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<p><a href="" type="internal" />There’s a line from “ <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114814/" type="external">The Usual Suspects</a>” which states, “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” Perhaps, but the greatest trick ever pulled in recent, actual history was the GOP convincing working class Americans that they have their best interests in mind.</p>
<p>You know what? If you make millions of dollars a year and place your ever-expanding bank account above all else, I totally get why you’d vote for them. Hell, if I was a greedy SOB afraid that paying my fair share and taking care of my employees might mean I can’t buy another corporate jet or a place in The Hamptons, I’d probably be slipping checks to Karl Rove’s Super PACs as well.</p>
<p>Unless you’re a member of the Walton family or another one of the obscenely wealthy who make more money in a couple of days than someone like you or I will in an entire lifetime, the GOP does not have your interests at heart. They do want you to have their interests at heart, however — that’s why they constantly pull out the flags and talk about God, guns, marriage and abortion.</p>
<p>Let’s be clear — if you can’t afford to buy <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/click/0711/Paul_Ryan_sips_expensive_wine.html" type="external">$350 bottles of wine</a> for your congressman or just outright <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/28/AR2005112801827.html" type="external">bribe them</a>, they just want your vote, and nothing else. For the sake of being fair, there’s a good number of liberals who do this as well. The most recent prominent case of that was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/06/us/06jefferson.html?_r=0" type="external">Congressman Jefferson</a> from the notoriously corrupt state I currently call home, Louisiana.</p>
<p>Taking bribes and being corrupt is as old as politics itself, and that isn’t going to change. Anyone who is pragmatically-minded likely accepts that as an unfortunate part of the system and inherent to human nature, so long as it doesn’t get out of control. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huey_Long" type="external">Huey Long</a>, who is considered to be one of the most corrupt politicians by many people, remains very popular in Louisiana because of what he did for the poor of the state.</p>
<p>The suckers who continue to be one-issue voters keep believing that only by voting for the GOP will their jobs come back from Bangladesh, abortions will end, and those pesky flaming gays be forced back into the closet or onto Marcus Bachmann’s therapy couch. Meanwhile, the only thing that’s actually happening is the continued enrichment of those who are already ridiculously wealthy, at the expense of the very people who vote for these policies. These are voters with a severe case of Stockholm Syndrome that continually vote against their own self interests in exchange for false promises of a return to an idealized time of morality and prosperity.</p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong, I don’t believe that Republicans are all inherently evil and Democrats are the shining epitome of all that is good and right in politics. I’m registered NPA (No Party Affiliation) and plan on remaining that way for the rest of my life, but I also know which party is taking my money and putting it into the the pockets of those who already have far more than they’ll ever need. That’s one of the biggest reasons <a href="" type="internal">why I left the Republican party</a>, and will never return to it.</p>
<p>As George W. Bush put so eloquently:</p>
<p>Fool me once, shame on – shame on you. Fool me – you can’t get fooled again.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Dear Republicans: I Would Like to Personally Thank You All for Being So Awful</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Michele Bachmann Once Again Proves She's Completely Out of Her Mind</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">The GOP Decides To Spend $60M On Minority Outreach</a></p>
<p>0 Facebook comments</p> | The Greatest Trick the GOP Ever Pulled… | true | http://forwardprogressives.com/the-greatest-trick-the-gop-ever-pulled/ | 2013-05-18 | 4 |
<p>Monday. February 13. 3.54 pm. A bomb explodes in the car of an Israeli diplomat. Three people, including the defence attaché’s wife Tal Yehoshua, are grievously injured.</p>
<p>30 minutes later, embassy officials are examining the remains of the vehicle in an area that has been cordoned off by the police.</p>
<p>Within three hours, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuses the Hizbullah and Iran: “Iran, which stands behind these attacks, is the largest exporter of terror in the world. The Israeli government and its security forces will continue to work together with local security services against these terrorist actions.”</p>
<p>He is pre-empting the inquiry, and the media is already talking about “Hizbullah in Delhi” and “Israel targeted in India”. We are calling ourselves a soft state when our own hardliners and security forces have been killing citizens inside the country.</p>
<p>The question is not whether global terror is being fought on Indian soil but how much of it is being arranged here. If it is legitimate to ask about the role of local handlers, then why has there been no concern about the incident of a planned vengeance by Israelis?</p>
<p>Cut to a report a few days ago when there was palpable revenge. The couple, Shneor Zalman and Yaffa Shenoi, arrived in India on a multiple-entry visa in March 2010. After the visa expired, they went back and returned within a month. What was their purpose that they paid a “disproportionately high rent” of Rs. 50,000 a month for a house in Fort Kochi, Kerala? A senior official was quoted in a report saying: “Central intelligence got an alert about a covert operation being carried out by suspected Israeli agents after the 26/11 Mumbai terror strike in which south Mumbai’s Chabad House came under attack and six Jews, including a Rabbi and his pregnant wife, were killed. We have traced the couple’s financial transactions. They will be questioned before they are deported. Preliminary investigations suggest some Israelis are camping in various parts of the country.”</p>
<p>This comes from official sources and all that they think of is deporting the couple. There has been complete silence from the usually active dispensers of opinion, too.</p>
<p>Let us return to the scene of Monday’s crime.&#160; The Indian and international media have gone ballistic about it without a shred of evidence. If the argument is that the Indian prime minister’s house is in the vicinity and reveals lapses in our security, then why is no one apprehensive about our situation? It raises questions beyond safety measures. Why are we falling in line with Israeli rules? What is the American effort in this proxy war? It is not Hizbullah that is fighting in India, but Israel.</p>
<p>With the top leaders’ comments, Israel is not only holding India to ransom but also trying to play its victim-aggressor game here. A bomb that went off simultaneously in Georgia was defused, for it does not resonate well with the anti-Arab/Iran narrative. One is not condoning any such attacks, but this most certainly does not look like a war against Israel, a state that has got its armour in place. Mossad is as pervasive as the CIA.</p>
<p>Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said, “It just shows that Israel and its citizens face terror inside and outside of Israel. We deal with it every day. We know how to identify exactly who is responsible for the attack and who carried it out. We will not allow this to affect our agenda.”</p>
<p>Has anyone questioned the agenda? The identification process assumes reprisal.</p>
<p>Blindly accepting the Israeli version of domestic links with groups will obviously lead to the blanket indictment of ‘jihadi’ organisations, many of them imagined entities of the right-wing parties. Is it not possible that some Hindutva terror groups now openly asserting themselves and held culpable for such activities could be used for Israel’s covert operations? Israel does not have suicide missions, but it understands the masochism paradigm only too well.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The revenge space is never empty. Philosopher Martha Nussbaum has written:</p>
<p>“The primitive sense of the just…starts from the notion that a human life…is a vulnerable thing, a thing that can be invaded, wounded, violated by another’s act in many ways. For this penetration, the only remedy that seems appropriate is a counter invasion, equally deliberate, equally grave. And to right the balance truly, the retribution must be exactly, strictly proportional to the original encroachment. It differs from the original act only in the sequence of time and in the fact that it is response rather than original act – a fact frequently obscured if there is a long sequence of acts and counteracts.”</p>
<p>We need to look at a few examples to emphasise our vulnerability.</p>
<p>Members of the orthodox Jewish Chabad India Trust have moved out of Nariman House and are residing in an unknown location due to security reasons. Soon after the Mumbai attacks, six members of a group called Zaka (acronym for Zihuy Korbanot Ason – Disaster Victim Identification)&#160; arrived in the city to collect and arrange the body parts and blood of Jews so that they could be returned to family members and were afforded a dignified burial according to Jewish law. The police investigations were not completed.</p>
<p>More recently, Israeli national Nurit Toker was booked by the Mumbai police under the Arms Act, 1959, for carrying two live cartridges in her backpack while travelling from Mumbai to Kathmandu. In her petition she mentioned that she had completed her compulsory three-year training in the Israeli army and these were her personal ammunition, compatible with the M-16 assault rifle acquired during her military training. She had not carried the rifle, though. Sec. 3 clearly states “there is no requirement of use or intention to use the arm or ammunition” to pursue the case. Yet, the Israel Consulate intervened to say that the accused had accidentally left bullets in her bag.</p>
<p>This is not the first such instance. In 2006, Noa Haviv had cleared customs at Mumbai airport as well as the security agencies of Israeli airline El Al at Tel Aviv and arrived with 16 bullets and a magazine in her check-in baggage. The Israeli consul general had stated then: “We have every reason to believe that it was an innocent mistake. She had borrowed this suitcase from her brother, who is a licensed weapons holder. She was not aware of the bullets inside when she packed her bags.” Amazingly, only the airline filed a case and not the Airports Authority of India or the security agencies of the government.</p>
<p>In a country that arrests whole families on mere “tip offs”, this leniency is alarming. Worse, all 171 passengers on the El Al flight had walked out of the green channel and cleared customs in 15 minutes. Why this express service? Even Indians returning from a holiday take longer. The customs official at the time had said, “…this was a flight coming from Israel, where security measures are stringent.”</p>
<p>Are we to depend on another state’s security assurances? Israel is not above suspicion. No country is.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>The attack on the embassy staff took place in India. We cannot allow investigations to be outsourced. Hillary Clinton offered US assistance to probe into “these cowardly acts” because the “scourge of terrorism is an affront to the entire international community”.</p>
<p>In an editorial, The Pioneer uses this incident for its grand-standing: “Governments around the world are mindful of such occasions when Israelis, both diplomats and civilians, are likely be targeted; sadly, the Government of India chooses to ignore them, busy as the Home Minister is defending himself in a corruption case while intelligence agencies are pre-occupied with snooping on the Congress’s political opponents and conducting ‘surveys’ in election-bound States”. It adds, with alacrity, that at least the people should be agitated “if not the Government whose Ministers are at the moment unabashedly pandering to Muslim extremism in Uttar Pradesh”.</p>
<p>Are we to be on our toes for Israel? Why did the papers not write editorials when suspicious activities of Israelis were noticed by these intelligence agencies? Why suppress those?</p>
<p>As expected, Pakistan and its Inter Services Intelligence are used as an example. There has been no proof. Israel is using Indian susceptibility with regard to relationship with Pakistan. There is an indeed an insurgency problem and the recent history of the Mumbai attacks. The fact that the Jewish Chabad House was one of the targets makes it appear as a legitimate connection. But Pakistan has closer ties with Saudi Arabia and is inimical to Iran, which is the current bone stuck in the throats of the western powers and Israel.</p>
<p>There are cursory references to the four Iranian nuclear scientists who were killed in the last two years. Instead, the bomb blast is being touted as revenge for the death of Hizbullah’s military chief Imad Mughniyeh in a car explosion. What is so important about the fourth death anniversary? Do also note that he was killed in Syria, so Israel has a virtual buffet meal at its disposal to point fingers at.</p>
<p>Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said. “Israel perpetrated the terror actions to launch psychological warfare against Iran.”</p>
<p>There are sniggers, but Israel has every reason to perpetuate such mind-numbing ideas, if not actions. In 1948, Menachem Begin’s unit slaughtered the inhabitants of Deir Yassin. In 1953, Ariel Sharon led the slaughter of the inhabitants of Qibya, and in 1982 arranged for their allies to butcher around 2,000 in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatilla. He had declared, “We must hit, hit and hit them incessantly – not by means of large-scale war. Suddenly someone disappears there, someone is found dead here and somewhere else someone is found stabbed to death in a European nightclub.”</p>
<p>The history if Israel is as damning as it is damaged. It has flouted every rule and yet got the benefit of protection.</p>
<p>India is most certainly not a soft power that some of our own commentators are shamelessly projecting it as. It is a bit obsessed and still suffers from a colonial hangover. It has created its cocoon of goodwill based on the flimsy delusion of being a developed nation where hybrid progress is sustained in a greenhouse. In that, it is not too different from some of the wealthy Arab states that are only concerned about how they sell their oil and for how much. Just as they have their pecking order, India maintains a stoical distance from the larger pool of South Asian countries by virtue of its “close relations” with those who matter.</p>
<p>Self-preservation is the goal of any society, but when it becomes opportunistic it is difficult to demarcate the lines of control and of control freaks. By a process of natural selection that imbues it as a ‘doctrinaire liberal’ society, India is being co-opted in an unholy war</p>
<p>Farzana Versey is a Mumbai-based writer. She can be reached at <a href="http://farzana-versey.blogspot.in/" type="external">http://farzana-versey.blogspot.in/</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Israeli Embassies Attacked | true | https://counterpunch.org/2012/02/14/israeli-embassies-attacked/ | 2012-02-14 | 4 |
<p />
<p>A fresh push to split California into multiple states his cleared its first hurdle, as state Secretary of State Alex Padilla granted Silicon Valley investor Tim Draper permission to solicit signatures to get the proposal on the ballot in 2018.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/fiscal-impact-estimate-report(17-0018).pdf" type="external">new plan</a>, backed by the billionaire bitcoin enthusiast, would divide the Golden State into three states — Northern California, Southern California and California.</p>
<p>Northern California would go from the San Jose area and extend to the Oregon border. Southern California would start in Fresno and cover most of Southern California, including the Inland empire and San Diego, and California would include Los Angeles County and extend up the coast to Monterey County. For more, <a href="http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/3-Californias-Tech-Billionaires-Plan-to-Split-California-into-3-Separate-States-Clears-First-Hurdle-453712033.html" type="external">here</a> is a county-by-county breakdown.</p>
<p>The group must collect signatures from 365,880 registered voters to get on the ballot. And even if voters approve the measure in 2018, it would still require a vote by the state Legislature and the U.S. Congress.</p>
<p>“No one can argue that California’s government is doing a good job governing or educating or building infrastructure for its people,” Draper told The New York Times. “And it doesn’t matter which party is in place.”</p>
<p>Backers of the plan say it would equally divide populations and wealth, leading to better political representation with state capitals being closer to the people.</p>
<p>“The citizens of the whole state would be better served by three smaller state governments while preserving the historical boundaries of the various counties, cities, and towns,” Draper wrote in the initiative’s statement of findings.&#160;</p>
<p>It’s not the first time Draper has made the push. Back in 2014, he funded “Six California,” which was a proposal for six states. And while it grabbed headlines, the measure failed to grab enough signatures to quality for the 2016 ballot.</p>
<p>If the latest effort did actually pass, it could have a major effect on the electoral map by putting one of the new states in play for the GOP, as the potential “Southern California” includes Fresno, Tulare, Madera and Kern counties, all of which voted for President Trump in 2016. Additionally, the historically conservative Orange County is in the theoretical state.</p>
<p>Like the previous campaign, this one is relatively sparse on details as to how issues like water rights, education spending, and health and social services would be worked out during the transition.</p>
<p>Moves to disrupt California’s map have picked up steam in the Trump era, with some activists pushing for outright secession. For example, Louis Marinelli, the now ex-president of Yes California Independence, led a “Calexit” charge earlier this year but <a href="" type="internal">abandoned</a> the campaign back in April after donors pulled out. However, the effort has since been renewed.</p>
<p>But any campaign to redraw the boundaries faces a steep climb, as the initiatives are still seen as fringe movements without the backing of prominent political leaders.</p>
<p>“California is the economic engine of the United States of America; we on our own, as a state, could be the sixth economic power in the world,” state Attorney General Xavier Becerra <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/356598-becerra-on-question-about-secession-california-is-economic-engine-of-us" type="external">recently said</a>on Fox News Sunday. “The U.S. needs California as much as I believe California needs to be part of the United States.”</p> | Billionaire Tim Draper renews effort to split California into multiple states | false | https://calwatchdog.com/2017/10/31/billionaire-tim-draper-renews-effort-split-california-multiple-states/ | 2018-10-20 | 3 |
<p />
<p>It’s either a sign of severe desperation or a novel campaign innovation, but GOP candidate Fred Thompson has just debuted <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119561468003300202.html?mod=todays_us_page_one" type="external">a do-it-yourself phone bank</a>. “Phone for Fred” allows volunteers to download voters’ phone numbers off his website, and encourages them to get the word out about their candidate. Oh, but they should be nice about it and only call in the evening. The campaign seems like a formula for disaster, but hey, at least it’s cheap!</p>
<p /> | Fred Thompson’s DIY Phone Bank | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/11/fred-thompsons-diy-phone-bank/ | 2007-11-21 | 4 |
<p>BALTIMORE (AP) — The mother of a mentally ill woman who was left outside a Baltimore hospital on a frigid night wearing only a flimsy gown and socks says the 22-year-old daughter was denied care by medical professionals and left to face life-threatening conditions on the street.</p>
<p>Cheryl Chandler said she was only made aware of her missing daughter's predicament on the night of Jan. 9 when she happened upon a viral video shot by a passer-by enraged at the way she was treated.</p>
<p>Chandler's daughter, Rebecca, was escorted out of the hospital by uniformed security personnel with her street clothes stuffed in plastic bags, and she was left at an open-air bus stop with outdoor temperatures in the 30s. She had a gash on her forehead and was visibly disoriented, stumbling in her hospital gown and unable to formulate any words on the cold night.</p>
<p>At a Thursday press conference held at a lawyer's office, Chandler described her daughter as a beloved young woman who has been struggling intensely with mental illness since she was 16. Over the past year-and-a-half, she has cycled through a couple of residential facilities for mentally ill clients.</p>
<p>She said Rebecca, who has health insurance, was "denied her right by law to receive the clinical care" that the CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center has publicly claimed she received that night.</p>
<p>"My daughter did not choose to be the face of mental illness. She didn't choose to be an example of the impact of a failed mental health care system. She was an individual in need of services," Chandler said through tears, adding that she was "eternally grateful" to psychotherapist Imamu Baraka for shooting the cellphone video showing her daughter's condition.</p>
<p>J. Wyndal Gordon, the attorney representing Rebecca, said she was suffering from an episode of acute psychosis when the institution turned its back on her. He asserts it's a case of "patient dumping," an illegal practice of turning away patients, mostly uninsured, from emergency rooms.</p>
<p>"Rebecca's condition was going to require a considerable hospital stay to stabilize her. UMMC, believing that she did not have insurance, determined it was better to return her to the street untreated and face whatever consequences arose from that decision rather than to absorb the cost," Gordon alleged.</p>
<p>Dr. Mohan Suntha, president and CEO of University of Maryland Medical Center, told reporters last week there were no excuses for what happened to the young woman. But he stood by her medical care, saying she received treatment and was discharged.</p>
<p>"We believe firmly that we provided appropriate medical care to a patient who came to us in need, but where we absolutely failed, and where we own that failure, is in the demonstration of basic humanity and compassion as a patient was being discharged," he said.</p>
<p>On Thursday, the hospital released a statement saying its internal investigation has identified a breakdown after the point of medical discharge. It said resulting "actions steps" will include holding personnel accountable and getting outside experts to conduct an independent audit.</p>
<p>Suntha, in the statement, said he's confident that their actions "address the root causes of last week's breakdown."</p>
<p>But Gordon said he expects "legal action" over the incident.</p>
<p>He believes Rebecca should have been placed on a 72-hour hold so she could be properly evaluated. Instead, the hospital dumped her on the street "unable to speak coherently, fend for herself, or respond appropriately to the frigid temperatures."</p>
<p>She was involuntarily admitted to another Baltimore hospital a day after being discharged from the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus and sent to a homeless shelter, her family said.</p>
<p>Her mother said Rebecca is now at an undisclosed inpatient facility undergoing mental health treatment. Her younger sister, Rachelle, said she was doing better and read aloud a statement from Rebecca thanking people for their support.</p>
<p>Rebecca's twin sister, Rosslyn, who flew to Baltimore from her home in Texas, wept as she recalled watching the video showing her beloved sister in such distress.</p>
<p>"It didn't take a genius to see that she needed help," she said, her voice shaking.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>David McFadden on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmcfadd</p>
<p>BALTIMORE (AP) — The mother of a mentally ill woman who was left outside a Baltimore hospital on a frigid night wearing only a flimsy gown and socks says the 22-year-old daughter was denied care by medical professionals and left to face life-threatening conditions on the street.</p>
<p>Cheryl Chandler said she was only made aware of her missing daughter's predicament on the night of Jan. 9 when she happened upon a viral video shot by a passer-by enraged at the way she was treated.</p>
<p>Chandler's daughter, Rebecca, was escorted out of the hospital by uniformed security personnel with her street clothes stuffed in plastic bags, and she was left at an open-air bus stop with outdoor temperatures in the 30s. She had a gash on her forehead and was visibly disoriented, stumbling in her hospital gown and unable to formulate any words on the cold night.</p>
<p>At a Thursday press conference held at a lawyer's office, Chandler described her daughter as a beloved young woman who has been struggling intensely with mental illness since she was 16. Over the past year-and-a-half, she has cycled through a couple of residential facilities for mentally ill clients.</p>
<p>She said Rebecca, who has health insurance, was "denied her right by law to receive the clinical care" that the CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center has publicly claimed she received that night.</p>
<p>"My daughter did not choose to be the face of mental illness. She didn't choose to be an example of the impact of a failed mental health care system. She was an individual in need of services," Chandler said through tears, adding that she was "eternally grateful" to psychotherapist Imamu Baraka for shooting the cellphone video showing her daughter's condition.</p>
<p>J. Wyndal Gordon, the attorney representing Rebecca, said she was suffering from an episode of acute psychosis when the institution turned its back on her. He asserts it's a case of "patient dumping," an illegal practice of turning away patients, mostly uninsured, from emergency rooms.</p>
<p>"Rebecca's condition was going to require a considerable hospital stay to stabilize her. UMMC, believing that she did not have insurance, determined it was better to return her to the street untreated and face whatever consequences arose from that decision rather than to absorb the cost," Gordon alleged.</p>
<p>Dr. Mohan Suntha, president and CEO of University of Maryland Medical Center, told reporters last week there were no excuses for what happened to the young woman. But he stood by her medical care, saying she received treatment and was discharged.</p>
<p>"We believe firmly that we provided appropriate medical care to a patient who came to us in need, but where we absolutely failed, and where we own that failure, is in the demonstration of basic humanity and compassion as a patient was being discharged," he said.</p>
<p>On Thursday, the hospital released a statement saying its internal investigation has identified a breakdown after the point of medical discharge. It said resulting "actions steps" will include holding personnel accountable and getting outside experts to conduct an independent audit.</p>
<p>Suntha, in the statement, said he's confident that their actions "address the root causes of last week's breakdown."</p>
<p>But Gordon said he expects "legal action" over the incident.</p>
<p>He believes Rebecca should have been placed on a 72-hour hold so she could be properly evaluated. Instead, the hospital dumped her on the street "unable to speak coherently, fend for herself, or respond appropriately to the frigid temperatures."</p>
<p>She was involuntarily admitted to another Baltimore hospital a day after being discharged from the University of Maryland Medical Center Midtown Campus and sent to a homeless shelter, her family said.</p>
<p>Her mother said Rebecca is now at an undisclosed inpatient facility undergoing mental health treatment. Her younger sister, Rachelle, said she was doing better and read aloud a statement from Rebecca thanking people for their support.</p>
<p>Rebecca's twin sister, Rosslyn, who flew to Baltimore from her home in Texas, wept as she recalled watching the video showing her beloved sister in such distress.</p>
<p>"It didn't take a genius to see that she needed help," she said, her voice shaking.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>David McFadden on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmcfadd</p> | Mother: Care denied daughter left in cold in hospital gown | false | https://apnews.com/amp/b4a9219cd7ca4bd2a9e41030faaf1aee | 2018-01-19 | 2 |
<p />
<p>HSBC has fired six employees who staged a mock Islamic State group-style killing during a team-building exercise.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The Sun newspaper reported Tuesday the footage posted online showed five workers wearing overalls and balaclavas laughing as a South Asian colleague wearing an orange jumpsuit knelt at their feet.</p>
<p>One held a coat hanger as a pretend knife while another held the kneeling man by the shoulders. One employee then yells "Allahu Akbar!" — Arabic for "God is great" — a phrase often used before IS hostages are slain.</p>
<p>HSBC says in a statement it had fired those involved in the "abhorrent" video as soon as the Sun brought it to their attention. The company apologized for any offense the video caused.</p> | 6 Bank Employees Fired for Staging Mock IS Slaying Video | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2015/07/07/6-bank-employees-fired-for-staging-mock-is-slaying-video.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
<p>Border Angels is an immigrant-advocacy group that organizes hikes into the southern&#160;California desert to distribute water&#160;along various routes&#160;for migrants crossing the US-Mexico border. Last month, along with about 40 volunteers, I tagged along to film one of these “water drops.”&#160;After five hours working&#160;under the desert sun, a handful of the Border Angels crew hung around a gas station parking lot. Snacks and sodas in hand, they traded laughs and stories from the trek as&#160;the border wall loomed&#160;in the valley over their shoulders. Some had a close personal connection to someone who had previously&#160;crossed: a father, a grandfather, a girlfriend. But&#160;some did not.&#160;</p>
<p>I had wanted to put together a simple short film about their water drop operation. But like America’s immigration story, there wasn’t a single or simple&#160;story to craft out of this cast of characters.&#160;Instead I decided to&#160;feature the moments that stood out&#160;without&#160;forcing&#160;everything into one stand-alone&#160;narrative—and it seemed like Instagram, with its&#160;one-minute&#160;limit, provided just&#160;the right bite-size length&#160;for the scenes. But more than that,&#160;with “Instagram carousels” you can group smaller bits&#160;together to create experimental&#160;longer-form storytelling. The captions were then&#160;the final glue to hold it all together. The result is a documentary collage of my time spent with the Border Angels.</p>
<p>Check out the posts below—and also let us know what you think of the new format.</p>
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<p />
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<p /> | Meet the Border Angels, the Group Trying to Save Migrants’ Lives | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2017/10/meet-the-border-angels-the-group-trying-to-save-migrants-lives/ | 2017-10-20 | 4 |
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mofetos" type="external">mofetos</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" type="external">(CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)</a></p>
<p>This post originally ran on <a href="http://www.juancole.com/2014/03/peeping-recording-private.html" type="external">Juan Cole’s Web page</a>.</p>
<p>In the same way that pedophiles are attracted to professions where they come into frequent contact with children, peeping Toms surely are attracted into electronic surveillance work.</p>
<p />
<p>That seems to me the only explanation for the US National Security Agency and British intelligence’s <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/27/gchq-nsa-webcam-images-internet-yahoo%20" type="external">Optic Nerve program,</a> just revealed by The Guardian from the Snowden files. The analysts sneaked into millions of people’s private webcam conversations without a warrant and appropriated them, that is, actually downloaded and stored still images from them. If a private hacker did that to even one person and was caught, that hacker would be tossed in a prison cell for life and the key would be thrown away.</p>
<p>Up to 11% of the video they spied on and captured was lovers engaged in nudity and long-distance video intimacy with one another. Although the agencies are said to have attempted to limit employees’ access to this enormous government-funded porn movie industry, we know from the Snowden case that even relatively low-level contractors could get access to millions of such records.</p>
<p>British intelligence officers came to the Guardian’s office late last summer and smashed hard drives suspected of containing the Snowden files, in a fruitless attempt to prevent this sort of massive spying on innocent people from becoming public knowledge.</p>
<p>The program was a blunt instrument, so any Yahoo data flowing through the Internat got picked up, and that means inevitably Americans and British as well as targets in the Middle East. Facial recognition software was run on the images, and analysts were shown screen shots of innocent people on the basis of their putative resemblance to terrorists. But not only is there no conceivable way in which this perving was helping us fight al-Qaeda, it certainly must have been an enormous distraction from actual intelligence work. If the NSA and British intelligence wanted to fight terrorism they should have sent the analysts to Falluja (it is not too late– in fact Mr. Cameron and Mr. Obama could get them on a plane for Baghdad as early as next week).</p>
<p>We also don’t know how many of the targets they were looking for via Yahoo facetime chats were not terrorists but dissidents. We know that they target hacktivists and other dissidents for reputational harm and honey traps. Instead of having to go to all the trouble of getting a warrant and surreptitiously putting cameras in a residence or hotel room, they could just go out on the internet and hack into people’s private exchanges.</p>
<p>The Guardian points out that Optic Nerve bears an uncanny resemblance to the surveillance cameras the government had in every home in George Orwell’s novel, 1984 .</p>
<p>Supposed conservatives, who are so worried about the government getting into citizens’ business, have been the most vocal defenders of these violations of elementary human rights law and of privacy rights.</p>
<p>There is no evidence that any of these illegal domestic surveillance programs has forestalled a single act of terrorism.</p>
<p>Yahoo issued an outraged statement, but my advice to them is to hire some Washington and London lobbyists. Statements are not going to deter the Big Government peeping Toms. Yahoo said:</p>
<p>“”We were not aware of, nor would we condone, this reported activity,” said a spokeswoman. “This report, if true, represents a whole new level of violation of our users’ privacy that is completely unacceptable, and we strongly call on the world’s governments to reform surveillance law consistent with the principles we outlined in December.</p>
<p>“We are committed to preserving our users’ trust and security and continue our efforts to expand encryption across all of our services.”</p>
<p>——-</p>
<p><a href="http://youtu.be/kN2Q4eLNp7E" type="external">RT America reports, ” UK’s GCHQ caught storing Yahoo webcam images ”</a></p>
<p /> | Peeping Toms of the Intel World: Recording Bulk Private Yahoo Webcam Chats | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/peeping-toms-of-the-intel-world-recording-bulk-private-yahoo-webcam-chats/ | 2014-03-03 | 4 |
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<p>Daniel Mullings’ jawbone has been set free, and the New Mexico State sophomore guard is back to eating and talking in ways he won’t soon again take for granted.</p>
<p>On cue, there’s no mincing words regarding the state of New Mexico State men’s basketball.</p>
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<p>Beginning tonight at home vs. Texas-San Antonio, it’s time to be as hungry as Mullings was the day the wires came off.</p>
<p>The Aggies are 14-point favorites tonight vs. the Roadrunners (4-8, 0-2), which isn’t likely to be scribbled on a white board in an NMSU locker room that needs to exude great urgency.</p>
<p>“We’ve got to be the hunter instead of the hunted,” said coach Marvin Menzies. His Aggies (6-8, 0-2) are tied for last in the Western Athletic Conference with UTSA and Texas State (4-10, 0-2), Saturday’s opponent at the Pan Am.</p>
<p>It’s an uncommon perspective for the Aggies. Since joining the WAC in 2005-06, NMSU never has lost an opener in its customarily back-loaded league schedule.</p>
<p>This season is different. NMSU had what Menzies called a “horrendous” effort in losing last Saturday at Texas-Arlington.</p>
<p>Then, Monday’s 81-72 loss at Louisiana Tech was a stresser. The Aggies matched Tech’s 44 percent shooting from the field, outrebounded the Bulldogs 42-33 and even outshot the home team from the stripe (23 of 37 to 14 of 17).</p>
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<p>There was, however, the matter of Tech hitting 11 3s to New Mexico State’s one.</p>
<p>Good riddance, the Aggies are saying, to 2012.</p>
<p>On to ’13, if the new year doesn’t cure what has ailed the Aggies to this point, it at least gives time to work on an antidote.</p>
<p>One project is identifying the player with a penchant for making the basket that stops the bleeding.</p>
<p>“We don’t have that guy,” Menzies said.</p>
<p>Mullings could be that guy, everybody knows, but he wasn’t that sort over the course of about 40 days since a head injury in November during play in Niagara, N.Y., required his jaw to be wired shut.</p>
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<p>From that point until last Thursday, the Toronto native was eating food blended and through a tube. Learning a new way to breathe. A new way to sleep.</p>
<p>Mullings dropped 10 pounds off a frame listed at a feathery 6-foot-2, 170 pounds. Then after the wires came off, the first meal had an epic “last meal” dimension.</p>
<p>“I had a huge breakfast – six eggs,” Mullings said. “A couple of slices of bread. A lot of meat.”</p>
<p>Mullings still leads the team with 14.6 points on average despite “being a shell of himself,” Menzies noted. At his best, Mullings could dominate the league.</p>
<p>That would be a simple way for the Aggies to turn things around. Another would be just to hit their foul shots.</p>
<p>“We’re No. 9 in the country in free throw attempts but we’re 273rd in percentage,” Menzies said. “… That’s a simple fix to two, three more wins right now.”</p>
<p>As for other tweaks, Menzies and his staff are playing with different lineup combinations and different positions. Maybe there’s more playing time for Kevin Aronis, a 3-point specialist. More touches for the nation’s tallest Division I player, 7-foot-5 Sim Bhullar and his 61.5 percent clip from the field.</p>
<p>The flip side is how many more minutes Bhullar can play than his current 17.6 per game before the result is diminishing returns.</p>
<p>“It’s not about moral victories and playing better than last week,” Menzies said. “It’s about winning. We have to do that first.” — This article appeared on page D1 of the Albuquerque Journal</p> | Aggies Feel a Sense of Urgency | false | https://abqjournal.com/238560/aggies-feel-a-sense-of-urgency.html | 2 |
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<p>New York Daily News "If there were no international journalists here, then there is a potential for the world to come away with a very distorted view," says Nic Robertson. He's talked to his two young daughters about his war assignment. "I let them know quietly all along that Daddy has done these things and that should make him safe," he says. "But it will be tough for them at school. All their friends and parents of their friends watch CNN." &gt; <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030320/4967908s.htm" type="external">CBS CORRESPONDENT LARA LOGAN SAYS</a> leaving Baghdad was "the most difficult decision of my career. I've never left a story -- ever." (USA Today) &gt; <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/custom/showcase/la-war-media20mar20.story" type="external">OTHER NEWS ORGS THAT REMAIN IN BAGHDAD</a> include the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Associated Press, the BBC, and National Public Radio. Also, Peter Arnett is there reporting for National Geographic Television and NBC. (Los Angeles Times)</p> | CNN's Robertson remains in Baghdad as CBS's Logan leaves | false | https://poynter.org/news/cnns-robertson-remains-baghdad-cbss-logan-leaves | 2003-03-20 | 2 |
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<p>The suit, filed by a Texas law firm on behalf of Damiana Martinez, also alleges negligence, gross negligence and other claims against Southwest Aviation, two other businesses that have ties to the Las Cruces International Airport, and the city.</p>
<p>Martinez’s husband, Juan “Freddy” Martinez, of Santa Teresa was one of four people about the air ambulance killed in the crash that night.</p>
<p>In its preliminary investigation report, the National Transportation Safety Board stated a technician filled the twin-engine, propeller-driven plane with jet fuel instead of the required aviation-grade gasoline about half an hour before the evening crash</p>
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<p>The plane, a Cessna 421C crashed about 7 p.m., shortly after takeoff. Witnesses saw black smoke trailing the plane and investigators smelled jet fuel in the wreckage.</p>
<p>“This was a tragedy that could have been prevented,” said G. Sean Jez, one of the attorneys representing the Martinez family, in a prepared statement.</p>
<p>The suit alleges Southwest Aviation, which operates the city-owned airport and fuel farm, failed to “create, implement and monitor,” safety procedures to prevent fueling errors.</p>
<p>The suit makes similar claims against New York-based Ascent Aviation Group and Houston-based Phillips 66, companies that reportedly co-owned the truck allegedly used to fill the plane with the improper fuel.</p>
<p>The city failed to implement proper safeguards, according to the lawsuit.</p>
<p>Attorneys for the defendants could not be reached late Thursday. City officials typically do not comment on pending cases.</p>
<p>A copy of the fuel farm lease between the city and Southwest Aviation, obtained this week by the Sun-News though a recent public records request, requires Southwest Aviation to carry insurance. It also states the city, any elected officials and employees will be held harmless for any liabilities or claims against the facility.</p>
<p>The suit seeks an unspecified amount of damages.</p>
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<p>Freddy Martinez, 29, and the crew from Elite Medical Transport of El Paso — 35-year-old flight nurse Monica Chavez from Las Cruces and 27-year-old paramedic Tauren Summers of El Paso — were transporting Frederick Green, 59, to Phoenix for cancer treatment when the plane went down.</p>
<p>They all died in the crash.</p>
<p>Green’s family has filed a suit in a Texas court alleging negligence against Southwest Aviation and two Texas companies that had a role in maintaining the plane.</p>
<p>James Staley can be reached at 575-541-5476.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>©2014 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.)</p>
<p>Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at <a href="http://www.lcsun-news.com" type="external">www.lcsun-news.com</a></p>
<p>Distributed by MCT Information Services</p>
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<p>Topics: t000002488,t000002458,t000190288,t000009829,t000002525,t000037113,t000002522,g000065619,g000219188,g000362661,g000065562,g000066164</p> | Family of pilot killed in Las Cruces crash files lawsuit | false | https://abqjournal.com/493074/family-of-pilot-killed-in-las-cruces-crash-files-lawsuit.html | 2 |
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<p>The mass murderer convicted of a 2015 shooting at a Charleston, South Carolina, wants to fire his appellate lawyers as one is Indian and the other is Jewish, according to <a href="http://www.thestate.com/news/local/crime/article173957331.html?ncid=edlinkushpmg00000313" type="external">The State</a>.</p>
<p>The State on Monday reported that Dylann Roof informed the judges who will hear his appeal of the request in a letter to the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.</p>
<p>“My two currently appointed attorneys, Alexandra Yates and Apna Mirchandani, are Jewish and Indian, respectively,” he wrote.</p>
<p>“Because of my political views, which are arguable religious, it would be impossible for me to trust two attorneys that are my political and biological enemies.”</p>
<p>Some Twitter users on Tuesday criticized Roof for seeking his legal team’s ouster on the basis of race.</p>
<p>The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals – which is located in Richmond, Virginia – on Tuesday denied Roof’s request in a curt, one-sentence statement.</p>
<p>“The court denies the motion for substitution of counsel on appeal,” said the court’s order, which was filed by 4th Circuit clerk Patricia Connor.</p>
<p>Roof mailed his request to the 4th Circuit court from the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, were he is currently imprisoned.</p>
<p>A federal jury last January recommended that Roof be executed after a two-week trial in Charleston.</p>
<p>Evidence presented during the trial showed that Roof turned radical after viewing pro-Nazi and white supremacist internet sites.</p>
<p>Roof opened fire at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Charleston in 2015, killing nine people and wounding three more during a prayer service there.</p>
<p>The Columbia, South Carolina man has since claimed he targeted the historically black church in the hopes of sparking a race war in the U.S.</p>
<p>Roof, who has shown no remorse for the killings, hoped that the conflict would ultimately result in a white supremacist government. He is now 23 years old.</p> | Dylann Roof wants to fire his lawyers because they 'are Jewish and Indian, respectively' | false | https://circa.com/story/2017/09/19/nation/dylann-roof-charleston-church-shooter-wants-to-fire-indian-jewish-lawyers | 2017-09-19 | 1 |
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<p>SANTA FE, N.M. — A Santa Fe man, hit in the neck, after shots were fired into his van by a Santa Fe police officer and a state Department of Corrections officer has been charged with four counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer and aggravated fleeing, court documents show.</p>
<p>Kevin J. Chavez, 23, was charged in a “criminal information” filed Feb. 18 in state District Court in Santa Fe.</p>
<p>The charges stem from a Dec. 5 incident during which several officers fired at Chavez’s van Ford van on Juan de Dios off West Alameda as he attempted to drive away and they allege he attempted to drive towards them. Officers were attempting to arrest Chavez on a probation violation warrant.</p>
<p>Officers pursued Chavez and he was pulled over near Cordova and Cerrillos Roads and arrested. His van had multiple bullet holes in it. Chavez’s attorney David Foster, said last month that Chavez never threatened any officers and that witnesses said that all the police gunfire was toward the rear of the van.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Man shot by officers in Santa Fe charged with aggravated assault | false | https://abqjournal.com/546592/man-shot-by-officers-in-santa-fe-charged-with-aggravated-assault.html | 2 |
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<p>White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will hold a press briefing Friday afternoon as Hurricane Irma heads to Florida.</p>
<p>The press briefing comes just hours after the House approved of President Donald Trump's deal with Democrats to fund the government through mid-December.</p>
<p>The package includes $15 billion in disaster recovery aid for Texas communities that were affected by Hurricane Harvey.</p> | White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds press briefing amid Hurricane Irma | false | https://circa.com/story/2017/09/08/politics/sarah-sanders-holds-press-briefing | 2017-09-08 | 1 |
<p>A Phoenix judge has overturned Robert Fischer’s murder conviction on the weight of the evidence presented during last year’s trial and dismissed the case against him.</p>
<p>The State plans to appeal the Court’s decision to overturn the verdict.</p>
<p>Fischer, who was convicted of shooting his step son-in-law, Lee Radder, after a night of heavy drinking, could be released from jail as soon as Monday. Lee’s family posted on their Facebook page that they are devastated by this latest development and are still seeking justice for his death.</p>
<p>Watch Dateline's original report:</p>
<p /> | UPDATE: ‘In the Dead of Night’ | false | http://nbcnews.com/dateline/update-dead-night-n48926 | 2014-03-10 | 3 |
<p>If you thought Watters World was a documentary about Donald Trump’s adventures with hookers in a Moscow hotel, you’re mistaken, but understandably so. In fact, it’s a program on Fox News featuring Jesse Watters, who is also a co-host of the daily afternoon program The Five. Watters is best known for being a smug, smartass who did ambush interviews for Bill O’Reilly and allegedly humorous segments that were overtly racist.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/NewsCorpse/posts/2069926576355460" type="external" /></p>
<p>Now the New York Daily News is <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/fox-news-host-jesse-watters-divorce-affair-employee-article-1.3867486" type="external">reporting</a> that Watters’ wife has filed for divorce due to his ongoing adulterous affair with a twenty-five year old co-worker, Emma DiGiovine. Watters has admitted his infidelity which he only reported to Fox News human resources after the divorce papers were filed. He and his now-estranged wife have twin six year old daughters.</p>
<p>Most companies have strict prohibitions against employees engaging in romantic relationships with subordinates on their staff. Generally it mandates termination of the superior employee who is in a position to abuse their power. Presumably, Fox News has the same policy. However, the response by Fox upon discovery of the relationship was to transfer DiGiovine to another program and let Watters off the hook entirely. Now he can continue leading classy discussions wherein he describes single women as “Beyoncé voters” who “depend on government because they’re not depending on their husbands. They need things like contraception, health care and they love to talk about equal pay.”</p>
<p>This is just the latest sex scandal at Fox News. Previously their founder and CEO, the late Roger Ailes was fired after multiple allegations of sexual harassment and abuse. Then their star host, Bill O’Reilly, got the ax when it became publicly known that he had paid millions of dollars in settlements to silence his accusers. Gee, Doanld Trump only paid $130,000 (that we know of). Fox and Friends anchor Ed Henry was suspended for several weeks for having an adulterous affair. Fox business host Charles Payne was also the subject of harassment charges. And Watters got his seat on The Five by replacing Eric Bolling, who was fired for sending explicit photos to women colleagues at Fox.</p>
<p>How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QSSMOES/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B00QSSMOES&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=newscorpsecom-20&amp;linkId=TLI6JC2OYE22MUTS" type="external">Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.</a> Available now at Amazon.</p>
<p>This obviously isn’t a case of a few bad apples. Fox News is a breeding ground for perverts. It’s a haven for men who exploit their power to demean and control women. Or as former Fox News host and victim Andrea Tantaros <a href="https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/andrea-tantaros-sues-fox-news-retaliation-sexual-harassment" type="external">said in her lawsuit</a>, “it operates like a sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult, steeped in intimidation, indecency, and misogyny.” And now Jesse Watters has become the latest face of the reprehensible pattern of misogynistic behavior that is nurtured by Fox and its management. But he certainly won’t be the last.</p> | Another Fox News Sleazeball Has Been Caught in a Sex Scandal with a 25 Year Old Co-Worker | true | http://newscorpse.com/ncWP/?p%3D11547 | 4 |
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<p>Congress may have averted the fiscal cliff, but when it comes to ugly fiscal battles, America <a href="" type="internal">hasn’t seen anything yet</a>, according to Mother Jones Washington Bureau Chief David Corn. “The Republicans now are going to be out for blood” Corn says. “Having lost this round as they are see it, they are going to want to have a big fight over the debt ceiling and to demand it’s not raised.”</p>
<p>Watch Corn’s full discussion on the fiscal cliff deal here:</p>
<p />
<p /> | VIDEO: GOP “Out for Blood” After Fiscal Cliff Deal | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2013/01/video-gop-out-blood-after-fiscal-cliff-deal/ | 2013-01-03 | 4 |
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<p>The Cleveland Browns’ home field, FirstEnergy Stadium, may be outfitted with the same flammable material that investigators say may have caused the massive, deadly apartment fire in London last month, the Associated Press reported Thursday.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>In promotional brochures, a U.S.-based company Arconic Inc. boasted of the "stunning visual effect" its shimmering aluminum panels created in the NFL stadium, as well as an Alaskan high school and a luxury hotel along Baltimore's Inner Harbor that "soars 33 stories into the air."</p>
<p>Those same panels — Reynobond composite material with a polyethylene core — also were used in the Grenfell Tower apartment building in London. British authorities say they're investigating whether the panels helped spread the blaze that ripped across the building's outer walls, killing at least 80 people.</p>
<p>The panels, also called cladding, accentuate a building's appearance and also improve energy efficiency. But they are not recommended for use in buildings above 40 feet because they are combustible. In the wake of last month's fire at the 24-story, 220-foot-high tower in London, Arconic Inc. announced it would no longer make the product available for high-rise buildings.</p>
<p>The Browns have played their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium since it opened in 1999. The stadium underwent renovations in 2014 and 2015.</p>
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<p>A Browns representative referred a request for comment to city officials. Tom Vanover, chief building official with the city of Cleveland, said the building materials used at FirstEnergy Stadium were “not flammable” and did not pose a threat to the public.</p>
<p>“The portions that caused the tragedy and caused the failure in London are the combustible insulation panels as part of the system and the way that system was installed. The reality of the matter is that these are not installed at the same matter at all here at FirstEnergy Stadium,” Vanover said a press conference.</p>
<p>Determining which buildings might be wrapped in the material in the United States is difficult. City inspectors and building owners might not even know. In some cases, building records have been long discarded and neither the owners, operators, contractors nor architects involved could or would confirm whether the cladding was used.</p>
<p>That makes it virtually impossible to know whether the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel or Cleveland Browns' football stadium — both identified by Arconic's brochures as wrapped in Reynobond PE — are actually clad in the same material as Grenfell Tower, which was engulfed in flames in less than five minutes.</p>
<p>"If the materials used on a building appear similar to a known hazard, people need to know that," said Douglas Evans, a fire protection engineer from Las Vegas, who has been studying fires on the exterior facades of buildings for nearly 25 years. "Anybody who is inside of these buildings has a right to know."</p>
<p>The International Building Code adopted by the U.S. requires more stringent fire testing of materials used on the sides of buildings taller than 40 feet. However, states and cities can set their own rules, said Keith Nelson, senior project architect with Intertek, a worldwide fire testing organization.</p>
<p>The National Fire Protection Association conducts fire resistance tests on building materials to determine whether they comply with the international code. Robert Solomon, an engineer with the association, told the AP that the group's records show the U.S.-made Arconic panels never underwent the tests. For that reason, he said, the group considered the products unsafe for use in buildings higher than 40 feet.</p>
<p>Tests conducted by the British government after the Grenfell fire found samples of cladding material used on 75 buildings failed combustibility tests.</p>
<p>Solomon said the use of Reynobond PE on the Baltimore Marriott and the city-owned Cleveland Browns stadium in particular should be reviewed because of their height.</p>
<p>On buildings that are "higher than the firefighters' ladders," incombustible material must be used, Arconic advises in a fire-safety pamphlet. It warns that choosing the right product is crucial "in order to avoid the fire to spread to the whole building" and that fire can spread extremely rapidly "especially when it comes to facades and roofs."</p>
<p>No one has declared the U.S. buildings unsafe, nor has the U.S. government initiated any of the widespread testing of aluminum paneling that British authorities ordered after the London disaster.</p>
<p>Arconic declined to give further details about the buildings in the brochure, and hasn't said how many U.S. buildings contain the product.</p>
<p>The company is cooperating with building owners and others involved, such as the Baltimore hotel, spokesman Steven Lipin said. The product is "certified for use in the UK and US" and the company "will continue to be here to answer any questions about its products," Lipin said in a statement to the AP.</p>
<p>He did not indicate whether Arconic is contacting all the contractors, builders and others that used the material.</p>
<p>Baltimore City Housing Authority spokeswoman Tania Baker said the city doesn't keep detailed records of building materials but added that, if used, the material would have been compliant with local fire codes because the Marriott is equipped with sprinklers. Harbor East, a development company that owns the building, referred all inquiries to the Marriott, whose spokesman Jeff Flaherty said results of testing on the hotel's exterior panels could be received as early as this week.</p>
<p>"We can tell you that the hotel passed building inspection at the time it opened in 2001 and that the hotel's fire and life safety systems meet local code requirements," he said.</p>
<p>The Arconic website stated that the Browns stadium used 100,000 square feet of the bright silver aluminum composite material in its exterior.</p>
<p>Daniel Williams, a spokesman for Cleveland's mayor, wouldn't say whether the city-owned stadium was built with the aluminum cladding. All related questions "will need to wait until after the investigators finish their report on the fire in London," he said.</p>
<p>One option for building owners who are unsure of the product's use would be to remove a section of paneling and have it tested at a lab, said Vickie Lovell, president of InterCode Inc., a consulting firm on building codes and standards.</p>
<p>Building records kept by cities can include construction blueprints, inspection logs and fire safety plans. But local agencies don't require that an applicant seeking a building permit submit a list of materials or specific products. In the case of the Marriott, Baltimore's housing department holds the building's original plans, which don't say what cladding was used.</p>
<p>The architect of record would have known what materials were used during construction. But Peter Fillat, an architect who worked on the 2001 Marriott construction, said he destroyed his records pertaining to the property six years ago because his contract requires him to keep files for only 10 years.</p>
<p>Construction and contracting firms that worked on the Marriott also said they no longer had those records.</p>
<p>For decades, the U.S. has required sprinkler systems to be installed in new high-rise buildings, as well as multiple ways for people to exit in the case of a fire. Grenfell Tower had none of those safeguards.</p>
<p>But fire safety experts caution that indoor sprinklers can't stop a fire that ignites on a building's exterior and spreads across the coating that encases it.</p>
<p>The danger is that "the whole outside of your building could be on fire, yet the internal sprinkler heads may never activate!," Oklahoma fire safety consultant John Valiulis wrote in a 2015 research report on the flammability of exterior walls. He pointed to high-rise fires that began on building exteriors where indoor sprinklers were completely ineffective at stopping flames from racing up the outside walls.</p>
<p>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</p> | Cleveland Browns stadium may use flammable panels implicated in London tower fire | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/07/20/cleveland-browns-stadium-may-use-flammable-panels-implicated-in-london-tower-fire.html | 2017-07-20 | 0 |
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<p>The president-elect, it should be said, fired the first salvo. Trump, during his campaign, said he wants to withhold federal funding from “sanctuary cities,” which include Santa Fe, with policies against assisting the federal government in prosecution of immigration laws.</p>
<p>In response, Santa Fe has done much more than duck and cover. First, Mayor Javier Gonzales became the national face of sanctuary cities after the presidential election, giving several interviews to major news outlets defending the goals and results of sanctuary policies.</p>
<p>City Councilor Joseph Maestas</p>
<p>Then a City Council resolution was introduced to re-affirm and strengthen the city’s sanctuary stance. The coup de grace came from Councilor Joseph Maestas. When the city’s advisory Immigration Committee recently took up the sanctuary city measure, Maestas said Santa Fe was “thumbing its nose” at the incoming Trump administration.</p>
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<p>That comment made its way into a headline at Breitbart News, which could well mean that Trump himself has taken notice of Santa Fe’s nose-thumbing. Stephen K. Bannon, who went on leave from his job as Breitbart’s chairman to help run the president-elect’s campaign, is now Trump’s chief White House strategist and senior counselor.</p>
<p>One question is how much it could cost for Santa Fe to take a stand against a president. Santa Fe gets about $6 million in federal funding. Around the country, the issue of how Trump could inflict financial damage on sanctuary cities is being much discussed. There seems to be somewhat of a legal consensus that federal funding for law enforcement is most at risk if the Republican-controlled Congress and Trump move to cut funding for sanctuary cities.</p>
<p>One side argues that two key U.S. Supreme Court decisions, ironically ones that conservatives hailed when they were issued, restrict how Trump can use federal funding as a hammer to push cities or states into following federal mandates. On the other side, there’s thinking that Trump in fact has leeway to inflict financial pain on sanctuary cities.</p>
<p>The simple answer, according to a couple of local lawyers who’ve looked into the existing legalities, is that there is no simple answer – the legal situation is fluid. As a USA Today story about sanctuary cities from earlier this week said, “In what could become a major conflict between the new president and local governments, the showdown likely will result in legal challenges testing how far the White House can go in dictating its priorities.”</p>
<p>1996 law at issue</p>
<p>There is, in fact, an existing 1996 statute requiring local jurisdictions to grant federal access to information about an individual’s immigration status. New York City filed a legal challenge that was unsuccessful at the federal appeals court level, but immigrant rights advocates say the appeal was poorly framed and the case was decided on issues that weren’t definitive.</p>
<p>Just last year, U.S. Rep. John Culberson, a Texas Republican chairing a subcommittee with oversight of Department of Justice appropriations, formally asked Attorney General Loretta Lynch if sanctuary city recipients of DOJ grants were in compliance with the 1996 statute and other federal laws.</p>
<p>Megyn Kelly, then with Fox News, interviews Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales about sanctuary cites shortly after Donald Trump won the presidential election in November.</p>
<p>It should be noted that Santa Fe and other cities have policies that try to avoid conflict with that ’96 statute by instructing the police not to ask people about immigration status, so there’s no information to share with the feds.</p>
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<p>Another issue is local governments – like Santa Fe County, operator of the local jail – that refuse to honor “detainer” requests to hold locally arrested prisoners who’ve been flagged by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for possible immigration violations. A federal appeals court has held the detainer requests violate constitutional protections against forcing local governments to enforce federal law.</p>
<p>In May, in response to Culberson’s letter, the DOJ’s inspector general issued a report that looked at 10 sanctuary jurisdictions, including New York, California and Cook County, Ill. It essentially said that any local laws against information-sharing are inconsistent with the 1996 statute and that refusing detainer requests also may “be inconsistent with at least the intent” of the law.</p>
<p>Later, the DOJ – remember, this is part of the Obama administration – published guidance for its Office of Justice Programs (OJP) grants and compliance with the 1996 law, saying: “Failure to remedy any violations could result in a referral to the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, the withholding of grant funds or ineligibility for future OJP grants or subgrants, or other administrative, civil, or criminal penalties, as appropriate.”</p>
<p>All of this may not affect Santa Fe – if it doesn’t obtain or keep information on immigration status.</p>
<p>‘Ain’t constitutional law grand?’</p>
<p>There are legal scholars who say the Supreme Court has come down clearly against using federal funding as a weapon against states or cities, protecting sanctuary cities against being required to help enforce federal immigration law.</p>
<p>Noah Feldman, a professor of constitutional and international law at Harvard, wrote a recent Bloomberg View column on this point, saying: “Behold the revenge of conservative federalism: Judge-made doctrines developed to protect states’ rights against progressive legislation can also be used to protect cities against Trump’s conservative policies. Ain’t constitutional law grand?”</p>
<p>Feldman and others who’ve written on the subject cite two U.S. Supreme Court decisions: the landmark 2012 ruling that upheld Obamacare, but eviscerated its federal mandate that states had to expand Medicaid or face eventual loss of all Medicaid funding; and a 1997 decision on the Brady gun control law that struck down a requirement that local law enforcement agencies perform background checks on gun buyers.</p>
<p>In the Obamacare decision, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that, under the constitution’s Tenth Amendment barring the federal government from “commandeering” state government for federal purposes, Obamacare’s Medicaid mandate was an overly coercive “gun to the head” of the states.</p>
<p>“The ‘gun to the head’ doctrine alone would be enough to render Trump’s proposal (on sanctuary cities) unconstitutional,” Feldman wrote.</p>
<p>Roberts also said Congress can’t create a funding condition that is unrelated to the original purpose of the funding. This portion of the Roberts opinion is now cited by advocates as protecting most federal funding to sanctuary cities, such as money for roads or housing, from cut-off – on grounds that only money received for law enforcement purposes would be related to immigration enforcement.</p>
<p>In its 2016 budget, Santa Fe includes only $19,631 in funding from the federal Department of Justice and about $250,000 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, according to City Hall.</p>
<p>In the 1997 Brady Bill decision, it was the late Justice Antonin Scalia, a conservative icon, who opined that the Brady law violated the constitutional system of federalism – power-sharing among the federal and state governments – by trying to force local police to do federally required background checks for gun buyers.</p>
<p>“That’s exactly what Trump wants to make city officials do – cooperate in the enforcement of federal law,” wrote Feldman.</p>
<p>In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, Erwin Chemerinsky and other professors at the University of California at Irvine School of Law agreed, saying, “Under the anti-commandeering principle, the federal government can no more require state governments to help it carry out mass deportations than it can require local officers to investigate and enforce federal gun laws.”</p>
<p>What’s a ‘gun to the head?’</p>
<p>This view was contested in a Los Angeles Times column by two Washington, D.C., constitutional lawyers, David Rivkin and Elizabeth Price Foley. (Rivkin served at the DOJ and the White House Counsel’s office in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations.)</p>
<p>They say the “anti-commandeering” principle doesn’t apply when the feds ask only for information about people. They acknowledge cities like Los Angeles, as does Santa Fe, “instruct city employees not to ask about immigration status, but they may still have access to that information.”</p>
<p>They suggest that Congress could specify that drivers licenses issued to undocumented immigrants include a distinguishing feature. (New Mexico’s driving authorization cards, part of a compromise over licenses for undocumented immigrants, can be obtained by any qualified resident, including citizens who don’t want to go to the trouble of getting a “Real ID” license meeting federal standards.)</p>
<p>Rivkin and Foley also say Justice Robert’s Obamacare decision leaves Trump leeway to withhold some federal funds. They note that, in the 1980s, the Supreme Court upheld cutting off 5 percent of states’ federal highway funding if they didn’t raise the drinking age to 21, while the Medicaid funding “gun to the head” that the Supreme Court rejected as overly coercive in 2012 could have eliminated over $233 billion dollars in Medicaid dollars, more than 20 percent of states’ budgets.</p>
<p>So Rivkin and Foley reason that Trump can, in fact, cut off some federal dollars to sanctuary cities, as long that amount doesn’t reach the 20 percent portion of a jurisdiction’s budget that they describe as the “threshold” established in the Obamacare ruling.</p>
<p>Santa Fe city government is waiting for Trump to make the first move before talking strategy or the cost of litigation. “At this point, the onus is on Mr. Trump to fill in the details of this dangerous proposal,” said Mayor Gonzales in a statement. “Until he does we can only reiterate our commitment to fight for our values with all the tools we have on hand. What we won’t do is be bullied into just walking away from seeking federal investments to make this community stronger.” He added, “And because we are on the side of history, we believe we will eventually prevail.”</p>
<p>Maybe the best-case scenario, as far as costs go, is that New York City or California do the heavy lifting in a court fight.</p>
<p /> | Is SF inviting the ire of the President-elect? | false | https://abqjournal.com/926956/is-sf-inviting-the-ire-of-the-presidentelect.html | 2 |
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<p>After starring in a series of hit films in the latter half of the 1980s— Platoon, Wall Street, Young Guns, and Major League— Charlie Sheen’s acting star was on the rise. However, his personal life was in shambles—in early 1990, Sheen accidentally shot actress Kelly Preston, his then-fiancée, in the arm. “One night we thought we had prowlers; the burglar alarm went off, and I put my .22 in the pocket of my pants,” <a href="http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19900218&amp;slug=1056805" type="external">Sheen later claimed</a>. “It turned out to be nothing. I forgot about the gun, left my pants in the bathroom, and the next evening, Kelly was moving my clothes when the pistol went off. A bullet hit the toilet, and shrapnel hit Kelly's ankle and wrist.'' Nonetheless, Preston split—running into the arms of her current husband John Travolta. She reportedly went on to sell the 2.5 carat <a href="http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800016652/bio" type="external">engagement ring</a> Sheen had given her, but was allegedly kind enough to split the money with him.</p>
<p>After his relationship with the comparatively clean-cut Preston fizzled, Sheen began dating adult-film actress Ginger Lynn in 1990, setting off a long line of XXX-rated relationships. Sheen and Lynn dated for two years, including a dual drug-rehab stint. The relationship garnered a great deal of media attention, with Sheen taking a palpable PR hit for dating a porn star at the height of his Hollywood fame. In 1991, Lynn was convicted of falsifying a tax return, landing her in jail for four and a half months. Sheen and his father Martin reportedly wrote letters to the court on her behalf. Later that year, Lynn checked herself into rehab for a cocaine addiction and though their relationship ended in 1992, she still has fond memories of Sheen. “The first and last time I have ever been in love,” <a href="http://amprofile.blogspot.com/2009/05/colorful-story-of-ginger-lynn.html" type="external">Lynn said</a> of the actor. "He was the first man ever to break my heart… I don’t think I would ever date anyone with that high a profile again. We broke up publicly long before we broke up privately. It was basically managers, agents, and attorneys and his mom. She didn’t care for me.”</p>
<p>After cutting ties with Allen, Sheen briefly moved on to another adult-film star in 1994. He began seeing Heather Hunter—at the height of her pornographic fame—after meeting her at a party. A decade later, Hunter appeared with Ginger Lynn in Hustler’s 2004 film Can You Be a Pornstar? 3 &amp; 4. “He was a gentleman,” Hunter recently told <a href="http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2010/01/04/exclusive-charlie-sheens-ex-heather-hunter-tells-hollywoodlife-com-i-never-saw-that-crazy-side-of-him/" type="external">Hollywood Life</a> of Sheen. “I think with life, people see the good side and the bad side of certain people. I never saw the [bad side] of him. I guess it was a fortunate thing.” Hunter explained she “didn’t see that crazy side,” and described the Two and a Half Men star as “really nice, concerned and compassionate.”</p>
<p>After being <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/1995-07-13/local/me-23390_1_charlie-sheen" type="external">outed</a> as one of the many celebrity clients that frequented Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss’ brothels in her 1995 court case, Sheen married Elite model Donna Peele in a 1995 ceremony at the Saddleback Ranch in Malibu. "I'll just say Charlie is totally in love with Donna," Sheen’s bodyguard, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/gossip/1995/09/01/1995-09-01_it_s_sheen_s_turn_to_shine.html" type="external">Chuck Zito</a>, said at the time. "I wish them all the luck in the world." But unfortunately, their love was fleeting and Sheen separated from Peele after slightly more than five months of marriage. Following the split, he was <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/gossip/1996/03/07/1996-03-07_chasing_a_society_dame.html" type="external">rumored</a> to be heavily pursuing porn star Jenna Jameson, who recently offered advice for the women in Sheen’s unofficial adult-star alliance. “Run! Run! Screaming!” Jameson told <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/01/27/exclusive-jenna-jamesons-advice-charlie-sheens-porn-star-pals-run/#ixzz1DPnzB7D6" type="external">Fox News</a> with a laugh. “I think I might have been one of the very first girls in the [porn] ring. He stalked me, and it wasn't good.”</p>
<p>In 1996, another porn star became the object of Sheen’s affection. He briefly dated then-25-year-old Brittany Ashland, but she didn’t have the same kind words that fellow adult-film actresses Lynn or Hunter did. On Feb. 6, 1997, Ashland filed a <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-6033888-504083.html" type="external">lawsuit</a> against Sheen claiming that he grabbed her by the hair and slammed her onto the marble floor of his California home, knocking her unconscious and splitting her lip open, requiring several stitches on Dec. 20, 1996. She also alleged that Sheen threatened to kill her if she said a word about the incident. “Rarely do celebrity men take responsibility for their actors,” Ashland’s lawyer, Gloria Allred, told <a href="http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20122358,00.html" type="external">People magazine</a>. But the actor eventually pleaded no contest to <a href="http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20122474,00.html" type="external">misdemeanor battery charges</a> and was sentenced to a one-year suspended prison term and two years probation and ordered to pay $2,800, perform 300 hours of community service, and attend eight counseling sessions. At his sentencing, Sheen reportedly told the judge, "I feel this is very fair, and I'm grateful… you will not see me back in this courtroom," according to the <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/charlie-sheens-1996-domestic-violence-incident-in-la-could-become-factor-in-new-case.html" type="external">Los Angeles Times</a>. Though her case was settled, Ashland recently <a href="http://www.examiner.com/tv-in-national/charlie-sheen-s-ex-brittany-ashland-helping-domestic-violence-case" type="external">served</a> as a character witness against Sheen when he was charged with assaulting his most recent ex-wife Brooke Mueller on Christmas Day in 2009.</p>
<p>After meeting in 2000 on the set of the box-office dud Good Advice, Sheen married former Bond girl Denise Richards on June 15, 2002. The couple had two daughters together, but while Richards was pregnant with their second, she filed to divorce Sheen in March 2005, <a href="http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/celebrity/charlie-sheen-divorce-bombshell" type="external">accusing him</a> of being unstable, violent, addicted to gambling and prostitutes, and a frequent visitor of pornographic websites featuring young men and women who appeared to be underage. Their divorce was made official on Nov. 30, 2006, and, following a bitter, lengthy custody dispute over their children, the two have since made peace. In fact, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/11/24/2010-11-24_nypd_contacts_charlie_sheens_exwife_denise_richards_to_further_investigate_plaza.html" type="external">according to</a> The New York Daily News, Richards ate dinner with Sheen and his “date,” porn star Capri Anderson prior to his notorious meltdown at the Plaza Hotel in October 2010 and she also accompanied him to the hospital. “All she wants is for him to be healthy,” an insider recently told <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20462041,00.html" type="external">People</a> of Richards' feelings for Sheen.</p>
<p>In March 2005, while Richards was busy separating from Sheen, porn star and escort Chloe Jones sold a story to the <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/ent/celeb/articles/0325sheen.html" type="external">National Enquirer</a> claiming that Sheen paid her $15,000 for oral sex in January 2005. And Richards used the claim during her divorce proceedings in an effort to gain spousal support. When Jones died later that year, suffering from liver failure as a result of alcohol and prescription-drug abuse, Richards <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20060428055357/http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/411877p-348377c.html" type="external">claimed in court</a> that when she questioned him about whether he had a hand in the porn star’s death, he replied, “No comment.”</p>
<p>In April 2006, non-porn star Ursula Auburn—who says she had several romantic encounters with Sheen between 1992 and 1998—filed a lawsuit against him <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-04-15-charlie-sheen_N.htm" type="external">claiming</a> that the "wacky neighbor and female stalker Rose” (pictured here) on Sheen’s hit CBS TV sitcom, Two and a Half Men, was based on her. Auburn alleged that the way Rose dressed and talked resembled her, and that several of the plotlines were reminiscent of things that happened between herself and Sheen in real life. The disgruntled woman sought more than $1 million in damages and Sheen eventually settled the case on March 14, 2007, though details were not disclosed.</p>
<p>In 2008, things seemed to finally be looking up for the beleaguered sitcom star. Sheen married his third wife, real-estate investor Brooke Mueller on May 30 in an intimate ceremony. “They’re well-matched and incredibly happy,” a friend of the couple told <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20203278,00.html" type="external">People</a>. Nearly a year later, on March 14, 2009, Mueller gave birth to the couple’s twin sons, Bob and Max. Then, however, the two were involved in another in a long line of <a href="/content/dailybeast/galleries/2010/11/24/relive-the-biggest-holiday-weekend-scandals.html" type="external">holiday weekend scandals</a>. Sheen was arrested on charges of domestic violence, including second-degree assault and menacing in an incident that allegedly lead to him <a href="/content/dailybeast/cheats/2009/12/25/charlie-sheen-arrested-for-domestic-abuse.html" type="external">holding a knife</a> to Mueller’s throat. On August 2, 2010, Sheen pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to 30 days in rehab, 30 days of probation, and 36 hours of anger-management classes. Meanwhile, Sheen and Mueller haven’t been seen together in public since the altercation and Sheen filed for his third divorce on Nov. 1, 2010.</p>
<p>Of all Charlie Sheen’s <a href="/content/dailybeast/articles/2009/12/29/charlie-sheens-top-five-scandals.html" type="external">scandals</a>, his meltdown at the Plaza may be the biggest. On Oct. 26, 2010, after a night of reported partying, police busted into Sheen’s room at the famous Manhattan hotel to find the place <a href="/content/dailybeast/cheats/2010/10/27/charlie-sheens-hotel-room-photos.html" type="external">a mess</a> and the actor naked, high, and ranting. Sheen was carted off to the hospital and, to make matters worse, 23-year-old porn star/escort Capri Anderson was found naked, locked in the bathroom. Anderson made the publicity rounds, appearing on Good Morning America <a href="/content/dailybeast/articles/2010/11/23/capri-anderson-charlie-sheen-and-the-prostitution-dilemma.html" type="external">claiming</a> that she was paid $3,500 to accompany Sheen to dinner, and later that night, when things got romantic, he went ballistic. The actor countersued for extortion, claiming that Anderson was a prostitute who is just after his money. A series of <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2010/11/22/charlie-sheen-capri-anderson-text-messages-20-000-dollars-flirt-offer-hotel-incident-purse-meltdown/" type="external">flirty text messages</a> following the Plaza Hotel fiasco indicated that the Two and a Half Men star offered her $20,000 to set things straight, and that the two were on fairly amicable terms, despite her allegations.</p>
<p>Just one month ago, on Jan. 10, Sheen was at it again. The Two and a Half Men star hooked up with multiple porn stars— <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2011/01/12/bombshell-mcgee-charlie-sheen-bree-olson-las-vegas-the-palms-jesse-james/" type="external">including</a> Jesse James’ tattooed mistress Michelle “Bombshell” McGee and 24-year-old porn star Bree Olson— during a wild booze-and-drug fueled orgy, according to TMZ. The three were allegedly inside the $40,000-per-night Hugh Hefner Sky Villa inside the Fantasy Tower at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Following the incident, Olson’s friend told <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/sheen_dreamer_FwrsMQeSNb6Ard3lPmWglO" type="external">Page Six</a> that she believed she had a shot at romance with Sheen. “She doesn't understand why he doesn't get serious with his girls,” the source said.</p>
<p>The latest in the timeline of Sheen’s troubles took place on Jan. 27 when paramedics took him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for “severe abdominal pains.” Of course, this came following an <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2011/01/27/charlie-sheen-hospitalized-porn-star-kacey-jordan-video-account-recap-party-cocaine-blow-xxx/" type="external">alleged</a> 36-hour drug binge with a gaggle of porn stars at his palatial California mansion. One of the actresses along for the ride, Kacey Jordan, said that Sheen smoked cocaine out of a pipe all night while watching porn. She also claimed that he ordered in a <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2011/01/27/charlie-sheen-cocaine-bender-porn-star-party-coke-drugs-overdose-od-hospital/" type="external">briefcase full of cocaine</a> and wanted her to <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2011/01/31/charlie-sheen-kacey-jordan-good-morning-america-interview-babysit-children/" type="external">babysit his daughters</a> when he moves into a separate mansion populated with porn stars in what he allegedly referred to as a <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2011/01/27/charlie-sheen-porn-family-george-santo-pietro-booze-wine-mansion-hospital-xxx/" type="external">"porn family."</a> At one point, Sheen reportedly cut a $30,000 check made out to cash and <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2011/01/29/charlie-sheen-check-30000-kacey-jordan-porn-star-bender-bank-cash-money/" type="external">gifted it</a> to one of the porn stars. Despite the crazy soiree, it was later <a href="/content/dailybeast/cheats/2011/01/27/charlie-sheen-rushed-to-hospital.html" type="external">reported</a> that Sheen had to be hospitalized for aggravating a preexisting hernia by laughing too hard at the TV.</p> | Charlie Sheen's Ladies | true | https://thedailybeast.com/charlie-sheens-ladies | 2018-10-04 | 4 |
<p>Shares of Perrigo Co. Plc fell more than 9% late Monday after the Dublin, Ireland, -based drug maker reported unaudited 2016 results and said it had agreed to sell the royalties from Tysabri, a multiple sclerosis drug. The Tysabri royalties would be sold to RPI Finance Trust, an affiliate of Royalty Pharma, for up to $2.85 billion, composed of $2.2 billion cash at closing and up to $650 million in payments based on future net sales. The deal is expected to close within 30 business days, subject to certain conditions, Perrigo said in a statement. Perrigo reported a preliminary 2016 loss in a range of $28.85 and $29 a share, and preliminary adjusted earnings per diluted share in the range of $7.10 a share and $7.25 a share. Perrigo said it expects 2017 reported earnings per share to be in the range of $3.39 to $3.74, and adjusted earnings per diluted share to be in the range of $6.30 to $6.65. The company also appointed Ron Winowiecki as acting chief financial officer, effective immediately, after the resignation of Judy L. Brown, who joined another pharmaceutical company. Perrigo is conducting a search for a permanent CFO, "which includes Mr. Winowiecki as a key candidate," the company said in a separate statement.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2017 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | Perrigo Shares Down 9% After Company Reports Loss, Sells Drug Royalties | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/02/27/perrigo-shares-down-after-company-reports-loss-sells-drug-royalties.html | 2017-03-16 | 0 |
<p>Does Marxism have a political future? Hobsbawm is clearly not optimistic. But at the same time, he gives the impression that hard as it may be to imagine the transcendence of capitalism in the short term, it is difficult for him to conceive that socialism is&#160;not&#160;on the cards in the long run. He still thinks Marx was basically right about the logic of capitalism — to ever greater centralization, or socialization even, of the organization of production, combined with episodic breakdowns. He now thinks Marx was wrong to see the proletariat as the gravedigger, leaving that position vacant.</p>
<p>Those of us who have come so very late to the party, so to speak, inevitably have a different perspective. We discovered Marx long after the flaws of Marxism and “really-existing socialism” had become obvious, in a period of protracted recession in the labor movement. And yet, we still found something of value. Many, probably most, of us learned much of our Marx at university, deeply impressed by that intellectual flowering of the 1970s which Hobsbawm sees as the high-water mark. The course of his life has followed an epic rise and fall which naturally shapes his conclusions. For us, there is a lot more future to come. Hobsbawm is right that Marxism is academic without a labor movement whose margins can be haunted. But it is hard to believe that the labor movement is dead, even in the rich countries of the West. Surprisingly, “working class” is nearly always prefaced with “industrial” in this book, and it is indeed unlikely that the labor movements of the future will be dominated by manufacturing workers. But in the broad sense, in Marx’s sense, the proletariat includes anyone who has to work for a living. They are still around, and more than a few of them even go to university.</p>
<p>Reform will need to revive before there are many people to talk to about revolution. But the point that Hobsbawm sees as the core of a Marxian approach to politics will be as relevant as ever: that political strategy takes place within a framework of social forces that voluntaristic moral force cannot overcome. This is a point that can be read in different ways, and in the past Hobsbawm has read it the wrong way, as one of the right-wing communists of the 1980s who tried to save UK Labour from the unelectable Tony Benn — as if Labour needed Marxists to look after its electoral interests.</p>
<p>But it can also be read the right way. The unrealistic utopians of our day are busy developing non-partisan position papers proposing rational reforms of financial regulation and making reasonable cases for a reduction in inequality, because it is harmful to the social fabric and to health and safety. But there is no genuine way forward that does not polarize class interests and galvanize a movement, and if there is a lesson to be taken from the politics of the last few decades it is that there will be no sustainable gains that do not fundamentally undermine wealth and its power.</p>
<p>Excerpted from “ <a href="" type="internal">Pessimism&#160;of the Will</a>” (Jacobin, Issue 2).</p> | Eric Hobsbawm and the Next Left | true | http://jacobinmag.com/2012/10/eric-hobsbawm-and-the-next-left/ | 2018-10-04 | 4 |
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<p>With about 98 percent of New Mexico in at least “severe” drought, according to the weekly federal Drought Monitor, it would appear the rain gods have abandoned the state.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, other parts of the country are awash in heavy rainfall and flooding. Mother Nature is capricious in her distribution.</p>
<p>But back home in the Land of Enchantment, rivers and lakes are shrinking, wildfires are raging, cattle herds are starving and farmers are crying for irrigation water.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>New Mexico is in its third year of serious drought conditions. Little relief is in the near forecast.</p>
<p>In Albuquerque, which is rated as being in “exceptional drought,” less than an inch of rain – 0.91 – has been recorded at the National Weather Service’s station since the beginning of October, the third driest start of the city’s “water year” since the late 1800s. Meager runoff from light mountain snowpack didn’t help, either.</p>
<p>The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, which manages the river in the central part of the state, has cut off deliveries to low priority users and could be forced to cut off other farmers this month.</p>
<p>Growing fire danger has closed forests and wildlands. The Sandia and Manzano Ranger Districts are basically closed, and other districts around the state are in various stages of restrictions.</p>
<p>The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, which has water saved up in Abiquiu Reservoir, is selling 40,000 acre feet to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to keep the Middle Rio Grande wet for the endangered silvery minnow.</p>
<p>The lakes in Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge have gone dry. As has the largest body of water at the Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge in Colfax County.</p>
<p>Estancia Valley water well levels are dropping and some wells are going dry. In Las Cruces, the Rio Grande had been dry since last fall until last week. The Elephant Butte Irrigation District, which normally delivers irrigation water in February and March, is finally releasing water from Caballo Reservoir to southern New Mexico farmers.</p>
<p>Worse yet is a prediction that the Colorado River Basin could have shortages by 2016 and upper basin users, including New Mexico, could feel the effects, too. Water from the San Juan River, one of the Colorado’s tributaries, is brought to the Rio Grande for use as drinking water in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The San Juan also provides water to the Navajo Nation and other northwest New Mexico communities.</p>
<p>Despite living in the worst drought conditions, Albuquerque’s residential customers are doing their part. Thanks to their conservation efforts the aquifer which had been dropping at a rate of three feet a year is rebounding. But residential customers alone can’t change the bleak water picture – and its relationship to the state’s economic well-being.</p>
<p>By far the largest water consumer is agriculture. Mining and extractive industries also can be big users. No one should want to see these industries curtailed, but it begs the question of whether everything that can maximize conservation is being done. Water availability is often a factor when businesses and industries consider locating or expanding in New Mexico. And burned up forests don’t attract tourists, either.</p>
<p>New Mexico has fabulous resources, but they must be managed to benefit its citizens while still encouraging smart growth and economic diversity.</p>
<p>We should all do whatever we can to conserve water, because every drop counts.</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> | Editorial: Water conservation is best option for N.M. | false | https://abqjournal.com/208485/water-conservation-is-best-option-for-nm.html | 2013-06-09 | 2 |
<p>As if cancer wasn't enough, there's yet another reasons to kick the habit of smoking cigarettes.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/11/20/ageing.afs166.full.pdf+html" type="external">&#160;new study</a> out of King's College London and published in the journal Age and Ageing suggests smoking cigarettes may damage the brain.</p>
<p>The study, which tested 8,800 people 50 years and older over eight years on basic memory skills, also suggests high blood pressure and obesity adversely affect the brain, though not as much.</p>
<p>Those who consistently smoked had lower scores on tests given by the researchers.</p>
<p>The study concluded:</p>
<p>"Elevated cardiovascular risk may be associated with accelerated decline in cognitive functioning in the elderly." The study then stressed the need for future research.</p>
<p>A spokesperson from the Alzheimer's Society <a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/408378/20121126/smoking-rots-brain-damage-memory-cognitive-ability.htm" type="external">told the IBTimes</a>: "We all know smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and a high BMI is bad for our heart. This research adds to the huge amount of evidence that also suggests they can be bad for our head too."</p>
<p>Researcher Dr Alex Dregan <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20463363" type="external">told the BBC</a>: "Cognitive decline becomes more common with ageing and for an increasing number of people interferes with daily functioning and well-being.</p>
<p>"We have identified a number of risk factors which could be associated with accelerated cognitive decline, all of which, could be modifiable."</p>
<p>He added: "We need to make people aware of the need to do some lifestyle changes because of the risk of cognitive decline."</p> | Smoking bad for brain, new study says | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-11-26/smoking-bad-brain-new-study-says | 2012-11-26 | 3 |
<p />
<p>The Senate Judiciary Committee is considering issuing subpoenas to President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman and two FBI officials close to fired director James Comey as part of the panel's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>It would be the second time the panel has subpoenaed Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the panel, subpoenaed Manafort in July but rescinded the subpoena a day later when he agreed to turn over documents and continue negotiating about setting up an interview with the panel.</p>
<p>Grassley indicated Thursday that negotiations over an interview have since stalled.</p>
<p>"All I can tell you is I'm not very satisfied with the fact that his lawyers aren't returning our calls," he said.</p>
<p>It would be the first subpoenas for the two FBI officials, Jim Rybicki and Carl Ghattas, after the Justice Department reiterated in a letter this week that it won't permit the two men to testify. The department had initially declined the panel's request in July.</p>
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<p>Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd said in the letter that the overlapping areas of the committee's investigation and special counsel Robert Mueller's probe had not yet been sorted out.</p>
<p>If the committee does decide to subpoena the FBI officials, it could increase tensions between Mueller and Congress as the special counsel and multiple committees probe Russian interference and possible links to Trump's campaign. It also indicates that both Mueller and the Judiciary panel see the FBI officials as relevant witnesses to the events leading up to Comey's firing. Comey has said Trump asked him to end an investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and also asked him over dinner to pledge his loyalty to him.</p>
<p>Committee aides said Friday that the panel is mulling the three subpoenas. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiations are private.</p>
<p>Feinstein has said she would agree if Grassley wanted to subpoena Manafort. She has said she wanted to hear from the two FBI witnesses, but has not commented publicly on a subpoena.</p>
<p>In addition to the three men, Grassley and Feinstein had invited Donald Trump Jr., the son of the president, and Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of a Washington opposition research firm that produced a dossier of salacious allegations involving Trump. Both held closed-door interviews with the panel in recent weeks.</p>
<p>Trump Jr.'s interview with the committee largely focused on a June 2016 meeting involving a Russian lawyer and an offer to provide damaging information about his father's opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton.</p>
<p>The House Judiciary Committee has so far declined to investigate the Russian meddling, but the chairman and top Democrat on that panel met with Mueller on Thursday.</p>
<p>The committee's chairman, Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., has called on the Justice Department to appoint a second special counsel to investigate "unaddressed issues" related to the 2016 election and former Obama administration officials, including Clinton. He has said his panel will exercise oversight over Mueller as appropriate, and that Mueller should not be impeded by politics.</p>
<p>Democratic Rep. John Conyers of Michigan also attended the meeting with Mueller. On Friday, Conyers introduced legislation that would attempt to protect Mueller and any future special counsels from being fired arbitrarily. The legislation, a companion to a Senate bill introduced in August, would allow any special counsel for the Justice Department to challenge his or her removal in court, with a review by a three-judge panel within 14 days of the challenge.</p>
<p>Trump has been critical of Mueller, and his legal team was looking into potential conflicts surrounding the team Mueller has hired, including the backgrounds of members and political contributions by some members to Hillary Clinton. Trump has also publicly warned Mueller that he would be out of bounds if he dug into the Trump family's finances.</p>
<p>Also Friday, Manafort's longtime spokesman appeared before a grand jury in Washington.</p>
<p>Jason Maloni, a president of a public relations firm, appeared Friday in front of a federal grand jury that Mueller is using in his investigation.</p>
<p>Maloni said in a statement afterward that he was required to appear as a witness before the grand jury and that he had answered questions and complied with the obligation.</p>
<p>It was not immediately clear why Mueller and his team were interested in bringing Maloni before the grand jury.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed to this report.</p> | Judiciary considers subpoenas for Manafort, FBI officials | true | http://foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/09/15/judiciary-considers-subpoenas-for-manafort-fbi-officials.html | 2017-09-15 | 0 |
<p>The people who run our universities are at war with personal offense and emotional discomfort – or so they will tell you. In reality, they are among the most offensive people on the planet. At least that’s what I have concluded now that my university has officially started to incorporate “microaggression” training into freshman student orientation.</p>
<p>I recently found out about our microaggression training when a freshman student came by my office for an introduction. Her father has been reading my columns for years. When she decided to study criminology he insisted that his daughter come to UNC-Wilmington so she could take my classes. I guess dad wanted her to have at least one conservative professor while she was in college and I was the only one they could locate.</p>
<p>At the end of the student’s visit, I encouraged her to come back if she ever had trouble with a professor in the classroom - or if she had trouble with an administrator outside the classroom. That’s when she told me about a strange experience she had in the freshman orientation. It came at the hands of a university employee who was teaching students new and innovative ways of becoming offended.</p>
<p>Apparently, despite the skyrocketing cost of education, UNCW has enough money to hire a microaggression expert who sits down in student orientation and explains the concept to all incoming freshman. Come to think of it, I am surprised that the “expert” cannot see how offensive the term freshmen is to people who aren’t men - or those who simply have not yet “chosen” a gender.</p>
<p>This year during freshman orientation, the “expert” told students to write down instances where someone had offended them with a microaggression. My reader’s daughter – whose name I have omitted to protect her from macroaggression at the hands of the Dean of Students - had a hard time thinking of something. After a few minutes, she recalled that a male had once referred to her as a “stupid blonde chick.” So she wrote it down, not realizing that the microaggression “expert” was going to have students read them aloud in front of the entire orientation group.</p>
<p>When my reader’s blonde daughter read her microaggression to the crowd the diversity “expert” attempted to show empathy by responding roughly as follows: “It must have been deeply hurtful to you that he assumed you were female.”</p>
<p>I hope everyone caught that. If not, please have another cup of coffee and reread the last paragraph. The student was obviously offended by being called “stupid.” But the microaggression “expert” was claiming there was another basis for being offended – namely, having people assume your gender before you inform them of your “gender identity” preference.</p>
<p>It is worth noting that the blonde student stands about 5’3” and probably weighs no more than 100 pounds. She doesn’t look like she’s ever been to an Indigo Girls concert. In fact, she’s so obviously feminine that even a blind man could tell she’s not a man – or even a woman pretending to be one.</p>
<p>This process of teaching students new ways to be offended is dangerous. In fact, it has two obvious and specific disadvantages for the broader educational environment. But just in case there are any stupid blondes (or microaggression experts) reading this column I will go ahead and state them in bold letters:</p>
<p>In addition to those broad problems (please excuse the potentially sexist overtones of the word “broad”) there is also the occasional problem of actually offending students by telling them they should be offended. For example, telling a 5’3”, 100 pound blonde that her gender is not obvious and she could pass for a man might actually cause offense. That’s not something most blonde chicks want to hear.</p>
<p>So why do universities teach about micro aggression given that a) universities are supposed to be the quintessential marketplace of ideas and, b) legitimizing micro aggression chills both professor and student speech? The reason is twofold:</p>
<p>In short, our universities are no longer marketplaces of ideas. They have become more like fiefdoms. Actually, that is too kind. They have become intellectual whorehouses where rights of free expression are bartered away for money. Regardless of the metaphor you choose, the motivations of the unprincipled bureaucrats who run them are so obvious that they are impossible to deny. No further elaboration is really necessary. In fact, even a stupid blonde chick could understand what the whores of diversity are up to.</p>
<p>In closing, I hope I will be forgiven for ending one sentence with a preposition. I guess it is better than ending all debate with a proposition.</p> | How To Explain Microaggressions To Stupid Blondes | true | https://dailywire.com/news/9387/how-explain-microaggressions-stupid-blondes-mike-s-adams | 2016-09-22 | 0 |
<p>CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: Before you get into… what the case is about, I’d like to clear up at the outset what it’s not about. No part of your argument has to do with racial or ethnic profiling, does it? Saw none of that in your brief.</p>
<p>GENERAL VERRILLI: That’s correct. Okay. So this is –</p>
<p>CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: not a case about ethnic profiling.</p>
<p>GENERAL VERRILLI: We’re not making any allegation about racial or ethnic profiling in the case.</p>
<p>– – Transcript from Arizona vs. United States, 2012 US Supreme Court Case</p>
<p>It was nearly a month ago when the US Supreme Court issued its opinion in the case of Arizona vs. United States. In the decision, the Court ruled that most of Arizona’s SB1070 was unconstitutional because the enforcement of immigration law is a federal power, not a state power.</p>
<p>In the wake of the SB1070 decision, most of the discussion in the immigrant rights community has revolved around Section (2)b of the law, which the media often refers to as the “show me your papers” provision. Section (2)b, the only section in question that the court let stand, requires Arizona police officers to check the immigration status of anyone they stop, detain, or arrest in their normal course of duty.</p>
<p>Naturally, many supporters of immigrant rights are incensed that the Supreme Court would leave 2(b) in place. But I would argue that the Supreme Court actually made a reasonable decision. Asserting that 2(b) is preempted by federal law is a fairly weak argument. Although it would have greatly strengthened its case against 2(b), the Obama administration explicitly excluded concerns about racial profiling from their lawsuit.&#160; It is a wonder that no one in the advocacy world has made much of this exclusion, but – then again – these people have a tendency to act in mysterious ways during an election season.</p>
<p>This, the ACLU, MALDEF, and National Immigration Law Center <a href="" type="internal">filed a lawsuit</a> of their own, challenging 2(b) on civil rights grounds. But why couldn’t the Obama administration simply have included this legal challenge in its case? Maybe it was some brilliant legal strategy – wait until the empirical data on racial profiling piles up before building an irrefutable case. Or let advocacy groups like the ACLU to prove their worth by allowing them to deliver the final blow.</p>
<p>But these are unlikely scenarios. The most probable explanation is that a civil rights challenge would have undermined the Obama administration’s entire immigration enforcement strategy, which relies heavily on state and local police to verify people’s immigration status.</p>
<p>Since 2005, the process of capturing deportable immigrants has shifted away from worksite raids and into the dragnet of state and local police forces. Increasingly, the feds have police do exactly what Section 2(b) has police do – verify the immigration status of people they come across during their course of duty and report that information to ICE. In 2005, ICE started a program called 287(g), which allowed police officers in participating jurisdictions to become deputized as ICE agents after undergoing a short training. In 2006, ICE started the Secure Communities program, which requires police to send them fingerprint scans for anyone they arrest in order to verify people’s immigration status.</p>
<p>While 287(g) has not grown significantly under the Obama administration, Obama’s DHS has transformed Secure Communities from a modestly sized program to one that covers 97% of police departments in the United States. Obama’s DHS has said that participation in the program is mandatory and that there will be 100% coverage by 2013. It looks like they are ahead of schedule.</p>
<p>The massive expansion of Secure Communities has taken place with absolutely no analysis of the program’s effects on police practices regarding racial profiling. It turns out that DHS wrote up procedures to monitor every jurisdiction participating in Secure Communities. There is a statistical formula that is supposed to inform DHS if police are taking in a disproportionate number of immigrants and charging them with minor crimes as an excuse to scan their fingerprints.</p>
<p>When DHS announced that it was “restricting” the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office from access to Secure Communities, I wondered how Sheriff Joe scored on the statistical test. So I filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act in December of 2011. On February 27, 2012 <a href="file://localhost/open" type="external">the documents I requested</a> came in the mail. The results: nothing. I received just a few pages outlining the statistical monitoring procedures, all of which I had already seen on the DHS website. This meant that DHS ran Secure Communities for five years without looking for evidence of racial profiling. Seven months after announcing they would look for such evidence, they hadn’t, even while the program was rapidly expanding.</p>
<p>The criminal justice system may very well be the most unjust institution in the United States. The prison population quintupled since 1970 despite no increase in crime rates. A large majority of the people in prison, on probation, on parole, or “stopped and frisked” by police have black or brown skin. Under Bush, the criminal justice system flirted with the immigration system. Under Obama, the two are having a full-on affair. Their perverse encounter has absolutely disastrous effects, seeding fear within immigrant communities, deterring victims of crimes from coming forward, and further ingraining the myth that immigrants and people of color are criminals. The policy <a href="http://trac.syr.edu/immigration/reports/268/" type="external">hasn’t even achieved ICE’s stated goal</a> of focusing resources on deporting immigrants with criminal records.</p>
<p>While having SB1070’s Section 2(b) struck down on civil rights grounds would be an important step forward, the results would be even more profound if the case also created a legal precedent that changed policy at the federal level, breaking off the affair between police departments and immigration enforcement once and for all.</p>
<p>Justin Feldman can be reached at: &#160; <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p>Stonewall and the Battle for Gay Rights&#160;</p>
<p>Director John Scagliotti has donated copies of his acclaimed films Before Stonewall and After Stonewall for the CounterPunch Online Auction.&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Bid now to own a copy these ground-breaking documentaries on a radical struggle for equal rights</a>.</p> | The Missing Racial Profiling Argument in the Arizona Case | true | https://counterpunch.org/2012/07/19/the-missing-racial-profiling-argument-in-the-arizona-case/ | 2012-07-19 | 4 |
<p>For Love of the Game, starring Kevin Costner as Billy Chapel, an aging pitcher for the Detroit Tigers who hopes to end his career with a perfect game, turns out to be yet another Costnerian marathon of mawkishness and self indulgence. Oddly for a film that is ostensibly about a guy who has to learn to love by learning that he can’t do it all himself—that he is one of those people who, as Barbra Streisand would say, needs people—this is a movie all about Kevin Costner. No other character in the film is allowed an independent existence; all are satellites orbiting Costner’s sun. Such is the man’s narcissism that, when the final cut dropped his nude scene, he publicly protested at the cowardice of the act, as if the world had been cruelly deprived of the great delectation of a peek at his private parts.</p>
<p>Rather confusingly, most of the action takes place in flashback, during the Tigers’ half of the innings of Billy’s hopeful perfect game. Not the least of the film’s many implausibilities is that a man who spends so much time mooning about his lost love between innings and, sometimes, between pitches (to say nothing of talking to himself and opposing batters, who cannot hear him) would have the concentration to pitch a perfect game. But then Billy seems to possess an extremely valuable superpower. He has only to utter his mound mantra—“Clear the mechanism”— and he tunes out everything. The sound goes off, the crowd blurs and, for the space of a pitch, Billy’s focus is only on the batter and his own catcher, played by John C. Reilly.</p>
<p>Kelly Preston plays the love interest, Jane Aubrey, a single mother and writer for women’s magazines whom Billy begins to see for some no-fault sex whenever the Tigers are in New York to play the Yankees. “You do what you do; I do what I do,” she says compliantly. When he asks her to join him for a few days in Florida during spring training, it all goes disastrously wrong, but they realize that they need more of each other than either has yet been willing to give. Billy forms a bond with Jane’s teenage daughter, Heather (Jena Malone), after the pattern of the similarly self-indulgent Message in a Bottle, and it begins to look as if they will soon be a happy family. But then Billy injures himself and withdraws again into his shell of self-sufficiency.</p>
<p>“You don’t need me..You and the ball and the diamond—you’re perfect. You can win all by yourself,” Jane tells him at the culminating point of all the flashbacks. To her and to the filmmakers, this quality seems to have something to do with masculinity and love of baseball, which seem at times to be almost the same thing. “You are like the ultimate guy,” says Jane, who nevertheless tries to help him and support him after his injury. But Billy drives her away. “You make me feel distracted,” he says to her, suggesting that she go home and leave him alone. “You make me feel weak.” All his energies are focused on returning to baseball, which only confirms her impression of what is most important in his life. “Haven’t you ever loved anything that much?” he asks. And she leaves.</p>
<p>But baseball isn’t what it was. The Tigers’ owner, played by Brian Cox, is going to sell the team at the end of the season, and the new owners’ first act will be to trade Billy away from the team where he has played for his entire career. Will he stay with the game even through such a sordid commercial transaction as that? He can’t make up his mind. But gradually, in the course of pitching that last game, he realizes that, if you put it like that, he loves Jane almost as much as baseball. He even needs her. He’ll just pitch that perfect game, tell the powers that be what to do with their new contract, and return to Jane—who is about to fly off to London to get away from him but who will forgive all and fold him in her embrace.</p>
<p>That’s the plan, anyway. That’s what Costner/Billy expects to happen now that his career is about to end anyway. But surely even Costner would not allow the actual movie to look so much like an adolescent wish-fulfilment fantasy as that. Would he? Well, here’s a hint. The real baseball announcer, Vin Scully, calls the imaginary game and is given things like this to say: “He [Billy] will make the fateful walk to the loneliest spot in the world [i.e. the pitcher’s mound]. . . He’s pitching not against the Yankees, not against [etc etc]. . .but against Time. . .And maybe he can put the sun back in the sky for one more day of summer.” The appearance at this crucial juncture of the A. Bartlett Giamatti school of English prose should tell you everything you need to know about this laughably bad movie.</p> | For Love of the Game | false | https://eppc.org/publications/for-love-of-the-game/ | 1 |
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<p>Melissa Harris-Perry removed&#160;herself from the air on Saturday in protest of MSNBC’s repeatedly&#160;preempting&#160;the <a href="https://medium.com/@JamilSmith/melissa-harris-perry-s-email-to-her-nerdland-staff-11292bdc27cb#.2l8w2h62q" type="external">MHP show without warning</a>. Now it looks like MSNBC will&#160;keep her off the air permanently&#160;— stemming in part from MHP’s desire to&#160; <a href="http://jezebel.com/msnbc-official-cuts-ties-with-melissa-harris-perry-over-1761809936" type="external">&#160;discuss race and identity in Beyoncé’s “Formation.”</a>&#160;</p>
<p>Three black Muslim men were <a href="http://muslimmatters.org/2016/02/28/3-young-african-muslims-shot-execution-style-many-questions-to-be-answered/" type="external">shot execution-style</a>&#160;last week.</p>
<p>Mya Taylor is the <a href="http://www.etonline.com/news/183313_transgender_actress_mya_taylor_makes_history_with_independent_film_spirit_award_win/" type="external">first trans actor</a> to win a major film award.</p>
<p>Monica Jones was <a href="https://twitter.com/tslove602/status/703483208743038978" type="external">outed by her Lyft driver</a>. In response, the company <a href="https://twitter.com/tslove602/status/703704835757989888" type="external">offered her a $15 ride credit</a>.</p>
<p>17-year-old shot by police in Salt Lake City <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3467990/Boy-16-carrying-BROOMSTICK-shot-police-Salt-Lake-City-sparking-angry-protests.html" type="external">for carrying a broomstick</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://theculture.forharriet.com/2016/02/beauty-company-gets-dragged-for.html#axzz41ZSq9M2O" type="external">FYI Total Beauty</a>: Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah are different people.</p>
<p><a href="https://soundcloud.com/wh-uninterrupted/emma-sulkowicz" type="external">“Mattress Girl suggests that I’m this internet fairy that popped out of their computer. I’m trying to push people to recognize me as a human being.”</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Daily Feminist Cheat Sheet | true | http://feministing.com/2016/02/29/daily-feminist-cheat-sheet-760/ | 4 |
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<p>The <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-letter19oct19,1,7356162.story" type="external">letter</a> sent to 14,000 voters with Spanish surnames in California’s 47th district last month wasn’t the only <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2006/10/2557_fresh_gop_scand.html" type="external">episode</a> of voter intimidation targeting Latino voters this election cycle.</p>
<p>In Colorado, Latino voters <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4621556" type="external">received</a> phone calls on Monday (similar to calls in <a href="" type="external">Virginia</a>), where callers told them they that if they voted they would go to jail, prompting Democratic senator Ken Salazar to make a call of his own own telling them that they could.</p>
<p>In Tucson, legal observers with the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1107latinovoters07-ON.html#" type="external">witnessed</a> Latino voters being targeted outside a polling station. Staff attorney Diego Bernal told the Arizona Republic:</p>
<p>“As one man was going up to the voter with the clipboard, another man was videotaping the interaction. At the same time, the third man was walking around with a gun on his waist. They were being provocative. They would have conversations with each other, where they were using mock Spanish accents. It was upsetting.”</p>
<p>Clearly things are getting worse for Latinos in Arizona, where voters yesterday overwhelmingly <a href="http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/politics/154979.php" type="external">passed</a> four anti-immigration propositions. But in California there was at least some justice yesterday. Tan Nugyen, whose campaign was behind that now infamous letter (and who is also an immigrant, yeah, go figure) got <a href="http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/CA/" type="external">trounced at the polls</a>, losing 62% to 38% to Rep. Loretta Sanchez.</p>
<p>—Amaya Rivera</p>
<p /> | Evidence of Latino Voter Intimidation in California, Colorado, Virginia and Arizona | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2006/11/evidence-latino-voter-intimidation-california-colorado-virginia-and-arizona/ | 2006-11-09 | 4 |
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<p>NEW YORK — Stock indexes inched ahead to record highs Friday, barely, after a late-afternoon push erased losses from earlier in the day. It caps the fourth straight week of gains for the Standard &amp; Poor’s 500 index, its longest such streak since July.</p>
<p>Reports through the week showed that the economy is improving and corporate profits are growing more quickly than analysts expected. The encouraging data, along with hopes for lower taxes and other business-friendly policies from Washington, pushed the S&amp;P 500 to a 1.5 percent rise last week, its best weekly performance since the first week of January.</p>
<p>The S&amp;P 500 rose 3.94 points Friday, or 0.2 percent, to 2,351.16. The Dow Jones industrial average edged up by 4.28 points, less than 0.1 percent, to 20,624.05 and also set a record. The Nasdaq rose 23.68, or 0.4 percent, to 5,838.58, its own all-time high.</p>
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<p>Slightly more stocks fell than rose on the New York Stock Exchange.</p>
<p>The last two days have been lackluster for stocks, with the S&amp;P 500 dipping on Thursday, in comparison to the strong run they had been on. That slowdown was more a result of investors looking to cash in some profits than on any fear or need to get out of the market, said JJ Kinahan, chief market strategist at TD Ameritrade.</p>
<p>“People don’t want unnecessary risk heading into a three-day weekend,” he said. “This is more about taking off risk than about aggressive selling.”</p>
<p>U.S. markets will be closed Monday for Presidents Day.</p>
<p>Kinahan pointed to relative calmness in the markets for the VIX index, which measures expectations for upcoming volatility in the S&amp;P 500, and for gold, a traditional landing spot when investors are nervous.</p>
<p>Kraft Heinz surged to the biggest gain in the S&amp;P 500 after it made an offer to buy European consumer goods giant Unilever. Unilever rejected the bid, which offered 18 percent more than where Unilever’s shares closed on Thursday, and called it too low.</p>
<p>Kraft Heinz, which is behind the Lunchables and Oscar Mayer brands, jumped $9.37, or 10.7 percent, to $96.65. U.S.-listed shares of Unilever, which sells Breyers ice cream and Dove soap, surged $5.96, or 14 percent, to $48.53.</p>
<p>Campbell Soup had the biggest drop in the S&amp;P 500 after the company surprised analysts by reporting weaker revenue in its latest quarter than a year earlier. Its earnings were better than Wall Street had forecast, however. Shares fell $4.07, or 6.5 percent, to $58.48.</p>
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<p>General Mills fell $2.31, or 3.8 percent, to $59.23 after it warned of tougher times ahead. It said weaker-than-expected U.S. sales of yogurt and soup pushed it to cut its sales and profit forecast for its fiscal year, which ends in May.</p>
<p>Treasury yields gave back some of the gains they made earlier in the week. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.42 percent from 2.45 percent late Thursday. The two-year yield dipped to 1.19 percent from 1.21 percent, and the 30-year Treasury yield sank to 3.02 percent from 3.05 percent.</p>
<p>In European stock markets, the French CAC 40 index fell 0.7 percent, Germany’s DAX was virtually flat and the U.K. FTSE 100 rose 0.3 percent. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell 0.6 percent, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 0.3 percent and South Korea’s Kospi index slipped 0.1 percent.</p>
<p>The dollar fell to 112.93 Japanese yen from 113.11 yen late Thursday. The euro fell to $1.0607 from $1.0677, and the British pound fell to $1.2416 from $1.2497.</p>
<p>Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 4 cents to settle at $53.40 a barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, fell 16 cents to close at $55.81 a barrel. Natural gas fell 2 cents to $2.83 per 1,000 cubic feet, wholesale gasoline fell nearly 1 cent to $1.52 per gallon and heating oil rose a fraction of a penny to $1.64 per gallon.</p>
<p>Gold fell $2.50 to settle at $1,239.10 per ounce, silver fell 4 cents to $18.03 per ounce and copper fell 1 cent to $2.71 per pound.</p> | Stocks inch to new records; S&P 500 up 4 straight weeks | false | https://abqjournal.com/952060/falling-bank-stocks-nudge-sp-500-a-bit-further-from-record.html | 2017-02-17 | 2 |
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<p>To have their names on the ballot, candidates had to file with the Rio Rancho City Clerk on Tuesday. By desired office, they are:</p>
<p>Mayor:</p>
<p>• R. Morgan Braden</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>• Greggory D. Hull</p>
<p>• Jim Owen</p>
<p>• Michael J. Williams</p>
<p>Municipal Judge:</p>
<p>• G. Robert Cook (incumbent)</p>
<p>• Jeffrey A. Goen</p>
<p>• Ramon M. Montano</p>
<p>City Council District 2:</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>• Sandra Jean Atwood</p>
<p>• Darlene D. Collins</p>
<p>• Dawnn Robinson</p>
<p>City Council District 3:</p>
<p>• Cheryl Ann Everett</p>
<p>• Tamara L. Gutierrez (incumbent)</p>
<p>City Council District 5:</p>
<p>• Thomas R. Buckner</p>
<p>• Timothy C. Crum (incumbent)</p>
<p>• Paul Joseph Howell</p>
<p>• Shelby Smith</p>
<p>The Observer plans to publish candidate questionnaires at a later date, and has scheduled a forum for city council and mayoral candidates for 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Cleveland High School Performing Arts Center.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | 16 candidates file for election in March | false | https://abqjournal.com/333133/16-candidates-file-for-election-in-march.html | 2 |
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<p>The following Facebook video comes <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYuoYubQhdg" type="external">from the YouTube channel</a> of <a href="http://brobible.com/life/article/must-watch-professional-arm-wrestler/" type="external">Mac “The Stop Sign” Telle</a>, a professional armwrestler. His fans, who post all of Telle’s official YouTube videos on Facebook, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Stopsignarmwrestler/?fref=photo" type="external">shared it</a> on an unaffiliated fan page. In the video, Telle, who is based in Napa Valley, addresses the myth that “Mexicans are taking our jobs and stealing our money.” Can we get Telle to armwrestle Donald Trump?</p>
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<p>In a new video posted by Joe T. Hodo, a rescue dog named Malinche helps the oilman to prevent Mexicans from organizing their communities.</p>
<p>November 27, 2017</p>
<p>Just when I think that the notion of “white Hispanic” has faded away, several more commentaries continue to appear. All raise important points yet miss others that are equally important. (I want to thank&#160;Christina Saenz-Alcánatra for effectively and succinctly explaining the arguments of various commentaries.) To discuss “white Hispanics,” means…</p>
<p>October 1, 2014</p>
<p>UPDATE: The Facebook video has been removed but it is still on YouTube. The following video below posted last night on Facebook has already gotten over 100,000 shares on Facebook. It shows students from Sonora, Mexico, protesting the missing students from Ayotzinapa teachers’ college in the Mexican state of Guerrero.…</p>
<p>October 23, 2014</p> | Professional Armwrestler Just Schooled You All About ‘Mexicans Take Our Jobs’ Myth | true | http://latinorebels.com/2016/01/30/professional-armwrestler-just-schooled-you-all-about-mexicans-take-our-jobs-myth/ | 2016-01-30 | 4 |
<p>SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s competition regulator said on Monday it would investigate whether U.S. online giants Facebook (NASDAQ:) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:) Inc’s Google had disrupted the news media to the detriment of publishers and consumers.</p>
<p>Like their rivals globally, Australia’s traditional media companies have been squeezed by online rivals, as advertising dollars have followed eyeballs to digital distributors such as Google, Facebook and Netflix (NASDAQ:).</p>
<p>The government ordered the probe as part of wider media reforms, amid growing concern for the future of journalism and the quality of news following years of declining profits and newsroom job cuts.</p>
<p>“We will examine whether platforms are exercising market power in commercial dealings to the detriment of consumers, media content creators and advertisers,” Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chairman Rod Sims said in a statement.</p>
<p>The inquiry also would study how Facebook and Google operated to “fully understand their influence in Australia”, he added.</p>
<p>The probe will have power to demand information from businesses and hold hearings. It is due to make its final report in 18 months.</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> | Australia to probe Facebook, Google over media disruption | false | https://newsline.com/australia-to-probe-facebook-google-over-media-disruption/ | 2017-12-03 | 1 |
<p>Photo: Wikimedia Commons</p>
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<p>This <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/add-on-to-health-care-bill-gives-feds-more-power-to-investigate-jail-condit" type="external">story</a> first appeared on the <a href="http://www.propublica.org/" type="external">ProPublica website</a>.</p>
<p>Among the many lesser-known provisions tucked into the lengthy health care reform bill passed last month is one that expands the U.S. Attorney General’s power to look into the abuse and neglect of those living in institutional settings.</p>
<p>The provision, <a href="http://www.mainjustice.com/2010/04/06/could-health-care-law-bring-down-sheriff-joe/" type="external">first reported by the Web site Main Justice</a>, amends the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA) to allow the Justice Department to issue subpoenas compelling publicly run prisons, jails, mental health facilities and nursing homes to open their doors to inspectors and turn over records.</p>
<p>Most local and state officials cooperate with CRIPA probes, resolving disputes through settlement agreements. Occasionally, however, they refuse to participate in the process, forcing the federal government to take them to court.</p>
<p>We wrote about <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/small-erie-county-jail-has-big-problem-with-suicides" type="external">one such case in Buffalo, N.Y.</a>, where Erie County Sheriff Timothy Howard balked at Justice Department requests for unfettered access to the Erie County Holding Center. The Justice Department opened an investigation into conditions at the 680-bed jail in November 2007 in response to reports of excessive force by guards and a rash of inmate suicides. When Erie County officials would not make improvements voluntarily, the Justice Department filed suit. Its inspectors gained access to the jail last month under a court order, prompted, at least in part, by three additional inmate suicides that have occurred since oral arguments began in the case.</p>
<p>The CRIPA language was originally a part of the Health Care Fraud Enforcement Act, which <a href="http://kaufman.senate.gov/press/press_releases/release/?id=5e8767a9-e711-4f7a-8a52-27ad23e8fb53" type="external">Sen. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., introduced</a> last October. That bill never made it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Last November, Kaufman introduced an amendment to the Senate version of the health care reform bill that included many of his original provisions. The CRIPA language remained in the bill President Obama signed.</p>
<p>“The absence of subpoena authority enables non-cooperating jurisdictions to obstruct and delay the [Civil Rights] Division in its mission to ensure that the federal rights of persons in the custody of state and local officials are respected,” a spokesperson for Kaufman wrote in an e-mail. “The resultant litigation when jurisdictions exploit the absence of subpoena power is extraordinarily costly, yet the substantive outcome … is the same.”</p>
<p>It is not yet clear when the Justice Department can begin issuing subpoenas. Justice Department officials declined to comment.</p>
<p /> | Health Care Bill Allows Feds to Investigate Jail Conditions | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2010/04/health-care-bill-jail/ | 2010-04-15 | 4 |
<p>We’ve all read those tragic, terrifying accounts of employees who walk into their office or factory, pull out a gun and begin shooting people.&#160; While they’re frequently portrayed as disgruntled, mentally unstable employees who’ve been recently reprimanded or terminated, more often than not (because so many end up killing themselves), their motive remains a mystery.</p>
<p>Confoundingly, these crimes involve seemingly “regular” people who appear to have simply “snapped.”</p>
<p>As a former labor union rep, I’ve personally witnessed dozens of people suspended or fired from their jobs for a variety of reasons (mostly for chronic absenteeism, the number one cause of terminations in the U.S.), and have never seen anyone commit a violent act directed toward another person; not at the meeting itself, not at any time afterward.</p>
<p>The closest anyone ever came to scaring people in the room during a discharge meeting was when a maintenance man, who was being fired for insurance fraud, kicked over a chair on his way out.&#160; I’d be lying if I said the incident wasn’t a bit unnerving.&#160; The chair was a sturdy, good-sized one, and he kicked the living hell out of it, sent it skittering across the room.</p>
<p>In truth, emotional displays—much less physical violence—at termination meetings are rare.&#160; As traumatic and shattering as economic homicide is, for whatever reason, people (both men and women) don’t even cry when they get the news.&#160; In fact, they usually remain preternaturally calm, almost stoical.</p>
<p>What happens when people are told they’re fired is that they listen grimly to the words being spoken while staring at a fixed spot on the floor or on the wall a few inches above the speaker’s head.&#160; They fixate on that spot.&#160; Typically, there are no outbursts or histrionics.&#160; If I had to identify the most common response, I’d say it was one of profound embarrassment and shame.</p>
<p>When the meeting is over and these people realize they are no longer employed, they walk out of the room in an awkward, trance-like state.&#160; Many of them try to hold a tight smile.&#160; They’re escorted to their locker by a security guard, scrutinized as they remove their personal stuff, and then led out to their car.&#160; Even when it’s people who deserve to be fired, it’s a brutal, merciless, and heart-wrenching thing to witness.</p>
<p>There’s an odd corollary to this.&#160; People do, in fact, cry at some of these meetings.&#160; But they tend to do it when they enter the HR office fully expecting to be fired, then find out they aren’t.&#160; They cry when they’re told they’re being given a reprieve.&#160; That’s when the tears flow.&#160; When they learn they’ve kept their job.</p>
<p>Morbid as this may sound, whenever there was a news story of some guy murdering fellow workers, people at the union hall would speculate as to who among the facility’s several hundred employees would be most apt to do something like that—come in blasting.&#160; This guessing-game was done partly as an exercise in dark humor, partly as a means of trying to make sense of something senseless.</p>
<p>Our union executive board still remembered the UAW (United Auto Workers) shooting some years earlier, where a fired employee pulled a gun from his lunch box and killed a Human Resource manager and a production supervisor, leaving two terrified union reps unharmed.&#160; Not to make light of what was clearly a horrific tragedy, but our take on the incident was purely practical:&#160; at least the shooter, unstable as he was, could differentiate between the good guys and the bad guys.</p>
<p>Obviously, no one ever anticipates anything like this ever happening.&#160; Indeed, the one thing you never hear in response to a workplace shooting is people asserting that they had predicted the person would do it (“Yep, we all knew it was only a matter of time before Fred came in here and shot some folks.”).&#160; It doesn’t happen that way.</p>
<p>Perverse as these impromptu “profiling” sessions may have been, they regularly yielded the same two unedifying theories:&#160; First, it was always a male who was the potential shooter, because women don’t do this sort of thing.&#160; Second, it was always a quiet, reserved man, and never a talkative, gregarious fellow.</p>
<p>Ultimately, what we concluded was that it was hopeless trying to guess who was most likely to come in with a gun.&#160; Despite all our speculation, only one category of employee was ever eliminated—that of the demonstrably sociable “people person.”&#160; Which narrowed the list of suspects to about 90% of the male population of the facility.</p>
<p>Identifying “probable violence” is close to impossible.&#160; Sure, it’s easy to connect the dots when you’re working backwards, after the bloody deed has been done, but it’s a whole other deal trying to predict one.</p>
<p>Unless the guy is uttering threats or ominous warnings, no one know can know what’s going on inside someone’s head.&#160; Men with volcanic tempers will punch holes in the wall, and mild-mannered men will come in with guns.&#160; And vice versa.</p>
<p>Arguably, the only “guaranteed” way of preventing a workplace shooting is to become intolerably invasive.&#160; You intensify security by installing metal detectors, having armed guards stationed in the facility and conducting random searches.&#160; To stop the 0.00001 percent of the population who actually does this stuff, you treat the other 99.99999 percent as potential murderers.</p>
<p>I recently received a letter from an outfit called the “Homeland Defense Journal,” inviting me to attend a 2-day seminar (on January 28 and 29, 2009) in Arlington, Virginia, entitled, “Managing Workplace Violence Workshop.”</p>
<p>According to the brochure, these were among the topics to be covered:</p>
<p>“How to create or improve your workplace violence prevention policy and program (you will actually create a policy as part of the course) How to recognize the early warning signs of potential violence and how to appropriately intervene to address them. How to improve employee reporting of threats and incidents. How to access your organization to detect problems that can contribute to creating a violence prone work environment How to deal with a hostile employee and clam the person down using the Stay CalmO method What to do if confronted with the threat of violence How to create an effective workplace violence crisis response plan.”</p>
<p>The registration fees for the 2-day affair were:</p>
<p>Government: $599 Small Business: $699 Industry: $799.</p>
<p>(Isn’t it interesting that “Government,” typically regarded as a source of plentiful, readily available money, is offered the cheapest rate?)</p>
<p>Nothing against the good folks at Homeland Defense Journal, but I can’t interpret their agenda as anything other than well-meaning propaganda.&#160; Frightening and traumatic as workplace violence is, there doesn’t seem to be a reliable, non-draconian way of preventing it.</p>
<p>Of course, we all realize that, for our protection, businesses must continue to seek creative approaches, and for that effort they should be commended.&#160; Still, despite all the ambitious psychological profiling and seminar-babble, one can’t help but view these attempts as wishful thinking.</p>
<p>DAVID MACARAY, a Los Angeles playwright (“Borneo Bob,” “Larva Boy”) and writer, was a former labor union rep.&#160; He can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Workplace Violence and Termination Etiquette | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/12/16/workplace-violence-and-termination-etiquette/ | 2008-12-16 | 4 |
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<p>When the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant outside Carlsbad was radiologically contaminated after a waste drum burst in February 2014, underground air flow was significantly curtailed. That's because air pulled down 2,150 feet into the repository must now exhaust through high-efficiency filters at the surface to prevent radiation from escaping.</p>
<p>Air flow fell to 60,000 cubic feet per minute from 425,000 cubic feet of air per minute before the accident and a separate underground fire that also occurred in February 2014.</p>
<p>WIPP operating contractor Nuclear Waste Partnership has for more than a year plotted ways to improve air flow, including with an "interim" ventilation system, a "supplemental" system and, eventually, a new, permanent reconfiguration of the underground air flow.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>NWP now says the "supplemental" system - which was scheduled earlier this year to cost between $4 million and $7 million, and which has been partially installed underground - "is not required for startup of waste disposal operations and could be problematic for emergency egress following an underground fire," according to a November status report by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board.</p>
<p>The "interim" ventilation system is months behind schedule after its components were damaged en route to the facility from the manufacturer.</p>
<p>The interim system is expected to be up and running early next year and is expected to increase air flow to 114,000 cubic feet per minute.</p>
<p>Without better air flow, WIPP can't resume full-scale operations which require numerous workers to be underground and the use of motor vehicles underground.</p>
<p>"There is a need for a lot more air in the underground if they are going to reopen WIPP," said Don Hancock of Albuquerque's Southwest Research and Information Center.</p>
<p>"A final decision has not been made to decouple the operation of the interim and supplement ventilation systems as part of the Department's efforts to restart the emplacement of waste at WIPP," according to DOE Carlsbad Field Office spokesman Tim Runyon.</p>
<p>Although the "interim" and "supplemental" systems were originally designed to work in tandem, CBFO says the ventilation necessary to resume waste placement may be achievable with use of the interim and existing systems alone. NWP expects to analyze the air flow rates once the interim system is operational, CBFO said.</p>
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<p /> | WIPP's new ventilation system runs into trouble | false | https://abqjournal.com/690791/wipps-new-ventilation-system-runs-into-trouble.html | 2 |
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<p>MIKE WHITNEY: Fed chairman Bernanke has been on a spree lately, delivering three speeches in the last two weeks. Every chance he gets, he talks tough about the strong dollar and “holding the line” against inflation. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson even said that “intervention” in the currency markets was still an option. Is all of this jawboning just saber rattling to keep the dollar from plummeting, or is there a chance that Bernanke actually will raise rates at the Fed’s August meeting?</p>
<p>Michael Hudson: The United States always has steered its monetary policy almost exclusively with domestic objectives in mind. This means ignoring the balance of payments. Like the domestic U.S. economy itself, the global financial system also is all about getting a free lunch. When Europe and Asia receive excess dollars, these are turned over to their central banks, which have little alternative but to recycle these back to the United States by buying U.S. Treasury bonds. Foreign governments – and their taxpayers – are thus financing the domestic U.S. federal budget deficit, which itself stems largely from the war in Iraq that most foreign voters oppose.</p>
<p>Supporting the dollar’s exchange rate by the traditional method of raising interest rates would have a very negative effect on the stock and bond markets – and on the mortgage market. This would lead foreign investors to sell U.S. securities, and likely would end up hurting more than helping the U.S. balance of payments and hence the dollar’s exchange rate.</p>
<p>So Bernanke is merely being polite in not rubbing the faces of European and Asian governments in the fact that unless they are willing to make a structural break and change the world monetary system radically, they will remain powerless to avoid giving the United States a free ride – including a free ride for its military spending and war in the Near East.</p>
<p>MIKE WHITNEY : How do you explain the soaring price of oil? Is it mainly a supply/demand issue or are speculators driving the prices up?</p>
<p>Michael Hudson: It’s true that enormous amounts of speculative credit are going into commodity index funds. But bear in mind that as the dollar depreciates, OPEC countries have been holding back supply largely to stabilize their receipts in euros and to offset their losses on the dollar securities they have bought with their past export proceeds. For over 30 years they have been pressured to recycle their oil earnings into the U.S. stock market and loans to U.S. financial institutions. They have taken large losses on these investments (such as last year’s money to bail out Citibank), and are trying to recoup them via the oil market. OPEC officials also have pointed to a political motive: They resent America’s military intrusion in the Middle East, especially in view of how much it contributes to the nation’s balance-of-payments deficit and federal budget deficit.</p>
<p>The U.S. press prefers to blame Chinese, Indian and other foreign growth in demand for oil and raw materials. This demand has contributed to the price rise, no doubt about it. But the U.S. oil majors are receiving a windfall “economic rent” on the price run-up, and are not at all unhappy to see it continue. By not building more refining and shipping capacity, they have created bottlenecks so that even if foreign countries did supply more crude oil, it would not be reflected in refined gasoline, kerosene or other downstream product prices.</p>
<p>MIKE WHITNEY: The Fed has traded over $200 billion in US Treasuries with the big investment banks for a wide variety of dodgy collateral (mostly mortgage-backed securities). How can the banks possibly hope to repay the Fed when their main sources of revenue (structured investments) have been cut off? Are the banks secretly using the money they borrow via repos from the Fed to dabble in the carry trade or speculate in the futures markets?</p>
<p>Michael Hudson: The Fed’s idea was merely to buy enough time for the banks to sell their junk mortgages to the proverbial “greater fool.” But foreign investors no longer are playing this role, nor are domestic U.S. pension funds. So the most likely result will be for the Fed simply to roll over its loans – as if the problem can be cured by yet more time.</p>
<p>But when a bubble bursts, time makes things worse. The financial sector has been living in the short run for quite a while now, and I suspect that a lot of money managers are planning to get out or be fired now that the game is over. And it really is over. The Treasury’s attempt to reflate the real estate market has not worked, and it can’t work. Mortgage arrears, defaults and foreclosures are rising, and much property has become unsaleable except at distress prices that leave homeowners with negative equity. This state of affairs prompts them to do just what Donald Trump would do in such a situation: to walk away from their property.</p>
<p>The banks are trying to win back their losses by arbitrage operations, borrowing from the Fed at a low interest rate and lending at a higher one, and gambling on options. But options and derivatives are a zero-sum game: one party’s gain is another’s loss. So the banks collectively are simply painting themselves into a deeper corner. They hope they can tell the Fed and Treasury to keep bailing them out or else they’ll fail and cost the FDIC even more money to make good on insuring the “bad savings” that have been steered into these bad debts and bad gambles.</p>
<p>The Fed and Treasury certainly seem more willing to bail out the big financial institutions than to bail out savers, pensioners, social Security recipients and other small fry. They thus follow the traditional “Big fish eat little fish” principle of favoring the vested interests.</p>
<p>MIKE WHITNEY: According to most estimates, the Fed has already gone through half or more of its $900 billion balance sheet. Also, according to the latest H.4.1 data &#160;“the current holdings of Treasury bills is $25 billion. &#160;This is down from some $250 billion a year ago, or a net reduction of 90 per cent.” (figures from Market Ticker) Doesn’t this suggest that the Fed is just about out of firepower when it comes to bailing out the struggling banking system? Where do we go from here? Will some of the larger banks be allowed to fail or will they be nationalized?</p>
<p>Michael Hudson: You need to look at what the Treasury as well as the Fed is doing. The Fed can monetize whatever it wants. And as you just pointed out in the preceding question, it has been buying junk securities in order to leave sound Treasury securities on the banking system’s balance sheets. Government bailout credit will keep the big banks alive. But many small regional banks will go under and be merged into larger money-center banks – just as many brokerage firms in recent decades have been merged into larger conglomerates.</p>
<p>False reporting also will help financial institutions avoid the appearance of insolvency. They will seek more and more government guarantees, ostensibly to help middle-class depositors but actually favoring the big speculators who are their major clients.</p>
<p>What we are seeing is the creation of a highly concentrated financial oligarchy – precisely the power that the Glass-Steagall Act was designed to prevent. A combination of deregulation and “moral hazard” bailouts – for the top of the economic pyramid, not the bottom – will polarize the economy all the more.</p>
<p>Cities and states will preserve their credit ratings by annulling their pension obligations to public-sector workers, and raising excise taxes – but not property taxes. These already have fallen from about two-thirds of local budgets in 1930 to only about one-sixth today – that is, a decline of 75 percent, proportionally. While the debt burden and the squeeze in disposable personal income is pressuring workers, finance and property are using the crisis to get a bonanza of tax relief. Democrats in Congress are as far to the right as George Bush on this, as their base is local politics and real estate.</p>
<p>Mike Whtney: According to the Financial Times: “Analysts at Citigroup said a planned tightening of the rules regarding off-balance sheet vehicles would force banks to reconsider arrangements and could result in up to $5,000bn of assets coming back on to the books. The off-balance sheet vehicles have been used by financial institutions to keep some assets off their balance sheets, thereby avoiding the need to hold regulatory capital against them.” Is there any way the banks can find investors with “deep enough pockets” to provide the capital they need to meet the requirements on $5 trillion dollars? Are most of these off-balance sheets assets mortgage backed securities and other hard-to-value bonds?</p>
<p>Michael Hudson: The practice of off-balance-sheet accounting already has become quickly obsolete this year. The United States is going to adopt Europe’s normal “covered bond” practice of bank head-office liability for mortgages and other loans. (The Wall Street Journal had a good article on this on June 17, anticipating that the U.S. covered bond market might rise quickly to $1 trillion as early as next year.)</p>
<p>This coverage is what has given European banks protection. In view of the heavy losses of German banks in Saxony and Düsseldorf in the U.S. subprime market last summer, it’s unlikely that investors will buy mortgages that no major bank or government agency stands behind.</p>
<p>Regarding more investor bailouts, I don’t see that it makes sense to lend money to a bank today without getting preferential treatment over existing holders, plus secure collateral. Government guarantees might help, especially for foreign investors. But then, the dollar’s plunge is a problem here.</p>
<p>MIKE WHITNEY: Many of the TV financial gurus –as well as Henry Paulson–keep assuring us that the worst is behind us, but I don’t see it. Foreclosures are increasing, the dollar is falling, unemployment is rising, manufacturing is sluggish, food and fuel are soaring, and consumers are backed up on their credit cards, student loans and house payments. Where would you say we are in the present cycle? What will it take to rebound from the current slump? Will the stock market take a beating before all this is over? What do you think the greatest problem facing the economy is; inflation or deflation?</p>
<p>Michael Hudson: &#160;The idea that we’re even in a business “cycle” is whistling in the dark. If we’re in a cycle, then that implies there’s an automatic recovery in store. This happy free-market idea was developed at the National Bureau of Economic Research by opponents of government regulatory policy. But the economy doesn’t move by a sine curve. There is a slow buildup, and a sudden plunge, so the shape is ratchet-shaped. This is why 19th-century writers didn’t speak of economic cycles, but rather of periodic financial crises.</p>
<p>Today’s plunging real estate and stock market prices are not a self-correcting ebb and flow in which downturns set in motion automatic stabilizers that produce recovery. Each U.S. recovery since World War II has started out from a higher level of debt. The result is like driving a car with the brakes pressed more and more tightly. Alan Greenspan at the Federal Reserve flooded the banking system with enough credit to enable debts to be carried by borrowing against the rising price of homes and office buildings, corporate stocks and bonds. In effect, the interest charge was simply added onto the debt balance.</p>
<p>But today, the prospects are dim for paying off debts out of further price gains for homes and real estate. Speculators have pulled out of the market – and as late as 2006 they accounted for about a sixth of new purchases. Asset-price inflation fueled by the Federal Reserve – is giving way to debt deflation. The United States and other countries have reached a limit in which scheduled interest and amortization absorb the entire economic surplus of so many individuals, companies and government bodies that new construction, investment and employment are grinding to a halt. Families, real estate investors and companies are obliged to use their entire disposable income to pay their creditors or face bankruptcy. This leaves them without enough money to sustain the living standards of recent years.</p>
<p>This means that there won’t be a rebound, and it will take longer than 2009 to recover.</p>
<p>MW: I read about 8 or 9 articles every day about the meltdown in housing. I always tell my wife that its like reading a Tom Clancy novel except the ending is less certain. As Yale economist Robert Schiller pointed out last month; the decline in prices is now greater than it was during the Great Depression. Will prices find a bottom in 2009 or will it take longer? If prices keep falling then how are the banks going to sell the hundreds of billions of dollars of mortgage-backed securities that they are presently holding?&#160;</p>
<p>Michael Hudson: Prices will keep going down, because they have been fed by plunging interest rates, zero-amortization mortgages and low or zero (or even negative) down payments in recent years. That world has ended.</p>
<p>It means that the banks can’t sell their mortgage-backed securities – except to the government, at a loss except to insiders. The actual losses are much worse than the present price statistics show, because many people are frozen in with negative equity. So instead of price declines, we’ll simply see many more foreclosures.</p>
<p>Mike Whtiney: How serious is the current crisis in the financial markets and housing and what steps do you think Obama or McCain should take to stabilize the markets, reduce the deficits, strengthen the dollar, increase employment, and put the economy on solid footing? Is it possible to have a strong economy without policies that distribute the nation’s wealth more equitably? As chief economic advisor to Rep Dennis Kucinich, what one bit of advice would you give to Obama to restore America’s economic vitality and put the country on the right path again?</p>
<p>Michael Hudson: In academic economic terms, America has never been in as “optimum” a position as it is today. That’s the bad news. An optimum position is, mathematically speaking, one in which you can’t move without making your situation worse. That’s the position we’re now in. There’s nowhere to move – at least within the existing structure. “The market” can’t be stabilized, because it was artificial to begin with, based on fictitious prices. It’s hard to impose fiction on reality for very long, and the rest of the world has woken up.</p>
<p>In times past, bankruptcy would have wiped out the bad debts. The problem with debt write-offs is that bad savings go by the boards too. But today, the very wealthy hold most of the savings, so the government doesn’t want to have them take a loss. It would rather wipe out pensioners, consumers, workers, industrial companies and foreign investors. So debts will be kept on the books and the economy will slowly be strangled by debt deflation.</p>
<p>The US can’t reduce the balance-of-payments deficit without scaling back its foreign military spending. Congress is refusing to let foreign governments invest in much besides overpriced junk here, so central banks are treating the dollar like a hot potato, trying to buy foreign assets that can play a role in their own future economic development.</p>
<p>I think that at some point Obama will have to tell the public the bad news that restoring vitality will take radical measures – probably ones that Congress will try to water down so much that things are going to get worse – much worse – before the needed reforms will be made. He can say this before taking office, blaming the Republicans for their regressive tax policies and at the same time bringing pressure on the new Democratic Congress to back a return to progressive taxation and serious financial restructuring. As president, he will have to do what FDR did, and challenge the financial oligarchy with new government regulatory agencies staffed with real regulators, not deregulators as under the Bush-Clinton-Bush regime.</p>
<p>He should make large depositors and “savers” take the losses on their bad bets. And he should repeal the Clinton repeal of Glass Steagall.</p>
<p>Most of all, he will have to make the tax system back progressive again if the domestic market is Social Security and medical care should be paid out of the general budget, not as user fees. And until this change is done, FICA withholding should be levied on total income, without an upper cutoff point. There should be a LOWER cut-off point, however: Only people who earn over $60,000 a year should contribute. This would end up being fairly revenue-neutral. Pres. Obama should say that his policy is not to “soak the rich.” It is to make them pay their way once again by favoring a strong middle class.</p>
<p>Unless he does this, what used to be a democracy will be turned into an oligarchy. And oligarchies historically are so short-sighted that they stifle the domestic economy, driving enterprise and emigration abroad. This threatens to reverse America’s long-term affluence, which means literally a flowing-in – an inflow of capital, of skilled immigrants and other labor, of technology, and of foreign support. All this has now been put in danger by the policies pursued at least since 1980.</p>
<p>Michael Hudson is a former Wall Street economist specializing in the balance of payments and real estate at the Chase Manhattan Bank (now JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co.), Arthur Anderson, and later at the Hudson Institute (no relation). In 1990 he helped established the world’s first sovereign debt fund for Scudder Stevens &amp; Clark. Dr. Hudson was Dennis Kucinich’s Chief Economic Advisor in the recent Democratic primary presidential campaign, and has advised the U.S., Canadian, Mexican and Latvian governments, as well as the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). A Distinguished Research Professor at University of Missouri, Kansas City (UMKC), he is the author of many books, including <a href="" type="internal">Super Imperialism: The Economic Strategy of American Empire</a> (new ed., Pluto Press, 2002) He can be reached via his website, <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | The Game is Over. There Won’t be a Rebound | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/06/21/the-game-is-over-there-won-t-be-a-rebound/ | 2008-06-21 | 4 |
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<p>People move into the Field of Empty Chairs, where bombing victims are memorialized, following a ceremony for the 20th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. (Sue Ogrocki/The Associated Press)</p>
<p>OKLAHOMA CITY - About 1,000 people gathered Sunday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, which was the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil until the Sept. 11 attacks six years later.</p>
<p>Former President Bill Clinton and Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin were among those who spoke at Sunday's service at the Oklahoma City National Memorial &amp; Museum, where the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building once stood.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The service started with a 168-second moment of silence to honor each of the 168 people who died in the April 19, 1995, attack. It concluded about 90 minutes later with survivors and tearful relatives of the dead reading the names of those killed.</p>
<p>"This was a place of unspeakable horror and tragedy," said Frank Keating, who completed his first 100 days as Oklahoma's governor the day before the attack. "How some evil individual would do what he did - is unforgiveable and absolutely unimaginable."</p>
<p>"The agony was consistent. The agony appeared never to end," Keating said.</p>
<p>FBI Director James Comey and others paid tribute to those who took part in the recovery efforts.</p>
<p>"In an instant, this day was transformed into a moment of history, a moment of unspeakable horror and darkness," Comey said. "It is not the moment that defines us. It is not the act itself that shapes our destiny. It is what comes next."</p>
<p>After the service, LaDonna Battle and her family were standing between two of the 168 metal and glass chairs that now stand as a testament to those who were killed. The two chairs were inscribed with the names of her parents, Calvin and Peola Battle, who were arranging to receive Social Security benefits when the bomb detonated.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Timothy McVeigh, an Army veteran with strong anti-government views, planned the bombing as revenge for the deadly standoff between the FBI and Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas, that killed more than 70 people on April 19, 1993 - exactly two years earlier.</p>
<p>McVeigh was convicted on federal murder and conspiracy charges in 1997 and executed in 2001.</p>
<p>His Army buddy, Terry Nichols, was convicted on federal and state bombing-related charges and is serving multiple life sentences.</p>
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<p /> | Service marks 20 years since Oklahoma City bombing | false | https://abqjournal.com/572092/service-marks-20-years-since-oklahoma-city-bombing.html | 2 |
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<p>By Eric Auchard</p>
<p>LONDON (Reuters) – Taxify, an upstart European rival to Uber [UBER.UL], said on Thursday it had begun offering services in Paris despite regulatory uncertainty governing the status of private-hire cab companies that compete with licensed taxis.</p>
<p>The Estonia-based company, which is backed by Chinese ride-hailing giant DiDi Chuxing, operates in 25 cities in central and eastern Europe as well as Africa, where it has made inroads in the past year against Uber. (http://reut.rs/2eVl0qa)</p>
<p>Its basic appeal to drivers is that it charges a 15 percent commission on rides compared with the 20-25 percent that Uber charges, which can translate into cheaper fares for passengers.</p>
<p>Last month, however, Taxify was forced to halt pickups just three days after entering the London market when local regulator Transport for London (TfL) accused the company of failing to obtain a proper license to operate. (http://reut.rs/2xjtVIk)</p>
<p>Taxify said that unlike in London, ride-hailing apps are not required to receive licenses to operate in France.</p>
<p>“London is quite unique in its licensing environment,” Taxify Chief Executive Markus Willig said. “In Paris, and in most cities of the world, there is nothing needed for us to book rides. Only the drivers need to have an appropriate license.”</p>
<p>It said it had signed up 5,000 licensed operators – mostly private hire but also some taxi cab drivers – to its online ride-booking platform in Paris ahead of entering the market.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, the regulatory standing for ride-hailing apps remains uncertain in France, which has seen a crackdown against Uber – including the arrest of two senior executives there (http://reut.rs/2fn2gTO).</p>
<p>A 2014 French law on taxis and chauffeured services makes it a criminal offense to organize taxi services with unregistered drivers and sets restrictions on software that enables customers to book cabs on the street.</p>
<p>Taxify said in a statement: “The regulatory environment regarding the VTC (private hire) service is evolving. Taxify is fully committed to complying with all regulations.”</p>
<p>In London the transport regulator contacted Taxify via email two weeks ago and pledged to proceed with licensing discussions, Willig said. It was the first time Taxify had been contacted by TfL after five months of attempts to do so, he said.</p>
<p>“We are doing everything we can to get a license. Unfortunately it is going extremely slow,” Willig told Reuters. “We hope to have some progress in the next few weeks.”</p>
<p>Over the next three to six months the company plans to expand to more cities in Britain and France, he added.</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> | After London setback, Taxify trails Uber into Paris market | false | https://newsline.com/after-london-setback-taxify-trails-uber-into-paris-market/ | 2017-10-05 | 1 |
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>Early Wednesday morning, Maggie Haberman and Alexander Burns wrote a very thoughtful and penetrating piece at <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77620.html" type="external">Politico</a> essentially to ask, as one blogger bluntly <a href="http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2012/6/20/103156/290" type="external">put it</a>, “why this presidential campaign seems so lame.”</p>
<p>The Politico writers were hardly coy about it either. They led with:</p>
<p>“For years, operatives, reporters and potential nominees envisioned the 2012 presidential campaign as a titanic clash of media-swarmed combatants with big ideas about the future. In the Republican primaries, this was almost a mantra: this is the most important campaign in a generation.</p>
<p>So why does it feel so small?”</p>
<p>So why does it? Haberman and Burns seem to think it’s Twitter’s fault. The real ideas, they contend, are getting lost in a banal static of infinite minutiae in a joyless grind of hour-by-hour social media battles over the latest flavor-of-the-week triviality. Their description of what’s happening is perfectly accurate, and includes enough examples and anecdotes to fill four pages, so it’s quite detailed; but in the end Haberman and Burns didn’t dig deep enough.</p>
<p>In trying to answer their question, “Why does it feel so small?” they simply elaborate on what they mean by “feel so small,” give examples of it, and describe it in more detail. They do a fantastic job of dramatically illustrating just how small it is. Their piece is mostly descriptive, but hardly explanatory. If it is intended to be explanatory, then Haberman and Burns are saying that the uninspiring, small-minded presidential campaign we’ve seen so far is an inevitable result of the inherent nature of the dominant and growing mediums for disseminating information and shaping public opinion, particularly social media.</p>
<p>In this view, the cause of our present electoral malaise is purely or mostly mechanistic, logistical, a function of changing technology. But there’s a deeper cause than that. All these new channels of dissemination aren’t filled with static and minutiae because there are too many of them, they are too unwieldy, and their formats are naturally ill-suited to anything else. Social media channels are filled with static and minutiae because the two parties aren’t giving them anything of substance to disseminate.</p>
<p>Social media doesn’t inherently gravitate to the uninspiring, trivial, or banal. The two major parties in this country, their entrenched leadership, their incoherent messages, their inconsistent actions, their broken promises, their sophomoric rivalries, their incompetence, their recklessness, their arrogance, their mutually and perennially bad and worsening public policy outcomes, and yes, certainly both their presidential candidates this cycle are what’s uninspiring, trivial, and banal. That’s not social media’s fault. Social media is just telling it like it is.</p>
<p>In fact, if the effect of social media is to constantly remind the public by way of never-ending trivialities just how little of importance there is to say about either of the two main parties, their trivial skirmishes, and even their presidential candidates, then social media has been an especially lucky development in American electoral politics by subtly and inadvertently, but relentlessly emphasizing a truth and narrative that the mainstream, corporate media before it effectively worked to conceal: that the ideas and actions of the two parties are small and uninspiring, that they have nothing to say. Social media is just a microphone “that split the night and touched the sound of silence.”</p>
<p>Frankly, what on earth would Mitt Romney or Barack Obama have to say to each other? On nearly every matter of public policy, their respective records of word and deed bear few substantive differences. Both their signature legislative accomplishments are essentially the same entitlement reform, one on the state level and the other on a national level (in fact Obama’s reform was based on Romney’s); Romney will be just as cozy with Wall Street going into his first term as Obama was going into his; and their rhetoric and circle of foreign policy advisers forebode no substantive difference on foreign policy.</p>
<p>Their partisan rank-and-file supporters are arguing over trivialities in social media channels because they don’t have anything of substance to debate. The stewardship of the two respective parties has and will continue to lead the country in roughly the same direction, a direction most Americans are not happy with, especially <a href="" type="internal">independent voters</a>.</p>
<p>Despite always accusing each other of being too extreme and polarizing, the two main parties in America are essentially no different. They operate like and respond to the same incentives as corporations. As legal entities they have some trivial differences, mostly related to taxes, but they pursue similar goals. Donors and political allies are their equivalent of shareholders, and like corporations, so long as they deliver profits, their donors will continue investing with them. That’s why following the money is so important. That’s also why no one in the two party system has “dared disturb the sound of silence.”</p>
<p>Like corporations, the two main political parties are risk averse and conservative. Corporations don’t like to lose their shareholders’ money, so they play it safe, rehash the same old products and marketing that have always drawn consumers, and pander to the masses. The two parties also don’t like to waste their donors’ money, so instead of being inclined to reform and progress, which are risky, they rehash the same old rhetoric, marketing, and tactics that have always drawn voters. That’s why for all the fighting the parties do, the public policy course we’re on never seems to change.</p>
<p>In contrast to publicly-traded corporations, small businesses and independent artists take more than their proportionate share of big risks, and as a result make more than their proportionate share of progress and innovation. Like independent artists and small businesses, independent candidates are actually inspired by a vision. They have something substantive to say. They may not all agree with each other, but their principled earnestness and focus on policy solutions sets them instantly apart from the candidates of a corporate entity that panders to the masses with a carefully-calculated, uninspired, market research-driven message.</p>
<p>Most interesting, however, is that also like independent artists and small businesses, <a href="" type="internal">independent candidates</a> have struggled against major party candidates because they have always lacked the massive capitalization and institutional entrenchment of the parties. But again, like independent artists and small businesses, the Internet has radically eliminated institutional barriers and leveled the playing field so it’s never been easier for independent candidates to raise more funds and leverage them to greater effect. It’s a phenomenon that we are just barely glimpsing for the first time and it has been heavily driven by social media and the topography of our rapidly evolving Internet.</p>
<p>This alone demonstrates the power of social media to cut through the sound of partisan static with meaningful and innovative ideas. Further evidence, as most visibly exemplified by the Ron Paul phenomenon, is the fact that the Internet and social media are such sympathetic harbors for unconventional ideas and candidates that bear a heavy focus on the substantive issues that the two parties are usually too afraid to touch. A quick look at the Arab Spring overseas is even more final confirmation that social media is not only not inclined to the trivial or banal, but that it can be a vital tool in the hands of inspired reformers with a robust vision for change and progress.</p>
<p>So will 2012 be the least important presidential election in recent US history? As long as it’s falsely construed as a contest between Mitt Romney (R) and Barack Obama (D), then it might be. However, if in this election cycle Americans have finally had enough of the two parties; if their vote of no confidence in the two party system resounds when overall voter turnout drops to record lows; if third party and independent candidates like <a href="" type="internal">Jill Stein</a> and <a href="" type="internal">Gary Johnson</a> win a record high number of votes; if new ideas and new ways of thinking about old problems emerge from the national conversation; if the discussion turns to policy instead of party; if voters start to care more about principles than personality –then 2012 could be the most important presidential election in recent US history.</p>
<p>“Fools”, said I, “You do not know Silence like a cancer grows Hear my words that I might teach you Take my arms that I might reach you” -Paul Simon</p> | Could 2012 Be The Least Important Presidential Election In Recent US History? | false | https://ivn.us/2012/06/20/could-2012-be-the-least-important-presidential-election-in-recent-history/ | 2012-06-20 | 2 |
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<p>Memo to Mitt Romney: The majority of Americans do not agree with you that <a href="" type="internal">the 47 percent of Americans</a> who don’t pay federal income taxes <a href="" type="internal">are Obama-voting government mooches</a> who <a href="" type="internal">believe</a> they’re “victims” and <a href="" type="internal">won’t take responsibility for their own lives</a>.</p>
<p>That’s a key takeaway from two new national polls from <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-26/romney-negativity-muddies-message-as-obama-leads-in-poll.html" type="external">Bloomberg News</a> and the <a href="http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/09/26/most_are_negative_about_romneys_47_remark.html" type="external">Washington Post-ABC News</a>. The Bloomberg poll asked respondents for their reaction to Romney’s 47 percent remark. Fifty-one percent said Romney is “wrong and most Americans work hard and sometimes need some help from the government.” Forty-one percent said Romney is “right and more people should be able to make it on their own.” (Eight percent said they weren’t sure.)</p>
<p>Romney fared worse in the Post-ABC News poll. Fifty-four percent reacted negatively to his 47 percent remarks, while 32 percent reacted positively. The partisan split on the 47 percent line is fairly predictable: More than 75 percent disliked the remarks, and two-thirds of Republicans agreed with Romney. What’s most notable, perhaps, is how those coveted independent voters felt about the 47 percent claim: 57 percent of indies felt negatively while just 27 percent saw them favorably.</p>
<p>The Washington Post‘s Jon Cohen <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/09/26/public-also-critical-of-romneys-campaign-47-comments/" type="external">points out</a> that the backlash to Romney’s 47 percent statement coincides with an uptick in voters’ negative views of Romney and his campaign. Sixty-one percent of those polled hold a negative view of how Romney’s running his campaign. “That number,” Cillizza writes, “is up significantly from July—the near-certain result of the much-publicized comments by Romney.”</p>
<p>In case you missed it, you can watch the <a href="" type="internal">full Romney fundraiser video—including the 47 percent comments—here</a>.</p>
<p /> | New Polls Show Majority of Americans Don’t Like Romney’s “47 Percent” Remarks | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/new-polls-show-majority-americans-dont-romneys-47-percent-remarks/ | 2012-09-26 | 4 |
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<p>Consider it the inverse of the “Keep Your Hands Off My Medicare” mantra. Seniors and those who help them with financial decisions should absolutely put their hands on their Medicare.</p>
<p>By Dec. 7.</p>
<p>It’s now open enrollment for beneficiaries of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D (prescription drug) programs. That means it’s time to compare and contrast premiums, co-pays and coverage to minimize surprises in 2013.</p>
<p>It’s safe to say nobody wants to find themselves in the pharmacy drive-through on Jan. 2 being told that last year’s Tier 1 generic medication that had a $6 co-pay has been reclassified as a Tier 3 drug that requires the patient to pick up 30 percent of the cost. Or to walk into the doctor’s office only to be told he/she no longer accepts that insurance.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Competition seems especially fierce this season, with insurers, physicians and pharmacies offering seminars, consultations and open phone lines to help seniors figure out the best deal for them in 2013. There is also a fill-in-the-blank worksheet at medicare.gov that allows seniors to plug in their personal information — from zip code to preferred pharmacy to doses and strengths of medications — to see what plans are offered in their area, what they include, and what they will cost. The site also flags underperforming plans.</p>
<p>Differences can be significant. The same individual can get an option list that has thousands of dollars separating the most affordable and the most expensive plans. So it pays for seniors to do a little homework.</p>
<p>And to keep their hands firmly on the choices offered when it comes to their Medicare.</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> | Editorial: Put Your Hands On Your Medicare; It Pays | false | https://abqjournal.com/144412/put-your-hands-on-your-medicare-it-pays.html | 2012-11-07 | 2 |
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<p>On the morning after a <a href="" type="internal">violent crackdown</a> that left a protester—and Navy Marine vet—in critical condition after being hit by a bean bag projectile, the Washington Post chose to illustrate their story about Occupy Oakland with a photo of <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ask-the-post/post/occupy-oakland-whats-with-the-kitten-photo/2011/10/26/gIQA6kksJM_blog.html" type="external">an&#160;Oakland police officer petting a kitten</a>. Was it a metaphor? A somber reflection on human decency? A flickering, 120-watt incandescent light bulb of hope amid the encroaching shadows of oligarchy?</p>
<p>It was none of these, actually. As the Post‘s photo editor <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/washington-post-defends-publishing-odd-occupy-oakland-photo-145216401.html" type="external">Carol McKay&#160;explained</a>, “The photograph was chosen because it was a visual ‘moment’ in time showing a police officer doing something interesting—not just walking through tents and trash.” Plus there was the whole time zone thing. Fair enough; a deadline’s a deadline, and as <a href="http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2011/10/27/of-cops-and-cats/" type="external">Shani Hilton notes</a>, the Post‘s online coverage of the demonstration was characteristically strong.</p>
<p>But about that photo. It looked so, so—so familiar. Where had we seen it before?</p>
<p>And then it hit us:Rich Lam/Getty Images; photo illustration by Tim MurphyBut of course! Kitty Cop is everywhere:</p>
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<p>AP; photo illustration by Tim&#160;MurphyAnd in Libya, too:</p>
<p>Aris Messinis/AFP; photo illustration by Tim&#160;MurphyAnd New York&#160;City:</p>
<p>Alfred Eisenstaedt; photo illustration by Dave GilsonAnd here:</p>
<p>Photo illustration by Dave GilsonOkay, I’ll stop.</p>
<p /> | Important Moments in History With Oakland’s Kitty Cop | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2011/10/important-moments-world-history-reimagined-kitty-cop/ | 2011-10-28 | 4 |
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<p><a href="" type="internal">Cisco Systems</a> Inc said Tuesday it plans to buy privately held software company newScale Inc, in a deal that would ramp up its cloud computing services.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Financial terms of the deal were undisclosed. Cisco said the deal would be completed in the second half of its fiscal year 2011.</p>
<p>NewScale, which makes portals for cloud computing, has more than 2 million users worldwide, including 20 percent of the Fortune 50 companies, according to its website. Some of newScale's customers are AT&amp;T Inc , <a href="" type="internal">American Express</a> Co and <a href="" type="internal">Siemens</a> AG .</p>
<p>Cisco shares were trading 0.2 percent higher at $17.22 on Tuesday in premarket dealings on <a href="" type="internal">Nasdaq</a>. (Reporting by Liana B. Baker, editing by Gerald E. <a href="" type="internal">McCormick</a>)</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | Cisco to Buy newScale to Boost Cloud Computing | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/03/29/cisco-buy-newscale-boost-cloud-computing.html | 2016-01-28 | 0 |
<p>A majority of employees at digital news site Slate have voted in favor of the Writers Guild of America East serving as their representative in collective bargaining. The guild announced Tuesday that Slate’s management agreed to recognize the union after a vote confirmed that the majority of eligible employees voted in favor of unionizing. “Employees […]</p> | Slate Staffers Unionize With Writers Guild of America East | false | https://newsline.com/slate-staffers-unionize-with-writers-guild-of-america-east/ | 2018-01-24 | 1 |
<p>CHICAGO (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves in yet another tight game. William Nylander found a way to make sure they got two points this time.</p>
<p>Nylander scored on a penalty shot 6 seconds into overtime to lift the Maple Leafs to a 3-2 win over the sagging Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.</p>
<p>Nylander was awarded the attempt after he broke in alone on Jeff Glass from the opening faceoff in the extra period, but was hooked from behind by Chicago's Duncan Keith. Nylander scored the game-winner and his 10th goal by faking Glass and then burying a high backhander to send the Blackhawks to their fourth straight defeat.</p>
<p>"I thought I needed to throw a little harder fake on him so he'd bite," Nylander said. "I went to the backhand on the two previous breakaways. Third time's the lucky charm."</p>
<p>Nylander was stopped by Glass with 4:02 left in the third period when he pounced on Jordan Oesterle's turnover and cut in alone.</p>
<p>"I've had breakaways in the previous games and hadn't scored," Nylander said. "So it's nice to score on one."</p>
<p>Eight of Toronto's last nine games have been decided by one goal, including three overtime losses and one in regulation. In the Maple Leafs' 4-2 loss to Colorado on Monday, the Avalanche's Gabriel Landeskog finished the scoring with a late empty-netter.</p>
<p>"That's the way it is every night," said Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock, whose team won for second time in seven games. "I still think we can play way better."</p>
<p>Toronto's Nazem Kadri connected for his 15th goal, a power-play score that snapped a seven-game scoring drought and was just his second goal in 20 games. Mitch Marner also scored for the Maple Leafs.</p>
<p>Brent Seabrook and Nick Schmaltz scored power-play goals for Chicago, which snapped an 0-for-16 drought with the man advantage. Schmaltz's goal, at 7:55 of the third period, tied it at 2.</p>
<p>Seabrook's first-period score was the Blackhawks' first power-play goal at home since Dec. 8 against Buffalo, ending a span of 33 failed chances over 10 games.</p>
<p>Chicago coach Joel Quenneville sounded almost more wistful than disappointed about how his team lost this one.</p>
<p>"We had one (a hooking from behind) that was called a two-minute minor," Quenneville said. "I don't know what's more advantageous: a power-play with a 4-on-3 or a penalty shot."</p>
<p>Toronto's Frederik Andersen made 34 saves, including some tough chances as Chicago battled for a second straight game following several soft efforts. Glass finished with 33 stops.</p>
<p>Seabrook's power-play goal opened the scoring 5:29 in. His shot from the top of the right circle deflected off the stick of Toronto's Leo Komarov and flipped past Andersen.</p>
<p>Marner was credited with tying it 1-all with 3:23 left in the first to cap a scramble in the Chicago zone. After Glass made a couple of tough saves, Jake Gardiner's shot from the top of the left circle struck Marner in traffic and deflected in.</p>
<p>Andersen came up with the sharper stops in the scoreless second. He made a glove save on Anthony Duclair from the slot at 1:33, then a pair of close-in rapid-fire saves on Patrick Sharp and Ryan Hartman midway through the period.</p>
<p>Kadri put Toronto ahead 2-1 with a power-play goal at 4:58 of the third. He connected from the right edge of the crease when he one-timed in a pinpoint, cross-ice feed from Tyler Bozak.</p>
<p>Schmaltz's goal 2:57 later tied it at 2 and withstood a video review. From a goalmouth scrum, Schmaltz fired in a loose puck from the right side of the crease and with Andersen down. The puck crossed the goal line just before Chicago's Artem Anisimov tumbled over the Toronto goalie.</p>
<p>NOTES: Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said Corey Crawford (upper-body) is making progress but can't predict when his No. 1 goalie will return. Crawford hasn't been on the ice since being pulled in the first period at New Jersey on Dec. 23, but has resumed working out with the team and may travel with the Blackhawks on a trip following the All-Star break. "When we get him on the ice we'll learn more," Quenneville said. "Playing might be a little distant." ... Maple Leafs D Morgan Rielly missed his third game with an upper-body injury and D Nikita Zaitsev missed his 16th with a lower-body injury. Reilly is expected back after the All-Star break. ... Maple Leafs RW Kasperi Kapanen, recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL on Wednesday was in the lineup, but D Rinat Valiev, recalled from the Marlies on Tuesday, was not. ... Connor Carrick, a 23-year-old native of Orland Park, Illinois, started for the Maple Leafs and skated before a contingent of family and friends.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Maple Leafs: At the Dallas Stars on Thursday night</p>
<p>Blackhawks: At the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.</p>
<p>CHICAGO (AP) — The Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves in yet another tight game. William Nylander found a way to make sure they got two points this time.</p>
<p>Nylander scored on a penalty shot 6 seconds into overtime to lift the Maple Leafs to a 3-2 win over the sagging Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.</p>
<p>Nylander was awarded the attempt after he broke in alone on Jeff Glass from the opening faceoff in the extra period, but was hooked from behind by Chicago's Duncan Keith. Nylander scored the game-winner and his 10th goal by faking Glass and then burying a high backhander to send the Blackhawks to their fourth straight defeat.</p>
<p>"I thought I needed to throw a little harder fake on him so he'd bite," Nylander said. "I went to the backhand on the two previous breakaways. Third time's the lucky charm."</p>
<p>Nylander was stopped by Glass with 4:02 left in the third period when he pounced on Jordan Oesterle's turnover and cut in alone.</p>
<p>"I've had breakaways in the previous games and hadn't scored," Nylander said. "So it's nice to score on one."</p>
<p>Eight of Toronto's last nine games have been decided by one goal, including three overtime losses and one in regulation. In the Maple Leafs' 4-2 loss to Colorado on Monday, the Avalanche's Gabriel Landeskog finished the scoring with a late empty-netter.</p>
<p>"That's the way it is every night," said Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock, whose team won for second time in seven games. "I still think we can play way better."</p>
<p>Toronto's Nazem Kadri connected for his 15th goal, a power-play score that snapped a seven-game scoring drought and was just his second goal in 20 games. Mitch Marner also scored for the Maple Leafs.</p>
<p>Brent Seabrook and Nick Schmaltz scored power-play goals for Chicago, which snapped an 0-for-16 drought with the man advantage. Schmaltz's goal, at 7:55 of the third period, tied it at 2.</p>
<p>Seabrook's first-period score was the Blackhawks' first power-play goal at home since Dec. 8 against Buffalo, ending a span of 33 failed chances over 10 games.</p>
<p>Chicago coach Joel Quenneville sounded almost more wistful than disappointed about how his team lost this one.</p>
<p>"We had one (a hooking from behind) that was called a two-minute minor," Quenneville said. "I don't know what's more advantageous: a power-play with a 4-on-3 or a penalty shot."</p>
<p>Toronto's Frederik Andersen made 34 saves, including some tough chances as Chicago battled for a second straight game following several soft efforts. Glass finished with 33 stops.</p>
<p>Seabrook's power-play goal opened the scoring 5:29 in. His shot from the top of the right circle deflected off the stick of Toronto's Leo Komarov and flipped past Andersen.</p>
<p>Marner was credited with tying it 1-all with 3:23 left in the first to cap a scramble in the Chicago zone. After Glass made a couple of tough saves, Jake Gardiner's shot from the top of the left circle struck Marner in traffic and deflected in.</p>
<p>Andersen came up with the sharper stops in the scoreless second. He made a glove save on Anthony Duclair from the slot at 1:33, then a pair of close-in rapid-fire saves on Patrick Sharp and Ryan Hartman midway through the period.</p>
<p>Kadri put Toronto ahead 2-1 with a power-play goal at 4:58 of the third. He connected from the right edge of the crease when he one-timed in a pinpoint, cross-ice feed from Tyler Bozak.</p>
<p>Schmaltz's goal 2:57 later tied it at 2 and withstood a video review. From a goalmouth scrum, Schmaltz fired in a loose puck from the right side of the crease and with Andersen down. The puck crossed the goal line just before Chicago's Artem Anisimov tumbled over the Toronto goalie.</p>
<p>NOTES: Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said Corey Crawford (upper-body) is making progress but can't predict when his No. 1 goalie will return. Crawford hasn't been on the ice since being pulled in the first period at New Jersey on Dec. 23, but has resumed working out with the team and may travel with the Blackhawks on a trip following the All-Star break. "When we get him on the ice we'll learn more," Quenneville said. "Playing might be a little distant." ... Maple Leafs D Morgan Rielly missed his third game with an upper-body injury and D Nikita Zaitsev missed his 16th with a lower-body injury. Reilly is expected back after the All-Star break. ... Maple Leafs RW Kasperi Kapanen, recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL on Wednesday was in the lineup, but D Rinat Valiev, recalled from the Marlies on Tuesday, was not. ... Connor Carrick, a 23-year-old native of Orland Park, Illinois, started for the Maple Leafs and skated before a contingent of family and friends.</p>
<p>UP NEXT</p>
<p>Maple Leafs: At the Dallas Stars on Thursday night</p>
<p>Blackhawks: At the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night.</p> | Nylander's penalty shot in OT lifts Leafs over Blackhawks | false | https://apnews.com/amp/04cc614d458c460fb1c8772534a300da | 2018-01-25 | 2 |
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<p>For that matter, you don’t need a special occasion to eat here; the combination of ambience, food and service will make the experience special. Luminaria means lamp or light in Spanish and it is a bright spot in Santa Fe’s glittering world of restaurants.</p>
<p>When a couple of friends drove up from Albuquerque for lunch, their time was short and we wanted to make the most of it. The hotel’s free valet parking for restaurant guests solved the downtown parking problem. Beginning with the young man who took the car and continuing throughout our experience, the service here was both polite and professional.</p>
<p>The patio’s welcoming shade comes from tall trees and the wooden veranda draped with orange and white fabric that can be adjusted to screen out the sun if necessary. Depending on where you sit, you can see the historic Loretto Chapel or the patio fountain. The space between the tables allows for private conversation.</p>
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<p>We started with Luminaria’s twist on a summer favorite, gazpacho. The cold soup was light, flavorful and distinctive with its yellow tomatoes instead of red, and bit of buttery avocado. It arrived in a glass mug which highlighted its sunny color ($10). The tostadas ($15), instead of the standard refried beans, featured blue crab atop a mild slaw of white and purple cabbage. The light dressing let the natural flavors of the seafood and the vegetables come through. The order had two, enough for lunch.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>We loved the complimentary bread basket with its tender blue corn muffins and house-made crackers with sunflower seeds and saffron. Along with the bread came a plate of softened butter, another touch of class.</p>
<p>The menu offers two salads: grilled romaine with chicken or shrimp and Salad Niçoise, the classic French summer lunch. Although sometimes made with canned tuna, Luminaria’s version uses seared tuna, sliced to show the ruby red center. Served in the traditional “disassembled” format, each fresh ingredient – green beans, potatoes, olives, fresh greens, a fan of soft avocado and hard-boiled egg halves – had its own domain on the plate. What a lovely meal ($15).</p>
<p>As something totally different, we also tried the Forrest Fenn, ($10) a Reuben sandwich named in honor of the Santa Fe author and collector. Like Fenn’s now legendary hidden treasure chest, the sandwich is filled with good stuff. The pastrami was abundant and flavorful without being greasy. The chef added just the right amount of sauerkraut and Gruyere cheese. The fresh marbled rye bread had a nice, slightly chewy texture and it made the sandwich attractive. The house-made potato chips, cut thicker than the commercial kind, offered some substance along with a crunch.</p>
<p>For dessert we shared the most beautiful of all these beautiful dishes, a frozen Sabayon ($10). Sabayon is a light custard, and this one came with a scoop of blood orange sorbet, and an orchid! Warm pear nectar added a nice contrast in both temperature and flavor. The menu said this also included “chocolate gouache,” but the chocolate was just a tiny base for the custard. The over-sweetness of this dessert is my only complaint.</p>
<p>Because lunch was so good, another friend and I stopped in for breakfast. Again, service was outstanding and the food wonderful. Luminaria’s Eggs Benedict are some of the best I’ve eaten. The eggs came poached soft as requested, the hollandaise light and lemony, the English muffin toasted crisp, the shaved ham just salty enough. The plate included two giant spears of asparagus and an ample serving of breakfast potatoes ($16).</p>
<p>My friend had the Huevos Rancheros ($14). They reminded me of a breakfast enchilada, with the sauce and cheese on the corn tortilla and the eggs arranged on top, rather than beneath sauce and cheese. The flavors were great and the chile tasty but mild enough not to frighten tourists. The black beans and fresh salsa were good, too. We shared a fabulous blue corn pancake – light but substantial – presented with warm apple compote and syrup with piñon nuts ($6). The coffee was fresh and hearty and the staff kept it coming. They even remembered that my buddy was drinking decaf.</p>
<p>The only downside I can think of here is the cost. Breakfast, for instance, was $42 for the two of us. (Not only is this one of Santa Fe’s most beautiful places to eat, it’s also one of the most expensive.)</p>
<p>Luminaria brightens Santa Fe’s dining scene with first-rate cuisine artfully presented in a beautiful space. I highly recommend it.</p> | Short-list Luminaria for shining fare | false | https://abqjournal.com/225598/shortlist-luminaria-for-shining-fare.html | 2013-07-26 | 2 |
<p>Aug. 7 (UPI) — The national price for a gallon of gasoline in the United States should stay within a steady range even as demand pressures increase, GasBuddy reported Monday.</p>
<p>Price-reporting company GasBuddy listed a national average retail price for a gallon of gasoline at $2.35 for Monday, the highest level since June. The company said this week marks the third in a row for an increase in retail gas prices, a trend that loosely matches crude oil. The price for West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark for the price of oil, has been on the rise, but remains just below the psychological threshold of $50 per barrel.</p>
<p>Patrick DeHaan, a senior analyst for GasBuddy, said the price at the pump mirrors crude oil prices, which have been driven by higher demand and concerns about the political crisis <a href="https://www.upi.com/Oil-prices-drop-after-Venezuelan-risk-wanes/9511501594347/" type="external">in Venezuela</a>, a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.</p>
<p>“Looking behind us however, gas prices have remained in a relatively tight range for the last year, staying within a 30 cent wide range,” he said in an emailed report. “While we’re likely to see gas prices continuing to move higher in the week ahead as they catch up to oil, we’re unlikely to break out of the well-established rut in the national average which has kept prices between $2.12 and $2.42 for the last 15 months.”</p>
<p>Four states shared honors in posting the highest spike in gasoline prices from last week, with Georgia, Iowa, New Jersey and South Carolina experiencing an increase of 7 cents per gallon. Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina have the lowest state average in the country at $2.09 per gallon, according to GasBuddy’s accounting.</p>
<p>Supply and demand are contributing factors for retail gasoline prices. The federal government reported a drop in gasoline inventories last week and there’s about a month left before the end of the official <a href="https://www.upi.com/US-gas-prices-for-August-could-be-the-highest-for-the-year/3491501581618/" type="external">summer travel season</a>.</p> | GasBuddy: Gas prices could go higher, but not too much | false | https://newsline.com/gasbuddy-gas-prices-could-go-higher-but-not-too-much/ | 2017-08-07 | 1 |
<p>Washington Post portrayal of the “not apocalyptic” John Kasich. (photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty)</p>
<p>The Washington Post gave high marks to Ohio Governor John Kasich <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/04/20/a-transcript-of-john-kasichs-interview-with-the-washington-post-editorial-board/?tid=a_inl" type="external">after he met</a> with the Post‘s editorial board. The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/gov-kasichs-positive-approach/2016/04/20/55694c52-0740-11e6-a12f-ea5aed7958dc_story.html" type="external">lead editorial</a> noted that Mr. Kasich, “does not dismiss science.” It went on to point out that he recognizes that climate change is human-caused, although he has no plan to address the problem. (Kasich does reject President Obama’s plan, as the piece notes.) Editorial writer Charles Lane was even more effusive, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-problem-with-john-kasich-hes-not-apocalyptic/2016/04/20/d5ca5348-0716-11e6-bdcb-0133da18418d_story.html" type="external">asking readers</a>, “What’s not to like?”</p>
<p>People who follow politics and economics would have little difficulty answering that question. For example, Mr. Kasich <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/21/politics/john-kasich-planned-parenthood-bill/" type="external">signed a bill</a>prohibiting the state of Ohio from contracting for health services with Planned Parenthood or any other organization that performs abortions.</p>
<p>Kasich also has bizarre views on economic policy. In addition to supporting tax cuts for the rich, which the Post criticized because of the impact on the deficit, Kasich also criticized the Fed for its <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/nov/08/useconomy-quantitative-easing" type="external">quantitative easing</a> policy. According to Kasich, this only led to companies “buying up more of their stock and making the rich richer.” It is difficult to envision how Kasich thinks this process works.</p>
<p>Most immediately, quantitative easing leads to lower interest rates. For believers in economics, this lead to more borrowing for things like buying homes, and both public and private investment. It also frees up money for homeowners who refinance their mortgages. This allows them to spend money on other things. Lower interest rates also mean a lower-valued dollar, other things equal. This makes our goods and services more competitive internationally, reducing our trade deficit.</p>
<p>All of these things create more jobs, which also puts workers in a better position to get wage gains. It is true that lower interest rates can also make it easier for companies to borrow to buy back shares of stock, although it is pretty bizarre to find a Republican who would argue against a policy that leads more growth and jobs just because it can increase the wealth of the rich. (Low interest rates also help to raise house prices, which are the main source of wealth for the middle class.)</p>
<p>Anyhow, the Post apparently thinks great things about a candidate who seems to have zero understanding of economics and has no ideas on how to address a potentially catastrophic environmental problem. It is worth noting that he proposed tax cuts, rather than tax increases, for the rich.</p>
<p>Economist Dean Baker is co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, DC. A version of this post originally appeared on CEPR’s blog Beat the Press ( <a href="http://cepr.net/blogs/beat-the-press/republican-extremist-gets-high-marks-from-washington-post" type="external">4/11/16</a>).</p>
<p>Messages can be sent to the Washington Post at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>, or via Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost" type="external">@washingtonpost</a>. Please remember that respectful communication is the most effective.</p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Don’t Know Much About Economy–but WaPo Likes Kasich Anyway | true | http://fair.org/home/dont-know-much-about-economy-but-wapo-likes-kasich-anyway/ | 2016-04-21 | 4 |
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<p>Courtesy of Chick-fil-A</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Add Chili’s and Chick-fil-A to the burgeoning restaurant scene along Gibson Boulevard.</p>
<p>The two national chains will join Gibson Rising, a new 4.5-acre development at the southeast corner of the Gibson/University intersection. The property will ultimately have a third restaurant, though the tenant hasn’t yet signed a lease.</p>
<p>Skarsgard Development is the owner-developer of the land, a parcel Josh Skarsgard said has had its share of problems. A previous retail project at the site stalled, and the existing buildings had attracted vagrants and other issues. Skarsgard, who owns Skarsgard Development with father Skip, said they bought the property out of foreclosure in 2013.</p>
<p>“We’re calling it Gibson Rising just because Gibson has just (had) such a troubled past; they’ve had buildings half-started and stopped and businesses go vacant, and it’s had kind of a renaissance, a revival,” he said. “You’ve got Buffalo Wild Wings and Dion’s and Denny’s and Towne Center (across the street now.). The momentum has finally grabbed hold of Gibson. That’s why I bought the property.”</p>
<p>Isabel Cabrera, president of the nearby Clayton Heights Neighborhood Association, said she welcomes the restaurant activity at that corner.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“That’s definitely something this neighborhood needs and wants,” she said.</p>
<p>Chili’s already has submitted for its building permit and Chick-Fil-A should follow shortly, Skarsgard said. He expects both to break ground in January. All three restaurants will be stand-alone buildings. Skarsgard said Southwest Capital Bank provided the funding for the project.</p>
<p>The Gibson Rising location is one of four new Chick-Fil-As planned for the metro area, all slated for Skarsgard properties. The chicken chain will build restaurant in front of Home Depot at Eubank and Central, and also is looking to put one at 2274 Wyoming NE, just south of Menaul. Those three should open in 2015, while a planned Rio Rancho site — near Unser and Southern — could come late next year or early 2016, said Don Ikeler, the company’s development director for the West region.</p>
<p>“We’ve had a few restaurants that have done very well (in Albuquerque) for several years, and people keep asking us for more restaurants and more restaurants,” Ikeler said.</p>
<p>Chili’s is expanding in New Mexico, too. Skarsgard is developing a Bernalillo location for the casual dining giant along NM 528, across from Wal-Mart. The chain also intends to open a restaurant in Santa Fe, said David Fite of Base 5 Retail Partners who represents the chain in real estate deals.</p> | More restaurant development cooking on Gibson | false | https://abqjournal.com/501179/more-restaurant-development-cooking-on-gibson.html | 2 |
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<p>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A Republican state senator has filed a bill to take leftover campaign funds from some state lawmakers who resign, in order to offset the cost of special elections to replace them.</p>
<p>The bill by Sen. Ron Sharp of Shawnee would send the resigning lawmaker’s remaining campaign funds to the state election board in order to help pay for the election to replace the lawmaker. The bill would not apply to campaign funds of a lawmaker who dies in office.</p>
<p>Sharp said nine special elections in the past year to replace either Senate or House members cost an estimated $8,000 to $12,000 for House seats and $18,000 to $22,000 per Senate seat.</p>
<p>In the past year three lawmakers have resigned amid sex scandals, one resigned after being charged with embezzlement, four others left for business opportunities and one died in office.</p>
<p>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A Republican state senator has filed a bill to take leftover campaign funds from some state lawmakers who resign, in order to offset the cost of special elections to replace them.</p>
<p>The bill by Sen. Ron Sharp of Shawnee would send the resigning lawmaker’s remaining campaign funds to the state election board in order to help pay for the election to replace the lawmaker. The bill would not apply to campaign funds of a lawmaker who dies in office.</p>
<p>Sharp said nine special elections in the past year to replace either Senate or House members cost an estimated $8,000 to $12,000 for House seats and $18,000 to $22,000 per Senate seat.</p>
<p>In the past year three lawmakers have resigned amid sex scandals, one resigned after being charged with embezzlement, four others left for business opportunities and one died in office.</p> | Campaign funds would pay for some Oklahoma special elections | false | https://apnews.com/05f9d50dd6e446d088bdf70fdf43d849 | 2018-01-18 | 2 |
<p>By Bill Wilson</p>
<p>If asked to identify a favorite New Testament character, most of us go with the predictable and obvious: Barnabas, Mary, Nathaniel, Peter, Lydia, Timothy, Phoebe. You know the list.</p>
<p>Let me remind you of an obscure character who can remind us of an important truth about church health. His name is Jason, and you will find him in the first nine verses of Acts 17. He lived in northern Greece in Thessalonica. Paul and Silas come through town on one of their missionary journeys, and make great headway at the local synagogue, persuading many Jews and devout Greeks “and not a few of the leading women.” Their success is not well received by the synagogue leaders, and so a band of ruffians is hired to find Paul and Silas and run them out of town.</p>
<p>In the midst of the search, the posse shows up at Jason’s house and drag Jason and some other believers before the city authorities. In v. 6, a telling comment is made by the accusers: “These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has entertained them as guests.” Jason bonds out of jail, and Paul and Silas escape the vigilantes. While Jason disappears from the pages of the New Testament, his spirit lingers on. Jason’s risky bed-and-breakfast served as a key link in the spread of a gospel message that reversed the established order of the day and heralded a new way of thinking and believing about God.</p>
<p>Hosting those who bring a new, upside-down day is always risky business. In the 21st century, hosting can take the form of considering an idea, proposing a new method, suggesting an alternative, or raising a question. Sometimes hosting takes the form of saying what everyone is thinking but no one is willing to say. Upside-down ideas are those which challenge the established order or way of thinking or of being a church. Healthy churches need to have a steady diet of hard conversations about such ideas. If not, we will grow rigid and inflexible and we run the risk of missing the movement of the Spirit.</p>
<p>Of course, that is easier said than done. The established order may give lip service to wanting change and innovation, but the truth is most of us find change offensive and obtrusive. The way we do things brings some order to the chaos of our life and enables us to avoid the surprises that fill most of our days at work and at home. Those who bring or suggest change are often labeled as troublemakers or misfits and their ideas dismissed as unreasonable. Some days our church is the one place we can go that reminds us of how life used to be, and we cling to that fading dream with a vengeance.</p>
<p>The spirit of Jason is the spirit of adventure and a willingness to embrace the possibility of the new. Jason’s world was turned upside down by these gospel messengers and by the revolutionary person they gave witness to. Jesus spent much of his teaching time upending the commonly held perceptions of his day.</p>
<p>Instead of leadership being determined by position and power, he suggested that the true leader is a servant first.</p>
<p>Instead of power being the avenue through which God works, he suggested it is weakness.</p>
<p>Instead of finding our life by holding onto it, he suggested we find life when we lose our life.</p>
<p>Instead of the rich receiving God’s blessing, he called the poor blessed.</p>
<p>Instead of loving self and looking to our needs first, he suggested loving our neighbor and seeking his kingdom first.</p>
<p>At every point, Jesus turned the world upside down. He continues to inspire his followers and churches with upside-down thinking and acting. Our world will surely resist now as his world did then. Our goal must be to be among those who are accused of harboring such radical ideas and hosting such dangerous possibilities. Turning the world upside down was hard work then, and it is hard work today. In the end, upside down was what brought abundant life and unconditional love to a world desperately in need of both.</p>
<p>The next time you are asked to name your New Testament heroes, consider Jason and his upside-down world. Even more, consider adopting his spirit and helping create a readiness at your church to be turned upside down!</p> | Jason’s upside-down world | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/jason-s-upside-down-world/ | 3 |
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<p>Paul Krugman <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/15/opinion/15krugman.html?incamp=article_popular" type="external">has it right</a>: Now that the Social Security privatization debate has all but died down—though admittedly a few <a href="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N14699975.htm" type="external">dead-enders</a> are still fighting—the Bush administration will likely focus on tax reform when Congress powers back up this fall. Expect similar tactics: lies, fudged numbers, and more scare stories about how the rich aren’t working hard enough because they have too little money, and the poor aren’t working hard enough because they have too much.</p>
<p>One possible talking point to watch out for: Bush will probably talk about how a “flat tax” will make the tax code simpler and more efficient. Michael Kinsley had a grand little <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-kinsley7aug07,0,2685121.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions" type="external">column</a> a few weeks ago on how the “flat tax” doesn’t, by itself, make the tax code any simpler. The tax code isn’t complex because some people have to multiply their income by 35 percent and others by 28 percent. It’s complex because calculating income is complex, and calculating deductions are complex, and corporate loopholes are complex, and a flat tax rate won’t solve any of that; all it offers is a tax cut for the top brackets and a tax hike for the bottom—which, granted, solves the “problem” mentioned above.</p>
<p /> | A Tax Battle Brewing? | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2005/08/tax-battle-brewing/ | 2005-08-15 | 4 |
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<p>When Costco demanded better rewards from its co-branded credit card, American Express waved the white flag. Image source: iStock/Thinkstock.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>It's now clear why Costco dumped American Express in favor of a Visa co-branded card issued by Citigroup . As members of the warehouse giant learned this week, the rewards program on the Citigroup-backed Visa went beyond what American Express was willing to match.</p>
<p>You can see this by comparing the terms of the two cards. Users of the American Express TrueEarnings card earn 3% cash back on purchases of gasoline, 2% cash back on travel and restaurant expenditures, and 1% cash back on everything else.</p>
<p>This 3-2-1 structure has, in fact, become a popular framework for other rewards cards. Wal-Mart offers a case in point. Its recently announced 3-2-1 Save cash back program offers 3% back on Wal-Mart.com purchases, 2% back on purchases of fuel at Wal-Mart or Murphy USA stations, and 1% back on everything else, including purchases made at Wal-Mart stores.</p>
<p>It's thus no surprise that Costco's upcoming Citigroup-backed Visa uses a similar rewards structure. The difference is that it's much more generous than its predecessor.</p>
<p>Image source: Wikimedia Commons.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>The Citigroup-backed Visa raises most of the reward tiers from the American Express by 1 percentage point each. Cardholders will now earn 4% cash back on purchases of fuel as opposed to 3%. And instead of rewards-eligible fuel purchases being capped at $4,000 a year, the rewards will continue to accrue up to $7,000 in annual gasoline expenditures.</p>
<p>In terms of travel and restaurant purchases, cardholders will now earn 3% cash back, instead of 2% under the legacy American Express card. The 2% rewards tier under the new Visa covers all purchases made at Costco and on Costco.com. And for all other purchases, cardholders will earn 1% cash back.</p>
<p>On top of this, as my Foolish colleague Adam Levine-Weinberg notes <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/02/costcos-new-visa-card-will-be-extremely-rewarding.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">here Opens a New Window.</a>, Citigroup has essentially agreed to forgo card acceptance fees from purchases made at Costco. The resulting savings, says the warehouse giant, will be passed onto its members.</p>
<p>When you take all of this into consideration, then, it's obvious why American Express wasn't willing to match Citigroup's terms. American Express is a high-margin business. It's long sought out the wealthiest cardholders and supplements its fee-income from processing payments with interest income from financing the underlying loans.</p>
<p>Citigroup, meanwhile, is a volume business. It's long aimed to be a financial supermarket along the lines of Wal-Mart, not Whole Foods. On top of this, Citigroup is in the midst of a transformation, brought on by its missteps in the lead-up to the financial crisis. One area it's focusing on is building out its consumer credit card business in the United States. This seems to explain why the $1.7 trillion bank was willing to go so far in order to secure the Costco co-branded card.</p>
<p>The difference between the two models is immediately obvious when you compare their respective profitability. Over the past 12 months, American Express has generated a 24% return on equity, according to YCharts.com. Citigroup's return on equity over the same period, by contrast, was a mere 8.5%.</p>
<p>In sum, while American Express had a lot to lose by accepting narrower margins in its credit card business, Citigroup had everything to gain. It's for this reason that American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault said previously that the more generous terms didn't make "economic sense for us and our shareholders."</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/10/we-now-know-why-costco-chose-visa-over-american-ex.aspx" type="external">We Now Know Why Costco Chose Visa Over American Express for Its New Co-Branded Credit Card Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p>John Mackey, co-CEO of Whole Foods Market, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/JohnMaxfield37/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">John Maxfield Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Costco Wholesale, Visa, and Whole Foods Market. The Motley Fool recommends American Express. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | We Now Know Why Costco Chose Visa Over American Express for Its New Co-Branded Credit Card | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/04/10/now-know-why-costco-chose-visa-over-american-express-for-its-new-co-branded.html | 2016-04-10 | 0 |
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<p>The wonky white guys over at the Daily Kos go coo-coo for Al Gore! A <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/6/1/125229/5447" type="external">poll</a> measuring readers’ interest in a Gore presidential bid comes back with 50 percent saying either “I would abandon my current favorite, go strong for Gore” or “I don’t have a current favorite, I’ve been waiting for Gore this whole time.” The next most popular answer, with 13 percent, is “I would stay with my current favorite, but consider Gore.”</p>
<p>Hard to say if these political junkies are representative, but if I were Gore, I’d be dusting off the Weight Watchers literature. Just sayin’.</p>
<p /> | Kos-Heads Love them Some Gore | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/06/kos-heads-love-them-some-gore/ | 2007-06-01 | 4 |
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<p>Later that evening, after my mom was gone and my brother and his wife left, my daughter came to me and announced that my sister-in-law had secretly taken pictures of Mom in the body bag on the stretcher as she was being wheeled out of my home. She didn’t know that my daughter had seen her.</p>
<p>I am furious, horrified and hurt beyond description! My mother always liked to look nice and made a special effort to look good for a picture. The coroner had told me to go into another room when they were taking her because he said I wouldn’t want that as my last memory of her.</p>
<p>I have never said anything to my sister-in-law, but I can’t seem to let this go. It’s killing me. Am I overreacting? Please, I need your advice. – MISSING MOM</p>
<p>DEAR MISSING MOM: I am truly sorry for your loss, but you may be overreacting. Not everyone grieves in the same way, and similarly, not everyone feels the same way about taking pictures of deceased loved ones. During Victorian times the practice was quite common.</p>
<p>I don’t know why your sister-in-law felt compelled to take the photos, but it could have been a gesture of love and respect. If you want to know why she did it, you should calmly ask her and let her explain.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>DEAR ABBY: I have been seeing my boyfriend for about a year. He’s three years younger than I am, which hasn’t been an issue for us. However, recently, because of work scheduling, I have been waiting at his house until he comes home and spending more time with his father.</p>
<p>I am extremely ashamed that I have developed feelings for his dad. His dad has a girlfriend. I am aware this is inappropriate, but I am not sure how to handle this. – ANONYMOUS IN ILLINOIS</p>
<p>DEAR ANONYMOUS: The way to “handle it” is to accept that your boyfriend’s father has a girlfriend and is probably not looking for anything extracurricular. And further, if anything should develop, recognize that it would not only devastate your boyfriend, but would also probably destroy his relationship with his father.</p>
<p>Contact Dear Abby at <a href="http://www.DearAbby.com" type="external">www.DearAbby.com</a> or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.</p>
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<p /> | DEAR ABBY: Photo of mom in body bag infuriates grieving daughter | false | https://abqjournal.com/926631/headline-here.html | 2 |
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<p>U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating engine compartment smoke or fire complaints in two Jeep Cherokees, and air bags that didn't inflate properly in two Nissan Rogues.</p>
<p>The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the Cherokee probe covers 50,000 of the SUVs from the 2015 model year.</p>
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<p>A consumer complained of white smoke from under the hood after turning off the ignition, followed by 20-foot-high flames. Another complained about smoke from under the hood while driving.</p>
<p>The agency opened the Rogue probe after two complaints that the air bags on 2013 models deployed up to a minute after crashes and either inflated slowly or didn't fully inflate. The investigation covers about 195,000 vehicles.</p>
<p>Nissan and Fiat Chrysler, which owns Jeep, say they are working with the agency.</p> | US probes Jeep Cherokee engine fires and slow-deploying air bags in Nissan Rogue | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/01/16/us-probes-jeep-cherokee-engine-fires-and-slow-deploying-air-bags-in-nissan.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
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<p>Hit by slumping domestic sales, Campbell Soup (NYSE:CPB) disclosed a 30% slump in fiscal first-quarter profits on Tuesday and also downgraded its full-year guidance.</p>
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<p>Shares of the world's largest soup maker lost more than 5% in premarket action on the big earnings miss and dimmer outlook.</p>
<p>Campbell said it earned $172 million, or 54 cents a share, last quarter, compared with a profit of $245 million, or 78 cents a share, a year earlier.</p>
<p>Excluding one-time items, the company said it earned 66 cents a share, down from 84 cents the year before and below the Street’s view of 86 cents.</p>
<p>Revenue declined 1.8% to $2.17 billion, missing consensus calls from analysts for $2.29 billion. Gross margins dipped to 35.9% from 37.2%.</p>
<p>Campbell said U.S. simple meals revenue slid 4% to $860 million. Domestic soup sales dropped 6%, overshadowing a 4% rise in U.S. sauces.</p>
<p>"I’m disappointed in Campbell`s first-quarter performance,” Campbell CEO Denise Morrison said in a statement.</p>
<p>Morrison cited a slew of negative factors for the company’s “slow” start to fiscal 2014, including retailer inventory shifts due to the late Thanksgiving holiday that caused organic sales declines.</p>
<p>The CEO also said Campbell’s performance was hurt by the company’s decision to front-load marketing spending in the first quarter. Campbell’s total ad and consumer promotion expense soared 14% year-over-year.</p>
<p>Looking ahead, Campbell cut its fiscal 2014 outlook, now projecting sales will increase 4% to 5% in fiscal 2014 and adjusted EPS will rise 2% to 4% to $2.53 to $2.58. Only the high end of that new range would meet estimates from analysts.</p>
<p>“We continue to believe that we are taking the right strategic steps to reshape Campbell and change our future growth trajectory,” Morrison said.</p>
<p>Shares of Camden, N.J.-based Campbell declined 5.52% to $39.50 in premarket trading on Tuesday morning, positioning them to eat into their 2013 rally of about 20%.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | Cold Soup: Campbell Posts Big 1Q Miss, Dimmer Outlook | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/11/19/campbell-posts-disappointing-quarterly-results.html | 2016-01-29 | 0 |
<p>DUBAI (Reuters) – Qatar’s 2018 state budget plan, released by the finance ministry on Tuesday, projects slightly higher spending and a marginally smaller deficit than this year’s plan.</p>
<p>Spending is expected to total 203.2 billion riyals ($56 billion), up 2.4 percent from the budget plan for 2017, with revenue climbing 2.9 percent to 175.1 billion riyals.</p>
<p>That would leave a deficit of 28.1 billion riyals next year, down 1.1 percent from this year. The ministry said next year’s shortfall would be financed through debt issues.</p>
<p>The budgets for both 2017 and 2018 assume an average oil price of $45 per barrel. is now around $65 compared with this year’s average of about $54, so if current prices hold next year, Qatar’s deficit could be smaller than projected.</p>
<p>The rise in next year’s spending will mainly be due to the launch of new public facilities such as schools and hospitals, the ministry said, adding that the government would also focus on completing infrastructure for the 2022 soccer World Cup.</p>
<p>The government expects to award 29 billion riyals of contracts to support growth in the private sector next year, part of a drive to diversify and strengthen the economy as it faces a boycott by four other Arab states.</p>
<p>Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in June, accusing it of supporting terrorism, but the ministry’s statement said the outlook for the economy remained extremely positive.</p>
<p>The projected rise in next year’s revenue is due to an expected increase in non-oil revenue, the ministry said without elaborating.</p>
<p>Before the boycott was imposed, the government said it would introduce a 5 percent value-added tax in 2018. But authorities have not yet announced the completion of preparations for the tax or confirmed that it will go ahead despite the boycott.</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> | Qatar 2018 budget sees modest rise in spending, marginally smaller deficit | false | https://newsline.com/qatar-2018-budget-sees-modest-rise-in-spending-marginally-smaller-deficit/ | 2017-12-13 | 1 |
<p>You really can’t rely on these Arabs.</p>
<p>Take this fellow, Qaddafi. For decades he played the clown. The whole world laughed at him (except when he downed a French plane in Chad and the Pan-Am jet over Lockerbie.) His Libya was a “rogue state”, an international pariah. He was working on Weapons of Mass Destruction. The Americans hated him, and from time to time bombed him, killing his daughter on one such occasions.</p>
<p>You could rely on good old Qaddafi. He supplied us with an alibi for producing all kinds of interesting weapons. Everybody understood that with such people around, Israel needs the doomsday weapon, and that it’s useless to talk about peace.</p>
<p>And then, suddenly…</p>
<p>Suddenly Qaddafi becomes the darling of the world. Look at him, in his Bedouin robes: a serious man, a sober and pragmatic statesman. Pays a fortune to the families of the victims in the planes he has downed. Invites the Americans along to see for themselves how he destroys his stock of WMD. Flatters President Bush. Makes advances to Israel. Tomorrow–God forbid!–he may invite Bush to mediate between himself and his dear colleague, Ariel Sharon.</p>
<p>If Bush starts to pamper Qaddafi, he will coddle Sharon less. He might get the idea that Israel, too, get rid of its Weapons of Mass Destruction. Perish the thought!</p>
<p>Or take Iran. Well, they aren’t really Arabs, but they are Muslims, and all Muslims are the same, aren’t they? Anti-Semites. Israel-haters. Plotting to destroy us.</p>
<p>One used to be able to rely on Iran. There is always somebody there shouting “Death to America! Death to Israel!” They are trying to produce nuclear bombs. They vow to bury the Great Satan together with the Small Satan (us). True, we did sell them some arms, quite quietly, with American blessing (see: Irangate), but that doesn’t count. President Bush even included them in his “Axis of Evil”. We were hoping that after the occupation of Iraq, the Americans would de al with them. Between Afghanistan and Iraq, Iran sits like an almond between the jaws of a nutcracker.</p>
<p>And then, suddenly…</p>
<p>Suddenly Iran is dripping honey. They thank the Americans for the generous assistance sent to the victims of the big earthquake. They invite international inspectors to check their nuclear installations.</p>
<p>And the Americans–who can believe it?–let themselves be seduced. They emit conciliatory noises. And there are already some people who expect us to behave like Libya and Iran, to open our nuclear installations to inspection. Perish the thought!</p>
<p>But all this is nothing compared to Syria.</p>
<p>If there was one Arab nation you could rely on without reservation it was the Syrians. Born Israel-haters. Tough. Uncompromising. Stockpiling chemical and biological weapons. True, they respect the cease-fire line with Israel, but they use the Hizbollah against us instead. And they play host to the headquarters of the militant Palestinian organizations in Damascus.</p>
<p>The Bush administration has officially labeled Syria a terrorist state. It has targeted them. Our friends in the Pentagon, Wolfowitz and the other Neo-Zionists, promised us that Syria would be the next candidate for an American invasion, right after Iraq. Our good friends, the Turks, were also to join in the party. After all, they have had an ongoing quarrel with Syria since the late 1930s, when the French (who controlled Syria at the time) gave them the Syrian Alexandretta region. And this conflict deepened even more when Syria began supporting the Kurdish revolt in Turkey and demanded a bigger share of the Euphrates water.</p>
<p>And now, suddenly…</p>
<p>Suddenly this youngster, Bashar, changes direction overnight. Suddenly al-Assad (“the Lion”) turns into al-Taleb (“the Fox”). Says he wants peace. Wants to help the Americans. Invites Israel to renew negotiations. Visits Turkey and forges an alliance with them against Kurdish independence in northern Iraq.</p>
<p>That is dangerous. Terribly dangerous. The American might pressure us to make peace with Syria and give the Golan back to them. True, up to now, the Americans have reacted coolly to the Syrian overtures, but that may change. As the American elections draw nearer, and Bush’s adversaries increasingly paint the Iraq war as one big fiasco, Bush will be keen to demonstrate that the war was actually an enormous success. To wit: It has created a New Middle East (alas, without Shimon Peres). The wicked states, Iran, Syria and Libya, have forsaken their bad old ways and are basking in the Pax Americana. All the Weapons of Mass Destruction in the region have been abolished, except for Israel’s.</p>
<p>No wonder the Sharon government is in a dilemma. They are doing what they can to foil this plot. They publish Qaddafi’s overtures, so as to embarrass him into denying them. They reject Assad’s peace stratagem. “Don’t run and jump!” Sharon admonished his ministers this week, commanding them not to get excited about it. Assad is not serious. He only wants to suck up to the Americans. He wants to use us in order to reach Bush. For him, Israel is only “a stair of the White House”, as Sharon put it.</p>
<p>Defeatists might say: let’s seize the opportunity. Assad is weak? Assad is afraid? Assad want to appease the Americans? All the better, that is the opportunity to make peace. What have we got to lose? If Assad is serious, we can put an end to our conflict with a dangerous enemy. And if he isn’t, we will unmask him.</p>
<p>(The same defeatists proposed in 1972, too, that we should accept the peace offers sent by Anwar Sadat via the UN emissary, Gunnar Jaring. But Israel had a tough leader, Golda Meir, who rejected them “out of hand”. True, this led to the Yom-Kippur war and the deaths of some 2000 young Israelis, not to mention the tens of thousands of Egyptians and Syrians, but it certainly screwed the defeatists.)</p>
<p>Sharon will not accept the Syrian proposal, because that might lead to peace. And peace with the Syrians would mean the return of the Golan and the dismantling of all the settlements there. That would be awful. It would also be a dangerous precedent for the Palestinians.</p>
<p>Bashar Assad, the fox in lion’s clothing, wants to renew the negotiations at the point where they were broken off by Ehud Barak. At the time, Barak just managed to save himself from the threat of peace in the nick of time. Assad Sr. would accept nothing less than regaining the shores of Lake Tiberias (the June 4, 1967 line) instead of staying ten meters short of it (the 1949 line). Barak couldn’t stand the idea of Assad dipping his long feet in the waters of this lake. Now Assad Jr. is hinting that he is prepared to forgo the pleasure. He can dip his long feet somewhere else. Perhaps in the waters of the Euphrates.</p>
<p>Sharon will not repeat the mistake of Barak, who barely extricated himself by the skin of his teeth. He will not start negotiations at all. And indeed, if Assad is weak, why negotiate with him?</p>
<p>Catch 23: If the Arabs are strong, you can’t make peace with them. You have to defeat them. And if the Arabs are weak, there is no need to make peace with them. Why offer them anything?</p>
<p>Catch 24: If the Arabs say they want war, you have to believe them. But if the Arabs say they want peace, they are clearly lying. And how can you make peace with liars?</p>
<p>URI AVNERY is an Israeli writer and peace activist with Gush Shalom. He is one of the writers featured in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156584789X/counterpunchmaga" type="external">The Other Israel: Voices of Dissent and Refusal</a>. He is also a contributor to CounterPunch’s hot new book <a href="" type="internal">The Politics of Anti-Semitism</a>. He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Syria’s Peace Proposal | true | https://counterpunch.org/2004/01/12/syria-s-peace-proposal/ | 2004-01-12 | 4 |
<p>LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) – An airstrike by the Afghan Air Force on a checkpoint in Gereshk district in the southern province of Helmand on Sunday killed around 10 members of the security forces and wounded nine others, officials said.</p>
<p>The strike hit members of a special militia unit known as Sangoryan, who wear local clothes to blend into areas where the Taliban are active. Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor, confirmed the incident but gave no details.</p>
<p>The incident is the latest in a series of so-called “friendly fire” accidents in Helmand, the most recent in July when a U.S. airstrike killed a number of local police members during an operation in Gereshk district.</p>
<p>In another incident, in June, at least three members of the Afghan Border Police were killed when a U.S. military aircraft opened fire on them during an operation in southern Afghanistan.</p>
<p>Large parts of Helmand, Afghanistan’s major opium-producing province, are in the hands of the Taliban. U.S. and Afghan commanders see air power as a vital weapon to prevent the area falling completely to the insurgents.</p>
<p>Building up Afghanistan’s own air power is a central part of President Ashraf Ghani’s four-year strategic plan and the Afghan Air Force has steadily bolstered its capacity to provide logistical support to ground forces as well as air strikes.</p>
<p>But one consequence has been an increase in the number of unintended casualties caused by accidents. According to U.N. figures published in July, there was a 43 percent increase in the number of civilian casualties caused by U.S. and Afghan airstrikes in the first half of the year.</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> | Afghan security forces killed in 'friendly fire' incident | false | https://newsline.com/afghan-security-forces-killed-in-039friendly-fire039-incident/ | 2017-10-01 | 1 |
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<p>Jorge Correa-Reyes, 43 (MDC)</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Detectives have arrested the man they say shot and killed a man who was selling him drugs at the Sahara Motel earlier this month.</p>
<p>Jorge Correa-Reyes, 43, was arrested Wednesday morning after detectives got a tip he was in Southeast Albuquerque, according to officer Fred Duran, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department. He said they searched from yard to yard until they found him.</p>
<p>Correa-Reyes is charged with murder in the shooting of Geovanis Garcia, 43, on Feb. 1.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>According to an arrest warrant affidavit filed in Metropolitan Court, a witness told detectives Garcia had asked him to go to the motel on Gibson near San Pedro SE and sell drugs to Correa-Reyes, whom he knows as “Chino.” The witness was going to give Correa-Reyes a baggie of drugs in exchange for the money, which he would then give to Garcia.</p>
<p>But when he tried to approach the car where Correa-Reyes was waiting, he waved him away dismissively, according to the affidavit.</p>
<p>Correa-Reyes “was known to be prejudicial and only wanted to deal with Cubans,” the witness said. He has the words “Cuba 100%” tattooed on his abdomen, according to the warrant.</p>
<p>So Garcia, who is from Cuba, went to deliver the drugs himself, according to the affidavit.</p>
<p>“(The witness) heard arguing from the area ‘in Cuban’ and then heard gunfire,” the detective wrote in the affidavit. “(The witness) immediately drove away from the scene for fear of being struck by gunfire. (The witness) later received information that Mr. Garcia had been shot and killed.”</p>
<p>When officers arrived at the scene in the back driveway of the motel, they saw Garcia with gunshot wounds to his head and torso and several bullet casings on the ground. He died at the scene.</p>
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<p /> | Suspect arrested in drug-related slaying at motel | false | https://abqjournal.com/950607/apd-arrests-man-wanted-in-fatal-shooting-at-sahara-motel.html | 2017-02-15 | 2 |
<p>The success of President Barack Obama's new Cuba policy depends partly on hotel hand towels.</p>
<p>Not just hand towels, in fact, but working air conditioning, breakfast waffles and the hundreds of other amenities that American tourists will demand when they flood to Cuba thanks to the loosening of travel restrictions on Friday.</p>
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<p>U.S.-based Cuba travel companies say there's simply no more room in the handful of top-end Cuban hotels that meet international standards.</p>
<p>That means many are likely to turn to one of the most vibrant parts of Cuba's small, new private business sector: family-run guest houses that offer independent sources of private income to thousands of Cubans.</p>
<p>They're just the sort of people Obama says the policy is designed to help.</p> | Obama's new Cuba policy depends partly on hotel hand towels, growth of private guest houses | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/01/16/obama-new-cuba-policy-depends-partly-on-hotel-hand-towels-growth-private-guest.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
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<p>American Airlines Group Inc and United Continental Holdings Inc on Tuesday forecast improved profit margins and unit revenue for the third quarter, as travelers spent more on last-minute trips in September than expected.</p>
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<p>American, the world's largest airline, said it expects an adjusted pre-tax profit margin between 13 percent and 15 percent, compared with prior guidance between 12 percent and 14 percent. United, the third largest by passenger traffic, said its margin could be as high as 16 percent, versus prior guidance of up to 15.5 percent.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Jeffrey Dastin in New York; Editing by Paul Simao)</p> | Top U.S. airlines forecast better third-quarter profit margins, revenue | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2016/10/11/top-us-airlines-forecast-better-third-quarter-profit-margins-revenue.html | 2016-10-11 | 0 |
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — We have an older female German shepherd that for the past couple of months has “matter” in both eyes off and on. I wipe off the material and rinse the eyes with “Eye Relief’ but in a few days it returns. She is terrified to leave the yard and go in a car so I hate to cause her the stress!</p>
<p>Dr. Nichol: With the summer wind, mixed with dust, pollens, and occasional wildfire smoke, there are plenty of dogs with the same symptoms. The pink tissues beneath your shepherd’s eyelids (conjunctiva) are downright irritated. Continued abuse from the fine airborne debris assaulting those delicate membranes can lead to low-grade infections and even damage her eyes.</p>
<p>Your veterinarian needs to examine this good dog. A fluorescent stain applied to her eyes, and then illuminated by an ultraviolet light, will help demonstrate any damage to her corneas – the clear outer surfaces of her eyeballs. If infection is also ruled out, simple eye cleaning – just what you have been doing – may be all your dog needs to get her eyes safely and comfortably through the rest of the summer. Doggles, a stylin’ canine accessory, can provide excellent protection. Available in multiple sizes; most dogs accept them readily.</p>
<p>Your dog’s travel anxiety is also important; ignoring it would allow it to worsen. Trembling with the tail tucked, hiding behind the seat, or even trying to escape the car, it’s miserable. You can reduce your girl’s fear with a chewable amino acid supplement called Anxitane. You can start it just 12 hours before hopping into the car. Your dog also needs canine-specific leadership. Avoid comforting – that would inadvertently reinforce her fearful emotions. And don’t scold – you could scare her even more.</p>
<p>Make it easy for your dog to relax. Lead her quietly to the parked car and play or feed her dinner. Gradually share more good times inside the car before starting the engine and finally driving slowly. She’ll need consistent management, including careful, steady driving. This is a repetitive process that could take a few weeks or longer. Twice daily Anxitane, given throughout training, will make it much easier for your dog to lose the heebie jeebies.</p>
<p>Dr. Jeff Nichol treats behavior disorders at the Veterinary Specialty Centers in Albuquerque and Santa Fe (505-792-5131). He cares for the medical needs of pets at the Petroglyph Animal Hospital in Albuquerque (898-8874). Question? Post it on facebook.com/drjeffnichol or by mail to 4000 Montgomery NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109. Unpublished questions may not be answered individually.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Fixes for ‘matter’ in dog’s eye | false | https://abqjournal.com/222997/fixes-for-matter-in-dogs-eye.html | 2013-07-19 | 2 |
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<p>Breitbart News has featured a video of a worker urinating on a Rice Krispies Treats assembly line in a Kellogg plant located in Memphis. Breitbart News released the video as part of the all-out-attack on Kellogg.</p>
<p>The video was shot back in 2014 when there was a labor dispute between Kellogg and it's employees. The employee is seen urinating on puffed rice as it passes through a conveyor belt. The urine probably affected several products such as Rice Krispies Treats cereal, puffed rice cake products, and Rice Krispies Treats.</p>
<p>In a statement made by Kellogg, the company said that it takes the situation seriously and that it was shocked by the video, it also said that it had alerted the law enforcement authorities. The company said that it was conducting a thorough internal investigation while the criminal investigation was underway. The company expressed its outrage towards the situation adding that it was going to prosecute to the full extent of the law.</p>
<p>The source of the dispute between Kellogg and its employees was the illegal lockout from October 2013 to August 2014 involving 200 workers at the Memphis plant. The major cause of the lockout was Kellogg's attempt to modify the labor contract by having additional casual workers who would receive fewer benefits and a pay of less than $6 per hour. The company also wanted to lay off and re-hire unionized workers as casual workers under the rejected proposal.</p>
<p>The video was shot before the changes were implemented at Kellogg's assembly line. During this period which was around 2014, both Kellogg's employees and temporary staff were working together at the plant.</p>
<p>This unfortunate story had been published back in March of 2016. However, Breitbart has republished it as part of the retaliation against the company pulling its advertising from the Breitbart. The company cited differences in values as to why it pulled its advertisements from the site. This resulted to the boycott that Breitbart has launched using the #DumpKelloggs which has now become a trending topic on twitter and other social media sites.</p> | Kellogg's Assembly Line Worker Urinates On A Conveyor Belt Full Of Rice Krispies on Video | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/705-Kellogg-s-Assembly-Line-Worker-Urinates-On-A-Conveyor-Belt-Full-Of-Rice-Krispies-on-Video | 2016-12-08 | 0 |
<p>On Tuesday, Sheriff Joe Arpaio was <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/arizona-sheriff-joe-arpaio-officially-charged-criminal-contempt-n672846" type="external">charged</a> with criminal contempt-of-court because he ignored a judge's order in a racial-profiling case. According to <a href="http://kjzz.org/content/386320/sheriff-joe-arpaio-formally-charged-criminal-contempt" type="external">KJZZ,</a> "The charging document said the sheriff willfully disobeyed a court order by continuing to make immigration arrests after he was told to stop."</p>
<p>NPR <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/10/11/497577585/feds-will-press-criminal-contempt-charges-against-ariz-sheriff-arpaio" type="external">reported</a>, "In December 2011, U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow issued a preliminary injunction ordering Arpaio and his deputies to stop targeting Latino drivers. Prosecutors allege that Arpaio's deputies defied the injunction for at least 18 months. In May 2013, Snow ruled that Arpaio's office had engaged in racial profiling.”</p>
<p>Arpaio ignored the order, but insisted later that he had not ignored the order. The judge <a href="http://www.wfsb.com/story/33362032/criminal-charges-for-arpaio-court-hearing-tuesday-could-provide-answers" type="external">differed,</a> claiming Arpaio though continuing the patrols would help his 2012 re-election campaign. The initial charge was raised to a contempt of court charge.</p>
<p>Arpaio, 84, will seek a seventh term on November 8; ,if he is convicted he could spend six months in jail.</p>
<p>It has cost county taxpayers 48 million to defend Arpaio and his office; the cost could rise to $72 million.</p>
<p>On October 11, Arpaio released a statement challenging the case against him:</p>
<p>First and foremost, it is clear that the corrupt Obama Justice Department is trying to influence my re-election as Sheriff of Maricopa County. It is no coincidence that this announcement comes 28 days before the election and the day before early voting starts. It is a blatant abuse of power and the people of Maricopa County should be as outraged as I am.</p>
<p>As your elected Sheriff, my job is to enforce the law. Because enforcing illegal immigration laws is not politically correct, within the first 100 days of taking office, Obama put then-Attorney General Eric Holder in charge of pursuing a ‘racial profiling’ case against me – among other trumped up, failed legal pursuits – and eight years later they’re still pursuing the case.</p>
<p>Now, with Obama on his way out of office, he and DOJ officials know this is their last shot at taking me down. This highly unusual charge of criminal contempt against an elected local official should be seen for what is really is: a political maneuver by a corrupt Administration to damage me politically and a continuation of its War on Cops.</p> | Sheriff Joe Charged With Criminal Contempt-Of-Court | true | https://dailywire.com/news/10250/sheriff-joe-charged-criminal-contempt-court-hank-berrien | 2016-10-26 | 0 |
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<p>Emergency call boxes are being removed from an Albuquerque college campus, an action school officials say is meant to cut down on expensive maintenance and repair costs.</p>
<p>KOAT-TV reports ( <a href="http://bit.ly/1OUjb65" type="external">http://bit.ly/1OUjb65</a> ) the tall blue poles with "push for help" buttons dispersed throughout Central New Mexico Community College have served as resources for students who might need to call for help. The devices are now covered with gray sleeves or bolted over with metal.</p>
<p>Student Angela Fredlund says the boxes are there for students who don't have access to a cellphone and are in need of help. She says she doesn't think the change is safe.</p>
<p>But school officials say the technology is outdated and have cited costs as a reason to remove the boxes.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: KOAT-TV, <a href="http://www.thenewmexicochannel.com/index.html" type="external">http://www.thenewmexicochannel.com/index.html</a></p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Albuquerque college removing emergency call boxes | false | https://abqjournal.com/644539/albuquerque-college-removing-emergency-call-boxes.html | 2 |
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<p>Will the Party of Clinton ever become the Party of Obama?</p>
<p>It has now been more than two months since Barack Obama secured the Democratic presidential nomination, yet here we are, still fascinated with Bill and Hillary Clinton and what they’re up to. Why?</p>
<p>The latest round of Clinton mania was precipitated by Joshua Green’s article in The Atlantic on a Clinton campaign riven by unresolved factional disputes, as well as the online publication of a trove of internal memos portraying a staff in strategic and tactical gridlock.</p>
<p>The notion of the Clinton campaign as a Jets-and-Sharks knife fight is hardly new. Members of the campaign’s high command were leaking so furiously against each other that Clinton loyalist and lawyer Robert Barnett was moved to write an early March memo (unearthed by Green) declaring: “STOP IT!!!! … This makes me sick. This circular firing squad that is occurring is unattractive, unprofessional, unconscionable, and unacceptable.”</p>
<p />
<p>Still, it’s always entertaining to learn so quickly after the fact who said what to whom in the middle of a fierce campaign, and the memos suggest why Obama is having difficulty in moving the Clintons gently offstage and seizing control of a party whose nomination he won fair and square.</p>
<p>The memos make clear that once Clinton lost her standing as the inevitable nominee, her strategy was based in part on delegitimizing Obama’s victories. Because the Clinton campaign failed to anticipate the importance of delegates elected through caucuses rather than primaries, her operatives regularly argued that Obama’s caucus triumphs lacked the same weight as her primary victories.</p>
<p>Because Obama overwhelmed Clinton in many staunchly Republican states, he was said not to be the choice of real Democrats and swing voters in states such as New York and California, Ohio and Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>Some of the memos suggested, without quite saying so, that Clinton’s voters were more inherently virtuous than Obama’s. After all, she was the candidate of the constituency her pollster Mark Penn labeled the “Invisible Americans,” the descendants of Richard Nixon’s “Silent Majority.” The white working class, especially less well-to-do women, was with Clinton. Obama had the well-educated voters, that crowd Nixon’s Vice President Spiro Agnew saw as “effete,” and, of course, African-Americans who would have been part of Clinton’s base against any rival except Obama.</p>
<p>And there is that Penn memo that speaks of Obama’s “lack of American roots.” Clinton thankfully declined to take up this idea, but John McCain’s ads are now subtly toying with it.</p>
<p>The more Obama’s victories were cast as less than real, the more passionate Clinton’s own supporters became about the injustice of her defeat. A minority of her supporters threaten trouble at the Denver convention unless Obama gives her a roll-call vote in which never-say-die Clintonites could express their loyalty one last time.</p>
<p>Obama has already given the Clinton forces a night for Hillary and part of a night for Bill. In truth, he has little choice in a nearly 50-50 party, but the Obama people have to be frustrated with the Clintonites for not recognizing how far he is going to give them their due.</p>
<p>Yet some of the Clinton folks still think that Obama has not been respectful enough of the Clintons and their historical contributions. Bill Clinton is clearly put out. This perceptive politician has to be more aware than anyone of the mistakes he and his wife’s campaign made. That makes the whole thing harder, for him and for Obama.</p>
<p>All this leads you to wonder who will write the new memo that would begin with the words: “STOP IT!” Both Hillary Clinton and Obama have a lot to lose if the spirit of the rest of the memos affects her thinking now.</p>
<p>If bad blood between the Clinton and Obama camps persists, it’s highly unlikely that an Obama defeat this fall would lead inexorably to a Clinton nomination the next time. Obama’s shrewd announcement Wednesday of former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner as the convention keynote speaker has a bearing on this. It not only gives a central role to a moderate Democrat from a swing state, it also points to a future that transcends the Clinton-Obama feud.</p>
<p>Clinton must know that she could have won the Democratic nomination with a more coherent strategy. And her own campaigning for Obama suggests she understands that the actual nominee should not have to inherit her campaign’s circular firing squads. Much depends upon whether she can now persuade her followers to grant Obama’s nomination a legitimacy that her own campaign worked so hard to deny him.</p>
<p>E.J. Dionne’s e-mail address is postchat(at)aol.com.</p>
<p>© 2008, Washington Post Writers Group</p> | Parsing the Clinton Memos | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/parsing-the-clinton-memos/ | 2008-08-14 | 4 |
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<p>It looks like an eco-nightmare is taking place on the beaches of Lebanon. Reports coming in say beaches are being clogged with oil because five out of six oil tanks at the electricity plant in Jiyeh were destroyed by Israeli bombs.</p>
<p>The Lebanese Embassy in Washington confirmed the spill. Marwan Francis, second secretary, told Mother Jones, “It is definitely the worst oil spill we [Lebanon] have ever faced.”</p>
<p>One report says 15,000 tons of fuel oil is spreading into the water and along the coasts. The spill has spread along the northern coasts for some 100 kilometers from the electric plant, according to an email from the Tayyar Organization, a political party. The Lebanese government can’t control the spill. Many Lebanese live along the coast which has numerous resorts. <a href="http://www.tayyar.org/tayyar/articles.php?article_id=15929&amp;type=press_news" type="external">Story (in Arabic) here</a>.</p>
<p /> | Israeli Bombing Results in Massive Lebanon Oil Spill | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2006/07/israeli-bombing-results-massive-lebanon-oil-spill/ | 2006-07-26 | 4 |
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<p>Most economists seem to think not. Strong job growth (2.7 million more payroll jobs in 2015) and low interest rates will sustain slow but steady growth.</p>
<p>Still, the dramatic stock market decline raises other possibilities.</p>
<p>In the first two weeks of 2016, the market fell 8.7 percent, a paper loss of $2.1 trillion, says Wilshire Associates. It's worth exploring the underlying causes.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Here's a short list:</p>
<p>One standard measure of stock values is the price-to-earnings ratio, or PE. It compares the market's average stock price with the earnings (profits). If a stock sells at $10 a share and has earnings of $1 a share, the PE is 10.</p>
<p>By this indicator, the market was high. The average PE for the Standard &amp; Poor's 500 stock index - going back to 1935 - is 17, says S&amp;P's Howard Silverblatt.</p>
<p>By contrast, the market's PE was about 21 at the end of 2015, suggesting an overvaluation, by this measure, of nearly a quarter.</p>
<p>Only a few years ago, China's economy was growing 10 percent a year. Now, the official target for 2016 is 6.5 percent - a rapid rate compared with most countries but much less than had been expected.</p>
<p>The upshot is that China's appetite for raw materials (metals, foodstuffs, fuel) is also less than expected, resulting in surpluses of many commodities.</p>
<p>Many "emerging market" producing countries (Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia) have been hit. Production and new investment have weakened.</p>
<p>Normally, lower oil prices are considered an economic stimulus, as consumers save money at the pump. But it's unclear now how much of these savings are being spent.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Meanwhile, oil companies are laying off workers and reducing exploration and development budgets.</p>
<p>Abroad, producing nations that rely heavily on oil revenues for their budgets face pressures to cut spending.</p>
<p>Over more than a year, the dollar has appreciated about 15 percent against foreign currencies, says economist Mark Zandi of Moody's Analytics. Paradoxically, this weakens the U.S. economy: It makes American exports more expensive, while also reducing the conversion of foreign profits from local currencies into dollars.</p>
<p>Zandi figures the dollar's appreciation has cut the profits of the S&amp;P 500 companies by 5 percent.</p>
<p>The open questions are how deep the stock sell-off becomes and whether it causes nervous American consumers to trim their spending. The answers may depend on the profitability of U.S. firms.</p>
<p>We are now starting "earnings season," that quarterly ritual when major businesses report their latest profits.</p>
<p>If profits exceed expectations, the sell-off may abate or reverse.</p>
<p>If not, hold onto your hats.</p>
<p>Copyright, The Washington Post Writers Group.</p>
<p /> | Several factors gang up on stocks | false | https://abqjournal.com/708862/several-factors-gang-up-on-stocks.html | 2 |
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<p><a href="http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/gallery/images/photos/5577079645.html" type="external" />Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha): NOAA | Fisheries ServiceTwo of our hottest-button topics—climate change and evolution—are now linked by genetic research on migrating salmon.</p>
<p>The results, published in a new <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/07/03/rspb.2012.1158.full" type="external">paper</a> in the science journal Proceedings of the Royal Society, report on groundbreaking evidence that climate change is driving the evolution of pink salmon in Alaska.</p>
<p>DNA data clearly show a genetic selection for earlier migrating fish during the last three decades.</p>
<p>This is particularly interesting because although there are many observations of earlier migrations among a variety of species in response to a warming climate, it’s not clear whether this is a result of behavioral adaptation or genetic change or both.</p>
<p><a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/07/03/rspb.2012.1158.full" type="external" />Genetic change for earlier migration timing in a pink salmon population. Frequency of late migration marker allele (black diamond) and a control allele (white circle): Ryan P. Kovach, et al. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. DOI:10.1098/rspb.2012.1158</p>
<p>The authors drew on an archive of genetic data for pink salmon dating back to the 1970s, when Auke Creek, Alaska, hosted two genetically distinct populations that migrated at different times: early and late. The archive included the work of a <a href="http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/directory/faculty/gharrett/" type="external">close collaborator</a>, who selectively bred late-migrating fish in Auke Creek with a genetic marker.</p>
<p>Through the 1980s, between 27 and 39 percent of Auke Creek migrators bore the genetic marker of late migrators. But in 1989 the marker began to rapidly disappear. By 2011 it was effectively gone—present in only about 5 percent of the fish.</p>
<p>Today it’s no longer possible to distinguish the early migrators from the late migrators by the frequency of the genetic marker in the population.</p>
<p>Why? From the <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/07/03/rspb.2012.1158.full" type="external">paper</a>:</p>
<p>Although we do not know the specific selective pressures that led to earlier migration timing in this population, stream temperatures during peak migration timing in 1989 were the second highest on record, and we observed substantial genetic changes… in the progeny from this spawning generation. Migrating pink salmon appear to avoid high stream temperatures; given the trend in migration timing, changes in the genetic marker and increasing stream temperatures in Auke Creek, it appears that earlier-migrating fish may have higher fitness in warmer years… and there is evidence that early-migrating adult fish are adapted to warmer conditions at multiple life stages and life-history events (e.g. juvenile developmental rates and migration timing, and adult migration timing, lifespan and breeding date).</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/endora57/33350868/" type="external" />Auke Bay, Alaska: endora57 | Kathy Neufeld via Flickr</p>
<p>The selection for a different trait—in this case earlier migration—has implications for overall genetic diversity:</p>
<p>Although microevolution may have allowed this population to successfully track environmental change, it may have come at the cost of a decrease of within-population biocomplexity—the loss of the late run. This is not a surprising result; by definition, directional selection will decrease genetic variation. However, it does highlight the importance of maintaining sufficient genetic and phenotypic variation within populations in order for them to have the ability to respond to environmental change.</p>
<p>And that ties in with research I reported on recently <a href="" type="internal">here</a> that extinctions are just as nasty as global warming in driving global change. So the new salmon work implies, at least to me, that there may also be positive feedback loops developing between warming temperatures, dwindling biocomplexity, dwindling biodiversity, and human wellbeing.</p>
<p>The ♥ open-access paper:</p>
<p>Ryan P. Kovach,&#160;Anthony J. Gharrett, and&#160;David A. Tallmon. Genetic change for earlier migration timing in a pink salmon population. Proceedings f the Royal Society B. <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/07/03/rspb.2012.1158.full#T1" type="external">DOI:10.1098/rspb.2012.1158</a>.</p> | Climate Change Driving Salmon Evolution | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/climate-change-clearly-driving-salmon-evolution/ | 2012-07-11 | 4 |
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<p>A Santa Fe animal report states Miklo, a 5-pound miniature pinscher, died from a crushed pelvis, broken back and fluid in his lungs after he was flung from a car traveling westbound on Airport Road around 7 p.m. Thursday.</p>
<p>About an hour earlier, according to Santa Fe Police Department spokesman Greg Gurule, Miklo was out for a walk with his owners when he slipped out of his collar and ran away.</p>
<p>A witness told animal control officer Theresa Phelan that she was driving behind a four-door, pearl-white Nissan she saw when someone’s arm came out of the car and she saw the dog being thrown. The car didn’t stop.</p>
<p>The woman said she quickly got out of her car to give aid to the animal. Miklo, who was about 3 years old, was alive when the woman got to him, but he died minutes later while he was in her car.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Miklo’s owner was later tracked down after a dog with a similar description was reported missing to the Santa Fe Animal Shelter. The owner told Phelan that she didn’t have any disputes with anyone who may have killed Miklo and didn’t know anyone with a car that matched the Nissan’s description.</p>
<p>Gurule said Monday that there was nothing new to report about the incident. Police want people who may have seen Miklo be thrown from the car to call animal control Officer Theresa Phelan at 505-955-2707 or Crime Stoppers at 505-955-5050 to remain anonymous.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Police looking for whomever threw dog from car in Santa Fe | false | https://abqjournal.com/1095696/police-looking-for-whomever-threw-dog-from-car-in-santa-fe.html | 2 |
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<p>It’s one of the staple and indeed few remaining pleasures of American political life. A Republican taken with drink, speaking unguardedly near a live microphone, or in Trent Lott’s case coasting through a ritual farewell speech on automatic pilot, drops a racist gibe or fond salute to America’s dark past. The rituals of outrage, apology, self-abasement, renewed outrage, deeper self-abasement, forgiveness or rejection, duly follow.</p>
<p>Sometimes the sinner is ceremoniously booted into oblivion, as happened with Richard Nixon’s secretary of agriculture, Earl Butz, or Reagan’s Secretary of the Interior, James Watt . Sometimes, as is now happening in Lott’s case, the Democrats give him a thumping while hoping that in the end Lott will hold onto his post as Senate Majority whip, the better to remind black voters that this is the true face of the Republican Party, featuring the Klansman’s robe, the burning cross and the lynching tree. Better Lott than some oily substitute like Frist of Tennessee solemnly declaring that the Republican Party has finally put the past behind it and that the healing should now begin.</p>
<p>One of Bill Clinton’s many offenses was that he devalued the public apology. He had to make so many of them that they ceased to be valid as currency, like bank notes in the German inflation of the early 1920s when people had to take a wheelbarrow of cash to buy a sausage for lunch.</p>
<p>These days, post-Clinton, a manly mumble of contrition is no good. Unless a politician comes out with a truckload of apologies and keeps sending them round the track them for a week, people claim he’s refusing to climb down, and keep insisting, Does Lott really and truly mean it. And for that matter, why stop with Lott? What about the four Dixiecrat states which voted for Strom Thurmond back in 1948. Shouldn’t their governors today issue formal apologies, make available “apology bins” in every neighborhood wherein those who actually voted for Strom or their descendants, can deposit personal expressions of remorse?</p>
<p>Another factor in this inflation is the fact that sometimes the apology is rejected, no matter how often repeated. The Democrats and the press did this to Jesse Jackson. Columnists like the late James Reston who defiled the editorial pages of the New York Times on a weekly basis with racist diatribes about Jackson’s effrontery as a black man in presuming to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 then whacked him again for inadequate demonstrations of remorse for his crack about Hymietown. Senator Joe Lieberman even managed to bracket Jackson and Lott last, saying that neither of them were sincere in covering themselves with sackcloth and ashes.</p>
<p>The rhetorical undertow of the Lott uproar has been rosy-cheeked affirmation that because Strom Thurmond didn’t become president in 1948, didn’t even draw enough votes from Truman to put in the Republican Dewey, America thereafter made decisive strides towards racial equality, with justice and prosperity for all, achieved at some undefined point in the middle past.</p>
<p>Perhaps I missed somewhere in the press a useful update of the Kerner Commission, which was convened after the urban uprisings of the late 1960s to investigate the causes of that violence and which concluded that despite formal renunciation in the early 1960s of the old, abused doctrine of Separate But Equal, at the practical level Separate And Unequal remained the overall condition of black Americans. How much better are things for black people today?</p>
<p>True, a few overt statements of racism by politicians get chastised from time to time. True, as George Bush likes to point out, his administration is adorned by Condoleeza Rice and Colin Powell, which is like saying that all Nubians were doing well under the Roman Emperor Augustus because a Nubian eunuch stood at his elbow. But who are, either absolutely or in terms of proportion, the poorest, the most harassed by cops, the most imprisoned, the most executed, the most under-served in terms of schools, doctors, housing, lawyers, the most often at the receiving end of the economic boot, the most vulnerable to any adverse stroke of fortune, the least protected by those institutions can offer credit, emergency assistance in a time of need?</p>
<p>Banished these days from public venues and discussion is the designedly vicious racism of the sort that prompted Strom Thurmond to declare in 1948 that “All the laws of Washington and all the bayonets of the Army cannot force the nigger into our homes, our schools, our churches.” ( As Tom Gorman recently pointed out on the CounterPunch website recent press accounts of this speech have been sanitized, replacing the word “nigger” with “Negro.” According to Gorman, audio recordings of the speech have Thurmond saying the former. <a href="http://www.dumptrentlott.com/" type="external">You can listen to them here.</a> Adam Clymer in last Sunday’s Times went out of his way to assure his readers that “the better spoken white Southerners of the time, including Mr Thurmond” eschewed the word “nigger” in favor of Negro.)</p>
<p>The politicians, the think tanks and the academics these days don’t use the word “nigger” but embrace concepts with which Thurmond or the young Trent Lott one of the leaders of segregationist forces at the University of Mississippi would have felt entirely comfortable. Remember the Bell Curve, which amid much earnest praise in the press, mustered statistical trumpery to argue that blacks are stupider? The basic intent of The Democratic Leadership Council that greased Clinton’s career (and of which Senator Joe Lieberman was once the chair, was to wean the Democratic Party away from any sense of obligation to “the special interests”, meaning mostly black people. In other words Strom Thurmond won in 1948, to the extent that the Democratic Party took his point entirely to heart. When the Mississippi Freedom Delegation tried to seat itself in the Democratic convention of 1964 the party regulars, including Northern liberals like Humphrey and Mondale, fought savagely and successfully to drive them out. It was in practical recognition of Thurmond’s victory that Michael Dukakis began his presidential campaign in 1988, catering to Dixie prejudices in the Deep South, that Bill Clinton played to the same gallery in his campaign, railing at Sister Souljah and okaying the execution a black man with some of his brain missing.</p>
<p>The Democratic party that is now railing furiously against Lott is the same that didn’t raise a finger against, indeed covertly connived at the coalition that overthrew Rep Cynthia McKinney in Georgia in the Democratic primary this summer and installed a woman, who had until recently been a Republican and who had enthusiastically endorsed Alan Keyes, the most rabid opponent of abortion on the campaign trail for the Republican nomination in 2000. Of course McKinney was not only an economic radical but also vocal on the topic of bipartisan US support for Israel’s persecution of Palestinians. You want to talk about Democratic hypocrisy on the topic of racism, given its unswerving support for a state which has racism and segregation as part of its founding principles?</p>
<p>Imagine Strom Thurmond, the night before he launches his Dixiecrat campaign in 1948. An angel (heavenly host, Democratic side of the aisle) appears before him in a vision, and says, “Strom! Don’t do it. The party you have just quit will one day have as its majority leader just one of those northern liberals you say is trying to destroy everything you and the South hold dear. This man will be called Tip O’Neill and according to God’s blueprint he will, in the year 1986 if I am not mistaken, cooperate with the man you now know as a film actor but who will in 1986 be amid his second term as president of the United States. Listen to me now, Strom! These men O’Neill and Reagan will join together in framing drug laws that will ensure that by the year 2002 (when it is scheduled that you will reach one hundred years), many young black people will live in the certainty of spending long periods of their lives locked in prison.</p>
<p>Of course Strom tells the angel he doesn’t believe him and pushes ahead with his Dixiecrat bid, but as the angel said, the fix went ahead on schedule.</p>
<p>Bikes Are Bad for Your Balls</p>
<p>Ahoy there, male bicyclers! There have long been stories about bicycling, particularly on those narrow modern saddles, being bad for the balls. Now comes fresh reason to avoid them. This just in from Britain’s New Scientist. “Men who maintain grueling mountain-bicycling programs are apt to have lower sperm counts and more abnormalities of the scrotum than nonbikers are, a new study finds.”</p>
<p>Tests on two groups showed that mountain bikers “had injuries, mostly subtle, to their scrotums and testicles.” Semen samples revealed that bikers averaged 20 million sperm per milliliter of semen, compared with 47 million/ml in the nonbikers. Reason: Higher scrotal temperatures during strenuous biking depress sperm making, and “when viewed under a microscope, the bikers’ sperm were also significantly less mobile than the others’-The doc in charge of the enquiry recommends bikes with shock absorbers and cushioned seats.”</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Why Strom Won in ’48 | true | https://counterpunch.org/2002/12/18/why-strom-won-in-48/ | 2002-12-18 | 4 |
<p>We hope for Barack Obama to have all the success in the world. And given his smarts — he seems far and away the smartest president-elect in the last 45 years — he should although, as one person put it to me, people hope for so much from him that there conceivably could be no way he will not disappoint and begin to catch tremendous flak, even early on. Yet one nonetheless hopes he will be tremendously successful.</p>
<p>There are, however, a few things about which he should be very careful, in the interest of both himself and the nation. To me, foremost among them is the possibility of war in Afghanistan. Obama has said we should get out of Iraq, but fight in Afghanistan. If he really believes that instead of just having said it for campaign purposes, and if he really does it, then his presidency is already doomed. Neither Alexander the Great, nor the British nor the Russians succeeded there. The British once sent out a column of what — 20 or 25 thousand troops? — of whom I think two returned (that’s two as in two, not as in two thousand). The Russians had, I think, about 150,000 men there and lost what, about 14,000 dead, despite modern weapons, if I remember correctly? There is something about the countryside, the people, the mindset that does not admit of victory by invaders. We found out in Viet Nam and Iraq that we cannot accomplish our imperial military aims any better than the British, the French (in Algeria and Indo China) or the Russians could. And we already have learned in Afghanistan that we cannot convert that opium growing, warlord-ridden nation into a democracy that focuses on other things. If Obama were to fight a war in Afghanistan, his Presidency would be as good as over. Huge numbers of us who supported him, and have hopes for him, will leave him and begin assailing him.</p>
<p>War has destroyed five presidencies in the last 90 years, those of Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and George W. Bush. History says it will destroy Obama’s too if he really meant it when he said he will fight in Afghanistan, that graveyard for empires.</p>
<p>And, when one thinks about it, why fight in Afghanistan? Initially we fought there because its government, the Taliban, had harbored Al Qaeda. So we decided to depose the Taliban instead of simply destroying Al Qaeda’s camps — a very questionable decision, if one that was at least understandable given the temper of the time. But in the long run it didn’t work. The Taliban are back. The opium is back. The warlords continue. And when they have to, Al Qaeda personnel simply go into Pakistan. To think we are going to change the situation (without the commitment of at least what — a million men? 1.5 million men?) defies both recent history and long term history since Alexander the Great. Even if we were to commit a million men, Al Qaeda will simply go to Pakistan. And then what will we do — invade Pakistan? Not to mention that our military actions and our actions against prisoners are our opponents’ finest recruiting tools and thereby promote endless war.</p>
<p>Better to try to achieve peace, use humint to locate enemies, and, if and when necessary, destroy enemy camps or bases with all that vaunted high tech military stuff like predators and guided bombs.</p>
<p>One can only pray that a smart guy like Obama sees the light on this and does not fight a war in Afghanistan. Otherwise one will in future have to write that war destroyed the presidencies of Wilson, Truman, Johnson, Nixon, Bush and Obama.</p>
<p>There is another, lesser matter that I think Obama should be careful about. It is being said that, to some extent, he is filling his transition team and administration with persons from the Clinton Administration. (It would be harsh to call them retreads, would it not?) There are obvious reasons for this: experience and keeping peace within the Democratic Party are two of them. When Carter failed to do this in 1976, his administration foundered, partly for lack of experience. But if Obama goes too far with this, he is going to create bitter enmity among so many who had much to do with his success and who will be very put off by a second coming of Clintonia.</p>
<p>Lawrence Velvel, dean of the Massachusetts School of Law, is the author of <a href="" type="internal">Thine Alabaster Cities Gleam</a> and <a href="" type="internal">An Enemy of the People.</a> He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p /> | Obama and Afghanistan | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/11/07/obama-and-afghanistan/ | 2008-11-07 | 4 |
<p>I first met Mike Flynn in 2009 at a park in Quincy, Illinois for a tea party rally where we both spoke. It was in the early days when we were still caucusing with other grassroot groups to form the coalitions that would eventually save the House for the GOP and get conservatives in elected seats. He had wild, curly hair, an ever-present cup of black coffee in his hand, and was scowling at some moderate Republican lawmaker who came out in an attempt to snake into grassroots's good graces. We got along instantly. Flynn became a friend and a compatriot in the cause, whether we were crashing Media Matters's office in DC or going on the offense against elected officials and their smear tactics. Mike Flynn's tolerance for BS is nonexistent, he knows and loathes how DC works, and he views political office like most people view jury duty: a necessity of civics, not a feature of industry. Illinois voters will get a strong, limited government conservative in Mike Flynn, a candidate who has fought, mostly unrecognized, for the cause longer than the tea party movement has been in existence. I would support his candidacy solely to see him argue with people on the House floor, but I endorse him for this seat because <a href="http://www.mikeflynnforcongress.com/" type="external">there is no one better to serve IL18 than Mike Flynn</a>.</p> | Mike Flynn For Illinois’s 18th Congressional District | true | http://danaloeschradio.com/mike-flynn-for-illinoiss-18th-congressional-district | 2015-04-22 | 0 |
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<p>Uncle Sam may be eavesdropping on law-abiding citizens, and New Mexico’s two U.S. senators think the public deserves to know more about it.</p>
<p>Sens. Tom Udall and Jeff Bingaman, both Democrats, joined senators from both parties who signed a letter to the director of national intelligence asking for more information about the number of Americans whose emails or phone calls might have been secretly scrutinized under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The central provision of 2008 amendments to the act gave the government new powers to collect the communications of people reasonably believed to be foreigners outside the United States.</p>
<p>The Obama administration has said it is unsure how many American citizens might have been subject to surveillance. The senators say that’s unacceptable, and while they would accept an imprecise estimate they aren’t ready to “dismiss questions about how many Americans have had their phone calls or emails collected as trivial or unimportant.”</p>
<p>The letter also says the senators have become increasingly concerned about an apparent loophole in the law that could allow the government to effectively conduct warrantless searches of Americans’ communications.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>This reasonable request for information about the program comes as surveillance provisions of the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 are set to expire in December.</p>
<p>The request is a timely way to jump start the national conversation on how the government should be allowed to collect intelligence intended to thwart foreign terrorism on American soil while protecting the privacy rights of its own citizens.</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> | Editorial: Info on Eavesdropping A Reasonable Request | false | https://abqjournal.com/121182/info-on-eavesdropping-a-reasonable-request.html | 2012-07-31 | 2 |
<p>Municipal bond yields hit fresh highs again this week, continuing their strong climb since the U.S. presidential election.</p>
<p>According to the AP Municipal Bond index, the 10-year muni yield was 2.810 percent as of 5 p.m. Eastern time Friday. Just a month earlier, it was 2.051 percent.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Yields on two- and 30-year muni bonds have also risen dramatically over the past month. As of Friday, the two-year yield was 1.390 percent. It was under 0.6 percent in mid-August. The 30-year yield finished the week at 3.566 percent.</p>
<p>Yields have jumped across the bond market since last month's election on expectations that the Trump administration's efforts to jumpstart the economy will cause interest rates to increase faster than expected. Higher interest rates and inflation would hurt the price of bonds.</p>
<p>A solid jobs report on Friday bolstered that view and makes it all but certain that the Federal Reserve will raise short-term interest rates later this month.</p>
<p>Higher yields boost interest payments for investors buying muni bonds today, but they also means lower prices for bonds that investors are already holding. That's because bond yields and prices move in opposite directions. The rise in yields caused the largest municipal bond exchange-traded fund, the iShares National Muni Bond ETF, to lose 4.1 percent last month. That's its worst monthly loss since 2008.</p>
<p>Also hurting muni bond prices are expectations that the Trump administration may seek to lower tax rates. That would dull one of the biggest appeals of municipal bonds: their tax-exempt income.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>In other muni bond news:</p>
<p>— A greater gap</p>
<p>Longer-term bonds are more sensitive to changes in interest rates than their short-term rivals. So with all the uncertainty surrounding rates, investors are demanding a greater premium to hold these riskier bonds.</p>
<p>As of Friday afternoon, muni bonds that take 10 years to mature yielded 1.42 percentage points more than two-year munis, according to the AP Municipal Bond Index. And those that dared to hold 30-year bonds reaped 2.176 percentage points more in yield than two-year bondholders.</p>
<p>— Taper tantrum part two?</p>
<p>Investors yanked more than $7 billion out of municipal bond funds and ETFs in the weeks following the election, according to research firm ICI. That marks a sharp change from a long winning streak for the group, which had seen 53 straight weeks of inflows through mid-October.</p>
<p>In the week ending Nov. 16th alone, investors pulled out over $4.5 billion from muni funds. That's the biggest weekly outflow since the "taper tantrum" of 2013, when bond investors rushed to sell after the Fed's chairman hinted that the U.S. may wind down its bond-buying program.</p>
<p>The taper tantrum lasted over six months, during which investors pulled more than $40 billion from municipal bond funds.</p> | Municipal-bond week in review: Yields climb again | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/02/municipal-bond-week-in-review-yields-climb-again.html | 2016-12-02 | 0 |
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<p>WASHINGTON – The National Labor Relations Board said it is prepared to file formal complaints against Wal-Mart for allegedly violating the rights of protesting workers last year.</p>
<p>NLRB General Counsel Richard Griffin said Monday there was merit in accusations that the retailer unlawfully threatened employees with reprisal if they engaged in strikes and protests over wages and working conditions.</p>
<p>Griffin also is ready to press charges that Wal-Mart illegally threatened, disciplined or terminated more than 100 employees in 13 states for participating in legally protected strikes and protests on Black Friday, the big shopping day after Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>Formal complaints will be filed if Wal-Mart and the employees fail to reach a settlement.</p>
<p>Wal-Mart spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan said the company disagreed with the labor board and was taking steps to defend itself.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | NLRB to press charges against Wal-Mart | false | https://abqjournal.com/303563/nlrb-to-press-charges-against-walmart.html | 2013-11-18 | 2 |
<p>SAN JOSE (Reuters) - Costa Rica’s first same-sex wedding has been blocked by notaries who are refusing to recognize it until laws forbidding gay marriage are changed, setting them at odds with the president.</p> Roberth Castillo and Mario Arias, speak after a news conference to announce the suspension of their wedding scheduled for this Saturday, after notaries refused to recognize same-sex marriage, at La Sabana park in San Jose, Costa Rica, January 19, 2018. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate
<p>The marriage between two men was set for this Saturday after a top Latin American human rights court earlier this month ruled that countries in the region should legalize same-sex unions, pushing back against opposition from the Roman Catholic church.</p> Roberth Castillo (R) and Mario Arias speak next to their lawyer Marianella Mora before a news conference to announce the suspension of their wedding scheduled for this Saturday, after notaries refused to recognize same-sex marriage, at La Sabana park in San Jose, Costa Rica, January 19, 2018. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate
<p>The Inter-American Court, based in Costa Rica’s capital San Jose, recommended that those rights be upheld via temporary decrees while governments pursue permanent laws.</p>
<p>Costa Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis then directed government agencies to apply the ruling until lawmakers or the constitutional court formally adopt new laws.</p>
<p>However, the notary council of the Central American country said on Friday it would only authorize such unions if the local legislature or the court annul laws outlawing gay marriage.</p>
<p>“The rules that regulate marriage in Costa Rica ... remain in force,” the council said, telling notaries to abide by them.</p> Slideshow (5 Images)
<p>The court’s decision has triggered debate ahead of Costa Rica’s presidential election on Feb. 4, with some candidates vowing to fight it.</p>
<p>Solis is barred by law from seeking a second consecutive term.</p>
<p>Several Latin American countries, including predominantly Roman Catholic Costa Rica, still do not allow same-sex marriage.</p>
<p>However, that is changing, and in recent years same-sex couples have been allowed to marry in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and some parts of Mexico.</p>
<p>“There’s nothing stopping the road to equality, but the truth is we don’t know how long it will take to get there,” said Larissa Arroyo, an attorney representing the couple in Costa Rica who planned to marry on Saturday.</p>
<p>The country’s Justice Minister Marco Feoli said in a statement that the notary council’s stance went against both the executive branch and the Inter-American Court.</p>
<p>Writing by Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Dave Graham and Grant McCool</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Steve Bannon, President Donald Trump’s former chief strategist and 2016 campaign CEO, had a fiery response on Wednesday to Wall Street’s dim view of Trump’s trade actions against China.</p> Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon gestures as he speaks during a conference of Swiss weekly magazine Die Weltwoche in Zurich, Switzerland, March 6, 2018. REUTERS/Moritz Hager
<p>“Ask the working people in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan about Wall Street. Wall Street supported and cheered on the export of their jobs. To hell with Wall Street if they don’t like it. It’s time somebody stood up to them and Donald Trump is the perfect guy. Wall Street is always short term. Trump is trying to protect the beating heart of American capitalism - our innovation,” he told Reuters in a telephone interview.</p>
<p>Bannon, who maintains ties to the White House, said Trump’s recent moves to impose tariffs are a signal to the Chinese that “the game of continual delay is over” and that they will have to address the central issue of forced technology transfers.”</p>
<p>“It’s full throwdown. Trump has planned this out for a long time. He led with the smart things, forced technology transfers. It’s obvious the Chinese have no real response to this. I think they played completely into his hands. By putting tariffs on agricultural products and avoiding addressing the technology questions they’ve shown once again they consider us nothing more than a tributary state.”</p> Wall Street tumbles on tech sector, trade worries
<p>“This is the beating heart of American capitalism: Technology innovation that the Chinese have either stolen or forced American companies to turn over. Trump has signaled that those days are over,” he said.</p>
<p>Just 11 hours after the Trump administration proposed 25 percent tariffs on some 1,300 Chinese industrial technology, transport and medical products, China responded with a list of similar duties on key American imports including soybeans, planes, cars, beef and chemicals.</p>
<p>Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by James Dalgleish</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. television networks have scrapped two planned series about former President Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky and his 1998 impeachment.</p> Former U.S. President Bill Clinton introduces Fleetwood Mac during the 2018 MusiCares Person of the Year show honoring Fleetwood Mac at Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, New York, U.S., January 26, 2018. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
<p>History Channel said on Wednesday it had decided not to move forward with a six-episode scripted drama series that it announced last September.</p>
<p>“The Breach: Inside the Impeachment of Bill Clinton,” was billed as “an intimate, riveting depiction of how one of the nation’s biggest political scandals unfolded.”</p>
<p>“A decision was made a few months ago not to move forward on the series for creative reasons. Production had not commenced,” History Channel said in a statement. The network did not give details.</p>
<p>In a separate development, producer Ryan Murphy told The Hollywood Reporter that he was no longer developing the best-selling book “A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Sex Scandal that Nearly Brought Down a President” for FX television as planned.</p>
<p>Murphy, producer of the “American Crime” FX series that recently dramatized the O.J. Simpson double-murder trial, and the murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace, had optioned the 2000 book more than a year ago.</p>
<p>He told the magazine in an interview for its April 4 edition that he had second thoughts about doing the series, and had informed Lewinsky.</p>
<a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=DIS.N" type="external">Walt Disney Co</a> 100.95 DIS.N New York Stock Exchange +1.53 (+1.54%) DIS.N FOXA.O CBS.N
<p>“I told her, ‘Nobody should tell your story but you, and it’s kind of gross if they do,’” Murphy was quoted as saying. “‘If you want to produce it with me, I would love that; but you should be the producer and you should make all the goddamn money.’”</p>
<p>Clinton was impeached on charges of perjury and obstruction during his second term as president but was acquitted by the Senate.</p>
<p>Lewinsky, whose affair with Clinton occurred while she was an intern at the White House, has been the subject of numerous books and has recently campaigned against bullying.</p>
<p>Clinton, however, remains a hot property for television. Cable channel Showtime has said it will adapt his debut novel for a series.</p>
<p>Co-authored with thriller writer James Paterson, “The President is Missing” is due to be published in June and will tell of the sudden disappearance of a sitting U.S. president.</p>
<p>Showtime has not said when the series will air, or given details of casting.</p>
<p>History Channel is a joint venture between Hearst Communications and Walt Disney Co ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=DIS.N" type="external">DIS.N</a>). FX is a unit of 21st Century Fox ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=FOXA.O" type="external">FOXA.O</a>), while Showtime is a unit of CBS Corp ( <a href="/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=CBS.N" type="external">CBS.N</a>).</p>
<p>Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Peter Cooney</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>(Reuters) - An affluent Chicago suburb has banned the possession, sale and manufacture of “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines” in response to the massacre at a Florida high school and other recent mass shootings in the United States.</p> FILE PHOTO - AR-15 rifles are displayed for sale at the Guntoberfest gun show in Oaks, Pennsylvania, U.S., October 6, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
<p>Residents of Democratic-leaning Deerfield, located about 25 miles north of Chicago, have until June 13 to remove any firearms and magazines that fall outside the new restrictions or face a fine of between $250 and $1,000 per day, according to the ordinance passed by the town board on Monday night.</p>
<p>The ban quickly drew a legal challenge from gun-rights group Guns Save Life, with support from the National Rifle Association, on grounds it violated Americans’ Constitutional rights to own firearms.</p>
<p>The Deerfield ordinance said the ban was a direct response to the Feb. 14 killing of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and the student-led campaign for tighter restrictions on guns inspired by the mass shooting.</p>
<p>“We hope that our local decision helps spur state and national leaders to take steps to make our communities safer,” Deerfield Mayor Harriet Rosenthal said in a statement.</p>
<p>The ban follows a similar 2013 measure enacted by the nearby suburb of Highland Park, located on Chicago’s North Shore, which withstood a challenge that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.</p>
<p>Opponents were quick to take issue with the ban.</p>
<p>“Every law-abiding villager of Deerfield has the right to protect themselves, their homes, and their loved ones with the firearm that best suits their needs,” Chris Cox, head of the NRA’s lobbying arm, said in a statement.</p>
<p>Opponents of the ban said they fear Deerfield will try to outlaw other firearms.</p>
<p>“First it’s going to be assault rifles. There will be new bans in the future. It’s just a matter of time,” Deerfield resident Larry Nordal told the Chicago Tribune. Nordal did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.</p>
<p>The ban defines assault weapons as a range of firearms such as semiautomatic rifles like the AR-15, a gun similar to the one used in the Florida massacre. High-capacity magazines are defined as those holding more than 10 rounds.</p>
<p>Deerfield High School senior Ariella Kharasch, who supported the legislation, wants more action on local and national levels.</p>
<p>“This is our generation’s fight. We’re going to keep fighting and this is part of it,” Kharasch told the Chicago Tribune. “Change happens gradually step by step.”</p>
<p>Reporting by Andrew Hay; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Leslie Adler</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SAN BRUNO, Calif. (Reuters) - A woman who had voiced complaints online about YouTube opened fire with a handgun at the tech company’s headquarters near San Francisco on Tuesday, wounding three people before shooting herself dead, authorities and media said.</p>
<p>It was the latest in a string of mass shootings in the United States in recent years. Most recently, the massacre of 17 people at a Florida high school has led to calls for tighter curbs on gun ownership.</p>
<p>Police did not identify the suspect or say what might have motivated Tuesday’s shooting at YouTube, a video-sharing service owned by Alphabet Inc’s Google which employs nearly 2,000 people at the San Bruno, California offices.</p>
<p>The woman approached an outdoor patio and dining courtyard on the campus around lunchtime and began to fire before entering the building, police said.</p>
<p>An affiliate of ABC and other local media, citing unnamed sources, identified the woman as Nasim Aghdam.</p>
<p>San Bruno police officials could not immediately be reached for comment on the identity of the attacker.</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-california-youtube-shooting-ceos/tech-ceos-call-for-gun-control-following-youtube-shooting-idUSKCN1HB05T" type="external">Tech CEOs call for gun control following YouTube shooting</a>
<p>YouTube spokeswoman Jessica Mason could not immediately be reached for comment on the identification by media.</p>
<p>The website NasimeSabz.com, which media said was linked to the attacker, had several posts about Persian culture and veganism, interspersed with screeds against YouTube.</p>
<p>Those complaints included claims the company was not sharing enough revenue with people who create videos for the platform.</p>
<p>“There is no equal growth opportunity on YouTube, or any other video-sharing site, your channel will grow if they want to,” read one posting on the site.</p>
<p>A YouTube account in the name of Nasime Sabz was deleted on Tuesday evening.</p>
<p>A U.S. government security official told Reuters there was no known connection to terrorism.</p>
<p>ABC News, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, said the suspect was 35 to 40 years old, and lived in Southern California.</p>
<p>A YouTube product manager, Todd Sherman, described on Twitter hearing people running, first thinking it was an earthquake before he was told that a person had a gun.</p>
<p>“At that point every new person I saw was a potential shooter. Someone else said that the person shot out the back doors and then shot themselves,” Sherman said in a tweet.</p>
<p>“I looked down and saw blood drips on the floor and stairs. Peeked around for threats and then we headed downstairs, and out the front,” Sherman said.</p>
<p>In a recording of a 911 call posted online by the Los Angeles Times, a dispatcher can be heard saying: “Shooter. Another party said they spotted someone with a gun. Suspect came from the back patio ... Again we have a report of a subject with a gun. They heard seven or eight shots being fired.”</p>
<p>Dozens of emergency vehicles quickly converged on the YouTube campus, and police could be seen on televised aerial video systematically frisking several employees leaving the area with their hands raised.</p>
<p>One victim, a 36-year-old man, was listed in critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital. A 32-year-old woman was listed in serious condition and a 27-year-old woman in fair condition. Authorities did not release names of the victims.</p>
<p>The three patients taken to San Francisco General Hospital were all awake, Dr. Andre Campbell, a trauma surgeon at the hospital, told a news conference. All were victims of gunshot wounds, Campbell said, but none of them had undergone surgery.</p>
<p>A fourth person was taken to a local hospital with an ankle injury from fleeing the scene.</p>
<p>“It’s with great sadness that I tell you - based on the latest information - four people were injured in this horrific act of violence,” Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said in letter to employees posted on Twitter.</p> Police officers and crime scene tape are seen at Youtube headquarters following an active shooter situation in San Bruno, California, U.S., April 3, 2018. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage
<p>“I know a lot of you are in shock right now. Over the coming days, we will continue to provide support to help everyone in our Google family heal from this unimaginable tragedy.”</p>
<p>In a separate tweet, Pichai said he and YouTube Chief Executive Susan Wojcicki were “focused on supporting our employees and the @YouTube community through this difficult time together.”</p>
<p>President Donald Trump said on Twitter that he had been briefed on the shooting.</p>
<p>“Our thoughts and prayers are with everybody involved,” Trump tweeted. “Thank you to our phenomenal law enforcement officers and first responders that are currently on the scene.”</p>
<p>In response, Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey tweeted: “We can’t keep being reactive to this, thinking and praying it won’t happen again at our schools, jobs, or our community spots. It’s beyond time to evolve our policies.”</p>
<p>Last month, YouTube announced it would ban content promoting the sale of guns and gun accessories, as well as videos that teach how to make guns.</p> Slideshow (11 Images)
<p>Female mass shooters are rare. A recent Washington Post analysis shows only three of 150 U.S. shootings with more than four victims since 1966 were carried out by women. In 2015, a husband and wife killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California.</p>
<p>Additional reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York, Suzannah Gonzales in Chicago, Mark Hosenball in Washington, D.C.; Andrew Hay in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Alex Dobuzinskis and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Salvador Rodriguez, Heather Somerville, Noel Randewich, Stephen Nellis and Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco; Keith Coffman in Denver; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Peter Cooney and Clarence Fernandez</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a> | Costa Rica's first gay marriage suffers bureaucratic hitch Ex-Trump aide Bannon: 'To hell with Wall Street' view on trade moves Two Bill Clinton impeachment shows abandoned by U.S. TV networks Chicago suburb bans 'assault weapons' after Florida massacre Woman wounds three at YouTube headquarters in California, then kills herself | false | https://reuters.com/article/us-costarica-lgbt/costa-ricas-first-gay-marriage-suffers-bureaucratic-hitch-idUSKBN1F82O0 | 2018-01-19 | 2 |
<p />
<p>The <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/" type="external">Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's</a> decision to create <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/editorials/jan05/293120.asp" type="external">a reader advisory committee</a> for the editorial board sparked several reactions. I fielded many of them as the newspaper's Editorial Page Editor.One reader wanted assurances that there were equal numbers of Democrats to Republicans, true liberals to true conservatives. Others asked questions that, no doubt, indicated lingering feelings from their candidate losing the recent election.Another person noted that there was an abundance of people on the 10-member committee who identified themselves as Christians. Others wanted more explanation of what the committee members really meant in the bios we had them write. We published <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/editorials/jan05/293171.asp" type="external">their bios</a> in our expanded Sunday opinion section.In general, people both inside and outside the newspaper thought listening to readers was a good thing. Some would say that it's even overdue.Newspapers, of course, listen to readers in many ways. And a reader advisory committee is not an idea original to me, or the Journal Sentinel. Other newspapers have formed them for both newsrooms and for editorial boards. But I found the initial reaction of the few naysayers, perhaps I should call them doubters, instructive. While those questioning the committee's formation were few, it's pretty clear to me by now that there are legions of doubters out there.Which is to say that there are legions of readers who believe we don't want to listen to them. That's just another way of saying that we don't care about them.And they really, really, really want us to listen. This was evidenced by the number of people&#160;-- about 150&#160;-- who applied for committee spots though I explained in a column that they'd be working for cookies.In the essays they submitted for the committee assignments, they explained they wanted their views reflected on the editorial pages. Again, another way of saying, "Listen to me," even as some, undoubtedly, are also saying "agree with me."&#160;But the fact that readers really want us to listen to them was brought home to me recently in another way. I sat on a panel and the topic was whether Wisconsin's print and broadcast news organizations serve the public interest. A loaded question, I know, with myriad answers depending on whether a reader's interest is truly public, or special -- as in special interest.It is a question, however, that every journalist should go through the exercise of trying to answer. It is both a humbling and invigorating experience. It brings us to the inevitable notion that, though we do a whole lot of good stuff, we can always do better.Distressingly, we find out when we pose this question to non-journalists, that a good number of them have a none-too-flattering answer at the ready. If there's a PR battle out there for the hearts and minds of readers, we're losing. The recent travails of <a href="" type="internal">CBS News and Dan Rather</a> haven't helped.... there are legions of readers who believe we don't want to listen to them.But this notion that we don't listen bubbled up from various questions posed by the panel's audience. Aside from a theme that I run too many conservative columnists (a refreshing departure from claims from the other side that our columnists are too liberal) was an assumption. That assumption is that we, as an industry, are actively listening&#160;-- but not to readers. In fact, they see us in thrall to our corporate masters; purposely not running stories that will upset establishment apple carts. It explains our timidity, they say.I told the audience that though there may be some flaws to corporate ownership, having headquarters dictate what stories and editorials we run generally isn't among them. Of course, Sinclair television stations might beg to differ. Sometimes newsrooms suffer when profits and expenses clash in investor-owned companies. But corporate censorship is relatively rare, at least in my experience.Yes, I know such gatherings always produce expressions that we are slanted this way or that -- that we cover this too much and that too little. Conspiracy theories abound. But I detected a hunger from the audience to tell us everything on their minds. And this, too, is an indication that readers don't believe we listen.We could stand to listen more. Even when we disagree. Even when we know what they're saying isn't absolutely true.Often, however, we prefer to simply label the complainers as partisans, or representing some other niche interest. And I suspect this hesitancy to listen is also about indignation, about having to explain ourselves. While public perception that the media is arrogant is overblown, it isn't without some glimmer of truth.The other benefit of listening is that we also get to explain. Unlike us, readers are, by and large, willing to listen. Eager to listen. They want to understand.It's why I think I'm on the right track with this reader advisory committee.We had our first meeting recently (Jan. 13). I wasn't disappointed. The committee members didn't just make comments. They asked questions.The committee's purpose is to be our fiercest critic and to advise us about issues from various communities, or areas of interest. The committee can identify issues that we are not writing about. Or ones we've written about, but from their perspective, wrongly. We will bounce other issues off of them to better understand opinions not always present during editorial board meetings.Choosing 10 readers from the 150 applicants was tough. We were looking for diversity&#160;-- politically, by community, by age, by gender, by race and ethnicity. We will, I'm certain, learn as much from the experience as will the committee.I'll keep you posted. But right now, out the chute, it seems clear to me that listening is far better than circling the wagons.</p> | Listening to Readers | false | https://poynter.org/news/listening-readers | 2005-01-24 | 2 |
<p>Move over Trump-Russia connection hysteria stories, there's a new internet obsession in town starring a guy who truly is an alpha male.</p>
<p>Zola, a dancing gorilla at the Dallas Zoo, is taking the web by storm with a clip of him going all "Flashdance" with his inspired pool moves.</p>
<p>The video (below) was originally uploaded sans song by the zoo, but once this Twitterer added the perfect tune, a star was born:</p>
<p>The behind-the-scenes zoo video was shot by Primate Supervisor Ashley Orr, according to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfS5kBGBh00" type="external">YouTube</a> description, which reads:</p>
<p>You may remember Zola when he was a youngster from the viral video of him breakdancing at The Calgary Zoo, but there’s a lot more to this behavior than you may think. Enrichment helps enhance the environment and lives of animals, like Zola, by providing them with mental and physical stimulation to increase natural behaviors. Enrichment can take many forms, but for this spunky great ape, it means playing and spinning in his favorite blue pool while off habitat!</p>
<p>Click below for young 9-year-old Zola's breakdancing skills from back in 2011 in this viral video that has racked up almost 4 million views:</p>
<p>Exit shout out to Jennifer Beals:</p> | WATCH: This Video Of A Gorilla Taking A Bath Will Make You Laugh | true | https://dailywire.com/news/17900/watch-video-gorilla-taking-bath-will-make-you-chase-stephens | 2017-06-24 | 0 |
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<p>— N.M. Old Timer</p>
<p>MO NOT AN ATTORNEY is definitely not an attorney. He is far too busy making sure the State of New Mexico retains its status as a third-world country.</p>
<p>— HDR</p>
<p>SUSANA MARTINEZ has done more to damage New Mexico athletes than anyone in the history of the state. I have no doubt the lousy job she has done in Santa Fe is why there are no mid school APS athletics anymore and the audacity she had trying to stick her nose into Lobo basketball was just unnecessary. Sorry Bob Davie you are now # 2 in not wanting New Mexico athletes competing in sports.</p>
<p>— Paul Martinez</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>BLAMING THE POLITICIANS for killing middle school athletics is blaming the messenger. APS chose to cut something that would instantly cause an uproar to call attention to their claim to need more money. … I worked for APS at one time and I think it would be way more constructive to look for ways to cut budget other than on the backs of the kids and community. How about a couple of Junior Assistant Superintendents of Trashcan Liners? $500 -$700 K in the APS budget is a drop in the bucket. This decision was nothing more than pure politics.</p>
<p>— MD</p>
<p>COACH PAUL WEIR conducted a hoops camp for our kids at Laguna this past summer. Instead of having his players do all of the work Coach Weir was in the middle of every drill demonstrating passing, dribbling, shooting and defensive skills. He was so encouraging. When it comes to academics he walks the talk. I found Coach to be articulate, passionate and genuine. I told my lovely wife (Anna) of 35 years that I don’t think Coach Weir was UNM’s first choice. She told me don’t worry … you weren’t my first choice either.</p>
<p>— TTrujillo</p> | Sports Speak Up! Readers protest cutting mid-school athletics | false | https://abqjournal.com/988403/sports-speak-up-readers-protest-cutting-mid-school-athletics.html | 2 |
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<p>Their spat started late Monday, when Lemon, host of “CNN Tonight,” ran a segment saying he wouldn’t “aid and abet” Trump’s claims that the Obama administration had spied on him. In the same segment, Lemon defended former national security adviser Susan E. Rice against suggestions that she leaked the identities of Trump surrogates mentioned in foreign surveillance intelligence reports for political purposes.</p>
<p>Rice has denied that she sought anyone’s name for political reasons, and has called claims that she leaked identities “completely false.”</p>
<p>“On this program tonight, we will not insult your intelligence by pretending otherwise,” Lemon said, “nor will we aid and abet the people who are trying to misinform you, the American people, by creating a diversion.”</p>
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<p>O’Reilly responded Tuesday afternoon by tweeting that Lemon “refuses to cover” the allegations against Rice. He ran a clip of Lemon’s commentary on “The O’Reilly Factor” website, saying Lemon had “declared his show a Rice-Free Zone.”</p>
<p>It escalated from there.</p>
<p>Lemon fired back by bringing up the wave of sexual harassment accusations against O’Reilly that have come to light in the past few days. O’Reilly’s show is facing an exodus of advertisers after a New York Times investigation over the weekend revealed five women have received a combined $13 million in settlements stemming from complaints about his conduct.</p>
<p>“False. I did not refuse to cover the story,” Lemon tweeted. “But I did cover your sexual harassment allegations. Did you?”</p>
<p>Lemon had covered the allegations against Rice – though perhaps not in the way O’Reilly wanted – and he went out of his way to say so on his show Tuesday night.</p>
<p>“Normally I wouldn’t address this, but he has a lot of followers and people are believing alternative facts now,” Lemon said of O’Reilly. He went on to play several clips of panelists talking about Rice having unmasked members of Trump’s team.</p>
<p>“So, Bill, we have covered the Susan E. Rice story, we did it for a long time on this program last night, and tonight we’re going to cover it again,” Lemon said.</p>
<p>In the panel discussion that followed, Lemon doubled down on his defense of Rice, arguing there was no evidence she acted improperly by seeking the names of Trump surrogates concealed in intelligence intercepts.</p>
<p>A subsequent panel on “CNN Tonight” delved into the sexual harassment allegations against O’Reilly, which Lemon had previously covered on his show. As of Tuesday night, at least 11 advertisers had withdrawn or moved ads from the “O’Reilly Factor,” among them leading car and pharmaceutical companies, as The Washington Post’s Paul Farhi reported.</p>
<p>There was a moment in what now seems like the distant past when Lemon and O’Reilly found some common ground. In a 2013 discussion about race relations in the United States, O’Reilly tried to blame violence in black communities on “disintegration of the African-American family.” Lemon, who is black, surprised viewers when he took O’Reilly’s side.</p>
<p>“Bill’s got a point,” he said on CNN. “In my estimation, he doesn’t go far enough.”</p>
<p>Sign up for the Today’s WorldView Newsletter The Washington Post.</p> | Don Lemon and Bill O’Reilly mix it up over Susan Rice, sexual harassment allegations | false | https://abqjournal.com/982804/don-lemon-and-bill-oreilly-mix-it-up-over-susan-rice-sexual-harassment-allegations.html | 2 |
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<p>Jan 22 (Reuters) - Topbetta Holdings Ltd:</p>
<p>* QTRLY TOTAL REVENUES UP 95% FROM SEPT QUARTER TO $6.92 MILLION</p>
<p>* QTRLY TURNOVER UP 52% FROM SEPTEMBER QUARTER TO$82.91M Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Migrants forming a caravan in southern Mexico are subject to an administrative migratory procedure, the Mexican foreign ministry said on Monday, after the caravan drew the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump.</p> Central American migrants participating in a caravan heading to the U.S. take a pause from the journey in Matias Romero, Oaxaca, Mexico April 2, 2018. REUTERS/Jose de Jesus Cortes
<p>In a statement, the ministry said that the U.S. government must determine whether it would allow any of the migrants from the caravan into the United States.</p>
<p>“It is not up to this government to make migration decisions for the United States or for any other nation,” the ministry said.</p>
<p>The ministry also said it did not foster illegal migration “under any circumstances”.</p>
<p>Reporting by Dave Graham; writing by Julia Love</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>IXTEPEC, Mexico/EDINBURG, Texas (Reuters) - In some of the Mexican towns playing host to a “caravan” of more than 1,200 Central American migrants heading to the U.S. border, the welcome mat has been rolled out despite President Donald Trump’s call for Mexican authorities to stop them.</p> Central American migrants participating in a caravan heading to the U.S. take a pause from their journey in Matias Romero, Oaxaca, Mexico April 2, 2018. REUTERS/Jose de Jesus Cortes
<p>Local officials have offered lodging in town squares and empty warehouses or arranged transport for the migrants, participants in a journey organized by the immigrant advocacy group Pueblo San Fronteras. The officials have conscripted buses, cars, ambulances and police trucks. But the help may not be entirely altruistic.</p>
<p>“The authorities want us to leave their cities,” said Rodrigo Abeja, an organizer from Pueblo San Fronteras. “They’ve been helping us, in part to speed the massive group out of their jurisdictions.”</p> Related Coverage
<a href="/article/us-usa-immigration-caravan-mexico/mexico-says-migrants-in-caravan-face-administrative-procedure-idUSKCN1HA06W" type="external">Mexico says migrants in caravan face administrative procedure</a>
<p>At some point this spring, the caravan’s 2,000-mile (3,200-km) journey that began at Tapachula near the Guatemalan border on March 25 will end at the U.S. border, where some of its members will apply for asylum, while others will attempt to sneak into the United States.</p>
<p>So far the Mexican federal government has provided little guidance on how to handle the migrants but Abeja worries that local reactions will change.</p>
<p>“There’s a lot of pressure from authorities to stop the caravan because of Donald Trump’s reaction,” he said.</p>
<p>Trump railed on Twitter against the caravan on Monday, accusing Mexico of “doing very little, if not NOTHING” to stop the flow of immigrants crossing the U.S. border illegally. “They must stop the big drug and people flows, or I will stop their cash cow, NAFTA,” he concluded.</p> Central American migrants participating in a caravan heading to the U.S. hold bags with food in Matias Romero, Oaxaca, Mexico April 2, 2018. REUTERS/Jose de Jesus Cortes
<p>Mexico’s interior minister Alfonso Navarrete did not directly address the caravan, but he wrote on Twitter that he spoke to the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Monday, and that the two had “agreed to analyze the best ways to attend to the flows of migrants in accordance with the laws of each country.”</p>
<p>Mexico must walk a delicate line with the United States as the countries are in the midst of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) along with Canada. At the same time, Mexican left-wing presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has an 18-point lead ahead of the July 1 election, according to a poll published on Monday.</p>
<p>A Lopez Obrador victory could usher in a Mexican government less accommodating toward the United States on both trade and immigration issues.</p>
<p>Mexican Senator Angelica de la Pena, who presides over the Senate’s human rights commission, told Reuters that Mexico should protect migrants’ rights despite the pressure from Trump. &#160;</p>
<p>Former President Vicente Fox called for Mexican officials to take a stand against Trump’s attacks.&#160;Trump keeps “blackmailing, offending and denigrating Mexico and Mexicans,” he wrote on Twitter on Monday.</p>
<p>Under Mexican law, Central Americans who enter Mexico legally are generally allowed to move freely through the country, even if their goal is to cross illegally into the United States.</p> Slideshow (2 Images) ‘WE’RE SUFFERING’
<p>Migrants in the caravan cite a variety of reasons for joining it. Its members are disproportionately from Honduras, which has high levels of violence and has been rocked by political upheaval in recent months following the re-election of U.S.-backed president, Juan Orlando Hernández in an intensely disputed election.</p>
<p>Maria Elena Colindres Ortega, a member of caravan and, until January, a member of Congress in Honduras, said she is fleeing the political upheaval at home. “We’ve had to live through fraudulent electoral process,” she said. “We’re suffering a progressive militarization and lack of institutions, and … they’re criminalizing those who protested.”</p>
<p>Colindres Ortega, who opposed the ruling party in Honduras, said she spiraled into debt, after serving without pay for the last 18 months of her four-year term. She decided to head north after a fellow congressman from her party put out word on Facebook that a caravan of migrants was gathering in southern Mexico, leaving home with a small bag with necessities and photos of her children.</p>
<p>Pueblo Sin Fronteras has helped coordinate migrant caravans for the last several years, though previously they had a maximum of several hundred participants. During the journey members of the organization instruct the migrants about their rights.</p>
<p>“We accompany at least those who want to request asylum,” said Alex Mensing, Pueblo Sin Fronteras’ program director. “We help prepare them for the detention process and asylum process before they cross the border, because it’s so difficult for people to have success if they don’t have the information.”</p>
<p>Typically, Central Americans have not fared well with U.S. asylum claims, particularly those from Honduras. A Reuters analysis of immigration court data found that Hondurans who come before the court receive deportation orders in more than 83 percent of cases, the highest rate of any nationality. Hondurans also face deportation in Mexico, where immigration data shows that 5,000 Hondurans were deported from Mexico in February alone, the highest number since May 2016.</p>
<p>Maunel Padilla, chief of the border patrol’s Rio Grande Valley sector, one of the busiest crossing points on the U.S. Mexico border, said in an interview with Reuters that he worries the caravan could “generate interest for other groups to do the same thing,” but he was not terribly nervous about coping with the group currently traveling.</p>
<p>“Not to be flippant,” Padilla said, “but it’s similar numbers to what we are seeing every day pretty much.”</p>
<p>Reporting by Delphine Schrank and Mica Rosenberg; Additional reporting by Dave Graham, Lizbeth Diaz, Diego Ore and Daina Beth Solomon; Editing by Sue Horton and Lisa Shumaker</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>SYDNEY (Reuters) - Asian stocks extended a global selloff and the yen rose on Tuesday as investors fled for safety as an escalating trade spat between the United States and China and a renewed slump in tech shares such as Amazon.com sapped investor confidence.</p> FILE PHOTO: A visitor is seen as market prices are reflected in a glass window at the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) in Tokyo, Japan, February 6, 2018. REUTERS/Toru Hanai/File Photo
<p>MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan fell 0.28 percent pressured by the tech sector.</p>
<p>Japan’s Nikkei slipped 1.1 percent while South Korea’s KOSPI index skidded about 1 percent with Samsung Electronics down more than 1 percent. Australian shares were off 0.3 percent.</p>
<p>The losses in tech shares came after U.S. President Donald Trump attacked Amazon.com over the pricing of its deliveries through the United States Postal Service and promised unspecified changes.</p>
<p>Investors were also on the backfoot as China imposed extra tariffs on 128 U.S. products, deepening a dispute between the world’s two biggest economies and stoking concerns about the impact on global growth.</p>
<p>Fears of a full blown trade war became a clear focus in a U.S. manufacturing activity report for March which showed new orders index at its lowest since August.</p>
<p>“The China tariffs didn’t seem too bad but combined with editorials in the state press they do suggest China is ready to escalate if negotiations fail,” said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader.</p>
<p>“And of course, the U.S. President’s tweets about Amazon just added fuel to the fire started by a recognition maybe the ‘FANGS’, and thus the overall market, had got ahead of themselves.”</p>
<p>So called FANG stocks - Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google - have been largely responsible for a multi-year bull run in world shares, although the threat of government regulation has raised worries about their outlook.</p>
<p>Facebook, Apple and some of their peers had a woeful last quarter as investors reassessed the high U.S. stock valuations in light of the cocktail of negative factors.</p>
<p>The tech-heavy Nasdaq declined 2.4 percent on Monday, wiping out all of its gains this year while the S&amp;P 500 crashed through its 200-day moving average, a closely watched technical indicator. [.N]</p>
<p>China’s tit-for-tat tariffs also hurt the U.S. dollar which fell for a fourth straight day against the Japanese yen.</p>
<p>The dollar index was stable around recent ranges against a basket of currencies.</p>
<p>U.S. Treasury prices rose, with yields on benchmark 10-year notes near the lowest since early February.</p>
<p>Oil prices were left licking their wounds after falling more than 3.7 percent on Monday weighed by higher Russian output, the escalating U.S.-China trade dispute and expectations Saudi Arabia will cut prices of crude.</p>
<p>Brent crude inched 14 cents higher to $ 67.78 a barrel. U.S. crude rose 13 cents to $63.14.</p>
<p>Gold, which is often seen as a store of value during times of financial or political uncertainty, rose.</p>
<p>Spot gold ticked up to $1,341.38.</p>
<p>(This version of the story has been refiled to fixes typographical error in headline)</p>
<p>Editing by Shri Navaratnam</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a>
<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Monday rejected an Obama-era plan to make automobiles more fuel efficient, opening up a long process to weaken current standards and putting California and the federal government on a collision course over vehicle emissions.</p> FILE PHOTO: EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt speaks during a meeting held by U.S. President Donald Trump on infrastructure at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 12, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
<p>Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said in a statement that the standards on model year 2022 to 2025 vehicles were not appropriate and should be revised.</p>
<p>The Obama administration set the average fleet-wide fuel efficiency standards “too high” and “made assumptions about the standards that didn’t comport with reality,” Pruitt said. He did not offer specifics on revising them.</p>
<p>The standards called for roughly doubling by 2025 the average fuel efficiency of new vehicles sold in the United States to about 50 miles (80 km) per gallon. Proponents said they could help spur innovation in clean technologies.</p>
<p>California has long been allowed by an EPA waiver to impose stricter standards than Washington does on vehicle emissions of some pollutants. And 12 other states, including New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, follow California’s lead on cleaner cars.</p>
<p>That has set up a battle on vehicle efficiency between California, the most populous U.S. state and a massive car market, and the administration of President Donald Trump.</p>
<p>Pruitt is a big proponent of states’ rights to regulate themselves, but opposes California’s push for greener cars. California’s waiver to impose its own efficiency standards is being re-examined, the EPA said.</p>
<p>It is in “America’s best interest to have a national standard,” Pruitt said in the release.</p>
<p>California Governor Jerry Brown blasted the EPA’s action. “This cynical and meretricious abuse of power will poison our air and jeopardize the health of all Americans,” Brown said.</p>
<p>Mary Nichols, the head of the California Air Resources Board, said her state “will vigorously defend the existing clean vehicle standards.”</p> PATCHWORK OF RULES
<p>Auto industry executives have not publicly sought specific reductions in the requirements negotiated with the Obama administration in 2011 as part of a bailout deal. But they have urged Pruitt and Trump to revise the Obama standards so it becomes easier and less costly to meet complex targets, which vary depending on the size of vehicles and whether they are classified as cars or trucks.</p>
<p>Automakers also want to avoid a patchwork of rules that would add costs to engine manufacturing.</p>
<p>“The best way to achieve our collective goals is under a single national program that provides an aggressive but achievable pathway, a variety of compliance tools, and factors in the role of customers,” said John Bozzella, president and chief executive officer of the Association of Global Automakers.</p>
<p>Gloria Bergquist, a spokeswoman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, said Pruitt made the right decision and that the administration was working on a way to both increase fuel economy and “keep new vehicles affordable to more Americans.”</p>
<p>Changes to the standards could affect car manufacturers, including Ford Motor Co, General Motors Co and Tesla Inc</p>
<p>Auto suppliers were cautiously optimistic about the creation of a national fuel efficiency plan. Steve Handschuh, head of the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, said while his group supports adjustments and flexibilities “we do not support significant changes to the standards.”</p>
<p>Environmentalists decried Pruitt’s decision, saying stricter standards would slash emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Proponents of the corporate average fuel economy standards, or CAFE, say they have led to big gains in auto technology and that relaxing them could eventually hurt sales of U.S. cars in European and Asian countries that are moving toward mandates for electric cars.</p>
<p>It would “take America backward by jeopardizing successful safeguards that are working to clean our air, save drivers money at the pump, and drive technological innovation that creates jobs,” said Luke Tonachel, a clean vehicles advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council.</p>
<p>Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Additional reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler, David Gregorio and Lisa Shumaker</p> Our Standards:
<a href="" type="internal">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.</a> | BRIEF-Topbetta Holdings Posts Qtrly Revenues of $6.92 Million Mexico says migrants in caravan face administrative procedure Migrant caravan heading to U.S. border puts Mexico in tough spot with Trump Stocks slide, yen rises in flight to safety on trade war anxiety EPA to relax fuel efficiency standards for autos | false | https://reuters.com/article/brief-topbetta-holdings-posts-qtrly-reve/brief-topbetta-holdings-posts-qtrly-revenues-of-692-million-idUSFWN1PE1A0 | 2018-01-21 | 2 |
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<p>The EPA’s Office of Inspector General disclosed Wednesday that it recently presented evidence to prosecutors that the unnamed employee may have violated the Clean Water Act and given false statements.</p>
<p>However, office spokesman Jeffrey Lagda said the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Colorado declined to pursue a case against the employee. In lieu of prosecution, an investigative report will be sent to senior EPA management for review, Lagda said.</p>
<p>An EPA-led cleanup team inadvertently triggered the Aug. 5, 2015, spill while doing work at the Gold King mine near Silverton. The 3-million-gallon blowout tainted rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah with an estimated 880,000 pounds of toxic heavy metals including arsenic, mercury and lead.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The spill turned rivers downstream of the site a sickly yellow color until the slug of wastewater had passed.</p>
<p>The Associated Press reported in the aftermath of the spill that the government officials knew of the potential for a catastrophic blowout of poisonous water from the inactive mine. Nevertheless, cleanup work was initiated with only a cursory emergency response plan in place.</p>
<p>EPA spokeswoman Nancy Grantham said agency personnel would review the investigative report, but she offered no further comment.</p>
<p>Members of Congress had pressed for a criminal investigation into the EPA’s role in the disaster. A review of the accident completed last year by the U.S. Interior Department determined the cleanup crew could have avoided the spill but rushed the work.</p>
<p>Several Republican lawmakers on Wednesday said the lack of a prosecution gives the “appearance of hypocrisy” in light of the Justice Department’s record of pursuit of criminal charges in other cases referred by the EPA.</p>
<p>“By not taking up the case, the Department of Justice looks like it’s going easy on its colleagues in EPA,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.</p>
<p>The letter was sent by House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz of Utah, Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop, also of Utah and Wyoming Rep. Cynthia Lummis.</p>
<p>Colorado Rep. Scott Tipton said in a statement that the disaster was “bigger than any one employee” and resulted from numerous failures at EPA.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>U.S. Attorney spokesman Jeff Dorschner declined to comment, citing the office’s longstanding practice of not discussing cases where prosecution is declined.</p>
<p>The apparent end of the government’s criminal probe comes after the Inspector General’s Office in July said it had suspended a separate examination of the EPA cleanup program pending the outcome of the investigation.</p>
<p>That separate examination will now resume, the office said. No timeline for completion was provided.</p>
<p>Communities downstream of the spill were forced to temporarily halt drawing water from the rivers for drinking water and irrigation. Water quality in the rivers quickly returned to pre-spill levels, but the political fallout over the accident has endured.</p>
<p>The EPA last month designated Gold King and other nearby abandoned mines as a Superfund site to help fund more extensive cleanup efforts.</p>
<p>Across the U.S., abandoned mining sites send hundreds of millions of gallons of acidic wastewater into creeks and rivers every year. The Obama administration and Democratic lawmakers want to impose a fee on mining companies to cover cleanup costs, but the proposal has gotten little traction in the Republican-controlled Congress.</p>
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<p>Brown reported from Billings, Montana.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Matthew Brown on Twitter at https://twitter.com/matthewbrownap</p> | U.S. declines prosecution of government worker in mine spill | false | https://abqjournal.com/866056/us-declines-prosecution-of-government-worker-in-mine-spill.html | 2016-10-12 | 2 |
<p>The NBA draft has always fascinated me as an incongruous piece of social engineering in a larger environment that finds the concept repugnant.</p>
<p>Here’s something from the web describing it:</p>
<p>“The NBA draft is divided into two rounds. The order of selections is based on certain rules. The first turns of the draft belong to the fourteen teams that did not enter the playoffs in that year’s season. These teams participate in a lottery that determines the spot each team will have in the draft. The next sixteen spots in the draft are reserved for the teams that made it into that season’s playoffs. The order of these sixteen teams’ selection is determined by their regular-season win-loss record, going from worst to best.”</p>
<p>Here’s a similar description of the NFL’s recruitment of new players:</p>
<p>“The NFL draft is an annual event in which National Football League franchises take turns selecting amateur football players and other first-time eligible players. Currently, the draft consists of seven rounds. Each team is assigned a selection in each round, with the teams with the worst record from the previous year being assigned the best picks in each round. This helps the league achieve a degree of parity.”</p>
<p>The operative idea in both cases is ‘parity’, the opposite of which is ‘disparity’. To ensure an element of parity, as the descriptions attest, leagues deliberately set down procedures to promote equalization of team strengths. It is still possible for some teams to dominate over short periods of time, such as the Chicago Bulls in the late 90’s or the Dallas Cowboys for a while the same decade, but there is an institutional check on monotonic increases in one team’s strength, such a trend being recognized as serving the league ill.</p>
<p>It seems odd, when you think about it, that a truth grasped by something as puerile as a sports league has been forgotten by the country that swears by sports, where even presidents and senators cannot go one sound-bite without invoking a Hail Mary metaphor here or a Slam Dunk there (or taking great pains to emphasize that it is NOT an Islam Dunk).</p>
<p>The single greatest distinction between developed nations and underdeveloped nations is not the GDP or the technological gap. It is the absence or presence of great economic disparity. But it is a lesson that has America has shelved for many years now, and the result is its slide into third-world status. Lest there be any confusion, that superpowers can turn quickly into third world countries was proven by the old Soviet Union, and that they can be both simultaneously will be proven by China and India in the coming decades.</p>
<p>Disparity in America has grown by leaps and bounds (no pun intended) over the past quarter century, in a game that shows no signs of ending. The driving force behind this growing divide is the ruling idea of the age, the trickle-down theory, a view tantamount to the following: it is fine for one basketball franchise to hire the entire Olympic “Dream Team”, if it is able. Over time, players can be expected to drift to weaker teams, and over the years, the league will find its own parity. In other words, you get the drift (not the draft).</p>
<p>A funny word, that. ‘Draft’ also means a sharp, cold, burst of air, one avoided by wise men and women for fear of catching something. As in members of Congress refusing to touch the word with a barge pole. Not to be confused with ‘daft’, which describes exactly those who would quickly endorse wild adventures so as to “put the war behind us and get the discussion back to the ‘economy'” before a mid-term election.</p>
<p>The donkey is a draft animal in every part of the world. But barring Rep. Charlie Rangel’s brief flirtation with the idea before the Iraq war started, a trial floatation he quickly abandoned, no Democrat has brought up the topic again. The impact of the draft is a reflection of society as a whole. When I talk to members of the World War II generation, many were in the war themselves, others had their relatives in the war, in some cases they even had relatives who died in the war. Among my Vietnam era friends, they were intimately aware of the war, more rarely, some had served there, but many at least knew someone who had gone. And Iraq?</p>
<p>The elephant too is a draft animal, but only in remote places like the forests of India, Burma or Thailand, where it is used to drag huge logs of wood to the railhead (Is it just chance that even there it seems to be used to promote logging?). This noble animal, social, familial and intelligent in nature, is controlled in captivity by a puny mahout who has gained its allegiance by the use of fear, and the constant threat of an ankush (ambush?), an instrument that he uses as both spear and mallet (queer and wallet?)</p>
<p>Animals, as a rule, are drafted without their consent. They cannot escape across the border, seek five deferments, or promise they will serve in the National Guard instead. Of course, some drafts are more final than others.Was it Churchill who observed that in a breakfast of eggs and bacon, the hen was ‘involved’, but the pig was ‘committed’?. As we look at our predicament this Thanksgiving Day, while donkeys and elephants may be involved in how we arrived here, it is the turkeys that are ‘committed’. Who are the turkeys, you ask. Abbot hinted at the answer as he turned to Costello in the old movie and barked, “Idiot, you are the people!”</p>
<p>NIRANJAN RAMAKRISHNAN is a writer living on the West Coast. He can be reached at <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Thoughts on Thanksgiving | true | https://counterpunch.org/2005/11/24/thoughts-on-thanksgiving/ | 2005-11-24 | 4 |
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<p>Pfizer (NYSE:PEF) won a $2.15 billion settlement with Teva Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:TEVA) and Sun Pharma on Tuesday for patent-infringement related to its acid-reflux drug Protonix.</p>
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<p>The deal settles a decade-long court battle where Pfizer and subsidiary Wyeth defended their blockbuster drug, ultimately proving that Teva's and Sun's “at-risk” generics stomped on the patent for the key ingredient in Protonix before its January 2011 expiration.</p>
<p>Teva agreed to pay Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) $1.6 billion, with sales of its generic dating back to December 2007. Sun will pay $550 million. Both also admitted that their sales infringed the patent.</p>
<p>Teva will pay $800 million this year and the remainder in 2014. As a result, the Israeli drug giant will take a roughly $930 million charge in the second quarter in addition to the $670 million provision earlier recorded on its 2012 statements. The company said it may have up to $560 million of net insurance coverage that it can use to cover the cost.</p>
<p>"We are pleased to put this matter behind us as we continue to focus on delivering safe and affordable medicines to patients around the world,” Teva Chief Legal Officer Richard Egosi said in a statement.</p>
<p>Pfizer said it will take 64% of the proceeds and split the rest with Nycomed, now a part of Takeda, which had licensed the patent to Wyeth.</p>
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<p>Shares of Pfizer edged 1% higher in recent trade to $28.64, while those of Teva slumped by the same amount to $39.50.</p> | Pfizer Wins $2.15B Patent Suit with Teva, Sun Pharma | true | http://foxbusiness.com/news/2013/06/12/pfizer-settles-patent-lawsuit-with-teva-sun-pharma-for-215-billion.html | 2016-01-25 | 0 |
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<p>Ever since Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX)began its DVD-by-mail service nearly two decades ago, investors have taken a keen interest in the subscriber numbers the company reveals in conjunction with its quarterly financial release. And that interest has become even more pronounced since the company announced its worldwide expansion in January 2016, as the company has been investing heavily in its newly minted international operations.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Over the last month, several analysts have come to the conclusion that Netflix's international growth may be stronger than anticipated and will result in additional enthusiasm for the stock. In another case, an analyst thinks that U.S. growth may fall short of forecasts. Let's look at the reasoning and conclusions of each.</p>
<p>Netflix courts streaming members around the globe with original content. Image source: Netflix.</p>
<p>Bryan Kraft, an analyst with Deutsche Bank, released a research note on March 20 in which he made the argument that assumptions regarding Netflix international growth are too low. While Netflix forecast the addition of 3.7 million international subscribers and most analysts seems to agree, Kraft thinks the number will likely be 4.9 million -- over 30% higher than estimates. How did he come to this conclusion? He analyzed changes in web traffic data from a variety of countries including Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland, Poland, Spain, Italy, France, and Germany and calculated that Netflix is likely making stronger gains overseas than many believe. He does note, however, that Asia has been slower to adopt Netflix.</p>
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<p>Jeffries analyst John Janedis, a previous Netflix bear, came to a similar conclusion after conducting a large-scale survey of video-on-demand (VOD) consumers in Germany and India. He found that they favor streaming from Netflix and Prime video from Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) over local providers. Janedis reported that in Germany 67% of VOD customers chose Prime, 45% subscribed to Netflix, and 21% used both services. Likewise in India, 74% of VOD customers preferred Prime, 63% chose Netflix, and 41% subscribed to both services. Janedis originally believed that local services would be the preferred VOD choice of consumers. In a note to clients, he said, "The growth opportunity appears larger than we had expected, as original content is performing well, mobile consumption is growing, competition appears limited, and the pricing plan is gaining traction."</p>
<p>Concluding that Netflix would beat its own internal forecast wouldn't be that much of a stretch, as the company has a pretty spectacular record of beating its own estimates, missing only twice in the last 14 quarters. For the coming quarter, Netflix is forecasting 1.5 million additional domestic subscribers and 3.7 million international, for a total of 5.2 million new subscribers.</p>
<p>Todd Juenger of Bernstein doesn't need to be convinced. He has some of the most fervent views and highest price targets of any analyst that follows Netflix. In his recently initiated coverage of the company, he shared:</p>
<p>All eyes will be on Netflix worldwide subscriber gains. Image source: Netflix.</p>
<p>Not everyone believes that Netflix will get through the quarter unscathed. Baird analyst William Power has concluded that domestic subscribers will severely underperform based on a survey of U.S. consumers. He estimates that Netflix will only add 1 million U.S. subscribers compared to the 1.5 million it forecast, and said their survey has been previously been predictive of subscriber trends. However, as my Foolish colleague Rick Munarriz <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2017/04/03/will-it-be-dangerous-to-own-netflix-stock-on-april.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">points out Opens a New Window.</a>, Power was off the mark last quarter; Netflix domestic subscriber growth blew past his estimates.</p>
<p>Of course, this is all fun with numbers, and no one will know for sure how many subscribers the streaming giant has added until it reports results on April 17. Netflix has displayed the uncanny ability to consistently underpromise and overdeliver regarding subscriber additions. Though not perfect, it has exhibited a remarkable track record and the stock often reacts based on the number of subscribers.</p>
<p>Investors should take the long view and try not to get too caught up in the quarter-to-quarter changes, as Netflix itself is playing the long game. I believe in the company and it is my <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/02/13/netflix-is-my-biggest-stock-holding-and-that-isnt.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">largest stock holding Opens a New Window.</a>. Hit shows and subscriber gains will fluctuate. By investing heavily now in its international operations, the company hopes to reinforce its global leadership in streaming video and reap the benefits for years to come.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than NetflixWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=47bf36fc-f7fe-4cd8-a59a-016262dc6f55&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Netflix wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=47bf36fc-f7fe-4cd8-a59a-016262dc6f55&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of April 3, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/dvena/info.aspx" type="external">Danny Vena Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Amazon and Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon and Netflix. 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> | Netflix's International Growth May Be Surprisingly Strong | true | http://foxbusiness.com/investing/2017/04/06/netflix-international-growth-may-be-surprisingly-strong.html | 2017-04-06 | 0 |
<p>Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump and TV personality and comedian Rosie O’Donnell have had an ongoing feud for years; Trump has called Rosie a “slob” and a “fat pig” while O’Donnell has likened the real-estate mogul to a “snake oil salesman.” According to <a href="https://pagesix.com/2015/11/25/rosie-odonnells-take-on-trump-campaign-a-nightmare/" type="external">Page Six</a>, O’Donnell, seemingly unaware of Trump’s apparent quest for revenge these days, mocked the front-runner.</p>
<p>“It’s a nightmare,” said O’Donnell referring to Trump’s campaign. “That’s my quote.”</p>
<p>She may not know whom she is dealing with; Trump doesn’t exactly “let things fall by the wayside.” For example, Macy’s cut off their huge deal with Trump soon after his candidacy launched and he made his now famous remarks about illegal immigration. In addition to multiple jabs over the past few months about the Macy’s dropping sales, here is what Trump tweeted on Monday:</p>
<p>When you do your Christmas shopping remember how disloyal <a href="https://twitter.com/Macys" type="external">@Macys</a> was to the subject of illegal immigration. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoycottMacys?src=hash" type="external">#BoycottMacys</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DumpMacys?src=hash" type="external">#DumpMacys</a></p>
<p>(Notice the: #BoycottMacys and #DumpMacys hashtags.)</p>
<p>As we patiently await the response of the Republican front-runner, because we know there will be one, here is the clip of Trump responding to his “sexist” comments about Rosie and other women in the past:</p>
<p>“It’s a nightmare. That’s my quote.”</p>
<p>Rosie O'Donnell, on Donald Trump's campaign</p>
<p>Rosie O’Donnell just poked the bear. Look out.</p>
<p>H/T <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2015/11/25/rosie-odonnell-trumps-campaign-is-a-nightmare/" type="external">Kaitlan Collins</a></p> | Rosie O’Donnell Calls Out Donald Trump. This Should End Well… | true | https://dailywire.com/news/1395/rosie-odonnell-calls-out-donald-trump-should-end-amanda-prestigiacomo | 2015-11-25 | 0 |
<p>PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's announcement that he is running for the U.S. Senate (all times local):</p>
<p>11:05 a.m.</p>
<p>The field of candidates for the U.S. Senate seat held by Arizona Republican Jeff Flake is growing and may grow some more.</p>
<p>Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced Tuesday that he's joining former state Sen. Kelli Ward in the race for the Republican nomination, and Republican U.S. Rep. Martha McSally has scheduled "special announcement" events in Tucson, Phoenix and Prescott for Friday.</p>
<p>Flake, Arpaio, Ward and McSally are all Republicans. Democrats in the race include U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema.</p>
<p>McSally has made no formal announcement of a Senate candidacy since she told House colleagues in November that she would seek the seat being vacated by Flake.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:45 a.m.</p>
<p>The head of the Democratic National Committee says his party will fight "tooth and nail" to ensure former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio never holds office again.</p>
<p>DNC Chairman Tom Perez says it's "sad and disturbing" that Arpaio is running for the Senate seat held by Republican Jeff Flake.</p>
<p>Arpaio lost a re-election bid in 2016 but was spared a possible jail sentence last year when President Donald Trump pardoned his criminal contempt conviction for disobeying a judge's order in an immigration case.</p>
<p>Arpaio says in a fundraising email that he filed paperwork Tuesday for the Senate run.</p>
<p>He flirted with the idea running for Arizona governor five times but decided against doing so each time.</p>
<p>Flake has been critical of Trump and announced last year that he would not seek another term.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:40 a.m.</p>
<p>Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio says he's running to replace retiring Sen. Jeff Flake because his political ally President Donald Trump needs help in the U.S. Senate.</p>
<p>The lawman known for immigration crackdowns says in a fundraising email that he's concerned about so-called sanctuary cities refusing tougher enforcement of immigration laws.</p>
<p>The retired Republican lawman would face former Arizona state senator Kelli Ward in Arizona's GOP primary.</p>
<p>Republican U.S. Rep. Martha McSally has told colleagues that she plans a Senate run but hasn't yet made an announcement.</p>
<p>Arpaio served as the sheriff of Maricopa County that includes Phoenix for 24 years before his crushing 2016 defeat by a little-known Phoenix police sergeant.</p>
<p>Trump pardoned Arpaio's conviction last year for disobeying a judge's order in an immigration case.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:14 a.m.</p>
<p>Former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio has announced he plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Jeff Flake.</p>
<p>The 85-year-old Arpaio is a Republican and close ally of President Donald Trump.</p>
<p>Arpaio tweeted Tuesday he is seeking the post to support Trump's agenda "in his mission to Make America Great Again."</p>
<p>Arpaio was spared a possible jail sentence last year when Trump pardoned his conviction for disobeying a judge's order in an immigration case.</p>
<p>He flirted with the idea running for Arizona governor five times but decided against doing so each time.</p>
<p>Arpaio says in a fundraising email that he filed paperwork Tuesday for the Senate run.</p>
<p>The Republican Flake has been critical of Trump and announced last year that he would not seek another term.</p>
<p>PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's announcement that he is running for the U.S. Senate (all times local):</p>
<p>11:05 a.m.</p>
<p>The field of candidates for the U.S. Senate seat held by Arizona Republican Jeff Flake is growing and may grow some more.</p>
<p>Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio announced Tuesday that he's joining former state Sen. Kelli Ward in the race for the Republican nomination, and Republican U.S. Rep. Martha McSally has scheduled "special announcement" events in Tucson, Phoenix and Prescott for Friday.</p>
<p>Flake, Arpaio, Ward and McSally are all Republicans. Democrats in the race include U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema.</p>
<p>McSally has made no formal announcement of a Senate candidacy since she told House colleagues in November that she would seek the seat being vacated by Flake.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:45 a.m.</p>
<p>The head of the Democratic National Committee says his party will fight "tooth and nail" to ensure former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio never holds office again.</p>
<p>DNC Chairman Tom Perez says it's "sad and disturbing" that Arpaio is running for the Senate seat held by Republican Jeff Flake.</p>
<p>Arpaio lost a re-election bid in 2016 but was spared a possible jail sentence last year when President Donald Trump pardoned his criminal contempt conviction for disobeying a judge's order in an immigration case.</p>
<p>Arpaio says in a fundraising email that he filed paperwork Tuesday for the Senate run.</p>
<p>He flirted with the idea running for Arizona governor five times but decided against doing so each time.</p>
<p>Flake has been critical of Trump and announced last year that he would not seek another term.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:40 a.m.</p>
<p>Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio says he's running to replace retiring Sen. Jeff Flake because his political ally President Donald Trump needs help in the U.S. Senate.</p>
<p>The lawman known for immigration crackdowns says in a fundraising email that he's concerned about so-called sanctuary cities refusing tougher enforcement of immigration laws.</p>
<p>The retired Republican lawman would face former Arizona state senator Kelli Ward in Arizona's GOP primary.</p>
<p>Republican U.S. Rep. Martha McSally has told colleagues that she plans a Senate run but hasn't yet made an announcement.</p>
<p>Arpaio served as the sheriff of Maricopa County that includes Phoenix for 24 years before his crushing 2016 defeat by a little-known Phoenix police sergeant.</p>
<p>Trump pardoned Arpaio's conviction last year for disobeying a judge's order in an immigration case.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>10:14 a.m.</p>
<p>Former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio has announced he plans to run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Jeff Flake.</p>
<p>The 85-year-old Arpaio is a Republican and close ally of President Donald Trump.</p>
<p>Arpaio tweeted Tuesday he is seeking the post to support Trump's agenda "in his mission to Make America Great Again."</p>
<p>Arpaio was spared a possible jail sentence last year when Trump pardoned his conviction for disobeying a judge's order in an immigration case.</p>
<p>He flirted with the idea running for Arizona governor five times but decided against doing so each time.</p>
<p>Arpaio says in a fundraising email that he filed paperwork Tuesday for the Senate run.</p>
<p>The Republican Flake has been critical of Trump and announced last year that he would not seek another term.</p> | The Latest: Field in Arizona Senate race growing | false | https://apnews.com/amp/4b57e0d438d742508508a2cadb78742f | 2018-01-09 | 2 |
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<p>HONG KONG — World stocks were mixed Friday amid U.S. political uncertainties following President Donald Trump’s dismissal of the FBI chief. Investors also were cautious ahead of a meeting of finance ministers from wealthy nations to discuss economic growth, while Chinese markets rose after news of a trade deal with Washington.</p>
<p>KEEPING SCORE: In Europe, Germany’s DAX rose 0.2 percent to 12,736 and Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.3 percent to 7,407. France’s CAC 40 was 0.2 percent higher at 5,391. Wall Street was poised to open lower. Dow futures dipped 0.1 percent and the broader S&amp;P 500 futures slipped 0.2 percent.</p>
<p>TRUMP’S TROUBLES: The continuing fallout over President Donald Trump’s surprise firing of FBI Director James Comey is making investors wary of taking on more risk and raises questions about whether he can follow through on his business-friendly agenda, analysts said.</p>
<p>QUOTEWORTHY: “The political noise continues to escalate over Trump’s firing of FBI Director Comey,” said Stephen Innes, senior trader at OANDA. “This storyline has clearly rattled equity investors, given this political cloud could cripple the fragile support for Trump’s tax policy.”</p>
<p>GROUP OF SEVEN: Finance ministers from seven of the world’s advanced economies are gathering in Italy this weekend. The officials from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States are expected to discuss ways to promote economic growth. Also on the agenda: U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will explain Trump’s plans to cut business taxes and regulations and outline the administration’s economic policies, including its stance on trade.</p>
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<p>CHINA-US TRADE: A trade deal announced on Friday Asia time would allow U.S. companies to ship liquefied natural gas to China and tackles a range of long-standing barriers, ending a ban on imports of U.S. beef and moving a step closer to allowing Chinese poultry on American supermarket shelves. It covers a range of long-standing barriers from agriculture to energy to the operation of American financial firms in China.</p>
<p>DATA DUMP: Investors will be assessing reports for fresh insight into the health of the global economy, starting with German first-quarter data that showed economic growth gathered pace by expanding 0.6 percent. Other figures due out include U.S. inflation and retail sales numbers and Chinese money supply and credit data.</p>
<p>ASIA’s DAY: Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.4 percent to close at 19,883.90 and South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.5 percent to 2,286.02. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged 0.1 percent higher to 25,156.34 and the Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China was 0.7 percent higher at 3,083.51. Australia’s S&amp;P/ASX 200 shed 0.7 percent to 5,836.90. Taiwan’s benchmark fell and Southeast Asian indexes were mostly lower.</p>
<p>ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude oil rose 5 cents to $47.88 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 50 cents, or 1.1 percent, to settle at $47.83 per barrel Thursday. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 10 cents to $50.87 per barrel in London.</p>
<p>CURRENCIES: The dollar weakened to 113.83 yen from 113.86 yen in late Thursday trading. The euro strengthened to $1.0874 from $1.0862.</p> | World stocks mixed on Trump fallout, watch G-7 meeting | false | https://abqjournal.com/1002460/asian-stocks-mostly-lower-as-trump-uncertainty-weighs.html | 2017-05-12 | 2 |
<p>A remarkable <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/03/poll-tracks-dramatic-rise-in-support-for-gay-marriage/" type="external">new national poll</a> from ABC News and the Washington Post has found that 58 percent of Americans now support marriage equality for same-sex couples, while only 36 remain opposed. This a 45-point shift toward equality since 2004, when opponents significantly outnumbered supporters 66–32. Support continues to be highest among young people (81 percent of adults under 30), Democrats (72 percent), and non-evangelical Christians (70 percent of non-evangelical white Protestants and 59 percent of Catholics). Still, support has risen among all groups. Notably support among people of color (61 percent) was higher than among whites (57 percent), again disproving conservatives’ attempts to <a href="" type="internal">drive a racial wedge</a> on the issue of same-sex marriage.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, voters’ understanding of homosexuality has improved at a very similar rate to their support for marriage equality. Only 24 percent still believe that being gay is “something that people choose,” but that includes 45 percent of white evangelical Protestants. In contrast, 62 percent believe it’s “just the way they are,” and 73 percent of that group support marriage equality.</p>
<p>As the Supreme Court prepares to consider various legal questions regarding the constitutionality of banning same-sex marriage, it’s worthwhile to juxtapose these latest polling numbers with the <a href="" type="internal">polling on interracial marriage</a> from decades ago. The Court ruled in the 1967 case Loving v. Virginia that banning interracial marriage was unconstitutional, and a Gallup poll found just a year later that only 20 percent supported marriage “between blacks and whites.” In fact, Gallup did not find even a plurality of support for interracial marriage until 1991:</p>
<p>If polling is any indication, then the Supreme Court need not entertain conservatives’ arguments that the nation is “not ready” for same-sex marriage. Judging from history, we’re remarkably overdue.</p> | POLL: Support For Marriage Equality Reaches Record High Of 58 Percent | true | http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/03/18/1736331/poll-support-for-marriage-equality-reaches-record-high-of-58-percent/ | 2013-03-18 | 4 |
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<p>Ukraine's takeover of its biggest bank follows a clash of kings between two of the country's richest men, Ihor Kolomoisky, who owned PrivatBank, and President Petro Poroshenko.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Kolomoisky fell out with Poroshenko in a dispute over state-owned energy companies that culminated in armed and masked men storming state-owned energy company UkrTransNafta in March 2015.</p>
<p>Asked last year whether he would ever use his ownership of PrivatBank for political leverage, Kolomoisky roundly dismissed the idea in an interview with news website Lb.ua.</p>
<p>But that has not stopped Kolomoisky from pursuing a political agenda and in June 2015 he formed the Ukrop party, the Ukrainian Association of Patriots, with so far mixed success.</p>
<p>"The bank is a sacred cow. It is on the plinth somewhere out there, and I am afraid to even look in that direction. I am not interfering in the bank's affairs," the 53-year-old said.</p>
<p>While PrivatBank may have been untouchable for Kolomoisky, it has become increasingly important to the Ukrainian banking system, with more than a third of private deposits, some $6 billion, and servicing more than 20 million Ukrainians, around half the country's entire population.</p>
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<p>Its systemic importance was what Ukraine's central bank said had prompted it to take over PrivatBank, at a stroke making Kiev the largest player in the country's banking sector and depriving Kolomoisky of the jewel in the crown of his business empire.</p>
<p>Kolomoisky, who owns stakes in oil and metals companies, airlines and a media holding company, has not yet commented.</p>
<p>But PrivatBank's chairman on Monday said the owner's top priority was to meet obligations to depositors. He also denied the central bank's assessment of PrivatBank's balance sheet.</p>
<p>The chairman and deputy chairman both maintain the bank's lending practices were not to blame for its situation but a sustained campaign of "information attacks" on its reputation.</p>
<p>RECAPITALIZATION</p>
<p>The central bank had previously singled out PrivatBank as the only major lender yet to prove it was up to speed with a recapitalization program agreed with the International Monetary Fund to prop up Ukraine's economy.</p>
<p>Ukraine's central bank has for years tried to nudge PrivatBank to clean up its balance sheet and on Monday, it declared the lender -- already hit by economic turmoil and the war against Russian-backed separatists since 2014 -- insolvent, adding that it had also been was brought low by risky lending.</p>
<p>The clean-up of the sector is a vital part of a $17.5 billion International Monetary Fund aid-for-reforms program, which over the last two years saw Ukrainian banks halve in number to fewer than 100 and their losses mount to 120 billion hryvnias ($4.57 billion).</p>
<p>Last year the central bank ran a stress-test of the top-20 banks and ruled 11 banks would have to gradually increase their capital over next three years. It did not name the banks needing recapitalization.</p>
<p>According to Fitch Rating's estimates, PrivatBank's bad loans stood at 40 percent of its portfolio at the end of the second quarter while just 37 percent were covered by reserves.</p>
<p>After the nationalization of PrivatBank, state banks will control half of all Ukrainian banking assets.</p>
<p>PrivatBank's two owners were worth $1.3 billion each, making them the joint second-richest in Ukraine, according to Forbes' 2016 ratings. But unlike Kolomoisky, Gennady Bogolyubov, 54, shies away from public attention.</p>
<p>(Editing by Matthias Williams and Alexander Smith)</p> | Ukrainian tycoon's sacred cow seized by state | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/12/19/ukrainian-tycoon-sacred-cow-seized-by-state.html | 2016-12-19 | 0 |
<p><a href="http://community.tradeking.com/upload/0002/6519/AllStar_AlanBrochstein.jpg" type="external">Opens a New Window.</a>Alan Brochstein investigates 10&#160;Auto-Related Companies With Potential to Do Well in a Weak Economy</p>
<p>In early August, I discussed&#160; <a href="http://community.tradeking.com/members/tk-all-star/blogs/86501-pawnshops-dollar-stores-discount-retailers-may-offer-value" type="external">several potential beneficiaries of a lingering slow economy Opens a New Window.</a>, including dollar stores, pawn lenders and off-price retailers. Today, I want to extend the analysis to a similar theme: used cars.</p>
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<p>New car sales have been weak now for a few years and are gradually recovering, but this weak economy suggests we'll continue to see cars aging and owners hanging onto their cars longer than they did prior to the Great Recession.&#160; Over the past decade, annual sales had been consistently in the 17-18mm units a year before plunging to 9mm and recovering now to approximately 13mm according to government data. Tighter credit and high unemployment are, to my mind, the primary challenges to new car sales.</p>
<p>An obvious beneficiary of such a trend would be used car dealers, but there are several other ways to take advantage of depressed new car sales, including parts retailers and manufacturers. Less obviously, one could consider&#160;companies that enable car parts to be recycled -&#160;perhaps very interesting due to those companies' limited competition. Here is a list of companies that I believe might benefit from the trend of drivers hanging onto their cars: <a href="http://community.tradeking.com/upload/0002/6525/alan-brochstein-used-car-stock-chart-10.18.11.jpg" type="external">Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>Alan BrochsteinFounder,&#160; <a href="http://www.investbymodel.com/" type="external">Invest By Model Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;and&#160; <a href="http://ab.esiteasp.com/home.nxg" type="external">AB Analytical Services Opens a New Window.</a> <a href="http://community.tradeking.com/members/tk-all-star/blogs/44048-welcome-alan-brochstein-invest-by-model" type="external">TradeKing All-Star Commentator Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>Disclosure:&#160; Alan Brochstein is currently holding no positions in the securities mentioned in this post.</p>
<p>Any strategies discussed and examples using actual securities and price data are for educational and illustrative purposes only and do not imply a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell a particular security or to engage in any particular investment strategy. In reading content in the Trader Network, you may gain ideas about when, where, and how to invest your money. Although you may discover new ideas or rationale that may be compelling, you must ultimately decide whether or not to put your own money at risk. Consider the following when making an investment decision: your financial and tax situation, your risk profile, and transaction costs.&#160;Alan Brochstein maintains a business relationship with TradeKing. <a href="http://community.tradeking.com/upload/0002/6522/alan-brochstein-used-car-stock-chart-10.18.11.jpg" type="external">Opens a New Window.</a></p> | 10 Auto-Related Stocks That Could Benefit from Slow Sales | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/10/19/10-auto-related-stocks-that-could-benefit-from-slow-sales.html | 2016-03-07 | 0 |
<p>&lt;a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcn/20941031891/in/photolist-xUugcZ-oaSYmt-pGkHLa-o5WGoN-o5WLxt-oiMCQw-xTQCav-otFWjs-pTETYi-otHw66-orFBjQ-owK4Tv-q1RTzP-pf6ShJ-pA2YFM-pR6ywh-p55tM1-pC8fXq-oiMCYN-onn6Y5-o86Qei-p58eRt-oJNjsJ-p5hDnm-ona4eM-pW4LkY-qjKBCD-q7hKA2-pFzXem-pUUGhK-pFxFm4-pZpY43-pPUADN-qWxJew-q9XiaL-qz5p6p-qzywuM-pXpQno-nNgsZe-qJSAuT-r8o5GD-t7coXo-tLL57D-u1UqW1-tLBjAW-qvYMhY-r8fDxU-r8fEyb-qt3JGt-rpJUy7"&gt;Marc Nozell&lt;/a&gt;/Flickr</p>
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<p>On Wednesday, President Barack Obama <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/03/politics/obama-mosque-visit-muslim-rhetoric/" type="external">visited</a> a mosque for the first time as president, and offered perhaps the least controversial comment imaginable: “You’re part of America too,” he told his hosts. “You’re not Muslim or American; you’re Muslim and American.”</p>
<p>Sen. Marco Rubio was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/02/03/trump-and-rubio-question-president-obamas-visit-to-a-mosque/" type="external">not impressed</a>, telling voters in New Hampshire:</p>
<p>I’m tired of being divided against each other for political reasons like this president’s done. Always pitting people against each other. Always. Look at today—he gave a speech at a mosque. Oh, you know, basically implying that America is discriminating against Muslims. Of course there’s going to be discrimination in America of every kind. But the bigger issue is radical Islam. And by the way, radical Islam poses a threat to Muslims themselves.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p>To be clear: America discriminates against Muslims.</p>
<p>In 2012, Wired <a href="http://www.wired.com/2011/09/fbi-muslims-radical/" type="external">reported</a> that “[t]he FBI is teaching its counterterrorism agents that ‘main stream” [sic] American Muslims are likely to be terrorist sympathizers; that the Prophet Mohammed was a ‘cult leader’; and that the Islamic practice of giving charity is no more than a ‘funding mechanism for combat.” That investigative series on federal law enforcement’s prejudices against Muslims won a National Magazine Award. In 2011, the Associated Press <a href="http://www.ap.org/Index/AP-In-The-News/NYPD" type="external">reported</a> on how the NYPD, with the help of the CIA, spied on America mosques and even infiltrated Muslim student associations. That series won a Pulitzer. Last week, Buzzfeed <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/talalansari/welcome-to-america-now-spy-on-your-friends#.iuwqyY4Lp" type="external">reported</a> on the intense pressure applied by the federal government on Muslim immigrants who apply for citizenship. My colleague Kristina Rizga has <a href="" type="internal">reported</a> on the pervasiveness of anti-Muslim bullying in schools. One of the candidates who beat Rubio last week literally proposed banning Muslims from entering the country; the other limited his ban to people from predominantly Muslim countries.</p>
<p>This is all pretty easy to find online, but in Rubio’s defense, the Internet is pretty spotty in New Hampshire.</p>
<p /> | Marco Rubio Is Very Upset That President Obama Went to a Mosque | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2016/02/marco-rubio-very-upset-president-obama-went-mosque/ | 2016-02-04 | 4 |
<p>Washington Post: A report by Congress’s research arm concluded yesterday that the administration’s justification for the warrantless eavesdropping authorized by President Bush conflicts with existing law and hinges on weak legal arguments.</p>
<p>The Congressional Research Service’s report rebuts the central assertions made recently by Bush and Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales about the president’s authority to order secret intercepts of telephone and e-mail exchanges between people inside the United States and their contacts abroad. | <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/06/AR2006010601772.html?referrer=emailarticle" type="external">more</a></p> | Report Rebuts Bush on Warrantless Wiretaps | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/report-rebuts-bush-on-warrantless-wiretaps/ | 2006-01-09 | 4 |
<p>Roughly 60,000 Africans seeking deliverance from poverty, persecution, ethnic cleansing and genocide face ultranationalist aggression as Israelis and their politicians seek brutal methods in the effort to retain the Jewish character of their country.</p>
<p>Racism is the flip side of nationalism, Truthdig columnist Chris Hedges has said over and again. The desire to preserve cultural purity is driving many Israelis to openly and proudly claim racist intents against “infiltrators,” as the Nation video report by Max Blumenthal and David Sheen shows below.</p>
<p>Read Blumenthal’s companion article, “Israel Cranks Up the PR Machine,” <a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/176703/israel-cranks-pr-machine#" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>— Posted by <a href="" type="internal">Alexander Reed Kelly</a>.</p>
<p />
<p>The Nation:</p> | Persecution: African Migrants in the Holy Land | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/persecution-african-migrants-in-the-holy-land/ | 2013-10-27 | 4 |
<p>Republicans with their relentless gumption stole the 2000 election. Democrats put their tails between their legs and then accepted it. Trump's election is even a bigger dereliction of duty to the American constituency because Democrats continue to fail pre and post election.</p>
<p>Democrats should be ashamed of the Democratic establishment for their tepid reaction to Donald Trump's electoral college Russian-assisted&#160;victory. Is there any wonder many Americans perceive Democrats as weak?</p>
<p>This morning I was pleasantly surprised by a New York times op-ed by Dahlia Lithwick and Davis S. Cohen titled " <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/14/opinion/buck-up-democrats-and-fight-like-republicans.html?_r=1" type="external">Buck up, Democrats, and Fight Like Republicans</a>" that hits the nail on the head. They pointed out that Democrats are virtually absent in contesting the election result. They pointed out the obvious to many of us.</p>
<p>Contrast the Democrats’ do-nothingness to what we know the Republicans would have done. If Mr. Trump had lost the Electoral College while winning the popular vote, an army of Republican lawyers would have descended on the courts and local election officials. The best of the Republican establishment would have been filing lawsuits and infusing every public statement with a clear pronouncement that Donald Trump was the real winner. And they would have started on the morning of Nov. 9, using the rhetoric of patriotism and courage.</p>
<p>How can we be so certain? This is what happened in 2000. When Florida was still undecided after election night, the Republicans didn’t leave their fate in the hands of individuals or third-party candidates. No, they recruited former Secretary of State James A. Baker III to direct efforts on behalf of George W. Bush. They framed their project as protecting Mr. Bush’s victory rather than counting votes. They were clear, consistent and forceful, with the biggest names in Republican politics working the process.</p>
<p>The authors then castigated Democrats for their negligence.</p>
<p>They are leaving the fight to academics and local organizers who seem more horrified by a Trump presidency than Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and the Democratic Party. The Republicans in 2000 threw everything they could muster against the wall to see if it stuck, with no concern about potential blowback; the Democrats in 2016 are apparently too worried about being called sore losers. Instead of weathering the criticism that comes with fighting an uphill, yet historically important battle, the party is still trying to magic up a plan.</p>
<p>Here is the deal. President-Elect Donald Trump is an illegitimate president, and it is imperative that all Americans treat him as such. This stance isn't sour grapes. Let me explain.</p>
<p>Donald Trump and his allies continue to lie when they claim that Trump won by an electoral landslide let alone won the election fairly. Any statements that claim Trump had a landslide win is <a href="http://www.factcheck.org/2016/11/trump-landslide-nope/" type="external">patently false</a>. They need that narrative because they want to justify the massive changes to policy. Otherwise, there is no legitimacy for privatizing and cutting Obamacare, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.</p>
<p>President Obama and the Democratic establishment was well aware of the Russian involvement in our election. Instead of telling the American people about it, they acquiesced, they cowered to Republicans, specifically <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-orders-review-of-russian-hacking-during-presidential-campaign/2016/12/09/31d6b300-be2a-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_russiahack-1215p%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&amp;utm_term=.2a4d5960fdae" type="external">Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who called it partisan</a>. Had the roles been reversed, Republicans would not even give Democrats the option. They would be shouting Russian involvement from day one proven or not.</p>
<p>It is time for the Democratic Party to evolve. It is time for Americans to see them as fighters. Americans do not like Republican policies, but they sure do like to see someone they think is fighting for them. Democrats all over the country must see that. Democrats need leadership that is willing to get dirty. The best defense for the poor and the middle-class is a potent offense, a strong promotion, and defense of poor and&#160;middle-class centric policies. That is why one hopes Democrats elect a fighter like Keith Ellison to run the Democratic National Committee instead of another weak, complacent actor schooled in platitudes.</p> | Why won’t Democrats fight like Republicans did in the 2000 stolen election? | true | https://egbertowillies.com/2016/12/14/democrats-must-fight-like-republicans/ | 2016-12-14 | 4 |
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