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<p>Walgreen Co. said Tuesday that it recorded a non-cash loss of $866 million in the quarter that ended Aug. 31 because it decided to exercise early its option to buy the remaining stake of Alliance-Boots that it did not already own.</p>
<p>The Deerfield, Illinois, company bought a 45 percent stake in Swiss health and beauty retailer Alliance Boots in 2012. It had until next year to decide whether to buy the rest of Alliance Boots, which runs the largest drugstore chain in the United Kingdom.</p>
<p>But the company said last month that it would complete that deal. Walgreen spokesman Michael Polson said that because the company exercised that option early, it had to remove from its books the future value that it represented, which led to the non-cash charge.</p>
<p>Overall, Walgreen lost $239 million, or 25 cents per share, in the quarter. That compares to a gain of $657 million, or 69 cents per share, in last year’s quarter. Adjusted results, which do not include the Alliance Boots charge, totaled 74 cents per share.</p>
<p>That matched analyst expectations, according to Zacks Investment Research.</p>
<p>Walgreen’s revenue rose more than 6 percent to about $19.1 billion, while analysts expected $19.02 billion.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Walgreen runs the nation’s largest drugstore chain, with more than 8,200 locations.</p>
<p>It wrapped up a rough quarter Aug. 31 in which its stock price tumbled 16 percent while the Standard &amp; Poor’s 500 index climbed 4 percent over the same span. Much of that drop came in early August after Walgreen lowered a forecast for earnings it expects after combining with Alliance Boots.</p>
<p>Walgreen had announced the resignation of Chief Financial Officer Wade Miquelon a couple days before it provided that update.</p>
<p>It also announced that it would not pursue an overseas reorganization with Europe’s Alliance Boots that could have trimmed its U.S. taxes. The drugstore chain said it wasn’t sure such a move would pass IRS scrutiny, and it acknowledged feeling pressure to not pursue the move known as an inversion. Several politicians had criticized the company, which draws nearly all its revenue from U.S. stores, for even considering it.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, Walgreen shares climbed 2.3 percent, or $1.35, to $60.95 in premarket trading about an hour befpore the market open.</p> | Walgreen reports 4Q loss | false | https://abqjournal.com/470722/walgreen-reports-4q-loss.html | 2 |
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<p>BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) — Christine Estellon, 41, lived in Wheeling before moving to Pittsburgh to advance her career as a director of supply chain order management with Covestro.</p>
<p>Nicholas Cartmill, 33, called South Charleston home before getting a job with MTV and later HGTV. He now lives in New York City.</p>
<p>Megan Constantino, 34, said she felt fortunate that she and her husband Frank, 36, were able to land good jobs in West Virginia. The two called Beckley home for most of their lives but later moved to Tampa so Frank could advance his career as a regional business manager for a medical device company.</p>
<p>Estellon, Cartmill, and the Constantinos said the big driver in their decisions to leave the Mountain State dealt with opportunity and advancing their careers, which they didn't feel was possible in West Virginia. Although many people who moved outside of the state had many different reasons for moving, opportunity usually headed the list.</p>
<p>Christiadi — who has but one name — is a research associate for West Virginia University's Bureau of Business and Economic Research. He said people's decision to leave is mostly driven by economics and by how well the state's economy is relative to the U.S. economy. Natalie Roper, who leads Generation West Virginia, said quality of place also plays a role.</p>
<p>West Virginia ranks low on AARP's Livability Index which scores states and neighborhoods on a scale from 0-100. Scores are based on categories of housing affordability and access; neighborhoods' access to life, work and play; safe and convenient options for transportation; clean air and water; prevention, access and quality of health; civic and social involvement; and opportunity, inclusion and possibilities.</p>
<p>The state as a whole has a score of 50. High points are housing affordability, where the state scored 60, and engagement, where the state earned a score of 66. The lowest scores were access to life, work and play, where the state had a score of 38, and the health category, where the state had a score of 31. Opportunity was middle of the road at 51. Many of the surrounding states had similar scores with Kentucky scoring lower at a 47, where health also ranked low on the list at a 35.</p>
<p>Finding opportunity</p>
<p>Estellon received her undergraduate degree in chemistry, interning at Bayer in New Martinsville where she later was hired full-time upon graduation. However, she said she started to become concerned about opportunities to advance her career.</p>
<p>She later received her MBA and landed at the corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh. Initially, she commuted from Wheeling but after she and her husband, Francois, got married, they settled in Canonsburg.</p>
<p>The Constantinos always had a desire to move somewhere warm and sunny. Both had lived in the Mountain State all their lives but Frank found he needed to move to advance his career.</p>
<p>The two relocated to Florida in 2015, spending sunny days on the beach with their 3-year-old son, Blake. Megan, meanwhile, works in public relations and marketing. After moving to Tampa, she noticed an increase in clients.</p>
<p>Andrew Cline, 28, formerly of Shady Spring, said his big reason for moving out of state was a lack of opportunity. A business major, Cline looked for jobs throughout his senior year at Marshall University. The only open jobs for which he was qualified that didn't require experience were with a rental car company and minimum wage jobs at local banks.</p>
<p>Cline moved to Charlotte, NC, and then to Raleigh, where he works as a district manager for a medical supply company and where he found a better quality of life. His region includes southern West Virginia but he chooses to live in the old North State.</p>
<p>"I make about three times what I made in West Virginia and that could easily be put back into the economy here if it was a favorable place for young people to live," Cline said. "It's crazy the difference in income between here and other states."</p>
<p>Some people said they either didn't feel like their job existed in West Virginia or there was a market elsewhere for their passions.</p>
<p>Courtney Bell, 40, grew up in Charleston and moved to Huntington, where she had a photography studio for 10 years. She said her passion was in the genre of boudoir photography. She said she loved seeing women gain confidence from their sessions.</p>
<p>"But, when you get right down to it, we are talking about photo sessions of women in lingerie or even tasteful nude portraits and, unfortunately, the market for this type of photography just wasn't in Huntington," she said.</p>
<p>Bell said she felt she spent much of her time in Huntington educating people about boudoir sessions. She joined the Association of International Boudoir Photographers where she met Jamie Pfister, who owns The Adore Girls studio in Nashville, where Bell now works.</p>
<p>"When I went to her studio for the workshop, I was blown away when I saw how full her calendar was with appointments," she said. "The phone even rang several times during the workshop and they were all women wanting to book an appointment. You have to understand that, at that point, I was shooting maybe six boudoir sessions a month, if it was a good month, back in Huntington. The studio in Nashville was booking four to six sessions each week."</p>
<p>She said at that point, it became obvious that she had to move to Nashville.</p>
<p>She did so in 2015.</p>
<p>"I needed to live in an area where women just 'got it' and I didn't have to spend so much energy on trying to educate people on the fact that boudoir photography isn't porn."</p>
<p>Social and political frustrations</p>
<p>Nicholas Cartmill moved to New York City about three years ago because he wanted to advance his career. He left West Virginia after getting a job with MTV where he worked on Teen Mom 2 and Teen Mom OG. He recently changed positions, now serving as a production manager for Island Life on HGTV with a move to Mexico Life on the horizon.</p>
<p>Cartmill said he wouldn't find a similar opportunities if he stayed in West Virginia.</p>
<p>That was one fact, Cartmill said, for packing up and leaving. Another was that his family was on the move as well. Political frustrations played a role, too.</p>
<p>"A lot of it stemmed from the fact that I'm more independent than conservative and the state seems like that's the only mindset you encounter," he said. "It seemed like, politically, we continued to elect people who didn't look out for its residents.</p>
<p>"It was frustrating to vote in an election where I felt like I never had a voice."</p>
<p>For Ashley, 30, and Sean Noland, 34, finding a stable future was the biggest reason for leaving West Virginia. The two, who now call Redwood City, California, home, said the political climate back in the Mountain State also played a role on why they didn't see a bright future any time soon.</p>
<p>"In my opinion, the Legislature, the court system, the governor's office, and the rest have demonstrated abysmal leadership over the past five years," Sean said. "We didn't see it turning around and didn't see potential from it. We wanted to get away. We saw it getting worse before it got better."</p>
<p>Some also mentioned frustration with a lack of diversity, saying they felt more at home in a melting pot of a larger city. According to the U.S. Census as of July 1, 2016, West Virginia's population was 93.6 percent white.</p>
<p>Estellon said her husband, Francois, moved to the U.S. from outside the country. Pittsburgh felt like a better fit for them.</p>
<p>"Wheeling was not a cultural fit and he didn't want to drive the hour plus to Pittsburgh," she said. "I chose to stay on the southern side of Pittsburgh to remain closer to my family and friends in Wheeling. As our family grew, we ended up moving slightly more north for more space and a better school district."</p>
<p>Megan Constantino said she enjoys the culture in Tampa.</p>
<p>"There's every culture you can think of," she said. "We moved into a melting pot. Even though we traveled to over 30 countries, we've learned so much about the similarities and differences as people. It's been wonderful for my son to grow up in an ethnically diverse place."</p>
<p>Cartmill, like Constantino, appreciates the cultural mix of a larger city.</p>
<p>"There's probably 14 different languages spoken on my street alone," he said. "A big part of leaving the state was just to meet people who were different or had completely different life experiences."</p>
<p>Cline said he grew frustrated with social aspects in West Virginia, saying he feels the state needs to be more inclusive.</p>
<p>"Many times, the locals are quick to put up walls or close their minds to things that may seem 'different'," Cline said. "Exposure to other races, religions, sexual orientations would be a huge benefit to the local society.</p>
<p>"Many times, it's unfortunate, but I see and hear individuals slam other religions by linking them to terror organizations when, truly, that is not the case," Cline said. "Some still don't value all races, religions, or sexual orientations equally and will make comments that are offensive or downright nasty to other human beings for no reason.</p>
<p>"We should create a culture of acceptance and love for all of our citizens of West Virginia and value all humans on an equal playing field."</p>
<p>Still missing home</p>
<p>Some people said they would never move back to West Virginia because they liked the amenities of where they live — including being close to concert venues, professional football teams or a plethora of activities in their cities. However, many said they consider West Virginia home even if they were unsure if it would ever be economically feasible to move back.</p>
<p>"I do start to miss home," Megan Constantino said. "There's nothing like it. While it does have a downside and is struggling, it's still home. It will always be home."</p>
<p>Cartmill misses grabbing a biscuit from Tudor's or exploring West Virginia's mountains, but he's happy where he is. He wouldn't mind retiring in West Virginia.</p>
<p>"I do love the state. I love the mountains. I grew up in them," he said. "It's also comfortable. I know the state. Sometimes, I wish it would surprise me but it rarely does. Ultimately, I want to live somewhere quiet. West Virginia tends to be quiet."</p>
<p>Estellon said she did not expect to move back, even if career opportunities didn't come into play.</p>
<p>"I don't anticipate a large influx of opportunities, so if I want to have my career, I will stay closer to larger cities," she said. "Even if I won the lottery, I would move some place warmer. My family is small, so I don't have a huge draw to return."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: The Register-Herald, <a href="http://www.register-herald.com" type="external">http://www.register-herald.com</a></p>
<p>BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) — Christine Estellon, 41, lived in Wheeling before moving to Pittsburgh to advance her career as a director of supply chain order management with Covestro.</p>
<p>Nicholas Cartmill, 33, called South Charleston home before getting a job with MTV and later HGTV. He now lives in New York City.</p>
<p>Megan Constantino, 34, said she felt fortunate that she and her husband Frank, 36, were able to land good jobs in West Virginia. The two called Beckley home for most of their lives but later moved to Tampa so Frank could advance his career as a regional business manager for a medical device company.</p>
<p>Estellon, Cartmill, and the Constantinos said the big driver in their decisions to leave the Mountain State dealt with opportunity and advancing their careers, which they didn't feel was possible in West Virginia. Although many people who moved outside of the state had many different reasons for moving, opportunity usually headed the list.</p>
<p>Christiadi — who has but one name — is a research associate for West Virginia University's Bureau of Business and Economic Research. He said people's decision to leave is mostly driven by economics and by how well the state's economy is relative to the U.S. economy. Natalie Roper, who leads Generation West Virginia, said quality of place also plays a role.</p>
<p>West Virginia ranks low on AARP's Livability Index which scores states and neighborhoods on a scale from 0-100. Scores are based on categories of housing affordability and access; neighborhoods' access to life, work and play; safe and convenient options for transportation; clean air and water; prevention, access and quality of health; civic and social involvement; and opportunity, inclusion and possibilities.</p>
<p>The state as a whole has a score of 50. High points are housing affordability, where the state scored 60, and engagement, where the state earned a score of 66. The lowest scores were access to life, work and play, where the state had a score of 38, and the health category, where the state had a score of 31. Opportunity was middle of the road at 51. Many of the surrounding states had similar scores with Kentucky scoring lower at a 47, where health also ranked low on the list at a 35.</p>
<p>Finding opportunity</p>
<p>Estellon received her undergraduate degree in chemistry, interning at Bayer in New Martinsville where she later was hired full-time upon graduation. However, she said she started to become concerned about opportunities to advance her career.</p>
<p>She later received her MBA and landed at the corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh. Initially, she commuted from Wheeling but after she and her husband, Francois, got married, they settled in Canonsburg.</p>
<p>The Constantinos always had a desire to move somewhere warm and sunny. Both had lived in the Mountain State all their lives but Frank found he needed to move to advance his career.</p>
<p>The two relocated to Florida in 2015, spending sunny days on the beach with their 3-year-old son, Blake. Megan, meanwhile, works in public relations and marketing. After moving to Tampa, she noticed an increase in clients.</p>
<p>Andrew Cline, 28, formerly of Shady Spring, said his big reason for moving out of state was a lack of opportunity. A business major, Cline looked for jobs throughout his senior year at Marshall University. The only open jobs for which he was qualified that didn't require experience were with a rental car company and minimum wage jobs at local banks.</p>
<p>Cline moved to Charlotte, NC, and then to Raleigh, where he works as a district manager for a medical supply company and where he found a better quality of life. His region includes southern West Virginia but he chooses to live in the old North State.</p>
<p>"I make about three times what I made in West Virginia and that could easily be put back into the economy here if it was a favorable place for young people to live," Cline said. "It's crazy the difference in income between here and other states."</p>
<p>Some people said they either didn't feel like their job existed in West Virginia or there was a market elsewhere for their passions.</p>
<p>Courtney Bell, 40, grew up in Charleston and moved to Huntington, where she had a photography studio for 10 years. She said her passion was in the genre of boudoir photography. She said she loved seeing women gain confidence from their sessions.</p>
<p>"But, when you get right down to it, we are talking about photo sessions of women in lingerie or even tasteful nude portraits and, unfortunately, the market for this type of photography just wasn't in Huntington," she said.</p>
<p>Bell said she felt she spent much of her time in Huntington educating people about boudoir sessions. She joined the Association of International Boudoir Photographers where she met Jamie Pfister, who owns The Adore Girls studio in Nashville, where Bell now works.</p>
<p>"When I went to her studio for the workshop, I was blown away when I saw how full her calendar was with appointments," she said. "The phone even rang several times during the workshop and they were all women wanting to book an appointment. You have to understand that, at that point, I was shooting maybe six boudoir sessions a month, if it was a good month, back in Huntington. The studio in Nashville was booking four to six sessions each week."</p>
<p>She said at that point, it became obvious that she had to move to Nashville.</p>
<p>She did so in 2015.</p>
<p>"I needed to live in an area where women just 'got it' and I didn't have to spend so much energy on trying to educate people on the fact that boudoir photography isn't porn."</p>
<p>Social and political frustrations</p>
<p>Nicholas Cartmill moved to New York City about three years ago because he wanted to advance his career. He left West Virginia after getting a job with MTV where he worked on Teen Mom 2 and Teen Mom OG. He recently changed positions, now serving as a production manager for Island Life on HGTV with a move to Mexico Life on the horizon.</p>
<p>Cartmill said he wouldn't find a similar opportunities if he stayed in West Virginia.</p>
<p>That was one fact, Cartmill said, for packing up and leaving. Another was that his family was on the move as well. Political frustrations played a role, too.</p>
<p>"A lot of it stemmed from the fact that I'm more independent than conservative and the state seems like that's the only mindset you encounter," he said. "It seemed like, politically, we continued to elect people who didn't look out for its residents.</p>
<p>"It was frustrating to vote in an election where I felt like I never had a voice."</p>
<p>For Ashley, 30, and Sean Noland, 34, finding a stable future was the biggest reason for leaving West Virginia. The two, who now call Redwood City, California, home, said the political climate back in the Mountain State also played a role on why they didn't see a bright future any time soon.</p>
<p>"In my opinion, the Legislature, the court system, the governor's office, and the rest have demonstrated abysmal leadership over the past five years," Sean said. "We didn't see it turning around and didn't see potential from it. We wanted to get away. We saw it getting worse before it got better."</p>
<p>Some also mentioned frustration with a lack of diversity, saying they felt more at home in a melting pot of a larger city. According to the U.S. Census as of July 1, 2016, West Virginia's population was 93.6 percent white.</p>
<p>Estellon said her husband, Francois, moved to the U.S. from outside the country. Pittsburgh felt like a better fit for them.</p>
<p>"Wheeling was not a cultural fit and he didn't want to drive the hour plus to Pittsburgh," she said. "I chose to stay on the southern side of Pittsburgh to remain closer to my family and friends in Wheeling. As our family grew, we ended up moving slightly more north for more space and a better school district."</p>
<p>Megan Constantino said she enjoys the culture in Tampa.</p>
<p>"There's every culture you can think of," she said. "We moved into a melting pot. Even though we traveled to over 30 countries, we've learned so much about the similarities and differences as people. It's been wonderful for my son to grow up in an ethnically diverse place."</p>
<p>Cartmill, like Constantino, appreciates the cultural mix of a larger city.</p>
<p>"There's probably 14 different languages spoken on my street alone," he said. "A big part of leaving the state was just to meet people who were different or had completely different life experiences."</p>
<p>Cline said he grew frustrated with social aspects in West Virginia, saying he feels the state needs to be more inclusive.</p>
<p>"Many times, the locals are quick to put up walls or close their minds to things that may seem 'different'," Cline said. "Exposure to other races, religions, sexual orientations would be a huge benefit to the local society.</p>
<p>"Many times, it's unfortunate, but I see and hear individuals slam other religions by linking them to terror organizations when, truly, that is not the case," Cline said. "Some still don't value all races, religions, or sexual orientations equally and will make comments that are offensive or downright nasty to other human beings for no reason.</p>
<p>"We should create a culture of acceptance and love for all of our citizens of West Virginia and value all humans on an equal playing field."</p>
<p>Still missing home</p>
<p>Some people said they would never move back to West Virginia because they liked the amenities of where they live — including being close to concert venues, professional football teams or a plethora of activities in their cities. However, many said they consider West Virginia home even if they were unsure if it would ever be economically feasible to move back.</p>
<p>"I do start to miss home," Megan Constantino said. "There's nothing like it. While it does have a downside and is struggling, it's still home. It will always be home."</p>
<p>Cartmill misses grabbing a biscuit from Tudor's or exploring West Virginia's mountains, but he's happy where he is. He wouldn't mind retiring in West Virginia.</p>
<p>"I do love the state. I love the mountains. I grew up in them," he said. "It's also comfortable. I know the state. Sometimes, I wish it would surprise me but it rarely does. Ultimately, I want to live somewhere quiet. West Virginia tends to be quiet."</p>
<p>Estellon said she did not expect to move back, even if career opportunities didn't come into play.</p>
<p>"I don't anticipate a large influx of opportunities, so if I want to have my career, I will stay closer to larger cities," she said. "Even if I won the lottery, I would move some place warmer. My family is small, so I don't have a huge draw to return."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: The Register-Herald, <a href="http://www.register-herald.com" type="external">http://www.register-herald.com</a></p> | Ex-West Virginia residents share stories of why they moved | false | https://apnews.com/amp/d458e4ce64b94b808aea3dcff9b0b9b8 | 2017-12-30 | 2 |
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<p>He writes “drivers never obey them – including Albuquerque’s finest, (the) Albuquerque Police Department and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.</p>
<p>“I live on the West Side near Interstate 40 and Coors. Traffic (signals) on Coors and Quail and Coors and Hanover have turning lanes with ‘No U Turn’ signs going north and south on Coors. I see several drivers daily making U turns at these intersections. Where (are) the police? Then I notice an APD squad car in the turning lane on Hanover and Coors going south. Next thing he’s making a U turn going north. Why have signs?”</p>
<p>Juan says the roundabout at Central and Eighth “is another major sign problem drivers don’t obey. There are two crosswalks with ‘Yield to Pedestrians’ signs, and under the signs they printed in small letters ‘It’s a State Law.’ ”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Juan says as a pedestrian he had “to yield to four drivers before someone stopped and let me cross the street. I then notice(d) the car (that stopped) was from out of town. Go figure!”</p>
<p>He says he would like to see a list of the number of citations given for illegal U turns, not yielding to pedestrians, expired license plates, illegally tinted windows, speeding, unsafe vehicle on the road and illegal lane changes.</p>
<p>“Citizens like me that follow the rules of the streets want to know if anything is being done to protect our safety.”</p>
<p>It is. Local law enforcement have issued hundreds of citations for some of these infractions, and drivers should understand officers must witness the violation to cite it. According to the data experts at Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court, the court handled these numbers of citations for violations of state traffic statutes in 2012. (Note that those drivers who simply decided to pay the fine for their violation send a check to the Motor Vehicle Division and are not included in the totals.)</p>
<p>WILL THE TRAMWAY FOOTBRIDGE BE REPAIRED? Lt Col. Jack Hahn asks in an email if there are “plans to repair the large wooden footbridge over Tramway Boulevard between Candelaria and Menaul? The west end of the bridge was destroyed by arson this summer. The debris has all been cleaned away by the state workers, and just the concrete risers remain. Hopefully restoration will be done in the near future.”</p>
<p>Done by the end of the year.</p>
<p>Phil Gallegos, who handles information for the District 3 office of the New Mexico Department of Transportation, agrees that the bridge “is not a pretty picture the way it is! Repairs for the bridge have been set in motion and should start soon. If all goes well, the $300K worth of repairs should be complete by early December.”</p>
<p>Assistant editorial page editor D’Val Westphal tackles commuter issues for the Metro area on Mondays and West Siders and Rio Ranchoans on Saturdays. Reach her at 823-3858; <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a>; P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, NM 87103; or go to <a href="" type="internal">ABQjournal.com/traffic</a> to read previous columns and join in the conversation.</p>
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<p /> | How many drivers are being ticketed for driving violations? | false | https://abqjournal.com/276881/how-many-drivers-are-being-ticketed-for-driving-violations.html | 2013-10-07 | 2 |
<p>Colorado is the latest state where a judge has overturned a ban on same-sex marriage. Though most of the decisions over the past year have been made by federal judges, Wednesday’s Colorado decision comes from a state court. Adams County District Judge C. Scott Crabtree, who was appointed by Republican Gov. Bill Owens in 2001, ruled that Colorado’s constitutional and statutory bans <a href="http://www.freedomtomarry.org/press/press-release/state-judge-overturns-colorados-marriage-ban" type="external">violate the U.S. Constitution</a>.</p>
<p>Crabtree’s immediately stayed <a href="http://www.courts.state.co.us/userfiles/file/Court_Probation/17th_Judicial_District/Adams/brinkman%20sj%20order%20july%209%20final%2007%2014.pdf" type="external">his ruling</a>, meaning that the status quo for marriage has not yet changed in the state. Though he did not employ any color commentary as some judges have, here are five highlights from how Crabtree laid out the case for marriage equality:</p>
<p>One of the arguments against same-sex marriage is that the word “marriage” has inherent gender limitations in its definition. Referencing the recent Utah case, Crabtree dismissed the idea that the right to marry does not include the right to choose who to marry: “The Court heartily endorses the recent holding by the Tenth Circuit in Kitchen v. Herbert that the marital right at issue was never framed as the “right to interracial marriage in Loving or the “prisoner’s right to marriage” in Turner or the “dead-beat dad’s” right to marriage in Zablocki.</p>
<p>“Instead, the Supreme Court has repeatedly utilized the term ‘fundamental right to marry’ without any limitations. The Court rejects the State’s attempt to too narrowly describe the marital right at issue to the right to marry a person of the same sex.”</p>
<p>Crabtree describes Colorado’s defense of its ban as “post-hoc,” suggesting that the ideas were invented after the ban was passed, as opposed to being ideas to justify the ban in the first place. He was particularly unimpressed with the state’s arguments in favor of “encouraging procreation and marital commitment for the benefit of the children.”</p>
<p>“The problem with this post-hoc explanation,” he wrote, “is that it utterly ignores those who are permitted to marry without the ability or desire to procreate. It is merely a pretext for discriminating against same-sex marriages.”</p>
<p>Investigating the legislative record, Crabtree uncovered what actually motivated Colorado to pass the ban in the first place. He quotes lawmakers making slippery slope arguments about polygamy and incest and suggesting same-sex unions will contribute “to the decay of society” and be “harmful to our state.” Only one lawmaker made any comments about marriage providing a stable environment for children, but even he was concerned that the state should “maintain that traditional definition.”</p>
<p>Crabtree dismissed these notions, concluding that “the State does not have a sufficiently important/compelling interest in forbidding same-sex marriages or nullifying Colorado residents’ valid out of-state same-sex marriages” and doing so thus violates same-sex couples’ due process rights.</p>
<p>Because the State could not establish a compelling interest for the ban, Crabtree concluded that it “cannot even pass muster under the rational basis analysis,” the lowest standard of judicial review. “The sole basis for precluding same-sex marriage is self-evident,” he wrote. “The parties are of the same sex and for that reason alone do not possess the same right to marry (or remain married) as opposite-sex couples.”</p>
<p>Thus, he ruled, banning same-sex marriage also violates same-sex couples’ equal protection rights.</p>
<p>Colorado was one of the very last states to pass civil unions, granting some of the rights of marriage to same-sex couples. Crabtree considered whether they constitute a legitimate alternative to civil marriage and found that they do not, particularly because they are not recognized by the federal government. “The fact is that those in a civil union do not and cannot obtain the same benefits and protections of federal&#160;law as married couples including filing joint tax returns, Family Medical Leave Act benefits, and facing loss of social security and veterans benefits,” he wrote. “If civil unions were somehow the equivalent of marriage, there would be no real need for this second tier relationship.”</p>
<p>Thus, “The Court finds that confining same-sex couples to civil unions is further evidence of discrimination against same-sex couples and does not ameliorate the discriminatory effect of the Marriage Bans.”</p>
<p>Crabtree’s decision follows several other state court decisions over the past year in <a href="" type="internal">New Mexico</a>, <a href="" type="internal">New Jersey</a>, and <a href="" type="internal">Arkansas</a>.</p> | 5 Ways A Colorado Judge Destroyed Conservatives’ Arguments Against Marriage Equality | true | http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2014/07/10/3458605/colorado-marriage-decision/ | 2014-07-10 | 4 |
<p />
<p>Last time we checked, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden had left Hong Kong with China’s blessing and was headed to Moscow, reportedly in transit to Cuba and finally, Ecuador. (He’s also expressed interest in <a href="" type="internal">getting to Iceland</a>.) His <a href="" type="internal">current whereabouts are unknown</a>. While we play “Where in the World Is Edward Snowden?,” here’s a quick look at the countries his odyssey has taken him to or may take him to, viewed through the lens of their relative records on press freedom, political liberties, and&#160;corruption, as determined by <a href="http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2013,1054.html" type="external">Reporters Without Borders</a>,&#160; <a href="http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2013" type="external">Freedom</a> <a href="http://www.freedomhouse.org/report-types/freedom-press" type="external">House</a>, and <a href="http://cpi.transparency.org/cpi2012/results/" type="external">Transparency International</a>:</p>
<p /> | Snowden’s Tour of the World’s Least Press-Friendly Countries | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2013/06/snowden-nsa-ecuador-hong-kong-russia-rankings/ | 2013-06-24 | 4 |
<p>Mongolia's former president Enkhbayar Nambar, currently the chairman of the country's opposition party, has been detained, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17700486" type="external">BBC News reported</a>. He had lead Mongolia as its prime minister and then president for nearly a decade, from 2000 until 2009, and now faces corruption charges.&#160;</p>
<p>On Thursday agents from the country's independent anti-corruption agency stopped Enkhbayar's car and tried to arrest him, but the efforts were "resisted" by Enkhbayar's bodyguards, <a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2012-04/13/content_15044357.htm" type="external">China Daily reported</a>. Early this morning, about 300 police officers then stormed a house he had been staying in. Enkhbayar's followers were in the building and clashed with police, but the officers overpowered the activists and arrested Enkhbayar.&#160;</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/120312/burma-economy-myanmar-sanctions" type="external">Promises, pitfalls await investors in Burma's frontier</a></p>
<p>"We have been investigating the corruption case involving Enkhbayar for a year. However, he never showed up for questioning. We had asked him often to come for questioning," the head of the Independent Agency Against Corruption <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2012/04/13/mongolian_ex_president_seized_over_corruption/?rss_id=Boston.com+%2F+Boston+Globe+--+World+News" type="external">told the Associated Press</a>.</p>
<p>Enkhbayar had lead the democracy of Mongolia during a time of "robust growth but also a widening wealth gap," with critics accusing Enkhbayar of corruption, the AP reported.</p>
<p>But Enkhbayar's supporters say the arrest was politically-motivated. About 1,000 members of the the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party attended a protest today demanding Enkhbayar's release, <a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-04/13/c_131525633.htm" type="external">Xinhua News Agency reported</a>.&#160;</p> | Mongolia's former president is arrested | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-04-13/mongolias-former-president-arrested | 2012-04-13 | 3 |
<p>Shares of commodities producers fell amid fears that credit issues in China would weigh on metals prices. Copper, zinc and -- most pronouncedly -- nickel prices fell after credit-assessment firm S&amp;P Global Ratings downgraded China's credit rating for the first time since 1999 on concerns over growing debt in the key market for industrial metals. Meanwhile, shares of U.S. Steel and Arcelor Mittal declined after analysts at brokerage Cowen cut their ratings on the steel makers, saying steel prices would fall if the recent increase in Chinese demand tapers off. Gold futures rose as traders sought out safe havens. "The market is focused on geopolitical tensions with North Korea," said Quincy Krosby, chief market strategist with Prudential Financial. "Gold has gotten a bid and the 10-year Treasury yield has come in a bit as well as the tensions have escalated."</p>
<p>-Rob Curran, [email protected]</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>September 22, 2017 16:26 ET (20:26 GMT)</p> | Materials Shares Fall On China Fears - Materials Roundup | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/09/22/materials-shares-fall-on-china-fears-materials-roundup.html | 2017-09-22 | 0 |
<p>Heavy rain and ice jams that contributed to some headaches in northern New England are in the past, and weather officials are now keeping an eye on a snowstorm.</p>
<p>One neighborhood in Littleton, New Hampshire, dealt with rising water on Sunday, and homes were evacuated in northern Vermont. In Maine, the Kennebec River spilled its banks in Augusta, flooding several parked cars.</p>
<p>By Monday, all rivers had dropped below flood stage. Bob Marine from the National Weather Service said river levels were still trending downward.</p>
<p>Marine said the next weather maker will be a snowstorm that starts Tuesday night and continues Wednesday. He said there’s the potential for “several” inches of snow.</p>
<p>Heavy rain and ice jams that contributed to some headaches in northern New England are in the past, and weather officials are now keeping an eye on a snowstorm.</p>
<p>One neighborhood in Littleton, New Hampshire, dealt with rising water on Sunday, and homes were evacuated in northern Vermont. In Maine, the Kennebec River spilled its banks in Augusta, flooding several parked cars.</p>
<p>By Monday, all rivers had dropped below flood stage. Bob Marine from the National Weather Service said river levels were still trending downward.</p>
<p>Marine said the next weather maker will be a snowstorm that starts Tuesday night and continues Wednesday. He said there’s the potential for “several” inches of snow.</p> | Rivers drop below flood stage in northern New England | false | https://apnews.com/ddf9ae7e9187401ea8cc8af61fa6b586 | 2018-01-16 | 2 |
<p>J. Scott Applewhite/AP</p>
<p />
<p>As two congressional committees began their work on the House Republicans’ health care law Wednesday, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) told reporters that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office does not need to analyze the bill before Congress starts working on it. As long as the CBO releases its predictions about the bill’s impact on the insurance market and the economy before the House votes on it, Ryan said, the process will abide by standard procedure.</p>
<p>But Ryan had a different view eight years ago, when Democrats were crafting the Affordable Care Act. In June 2009, Ryan sent <a href="http://www.democraticleader.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/[email protected]_.GOV_20170307_173751-1.pdf" type="external">a letter</a> to the CBO asking that it analyze—or “score”—the bill in advance of committee mark-ups. “Given the stated intention of the Majority to have Committees consider this legislation during the week of July 6, we ask that you please provide a preliminary cost estimate on this legislation by Monday, July 6,” stated the letter, signed by Ryan and three other senior Republicans.</p>
<p>A lot has changed in eight years. Whereas Republicans once complained that Democrats had rushed the passage of health care reform, today the Republican process is moving at warp speed. House Republicans <a href="" type="internal">kept their bill secret</a> until Monday night, then scheduled two simultaneous mark-ups less than 48 hours later without CBO scoring, and hope to pass the whole thing next month. As Congress once again dives into the reform process, Republicans are rewriting the history of how the Affordable Care Act passed.</p>
<p>Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) on Tuesday claimed that Obamacare was “written in the dark of night and rushed through Congress”—a retelling that is <a href="" type="internal">clearly untrue</a>. White House press secretary Sean Spicer has also, repeatedly, misrepresented how the Affordable Care Act passed. During Tuesday’s press briefing, Spicer four times repeated one of his favorite phrases about the Affordable Care Act, that Democrats had “jammed” their bill down people’s “throat.” He also brought up a statement from then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at the time —”We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it”—to imply that Democrats hid the contents of the law from the public until it passed.</p>
<p>Spicer said Tuesday, “Unlike before, as I mentioned, when the Democrats jammed it down people’s throat and said—waited to get that 60th vote, with Sen. [Ted] Kennedy still around, and then basically said, ‘literally, you will have to wait and see what it looks like before we passed it—we not only posted it out there for everybody to look at, but by sending it through regular order, not just putting it up for a House vote, but sending it through the committee process, allows Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike to offer up amendments and suggestions.”</p>
<p>This characterization of the passage of the Affordable Care Act bears little resemblance to what actually happened. Democrats spent a year crafting and passing health care reform in 2009 and 2010. Along the way, they spent hundreds of hours debating the bill in committee hearings, with copious <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/taxonomy/term/45/latest?type=1&amp;page=17" type="external">input from the CBO</a>. The Senate did not pass the bill with the help of Kennedy, who died in August 2009; Paul Kirk, who was appointed to replace him, <a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/111/hr3590" type="external">voted</a> for the bill.&#160;</p>
<p>Pelosi’s comment did not refer literally to hiding the contents of the legislation, which would have been impossible, because at the time Pelosi made the remark in March 2010, the full text of the bill had been debated, publicly, for months and was two weeks away from becoming law. Rather, Pelosi was expressing—perhaps inartfully—her hope that once the bill passed, misinformation about reform would subside and Americans would learn about the law’s benefits.</p>
<p>“You’ve heard about the controversies within the bill, the process about the bill, one or the other,” Pelosi said in March 2010. “But I don’t know if you have heard that it is legislation for the future, not just about health care for America, but about a healthier America, where preventive care is not something that you have to pay a deductible for or out of pocket. Prevention, prevention, prevention—it’s about diet, not diabetes. It’s going to be very, very exciting. But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy.”</p>
<p>Politico‘s <a href="http://www.politico.com/livepulse/0310/Pelosi_People_wont_appreciate_reform_until_it_passes.html" type="external">headline</a> from that night shows how the press initially interpreted it: “Pelosi: People won’t appreciate reform until it passes.” But her prediction was slightly off. It turns out that people <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/02/24/obamacare-popularity-highest-nearly-seven-years-repeal-talk-mounts/98301104/" type="external">didn’t fully appreciate Obamacare</a> until it was at risk of repeal.</p>
<p /> | Paul Ryan Demanded a Speedy Analysis of Obamacare. For the GOP Bill? No Rush. | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2017/03/paul-ryan-republicans-health-care-pelosi-spicer/ | 2017-03-08 | 4 |
<p>&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/progressohio/3450267795/"&gt;ProgressOhio&lt;/a&gt;/Flickr</p>
<p>This <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175802/" type="external">story</a> first appeared on the <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/" type="external">TomDispatch</a> website.</p>
<p>Health care isn’t the first boon that President Obama tried to give us through a public-private partnership. When he took office, more than 25% of US home mortgages were underwater—meaning that people owed more on their houses than they could get if they tried to sell them. The president offered those homeowners debt relief through banks. Now he’s offering health care through insurance companies.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com" type="external" />In both cases, the administration shied away from direct government aid. Instead, it subsidized private companies to serve the people. To get your government-subsidized mortgage modification, you applied at your bank; to get your government-mandated health coverage, you buy private insurance.</p>
<p>Let a Hundred Middlemen Bloom</p>
<p>In other countries with national health plans, a variety of independent health care providers—hospitals, doctors, and clinics, among others—deliver medical care, while the government doles out the compensation. They let a hundred healthcare providers bloom, but there’s only a single payer. If the US moved to single-payer healthcare, however, what would happen to the private health insurance business?</p>
<p>In the 1990s, the conservative Heritage Foundation floated the idea of extending health coverage to more Americans via government exchanges or “ <a href="http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&amp;id=1006" type="external">connectors</a>” that would funnel individual buyers to competing, for-profit health insurance companies. In other words, let a hundred middlemen bloom.</p>
<p>On the face of it, such a plan would seem expensive, since it means supporting two bureaucracies, one of which would be obliged to take profits for investors. Meanwhile, doctors would still have the expense of trying to collect from multiple insurers with reasons to stall. But the <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/apr/01/barack-obama/obama-says-heritage-foundation-source-health-excha/" type="external">Heritage plan</a> had one great advantage. Since Harry Truman, American presidents have tried unsuccessfully to get us national health care. The exchange system, however awkward it might be, pacified the insurance companies which had previously spent millions of dollars to defeat other plans for “socialized medicine.” With the support of those companies for a program that not only kept them in the picture, but also promised to deliver millions of new, subsidized customers to them, Obama gave us a national healthcare law.</p>
<p>The danger is that it essentially makes insurance companies our medical receptionists, a profit-making face that greets sick people whenever they try to use their government healthcare. That gives private companies a lot of power to make the government look bad.</p>
<p>That’s why it’s important to understand how banks used Obama’s mortgage subsidy program to sabotage debt relief and discredit government. If we grasp how they pulled that off, we may be able to protect the present health plan and someday even get genuine single-payer healthcare out of it. So here’s the story.</p>
<p>The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) offered banks government incentives—cash bonuses—to lower the principal or interest on underwater mortgages. Of course, health insurance companies don’t actually provide healthcare, but banks did provide the underwater mortgages so, however ill-advised or fraudulent they were, those institutions obviously had a role in negotiating their modification. The HAMP partnership was structured so that the government’s role was to provide cash incentives to banks, while participating banks would be required to accept and process the applications of those who were eager to modify their onerous mortgages. Whether they granted a modification was, however, strictly up to them.</p>
<p>In 2009, when I visited Balthazar (“Balty”) Alatas in Vallejo, California, he had been out of work for a year and had been negotiating a HAMP mortgage modification with Bank of America for nine months. He was beginning to suspect that the bank’s elaborate application procedure was deliberately designed to give people just enough hope to keep paying their old mortgages for as long as humanly possible. He had already emptied his Individual Retirement Account and borrowed all he could, in good conscience, from his in-laws. “But I may be too cynical,” he said. “See what you make out of it.” And he set down a pile of printed correspondence about a foot and a half thick in front of me.</p>
<p>The initial piece of paper I drew randomly from the stack was a request for documents verifying income and expenses. It wasn’t the first time he had gotten such a letter, as he would show me. Like HAMP applicants at other banks, Balty complained of receiving letters asking for the same documents over and over. He’d learned that it was quicker to send things again than to try to locate the person at the bank who’d already received and even discussed the documents with him.</p>
<p>“No matter how many times they ask, I’ve always complied in full,” he told me.</p>
<p>“I bet you didn’t submit this in full,” I said, indicating a request for utility bills and death certificates.</p>
<p>“Well, there hadn’t been any death in the family,” he responded. He had indeed, however, resubmitted the utility bills.</p>
<p>One letter I pulled from the pile indicated that his case was being transferred to the “Hope Team.” That sounded hopeful to me, but in Balty’s experience each transfer within the bank—he’d recently been “escalated” to the Escalation Q Unit—only meant that he had to start all over again with someone new.</p>
<p>At one point, he complained to a California banking agency about the delays. Bank of America’s response to the state’s inquiry read in part:</p>
<p>“At times the process can be repetitive and lengthy. Our work-out negotiators work diligently to minimize delays, however, at times unforeseen occurrences beyond anyone’s control may further delay the process. We appreciate your continued patience as we work toward completing the modification of your loan.”</p>
<p>“Repetitive,” “lengthy,” full of “unforeseen occurrences beyond anyone’s control”: the bank’s own description sounded remarkably like the morass so many HAMP applicants described to me. Now, I was starting to wonder: Could it possibly be that way on purpose?</p>
<p>No Modification Granted</p>
<p>If anyone could cope with paperwork it was Balty Alatas. He’d done a lot of it in his former job and, in some perverse way, he found filling out the forms almost soothing. That was definitely not the case on the next stop in my underwater-mortgage tour of America—the mostly poor, mostly black city of Richmond, California, where house values had gone down by 66% since 2007.</p>
<p>Alice Epps, a home care attendant, was already behind on her mortgage payments when she heard about what her neighbors called the “Obama modifications.”</p>
<p>“So that’s when I went to all those different government agencies,” she told me. (Actually, some were community groups, but the confusion was easy enough to understand.) “I waited all day in Pittsburg,” she continued, mentioning a nearby city in the San Francisco Bay Area. “All those people getting money from the federal government saying they are helping people with modifications. They wouldn’t even talk to me—said I wasn’t eligible.” That was true since HAMP modifications were only available to people who were assessed as having a good likelihood of repaying a new mortgage.</p>
<p>But along with the do-gooder organizations that told Alice she wasn’t eligible, the inevitable do-badder outfits had sprung up to help people through the HAMP application for a fee.</p>
<p>“So I hooked up with Help-U-Modify,” Alice went on, “and they charged me $3,500. Come to find out, Help-U-Modify wasn’t even licensed. They was taking people’s money—they’re still taking people’s money—but they don’t do nothing. Do Obama know what’s going on?” Mrs. Epps wailed.</p>
<p>When I remember that wail—and I remember it too often—I think of Russian peasants asking whether their “little father,” the Czar, could possibly know that his Cossacks had shot them down when they came to his palace with a petition.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307475980/ref=nosim/?tag=tomdispatch-20" type="external" />Within days of our conversation, Alice Epps lost her home. It took a full year and a half before Balty Alatas finally got a definitive rejection from Bank of America.</p>
<p>Five years later, I learned that its modification morass had been far more calculated and vicious than anything Balty Alatas—or I—suspected. The bank had hired a firm called Urban Lending Solutions to set up an operation that was authorized to call itself “the Office of the CEO and President.” As part of a deliberate subterfuge, HAMP applicants like Alatas were “escalated” to this “Office of the CEO” located in Colorado. (Bank of America’s actual headquarters are in North Carolina.)</p>
<p>An <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-16/secret-inside-bofa-office-of-ceo-stymied-needy-homeowners.html" type="external">investigative article</a> at Bloomberg News has since revealed how Urban Lending employees sent modification applicants requests for unneeded documents at regular 30- or 60-day intervals, how they falsified or destroyed records—sometimes merely to meet work quotas—and how they responded with “inaccurate statements” to congressional representatives or banking oversight officials who inquired on behalf of individual homeowners.</p>
<p>If a letter of inquiry from a congressman or a regulator’s office was “dry signed”—that is, computer generated—it would be answered with boilerplate doubletalk of the type Balty Alatas showed me. If it had been signed personally—”wet signed”—it was to be forwarded to the bank’s lawyers who were presumed better qualified to spot possible legal problems.</p>
<p>The signatures of some senators, including Harry Reid from the top housing-bust state of Nevada and Carl Levin of Michigan, were enlarged and pinned on a wall so that employees could better recognize their personally inked signatures.</p>
<p>I don’t know whether other big banks created fancifully named “offices of the CEO.” But the complaints of underwater borrowers and mortgage modification statistics suggest that Alice’s and Balty’s experiences were the norm. Six million nine hundred thousand Americans applied for HAMP modifications. Only 13% of them were granted one, and 22% of those who got a modification had their homes foreclosed anyway. At Bank of America that figure was 33%.</p>
<p>Bloomberg News concluded:</p>
<p>“Instead of helping homeowners as promised under agreements with the US Treasury Department, Bank of America stalled them with repeated requests for paperwork and incorrect income calculations, according to nine former Urban Lending employees. Some borrowers were sent into foreclosure or pricier loan modifications padded with fees resulting from the delays.”</p>
<p>Why should any of us be surprised that private banks perverted a government debt relief program? From their perspective, it made good business sense to encourage homeowners, by whatever means, to continue their mortgage payments while occupying and keeping up their property during the turbulent period after the housing bust of 2007-2008. A more advantageous time to foreclose was when home prices had stabilized and banks could incorporate any foreclosed properties into newly profitable investment vehicles like, for instance, the <a href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/wall-streets-new-housing-bonanza/" type="external">rental-backed securities</a> that may <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175777/laura_gottesdiener_wall_street's_rental_empire" type="external">replace</a> the mortgage-backed ones that were such hot items for financialization before the crash of 2008.</p>
<p>The Blame Game</p>
<p>Balty Alatas never complained to me about the government. He understood that it was a bank—or rather the real estate trust that held his mortgage—that was denying him relief. Other HAMP victims tended to conflate the government and private banks into a generic “they.”</p>
<p>A church-going black woman who had applied for a HAMP modification from Wells Fargo assured me that, after the way “they” had treated her, she definitely wouldn’t vote for President Obama again. Her minister had a different but no less devastating way of describing the two HAMP partners. “Obama,” he said, “was the shepherd who delivered up a couple of our weaker members to the wolves.”</p>
<p>In a somewhat similar fashion, the Affordable Care Act delivers millions of us up to insurance companies. The administration was embarrassed when its website couldn’t shepherd new customers to the companies fast enough because of computer bugs. Now that it’s working as it’s supposed to, the real embarrassments begin.</p>
<p>We’ve already seen the president <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/07/politics/obama-obamacare-apology/" type="external">take full blame</a> for assuring people that, under the new law, they could keep their old policies if they chose. Apparently he didn’t anticipate that, in the months between the passage of the Affordable Care Act and its implementation, insurance companies would rush to sell policies that didn’t meet the minimal standards set in the law. Insurance companies knew that they would have to cancel these and other non-compliant policies as soon as the law went into effect. In the meantime, however, what a great two-fer: first you get to collect and invest the premiums, then you get to stick it to your government partner by announcing to customers that their policies are being canceled thanks to Obamacare.</p>
<p>For insurance companies, this blame game is more than just sport; it’s their only real defense against <a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/177465/reviving-fight-single-payer" type="external">single-payer healthcare</a>. Vermont has already created a state health care plan that will go into effect in 2017. Oregon, Massachusetts, and Washington State are seriously considering similar plans. Seattle congressman Jim McDermott (who happens to be a doctor) hopes to attach “a patch” to the Affordable Care Act that would make it easier for governors to use the healthcare money Washington will send them to create statewide single payer options.</p>
<p>The insurance companies were successful in lobbying any kind of public option out of the national health care law and they will fight every local public option to the death. For if it works anywhere, it offers Obamacare a way to evolve, state by state, into “Medicare for all.”</p>
<p>Private health insurance companies can only survive if people throw their hands up in horror at the thought of an incompetent and intrusive government. Expect, then, that the untimely requests for death certificates, the delayed payments to doctors, the arbitrary denials of coverage, and all the other slings and arrows that the insured already endure will be baroquely embellished and cynically blamed on “government.”</p>
<p>If it was hard for underwater homeowners to distinguish between bankers and bureaucrats while they were losing their homes, it will be even harder for frustrated sick people to untangle the public and private strands so tightly braided into the Affordable Care Act. That, however, is what has to happen if Americans are to move toward a simpler, go-to-the-doctor-when-you’re-sick healthcare system.</p>
<p>Barbara Garson is a <a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175738/barbara_garson_abracadabra" type="external">TomDispatch regular</a> and the author of the play MacBird. Her latest book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307475980/ref=nosim/?tag=tomdispatch-20" type="external">Down the Up Escalator: How the 99% Live</a>, (the paperback version of which has just been published) contains the fuller stories of Alice Epps and Balty Alatas, including the O. Henry-style surprise ending to Balty’s story. Follow TomDispatch on Twitter and join us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/tomdispatch" type="external">Facebook</a> or <a href="http://tomdispatch.tumblr.com/" type="external">Tumblr</a>. Check out the newest Dispatch Book, Ann Jones’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1608463710/ref=nosim/?tag=tomdispatch-20" type="external">They Were Soldiers: How the Wounded Return From America’s Wars—The Untold Story</a>.To stay on top of important articles like these, sign up to receive the latest updates from TomDispatch.com <a href="http://tomdispatch.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6cb39ff0b1f670c349f828c73&amp;id=1e41682ade" type="external">here</a>.</p> | Here’s What We Can Learn About Health Care From the Mortgage Crisis | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2014/02/health-care-mortgage-crisis-privatize-obamacare-housing-market-single-payer/ | 2014-02-04 | 4 |
<p>BERLIN — Ivanka Trump was booed in Berlin on Tuesday when she described her father Donald as a “tremendous champion of supporting families” and said she was still fine-tuning her role as first daughter and informal White House adviser.</p>
<p>Trump, 35, who is seen as an increasingly important influence on her father, told a women’s summit organized by the Group of 20 major economies in the German capital that she wanted to use her influence to help empower women.</p>
<p>Asked whether she represented the president, the American people or her business as first daughter, she replied: “Well certainly not the latter, and I am rather unfamiliar with this role … it has been a little under 100 days but it has just been a remarkable and incredible journey.”</p>
<p>Ivanka Trump’s appointment as an adviser, with access to classified information, was highly unusual for the daughter of a president. Seeking to allay ethics concerns, she said last month she would serve in the White House in an unpaid, informal role.</p>
<p>In Berlin, she discussed support for women entrepreneurs with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde among others.</p>
<p>“I’m listening, I’m learning, I’m defining the ways in which I think that I’ll be able to have impact,” she told the panel discussion.</p>
<p>“I’m seeking the counsel .. . of informed and thoughtful women and men and I’m really striving to think about how best to empower women in the economy, both domestically and across the globe.”</p>
<p>But the audience was unsympathetic when she called her father a “tremendous champion of supporting families and enabling them to thrive,” with the moderator moving the discussion on amid a chorus of boos.</p>
<p>Proud father</p>
<p>Donald Trump found himself at the center of a furious controversy during the presidential campaign when a video surfaced in which he boasted about grabbing women’s genitals.</p>
<p>Asked whether some of the attitudes expressed by her father raised questions over his commitment to empowering women, Ivanka Trump said her experience and that of thousands of women who had worked for him showed he believed in women’s potential.</p>
<p>“I grew up in a house where there were no barriers to what I could accomplish … there was no difference for me and my brothers and I think as a business leader you saw that and as a president you’ll absolutely see that,” she said.</p>
<p>During the Berlin discussion, Donald Trump tweeted a link to a Financial Times editorial Ivanka co-authored with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim on investment in women and said he was “proud” of his daughter for “her leadership on these important issues.”</p>
<p>Ivanka Trump’s visit has received a mixed response in German media. The newspaper Berliner Zeitung, which has described her as “the president’s whisperer,” said German officials would “certainly be hoping that the president’s daughter will convey a positive image of Germany to her father.”</p>
<p>Another paper, Tagesspiegel, was more sniffy about her credentials, opining that Trump’s dependence on family members — also including her husband Jared Kushner, a chief presidential adviser — was like a “vote of no confidence” in everyone else he was surrounded by.</p> | Ivanka Trump booed in Germany as she praises her father | false | https://reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/ivanka-trump-booed-in-germany-as-she-praises-her-father/ | 2017-04-25 | 1 |
<p>The St. Petersburg Times has done some in-depth <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2009/reports/project/" type="external">reporting</a> about the Church of Scientology that hasn’t always cast the organization in the best light, let’s say. The Times’ top brass must’ve known what they were getting into in opening that particular Pandora’s box, though, as the CoS is not known for taking criticism lying down.</p>
<p>In this case, the church hired three seasoned — and in a couple cases, award-winning — journalists to investigate the paper right back. This strategy didn’t go over well at the Times, but the reporters involved say they used the same objective journalistic standards they’ve always used to do their job, according to The Washington Post’s Howard Kurtz.</p>
<p>The Washington Post via <a href="http://gawker.com/5477101/scientologists-hire-pulitzer-and-emmy-winners-to-investigate-enemies" type="external">Gawker</a>:</p>
<p>While the journalists have promised an independent review, the Times has refused to cooperate, saying their work will be used to fuel the church’s ongoing campaign against the Florida paper.</p>
<p />
<p>“I ultimately couldn’t take this request very seriously because it’s a study bought and paid for by the Church of Scientology,” says Executive Editor Neil Brown. “Candidly,” he adds, “I was surprised and disappointed that journalists who I understand to have an extensive background in investigative reporting would think it’s appropriate to ask me or our news organization to talk about that reporting while (a) it’s ongoing, and (b) while they’re being paid to ask these questions by the very subjects of our reporting.”</p>
<p>Steve Weinberg, the former IRE executive, who has taught at the University of Missouri’s journalism school for a quarter-century, says he was paid $5,000 to edit the study and “tried to make sure it’s a good piece of journalism criticism, just like I’ve written a gazillion times. . . . For me it’s kind of like editing a Columbia Journalism Review piece.”</p>
<p>[…] Weinberg acknowledges that the “unusual situation” gave him pause, saying: “It certainly wouldn’t be something just any reporter would do. My role was more limited, and I can certainly use the money these days.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/21/AR2010022103692.html" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Scientologists Hire Journalists to Investigate Journalists | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/scientologists-hire-journalists-to-investigate-journalists/ | 2010-02-22 | 4 |
<p />
<p>Welcome to OnSale at FOXBusiness, where we look at cool deals and insane bargains.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>This cool site delivers great deals on organic and vegan products and discover new wines and find your favorites nearby with this app. Get some new spring shoes on sale from top designers at Bluefly.com, and moms will want to try this flash sales site to get deals on goods for kids.</p>
<p>Vegan Deals</p>
<p>Consumers often find organic and vegan products to be much more expensive than their non-organic counterparts, but website VeganCuts is looking to combat this problem by making it easy to find great vegan items at affordable prices.</p>
<p>Some of the offers going on now include the Vegocentric Lipstick Line from Lippy Girl Makeup with eight shades for just $15 each, saving you $8 per five- <a href="http://vegancuts.com/offer/lippy-girl-vegocentric-lipstick-line" type="external">gram tube Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>There’s also the <a href="http://vegancuts.com/offer/sweetheart-bag-in-orange-cream-black-or-camel" type="external">Sweetheart bag from GUNAS Opens a New Window.</a>, available in orange cream, black or camel, for $125 – a discount of $100.</p>
<p>And if you’re looking to detox before swimsuit season, the 3 <a href="http://elisabethhasselbeck.com/blog/post/delicious-g-free-cleanse-for-a-healthier-more-beautiful-you" type="external">0-Day Rawjuvenate Complete Organic Detox system Opens a New Window.</a> from Raw Green Organics – a favorite of Elizabeth Hasselbeck –is just $89 with free shipping.</p>
<p>You can follow your favorite vegan brands on the site and get notified whenever they add new items. Just enter your email address to get <a href="http://vegancuts.com/" type="external">exclusive offers Opens a New Window.</a> from the site.</p>
<p>Wine App</p>
<p>Wine drinkers who have an iPhone will want to download an app called “Blush” created by Shoptouch, Inc. The shopping app helps you find different wines to match your taste and preferred price point, then uses location data to find the nearest bottle.</p>
<p>You can also learn more about a particular bottle of wine by using the app to scan its barcode for more information, including pairing suggestions and tasting notes, then discover if it fits your personal tastes with the “Blush Match” scoring feature. It’s a great way to find new favorites and save money. Download <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blush-for-wine/id490134309" type="external">it here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Spring Shoes</p>
<p>Online discount retailer Bluefly is offering some great deals on designer shoes for spring. Get up to 70% off retail prices on sandals, pumps, flats and boots from the likes of <a href="http://www.dvf.com/" type="external">Diane Von Furstenberg Opens a New Window.</a>, <a href="http://www.pourlavictoire.com/" type="external">Pour La Victoire Opens a New Window.</a>, <a href="http://www.rebeccaminkoff.com/" type="external">Rebecca Minkoff Opens a New Window.</a> and more. Check out the <a href="http://www.bluefly.com/Contemporary-Shoes/_/N-8kqi/list.fly" type="external">contemporary collection Opens a New Window.</a> and get an even bigger discount on certain purchases by liking Bluefly on Facebook.</p>
<p>Flash Sales for Moms</p>
<p>Flash sales fans who want to capture great deals on clothes for babies and kids should check out <a href="http://www.zulily.com/" type="external">Zulily Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Just sign up on their website and view upcoming events so you can plan your shopping spree for the days head. Invite friends and get $20 when they make their first purchase. Zulily offers discounts of up to 90% off retail prices on well-known brands, such as iplay, intiMINT, Ruby Rose, Small World Toys and Amanda Catherine Designs.</p>
<p>The site also sells furnishings and home décor. You can shop among bestsellers, by category and by age group. And keep track of sales by following <a href="http://www.twitter.com/zulily" type="external">Zulily on Twitter Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Know of a cool deal or insane bargain? Email the goods to <a href="http://mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a> or follow us on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/OnSale_FOXBiz" type="external">Twitter Opens a New Window.</a>and share the wealth!</p> | Organic Goods Online and Flash Sales for Moms | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/03/20/organic-goods-online-and-flash-sales-for-moms.html | 2016-03-04 | 0 |
<p><a href="http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/nbc-newswsj-poll-obamacare-more-unpopular-ever_740921.html" type="external">A supremely unpopular bill</a> already <a href="http://www.redstate.com/2013/07/25/defund-or-be-challenged/" type="external">a proven trainwreck</a> before (delayed) implementation is even fully&#160;in effect:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/07/23/moderate-democrats-are-quitting-on-obamacare/?print=1" type="external">Moderate Democrats are retreating from Obamacare</a>, according to the Washington Post. Hospitals&#160; <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/07/22/hospitals-are-quitting-a-key-obamacare-cost-control-program/" type="external">are retreating</a>&#160;from Obamacare.&#160; <a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressional-connection/coverage/poll-americans-broadly-doubt-obamacare-will-help-them-20130723" type="external">Americans broadly doubt</a>&#160;Obamacare will help them. Consumers in most states&#160; <a href="http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/July/19/new-york-health-insurance-consumers.aspx" type="external">won’t see reductions in premiums</a>&#160;for their healthcare, contrary to what the Democrats claimed. In fact, there are&#160; <a href="http://healthblog.ncpa.org/27-ways-obamacare-increases-your-health-insurance-premium/" type="external">twenty-seven ways in which Obamacare</a>&#160;will increase the costs of your healthcare. In the meantime,&#160; <a href="http://mediatrackers.org/ohio/2013/07/19/obamacare-medicaid-expansion-would-cut-ohio-workforce" type="external">Obamacare is costing jobs in Ohio</a>&#160;and elsewhere. The restaurant industry i <a href="http://www.nrcc.org/2013/07/24/no-you-cant-have-fries-with-that-fast-food-chain-white-castle-cutting-back-on-employees-hours-and-hiring-thanks-to-obamacare/" type="external">s reducing hours of employees</a>&#160;and cutting full time workers.</p>
<p>The below Senators have not signed Sen. Mike Lee’s letter to force the defunding of Obamacare by blocking a continuing resolution on government spending— <a href="" type="internal">snatching defeat from the jaws of victory</a>. Any vote for any funding of Obamacare is a vote for it. If these below senators aren’t interested in defunding it— <a href="https://storify.com/DLoesch/gop-senators-set-to-snatch-defeat-from-jaws-of-vic#publicize" type="external">the only way we have right now of stopping it</a>—how can we trust them to support a repeal? Obamacare is hurting us now. If these elected officials won’t act to stop it we need to find those who will. Pick which narrative scares you the most, ladies and gentlemen.</p>
<p>Sen. Lamar Alexander - Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/LamarAlexander" type="external">@LamarAlexander</a>&#160;| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/senatorlamaralexander?ref=ts&amp;fref=ts" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Kelly Ayotte - Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/KellyAyotte" type="external">@KellyAyotte</a>&#160; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kellyayottenh?ref=ts&amp;fref=ts" type="external">Facebook</a> &#160;| &#160; <a href="http://www.ayotte.senate.gov/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. John Barrasso- Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJohnBarrasso" type="external">@SenJohnBarrasso</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/john.barrasso.3?ref=ts&amp;fref=ts" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.barrasso.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Roy Blunt - Twitter: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/royblunt" type="external">@RoyBlunt</a>&#160;| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SenatorBlunt?ref=ts&amp;fref=ts" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.blunt.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Boozman - Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnBoozman" type="external">@JohnBoozman</a>&#160;| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JohnBoozman?ref=ts&amp;fref=ts" type="external">Facebook</a> &#160;| <a href="http://www.boozman.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Richard Burr - Twitter:&#160; <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorBurr" type="external">@SenatorBurr</a>&#160;| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SenatorRichardBurr?ref=ts&amp;fref=ts" type="external">Facebook</a> &#160;| &#160; <a href="http://www.burr.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Saxby Chambliss - Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SaxbyChambliss" type="external">@SaxbyChambliss</a>&#160;| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SaxbyChambliss?ref=ts&amp;fref=ts" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Bob Corker - Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SenBobCorker" type="external">@SenBobCorker</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bobcorker" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.corker.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. John Cornyn - Twitter:&#160; <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnCornyn" type="external">@JohnCornyn</a>&#160; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Sen.JohnCornyn" type="external">Facebook</a> &#160;| &#160; <a href="http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Lindsey Graham - Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/GrahamBlog" type="external">@GrahamBlog</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/USSenatorLindseyGraham?ref=ts&amp;fref=ts" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Dean Heller - Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/DeanHeller" type="external">@DeanHeller</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SenDeanHeller" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/offices" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Johnny Isakson -&#160;Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorIsakson" type="external">@SenIsakson</a>&#160;| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/isakson?ref=ts&amp;fref=ts" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Mike Johanns&#160;-&#160;Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Mike_Johanns" type="external">@Mike_Johanns</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MikeJohanns?ref=ts&amp;fref=ts" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.johanns.senate.gov/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. John McCain - Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJohnMcCain" type="external">@SenJohnMcCain</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/johnmccain" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Mitch McConnell&#160;-&#160;Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/McConnellPress" type="external">@McConnellPress</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mitchmcconnell?ref=ts&amp;fref=ts" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Jerry Moran&#160;-&#160;Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryMoran" type="external">@JerryMoran</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jerrymoran?ref=ts&amp;fref=ts" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.moran.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Pat Roberts&#160;-&#160;Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SenPatRoberts" type="external">@SenPatRoberts</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SenPatRoberts" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.roberts.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Tim Scott&#160;-&#160;Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorTimScott" type="external">@SenatorTimScott</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SenatorTimScott" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.scott.senate.gov/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Richard Shelby - Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SenShelbyPress" type="external">@SenShelbyPress</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RichardShelby" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Pat Toomey&#160;-&#160;Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SenToomey" type="external">@SenToomey</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/senatortoomey" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.toomey.senate.gov/" type="external">Contact</a> Sen. Roger Wicker - Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorWicker" type="external">@SenWicker</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wicker" type="external">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.wicker.senate.gov/public/" type="external">Contact</a></p>
<p>ADDED:&#160;I have NO IDEA why Senators Lee, Cruz, Paul, and others aren’t in front of every single television camera that will have them to explain this to people. Don’t call out a war and then&#160;not&#160;engage to win.&#160;This is winnable. Once the freebies &#160;—and delayed pain—start rolling in, it’s&#160;fait accompli.&#160;&#160;The time to stop it is now.</p> | Do These Republican Senators Support Obamacare? | true | http://danaloeschradio.com/do-these-republican-senators-support-obamacare/ | 2013-07-25 | 0 |
<p>Romenesko LettersDavid Cohen writes: "As one who has spent his adult life either working in television news or being paid to analyze the comings and goings, it appears -- somewhat obviously -- that the CNN chiefs are seeding the rumor mills in preparation of dumping King and putting someone more demographically acceptable into the time slot."</p> | Newsman smells a campaign to get "Larry King Live" off CNN | false | https://poynter.org/news/newsman-smells-campaign-get-larry-king-live-cnn | 2006-03-15 | 2 |
<p>Samples of Albert Einstein's brain have been put on display at the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia, <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9R2M6D02&amp;show_article=1" type="external">the Associated Press reported</a> Thursday.</p>
<p>Lucy Rorke-Adams, a neuropathologist who has worked at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for 47 years, donated 46 slides of Einstein's&#160;gray matter to the museum, which is part of the&#160;College of Physicians of Philadelphia.&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/health/20111117_Samples_of_Einsteins_brain_come_to_Mtter_Museum.html" type="external">According to The Philadelphia Inquirer</a>, Einstein's brain was "carefully preserved, partitioned and distributed" after his death in 1955, and parts ended up in the hands of a number of hospitals and researchers. From the Inquirer:</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>A colleague gave the slides to Rorke-Adams in the mid-1970s, having received them from the widow of a physician who had helped arrange for the brain samples to be prepared in 1955.</p>
<p>Most of Einstein's preserved brain is held by the University Medical Center at Princeton.&#160;</p>
<p>In an interview with <a href="http://www.collphyphil.org/site/mutter_museum.html" type="external">CBS? Talk Philly</a>, Rorke-Adams said that the samples show that "Einstein's brain is that of a young person, it's really remarkable, it does not show any of the changes that we associate with age."</p>
<p>Robert Hicks, the director of the Mutter Museum, told Talk Philly that Einstein's brain isn't the first piece of a historical figure that the museum has come by: the institution also boasts pieces of Lincoln assassin&#160;John Wilkes Booth and President Grover Cleveland.&#160;</p> | Museum puts samples of Einstein's brain on display | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-11-17/museum-puts-samples-einstein-s-brain-display | 2011-11-17 | 3 |
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<p>NEW YORK - The publisher Scholastic is rejecting criticism by two leading advocates for free expression that it committed self-censorship in halting distribution of a picture book about slavery.</p>
<p>The National Coalition Against Censorship and the PEN American Center last week chided the publisher for pulling "A Birthday Cake for George Washington," which had been widely attacked for its depiction of smiling slaves. The two organizations called the decision "a shocking and unprecedented case of self-censorship."</p>
<p>On Monday, Scholastic released a statement saying that PEN and the NCAC "apparently did not correctly read" the publisher's initial announcement that it was withdrawing "A Birthday Cake for George Washington."</p>
<p>Scholastic said that the failure to meet company standards "for appropriate presentation of complex subject matter" was the reason for pulling the book, not any criticism.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Publisher rejects criticism of decision to pull slavery book | false | https://abqjournal.com/712220/publisher-rejects-criticism-of-decision-to-pull-slavery-book.html | 2 |
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<p>Published time: 22 Jul, 2017 13:29</p>
<p>A list of dozens of suspected ISIS militants trained to deal with explosives and potentially aiming at terrorist attacks in Europe has been shared with EU intelligence by The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), the Guardian reports.</p>
<p>Interpol <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/21/isis-islamic-state-suicide-brigade-interpol-list" type="external">issued</a> a list of 173 terrorists linked to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), who “may have manifested willingness to commit a suicidal attack or martyrdom to support Islam,” the Guardian reported on Friday, saying it obtained the names.</p>
<p>The specially trained attackers “can travel internationally, to participate in terrorist activities,” but it is unclear whether they managed to reach Europe, the report says.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/392572-europol-islamists-volunteers-attacks/" type="external" /></p>
<p>While the document identifies the suspects and provides their photos, it also features such details as the date of recruitment and possible addresses, even including the mosques they could attend.</p>
<p>The list apparently stems from US intelligence data which was obtained through “trusted sources” during operations against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.</p>
<p>The potential attackers were pinpointed “through materials found in the hiding places of ISIL,” according to the paper.</p>
<p>Interpol reportedly sent the warning to its European counterparts on May 27 and asked to share information on the suspects.</p>
<p>In March, then-FBI director James Comey warned that European states may face an unprecedented “terrorists diaspora” in five years, as after the defeat of ISIS, terrorists will spill over into Western Europe.&#160;</p>
<p>On Friday, the UK’s most senior police officer, Cressida Dick, stated that advances against ISIS in Syria and Iraq do not reduce the threat for the country.</p>
<p>Earlier, German Police Chief Holger Muench said that around 700 Islamists may pose a threat to German security, local media <a href="http://www.fr.de/politik/bka-praesident-im-interview-im-rechten-spektrum-sehen-wir-das-risiko-a-1317550" type="external">reported</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/uk/396338-police-terrorist-attacks-uk/" type="external">READ MORE: 5 terrorist attacks thwarted in recent months, some ‘minutes away’ – Met Police commissioner</a></p>
<p>ISIS continues to plan more complex and mass-casualty attacks in the West, particularly in Europe, according to a <a href="https://www.rt.com/news/392572-europol-islamists-volunteers-attacks/" type="external">report</a> from Europol. The agency also warned that terrorist tactics and techniques are transferred from the current conflict zones, including the “illicit spread of bomb-making knowledge and instructions.”</p> | Interpol fears ISIS trained 170+ bomb attackers for Europe – media | false | https://newsline.com/interpol-fears-isis-trained-170-bomb-attackers-for-europe-media/ | 2017-07-22 | 1 |
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<p />
<p>Spenser Phillips pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder and child abandonment.</p>
<p>Spenser Phillips, 27, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and child abandonment before District Judge Briana Zamora. Phillips took an Alford plea, which allows a defendant to acknowledge that evidence would support a conviction while maintaining innocence.</p>
<p>Employees of a local hospital called police May 30, 2015, after 10-week-old Felix Phillips arrived with a brain bleed, according to a criminal complaint. Medical investigators found that the child died of blunt force trauma to the head, a prosecutor said.</p>
<p>The baby was taken off life support June 2, 2015.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>April Sanchez, the boy’s mother, told officers that Phillips was caring for the baby while she was at work that night.</p>
<p>“When she came home, she found her child unresponsive, gasping and pale in color in his crib,” prosecutor Haley Murphy said. “The defendant was staring down over him doing nothing.”</p>
<p>Phillips declined to speak in court, but his attorney said the child’s death represented a tragedy for both the Sanchez and Phillips families.</p>
<p>April Sanchez, right, stands with victim advocate Crystal Rubio after speaking to the judge about the death of her infant son, Felix. Felix’s father, Spenser Phillips, was sentenced Wednesday to 22 years in prison. (Greg Sorber/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>Sanchez said she hopes Phillips spends each day of his sentence thinking of the life he took. She said she mourns for moments she’ll never have with a baby who was “stolen away.”</p>
<p>“I no longer want children or feel that I can trust another human being,” she said. “All I have left are a few memories with Felix.”</p>
<p>Phillips said the boy had been fussy that evening, so he put him in a chair in the living room, according to police. He said he went into the kitchen to get a snack, and saw the baby “bounce himself back” flipping the chair backward.</p>
<p>Murphy said the “widespread injuries Felix sustained in no way are explained by a short fall onto a carpeted surface.”</p>
<p>Phillips said the baby cried in an unusual way for around 30 minutes. He didn’t have a phone, he said, and was unable to call for help. He said he waited to seek medical help for the baby because he was scared, according to police.</p>
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<p /> | Dad sentenced to 22 years in infant son’s death | false | https://abqjournal.com/1008138/man-gets-22-years-in-death-of-his-infant-son.html | 2017-05-24 | 2 |
<p>During the recent attempts at ACA overhaul, Donald Trump was shown just how fragile Republican control in the Senate actually is. Presuming a unified Democrat opposition, Republicans can stand only two defections in order for Mike Pence to break a tie. So what’s the next bill the POTUS wants Congress to consider? He wants to cut legal immigration in half.</p>
<p>Trump wanting an immigration bill as a priority is no surprise. He essentially announced his initial campaign for the Presidency by labeling immigrants as those who were “bringing drugs”, “bringing crime.” He even went so far as to asy in the same breath, “They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people”. Trump’s major campaign themes moving forward seemed to spring from an opposition to immigration, trade, and anyone he felt remotely slighted him or posed a threat.</p>
<p>Overall, the RAISE bill is modeled upon the immigration systems of Canada and Australia, which are much more particular about who is let in than the US has ever been. Allowable immigration to these countries is primarily based upon employment skill sets which are in demand in those countries and not being serviced adequately by current citizens.</p>
<p>There are reforms within the bill that, taken on their own, could pass, allowing us to see a successful “skinny” immigration bill once Trump’s inevitably fails. It attempts to introduce a more merit-based screening process which does more to consider factors like marketable skills desired by US firms, proficiency in English, and “entrepreneurial initiative”, however that’s determined. Essentially, it attempts to shift the focus from family ties to how much a potential immigrant could potentially contribute to the US economy and assimilate into a broader American culture.</p>
<p>Of course, those determining what contributes to the US economy would be a government that’s $20 trillion in debt and the special interests which often control it. Those who would be determining what qualifies as American culture would be a Congress which is roughly 80% male, overwhelmingly white, Christian, aging group in an institution which is stereotypically (and deservedly so) considered a lagging indicator of culture.</p>
<p>For, what I assume, was included to add a talking point, the bill also bars new immigrants from any federal welfare programs for five years… which current law already essentially does. The 1996 Welfare Reform Bill signed by Bill Clinton already bars new immigrants from federal welfare programs, with very limited exceptions like children. It would end the Diversity Visa program, which was set up to encourage immigration from nations which are underrepresented in overall immigration to the US through other means. The keywords of “welfare” and “diversity” come loaded with connotations that I’m sure him and his new communications director (whoever it ends up being)&#160;will make use of when pushing for this bill.</p>
<p>Lindsey Graham has already voiced opposition to the bill. In a Facebook post, he mentioned that “I’ve always supported merit-based immigration”, but went on to call such a drastic cut in immigration “devastating” to the economy, and that it “will not only hurt our agriculture, tourism and service economy in South Carolina, it incentivizes more illegal immigration as positions go unfilled.” With Lindsey’s early departure, Trump can only lose one more vote, as no Democrats are expected to cross the aisle to vote for anything like what he’s proposing.</p>
<p>But hey… I guess Trump will at least be able to say he tried to fulfill one more of his campaign promises, and will have someone to blame other than himself and his “best people.”</p> | Trump Would Cut Immigrant Numbers Only In Half, Because Some, He Assumes, Are Good People | false | https://libertyviral.com/trump-tries-to-cut-immigrant-numbers-only-in-half-because-some-he-assumes-are-good-people/ | 2017-08-04 | 1 |
<p>NEW YORK (AP) - These days, lots of customers don't want to just buy TVs and sofas. They also want someone to come over to hang up the flat screen or put the furniture together.</p>
<p>Handy CEO Oisin Hanrahan says that's been an opportunity for the company to expand its partnerships with retailers.</p>
<p>Launched nearly six years ago as an online platform where people could hire professionals to clean homes or put up a ceiling fan, the company has moved into partnerships with stores and shopping sites to offer its services to customers. On Wayfair, for example, people buying furniture can also hire someone to assemble it for them as they check out. At Walmart, a test at its Atlanta stores lets shoppers hire Handy professionals at the register when they buy a TV or furniture.</p>
<p>More retailers are offering similar services: Amazon shoppers can hire workers; and Ikea recently said it would buy TaskRabbit to offer assembly help when shoppers buy furniture.</p>
<p>Hanrahan talked recently with The Associated Press about the competition and why retailers want to offer these services. The questions and answers below have been edited for clarity.</p>
<p>Q: Why can't people hang their own TVs or assemble their own bookcases?</p>
<p>A: I don't think people can. There are three places people learned these skills: home, school and work. And if you think about the changes that have happened over the last couple of decades at home, school and work, it makes sense that people don't have these technical skills anymore. At home, there's been a change in consumptive behavior from repair to replace; people don't repair stuff anymore, they replace it. At work, manufacturing in the U.S. is in huge decline. So companies aren't teaching people how to repair machines or how to do technical work. And schools, because of the decline of manufacturing, aren't teaching this tradecraft anymore.</p>
<p>The second thing is that I think we are seeing people make this tradeoff between time and money.</p>
<p>Q: Are you worried about the competition?</p>
<p>A: So Amazon is definitely doing this, but they're doing it for themselves, for people who buy things on Amazon. What we don't see is Amazon offering that service to other retailers. So that creates a lot of space for us to go and serve those other retailers.</p>
<p>Q: What's in it for the retailers?</p>
<p>A: The first is that people are more likely to buy when they can have a product assembled. Second, the average order value goes up. People actually buy bigger baskets when they don't have to do the assembly. So instead of buying a table with four chairs I might buy a table with six chairs. The third one is that returns go down. The reason it goes down is that customers are happier when somebody professional assembles their product for them. The fourth thing retailers see is that the repeat purchase rate goes up.</p>
<p>Q: How many professionals are on the Handy platform?</p>
<p>A: 80,000 people that are fully background checked and insured and ready to work.</p>
<p>_____</p>
<p>Contact Joseph Pisani at <a href="http://twitter.com/josephpisani" type="external">http://twitter.com/josephpisani</a></p>
<p>NEW YORK (AP) - These days, lots of customers don't want to just buy TVs and sofas. They also want someone to come over to hang up the flat screen or put the furniture together.</p>
<p>Handy CEO Oisin Hanrahan says that's been an opportunity for the company to expand its partnerships with retailers.</p>
<p>Launched nearly six years ago as an online platform where people could hire professionals to clean homes or put up a ceiling fan, the company has moved into partnerships with stores and shopping sites to offer its services to customers. On Wayfair, for example, people buying furniture can also hire someone to assemble it for them as they check out. At Walmart, a test at its Atlanta stores lets shoppers hire Handy professionals at the register when they buy a TV or furniture.</p>
<p>More retailers are offering similar services: Amazon shoppers can hire workers; and Ikea recently said it would buy TaskRabbit to offer assembly help when shoppers buy furniture.</p>
<p>Hanrahan talked recently with The Associated Press about the competition and why retailers want to offer these services. The questions and answers below have been edited for clarity.</p>
<p>Q: Why can't people hang their own TVs or assemble their own bookcases?</p>
<p>A: I don't think people can. There are three places people learned these skills: home, school and work. And if you think about the changes that have happened over the last couple of decades at home, school and work, it makes sense that people don't have these technical skills anymore. At home, there's been a change in consumptive behavior from repair to replace; people don't repair stuff anymore, they replace it. At work, manufacturing in the U.S. is in huge decline. So companies aren't teaching people how to repair machines or how to do technical work. And schools, because of the decline of manufacturing, aren't teaching this tradecraft anymore.</p>
<p>The second thing is that I think we are seeing people make this tradeoff between time and money.</p>
<p>Q: Are you worried about the competition?</p>
<p>A: So Amazon is definitely doing this, but they're doing it for themselves, for people who buy things on Amazon. What we don't see is Amazon offering that service to other retailers. So that creates a lot of space for us to go and serve those other retailers.</p>
<p>Q: What's in it for the retailers?</p>
<p>A: The first is that people are more likely to buy when they can have a product assembled. Second, the average order value goes up. People actually buy bigger baskets when they don't have to do the assembly. So instead of buying a table with four chairs I might buy a table with six chairs. The third one is that returns go down. The reason it goes down is that customers are happier when somebody professional assembles their product for them. The fourth thing retailers see is that the repeat purchase rate goes up.</p>
<p>Q: How many professionals are on the Handy platform?</p>
<p>A: 80,000 people that are fully background checked and insured and ready to work.</p>
<p>_____</p>
<p>Contact Joseph Pisani at <a href="http://twitter.com/josephpisani" type="external">http://twitter.com/josephpisani</a></p> | Buy a sofa, hire a helper: Handy expands retail partnerships | false | https://apnews.com/amp/2f50567342a342b89c0a0cab48cb2a5d | 2018-01-07 | 2 |
<p>McDonald's Corp. reported revenue sank in its latest quarter while profit rose, driven by strong sales in its established locations.</p>
<p>The burger and fast-food restaurant chain said comparable sales -- which track transactions in restaurants opened at least 13 months -- rose 6%, the ninth quarter in a row the key metric has advanced and better than the 4.6% growth predicted by FactSet analysts. In the U.S., comparable sales rose 4.1%, better than the 3.6% expected by analysts.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Overall revenue for the third quarter fell 10% to $5.75 billion as McDonald's carries out a plan to turn more corporate-owned stores into franchised locations. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected $5.74 billion in sales.</p>
<p>Chief Financial Officer Kevin Ozan said the company refranchised its businesses in China and Hong Kong during the quarter, reaching its target to refranchise 4,000 restaurants more than a year ahead of schedule.</p>
<p>The move "brings us closer to the customers and communities we serve in these markets and creates a better opportunity to unlock their full growth potential," Mr. Ozan said.</p>
<p>For the period, profit climbed 48% to $1.88 billion, or $2.32 per share, up from $1.50 per share a year ago. Adjusted earnings on a per-share basis were $1.76, a penny less than expected by analysts.</p>
<p>The company has targeted delivery as a growth opportunity. The chain has offered delivery in Asia and the Middle East for several years and has been testing delivery in the U.S. with UberEATS since January. In July, McDonald's expanded delivery to 13 countries, including 3,500 restaurants in the U.S.</p>
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<p>McDonald's during the quarter also rolled out new coffee products, including an Americano and a Caramel Macchiato, in hopes of poaching Starbucks customers.</p>
<p>Write to Ezequiel Minaya at [email protected]</p>
<p>McDonald's Corp.'s heightened focus on low prices is helping the burger giant win back customers from rival fast-food chains.</p>
<p>Sales in McDonald's restaurants opened at least 13 months rose 6% globally in the latest quarter, marking the company's ninth consecutive period of same-store sales growth. That was largely fueled by more customer visits in the U.S., driven by its low-price drinks and new value-menu options, McDonald's said Tuesday.</p>
<p>"We know that customers motivated primarily by value and deals come more often and spend more," McDonald's Chief Executive Steve Easterbrook said on a conference call with analysts.</p>
<p>McDonald's began revamping its value menu in the U.S. 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 promotions to pick two items for $5 in certain markets helped boost sales, and McDonald's is planning to start a nationwide value menu in 2018.</p>
<p>Over the last several years since discontinuing the Dollar Menu, "we weren't as competitive as we needed to be on value," said Chris Kempczinski, president of McDonald's USA.</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.</p>
<p>Its shares were up about 1% in Tuesday trading. Over the past year, McDonald's shares had risen 44% through Monday's market close.</p>
<p>Restaurant analyst Will Slabaugh of investment bank Stephens Inc. noted the ability for McDonald's "to consistently grow earnings despite a generally volatile environment."</p>
<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, which has 37,000 restaurants globally, sold its locations in China and Hong Kong to franchisees, reaching its target to refranchise 4,000 restaurants.</p>
<p>McDonald's is starting to use fresh beef for some burgers, upgrading its McCafe coffee and snacks, and adding self-order kiosks. It is also offering delivery at thousands of locations, introducing mobile ordering and payment, and remodeling restaurants.</p>
<p>The improvements require upfront investments and will increase labor costs as they retrain employees.</p>
<p>McDonald's executives said its margins will take a hit for the next six to 12 months, but these changes will pay off in the long run.</p>
<p>Delivery, for instance, has generated incremental orders from customers, the company said. McDonald's has been testing delivery in the U.S. with UberEATS since January, and it will have it available in 5,000 U.S. restaurants, and a total of 10,000 locations globally, by the end of the year. "We are just beginning to scratch the surface on this opportunity, " Mr. Kempczinski said.</p>
<p>Write to Annie Gasparro at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>October 24, 2017 14:14 ET (18:14 GMT)</p> | McDonald's Profit Rises, Refranchising Drive Dents Revenue | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/10/24/mcdonalds-profit-rises-refranchising-drive-dents-revenue.html | 2017-10-24 | 0 |
<p>Pakistani authorities have ordered aid agency Save the Children's foreign staff out of the country.</p>
<p>Though no official reason was given, it's widely believed that the expulsion order for those six workers is related to the case of a Pakistani doctor who helped the CIA track down Osama Bin Laden last year.</p>
<p>The doctor, Shakil Afridi, reportedly told Pakistani intelligence agents that he was introduced to the CIA by an official with Save the Children.</p>
<p>He is serving a 33 year jail sentence now.</p>
<p>The New York Times' Declan Walsh tells anchor Lisa Mullins international aid agencies have been under increased scrutiny since the Osama Bin Laden raid in Abbottabad 15 months ago.</p> | Pakistan Orders Save the Children's Foreign Workers Out of the Country | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-09-06/pakistan-orders-save-childrens-foreign-workers-out-country | 2012-09-06 | 3 |
<p>Oct. 5 (UPI) — Australians handed over more than 50,000 unregistered firearms during the country’s three-month national gun amnesty program.</p>
<p>The program was the country’s first since the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, in which Martin Bryant <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/port-arthur-massacre-shooting-spree-changed-australia-gun-laws-n396476" type="external">killed 35 people</a>, triggering a nationwide increase on gun control laws. Getting caught with an unregistered firearm can result in a prison sentence of up to 14 years in prison and a fine of up to $280,000.</p>
<p>“Every single one of those 51,000 guns could have been used in a crime where Australians could be killed,” said Australian Prime Minister <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Malcolm_Turnbull/" type="external">Malcolm Turnbull</a>, according to the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/oct/06/australias-firearms-amnesty-collects-more-than-50000-guns" type="external">Guardian</a>. “Now they can’t. They’ve been collected and they will now be destroyed.”</p>
<p>After the approximately 51,000 guns handed into the government, Australian officials estimate there are still 260,000 unregistered guns in the country.</p>
<p>“That is obviously an intelligence estimate of what this amnesty has done, it’s taken 51,000 of those unregistered weapons off the streets, out of harm’s way, so they can’t be used in a crime or be misused in an accident, which … is very common,” Turnbull said, according to <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/lanesainty/thousands-of-guns-handed-to-australian-government?utm_term=.anGG3xgzA#.yvryl8bj2" type="external">Buzzfeed</a>.</p>
<p>After the Las Vegas massacre in the United States that killed nearly 60 people on Sunday, some Australian officials urged Turnbull to extend the three-month amnesty, which lasted from July 1 through September 30. but the Prime Minister refused to do so at this time.</p>
<p>“I’m not suggesting we won’t have gun amnesties in the future, but this one has been very effective because it has, as I said, a beginning, a middle and an end,” he said.</p> | Australians turn in 51,000 unregistered guns during national gun amnesty program | false | https://newsline.com/australians-turn-in-51000-unregistered-guns-during-national-gun-amnesty-program/ | 2017-10-06 | 1 |
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<p>This undated product image provided by Altria shows John Middleton Co.’s Black &amp; Mild cigars. Under a Food and Drug Administration proposal to regulate cigars and other tobacco products the same as cigarettes, cigar makers would have to remove descriptions like “light,” “mild,” “medium” or “low” from their products, raising a unique question about the fate of Black &amp; Mild. (AP Photo/Altria)</p>
<p>RICHMOND, Va. — Plans to regulate cigars and other tobacco products the same as cigarettes may threaten one of the nation’s top-selling cigar brands — Black &amp; Mild.</p>
<p>Under the Food and Drug Administration proposal, cigar makers would have to remove descriptions like “light,” “mild,” “medium” or “low” from their products, raising a unique question about the fate of Black &amp; Mild.</p>
<p>The descriptions were banned for cigarettes under a 2009 law because many smokers wrongly thought they meant the products were less harmful than “full-flavor” cigarettes. Cigarette makers have since replaced those words with colors such as gold, silver, blue and orange on such brands, which usually feature different filters and milder-flavored blends.</p>
<p>In a filing made public Monday, Richmond-based Altria Group Inc., which owns Black &amp; Mild maker John Middleton Co., voiced concerns that the proposal may force them to abandon or change the brand name.</p>
<p>The company argues the brand name isn’t intended to tell smokers that they’re any less harmful, citing a company-sponsored survey of more than 300 cigar smokers, none of which mentioned the words “health,” “risk,” or “safety” in their response to what the brand name conveyed. It asked the FDA to clarify whether a ban on the terms would extend to cigars and its trademark, and said any ban on the brand name would be unconstitutional.</p>
<p>“Neither FDA’s regulatory authority or the First Amendment allows the FDA to ban words such as mild for cigar and pipe tobacco regardless of the context,” said Altria spokesman David Sutton. “Here, when the word is part of a longstanding and well-established trademark like Black &amp; Mild, such a ban would violate basic constitutional guarantees.”</p>
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<p>The FDA declined to weigh in specifically on the Black &amp; Mild name but is reviewing more than 75,000 comments on its proposals, which also includes regulation of the increasingly popular electronic cigarettes.</p>
<p>The Black &amp; Mild cigar brand was launched in 1980, after John Middleton Co. began filling its large, machine-made cigars with pipe tobacco. The company that dates back to 1856 was bought by Altria in 2007.</p>
<p>Shipments of Black &amp; Mild fell about 3 percent in 2013 to 1.18 billion cigars and had a 29.2 percent share of the U.S. retail market. It shipments are up about 5 percent in the first half of 2014.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>Michael Felberbaum can be reached at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/MLFelberbaum." type="external">http://www.twitter.com/MLFelberbaum.</a></p> | FDA rules may jeopardize Black & Mild cigar name | false | https://abqjournal.com/444244/fda-rules-may-jeopardize-black-mild-cigar-name.html | 2 |
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<p>A Massachusetts husband and wife who blame their 8-year-old son's death on the ground beef they bought at a Whole Foods Market have sued the supermarket chain and the ranch they say produced and processed the meat.</p>
<p>Melissa and Andrew Kaye, of Braintree, said in their suit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Boston that the grass-fed beef they bought at the Weymouth store was contaminated with a powerful strain of E. coli. Their son, Joshua, died in July.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>"This lawsuit is about bringing awareness to the issue of food safety and forcing change where it needs to be made," Melissa Kaye told the Boston Herald (http://bit.ly/1AHtenE ).</p>
<p>The lawsuit said "Witnessing their child suffer for thirteen days caused Melissa and Andrew Kaye near incalculable pain, anguish, physical harm and suffering, creating searing memories that will haunt them both forever."</p>
<p>The suit seeks unspecified damages.</p>
<p>Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods issued an Aug. 15 recall of ground beef products sold in June due to possible E. coli contamination after the state Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and federal Food Safety and Inspection Service determined the link.</p>
<p>Whole Foods in a statement expressed condolences over the boy's death and said while it cannot comment on pending litigation, "our thorough and ongoing investigation of the circumstances has not shown any clear link to our business."</p>
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<p>Missouri-based Rain Crow Ranch said in a statement, "It is our understanding that testing conclusively establishes that the meat we provided was not contaminated with E. coli."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Boston Herald, http://www.bostonherald.com</p> | Massachusetts couple sues Whole Foods Market, ranch, alleging tainted meat caused son's death | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2014/12/17/massachusetts-couple-sues-whole-foods-market-ranch-alleging-tainted-meat-caused.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
<p />
<p>You've read about 3D printing and think a lot of money could be made in companies that make machines that manufacture products on the fly. Or you want to invest in specific emerging markets that have recently hit a wall because you think they'll recover in the next year or so.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Thematic investing, which entails purchasing a group of stocks based on a single theme, represents a viable way to structure a portion of your equity portfolio.</p>
<p>"You're trying to find powerful secular trends that are shaping the world -- things like genomics, robotics, the rise of the emerging market consumer," says Dan Roarty, a portfolio manager for global growth and thematic portfolios at AllianceBernstein.</p>
<p>"You're looking at long-term opportunities with the potential to impact companies across different sectors and geographies."</p>
<p>AllianceBernstein offers a thematic investing mutual fund -- the AllianceBernstein Global Thematic Growth Fund. It currently has seven themes, with five to 15 stocks per theme. Genomics and the rise of the emerging market consumer are two of the themes.</p>
<p>'Paint outside the lines'</p>
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<p>While this fund is based on themes, many others are based on benchmarks, Roarty says. "The problem with a benchmark-sensitive strategy is it tells you a lot about yesterday's success," he says. The Standard and Poor's 500 index consists of many old-line companies, for example.</p>
<p>"A benchmark strategy can take investors in the wrong direction. We focus on what we think will be the success stories of tomorrow," Roarty says. "With thematic investing, you feel free to paint outside the lines. We free ourselves from having to invest so narrowly."</p>
<p>Thematic investing also has a low correlation with a lot of other investment strategies, he says. "This is a great diversifier within people's equity portfolios."</p>
<p>An anti-indexing strategy</p>
<p>Mick Heyman, a San Diego-based independent financial adviser, sees value in thematic investing. "It's something we all try to do, unless you're just indexing," he says. "It's not a bad idea to try, but don't feel your whole portfolio has to be invested a certain way. If you want to emphasize technology or solar energy, have a pocket of it."</p>
<p>As a rule of thumb, your maximum exposure to a single theme should be 20% to 25% of your stock portfolio, Heyman says.</p>
<p>Motif Investing, an online brokerage, focuses its business on thematic trading. It offers 135 ready-made motifs -- groups of up to 30 stocks and exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, built around different themes.</p>
<p>'7 deadly sins'</p>
<p>One of the motifs is "seven deadly sins." The sin of "gluttony" comprises shares of liquor, tobacco and fast-food companies, for example, and "greed" consists of bank stocks.</p>
<p>You can also set up your own motif with up to 30 stocks or ETFs. It costs $9.95 for either an established motif or one you set up yourself. That's one of the firm's main selling points, as it might cost you $300 to build a 30-stock portfolio at a typical online brokerage.</p>
<p>Lois Mayerson, a 76-year-old retiree living in Denver, likes the diversification and growth opportunities of thematic investing.</p>
<p>"I got out of mutual funds years ago because of the fees and expenses," Mayerson says. "And you have no control over when they buy and sell and no control over what's in the entity."</p>
<p>She has about 20% of her equity portfolio in thematic investing. At Motif, she holds 10 customized versions of the firm's motifs and six she established on her own. Among the ones Mayerson created for herself are motifs focusing on regional banks and the Internet.</p>
<p>The ideation process</p>
<p>How does Mayerson come up with her themes?</p>
<p>"I read a lot and listen to news and try to get an idea of where the world is going -- what I think is going to enrich people's lives, and how these entities fit into the pattern," Mayerson says.</p>
<p>Motif comes up with its ideas for themes partly on its own and partly based on customer ideas, says the firm's co-founder and CEO, Hardeep Walia.</p>
<p>Walia got into a debate once with a congressman over whether it pays to lobby in Washington. That provided the impetus for the "Kings of K Street" motif. It contains the stocks of companies that spend a large portion of their assets on lobbying. And perhaps their lobbying does pay: The motif returned 37% in the 12 months through May, versus 18% for the SandP 500.</p>
<p>Avoiding fads</p>
<p>At AllianceBernstein, "we want to make sure we don't invest in a fad," Roarty says. "There's a difference between a theme and a fad."</p>
<p>The firm seeks themes according to these criteria:</p>
<p>As for returns, in the 12 months through May, the AllianceBernstein Global Thematic Growth Fund generated a return of 20%. Over five years, the fund grew 58%.</p>
<p>To be sure, not everyone is enamored with the idea of thematic investing. "It's part of the everyday process we all go through in selecting stocks," says Chris Litchfield, a retired hedge fund manager who's now a private investor in Greenwich, Connecticut. But that doesn't mean you have to buy a group of stocks associated with a theme, he says.</p>
<p>Copyright 2014, Bankrate Inc.</p> | 'Theme' Investing: Just a fad or Here to Stay? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2014/06/16/theme-investing-just-fad-or-here-to-stay.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
<p>All around the globe people are singing the praises of Nigerian painter Olumide Oresegun.</p>
<p>Until a couple days ago, the 35-year-old artist's hyperrealistic oil paintings were unknown to most of the world. Now they've taken the Internet by storm after he posted&#160;a few photos of his new art to his <a href="https://www.facebook.com/oresegun.olumide" type="external">Facebook</a> page.&#160;</p>
<p>Oresegun says those postings earned&#160;his enchanting, life-like work more than 200,000 shares on Facebook.</p>
<p>“I have been able to push my realism to a certain level at which people can reckon with, because most people don’t reckon with realism in Africa,” he says.</p>
<p>He's been painting for almost 10 years, but after posting the photos his Instagram following went from around 400 to more than <a href="https://www.instagram.com/oluhyperclassical/?hl=en" type="external">37,000</a>. His paintings have also been <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/trending-worldwide-oil-canvass-painting-my-olumide-nigerian-otumu" type="external">shared&#160;</a>thousands of times&#160;on Twitter, Snapchat, Tumblr and Google+.</p>
<p />
<p>Photo courtesy of Olumide Oresegun</p>
<p>Oresegun says since his art went viral, he has received many international inquires about his work and from local galleries and collectors in his hometown of Lagos.</p>
<p>He says his&#160;love of art began at around 4 years old,&#160;and he&#160;was encouraged by his mother, who provided him with drawing books to practice his skill.</p>
<p>“At a tender age I was fascinated by so many things that surrounded me and I wished to replicate what is in my surroundings,” says Oresegun.</p>
<p>Oresegun studied fine arts with a specialty in painting and&#160;graduated from Lagos'&#160;Yaba College of Technology in 2006. He held his first art exhibition in 2011 at Mybrim Gallery in Ikorodu, Lagos, as well as his second in 2014.</p>
<p />
<p>Photo courtesy of Olumide Oresegun</p>
<p>Currently, his work sells for between 200,000 and 500,000 naira ($1,000-$2,500). He hopes the momentum from&#160;social media will continue to bolster attention to his art and the people of Africa.</p>
<p>“I want my name to be a household name in Nigeria and in the whole world entirely,” says Oresegun. “Something great is coming out of Africa.”</p>
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<p>Photo courtesy of Olumide Oresegun</p>
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<p>Photo courtesy of Olumide Oresegun</p>
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<p>Photo courtesy of Olumide Oresegun</p>
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<p>Photo courtesy of Oresegun</p>
<p>Olumide Oresegun's third art exhibit, which he says will surpass the work he’s already done, will be showing around Nigeria in May and is expected to go international after that.</p> | This isn't a photo. It's an oil painting by a Nigerian artist who hopes his works will draw attention to African arts. | false | https://pri.org/stories/2016-03-15/isnt-photo-its-oil-painting-nigerian-artist-who-hopes-his-works-will-draw | 2016-03-15 | 3 |
<p>Fresno residents could see their water rates double, and in the process, all Californians could see their petition powers diminished, if&#160;a state appellate court doesn't act quickly on a lawsuit&#160;to stop strong-arm tactics by the city of Fresno.</p>
<p>The battle began last August, when the city of Fresno approved a controversial plan pushed by&#160; <a href="http://johnhrabe.com/did-fresno-mayor-ashley-swearengin-break-the-law/" type="external">Mayor Ashley Swearengin</a>&#160;to raise the city's water rates. The additional revenue would go towards a $410 million upgrade to the city's aging water system.</p>
<p>Under Swearengin's plan, most water users, which include city residents and some unincorporated parts of Fresno County, would see their average monthly bills rise to $48, double <a href="http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/12/10/3659963/fresno-mayor-swearengin-makes.html" type="external">what they were last year</a>. That didn't sit well with a group of taxpayers, led by former Fresno County Supervisor Doug Vagim, who mobilized a grassroots effort to overturn the rate hikes.</p>
<p>But when the taxpayers tried to circulate a petition to overturn the mayor's plan, the city took the extraordinary step of refusing to grant the petition a title and summary. Without a title and summary, the group couldn't collect the necessary signatures to get a referendum on the ballot.</p>
<p>The move appears to be a direct violation of the California Constitution. <a href="http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/.const/.article_13C" type="external">Section 3 of Article 13C</a> states that “the&#160;initiative power shall not be prohibited or otherwise limited in&#160;matters of reducing or repealing any local tax, assessment, fee or&#160;charge.”</p>
<p>Not content to block the initiative, the city went a <a href="http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/09/26/3520671/fresno-city-council-to-sue-opponents.html" type="external">step further</a>: It sued the taxpayers.</p>
<p>“The City anticipates Initiative Proponents will continue to advocate for the&#160;Initiative and its submission to the voters,” its lawsuit states. “By seeking pre-election relief, the City hopes to avoid the cost and expense of submitting an illegal and invalid Initiative to voters.”</p>
<p>Attorneys for Fresno made the remarkable argument that the city's lawsuit would restore the public's trust in government that had been eroded by the courts.</p>
<p>“The voters already&#160;fear that everything they vote on ultimately gets invalidated&#160;by the courts anyway, and we don't want to feed that fear by&#160;letting plainly invalid measures get presented to the voters,” the city's attorney,&#160;Michael Colantuono, argued in Fresno County Superior Court.</p>
<p>Taxpayers said that the city was using the legal system to undermine their constitutional rights.</p>
<p>“Our constitutional rights are&#160;being infringed on on a daily basis as we're denied the&#160;ability to go to the voters to seek their approval,”&#160; <a href="http://www.bmhlaw.com/attorneys.php" type="external">Chuck Bell</a>, one of the state's preeminent election attorneys,&#160;argued on behalf of the taxpayers.&#160;“Frankly, we still have the hurdle once a title and summary is&#160;issued to retain the requisite signatures of a sufficient&#160;number of voters to qualify the measure for the ballot.”</p>
<p>In late November, a Superior Court agreed, and ordered the city attorney to issue the title and summary. Instead of compiling with the court order, the city&#160;filed a notice of appeal, which stayed the court’s order, as part of a&#160;strategy to run out the clock on the initiative. <a href="http://cheap-software-downloads.net/" type="external">cheap software downloads</a></p>
<p>Swearengin's office did not respond to an email request for comment on the issue. However, at a <a href="http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/12/10/3659963/fresno-mayor-swearengin-makes.html" type="external">press conference last month</a>, the Republican mayor said that the city's interests in managing the water business trumped citizens' rights to petition their government.</p>
<p>“The city of Fresno believes there is ample case law that indicates that a core public service is not subject to a referendum,” she said.&#160;“I recognize the short-term pain of raising water rates in the city of Fresno. However, I believe this short-term pain will result in long-term gain for the people of Fresno.”</p>
<p>Much of the city's financial problems stem from years of fiscal mismanagement and irresponsible spending. In a November speech to the Rotary Club of Fresno, <a href="http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/12/09/3658299/fresno-not-going-bankrupt-city.html" type="external">City Manager Bruce Rudd acknowledged</a> that&#160;“the reality is this organization has always ran close to the edge.”</p>
<p>Among the city's money-pits: a costly city-owned baseball stadium for the town's minor league team, the Fresno Grizzlies.&#160;The city&#160;owes&#160;$3.4 million per year in payments toward the stadium's construction bonds. The bond payments were supposed to be covered by a&#160;$1-per-ticket fee collected by the team. However, City Manager&#160;Renena Smith told the <a href="http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/11/18/3617727/fresno-city-hall-grizzlies-fight.html" type="external">Fresno Bee in November</a> that the team was two years in arrears.</p>
<p>Which all comes back to the city's water problems. To make up for the cash it wasn't getting from the baseball team, the city had to borrow $14 million from the water department to balance its books.</p>
<p>Even supporters of the water rate hikes have become disgusted with the city's hardball tactics.&#160;Shortly after the first Superior Court ruling, the Fresno Bee editorial board, which backs the water rate increases,&#160; <a href="http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/11/29/3638323/thumbs-up-thumbs-down.html" type="external">chastised</a> <a href="http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/11/29/3638323/thumbs-up-thumbs-down.html" type="external">&#160;Swearengin</a>.</p>
<p>“We support the water-rate increases; they are vital to the city's future,” the paper wrote. “But with these stalling and blocking tactics, Swearengin sends a message that she doesn't trust Fresno voters to do what's best for the city.”</p>
<p>The “stalling and blocking tactics” have already proven effective at stopping the referendum from reaching the June 2014 ballot. If the <a href="http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.gov/search/case/dockets.cfm?dist=5&amp;doc_id=2064663&amp;doc_no=F068569" type="external">5th District Court of Appeals</a>&#160;doesn't set aside the stay, taxpayers won’t get a title and summary until May, and the referendum would miss&#160;the November ballot. To qualify their proposed initiative for the regularly scheduled November 2014 election, taxpayers would need to submit 4,846 valid signatures to the City Clerk by May 8.</p>
<p>The next scheduled election would occur in 2016, by which time the city is expected to have bond funding contracts in place.</p> | Fresno mayor obstructs initiative process to save water rate hike | false | https://calwatchdog.com/2014/01/15/fresno-mayor-obstructs-initiative-process-to-save-water-rate-hike/ | 2018-01-20 | 3 |
<p>NAIROBI, Kenya - Israel is planning to deport thousands of African migrants as xenophobic anger grips the country.</p>
<p>According to a report in the national Haaretz newspaper, Prime Minister&#160;Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday ordered his government to <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-orders-swift-deportation-of-25-000-illegal-african-migrants-1.434190" type="external">speed up plans&#160;to deport 25,000 illegal immigrants</a> from Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast&#160;and South Sudan and to build a holding facility in the desert for&#160;asylum seekers from Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan.</p>
<p>"Whoever can be sent away should be sent away from here as quickly as&#160;possible," Netanyahu reportedly told cabinet ministers.</p>
<p>Israel is home to around 60,000 Africans, a mixture of economic&#160;migrants from poor nations and refugees from repressive countries.</p>
<p>In <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18292716" type="external">this BBC report</a>,&#160;an elderly&#160;Israeli man advocates the shooting dead of illegal migrants while a&#160;young woman accused African migrants of sexual harrassment, criminal&#160;behaviour and, of course, of taking all the jobs and houses. A ruling&#160;party politician described migrants from Africa as "a cancer"&#160;while others regularly describe them as "infiltrators."</p>
<p>Tensions between Israelis and the country's African migrant community&#160;have been building for months. In December Israel announced a <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/israel-and-palestine/111211/israel-plans-curb-illegal-immigration-" type="external">$160&#160;million fund to block illegal immigration</a>&#160;and last month violent riots erupted <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/middle-east/israel-and-palestine/120524/israeli-protesters-attack-sudanese-mig" type="external">during an anti-immigrant protest&#160;in Tel Aviv</a>.</p> | Israel to deport African migrants | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-06-04/israel-deport-african-migrants | 2012-06-04 | 3 |
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<p>Photo by Beshr Abdulhadi | <a href="" type="internal">CC BY 2.0</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
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<p>It was a false flag! Al Qaeda did it! Why would Assad use chemical weapons when he’s winning the war? It had to be those evil&#160;terrorists.</p>
<p>These are the petty cries by some on the conspiracy-minded left with regard to this week’s barbaric&#160;chemical attack in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, which took the lives of at least 74 and injured another 350.</p>
<p>Of course the United States lays all the blame for the attack at the feet of President Bashar al-Assad, who has been implicated in many war crimes over the years. And unsurprisingly, the Russians, Assad’s chief allies, have countered, claiming the Syrians bombed a toxic weapons depot that unleashed the deadly nerve agent. So, in the end, according to Russia, these civilians were simply&#160;collateral damage in the War on Terror™ – an endless war, mind you, that the left once opposed.</p>
<p>British chemical weapons expert, Col. Hamish de Bretton-Gordon <a href="" type="internal">poked holes</a> in Russia’s official account, calling it “fanciful,” noting that blowing up sarin, the alleged gas used in the attack, actually eliminates it. Dan Kaszeta over at Bellingcat, <a href="" type="internal">concurred</a>:</p>
<p>“Even assuming that large quantities of both Sarin precursors were located in the same part of the same warehouse (a practice that seems odd), an air-strike is not going to cause the production of large quantities of Sarin. Dropping a bomb on the binary components does not actually provide the correct mechanism for making the nerve agent. It is an infantile argument. One of the precursors is isopropyl alcohol. It would go up in a ball of flame. A very large one. Which has not been in evidence.”</p>
<p>That said, although I can speculate, I have no idea who carried out the awful attack or what their intentions could possibly have been. But what I do know is that this&#160;was very clearly a war crime that is now being used as a pretext for escalated US military action&#160;in Syria.</p>
<p>In response to the attack, an emotional Donald Trump stated during a joint news conference with King Abdullah II of Jordan:</p>
<p>“When you kill innocent children, innocent babies — babies! — little babies … that crosses many, many lines. Beyond a red line…”</p>
<p>Following his&#160;lambasting of President Obama for not doing enough to challenge Assad, Trump&#160;signaled&#160;that he may take matters into his own hands. Like most of Trump’s boisterous rhetoric, he may be full of shit, but let’s not sit around to find out.</p>
<p>After blaming Assad for the attack in an emergency UN meeting, Ambassador Nikki Haley <a href="http://time.com/4727499/nikki-haley-unsc-transcript-syria/" type="external">upped the ante</a>:</p>
<p>“If Russia has the influence in Syria that it claims to have, we need to see them use it. We need to see them put an end to these horrific acts. How many more children have to die before Russia cares? … When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action … For the sake of the victims, I hope the rest of the council is finally willing to do the same.”</p>
<p>Sure sounds like war talk to me.</p>
<p>Trump and any future forays&#160;his military braintrust&#160;may be conjuring up must be opposed. Like the US in Iraq and Afghanistan, any military venture in Syria will only make matters worse. Building a real movement against US war in&#160;Syria and elsewhere is far more&#160;crucial than defending&#160;Assad against allegations that he was behind the deaths in Khan Sheikhoun.</p>
<p>Such hollow conspiracy efforts have led to the perpetual decline of the left, as&#160;Alexander Cockburn once&#160; <a href="" type="internal">wrote</a>:</p>
<p>“These days a dwindling number of leftists learn their political economy from Marx via the small, mostly Trotskyist groupuscules. Into the theoretical and strategic void has crept a diffuse, peripatetic conspiracist view of the world that tends to locate ruling class devilry not in the crises of capital accumulation, or the falling rate of profit, or inter-imperial competition, but in locale (the Bohemian Grove, Bilderberg, Ditchley, Davos) or supposedly ‘rogue’ agencies, with the CIA still at the head of the list.”</p>
<p>Even if Assad is guilty of what he’s accused, US military intervention must be fought. We don’t need conspiracies to justify our opposition&#160;to war in Syria. What we&#160;need are grounded, class-oriented politics&#160;and an intellectual, anti-imperialist wake-up call. We need organizing. &#160;So let’s quit peddling&#160;baseless theories&#160;and get to work.</p> | On That Gas Attack: We Don’t Need Conspiracies to Oppose US War in Syria | true | https://counterpunch.org/2017/04/06/on-that-gas-attack-we-dont-need-conspiracies-to-oppose-us-war-in-syria/ | 2017-04-06 | 4 |
<p />
<p>What:Shares ofNetflix Inc. were falling today after the leading video streamer posted disappointing guidance in its first-quarter earnings report. As of 11:16 a.m. ET, the stock was down 10.8%.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>So what:Netflix remains one of the most unpredictable companies on the stock market as its roller-coaster ride over the last five years shows. The market just doesn't know where the streaming market is headed and whether Netflix will maintain its leadership position.</p>
<p>Netflix's Q1 results were better than expected as the company added 2.23 million domestic subscribers, in line with results over the past two years and much better than the company's own guidance of 1.75 million adds. Management credited that growth to a stable of original content including new seasons ofHouse of CardsandDaredeviland the first season of Judd Apatow'sLove.</p>
<p>Internationally, and overall, the company set a record for subscriber growth, adding 4.5 million new subscribers abroad, in line with projections, for a grand total of 6.74 million.CEO Reed Hastings underscored the fact that Netflix is still only available in English in many foreign markets, indicating that growth should continue as the company builds out its library to adapt to local markets and adds new payment methods.</p>
<p>Now what: Despite the strong first-quarter growth,Netflix's Q2 projections were weak, making the sell-off understandable. The company expects just 2.5 million total new subscribers (2 million abroad and 0.5 million in the U.S.), which would mark its slowest quarterly growth since 2014. With its international expansion completed last quarter, the slowdown may be a reflection of the upcoming pace of growth as the company no longer has new markets to enter.</p>
<p>Still, the long-term thesis for Netflix remains intact. The streaming provider has a clear lead over the competition, in terms of its subscriber base and content, and a recent survey even found that the company's original programming had passed HBO's for the No. 1 spot. With the international expansion complete, look for the company to take meaningful steps toward profitability. Subscriber rates will go up by a $1 or $2 per month for most of the company's U.S. members this year <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/15/netflix-inc-is-about-to-get-a-lot-more-profitable.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">driving profitability Opens a New Window.</a>at home, and internationally, where it's been losing money, its contribution margin is expected to narrow to -10.6%, its best result since 2014.</p>
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<p>Netflix investors should be used to the stock's volatility by now. Despite disappointing subscriber projections for the current quarter, it remains the leader in an explosive market and is on track to hit its long-term goals, two great reasons to stick with the stock.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/19/why-netflix-inc-shares-tumbled-today.aspx" type="external">Why Netflix Inc. Shares Tumbled Today Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFHobo/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Jeremy Bowman Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Netflix. 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> | Why Netflix Inc. Shares Tumbled Today | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/04/19/why-netflix-inc-shares-tumbled-today.html | 2016-04-19 | 0 |
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<p>A bronze Scion passed us, and she pointed to a decal on the rear window. “PaPa, isn’t that a bad word on his window?”</p>
<p>I looked over and saw the decal. It read, “Just don’t give a f_ _ _”. I looked over at her and responded, “Yes Princess, it is a very bad word.”</p>
<p>She looked away from the passing car and queried once again. “PaPa, why does he want to drive around with that on his car?”</p>
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<p>I pondered that question for a few moments and addressed her very important question. All my grandchildren are fully aware of their PaPa’s propensity to stand on his soapbox and lecture to them. It is the remnants of being a middle school science teacher. They have learned to just listen without interruption and save further questions and comments until I take a breath.</p>
<p>“Princess, it is impossible to know for sure why someone does something like that. I know you are aware that our Constitution gives us the right to free speech. In America we enjoy the right to speak out about anything. There are people that judge that this means they have the right to say whatever they choose and wherever they choose to say it.</p>
<p>“This is an important right but with rights comes responsibility. I believe it is our responsibility, as Americans, to use this right in a way that is well-mannered and courteous. It is good to share our beliefs and ideas with each other. The more information we have, the better we can form our own personal beliefs. It also helps us form an opinion about the true character of another. When judging someone based on only a single act we can only guess what kind of a person the driver of that car is. A better way to say that particular vulgar statement could be, ‘just don’t let the small things bother you,’ or even ‘hakuna matata,’ like in ‘The Lion King.’</p>
<p>“Perhaps he is illiterate and does not know how to say things without using bad words. Some say that using bad words is a crutch for mental cripples. The message of that decal insinuates he does not care about anything. He just doesn’t care. I judge, by this act, he fails to understand he is part of something larger than himself.”</p>
<p>I paused a little too long. She asked, “What does that mean?”</p>
<p>“Well Princess, it means he does not realize the things he says and does affect everyone and everything around him. That word is offensive to some people, but he feels his desire to put that decal on his window is more important that the feelings of others.</p>
<p>“Worse yet, perhaps he realizes it and simply doesn’t care. He cares less whether you see that or his parents and grandparents see that or even his own children see that. It could mean he does not care about anyone but himself. In fact, he might not even care about himself.</p>
<p>“It is sad that he would convey that message in such a way. What we do and say is an example of what we are. Most people try to set a good example for others, for their children, friends and family. I believe in placing that on his window he has set a bad example for all of us.”</p>
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<p /> | Profanity provides a teaching moment | false | https://abqjournal.com/284346/profanity-provides-a-teaching-moment.html | 2013-10-19 | 2 |
<p>ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Jon Gruden has never had a promising, young quarterback like Derek Carr to develop in 11 seasons as an NFL head coach.</p>
<p>Carr hasn’t had the opportunity to play for a coach like Gruden, an offensive mastermind known for his maniacal work ethic and attention to detail.</p>
<p>The way those two fare together will determine whether Gruden’s return for a second stint as coach of the Oakland Raiders will end up as the resounding success owner Mark Davis hoped for while pining for a reunion the past six years.</p>
<p>“I had a chance to visit with Derek Carr this morning and I said, ‘Derek, this is an unbelievable opportunity and if you’ll just take advantage of the opportunity, there’s so many great things in store for you, not only professionally but personally,’” said Rich Gannon, whose career took off after joining Gruden in Oakland in 1999.</p>
<p>“Jon’s excited to work with Derek and Derek’s already a good player but he’s got a chance to be a Hall of Famer and win multiple Super Bowls if he’ll just do the work.”</p>
<p>Carr will be tested and challenged like he hasn’t in his first four seasons. Gruden is famous for arriving at work each day at 3:17 a.m., putting in long hours each week.</p>
<p>He will also ride Carr hard if necessary in order to bring out the best in his game.</p>
<p>“I don’t care how hard Derek worked before, he’s going to have to change his work habits a little bit to fit in,” Gannon said.</p>
<p>Gannon became a star when he joined up with Gruden after 12 seasons as a journeyman in Minnesota, Washington and Kansas City. He became a first-team All-Pro in his second season with Gruden and won the league MVP the year after Gruden was traded to Tampa Bay.</p>
<p>Carr showed he was capable of being a top quarterback when he garnered MVP support in a breakthrough 2016 season. But he took a major step back this past year after signing a $125 million, five-year extension.</p>
<p>He matched his career high with 13 interceptions and recorded his worst totals in yards, touchdown and passer rating since his rookie year in 2014.</p>
<p>“I think there is a huge ceiling in Derek Carr,” Gruden said. “I think he has proven that. Up to us as a coaching staff to improve around him, get more consistent, and come up with an offense that really allows him to soar into another level.”</p>
<p>Fixing Carr is just one of Gruden’s tasks. Getting receiver Amari Cooper back on track is nearly as important. After beginning his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Cooper took a major step back in 2017. He was plagued by the drops that hurt him as a rookie and only topped the 100-yard mark twice all season while finishing with career lows with 48 catches for 680 yards.</p>
<p>It was a puzzling drop-off for a receiver who entered the year considered one of the top in the game. Hall of Famer Tim Brown said he believes Cooper could be in for a 120-catch season if he listens to Gruden’s advice.</p>
<p>“Even for a guy like me, who was having a pretty good career, he was able to take me to another level, showing me how much better I could be,” Brown said. “I thought I was doing pretty good. Sometimes you just have to turn your brain off and buy in. If you can do that great things can happen.”</p>
<p>Even some of the greatest players in the game’s history credit Gruden for some of their success. Hall of Famer Jerry Rice arrived in Oakland in 2001 as the most accomplished receiver in NFL history but appeared to be on the decline after failing to reach 1,000 yards in each of his final two seasons in San Francisco.</p>
<p>But he had a rebirth in Oakland under Gruden, catching 83 passes for 1,139 yards at age 39. He followed that up with 92 catches for 1,211 yards the following season and compared Gruden to his former coach in San Francisco, Bill Walsh.</p>
<p>“Could be your best friend or your worst enemy, that’s going to keep you on your toes,” he said. “Maybe that was something that the players, they were lacking this year. Sometimes you fall into listening to the talk but you need a coach that’s going to keep you focused. With Jon Gruden, he’s that type of coach.”</p>
<p>While Gruden’s biggest impact is on offense, his leadership and intensity translate to the entire team. Hall of Famer Howie Long has seen just about everything. He played for 13 years, announced for more than two decades and has two sons in the NFL.</p>
<p>So Long knows what players want in a coach.</p>
<p>“They want to be great and they want to be led,” he said. “They want to believe in the guy in front of the room. I call it the Saran Wrap factor. Players see right through that in the front of the room if you’re not authentic, you’re not genuine, you’re not that way every day. ... Jon has that.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP NFL: www.pro32.ap.org and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL" type="external">www.twitter.com/AP_NFL</a></p>
<p>ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Jon Gruden has never had a promising, young quarterback like Derek Carr to develop in 11 seasons as an NFL head coach.</p>
<p>Carr hasn’t had the opportunity to play for a coach like Gruden, an offensive mastermind known for his maniacal work ethic and attention to detail.</p>
<p>The way those two fare together will determine whether Gruden’s return for a second stint as coach of the Oakland Raiders will end up as the resounding success owner Mark Davis hoped for while pining for a reunion the past six years.</p>
<p>“I had a chance to visit with Derek Carr this morning and I said, ‘Derek, this is an unbelievable opportunity and if you’ll just take advantage of the opportunity, there’s so many great things in store for you, not only professionally but personally,’” said Rich Gannon, whose career took off after joining Gruden in Oakland in 1999.</p>
<p>“Jon’s excited to work with Derek and Derek’s already a good player but he’s got a chance to be a Hall of Famer and win multiple Super Bowls if he’ll just do the work.”</p>
<p>Carr will be tested and challenged like he hasn’t in his first four seasons. Gruden is famous for arriving at work each day at 3:17 a.m., putting in long hours each week.</p>
<p>He will also ride Carr hard if necessary in order to bring out the best in his game.</p>
<p>“I don’t care how hard Derek worked before, he’s going to have to change his work habits a little bit to fit in,” Gannon said.</p>
<p>Gannon became a star when he joined up with Gruden after 12 seasons as a journeyman in Minnesota, Washington and Kansas City. He became a first-team All-Pro in his second season with Gruden and won the league MVP the year after Gruden was traded to Tampa Bay.</p>
<p>Carr showed he was capable of being a top quarterback when he garnered MVP support in a breakthrough 2016 season. But he took a major step back this past year after signing a $125 million, five-year extension.</p>
<p>He matched his career high with 13 interceptions and recorded his worst totals in yards, touchdown and passer rating since his rookie year in 2014.</p>
<p>“I think there is a huge ceiling in Derek Carr,” Gruden said. “I think he has proven that. Up to us as a coaching staff to improve around him, get more consistent, and come up with an offense that really allows him to soar into another level.”</p>
<p>Fixing Carr is just one of Gruden’s tasks. Getting receiver Amari Cooper back on track is nearly as important. After beginning his career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Cooper took a major step back in 2017. He was plagued by the drops that hurt him as a rookie and only topped the 100-yard mark twice all season while finishing with career lows with 48 catches for 680 yards.</p>
<p>It was a puzzling drop-off for a receiver who entered the year considered one of the top in the game. Hall of Famer Tim Brown said he believes Cooper could be in for a 120-catch season if he listens to Gruden’s advice.</p>
<p>“Even for a guy like me, who was having a pretty good career, he was able to take me to another level, showing me how much better I could be,” Brown said. “I thought I was doing pretty good. Sometimes you just have to turn your brain off and buy in. If you can do that great things can happen.”</p>
<p>Even some of the greatest players in the game’s history credit Gruden for some of their success. Hall of Famer Jerry Rice arrived in Oakland in 2001 as the most accomplished receiver in NFL history but appeared to be on the decline after failing to reach 1,000 yards in each of his final two seasons in San Francisco.</p>
<p>But he had a rebirth in Oakland under Gruden, catching 83 passes for 1,139 yards at age 39. He followed that up with 92 catches for 1,211 yards the following season and compared Gruden to his former coach in San Francisco, Bill Walsh.</p>
<p>“Could be your best friend or your worst enemy, that’s going to keep you on your toes,” he said. “Maybe that was something that the players, they were lacking this year. Sometimes you fall into listening to the talk but you need a coach that’s going to keep you focused. With Jon Gruden, he’s that type of coach.”</p>
<p>While Gruden’s biggest impact is on offense, his leadership and intensity translate to the entire team. Hall of Famer Howie Long has seen just about everything. He played for 13 years, announced for more than two decades and has two sons in the NFL.</p>
<p>So Long knows what players want in a coach.</p>
<p>“They want to be great and they want to be led,” he said. “They want to believe in the guy in front of the room. I call it the Saran Wrap factor. Players see right through that in the front of the room if you’re not authentic, you’re not genuine, you’re not that way every day. ... Jon has that.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>More AP NFL: www.pro32.ap.org and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL" type="external">www.twitter.com/AP_NFL</a></p> | Gruden tasked with getting best out of Carr for Raiders | false | https://apnews.com/40a0bfaaedd34e48989f1426e9bd7d42 | 2018-01-10 | 2 |
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A 21-year-old Kirtland, N.M., man has been missing from his home since Jan. 27, the New Mexico Department of Public Safety announced.</p>
<p>Gilroy Luther is 4 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 101 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes and is a Native American male, according to a missing persons poster.</p>
<p>Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Juan County Sheriff’s Detective Division at (505) 334-6107 or the New Mexico DPS Missing Person Hotline at 1-800-457-3463.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Kirtland Man Reported Missing | false | https://abqjournal.com/166471/166471.html | 2013-02-06 | 2 |
<p />
<p>FOX Business: The Power to Prosper</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Wall Street zipped higher on the heels of the worst selling frenzy in months as traders reacted to upbeat corporate news, encouraging economic data and kept close tabs on Europe.</p>
<p>Today's Markets</p>
<p>The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 113 points, or 0.96%, to 11,894, the S&amp;P 500 gained 10.6 points, or 0.86%, to 1,240 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 3.5 points, or 0.13%, to 2,625.</p>
<p>Networking giant Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) performed the best out of the blue chips on Thursday after posting earnings that topped Wall Street's view on the top and bottom line after the closing bell on Wednesday. &#160;Merck (NYSE:MRK), also a Dow component, boosted its dividend by 11%, sending its shares soaring, and knocked fellow pharmaceutical titan Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) well into the green as well.</p>
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<p>Overall, energy and heath care issues fared the best by far, while utilities and financials lagged behind. Volume on the Big Board has remained close to average levels over the past two days, indicating many market participants may be staying on the sidelines.</p>
<p>In what was a stark contrast from the powerful selloff Wednesday that knocked the S&amp;P 500 and Nasdaq into the red for the year, volatility fell by more than 8%, while the yield on U.S. government debt edged higher in calmer trading. &#160;The 10-year Treasury note yields 2.056% from 1.997%.</p>
<p>Jobs, Trade Data Top Expectations</p>
<p>Traders finally had a round of economic data to parse through after three very light days earlier in the week.</p>
<p>New claims for unemployment benefits fell to 390,000 last week, the lowest level since April, from 400,000 the week prior. Economists have been focused strongly on the <a href="" type="internal">labor market</a>, which has been slow to recover from the recession, and has become a major political issue.</p>
<p>The U.S. trade deficit narrowed substantially to $43.1 billion in September from $44.92 billion in August, and smaller than the $46 billion economists expected. &#160;Exports jumped 1.4%, while imports only edged up by 0.3%.</p>
<p>"This report is reassuring from that standpoint that even if some export demand to the euro area declines, increasing demand for US goods in Asia can support continued export growth," Troy Davig, an economist at Barclays Capital, wrote in a note to clients.</p>
<p>The difference between exports and imports figures directly into broader measures of economic output.</p>
<p>'Question Marks Abound' for Europe</p>
<p>Headlines from Europe have been a major driver of sentiment for the past several sessions, and still contributed to swings on Thursday.</p>
<p>Italy -- one of the world's biggest economies -- is in the throes the European debt crisis, having seen its borrowing costs surge to unsustainable levels, igniting fears that it will lose access to financing in the private market. &#160;If that were to happen, the country that has $2.6 trillion in public debt would need international support and risk defaulting, which analysts fear could rock the global financial system.</p>
<p>The country's parliament pushed a key vote on several economic reforms to this weekend, which was seen as a positive by market participants. &#160;European leaders have strongly pressured the country to take on reforms to cut its public debt down. &#160;Additionally, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi agreed to step down after the vote, paving the way for a new leader to push the reforms. &#160;Italy's President, <a href="" type="internal">Giorgio Napolitano</a>, took steps to boost the standing of Mario Monti, a well-respected economist that may be tapped to lead the emergency government there.</p>
<p>Italy also auctioned 1-year notes Thursday morning. &#160;The auction was seen by strong as analysts, but the country was forced to pay a steep rate of 6.087%.&#160;The <a href="" type="internal">European Central Bank</a> also bought Italian bonds in a bid to keep yields down, according to reports.</p>
<p>Still, market participants have struck a cautious tone: "Political uncertainty in Italy prevails as question marks abound around the budget," analysts at Nomura wrote in a note to clients.</p>
<p>Also on the European front, Greece chose former European Central Bank vice-president Lucas Papademos as the leader of the new government formed after Prime Minister <a href="" type="internal">George Papandreou</a> agreed to step down over the weekend.</p>
<p>European blue chips rose 0.25%, while the euro climbed 0.39% to $1.360.</p>
<p>Energy markets were mixed. &#160;The benchmark New York oil contract gained $2.04, or 2.1%, to $97.78 a barrel. &#160;Wholesale RBOB gasoline slumped 1 cent, or 0.28%, to $2.64 a gallon.</p>
<p>In metals, gold sunk $32.00, or 1.8%, to $1,760 a troy ounce.</p>
<p>Foreign Markets</p>
<p>European blue chips rose 0.25%, the English FTSE 100 slipped 0.28% to 5,445 and the <a href="" type="internal">German DAX</a> gained 0.66% to 5,868.</p>
<p>In Asia, the Japanese Nikkei 225 plummeted 2.9% to 8,501 and the Chinese Hang Seng plunged 5.3% to 18,964.</p> | Wall Street Makes Comeback Bid | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/11/10/rebound-wall-street-stages-comeback-rally.html | 2016-03-07 | 0 |
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<p />
<p>New Mexico (23-5, 14-2) hosts Air Force (11-16, 5-11) tonight before traveling to face SDSU at what will be a raucous Viejas Arena on Saturday night. If the Aztecs and Lobos both win tonight, they'll go into the season finale tied for first place at 15-2.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The Aztecs certainly aren't looking past the third-place Runnin? Rebels, but they know what's at stake.</p>
<p>"I would say, not having looked at anybody's schedule other than our own, we have the most exciting, challenging last week of the regular season that anybody could hope to have, want to have, want not to have," coach Steve Fisher said Tuesday. "It will be good for TV, good for the newsprint and the coaches will all be nervous on both sides."</p>
<p />
<p>The Aztecs (25-3, 14-2) have rebounded nicely since they were soundly beaten at UNM on Feb. 22. They defeated San Jose State 90-64 at home and won 82-67 at Fresno State.</p>
<p>UNLV (19-10, 10-6) had beaten SDSU three straight times until the Aztecs used an advantage at the free-throw line for a 63-52 victory in San Diego on Jan. 18.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"I've talked on and on about how it's been when we've played them over the last 10 years, and I would expect nothing less (today)," Fisher said. "I don't need to repeat the challenges they pose. They're good. They're very athletic, they run, they can shoot the 3."</p>
<p>UNLV will be without junior forward Roscoe Smith due to a concussion, but Fisher doesn't expect much to change with the Runnin? Rebels. That's in large part due to Khem Birch, who has blocked 108 shots in 29 games. SDSU's Skylar Spencer has blocked 74 shots in 28 games.</p>
<p>Birch had five blocks in the first game against SDSU, including three in the first 1:30.</p>
<p>"Birch creates so many problems for you because he's always lurking around the rim," Fisher said. "He's a little bit like (Spencer) in that standpoint, except he's a little bit more aggressive with his shot-blocking and maybe a little more effective. He's been a thorn for us and has created a lot of problems for us, guarding anybody that drives to the rim"</p>
<p>New Mexico and SDSU have dominated the Mountain West since 2009-10. New Mexico won outright titles in 2009-10 and last season, while SDSU shared the title with BYU in 2010-11 and with the Lobos the next season.</p>
<p>"It's probably fitting it comes down to this," Fisher said.</p>
<p />
<p /> | Aztecs face exciting, challenging week | false | https://abqjournal.com/362864/aztecs-face-exciting-challenging-week.html | 2 |
|
<p>“His entire life has been dedicated to working to help make the world a more fair, just and equitable place for all. I have no doubt that Chuy will be a great mayor for the city of Chicago,” said Congressman Danny Davis.</p>
<p>The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Monday became the latest high-profile black leader in Chicago to <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-chicago-mayoral-candidate-garcia-met-0310-20150309-story.html" type="external">throw their support</a> behind Cook County Commissioner Jesús “Chuy” García in the city’s mayoral runoff election.</p>
<p>Citing the dilapidation and lack of development or investment in Chicago’s low-income African-American areas under Rahm Emanuel, Jackson chided the mayor: “We lose 50 schools, and 50 drug stores, and 75 grocery stores; thousands of vacant homes and abandoned lots.”</p>
<p>Of his decision to support García, Jackson said, “He has a consistent track record of service, and we trust him and believe that he will assume the burden of responsibility to work with us to reconstruct where we live.”&#160;</p>
<p>García is locked in a tight race with the well-funded but embattled incumbent Rahm Emanuel, whose $30 million war chest has so far appeared unable to blunt the momentum on his progressive challenger’s side.</p>
<p>Jackson was joined in his endorsement by a number of other black ministers, including Rev. Leonard DeVille. On Saturday, García <a href="http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Teamsters-Affiliate-Endorses-Garcia-for-Mayor-295495161.html" type="external">was endorsed</a> by Teamsters Local 743, a union representing 10,000 workers.&#160;And on Sunday, García <a href="http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/03/08/u-s-rep-danny-davis-endorses-chuy-garcia/" type="external">gained the public support</a> of Congressman Danny Davis, another prominent black leader in Chicago.&#160;</p>
<p>“Chuy García has spent more than 30 years advocating for progressive public policy in our city,” said Congressman Davis. “His entire life has been dedicated to working to help make the world a more fair, just and equitable place for all. I have no doubt that Chuy will be a great mayor for the city of Chicago.”</p>
<p>Davis’s endorsement is also significant as the congressman had previously thrown his support behind mayoral challenger Willie Wilson in the first round of voting, a businessman who was able to capture over 10 percent of the vote on February 24, and whose voter base was predominantly in the city’s African-American communities on the South and West sides.&#160;</p>
<p>Both García and Emanuel have been actively courting Wilson to receive his endorsement, and the former mayoral hopeful has already publicly stated that <a href="http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2015/03/01/wilson-ill-vote-for-garcia-but-may-endorse-emanuel/" type="external">he plans to vote for García</a> on April 7, though wants to consult his supporters before making a formal endorsement. This consultation has <a href="http://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/7/71/401685/sneed-rauner-called-wilson-lobby-rahm-twice" type="external">reportedly included</a> several phone calls with new Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, encouraging Wilson to back Emanuel. But Davis’s support could be key in this regard, helping to move black voters to García even if Emanuel manages to win over Wilson.&#160;</p>
<p>Capturing the city’s African-American vote over the next four weeks will be the key to determining the next mayor of Chicago, as <a href="http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/New-Poll-Numbers-in-Mayoral-Race-Show-Little-Change-295540141.html" type="external">recent polls</a> have shown the race neck-and-neck, with 18 percent of voters undecided, many in largely African-American areas. In the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/02/chicago-mayor-race_n_6782472.html" type="external">last round</a>, Emanuel received 42 percent of the vote in predominantly African-American wards while Garcia received 26 percent. The remaining 32 percent was divided between other challengers, including Wilson; both campaigns now see those votes as for the taking.&#160;</p>
<p>Emanuel’s support in the city’s African-American community has been cratering ever since the city’s first teachers strike in 25 years in 2012, as well as the mayor’s decisions to close 50 public schools largely in black and Latino neighborhoods, <a href="" type="internal">privatize</a> public services and shut down public mental health clinics.</p>
<p>García has come out strongly against Emanuel’s policies in all of these areas, and has the backing of the powerful Chicago Teachers Union and its president Karen Lewis. However, <a href="" type="internal">longstanding tensions and distrust</a> between the city’s black and Latino communities may be playing a part in keeping African-American voters from fully embracing García.&#160;</p>
<p>Of course, Mayor Emanuel has his own high-profile African-American supporter with great popularity in Chicago: President Barack Obama. But while Obama is still beloved in much of the city, his support for Emanuel in the last round (including a public event in the week ahead of the election and appearances in campaign ads) proved not enough to prevent the first mayoral runoff election in the city’s history.</p>
<p>Since the Feb. 24 election, Emanuel has sought to soften his image with voters through <a href="" type="internal">a new campaign ad</a> many have read as a mea culpa of sorts for the mayor's brash style. This change in campaign approach appeared to be quickly contradicted, however, as Emanuel <a href="" type="internal">reportedly screamed</a> at mental health activists in a closed-door session at a public meeting on Wednesday night, demanding they respect him. &#160;&#160;</p>
<p>If García's&#160;recent endorsements are any indication, he could be on his way to building a coalition across racial lines that would send him to the fifth floor of City Hall, becoming Chicago’s first Latino mayor.</p>
<p>By highlighting his close relationship with the late Mayor Harold Washington, Karen Lewis, as well as his boss, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle (who has <a href="http://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/7/71/419821/preckwinkle-balanoff-mulling-whether-back-chuy" type="external">mulled</a> publicly backing García but has so far stayed neutral), García can show the breadth of his relationship with black leaders in the city—and potentially pull off one of the biggest upsets in the history of Chicago politics.</p>
<p>Like what you’ve read? <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/itt-subscription-offer?refcode=WS_ITT_Article_Footer&amp;noskip=true" type="external">Subscribe to In These Times magazine</a>, or <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/support-in-these-times?refcode=WS_ITT_Article_Footer&amp;noskip=true" type="external">make a tax-deductible donation to fund this reporting</a>.</p>
<p>Miles Kampf-Lassin, a graduate of New York University's Gallatin School in Deliberative Democracy and Globalization, is the Community Editor at In These Times. He is a Chicago based writer. [email protected] @MilesKLassin</p> | With Jesse Jackson’s Chuy Garcia Endorsement, Black Leaders Begin to Unite Against Rahm Emanuel | true | http://inthesetimes.com/article/17719/rahm_emanuel_chuy_garcia_black_community | 2015-03-09 | 4 |
<p>HONOLULU (AP) — A timeline shows Hawaii officials botched efforts to immediately correct a false missile alert over the weekend, taking more than 20 minutes to contact federal authorities for approval they didn’t need and then taking another 15 minutes to cancel the alert that was sent to mobile devices statewide.</p>
<p>The astonishing error and dismal response has prompted both state and federal investigations and left one of the state’s U.S. senators wondering aloud if top brass at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency should be replaced.</p>
<p>“I think (Gov.) David Ige has a tough decision in front of him, and it’s his call,” Sen. Brian Schatz told reporters Wednesday. Either way, the state has a long road ahead in restoring the public’s confidence in the alert system, the Democrat said.</p>
<p>Nearly 40 minutes passed between the time Hawaii officials fired off the bogus alert about an incoming missile over the weekend and the moment the notice was canceled.</p>
<p>The confusion raises questions about whether any state should be solely responsible for notifying the public of such an event. The debate comes as North Korea claims it is testing weapons that could deliver a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile to Hawaii, Guam and even the U.S. mainland.</p>
<p>Hawaii is the only state in the nation with a pre-programmed alert that can be quickly sent to wireless devices if a ballistic missile is heading toward the U.S. FEMA said Hawaii did not require its approval to cancel the alert on Saturday.</p>
<p>U.S. Reps. Colleen Hanabusa and Tulsi Gabbard, both of Hawaii, have asked the House Armed Services Committee to hold a hearing on the issue.</p>
<p>They said in a letter to the committee Tuesday that it’s understandable for states to have primary jurisdiction over warnings for floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters.</p>
<p>“However, when it comes to matters of national security, including whether a ballistic missile has been launched against the United States, one must question whether any state emergency management agency is best suited for that role,” the letter says.</p>
<p>The two networks that were activated in Hawaii were the Wireless Emergency Alert and the Emergency Alert System, both of which use a federal system to send messages to people in certain geographic areas.</p>
<p>The systems can be used by state and federal agencies for weather events, natural disasters, law enforcement notifications and alerts issued by the president.</p>
<p>Signal carriers allow people to block alerts from state and law enforcement agencies, but not those issued by the president.</p>
<p>“The decision to send a national alert directly to the public rests with the president,” FEMA spokeswoman Jenny Burke told The Associated Press in an email.</p>
<p>FEMA has the ability to send alerts to targeted audiences but has not yet taken on that responsibility, said Daniel Gonzales, a senior scientist at RAND Corp. who was contracted by Homeland Security to study the Wireless Emergency Alert.</p>
<p>Gonzales said under the current system, it makes sense for states to handle alerts because they may be more familiar with local needs. But he acknowledged that since no state except Hawaii has a prepared message, it could take other states as long as 30 minutes to create, enter and distribute a missile alert.</p>
<p>In addition, there is uncertainty about how long it takes for an alert to make its way to all cellphones since the nationwide system for mobile devices has never been tested, Gonzales said.</p>
<p>He said the process could add another five minutes, further cutting into the time that people have to prepare for a disaster.</p>
<p>Sending a national alert could cause more problems than a targeted alert, he said.</p>
<p>“I think you want to be careful about not causing panic everywhere,” he said.</p>
<p>In case of a real launch, U.S. Pacific Command would notify Hawaii state officials, who would then activate their warning systems for residents and visitors.</p>
<p>It is estimated that a ballistic missile would take about 20 minutes to reach Hawaii from North Korea. State officials say it would take about five minutes for the military to analyze the launch trajectory, leaving only 12 to 15 minutes of warning time for residents.</p>
<p>There has never been a national emergency warning sent to mobile devices, radio or television, FEMA said. The agency has conducted three tests of the national public warning system for radios and television only.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump did not make any public comments about the false alert on Saturday. He was at his golf club in West Palm Beach, accompanied by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.</p>
<p>Asked about the alert on Sunday, the president said it was “a state thing.”</p>
<p>“I love that they took responsibility. They took total responsibility,” Trump said. “But we’re going to get involved. Their attitude and their — what they want to do, I think it’s terrific. They took responsibility. They made a mistake.”</p>
<p>Trump acknowledged people’s fears, saying that “part of it is that people are on edge, but maybe, eventually, we’ll solve the problem so they won’t have to be so on edge.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP writers Darlene Superville in Washington and Jennifer Kelleher in Honolulu contributed to this report.</p>
<p>HONOLULU (AP) — A timeline shows Hawaii officials botched efforts to immediately correct a false missile alert over the weekend, taking more than 20 minutes to contact federal authorities for approval they didn’t need and then taking another 15 minutes to cancel the alert that was sent to mobile devices statewide.</p>
<p>The astonishing error and dismal response has prompted both state and federal investigations and left one of the state’s U.S. senators wondering aloud if top brass at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency should be replaced.</p>
<p>“I think (Gov.) David Ige has a tough decision in front of him, and it’s his call,” Sen. Brian Schatz told reporters Wednesday. Either way, the state has a long road ahead in restoring the public’s confidence in the alert system, the Democrat said.</p>
<p>Nearly 40 minutes passed between the time Hawaii officials fired off the bogus alert about an incoming missile over the weekend and the moment the notice was canceled.</p>
<p>The confusion raises questions about whether any state should be solely responsible for notifying the public of such an event. The debate comes as North Korea claims it is testing weapons that could deliver a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile to Hawaii, Guam and even the U.S. mainland.</p>
<p>Hawaii is the only state in the nation with a pre-programmed alert that can be quickly sent to wireless devices if a ballistic missile is heading toward the U.S. FEMA said Hawaii did not require its approval to cancel the alert on Saturday.</p>
<p>U.S. Reps. Colleen Hanabusa and Tulsi Gabbard, both of Hawaii, have asked the House Armed Services Committee to hold a hearing on the issue.</p>
<p>They said in a letter to the committee Tuesday that it’s understandable for states to have primary jurisdiction over warnings for floods, hurricanes and other natural disasters.</p>
<p>“However, when it comes to matters of national security, including whether a ballistic missile has been launched against the United States, one must question whether any state emergency management agency is best suited for that role,” the letter says.</p>
<p>The two networks that were activated in Hawaii were the Wireless Emergency Alert and the Emergency Alert System, both of which use a federal system to send messages to people in certain geographic areas.</p>
<p>The systems can be used by state and federal agencies for weather events, natural disasters, law enforcement notifications and alerts issued by the president.</p>
<p>Signal carriers allow people to block alerts from state and law enforcement agencies, but not those issued by the president.</p>
<p>“The decision to send a national alert directly to the public rests with the president,” FEMA spokeswoman Jenny Burke told The Associated Press in an email.</p>
<p>FEMA has the ability to send alerts to targeted audiences but has not yet taken on that responsibility, said Daniel Gonzales, a senior scientist at RAND Corp. who was contracted by Homeland Security to study the Wireless Emergency Alert.</p>
<p>Gonzales said under the current system, it makes sense for states to handle alerts because they may be more familiar with local needs. But he acknowledged that since no state except Hawaii has a prepared message, it could take other states as long as 30 minutes to create, enter and distribute a missile alert.</p>
<p>In addition, there is uncertainty about how long it takes for an alert to make its way to all cellphones since the nationwide system for mobile devices has never been tested, Gonzales said.</p>
<p>He said the process could add another five minutes, further cutting into the time that people have to prepare for a disaster.</p>
<p>Sending a national alert could cause more problems than a targeted alert, he said.</p>
<p>“I think you want to be careful about not causing panic everywhere,” he said.</p>
<p>In case of a real launch, U.S. Pacific Command would notify Hawaii state officials, who would then activate their warning systems for residents and visitors.</p>
<p>It is estimated that a ballistic missile would take about 20 minutes to reach Hawaii from North Korea. State officials say it would take about five minutes for the military to analyze the launch trajectory, leaving only 12 to 15 minutes of warning time for residents.</p>
<p>There has never been a national emergency warning sent to mobile devices, radio or television, FEMA said. The agency has conducted three tests of the national public warning system for radios and television only.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump did not make any public comments about the false alert on Saturday. He was at his golf club in West Palm Beach, accompanied by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.</p>
<p>Asked about the alert on Sunday, the president said it was “a state thing.”</p>
<p>“I love that they took responsibility. They took total responsibility,” Trump said. “But we’re going to get involved. Their attitude and their — what they want to do, I think it’s terrific. They took responsibility. They made a mistake.”</p>
<p>Trump acknowledged people’s fears, saying that “part of it is that people are on edge, but maybe, eventually, we’ll solve the problem so they won’t have to be so on edge.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP writers Darlene Superville in Washington and Jennifer Kelleher in Honolulu contributed to this report.</p> | Federal responsibility in nuclear attack alerts is unclear | false | https://apnews.com/81a377f739c64036afd035e2d95c4576 | 2018-01-18 | 2 |
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<p>French authorities declared Wednesday they had cleared out the camp after most of its thousands of residents were driven away on buses — an evacuation accelerated because some of the frustrated, departing migrants set fire to parts of the burgeoning slum.</p>
<p>Smoke hung in the air as dusk fell, its stench a reminder of how one of the world’s wealthiest nations was unable to create order at the camp, where those fleeing war and poverty have lived in squalor for months or longer.</p>
<p>Most of the camp’s former residents, foiled in their bid to enter Britain despite reaching the port city of Calais on the edge of the English Channel, are being relocated to communities throughout France, where authorities have pledged to give them decent shelter and advice about how to seek asylum so they can stay in Europe rather than return to trouble spots in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.</p>
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<p>Some refused the offer, however, preferring to take their chances trying to hop trucks heading to ferries crossing the English channel or on the speeding Eurostar trains that connect France to Britain via the nearby Eurotunnel.</p>
<p>“This jungle is no good. We go to new jungle,” said a 20-year-old Pakistani, Muhammad Afridi.</p>
<p>He said he was joining 30 friends in a place he refused to identify that could be used as a jumping off point for clandestine, and risky, passage to England.</p>
<p>Siddiq, a 17-year-old Afghan who spent 11 months in the camp, said the fires terrified him overnight, especially when gas tanks ignited. The Associated Press is not using the last names of teenage migrants because of their vulnerable situation.</p>
<p>He said he left and slept under a nearby bridge despite the freezing temperatures. He has been trying without success to get to Britain by truck.</p>
<p>“My heart, it is broken,” he said. “I can’t do anything, even eat.”</p>
<p>Crews were moving in Wednesday night with heavy equipment to clear the charred ruins and remove any tents and shelters that remained standing. Authorities said earlier that four Afghans were detained on suspicion of torching parts of the camp. The blazes slightly injured one person who was taken to a hospital.</p>
<p>“The camp is completely empty. There are no more migrants in the camp,” said Prefect Fabienne Buccio, the state’s highest authority in the region. “Our mission has been fulfilled.”</p>
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<p>Despite the pronouncement, migrants were seen milling around the edges of the camp, although officials said they would stop processing people by Wednesday evening.</p>
<p>Authorities said 5,596 people were evacuated in the complex operation that began Monday, including hundreds of unaccompanied minors being housed in heated containers at the camp. Britain took in 234 migrants with family ties in the UK.</p>
<p>Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said 450 reception centers were set up across the country to help people apply for asylum. Those not rejected outright will go into centers or apartments for asylum seekers so that their applications can be examined the regular way. He has said most should qualify, but those who don’t will be expelled.</p>
<p>Flames enveloped the main alley through the camp overnight, reducing shelters to skeleton-like hulks on either side of the road. Gas canisters popped as they exploded in the heat. One aid group’s truck burst into flames.</p>
<p>Migrants stood and watched. Some laughed; others seemed dismayed. As the reality of the mass evacuation took hold, fearful asylum seekers from Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea, Syria and Pakistan braced for a new reality. Some pledged to just keep moving.</p>
<p>One Ethiopian, who gave only his first name, Binal, because he feared for his precarious situation, was among numerous migrants who refused to board buses on Wednesday, saying he wanted to try to get to England.</p>
<p>He said he was hopeful the government there would give him a house, although he and other migrants spoke poor English and didn’t appear to understand the process of applying for asylum.</p>
<p>A teenage boy named Zia seemed confused — and lost.</p>
<p>“I want to go to the UK,” he said. “Not staying here, the jungle finished. But I not understand where I go.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Katz reported from London. Associated Press Writer Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.</p> | French authorities declare the Calais migrant camp empty | false | https://abqjournal.com/875483/french-authorities-declare-the-calais-migrant-camp-empty.html | 2016-10-26 | 2 |
<p>Amitabh Bachchan says that if ever asked about his caste by Census enumerators, his answer would be: Caste – Indian. That, of course, would do little more than stoke the media’s bollywood feeding frenzy yet again. Shyam Maharaj is no Bachchan. Nor is his brother, Chaitanya Prabhu. But they and the followers of their fraternity will likely throw up far more complex answers — and questions — if Census enumerators do finally pop that query on caste. “Our answer: we are ajaat. Here is my school leaving certificate to prove that. But you can write what you like,” Prabhu tells us at his house in Mangrul (Dastgir) village of Amravati district.</p>
<p>Ajaat: this literally means ones without caste. The ajaat was a bold social movement of the 1920s and ’30s that at its peak had tens of thousands of committed followers in what are present-day Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It was led by the colourful and eccentric social reformer Ganpati Bhabhutkar better known as Ganpati Maharaj. Chaitanya Prabhu and Shyam Maharaj are his surviving grandsons. Apart from the usual anti-liquor and anti-violence norms of such movements, Ganpati Maharaj threw in others. He attacked caste frontally. Many stopped idol worship at his call. He pressed for gender equality and even railed against private property. And, in the 1930s, he and his followers declared themselves as ‘ajaat.’</p>
<p>His inter-caste dining drive raised hackles in the villages he worked in. As one of his disciples P. L. Nimkar put it: “he would ask his followers from all castes to bring cooked food from their homes. This, he would mix up totally and distribute the mix as prasad.” Caste was his great target. “Inter-caste weddings and widow remarriage — that’s what he sought and achieved,” says Prabhu. “In our own family, from granddad to us, we married into eleven different castes, from brahmins to dalits. In our extended family there have been scores of such weddings. Ganpati Maharaj himself had such a marriage.” He also “created the religion of ‘maanav‘ (humanity) and opened the temple here to dalits, offending the upper castes,” says Shyam Maharaj. “They filed cases against him and no one would touch his case. All the vakils here at the time were brahmins.”</p>
<p>The movement waned over years, as some followers left on the caste issue, and with its Gurus’ death in 1944. (He is buried at a community centre he built here decades ago, just opposite Prabhu’s home). Still, it remained known and respected for some time after independence. “See my school leaving certificate,” says Prabhu, showing it to us. “As late as the 1960s, even the ’70s, we still got certificates calling us ajaat. Now, schools and colleges say they’ve never heard of us and won’t give our children admission.” The surviving ajaat are not doing too well. Shyam and Prabhu just about make ends meet as petty agricultural traders.</p>
<p>Chaitanya Prabhu and Shyam Maharaj, the surviving grandsons of reformer and ajaat founder Ganpati Maharaj, at Shyam’s house in Mangrul (Dastgir) village of Amravati district. Photo: P. Sainath.</p>
<p>Forgotten by the late ’70s, the ajaat were re-discovered some years ago by Nagpur journalists Atul Pandey and Jaideep Hardikar who wrote about their plight in Marathi and English respectively. Their reports sparked a Maharashtra government move to help them. But that died with the exit of the one senior official who had shown interest in the matter.</p>
<p>Ajaat candidates can’t contest panchayat polls. Poll officials refuse to accept their forms — which state no caste. “Ajaat folk can’t get ration cards without a huge struggle,” says Prabhu. College admissions, scholarships and government jobs elude them for the same reasons. Other villagers won’t marry into these families now as their caste status lacks clarity. In short, the followers of a once proud anti-caste reform movement have been reduced to a couple of thousand people viewed as something like a caste themselves.</p>
<p>“My niece Sunaina could not get into college,” says Prabhu. “The college said: ‘we don’t recognise this ajaat. Bring us a proper caste certificate and we’ll admit her’.” His nephew Manoj who did finally make it to college says: “They treat us as an oddity there. There were no scholarships for any of us. No one there believes such a thing as ajaat exists.” A restless younger generation feels imprisoned by the past. Many of the ajaat, including Prabhu’s family, have faced the ignominy of having to trace out an ancestor whose caste could be clearly proven.</p>
<p>“Imagine our humiliation,” he says. “We have to take out caste certificates for our children.” Not easy, given the generations of inter-caste marriages these families have seen. And even the ledger of the village kotwal lists them as ‘ajaat.’ Some have had to trace a great grandfather whose caste could be established. “To recover and rebuild those old records is a horrible job,” says Prabhu. “The authorities suspect us of concealing things and faking our caste. And it hurts us like anything to make these caste certificates. But without them our children are truly stuck.” Sadly, they had no choice but to trace out the caste origin of anti-caste crusader Ganpati Maharaj himself. That was needed for his great-grandchildren.</p>
<p>Quite a few of the remaining 2,000 or so ajaat gather at that centre in this village in November each year. “Now there is only one such family we have contact with in Madhya Pradesh,” says a glum Prabhu. The rest are in Maharashtra. “Only 105 are formally registered with our body, the ajaatiya maanav sanstha. But far more than that come to our annual meeting. However, consider that we once had 60,000 members in this movement.”</p>
<p>“We need a much more comprehensive survey of caste than the mere introduction of a question in the Census will permit,” says economist Dr. K. Nagaraj (formerly with the Madras Institute of Development Studies) who has worked on the subject. “That we need caste data is beyond doubt. But we need that data in a frame that captures the huge diversity, location-specific nature, and the many other complexities of caste. A single question in the 2011 census will not achieve that. This is perhaps a job for the National Sample Survey and its team of trained investigators with much advance preparation.”</p>
<p>So what happens if that enumerator does come around to your house with the question on caste? “Believe me,” says Prabhu, “It will confuse him. I think they should create a different category in the Census for people like us. We must declare who we are. We have fought against everything that stands for caste. But in this society, caste is in everything.”</p>
<p>P. Sainath is the rural affairs editor of The Hindu, where this piece appears, and is the author of <a href="" type="internal">Everybody Loves a Good Drought: Stories From India’s Poorest Districts.</a> He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p> | An Indian Saga | true | https://counterpunch.org/2010/06/04/an-indian-saga/ | 2010-06-04 | 4 |
<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A dozen Tennessee gang members and associates were charged with a racketeering conspiracy involving murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Donald Cochran announced Thursday.</p>
<p>Cochran said the unsealed, 54-count superseding indictment targets 12 people associated with the Mongols Motorcycle Gang chapter in Clarksville. Another man faces charges of large-scale drug trafficking, while two more face federal robbery charges.</p>
<p>The group engaged in murder, attempted murder, assault, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, witness tampering, money laundering, interstate travel in aid of racketeering and large-scale drug trafficking, Cochran said.</p>
<p>“The indictment and enforcement action that we are announcing today, dismantling a criminal organization alleged to have engaged in numerous acts of violence and significant drug trafficking, is just the first of such efforts that will be coming,” said Cochran, who took office after the U.S. Senate confirmed him in September.</p>
<p>Cochran said some of the alleged crimes include: kidnapping two people at gunpoint in May 2015, bringing them to a cemetery and shooting and killing one; setting the Sin City Motorcycle Clubhouse in Clarksville on fire in May 2015; and traveling to California multiple times to bring back at least 50 pounds of methamphetamine to distribute in Tennessee and Kentucky. They also trafficked in oxymorphone, the indictment states.</p>
<p>The release said law enforcement officers began arresting those charged Thursday and they all are in custody except one. Stephen Cole, a.k.a. “Lurch,” of Clarksville remains at large and his whereabouts are unknown.</p>
<p>All defendants face up to life in prison except two, who face up to 20 years. Most are from Clarksville or nearby towns.</p>
<p>Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the indictment is the next step in efforts to dismantle gangs and stop the spread of deadly drugs and violent crime.</p>
<p>“Gangs that conspire to spread illegal drugs like methamphetamine and lethal opioids, extort legitimate businesses, and wage violence on our fellow Americans will be held accountable by the Department of Justice,” Sessions said in a news release.</p>
<p>NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A dozen Tennessee gang members and associates were charged with a racketeering conspiracy involving murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Donald Cochran announced Thursday.</p>
<p>Cochran said the unsealed, 54-count superseding indictment targets 12 people associated with the Mongols Motorcycle Gang chapter in Clarksville. Another man faces charges of large-scale drug trafficking, while two more face federal robbery charges.</p>
<p>The group engaged in murder, attempted murder, assault, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, witness tampering, money laundering, interstate travel in aid of racketeering and large-scale drug trafficking, Cochran said.</p>
<p>“The indictment and enforcement action that we are announcing today, dismantling a criminal organization alleged to have engaged in numerous acts of violence and significant drug trafficking, is just the first of such efforts that will be coming,” said Cochran, who took office after the U.S. Senate confirmed him in September.</p>
<p>Cochran said some of the alleged crimes include: kidnapping two people at gunpoint in May 2015, bringing them to a cemetery and shooting and killing one; setting the Sin City Motorcycle Clubhouse in Clarksville on fire in May 2015; and traveling to California multiple times to bring back at least 50 pounds of methamphetamine to distribute in Tennessee and Kentucky. They also trafficked in oxymorphone, the indictment states.</p>
<p>The release said law enforcement officers began arresting those charged Thursday and they all are in custody except one. Stephen Cole, a.k.a. “Lurch,” of Clarksville remains at large and his whereabouts are unknown.</p>
<p>All defendants face up to life in prison except two, who face up to 20 years. Most are from Clarksville or nearby towns.</p>
<p>Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the indictment is the next step in efforts to dismantle gangs and stop the spread of deadly drugs and violent crime.</p>
<p>“Gangs that conspire to spread illegal drugs like methamphetamine and lethal opioids, extort legitimate businesses, and wage violence on our fellow Americans will be held accountable by the Department of Justice,” Sessions said in a news release.</p> | 12 Tennessee gang members charged in racketeering conspiracy | false | https://apnews.com/90037ae52e0a4166849597f3e13a7451 | 2018-01-18 | 2 |
<p>After the disparate nations that make up the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) failed to agree on a roadmap to resolution on the South China Sea, China went ahead and - shockingly - did its own thing.</p>
<p>It established a brand new city in the region.</p>
<p>For some time, China has claimed the islands in the South China Sea and the surrounding waters as Chinese territory. It says that historical findings in the area, namely pottery shards and some old maps, mean the entire region belongs to China, full-stop.&#160;</p>
<p>From the perspective of the UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea, however, a number of Southeast Asian countries have legitimate claims to territory in the South China Sea.</p>
<p>In effort to clear up any gray area, China has established its new prefecture, called Sansha and located on Yongxing Island, which is meant administer the Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha Islands and their surrounding waters in the South China Sea.</p>
<p>Yes, it's controversial.</p>
<p>To help make sense of the moves we talked with Andrew Billo, senior program officer with the Asia Society who specializes in Southeast Asia.</p>
<p>The South China Sea has been a flashpoint for decades. What is pushing the issue to a head now?</p>
<p>Without a doubt, the US involvement is pushing this to a head. The new factor over the last, say, two years, is the increased US interest in this region. Southeast Asian countries are emboldened by US interest in this issue and the fact that they might have the support of the US military in respect to this issue even if the US has not explicitly said so.</p>
<p>The US has said explicitly that it's not taking sides in the matter but at the same time it's evident to everyone involved that the US is in fact showing partiality to some of these smaller ASEAN countries.</p>
<p>The US has been pressing very hard in the region, with Leon Panetta going to Vietnam and with the US submarine being parked in Subic Bay in the Philippines. These are little measures, but they are making China nervous and making China assert itself to a greater extent within this region.</p>
<p>And the economy is behind the US interest?</p>
<p>The US has recognized its economic interests lie in the Asian region. Europe was perhaps the main economic interest of the US in the last half of the 20th century, and Asia is of course looking like it's going to be the main economic driver for this century. The US is recognizing that it needs to be more of a part of that economic engine.</p>
<p>What's really at stake in the South China Sea?</p>
<p>Primarily the energy resources, and to a lesser extend the fisheries, and then to an even lesser extent tourism potential. And the other issue is of course the freedom of navigation issues. But I see it primarily as an energy issue. People are eyeing the energy potential of the region, I don't think they're out to block these trade routes specifically.</p>
<p>What is that resource potential exactly?</p>
<p>Well, no one really knows actually. Any time exploratory activities are undertaken, other countries put up a fuss. China won't even let Vietnam begin to look, or when Vietnam does begin to look there's always an issue. So people don't really have a very clear idea as to what it is exactly that they're fighting over. But I think that potential is there.</p>
<p>So are we likely to see an escalation soon?</p>
<p>I think at present the economies in that part of the world, or at least in that basin, are relatively stable and even growing, so it isn't in anyone's best interest to have tensions escalate. While things continue to progress in a more or less positive manner, so long as these societies are relatively content with their situation, we aren't likely to see an escalation.&#160;</p>
<p>But at a certain point China's not going to have sufficient energy resources to support its own population. Nor are some of these other countries. If it gets to that point, that's when we'll see an escalation. Conventional belief is that this will not really escalate really further within the next 10 years or so, but after 10 years, who knows? This is the window of time to iron things out before it comes to a head.</p>
<p>What can be done to iron things out?</p>
<p>I think ASEAN is the best way to move forward with this, and they have a declaration on the code of conduct with respect to the South China Sea. But ASEAN also issues a lot of declarations, and declarations are just that. They're not binding.</p>
<p>There was a lot of disappointment at the recent ASEAN summit in Cambodia when they were unable to issue further steps forward with respect to the code of conduct. China lobbied very hard for Cambodia to keep the issue off the agenda. So that was a significant blow to this moving forward.</p>
<p>I think it's a tough year right now with US political change and Chinese political change. I think that if you can get past the end of this year then it buys more time and allows things to cool off a bit.</p> | Why all the fuss in the South China Sea? | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-07-27/why-all-fuss-south-china-sea | 2012-07-27 | 3 |
<p>WASHINGTON — Washington is on fire with rage and accusations. President Donald Trump poured oil on that fire Saturday when he went on Twitter <a href="" type="internal">to accuse former President Barack Obama of ordering illegal wiretaps</a> on his campaign. To the frustration of Republicans weary of having to defend the social media devotee, Trump didn’t offer any evidence to his claim that he “just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower.”</p>
<p />
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<p>White House press secretary Sean Spicer is the man in the middle. At Tuesday’s briefing, a reporter asked him if the administration’s position is “that the President can make declarative statements about a former President basically committing a crime and then the congressional committees should look into that and basically prove it.”</p>
<p>Spicer took issue with the question. “It’s not a question of ‘prove it’,” said the spokesman. “It’s that (congressional committees) have the resources and the clearances and the staff to fully and thoroughly and comprehensively investigate this and then issue a report as to what their findings are.”</p>
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<p>There are times when the partisan wars that consume Washington take on the feel of a decades-long marital grievance — with both spouses accusing the other of being the lowest form of smear artist.</p>
<p>The Democrats’ case predates Trump’s candidacy. It goes back to 2011, when the then reality TV star suggested Obama should produce <a href="" type="internal">a long-form birth certificate</a> to prove he was born in the United States — not that Trump had any proof to the contrary.</p>
<p>After taking the presidential oath of office, Trump continued making baseless claims. In January, for example he told members of Congress <a href="" type="internal">that millions of votes were cast illegally in the 2016</a> <a href="" type="internal">election</a>.</p>
<p>Team Trump complains that <a href="" type="internal">Democrats seized on intelligence analyses that found the Russians tried to influence the 2016 election</a> with a clear preference for Trump to prop up the unsubstantiated claim that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russians.</p>
<p>Each side has ammunition to bolster its beliefs.</p>
<p>Democrats point to the following.</p>
<p>— Trump team members have withheld information about meetings with Russian officials. Trump’s first pick to be his National Security Adviser, Mike Flynn, had to resign after the Washington Post reported Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence about what Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and he discussed during a Dec. 29 phone call. Why didn’t Flynn — or Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who also met with Kislyak — offer up all information about communications with Russian officials, Democrats ask, unless they had something to hide?</p>
<p>— White House officials will not say how Trump “found out” about the alleged wiretapping – whether he learned through an intelligence briefing or gleaned the information from a conservative news source.</p>
<p>— Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper contradicted Trump’s claim Sunday when he told “Meet the Press” that he has no knowledge of any Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court authorization to place a wiretap on Trump.</p>
<p>Team Trump has ammunition as well.</p>
<p>— If Clapper is to be believed when he said there was no wiretap warrant on Trump, then Democrats should acknowledge something else Clapper said. The former head of National intelligence, who had oversight of investigations until Jan. 20, told “Meet the Press,” “We had no evidence of such collusion” between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.</p>
<p>— In February, the Washington Post reported that the FBI had arranged to pay Christopher Steele, the former British intelligence agent, so that he could continue his opposition research on Trump after the election. Steele is the author of a much discredited “dossier” on Trump.</p>
<p>— U.S. intelligence agents were aware of the content of the conversation between Flynn and Kislyak, probably because they were spying on the Russian diplomat. Democrats seized on the fact that Flynn talked to Kislyak — not a crime — to call for the FBI to rush to investigate “the full extent of Russia’s financial, personal and political grip on President Trump.”</p>
<p>“We don’t know what the Russians have on Donald Trump. And we need — and we need to see, if anything — we need to see his tax returns,” Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., told ABC News. Trump’s tax returns? Did the Russians prepare Trump’s taxes — or is Franken looking for any pretext to conduct a colonoscopy on the Republican president’s books?</p>
<p>Franken’s accusation presents the sort of argument that feeds Republicans’ suspicion that the Russian collusion angle is, as Spicer argued Wednesday, a “fake narrative.”</p>
<p>Trump’s way of fighting back apparently was to create his own fake narrative — an Obama-ordered wiretap on Trump Tower.</p>
<p>That’s how Washington works in 2017: Both sides make unsubstantiated allegations in order to make the other side prove they’re not true.</p>
<p>Contact Debra Saunders at [email protected]. Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/debrajsaunders" type="external">@debrajsaunders</a> on Twitter.</p>
<p>RELATED</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Kremlin staying out of Trump wiretap fray: It’s a US domestic matter</a></p>
<p /> | In partisan wars, both sides resort to fake narratives — ANALYSIS | false | https://reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/in-partisan-wars-both-sides-resort-to-fake-narratives-analysis/ | 2017-03-09 | 1 |
<p>Electronic Arts' (NASDAQ: EA)&#160;Ultimate Team EA Sports branded games -- FIFA and Madden NFL -- are making tons of money for the game maker to the tune of $832 million in the fiscal year 2017.&#160;The problem EA management is trying to solve is how they can grow Ultimate Team revenue even more. One answer has been esports, in which Ultimate Team serves as the gateway to competitive gaming for EA's sports franchises.&#160;And EA just found a powerful new partner to up the ante for its Madden Championship Series esports tournament.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The Madden Championship Series is an esports tournament for EA's top selling&#160;Madden NFL franchise. The series is comprised of two events that make up what's called the EA Majors -- Madden Classic and Madden Challenge. Now, EA and the NFL are teaming up to create a new competitive gaming tournament that will be the third event in the EA Majors called Madden NFL Club Championship.</p>
<p>EA launched esports tournaments for both FIFA and Madden NFL for the first time in the fiscal year 2017.&#160;More than 10 million players participated last year across both sports titles for a chance to win a piece of a big cash prize.&#160;This year's Madden Championship is awarding $1.153 million to the finalists of the three EA Majors.</p>
<p>The Madden NFL Club Championship event is unique in that all 32 NFL teams are participating, with each qualifying Madden player representing one of 32 NFL teams in the Live Finals. The finals will start at the Pro Bowl in Orlando, with the championship match held at the Super Bowl Experience Driven by GMC in Minneapolis. It's the largest ever commitment by a traditional professional sports league in esports.</p>
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<p>Esports -- which is turning competitive gaming into a spectator sport -- has a huge fan base numbering more than 300 million and is growing fast. According to Newzoo, esports revenue is expected to grow about 35% per year through 2020 and reach $1.5 billion. This amount is mainly comprised of brand investment for advertising, sponsorship, and media rights. The appeal for big brands is the demographic that esports attracts -- millennials, a coveted audience for big brands, including traditional sports leagues like the NFL.</p>
<p>Lately, NFL and NBA team owners have been getting more involved in video games by investing in esports. Most notably, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/17/activision-just-joined-the-big-leagues.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=a4c739f2-8e4a-11e7-b7e1-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">recent purchase Opens a New Window.</a> of an esports team in&#160;Activision Blizzard's (NASDAQ: ATVI)&#160;Overwatch League. It's basically a way for sports team owners to stretch their horizons and diversify revenue streams, as well as meet millennials where they are spending more of their time.</p>
<p>In the announcement with EA, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had this to say:</p>
<p>EA has designed the online competitive gaming mode in its sports titles -- FIFA and Madden NFL -- to go through the Ultimate Team virtual card game.&#160;In Ultimate Team, Madden players can purchase in-game card packs that unlock real life NFL stars that gamers use to build their fantasy football team, which is then used in online competitive games with other players. It's highly addicting and helps EA build very high engagement with the player base because it taps the competitive nature of gamers who want to win. A $1.1 million cash purse can certainly help, as well.</p>
<p>EA generated 17% of its total revenue last year from Ultimate Team alone, so you can start to see the rationale here.&#160;An officially sponsored esports event with the NFL, with a huge cash prize dangling in front of Madden players, is a great way to encourage higher engagement among the player base and grow revenue from in-game spending within Ultimate Team.</p>
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<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of August 1, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFRazorback/info.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=a4c739f2-8e4a-11e7-b7e1-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">John Ballard Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Activision Blizzard. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Activision Blizzard and Take-Two Interactive Software. The Motley Fool recommends Electronic Arts. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=a4c739f2-8e4a-11e7-b7e1-0050569d4be0&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Electronic Arts and the NFL Team Up for Esports Event | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/09/12/electronic-arts-and-nfl-team-up-for-esports-event.html | 2017-09-12 | 0 |
<p>Katy Grimes: &#160;By lunch time today, Gov. Jerry Brown finished signing the rest of the budget bills reducing state spending by an additional $15 billion, and creating a $500,000 million reserve.</p>
<p>Without a news conference or any pomp and circumstance, Brown’s office put out a press release announcing the <a href="http://dl5.activatedirect.com/fs/distribution:wl/ze7pzanwmhlzgt/ztcj9rmf5spty4/daid/ztck750k018cdl?_c=d%7Cze7pzanwmhlzgt%7Cztck750k018cdl&amp;_ce=1309462937.0fa41ebc0378c2cb5f17ba169604a1b3" type="external">budget details.</a></p>
<p>“This is an honest but painful budget that returns California’s General Fund spending to levels unseen since the 1970s. We’ve cut our deficit by $15 billion dollars and achieved financial balance this year. This is a huge step forward. But California’s long-term stability depends on our willingness to continue to pay down debt and live within our means,” said Governor Brown.</p>
<p>The good news is that Brown cut the Prop 1A allocation &#160;for High Speed Rail saying it appeared unrelated to an integrated high speed rail system.</p>
<p>Brown also cut the California Post Secondary Education <a href="http://www.cpec.ca.gov/" type="external">Commission</a> calling it “ineffective,” as well as the <a href="http://www.edsource.org/iss_datasys_caltides.html" type="external">CalTides</a> system, slated to track teacher performance.</p>
<p>All in all, there was $23.8 billion cut in <a href="http://gov.ca.gov/docs/SB_0087_Line_Item_Veto.pdf" type="external">line item vetos</a> including court operations and security, transportation reductions, California Public Utility Commission, and even cut money from the <a href="http://women.ca.gov/" type="external">Commission on the Status on Women</a>.</p>
<p>The veto letter is available <a href="http://gov.ca.gov/docs/SB_0087_Line_Item_Veto.pdf" type="external">here</a>, as is the entire budget, <a href="http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>JUNE 30, 2011</p> | Honest, Painful Budget Finalized | false | https://calwatchdog.com/2011/06/30/honest-painful-budget-finalized/ | 2018-06-20 | 3 |
<p>At the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s annual conference, Republican Sen. David Perdue urged attendees to pray for President Obama — citing a Psalm&#160;that is actually&#160;praying for someone’s death.</p>
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<p>This is not an exaggeration.</p>
<p>Psalm 109 <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+109&amp;version=KJV" type="external">reads</a>, starting at Verse 8:</p>
<p>8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.</p>
<p>9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.</p>
<p>10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.</p>
<p>11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.</p>
<p>12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.</p>
<p>13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.</p>
<p>14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.</p>
<p>15 Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.</p>
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<p>Throughout President Obama’s nearly eight years in office, I have watched elected Republicans treat him with extraordinary levels of disrespect. I have watched them question <a href="http://www.salon.com/2009/07/28/birther_enablers/" type="external">whether he is actually a United States citizen</a>, and accuse him of <a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/ex-rep-running-for-old-seat-i-don-t-know-if-obama-is-muslim-or-born-in-u-s-audio" type="external">lying about his religion</a>. I have seen Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)&#160; <a href="https://youtu.be/qgce06Yw2ro" type="external">shout at</a> the President, “You lie!”&#160;during an address to Congress. I have seen then-Gov. Jan Brewer (R-AZ)&#160; <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/jan-brewer-gets-an-earful-from-obama-in-ariz/" type="external">wag her finger</a> in his face. I have read about <a href="http://wonkette.com/408934/republicans-email-racist-obama-stuff" type="external">the racist emails</a> written by Republicans in various parts of the country, who “misspoke” or “had a lapse in judgment.”</p>
<p>I have witnessed unprecedented levels of obstructionism, to a point at which Republicans have <a href="http://www.politicususa.com/2016/02/08/house-democrats-blast-republican-cowards-for-disrespecting-president-obama.html" type="external">refused to hold a hearing</a> on the President’s budget.</p>
<p>Seven-and-a-half years, I have watched — and I have seethed — as the President comported himself with professionalism and dignity and respect for his ideological opponents, and they have treated him in return with nothing but contempt.</p>
<p>So I am certainly not surprised by Sen. Perdue’s reprehensible “prayer” for our President. But I am nonetheless angry.</p>
<p>Along the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton <a href="https://youtu.be/UlTG-aq3Px4" type="external">often says</a> that President Obama doesn’t get the credit he deserves for <a href="" type="internal">his accomplishments</a>. I agree.</p>
<p>And he doesn’t get the respect he deserves, either. Not as the President, and not even as a human being. Not from Republicans — and shame on them for it.</p>
<p>(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)</p> | GOP Senator Publicly Prays for President Obama’s ‘Days to Be Few’ | true | http://bluenationreview.com/gop-senator-publicly-prays-for-president-obamas-days-to-be-few/ | 2016-06-10 | 4 |
<p>If you run into an oil man in a bar, you might want to buy him a drink. It’s been a bit of a tough week for the business. It was the end of the line for the Keystone XL pipeline, and possibly <a href="" type="internal">the beginning of big trouble for ExxonMobil</a> concerning what it knew when about climate change.</p>
<p>On Friday morning, after years of study,&#160; <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/662702103253663744" type="external">President Barack Obama pulled the plug on Keystone XL</a>&#160;—&#160;one of the most hotly-debated infrastructure projects in the US in the past decade.</p>
<p>He made the call just hours after getting the recommendation to reject the project from Secretary of State John Kerry.</p>
<p>The pipeline would've carried an especially dirty kind of oil from the tar sands of Alberta, in western Canada, to refineries across the border in the US.</p>
<p>Obama ultimately rejected arguments by supporters that it would help the country's economy and energy security.&#160;He also rejected arguments by opponents that it would be an "express lane to climate disaster."</p>
<p>But he did say that Keystone was not in the country's national interest as the world tries to fight climate change.</p>
<p>"America is now a global leader when it comes to taking serious action to fight climate change,” Obama said in making the announcement at the White House. “And frankly, approving this project would've undercut that global leadership. And that's the biggest risk we face. Not acting.”</p>
<p>The move is predictably angering Republicans and some Democrats, who said it would bring a bump in construction jobs. And it’s predictably being hailed by greens, who see it as victory on an important point of principle in their campaign against fossil fuel pollution heading into another big <a href="http://www.cop21.gouv.fr/en" type="external">global summit on climate change</a> later this month.</p>
<p>The question of knowing about the risks of climate change and not acting is also at the heart of the week’s other significant oil business news.</p>
<p>On Thursday <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/06/science/exxon-mobil-under-investigation-in-new-york-over-climate-statements.html?hp&amp;action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;module=first-column-region&amp;region=top-news&amp;WT.nav=top-news" type="external">it was revealed that the New York State attorney general is investigating ExxonMobil</a>, one of the world’s largest petroleum companies, for possibly misleading the public and its shareholders for years about the risks of climate change.</p>
<p>The move follows investigations by <a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/content/Exxon-The-Road-Not-Taken" type="external">Inside Climate News</a> and the <a href="http://graphics.latimes.com/exxon-arctic/" type="external">Los Angeles Times</a> of ExxonMobil's involvement in climate change research going back to the 1970s.</p>
<p>Inside Climate News reporter Lisa Song says their investigation found that ExxonMobil was “very much aware of climate change science” as long ago as 1977, and that company scientists had briefed top executives about both climate change and the role of fossil fuel combustion in driving the rise of CO2 in the atmosphere.</p>
<p>The reporting team also found that Exxon went on to conduct its own rigorous research, which confirmed both the reality of climate change and the potential risks that tighter regulation of fossil fuel might present to the company’s bottom line, but that it didn’t file an in-depth discussion of the issue with the Securities and Exchange Commission until 2009.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Song says, starting in the late 1980s Exxon “spent millions of dollars funding think tanks and lobbyists and other efforts to create doubt about the science of climate change and to create doubt about the scientific consensus surrounding that science.” &#160;</p>
<p>Exxon has challenged the reporting of the two news outlets, but Song says the company has not asked Inside Climate News for any corrections.</p>
<p>“What Exxon seems to be doing now is denying that they were ever denying climate science or that they were ever skeptical of the consensus around climate science,” she says.</p>
<p>ExxonMobil has acknowledged receiving a subpoena from New York’s attorney general. Company officials have yet to comment on its specifics, but they deny that Exxon misled the public or shareholders.&#160;</p>
<p>Ken Cohen, the company’s vice president &#160;for public and government affairs told reporters in a conference call Thursday that “beginning in the last decade, we’ve informed shareholders and investors on our perception of the business risks associated with climate change through regulatory filings, our annual corporate citizenship report, and in other reports to shareholders.”</p>
<p>“We are proud of our record of disclosing to investors ...&#160;what we believe are material facts applicable to our business” Cohen said.</p>
<p>The question, Song says, is whether the company disclosed those risks in a timely fashion.</p>
<p>“We found ...&#160;that the company was doing peer-reviewed climate science starting from the 1970s,” Song says. “But at the same time, starting around 1989, their executives were making statements that contradict what their own scientists were writing about and researching. Whether or not that is considered illegal or leads to any action is up to the (New York) AG's office.”</p> | With Keystone down and Exxon under investigation, it's been a tough week for the oil business | false | https://pri.org/stories/2015-11-06/keystone-down-and-exxon-under-investigation-its-been-tough-week-oil-business | 2015-11-06 | 3 |
<p>Will politics slow our economic recovery? Will world leaders who pulled us back from the brink of a new Great Depression throw in the towel before the global economy gets the unemployed back to work?</p>
<p>These are the moment’s central questions, and I posed them last week to Larry Summers, President Barack Obama’s top economic adviser. Summers is often cast as an economic conservative because he was a serious budget balancer in the Clinton years. In fact, he is a pragmatist who thinks economics involves the art of tailoring policies to actual conditions.</p>
<p>And right now, the pragmatist thinks that the job of getting us out of the economic doldrums is not yet done.</p>
<p>“Different economic circumstances require different approaches to economic policy,” Summers said, using a bit of economist-speak. “Today, when interest rates are at nearly zero and the central challenge is a shortfall of demand, the policies of immediate fiscal consolidation that were appropriate to address the crowding-out problems of the 1990s would be harmful, not helpful, to economic growth. That’s true at home and around the world.”</p>
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<p>It would be nice if Congress and policymakers elsewhere who seem to be racing prematurely to fiscal austerity would give Summers a listen. The last thing we need is to undo much of the good done last year by governments that chose not to repeat the big mistake of the early 1930s. Instead of imposing austerity when the global economy needed a big boost, they opted for stimulus. And the world avoided catastrophe.</p>
<p>Summers is nothing if not careful. In the interview and in a speech last month at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, he was clear that long-term deficits can also endanger growth and that the administration intends to contain them. He also emphasized that no single policy could be applied across Europe given the fiscal difficulties of the Mediterranean nations, starting with Greece.</p>
<p>But he was plain about this: We will never deal effectively with our deficit problem until we get the economy moving. As Summers put it at Hopkins: “It is not possible to imagine sound budgets in the absence of economic growth and solid economic performance.”</p>
<p>If you don’t think growth needs to come first, consider these numbers from Summers: We could cut the debt as a share of GDP by half a percent with $75 billion in either spending cuts or tax increases. But we would achieve exactly the same result with an extra three-quarters of a percent of GDP growth. “Spurring growth, if we can achieve it,” Summers said at Hopkins, “is by far the best way to improve our fiscal position.”</p>
<p>That’s why it’s mystifying that a Democratic Congress is having so much trouble passing the most elementary forms of economic stimulus. Assisting the states with extra Medicaid money and helping them avoid massive teacher layoffs could save or add at least 300,000 jobs.</p>
<p>Do Democrats honestly think that nickel-and-diming on stimulus now will either have a substantial impact on the long-term deficit or be of greater help to them in this fall’s elections than more robust growth?</p>
<p>Make no mistake: Summers has not gone squishy on the deficit. In his careful and unapologetic rendition of the two-handed economist act, he is at pains to make clear that he thinks that long-term fiscal profligacy would endanger growth, both now and later.</p>
<p>“Jobs are the top economic priority,” he said in a follow-up e-mail to the interview, “which is why the president is pushing Congress on measures to strengthen small-business hiring, promote clean energy investments, prevent teacher and police layoffs, and support unemployed workers. It’s also why we’re working to double exports.”</p>
<p>Then he added: “But for a policy centered around economic growth to be credible in the short term we must show a commitment on returning to a fiscal sustainable path over the medium and long term. That’s why the president has taken important steps to bring responsibility back to the federal budget through health care reform and in creating a bipartisan fiscal commission.”</p>
<p>OK, those are not exactly ringing sound bites in a political environment that limits economic discussion to cries of “Big Spending!” and “Big Deficits!” And, yes, in the parlance of political consultants, it “muddles the message” to argue that we need to tilt toward growth now and fiscal discipline in the long run.</p>
<p>But it happens to be the right policy. Does that matter anymore?</p>
<p>E.J. Dionne’s e-mail address is ejdionne(at)washpost.com.</p>
<p>© 2010, Washington Post Writers Group</p> | Spend Now, Save Later | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/spend-now-save-later/ | 2010-06-14 | 4 |
<p>June 2011 to June 2012 was the hottest 12-month period ever recorded in the mainland United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The report from the National Climatic Data Center does not even include early July’s scorching temperatures that broke more than 2,000 individual heat records across the nation. The heat wave resulted in the deaths of 22 people and left millions without power for days.</p>
<p>Climate change skeptics like George Will wrote the heat wave off to <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/media/2012/07/08/512592/global-warming-denier-george-will-blames-historic-heat-wave-on-one-word-summer/" type="external">“summer,”</a> but atmospheric scientists around the globe agree that we are approaching or have already passed a tipping point on the environment. The governments of the world failed to take any action at the Rio+20 summit in June, and last week was a taste of what Americans can expect if our leaders continue to fail to address climate change. In other parts of the world, the consequences of inaction will be more severe: Famines, droughts, hurricanes, rising seas and extreme temperatures are just a selection of what we can look forward to. The only chance we have at staving off global catastrophe is taking swift, cohesive action. The future is in our hands. — CN</p>
<p>CNN:</p>
<p>[The report] does incorporate the warmest March ever recorded as well as extreme heat in June, which also helped make the first six months of 2012 the warmest recorded of any January-June stretch.</p>
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<p>In the last half of June alone, 170 all-time temperature records were matched or smashed in cities across the lower 48 states. The U.S. State Climate Extremes Committee also is reviewing whether 113-degree temperatures in South Carolina and 112-degree recordings in Georgia qualify as all-time records in those two states.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/09/us/extreme-heat/index.html?hpt=hp_t2" type="external">Read more</a></p> | It's Time for a Conversation, Climate Change Deniers | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/its-time-for-a-conversation-climate-change-deniers/ | 2012-07-10 | 4 |
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<p>President Barack Obama will visit Louisiana on Tuesday to assess flood damage there, days after he was criticized for not cutting short his vacation on Martha's Vineyard to view the devastation in the Gulf Coast state.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Obama, who returned on Sunday from his annual August vacation on the Massachusetts island, is expected to tour areas in the state capital, Baton Rouge, hit by record flooding and to meet with Louisiana officials to discuss recovery efforts.</p>
<p>The White House on Monday defended the president's decision not to visit the state sooner, saying Obama was more focused on the federal response to the crisis than securing photo opportunities.</p>
<p>"There's an all too common temptation to focus on the politics and to focus on the optics," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told a news briefing. "But the survivors of the flooding in Louisiana are not well served by a political discussion, they're well served by a competent, effective, strong, coordinated government response."</p>
<p>The deluge that dumped more than 2-1/2 feet (76 cm) of rain on parts of Louisiana has been described as the worst U.S. disaster since Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The floods have killed at least 13 people and damaged more than 60,000 homes.</p>
<p>Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump toured the state on Friday. He said Obama should have taken time from his break to travel to Louisiana.</p>
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<p>On social media, some Louisiana residents and others urged Obama to visit, and Baton Rouge's newspaper, The Advocate, voiced a similar view.</p>
<p>Obama received updates on the flooding during his vacation from U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate, who have both visited Louisiana.</p>
<p>The president's travel requires a huge retinue of Secret Service agents and assistance from local and state law enforcement officials, so the White House usually waits to visit disaster zones to avoid tying up police and emergency resources needed elsewhere.</p>
<p>Despite the criticism about the timing of Obama's visit, Earnest said FEMA had received bipartisan praise for its work in the aftermath of the flooding, unlike the criticism the agency faced following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 under then-President George W. Bush.</p>
<p>"I think the effectiveness of the response thus far speaks for itself," Earnest said. "And I think frankly, it's the most effective way to answer any of the politically motivated criticism that the president has faced."</p>
<p>(Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Peter Cooney)</p> | Obama to Tour Flood-Battered Louisiana | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/08/23/obama-to-tour-flood-battered-louisiana.html | 2016-08-23 | 0 |
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<p>The American Action Network, a 501(c) (4) group affiliated with the Congressional Leadership Fund Super PAC and run by key GOP establishment figures, is spending more than $1 million on ads promoting House leaders’ plans on health care.</p>
<p>The first ad is set to run nationally Thursday night on CNN, during an hour-long town hall special the network is hosting with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration. The ad will then run through the rest of the month in targeted markets – the districts of 15 House members close to House leadership.</p>
<p>The ad is light on detail on how Republicans will replace Obamacare and what they plan to replace it with. But it offers an upbeat take on what GOP leaders have planned for health care under the Trump administration to contrast with Democratic warnings of potential chaos ahead.</p>
<p>“Imagine a new path forward,” a narrator says to images of happy families, smiling doctors, not to mention Ryan and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. “Health insurance that provides more choices and better care at lower costs, a system that puts patients and doctors in charge, that provides peace of mind to people with preexisting conditions, and paves the way for new cures by eliminating senseless regulations.”</p>
<p>“House Republicans have a plan to get there,” the narrator says, “without disrupting existing coverage, giving your family the health care it deserves.”</p>
<p>Corry Bliss, AAN’s executive director said in a statement that Obamacare replacement is “the biggest congressional policy challenge of our day” and criticized Democratic attempts to undermine GOP plans.</p>
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<p>“Americans should know that Speaker Ryan and House Republicans have a plan to replace Obamacare with quality, affordable health care,” Bliss said. “For all the noise over Obamacare repeal, this much is clear: Americans support the House Republican plan and believe in a fair transition period to get there. The American people are rejecting the ‘Make America Sick Again’ publicity stunt and are ready to see Congress make patient-centered health care a reality.”</p>
<p>The pledge to repeal and replace Obamacare “without disrupting existing coverage” is notable. Many health care experts are warning that the current GOP strategy – swiftly repealing key parts of Obamacare then replacing it at a later date – could cause chaos in insurance markets. And most Republican leaders have shied away from explicitly promising to cover all of the roughly 20 million Americans now covered under Obamacare’s various programs for individuals.</p>
<p>The ad will run regionally in the districts of GOP Reps. Don Bacon, Neb., Rod Blum, Iowa, Mike Coffman, Colo., Barbara Comstock, Va., Carlos Curbelo, Fla., Jeff Denham, Calif., Brian Fitzpatrick, Pa., Bob Goodlatte, Va., Will Hurd, Texas, Darrell Issa, Calif., Steve Stivers, Ohio, Mac Thornberry, Texas, Patrick J. Tiberi, Ohio, David Valadao, Calif., and Greg Walden, Ore.</p>
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<p /> | Kicking off Obamacare fight, GOP group funds million-dollar ad blitz | false | https://abqjournal.com/925513/kicking-off-obamacare-fight-gop-group-funds-million-dollar-ad-blitz.html | 2 |
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<p><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-762415p1.html?cr=00&amp;pl=edit-00" type="external">Gil C</a> / <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/?cr=00&amp;pl=edit-00" type="external">Shutterstock.com</a></p>
<p>The new CEO of Mozilla, the company that makes the Web’s most popular nonprofit browser, is under fire for having written a $1,000 check backing California’s (now-defunct) ban on same-sex marriage.</p>
<p>Brendan Eich was one of Mozilla’s ounders and helped transition the Netscape Navigator from fallen star to a resurgent, open-source browser named Firefox that was killing it until Google Chrome came along.</p>
<p>Since he was named CEO, three (half) of Mozilla’s board members have resigned, although the company says it wasn’t in protest of Eich’s alleged feelings about gay marriage. Speaking of which, the new chief wrote a <a href="https://brendaneich.com/2014/03/inclusiveness-at-mozilla/" type="external">mea culpa</a> saying, “I am committed to ensuring that Mozilla is, and will remain, a place that includes and supports everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, economic status, or religion.”</p>
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<p>Popular dating site OKCupid isn’t buying it. The following screen shot appears to have been presented to Cupid visitors using the Firefox browser, and comes to us by way of <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/31/political-backlash-against-mozillas-new-ceo-continues-as-okcupi/" type="external">Engadget</a>.</p>
<p>— Posted by <a href="" type="internal">Peter Z. Scheer</a></p> | OKCupid Boycotts Firefox for the Gays | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/okcupid-boycotts-firefox-for-the-gays/ | 2014-04-01 | 4 |
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<p>At 6-feet-3, the 70-year-old has been molded into an imposing figure in the museum’s miniature Oval Office. Dressed in his typical navy power suit and fiery red tie, a very no-nonsense-looking Trump is positioned beside the presidential podium in an unmistakable power stance (legs wide, hands gripping his black leather belt like a foreman ready to roll up his sleeves). And about those hands? They’re normal-sized, in case you were wondering.</p>
<p>“Everyone’s pretty amazed at how lifelike he is and how accurate his features are, you know his hair and his coloring,” said Therese Alvich, the general manager at the museum’s outpost in Washington, which along with London, New York and Orlando unveiled the presidential version of Trump Wednesday.</p>
<p>They used Yak for Trump’s signature orange sorbet and vanilla blend coiffure, which, according to a museum representative, is standard practice for high-quality white hair.</p>
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<p>The former “Apprentice” boss first sat for one of Tussauds’ famous wax figures in 1997. One of the museum’s studio artists met the real estate developer at Trump Tower in New York and took more than 200 measurements (including the hands), according to Alvich. Trump was apparently pleased with the final product, but no word on what he thinks about the newly elected version.</p>
<p>The biggest difference between Trump and the guy he bumped down the line? That look.</p>
<p>“His facial expression is a little bit more serious,” admitted Alvich, who said that the smiling figure of President Obama is by far the museum’s most popular. “But what we tried to do with the new figure is catch his personality. This is Trump. He is confident, he’s authoritative and that’s how he looks.”</p>
<p>Another glaring distinction between 45 and 44? The future first lady isn’t in the picture – yet.</p>
<p>Michelle Obama and her husband appear together in the museum’s presidents gallery, as do Hillary Clinton, Nancy Reagan and Jackie Kennedy. But Melania Trump, who was a rare sighting on her husband’s campaign trail, is a no-show. What gives?</p>
<p>Whether Mrs. Trump makes the mold someday depends on the public, said Alvich, because the museum takes suggestions from its visitors. “Or if she becomes a really important part of history,” she added.</p>
<p>In the meantime, anyone with about $20 to burn can snag a photo with the next president of the United States. And those photos should be appropriate, mind you.</p>
<p>“We’re hoping for the best. For the most part people are respectful,” said Alvich, who maintained that the museum is “apolitical” – it’s all educational after all. Most of Tussauds Washington visitors are school groups and foreign tourists. “This is the home of the president’s gallery so we have all of the presidents and he is our president.”</p>
<p>Also there’s a staff member just a stone’s throw from the new president at all times. “He’s dressed as a Secret Service agent.”</p> | A serious-looking Trump wax figure unveiled at Madame Tussauds in Washington | false | https://abqjournal.com/930595/a-serious-looking-trump-wax-figure-unveiled-at-madame-tussauds-in-washington.html | 2 |
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<p>The 6.7 percent figure for January is the same as December’s and slightly higher than the 6.5 percent rate recorded in January 2016, according to the U.S. Department of Labor and the state.</p>
<p>The national rate was 4.8 percent.</p>
<p>Alaska’s rate had been worse than New Mexico’s, but it fell slightly in January, leaving New Mexico behind, according to the figures.</p>
<p>Ben Cloutier, spokesman for the state’s Economic Development Department, said New Mexico’s economy has been too dependent on the federal government and the oil and gas industry. That’s why it was hit hard by the downturn in oil and gas prices and sequestration, the automatic budget cuts the federal government imposed in 2013, he said.</p>
<p>“That’s why it’s so important to keep fighting for a more business-friendly environment,” Cloutier said in a written statement. “Just recently, Facebook chose to make New Mexico home for its newest data center, which is creating thousands of new (construction) jobs and will bring billions in new investments.”</p>
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<p>Cloutier also mentioned Safelite and Keter as examples of companies deciding to “make New Mexico home as a result of our powerful incentives and our favorable tax environment. We have to continue to focus on diversifying our economy and growing our private sector to bring more jobs and investment to our state.”</p>
<p>Nationwide, unemployment rates fell in five states, while the rates in Arkansas and Oregon fell to the lowest on records dating to 1976. Hawaii had the second-lowest rate in the U.S., with 2.8 percent, followed by Colorado and South Dakota, at 2.9 percent each.</p>
<p>New Mexico employment grew by 900 jobs, or 0.1 percent, between January 2016 and January 2017, according to a state news release.</p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | NM unemployment worst in the nation | false | https://abqjournal.com/967904/nm-unemployment-worst-in-the-nation.html | 2 |
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<p>We often spend a lot of time researching and deliberating before deciding to buy a stock. That's very sensible. But selling stocks also deserves careful consideration -- because you don't want to sell a stock at the wrong time or for the wrong reason. Here are some things to consider before you sell stocks -- especially dividend stocks.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Impatience is a bad reason to sell any stock. Ideally, you bought the stock because the company behind it is a high-quality one, growing and with competitive advantages. The stock of such companies is likely to rise over time, but it won't do so in a straight line. There will be occasional temporary downturns or periods of stagnation. Patience is a key trait of successful investors.</p>
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<p>On the other hand, are thinking of selling because you no longer have faith in the company? If things have changed and it no longer seems promising to you -- perhaps because of management actions or competitive developments or deteriorating financial measures -- then selling can make a lot of sense. A smart investing strategy is to keep your money concentrated in your best ideas -- the stocks you find most promising. After all, why be invested in your 57th-best idea when you can just add money to one of your top 10 ideas that are likely to be better performers?</p>
<p>A shrunken payout is a red flag. Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>With dividend stocks, a big red flag that should trigger some thinking about whether to sell is if the company reduces, suspends, or eliminates its dividend. Companies mainly do so when they're experiencing troubles. Dig into the situation to see whether it appears to be temporary or lasting and act accordingly. Think of the credit crisis of a few years back, when lots of financial companies either went out of business or at least reduced their dividend payments. Many have recovered and either reinstated or increased their payouts. General Electric, for example, cut its quarterly dividend from $0.31 to $0.10 in 2009. It has been increasing it since 2010, but it's still only$0.24. Bank of Americacut its payout from $0.64 to $0.32 in 2008 and then down to $0.01 in 2009. So far it has climbedback to $0.075.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, plenty of companies that aren't in trouble will simply not grow their payouts very briskly. That can make a dividend much less attractive. Dividend growth is important to keep in mind when choosing your dividend stocks in the first place, because if Company A's dividend is yielding just 2% and Company B's is yielding 3%, Company A's dividend may still be more compelling if it's growing at a much faster rate. If so, in a few years, you might be collecting more from Company A than from Company B. But if that dividend growth rate stalls, you may want to move your dollars elsewhere -- especially if the dividend income was a large part of the reason you bought the stock.</p>
<p>A dividend payer's payout ratio is also important. It reflects the portion of earnings that's being paid out in dividends. If it's, say, 70% or less, there's plenty of room for continued dividend growth. If it's 100% or more, there's little room for growth -- or error -- and perhaps the dividend will even end up reduced. Don't be hasty in your judgment, though. Consider the bigger picture, because some good companies will only temporarily have a steep payout ratio, such as if they had a bad year that temporarily depressed earnings.</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Next, think of taxes before selling any stock. Remember that short-term capital gains are taxed at ordinary income tax rates (which are often 25% or 28% and can approach 40% for high earners), while most of us face rates of just 15% on long-term capital gains, with high earners still paying less than 25%. This can matter if you're thinking of selling a stock you've held for, say, 11 months. If so, and if it will result in a gain, consider hanging on until you've held it for at least a year and a day. Then you'll get the lower tax rate. Don't let taxes dictate your decision, though, as sometimes it's just best to sell a stock as soon as possible, lest it fall further -- or because you have a much more compelling alternative for the money.</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Finally, with dividends, you might assume that you need to consider the ex-dividend date. It's actually more important when buying a dividend stock than when selling one, though. When a company announces an upcoming dividend payment, it sets the date of payment. It also sets an "ex-dividend" date, which is the date by which you must own it in order to qualify for the dividend payment.</p>
<p>Here, for example, are a few examples:</p>
<p>Data source:Nasdaq.com.</p>
<p>You might think that you need to sell before the ex-dividend date to collect the dividend, but that isn't quite the case. That's because on the ex-dividend date, the stock's price will fall by about the amount of the dividend. So if the stock were trading for $100 per share and would be paying a $1 quarterly dividend, the price will fall to about $99 on the ex-dividend date. So if you sell before the ex-dividend date, you won't receive the $1, but if you sell on or after it, the stock will sell for about $1 less. It doesn't make a huge difference, either way.</p>
<p>When selling any stocks, including dividend stocks, be sure to do so for sound reasons, not out of impulse or panic or impatience. Remember that in many cases, the best way to make a lot of money is to be very patient with great companies.</p>
<p>The $15,834 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $15,834 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-social-security?aid=8727&amp;source=irreditxt0000002&amp;ftm_cam=ryr-ss-intro-report&amp;ftm_pit=3186&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Longtime Fool specialist <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSelena/info.aspx" type="external">Selena Maranjian Opens a New Window.</a>, whom you can <a href="http://twitter.com/SelenaMaranjian" type="external">follow on Twitter Opens a New Window.</a>, ownsshares of General Electric and Gilead Sciences. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Gilead Sciences. The Motley Fool owns shares of General Electric. The Motley Fool is short Domino's Pizza. 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> | About to Sell Dividend Stocks? Read This First | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/22/about-to-sell-dividend-stocks-read-this-first.html | 2016-12-22 | 0 |
<p>Toms River, New Jersey police officer Daniel Brennan never should have been investigating a document fraud case Tuesday.</p>
<p><a href="/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/giomar-diaz-crop.jpg" type="external" />That's because the person he was interviewing never should have been in the United States.</p>
<p>Brennan was dispatched to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Office investigating a complaint that 33-year-old Giomar Diaz was "trying to forge and obtain fraudulent documents by using a false identity," NJ 1015 <a href="http://nj1015.com/immigrant-here-illegally-again-ran-down-toms-river-cop-and-dragged-him-with-car-police-say/" type="external">reports</a>.</p>
<p>Diaz allegedly fled the scene and entered a black Honda vehicle. As Brennan attempted to apprehend the suspect, the officer was caught between the open door and the driver's seat while Diaz put the car in reverse.</p>
<p>Brennan was dragged "at least" 75 feet before falling free from the car.</p>
<p>Diaz's vehicle then allegedly hit two other parked cars before speeding away.</p>
<p>The news station reports:</p>
<p>Diaz appears to be in the United States illegally and currently is being held on an additional no-bail detainer from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division.</p>
<p>Police say the believe he was&#160;previously detained on weapons and drug charges and deported to the&#160;Dominican Republic.</p>
<p>Brennan was treated for non-life threatening injuries.</p>
<p>Diaz was apprehended a short time later after the car he was a passenger in was seen "driving erratically." He allegedly had "several" false identifications on him at the time.</p>
<p>Diaz faces attempted murder, aggravated assault on a police officer and resisting arrest charges. He is being held on $500,000 bail.</p>
<p>CBS 2 <a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/12/09/toms-river-police-officer-dragged/" type="external">reports</a> Diaz's alleged accomplice, Alvin Hernandez-Almanzar of Camden, N.J., picked Diaz up after he ditched the Honda vehicle. He faces charges of "hindering apprehension, driving with an expired license, and revoked driving."</p> | Previously deported illegal charged with attempted murder of NJ police officer | true | http://theamericanmirror.com/previously-deported-illegal-charged-with-attempted-murder-of-nj-police-officer/ | 2015-12-09 | 0 |
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<p>How this time is structured, financed and spent is decided by a governing school board, which the students have no say in electing. Ironically, schools are probably the most undemocratic institutions in American life.</p>
<p>But in New Mexico, we can change that. By allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections we can ensure that students have a say in their education, while simultaneously providing opportunities for them to be active and engaged citizens.</p>
<p>In our democracy today, young people turn 18 and are expected to suddenly participate in democracy, despite having little to no experience in making decisions about the public structures that affect them the most.</p>
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<p>We don’t do this with other fundamental skills. Young people are required to learn to drive before receiving their driver’s licenses and they work in internships before beginning a profession.</p>
<p>We do our best to teach necessary skills in young people as future adults. But we fail to do this for civic engagement.</p>
<p>If we entrust young people to drive a car, work and pay taxes, why not also entrust them to voice their opinions through their vote? It seems highly contradictory and disrespectful.</p>
<p>We must view lowering the voting age in critical elections – like that of the public school board – as a teaching ground for building active, invested voters and citizens.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, our inability to educate young people to become active citizens has translated into our overall democracy. Citizens across the country fail to participate in elections and this is especially true in local elections.</p>
<p>In this month’s Albuquerque Public Schools election, voter turnout was an abysmal 2.6 percent. But it gets worse. In a recent school board election in Hagerman, no one came out to vote. This is an embarrassment and requires drastic action.</p>
<p>That’s why I’ve introduced the Youth Civic Engagement and Voting Act (HB 249), a proposal that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in school board elections. This would ensure that young people have a say in the systems where they spend the majority of their young lives, while also instilling life-long civically minded behaviors.</p>
<p>Voting is habit forming and if we can instill this core value from an earlier age, we can ensure an active electorate and thus a stronger democracy.</p>
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<p>Detractors will argue that young people simply don’t have the understanding or maturity to cast a vote. I disagree. I have worked for many years with youths across the state and their understanding of political processes, issues and solutions are commendable.</p>
<p>Young people have a lot to offer to our political system and we must afford them the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way.</p>
<p>When we show young students that they have the power to affect the public institutions that shape their lives, we also teach them the great responsibility that comes with this power. In putting fundamental civic skills into practice at the local level, students cultivate a desire and the ability to wield civic power effectively and they are likely to continue using these skills as adults.</p>
<p>My bill provides a critical building block for creating a more active and engaged democracy for the state of New Mexico. By passing this measure, our state can foster an environment in which young people learn that they, too, have the power to build a better community for themselves, through one of our nation’s most powerful public institutions: our schools.</p>
<p>And through one of our nation’s most fundamental values: our vote.</p>
<p /> | Teach young people about civic duties | false | https://abqjournal.com/540890/teach-young-people-about-civic-duties.html | 2 |
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<p>The coal industry is in the news these days, not least because Donald Trump recently issued an executive order that appears to support the business. That, plus recent upswings in coal prices have fueled hope that the sector is set for a significant rebound.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Justified or not, that optimism is providing an interesting opportunity forWarrior Met Coal to enter the public markets. The specialty producer is about to debut on the stock exchange following its IPO. Let's crank up the furnace and see what's cooking with the company.</p>
<p>Image source: Warrier Met Coal.</p>
<p>Warrior Met Coal's specialty is metallurgical (aka coking) coal, hence its name. Metallurgical coal is used to make coke, the carbon-rich raw material utilized in traditional steel production.</p>
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<p>The company is essentially the successor of the bankrupt Walter Energy; creditors effectively took control of its core assets to form Warrior Met Coal. As a result, entities associated with big investment managers own most of the present-day company. These include affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Blackstone, and KKR.</p>
<p>Warrior Met Coal operates a pair of its predecessor's mines. The two facilities, both located in Alabama, have a combined production capacity of around 7.3 million metric tons of met coal; total reserves are estimated at nearly 108 million metric tons. Warrior Met Coal also has an undeveloped mine with estimated reserves of roughly 103 million metric tons. As a side business, the company also extracts methane gas.</p>
<p>As a young company (it was formed in 2015), Warrior Met Coal doesn't have much operational history on its own. What it does provide indicates revenue of just under $298 million for the nine months ended Dec. 31, 2016, with a net loss of almost $50 million.</p>
<p>The company's predecessor, basically the assets it acquired from Walter Energy, booked revenue of almost $545 million and a bottom-line loss of nearly $311 million in 2015.</p>
<p>At first glance, now is a fine time to be in the met coal business. On the back of increased imports from China and a sudden, weather-related constriction in exports from the No. 1 met coal market, Australia, the price of the commodity has ballooned lately. Earlier this month it topped $300 per metric ton, more than three times its price at the same time last year.</p>
<p>But the Australian slowdown is only a blip, and the Chinese market isn't the bright shining future for Warrior Met Coal's key product.</p>
<p>Met coal is used in traditional steel making, i.e. in old-fashioned blast furnaces. These facilities are expensive to build, and once built they are costly to maintain and run.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the far less capital-intensive electric arc furnaces have been all the rage in the global steel industry for years now. On the production side EAFs don't require coke at all for their operation; they use electricity to melt down scrap steel in order to make new product.</p>
<p>The U.S. steel industry caught the EAF bug years ago. Recent data indicates that nearly two-thirds of American production derives from these facilities. Meanwhile, the last blast furnace built in the country was completed in the 1960s.A similar drive toward EAF production is playing out in Europe.</p>
<p>Although there are still a great many blast furnaces in China, they'll probably go the way of the Dodo bird too. In addition to their financial shortcomings, they produce an enormous amount of pollution compared to the average EAF. Since pollution is a major environmental issue in the country, EAFs are potentially a clever solution, while blast furnaces are an integral part of the problem.</p>
<p>Blast furnaces, in short, are yesterday's technology.</p>
<p>The market has cottoned on to this. The upswing in met coal prices hasn't been matched by improvement in the share prices of met coal stocks. Top met coal producer SunCoke Energy(NYSE: SXC)and its master limited partnership SunCoke Energy Partners(NYSE: SXCP) are both down by around 20% so far this year.</p>
<p>Peabody Energy-- which recently emerged from bankruptcy after being crushed by debt, itself a very worrying development -- has fallen by 17% since returning to the stock market.</p>
<p>SunCoke Energy (plus, by extension, SunCoke Partners), and Peabody Energy are veterans in the met coal space. If investors can't get excited about them in the face of a price spike, I doubt they'll be overly bullish on Warrior Met Coal.</p>
<p>Just under 16.7 million shares of Warrior Met Coal will go on the market, with the IPO price ranging from $17 to $19 per share. The company will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol HCC. The first day of trading is scheduled for this Thursday, April 13.</p>
<p>It's important to note that the company will not gain any proceeds from the offering; instead, its selling shareholders (chiefly the Apollo Global, Blackstone, and KKR affiliates) will reap those monies.</p>
<p>The issue's underwriting syndicate is led by Credit Suisse, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better thanWal-MartWhen investing geniuses David and TomGardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter theyhave run for over a decade, the Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tomjust revealed what they believe are the <a href="https://www.fool.com/mms/mark/e-sa-bbn-eg?aid=8867&amp;source=isaeditxt0000476&amp;ftm_cam=sa-bbn-evergreen&amp;ftm_pit=6627&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">ten best stocks Opens a New Window.</a>for investors to buy right now... and Wal-Mart wasn't one of them! That's right -- theythink these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
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<p>*StockAdvisor returns as of April 3, 2017The author(s) may have a position in any stocks mentioned.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/EVolkman/info.aspx" type="external">Eric Volkman Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Warrior Met Coal IPO: What Investors Need to Know | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/04/13/warrior-met-coal-ipo-what-investors-need-to-know.html | 2017-04-13 | 0 |
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<p>Former Rio Rancho Police Lt. Larry Tatum, one of the city’s original officers, died Sept. 1 at the age of 65.</p>
<p>Former Rio Rancho Police Lt. Larry Tatum.</p>
<p>Services were held Friday at the Calvary Chapel in Rio Rancho.</p>
<p>Tatum joined the Rio Rancho department in 1981 as one of eight officers that formed the fledgling city’s first police department. He graduated from the FBI Academy in 1992, and retired from the Rio Rancho department in 2002, according to an obituary published in the Albuquerque Journal.</p>
<p>Her returned to the department to begin the alarm monitoring program, then retired a second time in 2012. He returned again as a volunteer.</p>
<p>Tatum was the first employee in the city’s history to attain 25 years of service.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | In memory of one of city’s finest | false | https://abqjournal.com/259667/27-59-01-08.html | 2013-09-08 | 2 |
<p>SEATTLE (AP) — In a park in the middle of a leafy, bohemian neighborhood where homes list for close to $1 million, a tractor's massive claw scooped up the refuse of the homeless - mattresses, tents, wooden frames, a wicker chair, an outdoor propane heater. Workers in masks and steel-shanked boots plucked used needles and mounds of waste from the underbrush.</p>
<p>Just a day before, this corner of Ravenna Park was an illegal home for the down and out, one of 400 such encampments that have popped up in Seattle's parks, under bridges, on freeway medians and along busy sidewalks. Now, as police and social workers approached, some of the dispossessed scurried away, vanishing into a metropolis that is struggling to cope with an enormous wave of homelessness.</p>
<p>That struggle is not Seattle's alone. A homeless crisis of unprecedented proportions is rocking the West Coast, and its victims are being left behind by the very things that mark the region's success: soaring housing costs, rock-bottom vacancy rates and a roaring economy that waits for no one. All along the coast, elected officials are scrambling for solutions.</p>
<p>"I've got economically zero unemployment in my city, and I've got thousands of homeless people that actually are working and just can't afford housing," said Seattle City Councilman Mike O'Brien. "There's nowhere for these folks to move to. Every time we open up a new place, it fills up."</p>
<p>The rising numbers of homeless people have pushed abject poverty into the open like never before and have overwhelmed cities and nonprofits. The surge in people living on the streets has put public health at risk, led several cities to declare states of emergency and forced cities and counties to spend millions - in some cases billions - in a search for solutions.</p>
<p>San Diego now scrubs its sidewalks with bleach to counter a deadly hepatitis A outbreak that has spread to other cities and forced California to declare a state of emergency last month. In Anaheim, home to Disneyland, 400 people sleep along a bike path in the shadow of Angel Stadium. Organizers in Portland lit incense at a recent outdoor food festival to cover up the stench of urine in a parking lot where vendors set up shop.</p>
<p>Homelessness is not new on the West Coast. But interviews with local officials and those who serve the homeless in California, Oregon and Washington - coupled with an Associated Press review of preliminary homeless data - confirm it's getting worse. People who were once able to get by, even if they suffered a setback, are now pushed to the streets because housing has become so expensive.</p>
<p>All it takes is a prolonged illness, a lost job, a broken limb, a family crisis. What was once a blip in fortunes now seems a life sentence.</p>
<p>"Most homeless people I know aren't homeless because they're addicts," said Tammy Stephen, 54, who lives at a homeless encampment in Seattle. "Most people are homeless because they can't afford a place to live."</p>
<p>Among the AP's findings:</p>
<p>— Official counts taken earlier this year in California, Oregon and Washington show 168,000 homeless people in the three states, according to an AP tally of every jurisdiction in those states that reports homeless numbers to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. That is 19,000 more than were counted two years ago, although the numbers may not be directly comparable because of factors ranging from the weather to new counting methods.</p>
<p>— During the same period, the number of unsheltered people in the three states - defined as someone sleeping outside, in a bus or train station, abandoned building or vehicle - has climbed 18 percent to 105,000.</p>
<p>— Rising rents are the main culprit. The median one-bedroom apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area is significantly more expensive than it is in the New York City metro area, and apartments in San Francisco are listed at a higher price than those in Manhattan.</p>
<p>— Since 2015, at least 10 cities or municipal regions in California, Oregon and Washington - and Honolulu, as well - have declared states of emergency due to the rise of homelessness, a designation usually reserved for natural disasters.</p>
<p>"What do we want as a city to look like? That's what the citizens here need to decide," said Gordon Walker, head of the regional task force for the homeless in San Diego, where the unsheltered homeless population has spiked by 18 percent in the past year. "What are we going to allow? Are we willing to have people die on the streets?"</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>With alarming frequency, the West Coast's newly homeless are people who were able to survive on the margins - until those margins moved.</p>
<p>For years, Stanley Timmings, 62, and his 61-year-old girlfriend, Linda Catlin, were able to rent a room in a friend's house on their combined disability payments.</p>
<p>Last spring, that friend died of colon cancer and the couple was thrust on Seattle's streets.</p>
<p>Timmings used their last savings to buy a used RV for $300 and spent another $300 to register it. They bought a car from a junk yard for $275.</p>
<p>Now, the couple parks the RV near a small regional airport and uses the car to get around.</p>
<p>They have no running water and no propane for the cook stove. They go to the bathroom in a bucket and dump it behind a nearby business. They shower and do laundry at a nonprofit and buy water at a grocery depot. After four months, the stench of human waste inside the RV is overwhelming. Every inch of space is crammed with their belongings: jugs of laundry detergent, stacks of clothes, pots and pans, and tattered paperback novels. They are exhausted, scared and defeated, with no solution in sight.</p>
<p>"Between the two of us a month, we get $1,440 in disability. We can't find a place for that," he said. "Our income is (about) $17,000 ... a year. That puts us way out of the ballpark, not even close. It might have been enough but anymore, no. It's not."</p>
<p>A new study funded by the real estate information firm Zillow and conducted by the University of Washington found a strong link between rising housing prices and rising homelessness numbers. A 5 percent rent increase in Los Angeles, for example, would mean about 2,000 more homeless people there, the authors said.</p>
<p>Nationally, homelessness has been trending down, partly because governments and nonprofit groups have gotten better at moving people into housing. That's true in many West Coast cities, too, but the flow the other direction is even faster. And on the West Coast, shelter systems are smaller.</p>
<p>"If you have a disability income, you make about $9,000 a year and renting a studio in Seattle is about $1,800 a month and so that's twice your income," said Margaret King, director of housing programs for DESC, a nonprofit that works with Seattle's homeless.</p>
<p>"So everybody who was just hanging on because they had cheap rent, they're losing that ... and they wind up outside. It's just exploded."</p>
<p>Nowhere is that more evident than California's Silicon Valley, where high salaries and a tight housing market have pushed rent out of reach for thousands. In ever-shifting communities of the homeless, RVs and cars cluster by the dozens in the city where Google built its global headquarters and just blocks from Stanford University.</p>
<p>Ellen Tara James-Penney, a lecturer at San Jose State University, has been sleeping out of a car for about a decade, ever since she lost her housing while an undergraduate at the school where she now teaches four English courses, a job that pays $28,000 a year. Home is an old Volvo.</p>
<p>"I've basically been homeless since 2007, and I'm really tired," she said. "Really tired."</p>
<p>She actually got her start in the high tech industry, before being laid off during the tech meltdown of the early 2000s. Like many who couldn't find work, she went to college, accumulating tens of thousands of dollars in student debt along the way.</p>
<p>Now 54, she grades papers and prepares lesson plans in her car. Among her few belongings is a pair of her grandmother's fancy stiletto pumps, a reminder to herself that "it's not going to be like this forever."</p>
<p>Increased housing costs aren't just sweeping up low-income workers: The numbers of homeless youth also is rising.</p>
<p>A recent count in Los Angeles, for example, found that those ages 18 to 24 were the fastest-growing homeless group by age, up 64 percent, followed by those under 18. Los Angeles and other cities have made a concerted effort to improve their tallies of homeless youth, which likely accounts for some of the increase.</p>
<p>One of the reasons is the combined cost of housing and tuition, said Will Lehman, policy supervisor at Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. A recent study by the University of Wisconsin found that one in five Los Angeles Community College District students is homeless, he said.</p>
<p>"They can pay for books, for classes but just can't afford an apartment. They're choosing to prioritize going to school," Lehman said. "They don't choose their situation."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Michael Madigan opened a new wine bar in Portland a few years ago overlooking a ribbon of parks not far from the city's trendy Pearl District.</p>
<p>Business was good until, almost overnight, dozens of homeless people showed up on the sidewalk. A large encampment on the other side of the city had been shut down, and its residents moved to the park at his doorstep.</p>
<p>"We literally turned the corner one day ... and there were 48 tents set up on this one block that hadn't been there the day before," he said.</p>
<p>Madigan's business dropped 50 percent in four months and he closed his bar. There are fewer homeless people there now, but the campers have moved to a bike path that winds through residential neighborhoods in east Portland, prompting hundreds of complaints about trash, noise, drug use and illegal camping.</p>
<p>Rachel Sterry, a naturopathic doctor, lives near that path and sometimes doesn't feel safe when she's commuting by bike with her 1-year-old son. Dogs have rolled in human feces in a local park; recent improvements she's made to her small home are overshadowed by the line of tents and tarps a few dozen yards from her front door, she said.</p>
<p>"I have to stop and get off my bike to ask people to move their card game or their lounge chairs or their trash out of the way when I'm just trying to get from point A to point B," she said. "If I were to scream or get hurt, nobody would know."</p>
<p>For Seattle resident Elisabeth James, the reality check came when a homeless man forced his way into a glass-enclosed ATM lobby with her after she swiped her card to open the door for after-hours access. After a few nerve-wracking minutes, the man left the lobby but stayed outside, banging on the glass. Police were too busy to respond so James called her husband, who scared the man away and walked her home. The man, she believes, just wanted to get out of the rain.</p>
<p>A neighborhood pocket park has become a flashpoint, too: When James took her 2-year-old grandchild there, she saw people injecting heroin.</p>
<p>"I'm not a NIMBY person, but I just think that we can do so much more," said James, who founded an activist group called Speak Out Seattle last year. "I wanted to do something that was effective, that brought frustrated people together to find solutions. We're spending a lot of money to house people and we're getting a bigger problem."</p>
<p>The crisis is not limited to large metropolises. In Oregon City, a suburban, working-class town of 36,000 people, the police department this summer added a full-time position for a homeless outreach officer after roughly half the calls concerned trash, trespassing, human waste and illegal encampments.</p>
<p>The city has no overnight shelters and never had a significant homeless population until about three years ago.</p>
<p>On a recent fall day, officer Mike Day tromped into a greenbelt across from a strip mall to check on a man he recently connected with a counselor, calmed an intoxicated man and arranged emergency care for a man who was suicidal.</p>
<p>"How many social workers have you met that go into the woods to follow up with the homeless population and to help with mental health? This is a bit of a hybrid position, certainly, and maybe it's not exactly the role of a police officer - but it's a creative approach to find a solution to the problem," he said.</p>
<p>The question was, "What can we do differently? Because right now, it's not working."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>All along the West Coast, local governments are scrambling to answer that question - and taxpayers are footing the bill.</p>
<p>Voters have approved more than $8 billion in spending since 2015 on affordable housing and other anti-homelessness programs, mostly as tax increases. Los Angeles voters, for example, approved $1.2 billion to build 10,000 units of affordable housing over a decade to address a ballooning homeless population that's reached 34,000 people within city limits.</p>
<p>Seattle spent $61 million on homeless-related issues last year, and a recent budget proposal would increase that to $63 million. Four years ago, the city spent $39 million on homelessness. Sacramento has set a goal of moving 2,000 people off the streets in the next three years and may place a housing bond before voters in 2018.</p>
<p>Appeals for money have angered residents who see tent encampments growing in their cities despite more spending.</p>
<p>"Those are like whack-a-mole because they just sprout up and then they disappear and then they sprout up somewhere else," said Gretchen Taylor, who helped found the Neighborhood Safety Alliance of Seattle in 2016.</p>
<p>Seattle is initiating competitive bidding among nonprofit organizations for city dollars going toward homelessness programs. It's also pouring money into "rapid rehousing," a strategy that houses people quickly and then provides rental assistance for up to 18 months.</p>
<p>Like San Francisco, Seattle has started opening 24-hour, "low-barrier" shelters that offer beds even if people are abusing drugs, have a pet or want to sleep together as a couple. But the city's first 24-hour shelter has only 75 beds, and turnover is extremely low.</p>
<p>A team of specially trained police officers and social workers has also been visiting homeless camps to try to place people in shelter. After repeated visits - and with 72 hours of notice - the city cleans out the camps and hauls away abandoned belongings.</p>
<p>These efforts are starting to yield results, although the overall number of homeless people continues to swell.</p>
<p>Nearly 740 families moved into some type of shelter between October 2016 and August 2017, and 39 percent of the people contacted by the new police teams wind up sheltered, according a recent city homeless report. That's an improvement from a 5 percent shelter rate 18 months ago, said Sgt. Eric Zerr, who leads that effort.</p>
<p>But the approach has its detractors. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit alleging the sweeps violate the constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure. And a debate is raging about whether the sweeps are necessary "tough love" or a cruel policy that criminalizes poverty in a city with a reputation for liberalism.</p>
<p>"When a city can't offer housing, they should not be able to sweep that spot unless it's posing some sort of significant health and safety issue," said Sara Rankin, a professor with the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project at the Seattle University School of Law.</p>
<p>"If someone doesn't have a place to go, you can't just continue to chase them from place to place."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Above all, the West Coast lacks long-term, low-income housing for people like Ashley Dibble and her 3-year-old daughter.</p>
<p>Dibble, 29, says she has been homeless off and on for about a year, after her ex-boyfriend squandered money on his car and didn't pay the rent for three months. Evicted, Dibble says she lived in the back of a moving truck and with several different friends around Seattle before winding up on the streets. She sent her toddler to live with the girl's paternal grandparents in Florida.</p>
<p>She and her new boyfriend were sleeping under tarps near Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners, when an outreach team referred them to a new shelter. Now, Dibble talks to her daughter daily by phone and is trying to find a way back into housing so she can bring her home.</p>
<p>With an eviction on her record and little income, no one will rent to her.</p>
<p>"I've had so many doors slammed in my face, it's ridiculous," Dibble said, wiping away tears.</p>
<p>Seattle's DESC operates 1,200 so-called "permanent supportive housing units" -housing for the mentally ill or severely addicted who can't stay housed without constant help from case managers, counselors and rehabilitation programs. The nonprofit completes a new building every 18 months and they immediately fill; at any given time, there are only about eight to 10 units free in the whole city - but 1,600 people qualify.</p>
<p>Among this population, "almost nobody's going to get housing because there isn't any," DESC's Margaret King said. "It doesn't really matter."</p>
<p>There is so little housing, and so much despair. Nonprofit workers with decades of experience are shocked by the surge in homeless people and in the banality of the ways they wound up on the streets.</p>
<p>"It's a sea of humanity crashing against services, and services at this point are overwhelmed, literally overwhelmed. It's catastrophic," said Jeremy Lemoine, an outreach case manager with REACH, a Seattle homeless-assistance program. "It's a refugee crisis right here in the States, right here under our noses."</p>
<p>"I don't mean to sound hopeless. I generate hope for a living for people - that there is a future for them - but we need to address it now."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writers Janie Har in San Francisco, Julie Watson in San Diego and Chris Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report. AP photographers Jae Hong in Los Angeles and Ted Warren in Seattle, and AP videographer Manuel Valdes in Seattle also contributed.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Gillian Flaccus at https://twitter.com/gflaccus and Mulvihill at <a href="https://twitter.com/geoffmulvihill" type="external">https://twitter.com/geoffmulvihill</a></p>
<p>Follow AP's complete coverage of the homeless crisis here: <a href="" type="internal">https://apnews.com/tag/HomelessCrisis</a></p>
<p>SEATTLE (AP) — In a park in the middle of a leafy, bohemian neighborhood where homes list for close to $1 million, a tractor's massive claw scooped up the refuse of the homeless - mattresses, tents, wooden frames, a wicker chair, an outdoor propane heater. Workers in masks and steel-shanked boots plucked used needles and mounds of waste from the underbrush.</p>
<p>Just a day before, this corner of Ravenna Park was an illegal home for the down and out, one of 400 such encampments that have popped up in Seattle's parks, under bridges, on freeway medians and along busy sidewalks. Now, as police and social workers approached, some of the dispossessed scurried away, vanishing into a metropolis that is struggling to cope with an enormous wave of homelessness.</p>
<p>That struggle is not Seattle's alone. A homeless crisis of unprecedented proportions is rocking the West Coast, and its victims are being left behind by the very things that mark the region's success: soaring housing costs, rock-bottom vacancy rates and a roaring economy that waits for no one. All along the coast, elected officials are scrambling for solutions.</p>
<p>"I've got economically zero unemployment in my city, and I've got thousands of homeless people that actually are working and just can't afford housing," said Seattle City Councilman Mike O'Brien. "There's nowhere for these folks to move to. Every time we open up a new place, it fills up."</p>
<p>The rising numbers of homeless people have pushed abject poverty into the open like never before and have overwhelmed cities and nonprofits. The surge in people living on the streets has put public health at risk, led several cities to declare states of emergency and forced cities and counties to spend millions - in some cases billions - in a search for solutions.</p>
<p>San Diego now scrubs its sidewalks with bleach to counter a deadly hepatitis A outbreak that has spread to other cities and forced California to declare a state of emergency last month. In Anaheim, home to Disneyland, 400 people sleep along a bike path in the shadow of Angel Stadium. Organizers in Portland lit incense at a recent outdoor food festival to cover up the stench of urine in a parking lot where vendors set up shop.</p>
<p>Homelessness is not new on the West Coast. But interviews with local officials and those who serve the homeless in California, Oregon and Washington - coupled with an Associated Press review of preliminary homeless data - confirm it's getting worse. People who were once able to get by, even if they suffered a setback, are now pushed to the streets because housing has become so expensive.</p>
<p>All it takes is a prolonged illness, a lost job, a broken limb, a family crisis. What was once a blip in fortunes now seems a life sentence.</p>
<p>"Most homeless people I know aren't homeless because they're addicts," said Tammy Stephen, 54, who lives at a homeless encampment in Seattle. "Most people are homeless because they can't afford a place to live."</p>
<p>Among the AP's findings:</p>
<p>— Official counts taken earlier this year in California, Oregon and Washington show 168,000 homeless people in the three states, according to an AP tally of every jurisdiction in those states that reports homeless numbers to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. That is 19,000 more than were counted two years ago, although the numbers may not be directly comparable because of factors ranging from the weather to new counting methods.</p>
<p>— During the same period, the number of unsheltered people in the three states - defined as someone sleeping outside, in a bus or train station, abandoned building or vehicle - has climbed 18 percent to 105,000.</p>
<p>— Rising rents are the main culprit. The median one-bedroom apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area is significantly more expensive than it is in the New York City metro area, and apartments in San Francisco are listed at a higher price than those in Manhattan.</p>
<p>— Since 2015, at least 10 cities or municipal regions in California, Oregon and Washington - and Honolulu, as well - have declared states of emergency due to the rise of homelessness, a designation usually reserved for natural disasters.</p>
<p>"What do we want as a city to look like? That's what the citizens here need to decide," said Gordon Walker, head of the regional task force for the homeless in San Diego, where the unsheltered homeless population has spiked by 18 percent in the past year. "What are we going to allow? Are we willing to have people die on the streets?"</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>With alarming frequency, the West Coast's newly homeless are people who were able to survive on the margins - until those margins moved.</p>
<p>For years, Stanley Timmings, 62, and his 61-year-old girlfriend, Linda Catlin, were able to rent a room in a friend's house on their combined disability payments.</p>
<p>Last spring, that friend died of colon cancer and the couple was thrust on Seattle's streets.</p>
<p>Timmings used their last savings to buy a used RV for $300 and spent another $300 to register it. They bought a car from a junk yard for $275.</p>
<p>Now, the couple parks the RV near a small regional airport and uses the car to get around.</p>
<p>They have no running water and no propane for the cook stove. They go to the bathroom in a bucket and dump it behind a nearby business. They shower and do laundry at a nonprofit and buy water at a grocery depot. After four months, the stench of human waste inside the RV is overwhelming. Every inch of space is crammed with their belongings: jugs of laundry detergent, stacks of clothes, pots and pans, and tattered paperback novels. They are exhausted, scared and defeated, with no solution in sight.</p>
<p>"Between the two of us a month, we get $1,440 in disability. We can't find a place for that," he said. "Our income is (about) $17,000 ... a year. That puts us way out of the ballpark, not even close. It might have been enough but anymore, no. It's not."</p>
<p>A new study funded by the real estate information firm Zillow and conducted by the University of Washington found a strong link between rising housing prices and rising homelessness numbers. A 5 percent rent increase in Los Angeles, for example, would mean about 2,000 more homeless people there, the authors said.</p>
<p>Nationally, homelessness has been trending down, partly because governments and nonprofit groups have gotten better at moving people into housing. That's true in many West Coast cities, too, but the flow the other direction is even faster. And on the West Coast, shelter systems are smaller.</p>
<p>"If you have a disability income, you make about $9,000 a year and renting a studio in Seattle is about $1,800 a month and so that's twice your income," said Margaret King, director of housing programs for DESC, a nonprofit that works with Seattle's homeless.</p>
<p>"So everybody who was just hanging on because they had cheap rent, they're losing that ... and they wind up outside. It's just exploded."</p>
<p>Nowhere is that more evident than California's Silicon Valley, where high salaries and a tight housing market have pushed rent out of reach for thousands. In ever-shifting communities of the homeless, RVs and cars cluster by the dozens in the city where Google built its global headquarters and just blocks from Stanford University.</p>
<p>Ellen Tara James-Penney, a lecturer at San Jose State University, has been sleeping out of a car for about a decade, ever since she lost her housing while an undergraduate at the school where she now teaches four English courses, a job that pays $28,000 a year. Home is an old Volvo.</p>
<p>"I've basically been homeless since 2007, and I'm really tired," she said. "Really tired."</p>
<p>She actually got her start in the high tech industry, before being laid off during the tech meltdown of the early 2000s. Like many who couldn't find work, she went to college, accumulating tens of thousands of dollars in student debt along the way.</p>
<p>Now 54, she grades papers and prepares lesson plans in her car. Among her few belongings is a pair of her grandmother's fancy stiletto pumps, a reminder to herself that "it's not going to be like this forever."</p>
<p>Increased housing costs aren't just sweeping up low-income workers: The numbers of homeless youth also is rising.</p>
<p>A recent count in Los Angeles, for example, found that those ages 18 to 24 were the fastest-growing homeless group by age, up 64 percent, followed by those under 18. Los Angeles and other cities have made a concerted effort to improve their tallies of homeless youth, which likely accounts for some of the increase.</p>
<p>One of the reasons is the combined cost of housing and tuition, said Will Lehman, policy supervisor at Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. A recent study by the University of Wisconsin found that one in five Los Angeles Community College District students is homeless, he said.</p>
<p>"They can pay for books, for classes but just can't afford an apartment. They're choosing to prioritize going to school," Lehman said. "They don't choose their situation."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Michael Madigan opened a new wine bar in Portland a few years ago overlooking a ribbon of parks not far from the city's trendy Pearl District.</p>
<p>Business was good until, almost overnight, dozens of homeless people showed up on the sidewalk. A large encampment on the other side of the city had been shut down, and its residents moved to the park at his doorstep.</p>
<p>"We literally turned the corner one day ... and there were 48 tents set up on this one block that hadn't been there the day before," he said.</p>
<p>Madigan's business dropped 50 percent in four months and he closed his bar. There are fewer homeless people there now, but the campers have moved to a bike path that winds through residential neighborhoods in east Portland, prompting hundreds of complaints about trash, noise, drug use and illegal camping.</p>
<p>Rachel Sterry, a naturopathic doctor, lives near that path and sometimes doesn't feel safe when she's commuting by bike with her 1-year-old son. Dogs have rolled in human feces in a local park; recent improvements she's made to her small home are overshadowed by the line of tents and tarps a few dozen yards from her front door, she said.</p>
<p>"I have to stop and get off my bike to ask people to move their card game or their lounge chairs or their trash out of the way when I'm just trying to get from point A to point B," she said. "If I were to scream or get hurt, nobody would know."</p>
<p>For Seattle resident Elisabeth James, the reality check came when a homeless man forced his way into a glass-enclosed ATM lobby with her after she swiped her card to open the door for after-hours access. After a few nerve-wracking minutes, the man left the lobby but stayed outside, banging on the glass. Police were too busy to respond so James called her husband, who scared the man away and walked her home. The man, she believes, just wanted to get out of the rain.</p>
<p>A neighborhood pocket park has become a flashpoint, too: When James took her 2-year-old grandchild there, she saw people injecting heroin.</p>
<p>"I'm not a NIMBY person, but I just think that we can do so much more," said James, who founded an activist group called Speak Out Seattle last year. "I wanted to do something that was effective, that brought frustrated people together to find solutions. We're spending a lot of money to house people and we're getting a bigger problem."</p>
<p>The crisis is not limited to large metropolises. In Oregon City, a suburban, working-class town of 36,000 people, the police department this summer added a full-time position for a homeless outreach officer after roughly half the calls concerned trash, trespassing, human waste and illegal encampments.</p>
<p>The city has no overnight shelters and never had a significant homeless population until about three years ago.</p>
<p>On a recent fall day, officer Mike Day tromped into a greenbelt across from a strip mall to check on a man he recently connected with a counselor, calmed an intoxicated man and arranged emergency care for a man who was suicidal.</p>
<p>"How many social workers have you met that go into the woods to follow up with the homeless population and to help with mental health? This is a bit of a hybrid position, certainly, and maybe it's not exactly the role of a police officer - but it's a creative approach to find a solution to the problem," he said.</p>
<p>The question was, "What can we do differently? Because right now, it's not working."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>All along the West Coast, local governments are scrambling to answer that question - and taxpayers are footing the bill.</p>
<p>Voters have approved more than $8 billion in spending since 2015 on affordable housing and other anti-homelessness programs, mostly as tax increases. Los Angeles voters, for example, approved $1.2 billion to build 10,000 units of affordable housing over a decade to address a ballooning homeless population that's reached 34,000 people within city limits.</p>
<p>Seattle spent $61 million on homeless-related issues last year, and a recent budget proposal would increase that to $63 million. Four years ago, the city spent $39 million on homelessness. Sacramento has set a goal of moving 2,000 people off the streets in the next three years and may place a housing bond before voters in 2018.</p>
<p>Appeals for money have angered residents who see tent encampments growing in their cities despite more spending.</p>
<p>"Those are like whack-a-mole because they just sprout up and then they disappear and then they sprout up somewhere else," said Gretchen Taylor, who helped found the Neighborhood Safety Alliance of Seattle in 2016.</p>
<p>Seattle is initiating competitive bidding among nonprofit organizations for city dollars going toward homelessness programs. It's also pouring money into "rapid rehousing," a strategy that houses people quickly and then provides rental assistance for up to 18 months.</p>
<p>Like San Francisco, Seattle has started opening 24-hour, "low-barrier" shelters that offer beds even if people are abusing drugs, have a pet or want to sleep together as a couple. But the city's first 24-hour shelter has only 75 beds, and turnover is extremely low.</p>
<p>A team of specially trained police officers and social workers has also been visiting homeless camps to try to place people in shelter. After repeated visits - and with 72 hours of notice - the city cleans out the camps and hauls away abandoned belongings.</p>
<p>These efforts are starting to yield results, although the overall number of homeless people continues to swell.</p>
<p>Nearly 740 families moved into some type of shelter between October 2016 and August 2017, and 39 percent of the people contacted by the new police teams wind up sheltered, according a recent city homeless report. That's an improvement from a 5 percent shelter rate 18 months ago, said Sgt. Eric Zerr, who leads that effort.</p>
<p>But the approach has its detractors. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit alleging the sweeps violate the constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure. And a debate is raging about whether the sweeps are necessary "tough love" or a cruel policy that criminalizes poverty in a city with a reputation for liberalism.</p>
<p>"When a city can't offer housing, they should not be able to sweep that spot unless it's posing some sort of significant health and safety issue," said Sara Rankin, a professor with the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project at the Seattle University School of Law.</p>
<p>"If someone doesn't have a place to go, you can't just continue to chase them from place to place."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Above all, the West Coast lacks long-term, low-income housing for people like Ashley Dibble and her 3-year-old daughter.</p>
<p>Dibble, 29, says she has been homeless off and on for about a year, after her ex-boyfriend squandered money on his car and didn't pay the rent for three months. Evicted, Dibble says she lived in the back of a moving truck and with several different friends around Seattle before winding up on the streets. She sent her toddler to live with the girl's paternal grandparents in Florida.</p>
<p>She and her new boyfriend were sleeping under tarps near Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners, when an outreach team referred them to a new shelter. Now, Dibble talks to her daughter daily by phone and is trying to find a way back into housing so she can bring her home.</p>
<p>With an eviction on her record and little income, no one will rent to her.</p>
<p>"I've had so many doors slammed in my face, it's ridiculous," Dibble said, wiping away tears.</p>
<p>Seattle's DESC operates 1,200 so-called "permanent supportive housing units" -housing for the mentally ill or severely addicted who can't stay housed without constant help from case managers, counselors and rehabilitation programs. The nonprofit completes a new building every 18 months and they immediately fill; at any given time, there are only about eight to 10 units free in the whole city - but 1,600 people qualify.</p>
<p>Among this population, "almost nobody's going to get housing because there isn't any," DESC's Margaret King said. "It doesn't really matter."</p>
<p>There is so little housing, and so much despair. Nonprofit workers with decades of experience are shocked by the surge in homeless people and in the banality of the ways they wound up on the streets.</p>
<p>"It's a sea of humanity crashing against services, and services at this point are overwhelmed, literally overwhelmed. It's catastrophic," said Jeremy Lemoine, an outreach case manager with REACH, a Seattle homeless-assistance program. "It's a refugee crisis right here in the States, right here under our noses."</p>
<p>"I don't mean to sound hopeless. I generate hope for a living for people - that there is a future for them - but we need to address it now."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writers Janie Har in San Francisco, Julie Watson in San Diego and Chris Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report. AP photographers Jae Hong in Los Angeles and Ted Warren in Seattle, and AP videographer Manuel Valdes in Seattle also contributed.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Gillian Flaccus at https://twitter.com/gflaccus and Mulvihill at <a href="https://twitter.com/geoffmulvihill" type="external">https://twitter.com/geoffmulvihill</a></p>
<p>Follow AP's complete coverage of the homeless crisis here: <a href="" type="internal">https://apnews.com/tag/HomelessCrisis</a></p> | Amid booming economy, homelessness soars on US West Coast | false | https://apnews.com/amp/d480434bbacd4b028ff13cd1e7cea155 | 2017-11-09 | 2 |
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<p>BRIDGEWATER, N.J. — Vice President Mike Pence has pushed back against a news report suggesting he is laying groundwork for a possible presidential bid in 2020 if President Donald Trump does not run.</p>
<p>In a statement released by the White House, Pence said Sunday’s story in The New York Times “is disgraceful and offensive to me, my family, and our entire team.” He added that “the allegations in this article are categorically false.”</p>
<p>The formal rebuttal of a news report by the vice president was an unusual move. In it, Pence also said his team will “focus all our efforts to advance the president’s agenda and see him re-elected in 2020.”</p>
<p>The report details efforts of several Republicans looking ahead to 2020, calling it a “shadow campaign.” It notes Pence’s political schedule and active fundraising, though it also says unnamed advisers have signaled that he’d only run if Trump doesn’t.</p>
<p>The article noted Pence has set up a fundraising committee. Called the Great America Committee, it can accept checks of up to $5,000 from individual donors. Pence raised about $1 million at a Washington fundraiser last month, attended by dozens of lawmakers and featuring remarks from White House adviser Ivanka Trump.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Trump has not suggested he won’t seek a second term. But his first six months in office have been turbulent, marked by staff infighting, legislative struggles and a series of investigations.</p>
<p>White House counselor Kellyanne Conway also dismissed the report and said Pence is readying to run in 2020 “for re-election as vice president.”</p>
<p>“Vice President Pence is a very loyal, very dutiful, but also incredibly effective vice president, and active vice president, with this president,” said Conway on ABC’s “This Week.” “He is a peer to the president in the West Wing.”</p>
<p>New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said in an emailed statement: “We are confident in the accuracy of our reporting and will let the story speak for itself.”</p> | Pence slams report on possible 2020 presidential groundwork | false | https://abqjournal.com/1044027/pence-slams-report-on-possible-2020-presidential-groundwork.html | 2017-08-06 | 2 |
<p>LOS ALTOS, Calif. (AP) — Two freelance journalists have won the first American Mosaic Journalism Prize for stories about the struggles of U.S. immigrants and others who the prize founders say have been underrepresented or misrepresented.</p>
<p>Jaeah Lee of San Francisco and Valeria Fernandez of Arizona each will receive $100,000, making it one of the richest prizes for journalism. By comparison, Pulitzer Prize winners generally receive $15,000.</p>
<p>The prize was created by the <a href="https://www.hsfoundation.org/" type="external">Heising-Simons Foundation</a> , a family-run charity in Silicon Valley.</p>
<p>The award was for a selection of work by independent reporters that appeared in print, digital, audio or TV mass media between July 2016 and August 2017.</p>
<p>“In today’s journalism, freelancers are both vulnerable and valuable,” the foundation said in a Tuesday statement announcing the awards. “With trimming of newsroom staff, many journalists are working without the support of an institution and with limited resources. And yet, some of the most important works of journalism come from these freelance journalists who commit long periods of time to their stories.”</p>
<p>Lee, for example, spent 17 months with a <a href="https://story.californiasunday.com/mario-woods-after-shooting" type="external">mother whose son was killed</a> in a police shooting, the announcement said.</p>
<p>“Her writing “gives readers a keen sense of the voices and concerns of those easily forgotten or neglected in the news,” the prize judges said.</p>
<p>Lee said being a freelancer is a “rocky road of financial burden, tests on patience and endurance and focus” without support from an institution.</p>
<p>The new prize is a “game-changer in offering writers like myself a chance at financial security, and in allowing us to focus on the stories that matter most,” she said in a statement.</p>
<p>Fernandez has covered immigration issues in Arizona for more than 15 years. Her recent work included a story about the <a href="http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/saras-demons-crossed-the-border-with-her-where-could-she-find-help-for-her-mental-health-problems-9040688" type="external">mental health struggles</a> of a new immigrant. She also produced the 2012 documentary “Two Americans,” about a 9-year-old girl whose parents were arrested in a workplace immigration raid.</p>
<p>“Bearing witness to lives that are often absent from public view, Valeria Fernández’s work stands as testament to the trust people have in her to tell their stories with accuracy and compassion,” the judges wrote.</p>
<p>“As a Latina immigrant journalist, who speaks Spanish as a first language, I’m humbled to receive this recognition,” Fernandez said in a statement. “I hope it will bring attention to the voices of the women and the communities that I have focused my reporting on.”</p>
<p>The 10 judges include journalism professors and working journalists.</p>
<p>The prize was awarded for excellence in long-form, narrative, or deep reporting on stories about “underrepresented and/or misrepresented groups in the present American landscape,” according to the press statement.</p>
<p>The Heising-Simons Foundation was founded by Mark Heising, a computer chip designer who holds several U.S. patents, and Liz Simons, a Spanish-bilingual teacher who founded an early childhood education program, according to the foundation website.</p>
<p>Both have signed the Giving Pledge, a commitment to contribute more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes either during their lifetime or in their will, according to a pledge website. Other signatories include Warren Buffet, Bill and Melinda Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.</p>
<p>LOS ALTOS, Calif. (AP) — Two freelance journalists have won the first American Mosaic Journalism Prize for stories about the struggles of U.S. immigrants and others who the prize founders say have been underrepresented or misrepresented.</p>
<p>Jaeah Lee of San Francisco and Valeria Fernandez of Arizona each will receive $100,000, making it one of the richest prizes for journalism. By comparison, Pulitzer Prize winners generally receive $15,000.</p>
<p>The prize was created by the <a href="https://www.hsfoundation.org/" type="external">Heising-Simons Foundation</a> , a family-run charity in Silicon Valley.</p>
<p>The award was for a selection of work by independent reporters that appeared in print, digital, audio or TV mass media between July 2016 and August 2017.</p>
<p>“In today’s journalism, freelancers are both vulnerable and valuable,” the foundation said in a Tuesday statement announcing the awards. “With trimming of newsroom staff, many journalists are working without the support of an institution and with limited resources. And yet, some of the most important works of journalism come from these freelance journalists who commit long periods of time to their stories.”</p>
<p>Lee, for example, spent 17 months with a <a href="https://story.californiasunday.com/mario-woods-after-shooting" type="external">mother whose son was killed</a> in a police shooting, the announcement said.</p>
<p>“Her writing “gives readers a keen sense of the voices and concerns of those easily forgotten or neglected in the news,” the prize judges said.</p>
<p>Lee said being a freelancer is a “rocky road of financial burden, tests on patience and endurance and focus” without support from an institution.</p>
<p>The new prize is a “game-changer in offering writers like myself a chance at financial security, and in allowing us to focus on the stories that matter most,” she said in a statement.</p>
<p>Fernandez has covered immigration issues in Arizona for more than 15 years. Her recent work included a story about the <a href="http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/saras-demons-crossed-the-border-with-her-where-could-she-find-help-for-her-mental-health-problems-9040688" type="external">mental health struggles</a> of a new immigrant. She also produced the 2012 documentary “Two Americans,” about a 9-year-old girl whose parents were arrested in a workplace immigration raid.</p>
<p>“Bearing witness to lives that are often absent from public view, Valeria Fernández’s work stands as testament to the trust people have in her to tell their stories with accuracy and compassion,” the judges wrote.</p>
<p>“As a Latina immigrant journalist, who speaks Spanish as a first language, I’m humbled to receive this recognition,” Fernandez said in a statement. “I hope it will bring attention to the voices of the women and the communities that I have focused my reporting on.”</p>
<p>The 10 judges include journalism professors and working journalists.</p>
<p>The prize was awarded for excellence in long-form, narrative, or deep reporting on stories about “underrepresented and/or misrepresented groups in the present American landscape,” according to the press statement.</p>
<p>The Heising-Simons Foundation was founded by Mark Heising, a computer chip designer who holds several U.S. patents, and Liz Simons, a Spanish-bilingual teacher who founded an early childhood education program, according to the foundation website.</p>
<p>Both have signed the Giving Pledge, a commitment to contribute more than half of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes either during their lifetime or in their will, according to a pledge website. Other signatories include Warren Buffet, Bill and Melinda Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.</p> | Freelance writers win new $100,000 journalism prize | false | https://apnews.com/630551e292e247258bd2cddd0065b6dc | 2018-01-24 | 2 |
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<p>You are a shopper. Let me ask you this question: is there such a thing as advertising reaching such a saturation level that would cause you to rebel and reject buying from companies that are the worst abusers?</p>
<p>In other words, do you have an annoyance break point? Do you have a strong sense that there should be “advertising-free zones” in public life?</p>
<p>There is advertising now in public rest rooms, on the floors of supermarkets, in elevators, even on the walls of schools and the sides of school buses.</p>
<p>Advertisers are relentlessly searching and probing for new locations. Years ago, we helped beat back corporate attempts to “rent” a corner of U.S. Postage stamps for corporate logos. These firms still dream of putting their labels on the uniforms of major league baseball players. Most players said, unequivocally, no, leaving money on the table.</p>
<p>A decent sense of limits escapes many in the commercial advertising industry. In the past few days, there was a report in The New York Times about companies paying thousands of motorists for the opportunity to wrap their automobiles and trucks with their company logos and slogans.</p>
<p>A Brian Katz was paid $500 a month for the use of space on his Ford Expedition. Onlookers can see Jamba Juice and Verizon Wireless publicized on his vehicle. The “wrapped car” craze has a million car owners who are ready to have their cars wrapped for a fee.</p>
<p>Wrapping is getting more intrusive for the driver. He or she is expected not to smoke, curse or litter. In some cases, they are supposed to hand out samples.</p>
<p>Up in the air, the advertisers are pushing to sign up airlines for commercials on the overhead baggage compartments, the backs of closed tray tables and on whatever paper products they bring with their drinks. Headway on this latest intrusion is occurring among European low-cost carriers like Ryanair and Germanwings.</p>
<p>Customer passivity invites more advertisements in more and more places long considered off-limits. Want to fight back? For starters, just grumble out loud, complain to service people closest to you.</p>
<p>Second, check out commercialalert.org to see what other people, like yourself, are doing to confront and rollback the rampaging commercialization of society in hitherto taboo regions.</p>
<p>Third, someone please start a website that signs up consumers who won’t buy the products or services of corporate advertisers run amok. The website can describe or depict the ad and its location by company name and let consumers choose where and what their outrage will boycott.</p>
<p>Companies are sensitive to such fight back methods. Even the tiniest loss of sales margins makes them rethink their indiscretion. But if they don’t hear from you, they’ll be pushing the envelope further, such as renting the cheeks, ear lobes, arms and legs of humans. They’ve already got millions of people sporting their designer labels prominently on their clothing and their cars.</p>
<p>Sometime ago, one alert man in Maryland marched back to his auto dealer and demanded that it take out the embedded company name or pay him for carrying it along the highways.</p>
<p>Companies sure want you to notice them. But many make it very difficult for you to make them notice you. United Airlines service, in contrast to its safety record, would make a fertile case study by a business school entitled “How to Stiff Your Customers and Still Stay in Business.”</p>
<p>Once one of my favorite airlines for service, United Airlines, whether in or out of bankruptcy, seems to keep thinking up ways to irritate its passengers. From making you wait and wait on its automated phone lines to answer a question they have not programmed for, to the outrageous fees for changing a reservation ($100) or an additional checked suitcase ($100), to making it super-difficult just to contact their customer relations office for more sweeping suggestions, United keeps on adding new ways to drain your budget, your time and your patience. The wondrous Southwest Airlines, it is not!</p>
<p>Recently, I asked my associate Barry Williams, to get the uniquely titled “Vice President of Customer Experience” on the phone. Just to course his way through the barriers of rejection and then the transfer experience to get her name and number took him over 30 minutes. Finally, he succeeded! You can call too. She is Ms. Barbara Higgins, P.O. 66100, 14th Floor, Chicago, Illinois, 60666. Tel: 312-997-8120.</p>
<p>Coincidentally, the August 28, 2007 issue of The Wall Street Journal featured on its front page the remarkable, amazing passenger service provided by United Airlines Capt. Denny Flanagan. So astonishing is his care and anticipation that he has been discussed often on <a href="http://www.FlyerTalk.com/" type="external">FlyerTalk.com</a>.</p>
<p>United Airlines is proud of Capt. Flanagan. Too bad it doesn’t find him contagious!</p>
<p>RALPH NADER is the author of <a href="" type="internal">The Seventeen Traditions</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Wrapping the World with Advertising | true | https://counterpunch.org/2007/09/01/wrapping-the-world-with-advertising/ | 2007-09-01 | 4 |
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<p>With only about two weeks left before Election Day, state Auditor Tim Keller has a comfortable lead in the Albuquerque mayoral race, but it likely won’t be enough to avoid a runoff, according to a Journal Poll.</p>
<p>Nearly a third of likely voters contacted have yet to make up their minds.</p>
<p>Keller, a Democrat and one of eight candidates on the mayoral ballot, had support from 25 percent of likely voters in the telephone survey, conducted Sept. 11-14.</p>
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<p>Attorney Brian Colón, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party, and City Councilor Dan Lewis, a Republican, were running neck and neck. Colón had support from 14 percent, and Lewis had 13 percent. Rounding out the top four was Bernalillo County Commissioner Wayne Johnson, a Republican, who was favored by 7 percent of likely voters.</p>
<p>The four remaining candidates each polled at 4 percent or below.</p>
<p>An additional 4 percent of voters are leaning toward voting for Keller, 5 percent for Colón, and 3 percent each for Lewis and Johnson.</p>
<p>“The bottom line is we still have nearly one-third of the people who are undecided, and I think the outcome of the race is still up in the air,” said Brian Sanderoff, president of Research &amp; Polling Inc., the firm that conducted the scientific survey. “A lot will depend on the strategies of the second-tier candidates and who they decide to attack in negative campaigning.” <a href="https://d3el53au0d7w62.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/16/G_jd_17sept_Poll_Mayor_demographics.png" type="external" /></p>
<p>This is the first time in 20 years that an incumbent isn’t on the mayoral ballot. If no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote on Oct. 3, the two who have the highest vote counts will advance to a runoff election in November.</p>
<p>Albuquerque municipal elections are nonpartisan, meaning a candidate’s party affiliation won’t appear on the ballot. Nevertheless, the poll shows that party affiliation is playing a role in this election, and that is working in the favor of Democrats, who make up 46 percent of registered city voters. Republicans are 30 percent, and independents and others represent 24 percent of the city electorate. Republicans and Democrats, however, are more likely to vote in city elections, which is reflected in the demographic composition of the poll, Sanderoff said.</p>
<p>Among likely Democratic voters, 38 percent supported Keller, 18 percent Colón, 2 percent planned to vote for Lewis and 1 percent for Johnson. Conversely, among likely Republican voters, 26 percent supported Lewis, 16 percent supported Johnson, 12 percent Colón and 8 percent Keller.</p>
<p>Keller, meanwhile, performed exceptionally well among likely voters with graduate degrees, with 40 percent of them supporting him.</p>
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<p>The poll also shows that Keller is doing least well in the far Northeast Heights and doing best in Democratic stronghold areas such as the North Valley and Downtown.</p>
<p>Colón was doing well among likely Hispanic voters, garnering support from a quarter of them. And Sanderoff noted that he had support from both Democrats and Republicans.</p>
<p>“A lot of people support Colón because they’re impressed with his humble beginnings and his pulling himself up from the bootstraps story,” Sanderoff said.</p>
<p>Sanderoff said the election likely hinges on the strategies the campaigns decide to employ from here on out.</p>
<p>“Will the Republican strategy be to pound Tim Keller, who you might drop from first place to second place, but the odds are it would be hard to get him out of first or second place, or maybe the strategy will change where Republicans might go after Brian Colón to try to take that second position?” Sanderoff said. “… What this race is all about is keeping anybody under 50 percent so there will be a runoff.”</p>
<p>The top four candidates still have plenty of cash in their campaign war chests.</p>
<p>Keller, the only publicly financed candidate in the mayoral race, received nearly $343,000 in city funds to run his campaign. He had about $118,000 left in the bank as of Sept. 7. A political committee dubbed ABQ Forward Together that formed to help get Keller elected had already raised $209,000 and still had $174,000 in the bank.</p>
<p>Another committee, called Make Albuquerque Safe, however, has already launched attack ads against Keller, but his campaign came out swinging and victim advocates rallied behind him.</p>
<p>Colón, meanwhile, has already raised more than $750,000 for his mayoral run and had $219,000 in the bank as of Sept. 7. Lewis had $194,000 in the bank, while Johnson had $219,000.</p>
<p>For the survey, 516 likely voters were asked: “If the election for mayor of Albuquerque were held today and the candidates were Ricardo Chaves, Brian Colón, Michelle Garcia Holmes, Wayne Johnson, Timothy Keller, Dan Lewis, Gus Pedrotty and Susan Wheeler-Deichsel whom would you vote for?” The order of the candidates was randomized.</p>
<p>Garcia Holmes, a retired detective and former attorney general chief of staff, was favored by 4 percent of likely voters. Pedrotty, a Democrat and recent University of New Mexico graduate, had support from 3 percent; businessman Ricardo Chaves, a Republican, and Wheeler-Deichsel, co-founder of Urban ABQ, were each polling at 1 percent. Garcia Holmes and Wheeler-Deichsel are both independents.</p>
<p>Chaves, who lent his campaign more than $500,000, still had just under $300,000 cash on hand.</p>
<p>“Ricardo Chaves has lots of money, but he hasn’t caught on among the voters,” Sanderoff said.</p>
<p>He also noted that while Pedrotty has support from only 3 percent of registered voters, he’s polling at 11 percent among 18- to 34-year olds.</p>
<p>The Journal Poll is based on a citywide sample of voters who said they planned to vote this year, and voted in the 2013 regular municipal election, the late-term abortion measure special election, or the 2015 regular municipal election.</p>
<p>The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.</p>
<p>All interviews were conducted by live, professional interviewers, with multiple callbacks to households that did not initially answer the phone.</p>
<p>Both cellphone numbers (44 percent) and landlines (56 percent) of proven municipal election voters were used. Sanderoff said that’s significant because half of U.S. households don’t have landlines. If calls to cellphones had been excluded, Keller’s lead over Colón would have narrowed significantly.</p>
<p>Sanderoff said that’s probably because younger people tend to only have cellphones. And, he said, certain types of people are less likely to have landlines, and those people may be more likely to support a liberal Democrat.</p>
<p>More from ABQJournal.com</p>
<p>Tim Keller is the winner of the mayor's race. Check for complete results of the 2017 election.… continue reading »</p>
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<p /> | Journal Poll: Keller leads, but runoff almost certain | false | https://abqjournal.com/1064935/keller-leads-but-runoff-almost-certain-excerpt-onethird-undecided-coloacuten-lewis-neckandneck-for-2nd.html | 2 |
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<p>More than four tons of marijuana were recovered by US authorities from the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California, on Sunday, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/21/us-usa-marijuana-california-idUSBRE84K14S20120521" type="external">according to Reuters</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/21/four-tons-of-marijuana-pulled-from-ocean-off-california/" type="external">CNN reported</a> that the value of the pot that was fished out amounted to $3.6 million.</p>
<p>The Border Patrol, the US Coast Guard and the Orange County sheriff's office were all involved in seizing the 160 bales of pot, floating 13 miles off Dana Point, California, <a href="http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/21/four-tons-of-marijuana-pulled-from-ocean-off-california/" type="external">said CNN</a>.</p>
<p>The seizure was one of the largest of its kind along the maritime smuggling route.</p>
<p>More on GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/weird-wide-web/uk-police-criticized-keeping-500-old-body-parts-storage" type="external">UK police criticized for keeping 500 old body parts in storage</a></p>
<p>Lt. Joe Balicki from the Orange County sheriff's department said the first calls reporting the suspicious bales came around noon, <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/marijuana-bales-off-dana-point-investigation.html" type="external">according to The Los Angeles Times</a>.</p>
<p>Border Patrol Agent Supervisor Michael Jimenez said the case was unusual as usually such dumps of cargo happened when the drug traffickers were trying to flee the authorities. "At other events, they've dumped the bales to get rid of weight if they're being chased," he said, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/3-6m-worth-marijuana-found-floating-coast-orange-county-calif-article-1.1081857" type="external">according to The New York Daily News</a>.</p>
<p>Jimenez added, "What's more unusual is that the bales were floating with no boat in sight."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/21/us-usa-marijuana-california-idUSBRE84K14S20120521" type="external">Reuters noted</a>that the coastal strip near California has become more commonly used as smugglers try to avoid security on land borders.</p> | Four tons of pot found floating in the Pacific | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-05-21/four-tons-pot-found-floating-pacific | 2012-05-21 | 3 |
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<p>The Eastern New Mexico News reports Kelby Spain was charged last week for conspiracy to commit bringing contraband into the Curry County jail.</p>
<p>But authorities say the 23-year-old Spain’s plot began earlier this month. According to police, Spain was released from jail on Oct. 3 in connection with drug and robbery charges only to get arrested two hours later.</p>
<p>A convenient store employee told officers Spain had “walked into the store to the beer aisle, picked up a Bud Light, told her to call the cops, then walked outside.”</p>
<p>Authorities later found marijuana on Spain while in jail.</p>
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<p>Spain has not been assigned an attorney.</p>
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<p>Information from: The Eastern New Mexico News, <a href="http://www.easternnewmexiconews.com" type="external">http://www.easternnewmexiconews.com</a></p> | Police: Man got arrested to join jail drug smuggling scheme | false | https://abqjournal.com/1085316/police-man-got-arrested-to-join-jail-drug-smuggling-scheme.html | 2 |
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<p>The United Arab Emirates says it is "surprised and disappointed" about being blacklisted by the European Union along with 16 other countries the EU deems guilty of unfairly offering tax avoidance schemes.</p>
<p>The UAE said in a statement on Thursday that it's "committed to a reform process which will be finalized by October 2018" and that it's "absolutely confident this will ensure the UAE is swiftly removed from the list."</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The EU announced the list on Wednesday, though penalties still need to be confirmed.</p>
<p>The UAE is a federation of seven sheikhdoms that includes Dubai and the oil-rich capital of Abu Dhabi. Dubai's massive real estate market has attracted both scrupulous and unscrupulous investors.</p>
<p>The UAE is largely tax-free, though value-added taxes will begin in the country on Jan. 1.</p> | UAE 'surprised and disappointed' over EU blacklisting | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/12/07/uae-surprised-and-disappointed-over-eu-blacklisting.html | 2017-12-07 | 0 |
<p>The US says it has broken up a major terror plot in which agents linked to Iran sought to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington.</p>
<p>Two men originally from Iran — one a naturalized US citizen — have been charged with counts of conspiracy, Attorney General Eric Holder said.</p>
<p>The plot was "conceived" in Iran by the Quds force, part of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, he added.</p>
<p>The state department has listed Iran as a "state sponsor" of terror since 1984.</p>
<p>Laura Rozen is Senior Foreign Policy reporter at Yahoo News.</p> | US Disrupts 'Iranian Terror Plot' | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-10-11/us-disrupts-iranian-terror-plot | 2011-10-11 | 3 |
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<p>SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - President Barack Obama opened his Christmas vacation on a somber note: meeting with families of the 14 people who were killed in the San Bernardino shootings.</p>
<p>Obama stopped in California en route to Hawaii on Friday for his annual holiday getaway.</p>
<p>His wife, first lady Michelle Obama, joined him for the meetings at Indian Springs High School, just a short drive from the airport where Air Force One landed after the cross-country flight from Washington.</p>
<p>"Obviously, those families are going through a difficult time, not just because they've lost loved ones, but obviously at the holiday season I think that loss is even more acute," said White House press secretary Josh Earnest. "The president felt before he could begin his holiday that it was important for him to spend some time with these Americans who are mourning."</p>
<p>Authorities identified the shooters as American-born Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 29, of Pakistan. Both were killed in a shootout with police.</p>
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<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Obamas meet with families | false | https://abqjournal.com/693562/families.html | 2 |
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<p>Flickr user stevegarfield</p>
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<p>In 2007, the young video blogger Josh Wolf earned the unfortunate distinction of being incarcerated longer than any journalist in modern times for refusing to release his sources. His 226-day stint in prison <a href="" type="internal">ignited questions</a> about whether all bloggers deserve to be treated as journalists and who has the authority to draw the line. Wolf’s refusal to give federal authorities a video of an anarchist street protest earned him the respect of the Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, which in 2007 named him Journalist of the Year. He’s currently a first-year student at the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley, where, true to form, he was recently arrested in an incident that raises similarly prickly questions about press freedoms.</p>
<p>The New York Times‘ <a href="http://bayarea.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/the-curious-case-of-journalist-josh-wolf-round-two/" type="external">Bay Area blog</a> reports that Wolf was arrested late last year inside Wheeler Hall, which had been occupied and barricaded by students protesting tuition hikes. The university plans to give him much more than a slap on the wrist:</p>
<p>Mr. Wolf now faces a seven-month academic suspension (and a 10-page essay assignment), a punishment similar to that of many other students arrested inside Wheeler. He argues that he was in the building as a member of the press. His footage, indeed, was later used in a report by Democracy Now!, for whom he had contributed previously.</p>
<p>Wolf, who might as well declare himself a press freedom superhero at this point, says that he was simply putting his duty as a journalist ahead of his student’s duty to obey administrators. He claims to have the support of Berkeley’s journalism faculty. But Robert Gunnison, the director of school affairs for the journalism school, told the Times that a journalist’s status may be irrelevant in this instance:</p>
<p>Shield laws do not protect reporters when police issue dispersal orders, which is effectively the threat of a trespassing charge. “We don’t have special access to property; none of us do,” Mr. Gunnison said. “In general, it’s what we teach. If someone says you’re trespassing, there’s nothing you can do.”</p>
<p>Wolf has certainly happened upon another interesting grey area of press freedom, and I&#160;think there are compelling arguments on both sides. While the university probably has the legal right to suspend and punish Wolf, I’m personally inclined to side with his claim that Berkeley is being unduly punitive. Wolf was inside the building to document what was happening, not to participate in the student takeover. I’d draw the analogy with reporters covering illegal street protests or trying to document a battle between opposing armies. There comes a point when the university would be justified in punishing him for being there, and that point would probably be when cops barge inside and start handcuffing people. But by then there’s nothing left to see, and he’s presumably going leave on his own accord.</p>
<p>Perhaps I’m being too idealistic, but can’t idealism catch a break at UC Berkeley?</p>
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<p /> | The Josh Wolf Saga, Take 2 | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2010/05/josh-wolf-saga-take-2/ | 2010-05-28 | 4 |
<p>Cable operator Charter Communications has announced plans to build a new 15-story headquarters in Connecticut and add another 1,100 jobs there, with the help of up to $20 million in loans and tax credits from the state.</p>
<p>The nation's second-largest cable operator disclosed plans for the Stamford headquarters Tuesday in an announcement with Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Charter has been based in Stamford since 2012. It has more than 26 million customers in 41 states.</p>
<p>The company says it will construct a 500,000 square-foot building and has agreed to $100 million in capital spending in the state over the next several years. The new headquarters is expected to open in 2019.</p>
<p>The state will provide a 10-year, $10 million low-interest loan and up to $10 million in tax credits.</p> | Cable operator Charter to build new Connecticut headquarters | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/10/03/cable-operator-charter-to-build-new-connecticut-headquarters.html | 2017-10-03 | 0 |
<p>Nests across America are getting less and less empty as adult children take shelter from a lousy economy. According to Pew, 11 percent of adults now live with their parents and 10 percent of adults between 18 and 34 say the recession forced them to move home.</p>
<p>Should Mom and Dad be worried? The <a href="http://bucks.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/how-to-handle-adult-children-who-move-back-home/?partner=rss&amp;emc=rss" type="external">New York Times</a> says there’s a risk of adult children developing a long-term dependency, but overall it makes good financial sense for families to stick together in rough times. — PZS</p>
<p>Pew Research Center:</p>
<p>To measure changes in household arrangements, the Pew Research survey asked all adults if they lived in their own home or with one or both parents in the parents’ home. The survey further asked all adults if they had moved back in with their parents “as a result of the recession.” Overall, about 11% of all adults 18 or older live with their parents in their home and 4% of all adults say they were forced to move back with their parents because of the recession, a proportion that rises to 10% among those ages 18 to 34.</p>
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<p>About seven-in-ten grown children who live with their parents are younger than 30. About half work full- or part-time, while a quarter are unemployed and two-in-ten are full-time students. Of all adults who report they currently live in their parents’ home, about a third (35%) say they had lived independently at some point in their lives before returning home. While the sample is small, roughly equal proportions of adult men and women live with their parents, while a somewhat larger proportion of Hispanics and blacks than whites live with their parents.</p>
<p><a href="http://pewsocialtrends.org/pubs/748/recession-brings-many-young-adults-back-to-the-nest" type="external">Read more</a></p> | They Never Call, They Never Write, They Never Move Out | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/they-never-call-they-never-write-they-never-move-out/ | 2009-11-25 | 4 |
<p>Chemical makers Monsanto Co. and BASF SA agreed to new restrictions on the use of a herbicide blamed for damaging millions of acres of U.S. crops this year.</p>
<p>Monsanto and BASF over the past year began marketing new versions of the dicamba weed killer to U.S. soybean and cotton farmers, who for years have struggled to kill weeds that have developed resistance to other commonly used herbicides, like Monsanto's Roundup spray. Monsanto developed new genetically engineered soybean and cotton seeds that were designed to resist dicamba, which would allow farmers to spray it onto growing crops without damaging them.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>But farmers and crop researchers say dicamba, historically prone to drifting onto neighboring fields, has proved difficult to control. Scientists who study weeds estimate that dicamba over the summer damaged more than 3 million acres of fields planted with soybeans that weren't engineered to resist the chemical.</p>
<p>The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday approved proposals from Monsanto and BASF that would make dicamba a "restricted use pesticide." Those products can only be used by a certified applicator, or someone under direct supervision of a certified applicator.</p>
<p>The companies proposed the change to address "the high number of crop damage incidents reported to EPA since June 2017," according to notices the EPA posted on Friday.</p>
<p>Monsanto and BASF representatives had no immediate comment.</p>
<p>The new limitations on dicamba use fall short of curbs some critics believe are necessary to avoid a repeat of that damage next year, when some projections show spraying of the potent chemical on U.S. farm fields could double.</p>
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<p>Write to Jacob Bunge at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>October 13, 2017 11:09 ET (15:09 GMT)</p> | Monsanto, BASF Agree to New Restraints on Controversial Herbicide | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/10/13/monsanto-basf-agree-to-new-restraints-on-controversial-herbicide.html | 2017-10-13 | 0 |
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<p>Dear David: Had the insulation been missed in a few places, this might be regarded as a mistake. That it was omitted at the entire perimeter of the building indicates questionable intent or incompetence. The fact that it was overlooked by the municipal building inspector reveals professional negligence on the part of the inspector. As for liability, 10 years is usually the cutoff point for statutes of limitations, but this varies from state to state. You should consult an attorney who specializes in construction defect law to see what remedies, if any, are available to you under the law.</p>
<p>You can also file a complaint with the state agency that licenses contractors. And while you're at it, have your home professionally inspected to determine a complete list of defects. In all likelihood, there are additional issues that you have not yet discovered.</p>
<p>By the way, the contractor's response that you should turn up the heat and wear socks demonstrates that he is not concerned about the quality of his work. Hopefully, you can hold him responsible for the cost of repairs.</p>
<p>Dear Barry: The home I am buying has fixtures that were installed by the sellers themselves, without permits. These include the 8-year-old heating and air conditioning system and the 10-year-old water heater. Should I accept these fixtures as they are or should I insist that they be permitted? Susan</p>
<p>Dear Susan: If the HVAC system and water heater were installed without permits, and particularly if they were installed by nonprofessionals, it is almost certain that they are not installed to code, and this could involve significant safety violations. The fixtures should be evaluated by a licensed plumbing and HVAC contractor, as well as by your home inspector, to verify the safety and integrity of these systems. If problems are found, you should request that the sellers make all necessary repairs.</p>
<p>The 10-year-old water heater is already past its expected useful life and will probably need replacement soon. Therefore, obtaining a permit at this late date is not a critical issue. The 8-year-old HVAC system, on the other hand, should still have years of remaining useful life. Therefore, it is recommended that an as-built permit be obtained for this system to enable the building department to inspect and approve the installation.</p>
<p>Distributed by Action Coast Publishing. To write to Barry Stone, please visit him on the Web at <a href="http://www.housedetective.com" type="external">housedetective.com.</a></p>
<p /> | Buyers should obtain an as-built permit | false | https://abqjournal.com/365079/buyers-should-obtain-an-asbuilt-permit.html | 2 |
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<p>FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A man suspected of starting a string of wildfires in the northern Arizona forest has been charged criminally.</p>
<p>Mark Mastin had his initial appearance Monday in Flagstaff. The California man is charged with a single count of burning federal land without a permit, but prosecutors say the number of charges against him could grow.</p>
<p>Crews have responded to numerous wildfires in and around Flagstaff lately. Authorities say fire danger is high, but the Coconino National Forest is not under fire restrictions.</p>
<p>Authorities tracked down the 40-year-old Mastin through boot prints found at the fires’ origin. According to a criminal complaint, Mastin admitted to starting six of the fires, repeatedly apologized to authorities and offered to clean up the area.</p>
<p>His attorney did not respond to requests for comment Monday.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Man charged in Flagstaff-area wildfires | false | https://abqjournal.com/196534/man-charged-in-flagstaff-area-wildfires.html | 2013-05-07 | 2 |
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<p>Maggie Barcellano holds 3-year-old daughter Zoe at Lakeway City Park in Lakeway, Texas, on Saturday. After serving in the Army, Barcellano enrolled in the food stamps program.(Tamir Kalifa/The Associated Press)</p>
<p>WASHINGTON - In a first, working-age people now make up the majority in U.S. households that rely on food stamps - a switch from a few years ago, when children and the elderly were the main recipients.</p>
<p>Some of the change is due to demographics, such as the trend toward having fewer children. But a slow economic recovery with high unemployment, stagnant wages and an increasing gulf between low-wage and high-skill jobs also plays a big role. It suggests that government spending on the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program - twice what it cost five years ago - may not subside significantly anytime soon.</p>
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<p>Food stamp participation since 1980 has grown the fastest among workers with some college training, a sign that the safety net has stretched further to cover America's former middle class, according to an analysis of government data for The Associated Press by economists at the University of Kentucky. Formally called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, or SNAP, the program now covers 1 in 7 Americans.</p>
<p>The findings coincide with the latest economic data showing workers' wages and salaries growing at the lowest rate relative to corporate profits in U.S. history.</p>
<p>President Barack Obama's State of the Union address Tuesday night is expected to focus in part on reducing income inequality. Congress, meanwhile, is debating cuts to food stamps.</p>
<p>Economists say having a job may no longer be enough for self-sufficiency in today's economy.</p>
<p>"A low-wage job supplemented with food stamps is becoming more common for the working poor," said Timothy Smeeding, an economics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who specializes in income inequality. "Many of the U.S. jobs now being created are low- or minimum-wage - part-time or in areas such as retail or fast food - which means food stamp use will stay high for some time, even after unemployment improves."</p>
<p>The newer food stamp recipients include Maggie Barcellano, 25, of Austin. A high school graduate, she enrolled in college but didn't complete her nursing degree after she could no longer afford the tuition.</p>
<p>Hoping to boost her credentials, she went through emergency medical technician training with the Army National Guard last year but was unable to find work as a paramedic because of the additional certification and fees required. Barcellano, now the mother of a 3-year-old daughter, finally took a job as a home health aide, working six days a week at $10 an hour. Struggling with the low income, she recently applied for food stamps with the help of the nonprofit Any Baby Can, to help save up for paramedic training.</p>
<p>"It's devastating," she said. "When I left for the Army, I was so motivated, thinking I was creating a situation where I could give my daughter what I know she deserves. But when I came back and basically found myself in the same situation, it was like it was all for naught."</p>
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<p /> | Workers: New face of food stamps | false | https://abqjournal.com/343445/workers-new-face-of-food-stamps.html | 2 |
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<p>An unprecedented popular protest led Congress to reject the Treasury’s initial bailout plan on Monday, September 29. Most commentators have noted how ironic and seemingly out-of-character it was that the bailout was defeated mainly by Republicans, and indeed by the party’s right-wing Bible Belt Conservatives. But would it be too much to hope that these Congressmen bore in mind the Christian ethic embodied in the Gospel according to Matthew, chapter 18 – almost literally a Biblical condemnation of the bailout’s terms?</p>
<p>This wonderful passage describes how Peter came to Jesus and asked about forgiveness – mainly the forgiveness of debts. In ancient languages the words for “sin” and “debt” were the same, in an epoch when sinners typically atoned for their offenses and “trespasses” by making a compensation payment.</p>
<p>Jesus told a parable of a king calling in one of his officials, who owed him 10 thousand talents – not unlike today’s government seeking to collect monies due from Citibank, JPMorgan Chase and other Wall Street financial firms. When the royal servant was unable to come up with the money, the king consigned him and his family to debt bondage. But the official “fell down and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.” The analogy here is with Mr. Paulson’s allies on Wall Street promising that, somehow, the Treasury may end up being repaid and may even make a profit by buying $700 billion in junk mortgages.</p>
<p>“Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.” This is what the compassionate Mr. Paulson is proposing to do. The Treasury will buy “trash for cash,” taking junk mortgages and other bad loans at whatever price the financial speculators paid, without obliging them to take a loss.</p>
<p>In the Matthew 18 parable the royal official “went out and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred pence; and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe.’” The debtor begged the creditor for forgiveness just as the creditor himself had begged the king. But the creditor was not moved, and “went out and cast the debtor into prison, till he should pay the debt.”</p>
<p>Other debtors saw what was happening and worried that the same fate was in store for them, so they went to the king and told him what had happened. The king got angry and called in the creditor and said, ‘Oh, thou wicked servant. I forgave thee all that debt … shouldn’t you also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?’ The king then threw him “to his tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.”</p>
<p>This is where Congress has dropped the ball. It is telling the banks – and the administrators whom the Treasury is hiring to recover “taxpayer money” – to act in a hard-hearted way and lead the economy even further down the road to debt peonage. Consumers, homeowners and other debtors defaulting on their student loans, car loans and medical debts are not to get relief from the shrinking economy, rising consumer prices and falling asset prices. But Wall Street is to be able to avoid any loss at all. It is supposed to repay in five years – that is, two presidential terms from&#160; now.</p>
<p>So the Christian parallel is broken. The moral in the above parable, Jesus explained (Matthew 18:35), was that “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses,” that is, their debts. But Wall Street and Congress must be atheists, because the way that matters are working out today, only the wealthy are being forgiven their debts, not the poor. The big sinners are going free, their victims are being stripped of their assets.</p>
<p>This is what happened historically in the Roman Empire on its way to debt bondage and serfdom. That is the secular road on which Congress set the economy last week.</p>
<p>MICHAEL HUDSON is Distinguished Research Professor at University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC), he is the author of many books, including <a href="" type="internal">Super Imperialism: The Economic Strategy of American Empire</a> (new ed., Pluto Press, 2002), as well as books on economics and debt in the ancient world. He can be reached via his website, <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | What Did Jesus Say? | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/10/06/what-did-jesus-say/ | 2008-10-06 | 4 |
<p>Donald Trump dismissed allegations of impropriety on Monday, saying his foundation's $25,000 donation to Florida's attorney general had nothing to do with her office mulling an investigation into Trump University.</p>
<p>The Republican candidate's press secretary confirmed to NBC News that Trump paid a $2,500 fine over the donation to a campaign group linked to AG Pam Bondi.</p>
<p>News of the fine — levied after an ethics group complained that the donation had not been disclosed to tax officials — was first reported by The Washington Post. A Trump Organization confirmed the candidate reimbursed the foundation for the fine.</p>
<p>The newspaper also reported that Trump's foundation listed the donation as intended for a charity with a different — albeit similar — name to Bondi's political group.</p>
<p>Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks confirmed to NBC News that Trump had paid the fine but dismissed the incident as "minor."</p>
<p>"This was a minor issue that was brought to the attention of the Foundation and addressed immediately,” Hicks said in a statement.</p>
<p>The $25,000 donation came from the tax-exempt Donald J. Trump Foundation on Sept. 17, 2013, four days after it was reported that Bondi's office was considering whether to <a href="" type="internal">investigate fraud allegations</a> against Trump University, <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e16a8223c24048d290883370dc6abe5b/florida-ag-asked-trump-donation-nixing-fraud-case" type="external">the Associated Press reported earlier this year</a>.</p>
<p>Bondi, who has endorsed Trump, did not open a case against the tycoon. In a written statement to NBC News, Bondi spokesperson Whitney Ray said, "While there was never an investigation, staff, doing due diligence, reviewed the complaints and the New York litigation and made the proper determination that the New York litigation would provide relief to aggrieved consumers nationwide.</p>
<p>The spokesman said neither Bondi’s office nor Florida residents needed to join the lawsuit because Florida residents would be protected by the suit in other states.</p>
<p>The AP's report said Bondi had solicited the donation from Trump's foundation.</p>
<p>However, Trump on Monday insisted he "never spoke to her about that at all."</p>
<p>“I’ve just known Pam Bondi for years," he added. "I have a lot of respect for her."</p>
<p>News of the IRS fine came amid ongoing controversy around the Clinton Foundation — tied to Trump's opponent. The Clinton Foundation <a href="" type="internal">has come under fire in recent weeks</a> amid questions over whether donors sought access to Hillary Clinton during her time as Secretary of State.</p>
<p>No evidence of any illegal activity or clear impropriety has been found, but the developments — spurred by the release of Hillary Clinton's emails — have provided fodder for Republicans to attack the Democratic presidential candidate.</p>
<p>When asked about the Trump foundation's IRS fine, Hillary Clinton said she was "quite taken aback."</p>
<p>"There's so many things that are questionable about that and the IRS certainly thought so and said it was illegal and fined Trump for that set of facts," she told reporters Monday.</p>
<p>Bill Clinton also noted the controversy on Monday by contrasting his foundation to Trump's.</p>
<p>The Clinton foundation has “gotten the top ratings from every one of these rating agencies…and all we've done is save lives and create jobs all across America and all across the world,” compared to the IRS fine, he said at a campaign event.</p>
<p>Trump's donation, made to a political group called And Justice for All, was in apparent violation of rules surrounding political activities by charities, the AP reported.</p>
<p>The Post said Trump's foundation made another error by declaring the donation as being to Kansas charity with a name similar to that of Bondi's political group.</p>
<p>The tax complaint [ <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/file/PDFs/Legal/Donald%20J.%20Trump%20Foundation%20IRS%20complaint%20-%203-21-16.pdf" type="external">PDF link</a>] was filed in March by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).</p>
<p>“The rules are clear: a tax-exempt charitable foundation cannot support a political group,” its executive director Noah Bookbinder <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/press-release/crew-files-complaint-trump-foundation/" type="external">said in a news release at the time of the complaint</a>. “The apparent failure to tell the IRS about this political activity makes matters worse and is something we’ve seen too many organizations doing lately.”</p> | Donald Trump and Pam Bondi: Candidate Dismisses Questions Around Donation Tied to Florida Attorney General | false | http://nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-pam-bondi-candidate-dismisses-questions-around-donation-tied-n643211 | 2016-09-06 | 3 |
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<p>More than half of Americans say they are either "concerned" or "scared" about Donald Trump as President of the United States. There are several reasons for this -- for example, many people worry about Trump's divisive rhetoric or lack of political experience. One big area of concern is the economy, so if you're worried, here's some advice from Warren Buffett that can help put things into perspective.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Warren Buffett has made no big secret of who he supported for president, and it certainly wasn't Donald Trump. Buffett has campaigned for Clinton, participated in her rallies, and has had some particularly harsh words condemning Trump's actions and proposed policies.</p>
<p>He called Trump out on his refusal to release his tax returns, saying that he was under audit as well, and would gladly release his returns if Trump would do the same.</p>
<p>He even spent election day shuttling Omaha voters to their polling places on a trolley. A Trump presidency was definitely not what Warren Buffett wanted to see. However, that doesn't mean that Buffett is worried for America -- at least from an economic point of view.</p>
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<p>During Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE: BRK-A) (NYSE: BRK-B) 2016 annual meeting, Warren Buffett responded to a question that asked whether a Trump presidency would pose a threat to Berkshire's business. Buffett didn't specifically address the potential effects of Trump on Berkshire, simply saying "That won't be the main problem."</p>
<p>Buffett went on to say that Berkshire has done just fine in a variety of political and economic climates, and that it would continue to do so. "We've operated under price controls, we've had 52% federal taxes applied to our earnings... we've had regulations come along," Buffett said. "I will predict that if either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton become president Berkshire will do fine."</p>
<p>In his most recent letter to shareholders (well before the election), Buffett discussed the overall negative tone of this years' campaigns, and how many Americans believe their children won't do as well as they have.</p>
<p>Buffett says nothing could be further from the truth. "The babies being born in America today are the luckiest crop in history." He went on to discuss how dramatically the standard of living for Americans has changed in his lifetime -- in real terms, per-capita GDP is six times greater than in the year Buffett was born. People today take luxuries for granted that even the wealthiest Americans couldn't dream of.</p>
<p>While the recent GDP growth rate of around 2% per year is admittedly low, even such a small growth rate would produce some pretty impressive growth over time. I'll spare you the mathematical details of Buffett's calculation, but even adjusting for population growth and inflation, this "sluggish" growth rate would produce per capita real GDP growth of 34.4% in 25 years. Standards of living will increase, even with less-than-stellar growth. As Buffett put it, "Today's politicians need not shed tears for tomorrow's children."</p>
<p>As a final thought, Buffett said that "For 240 years it's been a terrible mistake to bet against America, and now is no time to start."</p>
<p>Although your 401(k) and stock portfolio could take a hit in the days and weeks following Trump's election, Warren Buffett is confident that the economy will continue to grow and America will continue to innovate. In a nutshell, Buffett's message to Americans who didn't necessarily want to see Donald Trump in the White House is to relax -- America is going to be just fine.</p>
<p>In the letter to shareholders, Buffett pledged to keep doing what he does best. He and the rest of Berkshire's team will continue to improve the earnings power of its subsidiaries, acquire more businesses, and repurchase Berkshire shares when it makes good financial sense to do so.</p>
<p>If anything, I believe that Buffett would view a post-election stock market sell-off as a buying opportunity, and I would not be surprised to see Buffett scoop up some stocks at a discount during the fourth quarter. There's no way of knowing exactly what Buffett will do, but he has a history of taking advantage of market weakness, preferring to take the long-term view on investing as opposed to the effect of a single recession, correction, global event, or newly elected U.S. president.</p>
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<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/KWMatt82/info.aspx" type="external">Matthew Frankel Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Berkshire Hathaway (B shares). 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> | Warren Buffett's Advice for a Donald Trump Presidency | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/11/09/warren-buffetts-advice-for-donald-trump-presidency.html | 2016-11-09 | 0 |
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<p>Wells&#160;Fargo's chief executive, John Stumpf, will tell U.S. senators on Tuesday that he is "deeply sorry" for selling customers unauthorized bank accounts and credit cards and that he would take "full responsibility" for the unethical activity, the New York Times reported on Monday.</p>
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<p>Stumpf will strike a contrite tone in a testimony over the fake accounts at a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Tuesday morning, the New York Times said, citing a copy of his prepared remarks.</p>
<p>Wells&#160;Fargo, the country's third-largest bank by assets, is embroiled in a scandal over the opening of sham accounts and was sued on Friday by customers who accused the bank of fraud and recklessness for its behavior.</p>
<p>The bank said it has fired 5,300 people over the matter and would eliminate sales goals in its retail banking on Jan. 1, 2017.</p>
<p>Stumpf will tell lawmakers that the illegal activity carried out was not part of any "orchestrated effort, or scheme, as some have called it, by the company," New York Times wrote quoting the testimony.</p>
<p>"We never directed nor wanted our employees, whom we refer to as team members, to provide products and services to customers they did not want or need," the Times quoted Stumpf as saying.</p>
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<p>Wells&#160;Fargo declined to comment.</p>
<p>Stumpf will also acknowledge that the bank failed to do enough to stop the behavior from continuing, the Times said.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Anet Josline Pinto in Bengaluru; Editing by Mary Milliken)</p> | Wells Fargo CEO to Take 'Full Responsibility' in Senate Hearing | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/09/20/wells-fargo-ceo-to-take-full-responsibility-in-senate-hearing.html | 2016-09-20 | 0 |
<p>SAN DIEGO (AP) — The scorecard for Scott Brown was not unusual for the Farmers Insurance Open. After a rugged start, he took advantage of the par 5s and ran off eight birdies over his last 11 holes to grab a share of the lead at Torrey Pines.</p>
<p>Only he did this on the South Course.</p>
<p>A birdie run like that typically happens on the easier North Course, and then players try to hang on the following day on a South Course that is 600 yards longer, hosted the U.S. Open in 2008 and will have another U.S. Open in five years.</p>
<p>So while he was tied for the lead Thursday at 6-under 66 with Andrew Loupe, it felt much better. Loupe shot 66 on the North, which was 2½ shots easier.</p>
<p>K.J. Choi and Chesson Hadley had the next-best scores on the South at 68. Of the 33 players who broke 70 in the opening round, only 12 of them were on the South. That group included Phil Mickelson, Jimmy Walker and Smylie Kaufman.</p>
<p>Advantage Brown? Maybe.</p>
<p>"You still have to drive it good to score over there," Brown said of the North.</p>
<p>The Farmers Insurance Open still needs one more round, giving players a crack at each course, to get some clarity:</p>
<p>THE LEADERS: Brown was 2 over through six holes, and then his birdie streak began with a 6-foot putt on the 17th hole. He played the rest of the par 5s with birdies (laying up on each of them), had one big par save on the fourth hole and knocked in a 45-foot birdie putt on the seventh as a bonus.</p>
<p>"If you're out of position, you just have to play for par or bogey and you can't make any big numbers out there because as soon as you get behind the 8-ball, you can't press and try to make birdies," he said.</p>
<p>He wasn't pressing. He just made a bunch of birdies.</p>
<p>The biggest difference with the North Course, which now has tight fairways and ample rough, is the par 5s. The shortest par 5 on the South Course is 560 yards, and two of them (Nos. 9 and 13) were over 600 yards. The longest par 5 on the North Course is 547 yards.</p>
<p>Loupe started and finished his round with eagles, and four birdies and two bogeys along the way and wound up with a 66.</p>
<p>"I got the North Course under my best. I got the South Course tomorrow," he said. "That's a bear."</p>
<p>MICKELSON'S START: Fresh off his tie for third in the desert last week, Phil Mickelson was looking forward to how his game would stack up at Torrey Pines. On his second hole — the second-easiest par 4 on the South Course — he drove into a bunker, caught the lip coming out, went long, chipped weak and made double bogey.</p>
<p>And he barely blinked.</p>
<p>"I've just had so many over the years, you learn to live with it," Mickelson said.</p>
<p>He stayed calm and waited for the birdies to come, and they did. He got up-and-down from a bunker on the par-5 sixth, stuffed his tee shot to 3 feet on the par-3 eighth and then ran off three straight birdies starting on the 614-yard 13th, where he reached the green in two.</p>
<p>Mickelson wound up with a 69 after a birdie on the 18th, where he tried to reach the green in two and had to make a 30-foot putt for a 4.</p>
<p>DEBUTS: Two players made their debut on the PGA Tour and held up nicely.</p>
<p>Paul Dunne of Ireland — you might remember him from St. Andrews as the first amateur since Bobby Jones in 1927 to have at least a share of the 54-hole lead at the British Open — shot a 69 on the South Course.</p>
<p>The other debut belonged to Ryan Ruffels, the 17-year-old from Australia. He opened with a 70 on the North Course, and now heads to the South Course where Ruffels already has two victories — one at the 2014 Junior World Championship, the other last month against Mickelson.</p>
<p>JASON AND RICKIE: Jason Day missed the pro-am because of the flu and wasn't even sure he could tee it up Thursday. But as the defending champion, he wanted to give it a shot. Day opened with a 72 on the North Course.</p>
<p>Rickie Fowler couldn't wait to get going, especially after his victory Sunday in Abu Dhabi. But after three holes on the North Course, he was already 3-over par. Fowler battled back, faded at the end and shot a 73. He then said what is seldom heard at Torrey Pines: He can't wait to get to the South.</p>
<p>SAN DIEGO (AP) — The scorecard for Scott Brown was not unusual for the Farmers Insurance Open. After a rugged start, he took advantage of the par 5s and ran off eight birdies over his last 11 holes to grab a share of the lead at Torrey Pines.</p>
<p>Only he did this on the South Course.</p>
<p>A birdie run like that typically happens on the easier North Course, and then players try to hang on the following day on a South Course that is 600 yards longer, hosted the U.S. Open in 2008 and will have another U.S. Open in five years.</p>
<p>So while he was tied for the lead Thursday at 6-under 66 with Andrew Loupe, it felt much better. Loupe shot 66 on the North, which was 2½ shots easier.</p>
<p>K.J. Choi and Chesson Hadley had the next-best scores on the South at 68. Of the 33 players who broke 70 in the opening round, only 12 of them were on the South. That group included Phil Mickelson, Jimmy Walker and Smylie Kaufman.</p>
<p>Advantage Brown? Maybe.</p>
<p>"You still have to drive it good to score over there," Brown said of the North.</p>
<p>The Farmers Insurance Open still needs one more round, giving players a crack at each course, to get some clarity:</p>
<p>THE LEADERS: Brown was 2 over through six holes, and then his birdie streak began with a 6-foot putt on the 17th hole. He played the rest of the par 5s with birdies (laying up on each of them), had one big par save on the fourth hole and knocked in a 45-foot birdie putt on the seventh as a bonus.</p>
<p>"If you're out of position, you just have to play for par or bogey and you can't make any big numbers out there because as soon as you get behind the 8-ball, you can't press and try to make birdies," he said.</p>
<p>He wasn't pressing. He just made a bunch of birdies.</p>
<p>The biggest difference with the North Course, which now has tight fairways and ample rough, is the par 5s. The shortest par 5 on the South Course is 560 yards, and two of them (Nos. 9 and 13) were over 600 yards. The longest par 5 on the North Course is 547 yards.</p>
<p>Loupe started and finished his round with eagles, and four birdies and two bogeys along the way and wound up with a 66.</p>
<p>"I got the North Course under my best. I got the South Course tomorrow," he said. "That's a bear."</p>
<p>MICKELSON'S START: Fresh off his tie for third in the desert last week, Phil Mickelson was looking forward to how his game would stack up at Torrey Pines. On his second hole — the second-easiest par 4 on the South Course — he drove into a bunker, caught the lip coming out, went long, chipped weak and made double bogey.</p>
<p>And he barely blinked.</p>
<p>"I've just had so many over the years, you learn to live with it," Mickelson said.</p>
<p>He stayed calm and waited for the birdies to come, and they did. He got up-and-down from a bunker on the par-5 sixth, stuffed his tee shot to 3 feet on the par-3 eighth and then ran off three straight birdies starting on the 614-yard 13th, where he reached the green in two.</p>
<p>Mickelson wound up with a 69 after a birdie on the 18th, where he tried to reach the green in two and had to make a 30-foot putt for a 4.</p>
<p>DEBUTS: Two players made their debut on the PGA Tour and held up nicely.</p>
<p>Paul Dunne of Ireland — you might remember him from St. Andrews as the first amateur since Bobby Jones in 1927 to have at least a share of the 54-hole lead at the British Open — shot a 69 on the South Course.</p>
<p>The other debut belonged to Ryan Ruffels, the 17-year-old from Australia. He opened with a 70 on the North Course, and now heads to the South Course where Ruffels already has two victories — one at the 2014 Junior World Championship, the other last month against Mickelson.</p>
<p>JASON AND RICKIE: Jason Day missed the pro-am because of the flu and wasn't even sure he could tee it up Thursday. But as the defending champion, he wanted to give it a shot. Day opened with a 72 on the North Course.</p>
<p>Rickie Fowler couldn't wait to get going, especially after his victory Sunday in Abu Dhabi. But after three holes on the North Course, he was already 3-over par. Fowler battled back, faded at the end and shot a 73. He then said what is seldom heard at Torrey Pines: He can't wait to get to the South.</p> | Brown makes his birdies on tougher South for share of lead | false | https://apnews.com/amp/78ce8f5d9aef4d8ea15d26acad8caec1 | 2016-01-29 | 2 |
<p>General Electric Co. has delayed the completion of its new Boston headquarters in an effort to spread out the costs of the $200 million project, as new CEO John Flannery looks to cut spending.</p>
<p>GE is building a new headquarters on the Boston waterfront, uprooting itself from more than 40 years in Fairfield, Conn., where it sold its campus last year. It planned to renovate two existing buildings and build a new office tower, all for completion in 2019.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The company said this week that it will continue the renovations but delay the start of the new building, which now isn't expected to be completed until 2021. News of the delay was earlier reported by the Boston Globe.</p>
<p>GE will get an incentive package from Boston and Massachusetts valued at as much as $145 million for moving 200 jobs and ultimately having about 800 at the headquarters.</p>
<p>The timeline on the new tower is the only change to the latest plans, GE said, and the company said it remains committed to Boston. Company executives have already moved into temporary Boston offices.</p>
<p>Mr. Flannery took the reins from GE's longtime leader Jeff Immelt earlier this month and is conducting a review of the entire company, including the headquarters project.</p>
<p>GE pledged to boost its cost-cutting program earlier this year after discussions with activist investor Trian Fund Management LP, which has been frustrated by missed profit goals at GE. GE has eliminated $670 million in industrial spending this year and is on track to meet or beat its full year $1 billion savings goal.</p>
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<p>Write to Thomas Gryta at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>August 09, 2017 13:12 ET (17:12 GMT)</p> | New GE Chief Delays Part of Boston HQ | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/08/09/new-ge-chief-delays-part-boston-hq.html | 2017-08-09 | 0 |
<p>Here are the government's rankings of the leading U.S. airlines and their on-time performance for December. The federal government counts a flight as on time if it arrives no more than 14 minutes behind the scheduled time.</p>
<p>1. Hawaiian Airlines, 85.1 percent</p>
<p>2. Delta Air Lines, 81.4 percent</p>
<p>3. American Airlines, 79.1 percent</p>
<p>4. Alaska Airlines, 76.1 percent</p>
<p>5. United Airlines, 76.0 percent</p>
<p>6. Southwest Airlines, 74.9 percent</p>
<p>7. ExpressJet, 73.5 percent</p>
<p>8. Spirit Airlines, 72.1 percent</p>
<p>9. JetBlue Airways, 71.3 percent</p>
<p>10. SkyWest, 69.8 percent</p>
<p>11. Virgin America, 68.3 percent</p>
<p>12. Frontier Airlines, 62.4 percent</p>
<p>Total for all covered airlines: 75.6 percent</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Source: U.S. Department of Transportation</p>
<p>The report does not cover smaller airlines including Allegiant Air and some regional carriers.</p>
<p>Here are the government's rankings of the leading U.S. airlines and their on-time performance for December. The federal government counts a flight as on time if it arrives no more than 14 minutes behind the scheduled time.</p>
<p>1. Hawaiian Airlines, 85.1 percent</p>
<p>2. Delta Air Lines, 81.4 percent</p>
<p>3. American Airlines, 79.1 percent</p>
<p>4. Alaska Airlines, 76.1 percent</p>
<p>5. United Airlines, 76.0 percent</p>
<p>6. Southwest Airlines, 74.9 percent</p>
<p>7. ExpressJet, 73.5 percent</p>
<p>8. Spirit Airlines, 72.1 percent</p>
<p>9. JetBlue Airways, 71.3 percent</p>
<p>10. SkyWest, 69.8 percent</p>
<p>11. Virgin America, 68.3 percent</p>
<p>12. Frontier Airlines, 62.4 percent</p>
<p>Total for all covered airlines: 75.6 percent</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Source: U.S. Department of Transportation</p>
<p>The report does not cover smaller airlines including Allegiant Air and some regional carriers.</p> | Hawaiian, Alaska and Delta top latest on-time rankings | false | https://apnews.com/amp/19ef5142777248cf9597eb7919e27ec2 | 2017-02-15 | 2 |
<p>Education Nation is teamed up with Dell and NBC Learn to produce a panel discussion - moderated by msnbc’s Alex Witt, NBC News’s Chelsea Clinton, and 7News’s Kim Khazei - about technology's influence in today's classrooms.</p>
<p>Alex Witt sits down with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to talk about the Chicago teacher strike and what he’s doing in Boston that’s working in education.</p>
<p>Watch the panel <a href="" type="internal">here</a>!</p>
<p>MSNBC Anchor Alex Witt and NBC Special Correspondent Chelsea Clinton host a Town Hall with at MIT to discuss the digital divide with author Michael Horn, Assistant Deputy Secretary Jim Shelton, and Valeria Silva, Superintendent, Saint Paul Public Schools.</p>
<p>Watch the panel <a href="" type="internal">here</a>!</p>
<p>Moderators Alex Witt and Chelsea Clinton sit down at the MIT Media Lab with 3rd Grade Teacher Susie Brooks, New Classrooms Co-founder Joel Rose, and MIT Professor Mitch Resnick, and an audience of K-12 educators to talk about how technology will transform learning and classrooms.</p>
<p>Watch the panel <a href="" type="internal">here</a>!</p> | Education Nation 2012: Cambridge | false | http://nbcnews.com/feature/education-nation/education-nation-2012-cambridge-n10931 | 2014-02-12 | 3 |
<p>DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) _ These Iowa lotteries were drawn Thursday:</p>
<p>Lucky For Life</p>
<p>04-21-29-44-48, Lucky Ball: 7</p>
<p>(four, twenty-one, twenty-nine, forty-four, forty-eight; Lucky Ball: seven)</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $306 million</p>
<p>Pick 3 Evening</p>
<p>1-8-1</p>
<p>(one, eight, one)</p>
<p>Pick 3 Midday</p>
<p>7-8-6</p>
<p>(seven, eight, six)</p>
<p>Pick 4 Evening</p>
<p>6-2-4-6</p>
<p>(six, two, four, six)</p>
<p>Pick 4 Midday</p>
<p>7-3-1-3</p>
<p>(seven, three, one, three)</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $384 million</p>
<p>DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) _ These Iowa lotteries were drawn Thursday:</p>
<p>Lucky For Life</p>
<p>04-21-29-44-48, Lucky Ball: 7</p>
<p>(four, twenty-one, twenty-nine, forty-four, forty-eight; Lucky Ball: seven)</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $306 million</p>
<p>Pick 3 Evening</p>
<p>1-8-1</p>
<p>(one, eight, one)</p>
<p>Pick 3 Midday</p>
<p>7-8-6</p>
<p>(seven, eight, six)</p>
<p>Pick 4 Evening</p>
<p>6-2-4-6</p>
<p>(six, two, four, six)</p>
<p>Pick 4 Midday</p>
<p>7-3-1-3</p>
<p>(seven, three, one, three)</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $384 million</p> | IA Lottery | false | https://apnews.com/amp/5f18e630c9134d5bb32dbb94e64cc0a0 | 2017-12-29 | 2 |
<p>Wayne LaPierre was a hit at CPAC. The National Rifle Association’s executive vice president, who in the three months since the Sandy Hook massacre has fiercely opposed any form of gun control legislation, whipped the audience of conservative activists into a frenzy on Friday with a speech that took aim at Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and the automatic budget cuts known as the sequester (or at least the prospect of <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/27/us/immigrants-released-ahead-of-automatic-budget-cuts.html?pagewanted=all" type="external">releasing people from ICE detention centers</a>).</p>
<p>But LaPierre saved the most firepower for President Obama’s proposal to expand background checks to include all private gun sales. The push to close the so-called “gun show loophole,” in LaPierre’s view, is nothing more than a “placebo” that would do nothing to stop gun violence. (Never mind that placebos are actually <a href="" type="internal">quite effective</a>.) He alleged that improved record-keeping would leave the United States vulnerable to foreign countries like China and Mexico (video above):</p>
<p>It’s gonna be people like you and me. That’s who they’re tracking. That’s who they’re after. The names of good, decent people, all across this country, who happen to own a firearm, to go into a federal database with universal registration of every lawful gun-owner in America. That’s their answer to criminal violence? Criminalize 100 million law-abiding gun owners in a private transfer? Build a list of all the good people? As if that would somehow make us safe from violent criminals and homicidal maniacs? That’s their answer? Are they insane?</p>
<p>What’s the point of registering lawful gun-owners anyway—so newspapers can print those names and addresses for gangs and criminals to access? You know that’s happened before! So the list can be hacked by foreign enemies like the Chinese, who recently hacked Pentagon computers? So the list can be handed over to the Mexican government that, oh by the way, they’ve already requested that list from our government? In the end there are only two reasons for the government to create that list of registered gun owners: to tax them, or to take them.</p>
<p>We shouldn’t track firearms sales because if we do, Chinese hackers will find out where all the guns are, and then…what, exactly? Go door-to-door&#160; in Northern Idaho to confiscate them? LaPierre, as is his wont, didn’t get into specifics. The paranoia speaks for itself.</p> | VIDEO: At CPAC, Wayne LaPierre Channels Red Dawn | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/cpac-wayne-lapierre-red-dawn-china-hacking/ | 2013-03-15 | 4 |
<p>The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-to-inherit-more-than-100-court-vacancies-plans-to-reshape-judiciary/2016/12/25/d190dd18-c928-11e6-85b5-76616a33048d_story.html?utm_term=.26c1c23ef6d8" type="external">reports</a>:</p>
<p>Donald Trump is set to inherit an uncommon number of vacancies in the federal courts in addition to the open Supreme Court seat, giving the president-elect a monumental opportunity to reshape the judiciary after taking office.</p>
<p>The estimated 103 judicial vacancies that President Obama is expected to hand over to Trump in the Jan. 20 transition of power is nearly double the 54 openings Obama found eight years ago following George W. Bush’s presidency.</p>
<p>Confirmation of Obama’s judicial nominees slowed to a crawl after Republicans took control of the Senate in 2015. Obama White House officials blame Senate Republicans for what they characterize as an unprecedented level of obstruction in blocking the Democratic president’s court picks.</p>
<p>The result is a multitude of openings throughout the federal circuit and district courts that will allow the new Republican president to quickly make a wide array of lifetime appointments.</p>
<p>State gun control laws, abortion restrictions, voter laws, anti-discrimination measures and immigrant issues are all matters that are increasingly heard by federal judges and will be influenced by the new composition of the courts.</p> | Trump To Inherit 103 Federal Bench Vacancies | true | http://joemygod.com/2016/12/26/trump-to-inherit-100-federal-bench-vacancies/ | 2016-12-26 | 4 |
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<p>“It’s has been a journey for us,” he explains during a recent phone interview from Portland, Ore. “We’ve worked hard and toured constantly. It’s amazing to see that audiences are finally taking notice of us.”</p>
<p>In 2007, Nebeker and drummer Ryan Dobrowski started Blind Pilot and embarked on a West Coast bicycle tour. Nearly two years later, the duo released its debut album, “3 Rounds and A Sound.”</p>
<p>But in 2010, Nebeker and Dobrowski wanted to the band to grow, so they added four musicians – Luke Ydstie, Kait Claborn, Ian Krist and Dave Jorgensen – to the lineup and released “We Are The Tide” in 2011.</p>
<p>“Expanding the band really expanded on our sound and has built up mine and Ryan’s working relationship,” Nebeker says. ” I would say he had even more of an impact on this album, because almost all of the songs started with us sitting down, putting a beat and a melody together.</p>
<p>“On the last album, I had already written most of the songs before we formed Blind Pilot. Recording was a process that was pretty quick, just getting out what was already there. This time, there was a lot of work to be done in the studio, figuring things out, and he has an incredible ability to keep on track for what we set out to do. It’s easy to get distracted and he was always really good at reminding us of our first intention.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Nebeker says the band also had to deal with an adjustment period because of the added members and says the arrangements got bigger and fuller.</p>
<p>“What happened in the studio happened in a natural way,” he explains. “We were constantly trying different approaches and, because of that, a lot of key elements came by chance.</p>
<p>“We had a much broader palette. I feel like the last album was guitar songs with other instruments over top and, for this one, the other elements were essential. One big challenge was that midway through I was trying too much to come up with parts for people. I was being really specific when really all I needed to communicate was the general emotion or the basic idea. And if people could get that, they could come up with just the right thing – something better than whatever I would have.”</p>
<p>While the band is currently focused on its two-month tour, Nebeker is confident it will head back into the studio in September.</p>
<p>“We’ve done a lot of touring off of this album and are ready to get some new music out,” he says. “I fell very fortunate that our fans are taking the journey with us. I’ve become a more confident writer and am opening up more to seeing all of the fans’ reactions.”</p> | ‘We Are the Tide’ Shows Expanded Sound of Blind Pilot | false | https://abqjournal.com/116913/we-are-the-tide-shows-expanded-sound-of-blind-pilot.html | 2012-07-06 | 2 |
<p>“I wasn’t scared of drones before, but now when they fly overhead I wonder, ‘Will I be next?'” That is the question asked by 9-year-old Nabila Rehman, from northwest Pakistan. She was injured in a drone attack a year ago, in her small village of Ghundi Kala. She saw her grandmother, Mamana Bibi, blown to pieces in the strike. Her brother Zubair also was injured. Their case has become the latest to draw attention to the controversial targeted killing program that has become central to President Barack Obama’s foreign policy and global war-making.</p>
<p>“We really just have a very simple message to the U.S.: How do you justify killing a grandmother? How does that make anyone safer?” Mustafa Qadri posed the question on the “Democracy Now!” news hour. Qadri authored a new Amnesty International report titled “‘Will I Be Next?’ U.S. Drone Strikes in Pakistan.”</p>
<p>Nabila and Zubair are unique among the growing number of drone-strike victims: They were able to appear before Congress, along with their father, Rafiq ur Rehman, to testify about the strike and the devastation it brought to their family. They are featured in a new documentary being released for free on the Internet this week, “Unmanned: America’s Drone Wars,” by Brave New Films. In it, Rafiq, a primary-school teacher, describes that day:</p>
<p>“People enjoyed life before the attacks. It was 2:45 on October 24th of 2012. After school finished I went into town to buy school supplies.” When he returned home, they told him his mother was dead. There was a crater where her garden was. She was picking okra with the children. “That’s where my mother was killed,” Rafiq continues. “My family has been destroyed since my mother was killed.” Nine children in all were injured, as this drone strike fit a typical pattern, with one initial strike, followed closely by another to hit the rescuers.</p>
<p />
<p>13-year-old Zubair testified before Congress: “When the drone fired the first time, the whole ground shook and black smoke rose up. The air smelled poisonous. We ran, but several minutes later the drone fired again. People from the village came to our aid and took us to the hospital. We spent the night in great agony at the hospital, and the next morning I was operated on.”</p>
<p>Attacking rescuers is a war crime. Mustafa Qadri from Amnesty International explained: “For example, some laborers in a very impoverished village near the Afghanistan border, they get targeted, eight die instantly in a tent; those who come to rescue or to look for survivors are themselves targeted. In great detail, eyewitnesses, victims who survive, tell us about the terror, the panic, as drones hovered overhead. … There’s a very high threshold for proving [war crimes]. With the secrecy surrounding the program, the remoteness of this area, we can only get the truth once the U.S. comes clean and explains what is the justification for these killings.”</p>
<p>President Obama himself consistently defends the accuracy and legality of the targeted killing program. He was directly challenged on it recently, though, by his own 16-year-old human-rights hero, Malala Yousafzai. She is the Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen for her outspoken support for educating girls and women. Many thought she would win this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. While the White House did not publicize her comments, Malala released a separate statement about her visit with the Obamas, saying, “I also expressed my concerns that drone attacks are fueling terrorism. Innocent victims are killed in these acts, and they lead to resentment among the Pakistani people. If we refocus efforts on education it will make a big impact.”</p>
<p>Resistance to Obama’s drone wars is growing. In upstate New York, in a surprise ruling, five anti-drone activists were acquitted after being tried for blocking the gate of Hancock Field Air National Guard Base near Syracuse. Code Pink is organizing a national conference in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 16-17, called “Drones Around the Globe: Proliferation and Resistance.” And at least one drone pilot, Brandon Bryant, a former sensor operator for the U.S. Air Force Predator program, has now spoken out about the horrors of killing innocent civilians and the post-traumatic stress disorder that followed.</p>
<p>While only five members of Congress (all Democrats) came to hear the Rehman family testify, the words of young Zubair are now on the record, a painful testament to Obama’s policy of so-called targeted killing with drones:</p>
<p>“I no longer love blue skies. In fact, I now prefer gray skies. The drones do not fly when the skies are gray. And for a short period of time, the mental tension and fear eases. When the skies brighten, though, the drones return, and so, too, does the fear.”</p>
<p>Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column.</p>
<p>Amy Goodman is the host of “Democracy Now!,” a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on more than 1,000 stations in North America. She is the co-author of “The Silenced Majority,” a New York Times best-seller.</p>
<p>© 2012 Amy Goodman</p>
<p>Distributed by King Features Syndicate</p> | The Rising Resistance to Obama's Drone Wars | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/the-rising-resistance-to-obamas-drone-wars/ | 2013-10-31 | 4 |
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<p>A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said it had “considerable doubt” whether 35-year-old Raul Cortez’s claim would be successful. But the judges said if they have doubt in a death penalty case, “it is debatable enough that it deserves encouragement to proceed further.”</p>
<p>The court rejected other claims of attorney deficiency for failing to interview two witnesses during the trial’s punishment phase and misrepresenting whether a plea agreement had been reached with an accomplice.</p>
<p>Testimony showed the slayings at a McKinney home, the worst mass slaying ever in Collin County, were the result of a botched robbery attempt.</p>
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<p>Killed were Rosa Barbosa, 46, the manager of a check-cashing business; her nephew, Mark Barbosa, 25; and his friends, Matthew Self, 17, and Austin York, 18.</p>
<p>Weeks after the slayings, police arrested three men but later dropped the charges.</p>
<p>The case went unsolved for three years until an accomplice, Eddie Williams, acknowledged his participation and implicated Cortez.</p>
<p>According to court documents, Cortez, his brother, Javier, and Williams conspired to steal from Rosa Barbosa who they believed had access to money from her work and took home some of that money from the check-cashing business.</p>
<p>Williams became a key witness at Cortez’s trial, testifying how they both killed the victims.</p>
<p>Evidence that potential suspects and Williams were given polygraph tests was clearly inadmissible under Texas law and Cortez’s trial attorneys should have sought a motion to keep it out or should have objected when it was offered, according to Cortez’s appeals lawyers. Court documents show the trial lawyers later testified they chose to not file such a motion but offered no reason, and did not object at the trial for strategic legal reasons.</p>
<p>Cortez was arrested in July 2007 by federal marshals in Florida.</p>
<p>At his trial two years later, Cortez testified he had no involvement in the murders. His DNA was found on a pair of latex gloves connected to the slayings. Testimony at his trial linked him to the Latin King Nation street gang while growing up in Chicago.</p>
<p>His brother, Javier, was not charged in the slayings. Williams, 34, is serving three 20-year prison terms.</p>
<p>Cortez has not had an execution date.</p> | Court allows appeal for man condemned in slayings of 4 | false | https://abqjournal.com/888750/court-allows-appeal-for-man-condemned-in-slayings-of-4.html | 2016-11-14 | 2 |
<p>Gerald Herbert/AP</p>
<p />
<p>Republican Sen. David Vitter lost his bid to be the next governor of Louisiana on Saturday, and it wasn’t even close. The two-term senator lost the runoff election to Democratic state Rep. John Bel Edwards by double digits, setting the stage for the state to potentially become the first in the Deep South to accept a pivotal part of Obamacare.</p>
<p>Vitter was dogged by a decade-old prostitution scandal, <a href="http://mojo.ly/1SN363Q" type="external">and a bizarre spying incident at a coffee shop</a>.&#160;Desperate to make up ground, he warned voters in one ad that President Barack Obama would release “thugs” from prison onto Louisiana streets. Vitter also sought to turn the tide by warning voters of a terrorist threat posed by the state’s 14 Syrian refugees. He went as far as to allege ( <a href="" type="internal">falsely, it turned out</a>) that one of the refugees had gone missing. It didn’t work.</p>
<p>Edwards, an anti-abortion, pro-gun West Point grad, became the first Democratic candidate to win a statewide election in Louisiana since 2008, and benefited from support from Republicans who were dissatisfied with Vitter’s personal troubles and disappointed by the state’s financial woes under outgoing Gov. Bobby Jindal. (By the time Jindal dropped out of the presidential race on Wednesday, <a href="" type="internal">the one-time rising star’s</a> approval ratings had dropped to 20 percent.)</p>
<p>Jindal also rejected federal funding to expand Medicaid. Edwards has <a href="http://theadvocate.com/news/13579689-123/democratic-governor-candidate-backs-expanding" type="external">pledged</a> to sign an executive order authorizing the expansion of the program on his first day in office. That’s a really big deal. Such a move would provide coverage to about 225,000 residents in one of the poorest states in the nation.</p>
<p /> | Louisiana Just Voted to Give a Quarter of a Million People Health Care | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2015/11/david-vitter-louisiana-governor-john-bel-edwards/ | 2015-11-22 | 4 |
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<p>As the 420 or so workers prepare for a March shutdown, the community is lamenting the loss of those jobs and the fallout that will have on the area’s economy. City officials and economic development officials are scrambling to secure another business for the Sitel location that would bring back those jobs in one form or another. The families who are losing their source of income are reaching out to find new employment in a city where finding work takes work.</p>
<p>November reports from the state’s Department of Workforce Solutions show Doña Ana County having 72,700 workers in non-farm jobs. Sitel’s departure put roughly 0.6 percent of the local non-farm labor force out of work. That is a significant number in a county with roughly 6.6 percent unemployment overall, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.</p>
<p>But the loss of Sitel’s commitment of financial support and volunteer labor will be deeply felt by those in the community most in need. When the call center opened for business in May, 2006, many in the community felt it would be a short-lived venture. The average life of a call center at the time was around three years. Sitel celebrated a decade of service in 2016. It was also argued that call centers were not good “corporate neighbors” who would come to the city, get cheap labor and depart without leaving any form of community improvements in their wake.</p>
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<p>Those concerns have been laid to rest, and then some.</p>
<p>Filling the need</p>
<p>During the past 10 years, Sitel has been involved with a litany of community service projects. The American Cancer Society, United Way, Jardín de los Niños, United Blood Services, Cowboys for Cancer, March of Dimes, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Whole Enchilada Festival, White Sands Film Festival, NMSU sporting events, Make-A-Wish, the Mayor’s Top Teens and many smaller local events.</p>
<p>Sitel is also a member of the national Society for Human Resource Management, the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, the Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce and the Las Cruces Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Employees sat on numerous community boards and volunteered for causes around the county.</p>
<p>Donation policies at most nonprofits prevent them from disclosing financial donation amounts, but those leading the organizations that benefited from Sitel’s giving estimate the dollar amount could be well in excess of $300,000 last year alone. Sitel officials did not respond to Sun-News requests seeking an exact amount. Local employees are contractually prohibited from disclosing the numbers as well.</p>
<p>“It wouldn’t surprise me at all,” Audrey Hardman-Hartley, Jardín’s executive director said of Sitel’s local support. “There has never been a time when we’ve turned to them they didn’t come through.”</p>
<p>Whether it was a financial donation, canned food, diapers, baby wipes, clothing or fresh fruit, Sitel was not only responsive to requests, but would reach out with an offer before it was requested.</p>
<p>“It’s been a ‘pick up the phone’ situation from the other side,” Hardman-Hartley said. “They do quarterly drives for us and bring (supplies) to us so we don’t have to purchase them on our own. “John (Muñoz, Sitel director) and his staff have come to the building. They’ve visited the classrooms,” Hardman-Hartley added. “They know who our kids are, know the situation, and really reached out to help us teach these kids homelessness does not have to be forever.”</p>
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<p>Like many in the nonprofit community, staff at Jardín considered Sitel employees “part of the family,” Hardman-Hartley said. Other members of the Sitel family were the kids and staff in the Las Cruces PAL boxing program. Pete Vargas, PAL president, said Sitel had been instrumental in keeping the program going. Muñoz and Sitel backed the November, 2016 Sitel Showdown. That event, Vargas said, saved the program and put it back in the black financially.</p>
<p>“They did us really good,” Vargas said. “We were close to being in the red. We were broke. We were struggling. After that (event) we came up with expenses and everything. We profited over $4,000.”</p>
<p>Muñoz mobilized his Sitel team to handle logistics, advertising, promotion and staff the event while the company shouldered the cost. He even stepped in as master of ceremonies for the evening.</p>
<p>And when one PAL athlete, Amy Salinas of Mesquite, qualified for a regional tournament, Muñoz and Sitel sponsored her, covering travel expenses. When Salinas continued to win, advancing to state, regional and finally winning at national competitions, the support continued, Vargas said.</p>
<p>One of the benefits of a Sitel sponsorship was Muñoz’s ability to bring on others to contribute time and money to fill a wide array of needs and that will be sorely missed.</p>
<p>“It’s going to be very difficult,” Vargas said. “John was one of the key factors in getting other entities involved. He is like the bandleader. He had everybody’s support because he would support everybody.”</p>
<p>Filling the void</p>
<p>Sitel’s impact extended to bettering the community by training new hires in the call service industry. Call centers were more likely to open up shop in Las Cruces simply because so many people had received training while working at Sitel, said Davin Lopez, president and CEO of the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance.</p>
<p>MVEDA estimates Sitel generated more than $11 million in tax base for the city, county and state as well as some $120 million in new household spending during their time in Las Cruces.</p>
<p>“I can’t think of another employer as strong in improving the workforce and providing as much charitable giving to the community as they did,” Lopez said.</p>
<p>Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima said the city is throwing all its weight behind efforts to quickly replace Sitel, not only to keep those workers employed and contributing to the economy, but also in hopes of finding another corporation who will be as neighborly when it comes to the city’s nonprofits.</p>
<p>“That’s going to be a tough hit in their operating budget,” Miyagishima said, referring to nonprofits losing that revenue. “I don’t think the city can make that up. We are going to have to do our best and work hard to put someone in that place.”</p>
<p>MVEDA is working in conjunction with other community partners, chambers, educational institutions and the state Department of Workforce Solutions to provide job fairs and connections to open jobs in the area.</p>
<p>“We are working … to see what we can do about creating an immediate solution for those individuals,” said Eric Montgomery, MVEDA vice president for business development.</p>
<p>As to finding a new employer to fill the void left by Sitel, “We’ve got a network of individuals and companies across the U.S. we reach out to on a regular basis,” Montgomery said. “We are using that network to find a new user for Sitel. We have active conversations with several opportunities.”</p>
<p>In the meantime, organizations that used to look to Sitel for sponsorships, donations and volunteers are casting a wide net to find another source of support.</p>
<p>“We’re going to have to dig deeper and go to other agencies,” Jardín’s Hadley said. “There are many, many agencies, businesses who reach out to us on a regular basis. We’re going to have to make new friends.”</p>
<p>Jason Gibbs may be reached at 575-541-5451, [email protected] or @fjgwriter on Twitter.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>©2017 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.)</p>
<p>Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at <a href="http://www.lcsun-news.com" type="external">www.lcsun-news.com</a></p>
<p>Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.</p>
<p>_____</p> | Sitel departure leaves fundraising void in city | false | https://abqjournal.com/933703/sitel-departure-leaves-fundraising-void-in-city.html | 2 |
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<p>The survey finds Republicans are more likely to think of Donald Trump as a possible general election winner than either of his current GOP rivals.</p>
<p>Here are some things to know about opinions on a contested convention and which Republican candidates could win a general election from the latest AP-GfK poll:</p>
<p>NOT LOOKING FOR ALTERNATIVES</p>
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<p>According to the new poll, nearly 6 in 10 Republican voters - 58 percent - think the candidate with the most delegates after all the state contests are finished should be the nominee, even if he doesn't have a clear majority.</p>
<p>Just 40 percent think it would be acceptable for the delegates to pick a different candidate.</p>
<p>That's true even though slightly fewer have a favorable opinion of Trump, who will likely go into the convention with more delegates than any other candidate. Just 53 percent of Republican voters have a favorable opinion of Trump, while 46 percent have an unfavorable opinion.</p>
<p>DIVIDED OVER TRUMP</p>
<p>Within the Republican Party, opinions of Trump draw a dramatic divide in terms of how the convention should work out.</p>
<p>Eight in 10 Republican voters who have a favorable opinion of Trump think the party should nominate the ultimate delegate leader.</p>
<p>But among Republican voters with an unfavorable opinion of Trump, two-thirds think it would be acceptable for the delegates to choose someone else. Another third of those who don't like Trump nonetheless think the party should nominate the delegate leader in the end.</p>
<p>AMERICA DIVIDED</p>
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<p>Among all Americans, nearly half think it would be acceptable for the delegates at the GOP convention to choose a different nominee, while about as many think the candidate in the lead should be the nominee.</p>
<p>Democratic voters think by a 63 percent to 35 percent margin that it would be acceptable for the Republican delegates to nominate another candidate if the leader doesn't have a majority of delegates.</p>
<p>PICKING A WINNER?</p>
<p>Although some Republican leaders have expressed concern that a Trump nomination would lead to a loss in November, that's not a concern most Republican voters share. Eighty-one percent think Trump could possibly win a general election, versus those who say so of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (66 percent) or Ohio Gov. John Kasich (just 41 percent).</p>
<p>But the poll suggests both of the top GOP candidates would in fact be hard sells in a general election, with 63 percent of registered voters saying they would definitely not vote for Trump and 55 percent that they wouldn't consider voting for Cruz. Forty-four percent say they wouldn't consider voting for Kasich.</p>
<p>By contrast, 51 percent say they wouldn't consider voting for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in a general election and 38 percent wouldn't consider voting for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.</p>
<p>Still, even among Americans as a whole, about 6 in 10 think Trump could potentially win a general election, just under half think Cruz could and only a third think Kasich could. Kasich is still largely unknown to the American people, with 34 percent, including 26 percent of Republican voters, unable to say if they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of him.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>The AP-GfK Poll of 1,076 adults was conducted online March 31-April 4, using a sample drawn from GfK's probability-based KnowledgePanel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.</p>
<p>Respondents were first selected randomly using telephone or mail survey methods and later interviewed online. People selected for KnowledgePanel who didn't otherwise have access to the Internet were provided access at no cost to them.</p> | Poll: Republicans not itching for a convention fight | false | https://abqjournal.com/755773/poll-republicans-not-itching-for-a-convention-fight.html | 2016-04-12 | 2 |
<p>GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) - Schalke has signed winger Marko Pjaca on loan from Juventus for the rest of the season.</p>
<p>The 22-year-old Croatia international has not featured for Juventus this season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in March.</p>
<p>Pjaca has joined up with Schalke at its winter training camp in Spain. The team is second in the Bundesliga, 11 points behind Bayern Munich.</p>
<p>Coach Domenico Tedesco says "we are happy that Marko has chosen us. There were a lot of clubs interested in him. He brings additional quality to our team."</p>
<p>GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) - Schalke has signed winger Marko Pjaca on loan from Juventus for the rest of the season.</p>
<p>The 22-year-old Croatia international has not featured for Juventus this season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in March.</p>
<p>Pjaca has joined up with Schalke at its winter training camp in Spain. The team is second in the Bundesliga, 11 points behind Bayern Munich.</p>
<p>Coach Domenico Tedesco says "we are happy that Marko has chosen us. There were a lot of clubs interested in him. He brings additional quality to our team."</p> | Schalke signs winger Marko Pjaca on loan from Juventus | false | https://apnews.com/amp/512b131989d24cdeb6d1e1e95ff33dd5 | 2018-01-04 | 2 |
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<p>Ford's sales rose 20 percent over last February, while Fiat Chrysler's were up 12 percent. Nissan's sales rose nearly 11 percent.</p>
<p>General Motors said its sales fell 1.5 percent, partly due to a 39-percent decrease in sales to rental car companies. GM is trying to lower its reliance on rental sales, which are less profitable and can hurt vehicle resale values.</p>
<p>Industry analysts had expected February sales to bounce back after a slight decline in January. Consulting firm LMC Automotive consulting firm predicts an 8.1 percent increase over a year ago to 1.36 million new vehicles. With an annual selling rate of 17.7 million cars and trucks, last month would be the best February in 16 years.</p>
<p>Automakers report their monthly sales figures on Tuesday.</p>
<p>"Consumers seem to be shrugging off the volatility in the stock market and higher interest rates," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting for LMC. "Very low fuel prices and many new vehicles in showrooms should help drive another strong year for auto sales."</p>
<p>LMC is predicting sales of 17.8 million new vehicles this year, up from 17.46 million last year. But the growth rate is slowing from previous years and many are expecting a plateau.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In the meantime, proof of consumers' continued spending power is everywhere. Sales of the Cadillac Escalade, an SUV that starts at $73,000, were up 22 percent over last February. Nissan's $30,000 Murano SUV saw an 86-percent jump in sales.</p>
<p>GM said its Chevrolet and GMC brands saw declines in February but sales improved at Cadillac and Buick. GM's best seller, the Chevrolet Silverado pickup, saw a 5-percent sales decline. GM sold 227,825 cars and trucks last month.</p>
<p>Ford's luxury Lincoln brand saw sales jump 30 percent after sales of its new MKX SUV more than doubled over last February. Sales of Ford's best seller, the F-Series pickup, were up 10 percent. Ford sold 217,192 vehicles.</p>
<p>Fiat Chrysler was led by the Jeep brand and the Ram pickup. Both reported sales increases of 23 percent. The company's truck sales rose 27 percent, but its car sales fell by the same percentage. Fiat Chrysler sold 149,188 trucks and SUVs last month but only 33,691 cars.</p>
<p>At Nissan, car sales were up nearly 8 percent while truck and SUV sales rose 15 percent. Overall, the Nissan and Infiniti brands sold nearly 131,000 vehicles.</p> | Automakers post healthy February US sales gains | false | https://abqjournal.com/732742/automakers-post-healthy-february-sales-gains.html | 2016-03-01 | 2 |
<p>The Liberals have a plan to win again in 2019: Get back to the glory days of splitting the Right, by creating a hoax party.</p>
<p>In Maclean’s, Scott Gilmore wrote a column called “Confessions of a Self-Loathing Tory.”</p>
<p>Gilmore is the house-husband of <a href="" type="internal">Catherine McKenna</a>, Trudeau’s far-left Environment Minister, and he's isn’t not really conservative. He writes:</p>
<p>"While the majority of naturally conservative voters welcome refugees, believe in climate change, and don’t care if the neighbour smokes weed, the majority of leadership candidates are actively opposed to all those things.”</p>
<p>Um, nope. Even most Liberals now oppose Trudeau’s open-borders approach, in poll after poll.</p>
<p>It’s weird enough that Maclean’s gives a federal politics column to the husband of a Liberal cabinet minister. But now the magazine is also helping promote Gilmore’s new initiative:</p>
<p>He’s starting a fake conservative party, to split the right-wing vote.</p>
<p>If Gilmore really wants to change the direction of the Conservative Party, why isn't he running for the leader of it? There’s <a href="" type="internal">a leadership race</a> on right now.</p>
<p>I’ve decided not to endorse anyone for the Conservative leadership. But whoever is chosen, the choice should be made by conservatives.</p>
<p>Not Maclean’s, and not the house-husband of a Liberal cabinet minister.</p>
<p>NEXT: Days after his election, during his first phone call with President Obama, <a href="" type="internal">Justin Trudeau declared</a> that he was withdrawing Canadian fighter jets from the fight against ISIS.</p>
<p>Tonight, Sun columnist Anthony Furey comes on to talk about Access to Information documents that reveal that Iraqis wanted our CF18s to stay in the theatre of war.&#160;</p>
<p>THEN: For the first time in 20 years, Professor Jordan Peterson's research grant application has been denied. Given Peterson's outspoken opinions about freedom of speech and political correctness, it's hard not to assume that this denial was politically motivated.</p>
<p>We've decided to help Professor Peterson crowdfund his important research. Tonight I'll make my case, and Peterson will explain what this research entails. To learn more about his project, how you can help and more, please visit <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/support-dr-jordan-peterson-s-research-media#/" type="external">SupportPetersonResearch.com.</a></p>
<p>FINALLY: I read your messages to me!</p> | A Trudeau cabinet minister’s husband wants to start a new conservative party — to split the Right | true | https://therebel.media/ezra_levant_april_6_2017 | 2017-04-06 | 0 |
<p>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith doesn’t plan to be at the Academy Awards, but he’s scheduled to attend the NAACP Image Awards.</p>
<p>The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People says the “Concussion” star is among the nominees expected to attend Friday’s ceremony at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Southern California.</p>
<p>Smith is up for the outstanding actor in a motion picture trophy alongside Abraham Attah, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael B. Jordan and Michael Ealy.</p>
<p>Some of Hollywood’s prominent African-Americans, including Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith, have said they won’t attend this year’s Oscar ceremony after a second season of all-white acting nominees.</p>
<p>Other celebrities expected to attend and present NAACP Image Awards include Jordan, Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, Ice Cube and the cast of “Empire.”</p>
<p>“black-ish” star Anthony Anderson is hosting.</p>
<p>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith doesn’t plan to be at the Academy Awards, but he’s scheduled to attend the NAACP Image Awards.</p>
<p>The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People says the “Concussion” star is among the nominees expected to attend Friday’s ceremony at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Southern California.</p>
<p>Smith is up for the outstanding actor in a motion picture trophy alongside Abraham Attah, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael B. Jordan and Michael Ealy.</p>
<p>Some of Hollywood’s prominent African-Americans, including Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith, have said they won’t attend this year’s Oscar ceremony after a second season of all-white acting nominees.</p>
<p>Other celebrities expected to attend and present NAACP Image Awards include Jordan, Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, Ice Cube and the cast of “Empire.”</p>
<p>“black-ish” star Anthony Anderson is hosting.</p> | Will Smith among NAACP Image Awards attendees and presenters | false | https://apnews.com/a6ab41051a1047159d6351a7ceff0c0d | 2016-02-01 | 2 |
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<p>Image source: Meinersterampe on Pixabay.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>To be a successful investor, it's just as important to know what to do as it is to know whatnotto do. After all, you could be a wonderful investor and churn out market-thumping returns year after year, but if you get reckless and do something stupid, then your nest egg can disappear in a hurry.</p>
<p>Knowing that, we reached out to a team of Motley Fool contributors and asked them to opine on one way an investor can get wiped out in the markets. Read below to see what they said so you can avoid these minefields in the future.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFGalagan/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Dan Caplinger Opens a New Window.</a>: The stock market is risky enough when you stick with just owning shares of companies you choose. Where some investors get into real trouble is by ramping up the risk level of their investment portfolios by using strategies like investing on margin or using options to create leveraged plays on stocks they like.</p>
<p>Most brokers will let you borrow on margin in order to buy more shares of stock than you could otherwise afford. That's great when the stock goes up, because you own more shares and therefore get bigger profits. However, the margin loan charges interest, and it's also subject to rules that can force you to cash out at what often turns out to be the worst possible time, creating permanent losses from which you can't recover.</p>
<p>Similarly, options strategies can produce huge returns when the underlying stock moves in the direction you expect within a given timeframe. However, many options expire worthless, and you can lose everything with an options portfolio even if the share prices stay stable or move slightly in your favor.</p>
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<p>All in all, opportunities for leverage increase potential return, but they also result in higher risk. Using leverage incorrectly can dramatically increase the chances of losing everything in the stock market.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fool.com/author/14471/index.aspx" type="external">Brian Feroldi Opens a New Window.</a>: One big way many first-time investors go wrong in the stock market is by only buying shares of penny stocks. It's all-too-easy these days to find an "exciting" penny stock to invest in since there are advertisements all over the web that promise huge gains if you follow the promoter's "can't-miss" system.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the real truth is that buying penny stocks is generally a very bad idea, and often, the companies that are promoting penny stocks are running a simple pump-and-dump scam. Buying the stocks they are pitching is almost guaranteed to lose you a lot of money.</p>
<p>Image source: Tax Credits on Flickr.</p>
<p>Need proof? A few years back, one of The Motley Fool's analysts was smart enough to create a <a href="http://caps.fool.com/player/tmfstockspam.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">dedicated CAPS page Opens a New Window.</a> that simply gave a thumbs down to every penny stock that he came across. The results speak for themselves -- more than 93% of the penny stocks identified have drastically underperformed the markets, and several dozens of the companies on the list have produced a loss of 98% or more.</p>
<p>The takeaway here is clear: Avoid investing in penny stocks and put your money into quality companies or index funds instead.</p>
<p>I, for one, had to learn this lesson the hard way. When I first started investing, I only invested in penny stocks as I was very attracted to the idea of a low share price. At the time, I didn't have a lot of money to invest, so I liked the idea of being able to buy hundreds or even thousands of shares with only a few hundred dollars. Besides, since the price was so low, the shares only had to go up a pennies for me to bank a strong profit, right?</p>
<p>Wrong. Every penny stock I bought fell drastically and my savings were quickly whittle down to next to nothing. Thankfully, I sold before things got really bad. Lesson learned: Investors should completely ignore the price of the shares that a company is trading at and focus far more of their attention on the quality of the business itself.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSelena/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Selena Maranjian Opens a New Window.</a>: A great way to lose everything in the stock market is to not have a good grip on your emotions. Greed, for example, can destroy a lot of wealth by driving you to invest in high-fliers that have already exceeded their intrinsic value and are getting too close to the sun.</p>
<p>And then there's fear. If you don't accept the fact that the stock market and individual stocks will go up and down -- sometimes sharply -- over time, then you may end up panicking and bailing out of stocks that experience temporary downturns. Remember that when it comes to the overall market, it has recovered and gone on to set new highs after every downturn. A graph of the stock market's long-term performance is quite jagged, but the overall trend has been upward.</p>
<p>Datafrom Dalbar &amp; Lipper has shown just how destructive our emotions can be to our wealth. Between 1996 and 2015, stock mutual funds averaged annual gains of 7.7%. That's enough to turn a single $10,000 investment in 1996 to $44,000 by the end of 2015. Amazingly, though, the average annual gain of the average stock mutual fund investor was just 4.7% over the same period. Growing at 4.7% annually over 20 years, a $10,000 investment will become $25,000 -- fully $19,000 less. Why the difference? Well, it reflects investors selling out of their funds when afraid and jumping back in when greedy. The bigger gain was realized only by those who sat put. Trading in and out of stocks or funds can also rack up commission costs and lead to short-term gains, which are generally taxed at higher rates than long-term gains.</p>
<p>Remember that just about every great long-term stock has dropped or stalled at some point. As long as you have faith in the underlying company, it's often best to hang on. Being patient and rational can boost your portfolio's performance.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/14/3-ways-to-lose-everything-in-the-stock-market.aspx" type="external">3 Ways to Lose Everything in the Stock Market Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p>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> | 3 Ways to Lose Everything in the Stock Market | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/04/14/3-ways-to-lose-everything-in-stock-market.html | 2016-04-14 | 0 |
<p>I returned to Vietnam in April, having not been there since the war, nearly 50 years ago. I’d sailed there as a seaman in the National Maritime Union (NMU) on a cargo ship carrying war materiel from the naval ammo base in Port Chicago, California. Having been active in the anti-war movement before the merchant marine, I was reluctant to go to Vietnam. Popular chants in the anti-war demonstrations in the ‘60’s were “Hell No, We Won’t Go!” and “Ho Ho Ho Chi Minh, the NLF is Gonna Win!” At Penn State I burned my draft card in 1965 along with several others including <a href="" type="internal">Andy Stapp</a>, &#160;who had organized the anti-war American Serviceman’s Union.&#160; That same year Marxist philosopher Isaac Deutscher,&#160; underscoring the power of the working class, said in a speech at Columbia University that he’d give a thousand of the mushrooming student anti-war protests for just one, solid workers strike against the war in Vietnam.</p>
<p>A Trotskyist seaman in the union convinced me that an individualistic act of refusing to sail to Vietnam wouldn’t stop the war, that revolutionaries should go with the working class youth, that our task was to organize within the military and the trade unions to fight to stop the war. My father’s family was steel mill workers from Steelton, Pennsylvania, and my mother’s family had fled the Nazis in Vienna. Her mother who I adored was a socialist. So, it wasn’t difficult to convince me of a working class perspective. Soon, a seaman’s job on the S.S. Hoosier State was on the board at the union hall in San Francisco, destination: Vietnam. I took it.</p>
<p>While on duty on lookout one night on the bow halfway across the pond, I heard on my short wave radio that Ho Chi Minh had died. At the time he was my hero. So, I cut a piece of black cloth the next day and wore it on my shirt. When questioned about it by crew members, I explained that I was honoring Ho Chi Minh, the “George Washington of Vietnam” who led the independence struggle against the Japanese in WWII, then the French colonialists and now the American imperialists. It was my initial foray into organizing against such wars in the trade union movement.</p>
<p>Crew members responded with interest. But my biggest surprise came from a bar girl at the Peace Hotel in Danang who questioned me about the black ribbon. I told her it was to commemorate Uncle Ho, leader of the liberation forces. She said, “You, an American, support Viet Cong?”&#160; Then she leaned over and whispered, “I give money to VC.”</p>
<p>Later I learned that Vietnamese Communists–both Stalinists and Trotskyists—worked together in the 1930’s, but later Ho’s Viet Minh arrested and killed Trotskyists. After WWII, Ho’s Viet Minh welcomed the British troops to Vietnam and sought U.S. recognition of their independence.&#160; Instead, Truman sent U.S. freighters, manned by unionized merchant seamen, to transport French troops to re-colonize the newly-declared independent republic of Vietnam in collaboration with the British and defeated Japanese military. These imperialist coalition forces bombed Haiphong and Hanoi to pave the way for re-colonization that provoked the war of national liberation and social revolution.</p>
<p>Little did I know in 1969 that NMU merchant seamen on board those ships were the first to protest the “imperialist policies of foreign governments… in Vietnam” in 1945. The NMU, then the largest maritime union with 100,000 members, and the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union (ILWU), both influenced by the Communist Party, had played a leading role in the militant Congress of Industrial Unions (CIO).</p>
<p>But it wasn’t until May Day 2008, forty years later, that I experienced the power of that class struggle strategy, mobilizing the working class against imperialist war. &#160;The ILWU shutdown all West Coast ports to protest the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was the union’s Vietnam veterans who spoke passionately for strike action that inspired other union members and prevailed at the union meeting despite contrary sentiments of the union leadership. That illegal strike was the first by American workers against an imperialist U.S. war.</p>
<p>Carpet Bombing, Napalm, Agent Orange and Massacres &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</p>
<p>When I arrived in Hanoi last month, I had arranged to meet former U.S. Army Military Intelligence Specialist Chuck Searcy, now a leading member of Veterans for Peace in Vietnam. The day before we met at the Metropole Hotel (where Joan Baez stayed during the American Christmas bombing of 1972). He lives in Hanoi, speaks Vietnamese and coordinates work with Project Renew to remove unexploded ordinances (UXO’s). Just the day before a 500 lb. unexploded bomb had been found in Quang Tri province between Hue, the ancient capital, and the DMZ. It was safely removed by the Vietnamese mobile team of Project Renew.</p>
<p>The U.S. dropped more than 7 million tons of bombs on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, more than twice the amount dropped in Europe and Asia in all of World War II. Many remain unexploded. Chuck Searcy said that the equivalent of 8 atomic bombs were dropped around the DMZ. Over 40,000 Vietnamese, 20,000 Laotians and a similar number of Cambodians have been killed by UXO’s since 1975, the end of the war. During the American war in Southeast Asia, 3 million people were killed in Vietnam, 1 million in Laos and another 1 million in Cambodia, a total of 5 million people. The Vietnam Veterans War Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. has 58,307 names of U.S. military killed in Vietnam and is 247 feet long. If a wall were built for those Vietnamese, Laotians and Cambodians killed in the war it would be over 4 miles long.</p>
<p>On top of the barbaric use of the toxic defoliant dioxin or Agent Orange 400,000 people were killed or maimed, a half a million children for over 3 generations have been born with serious birth defects and 2 million people suffer from cancer and other serious illnesses. The Veterans for Peace (VFP) are doing a yeoman’s job of cleaning up that poison in the Danang area.</p>
<p>Perhaps what most aroused anti-U.S. anger around the world was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phan_Thi_Kim_Phuc#/media/File:TrangBang.jpg" type="external">horrific images of children running naked</a> after being seared by napalm and the pictures of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_Massacre#/media/File:Dead_man_and_child_from_the_My_Lai_massacre.jpg" type="external">My Lai massacre with bloody bodies of dead babies</a>, mothers, children and elderly strewn along a dirt road, a horror story exposed by Seymour Hersh. Nick Turse’s well-researched book <a href="" type="internal">Kill Anything That Moves</a>&#160;from recently declassified Pentagon files on the American war in Vietnam, documents how such massacres occurred all over South Vietnam. The Pentagon demanded higher body counts of the Viet Cong. Pentagon brass considered anyone living in VC-controlled villages, babies included, as foes. None of the Pentagon brass was ever charged with war crimes. All of these war crimes are meticulously and graphically documented in the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, originally called the American War Crimes Museum. The name was changed to placate American tourists.</p>
<p>The bold January 1968 Tet Offensive, by Vietcong sappers and militia along with the North Vietnamese Army, launched a coordinated attack in several cities that belied the Pentagon propaganda that the U.S. was winning the war. In the Tet Offensive the U.S. Embassy in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) was occupied by the Viet Cong for several hours, according to Chuck Searcy who was based there. The U.S. military and South Vietnamese army lost control of several cities temporarily. Hue was held for a month by insurgents, many of them university students. It only fell after a massive U.S. bombardment of the ancient capital, destroying much of that archeological site.</p>
<p>Ironically, one of the first casualties of the American war in Vietnam occurred in 1964 in Halong Bay which nowadays is full of tour boats. After President Johnson claimed (falsely as it was later shown) that North Vietnam attacked an American destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin, the U.S. “retaliated” by bombing the main port Haiphong and nearby beautiful Cat Ba Island in Halong Bay which is of no military significance.</p>
<p>If Air Force General Curtis LeMay had his way, he declared, the U.S. would have won the war by using nuclear bombs in Vietnam. Before that he had advocated dropping atomic bombs on Cuba and North Korea. &#160;No wonder North Korea felt the need to develop nuclear arms for defense. In the 1968 elections, LeMay (Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove) ran for Vice President with racist Alabama Governor George Wallace.</p>
<p>Kicking the “Vietnam Syndrome”&#160;</p>
<p>Massive protests erupted and grew to the end of the war and afterwards leaving a strong distaste of wars for empire. George H. W. Bush inveighed against the “Vietnam Syndrome”, honing the American sword for the next war. Over a hundred years ago Mark Twain, a fervent member of the Anti-Imperialist League, had warned in the wake of the Spanish American War that democracy and empire are irreconcilable. Karl Marx had already analyzed capitalism’s highest stage of imperialism, recognizing that as a natural consequence of the tendency of the falling rate of profit imperialist countries are compelled to seek new markets through coercive trade agreements or war, if necessary. At the museum in the village of My Lai, there’s a film on that massacre pointing out the relevance of the Vietnam War to the wars in the Middle East today.</p>
<p>While I was in Hanoi, President “Make the Empire Great Again” Trump reversed his electoral “isolationist” foreign policy after increasing the military budget. He hitched onto the trajectory of liberal hawk of Hillary Clinton. In rapid succession he sent a flurry of Tomahawk cruise missiles hitting an air base in Syria used by the Russians while accusing, without any evidence, the Assad regime of a deadly chemical attack on civilians in ISIS-occupied territory. Then the U.S. military dropped the “mother of all bombs” on ISIS tunnels in Afghanistan, where the Taliban control half of the country. Now, he’s threatening nuclear-armed North Korea with a U.S. naval armada. Elected Democrats in Congress supported the bombing of Syria, were essentially silent on the “Mother of All Bombs” dropped on Afghanistan and criticized Trump for misstating that he was sending the U.S. “naval armada” toward North Korea when it was heading away, implying that he was not acting sufficiently militaristic enough against a nuclear-armed country. Over 3 million Koreans died in the other American war in East Asia.</p>
<p>President Eisenhower warned Americans about the danger of the “military-industrial complex”. But this is the same Eisenhower who prepared the Bay of Pigs invasion (carried out by Democrat Kennedy) in a failed attempt to crush the Cuban Revolution. In fact, it is not just a particular pressure group but U.S. imperialism that has carried out military interventions continuously since the end of WW II, under Democrats and Republicans alike, using the cover of “American exceptionalism”. The Pentagon now has American troops stationed in 150 countries. Is it any wonder when you google which country is the greatest threat to world peace the answer is the United States? (Except for Breitbart!)</p>
<p>&#160;Is Vietnam A Failing Revolution?</p>
<p>When the Vietnamese Revolution triumphed in 1975, it was not only a civil war of national reunification but also a social revolution replacing the U.S. puppet capitalist regime in South Vietnam with what Trotskyists call a deformed workers state, a social gain but a bureaucratically-run state. It was a stunning defeat for imperialism. Liberals and Nixon cried “No more Vietnams,” but the victory of the Vietnamese Revolution inspired struggles from southern Africa to Central America.</p>
<p>Author Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel <a href="" type="internal">The Sympathizer</a> portrays American exceptionalism as delusional. His protagonist is a Vietnamese Communist counterintelligence agent in the U.S. after the victorious Vietnam Revolution. Ultimately, he himself is imprisoned and tortured in Vietnam by the Stalinist regime. His jailers sadistically interrogate him, “What is more important than independence and freedom?” Viet shows the dark, repressive side of the Vietnamese state, but he maintains that revolution is still necessary. So, what is happening in Vietnam today?</p>
<p>When I was in Danang in 1969, soldiers and seamen used to take R &amp; R on China Beach, hang out at the bars and drink Saigon tea with the bar girls. Today, it has been replaced with miles and miles of upscale hotels on China Beach being built for wealthy tourists. It’s a new American invasion, this time not by troops but by capital. Surprisingly, the mantra of many young Vietnamese who didn’t live through the war is “We need to forget about the past and look to the future.” As the Spanish philosopher George Santayana remarked, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”</p>
<p>I talked to Le Phan Linh, president of the 30,000 member Vietnam National Shipping Lines Workers’ Union (VWU). I asked why crews on the tourist boats in Halong Bay and the Mekong River were not being organized by the union. (The communist-led NMU was begun with a strike on a passenger ship, then organized all ships.) He said his union only organized cargo vessels and if seamen on tourist vessels wanted a union they could join a local union. The seamen onboard the passenger vessels that I talked to had no union and some didn’t even know what a trade union was. Mr. Le explained that Vietnam was a poor country, that foreign investment was important. Apparently, workers in the tourist industry–on tour boats and luxury hotels– are not being organized.</p>
<p>The Vietnam General Confederation of Labor (VGCL) is the only union federation recognized by the government and the restrictive labor code makes it difficult to strike. Yet, over the last 12 years there have been militant, wildcat and sit-down strikes. The Australian Green Left Weekly (Dec. 10, 2003) poignantly reported: “In Vietnam’s precarious balance between mobilising private and foreign capital to help develop the war-ruined country and trying to maintain a dominant state-owned sector and a ‘socialist orientation’, the role of organised labour is crucial in stopping “market forces” from undermining labour standards.”</p>
<p>In 2006, 350,000 workers were involved in 541 strikes in factories mainly owned by foreign capitalists from Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. 5 years later wildcat strikes over wages and working conditions nearly doubled to 981. Even the U.S. State Department conceded that the Vietnamese government tolerated strikes and not only didn’t punish the strikers but often mediated contract settlements in the workers’ favor. In some cases the government even penalized employers for illegal practices that provoked the strikes.</p>
<p>Now, the Vietnamese government is caught in a dilemna. It seeks to attract foreign investment based on low wages and political stability. Yet, with the average monthly wage of $145, lower than most South East Asian countries, workers are organizing to increase their wages and working conditions. With the run-up to the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), the state harassed and imprisoned some strike leaders. Independent unions are seen as a threat.</p>
<p>I asked why in Cuba socialized medicine and free education are the hallmarks of their revolution, yet in Vietnam workers had to pay for health care and schooling. He explained that there were major changes in the Vietnamese economy in the 1990s, the period of enhanced neo-liberal capitalist trade agreements. The Communist Party of Vietnam decided to follow that path and attract foreign capital in an attempt ostensibly to raise the low standard of living of workers. Yet, they don’t tax foreign investors sufficiently to cover the expenses of health care, education and other social needs for fear of discouraging investments. Instead workers complain that they have to shoulder the cost of these social needs which should be free under socialism. Moreover, the Vietnam government favors the TPP that was resoundingly rejected by American workers. Such glaring contradictions will have to be resolved in favor of the working class or the social gains of the Vietnamese revolution will be torn asunder not by brute military force but by the capitalist behemoth.</p> | Vietnam Revisited During Trump’s Bonkers Brinkmanship | true | https://counterpunch.org/2017/05/01/vietnam-revisited-during-trumps-bonkers-brinkmanship/ | 2017-05-01 | 4 |
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