "Assassin's Creed" and other videogames said second-quarter sales of EUR264.2 million outstripped its target of EUR190.0 million. Ubisoft was the top gainer in the Stoxx 600.</p>
<p>Italian lender Banco BPM SA (BAMI.MI) led decliners in the index, as shares in fell 7.5%.</p>
<p>Gemalto NV (GTO.AE) climbed 5.2% following a ratings upgrade to buy from neutral at UBS, which said the market is underestimating the digital security company's growth potential and scope of cost savings.</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>November 08, 2017 12:52 ET (17:52 GMT)</p> | EUROPE MARKETS: European Stocks End Lower For 2nd Straight Day As Banks Fall | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/11/08/europe-markets-european-stocks-end-lower-for-2nd-straight-day-as-banks-fall.html | 2017-11-08 | 0 |
<p>A year after the Virginia Tech massacre, the world’s No. 1 gun merchant has agreed to tighter controls over firearm sales. One-third of Wal-Mart stores will no longer sell guns, another third will have stricter rules, and the other third … well, baby steps. Needless to say, the National Rifle Association is outraged.</p>
<p>Guardian:</p>
<p>Wal-Mart, which sells more guns than any company in the world, agreed to co-operate with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bi-partisan group led by New York’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg. The group has been pushing for greater safeguards at retail outlets on the sale of firearms which fuel murder rates in America’s urban areas.</p>
<p>Under the agreement, Wal-Mart will tighten rules at about a third of its 3,200 stores across the country. A further third will stop trading guns altogether, though for reasons of declining sales.</p>
<p />
<p>The new restrictions include more extensive background checks on Wal-Mart staff selling guns; all gun sales will be filmed and the videotape kept for six months; and where guns are later used in crime, extra scrutiny will be given to the original purchaser should they try to buy another weapon.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/16/usgunviolence.usa" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Wal-Mart Rethinks Gun Policy | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/wal-mart-rethinks-gun-policy/ | 2008-04-16 | 4 |
<p />
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Investors that are attracted to stable dividend paying stocks are likely to gravitate toward the oil and gas pipeline industry. The toll road like business that insulates these companies from the wild swings in commodity prices help bring in steady streams of cash flow that can be used to handsomely reward their shareholders. Anyone looking at this industry is also likely to come across Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI). After all, it is the largest pipeline company in the U.S. Kinder Morgan is a bit of a polarizing company though, as it was forced to cut its dividend back in December of 2015.</p>
<p>There are definitely reasons to invest in this company, but there are also reasons why you may want to shy away from it. So we asked two of our energy contributors on each side of the debate to give their reasons why investors should or shouldn't invest in Kinder Morgan. Here's what they had to say.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFDirtyBird/info.aspx" type="external">Tyler Crowe Opens a New Window.</a>: The pipeline and logistics business is a unique beast. It is one of the few industries out there where almost all of the capital for growth comes from external forces, most of which is debt. It can take more than a decade before the debt that was used to pay for the project comes due, and that can encourage management teams in this business to pursue growth at too fast of a pace. Slowly but surely, the cost for that debt slowly creeps up as lenders become more and more wary of a potential default. Before you know it, that source of capital that management has relied on is quickly gone, and the company is painted into a corner.</p>
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<p>This is the problem that Kinder Morgan faced late last year, but there is a pattern of being overly aggressive in a market that demands a certain amount of conservatism. In the 17 years since Richard Kinder took the reigns in 1999, the company has been taken private, IPO'd back onto the public market again, and then it acquired all the outstanding shares in its subsidiary partnerships. All the while, these moves have been geared at either raising capital or finding a way to lower the cost of capital to fund massive growth projects. Yet, it could have achieved the same goal by tapping the brakes on growth and using some internally generated cash to fund some of that growth.</p>
<p>One would hope that the massive shareholder value killing move of cutting its dividend in 2015 was a lesson to management that it needs to more conservatively manage the balance between growth, shareholder payouts, and a sound balance sheet. For the individual investor, though, is it worth buying this stock and waiting to see if management learned that lesson when there are so many other high-yielding pipeline stocks out there that have been more conservatively managed over the years? In my opinion, I would rather invest in a company that has opined a more conservative strategy from the start.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFVelvetHammer/info.aspx" type="external">Jason Opens a New Window.</a> <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFVelvetHammer/info.aspx" type="external">Hall Opens a New Window.</a>: Tyler said that Kinder Morgan's capital strategy was a risk back in 2015, and he has been proven absolutely right. He's also spot-on that other midstream operators have done better over the downturn by being more conservative with their capital strategies.There's no getting around the stark reality: Kinder Morgan investors have lost a lot of value over the past 18 months because management insisted on paying out the vast majority of profits in dividends, instead of retaining more of it for capital investment.</p>
<p>That strategy backfired in a big way when the company's credit rating was put at risk, and management could no longer count on cheap debt to fund growth, essentially forcing management to cut the dividend in order to retain more cash. The company is also using partnerships to improve its financial position and capital structure, such as a recent $1.5 billion deal withSouthern Co.(NYSE: SO), establishing a joint venture for one of its pipelines.</p>
<p>And I think that addresses the biggest risk for Kinder Morgan in a measurable way, making the company potentially a great dividend growth stock. Tyler's been largely right on Kinder Morgan over the past year, there's no denying that. But going forward, I think there are much better-than-even odds that the company will be a solid investment, and largely because it has adjusted its capital strategy.</p>
<p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;ftm_pit=2692&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/elihpaudio/info.aspx" type="external">Jason Hall Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Kinder Morgan. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFDirtyBird/info.aspx" type="external">Tyler Crowe</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Kinder Morgan. The Motley Fool recommends Southern Company. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Why You Should (and Shouldn't) Buy Kinder Morgan Stock | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/08/31/why-should-and-shouldnt-buy-kinder-morgan-stock.html | 2016-08-31 | 0 |
<p>President Trump championed his latest plan for tax reform on a trip to Middletown, PA this Wednesday.</p>
<p>In the town outside of Harrisburg, he spoke to a crowd of about 1,000 people, including hundreds of truckers, workers organized by the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Association, and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Commerce among other business groups, in an Air National Guard hangar.</p>
<p>He said some of his plans include simplifying the tax code and cutting the corporate tax rates for small businesses.</p>
<p>He rallied cheers with the claim that his tax plan could help a typical American household see their wages increase by $4,000. A <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/10/11/president-donald-j-trump-supports-tax-reform-hardworking-americans" type="external">White House press release</a> attributed this monetary growth to, “corporate profits are being kept offshore, benefiting foreign workers and harming our own. In 2016, firms kept 71 percent of foreign-earned profits abroad, according to the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA).”</p>
<p>The release also said that, “More than 70 percent of the corporate tax burden falls on American workers, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis” and “cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, as proposed in the unified framework, could boost wage growth for the median household to almost four times its current rate, according to analysis from CEA.”</p>
<p>However, according to <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/11/news/economy/trump-tax-plan-middle-class/index.html" type="external">CNN Money</a>, CEA chair, Economist Kevin Hassett, introduced the $4,000 estimate during a speech last week. But he noted that U.S. corporate profits hadn’t kept pace with workers’ pay. And CNN Money says the estimate would end up being a $4,000 raise over eight years.</p>
<p>Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) released a statement following the president’s speech saying, “His tax plan, based on the widely discredited theory of 'trickle down economics,' will provide virtually no benefit to truck drivers and will result in a tax increase for tens of millions of middle class Americans. It is designed to benefit the wealthiest people and the largest and most profitable corporations in this country.”</p>
<p>During his speech President Trump also mentioned the California wildfires, the Las Vegas shooting, and the hurricane recovery effort in Puerto Rico. According to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/11/trump-tax-plan-4-000-raise/756417001/" type="external">USA Today,</a> there were a small group of peaceful protesters outside the event.</p>
<p>Related Stories: <a href="" type="internal">Eminem skewered Trump in a freestyle rap. Here are the lyrics, and some of the best reactions.</a> <a href="" type="internal">The US general overseeing Maria relief: 'If I were a Puerto Rican, I wouldn’t be satisfied'</a> <a href="" type="internal">Former WH strategist, Sebastian Gorka, hit back at the 'fake news industrial complex'</a></p> | Trump said tax reform will bring jobs and raise wages for American workers | false | https://circa.com/story/2017/10/11/nation/trump-says-tax-reform-will-bring-jobs-and-raise-wages-for-american-workers | 2017-10-12 | 1 |
<p>When thousands <a href="" type="internal">flooded the streets</a> of Hong Kong late last month to protest the Chinese government’s encroachment on the city’s political autonomy, demonstrators were quick to claim many common beliefs: a love of freedom, a support for Hong Kong’s unique status within China, and a passionate belief in democracy.</p>
<p>But as the protests stretch into their third week, many participants have discovered that they are also unified by something else: their Christian faith.</p>
<p>As <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/10/09/354859430/a-surprising-tie-that-binds-hong-kongs-protesters-faith" type="external">several</a> <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/hong-kong-democracy-protests-carry-a-christian-mission-for-some-1412255663" type="external">news</a> <a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/10/04/hong_kongs_religious_revolutionaries" type="external">outlets</a> have noted, the leadership of Hong Kong’s burgeoning protest movement — which seeks to preserve the city’s right to elect its own politicians without interference from the Chinese government — is headed up by several self-identified Christians. One of the effort’s most prominent leaders, for example, is Jason Wong, the 17-year-old student activist who achieved fame for leading several student demonstrations in Hong Kong before helping organize the recent pro-democracy protests. Although Wong, an evangelical Christian who attended United Christian College in Hong Kong, has said that his activism is primarily about protecting Hong Kong’s democratic process, he has also rooted his advocacy in a distinctly Christian theology.</p>
<p>“I believe in Christ,” Wong <a href="http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-10-06/christians-take-prominent-role-hong-kong-protests" type="external">told PRI</a>. “I believe everyone [is] born equal. And they’re loved by Jesus. And I think that everyone, therefore, should get equal rights in the political system. And we should care [for] the weak and poor in our society.”</p>
<p>“I believe in Christ. I believe everyone [is] born equal. And they’re loved by Jesus. And I think that everyone, therefore, should get equal rights in the political system.”</p>
<p>Other Christians have also worked to assist the protestors. In addition to Wong, two of the three leaders of Occupy Central, one of the main protest groups, are Christian, and Rev. Joseph Zen, Hong Kong’s <a href="http://americamagazine.org/content/all-things/cardinal-zen-im-praying-situation-hong-kong-wont-become-another-tiananmen" type="external">former Catholic bishop</a>, has <a href="http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/world-news/detail/articolo/hong-kong-hong-kong-hong-kong-36628/" type="external">taken to the streets</a> to express solidarity with the movement. Moreover, when government forces <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/09/29/how-one-night-of-tear-gas-in-hong-kong-just-shut-down-all-instagram-in-china/" type="external">fired tear gas canisters at protestors</a> in late September, nearby Wan Chai Methodist church <a href="http://www.hk-mic.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Hong-Kong-Protests.pdf" type="external">opened its doors</a> to assist, offering its facilities for demonstrators to receive first aid, store supplies, and distribute food. As media coverage of church’s actions mounted, Rev. Tin Yau Yuen, the president of the Methodist Church in Hong Kong, published <a href="http://www.methodist.org.hk/media/filehotlink/2014/10/06/Pastoral_Letter_to_MCHK_congregationsEng.pdf" type="external">an open letter</a> explaining the church’s position towards the protestors, noting that while the religious body doesn’t formally endorse groups like Occupy Central, the Christian faith inspires many believers to fight for democracy.</p>
<p>“The Gospel we believe in is a Gospel which redeems people from evil and sin, not only saving us from personal sin, but also freeing us from the suppression and binding of evil and sin caused by others, society and constitution,” the letter read. “It’s impossible to be politically neutral, as who can have no political view?&#160;… As Christians, we take sides according to Bible teaching and church tradition, rather than simply seeing things from the social perspective.”</p>
<p>But while many protestors in Hong Kong cite their faith as a key motivator, experts argue that their participation is also due to a mixture of politics, demographics, and fear of persecution. To be sure, the primary concern of demonstrators in Hong Kong is holding Beijing accountable to its promise to guarantee the former British colony full democracy by 2017. However, as Hong Kong locals malign Beijing’s attempt to increase control over the city, some speculate that religious protestors are concerned that the Chinese government will eventually implement other oppressive policies typical in mainland China — namely, the government’s <a href="" type="internal">much-maligned</a> restrictions on religious freedom.</p>
<p>“The Hong Kong society is very free,” Carsten Vala, Associate Professor of Political Science at Loyola University, Maryland and research fellow at Purdue University’s Center on Religion and Chinese Society, told ThinkProgress. “The pushback here is [partly] the fear that what happens in China will someday happen in Hong Kong unless people speak out.”</p>
<p>Indeed, the Chinese government, which is run entirely by the ardently <a href="http://www.deccanherald.com/content/212827/no-religion-chinese-communist-party.html" type="external">atheist</a> Communist Party of China, is well known for limiting expressions of faith — especially those of religious minorities. The U.S. State Department cited China as a “Country of Particular Concern” in its “ <a href="http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm#wrapper" type="external">International Religious Freedom Report for 2013</a>,” released in July, noting that several religious groups in the region regularly face obstacles to the free expression of their faith. The government in Beijing has attempted to control religion by sanctioning “official” versions of Catholicism and Protestantism, <a href="" type="internal">inventing its own brand</a> of state-sponsored Christian theology, and <a href="http://www.christianpost.com/news/police-arrest-pastor-of-megachurch-in-china-says-rights-group-49869/" type="external">detaining</a> or <a href="http://www.christianpost.com/news/100-christians-including-children-arrested-during-major-house-church-raid-in-china-126854/" type="external">imprisoning</a> congregants who attend underground “house churches” that operate without government approval. Chinese officials have also recently launched a campaign to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/29/world/asia/china-moves-against-2-churches-in-campaign-against-christianity.html" type="external">forcibly remove</a> crosses from several churches, and detained several Chinese Christians who resisted through <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10818879/Chinas-anti-church-campaign-continues-with-demolitions-and-arrests.html" type="external">acts of civil disobedience</a>. And in addition to <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/31/AR2008033102465.html" type="external">cracking down</a> on the actions of Tibetan buddhists, the Chinese government has officially <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/07/china-bans-ramadan-fasting-muslim-province-20147371648541558.html" type="external">banned fasting</a> during Ramadan for Uighur Muslims in the country’s Western region, with local police reportedly <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-china-blog-28263496" type="external">forcing some Muslim students</a> to end their fast.</p>
<p>“The pushback here is [partly] the fear that what happens in China will someday happen in Hong Kong unless people speak&#160;out.”</p>
<p>As the protests in Hong Kong <a href="http://online.wsj.com/articles/china-u-s-standoff-deepens-over-hong-kong-protests-1413047637" type="external">enter a new phase of negotiations with local officials</a>, Vala noted that religious minorities in mainland China are likely keeping a close eye on the effectiveness of the demonstrations.</p>
<p>“The bigger issue is that there are many other groups that the primarily Han Chinese party rules — mainly Tibetans and Uighurs — who are watching this,” Vala said.</p>
<p>The prominence of Christianity among the protest movement’s leadership is also a byproduct of the heightened role religion plays in Hong Kong society. Christians only make up <a href="http://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/religion.pdf" type="external">11.7 percent</a> of the population of Hong Kong — 6.6 percent Protestant and 5 percent Catholic — but that is significantly higher than in mainland China, and is evidence of Christianity’s unique history in Hong Kong. The British brought Christianity with them when they annexed Hong Kong from mainland China during the Opium Wars in 1842, and the faith has remained a key part of the city’s political infrastructure ever since — especially within the education system and student population.</p>
<p>“Christian and mission bodies cooperated with the British colonial government in setting up schools and social welfare organizations,” Francis Yip, Associate Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Divinity School of Chung Chi College, told ThinkProgress. “This historical legacy explains why about half of the elementary and high schools in Hong Kong have some sort of Christian background. This is also why a substantial percentage of the elites in Hong Kong are Christians.”</p>
<p>Still, not all Hong Kong Christians have been supportive of groups like Occupy Central. Rev. Paul Kwong, the archbishop of the Hong Kong Anglican Church, has openly opposed the protests, preaching a sermon in which he asked his parishioners not to join the demonstrations.</p>
<p>“Jesus remained silent in the face of Pilate,” he said, <a href="http://www.scmp.com/article/1549485/archbishop-paul-kwong-urges-pro-democracy-advocates-stop-speaking-out?page=all" type="external">according to the South China Morning Post</a>. “He was like a lamb awaiting slaughter. Sometimes we don’t have to say anything. Silence is better than saying anything.”</p>
<p>Kwong’s sermon, however, was blasted by several other faith leaders, and the provincial secretary of the Anglican church quickly attempted to walk back his comments, saying he “did not intend to belittle anyone.”</p>
<p>Ultimately, however, experts agree that while there is some disagreement in their ranks, Christians seem to be an important component of Hong Kong’s growing pro-democracy movement. And while the current protests might fade over time, the city’s Christian supporters of democracy — like the rest of the protestors marching through streets — don’t look to be going away anytime soon.</p>
<p>“People who are aware of the relation of their faith to social-political issues will continue to do something,” Yip said. “They will continue to work for the good and transformation of Hong Kong.”</p> | Why Christians Are Helping Lead Hong Kong’s Pro-Democracy Movement | true | http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/10/12/3579154/why-christians-are-helping-lead-hong-kongs-pro-democracy-movement/ | 2014-10-12 | 4 |
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<p>Heinrich, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has pushed for the report’s release for months.</p>
<p>“Make no mistake,” Heinrich’s prepared speech says. “These weren’t just ‘enhanced interrogations’. This was torture.”</p>
<p>Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N.M., said she was “repulsed by the report’s findings.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“I am repulsed by the details of the torture that the C.I.A. used against detainees,” Lujan Grisham said. “These actions go against our moral fabric as a nation that values human rights. Perhaps just as disturbing is the lengths to which the C.I.A. is going to discredit the reports of torture, rather than committing to changing the culture that led to these egregious acts of violence.”</p>
<p>Here is Heinrich’s planned speech in its entirety:</p>
<p>Torture is wrong; it is un-American; and it doesn’t work.</p>
<p>Recognizing these important realities, the President signed an Executive Order in January 2009 that limited interrogations by any American personnel to the guidelines in the Army Field Manual, and reinforcing the commitment that prisoners in U.S. custody are entitled to rights under the Geneva Conventions.</p>
<p>This closed the book on the Bush Administration’s interrogation program.</p>
<p>But make no mistake. These weren’t just “enhanced interrogations.” This was torture.</p>
<p>Releasing the Intelligence Committee’s study of the CIA’s detention and interrogation program to the American people today will finally provide a thorough accounting of what happened and how it happened. In addition, I hope that this process helps to ensure that it never, ever happens again.</p>
<p>This was a grave chapter in our history. The actions taken under this program cost our nation global credibility and they put the lives of Americans at risk.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Some have suggested that releasing this report could put American lives at risk. Let’s be clear, it has been the use of torture that puts Americans unnecessarily in harm’s way.</p>
<p>There is no question that there will never be a “good time” to release this study. We all know that for months now terrorists in the extremist group Isis have been kidnapping and barbarically killing innocent Americans because of what we, as a nation, stand for.</p>
<p>The response to their threats and terrorism should not be for us to change our American values. It should be to stand firm in our values and work with our allies to root out extremism and terrorism in all its forms.</p>
<p>The release of this study will finally let us face what was done in the name of the American people, and allow for future generations to use these findings to learn from the mistakes made by the architects of this program.</p>
<p>This is an objective and fact-based study. It is a fair study. And it is the only comprehensive study conducted of this program and the CIA’s treatment of its detainees in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks.</p>
<p>Today marks an enormous, if painful step in the right direction.</p>
<p>It is important to know that these torture methods were the brainchild of a few CIA officials and their contractors. When I joined the Intelligence Committee two years ago, I began to read the classified report material and was surprised to learn this. Frankly, it was not consistent with my assumptions. It wasn’t what my prejudices told me to expect. That is why a fact-based accounting is so very important.</p>
<p>Furthermore, it is important to know that at every turn, CIA leadership avoided Congressional oversight, and even worse, misled Congress.</p>
<p>The CIA deliberately kept the vast majority of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees in the dark on the interrogation techniques until the day the president revealed the detention and interrogation program to the world in 2006 – four years after it began.</p>
<p>Even then, misrepresentations to the Committee about the effectiveness of the CIA’s detention and interrogation program continued, in large part because the CIA had never performed any comprehensive review of the effectiveness of the interrogation techniques or the actions of its officers.</p>
<p>Myths of the effectiveness of torture have been repeated; perpetrating the fable that this was a necessary program that saved lives.</p>
<p>The Committee examined the CIA’s claims of plots thwarted and detainees captured as a result of intelligence gained through torture.</p>
<p>In each and every case, the Committee found that the intelligence was already available from other sources or provided by the detainees themselves before they were tortured.</p>
<p>However, we need to stop treating the issue of torture as one worthy of debate over its practical merits. This is about torture being immoral. Being un-American.</p>
<p>Reducing a human being to a state of despair through systematic subjugation, pain, and humiliation is unquestionably immoral.</p>
<p>It should never happen again with the blessing of the American government. As my friend and colleague, Senator Angus King said in an interview this morning, “This is not America. This is not who we are.”</p>
<p>The information in the study released today to the public will finally pull back the curtain on the terrible judgment that went into creating and implementing this interrogation program.</p>
<p>The decision to use these techniques and the defense of the program were the work of a small number of people at the CIA.</p>
<p>This study is in no way a condemnation of the thousands of men and women at this great agency who work tirelessly every day to protect and defend our nation from very real and imminent threats using lawful and effective measures.</p>
<p>In fact, the insistence that so many intelligence successes are the result of “enhanced interrogations” negates and marginalizes the effective work done by hundreds of other CIA officers not involved in these activities.</p>
<p>What this study does is to show that multiple levels of government were misled about the effectiveness of these techniques. If secretive government agencies want to operate in a democracy, there must be trust and transparency with those tasked with oversight.</p>
<p>As the Committee carries out future oversight, we will benefit from the lessons in this study. And I hope we never let the challenges of our difficult times used as an excuse to frustrate and defer oversight the way it was in the early years covered by this report.</p>
<p>Although President Obama ended the program by signing the Executive Order in 2009, any future president could reverse that order.</p>
<p>It is worth remembering that years before this detention and interrogation program even began, the CIA had sworn off the harsh interrogations of its past; but in the wake of the terrorist attacks against the United States, it repeated those mistakes by once again engaging in brutal interrogations that undermined our nation’s credibility on the issue of human rights, produced information of dubious value, and wasted millions of taxpayer dollars.</p>
<p>The public interest in this issue has centered on the personalities involved, and the political battle waged in the release of this study. But those stories are reductive, and I hope they will soon pass.</p>
<p>Because the story of what happened in the CIA’s detention and interrogation program — and how it happened — is too important, and needs to be fully understood so that future generations will not make the same mistakes our country made out of anger, fear, and expediency.</p>
<p>When America engages in these acts with authorization from the highest levels of government, we invite others to treat our citizens the same way.</p>
<p>This study should serve as a warning to those who would make similar choices in the future.</p>
<p>Let us learn from the mistakes of the past — and let us never, ever repeat these mistakes.</p>
<p>Before I close, I’d like to acknowledge that the Intelligence Committee’s study of the CIA’s detention and interrogation program represents many years of hard work by Members and staff who faced incredible obstacles in completing their work.</p>
<p>The fact that this study was finished is a testament to the dedication and focus of Chairmen Rockefeller and Chair Feinstein in deciding that oversight is our job, regardless of how long it takes.</p>
<p>###</p> | Heinrich says CIA report shows U.S. tortured detainees, Lujan Grisham “repulsed” | false | https://abqjournal.com/507827/heinrich-says-cia-report-shows-u-s-tortured-detainees.html | 2014-12-09 | 2 |
<p />
<p>Troubled theme park operator SeaWorld says it will soon stop paying its shareholders a quarterly dividend.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>SeaWorld, known for its water shows featuring killer whales and dolphins, has been dealing with falling attendance and revenue as people's feelings about using animals for entertainment has soured. Earlier this year, the Orlando, Florida, company said it won't breed killer whales and stop using them in shows.</p>
<p>The company will pay its last dividend on Oct. 7, and the amount it pays will be cut by 52 percent to 10 cents for each share owned, down from 21 cents in the previous quarter. SeaWorld says the money saved on dividends will be used to buy its own shares.</p>
<p>Shares of SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. fell 6.5 percent to $11.86 in premarket trading Tuesday.</p> | SeaWorld says it will stop paying shareholders a dividend | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/09/20/seaworld-says-it-will-stop-paying-shareholders-dividend.html | 2016-09-20 | 0 |
<p>Ali Abunimah is co-founder of the award-winning online publication The Electronic Intifada and author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse. His latest book is titled The Battle for Justice in Palestine. Based in Chicago, he has written hundreds of articles on the question of Palestine in major publications including The New York Times, The Guardian and for Al Jazeera.</p>
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<p /> PAUL JAY, SENIOR EDITOR, TRNN: Welcome back to The Real News Network and welcome back to Reality Asserts Itself.
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<p />We're continuing our discussion with Ali Abunimah, the founder and codirector of Electronic Intifada, one of the world, I would say, more important sites for news and analysis about Palestine.
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<p />Thanks for joining us again.
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<p />ALI ABUNIMAH, COFOUNDER, ELECTRONIC INTIFADA: Thank you.
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<p />JAY: So, just again, quickly, other than Electronic Intifada, Ali is also the author of The Battle for Justice in Palestine, which is his latest book, and, 2006, One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse.
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<p />So, in chapter one of the book--I'm going to read a quote--you talk about what Palestinians can learn from the African-American struggle:
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<p>While abolishing the racism and violence of Zionism practices against Palestinians is the key to justice and peace in historic Palestine, no less than the abolition of slavery and Jim Crow in the United States were absolutely necessary, recent American history demonstrates that systems of racial control and the ideologies underpinning them remain robust and adaptable. A formally liberal and rights-based order can allow a system just as oppressive as Jim Crow to hide and flourish in plain sight.</p>
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<p />One of your themes in the first chapter is what Palestinians can learn from African Americans. And we're in a city that's 65 percent African-American, and you've lived in Chicago for 20 years, a city with a very large African-American population. So what do you think Palestinians can learn from the African-American struggle?
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<p />ABUNIMAH: Well, if I can just give some context to that quote, which I think helps to answer that, you know, as more and more people have recognized that the so-called two-state solution is over, there's--more and more people are arguing, including myself, for a single democratic state encompassing what is today Israel and the occupied territories.
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<p />And often people say, well, you know, we ought to have equal rights as in the United States or as in some other countries, and what I felt that it was necessary to do is to really interrogate that and to say, well, you know, I don't think we can sincerely or honestly hold the United States up as a model when in fact there is so much systematic racial injustice.
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<p />And so what that quote leads into is a discussion of Michelle Alexander's The New Jim Crow, which was a very important book for me and for many other people, to explain how, you know, equality before the law officially in the United States can coexist with mass incarceration. And that serves as a warning for Palestinians that, you know, even if they achieve, you know, full liberal rights in a single state, they may not get out from under the yoke of racism and oppression and apartheid.
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<p />But it also requires us to examine the kind of so-called shared values. And that's from a chapter in the book called "Shared Values, Shared Struggle", that, you know, at every occasion, President Obama and all his predecessors will tell us that, oh, the United States and Israel have shared values. And so what are these shared values? And I argue that it includes things like a really racialized view of the world, where Palestinians, in the case of Israel, and African Americans, Latinos, and other people of color in the United States are viewed as some kind of demographic threat that needs to be policed and controlled and surveilled.
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<p />And these shared values take a very real form when you see--and I write about this--that the top police brass from almost every major U.S. city and many smaller cities have been taken on junkets to Israel by groups including the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, groups sponsored by AIPAC, the Israel lobby group, and they take them to places like Megiddo Prison, where Palestinians are routinely tortured, including children, held in solitary confinement. And then they come out and they say, oh, the Israelis are so good at, you know, security and in living in a tough neighborhood. And even that language of the tough neighborhood, it comes out of a racialized American discourse. And they say--you know, you see all these quotes from American police chiefs saying, oh, the Israelis are such experts, we're going to take what we learned back to Chicago, back to L.A., back to Baltimore.
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<p />And, in fact, Israel is--its niche now is the so-called homeland security industry, where they're exporting billions of dollars of, you know, goods, weapons, and services to federal, state, and local police and judicial authorities. So there's a real kind of convergence of ideology and business interest, where, in a sense, you know, if you're fighting mass incarceration in the United States or if you're fighting what Israel is doing to Palestinians, you really need to be part of the same fight, because it's the same corporations profiting from them and it's the same politicians who are talking about Israel as a paragon of, you know, human rights and a model for the United States while backing the hypermilitarization of policing, the rail to jail for schoolchildren in the cities, particularly African-American schoolchildren, where we see public education being gutted and privatized and at the same time we see prisons flourishing.
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<p />JAY: Now go back to your point about formal rights and legal rights and the substance of rights. But certainly the formal rights are better than no formal rights. Certainly the supposed equality under the law, which--we know the substance of that is not only for blacks; for poor whites too there's no equality under the law--but it's certainly better than slavery.
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<p />ABUNIMAH: It's--what I say, of course, is that it's an absolutely necessary step to abolish formal discrimination and Jim Crow, and the same in Palestine. But what I'm saying is it's insufficient. It's necessary but insufficient. You can't just declare everyone equal and then move on, because that's not--you know, the injustice--.
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<p />JAY: And you can see that [incompr.] clearly in South Africa, where they declared everyone equal, but now you have--in fact, in terms of the actual living--quality of living and quality--availability of water and other things, people are saying, is actually worse now than it was under apartheid.
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<p />ABUNIMAH: That's right, and that's another example I discuss in the book, where I think a lesson for Palestinians is that economic justice and economic democracy, restitution, redistribution, have to be really front and center and not just left (as they have been, both in the case of civil rights in the United States and ending apartheid in South Africa) as an afterthought, as something that will--you know, it'll take care of itself in due course, because the reality is it hasn't. And we can't afford to repeat that.
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<p />JAY: Now, in terms of learning from the African-American struggle, I mean, one of the things that tipped the balance in terms of equality of rights under the law was the civil rights movement in the 1960s, which certainly had some gains of actually implementing what supposedly had happened previously, you know, in terms of getting on a bus and in terms of a Fair Housing Act, an increase in these level of formal rights, which certainly has made life better. I mean, it doesn't change any of the substantial fact of the chronic poor and [incompr.] African-American and who's in prison and so on, but still there were some gains. That mass civil rights movement we haven't really seen--we've seen attempts at it amongst the Palestinians, but we haven't seen anything at that level. Like, I've always wondered why there wasn't this, like, million-Palestinian march coming from the West Bank to the separation wall and hundreds of thousands of Arab-Israeli citizens marching to this side; and that level of mass civil disobedience and civil protest we haven't seen. And why? 'Cause it's certainly--I agree it wasn't the full answer to the story, but it did create and cause some change here.
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<p />ABUNIMAH: Well, you know, I'm not sure we haven't seen it. I think we've seen it in different forms and we've seen sustained Palestinian resistance and protest. We just recently passed Land Day, which is commemorated every March 30, which commemorates the mass marches of Palestinians in Israel in 1976 against the systematic confiscation of their land for Jewish settlement. And Israel met those marches and strikes in 1976 with lethal violence, killing six people. And that experience was repeated in 2000 when Palestinian citizens of Israel marched en masse in October 2000 and the Israeli police opened fire on them with live ammunition, killing many of them, something that they never do with Israeli-Jewish citizens.
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<p />And, of course, the physical separation, which is a very deliberate Israeli strategy, and the reduction of Palestinians to just fighting for survival is part of a strategy designed to prevent Palestinians from being able to organize, being able to meet. Before we were recording, we were talking about a Palestinian marathoner who's been denied by Israel permission to go from Gaza to the West Bank to compete. And so if you can't even travel, how can you organize?
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<p />At the same time, Palestinians are finding ways to organize. I mean, even in Israeli prisons, Palestinians have gone on mass hunger strikes. And, of course, Palestinians are going out protesting every week against the confiscation of land. So this goes on.
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<p />But I think that in a sense the way Palestinians have found now to in a sense catalyze not just a Palestinian movement but a global movement to mobilize people is through boycott, divestment, and sanctions.
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<p />But I want to say something. You referred to the Fair Housing Act. I use that specific example in the book to talk about how, you know, even something like the Fair Housing Act is unimaginable in Israel today. And in fact there's even legislation going in the opposite direction. And I think it's making it legal to discriminate against people for not being Jewish, for example.
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<p />JAY: Yeah, can I just quickly give a Baltimore example, just for people who are watching?
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<p />ABUNIMAH: Yeah.
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<p />JAY: It used to be legal--I forget the actual year. I think it was the 1940s where it was made illegal. But if you had a subdivision, a new subdivision just outside the city or a suburb in Baltimore, you actually had to sign an agreement in your deed which said that you could not sell your house to blacks--or Jews, for that matter, but particularly targeted with African Americans. Later, it was formally made illegal and then informally was still in force: if you actually tried to sell your house, you could be--there would be repercussions in terms of the people that own the subdivision; and later they used blockbusting to play this. But as late as 1969 in Baltimore, there was--I'm told there--in The Baltimore Sun, there was a section of real estate classifieds for whites, a section for Jews (a separate section), and no section for blacks.
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<p />ABUNIMAH: Well, and that was true in Chicago and that was true all over the country. And it's important to--and that was true in Canada, by the way. And, you know, it's important not to lay all this history on the South and to forget how entrenched and systematic and formal this segregation and racism was throughout the United States. And the legacy of that is that cities like Chicago are still the most segregated in the world in terms of the ongoing effects of that.
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<p />But that kind of segregation, which we view today as a negative result of racism that we now repudiate, is actually the goal that Israeli policymakers are working towards with many of the laws. There's a statement from the Israeli Housing minister a few years ago, Ariel Atias, who says that, you know, we have populations mixing who shouldn't be mixing and we have to keep them apart, and so Israel actually pushing policies designed at promoting ethnoracial, ethnoreligious segregation.
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<p />But this doesn't stop, you know, President Obama from, you know, these heartfelt declarations of the values he shares with Israel. And I find that to be a particularly tragic and cruel irony, given that his own election victory is seen as being, you know, one of the fruits of the sacrifices so many people made in the civil rights struggle, that, you know, someone like him, whose election was unimaginable, you know, even a decade ago, is today promoting a country like Israel, whose racism against Palestinians, against Africans, against others is so systematic.
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<p />JAY: What are some other examples on the housing side in Israel of where there isn't this equal citizenship?
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<p />ABUNIMAH: Well, you know, it's--I mean, it's on so many levels. I mean, it's on the micro level, where you have Jewish and non-Jewish citizens in present-day Israel, where Palestinian citizens of Israel have actually had to go to court for the right to live in Jewish neighborhoods. But it's also on the macro level. I mean, what is Gaza? Gaza is really an open-air prison where 1.7 million people live. Eighty percent of them are refugees from areas that are now part of Israel. And the only reason they have to live in a fenced open-air prison in Gaza and can't go back to their lands--most of which are empty, by the way, in what's now southern Israel--the only reason they can't go back is because they're not Jewish. If they were Jewish, Israel would tear down the fences and say, come on home. So it's the micro level, where you have hundreds of Israeli rabbis, municipal rabbis whose salaries are paid for by the state, who've issued these public calls saying it's forbidden to rent to Arabs--you know, if you own an apartment, don't rent it to an Arab--and at the same time this macro level segregation. It's almost like, to use a South Africa analogy, the petty apartheid and the grand apartheid.
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<p />And, by the way, the reason these rabbis have been issuing these calls in recent years is because Israel has not allowed even the Palestinian population who are citizens of Israel to build a single new town in 65 years, has taken most of their land. So what are they trying to do? They're trying to get houses in areas where the houses are being built, which is in Jewish areas, and then they're being met with these kinds of decrees.
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<p />JAY: Okay. We're going to continue our series of interviews on Reality Asserts Itself on The Real News with Ali Abunimah. Please join us.
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<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. | Palestinians Can Learn from the African-American Struggle - Ali Abunimah on Reality Asserts Itself (2/5) | true | http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D31%26Itemid%3D74%26jumival%3D11855 | 2014-05-14 | 4 |
<p>LEXINGTON (KY)WKYT&#160;</p>
<p>The man Lexington police believe killed a retired Catholic priest and sex offender earlier this month likely has fled the state.</p>
<p />
<p />
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<p>Police obtained an arrest warrant for 26-year-old Jason Russell on murder charges in the death of 78-year-old Joseph Pilger.</p>
<p>Pilger's next-door neighbor, Karen Owens, has said that a young man began staying with Pilger during the month before the priest's death. P</p>
<p>olice Lieutenant James Curless said Pilger and Russell were not related. Curless says he doesn't know how the two came to know each other.</p>
<p>Pilger's car, which Owens said was missing, has been recovered. Pilger pleaded guilty to sexual abuse in 1995 for abusing three brothers and their cousin in 1968 and 1969, when he was their pastor in Morganfield in western Kentucky.</p> | Priest Murder Suspect Still At-Large | false | https://poynter.org/news/priest-murder-suspect-still-large | 2003-12-18 | 2 |
<p />
<p>Kevin has his <a href="/kevin-drum/2008/09/brooks_on_the_gop.html" type="external">thoughts</a> on the new <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/30/opinion/30brooks.html?_r=1&amp;hp&amp;oref=slogin" type="external">David Brooks column</a>. I want to highlight a passage he didn’t address. Here’s Brooks:</p>
<p>What we need in this situation is authority. Not heavy-handed government regulation, but the steady and powerful hand of some public institutions that can guard against the corrupting influences of sloppy money and then prevent destructive contagions when the credit dries up.</p>
<p>Huh, that’s funny. “The steady and powerful hand of some public institutions that can guard against the corrupting influences of sloppy money and then prevent destructive contagions when the credit dries up” — what does that sound like to you? Sounds an awful lot like “regulation” to me.</p>
<p>(H/T <a href="http://www.gooznews.com/archives/001207.html" type="external">Merrill Goozner</a>)</p>
<p /> | David Brooks and the Magic of Redefinitions | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2008/09/david-brooks-and-magic-redefinitions/ | 2008-09-30 | 4 |
<p>USA TodayBy Jim Swanson When military historians complete their dissection of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the decision to embed reporters with coalition combat units likely will rank at the top of their list of positive lessons learned. Ironically, a former lieutenant regarded as a villain by many in uniform, Kelly Flinn, played a pivotal, if unwitting, role in the decision to allow the media this unprecedented access to combat operations.</p> | Media access helps military | false | https://poynter.org/news/media-access-helps-military | 2003-05-15 | 2 |
<p />
<p>By <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/275362" type="external">some estimates Opens a New Window.</a>, <a href="https://www.recruiter.com/freelance.html" type="external">freelancers Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;now make up about a third of the U.S. workforce. It's easier now than it ever has been to pay the bills as a self-employed worker, thanks to communications technologies that allow us do work wherever we are for whomever is paying.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>But that doesn't mean self-employment is the right path for everyone. As contributing&#160;writer Jason McDowell <a href="https://www.recruiter.com/i/7-qualities-every-freelancer-needs-to-succeed/" type="external">pointed out last month Opens a New Window.</a>, you can't succeed as a freelancer unless you have a certain set of skills.</p>
<p>Sometimes, media outlets – our publication included – are too quick to tout the benefits of freelancing without highlighting the challenges. Sure, self-employment can&#160;bring you a measure of independence and may even be more lucrative than traditional employment, but when you work for yourself, you have to be more than your own boss – you also have to be your own accountant, your own salesperson, your own customer service rep, and so on.</p>
<p>Some of us – myself included – are better off showing up to someone else's&#160;office (physical or virtual) every day.</p>
<p>Not sure where you land? Check out <a href="https://www.businessbacker.com/blog/should-you-work-for-yourself/" type="external">this new infographic Opens a New Window.</a> from small-business funding source <a href="https://www.businessbacker.com/" type="external">The Business Backers Opens a New Window.</a>. If you follow the flowchart, you'll find out how suited you are to becoming a freelancer.</p>
<p>And remember – this isn't just a question of skills, but also a question of happiness. You may be the best at what you do, but if you don't have the right personality to be a freelancer, you'll be miserable going the self-employment route.</p> | Thinking About Freelancing? Make Sure You Have What It Takes First [Infographic] | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2016/09/21/thinking-about-freelancing-make-sure-have-what-it-takes-first-infographic.html | 2016-09-26 | 0 |
<p>(Weekly Standard) –&#160;The Obama administration is bringing in the “Sexiest Man Alive” to help “boost” Obamacare enrollment numbers.</p>
<p>“The Sexiest Man Alive is being enlisted to spice up Obamacare,”&#160;Bloomberg reports.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">FAX BLAST SPECIAL:&#160;Repeal Obamacare NOW!</a></p>
<p>“Pop singer Adam Levine, who won the designation from People magazine last month, is among the celebrities who’ll be promoting enrollment in online health insurance exchanges as part of a social media campaign kicking off tomorrow.</p>
<p>“With enrollment totals behind administration projections after the botched start-up of the federal exchange, 17 state exchanges joined by an advocacy group are drawing on Obama administration allies in entertainment and sports to promote sign-ups, using social media such as Facebook and Twitter.”</p>
<p>The goal, according to Bloomberg, is “100 million Internet contacts.”</p>
<p>Reprising a tactic President&#160;Barack Obama&#160;successfully employed in his 2012 re-election, organizers plan to use celebrity promotions and professionally produced videos aimed at inspiring Americans to encourage friends to enroll. The goal is generating 100 million Internet contacts before open enrollment closes March 31.</p>
<p />
<p>http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/sexiest-man-alive-brought-boost-obamacare-enrollment_770780.html#</p> | ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ Brought In to ‘Boost’ Obamacare Enrollment | true | http://teaparty.org/sexiest-man-alive-brought-boost-obamacare-enrollment-31743/ | 0 |
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<p>DETROIT (AP) - A former federal prosecutor is returning to lead the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit.</p>
<p>Matthew Schneider was named interim U.S. attorney by the Justice Department. He's also been mentioned as a candidate for the full-time post, but President Donald Trump hasn't nominated anyone in Michigan yet.</p>
<p>Schneider was an assistant U.S. attorney for eight years before he joined the Michigan attorney general's office in 2011. He's been serving as chief deputy attorney general under Bill Schuette.</p>
<p>DETROIT (AP) - A former federal prosecutor is returning to lead the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit.</p>
<p>Matthew Schneider was named interim U.S. attorney by the Justice Department. He's also been mentioned as a candidate for the full-time post, but President Donald Trump hasn't nominated anyone in Michigan yet.</p>
<p>Schneider was an assistant U.S. attorney for eight years before he joined the Michigan attorney general's office in 2011. He's been serving as chief deputy attorney general under Bill Schuette.</p> | Matthew Schneider is named interim US attorney in Detroit | false | https://apnews.com/amp/71fa30ff47e449e58991345c54219d36 | 2018-01-03 | 2 |
<p>I was, as my long-time readers may remember, inclined to give Leaving Las Vegas the benefit of a very considerable doubt that it was not, as it seemed to be, about insane self-indulgence but, like Kiss or Kill, about the intersection of love and trust. One Night Stand, the latest from that film’s director, Mike Figgis, suggests that I was wrong.</p>
<p>Wesley Snipes plays Max, a successful and happily married director of commercials from the west coast who is visiting New York on business. To the camera he tells us story of his best friend, Charlie (Robert Downey Jr.), a gay choreographer in New York who has recently come down with AIDS. The two of them had a falling out five years ago, but now Max wants to bury the hatchet. This they manage to do in a scene of renewed but somewhat strained camaraderie. Max shows Charlie the pictures of his attractive wife Mimi (Ming Na Wen) and kids. As Max is on his way out of town, however, he meets a strange woman called Karen (Nastassja Kinski) and is thrown together with her through an amazing series of coincidences that begins to seem to both of them like the hand of fate.</p>
<p>They enjoy the eponymous one-night stand, and Max returns to the delectable Mimi, thinking that he can leave the events of the night behind him. Not too surprisingly, he cannot. He becomes a lovesick puppy. His work suffers. His marriage suffers. His family suffers. At last he is called back to New York because Charlie is dying. He joins a tight circle of Charlie’s close friends and family in his final days only to discover—would you believe it?—that Karen is Charlie’s sister-in-law, married to his handsome and personable brother Vern (Kyle MacLachlan). He and Mimi and Vern and Karen have sushi together. Once again, it seems like Kismet. Max and Karen can hardly keep their hands off each other, Meanwhile the dying Charlie is selling all the friends and family on his philosophy of life, which is basically that of the old Schlitz beer commercial: You only go around once in life, so grab for all the gusto you can.</p>
<p>Guess what happens? At the party which follows Charlie’s memorial service, Max sees an apparition of his dead friend: “You still don’t look happy, Max. Do something.” He does something. More surprisingly, Vern and Mimi do something too. The final scene—” One Year Later”—shows the four of them once again having sushi at the same restaurant in Manhattan. The camera lingers absurdly overlong on the four of them just as the two couples are about to separate—as if you couldn’t see the “surprise ending” coming a mile off. Sure enough, what looked like fate was fate. True love triumphs over mere social convention, and there is a happy ending for everyone—except, of course, the kids.</p> | One Night Stand | false | https://eppc.org/publications/one-night-stand/ | 1 |
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<p>Soldiers from small towns with economic and social ills have reportedly born the greatest burden for America’s defense since 2001, fighting and dying in greater proportions than those from more prosperous urban areas.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/brothers-in-arms-the-tragedy-in-small-town-america-1506092151" type="external">The Wall Street Journal</a>, an analysis of Pentagon data on the hometowns of 6,800 military casualties from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan through 2016 show that 23 percent came from small towns and rural areas — even though those places make up only 17 percent of the U.S. population.</p>
<p>That compares with 23 percent of those killed who came from metropolitan areas of more than 1 million people, where 29 percent of Americans live.</p>
<p>To highlight the difficulties soldiers from those rural areas face, the Journal recounted the stories of twin brothers Chris and Mike Goski of Red Oak, Texas — Chris a Marine and Mike an Army Special Forces vet — who enlisted shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.</p>
<p>Both suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, and committed suicide after their service —&#160;Chris in 2012, and twin Mike in 2016 — despite the offer of help from Gen. Raymond Thomas, who has made suicide prevention a priority in his role as commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command.</p> | WSJ: Small-Town US Troops Die in Higher Numbers Than Big City Counterparts | false | https://newsline.com/wsj-small-town-us-troops-die-in-higher-numbers-than-big-city-counterparts/ | 2017-09-22 | 1 |
<p>CHICAGO — An Illinois sheriff’s office said Wednesday that it has identified a Minnesota runaway as one of the victims of serial killer John Wayne Gacy.</p>
<p>Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said in a news release that the remains of a person whose body was found under the crawl space of Gacy’s Chicago area home in 1978 were those of 16-year-old James “Jimmie” Byron Haakenson. The teenager had left his home in 1976 and was last heard from in August of that year when he called his mother and told her he was in Chicago.</p>
<p>Gacy was convicted of killing 33 young men and was executed in 1994. Haakenson was one of eight of Gacy’s victims who were buried without being identified. Dart’s office exhumed the remains of all eight in 2011 in an effort to identify them using DNA testing.</p>
<p>At the time, Dart asked that relatives of young men who vanished between 1970 and Gacy’s 1978 arrest submit saliva samples so that their DNA could be compared with the DNA of the remains. He said he hoped advances in scientific technology would allow investigators to figure out who the eight victims were.</p>
<p>Two siblings of the teen were among the scores of relatives who submitted saliva samples. Dart said that there was a “strong genetic association” between the siblings and the teen’s remains.</p>
<p>Haakenson is the second of the eight victims to be identified. Months after Dart had the bodies exhumed, his office announced that it had identified one of the victims as William George Bundy, a 19-year-old construction worker.</p>
<p>The investigation has also solved four cold cases that were not related to Gacy, locating five missing persons who were still alive and two who had died elsewhere in the U.S. For example, in 2013, Dart announced that thanks to the DNA collection in the Gacy case, investigators were able to identify remains found in a wooded area in New Jersey as a teenager who ran away from a nearby orphanage in 1972.</p>
<p>Gacy is remembered as one of history’s most bizarre killers, largely because of his work as an amateur clown. Gacy, a Chicago-area building contractor, lured young men to his home by impersonating a police officer or promising them construction work. There, he stabbed one and strangled the others before he buried most of them in the crawl space or dumped the others in a river.</p> | Illinois Sheriff IDs Another Victim of John Wayne Gacy | false | https://newsline.com/illinois-sheriff-ids-another-victim-of-john-wayne-gacy/ | 2017-07-19 | 1 |
<p>FOX Business: The Power to Prosper</p>
<p>U.S. equity markets posted substantial gains Monday after all-night negotiations between Greece and its eurozone counterparts <a href="" type="internal">yielded a fresh bailout deal for the debt-laden nation</a>.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 217 points, or 1.22% to 17948. The S&amp;P 500 added 23 points, or 1.11% to 2099, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 73 points, or 1.48% to 5071.</p>
<p>Today’s Markets</p>
<p>World markets turned their attention back to Greece on Monday after 17-hour talks resulted in a deal between Greece and its international creditors for a third bailout deal that will keep the nation in the eurozone.</p>
<p>The new bailout deal is subject to approval by the Greek parliament no later than Wednesday before formal implementation of the bailout begins. Among other measures, under terms of the agreement, Greece must increase revenue by widening the tax base and streamlining its value-added tax (VAT) system, while also improving the long-term sustainability of its pension system. Those were provisions the nation was previously adamantly against in early negotiations.</p>
<p>Chris Beauchamp, senior market analyst at IG wrote in a note early Monday that although an initial deal has been struck, the hard work is not over just yet.&#160;He said he’s keeping a close eye on the bailout-approval processes in Athens and Berlin.</p>
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<p>“It would not be surprising to see Alexis Tsipras depart the stage before the end of the week, given that he is likely to face more than a little opposition to a deal that is worse than the one Greeks rejected last week,” Beauchamp wrote. “A new national unity government would then result, and while this would provide a platform for reforms in line with creditor demands, it does little for the image of European democracy.”</p>
<p>On that note, while Barclays said in a note to clients it doesn’t consider a Greek exit from the eurozone as its base case, it still sees high long-term risks associated with the bailout program.</p>
<p>“Negotiations and execution of a third bailout will likely prove extremely challenging, as banks may be forced to remain closed (temporarily) and capital controls will need to remain in place for a while,” the note said.</p>
<p>Traders across the globe cheered news of the preliminary deal.</p>
<p>The Euro Stoxx 50, which tracks large-cap companies in the eurozone jumped 1.75% to 3590. Meanwhile, the German Dax closed 1.49% higher, the French CAC 40 rose 1.94%, while the UK’s FTSE 100 moved 0.97%.</p>
<p>Still, Beauchamp wondered whether the optimism would last even through the end of the week.</p>
<p>“For now, investors are in a confident mood, but whether this optimism will survive the week as details become clear and the nit-picking begins is another matter,” he wrote.</p>
<p>In the U.S., second-quarter earnings season <a href="" type="internal">will compete for investor focus</a> as big banks, including Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), JP Morgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), Citigroup (NYSE:C), Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), and Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) all report their results before the bell this week.</p>
<p>After a speech on monetary policy last week which outlined a forecast that likely includes raising interest rates this year, Federal Reserve Chief Janet Yellen is expected to again make headlines on Wednesday. She will present her semi-annual monetary policy report to House and Senate committees where she will likely face a round of questioning about when the central bank intends to begin the process of raising interest rates from a near-zero range.</p>
<p>The Federal Reserve’s anecdotal beige book report is also due out on Wednesday.</p>
<p>The economic calendar kicks off the week on a light note, but picks up momentum throughout the week. On Monday, <a href="" type="internal">traders got the latest look at the federal budget as the U.S. Treasury Department reported a $52 billion surplus in June</a>. The nation’s 12-month deficit was the second lowest mark since August 2008.</p>
<p>Tuesday ushers in the latest look at retail sales, and import/export prices. Later in the week, a snapshot of producer prices, regional manufacturing surveys from Philadelphia and New York, housing starts, and consumer sentiment are also set for release.</p>
<p>In currencies on Monday, the euro fell 1.46% against the U.S. dollar. The yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose 0.013 of a percentage point to 2.43%. Bond yields move in the opposite direction of prices.</p>
<p>Investors also kept an eye on China, where the nation continues to grapple with extreme volatility in the face of a recent massive selloff. On Monday, though, the Shanghai Composite index rallied 2.39% to 3970. Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 1.30% to 25224, while Japan’s Nikkei added 1.57 % to 20089.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">In commodities, U.S. crude oil futures settled 54 cents lower, or 1%, at $52.20 a barrel as traders brace for the possibility that sanctions on Iranian oil exports will be lifted</a>. Brent crude shed 1.44% to $58.15 a barrel. Gold, meanwhile, fell 0.1% to $1,156 a troy ounce.</p> | Optimism Over Greek Deal Sends Stocks Higher | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/07/13/greece-eurozone-deal-sends-us-equity-futures-higher.html | 2016-03-06 | 0 |
<p>Sept. 21 (UPI) — Tropical Storm Jose generated tropical storm conditions over portions of southeastern New England as it remained largely stationary off the east coast Thursday.</p>
<p>The National Hurricane Center said <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT2+shtml/212335.shtml" type="external">in its 8 p.m. advisory</a> that Jose was meandering off the coast of southern New England and was located about 155 miles southeast of Nantucket, Mass., with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. It was moving west at a pace of only 2 mph.</p>
<p>“The system is expected to meander well offshore of the coast of southeastern New England during the next few days,” the NHC said. “Gradual weakening is forecast during the next couple of days, and Jose is expected to become post-tropical on Friday.”</p>
<p>A tropical storm warning was in effect Thursday morning for Woods Hole to Sagamore Beach, including Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, all in Massachusetts, and Block Island, R.I.</p>
<p>Tropical storm conditions were expected to occur in the warning area Thursday, but the storm was not expected to make landfall.</p>
<p>The advisory said Jose is “a large system” with tropical storm force winds extending outward about 230 miles from the storm.</p>
<p>A gust of 48 mph was reported at Nantucket Airport on Thursday, while an unofficial observing site in Vineyard Haven, on Martha’s Vineyard, reported a sustained wind of 39 mph and a maximum gust of 52 mph.</p>
<p>“Swells generated by Jose are affecting Bermuda and much of the U.S. east coast and will likely cause dangerous surf and rip current conditions during the next few days,” the advisory said.</p>
<p>Between 1 and 4 inches of rain are expected along the New England coast.</p> | Tropical Storm Jose 'meandering' off coast of southern New England | false | https://newsline.com/tropical-storm-jose-039meandering039-off-coast-of-southern-new-england/ | 2017-09-21 | 1 |
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<p>Moments later on Monday morning, the 15-foot-deep hole went silent. Sensing the man was trapped, a fellow utility worker climbed into the drainage hole to rescue him. When he, too, stopped responding, a third worker entered the same hole.</p>
<p>All three men died, overcome by poisonous fumes underground, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. A Key Largo firefighter who made a desperate attempt to save the men also became unconscious within seconds. The firefighter, Leonardo Moreno, an eight-year veteran of the department, was flown to a hospital and was in critical condition Tuesday.</p>
<p>The hole, just wide enough to fit a body, was filled with hydrogen sulfide and methane gas created from years of rotted vegetation, the Miami Herald reported. None of the four men wore masks or carried the air packs that could have likely saved their lives. Moreno descended into the hole without his air tank because he could not fit through the hole with it, according to Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay.</p>
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<p>A colleague was able to wear his gear and pull Moreno out. Firefighters also retrieved two of the workers, who were confirmed dead at the scene, and treated a fourth utility worker at the scene. The third deceased worker’s body was recovered from the hole Monday afternoon.</p>
<p>The men worked for private construction contractor Douglas N. Higgins and were responding to neighbor complaints of sewage backup in the area, Ramsay said. They were identified as 34-year-old Elway Gray of Fort Lauderdale, 49-year-old Louis O’Keefe of Little Torch Key and 24-year-old Robert Wilson of Summerland Key.</p>
<p>Monday’s tragedy left the Key Largo community shaken, locals said in messages on social media. “It’s been a very difficult day,” Ramsay said.</p>
<p>One towing company posted a message on Facebook reaching out to the families of the men who were killed.</p>
<p>“While visitors might see Monroe County as a collection of tropical resorts and tourist getaways, to locals, our little island is a small town like any other,” the company wrote. “We all know someone, or the families of someone, who was lost today. To say our hearts break for them is an understatement. Nobody can bring our friends and neighbors back.”</p>
<p>Three white crosses were left at the 106-mile marker on Long Key Road where the deaths occurred.</p>
<p>A woman who lives near the manhole told Local 10 News that the area has smelled of rotten eggs for the past couple of months.</p>
<p>“It smells like rotten eggs,” Barbara Guerra said. “It was out here again this morning and I’m used to it because they’ve been a whole year already.” She said she knew the workers from walking by the area every morning, and would often wave at them and bring them water.</p>
<p>Three sheriff’s deputies who were exposed to fumes were also taken to a hospital for treatment. Five households in the area were evacuated for part of the day Monday, as a Miami-Dade County hazmat team performed tests at the scene. Their tests revealed there was both methane gas and hydrogen sulfide gas coupled with low levels of oxygen in the pipe, the sheriff’s office said in the statement.</p>
<p>The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is responding to the scene as part of its own investigation into the circumstances of the workers’ deaths.</p> | One by one, 3 utility workers descended into a manhole. One by one, they died. | false | https://abqjournal.com/930287/one-by-one-3-utility-workers-descended-into-a-manhole-one-by-one-they-died.html | 2 |
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<p />
<p>Dick Cheney’s duck-hunting jaunt with his old buddy <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/01/22/scalia.cheney.trip/" type="external">Antonin Scalia</a> rightly prompted questions about the ethics of Scalia’s presiding over a case in which Cheney is a defendant. Cheney is seeking to overturn a lower-court ruling that ordered the vice-president to disclose records of his energy policy task force’s dealings with the energy industry.</p>
<p>But the the Scalia-Cheney affair, as high-profile as it is — and as irresistible as the duck angle has proved to <a href="http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18219" type="external">headline writers</a> — is only one of a number of recent conflict of interest episodes involving federal judges.</p>
<p>According to the watchdog group</p>
<p><a href="http://www.communityrights.org/TaintedJustice/factsheet.asp" type="external">Community Rights Council</a>, 5 percent of all federal judges have gone on $10,000 “junkets” laid on by the Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment</p>
<p><a href="http://www.free-eco.org/index.php" type="external">(FREE)</a>. The non-profit group is funded by corporate donors and gives seminars on topics like, “The Environment: A C.E.O.’s Perspective” in the great Rocky Mountains where the judges wine, dine, horseback ride, and mingle with lawyers and businessmen. Three federal judges even serve on FREE’s Board of Directors.</p>
<p>This week, the CRC filed ethics petitions with the Judicial Council demanding that the three judges relinquish their FREE posts. As CRC’s Executive Director</p>
<p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3892604,00.html" type="external">Doug Kendall</a> says:</p>
<p />
<p>“There is pretty unmistakable evidence that the organization that hosts environmental junkets for judges where they talk about how and why federal judges should strike down environmental regulations appears to be manipulating their board structure and (conference) schedule to influence the outcome of important environmental cases.”</p>
<p>Consider <a href="http://www.communityrights.org/TaintedJustice/factsheet.asp" type="external">Chief Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg</a> of the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, a member of the FREE’s Board of Directors. Ginsburg served on the board with Edward W. Warren, a lawyer for the plaintiff in a case on trial in Ginsburg’s courtroom: American Trucking Associations Inc., vs. Environmental Protection Agency. The case challenged EPA’s clean air protections. The two judges presiding over the case along with Ginsburg were beneficiaries of FREE’s junkets. The ruling went 2:1 in the American Trucking Association’s favor, but was later overturned by the Supreme Court.</p>
<p>FREE argues that Warren resigned from the board once he “realized” that Ginsburg was on FREE’s board of directors. The group claims that this was done to dispel any suspicions of wrongdoing and that no conflict of interest took place. As FREE’s Chairman <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/23/national/23JUDG.html" type="external">John A. Baden</a> puts it:</p>
<p />
<p>“I don’t see anything unusual with them both being on our board. To characterize them as somehow creatures or captives of some special interests is insulting.”</p>
<p>Baden’s statement is somewhat disingenuous; as the CRC’s investigation discovered, FREE conveniently omitted to mention Warren’s membership on its board of directors when it filed taxes.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/23/national/23JUDG.html" type="external">Judge Jane R. Roth</a> of the United States Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, one of the three judges that CRC wants to step down from FREE’s Board of Directors, says that:</p>
<p />
<p>“My participation on the board has convinced me that this is not a partisan organization but a foundation very interested in presenting pertinent information.”</p>
<p>The FREE web-site explains:</p>
<p />
<p>“While our seminars are</p>
<p><a href="http://www.free-eco.org/about.php" type="external" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.free-eco.org/about.php" type="external">explicitly pro-environment</a>, they explain why ecological values are not the only important ones. We stress that trade-offs among competing values are inescapable. We show why it is ethically and materially irresponsible to pretend such choices can be avoided.”</p>
<p>FREE’s</p>
<p><a href="http://www.free-eco.org/funding.php" type="external" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.free-eco.org/funding.php" type="external">corporate funders</a> like ExxonMobil, GE Fund, Maguire Oil Company, and Pfizer International may be some of the reasons why the group’s proclaimed environmental values have a corporate slant. FREE points out that the judges junkets are covered with funds from “dead man” foundations, not its corporate funders. This separation does nothing to sway critics, who argue that this doesn’t change the group’s anti-environmental agenda and seminars which, as CRC’s Kendall says, “take</p>
<p><a href="http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2004/03/23judgerothnamedi.html" type="external" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2004/03/23judgerothnamedi.html" type="external">conservative judges</a> and give them a road map on how to advance their philosophical leanings.”</p>
<p>We are in the midst of what promises to be the most expensive presidential race in the nation’s history. Americans have come to expect the worst when it comes to the influence of”special interests” in politics. We are not surprised to hear of the astronomical corporate donations to political campaigns or of the luxurious trips that our elected representatives enjoy. Yet we rely on the judiciary to curb the influence of big money in politics, not, say, to mingle with representatives of big business during luxury seminars about how best to effect the evisceration of the nation’s environmental laws.</p>
<p>Corporate-funded junkets are nothing new; nor are they illegal. CRC has created</p>
<p><a href="http://www.tripsforjudges.org/" type="external">tripsforjudges.org</a>, which includes a searchable database that documents where corporate sponsors whisked off your local judges over the years. The judges who joined FREE’s Board of Directors also broke no laws, but their behavior was less than ethical, as is the more widespread acceptance of FREE’s junkets. Such incidents are a sad commentary on the nation’s judiciary and erode public trust, which wasn’t that strong to begin with.</p>
<p /> | FREE lunch | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2004/03/free-lunch/ | 2004-03-25 | 4 |
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<p />
<p>The UN children's agency Unicef has warned that 17 million babies under the age of one are breathing toxic air which is directly putting their brain development at risk.</p>
<p>South Asian babies were some of the worst affected, more than 12 million babies were living in areas with pollution six times higher than what is considered safe with another four million at risk in East Asia and the Pacific. The warning said breathing particulate air pollution could damage brain tissue and hinder cognitive development.</p>
<p>The report said there was a direct link to "verbal and non-verbal IQ and memory, reduced test scores, grade point averages among schoolchildren, as well as other neurological behavioral problems. As more and more of the world urbanizes, and without adequate protection and pollution reduction measures, more children will be at risk in the years to come."</p>
<p>The damage that was a result of breathing particulate pollution lasted a lifetime according to the report. The report also called for a wider use of face masks and air filtering systems as well as not having children travel during pollution spikes. Recently, a hazardous smog began blanketing the Indian capital Delhi which the capital's chief minister Arvind Kejriwal described as a" gas chamber".</p>
<p>Air pollution in northern, China is expected to cut life expectancy by about three years prompting the government to impose tougher emissions regulations on companies.</p>
<p>On Twitter:</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/ErvinProduction" type="external">@ErvinProduction</a></p>
<p>Tips? Info? Send me a message!</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/health-42250558" type="external">bbc.com/news/health-42250558</a></p> | Unicef Says Pollution is Damaging Babies' Brains | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/13487-Unicef-Says-Pollution-is-Damaging-Babies-Brains | 2017-12-07 | 0 |
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<p>In a highly unusual statement, the prince on Tuesday lashed out at the media for intruding on the privacy of his new girlfriend, American actress Meghan Markle. The 32-year-old royal said the press had crossed a line with articles that had “racial undertones,” and pleaded: “This is not a game.”</p>
<p>The condemnation was the latest in an often uneasy dance between Britain’s royals and an international press hungry for any tidbit about royal scandal or courtship. Both Harry and his brother, Prince William, have spoken candidly about their distrust of the media: Their mother, Princess Diana, died in a 1997 car accident while being pursued by paparazzi, and William’s wife, Kate, was relentlessly scrutinized for years before the couple married in 2011.</p>
<p>It looks like nothing has changed.</p>
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<p>Kensington Palace described how journalists tried to break into Markle’s home, how newspapers offered “substantial bribes” to her ex-boyfriend, and said nearly everyone she knows has been bombarded for information. Markle’s mother couldn’t even get to her front door without jostling reporters.</p>
<p>“What is extraordinary about this letter is the level of ethical conduct breaches it details,” said Steven Barnett, a communications professor at the University of Westminster. “You have to feel something for Harry, who is presumably thinking of his mother and what she had to put up with.”</p>
<p>Markle, 35, is best known for her role as a feisty paralegal in the U.S. television drama “Suits.”</p>
<p>Many tabloids alluded to her mixed-race heritage — she has an African-American mother and a white father. One Daily Mail headline described her ancestors as “a tailor, a teacher and a cleaner in racially-divided Jim Crow South.” Another dubbed her a “saucy divorcee.”</p>
<p>The Daily Mirror linked Markle with an online pornography site, saying clips of her from “Suits” featured on the adult site.</p>
<p>Markle has so far not responded, but has in the past written about how she came to terms with being a “biracial woman.”</p>
<p>“While my mixed heritage may have created a gray area surrounding my self-identification, keeping me with a foot on both sides of the fence, I have come to embrace that,” she wrote in an essay for Elle magazine in 2015.</p>
<p>Royal officials said the harassment has “been very public,” citing “the smear on the front page of a national newspaper; the racial undertones of comment pieces; and the outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments.”</p>
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<p>Harry said the commentators will say this is “the price she has to pay” and “this is all part of the game.” But, the palace said, Harry “strongly disagrees.”</p>
<p>“This is not a game — it is her life and his,” the statement said.</p>
<p>Officials had initially declined comment on widespread media speculation that Harry and Markle were dating, as per its usual policy of silence in regard to the personal lives of the royal family. But increasingly the palace has been going on the offensive because the world of blogs and social media can do more reputational damage, and do it more quickly, than traditional media.</p>
<p>“As time goes on, the royal family has sometimes been really puzzled about how to respond to press coverage — should they ignore or seek to engage them?” said James Rodger, a journalism lecturer at City University London. “This is a reflection of an evolving problem, especially with changing social attitudes and media.”</p>
<p>Harry has been linked to a number of women in the past, including another actress, Cressida Bonas. Media intrusion was also seen as having hurt that relationship. In 2012, he spoke of the difficulties of finding a partner willing to take on the responsibilities of being a royal.</p>
<p>Harry said Tuesday’s statement was issued in hopes that the media “can pause and reflect before any further damage is done.” But in confirming his romance with the American actress, the royal also made a very personal relationship public — and there’s no turning back now.</p>
<p>Barnett, at Westminster University, said there wasn’t much the royals could do in the face of a rambunctious press. Despite recent inquiries into media ethics triggered by tabloid phone-hacking allegations, Barnett said British news outlets remain as aggressive as ever.</p>
<p>“All you can do is throw yourself at their mercy,” he said.</p> | Prince Harry condemns media ‘abuse’ of American girlfriend | false | https://abqjournal.com/884477/prince-harry-condemns-media-abuse-of-american-girlfriend.html | 2016-11-08 | 2 |
<p />
<p>Image source: The Motley Fool.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>It's not easy being a cockyAppleshareholder these days. The same stock that rose every year since 2008 finally proved mortal with a decline in 2015. Apple stock is also trading lower so far in 2016.</p>
<p>I recently reviewed <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/06/18/when-will-netflix-apple-disney-hit-100-again.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">three former market darlings</a>that started the year above $100, only to fall to the double digits. Apple was one of them. It has slipped 9% through the first half of the year, but it's a good trading day or two from reclaiming the triple digits.</p>
<p>Let's go over a few of the reasons Apple has a shot to regain $100 later this year.</p>
<p>Apple doesn't have to fire on all cylinders to be a market darling. The iPod peaked in 2008. The iPad topped out in early 2014. The iPhone and Mac experienced year-over-year double-digit declines in units during Apple's latest quarter, but it's clearly too soon to write off either of those two product lines just yet.</p>
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<p>Along the way we have Apple's push into smartwatches, TV streaming devices, and music services. This resulted in double-digit increases in services and other products in Apple's otherwise lamentable fiscal second quarter.</p>
<p>Apple isn't done. It's never been done.</p>
<p>Let's forget this <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/07/01/get-it-over-with-apple-buy-pandora.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Tidal buyout chatter</a> that's starting to bubble up to the surface. Even if Apple overpays for Jay Z's fledgling streaming platform -- and that's just what would happen if the price tag approaches the $500 million that Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Muenster believes it would take to seal the deal -- that's a drop in the bucket.</p>
<p>Apple's balance sheet is flush with$230 billion in cash and marketable securities. A good chunk of that is stashed overseas, but there's still plenty of ammo to work with if Apple should identify companies that can break it from its recent rut where revenue's slipping and profits are falling even faster.</p>
<p>Other tech giants haven't been afraid to strike with big purchases. Apple has gone for bunt singles, with its biggest deal being the $3 billion in Beats Electronics. If innovation doesn't save Apple, acquiring someone else's creations should do the trick.</p>
<p>Last month was a busy one when it came to <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/06/26/everybody-hates-apple-but-you.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">analysts who lowered their profit targets</a>.</p>
<p>The good news for our purposes is that all three targets are still on the north side of $100. However, a big reason Wall Street pros have cooled on Apple's near-term upside is the growing consensus that the iPhone 7 won't be much of an upgrade. Apple is toiling in the shadows of 2014's bar-raising iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and the market's faith that this fall's iPhone 7 can build on that is teetering.</p>
<p>That's fine. We may not get battery-enhancing OLED screens, and the leading wireless carriers are no longer subsidizing smartphone purchases, but let's not assume we know every reason someone may or may not want to upgrade to Apple's next smartphone later this year.</p>
<p>Apple's down, but it has earned the right not be called out.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/2016/07/03/3-ways-for-apple-to-get-back-to-100.aspx" type="external">3 Ways for Apple to Get Back to $100</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFBreakerRick/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Rick Munarriz</a> owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy</a>.</p> | 3 Ways for Apple to Get Back to $100 | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/07/03/3-ways-for-apple-to-get-back-to-100.html | 2016-07-03 | 0 |
<p>July 10, 2013</p>
<p>By Katy Grimes</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>There is a potentially revolutionary way of restructuring public pensions being floated by U.S. Sen. Orin Hatch which would &#160;park public pension liabilities with private insurance companies,&#160;and get government out of the pension business altogether. &#160;The plan would allow state and local governments to invest in annuity contracts with private life insurance companies for employee retirement benefits.</p>
<p>This is a potential game-changer for U.S. cities and states, and especially California.</p>
<p>But the public pension plans, who stand to lose their massive and out-of-control investment power, oppose the idea. Imagine that. And some pension experts don’t lime the idea.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/07/09/pension-proposal-aims-to-ease-burden-on-states-and-cities/" type="external">story in the New York Times yesterday</a>explains the plan in extensive detail, and is worth taking the time to read.</p>
<p>Local government would write an insurance company a check to assume the government’s obligation to provide pension benefits for a given public employee. &#160;Supposedly, once that is done, the taxpayers are off the hook on future pension obligations because it is up to the insurance company to hit the earnings targets necessary to pay out the promised pension benefits.</p>
<p>“Big players like&#160; <a href="http://dealbook.on.nytimes.com/public/overview?symbol=MET&amp;inline=nyt-org" type="external">MetLife</a>&#160;and Prudential, to cite just two, might thus step into shoes now occupied by the likes of&#160; <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/c/california_public_employees_retirement_system/index.html?inline=nyt-org" type="external">Calpers</a>, California’s giant state pension system,” explained NYT reporter Mary Williams Walsh. “Working with insurers would not suddenly make trillions of dollars appear, but Mr. Hatch said it would make costs more predictable and protect both retirees and taxpayers.” And, the proposal does not include an explicit or implicit government guarantee.</p>
<p>A report by Sen. Hatch found that the states’ pensions were a valid federal issue because Washington would likely be called upon for bailouts. The plan was devised by specialists working for the finance committee after extensive talks with public-pension unions. But, union officials were adamant about holding onto their members’ defined-benefit pensions, according to the Times.</p>
<p>The reason the plan using insurance companies could make sense is because&#160;state insurance regulators perform oversight, something “unknown in the world of public pensions,” the NYT reported. “They require insurance companies to meet capital requirements, taking into account the riskiness of their investments. Insurers are also required to hold more assets than they estimate they will need, and if they burn through their surpluses, state regulators can close them down.”</p>
<p>“Public pensions, by contrast, have no capital requirements and can make themselves look stronger by taking on more risk.”</p>
<p>While this plan sounds like a viable solution for serious pension reform, public pension plans like CalSTRS and CalPERS obviously will fight it with everything they have. Not only would they stand to&#160;lose their massive investment power, but inducements &#160;for kickbacks, fringe benefits, influence peddling, and left-wing activism would also disappear.</p>
<p>So that’s one reason to support the plan. But keep a skeptical eye on this. Insurance companies were a large part of the problem with the last financial meltdown, while politicians sat on their hands and allowed it to happen. Would this only make some insurance companies “too big to fail?”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bondbuyer.com/issues/122_131/hatch-to-unveil-pension-bill-tuesday-afternoon-1053518-1.html" type="external">Bond Buyer reported</a>&#160;Dustin McDonald, director of the Government Finance Officers Association’s federal liaison center, has concern with “how governments could lose control over the funds and the important policymaking decisions made by the plans and participating governments and ensuring that defined benefit plans continue in this sector.”</p>
<p>William “Flick” Fornia, president of Denver-based Pension Trustee Advisors, an actuarial consultant to state and local pension plans, said Hatch’s bill is unworkable. “I don’t think it’s going to work because the capital requirements for insurance companies are much more stringent that the requirements that the states put on themselves for their pension funds. Public pension fund earnings tend to be higher than insurance companies’ [earnings] would be because of their investment flexibility and therefore the costs would go up quite a bit to try to have public employees insured.”</p>
<p>Read the New York Times story: “ <a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/07/09/pension-proposal-aims-to-ease-burden-on-states-and-cities/" type="external">Pension Proposal Aims to Ease Burden on States and Cities</a>,” and Bond Buyer’s story: “ <a href="http://www.bondbuyer.com/issues/122_131/hatch-to-unveil-pension-bill-tuesday-afternoon-1053518-1.html" type="external">Hatch offers pension reform bill; experts say it wouldn’t work.</a>“</p> | Revolutionary pension game-changer, or bigger pension problems? | false | https://calwatchdog.com/2013/07/10/revolutionary-pension-game-changer-or-bigger-pension-problems/ | 2018-07-20 | 3 |
<p><a href="" type="internal" />March 12, 2013</p>
<p>By Katy Grimes</p>
<p>Click-click-click went lawmakers’ smart phones as they texted Monday while seeming to listen to four hours of hearings on&#160;expanding broadband Internet services to poor people. At the same hearing, representatives from AT&amp;T, Verizon, and the California Cable and Telecommunications Association asked lawmakers for forward thinking, reasonable policies and workable regulations.</p>
<p>The companies pointed out that broadband now rapidly is moving to such wireless networks from expensive land-lines. And the hearings didn’t even touch on how rural Californians, even with no land-lines or WiFi service available, already can sign up for satellite broadband services.</p>
<p>“Bridging the digital divide in California: A foundation for a better way of life,” was the hearing’s name. It was held by the <a href="http://autl.assembly.ca.gov/" type="external">Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee</a>. The clincher of “bridging the divide” would be passage of <a href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/asm/ab_1251-1300/ab_1299_bill_20130222_introduced.html" type="external">AB 1299</a>, by the committee chairman, Assemblyman Steven Bradford, D-Los Angeles. AB 1299 would allow the <a href="http://www.tellusventure.com/blog/casf-application-stack-gets-a-little-shorter/" type="external">California Advanced Services Fund</a> to spend more money on broadband in public-housing projects.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=puc&amp;group=00001-01000&amp;file=270-285" type="external">mission</a> of the <a href="http://www.cetfund.org" type="external">fund</a>&#160;is to “encourage deployment of high-quality advanced communications services to all Californians.” Bradford’s bill would add special instructions to the California Public Utilities Commission to “encourage deployment and adoption” in “publicly supported housing communities in urban regions.”</p>
<p>According to the committee analysis, the term “digital divide” refers to “the gap that prevents access to the Internet by individuals, businesses and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels.” If lawmakers had discussed satellites, they would have learned that the only places in California without broadband access are caves.</p>
<p>As to cities, big and small ones in California long have been outfitted for many years with broadband cable, fiberoptic and WiFi services. They usually cost $30 to $50 a month. And as anyone who lives in the state knows, the services keep getting better, and sometimes even cheaper.</p>
<p>The crux of the hearing centered on what the role of the communications industry is in closing the “digital divide,” and how much more money the Legislature can extract from them to pay for this. As with the controversial $2.2 billion federal “ <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323511804578296001368122888.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTWhatsNewsCollection" type="external">Obamaphone” subsidy</a>for cell phones to the poor, the money actually would come from increased fees for current users.</p>
<p>“In a period when broadband has become essential for jobs, economic growth and democratic engagement, a vast number of Californians live in areas without broadband,” the analysis said. “Many of these residents are poor or live in urban or rural areas that will remain unserved or underserved unless state broadband policies spur investment to address this deficiency.” Investment would mean tax and fee increases on those already using the services, in particular on those in urban areas where housing costs much more than in rural areas.</p>
<p>In 2002, the California Legislature ordered the PUC to develop a plan to spur more widespread broadband infrastructure in the state. During this process, the CPUC also was to identify barriers to the process, and help develop a plan for addressing these.</p>
<p>By 2005, the CPUC approved the merger of telecom companies: SBC with AT&amp;T, and Verizon with MCI. With the approval, the CPUC required the newly merged companies to increase charitable contributions of broadband access to low-income areas and communities. The CPUC ordered a $60 million charitable contribution fund to be created by the companies.</p>
<p>This established the <a href="http://www.cetfund.org" type="external">California Emerging Technology Fund</a>. Issues on the table currently with the fund are best practices for local broadband policy, better use of broadband availability and mapping data, the role of wireless Internet service providers and public and private infrastructure funding.</p>
<p>The second component of the 2013 broadband legislation is by <a href="http://sd20.senate.ca.gov/" type="external">Senator Alex Padilla</a>, D-San Fernando Valley. He authored <a href="http://www.tellusventure.com/downloads/casf/legislation/sb_740_current_draft.pdf" type="external">SB740</a>, which would add $100 million to the fund and allow five more years to collect it. SB740 would give the PUC the ability to give grants and loans to a broader spectrum of organizations, but with an eye on broadband infrastructure construction.</p>
<p>Robert Wullenjohn with the CPUC said if SB740 is passed, the federal government could provide more matching money — as much at $700 million total, with grants going to schools and libraries in underserved areas.</p>
<p>The California Emerging Technology Fund was represented at the hearing by <a href="http://www.cetfund.org/aboutus/board/McPeak-Sunne" type="external">Sunne Wright McPeak</a>.&#160;The <a href="http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Telco/emergingtech/" type="external">CPUC website</a> explains the fund was created “to achieve ubiquitous access to broadband and advanced services in California through the use of emerging technologies by the year 2010.”</p>
<p>The CPUC’s <a href="http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Telco/emergingtech/" type="external">website</a>&#160;said the CETF:</p>
<p>* Is not intended simply to be a “build it and they will come” approach. The CETF will work to expand broadband adoption and use.</p>
<p>* The CETF will focus a significant amount of its resources on the needs of underserved communities and bridging the Digital Divide.</p>
<p>* At least $5 million will be earmarked to fund telemedicine applications that serve California’s underserved communities, particularly rural areas and facilities with a large number of indigent patients.</p>
<p>Ironically, while I was writing this story, the website for the CETF, <a href="http://cetfund.org" type="external">cetfund.org</a>, was not available. One would think the emerging technology folks at least would have their own technology in working order.</p>
<p>However, at the hearing, McPeak handed out a slick, expensively printed <a href="http://www.cetfund.org/annualreports" type="external">annual report</a> for 2012-13.</p>
<p>“This is going to be pivotal in California history in getting broadband to 200,000 people in public housing who don’t have access,” McPeak said.</p>
<p>McPeak explained that, with the $60 million committed by AT&amp;T and Verizon, the CETF set a goal of 10 years to have of 98 percent of all households to have access, and 80 percent of Californians to have access at home.</p>
<p>McPeak said that in 2008 statewide broadband use at home was 55 percent. Today it is 73 percent, 7 percentage points ahead of the rest of the country, with gains in minority communities.</p>
<p>In 2009 the fund received two grants from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, President Obama’s economic stimulus program, totaling $14.3 million to increase broadband adoption in California.</p>
<p>It is unclear what the stimulus money was specifically used for. However, the CETF created another program, this one called the “Get Connected!” program, “a public awareness and education program, allowing the federal government to better leverage their funds for greater impact,” according to committee analysis.</p>
<p>This sounds like a government-funded program to nowhere.</p>
<p>McPeak said the original $60 million left very few resources to put into actual broadband structure, sounding as if the state demanded just enough to make it look as if they were doing something.</p>
<p>McPeak said the CETF had a focus on connecting public housing through a “smart housing” program. “CETF formulated a model policy for Smart Housing, briefed state and local government policymakers, and conducted workshops with stakeholders,” the annual report said. “CETF and the California Department of Housing and Community Development jointly requested that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development amend federal policies and regulations to support and promote Smart Housing.”</p>
<p>In other words, no smart housing has been accomplished.&#160;This appears to be a program created as a landing place for federal funds.</p>
<p>McPeak admitted the bulk of public housing in California is not connected to the Internet. But she said they have the federal government finally paying attention to this — $74 million later. And again, any of these public housing units easily could set up satellite Internet access.</p>
<p>The panel made up of communications companies had one message for legislators: Get out of the way.</p>
<p>Bill Devine of AT&amp;T told the committee the rise in consumer demand of using wireless connections to go online means people are more likely to use mobile devices.</p>
<p>“Consumers from all economic backgrounds are demanding service,” Devine said. “Many of our customers are cutting the cord and using mobile devices for all Internet. And wireless broadband is allowing this.” The legislators’ own constant texting during the hearing was evidence of this.</p>
<p>Devine said AT&amp;T invested $7 billion in 2010-12 in wireless services, and will invest another $14 billion over the next three years. “California will get a large part of that,” Devine said. “But we need regulatory policies in California that are forward looking, that promote capital investment.”</p>
<p>And he noted AT&amp;T gave $45 million to the CETF.</p>
<p>Carolyn McIntyre with the California Cable and Telecommunications Association said private investment is more than $11 billion since 1996.</p>
<p>McIntyre said 15 million homes have broadband access, and $1.5 billion a year is spent on advancing this.</p>
<p>Expanding into public housing is a goal, according to McIntyre, “as long as we are granted right of access to the properties,” indicating a problem. But she never said what the access problem was.</p>
<p>McIntyre said they are working with Los Angeles to grant access to the necessary properties to increase wireless services and hot-spot areas.</p>
<p>She said her organization offers free broadband to schools and libraries, and is committed to a plan for more lower income communities.</p>
<p>Tim McCallion with Verizon said there is great need to streamlining permit process, especially for upgrades to cell towers.</p>
<p>While encouraging adoption of these two new bills could mean more computer classes, computer labs in community centers, and even subsidized cell and Internet service for low-income families, the track record so far is not impressive. &#160;As worthy sounding as these benefits may be, adding them, at the expense of the communication companies, will merely take money away from necessary new broadband infrastructure investments that would benefit everyone, including the poor.</p>
<p>The hearing also seemed to be stuck thinking of technology in terms of the late-1990s. The lack of a discussion of satellite services was telling, even though satellites already bring broadband to most rural areas. Instead, the focus was on expanding expensive land-line services and putting up more cell towers.</p>
<p>Most likely, the money taken from ratepayers will be redirected to more subsidies, social programs, marketing campaigns and government Web sites.</p> | Lawmakers text while discussing lack of broadband for poor | false | https://calwatchdog.com/2013/03/12/lawmakers-text-while-discussing-lack-of-broadband-for-poor/ | 2018-03-20 | 3 |
<p />
<p>In 1989, an intelligence analyst working for then-Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney issued a startling report. After reviewing classified information from field agents, he had determined that Pakistan, despite official denials, had built a nuclear bomb. “I was not out there alone,” the analyst, Richard Barlow, recalls. “This was the same conclusion that had been reached by many people in the intelligence community.”</p>
<p>But Barlow’s conclusion was politically inconvenient. A finding that Pakistan possessed a nuclear bomb would have triggered a congressionally mandated cutoff of aid to the country, a key ally in the CIA’s efforts to support Afghan rebels fighting a pro-Soviet government. It also would have killed a $1.4-billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Islamabad.</p>
<p>Barlow’s report was dismissed as alarmist. A few months later, a Pentagon official downplayed Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities in testimony to Congress. When Barlow protested to his superiors, he was fired.</p>
<p>Three years later, in 1992, a high-ranking Pakistani official admitted that the country had developed the ability to assemble a nuclear weapon by 1987. In 1998, Islamabad detonated its first bomb. “This was not a failure of intelligence,” says Barlow. “The intelligence was in the system.”</p>
<p>Barlow’s case points to an issue that has largely been overlooked in the post-September 11 debate about how to “fix” the nation’s spy networks: Sometimes, the problem with intelligence is not a lack of information, but a failure to use it.</p>
<p>In the early days of the Vietnam War, a CIA analyst named Sam Adams discovered that the United States was seriously underestimating the strength of the Vietcong. The agency squelched his findings and he left in frustration. During the Reagan years, Melvin Goodman, then a top Soviet analyst at the agency, reported that the “Evil Empire” was undergoing a severe economic and military decline. Goodman was pressured to revise his findings–because, he says, then-CIA director William Casey wanted to portray a Soviet Union “that was 10 feet tall” in order to justify bigger military budgets. (Reagan’s Secretary of State, George Shultz, put it more delicately in his memoirs: Reports from Casey’s CIA, he wrote, were “distorted by strong views about policy.”)</p>
<p>At about the same time Barlow issued his warnings about Pakistan, an Energy Department analyst named Bryan Siebert was investigating Saddam Hussein’s nuclear program. His report concluded that “Iraq has a major effort under way to produce nuclear weapons,” and recommended that the National Security Council look into the matter. But the Bush administration–which had been supporting Iraq as a counterweight to the Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iran–ignored the report. It was only in 1990, after Saddam invaded Kuwait, that clear-eyed intelligence reporting on Iraq came into fashion.</p>
<p>More recently, the Clinton administration went to great lengths to protect Boris Yeltsin, who was viewed as a critical partner in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. One former intelligence analyst says that Al Gore and his national security adviser, Leon Fuerth, would “bury their heads in the sand” if presented with any derogatory report about Yeltsin. “Taking unpopular positions means that you get bad reviews and don’t get promoted,” he says. “Some analysts simply stop pursuing information because they know that it can get them into trouble.”</p>
<p>A different type of political filtering takes place when the CIA relies on “liaison relationships” with foreign intelligence agencies, whose reports are often colored by the biases of the local elite. One notorious example came in Iran in the 1970s, when despite decades of cooperation with the secret police, the U.S. government failed to grasp the extent of public opposition to the Shah. Less than four months before Khomeini’s revolution toppled the Iranian monarchy in early 1979, the Defense Intelligence Agency reported that the Shah was “expected to remain actively in power over the next 10 years.”</p>
<p>In Pakistan, the CIA has worked closely with the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) ever since the two institutions teamed up in the 1980s to fund and direct the Afghan guerrillas. After the Taliban took power in 1996, the CIA relied on the Pakistanis for help in monitoring the regime. But the agency reportedly got little support or information from its ally in Islamabad–probably because isi was also one of the Taliban’s primary backers. “We have consistently misled ourselves because we don’t have our own sources of information,” warns Burton Hersh, author of The Old Boys: The American Elite and the Origins of the CIA. “If we had had people working the bazaars in Saudi Arabia or Egypt, we would have seen that there is a lot of unhappiness and that even upper-middle-class people were thinking about joining up with bin Laden.”</p>
<p>Reforms of U.S. intelligence–whether they involve bigger budgets, better recruiting, or more effective spying–won’t make much of a difference, Hersh and others warn, as long as officials are unwilling to hear the bad news.</p>
<p /> | Political Intelligence | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2002/01/political-intelligence/ | 2018-01-01 | 4 |
<p>Former CIA operative Valerie Plame ripped into the Bush administration Friday for blowing her cover by leaking her identity to the press in 2003. Plame told Congress in her first public testimony that her name and identity were “carelessly and recklessly abused by senior officials in the White House and State Department,” pointing out the “terrible irony” of the circumstances surrounding her outing.</p>
<p>AP:</p>
<p>“It was a terrible irony that administration officials were the ones who destroyed my cover,” she told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.</p>
<p>“If our government cannot even protect my identity, future foreign agents who might consider working with the Central Intelligence Agency and providing needed intelligence would think twice,” Plame said in response to a question.</p>
<p />
<p>The hearing was the first time Plame has publicly answered questions about the case, which led to the recent perjury and obstruction of justice conviction of Vice President Dick Cheney’s former top aide, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby.</p>
<p>Her appearance was a moment of gripping political theater as Democrats questioned whether the Bush administration mishandled classified information by leaking her identity to reporters. No one has been charged with leaking her identity.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8NTD18O1&amp;show_article=1" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Plame Takes the Stand | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/plame-takes-the-stand/ | 2007-03-16 | 4 |
<p>McDonald's Corp.'s pivot to cost-conscious customers is gaining traction.</p>
<p>The burger and fast-food restaurant chain said that sales in restaurants opened at least 13 months surpassed expectations in the latest quarter, rising 6% globally. That was largely fueled by higher customer visits in the U.S., driven by low prices on beverages and its value menu offerings, McDonald's said on Tuesday.</p>
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<p>"We are serving more customers, more often," said McDonald's President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Easterbrook.</p>
<p>McDonald's began revamping its value menu in the U.S. a couple of years ago, after realizing that it had been losing customers in recent years to rivals serving cheaper food rather than higher-end fast-casual restaurants it had been trying to emulate with healthier and upscale items.</p>
<p>In recent months, its $1 drinks and promotion to pick two items for $5 helped draw in more customers.</p>
<p>In the U.S., McDonald's said it also benefited from the continued success of its premium, semi-customizable burgers and sandwiches, which are more expensive than a Big Mac, but cheaper than some higher-end burger chains like Five Guys. It is part of a high/low menu strategy it says it is employing to attract customers and maintain profit margins. In the latest quarter, its operating margin continued to expand.</p>
<p>McDonald's per-share profit rose 9% on a comparable basis, excluding certain one-time items. Its shares were up about 1% in Tuesday morning trading. Over the past year, McDonald's shares had risen 44% through Monday's market close.</p>
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<p>Total revenue fell about 10% to $5.75 billion in the quarter, after McDonald's sold more of its restaurants to franchisees and only collected a percentage of the sales from them, the company said. During the quarter, McDonald's sold its locations in China and Hong Kong to franchisees, reaching its target to refranchise 4,000 restaurants.</p>
<p>"McDonald's ability to consistently grow earnings despite a generally volatile environment" makes this quarter the 10th consecutive period that the chain met or beat analysts' expectations, said Will Slabaugh of investment bank Stephens Inc.</p>
<p>McDonald's is also adding self-order kiosks, delivery, mobile ordering and payment, and remodeling restaurants, in an effort to set itself up for long-term growth.</p>
<p>McDonald's has been testing delivery in the U.S. with UberEATS since January, and in July expanded delivery to 13 countries, including 3,500 restaurants in the U.S. The chain, which offered delivery in Asia and the Middle East for many years, said it remains a clear opportunity for sales growth given that 75% of the population in its biggest global markets live less than 3 miles from a McDonald's.</p>
<p>Write to Annie Gasparro at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>October 24, 2017 10:03 ET (14:03 GMT)</p> | McDonald's Profit Rises, Refranchising Drive Dents Revenue--Update | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/10/24/mcdonalds-profit-rises-refranchising-drive-dents-revenue-update.html | 2017-10-24 | 0 |
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