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<p>It's keeping people from their money, and delaying access to much-anticipated tax refunds. People who rely on prepaid debit card accounts are often poorer Americans who don't have traditional bank accounts.</p>
<p>Shannon King had her money frozen for two weeks. She had planned to use it for car repairs and to help pay for a move, both of which then had to be delayed. "It was very frustrating," King said.</p>
<p>King has a Wal-Mart MoneyCard, which is run by Green Dot. She said after her refund was deposited, Green Dot froze the card and asked her to send a picture of her Tennessee state identification card to verify the account. The process to release the money took more than two weeks, she had to submit photos of her ID a number of times - Green Dot said they weren't readable - and she says she spent hours on the phone with customer service agents to resolve the problem.</p>
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<p>The Associated Press reviewed documents sent to Green Dot by King, including her ID picture, and they appeared clear.</p>
<p>Prepaid debit card companies Green Dot, NetSpend and others say the problems are the result of tighter fraud protection measures. Both Green Dot and Wal-Mart have apologized, but emphasized the measures were there to protect their customers.</p>
<p>"We're working with the company to ensure that any customer service issues are resolved as quickly as possible," a spokeswoman for Wal-Mart said.</p>
<p>The card companies, along with the IRS, are trying to stem a tide of tax fraud by identity thieves. Criminals file bogus tax returns using other people's identities, claim a refund and collect the money. Many people do not know they are a victim until they try to file a legitimate return and are unable to.</p>
<p>The fraudsters often use prepaid debit cards to pull off their scams because the accounts can be relatively anonymous.</p>
<p>For example, in 2012 a Miami man was sentenced to five years in prison and three additional years of probation for filing nearly 500 fraudulent tax returns. Instead of having the refunds deposited in a bank or mailed, he had them electronically deposited to prepaid debit cards, including Green Dot, and gift cards. When he was arrested, prosecutors say the man had 11 Wal-Mart money cards loaded with more than $32,000 from fraudulent returns.</p>
<p>Tax and wage-related fraud was the most common form of identity theft reported to the FTC in 2015. It's on the rise - about 45 percent of the identity theft complaints to the FTC last year were tax or wage-related, up from 33 percent in 2014 and 30 percent in 2013.</p>
<p>The IRS says tax-related identity theft is one of its biggest challenges. In 2015, it stopped 1.4 million confirmed identity theft returns, totaling $8.7 billion. For criminals, the IRS makes for a quick, easy score: the IRS processes most returns in less than 21 days, and the average return was $2,797 last year.</p>
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<p>To combat the problem, the IRS held a security summit last year with states and tax-industry representatives to find ways to solve the problem together. As a result, efforts to fight fraud have intensified this year and banks and other prepaid debit card companies are tightening their protections.</p>
<p>The IRS and other industry representatives would not say if account delays or freezes were requested or required. But the IRS did say that it is working with banks and debit card issuers to obtain information that would be helpful in detecting and preventing fraud.</p>
<p>Green Dot estimates that 9,000 customers have had their accounts blocked this season, representing 0.2 percent of their customers. NetSpend, the second largest issuer, said they also have been freezing accounts, but declined to give a number impacted. American Express, which issues a prepaid debit card known as American Express Serve, also said it has been stepping up fraud protection measures.</p>
<p>A spokeswoman with American Express said customers can minimize the chances of being flagged for fraud by making sure their personal identification information on the account matches the information on their tax forms. And Jackson Hewitt, which uses American Express cards for its customers, requires two forms of ID to receive a prepaid bank product to help cut down on fraud.</p>
<p>While their intentions are good, the industry's efforts still are somewhat frustrating for people like King.</p>
<p>"I understand the reasons, but it shouldn't have taken two weeks," she said.</p>
<p>__</p>
<p>Ken Sweet contributed to this report from Phoenix. Sarah Skidmore Sell contributed to this report from Portland, Oregon.</p>
<p>Follow Ken Sweet on Twitter at @kensweet. Sarah Sell can be followed on Twitter at @sarahssell.</p> | Pre-paid card users, under scrutiny, find tax refunds frozen | false | https://abqjournal.com/736901/pre-paid-card-users-under-scrutiny-find-tax-refunds-frozen.html | 2 |
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<p>The organizers of the “Good Ol’ Honky Tonk Salute” are throwing a down-home affair—with barbecue, blue jeans, and country music—in honor of Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. They’re holding it hundreds of miles from Barton’s Dallas congressional district in a Manhattan banquet hall during this summer’s Republican National Convention. According to an energy industry lobbyist, the party’s hosts—who paid $20,000 a pop to help cover the expenses—include the Nuclear Energy Institute, the National Mining Association, and the power companies’ trade association, the Edison Electric Institute, all of which have closely followed Barton’s work on the latest energy legislation. “He’s a longtime friend,” says the lobbyist.</p>
<p>Friend, indeed. The McCain-Feingold campaign finance law was supposed to end such corporate-sponsored shindigs, prohibiting lawmakers from soliciting contributions for their convention events. The law didn’t, however, bar “friends” from independently hosting such events on behalf of members of Congress. And it didn’t outlaw senators and representatives from throwing convention fundraisers for their favorite charities. So in both New York and Boston, the site of the Democratic convention, these affairs have become yet another way for lobbyists to curry favor with legislators. The event planners are trying to make a splash with exclusive dinners, late-night parties at trendy clubs, and concerts with the Boston Pops and Lynyrd Skynyrd. “The convention parties are about influence and ego,” says W. Michael House, chairman of the legislative practice at Hogan &amp; Hartson, one of Washington, D.C.’s biggest lobbying firms.</p>
<p>For instance, Linda Bond, a party planner for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), faxed a memo to lobbyists last fall, warning that his convention party’s “success is hugely important to Senator Frist.” The September 1 gala at Rockefeller Center features a concert, a general reception, and a VIP reception showcasing “all of the Senator’s Republican Senate Colleagues,” the memo notes. A $250,000 gift brings 10 tickets to the VIP event, 50 tickets to the general reception and concert, and entrée to another VIP event with Frist at the convention itself. The proceeds go to a foundation established by Frist, World of Hope, which will divvy the post-party money among five global AIDS relief groups.</p>
<p>Another convention-related event that could have lobbyists lining up at the door is the August 30 “Salute to the Financial Services Committee,” which benefits a charity affiliated with Rep. Michael Oxley (R-Ohio), the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. A party planner says that Oxley’s bash is at the Rainbow Room atop Rockefeller Center and that Frank Sinatra Jr. will be performing. The organizers are asking for donations of up to $100,000 to the American Council for Excellence and Opportunity, which supports “programs that encourage and support free market philosophies.” Oxley is the group’s honorary chairman. Like all the charity-hosted events, the corporate contributions not only cover the party costs but are tax-deductible.</p>
<p>The Democratic convention also has its share of partying. According to one Democratic fundraiser, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Senator Ted Kennedy (Mass.) is being feted by eight “friends” throwing in $100,000 each for a private concert by the Boston Pops, which will perform a composition by John Williams, composer of the Star Wars theme. The gaming and mining industries are throwing a lunch for 40 people on July 26 in honor of Senator Harry Reid (Nev.), the Senate’s Democratic whip, according to Walton Chalmers, vice president of the American Gaming Association. And while Senator John Breaux (La.) is retiring this year, that hasn’t stopped him from continuing with plans for a reprise of his Mardi Gras bash from the convention four years ago. This one will be at the New England Aquarium, with performances by Ziggy Marley and Buckwheat Zydeco. One of the event’s organizers, Wayne Smith, a former Breaux chief of staff now lobbying for RJ Reynolds and Union Pacific, says that hosts are being asked to donate as much as $50,000 for a party costing up to a half-million dollars.</p>
<p>The conventions weren’t always so flush with corporate money. “The thing is out of control,” says House, the Hogan &amp; Hartson lobbyist. At the 1980 Democratic convention, he recalls, there was a small party financed by lobbyists, but another such event was not held among the Democrats until the 1988 convention in Atlanta. “Then the lobbyists said, ‘Hey, man, this is a great way to work members,'” House says. Over the next 12 years, corporations upped their spending on increasingly lavish affairs for members of Congress at both parties’ conventions. “1996 was hot, 2000 was obscene, and 2004 is going to be even worse,” House adds.</p>
<p>The excess has sparked a backlash, fueled by such campaign watchdog groups as Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and Democracy 21. In May, under attack from critics, Celebrations for Children, a charity affiliated with House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), canceled a week’s worth of convention-related festivities honoring the congressman. Around the same time, the insurance giant AFLAC called off its plans for a charity-benefit concert, “Rockin’ on the Dock of the Bay,” in honor of eight Southern Democratic senators.</p>
<p>Still, many lobbyists view these events as a golden opportunity. One politico actually organized a seminar in March for inside-the-Beltway lobbyists on how to throw convention parties in New York. According to the Washington Post, the invitation to the event advised, “Tens of millions of dollars will be spent by your clients and competitors during the GOP convention in New York.… Lasting impressions will be made; connections, branding and marketing opportunities created; and residual relationships formed.”</p>
<p>At the Republican convention, relationship building begins on Sunday, August 29, with a Lynyrd Skynyrd concert for senators Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Saxby Chambliss (Ga.) and several other Southern congressional Republicans. The sponsors include the Edison Electric Institute and the electric power company Southern Co., both of which gave $50,000, and Deloitte &amp; Touche, an accounting firm, which contributed $25,000. “People in politics are going to be at these events,” says Brandon Winfrey, a Republican fundraiser who is organizing the concert. “They are going to have fun; they are going to want to thank somebody. And whom are they going to be thankful to? The sponsors.”</p>
<p /> | Party Favors | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2004/07/party-favors/ | 2018-07-01 | 4 |
<p>Officials say several hundred African migrants tried to cross barbed-wire border fences to enter the Spanish enclave of Melilla from Morocco on Friday but most were turned back by security forces from both sides. Immigrants from all over Africa regularly dare the razor-wire fences of Spanish enclaves Ceuta and Melilla, which are surrounded by Moroccan territory and sea. European asylum rules and regulations have to be enforced in the enclaves, so once in Melilla or Ceuta, the immigrants are fed and given clothes and beds in special centers.</p>
<p /> | African Migrants Brave Razor Wire to Make New Home | false | http://nbcnews.com/news/photo/african-migrants-brave-razor-wire-make-new-home-n65936 | 2014-03-28 | 3 |
<p>CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Miami-Heat/" type="external">Miami Heat</a> gave coach <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Erik-Spoelstra/" type="external">Erik Spoelstra</a> a franchise record-tying 454th career victory on Friday night with a 104-98 win over the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Charlotte-Hornets/" type="external">Charlotte Hornets</a> at the Spectrum Center.</p>
<p>But Spoelstra had some reservations afterward about being tied with his mentor, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Pat_Riley/" type="external">Pat Riley</a>.</p>
<p>“That would seem like a misprint to me,” Spoelstra said when asked what it meant to tie Riley. “Pat has meant everything to me as a coach and as a mentor. I want to win tomorrow night, but I don’t want to pass Coach Riley in wins. We all think of him as the guy who should have all the records. He’s the one who built this, along with Mickey (Arison). So, I’m just humbled to be there.”</p>
<p>Spoelstra couldn’t celebrate until the final minute of a bizarre game.</p>
<p>The Heat led by 17 with less than seven minutes to go but the Hornets got as close as two in the final two minutes. Ultimately, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Dion-Waiters/" type="external">Dion Waiters</a> hit a jumper with 1:08 remaining to push a two-point lead to 102-98, and then after two Charlotte misses, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Goran_Dragic/" type="external">Goran Dragic</a> iced the game with two free throws with 9.0 seconds left.</p>
<p>“That’s the NBA,” Spoelstra said. “Sometimes even crazier things happen in this league. With the advent of the three-point shooting and the volume of three-point shooting, leads can go very fast. You have to be prepared to play a full 48 minutes.</p>
<p>“I like our guys having to go through all that stress and anxiety and having to execute under duress in the context of a close game. We still need to get better, but we’ll get there.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Tyler-Johnson/" type="external">Tyler Johnson</a> and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Wayne_Ellington/" type="external">Wayne Ellington</a> came off the bench to lead the Heat with 16 points apiece on a night when the Heat’s bench outscored the Hornets’ bench 51-35. Ellington was 5 of 10 from 3-point range and Johnson was a perfect 4 of 4 from beyond the arc.</p>
<p>The Heat also got 12 points from Waiters and 11 each from Josh Richardson, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/James_Johnson/" type="external">James Johnson</a>, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kelly-Olynyk/" type="external">Kelly Olynyk</a> and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Bam-Adebayo/" type="external">Bam Adebayo</a>.</p>
<p>The Heat (14-14) have now won three of their last four, and they feel they should have won what turned out to be a seven-point home loss to Portland on Wednesday night.</p>
<p>“Last game we felt like we should have won that,” Ellington said. “But it was good to get a good one tonight. I feel like we’re turning a corner. We’re heading in the right direction for sure. We’re realizing what our strengths are on the offensive end of the floor, and we realize where we need to be on the defensive end of the floor. If we continue to do that, we’re trending in the right direction.”</p>
<p>Ellington’s 3-pointer gave Miami a 94-77 lead with 7:30 remaining.</p>
<p>“Actually, in that stretch where we pulled away I thought it was our defense more than anything,” Ellington said. “We were really getting it done on the defensive end, and that enabled us to get out and run the floor and get some good looks.”</p>
<p>The Hornets (10-18) have now lost nine of their last 11. They received a chorus of boos from the Spectrum Center crowd during a time out when they were down 16 in the fourth, before the late surge. That’s the first time all season the Spectrum Center crowd has booed so loudly.</p>
<p>“We’re not slacking,” said Hornets associate head coach Stephen Silas, who again filled in for the ailing <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Steve-Clifford/" type="external">Steve Clifford</a>. “We’re not not playing hard at all. Some of those turnovers were not smart. So part of it is playing smarter. But part of it, to me, is also making shots. If we would have made some shots tonight, we would have had a better chance.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kemba_Walker/" type="external">Kemba Walker</a> led the Hornets with 25 points. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Dwight_Howard/" type="external">Dwight Howard</a> had 15 points and 16 rebounds. <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Michael-Kidd-Gilchrist/" type="external">Michael Kidd-Gilchrist</a> scored 13, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jeremy_Lamb/" type="external">Jeremy Lamb</a> 12 and <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Frank-Kaminsky/" type="external">Frank Kaminsky</a> 10. But the Hornets shot just 41 percent from the field and committed 17 turnovers.</p>
<p>“Sometimes they say it’s a make or miss league,” Silas said. “We had some open shots, like wide open shots, that we didn’t make. The ball was moving pretty well and they didn’t go for us. I mean, we shot 41 percent and they shot 50 percent. They just had stretches in the game where we turned the ball over and they came down and scored.”</p>
<p>NOTES: The Heat won the only previous game between the teams this season, 105-100 in Miami on Dec. 1. They will meet two more times. … The Heat were without C <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Hassan-Whiteside/" type="external">Hassan Whiteside</a> (left knee bone bruise), F Justise Winslow (left knee strain), G <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Rodney_McGruder/" type="external">Rodney McGruder</a> (left tibia surgery) and F Okara White (left foot surgery). … The Hornets were without F <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Cody-Zeller/" type="external">Cody Zeller</a> (left knee surgery). … The Hornets are now 2-5 since coach Steve Clifford left the team to deal with an unspecified health issue. There is still no time frame on Clifford’s return. … Both teams were coming off Wednesday losses. The Heat lost to Portland 102-95 at home, while the Hornets lost at Houston 108-96. … The Heat have been better on the road this season (9-7) than at home (5-7).</p> | Miami Heat hold off Charlotte Hornets | false | https://newsline.com/miami-heat-hold-off-charlotte-hornets/ | 2017-12-16 | 1 |
<p>Wall Street JournalWall Street Journal editor emeritus Robert L. Bartley, who <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB107107510671889000-H9jeoNglal2opyuZXqHb6aGm4,00.html" type="external">died</a> on Wednesday, "was the most consequential editor of his era and left the world both better and freer than he found it," says a WSJ editorial. "One of Bob's charms was that he would never have said this about himself." &gt; <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/11/obituaries/11BART.html" type="external">Bartley was perhaps most influential in area of economics (NYT/r.r.)</a> &gt; <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54653-2003Dec10.html" type="external">Bartley was sometimes considered aloof, disdainful of nemeses (WP)</a> &gt; <a href="http://daily.nysun.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:ArticleToMail&amp;Type=text/html&amp;Path=NYS/2003/12/11&amp;ID=Ar00800" type="external">"He kowtowed to no one, not even his heroes," says Lipsky (NY Sun)</a> &gt; <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/showcase/la-me-bartley11dec11.story" type="external">Bartley's long lulls in conversation drove NYT's Brooks mad (LAT)</a></p> | WSJ: Bartley resisted intellectual fads, political pressure | false | https://poynter.org/news/wsj-bartley-resisted-intellectual-fads-political-pressure | 2003-12-11 | 2 |
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<p>The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Stock Newsletters: Motley Fool Inside Value vs. Hidden Gems | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/02/26/stock-newsletters-motley-fool-inside-value-vs-hidden-gems.html | 2017-03-16 | 0 |
<p>I think of this game every time they raise the debt ceiling:</p>
<p />
<p>…and every time they pass a new appropriation without having the revenue to pay for it (which is currently every time they pass a new appropriation), every time there’s a new round of monetary “easing,” every time we get involved in a new country’s conflict, and pretty much every time Congress is in session.</p>
<p>Is it just me?</p> | Every time they raise the debt ceiling… | false | https://ivn.us/2012/08/09/every-time-they-raise-the-debt-ceiling/ | 2012-08-09 | 2 |
<p>From Voice of OC:</p>
<p>Amin David, former leader of the Latino group Los Amigos, is calling on Anaheim Police Chief John Welter to investigate emails sent by Councilwoman Kris Murray to city staff on behalf of her employer, Willdan Group.</p>
<p>David wrote in a letter to Welter dated Jan. 6 that he has “been deeply troubled to read news reports that indicated Anaheim City Councilwoman Kris Murray may have unlawfully used her position to benefit her employer.”</p>
<p>“As an active and concerned Anaheim resident, I request that your office conduct a formal investigation into this potential crime,” David wrote.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.voiceofoc.org/oc_north/article_86d48a74-3e3e-11e1-bbe0-0019bb2963f4.html" type="external">(Read Full Article)</a> <a href="" type="internal" /></p> | Anaheim Councilwoman’s Emails May Be Investigated | false | http://capoliticalreview.com/trending/activist-wants-police-to-investigate-anaheim-councilwomans-actions/ | 2012-01-14 | 1 |
<p>Tax cuts are complicated. That’s why the party in power hopes you just believe the rhetoric and pay no attention to the details. &#160;Ah, but the devil is in the details and the Senate tax plan could have hellish consequences if you’re not (bigly) rich.&#160; Fox example, to pay for these huge tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, something’s got to give. &#160;That something happens to be millions of lower income Americans who will no longer have healthcare, or frankly much of a tax cut. &#160;Here’s a great analysis from the&#160; <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/blog/senate-tax-bill-would-add-13-million-to-uninsured-to-pay-for-tax-cuts-of-nearly-100000-per-year" type="external">Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.</a></p>
<p>The congressional tax bills’ tradeoffs were already stark: deficit-financed tax cuts sharply skewed to the highest-income households would ultimately have to be paid for with budget cuts or tax increases&#160; <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/budget-briefs-the-republican-two-step-fiscal-agenda" type="external">likely to harm</a>&#160;low- and middle-income households. But these tradeoffs are now even clearer: 13 million Americans would become uninsured to finance tax cuts of nearly $100,000 for those at the very top of the income scale.</p>
<p>But wait, it gets better, at least for corporations. &#160;Republicans have decided to make the corporate tax cuts permanent. &#160;That’s gutsy. At least they’ve finally shown their cards. &#160; <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/senate-gop-tax-plan-obamacare-corporate-rate-2017-11" type="external">Business Insider</a> looks at what is a giant cooperate giveaway.</p>
<p>The tax cuts for just us common folks have an expiration date. &#160;The American public isn’t buying it. According to a new poll from <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2501" type="external">Quinnipiac:&#160;</a></p>
<p>American voters disapprove 52 – 25 percent of the Republican tax plan. Republican voters approve 60 – 15 percent, with 26 percent undecided. All other party, gender, education, age and racial groups disapprove.&#160;“The sentiment from voters: The GOP tax plan is a great idea, if you are rich. Otherwise, you’re out of luck.”</p>
<p>But this is much more than luck. &#160;Sly and skillful politicians are about to leave the middle class holding the bag, and it’s not filled with money.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Senate Tax Plan Great News for Top 0.1%; But Adds 13 Million To Uninsured | false | https://newsandguts.com/senate-tax-plan-great-news-top-0-1-adds-13-million-uninsured/ | 2017-11-15 | 3 |
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<p>If you have experienced long hold times and inefficient service from the IRS, please know that you aren’t alone. Even professionals have sat on hold for lengthy periods.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Just a few years ago, tax experts could usually count on speaking with a human almost immediately after dialing the agency. That’s no longer the case.</p>
<p>IRS customer service personnel are not happy with the situation either. Budget cuts have led to staffing limitation, and existing workers are feeling the impact. The situation not only creates stress for IRS employees, but also for taxpayers who must tolerate what feels like an endless wait to get a resolution of their tax problems.</p>
<p>A great part of this problem came from the agency’s 2013 $618 million budget cut. As a result, customer service was vastly reduced and employee compensation was reduced by $276 million. This included furloughing employees for three days.</p>
<p>Enforcement personnel and audit staff also received cuts. Audits went down 5% and individual return audits declined to 1,404,931 from 1,481,966 in full year 2012. Collection activities such as “taxpayer liens, levies, and property seizures declined from 3,669,663 in FY 2012 to 2,457,647 in FY 2013, an approximately 33 percent decrease,” according to Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).</p>
<p>But all of that is about to change.</p>
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<p>President Obama has revealed his proposed 2015 budget, which includes a $1.2 billion increase to $12.5 billion from the current $11.3 billion—an 11% increase.</p>
<p>At the end of April, TIGTA said the IRS wants to focus on improving customer services, increase compliance and combat fraud.&#160; “The IRS’s role is unique within the Federal Government in that it collects the revenue that funds the Government and administers the Nation’s tax laws. It also works to protect Federal revenue by detecting and preventing the growing risk of fraudulent tax refunds and other improper payments,” TIGTA said in the statement.</p>
<p>The IRS is tasked with enforcing the Affordable Care Act’s&#160; penalties and policing its subsidies. The president’s signature legislation requires most Americans to have insurance by March 31 for 2014 or face a penalty of $95 a year or 1% of their income for failing to comply.</p>
<p>Several years ago, the IRS received a budget increase but the monies were allocated primarily to systems modernization (computers) and enforcement. In fact, customer service received a cut to their operations at that time. However, the allocation tables for 2015 show a different story. Customer service will receive an injection of 7.5% increase to their budget.</p>
<p>More and more taxpayers are becoming aware of online solutions to their tax concerns. If you want quick information on the rules, want to set up an installment agreement or check the status of your tax refund, don’t wait on hold to speak to someone, <a href="http://www.irs.gov" type="external">go here Opens a New Window.</a> to find the answers.</p> | 2015 IRS Budget: What it Means for Taxpayers | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2014/05/15/2015-irs-budget-what-it-means-for-taxpayers.html | 2016-03-06 | 0 |
<p>Melania Trump, wife of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, speaks in Pennsylvania on Thursday.Patrick Semansky/AP</p>
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<p>Melania Trump booked 10 paid modeling gigs in the United States in 1996 before formally receiving a legal work visa, <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/37dc7aef0ce44077930b7436be7bfd0d/trumps-wife-modeled-us-prior-getting-work-visa" type="external">according to a report published by the Associated Press late Friday night</a>.</p>
<p>New documents uncovered by the AP—including financial ledgers and contracts—contradict Trump’s <a href="https://twitter.com/MELANIATRUMP/status/776050512772886529" type="external">account</a> in September that she “correctly went through the legal process when arriving in the USA.”</p>
<p>The 1996 modeling assignments for the Slovenia-born model, then Melania Knauss, totaled $20,056 and occurred in the seven weeks before she received her work visa, according to the AP.</p>
<p>The documents obtained by the AP show she was paid for 10 modeling assignments between Sept. 10 and Oct. 15, during a time when her visa allowed her generally to be in the U.S. and look for work but not perform paid work in the country. The documents examined by the AP indicate that the modeling assignments would have been outside the bounds of her visa.</p>
<p>Questions about Trump’s early immigration status have swirled ever since the New York Post <a href="http://nypost.com/2016/07/30/melania-trump-like-youve-never-seen-her-before/" type="external">published racy photo-spreads of the GOP nominee’s wife</a> in August. At the time, the tabloid reported the photos were taken in Manhattan in 1995, raising the <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/melania-trump-immigration-donald-226648" type="external">possibility</a> that Trump worked without proper authorization. Trump’s lawyer, Michael J. Wildes, issued a statement flatly denying the story, and the French photographer who shot the photo spread <a href="" type="internal">later told Mother Jones</a> he couldn’t remember the exact date of the shoot. (The Post corrected its story to note the photo shoot took place in 1996,and appeared in a 1997 issue of French Max magazine.)</p>
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<p>Mother Jones <a href="" type="internal">first reported in August</a> that Donald Trump’s own prestigious modeling agency, Trump Model Management, used foreign models without proper work visas—a common practice in the modeling industry. Two former models recounted stories of being encouraged to lie to customs officials when traveling to the US on tourist visas. Their time working in New York City effectively became a lengthy audition for work visas.</p>
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<p>According to a personal&#160; <a href="" type="internal">financial disclosure</a> that Donald Trump filed in May, he earned nearly $2 million from the company, in which he holds an 85 percent stake.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Donald Trump has continued to pursue hard-line anti-immigration policies in the lead-up to Tuesday’s election. <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/donald-trump-immigration-plan-deport-all-criminal-aliens-republican-nominee-promises-2441547" type="external">“We will deport all criminal aliens,”</a> he declared to a rally in Selma, North Carolina on Thursday. He has also promised a crackdown on visitors to the United States who overstay their visas, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-idUSKCN1120SF" type="external">saying</a> that when any American citizen “loses their job to an illegal immigrant, the rights of that American citizen have been violated.”</p>
<p /> | Report: Melania Trump Worked in the United States Without a Visa | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2016/11/melania-trump-immigration-associated-press-visa-illegal/ | 2016-11-05 | 4 |
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<p>From science fiction written by Isaac Asimov eight decades ago to “Dilbert” cartoons today, the relationship between robots and humans has long fascinated — and worried — people.</p>
<p>There’s even a term, “robophobia,” for an irrational anxiety about robots and other advanced automation machines.</p>
<p>And there are concerns beyond the ones stoked by watching too much “Terminator .”</p>
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<p>Apple computer pioneer Steve Wozniak once suggested that robots would turn us into their pets . Physicist Stephen Hawking and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk have also warned about the dangers of going too far, too quickly, in developing “thinking robots” with programmed intelligence that might keep evolving self-awareness, similar to the humanoids in the HBO series “Westworld .”</p>
<p>Hawking told the BBC in 2014 that “development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”</p>
<p>So there’s that.</p>
<p>Researchers vary in projections on how long from now, if ever, such a threat could exist.</p>
<p>For now, deaths by robot are very rare among industrial accidents. However, in July 2015, a 57-year-old technician was killed by a robotic machine in an Ionia, Michigan, plant that makes auto bumpers, trailer hitches and chrome-plated plastics. Her husband filed a federal lawsuit, being contested by the defendants, alleging a malfunctioning robot took her “by surprise,” crushing her head.</p>
<p>As chief technology officer for a private-public effort to facilitate robotic solutions in U.S. manufacturing, professor Howie Choset of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh sees the fear of robots taking jobs making his mission tougher.</p>
<p>“You have to start this discussion with the baseline that automation and innovation creates jobs,” he said, by leading to new products and processes and the new jobs to make and operate them.</p>
<p>“Then you have to ask yourself, why would robots be different? And people are very quick to say, ‘Well, robots are intelligent, they do what humans can do,’ and there’s this fear that was sort of instilled by science fiction.”</p>
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<p>Comparing fear of robots to 19th-century worries about steam engines, Choset said: “Robots are just the next generation of tools.”</p>
<p>Singer Aimee Mann, with help from actress Laura Linney, humorously depicted the danger of letting robots help you too much in this music video .</p>
<p>And Choset was amused by a recent “Dilbert ” strip about the boss’ inability to stop a robot worker who decided to quit.</p>
<p>Chris Boggess, 18, found the 2004 movie “I, Robot ,” about a rogue killer robot drawn from Asimov stories, frightening, but he has come to understand and appreciate their potential through the Butler Tech robotics program at Colerain High School near Cincinnati.</p>
<p>“The first day I walked in, I fell in love. I knew this was where I needed to be,” Boggess said. “I like robots, anything about technology.”</p>
<p>And if some day thinking robots acquired the ability to threaten humans, he said, “I would probably try to make friends with them.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>See other Future of Work stories at https://www.apnews.com/tag/FutureofWork . Follow Dan Sewell at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/dansewell" type="external">http://www.twitter.com/dansewell</a></p>
<p>This is part of the first installment of Future of Work, an Associated Press series that will explore how workplaces across the U.S. and the world are being transformed by technology and global pressures. As more employers move, shrink or revamp their work sites, many employees are struggling to adapt. At the same time, workers with in-demand skills or knowledge are benefiting. Advanced training, education or know-how is becoming a required ticket to the 21st-century workplace.</p> | From Isaac Asimov to Aimee Mann, ‘robophobia’ plagues humans | false | https://abqjournal.com/1048854/from-isaac-asimov-to-aimee-mann-robophobia-plagues-humans.html | 2017-08-16 | 2 |
<p>A <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-06/14yo-nsw-boy-arrested-in-bali-over-drugs/3318286" type="external">14-year-old boy from Australia</a> could face a lengthy jail term in <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/fourteen-year-old-boy-from-new-south-wales-in-australia-arrested-in-indonesias-bali-on-drug-charges/story-e6frf7jx-1226160495991" type="external">Indonesia</a> after allegedly being caught with marijuana while on holiday in <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/14yearold-boy-arrested-in-bali-20111006-1lbey.html#ixzz1Zzb9RzMe" type="external">Bali</a>.</p>
<p>News Limited reported that he was allegedly caught on Tuesday with 6.9 grams gross of marijuana or 3.6 grams net.</p>
<p>The schoolboy, from the state of NSW, is now being held at police headquarters in Denpasar, AAP reports.</p>
<p>The maximum jail term for anyone convicted of a possession charge is 12 years' jail.</p>
<p>Even more concerning is that there is no juvenile justice system in Indonesia so he could be placed in an adult prison though he could also be placed into his parents' custody.</p>
<p>He is the youngest Australian to be arrested in Indonesia under its harsh anti-drug laws which allow for the death penalty for trafficking.</p>
<p>The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has said he has not been charged, ABC reports.</p>
<p>The Herald Sun reported that it was alleged that the boy bought the marijuana when he was on his way to get a massage in Kuta and that he has told police during interrogations that the dealer approached him, saying that he hadn't eaten for a day and needed money.</p>
<p>It is understood he said he paid 250,000 Rupiah for the marijuana or about $25, the Herald Sun reports.</p>
<p>After he had finished at his massage, it is understood the boy was then arrested by police on Tuesday afternoon.</p>
<p>He has been visited in the jail cells by Australian Consular officials in Bali.</p>
<p>His parents are in Bali with him and they are seeking the advice of a high profile lawyer who has previously handled cases for other Australians on drug charges in Bali.</p>
<p>DFAT says Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has directed Australian officials to make the boy's release their top priority.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Australian boy arrested in Bali over marijuna | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-10-06/australian-boy-arrested-bali-over-marijuna | 2011-10-06 | 3 |
<p>Across the country, the growing popularity of mountain biking is increasingly a threat to our wildlands, even in designated wilderness. Some mountain biking advocates promote the idea that their sport is compatible with the goals, and even the legal obligations of federal land management agencies that manage wilderness.</p>
<p>Yet my feeling is that mountain bikers and their machines are a threat to the legal, ecological, and philosophical foundations of the Wilderness Act and public lands management. I say this as someone who regularly rides a mountain bike.</p>
<p>A small minority of the most aggressive mountain bikers have formed the Sustainable Trails Coalition (STC) to sponsor legislation to open designated wilderness to mountain biking. Republican Congressman Tom McClintock of California introduced HR 1349 to Amend the Wilderness Act to allow wheeled vehicles like bicycles and Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah has introduced the introduced the Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Areas Act, S.3205 to the same purpose. Both pieces of legislation are aimed at busting open the 1964 Wilderness Act to biking and other uses.</p>
<p>Of the six sponsors of current House Bill, 5 of them have a 0% Rating and the 6th one has a whopping 3% Rating by the League of Conservation Voters in 2016.</p>
<p>One must question why they would be so interested in sponsoring legislation that modifies the Wilderness Act if not for some nebulous purpose.</p>
<p>Indeed, if mountain bikes are permitted in Wilderness, why not other forms of mechanical advantage?</p>
<p>The threat posed by this legislative effort is opposed by 133 organizations that signed a letter to Congress opposed to weakening or modifying the Wilderness Act. Indeed, to its credit, even the International Mountain Biking Association or IMBA has opposed this legislation.</p>
<p>A common distortion utilized by the aggressive mountain biker community to suggest they are being treated unfairly is the idea that the Wilderness Act did not specifically ban bicycles. As the STC proclaims on its web site “When the President of the United States signed the Wilderness Act of 1964 he wasn’t banning bicycles, wheelbarrows, and strollers.”</p>
<p>In fact, the Wilderness Act is clear in its intent. The opening preamble declares “In order to assure that an increasing population, accompanied by expanding settlement and growing mechanization, does not occupy and modify all areas within the United States and its possessions, leaving no lands designated for preservation and protection in their natural condition, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the Congress to secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness.”</p>
<p>It is clear the Act was intended to be an antidote to “growing mechanization.”</p>
<p>The Act goes even further by declaring that federal agencies must “preserve the wilderness character”.</p>
<p>Finally, in its prohibition of uses, the Wilderness Act says: “there shall be no temporary road, no use of motor vehicles, motorized equipment or motorboats, no landing of aircraft, no other form of mechanical transport, and no structure or installation within any such area.”</p>
<p>The Wilderness Act clearly intended to exclude any “mechanical transport” which includes bicycles. The fact that the Wilderness Act didn’t specifically mention mountain bikes has a lot to do with the fact that there were no mountain bikes in 1964. The Act does not specifically ban snowmobiles, jet skis, paragliding, hovercraft and a wide array of other forms of “mechanical transport” but the intent of the Wilderness Act is clear. No mechanization and mechanical transport.</p>
<p>The purpose of the wilderness act is to preserve the wilderness character of the areas to be included in the wilderness system, not to establish any particular recreational use. Howard Zahniser, who authored the Wilderness Act, made this clear when he testified before Congress. “Recreation is not necessarily the dominant use of an area of wilderness.&#160;&#160;This should be clearly emphasized.”</p>
<p>Beyond the clear legal mandate to ban mountain bikes, there are ecological reasons to oppose the growing plague of mountain bikes on backcountry trails. Unlike non-mechanical means of access such as hiking, mountain bikes, and their mechanical advantage permits more rapid travel. The distance that a mountain bike can cover in a day means that many previously remote areas of our backcountry and wildlands are intruded upon by human activity.</p>
<p>Many wildlife species experience increased tension and anxiety when there is human presence. For instance, a study published by UC Santa Cruz scientists from found that mountain lions in the Santa Cruz mountains are disturbed by the sound of human voices. These fearful encounters are causing the carnivores to flee their kill sites and reduces their feeding time by 50%.</p>
<p>Certainly, mountain lions will react to hikers just as they may to mountain bikers, but the greater distance that a bike can cover in a day means the chances for encounters between wildlife and humans is greatly increased.</p>
<p>Wilderness is the “gold standard” for conservation. Wilderness designation not only protects wildness but evolutionary processes and influences like wildfire, floods, and predators.&#160;&#160;Mountain bikers suggest that land classifications such as National Recreation Area, Conservation Area, Backcountry or other designation can achieve the same results of land protection as Wilderness. I know of no examples that are as good for land protection as Wilderness.</p>
<p>For instance, the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana had the highest wilderness rating under RARE11 in the entire lower 48 states, yet the bulk of this outstanding area was designated a conservation area by the Rocky Mountain Heritage Act, in part to appease mountain biker opposition to wilderness. And unlike designated Wilderness, the Conservation Area allows the construction of “temporary roads”, use of motorized vehicles for “vegetation management” a euphemism for logging, as well as motorized access for managing grazing, and weed control. It also authorizes logging for fuel reduction and insects. It further mandates construction of more mountain biking trails. While the new designation is better than the status quo, this is hardly as good as wilderness.</p>
<p>As anyone who has studied Conservation Biology knows, the largest habitat island, the more species it can support. By “shrinking” wilderness through additional access, we reduce the habitat effectiveness of the areas. With the mechanical advantage offered by modern mountain bikes which are increasingly efficient, the places where there is human intrusion is growing proportionally.</p>
<p>With the burgeoning human footprint upon the Earth, we need to provide wilderness landscapes where human intrusions are minimized and provide security and safety for wildlife.</p>
<p>Some mountain bikers argue that bikes do less damage to trails than horses which are permitted in designated wilderness. Notwithstanding the fact that horse use is not widespread in many wilderness areas, the horses are worse argument is a red herring. How does increasing wilderness access with another form of transportation reduce horse impacts? It only adds to the cumulative effects of all access.</p>
<p>It is not only designated wilderness that is threatened by mountain biking advocates. Many existing Wilderness Study Areas and roadless lands that have been identified for their wilderness qualities as potential new wilderness are under attack from mountain bikers.</p>
<p>For example, recently the Freedom Riders, a mountain bike group in Wyoming supported Congress Woman Lynn Cheney’s efforts to open the Palisades Wilderness Study Area to mountain biking.</p>
<p>There are also philosophical reasons to oppose mountain biking. The Wilderness Act states and implies that the primary purpose of our national wilderness system is to preserve the “natural condition” and “wilderness character” of the land. It is not about protecting or creating recreational opportunities.</p>
<p>Mountain biking is exemplified by speed and requires concentration. We are separated from nature in so many ways today with cell phones, cars, videos and the like that we seldom have a quiet interaction with the natural world. Speed robs you of the natural interactions.</p>
<p>All you must do is look at the covers of mountain biking magazines where riders are often airborne and careening downhill to understand what is important to the aggressive mountain biker. Indeed, the aggressive mountain bikers do not differ significantly from dirt bikers and other thrillcraft in their appearance and behavior.</p>
<p>Or scan the names of mountain bike brands. There is Cannondale Bad Habit, Cannondale Scalpel Cannondale Trigger, Evil Bikes, GT Aggressor, GT Fury, Marin Attack, Scott Voltage, and Titan Punisher. What kind of behavior do you think these bike manufacturers are promoting?</p>
<p>At its heart the basic premise of the Wilderness Act, it is about restraint and humidity. It is about countering the paradigm of conquest, domination, and exploitation.</p>
<p>Our obligation is to pass on to future generations wild places. Mountain biking diminishes that wildness.</p>
<p>The reason we protect wilderness is not about me or us. It’s about protecting landscapes for the rest of life that we share the planet with and providing those creatures a viable home as well as preserving the wildness in nature.</p>
<p>What we do when we protect wilderness is we create an alternative to the prevailing paradigm of domination, conquest, and colonization. Wilderness preservation offers a new narrative about communion and reciprocity. About humility, wonder, and reverence.</p> | Mountain Biking and Wilderness | true | https://counterpunch.org/2018/02/09/mountain-biking-and-wilderness/ | 2018-02-09 | 4 |
<p>At least 20 protesters were detailed outside the Russian parliament today as lawmakers debated a new law that would slap heavy fines on those accused of violating protest guidelines, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/05/us-russia-protests-idUSBRE8540KF20120605" type="external">reported Reuters</a>.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost:&#160; <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/russia/120531/russian-police-detain-dozens-at-anti-putin-rallies" type="external">Russian police detain dozens at anti-Putin rallies</a></p>
<p>The new law, proposed by the ruling&#160;United Russia party dominating parliament, would boost penalties to&#160;1 million roubles ($30,000) for protest organizers and 300,000 roubles ($9,000) for demonstrators, said Reuters. Protesters are currently fined some 2,000 roubles (under $30), <a href="http://rt.com/politics/protests-duma-russia-013/" type="external">according to Russia Today</a>.</p>
<p>The move follows <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/russia/120531/russian-police-detain-dozens-at-anti-putin-rallies" type="external">fresh rallies against Russian President Vladimir Putin</a> last week as well as opposition calls for a massive anti-government protest on June 12.</p>
<p>Opposition lawmakers today put forth some 350 amendments in an effort to delay the legislation, with opposition leader Sergei Mitrokhin describing it as a "monstrous bill which will essentially ban people from protesting," <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/05/us-russia-protests-idUSBRE8540KF20120605" type="external">according to Reuters</a>.&#160;Mitrokhin was later among those arrested.</p>
<p>Human Rights Watch <a href="http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/06/04/russia-reject-restrictions-peaceful-assembly" type="external">issued a statement Monday</a> condemning the bill, saying it violates the 31st article of Russian constitution, which guarantees the right to free assembly.</p>
<p>With protest activity in Russia on the rise in recent months, opposition parliamentarian and Duma deputy Gennady Gudkov <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/05/us-russia-protests-idUSBRE8540KF20120605" type="external">told Reuters</a> that the legislation underscores the Russian leadership's&#160;"fear of the people."</p> | Russia: 20 arrested as parliament debates controversial rally bill | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-06-04/russia-20-arrested-parliament-debates-controversial-rally-bill | 2012-06-04 | 3 |
<p>Mike Rowe is well known for saying profound and incredibly insightful things on social media, even as Twitter and Facebook descend into an abyss of political sniping and angry retorts.</p>
<p>His response to a reeling Las Vegas resident is, of course, no exception.</p>
<p>A woman named Molly Carr wrote to Mike on Facebook, asking if he had any words for the hurting city. “I live in Las Vegas, and I’ve seen you here often. Once, in the lobby at Mandalay Bay. We’re all shattered here, obviously. A comforting word from you would go a long way.”</p>
<p>Mike responded, without hesitation, fondly recalling the time he spent at Mandalay Bay while working on his Discovery Channel show, Dirty Jobs.</p>
<p>“There are no words, Molly, at least in my vocabulary, to bring you the comfort you seek,” he wrote. “But there are people among us who restore my faith in the species, even as others seek to rob me of it."</p>
<p>“I’m not surprised you saw me at the Mandalay,” he continued. “I cleaned their shark tank back in 2006, and I’ve stayed there at least thirty times since. Maybe that’s why my initial thoughts about this latest tragedy were so random and strange. Even before I imagined myself in the thick of the chaos, (as I always do,) and even before I thanked God that I wasn’t, (as I don’t do enough,) I found myself wondering if I had used the same elevator as the killer. Isn’t that odd?”</p>
<p>Rowe then delved into his own psyche, wrestling with his presumed connection to the Las Vegas mass shooter, Stephen Paddock, trying to reason with having walked the same halls and, perhaps, even stayed in the same room.</p>
<p>“As people were being murdered in the most cowardly way imaginable, by a creature I can barely think of as human, I lay in my bed at home, stunned and horrified – wondering if I had stood in the same box and pushed the same buttons as the man now destroying countless lives and families,” Rowe wrote. “Since I’ve ridden all the elevators at Mandalay, I determined that the answer was yes."</p>
<p>“I then wondered if the killer and I had shared the same barstool in the lobby? Had we swam in the same pool, or chatted up the same bellman, or played a hand of blackjack at the same table? Had we slept in the same bed?”</p>
<p>It turns out that it's very possible: Rowe says he stayed on Mandalay Bay's 32nd floor, in one of the King Panoramic suites, which offers a wall of windows with a sweeping view of the strip. It was the same view Paddock requested, so that he could get a clear line of sight to the country music festival below.</p>
<p>“I remember looking down at the sprawling, empty space 300 feet below my window,” he continued. “The same sprawling space that was recently filled with thousands of people having a good time, right up until they weren’t, courtesy of a monster.”</p>
<p>He was struck, he said, by "how unknowingly we rub elbows with evil.”</p>
<p>“They look just like us. And so we dine with them in restaurants, unknowingly. We walk by them in shopping malls, sit next to them in theaters, and maybe even hold the door for them as they smile and nod in thanks."</p>
<p>Rowe then turned to the city of Las Vegas, in the hopes of offering some solace in the midst of a devastating tragedy that has now rocked a city to its core. He encouraged his fans to see the good in the people that ran to the rescue, and those who selflessly gave their own lives to protect their friends and family members.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Molly. I know these are not comforting words. The world is as uncertain as the people in it, and we share this rock with some very uncertain folks. But we also share it with living proof that hope will never die. Take comfort in men who threw themselves over other people’s children. They are no less real than the killer, and they are still with us. Take comfort in the woman who loaded wounded strangers into her car and drove them out of harm’s way. Take comfort in the hundreds of first responders who risk their lives every day, and the hundreds of anonymous citizens who stood in line to give their blood. Take comfort in the fact all good people are shattered, and that you are not alone.”</p>
<p>“There are no words, Molly, at least in my vocabulary, to bring you the comfort you seek,” Rowe went on. “But there are people among us who restore my faith in the species, even as others seek to rob me of it. I can introduce you to those people. That’s what I’ve tried to do with my little slice of cyber space, and that’s what I can do today. The same thing I do every Tuesday.”</p>
<p>Towards the end, Rowe reminded his fans of an episode of Dirty Jobs that he spent with a woman named "Ginger," who, along with a group of fellow aunts and grandmothers, travels around the country serving soup to first responders who are helping around the clock in a tragedy. He used Ginger's story to remind his fans that while tragedy is often a reminder of the worst in people, it's also often a reminder that there is incredible good in humanity.</p> | Mike Rowe Offers An AMAZING, Comforting Response To The Las Vegas Shooting | true | https://dailywire.com/news/21955/mike-rowe-offers-amazing-comforting-response-las-emily-zanotti | 2017-10-04 | 0 |
<p>On Friday, a left-wing student ate a flier promoting Daily Wire editor-in-chief Ben Shapiro’s forthcoming speaking event at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, presumably as some form of political protest.</p>
<p>Berkeley College Republican secretary and Daily Wire contributor <a href="" type="internal">Bradley Devlin</a> observed the flier-eating student while promoting Shapiro’s scheduled talk:</p>
<p>In a statement to The Daily Wire, Devlin described the “childish antics” as common across the UC Berkeley campus:</p>
<p>"I mean, he ate it," said Devlin. "I’m not sure if he swallowed, though. These types of childish antics are all too common on the Berkeley campus."</p>
<p>A left-wing group named "Speak Out Now" is calling for the obstruction of conservative and right-wing speakers.</p>
<p>UC Berkeley's administration <a href="" type="internal">has thus far refused</a> to release tickets for Shapiro's upcoming event, scheduled for September 14.</p>
<p>H/T Eric Shaffer at <a href="https://loneconservative.com/2017/09/01/berkeley-students-eat-paper-shut-milo-and-ben/" type="external">Lone Conservative</a>.</p>
<p>Follow Robert Kraychik on <a href="https://twitter.com/kr3ch3k" type="external">Twitter</a>.</p> | Berkeley Student EATS Shapiro Speech Flyers To Fight Fascism, Or Something | true | https://dailywire.com/news/20546/berkeley-student-eats-shapiro-speech-flyers-fight-robert-kraychik | 2017-09-01 | 0 |
<p>America First Policies, a political action group that backs President Donald Trump, has produced a digital advertisement calling on the public to “Turn off the NFL,” in an attempt to support the president’s attack on the sports league, <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/henrygomez/donald-trumps-allies-start-nfl-boycott-ad-campaign?utm_term=.sm17kaJBX#.rcoY2er70" type="external">BuzzFeed News</a> reported on Sunday.</p>
<p>“Turn off the NFL,” reads a digital ad produced by the nonprofit America First Policies. The ad shows a photo with Trump, hand over his heart, and a #TakeAStandNotAKnee hashtag. The ad appeared in the wake of Trump’s call to fire professional football players who have protested police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem.</p>
<p>A draft version of the ad states, “Rather than watch the NFL disrespect our country… turn on something that honors the great men and women who make sacrifices to protect our freedom and what our Great American Flag stands for. Thank you to our great Veterans!”</p>
<p>The ad will target professional football fans who expressed an interest in voting for Trump in the campaign, according to <a href="http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20805209/political-action-committee-supporting-president-trump-begins-ad-campaign-nfl" type="external">ESPN</a>.</p>
<p>NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and numerous club owners, as well as players, have criticized the president’s remarks.</p>
<p>America First Policies has consistently supported Trump’s agenda and policies on other issues as well.</p> | Pro-Trump Political Group Launches Ad to 'Turn Off The NFL' | false | https://newsline.com/pro-trump-political-group-launches-ad-to-turn-off-the-nfl/ | 2017-09-24 | 1 |
<p>AUSTRALIANews.com.auBy Gerald McManusMay 25, 2003</p>
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<p>BESIEGED Governor-General Peter Hollingworth has lashed out at the parents of a child who was allegedly sexually abused by a coach, as he defended himself against the latest attack on his fitness for the job.The astonishing attack was launched by Mr Andy Reynolds, hired recently to manage the public relations disaster overtaking Dr Hollingworth.</p>
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<p>He makes claims this newspaper will not publish about the family of the child at the centre of the latest allegations.</p>
<p>The Sunday Herald Sun believes the claims threaten the family's wellbeing and is withholding them.</p>
<p>The unprecedented attack comes after Dr Hollingworth became embroiled in a controversy over a letter he wrote which, to some observers, appears to suggest the child, 14, initiated an alleged sexual relationship with the coach at a Queensland school.</p>
<p>In the letter, sent to Brisbane Anglican Archbishop Phillip Aspinall on May 16, Dr Hollingworth says the child "started" a relationship with the coach.</p>
<p>The Governor-General spent yesterday at Yarralumla, his official Canberra residence, "seeking guidance from God".</p>
<p /> | Hollingworth lashes out | false | https://poynter.org/news/hollingworth-lashes-out | 2003-05-24 | 2 |
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<p>Image source: Stockmonkeys.com via Flickr.</p>
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<p>ACADIA Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ: ACAD)investors have a lot of news to look forward to over the coming months. The company recently launched Nuplazid, aParkinson's disease psychosis therapy, and Q3 results should provide insight into how quickly it's gaining traction with doctors. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals also plans to release data from a mid-stage trial evaluatingNuplazid in Alzeimer's disease psychosis soon, and if that trial is a success, it could significantly expand Nuplazid'saddressable target market.</p>
<p>Is ACADIA Pharmaceuticals about to deliver investors a couple of big wins? Let's take a closer look.</p>
<p>Parkinson's disease psychosis, or PDP, affects about 40% of the 1 million patients who suffer from Parkinson's disease, and despite its PDP's prevalence, doctors have found few ways to successfully treat it.Historically, doctors use anti-psychotic medications off-label; however, those medications can interfere with commonly used Parkinson's disease drugs, and they're often contraindicated for use in elderly patients.</p>
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<p>While anti-psychotics can successfully tamp down hallucinations and delusions associated with PDP, they do so by blocking dopamine receptors.That's a big problem for patients, because the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease are often treated with Levodopa, which boosts dopamine activity.</p>
<p>Doctors can try control PDP by reducing Levodopa doses, but thatcan lead to Parkinson's progressing more quickly and patients moving into institutional care sooner than they might have otherwise.</p>
<p>Clearly, PDP treatment options are far from ideal, and because of that, Nuplazid could gain widespread adoption. Unlike anti-psychotics, Nuplazid doesn't target dopamine receptors, and in trials, Nuplazid successfully reducedthe number of psychotic events experienced by patients.</p>
<p>Rather than license away its rights to Duplazid, ACADIA Pharmaceuticals has decided to go it alone. The company is knee-deep in an expensive product launch, and negotiations with payers could mean it takes a while before this company turns a profit.</p>
<p>Operating costs were $72 million in Q2, and since most Duplazid prescriptions during its first month on the market were filled with free samples, Nuplazid revenue totaled only $97,000 in the quarter.</p>
<p>Management has set a price of $23,500 per year for the drug, but itcan take between three and nine months for Medicare Part D and private insurers to decide on reimbursement. The sooner ACADIA Pharmaceuticals can cut deals with payers, the sooner it can begin generating meaningful enough revenue to get itself into the black.</p>
<p>ACADIA Pharmaceuticals is scheduled to update investors on Nuplazid's potential to treat patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease psychosis soon, and if results are solid, it could significantly expand Nuplazid's addressable target market. An estimated 25% to 50% of the 5 million Americans suffering from Alzheimer's disease suffer hallucinations and delusions.</p>
<p>The company's enrolled roughly 200 people in its phase 2 Alzheimer's disease psychosis trial, and the trial's endpoints include measuring psychosis, agitation/aggression, and sleep/nighttime behavior. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals plans to release top-line results from the trial before the end of 2016.</p>
<p>Nuplazid is the only FDA-approved therapy for PDP, and if it's eventually approved for use in Alzheimer's disease, it will be the only FDA-approved therapy for psychosis in that patient population, too.</p>
<p>A monopoly position in these two big indications means Nuplazid peak sales potential is big, but there's not a lot of evidence (yet) that Nuplazid is catching on with doctors, or that negotiations with payers are bearing fruit.Further, there's no guarantee that the company's Alzheimer's disease trial will pan out.</p>
<p>Overall, ACADIA Pharmaceuticals' success is highly dependent on Nuplazid, and while a stock offering earlier this year gives management some financial wiggle room, there's still a lot of risk associated with owning this stock. For that reason, investors should be watching this company closely over the coming months to see if Nuplazid prescriptions are ramping, and whether or not there's a potential for its use in Alzheimer's disease patients.</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/EBCapitalMarkets/info.aspx" type="external">Todd Campbell Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned.Todd owns E.B. Capital Markets, LLC. E.B. Capital's clients may have positions in the companies mentioned.Like this article? Follow him onTwitter where he goes by the handle <a href="https://twitter.com/ebcapital" type="external">@ebcapital Opens a New Window.</a>to see more articles like this.</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> | A Critical Couple of Months for Acadia Pharmaceuticals | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/09/22/critical-couple-months-for-acadia-pharmaceuticals.html | 2016-09-22 | 0 |
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<p>John Stumpf resigned from the boards of Chevron Corp and Target Corp a week after he quit Wells Fargo &amp; Co as chief executive bowing to pressure over its sales tactics.</p>
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<p>Stumpf resigned for personal reasons and not as a result of a disagreement with Chevron, the second largest U.S.-based oil producer said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday. (http://bit.ly/2eqiJAg)</p>
<p>Chevron said on Oct. 3 that it supported Stumpf despite concerns about his leadership at Wells Fargo.</p>
<p>Target did not give a reason for Stumpf's resignation. (http://bit.ly/2dlzQqT)</p>
<p>Stumpf joined the boards of Chevron and Target in 2010.</p>
<p>Stumpf, who notified the companies' boards on Monday that he intends to resign, still serves on the board of Financial Services Roundtable, an advocacy group for the U.S. financial industry.</p>
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<p>Wells Fargo said on Oct. 12 that Stumpf, 63, was retiring and would be replaced by President and Chief Operating Officer Tim Sloan.</p>
<p>Stumpf's fall from grace started with a $185 million regulatory settlement among the bank, regulatory authorities and a Los Angeles prosecutor over its staff opening as many as 2 million accounts without customers' knowledge.</p>
<p>The misconduct, carried out by low-level branch staff to meet internal sales targets, shattered the bank's image and a raft of federal and state investigations followed.</p>
<p>(Reporting By Sudarshan Varadhan in Bengaluru)</p> | Wells Fargo ex-CEO John Stumpf resigns from Chevron, Target boards | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2016/10/18/wells-fargo-ex-ceo-john-stumpf-resigns-from-chevron-target-boards.html | 2016-10-18 | 0 |
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<p>When Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM) reports fiscal first-quarter 2017 earnings on Wednesday after the markets close, investors will be searching avidly for signs that the grocer can break out of its doldrums in 2017. For shareholders trying to gauge the potential for shares to rise in 2016, the following five themes may be helpful in the context of Wednesday's report.</p>
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<p>Image source: Whole Foods Market.</p>
<p>Whole Foods' management forecasts middling revenue growth in fiscal 2017 of 2.5% to 4.5%. Increased square footage will be one driver of top-line expansion. While a far cry from the days when Whole Foods increased its total square footage at a rate north of 10% annually, this year's projected 6% increase in retail space (equating to roughly 30 new stores) should provide enough momentum for the company to exceed last year's total revenue increase of 2.2%.</p>
<p>Because Whole Foods has set a low bar, essentially matching last year's revenue increase at the bottom end of its projected range, a first-quarter revenue gain of 3% or above will likely be well-received by investors. Conversely, flat or declining sales may portend a tougher 2017 ahead.</p>
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<p>Whole Foods' other major driver of revenue improvement, comparable-store sales (or comps), has been in decline since 2015. After several quarters of slowing growth, comps actually turned negative in 2016, decreasing by 2.5%.</p>
<p>The organization's fiscal 2017 outlook calls for comps growth of negative 2% to 0%, so while investors shouldn't expect comps to come roaring back in the first quarter, even nominal growth would be a positive sign for the year ahead.</p>
<p>It may be equally or more important to understand how the upcoming comps number breaks out. Last quarter, Whole Food's negative 2.6% comps were comprised of a 4.2% drop in traffic, and a 1.6% increase in average basket size.</p>
<p>Thus, the company saw fewer customer visits, but realized higher sales per transaction during the quarter. A marginal comps improvement in Q1 2017 will be more palatable if it's made up of gains in both traffic and basket size.</p>
<p>The effect of food deflation on grocery store revenue and profits was likely the biggest story in the grocery industry in 2016. A host of factors reduced grocers' food costs last year, from higher crop yields to the strong U.S. dollar (which curbs food exports, increasing domestic supply).</p>
<p>Rather than being positive for grocery chains, deflation typically hurts revenue, as corporations pass on cost savings to customers in the form of promotions and discounts, often engaging in rounds of competitive price lowering. Whole Foods rival Krogersuffered a stock price decline last year as <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/01/10/why-kroger-supervalu-and-sprouts-farmers-market-al.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">deflationary pressures affected its top-line results Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>So far, Whole Foods has enjoyed some insulation from this phenomenon, as in many cases it sources perishables, dairy, and meat within long-term contractual arrangements enforcing the company's quality standards, which protects farmers' pricing and stabilizes Whole Foods' costs.</p>
<p>However, if deflation persists and strengthens in 2017, Whole Foods may find itself having to respond to competitors and discount more aggressively than it would like, especially if traffic remains weak.</p>
<p>This indirect impact from deflation would negatively affect not only Whole Foods' revenue but also its operating margin. Investors should look to Wednesday's earnings conference call for management's discussion on deflation and its possible effects during the current fiscal year.</p>
<p>On an earnings conference call in November 2015, CEO John Mackey laid out a nine-point plan which he promised would "rebuild traffic and sales and create a solid foundation for [our] profitable long-term growth."</p>
<p>Two of those plan points -- increased yet targeted promotional activity, and the evolution of digital strategies to drive sales -- are beginning to show evidence of tangible revenue contribution.</p>
<p>Last year, the company installed a new unified point-of-sale system across its entire system, which will facilitate targeted offers and the redemption of digital coupons at checkout for customers.</p>
<p>Whole Foods also rolled out its affinity program in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area to 50,000 customers in 2016. While this loyalty program has been years in the making, a successful test in Dallas will pave the way for a nationwide rollout in the coming quarters. The app-based program is a platform for the company's emerging digital ecosystem, which includes online ordering and grocery delivery through Whole Foods' partnership with Instacart.</p>
<p>The company's earnings conference call will probably provide the venue for a discussion of promotional experimentation in the first quarter -- both digital and traditional. For the first time during the 2016 Thanksgiving season, Whole Foods distributed a nationwide direct mail promotional piece, to 12 million homes. Expect further investment in multiple promotional channels in 2017.</p>
<p>Finally, investors should anticipate an update on the returns of the first 365 by Whole Foods concept locations, which offer less expensive items in a streamlined shopping environment.Whole Foods opened three initial 365 stores last year, and has a total of 23 new leases in the pipeline.</p>
<p>Management has promised that the new units will have a higher return on invested capital than the typical Whole Foods store. And a lower labor component should boost margins. While the company didn't provide any hard numbers last quarter on this retail experiment, we're likely to see more detail Wednesday on the viability of the concept, which could be an extremely important anchor in the next phase of Whole Foods' growth.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Whole Foods MarketWhen 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>
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<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017</p>
<p>John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFfinosus/info.aspx" type="external">Asit Sharma Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Whole Foods Market. 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> | 5 Things to Watch When Whole Foods Reports Earnings | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/02/07/5-things-to-watch-when-whole-foods-reports-earnings.html | 2017-02-07 | 0 |
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<p>Of the three city manager candidates the governing body is scheduled to interview in person in a closed session on Friday, two – Keith Riesberg and William Cooper – have been ousted by the city councils in the municipalities they previously managed.</p>
<p>The third candidate, Mike Castro, is city manager in Jersey Village outside of Houston.</p>
<p>Riesberg’s three-year tenure as city manager of O’Fallon, Mo., outside St. Louis, ended in January when he was fired by the city council, according to a report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The report cited a city-issued news release that said the termination was without cause and that the council wanted to “change the direction of the city’s leadership.”</p>
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<p>The report said O’Fallon Mayor Bill Hennessy commended Riesberg for his professionalism, integrity and leadership.</p>
<p>“It’s their prerogative to change the direction,” Riesberg told the Journal in a phone interview, declining to comment further on the council’s action.</p>
<p>Published reports show that Cooper was voted out of his job in March 2012 as manager of Hamtramck, Mich., a Detroit suburb which has experienced a prolonged economic crisis.</p>
<p>“It was primarily due to politics,” Cooper said in a phone interview, adding that the city of around 22,000 has had a history of financial problems including having the former state governor appoint an emergency manager to run the city in 2000, a situation that continued for six years. Shortly before Cooper’s ouster, a major auto parts manufacturer closed with the loss of 300 jobs.</p>
<p>Riesberg and Cooper said they are interested in Rio Rancho because it is a fast-growing city and recognize it has challenges arising from budget constraints that include deteriorating infrastructure and public safety needs.</p>
<p>Rio Rancho’s own history with city managers includes firing Jim Palenick in 2006 under circumstances that the Attorney General determined violated the state’s Open Meetings Act. That led Palenick to sue the city claiming he was due $110,000 in back pay. The case is now pending before the state Supreme Court.</p>
<p>In July, former city manager James Jimenez retired “involuntarily” after differences of opinion with recently elected city councilors.</p>
<p>Advertisements for the city manager job drew 40 applicants last fall, but the mayor and councilors were unable to agree on the charter-required minimum of three candidates to recommend to the mayor who appoints the city manager.</p>
<p>The second round of advertisements drew 30 applicants by the Jan. 18 deadline. Councilors interviewed six applicants via Skype connections and picked four for in-person interviews. One of those candidates withdrew. Councilors have also requested to interview five additional applicants via Skype at the closed session. — This article appeared on page 07 of the Albuquerque Journal</p> | Council to meet with 3 candidates | false | https://abqjournal.com/175611/council-to-meet-with-3-candidates.html | 2013-03-07 | 2 |
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<p>A recent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/19/business/at-zappos-selling-shoes-and-a-vision.html?_r=0" type="external">New York Times article Opens a New Window.</a> featured a story on the attempts of Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh to implement a concept called Holacracy in his company. The premise of Holacracy is to distribute responsibility and allow for greater self-management. Proponents claim it is the antitheses of bureaucracy and the wave of the future.</p>
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<p>One of the hallmarks of holacracy is the decentralization of management. In effect, they are advocating the movement towards leaderless teams. We have seen this before and much of what they preach flies in the face of human nature.</p>
<p>The Zappos experiment, now in its third year, appears to be faltering. According to the Times story when Hsieh put out the edict to embrace holacracy or take a package and leave, 14% took the package and left. And, many who have remained are apparently still grumbling.</p>
<p>The problem isn’t about getting rid of leaders, it’s about getting the right leaders in place. According to Gallup only 18% of those with people management responsibility are highly effective at working through people. The fact is we have a system designed to promote people into management because they are good at what they do as opposed to being good at working through others.</p>
<p>Leading is an actual role, not just a title or ancillary function. It’s not about being the boss it’s about working through people by identifying their strengths, fostering growth and motivating positive action.</p>
<p>It’s important to note that not everybody aspires to be a manager and managing isn’t for everybody, which is why the dissemination of responsibility to everyone can be a challenge. Leaderless teams effectively make everyone a leader. Most people want to do their work and do it effectively without the worries of having to be responsible for others. Consider that a <a href="http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=9/10/2014&amp;siteid=cbpr&amp;sc_cmp1=cb_pr841_&amp;id=pr841&amp;ed=12/31/2014" type="external">2014 CareerBuilder survey Opens a New Window.</a> found only one third of American workers aspire to leadership roles. The reality is that most people prefer playing over coaching and certainly aren’t interested in being player-coaches.</p>
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<p>To take the sports analogy further: Have you ever seen a coachless football, basketball, or baseball team? Of course you want your players to give their input for the game plan, but your certainly don’t want them spending all their time drawing up Xs and Os on the white board. You want them training and focused on what they do best, playing ball!</p>
<p>Leaders at all levels from line supervisors to top executives spend a good portion of their time looking out beyond the horizon to determine the right course and maintain it until it needs to be changed. Just as any role in an organization, leading requires a lot of attention and energy! We need to focus more on developing and supporting our leaders, not eliminating them!</p> | The Myth of Leaderless Teams and Holacracy at Zappos | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2015/07/28/myth-leaderless-teams-and-holacracy-at-zappos.html | 2016-03-04 | 0 |
<p>Ending a weeks-long bidding war, market maker Knight Capital Group (NYSE:KCG) agreed to a sweetened buyout bid on Wednesday from high-speed trading firm Getco worth $1.4 billion.</p>
<p>By raising its offer price for Knight Capital, a key cog in the financial system, Chicago-based Getco beat out rival high-speed trading firm Virtu.</p>
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<p>The transaction gives existing shareholders at Knight Capital the right to $3.75 per share in cash or one common share in the new holding company.</p>
<p>The $3.75-a-share bid represents a 51% premium to Knight’s closing price on November 23, the last trading day before the Getco bid emerged. Getco initially offered $3.50 a share for Knight.</p>
<p>However, Knight had traded around $12 a share back in July before a trading glitch nearly collapsed the company and forced a bailout, which &#160;included Getco.</p>
<p>FOX Business’s Charlie Gasparino first reported details of the deal late Tuesday following a board meeting at Knight Capital.</p>
<p>Based in Jersey City, N.J., Knight Capital serves as a market maker for transactions, especially from retail brokerages like TD Ameritrade (NASDAQ:AMTD).</p>
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<p>Knight CEO Tom Joyce, a powerful figure on Wall Street, is set to become executive chairman at the new combined company, while Getco CEO Daniel CEO will keep his current title.</p>
<p>Virtu had proposed taking the entire company private, but at a lower share price.</p>
<p>After a “thorough evaluation” Knight’s board unanimously decided the Getco deal “provides the best possible value creation opportunity” for Knight shareholders,” said Joyce.</p>
<p>“Broker-dealers and institutions will continue to experience the same industry-leading execution quality and client service they've come to expect from Knight, with the additional liquidity-enhancing capabilities of Getco’s renowned technology,” Joyce said.</p>
<p>As part of the deal, Getco members will receive 233 million shares in the new holding company and the 57 million Knight shares they currently own will be retired. Instead, Getco is set to receive a series 75 million warrants in the new holding company at various prices.</p>
<p>“Market participants will benefit from industry-leading services, and our larger capital base will provide strong support for existing operations, as well as an attractive currency for growth,” Coleman said.</p>
<p>The companies expect a deal will be completed in the second quarter of next year, subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.</p>
<p>Getco said it has received financing commitments for the deal from middle-market investment bank Jefferies (NYSE:JEF), which is the largest shareholder in Knight.</p>
<p>Investment firm General Atlantic, which owns 25% of Getco, also agreed to make an additional $55 million equity investment, bringing its total investment in the new company to over $400 million.</p>
<p>Shares of Knight Capital rallied 6.61% to $3.55 Wednesday morning on the news. New York-based Jefferies dipped 0.05% to $18.71.</p> | Knight Capital Agrees to Sweetened $1.4B Buyout from Getco | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2012/12/19/knight-capital-getco-to-merge.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
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<p>Workers benefit as US businesses struggle to fill jobs</p>
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<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — More American employers are struggling to find enough workers to fill jobs, which might have contributed to slower hiring last month. And workers are benefiting in the meantime: More people who had given up looking for work are renewing their job hunts, more employees are confident enough to quit to look for other jobs and pay is gradually picking up. U.S. employers added just 103,000 jobs in March, the Labor Department said Friday, the fewest in six months.</p>
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<p>Powell says Fed expects to stick with gradual rate hikes</p>
<p>CHICAGO (AP) — Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Friday painted a mostly sunny view of the U.S. economy and said the Fed remains committed to raising its key interest rate gradually unless events change. He said it was too soon to determine how a trade fight with China could affect the U.S. economy.</p>
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<p>Stocks dive as US proposes more China tariffs; Dow falls 572</p>
<p>NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks ended the week the way they began it: tumbling as investors worry that tariffs and harsh words between the U.S. and China will touch off a trade war that derails the global economy. That came with the U.S. considering duties on an additional $100 billion in goods imported from China.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>China vows to 'counterattack' US as trade spat worsens</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — China vows to 'counterattack with great strength' if President Donald Trump hikes tariffs on an additional $100 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods in an escalating trade dispute between the world's two largest economies. Trump's surprise directive for the U.S. trade representative to consider more tariffs came a day after Beijing announced planned increases in duties on U.S. soybeans, aircraft and other items in response to American tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Did Cambridge Analytica get your data? You'll know soon</p>
<p>NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook will begin alerting users whose private data may have been compromised in the Cambridge Analytica scandal starting Monday. All 2.2 billion Facebook users will receive a notice with a link to information on which Facebook apps they use and what information they have shared with those apps. In addition, 87 million users whose data might have been shared with Cambridge Analytica will get a more detailed message informing them of that fact.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Nine West files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection</p>
<p>NEW YORK (AP) — Nine West Holdings Inc. has become the latest retailer to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in an attempt to restructure its debt. The shoe chain says the move was made to help with the sale of its Nine West and Bandolino footwear and handbag business and so it can focus more on its profitable businesses, which include One Jeanswear Group, The Jewelry Group, the Kasper Group and Anne Klein.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Boss buzzing you after hours? NYC might let you say buzz off</p>
<p>NEW YORK (AP) — Technology that offered the promise of freedom from the confines of an office has instead become a ball and chain in its own right, blurring the lines between work hours and well, any other hours. A New York City Council member wants to put a stop to that with a proposal that would bar employers from requiring employees to check and respond to non-emergency electronic communications sent outside of regular work hours.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>US consumer debt rose a slight 3.3 percent in February</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — US consumers increased their debt by just 3.3 percent in February, the weakest monthly change in nearly seven years despite an otherwise healthy economy. The Federal Reserve said Friday that consumer borrowing rose $10.6 billion in March to nearly $3.9 trillion. The gains have slowed sharply from a 10.3 percent jump in debt levels in November. February's increase was the smallest since August 2011, when consumer credit levels declined.</p>
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<p>Foreign worker saves 7 lives as Hawaii fishing boat sinks</p>
<p>HONOLULU (AP) — A federal contractor who was aboard the fishing vessel Princess Hawaii when it sank off the Big Island credits a Vietnamese crewman with saving his life. Khanh Huynh was acting as the de facto captain of the doomed fishing boat. The 28-year-old fisherman is one of hundreds of foreigners who work aboard American-owned fishing vessels in Hawaii. The workers lack visas and live on the boats for the duration of their contracts — often for years at a time.</p>
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<p>The Standard &amp; Poor's 500 lost 58.37 points, or 2.2 percent, to 2,604.47. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 572.46 points, or 2.3 percent, to 23,932.76. The Nasdaq composite slid 161.44 points, or 2.3 percent, to 6,915.11. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks dipped 29.63 points, or 1.9 percent, to 1,513.30.</p>
<p>Benchmark U.S. crude dropped $1.48, or 2.3 percent, to $62.06 a barrel in New York while Brent crude, used to price international oils, lost $1.22, or 1.8 percent, to $67.11 per barrel in London. In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline dipped 3 cents to $1.95 a gallon. Heating oil lost 2 cents to $1.96 a gallon. Natural gas rose 3 cents to $2.70 per 1,000 cubic feet.</p> | Business Highlights | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/08/11/business-highlights.html | 2018-04-06 | 0 |
<p />
<p>There's a growing debate around the role college plays in preparing entrepreneurs for the real world. Is it necessary in today's environment?</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>This last May, I judged the SAGE (Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship) USA Competition, which encourages high school students to start businesses. (Disclosure: I am on SAGE’s board.)</p>
<p>After their presentation, I asked one team’s members about their college plans. They had none. Instead, they were going to pursue the computer service businesses (yes, plural) they were running. I instinctively insisted that while their computer skills were obviously top-notch, they needed to learn about business operations.</p>
<p>But do they? If you want to be (or already are) an entrepreneur, how valuable is a college degree?</p>
<p>The <a href="" type="internal">Facebook</a> phenomenon</p>
<p>Peter Thiel, PayPal co-founder and early investor in Facebook, made a lot of noise last year when he offered wannabe young entrepreneurs (under age 20) in the fields of science and tech $100,000 to drop out of college and pursue business ownership. On Slate, Jacob Weisberg wrote, “Thiel's program is premised on the idea that America suffers from a deficiency of entrepreneurship. In fact, we may be on the verge of the opposite, a world in which too many weak ideas find funding and every kid dreams of being the next <a href="" type="internal">Mark Zuckerberg</a>.”</p>
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<p>Nearly everyone touting a “who needs a college education?” philosophy cites Zuckerberg and <a href="" type="internal">Bill Gates</a> as the poster boys for their point of view. But what are the odds you’re going to be the next Zuckerberg or Gates?</p>
<p>Actually, Curt DeBerg, founder of SAGE and professor of accounting at California State University, Chico, says if you want to be a small-business owner, you don’t necessarily need that college education. But, he adds, “to be a big-time entrepreneur, you need access to a social network that you can only [get] by being invited to a party” — where only the educated are welcome.</p>
<p>Of course, being an accounting professor, DeBerg has created a formula to explain this:</p>
<p>A (financial assets) + B (brains/intellectual capital) + C (connections/social capital) = E (entrepreneurial success).</p>
<p>The value of social capital</p>
<p>Going to college is about more than just academics. Gini Dietrich, founder and CEO of marketing firm Arment Dietrich, says, “The big thing college gives you is the social skills and ability to live on your own. I needed that … badly. It helped me come out of my painfully shy shell.” Dietrich majored in English (not entrepreneurship), but she says that’s a good thing: “[Studying entrepreneurship] probably would have made me less willing to take risks, because I'd know then what I know now.”</p>
<p>O2 Max founder Karen Jashinsky, who attended the University of Southern California (USC) specifically to study entrepreneurship, agrees, adding, “It wasn’t until grad school that I found my community.” Jashinsky thinks going to college is crucial, especially “if you don’t have a big network, and because it gives you access to more/new/different role models/mentors.”</p>
<p>Self-labeled “recovering entrepreneur” Norris Krueger, Ph.D., who is “passionate about understanding how entrepreneurs learn,” says, “Colleges are great aggregators of talent, whether it’s NYU or a community college.” His advice to collegiate entrepreneurs: “Find fellow entrepreneurs, faculty and alumni talent” and learn with them. Like Dietrich, Krueger believes “there’s nothing wrong with a good liberal arts education.”</p>
<p>Michael Simmons, co-founder and CEO of the Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour, and Jennifer Kushell, the founder of Young &amp; Successful Media (now called YSN.com), see both sides of the issue. They agree that those who are self-motivated, proactive, ambitious and entrepreneurial can succeed without attending college. But Kushell says college not only teaches you to interact with others and think critically, but also increases your lifetime earning potential, and Simmons points out that some colleges “can serve as powerful accelerators of venture speed and size.”</p>
<p>James Barrood, executive director of the Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurship at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Silberman College of Business, is obviously biased (but not wrong) when he says, “College is critical. It is not only a time to learn, but a time to build new relationships and expand networks. Today, more than ever, it is the strength of one's network and the ability to manage teams, local and virtual, that will prove the key to entrepreneurial success.”</p>
<p>The consensus about college</p>
<p>Nearly everyone I talked to thinks attending college is worthwhile. But Scott Gerber, author of “Never Get a ‘Real’ Job” and founder of the Young Entrepreneur Council, believes schools need to do more.</p>
<p>“With the class of 2011 facing the highest student debt load in history, it’s time colleges integrate entrepreneurship education into their collegiate ecosystems,” says Gerber. “Colleges must get beyond their antiquated ‘traditional-employment-is-the-only-way-we-know-how-to-measure-and-sell-our-success-to-new-prospects’ mentality, and instead begin to support and encourage entrepreneurship as a viable career path.”</p>
<p>So, is college necessary? Roozt.com founder and CEO Brent Freeman, who credits his success to studying entrepreneurship at USC, gets to the crux of the prevailing sentiments: “College opens your mind to the world, and when you open your mind, you open the door for entrepreneurial opportunities.”</p> | Is College Necessary for Young Entrepreneurs? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/08/18/is-college-necessary-for-young-entrepreneurs.html | 2016-03-23 | 0 |
<p>Utilities exchange traded funds plunged over the past two weeks in back-to-back selling, with the sector experiencing its longest rout in 14 years, as traders dumped the bond-esque asset on rising expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike.</p>
<p>Since September 22, the Utilities Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: <a href="http://www.etftrends.com/etf-resume.php?quote=xlu" type="external">XLU Opens a New Window.</a>) fell 7.4%, Vanguard Utilities ETF (NYSEArca: <a href="http://www.etftrends.com/etf-resume.php?quote=vpu" type="external">VPU Opens a New Window.</a>) fell 7.3% and First Trust Utilities AlphaDEX Fund (NYSEArca: <a href="http://www.etftrends.com/2014/04/signs-of-the-times-new-highs-for-these-etfs-say-a-lot/fxu" type="external">FXU Opens a New Window.</a>) decreased 5.5%. XLU and VPU are also now trading below their 50- and 200-day simple moving averages. The utilities sector, though, remains one of the better performing areas of the market, with XLU up 11.7%, VPU up 12.3% and FXU up 14.8% year-to-date.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>SEE MORE: <a href="https://www.etftrends.com/2016/08/the-best-performing-utilities-etf-of-the-year/" type="external">The Best Performing Utilities ETF of the Year Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>The S&amp;P 500 utilities sector closed in the red for the ninth consecutive day on Wednesday, losing close to 7.8% over the period, compared to the 1.1% dip in the broader market, reports Adam Samson for the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/733cbdd7-d3ec-3293-9698-10226e019df5" type="external">Financial Times Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Utilities, which have behaved similarly to bonds, had outperformed in the first half of 2016 as investors shifted into value stocks, sought yield-generating assets and dove into safer bets amid a volatile environment. Moreover, dividend-paying stocks like Utilities gained traction on diminished expectations for a Federal Reserve rate hike this year, further fueling the rush toward higher yielding assets.</p>
<p>However, with economic data improving, a number of market observers believe the Fed will have room to raise interest rates sometime before the end of the year, which has diminished demand for bonds and the utilities sector.</p>
<p>“With central banks turning marginally less dovish and with global nominal growth firming, the low volatility bubble has been deflating,” Dubravko Lakos-Bujas, a US equity strategist at JPMorgan, told the Financial Times, referring to sectors like utilities that typically experience lower volatility than the broader market.</p>
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<p>For more information on the utilities sector, visit our <a href="https://www.etftrends.com/tag/utilities/" type="external">utilities category Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Utilities Select Sector SPDR</p>
<p><a href="http://www.etftrends.com/2016/10/utilities-etfs-suffer-amid-longest-sell-off-since-2002/" type="external">This article Opens a New Window.</a> was provided by our partners at ETFTrends.</p> | Utilities ETFs Suffer Amid Longest Sell-Off Since 2002 | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/10/06/utilities-etfs-suffer-amid-longest-sell-off-since-2002.html | 2016-10-06 | 0 |
<p>Nov. 22 (UPI) — A woman who won $190,000 from the Washington state lottery said she wouldn’t have won if she hadn’t forgotten the slip of paper with her intended numbers.</p>
<p>The Wenatchee woman <a href="http://www.walottery.com/PressRoom/Details.aspx?id=11902" type="external">told Washington’s Lottery officials</a> she made a list of special dates and anniversaries to use for her Hit 5 lottery ticket, but when she arrived at the Plaza Super Jet store in Wentachee she realized she didn’t have the paper.</p>
<p>“I wrote down the numbers from special dates and anniversaries in my family, but left the paper at home so I ended up just using QuickPick,” said the winner. “It’s a good thing I forgot it!”</p>
<p>The QuickPick ticket ended up winning the woman $190,000 in the Nov. 4 Hit 5 drawing.</p>
<p>The woman said she is planning to put the money toward home renovation and traveling to New York to see her favorite musical, Jersey Boys, live on Broadway.</p> | Woman's forgetfulness leads to $190,000 lottery prize | false | https://newsline.com/womans-forgetfulness-leads-to-190000-lottery-prize/ | 2017-11-22 | 1 |
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<p>Emily Smith, 28, a writer in Gainesville, Florida, canceled her cable subscription in favor of Internet-only streaming two years ago. “I was hooked on a ton of TV, so it was a big change,” she says. An even bigger one was the $70 fall in monthly bills.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>With this week’s announcement that Warner Bros is to offer movies through <a href="" type="internal">Facebook</a>, it is clear watching online is no longer the time-consuming, jittery method it once was. Here’s how you could be saving.</p>
<p>What’s Out There</p>
<p>Let’s start with the free options. You can stream current TV shows on <a href="" type="internal">Hulu</a> or TV networks’ own websites, available from hours to a few days after they air on television. Both also offer a sizable back catalog of older shows.</p>
<p>Next, low cost. <a href="" type="internal">Netflix</a> used to be known primarily for DVDs that would arrive through your door -– now its service is just as geared toward watching online. It currently offers unlimited online viewing for $7.99 a month, with a free month’s trial. Less of an up-to-the-minute episode player, it’s great for watching movies and mostly previous seasons of TV shows you missed first-time round.</p>
<p>Then there’s Amazon Instant Video, which offers a catalog of more than 90,000 movies and TV shows. A single rental typically costs between 99 cents and $3.99. You can also rent TV shows by season. If you’ve joined Amazon Prime, 5,000 videos in their catalog are already included with your $79 annual membership.</p>
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<p><a href="" type="internal">Apple</a>’s iTunes has also been getting in on the act. For 99 cents per episode, you can stream episodes of current TV shows as early as a day after they air. Like Amazon, most new movies are available to stream the same day they are released on DVD.</p>
<p>Clicker.com is one useful search engine for finding where your favorite show is streaming.But beware. “The cost of buying one piece at a time can get expensive,” says Schwark Satyavolu, CEO and Founder of money-saving website BillShrink, who has reduced his family’s own cable usage at home in Fremont, California.</p>
<p>More than Just saving Money</p>
<p>If your children are more used to watching online than you are, you may think Internet streaming means hunching over laptops and peering into your smartphone screen. Not so. Now you don’t even have to lose the TV.</p>
<p>The best way to stream onto your TV is to use a digital media receiver box, which offers a more stable platform and more user-friendly interface than just plugging in your laptop.</p>
<p>There are plenty on the market. Frontrunners include Roku ($60), which plays Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and Hulu Plus among others, and Boxee ($199), which streams a number of major programming providers. There’s also <a href="" type="internal">Google</a> TV devices ($250 for the current cheapest option, Logitech Revue), and Apple TV ($99).</p>
<p>Computer consoles — including the Wii, <a href="" type="internal">Xbox</a> 360 and PS3 — also double up as streaming devices, as do some internet-connected Blu-ray disc players. For example, Netflix can be watched through all of the above, as well as TiVo, the <a href="" type="internal">iPhone</a>, <a href="" type="internal">iPod</a> touch and <a href="" type="internal">iPad</a>.</p>
<p>Britt Sondreal, 31, a radio DJ who lives in Brooklyn, New York, has ditched cable and she and her boyfriend Tim now regularly use Hulu, Netflix and Megavideo.</p>
<p>A self-confessed TV addict given half a chance, online streaming has prompted her to focus on quality rather than quantity. “It’s almost a good thing to have that limitation. I’m grateful for it,” she says. Sondreal can still watch all her favorite shows including 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, and guilty pleasure Glee.</p>
<p>Streaming offers the benefit of choosing what she wants to watch when she wants to, and fewer commercials for the most part. There are other unexpected bonuses too. “It’s definitely broadened my horizons,” Sondreal says. She’s currently watching BBC drama Downton Abbey on Netflix she says she would not have otherwise come across.</p>
<p>What You Can’t Replace</p>
<p>Unfortunately, there are those programs you miss watching in real time, especially sports. And if there’s one thing cable is known for, it’s non-stop sports coverage.</p>
<p>For Smith, it’s been her biggest adjustment. “My thing on a Saturday if I were just lying on the couch was watching ESPN for hours,” she says.</p>
<p>While access to the most popular games remains limited, since last year Smith has been able to watch some college basketball through her Xbox Live subscription, which costs $50 annually.Other live streaming options include MLB.tv for baseball and NBA League One Pass for basketball, with the caveat that they currently only offer live games to out-of-market customers. The good news is Apple TV has just signed a deal with both providers for discounted game packages, according to today’s <a href="" type="internal">Financial Times</a>, and YouTube is reportedly in talks on airing some NBA basketball games.</p>
<p>Not being able to watch TV shows in real time can also put you at risk of overhearing spoilers. “That’s happened to me a few times, particularly with reality shows,” says Smith. “I’ll be at the grocery store and they’ll say, ‘I can’t believe they kicked him off…’ and I’ll be like, noooo!”</p>
<p>Assess Your Own Needs</p>
<p>The bottom line is there’s no one right way to go. Assess your own consuming pattern and find the solution that’s best for you. As Satyavolu points out, if you have multiple TVs at home, online streaming could end up costing more than cable. “Right now it’s all by device, not by account,” he says.</p>
<p>On the flip, switching to streaming can herald a whole new future. “I watch much less junk,” Smith says. “It was a bit of an adjustment, but I wouldn’t go back. I’m saving a ton of money.”</p> | Is Cable Still Worth it? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/03/11/cable-worth.html | 2016-03-04 | 0 |
<p>John Legend kicked off his “Darkness and Light” tour in the nave of The Riverside Church on Dec. 2, 2016. The days were ending early then; I walked through the chilly darkness to get there. The election had just spun the country into unprecedented division. We’d all just suffered family Thanksgiving dinners filled with winners and losers. I felt a distinct lack of hope. And when John sang his song, Love Me Now:</p>
<p>When we’ve done all that we could To turn darkness into light, turn evil to good Even when we try so hard For that perfect kind of love, it could all fall apart.</p>
<p>The words seemed to narrate a reality I was living — we were living — right in that moment.</p>
<p>The work of a pastor, I’ve always thought, is to preach good news into our current reality. I knew that night that my people needed to hear a message of hope, a declaration that love will always prevail, that light will shine in the darkness. In a global sense and a personal sense, I really desperately needed that, too.</p>
<p>But inside I wondered and could never find the words to say aloud: what if it’s not true? What if the light never shines and the darkness falls forever and love doesn’t really win in the end?</p>
<p>It’s a legitimate, if terrifying question. The darkness seems so inky black these days, proclaiming a message of hope sometimes seems like a Pollyanna-ish denial of the evil swirling around us: policies that hurt our neighbors, corrupt government schemes, natural disasters, torch burnings and hate rising to the surface everywhere you look — there are too many to name.</p>
<p>As the news has continued to assault us from every side for what has been now almost a year, I find myself still struggling to find the right balance between naming darkness and preaching hope. But lately I’ve begun to suspect that this is actually the substance of our work in this moment: as leaders, as people of faith, as participants in the work of healing the world. Our work is to keep struggling to name darkness and articulate hope as we use our platforms to speak both to the people who belong to our communities and the larger groups in which we have influence.</p>
<p>We can’t we ignore the darkness like some deny climate change, just focus on the positive, whiten our teeth and smile bright for the camera, keep insisting that, “The more you talk about negative things in your life, the more you call them in. Speak victory, not defeat,” as some pastors would say.</p>
<p>But we can’t afford to give up the hope, either.</p>
<p>So, here’s where we start. We start by saying they are both here: darkness and light. This is the holy paradox of faith. I can see the darkness and yes, I can hold the hope. And I can also hold the question: What if it isn’t true in the end? And the answer: I don’t care. I have to hang onto the light in order to face the darkness.</p> | Naming darkness, claiming hope | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/naming-darkness-claiming-hope/ | 3 |
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<p>CARSON CITY — Bills passed Wednesday by a Senate committee expand membership of the Nevada Veterans Service Commission and set procedures for disposing of memorabilia left at state veteran memorials.</p>
<p>Both measures were approve by the Senate Committee on Government Affairs and now move to the full Senate for consideration.</p>
<p>Senate Bill 58, among other things, broadens the commission to 11 members from nine. The governor appoints three members who are representatives of veteran organizations and two members of the public</p>
<p>Nevada’s governor would appoint two more members, one being a member of the Women Veterans Advisory Committee and one who is pursuing a bachelor’s or higher degree and who was honorably discharged from the military.</p>
<p>The Senate majority leader and speaker of the Assembly appoint one member each, as do the chairs of the Northern and Southern Nevada veteran cemetery advisory committees.</p>
<p>Backers of the bill said it would give women and younger veterans more recognition and status to help shape policies affecting their peers.</p>
<p>Senate Bill 70 sets a process to deal with medals, tiny American flags, photos and other artifacts left at veteran memorials.</p>
<p>Kat Miller, director of the Nevada Department of Veterans Services, said the issue came to light after the state dedicated a memorial in Southern Nevada on Veterans Day last year. Since then, nearly 100 items have been left at the site. Likewise, items are sometimes let at the USS Nevada memorial behind the state Capitol in Carson City. One was an eagle statute with two American flags.</p>
<p>Under the bill, the Department of Veterans Service will work with the Division of Museums and Nevada Historical Society to determine if any of the items have military or historical value, and if so transfer them to appropriate institutions or nonprofits like veterans organizations.</p>
<p>It allows for other less significant items to be destroyed.</p>
<p>The committee was told no items would be destroyed or retired without first being vetted by museum experts and veteran groups.</p>
<p>Contact Sandra Chereb at [email protected] or 775-461-3821. Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/@sandrachereb" type="external">@SandraChereb</a> on Twitter.</p> | Nevada Senate committee passes two veterans-related bills | false | http://reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/nevada/nevada-senate-committee-passes-two-veterans-related-bills/ | 2017-02-08 | 1 |
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<p>WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid rose last week for the first time in five weeks, but remained at a low level that points to a healthy job market.</p>
<p>Applications for unemployment aid increased 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 245,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The rise comes a week after applications fell to nearly a four-decade low. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, climbed 1,250 to 234,750.</p>
<p>Applications are a proxy for layoffs, and any reading below 300,000 is low by historical standards. Many employers say it is difficult to find people to fill their open jobs, and so are holding tightly onto their existing staffs.</p>
<p>Steady economic growth is encouraging more hiring. The unemployment rate is at a 17-year low of 4.1 percent.</p>
<p>What you need to know:</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>— Roughly 1.9 million people are collecting unemployment benefits, about 43,000 more than the previous week. That figure has fallen about 5 percent in the past year.</p>
<p>— The economy expanded at a healthy clip of 3.2 percent at an annual rate in the third quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday.</p>
<p>— Data from Puerto Rico is still disrupted by power outages on the island, the government says.</p>
<p>— The Federal Reserve and many business economists forecast the unemployment rate should soon fall below 4 percent for the first time since 2000.</p> | Applications for US jobless aid rise to still-low 245,000 | false | https://abqjournal.com/1109461/applications-for-us-jobless-aid-rise-to-still-low-245000.html | 2017-12-21 | 2 |
<p>Paycom Software's (NYSE: PAYC) revenue growth over the past several years has been dramatic -- <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/10/01/paycom-softwares-amazing-performance-in-3-charts.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=109e5d98-d5ec-11e7-a57a-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">increasing by 40% or more annually Opens a New Window.</a> from 2013 to 2016. The company's ability to manage costs and increase its margins over the same time period have been equally impressive.</p>
<p>The company's preferred margin metric is adjusted <a href="https://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/ebitda.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=109e5d98-d5ec-11e7-a57a-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">EBITDA Opens a New Window.</a> margin, a measure of operating profitability as a percentage of revenue. Paycom's adjusted EBITDA margin <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/10/01/paycom-softwares-amazing-performance-in-3-charts.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=109e5d98-d5ec-11e7-a57a-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">has steadily increased Opens a New Window.</a> from 16.7% in 2012 to 28.7% in 2016. And it looks like this number will continue to rise. The company's latest guidance implies an adjusted EBITDA margin of around 31% for 2017. Let's examine Paycom's incredible expanding margins in the context of a couple of its peers.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Paycom sells cloud-based payroll and human capital management (HCM) software that employers use for everything from payroll and performance reviews to hiring and governmental compliance. It's a crowded industry with established legacy players like ADP and Paychex, as well as newer entrants like Paycom, Workday (NASDAQ: WDAY), and Ultimate Software Group (NASDAQ: ULTI).</p>
<p>These latter three companies don't necessarily compete for the same customers. Paycom is focused on smaller companies in the 50- to 2,000-employee range. Workday counts roughly 30% of the Fortune 500 as clients. And Ultimate seems to play mostly in between those extremes. But they all offer cloud-based solutions that essentially perform similar functions. And they're all scaling up as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>But all growth is not created equal. Though each of these companies is prioritizing top-line expansion, over the past three years, Paycom's revenue growth has significantly outpaced growth in its "big 3" variable operating expenses. Even though the company has had to make significant investments in R&amp;D, its salesforce, and administrative operations to fund its growth, it's been able to keep these expenses (as a group) at a level that improves its bottom line.</p>
<p>By the same measures, Ultimate Software Group's expenses are heading the wrong way relative to its revenue growth. For Workday, its revenue growth came in ahead of its growth in expenses, but not by much.</p>
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<p>You can see the effect of revenue vs. expenses over time even more clearly in these companies' operating margins.</p>
<p>From 2014 to 2016, Paycom's operating margin rose by 7.5 percentage points, more than double the margin improvement seen by Workday (which isn't yet profitable). Ultimate's margin nearly got cut in half over the same period. With the highest margins in the group by far, Paycom is also improving its margins more quickly than the others as well.</p>
<p>This year, things have continued to play out largely the same for Paycom. In the most recent quarter, revenue increased by 31% year-over-year, while G&amp;A, R&amp;D, and sales and marketing expenses (combined) increased just 16% year-over-year.</p>
<p>Don't misunderstand -- Paycom is still investing heavily in R&amp;D, marketing, and its sales team in the pursuit of top-line growth. In fact, CEO Chad Richison has said R&amp;D costs are likely to keep growing at 80% to 100% annually. But despite this, Paycom has set a long-term adjusted EBITDA margin target of 30% to 33%, implying future upside beyond what the company is likely to achieve this year. The simplest reason for that is the company says its beginning to benefit from economies of scale that have helped moderate certain sales and marketing expenses.</p>
<p>To me, Paycom looks like the superior operator in the HCM industry. The company's rapidly rising revenues, combined with expanding margins, should provide plenty of future earnings growth as well. I expect Paycom to keep outperforming the broader market -- and its peers -- in the years ahead.</p>
<p>Find out why Paycom Software is one of the 10 best stocks to buy now</p>
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<p>Tom and David just revealed their ten top stock picks for investors to buy right now. Paycom Software <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-sa-bbn-eg%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0000450%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6313%26ftm_veh%3Darticle_pitch&amp;impression=b4394809-615f-4719-ae98-823a3ee48db2&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=109e5d98-d5ec-11e7-a57a-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">is on the list Opens a New Window.</a> -- but there are nine others you may be overlooking.</p>
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<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of November 6, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/CMFGouldberg/info.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=109e5d98-d5ec-11e7-a57a-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Andy Gould Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Paycom Software. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Paycom Software and Workday. The Motley Fool recommends Automatic Data Processing and Ultimate Software Group. 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;referring_guid=109e5d98-d5ec-11e7-a57a-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Why Paycom Software Is in a League of Its Own | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/12/03/why-paycom-software-is-in-league-its-own.html | 2017-12-03 | 0 |
<p>Most people worry at least a little about whether they'll have <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/08/21/how-to-make-your-retirement-savings-last-a-lifetim.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=5b5f91a8-ba85-11e7-be71-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">enough money Opens a New Window.</a> to be comfortable once they retire -- and they're right to be concerned; 66% of Americans have less than $50,000 in retirement savings, which is nowhere near enough to live on. Here's how you can tell if you're doing a better job of retirement planning than the average American.</p>
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<p><a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/10/20/want-to-retire-early-try-these-4-tips.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=5b5f91a8-ba85-11e7-be71-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Your age at retirement Opens a New Window.</a> will have a major impact on your retirement finances, for several reasons. First, once you retire you'll stop saving and start spending the money in your retirement accounts. That means you've got to have enough in those accounts by that point to last you for the rest your life. Second, your age when claiming Social Security will determine how large your benefits are throughout your retirement. Retiring before full retirement age will apply a penalty to your Social Security benefits, while waiting until after full retirement age will pad your benefits checks with <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/10/20/3-ways-to-make-your-social-security-benefits-bigge.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=5b5f91a8-ba85-11e7-be71-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">delayed retirement credits Opens a New Window.</a>. And third, if you're fortunate enough to have a pension coming to you from your current employer, the amount you'll receive from that pension is based on how long you've worked for that company. In fact, most pensions require you to stay with your employer for a certain number of years to get anything at all. It's important to take all these factors into consideration when choosing your retirement date.</p>
<p>Your Social Security statement will give you a rough idea of how much money you can expect from those benefits, but unless you're an extremely frugal person indeed you'll need more money than that during your retirement just to get by, let alone to be comfortable. Figuring out <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/08/24/4-ways-to-find-your-retirement-number.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=5b5f91a8-ba85-11e7-be71-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">how much income Opens a New Window.</a> you'll need over and above your Social Security benefits is a necessary step in any retirement plan, since you'll likely need to produce this income from retirement investments. When calculating your retirement income, err on the side of more rather than less because first, you may have unexpected expenses; and second, there's no guarantee that your Social Security benefits will be as large as you expect. Changes to the Social Security program may significantly reduce your benefits checks or even (in a worst-case scenario) eliminate them altogether.</p>
<p>Knowing how much retirement income you'll need will tell you how much money you need to save in total, and your retirement date is your deadline is to save everything you need. These two pieces of information will allow you to figure out how much you've got to save on a monthly or annual basis, starting right now. Plug these two factors into a <a href="http://www.calcxml.com/calculators/savings-goal-calculator-how-much?skn=606&amp;r=1" type="external">retirement calculator Opens a New Window.</a>, assume a fairly conservative 7% annual return, and you'll know just <a href="https://www.fool.com/personal-finance/2017/09/15/3-ways-to-make-saving-easy-and-painless.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=5b5f91a8-ba85-11e7-be71-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">how much you need to save Opens a New Window.</a>. If that number is equal to or less than the amount you've actually been saving on a regular basis, you're doing extremely well in your retirement planning and preparation. If not, you'll need to do some catching up to get on track for retirement.</p>
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<p>What you do with all that money you've been saving will make or break your retirement plans. First, that money should be going into a tax-advantaged retirement savings account such as a 401(k) or IRA -- NOT a standard brokerage account or bank savings account. The tax breaks you get from a retirement savings account are absolutely necessary in order to get high enough returns to hit your savings goals. And second, the money should be invested in stocks and bonds, with perhaps a small percentage in alternative investments. <a href="http://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/06/16/the-long-term-impact-of-proper-asset-allocation.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=5b5f91a8-ba85-11e7-be71-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Allocating the money Opens a New Window.</a> between stocks and bonds based on your age will help you to maximize your returns while minimizing the risk. The standard retirement asset allocation formula is to subtract your age from 110 and put that percentage of your investments in stocks, with the remainder in bonds. For example, a 40-year-old would have 70% of his retirement savings in stock investments and the remaining 30% in bonds.</p>
<p>If you've accomplished each of these four tasks already, congratulations! Barring some disaster, you should be able to enjoy a comfortable and pleasant retirement. If you've missed one or more of these signposts, however, you can still make a course correction. For example, if your retirement savings money has been sitting in a bank savings account, you can open an IRA and start dumping money into it immediately. You probably won't be able to transfer the full balance all at once because IRAs have annual contribution limits, but you can max out that limit every year until all the money is safely tucked away. If you have access to a 401(k) account through your employer, even better -- the annual contribution limits on 401(k)s are higher than those for IRAs, so you'll be able to put more money in each year. The important thing is to act immediately to correct any issues with your retirement plan. The sooner you get started, the easier it will be to get back on track.</p>
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<p>The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=5b5f91a8-ba85-11e7-be71-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 4 Signs You're On Track for Retirement | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/11/10/4-signs-youre-on-track-for-retirement.html | 2017-11-10 | 0 |
<p>Depending on which political analyst people listen to, opinions will vary on which state is the most critical in the 2012 presidential election. The three most common states mentioned are Ohio, Virginia, and Florida.</p>
<p>Ohio and Florida are always considered to be important in any presidential election. Florida is a crucial battleground state with twenty-nine electoral votes up for grabs and Ohio has a perfect record in voting with the overall winning candidate. With how the electoral math works, the state’s eighteen electoral votes can make all of the difference.</p>
<p>All of the states that are currently labeled “toss ups” will be important to watch on election night. However, one could easily make the argument that the most crucial swing state for both mainstream candidates in this election is Virginia. It is especially important for Mitt Romney.</p>
<p>It is commonly accepted that there are eleven battleground or swing states in 2012: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Wisconsin.</p>
<p>If people take the <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/2012_elections_electoral_college_map.html" type="external">average</a> for the major statewide polls conducted in each state, Obama currently has a big advantage. Yet, his leads remain within the margin of error in several states. He will likely take Pennsylvania and, according to current data, he is looking strong in Wisconsin and Michigan. North Carolina is leaning Republican at the moment. With the Real Clear Politics data, this is what the electoral map looks like:</p>
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<p>Ohio, Virginia, Florida, and Colorado will likely be the most interesting races to watch. Nevada looks like it is leaning more towards Obama at the moment and Romney has a slight lead in Florida. If the electoral map is colored in to give Obama Nevada then Romney would have to win all of the remaining battleground states to win the election without Virginia.</p>
<p>Romney could win Florida, Ohio, and Colorado and still lose the election if he can’t secure Virginia. Voters in Virginia, specifically northern Virginia, could easily decide the 2012 presidential election. Mitt Romney’s hope of being elected the next President of the United States will be diminished significantly if Barack Obama wins the state.</p>
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<p>The electoral map graphic says it all. Even losing New Hampshire to Obama will cost Romney the race if he cannot secure Virginia. This could be the first election Ohio fails to vote with the overall winner. That is, if the Romney/Ryan campaign can manage to pull off a victory in the state. President Obama can win without Virginia if he can secure Ohio, where is he currently ahead slightly in statewide polls. Romney would have to reverse polling trends in some states to be in a position to win without the Old Dominion.</p>
<p>This is a close race. It has been a hard fought race by both presidential campaigns. It has been an ugly race and many people across the country are experiencing voter fatigue, because they are ready for this election cycle to be over. Voter participation is fueled by motivation and perception drives motivation. Voter turnout will likely be significantly lower than 2008 and possibly even 2004.</p>
<p>For political enthusiasts, pundits, and analysts, election night is going to be a long night. It will be one of the closest presidential elections Americans have seen in many years and it will be worth watching every minute of it. The next four years for America, the path the nation follows, will be decided in less than five days.</p> | Virginia Could Be Most Crucial Swing State in 2012 | false | https://ivn.us/2012/11/01/virginia-could-be-most-crucial-swing-state-in-2012-2/ | 2012-11-01 | 2 |
<p>Conspiracy-theorist extraordinaire Alex Jones may not actually believe the insanity that spews out of his mouth.</p>
<p>Jones is currently involved in <a href="http://www.mystatesman.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/travis-county-custody-case-jury-will-search-for-real-alex-jones/rnbWzMHnFCd5SOPgP3A34J/" type="external">a custody battle</a> with his ex-wife, Kelly Jones, over their three children, who are 14, 12 and nine years old. The crux of Kelly Jones' argument is that her ex-husband's loony rants highlight how unstable he is.</p>
<p>"He says he wants to break Alec Baldwin’s neck. He wants J-Lo to get raped," Kelly Jones said in court. "I'm concerned that he is engaged in felonious behavior, threatening a member of Congress. He broadcasts from home. The children are there, watching him broadcast."</p>
<p>Bobby Newman, Kelly's attorney, argued that Infowars "is the world he has planned for his kids."</p>
<p>However, Alex Jones' lawyer, Randall Wilhite, argued that such rants by Jones are nothing more than an act.</p>
<p>"He's playing a character," Wilhite said. "He is a performance artist."</p>
<p>The judge presiding over the case, Orlinda Naranjo, allowed only two Infowars clips to be admissible. One clip features Jones bringing one of his children on his show to present various videos he created with Jones' guidance; Jones gushes about him. The other clip shows <a href="http://www.mystatesman.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/travis-county-custody-case-jury-will-search-for-real-alex-jones/rnbWzMHnFCd5SOPgP3A34J/" type="external">"Jones smoking marijuana in California, where it is legal."</a></p>
<p>Naranjo said during the proceedings that she didn't want the case "to be about Infowars."</p>
<p>"I am in control of this court, not your clients," Naranjo told the lawyers in front of her.</p>
<p>Jones, of course, has spouted <a href="" type="internal">numerous conspiracy theories</a> over the years, including that 9/11 was an inside job and that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax. Even if Jones doesn't actually believe these conspiracy theories, his audience likely won't leave him.</p>
<p>Stephen Miller explains in <a href="https://heatst.com/entertainment/dont-expect-alex-jones-audience-to-abandon-him-even-if-his-radio-persona-is-just-an-act/" type="external">Heat Street</a>:</p>
<p>It’s like the first time people find out that the WWE is carefully choreographed, athletic stagecraft. At first they may feel betrayed that what they are witnessing isn’t 100% spontaneous, authentic battle of muscles and wills. But that all subsides the first time a flying sumo elbow from the top buckle squarely lands on a jaw in a long anticipated title match. That’s what will happen with Jones.</p>
<p>He may have to issue an on-air statement regarding these claims and admissions of theatrics, but the first time he grunts, bellows and throws a metaphorical elbow in the direction of the Washington, D.C., Swamp monsters or Unholy Satan’s offspring Chelsea Clinton, all will be forgiven.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump has previously expressed admiration for Jones.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Read more about Alex Jones and Infowars here.</a></p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/bandlersbanter" type="external">Follow Aaron Bandler on Twitter.</a></p> | Does Alex Jones Really Believe His Nutty Conspiracy Theories? Here's What His Lawyer Said In Court. | true | https://dailywire.com/news/15482/does-alex-jones-really-believe-his-nutty-aaron-bandler | 2017-04-18 | 0 |
<p>It seems strange for European leaders to be celebrating the capture of a war criminal, Radovan Karadzic, so soon after they were shaking hands with another, who so far has not had to go through the trouble of growing out his hair and selling new-age medicine.</p>
<p>“This is a historic moment,” German Chancellor Andrea Merkel said of the arrest of the Serbian, whose body count is thought to be upwards of 10,000. “The victims must know: massive human rights violations will not go unpunished.”</p>
<p>Two weeks earlier she had “a very interesting exchange of view” with George Bush, whose body count is thought to be upwards of half a million and counting. There was no mention of reassurances for his victims.</p>
<p>The Karadzic seizure “underscored Serbia’s European calling,” Merkel said, just a fortnight after she had a greater criminal by the right hand and let him get away.</p>
<p>But wait a minute, you say. Karadzic killed systematically. He targeted innocent people. He killed people because of their ethnicity. Shouldn’t this be factored into our judgment of him? Maybe. Or maybe killing civilians is killing civilians. Maybe the fact that you don’t do body counts, that you slaughtered so many people so indiscriminately that there is no way to precisely tabulate the number, should be weighed as well.</p>
<p>Whether having people lined up before shooting them should carry a different moral valence from dropping bombs on them is a consideration that might be brought up at the International Criminal Court of the United Nations.</p>
<p>There is no reason the International Criminal Court should not adjudicate prima facie cases of aggressive wars. It was wars of aggression, after all, that Nuremberg’s International Military Tribunal found “evil.” A war of aggression, it said, is “not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime, differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.” It was Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson, chief U.S. prosecutor at Nuremberg, who coined the phrase supreme international crime.</p>
<p>The first four of the seven Nuremberg Principles, adopted in 1950, are a seminal attempt to hold individuals accountable for their actions within the larger system of the nation-state: Principle 1 holds that the individual is responsible for his war crimes; Principle 2 says you’re not off the hook just because what you did was okay by the laws of your country; Principle 3 posits that acting as head of state is no defense, and Principle 4 says that following orders is not a defense either.</p>
<p>So what’s an international crime? The Principles lay out three kinds: crimes against peace (such as “planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression”), war crimes (“murder,” “ill-treatment of prisoners of war,” “plunder of public or private property,” “wanton destruction of cities, towns, or villages”), and crimes against humanity (“murder…and other inhumane acts done against any civilian population.”)</p>
<p>If we are to mean anything at all as a nation, we must hold the Iraq War up to the light of these principles. We must let an international court decide which of these crimes were committed by whom, and we must hold accountable the individuals responsible for this war.</p>
<p>The Nuremberg trials were open to two main critiques from contemporary observers: they smacked of victor’s justice, because the Allies were not tried for their war crimes, and they were based on ex post facto laws (devised after the crimes were committed). Both points have their validity. And yet putting Bush and company on trial is immune from both charges, because the Principles have been in place for 60 years now, and it is not a question of hauling the vanquished before the victorious. This is the perfect opportunity to establish that no nation is above international law.</p>
<p>Here at home, people are finally starting to talk about impeachment, now that the Administration is in its gloaming. But impeaching Bush is like discharging Timothy McVeigh from the military or kicking Jeffrey Dahmer out of the Boy Scouts. It’s something we should probably do while we’re waiting for the guy to be arrested.</p>
<p>Writing in The New York Times Book Review of March 28, 1971, Times reporter Neil Sheehan argued that the U.S. presidents, generals and advisers who had launched the war of aggression in Southeast Asia should be put on trial. “The cleansing of the nation’s conscience and the future conduct of the most powerful country in the world towards the weaker peoples of the globe demand a national inquiry into the war crimes question,” he wrote. “History shows that men who decide for war, as the Japanese militarists did, cannot demand mercy for themselves. The resort to force is the ultimate act.”</p>
<p>What defense would we hear from lawyers for the Bush Administration and his henchmen (or puppeteers, let the evidence determine)? That the Iraq War was self-defense? One argument for putting Bush and Cheney in the dock of an international court is that judges there might not swallow that line as easily as did the U.S. press and public.</p>
<p>BRENDAN COONEY is an anthropologist living in New York City. He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Europe’s Hypocrisy | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/07/26/europe-s-hypocrisy/ | 2008-07-26 | 4 |
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<p>CONNELLSVILLE, Pa. - State police have arrested a man on charges he broke into a Pennsylvania supermarket using a rope ladder - then claimed to merely be sleeping on the store's roof when he was caught.</p>
<p>Forty-eight-year-old Thomas Beal is in the Fayette County Booking Center awaiting arraignment on burglary, criminal trespass and other charges.</p>
<p>Troopers say a security guard inside Peachin's Supermarket in Dunbar Township called police early Tuesday when he saw Beal enter the store through an air-conditioning vent and lower himself with the ladder.</p>
<p>Troopers surrounded the building shortly after 3 a.m. and went onto the roof where they found Beal, who claimed to be sleeping.</p>
<p>Online court records don't list an attorney for Beal.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Police: Man used rope ladder to burglarize supermarket | false | https://abqjournal.com/669857/police-man-used-rope-ladder-to-burglarize-supermarket.html | 2 |
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<p>Sunday before last I attended two different political/educational events, one an anti-war event at the Unitarian Church, the other, an author book signing at the local independent non-corporate bookstore. Left both events feeling disturbed, for different reasons, for what I saw and heard at each.</p>
<p>The event at the Unitarian Church was a tour-stop for the Labor Against the War Tour. Some of the brighter lights of the US labor movement sponsored a lengthy US tour in 2005-6 for a dozen or two Iraqi labor leaders. One of the tour guides for these Iraqi visitors was speaking and showing the 26 minute long documentary movie made by the US labor leaders about the tour.</p>
<p>The movie was well worth watching. Ordinary working people were shown as themselves doing political and social activities, which is something that Hollywood doesn’t ever do. Watching the folks interact with the Iraqis was an object lesson in the fundamental decency of so much of working America. The focus was on the importance of labor solidarity across national boundaries, and the similar problems of worker solidarity against globalization, not so much on the politics of the war. Even with the war on the back burner, the message from the Iraqi labor leaders came out loud and clear–the US needed to leave Iraq NOW. Nobody in the movie from the US side ever disagreed with them either, which again shows ordinary working Americans as smarter than their political leaders.</p>
<p>What bothered me most about this event was what has been bothering me about the anti-war effort here in Austin, and I suspect nationwide as well, for some time. First, the attendance stank at this event — maybe 50 people attended. This was the first anti-war event in at least six months in this town, and that’s all who turned up. Second was the audience demographic, which was pure retiree age, entirely Caucasian, in this city, Austin, a young-demographic city that is almost majority-minority. I’m 50 this year and except for two other attendees I was the youngest person there. At every single educational anti-war event I’ve ever been to in this town, and I think I’ve been to all of them, I’ve been almost the youngest person attending. Every single educational anti-war event — movies or lectures, save those on the UT campus–has had these same problems of crappy attendance and a geriatric demographic.* The UT student events of course have a student demographic but still have crappy attendance and are very rare in occurrence and basically haven’t occurred at all for the past two years. I am not sociologist enough to answer why things are like this, but part of it might be a generational shift in how curious people are. Myself I don’t think that many Americans are all that curious about the world around them, and just aren’t interested in movies and lectures about Iraq, or anywhere much else in the outside world. Evidence of this might also come from the non-answer I got to my question I asked the US labor leader/tour guide in the Q &amp; A afterwards. I asked him what the Iraqis thought about America, Americans, and American society after seeing it close-up for the first time ever. He had no answer. Apparently no one had asked the Iraqis this ever in all the months they were here.</p>
<p>I went from there to the local independent bookstore, BookPeople, for a talk and booksigning by Mohammed Yunus, Nobel Prize winner, founder of the Grameen Bank, and pioneer of microlending to the rural poor in the Third World. I got there early enough to get a front center seat. Very large turnout — I’d guess around 400–which makes this the third most attended booksigning I’ve ever seen. (Jimmy Carter pulled in 2000, and Sonny Barger {ex-president of the Hell’s Angels} pulled in 600) The demographic was better — a much younger and more representative audience, basically an Obama audience, except no blacks or Mexicans. The only color came from a sizeable turnout of south Asian students there from UT.</p>
<p>I was prepared with a good impertinent question for Dr. Yunus, which was:</p>
<p>“Dr. Yunus, everyone who wants to improve rural lives wants land reform, returning land ownership to its tillers. But everyone in the know about land reform knows that an essential part of it is credit reform, too, establishing new modern credit and banking institutions, because rural land disenfranchisement and underdevelopment has mostly occurred from usurious rural lending practices. Dr. Yunus, why is it that your 36 per cent interest rate microcredit loans are going to promote rural development when historically those same interest rates destroyed small farmer landowning and turned yeoman landed farmers to landless peasants?”</p>
<p>Little long of a question, but dammit I couldn’t think of a way to make it shorter and have it understood by the average ignorant American. You see, for all the PR about microlending, at its core all it is is another go-round of extortionate lending to the rural poor, mostly targeting women instead of farmers this time, done by the Grameen Bank instead of the local landowner/jefe. Grameen doesn’t lend money in India at less than 24 per cent interest, a lot at 36 per cent, and some at even higher rates. Unlike your credit cards, interest is calculated over the whole of the loan, not on the remaining balance, too. On the other hand, if you are an affluent upper class Indian, you can borrow money from the big commercial banks at 8 per cent to buy a new (imported) Mercedes-Benz. (And then burn up lots of imported petroleum, too, once you have it–another excellent use for scarce foreign exchange dollars.) While there are success stories from Grameen Bank’s files, they are proof of nothing but the desperate crying need for capital in the third world rural sector. That anyone can make a go of things with money borrowed at those rates shows how badly starved for credit the rural third world is. The drawback to microcredit is that the historical record shows these rates in aggregate over time are horribly destructive. Microcredit’s track record is short; history’s is long. And nobody smart bets against history.</p>
<p>I listened to Yunus tell his story of how he came to start Grameen Bank, and how the important thing now was that he was doing things to promote businesses with a social objective. He was more than passing weak on explaining what exactly the latter concept is and how it is supposed to work. He managed to get a dig in against his apostates in Mexico who had gone commercial, with immense success, using his methods and charging even higher interest rates.** Not too much was said, nor was any said with any verve, either. At the conclusion, one of the store staff announced that Dr. Yunus was going to take exactly three questionns, no more. I shot my hand up, and got noticed, but Yunus wound up picking three good-looking women instead of me. They all pitched him softball questions, which he was happy to give the usual predictable answers to. Most all of the crowd hung around to get their books signed.</p>
<p>Yunus has definitely tapped into something in the American psyche, in particular the well-intentioned white educated younger demographics. Yunus has gotten a lot of publicity, all of it highly favorable, in the US newsmedia, for about the last decade. [Not here on CounterPunch <a href="" type="internal">cockburn10202006.html</a> and <a href="" type="internal">pollin06252007.html</a> Editors]</p>
<p>Yunus’ praise of individualistic capitalism certainly is a message that suits the stone hearts and tin ears of ruling elite America, and that accounts for much of his stateside PR. Publicity alone doesn’t get you that big a crowd, though–Yunus is hitting some deep chords in these people’s hearts with his message of third-world salvation via microcredit. That’s why they showed up in numbers on a bright warm and sunny Saturday winter afternoon.</p>
<p>Yunus is telling us a wonderful fairy tale about how capitalism actually works if done right, and how if done right in the rural Third World it will save those people from underdevelopment and lives of hardship and misery. People want to believe the propaganda they are surrounded with, even if their own experience tells them otherwise; it is just so much easier that way. Yunus’ fable of capitalist success yielding a saved third world allows people here the luxury of believing in the fairy tale we know consciously as adults is mostly false. It saves us all a great deal of cognitive dissonance, which after all is hard work. It may not work here that well, but Yunus tells us it will work THERE, a far-away there that we know not at all, and we are happy because of it.</p>
<p>On the other hand, any documentary or lecture about the war shoves our noses in the painful obviousness of American failure, arrogance, and institutional corruption. Harder still to face is how Iraq shows us and our society’s brutality and ugliness. They also compel us to ask why we ourselves aren’t doing anything, and point out our individual helplessness in the face of corporate America’s ruling elites’ control over our country’s government and our own individual lives as well. Yunus’s fable, which requires us to do nothing more than some well-intentioned nattering, suits us well, and we like it. We mostly all choose to ignore the war.</p>
<p>That is us, and who we are, today.</p>
<p>*Attended three Iraq movies at the Dobie Theater, which is immediately adjacent to UT. The War Tapes–7:00 opening Friday showing, attendance 13. The Ground Truth–promoted through the alt newsweekly, with guest speakers from IVAW– Friday opening show’s attendance 20. My Country, My Country–7:00 Sunday opening week showing–attendance 12. Attendance at other showings throughout the week ran in single digits. Sum total of attendees younger than me–5. They are all good movies; you should all see them all.</p>
<p>**The founder of this bank is happy to quote his grandfather the cheap furniture magnate’s saying: “If you want to get rich, sell to the poor.” Their interest rates are around 100 per cent. And a big tip of the hat to Sudhirindar Sharma for his research assistance and encouragement.</p>
<p>DANIEL WHITE can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | What People Want to Hear About in Austin, Texas | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/05/05/what-people-want-to-hear-about-in-austin-texas/ | 2008-05-05 | 4 |
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<p>When looking to international markets, traders have turned to both international stocks and even included some currency-hedged strategy to manage foreign exchange currency fluctuations. On the other hand, investors can consider partial currency-hedged exchange traded funds to diminish currency risks.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Currency traders are seeing wild swings, with the U.S. dollar oscillating on foreign market risks, global central bank policies, Federal Reserve speculation and economic data at home.</p>
<p>The U.S. Dollar Index (NYSE:DXY), which tracks the U.S. dollar's movement against a basket of major foreign currencies, has declined 3.8% year-to-date. The dollar index, though, has bounced back off its May lows.</p>
<p>The USD has weakened earlier this year after Federal Reserve officials said that financial conditions tightened in the weeks since the Federal Reserve’s rate hike in December, adding to speculation that the Fed would hold off on four rate hikes this year. Now, the greenback has been strengthening on increased safe-haven bets on a a so-called Brexit vote and previous speculation on Fed rate hikes.</p>
<p>Even in less volatile periods, correctly predicting the direction the dollar will move against major international currencies is not an easy feat to accomplish. As we continue to digest the diverging global central bank policies and rising uncertainty, international stock investors may want to take a more neutral forex view instead of trying to bet on a definitive up or down trend in the currency market.</p>
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<p>Financial advisors have already implemented some form of a percentage hedge against foreign exchange moves by investing in two different currency-hedged ETFs – one hedged and one unhedged. However, this leaves investors with more work when rebalancing a portfolio, which would incur additional transaction fees, along with short-term capital gains.</p>
<p>A fully hedged portfolio position has historically diminished returns when the U.S. dollar depreciated or international currencies strengthened. Since a hedged portfolio shorts foreign currencies, investors would miss out on the added boost if international currencies appreciated. On the other hand, an unhedged strategy historically underperformed when the greenback appreciated or foreign currencies weakened. If international currencies depreciate, foreign currency-denominated investments would have a lower USD-denominated return. There <a href="" type="internal">will be times when a fully hedged portfolio undergrounds</a> relative to unhedged strategies or vice versa.</p>
<p>Alternatively, ETF investors may consider alternative options that take a more neutral view on foreign currency movements. For instance, IndexIQ has a handful of 50% hedged/50% unhedged option, including the IQ 50 Percent Hedged FTSE International ETF (NYSE: <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.etftrends.com_etf-2Dresume.php-3Fquote-3Dhfxi&amp;d=DQMFAg&amp;c=cnx1hdOQtepEQkpermZGwQ&amp;r=GRqff5l5MHpejHoKHot8Gp2SY_ZPxrunht950uhDnYCPYyIIU0YyzTG5vMXJEgC6&amp;m=8GefJK8Dri_461V63bnVqKdUr9Z-gEIt3Tbnnhe9pyo&amp;s=m6A1rK-TA4nR0vqjjhYFAuxkOwyIO2JfvnKZMl5W1Uk&amp;e=" type="external">HFXI Opens a New Window.</a>), IQ 50 Percent Hedged FTSE Europe ETF (NYSE: <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.etftrends.com_etf-2Dresume.php-3Fquote-3Dhfxe&amp;d=DQMFAg&amp;c=cnx1hdOQtepEQkpermZGwQ&amp;r=GRqff5l5MHpejHoKHot8Gp2SY_ZPxrunht950uhDnYCPYyIIU0YyzTG5vMXJEgC6&amp;m=8GefJK8Dri_461V63bnVqKdUr9Z-gEIt3Tbnnhe9pyo&amp;s=ZVfG9kRF-Mesij2nfCSWw0br9l2N_5Du7DRfSjMis4A&amp;e=" type="external">HFXE Opens a New Window.</a>) and IQ 50 Percent Hedged FTSE Japan ETF (NYSE: <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.etftrends.com_etf-2Dresume.php-3Fquote-3Dhfxj&amp;d=DQMFAg&amp;c=cnx1hdOQtepEQkpermZGwQ&amp;r=GRqff5l5MHpejHoKHot8Gp2SY_ZPxrunht950uhDnYCPYyIIU0YyzTG5vMXJEgC6&amp;m=8GefJK8Dri_461V63bnVqKdUr9Z-gEIt3Tbnnhe9pyo&amp;s=n6vajl4Nf1HdtOKD4E6bRtpSDmS42p-Vy_s4gH78sss&amp;e=" type="external">HFXJ Opens a New Window.</a>). All three funds have approximately half their currency exposure of the securities in the underlying index hedged against the U.S. dollar on a monthly basis.</p>
<p>According to IndexIQ research, a 50% currency hedged approach can reduce the potential risk of misreading extreme currency movements in either direction and can also diminish volatility.</p>
<p>Furthermore, ETF investors may also look to some relatively new dynamic or adaptive currency-hedged international stock strategies. For instance, BlackRock offers the iShares Adaptive Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF (BATS:DEWJ), iShares Adaptive Currency Hedged MSCI EAFE ETF (BATS:DEFA) and iShares Adaptive Currency Hedged MSCI Eurozone ETF (BATS:DEZU). The Adaptive Currency Hedged ETFs may shift from a 0% unhedged currency exposure to a 100% fully hedged, depending on differences in interest rates, relative valuations, currency momentum and currency volatility.</p>
<p>WisdomTree also offers the WisdomTree Dynamic Currency Hedged Europe Equity Fund (BATS:DDEZ), WisdomTree Dynamic Currency Hedged Japan Equity Fund (BATS:DDJP), WisdomTree Dynamic Currency Hedged International Equity Fund (BATS:DDWM) and WisdomTree Dynamic Currency Hedged International SmallCap Equity Fund (BATS:DDLS).</p>
<p>The four Dynamic Currency Hedged Equity Funds will hedge currency fluctuations in the relative value of the foreign currency against the USD, ranging from 0% to 100% hedge based on interest rate differentials, valuations and relative price momentum of the foreign currencies compared to the USD.</p>
<p>This article was provided by our partners at <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.etftrends.com_&amp;d=DQMFAg&amp;c=cnx1hdOQtepEQkpermZGwQ&amp;r=GRqff5l5MHpejHoKHot8Gp2SY_ZPxrunht950uhDnYCPYyIIU0YyzTG5vMXJEgC6&amp;m=8GefJK8Dri_461V63bnVqKdUr9Z-gEIt3Tbnnhe9pyo&amp;s=OEZTX1THZf98QQeZr3vjAW81e_--23NJW0R0hzRJWu0&amp;e=" type="external">etftrends.com Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Catching the Dollar's Wave | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/06/15/catching-dollars-wave.html | 2016-06-15 | 0 |
<p>On May 25, 2018, the <a href="http://www.eugdpr.org/" type="external">General Data Protection Regulation Opens a New Window.</a> (GDPR) will be the law of the land in the European Union (EU). GDPR will require companies to maintain strict <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2492322,00.asp" type="external">data protection Opens a New Window.</a> protocols, including maintenance of accurate and up-to-date records that are continually monitored and in compliance with GDPR standards. The processes for collecting data must be relevant to how the data will be used by the company (for example, consumer shopping data but not medical history data for <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2484670,00.asp" type="external">e-commerce companies Opens a New Window.</a>). Security practices must demonstrate a clear ability to safeguard against loss, damage, and destruction, and data should not be held longer than is necessary. Any company failing to comply with the regulation will be subject to a 4 percent forfeiture of its annual revenues.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pcmag.com/roundup/352693/the-best-marketing-automation-software" type="external">Marketing automation Opens a New Window.</a> company HubSpot surveyed 3,017 EU consumers about how they will take advantage of these regulations. The company also <a href="https://www.hubspot.com/data-privacy/gdpr/research" type="external">surveyed Opens a New Window.</a> 363 C-level business owners and marketers to determine how the regulations will impact business practices. I spoke with Inken Kuhlmann, Senior Marketing Manager at HubSpot, about GDPR and what <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article/356899/gdpr-what-americans-need-to-know" type="external">American companies can learn Opens a New Window.</a> from the survey data.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Ninety percent of consumer respondents told <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/review/352587/hubspot" type="external">HubSpot Opens a New Window.</a> they're pleased about GDPR. Fifty-nine percent of respondents said they would ask a company to delete all of their records from the company's database(s). Six out of 10 respondents said they would definitely opt out of phone calls and emails, and 55 percent said they would request to see what data is stored on them. Advertisers on the web will be disheartened to hear that 54 percent of respondents would opt out of cookie tracking and 49 percent would opt out of retargeting.</p>
<p>Perhaps even more damning for businesses were responses to how consumers think data should be handled in the future. Eighty-four percent of respondents don't want companies contacting them without permission. Seventy-three percent said they would opt out of all company communications if they could. A similar percentage said they don't want companies storing personal data at all.</p>
<p>This leads to the end goal of GDPR: transparency. Consumers are more likely to communicate with brands that are transparent about how customer data is being used and shared. Ninety-two percent of respondents said they expect to be notified promptly if a data breach occurs. A similar percentage said they expect companies to be 100 percent transparent about how and when data will be used. Three out of four respondents said companies are not handling personal data in a safe way. "Businesses are very concerned," said Kuhlmann. "Consumers are aware of data privacy. It's a concern that's valid because there's no transparency around it."</p>
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<p>Because EU citizens will have the right to be forgotten, businesses will not only have to rethink the way they market to consumers but also how they maintain their entire data infrastructure. "Companies aren't set up for it now from a database perspective," said Kuhlmann. "It's not just about consumer data. Even if you have somebody applying for a job, you have to delete that data at some point; you can't just keep that data forever. It's not just impacting the marketing side but the business as well."</p>
<p>With the deadline less than six months away, businesses don't seem to be prepared to meet the strict GDPR guidelines. In fact, only 36 percent of business respondents understood what GDPR was prior to taking the survey. Twelve percent told HubSpot that they hadn't heard about GDPR until they began the survey. Twenty-two percent said they hadn't started to prepare for GDPR. Only 31 percent of respondents knew that GDPR would take effect in 2018. "People no longer want to get spammed or be followed around by targeting ads," said Kuhlmann. "Something has to change next year. It sounds like marketers are not up to speed on what to do."</p>
<p>When asked what impact GDPR would have on business outcomes, 51 percent of respondents said they expected their marketing lists to decrease in size. A third of respondents told HubSpot they expect lead conversion rates would go down. "Marketers will have to focus more on producing valuable and relevant content that's personalized to their audience and delights consumers," said Kuhlmann. "Marketers are really good at generating awareness at the top of funnel but not at building trust. They'll have to focus on that for next year as less people opt into the database."</p>
<p>Kuhlmann said GDPR presents "loads of opportunity" for marketers that work in <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2491376,00.asp" type="external">social media marketing Opens a New Window.</a>, content marketing, and <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/roundup/348615/the-best-seo-tools" type="external">search engine optimization Opens a New Window.</a> (SEO).</p>
<p>When asked which marketing practices they emphasize more once GDPR takes effect, 44 percent of business respondents said social media marketing, 41 percent said content marketing, and 37 percent said SEO. Twenty-six percent of respondents said they would decrease the kind of retargeting that relies on customer data and cookies. Only 9 percent of marketers said they would continue to market in the same way they had during the past year.</p>
<p>This article <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article/357570/gdpr-paints-a-grim-picture-for-businesses" type="external">originally appeared Opens a New Window.</a> on <a href="http://www.pcmag.com" type="external">PCMag.com Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | GDPR Paints a Grim Picture for Businesses | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/11/28/gdpr-paints-grim-picture-for-businesses.html | 2017-11-28 | 0 |
<p>Published time: 1 Sep, 2017 16:25</p>
<p>The parties in talks to form a new Dutch government are negotiating a proposal to scrap advisory referendums, local media report. The plan comes as the EU-Ukraine association deal takes full effect, on which the country voted overwhelmingly against.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/401736-ukraine-eu-association-agreement/" type="external">READ MORE:&#160;Ukraine’s association deal bittersweet with no real hope for EU integration</a></p>
<p>The four parties are considering scrapping the right of Dutch citizens to vote on legislative changes in non-binding consultative referendums, the Telegraaf <a href="http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/29087473/__Raadgevend_referendum_wankelt__.html" type="external">reported</a> on Thursday, citing anonymous sources. The parties, which include the Party for Freedom and Democracy, the Christian Democrats (CDA), the Christian Union, and the liberal D66, are also said to have discussed the introduction of elected mayors.&#160;</p>
<p>“I won’t get ahead of matters that we are negotiating and on which there is no agreement yet,” the D66 (Democrats 66) leader, Alexander Pechtold, <a href="https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nederland/politiek/gekozen-burgemeester-stap-dichterbij-raadgevend-referendum-wankelt" type="external">told</a> RTL Nieuws.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/339392-dutch-voters-reject-ukraine/" type="external">READ MORE:&#160;61% of Dutch voters reject association with Ukraine – final referendum results</a></p>
<p>The news comes as the association agreement between the EU and Ukraine comes into force on Friday, the ratification of which was widely rejected by Dutch voters in the 2016 consultative referendum. With a 32-percent turnout, slightly more than the required minimum to make the results valid, 61 percent voted against the deal.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/340287-dutch-parliament-ukraine-deal/" type="external" /></p>
<p>Although the outcome was non-binding, it was supposed to force the government to reconsider the agreement. “It means the government must handle the result and the debate with due care,” the foreign minister <a href="https:/www.government.nl/documents/parliamentary-documents/2016/04/12/letter-to-parliament-about-referendum-on-eu-ukraine-association-agreement" type="external">wrote</a> in a letter to the lower house of parliament. Prime Minister Mark Rutte said at the time it was politically impossible for his government to pass it in its existing form.</p>
<p>However, the Dutch House of Representatives adopted it in February, with the Senate ratifying it on May 30, which allowed the EU to officially launch the treaty with Ukraine. Meanwhile, the Dutch consultative body to the government, the Council of State, <a href="https://www.volkskrant.nl/politiek/pas-op-met-referenda-ze-ondermijnen-de-democratie-waarschuwt-de-raad-van-state~a4483704/" type="external">said</a> in a report released a year after the vote that the thoughtless use of referendums and other forms of “people’s democracy” don’t work well with representative democracy in the country.&#160;Politicians who call referendums create false expectations among the voters, who have their hopes raised, but have less power than they think, according to the council’s vice president, Piet Hein Donner, according to de Volkskrant.&#160;</p>
<p>Last year’s referendum was the first time Dutch citizens hit the polls since 2015, when the consultative referendum law allowed people to vote on regulations and treaties, excluding issues concerning the royal family, constitutional amendments, and the budget. To trigger a referendum, 300,000 signatures should be collected within six weeks after the initial request. More than 472,000 people signed the Ukraine referendum request.</p>
<p /> | Dutch consider dropping referendums as EU-Ukraine deal is implemented despite nations’ ‘no’ vote | false | https://newsline.com/dutch-consider-dropping-referendums-as-eu-ukraine-deal-is-implemented-despite-nations-no-vote/ | 2017-09-01 | 1 |
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<p>SANTA FE INDIAN SCHOOL 41, TAOS 28: In the championship game, the Tigers led for the initial 2 minutes, 2 seconds after hitting the first two free throws of the game, but the rest of the contest belonged to the Lady Braves.</p>
<p>In typical SFIS fashion, the Lady Braves’ stifling defense limited the Tigers to just two field goals in the first half — six for the contest — to go up by as many as 23 points, and cruised to their second tournament title of the season.</p>
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<p>“Our offense was a little off today, but our defense did good,” SFIS senior Danielle Nelson said.</p>
<p>Nelson added: “It all starts with practice. Our coaches say a perfect practice makes a perfect game. That inspired us to do good today.”</p>
<p>Santa Fe Indian School’s Victoria Lovato (30) takes a shot around Elizabeth Winters (22) of Taos.</p>
<p>When asked what is more difficult, games like this or practices, Nelson smiled. “Definitely practices,” she said. “There’s more running.”</p>
<p>Bridgette Lee and Nelson led SFIS with 14 points each. With the win, the Lady Braves improve to 10-1, while Taos falls to 6-5.</p>
<p>ESPAÑOLA VALLEY 55, POJOAQUE VALLEY 52: In the third-place game, it was the first matchup between the teams since former Española Valley coach Ron Drake left to lead the Elkettes (6-5) during the offseason — and it appeared that the Sundevils (9-3) didn’t miss a beat.</p>
<p>Three Española Valley players scored in double figures, led by Ashlynn Trujillo and Krista Bustos, who each had 13 points. Teammate Lauren Quintana finished with 12.</p>
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<p>The Sundevils led 11-9 after the first period, but trailed 23-22 at the intermission. Then after a seesaw third period, Española Valley eighth-grader Alexis Lovato, who sustained a foot injury during warm-ups, entered the contest late in the fourth quarter, hitting a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws — her only points of the game — to seal the win.</p>
<p>“I told (Lovato), ‘Let me know if you can play because I can’t feel your pain.’ Then sure enough, near the end of the fourth quarter, she said, ‘Coach, put me in,’ ” Sundevils coach Oliver Torres said. “She wanted to be a good teammate and be there for the team. But she hit some clutch free throws, with our girls struggling from the line. She pulled it out for us.”</p>
<p>The Sundevils connected on just 6 of 18 attempts from the foul line, including going 5 for 14 in the fourth period. When Torres was asked whether the win had any extra significance considering the history between the two teams, he replied with a resounding no.</p>
<p>“Any ‘W’ I’m happy with, whether it’s bad, good, pretty or not. I’ll take a win no matter how it comes.”</p>
<p>He added: “Like I told the girls in the locker room … it’s a part of the business. You’re going to go through coaches and I’m going to go through players, but we still have to do our jobs — and our job is to play hard. I think they did a good job and I’m glad it’s over. Now we can move on.”</p>
<p>The Elkettes were led in scoring by Cheyenne Cordova with 15 points, followed by Gabby Gonzales and Cheyenne Law, with 14 and 10 points, respectively.</p>
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<p>SOCORRO 65, PEÑASCO 20: In the fifth-place game, three Warrior players scored in double figures to lift 3A Socorro to a blowout win over the 2A Panthers. Ashton Monette and Theresa Chavez had 12 points, with Madeline Chavez posting 10 points. Peñasco was led in scoring by Brianna Sanchez with eight points.</p>
<p>RATON 67, MESA VISTA 36: In the seventh-place game, nine Tigers players recorded a basket — led by Brylee Medina with 15 points — to rout the Lady Trojans. Mesa Vista was paced by Selina Siqueros with 13 points.</p>
<p>POJOAQUE VALLEY 78, LAGUNA ACOMA 69: In the championship game, the Hawks opened the contest on a 12-4 run, but were reeled in by the Elks (7-2) shortly before halftime.</p>
<p>Pojoaque Valley outscored Laguna Acoma 25-11 in the second period behind Brandon Bustos, who hit four 3-pointers during the decisive quarter to give the Elks a 35-29 halftime lead. The Elks led by as many as 16 points in delivering the Hawks (9-1) their first loss of the season.</p>
<p>Ten players scored for Pojoaque Valley, led by Bustos with 18 points. Other double-digit Elk scorers were Curtis Cordova with 14 points, and Anthony Rodriguez and Matthew Herrera with 10 each.</p>
<p>TAOS 53, SOCORRO 27: In the third-place game, Shane Willis scored 16 points and Lorenzo Rael had 10 to lead the Tigers (8-3) to a rout of the Warriors. Taos jumped out to a 27-14 first-half lead and never looked back, finishing the tournament with two wins and one loss.</p>
<p>PEÑASCO 54, RATON 45: In the fifth-place game, Rashaad Craig continued to put up gaudy numbers, dropping 25 points on the Panthers to follow up his 41-point performance Friday. But unfortunately for Raton, it wasn’t enough. Peñasco outscored the Tigers 25-6 in the final period to seal the win. Peñasco was led in scoring by Joshua Gurule with 13 points.</p>
<p>MESA VISTA 49, SANTA FE INDIAN SCHOOL 41: In the seventh-place game, Emiliano Martinez led the way with 20 points to guide the Trojans past the Braves, who were paced by Justin Aguino in scoring with 21 points.</p> | Lady Braves Manhandle Tigers in Title Tilt | false | https://abqjournal.com/155427/lady-braves-manhandle-tigers-in-title-tilt.html | 2012-12-23 | 2 |
<p>WASHINGTON — Money spent on lobbying by corporations, trade associations and special interest groups spiked during the final three months of 2017 as they battled for the biggest breaks possible in the most dramatic tax overhaul in more than 30 years.</p>
<p>The figures for the heavyweights are eye-popping.</p>
<p>The National Association of Realtors tallied $22.2 million between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, according to newly filed disclosure reports. That’s double what the organization spent in the third quarter on lobbying activities. The Business Roundtable spent $17.3 million in the fourth quarter, nearly quadruple the amount over the three previous months, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported spending $16.8 million, a $3.7 million increase.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump swept into the White House promising to “drain the swamp” in Washington, but lobbyists continue to wield considerable influence and they plied their trade with vigor as Congress crafted the $1.5 trillion tax-cut package that Trump signed into law in late December.</p>
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<p>The tax overhaul was hustled through Congress in less than two months and mostly written in private. Public Citizen, a nonprofit watchdog group, said in a Jan. 30 report that more than 4,600 lobbyists were engaged specifically on the tax rewrite while several thousand more sought to influence tax policy in addition to other legislative matters. That worked out to 13 lobbyists for every member of Congress.</p>
<p>“Really in terms of galvanizing the entire profession, tax bills do that like nothing else,” said Lisa Gilbert, Public Citizen’s vice president of legislative affairs.</p>
<p>The National Association of Realtors said the millions of additional dollars in lobbying expenses were spent mostly on targeted advertising in the districts or states of members of the congressional tax-writing committees.</p>
<p>Among the group’s successes, according to a lengthy report card it put together, were preserving the exclusion for capital gains on the sale of a home and winning a 20 percent business income deduction for real estate agents and brokers who are set up as “pass-through” companies. That means they pay personal income tax on their business earnings.</p>
<p>The group also took credit for spinning gold from straw. An initial version of the tax bill, for example, proposed capping the mortgage interest deduction at $500,000 — a major change that the organization said would have an “immediate and very negative impact” in high-cost housing markets.</p>
<p>The legislation signed into law by Trump set the cap at a higher level, $750,000, for new loans and exempted most current mortgages from the limit. Not ideal, but better than it could have been.</p>
<p>The Business Roundtable, made up of the CEO’s of America’s largest companies, promoted what it described as “pro-growth tax reform.” The group said the fourth-quarter spending increase reflected increased lobbying activity, paid advertising and the hiring of new staff.</p>
<p>One of the group’s lobbyists is its president and CEO, Joshua Bolten, who held a series of high-level jobs during President George W. Bush’s administration, including White House chief of staff from 2006 to 2009. In addition to its own lobbyists, the group paid outside organizations nearly half a million dollars to lobby on its behalf during the last three months of 2017.</p>
<p>Along with cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, the tax law grants tens of billions in tax breaks on profits that America’s richest multinational companies have kept overseas. Both moves are big victories for big business.</p>
<p>Trump last month highlighted the nearly $250 billion that Apple is repatriating, saying the tech giant would invest $350 billion in the United States in the coming years. But Apple had planned to spend most of that money with its suppliers and manufacturers in the U.S. anyway.</p>
<p>Analysts have predicted that most of those overseas profits will flow into stock buybacks and dividend payments. That’s what happened the last time a one-time break on offshore profits was offered more than a decade ago.</p>
<p>Specialized organizations also seized the moment. The Beer Institute spent $1.3 million on lobbying in the final quarter — a $390,000 increase — and cheered the results: two years of federal excise tax relief for America’s brewers and beer importers.</p>
<p>Lobbyists didn’t always get what they wanted.</p>
<p>Americans Against Double Taxation was formed specifically to prevent the state and local tax deduction from being scrapped. The group, which included the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National Association of Counties, didn’t register to lobby until mid-September and wound up spending around $46,000, a relatively small amount.</p>
<p>But the fight was an uphill one all the way and more money probably wouldn’t have mattered. Republican architects of the tax-cut plan needed to free up hundreds of millions of dollars for tax cuts and the state and local deduction was a juicy target.</p>
<p>Congress voted to impose $10,000 limit on deductions for state and local taxes. The shift will hit hardest in Democratic-leaning states such as California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.</p> | Lobbying Surged as Congress Shaped Tax Bill | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/lobbying-surged-congress-shaped-tax-bill/ | 2018-02-10 | 4 |
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<p>No, it wasn’t a federal takeover of state facilities, but rather filming of a TV miniseries called “Waco,” based on the 1993 Branch Davidian standoff.</p>
<p>A state Film Office spokesman said filming at the historic Bataan Memorial Building in downtown Santa Fe took place on Monday, after several days of preparation. The building was constructed in 1900 and served as the state Capitol for more than 60 years.</p>
<p>Scheduled to in air in 2018, “Waco” will tell the story of the 51-day standoff between federal authorities and David Koresh’s religious sect. Actors working on the show reportedly include John Leguizamo, Taylor Kitsch and Michael Shannon.</p>
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<p>State law allows the motion picture industry to have free access to state buildings, though security and personnel fees are sometimes required. Film crews also have to clean up after themselves.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, it’s unclear whether any state budget officials might have landed cameo appearances.</p>
<p>VETO SUIT: One of the attorneys representing the New Mexico Legislature in its court challenge against Gov. Susana Martinez’s budget vetoes has asked to withdraw from the case at the request of a state agency.</p>
<p>In his motion filed this week with the state Supreme Court, Thomas Hnasko, a Santa Fe attorney, said other attorneys at his firm have defended state employees and entities on behalf of the state Risk Management Division, which made the request.</p>
<p>He said that could create a perceived conflict of interest, because the agency is part of the Martinez administration.</p>
<p>Hnasko is one of two contract attorneys who filed the court challenge last week on behalf of the Legislative Council, a group of leading legislators. The lawmakers claim the governor overstepped her constitutional authority by vetoing all funding – roughly $779 million – for legislative branch agencies and colleges and universities from a budget bill passed during this year’s 60-day legislative session.</p>
<p>If the Supreme Court approves the motion, the other attorney, Michael Browde of Albuquerque, would at least temporarily act as the Legislature’s sole counsel.</p>
<p>Dan Boyd: <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a></p>
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<p /> | Politics Notebook: State office becomes FBI headquarters | false | https://abqjournal.com/994169/lawyer-withdraws-from-veto-suit.html | 2017-04-26 | 2 |
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<p>SANTA FE — Two Santa Fe-based organizations are getting federal grants to support programs that help people receiving nutritional assistance to increase their purchases of fruits and vegetables.</p>
<p>The Department of Agriculture on Wednesday announced $31.5 million of funding nationwide, including awards of $99,000 to the New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association and $100,000 to the Santa Fe Community Foundation.</p>
<p>Both grants are for pilot projects up to a year in duration.</p>
<p>According to the USDA, the grants are being funded through a program authorized and funded by 2014 farm legislation.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | USDA awards nearly $200K in NM for food aid | false | https://abqjournal.com/563225/usda-awards-nearly-200k-in-nm-for-food-aid.html | 2 |
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<p>CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A Medal of Honor recipient has told West Virginia lawmakers that construction of a memorial on the Capitol grounds to honor Gold Star families will assure them their losses won’t be forgotten.</p>
<p>Woody Williams, addressing legislators in the Capitol on Wednesday, says that’s the concern of the families of 11,448 West Virginians killed in military service.</p>
<p>The Senate and House passed a resolution supporting the memorial.</p>
<p>Williams, a West Virginia native, wore the medal for heroism he received as a Marine corporal during the battle of Iwo Jima.</p>
<p>The Veterans Memorial on the Capitol grounds lists the names of more than 10,000 West Virginians killed in military service.</p>
<p>CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A Medal of Honor recipient has told West Virginia lawmakers that construction of a memorial on the Capitol grounds to honor Gold Star families will assure them their losses won’t be forgotten.</p>
<p>Woody Williams, addressing legislators in the Capitol on Wednesday, says that’s the concern of the families of 11,448 West Virginians killed in military service.</p>
<p>The Senate and House passed a resolution supporting the memorial.</p>
<p>Williams, a West Virginia native, wore the medal for heroism he received as a Marine corporal during the battle of Iwo Jima.</p>
<p>The Veterans Memorial on the Capitol grounds lists the names of more than 10,000 West Virginians killed in military service.</p> | Medal of Honor recipient addresses West Virginia lawmakers | false | https://apnews.com/5010c91655994139b54c027f0e984a67 | 2018-01-24 | 2 |
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<p>APS sent a letter home to parents Feb. 10 notifying them that students must have up-to-date vaccinations and their schools needed proof on file by Feb. 20 or they would not be allowed to attend school.</p>
<p>Some 250 students fell into that category Monday and that number is likely higher because 20 out of 149 APS schools had yet to report how many of their students missed school Monday, APS spokesman Rigo Chavez told the Journal late Monday afternoon.</p>
<p>Chavez said some families knew their children wouldn’t be allowed to come to school and didn’t send them, while others were turned away Monday morning.</p>
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<p>Students may return once they’ve gotten an up-to-date vaccination, can show proof they’ve scheduled an appointment to get vaccinated or that they have filed paperwork to qualify for state-allowed vaccine exemptions, Chavez said.</p>
<p>Since the letters were sent home, about 750 APS students moved into compliance with the vaccination requirements, Chavez said.</p>
<p>“Schools spent a lot of time contacting families to make sure students are in compliance – and they’re not done yet,” he said.</p>
<p>If a case of measles were to show up in a school, those students who are not vaccinated – even if they have an exemption – will likely have to miss three weeks of school, the district also said.</p>
<p>Santa Fe Public Schools sent home a similar letter telling parents they needed to get their children vaccinated by Feb. 17 – 10 days from when the letter was sent. Very few Santa Fe students missed the deadline and the effort moved about 750 students into compliance, which is now about 99 percent compliance, said Theresa Baca, director of student support programs.</p>
<p>She said fewer than 20 families kept their students home on Feb. 17. And while about 13 children came to school without up-to-date vaccinations on that day, most were allowed to stay because their parents gave school nurses permission to vaccinate their children that week, Baca said.</p>
<p>The school districts said they took the extra precautions because measles is so contagious.</p>
<p>“There is really no other virus that is as contagious as measles,” Dr. Randall Knott, a pediatrician at the University of New Mexico Hospital, told the Journal earlier this month.</p>
<p>Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus that spreads through the air via coughing and sneezing, and it can remain in the air for a few hours. That is what makes it “incredibly important” for children to be vaccinated, Knott said.</p>
<p>Parents who have questions about vaccinations should contact the nurse at their child’s school, according to APS.</p>
<p>State law requires children to be vaccinated for measles, but also allows parents to exempt their children on medical or religious grounds.</p>
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<p /> | Over 250 APS students without vaccines miss class | false | https://abqjournal.com/545800/aps-kids-without-vaccines-miss-class.html | 2 |
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<p>Tony Blair’s speech to the Royal Society last Thursday was a wonderful jumble of misconceptions and logical elisions. He managed to confuse science with its technological products. GM crops are no more “science” than cars, computers or washing machines, and those opposing them are no more “anti-science” than people who don’t like the Millennium Dome are “anti-architecture”.</p>
<p>He suggested that in the poor world people welcome genetic engineering. It was unfortunate that the example he chose was the biotech industry in Bangalore in south-west India. Bangalore happens to be the center of the world’s most effective protests against GM crops, the capital of a state in which anti-GM campaigners outnumber those in the UK by 1,000 to one. Like most biotech enthusiasts, he ignored the key concern of the activists: the corporate takeover of the food chain, and its devastating consequences for food security.</p>
<p>But it would be wrong to blame Blair alone for these misconstructions. The prime minister was simply repeating a suite of arguments formulated elsewhere. Over the past month, activists have slowly been discovering where that “elsewhere” may be.</p>
<p>Two weeks ago, this column showed how the Bivings Group, a PR company contracted to Monsanto, had invented fake citizens to post messages on internet listservers. These phantoms had launched a campaign to force Nature magazine to retract a paper it had published, alleging that native corn in Mexico had been contaminated with GM pollen. But this, it now seems, is just one of hundreds of critical interventions with which PR companies hired by big business have secretly guided the biotech debate over the past few years.</p>
<p>While I was writing the last piece, Bivings sent me an e-mail fiercely denying that it had anything to do with the fake correspondents “Mary Murphy” and “Andura Smetacek”, who started the smear campaign against the Nature paper. Last week I checked the e-mail’s technical properties. They contained the identity tag “bw6.bivwood.com”. The message came from the same computer terminal that “Mary Murphy” has used. New research coordinated by the campaigner Jonathan Matthews appears to have unmasked the fake persuaders: “Mary Murphy” is being posted by a Bivings web designer, writing from both the office and his home computer in Hyattsville, Maryland; while “Andura Smetacek” appears to be the company’s chief internet marketer.</p>
<p>Not long ago, the website <a href="" type="internal">slashdot.com</a> organized a competition for hackers: if they could successfully break into a particular server, they got to keep it. Several experienced hackers tested their skills. One of them was one using a computer identified as bw6.bivwood.com.</p>
<p>Though someone in the Bivings office appears to possess hacking skills, there is no evidence that Bivings has ever made use of them. But other biotech lobbyists do appear to have launched hacker attacks. Just before the paper in Nature was publicly challenged, the server hosting the accounts used by its authors was disabled by a particularly effective attack which crippled their capacity to fight back. The culprit has yet to be identified.</p>
<p>Bivings is the secret author of several of the websites and bogus citizens’ movements which have been coordinating campaigns against environmentalists. One is a fake scientific institute called the “Center for Food and Agricultural Research”. Bivings has also set up the “Alliance for Environmental Technology”, a chlorine industry lobby group. Most importantly, Bivings appears to be connected with AgBioWorld, the genuine website run by CS Prakash, a plant geneticist at Tuskegee University, Alabama.</p>
<p>AgBioWorld is perhaps the most influential biotech site on the web. Every day it carries new postings about how GM crops will feed the world, new denunciations of the science which casts doubt on them and new attacks on environmentalists. It was here that the fake persuaders invented by Bivings launched their assault on the Nature paper. AgBioWorld then drew up a petition to have the paper retracted.</p>
<p>Prakash claims to have no links with Bivings but, as the previous article showed, an error message on his site suggests that it is or was using the main server of the Bivings Group. Jonathan Matthews, who found the message, commissioned a full technical audit of AgBioWorld. His web expert has now found 11 distinctive technical fingerprints shared by AgBioWorld and Bivings’ Alliance for Environmental Technology site. The sites appear, he concludes, to have been created by the same programmer.</p>
<p>Though he lives and works in the United States, CS Prakash claims to represent the people of the third world. He set up AgBioWorld with Greg Conko of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the far-right libertarian lobby group funded by such companies as Philip Morris, Pfizer and Dow Chemical. Conko has collaborated with Matthew Metz, one of the authors of the scientific letters to Nature seeking to demolish the maize paper, to produce a highly partisan guide to biotechnology on the AgBioWorld site. The Competitive Enterprise Institute boasts that it “played a key role in the creation” of a petition of scientists supporting biotech (ostensibly to feed the third world) launched by Prakash. Unaware that it had been devised by a corporate lobby group, 3,000 scientists, three Nobel laureates among them, signed up.</p>
<p>Bivings is just one of several public relations agencies secretly building a parallel world on the web. Another US company, Berman &amp; Co, runs a fake public interest site called , which seeks to persuade the foundations giving money to campaigners to desist. Berman also runs the “Center for Consumer Freedom”, which looks like a citizens’ group but lobbies against smoking bans, alcohol restrictions and health warnings on behalf of tobacco, drinks and fast food companies. The marketing firm Nichols Dezenhall set up a site called StopEcoViolence, another “citizens’ initiative”, demonizing activists. In March, Nichols Dezenhall linked up with Prakash’s collaborator, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, to sponsor a conference for journalists and corporate executives on “eco-extremism”.</p>
<p>What is fascinating about these websites, fake groups and phantom citizens is that they have either smelted or honed all the key weapons currently used by the world’s biotech enthusiasts: the conflation of activists with terrorists, the attempts to undermine hostile research, the ever more nuanced claims that those who resist GM crops are anti-science and opposed to the interests of the poor. The hatred directed at activists over the past few years is, in other words, nothing of the kind. In truth, we have been confronted by the crafted response of an industry without emotional attachment.</p>
<p>Tony Blair was correct when he observed on Thursday that “there is only a small band of people… who genuinely want to stifle informed debate”. But he was wrong to identify this small group as those opposed to GM crops. Though he didn’t know it, the people seeking to stifle the debate are the ones who wrote his speech; not in the days before he delivered it, but in the years in which the arguments he used were incubated.</p>
<p>George Monbiot is a columnist for the Guardian. He can be reached at <a href="http://www.monbiot.com/" type="external">http://www.monbiot.com</a></p> | Web of Deceit and GM Foods | true | https://counterpunch.org/2002/05/29/web-of-deceit-and-gm-foods/ | 2002-05-29 | 4 |
<p>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma woman has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for embezzling more than $450,000 from a retirement and health benefits plan for unionized engineers.</p>
<p><a href="http://newsok.com/yukon-woman-sentenced-for-embezzling-hundreds-of-thousands-of-dollars/article/5580634" type="external">The Oklahoman reports</a> that 51-year-old Susan Michelle Tyson of Yukon had pleaded guilty to wire fraud for making dozens of unauthorized transfers to her bank account. A federal judge ordered Tuesday for Tyson to pay nearly $310,000 in restitution, in addition to the sentence.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say Tyson was a bookkeeper at Zenith American Solutions Inc., an Oklahoma City company that managed assets owned by Oklahoma Operating Engineers Welfare Plan. Tyson submitted duplicate invoices to the benefits plan to make her transfers appear legitimate.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say she used the stolen money to make house renovations, buy a motorcycle and take vacations.</p>
<p>An attorney for Tyson says she's remorseful.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: The Oklahoman, <a href="http://www.newsok.com" type="external">http://www.newsok.com</a></p>
<p>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma woman has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for embezzling more than $450,000 from a retirement and health benefits plan for unionized engineers.</p>
<p><a href="http://newsok.com/yukon-woman-sentenced-for-embezzling-hundreds-of-thousands-of-dollars/article/5580634" type="external">The Oklahoman reports</a> that 51-year-old Susan Michelle Tyson of Yukon had pleaded guilty to wire fraud for making dozens of unauthorized transfers to her bank account. A federal judge ordered Tuesday for Tyson to pay nearly $310,000 in restitution, in addition to the sentence.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say Tyson was a bookkeeper at Zenith American Solutions Inc., an Oklahoma City company that managed assets owned by Oklahoma Operating Engineers Welfare Plan. Tyson submitted duplicate invoices to the benefits plan to make her transfers appear legitimate.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say she used the stolen money to make house renovations, buy a motorcycle and take vacations.</p>
<p>An attorney for Tyson says she's remorseful.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: The Oklahoman, <a href="http://www.newsok.com" type="external">http://www.newsok.com</a></p> | Oklahoma woman convicted of retirement plan embezzlement | false | https://apnews.com/amp/4080c8f7a5174efda88d73fc770b2ceb | 2018-01-24 | 2 |
<p>Published time: 26 Jul, 2017 13:18</p>
<p>The government must pay back millions of pounds in employment tribunal fees after the Supreme Court ruled the charges introduced by former Prime Minister David Cameron are “unlawful and unconstitutional.”</p>
<p>Wednesday’s “landmark” decision marked a victory for the public sector trade union Unison, which had waged a four-year legal battle to overturn the government’s introduction of the fees.</p>
<p>Judgment: UNISON’s appeal v Lord Chancellorallowed. Fees Order 2013 is unlawful as it prevents access to justice <a href="https://t.co/C8ChXAZADp" type="external">https://t.co/C8ChXAZADp</a></p>
<p>— UK Supreme Court (@UKSupremeCourt) <a href="https://twitter.com/UKSupremeCourt/status/890133188324052992" type="external">July 26, 2017</a></p>
<p>The court unanimously agreed the fees were unlawful because they “prevent access to justice.”</p>
<p>There has been a “dramatic and persistent fall” in the number of tribunal cases since the fees of up to £1,200 (US$1,560) were introduced, judges said. Wednesday’s decision will mean from now on, claimants will not have to pay to bring a case against their employer.</p>
<p>The government will also be forced to refund more than £27 million to the thousands of people charged for taking claims to tribunal since July 2013, when fees were introduced by Chris Grayling, the then-Lord Chancellor.</p>
<p>Unison general secretary Dave Prentis hailed the outcome as a “major victory for employees everywhere” and showed the “government is not above the law.”</p>
<p>“When ministers introduced fees they were disregarding laws many centuries old, and showing little concern for employees seeking justice following illegal treatment at work,” Prentis said in a statement.</p>
<p>“The government has been acting unlawfully, and has been proved wrong – not just on simple economics, but on constitutional law and basic fairness too.”</p>
<p>Prentis said Unison took the case on behalf of “anyone who’s ever been wronged at work, or who might be in the future. Unscrupulous employers no longer have the upper hand.”</p>
<p>He added that the “unfair fees” have let “law-breaking bosses off the hook these past four years, and left badly-treated staff with no choice but to put up or shut up.”</p>
<p>In its judgement, the court said the fees were not lawful because they had clearly stopped people from using the tribunals system. They said the fees could not be “affordable” if families on modest incomes were forced to “forgo an accepted standard of living” to pay them.</p>
<p>Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), tweeted that the judgment is a “massive” win for workers.</p>
<p>The judgement quashing employment tribunal fees is a MASSIVE win for workers. Congrats to <a href="https://twitter.com/unisontweets" type="external">@unisontweets</a> for doggedly pursuing this. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ETfees?src=hash" type="external">#ETfees</a></p>
<p>— Frances O’Grady (@FrancesOGrady) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrancesOGrady/status/890140161262182401" type="external">July 26, 2017</a></p>
<p>Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also took to Twitter to call the win “significant.”</p> | Tory govt must refund millions to workers as employment tribunal fees ruled ‘unlawful’ | false | https://newsline.com/tory-govt-must-refund-millions-to-workers-as-employment-tribunal-fees-ruled-unlawful/ | 2017-07-26 | 1 |
<p>By Elizabeth Evans Hagan</p>
<p>It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke — an imam, a rabbi and a Baptist and an evangelical pastor spend 10 days together in Jerusalem — but for me, this week, such is true.</p>
<p>On Jan. 16, I joined a delegation of peace to this war-torn land with the intention of visiting places where Jews, Christians and Muslims aren’t normally found peacefully together, such as the Temple Mount, Hebron and Bethlehem.</p>
<p>One of the goals of this adventure is to visit holy sites of each of our faiths with the hope of seeing the religious conflicts of this land with fresh perspective.</p>
<p>Never would I have expected that the most segregated activity in a religious tradition different from my own would be one of the most spiritual activities for me in our journey so far. Yet when I met Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall, I didn’t want to leave.</p>
<p>I assumed I would greet the separation of sexes at the Wailing Wall with frustration, hurt and annoyance. As the only female in the group, I could imagine myself with tears in my eyes as I found my way alone to the “women’s” portion of the wall. I anticipated an experience of sharing in the sorrows of the injustice and persecution that millions of my sisters have felt through the years of male-dominated and male-centered religious traditions.</p>
<p>As I walked through the former temple court into the quarters with the sign “Women” above it, however, I found tears welling up in my eyes for a completely different reason.</p>
<p>There was something incredibly holy that came upon me as I surrendered to whatever the experience could offer. The space felt incredibly safe and inviting, even though I was a Christian pastor dressed like an American tourist without a prayer book in my hands. I did bring, however, prayers folded up on small strips given to me in advance from friends in the United States.</p>
<p>Soon after placing the prayers in the wall, I felt a strong need to cover my head with my scarf and sit in one of the plastic chairs placed close to the wall. No one asked me to cover my head, but it seemed like the right thing to do.</p>
<p>As I looked upon the crowd of my sisters surrounding me with tears rolling down my cheeks, I was truly glad that no men were present. There are unique sorrows and worries in being a woman, and it felt right to grieve alongside those who understand that best.</p>
<p>There was an African woman kneeling and leaning toward the wall praying with a rosary. A Euro-American woman kissed the wall as if it were her long-lost lover. A woman with special needs embraced a teenage traveling companion, so overcome by sadness that she could hardly stand.&#160;A Jewish woman rocked back and forth with a prayer book in her hands with more devotion toward a holy book than I’ve ever seen toward a Christian text.</p>
<p>I left the Wailing Women of Jerusalem with a renewed sense that Christians in general get it all wrong when it comes to grief. Yes, because of Jesus we have hope in difficult circumstances such as the death of a loved one. Yet we still need from time to time to be in communities of those who will weep with us.</p>
<p>I began to wonder whether we might be wise to build “wailing walls” in our own centers of worship. While such monuments in parking lots or church gardens would not have the same kind of religious history as the Western Wall, might they provide similar life-giving communion for people in need of places to express their pain?</p>
<p>I believe more people than we realize are seeking this kind of sacred space. After all, Jesus said: “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.”</p>
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<p><a href="content/view/5790/9/" type="external" /></p> | Wailing women | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/wailing-women/ | 3 |
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<p>U.K. Prime Minister to speak about Brexit in Italy</p>
<p>Stocks in the U.K. fell Friday, dragged lower by a flareup in tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, but the benchmark FTSE 100 was on course to break a run of weekly losses.</p>
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<p>The FTSE 100 index fell 0.3% to 7,245.01, led by losses in the basic materials and financial groups. But consumer-related shares were among advancing sectors. The index on Thursday ended 0.1% lower. A loss on Friday would be its third in a row.</p>
<p>The benchmark was still in line for a rise of 0.4% for the week, which would be its first weekly win in three.</p>
<p>But equities in London and across Europe sagged after North Korea's foreign minister warned that it may test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific Ocean in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to "totally destroy North Korea" if Pyongyang provoked the U.S. or its allies. Trump on Thursday ordered expanded sanctions North Korea, targeting individuals or companies trading with the country.</p>
<p>Read:Kim Jong Un calls Trump a 'mentally deranged U.S. dotard' (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/kim-jong-un-calls-trump-mentally-deranged-us-dotard-setting-off-scramble-for-dictionaries-2017-09-21)</p>
<p>"Needless to say, these comments have caused a degree of risk off in the markets with safe-havens benefiting," said analysts at FXPro in a note.</p>
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<p>As gold prices caught haven bids, shares of gold producers Fresnillo PLC (FRES.LN) and Randgold Resources PLC (RRS.LN) (RRS.LN) rose 0.8% and 0.2%, respectively. Those stocks outperformed others in the mining group. Stock in Anglo American PLC (AAL.LN) fell 1.9% and Glencore PLC (GLEN.LN) lost 1.6%.</p>
<p>Iron ore heavyweight BHP Billiton PLC (BLT.LN) (BHP.AU) (BHP.AU) fell 2.2% and rival Rio Tinto PLC (RIO) (RIO) (RIO) lost 0.8% even as the company said it's starting an additional $2.5 billion share buyback program (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/rio-tinto-to-start-25-bln-share-buyback-plan-2017-09-22). Rio is returning proceeds from the sale of Coal &amp; Allied to shareholders.</p>
<p>May in Florence: U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May will be back in the spotlight Friday as she's scheduled to deliver a speech about Brexit in Florence, Italy. May was set to offer EUR20 billion to the European Union (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41342580) for access to the bloc's single market during a transition period after the U.K. leaves the EU, according to BBC News. May was also expected to outline a plan to offer certainty to citizens and businesses affected by Brexit.</p>
<p>May was slated to speak at 3:15 p.m. local time, or 2:15 p.m. London time. Ahead of her appearance, the pound was buying $1.3580, little changed from $1.3582 late Thursday in New York.</p>
<p>The pound rose above $1.35 on Thursday on reports that May will assert a 'soft Brexit' tone in Florence. "If the markets like what they hear and there isn't a negative response from [U.K.] counterparts then we could see further gains for the pound," said FairFX in a note.</p>
<p>Stock movers: Smiths Group PLC (SMIN.LN) dropped 4.7% as the technology company said its energy-engineering division, John Crane-- which accounts for about a quarter of group revenue -- continued to face challenges (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/smiths-group-pretax-profit-soars-on-wider-margins-2017-09-22) . Overall, Smiths logged a 74% rise in pretax profit for fiscal 2017.</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>September 22, 2017 04:36 ET (08:36 GMT)</p> | LONDON MARKETS: FTSE 100 Sags As North Korea-U.S. Tensions Flare Up | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/09/22/london-markets-ftse-100-sags-as-north-korea-u-s-tensions-flare-up.html | 2017-09-22 | 0 |
<p>Speaker of the House Paul Ryan formerly gave Donald Trump plenty of trouble as Trump was in the final stages of the Presidential campaign.</p>
<p>Now that Trump is in the White House, however, Paul Ryan has completely rolled over and has defended even Trump’s most extreme statements and actions. It’s clear that not all Republicans are on board, however, as one was caught on hot mic trashing Ryan’s latest Trump-boosting event.</p>
<p>Paul Ryan recently held a press conference involving to Republican brass where he was asked about Trump’s executive order banning people from seven Muslim majority countries, with that excuse that they’re “terrorist nations.” A reporter asked Ryan if Republican legislators were exempted from this ban. Answered Congressman Ryan, “We were briefed on the contents of it as it was being rolled out. Clearly, none of us want to see people with green cards get implicated in this. And that’s not the goal here.”</p>
<p>Ryan added, “What the president has asked us to focus on, something that we’ve ran on, is we’ve got to secure our border. We have a border security problem, that’s what the physical barrier on the border is all about and we have security concerns given this age of terrorism, given the fact that we have drugs coming across our border, we have an opioid problem. There are lots of reasons why our focus is first and foremost is on border security.” After the conference conclude, Ryan, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise&#160;of Louisiana and other top Republican brass walked by the podium. The podium’s mic, however, caught an unidentified legislator saying, “Waste of my fucking time.” What do you think these lawmakers really think about Fuhrer Trump’s ban? Watch below:</p>
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<p /> | “Waste Of My F*cking Time”, Top GOP Makes Hysterical Hot Mic Slam About Paul Ryan Press Conference | true | http://liberalplug.com/2017/02/01/waste-fcking-time-top-gop-makes-hysterical-hot-mic-slam-paul-ryan-press-conference/ | 4 |
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<p><a href="" type="internal">MP3 Link</a></p>
<p>(cc photo: Jobs With Justice)</p>
<p>This week on CounterSpin: Sen. Elizabeth Warren put it pretty clearly to the now-former CEO of Wells Fargo when she said, “You squeezed your employees to the breaking point so they would cheat customers and you could drive up the value of your stock and put hundreds of millions of dollars in your own pocket.” But what that powerful statement still omits is that Wells Fargo didn’t cheat any and all customers: Its fraud—opening some 2 million accounts for people without their knowledge—was targeted specifically at black and brown communities. These same communities are at the sharp end of Wells Fargo practices in other arenas—like pipelines and private prisons. Activists are using this scandal to call attention to a range of other problems at the bank—problems not addressed by a couple of top executives giving back some of their golden parachutes. &#160;Saqib Bhatti &#160;is director of the ReFund America Project and co-executive director of the <a href="https://www.acrecampaigns.org/" type="external">Action Center on Race &amp; The Economy (ACRE)</a>. We’ll talk with him about the <a href="https://www.acrecampaigns.org/forgowells/" type="external">Forgo Wells</a> campaign.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Transcript: ‘Many Banks Are Problematic, but Wells Fargo is the Worst’</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">MP3 Link</a></p>
<p>(cc photo: Timothy Krause)</p>
<p>Also on the show: Corporate media are very interested in Donald Trump’s taxes, as well they should be. But there’s plenty to be said about unfairness in the tax system even before we get to the tax dodger in chief. Jeremie Greer is vice president of policy and research at the <a href="http://cfed.org/" type="external">Corporation for Enterprise Development</a>; they say the tax code doesn’t reflect inequality; it actually drives it. We’ll talk with him about CFED’s <a href="http://turnitrightsideup.org/" type="external">Turn It Right-Side Up</a> campaign.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Transcript: ‘1 Percent of Taxpayers Receive More Than the Bottom 80 Percent’</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">MP3 Link</a></p>
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<p>And we take a quick look back at recent news, including Bill O’Reilly’s termination and the New York Times‘ new far-right columnist.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">MP3 Link</a></p>
<p>Subscribe: <a href="" type="internal">Android</a> | <a href="" type="internal">RSS</a></p> | Saqib Bhatti on Wells Fargo, Jeremie Greer on Taxes and Inequality | true | http://fair.org/home/saqib-bhatti-on-wells-fargo-jeremie-greer-on-taxes-and-inequality/ | 2017-04-21 | 4 |
<p>There was <a href="" type="internal">speculation</a> heading into President Trump's speech in Phoenix, AZ on Tuesday that he would pardon former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who has been a staunch supporter of the president. It didn't happen, but Trump seemed to indicate that the pardon would happen eventually.</p>
<p>"He's going to be just fine," Trump <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/347760-trump-advised-to-hold-off-on-arpaio-pardon-report" type="external">said</a> about Arpaio, adding that he didn't want to do the pardon that night because he wanted to avoid "any controversy."</p>
<p>Here are five things you need to know about a possible Arpaio pardon.</p>
<p>1. Arpaio was <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/31/540629884/ex-sheriff-joe-arpaio-convicted-of-criminal-contempt" type="external">convicted</a> for violating a court order that required him to stop racial profiling. A federal judge, Murray Snow, issued an injunction in 2011 mandating Arpaio's office to cease targeting Hispanics and detaining immigrants for simply being in the country illegally. According to the judge, Arpaio's office continued the practice for a year and a half. Arpaio claimed that violating the court order was unintentional because the order was vague, but Snow didn't buy his defense, as she wrote that Arpaio "willfully violated the order by failing to do anything to ensure his subordinates' compliance and by directing them to continue to detain persons for whom no criminal charges could be filed."</p>
<p><a href="http://conservativetribune.com/witch-hunt-sheriff-joe-court/" type="external">Arpaio's defenders are claiming</a> that he is being targeted over politics and that he simply was enforcing the law. However, <a href="http://hotair.com/archives/2017/08/24/dem-2020-hopeful-convicts-shouldnt-get-pardons-something/" type="external">Ed Morrissey of Hot Air</a> noted that there is an argument to be made for Arpaio not receiving a pardon:</p>
<p>The best argument would be that Arpaio refused to abide by a lawful order of a court, and was correctly convicted of contempt for it. As a servant of the law, Arpaio has to abide by it too, and it sets a dangerous precedent to let a law-enforcement leader off the hook for defying the law. Arpaio’s supporters claim his long track record in serving the US as <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/23/politics/joe-arpaio-pardon-white-house-paperwork/index.html" type="external">the mitigating factor for the pardon</a>, but that’s true of any law-enforcement leader. Enforcing the law means recognizing lawful authority, even when one disagrees with a court.</p>
<p>Arpaio's sentencing is set to occur in October. He could face a maximum of six months in jail.</p>
<p>2. There are disputing reports about the Trump administration readying a pardon. According to <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/23/politics/joe-arpaio-pardon-white-house-paperwork/index.html" type="external">CNN</a>, the administration "has prepared the paperwork" for the pardon to occur, utilizing the defense that Arpaio was only "enforcing the law." However <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-has-been-advised-not-to-pardon-joe-arpaio-yet/" type="external">CBS News is disputing that report</a>, as their sources are stating that Trump is being advised by the White House legal team to wait until after Arpaio's sentencing for the pardon. The White House legal team believes that Arpaio's sentence could end up being "lenient," rendering a pardon unnecessary.</p>
<p>3. It's possible that Trump could issue the pardon on Twitter. <a href="https://www.mediaite.com/online/it-turns-out-trump-can-pardon-sheriff-joe-arpaio-with-a-tweet/" type="external">Huffington Post Justice Reporter Ryan Reilly has pointed out</a> that pardon statements can be short and can be written under any format, including Twitter. It might require Trump to make numerous tweets about it, but given Trump's penchant for causing a firestorm with his tweets, it shouldn't be a surprise if Trump decides to issue the pardon via Twitter.</p>
<p>4. The majority of people in Arizona don't think that Arpaio should be pardoned. A survey conducted by <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2017/08/21/poll-arizonans-oppose-sheriff-joe-arpaio-pardon-president-donald-trump-phoenix-rally/586957001/" type="external">OH Predictive Insights</a> found that 50% of Arizonans are opposed to the pardon, while 21% are in favor of it. An additional 29% weren't sure.</p>
<p>The support for Arpaio's pardon is particularly bad among those 54 or younger, as only 15% of people in that category support the pardon.</p>
<p>5. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) made a particularly idiotic argument against Arpaio's pardon. Harris, who has been dubbed <a href="" type="internal">"the Senate's Moron-in-Chief" by Elliott Hamilton</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenKamalaHarris/status/900386914557186050" type="external">tweeted</a> that "Arpaio was convicted because he committed a crime," therefore he should not be pardoned.</p>
<p>Morrissey took Harris to task over this argument:</p>
<p>The most disturbing part of this tweet isn’t the fact that Harris seems to have missed the fact that people who haven’t been convicted of a crime don’t need a pardon at all. It’s not even that she served as Attorney General in California before being elected to the US Senate. It’s that seven times more people liked this than commented on it, but at least many of the comments <a href="http://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2017/08/24/derp-former-ag-kamala-harris-gets-a-brutal-lesson-on-who-gets-pardons/" type="external">pointed out the obvious fallacy of Harris’ argument</a>.</p>
<p>A senator should understand that clemency involves mainly those who have transgressed, not those who have not. An Attorney General in any state would have been involved in those decisions, which raises questions as to just how engaged Harris was in her six years serving in that role for California. It’s not as if it never came up; Jerry Brown has been famously generous with pardons, issuing them by the dozens for holidays such as <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/5/california-governor-pardons-83-people-for-past-cri/" type="external">Easter</a> or <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article4928388.html" type="external">Christmas</a> during Harris’ tenure. Did she object to Brown issuing pardons to convicts then?</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/bandlersbanter" type="external">Follow Aaron Bandler on Twitter.</a></p> | 5 Things You Need To Know About A Prospective Joe Arpaio Pardon | true | https://dailywire.com/news/20176/5-things-you-need-about-prospective-joe-arpaio-aaron-bandler | 2017-08-24 | 0 |
<p>The Walt Disney Co. will not be going ahead with a bid to acquire Twitter Inc. , said <a href="http://www.recode.net/2016/10/5/13181704/disney-twitter-buy-iger-dorsey" type="external">Recode Opens a New Window.</a>, reported Wednesday, citing sources. In a separate report, the publication said Alphabet Inc.'s Google has also dropped out as a suitor, while Apple Inc. was unlikely to make an offer either. Shares of Twitter fell 13.6% in premarket trading on Thursday, while Disney shares were unchanged. Shares of Salesforce.com rose 1.3%, as that company remains in the frame as a possible buyer for the social media company. Neither Disney nor Google could immediately be reached for comment.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | Disney Joins Google In Pulling Bid For Twitter: Recode | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/10/06/disney-joins-google-in-pulling-bid-for-twitter-recode.html | 2016-10-06 | 0 |
<p>LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Ryan Pippins scored 15 points, Camron Reedus added 13 more and Little Rock held off Louisiana-Monroe for a 71-62 win Sunday.</p>
<p>They got help from Oliver Black, who hauled in 12 rebounds, and Ben Marcus had 10 points before fouling out late in the second half. Little Rock (4-11, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference) controlled the glass 35-28 and got 45 points from its bench, with Pippins and Reedus both notching career-high scores.</p>
<p>After taking a 12-point advantage into the break, Little Rock had to scramble as UL Monroe (6-7, 0-2) opened the second half with a 13-3 run capped with Sam McDaniel's 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 39-37. It was as close as the Warhawks got.</p>
<p>Reedus drained a 3-pointer midway through the second half to spark an 11-2 run to stretch Little Rock's lead back to double figures, 55-43 with 9:15 to go, and the Trojans held on from there.</p>
<p>McDaniel finished with 19 points and seven rebounds for UL Monroe, Travis Munnings had 18 points and Jordon Harris 10.</p>
<p>LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Ryan Pippins scored 15 points, Camron Reedus added 13 more and Little Rock held off Louisiana-Monroe for a 71-62 win Sunday.</p>
<p>They got help from Oliver Black, who hauled in 12 rebounds, and Ben Marcus had 10 points before fouling out late in the second half. Little Rock (4-11, 1-1 Sun Belt Conference) controlled the glass 35-28 and got 45 points from its bench, with Pippins and Reedus both notching career-high scores.</p>
<p>After taking a 12-point advantage into the break, Little Rock had to scramble as UL Monroe (6-7, 0-2) opened the second half with a 13-3 run capped with Sam McDaniel's 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 39-37. It was as close as the Warhawks got.</p>
<p>Reedus drained a 3-pointer midway through the second half to spark an 11-2 run to stretch Little Rock's lead back to double figures, 55-43 with 9:15 to go, and the Trojans held on from there.</p>
<p>McDaniel finished with 19 points and seven rebounds for UL Monroe, Travis Munnings had 18 points and Jordon Harris 10.</p> | Little Rock holds off UL Monroe in 71-62 win | false | https://apnews.com/amp/7aecc5034d7546e3a0163ac2c27be1a0 | 2018-01-01 | 2 |
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. services companies expanded at a slower pace in December for the second straight month, a somewhat expected softening after robust growth in the fall.</p>
<p>The Institute for Supply Management said its services index slipped last month to 55.9 from 57.4 in November. Those months come on the heels of a 60.1 reading in October, which was the fastest pace of growth since August 2005. September's reading of 59.8 also was a 12-year high. Any reading above 50 signals expansion.</p>
<p>"It had to ease up a little bit, because that fast of growth couldn't be sustained for a long period of time," said Anthony Nieves, chair of the ISM non-manufacturing business survey committee.</p>
<p>The services sector has reported growth for 96 consecutive months, a positive sign for the overall U.S. economy.</p>
<p>"All indications are that 2018 will continue with growth," Nieves said.</p>
<p>The service sector accounts for more than 70 percent of U.S. jobs, so any indication of continued expansion likely means steady gains for the broader economy in the coming months.</p>
<p>Measures of business activity and new orders also fell last month, but they still remain in positive territory. The employment index rose by 1 percentage point, which could be attributed in part to holiday hiring.</p>
<p>There were 14 non-manufacturing sectors that reported growth in December, including retail trade, utilities, health care and real estate. The three sectors reporting contraction were information, educational services and management of companies.</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. services companies expanded at a slower pace in December for the second straight month, a somewhat expected softening after robust growth in the fall.</p>
<p>The Institute for Supply Management said its services index slipped last month to 55.9 from 57.4 in November. Those months come on the heels of a 60.1 reading in October, which was the fastest pace of growth since August 2005. September's reading of 59.8 also was a 12-year high. Any reading above 50 signals expansion.</p>
<p>"It had to ease up a little bit, because that fast of growth couldn't be sustained for a long period of time," said Anthony Nieves, chair of the ISM non-manufacturing business survey committee.</p>
<p>The services sector has reported growth for 96 consecutive months, a positive sign for the overall U.S. economy.</p>
<p>"All indications are that 2018 will continue with growth," Nieves said.</p>
<p>The service sector accounts for more than 70 percent of U.S. jobs, so any indication of continued expansion likely means steady gains for the broader economy in the coming months.</p>
<p>Measures of business activity and new orders also fell last month, but they still remain in positive territory. The employment index rose by 1 percentage point, which could be attributed in part to holiday hiring.</p>
<p>There were 14 non-manufacturing sectors that reported growth in December, including retail trade, utilities, health care and real estate. The three sectors reporting contraction were information, educational services and management of companies.</p> | US service sector expands at slower rate in December | false | https://apnews.com/f9617e0111a242cba49276597b32cc0d | 2018-01-05 | 2 |
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<p>NMSA, a state-chartered, competitive-entry high school with about 216 students from Santa Fe, Albuquerque and elsewhere across the state, spent $7.3 million to buy the Sanbusco Market Center in the Railyard district in 2015.</p>
<p>The NMSA-Art Institute, the school’s fundraising wing, has been conducting a campaign with the goal to raise $15 million. The institute said last month it was about halfway to meeting that goal.</p>
<p>Councilor Ron Trujillo, the only councilor to vote against holding a special election May 2 to decide on a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks to raise more than $7 million to fund pre-K programs, said he felt the city again would be overreaching into an area it shouldn’t by supporting the arts school. “I don’t want to see next year a salt tax to fund it,” he said.</p>
<p>City Councilor Chris Rivera wondered if the school was asking for money that would be paid back, if there was precedent for the city contributing money to a public school and whether it was even legal to do so.</p>
<p>Councilor Joseph Masestas, who made the motion to reject the resolution pending a substitute bill with more detail, said city funding for the school could be perceived as a “bail out.”</p>
<p>“We seem to be sending so many messages,” Maestas said, noting Gonzales’s proposal for a city employee pay raise costing an estimated $4.1 million and a recent staff estimate of a $15 million city surplus for the next fiscal year, about a year after a reported $15 million deficit. “We’re zigging and zagging all over the place,” he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Councilor Peter Ives, who co-sponsored the resolution with Mayor Gonzales, tried to reassure his colleagues that answers would come later, noting that the resolution called for the city manager to “explore available sources of funding.”</p>
<p>“I’d love to see what the possibilities are before saying ‘yay’ or ‘nay,'” he said.</p>
<p>Ives cast the lone no vote on the motion to turn back the proposal.</p>
<p>According to the resolution, the new location will allow the school to expand enrollment to 400, would support 128 local jobs and have an estimated economic impact of $80.3 million over the next 10 years.</p>
<p>NMSA now holds classes at the former St. Francis Cathedral School downtown.</p> | Santa Fe council committee balks at $5 million for arts school | false | https://abqjournal.com/986048/santa-fe-council-committee-shoots-down-5-million-for-arts-school.html | 2 |
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<p>For 20 years Somalia has been embroiled in a civil war resulting in rampant violence and famine. Now the country's troubles have spilled across the border to Kenya.</p>
<p>Over the weekend Kenya sent troops into Somalia upset by a rash of kidnappings of tourists and foreign aid workers. Kenya blames the Somali Islamist group, Al Shabaab, who has ties to al-Qaeda.</p>
<p>Host Lisa Mullins talks with the BBC's Will Ross about the implications for the east African region and for the US.</p> | The Implications of Kenya's Military Operation in Somalia | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-10-17/implications-kenyas-military-operation-somalia | 2011-10-17 | 3 |
<p>Former CIA analyst</p>
<p>In this his time of troubles, Bush seems to be moving deliberately and rapidly toward new wars of aggression in an unforgivable gamble to overcome his troubles. His speech on Veterans’ Day, November 11, 2005 at the Tobyhanna Army Depot in Pennsylvania leads to this conclusion more clearly than any of his previous speeches and activities. The new wars would be the start of a world war initiated by Bush and radical Christianity against what he calls radical Islam, but in truth the wars would be waged against all Islam.</p>
<p>To repeat, despite Bush’s arguments to the contrary, the “clash of civilizations” would consist of wars started by us. The killing of innocent people in these wars is likely to be massive, and the wars could at any time turn nuclear. If the people and the politicians of America allow these wars to take place, the stain on the morality of Americans will last for generations.</p>
<p>Let’s note some of the statements Bush made in this speech of November 11. Many are not new, and some were foreshadowed in a speech by Bush a month ago, but their volume and intensity in the Veterans’ Day speech are noteworthy.</p>
<p>“Some call this evil Islamic radicalism; others, militant Jihadism; and still others, Islamo-fascism . . . These extremists distort the idea of jihad into a call for terrorist murder against Christians and Hindus and Jews — and against Muslims, themselves, who do not share their radical vision.”</p>
<p>” . . . these extremists want to end American and Western influence in the broader Middle East, because we stand for democracy and peace, and stand in the way of their ambitions.”</p>
<p>” . . . these militants believe that controlling one country will rally the Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow all moderate governments in the region, and establish a radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia.”</p>
<p>” . . . the terrorists would be able to advance their stated agenda: to develop weapons of mass destruction; to destroy Israel; to intimidate Europe; to assault the American people; and to blackmail our government into isolation.”</p>
<p>“The influence of Islamic radicalism is also magnified by helpers and enablers. They’ve been sheltered by authoritarian regimes — allies of convenience like Iran and Syria — that share the goal of hurting America and modern Muslim governments, and use terrorist propaganda to blame their own failures on the West, on America, and on the Jews.”</p>
<p>“The government of Syria must do what the international community has demanded . . . The government of Syria must stop exporting violence and start importing democracy.”</p>
<p>“Over the years these extremists have used a litany of excuses for violence: the Israeli presence on the West Bank, the U.S. military presence in Saudi Arabia, the defeat of the Taliban, or the Crusades of a thousand years ago. In fact, we’re not facing a set of grievances that can be soothed and addressed. We’re facing a radical ideology with inalterable objectives: to enslave whole nations and intimidate the world. No act of ours invited the rage of killers — and no concession, bribe, or act of appeasement would change or limit their plans for murder.”</p>
<p>“The murderous ideology of the Islamic radicals is the great challenge of our new century. Yet in many ways, this fight resembles the struggle against communism in the last century. Like the ideology of communism, Islamic radicalism is elitist, led by a self-appointed vanguard that presumes to speak for the Muslim masses.”</p>
<p>“Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy teaches that innocent individuals can be sacrificed to serve a political vision. And this explains their cold-blooded contempt for human life.”</p>
<p>“These militants are not just the enemies of America or the enemies of Iraq, they are the enemies of Islam and they are the enemies of humanity. And we have seen this kind of shameless cruelty before — in the heartless zealotry that led to the gulags, the Cultural Revolution, and the killing fields.”</p>
<p>“Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy is dismissive of free peoples — claiming that men and women who live in liberty are weak and decadent.”</p>
<p>“And Islamic radicalism, like the ideology of communism, contains inherent contradictions that doom it to failure. By fearing freedom . . . this ideology undermines the very qualities that make human progress possible . . . And whatever lies ahead in the war against this ideology, the outcome is not in doubt . . . Because free peoples believe in the future, free peoples will own the future.”</p>
<p>” . . . we’re determined to deny radical groups the support and sanctuary of outlaw regimes. State sponsors like Syria and Iran have a long history of collaboration with terrorists, and they deserve no patience from the victims of terror. The United States makes no distinction between those who commit acts of terror and those who support and harbor them, because they’re equally guilty of murder.”</p>
<p>“We don’t know . . . the sacrifices that might lie ahead. We do know, however, that the defense of freedom is worth our sacrifice, we do know the love of freedom is the mightiest force of history, and we do know the cause of freedom will once again prevail.”</p>
<p>We cannot be sure how much of this is bluff by Bush — to what extent he hopes or believes that Muslim nations will surrender to him without a fight. The prudent assumption is that not much of it is bluff, and that Bush, the radical Christians, the Christian Zionists, the nation’s military-industrial conglomerates, and their Israeli allies — all of whom today call the tune in U.S. foreign policy — are willing and in some cases actually wish to involve the United States in further wars.</p>
<p>The people and the politicians of this country should rise from their apathy and shout, “No.” The time is past for useless analysis and discussion. We Americans, accounting for no more than five percent of the human inhabitants of this globe, should decide here and now whether we are going to be moral or immoral in our future relationships with the rest of the world.</p>
<p>BILL CHRISTISON was a senior official of the CIA. He served as a National Intelligence Officer and as Director of the CIA’s Office of Regional and Political Analysis. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Evidence Mounts That Bush Wants New Wars | true | https://counterpunch.org/2005/11/16/evidence-mounts-that-bush-wants-new-wars/ | 2005-11-16 | 4 |
<p>WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts prosecutor has been suspended without pay after he was arrested for allegedly driving drunk with his 13-year-old daughter in his car.</p>
<p>Worcester Assistant District Attorney John O’Leary was released on personal recognizance after pleading not guilty Tuesday to charges including driving under the influence of alcohol and child endangerment.</p>
<p>Authorities say O’Leary was pulled over by state police on an Interstate 290 ramp in Shrewsbury at about 7:40 p.m. Monday.</p>
<p>The police report says the 48-year-old O’Leary smelled of alcohol, had glassy, bloodshot eyes, failed field sobriety tests and did not cooperate with troopers during his arrest and booking.</p>
<p>His lawyer did not respond to a message for comment and a family member told a Boston Herald reporter who went to his home he was unavailable for comment.</p>
<p>WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts prosecutor has been suspended without pay after he was arrested for allegedly driving drunk with his 13-year-old daughter in his car.</p>
<p>Worcester Assistant District Attorney John O’Leary was released on personal recognizance after pleading not guilty Tuesday to charges including driving under the influence of alcohol and child endangerment.</p>
<p>Authorities say O’Leary was pulled over by state police on an Interstate 290 ramp in Shrewsbury at about 7:40 p.m. Monday.</p>
<p>The police report says the 48-year-old O’Leary smelled of alcohol, had glassy, bloodshot eyes, failed field sobriety tests and did not cooperate with troopers during his arrest and booking.</p>
<p>His lawyer did not respond to a message for comment and a family member told a Boston Herald reporter who went to his home he was unavailable for comment.</p> | Massachusetts prosecutor facing drunken driving charge | false | https://apnews.com/61e8e0b07e1d4bf893fbc9852ea63ed9 | 2018-01-17 | 2 |
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<p>Rush Limbaugh criticized&#160;Politico&#160;and other media outlets for reporting on his remarks that NASA's discovery of water of Mars was part of a "left-wing agenda," claiming the remarks were taken out of context. However, when asked by&#160;Politico&#160;to explain how, a Limbaugh spokesman refused to explain.</p>
<p>On the September 28 edition of his show, Limbaugh, talking about NASA's announcement that day it&#160; <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/28/us/mars-nasa-announcement/" type="external">had discovered</a>&#160;liquid water on Mars,&#160; <a href="/video/2015/09/28/after-nasa-announces-it-found-water-on-mars-rus/205820" type="external">claimed</a>&#160;NASA had been "corrupted by the current regime" and, referencing global warming, asked, "what's to stop them from making up something that happened on Mars that will help advance their left-wing agenda on this planet?" Limbaugh&#160; <a href="/video/2015/09/29/limbaugh-doubles-down-on-nasa-climate-change-co/205848" type="external">doubled down</a>&#160;on his remarks the next day, claiming&#160;Media Matters&#160;took his remarks "out of context" and that "Obama has turned NASA over to Muslim outreach."</p>
<p>Politico's Eliza Collins, writing about Limbaugh's criticism of the media reports on his remarks,&#160; <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/rush-limbaugh-mars-214288" type="external">noted</a>&#160;"It's not clear, however, how exactly Limbaugh felt he was being misinterpreted." Collins added a Limbaugh spokesman "declined to elaborate." She also noted "[a]&#160; <a href="http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2015/09/28/how_liberalism_advances" type="external">transcript</a>&#160;posted on Limbaugh's own website, however, matches Media Matters' version word for word":</p>
<p>Rush Limbaugh took a swipe&#160;Tuesday&#160;at POLITICO and others who had reported on his recent comments about the discovery of water on Mars -- saying that his remarks about how NASA's findings would be used to "advance a leftist agenda" were being misinterpreted.</p>
<p>"POLITICO has a story: 'Rush Limbaugh Pans Evidence of Water on Mars as Part of Leftist Agenda,' and they take it out of context, too, which is typical," he said on his show&#160;Tuesday. "I don't think this guy, Eliza Collins... I doubt that he went to my website to find out what I really said. Just looked at these 'watchdog' websites and took it from there."</p>
<p>On Monday, POLITICO wrote about a lengthy segment of the conservative radio host's show in which he predicted that the Mars discovery would be used to promote liberal views about climate change.</p>
<p>[...]</p>
<p>The original story on POLITICO cited a transcript and video of Limbaugh from the left-leaning website Media Matters, a long-time critic of the radio host that has called on advertisers to boycott his program. A transcript posted on Limbaugh's own website, however, matches Media Matters' version word for word.</p>
<p>"This Mars thing is just totally all over the place out there, and every one of these people talking about it, from local TV news, say, in Dallas, or The Politico, are getting it totally out of context from our old buddies at Media Matters for America, which wouldn't know the truth if it knocked them unconscious," Limbaugh said&#160;Wednesday.</p>
<p>It's not clear, however, how exactly Limbaugh felt he was being misinterpreted. A spokesman for the radio host declined to elaborate.</p>
<p>Listen to Limbaugh's original remarks here:</p>
<p /> | Rush Limbaugh Says His Remarks About Mars Were Taken Out Of Context, But His Own Transcript Betrays Him | true | http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/09/30/rush-limbaugh-says-his-remarks-about-mars-were/205897 | 2015-10-01 | 4 |
<p>After Filing For Bankruptcy, GM Removed From S&amp;P 500 In 2009. According to a June 2009 Associated Press report, General Motors was removed from the S&amp;P 500 after filing for bankruptcy. [Huffington Post, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/01/gm-bankruptcy-begins-ny-d_n_209605.html" type="external">6/1/09</a>]</p>
<p>S&amp;P Dow Jones: General Motors Set To Join S&amp;P 500. In a June 3 press release, S&amp;P Dow Jones Indices announced that General Motors will return to the S&amp;P 100 and 500 indices on June 6, replacing H.J. Heinz Co. [S&amp;P Dow Jones Indices, <a href="https://www.spice-indices.com/idpfiles/spice-assets/resources/public/documents/12152_sp100heinzmotoraig.pdf" type="external">6/3/13</a>]</p>
<p>USA Today: S&amp;P Announcement "Another Milestone" For GM. Reporting on S&amp;P's announcement that General Motors will rejoin the S&amp;P 500 index, USA Today remarked that it represented a significant achievement for the auto company since it filed for bankruptcy in 2009:</p>
<p>The news is sure to buoy the mood at GM's stockholders' meeting the same day. And it will mark another milestone since GM filed for bankruptcy reorganization in 2009 and, as a result, was kicked out of the S&amp;P 500 slot it had held since the index began in 1925. [USA Today, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/06/04/gm-general-motors-standard-and-poors/2389387/" type="external">6/5/13</a>]</p>
<p>Dean Baker: Without Government Bailout, General Motors Would Have Failed. Writing in April 2009, economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research Dean Baker noted that if GM had filed for bankruptcy earlier, it would have been "forced to shut down:"</p>
<p>Had General Motors and Chrysler been allowed to go into bankruptcy last fall, it would have quickly led to a chain of bankruptcies by a whole set of parts suppliers, all of whom are owed large amounts of money by these two companies. It is virtually certain that these companies and their suppliers would be forced to shut down, because no one would have stepped forward to provide credit to operate through bankruptcy without a government guarantee. [Center for Economic and Policy Research, <a href="http://www.cepr.net/index.php/op-eds-&amp;-columns/op-eds-&amp;-columns/obamas-restructuring-of-the-auto-industry" type="external">4/3/09</a>]</p>
<p>Mark Zandi: "Without Aid" GM's Failure Would Have Led To Mass Layoffs. Writing in 2008, Moody's chief economist Mark Zandi explained that without aid from the federal government, the U.S. auto industry would certainly fail, leading to massive job losses:</p>
<p>The U.S. auto industry desperately needs financial help, and the federal government should provide it. Without aid, the industry seems headed toward a quick liquidation, which would mean hundreds of thousands of layoffs at just the wrong time for the sliding U.S. economy. [Economy.com, <a href="http://www.economy.com/dismal/article_free.asp?cid=110561" type="external">11/21/08</a>]</p>
<p>Cable News Spends Less Than Two Minutes Covering GM's Return To S&amp;P 500. In the day following the announcement that General Motors will return to the S&amp;P 500 index, cable news spent only one minute and 28 seconds covering the subject. CNN led all cable networks with one minute and 15 seconds of coverage, followed by Fox News with 13 seconds of coverage. MSNBC did not cover GM's return to the S&amp;P 500 in the period analyzed.</p>
<p />
<p>Network News Provides No Coverage. None of the major networks -- ABC, CBS, and NBC -- covered GM's return to the S&amp;P 500 in their nightly news broadcasts during the period analyzed.</p>
<p>Media Matters&#160;searched internal TV archives and closed captioning as well as the TVEyes database for the terms "GM" and "General Motors" from 6:00 p.m. on June 3 (the approximate time of the S&amp;P Dow Jones Indices press release) to 12:00 a.m. on June 5 for all Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC shows, and nightly news broadcasts on CBS, NBC, and ABC.&#160;</p>
<p>Reruns and teases for upcoming segments were excluded.</p> | REPORT: Cable And Network News Silent On General Motors' Return To S&P 500 | true | http://mediamatters.org/research/2013/06/05/report-cable-and-network-news-silent-on-general/194355 | 2013-06-05 | 4 |
<p>(Screenshot courtesy of YouTube)</p>
<p>Trans actress Alexis Arquette claimed Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith are closeted gays following Pinkett Smith’s decision to boycott this year’s Oscars due to lack of racial diversity.</p>
<p>Arquette launched into a Facebook rant, that has now been deleted, accusing Smith of paying off his first wife&#160;Sheree Zampino after Zampino caught him in a sexual tryst with another man, a well-known talent manager.</p>
<p>“When Jada comes out as gay and her beard husband admits his first marriage ended when she walked in to him … servicing his Sugar Daddy Benny Medina … then I will listen to them,” Arquette’s post read according to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3407231/Alexis-Arquette-calls-Jada-Pinkett-Smith-gay-hypocrites-detailed-Facebook-post-alleging-s-wife-left-walking-man.html" type="external">Daily Mail.</a></p>
<p>“‘She’ being his FIRST Wife. Paid off, silent,’ Arquette clarified in the comments section of the post.</p>
<p>Smith and Zampino divorced in 1995 and Smith married Pinkett-Smith in 1997.</p>
<p>“Will threw a fit on the set of ‘Six Degrees of Separation’ when he was required by the scene to kiss Anthony Rapp. He persuaded the director to shoot the back of his head in frame. Blocking the non- existent lip lock entirely,” Arquette’s post continued.</p>
<p>The 46-year-old and sister to David and Patricia Arquette says she originally auditioned for Rapp’s role.</p>
<p>Arquette says she has no regrets about outing public figures and credits gay activist&#160;Michelangelo Signorile, who frequently outed celebrities, as an inspiration.</p>
<p>“I used to think Michelangelo Signorile was wrong for outing. I’m completely for it now. Too many bullied teens dead,” Arquette said according to the Daily Mail.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Alexis Arquette</a> <a href="" type="internal">Anthony Rapp</a> <a href="" type="internal">Daily Mail</a> <a href="" type="internal">jada pinkett smith</a> <a href="" type="internal">Michelangelo Signorile</a> <a href="" type="internal">Six Degrees of Separation</a> <a href="" type="internal">Will Smith</a></p> | Alexis Arquette alleges Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith are in the closet | false | http://washingtonblade.com/2016/01/21/trans-actress-arquette-calls-will-and-jada-pinkett-smith-gay/ | 3 |
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<p />
<p>Although they might save time, video interviews aren't paying off for job candidates or employers, new research shows.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>A study from the <a href="http://www.degroote.mcmaster.ca/" type="external">DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University</a> in Ontario revealed that job applicants interviewed through video conferencing come across as less likable, while those doing the hiring are viewed as less competent.</p>
<p>Using simulated <a href="http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/4584-summer-job-interview-mistakes.html" type="external">job interviews</a>, researchers found that candidates who were interviewed via video conferencing were rated lower by interviewers and were less likely to be recommended for hiring. On the other side of the webcam, candidates rated their interviewers as less attractive, personable, trustworthy and competent.</p>
<p>"Increasingly, video technology is being used in employment interviewing because companies feel it provides convenience and cost savings," said Greg Sears, one of the study's authors. "Despite their growing use, our study shows that <a href="http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/3073-video-interview-tips.html" type="external">video-conference interviews</a> are not equivalent to face-to-face interviews."</p>
<p>The researchers said accurate assessments of candidates and positive evaluations of interviewers are essential as organizations compete for talent. In addition, candidates who evaluate their interviewers more positively are more likely to accept a job offer, the researchers noted.</p>
<p>"Video conferencing places technological barriers between applicants and interviewers," said Willi Wiesner, one of the study's authors. "Employers and applicants should work to reduce the barriers that arise through video conferencing and improve the interpersonal aspects of the interview process."</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>To help address these issues, the researchers offered several tips for employers and job candidates using video conferencing:</p>
<p>The study, which was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, was published recently in the journal Management Decision.</p>
<p>Follow Chad Brooks on Twitter @ <a href="http://www.twitter.com/cbrooks76" type="external">cbrooks76</a> or BusinessNewsDaily @ <a href="http://twitter.com/BNDarticles" type="external">BNDarticles</a>. We're also on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/BusinessNewsDaily" type="external">Facebook</a> &amp; <a href="https://plus.google.com/113390396142026041164/posts" type="external">Google+</a>.</p> | Skip Skype: Why Video Job Interviews Are Bad for Everyone | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/07/31/skip-skype-why-video-job-interviews-are-bad-for-everyone.html | 2016-03-23 | 0 |
<p>Former Secretary of State Colin Powell blasted Donald Trump as a “national disgrace” and criticized repeated investigations into the 2012 attack in Benghazi as a “witch hunt” in personal emails leaked online by hackers.</p>
<p>Powell, a retired 4-star general and a Republican, confirmed the authenticity of the emails to NBC News.</p>
<p>"The hackers have a lot more," he added.</p>
<p>The contents of the emails <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/colin-powell-calls-trump-national-disgrace-in-personal-email?utm_term=.iexMvYqBmL#.tjB5VXy3qM" type="external">were first reported by Buzzfeed News</a>. It said the messages had been obtained by the website DCLeaks.com, which a federal law official told NBC News is believed to have ties to Russian intelligence services.</p>
<p>Powell called Trump a "national disgrace" and "international pariah" in a June 17 email to a former aide, saying the Republican presidential contender was "in the process of destroying himself, no need for Dems to attack him."</p>
<p>A subsequent email to the same former aide on Aug. 21 slammed Trump for spurring the "racist" so-called "birther" movement — the consistently debunked rumor that President Barack Obama was born in another country.</p>
<p>"Yup, the whole birther movement was racist," <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/colin-powell-calls-trump-national-disgrace-in-personal-email?utm_term=.iexMvYqBmL#.tjB5VXy3qM" type="external">Powell wrote, according to Buzzfeed</a>. “That’s what the 99% believe. When Trump couldn’t keep that up he said he also wanted to see if the certificate noted that he was a Muslim."</p>
<p>There was no immediate response from the Trump campaign to the emails.</p>
<p>Powell in another email the same day dismissed Trump’s stated overtures to African-American voters. "There is nothing he can say that will sway black voters so he might as well say it to white folks," Powell wrote.</p>
<p>"He takes us for idiots," Powell, who is black, said in the email. “He can never overcome what he tried to do to Obama with his search for the birth certificate hoping to force Obama out of the Presidency. Or, demanding his school transcripts to see how he got into Harvard — (eg, affirmative action )."</p>
<p>Powell didn’t restrict his criticism to Trump. In a Dec. 17 email to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Powell said "Benghazi is a stupid witch hunt."</p>
<p>Led mostly by Republicans, eight Congressional investigations have been launched into the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate and another facility in Libya that <a href="" type="internal">left four Americans dead</a>, including U.S. ambassador Chris Stevens.</p>
<p>The House Select Committee on Benghazi <a href="" type="internal">report released in June</a> found an array of bureaucratic miscues and inter-agency blunders but does not specifically blame former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.</p>
<p>Powell, in the 2015 email to Rice, said: "Basic fault falls on a courageous ambassador who thought Libyans now love me and I am ok in this very vulnerable place. But blame also rests on his leaders and supporters back here. Pat Kennedy, Intel community, DS and yes, HRC."</p>
<p>The revelations mark the latest in a string of headlines around Powell's email correspondence. His online activity <a href="" type="internal">has figured heavily of late into the controversy around Hillary Clinton's use</a> of a private email server.</p>
<p>Powell expressed frustration about his name being linked to Clinton's email issues, writing in another leaked email: "I have told Hilleary’s [sic] minions repeatedly that they are making a mistake trying to drag me in, yet they still try," Powell wrote.</p>
<p>In July of 2015, Powell complained to his broker at Merrill Lynch that questions raised about Clinton’s email and speaking fees impacted his life — Powell said he had to disclose his past use of emails, and "I had a gig cancelled because the client, a public university, caught hell from overpaying HRC."</p>
<p>"HRC is the gift that keeps on taking," Powell wrote in the July 1, 2015 email, according to the leaked documents.</p>
<p>And Powell in a 2014 email said during a conversation about Hillary Clinton "I would rather not have to vote for her, although she is a friend I respect."</p>
<p>Powell, not referring to Clinton by name, then went on to apparently describe her as having "unbridled ambition, greedy, not transformational" along with some colorful references to her husband's rumored philandering, rumors he attributed to the New York Post.</p>
<p>While Powell has described himself as a lifelong Republican, he twice endorsed Obama — a Democrat — for president.</p> | Colin Powell Slammed Trump as ‘National Disgrace,’ Called Clinton ‘Greedy,’ in Hacked Emails | false | http://nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/colin-powell-calls-trump-national-disgrace-hacked-emails-n648011 | 2016-09-15 | 3 |
<p />
<p>Over at the new <a href="http://www.democracyarsenal.org" type="external">Democracy Arsenal</a> blog, Heather Hurlbert <a href="http://www.democracyarsenal.org/2005/04/something_for_e.html" type="external">suggests</a> that “free trade” and “fair trade” liberals try to reach a compromise on trade issues:</p>
<p />
<p>Both parties are really stuck right now, to my mind, between ideological free-traders and old-style protectionists. Meanwhile, we don’t have free trade, never have, and never will, given what it would do to Florida sugar and orange growers, just to name two commodities of many.And the 1990s “Washington consensus” of expert advice for emerging economies, including extreme free-trade prescriptions, has quietly been walked back by the World Bank and IMF, and more loudly abandoned by countries in Latin America and elsewhere.</p>
<p>Somebody is going to figure out a smart new middle ground on this issue. It will include real supports for workers who lose their jobs, not tiny hikes in assistance to community colleges. It will reverse US intellectual property policies that block life-saving medicines from the people who need them, and may eventually even restrict how we get healthcare here at home. It will include some global re-thinking about where freer trade is working in favor of stability and freedom and where it is not.</p>
<p>That seems exactly right to me, and I wish Democrats could come together on this. Part of the problem, I think, is a simple trust issue. Whenever the “fair trade” crowd raises objections to this or that treaty, <a href="http://cntodd.blogspot.com/2005/04/cafta-alert.html" type="external">as with CAFTA</a>, the neoliberal contingent thinks that certain caveats—labor standards, or environmental protections—are merely a stalking-horse for overt protectionism. In other words, that opposition to trade treaties are being made in bad faith, as an excuse to scuttle trade in general. Now certainly that’s true for some people; there are any number of bona fide protectionists out there who simply don’t understand the first thing about comparative advantage, etc., and really want to go back to the old days of Smoot-Hawley. Fine. But a good number of fair-traders are quite sincere about blending trade with the proper sort of labor protections that make the world a better and richer place. There’s no reason for free-trade Democrats to reject all dialogue with these folks; certainly the hostility between the two groups doesn’t need to be so bitter.</p>
<p>Organized labor in particular gets tarred with the protectionist brush far too often. Again, to be sure, there are genuine tariff-mongerers among the various labor unions. But those groups certainly don’t hide their contempt for trade; as with the steel industry in 2002, when the protectionists want tariffs they just come right out in the open and say so. Meanwhile, A good portion of organized labor has no fundamental opposition to freer trade: most union workers, after all, work in high-skill export industries, so they have a lot to gain from lowering tariffs the globe over. Certainly this pro-trade bloc includes <a type="external" href="">Andy Stern</a> and the SEIU, which is currently struggling for ascendancy within the AFL-CIO. It’s hard to tell whether the end result here will be a mass labor alignment towards a pro-trade position, but even if it’s not, there’s still room for compromise among various liberal groups on trade issues, and Heather’s sketched out a nice start. <a href="http://www.wcit.org/topics/imports/outsourcing_sperling_4-04.htm" type="external">Here’s another</a>, from Gene Sperling.</p>
<p /> | Compromise on trade | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2005/04/compromise-trade/ | 2005-04-14 | 4 |
<p><a href="" type="internal" />On the Friday edition of the&#160;PBS NewsHour ( <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/shields-brooks-keystone-politics-nevada-land-dispute/" type="external">4/18/14</a>)–a show where, you know, you get a different take on the news–pundit and New York Times columnist <a href="" type="internal">David Brooks</a> was asked to weigh in on the Pulitzer Prize being awarded to the Guardian and the Washington Post for their reporting on the NSA based on whistleblower Edward Snowden. And he did:</p>
<p>Well, you know, I find him repellent. If somebody talked about internal conversations at the NewsHour, or at the New York Times, and then broadcast them, I would find that person repellent, and doubly so when it’s national security secrets, after he’s sworn an oath to do so. So I’m no fan of him.</p>
<p>As for the press coverage and whether it deserves recognition, I guess I have sort of complicated views. I’m a little made nervous by the fact that they really did benefit by what I think of as a repellent, unpatriotic act.</p>
<p>This isn’t exactly new territory for Brooks, who once wrote a column about Snowden that mused about his failure to finish high school or visit his mother often enough (FAIR Media Advisory, <a href="" type="internal">6/11/13</a>), and called him a “grandiose narcissist” on the NewsHour (Extra!, <a href="" type="internal">8/13</a>)</p>
<p>Edward Snowden: Does he visit his mom enough?</p>
<p>Brooks did acknowledge that in journalism “a lot of our leaks and a lot of our best stories come from people who are betraying a confidence,” which I suppose explains why he says his views about giving an award to the journalists who reported the NSA stories are “complicated.”</p>
<p>A few things that are less complicated: Brooks seems to have a hard time seeing the difference between someone spilling the secrets of the New York Times or the NewsHour and someone who has exposed illegal and unconstitutional government surveillance programs (New York Times, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/28/opinion/the-criminal-nsa.html" type="external">6/27/13</a>; MSNBC, <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/privacy-report-finds-nsa-spying-illegal" type="external">1/23/14</a>). That’s a little strange.</p>
<p>So, too, is his claim that Snowden had ever “sworn an oath” not to divulge “national security secrets.” As has been discussed elsewhere (New Yorker, <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/closeread/2013/06/david-brooks-and-edward-snowden.html" type="external">6/11/13</a>; Press Freedom Foundation, <a href="https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/blog/2014/01/secrecy-oaths-and-edward-snowden" type="external">1/8/14</a>), Snowden does not appear to have taken any such oath to work as a contractor for the NSA; his earlier employment at the CIA would have required him to take an oath to uphold the Constitution.</p>
<p>Snowden (Washington Post, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/edward-snowden-after-months-of-nsa-revelations-says-his-missions-accomplished/2013/12/23/49fc36de-6c1c-11e3-a523-fe73f0ff6b8d_print.html" type="external">12/23/13</a>) has said his whistleblowing was in part meant to uphold that oath, not violate it.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | To David Brooks, Revealing Government Crimes Is ‘Repellent, Unpatriotic’ | true | http://fair.org/blog/2014/04/22/to-david-brooks-revealing-government-crimes-is-repellent-unpatriotic/ | 2014-04-22 | 4 |
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<p>There’s a long list of tasks waiting for Albuquerque Police interim Chief Michael Geier.</p>
<p>He said one of the first steps will be a change in attitude.</p>
<p>“It’s so discouraging when I hear, whether it’s officers or staff members, ‘We can’t do this.’ Even officers on the street going to citizens and telling them, ‘We can’t do anything about it,'” Geier said at a news conference Wednesday morning. “No. The new philosophy is we can. There is always something you can do.”</p>
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<p>Geier has been tapped to lead Albuquerque police on an interim bases while Mayor Tim Keller does a national search for a permanent candidate. Keller said that could take anywhere from four to nine months.</p>
<p>“In the meantime we need strong leadership,” Keller said. “I am asking them to evaluate the department, restructure it and turn around the department. That is not going to wait for anyone’s interim status or for a national search.”</p>
<p>Keller and Geier spoke briefly with reporters Wednesday morning about their plans for the department. The pair only answered a handful of questions and said specifics about any restructuring would be announced later.</p>
<p>But Geier said he’s already gotten to work. He said he met with James Ginger, the independent monitor overseeing Albuquerque police reform, on Tuesday and on Wednesday he planned on sending the internal affairs investigation into a controversial officer-involved shooting case to a state board that can suspend or revoke police officers’ certifications.</p>
<p>It was revealed this week that former Albuquerque police chief Gorden Eden never sent the investigation into former Lt. Greg Brachle to the Law Enforcement Academy Board, which should have been done, Geier said.</p>
<p>Brachle shot and seriously wounded former detective Jacob Grant during a botched undercover drug sting in January 2015.</p>
<p>“Once I know the details, probably as early as noon, we’re going to send that,” Geier said. “It should have been sent. … I don’t know what happened.”</p>
<p>Geier said such steps are necessary so that officers who have problems don’t end up transferring to other law enforcement agencies and continue to cause controversies.</p>
<p>“That’s so crucial because there’s a national effort among law enforcement to have that database so an officer who’s been a problem officer, or one of those officers who jumps from one department to another, can’t go to another state,” Geier said.</p>
<p>During the news conference, Keller apologized to the victims of police use-of-force in recent years. And he said the department was committed to a reform effort that was launched after a Department of Justice investigation found police has a pattern of using excessive force.</p>
<p>Geier said the change in administrations will act as a “reset button” to the reform effort.</p>
<p>“The button was pressed yesterday and we’re moving forward,” he said.</p> | Police Chief said he’ll work on reforms | false | https://abqjournal.com/1102866/police-chief-gets-to-work-on-reforms-holding-officers-accountable.html | 2017-12-06 | 2 |
<p>Just the day after (the day after) Donald Trump was elected President, a South Los Angeles substitute physical education teacher told middle school students that he would help deport their parents, <a href="http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2016/11/11/south-l-a-teacher-caught-on-audio-telling-students-their-parents-would-be-deported/" type="external">according to an audio tape</a> reported by LA’s local CBS affiliate.</p>
<p />
<p>All this happened on November 9 at Bret Harte Preparatory Middle School in South LA. CBS LA said that many of the students in the class were scared after hearing the comments:</p>
<p>“I was scared, because how can a teacher tell us that? He’s just rubbing it in that Trump won. We already know that,” said a student whose father is undocumented. “I worry about my dad because I had a nightmare that he wasn’t with me anymore.”</p>
<p>According to the same student, the teacher said those comments because the class was not listening.</p>
<p>CBS LA also said that many parents have filed complaints with Los Angeles Unified School District. As of the posting, neither LAUSD or Bret Harte has responded to the incident.</p>
<p>It is not the time to play it "safe."</p>
<p>July 11, 2017</p>
<p>“Duration of strike depends on the government. Our fight is not for our salaries, it's for the investment of education.”</p>
<p>June 9, 2017</p>
<p>"This is unacceptable and action will be taken."</p>
<p>February 21, 2017</p> | Los Angeles Teacher Tells Middle School Students He’d Help Deport Their Parents | true | http://latinorebels.com/2016/11/14/los-angeles-teacher-tells-middle-school-students-hed-help-deport-their-parents/ | 2016-11-14 | 4 |
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<p />
<p>A newborn baby girl was found inside a dumpster in Austin Wednesday morning even though Texas has a Safe Haven Law. The Texas law allows a baby up to 60 days old to be turned in confidentially with an on duty staff member at any hospital, emergency infant care provider or child welfare agency.</p>
<p />
<p>Credit: <a href="http://safehaven.tv" type="external">safehaven.tv</a></p>
<p>Witnesses who found the baby girl say she was left in a dumpster, she was born so recently her umbilical cord was still attached. Police responded to a call at an Austin apartment complex around 6:55 a.m. where the baby was found. She was taken to a local hospital but died. The death is all the more tragic considering the state law could have allowed for the parent to legally turn in the baby anonymously.</p>
<p>The staff at the care provider where an unwanted newborn is turned in cannot detain or pursue the parent unless the baby has obviously been abused. The care provider is not even legally obligated to determine the parents identity however some cases do allow the parent to be given a form to disclose the child's medical history voluntarily. Once a newborn is turned in, the law requires the care provider to notify the DPRS of the child and they are turned in to the department who will take custody of the child.</p>
<p>The DPRS must then notify the local and state law enforcement as a potential missing child. The DPRS will also reimburse the care provider who took in the infant and provided any treatment. Details about the Texas' Safe Haven law can be found here: <a href="http://safehaven.tv/states/texas/" type="external">safehaven.tv/states/texas</a></p>
<p>On Twitter:</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/ErvinProduction" type="external">@ErvinProduction</a></p>
<p>Tips? Info? Send me a message!</p>
<p>Source: <a href="http://www.kvue.com/news/local/texas-safe-haven-law-explained/486062508" type="external">kvue.com/news/local/texas-safe-haven-law-explained/486062508</a></p> | Baby Left In Dumpster Could Have Been Turned In Confidentially Under Texas Law | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/10343-Baby-Left-In-Dumpster-Could-Have-Been-Turned-In-Confidentially-Under-Texas-Law | 2017-10-26 | 0 |
<p />
<p>David Corn and Neera Tanden from the Center for American Progress joined Chris Matthews on <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/#46839718" type="external">MSNBC’s Hardball</a> to discuss next week’s Supreme Court hearing on the Affordable Care Act and how, not so long ago, Mitt Romney defended individual mandates during the 2008 GOP primaries.</p>
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<p />
<p>David Corn is Mother Jones’ Washington bureau chief. For more of his stories, <a href="" type="internal">click here</a>. He’s also on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/davidcorndc" type="external">Twitter</a>.</p>
<p /> | Corn on “Hardball”: Health Care Heads to the Supreme Court | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2012/03/corn-hardball-health-care-heads-supreme-court/ | 2012-03-24 | 4 |
<p>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday morning's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Pick 3 Morning" game were:</p>
<p>7-2-4, Sum It Up: 13</p>
<p>(seven, two, four; Sum It Up: thirteen)</p>
<p>AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The winning numbers in Tuesday morning's drawing of the Texas Lottery's "Pick 3 Morning" game were:</p>
<p>7-2-4, Sum It Up: 13</p>
<p>(seven, two, four; Sum It Up: thirteen)</p> | Winning numbers drawn in 'Pick 3 Morning' game | false | https://apnews.com/amp/14b9781bae6a486dbe75d8b4451f93f9 | 2018-01-16 | 2 |
<p />
<p>The shootings at Virginia Tech University overshadowed all other news stories last week – both in terms of coverage and public interest. Fully 45% of Americans paid very close attention to the tragedy and 56% said it was the single news story they followed more closely than any other last week. However, interest in the Virginia Tech shootings was considerably lower than interest in the Columbine High School shootings which occurred almost exactly eight years earlier. More than two-thirds of Americans (68%) paid very close attention to the Columbine incident. Interest in the Virginia Tech shootings was on a par with school shootings that took place in the fall of 2006 (including the shooting at an Amish school house in Pennsylvania), as well as the 1998 shootings at a middle school in Jonesboro, Arkansas and a high school in Springfield Oregon.</p>
<p>In a busy news week, the public’s focus was primarily on the events in Blacksburg, Virginia. While interest in the situation in Iraq was substantial, the war did not dominate the public’s attention this past week as it has throughout most of the year. Only 13% said they followed the events in Iraq more closely than any other news story. Neither Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’s testimony before Congress concerning the firing of eight U.S. attorneys nor the Supreme Court’s abortion ruling put a dent in the Virginia Tech audience. Only 4% of the public named either of these stories as the one they followed most closely last week.</p>
<p>The Virginia Tech shootings attracted more public interest and received more news coverage than any other story this year. Fully 51% of all news coverage for the week was devoted to the Virginia Tech shootings and its aftermath. Cable news led the way devoting 76% of its coverage to the story. More than 60% of network television news focused on this story, as did half of all radio news. The public relied mainly on television for news about the shootings: 36% say their main source of information about the story was cable news and another 32% say they relied primarily on network TV news. The Internet was the main source of news on the shootings for 11% of the public, while 9% relied mainly on newspapers and another 9% relied on radio.</p>
<p>These findings are based on the most recent installment of the weekly News Interest Index, an ongoing project of the Pew Research Center for the People &amp; the Press. The index, building on the Center’s longstanding research into public attentiveness to major news stories, examines news interest as it relates to the news media’s agenda. The weekly survey is conducted in conjunction with <a href="http://www.journalism.org" type="external">The Project for Excellence in Journalism</a>‘s News Coverage Index, which monitors the news reported by major newspaper, television, radio and online news outlets on an ongoing basis.</p>
<p>Overall, the press receives positive ratings for its coverage of the shootings at Virginia Tech. Two-thirds of the public says the press has done an excellent (23%) or good (43%) job in covering the story. Three-in-ten say the press has done only a fair (20%) or poor (10%) job. Nonetheless, half of the public believes the Virginia Tech story has been over-covered, while 40% say it has gotten the right amount of coverage. Only 6% say the story has received too little coverage. The public had a similar reaction to coverage of the Columbine shootings eight years ago – 45% of the public said the media had given that story too much coverage, and 48% said it had received about the right amount of coverage.</p>
<p>The vast majority of Americans (69%) have seen the pictures and video of the Virginia Tech shooter that he himself sent to NBC news. The public is divided as to whether or not NBC news made the right decision releasing and broadcasting these materials: 49% approve of NBC’s decision, 41% disapprove.</p>
<p>As is often the case, evaluations of press coverage of the shootings differ substantially along party lines. Republicans are slightly more critical of the job the media has done in covering the story and they are more likely to say the story has received too much coverage. The biggest partisan gap is on the question of what NBC news should have done with the materials from the shooter. A 53% majority of Republicans disapprove of NBC’s decision to broadcast and release the pictures and video. Among Democrats, a 58% majority approves of NBC’s actions.</p>
<p>Not only are more Republicans more critical of the media’s coverage of the shootings, they were also less likely to closely follow the story in the news (40% of Republicans vs. 55% of Democrats followed very closely). Women were somewhat more interested in the story than were men – 50% of women followed it very closely vs. 41% of men. Blacks followed the story more closely than did whites (66% vs. 44%, respectively, followed very closely). The shootings were not a regional story. Those living in the northeast, the south and the north central region paid equally close attention to the story. The one exception is the west where only 30% followed the story very closely.</p>
<p>In other news this week, 28% of the public paid very close attention to the situation in Iraq, while 22% closely followed the debate in Washington about Iraq policy. Interest in the 2008 presidential campaign was unchanged from the previous week – 18% followed news about the candidates very closely, and another 28% followed campaign news fairly closely. Democrats continue to follow the campaign more closely than Republicans.</p>
<p>In spite of Gonzales’s long-awaited testimony, fewer than 20% of the public paid very close attention to the continuing saga surrounding why eight U.S. attorneys were fired by the Justice Department. This is another story Democrats have consistently followed more closely than Republicans. This past week 27% of Democrats vs. 11% of Republicans paid very close attention to the story.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act was followed very closely by 21% of the public. Though the ruling may have been overshadowed in part by the events at Virginia Tech, public interest was not far below that of other abortion rulings by the Court over the past 10-20 years. When the Court ruled in 2000 that a Nebraska law banning late-term abortion was unconstitutional, only 15% of the public followed the decision very closely. However, 28% of the public paid very close attention to the Court’s deliberations on Pennsylvania abortion restrictions in 1992. The Court’s ruling in the 1989 Webster case attracted much more public interest – 47% followed that decision very closely. Women paid slightly more attention to last week’s abortion ruling than did men. Democrats and Republicans followed the story in about equal proportions.</p>
<p><a href="http://people-press.org/reports/questionnaires/322.pdf" type="external">Survey Details</a></p> | Blacksburg Tragedy Draws Close Public Attention, but Less Than Columbine Did Eight Years Ago | false | http://pewresearch.org/2007/04/25/blacksburg-tragedy-draws-close-public-attention-but-less-than-columbine-did-eight-years-ago/ | 2007-04-25 | 2 |
<p>By Damir Sagolj and Tom Allard</p>
<p>COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) – At least 12 Rohingya Muslim refugees, mainly children, drowned when their boats capsized on the way to Bangladesh, police said on Monday, the latest victims of violence in Myanmar that has forced more than half a million people from their homes.</p>
<p>The boat sank near Shah Porir Dwip, on the southern tip of Bangladesh, late on Sunday, Bangladesh authorities said.</p>
<p>It was not known how many people were on board but the boats operated by fishermen often cram in dozens of desperate Rohingya fleeing a Myanmar security operation that the United Nations has denounced as ethnic cleansing.</p>
<p>Bangladeshi police officer Mohammed Mainuddin told Reuters that 12 bodies – 10 children, one woman and a man – had been recovered.</p>
<p>A Reuters photographer earlier saw the bodies of four children, two women and a man washed up on a beach.</p>
<p>Authorities said earlier at least eight people had been rescued.</p>
<p>Some 519,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since Aug. 25, when attacks by Rohingya militants on police and military posts in Rakhine State sparked a ferocious response from Myanmar’s security forces.</p>
<p>Myanmar rejects accusations of ethnic cleansing and has labeled the militants from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, who launched the initial attacks, as terrorists.</p>
<p>The insurgents declared a one-month ceasefire from Sept. 10, which is due to end at midnight on Monday.</p>
<p>The ability of the group, which only surfaced in October last year, to mount any sort of challenge to the Myanmar army is not known but it does not appear to have been able to put up resistance to the military offensive unleashed in August.</p>
<p>It would be very difficult for the insurgents to operate in areas where the military has flooded in and driven out Rohingya civilians, in the north of Rakhine Sate, near the border with Bangladesh.</p>
<p>The insurgents said in a statement on Saturday they were ready to respond to any peace move by the Myanmar government, but also noted that the ceasefire was about to end.</p>
<p>More than six weeks after the violence erupted, Rohingya continue to arrive in Bangladesh, which was already home to 400,000 members of the Myanmar Muslim minority before the latest crisis.</p>
<p>Mostly Buddhist Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingya as citizens, even though many have lived in Rakhine for generations.</p>
<p>Sunday’s accident was the latest involving refugees. On Sept. 28, a boat carrying about 80 refugees overturned with only 17 survivors.</p>
<p>In early September, 46 bodies were recovered after a boat sank in the narrow stretch of water that separates Myanmar and Bangladesh. Among the dead were 19 children, 18 women and nine men.</p>
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<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | At least 12 Rohingya, mainly children, drown in latest boat disaster – police | false | https://newsline.com/at-least-12-rohingya-mainly-children-drown-in-latest-boat-disaster-police/ | 2017-10-09 | 1 |
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<p>High power lasers used in technology by Trilumina. (COURTESY PHOTO)</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Caterpillar Ventures is moving into early-stage technology investments in New Mexico through a new commitment to New Mexico-based Cottonwood Technology Funds.</p>
<p>Caterpillar Ventures, a subsidiary of the global giant Caterpillar Inc., is throwing its financial weight behind Cottonwood, a venture firm that invests in early-stage technology companies in the Southwest region and in northern Europe. Caterpillar's first investment will be earmarked for Trilumina Corp., an Albuquerque-based startup that is marketing homegrown semiconductor chips that significantly increase data collection and transfer speeds for 3-D sensing technology.</p>
<p>Caterpillar is a global manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Like other large corporations, it seeks out emerging technologies that can benefit its own operations, Caterpillar Ventures Director Michael Young said.</p>
<p>"While Caterpillar invests heavily in research and development within our own four walls, we're also investing in other companies via Caterpillar Ventures and embracing new technologies that can help transform our future and theirs," Young said in a prepared statement. "Cottonwood's ability to identify a company's potential at an early stage - to be our eyes and ears on the ground in the startup world - helps us extend our reach."</p>
<p>Cottonwood manages two funds for investments in the U.S. and a third fund for investments in Europe. To date, it's invested about $20 million in 12 companies, including Trilumina, Cottonwood Managing Partner David Blivin said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>"Trilumina is Caterpillar's first investment, since they just committed to us," Blivin told the Journal. "The next step is to go through the rest of our portfolio of companies to see whether there are more good fits for their business. We're looking potentially at four or five investments with them over the next few years."</p>
<p>Caterpillar could potentially deploy Trilumina's sensing technology for autonomous operation of construction and mining equipment, said Trilumina President and CEO Kirk Otis. The investment must still be finalized, and the amount has not been disclosed.</p>
<p>Trilumina's chips can markedly improve the use of light detection and ranging technology, or LiDAR, so autonomously operated equipment and machines can calculate distances from other vehicles and objects. The company is seeking to deploy that technology in automotive markets.</p>
<p>"Mining equipment and vehicles operate 24/7 year-round, so payroll for those operations can be very expensive," Otis said. "The economics can be huge if they move to autonomous operation, but it needs to be fully controlled and safe."</p>
<p>Apart from potentially providing a first customer for Trilumina's chips, working with Caterpillar can help the company establish its chip-manufacturing process at lower scale before ramping up to high-volume output for the automotive industry, Blivin said.</p> | Caterpillar Ventures to invest in NM company | false | https://abqjournal.com/653277/caterpillar-ventures-to-invest-in-nm-company.html | 2 |
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<p>Cyndi Lauper goes country on her new album ‘Detours.’ (Photo by Chapman Baehler, courtesy FlyLife)</p>
<p>Country legend Loretta Lynn releases “Full Circle,” her first album since 2004’s Grammy-winning “Van Lear Rose,” this week. It’s a 13-track hodgepodge that covers Appalachian folk songs and gosple songs from her childhood to country standards to re-recordings of a couple of her classic hits. John Carter Cash (son of the late Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash) co-produces with Patsy Lynn Russell, Loretta’s daughter. Elvis Costello and Willie Nelson make appearances.</p>
<p>“RuPaul’s Drag Race” vet Adore Delano will release her sophomore album “After Party” on March 11. Her video “Dynamite” is out now.</p>
<p>The first big new album of spring comes from pop diva Gwen Stefani, with “This is What the Truth Feels Like” on March 18.</p>
<p>Veteran electronica duo Underworld will release its first album in six years, “Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future,” on the same date.</p>
<p>March 25 brings the eagerly anticipated new album by legendary gay alt-rocker Bob Mould, “Patch the Sky.” Also dropping on March 25 is the solo debut by former One Direction star Zayn Malik, called “Mind of Mine.” Also out that day is the latest by electro/hip-hop DJ extraordinaire RJD2 — his latest is dubbed “Dame Fortune.”</p>
<p>Out rocker Liz DeRoche, formerly a D.C.-area resident, releases an electronica kids’ album on March 25. “Club Called Awesome” will come packaged with an illustrated comic book she hopes will “create an inclusive and adventurous world celebrating the extraordinary joys of being a kid.”</p>
<p>Also out in March is “Live @ the Bevy” from Baltimore-based duo Mama’s Black Sheep.</p>
<p>The Pet Shop Boys release “Super” on April 1. It should be a big years for the group, as it’s the 30th anniversary of their debut album “Please.” Also coming April 1 is the latest by Japanese pop-punk legends Shonen Knife, “Adventure”; “The White Album” by alternative rockers Weezer; and “Amen &amp; Goodbye” by experimental electronic duo Yeasayer. Superstar rapper Drake is due to unleash “Views from the 6” on April 2.</p>
<p>British girl-group All Saints return on April 8 with “Red Flag.” Also coming on the eighth is “Fever Dream” by Ben Watt, formerly half of Everything But the Girl with Tracey Thorn.</p>
<p>Iconic alternative rocker PJ Harvey is back with her follow-up to 2011’s Mercury Prize-winning “Let England Shake” — on April 15 she will release “The Hope Six Demolition Project.”</p>
<p>Electrifying British pop sensation Katy B returns on April 29 with “Honey.” Also hitting on the 29th is the latest by New York-based electronic pop duo Holy Ghost!, to be called “Crime Cutz.” Beyoncé will also reportedly drop her new album in April, although official details have yet to be announced.</p>
<p>Cyndi Lauper is back on May 6 with “Detour,” an aptly named collection of songs by country divas that Lauper loved as a child. It’s packed with guest appearances by Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Jewel and more.</p>
<p>Also released on that date is the new Laura Mvula, “The Dreaming Room.” Gold Panda returns on May 27 with “Good Luck and Do Your Best.”</p>
<p>And two you might have missed in February — gospel diva Sandi Patty released her farewell album “Forever Grateful,” featuring several self-penned songs (a rarity for her), recreations of her classic hits (“Love in Any Language,” “Love Will Be Out Home”) and a range of styles from her quasi-classical (“Alleluia”) to black gospel (“All I Got to Do”) and classic Southern gospel (“Farther Along”). With producer Greg Nelson back on board, it’s a worthy coda to an illustrious career. Kristin Chenoweth guests.</p>
<p>And Elton John released “Wonderful Crazy Night” on Feb. 5 to strong reviews.</p>
<p>Liz DeRoche releases a gay-friendly kids’ album later this month. (Photo by Darshita Mistry; courtesy Waldman Mania PR)</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Adore Delano</a> <a href="" type="internal">All Saints</a> <a href="" type="internal">Ben Watt</a> <a href="" type="internal">Cyndi Lauper</a> <a href="" type="internal">Elton John</a> <a href="" type="internal">Everything But the Girl</a> <a href="" type="internal">Gold Panda</a> <a href="" type="internal">Gwen Stefani</a> <a href="" type="internal">Katy B</a> <a href="" type="internal">Laura Mvula</a> <a href="" type="internal">Liz DeRoche</a> <a href="" type="internal">Loretta Lynn</a> <a href="" type="internal">Mama's Black Sheep</a> <a href="" type="internal">Pet Shop Boys</a> <a href="" type="internal">PJ Harvey</a> <a href="" type="internal">Sandi Patty</a> <a href="" type="internal">Shonen Knife</a> <a href="" type="internal">UnderWorld</a> <a href="" type="internal">Weezer</a> <a href="" type="internal">Zayn Malik</a></p> | SPRING ARTS: albums | false | http://washingtonblade.com/2016/03/04/spring-arts-albums/ | 3 |
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<p>Adidas said on Tuesday it has appointed Harm Ohlmeyer, head of the group's global eCommerce business, as new finance chief from May 12, replacing Robin Stalker, who served alongside former boss Herbert Hainer for 16 years.</p>
<p>The appointment is the second executive change at Adidas since activist shareholders bought stakes in the company in 2015 after its shares had tumbled following a series of profit warnings as it failed to keep pace with U.S. rival Nike .</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The stock's value has since almost tripled as the firm has hiked marketing spending, helping sales in the U.S. market.</p>
<p>Hainer was replaced as chief executive in October by Kaspar Rorsted, the Danish former chief of consumer goods group Henkel , prompting speculation among investors that Stalker, 59, might be the next to go.</p>
<p>Ohlmeyer, a 49-year-old German, joined the company in 1998, holding roles including head of finance for the core Adidas brand and finance chief for the firm's golf business, before taking over as ecommerce chief in 2011.</p>
<p>Adidas supervisory board Chairman Igor Landau said in a statement that Ohlmeyer had played a key role in efforts to make Adidas more digital, increasing ecommerce sales to 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion).</p>
<p>Rorsted is due to set out his strategy on Wednesday when Adidas posts results for 2016. He has already said that the U.S. market and digitalization will be top priorities as he seeks to build on a five-year plan launched in 2015 by Hainer.</p>
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<p>(Reporting by Emma Thomasson and Christoph Steitz; Editing by Arno Schuetze/Ruth Pitchford)</p> | Adidas appoints group ecommerce head as new CFO | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/03/07/adidas-appoints-group-ecommerce-head-as-new-cfo.html | 2017-03-17 | 0 |
<p><a href="http://www.shotboxer.com" type="external">Photo by Roscoe Myrick</a> | <a href="" type="internal">CC BY 2.0</a></p>
<p>When asked by a local activist what is so complicated about the case of Justine Damond, the Australian woman who was shot by police officer Mohamed Noor shortly after placing a 911 call, county attorney Mike Freeman said this:</p>
<p>“I have to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, the moment he shot the gun he feared for his life, and he used force because he thought he was going to be killed. But he won’t answer my questions, because he doesn’t have to, OK? We all have Fifth Amendment rights, and I respect that.”</p>
<p>His answer should perplex most people with even a minimal understanding of criminal law because it is actually the exact opposite of what he would have to prove at trial.&#160; But, the prosecutor’s blunder was not just an honest mistake.&#160; While it might be said that a good prosecutor will spend a lot of time imagining defenses (and in these cases the defense is not complicated) and therefore the cop’s defense has been uppermost in his mind and hence the slip up, we should not for one second believe that is why he said what he did.</p>
<p>The reason the prosecutor said that his burden is to prove that the cop reasonably feared for his life, a ridiculous claim, is because his brain in this particular case isn’t preoccupied with prosecuting the cop.&#160; Far from it.&#160; His mind is concerned and has been concerned for the past several months of how to avoid prosecuting the cop.&#160; One can almost hear the relief in his voice when he references the 5th amendment, a thing prosecutors typically don’t like because it frustrates their cause, and cops not only don’t like but don’t understand.&#160; “Whew, thank my lucky stars for that darned ol’ 5th amendment! Normally my boys would get a really juicy statement out of the poor sucker, but thanks to the protections of the inner sanctum and us telling the cop NOT to talk to us until he has a lawyer, I don’t have to worry about that!”</p>
<p>Last week a former Mesa, Arizona police officer was acquitted by a jury of both murder and manslaughter. The Mesa jury did not believe that firing five rounds from an assault rifle at a man begging for his life while trying to pull up his gym shorts and having had committed no crime whatsoever warranted any sort of punishment.&#160; Even taking into account the high burden of proof the prosecution has to meet in a criminal case, it should astound and infuriate us that police officers are routinely given a pass after engaging in reprehensible conduct.</p>
<p>The fact is that police officers as criminal defendants are simply unique. Police officers do not face the same risks by going to trial that other criminal defendants face due to the nature of the system to which they belong because the law is designed to protect them in a way that none of us others is protected. Imagine shooting your neighbor as he’s watering the grass and then later explaining to the jury that the sprayer he was holding looked a lot like a gun.</p>
<p>If that sounds like an oversimplification, consider looking at the circumstances surrounding Daniel Shaver’s death a few more times.&#160; In my lawn-watering scenario, imagine now that cop was called to the neighborhood based on information that someone was standing outside his house wielding a handgun.&#160; The officer arrives and sees what looks like a man watering the grass, but, it’s getting dark and while the officer does say that the man was holding a garden hose, it also looked like he might have been holding a small caliber pistol in the same hand.</p>
<p>Enter now an “expert” law enforcement officer to testify that the particular watering device does resemble a small-caliber handgun and it wouldn’t be entirely out of bounds for a police officer to believe the man had been holding a gun.&#160; Next, the jury gets an instruction from the judge that says, basically, “If you believe that the officer was reasonable in his belief that the dead guy was holding a gun, you must find him not guilty”</p>
<p>What “expert” cops know under the law based upon their “training and experience” will never be available to non-cops facing prosecution under similar circumstances, and it shouldn’t be.&#160; Reasonableness is not something that should be cleverly defined in such a way that the result is cops being permitted to abuse or kill innocent civilians.&#160; And we should should reject all talk about cops having to make “split-second decisions without the benefit of hindsight”, a phrase which is meaningless when time after time it’s obvious that officers had an abundance of time to consider alternatives to shooting to kill. Daniel Shaver could easily have been handcuffed (though he scarcely needed to have been!)</p>
<p>Is it time to consider dismantling and then rebuilding the criminal justice system when it comes to these deadly police/citizen encounters? Is it time for white people to consider that movements like Black Lives Matter have advanced goals that will save the lives of people of all races?</p> | Why Killer Cops Walk | true | https://counterpunch.org/2017/12/19/why-killer-cops-walk/ | 2017-12-19 | 4 |
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<p><a href="http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/entertainment/2007/10/23/D8SF0NLO3_people_keillor_stalker/index.html" type="external">This is just completely bizarre</a>:</p>
<p>Order Blocks Harassment of Keillor</p>
<p>Oct 23rd, 2007 | ST. PAUL, Minn. — Garrison Keillor has gotten a restraining order against a Georgia woman he claims has made telephone calls and sent him explicit e-mails and disturbing gifts, including a petrified alligator foot and dead beetles…</p>
<p>Keillor’s filing said the e-mails and letters were often “disturbing, unintelligible and rambling,” and in one, [the accused, Andrea] Campbell “graphically described making love to me.”</p>
<p>He also alleged Campbell showed up at his home in St. Paul in July. His wife was startled awake early one morning by the sound of someone rustling around outside the family’s house. She filed a police report.</p>
<p>Campbell denied the allegations in a telephone interview with the St. Paul Pioneer Press. She said she only wanted to show her gratitude for Keillor’s work.</p>
<p>“I am unclear as to what the problem is,” she said.</p>
<p>Campbell said Keillor had misunderstood the letters, e-mails, packages and phone calls. She said she was never closer to his house than the sidewalk.</p>
<p>“I believe that he’s paranoid, or some woman, his wife, is upset and told him he has to do something about it,” she said…</p>
<p>“It’s transcendental love, that’s all” she said. “Between a writer and reader.”</p>
<p /> | Garrison Keillor Stops Woman From Sending Him Dead Beetles | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/10/garrison-keillor-stops-woman-sending-him-dead-beetles/ | 2007-10-23 | 4 |
<p />
<p />
<p>Until yesterday, Canada was the only allied power who fought during World War II not to have a holocaust museum.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, never shy of a photo opportunity, decided to change that so he was eager to open the new holocaust monument entitled "Landscape of Loss, Memory, and Survival?.</p>
<p>During the unveiling, Trudeau said: "Today we reaffirm our unshakeable commitment to fight anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and discrimination in all its forms, and we pay tribute to those who experienced the worst of humanity.?</p>
<p>All went well, photo opportunity meant glaring headlines in all Canadian newspapers the next morning for the young Prime Minister. There was only one glitch though.</p>
<p>The plaque in the middle of the monument read: "The National Holocaust Monument commemorates the millions of men, women, and children murdered during the Holocaust and honor the survivors who persevered and were able to make their way to Canada after one of the darkest chapters in history. The monument recognizes the contribution those survivors have made to Canada and serves as a reminder that we must be vigilant in standing guard against hate, intolerance, and discrimination.?</p>
<p>So no mention of the Jewish people then? At a Holocaust monument?</p>
<p>For a monument that cost 9 million Canadian dollars, that seems like a pretty big error.</p>
<p>The Conservative opposition party was quick to point out the glaring error. Member of Parliament David Sweet said: "If we are going to stamp out hatred toward Jews, it is important to get history right. How could the prime minister permit such a glaring omission of reference to anti-Semitism and the fact that the millions of men, women, and children who were murdered were overwhelmingly Jewish""</p>
<p>Prime Minister Trudeau has already faced criticism in 2016 on International Holocaust Remembrance Day when his statement did not mention the suffering of the Jewish people.</p>
<p>He may want to check his speeches and plaques as form now on.</p>
<p />
<p>Source:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dw.com/en/canada-to-replace-holocaust-memorial-plaque-that-failed-to-mention-jews/a-40809209" type="external">dw.com/en/canada-to-replace-holocaust-memorial-plaque-that-failed-to-mention-jews/a-40809209</a></p> | Trudeau Opens Holocaust Memorial - Plaque Forgets To Mention Jews | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/9202-Trudeau-Opens-Holocaust-Memorial-Plaque-Forgets-To-Mention-Jews | 2017-10-05 | 0 |
<p>Brian Cahn/ZUMA</p>
<p />
<p>Rick Perry’s fundraising for his second presidential campaign is off to a tepid start. Last week, his campaign announced a $1.07 million haul since Perry officially declared his candidacy at the beginning of June. Though he entered the race later than some of the other GOP candidates, that’s far lower than the amounts raised by some of his rivals including Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, and Ben Carson.</p>
<p>Things were a bit better for Perry on the super PAC front, where a trio of interlocking groups supporting his campaign claimed $16.8 million in donations, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/10/politics/rick-perry-super-pac-fundraising-17-million/index.html" type="external">according to CNN</a>. The largest donor to this outside spending effort is the billionaire owner of a Texas pipeline company that also happens to write Rick Perry’s paycheck.</p>
<p>As Mother Jones <a href="" type="internal">reported last month</a>, Perry is still sitting on the corporate board of Energy Transfer Partners, even after making his presidential campaign official. Perry had joined the board of the oil and natural gas pipeline company in early February, shortly after leaving the Texas governor’s office. Politicians typically step down from such jobs before launching a presidential bid to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, but Perry’s kept his board spot while hitting the campaign trail. While the company isn’t willing to disclose his salary for the board spot, past Securities and Exchange Commission records show that the job has recently come with about $50,000 in compensation.</p>
<p>But Energy Transfer Partners’ CEO Kelcy Warren is putting far more money into Perry’s presidential ambitions. According to CNN, Warren accounts for $6 million of Perry’s super PAC donations to date. Warren— <a href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/kelcy-warren/" type="external">worth</a> $6.7 billion according to Forbes—chipped in just $250,000 to the pro-Perry super PAC in 2012, but he is clearly more invested in Perry’s second campaign. In addition to ponying up the most money for the super PAC’s, Warren is working for the official campaign as its finance chairman.</p>
<p /> | Rick Perry Is on the Payroll of His Super-PAC’s Biggest Sugar Daddy | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2015/07/rick-perry-kelcy-warren-super-pac-energy-transfer-partners/ | 2015-07-13 | 4 |
<p>AMSTERDAM, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The Dutch gas regulator will miss a Jan. 25 deadline to issue a recommendation for production at the Groningen gas field, a spokeswoman said on Thursday.</p>
<p>“The advice will not be finished next week. We hope to have clarity on the timing by Monday (Jan. 22)”, spokeswoman Cynthia Heijne said. (Reporting by Bart Meijer; editing by Jason Neely)</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Western powers said on Saturday their missile attacks struck at the heart of Syria’s chemical weapons program, but the restrained assault appeared unlikely to halt Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s progress in the 7-year-old civil war.</p>
<p>The United States, France and Britain launched 105 missiles overnight in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack in Syria a week ago, targeting what the Pentagon said were three chemical weapons facilities, including a research and development center in Damascus’ Barzeh district and two installations near Homs.</p>
<p>The bombing was the biggest intervention by Western countries against Assad and his superpower ally Russia, but the three countries said the strikes were limited to Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities and not aimed at toppling Assad or intervening in the civil war.</p>
<p>The air attack, denounced by Damascus and its allies as an illegal act of aggression, was unlikely to alter the course of a multisided war that has killed at least half a million people.</p>
<p>U.S. President Donald Trump called the operation a success.</p>
<p>He proclaimed on Twitter: “Mission accomplished,” echoing former President George W. Bush, whose use of the same phrase in 2003 to describe the U.S. invasion of Iraq was widely ridiculed as violence there dragged on for years.</p>
<p>“We believe that by hitting Barzeh, in particular, we’ve attacked the heart of the Syrian chemicals weapon program,” U.S. Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie said at the Pentagon.</p>
<p>However, McKenzie acknowledged elements of the program remain and he could not guarantee that Syria would be unable to conduct a chemical attack in the future.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-assad-russia/syrias-assad-tells-russian-lawmakers-western-strikes-were-act-of-aggression-agencies-idUSKBN1HM083" type="external">Syria's Assad tells Russian lawmakers Western strikes were act of aggression: agencies</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-britain-johnson/britain-to-study-options-if-syrias-assad-uses-chemical-weapons-again-foreign-minister-idUSKBN1HM090" type="external">Britain to study options if Syria's Assad uses chemical weapons again -foreign minister</a>
<a href="/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-britain-labour/legal-basis-for-british-strikes-in-syria-debatable-opposition-leader-idUSKBN1HM08C" type="external">Legal basis for British strikes in Syria debatable: opposition leader</a>
<p>The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that Trump told her that if Syria uses poisonous gas again, “The United States is locked and loaded.”</p>
<p>The Western countries said the strikes were aimed at preventing more Syrian chemical weapons attacks after a suspected poison gas attack in Douma on April 7 killed up to 75 people. They blame Assad’s government for the attack.</p>
<p>In Washington, a senior administration official said on Saturday that “while the available information is much greater on the chlorine use, we do have significant information that also points to sarin use” in the attack.</p>
<p>Speaking at a summit in Peru, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence seemed less sure of the use of sarin, saying that Washington may well determine that it was used along with chlorine.</p> ASSAD ‘RESILIENCE’
<p>Ten hours after the missiles hit, smoke was still rising from the remains of five destroyed buildings of the Syrian Scientific Research Center in Barzeh, where a Syrian employee said medical components were developed.</p>
<p>There were no immediate reports of casualties.</p>
<p>Syria released video of the wreckage of a bombed-out research lab, but also of Assad arriving at work as usual, with the caption “Morning of resilience”.</p>
<p>Late on Saturday Syria time, a large explosion was heard in a Syrian government-controlled area in a rural region south of Aleppo, according to the Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The Observatory said the cause of the explosion was unknown, as well as its target.</p>
<p>Russian and Iranian military help over the past three years has allowed Assad to crush the rebel threat to topple him.</p>
<p>The United States, Britain and France have all participated in the Syrian conflict for years, arming rebels, bombing Islamic State fighters and deploying troops on the ground to fight that group. But they have refrained from targeting Assad’s government, apart from a volley of U.S. missiles last year.</p>
<p>Although the Western countries have all said for seven years that Assad must leave power, they held back in the past from striking his government, lacking a wider strategy to defeat him.</p>
<p>Syria and its allies also made clear that they considered the attack a one-off, unlikely to do meaningful harm to Assad.</p>
<p>A senior official in a regional alliance that backs Damascus told Reuters the sites that were targeted had been evacuated days ago thanks to a warning from Russia.</p>
<p>Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the strikes were “unacceptable and lawless.”</p>
<p>Syrian state media called them a “flagrant violation of international law,” while Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called it a crime and the Western leaders criminals.</p>
<p>Russia had promised to respond to any attack on its ally, but the Pentagon said no Russian air defense systems were used. Syria fired 40 unguided surface-to-air missiles - but only after the Western strikes had ended, the Pentagon said.</p>
<p>“We are confident that all of our missiles reached their targets,” McKenzie said.</p>
<p>British Prime Minister Theresa May described the strike as “limited and targeted,” with no intention of toppling Assad or intervening more widely in the war.</p>
<p>Washington described the strike targets as a center near Damascus for the research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological weapons; a chemical weapons storage site near the city of Homs; and another site near Homs that stored chemical weapons equipment and housed a command post.</p>
<p>The Pentagon said there had been chemical weapons agents at one of the targets, and that the strikes had significantly crippled Syria’s ability to produce such weapons.</p>
<p>Trump spoke to May and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss results of the strikes, the leaders’ offices said.</p> A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer, deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, launches a strike as part of the multinational response to Syria's use of chemical weapons is seen in this image from Al Udeid Air Base, Doha, Qatar released on April 14, 2018. U.S. Air Force/Handout via REUTERS
<p>U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all Security Council members to exercise restraint and avoid escalation in Syria, but said allegations of chemical weapons use demand an investigation.</p>
<p>In Sydney, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull urged Russia to drop its “pretence” that Syria was not behind the chemical attack on Douma and use its influence to force the Assad government to destroy its chemical weapons.&#160;</p>
<p>“Russia has used its position as a member of the United Nations Security Council to veto resolutions designed to ensure that this chemical weapons crime is thoroughly investigated and cannot be repeated,” he told a news conference on Sunday.</p>
<p>“It should stop all the denial and the pretence that it wasn’t an action by the Syrian government and ensure that the chemical weapons are destroyed, that the ability of the regime to use chemical weapons is eliminated and that this type of criminal conduct does not occur again.”</p> WEAPONS INSPECTIONS
<p>Inspectors from the global chemical weapons watchdog OPCW were due to try to visit Douma on Saturday to inspect the site of the suspected gas attack. Moscow condemned the Western states for refusing to wait for their findings.</p>
<p>Russia, whose relations with the West have deteriorated to levels of Cold War-era hostility, has denied any gas attack took place in Douma and even accused Britain of staging it to whip up anti-Russian hysteria.</p>
<p>The Western countries took precautions to avoid unexpected conflict with Russia. French Defence Minister Florence Parly said Russians was warned beforehand to avert conflict.</p> Slideshow (18 Images)
<p>Dmitry Belik, a Russian member of parliament who was in Damascus and witnessed the strikes, told Reuters: “The attack was more of a psychological nature rather than practical. Luckily there are no substantial losses or damages.”</p>
<p>In Douma, site of the suspected gas attack, the last buses were due on Saturday to transport out rebels and their families who agreed to surrender the town, state TV reported. That effectively ends all resistance in the suburbs of Damascus known as eastern Ghouta, marking one of the biggest victories for Assad’s government of the war.</p>
<p>The Western assault involved more missiles than a U.S. attack last year but struck targets limited to Syria’s chemical weapons facilities. The U.S. intervention last year had effectively no impact on the war.</p>
<p>Syria agreed in 2013 to give up its chemical weapons after a nerve gas attack killed hundreds of people in Douma. Damascus is still permitted to have chlorine for civilian use, although its use as a weapon is banned. Allegations of Assad’s chlorine use have been frequent during the war although, unlike nerve agents, chlorine did not produce mass casualties as seen last week.</p>
<p>Reporting by Phil Stewart and Tom Perry; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Idrees Ali, Yara Bayoumy, Matt Spetalnick and Joel Schectman in Washington; Michelle Nichols in New York; Samia Nakhoul, Tom Perry, Laila Bassam, Ellen Francis and Angus McDowall in Beirut; Kinda Makieh in Barzeh; Michael Holden and Guy Faulconbridge in London; and Jean-Baptiste Vey, Geert de Clercq and Matthias Blamont in Paris; Polina Ivanova in Moscow; Alison Bevege in Sydney; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Yara Bayoumy, Alistair Bell and Clarence Fernandez</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will study the “options” with its allies if President Bashar al-Assad again uses chemical weapons against his people in Syria, but as yet there is nothing planned, foreign minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday.</p> FILE PHOTO: Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson arrives in Downing Street in London, Britain, March 13, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
<p>Johnson backed Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to join the United States and France to strike chemical weapons facilities in Syria on Saturday, saying it was the right thing to do to deter the further use of chemical weapons.</p>
<p>“There is no proposal on the table at the moment for further attacks because so far thank heavens the Assad regime have not been so foolish as to launch another chemical weapons attack,” he told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show.</p>
<p>Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Alexander Smith</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LONDON (Reuters) - The leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, said on Sunday that the legal basis used to support British air strikes in Syria was debatable, adding that he would only support action backed by the United Nations Security Council.</p> Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain's Labour Party, speaks at the launch of their local election campaign, in London, April 9, 2018. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
<p>“I say to the foreign secretary, I say to the prime minister, where is the legal basis for this?” Corbyn said.</p>
<p>“The legal basis ... would have to be self defense or the authority of the UN Security Council. The humanitarian intervention is a legally debatable concept at the present time,” he said in an interview with the BBC.</p>
<p>Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, writing by William James,; Editing by Alexander Smith</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told a group of Russian lawmakers on Sunday that Western missile strikes on his country were an act of aggression, Russian news agencies reported.</p> FILE PHOTO - Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visit the Hmeymim air base in Latakia Province, Syria December 11, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/ via REUTERS/File Photo
<p>Russian lawmakers met with Assad after the United States, France and Britain launched missile strikes on Syria in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack a week ago.</p>
<p>Russian news agencies quoted the lawmakers as saying Assad was in a “good mood” and had praised the Soviet-era air defense systems used by Syria to help to repel the Western attacks.</p>
<p>The supply of Russian air defense systems was not discussed, agencies reported, but Assad accepted an invitation to visit the Siberian region of Khanty-Mansi in Russia. It was not clear when the visit would take place.</p> VERBATIM: 'This is a one-time shot' against Syria - Mattis
<p>Reporting by Jack Stubbs; Editing by Jane Merriman</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a> | Dutch gas regulator says will miss Jan. 25 deadline on Groningen U.S. says air strikes cripple Syria chemical weapons program Britain to study options if Syria's Assad uses chemical weapons again -foreign minister Legal basis for British strikes in Syria debatable: opposition leader Syria's Assad tells Russian lawmakers Western strikes were act of aggression: agencies | false | https://reuters.com/article/netherlands-gas-groningen/dutch-gas-regulator-says-will-miss-jan-25-deadline-on-groningen-idUSA5N1LM02A | 2018-01-18 | 2 |
<p />
<p>One of the many interesting details revealed in Snap's S-1 filing with the SEC is that it agreed to a $2 billion contract with Google Cloud in January. The agreement with the Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) subsidiary spans five years with relatively equal payments scheduled for every year.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Snap has used Google Cloud since its creation, but had been spending considerably less than the $400 million per year it's slated to spend through 2021. For the first few years of its existence, it spent less than $30 million per year on Google Cloud. Last year, however, it started seeing its hosting costs increase considerably, up $192 million for the year.</p>
<p>Image Source: Getty</p>
<p>Google's cloud service competes against the larger Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Web Services and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Azure. A $2 billion infusion could help it catch up to the competition.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Alphabet isn't exactly forthright with its cloud revenue. It lumps Google Cloud in with Google's other revenue line item, which also includes Google Play and hardware sales. In 2016, the three categories produced $10.1 billion in revenue. Google Play likely accounts for the bulk of revenue.</p>
<p>The cloud unit had an estimated run rate of just $1 billion as of the end of 2015, according to RBC Capital. Snap's new contract likely makes it Google's biggest cloud customer.</p>
<p>While Google has made several advancements in its cloud services over the past year, so have its competitors. Microsoft boasted that its Azure revenue increased 93% last quarter, but Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss estimates the unit brought in just $1.6 billion. Bernstein's Mark Mordler estimates Azure's run rate at $3 billion as of last quarter.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Amazon just reported AWS sales topped $12 billion in 2016. Sales surpassed $3.5 billion in the fourth quarter alone, although that fell short of analysts expectations.</p>
<p>The growth of Snapchat has been a major boon to Google's cloud services, but it's still actively seeking to pull customers away from its competitors and take market share. The hiring of cloud-computing veteran Diane Greene to lead the division has helped the company attract numerous high-profile customers, but there's still more work to do.</p>
<p>On Alphabet's fourth-quarter earnings call, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said, "We have truly differentiated offerings in four key areas: data analytics and machine learning, security and privacy, tools for application development, and the ability to create connected business platforms." Snap can take advantage of at least three of those four factors, so it's clear why it was willing to lock down a long-term contract.</p>
<p>At the same time, the contract is not exclusive. If Snap wants to enter China, for example, where Google doesn't operate, it could tap one of Google's competitors.Or it could build its own servers.</p>
<p>Snap recently hired Jerry Hunter from AWS, who ran global data centers for the cloud-computing giant. In Snap's S-1 filing, management notes, "In the future, we may invest in building our own infrastructure to better serve our customers."</p>
<p>If Snap continues to grow at the pace it has been for the last few years, it may make economic sense for it to switch to its own cloud infrastructure, which would be a huge blow for Google.</p>
<p>Snap is now on the hook for $400 million per year in cloud costs. There is some wiggle room: The contract says it can postpone up to 15% of expenses for a year, so it only has to spend $340 million this first year. Still, that's a huge amount for a company that generated just $404.5 million in revenue last year.</p>
<p>It also means that switching service providers will be difficult, considering it would either have to eat the contract as a loss, or leave at least some of its operations on Google Cloud in order not to waste the money. That makes the economics of building out its own infrastructure within the next five years even costlier.</p>
<p>On the flip side, analysts expect Snap's revenue to continue growing at a rapid pace, approaching $1 billion this year fueled by continued user growth and product expansion that will surely put additional demands on Google's servers. It has plenty of capital to cover the expense, and if last year's growth is any indication of what to expect, it will need to spend at least $340 million on cloud infrastructure this year. The deal with Google ensures that it gets the lowest rates possible, so it can to make the most of its spend.</p>
<p>Overall, it's not a bad deal for Snap, but it does tie the company to Google for a long time.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Alphabet (A shares)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>
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<p>Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Teresa Kersten is an employee of LinkedIn and is a member of The Motley Fool's Board of Directors. LinkedIn is owned by Microsoft. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/adamlevy/info.aspx" type="external">Adam Levy Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Amazon. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Alphabet (A shares), Alphabet (C shares), and Amazon. 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> | Snap Just Became One of Google's Most Important Cloud Customers | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/02/09/snap-just-became-one-google-most-important-cloud-customers.html | 2017-02-09 | 0 |
<p>Huitepe Mountain, Chiapas.</p>
<p>Thrust like a huge furry green thumb into the big Chiapas sky above San Cristobal de las Casas, the jewel-box capital of the Mayan highlands (“Los Altos”), Huitepec mountain, “el cerro de agua” (“hill of water”), contrasts sharply with the logged-out, bald-pated hills that line the Valley of Jovel.</p>
<p>As the source of water for San Cristobal and the neighboring municipality of Zinacantan plus dozens of Zapatista rebel communities nestled in the valleys of Los Altos, Huitepec is both revered by the highland Maya as a sacred site, and besieged by national and transnational capital seeking to suck the Hill of Water dry.</p>
<p>Huitepec, with its lush oak forests (unlike surrounding mountains where pines predominate), wild orchids and bromeliads, songbirds and small game animal population, is an inviting habitat for the transnational tourist and real estate interests who wield the political clout down in San Cristobal. Forcing native Tzotzil villages to sell off communal land to developers, the lower slopes of the sacred cerro have been invaded by the luxury homes of prominent politicos, ex-municipal presidents, and an increasing number of well-heeled foreigners.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, a privatized state nature reserve attracts busloads of careless tourists and wood poachers pick incessantly at the oak forests. But the prize up on the Hill of Water is the water itself.</p>
<p>Riding the ridge between San Cristobal and Zinacantan, Huitepec’s water wealth is drained off to feed expanding urban needs in the big city below. Foreign-owned greenhouses in Zinacantan that grow flowers for the global market drink up much Huitepec water. But the great predator here is the Coca Cola plant operated by Mexican bottler Femsa that sprawls at the foot of Huitepec Mountain like a temple to consumer greed.</p>
<p>“Coca Cola is a hydration company – without water we have no business,” an in-house document ” Our Use of Water” unearthed by the NGO War on Want, bluntly states. Chiapas, the source of 65% of southern Mexico’s water, figures prominently in Coca’s plans. To underscore its mission, Coca-Femsa has obtained a 20 year concession from the city of San Cristobal, which claims jurisdiction over Huitepec water, to siphon off five liters a second of the precious fluid for the next generation, for the manufacture of its noxious brew and the commercialization of bottled water whose plastic husks have become the most littered item on Planet Earth.</p>
<p>San Cristobal’s claim to ownership of Huitepec water is contested by the Tzotzil Maya in neighboring villages. Indeed, under the provisions of the International Labor Organization’s Resolution 169 (OIT 169 by its Spanish initials), the legal benchmark for what defines Indian territory (habitat) and territoriality (what goes on in that territory), Huitepec is the collective property of the people who live on this land.</p>
<p>Last March 13th, under the aegius of the Zapatista administrative center (“caracol”) in nearby Oventik and its Junta de Buen Gobierno (Good Government Committee), the rebels declared Huitepec a “Zapatista Ecological Community Reserve” and set up a camp near the summit of the Hill of Water. “We do not defend Huitepec for the mal gobierno (“bad government”) but for our grandchildren” the ski-masked members of the Junta declared, “fighting for our mother the earth and all of the living beings and natural resources is to defend our lives and our communities against the capitalist system.”</p>
<p>A tattered banner announcing the location of a “Peace Camp” (actually two – one for non-Zapatistas and the other manned and womanned by rebels) signals the turn-off to the community reserve. Up a muddy track straddling the mountain ridge, the Zapatistas and their supporters fight to save the sacred Hill of Water. The rebels now patrol the forests to prevent the “talamontes” (wood poachers) from cutting the thick oak forests. Other crews work on stream restoration. Volunteers from Zapatista communities throughout Los Altos come to live in the camps and learn conservation skills that they take back to their own villages.</p>
<p>“I am here to defend Huitepec” one camper told La Jornada correspondent Hermann Bellinghausen. “This is my place. My father, who is 80, was born here. My grandparents too. These hills are all we have to leave to our children.” Bellinghausen found the response a clear “expression of the primordial, collective, and sacred right to this mountain” the neo-liberals falsely claim is theirs.</p>
<p>The neo-liberal icon that sucks up Huitepec’s bountiful water, the Coca Cola Corporation of Atlanta Georgia, is a powerful political player in Mexico – former president Vicente Fox was president of Coca-Mexico before he became president of Mexico. Mexicans drink more Coke per capita than any other nation on earth and Chiapas and its Indians are an important market. One reason for heavy sales in Los Altos: Coca Cola is often the only option to scarce or undrinkable local water.</p>
<p>Driving through the highlands, one is inevitably slowed to a crawl following double trailers of La Coca groaning up the steep mountain roads. Coke has put a full court press on the Tzotziles of Los Altos, offering discounts (two pesos a can that sells for five in San Cristobal stores) and deals – 50 Coke tab tops can be traded for a kilo of beans. The Coca Cola Foundation to which Fox remains heavily connected hooplas its plans for reforestation and boasts of building schools in Indian villages. Although some communities endorse a boycott advocated by noted intellectuals and artists like actress Ofelia Medina, and keep the Coke trucks away, opting instead for Pozol, a native Indian corn drink, Coke is still king in the highlands of Chiapas.</p>
<p>Ironically, despite the Zapatistas’ efforts to defend Huitepec hill from the depredations of demon Coke, the rebels are some of La Coca’s biggest boosters. Although drugs and alcohol are permanently barred from the rebel zone, Coca Cola, a beverage concocted in 1893 by a drug-crazed pharmacist, is the Zapatistas’ drug of choice. Because the use of “posh” (sugar cane “white lightning”) is prohibited, Coke is substituted during religious ceremonies, apparently with God’s blessing. The Che Guevara community store in Oventik, displays rows of the familiar red cans. At a cultural forum “in defense of humanity and against neo-liberalism” during the Zapatistas’ 1996 Intergalactica, each speaker was seated with a can of this neo-liberal cola at the ready.</p>
<p>Criticism of the rebels’ fondness for La Coca irks their loquacious mouthpiece Subcomandante Marcos who lashed out at the anti-Cokers during a July forum at San Cristobal’s University of the Earth for trivializing the Zapatista struggle by reducing it to a debate over a corporate logo.</p>
<p>Ambar Past is an expatriate North American poet who has lived for years in a tree house in San Cristobal from which each morning she watches Huitepec emerge from the mountain mists. Recently, she wrote a letter/poem to the “Senor Owner of Coca Cola” whose words formed the curvaceous figure of the classic Coke bottle. “Under the sacred mountain/Huitepec/ we guard water/ for our grandchildren/and your grandchildren too.</p>
<p>“Money washes the brains (“coco”)/ of Coca Cola/ drinker-upper of our inheritance/ that would make us into a desert.</p>
<p>“Huitepec/ blood of our future/born in the hollow/of a leaf/ where your vampires/ open a hole in our hearts.”</p>
<p>JOHN ROSS is in Mexico City, plotting a new novella. If you have further information contact <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Coca-Cola’s Raid on a Sacred Mountain | true | https://counterpunch.org/2007/09/07/coca-cola-s-raid-on-a-sacred-mountain/ | 2007-09-07 | 4 |
<p>The members of the Delhi state assembly voted themselves a 100 percent salary hike this week, ignoring the general loathing for politicians expressed in mass protests led by anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare last month, <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Delhi-ministers-MLAs-get-a-hefty-salary-hike/articleshow/9879852.cms" type="external">writes the Times of India</a>.</p>
<p>Even better, the increase does not include enhanced medical benefits and travel allowances which the assemblymen will get over and above their salary, the paper said.</p>
<p>The ministry in charge of such matters had earlier shot down a similar proposal, which sought an 300% hike in salaries. But even this more modest increment caused some concern among the more savvy legislators, who said the pay hike will send the wrong signals to the common people who are reeling under rising prices.</p>
<p>Appearances aside, politicians' salaries -- as opposed to their actual incomes -- are not that large in India. The Delhi assembly members were earlier getting a salary of Rs 22,000 (approximately $500), and will now earn Rs 44,000 (about $1000). Ministers who drew Rs 33,000 ($750) will now get Rs 68,000 ($1500).</p>
<p>As per official filings recorded by the Association for Democratic Reforms -- a non-government watchdog organization -- many of these same politicians hold assets in excess of Rs. 1 crore ($225,000), which makes them India's version of millionaires.</p> | Delhi politicians double their own salaries | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-09-06/delhi-politicians-double-their-own-salaries | 2011-09-06 | 3 |
<p>Ainsworth 74, CWC 63</p>
<p>Alliance 47, Gordon/Rushville 31</p>
<p>Amherst 84, Shelton 43</p>
<p>Anselmo-Merna 69, Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 45</p>
<p>Arapahoe 74, Axtell 41</p>
<p>Arcadia-Loup City 53, Twin Loup 37</p>
<p>Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur 56, Wakefield 45</p>
<p>Blue Hill 50, Harvard 30</p>
<p>Bruning-Davenport/Shickley 63, McCool Junction 47</p>
<p>Central City 55, Schuyler 38</p>
<p>Clarkson/Leigh 61, Elgin Public/Pope John 50</p>
<p>Clearwater/Orchard 35, Neligh-Oakdale 33</p>
<p>David City 62, Shelby/Rising City 51</p>
<p>Doniphan-Trumbull 61, Kearney Catholic 52</p>
<p>Dundy County-Stratton 68, Wallace 59</p>
<p>East Butler 40, Giltner 36</p>
<p>Exeter/Milligan 53, Meridian 35</p>
<p>Falls City Sacred Heart 50, Jefferson (Conception), Mo. 33</p>
<p>Freeman 53, Malcolm 28</p>
<p>Friend 52, Thayer Central 45</p>
<p>Grand Island Central Catholic 58, Grand Island Northwest 54, 2OT</p>
<p>Guardian Angels 51, Battle Creek 47</p>
<p>Hartington Cedar Catholic 57, Creighton 45</p>
<p>Hastings St. Cecilia 55, Superior 14</p>
<p>Heartland 73, High Plains Community 11</p>
<p>Homer 69, Emerson-Hubbard 41</p>
<p>Johnson County Central 49, Weeping Water 39</p>
<p>Johnson-Brock 83, Lewiston 40</p>
<p>Laurel-Concord/Coleridge 64, Hartington-Newcastle 61</p>
<p>Lexington 66, McCook 47</p>
<p>Logan View-Scribner-Snyder 66, Arlington 41</p>
<p>Louisville 55, Douglas County West 43</p>
<p>Lutheran High Northeast 69, Walthill 43</p>
<p>Madison 44, Stanton 38</p>
<p>Maxwell 57, Brady 51</p>
<p>Milford 44, Columbus Lakeview 31</p>
<p>Nebraska City Lourdes 53, Auburn 43</p>
<p>Nebraska Lutheran 62, Hampton 49</p>
<p>North Bend Central 73, Columbus Scotus 48</p>
<p>North Central 59, Niobrara/Verdigre 49</p>
<p>O'Neill 71, Wagner, S.D. 41</p>
<p>Oakland-Craig 63, Tekamah-Herman 24</p>
<p>Omaha Creighton Prep 67, Omaha Westside 60</p>
<p>Osmond 53, Bloomfield 30</p>
<p>Overton 71, Elwood 45</p>
<p>Pawnee City 59, Humboldt/Table Rock-Steinauer 32</p>
<p>Paxton 63, Hitchcock County 28</p>
<p>Pine Bluffs, Wyo. 75, Mitchell 52</p>
<p>Platteview 65, Nebraska City 26</p>
<p>Seward 42, Crete 27</p>
<p>Silver Lake 43, Franklin 39</p>
<p>St. Paul 48, Minden 35</p>
<p>Sterling 61, Cedar Bluffs 20</p>
<p>Stuart 49, Wausa 45, OT</p>
<p>Sutton 56, Ravenna 46</p>
<p>Wahoo 96, Raymond Central 25</p>
<p>Waverly 52, Lincoln Lutheran 35</p>
<p>Wayne 73, Crofton 46</p>
<p>West Holt 61, Plainview 42</p>
<p>Winnebago 52, Ponca 50</p>
<p>Winside 45, Randolph 34</p>
<p>Wisner-Pilger 45, Twin River 34</p>
<p>Wynot 58, Allen 28</p>
<p>York 44, Norris 43</p>
<p>Yutan 64, Ashland-Greenwood 25</p>
<p>Ainsworth 74, CWC 63</p>
<p>Alliance 47, Gordon/Rushville 31</p>
<p>Amherst 84, Shelton 43</p>
<p>Anselmo-Merna 69, Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 45</p>
<p>Arapahoe 74, Axtell 41</p>
<p>Arcadia-Loup City 53, Twin Loup 37</p>
<p>Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur 56, Wakefield 45</p>
<p>Blue Hill 50, Harvard 30</p>
<p>Bruning-Davenport/Shickley 63, McCool Junction 47</p>
<p>Central City 55, Schuyler 38</p>
<p>Clarkson/Leigh 61, Elgin Public/Pope John 50</p>
<p>Clearwater/Orchard 35, Neligh-Oakdale 33</p>
<p>David City 62, Shelby/Rising City 51</p>
<p>Doniphan-Trumbull 61, Kearney Catholic 52</p>
<p>Dundy County-Stratton 68, Wallace 59</p>
<p>East Butler 40, Giltner 36</p>
<p>Exeter/Milligan 53, Meridian 35</p>
<p>Falls City Sacred Heart 50, Jefferson (Conception), Mo. 33</p>
<p>Freeman 53, Malcolm 28</p>
<p>Friend 52, Thayer Central 45</p>
<p>Grand Island Central Catholic 58, Grand Island Northwest 54, 2OT</p>
<p>Guardian Angels 51, Battle Creek 47</p>
<p>Hartington Cedar Catholic 57, Creighton 45</p>
<p>Hastings St. Cecilia 55, Superior 14</p>
<p>Heartland 73, High Plains Community 11</p>
<p>Homer 69, Emerson-Hubbard 41</p>
<p>Johnson County Central 49, Weeping Water 39</p>
<p>Johnson-Brock 83, Lewiston 40</p>
<p>Laurel-Concord/Coleridge 64, Hartington-Newcastle 61</p>
<p>Lexington 66, McCook 47</p>
<p>Logan View-Scribner-Snyder 66, Arlington 41</p>
<p>Louisville 55, Douglas County West 43</p>
<p>Lutheran High Northeast 69, Walthill 43</p>
<p>Madison 44, Stanton 38</p>
<p>Maxwell 57, Brady 51</p>
<p>Milford 44, Columbus Lakeview 31</p>
<p>Nebraska City Lourdes 53, Auburn 43</p>
<p>Nebraska Lutheran 62, Hampton 49</p>
<p>North Bend Central 73, Columbus Scotus 48</p>
<p>North Central 59, Niobrara/Verdigre 49</p>
<p>O'Neill 71, Wagner, S.D. 41</p>
<p>Oakland-Craig 63, Tekamah-Herman 24</p>
<p>Omaha Creighton Prep 67, Omaha Westside 60</p>
<p>Osmond 53, Bloomfield 30</p>
<p>Overton 71, Elwood 45</p>
<p>Pawnee City 59, Humboldt/Table Rock-Steinauer 32</p>
<p>Paxton 63, Hitchcock County 28</p>
<p>Pine Bluffs, Wyo. 75, Mitchell 52</p>
<p>Platteview 65, Nebraska City 26</p>
<p>Seward 42, Crete 27</p>
<p>Silver Lake 43, Franklin 39</p>
<p>St. Paul 48, Minden 35</p>
<p>Sterling 61, Cedar Bluffs 20</p>
<p>Stuart 49, Wausa 45, OT</p>
<p>Sutton 56, Ravenna 46</p>
<p>Wahoo 96, Raymond Central 25</p>
<p>Waverly 52, Lincoln Lutheran 35</p>
<p>Wayne 73, Crofton 46</p>
<p>West Holt 61, Plainview 42</p>
<p>Winnebago 52, Ponca 50</p>
<p>Winside 45, Randolph 34</p>
<p>Wisner-Pilger 45, Twin River 34</p>
<p>Wynot 58, Allen 28</p>
<p>York 44, Norris 43</p>
<p>Yutan 64, Ashland-Greenwood 25</p> | Tuesday's Scores | false | https://apnews.com/amp/ad6374f6ab41405facd01460b747a7f7 | 2018-01-17 | 2 |
<p>The pay for executives on Wall Street is a source of outrage for many Americans. We spent billions to save these companies from financial disaster and three years later, executives are reaping big rewards.</p>
<p>I&#160;n fact, 2010 was a banner year for compensation at financial firms .According to the Wall Street Journal, last year bankers took home $135 billion in total compensation and benefits. That's up nearly 6% from 2009.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Broken down - that comes out to an average of a 3% increase in compensation per employee. At the Bank of America, the nation's largest bank, compensation jumped 11% to more than $35 billion.</p>
<p>That’s nothing compared to the bump CEO Brian Moynihan got—67%.</p>
<p>The good news is their bottom line is recovered. At the 25 large firms surveyed by the paper&#160;revenue hit an all time high of $417 billion.</p>
<p>Those companies have a combined stock value now of more than $750 billion.</p>
<p>Listen, I’m all for people making money. Most banks have paid taxpayers back for the 2008 bailout, so bravo to them for reaching new profit levels. But here's my gripe – we helped you, so why aren't you helping us?</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>A survey by the Federal Reserve shows more than 12 % of banks eased lending standards for businesses with annual sales of at least $50 million dollars, making more loans to mid-sized businesses.</p>
<p>But for small businesses - you know the bread and butter of our economy - less than 4% of banks are lending more. For consumers - only a fifth say they're willing, and they used the word "slightly" - to issue more consumer installment loans.</p>
<p>This is ridiculous. I’m not advising banks give loans to every Tom, Dick, and Harry that asks for it, but if people and businesses qualify - it's time the banks give back to those who gave to them.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Be sure to catch the Willis Report on the FOX Business Network every weekday from 5-6pm ET. Opens a New Window.</a></p> | America’s Banks Should Help the Little Guy | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/02/02/americas-banks-help-little-guy.html | 2016-03-04 | 0 |
<p><a href="" type="internal" />California is in its fourth year of an unprecedented drought, with no end in sight and water reserves dwindling. It’s exactly the type of scenario climate scientists have <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/01/31/3223791/climate-change-california-drought/" type="external">warned about</a>, and new research sees global warming’s fingerprints on the drought. But a new FAIR study shows that, rather than investigating this connection, network news is largely ignoring it.</p>
<p>FAIR examined&#160;ABC,&#160;CBS&#160;and&#160;NBC&#160;transcripts from March 1 through April 7, looking at all segments that mentioned California’s drought. It was mentioned a total of 55 times, a substantial amount of coverage, yet just a fraction of the frenzied attention that the Northeast’s extreme winter weather received. (A recent <a href="" type="internal">FAIR study</a> found 417 network stories on cold and snow from January 25 until March 4, 2015–just one day longer than the current study period.)</p>
<p>Within the drought segments, global warming was rarely covered, with just three mentions on&#160;ABC, two on&#160;NBC&#160;and one on&#160;CBS. Overall, 89 percent of stories on the California drought made no reference to climate change. Even when it was mentioned, the networks often preferred to portray climate science as in dispute.</p>
<p>California’s Record Heat, Drought</p>
<p>Networks were willing to acknowledge California’s drought was unprecedented–but reluctant to talk about what’s changing California’s weather. (CBS Evening News, <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/california-drought-11-trillion-gallons-below-normal/" type="external">3/17/15</a>)</p>
<p>California is coming off its <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-warmest-year-california-official-20150116-story.html" type="external">hottest year on record</a>, is still in the midst of a drought that’s the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-drought-worsens-record-20140731-story.html" type="external">deepest on record</a>, and is coming out of winter with a snowpack water reserve that’s by far the <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/california-snowpack-obliterates-record-low-18847" type="external">smallest on record</a>. Media coverage tends to ask whether global warming caused these extremes, but climate scientists say that’s the wrong question. Instead, they focus on whether global warming is increasing the odds for extremes.</p>
<p>Historically, temperatures and precipitation have fluctuated randomly. But as <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/global-warming-fueled-heat-calif.-drought-18719" type="external">Climate Central reports</a>, now global warming is changing the odds, making it more likely a dry year will also be a warm year, making extreme drought more likely. “It used to be flipping two coins independently and getting two tails one-quarter of time. Now we’re getting tails on the temperature coin much more often,” says Stanford University’s Noah Diffenbaugh. By 2030—or by the time a child born today is in high school—climate scientists expect every single year to be warmer than normal by historic standards.</p>
<p>Hosts fully grasp that the drought is unprecedented and are willing to use language to communicate that. “They’re saying it’s between 500 and a thousand years since they’ve had a drought&#160;like this,” said Al Roker on the April 2 edition of NBC’s&#160; Today show. On the April 7 edition of the CBS Evening News, Scott Pelley called the drought “historic,” “exceptional” and “extreme.” But the words “climate change” are too often off limits.</p>
<p>Climate/Drought Link Called ‘Controversial’</p>
<p>ABC World News Tonight ( <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/californias-drought-worsens-governor-announces-water-restrictions/story?id=30047515" type="external">4/1/15</a>) illustrated California’s vanishing snowpack. But the longterm trends behind the extreme weather were seldom made visible.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/march/temperatures-california-drought-030215.html" type="external">new study</a> released by Diffenbaugh’s team at Stanford on&#160;March 2&#160;gave networks all the fodder they needed to explore the question of whether climate change is worsening California’s drought. “California has experienced more frequent drought years in the last two decades than it has in the past several centuries,” researchers reported. “That observed uptick is primarily the result of rising temperatures in the region, which have climbed to record highs as a result of climate change.”</p>
<p>But network news only mentioned the study twice, and both times it was questioned on flimsy grounds. “A new study from Stanford University claims the drought in California is being fueled by human-caused climate change,” reported Amy Robach on&#160;ABC’s&#160;Good Morning America&#160;(3/3/15). “But some scientists not involved in the study are questioning some of those findings.” What scientists? Are their concerns valid? The 48-word story left viewers thirsty for answers.</p>
<p>Meanwhile,&#160;CBS&#160;turned to a theoretical physicist to analyze the study, who launched attacks that weren’t grounded in reality. Contributor Michio Kaku first conflated meteorology and climatology, then painted the team of Stanford researchers as one loud-mouthed wacko. “Most meteorologists would say it’s a natural cycle. It comes and goes over a period of years, maybe decades. But last month in Stanford University, some renegade meteorologist said, no, it’s global warming,” said Kaku on&#160;CBS This Morning&#160;(4/2/15). “The combination of hot air and dry air is very unusual, and they were saying its manmade activity that’s driving this. This is controversial.”</p>
<p>Kaku is right that there’s disagreement, but like many scientists, his emphasis on uncertainty leaves the average television viewer with the sense that there’s much more disagreement than really exists. “Controversial” in this case doesn’t mean the two sides totally disagree—in fact, there’s widespread agreement that global warming is happening, it’s caused by carbon pollution, and it’s already changing our weather patterns. The controversy here is that one side thinks there’s enough evidence to connect the dots right now, while the other side wants to wait for more evidence. That may have been clearer if CBS&#160;had interviewed a climate scientist.</p>
<p>Leaning on Gov. Brown to Deliver Science</p>
<p>ABC&#160;mentioned the California drought 19 times, and topped the list with three mentions of climate change. It gave one of the more clear connections on ABC World News Sunday&#160;(4/5/15): “Tonight, a strong warning from California Governor Jerry Brown, the Golden State’s problem may soon be yours,” reported anchor Kendis Gibson, leading into this soundbite from Gov. Jerry Brown: “I can tell you from California, climate change is not a hoax, we’re dealing with it, and it’s damn serious.”</p>
<p>On&#160;NBC’s&#160;Meet the Press&#160;(3/22/15), Chuck Todd also turned to Gov. Brown to explain the drought’s climate connection:</p>
<p>TODD:&#160;Well, speaking of Mother Nature, this drought issue–directly attributable to climate change, in your opinion?</p>
<p>BROWN:&#160;Look, as they say, the scientists know more about it. I will tell you this, their—our research results that now say there’s a connection to the current drought and the extreme weather in the east and other parts of the world. The UN has already said there’s going to be 40 percent of the world will suffer from water shortage.</p>
<p>Again, hearing directly from a climate scientist might’ve cleared the air for viewers.</p>
<p>Ignoring a Compelling Story</p>
<p>Most network coverage of the California drought was long on imagery, short on analysis. (NBC Nightly News, <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/california-drought/nasa-california-down-one-year-supply-water-n324706" type="external">3/16/15</a>)</p>
<p>Climate scientists have been <a href="" type="external">warning for decades</a> that global warming would lead to more intense heat waves, deeper droughts, and reduced snowpack. Now that those predictions are becoming reality before our eyes in California, reporters still aren’t even asking climate questions, never mind directly connecting the dots.</p>
<p>What’s most befuddling is that, unlike some other climate impacts, the story of the California drought is easily told and understood. We’re not talking about the complicated relationship between climate change, reduced Arctic sea ice, the wobbling polar vortex and the extreme winter weather in the Northeast, another phenomenon reporters didn’t connect to climate change. Connecting heat, drought and lack of snowpack to global warming isn’t hard. Even dropping in a simple “scientists say these trends are exactly what we can expect more of in a warming world” would better inform viewers.</p>
<p>Finally, ignoring climate change makes for boring television. There are only so many ways to say the drought is still happening, but climate impacts are a fresh angle that can be told in compelling ways–in large part because pointing out the human role in creating this drought implies that humans can play a role in preventing future ones.</p>
<p>Miles Grant is a progressive blogger and environmental communicator&#160;in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. He’s director of communications for the National Wildlife Federation (though his thoughts here are his own). Read more at&#160; <a href="http://thegreenmiles.com/" type="external">The Green Miles</a>&#160;and follow him on&#160; <a href="http://twitter.com/milesgrant" type="external">Twitter</a>.</p>
<p>Here are contact links for <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346" type="external">ABC News</a> , <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/feedback/fb_news_form.shtml" type="external">CBS News</a> and <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/contact" type="external">NBC News</a>. Remember that respectful communication is the most effective.</p> | As Drought Grips California, Networks Come Up Dry on Climate Science | true | http://fair.org/home/as-drought-grips-california-networks-come-up-dry-on-climate-science/ | 2015-04-15 | 4 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Rank-and-file New York City police officers and their supporters have been making such arguments even before a grand jury decided against charges in Garner’s death, saying the possibility that he contributed to his own demise has been drowned out in the furor over race and law enforcement.</p>
<p>Officers say the outcry has left them feeling betrayed and demonized by everyone from the president and the mayor to throngs of protesters who scream at them on the street.</p>
<p>“Police officers feel like they are being thrown under the bus,” said Patrick Lynch, president of the police union.</p>
<p>The grand jury this week cleared a white patrolman, Daniel Pantaleo, who was caught on video applying what appeared to be an illegal chokehold on the black man. Mayor Bill de Blasio said the case underscores the NYPD’s need to improve relations with minorities.</p>
<p>But Lynch said: “What we did not hear is this: You cannot go out and break the law. What we did not hear is that you cannot resist arrest. That’s a crime.”</p>
<p>At the noisy demonstrations that have broken out over the past few days, protesters have confronted police who had nothing to do with the case. Signs read: “NYPD: Blood on your hands,” “Racism kills” and “Hey officers, choke me or shoot me.” More than 280 people have been arrested, and more demonstrations were planned Friday.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In private and on Internet chat rooms, officers say they feel demoralized, misunderstood and “all alone.”</p>
<p>Some are advising each other that the best way to preserve their careers is to stop making arrests like that of Garner’s, in defiance of the NYPD’s campaign of cracking down on minor “quality of life” offenses as a way to discourage serious crime.</p>
<p>“Everyone is just demonizing the police,” said Maki Haberfeld, a professor of police studies at John Jay College of criminal justice. “But police follow orders and laws. Nobody talks about the responsibility of the politicians to explain to the community why quality-of-life enforcement is necessary.”</p>
<p>The fatal encounter occurred in July after Pantaleo and other police officers responded to complaints about Garner, a heavyset 43-year-old father of six.</p>
<p /> | New York police feeling demonized, demoralized | false | https://abqjournal.com/506514/new-york-police-feeling-demonized-demoralized.html | 2 |
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<p>“Together We Are Doing More” was the stated theme, but healing from financial scandal was the subtext that dominated the annual meeting of the Baptist General Convention of Texas.</p>
<p>Messengers to the Nov. 13-14 meeting elected officers, adopted a $50.6 million budget and went on record speaking out in favor of environmental stewardship and against human trafficking.</p>
<p>But some of the most significant business occurred prior to the general sessions at a closed-door meeting of the BGCT Executive Board—scheduled in response to an investigation that discovered mismanagement and misuse of church-starting funds in the Rio Grande Valley.</p>
<p>Two weeks earlier, an investigative team reported Texas Baptists gave more than $1.3 million in start-up funding and monthly support to three pastors in the Rio Grande Valley who reported 258 church starts between 1999 and 2005. Investigators presented evidence that up to 98 percent of those churches no longer exist—and some never existed except on paper.</p>
<p>Meeting in executive session immediately before the opening session of the BGCT, the board voted to implement all of the investigative team's recommendations. The board instructed BGCT executive director Charles Wade to explore with legal counsel “the full range of methods for recovery of funds” and determine whether to refer the reports' findings to law enforcement.</p>
<p>But at least one messenger to the BGCT annual meeting wanted the convention itself to ask legal authorities to investigate criminal actions that may have occurred in the Rio Grande Valley. That motion was ruled out of order by BGCT president Michael Bell.</p>
<p>At the board meeting—a rare executive session closed to everyone except directors—Kenneth Jordan of Abilene reportedly made a motion instructing BGCT staff leaders to implement the investigative reports' recommendations “expeditiously and in full,” chairman Bob Fowler of Houston said.</p>
<p>The motion called on Fowler to appoint an ad hoc committee from among the board's directors to monitor implementation and report to the February 2007 Executive Board meeting “with the board's expectation that they will have been fully implemented.”</p>
<p>The board approved a motion by Dan Griffith of Haskell directing Wade—in consultation with attorneys, the BGCT president and the board's chairman—to consider all avenues deemed “appropriate, practical, cost-effective and in the best interests of the convention” to recover misappropriated church-starting funds.</p>
<p>The board also approved a motion by Doug Evans of Laguna Park directing Wade, in consultation with the BGCT's legal counsel, to evaluate whether to refer the findings of the report to “any appropriate government investigatory agency.”</p>
<p>David Montoya, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Mineral Wells, questioned the wisdom of giving Wade authority to decide whether to pursue any criminal investigation, saying “he still has questions to answer” about his handling of the Valley church-starting fund scandal.</p>
<p>Montoya—who had written extensively on his blog about what he termed “Valleygate”—made a motion that the convention itself ask for a criminal investigation.</p>
<p>According to the original investigation, the FBI explored fraud allegations in connection with church-starting in the Rio Grande Valley in 2000, but the agency dropped its investigation because the aggrieved party—the BGCT—did not pursue it.</p>
<p>Montoya accused Wade of being “a possible accessory to an attempted cover-up” and “a personal friend of the main player in this scandal,” Otto Arango.</p>
<p>President Bell cut Montoya off, saying, “We do not engage in personal attacks.”</p>
<p>Bell ruled Montoya's motion out of order because the Executive Board has sole authority to act in the interim between annual meetings of the convention. Board action at the executive session prior to the convention's annual meeting “pre-empted any action by the convention,” he said.</p>
<p>Montoya later told reporters he would work directly with some pastors in the Rio Grande Valley who indicated they would initiate legal action themselves.</p>
<p>Montoya also sought to amend the constitution to allow the convention to supercede action by the Executive Board regarding the hiring and firing of an executive director. The motion to amend failed to receive the necessary two-thirds majority vote.</p>
<p>In its preconvention meeting, the Executive Board installed other safeguards on the BGCT's church-starting efforts, including elevating church-starting guidelines to “policy” status, which will give the Executive Board a permanent role in approving and reviewing them.</p>
<p>In his report to the annual meeting, Wade underscored his commitment “to right wrongs” and “clean up this mess.” He stressed his desire to restore broken relationships with pastors and church leaders in the Valley, emphasized the overall good work done by church-starting staff and pledged to rebuild trust.</p>
<p>At a news conference, Fowler noted a director called for a vote of confidence for Wade during the Executive Board meeting. But before it came to a vote, Wade asked the maker of the motion to withdraw it. Wade reportedly indicated any evaluation prior to the board's February meeting would be premature.</p>
<p>In his president's message to the convention, Bell, pastor of Greater St. Stephen First Baptist Church in Fort Worth, urged Texas Baptists to rest in God's care during turbulent times.</p>
<p>He compared the BGCT's current upheaval to airplane turbulence—unpleasant but necessary to reach a destination. “Ladies and gentlemen, we have experienced turbulence. We'll just have to have to ride it out. But there is calmer air ahead. Be not dismayed; God will take care of you.”</p>
<p>In other business, convention messengers:</p>
<p>• Elected as president Steve Vernon, pastor of First Baptist Church in Levelland; first vice president, Joy Fenner of Garland, executive director emeritus of Woman's Missionary Union of Texas; and second vice president, Roberto Rodriguez, pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista in Harlingen.</p>
<p>A Texas Baptist tradition of electing the first vice president to the presidency the next paves the way for Fenner to become the BGCT's first female president in 2007—a possibility she said she would welcome.</p> | Texas Baptists approve measures to ‘restore trust’ after Valley scandal | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/texasbaptistsapprovemeasurestorestoretrustaftervalleyscandal/ | 3 |
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<p>Investing.com – Sweden stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the , and sectors led shares higher.</p>
<p>At the close in Stockholm, the gained 0.81% to hit a new 1-month high.</p>
<p>The best performers of the session on the were Skanska AB ser. B (ST:), which rose 3.55% or 6.40 points to trade at 186.90 at the close. Meanwhile, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB A (ST:) added 2.11% or 2.20 points to end at 106.40 and Nordea Bank AB (ST:) was up 2.05% or 2.20 points to 109.30 in late trade.</p>
<p>The worst performers of the session were Electrolux, AB ser. B (ST:), which fell 3.96% or 11.2 points to trade at 271.3 at the close. Fingerprint Cards AB ser. B (ST:) declined 3.28% or 0.75 points to end at 22.10 and Autoliv Inc . SDB (ST:) was down 1.28% or 13.0 points to 1006.0.</p>
<p>Rising stocks outnumbered declining ones on the Stockholm Stock Exchange by 390 to 331 and 94 ended unchanged.</p>
<p>Shares in Fingerprint Cards AB ser. B (ST:) fell to 52-week lows; losing 3.28% or 0.75 to 22.10.</p>
<p>Crude oil for November delivery was up 0.44% or 0.23 to $52.11 a barrel. Elsewhere in commodities trading, Brent oil for delivery in December fell 0.64% or 0.37 to hit $57.55 a barrel, while the December Gold Futures contract fell 0.97% or 12.63 to trade at $1289.07 a troy ounce.</p>
<p>EUR/SEK was up 0.04% to 9.5780, while USD/SEK rose 0.44% to 8.1544.</p>
<p>The US Dollar Index Futures was up 0.42% at 93.20.</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> | Sweden stocks higher at close of trade; OMX Stockholm 30 up 0.81% | false | https://newsline.com/sweden-stocks-higher-at-close-of-trade-omx-stockholm-30-up-0-81/ | 2017-09-27 | 1 |
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<p>Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th president as his wife, Melania, holds two Bibles. It was the United States’ 58th presidential inauguration. (Andrew Harnik / AP)</p>
<p>Editor’s note: Scroll down to the bottom of the page for our multimedia updates from Washington, D.C.</p>
<p>Truthdig Editor in Chief <a href="" type="internal">Robert Scheer</a> gives his analysis on Trump’s inauguration (scroll down for more live updates):</p>
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<p>The clenched fist is the takeaway photo of the inauguration. It provided the perfect punctuation for the America-first theme, a frightening echo of xenophobic twists in our history. Unfortunately, much of the substance of Trump’s speech co-opted a valid critique of the alienation of the elite that run this country while ignoring the needs of the masses of people of all colors and ethnicities who have suffered greatly despite the illusion of national prosperity.</p>
<p>Trump was created by that failure, and tragically, he is now in a position to exploit it to ends that could prove quite dangerous. Today we caught the first whiff of an American Mussolini in power.</p>
<p>I wonder what Hillary Clinton and the Democratic leadership now think about the wisdom of her Goldman Sachs speeches. Bernie Sanders was right. The Democratic Party and other self-proclaimed progressive forces better break their ties with Wall Street and return to their obligation to the working people of this country, or we will not emerge from this mess.</p>
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<p>Trump and his family finally <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN/status/822590034880643072" type="external">reached the White House</a> after the inaugural parade. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and their wives will attend <a href="https://mic.com/articles/166193/trump-inaugural-ball-2017-here-s-what-happens-on-a-president-s-first-night-in-office#.SrJzfBlKJ" type="external">three separate balls</a> over the course of the evening.</p>
<p>6:32 PM EST: ABC News reports that at least <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/822586077366091778" type="external">217 people</a> have been arrested after Friday’s violent protests.</p>
<p>5:58 PM EST: Truthdig correspondents <a href="" type="internal">Donald Kaufman</a> and <a href="" type="internal">Clara Romeo</a> were on the streets of Washington during the inauguration, and they sent this statement about their experience:</p>
<p>We found some protesters to be extremely antagonistic. They blocked entrances so that people who came from all across the country couldn’t get into the area to watch the inauguration. Many baited Trump supporters in a way that seemed unnecessary and furthered the divide.</p>
<p>It’s one thing to show discontent with Trump and the political system, but in many instances protesters took it a step further by trying to prohibit the actions of people with different political beliefs. Some protesters insinuated that to support Trump also meant supporting misogyny, racism, homophobia and religious intolerance.</p>
<p>It should be noted, though, that many protesters did stay to the side and were not intrusive.</p>
<p>Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this page to see coverage using the Evrybit app, with multimedia provided by Kaufman and Romeo.</p>
<p>5:42 PM EST: Trump and his wife, Melania, have made it to the White House:</p>
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<p>Meanwhile, the Senate has voted on the first of Trump’s appointments, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-mattis-idUSKBN1542VA" type="external">approving James Mattis</a> as secretary of defense Friday afternoon.</p>
<p>5:28 PM EST: Destructive protests continue in some parts of Washington:</p>
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<p>However, as NPR reports, “many of the protests throughout the city and the country were — and continue to be — peaceful.” Check out the photo series on peaceful demonstrations around the country <a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/01/20/509703637/live-coverage-donald-trumps-presidential-inauguration?utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=npr&amp;utm_term=nprnews&amp;utm_content=20170120&amp;post=peaceful-protests-in-dc-and-nationally-51" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>4:52 PM EST: The Trumps have <a href="http://insider.foxnews.com/2017/01/20/donald-trump-inaugural-parade-highlights-pennsylvania-avenue-capitol-white-house" type="external">made it to the White House</a> after parading down Pennsylvania Avenue:</p>
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<p>However, the protests in Washington continue to escalate:</p>
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<p>“The Metropolitan Police Department said that at least 95 people had been arrested,” The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/20/us/politics/inauguration-protests.html" type="external">reports</a>. “A spokesman for the department said it would not release estimates on the number of protesters who were clashing with police.”</p>
<p>4:46 PM EST: Wondering how crowded the National Mall was during Trump’s inauguration vs. Obama’s in 2009?</p>
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<p>Here is the full text of Trump’s inaugural address as prepared for delivery:</p>
<p>Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you.</p>
<p>We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.</p>
<p>Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for years to come.</p>
<p>We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.</p>
<p>Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.</p>
<p>Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.</p>
<p>For too long, a small group in our nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.</p>
<p>Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth.</p>
<p>Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed.</p>
<p>The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.</p>
<p>Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation’s Capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.</p>
<p>That all changes – starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you.</p>
<p>It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America.</p>
<p>This is your day. This is your celebration.</p>
<p>And this, the United States of America, is your country.</p>
<p>What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people.</p>
<p>January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.</p>
<p>The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.</p>
<p>Everyone is listening to you now.</p>
<p>You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before.</p>
<p>At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens.</p>
<p>Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves.</p>
<p>These are the just and reasonable demands of a righteous public.</p>
<p>But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.</p>
<p>This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.</p>
<p>We are one nation – and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.</p>
<p>The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans.</p>
<p>For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry;</p>
<p>Subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military;</p>
<p>We’ve defended other nation’s borders while refusing to defend our own;</p>
<p>And spent trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.</p>
<p>We’ve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon.</p>
<p>One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of American workers left behind.</p>
<p>The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world.</p>
<p>But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future.</p>
<p>We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power.</p>
<p>From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land.</p>
<p>From this moment on, it’s going to be America First.</p>
<p>Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families.</p>
<p>We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.</p>
<p>I will fight for you with every breath in my body – and I will never, ever let you down.</p>
<p>America will start winning again, winning like never before.</p>
<p>We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.</p>
<p>We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.</p>
<p>We will get our people off of welfare and back to work – rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.</p>
<p>We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American.</p>
<p>We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world – but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.</p>
<p>We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow.</p>
<p>We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones – and unite the civilized world against Radical Islamic Terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.</p>
<p>At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.</p>
<p>When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.</p>
<p>The Bible tells us, “how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”</p>
<p>We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity.</p>
<p>When America is united, America is totally unstoppable.</p>
<p>There should be no fear – we are protected, and we will always be protected.</p>
<p>We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are protected by God.</p>
<p>Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger.</p>
<p>In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving.</p>
<p>We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action – constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.</p>
<p>The time for empty talk is over.</p>
<p>Now arrives the hour of action.</p>
<p>Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America.</p>
<p>We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.</p>
<p>We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.</p>
<p>A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.</p>
<p>It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American Flag.</p>
<p>And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator.</p>
<p>So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear these words:</p>
<p>You will never be ignored again.</p>
<p>Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams, will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.</p>
<p>Together, We Will Make America Strong Again.</p>
<p>We Will Make America Wealthy Again.</p>
<p>We Will Make America Proud Again.</p>
<p>We Will Make America Safe Again.</p>
<p>And, Yes, Together, We Will Make America Great Again. Thank you, God Bless You, And God Bless America.</p>
<p>3:38 PM EST: <a href="http://www.petesouza.com/" type="external">Pete Souza</a></p>
<p>, the former chief official White House photographer for Obama, shared this emotional photo on Instagram:</p>
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<p>It’s not just mentions of <a href="http://motherboard.vice.com/read/all-references-to-climate-change-have-been-deleted-from-the-white-house-website" type="external">climate change</a> that have disappeared from the White House website–the section concerning LGBT rights has vanished as well.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/20/the-white-houses-lgbt-rights-page-has-disappeared/" type="external">Tech Crunch</a>:</p>
<p>It’s just been over an hour since Trump took office and whitehouse.gov/lgbt has now been replaced by a Trump “transitionsplash” page.</p>
<p>The Obama administration introduced the White House LGBT page to highlight major legislative achievements, historic court victories and important policy changes for gay and transgender people. The page also shined a spotlight on certain campaigns for gay rights such as the “It Gets Better” campaign to help those in the LGBT community struggling with thoughts of suicide.</p>
<p>That campaign, as of this writing, still redirects to an archived “Strengthening Civil Rights” page. But, of course, all of that is subject to change. However, any mention of LGBT is now gone.</p>
<p>3:07 PM EST:</p>
<p>Police are continuing to clash with protesters near Trump’s inaugural parade route.</p>
<p>“Police used pepper spray to control the crowd, some of whom were armed with crowbars and hammers, authorities said,” <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/01/20/day-protests-arrests-expected-trump-becomes-president/96788208/?hootPostID=a39ed89e5d3e93b58b30db592e0c4ce9" type="external">states USA Today</a>. “About 90 people were arrested in what has been the most violent episode of the day involving protesters and police, who quickly swarmed the group while outfitted in heavy riot gear.”</p>
<p>However, police appeared to be directing force toward nonviolent protesters as well, including Washington Post reporter Dalton Bennett:</p>
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<p>Manuel Rapalo of RT also provided on-the-ground coverage of some of the protests:</p>
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<p>In other parts of Washington, more optimistic demonstrations are taking place:</p>
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<p>An important reminder from ACLU attorney Joshua Block, as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_bloc" type="external">anarchists</a> and police clash in Washington, D.C.:</p>
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<p>Police in downtown Washington, D.C. are reportedly using pepper spray on the crowd, <a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/01/20/509703637/live-coverage-donald-trumps-presidential-inauguration?utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=npr&amp;utm_term=nprnews&amp;utm_content=20170120&amp;post=protests-escalate-in-downtown-area-42" type="external">according to NPR</a>.</p>
<p>Twitter users are also sharing footage and reports of heightened tension:</p>
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<p>A worrisome update from <a href="http://motherboard.vice.com/read/all-references-to-climate-change-have-been-deleted-from-the-white-house-website" type="external">Vice</a>:</p>
<p>At 11:59 am eastern, the official White House website had a lengthy information page about the threat of climate change and the steps the federal government had taken to fight it. At noon, at the instant Donald Trump took office, the page was gone, as well as any mention of climate change or global warming.</p>
<p>It’s customary for www.whitehouse.gov to flip over to the new administration exactly at noon, but the only mention of climate on President Trump’s new website is under his “America First Energy Plan” page, in which he vows to destroy President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, which is a government-wide plan to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change. To reiterate: It is normal that the site is completely new; it is notable that climate change is not mentioned on any one of Trump’s new pages.</p>
<p>1:34 PM EST:</p>
<p>Trump’s inauguration was reportedly disrupted by numerous protesters. According to a press release from civil disobedience group <a href="http://www.democracyspring.org/" type="external">Democracy Spring</a>, “six citizen activists stood on their chairs in the middle of the Presidential swearing-in ceremony today, revealing the message ‘RESIST’ across their sweatshirts and reciting the preamble of the Constitution. All six, four women and two men, were detained by police.”</p>
<p>The Washington Post reports that protesters in Washington, D.C., <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/protesters-bring-shouts-skirmishes-and-shutdowns-to-inauguration-celebration/2017/01/20/00ea4c72-df11-11e6-acdf-14da832ae861_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-bignews3_protest-10am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&amp;utm_term=.c54af18a9aae" type="external">effectively disrupted</a> inauguration proceedings:</p>
<p>Protesters who had promised to shut down the city for the inauguration of President Donald Trump were successful at several security checkpoints Friday morning, as they slowed crowds from entering onto the Mall and, in one spot, stopped them completely. …</p>
<p>The protests downtown at times grew violent. Just before 10:30 a.m., a large group of black-clad protesters — self-described as anti-capitalist and antifascist — made their way south on 13th Street near K Street, throwing newspaper boxes and garbage cans into the street and trying to set them on fire, leaving them smoldering. They also broke glass at bus stops and businesses and smashed the windows of a limousine. Loud bangs sounded out from fireworks they lit. …</p>
<p>It is unclear how many protesters descended on the nation’s capital for the inauguration, but law enforcement officials were bracing for more than 60 demonstration groups, both in support of and against Trump. About two dozen groups have received permits for specific gathering spaces for Friday and Saturday, when the Women’s March will take over the streets. According to their permit requests, some of those groups Friday were anticipating as few as 20 participants; others were planning for tens of thousands.</p>
<p>1:20 PM EST:</p>
<p>Boyarsky gives his analysis of Trump’s inaugural address:</p>
<p>“God bless America,” said President Donald Trump, as he raised his right arm in a clenched fist salute to the thousands outside the Capitol. He could have said “bless this battered, almost-defeated America,” for that was the theme of his dark inaugural address.</p>
<p>“This American carnage stops here and stops right now,” he said, his words reflecting his view of the country and its future under his administration. My Fox News election guides saw the speech as a hopeful rallying cry, appealing to the best in the country and reflecting his unexpected victory. Unsaid was the fact that Clinton won more votes than he did, a circumstance that seems to deeply annoy him.</p>
<p>Rather than hope, however, Trump offered the same unending combat he talked about during his campaign—against Washington, against radical Islam, against the Washington establishment, “which protects itself but not the citizens of the country.”</p>
<p>He said he would “protect our borders from the ravages of other countries.” The “forgotten men and women of our country are forgotten no longer,” he said. And “America will start winning again.” He had said all this during the campaign.</p>
<p>Obama looked bemused. He and Michelle Obama were friendly in saying farewell to the Trumps. Obama, in an email to the country–at least to those on his email list–said, “I’ll be with you every step of the way. And when the arc of progress seems slow, remember, America is not the project of any one person.”</p>
<p>The Obamas boarded their helicopter and flew away. He looked like a man who had completed a job, knew that he had done well and is ready to move on. I know that a lot of our readers won’t agree with me, but I’ll miss him and, more importantly, so will the country. It was a job well done.</p>
<p>1:01 PM EST:</p>
<p>Truthdig columnist <a href="" type="internal">Bill Blum</a> gives his review of Trump’s inauguration speech:</p>
<p>Here’s my “favorite” line from the inaugural address:</p>
<p>“At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.”</p>
<p>All that was missing this morning was a mustache and an armband. Paging Joe McCarthy.</p>
<p>12:58 PM EST:</p>
<p>Everyone has something to say about Trump’s speech:</p>
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<p>And, according to some viewers, the speech was filled with hypocrisy:</p>
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<p>Missed Trump’s inauguration speech? You can read a full transcript <a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/01/20/510629447/watch-live-president-trumps-inauguration-ceremony" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>12:29 PM EST: Trump <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/trump-constitution-first-day-office-55d1f0668c27#.g0v262poi" type="external">violated his oath to the Constitution</a> in his first act as President, writes Laurel Raymond at Think Progress:</p>
<p>… the minute Trump was sworn in, he violated Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution, known as the emoluments clause.</p>
<p>The emoluments clause prohibits any person holding a federal office (such as, for example, the presidency) from accepting “any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.” In other words: People in the federal government aren’t allowed to take anything at all from any foreign government entity.</p>
<p>Trump, however, retains ownership of his international business empire as president. And his business empire is taking in a stream of payments from foreign governments—money that ultimately goes into his pockets.</p>
<p>For example, the Kuwait National Day celebration, thrown by the Kuwaiti embassy, will be held at Trump’s downtown D.C. hotel in February.</p>
<p>The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. (ICBC), which is controlled by the Chinese state, is currently paying rent for tenancy in the Manhattan Trump Tower (according to mortgage documents filed in 2012, it is the Tower’s largest office resident).</p>
<p>And, for some foreign politicians and foreign diplomats in town for the inauguration, Trump’s Washington hotel is the place to be this weekend, according to reporting from the New York Times.</p>
<p>Each of these represents an incident in which the President of the United States will, effectively, be receiving payment from a foreign government.</p>
<p>11:48 AM EST:</p>
<p>Truthdig contributor Bill Boyarsky comments on formal remarks made by Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies:</p>
<p>We keep hearing about how this peaceful transition from president to another is a unique American experience, to be copied and envied through the world. In the UK, the old prime minister quietly moves out of 10 Downing Street and the new one moves in. Always quiet—except for that ugly Charles I execution affair. Other countries manage it in a dignified manner, too. Too much self congratulation here, especially in view of what’s coming in the next few months. Although [it] is heresy in the Trump era, we’re not the only country in the world.</p>
<p>11:30 AM EST:</p>
<p>Watch the ceremony here:</p>
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<p>11:08 AM EST: California Rep. Barbara Lee, one of many Democratic legislators who <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/20/why-my-seat-at-the-inauguration-is-empty" type="external">will not attend the inauguration</a>, explains at The Guardian why she “will not be celebrating the swearing-in of a president who rode racism, sexism, xenophobia and bigotry to the White House.”</p>
<p>President-elect Trump ran one of the most divisive and prejudiced campaigns in modern history. He began his campaign by insulting Mexican immigrants, pledging to build a wall between the United States and Mexico and then spent a year and a half denigrating communities of color and normalizing bigotry.</p>
<p>He denigrated women, stoked Islamophobia and attacked a Gold Star family. He mocked a disabled reporter and appealed to people’s worst instincts.</p>
<p>After the election, I hoped the president-elect would turn toward unifying our country. After all, he said it was “time for us to come together”. Despite my unwavering reservations about his candidacy and fitness for office, I encouraged my constituents to have faith that our constitution, our democracy and the voices of the American people would prevail.</p>
<p>Sadly, the president-elect has done nothing of the sort; he has instead shown us that he will utilize the same tools of division he employed on the campaign trail as our nation’s commander-in-chief.</p>
<p>10:34 AM EST:</p>
<p>Truthdig contributor Bill Boyarsky watches the media coverage early in the day:</p>
<p>When the Obamas greeted the Trumps at the White House Friday morning,&#160;it was a simple and friendly beginning of a transition of power that will bring great and complex changes to the country.&#160;The confirmation hearings on Trump’s cabinet appointments were a clear sign that the new administration intends, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/us/politics/trump-cabinet-hearings-obama-policies.html" type="external">Michael Shear wrote in the New York Times</a>, “to sweep&#160;away President Obama’s domestic policy by embracing a deeply conservative approach to government.”&#160;That’s the way I saw it whenever I dipped into the hearings on television.&#160;So much for those who said it didn’t matter who won, Trump or Hillary Clinton.&#160;As the first months pass, I’ll be curious or fascinated or appalled to see&#160;what a difference it has made.&#160;Meanwhile, I decided to watch the event on Fox News.&#160;The Fox guy won so I’ll let them tell the story and record the entries of such Trump luminaries as Newt Gingrich and casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and listen to the Fox people&#160;heap scorn on the Democratic House members who stayed away. The event unfolded slowly, at the pace of the New Year’s Tournament of Roses parade of Pasadena and was about as interesting.&#160;Until, of course, the Clintons showed up.&#160;That was something to think about.</p>
<p>10:18 AM EST:</p>
<p>A Texas pastor who calls Islam “evil” and homosexuals “filthy” will administer a <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/trump-inauguration-sermon-rev-calls-islam-evil-article-1.2951078" type="external">private sermon to Donald Trump</a> before the inauguration, reports Chris Sommerfeldt at the New York Daily News.</p>
<p>Rev. Robert Jeffress, who fervently stumped for Trump on the campaign trail, leads the First Baptist Church in Dallas and announced Thursday evening that he will deliver the exclusive prayer session to Trump, President-elect Mike Pence and their respective families.</p>
<p>“Honored to deliver sermon ‘When God Chooses a Leader’ for Trump/Pence private family service,” the pastor said over Twitter. …</p>
<p>Before the campaign, Trump, a Presbyterian, had no apparent contact with the Southern Baptist preacher, who is on the President-elect’s evangelical advisory board.</p>
<p>“I love this guy!” Trump exclaimed as he welcomed Jeffress on stage at a September rally in Dallas.</p>
<p>10:10 AM EST:</p>
<p>The day begins for many with a sobering message from Sen. Bernie Sanders.</p>
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<p>Donald Trump will have a full schedule as he is inaugurated <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21714990-what-donald-trump-likely-achieve-power-45th-president" type="external">the 45th president</a> of the United States. Follow along with Truthdig for live updates throughout Inauguration Day. We’ll be posting multimedia from Washington, D.C. via Evrybit — scroll to the bottom of the page to see the Evrybit story.</p>
<p>Celebratory rallies and anti-Trump <a href="https://www.boston.com/news/national-news/2017/01/19/here-are-some-of-the-protests-planned-for-trumps-inauguration" type="external">protests</a> are expected in equal measure, and dozens of members of Congress <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/democrats-boycott-trump-inauguration-84bf27eb9af3" type="external">will be absent</a> from Trump’s swearing-in ceremony. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts will <a href="https://mic.com/articles/165608/trump-inauguration-live-2017-how-and-when-to-watch-president-donald-trump-get-sworn-in#.V22LrLDk0" type="external">swear in</a> Trump and his vice president, Mike Pence, at 9 a.m. PST/noon EST; the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/30/politics/trump-inauguration-parade/" type="external">inaugural parade</a> down Pennsylvania Avenue will follow. Check out the full lineup of events <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/17/us/politics/trump-inauguration-schedule.html" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>Friday night, Trump and Pence will attend <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2017/01/18/see-complete-list-inaugural-balls/96545752/" type="external">three inaugural balls</a>. Meanwhile, protesters gearing up for the <a href="https://www.womensmarch.com/" type="external">Women’s March on Washington</a> will be heading to bed to rest up for a long day of demonstrations Saturday.</p>
<p>How will the tensions between Trump supporters and opponents play out? Which politicians will stay home? Join us for live blog coverage of this historic day.</p>
<p>Check out the Evrybit story, with multimedia from Washington, D.C., below:</p>
<p>—Posted by <a href="" type="internal">Emma Niles</a></p>
<p /> | President Donald Trump Is Ushered In With Pomp and Protest | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/president-donald-trump-is-ushered-in-with-pomp-and-protest/ | 2017-01-20 | 4 |
<p>By Takaya Yamaguchi and Tetsushi Kajimoto</p>
<p>TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan is planning to slash the amount of government bond sales to the market by about 7 trillion yen to around 134 trillion yen ($1.2 trillion) in fiscal 2018 from the current year, government sources told Reuters on Friday.</p>
<p>This would be the biggest cut in 11 years and mark the fifth straight year of reduction in the amount of government bond (JGB) sales through auction. The government plans to sell 141.2 trillion yen of JGBs for the current fiscal year ending March.</p>
<p>The amount of next year’s JGB sales via auction would be the lowest since fiscal 2009, the sources said on condition of anonymity as the plan has not been finalised yet.</p>
<p>It will be finalised on Dec. 22 when the government is expected to endorse its draft annual budget for fiscal 2018.</p>
<p>Declines in the amount of JGB sales via auction leave the Bank of Japan with less debt to buy.</p>
<p>The central bank has been quietly slowing its purchases in what analysts call “stealth tapering” since it switched its target last year to interest rates from the pace of money printing under its yield curve control policy.</p>
<p>Cuts in JGB issuance tighten the supply-demand tension in the market, which will in turn lower interest rates, leading the BOJ to further reduce JGB purchases, some analysts say.</p>
<p>“As a result, the plan will help the BOJ proceed with stealth tapering, although it’s unclear whether the finance ministry has such intention,” said Katsutoshi Inadome, senior bond strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley (NYSE:) Securities.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration is leaning toward cutting the amount of new debt issuance as well as government bonds used to roll over the existing bonds, or refinancing bonds.</p>
<p>Government officials contacted by Reuters declined to comment on the plans for cutting bond issuance.</p>
<p>The government in recent years has shifted to increase issuance of super-long JGBs while reducing those of shorter maturities to lock in benefits from the BOJ’s massive monetary stimulus, which keeps long-term interest rates low.</p>
<p>Now the government is set to cut issuance of 30-year and 40-year JGBs as well as 10-year, 5-year, 2-year JGBs and discount treasury bills in the next fiscal year, the sources said.</p>
<p>Taking demand such as by institutional investors into account, the government is set to maintain the amount of 20-year JGBs and inflation-linked bonds while increasing the number of auctions for enhanced liquidity, they said.</p>
<p>The latest move towards cutting 30-year and 40-year JGBs is due to widening differentials between coupon rates and long-term interest rates under the BOJ’s negative interest rate policy. Widening rate differentials cause government income to overshoot the face value of these super-long JGBs.</p>
<p>The actual amount of JGBs issued through auction tends to deviate upwards due to the central bank’s aggressive monetary stimulus.</p>
<p>($1 = 112.2700 yen)</p>
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<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | Japan to cut JGB sales to market, leaving BOJ with less debt to buy: sources | false | https://newsline.com/japan-to-cut-jgb-sales-to-market-leaving-boj-with-less-debt-to-buy-sources/ | 2017-12-15 | 1 |
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<p>In January, state District Judge Nan Nash of Albuquerque ruled the state's Assisted Suicide statute, which prohibits such action, violates citizens' constitutional rights. "This court cannot envision a right more fundamental, more private or more integral to the liberty, safety and happiness of a New Mexican than the right of a competent, terminally ill patient to choose aid in dying," she said in the ruling.</p>
<p>Of course that is Nash's interpretation of the Constitution, which doesn't directly deal with the subject. Or perhaps her view of what the Constitution should say.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Nash's ruling came in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and Compassion and Choices, a national advocacy group that has said it is willing to fight an appeal. It was filed on behalf of a Santa Fe woman who has uterine cancer that is in remission.</p>
<p>In filing the appeal, King says that if people want to change that law, the Legislature is the proper venue to make that change. He has said previous efforts to enact aid-in-dying laws have failed to clear committee.</p>
<p>King maintains it's important to get the law settled in controversial cases. "If we don't, I would expect there would be a case filed in another district," he said previously. "(We're) trying to make sure all of our government officials understand what their obligations are."</p>
<p>Among concerns stated by opponents of aid in dying are possible human error in identifying patients who are truly terminally ill and ensuring patients are competent to make the decision and not under pressure.</p>
<p>This is an important issue that demands a clear statewide rule for physicians, patients and their families, instead of life-and-death decisions being made case by case, judge by judge. And, it's an important separation of powers question. Who should legislate? Elected lawmakers or judges?</p>
<p>King is spot-on in seeking higher guidance for New Mexicans.</p>
<p>This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.</p>
<p /> | Editorial: AG makes right choice in aid-in-dying appeal | false | https://abqjournal.com/369859/ag-makes-right-choice-in-aidindying-appeal.html | 2 |
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<p>A young man identified by the "Justice for Mike Brown" Facebook page as Chris Schaefer was severely beaten last night when fellow protestors accused him of capturing video during a public meeting. Schaefer contests that he was not recording. Missouri law only requires single party consent for recording and there is no such expectation of privacy in public. A visibly shaken Schaefer recalls the beating he recieved at the hands of violent protestors in the following video.</p> | Ferguson Protestor Severely Beaten | true | http://danaloeschradio.com/ferguson-protestor-severely-beaten | 2014-11-07 | 0 |
<p>By Steven Harper / <a href="http://billmoyers.com/story/trump-100-days-of-deconstruction/" type="external">Moyers and Company</a></p>
<p>At its best, government saves the environment from polluters, prevents companies from exploiting consumers, safeguards individuals against invidious discrimination and other forms of injustice, and lends a helping hand to those in need. None of those principles guides the Trump/Bannon government.</p>
<p>Two months into Trump’s presidency, historian <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-presidency-first-100-days-most-failed-ever-douglas-brinkley-gerald-ford-white-house-us-a7642706.html" type="external">Douglas Brinkley said it would be</a> “the most failed 100 days of any president.” David Gergen, a seasoned adviser to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2017/03/24/trump-presidency-the-panel-the-lead-jake-tapper-house-republican-health-care-bill-failure.cnn" type="external">agreed</a>. But they’re using a traditional scorecard. With the help of <a href="http://billmoyers.com/story/trump-resistance-plan-step-4-brand-opposition/" type="external">Trump Party senators and loyalists</a>, Steve Bannon and his boss are remaking America. Future generations won’t judge kindly those who let it happen. Then again, if Trump’s trajectory continues, maybe there won’t be many more future generations anyway.</p>
<p>After losing his <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/05/us/politics/national-security-council-stephen-bannon.html" type="external">seat on the National Security Council</a>, Bannon’s influence over US foreign policy may have waned. But regardless of his future, he has already had an indelible impact on the country. At CPAC, he declared that key members of Trump’s Cabinet were “selected for a reason.” In the first 100 days of Trump’s presidency, that reason has become clear. They have demonstrated a collective determination to deconstruct not only the administrative state, but also the essence of America itself. They hold views that are anathema to the missions of the federal agencies they now lead. They blend kleptocracy — government by leaders who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed — and kakistocracy — government by the worst people.</p>
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<p>Anyone who lived through the 1960s — or observes China and India today — knows what happens when polluters get a pass. <a href="http://billmoyers.com/story/an-epa-nominee-drafted-by-business-interests/" type="external">Bill Moyers’ Jan. 31, 2017 video essay</a> previewed how Scott Pruitt was poised to return the nation to the darkest chapter in its environmental history: contaminated water unfit for drinking or swimming; smog-filled air unfit for breathing; a deteriorating planet careening toward a time when it will be unfit for human habitation. In 1970, President Richard Nixon created the EPA for a reason. Now it’s the victim of a hostile takeover.</p>
<p>After the election, Trump asked one of his billionaire friends, Carl Icahn, to screen candidates for the job of EPA administrator. As <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/26/us/politics/carl-icahn-trump-adviser-red-flags-ethics.html" type="external">an unpaid adviser</a>, Icahn wasn’t subject to the stringent ethics and conflict of interest reviews facing Cabinet appointees. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/26/us/politics/carl-icahn-trump-adviser-red-flags-ethics.html" type="external">During his interview of Pruitt</a>, Icahn asked specifically about an ethanol rule that was costing one of Icahn’s oil refineries more than $200 million a year. Pruitt said he opposed the rule; <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/videos/2016-12-07/icahn-pruitt-a-great-pick-for-epa" type="external">Icahn then supported Pruitt</a> for the EPA job.</p>
<p>Along with Icahn’s blessing, Pruitt had other uniquely Trump qualifications for the position. As Oklahoma’s attorney general, he sued <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/us/scott-pruitt-trump-epa-pick.html" type="external">the EPA 14 times; 13 of the lawsuits included co-parties</a> that had contributed to Pruitt or Pruitt-affiliated campaign committees. He sided consistently with his state’s poultry farms, energy producers and other polluters. Explaining why for the first time in its 50-year history the Environmental Defense Fund opposed Pruitt’s nomination to head the EPA, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/us/scott-pruitt-trump-epa-pick.html" type="external">EDF’s president</a> said, “[A]t some point when the nominee has spent his entire career attempting to dismantle environmental protections, it becomes unacceptable.”</p>
<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/02/16/on-eve-of-confirmation-vote-judge-orders-epa-nominee-to-release-thousands-of-emails/" type="external">On Feb. 16, 2017</a>, an Oklahoma state court judge gave Pruitt five calendar days to release his email exchanges with the fossil fuels industry. But before another 24 hours passed, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and fellow <a type="external" href="">Trump Party senators</a> gave America the bum’s rush and confirmed Pruitt’s nomination to lead the EPA. A few days later, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/22/us/politics/scott-pruitt-environmental-protection-agency.html" type="external">release of 6,000 pages of Pruitt emails</a> provided more proof of his cozy relationship with the industries he now regulates.</p>
<p>Once in office, Pruitt wasted no time. On <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/09/on-climate-change-scott-pruitt-contradicts-the-epas-own-website/" type="external">March 9, 2017, he dismissed the impact of human activity on climate change:</a> “I would not agree that it’s a primary contributor to the global warming that we see.” That put him at odds with the EPA’s findings and contrary to international scientific consensus. But he’s in line with Trump, who has <a href="http://www.snopes.com/donald-trump-global-warming-hoax/" type="external">called climate change a “hoax.”</a></p>
<p>Trump’s budget director, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/climate/trump-budget-science-research.html" type="external">Mick Mulvaney, labeled climate science expenditures</a> a “waste of money… I think the president was fairly straightforward: We’re not spending money on that anymore.” And they aren’t. Trump’s proposed budget would slash EPA funding by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/us/politics/trump-budget-spending-cuts.html" type="external">more than 30 percent — to its lowest level in more than 40 years</a>. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trumps-budget-would-slash-scientific-and-medical-research/2017/03/15/d3261f98-0998-11e7-a15f-a58d4a988474_story.html" type="external">It would reduce by half</a> the EPA’s Office of Research and Development. It would cut civil and criminal enforcement personnel by 60 percent. It would <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/10/climate/trump-epa-budget-cuts.html" type="external">eliminate regional water cleanup programs</a> from the Chesapeake Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, from San Francisco Bay to the Great Lakes and from Long Island Sound to South Florida. Superfund money for cleaning up contaminated sites would <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/10/climate/trump-epa-budget-cuts.html" type="external">decline by 30 percent</a>. Appropriations for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/10/climate/trump-epa-budget-cuts.html" type="external">vehicle emissions and certifications</a> would all but disappear.</p>
<p>While endangering the planet, Trump and his minions stage photo ops to support an ongoing disinformation campaign about illusory benefits from their unprecedented environmental destruction. At the EPA on March 28, Pruitt, Vice President Pence and a group of coal miners surrounded <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/climate/trump-executive-order-climate-change.html" type="external">Trump as he signed a sweeping executive order aimed</a> at reversing President Obama’s signature initiatives. His actions, which included rolling back emissions standards and lifting the moratorium on mining federal lands, <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/trump-cant-bring-back-mining-jobs-574766" type="external">won’t bring back coal jobs</a> that were lost to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-03-27/trump-s-order-won-t-resurrect-jobs-of-miners-key-to-his-campaign" type="external">technology, cheaper sources of cleaner energy and competitive market forces</a>. But the Trump/Pruitt agenda will provide short-term profit incentives that encourage American companies to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/29/opinion/trump-is-a-chinese-agent.html" type="external">cede leadership in the development of innovative solutions</a> to China, which has been doubling down on clean energy research for the long-term.</p>
<p>Rick Perry’s appointment to head the Department of Energy is a perfect complement to Scott Pruitt’s selection for the EPA. During a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/rick-perry-oops-energy-department-2016-12" type="external">2011 Republican presidential debate, Perry had such disdain for the EPA he couldn’t even remember</a> that it was the third of three Cabinet-level agencies he vowed to eliminate as president. But now he heads one of the other two that he’d hoped to destroy. In April, he <a href="http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a54326/steve-bannon-nsc-rick-perry/" type="external">replaced Steve Bannon</a> on the National Security Council.</p>
<p>In Secretary Perry’s first address to his department, he said <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2017/03/13/secretary-perry-energy-department-employees-can-change-world" type="external">Trump had told him</a> to “do with American energy what you did for Texas.” But an approach that might work for one state competing with others doesn’t work for the zero-sum game that is the country as a whole. Even worse, there was a dark side to Gov. Perry’s lower taxes, less regulation approach. Texas public schools are <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2016/01/27/report-says-texas-school-standards-are-worst-in-nation" type="external">among the worst in the nation</a>; <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/business/health-care/2016/06/21/report-texas-among-worst-country-high-numbers-teen-moms-uninsured-kids" type="external">rates of teen moms and uninsured kids are among the highest</a>, as is its <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/texas-is-the-worst-state-for-health-insurance-in-the-country-2016-9" type="external">rate of uninsured citizens</a>: 27 percent. Residents of the state’s two largest cities, Dallas and Houston, are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/texas-is-the-worst-state-for-health-insurance-in-the-country-2016-9" type="external">the least health-insured of any major metropolitan area</a> in the country.</p>
<p>Perry’s agenda is consistent with his oil industry connections. <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2017/01/05/perry-tapped-energy-secretary-resigns-pipeline-com/" type="external">Until Dec. 31, 2016,</a> Perry served as a board member of <a href="http://investor.phillips66.com/investors/news/news-release-details/2016/Energy-Transfer-Sunoco-Logistics-and-Phillips-66-Announce-Successful-Completion-of-Project-Financing-for-Bakken-Pipeline-Joint-Ventures/default.aspx" type="external">Energy Transfer Partners and Sunoco Logistics Partners, which jointly developed</a> the Dakota Access Pipeline that the Army Corps of Engineers had stopped before Trump took office. Four days after the inauguration, Trump blew past protesters <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/mbillyhart/nodapl/" type="external">carrying “No DAPL” signs</a> and <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/24/politics/trump-keystone-xl-dakota-access-pipelines-executive-actions/" type="external">issued an executive order approving it</a>. After the temporary employment of construction labor to build the controversial pipeline ends, it will create <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2016/09/14/five-things-to-know-about-the-north-dakota-access-pipeline-debate/" type="external">approximately 40 permanent operating jobs</a>.</p>
<p>Two months later, Perry stood nearby as Trump announced his approval of the Keystone Pipeline that President Obama had stopped in 2015. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/24/trump-administration-grants-approval-for-keystone-xl-pipeline/" type="external">Obama had said approving the project</a> “would have undercut” America’s global leadership on fighting climate change. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/24/trump-administration-grants-approval-for-keystone-xl-pipeline/" type="external">Reversing Obama’s order, Trump called it</a> “the first of many infrastructure projects” and “a great day for jobs.” The pipeline will produce <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/24/investing/keystone-pipeline-jobs-trump/" type="external">35 permanent jobs</a>.</p> | What Led Donald Trump to Select His Cabinet Appointees | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/what-led-donald-trump-to-select-his-cabinet-appointees/ | 2017-04-18 | 4 |
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