text
stringlengths 0
127k
| title
stringlengths 0
777
| hyperpartisan
bool 2
classes | url
stringlengths 26
278
| published_at
stringlengths 0
10
| bias
int64 0
4
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>I am proud of the improvements the Martinez Administration has made in our state, but I am distressed that the N.M. Department of Game and Fish has adopted such cruel and short-sighted policies toward the desperate hungry bears that occasionally come down out of the Sandia Mountains into adjacent developments such as my own, in South Sandia Heights.</p>
<p>Thanks to the deadly combination of an unseasonably late killing freeze last spring and drought, the bears’ natural food is scarce to nonexistent.</p>
<p>Supplying the bears with food – so-called diversionary feeding – has worked elsewhere; there is no reason it can’t work here.</p>
<p>Instead of killing these poor creatures, they should be relocated to points in the mountain where humans rarely go and where diversionary feeding stations are maintained.</p>
<p>Bears – including so-called “problem bears” – are smart; once they find food at these locations, the last thing they will want to do is wander back into Albuquerque. Once normal conditions return, feeding can be terminated and the bears will forage elsewhere and, under normal conditions, they will again find their usual natural food in the mountains without approaching the city.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Purists may object that diversionary feeding isn’t “natural.” However, under natural conditions, bears faced with famine in the mountains could come down to the Rio Grande Valley, where alternative food supplies would be found near the river.</p>
<p>Today, bears attempting to do this encounter Albuquerque and other communities, which are certainly less “natural” than a properly-designed feeding station in the mountains. Still less “natural” are the tranquilizers, traps and bullets with which Game and Fish greets these poor animals.</p>
<p>Should I see a bear in my neighborhood, the last thing I would do would be to call Game and Fish or other animal control authorities, whose response would at best be to relocate the bear to an unfamiliar area equally devoid of natural food; at worst, the response would be to kill it. I would simply wait for the bear to go away, which it no doubt will if we are careful not to leave goodies that attract bears outside our homes.</p>
<p>How much better it would be to supply humane diversionary feeding stations up in the mountains where the bears would rather be and we’d rather have them! Talk about win-win!</p> | Bears deserve some diversionary food | false | https://abqjournal.com/244530/bears-deserve-some-diversionary-food.html | 2013-08-09 | 2 |
<p><a href="https://z5h64q92x9.net/proxy_u/ru-en.en/https/colonelcassad.livejournal.com/3656515.html" type="external">https://z5h64q92x9.net/proxy_u/ru-en.en/https/colonelcassad.livejournal.com/3656515.html</a></p>
<p />
<p>By the evening of 4 September the main forces of the SAA are located 2 kilometers from the position of the garrison enclave in the heart of the 137th bases of the "Panorama". The southern grouping is from the "Panorama" of about 10 kilometers. VCS RF powerful airstrikes in the area. Attempts of militants to counter-attack from the South-East were repulsed, and the SAA, in turn, consolidated control over the villages located near the road Palmyra-Sukhna-Deir-ez-Zor. The possession of this road is of strategic importance from the point of view of the operations of the group on Deri-ez-Zor on the part of Sukhna. According to unconfirmed reports, part of the Executive management of ISIS evacuated from Deir-ez-Zor in the direction Madina and Abu Kemal. Also, according to yet unconfirmed reports, the militants withdrawn have troops from the area between the coming of offensive of the SAA. <a type="external" href="" /></p>
<p>Video mid day <a href="http://miladvisor/status/904752465307979776" type="external">https://twitter.com/miladvisor/status/904752465307979776</a> seen as Zahreddin on the radio talking with the commanders of the assault units of the SAA going to the 137th base, watching the explosions of artillery shells on the horizon. The militants say that in the battle near the village Kabab destroyed 1 BMP and 3 carts of Syrians. Syrian sources more abstractly talking about significant losses of militants over the past day, but noted that was destroyed 7 Shaheed-mobiles. Russian defense Ministry say that during the day the army took control of key heights to the West of Deir ez-Zor. After 7 PM, Syrian sources reported that at South gate of the cemetery lies between the enclave and was hoisted the Syrian flag. Photo not yet. Twitter Guilana turnip reigns funny hysterical fans, fighters, and in General there is a competition in the style of "think up the most ridiculous excuse for another failure of ISIS".</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>SAA in the area Kabamba.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Syrian soldiers, who for 4 years defended Deir-ez-Zor.</p>
<p>If not mistaken, in the background you can see a Russian armored car "the Shot". Most likely the PMC.</p>
<p>In the area of the intersection to the West of Deir ez-Zor.</p>
<p>Promotion to the 137th database.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p>The Garrison of the enclave for the last few hours has strengthened its position in the cemetery and the hospital. The Syrian Army went on the offensive this morning, as well as VKS continued airstrikes in the area of "Panorama" and the cemetery dividing the enclave into 2 parts.</p>
<p>In "Analysis"</p>
<p>To the North of the city of SAA has broken the resistance of the militants in Ayyash district, and is developing a successful offensive along the road leading to Madan, which is cut off from the main territory of the Caliphate.</p>
<p>In "Analysis"</p>
<p>This is a very symbolic day for the Syrian war. The garrison repelled dozens of attacks and assaults, even being in split into two parts, besieged, deprived of a full supply, and yet confounded all the skeptics waiting for reinforcements. Of course, this is only the formal access to the?</p>
<p>In "Analysis"</p> | Deir ez-Zor. 04.09.2017. The evening | Colonel Cassad | true | https://4threvolutionarywar.wordpress.com/2017/09/07/deir-ez-zor-04-09-2017-the-evening-colonel-cassad/ | 2017-09-07 | 4 |
<p>Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of Burma's National League for Democracy party, smiles after the first session of the country's popularly elected parliament in the capital Naypyidaw on February 1, 2016.Kyodo/AP</p>
<p />
<p>Update (3/15/2016): Burma’s Parliament on Tuesday elected Htin Kyaw as the country’s first civilian president after more than half a century of direct or indirect military rule. Members of parliament reportedly broke into applause when the result was announced. “Victory!” Htin Kyaw <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35808921" type="external">said</a>. “This is sister Aung San Suu Kyi’s victory.”</p>
<p>Pro-democracy champion and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi won’t be Burma’s next president, but she’s one step closer to ruling her country anyway: On Thursday, her political party <a href="http://time.com/4253509/burma-presidential-nominees-aung-san-suu-kyi-htin-kyaw/" type="external">nominated</a> one of her closest aides as a presidential candidate. If Parliament formally selects him next week—as it’s expected to do—he’ll likely serve as a proxy, with Suu Kyi pulling the strings from behind the scenes.</p>
<p>After decades of <a href="" type="internal">brutal military rule</a> and five years of a military-backed but quasi-civilian government, Suu Kyi’s party won a <a href="" type="internal">landslide victory</a> in Burma’s general election in November. But Suu Kyi, the country’s most popular politician, <a href="" type="internal">can’t become president</a> because Burma’s constitution—written by military generals—makes her ineligible for the position. So instead, her party has nominated her aide Htin Kyaw for the job. “He is the closest to Aung San Suu Kyi and he is the one who would completely follow her advice,” a member of her party <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/aung-san-sui-kyis-former-schoolmate-nominated-as-presidential-candidate/2016/03/10/3bb87114-e6a4-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html" type="external">told the</a> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/aung-san-sui-kyis-former-schoolmate-nominated-as-presidential-candidate/2016/03/10/3bb87114-e6a4-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html" type="external">Washington Post</a>. The president will be chosen by Parliament from among three nominees and will assume office in April; after dominating the general election, Suu Kyi’s party holds enough seats to ensure its nominee is selected.</p>
<p>The Obama administration and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have been <a href="" type="internal">pushing for years</a> for democratic reform in Burma. After the general election, for example, President Obama <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/11/12/readout-presidents-call-aung-san-suu-kyi-burma" type="external">personally called</a> Suu Kyi to commend her work as a democracy champion. Still, Burma’s military has <a href="" type="internal">retained power</a> over key ministries and continues to attack ethnic-minority rebel groups. “Burma’s not free yet,” Sean Turnell, a Burma expert in Sydney, <a href="http://www.npr.org/2016/03/10/469897734/aung-san-suu-kyi-will-not-be-myanmars-next-president" type="external">told NPR</a>. “It’s in a process of moving towards something better, but it’s not in that place of being a functioning democracy yet.”</p>
<p /> | Aung San Suu Kyi Can’t Be Burma’s President. Here’s How She’ll Run the Country Anyway. | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2016/03/burma-president-aung-san-suu-kyi-nominates-candidates/ | 2016-03-11 | 4 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>CANBERRA, Australia — Police in Australia have detained five men suspected of planning a series of Christmas Day bomb attacks in the heart of the country’s second-largest city, officials said Friday.</p>
<p>The suspects had been inspired by the Islamic State group and planned attacks on Melbourne’s Flinders Street train station, neighboring Federation Square and St. Paul’s Cathedral, Victoria state Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said.</p>
<p>The arrests came after a truck smashed into a Christmas market in Berlin on Monday, killing 12 people. A manhunt is underway for the person behind that attack, which prompted increases in security around the world.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Two of seven people initially arrested in raids Thursday night and Friday morning in Melbourne — a 26-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman — were released without being charged, police said.</p>
<p>Five men between the ages 21 and 26 remained in custody and would be charged later Friday with preparing a terrorist attack. They were not identified but police said four were born in Australia and the fifth was Egyptian-born with Egyptian and Australian citizenship.</p>
<p>Police had been watching the alleged plotters for some time, and believed they were preparing to use explosives, knives and a gun, Ashton said.</p>
<p>Police believed the threat had been neutralized through the raids on five Melbourne premises, he said.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said: “This is one of the most substantial terrorist plots that have been disrupted over the last several years.”</p>
<p>“Islamist terrorism is a global challenge that affects us all. But we must not be cowed by the terrorists,” Turnbull told reporter.</p>
<p>“We will continue to go about our lives as we always have. What these criminals seek to do is to kill. But they also seek to frighten us, to cow us into abandoning our Australian way of life. They want to frighten Australians. They want to divide Australians. They want us to turn on each other. We will not let them succeed,” he added.</p>
<p>Since Australia’s terrorist threat level was elevated in September 2014, the government says there have been four extremist attacks and 12 plots foiled by police.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said the plotters had moved very quickly from a plan to develop a capability to attack.</p>
<p>“In terms of events that we have seen over the past few years in Australia, this certainly concerns me more than any other event that I’ve seen,” Colvin said.</p>
<p>“We believe that we have removed the bulk of this particular cell, this group,” he said.</p>
<p>Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said there will be extra police on the streets of Melbourne on Christmas Day to make the public feel safe.</p>
<p>About 400 police officers were involved in the raids.</p>
<p>Ashton described those arrested as “self-radicalized” and inspired by Islamic State propaganda.</p> | Australia police: Christmas Day bomb plot foiled, 5 detained | false | https://abqjournal.com/914544/australian-police-say-they-prevented-bombings-on-christmas.html | 2016-12-22 | 2 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>In this Monday, June 15, 2015 photo, Ethan Fletcher, left, and partner Andrew Hickam pose for a photograph in Cincinnati. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule sometime this month on the legal status of same-sex marriage; Ohio is among states that still ban it. Gay couples, such as Fletcher and Hickam are gearing up for a quick run to the courthouse in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee - the states involved in the cases that were argued in April before the justices. (AP Photo/Dan Sewell)</p>
<p>CINCINNATI - With a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage expected any day now, gay couples in states with bans are making wedding plans, courthouse officials are getting ready for different scenarios and steadfast foes are working on their strategies to keep up the opposition.</p>
<p>Marriage license bureaus are bracing for a rush of applicants if the court overturns bans. Meanwhile, there's been a series of planning sessions by groups that intend to explore religious objection responses to protect "traditional marriage" limited to heterosexuals.</p>
<p>Gay couples, such as Ethan Fletcher and Andrew Hickam of Cincinnati, are gearing up for a quick run to the courthouse in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee - the states involved in the cases that were argued in April before the justices. They're among 14 states that ban same-sex marriage, and if the high court rules in favor of gay marriage, it would apply nationally.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Fletcher, 31, a University of Cincinnati senior academic adviser, and Hickam, 30, a GE Aviation engineer, have arranged to take off work to get their license if the decision allows immediate same-sex marriages and will then plan a formal wedding. They became engaged nearly two years ago but decided against getting married in another state as long as there was the possibility they could do it at home.</p>
<p>"Well, we live here and we pay taxes here and our families live here," said Fletcher, adding that they want his grandmother and Hickam's mother to be able to attend. "We didn't feel that it was reasonable for us to have to travel out of state for the freedom to marry."</p>
<p>In Hamilton County, where Cincinnati is located, the marriage license bureau said other courthouse staffers have been cross-trained and forms are available online to help speed the process. Court officials in Cuyahoga County, where Cleveland is located, say they're prepared to process triple the usual number of applications.</p>
<p>Probate Court Judge Jan Michael Long, of Pickaway County, near Columbus, said he and other probate judges met to discuss potential rulings and their impacts. There are a lot of procedural issues involving the need for gender-neutral wording and who gets legal notifications, he said, and it could be complicated depending on when the court ruling becomes effective and how it's worded.</p>
<p>In Ingham County, Michigan, Clerk Barb Byrum said she might not wait for a new marriage license form from the state, and could simply white-out "bride" and "groom" on the application when she gets the legal green light.</p>
<p>She has collected dozens of email addresses from local same-sex couples to notify them of the Supreme Court decision when she knows it. She was among four clerks who issued licenses on a Saturday during a 24-hour period in 2014 when gay marriage in Michigan was legal between court orders.</p>
<p>The Tennessee Equality Project has been asking people to let them know in advance if they plan to get married on Day One. Its website includes instructions on obtaining licenses and finding officiants.</p>
<p>Bleu Copas, who lives just outside of Knoxville, said he wants to get married right away if the ban is lifted.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"We're looking at wedding bands and what to wear," he said.</p>
<p>He and his fiance plan to marry at a small chapel on a farm belonging to the pastor of Nashville's Covenant of the Cross Church, Greg Bullard, who intends to host at least 15 free weddings for same-sex couples on July 3 if the court makes it legal.</p>
<p>Some pastors, though, have signaled plans to resist a Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed a "pastor protection" law that allows clergy members to refuse officiating marriages that violates his religious beliefs.</p>
<p>Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting Wednesday in Columbus, issued a statement saying they would not recognize, host or perform same-sex marriages. Some county clerks in Kentucky and other states, including Nebraska, have expressed objections to the possibility of same-sex marriages, but Douglas County Clerk Thomas Cavanaugh, in Omaha, said Nebraska's largest counties already have changed marriage license applications to include gender-neutral wording and are ready to follow whatever the high court decides is the law.</p>
<p>North Carolina and Utah have passed laws allowing some court officials to refuse to perform gay marriage responsibilities.</p>
<p>Advocacy groups opposed to same-sex marriage have been discussing the legal defenses for religious objectors including business owners, employers and others besides clergy and court officials. Phil Burress, leader of the Citizens for Community Values that opposes gay marriage, predicts a ruling in favor of it will trigger more litigation and political action.</p>
<p>In Cincinnati, Hickam and Fletcher say if the court upholds bans, they'll go to a state that has recognized same-sex marriage through state, not federal action, to wed and then work for the political movement to gain recognition at the ballot box.</p>
<p>"We would then just join forces with the rest of the gay community to bring about change through the democratic process," Hickam said. "And things would be hopeful going that route."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Travis Loller in Nashville, Tennessee; Ed White in Detroit; Margery A. Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Contact Dan Sewell at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/dansewell" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/dansewell</a></p> | Couples, officials, foes readying for US gay marriage ruling | false | https://abqjournal.com/602264/couples-officials-foes-readying-for-us-gay-marriage-ruling.html | 2 |
|
<p>Walid Al-Saqaf is a media researcher specializing in Internet censorship. He is a freelance journalist and the former editor of the Yemen Times. He has written for the Gulf News and the Wall Street Journal and is the founder of yemenportal.net. Currently, Walid Al-Saqaf is pursuing his PhD at the Department of Media and Communication at Orebro University, Sweden.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p /> DANYA NADAR, TRNN: Welcome to The Real News Network. My name is Danya Nadar. Coming to you from Washington, DC. In Yemen, demonstrations have been escalating, calling for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. On Tuesday, the Army shot live ammunition, rubber bullets, and tear gas against government protesters at a university campus in Sana'a, which is the capital of the country. Joining us today is Walid Al-Saqaf. He is the former editor of The Yemen Times and is currently completing his PhD in Sweden. Thanks for joining us.
<p />
<p />WALID AL-SAQAF, FMR. EDITOR, THE YEMEN TIMES: Thank you.
<p />
<p />NADAR: So tell us what's been happening in the last little while in Yemen, just to bring us up to speed.
<p />
<p />AL-SAQAF: Since February 3, which is the day the revolution started officially, there has been an increasing number of demonstrators all over the streets, different cities, different governorates, all protesting and calling for the end of the regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh, president of Yemen, who's been there for around 33 years. People have been repressed and attacked in streets in different areas. In one incident in Aden, at least nine people have been actually killed during one of those protests and many others injured. An attack took place against protesters, peaceful protesters, just in front of Sana'a University, in the capital, and at least one person died, and just about 80--or more than 80 people injured. So the intensity of the situation is getting higher and higher.
<p />
<p />NADAR: Who are these protesters, according to the government?
<p />
<p />AL-SAQAF: I mean, there's always been justifications, ranging from troublemakers to opposition, politically motivated, I don't know, those that belong to the opposition coalition. Some--more recently they claim that there are some members of al-Qaeda who had actually infiltrated those groups. And so there are a number of other reasons and motivations, sometimes saying that there has been some sort--they trigger violence from within by bringing in some arms or so forth. So, constantly, over and over, they bring in different excuses, different justifications to crack down. And most recently, there is a disturbing revelation saying that the authorities have actually let go of around 1,000 prisoners from the central prison of Yemen, which itself had--within it, there has been an incident in which three prisoners have been killed and many others injured.
<p />
<p />NADAR: And what has been the response of the US government?
<p />
<p />AL-SAQAF: There's been an interview saying that the US ambassador had actually approved President Saleh's initiative for dialog and did not approve of him being removed, just like the case in Egypt or Tunisia. And this is coming in a time just after the crackdown of Sana'a, which sent a really negative and bad message to the demonstrators and to all those yearning for freedom. They are now--actually, the authorities on Yemen have been using this particular interview to bolster their position, saying that, look, Americans are in our support; they think that we are right and demonstrators are wrong. So this has actually sent a negative message. And I do hope that this was not real official policy. It is official; I mean, officially speaking, it represents the US government. But I do hope that something else would come in to compensate for this, because it has been a real letdown to many of those demonstrators, who have been protesting peacefully. If there had been some sort of message saying the--we are, let's say, concerned by the violence that--taking place or that we do believe they do have the right to be looked into and their requests being met, that would have been given some sort of balance. But as the picture shows right now, the image is not positive at all right now.
<p />
<p />NADAR: In other movements across the Middle East, they've been mainly leaderless. Has there been a leader that has come out in this opposition movement within Yemen?
<p />
<p />AL-SAQAF: No, not at all. It's been almost exact same scenario, where first a few youth would rally in front of the university, then they would gather more people. They'll be, of course, attacked by authorities, by the police. Then more people would join in. And then the number would grow to a critical point, where it's become some sort of mainstream activity where regular people would join in. So you have a youth movement that's growing and then bringing in people from different areas, from different ages. And then, of course, there is this opposition coalition which has joined in. It's basically the alliance of the--all different factions of the opposition, including Islah, which is the main party, followed by the Yemeni Socialist Party and Nasseris' party and others. And they represent different parts of the country--I mean, not necessarily geographically, but originally the Yemeni Socialist Party comes from the south, for example. The only fear is that if the opposition would really, say, take over leadership--and so far it's not happened, and there is a very strong sentiment, very strong call for this never to happen, because it would really divert it from its goal of becoming nonpolitical, nonpartisan, and making sure that the youth remain there in leadership.
<p />
<p />NADAR: So, Walid, what's next? Have there been protests that are called for Friday? Or how are protesters reacting currently?
<p />
<p />AL-SAQAF: If you've looked at the footage of the attack yesterday, pictures of people beaten up by the police, of course, shot with live ammunition, you'd notice that a lot of them were upset not because they're hurt, but because they did not participate [in] that day and next day's activities and rallies, now calling not only for the toppling of the regime, but also for its prosecution. And this is a trend that reminds us very much of Egypt, efforts by the youth in bringing in the national unity among the different groups from the south, from the east and west, calling for one single demand, which is to end this 33 oppressive dictatorship [sic].
<p />
<p />NADAR: What's the situation in Yemen in terms of how the military is reacting to the government?
<p />
<p />AL-SAQAF: There's been some sort of--not obvious, but some sort of a visible split between the Republican Guards and those very much affiliated to the president and regular Army and even police members. Some Army members have in fact joined the protesters, and this is really a unique thing. And on one occasion, I've seen one officer simply remove the stars of his, I mean, rank, removing them and throwing them to the public, saying, I do not wish to be part of a regime that's oppressing its people. So there is a movement [inaudible] there is something going on in Yemen, and it's not properly reflected in the media. But what is very clear now is that people are rallying against--again and again with one single cause, which is to end the regime. And that means that the days of Saleh are really limited. And I do hope that the West and the world will realize that it's become an irreversible process. People are--have arrived to the point of no return, because otherwise it will be bloodshed, mayhem.
<p />
<p />NADAR: Thanks for joining us, Walid.
<p />
<p />AL-SAQAF: Thank you.
<p />
<p />NADAR: And thank you for joining us on The Real News Network.
<p />
<p />End of Transcript
<p />
<p />DISCLAIMER: Please note that transcripts for The Real News Network are typed from a recording of the program. TRNN cannot guarantee their complete accuracy. | US Supports Yemen Dictator | true | http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D31%26Itemid%3D74%26jumival%3D6383 | 2011-03-10 | 4 |
<p>The Commerce Department reports February sales of new homes Tuesday at 10 a.m. Eastern.</p>
<p>SLOWER SALES: Economists expect a 2.3 percent drop in new-home sales to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 470,000, according to a survey by data the firm FactSet. Newly built homes are selling at a faster clip than last year, yet the pace remains sluggish by historical standards. The sales rate is at roughly a third of the pre-recession peak of 1.28 million in 2005.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>STALLED MARKET: Real estate sales have been stuck in a rut, despite historically low mortgage rates and a sharp, yearlong upswing in hiring. Fierce winter storms have disrupted purchases of new homes, while builders have pulled back on the pace of single-family housing starts. Sales of existing homes in the first two months of 2015 are running behind the weak pace set last year, according to the National Association of Realtors.</p>
<p>A barrage of snow storms stopped homebuilding in February. Construction sites were shuttered, causing a rise in unemployment benefits. Buyer traffic slowed, according to an industry survey for the the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo index.</p>
<p>Housing starts plummeted a seasonally adjusted 17 percent from January, with the biggest drops coming in the snowbound Northeast and Midwest, the Commerce Department reported last week.</p>
<p>Builders also seem more focused on the rental market, as high prices have cut into the pool of potential buyers. Approved permits in February to start construction on single-family houses fell to their lower annual rate in eight months, while permits for apartments surged to a 10-month high.</p>
<p>Market fundamentals have amplified the disturbances from the weather.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Too few existing homes are being listed for sale, with an available supply of just 4.6 months compared to a historic average of around 6 months, the Realtors said Monday. The shortage of listings has caused prices of existing homes to climb 7.5 percent over the past year to a median of $202,600, pricing out many would-be buyers who lack the income needed to save for a down payment.</p>
<p>Because of limited supply and rising prices, existing homes sold at annual pace of 4.88 million homes in February, slightly below last year's pace of 4.93 million.</p>
<p>Still, historically low mortgage rates and rock solid job growth has raised expectations among many economists of home sales improving with the weather.</p>
<p>Over the past 12 months, employers have been adding roughly an average of about 275,000 new jobs each month, as the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.5 percent from 6.7 percent, according to the Labor Department. The hiring has increased the total number of paychecks in the economy and the potential number of homebuyers.</p>
<p>Average 30-year fixed rates were 3.78 percent last week, according to the mortgage giant Freddie Mac. That average has plunged from a 52-week high of 4.41 percent, which should help to make housing more affordable.</p> | US sales of new homes likely fell in Feb.; winter storms cause real estate market to slow | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/03/24/us-sales-new-homes-likely-fell-in-feb-winter-storms-cause-real-estate-market-to.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
<p>During an interview with FBN’s Hillary Vaughn, BMW North America CEO Bernhard Kuhnt said the German company is preparing to invest more money in the U.S.</p>
<p>European auto manufacturers are following President Donald Trump’s push for car makers to build their vehicles in the U.S.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>BMW North America CEO Bernhard Kuhnt told FOX Business’ Hillary Vaughn that the German luxury automaker is planning to ramp up its investment and build more vehicles in the U.S.</p>
<p>"We invested $8.1B in Spartanburg in South Carolina. We're about to invest more. It's our biggest plan globally,” Kuhnt said Wednesday during an interview from the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show.</p>
<p>Kuhnt said he thinks the U.S. economy under President Trump is going on the right direction, and he feels positive about his policies.</p>
<p>The automaker spent roughly $1 billion to expand manufacturing capacity at the <a href="" type="internal">Spartanburg factory</a>, and in June 2017, announced plans to invest an additional $600 million to support the production of its BMW X sport-utility vehicles.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>BMW exports about 70% of the vehicles it makes in Spartanburg, the company says.</p>
<p>“We are very well established in this country. As a matter of fact, we are able to take the value of the cars, we are the company with the highest value of export from this country,” he said.</p>
<p>The South Carolina facility is now home to the largest BMW factory in the world, employing more than 9,000 people and building 411,000 vehicles in 2016, according to BMW.</p> | BMW to rev up production at South Carolina factory, North America CEO says | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/11/29/bmw-to-rev-up-production-at-south-carolina-factory-north-america-ceo-says.html | 2017-11-29 | 0 |
<p />
<p>After posting surprisingly upbeat earnings in the second quarter that involved some big one-time benefits, Ensco's (NYSE: ESV) third-quarter results weren't nearly as chipper this time around. Continued weakness in the offshore market led to more rigs coming off contract, and with it, the company's profits. While the numbers suggest things are going to get tough for Ensco in the coming quarters, its management seems a bit more upbeat.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Here's a quick look at the results this quarter and why the company sees better times around the bend.</p>
<p>Image source: Ensco investor presentation.</p>
<p>*in millions, except per-share dataData source: Ensco earnings release.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>That rapid decline in earnings from the prior quarter can be very alarming, but much of that has to do with some large one-time gains that the company took in the prior quarter that boosted earnings. If we were to strip out those gains, net income for the second quarter of 2016 were closer to $145 million. That makes this past quarter's $85 million in net income look not quite as bad.</p>
<p>The big drop in earnings came mostly from its higher-margin floating rig business, where in the quarter two rigs went off contract and a third received an early termination notice. It also doesn't help that Ensco renegotiated dayrates with some producers at significantly lower contract rates. Granted, this was something that the company needed to do to keep these rigs working, but it has had a pretty significant impact on earnings.</p>
<p>Data source: Ensco earnings releases. Chart by author.</p>
<p>The one thing that you can say the company did well this quarter is that it controlled its costs rather well and minimized downtime for its contracted rigs. Operational utilization -- the utilization rate of rigs under contract -- was 99%, and Ensco was also able to reduce drilling contract expenses by 31% compared to this time last year by lowering headcount and cold stacking or scrapping some older rigs rather than swallowing the costs of keeping them available for contracts.</p>
<p>We should also give it credit for cutting debt levels down quickly this year while it still has some cash coming in the door. So far in 2016, management has lowered its long-term debt from $5.9 billion to $4.7 billion today.</p>
<p>With results like this past quarter, there isn't much management can do other than reassure investors that the company will get trough this. CEO Carl Trowell's statement for the quarter pretty much went along those lines, but he also hinted at better times ahead:</p>
<p>This statement about more and more rigs getting scrapped may paint the market in slightly rosy terms. Sure, oil prices are starting to stabilize, places like Brazil are liberalizing their oilindustryrestrictions, and some new discoveries are getting some producers excited to start work. The thing to remember, though, is that Ensco and its peers have a lot of idle rigs, and that will significantly lower contract rates. Also, there is no guarantee that Ensco will win those contracts.</p>
<p>Ensco is clearly still in capital preservation mode as there isn't a whole lot of work for its idle fleet, and there won't likely be much work for it in the coming quarters. Looking at the company's financials, Ensco seems to have plenty of cash to get through the rest of this tough patch, but earnings are going to struggle as more rigs are more likely to come off contract than earn new work. There are some very early signs that things will get better, but investors shouldn't expect a quick turnaround.</p>
<p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;ftm_pit=2692&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFDirtyBird/info.aspx" type="external">Tyler Crowe Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned.You can follow him at Fool.comor on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/TylerCroweFool" type="external">@TylerCroweFool Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=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> | Ensco's Earnings Took a Sharp Dive This Quarter, but Management Remains Optimistic | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/10/31/ensco-earnings-took-sharp-dive-this-quarter-but-management-remains-optimistic.html | 2016-10-31 | 0 |
<p>Most accounts of modernity treat the advent of secularism as a central force in our world. From Weber's study of the decline of sacralized societies to postmodern theories of the flattening of all value and affect, the modern is regarded as insistently this-worldly, to be measured only by standards of its own devising. Yet the religious sensibility, with its longing for some transcendent source of value, persists and, in some of its fundamentalist manifestations, even seems to be on the rise. How to account for this? Does it invalidate all theories of modernization? Will some larger cycle in human history be revealed only as we again embrace other-worldly, sacred modes of thought, and social organization is realigned with nonrational schemes? Harold Bloom vaguely but darkly hints at the end of his new book that the next century may even see a return to religious wars. Will we wake up eight years from now in a rerun of the thirteenth century? The persistence of mass religious movements is the surest sign that the Enlightenment view of progress has lost its power to serve as the standard of our schemes for social betterment.</p>
<p /> | Bloom in the Fields of the Lord | true | https://dissentmagazine.org/article/bloom-in-the-fields-of-the-lord | 2018-10-06 | 4 |
<p>Country music legend Randy Travis delighted the audience&#160;at Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards with a surprise appearance two years after suffering a devastating stroke, People <a href="http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20906362_20916664,00.html" type="external">reports.</a> The icon stood and quietly acknowledged the audience’s thunderous applause.</p>
<p>Country star Lee Brice paid tribute&#160;to the Travis, early in the show when he played a verse of&#160;his&#160;hit “Forever and Ever, Amen,” then introduced the recovering legend to a stunned audience.</p>
<p>“That classic tune won song of the year in 1985 and the man who sang it has made an amazing comeback to be with us tonight. Ladies and Gentlemen, the great Randy Travis,” Brice announced as the crowd broke out into cheers.</p>
<p>Travis, who was seated in the audience, stood up and made a sweet gesture to the crowd with a&#160;little wave and several head nods.</p>
<p>“Randy’s history with the ACM awards goes back over two decades,” said Mary Davis, Travis’s wife, statement to People. “With the awards in Dallas and celebrating 50 years, it’s something Randy and I would not miss.”</p>
<p>“Great to have you with us, Randy!” Brice continued, and then&#160;presented the Song of the Year award to Miranda Lambert for her hit “Automatic.”</p>
<p>Travis has made few public appearances since 2013, when he&#160;suffered a stroke following complications from viral cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure.</p>
<p>The country legend&#160;posted a letter to his fans on Sunday&#160;following his ACM&#160;appearance, offering thanks for&#160;their support and providing an update on his condition.</p>
<p>“It was an amazing gift to feel all of the love from you tonight,” Travis wrote. “It has been a hard fought and miraculous journey since my stroke two years ago, and I have gained a greater understanding of God’s grace and how quickly events can change us.”</p>
<p>“Words can never express my gratitude to those who continue to believe in me, pray for me, and keep me lifted up in thought and deed,” he continued.</p>
<p>“The power of music remains a source of inspiration and healing for me,” he also wrote. “It is my prayer that, with continued healing, one day soon, I will be back on that stage exchanging music with my fans…my friends, who with God’s amazing grace, have brought me this far.”</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p /> | Randy Travis shocks fans at ACM awards | false | http://natmonitor.com/2015/04/20/randy-travis-stuns-fans-at-acm-awards/ | 2015-04-20 | 3 |
<p />
<p>Lufthansa is focusing talks with Etihad on a wet lease deal with Air Berlin and is not interested in an investment in Italy, the carrier's chief executive said when asked about speculation Lufthansa could invest in Alitalia [CAITLA.UL].</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Etihad is a major shareholder in both Air Berlin and Alitalia and there have been reports in the Italian press that Lufthansa and Alitalia were in talks over an investment.</p>
<p>Lufthansa Chief Executive Carsten Spohr said Lufthansa had its hands full with a deal to lease around 40 planes and crew from Air Berlin, worth around 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion).</p>
<p>"We have agreed that we focus on the Air Berlin issue due to its magnitude and operational complexity," Spohr told analysts on Wednesday, saying it was seeking safeguards from Etihad to ensure Lufthansa did not take on any financial risk to do with loss-making Air Berlin.</p>
<p>"That is enough. I personally have a house in Italy, that's as much investment as we need in Italy right now," he added.</p>
<p>($1 = 0.9024 euros)</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>(Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Tina Bellon)</p> | Lufthansa CEO says no Italy investment plans, focusing on Air Berlin deal | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/11/02/lufthansa-ceo-says-no-italy-investment-plans-focusing-on-air-berlin-deal.html | 2016-11-02 | 0 |
<p>Following Vladimir Putin’s reelection as president of Russia, Donald Trump called him to offer his hearty congratulations. The fact that Trump thinks that Putin deserves applause for masterminding a sham election is bad enough. But in the midst of ongoing atrocities related to Russia’s election tampering in the United States, and it’s complicity in executing opponents with nerve agents on British soil, it is utterly disgraceful. And he was even <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/21/17147684/do-not-congratulate-trump-putin" type="external">warned</a> against sending congratulations by his top advisors, a warning that he ignored.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NewsCorpse/posts/2082540175094100" type="external" /></p>
<p>Many Americans are outraged by Trump’s fealty to Putin, including a few Republicans who castigated him for praising the Russian tyrant’s undemocratic victory. But most Republicans are either defending Trump or remaining silent in the wake of yet another heinous act against the interests of America. And Trump’s greatest defender is, as usual, himself. In a Wednesday morning twitter rant, Trump tried to excuse sucking up to Putin by saying that…</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>First of all, Obama didn’t call Putin while Russia was still trying to undermine America’s democracy and attacking our allies with chemical weapons. Secondly, the media are not the only critics of Trump’s Putin-fluffing. Ask GOP senators John McCain, Jeff Flake, and Lindsey Graham. Thirdly, would Trump have also said that getting along with Hitler was a good thing?</p>
<p>But the most troubling part of this tweet-plomacy is Trump’s curious reference to Russia helping with “the coming Arms Race.” Is there something he knows that he isn’t telling us?</p>
<p>It should be noted that any suggestion that an arms race is developing has to recognize that Trump himself is waging it. He has railed for months about what he regards as a depleted and ineffectual U.S. military. During his campaign, and now as president, Trump has promised to build up the military with an infusion of billions of dollars. He has advocated more and newer nuclear weapons, as well as piling on additional conventional munitions.</p>
<p>What’s more, Russia doesn’t seem to be a particularly helpful party when it comes to an arms race. Putin recently <a href="" type="internal">showed off</a> what he said were invincible new missiles that could be used against the U.S. and for which we would have no defense. If anything, Trump and Putin appear to be engaged in a mutually agreed upon escalation of weapons of mass destruction. Which would just make this the latest sweetheart deal that Trump has executed with his BFF.</p>
<p>It is no longer shocking when Trump says something false or stupid. That’s a nearly daily occurrence. But it is still worrisome when he makes dangerous comments that bring the country closer to conflict with foreign adversaries. Especially when those comments are contrary to the public policies and best interests of the nation.</p>
<p>By announcing that there is a “coming Arms Race,” Trump is alerting Russia and other nations of an intention by the U.S. to expand its military advantage. In effect, the comment has the potential to be the trigger for an arms race that didn’t exist previously. Hopefully somebody in the media will ask Trump what the heck he’s talking about. Although it may be too much to hope for that he actually knows.</p>
<p>How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QSSMOES/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B00QSSMOES&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=newscorpsecom-20&amp;linkId=TLI6JC2OYE22MUTS" type="external">Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.</a> Available now at Amazon.</p> | The Coming Arms Race? WTF is Trump Tweeting About Now? | true | http://newscorpse.com/ncWP/?p%3D20496 | 4 |
|
<p />
<p />
<p>Just days after members of the Professional Air Traffic Controls Organization ( <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_Air_Traffic_Controllers_Organization_%281968%29" type="external">PATCO</a>) went on strike, President Ronald Reagan declared the strike illegal under the Taft-Hartley act. Reagan ordered the 13,000 striking air traffic controllers to return to work within 48 hours. On August 5, 1981 Reagan fired over 11,000 workers who refused to return to work. PATCO, <a href="http://historyrat.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/reagan-and-the-patco-strike-broken-promises/" type="external">who supported Reagan</a> in the 1980 election, was decertified as a union and the fired workers were banned from holding federal jobs ever again. It took the FAA close to ten years to return staffing to its normal level. Some former air traffic employees were eventually rehired. Military air traffic controllers also worked as replacements until new controllers could be trained. In 1993 Bill Clinton lifted the civil service ban on former strikers.</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p /> | 33 Years Ago: Reagan Goes Union-Busting, Fires 11,000 Striking Air Traffic Controllers | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2014/08/reagan-fires-patco-air-traffic-controllers/ | 2014-08-05 | 4 |
<p>February is a classic time to fall into a fitness rut after the rush of the new year. A few easy tweaks to your routine can keep it fresh.</p>
<p>It’s 30 days into the new year and we are stronger, fitter and a little more committed than we started the year. Right?</p>
<p>Well this is also the time when most people drop off from their long list of resolutions and usually loose interest spiraling back down into the abyss of “I wish I would have.” As it pertains to sticking to workout plans, I find that many people fall off because they become bored with doing the same thing for an entire month. So here’s my list of ways to add some spice to your workouts and reenergize your daily visits to your favorite place, the gym.</p>
<p>Reverse, reverse: Missy Elliot, who has lost an entire person’s worth of weight I may add, definitely knew what she was doing when she told us to, “put your game down, flip it and reverse it.” One way I love to mix up my clients’ routines is to change the order. It sounds so simple, but it really works.</p>
<p>We tend to put the hardest exercises in the beginning and move to the easiest which makes sense when you’re starting with a new routine, but as you get stronger and used to the exercises, you have to flip the script. By simply reserving the order of your exercises, we can add new challenges to workout without changing the exact exercises and still see results. Try pull-ups, bench presses or squats at the end of your workout next time and see how your back, chest and booty feel.</p>
<p>Activate the break: If you haven’t heard of an active recovery yet, just ask any of my clients and they will answer you with an immediate side eye. An active recovery basically is the use of a lower intensity exercise between your higher intensity exercises instead of using a traditional rest time.</p>
<p>An example would be performing 12 repetitions of squats, then immediately holding a plank for one minute before returning to your second set of squats. This method demands more from the body, especially the cardiovascular system, because though your body is recovering, the heart is still working at a low level and is not allowed to drop to a resting rate.</p>
<p>In laymen terms active recoveries are going to keep you working in some form the entire workout. Though it may not be the most fun addition to your workout, it can sure be used as a new way to challenge your current routine and keep it fresh. Beyond adding a new challenge, it also has been proven to help you burn more calories and torch fat faster than traditional rest intervals.</p>
<p>Flip Flop: Get your mind out of the gutter, though that is one great way to burn calories. Instead, this is a great time to find a workout buddy and alternate who plans the routine. Even as a trainer I learn the most when I allow myself to be “workout topped” by other trainers or friends. Everyone has his or her own style and favorite exercises when it comes to planning workouts, so training with other people will open your eyes to new ways of reaching your goals while keeping it fresh. As a bonus, people always workout harder when they are in groups or with a partner so allow yourself to get pushed in a new way while discovering new training methods.</p>
<p>Let’s face it — working out isn’t always our favorite activity, but we know it makes us healthier and we always feel better at the end. Look for ways to keep it new and fresh this year so we can stay on the path to a new healthier version of ourselves.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Coach G</a> <a href="" type="internal">Gerard Burley</a> <a href="" type="internal">new year's resolution adherence</a> <a href="" type="internal">staying on the fitness wagon</a> <a href="" type="internal">working out</a> <a href="" type="internal">workout tips</a></p> | Spice up your workout | false | http://washingtonblade.com/2016/02/05/spice-up-your-workout/ | 3 |
|
<p>Stocks of corn and soybeans sitting in U.S. silos in September likely swelled to the highest in years for the quarter, analysts say.</p>
<p>The U.S. Department of Agriculture will report domestic stockpiles of grain and oilseed in a report due at noon EDT on Friday.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Analysts expect the agency to put corn stockpiles as of Sept. 1 at 2.349 billion bushels, according to average estimates compiled by The Wall Street Journal. That would be up from 1.737 billion a year earlier, and just short of a three-decade high.</p>
<p>They expect to see September soybean stockpiles at 339 million bushels, up from 197 million in 2016 and the highest in a decade.</p>
<p>The increase in stocks comes after a bumper crop last season, which exacerbated a glut sparked by several years of growing global production. American farmers are now heading out to fields to start collecting what is expected to be another bumper harvest, with soybean production forecast at a record.</p>
<p>Wheat stocks, meanwhile, are expected to fall. Analysts put Sept. 1 stockpiles at 2.220 billion bushels, down from 2.545 billion a year earlier.</p>
<p>In a separate report due Friday, analysts expect the USDA to show wheat production at a decade low after farmers reduced acreage and a drought in the northern Plains damaged the spring wheat crop there.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Write to Benjamin Parkin at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>September 27, 2017 19:37 ET (23:37 GMT)</p> | Analysts See Larger Quarterly Corn, Soybean Stocks | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/09/27/analysts-see-larger-quarterly-corn-soybean-stocks.html | 2017-09-27 | 0 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Migrants walk from the Macedonian border into Serbia, near the village of Miratovac, Serbia, on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016. Bracing cold temperatures hundreds of migrants continue to arrive daily into Serbia in order to register and continue their journey further north towards Western Europe. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)</p>
<p>VIENNA - The latest news on the influx of asylum-seekers and other migrants in Europe. All times local:</p>
<p>5:55 p.m.</p>
<p>Officials from Serbia and Croatia say that only refugees who wish to seek asylum in Austria or Germany will be allowed to enter the two countries and continue their journey toward Western Europe.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The officials said Wednesday that the new rule follows the Austrian government's decision to do the same. Serbian Labor and Social Care Minister Aleksandar Vulin said Austria's decision has been relayed by the governments of Slovenia and Croatia.</p>
<p>In Zagreb, Croatia's Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic said authorities there will request migrants seeking entry to state which European Union country will be their final destination.</p>
<p>Austria said Wednesday it has put a cap on the number of refugees it wants to accept - 37,500 this year and a total of 127,500 through 2019.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>5:35 p.m.</p>
<p>Hundreds of refugees are stranded at Greece's northern border with Macedonia, after Macedonian authorities stopped letting them through citing problems with transit flows further north on the Balkan route which have caused a chain reaction.</p>
<p>Greek police say about 650 asylum-seekers from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan were stuck in a border camp Wednesday. People from those countries are recognized as refugees by Balkan countries and normally allowed through on their way to Germany and other wealthy European Union members.</p>
<p>Several have been waiting since the Macedonian border closed to migrants late Tuesday.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Macedonian authorities said the problem appears to be temporary, and started in Slovenia due to a disruption in the railway service that migrants use to reach Austria. As a result, they said, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia stopped letting in migrants.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>5:25 p.m.</p>
<p>Authorities say the number of people deported from Germany last year almost doubled to 20,888 compared with 10,884 in 2014.</p>
<p>A further 37,220 people, mostly from western Balkan nations, took advantage of a financial assistance program and left voluntarily in 2015. The previous year the number of voluntary departures was about 20,000.</p>
<p>Germany has stepped up deportations in a bid to reduce the overall number of migrants in the country amid an unprecedented influx of almost 1.1 million asylum-seekers last year.</p>
<p>Bavaria, the state in which most asylum-seekers first set foot, deported 4,195 people last year, a fourfold increase on 2014.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>5:15 p.m.</p>
<p>An international rights organization has called on Bulgaria's government to stop forcefully returning asylum-seekers from its borders before they have the chance to apply for refugee status.</p>
<p>Human Rights Watch said Wednesday that Bulgaria has been summarily pushing back Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis as they cross the border from Turkey.</p>
<p>It says its activists have interviewed 45 asylum seekers in six countries who described 59 incidents of summary returns from Bulgaria to Turkey between March and November 2015. Twenty-six people said they had been beaten by police or bitten by police dogs. All but one said they were stripped of their possessions, in some cases at gunpoint by people they described as Bulgarian law enforcement officials, and later pushed back across the border to Turkey.</p>
<p>Bulgaria's interior ministry officials refused to immediately comment on the report.</p>
<p>Last year, over 30,000 migrants entered Bulgaria illegally, almost three times more than in 2014. To prevent a further massive influx, the government deployed more police officers at the Turkish border and built a fence along a 33-kilometer (20-mile) stretch.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>5:05 p.m.</p>
<p>Turkey's state-run news agency says authorities in northwestern Turkey have rounded up some 1,300 migrants who were allegedly preparing to make their way to Greece.</p>
<p>Anadolu Agency said Wednesday the migrants from Syria and Afghanistan were picked up in a new sweep in the resort of Ayvacik, in Canakkale province, which is a main crossing point to the Greek island of Lesbos.</p>
<p>Authorities also detained 17 suspected human traffickers during the raids, Anadolu said.</p>
<p>The agency did not say when the operations occurred.</p>
<p>Turkey - a major transit point for migrants on their way to Europe and home to 2.2 million refugees from Syria - is under intense pressure to stem the flow of migrants to Europe.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>3:20 p.m.</p>
<p>The German government wants the number of migrants coming to the country to fall "significantly" after almost 1.1 million asylum seekers arrived last year.</p>
<p>A spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel says the flow of refugees has already slowed this year, but a further reduction is needed.</p>
<p>Steffen Seibert didn't say what number the government is aiming for and declined to comment on the cap announced Wednesday by Austria.</p>
<p>Seibert told reporters in Berlin that a range of measures are needed to achieve the drop in migrant arrivals and urged European countries to make good on their pledge of giving 3 billion euros ($3.3 billion) to Turkey.</p>
<p>He said the experience of wars in ex-Yugoslavia in the 1990s showed many refugees would also return to their home countries once conflicts end.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2:55 p.m.</p>
<p>Fifteen people have been arrested in Germany and Turkey as part of coordinated raids against people traffickers.</p>
<p>German Federal Police say officers, including special tactical units, searched 16 premises in Germany Wednesday, arresting five people.</p>
<p>Police in Turkey arrested 10 people during simultaneous raids.</p>
<p>Turkey is the main transit country for migrants from the Middle East, Asia and Africa trying to reach Europe.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2:25 p.m.</p>
<p>Austria has put a cap on the number of refugees it wants to accept - 37,500 this year and a total of 127,500 through 2019.</p>
<p>The numbers were announced after a meeting Wednesday of federal ministers and provincial governors.</p>
<p>Chancellor Werner Faymann says the figures are a "guideline" while Deputy Chancellor Reinhard Mitterlehner calls it an "upper limit." The two officials are from the two parties that make up Austria's coalition government - Faymann heads the Social Democratic Party while Mitterlehner belongs to the centrist People's Party.</p>
<p>Officials said the government will be examining legal options on how it can react if those numbers are exceeded.</p>
<p>Faymann calls the decision an "emergency solution," but says Austria "cannot accept everyone applying for asylum."</p>
<p>Not included are the 90,000 applications from last year, of which many are still being processed.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>2:15 p.m.</p>
<p>Britain's government has ordered an investigation into alleged discrimination against asylum-seekers amid reports that many of the homes being provided for them have red front doors that mark them out for racial abuse.</p>
<p>Immigration Minister James Brokenshire says the Home Office will launch an inquiry after an investigation by the Times newspaper found that most public housing for asylum-seekers from Syria and eastern Europe in the northeastern English town of Middlesborough had red front doors. The report quotes asylum-seekers as complaining that the distinctive paint singles them out as easy targets for vandalism.</p>
<p>The services firm G4S, the contractor providing housing for asylum-seekers in the region, denies it has a discriminatory policy but said Wednesday it will repaint the doors so "there is no predominant color."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>1:30 p.m.</p>
<p>The head of the European Commission is calling for EU leaders to make enough time to center on the refugee crisis during the next EU summit in February which was primarily to focus on British demands to reform the bloc.</p>
<p>European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters on Wednesday that half a day was needed for the 28 leaders to assess the latest developments in the refugee crisis.</p>
<p>Juncker said he was "rather worried that we won't have enough time to tackle the refugee question in sufficient depth."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Subfreezing temperatures and snow have settled in over Central Europe, adding to the difficulties of migrants making heading to Western Europe but not deterring them from continuing their journeys.</p>
<p>Liene Veide, a spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency, says around 2,000 migrants continue to cross from Macedonia into Serbia daily, even with temperatures plunging to a low of -19 (-2 F) Wednesday.</p>
<p>She said many arrive without clothing or boots appropriate for the winter weather, and that some have pneumonia, fever or other illnesses. Still, she says most refuse hospitalization and insist on pressing on with their journeys.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, temperatures plunged overnight Wednesday in Romania to the lowest of the year, with -29.5 C (-21 F) recorded in one town in central Romania.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>8:50 a.m.</p>
<p>Before a refugee summit of national and regional government leaders, a senior minister says Austria wants to reduce the number of migrants entering the country to no more than 40,000 a year.</p>
<p>Deputy Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner is cited in Wednesday's Kurier newspaper as saying that his conservative party advocates a figure of 30,000 over four years. The daily says Mitterlehner's Social Democratic coalition partners favor 40,000 over three years.</p>
<p>Mitterlehner acknowledges that such restrictions still must be "legally clarified," in efforts to find a way that a person's right to asylum is not violated.</p>
<p>Close to 90,000 refugees applied for asylum last year in Austria.</p> | The Latest: Serbia, Croatia place limits on migrants | false | https://abqjournal.com/709228/the-latest-serbia-croatia-place-limits-on-migrants.html | 2 |
|
<p />
<p>The guy who attacked alt-right activist and leader Richard Spencer during President Trump's Inauguration on Friday may have prematurely and foolishly celebrated his ' victory' for having punched his hated person, and literally getting away with it. But he better think again as Spencer's numerous supporters and followers will simply not allow the attacker to go scot-free without being made to answer for his crime.</p>
<p />
<p>Aside from their immediate social media efforts in looking for and identifying the attacker following the uncalled for and condemnable violent incident, Spencer's supporters have brought their search-and-identify efforts to WeSearchr, an "information marketplace" site that describes its purpose for being as a " journalistic enterprise that publishes information of journalistic value that is in the public interest."</p>
<p />
<p>Spencer's supporters are asking the public through WeSearchr to provide useful, verified and credible information to identify Spencer's attacker. In just an hour since the call was posted, it reached the minimum required bounty of $500, and in just 12 hours garnered 71 contributors and raised $3,010.</p>
<p />
<p>The funding is still open as the call says the more money it raises, the bigger the incentive for anyone to provide the needed answers to the attacker's identity. The post puts the blame of the attack to " violent communists, anarchists and leftists known as antifa who were out in full force destroying the city" during President Trump's Inauguration. Spencer's followers say the attack on the alt-right movement leader not just harmed Spencer, but also violated the First Amendment which protects every American's right to speak his mind. Spencer was freely being interviewed by ABC News on the streets of Washington on Friday when he was hit by the attacker. The attacker was caught on camera, although his face was partially hidden by a mask.</p>
<p />
<p>Spencer's supporters believe he was attacked for his views- whether for his pro-Trump stance or his alt-right leanings which his critics say espouse white supremacy. They now ask who would become the next target of those violent thugs simply for expressing opposing, "evil" views, as they caution the public that anyone can fall victim to such assaults. The post also makes a passionate plea to citizens that violent criminals like Spencer's attacker should not be exposed, coddled and forgotten but should instead face the law for their crimes.</p>
<p />
<p>WeSearchr will be accepting fully documented evidence or investigation identifying " beyond reasonable doubt" the unidentified attacker who " sucker punched" Richard B. Spencer. Photographs, social media profiles, video, audio, physical evidence are just some of the pieces of evidence that will be accepted, as well as an accompanying report detailing an investigation that can conclusively identify the suspect.</p>
<p />
<p>Spencer has shared the WeSearchr post on his Twitter account. WeSeachr works by asking a question then people funding it through online contributions, and once a minimum bounty is reached, given a set deadline, it is open for anyone from journalists, researchers, whistleblowers, etc. to give credible information on the given subject.</p>
<p />
<p>Immediately after the attack on Spencer last Friday, his supporters and followers spread and shared the attacker's photograph on social media in an effort to track him down and identify him. Members and followers of 8ch.net also started doxing the attacker. Some followers named possible persons ,but they have not been accepted by Spencer or his close supporters.</p>
<p />
<p>With so many Americans looking for the cowardly culprit, and with a generous bounty of $3,000 and counting, surely it will only be a matter of time before the attacker goes down on his knees when the full force of the law reaches him.</p> | Spencer's Supporters Offer $3,000 Bounty To Identify His Inauguration Attacker | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/1126-Spencer-s-Supporters-Offer-3-000-Bounty-To-Identify-His-Inauguration-Attacker | 2017-01-23 | 0 |
<p>Dani Mathers, Playboy’s 2015 Playmate of the Year, lost her job and was banned for life from LA Fitness after she secretly took a picture of an undressed woman inside a gym locker room and published it on Snapchat.</p>
<p>Ms. Mathers had posted two public <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2016/07/14/dani-mathers-playboy-fat-shaming-gym/" type="external">photos</a> mocking the naked woman. One showed the woman in what appeared to be a shower room, with a caption reading, “If I can’t unsee this then you can’t either.” The next photo showed Ms. Mathers snickering with her hand covering her mouth.</p>
<p>She later <a href="" type="internal">said</a> the first photo was meant to be sent to a friend, but she published it “accidentally.”</p>
<p><a href="/news/2016/jul/14/dani-mathers-former-playmate-posts-cruel-photo-of-/" type="external">SEE ALSO: Former Playmate posts cruel photo of unsuspecting nude woman in gym locker room</a></p>
<p>“I have chosen to do what I do for a living because I love the female body and I know that body shaming is wrong and that’s not what I’m about, that’s not the type of person that I am,” she said in a series of Snapchat videos posted Thursday. “That photo was taken to be a personal conversation with a girlfriend, and because I am new to Snapchat, I didn’t realize that I had posted it and that was a huge mistake.”</p>
<p>Her apology did little to assuage the backlash. TMZ <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2016/07/15/playmate-dani-mathers-suspended-radio-gig/" type="external">reported</a> Friday morning that Ms. Mathers lost her long-running radio gig at KLOS-FM on the “Heidi and Frank” show. Management said she’s been suspended indefinitely, TMZ reported.</p>
<p>LA Fitness has also banned the model for life and notified the Los Angeles Police Department of her behavior.</p>
<p>“Her behavior is appalling and puts every member’s privacy at risk. We have handled this internally and also notified the police,” the company <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2016/07/14/dani-mathers-gym-pic-photo-police-report/" type="external">told</a> TMZ.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2018 The Washington Times, LLC. <a href="http://license.icopyright.net/3.7280?icx_id=/news/2016/jul/15/dani-mathers-fired-banned-for-life-from-la-fitness/" type="external">Click here for reprint permission</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Playboy Playmate fired, banned for life from LA Fitness over locker room photo of naked woman | true | http://washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/15/dani-mathers-fired-banned-for-life-from-la-fitness/ | 2016-07-15 | 0 |
<p>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ These Indiana lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Cash 5</p>
<p>13-23-31-35-41</p>
<p>(thirteen, twenty-three, thirty-one, thirty-five, forty-one)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $120,000</p>
<p>Lotto Plus</p>
<p>01-03-05-20-29-36</p>
<p>(one, three, five, twenty, twenty-nine, thirty-six)</p>
<p>Quick Draw Midday</p>
<p>02-12-20-21-23-25-26-41-43-48-49-52-55-59-64-69-72-73-76-79, BE: 72</p>
<p>(two, twelve, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-three, twenty-five, twenty-six, forty-one, forty-three, forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty-two, fifty-five, fifty-nine, sixty-four, sixty-nine, seventy-two, seventy-three, seventy-six, seventy-nine; BE: seventy-two)</p>
<p>Daily Three-Midday</p>
<p>7-1-9, SB: 1</p>
<p>(seven, one, nine; SB: one)</p>
<p>Daily Three-Evening</p>
<p>0-8-4, SB: 3</p>
<p>(zero, eight, four; SB: three)</p>
<p>Daily Four-Midday</p>
<p>7-2-1-0, SB: 1</p>
<p>(seven, two, one, zero; SB: one)</p>
<p>Daily Four-Evening</p>
<p>4-1-0-0, SB: 3</p>
<p>(four, one, zero, zero; SB: three)</p>
<p>Quick Draw Evening</p>
<p>03-09-11-13-15-20-26-30-33-34-35-39-43-46-48-65-68-75-76-79, BE: 48</p>
<p>(three, nine, eleven, thirteen, fifteen, twenty, twenty-six, thirty, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-nine, forty-three, forty-six, forty-eight, sixty-five, sixty-eight, seventy-five, seventy-six, seventy-nine; BE: forty-eight)</p>
<p>Hoosier Lotto</p>
<p>02-13-15-17-26-31</p>
<p>(two, thirteen, fifteen, seventeen, twenty-six, thirty-one)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $5.2 million</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $418 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>02-18-37-39-42, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(two, eighteen, thirty-seven, thirty-nine, forty-two; Powerball: twelve; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $460 million</p>
<p>INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ These Indiana lotteries were drawn Wednesday:</p>
<p>Cash 5</p>
<p>13-23-31-35-41</p>
<p>(thirteen, twenty-three, thirty-one, thirty-five, forty-one)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $120,000</p>
<p>Lotto Plus</p>
<p>01-03-05-20-29-36</p>
<p>(one, three, five, twenty, twenty-nine, thirty-six)</p>
<p>Quick Draw Midday</p>
<p>02-12-20-21-23-25-26-41-43-48-49-52-55-59-64-69-72-73-76-79, BE: 72</p>
<p>(two, twelve, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-three, twenty-five, twenty-six, forty-one, forty-three, forty-eight, forty-nine, fifty-two, fifty-five, fifty-nine, sixty-four, sixty-nine, seventy-two, seventy-three, seventy-six, seventy-nine; BE: seventy-two)</p>
<p>Daily Three-Midday</p>
<p>7-1-9, SB: 1</p>
<p>(seven, one, nine; SB: one)</p>
<p>Daily Three-Evening</p>
<p>0-8-4, SB: 3</p>
<p>(zero, eight, four; SB: three)</p>
<p>Daily Four-Midday</p>
<p>7-2-1-0, SB: 1</p>
<p>(seven, two, one, zero; SB: one)</p>
<p>Daily Four-Evening</p>
<p>4-1-0-0, SB: 3</p>
<p>(four, one, zero, zero; SB: three)</p>
<p>Quick Draw Evening</p>
<p>03-09-11-13-15-20-26-30-33-34-35-39-43-46-48-65-68-75-76-79, BE: 48</p>
<p>(three, nine, eleven, thirteen, fifteen, twenty, twenty-six, thirty, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-nine, forty-three, forty-six, forty-eight, sixty-five, sixty-eight, seventy-five, seventy-six, seventy-nine; BE: forty-eight)</p>
<p>Hoosier Lotto</p>
<p>02-13-15-17-26-31</p>
<p>(two, thirteen, fifteen, seventeen, twenty-six, thirty-one)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $5.2 million</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $418 million</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>02-18-37-39-42, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 3</p>
<p>(two, eighteen, thirty-seven, thirty-nine, forty-two; Powerball: twelve; Power Play: three)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $460 million</p> | IN Lottery | false | https://apnews.com/amp/90c0f4e448eb485fb102ffbfe1c94953 | 2018-01-04 | 2 |
<p>Ten years ago, on the evening of December 6, 1995, Pope John Paul II changed my life.</p>
<p>In May of that year, I had begun talking with his press spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, about the necessity of a reliable papal biography – and the possibility that I might take on such a project. Over dinner on December 6, and after Father Richard John Neuhaus had raised the point, it was John Paul himself who made it rather vigorously clear that he thought I should write the story of his life and pontificate. He thus set me off on the ten-year adventure that has continued beyond Witness to Hope to the recently-published God’s Choice, which tells the story of John Paul’s death and the election of Joseph Ratzinger as his successor.</p>
<p>“What struck you most about John Paul II?” is a question I’ve been asked innumerable times. Every year, Christmastime reminds me of the late pope’s profound faith in the Incarnation. Karol Wojtyla loved the Christmas season and made it last as long as possible – according to Polish custom, the decorations stayed up and the carols were sung right through to February 2, the liturgical feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple. This affection for Christmas was far more than ethnic habit, though. It grew from John Paul’s deep-set conviction that in the birth of Christ we meet, in the flesh, the exaggerated infinity of God’s love.</p>
<p>Creation displays the boundlessness of that love – that’s what Christians see, that’s the “design” we perceive, when we look at the natural world. The Incarnation both confirms and takes us far beyond that perception: here, in the child born to Mary of Nazareth, we see the measureless love of God in the flesh, as one of us. Like the Magi, we come to understand that God’s love is not just (just!) infinite; its infinity is exaggerated, spilling beyond the Infinite to embrace the finite, so that what is flesh and finitude is drawn up into the infinite life of Love itself. It’s because of the manger that we can say, with the apostle John, “God is Love.”</p>
<p>Like John Paul II’s, Benedict XVI’s pontificate will be Christ-centered. Pope Benedict may stress the “scandal” of the Incarnation – the “stumbling block” and “folly” that some find in the claim that the Creator God entered the world in the person of his Son, so that the Son, through his obedient death, might reconcile the world to Love itself. Yet Pope Benedict will also insist that this scandal, which has challenged humankind since St. Paul posed it to the Corinthians, is not a scandal against reason; the mystery of the Incarnation, and the scandal of the Cross to which the Incarnation inexorably points (as old Simeon will remind Mary on Candlemas), is beyond reason. It is not irrational; but the “reason” within the mystery and the scandal can only be grasped in an act of love.</p>
<p>Which is, after all, the Christian meaning of “mystery.” The mysteries of the faith are not puzzles to be solved, in the manner of P.D. James’s Adam Dalgliesh. The “mysteries” (as the early Church Fathers called the truths into which the newly-baptized were initiated) are truths beyond reason – like the truth of Christ’s real presence in the Holy Eucharist. And beyond reason is not, as some 21st century thinkers insist, the realm of the irrational; beyond reason, although not against reason, is the realm of love, in which, as St. Paul reminded those boisterous Corinthians, we know even as we are known.</p>
<p>That is the truth on which John Paul II staked his life. That is why every encounter of his papacy, from meetings with Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev to an audience for the Italian Union of Hairdressers, was an expression of his commitment to invite everyone to St. Paul’s “more excellent way:” the way of divine love – a love of exaggerated infinity. That’s what I remember about John Paul II at Christmas. That’s the great message he took to the world – as his worthy successor now does in his turn, and in his distinctive way.</p>
<p>George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of Washington’s Ethics and Public Policy Center, where he holds the William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies.</p> | Exaggerated Love | false | https://eppc.org/publications/exaggerated-love/ | 1 |
|
<p>HONG KONG — There are many reasons why NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden's <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/130609/edward-snowden-nsa-prism-whistleblower-speaks--0" type="external">decision to come to Hong Kong</a> could be foolish.&#160;</p>
<p>Hong Kong has an extradition treaty with the United States; its government is weak;&#160;its foreign policy is dictated by Beijing — no friend of free speech or internet freedom.</p>
<p>But there is at least one reason it could be incredibly shrewd: Hong Kong's asylum system is currently stuck in a state of limbo that could allow Snowden to exploit a loophole and buy some valuable time.&#160;</p>
<p>A former CIA employee working as a contractor with the US National Security Agency (NSA), Snowden leaked to the UK's Guardian newspaper stunning details of a top-secret US spying program.</p>
<p>Simon Young, director of the Centre for Comparative and Public Law at the University of Hong Kong, told GlobalPost that a decision delivered by Hong Kong's High Court in March of this year required the government to create a new procedure for reviewing asylum applications.&#160;</p>
<p>Until the government does this, he said, asylum seekers are allowed to stay in Hong Kong indefinitely.&#160;</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/130607/what-if-journalists-covered-us-like-they-cover-world" type="external">What if we covered the US like we cover the world? Read: "Inside the United States"</a></p>
<p>"We’re still waiting to hear from government how they are going to implement this decision," said Young. "Until that’s the case, you can’t return anyone until the law’s in place."&#160;</p>
<p>In other words, should Snowden apply for asylum, then even if&#160;the US made a valid extradition request and Hong Kong was willing to comply he could not be deported until the government figured out a new way to review asylum cases — a potentially lengthy process.&#160;</p>
<p>Nicholas Bequelin of Human Rights Watch&#160; <a href="https://twitter.com/Bequelin/status/343983480310468608" type="external">says</a>&#160;that any Snowden extradition must be "a long way off" because of this gap in the law.&#160;</p>
<p>"If it comes to the point where the US does issue a warrant on Snowden, and then passes it over to the Hong Kong authorities, and he decides to fight it, at this point it would be a court case,"&#160;he told GlobalPost.&#160;"And it can be a long court case, going up to the court of final appeals."</p>
<p>The United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Hong Kong said that it could not disclose whether or not Snowden had&#160;begun the process of seeking asylum. In his <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillance" type="external">conversations with the media</a>, Snowden has indicated that he ultimately hopes to find sanctuary in Iceland.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/130606/nsa-verizon-phone-records-surveillance" type="external">Surveillance state USA: Brave not-so-new world</a></p>
<p>Apart from this temporary asylum loophole, however, Snowden's case faces many hurdles.</p>
<p>David Zweig, professor of Chinese politics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, points out that if Snowden was hoping to throw himself on the sympathy of mainland China — which has sovereignty over Hong Kong — then his timing is poor.&#160;</p>
<p>"For a foreign policy perspective, it's a bad choice," says Zweig, noting that Xi Jinping and Barack Obama just finished <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/130607/obama-xi-promise-new-model-cooperation-at-start-" type="external">a two-day summit</a> in California.&#160;</p>
<p>"If relations were [bad], China might have said, 'Let’s make the Americans a little anxious.' But we just had this effort to build goodwill, and this would undermine this goodwill so fast. That’s why I think they’ll let him go."&#160;</p>
<p>On discussion boards, some Hong Kong residents debated whether Snowden might have cut a deal with mainland authorities. The website&#160; <a href="http://badcanto.wordpress.com/2013/06/10/hong-kongs-reactions-to-the-escape-of-edward-snowden/" type="external">Bad Canto</a>&#160;translated one writer who speculated in Cantonese that Snowden had "become a spy for China when he was in the US, or he may have fallen to a honey trap. What was reported was probably less than 20 percent of what had happened."</p>
<p>And there's another way Snowden could evade extradition.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/130607/7-graphs-america-overrated-nsa-prism-privacy" type="external">7 graphs that prove the United States is overrated</a></p>
<p>Patricia Ho, a lawyer at Daly &amp; Associates, which specializes in refugee cases and international public law, told GlobalPost that in December Hong Kong courts ruled the government could not send people home if they would face cruel and unusual punishment.</p>
<p>"The reason I think this is relevant," said Ho, "is because if you look at the case of Bradley Manning, during his detention period, he was found to have suffered cruel and degrading treatment. It was found by the UN special rapporteur on torture," she said.</p>
<p>"I would imagine given the similarity in the cases that Snowden could easily say, 'Well, I fear that the same would happen to me,' and use that as a basis to claim protection in Hong Kong. If he does that I would say his chances of protection would be fair."</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/130611/Snowden-Manning-american-anti-hero" type="external">Snowden, Manning and the rise of the American antihero</a></p> | Why Edward Snowden's flight to Hong Kong might be brilliant | false | https://pri.org/stories/2013-06-10/why-edward-snowdens-flight-hong-kong-might-be-brilliant | 2013-06-10 | 3 |
<p />
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The solar industry has been one of the most volatile sectors of the stock market over the past decade. Even the best investors in the space have been burned a time or two. But make no mistake, solar offers a multi-trillion dollar opportunity to venturesome investors. Here are three of our picks to take advantage of the solar opportunity today.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFFlushDraw/info.aspx" type="external">Travis Hoium Opens a New Window.</a>: In a solar industry that's known for volatility, 8point3 Energy Partners (NASDAQ: CAFD) provides some much needed stability for investors. The yieldco, a creation of SunPower (NASDAQ: SPWR) and First Solar, owns all or part of solar power plants its sponsors have constructed, generating cash flow from solar energy production. These projects have long-term contracts with utilities, companies, and consumers, in most cases for 20 years or more.</p>
<p>This cash is then used to pay dividends to shareholders, which currently yields 6.7% where shares are trading today.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>The consistency of cash flows is important, but that hasn't always been enough for yieldcos. What separates 8point3 Energy Partners is that it has two sponsors, which keeps both sponsors from using the yieldco as a place to dump projects or as a way to get abnormally high returns on projects. It's an added level of security for investors simply looking for a solid dividend.</p>
<p>8point3 Energy Partners isn't going to be a stock that doubles in the next year or drop if a dislocation happens in the solar market. It's a boring business that just collects cash from utilities year after year, but if you're an investor looking for a boring stock with a great yield in energy, this is a great place to look.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFVelvetHammer/info.aspx" type="external">Jason Opens a New Window.</a> <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFVelvetHammer/info.aspx" type="external">Hall Opens a New Window.</a>:SunPower Corporationshares are as beaten-down as nearly any in the solar industry right now. But at the same time, the company remains one of the technology leaders, making some of the most efficient, reliable panels available, and the long-term growth prospects for solar remain incredibly strong.</p>
<p>What's happening now with SunPower is in no small part a product of cyclical shifts that almost any large-scale, infrastructure-related industry can go through, and in this case it's something that's actually relatively good for the industry in the long term. A major solar investment tax credit was set to expire at year's end, but in late 2015, lawmakers agreed to extend the credit for several years, while also improving the "ramp-down" of the credit for a few years after that.</p>
<p>Image source: SunPower.</p>
<p>And while this should help support accelerated growth of solar sales over the next half-decade -- both distributed residential and large utility-scale projects that are a big part of SunPower's U.S. business -- it has had a negative impact on what was expected to be a very big 2016 for SunPower and its competitors, since a sizable portion of those projects won't happen this year.</p>
<p>Bottom line: There is some risk with SunPower, since it does have a large debt load (though most of that debt is tied to projects and not the company itself), and its cash flows have turned negative while it continues to invest in expanded manufacturing capacity and R&amp;D. But with that risk is a fantastic opportunity to invest in a technology leader in a huge growth industry. It could take some time for things to improve for SunPower, but it's one of the few panel makers that should be able to avoid the race to the bottom.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFDitty/activity.aspx" type="external">Rich Smith Opens a New Window.</a>: Solar stocks got rocked last week, when The Wall Street Journal reported that congressional investigators are looking into whether panel makers and installers such as Elon Musk's SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY), or solar utilities such as NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) and their peers abused government subsidies to rack up windfall profits on tax credits.</p>
<p>Caught up in the firestorm, though, and suffering collateral damage is one company essential to the solar industry -- but not involved in making, installing, or operating solar panels at all: SolarEdge (NASDAQ: SEDG).</p>
<p>Instead of any of these things, SolarEdge simply makes solar power optimizers and inverters that convert direct current solar energy into alternating current electricity that consumers can use. It's a lucrative business that generated $76.6 million in profits for SolarEdge over the past year -- enough profit to give the stock an 8.1 P/E ratio. It's also a business growing briskly, with analysts who follow the company predicting long-term annual earnings growth of 17%.</p>
<p>SolarEdge isn't a perfect stock. Data from S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence show that real free cash flow over the past year was only $36.7 million, or less than half of the company's reported net income. Even so, SolarEdge has saved up enough cash that its balance sheet now brims with $133 million -- without a lick of debt to offset it. Valued on enterprise value-to-free cash flow, the stock sells for a 12.6 ratio.</p>
<p>That seems cheap for the growth rate, even if it's not as cheap as the P/E makes the stock look.</p>
<p>Granted, any bad news that affects the solar industry as a whole will have a trickledown effect upon Solar Edge as well. If solar companies find their business pinched, they'll logically have less need to buy inverters from SolarEdge to pair with their panels, and this will hurt SolarEdge's growth rate. But the simple fact that investors are punishing SolarEdge stock on par with the punishment they're meting out to its customers -- even though SolarEdge itself is accused of no wrongdoing -- suggests the selling is overdone, and SolarEdge stock is due for a rebound.</p>
<p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;ftm_pit=2692&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/elihpaudio/info.aspx" type="external">Jason Hall Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of SolarCity and SunPower. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/elihpaudio/info.aspx" type="external">Jason Hall</a> has the following options: long January 2017 $30 calls on SolarCity. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFDitty/info.aspx" type="external">Rich Smith Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of SolarEdge Technologies. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFFlushDraw/info.aspx" type="external">Travis Hoium</a> owns shares of 8point3 Energy Partners and SunPower. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends SolarCity. The Motley Fool owns shares of NRG Energy. 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> | The 1 Perfect Stock for Investing in the Future of Solar | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/10/08/1-perfect-stock-for-investing-in-future-solar.html | 2016-10-08 | 0 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>ARAPAHO, Okla. — Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for a Texas man charged with shooting two people to death as they drove on Interstate 40 in Oklahoma.</p>
<p>Custer County prosecutors provided notice Friday — exactly one year after the shooting — that they’ll seek the death penalty for 37-year-old Jeremy Doss Hardy of Pasadena, Texas.</p>
<p>Police say Hardy was driving on I-40 west of Oklahoma City when he opened fire at other vehicles, hitting and killing 45-year-old Kent Powell of Arapaho and 63-year-old Billie Jean West of Lone Wolf. Powell and his wife were driving from the Oklahoma City airport following a business trip while West was returning from Christmas shopping.</p>
<p>The notice was given to defense attorneys after a judge found there is enough evidence to order Hardy to trial.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Death penalty sought in Oklahoma interstate shootings | false | https://abqjournal.com/911049/death-penalty-sought-in-oklahoma-interstate-shootings.html | 2 |
|
<p>Libyan rebel soldiers are said to have forced their way into Moammar Gadhafi’s military compound in Tripoli after fighting back soldiers who remained loyal to the dictator.</p>
<p>NATO announced that it will support the rebel soldiers and bomb Gadhafi’s forces if they continue fighting. –BF</p>
<p>CBS/AP:</p>
<p>Hundreds of Libyan rebels have stormed Qaddafi’s main military compound after a resistance of troops loyal to him backed down. The Reuters news agency reported that the rebels were firing their guns in celebration.</p>
<p />
<p>Some of the heaviest fighting was around Qaddafi’s Bab al-Aziziya main compound and military barracks. Rebels and pro-regime troops fought fierce street battles in several parts of the city, a day after opposition fighters swept into the capital with relative ease, claiming to have most of it under their control.</p>
<p>Earlier, CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen, reporting with the rebels, described the area about 300 yards from Qaddafi’s main compound as though it was out of the 1979 apocalyptic film “Mad Max.”</p>
<p>“They’re kneeling down because this is really Dead Man’s Alley,” Petersen told CBS Radio News. “They’re open to sniper fire. The government troops are up in high-rise buildings. This area in front of me, a highway, is open season once you get out there.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/08/23/501364/main20096019.shtml" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Rebels Break Into Gadhafi's Main Tripoli Compound | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/rebels-break-into-gadhafis-main-tripoli-compound/ | 2011-08-23 | 4 |
<p>According to a leaked draft of a regulation <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/5/31/15716778/trump-birth-control-regulation" type="external">obtained</a> by Vox, President Donald Trump will no longer force employers to foot the bill for contraception, including sterilization and the morning-after pill, if they have moral or religious objections to it – a major victory for religious liberty.</p>
<p>The Trump regulation states that the Health and Human Services mandate added to Obamacare, which forced employers to pay for employees' contraception, would be massively reigned in, allowing any employer to request exemption from the mandate due to moral or religious reasons.</p>
<p>This is a huge step forward for religious liberty: government force will no longer mandate that a person violate their conscience to provide something to which they are morally or religiously opposed.</p>
<p>Under the Obama mandate, only houses of worship were exempt from compliance. As <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/31/leaked-trump-administration-birth-control-rule-would-expand-religious-exemption.html" type="external">noted</a> by The Associated Press, the Supreme Court, via the famous Burwell v. Hobby Lobby case, "later ruled that closely held private companies were also eligible for the workaround, through which the government arranges contraceptive coverage for the affected women employees."</p>
<p>The White House has called the 100-plus-page document obtained by Vox an "alleged draft," adding that the contraception mandate is still under final review.</p>
<p>Still, there is good reason to believe Trump will broaden the scope of employers eligible to request noncompliance of the mandate. Just last month, for instance, the president met with nuns from the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic charity that challenged the Obama Administration in court for years over the birth control mandate; Trump called them up to the front The Price is Right-style and lamented the "attacks" against them. The president signed a religious liberty executive order which gave the sisters "regulatory relief" from the mandate.</p>
<p>"We know, all too well, the attacks against the Little Sisters of the Poor," said Trump. "Incredible nuns who care for the sick, the elderly and the forgotten.”</p>
<p>Trump also promised a full repeal-and-replace of Obamacare during the 2016 campaign, which conservatives interpreted as, at the very least, including slashing unconstitutional mandates.</p>
<p>Proponents of religious liberty were cautiously pleased with the report.</p>
<p>"A change in the rule is welcome and good," said Mark Rienzi, senior counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, the group that legally represented the Little Sisters of the Poor against the Obama mandate. "I hope that the leaked draft we're looking at obviously becomes law."</p>
<p>But, as <a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/448162/obamacare-contraception-mandate-trump-administration-should-end-it" type="external">argued</a> by National Review's Alexandra DeSanctis, while widening the exemption to the mandate is a good start, ridding the mandate all together would be ideal:</p>
<p>"Trump should instruct his HHS department to roll back the mandate in its entirety, as he has repeatedly promised to do, ending this disastrous exercise in executive overreach. If he does, it will restore much-needed balance to this issue and, just like the Left is clamoring for, de-politicize it."</p>
<p>As you might suspect, feminists are already pulling out their pink hair and planning the next Seneca Falls Convention due to the "huge blow" to women's rights. Some left-wing groups are already threatening lawsuits against the Trump Administration.</p>
<p>"If this rule is made final, we will file a lawsuit," <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/31/leaked-trump-administration-birth-control-rule-would-expand-religious-exemption.html" type="external">said</a> Gretchen Borchelt, a top official at National Women's Law Center. "Women are going to lose no-cost birth control coverage under this rule."</p> | Trump's Expected Rollback Of Birth Control Mandate A Big Step For Religious Liberty | true | https://dailywire.com/news/17049/trumps-expected-rollback-birth-control-mandate-big-amanda-prestigiacomo | 2017-06-01 | 0 |
<p />
<p>From hobby business to roaring success.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>That's the tale told by Kate Echeverry of <a href="http://www.unique-vintage.com/" type="external">Unique-Vintage.com Opens a New Window.</a>, which sells vintage-style dresses dating from the 1920s through the 1960s.</p>
<p>Echeverry started out 10 years ago, prowling flea markets and estate sales in her spare time, hunting for vintage clothing she could purchase at bargain prices. "Vintage was so hot, and I thought it was fun and interesting," Echeverry says. A friend built a website for her for free, and when she had amassed 50 items, she photographed them and loaded them onto her site.</p>
<p>It took six months before she got her first order--and she was ecstatic. She grossed $2,000 that first year. The next year it doubled, and by the fourth year sales totaled $16,000. Four years ago, pregnant with her first daughter, she decided to take the business full time. "It was doing just well enough that I was contributing to the household," she says. "I quit my job, stayed home and poured my heart and soul into this website."</p>
<p>The drawback to her authentic vintage clothing was the small sizes. Women were smaller in the vintage period, Echeverry says, and potential customers were asking for dresses in larger sizes. So Echeverry began looking for new lines of clothing that were vintage-inspired.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>She found what she was looking for at Magic, a trade show in Las Vegas, where she met young designers who were crafting clothing that evoked the '40s and '50s. With more sizes available, sales boomed. And Echeverry got serious.</p>
<p>"I hired a programmer, did a little advertising, [and] the business took off."</p>
<p>She went from being a stay-at-home mom to someone who needed a baby sitter, and then a full-time nanny. Next she hired an employee who was comfortable working in an environment with a baby and a nanny. She chose a neighbor who had just graduated with a degree in fashion. The pair shipped packages out of Echeverry's garage from an inventory of hundreds of dresses, which had spread throughout the house. ("My husband was a good sport," Echeverry says. "He never complained.")</p>
<p>Soon there were more young women working for Echeverry. Then prom season arrived in 2007, and Unique Vintage was overwhelmed with orders from teens seeking unique prom gowns.</p>
<p>Echeverry says she hadn't anticipated the impact proms would have on her business. But in short order, she was shipping 100 orders a day out of her home. "I called my dad to come help ship packages," she says.</p>
<p>At that point, with <a href="" type="internal">FedEx</a> and UPS rolling up the street regularly, Echeverry realized she needed to find a retail space. By now, she had three employees, a nanny and a baby--and her husband also worked out of their house.</p>
<p>The first retail space was 2,300 square feet, mostly used as warehouse space and housing for employees. Within six months, Echeverry hired four more people, and soon she was up to a total of 10. When the tenant next door vacated her retail space, Echeverry expanded again, to 4,600 square feet. Nowadays she has about a dozen employees most of the year, rising to 22 employees during prom season. She has two mobile pods in back of the building, and has leased a place across the street to do photo shoots.</p>
<p>Echeverry estimates that she spent $500 on the first dresses she purchased, and she put everything she earned back into the business until she quit her full-time job in pharmaceutical sales. "I didn't even pay myself until my accountant forced me to," she says.</p>
<p>She is grateful to her initial vendors for their willingness to work with her and sell dresses to her one at a time. "They were good to me when I didn't know what I was doing. Now that I'm doing so well, I've stuck with a lot of those vendors because they were there for me," she says.</p>
<p>She's also grateful to <a href="" type="internal">Google</a>. She says the company's organic rankings "have been the No. 1 driving force of the growth of my business." She describes her rise in website ranking as a "snowball effect." "The more relevant you are, the more people clicking on you and the longer you've been online, the more websites are pointing to you."</p>
<p>She concludes, "The more people know about you, the more people know about you."</p>
<p>Unique Vintage typically doesn't get walk-in traffic. "People search us out online and drive here," says Echeverry. That traffic has included out-of-staters who stopped by while investigating California colleges and a German couple on their way to Las Vegas to get married. "They wanted to grab some retro clothes," she says. Some celebrities have purchased Unique Vintage clothing, too, although Echeverry does her best to avoid name-dropping. "I'm torn between promoting it or keeping it quiet so they feel comfortable coming to me," she says.</p>
<p>Echeverry strives to keep Unique Vintage a family-oriented place. In addition to her first hire, who is now the firm's office manager, the company includes her dad and her sister's friend from junior high. She provides health insurance and 401(k)s. "I've made it a good environment to work in, and in return I get people who take ownership of the business; if I'm not here, I know it's in good hands," she says.</p>
<p>Echeverry also gives back by donating dresses to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising for sale in the student store. She also raised $5,000 for charity when O, the Oprah Magazine, picked up an item about Unique Vintage's plans to donate 20 percent of certain items to cancer research. This year, because she has a soft spot for pets, she plans to donate funds to the Humane Society.</p>
<p>Echeverry also has produced her own charity contest for the past two years, which she calls the Glamour Girl contest. She asks young women to write an essay describing why they deserve a free prom gown. She then picks 10 local winners, and 10 winners worldwide.</p>
<p>According to Echeverry, the turning point for Unique Vintage was a brief mention in Glamour magazine in the fourth year of her business. To this day, Echeverry doesn't know how it happened. But that month, sales jumped from $1,000 a month to $5,000. Echeverry says that's when she knew Unique Vintage could be a full-time job for her. "That's when everything changed," she says.</p>
<p>Echeverry's advice for would-be entrepreneurs:</p> | How a Hobby Business Became a Gold Mine | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2010/08/25/hobby-business-gold.html | 2016-03-22 | 0 |
<p><a href="" type="internal">Mitt Romney</a> has been sent a letter by the creator of the TV show, “Friday Night Lights,” Peter Berg, suggesting the GOP presidential candidate is guilty of plagiarism — or, at least, misappropriation — for his use of various iterations of the TV show’s phrase, “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can’t Lose.”</p>
<p>Romney is using the phrase in his stump speech, and the campaign is even fundraising off it, including <a href="http://www.mittromney.com/blog/clear-eyes-full-hearts-cant-lose" type="external">a fundraising blog post by Ann Romney</a>, which features the image (above), including a sign of the phrase on a Romney campaign office wall.</p>
<p>Berg charges Romney’s usage “falsely and inappropriately associates&#160;Friday Night Lights&#160;with the Romney/Ryan campaign,” and tells Romney to “come up with your own campaign slogan.”</p>
<p>Earlier this week, Romney “told the story of David Oparowski, a young boy that he knew who died of cancer,” the <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/romney-channels-friday-night-lights-clear-eyes-full-hearts-cant-lose/article/2510229#.UHhlSbSRpeM" type="external">Washington Examiner</a> reported:</p>
<p>“I thought as I saw some years later a phrase that seemed to capture my memory of David Oparowski,” Romney said. “Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose.”</p>
<p>“This is something that we share in this country,” Romney added. “Men and women of clear eyes, full hearts, and America can’t lose.”</p>
<p>“Your politics and campaign are clearly not aligned with the themes we portrayed in our series,” Berg writes in <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/custom/Documents/ESQ/Letter_to_Romney.pdf" type="external">the letter</a>, obtained exclusively by the <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/friday-night-lights-creator-accuses-378606" type="external">Hollywood Reporter</a>.&#160;“The only relevant comparison that I see between your campaign and&#160;Friday Night Lights&#160;is in the character of Buddy Garrity — who turned his back on American car manufacturers selling imported cars from Japan.”</p>
<p>The Republican presidential nominee and his wife,&#160;Ann, are fans of the series, which ended its five-year run on NBC and DirecTV last year. Romney said in Iowa earlier this week that the phrase is “compelling.” “That’s Americans,” he told an audience. “We have clear eyes — we know what we believe. Full hearts — we love this country and we can’t lose. This is a time for Americans to make a choice. We’re going to take back this country.”</p>
<p>Earlier this week also, the mother of <a href="" type="internal">Glen Doherty</a> asked&#160;Romney to stop using his so-called&#160;“relationship” with her son for political purposes against President Obama. Doherty was&#160;a Navy SEAL who was one of the SEAL Team Six members who killed Osama bin Laden. He later was killed&#160;in last month’s tragic September 11 attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Related:</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Here’s What’s Really Weird About Mitt Romney Using Navy SEAL Who Died</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">‘We Don’t Have People Who Die Because They Don’t Have Insurance’ Says Romney</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Lindsay Lohan Not Registered To Vote, Announces She Is Voting For Romney</a></p>
<p>Tagged as: <a href="" type="internal">ann romney</a>, <a href="" type="internal">friday night</a>, <a href="" type="internal">friday night lights</a>, <a href="" type="internal">george w. romney</a>, <a href="" type="internal">latter day saint movement</a>, <a href="" type="internal">Mitt Romney</a>, <a href="" type="internal">mitt romney presidential campaign</a>, <a href="" type="internal">night</a>, <a href="" type="internal">night lights</a>, <a href="" type="internal">peter berg</a>, <a href="" type="internal">plagiarism</a>, <a href="" type="internal">Politics</a>, <a href="" type="internal">pratt romney family</a>, <a href="" type="internal">romney</a>, <a href="" type="internal">romney campaign</a>, <a href="" type="internal">romney family</a>, <a href="" type="internal">romney tells</a>, <a href="" type="internal">the church of jesus christ of latter day saints</a>, <a href="" type="internal">united states</a></p>
<p>Friends:</p>
<p>We invite you to <a href="http://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001whLQo73KzGhEjdskYG07rHNy_XoDDkSBBO4INZHx6oD9kfp2yeeQAJeMQUu9oTviZa0VEl5k0rNiLifxlZsOFScMz8rVGmIaN-FFOO3GTKc%3D" type="external">sign up for our new mailing list</a>, and&#160; <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=TheNewCivilRightsMovement&amp;amp;loc=en_US" type="external">subscribe to The New Civil Rights Movement via email</a> or <a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/thenewcivilrightsmovement" type="external">RSS</a>.</p>
<p>Also, please&#160; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-Civil-Rights-Movement/358168880614" type="external">like us on Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/gaycivilrights" type="external">follow us on Twitter</a>!</p> | Romney Accused Of Plagiarism By ‘Friday Night Lights’ Series Creator | true | http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/romney-accused-of-plagiarism-by-friday-night-lights-series-creator/politics/2012/10/12/51081 | 2012-10-12 | 4 |
<p>Up to 13,500 British troops have been enlisted to guard the 2012 summer Olympics in London, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/15/olympics-security-idUSL6E7NF5J420111215" type="external">Reuters reported</a>. That is more troops than the UK currently has in Afghanistan, and will make the games Britain's largest peacetime military operation.&#160;</p>
<p>The number of security guards required at the event has risen from an initial estimate of 10,000 to 23,700, as concerns about international uncertainty mounted. The terrorist threat level for the Olympics will be at "severe", <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/15/military-beef-up-olympic-security?INTCMP=SRCH" type="external">The Guardian reported</a>.&#160;</p>
<p>The military presence for the games will include specialized bomb disposal units and special forces. The Olympic park in east London will also be protected by missiles, similarly to the security strategy used in Beijing in 2008 and Athens in 2004.</p>
<p>As the Guardian reported,&#160;</p>
<p>Ministers have insisted that using such a large military deployment will not impact on operations elsewhere and organizers say it is prudent to use a mix of suppliers to provide security. They have likened the role of the military to that at Wimbledon, where they wear ceremonial dress and add to the sense of occasion.</p>
<p>The additional security measures have caused the budget for the games' security to jump to 553 million pounds ($850 million) from the previous estimate of 282 million pounds ($437 million), Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said earlier this month, Reuters reported. &#160;</p>
<p>The security is organized by the <a href="http://www.london2012.com/about-us/the-people-delivering-the-games/the-london-organising-committee/" type="external">games' organizing committee (Locog)</a>, which contracted US private security company <a href="http://www.g4s.us/EN-US/" type="external">G4S</a> in March to provide it with an estimate for the cost of securing the event; however, those estimates were based on the original number of 10,000 security personnel, which was decided in 2006.&#160;</p>
<p>The increasing price of security has been a touchy subject for Olympic organizers, who insist that a final figure could not be determined until the plan for venues was drafted.</p>
<p>"We did not misunderestimate," Dame Helen Ghosh, the Home Office permanent secretary, told The Guardian. We did not have the facts on which to do the planning. We now have the facts on which to do the planning, which is why, having pressed Locog very hard on their estimates and having tested it in various security scenarios, we have agreed that the maximum [they will] need is the 23,000. This is realistic - that was slightly finger-in-the-air [to say], 'We think it is 10,000 and that would cost us 282 million pounds.'"</p>
<p>In November, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/nov/13/us-worried-london-olympics-security-2012?INTCMP=SRCH" type="external">reports circulated</a> that the US was dissatisfied with security arrangements for the games and was planning to send FBI agents to protect American athletes. London's national Olympic security coordinator Chris Allison dismissed these claims as "rubbish", Reuters reported.&#160;</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost:&#160; <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/110902/2020-olympics-ioc-bid-cities-baku-doha-madrid-rome-tokyo-istanbul" type="external">Six cities, including Baku, bid to host 2020 Olympics</a></p> | London's 2012 Olympics add 13,500 troops to security plans | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-12-15/londons-2012-olympics-add-13500-troops-security-plans | 2011-12-15 | 3 |
<p>Things have somehow taken a turn for the worse after Wednesday morning’s collective depression and shock. Many are alarmed and point out that this assumption of power by an energized right is unprecedented, except for that one (albeit non-nuclear) example from the 1930s when fascism swept across industrializing Europe and nearly the world. We have seen how Trump’s rise, likely fueled in part by the Brexit vote, is emboldening <a href="" type="internal">the worst elements on the right</a>. We can only guess how this may embolden those same <a href="" type="internal">elements on the European continent</a>, and beyond. Many of us on the left have been saying for a while now, that this is <a href="" type="internal">the failure of technocratic neoliberal pragmatism</a> but want no prize for our boldest predictions coming true. However, the idea that the Democrats, led by Bill Clinton, are just going to walk away is troubling. It is clear that they will have to be shown the door and replaced by humanitarian progressives with great ideas and detailed plans.</p>
<p>None of what follows is especially groundbreaking but, in an exercise in catharsis that may somehow prove useful to others, here are nine thoughts from my conversations, observations, and notes:</p>
<p>1/ Team Clinton, Van Jones, Eric Holder, Howard Dean, Bill Maher, the Obamas, etc. have not learned their lesson. Your moral high ground exists only in your mind and in your circles. Cease and desist and let an opposition party form in the wake of your deep and very obvious political and economic corruption. If you do not, you risk any chance of capitalizing on the chaos and ineptitude of what remains of the Republicans. Just like major multinational corporations who commit crimes against humanity and nature, the Democratic Party and its cheerleaders refuse to accept responsibility for their failure (i.e. running a tight race and/or losing to a “laughable” neophyte) and appear to have <a href="" type="internal">no capacity to believably apologize</a> to the victims of their hubris, much less atone.</p>
<p>2/ Democracy has very little to do with voting every four years actually. Democracy means consistently paying attention to what is going on in your community, your state, your country and world often. Don’t tell me or any others that if we didn’t vote at all or for the candidate you supported (especially when that candidate is terrible) that we don’t have a say. If you take <a href="" type="internal">a teeny bopper approach to politics</a> and treat your party affiliation the way you would treat your city’s baseball or football team, or feel like celebrities bolster your case without their being qualified, then you are not a genuine believer in nor or a practitioner of democracy.</p>
<p>3/ Protests should not be primarily coordinated by major organizations like MoveOn, NOR should protesters’ anger, fear, confusion and desire to be in the streets, organize, and commiserate simply be dismissed as being manipulated by a major organization. Surely, some unsavory groups with huge sacks of cash are behind elements of the mobilizations we are seeing now and they may even be flirting with the notion of some kind of coup but this could never work and they know it. The fact that they never did the same in support of Black Lives Matter or Standing Rock or the seven countries the US has attacked in recent years is telling. However, there is hope in <a href="" type="internal">Ralph Nader’s suggestion</a> urging Bernie Sanders and his voters and others demanding progressive policy shifts to come together “in visible rallies starting with a giant gathering on the mall in Washington, D.C. before going regional.” Nader should be invited of course, and it should all be “before the end of the year, while President Obama is still in office”.</p>
<p>4/ Yes, Hillary won the popular vote. Yes, many (likely millions) people were denied the chance to vote due to voter suppression. Professor <a href="http://markcrispinmiller.com/" type="external">Mark Crispin Miller</a>, <a href="" type="internal">Bob Fitrakis and Greg Palast</a> have been detailing what this suppression has looked like and how it is morphing, yet somehow they are virtually ignored by everyone in the Democratic Party and many on the left scratching their heads or looking for scapegoats. Republicans are responsible for putting up all kinds of obstacles to voting because of how demographics are changing US politics, but they may not have much to fear if the hapless Democrats don’t learn from their mistakes. Most people won’t vote or do so begrudgingly and have dismissed the whole debacle in 2016 as rigged and staged, which it was. Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the DNC behaved just like Republicans in the primaries and, in doing so, elected a nominee that was easily and obviously one of the worst in the history of the party.</p>
<p>5/ Calls for Trump to be stopped before taking office are not going to work so we should instead focus on building a genuine alternative coalition of dedicated humanitarians, either within or apart from the Democratic Party. It is not going to be easy and there are enormous obstacles that may entirely rule it out but how can we not try? While most of the country, aside from the happy Hillaryites (and their guru <a href="" type="internal">Paul Krugman</a>), realizes that things are not working out well or at all for nearly all of us, we on the left are clearly the most honest about the problems and challenges we face as a country and a species. Our biggest failure thus far has been designing a path forward due to the circular firing squad and a lack of imagination, so now is the time to try our hands like never before.</p>
<p>6/ There are grave threats posed by a successful Trump administration so no one should be wishing him luck or hoping that he is successful. On three major issues, there are clear and present dangers: criminal justice, immigration, and the environment. Trump’s law and order approach and cluelessness about how to deal with <a href="" type="internal">China</a> or <a href="http://www.as-coa.org/articles/latin-america-reacts-trumps-win" type="external">Latin America</a>, along with Preibus, Bannon, Giuliani, Gingrich, Palin, and others, <a href="" type="internal">possibly including Joe Arpaio</a>, having a say in the matter should frighten any keen observer. It CANNOT turn out OK. The swamp will not only NOT be drained but it will be run by the most fringe and energized right-wing faction the country has ever experienced. Again, the urgency cannot be denied.</p>
<p>7/ There is <a href="http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/8-reasons-white-people-get-suckered-racial-demagogues-donald-trump" type="external">a strong connection</a> between people’s attitudes toward Latinos or other new(er) arrivals, the economy, and an inadequate social safety net. This should be fairly obvious and can help to explain why <a href="" type="internal">1 out of every 5 identified black voters in 2016 did not vote for Clinton and why 1 in 3 identified Latinos voted for Trump</a>. As citizens, they feel that the government they pay taxes to is not supporting them or making their lives any easier (they are correct and justified in feeling that way, as are white working class voters) and are prone to believe that newcomers are being lovingly greeted with a red carpet and doctor waiting to give them free medicine. If people had more security in their lives, they wouldn’t believe or care as much about sensationalist tales spun by Republican demagogues and their highly-paid staffers. The causes of demagoguery are visible across Europe as well but many are <a href="" type="internal">not properly understanding it</a>.</p>
<p>8/ White women voting for Trump, with or without a college degree, demonstrate that there is obviously some level of what researchers have termed Stockholm syndrome and this support may offer more evidence of <a href="http://www.academia.edu/3498747/Rules_bloody_rules_safety_security_Stockholm_syndrome_and_the_state" type="external">its connection to state authority</a>. There is no way anyone can simply ignore Trump’s abusive nature toward women. One surefire way Trump-as-leader can be justified to victims of pervasive misogyny is if you feel that it could possibly help to stabilize one’s life (this applies to any one, <a href="" type="internal">not just women</a>). This may be controversial and I only bring it up because, as an expat, I notice a serious problem in US culture today. In 21st century late-capitalist USA, TV programming, advertisers, corporations, celebrities, doctors, politicians, religious institutions, or the men in your family or community continue to <a href="http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/trump-us-politics-poor-whites/" type="external">egregiously speak down to us</a> even though we know their authority is illegitimate and their moral high ground is imaginary. Justifying a bully’s behavior then is not surprising. This is especially true if you feel there is no other choice, if you feel comfortable with that bully because you feel you’ve known them for so long, and/or if you are tired of expectations because you are simply part of a demographic and not a lone thinking individual.</p>
<p>9/ The percentage of the Jewish population (@500,000) in pre-war Germany of the 1930 was 0.74 or &lt; 1%. The percentage of Roma or “gypsies” (@30,000) in pre-war Germany of the 1930s was 0.04 or &lt; 1%. The percentage of Communist Party members (@360,000) in pre-war Germany of the 1930s was 0.53 or &lt; 1%. The percentage of Socialist Party members (@3,500,000) in pre-war Germany of the 1930s was 5.2 or slightly &gt; 5%.</p>
<p>Numbers for homosexuals and disabled are harder to find. The point is, not only did 164 million eligible US voters not opt for the buffoonish reality TV show authoritarian, but the people who he and his cronies will target make up large numbers of the citizen body and have many more allies in the US and around the world. And it doesn’t seem like we are about to back down.</p>
<p>Yes, we should be depressed that there will be traitors around every corner and in what may seem like every family, classroom, and office space, but with efforts at leadership that make a strong case against neoliberal Dems and right-wing demagoguery at the same time, while maintaining that no one deserves to be attacked for the color of their skin, their ethnic origins or how far they live from metropolitan areas, we have a fighting chance.</p> | 9 Takeaways From the Week From Hell: the Urgency of our Corporate Democrat Problem | true | https://counterpunch.org/2016/11/16/9-takeaways-from-the-week-from-hell-the-urgency-of-our-corporate-democrat-problem/ | 2016-11-16 | 4 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Enrique Larios, 30, is currently at the University of New Mexico Hospital being treated for complaints of back and neck pain, and is suspected of driving drunk, according to a criminal complaint. He will be booked on charges of aggravated fleeing once he is released from the hospital said Albuquerque Police Department spokesman Simon Drobik. According to the criminal complaint, about 12:35 a.m. this morning, Larios drove through an APD DWI checkpoint on Eubank near Lomas but refused to roll down his window all the way for the officer. Drobik said the officer noticed signs of impairment and smelled alcohol on Larios and asked him if he had been drinking. He had four passengers in his vehicle according to police.</p>
<p>“He (Larios) then gunned it and blasted through the road block,” Drobik said. “Officers had to jump out the way and he hit a couple of (traffic) cones.”</p>
<p>Drobik said police were able to throw down a spike strip and puncture one tire, but Larios continued to flee. According to the complaint, not far from the checkpoint, he hit a parked car and flipped his truck.</p>
<p>One of his passengers, Drobik said, was ejected and pinned underneath the vehicle. The passenger was transported to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries along with two other passengers according to police. Larios refused to give on-scene officers his name, but they were able to obtain it from one of his passengers. Officer took a blood test to determine whether Larios had alcohol in his system, but Drobik said those results were not yet available.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“This guy is obviously a frequent flyer,” Drobik said. “He put everyone in jeopardy …He could care less about the community or his passengers.”</p>
<p>According to court records, Larios was arrested Dec. 6 for DWI. He was cited for having an open container, no proof of registration and driving with a suspended license.</p>
<p>“He’s not even supposed to be behind the wheel,” Drobik said. “And here he was, we believe, driving drunk.”</p> | Fleeing checkpoint suspect charged with DWI earlier this month | false | https://abqjournal.com/518238/fleeing-checkpoint-suspect-charged-with-dwi-earlier-this-month.html | 2 |
|
<p>I am an American citizen. The first time I set foot in Europe, it was as a touring musician. I was the piano player in a great country music band from Nashville, backing the legendary singer Bobby Bare, now a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. We came across the Atlantic to perform with a bunch of other Nashville country stars at the Wembley Festival of Country Music in England, and the promoter organized shows in a number of other European countries; Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Scotland, Ireland.</p>
<p>I loved it. I was particularly glad to see how much more stylish and sophisticated Europe seemed than my native country, which had recently elected as President the awful Ronald Reagan, who was the antithesis of everything I had cared about since coming of age in the 1960s. Plenty of my fellow Nashville musicians thought President Reagan and his right-wing minions were great, but not I … after a delightful month traveling around Europe I began thinking about how I could come over and live here, at least for a few years. I wanted to escape Reagan’s America.</p>
<p>And I did. In 1987 I moved to Germany with my new wife, a German who had lived and studied in America for years. We had met while we both worked as volunteers with the human rights organization Amnesty International. I found work as a musician and began improving the German I had studied in high school in my teens. My wife (now my ex) got a Master’s Degree and worked as a translator and eventually as a consultant. We had two daughters, who were born with citizenship in both countries, and we raised them bilingual English/German very successfully.</p>
<p>Reagan used to talk a lot of very dangerous-sounding warlike stuff. The Europeans had looked down on Jimmy Carter, and many here thought of Carter as a naïve, culturally inferior Southerner from the backwoods of Georgia, but Reagan scared them some with his saber-rattling and his accelerated arms race. Here in Germany there was a tradition of getting along with Russia and the Eastern Bloc, and while most of Western Europe felt good about being in NATO and having American “protection”, the belligerence and the new arms race that Reagan and his anti-communist crusaders proudly fired up made much of 1980s Europe pretty nervous.</p>
<p>That seemed to me to make a lot of sense, at least the part about not wanting new tension with Russia. I loved living in Europe. My German got quite good pretty quickly.</p>
<p>I still love living here in Europe, but these days I wonder where the “sophistication” went.</p>
<p>After the euphoria of unexpected German reunification, and after the amazing collapse of the Soviet Union and its allied communist governments, much of NATO and the original European Union thought it had conquered the world without ever firing a shot. Eastern Europe was begging to get in on the comfortable Western European lifestyle, and the EU was proud to take Russia’s former “vassal states” away from the bear and to promise those countries rapid progress toward what former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl called “blooming landscapes”. Those countries were also allowed and even encouraged to join NATO, one after the other, although this was a violation of commitments made to Gorbachev in return for his approval of German reunification, and although the Warsaw Pact military alliance – always considered NATO’s raison d’étre — had ceased to exist. No one gave much thought to Russia’s response. What could the Russians do? They were “history’s losers”, as smug capitalist newspapers and politicians crowed for years, newspapers and politicians who simultaneously went along with the preposterous fiction that Reagan had single-handedly brought about the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and the end of the Cold War.</p>
<p>Germany had a struggle to re-unify the country quickly, but it happened – at least on paper – but these days there are a vast number of East Germans who say that they had better lives in the old Deutsche Demokratische Republik (where at least everyone had an income and healthcare, and didn’t have to worry about the loss of a job turning their whole lives upside-down), and the same goes for many other Eastern European nations which joined the EU and NATO. Kohl’s “blooming landscapes” can be seen here and there, it’s true, mostly in the neighborhoods of the oligarchs and other rich carpetbaggers. Does that sound familiar?</p>
<p>As we say in America, those trusting Eastern European souls had “drunk the Kool-Aid” (a reference to the American psycho-preacher Jim Jones, who started a church-colony of his believers in the Caribbean and then persuaded all of those poor fools who had been hypnotized by the Jim-and-Jesus Team to join him in committing suicide by drinking poison).</p>
<p>But in 2016, the Western Europeans who had welcomed the Eastern Europeans in, even if as a kind of second-class Free Europeans-in-Training, are not much happier.</p>
<p>They had helped the Clintons with rapid globalization in the 1990s, it was good for business. They had helped Clinton and the überhawk Madeleine Albright break up Yugoslavia as well — it was clear that after starting World War 1 and victimizing so many of their neighbors (so the story went) the evil Serbs had to be bombed into submission. And they supported the deadly Clinton-Albright-UN sanctions against Iraq which, even before the Bush invasion, killed hundreds of thousands of children and other civilians there (Albright: “The price is high, but we think it’s worth it”).</p>
<p>The advent of George W. Bush as President finally got the attention of Western Europe once again: this right-wing “cowboy”, as he was commonly portrayed in the European press, was definitely a bit of a threat to the quiet, fashionable, elegant world of business-as-usual with a moral mask which the EU has always enjoyed projecting. After the horror of 9/11, many Europeans were equally horrified by the Bush shoot-from-the-hip foreign policy and his invasion of Iraq. France refused to cooperate, giving rise to the memorable switch in the US Congressional food service from labeling french fries as such to calling them “freedom fries” … THAT would show those uppity fair weather friends, the French. Germany followed suit: former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, a Social Democrat, and his governing coalition partners the Green Party made it clear that Germany did not support the invasion and occupation of Iraq. The new leader of Germany’s opposition conservative Christian Democratic Party, the relatively young Angela Merkel, saw it differently. She supported American policy and Bush without reservation. And in a few years she would succeed in bringing a vote of no confidence against Schröder and replacing him as Chancellor. Meanwhile, following the lead of the Democratic Party in the US and the Labour Party in the UK, Germany’s Social Democratic-Green governing coalition passed a program called Agenda 2010, bringing it closer to business interests, loosening traditional worker protection measures, and cutting back on the hard-fought social gains of European workers over 150 years, all in the name of “flexibly” fighting unemployment and becoming “more competitive in an increasingly competitive global market”. They say only Nixon could have gone to China, and perhaps only the Social Democratic SPD and the Greens could have carried out what is seen today on the Left as a major betrayal of German working-class citizens. In France, this battle continues to rage as French Socialists (at least they call themselves Socialists) attempt to do the same.</p>
<p>Western Europe’s post-1989 euphoria was starting to fade. Apparently, being allied to the world’s one remaining superpower was not enough to guarantee permanent happiness.</p>
<p>And so it was with a great, internationally audible sigh of relief that Western Europe greeted the election of Barack Obama in 2008. THIS was more like it! This young President was obviously well-educated: he had studied at Harvard, could actually manage complete sentences, and had campaigned hard on rejecting the Bush macho cowboy persona, closing Guantanamo (always a matter of great concern to the EU), and other changes which seemed to promise a return to European-like respectability. By supporting him, Germany in particular had its best opportunity yet to demonstrate to the world that racism in this country is ancient history. Obama had been a great hit at a major pre-election campaign appearance in Berlin, and now the equally delighted Nobel Committee proceeded to give the new President a Nobel Peace Prize in a stunning sign of childish faith and trust in his sincerity. The Europeans smiled and leaned back to await the advent of these promised changes in direction.</p>
<p>The change that came was mostly superficial. But the symbolism was enough for the EU for the time being. Obama invested tons of symbolic energy in creating the symbolically inclusive “Obamacare” health insurance system, and nothing he could have done could have been more pleasing to the EU, where health care for all citizens is universal. Obama’s reputation with the EU as a progressive reformer was successfully made. As is so often the case in European-American relations, few would worry about the details. They finally had an American President they liked once again, and they were ready to follow him.</p>
<p>This tacit decision that Obama was a good leader for NATO and for the “free world” came far too fast. Europe let down its critical defense mechanisms and faculties. For a continent better known for its superb beer and legendary wine, the deadly chalice of poisonous Kool-Aid was coming nearer.</p>
<p>The poisoned chalice was being prepared in the Pentagon and at Hillary Clinton’s State Department (Foreign Ministry) in particular. Ms. Clinton quietly appointed as an Assistant Secretary of State a former member of Vice-President Dick Cheney’s staff, Victoria Nuland, who (not coincidentally) is the wife of leading neoconservative strategist and writer Robert Kagan. Ms. Clinton would continue to enjoy her international image as a progressive voice for women’ rights and other good causes while Ms. Nuland and the neocons, now with not only a foot in the door but a firm hold on US Foreign Policy, set their sights on a prize on which they had set their hearts years earlier: Ukraine, the gateway to Russia.</p>
<p>While it is not completely unknown here in Europe that the American government, often via the CIA, plays dirty from time to time in the international arena, overthrowing governments and arming nasty strongmen and jihadists, it is not often the subject of mainstream news coverage or public debate. It’s not polite to talk about Big Brother’s bad habits. Yes, he gets a little carried away from time to time. But he’s our brother and we have to be supportive. Big Brother means well, it is implied, and Europe depends on his strength.</p>
<p>63 years after the CIA overthrew the elected government of Iran and put the Shah on his throne, 38 years after America began arming Islamic jihadis (including Osama bin Laden) to bring down the Russian-supported Afghan government, 15 years after the US-NATO invasion of Afghanistan, and 13 years after the disastrous invasion of Iraq by the Bush administration, Europe watches the Middle East in dismay as war spreads and nations are destroyed. Europe is subject to daily anxiety attacks as millions of refugees flee from NATO war zones and often head North toward Germany. Europe professes its deepest anxiety about the ongoing war in Ukraine, and about Russia’s success in recovering the Crimean peninsula “in violation of international law” (a phrase which is rarely heard in connection with Big Brother’s many subterfuges — he’s our brother, we have to be supportive, remember?). Europe is frantic about the growth of right-wing, anti-immigrant, anti-EU parties threatening to take power in France and the Netherlands, growing stronger in Germany, already in power in Poland and Hungary, or driving EU rejection in the UK with the Brexit vote brought on by the hapless David Cameron: developments largely driven by the refugee crisis and by the widespread economic effects of neoliberal austerity programs pushed by the US-dominated IMF and World Bank, programs accepted as economic gospel for years by the EU, accepted as “without alternative” and administered especially by Angela Merkel via Germany’s great economic influence within the EU.</p>
<p>The Middle East debacle unfolded over decades. While the US role in Iraq is clear and the invasion there is generally regarded here, as in the US, as a mistake, the search for the roots of today’s catastrophic Middle East apocalypse pretty much stops right there in European mainstream media and discussion. The role of Obama and Clinton in pouring money, weapons and CIA planning into a small uprising in Syria, fanning that tiny flame until it burst into the blaze of full-scale international proxy war with the aid of nasty US allies in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, intended to protect Israel and remove uncooperative governments unwilling to allow unfettered oil and gas dealing, is never discussed on the European stage, only Russia’s refusal to stop its bombing of “moderate rebel” positions in Aleppo; the calamitous aftermath of NATO’s destruction of the Libyan state, whence hundreds of thousands of refugees now reach Europe or drown trying as they try to escape a crumbling state being dominated by ISIS, two governments and many rival militias — all set in motion by Hillary Clinton, who persuaded the spineless and irresolute Obama to join France and Britain in the bombing campaign – was condemned in a report by the British Parliament, which concluded that the alleged plans by Gaddafi to “massacre many thousands of his citizens” were fabricated for political reasons. But the story got little traction outside of Britain, and here on the continent the Libyan disaster is rarely mentioned. In Ukraine, where the neoconservatives around Clinton and Nuland funded and brought about the overthrow of the elected government right on Russia’s borders, provoking a fast and unequivocal response by President Vladimir Putin (part of whose navy was always stationed in an important base in the Crimea), it is common (fictional) knowledge in the Euro-Media that the entire war there is about “Russian aggression”, and NATO has sent thousands of troops into its Russia-hating Eastern Baltic nations and Poland, erecting deadly new American missiles in Romania and elsewhere near the Russian border. Any response by Putin to these widespread provocations is immediately labeled as aggression by Obama’s administration, and the Euro-Media repeats the charge like a ventriloquist’s dummy or a talented parrot. Washington’s absurd claims of Russian cyber-intervention in the American election, based on zero evidence and hypocritical on their face coming from the nation whose NSA is the world’s King of Hackers, found daily expression during the Presidential campaign in increasingly paranoid and hysterical rants by Ms. Clinton blaming Russia for just about everything wrong in the world, rants which went out of their way to personally demonize Putin and paint Trump as his puppet. The Euro-Media slavishly repeated these Nixonian ravings in hushed, nervous tones. After all, the alternative was the dreaded TRUMP … who, in addition to his racist and sexist polemic, had often expressed skepticism about NATO and had failed to show proper alarm about the new enemy of the “civilized world”, Putin.</p>
<p>Europe has drunk the Obama-Clinton Kool-Aid.</p>
<p>Nothing that Obama and Hillary Clinton did hurt their reputations here, or at least not for long. It made headlines when Nuland was overheard in a phone call saying “Fuck the EU”, but that was soon forgotten. Obama would never ever feel that way himself, not our Barack. There must be some misunderstanding. The Snowden revelations and the later discovery that Merkel’s smartphone had been surveilled by the NSA brought an uncharacteristic wave of America-resentment to Germany, but only those of us on the European Left care about THAT old nonsense any more (especially since it was later proven that Germany’s BND had been helping the NSA tap phones in France and at EU headquarters in Brüssel and elsewhere the whole time). A few ambitious newspapers tried to get Germans to care about the fact that drone assassinations are controlled in part from Ramstein Air Force Base here in Germany, but people just couldn’t be bothered. After all, they’re killing evil terrorists, right? Yes, the odd innocent civilian or 4,000 as well, but that’s war. And the idea that the increasing ISIS-related terrorist bombings in France, Belgium, Germany and elsewhere might be related to Germany’s support for these war crimes? Really, where do people come up with these preposterous conspiracy theories?! After all, Germany recently sold a major load of fine weapons “Made in Germany” to the Saudis, whom Merkel called an “important strategic ally in the region”. We are CERTAINLY doing our part against these maniacs, including providing military assistance to Turkey, another bastion of sanity … or at least until recently …?! … well, one has to make these hard choices sometimes. After paying the Turks several billion euros to keep most of the refugees there out of the EU, we have an investment to protect there. Of course it’s deeply unpleasant to watch Erdogan arrest and fire 50,000 teachers, journalists and public employees on charges of “supporting terrorism”, charges which he now levels against Germany as well, and torture some of them: but the unpleasantness pales in comparison to the thought of another one million refugees entering Germany in a single year … Obama’s agreement to take a few thousand of those refugees will not be sufficient. Pride swallowed! … and washed down with more Kool-Aid.</p>
<p>Actually, one can develop a taste for the stuff. Fine Cabernet Sauvignon it is not, but McDonald’s took a while to catch on here as well and now they’re everywhere.</p>
<p>By the way, it’s all Russia’s fault. Just turn on the news and you’ll see.</p> | Europe Drinks the Kool-Aid | true | https://counterpunch.org/2016/11/25/europe-drinks-the-kool-aid/ | 2016-11-25 | 4 |
<p>There are actually people who think Michelle Williams didn’t deserve to be <a href="" type="internal">paid as much as Mark Wahlberg</a>.</p>
<p>Let that sit in your brain for a while.</p>
<p>Any rah-rah spirit that might have been buzzing following Sunday night’s rousing, crusading <a href="" type="internal">Golden Globes telecast</a> was, if not completely crushed by an anvil, then certainly bruised days later when one of the more egregious cases of gender pay inequity—at least ones that have been made public—came to light.</p>
<p>Actually, strike that. Maybe it wasn’t a quell to the momentum, but a rage-fueled turbo boost, with yet another egregious injustice to bolster its case—especially when you survey the ridiculous, offensive, and retrograde misogynistic reaction. In other words, exactly the attitude and accepted norms that <a href="" type="internal">Time’s Up is rallying against</a>.</p>
<p>On Tuesday night, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/01/09/exclusive-wahlberg-paid-1-5-m-all-money-reshoot-williams-got-less-than-1-000/1018351001/" type="external">it was reported</a> that the four-time Oscar-nominated actress was paid $80 per day, totaling less than $1,000, for her work on now-infamous reshoots that took place over the Thanksgiving holiday for <a href="" type="internal">Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World</a>. The impetus, as is by now old news, was to reshoot all of Kevin Spacey’s scenes as tycoon J. Paul Getty with substitute actor Christopher Plummer, following <a href="" type="internal">Spacey’s essential banishing</a> from the industry due to allegations of gross sexual misconduct.</p>
<p>Williams’s salary is commensurate with <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/12/19/michelle-williams-mark-wahlberg-reshot-kevin-spaceys-all-money-scenes-free/966670001/" type="external">comments she made</a> after agreeing to the reshoots, that she’d forego any pay in order to get the thing done: “I said I’d be wherever they needed me, whenever they needed me. And they could have my salary, they could have my holiday, whatever they wanted. Because I appreciated so much that they were making this massive effort.”</p>
<p>It’s also commensurate with Scott’s assertion that all the actors participated in the reshoots for free.</p>
<p>The grenade of fury that detonated Tuesday night came, however, after a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/01/09/exclusive-wahlberg-paid-1-5-m-all-money-reshoot-williams-got-less-than-1-000/1018351001/" type="external">USA Today report</a> revealed that Wahlberg, who had a supporting role in the film, did not work for free—or even the scale pay that Williams received. No, he earned $1.5 million for a brief reshoot. In other words, Williams was paid less than 1 percent the salary of her male co-star.</p>
<p>(For what it’s worth, the report confirms numbers that actress <a href="https://twitter.com/jes_chastain/status/950578469586444288" type="external">Jessica Chastain hinted at in a tweet</a> the day before.)</p>
<p>The salary gap is shocking in that it is such a perfect representation of Hollywood’s systemic sexism and devaluing of women.</p>
<p>Gender pay disparity is hardly an industry secret—especially after leaked emails during the Sony hack uncovered by The Daily Beast made <a href="" type="internal">Jennifer Lawrence a famous face</a> of the issue—which is why <a href="https://jezebel.com/instead-of-all-black-actors-protesting-sexual-harassme-1821603031" type="external">Jezebel’s Hazel Cills suggested</a> that if Hollywood’s actors really wanted to be allies, rather than wearing black in solidarity to the Globes this past weekend they don jumpsuits painted with their inflated salaries for blockbusters their female co-stars were paid significantly less for.</p>
<p>But what makes the Williams situation so powerful is that she is Michelle Williams, a two-decade veteran of the industry with four Oscar nominations under her belt. This is a very famous person. This is a very good actress. So good, in fact, that she was nominated for Best Actress at the Globes for her All the Money in the World performance. She is the lead, by leaps and bounds, of the film. It wouldn’t work if she wasn’t such a dynamo in it.</p>
<p>Start and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast.</p>
<p>A speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't).</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Mark Wahlberg is fine in his role</a>, but unremarkable enough that he could be replaced by any of Hollywood’s competent white dudes and you wouldn’t notice. I’ve seen the film in its entirety and still, every time the trailer is on TV, think, “Oh yeah, Marky Mark’s in this.”</p>
<p>So let’s restart that sentence: What makes the Williams situation so powerful is that she is Michelle Williams, and that guy earned 1,500 times more than her for less competent work, in a film he has less responsibility in. And people—industry people, agent people, assholes on the internet—think that’s fine.</p>
<p>Folks, Michelle Williams didn’t just deserve equal pay to Mark Wahlberg for her work in All the Money in the World. She deserved more.</p>
<p>We did the internet equivalent of bashing our head into a wall and then dunking it in a salt bath by perusing the comments on USA Today’s tweet announcing the salary disparity, as well as a few others.</p>
<p>Without validating the trolls by directly quoting, they argue that perhaps Williams is a bad negotiator so this is her fault. (More on that later.) They argue that Wahlberg is worth more to a film, because he has box office appeal and she does not. (More on that later.) They argue that maybe Wahlberg’s character shared more scenes with Plummer, and therefore had more heavy lifting to do during the reshoots. (We’ll address that one right now: Two or three more scenes to shoot hardly justifies $1.4 million in extra pay. But, you know, I’ve never been a math person.)</p>
<p>On the topic that Williams may have failed to negotiate a higher quote, or that she got the money she literally asked for when she volunteered to do the reshoots for free: That’s not how pay equity works, folks. It’s fair and equal compensation for fair and equal work.</p>
<p>But that’s not even the thing that will rip your head right off your neck and spin it like a Harlem Globetrotter.</p>
<p>Williams and Wahlberg are both repped by the same agency, WME. This isn’t a case of deals done in secret with non-communicative agencies. Agencies are supposed to protect their clients, and they failed Williams.</p>
<p>Actors and their agents should leverage whatever they can and choose, and that is the one reason to not completely drag Wahlberg through burning coals warmed inside of Satan’s asshole. Williams may have thought it honorable to forego the complication of salary demands in order to devise a quick turnaround to rescue a movie from the sins of a sexual predator. Wahlberg clearly thought it an opportunity to leverage those sins for a buck. WME should have seen that the fruits of that, disgusting as it may be, return to Williams as well.</p>
<p>(For what it’s worth, Williams hasn’t commented on what she did or did not know about the salary gap, but her best friend and confidante Busy Philipps, who was with Williams at the Golden Globes, has been tweeting steadily in outrage over the news of the disparity.)</p>
<p>#MeToo founder Tarana Burke and Michelle Williams attend the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 7, 2018, in Beverly Hills, California.</p>
<p>But as to the point of Wahlberg’s box office appeal warranting a higher salary in a project with obvious interest in making money, recouping investment, and maximizing profit: Yes, he is a box office draw. He has a proven track record opening films, has multiple blockbuster franchises under his belt, and has an impressive $70 million average gross across his films.</p>
<p>There is worth in that. But all worth, especially in the movie business, is not equal. Things like an actor’s likability, buzz, pedigree, talent (DUH!), and awards track record matter. It’s to that latter end that Williams’s worth in this case exceeds Wahlberg’s, objectively.</p>
<p>It was never a secret that All the Money in the World was gunning for the Oscars. Its unfathomably quick turnaround—a summer shoot into a December release, just in time for awards voting—telegraphed that, as did the heroic effort to reshoot Spacey’s scenes to still meet those awards deadlines.</p>
<p>Because it bears repeating: Michelle Williams is a four-time Oscar nominee. She has five Golden Globe nominations and one win. She has six Indie Spirit nominations on top of that, also with one win. When Michelle Williams is cast in a film, it rocket launches to the top of the list of serious awards contenders, merely because of her presence. That is crucial at a time when voters are flooded with films to consider, and choose to screen the ones that they think are truly viable and worthy contenders. She toplines All the Money in the World’s awards cachet.</p>
<p>And for those awards All the Money in the World so transparently wants, Sony explicitly campaigned Williams in the lead category and Wahlberg in supporting for their respective performances. Shouldn’t it be outlandish for an employee doing more work to be paid less than the part-timer? In Hollywood, it never has been.</p>
<p>It’s not just Williams. As culture critic <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkHarrisNYC/status/950945386138566656" type="external">Mark Harris said in a tweet</a> Tuesday night, “There are examples of pay disparity between actors and actresses in some of the biggest movies of recent years that would absolutely floor people.”</p>
<p>E! News host Catt Sadler is still having to defend herself for leaving the network after it was revealed that her male co-host Jason Kennedy was <a href="" type="internal">earning double her salary</a> for the same work. After several actresses <a href="" type="internal">publicly supported Sadler</a> at the Globes, the network released a statement saying there is “misinformation” about Sadler’s salary. “Our employees’ salaries are based on their roles and their expertise, regardless of gender,” the statement said, arguing that Kennedy’s work in primetime and on the red carpet differed from Sadler’s role.</p>
<p>But Sadler <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/01/10/e-defends-paying-catt-sadler-less-than-male-co-host-after-call-out-debra-messing/1019994001/" type="external">fought back Wednesday</a>, saying that she and Kennedy are “apples to apples” comparisons: “We came to the network at the same time and did similar jobs.”</p>
<p>This whole pay gap debate is like a Russian nesting doll carved out of rotten fruit, with each new layer more putrid than the one before. That the disparities in compensation between men and women doing equal work (or in the case of Williams, a woman doing more work) are as monstrous as they are is the first whiff: Double!? 1,500 percent!? But the upchuck comes when the reflex is to justify it: typically mansplained rationalizing of the nonsensical into an excused norm.</p> | Michelle Williams Didn’t Deserve Equal Pay to Mark Wahlberg. She Deserved More. | true | https://thedailybeast.com/michelle-williams-didnt-deserve-equal-pay-to-mark-wahlberg-she-deserved-more | 2018-10-06 | 4 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Gov.-elect Susana Martinez has planned an outdoor inauguration Jan. 1 on the Santa Fe Plaza.</p>
<p>Her inaugural committee on Thursday released a preliminary schedule of activities for the day, which begins at 10 a.m. with her public swearing-in ceremony.</p>
<p>“The plaza is a very traditional setting that will allow more New Mexicans to participate in what will be a historic event,” Martinez spokesman Danny Diaz said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Governors are sworn in first thing Jan. 1, then hold a public ceremony later in the day.</p>
<p>A reception, open to the public, is set from noon to 3 p.m. at the Fine Arts Museum.</p>
<p>Martinez’s “Bold Inaugural Ball” will begin at 8 p.m. at the Sweeney Convention Center in the capital city. More than 2,000 people from all over the state are expected at the invitation-only ball.</p>
<p>The inaugural committee said the ball will have several rooms around different themes, including “Hispanic Heritage,” honoring Martinez as the first female governor of Hispanic descent elected in the nation.</p>
<p>Another room will be called “To All Who Have Served,” in honor of military, law enforcement, police and firefighters. Martinez is the district attorney in Dona Ana County, while her husband, Chuck Franco, is the county’s undersheriff and her stepson Carlo served in the Navy and is a volunteer firefighter.</p>
<p>The committee also planned a “Children’s Inaugural Ball” at the Children’s Museum in Santa Fe. The ball, scheduled from 2-4 p.m., is open to children ages 5 to 11. It will include food and dancing.</p>
<p>Martinez will begin her journey to Santa Fe with an invitation-only “Inaugural Send-Off Gala” Dec. 30 in her southern New Mexico hometown of Las Cruces.</p>
<p>Martinez has said she plans to pay for her inauguration with private donations, and that she will disclose the contributions.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Martinez Plans Outdoor Inauguration on Jan. 1 | false | https://abqjournal.com/10496/martinez-plans-outdoor-inauguration-on-jan-1.html | 2 |
|
<p />
<p>Image source: Habit Restaurants.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Burger chains are starting to show signs of life again. Shares of Habit Restaurants (NASDAQ: HABT)jumped 14.7% last week, moving higher despite a lack of bullish company-specific news. Habit Restaurants stock has now moved 18% higher since the company posted weaker-than-expected financial results earlier this month, an odd sight in a market that isn't historically very forgiving.</p>
<p>The growing chain of restaurants specializing in charbroiled hamburgers isn't the only "better burger" chain that's storming back into market fancy this month. Shake Shack (NYSE: SHAK) stock is up 19% in November. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (NASDAQ: RRGB) -- different from Habit or Shake Shack in that it's a table-service eatery but still squarely in the "better burger" category -- is up 17% this month.</p>
<p>It's been a good month for the market. The S&amp;P 500 is trading 4% higher in November, but that's no match for Habit, Shake Shack, and Red Robin, which are trading 18%, 19%, and 17% higher, respectively, month to date.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Habit Restaurants investors can use the rally. The stock has been out of favor since shortly after its IPO. The chain went public two years ago at $18, peaking at $44.20 just a few days later. It's been mostly downhill ever since. Habit stock is trading 62% below its all-time peak, even after last week's rally.</p>
<p>The irony in the recent strength in the stock is that Habit's coming off of a dreadful quarter. Comps rose 4%, a healthy uptick in this climate and keeping the chain's streak of positive same-store sales alive at an impressive 50 quarters. However, it fell short of Wall Street's targets on both ends of the income statement. It also slightly lowered its revenue guidance for the entire year.</p>
<p>The chain of 160 mostly company-owned locations is still doing a few things right. It followed Shake Shack's lead in introducing a fried-chicken sandwich last month, and it said initial customer response was overwhelmingly positive. Steady comps over the past decade find average unit volumes clocking in at $1.9 million a year, less than Shake Shack or Mickey D's, but at the high end of most of its other burger-flipping peers, including Burger King and Five Guys.</p>
<p>The one thing that's been holding Habit Restaurants and Shake Shack back has been valuation. Unlike Red Robin Gourmet Burgers at a reasonable 17 times next year's projected profit, we have Habit and Shake Shack at multiples north of 50 and 70, respectively. The lofty markups may be why investors have stayed away from Habit Restaurants and Shake Shack since the "better burger" frenzy peaked with investors nearly two years ago, but the chains keep finding ways to make their eateries more magnetic to hungry patrons. The strategy's been paying off for investors in November, and both chains are still early in their expansion cycles.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Habit Restaurants When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=4a1fc367-59ae-4066-8839-d824d0fdfc3e&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Habit Restaurants wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=4a1fc367-59ae-4066-8839-d824d0fdfc3e&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of November 7, 2016</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFBreakerRick/info.aspx" type="external">Rick Munarriz Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Habit Restaurants and Shake Shack. The Motley Fool is short Shake Shack. 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> | Can Habit Restaurants Keep Going After Last Week's 15% Pop? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/11/27/can-habit-restaurants-keep-going-after-last-week-15-pop.html | 2016-11-27 | 0 |
<p />
<p>MSNBC.com <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20411561/" type="external">reported</a> yesterday that Michael Vick’s <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/20/vick.dogfighting/index.html" type="external">dogfighting case</a> is dividing African American leaders into two camps—one that criticizes the quarterback’s cruelty to animals, and another whose members think his persecution is driven by a racist agenda. Supposedly leading the latter is the Reverend Al Sharpton, who the news group quotes at length.</p>
<p>The problem, as <a href="http://gawker.com/news/our-credulous-media/michael-vick-case-causing-dissension-among-fake-black-people-293035.php" type="external">Gawker</a> and <a href="http://media.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZTQ2NDAwZDYwMzczMjUyMjliNTM3ZWEyMDMyZTdlYmU=" type="external">National Review Online</a> have noted, is that not one word of the attribution came out of Sharpton’s mouth. To the contrary, it came from <a href="http://newsgroper.com" type="external">News Groper</a> [full disclosure: the associate editor was a fact-checker—can you feel the irony?—for Mother Jones], a website made up entirely of satirical celebrity blog entries. Sharpton can be pretty dramatic sometimes, but it’s surprising that reporter Alex Johnson wasn’t given any pause by the absurdity of the “quote”:</p>
<p>“If the police caught Brett Favre (a white quarterback for the Green Bay Packers) running a dolphin-fighting ring out of his pool, where dolphins with spears attached to their foreheads fought each other, would they bust him? Of course not,” Sharpton wrote Tuesday on his personal blog. “They would get his autograph, commend him on his tightly spiraled forward passes, then bet on one of his dolphins.”</p>
<p>MSNBC got hip to the error and, rather than apologize to its readers for astoundingly sloppy reporting, posted in a correction that it “has determined that the blog is a hoax.” The correction doesn’t mention what tipped the news organization’s meticulous fact-checkers off: News Groper‘s logo, which is a hand moving toward two globes that look like giant balls, or maybe breasts; Al Sharpton sharing a blog site with Lindsay Lohan, George Bush, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; or the words “fake parody blogs” in the title bar of every page.</p>
<p />
<p /> | MSNBC Reports Really, Really Fake News | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/08/msnbc-reports-really-really-fake-news/ | 2007-08-24 | 4 |
<p>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri House lawmakers have approved a ban on most lobbyist gifts to themselves and other public officials.</p>
<p>The House voted 134-12 to pass the bill Wednesday. It now heads to the Senate, where it's languished in past years.</p>
<p>If made law, the bill would still allow some lobbyist giving. Lobbyists could host catered events with free food if all lawmakers and statewide elected officials are invited. Awards could still be accepted, and flowers sent for funerals, celebrations or other events would also be allowed.</p>
<p>Although it passed the House easily, some lawmakers voiced concerns that the bill would lead to less transparency about lobbyist giving.</p>
<p>Republican Rep. Rick Brattin voted against the bill. He told colleagues on the House floor that the bill will drive lobbyist giving underground.</p>
<p>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri House lawmakers have approved a ban on most lobbyist gifts to themselves and other public officials.</p>
<p>The House voted 134-12 to pass the bill Wednesday. It now heads to the Senate, where it's languished in past years.</p>
<p>If made law, the bill would still allow some lobbyist giving. Lobbyists could host catered events with free food if all lawmakers and statewide elected officials are invited. Awards could still be accepted, and flowers sent for funerals, celebrations or other events would also be allowed.</p>
<p>Although it passed the House easily, some lawmakers voiced concerns that the bill would lead to less transparency about lobbyist giving.</p>
<p>Republican Rep. Rick Brattin voted against the bill. He told colleagues on the House floor that the bill will drive lobbyist giving underground.</p> | Missouri House passes limits on lobbyist gifts to officials | false | https://apnews.com/amp/b138f0a068a940b4adaec00b69c1dcb3 | 2018-01-17 | 2 |
<p>In Massachusetts, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin and Florida, citizens voted overwhelmingly Tuesday for their legislators to pass a constitutional amendment to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling and declare that only human beings – not corporations – are entitled to constitutional rights, that money is not speech, and that campaign spending can be regulated.</p>
<p>Residents in dozens of cities had the opportunity to vote on measures calling for an end to the doctrines of corporate constitutional rights and money as free speech, and in every single town the vote was supportive. Often by an overwhelming margin.</p>
<p>In Wisconsin where all eyes were on Republican Scott Walker's victory, 12 communities voted in support of an amendment. Walker and Burke voters alike support amending the Constitution, as not a single measure garnered less that 70% support.</p>
<p>“Money in politics affects our lives everyday,” said Donna Richards, a Move to Amend volunteer of of Fond du Lac, Wis. “We pay too much for healthcare. Our taxes go towards corporate welfare and wars, instead of education and protecting our environment. Our energy policy is dictated by Big Oil, and we can’t even pass reasonable gun background checks because the gun manufacturers have bought half of Congress. This isn’t what democracy looks like.”</p>
<p>Tuesday's vote brings the total number of Wisconsin communities that have called for an amendment to 54. In total, 2.4 million people (41% of Wisconsinites) live in these jurisdictions. Across the country, 16 state legislatures have voted for an amendment, as well as almost 600 towns, villages, cities and other organizations.</p>
<p>In Mentor and Chagrin Falls, Ohio, the votes were respectively 66% and 70% support. In Alachua County, Florida, voters supported Move to Amend's campaign by 72%. The final vote count on Wednesday was still being tallied in the 18 legislative districts that voted Tuesday night, but the results were the same as in other states.</p>
<p>"Nearly all Americans share the sentiment that corporations should not have the same rights as people, and big money in politics should be removed," stated Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, national director of Move to Amend.</p>
<p>"It is time for Congress to pass the&#160; <a href="https://movetoamend.org/wethepeopleamendment" type="external">We the People Amendment</a>&#160;and send it to the states for ratification. The leadership of both parties need to realize that their voters are clamoring for this amendment, and we are only going to get louder."</p>
<p><a href="https://movetoamend.org/" type="external">Move to Amend</a>&#160;is a national coalition of hundreds of organizations and over 370,000 people. The organization also boasts over 150 local affiliates across the country.&#160; <a href="http://movetoamend.nationbuilder.com/petition" type="external">Sign the motion</a>&#160;to Amend the Constitution today.</p>
<p /> | Citizens Vote To Amend Constitution and End Corporate Personhood In Five States | true | http://occupy.com/article/citizens-vote-amend-constitution-and-end-corporate-personhood-five-states | 4 |
|
<p />
<p>JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. (NYSE:JPM) led the nation in total U.S. deposits for the first time in the third quarter, according to CEO Jamie Dimon.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The largest U.S. bank by assets topped estimates on both the top and bottom lines. The company earned $1.76 per share on revenue of $26.2 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 30. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected earnings of $1.65 per share on revenue of $25.23 billion.</p>
<p>“In Consumer &amp; Community Banking, card sales and merchant processing volumes were once again up double digits, while loans and deposits continued to grow strongly,” Dimon said in the company’s quarterly earnings <a href="https://www.jpmorganchase.com/corporate/investor-relations/document/ddfd37f6-679a-4f24-81e0-d7ca6f9b34a1.pdf" type="external">press release Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>“We continued to lead our peers in Investment Banking fees, and Treasury Services and Securities Services each generated over $1 billion in revenue,” he added.</p> | JPMorgan leads banks in total US deposits: Jamie Dimon on 3Q earnings | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/10/12/jpmorgans-profit-rises-bond-trading-slumps.html | 2017-10-12 | 0 |
<p>You may know about Comic-Con, the massive comic convention in San Diego. But there's another world out there, filled with characters created by Latino artists. And it's a group that's coming more into its own, to the extent that conferences dedicated just to their work are happening in California. The World's Monica Campbell reports on the artists and their creations.</p>
<p>Growing up in Los Angeles, Javier Hernandez worshiped superheroes like any other kid. But he went a bit further.</p>
<p>"When I was a kid my brother gave me his collection of comics, and I started just drawing," he says. "And then at one point, after college, I go you know I've got to make my own comic. You know, I want to see stuff that maybe you don't see a lot."</p>
<p>Like characters called Weapon Tex-Mex, El Muerto or Sonámbulo, a Mexican wrestler turned private eye. One of Hernandez's latest comics teams up a young Aztec boy and a dinosaur.</p>
<p>"It's basically about a boy who during the Spanish conquest of Mexico realizes there's a Tyrannosaurus Rex embedded in a block of amber in a cave," Hernandez says. So, the T-Rex gets released and the boy rides him to battle the conquistadors.</p>
<p>"Of course we know how the story ends unfortunately," says Hernandez.</p>
<p>The comic can get bloody, but it is also offbeat "because I grew up watching The Addams Family on TV," Hernandez says. "You know, it's not horrific, but it's quirky and odd and kind of dark and macabre."</p>
<p>I met Hernandez at San Francisco's Cartoon Museum for the Latino Comics Expo. It is the third time he has co-organized this event and it's still pretty new, but the number of fans and Latino creators is growing—enough for another event like this in Southern California next month.</p>
<p>People of all ages stream in to see the cartoonists' work, including Ben. He is 11-years-old and Mexican American. "It's pretty cool," he says. "A lot of the comic books I read, they are never really Mexican superheros. They're usually, like, white, black or Asian."</p>
<p>Cartoonist José Cabrera noticed that gap too. He is from New York, but his parents are from the Dominican Republic. The absence of Latinocomic characters struck him as a kid early on. So, he started developing his own characters. One of his early comics is called "Crying Macho Man," and it became an underground hit. Now, Cabreraa has put it on hold while he taps other cultures.</p>
<p>"I'm exploring a lot of the mythology of Latino art and Japanese art, Asian art," he says.</p>
<p>I ask Cabrera and another artist here, Jim Lujan, who is their inspiration. At once, they both said, "Sergio Aragonés!" The veteran Mad Magazine illustrator, who was born in Spain but grew up in Mexico, is known for his quick style and for the cartoons that appeared in the magazine's margins for years.</p>
<p>"His art style is just flawless," says Cabrera, who now lives in Los Angeles. "He draws so fast and it's so accurate and so fun."</p>
<p>But some artists here go beyond superheroes. Illustrator and writer Liz Mayorga, 31, drew as a kid growing up in Los Angeles and then saw art as a way to connect to her Mexican roots. One of her newest stories is called "A Caxcan Guerrilla Takes Over the Awkward Girl."</p>
<p>"Caxcan is a tribe of indigenous people that were in my mom and dad's hometown of El Teul, Zacatecas," Mayorga says. "I always asked my parents about our indigenous background and they could never give me any answers. And it made me really angry to know that my parents had no concept of that."</p>
<p>One of her favorite cartoonists, Mario Hernandez, is also here and he stops by Mayorga's table. Hernandez and his brothers pioneered the comic "Love and Rockets." The cult favorite broke ground in the early 80s with its smart Latino characters, steeped in California's punk rock scene.</p>
<p>"The stories would just tell stories about everyday people who happened to be gay, or happened to be Hispanic or they happened black," says Hernandez. "At the time there was no other Hispanic names that were putting out original things like that."</p>
<p>Then the two artists talk technique.</p>
<p>"Mario's style in cartooning specifically, he does a lot of really heavy lines," says Mayorga. "And they just seem so well mastered, just, you know, a little brushstroke and it's there."</p>
<p>"That's hard to do, to make things like you just whipped it off with a whim," says Hernadnez. "But I'm sweating bullets doing that kind of thing, to make it look just knocked off.</p>
<p>After a bit, Hernandez leaves and Mayorga pulls out her sketchpad. She's swept away, filling it with fine black lines and new worlds.</p> | Latino Comic Book Artists Explore Roots, Culture | false | https://pri.org/stories/2013-07-24/latino-comic-book-artists-explore-roots-culture | 2013-07-24 | 3 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>At 3-1 in league play with road games at San Diego State and Utah State already in the rearview mirror, the New Mexico Lobos are starting to feel pretty good about how young players are developing and are trying to gear up for a run at a Mountain West men’s basketball title.</p>
<p>The last thing a team that head coach Craig Neal maintains has a razor-thin margin for error needs now is to be dragged down from within. To that point, the second-year coach has let it be known there are players on his team who have been less receptive than others to a simple message: The program is bigger than they are.</p>
<p>“I think we’ve got a great culture,” said Neal. “I think we’ve got a championship culture. I think we’ve got a culture of excellence, and I’m not going to sacrifice for one or two guys that aren’t going to buy into that and bring down six or seven guys.”</p>
<p>Neal won’t name names, but said some players upset with playing time and unhappy with their roles are beginning to display poor body language on the bench, mope and, essentially, threaten to bring down the energy of the rest of the team.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Juniors Jordan Goodman and Arthur Edwards, in particular, were less than active on the team’s bench in Logan, Utah, on Saturday night. The pair combined for just five minutes in the second half of the league win.</p>
<p>All players were full, active participants at Monday’s practice open to the media, however, and no suspensions are imminent, the coach said.</p>
<p>Such midseason issues are not necessarily new for the program.</p>
<p>“We had issues on our team last year. We just didn’t talk about it,” Neal said.</p>
<p>The hype surrounding Lobo newcomer Jordan Goodman, right, has been unfair, coach Craig Neal insists. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>“But I’m not going to put up with it. That message has been sent. I’ve done it internally. I’ve done it with the team. And if I’ve got to do it publicly, then (I will). … I’m not going to have guys on my bench that have bad body language and aren’t going to cheer a teammate when there’s 10 other guys who are and two (who) aren’t. That’s not going to happen.”</p>
<p>The Lobos (11-5, 3-1 MWC) host Air Force (8-7, 1-3) tonight in the Pit and Boise State (10-6, 0-3) on Sunday. If they hold serve at home, they could be 5-1 heading into their second tough road trip of the season at UNLV and at Wyoming, getting the four toughest road games out of the way before the midway point of the conference schedule.</p>
<p>That is why the time is now, Neal said, to send the message – one he saw Florida’s Billy Donavan do a week ago when he benched a starter and a reserve for conduct detrimental to the team before a Southeastern Conference road game.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“I called (Donovan) and I told him, ‘Hey, you just sent a powerful message for a lot of coaches,’ ” Neal said.</p>
<p>“He called me back and he said, ‘That’s the way I feel.’ … A lot of coaches will do whatever it takes to win a game or whatever it takes to get ahead instead of just what you’ve built and what you’re about and what your program’s about. I’m not going to sacrifice my program or the culture that we’ve built here. … If they’re not going to do it, they’re not going to play.”</p>
<p>ON JORDAN: One player who continues to pique the interest of local media and fans despite a general lack of playing time is Goodman, the 6-foot-9 forward who was a junior college All-American last year. Neal said some of the hype surrounding him has been unfair.</p>
<p>“I mean, I think you guys have blown this thing up to where he’s supposed to be this great, great player, and nobody has ever seen it,” Neal said to a gathering of media. “Have you seen it in person? I haven’t either. There’s a lot of paper (reputations) that are out there on people that never come true, and I think that’s a little unfair to him and the expectations and (with) the injury. … To be honest with you, I think he’s out of shape, and I think his injury has set him back.”</p>
<p>TICKETS: As of Tuesday afternoon, UNM announced it still had about 1,300 tickets remaining for tonight’s home game vs. Air Force.</p>
<p>That total includes fewer than 100 club level seats and about 1,200 lower bowl seats. <a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p />
<p /> | Coach Neal says he has sent a message to his team’s malcontents | false | https://abqjournal.com/525854/neal-said-he-has-sent-message-to-malcontents.html | 2 |
|
<p />
<p>The treasure trove of new documents released Thursday revealing that scores of global banks pleaded for cash during the financial crisis from the <a href="" type="internal">Federal Reserve</a>’s discount window sheds new light on a central bank emergency program that had in the past carried a scarlet letter.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Aimed at lending a helping hand to healthy banks in the midst of a short-term cash crunch, <a href="" type="internal">the Fed</a>’s discount window -- its oldest tool -- traditionally gave financial institutions a lender of last resorts. Solvent banks would put up credible collateral and receive a short-term loan at a slightly higher rate known as the discount rate.</p>
<p>“The idea is that a discount window loan is supposed to tide over a bank that temporarily has problems accessing markets,” said Vincent Reinhart, a former senior Fed official and a scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. “If you’re running short at the end of the day, the markets are very thin, you’re solvent, you go to the discount window.”</p>
<p>Due to the negative stigma with having to come to the Fed for a loan, the identities of these banks are normally kept secret.</p>
<p>However, the world’s most powerful central bank was forced to release a massive cache of documents on Thursday after a lengthy court battle between the Fed and FOX Business and Bloomberg News. The news networks argued the public had a right to know what banks received extraordinary assistance during the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression.</p>
<p>Due to the panicky financial conditions created by the crisis, lending froze up, to the point where many institutions refused to lend to each other out of fear. That led to a sharp increase of banks -- not all of them healthy at the time -- forced to turn to the Fed’s discount window.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>“In the financial crisis there were institutions that were certainly in dire straits, but had some dodgy collateral,” said Reinhart.</p>
<p>All told, the Fed lent as much as $110 billion through its discount window during the depths of the financial crisis.</p>
<p>“The Fed has always been portrayed as just pumping money to keep the banks up, but they took an enormous risk with that collateral,” said Charles Geisst, a finance professor at Manhattan College.</p>
<p>The decision to open up the discount window to a wider variety of banks, many of them foreign, is a controversial one. Some argue the access to short-term loans caused moral hazard, meaning investors and banks have little incentive to avoid repeating the same risky decisions that led to the crisis.</p>
<p>“If they didn’t, they were finished on the spot. There was no alternative," said Geisst.</p>
<p>In particular, some have criticized the Fed allowing <a href="" type="internal">Bear Stearns</a> to be kept afloat by loans from the discount window, enabling its fire sale to <a href="" type="internal">JPMorgan Chase</a> (NYSE:JPM) in March 2008.</p>
<p>“At a time of extreme crisis when everybody is having problems, emergency credit probably makes sense,” said Reinhart. “I would argue strongly against the extension of the discount window to Bear Stearns and JPMorgan. That was a serious mistake. They would have been better off letting Bear fail.”</p>
<p>The Fed initially refused to reveal the names of banks that borrowed via the discount window, citing concern the disclosures could lead to a run on the banks. Indeed, the lending facility traditionally held a negative stigma during normal times.</p>
<p>“You had to convince a [Federal] Reserve bank you really needed the funds. But if you really needed the funds, then why would any private sector party lend to you?” said Reinhart.</p>
<p>However, the data revealed this week confirms almost everyone had to turn to the Fed during the financial crisis.</p>
<p>“Gee, there really isn’t much stigma attached to being revealed from the window in October 2008 because everybody was in those circumstances,” said Reinhart.</p> | Demystifying the Fed's Secretive Discount Window | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/03/31/demystifying-feds-secretive-discount-window.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
<p>Jan 24 (Reuters) - Uoa Real Estate Investment Trust :</p>
<p>* QTRLY REVENUE ‍​20.7 MILLION RGT; QTRLY NET PROFIT 9.0‍​ MILLION RGT</p>
<p>* YEAR AGO QTRLY REVENUE 21.2 MILLION RGT, YEAR AGO QTRLY NET PROFIT 14.9 MILLION RGT ‍​</p>
<p>* PROPOSES FINAL INCOME DISTRIBUTION OF 4.37 SEN PER UNIT FOR YEAR ENDED DEC 31, 2017‍​ Source text: ( <a href="http://bit.ly/2DB33vf" type="external">bit.ly/2DB33vf</a>) Further company coverage:</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday and forecast at least two more hikes for 2018, highlighting its growing confidence that tax cuts and government spending will boost the economy and inflation and spur more aggressive future tightening.</p> Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at a news conference following the Federal Open Market Committee meetings in Washington, U.S., March 21, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein
<p>In its first policy meeting under new Fed chief Jerome Powell, the U.S. central bank indicated that inflation should finally move higher after years below its 2 percent target and that the economy had recently gained momentum.</p>
<p>The Fed also raised the estimated longer-term “neutral” rate, the level at which monetary policy neither boosts nor slows the economy, a touch, in a sign the current gradual rate hike cycle could go on longer than previously thought.</p>
<p>“The economic outlook has strengthened in recent months,” the Fed said in a statement at the end of a two-day meeting in which it lifted its benchmark overnight lending rate by a quarter of a percentage point to a range of 1.50 percent to 1.75 percent.</p>
<p>Powell, who took over from former Fed chief Janet Yellen in early February, said the central bank was staying on a path of gradual rate increases but needed to be on guard against inflation.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-usa-fed-taxation/as-trump-stimulus-fades-fed-sees-tight-monetary-policy-on-the-horizon-idUSKBN1GX36H" type="external">As Trump stimulus fades, Fed sees tight monetary policy on the horizon</a>
<a href="/article/us-usa-fed-fomc-text/fomc-statement-from-march-20-21-meeting-idUSKBN1GX2OJ" type="external">FOMC statement from March 20-21 meeting</a>
<a href="/article/us-usa-economy-instantview/fed-raises-rates-signals-confidence-in-strengthening-economy-idUSKBN1GX2QH" type="external">Fed raises rates, signals confidence in strengthening economy</a>
<p>“We are trying to take the middle ground here,” Powell said in a press conference after the end of the policy meeting, adding that there were no signs the economy was on the cusp of accelerating inflation.</p>
<p>The rate hike was widely expected. All 104 economists polled by Reuters from March 5-13 said the Fed would increase borrowing costs this week.</p>
<p>U.S. stocks rose after the policy statement before paring gains to close lower. U.S. Treasury yields fell and then recovered. The dollar .DXY recorded its steepest one-day loss in nearly two months against a basket of currencies.</p>
<p>“The guidance in terms of the future rate hikes is a touch more hawkish than originally expected. 2019 looks like we’re going to get a faster pace of rate hikes,” said Matt Miskin, market strategist at John Hancock Investments.</p>
<p>“This a new Fed chairman starting with a bit of a hawkish tone as he takes leadership.”</p> Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at a news conference following the Federal Open Market Committee meetings in Washington, U.S., March 21, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein CONFIDENCE IN THE ECONOMY
<p>The rate hike was the latest step away from years of stimulating the world’s largest economy in the wake of the 2007-2009 financial crisis and recession. The Fed tightened policy three times last year.</p>
<p>The combination of $1.8 trillion in expected fiscal stimulus from the Trump administration and recent hints of price and wage pressures had prompted some Fed officials to speculate more Americans could be drawn into an already tight labor market.</p>
<p>Some even worried inflation could rise well above the Fed’s target if the economy got too hot.</p> Slideshow (5 Images)
<p>Policymakers were largely split on Wednesday as to whether a total of three or four rate hikes would be needed this year. They predicted rates would rise three times next year and two times in 2020, a further indication of their view that the economy is on solid footing.</p>
<p>“The Fed seems to be gaining confidence,” said Brian Coulton, an economist at Fitch Rating in London.</p>
<p>Fed policymakers projected U.S. economic growth of 2.7 percent in 2018, an increase from the 2.5 percent forecast in December, and also marked up growth for next year. The Fed’s preferred measure of inflation was expected to end 2018 at 1.9 percent, unchanged from the previous forecast, but it is seen rising a bit above the target next year.</p>
<p>The U.S. unemployment rate by the end of 2018 is expected to edge down to 3.8 percent, indicating the Fed sees more room for the labor market to run. Fed officials predicted the longer-run rate would settle at 4.5 percent, slightly lower than the forecast from December.</p>
<p>U.S. joblessness stood at 4.1 percent last month.</p>
<p>While recent home sales and retail spending data have been on the weak side, the overall economic picture has brightened after growth accelerated to 2.3 percent last year.</p>
<p>Before the meeting, analysts were split over whether the Fed, which is wary of an early misstep under its new leadership, would raise policy tightening expectations until more price pressures are clearly evident. There are also looming outside risks to the economy such as a possible global trade war.</p>
<p>“This is a new risk (that) had been probably a low-profile risk, but which has become ... a more prominent risk to the outlook,” Powell said, adding, however, that the trade tensions had not affected the Fed’s expectations for the economy.</p>
<p>Reporting by Jonathan Spicer and Jason Lange in Washington; Additional reporting by Daniel Bases in New York and Ann Saphir in San Francisco; Editing by Paul Simao</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Airlines canceled thousands of flights in the U.S. Northeast on Wednesday as a swirl of strong winds, snow, sleet and ice from the fourth major storm this month crippled the region.</p> Delta flight monitor shows cancelled flights at LaGuardia Airport in New York, U.S., March 21, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
<p>Airlines scrapped more than 4,400 flights to and from the United States, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, and more than 2,600 other flights were delayed as the latest “nor’easter” dumped snow and ice on New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington.</p>
<p>The cancellations piled on to thousands more canceled flights this season due to an unrelenting series of late-winter storms.</p>
<p>In addition to creating headaches for passengers, these storms can rack up millions of dollars in costs for airlines, as carriers reallocate aircraft and crew, and swallow the cost of passengers who don’t re-book travel for when the storm passes.</p> A baggage claim employee grabs bags from an empty baggage claim area in Delta terminal at LaGuardia Airport in New York, U.S., March 21, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
<p>“This has been a much harsher late winter than we’ve seen for quite some time. It does have an impact on carriers’ bottom lines,” CFRA Research analyst Jim Corridore said.</p>
<p>While the full financial impact of the storms was not yet known, Corridore said accurate weather forecasts helped carriers quickly move planes and crew as well as plan for resuming normal operations.</p> An air traveler sits with her baggage in Delta terminal at LaGuardia Airport in New York, U.S., March 21, 2018. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
<p>“There is a small silver lining in that it does help load factors and yields,” he said, noting that passengers from canceled flights often help fill later flights that would have otherwise sat empty.</p>
<p>U.S. carriers are offering change-fee waivers from flights in the affected regions, including from New York’s three major airports, Philadelphia International and Boston Logan International.</p>
<p>LaGuardia Airport in New York City said on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon that airlines had canceled all remaining flights at the facility for the rest of the day.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles,; Editing by James Dalgleish and Sandra Maler</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. East’s fourth major snowstorm this month swept through the region with heavy snow and high winds on Wednesday, snarling flights and commuter travel, closing schools and triggering emergency declarations in New York City and New Jersey.</p>
<p>The nor’easter was on track to dump 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) of snow on areas from Philadelphia to New York City on Wednesday, said Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Dan Petersen.</p>
<p>The storm also lashed points along the East Coast with winds exceeding 50 miles (80 km) per hour, according to the Weather Prediction Center.</p>
<p>The wintry blast on the second day of spring was dubbed “four’easter” by some media outlets because it struck after three previous storms this month. Those nor’easters left nine dead and more than 2 million homes and businesses without power.</p>
<p>New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo declared local emergencies for New York City, where several inches of snow had fallen by Wednesday afternoon, and some other parts of the state.</p>
<p>“The roads are very icy and the roads are dangerous and there is no reason to be on the roads unless it’s an emergency,” Cuomo told a news conference. “The storm will get worse before it gets better.”</p>
<p>The snowfall in the Northeast is not expected to wane until Thursday, Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Frank Pereira said in a phone interview.</p>
<p>In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy on Tuesday declared a state of emergency, as crews cleared roadways. Transit bus service was ordered suspended statewide starting Wednesday afternoon.</p> Bicycles covered by snow are seen a snowstorm in Washington, U.S., March 21, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
<p>Throughout the East Coast, many other buses and trains, including some Greyhound bus and Amtrak rail routes, that millions of people rely on to commute to and from work and school also canceled service on Wednesday.</p>
<p>With many commuters staying home, New York City’s normally bustling Times Square was sedate.</p>
<p>“We’re not going to let the snow get in the way of our snow day,” said Cheryl Mandelbaum, 30, an elementary school teacher who was taking pictures with a friend, another teacher who had the day off because the city had canceled school.</p> Slideshow (29 Images)
<p>Several inches of snowfall in Washington and its suburbs forced the closure of federal government offices, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.</p>
<p>Washington schools were also closed, and children in Philadelphia, parts of New Jersey and Pittsburgh also enjoyed a snow day. In Boston, students were told to trudge to school.</p>
<p>The storm dumped about a foot (30 cm) of snow on parts of Maryland and Pennsylvania, according to the National Weather Service, while further inland snow also blanketed parts of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-usa-weather-flights/fourth-northeast-u-s-winter-storm-forces-thousands-of-flight-cancellations-idUSKBN1GX2F0" type="external">Fourth Northeast U.S. winter storm forces thousands of flight cancellations</a>
<p>Airlines scrapped more than 4,412 flights into and out of the United States, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, and more than 2,000 other flights were delayed.</p>
<p>The nor’easter caused some power outages, but the region escaped the widespread blackouts of past snowstorms. About 12,000 homes and businesses lost power in Maryland, and thousands of others lost power in Virginia, West Virginia and New Jersey.</p>
<p>Across the country in Southern California, residents of Santa Barbara County braced for potential mudslides as rains hit the region.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Alana Wise and Scott DiSavino in New York, Bernadette Baum in Montclair, New Jersey, Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago, Keith Coffman in Denver, and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Writing and additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis, Editing by Jonathan Oatis</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (Reuters) - Experts removed explosive device components on Wednesday from the home of a Texas man who police say carried out a three-week bombing spree that came to an end earlier in the day when he blew himself up as police closed in on his vehicle.</p>
<p>Officials identified the bomber as Mark Conditt, 23, an unemployed man from the Austin suburb of Pflugerville, who had been charged on Tuesday night with unlawful possession and transfer of a destructive device.</p>
<p>Hours later, police tracked Conditt to a hotel about 20 miles (32 km) north of Austin. They were following his vehicle when he pulled to the side of the road and detonated a device, killing himself, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley told reporters near the scene.</p>
<p>Police cautioned that he may have planted or mailed other bombs, asking the public to remain vigilant, but his death came as a relief to Austin, a fast-growing city of 1 million people. In addition to killing two people in the area, the bombings that began on March 2 injured at least five others.</p> Texas blast suspect Mark Anthony Conditt is seen in this undated handout photo released by Austin Community College in Austin, Texas, U.S. March 21, 2018. Austin Community College/Handout via REUTERS
<p>Experts from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) scoured Conditt’s home, where they discovered bomb parts similar to those used in the attacks.</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t call it a bomb-making factory, but there’s definitely components consistent with what we’ve seen in all these other devices,” Fred Milanowski, special agent in charge of the ATF’s Houston field division, told reporters.</p> Slideshow (28 Images)
<p>Investigators detained two of Conditt’s roommates who lived at the home, the Austin Police Department said. One was questioned and released and the other was still being questioned. Police said their names would not be released because they were not under arrest.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-texas-blast-fbi/fbi-asks-delivery-companies-to-be-more-careful-handling-suspicious-packages-idUSKBN1GX2XB" type="external">FBI asks delivery companies to be more careful handling suspicious packages</a>
<a href="/article/us-texas-blast-fedex/fedex-evidence-helped-identify-texas-bombing-suspect-memo-idUSKBN1GX2AR" type="external">FedEx evidence helped identify Texas bombing suspect: memo</a>
<p>During his three-week campaign, the bomber left three parcels on doorsteps, activated another by trip wire, and sent at least two via FedEx, one of which blew up on a conveyer belt in a sorting facility on Tuesday. The other was recovered before it exploded.</p>
<p>FedEx said it had supplied investigators with “extensive evidence,” though officials have yet to publicly detail how or when they identified Conditt as the suspect. The criminal charge and arrest warrant were filed on Tuesday night.</p>
<p>Reporting by Jonathan Herskovitz; Additional reporting by Jim Forsyth in San Antonio, Texas, Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, Mark Hosenball in Washington, and Jonathan Allen and Gina Cherelus in New York; Writing by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Rosalba O'Brien</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a> | BRIEF-UOA Real Estate Investment Trust Posts Qtrly Net Profit 9.0 Mln RGT Fed lifts rates, signals tougher stance as economy strengthens Fourth Northeast U.S. winter storm forces thousands of flight cancellations 'Four'easter' storm pounds U.S. East, states declare emergencies Texas bombing suspect blows self up on roadside as police close in | false | https://reuters.com/article/brief-uoa-real-estate-investment-trust-p/brief-uoa-real-estate-investment-trust-posts-qtrly-net-profit-90-mln-rgt-idUSFWN1PJ0KP | 2018-01-24 | 2 |
<p>Congress is starting to get creative when going after Trump. However, when Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell invoked rule 19 to reprimand Senator Elizabeth Warren and prevent her from speaking further against the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions, he opened the door to some unforeseen consequences.</p>
<p>Now, Democratic congressman Bill Pascrell has written a letter to the committee’s chairman demanding that President Trump’s tax returns be submitted to the committee and examined. Using a 1924 tax law that states that Congress can insist upon seeing these documents in order to assess any conflicts of interest.</p>
<p>Pascrell wrote:</p>
<p>‘The Founding Fathers were determined to prevent corruption among public officeholders under our Constitution. The emoluments clause prohibits federal officeholders from accepting foreign gifts or emoluments without congressional consent. Their intention was to forbid relationships that might lead to corruption. Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe and lawyer Joshua Matz have written that the meaning of “emoluments” as the framers intended included profits received in a business relationship.[1]</p>
<p>‘President Trump has chosen to keep an ownership stake in his businesses, the scope of which we have no knowledge of as he has refused to disclose his tax returns. We believe that it is imperative for the public to know and understand his 564 financial positions in domestic and foreign companies,[2] and his self-reported net worth of more than $10 billion.[3] We know that state-owned enterprises in China[4] and the United Arab Emirates[5] are involved in his businesses, and that his business ties stretch to India, Turkey, the Philippines, and beyond. Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan may also have ties to his businesses.[6] These foreign entities are paying rents, licensing agreement payments,[7] and issuing permits[8] for developments — effectively giving them a tool to influence our new President.</p>
<p>‘None of these potential conflicts can be verified until and unless we have disclosure from President Trump. Every major Presidential candidate since Richard Nixon, with the exception of President Gerald Ford who released a summary of tax data, has released his or her tax returns for public review – until now.[9]</p>
<p>[…]</p>
<p>‘The Presidential campaign is over and the fear that a political opponent will try to use tax returns for electoral benefit is passed. President Trump is now governing while also owning a business with international investments. The Constitution faces unprecedented threats due to this arrangement. I believe the powerful Ways and Means Committee has the responsibility to use that power to ensure proper oversight of the executive branch by requesting a review of President Trump’s tax returns and moving towards a formal release of these documents to the public.’</p>
<p>Pascrell went on to tell the press:</p>
<p>‘If I get a “no” answer on this, I’ll be very honest with you: If these guys think I’m walking away from this, they’re absolutely nuts.’</p> | Congressman Makes UNPRECEDENTED Move To Expose Trump’s Tax Returns, Will This Work? | true | http://liberalplug.com/2017/02/11/congressman-makes-unprecedented-move-expose-trumps-tax-returns-will-work/ | 4 |
|
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Channell Wilson-Segura, who has been serving as assistant principal at CHS, briefly addressed the board after Superintendent Joel Boyd announced that she had been appointed to the position. She’ll take over the duties of outgoing principal Melanie Romero, whose last day on the job is this Friday.</p>
<p>“I’m privileged to serve the school I graduated from,” said Wilson-Segura, who before becoming assistant principal had been a teacher at the school. “I’m nervous, but excited.”</p>
<p>Both she and Boyd acknowledged the accomplishments of Romero, who had just started her sixth year as principal at Capital before resigning to take a position with the New Mexico Higher Education Department. Wilson-Segura said Capital has faced many challenges over the years, but had been making progress for the better.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“It’s a different climate from when I was a teacher,” she said.</p>
<p>Wilson-Segura said there were still issues that needed to be addressed and encouraged parents with concerns to come speak with her.</p>
<p>By then she had already heard from three parents and one student, who spoke during the public forum immediately preceding her introduction.</p>
<p>Parent Robin Garrison said she was concerned that there was no Algebra II teacher at Capital for the first six weeks of school. She said she worried about her child having to catch up on work and that falling behind might affect his efforts to get into college.</p>
<p>Brenda Rolen said she has two boys attending Capital, one of whom was taking Algebra II. She had the same concern about there being no permanent teacher in the classroom.</p>
<p>In addition, she said her other son was unjustly assigned to in-school suspension for missing an assignment he actually had completed. She said she thought it was counter-intuitive to make her boy sit in ISS all day, causing him to miss all of his other classes.</p>
<p>Another parent, Pilar Faulkner, told the board she appreciated its efforts to reduce class sizes at Capital.</p>
<p>Faulkner had followed her daughter to the speaker’s podium. Autumn Faulkner, a junior, reiterated what others had said about the Algebra class and ISS. She added that tardiness at the school was “through the roof” and suggested the school do something to get students in class on time.</p>
<p>Acknowledging that there was a policy that prevented the school from locking doors for safety reasons, she said that doing so would at least be a way to compel kids to show up for class on time.</p>
<p>Following public forum, Superintendent Boyd said he appreciated the Capital parents coming out to express their views and concerns. He said getting that kind of input was “exactly what we need” to address problems within the district.</p> | Interim Principal At Capital High Introduced | false | https://abqjournal.com/135193/interim-principal-at-capital-high-introduced.html | 2012-10-03 | 2 |
<p>Bisexual people may not be perceived as queer if they’re dating someone perceived as the “opposite” of their gender – so does that mean they have straight passing privilege?</p>
<p>You might think so, but try considering the perspective in this comic for a more nuanced answer to this question. It’s a breakdown of the assumptions behind the idea of bisexual “straight passing privilege” – and the harm you cause by erasing people’s identities when you make these assumptions.</p>
<p>It’s possible to acknowledge that different queer folks have different experiences without erasing anyone. This will show you how.</p>
<p>With Love, The Editors at Everyday Feminism</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p>Yes, Saying a Queer Person has “Straight Passing Privilege” is Harmful and Here’s Why</p>
<p>(Person A waves in greeting at the others sitting in a circle for an LGBTQIA+ discussion group regarding privilege.)</p>
<p>Person A: Hi, I’m Vicky, and my pronouns are xe/hir. I’m bisexual, but my current partners are male. I have able-bodied privilege, for sure. I see it even in the polyamorous community.</p>
<p>Person B: (Person B pipes in.) What about your straight passing privilege?</p>
<p>(Person A is confused, but Person B is upset.)</p>
<p>Person A: …I don’t have straight-passing privilege.</p>
<p>Person B: Yeah, you do! You can be completely open about your relationships when I have to pick and choose where I can even hold hands with my partner!</p>
<p>(Person A tries to explain.)</p>
<p>Person A: I might not get much harassment on the street, no, but that doesn’t overshadow the fact that I can never be entirely who I am because people keep making assumptions based on who I might be with at any one point, or even when I’m single.</p>
<p>(Person A gestures to two diagrams. Both show a person holding hands with someone of their same gender and another gender. In the diagram labeled “straight,” the image of the people with the same gender is crossed out. In the diagram labeled “gay,” the image of people with differing genders is crossed out.)</p>
<p>Person A: In both circumstances, either my same-gender or other-gender attractions are discounted.</p>
<p>(Person A stands below one of the diagrams pointing at the image of one person in each couple, frowning. An arrow points to that person as well, labeled “not a boy or a girl.” Both couples are crossed out, as neither are “gay” or “straight.”)</p>
<p>Person A: Not to mention the rampant misgendering involved in claiming me, a non-binary person, as straight or gay. Straight is always seen as a man and a woman together, and gay as two men or two women. As I’m not solely male or female, none of these assumptions are correct, and are even transphobic!</p>
<p>(Picture of Person A at a dinner date, with the image of a door superimposed on them as they watch their date continue to talk, unaware of the weight on Person A)</p>
<p>Person A: So yes, my relationship itself isn’t in the closet, but sometimes being locked up on your own is even more isolating.</p>
<p>Person A: And I don’t need another voice implying that because I don’t suffer from homophobia this one specific way that I’m not suffering at all!</p>
<p>(Person B scratches the back of their neck, humbled.)</p>
<p>Person B: …Oh. Uh, what should I say instead, then?</p>
<p>Person A: I don’t know. How about “I acknowledge that our lives as queer people are complicated, and we differ in many ways?”</p>
<p>Person B: I think I can do that.</p>
<p>Person A: Awesome. Do you want to talk about other privileges, now?</p>
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>To learn more about this topic, check out:</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Ronnie Rene Ritchie is a Contributing Comic Artist for Everyday Feminism, an illustrator, and storyteller working out of Peterborough, Ontario. Since graduating from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon with a BFA in Illustration, Ronnie has had work featured in galleries and sex shops across North America, and their autobiographical webcomic, GQutie, has seen its popularity soar online. Learn more about&#160; <a href="http://gqutiecomics.com/" type="external">GQutie</a>, Ronnie’s&#160; <a href="http://rritchie.squarespace.com/" type="external">illustration</a>, or follow them on Twitter&#160; <a href="https://twitter.com/ronithebear" type="external">@ronithebear</a>.</p> | Think Bisexual People Have Straight Passing Privilege? Here’s Why You’re Mistaken | true | http://everydayfeminism.com/2016/07/straight-passing-privilege-harmful/ | 2016-07-03 | 4 |
<p>Jan 17 (Reuters) - Royal Bank Of Canada:</p>
<p>* "RBC ROYAL BANK - INCREASED PRIME LENDING RATE BY 25 BASIS POINTS TO 3.45 PER CENT FROM 3.20 PER CENT" Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Tesla Inc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=TSLA.O" type="external">TSLA.O</a>) has temporarily suspended its Model 3 assembly line in what the company said on Monday was a planned production pause, as the automaker continues to face challenges ramping up its new sedan.</p> FILE PHOTO: First production model of Tesla Model 3 out the assembly line in Fremont, California , U.S. is seen in this undated handout photo from Tesla Motors obtained by Reuters July 10, 2017. Tesla Motors/Handout via REUTERS
<p>It was the second time since February that Tesla has temporarily shut down its production line for the Model 3 at its Fremont, California plant.</p>
<p>"These periods are used to improve automation and systematically address bottlenecks in order to increase production rates," a Tesla representative said on Monday.</p>
<p>BuzzFeed, which first reported the news, said workers were expected to use vacation days or stay home without pay during the four- to five-day production pause.</p> FILE PHOTO: Tesla introduces Model 3 cars off the Fremont factory's production line during an event at the company's facilities in Fremont, California, U.S., July 28, 2017. REUTERS/Alexandria Sage/File Photo
<p>After repeated delays in production of its Model 3 sedan, Tesla is now trying to catch up to a target of building 2,500 vehicles per week by the end of the second quarter. Problems within its heavily roboticized assembly line have complicated those efforts.</p>
<p>On Friday, Musk acknowledged for the first time that he had overrelied on automation in the Model 3 assembly line, a stunning concession from Tesla's leader who has previously scoffed at competitors' manufacturing prowess and bragged about creating an "Alien Dreadnought" within the Fremont factory by 2018.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=TSLA.O" type="external">Tesla Inc</a> 291.21 TSLA.O Nasdaq +0.00 (+0.00%) TSLA.O
<p>"Yes, excessive automation at Tesla was a mistake," Musk tweeted on Friday. "To be precise, my mistake. Humans are underrated."</p>
<p>He also tweeted on Friday that Tesla would be profitable and cash flow positive in the third and fourth quarters, with no need to raise money.</p>
<p>Many analysts dispute this analysis, which hinges on a rapid rise in production of the Model 3 sedan. Delays and lower-than-expected volume have postponed revenue from cars being delivered to customers from reaching Tesla's bottom line.</p>
<p>Shares did not move after hours after falling 3 percent on Monday, pressured by Musk's acknowledgement, a report alleging that Tesla undercounted worker injuries - which the company denies - and an amended lawsuit originally filed last year that alleges Musk misled investors about Model 3 production.</p>
<p>In February, Tesla suspended production of its Model 3 for four days in what it said was planned work to adjust equipment in order to improve automation and address bottlenecks. It warned of possibly more periods of downtime in coming months.</p>
<p>Automakers generally do stop or slow production of new models to iron out problems with the production system, although Tesla took shortcuts with the testing of its production line in order to get to market more quickly, shortcuts that some experts say have resulted in early manufacturing problems.</p>
<p>Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru and Alexandria Sage in San Francisco; Editing by G Crosse and Lisa Shumaker</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WILMINGTON, Del./NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bon-Ton Stores Inc, a bankrupt chain of 200 regional department stores, will go out of business after the only bidders competing at the Monday start of its court-supervised auction were liquidators, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.</p>
<p>Bon-Ton had been working with U.S. mall owners Namdar Realty Group and Washington Prime Group Inc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=WPG.N" type="external">WPG.N</a>) to secure a bid that would have kept open a large portion of Bon-Ton locations. Bon-Ton is a major tenant of both landlords and its survival would have helped protect the value of their malls.</p>
<p>The failure of the company, with headquarters in York, Pennsylvania and Milwaukee, comes weeks after Toys "R" Us began a piecemeal liquidation of its namesake stores and Babies "R" Us, the latest sign of upheaval in the retail industry.</p>
<p>A spokesperson for Bon-Ton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p>
<p>As of late Monday, the auction had not concluded, according to four sources.</p>
<p>Money raised from the auction will be used to repay what is owed to Bon-Ton's creditors.</p>
<p>Once the company selects a winning bidder and the proposed deal is approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware, the liquidator can begin selling the inventory, store leases, fixtures and intellectual property.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=WPG.N" type="external">Washington Prime Group Inc</a> 6.64 WPG.N New York Stock Exchange -- (--%) WPG.N WMT.N AMZN.O
<p>One liquidator group estimated their initial bid was worth about $650 million, according to a creditor representative.</p>
<p>The company's stores include Carson's, Younkers, Elder-Beerman, Bergner's, Boston Store, and Herberger's, as well as Bon-Ton.</p>
<p>The company, which traces its roots to 1854, says on its website that it has survived the U.S. Civil War, Great Depression and "profound cultural and technological transformations."</p>
<p>But many storied retailers have struggled amid the current industry disruption from low-margin discounters such as Walmart Inc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=WMT.N" type="external">WMT.N</a>) and the increasing popularity of online shopping, dominated by Amazon.com Inc ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AMZN.O" type="external">AMZN.O</a>).</p>
<p>Sports Authority Holdings Inc, apparel chain The Limited Stores LLC and electronics seller hhgregg Inc are among the chains that have gone out of business recently.</p>
<p>Bon-Ton and Toys "R" Us operated a combined nearly 60 million square feet (5.6 million square meters) of store space, according to their latest annual reports, and employed a combined 83,000 when they entered bankruptcy.</p>
<p>Bon-Ton filed for bankruptcy in February and Toys "R" Us in September.</p>
<p>Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Himani Sarkar</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LONDON (Reuters) - A gradual return of risk appetite lifted world shares on Tuesday, while there were milestones aplenty as sterling hit a post-Brexit high and U.S. sanctions on Russia drove aluminum prices to a 7-year peak.</p> The German share price index, DAX board, is seen at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, March 21, 2018. REUTERS/Tilman Blasshofer
<p>Chinese data that provided a bit of something for everyone kept Asia largely in check overnight, but Europe started well with only London's FTSE lagging as the pound's power weighed on its big exporters. [.EU]</p>
<p>There were more signs of China opening up its economy too and a steadier Russian rouble showed investors were also gradually shifting attention away from Syria tensions back to corporate earnings and possible interest rate moves.</p>
<p>The pound's rise was its eighth in a row, coming as bets firm on another Bank of England rate hike next month, while yields on U.S. Treasuries were at their highest in over three weeks ahead of a flurry of top Fed speakers.</p>
<p>"It looks like China may be willing to cooperate with the U.S. so that might be spurring risk appetite and the positive mood in markets," said Rabobank analyst Bas Van Geffen.</p>
<p>There were still some trade war noises being made though.</p>
<p>Stocks in Shanghai closed near a one-year low, a U.S. move to ban American companies from selling components to Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp hit tech stocks.</p>
<p>Beijing then said it would slap a hefty temporary tariff on U.S. sorghum imports after finding they had damaged the domestic industry. That set grain futures prices jumping.</p>
<p>Economic data showed the Chinese economy grew 6.8 percent in the first three months of the year, unchanged from the previous quarter.</p>
<p>March retail sales jumped over 10 percent too, the strongest pace in four months, though other figures saw industrial output miss expectations and first-quarter fixed-asset investment growth also slowed.</p>
<p>"Underneath the stable GDP growth is quite rapid rebalancing from industrial, investment and old economy sectors to consumption, services and new economy sectors like tech. This is encouraging," said Robert Subbaraman, chief economist for Asia excluding Japan at Nomura in Singapore.</p> STERLING AND EARNINGS
<p>Commodity markets were still focused on the geopolitical situation in Syria and the fallout from the U.S. sanctions on Russia.</p>
<p>Buoyed by growing expectations over tighter supply in the aftermath of sanctions on major Russian producer Rusal, aluminum prices jumped more than 1 percent to almost $2,500 a tonne to hit their highest since mid 2011.</p>
<p>Rusal accounts for 6-7 percent of global aluminum supply.</p>
<p>Oil steadied at $66.57 a barrel for U.S. crude and $71.66 a barrel for Brent having tumbled nearly 1.8 percent overnight as concerns over Middle East tensions eased.</p>
<p>In another sign of the returning risk appetite, the euro rose above $1.24 to a three-week high and Southern European government debt outperformed better-rated peers.</p>
<p>"We have had a long enough period of extended volatility now that some of the more extended positions in risk assets have been reduced so that is also a positive," said Michael Metcalfe, head of global macro strategy at State Street Global Markets.</p>
<p>On sterling, which was buying just over $1.43, he added that with so much good Brexit news priced in recent weeks and rate hike bets growing, it was difficult to see how much further it could go.</p>
<p>It was curbed slightly too after data showed wage growth stalled last month despite the unemployment rate hitting a four-decade low.</p>
<p>U.S. President Donald Trump's comments on Monday about China and Russia trying to devalue their currencies continued to weigh on the dollar, with investors believing that the U.S. administration wants a weaker currency.</p>
<p>Focus was also turning to first quarter results from the likes of Goldman Sachs and eBay later.</p>
<p>S&amp;P 500 companies are expected to report an 18.6 percent jump in first-quarter profit on average, the biggest rise in seven years, according to Thomson Reuters data.</p>
<p>Additional Reporting by Shinichi Saoshiro in Tokyo</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices dropped on Monday as investor concern waned about escalating tensions in the Middle East following air strikes on Syria over the weekend.</p> FILE PHOTO: Oil pumping facilities are seen at Venezuela's western Maracaibo lake in Venezuela, November 5, 2007. REUTERS/Isaac Urrutia/File Photo
<p>The United States, France and Britain launched 105 missiles on Saturday, targeting what they said were three chemical weapons facilities in Syria in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack on April 7.</p>
<p>Oil prices had risen nearly 10 percent in the run-up to the strikes, as investors bulked up on assets, such as gold or U.S. Treasuries, that can shield against geopolitical risks.</p>
<p>"Some of the ease in Syria is the headline that is bringing it down," said Phil Streible, senior market strategist at RJO Futures in Chicago. Because the attacks were more surgical than anticipated in more extreme scenarios, the market has shrugged off bullish factors, he said.</p>
<p>"It has got everything to possibly boost it: weak dollar, Syria, potential sanctions, White House uncertainty, China trade," he said.</p>
<p>Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 settled down $1.16 at $71.42, while U.S. crude futures CLc1 were down $1.17 at $66.22 a barrel.</p>
<p>"As far as developments in Syria are concerned, the market has had a sigh of relief in the sense that there is no escalation, either diplomatically, or on the ground, following the intervention by the U.S., France and the UK," said BNP Paribas global head of commodity market strategy Harry Tchilinguirian.</p>
<p>"As a macro asset-allocator, if you want to hedge your portfolio against geopolitical risk, your prime candidate is oil, especially if that risk is in the Middle East."</p>
<p>Although Syria itself is not a significant oil producer, the wider Middle East is the world's most important crude exporter and tension in the region tends to put oil markets on edge.</p>
<p>"Investors continued to worry about the impact of a wider conflict in the Middle East," ANZ bank said.</p>
<p>Fund managers hold more Brent futures and options than at any time since records began in 2011, according to data from the InterContinental Exchange. [O/ICE]</p>
<p>Investors have added to their bullish positions in Brent, which now equal nearly 640 million barrels of oil, in nine out of the last 10 months.</p>
<p>The next event on investors' radar is potential U.S. withdrawal from a deal on Iran's nuclear restrictions, signed in 2015. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw the United States from the pact, barring action from Congress and Europe.</p>
<p>Even the imposition of unilateral sanctions by the U.S. government could hamper exports of oil from Iran, one of the world's largest producers.</p>
<p>"Oil is still holding relatively well and the mid-May Iranian deadline is going to be a bit of a subject for the next four weeks," Petromatrix strategist Olivier Jakob said.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Henning Gloystein and Roslan Khasawneh in Singapore and Amanda Cooper in London; Editing by Louise Heavens and Matthew Lewis</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a> | BRIEF-?RBC Royal Bank Increases Prime Lending Rate Tesla says Model 3 production shut down temporarily U.S. department store chain Bon-Ton heads to liquidation: sources Sterling and metals shine brightest as risk appetite returns Oil drops as Syria risk seen muted after weekend air strikes | false | https://reuters.com/article/brief-rbc-royal-bank-increases-prime-len/brief-rbc-royal-bank-increases-prime-lending-rate-idUSFWN1PC1BE | 2018-01-17 | 2 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>His former college coach, and the team he first coached in college both visit the Pit this week.</p>
<p>"I'm just really excited about the calendar hitting November," Alford says. "Having coach (Bob) Knight around our program and giving us his thoughts, and then having Manchester in here, it's a very exciting time."</p>
<p>The University of New Mexico men's basketball coach is one of the featured speakers when the new Pit officially opens today with a public ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5 p.m.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In the crowd will be his ex-coach, former Indiana and Texas Tech coach Bob Knight</p>
<p>Alford's Lobos will also hold open practice today. UNM students are allowed in the doors at 2:30 p.m. and everyone else can come at 3:30 p.m.</p>
<p>The day is sure to rekindle a few thoughts from last year's 30-5 Lobo season in which 5,000 fans came to the Pit for last March's NCAA Tournament Selection Show.</p>
<p>But what will really give Alford that down-home feeling are two other events:</p>
<p>• Knight is the guest speaker at tonight's banquet at the Embassy Suites. It's a benefit for the UNM library fund. Doors open at 6:30 and the dinner starts at 7.</p>
<p>• On Saturday, the Lobos play host to Manchester (Ind.) College in an exhibition game. It's the same school in which Alford cutting his coaching teeth two decades ago, and he says a number of his former players will be on hand for the contest.</p>
<p>"That's where I got my start, and it's a very special school," Alford says. "I have a lot of great friends there."</p>
<p>The Lobos actually play their first exhibition game Wednesday against Eastern New Mexico, and they officially open their season on Nov. 13 at home against Detroit.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>While the latter game is sure to have Alford's full attention next week, for now it's a time to honor his new school – and some of his deepest roots.</p>
<p>"It's just really a special time for me," Alford said. "To be able to have the school where I started in the Pit and to have coach Knight here, it's pretty incredible."</p>
<p>In 1987, Alford was the senior star for the Knight-coached Hoosiers when they won the NCAA championship. Keith Smart went down in history after sinking a game-winning jumper in the title game against Syracuse, but it was Alford who led the way with 23 points on 7-of-10 3-point shooting during his All-American season.</p>
<p>Alford left Indiana as the school's all-time leading scorer and was named the team's MVP four times.</p>
<p>Knight didn't return a phone message for this story – which is nothing new – but he is sure to speak about his former prize player this evening.</p>
<p>Alford often speaks of Knight, who along with his father and high school coach, Sam, are his two key mentors.</p>
<p>"(Knight) means everything to our program," says Alford, who has won two Mountain West Conference regular season titles in his three seasons at UNM. "He was the first guy to call me on the New Mexico job; on the opportunity and what it was like to be here. He encouraged me to take a serious look at it.</p>
<p>"The first time he called me, I got off the phone and looked at coach (Alford assistant Craig) Neal, and I said, 'Is Coach crazy? He asked me if I wanted to go to New Mexico.'</p>
<p>"I had spent very little time here," Alford continues. "I knew very little about it. I just trusted coach, and started looking more into it. And it's been the best situation I've ever been in, and coach deserves all the credit for that."</p>
<p>Alford played high school basketball for his father at New Castle (Ind.) before heading to IU.</p>
<p>Alford earned first team all-Big Ten honors in each of his final three seasons, including the Big Ten Player of the Year Award as a senior.</p>
<p>He credits much of the success to Knight, who he calls "not only great teacher, and great mentor for me, but he's a dear friend now. He's swamped, he's speaking four of five times a week. He leaves for Salt Lake City (tonight) to do something there and he's got a full boat of ESPN stuff to do during the day. So for him to take time out, come in for the day, I couldn't be more appreciative."</p> | Knight Helps Open New Pit | false | https://abqjournal.com/233009/knight-helps-open-new-pit.html | 2 |
|
<p />
<p>Home-dialysis specialist NxStage Medical (NASDAQ: NXTM) has worked hard toward making a profit, but it also hasn't hesitated to spend money in an effort to promote faster growth in the future. Coming into Thursday's third-quarter financial report, NxStage investors didn't expect the company to finish in the black, but they did hope that NxStage would give them some news they could feel optimistic about. NxStage didn't disappoint on that front, posting better sales and a narrower net loss than it had expected and also making favorable changes to its full-year guidance. Let's look more closely at how NxStage Medical did and what lies ahead for the dialysis specialist.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Image source: NxStage Medical.</p>
<p>NxStage Medical's third-quarter results continued the company's trends toward improvement. Revenue climbed 6% to $92 million, which was above its previous guidance for $89 million to $91 million in sales. The company posted a small net loss of just $166,000, which was far better than the $1 million to $3 million loss that NxStage had expected to suffer. That worked out to break-even earnings on a per-share basis, which outpaced the consensus forecast among investors for a $0.04 per share loss.</p>
<p>As we've seen for a long time now, NxStage's System One device was the main driver of its growth. In total, segment revenue climbed 15% to $71.9 million, and NxStage said that the portion of those sales devoted to home use saw an even faster sales increase of 16%. Critical care revenue from the System One device lagged slightly behind with gains of just 11%, but the total results were nevertheless encouraging.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Elsewhere, the in-center segment kept up its trend of falling revenue. Top-line figures for the segment were down by more than a quarter to just $14.5 million, as the traditional in-center business continues to wane in importance within NxStage. Sales of other products were up just 5%, but revenue from services more than doubled compared to the year-ago quarter.</p>
<p>CEO Jeffrey Burbank kept his focus on the future. "We continue to systematically advance one of the industry's most innovative pipelines," Burbank said, and "we're excited to be moving closer to our goals and bringing these significant advancements in renal care to patients and their care teams."</p>
<p>NxStage Medical has no doubts about its ability to keep growing into the coming year. In its CEO's words, "In addition to feeling good about a solid finish to the year, we remain confident in our outlook for 2017 and beyond, which includes targets for increasing the Company's revenue growth and profitability." With its groundbreaking research and development, NxStage is confident in its ability to keep moving forward.</p>
<p>NxStage's guidance showed just how promising the company thinks its future is. For the fourth quarter, NxStage expects to bring in revenue of about $92 million, which is consistent with the consensus forecast among investors. A net loss of $1 million to $2 million would also match up well with investor expectations. For the full year, however, guidance increases took revenue projections to the upper end of NxStage's previous outlook, calling for $360 million to $365 million. Net losses should be just $4 million to $5 million rather than the $7 million to $12 million range NxStage had previously expected.</p>
<p>Even more exciting is the news that NxStage expects to launch more features and capabilities in its next generation hemodialysis system during the current quarter. By continually demonstrating its commitment to stay on the cutting edge of the industry, NxStage hopes to keep competitors at bay and gain even more acceptance for System One.</p>
<p>NxStage investors didn't have a strong immediate reaction to the news, with little activity in the stock's pre-market trading following the announcement. Nevertheless, for those who see the potential in serving the dialysis market, NxStage is on track to build on its past success and keep climbing into the future.</p>
<p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;ftm_pit=2518&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFGalagan/info.aspx" type="external">Dan Caplinger Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends NxStage Medical. 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> | NxStage Medical Sees Better Times Ahead | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/11/03/nxstage-medical-sees-better-times-ahead.html | 2016-11-03 | 0 |
<p>By the way that Bill O’Reilly talks about “the media” with George Stephanopoulos in this clip, you’d think he wasn’t a part of it. According to O’Reilly, “the media presents a distorted picture to Americans” about politics, “because they seize upon the loons on both the left and the right.”</p>
<p>O’Reilly also has a quick breakdown as to why the health care reform bill isn’t going to be a bipartisan triumph — “ideologues on both sides smell blood” — and tells Nancy Pelosi to hang up her hopes about including a public option in the health care bill. And then the subject moves to former-Alaska-governor-turned-Fox-News-commentator Sarah Palin, who O’Reilly says is in need of “political college.” By the way, the “O’Reilly Factor” host has no intention of running for office himself because, according to him, “I have more power doing what I’m doing.” –KA</p>
<p>Click <a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2010/02/oreilly-for-president-i-mave-more-power-doing-what-im-doing.html" type="external">here</a> to watch the clip.</p>
<p /> | O'Reilly: Palin Needs to Go to 'Political College' | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/oreilly-palin-needs-to-go-to-political-college/ | 2010-02-25 | 4 |
<p />
<p>The United Nations has <a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article1187007.ece" type="external">released a figure</a> of 100 civilian deaths a day in Iraq. 3,149 civilians were killed in June, and it is expected that the number will rise in July.</p>
<p>More of this report by The Independent, made available by <a href="http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/frel/39250/" type="external">Alternet</a>, says that Syria now has 351,000 Iraqi war refugees, and there are 450,000 refugees in Jordan.</p>
<p /> | 100 civilians a day dying in Iraq | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2006/07/100-civilians-day-dying-iraq/ | 2006-07-24 | 4 |
<p>TINTON FALLS, N.J. (AP) - A 93-year-old World War II veteran who wore out two pairs of shoes campaigning door-to-door is the new leader of a New Jersey shore town.</p>
<p>Vito Perillo was sworn in Tuesday night as mayor of Tinton Falls. The Republican won the seat in November when he upset an incumbent who was seeking a second term in the nonpartisan municipal race.</p>
<p>The U.S. Navy veteran has said he didn't think he had a chance of winning, but decided to run following a pair of whistleblower lawsuits involving the police department that cost the borough a reported $1.1 million in settlements.</p>
<p>Gerald Turning, who Perillo defeated in the election, was the borough police chief from 2004 to 2011 and was also the borough administrator from 2010 to 2014.</p>
<p>TINTON FALLS, N.J. (AP) - A 93-year-old World War II veteran who wore out two pairs of shoes campaigning door-to-door is the new leader of a New Jersey shore town.</p>
<p>Vito Perillo was sworn in Tuesday night as mayor of Tinton Falls. The Republican won the seat in November when he upset an incumbent who was seeking a second term in the nonpartisan municipal race.</p>
<p>The U.S. Navy veteran has said he didn't think he had a chance of winning, but decided to run following a pair of whistleblower lawsuits involving the police department that cost the borough a reported $1.1 million in settlements.</p>
<p>Gerald Turning, who Perillo defeated in the election, was the borough police chief from 2004 to 2011 and was also the borough administrator from 2010 to 2014.</p> | 93-year-old World War II vet sworn in as shore town's mayor | false | https://apnews.com/amp/e6ba4e3c76d649f98fb527f9217b568d | 2018-01-03 | 2 |
<p>PHOENIX — Brandon Drury’s two-run double keyed a four-run sixth inning that broke up <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Chicago-Cubs/" type="external">Chicago Cubs</a> starter <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jon_Lester/" type="external">Jon Lester</a>‘s pitching duel with Patrick Corbin, and the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Arizona-Diamondbacks/" type="external">Arizona Diamondbacks</a> ended a three-game losing streak with a 6-2 win on Saturday night.</p>
<p>Corbin (9-11) was coming off two successive rough starts that included a 16-4 loss to Chicago in which he allowed eight runs in three innings. On Saturday, he consistently shut down Cubs threats while scattering five hits in 6 2/3 scoreless innings.</p>
<p>Arizona had dropped five of six before Saturday’s victory.</p>
<p>Archie Bradley followed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, but closer <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Fernando_Rodney/" type="external">Fernando Rodney</a> gave up <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kris-Bryant/" type="external">Kris Bryant</a>‘s two-run single in the ninth to end the shutout. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/David_Hernandez/" type="external">David Hernandez</a> came on to strike out <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ben_Zobrist/" type="external">Ben Zobrist</a> with two runners on for his second save of the season and first with Arizona.</p>
<p>The Cubs’ 10th loss in 27 games since the All-Star break dropped them into a virtual tie with streaking St. Louis for the NL Central lead. The Cardinals (61-56) won their eighth in a row, holding off Atlanta 6-5. The Cubs (60-55) have led the division for 19 consecutive days.</p>
<p>Lester matched zeroes with Corbin until the game fell apart for Chicago in the sixth. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Adam_Rosales/" type="external">Adam Rosales</a> led off with a single and, after an A.J. Pollock groundout, the Cubs elected to intentionally walk <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Paul-Goldschmidt/" type="external">Paul Goldschmidt</a>, who had four homers in his previous two games against them.</p>
<p>The strategy backfired when J.D. Martinez lined a double to right field for the game’s first run. Shortstop <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Javier-Baez/" type="external">Javier Baez</a> threw the ball 10 feet over catcher <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Alex_Avila/" type="external">Alex Avila</a>‘s head for a two-base error while trying to get Goldschmidt at the plate on Ketel Marte’s grounder.</p>
<p>Drury, formerly an everyday regular but starting for the first time in seven games because of his defensive liabilities, drove a two-run double to center field to make it 4-0.</p>
<p>Lester (8-7) left an inning later after David Peralta’s leadoff double. Hector Rondon gave up Pollock’s run-scoring single before working out of further trouble.</p>
<p>Peralta finished it off with an inside-the-park homer in the eighth — his 12th homer of the season — against reliever Jason Grimm, a shot off the center field wall that ricocheted wildly and allowed Peralta to score easily. It was Arizona’s second inside-the-park homer of the season, with Marte getting one at Chase Field against Atlanta on July 26.</p>
<p>Corbin gave up 14 runs (10 earned) in nine innings in his previous two starts, only to shut down the Cubs by striking out eight and walking one.</p>
<p>Bryant has reached base nine times in 10 plate appearances in the series on five singles, a double, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. He was 3-for-4 Saturday, with a flyout in the seventh with two on and two outs.</p>
<p>Lester permitted four runs (three earned) and seven hits despite striking out nine in six-plus innings.</p>
<p>The Cubs threatened in the fifth after leadoff singles by Baez and Avila and Lester’s well-placed sacrifice bunt. But Baez was thrown out at the plate trying to score on <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Albert-Almora/" type="external">Albert Almora</a> Jr.’s grounder — the call was upheld on replay — and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Anthony-Rizzo/" type="external">Anthony Rizzo</a>‘s long drive with the bases loaded and two outs was caught just short of the right field fence by Martinez.</p>
<p>Chicago also couldn’t score in the first when the Diamondbacks failed to convert two double play grounders. Drury’s throwing error negated one and Corbin failed to cover first on the other, but Corbin pitched out of trouble by getting Ian Happ to ground out with two on.</p>
<p>In the bottom of the inning, Peralta and Adam Rosales singled in succession off Lester, but the Cubs converted a double play on Pollock’s grounder and Goldschmidt struck out.</p>
<p>Arizona put runners on first and third with two out in the fourth, but Drury popped up to end the threat.</p>
<p>NOTES: Cubs manager <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Joe_Maddon/" type="external">Joe Maddon</a> started the left-handed hitting Kyle Schwarber — despite his .193 average– against LHP Patrick Corbin because of his power potential. But Schwarber struck out in his first three at-bats. … Arizona All-Star LHP Robbie Ray threw a simulated game as he recovers from taking a 108 mph line drive off his head on July 28 in St. Louis. … Albert Almora Jr. became the 10th Cubs hitter to bat first this season. … Chicago lost for only the fourth time in its last 17 road games. … Corbin is 7-3 at home, 2-8 on the road.</p> | Arizona Diamondbacks ride Brandon Drury past Chicago Cubs | false | https://newsline.com/arizona-diamondbacks-ride-brandon-drury-past-chicago-cubs/ | 2017-08-13 | 1 |
<p>Head up past the dead guy in the green boots, take a left at the corpse of George Mallory, who's been there since 1924, and go straight past the body of a dead woman draped with a Canadian flag.</p>
<p>That's how climbers on Mount Everest might be told to ascend the world's highest peak.</p>
<p>With the fall climbing season just getting underway, we came across this fascinating story about what happens when climbers die on the 29,029-foot mountain in the Himalayas. "Many climbers have said that the hardest part is neither the dangerous and strenuous ascent nor descent, but is actually the fact that they will be passing nearly 200 dead bodies frozen on the mountain," wrote <a href="http://www.atchuup.com/200-bodies-on-mount-everest-used-as-landmarks/" type="external">Atchuup.com</a>.</p>
<p>Getting a body off Everest is next to impossible. Moreover, doing so would jeopardize the life of those retrieving the body, and because the peak is almost always below freezing, the bodies are just left in place.</p>
<p>Still, people are dying (ahem) to climb the peak and pay upwards of $60,000 for the privilege. But if you're going to go, here are a few of the bodies you might pass, courtesy of <a href="http://cavemancircus.com/2015/09/16/dead-bodies-on-mount-everest/" type="external">Caveman Circus</a> and Atchuup.</p>
<p>This body is known as “Green Boots." He died in 1996, getting trapped in a blizzard while descending.</p>
<p>This is the body of George Mallory, one of the first to climb Mt. Everest in 1924. His body was found in 1999.</p>
<p />
<p>"This is Hannelore Schmatz, a German climber who died from exposure and exhaustion in 1979. It is believed she stopped to rest and leaned up against her backpack, leaving the body propped in this unusual way," Atchuup wrote.</p>
<p>"This is the body of Shriya Shah–Klorfine. Shriya, who reached the summit in 2012, ran out of oxygen and died from exhaustion because she spent 25 minutes celebrating her victory before beginning her descent. Her body is 300m below the summit, draped in a Canadian flag," Atchuup.com wrote.</p>
<p /> | Climbers On Mount Everest Use More Than 200 Dead Bodies As Landmarks | true | https://dailywire.com/news/20488/climbers-mount-everest-use-more-dead-200-bodies-joseph-curl | 2017-08-31 | 0 |
<p />
<p>This post originally ran on <a href="http://www.juancole.com/2014/10/alamo-kobane-falling.html" type="external">Juan Cole’s Web page</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sotaliraq.com/iraq-news.php?id=169496%20" type="external">Ismat Sheikh</a>, commander of the Kurdish forces at the border town of Kobane (Ain al-Arab) that is besieged by ISIL tanks and artillery, says that he expects massacres of its inhabitants if it falls to the Sunni Arab extremists.</p>
<p>He warned that ISIL fighters are less than a mile from his front line.</p>
<p />
<p>Despite US air strikes, ISIL has drawn up some 25 tanks and a number of artillery pieces to pound Kobane repeatedly.</p>
<p>There was also heavy close-quarter fighting in the east and the south of the town between Kurdish guerrillas and ISIL units on Friday.</p>
<p>Last week over 60,000 Kurds were forced to flee to Turkey as ISIL advanced into the Kurdish region of Syria.</p>
<p>Most Syrians speak Arabic, but the Kurdish minority speaks a language akin to Persian.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sotaliraq.com/iraq-news.php?id=169496" type="external">The Kurds at Kobane have called upon armed Kurds everywhere to come defend the town,</a> warning of a massacre.</p>
<p>Although Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu pledged not to allow Kobane to fall, he later backtracked, saying that Turkey has few options for intervening directly in Syria. —–</p>
<p>Related Video:</p>
<p><a href="http://youtu.be/8N5BPPJHFnk%20" type="external">Reuters: “Kurdish fighters, battling Islamic State, warn of possible massacre in Kobani”</a></p>
<p /> | The Alamo of the Kurds: Kobane Near Falling to Islamic State | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/the-alamo-of-the-kurds-kobane-near-falling-to-islamic-state/ | 2014-10-04 | 4 |
<p>In an effort to cut spending, the state of Michigan has decided to defund NFB-Newsline, a service that provides around the clock audio access to magazines and newspapers all over the world. Although more than 3,000 people subscribe to NFB-Newsline and it will save Michigan a mere $52,000, the state legislature has decided to eliminate it. <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/08/27/1234157/-Michigan-cutting-off-audio-news-service-for-blind-people" type="external">The Daily Kos</a> reports:</p>
<p>The costs of losing it are significant, though:</p>
<p>Georgia Kitchen of Flint, who is blind and volunteers as a state coordinator of Newsline, said the service provides blind people not just with news, but with leads on jobs through classified ads and information about things going on in the community. Losing the service will make blind people “more isolated,” Kitchen said.</p>
<p>A spokesman for a state agency issued a statement suggesting there might be some hope, saying “An initial request to fund the new grant cycle was denied by the bureau,” but not that it was game over. For now, though, the service connecting 3,100 people to news, job leads, and what’s going on in their communities is slated to go silent at midnight Saturday.</p>
<p />
<p>The state’s inability to see the negative impact its decision would have on residents brings to mind the old adage of the blind leading the blind. Let’s hope, to use the spokesman’s word, NFB-Newsline isn’t cut and Michigan’s government opens its eyes.</p>
<p>—Posted by <a href="" type="internal">Natasha Hakimi</a></p> | News Is Not Good for Michigan’s Blind | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/news-is-not-good-for-michigans-blind/ | 2013-08-27 | 4 |
<p>The Deepwater Horizon disaster resulted from a “conscious disregard of known risks,” a federal judge found.</p>
<p>A federal judge has ruled that recklessness and negligence in pursuit of profit led to the 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig that killed 11 people and dumped more than 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico—the worst oil spill in US history.</p>
<p>US District Court Judge Carl Barbier found primary leaseholder BP “grossly negligent,” but also cited negligence by Halliburton, which served as cement contractor, and rig owner Transocean.</p>
<p>One would hope that with Barack Obama talking about expanding offshore drilling, media would take seriously the judge’s conclusion that the Deepwater disaster was not a matter of accidental missteps by a few “bad apples,” but implicates business as usual for an entire industry, as well as those agencies meant to regulate it.</p>
<p>Newspaper reports led with the fact that a finding of gross negligence by BP “could quadruple the billions of dollars in penalties the oil giant faces” (Times-Picayune, <a href="http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2014/09/bp_carries_most_blame_for_gulf.html" type="external">9/5/14</a>)—with emphasis on how this further beleaguers a company that, in the words of one analyst (Washington Post, 9/5/14), “has already paid dearly for the accident.”</p>
<p>“The significance of today’s ruling is that when you put it together with how much was spilled, it considerably increases the size of a possible fine,” one source (LA Times, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-bp-reckless-gulf-oil-spill-20140904-story.html" type="external">9/5/14</a>) explained.</p>
<p>But the costs to BP—which the New York Times ( <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/06/business/energy-environment/oil-spill-penalty-will-hurt-but-not-cripple-bp.html?_r=0" type="external">9/6/14</a>) noted will likely be much lower than the $18 billion now being discussed, and in any event won’t be paid for years—are not the most salient point. By stating that—far from a “glitch” in a few frenzied moments—the spill was caused by a series of decisions, made over a period of time, by three of the largest operators in the world, the ruling “demonstrates the lack of safety of all existing offshore oil operations and severely challenges the notion that those activities should be allowed to expand,” argues Antonia Juhasz (Institute for Public Accuracy, <a href="http://www.accuracy.org/release/profit-driven-bps-willful-misconduct/" type="external">9/5/14</a>), author of Black Tide: the Devastating Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill.</p>
<p>Based on years of evidence review, Barbier’s 153-page ruling concluded that BP acted with “conscious disregard of known risks” and made decisions “motivated by profit,” including ignoring leaks in the well’s casing, forgoing critical tests that would have revealed problems (and offering suspiciously optimistic interpretations of the tests they did run), and rushing to drill the last 100 feet of the well using unsafe practices.</p>
<p>A BP engineer was convicted for “deleting incriminating emails” about the spill (Times-Picayune, <a href="http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2014/09/tainted_bp_engineer_trial_coul.html" type="external">9/21/14</a>); a phone call between a BP executive and an engineer in Houston, in which they “discussed the results of a pressure test that should have prompted quick action” (New York Times, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/05/business/bp-negligent-in-2010-oil-spill-us-judge-rules.html" type="external">9/5/14</a>), was omitted from the company’s own investigative report.</p>
<p>Certainly many people guilty of such crimes would appreciate coverage describing them as “legal setbacks” (New York Times, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/06/business/energy-environment/oil-spill-penalty-will-hurt-but-not-cripple-bp.html?_r=0" type="external">9/6/14</a>).</p>
<p>Some media suggest that BP is the victim of false claims. “BP Made a Mess in the Gulf, but Still Shouldn’t Get Fleeced,” argued a Times-Picayune piece ( <a href="http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2014/09/bp.html" type="external">9/10/14</a>), referring to “an unseemly frenzy over an uncapped gusher of cash.” (Reporter Jim Varney has also called climate change “a faux environmental crisis”—Times-Picayune, 9/24/14.)</p>
<p>In 2010, 60 Minutes ( <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/blowout-the-deepwater-horizon-disaster-16-05-2010/" type="external">5/16/10</a>) interviewed Deepwater crew member Mike Williams, who recounted how workers were told how much money was being lost by delays, and pushed to “pick up the pace,” a supervisor dismissing damage to a vital piece of safety equipment as “no big deal,” and “chest-bumping” battles between Transocean and BP officials about who was in charge.</p>
<p>Sadly, the program’s latest report ( <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/over-a-barrel-saving-the-children-quarterback-guru/" type="external">9/7/14</a>) portrayed BP as “the victim of Gulf Coast swindlers” who have the company “over a barrel.”</p>
<p>Oil-soaked birds are followed by years of less visible ecological damage.</p>
<p>Talk of litigious excess implies that any real harm has already been addressed.&#160;But the impacts of environmental disasters—on wildlife, ecosystems and local economies—take years to assess. Beyond initial accounts of thousands of dead fish, birds and mammals, for example, University of South Florida scientists in 2013 discovered a massive die-off of foraminifera, tiny organisms that form the base of the aquatic food chain. As Tampa Bay Times’ Craig Pittman (4/4/13) reported:</p>
<p>Although initially some pundits said the spill wasn’t as bad as everyone feared, further scientific research has found that corals in the Gulf died. Anglers hauled in fish with tattered fins and strange lesions. And dolphins continue dying.</p>
<p>Most media omitted discussion of the ongoing damage caused by the Deepwater disaster from stories about who was to blame. BP, meanwhile, has expanded drilling operations in the Gulf (Washington Post, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/bps-gross-negligence-caused-gulf-oil-spill-federal-judge-rules/2014/09/04/3e2b9452-3445-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea_story.html" type="external">9/5/14</a>).</p> | Business as Usual Is a Disaster | true | http://fair.org/extra-online-articles/business-as-usual-is-a-disaster/ | 2014-11-01 | 4 |
<p>To listen to most politicians and pundits these days is to believe that the American dream – if not dead already – its certainly facing imminent demise. Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the presidency by saying, “The fact is, the American Dream is dead…” Liberal web sites <a href="http://www.alternet.org/economy/7-facts-show-american-dream-dead" type="external">provide data</a> and <a href="https://mic.com/articles/116622/6-charts-show-why-the-american-dream-is-dead#.UQTjLoOKy" type="external">charts documenting</a> that it is gone. A recent documentary that is a compilation of interviews with Noam Chomsky is titled: <a href="http://requiemfortheamericandream.com" type="external">Requiem for the American Dream</a>. In other words, in a country defined by political polarization, this seems to be the one thing that both conservatives and liberals agree on.</p>
<p>I’m not sure that I know exactly what it is we mean when we talk about the American dream. If it refers to the size and trajectory of the middle class, the data and charts I linked to up above certainly point to a demise. But at the beginning of that documentary, Chomsky suggests that we have seen similar trajectories in American history (i.e., just prior to the Great Depression), but that what distinguishes then from now is the loss of hope we are witnessing today. To the extent that optimism is the primary characteristic of a “dream,” that is a crucial part of the equation.</p>
<p>It might be true that large swaths of the American people have given up on the dream. But it is interesting to note who hasn’t. Last week Pew Research released some new data from their 2015 National Survey of Latinos in an article titled: <a href="http://www.pewhispanic.org/2016/06/08/latinos-increasingly-confident-in-personal-finances-see-better-economic-times-ahead/" type="external">Latinos Increasingly Confident in Personal Finances, See Better Economic Times Ahead</a>. Despite lagging the U.S. public in general on measures of income and wealth, 81% of Latinos expect their family’s financial situation to improve over the next year. If the definition of the American dream is the belief that your children will be better off financially that you are now, that dream is still alive for 72% of Latinos.</p>
<p>That kind of optimism is not unique to Latinos. A recent survey by <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/09/the-surprising-optimism-of-african-americans-and-latinos/401054/" type="external">the Atlantic</a> found the same results from African Americans and Asian Americans. It is interesting to note that author Ellis Cose went from writing <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rage-Privileged-Class-Middle-Class-America/dp/0060925949?ie=UTF8&amp;*Version*=1&amp;*entries*=0" type="external">The Rage of a Privileged Class: Why Are Middle-Class Blacks Angry? Why Should America Care?</a> in 1994 to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/End-Anger-Generations-Take-Race/dp/0061998567/ref=pd_sim_14_1?ie=UTF8&amp;dpID=51-sfCZ9SoL&amp;dpSrc=sims&amp;preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_&amp;refRID=E6G6G03WVEBXWB1MTJKE" type="external">The End of Anger: A New Generation’s Take on Race and Rage</a> in 2012. In commenting on the latter book, <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/meet-new-optimists-67535" type="external">Cose notes statistics</a> similar to the one’s I’ve cited above and says this:</p>
<p>Over the past few years, pollsters repeatedly have corroborated the phenomenon. Whereas whites are glum, blacks are upbeat—which is remarkable since the economic crisis has hit African-Americans with particularly brutal force. Employment among black men, for instance, has dropped to an all-time low. When I asked Harvard Business School professor David Thomas about the CNN poll, he laughed. “It’s irrational exuberance,” he said.</p>
<p>Certainly, the Obama presidency has fueled euphoria in black circles. But even before Obama came on the scene, optimism was building—most notably among a new generation of black achievers who refused to believe they would be stymied by the bigotry that bedeviled their parents.</p>
<p>Some might argue that the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement signals a return to the days of anger and rage. There might be some truth to that. But it is also a sign that young African Americans aren’t going to put up with the kind of police abuses that have been going on for decades. It is their hope that they can finally change this phenomenon that fuels their anger.</p>
<p>This optimism among people of color is something that should ignite the curiosity of the political class. Just as we’ve been fascinated by the anger ( <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/11/boomers-deaths-pnas/413971/" type="external">and sometimes despair</a>) coming from the white working/middle class, it would behoove us to learn more about the optimism being expressed by people of color. Far be it from me to attempt an exhaustive explanation. I’d simply note something <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFeoS41xe7w" type="external">James Baldwin</a> said during a debate with William F. Buckley at Cambridge in 1965 on the question: “is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?”</p>
<p>Until the moment comes when we the Americans, we the American people, are able to accept the fact that my ancestors are both black and white, that on that continent we are trying to forge a new identity for which we need each other, and that I am not a ward of America, I am not an object of missionary charity, I am one of the people who built the country—until this moment, there is scarcely any hope for the American dream.</p>
<p>That’s why <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2015/08/american-dreams-jim-cullen-larry-samuels-james-baldwin/401318/" type="external">Matt Thompson</a> is on to something important when he writes this:</p>
<p>The eternal story of the dream’s decline reflects a profound nostalgia. To believe the dream is dying, you have to believe it once flourished. But there’s an alternate story of the dream, in which the dream is an ideal that remains unobtained. It is not dead, so much as it is unborn. When the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. articulated his own dream, deeply rooted in the American dream, he wasn’t talking about a desiccated remnant of an idealized past, because to him, no version of that past could be ideal. He was, instead, imagining a better future.</p>
<p>For people of color, the American dream happens only when this country come to grips with the “we” that includes them. That is why, on the occasion of his death, President Obama highlighted these words from <a href="/2016/06/06/muhammed-ali-i-am-america/" type="external">Muhammed Ali</a>:</p>
<p>“I am America,” he once declared. “I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me – black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own. Get used to me.”</p>
<p>Apparently that American dream is still very much alive for people of color. Think about that the next time a politician or pundit tells you that this election is all about the anger and discontent of American voters – who assume that the dream is dead or dying. If we’re talking about a dream that flourished in our past, they’re right…that one is going, going, gone. But perhaps there is another one that is in the process of being born.</p> | Re-Imagining the Dream | true | http://washingtonmonthly.com/2016/06/13/re-imagining-the-dream/ | 2016-06-13 | 4 |
<p>Retailers including Wal-Mart, Amazon, and Sears have reached a $300K compromise <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/retailers-pay-york-300000-toy-gun-settlement-32846555" type="external">with New York regulators</a> who say that the outlets’ sales of toy guns violate state law.</p>
<p>Federal law requires that toy guns display an orange strip to indicate non functionality, but New York law goes further by banning the sale of black, blue, silver, or aluminum imitation guns. (New York City goes even further—your mock glock needs to be transparent or brightly colored in the Big Apple.) Officials also hit a total of 67 online third-party sellers with cease-and-desist letters in an attempt to prevent indirect sales from slipping across state lines.</p>
<p>For their part, the New York AG’s office is sticking to their guns (I’m so, so sorry) over the controversial crackdown; officials claim that their regulations work to keep citizens safe from <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/03/business/new-york-reaches-accords-with-sellers-of-toy-guns.html?_r=0" type="external">mix-ups</a> with law enforcement:</p>
<p>“There have been instances in states around the country in which police officers have mistaken toy guns for actual guns,” Eric T. Schneiderman, the attorney general, said in an interview. “It’s an absolutely unnecessary risk, because toy guns, as New York law requires, can be easily distinguishable.”</p>
<p />
<p>Business Briefing: New York Warns Retailers on Realistic Toy GunsDEC. 18, 2014 Momentum has grown to restrict toy guns over the past year, set off in part by the death of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy who was playing with a toy gun when he was shot by a police officer in Cleveland in November. In 2015, lawmakers in Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Ohio and Washington introduced legislation to create or amend toy gun laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Half a dozen states, as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., already have laws on the books, according to the organization.</p>
<p>Mr. Schneiderman’s office said the enforcement actions have two goals: cut down on crimes that involve toy guns, like robberies, and help prevent split-second mistakes by the police that can end in death. Since 1994, there have been at least 63 shootings in New York State because of toy or imitation guns, according to the attorney general’s office, at least eight of them ending in fatalities.</p>
<p>Their argument, for what it’s worth, goes over well in the media. After 12 year-old Tamir Rice <a href="" type="internal">was shot and killed</a> during an encounter with police involving a toy pistol, activists rallied in favor of restrictions similar to the ones governing sales in New York.</p>
<p />
<p>For the most part, retailers appear to have relented in this battle. It’s better to take a small monetary hit than wage a corporate battle against the rabid talking point machine that is the liberal anti-gun lobby; but keep in mind that these regulations, and others like them, are still part of a broader legislative movement meant to demonize, regulate, and eventually restrict gun ownership in America.</p> | New York Milks $300K from Retailers Over Toy Gun Sales | true | http://legalinsurrection.com/2015/08/new-york-milks-300k-from-retailers-over-toy-gun-sales/ | 2015-08-03 | 0 |
<p>JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A 16-year-old Florida teen has been arrested after his parents were stabbed as they slept in the family's apartment.</p>
<p>The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says Raylan Wagner was arrested for two counts of aggravated battery after investigators say he stabbed his parents in the neck and head as they slept early Wednesday.</p>
<p>Police say both victims fought their attacker off before he fled.</p>
<p>Police say Wagner was found at a nearby church with scratches on his legs around 11 a.m., and that he confessed to the incident.</p>
<p>JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A 16-year-old Florida teen has been arrested after his parents were stabbed as they slept in the family's apartment.</p>
<p>The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says Raylan Wagner was arrested for two counts of aggravated battery after investigators say he stabbed his parents in the neck and head as they slept early Wednesday.</p>
<p>Police say both victims fought their attacker off before he fled.</p>
<p>Police say Wagner was found at a nearby church with scratches on his legs around 11 a.m., and that he confessed to the incident.</p> | Florida boy, 16, arrested after parents stabbed while asleep | false | https://apnews.com/amp/aa848f3d8da1400ab46ee1ebb10e2d24 | 2018-01-13 | 2 |
<p>“WHY DON’T the masses stream to the square here, too, and throw Bibi out?” my taxi driver exclaimed when we were passing Rabin Square. The wide expanse was almost empty, with only a few mothers and their children enjoying the mild winter sun.</p>
<p>The masses will not stream to the square, and Binyamin Netanyahu can be thrown out only through the ballot box.</p>
<p>If this does not happen, Israelis can blame nobody but themselves.</p>
<p>If the Israeli Left is unable to bring together a serious political force, which can put Israel on the road to peace and social justice, it has only itself to blame.</p>
<p>We have no bloodthirsty dictator whom we can hold responsible. No crazy tyrant will order his air force to bomb us if we demand his ouster.</p>
<p>Once there was a story making the rounds: Ariel Sharon – then still a general in the army – assembles the officer corps and tells them: “Comrades, tonight we shall carry out a military coup!” All the assembled officers break out in thunderous laughter.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>DEMOCRACY IS like air – one feels it only when it is not there. Only a person who is suffocating knows how essential it is.</p>
<p>The taxi driver who spoke so freely about kicking Netanyahu out did not fear that I might be an agent of the secret police, and that in the&#160; small hours of the morning there would be a knock on his door. I am writing whatever comes into my head and don’t walk around with bodyguards. And if we did decide to gather in the square, nobody would prevent us from doing so, and the police might even protect us.</p>
<p>(I am speaking, of course, about Israel within its sovereign borders. None of this applies to the occupied Palestinian territories.)</p>
<p>We live in a democracy, breathe democracy, without even being conscious of it. For us It feels natural, we take it for granted. That’s why people often give silly answers to public opinion pollsters, and these draw the dramatic conclusion that the majority of Israeli citizens despise democracy and are ready to give it up. Most of those asked have never lived under a regime in which a woman must fear that her husband will not come home from work because he made a joke about the Supreme Leader, or that her son might&#160; disappear because he drew some graffiti on the wall.</p>
<p>The Knesset members who were chosen in democratic elections spend their time in a game of who can draw up the most atrocious racist bill. They resemble children pulling off the wings of flies, without understanding what they are doing.</p>
<p>To all these I have one piece of advice: look at what is happening in Libya.</p>
<p>DURING THE whole week I spent every spare moment glued to Aljazeera.</p>
<p>One word about the station: excellent.</p>
<p>It need not fear comparison with any broadcaster in the world, including the BBC and CNN. Not to mention our own stations, which serve a murky brew concocted from propaganda, information and entertainment.</p>
<p>Much has been said about the part played by the social networks, like Facebook and Twitter, in the revolutions that are now turning the Arab world upside down. But for sheer influence, Aljazeera trumps them all. During the last decade, it has changed the Arab world beyond recognition. In the last few weeks, it has wrought miracles.</p>
<p>To see the events in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and the other countries on Israeli, American or German TV is like kissing through a handkerchief. To see them on Aljazeera is to feel the real thing.</p>
<p>All my adult life I have advocated involved journalism. I have tried to teach generations of journalists not to become reporting robots, but human beings with a conscience who see their mission in promoting the basic human values. Aljazeera is doing just that. And how!</p>
<p>These last weeks, tens of millions of Arabs have depended on this station in order to find out what is happening in their own countries, indeed in their home towns – what is happening on Habib Bourguiba Boulevard in Tunis, in Tahrir Square in Cairo, in the streets of Benghazi and Tripoli.</p>
<p>I know that many Israelis will consider these words heretical, given Aljazeera’s staunch support of the Palestinian cause. It is seen here as the arch-enemy, no less than Osama bin Laden or Mahmoud&#160; Ahmadinejad. But one simply must view its broadcasts, to have any hope of understanding what is happening in the Arab world, including the occupied Palestinian territories.</p>
<p>When Aljazeera covers a war or a revolution in the Arab world, it covers it. Not for an hour or two, but for 24 hours around the clock. The pictures are engraved in one’s memory, the testimonies stir one’s emotions. The impact on Arab viewers is almost hypnotic.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>MUAMMAR QADDAFI was shown on Aljazeera as he really is – an unbalanced megalomaniac who has lost touch with reality. Not in short news clips, but for hours and hours of continuous broadcasts, in which the rambling speech he recently gave was shown again and again, with the addition of dozens of testimonies and opinions from Libyans of all sectors – from the air force officers who defected to Malta to ordinary citizens in bombed Tripoli.</p>
<p>At the beginning of his speech, Qaddafi (whose name is pronounced Qazzafi, whence the slogan “Ya Qazzafi, Ya Qazzabi” – Oh Qazzafi, Oh Liar) reminded me of Nicolae Ceausescu and his famous last speech from the balcony, which was interrupted by the masses. But as the speech went on, Qaddafi reminded me more and more of Adolf Hitler in his last days, when he pored over the map with his remaining generals, maneuvering armies which had already ceased to exist and planning grandiose “operations”, with the Red Army already within a few hundred yards from his bunker.</p>
<p>If Qaddafi were not planning to slaughter his own people, it could have been grotesque or sad. But as it was, it was only monstrous.</p>
<p>While he was talking, the rebels were taking control of towns whose names are still engraved in the memories of Israelis of my generation. In World War II, these places were the arena of the British, German and Italian armies, which captured and lost them turn by turn. We followed the actions anxiously, because a British defeat would have brought the Wehrmacht to our country, with Adolf Eichmann in its wake. Names like Benghazi, Tobruk and Derna still resound in my ear – the more so because my brother fought there as a British commando, before being transferred to the Ethiopian campaign, where he lost his life.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>BEFORE QADDAFI lost his mind completely, he voiced an idea that sounded crazy, but which should give us food for thought.</p>
<p>Under the influence of the victory of the non-violent masses in Egypt, and before the earthquake had reached him too, Qaddafi proposed putting the masses of Palestinian refugees on ships and sending them to the shores of Israel.</p>
<p>I would advise Binyamin Netanyahu to take this possibility very seriously. What will happen if masses of Palestinians learn from the experience of their brothers and sisters in half a dozen Arab countries and conclude that the “armed struggle” leads nowhere, and that they should adopt the tactics of non-violent mass action?</p>
<p>What will happen if hundreds of thousands of Palestinians march one day to the Separation Wall and pull it down? What if a quarter of a million Palestinian refugees in Lebanon gather on our Northern border? What if masses of people assemble in Manara Square in Ramallah and Town Hall Square in Nablus and confront the Israeli troops? All this before the cameras of Aljazeera, accompanied by Facebook and Twitter, with the entire world looking on with bated breath?</p>
<p>Until now, the answer was simple: if necessary, we shall use live fire, helicopter gunships and tank cannon. No more nonsense.</p>
<p>But now the Palestinian youth, too, has seen that it is possible to face live fire, that Qaddafi’s fighter planes did not put an end to the uprising, that Pearl Square in Bahrain did not empty when the king’s soldiers opened fire. This lesson will not be forgotten.</p>
<p>Perhaps this will not happen tomorrow or the day after. But it most certainly will happen – unless we make peace while we still can.</p>
<p>URI AVNERY is an Israeli writer and peace activist with Gush Shalom. He is a contributor to CounterPunch’s book <a href="http://www.easycartsecure.com/CounterPunch/CounterPunch_Books.html" type="external">The Politics of Anti-Semitism</a>.</p>
<p />
<p /> | The Crazy Prophet | true | https://counterpunch.org/2011/02/28/the-crazy-prophet/ | 2011-02-28 | 4 |
<p />
<p />
<p>A Dakota County Sheriff's Deputy thought he had rolled doubles when he pulled over a man who ended up having felony warrants over the weekend.</p>
<p />
<p>Instead of simply passing go and collecting $200 though he would find himself landing on a chance card himself.</p>
<p />
<p>The suspect, from Ravenna Township, was a 35-year-old who had an outstanding warrant for a fifth-degree controlled charge out of Ramsey County.</p>
<p />
<p>Thinking he'd be able to negotiate a trade for boardwalk with the Deputy, he tried to give him a Monopoly "Get Out Of Jail Free Card" in exchange for his release.</p>
<p />
<p>The Sheriff's Office obviously refused the trade, and instead sent the man to jail. They did however have a sense of humor and posted the situation onto their social media accounts for a laugh.</p>
<p />
<p>"We appreciate the humor!" the sheriff's office posted on Facebook. "A+ for effort!" The man was booked into the county jail and his bail was set at $5,000.</p>
<p />
<p>Source</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.foxla.com/news/263917390-story" type="external">foxla.com/news/263917390-story</a></p> | After Arrest, Minnesota Man Gives Police Monopoly 'Get Out Of Jail Free' Card | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/4409-After-Arrest-Minnesota-Man-Gives-Police-Monopoly-Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free-Card | 2017-06-27 | 0 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Vering himself was coming off a whirlwind time&#160;in his life as he got married, his mother passed&#160;away, the company for which he worked went&#160;bankrupt and the newlyweds were soon expecting.&#160;Oh, and let’s not forget that the real estate business&#160;was in the tank. “I don’t think I necessarily got&#160;my feet wet,” Vering said of that time period. “I got&#160;doused. It definitely made me quite a bit stronger as&#160;far as understanding the mortgage world. How to&#160;be prudent with your decisions.”</p>
<p>Confident, ethical leadership</p>
<p>But it didn’t take very long working with VanDyk&#160;for Vering to know that things were going to get&#160;better, he said. That confidence can be attributed to&#160;founder Tom VanDyk, Vering said. “After being with&#160;VanDyk for about six months and seeing what an&#160;amazing company it was and how it has the right&#160;procedures and systems, I was sold,” he said. “VanDyk has been around for 29 years. I believe that’s&#160;a true testament to Tom VanDyk’s work ethic and&#160;ethics in general.”</p>
<p>And that’s what has enabled Vering to create a&#160;stable and growing branch office for a company that&#160;has some 40 offices in 34 states. “He always viewed&#160;that there’s a right and a wrong way to do things&#160;and if we do it the right way, everything will work&#160;out,” Vering said. “After seeing that after about six&#160;months and having full confidence and faith in the&#160;company, I’ve been able to build an amazing office&#160;here in New Mexico.”</p>
<p>Doing what is right for&#160;the borrower</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>There were positive vibes from VanDyk immediately,&#160;Vering said. “Within the first year I flew up to&#160;Grand Rapids, Michigan, where they’re based, met&#160;Tom VanDyk and had lunch with him,” Vering said.&#160;“It’s understood that he’s about doing what’s right&#160;for the borrower. And that philosophy really is part&#160;of the culture and I try to project that here locally.”&#160;A big part of that, he said, is making sure the borrower&#160;understands the process and the responsibilities&#160;of home ownership.</p>
<p>“Do the homebuyers understand what it means&#160;to own a house? We want to set people up for&#160;success and not for failure. Home ownership is&#160;an amazing thing. But we also want to make sure&#160;that people understand what that means,” Vering&#160;said. What that means at the VanDyk New Mexico&#160;branch is the load originators have to ask questions&#160;of the borrowers and listen to the answers to try&#160;and meet their needs and circumstances, he said.</p>
<p>“It starts with educating the borrower,” Vering&#160;said. “We do a lot of first-time homebuyer’s products.&#160;That’s where it starts. If somebody has never&#160;owned a home, they don’t know. A lot of times,&#160;what needs to be done whether it’s for an hour or&#160;an hour and a half, is have a meeting and establish&#160;an understanding of what the buyer wants. One&#160;of the first questions I always ask is what can you&#160;afford? Which is very different than what can you&#160;qualify for.”</p>
<p>Fostering the agent-borrower&#160;relationship</p>
<p>It’s also imperative, he said, to find quality, like-minded&#160;agents so that there’s a synergy between&#160;them. “Working with realtor partners who have&#160;the best interests of the buyer in mind is also very,&#160;very important,” Vering said. “And knowing that&#160;they’re educating the borrower along the way&#160;and that they’re not just in it for the dollar. That’s&#160;something that I stress in our office: working with&#160;the right people.”</p> | VanDyk Mortgage: helping borrowers succeed | false | https://abqjournal.com/866798/vandyk-mortgage-helping-borrowers-succeed.html | 2 |
|
<p>House majority leader discusses moving the legislation forward on 'Sunday Morning Futures.'</p>
<p>GOP leaders are trying to ease panicked Americans who are socking away thousands of dollars annually for retirement, after lawmakers floated the idea of drastically reducing the pre-tax limit on contributions to $2,400 as part of the forthcoming tax plan.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>“I think 401(k)s are very important,” said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., during an interview on Fox’s “Sunday Morning Futures”. “The way we’ll look at the 401(k), we will protect it, we’ll expand the amount that you can invest, but we’ll also give you an option to actually not be taxed later in life, not to have that tax burden hovering over you in the future, but actually have greater income in the future.”</p>
<p>Currently, people under age 50 are able to save up to $18,000 per year in pre-tax savings in their 401(k), while those over 50 can save up to $24,000. After reports surfaced that 401(k) those contributions could be curbed as part of the tax plan, President Donald Trump set the record straight.</p>
<p>“There will be NO change to your 401(k). This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays!” he <a href="" type="internal">tweeted on Monday Opens a New Window.</a>. He reiterated this view while talking to the press on Wednesday.</p>
<p>There will be NO change to your 401(k). This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays!</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>McCarthy’s comments on Sunday follow fellow lawmaker Kevin Brady, R-Texas, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, who last week dialed back on reports that contributions could be cut as part of the tax plan.</p>
<p>On Friday, Brady said he and fellow lawmakers are now looking into possibly raising contribution limits to $20,000 or higher.</p> | Americans' 401(k)s will be safe, GOP leaders set record straight | true | http://foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/10/29/americans-401-k-s-will-be-safe-gop-leaders-set-record-straight.html | 2017-10-29 | 0 |
<p>Anna and Arik SzafraÅ?iec used to perform with the Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra. She played violin; he played trumpet. Neither had ever heard of the glass harp before they decided to build one just for fun.</p>
<p>That was more than ten years ago.</p>
<p>They had no idea the instrument's origins go all the way back to Benjamin Franklin, who developed an early version of this instrument known as the glass armonica.</p>
<p>Franz Mesmer, a German physician practicing in Vienna who knew Franklin, discovered hypnosis by using the sounds of the glass harp to heal his patients in the 18th century. That audiences the world over find those tones mesmerizing today is no coincidence.</p>
<p>"People imagine angels' voices, like an angel's choir," said Anna, who previously played violin with the Baltic Philharmonic.</p>
<p>The glass harp fell out of fashion for about 100 years, but the couple, performing under the name Glassduo, has brought it back to life with a repertoire ranging from arrangements of DvoÅ?ák and Chopin to Sting's 1987 hit, Fragile. The two also perform original compositions.</p>
<p>At first, the SzafraÅ?iecs' endeavor was less a musical experiment than a physical one.</p>
<p>"It was like a musical joke," said Anna. "We didn't treat it very seriously."</p>
<p>But the more pieces they adapted to the instrument, explained Arik, who played trumpet in the same orchestra as his wife, the more they realized the instrument had great capabilities.</p>
<p>With almost 60 glasses placed in three rows on a table sloped so they all reach the same height, the SzafraÅ?iecs believe theirs is the biggest glass harp in the world. Its range is close to five octaves.</p>
<p>Their demonstration begins after a ritual hand wash—critical before any playing session can begin.</p>
<p>"When you hear this," said Arik, making his fingers squeak as he rubbed them back and forth, "that's the sound we want for the glasses."</p>
<p>The harp resembles a kind of xylophone whose notes are played on vessels ranging from deep goblets to tiny shot glasses, all of them empty. The pitch is determined by the size and grind of the glass, but Anna and Arik have to dip their fingers repeatedly in distilled water to keep them wet enough to play the rims. Finding those rapid intervals to do so without losing a beat is an added challenge.</p>
<p>"It seems to be easy," said Anna laughing, "but it's not."</p>
<p>Few would suggest otherwise. Whether they're warming up with a velvety Bach prelude or scratching out percussive sounds in Astor Piazzolla's Libertango, Glassduo's fingers seem to fly at warp speed. Sometimes they cross over each other, but Arik typically plays the lower register, while Anna plays the higher notes.</p>
<p>"If it's a very simple melody you can play it however you like," said Arik, adding they have to write out more intricate passages in notation. "Then that's the only way you can play it."</p>
<p>One ethereal-sounding piano mazurka (Opus 50) by 19th century composer Karol Szymanowski, inspired by the Tatra Mountains of southern Poland, takes on celestial dimensions when played on glass.</p>
<p>But the duo's pièce de résistance is their arrangement of Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker Suite. Their videotaped performance of the piece has had close to two million youtube hits.</p>
<p>Glassduo has toured from Italy to India and Spain to Singapore, with more concerts planned in London, Germany and the U.S. next year.</p> | From Poland: The Mesmerizing Tones of Glassduo | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-12-26/poland-mesmerizing-tones-glassduo | 2012-12-26 | 3 |
<p>I think it's possible for prisoners to believe that they're romantically attached to their guards, and that guards might believe the same—but the show paints it almost in Romeo-and-Juliet terms.</p>
<p>To celebrate the fact that&#160;In These Times's recapping of Netflix sensation&#160;Orange is the New Black&#160;has&#160; <a href="" type="internal">reached its midway point</a>, we <a href="" type="internal">convened a group of&#160;</a> <a href="" type="internal">feminist and activist all-stars</a>&#160;to talk about the show's evolution over the first half of its much-lauded first season.</p>
<p>Assembled for this roundtable were yours truly, Sady Doyle,&#160;In These Times' Orange is the New Black&#160;correspondent;&#160;Lindsay Beyerstein, author of the blog&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Duly Noted</a>;&#160;Jamia Wilson, a feminist activist and writer who's authored, amongst many other great pieces,&#160; <a href="http://www.good.is/posts/the-upside-of-the-help-controversy-it-made-me-think" type="external">“The Upside of 'The Help' Controversy”</a>&#160;for&#160;GOOD;&#160;Danielle Henderson,&#160;Ph.D. student in critical race theory and media and&#160; <a href="http://www.vulture.com/tv/orange-is-the-new-black/" type="external">New York&#160;</a> <a href="http://www.vulture.com/tv/orange-is-the-new-black/" type="external">magazine's OITNB recapper</a>;&#160;Jennifer L. Pozner, author of&#160;Reality Bites Back&#160;and founder of Women in Media and News, who&#160; <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/08/29/tv_can_make_america_better/" type="external">recently wrote about OITNB for Salon</a>; and&#160;Yasmin Nair, the co-founder of Against Equality and author of the article that kicked off OITNB criticism on&#160;In These Times,&#160; <a href="" type="internal">”</a> <a href="" type="internal">White Chick Behind Bars.”</a></p>
<p>What follows is an abridged and edited transcript of one of the most fun, interesting and challenging conversations your humble OITNB correspondent has ever had about TV. In part II, below,&#160;where we talk OITNB's big villains, Pennsatucky and Pornstache, and debate how well the show handles race, class, sexual assault, age and faith. (Read part I&#160; <a href="" type="internal">here</a>&#160;and part III&#160; <a href="" type="internal">here</a>.)</p>
<p>(SPOILER alert: The following contains general plot points from the first six episodes of&#160;Orange is the New Black).</p>
<p>Sady:&#160;One character who seems to draw a universally negative reaction is Pennsatucky, the far-right Evangelical meth addict. She'll have more air time in the second half of the season, but for now, I think it's worth noting that she seems to have been written solely to provoke and anger the upwardly mobile liberals that the Piper character represents. And she seems to have been written with a meanness that I don't expect from OITNB. Thoughts?</p>
<p>Yasmin:&#160;I think that meanness you so rightly point out is in fact inevitable in a show that is predicated entirely on the valorizing of diversity. I also think it's worth pointing out that this diversity is almost unprecedented in a mainstream show—and that it only appears in a show about women in prison. Which is to say: Diversity is important (and I use the term hesitantly, and as a shorthand for what's going on here), and it's key to the setting, and I hope to see many more shows about people and women in prison.</p>
<p>But within the confines of diversity, then, the meanness towards Pennsatucky is inevitable—because diversity teaches us to look for the good in all ethnic groups, but poor white trash remain far outside the pale (no pun intended) of diversity. Poor white people don't constitute a “minority” in the recognizable sense, and most people—particularly white liberals and progressives—have nothing but contempt for them, because the homophobia and racism sometimes made evident in the community is so much easier to focus on. It's okay to hate and even—as in this show—be really, really brutal towards poor white trash because, the logic goes, what's not to hate? If we were to dig deeper into this hatred of poor white people, I suspect we'll find a lot of self-loathing going on, but that's another kind of narrative and enterprise altogether.</p>
<p>Jenn:&#160;My beef with the way the Pennsatucky storyline is drawn is not only that she is an easy villain because “poor white trash, ha ha ha!”, but also because of the extremely convoluted way that her back story plays out in terms of what she did to end up in Litchfield, why she did it, and how she’s exalted for it and by whom. I really want us to come back together as a group and discuss that aspect of the storyline when Sady gets to the end of the series.</p>
<p>Lindsay:&#160;Even Pennsatucky gets humanized as the show goes on and we learn more about her. She's still a villain, but she's also medically psychotic and (surprise!) prison is making her mental illness worse.</p>
<p>Sady:&#160;See, I don't think Pennsatucky could be classified as “psychotic”: I think she's deeply religious, which strikes others as a form of magical thinking. I don't think Yoga Jones's Buddhism is crazy, either. (That Yoga Jones line about being too surrounded by irritating people to meditate on universal compassion belongs on a T-shirt. A T-shirt that I will wear, all the time, until it falls off my back.) What I do think is that Pennsatucky is a bully, and a person for whom religion affords her a form of power and validation she can't get anywhere else in life. She uses her “special messages from God” to browbeat her friends and build a power base, because the ability to browbeat people and feel powerful is what she needs. That doesn't mean she doesn't believe it, though; she believes just as deeply as more sympathetic characters like Miss Claudette or Sister Ingalls. It's just that Pennsatucky's religion takes the form of something that primarily serves the bad parts of Pennsatucky.</p>
<p>Jamia:&#160;As much as I loathe Pennsatucky's bullying ways, I appreciate her character's role in building a community of support for people seeking something or someone to believe in during a terrible, alienating time in their lives. Pennsatucky is sincere about her belief in redemption. And while I disagree with her approach and find myself literally repulsed at her fervor, I find her resilience, her ability to forgive and her attempts at serving others somewhat endearing.</p>
<p>As a liberal, pro-reproductive justice Christian, to me her character embodies the kind of stereotype that reinforces every negative generalization out there about people of faith in this country. The caricature she represents sickens me, but it also presents an opportunity to discuss what spiritual communities provide for people who are suffering/and in need that activist communities could do better. Yes, there is a history of corruption and social and physical violence within fundamentalist organized religion and the political church. At the same time, I've seen unchecked bullying, hypocrisy, power-mongering, and mental illness strongly impact activist communities I've been in without the emotional, social, and community support I've seen many faith communities provide when their members are in need. Pennsatucky was looking for support, love, validation, and community—she was looking for a place to feel valued and to know that she mattered—and a group of Evangelical Christians took advantage of that. Her role raises the question for me: What can we learn about how we support each other in our times of struggle and need? How do we make each other feel valuable, and provide services to community leaders who need them?</p>
<p>Sady:&#160;Also, bouncing off your points about faith, Jamia: Although we don't get to see this in flashbacks, it's clear that the community of the church is really central to Sophia and her family. Losing the church is one of the big things Crystal holds against her wife. And when Sophia makes a friend in prison, it's Sister Ingalls, the nun. Which is one of the quietest, most precise character arcs (“Sophia starts healing her important and traumatic relationship with Christianity that we've heard about exactly twice in throwaway lines”) that OITNB has done.</p>
<p>Yasmin:&#160;I can see the points about faith and community, Jamia, and I absolutely agree about activist communities and the harm they can inflict. But I'm not sure that the community that Pennsatucky draws around her comes about because of any kind real support—rather, there's plenty of evidence throughout that these are a lot of very damaged people who are effectively coerced by her into joining her, in order to survive in prison. Again, I'm hugely critical of the way that Pennsatucky is rendered, but in terms of the actual character and how her faith is portrayed, I'm concerned that we not forget about how much of this faith is also based in violence and intimidation (not the least of which lies in an angry and vengeful deity of her choosing). I do worry that we might erase the violence inherent in religion as well. The values and practices you address can come about in other forms of community.</p>
<p>Like Romeo and Juliet, except she can't consent: Daya, Bennett and sexualized violence</p>
<p>Jenn:&#160;There are ways in which OITNB spectacularly fails in terms of realism—here, I'm thinking most egregiously of the Daya/Bennett “romance” storyline, which is a disgusting and utterly misrepresentative way of hiding the epidemic sexual abuse by prisoners by guards and staff.</p>
<p>Yasmin:&#160;Oh, gosh, yes, that whole weirdly convoluted tale, and the idea of a “romance” between guards and prisoners. And the erasure of the sexual vulnerability of a very young woman who has been taught nothing but how to use her body to trade favours… I do want to emphasize: I'm COMPLETELY pro-sex work and sex trade, but the erasure of a lot of disturbing dynamics here, yikes.</p>
<p>Sady:&#160;On Daya and Bennett, I completely understand why Daya would think this relationship was a good idea. She's had an emotionally abusive mother, and a sexually predatory quasi-stepfather: Not only is she starved for affection, I don't think she's ever had a relationship that wasn't founded on abuse of power. What I don't understand is why Bennett would get involved. He's portrayed as a kind of vacant dreamboat, but every time it's brought up to him that this relationship is unethical and harmful to Daya, he acts as if it's some huge revelation. He's been trained on this, he's culpable in this, but the show seems not to understand that.</p>
<p>Yasmin:&#160;The erotics of all the prison relationships, too. I liked the casualness with which the women discuss fucking, but some of the sex is also just so over-acted. (And, please, can I pause to complain about the bad Marisa Tomei-imitation acting by Yael Stone?) A friend of mine described that sex scene between Stone and Lyonne as something that looked like the latter was tilting furniture. You could imagine the director behind the scene: “Go deep, Natasha, go REALLY LESBIAN!!”</p>
<p>But yes, the relationship between Daya and the prison guard was absurdly romanticized. Which is to say: I think it's possible for prisoners to believe that they're romantically attached to their guards, and that guards might believe the same—but the show paints it almost in Romeo-and-Juliet terms. We'll see what season 2 brings!</p>
<p>Jenn:&#160;There’s a regular campaign of intimidation, harassment, and minor groping of inmates by “Pornstache,” but the writers play it far too safe, making him rub up against the violent line but never outrageously cross it. For example, he repeatedly threatens his nemesis, Red, with promises like, “I'll end your life!” Yet all he actually does is creepily touch her lips and spill large canisters of food in petty tantrums. Kohan wants to pay lip service to the brutality prisoners face while shielding her audience from the sort of ugly, vicious realities that might make them realize that prison life is actually more than a frustrating-but-funny dark comedy.</p>
<p>Yasmin:&#160;I think you're right about the erasure of violence—and that includes the erasure of sexual violence between and amongst prisoners as well. Prison amplifies how rape, the threat of rape and sexual coercion are used to keep people in line. And, again, I think this is where the expectations surrounding OITNB make it impossible to be anything but a spectacular failure in terms of it being anything like a cultural tool for change, which is how some of its strongest proponents see it. Prison life is seen as practically a romp, a kind of girls' night out, with a few bleak spots to remind us of the harsh world, but a good place to be in. Rape and sexual violence hang over many prisoners' heads the moment they enter—but here, it's mostly fun and frolic.</p>
<p>Jamia:&#160;I agree. Kerman's book touches in more depth on privilege, and the dehumanization and violence women prisoners face (not comprehensively, but much more so than the show). Kerman explains how uncomfortable being cuffed and strip-searched is, how agonizing being transported in prison planes can be because you're not allowed to go to the restroom, and how some women fear the indignity of prison gynecologist visits so much that they elect to skip them each year. There's no surprise that Kohan is giving us the same flavor she did with Nancy Botwin (Mary Louise Parker) in&#160;Weeds. She seems to love a good-White-girl-from-the-right-side-of-the-tracks-gone-bad story.</p>
<p>Sady:&#160;From a storytelling perspective, I don't know how much more sexual violence I could handle. Pornstache strikes me as genuinely scary: His assault on Piper in the “missing screwdriver” scene, his sexualized intimidation and humiliation of Red, and the fact that he's regularly having coerced sex with addicted prisoners all, to me, make him a real threat. As for sexual violence between the inmates—there are a few bits coming up that seem to almost-address the matter, but I'll agree that the show doesn't want to go there. I wonder if all of the sexual relationships between inmates are enthusiastically consensual simply because the show does want to humanize these characters, and because it doesn't want to play into all the sadistic, homophobic “prison rape” jokes that are so commonly the only thing people have to say about prison.</p>
<p>Jenn:&#160;Right, but I think it’s really dangerous and also a cop-out to try to have it both ways. This almost-going-there-but-not thing with Pornstash is just playing it way too safe. There are so many ways they could “go there” if they wanted to without either trivializing sexual assault on the one hand, or sensationalizing it on the other; but that kind of writing is tricky and complex, and requires a nuance that I think Kohan is profoundly uninterested in when it comes to this subject. It would be a failure of creative imagination for storytellers to not be able to address prison rape in a solid, strong way without turning it into a “don’t drop the soap” prison rape bit.</p>
<p>Sady:&#160;But Leanne—Pennsatucky’s mini-me—is a devout evangelical Christian and an addict. She takes her religion so seriously that she won’t even consume pop culture with wizards in it. And this religion, which is her identity, is not at all kind about pre-marital sex, and yet, as we see in the third episode, she has to “have sex” with Pornstache if she doesn’t want to go into withdrawal. He tries the same thing with Sophia. How is that not “going there?” I think he’s all the way there, it’s just not graphic. I don’t think Healy and Caputo’s inappropriate sexual interest in Piper is ever condoned or glossed over, either. It seems to be Dreamboat Bennett who gets the free pass.</p>
<p>Lindsay:&#160;It's hard to know how much violence we should see from the guards without knowing how much violence there actually is in a minimum security federal prison like Danbury. My sense is that those kinds of facilities are less physically violent than higher-security facilities, or local prisons. It's a fine line to walk, though, in terms of representation. If you add extra violence, you risk being sensationalistic.</p>
<p>Jenn:&#160;I had forgotten that scene in Episode 3 with the Christian inmate, Sady, that’s a good point. I probably wouldn’t have the same problem with this if the Daya/Bennett “romance” storyline never happened, if rape of inmates wasn’t treated as sweet—complete with distinct rom-com soundtrack most of the time Daya and Bennett are on screen together.</p>
<p>'I've been here a long time': Miss Claudette and age</p>
<p>Sady:&#160;At some point around Episode 4, I ran into a problem with recapping OITNB, which was that it was practically impossible to just “sum up” every single long-running plot line and character arc. Which is another way of saying that this show has a remarkably deep bench. Which character moments and character arcs really stood out to you, in the first half of the season?</p>
<p>Danielle Henderson:&#160;Miss Claudette and Janae. The show doesn't explicitly talk about age, outside of showing women in different stages of life (which is a triumph in and of itself), but I was really fascinated by the hardness in Miss Claudette. It was first revealed as a cultural difference (her long-winded greetings to her new roommates was very similar to how she greeted the new girls working for her, which was similar to how SHE herself was greeted when Jean Baptiste brought her to work), but also a tool of self-preservation. It was interesting that within the prison landscape, she was able to maintain mystery, to be sort of an unknown and unknowable element.</p>
<p>Janae is similar. She reveals very little, and has more vitriol than Miss Claudette, but is similar to Miss C for her ability to maintain some autonomy by being evasive.</p>
<p>Yasmin:&#160;Miss Claudette, I'll confess, reminds me of some of my tough-ass teachers in school, growing up.</p>
<p>Sady:&#160;I love Janae, and I think she's one of the show's best examples of how much character work this show can fit into a small space. I think her story is one of the show's most straightforward feminist parables—ladies! If you're good at something, and it threatens people, don't pretend you're bad at it to get a boyfriend!—and I also love how she's constantly trying to maintain her autonomy by taking a stand, and how those stands are usually 100 percent correct, and how that consistently comes back to hurt her. Janae is the woman whose strength keeps getting used as a weapon against her. So much going on there. Which is bizarre, considering that she spends most of the first half of the season in SHU.</p>
<p>Also, I'm a huge fan of how this show depicts its older characters. Women get more powerful as they age, instead of becoming un-sexy and therefore invisible. Big Boo, who's played by an actress in her 50s, is one of the most vocally sexual characters. Red is an archetypal movie Mob boss, played by a woman. Her arc —the “I draw a line at narcotics” struggle with Pornstache, the way subordinates are part of “the family” with her as its head, the way she controls the black market and will take violent action if necessary—is classic Godfather stuff. Except, instead of getting The Godfather, we get The Mom. And the rest of the women with long histories in the prison—not just Claudette and Red, but Yoga Jones, Big Boo, Sister Ingalls—seem almost as complex and interesting.</p>
<p>Except Chang. I sincerely doubt we will ever get a flashback episode exploring the inner life of Chang.</p>
<p>Jenn:&#160;The fact that Chang is pretty much the only Asian actress and never speaks or has any details at all to flesh out her character makes my skin crawl.</p>
<p>Jamia:&#160;I'm fascinated by Miss Claudette's relationship with Piper. She almost plays a sort of maternal role, like Red does for her tribe but without the manipulation and power-games. Miss Claudette is a survivor who teaches Piper how to make it in prison. She was a young immigrant who was basically sold into indentured domestic work who ended up in prison due to the same system that wronged her. In some ways, it seems like she's caring for Piper in the way others never cared for her. I'm still unpacking how I feel about her caretaking role and whether her function is to serve as a “magical Negro” or not. She has a tremendous amount of agency and dignity. Would love to hear what you ladies think.</p>
<p>Lindsay:&#160;I think Ms. Claudette dodges the “magical Negro” stereotype because she has such clear internal motivations that have nothing to do with helping Piper. She's an older prisoner; she's resigned to doing her time, preserving as much order in her world as possible, and not letting any young punks cause her any unnecessary trouble. She teaches Piper because Piper's cluelessness is going to bring down a deluge of shit on them both if Ms. Claudette doesn't intervene.</p>
<p>This is the second installment of a three-part conversation. Read part I <a href="" type="internal">here</a>&#160;and part III <a href="" type="internal">here</a>.</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>Sady Doyle is an In These Times contributor. She is the author of <a href="http://www.mhpbooks.com/books/trainwreck/" type="external">Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fear... and Why</a> (Melville House, 2016) and was the founder of the blog <a href="http://tigerbeatdown.com" type="external">Tiger Beatdown</a>. You can follow her on Twitter at @sadydoyle, or e-mail her at sady inthesetimes.com.</p> | Orange Is the New Black Roundtable, Part 2: On Religion, Aging, Rape and Race | true | http://inthesetimes.com/article/15551/orange_is_the_new_black_roundtable_part_2/ | 2013-09-04 | 4 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Then it didn't rain.</p>
<p>Then it rained some more.</p>
<p>Then it stopped.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Then it thundered.</p>
<p>Then it lightninged.</p>
<p>Then it rained and rained and rained.</p>
<p>Matches at the Coleman Vision Tennis Championships were to begin at 10 a.m. Tuesday. Intermittent showers pushed the starting time to 11 a.m. Busloads of elementary school children, approximately 300 kids in all, were set to arrive at Tanoan Country Club at 10:15. The school trip had to be canceled. The starting time now was pushed to noon.</p>
<p>Everything was sun-splashed for about two hours. The skies suddenly turned mousey gray and unfriendly.</p>
<p>At 2:10 p.m., a rumbling was heard, followed by a crackling. Anna Tatashvili the defending singles champion, was playing Lisa Whybourn of Great Britain on the stadium court. The score was 3-3 in the first set. USTA officials announced that all matches must stop and stay stopped 30 minutes past the last strike. Players and fans milled about for a while, waiting to get back on the courts or into their seats.</p>
<p>That never happened.</p>
<p>United State Tennis Association umpire Keith Crossland uses a roller to get the rainwater off the courts at the Coleman Vision tennis tournament Tuesday. (Jim Thompson/Albuquerque Journal)</p>
<p>At 2:40 p.m. the rain returned with a vengeance. Everyone took cover. Finally about 3:15, there was talk that one unfinished match, between Robin Anderson, a former UCLA All-American, and Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada, would be continued.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Wozniak had won the first set and it was 5-all in the second. Squeegees and towels were already at work. A sense of optimism filled the air, only to be dashed by another downpour.</p>
<p>At 3:40 p.m., officials decided that all uncompleted matches would be postponed until the next day.</p>
<p>Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands was one of the happy players who got her qualifying match done before the rain arrived. She beat Jacqueline Cako of Brier, Wash., 6-3, 6-4. With that victory came a spot in the main draw. A jubilant Krajicek walked off the court and kissed her coach, Martin Emmrich, who is also her husband. They have been married for eight weeks.</p>
<p>"We stop talking about tennis once we leave the club," Emmrich said.</p>
<p>Tatashvili, who has competed in Albuquerque eight times, is for the first time not staying with Zurab and Tamara Surviladze, who are also from the Republic of Georgia. The Surviladzes reportedly are not feeling well. They usually serve Anna and her father, Dimitry, khinkali, dumplings stuffed with spiced meat, garlic and various herbs. The Tatashvilis are staying at the Marriott on Louisiana NE. There is no khinkali on the Marriott menu.</p>
<p>Anna Tatashvili wears knee-high white socks when she plays. Is that some sort of fashion statement? Apparently not. She says she wears them because she has low blood pressure. She added that she wears them on long airplane flights, to prevent deep vein thrombosis.</p>
<p>All matches today begin at 10 a.m., weather permitting.</p>
<p />
<p /> | Rain brings Coleman matches to a halt Tuesday | false | https://abqjournal.com/648338/rain-brings-coleman-matches-to-a-halt-tuesday.html | 2 |
|
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>WASHINGTON – It is no small irony that President Obama’s re-election bid is being undermined by his friends in Old Europe.</p>
<p>Forty-six months ago, then-candidate Barack Obama flew to Berlin to call for a new era of friendship with Europe after it and the United States had “drifted apart.” With an offer to end the American unilateralism of the Bush years, he urged the adoring crowd: “Now is the time to join together through constant cooperation.”</p>
<p>But in his long weekend of summitry – Group of Eight leaders at Camp David and NATO leaders in Chicago – he found European cooperation coming up short just when his political fortunes depend on it most.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The French are going wobbly on Afghanistan, which, if the sentiment spreads, could threaten his plan for an orderly withdrawal and increase disenchantment with the war at home. And Europeans generally are resisting his urgings that they prop up their ailing economies. Combined with a prospective pullout of Greece from the euro, this could send the U.S. economy back into recession – and evict Obama from the White House.</p>
<p>“I think we all understand … what’s at stake,” the president said at a news conference in Chicago on Monday afternoon. “What happens in Greece has an impact here in the United States. … And we’re already seeing very slow growth rates, and in fact, contraction in a lot of countries in Europe.”</p>
<p>He was similarly blunt about Afghanistan, speaking of “strain” and “some bad moments” ahead. “I don’t think that there’s ever going to be an optimal point where we say, ‘This is all done, this is perfect.’ … And it’s sometimes a messy process.”</p>
<p>In recent days, the messes visited Obama at home. On Friday, France’s new Socialist president, François Hollande, sat in the Oval Office and said he would make good on his campaign promise to withdraw French combat troops from Afghanistan this year.</p>
<p>The next day, at Camp David, the G-8 leaders were unable to agree on much of anything regarding Greece, the euro, and the tension between austerity and growth in Europe. Instead, they issued a communique full of on-the-one-hand, on-the-other-hand platitudes:</p>
<p>“We welcome the ongoing discussion in Europe on how to generate growth, while maintaining a firm commitment to implement fiscal consolidation.”</p>
<p>“We commit to take all necessary steps to strengthen and reinvigorate our economies and combat financial stresses, recognizing that the right measures are not the same for each of us.”</p>
<p>“We affirm our interest in Greece remaining in the eurozone while respecting its commitments.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Next, Obama flew to his hometown of Chicago, where his task was to put the best face on the ambiguous situation in Afghanistan. In a meeting with President Hamid Karzai, he looked hopefully to the time after 2014 when “the Afghan war as we understand it is over.”</p>
<p>In his post-summit news conference the next day, the president began with a stream of upbeat descriptions of the NATO mission in Afghanistan: “We have delivered. … We’re now unified. … We reached agreement on the next milestone. … We leave Chicago with a clear road map.”</p>
<p>But the phrases turned less cheerful when the first questioner, Julie Pace of the Associated Press, asked Obama whether he had been able to resolve the diplomatic dispute with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari over supply routes into Afghanistan.</p>
<p>“My discussion with President Zardari was very brief,” he answered, adding: “We didn’t anticipate that the supply-line issue was going to be resolved by this summit.”</p>
<p>When Alister Bull of Reuters asked about the possibility of Greece setting off a “Lehman-like shock,” Obama voiced empathy for the Europeans’ difficulty.</p>
<p>“They’ve got 17 countries that have to agree to every step they take,” he said. “I think about my one Congress, then I start thinking about 17 congresses, and I started getting a little bit of a headache.”</p>
<p>Obama, seeking to steer the subject to a more unifying theme, called on Jake Tapper because the ABC News correspondent had told the White House that he had been interviewing U.S. troops in Afghanistan. But this brought no relief, because Tapper selected a question about a premature withdrawal leading to Taliban rule.</p>
<p>Obama granted that “the Taliban is still a robust enemy” but said it would be good enough to leave an imperfect Afghanistan so “we can start rebuilding America and making some of the massive investments we’ve been making in Afghanistan here back home.”</p>
<p>This could be a good campaign theme, if his European friends cooperate.</p>
<p>Email: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>. Copyright 2011, Washington Post Writers Group.</p> | Obama Getting No Help From Europe | false | https://abqjournal.com/108840/obama-getting-no-help-from-europe.html | 2012-05-25 | 2 |
<p />
<p>Image Source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>As we hurdle toward the finish line, 2016 will go down as a uniquely active year in the semiconductor market. Spurred on by the onset of several generational tech trends -- the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, self-driving cars, and the like -- major semiconductor companies have gone on a buying spree to prepare them to cash-in on this growth. Two such names that sit smack dab in the middle of these growth markets are NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO), whose shares have handily outperformed their benchmark over the past five years.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/AVGO" type="external">AVGO</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Both NIVIDIA and Broadcom are attractive in their own right, but which semiconductor stock is the better buy today? In this article, we'll run both stocks through a three-part gauntlet to see if one is more deserving of investors' attention.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>The first prism through which we'll analyze these semiconductor stocks is the strength of their balance sheets. Though their investment theses lie in their revenue and profit growth stories, investors need to understand a given company's financial strength in any investment scenario. In looking at NVIDIA and Broadcom, though, both companies appear fine for the most part. A few important distinctions emerge, however.</p>
<p>Data Source: NVIDIA &amp; Broadcom Investor Relations, Yahoo! Finance.</p>
<p>To get this out of the way, NVIDIA is the clear winner in every category here. NVIDIA has more cash and liquid assets on hand, carries less debt, and generates more cash flow from its core business. There's really no way around this or disputing it.</p>
<p>However, the important nuance in comparing the two companies is that Broadcom's financial position isn't a negative either, especially given the company's intelligent acquisition strategy (see Part 2 below). Simply stated, Broadcom, along with its pre-merger counterpart Avago, has been one of the most prolific acquirers of semiconductor companies, a part of the broader trend of rapid consolidation we've seen within the chip industry.</p>
<p>In fact, Avago funded part of last year's transformational merger with Broadcom by issuing $9 billion in fresh debt. The combined company is undeniably stronger as a result of the Broadcom-Avago merger and other recent acquisitions, so Broadcom's current debt burden is most appropriately viewed as the cost of the company's transformation into a company poised to dominate the Internet of Things chip market in coming years.</p>
<p>Winner: NVIDIA.</p>
<p>Unlike the above section, it's far harder to determine which company holds stronger competitive advantages. Simply said, both companies are enviably positioned to dominate their markets for years to come.</p>
<p>Broadcom's area of focus is connectivity. The company operates four reporting segments -- wired infrastructure, wireless communication, enterprise storage, and industrial and other -- that help make our increasingly connected world tick. Its chips appear in smartphones, cellular base stations, Internet of Things devices like smart appliances, data centers, and more. The company's semiconductors touch multiple points of the connectivity value chain, as well, which is fantastic news given the unprecedented growth opportunity the IoT presents.</p>
<p>According to Ericsson, the number of IoT connected devices is set to grow from 4.2 billion to 14.2 billion by 2021, and Broadcom's offerings will be selling directly into this trend from a place of market leadership. As such, there's little doubt that investors should love Broadcom's competitive stance at present.</p>
<p>As enviable as Broadcom's competitive positioning is, though, graphics chip leader NVIDIA's competitive advantages are every bit as compelling. Akin to Intel's dominance of the CPU microprocessors that power PCs, NVIDIA is the undeniable leader in the high-end graphics chips that lie at the heart of growth markets like self-driving cars, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. In fact, NVIDIA's chips power the budding AI or cloud platforms for Amazon, Facebook, Alphabet, IBM, and Microsoft. Its chips also underpin the self-driving car efforts of Tesla, Audi, Baidu, and many more. It's for this reason that analysts see NVIDIA's earnings per share compounding at a 28% annual clip over the next five years, and there's a legitimate case to be made that Wall Street still underappreciates NVIDIA's growth story.</p>
<p>Winner: Tie.</p>
<p>When it comes to valuation, the case becomes somewhat more clear cut. As you can see below, NVIDIA is priced for meaningful growth, deservedly so as we learned from the section above. However, Broadcom's valuation multiple is more appealing, though a bit harder to gain a sense of as the result of some merger-related accounting.</p>
<p>Data Source: S&amp;P CapIQ.</p>
<p>In the past three quarters, Broadcom has booked $1.5 billion in non-cash merger-related charges, which has artificially depressed its generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) earnings. In backing those charges out, the company's normalized earnings per share for 2016 come to $10.84 per share, a very reasonable price for a company with Broadcom's positive growth outlook.</p>
<p>Winner: Broadcom.</p>
<p>Both NVIDIA and Broadcom sit at the middle of some of the most important growth markets in tech today. As such, each company should experience impressive sales and profit growth in the coming years. If we're splitting hairs here, you can make a plausible case that Broadcom's lower valuation makes it the better bet. However, the more important big-picture takeaway is that both NVIDIA and Broadcom are fantastic options for investors looking to participate in the next wave of semiconductor market growth.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Broadcom When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=eda6be41-de77-4191-9c12-bf11323b9838&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Broadcom wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=eda6be41-de77-4191-9c12-bf11323b9838&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of Nov. 7, 2016</p>
<p>Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFTheDude/info.aspx" type="external">Andrew Tonner Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Baidu. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), Amazon.com, Baidu, Facebook, Nvidia, and Tesla Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom. 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> | Better Buy: NVIDIA Corporation vs. Broadcom | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/03/14/better-buy-nvidia-corporation-vs-broadcom.html | 2016-12-17 | 0 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>Shannon Hudson walks up to the polling location at 6001 San Mateo Blvd. NE in the Fiesta Del Norte shopping center. Voters are casting ballots for four APS board seats and five CNM board seats today. Kim Burgess/Journal</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Shannon Hudson has no children in the public education system, but she still took the time to vote in the school board election this afternoon.</p>
<p>“It’s really important to stay involved in local government,” said Hudson, a former teacher, standing outside the Fiesta Del Norte shopping center’s polling location on San Mateo Boulevard. “This is where our voices really do get heard. This is where we get to make the most difference for our own community.”</p>
<p>While most school board elections tend to draw small turnouts, interest has been much higher this time around. Already, 8,838 people have participated in early voting, exceeding the total number of voters who cast ballots during the last school board election in 2015.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>That year, turnout was a measly 3.7 percent — 6,567 people voted out of an eligible 174,969. And only 1,435 of those voters participated in early voting, meaning about six times as many voted early in the 2017 election.</p>
<p>It remains to be seen whether that rush of early voters translates into high turnout today. Thirty-two polling locations – visit <a href="http://bernco.gov" type="external">bernco.gov</a> for a complete list of sites – will be open until 7 p.m. tonight.</p>
<p>At stake are four seats on the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education and five on the Central New Mexico Community College Governing Board.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The field is large — 19 people are running in the APS race and nine in CNM — with sharp divides on hot button topics like transgender student policies, Common Core curriculum and third-grade retention.</p>
<p>Cameron Stoker, father of a first grader and a third grader who attend Griegos Elementary School, hopes his vote will impact his children’s education.</p>
<p>“Because the turnout is low, it’s important to go (to the polls),” he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In APS, two incumbents are seeking re-election: board president Dave Peercy, in District 7, representing the far Northeast Heights, and board vice president Lorenzo Garcia, in District 3, representing the North Valley and Downtown.</p>
<p>Peercy will face three challengers, while Garcia is up against four.</p>
<p>A new board member will represent District 5, the West Mesa, as incumbent Steven Michael Quezada is now serving on the Bernalillo County Commission and did not seek a second term on the school board. The four candidates vying for District 5 have never served in elected office.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The final APS race, District 6, includes a former board member, Paula Maes, who lost to incumbent Don Duran in 2013. Duran is not running for re-election to represent the Northeast Heights and East Mountain areas, leaving his seat open for one of the six contenders.</p>
<p>The APS board is made up of seven members who serve four-year terms, setting district policy and hiring the superintendent.</p>
<p>Five seats are open on the CNM governing board. Michael DeWitte, the current chairman of the board, did not pursue re-election representing District 7, which includes the eastern fringes of Albuquerque and the Joseph M. Montoya campus, and two candidates are vying for the seat.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>District 1, the West Side campus area, District 4, the South Valley campus area, and District 5, central Albuquerque and the CNM main campus area, each have two candidates in the running.</p>
<p>The District 3 race is not contested. Board member Thomas Swisstack, 70, former mayor of Rio Rancho, is guaranteed re-election to represent District 3, the Rio Rancho campus area.</p>
<p>CNM’s seven governing board members hire the college president.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Albuquerque voters turn out for board elections | false | https://abqjournal.com/944757/albuquerque-voters-turn-out-for-board-elections.html | 2 |
|
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>TUCSON, Ariz. - The Arizona Game and Fish Department is looking for the person who tied a decapitated deer to a tree in the mountains near Tucson.</p>
<p>The department and two wildlife organizations are offering a total of $2,000 for information the leads the arrest of the person or people involved in the killing near Molino Basin in the Santa Catalina Mountains east of the city.</p>
<p>Authorities say someone left a headless whitetail buck tied to the base of a tree on Friday. The deer had been shot.</p>
<p>Game and Fish says the case is troubling and that the person responsible could face six months in jail plus fines.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Decapitated deer tied to tree found in mountains near Tucson | false | https://abqjournal.com/674008/decapitated-deer-tied-to-tree-found-in-mountains-near-tucson.html | 2 |
|
<p>Published time: 14 Nov, 2017 14:55Edited time: 14 Nov, 2017 15:02</p>
<p>Attorney General Jeff Sessions has directed federal prosecutors to “evaluate certain issues” involving Hillary Clinton’s alleged corruption in a deal which gave Russian company Rosatom control over 20 percent of America’s uranium supply.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/407988-collusion-russia-trump-hillary/" type="external" /></p>
<p>In a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd wrote that Sessions “has directed senior federal prosecutors to evaluate certain issues raised in your letters.”</p>
<p>The letters referenced – written by Goodlatte – were dated July 27 and September 26, and included requests by him and other committee members that a special counsel be appointed to investigate certain matters, some of which involved Clinton, according to Fox News.</p>
<p>Among the issues raised was the 2010 Uranium One deal, approved by Clinton when she served as secretary of state in President Barack Obama’s administration. That deal involved selling part of a Canadian-based mining company to Rosatom, resulting in the company acquiring control over 20 percent of America’s uranium supply.</p>
<p>Some Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have claimed – without providing evidence – that Russian interests sought to donate to the Clinton Foundation in a bid to persuade Clinton to support the deal.</p>
<p>Trump has claimed that Clinton was “paid a fortune” to facilitate the sale, and has slammed the “fake media” for ignoring “one of the big stories of the decade.”</p>
<p>Those claims have been denied by Clinton, who called them “baloney” and said there has been “no credible evidence [presented] by anyone.”</p>
<p />
<p>Uranium deal to Russia, with Clinton help and Obama Administration knowledge, is the biggest story that Fake Media doesn’t want to follow!</p>
<p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/920972261032648705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">October 19, 2017</a></p>
<p />
<p>Prosecutors will be assigned to the matters as requested, according to the letter, and will report to Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. In particular, they will “make recommendations as to whether any matters not currently under investigation should be opened,” or whether a special counsel will be needed, states the letter, which was&#160;delivered ahead of a&#160;committee oversight hearing at which Sessions will appear on Tuesday.</p>
<p>The document adds that some issues requested by Goodlatte and other committee members are already being investigated by the Inspector General’s Office. Once the IG’s review is complete, the Department will assess what, if any, additional steps are necessary to address any issues identified by that review. However, the Justice Department does not typically confirm or deny specific investigations, and Boyd stressed that the letter “should not be construed to do so.”</p> | US federal prosecutors to 'evaluate' Clinton's alleged corruption role in Russian uranium deal | false | https://newsline.com/us-federal-prosecutors-to-039evaluate039-clinton039s-alleged-corruption-role-in-russian-uranium-deal/ | 2017-11-14 | 1 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>LOS ANGELES — “Price is Right” history was made on Monday’s episode when a trio of contestants spun different combinations of $1 on the game show’s colorful wheel.</p>
<p>The three contestants each landed on spaces adding up to $1 in a pair of spins during one of the show’s showcase showdowns.</p>
<p>The game show famously awards contestants who earn $1 on the wheel without going over a $1,000 prize and a chance to spin again.</p>
<p>“The Price is Right” host Drew Carey pumped his fist in the air after the contestants achieved the first three-way $1 tie with different combinations in the show’s history . In past instances of such a tie, at least one of the contestants landed exactly on the wheel’s coveted $1 space.</p>
<p>The three contestants celebrated in Monday’s episode by jumping up and down while embracing in a group hug.</p>
<p>The long-running CBS game show is airing its 45th season.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | ‘Price is Right’ contestants make history with 3-way tie | false | https://abqjournal.com/869557/price-is-right-contestants-make-history-with-three-way-tie.html | 2016-10-18 | 2 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>• DEAR SANTA, it was a bummer about not getting to see Mr Koch referee the UNM/UTEP game. It’s okay though, The Lobos gave themselves and their fans a much better gift, a win. I hope the lump of coal kept the Miners warm on the bus trip home. Now Lobos, eat, sleep,and repeat. It ain’t over ’til it’s over! – MAL, Albuquerque • SUNDAY MORNING, I’m armed with my coffee and doughnuts and ready to watch the Packers vs. the Bills. Turn on the TV and what do we get? Cleveland vs. Cincinnati. Who made that brilliant decision???? – da Don, ABQ The stations/networks occasionally make last-minute switches. Contact them for more information. – Randy, Journal • THURSDAY NIGHT football: Tennessee vs. Jacksonville. Puh-lease. Zzzzzzz. – MHD Unfortunately, no switching out of this one. – Randy • WHILE IT IS good to know Manly from Cibola was recruited and has committed to UNM, it’s sad to know that Easton Bruere or Cantwell, or any other local kids have not been. … The best players in the metro should be heavily recruited by UNM every year. … Who knows, Bruere could be the next Urlacher … and it’s pretty likely more local talent on the team would mean more ticket sales! – Lobo Alum ’98 • IS IT ME or does anyone else find it odd to see the obituaries in Sunday’s Journal at the bottom of page 2 in the Sports section? And they were a continuation of the obits from section B! Who does the layout at the Journal? With all of the sports in Sunday’s paper surely you could’ve found a better place for obituaries. – Dave W, Taylor Ranch • YES, LANE KIFFIN did an admirable job as offensive coordinator at Alabama this season. Huzzah! He’s also the guy Al Davis said brought disgrace to the Raiders. Disgrace? The Raiders? How is that even possible? – Larry the VOL</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Sports Speak Up! | false | https://abqjournal.com/513548/sports-speak-up-257.html | 2 |
|
<p>Shares of manufacturing and transportation companies were flat after strong earnings data from one bellwether.</p>
<p>Caterpillar shares rallied -- nearing an all-time high -- after the maker of construction and mining machinery boosted its revenue and outlook for the year as sales for its bulldozers, excavators and other equipment grew world-wide.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>"Earnings season is heating up and there is a good chance we could be looking at two consecutive quarters of double-digit earnings growth when all is said and done," said Ryan Detrick, senior investment strategist at brokerage LPL Financial.</p>
<p>LG Display said it would invest an additional $7 billion in one of its South Korean plants to churn out more smaller-size organic light-emitting diode display panels used in some smartphones in a bid to challenge Samsung's display unit.</p>
<p>Rob Curran, [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>July 25, 2017 17:32 ET (21:32 GMT)</p> | Industrials Flat Despite Strong Caterpillar Earnings -- Industrials Roundup | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/07/25/industrials-flat-despite-strong-caterpillar-earnings-industrials-roundup.html | 2017-07-25 | 0 |
<p>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) _ These Florida lotteries were drawn Thursday:</p>
<p>Cash4Life</p>
<p>26-36-42-58-60, Cash Ball: 1</p>
<p>(twenty-six, thirty-six, forty-two, fifty-eight, sixty; Cash Ball: one)</p>
<p>Fantasy 5</p>
<p>09-12-17-20-34</p>
<p>(nine, twelve, seventeen, twenty, thirty-four)</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $55 million</p>
<p>Pick 2 Evening</p>
<p>4-1</p>
<p>(four, one)</p>
<p>Pick 2 Midday</p>
<p>0-0</p>
<p>(zero, zero)</p>
<p>Pick 3 Evening</p>
<p>2-1-1</p>
<p>(two, one, one)</p>
<p>Pick 3 Midday</p>
<p>9-8-5</p>
<p>(nine, eight, five)</p>
<p>Pick 4 Evening</p>
<p>7-6-3-7</p>
<p>(seven, six, three, seven)</p>
<p>Pick 4 Midday</p>
<p>0-3-3-3</p>
<p>(zero, three, three, three)</p>
<p>Pick 5 Evening</p>
<p>7-8-8-5-3</p>
<p>(seven, eight, eight, five, three)</p>
<p>Pick 5 Midday</p>
<p>1-1-2-4-5</p>
<p>(one, one, two, four, five)</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $78 million</p>
<p>TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) _ These Florida lotteries were drawn Thursday:</p>
<p>Cash4Life</p>
<p>26-36-42-58-60, Cash Ball: 1</p>
<p>(twenty-six, thirty-six, forty-two, fifty-eight, sixty; Cash Ball: one)</p>
<p>Fantasy 5</p>
<p>09-12-17-20-34</p>
<p>(nine, twelve, seventeen, twenty, thirty-four)</p>
<p>Mega Millions</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $55 million</p>
<p>Pick 2 Evening</p>
<p>4-1</p>
<p>(four, one)</p>
<p>Pick 2 Midday</p>
<p>0-0</p>
<p>(zero, zero)</p>
<p>Pick 3 Evening</p>
<p>2-1-1</p>
<p>(two, one, one)</p>
<p>Pick 3 Midday</p>
<p>9-8-5</p>
<p>(nine, eight, five)</p>
<p>Pick 4 Evening</p>
<p>7-6-3-7</p>
<p>(seven, six, three, seven)</p>
<p>Pick 4 Midday</p>
<p>0-3-3-3</p>
<p>(zero, three, three, three)</p>
<p>Pick 5 Evening</p>
<p>7-8-8-5-3</p>
<p>(seven, eight, eight, five, three)</p>
<p>Pick 5 Midday</p>
<p>1-1-2-4-5</p>
<p>(one, one, two, four, five)</p>
<p>Powerball</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $78 million</p> | FL Lottery | false | https://apnews.com/c7e9fd7381ba4fc5a25bb0ee3bdc5e5f | 2018-01-19 | 2 |
<p>LONDON (Reuters) – British households are their least confident since immediately after last year’s Brexit vote, partly because of this month’s interest rate hike and further signs of a slowdown in the housing market, a survey showed on Friday.</p>
<p>A consumer confidence index produced by polling firm YouGov and the Centre for Economics and Business Research, a consultancy, sank to 106.6 in November, down sharply from 109.3 in October.</p>
<p>It was the first fall since June although it remained above the 100 level above which consumers are considered to be feeling confident.</p>
<p>All eight of the index’s underlying measures weakened and a score for household finances over the past 30 days sank to its lowest level since January 2014.</p>
<p>Christian Jaccarini, an economist at Cebr, linked the fall to factors including the first interest rate hike by the Bank of England in over a decade and a slowdown in the housing market.</p>
<p>“With these economic headwinds set to persist, and the OBR forecasting weaker growth, households are understandably worried,” Jaccarini said, referring to a sharp cut to Britain’s economic growth outlook by the Office for Budget Responsibility, the government’s fiscal watchdog, on Wednesday.</p>
<p>British finance minister Philip Hammond announced measures to help the housing market in his budget statement also on Wednesday.</p>
<p>The survey was conducted between Nov. 1 and Nov. 21 and was based on responses from 5,673 people.</p>
<p />
<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | UK consumer confidence slumps to post-Brexit vote low: YouGov/Cebr | false | https://newsline.com/uk-consumer-confidence-slumps-to-post-brexit-vote-low-yougovcebr/ | 2017-11-23 | 1 |
<p>Texas Gov. Rick Perry brought in more than $17 million in campaign contributions during the first seven weeks of his candidacy for president, his campaign announced Wednesday, probably putting him far ahead of his Republican rivals for the same period.</p>
<p>Campaign aides for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney did not release a total for campaign contributions from July to September, but said incoming funds had slowed. And Texas Rep. Ron Paul said Wednesday that he had collected more than $8 million, less than half what Perry has pulled in.</p>
<p>Campaign workers seem to think the news of such grand fundraising success can overshadow some of Perry’s missteps in recent weeks, including poor showings at debates and his less-than-conservative stance on immigration. And although that’s probably (sadly) true, more than anything it’s proof that too many politicians get into office based on financial backing rather than merit. –BF</p>
<p>USA Today:</p>
<p />
<p>“This is a very good start to Rick Perry’s fundraising,” said Anthony Corrado, a campaign-finance expert at Colby College in Maine. “He’s going to be competitive.”</p>
<p>Perry ended the July-to-September fundraising quarter with $15 million in available cash, almost all of it available for the GOP nomination fight. Nearly half of Perry’s donors came from Texas, where he is in his third term as governor and has long enjoyed the support of the state’s deep-pocketed donors.</p>
<p>Rob Johnson, Perry’s campaign manager, said the total demonstrates “overwhelming support for Gov. Perry’s principled, conservative leadership.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2011-10-05/perry-fundraising-romney/50671556/1" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Perry Remains 'Competitive' With $17M in Campaign Funds | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/perry-remains-competitive-with-17m-in-campaign-funds/ | 2011-10-06 | 4 |
<p>Matt Lauer, the former co-host of NBC’s “Today,” says that he is “truly sorry” for his past behavior after several women accused him of sexual misconduct.</p>
<p>“There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by my words and actions,” he said in a statement Thursday, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/sexual-misconduct/matt-lauer-former-today-anchor-says-i-am-truly-sorry-n825171" type="external">NBC News</a>.</p>
<p>“To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry,” Lauer continued. “As I am writing this I realize the depth of damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC.”</p>
<p>“Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed.”</p>
<p>Lauer, who was fired by NBC News Wednesday after appearing on “Today” since 1997, added that “the last two days have forced me to take a very hard look at my own troubling flaws.”</p>
<p>“Repairing the damage will take a lot of time and soul searching and I’m committed to beginning that effort,” he said. “It is now my full time job.”</p>
<p>“Today” co-host Savannah Guthrie on Wednesday announced that NBC News had fired Lauer for “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.”</p>
<p>“While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over twenty years he’s been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident,” she said, quoting a memo from NBC News Chairman Andrew Lack.</p>
<p>NBC News on Thursday reported that Lauer’s sacking came after a female colleague at the network accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior in 2014.</p>
<p>The New York Times on Wednesday reported that two other women had made complaints about Lauer after his ouster.</p>
<p>An unidentified former NBC News employee told The Times that Lauer sexually assaulted her in his office in 2001.</p>
<p>Variety on Wednesday reported a separate expose about Lauer’s alleged past sexual misconduct, noting incidents with at least three women over several years.</p>
<p>Lauer is the latest powerful man whose career has been derailed by sexual misconduct allegations this year amid a global reckoning over the issue.</p>
<p>RELATED: <a href="" type="internal">'I was reduced to my sexuality': We talked with Carly Fiorina about sexism and harassment</a></p>
<p /> | Matt Lauer apologized and said there's 'enough truth' in the allegations he's facing | false | https://circa.com/story/2017/11/30/nation/matt-lauer-former-today-on-nbc-co-host-truly-sorry-amid-sexual-misconduct-allegations-against-him | 2017-11-30 | 1 |
<p />
<p>A bus from HazteOir, a Spanish right-ring Catholic group, was banned from Madrid last month. A similar bus that is part of a campaign from CitizenGO is scheduled to stop in D.C. next week. (Photo courtesy of María Fontecha Muñoz)</p>
<p />
<p>CitizenGO, which describes itself as a “community of active citizens who work together” by using online petitions and “action alerts as a resource to defend and promote life, family and liberty,” said its #FreeSpeechBus will be in the nation’s capital on April 3.</p>
<p>The bus is scheduled to make stops in Boston tomorrow and Thursday and New Haven, Conn., on March 31. It is also expected to stop in Philadelphia on April 1 and Baltimore on April 2.</p>
<p>The bus, which is orange, contains stylized images of boys and girls with symbols of male and female chromosomes. It also has large slogans that read, “Boys are boys… and always will be” and “Girls and girls… and always will be.”</p>
<p>“You can’t change sex,” they read. “Respect all.”</p>
<p>The bus also contains the link to a website that urges people to sign a petition “to defend freedom of speech.”</p>
<p>CitizenGO has not announced where the bus will stop in D.C. and whether there will be any public events that will highlight the campaign.</p>
<p>Brian Brown, president of the D.C.-based National Organization for Marriage, is a member of CitizenGO’s board of trustees. A NOM spokesperson told the Washington Blade on Tuesday that plans for a public event have not been finalized.</p>
<p>The bus was in New York last week.</p>
<p>CitizenGO supporters posted pictures onto social media that indicate the bus drove past the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. It was also in front of Trump Tower and in Times Square.</p>
<p>CitizenGO wrote on its website that it was “attacked and vandalized right in front of the” U.N. on March 23.</p>
<p>Pictures that CitizenGO posted to its <a href="http://citizengo.org/en/ed/42723-freespeechbus" type="external">website</a> show the bus’ windshield was broken and “trans rights” was written onto the side of it. CitizenGO also claims the bus driver received “minor injuries” during the incident.</p>
<p>“This is a hate crime and sadly the way that those who pretend to preach ‘tolerance’ feel about opposing viewpoints,” wrote CitizenGO on its website, which also urges supporters to help it pay for the costs that are associated with repairing the bus.</p>
<p>“There will be some major costs to get the bus back on the road in a timely manner,” it wrote. “We are liable for the bus and safety of the bus driver.”</p>
<p>CitizenGO spokesperson Gregory Mertz told the Blade on Monday that damage to the bus “was much greater than expected.”</p>
<p />
<p>The vandalism coincided with the annual U.N. Commission on the Status of Women meeting. Advocates have <a href="" type="internal">sharply criticized President Trump</a> for appointing Lisa Correnti, executive vice president of the Center for Family and Human Rights, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated an anti-LGBT hate group, to the U.S. delegation.</p>
<p>The CitizenGO bus is expected to arrive in D.C. less than two months after Trump rescinded the Obama administration’s guidance on how public schools should accommodate trans students.</p>
<p>The U.S. Supreme Court on March 28 had been scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case of Gavin Grimm, a trans student who alleges his Virginia school district’s policy that prohibits him from using the boys bathroom or locker room violates Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The case was sent back to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., on March 6.</p>
<p>HazTeOir, which is CitizenGO’s far-right Catholic affiliate in Spain that translates into “Make yourself heard,” has launched a similar campaign.</p>
<p>An orange bus contained stylized pictures of boys and girls with slogans that asked, “Do boys have a penis?” and, “Do girls have a vagina?” Another bus also contained anatomical images that said, “This is a penis” and, “This is a vagina” and a man asking, “What is this?”</p>
<p>“Gender identity is not chosen,” reads a slogan on the bus. “Don’t let others choose it for you.”</p>
<p>Madrid authorities said the bus violated a local advertising ordinance and impounded it. Reuters <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-protest-transgender-idUSKBN1691TA" type="external">reported</a> a judge banned the bus from driving through the Spanish capital on March 2 because it could provoke hate crimes.</p>
<p>The HazTeOir bus was expected to travel to the cities of Barcelona, Valencia, Granada, Zaragoza, Pamplona, San Sebastián, Bilbao and Vitoria.</p>
<p>LGBT rights advocates in Pamplona surrounded the bus as it drove through the city on March 21. Activists in Madrid and other cities across Spain also protested the campaign.</p>
<p>Local authorities criticized the HazTeOir campaign and sought to prevent the bus from driving through their respective jurisdictions.</p>
<p />
<p>Chelsea Clinton also criticized the campaign.</p>
<p>“Boys have been censored,” reads <a href="https://go.citizengo.org/firmamanifiestolibertaddeexpresion.html" type="external">a banner on HazTeOir’s website.</a> “Girls have been censored.”</p>
<p>Gay Guatemala, an LGBT website in Guatemala, on March 16 posted a picture of an orange CitizenGO billboard in the city of San Cristobal, which is a suburb of Guatemala City, that read, “Boys have a penis. Girls have a vagina. Don’t be tricked.”</p>
<p>“If you are born a man, you are a man,” it reads. “If you are a woman, you will continue to be.”</p>
<p />
<p>A Guatemala City-based activist with whom the Blade spoke on Monday said trans activists have filed a formal complaint against the billboard. The activist said there is currently an “open case.”</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">#FreeSpeechBus</a> <a href="" type="internal">Brian Brown</a> <a href="" type="internal">CitizenGO</a> <a href="" type="internal">Gavin Grimm</a> <a href="" type="internal">Guatemala</a> <a href="" type="internal">HazTeOir</a> <a href="" type="internal">National Organization for Marriage</a> <a href="" type="internal">Spain</a> <a href="" type="internal">transgender</a></p> | Anti-trans bus to stop in D.C. next week | false | http://washingtonblade.com/2017/03/28/anti-trans-bus-stop-d-c-next-week/ | 3 |
|
<p>Of all the workshops offered at last month’s CBF General Assembly, at least one of them counted on its participants checking their comfort zones at the door.</p>
<p>The leaders of “The Elephant in the Room: Engaging in Dialogue around Race Relations” say they knew attendees of the Friday afternoon session in Greensboro, N.C., would be confronted with attitudes —&#160;their own and others’ —&#160;that might get them squirming in their seats.</p>
<p>Patricia Griffen</p>
<p>In fact, discomfort is built into any effort at racial discourse, said Patricia Griffen, moderator of CBF Arkansas and co-facilitator of the June 24 workshop.</p>
<p>“It’s not easy,” she said. “There is even disagreement between African-Americans —&#160;there is diversity within diversity.”</p>
<p>But it’s not discomfort for discomfort’s sake. Griffen and co-facilitator Megan Pike, the associate coordinator of CBF Arkansas, know from experience that awkward feelings often precede learning and growth. Their workshop reflected that by offering <a href="http://www.cbfar.org/cbfga2016" type="external">a number of tools and interactive exercises</a> participants can use back in their own churches and communities.</p>
<p>One of their most important lessons was how to establish a safe environment in which participants can discuss difficult issues around race, Griffen said.</p>
<p>Attendees had to know they were welcome and that it was OK to share their views without fear of criticism, Griffen said. That safe zone also lets them know it’s OK&#160;to be around people who disagree with each other.</p>
<p>It’s precisely the kind of environment facilitators will need to establish in their congregations in order to discuss matters of race, she said.</p>
<p>It’s necessary “because there still is that polarization around race in America.”</p>
<p>‘There has to be respect’</p>
<p>For starters, participants in the June event were shown a grid and asked to say how many squares, or boxes, they saw in it. The answers were almost as numerous as the number of people in the room, Pike said.</p>
<p>Megan Pike</p>
<p>It was presented as a lesson about the role of perception in determining how individuals see things — including race.</p>
<p>“We are all going to see things differently because we have different perspectives,” Pike said. “We are all looking at the same thing but our reactions may differ.”</p>
<p>Using this and similar lessons up front helps establish the environment necessary for a healthy and honest discussion. That means not taking it personally when others offer different answers.</p>
<p>“There has to be respect in the room when we disagree,” she said.</p>
<p>They quickly had a chance to do just that by being asked how they defined race. Answers often vary according to the race, gender and life experience of the respondent.</p>
<p>Pike and Griffen also shared resources churches can use to tackle race issues in their contexts. Those included action steps like <a href="http://www.whatsrace.org/pages/actions.htm" type="external">learning and self-reflection</a> opportunities and ways to get involved in race-relations efforts on the local level.</p>
<p>“We wanted to send people home with practical things they could do with their churches or organizations or with volunteers,” Pike said.</p>
<p>‘They become uncomfortable’</p>
<p>And it did get dicey at times during the workshop.</p>
<p>“There were issues raised creating discomfort, but we were able to meander through that,” Griffen&#160;said.</p>
<p>One of those moments came when participants were asked if they would approach and converse with an African-American at a mixed-race event, such as a business gathering.</p>
<p>“Some said they would be reluctant to do so and when questioned why, they became uncomfortable,” Griffen said.</p>
<p>But it is important to be honest in those moments because that’s how racial barriers are crossed.</p>
<p>Participants also are surprised and unsettled to learn that African-Americans suffer in education, wealth distribution, health disparity, incarceration rates and through violence as a result of racism in America, according to Griffen.</p>
<p>“This is a difficult topic to address, this is an uncomfortable topic to address and this is an emotional topic to address.”</p> | Talking race is — and should be — uncomfortable, Baptist leaders say | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/talking-race-is-and-should-be-uncomfortable-baptist-leaders-say/ | 3 |
|
<p>Aid teams evacuated hundreds of exhausted civilians from besieged districts of the city of Homs on Sunday, as Syria's regime and rebels again accused each other of violating a truce.</p>
<p>The evacuation of some of 3,000 trapped people who had little more than olives and herbs to eat for more than 600 days came ahead of a new round of peace talks.</p>
<p>The Damascus delegation and members of the opposition began arriving in Switzerland for a new round of the so-called Geneva II peace talks scheduled to begin on Monday.</p>
<p>Sunday's evacuation from Homs was the second in three days after a UN-brokered truce for besieged districts of Syria's third city began on Friday.</p>
<p>Five men were killed when one besieged district was hit by mortar fire as Sunday's evacuation operation got under way, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.</p>
<p>They were the latest deaths in a nearly three-year conflict that has killed 136,000 people and displaced millions.</p>
<p>"Four hundred and twenty besieged people came out today from the Old City districts of Homs, and the operation is still under way," Homs governor Talal al-Barazi said.</p>
<p>Television footage showed women, children and elderly men getting off the buses that brought them out of the besieged areas.</p>
<p>They appeared visibly exhausted and frail, in video broadcast by Beirut-based channel Al-Mayadeen. Children, carried by their parents, looked pale.</p>
<p>The civilians were aided by UN staff wearing helmets and blue vests, and by Syrian Red Crescent volunteers. There was also a strong Syrian army presence at the evacuation site.</p>
<p>"We had nothing. All the children were sick, we even had nothing to drink," said one exhausted woman, her three children standing round her.</p>
<p>State television said the operation took place under fire from "armed terrorist groups", using regime terminology for the rebels.</p>
<p>But the Britain-based Observatory echoed claims by activists in the besieged areas that at least five people were killed in shelling that targeted the besieged district of Qarabis.</p>
<p>Activists accused pro-regime militiamen positioned in neighborhoods bordering the besieged districts, who opposed the truce, of firing the mortar rounds.</p>
<p>Shelling also targeted an aid convoy entering the besieged districts on Saturday in an attack that killed five residents and wounded 20, the Observatory said.</p>
<p>Sunday's evacuation was the second after 83 people were brought out on Friday's first day of the truce.</p>
<p>In other areas of strife-torn Syria, another 300 people were killed on Saturday, according to the Observatory.</p>
<p>Regime, opposition in Geneva</p>
<p>Homs, much of which has been reduced to rubble, was dubbed "the capital of the revolution" by activists before a bloody 2012 offensive by regime forces recaptured much of the city.</p>
<p>The 600-day siege was a key point of discussion during a first round of peace talks in Switzerland last month, but which yielded few concrete results.</p>
<p>On Sunday, the regime delegation and members of the opposition National Coalition arrived for the second round of Geneva II, sources close to the delegations told AFP.</p>
<p>The government delegation is headed by Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, as was the case for the first round of talks 10 days ago.</p>
<p>Of the opposition delegates, one source said: "Some of them have arrived, each one arriving separately. Each member is travelling in from a different country."</p>
<p>It was not yet clear if Coalition chief Ahmad Jarba was among them.</p>
<p>Muallem is set to meet UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi at 7:00 pm in Geneva, a source close to his delegation told AFP.</p>
<p>But the two warring sides appear far from being able to reach any compromise.</p>
<p>While the regime insists that the talks focus on fighting "terrorism," the opposition is demanding that the priority in Geneva be agreement on a transition that excludes President Bashar al-Assad.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the extreme violence in Syria raged on.</p>
<p>Saturday's death toll of around 300 included some 20 men executed by loyalists in the central province of Hama, the Observatory said.</p>
<p>In the besieged Palestinian camp of Yarmuk, south of Damascus, a man and a woman died of malnutrition, it said.</p>
<p>Since the army began blockading Yarmuk in June last year, some 80 people have died as a result of food and medical shortages, the Observatory says.</p>
<p>Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.</p> | Hundreds of civilians evacuated from Syria's Homs | false | https://pri.org/stories/2014-02-09/hundreds-civilians-evacuated-syrias-homs | 2014-02-09 | 3 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Journal Staff Writer</p>
<p>Ron McMath’s first career win as a head football coach couldn’t have come at a better time.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Of the seven new prep coaches in the metro area this season, McMath was the second-to-last to get his first win. But his first was more important than any of the others’ first, as his West Mesa Mustangs thrashed Rio Grande 42-0 in a District 5-5A opener Thursday night at Milne Stadium.</p>
<p>“It’s been a long road,” an emotional McMath said, “but these kids just kept working hard.”</p>
<p>West Mesa (1-5, 1-0) got 144 yards rushing and three touchdowns from senior tailback Gary Thibeaux, who barely stepped on the field in the second half.</p>
<p>Indeed, most of the Mustangs’ starters watched a majority of the second half from the sidelines.</p>
<p>It was one-sided from the start. West Mesa had 371 yards of total offense, while limiting the struggling Ravens (1-5, 0-1) to just 60 total yards.</p>
<p>West Mesa scored on two of its three first-quarter drives. Thibeaux capped the first drive, which covered 65 yards, with a 3-yard scoring run. Quarterback Dominic Davis had a key fourth-down completion moments earlier to keep the drive going.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Thibeaux added a 2-yard run in the final 20 seconds for a 14-0 lead.</p>
<p>The night’s signature play was also authored by Thibeaux.</p>
<p>After Romolo Salazar picked off a Rio Grande pass, West Mesa had the ball at its own 2 late in the first half. On a third down from the 7, Thibeaux took a pitch left, located the hole and sprinted 93 yards for a touchdown with 2:02 left in the second quarter.</p>
<p>Davis hit Salazar with an 8-yard scoring pass on the final play of the first half for a 28-0 halftime lead. And that was pretty much it for the West Mesa starters.</p>
<p>Marcus Bush and Mike Archuleta added TD runs for the Mustangs in the second half.</p>
<p>The Mustangs next play Highland on Oct. 20.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>HIGHLAND 62, ALBUQUERQUE HIGH 6: At Wilson Stadium, the Hornets (2-4, 1-0) won their District 5-5A opener, routing the winless Bulldogs (0-6, 0-1) in a game that never made it past halftime.</p>
<p>Highland had six different players score in the game.</p>
<p>Quarterback Bryan Medina threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns, and Mustafa Mudada ran for two TDs while gaining 125 all-purpose yards.</p>
<p>“If they can do that for me in the district, I’m gonna be happy,” Highland coach Derek Maestas said of Mudada and Medina.</p>
<p>The Hornets had all of their starters out of the game by the middle of the second quarter, Maestas said.</p> | Mustangs Shut Out Ravens | false | https://abqjournal.com/237939/mustangs-shut-out-ravens.html | 2 |
|
<p>Cuisinart is voluntarily recalling about 8 million food processors after dozens of consumers reported finding pieces of broken blades in their food.</p>
<p>The Consumer Product Safety Commission says there have been 30 reports of mouth lacerations or tooth injuries from the broken blades. Cuisinart's Stamford, Connecticut-based parent company, Conair, announced the recall with the CPSC Tuesday.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The recalled processors were sold in the United States and Canada from July 1996 to Dec. 2015. Only processors with four rivets in the blades are included in the recall.</p>
<p>Affected consumers can receive a new blade for free from Cuisinart.</p> | Cuisinart recalls 8M food processors; broken blades reported | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/14/cuisinart-recalls-8m-food-processors-broken-blades-reported.html | 2016-12-14 | 0 |
<p>This could be the story of an American dream. An immigrant family builds a successful business and buys a four-bedroom house in a quiet neighborhood with good schools for their young son. But not all is as it seems on the steep, curving streets of San Diego's Rancho Penasquitos.</p>
<p>A 45-year-old Chinese woman, Xu Ting, lives in a brown shingle house with a weedy driveway. She has been sued for counterfeiting by eight luxury brands, including Gucci and Louis Vuitton, and owes Chanel Inc. $6.9 million in damages. None of this has stopped her from becoming a legal permanent resident of the United States and achieving a comfortable suburban life.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>China is not the only country with a counterfeiting problem. Most fakes are made in China, but they are sold in America. Counterfeiting is not a priority on par with drug smuggling or money laundering, and is rarely prosecuted as a crime. The lack of legal cooperation with China makes it easy for counterfeiters to move their money beyond the reach of Western law enforcement — and hard to root out counterfeiting kingpins. As long as counterfeiters can stay out of jail and hold on to their profits — and consumers continue to buy — the trade in fakes will likely thrive.</p>
<p>Despite spending millions on brand protection, companies often end up playing whack-a-mole, shutting down producers and distributors of fakes, only to see them pop up again. Xu Ting simply refused to show up in court over the years. Instead, doing graduate studies in statistics at San Diego State University, helped her family amass at least $890,000 in bank accounts back in China, and bought the $585,000 Rancho Penasquitos house with her husband, who has also been involved in selling counterfeit luxury goods, public records and court cases in China and the U.S. show.</p>
<p>"There's a million ways to game the system," said Dan Plane, an intellectual property lawyer at Simone IP Services in Hong Kong, who is not involved in litigation against Xu Ting. "Probably the only thing that's going to stop her is when she passes away — probably on an island resort somewhere — or if she gets arrested."</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>FINDING XU TING</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>In the web of lies that counterfeiters weave — fake names, fake addresses, fake Internet domain registrations — one thing is always true: their bank account information.</p>
<p>The need to get paid is the counterfeiter's fatal flaw, and Xu Ting's bank accounts were the first crack in her armor of misdirection.</p>
<p>Her legal troubles began in 2008, when a federal judge in California ordered Xu Ting — who declined multiple requests for comment for this story — to pay Chanel Inc. $6.9 million in damages for selling counterfeits online. She still hasn't paid the damages, according to Chanel spokeswoman Kathrin Schurrer.</p>
<p>"The essential point for Chanel is really shutting down the counterfeiting operations, which we did successfully," Schurrer wrote in an email.</p>
<p>But after the lawsuit, Xu Ting's business continued to grow.</p>
<p>In 2009, a Florida judge ruled against Xu Ting and shut down seven websites she was accused of helping run that sold fake Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Celine. She did not show up in court.</p>
<p>That case didn't stop her either.</p>
<p>The next year, Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta and Yves Saint Laurent — all brands belonging to France's Kering group — filed a lawsuit in New York federal court against Xu Ting, her future husband, her younger brother, her mother and six others who the companies said sold more than $2 million worth of fake handbags and wallets online to U.S. customers. Gucci alleges that the group shipped merchandise from China to a house in San Diego, where it was repackaged and passed off as genuine.</p>
<p>Four days after the suit was filed, Xu Ting married a Chinese man, Xu Lijun, a civil engineer licensed in California who is six years her junior, according to her marriage license issued in the San Diego suburb of El Cajon.</p>
<p>Gucci subpoenaed banking records. JP Morgan Chase handed over account records with a wealth of information about the couple: addresses, dates of birth, driver's license, Social Security and passport numbers and a student identification card.</p>
<p>In November 2010, Xu Lijun reached a settlement with Gucci — the only defendant to do so. He denied wrongdoing but agreed to let Gucci keep $400,000 in counterfeiting proceeds seized from accounts outside China. He also agreed to pay a $7,500 fine, according to a copy of the judge's order.</p>
<p>Eric Siegle, a New York City lawyer who represented Xu Lijun, said he was "a small-time nobody," and that Gucci's lawsuit, like many others, failed to tackle the real powers behind the operation.</p>
<p>"The people they are arresting or suing here in the United States are low-level people," Siegle said. "If you can find where the money is going, you can get to the heart of the problem. It's like the drug wars. Why are we arresting all these kids on street corners?"</p>
<p>But Gucci, which is seeking $12 million in damages, couldn't find where the money was going because Chinese banks, including the state-run Bank of China, refused to disclose transaction details about the counterfeiters' accounts in China.</p>
<p>"BOC cannot comply with such orders without violating Chinese law," the Bank of China said in an email.</p>
<p>Kering declined to comment on pending litigation, but spokeswoman Charlotte Judet said in an email that Gucci would "vigorously enforce any judgment eventually entered against individuals who seek to tarnish its worldwide reputation for excellence no matter where they are located."</p>
<p>Meanwhile, in 2013, Xu Lijun bought the house in Rancho Penasquitos, according to property records. Two weeks after the sale, Xu Ting transferred her stake in the property to her husband. Immigration authorities have the Rancho Penasquitos address on record as her residence, said a person with access to immigration records who spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is not public.</p>
<p>A slight man in wire-rimmed glasses who answered the door at the Rancho Penasquitos house identified himself as Xu Lijun. Behind him, in a two-story foyer, there were voices of a woman and young child. Xu Lijun asked an Associated Press reporter why he had come, then said, "I don't want to talk to you."</p>
<p>At a sprawling company compound in Beijing, no one answered the door at Xu Ting's family apartment.</p>
<p>"After your colleague's visit, we communicated and she still did not want to do the interview," the family's lawyer in Beijing, Chen Peng, said. He declined to comment in detail on the U.S. court cases against Xu Ting and her family, but said they were not the prime culprits.</p>
<p>"My client also thinks making counterfeits is illegal, but they did not make them," Chen said. "She is exercising her rights when choosing not to appear in court, which shouldn't merit any moral or legal judgment."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>GREEN CARD? NO PROBLEM</p>
<p>Xu Ting's legal troubles did not prevent her from getting a green card. In February 2014, she became a legal permanent resident by virtue of being married to someone with an advanced degree or "extraordinary ability," according to the person familiar with the matter.</p>
<p>U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesman Christopher Bentley declined to comment, citing privacy concerns.</p>
<p>Dan Kowalski, an immigration attorney and editor of Bender's Immigration Bulletin, said immigration officials may not have known about Xu Ting's legal problems but, more likely, didn't consider them disqualifying. Grounds for denying a green card range from committing a serious crime to having communicable disease but there's nothing about civil liabilities. "A vaguer requirement for "good moral character" is more commonly applied for citizenship, not legal residence.</p>
<p>In the U.S., most counterfeiting prosecutions are civil cases brought by companies seeking to shut down websites selling fakes and get financial compensation. Criminal cases, which lawyers say are a far more effective deterrent, are rare.</p>
<p>"A person is more likely to be struck by lightning than imprisoned for counterfeiting," said Geoffrey Potter, an intellectual property lawyer at New York's Patterson Belknap Webb &amp; Tyler.</p>
<p>In an email, Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr said, "Large-scale commercial counterfeiting is one of the top enforcement priorities of the department's Intellectual Property Task Force, which continues to have a number of significant prosecutions."</p>
<p>The Department of Homeland Security seized $1.2 billion worth of fakes at U.S. borders last year, but the Justice Department filed just 91 criminal cases for selling counterfeit goods and services in fiscal year 2014. By comparison, the Justice Department filed 22,530 cases for immigration violations, 12,184 cases for drug-related offenses and 12,509 violent crime cases during the same period.</p>
<p>The National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, a multiagency group led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, reports slightly more counterfeit-related crime — 683 arrests, 454 indictments, 461 convictions in the 2014 fiscal year — because its tally includes local prosecutions and counterfeit-related activity, like wire fraud.</p>
<p>Decisions about whether to prosecute criminally typically start with a U.S. attorney's office, whose priorities vary by district, said Bruce Foucart, director of the multiagency group. Some may give weight to the volume of faked goods, others to the suspect's history. If the U.S. attorney's office declines a case, investigators try to persuade local prosecutors.</p>
<p>China is the largest source country for seized counterfeit goods, and apparel and accessories are the largest category of merchandise. Foucart, who didn't know about Xu Ting, said luxury goods are typically made in Guangzhou and sent by container or courier like FedEx to the U.S. They may be sold in stores or flea markets but are usually hawked online.</p>
<p>"Unfortunately, once you shut one (website) down, they have 10 more ready to open up in a different name," said Foucart.</p>
<p>Brand owners also bear responsibility. Government agencies often rely on them for tips and investigative legwork.</p>
<p>U.S. law gives companies broad powers to enforce court judgments. Unpaid judgments accrue interest and last for 20 years, said Potter, the intellectual property lawyer. Even a bankruptcy won't erase the debt. "The counterfeiter can't own a business, buy a house, have a bank account or borrow money from a bank," Potter said. "If the counterfeiter takes a regular job, the judgment holder can garnish her wages."</p>
<p>But doing the kind of work required to root out debtors like Xu Ting — public records searches to see whether they own real estate, subpoenaing credit card bills to track spending habits, hiring investigators to determine whether they have jobs — takes relentless commitment, and money.</p>
<p>Schurrer, the Chanel spokeswoman, declined to comment in detail on Xu Ting but said California law prohibits seizure of a primary residence in civil litigation.</p>
<p>"The biggest game changer for me would be if foreign companies took a more aggressive attitude toward enforcing their rights," said Mark Cohen, former intellectual property attache at the U.S. embassy in Beijing. "We need to close the loops. I think there are a lot of companies that care a great deal about counterfeiting but, at the end of the day, there may be an economic calculation about how much money it's worth to pursue these people."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Spagat reported from San Diego. Associated Press writer Raphael Satter in London contributed to this report and news researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed from New York. Associated Press news assistants Fu Ting and Liu Zheng contributed from Shanghai and Beijing.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Kinetz can be reached at http://twitter.com/ekinetz</p> | The secret life of a suburban counterfeiter: Woman evades US lawsuits and gets green card | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/07/11/secret-life-suburban-counterfeiter-woman-evades-us-lawsuits-and-gets-green-card.html | 2016-03-06 | 0 |
<p>The annual Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh. ( <a href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/pajh109/6cc244cffdcb49879f4dbc8150921674/9/0" type="external">John Heller / AP</a>)</p>
<p>You would have thought that Labor Day 2016 would bring us a serious conversation about lifting the incomes of American workers and expanding their opportunities for advancement.</p>
<p>After all, we have spent the year talking incessantly about alienated blue-collar voters and a new populism rooted in the disaffection of those hammered by economic change.</p>
<p />
<p>But this is not the discussion we are having. Instead, we are enduring an attack-fest between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Their strategies are entirely rational. Voters are understandably skeptical about politicians getting anything done, and both candidates know they have a better chance of encouraging negative votes rather than securing a positive mandate.</p>
<p>I’m sorry to say the media make things worse by preferring spectacle and confrontation to digging deeply into whether this plan to promote manufacturing or that idea for raising incomes will actually work. Clinton gave a very serious speech about mental health policy last week, but the coverage flowed to whether Trump was “softening” or “hardening” on immigration.</p>
<p>The truth is that Clinton has offered many more serious policy proposals for raising workers’ incomes than Trump has. Her website is full of ideas on expanding profit-sharing, a “Make it in America” initiative to promote manufacturing, plans on family leave, child care, cutting student debt and much more.</p>
<p>One of the banes of this campaign is the media’s temptation toward false balance: If a reporter says that Trump is not offering a lot of plans, he or she feels obligated to say either that Clinton is short on specifics, too, or that she may have a lot of plans but is not packaging them very well. But if the media doesn’t want to cover them, all the bright bunting in the world won’t matter.</p>
<p>In the meantime, Trump has effectively reduced his campaign to immigration and trade (plus “law and order”). He’s arguing that the problems faced by American workers will be magically solved if we throw millions of immigrants out of the country and if he gets a chance to negotiate much tougher trade deals.</p>
<p>It would be good to have a sane, fact-based debate about how immigration and trade affect incomes and job opportunities. But Trump’s vicious tone toward immigrants and his breathtaking lack of specificity about trade show that he’s more interested in exploiting these issues than thinking about them.</p>
<p>In the meantime, voices outside the campaign are trying to interject practical ideas that might help Americans whose incomes are lagging. The Opportunity Nation campaign will release a middle-of-the-road plan at the end of this week. Its main architects, Republican John Bridgeland and Democrat Bruce Reed, draw on ideas that have won support from both parties on expanding early childhood programs, increasing high school graduation rates, creating much broader opportunities for national service, and finding new ways to connect the 5.5 million Americans aged 16 to 24 who are disengaged from both school and work.</p>
<p>That there is nothing radical in the plan may be its virtue given how hard it will be to get anything through Congress if the voters again produce divided government.</p>
<p>Well worth more attention is the “10-20-30” initiative from Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. He would mandate that at least 10 percent of spending on federal programs go to counties where at least 20 percent of the population has lived below the poverty line for 30 years or more. Clinton has endorsed it, and House Speaker Paul Ryan has spoken favorably about it.</p>
<p>When it comes to both politics and our nation’s divisions around race, the plan has important virtues. The 488 counties include many that are predominantly white, as well as many that are predominantly African-American, Latino or Native American. Clyburn notes that the vast majority of counties that would benefit are represented by Republicans in Congress.</p>
<p>It’s also a brute fact that workers’ wages have declined or stagnated because the bargaining power of employees has been drastically undercut. A just-released study by the Economic Policy Institute showed that the weekly wages of non-union men without college degrees employed in the private sector would have been 8 percent higher in 2013 if union density had remained at 1979 levels.</p>
<p>And if older union models are out-of-date in some sectors, we need new ones such as those proposed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to strengthen the rights of Americans who work in the gig economy.</p>
<p>This was supposed to be the election in which the interests of the non-elite finally got a hearing. We still have two months to make it happen.</p> | Phony Populism Doesn't Feed the Family | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/phony-populism-doesnt-feed-the-family/ | 2016-09-07 | 4 |
<p />
<p />
<p>One of the cruel ironies of climate change is that its impacts tend to fall hardest on the countries least equipped to manage them.</p>
<p>When drought or sea level rise strike the United States, communities at least have access to federal aid, top scientific expertise, public investment in expensive climate-ready infrastructure, and the like. But some of the most extreme effects of global warming are headed for developing countries—drought wiping out crops in East Africa, or catastrophic hurricanes pounding Southeast Asia—that don’t have access to those resources.</p>
<p>New research from Maplecroft, a UK-based risk consultancy, paints a pictures of where vulnerability to climate change is most pressing. Their analysis drew on three criteria: exposure to extreme events, based on the latest meteorological science; sensitivity to impacts (i.e., does a country have other sources of income and food supply if agriculture takes a hit?); and adaptive capacity—are the country’s government and social institutions prepared to work under adverse climate conditions and help citizens adapt to them?</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, Africa and Southeast Asia ranked the lowest, while Scandinavian countries ranked the highest. (While definitely at risk from sea level rise, countries such as Norway and Sweden have rich, highly functional governments to manage adaptation.) The <a href="" type="internal">major global climate talks in Paris</a> are coming up in just a couple weeks; the chart above makes it clear why it’s so important for big players like the US and China to work closely with delegations from developing countries on solutions that will provide immediate support and relief.</p>
<p /> | This Chart Shows Which Countries Are the Most Screwed by Climate Change | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2015/11/chart-shows-which-countries-are-most-screwed-climate-change/ | 2015-11-13 | 4 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>file image</p>
<p>SANTA FE&#160; — New Mexico’s online system for tracking lobbyists’ spending on legislators is not as transparent as it used to be.</p>
<p>A recent change in the website operated by the Secretary of State’s Office no longer makes it easy to scan reports in which lobbyists must report expenditures larger than $500 within 48 hours.</p>
<p>The 48-hour reports can still be found but only by looking up the individual names of the hundreds of registered individual lobbyists and companies that employ lobbyists.</p>
<p>Secretary of State’s Office Chief of Staff Ken Ortiz says he doesn’t know what caused the change.</p>
<p>He says an administrator has been working with the site’s vendor to fix that problem and others but that he doesn’t know when it’ll be fixed.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | New Mexico website drops easy scanning feature on lobbyists | false | https://abqjournal.com/538889/new-mexico-website-drops-easy-scanning-feature-on-lobbyists.html | 2 |
|
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Veteran Albuquerque police officers will continue to receive their longevity pay come July 1 under a budget fix approved by the City Council late Monday.</p>
<p>Councilors approved a budget package that fixed the problems with the budget bill the council initially passed in May. Mayor Richard Berry vetoed that budget, calling it fiscally unsound, but councilors succeeded in overriding that veto earlier this month.</p>
<p>In voting to override the budget, several councilors acknowledged that there were glitches that would need to be fixed, and the council did that Monday night by approving a floor substitute sponsored by Council President Isaac Benton, and Councilors Don Harris, Ken Sanchez and Diane Gibson. Among the problems was a budget gap that had been estimated at between $3 million and $4.5 million.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The revised budget was approved on a 7-1 vote, with Councilors Pat Davis, Trudy Jones and Klarissa Peña joining the bill’s sponsors in voting for it. Voting against was Dan Lewis; Brad Winter was absent.</p>
<p>The measure now goes to Berry for consideration. The new fiscal year starts on July 1.</p>
<p>“The Berry administration sent a balanced and common-sense budget to the council in April and has been willing to compromise during the process,” mayoral spokeswoman Rhiannon Samuel said. “Now that the council has once again passed an alternative budget, the administration will once again conduct a thorough analysis to determine if it is currently in a form that the mayor can sign on behalf of taxpayers.”</p>
<p>Sanchez praised council and administration staff, and his colleagues for their work on the budget.</p>
<p>“We worked well together to come up with a comprehensive, fair budget for the residents of Albuquerque,” he said after the vote.</p>
<p>The revised budget allocates nearly $530 million for general city operations, including nearly $7.8 million in nonrecurring expenditures. Expenditures are in line with projected revenues for the fiscal year, though the measure does divert more than $1.4 million from reserves for one-time expenditures.</p>
<p>And the budget no longer relies on savings from a hiring freeze to cover operating expenses. The Berry administration had raised concerns that relying on savings from a freeze to cover operations could result in the city’s credit rating being downgraded.</p>
<p>The new budget sets aside enough money to cover 1.5 percent raises for police and fire union employes, and 1 percent increases for AFSCME union and prisoner transport union employees. It also fully funds the longevity program currently in place for veteran police officers. The council’s previous budget made those longevity stipends contingent on positive city revenue forecasts.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>As with the mayor’s budget proposal, the new council budget keeps funding for 1,000 police officers, although the Albuquerque Police Department currently has only about 850 officers.</p>
<p>Councilors also agreed to consider larger raises for public safety employees if revenues materialize. And they agreed to consider raises for employees not currently slated to get them if there is sufficient funding available.</p>
<p>Other budget highlights include $735,000 to fully fund Fire Rescue 4 and $335,000 for four additional fire dispatchers.</p>
<p>The budget package approved by the council also includes several fee increases and a repurposing of bond proceeds.</p>
<p>New Mexico residents visiting the zoo, aquarium or botanic garden will pay an additional $1 to get in; out-of-state residents will pay $2 more. The fee increases are expected to generate an additional $664,000 per year.</p>
<p>The council also approved a $100 fee for individuals applying for a temporary certificate of occupancy for new homes and buildings, and $50 for those needing a permanent certificate of occupancy. Those fees are expected to bring in $217,000 a year in additional general fund revenues.</p>
<p>The budget also anticipates fee increases in the parks division, modest fee increases for senior center services and convenience fees for people who pay the city with credit cards, though those weren’t approved by the council because they can be handled administratively.</p>
<p>The council also voted to repurpose more than $1.8 million in revenue bond proceeds to buy vehicles for the Albuquerque Police Department. That money had initially been earmarked to buy a lot to store vehicles seized through the city’s DWI seizure program, but the city has been unable to close the deal on the purchase.</p>
<p />
<p /> | Mayor Berry to consider new budget approved by City Council | false | https://abqjournal.com/1020427/mayor-to-consider-new-budget-okd-by-council.html | 2 |
|
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p>RIO RANCHO - Early voting for Rio Rancho's April 15 runoff municipal election began Wednesday.</p>
<p>Voters can cast early voting ballots between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at Rio Rancho City Hall through April 11.</p>
<p>The runoff election for the mayor's position is between Greggory Hull and Michael Williams.</p>
<p>The District 5 City Council runoff election is between Shelby Smith and Thomas Buckner.</p>
<p>Registered voters citywide will be able to vote for mayor. Registered voters residing in City Council District 5 will be able to vote for mayor and District 5 city councilor.</p>
<p>The runoff elections are required because no one received more than 50 percent of the total votes cast in those four-way races in the regular municipal election on March 4. The runoff is between the two highest vote-getters in each case.</p>
<p>Runoff election day is April 15.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Early voting open in runoff elections | false | https://abqjournal.com/375877/early-voting-open-in-runoff-elections.html | 2 |
|
<p>Published time: 30 Nov, 2017 18:03</p>
<p>Theresa May has demanded an apology from the White House. No, not the British prime minister – the Theresa May that Donald Trump accidentally tagged on Twitter.</p>
<p>The wrong Theresa May, aka Theresa May Scrivener, or @theresamay, was hit with a barrage of tweets on Wednesday when the president of the United States mistakenly tagged her in a post aimed at the British leader. Wouldn’t be much of a problem if it were anyone else – but Trump has 43.7 million followers. Poor Theresa only had six.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/uk/377185-theresa-may-porn-coffee/" type="external" /></p>
<p>Last night she was shocked to find the POTUS attacking her from his @realDonaldTrump account. Trump was hitting back at the prime minister for telling him he was wrong to retweet Britain First messages online.</p>
<p>His tweet read: “@TheresaMay, don’t focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine!”</p>
<p>Theresa May Scrivener, who goes by the Twitter handle Theresa May, was suddenly very popular. Scrivener told the Press Association: “If I wanted to be famous I would have gone on X Factor. It’s amazing to think that the world’s most powerful man managed to press the wrong button. I’m just waiting for a call from the White House with an apology.”</p>
<p>Apologies flooded in after the mistake was realized, but not from Trump. “I’m just glad he was not contacting me to say he was going to war with North Korea,” May added.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/uk/411396-trump-britain-first-twitter/" type="external" /></p>
<p>“It has been very surreal. I am laughing about it now but he is the one who sent the tweet and I have been inundated with calls. I haven’t been able to leave my house. I’ve been bombarded and been contacted by press from around the world.”</p>
<p>Scrivener was in bed when the tweet went off in the early hours. “I wasn’t really sure what to make of it. I was in bed by half 10 last night and oblivious to it all,” she said.</p>
<p>She nevertheless insists she will keep her Twitter handle. “He needs to think before he tweets. We – Theresa May and I – are so different. Our profiles are completely different. She runs the country, I’m a mom from Bognor.”</p>
<p>She also said the mistake would not cause her to change her name. “Why should I? It’s my name, I’m not going to change it.”</p>
<p>This isn’t the first time the White House has messed up the PM’s name. In January, it emerged Theresa May had been spelt ‘Teresa’ May in official documents over her visit to the White House. T-e-r-e-s-a… like the famous, now retired, porn star, Teresa May. The mistake was made three times, while referencing London and Washington’s “special relationship.”</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p> | Trump tweeted wrong @TheresaMay – this one is ‘a mom from Bognor’ & she wants an apology | false | https://newsline.com/trump-tweeted-wrong-theresamay-this-one-is-a-mom-from-bognor-she-wants-an-apology/ | 2017-11-30 | 1 |
<p>News For All The People (Verso Books)</p>
<p>Colonial printers, as we would expect, reported domestic events entirely from the perspective of the European settlers who were their only readers. They did, however, devote considerable space to two groups of non-Europeans who warily coexisted in the New World with the settlers: the Native American tribes and African slaves.</p>
<p>The lone edition of Benjamin Harris’ Publick Occurrences (commonly regarded as the first newspaper in the New World, with a publication date of September 25, 1690), contained five separate news items about the Native population in just three pages of text. In one entry, Harris wrote of two white children apparently kidnapped by “barbarous Indians” who were “lurking about” the town of Chelmsford. In another (the longest article in the newspaper), Harris gave an account of an expedition by the Massachusetts militia and their Mohawk allies against the French in Canada. The Mohawks killed some French prisoners “in a manner too barbarous for any English to approve,” he wrote.</p>
<p>In a related item on the same Canada campaign, Harris counseled his readers that they had “too much confided” in the Mohawks. “If Almighty God will have Canada to be subdu’d without the assistance of those miserable Savages…we shall be glad,” he added. Only one of his reports did not associate the Natives with violence—an item on how the Christianized Indians of Plymouth “have newly appointed a day of Thanksgiving to God.”</p>
<p>Publick Occurrences thus created “the perfect prototype for news coverage of Native Americans by colonial newspapers,” concludes David A. Copeland in an exhaustive analysis of the content of early American newspapers. Years of sporadic fighting over settler incursions on Native lands had already sparked the rise of anti-Indian captivity literature—outlandish tales of rape, infanticide, torture and dismemberment that both disgusted and fascinated the settlers.</p>
<p>Native Americans were depicted as cunning, barbaric and evil—and certainly undeserving of the vast lands coveted by the European settlers.</p>
<p>Descriptions of “sculking” or “barbarous” Indians were commonplace then, much as today’s news media use terms such as “wolf packs,” “drug gangs” and “superpredators” as monikers for non-white criminals. Indian-white conflict, after all, engendered the highest level of fear and hysteria in colonial society. During a series of Indian wars that erupted throughout the 1700s along the Eastern Seaboard, the Boston News-Letter and other colonial papers routinely stirred up settler outrage and dutifully reported government bounties for the killing of Indians.</p>
<p>Massachusetts, for instance, urged its settlers in 1706 “to kill all male Indians over the age of twelve and capture women and children under the age of twelve for rewards,” and when South Carolina declared war on the Tuscaroras in 1735, the colony’s leaders offered “Fifty Pounds Current Money [for every Indian] who shall be taken alive.” On more than one occasion, the papers reported scalps acceptable as proof that an Indian had been slain. Copeland’s study found positive news items about Indians rare unless they “were involved in fighting for the colonists.”</p>
<p>Some news accounts even alleged cannibalism as a Native American practice. A 1745 article in the Boston Evening Post reported: “The Enemies had 2 kill’d and as many wounded in the Engagement, which being over, the Indians cut open Capt. Donahew’s Breast, and suck’d his Blood, and hack’d and mangled his Body in a most inhuman and barbarous Manner, and then ate a great part of his Flesh.” Once war with the Cherokees engulfed South Carolina in 1760, an astounding 30 percent of all stories in the South Carolina Gazette that year, 18 percent in the Pennsylvania Gazette, and more than 15 percent in the New York Gazette were about violence by Native Americans.</p>
<p>Those early accounts thus established a voluminous and entirely one-sided newspaper narrative: Native Americans were depicted as cunning, barbaric and evil—and certainly undeserving of the vast lands coveted by the European settlers.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Benjamin Franklin: One of the few colonial editors to challenge the dominant narrative of Indian savagery</p>
<p>One of the few colonial editors who challenged the dominant narrative of Indian savagery was Benjamin Franklin. In early 1764, Franklin published a pamphlet that exposed a horrific incident of anti-Indian rioting by white frontiersmen in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In the pamphlet, he reported that on the previous December 14, a mob of whites had “murdered 20 Innocent Indians” who were living in peace among the Quakers. “These poor defenseless Creatures were immediately fired upon, stabbed and hatcheted to Death!” he wrote. “All of them were scalped, and otherwise horribly mangled. Then their Huts were set on Fire, and most of them burnt down.”</p>
<p>His description of the massacre is one of the few in colonial-era journalism to portray Indians as victims. It also offered a rare glimpse into the deep divide among Pennsylvania’s settlers over Indian policy, with the Moravians and Quakers urging humane treatment of the natives. As Franklin noted:</p>
<p>By the time he issued the pamphlet in early February, two months had passed since the massacre, yet neither of Philadelphia’s papers—neither the Pennsylvania Journal, nor Franklin’s former sheet, the Pennsylvania Gazette—had printed any account of the gruesome affair, other than proclamations by the governor condemning it and offering a reward for information about the killers. Franklin’s rush to publish the details of the tragedy was undoubtedly his way of breaking the news blackout by the Philadelphia editors. His explicit condemnation of the bias and ignorance that fueled the massacre has a chilling resonance even today:</p>
<p>Franklin rushed to publish his account after discovering that leaders of the massacre were threatening to march on Philadelphia to attack other peaceful Natives that Quaker Governor John Penn had placed under his protection. The impact of the pamphlet was so great that “1,000 of our Citizens took Arms to support the Government in the Protection of those poor Wretches,” Franklin later reported. Those armed government supporters, who included the pamphleteer himself, confronted 500 of the anti-Indian rioters in Germantown and “the Fighting face we put on made them more willing to Reason.”</p>
<p>Unfortunately, no other colonial editor exhibited Franklin’s extraordinary empathy for Indians or his courage in exposing abuses against them. The image of skulking Indians thus became firmly entrenched in the colonial press.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Early colonial newspapers disseminated similar stereotypes of the “rebellious Negro.” Accounts of black life that did make it into print invariably focused on two main subjects: slave insurrections and common crimes. As early as 1706, editor John Campbell’s first full-fledged essay in the Boston News-Letter urged more importation of white indentured servants to reduce the colony’s need for African slaves. The local black population, he warned, was “much addicted to Stealing, Lying and Purloining,” and he urged the importing of more white servants because, unlike blacks, they could also be pressed into military service.</p>
<p>In 1712 the News-Letter reported one of the earliest slave rebellions in the colonies. Seventy New York Negroes, it claimed, had been arrested for “their late Conspiracy to Murder the Christians,” prompting authorities to execute the leaders of the plot and to punish their followers by breaking their bones on a wheel. Over the next 60 years, colonial newspapers chronicled 50 separate incidents of actual or suspected slave revolts.</p>
<p>A similar obsession prevailed for violent crimes by individual slaves. After a slave in northern Massachusetts threw her owner’s child down a well in anger, every newspaper between Boston and Annapolis reported the story. Such blanket news coverage revealed more about the anxieties of the editors and their readers than about the rage of a single slave.</p>
<p>Fear of violence by blacks was rooted in the settlers’ instinctual knowledge that slavery was not merely a highly profitable enterprise, but was indispensable to the very survival of the British colonies. Africans constituted more than half of South Carolina’s population in 1720, 8 percent of Boston’s in 1755, and a third of all new immigrants entering New York at mid-century.</p>
<p>That rapid growth of the black population only reinforced white fears of slave violence. In 1740, for example, the Boston Evening-Post published a letter from an angry resident who was seeking volunteers for a vigilante group to control slave conduct. “The great Disorders committed by Negroes, who are permitted by their imprudent Masters &amp;c. to be out late at Night…has determined several sober and substantial Housekeepers to walk about the Town in the sore part of the Night,” the writer noted, adding, “It is hoped that all lovers of Peace and good Order will join their endeavors for preventing the like Disorders for the future.”</p>
<p>And in 1755 the New-York Weekly Post Boy reported that “nine of the Ethiopian Breed, belonging to this city, have been apprehended, committed, try’d and whipt at the whipping post for assembling and meeting together in an Illegal manner, on Sunday.”</p>
<p>As slave rebellions became more frequent and more violent, colonial editors adopted a new strategy: quashing all news about slaves. In South Carolina, suppression of such news started after the bloody Stono Rebellion near Charleston in 1739, in which 21 whites and 44 blacks lost their lives. The South-Carolina Gazette printed no information about similar revolts in the colony in 1739 and 1740. It never mentioned the colony’s newly enacted slave code that permitted any white person to stop and search a slave and kill him if he reacted violently.</p>
<p>The depiction of blacks in those early colonial papers displayed a remarkable consistency. “African slaves revolted against their owners. Slaves murdered, robbed, raped and burned out whites,” Copeland notes of the coverage. As for any other aspect of black life, colonial newspapers “rarely printed a positive word,” except to praise “slaves who warned their owners of impending slave revolts.”</p>
<p>One of the rare condemnations of slavery in the colonial press appeared in 1740 in the Pennsylvania Gazette, which published a letter from Rev. George Whitefield challenging the morality of holding others in bondage. Ben Franklin was the paper’s editor at the time. Even though he had owned slaves as a young man, and often published ads from slave-traffickers in his Gazette, Franklin was one of the few editors willing to provide space for abolitionist commentaries. He turned increasingly against slavery in his old age, and in his last public act in 1790 he petitioned Congress to put an end to the practice. By then, he was serving as president of the Pennsylvania Society for the Abolition of Slavery.</p>
<p>This is an excerpt from News for All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the American Media. Copyright Juan González and Joseph Torres 2011. Published by Verso Books. Reprinted here with permission.</p>
<p>Juan González is the co-host of Democracy Now! and a columnist for the New York Daily News; Joseph Torres is the senior adviser for government and external affairs for the media reform group Free Press.</p> | The Colonial Roots of Media’s Racial Narratives | true | http://fair.org/extra-online-articles/the-colonial-roots-of-media8217s-racial-narratives/ | 2012-02-01 | 4 |
<p>Several days a week, Laurie Hasbrook arrives at the <a href="http://www.vcnv.org" type="external">Voices</a> office here in Chicago. She often takes off her bicycle helmet, unpins her pant leg, settles into an office chair and then leans back to give us an update on family and neighborhood news. Laurie’s two youngest sons are teenagers, and because they are black teenagers in Chicago they are at risk of being assaulted and killed simply for being young black men. Laurie has deep empathy for families trapped in war zones. She also firmly believes in silencing all guns.</p>
<p>Lately, we’ve been learning about the extraordinary determination shown by Ben Salmon, a conscientious objector during World War I who went to prison rather than enlist in the U.S. military. Salmon is buried in an unmarked grave in Mount Carmel Cemetery, on the outskirts of Chicago.</p>
<p>In June, 2017, a small group organized by &#160; <a href="http://www.bensalmon.org/" type="external">“Friends of Franz and Ben”</a> gathered at Salmon’s gravesite to commemorate his life.</p>
<p>Mark Scibilla Carver and Jack Gilroy had driven to Chicago from Upstate NY, carrying with them a life size icon bearing an image of</p>
<p>Ben Salmon, Patron of Conscientious Objectors, Courtesy of <a href="http://www.frbillmcnichols-sacredimages.com" type="external">Father William Hart McNichols.</a></p>
<p>Salmon, standing alone in what appeared to be desert sands, wearing a prison-issue uniform that bore his official prison number. Next to the icon was a tall, bare, wooden cross. Rev. Bernie Survil, who organized the vigil at Salmon’s grave, implanted a vigil candle in the ground next to the icon. Salmon’s grand-niece had come from Moab, Utah, to represent the Salmon family. Facing our group, she said that her family deeply admired Salmon’s refusal to cooperate with war. She acknowledged that he had been imprisoned, threatened with execution, sent for a psychiatric evaluation, sentenced to 25 years in prison, a sentence which was eventually commuted, and unable to return to his home in Denver for fear of being killed by antagonists. Charlotte Mates expressed her own determination to try and follow in his footsteps, believing we all have a personal responsibility not to cooperate with wars.</p>
<p>Bernie Survil invited anyone in the circle to step forward with a reflection. Mike Bremer, a carpenter who has spent three months in prison for conscientious objection to nuclear weapons, pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and stepped forward to read from an article by Rev. John Dear, written several years ago, in which Dear notes that Ben Salmon made his brave stance before the world had ever heard of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, or Mohandas Gandhi. There was no Catholic Worker, no Pax Christi, and no War Resisters League to support him. He acted alone, and yet he remains connected to a vast network of people who recognize his courage and will continue telling his story to future generations.</p>
<p>Had his wisdom and that of numerous war resisters in the U.S. prevailed, the U.S. would not have entered W.W. I. The author of War Against War, <a href="" type="internal">Michael Kazin</a>, conjectures about how W.W. I would have ended if the U.S. had not intervened. “The carnage might have continued for another year or two,” Kazin writes, “until citizens in the warring nations, who were already protesting the endless sacrifices required, forced their leaders to reach a settlement. If the Allies, led by France and Britain, had not won a total victory, there would have been no punitive peace treaty like that completed at Versailles, no stab-in-the back allegations by resentful Germans, and thus no rise, much less triumph, of Hitler and the Nazis. The next world war, with its 50 million deaths, would probably not have occurred.”</p>
<p>But the U.S. did enter WWI, and since that time each U.S. war has caused a rise in taxpayer contributions to maintain the MIC, the Military-Industrial complex, with its vise-like grip on educating the U.S. public and marketing U.S. wars. Spending for militarism trumps social spending. Here in Chicago, where the number of people killed by gun violence is the highest in the nation, the U.S. military runs ROTC classes enrolling 9,000 youngsters in Chicago public schools. Imagine if equivalent energies were devoted to promoting means and methods of nonviolence, along with ways to end the war against the environment and creation of “green” jobs among Chicago’s youngest generations.</p>
<p>If we could share Laurie’s revulsion in the face of weapons and inequality, imagine the possible results. We would never tolerate U.S. shipment of weapons to opulent Saudi royals who use their newly purchased laser guided munitions and Patriot missiles to devastate the infrastructure and civilians of Yemen. On the brink of famine and afflicted by an alarming spread of cholera, Yemenis also endure Saudi airstrikes that have wrecked roadways, hospitals and crucial sewage and sanitation infrastructure.&#160;20 million people (in regions long plagued by U.S. gamesmanship), would not be expected to die this year from conflict-driven famine, in near-total media silence. Just four countries, Somaliland, Southern Sudan, Nigeria and Yemen are set to lose fully one third as many people as died in the entirety of the Second World War. None of that would be a normal occurrence in our world. Instead, perhaps religious leaders would vigorously remind us about Ben Salmon’s sacrifice; rather than attend the annual Air and Water show, (a theatrical display of U.S. military might which turns out a million “fans”), Chicagoans would make pilgrimages to the cemetery where Ben is buried.</p>
<p>At this point, Mount Carmel cemetery is known for being the burial place of Al Capone.</p>
<p>The small group at the gravesite included a woman from Code Pink, a newly ordained Jesuit priest, several Catholic Workers, several couples who were formerly Catholic religious and have never stopped ministering to others and advocating for social justice, five people who’ve served many months in prison for their conscientious objection to war, and three Chicago area business professionals. We look forward to gatherings, in Chicago and elsewhere, of people who will take up the organizing call of those who celebrated, on July 7th, when representatives of 122 countries negotiated and passed a U.N. ban on nuclear weapons. This event happened while warlords wielding hideous weapons dominated the G20 gathering in Hamburg, Germany.</p>
<p>Laurie envisions building creative, peaceful connections between Chicago youngsters and their counterparts in Afghanistan, Yemen, Gaza, Iraq, and other lands. Ben Salmon guides our endeavors. We hope to again visit Salmon’s gravesite on Armistice Day, November 11, when our friends plan to set up a small marker bearing this inscription:</p>
<p>“There is no such thing as a just war.” Ben J. Salmon Oct. 15, 1888 – Feb. 15, 1932 Thou Shalt Not Kill</p> | “There is No Such Thing as a Just War” | true | https://counterpunch.org/2017/07/11/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-just-war/ | 2017-07-11 | 4 |
<p>LAS VEGAS (AP) — A federal judge said Friday she needs to see evidence that a former Las Vegas Strip illusionist didn’t understand what his sentence could be before she can let him withdraw his guilty plea in a pornography case involving thousands of videos and images, including some depicting kindergarten-age boys in sex acts.</p>
<p>Chief U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro scheduled a March 9 date to hear lawyers involved in the trial of Jan Rouven Fuechtener discuss whether he was fully advised that he could face at least 24 years in prison as a result of his plea.</p>
<p>“I’m very much on the edge,” the judge said after Fuechtener’s new lawyer, Karen Connolly, said his lawyers told him he might get as few as five years behind bars and rushed the plea to end his trial.</p>
<p>“We don’t have any evidence that anyone went over the guidelines with Mr. Fuechtener,” Navarro said. “A lot ... depends on what the attorneys told the defendant.”</p>
<p>Connolly blamed Fuechtener’s trial lawyer, Jess Marchese and attorneys Ben Durham and Michael Sanft for focusing on a five-year sentence and not telling him that findings about the number of images and his acknowledgements about sharing pornography and trying to destroy computer files could add years to his sentence.</p>
<p>Connolly said a presentencing report prepared by federal authorities now recommends minimums of 24 to 30 years in federal prison — and a possible life sentence.</p>
<p>“He was not properly advised. He was misinformed,” Connolly said. “They didn’t tell him that obstruction and knowing distribution could lead to more time.”</p>
<p>Fuechtener, 39, is a German citizen who performed under the name Jan Rouven. His show closed following his arrest in March 2016. He remains in federal custody.</p>
<p>Marchese said Friday he couldn’t say what he’ll discuss under oath. But he noted that his former client will be giving up attorney-client confidentiality if he is asked to testify.</p>
<p>Durham declined to comment. Sanft did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages.</p>
<p>Navarro was hearing the trial without a jury at Fuechtener’s request when he stopped the proceedings to plead guilty to possession, receipt and distribution of child pornography.</p>
<p>An FBI agent was testifying at the time about items found in password-protected files on computer devices seized from the Las Vegas home Fuechtener shared with his husband.</p>
<p>Fuechtener agreed as part of his plea to pay $5,000 in restitution per victim. Authorities said at the time they had identified about 85 child sex victims in the case. That would total some $425,000.</p>
<p>The house has been sold, and Navarro noted Friday that Fuechtener has deposited $975,000 in a trust account for fines and restitution.</p>
<p>LAS VEGAS (AP) — A federal judge said Friday she needs to see evidence that a former Las Vegas Strip illusionist didn’t understand what his sentence could be before she can let him withdraw his guilty plea in a pornography case involving thousands of videos and images, including some depicting kindergarten-age boys in sex acts.</p>
<p>Chief U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro scheduled a March 9 date to hear lawyers involved in the trial of Jan Rouven Fuechtener discuss whether he was fully advised that he could face at least 24 years in prison as a result of his plea.</p>
<p>“I’m very much on the edge,” the judge said after Fuechtener’s new lawyer, Karen Connolly, said his lawyers told him he might get as few as five years behind bars and rushed the plea to end his trial.</p>
<p>“We don’t have any evidence that anyone went over the guidelines with Mr. Fuechtener,” Navarro said. “A lot ... depends on what the attorneys told the defendant.”</p>
<p>Connolly blamed Fuechtener’s trial lawyer, Jess Marchese and attorneys Ben Durham and Michael Sanft for focusing on a five-year sentence and not telling him that findings about the number of images and his acknowledgements about sharing pornography and trying to destroy computer files could add years to his sentence.</p>
<p>Connolly said a presentencing report prepared by federal authorities now recommends minimums of 24 to 30 years in federal prison — and a possible life sentence.</p>
<p>“He was not properly advised. He was misinformed,” Connolly said. “They didn’t tell him that obstruction and knowing distribution could lead to more time.”</p>
<p>Fuechtener, 39, is a German citizen who performed under the name Jan Rouven. His show closed following his arrest in March 2016. He remains in federal custody.</p>
<p>Marchese said Friday he couldn’t say what he’ll discuss under oath. But he noted that his former client will be giving up attorney-client confidentiality if he is asked to testify.</p>
<p>Durham declined to comment. Sanft did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages.</p>
<p>Navarro was hearing the trial without a jury at Fuechtener’s request when he stopped the proceedings to plead guilty to possession, receipt and distribution of child pornography.</p>
<p>An FBI agent was testifying at the time about items found in password-protected files on computer devices seized from the Las Vegas home Fuechtener shared with his husband.</p>
<p>Fuechtener agreed as part of his plea to pay $5,000 in restitution per victim. Authorities said at the time they had identified about 85 child sex victims in the case. That would total some $425,000.</p>
<p>The house has been sold, and Navarro noted Friday that Fuechtener has deposited $975,000 in a trust account for fines and restitution.</p> | Judge needs evidence to let illusionist undo porn plea | false | https://apnews.com/e2d009d278214748ae5fec3bf6d654db | 2017-12-29 | 2 |
<p>Former Mexican President Felipe Calderón &lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciat/5242394248/sizes/m/"&gt;CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture&lt;/a&gt;/Flickr</p>
<p />
<p>Former Mexican President Felipe Calderón, who led a controversial military crackdown on drug cartels, is <a href="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/12/05/former-mexican-president-calderon-moves-to-us-within-days-leaving-office/" type="external">moving to the United States</a> to take an <a href="http://www.hks.harvard.edu/news-events/news/press-releases/felipe-calderon-appointment" type="external">academic fellowship</a> with Harvard University. But protesters, both Mexican and American, say that given Calderón’s political past, he shouldn’t be offered this prestigious position or even allowed to work here.</p>
<p>“It’s a total disgrace to the families of Mexican citizens who lost their lives because of the drug war,” says John Randolph, who worked for the US Border Patrol for 26 years before retiring, and has posted a <a href="http://www.change.org/petitions/harvard-university-president-faust-deny-outgoing-mexican-president-felipe-calderon-employment-at-harvard" type="external">petition</a> on Change.org asking Harvard to rescind Calderón’s fellowship.</p>
<p>Randolph’s petition, which has received more than 6,700 signatures, cites evidence similar to that presented in a <a href="" type="internal">2009 Mother Jones article</a> on the drug war by investigative journalist Charles Bowden. In his story, Bowden details how after taking power in 2006, Calderón failed to protect persecuted journalists and used the Mexican Army (and <a href="" type="internal">over a billion dollars in American aid money</a>) to fight the drug cartels, a strategy that has resulted in <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10681249" type="external">more than 60,000 deaths</a> and the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/23/mexico-drug-war-missing-list_n_2355789.html" type="external">disappearance</a> of thousands.</p>
<p>“I can’t help but think of the Mexican people who have tried to legitimately gain asylum in the United States because of the drug war—and have been turned down,” says Randolph. “How can Calderón waltz in and work for Harvard?”</p>
<p>Eduardo Cortés Rivadeneyra, who runs a construction business in Puebla, Mexico, has started a <a href="https://www.change.org/petitions/harvard-revierta-la-contrataci%C3%B3n-de-felipe-calder%C3%B3n" type="external">similar petition</a> (in Spanish). He tells Mother Jones that he felt “insulted” when he heard the news of Calderón’s appointment at Harvard’s Kennedy School. “I assure you that thousands of Mexicans don’t want Calderón to teach in the US or anywhere else,” he says.</p>
<p>According to a statement by Harvard Kennedy School dean David Ellwood, “President Calderón is a distinguished alumnus of the Kennedy School and is known for his efforts in Mexico to improve the economy, expand and protect public health, address the drug problem, and engage with other world leaders around shared goals.” During Calderón’s fellowship, students will have the opportunity to ask him “difficult questions on important policy issues,” according to Ellwood’s statement. Harvard Kennedy School spokesperson Molly Lanzarotta points out that the inaugural fellowship, which is designed for retiring world leaders, is a one-year position, “not a faculty teaching appointment.”</p>
<p>Harvard isn’t the first university to try to get the former Mexican president onto its campus. In 2012, Calderón was <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/news/nationworld/mexico/20120802-mexicos-calderon-talking-with-university-of-texas-about-possible-post-sources-say.ece" type="external">in talks</a> with the University of Texas at Austin. Once news got out that Calderón was meeting with the university president, students and other community members staged a <a href="http://www.dailytexanonline.com/news/2012/09/24/ut-students-and-community-members-protest-mexico-president-calderon-at-conference-in" type="external">protest on campus</a>, disrupting a meeting of top Mexican government officials. Ultimately, Calderón never had any follow-up discussions with the university or job offers, according to Gary Susswein, a spokesman for the university. Susswein adds that the decision-making process took place “independent of any protests.”</p>
<p>Angelica Ortiz Garza, who doesn’t have any connection with the university but started an online petition against Calderón’s nomination at UT Austin, believes the protests “definitely had an impact on their decision.” But unlike UT Austin, she notes, Harvard is “far from the border” and Calderón’s time there as a student carries a lot of weight.</p>
<p>“So many tragedies occurred while he was in power, people are poorer, the country is in big debt, and there is a lot of corruption,” Garza says. “Unfortunately this has been always the case in Mexico, presidents usually leave the country to work or live in a better place.”</p>
<p /> | Protesters to Harvard: Just Say No to Mexican Drug War President | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2013/01/felipe-calderon-harvard-drug-war/ | 2013-01-03 | 4 |
<p>The U.S. economy is in recession with no end in sight. Falling housing prices are blamed, but the root causes are bad economic policies and lousy banking practices.</p>
<p>U.S. imports exceed exports by more than $700 billion, thanks mostly to expensive oil and lopsided commerce with China. To finance this gap, Americans sell bonds and other securities to foreigners, and Wall Street banks, like Citigroup and Merrill Lynch, recycle those funds to American consumers.</p>
<p>U.S. consumers borrow from mortgage companies, local banks and finance companies through mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. Those firms sell the loans to Wall Street banks, who bundle loans into bonds for sale to big fixed income investors. The Chinese government, Middle East royals and other foreign investors purchase huge sums of such U.S. interest bearing securities.</p>
<p>Last year, this scheme started coming unglued, because many homeowners borrowed more than their paychecks and home values could support. Loan officers encouraged home buyers to exaggerate incomes on mortgage applications and hired real estate appraisers that would inflate home values. Wall Street disguised bad loans in complex derivatives, instead of creating simple bonds, which fooled fixed income investors into believing they were buying securities backed by solid loans. Other rouses propagated like aggressive adjustable rate mortgages, and bogus credit default swaps alleged to make risks disappear.</p>
<p>When the worst bonds failed-those backed by subprime adjustable rate mortgages-the fixed income market closed to U.S. banks.</p>
<p>Banks don’t have enough deposits to make all the loans the U.S. economy needs, because Americans increasingly by-pass banks, investing directly in mutual funds, retirement accounts and the like. Hence, banks must turn about half of their loans into bonds.</p>
<p>Now investors, ranging from U.S. insurance companies to foreign investors, are not willing to buy bonds from U.S. banks, and banks cannot make enough loans to credit-worthy homebuyers, consumers and businesses. Housing prices plummet, car sales sink, businesses can’t invest, and the economy tanks into recession.</p>
<p>The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates and temporarily loaned banks $600 billion dollars, but those steps help little because the bond market is closed to banks.</p>
<p>Moreover, foreign investors are getting nervous about all the money they have loaned Americans to finance huge trade deficits. They are fleeing the dollar by moving cash into euro denominated securities, gold, oil, and other investments.</p>
<p>Fixing the trade deficit will require Americans to use less gasoline and balance commerce with China. Americans must either let the price of gas double to force conservation or accept tougher mileage standards cars. Fifty miles a gallon by 2020, instead of the 35 required by current law, is achievable, but that means more hybrids and lighter vehicles.</p>
<p>China subsidizes exports by selling its currency, the yuan, for dollars at artificially low values in foreign exchange markets, making Chinese goods artificially cheap at Wal-Mart. The U.S. government should tax dollar-yuan conversions at a rate equal to China’s subsidy until China stops manipulating currency markets. That would reduce imports from, and increase exports to, China.</p>
<p>Finally, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke are working to clean up the practices of mortgage brokers, loan officers and real estate appraisers but Wall Street banks must be willing to create simple bonds from mortgages and other loans that investors can understand and whose risks can be reasonably accessed. This is less profitable than the complex bonds and derivatives that were sold prior to the subprime meltdown.</p>
<p>Paulson and Bernanke should bring together the largest banks and fixed income investors, among insurance companies and the like, to lay out the requirements for such bonds and require the banks to stick to them.</p>
<p>Banks may resist, because plain vanilla mortgage underwriting doesn’t pay outsized fees and bonuses they have been spoiled to expect from complex derivatives. However, Americans need the banks to make mortgages and other loans to get the economy back on track, and Bernanke and Paulson have the leverage to bring them to the table-the $600 billion the Federal Reserve is loaning banks to keep them afloat.</p>
<p>It’s time to get realistic about using less oil and to get tough with China and the banks.</p>
<p>PETER MORICI is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Business and former Chief Economist at the U.S. International Trade Commission.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Digging Out of the Recession | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/03/24/digging-out-of-the-recession/ | 2008-03-24 | 4 |
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>“Every American deserves an opportunity to achieve the American dream; New Orleans public housing residents deserve no less.”</p>
<p>U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Alphonso Jackson made this statement almost one year ago, during an online forum called “Ask the White House.”</p>
<p>Secretary Jackson is right, but his actions do not support his words.</p>
<p>When Hurricane Katrina struck, over 5,100 families lived in public housing in New Orleans. The storm and its aftermath caused little structural damage to the developments. With moderate repair and cleanup, the residents could have returned to their homes. But Jackson and HUD had a different agenda.</p>
<p>In June 2006, HUD announced its plan to demolish more than 5,000 units in four of New Orleans’ public housing developments. Two weeks later, public housing residents filed a lawsuit against Jackson, HUD, the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO), and HANO officials to protect their right to return home. While the case moved slowly through federal court, the government rushed to raze the buildings. On September 20, 2007, HANO submitted to HUD the final pieces of its demolition application, which presented a net loss of 3,204 public housing apartments, eliminating 81% of the units in the four developments. HUD approved the plan one day later. The bulldozers were ready to roll when the residents went to state court on December 13, 2007, pointing out that the law requires the City Council to first approve demolition permits before razing can commence. One week later the Council voted to approve the demolition of all four sites. Finally, on March 24, 2008, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin signed the final demolition permit.</p>
<p>HUD now has begun what is the largest demolition of public housing in the history of New Orleans. At the same time, however, the city is facing an affordable housing crisis of historic proportions. Of the city’s 142,000 units that were damaged or lost in New Orleans due to Katrina, 112,00-79%-were low-income housing. According to PolicyLink, Louisiana’s plan for repairing rental homes damaged or destroyed will replace only one-fifth of this housing. There is nowhere for the working poor to live, which is why New Orleans’ homeless population has doubled to approximately 12,000 people since Katrina. The City’s response to this crisis is to propose a resolution that would make homelessness illegal.</p>
<p>In this desperate context, bearing witness to the demolition of habitable public housing is tantamount to visiting a crime scene. Heaping piles of bricks, pipes, and debris litter sites where communities once stood. Amongst the rubble are photographs of children and grandchildren, toys and textbooks, kitchenware and family heirlooms. When the families of these demolished homes evacuated in the wake of the worst disaster in U.S. history, they took only what they could carry-and expected to return with other New Orleanians when the mandatory evacuation order was lifted six weeks later. But public housing residents found themselves permanently shut out of their homes, and now their life possessions have been rendered trash.</p>
<p>It is not just the bricks that are coming down; it is not only people’s property that is being destroyed. What is palpable at the demolition sites is that the hopes and dreams of close-knit communities are being shattered. The silence was eerie on the gray, chilly day we visited St. Bernard, one of the housing developments HUD currently is demolishing. There was the din of machines working through the debris, but the sound was strangely hollow, as if it was being transmitted into a vacuum. There were no sounds of birds, cars, or children. But there were a thousand stories speaking through the rubble.</p>
<p>If Secretary Jackson had the guts to walk through the destruction, he would have seen the quintessential symbol of the American dream of which he spoke-a college loan application. Perhaps the application was filled out by a young man graduating high school, or maybe by a single mother trying to secure a better future for herself and her family. But the application was amongst the rubble, stained but otherwise intact-but never sent. Jackson has no more right to talk about the dreams of New Orleans public housing residents than Barbara Bush had to say that the thousands of Katrina evacuees temporarily housed in the Houston Astrodome were better off.</p>
<p>The people who are better off after Katrina are those profiting from an unjust reconstruction of New Orleans. Amongst these profiteers, it seems, is Jackson and his friends. As Ed Pound has reported in the National Journal, the Secretary is under federal investigation to determine whether he improperly helped friend William Hairston win a no-bid contract to work at HANO. Hairston, a stucco contractor, was paid more than $485,000 for working at HANO for 18 months. In contrast to Jackson’s sworn testimony, Harrison says that the Secretary helped him get the job. The investigation is also examining Jackson’s financial ties to Columbia Residential, part of a development team that won a $127 million contract to redevelop St. Bernard. Incidentally, Columbia Residential owes Jackson between $250,000 and $500,000 for his work as a “partner/consultant.”</p>
<p>Two and a half years after the storm, the tragedy in New Orleans continues. As the City’s low-income residents are starved of resources, the pockets of Jackson and his friends fatten. As the bricks are crumbling, so are the dreams and community networks of the public housing residents who remain displaced. But the fight is far from over. The residents of public housing and their allies will continue the struggle for a just reconstruction of New Orleans. With each obstacle residents have faced, the movement for justice grows stronger and more determined. And so, although we saw dreams amidst the rubble in New Orleans, we know that these dreams will rise again. As Frederick Douglas said: “Be not discouraged. There is a future for you. . . . The resistance encountered now predicates hope. . . . Only as we rise . . . do we encounter opposition.”</p>
<p>Anita Sinha and Jill Tauber are attorneys with Advancement Project, a communications and legal action organization committed to racial justice, and counsel to New Orleans public housing residents in their lawsuit against HUD and HANO. Anita can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p>Jill can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Dreams Turned into Rubble in New Orleans | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/03/26/dreams-turned-into-rubble-in-new-orleans/ | 2008-03-26 | 4 |
<p>SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (SEAS) will report its next earnings on Nov 07 BMO. The company reported the earnings of $0.67/Share in the last quarter where the estimated EPS by analysts was $0.81/share. The difference between the expected and actual EPS was $-0.14/share, which represents an Earnings surprise of -17.3%.</p>
<p>Many analysts are providing their Estimated Earnings analysis for SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. and for the current quarter 10 analysts have projected that the stock could give an Average Earnings estimate of $-0.19/share. These analysts have also projected a Low Estimate of $-0.23/share and a High Estimate of $-0.1/share.</p>
<p>In case of Revenue Estimates, 9 analysts have provided their consensus Average Revenue Estimates for SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. as 259.71 Million. According to these analysts, the Low Revenue Estimate for SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. is 256 Million and the High Revenue Estimate is 269.99 Million. The company had Year Ago Sales of 267.6 Million.</p>
<p>These analysts also forecasted Growth Estimates for the Current Quarter for SEAS to be -35.7%. They are projecting Next Quarter growth of 5.6%. For the next 5 years, SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. is expecting Growth of 12.9% per annum, whereas in the past 5 years the growth was -20.74% per annum.</p>
<p>When it comes to the Analysis of a Stock, Price Target plays a vital role. Analysts reported that the Price Target for SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. might touch $16 high while the Average Price Target and Low price Target is $13.95 and $12 respectively.</p>
<p>The Relative Volume of the company is 0.68 and Average Volume (3 months) is 2.83 million.</p>
<p>The company shows its Return on Assets (ROA) value of -8.6%. The Return on Equity (ROE) value stands at -55.2%. While it’s Return on Investment (ROI) value is 2.5%.</p>
<p>While looking at the Stock’s Performance, SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. currently shows a Weekly Performance of -8.71%, where Monthly Performance is -8.79%, Quarterly performance is -19.18%, 6 Months performance is -39.42% and yearly performance percentage is -38.69%. Year to Date performance value (YTD perf) value is -43%. The Stock currently has a Weekly Volatility of 5.58% and Monthly Volatility of 5.56%.</p> | Price Target Analysis SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. (SEAS) | false | https://newsline.com/price-target-analysis-seaworld-entertainment-inc-seas/ | 2017-11-28 | 1 |
<p><a href="" type="internal" />Sept. 10, 2012</p>
<p>By John Seiler</p>
<p>California leads the nation in one exemplary category. <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/2012_competitiveness_in_California_state_legislative_elections" type="external">According to Ballotpedia</a>, the best online resource for information on elections, the state has the most competitive elections:</p>
<p>“The <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/2012_state_legislative_elections_analyzed_using_a_Competitiveness_Index" type="external">Ballotpedia state legislative competitive index</a> looks at three factors: is the incumbent running for re-election in a district; if so, does he or she draw a primary challenge; and are there two major party candidates in the general election.</p>
<p>“Ballotpedia’s index is created by summing the three percentages and then dividing by three. Each state is given 1 point for each percentage. Then, the points are added up and divided by three to establish the index rating. 1 is least competitive and 100 equals most competitive. …</p>
<p>“California’s filing deadline was on March 9, 2012. It was the 11th state to be analyzed by Ballotpedia staff and the inclusion of its data brought the national index to 36.00 in 2012.</p>
<p>“In California, there are 100 total state legislative seats with elections in 2012 and most current incumbents are seeking re-election.</p>
<p>“Of those 100, <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_State_Senate" type="external">20 are State Senate</a> seats and <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_House_of_Representatives" type="external">80 are State House</a> seats. A total of 56 incumbents (56.0%) are seeking re-election this year. Just 20 (35.7%) incumbents running for re-election face primary opposition. Additionally, there are 44 (44.0%) districts where an incumbent is not seeking re-election within that district. For November’s general elections, there will be 92 (92.0%) seats where more than one major party candidate will appear on the ballot.”&#160;</p>
<p>That was an improvement over the previous election cycle, in 2010:</p>
<p>“In 2010, California ranked 11th in overall competitiveness.</p>
<p>“* 38.0% of Districts were open seats, increasing to 44.0% in 2012.</p>
<p>“* 9.7% of incumbents faced primary opposition, increasing to 35.7% in 2012.</p>
<p>“* 92.0% of Districts had more than one major party candidate in the general election, compared to 92.0% in 2012.</p>
<p>“* California’s 2010 competitiveness index was 46.6, compared to 57.2 in 2012.”&#160;</p> | Calif. leads in state electoral competitiveness | false | https://calwatchdog.com/2012/09/10/calif-leads-in-state-electoral-competitiveness/ | 2018-09-20 | 3 |
<p>Herewith a suggestion on how to improve the South Dakota Fairy Tale that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit has approved for reading to women before they undergo abortions. The case was Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, et al vs. Mike Rounds, et al. It pertained to a piece of legislation passed by the South Dakota legislature, a mostly male body that has, until now, unsuccessfully tried to tell women what they may and may not do with their bodies. Thanks to the Court it has finally succeeded.</p>
<p>The essence of the case was that although women may continue to get abortions in South Dakota, the physician performing the procedure is required to read aloud to the prospective mother. Under section 7 of the statute a woman is required to receive oral disclosures about the procedure she is about to undergo. Some of the information must be given orally AND in writing and other information only in writing although the language of the statute can be read to require that all information must be imparted orally by the physician.</p>
<p>Although the prescribed reading (and writing) is not the sort of thing the mother would read aloud to the child were the child to be born, it has a certain fairy tale like quality to it. Among the things the physician is required to tell the mother is that an abortion will “terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being,” that the woman has an “existing relationship with that unborn human being, ” that the relationship enjoys protection under the United States constitution and under laws of South Dakota” and that “by having an abortion, her existing relationship and her existing constitutional rights with regards to that relationship will be terminated.”</p>
<p>It is patently absurd to describe the embryo has a “whole” and a “separate” human being since whatever else it may be, it is neither whole, having many months to go before it achieves that state, nor is it “separate” since ordinarily it cannot survive outside the mother’s body at the time the abortion is performed. It is equally absurd to say that the “relationship” “enjoys protection under the United States Constitution” since it does not.</p>
<p>Sarah Stoesz, president of the regional Planned Parenthood office, said the statute represents an “unprecedented interference in the doctor-patient relationship and unprecedented interference in a woman’s life.” She also observed that the law is “non-science” based but as we have been taught by none other than the president of the United States and his minions, science is an elective subject whose proofs one may accept or reject based on one’s personal biases. And speaking of science, we are brought to the Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent pronouncement that if added to the South Dakota statute, will bring the number of abortions performed in South Dakota to zero.</p>
<p>The E.P.A. issued a report on July 19, 2008 that pertained to a matter with which few people knew the E.P.A. was concerned. The report said the value of a human life has gone down from $8.04 million to $7.22 million. That does not mean, as the report is careful to point out, that every reader of this column is worth that. Some will be worth more and others less and most readers know to which group they belong.</p>
<p>The reason it is important to know the value of a human life is that when you have the answer to that question you can decide whether certain governmental actions are worthwhile. If something is proposed that a governmental agency determines will save 50 lives and cost $500 million, the agency determines if the proposal makes sense by multiplying 50 lives times $7.22 million. If the product is less than $500 million, the project is abandoned and if more, it may be implemented. If, in that example, 200 people were affected, then the math would justify the cost.</p>
<p>Now that this information is available, the South Dakota legislature should promptly amend House Bill 1166 to include a requirement that the fairy tale be refined to add a section that will inform the woman that not only is she “terminating the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being” but she is also disposing of an asset that has a scientifically established value of $7.22 million. Armed with that scientifically correct information most women will immediately spring for the cash and abortions in South Dakota will come to an end. There will, of course, be a modicum of disappointment when the kid hits college age and the parent goes looking for the $7.22 million the parent knows was being stowed away. Parents will find, to their dismay, that the $7.22 million was, like much of the rest of the language in the South Dakota Fairy Tale, made up by ignorant busy bodies more interested in controlling women’s bodies than in educating their proprietors.</p>
<p>CHRISTOPHER BRAUCHLI is a lawyer living in Boulder, Colorado. He can be reached at: &#160; <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | South Dakota’s Abortion Fairy Tale | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/08/01/south-dakota-s-abortion-fairy-tale/ | 2008-08-01 | 4 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.