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<p>By Bob Allen</p>
<p>An Alabama pastor who chaired a blue-ribbon task force charged with retooling the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship for the 21st&#160;century is retiring from the pulpit to become a minister’s spouse.</p>
<p>David Hull announced in an email April 27 that he will step down Aug. 10 after 12 years as pastor of First Baptist Church in Huntsville, Ala. Hull took a break from preaching this weekend to join his wife, Jane, for her election as pastor of <a href="http://unionchristianchurch.net/index.html" type="external">Union Christian Church</a> (Disciples of Christ) in Watkinsville, Ga.</p>
<p>“The distance between the two churches is too great for me to continue my service as your pastor,” Hull explained. “Instead, I look forward to Jane being my pastor as we live together in Watkinsville.”</p>
<p>Hull, 58, was named in 2010 to lead a group known as the 2012 Task Force charged with charting a new course for the CBF, which had plateaued in recent years.</p>
<p>The group held about 100 listening sessions with state and regional CBF organizations, ministry partners, past and present leaders, young adults and current and former staff about ways to promote collaboration instead of competition for resources, streamline organizational structures and help Baptist churches and individuals embrace their identity as partners.</p>
<p>The plan, approved in 2012, is in a second year of implementation guided by a new executive coordinator, Suzii Paynter, who last year succeeded Daniel Vestal, who retired after 15 years.</p>
<p>Hull grew up in the shadow of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., where his father, William Hull, was a professor and administrator. Bill Hull, who later went on to teach at Samford University, <a href="ministry/people/item/9084-william-hull-scholar-author-dies-at-83#.U16n4pUU_IU" type="external">died</a> from Lou Gehrig’s disease last December.</p>
<p>Jane Hull, whose daughter, Emily Hull McGee, is minister to young adults at Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., experienced her own call as pastor seven years ago. A graduate of Furman University with a master’s in church music from Southern Seminary, she began study for the M.Div. degree at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology.</p>
<p>She recently served as interim pastor at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Birmingham, Ala. Previously she served as a minister of children, youth and music in churches in North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama, and currently is interim children’s minister at First Baptist, Huntsville. Her ministry at Union Christian Church begins&#160;June 1.</p>
<p>David Hull originally wanted to be a lawyer but felt called to ministry during his senior year at Vanderbilt University. He earned the master of divinity, master of theology and doctor of ministry degrees from Southern Seminary.</p>
<p>He served two years as youth minister at his home church, Crescent Hill Baptist Church in Louisville, before serving as pastor at Burks Branch Baptist Church in Shelbyville, Ky.; Candlewyck Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C.; First Baptist Church in Laurens, S.C.; and First Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tenn. After nine years in Knoxville the Hulls moved to Huntsville in October 2002.</p>
<p>Hull said the next chapter of his ministry will focus on ministry through writing, teaching, consulting and interim preaching.</p>
<p>“Jane and I both have a strong sense that now is the right time for such a move in our lives,” he said. “Three years ago, upon her graduation from seminary, would not have been the right time for me to leave Huntsville —&#160;both personally and pastorally. While my work is never done here in this great church, I do sense that now is a good time to bring closure to our 12 years of ministry in First Baptist Church and to embark on a new adventure of trust and faith.”</p> | Pastor retires to be minister’s husband | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/pastor-retires-to-be-minister-s-husband/ | 3 |
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<p>The New Mexico Philharmonic will return to the Central United Methodist Church for a performance of music by Handel and Schumann on Saturday.</p>
<p>The musicians will play Handel's Chandos Anthems and Schumann's Requiem in D-flat Major, Op. 148.</p>
<p>Albuquerque's Byron Herrington will conduct as the church choir joins the instrumentalists.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The 35-voice Central United Methodist Church Chancel Choir is directed by Jerrilyn Foster. The group sings at regular Sunday services and at special celebrations.</p>
<p>HERRINGTON: Conducts Neighborhood Concert</p>
<p>Handel's Chandos Anthems originate with the Duke of Chandos, who employed the composer from 1717-1719. The intimate sound combines the familiarity of chamber music with the grandiosity of oratorio.</p>
<p>Schumann once wrote that turning his energy to sacred music was every artist's ultimate goal.</p>
<p>Less than two years later, he would attempt suicide and eventually be institutionalized until his death.</p>
<p>Herrington was a member of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra trombone section from 1981 until 2011.</p>
<p>In January 1998 he became the director of wind, brass and percussion studies at Thomas Jefferson Middle School and later became co-conductor of the Albuquerque Youth Symphony's Junior Symphony.</p>
<p>He has been principal trombonist for Colorado's Music in the Mountains summer festival since 1991.</p>
<p>He currently conducts pops, neighborhood and other concerts with the New Mexico Philharmonic.</p>
<p /> | NM Philharmonic plays Handel, Schumann | false | https://abqjournal.com/551611/philharmonic-performs-chandos-anthems.html | 2 |
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<p>Photo by angela n. | <a href="" type="internal">CC BY 2.0</a></p>
<p>CNN commentator and author Jeffrey Toobin, who served as an&#160; <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnns-toobin-clinton-seems-like-a-clueless-baby-boomer-with-emails/" type="external">apologist</a>&#160;for Clinton in her Servergate scandal on grounds that she was merely “at sea with technology,”&#160; <a href="" type="internal">called</a>&#160;the Comey&#160;firing&#160;“a grotesque abuse of power by the president of the United States.” The Clinton Democrats are on the attack again, and could not be more wrong, again.</p>
<p>James Comey is either a political hack who does not know the fundamental difference between motive and intent in criminal law or he deliberately lied in claiming there was insufficient evidence of intent to prosecute Clinton for her&#160; <a href="" type="internal">intentional mishandling</a>&#160;of government records on her private server. For this reason he should have been fired, if not impeached, long ago.</p>
<p>The overt reason that Comey was fired should be easy for progressives to accept as good cause. That reason, based on democratic principle, was&#160; <a href="" type="internal">explained</a>&#160;in a professional manner by Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein in his Memorandum to the Attorney General dated May 9. 2017. The Memorandum was adopted, with some additional boilerplate, by Attorney General Sessions, and in turn accepted, irrelevantly annotated with the equivalent of a tweet, and then acted upon by President Trump. The reason for firing provided in the Memorandum is Comey’s unprofessional “handling of the conclusion of the investigation of Secretary Clinton’s emails.” Not firing Comey would have constituted a precedent undermining democratic norms.</p>
<p>The Memorandum concludes, first, that Comey “was wrong to usurp the Attorney General’s authority on July 5, 2016” when he chose to announce his legal opinion that the case against Clinton should not be prosecuted.</p>
<p>Second, notwithstanding Loretta Lynch’s conflict of interest due to improperly meeting with Bill Clinton, “The FBI Director is never empowered to supplant federal prosecutors and assume command of the Justice Department.”</p>
<p>Third, when such a conflict does require “recusal” of the Attorney General: “There is a well-established process for other officials to step in.” Instead Comey “announced his own conclusions … without the authorization of duly appointed Justice Department leaders.” In other words, since Lynch did and had to recuse herself from Servergate matters she was not empowered to authorize Comey’s unusual usurpation of authority from the senior lawyers in DoJ who are lawfully empowered to take over command in such circumstances.</p>
<p>These first three reasons are sufficient grounds for firing Comey, while also impeaching Loretta Lynch’s handling of the matter, due to her own complicity in breaking these rules. But the Memorandum is not about Lynch, except indirectly. Even more indirectly it is also about Obama, since he hired both of these Wall Street operatives after the Clinton email affair became known. Obama is subject to criticism for allowing this wrongdoing to occur on his watch. But this criticism is only left implicit in the Memorandum the purpose of which relates solely to Comey’s errors.</p>
<p>There is more.</p>
<p>Fourth, Comey violated a “longstanding principle: we do not hold press conferences to release derogatory information about the subject of a declined criminal investigation.” Comey’s press conference was a “textbook example” of what prosecutors should not do. Any legitimate exceptions to this rule do not include the FBI acting on its own, “sua sponte,” as Comey did. Again this implicitly also rejects any role that Obama and Lynch had in arranging for Comey to circumvent DoJ professional prosecutors in such a public event, so that he could play this role of publicly exonerating Clinton on her series of known violations of the grounds of Comey’s amateur&#160; <a href="" type="internal">confusion</a>&#160;of motive with intent that was never vetted by DoJ lawyers.</p>
<p>Fifth, and finally, the last straw involved Comey’s October 28, 2016&#160; <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/james-comeys-october-surprise" type="external">letter</a>&#160;that has drawn steady fire from Clinton Democrats, although it is&#160; <a href="" type="internal">debatable</a>&#160;whether it had the impact on the election they allege it did. This letter might have been intended to balance off, or even disguise, the enormous political favor Comey did when, at the end of the primary season but prior to the start of the Democratic Convention on July 25, Comey chose not to submit for indictment and prosecution the “derogatory” evidence he acknowledged in his July 5, 2016 press conference.</p>
<p>There is little question that Clinton’s delegates may have had a more difficult time rejecting Sanders’ claim to the nomination based on primary&#160; <a href="" type="internal">irregularities</a>&#160;if Clinton was also under indictment. Sanders was more likely, if not virtually&#160; <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-hager/whos-spoiling-now-polling_b_8792692.html" type="external">certain</a>, to have defeated Trump had he been nominated instead of Clinton. Comey’s errors and specific timing therefore&#160; <a href="" type="internal">changed</a>&#160;history.</p>
<p>The last straw dropped when Comey&#160; <a href="" type="internal">testified</a>&#160;to Congress on May 3, 2017 less than a week before the Memorandum and firing. Comey&#160; <a href="" type="internal">offered</a>&#160;as justification of the improper October 28 letter the false dichotomy between whether he would “speak” or “conceal” new Servergate evidence. This logical fallacy was an appallingly weak defense for yet again violating the tradition that prosecutors and their investigators “refrain from publicizing non-public information.” It is understandable that this illogical misrepresentation of his actual range of options in dealing with the possibly new evidence revealed incompetence that finally triggered the Memorandum and consequent firing of Comey sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>There is a&#160; <a href="" type="internal">strong argument</a>&#160;that since his July 5, 2016 press conference helped rig the election against Sanders Comey should have been fired for the very reasons that the Deputy Attorney General explains in general terms. The&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Memorandum</a>&#160;itself is an important historical document because it now clearly forecloses future FBI Directors from using the Comey precedent to play presidential politics with the government’s powerful investigatory powers. It adds a section of references from other high level DoJ officials critical of Comey’s unprecedented actions, which helps to establish the wide bipartisan support for those principles.</p>
<p>But the contents of the Memorandum have been largely ignored. Propagandists favor speculation about the impact of a change of FBI Directors on the Clinton Democrats’ preferred subject of the ongoing investigation of Russian “hacking” or collusion with the Trump campaign in the 2016 election. It is unlikely that the Russians’ impact on the election will be greater than Comey’s is known to have been. Comey was as responsible as Clinton herself for making Trump president instead of the&#160; <a href="" type="internal">popular</a>&#160;Sanders.</p>
<p>Like the proverbial broken clock, Trump has been right on two occasions. He was right to terminate the TPP negotiations. He was right to accept the guidance of Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein for firing FBI Director James Comey for the reasons accurately recounted, even if not fully explained, in his Memorandum.</p>
<p>Because Comey was fired for these specific and flagrant misdeeds concerning how he concluded the Servergate investigation the new FBI director should be tasked to revisit the Comey recommendation not to prosecute. Specifically, as a litmus test for the job, any candidate should be quizzed on knowledge of the distinction between motive and intent in prosecutions against a powerful subject of an investigation.</p> | The Comey Non-Crisis | true | https://counterpunch.org/2017/05/12/the-comey-non-crisis/ | 2017-05-12 | 4 |
<p>“Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope In a Mumbai Undercity” A book by Katherine Boo</p>
<p>This is an astonishing book. It is astonishing at several levels: as a worm’s-eye view of the “undercity” of one of the world’s largest metropolises; as an intensely reported, deeply felt account of the lives, hopes and fears of people traditionally excluded from literate narratives; as a story that truly hasn’t been told before, at least not about India and not by a foreigner. But most of all, it is astonishing that it exists at all.</p>
<p>Katherine Boo, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American reporter who has worked for The Washington Post, among other publications, spent three years and four months (from November 2007 to March 2011) following the lives of some of Mumbai’s most deprived citizens, the dirt-poor residents of a squatter slum on the periphery of its international airport. Annawadi, in the shadow of luxury hotels, is “a bitty slum popped up in the biggest city of a country that holds one-third of the planet’s poor.” It’s built on swampy land and abuts a sewage lake, but is home to a motley collection of marginal Indians desperate to make a living out of the detritus of the city’s economic boom. These are the footnotes to the success story of what was briefly called “Shining India,” the poor people who are usually, in most other accounts, treated as a collectivity, the object of economists’ analyses, politicians’ promises and ideologues’ outrage. In “Behind the Beautiful Forevers,” Boo humanizes them as individuals with their own stories to tell.</p>
<p>Overcoming the obstacles to effective reporting posed by her class, gender, ethnicity and language, Boo follows their lives and experiences in an effort to understand the problems of poverty from the bottom up. The result is a searing account, in effective and racy prose, that reads like a thrilling novel but packs a punch Sinclair Lewis might have envied.</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/1400067553?aff=Truthdig" type="external" /></p>
<p>By Katherine Boo</p>
<p>Random House, 288 pages</p>
<p><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/1400067553?aff=Truthdig" type="external" /></p>
<p>The narrative teems with larger-than-life figures that Boo instantly draws you to: Abdul, a Muslim teen with a single-minded talent for scavenging recyclable garbage, which “had bestowed on his family an income few residents of Annawadi had ever known”; Asha, who uses political and police connections to climb out of poverty while raising her beautiful daughter, Manju, the slum’s “only college-going girl,” to escape the life of compromises she has led; Fatima, a one-legged neighbor of Abdul’s family, prone to violent rages; Kalu, a boy with the spunk to steal the scrap he then sells to Abdul; and Sunil, a smelly and nerveless ragamuffin with a head for heights.</p>
<p>Their stories unfold as Annawadi comes to vivid life, accompanied by a host of lesser but equally indelible characters — the dying man trying to raise money for the operation that might save him, the policewoman seeking to extort money in return for tailoring her case files, the passionate teacher at a juvenile detention center, the young woman who swallows rat poison because “this was one decision about her life she got to make.” And then there’s Abdul’s father, who “had developed an irritating habit of talking about the future as if it were a bus” that one could run after even if one kept missing it. The raw pathos to the stories of the characters in “Behind the Beautiful Forevers” is of the kind usually found in great fiction, except that, as Boo confirms, they are all real, down to their names.</p>
<p>So is Annawadi, with its noxious sights and smells, its mounds of refuse and lean-to hovels, its fetid garbage that is almost a living presence in this book. Boo, who has an Indian husband, has not just lived with its people and got to know them; she has penetrated the dynamics of their relationships, acquired insights into their psyches, breathed the polluted air that suffuses their fears. Her empathy for the slum-dwellers, striving against impossible odds to earn enough for “the full enjoy” they can only dream about, is total. She reports their hopes, their diversions, their vices, and their shocking deaths with the matter-of-factness that comes to those inured to suffering.</p>
<p>Boo keeps herself entirely out of the narrative until an author’s note at the end, which gives her account an intimacy and immediacy that is unchallengeable. Her research is meticulous and worthy of the most demanding sociologist; her understanding of “India, a land of few safe assumptions,” is impossible to quarrel with, since the book is devoid of the commonplace errors about India that litter most Western attempts to understand the country’s complexities.</p>
<p>To see long excerpts from “Behind the Beautiful Forevers” at Google Books, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=j06jYMWxUjEC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=behind+the+beautiful+forevers&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=-g1ET9PkBav9iQKk0ejFDg&amp;ved=0CEIQuwUwAA#v=onepage&amp;q=behind%20the%20beautiful%20forevers&amp;f=false" type="external">click here</a>.</p>
<p>So when Boo writes in graphic detail about corruption and police abuse, she does so through the eyes of the poor people who are so often reduced to statistics in well-meaning human rights documents and development paradigms. She writes movingly of “a system in which the most wretched tried to punish the slightly less wretched by turning to a justice system so malign it sank them all.” Sometimes her justified indignation, coupled with her talent for the telling metaphor, can lead her to stylistic excess: “The Indian criminal justice system was a market like garbage,” she writes. “Innocence and guilt could be bought and sold like a kilo of polyurethane bags.”</p>
<p>But indeed, as Boo points out, the very corruption that elite Indians see as an obstacle to India’s progress appears to the slum-dwellers as an aspect of “the distribution of opportunity in a fast-changing country that they loved.” Otherwise they are assailed by the arbitrariness of life: “In Annawadi, fortunes derived not just from what people did, or how well they did it, but from the accidents and catastrophes they avoided. A decent life was the train that hadn’t hit you, the slumlord you hadn’t offended, the malaria you hadn’t caught.” In this sordid drama, the poor are too busy fighting each other for the scraps: “The poor took down one another, and the world’s great, unequal cities soldiered on in relative peace.”</p>
<p>This is not a reassuring message for those of us in India striving to change the country. Boo’s last sentence asks a haunting question: “If the house is crooked and crumbling, and the land on which it sits uneven, is it possible to make anything lie straight?” It is a question that Indians try to answer every day as we build our country, and Katherine Boo has earned the right to ask it too.</p>
<p>Shashi Tharoor is an elected member of India’s Parliament, a columnist and novelist, and the author, most recently, of “The Elephant, the Tiger and the Cell Phone: Reflections on India, the Emerging 21st-Century Power.”</p>
<p>© 2012, Washington Post Book World Service/Washington Post Writers Group</p>
<p /> | Shining India | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/shining-india/ | 2012-02-24 | 4 |
<p>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma Mark Yancey is stepping down to take another federal post in South Carolina.</p>
<p>The U.S. attorney’s office in Oklahoma City announced Friday that Yancey is resigning the post he’s held since January 2016. Yancey will begin his new Department of Justice job next week at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina.</p>
<p>A news release says Yancey will coordinate training for federal prosecutors in national security and other criminal cases.</p>
<p>Yancey will be replaced in Oklahoma City by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Troester, who has worked in the office since 1995 and has served twice previously as acting U.S. attorney.</p>
<p>Troester said in a statement he looks forward to focusing on efforts to reduce violent crime.</p>
<p>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma Mark Yancey is stepping down to take another federal post in South Carolina.</p>
<p>The U.S. attorney’s office in Oklahoma City announced Friday that Yancey is resigning the post he’s held since January 2016. Yancey will begin his new Department of Justice job next week at the National Advocacy Center in Columbia, South Carolina.</p>
<p>A news release says Yancey will coordinate training for federal prosecutors in national security and other criminal cases.</p>
<p>Yancey will be replaced in Oklahoma City by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Troester, who has worked in the office since 1995 and has served twice previously as acting U.S. attorney.</p>
<p>Troester said in a statement he looks forward to focusing on efforts to reduce violent crime.</p> | US attorney in Oklahoma City stepping down for federal post | false | https://apnews.com/1e7d912733564f10bf3773167fc309aa | 2018-01-19 | 2 |
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<p>Whether your like Apple or not, the company has very clearly stirred up the tech industry with several innovations over the past several years. It totally revamped and spurred a revolution in the smartphone market with the iPhone. It did so again in the tablet space with the iPad. Neither device was new in the fundamental idea of a smartphone with a touchscreen or a mass-market tablet, but both attracted the consumer market unlike any other previous device.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>I’m not saying firms such as Samsung, HTC or LG copied the iPhone, far from it, but I think Apple’s innovations allowed those firms to enter a market space that hadn’t reached full maturity. A Samsung executive recently said that his firm watches the market and builds to the likes of consumers. Apple, meanwhile, has been known to create products and ideas that have, so far, not necessarily been proven to be attractive.</p>
<p>In the case of the iPad, for example, consumers had never before, in mass, carried such a device. Sure, there were Windows-based tablets for years before the iPad, but did you ever see them in someone’s living room, or on the train? Or stationed in an airport lounge for complimentary use? No – the Apple’s iPad was the solution that eventually propelled mass adoption and led the way for the success of competing alternatives.</p>
<p>And yet Apple has been relatively quiet on the innovation front. The iPhone 5 and the fourth generation iPad are great products, but they aren’t flipping any industry on its head the way the original iPad or the original iPhone did (although one could argue that Siri, from a service side, certainly did on the iPhone 4S). I think that’s a sign that Apple’s doing something behind the scenes right now, and that’s why we’re still hearing reports of an iTV or the iWatch. Apple’s about to make yet another big move that changes the way we think of existing industries.</p>
<p>Sure, smart TVs and smart watches already exist, but both industries are still severely limited and Apple has the muscle, the cash and the know-how to take a chance and do something drastic. The secret weapons could very much be existing technologies, such as iOS and Siri. Tim Cook has said that Apple isn’t a hardware company, and that it’s instead focused on providing software and services.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.technobuffalo.com/2013/02/12/apples-about-to-shake-up-the-tech-industry-again/" type="external">Read the full story on Apple's future on TechnoBuffalo.com Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | Apple’s About to Shake Up the Tech Industry Again | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/02/12/apples-about-to-shake-up-tech-industry-again.html | 2016-01-29 | 0 |
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<p>Just how deep is the newspaper circulation scandal of 2004? Combined with other substantial circulation losses, how damaging will it be&#160;to the bread and butter of advertising revenues for 2004,&#160;for 2005 and by extension in years to come? Is it yet another sign of the gradual but inexorable decline of the industry and the medium in which many of us practice journalism?</p>
<p>These will be top-of-mind questions as the curtain rises Monday on a pair of annual Media Week conferences in New York. The meeting provides a platform for executives of publicly-traded newspaper companies to present their results and prospects to analysts and investors. This year, the&#160;usually polite and deferential Wall Street audience will probably be asking more pointed questions than usual.</p>
<p>Lately the party line in the industry is that the worst of the scandal part is behind us. Industry leaders say&#160;the tally of recent losses, while admittedly bad, is not quite as bad as some had predicted. Business is getting back to normal, they say.</p>
<p>Not so fast, we are here to tell you. We stumbled serendipitously on a set of facts suggesting that the impact to date is actually&#160;50 percent worse than we and others who track the industry had thought.</p>
<p>Missing from these&#160;“not as bad as predicted” formulations is all those readers fraudulently counted as paid circulation at papers involved in the scandal.&#160; That circulation&#160;never existed in the first place.What follows is an account of how an industry&#160;association, Wall Street analysts, and the presumed watchdogs of&#160;American life -- the newspaper business -- managed to lose track of a quarter of a million phantom readers&#160;in this still unfolding scandal.The Newspaper Association of America reported in <a href="http://www.naa.org/utilartpage.cfm?TID=NR&amp;AID=6510" type="external">a press release November 1</a> that for the six-month period ending September 30, industry circulation was off 0.9 percent daily and 1.5 percent Sunday versus the same period a year ago. That was based on a comparison of 841 dailies&#160;that issued on-time publisher’s statements each year, subsequent to later audit.</p>
<p>That is a decline as steep as ever after a couple of years in which losses had nearly leveled off. As <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20816-2004Nov29.html" type="external">The Washington Post reported</a> Nov. 30, there hasn't been a&#160;nationwide circulation gain&#160;since 1987. Or as NAA president John Sturm put it in a comment to The New York Times, "We see results that aren't a heck of a lot different from what we have seen over time," a classic glass-half-full spin as befits an industry association leader. Veteran analyst Edward J. Atorino, went a step further. "Fears of some massive circulation decline were just overwrought," he told The Times' Jacques Steinberg.</p>
<p>But wait, as they say on the TV reality shows, there's a twist.</p>
<p>NAA did the analysis and presented the statistical report, one of many for which it is the&#160;standard authority, exactly as it has in the past. Many smaller papers do not buy audits and thus are not in either sample. There are always a dozen or two stragglers&#160;that don't get a timely six-month report together. The sample is still big and inclusive of about 85 percent of total industry circulation (as estimated by NAA). So, in normal times, those little missing data points make no difference.</p>
<p>These are not normal times, however. Remember?&#160; We have just had this unprecedented&#160;wave of faked numbers by four big-city papers: Newsday; its Spanish sister daily, Hoy; the Dallas Morning News; and the Chicago Sun Times..A small, but entirely on-the-record detail of the story is that each of the four papers has been censured by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC). As part of their punishment, the Scandal Four were not allowed to do a statement for the six months ending this September 30. The NAA release made no mention of that. Jim Conaghan, NAA vice president of business analysis and resarch, who prepared the report, confirmed to us Friday that no adjustment was made to account for the impact on the comparison. (You can read&#160;Conaghan's challenge to our interpretation of NAA's report <a href="" type="internal">here</a>.)</p>
<p>Omitting that little qualifier yields a snapshot of how the industry is doing, ignoring the elephant in this particular room.</p>
<p>And we're not just talking metaphorically. It may just have been four papers, but as is often the case with assorted kinds of wrongdoing, once they got into cheating their way to apparent success (it's not so clear just when that was), they got into it in a big way.</p>
<p>Neither the NAA nor ABC nor perhaps even the companies themselves could be precise enough yet in reconstructing more truthful numbers for the apples-to-apples, precise estimate that&#160;the ABC reporting methodology requires.</p>
<p>The order of magnitude, though, is clear and, once again, on the record. The totals have risen as investigations, internal and external, unfold.&#160; Each company has released guidance updates as part of their effort to get on top of a huge problem, to begin to restore reputation and make good to advertisers who got bilked on how many people they were reaching.</p>
<p>Here is a current paper-by-paper estimate of losses not included in the NAA report or The New York Times story:</p>
<p>That adds up to 230,000 to 250,000 people who we thought were paid subscribers but are not. Combined with the reported losses in NAA's sample, that's another half a percent hit. From that perspective, the real damage is 50 percent worse than the NAA and The New York Times report on it leads one to think. This added complement of phantom readers has literally vanished into the ether. There is no wooing them back with sharp tuning content to reader interests, fast-format design innovations, better customer service and the like.</p>
<p>Had the NAA set out to practice the public relations ploy of putting out information that is technically accurate but materially misleading, we could never prove it. The circumstantial evidence leaves us 95 percent certain it was 95 percent inadvertent, mixing in just a pinch of spin and some wishing and hoping this damn thing would be over.</p>
<p>Steinberg, one of the abler reporters on the newspaper beat for&#160;The Times&#160;in recent years, appears not to have thought of the arcane omission on deadline.</p>
<p>After consulting with his editors, Steinberg said, “We feel that we accurately reported what the NAA reported.&#160; Certainly going forward in reporting data like that, we would take the caveats you raise&#160;into consideration.” Sooner or later, once the investigations into the scandals have been completed, those lower numbers will be reflected both in ABC and NAA reports.&#160;</p>
<p>Daily stories in the Wall Street Journal and Editor and Publisher&#160;provided a nod to what would become the thesis of this story. They mentioned the censure and the exclusion of the scandal papers from the sample. They did not go on to the math and interpretation suggested here.</p>
<p>Oft-quoted analyst Lauren Rich Fine (a member of Poynter's National Advisory Board)&#160;also got to the same part of the story that the Journal and E&amp;P did, footnoting the missing reports in her November 5 analysis of the trends. She focused on public companies that she covers as opposed to the newspaper industry as a whole.</p>
<p>Rising star Paul Ginocchio of Deutsche Bank Securities, making like a daily reporter, weighed in November 2. He skipped the NAA altogether and plugged into his model the newspaper-by-newspaper total that ABC posts concurrently on its website. By policy, ABC does not offer its own analysis of industry-wide trends or comment on anyone else's.</p>
<p>Ginocchio has led the way and Fine and others have joined along in documenting yet a third dimension of current circulation erosion. Since the turn of the decade, there has been quick substitution of deeply discounted circulation for fully paid circulation. Deep discounts have at least doubled their share from less than&#160;five percent to more than 10. Both count in the bottom-line paid total under ABC rules. The discounted portion is broken out. So&#160;is unpaid distribution. We're not talking just about the papers involved in the recent scandals and others you might suspect of slick practices. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times&#160;also distribute increasing numbers of discounted and free copies that revised rules&#160;permit them to count as subscribers. In fact, that's Ginnocchio's point: full-rate circulation is falling even more precipitously than overall circulation.</p>
<p>Returning to advertisers, the big question is whether they will take the three factors together to bargain successfully for muted rate increases. That is a lot more of a realistic&#160;scenario than any wholesale flight to competing media. Long experience and even recent events show that advertisers work hard to pay as little as possible. At the end of the day, though, even a disgruntled group of Long Island auto dealers, suing Newsday, fought to keep their ads in the paper.</p>
<p>If you think like an analyst, short-term impact is long-term too.&#160; Suppose, other things being equal, newspaper ad revenue would have risen&#160;eight percent in 2005.&#160; Instead circulation troubles drop the growth to four percent. In constantly revising their earnings forecasts, the analysts are figuring that a lower total, even for a quarter, certainly for a year, rolls over as the new base for 2006, 2007 and onward.</p>
<p>We will close, as typically in these periodic reports from the business-side front, with the question working reporters and editors really want answered. How is this going to affect us? The results are trickling in, and they are not encouraging. Newsday and the Dallas Morning News announced a round of cuts in November. With earlier attrition each is trimming at least 70 newsroom staffers, upward of 10 percent.</p>
<p>On the non-scandal side several big city papers were hard hit. The Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post all lost more than&#160;two percent year to year. 2004 was a years of stasis, formal and informal job freezes and a few bigger announced cuts. More of the same in the service of demonstrating commitment to cost control is in prospect for 2005.</p> | Ignoring the Elephant in Newspaperland | false | https://poynter.org/news/ignoring-elephant-newspaperland | 2004-12-03 | 2 |
<p>PITTSBURGH (AP) — Emergency officials are warning of the dangers of ice jams and possible flooding on rivers near Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>Allegheny County officials say the cold weather has caused a buildup of ice and ice jams primarily on the Allegheny and Ohio rivers. The Allegheny River ice jam begins at the Springdale/Plum area and extends upriver past the Tarentum Bridge. The ice jam on the Ohio River begins at the Emsworth Dam and extends upriver.</p>
<p>More rain and warmer temperatures this weekend increase the risk that ice jams may break up or begin to flow.</p>
<p>Officials are also dealing with last weekend’s breakaway barges on the Ohio River. The Coast Guard says 25 of 27 barges have been located and the other two are believed to be above the Emsworth Lock and Dam.</p>
<p>PITTSBURGH (AP) — Emergency officials are warning of the dangers of ice jams and possible flooding on rivers near Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>Allegheny County officials say the cold weather has caused a buildup of ice and ice jams primarily on the Allegheny and Ohio rivers. The Allegheny River ice jam begins at the Springdale/Plum area and extends upriver past the Tarentum Bridge. The ice jam on the Ohio River begins at the Emsworth Dam and extends upriver.</p>
<p>More rain and warmer temperatures this weekend increase the risk that ice jams may break up or begin to flow.</p>
<p>Officials are also dealing with last weekend’s breakaway barges on the Ohio River. The Coast Guard says 25 of 27 barges have been located and the other two are believed to be above the Emsworth Lock and Dam.</p> | Officials warn of ice jams, perhaps flooding near Pittsburgh | false | https://apnews.com/fadf949ba1f84bafb0c5a0e94b2a539d | 2018-01-19 | 2 |
<p>One of the best sections of the New York City public transit system is that stretch of the “A” train that passes between 125th street in Harlem and 59th street. When the A Train is running express it means 64 blocks of uninterrupted movement. Sure, the ride is nice for napping or catching up on some reading, but what’s really great about this leg of the Blue Line is that it gives the subway performers a much longer span of time to perform. Acrobatic dance groups can stretch their routines another five minutes, street preachers can add a little extra depth to their sermons and the musicians are free to blow those extra 16 bars that the conductor and the sliding doors would otherwise have censored.</p>
<p>It’s probably unrealistic, but whenever I see a tenor sax player riding the rails I think of King Curtis coming to New York in the early fifties and doing the same thing. Before he tore through that famous “Yakety Yak” solo, and much before “Soul Twist” bounced and prodded its way to the top of the R&amp;B charts, I picture him as an eighteen year old kid from Mansfield, Texas with a beat up horn and a soulful, syncopated sound, riding back and forth between Columbus Circle and 125th street. You can almost see him in a wide lapel with his meticulously maintained hair tightly slicked back. His church shoes, bright with the glare from the fluorescent subway lights, stand out against the dirty floor as he shares the sounds that would decorate records by everyone from Aretha Franklin to Buddy Holly. A train ride like that would be worth any MTA fare increase.</p>
<p>Unfortunately we can’t catch him entertaining strap-hangers anymore. All we have to go on are those divine records that he released. Classic instrumental cuts like his version of “Tennesse Waltz” or his take on “Ain’t That Good News” are enough to make even the most cynical wallflower tap their foot, while slow dance tunes like “Bill Bailey” croon and plead with the utmost confidence. More than his chops or his tone, what’s really unique about King Curtis is his restraint, as in “Tanya”, a mid-tempo feel-good groove originally penned by Joe Liggins. The song’s just slow enough that most horn players wouldn’t be able to resist plugging every phrase with their favorite fills, but Curtis lets the silence become a band member, comping him and providing a muted answer to his melodies.</p>
<p>Unlike most of the other great sax players of fifties and sixties, Curtis was playing to the mainstream. Charlie Parker and John Coltrane were breaking down boundaries and creating new harmonic ideas in their own fields, but their sounds never had the layman appeal that seemed so natural to King Curtis. Maybe that’s why I don’t picture Coltrane on the A train, blowing “A Love Supreme,” or Bird running up and down his Be Bop scales. Instead I see Curtis in his church shoes, playing for a car full of smiling faces.</p>
<p>LORENZO WOLFF is a musician living in New York. He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Riding the Rails with King Curtis | true | https://counterpunch.org/2009/08/28/riding-the-rails-with-king-curtis/ | 2009-08-28 | 4 |
<p>Movie-making is an expensive endeavor, especially those that rely on special effects, but Unity Technologies' newest platform could help change that.</p>
<p>The company's <a href="https://unite.unity.com/2017/austin" type="external">Unite Austin Opens a New Window.</a> developer conference in October attracted a few Hollywood types, including South African director Neill Blomkamp. Best known for Oscar-nominated dystopian flick District 9, Blomkamp turned to Unity's cinematic tools for his latest project, ADAM: The Prophet, out this week.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Unity 2017.2 gives movie tools to non-coders, like Cinemachine, a procedural cinematic and in-game camera system acquired by Unity Technologies in December 2016. It was built by Adam Myhill, who joined Unity after the acquisition to become Head of Cinematics. His 20-year career as a computer graphics supervisor and cinematography spans video games (NBA Street Vol. 3) and movies (Down Here), with stints at Pandemic, Blackbird Interactive, and Electronic Arts, where he shot a Need for Speed The Run commercial directed by Michael Bay.</p>
<p>"We're creating a toolset where people can work together, see everything in context, while being freed from the sequential linear slow traditional pipeline, which only allows creative input in certain places," Myhill explained. "With Unity you can change things at the last minute—there's no post—when you're done, you're done. You get to empower our Cinemachine robots to mix and match ideas; you're not stuck in keyframing technical issues, or doing laborious tasks. In fact, we believe Unity 2017.2 allows you to work and think like a director for the first time."</p>
<p>This ease of use appealed to Neill Blomkamp.</p>
<p>"We had our own internal scripts, and non-live-action concepts, that we wanted to explore...in a real-time engine," Blomkamp told PCMag. "But traditional computer graphics felt as if they might be too time consuming and inefficient so we put the work aside to focus on other stuff."</p>
<p>Then Isabelle Riva, Head of Made With Unity, contacted Blomkamp about <a href="https://unity3d.com/pages/adam" type="external">ADAM: Chapter 1 Opens a New Window.</a>, a short film created with the Unity game engine and rendered in real time. She asked if it was something Blomkamp's Oats Studios would want to build on top of and Blomkamp said yes.</p>
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<p>"Unity offers a revolutionary promise to filmmakers who want to make animation and visual effects content but can't afford expensive post-production pipeline tools, because it's a full digital post studio—camera animation, VFX animation, editing, lighting, rendering and compositing—in one desktop solution," Riva explained. "This alone is sure to disrupt fossilized Hollywood productions."</p>
<p>The result was ADAM: The Mirror (above). After Riva handed over the tools and original asset library, Blomkamp sat down with his creative team and fleshed out more of a narrative arc for the ADAM story.</p>
<p>"Everyone said: 'This is the project we've been looking for.' So we took what had been created, then wrote an overview of where the story could go—a mythology, if you like—and, out of that we picked two stories to make two films out of," said Blomkamp.</p>
<p>For his second film—ADAM: The Prophet—Blomkamp wanted to push further into adapting photogrammetry (real-to-3D) environments. For ADAM: The Mirror, he took his crew three hours east of Los Angeles to shoot the desolate landscapes around Coachella, and is now perfecting his techniques to produce computer-generated humans.</p>
<p>"In the mythology there are three main factions and two of the characters have digital/CG faces. For ADAM, this required separate facial capture for high fidelity, which I won't do again, I'll do motion capture and facial capture at the same time."</p>
<p>With the Neill Blomkamp seal of approval on the platform, Isabelle Riva and Adam Myhill are now taking Unity 2017.2 as a show-and-tell to Hollywood types, getting feedback, and hopefully buy-in, from studio chiefs.</p>
<p>"Producers hear about the efficiencies of games engines and call us in for a studio meeting," confirmed Myhill. "So we get in a room with a bunch of movie veterans, they see a scene, and say, 'These are the graphics?' and we say, 'yup, and we're doing 30 a second.' The bit that gets them every time is when, in mid-demo, I say: 'I'm just going to move this camera angle and switch out that light' and they stare in amazement."</p>
<p>That sound you just heard was the explosion of 1,000 post-production VFX companies around the world.</p>
<p>"In fact I had one well-known CG supervisor at a top studio do the table flip motion after saying 'This is the future!'" laughed Myhill.</p>
<p>So, is the next step for the Montreal-based team opening an actual Hollywood office? After all, Unity Technologies has already forged relationships in LA through several <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/news/353537/a-peek-at-the-startups-ready-to-augment-your-reality" type="external">Unite developer conferences Opens a New Window.</a>. "We have people in LA, but not an official office. Yet clearly it's a center for the people we'd like to work with," he said.</p>
<p>In the meantime, if you have the creative urge, and fancy building your own version of ADAM, <a href="https://blogs.unity3d.com/2016/11/01/adam-demo-executable-and-assets-released/" type="external">Unity has released Opens a New Window.</a> the assets, and executable files, so you can import and make magic with them.</p>
<p>This article <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/news/357548/filmmakers-turn-to-unitys-game-engine" type="external">originally appeared Opens a New Window.</a> on <a href="http://www.pcmag.com" type="external">PCMag.com Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Filmmakers Turn to Unity's Game Engine | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/11/27/filmmakers-turn-to-unitys-game-engine.html | 2017-11-27 | 0 |
<p>SEOUL, South Korea — For more than 60 years, North and South Korea have been divided along the demilitarized zone, or the DMZ.</p>
<p>Barriers — political, legal and physical — often prevent South Koreans from communicating directly with their northern brethren.</p>
<p>To surmount this, human rights activists in the South have gotten creative. One method: releasing balloons that carry messages across the border. They have even harnessed <a href="http://newfocusintl.com/refugee-activist-continues-secret-balloon-launches-towards-north-korea/" type="external">typhoon winds</a> to ensure that their airborne information reaches its target.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, a group of anti-regime defectors gave its propaganda a raunchy twist.</p>
<p>The activists, led by prominent Christian rights campaigner Lee Min-bok, released a batch of balloons proclaiming that dictator Kim Jong Un’s attractive, 20-something wife, Ri Sol-ju, once starred in a homemade porno flick.</p>
<p>Seizing on newspaper reports, the group also spread rumors that members of a state-run musical troupe she performed in were supposedly executed by firing squad for their role filming even more steamy sex videos and selling the recordings, <a href="http://www.koreabang.com/2013/stories/balloons-carry-news-of-ri-sol-jus-porno-to-north-korea.html" type="external">reports KoreaBANG</a> (the link is mildly NSFW).</p>
<p>Of course, in a country with no Cinemax, how else can you get your satisfaction?</p>
<p>The allegation, though, is still a spectacular and unproven rumor.</p>
<p>It first surfaced in the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun in August, but many North Korean defector groups have publicly cast doubts on it.</p>
<p>Despite their intentions, this and other activist campaigns have run into controversy — particularly in South Korea, the country that carries perhaps the heaviest burden of North Korea’s occasional temper tantrums and war threats.</p>
<p>In fact, police have banned another <a href="http://newfocusintl.com/refugee-activist-continues-secret-balloon-launches-towards-north-korea/" type="external">award-winning activist</a> from sending airborne messages in recent months, citing national security concerns.</p>
<p>Some organizations connected to North Korea have voiced their disapproval, but what else would you expect from them?</p>
<p>One unofficial propaganda mouthpiece based in China, Uriminzokkiri, has already lashed out, calling the anti-regime activism “trash.”</p>
<p>Of course, if your life goal is to bring stability and democracy to North Korea, any such response from the so-called pariah is a badge of honor.</p> | Propaganda balloons carry rumors of a North Korean porno | false | https://pri.org/stories/2013-10-19/propaganda-balloons-carry-rumors-north-korean-porno | 2013-10-19 | 3 |
<p />
<p>TheS&amp;P 500and theDow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: $INDU)are little changed on Monday morning, down 0.01% and up 0.08%, respectively, at 11:30 a.m. ET.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Image source: Insider Monkey, republished under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/" type="external">CC BY-ND 2.0 Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Financial data provider Markit Ltd <a href="https://www.markit.com/Company/Media-Centre" type="external">announced Opens a New Window.</a> this morning that it is merging with IHS to form IHS Markit in an all-share transaction valued at $13 billion (equity value). The terms, which call for IHS shareholders to receive 3.5566 shares common shares of IHS Markit for every IHS share, implies a per share price of Markit's stock of $31.13, based on the IHS closing price on Friday of $110.71 (that is, $110.71 / 3.5566 = $31.128).</p>
<p>That $31.13 represents a mere 5.6% premium to the Friday closing price of Markit shares. On that basis, my initial reaction is that those terms are more favorable to Markit, but the market appears to disagree this morning.</p>
<p>Indeed, at 10:16 a.m. ET, the ratio of the two shares prices was 3.6699 (and it has not dipped below 3.64), implying the market believes HIS represents a bigger share of the combined companies' value than that implied by the proposed share exchange ratio.</p>
<p>Another way to understand this is that the market is suggesting IHS shareholders ought to receive more shares in the combined company, IHS Markit, than the 3.5566 per IHS share called for in the current deal terms.</p>
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<p>I highlighted the quality of Markit's franchise (capital-light business model, very high recurring revenues, etc.) back when the company <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/06/19/this-buffett-like-company-starts-trading-today.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">went public Opens a New Window.</a> in June 2014, and my view on this has not changed.</p>
<p>The Valeant shuffleThis move was overdue: Embattled pharmaceutical company Valeant Pharmaceuticals International inc announced this morning that CEO J. Michael Pearson, who has only just returned from medical leave, will only remain in the role until a successor is found.</p>
<p>A former McKinsey &amp; Co. consultant, Pearson transformed the company with an "innovative" business model that de-emphasized research, instead relying on aggressive, prolific dealmaking and aggressive pricing to achieve growth.</p>
<p>The announcement is a public repudiation of this newfangled business model, which is <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/12/29/valeant-ceo-michael-pearsons-medical-leave-doesnt.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">clearly broken Opens a New Window.</a> (in fact, it now seems increasingly clear that it was never valid to begin with).</p>
<p>Brash activist investor Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management will join Valeant's board, becoming Pershing Square's second board member and the third representative of an activist hedge fund. Ackman's personal reputation as an investor and, potentially, the viability of Pershing Square are riding on the outcome of his disastrous investment in Valeant. It's past time he took the bull by the horns.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/03/21/mondays-movers-markit-merges-valeant-shuffles.aspx" type="external">Monday's Movers: Markit Merges, Valeant Re-shuffles Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFAleph1/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Alex Dumortier, CFA Opens a New Window.</a>, has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=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> | Monday's Movers: Markit Merges, Valeant Re-shuffles | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/03/21/monday-movers-markit-merges-valeant-re-shuffles.html | 2016-03-21 | 0 |
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<p>DALLAS — Authorities have issued an arrest warrant in the investigation into voter fraud in Dallas County during municipal elections last month.</p>
<p>The Dallas Morning News ( <a href="http://bit.ly/2rw5PbM" type="external">http://bit.ly/2rw5PbM</a> ) reports that a 27-year-old Dallas man is wanted on a charge of illegal voting. According to an arrest warrant affidavit, he’s accused of visiting a woman in April and collecting her blank absentee ballot, then filling it out and forging her signature before mailing it to the county.</p>
<p>Authorities tell the newspaper they plan to make more arrests in the case that caused 700 suspicious mail-in ballots to be sequestered.</p>
<p>During the weeks leading up to the elections, dozens of senior citizens in West Dallas and Grand Prairie filed complaints saying they had received mail-in ballots that they had not requested.</p>
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<p>Information from: The Dallas Morning News, <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com" type="external">http://www.dallasnews.com</a></p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Arrest warrant issued in Dallas County voter fraud case | false | https://abqjournal.com/1012602/arrest-warrant-issued-in-dallas-county-voter-fraud-case.html | 2 |
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<p>J. Scott Applewhite/AP</p>
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<p>President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), has voted numerous times against expanded access to health care. He has cast just one vote in recent years to expand health care access. The group he believed deserved better access to coverage? Fetuses.</p>
<p>In 2008, Sessions voted yes on an amendment to remove pregnant women from the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and instead give coverage to the fetus. At the time of the vote, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) <a href="https://www.congress.gov/amendment/110th-congress/senate-amendment/4233/text" type="external">described</a> the amendment as follows: “It takes it away from the woman and gives it to the fetus. Now, if the woman is pregnant in an accident, loses the child, she does not get coverage, the child gets coverage.” The amendment failed, with 46 senators voting for it and 52 against it.</p>
<p>It’s the only time in recent years that Sessions has voted in favor of expanding health care coverage—if you can call it that. He <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&amp;session=2&amp;vote=00177" type="external">voted</a> against <a href="http://greenbook.waysandmeans.house.gov/sites/greenbook.waysandmeans.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/documents/RL34592_gb.pdf" type="external">expanding access to care</a> for low-income people under Medicare and Medicaid in 2008, <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&amp;session=1&amp;vote=00031" type="external">against</a> <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/04/schip.vote/index.html" type="external">expanding SCHIP</a> to four million children in 2009, and against the Affordable Care Act in 2010. The clear difference, of course, is that Sessions’ vote for fetuses wasn’t really a health care vote; it was an anti-abortion vote.</p>
<p>If confirmed as attorney general, Sessions would have a huge say on the issues of abortion and women’s reproductive health care. Sessions could choose to investigate Planned Parenthood, for example, and defend state and federal policies that make it harder for women to access an abortion or reproductive care.</p>
<p /> | This Is the Only Recent Time Jeff Sessions Voted to Expand Health Care Coverage | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2016/11/senator-sessions-voted-expand-health-care-coverage-fetuses/ | 2016-11-18 | 4 |
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<p>Poland’s Justice Ministry last week published the bill, which requires that claimants be Polish citizens and limits compensation to spouses, children or grandchildren.</p>
<p>The World Jewish Restitution Organization says those provisions would exclude the vast majority of Holocaust survivors and their families because most left Poland during or after World War II and settled elsewhere. The group also says because of the Holocaust’s toll, the heirs of seized properties are often nieces or nephews rather than direct descendants.</p>
<p>The World Jewish Congress has also expressed “profound disappointment” that Holocaust survivors are being excluded from the law</p>
<p>Gideon Taylor, the WJRO’s chair of operations, said Wednesday he still hopes the legislation can be amended to include Polish Holocaust survivors.</p>
<p>“It is not just about getting compensation, it’s about a link to the place,” he said. “For many descendants, it is a connection to generations of life in a far-away place that was part of their family fabric but was ripped away from them.”</p>
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<p>The problem dates to a communist-era decree seizing large numbers of private properties in Polish cities. Most of the original owners were not Jewish, although significant amounts of property had been Jewish-owned, a reflection of the large Jewish presence in Poland before most of Poland’s Jews were murdered by Germany during the Holocaust.</p>
<p>Since the fall of communism across Eastern Europe, Poland is the only country that has so far not passed legislation regulating the process of restitution, with only some case-by-case returns of real estate ordered by the courts. The lack of a comprehensive legal framework has led to serious irregularities in the restitution process, including fraud, which has sparked outrage.</p>
<p>Deputy Justice Minister Patryk Jaki, who is pushing for changes to the law, says that should end such “pathological situations.”</p>
<p>The bill must still be approved by lawmakers and the president.</p> | Holocaust survivors excluded from Poland property law | false | https://abqjournal.com/1082938/holocaust-survivors-excluded-from-poland-property-law.html | 2 |
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<p>TUCSON (AZ)Tucson CitizenCitizen Staff ReportMay 24, 2003</p>
<p>The first lawsuit against a Catholic priest which alleges sexual abuse within the past decade, has been filed against the Diocese of Tucson.Besides the diocese, the suit is against the Rev. Juan Guillen, parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception Parish in Yuma, who has been on administrative leave since Aug. 20.The suit was filed in superior court in Yuma and seeks unspecified damages.The Diocese of Tucson had not been served with the lawsuit yesterday and would not comment, said spokesman Fred Allison. "The diocese did report immediately the allegations," he said.Guillen, 59, is in custody in Yuma awaiting sentencing on charges of molestation.</p> | 1st new sex abuse suit vs. diocese, priest filed | false | https://poynter.org/news/1st-new-sex-abuse-suit-vs-diocese-priest-filed | 2003-05-24 | 2 |
<p>A number of Washington Republicans are pointing fingers at <a href="http://variety.com/t/steve-bannon/" type="external">Steve Bannon</a>’s brand of politics as being responsible for the <a href="http://variety.com/2017/politics/news/doug-jones-wins-alabama-senate-race-1202638526/" type="external">loss of a Senate seat</a>, but Bannon himself is suggesting a different reason. Democrats did a better job at getting out the vote.</p>
<p>On “Breitbart News Radio” on SiriusXM’s Patriot Channel on Wednesday, Bannon credited the Democratic National Committee for getting involved in the Alabama Senate race and boosting the fortunes of Doug Jones.</p>
<p>Jones, a former federal prosecutor, edged out Moore, a former judge, to win the seat. Jones is the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the state in 25 years.</p>
<p>“The DNC came in here, slipped in here, under the radar, and did an amazing job of organizing — what’s my favorite word? Ground game,” Bannon told Alex Marlow on the show. “You got to give the devil its due. I tell people every day. There’s no magic wand. You are going to have to outwork people. If you get outworked you are going to lose, and I got to tell you, their ability to get out votes, that is what it comes down to.”</p>
<p>“You have to grind it out. This is going to be five, 10, 15, 20 years, every day. If we’re prepared to do it, we win,” he said.</p>
<p>He also gave little indication that he was backing away from his involvement in political races, as he seeks to usurp the GOP establishment with figures like Moore and <a href="http://variety.com/t/donald-trump/" type="external">Donald Trump</a> who center their personas on nationalist and anti-elitist rhetoric.</p>
<p>In the aftermath of the race, some Republicans publicly blamed Bannon, who campaigned for Moore and provided strategic advice, for also influencing President <a href="http://variety.com/2017/politics/news/trump-kirsten-gillibrand-tweet-1202637342/" type="external">Donald Trump</a>’s decision to endorse him late in the race.</p>
<p>The Senate Leadership Fund, which is working to expand Republicans’ majority in the Senate, put out a statement on Tuesday night saying that “not only did <a href="http://variety.com/2017/music/news/melissa-etheridge-steve-bannon-siriusxm-1202637261/" type="external">Steve Bannon</a> cost us a critical Senate seat in one of the most Republican states in the country, but he also dragged the President of the United States into his fiasco.”</p>
<p>Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) was more cutting on Wednesday, tweeting angrily, “After Alabama disaster GOP must do right thing and DUMP Steve Bannon. His act is tired, inane and morally vacuous. If we are to Make America Great Again for all Americans, Bannon must go! And go NOW!!” He said on CNN that Bannon “does&#160;not belong&#160;on the national stage. He looks like some disheveled drunk that wandered onto the political stage.”</p>
<p>Trump tweeted early on Wednesday, “The reason I originally endorsed Luther Strange (and his numbers went up mightily), is that I said <a href="http://variety.com/t/roy-moore/" type="external">Roy Moore</a> will not be able to win the General Election. I was right! Roy worked hard but the deck was stacked against him!”</p>
<p>The reason I originally endorsed Luther Strange (and his numbers went up mightily), is that I said <a href="http://variety.com/2017/politics/news/jeff-sessions-roy-moore-sexual-assault-1202614494/" type="external">Roy Moore</a> will not be able to win the General Election. I was right! Roy worked hard but the deck was stacked against him!</p>
<p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/940904649728708609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">December 13, 2017</a></p>
<p>He also appeared to indirectly blame Moore in another tweet, writing, “If last night’s election proved anything, it proved that we need to put up GREAT Republican candidates to increase the razor thin margins in both the House and Senate.”</p>
<p>Bannon, a former Hollywood producer and financial executive, served as Trump’s chief strategist until August, when he returned to serve as&#160;the executive chairman of Breitbart News. The site on Wednesday <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/12/13/five-things-went-wrong-roy-moore/" type="external">published a list</a> of the “Five Things That Went Wrong for Roy Moore.” They included “not having a unified GOP,” “margins of loss in urban counties was too much to overcome,” Jones over-performing in swing counties, higher turnout, and Moore depending too much on votes from one of his strongholds, the Wiregrass region.</p>
<p>Listen below:</p> | Steve Bannon on Roy Moore’s Defeat: DNC ‘Did an Amazing Job of Organizing’ | false | https://newsline.com/steve-bannon-on-roy-moores-defeat-dnc-did-an-amazing-job-of-organizing/ | 2017-12-13 | 1 |
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<p>With regular private insurance, parents just notify the health plan. Insurers will still cover new babies, the administration says, but parents will also have to contact the government at some point later on.</p>
<p>Right now the HealthCare.gov website can’t handle such updates.</p>
<p>It’s a reminder that the new coverage for many uninsured Americans comes with a third party in the mix: the feds. And the system’s wiring for some vital federal functions isn’t yet fully connected.</p>
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<p>It’s not just having a new baby that could create bureaucratic hassles, but other life changes affecting a consumer’s taxpayer-subsidized premiums. The list includes marriage and divorce, a death in the family, a new job or a change in income, even moving to a different community.</p>
<p>Such changes affect financial assistance available under the law, so the government has to be brought into the loop.</p>
<p>At least 2 million people have signed up for private health policies through new government markets under President Barack Obama’s overhaul. Coverage started Wednesday, and so far things appear to be running fairly smoothly, although it may take time for problems to bubble up. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius calls it “a new day in health care” for millions of Americans.</p>
<p>Insurers say computerized “change in circumstance” updates to deal with family and life developments were supposed to have been part of the federal system from the start.</p>
<p>But that feature got postponed as the government scrambled to fix technical problems that overwhelmed the health care website during its first couple of months.</p>
<p>“It’s just another example of ‘We’ll fix that later,'” said Bob Laszewski, an industry consultant who said he’s gotten complaints from several insurer clients. “This needed to be done well before January. It’s sort of a fly-by-night approach.”</p>
<p>“We are currently working with insurers to find ways to make changing coverage easier while we develop an automated way for consumers to update their coverage directly,” responded an administration spokesman, Aaron Albright.</p>
<p>A Dec. 31 circular from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services addressed the problem.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In questions and answers for insurers, the government said that the federal insurance marketplace will not be able to add a child until the system’s automated features become “available later.” It does not provide any clue as to when that might take place.</p>
<p>The federal marketplace serves 36 states through HealthCare.gov and call centers. The Medicare agency, which runs the government’s other major health programs, is also responsible for expanded coverage under Obama’s law.</p>
<p>The question-and-answer circular says parents with a new baby will be told to contact their insurer directly “to include the child immediately” on their existing policy.</p>
<p>After the federal system is ready to process changes, parents will have to contact the government to formally bring their records up to date. Albright said parents will be able to add a new child to their policy for 30 days.</p>
<p>Having a baby could increase a family’s monthly premiums, but it could also mean that the parents are eligible for a bigger tax credit to help with the cost. Under some circumstances, it could make the child or the family eligible for Medicaid, a safety-net program that is virtually free of cost to low-income beneficiaries.</p>
<p>“Add it to the list that shows HealthCare.gov is not done,” Laszewski said.</p> | Adding a baby to health coverage is not easy | false | https://abqjournal.com/330368/adding-a-baby-to-health-coverage-is-not-easy.html | 2 |
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<p>Yes, it's true. For the last few days, the Chasers have been worried more about the convergence of cranberries, stuffing, and turkey than the convergence of media.&#160; Well, along with most of the United States, we are back to work now and we have a some tasty bits.An accord on ownership rules: Lost in the deluge of news about Medicare was the agreement reached on consolidation in the television industry. From the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12074-2003Nov24.html" type="external">Washington Post story</a>, here's the gist:</p>
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<p /> | Convergence Stuffing Mix | false | https://poynter.org/news/convergence-stuffing-mix | 2003-12-01 | 2 |
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<p>Gone are the days when gym memberships and discounted health insurance would suffice as the core elements of employee benefits programs. Today's employees have more power than they used to, which has given them a louder collective voice – and they're using it to speak up about they want from employers. In turn, employers are recognizing the competitive edge they gain by&#160;offering employees what they want.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Today's employee packages now consist of much more than straight financial compensation, partially because the tailoring of benefits has been linked with greater job satisfaction and increased employee engagement. This is important because,&#160; <a href="https://hbr.org/2013/07/employee-engagement-does-more" type="external">according to Harvard Business Review Opens a New Window.</a>, "highly engaged organizations have double the rate of success of lower engaged organizations."</p>
<p>Exactly what kind of <a href="https://www.recruiter.com/benefits.html" type="external">perks Opens a New Window.</a> should you consider for your organization? Here are six unique benefits to think about:</p>
<p>1. Going Green</p>
<p>In the global quest to develop more sustainable ways of living, more and more companies are committing to&#160;greener policies with the view that going green starts in one's own backyard.</p>
<p>For example, architecture and engineering firm <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0912/4-unique-employee-benefits-youve-never-heard-of.aspx" type="external">David Evans and Associates Opens a New Window.</a>offers staff members a&#160;cash incentive of up to $6 per day if they ditch their cars and&#160;commute to work by walking, biking, carpooling, or riding the bus. These incentives also have associated payroll tax benefits for employers.</p>
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<p>2. Outplacement Services</p>
<p>Complimentary outplacement services are highly regarded by employees these days. As an employer, you probably hope that your good staff will stick around forever, but unfortunately, this isn't likely. Average staff tenure is <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/tenure.nr0.htm" type="external">currently sitting at four years Opens a New Window.</a> in the U.S. Employees want the security of knowing they'll be supported through any&#160;unfortunate circumstances that may arise, like structural change or voluntary or involuntary departure.</p>
<p>3. Complimentary Weekly Lunch</p>
<p>Buying lunch every day is expensive, and packing lunch at home also comes at a cost. Offering staff a free weekly lunch is a great way to recognize and reward them for their work while generating more money in their pockets, where they need (or want) it most. The social benefits that come with lunch delivery are also vast, as staff tend to congregate and consume this meal in a social environment, where they naturally strengthen their connections in ways that benefit not only themselves, but also the employer.</p>
<p>4. Parental Leave</p>
<p>The U.S. has some of the weakest paid family leave benefits in the world.&#160;As <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/1822943/low-cost-ways-show-employees-theyre-highly-valued" type="external">Fast Company suggests Opens a New Window.</a>, "You can immediately differentiate your company by making sure all employees are eligible for paid time off after the birth or adoption of a child."</p>
<p>5. Tech Neutrality</p>
<p>Offering staff the choice of a PC or Mac comes at no additional cost to your business, but it can make a world of difference to the individuals working for you. Similarly, consider offering the choice of an iPhone, Samsung, or other device for those eligible for company cellphones. Making it easier for people to complete their work means greater collective productivity for your organization.</p>
<p>6. Switching Seats</p>
<p>Traditionally, staff in most organizations are&#160;mandated to sit in the same place at the same desk each day. Although humans are creatures of habit, this requirement can become dreary after a while, particularly for employees who do the same job day in and day out and rarely leave the office during work hours.</p>
<p>One way for employers to mix it up and improve this dynamic is to offer <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304441404579123230310600884" type="external">selective seating Opens a New Window.</a>, where employees choose where they sit each day. This creates a flexible environment in which employees are given&#160;choices. Today's employees appreciate having such choices and prefer to work for employers who offer such flexibility.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>The landscape of company perks and benefits is continuously evolving. By recognizing the competitive edge that comes with offering tailored benefits, your company becomes more attractive to a wider variety of candidate and may even become alluring to some who may not have previously considered working for you. Ultimately, this creates happier staff who are willing to stay longer, and the company becomes a magnet for a greater range of talent than ever before.</p>
<p>Joe Flanagan is the senior resume consultant at <a href="https://www.velvetjobs.com/" type="external">Velvet Jobs Opens a New Window.</a>, a resume builder, job search, and outplacement firm.</p> | What Employees Want: 6 Unique Perks You Need to Offer | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/04/13/what-employees-want-6-unique-perks-need-to-offer.html | 2017-04-18 | 0 |
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<p>The employment report for the month of November was very much a mixed bag. &#160;The number of people employed jumped over the course of the month, while at the same an even greater number of individuals fled the workforce altogether. &#160;FOX Business has compiled as series of graphs that take a look at these trends over time.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | Take a Look: Employment Report a Mixed Bag | true | http://foxbusiness.com/politics/2011/12/02/take-look-unemployment-report-mixed-bag.html | 2016-03-07 | 0 |
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<p>With prices rising as much as 21% last August, gold looked like it was bouncing back last year from the slide that it has endured since 2013. Donald Trump's election put an end to that, though -- from the election to the end of December, the price of gold fell nearly 11%.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>In the midst of this volatility, however, shares of AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE: AU), a global leader among gold stocks, climbed more than 40%. Let's dig into the company's performance in 2016, and see what we can expect in 2017.</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Although it hasn't reported its fiscal 2016 earnings yet, management, on the company's most-recent conference call, affirmed its gold production guidance: between 3.60 million and 3.65 million ounces. If the company's gold production falls within this range, it will represent the second consecutive year of declining production. For fiscal years 2015 and 2014, the company reported gold production of 3.95 million ounces and 4.4 million ounces, respectively.</p>
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<p>Unlike its accuracy in forecasting its gold production, the company has been less precise in estimating its all-in sustaining costs (AISC) for fiscal 2016. Whereas AngloGold Ashanti had previously guided for AISC between $900 and $960 per gold ounce for fiscal 2016, the company provided a revised estimate -- between $980 and $1,010 per gold ounce -- in its latest earnings presentation.</p>
<p>Despite the lower gold production and unexpectedly high AISC, the company has reported some bright spots through the first nine months of FY 2016. For one, the company reported free cash flow of $239 million -- a significant improvement over the $19 million outflow that it reported during the same period in 2015. And strengthening its balance sheet, the company reported $1.97 billion in net debt as of the end of Q3 -- approximately a 14% reduction over the $2.29 billion that it had at the end of Q3 2015. Further demonstrating the company's improved financial condition, the company, which reported a net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio of 1.54 at the end of Q3 2015, now has a net debt to adjusted EBITDA ratio of 1.26.</p>
<p>There aren't many significant growth catalysts on the horizon for AngloGold Ashanti in the coming year. But that's not to say that the company doesn't have some things to look forward to.</p>
<p>This past December, management reported that the Tropicana mine -- located in Western Australia -- which had been expected to report a decline in gold production is now expected to reverse course. Management is now forecasting the mine to increase its average annual gold production to a rate between 450,000 and 490,000 gold ounces beginning in the second half of 2017. Depending on the results of the Long Island Study, production may increase even further.</p>
<p>Further demonstrating the company's pursuit of organic growth, AngloGold Ashanti is expecting to complete a pre-feasibility study by the end of 2017 at its Gramalote project in Columbia. Currently, the location has an attributable resource of 3.475 million ounces. Successful completion of the pre-feasibility study would result in a resource-to-reserve conversion. A pre-feasibility study is also expected to be completed at La Colosa -- another project in Columbia -- by the end of 2017. Like Gramalote, successful completion of the pre-feasibility study would result in a resource-to-reserve conversion. La Colosa has a current resource of 28.5 million gold ounces.</p>
<p>We've looked at what's behind AngloGold Ashanti and what's ahead, so let's turn our attention now to its stock. Extending the 41% rise which it rode through 2016, shares of AngloGold Ashanti are up 24% since the start of the new year.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/AU" type="external">AU</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>But are shares getting ahead of themselves? In terms of its price-to-sales ratio, the stock is trading at about 1.4 times sales on a trailing-twelve-month basis according to Morningstar -- slightly higher than its five-year average of 1.3 times trailing sales.</p>
<p>Considering only one valuation metric seems insufficient, so let's see how the stock is valued from another perspective: price-to-book. Currently, shares are trading at about 2.0 times book value according to Morningstar. Like the stock's valuation in terms of trailing sales, its valuation in terms of book value is slightly richer than its five-year average of 1.8 times book value.</p>
<p>To provide even more context,let's consider it alongside its peers -- companies that also have strong presences in Africa.</p>
<p>Data source: Morningstar. ttm = trailing-twelve-months basis.</p>
<p>Of the companies in this peer group, AngloGold Ashanti is the only one that trades at a higher valuation in terms of both sales and book value compared to its five-year averages. There doesn't appear to be much of a value here; Mr. Market seems to have priced this stock fairly.</p>
<p>Although shares of AngloGold Ashanti had a great run in 2016 and continue to prosper in 2017, there doesn't seem to be a compelling thesis for investment. And though shares may continue to rise in 2017, it seems more likely than not that they will eventually come back down. Granted, the company has succeeded in shoring up its balance sheet and appears to be headed in the right direction in terms of generating free cash flow, but there are plenty of gold-mining stocks to choose from -- stocks much more intriguing than this one.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than AngloGold Ashanti When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=11549688-bcf7-43fc-9be7-f5f847a9a5d9&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 AngloGold Ashanti wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=11549688-bcf7-43fc-9be7-f5f847a9a5d9&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 January 4, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/scott81236/info.aspx" type="external">Scott Levine Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | AngloGold Ashanti Jumped 41% in 2016. Can It Jump Even Higher in 2017? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/02/07/anglogold-ashanti-jumped-41-in-2016-can-it-jump-even-higher-in-2017.html | 2017-02-07 | 0 |
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<p>In what appears to be a domestic disturbance turned fatal, a 19 year old Monroe, Ohio man shot and killed his father.</p>
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<p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash" type="external">#UPDATE</a>: Son shoots, kills father in domestic row, Monroe police say <a href="https://t.co/mzXzJKQgx8" type="external">https://t.co/mzXzJKQgx8</a> <a href="https://t.co/VjxUganFso" type="external">pic.twitter.com/VjxUganFso</a></p>
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<p>Monroe police say they received an emergency 911 call to the residence located at 50 Teil Tree Court, for a possible domestic disturbance about 12:19 AM.</p>
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<p>Monroe Police Public Information Officer Joshua King, said in a prepared statement that 46 year old Christopher Bailey was shot and killed by his 19 year old son Colin Bailey from a single fatal gunshot wound.</p>
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<p>The official narrative incident report from police say that they were dispatched to the residence "for an intoxicated male threatening suicide. Upon arrival it was discovered a domestic situation occurred between father and son."</p>
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<p>The report also indicated that a urine sample was taken from the 19 year old Colin Bailey, and that a .45 caliber shell casing as well as an LG Android phone was also taken by homicide detectives as evidence.</p>
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<p>Officers said that when they found Christopher Bailey, who had been shot, he was immediately transported to Atrium Medical Center in Middletown where he was pronounced dead at 1:09 AM, according to the Warren County Coroner's Office.</p>
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<p>According to police Colin Bailey has not yet been arrested and was released into his own custody at this time pending further investigation, King said.</p>
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<p>"When all pertinent information is gathered the completed case file will be reviewed by the Butler County Prosecutor's Office to decide if any charges are applicable," he said in the statement.</p>
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<p>King also said that the Monroe Police Department will not be publicly releasing any additional details about the shooting or the suspect until the prosecutor's office has had a chance to review the case and made their determinations on what, if any, charges may be applicable for this crime.</p>
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<p>Monroe Police Detectives are urging anyone with more information about the history of the deceased or his son to contact them at <a href="tel:15135399234" type="external">1-513-539-9234</a> and ask for homicide.</p>
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<p>Source:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.journal-news.com/news/police-son-shoots-kills-father-monroe-domestic-disturbance/9MgriLpUgmy3hpzqOS7cUI/" type="external">journal-news.com/news/police-son-shoots-kills-father-monroe-domestic-disturbance/9MgriLpUgmy3hpzqOS7cUI</a></p> | Police in Monroe, Ohio Say Son Shot and Killed His Father | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/6270-Police-in-Monroe-Ohio-Say-Son-Shot-and-Killed-His-Father | 2017-08-09 | 0 |
<p>On Monday, Donald Trump had the temerity to drop a vulgar reference with regard to delicate snowflake Hillary Clinton. Trump said that in 2008, Barack Obama “schlonged” Hillary Clinton.</p>
<p>Schlong, for those unaware of Yiddish, means penis. So she got screwed, or dicked, or f***ed, or whatever English equivalent you choose.</p>
<p>Clinton, whose fersthinkiner husband had the world’s most famous putz and whose second-in-command’s husband had the world’s second most famous schvantz, was apparently greatly offended by the reference to a schmeckl; her press secretary got all verklempt about it, kvetching, “We are not responding to Trump but everyone who understands the humiliation this degrading language inflicts on all women should.”</p>
<p>What drek.</p>
<p>Everybody should stop hoking Trump a chainik. Hillary Clinton is the world’s least likely victim here. Her husband shtups everything in sight, and she makes excuses for it – she grew like an onion with her head in the ground. She’s a schnorrer, begging for crumbs of sympathy based on the fact that her husband is a mamzer. Meanwhile, she campaigns with a lady who sexually abused her own sister – shanda! – and laughed at defending a child molester.</p>
<p>But in this oingepatcht media world, we’ll pay attention to Trump’s gornisht comments rather than to the fact that Hillary lied about ISIS using Trump in its recruitment videos.</p>
<p>What schmendricks.</p> | Donald Trump Says Hillary Got 'Schlonged.' Putzes in Media Get Verklempt. | true | https://dailywire.com/news/2072/donald-trump-says-hillary-got-schlonged-putzes-ben-shapiro | 2015-12-22 | 0 |
<p><a href="" type="internal">Humana</a> (NYSE:HUM) revealed on Monday a stronger-than-expected increase in second-quarter profit as demand from senior citizens for its <a href="" type="internal">Medicare</a> plans continued to widen, leading the company to raise its fiscal view.</p>
<p>Reflecting the strong performance, Humana raised its fiscal earnings guidance to a range of $7.50 to $7.60 a share from its earlier view of $6.70 to $6.90 a share. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters are predicting a profit of $7.07.</p>
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<p>The Louisville, Ky.-based health insurer posted net income of $726.5 million, or $2.71 a share, compared with $535.9 million, or $2 a share, in the same quarter last year.</p>
<p>Excluding one-time items, the company earned $2.50 a share, widely beating the Streets view of $2.06. Revenue for the three months ended June 30 was $9.28 billion, up 8% from $8.59 billion a year ago, just missing analyst estimates of $9.35 billion.</p>
<p>In a statement, Humana CEO <a href="" type="internal">Michael McCallister</a> attributed the results to the companys commitment to operational excellence across all of its lines of business, progress with its 15% Solution initiative and fewer customers visiting doctors.</p>
<p>We believe the reinvestment spending we intend to make in the back half of 2011 will further position us for success in 2012 and beyond, he said.</p>
<p>For the current quarter, Humana predicts earnings between $1.95 and $2.05 a share. The Street is expecting a profit of $1.96 a share.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | Humana 2Q Widely Tops Street Amid Medicare Growth | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/08/01/humana-2q-widely-tops-street-amid-medicare-growth.html | 2016-01-28 | 0 |
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's White House is relying on a sweeping interpretation of executive privilege that is rankling members of Congress on both sides of the aisle as current and former advisers parade to Capitol Hill for questioning about possible connections with Russia.</p>
<p>The White House's contention: Pretty much everything is off limits until the president says it's not.</p>
<p>The argument was laid bare this week during former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon's interview with the House Intelligence Committee. As lawmakers in the closed-door session probed Bannon's time working for Trump, his attorney got on the phone with the White House counsel's office, relaying questions and asking what Bannon could tell Congress, according to a White House official and a second person familiar with the interview.</p>
<p>The answer was a broad one. Bannon couldn't discuss anything to do with his work on the presidential transition or later in the White House itself.</p>
<p>The development brought to the forefront questions about White House efforts to control what current and former aides may or may not tell Congress about their time in Trump's inner circle, and whether Republicans who hold majorities on Capitol Hill will force the issue. It was also the broadest example yet of the White House using executive privilege to limit a witness' testimony without making a formal invocation of that presidential power.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, White House officials said that the phone calls with the counsel's office were standard procedure followed by past administrations in dealings with Congress. They argued that Bannon, like every current and former member of the administration, starts under the assumption that he is covered by executive privilege and can only answer certain questions unless Trump explicitly says otherwise.</p>
<p>But members of Congress, including Republicans, criticized the move. The House panel's top Democrat called it effectively a "gag order." The committee's Republican chairman, Devin Nunes of California, served a subpoena on Bannon in an attempt to compel him to answer.</p>
<p>Lawmakers will be closely watching another interview later this week to see how the White House responds. Trump's longtime spokeswoman Hope Hicks is to appear Friday for a closed-door interview with committee, according to a person familiar with the panel's work. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the person wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the matter.</p>
<p>The criticisms echoed those from last summer when Attorney General Jeff Sessions baffled some lawmakers by refusing to answer questions about his conversations with the president, while also maintaining he was not citing executive privilege. Following Sessions' testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said, "As someone who served in the Justice Department, I would love to know what he is talking about."</p>
<p>Michael Dorf, a constitutional law professor at Cornell University, said that while traditionally Congress has required a formal assertion of executive privilege in order for a witness to refuse to answer a question, more recently "we've seen people just not answer questions without asserting privilege."</p>
<p>"It's kind of a game of separation-of-powers chicken that's going on there," he said. "Because nobody knows the full scope of executive privilege — other than that it's not absolute from the Nixon case — no one really wants to push it."</p>
<p>Dorf referred to the court case surrounding the Supreme Court's rejection in 1974 of President Richard Nixon's assertion that he could use executive privilege to prevent the release of tape recordings involving him and other aides. Dorf said it does seem unusual for a witness' lawyer to consult in real time with the White House about which questions can be answered, it is a "bit more respectful" than a pre-emptive blanket refusal to answer questions.</p>
<p>Bannon's attorney, Bill Burck, spoke with Uttam Dhillon, deputy White House counsel. Burck is also representing top White House lawyer Don McGahn in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.</p>
<p>The White House official and a second person familiar with Bannon's interview who confirmed the conversations spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.</p>
<p>At the White House, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the questions were relayed over the phone and said it was a typical process.</p>
<p>"Sometimes they actually have a White House attorney present in the room," she said. "This time it was something that was relayed via phone and again was following standard procedure for an instance like this and something that will likely happen again on any other number of occasions, not just within this administration but future administrations."</p>
<p>On Wednesday, the AP also confirmed that Bannon will meet with Mueller's investigators for an interview instead of appearing before a grand jury. A person familiar with that issue confirmed the interview. That person was not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations.</p>
<p>Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsel's office, declined comment.</p>
<p>White House lawyers to date have prided themselves on their cooperation with Mueller, making documents and witnesses available upon request without asserting privileges that could slow the investigation in a protracted legal fight. The goal of the cooperation, from the White House perspective, has been to help the investigation conclude as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>That posture has not been uniformly extended to Congress, though. And Wednesday, there were new signs other Trump associates would be less than totally forthcoming.</p>
<p>Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who never served in the Trump administration, had adopted the administration's posture in his interview with the committee. After saying he would answer all of the committee's questions, Lewandowski on Wednesday refused to answer any about things that happened after his time on the campaign, saying he wasn't prepared, Schiff said.</p>
<p>"We as an investigative committee cannot allow that to become routine," Schiff said.</p>
<p>There were signs, though, that not all administration officials were expected to do the same.</p>
<p>Schiff said that in an interview with another administration official, "there was no claim of privilege, no claim that these periods of time were off limits. And no effort to hide behind a later potential invocation of privilege by the executive," Schiff said.</p>
<p>He didn't refer to the official by name, but it was White House deputy chief of staff, Rick Dearborn.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writers Jonathan Lemire in New York, Eric Tucker and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's White House is relying on a sweeping interpretation of executive privilege that is rankling members of Congress on both sides of the aisle as current and former advisers parade to Capitol Hill for questioning about possible connections with Russia.</p>
<p>The White House's contention: Pretty much everything is off limits until the president says it's not.</p>
<p>The argument was laid bare this week during former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon's interview with the House Intelligence Committee. As lawmakers in the closed-door session probed Bannon's time working for Trump, his attorney got on the phone with the White House counsel's office, relaying questions and asking what Bannon could tell Congress, according to a White House official and a second person familiar with the interview.</p>
<p>The answer was a broad one. Bannon couldn't discuss anything to do with his work on the presidential transition or later in the White House itself.</p>
<p>The development brought to the forefront questions about White House efforts to control what current and former aides may or may not tell Congress about their time in Trump's inner circle, and whether Republicans who hold majorities on Capitol Hill will force the issue. It was also the broadest example yet of the White House using executive privilege to limit a witness' testimony without making a formal invocation of that presidential power.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, White House officials said that the phone calls with the counsel's office were standard procedure followed by past administrations in dealings with Congress. They argued that Bannon, like every current and former member of the administration, starts under the assumption that he is covered by executive privilege and can only answer certain questions unless Trump explicitly says otherwise.</p>
<p>But members of Congress, including Republicans, criticized the move. The House panel's top Democrat called it effectively a "gag order." The committee's Republican chairman, Devin Nunes of California, served a subpoena on Bannon in an attempt to compel him to answer.</p>
<p>Lawmakers will be closely watching another interview later this week to see how the White House responds. Trump's longtime spokeswoman Hope Hicks is to appear Friday for a closed-door interview with committee, according to a person familiar with the panel's work. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the person wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the matter.</p>
<p>The criticisms echoed those from last summer when Attorney General Jeff Sessions baffled some lawmakers by refusing to answer questions about his conversations with the president, while also maintaining he was not citing executive privilege. Following Sessions' testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said, "As someone who served in the Justice Department, I would love to know what he is talking about."</p>
<p>Michael Dorf, a constitutional law professor at Cornell University, said that while traditionally Congress has required a formal assertion of executive privilege in order for a witness to refuse to answer a question, more recently "we've seen people just not answer questions without asserting privilege."</p>
<p>"It's kind of a game of separation-of-powers chicken that's going on there," he said. "Because nobody knows the full scope of executive privilege — other than that it's not absolute from the Nixon case — no one really wants to push it."</p>
<p>Dorf referred to the court case surrounding the Supreme Court's rejection in 1974 of President Richard Nixon's assertion that he could use executive privilege to prevent the release of tape recordings involving him and other aides. Dorf said it does seem unusual for a witness' lawyer to consult in real time with the White House about which questions can be answered, it is a "bit more respectful" than a pre-emptive blanket refusal to answer questions.</p>
<p>Bannon's attorney, Bill Burck, spoke with Uttam Dhillon, deputy White House counsel. Burck is also representing top White House lawyer Don McGahn in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia.</p>
<p>The White House official and a second person familiar with Bannon's interview who confirmed the conversations spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.</p>
<p>At the White House, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed the questions were relayed over the phone and said it was a typical process.</p>
<p>"Sometimes they actually have a White House attorney present in the room," she said. "This time it was something that was relayed via phone and again was following standard procedure for an instance like this and something that will likely happen again on any other number of occasions, not just within this administration but future administrations."</p>
<p>On Wednesday, the AP also confirmed that Bannon will meet with Mueller's investigators for an interview instead of appearing before a grand jury. A person familiar with that issue confirmed the interview. That person was not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations.</p>
<p>Peter Carr, a spokesman for the special counsel's office, declined comment.</p>
<p>White House lawyers to date have prided themselves on their cooperation with Mueller, making documents and witnesses available upon request without asserting privileges that could slow the investigation in a protracted legal fight. The goal of the cooperation, from the White House perspective, has been to help the investigation conclude as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>That posture has not been uniformly extended to Congress, though. And Wednesday, there were new signs other Trump associates would be less than totally forthcoming.</p>
<p>Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who never served in the Trump administration, had adopted the administration's posture in his interview with the committee. After saying he would answer all of the committee's questions, Lewandowski on Wednesday refused to answer any about things that happened after his time on the campaign, saying he wasn't prepared, Schiff said.</p>
<p>"We as an investigative committee cannot allow that to become routine," Schiff said.</p>
<p>There were signs, though, that not all administration officials were expected to do the same.</p>
<p>Schiff said that in an interview with another administration official, "there was no claim of privilege, no claim that these periods of time were off limits. And no effort to hide behind a later potential invocation of privilege by the executive," Schiff said.</p>
<p>He didn't refer to the official by name, but it was White House deputy chief of staff, Rick Dearborn.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writers Jonathan Lemire in New York, Eric Tucker and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.</p> | WH claiming sweeping 'executive privilege' in Russia probes | false | https://apnews.com/amp/b8bcb053fda9444a9c0f1dc0ea7b87e4 | 2018-01-18 | 2 |
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<p>CEOs of major companies are taking stands about the results of the election — a departure from the traditional model of not mixing politics with business that major brands have long espoused.</p>
<p>Some are using it as an opportunity to bring their employees together following a divisive election campaign. Others are using it as an opportunity to stress their companies’ values and mission, or an opportunity to make nice with Trump, who many CEOs were publicly against during the campaign.</p>
<p>The men and women who head the nation’s biggest companies know that having a hostile relationship with the Trump administration could make doing business difficult. They also know that they operate in liberal bastions like New York and San Francisco just as much as in Trump-leaning places like Fort Wayne, Indiana, or Charleston, West Virginia.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“Neutral is the best policy,” says John Challenger, CEO of workplace consultant Challenger, Gray &amp; Christmas.</p>
<p>T-Mobile’s Legere, who long was vocally opposed to Trump, congratulated the president-elect on Twitter for his victory last week, while holding off on judging the president-elect’s policies. Meanwhile another telecommunications executive, Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure, himself an immigrant and personally opposed to Trump, sent an email to employees saying that “it’s our obligation to accept the will of our fellow Americans and respect the new leader.”</p>
<p>It’s possible that Legere and Claure made nice because the president appoints the chairman and commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission, an agency that holds enormous influence over the telecommunications industry. All five FCC commissioners will see their terms expire during Trump’s first term.</p>
<p>CEOs of automakers, including Ford’s Mark Fields, have also struck a conciliatory tone, partly because Trump has called for the repeal or renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has allowed the automakers to set up shop in Mexico tariff-free.</p>
<p>Many CEOs publicly expressed hope that the tensions dividing the country will diminish, and that American consumers will set aside their fears and get back to what they do best: shop.</p>
<p>“We are hoping that in the postelection we are just going to see people ready to spend,” said Marvin Ellison, CEO of JCPenney.</p>
<p>CEOs and companies that try to bring people together are “going to be the winners,” says Dr. Larry Chiagouris, a marketing professor at Pace University’s Lubin School of Business. “That always works better from a brand perspective,” he says.</p>
<p>Wall Street, which donated heavily to Hillary Clinton, also now faces an administration that could provide both profit and peril.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Trump has said he wants to roll back some of the regulations in the Dodd-Frank law that was passed after the financial crisis, a move that would benefit big Wall Street banks. But the Republican Party’s platform also contains a provision calling for the return of the Glass-Steagall Act, a Great Depression-era law that broke up big banks.</p>
<p>There’s talk of a massive, $1 trillion infrastructure program that could rely on tax credits to private funding sources. Many of those programs will require Wall Street’s army of investment bankers and lawyers to help underwrite and finance.</p>
<p>“The president-elect’s commitment to infrastructure spending, government reform and tax reform — among other things — will be good for growth and, therefore, will be good for our clients and for our firm,” said Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, according to a transcript of a voicemail he sent companywide.</p>
<p>In an email to his employees, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said the election of Trump shows “the frustration that so many people have with the lack of economic opportunity and the challenges they face.”</p>
<p>Trump’s victory drew a range of responses from CEOs in Silicon Valley, where popular sentiment had tilted strongly against Trump because of his statements on immigrants, women, overseas manufacturing and the use of encryption in consumer products like Apple’s iPhones.</p>
<p>In a postelection email to employees, Apple CEO Cook didn’t mention Trump by name but acknowledged that many people had strong feelings about the outcome of the vote. Cook had let it be known during the campaign that he didn’t support Trump, although he generally avoided taking a public stance on the candidates. In his email, Cook said Apple would continue to support diversity.</p>
<p>Cook didn’t mention encryption, which he has previously argued is essential to protect consumers’ privacy. But he added, “While there is discussion today about uncertainties ahead, you can be confident that Apple’s North Star hasn’t changed.”</p>
<p>Microsoft’s chief executive was more conciliatory. In a post on LinkedIn, the social networking site that Microsoft is buying, Satya Nadella wrote: “We congratulate the president-elect, and look forward to working with all those elected yesterday.” But Nadella added that Microsoft is committed to “fostering a diverse and inclusive culture.”</p>
<p>Facebook’s Zuckerberg, who had previously criticized Trump’s call for building a wall on the Mexican border, sounded subdued in a post on his own social network.</p>
<p>“I thought about all the work ahead of us to create the world we want for our children,” he wrote. “This work is bigger than any presidency and progress does not move in a straight line.”</p>
<p>The most combative response came from the CEO at Grubhub, an online food delivery service based in Chicago. Matt Maloney said in an email to employees that he rejects Trump’s “nationalist, anti-immigrant and hateful politics,” adding that anyone who disagrees should immediately resign “because you have no place here.”</p>
<p>Maloney later backtracked in a tweet that said “Grubhub does not tolerate hate and we are proud of all our employees — even those who voted for Trump.”</p>
<p>Other companies have taken the election and its aftermath as a marketing opportunity, most notably airlines. British Airways ran ads on Facebook urging people to visit London, using the tag line “had enough of this house?” under a photo of the White House. Air New Zealand ran ads on Instagram and elsewhere highlighting the results of the election and inviting people to visit New Zealand. Spirit Airlines promoted a 75 percent off sale for flights to Canada.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP Technology Writer Brandon Bailey contributed to this report from San Francisco. AP Business Writer Joseph Pisani contributed from New York.</p> | After election rupture, CEOs seek unity for staff, customers | false | https://abqjournal.com/889370/after-election-rupture-ceos-seek-unity-for-staff-customers.html | 2016-11-15 | 2 |
<p>If I ask myself what makes us human, one answer jumps out at me straight away – it is not the only answer but it is the one suggested by the question. What makes us human is that we ask questions. All the animals have interests, instincts and conceptions. All the animals frame for themselves an idea of the world in which they live. But we alone question our surroundings. We alone refuse to be defined by the world in which we live but instead try to define our nature for ourselves.</p>
<p>The intellectual history of our species is to a great extent defined by this attempt. Are we animals like the others? Do we have souls as well as bodies? Are we related, in the order of things, to angels, to demons and to gods? All science, all art, all religion and all philosophy worth the name begins in a question. And it is because we have questions that human life is so deeply satisfying and so deeply troubling, too.</p>
<p>Not all questions have an answer. In mathematics and science we solve our problems as well as create them. But in art and philosophy things are not so simple. Hamlet’s great soliloquy starts with the line: “To be or not to be: that is the question.” The play revolves around that question. Would it be better not to exist? Is there anything in human life that makes it worthwhile? When, confronted by the extent of human treachery and scheming, we fall into complete contempt towards our species, is there some trick of thought, some perception, some argument or some appeal to higher authority that will restore the will to live?</p>
<p>When I look at the great artists of the past, I am often struck by the extent to which their work has evolved in response to a question. Milton asked himself how the flawed world in which he lived could be the work of a supremely good God and his answer was&#160;Paradise Lost. Bach asked himself how variants and permutations flow from the basic moves in music and his answer was&#160;The Art of Fugue. Rembrandt asked himself how the soul is revealed in the flesh and what the lights and textures of our bodies mean, and his answer was his extraordinary series of self-portraits. In art it is always as though the question is what the work of art is really about.</p>
<p>Milton’s poem implants the question of man’s relation to God in the centre of our consciousness. It does not answer the question but instead creates wonder and awe in response to it. Wonder and awe are the diet of the artist and without them the world would be far less meaningful to us than it is.</p>
<p>The same is true of philosophy. Although there are philosophers who give answers, it is usually their questions and not their answers that have survived. Plato asked how it is that we can think about the property of redness and not just about red things. How can finite human minds gain access to universal realities? Plato’s question is still with us, even though few people today would accept his answer to it. Aristotle asked how it is that there can be time and change in an ordered universe. Is there a prime mover who sets it all in motion? Few would accept Aristotle’s answer to this question: but the question remains. How can there be time, change, process and becoming, in a world that could as easily have been permanently at rest? Kant asked how it is that human beings, who are part of the natural order, can freely decide to do this rather than that, can take responsibility for their decisions and hold each other to account for the consequences of their actions.</p>
<p>Kant was honest in acknowledging that the question lies beyond our capacity to answer it; but until we have asked it, he implied, we have no real understanding of our condition.</p>
<p>In the monasteries, libraries and courts of medieval Europe the big questions were constantly debated. People would be burned at the stake for their questions, and others would cross land and sea to punish people for their answers. In the Renaissance and again at the Enlightenment the big questions were asked and answered, and again death and destruction were the result, as in the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries and the French Revolution. Communism and fascism both began in philosophy, both promised answers to the ultimate questions and both led to mass murder.</p>
<p>Our nature as questioning beings seems to have a huge cost. And maybe we are no longer prepared to pay it. Certainly if we look around ourselves today, we see a mass of ready-made answers and very few attempts to define the questions that would justify them. Should we then give up on the habit of asking questions? I think not. To cease to ask questions would be to cease to be fully human.</p>
<p>Roger Scruton is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.</p> | The Questions That Have No Answers | false | https://eppc.org/publications/the-questions-that-have-no-answers/ | 1 |
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<p>Since assuming office in late February, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/scott-pruitt-spending-epa_us_59cc2a95e4b05063fe0ef9b3" type="external">spent upwards of $900,000</a>&#160;of taxpayer dollars on extraneous expenses, including&#160; <a href="" type="internal">round-the-clock personal security</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/09/27/epas-pruitt-took-charter-military-flights-that-cost-taxpayers-more-than-58000/" type="external">private chartered and military flights</a>, and a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/09/26/epa-spending-almost-25000-to-install-a-secure-phone-booth-for-scott-pruitt/?tid=a_inl&amp;utm_term=.690b862fbfe2" type="external">soundproof booth for his office</a>.</p>
<p>Such spending offers a stark contrast to the rhetoric of the former Oklahoma attorney general, who is a staunch proponent of <a href="http://newsok.com/article/5531630" type="external">small government</a> and fiscal conservatism. Moreover, since coming to the agency, Pruitt has publicly espoused a philosophy of deep austerity for the EPA, arguing that the agency <a href="" type="internal">should work to do more with less</a> by partnering more efficiently with state agencies and private industry. He defended the Trump administration’s proposed 31 percent cut to the agency, <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15062017/scott-pruitt-epa-budget-hearing-congress-opposes-trump-cuts" type="external">telling members of Congress</a> that he feels the EPA can “fulfill the mission of our agency with a trim budget.” And he’s championed cutting programs he deems a waste of taxpayer dollars, like spending less than $15,000 for 37 employees to use a private gym for a year — at an average cost of $34/month per person. Pruitt&#160;ended that program in April of this year, <a href="http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/pruitt-ends-epa-gym-memberships/article/2620217" type="external">saying that</a> “it was quite something to hear about that.”</p>
<p>But it’s not just gym memberships that are on the chopping block in Pruitt’s EPA: The Trump administration’s proposed budget call for deep cuts to programs in everything from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/us/politics/scott-pruitt-epa-justice-department-funding.html?mcubz=0" type="external">environmental enforcement</a> to <a href="https://psmag.com/environment/what-trumps-epa-cuts-mean-for-the-future-of-environmental-justice-funding" type="external">environmental justice,</a>&#160;programs funded by grants and research that often carry a much lower price-tag that Pruitt’s private flights and security.</p>
<p>Pruitt's travel and security detail are also under scrutiny, as EPA faces massive cutbacks across its budget.</p>
<p />
<p>For $900,000, for instance, the EPA could fund <a href="https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/environmental-justice-small-grants-program" type="external">at least 30</a> projects through the Environmental Justice Small Grants program&#160;to help vulnerable communities deal with environmental issues. Past projects include community education programs about air pollution, weatherizing homes for better energy efficiency in low-income communities, and testing drinking wells for contamination in rural areas. It could also easily pay for the&#160; <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-05/documents/fy-2018-congressional-justification.pdf" type="external">$544,000 Superfund portion of the EPA’s Environmental Justice program</a>, which focuses on environmental issues facing low-income and minority communities that live near extremely polluted Superfund sites.</p>
<p>Both of those programs were cut entirely under the Trump budget. The House budget, which is expected to be taken up by the Senate in October, cuts funding to the overall environmental justice program by $1 million, but the specific programmatic cuts have not yet been identified. The House budget restored some funding to the EPA — over Pruitt’s objection — but still cuts the agency by 6.5 percent, a 20 percent decrease since Republicans took control of the House in 2010.</p>
<p>The $900,000 in taxpayer dollars that Pruitt spent on private travel, security, and a soundproof booth for his office could almost have paid for the entire&#160; <a href="http://casenews.fiu.edu/index.php/2017/06/26/trumps-budget-would-hit-florida-environmental-monitoring-programs/" type="external">South Florida Geographic Initiative</a>, which funds water monitoring programs in sensitive South Florida ecosystems like the Everglades and the Florida Keys. Marine scientists worry that the Everglades are especially vulnerable in the wake of Hurricane Irma, which caused <a href="https://gizmodo.com/first-surveys-suggest-the-everglades-took-a-beating-fro-1812387954" type="external">widespread destruction</a> to seagrass beds in the area. That program is entirely cut in both the Trump and House budgets.</p>
<p>Pruitt spent 43 days in a three-month period traveling back home to Oklahoma.</p>
<p />
<p>Pruitt’s expenses could have paid for for several climate and science programs that were completely zeroed out in the Trump administration’s proposed budget, such as the Office of Science and Technology’s $209,000 program to reduce risks from <a href="https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq" type="external">indoor air pollution</a>, or the&#160;$172,000 <a href="https://www.epa.gov/radon" type="external">Radon Program</a>, which helps study the public health impacts of the lung cancer-causing radon gas in homes.</p>
<p>It could almost pay for the&#160;$1,172,000 <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-05/documents/fy-2018-congressional-justification.pdf" type="external">Science Policy and Biotechnology program</a> in Pesticides Licensing that the administration proposed eliminating. That program provides scientific and policy expertise about pesticides and toxic chemicals — the kind of science that helped the EPA identify the widely-used pesticide&#160;chlorpyrifos as capable of causing brain damage in children. (Despite <a href="" type="internal">internal research</a>, Pruitt decided to reject calls to ban the pesticide in March.) His superfluous spending would nearly cover the administration’s proposed $977,000 cut to the Office of Science and Technology’s pesticide program meant to protect human health and ecosystems from the impact of pesticides.</p>
<p>It would pay for the administration’s proposed cuts to the EPA’s Superfund program, which deals with cleaning up some of the nation’s most toxic sites — places like former munitions plants or lead factories, where pollution is so bad that the surrounding air, water, and soil poses a threat to human health. Pruitt has said that cleaning up Superfund sites is a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/07/25/pruitt-says-epa-will-create-top-10-list-for-superfund-cleanup/?utm_term=.4d3ec1e8cfd5" type="external">major priority</a> of his, but the Trump budget proposes a&#160;$406,000 cut to the program’s emergency preparedness program, which helps the agency respond to discharges or releases from Superfund sites caused by natural or environmental disasters. Earlier this month in Houston, flooding from Hurricane Harvey <a href="https://www.apnews.com/27796dd13b9549b0ac76aded58a15122" type="external">inundated at least seven</a> Superfund sites in the area.</p>
<p>Pruitt’s taxpayer-funded spending could have paid for a slew of EPA grants, from a grant meant to help tribal communities adapt to climate change ( <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/rfp-epa-oar-oap-16-05.pdf" type="external">$600,000</a>), to grants meant to help rural and tribal communities along the border access clean drinking water ( <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-02/documents/us_mexico_border-annual_report_2014.pdf" type="external">$870,000</a>). It could pay for grants under the EPA’s&#160;Nonpoint Source Program, which helps state and tribal partners create and implement programs meant to clean up polluted or degraded rivers, creeks, streams, and wetlands (one grant, issued in 2016, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-10/documents/al_cane_black_508.pdf" type="external">gave Alabama</a>&#160;$255,000 to clean up Black Branch and Cane Creek, which had been listed as degraded waterways since 1998).</p>
<p>The White House approved the flights.</p>
<p />
<p>It would pay 30 times over for a <a href="https://yosemite.epa.gov/oarm/igms_egf.nsf/Reports/By+FY+&amp;+Qtr?OpenView" type="external">$30,000 grant</a> awarded to Cleveland State University in 2015 to help fund water pollution research. And it would be enough to fund a <a href="https://yosemite.epa.gov/oarm/igms_egf.nsf/Reports/By+FY+&amp;+Qtr?OpenView" type="external">$125,000 grant</a> awarded to the Alaskan village of&#160;Port Heiden, an indigenous community threatened by climate change-fueled sea level rise and coastal erosion, more than seven times.</p>
<p>Pruitt’s use of taxpayer funds has come under scrutiny before — he’s <a href="" type="internal">already being investigated</a> by the EPA’s Office of Inspector General over whether he misused taxpayer dollars for his frequent trips home to Oklahoma. According to EPA records and travel stubs, Pruitt spent 43 days in a three-month period traveling back to his home state, <a href="" type="internal">running up a tab</a> of $12,000. On Wednesday, three Democratic lawmakers on the Energy and Commerce Committee&#160;the EPA to extend its investigation to Pruitt’s use of taxpayer dollars for private and military flights, calling it “just the latest example of repeated and blatant abuse of taxpayer funds by the Trump administration.”</p> | Here are some EPA programs that Scott Pruitt’s $900,000 taxpayer-funded expenses could pay for | true | https://thinkprogress.org/pruitt-spending-epa-programs-cuts-e3de948c552b/ | 2017-09-29 | 4 |
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<p />
<p>Vigil, who hopes to have Raphaelson, the court staff and all of the records from Tierra Amarilla in Santa Fe by July 1, said the move still has to be approved by the state Supreme Court.</p>
<p>An existing high court rule states Raphaelson’s court division must have its office in the Rio Arriba County seat.</p>
<p>After decades of little use, the historic Tierra Amarilla courthouse – which dates from 1917 and is known as the site of an armed takeover by land-grant activists in 1967 – was assigned a full-time judge in 2002.</p>
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<p>The courthouse isn’t being closed, according to Vigil. Trials will still be held and judges would handle cases there on a rotating basis. She said hearings preceding trials, at a judge’s discretion or by request of a litigant, also could be handled either in Santa Fe, Tierra Amarilla or by a video link between the two locations.</p>
<p>“I anticipate (the courthouse) will be used significantly,” Vigil said. “Whether it’s used every day remains to be seen.”</p>
<p>Vigil announced the move in an email to court personnel earlier this week.</p>
<p>“After a great deal of consideration, I hereby announce that as of July 1, 2012, the principal office of Division V (Raphaelson’s court), as well as the Clerk’s Office staff who are currently physically situated at the Rio Arriba County Courthouse will be moved to Santa Fe,” her message said.</p>
<p>Raphaelson did not return a call seeking comment.</p>
<p>The plan recalls a period of about two months in 2010 when Raphaelson’s proceedings were moved to the Santa Fe courthouse because of safety concerns, which Vigil also cites for permanently moving the court south.</p>
<p>The safety issues include the level of staffing by Rio Arriba County Sheriff’s deputies protecting the Tierra Amarilla courthouse and a list of building security improvements that former chief Judge Stephen Pfeffer previously submitted to Rio Arriba County.</p>
<p>Vigil said one benefit of her plan would be to allow the Rio Arriba sheriff’s office to concentrate its efforts on days judges use the courthouse.</p>
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<p>She also said security improvements that Pfeffer previously outlined have not been committed to by Rio Arriba County.</p>
<p>Jake Arnold, spokesman for county Sheriff Tommy Rodella, said that while there are issues with the design of the old courthouse, the sheriff’s office has provided adequate security at the building without any problems.</p>
<p>“If this change goes into effect, it will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for the sheriff’s office and the detention center to handle prisoner transport to Santa Fe,” Arnold said.</p>
<p>“It creates all kinds of security issues to be transporting that many prisoners en masse,” Arnold added.</p>
<p>Rio Arriba County manager Tomas Campos said the county had in fact provided several of the upgrades Pfeffer wanted, such as an armored plate behind the judge’s bench. He said he addressed other safety concerns in a meeting with Vigil and a court administrator in March.</p>
<p>Campos said they talked about flipping the orientation of the courtroom so Raphaelson wouldn’t have to walk past the public on her way from her office to the bench. The plan also calls for a fire escape from the second story.</p>
<p>Campos said the county is considering spending about $2 million to build a new office building beside its current offices across the street from the courthouse. A couple of offices now in the courthouse, such as the clerk and treasurer, would move to the new building, freeing up space for a district attorney’s office, hearing rooms, and a sheriff’s office in the courthouse.</p>
<p>‘Kicked’ by judge’s plan</p>
<p>Vigil’s announcement came as a surprise, Campos said. “It felt like she kicked my feet out from under me,” he said</p>
<p>He said many businesses in the Tierra Amarilla area rely on the people the courthouse brings in. He said it felt as though the judicial district was looking for excuses to leave the northern courthouse.</p>
<p>Raphaelson’s temporary move to Santa Fe in 2010 came after an incident in which a family member of an alleged crime victim charged at a defendant who had just been acquitted. A lawyer and a bailiff restrained the person. Raphaelson tried to contact law enforcement with a panic button, but the button sent a signal to Española emergency dispatch, more than an hour away.</p>
<p>Raphaelson’s temporary move to Santa Fe caused headaches for people like Rio Arriba County jail administrator Larry DeYapp, who had to transport prisoners more than 100 miles from the Tierra Amarilla jail – located across the street from the courthouse – to a docket call in Santa Fe.</p>
<p>On the day of the transport, the holding cells in Santa Fe were at capacity and transport vehicles holding prisoners drove around the courthouse, looking for a place to park.</p>
<p>Vigil said she would work with law enforcement to coordinate transportation of prisoners and work on a video feed linking the Santa Fe courthouse – now on Catron Street, but set to move to a new courthouse at Montezuma and Sandoval next year – with Tierra Amarilla.</p>
<p>DeYapp said that if the new plan means transporting lots of prisoners from his jail to Santa Fe, “It’s just a nightmare all around.”</p>
<p>He cited overtime and fuel costs and said the long transports would be a security risk. When court is held in Tierra Amarilla, jail staff take about seven prisoners across the street at a time. When court was held in Santa Fe, his staff was hauling as many as 35 inmates together.</p>
<p>“You figure any time you take an incarcerated person and put them anywhere other than the place they are incarcerated, you risk escape or any number of things,” he said.</p>
<p>He also questioned the idea of using a video feed for hearings for Tierra Amarilla prisoners. He said his jail now has a room for video hearings that only holds one person at a time.</p>
<p>SF sheriff concerned</p>
<p>Santa Fe County Sheriff Robert Garcia said he sent Vigil an email asking for a meeting so he can address his concerns with the proposal. He’s worried about his ability to provide security in Santa Fe if more prisoners from Rio Arriba are coming through. Garcia wanted to know if Rio Arriba’s Sheriff Rodella would help provide security in Santa Fe.</p>
<p>“It places a burden on the resources I have,” he said.</p>
<p>Vigil’s email announcing the change also said, “This measure will provide the opportunity to distribute case assignments more equitably, make use of personnel where they are needed, promote courteous service and create an atmosphere of unity and shared responsibility among all staff.”</p>
<p />
<p>Journal North/Santa Fe editor Mark Oswald contributed to this report.</p> | Rio Arriba Judge Moving? | false | https://abqjournal.com/109073/rio-arriba-judge-moving.html | 2012-05-26 | 2 |
<p>ANALYSIS/OPINION:</p>
<p>There is the old adage that if you want a friend in Washington, get a dog. This has always been because the swamp contains the nastiest reptilian creatures that will just as soon strike you in the back as look at you.</p>
<p>Glowing eyes and fangs and venom and jaws and stings — they come from all directions here in the swamp, where survival of the smarmiest reigns.</p>
<p>But there is another reason you should get a dog if you want an ally here. Dogs are so much smarter than any of the pea-brained creatures hanging from trees, lurking in corners and slithering around the hallways of Washington. For all the time these vermin spend scheming and conniving to trick, trap and kill each other, they really are remarkably stupid.</p>
<p>Take Republicans, for example. Here in the swamp, they are the “good” guys. Sure, they are often dishonest. But, mostly, they are just dumb and incompetent.</p>
<p>For seven years they promised to rescue innocent Americans from the disastrous Obamacare that made health care staggeringly expensive or simply unattainable for working people. Despite all the lies, patients lost their doctors, very little is affordable, and the best health care system the world has ever known is headed for ruinous collapse.</p>
<p>In revolt, voters gave Republicans every authority in elective government to correct this mess.</p>
<p>They flinched. Actually, Republicans didn’t so much flinch as they face-planted. Then got up and ran away like screaming children chased by a menacing clown trailed by a red balloon.</p>
<p>Luckily for hard-working Americans, the “Republican” in the White House isn’t your regular swamp-slithering Republican. He is as disgusted with all the creatures in Congress — on both sides of the aisle — as is the average American.</p>
<p>So last week he took a sledgehammer to some of the worst parts of Obamacare.</p>
<p>Republicans in Congress, meanwhile, cringe over any such action whose political consequences have not been thoroughly considered. Democrats accuse President Trump of sabotaging Obamacare by allowing it to face the slightest degree of competition.</p>
<p>All of this comes as Mr. Trump also presses for the most sweeping tax reforms in three decades. You can already hear the cries from lying Democrats about giveaways to corporations and the rich. Republicans watch nervously as they calculate how to achieve “tax reform” by doing the least possible to upset the disastrously rigged current tax system.</p>
<p>As always, Mr. Trump is wise to ignore all the political hand-wringing of his “fellow” Republicans. In fact, if he were to do anything to adjust course, he should go even bigger and bolder.</p>
<p>Instead of curtailing how much he takes a wrecking ball to the tax code, Mr. Trump should go nuclear.</p>
<p>Abolish the income tax! Fire every last goon at the IRS! Entirely eliminate the corporate tax!</p>
<p>Start from scratch with a system that encourages savings instead of rewarding debt.</p>
<p>Instead of paying people not to work, celebrate industry and achievement. The single most disgusting thing about the federal government is its contempt for work and the people who do it.</p>
<p>End the War on Work!</p>
<p>Sadly, if Mr. Trump wants any help in this, he’ll have to get himself a dog.</p>
<p>• Charles Hurt can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter via @charleshurt.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2018 The Washington Times, LLC. <a href="http://license.icopyright.net/3.7280?icx_id=/news/2017/oct/15/donald-trump-takes-wrecking-ball-to-the-stinking-s/" type="external">Click here for reprint permission</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Trump takes wrecking ball to the swamp that is D.C. | true | http://washingtontimes.com/news/2017/oct/15/donald-trump-takes-wrecking-ball-to-the-stinking-s/ | 2017-10-15 | 0 |
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<p>Now that Thanksgiving and Black Friday are behind us the office holiday party season is officially underway! This means festive gatherings, decorated cubes, and plenty of workplace cheer. However, that cheer can sometimes get the better of us.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Here is my annual list of 12 of those common office mishaps we’ve all either witnessed or been involved with during our holiday festivities!</p>
<p>The Winter Wonder Cube – I’m all for showing your festive side, but there is a point when that non-stop electronic Santa’s ho-ho-hoing gets a little unnerving! If you want to keep the peace in cube land be respectful of your peers and keep your personal holiday wonderland in check. Cheer is great, but it’s all about moderation.</p>
<p>Spiking The Egg Nog – I’ll admit it, I’ve been known to lace my holiday punch with a little rum, but I do give all partakers fair warning. It’s good to make sure everyone knows what they are getting themselves into. When it comes to those party punches, you may want to remember to tip off the intern! Slogging the nog will definitely get them some attention from the boss, just not the kind they need.</p>
<p>Sharing Your Calories – When the holiday season rolls in, so too does the calorie train. Inevitably, there is always that one person who leaves their gifted holiday treats on the break room counter for everyone to partake in. Is this really an act of altruism or is it a plot to pass unwanted calories of guilt on to the rest of us?</p>
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<p>Getting a Little Too Gourmet – Fine foods are always fun, but sometimes they can get a little over the top. Serving gourmet imported reindeer meat to your vegan boss at your holiday party is probably not the best way to climb the corporate ladder. If you want to get creative, be sure to know your audience first!</p>
<p>Proselytizing Your Cheer – Christmas has become so commercialized that we sometimes forget what it’s really about. I believe in spreading cheer and lifting people’s spirits, but don’t get too heavy handed. It’s always good to be mindful of the other holidays and beliefs that coincide with the season.</p>
<p>Appointing Yourself as Parson Brown – If I have to explain who Parson Brown is you clearly have never listened to holiday music (look up the song Winter Wonder Land – I like the Annie Lennox version). It’s natural to assume that your coworker’s opposite sex guest at the holiday party is their significant other or spouse, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes single people will bring a “friend” as their “date,” so don’t assume the role of “Parson Brown” and pronounce them married on the spot!</p>
<p>Dropping the Deadline Ball – There is nothing worse than making people work over the holidays! What’s worse are those disorganized coworkers who can’t seem to get their act together in time to make sure you don’t get stuck working Christmas morning. Don’t be that person. Plan ahead!</p>
<p>Keeping Your Holiday Circle Too Small – Remember in high school when you were the last one to hear about the big weekend party. OK, maybe that was just me. Anyway, the spirit of Christmas is about being a uniter, not a divider. When planning your office party, remember all those folks whose work supports what you do and strive to do what you can to include them in your cheer. The holidays are about inclusion, so boo to you if you forgot all those people who make your life easier.</p>
<p>Turning Secret Santa into Freaky Santa – Getting that Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer themed underwear as a secret Santa gift is just a little too freaky for the office party. Talk about awkward. Keep in mind that not everybody necessarily shares your brand of humor, so try to keep it clean.</p>
<p>Hard-selling Your Charity – We all have our causes and yes the season is about giving. However, when charity turns to hard selling, people tend not to feel so good about their gifts. So, don’t push your kid’s cheesy charity gift wrap on your pushover coworkers who are afraid to say no.</p>
<p>Being too Sexy for Your Santa – Maybe the one-hit-wonder Right Said Fred was too sexy for his shirt, but I doubt you are too sexy for your adult themed Santa suit! Save that funky getup for those “other” after work parties.</p>
<p>Being the Office Grinch – Mean people are annoying as it is, but a bad attitude during the holidays is particularly annoying! We all have lapses where we take ourselves way too seriously, so just keep in mind that it is the holidays… and yes, it’s a time for cheer! Bottom-line, get over yourself, even if it’s just for a few weeks!</p>
<p>Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!</p> | The 12 Office Mishaps of Christmas | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/12/12/12-office-mishaps-christmas.html | 2016-03-04 | 0 |
<p>Courtesy of Warner Bros.</p>
<p><a href="http://variety.com/t/sylvester-stallone/" type="external">Sylvester Stallone</a> has indicated that “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/creed-2/" type="external">Creed 2</a>” will be shooting next year as a sequel to the 2015 boxing drama starring Stallone and Michael B. Jordan.</p>
<p>On Friday, Stallone posted a still of “Creed,” featuring himself and Jordan training, on his Instagram account with the caption “Getting stronger !!! 2018″ and the hashtags #Creed 2 # <a href="http://variety.com/t/mgm/" type="external">mgm</a> #fitness #Rocky.</p>
<p>MGM told Variety in response that the project remains in development. “We are continuing to work on developing the sequel to ‘Creed,’” a spokeswoman said.</p>
<p>“Creed” was directed by Ryan Coogler from a script he co-wrote with Aaron Covington as a spinoff and sequel to the Rocky film series. Jordan played Adonis Creed, the son of Apollo Creed, with Stallone reprising the role of Rocky Balboa.</p>
<p>“Creed” turned in a solid box office performance with $173 million worldwide. Stallone was nominated for the Academy Award for best supporting actor and won the Golden Globe Award in the same category. He received Oscar nominations for acting and screenplay for the original “Rocky” in 1976.</p>
<p>In July, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BW05QV2jM8R/" type="external">Stallone said in an Instagram</a> post that he had finished the 120-page screenplay for the sequel from 439 pages with a photo of his handwritten draft. He also said that Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago character from “Rocky IV” would return. In that film, Drago killed Apollo Creed.</p> | ‘Creed’ Sequel to Shoot Next Year, Says Sylvester Stallone | false | https://newsline.com/creed-sequel-to-shoot-next-year-says-sylvester-stallone/ | 2017-09-01 | 1 |
<p>As investors, you're told not get emotional about your stocks, but truth be told, we all have our favorites. In a pinch to raise capital in order to buy new stocks or just settle up with real-world expenditures, there are probably some stocks that you are just not interested in cutting loose.</p>
<p>I get it. I'm just like you. There are some stocks that I feel will be a part of my life for a long time. I've owned shares in one company for 32 years. Am I really going to let that one go? There are others that I have held for far less than that but they just feel right. Let's go over the three stocks that I am never going to sell off completely. Although there may be times that I'll sell some of my shares in the spirit of portfolio diversification, these are three stocks that I can't fathom not owning at least a piece of in the future.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Disney (NYSE: DIS)</p>
<p>It's been 32 years since my girlfriend gifted me a single share of the media giant. I eventually married the girlfriend -- and the stock, I guess. For most of the past three decades, I didn't add to that position, and even shared the wealth by transferring freshly minted shares after a stock split to my sisters. However, a few years ago, I began to appreciate what Disney was doing in snapping up franchise makers Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. I took a more sizable position in the first stock I ever owned.</p>
<p>Disney may not be at its best right now. Its media networks division has been struggling as cord-cutters kiss their fat cable bills goodbye. Even the once mighty ESPN is now seen by the market as a pressure point with revenue failing to keep up with the costs of escalating live sports programming contracts. However, there's no denying that Disney's portfolio of theatrical franchises is as strong as its ever been. Disney's theme parks division is the one segment that's been <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/02/07/theme-parks-keep-bailing-disney-out.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=42ce71a9-a90e-45b6-974c-fba5c42b6713&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">consistently growing Opens a New Window.</a> through the lull.</p>
<p>This is a well-oiled machine that can quickly turn around a hot movie or television property into consumer products, theme park attractions, and related content on other networks. Whether Disney's home-grown streaming service falls short in the coming months or it puts out a movie that bombs, the pipeline here always seems to be gushing with new opportunities for the House of Mouse to milk through its ecosystem.</p>
<p>Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX)</p>
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<p>I don't need to think hard when you ask me about my most successful investment. I bought Netflix in late 2002 when it was a broken IPO. I regrettably sold 80% of my position shortly after that when the shares started to bounce back. I would go on to sell half of my remaining shares a few years later, also at a much lower price point than where Netflix is now.</p>
<p>The stock is now roughly a 700-bagger for me -- that is not a typo -- and the 90% of the shares that I sold too soon that I called an <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/10/25/my-802179-netflix-mistake.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=42ce71a9-a90e-45b6-974c-fba5c42b6713&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">$802,179 mistake in late 2016 Opens a New Window.</a> is now a nearly $1.8 million mistake. The stock appreciated to the point where I sold half of my stake again a few weeks ago. I don't regret that sale -- yet -- and the 5% of my original position remains my largest portfolio position by far.</p>
<p>Netflix has climbed the proverbial wall of worry. In an era when content is king, Netflix has proven that <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/03/27/netflix-scalability-pays-in-more-ways-than-one.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=42ce71a9-a90e-45b6-974c-fba5c42b6713&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">distribution and scalability Opens a New Window.</a> can be superior. Netflix began 2018 with 117.6 million subscribers worldwide, and it's only growing its lead over other premium platforms with every passing quarter.</p>
<p>Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL)</p>
<p>I wasn't always surrounded by Apple products. However, as I peck this story out on a MacBook, check my iPhone for notifications, stream videos on my iPad, and wonder why I don't wear my Apple Watch as often I should, it's clear that I've become a reluctant fanboy. I had my Android phase. It passed. I still have a Windows-fueled desktop, but it's gradually becoming Plan B for my computing needs.</p>
<p>I've written about Apple for more than two decades, but it wasn't until two years ago that I finally put a ring on it -- and bought the stock. It's fared well, nearly doubling in that time.</p>
<p>We live in a world of cheap laptops, smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches. Apple is the one company that can command a healthy premium. There is naturally a lot riding on Apple's iconic smartwatch. The halo effect can only shine so far. However, Apple is not going to be a one-trick pony -- or a one-trick stallion, to be fair -- forever. Innovation is in its DNA, and it will revolutionize another industry sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than AppleWhen 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-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=5381f64b-d7fc-4d0f-9e6b-110b0b18fde3&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=42ce71a9-a90e-45b6-974c-fba5c42b6713&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks Opens a New Window.</a> for investors to buy right now... and Apple 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-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=5381f64b-d7fc-4d0f-9e6b-110b0b18fde3&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=42ce71a9-a90e-45b6-974c-fba5c42b6713&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 March 5, 2018</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFBreakerRick/info.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=42ce71a9-a90e-45b6-974c-fba5c42b6713&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Rick Munarriz Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Apple, Netflix, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Apple, Netflix, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2020 $150 calls on Apple and short January 2020 $155 calls on Apple. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=42ce71a9-a90e-45b6-974c-fba5c42b6713&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 3 Stocks I'm Never Selling | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/09/18/3-stocks-im-never-selling.html | 2018-03-29 | 0 |
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<p>One is that coach Doug Martin agreed to a three-year contract extension in September, before which the Aggies had no commitments.</p>
<p>Another is the obvious selling point that the Aggies haven’t had in 57 years — they’re now practicing for a bowl game (Dec. 29, the Arizona Bowl vs. Utah State in Tucson).</p>
<p>Martin and his staff received letters of intent from nine players on Wednesday, the first day of the new three-day signing window for high school players in December.</p>
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<p>“We really carried the momentum from a great season into Signing Day,” recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach Cory Martin said. “We definitely feel this class can elevate the program that has begun a great story here in Las Cruces.”</p>
<p>The Las Cruces Sun-News had reports the class could be anywhere from 21 to 24 players by February.</p>
<p>Two signees came from the California junior college ranks, including quarterback Matthew Romero of Palomar College in San Marcos. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder product of the San Diego area threw for 2,915 yards and 26 touchdowns in 11 games this past season.</p>
<p>NMSU’s other letter of intent on Wednesday from a two-year player came from safety Lautoa Nomura, who had 62 tackles over 18 games in two seasons at Santa Ana College.</p>
<p>The rest of the nine are high school athletes. Five came from Arizona, including three from one team. Tight end Grant Mileski and linemen Isaiah Mursalat and Justin Segura came from Scottsdale’s Horizon High, which was 7-4 after being winless just two years earlier.</p>
<p>The Aggies’ other prep signees have experienced winning at that level. Desert Edge High in Goodyear, Ariz., went 39-11 in the four years that offensive linemen Max Wilhite and Austin Young were in school, including a state championship in 2015.</p>
<p>Linebacker Devin Richardson of Klein (Texas) High helped his team to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2012-13. And defensive lineman Arnold Saidov of Fossil Ridge High in Keller, Texas, enjoyed his team’s 10-1 campaign during his senior season.</p>
<p>FREE TICKETS: The Sun-News is reporting that an anonymous donor is providing two tickets each for 3,200 Las Cruces Public School employees who would like to attend the Arizona Bowl. At $25 a ticket, the value of the donation could reach $160,000.</p>
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<p>New Aggies</p>
<p>Grant Mileski, TE, 6-5, 225, Scottsdale, Ariz.</p>
<p>Isaiah Mursalat, OL, 6-4, 295, Scottsdale, Ariz.</p>
<p>Devin Richardson, LB, 6-3, 215, Klein, Texas</p>
<p>Arnold Saidov, DL, 6-3, 235, Keller, Texas</p>
<p>Justin Segura, DL, 6-3, 250, Scottsdale, Ariz.</p>
<p>Max Wilhite, OL, 6-4, 300, Goodyear, Ariz.</p>
<p>Austin Young, OL, 6-5, 320, Goodyear, Ariz.</p>
<p>Lautoa Nomura, S, 6-1, 195, Santa Ana College</p>
<p>Matthew Romero, QB, 6-2, 200, Palomar College</p> | NMSU football carries momentum of season into recruiting | false | https://abqjournal.com/1109339/nmsu-football-carries-momentum-of-season-into-recruiting.html | 2 |
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<p>President Donald Trump is becoming increasingly frustrated with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, <a href="https://www.axios.com/scoop-trump-frustration-with-tillerson-rising-fast-2478123564.html" type="external">Axios reported on Monday</a>.</p>
<p>The report comes a day after Tillerson distanced himself from Trump’s remarks following the deadly Charlottesville, Virginia protests, <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/08/27/tillerson-says-trump-speaks-for-himself-on-charlottesville-protests.html" type="external">telling Fox News</a> that the president “speaks for himself” and appearing to question the president’s values.</p>
<p>Trump’s exasperation with Tillerson has reportedly been growing for some time, with one source saying that after the president returned from a meeting on Afghanistan, he said that “Rex just doesn’t get it, he’s totally establishment in his thinking,” according to Axios.</p>
<p>Trump administration officials are reportedly upset that Tillerson still doesn’t have political appointees in the top roles at the State Department and instead has allowed these critical jobs to remain with staffers whose diplomatic stature is diminished because they are not there for the long run.</p>
<p>Critics also say Tillerson has destroyed morale at the State Department, empowering only a very small inner circle.</p>
<p>The tensions between the president and secretary of state also have reportedly increased due to differing approaches on key foreign policy issues.</p>
<p>For example, Tillerson continues recommending to Trump to re-certify Iran’s compliance with the nuclear deal; while the president has made clear he wants to cancel it.</p>
<p>In addition, Trump attacked Qatar for funding terrorism “at a very high level” and supported the Saudi-led blockade, while Tillerson muddied the president’s message, urging Qatar’s neighbors to ease up on the blockade and engage in “calm and thoughtful dialogue.”</p>
<p>Amid the heightened tension between the two, Trump is reportedly having lunch with Tillerson on Monday, along with Vice President Mike Pence, <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2017/08/27/trump-to-have-lunch-with-tillerson-following-sec-states-critical-comment/" type="external">The Daily Caller reported</a>.</p> | Axios: Trump Increasingly Frustrated With Tillerson | false | https://newsline.com/axios-trump-increasingly-frustrated-with-tillerson/ | 2017-08-28 | 1 |
<p>The Clemson University administration knew that the banana incident that triggered protests across the campus was not a racist act, and yet they chose not to inform the public about it.</p>
<p>As The Daily Wire <a href="" type="internal">reported</a> back in May, students throughout the campus were horrified at the fact that there were bananas hanging on a sign that paid homage to blacks that served during the Civil War. The bananas triggered protests across campus, as well as sit-ins, hunger-strikes and a march over a span of nine days. These protests featured a drag show, students being served food and provided with tents and power strips by the administration. Professors would excuse their students from class to join the protests; one professor even held their class at the protests. Five students were arrested, and the administration caved to numerous politically correct demands - such as "doubling minority representation among faculty within a time frame of nine years" and "mandatory diversity training for university employees."</p>
<p>All of this happened because the bananas were perceived as a racist attack on blacks.</p>
<p>But <a href="http://www.fitsnews.com/2016/06/02/clemson-lied-about-banana-bandit/" type="external">emails</a> obtained by a Freedom of Information Act from a group of students show that the administration knew right away that the banana incident was not racist at all. In the emails, Almeda Jacks, vice-president of student affairs, explains that two students admitted to the administration to throwing the bananas onto the sign but made clear it was not with racist intent, via <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/01/clemson-knew-banana-hate-crime-was-probably-bogus-didnt-tell-anybody/" type="external">The Daily Caller</a>: (emphasis bolded)</p>
<p>“Two students came forward and told [sic] they had done bananas,” Jacks said in an email to [Clemson president Jim] Clements. “Not a criminal charge or a student conduct violation BUT Dean of Students has authority to use as a teachable moment.”</p>
<p>“Their claim is they had no idea of pole or banner,” Jacks added. “They were intending to throw in Core Campus [an ongoing campus construction project] due to workers waking them up and decided not to and tried to put in trees and when that failed … Saw pole and tossed them (Nobody will believe that tho our folks think true).”</p>
<p>In other words, despite knowing that the banana incident was not racist at all, the administration didn't think anybody would believe them and thought they could exploit it as a "teachable moment."</p>
<p>The following day, according to political science senior Zachariah Talley, the administrators referred to the bananas as a "biased incident" numerous times and "stirred up anxiety" and "agitated" the Clemson student body into believing the bananas were a symbol of racism.</p>
<p>"Almeda Jacks had to call the arrest of five students because of an incident that she helped create," Talley told The Daily Wire.</p>
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<p>In a <a href="https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/education/2016/06/03/emails-students-claimed-clemson-banana-incident-not-racist/85291820/" type="external">statement</a>, Clemson University tried to excuse it as simply "an update to an ongoing investigation" and that they were "forthcoming with this information to those who inquired."</p>
<p>Talley didn't buy the university's excuse.</p>
<p>"They didn't address any of the things that were at the heart of it, such as why did you not admit that it was a practical joke?" Talley said. "And that's still a response to, you know, inquiries in response to our stuff. They have done nothing to actually address the student body, nothing to address alum and explain to them the situation. They just finally responded with a weasely statement after several people from several newspapers called them and inquired."</p>
<p>Talley thinks that the reason the university kept the fact that the bananas were a practical joke under wraps was because they wanted to agitate the leftists on campus into calling for more leftist policies and assumed that the rest of the student body would capitulate out of fear of being smeared as racists.</p>
<p>"I don't think the administrators thought that it would blow up into a nine-day sit-in protest and five arrests, but I think they wanted the agitation," Talley said.</p> | Clemson University Administration Knew the Banana Triggering Was Not Racist, Yet Didn't Say Anything | true | https://dailywire.com/news/6537/clemson-university-administration-knew-banana-aaron-bandler | 2016-06-15 | 0 |
<p>RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday evening's drawing of the North Carolina Lottery's "Cash 5" game were:</p>
<p>05-12-20-23-25</p>
<p>(five, twelve, twenty, twenty-three, twenty-five)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $249,000</p>
<p>RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Sunday evening's drawing of the North Carolina Lottery's "Cash 5" game were:</p>
<p>05-12-20-23-25</p>
<p>(five, twelve, twenty, twenty-three, twenty-five)</p>
<p>Estimated jackpot: $249,000</p> | Winning numbers drawn in 'Cash 5' game | false | https://apnews.com/amp/f9e86e92bdfe446c8431ae654d8d43c4 | 2018-01-08 | 2 |
<p>The 2008 presidential election may see the highest participation in U.S. history. Voter-registration organizations and local election boards have been overwhelmed by enthusiastic people eager to vote. But not everyone is happy about this blossoming of democracy.</p>
<p>ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, has become a lightning rod for the right wing. ACORN’s Web site notes that “the electorate does not reflect the citizenry of the United States of America. It skews whiter, older, more educated and more affluent than the citizenry as a whole.” Bertha Lewis, ACORN’s lead organizer, told me: “We organize low- and moderate-income people, usually folks who are minorities—African-Americans, Latinos, Asians and working-class white people. And most of these folks have always been disenfranchised out of the electoral process. … We’ve registered 1.3 million new voters across the country over an 18-month period of time. We had over 13,000 hard-working voter-registration workers. And we may have had a few bad apples, but I don’t know any organization that didn’t.”</p>
<p>Barack Obama himself was questioned about ACORN’s problematic registrations. He said: “Having run a voter-registration drive, I know how problems arise. This is typically a situation where ACORN probably paid people to get registrations, and these folks, not wanting to actually register people, because that’s actually hard work, just went into a phone book or made up names and submitted false registrations to get paid. So there’s been fraud perpetrated on probably ACORN, if they paid these individuals and they actually didn’t do registrations. But this isn’t a situation where there’s actually people who are going to try to vote, because these are phony names.”</p>
<p>ACORN has seen some clearly fraudulent registrations submitted, with names like “Mickey Mouse” turned in. ACORN says it reviews all the registration forms. However, it does not serve as the ultimate arbiter of which registrations are fraudulent. In fact, ACORN cannot legally throw away any voter-registration cards. It flags suspicious cards and submits them to the appropriate state election authority to make the judgment.</p>
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<p>Republicans are increasingly alarmed at the shifting demographics of the United States. Minorities tend to vote Democratic, and the United States is slowly becoming a majority minority country—by 2050, whites will no longer represent a majority in the U.S. As right-wing commentator Patrick Buchanan lamented in 2004: “In 1960, when JFK defeated Nixon, America was a nation of 160 million, 90 percent white and 10 percent black, with a few million Hispanics and Asians sprinkled among us. We were one nation, one people. We worshiped the same God, spoke the same English language.” Buchanan’s xenophobia highlights a political reality: Immigration and mobilization of the urban poor are shifting the electorate to the Democrats, especially in key swing states like New Mexico, Colorado, Florida and Ohio.</p>
<p>The federal Help America Vote Act was passed in 2002 in response to the electoral crisis of 2000. But it requires new voters to present identification at the polling place, which critics allege is a modern-day Jim Crow law. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (the son of the assassinated 1968 presidential candidate) said recently: “I have an ID, and most Americans have an ID. But one out of every 10 Americans don’t have a government-issued ID, because they don’t travel abroad, so they don’t have passports, and they don’t drive a car, so they don’t have driver’s licenses. The number rises to one in five when you’re dealing with the African-American community.” The online Michigan Messenger revealed that Michigan Republicans were planning to use a list of people with foreclosed homes to purge voter rolls. And a federal judge in Detroit has just ordered that 1,500 people be restored to the Michigan voter rolls, based on “voter caging”—purging people if mail to them is returned as undeliverable. The scandal around the firing of U.S. attorneys, which ultimately led to the resignation of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, was based largely on the refusal of the Republican prosecutors to pursue unfounded voter-fraud cases.</p>
<p>Citizen groups like Election Protection and Video the Vote are organizing to document and report problems at the polls on Nov. 4. It is more likely that they will see honest people denied the right to vote, purged from the voter rolls, than an attempt by Mickey Mouse to vote Obama.</p>
<p>Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column.</p>
<p>Amy Goodman is the host of “Democracy Now!” a daily international TV/radio news hour airing on more than 700 stations in North America. She has been awarded the 2008 Right Livelihood Award, dubbed the “Alternative Nobel” prize, and will receive the award in the Swedish Parliament in December. © 2008 Amy Goodman</p>
<p>Distributed by King Features Syndicate</p> | Who Gets to Vote? | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/who-gets-to-vote/ | 2008-10-17 | 4 |
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<p>PARSONSFIELD, Maine — Authorities say a Maine man used a front-end loader to repeatedly pick up and drop his son’s mobile home during a family dispute and only stopped when he learned his 7-year-old grandson was inside.</p>
<p>The York County sheriff’s department says 50-year-old John Bubar was involved in a dispute with his 27-year-old son, Michael, on Sunday over rent payments and debris in the yard.</p>
<p>The son and his family live in a mobile home on John Bubar’s property in Parsonsfield.</p>
<p>Authorities say the elder Bubar damaged the mobile home with a front-end loader and backhoe.</p>
<p>Bubar was arrested on a charge of domestic violence reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon. His grandson wasn’t hurt.</p>
<p>It wasn’t immediately known if he has an attorney.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Sheriff: Man uses front-end loader to drop son’s mobile home | false | https://abqjournal.com/907378/sheriff-man-uses-front-end-loader-to-drop-sons-mobile-home-2.html | 2 |
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<p>In Texas, being in construction means you probably are undocumented and you probably are being paid little or nothing at all (seriously).</p>
<p>While construction used to be a career path for the handy wanting a middle class life, nowadays construction companies <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/04/10/176677299/construction-booming-in-texas-but-many-workers-pay-dearly" type="external">cannot stay in business</a> unless they use cheap and illegal workers.</p>
<p>This critical mass of eager, mostly Hispanic workers means it's possible for a family from New York or California to move to Texas and buy a brand new, five-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot home for $160,000.</p>
<p>Guillermo Perez, 41, is undocumented and has been working commercial construction jobs in Austin for 13 years.</p>
<p>"[The employer] said he didn't have the money to pay me and he owed me $1,200," Perez says of one job. "I told him that I'm going to the Texas Workforce Commission, which I did. Then after that, he came back two weeks later and paid me."</p>
<p>The economic collapse of 2008 brought with it an onslaught of wage theft, according to the Austin-based Workers Defense Project. At the end of the week, construction workers sometimes walk away with $4 or $5 an hour, sometimes less, sometimes nothing.</p>
<p>This borderline slave labor cannot be blamed on any one person; it's systemic. But there is a long-term high unemployment rate, and it is easy to imagine that these jobs could be filled by handy Americans. Of course, just as long as it pays enough for rent and food.</p> | Texas Homes are Cheap for a Reason | true | https://thedailybeast.com/texas-homes-are-cheap-for-a-reason | 2018-10-06 | 4 |
<p>Jan. 22 (UPI) — <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Julia_Louis-Dreyfus/" type="external">Julia Louis-Dreyfus</a> is expected to return to work on Veep in August with the seventh and final season of the comedy airing in 2019.</p>
<p>“Veep is on hiatus, we’ll start filming in August and it will air in 2019,” star <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Matt_Walsh/" type="external">Matt Walsh</a> said to <a href="http://ew.com/tv/2018/01/21/veep-julia-louis-dreyfus-august/" type="external">Entertainment Weekly</a>.</p>
<p>“We’ve known for about a month. We’ve seen [Julia], she’s done some table reads, she’s doing well, she’s finished her last chemo, she’s in recuperation. Her prospectives have remained excellent throughout. She’s very well loved; she’s a tremendous person,” he continued about his co-star.</p>
<p>Louis-Dreyfus was <a href="https://www.upi.com/Julia-Louis-Dreyfus-announces-breast-cancer-diagnosis/3311506620688/" type="external">diagnosed</a> with breast cancer in September, just after she won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Veep.</p>
<p>The 56-year-old shared on social media recently a video of her sons Henry and Charlie performing <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Michael_Jackson/" type="external">Michael Jackson</a>‘s “Beat It” in celebration of her <a href="https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2018/01/12/Julia-Louis-Dreyfus-receives-support-from-sons-on-last-day-of-chemotherapy/7791515766096/" type="external">last day</a> of chemotherapy.</p>
<p>Louis-Dreyfus was honored at the <a href="https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/TV/2018/01/21/Lies-Veep-This-is-Us-Billboards-win-top-SAG-Awards/3741516584532/?utm_source=sec&amp;utm_campaign=sl&amp;utm_medium=12" type="external">Screen Actors Guild Awards</a> on Sunday where she was named Best Actress in a Comedy Series. Veep also won <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Best_Ensemble/" type="external">Best Ensemble</a> in a Comedy Series.</p>
<p>“I wish I could have been @SAGawards tonight but have to admit it’s pretty fun to watch in my pj’s. So honored to win,” the actress said on <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialJLD/status/955258979067637762" type="external">Twitter</a> about missing the event. “So proud to be a union member. So happy for my @VeepHBO bozos for winning ensemble award. Miss being at the table with you all. How was the chicken?”</p>
<p>I wish I could have been <a href="https://twitter.com/SAGawards?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">@SAGawards</a> tonight but have to admit it’s pretty fun to watch in my pj’s. So honored to win. So proud to be a union member. So happy for my <a href="https://twitter.com/VeepHBO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">@VeepHBO</a> bozos for winning ensemble award. Miss being at the table with you all. How was the chicken?</p>
<p>— Julia Louis-Dreyfus (@OfficialJLD) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialJLD/status/955258979067637762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">January 22, 2018</a></p> | Julia Louis-Dreyfus expected to return to work on ‘Veep’ in August | false | https://newsline.com/julia-louis-dreyfus-expected-to-return-to-work-on-veep-in-august/ | 2018-01-22 | 1 |
<p>MIAMI (FL)Miami HeraldBY JAY WEAVER AND DONNA GEHRKE-WHITE <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
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<p>Insurers for the Archdiocese of Miami have paid $9.3 million for settlement, legal and counseling costs to resolve sexual-abuse claims against its priests and other employees since it began insurance coverage in 1966, says a church report released over the weekend.</p>
<p>The payments covered some of the archdiocese's 90 abuse claims by minors through Dec. 1, but church officials could not say exactly how many. Nor could they say how much the archdiocese paid for such coverage or whether it also resolved any claims from its own resources.</p>
<p>''No parish money is used for this,'' including donations, archdiocese spokeswoman Mary Ross Agosta said on Sunday.</p>
<p>The eight-page report, which included a letter of apology from Archbishop John C. Favalora for the nationwide clergy scandal, disclosed for the first time that 38 South Florida priests were accused of sexual misconduct since the archdiocese was founded in 1958.</p>
<p>The report stressed that the number represented less than 1 percent of 4,340 priests who have served the archdiocese during the past 45 years.</p>
<p /> | Insurers paid clergy sex claims | false | https://poynter.org/news/insurers-paid-clergy-sex-claims | 2003-12-15 | 2 |
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<p>NEW YORK — A person who reported eating at a Chipotle in northern Virginia has tested positive for norovirus. But health officials say that’s not yet enough to determine the cause of the roughly 60 reported illnesses it has identified.</p>
<p>The location in Sterling, Virginia, was temporarily closed for cleaning this week after customers reported symptoms that Chipotle said were consistent with norovirus. That sent shares of the restaurant chain down, underscoring how vulnerable its reputation remains almost two years after an E. coli outbreak that sent its sales plunging.</p>
<p>Norovirus is a leading cause of illnesses from contaminated food, and infected employees are a frequent source of the outbreaks. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and nausea. Overall, one out of six Americans get sick each year by consuming contaminated food or drinks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>
<p>The Loudoun County Health Department in Virginia, outside Washington, D.C., says it is still awaiting further test results that should be available early next week. David Goodfriend, director of the health department, says that having another person test positive for norovirus would be a “very strong indication” that norovirus was behind the illnesses. The health department says it has identified about 60 sickened people who said they ate at the Chipotle in question.</p>
<p>Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has stressed the safety measures it has taken to prevent such occurrences or respond quickly when they do happen. But its image is still fragile, and the chain was dealing with more bad publicity Thursday after mice fell from the ceiling in a Dallas location. Chipotle says it was an “extremely isolated incident,” and that the mice got in the restaurant because of a structural gap in the building. It said the gap has been fixed.</p>
<p>Shares in Chipotle fell 4.5 percent to close at $356.05, their lowest point since April 2013. The shares had been above $390 on Tuesday.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Norovirus confirmed in diner who reported eating at Chipotle | false | https://abqjournal.com/1035838/norovirus-confirmed-in-diner-who-reported-eating-at-chipotle.html | 2017-07-20 | 2 |
<p>Last Friday night, a good friend of mine and I were discussing the efficacy of violent property damage as a viable form of civil protest. The discussion began with the trial of Sarah Jane Olsen in Los Angeles and the work of the Symbionese Liberation Army during the 1970s and concluded with an outline for what my friend called “new activism.”</p>
<p>I would not be surprised to learn that in recent history the term “new activism” has been repeatedly used to describe a myriad of programs. More to the point, whenever the term new is used to describe something, I become suspicious only because an idea is rarely without progenitors, although the practice of the concept might be unprecedented. My use of the term “new activism” is the only way into an argument that I believe must be made for the American left to rethink previous, at times nostalgically remembered, protest methods. The importance of dissent, protest and political activism becomes increasingly urgent as the U.S. war on global terrorism begins to bore American audiences.</p>
<p>As an aside, I find few attitudes more malignant than individuals who insist on saying they are sick and tired of hearing about the war. The right to critical mediocrity is, however, a contemporary American pastime _ so to those people, I say agitate instead for new baseball stadiums. I can only imagine the issue’s urgency.</p>
<p>One of the major concerns I have currently is a recognizable nostalgia for previous protest movements among American leftists. I am certainly not advocating forgetting of anything learned in the past, but I firmly believe in adjusting tactics to the present.</p>
<p>In the winter of 1995, I heard Bobby Seale speak at the University about his work in founding the Black Panther Party. Seale was asked if he thought the use of guns was an appropriate form of protest for contemporary African-American activists. He said no. The best weapon to use, Seale suggested, was the video camera to record police brutality. What many, mostly white Americans, forget is it was not guns that made the Panthers inherently dangerous for the FBI. What made the Black Panther Party dangerous for the law enforcement officials was the color of their skin and their unfettered knowledge of the law.</p>
<p>The tools of protest, as Seale suggests, need to change with the times. As Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said in his Sept. 27 New York Times opinions piece, “A New kind of War,” “Even the vocabulary of this war will be different.” Consequently, protest movements in America need to use different language tactics.</p>
<p>The conservative right, emboldened by the Bush administration, relies on predictable methods of protests to patronize: marches, rallies, self-righteous college newspaper columnists, etc. Public displays of discontent are extremely important. I am not suggesting large rallies are ineffectual; rather, the messages need to appear in other locations.</p>
<p>The Bush administration continues to say the war on terrorism will take years _ at least that suggests time exists for planning. The American left needs to start infiltrating television stations, editorial boards, city councils and school boards. Radical steps such as running for political office must begin as soon as possible. If the money can be found to start a satellite TV station for the American left, then use the technology.</p>
<p>Concerned college students need to intern with organizations that support their politics. The same students also need to intern in Washington, D.C., for the House or the Senate, for the White House–anywhere that places a person in the middle of the decision-making system. By learning the intricacies of the system, an opportunity exists to throw a monkey wrench into politics from the inside.</p>
<p>I suggest the term peace activist be changed to critical thinker (everyone must agree to keep that a secret from the right). Teach-ins must become anti-propaganda learning opportunities. The use of loud vocal chants must be reconfigured into a deafening silence. The politics and power of focused, concentrated groups acting in silence will draw more attention than the loudest screams. Chanting in unison does not mean the right has failed to silence dissenting voices. Most importantly, new activists must be ready to disobey by any and all means necessary.</p>
<p>The argument here is not about breaking the law, but simply not following the preordained directions. Acts of disobedience need to be site specific and tailored to a given situation so the right has trouble planning a counterspin. Disobeying the rules of popular opinion does not suggest breaking the law, although the time may come for that contingency. Flowers or bullets make the choices too limited, but sometimes push comes to shove. The Bush administration has made it clear a war is being fought for good against evil. Under that formulation, acting badly seems open to interpretation, so disobey at will.</p>
<p>I will conclude by recounting a recent event that made me think about activism. On Friday, Nov. 2, an altercation took place between two groups in New York City at the location of the decimated World Trade Center towers. One of the groups wanted to give their respects to the dead; the other was trying to keep the area secure. A fight erupted between the groups and arrests were made.</p>
<p>The two groups were comprised of members from the New York City Police Department and the fire department of New York. The firefighters marched into lower Manhattan to protest a decision by Rudy Giuliani’s administration to reduce the number of fire department personnel assisting in body recovery at the site of the former twin towers. The altercation did not last long, but an event causing a fight between police and firefighters is important to note. This event signals what I believe is a change in the numbing unity surrounding Sept. 11.</p>
<p>In years to come, I believe the physical violence between the police and firefighters will be discussed as an early indicator, an underreported situation signaling a change in American sensibilities about the need for new kinds of activism before they became fashionable. CP</p>
<p>John Troyer writes a weekly column for the <a href="http://www.mndaily.com/" type="external">Daily Minnesotan</a>, the student newspaper at the University of Minnesota. He can be emailed at: <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a></p> | A New Kind of Activism | true | https://counterpunch.org/2001/11/09/a-new-kind-of-activism/ | 2001-11-09 | 4 |
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<p>The season wraps up with the Harvest Festival on Saturday, Sept. 30, and Sunday, Oct. 1. The first Harvest Festival was held in 1972.</p>
<p>“It’s our longest-running festival,” said Laura Gonzales-Meredith, education and volunteer manager at El Rancho de las Golondrinas. “We’re really proud of this one. Since it’s a harvest festival and it celebrates food and fall and the change of seasons, it’s sort of like our grand finale, in the same way that fall is nature’s grand finale.”</p>
<p>The festival was voted second-best harvest festival in the country by USA Today readers in 2015, which El Rancho de las Golondrinas staffers are proud of, according to Gonzales-Meredith, .</p>
<p>“I think this one stands out partially because it celebrates everything we do here,” she said. “We’re a living history museum that focuses on New Mexico history, all the different periods of New Mexico history, and I think food, family, community are all a big part of what is really important to New Mexicans, and this is a festival that we really try to pull all of that out. We celebrate the fact that we are a working ranch and farm.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Hands-on activities, historic re-enactments, live music, traditional dance, hayrides and a pumpkin sale are part of the weekend event. Children can make harvest wreaths or cornhusk dolls, and families can visit the on-site sorghum mill, still pressed by two burros that churn the mill. There will be on-site corn grinding, in which attendees can make their own tortillas, churn their own butter and then top off it all off with some roasted green chile straight from the ranch. Guests also can kick off their shoes for some old-fashioned grape crushing using grapes from the ranch’s small vineyard. A traditional Mass in honor of the ranch’s patron saint, San Isidro, will begin Sunday’s event.</p>
<p>“We have the setting to tell these stories, and we do it in a way that really immerses people to tell that history,” Gonzales-Meredith said. “Our theme here is education and promoting appreciation for New Mexico traditions and New Mexico history but having the setting to do it in. You’re visiting an active ranch, you’re smelling the smells of that ranch, you’re getting to touch things, taste things, hear things – it just really makes this festival special, I think.”</p>
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<p /> | Fall finale: Harvest Festival wraps up season at El Rancho de las Golondrinas | false | https://abqjournal.com/1069943/harvest-festival-wraps-up-season-at-el-rancho-de-las-golondrinas.html | 2 |
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<p>By Jon Queally / <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/05/03/comey-says-only-reason-assange-not-apprehended-yet-hes-out-reach" type="external">Common Dreams</a></p>
<p>FBI chief James Comey testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. (CBSN)</p>
<p>Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, FBI director James Comey said that while he wouldn’t “confirm whether or not there are charges” pending against the WikiLeaks founder and publisher Julian Assange, the reason he “hasn’t been apprehended is because he’s inside the Ecuadorean embassy in London.”</p>
<p />
<p>While speculation has long been that the U.S. government has a sealed indictment against Assange, the government refuses to openly say whether or not criminal charges exist against the man whose media organization has published troves of classified material, much of which has exposed secrets that paint the global superpower—and many of its top political leaders—in a negative light.</p>
<p>Watch:</p>
<p>When asked if the FBI is involved in looking into Julian Assange, Comey says “Wikileaks is an important focus of our attention.” <a href="https://t.co/JnPR7wzguC" type="external">pic.twitter.com/JnPR7wzguC</a></p>
<p>— KCTV5 News (@KCTV5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KCTV5/status/859800628415037440" type="external">May 3, 2017</a></p>
<p>In his remarks Wednesday, Comey argued that WikiLeaks—”an important focus of [the FBI’s] attention”—does not practice journalism like other “responsible” outlets, but instead acts as a “known outlet of foreign propaganda” that has harmed U.S. interests.</p>
<p>Last month, Common Dreams <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/04/20/reports-assange-arrest-warrant-emerge-who-will-defend-wikileaks" type="external">reported</a> on rumblings within President Donald Trump’s Justice Department that criminal charges were being prepared.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that major news outlets from around the world have consistently relied on the information provided by WikiLeaks over the years, Comey on Wednesday repeatedly described WikiLeaks as “intelligence porn” that serves no journalistic purpose.</p>
<p>“A huge portion of WikiLeaks has nothing to do with legitimate news-gathering and is simply about releasing classified information to damage the United States,” Comey said. “American journalists do not do that.”</p>
<p>Journalist Glenn Greenwald was among those immediately pushing back against such arguments:</p>
<p>Who wants the FBI &amp; CIA Directors to be the arbiters of what is and is not real “journalism”? Apparently, many people do. <a href="https://t.co/YbeexhKuHG" type="external">https://t.co/YbeexhKuHG</a></p>
<p>— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) <a href="https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/859796047002030081" type="external">May 3, 2017</a></p>
<p>FBI &amp; CIA officials have said exactly the same thing about virtually every leak of classified info in NYT, WPost &amp; elsewhere for decades. <a href="https://t.co/7QcjTrBMi0" type="external">https://t.co/7QcjTrBMi0</a></p>
<p>— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) <a href="https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/859798681373036544" type="external">May 3, 2017</a></p>
<p>Alberto Gonzalez used exactly this reason to threaten the prosecution of NYT reporters for reporting on NSA program <a href="https://t.co/nl5s8GkWrM" type="external">https://t.co/nl5s8GkWrM</a> <a href="https://t.co/7QcjTrBMi0" type="external">https://t.co/7QcjTrBMi0</a></p>
<p>— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) <a href="https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/859799368383307776" type="external">May 3, 2017</a></p>
<p>And, not surprisingly, WikiLeaks was also watching:</p>
<p>James Comey to Senate just now: WikiLeaks publishes “intelligence porn” and “doesn’t call us”</p>
<p>Get it while its hot: <a href="https://t.co/6Oj6mC2V5l" type="external">https://t.co/6Oj6mC2V5l</a></p>
<p>— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) <a href="https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/859796383141961728" type="external">May 3, 2017</a></p>
<p>FBI Director James Comey testifies today to Congress. Live link: <a href="https://t.co/aJsFIc8dLk" type="external">https://t.co/aJsFIc8dLk</a></p>
<p>But how will it be spun? <a href="https://t.co/vvUfRCS5dZ" type="external">pic.twitter.com/vvUfRCS5dZ</a></p>
<p>— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) <a href="https://twitter.com/wikileaks/status/859776482549301250" type="external">May 3, 2017</a></p> | James Comey: The Only Reason Julian Assange Is Not 'Apprehended Yet' Is He's Out of Reach | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/james-comey-the-only-reason-julian-assange-is-not-apprehended-yet-is-hes-out-of-reach/ | 2017-05-03 | 4 |
<p />
<p>In September 2012, six major American banks came under attack by hackers, and customers could not gain access to their accounts or pay bills online. The attacks did not affect customer bank accounts, but the rash of so-called distributed denial-of-service, or DDOS, attacks such as these against major financial institutions have forced them to step up their game in combating such threats.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>DDOS attacks are becoming more frequent and sophisticated, according to the 2013 annual report of the Financial Stability Oversight Council. The council and cybersecurity experts have outlined a number of ways the financial service industry can mitigate the risk. They also say consumers need to be better educated about cybersecurity.</p>
<p>Danny Miller, national practice leader for cybersecurity and privacy at Grant Thornton LLP, worries that at some point, cyberattackers will begin to disrupt the ability of targeted banks to conduct business.</p>
<p>"They don't really have to shut down a bank's website for a long period of time," Miller says. "What they could do -- and what it appears their strategy is -- is to do it using guerilla tactics. In other words, they're doing small, concentrated attacks that make it look to the rest of the world that the banks are not able to control their infrastructure and protect themselves."</p>
<p>Sneaky hackers</p>
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<p>Miller says hackers have developed sneakier methods for doing their worst damage. For example, they'll use insiders to steal information from one department at a bank while security experts are distracted by a cyberattack on another department.</p>
<p>Individual consumers and investors add to the problem with risky behavior such as accessing their personal banking information via unsecured Wi-Fi connections and inadvertently leaving clues about their passwords -- think birthdays and pet names -- on social media sites, says Jerry Irvine, a member of the National Cyber Security Task Force.</p>
<p>A joint effort of the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the task force involves members of the public and private sectors sharing information about security risks and prevention strategies, says Irvine, who is chief information officer of Prescient Solutions, an information technology outsourcing firm in the Chicago area.</p>
<p>The Financial Stability Oversight Council report encourages these types of public-private partnerships, along with better cooperation with the banking sector and 15 other industries to help decrease cyberthreats.</p>
<p>Cybersecurity legislation needed</p>
<p>In his May 2013 testimony before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew called for a bipartisan effort to pass comprehensive cybersecurity legislation that would enhance the sharing of information among banks.</p>
<p>Todd McClelland, an attorney with Alston and Bird LLP in Atlanta, advises financial institutions, retailers, payment processors and other clients on information security issues. His firm represents several clients who have a stake in proposed cybersecurity legislation.</p>
<p>"It seems that there's always some bill pending in front of Congress legislating additional cybersecurity standards, additional risk assessments or the like," McClelland says.</p>
<p>A February 2013 presidential executive order tasked the National Institute of Standards and Technology -- an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce -- with producing a new framework to improve cybersecurity for the nation's critical infrastructure. One of the agency's goals is to standardize the measures financial institutions use to control cybersecurity risks. The NIST aims to have the final framework for guidelines ready to roll out by February 2014.</p>
<p>Miller says each bank needs to first identify its most important information and then focus on securing that information from both external and internal threats. As a consultant, Miller advises banks to securely delete any customer information they don't need to store, while tailoring their security policies to fit each category of data they decide to keep.</p>
<p>As for consumers, Miller says, "If you don't need to share information ... don't."</p>
<p>Password tips</p>
<p>Make sure you understand how the financial institution is using your information, who it is sharing it with and how long it plans to keep it in its database, Miller says. And if you're able to opt out of having your information stored, you should.</p>
<p>"The longer they keep it, the more likely it is going to be stolen and exposed," Miller says.</p>
<p>Irvine adds these tips:</p>
<p>"If you use the same password on Facebook and LinkedIn and other social networking sites and then you use it on your banking site, you might as well just be taking the money out and giving it to the hackers yourself," Irvine says.</p>
<p>Copyright 2013, Bankrate Inc.</p> | Banks Look for Ways to Slam Door on Hackers | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/07/18/banks-look-for-ways-to-slam-door-on-hackers.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
<p>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A judge has ruled a Kansas woman accused of decapitating her ex-boyfriend’s mother is not competent to stand trial.</p>
<p>Judge Faith Maughan on Friday ordered 35-year-old Rachael Hilyard of Wichita back to continue treatment at Larned State Hospital. Her status will be re-evaluated after 90 days.</p>
<p>Hilyard is charged with first-degree murder in the April 2017 death of 63-year-old Micki Davis, the mother of Hilyard’s ex-boyfriend.</p>
<p>Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said a hospital evaluation found Hilyard could regain competency if she continues treatment.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say Davis was attacked when she went with her 9-year-old grandson to collect some belongings from a home. The boy was able to run away and call 911.</p>
<p>Davis’ decapitated body was found in the garage and her head was in the kitchen sink.</p>
<p>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A judge has ruled a Kansas woman accused of decapitating her ex-boyfriend’s mother is not competent to stand trial.</p>
<p>Judge Faith Maughan on Friday ordered 35-year-old Rachael Hilyard of Wichita back to continue treatment at Larned State Hospital. Her status will be re-evaluated after 90 days.</p>
<p>Hilyard is charged with first-degree murder in the April 2017 death of 63-year-old Micki Davis, the mother of Hilyard’s ex-boyfriend.</p>
<p>Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said a hospital evaluation found Hilyard could regain competency if she continues treatment.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say Davis was attacked when she went with her 9-year-old grandson to collect some belongings from a home. The boy was able to run away and call 911.</p>
<p>Davis’ decapitated body was found in the garage and her head was in the kitchen sink.</p> | Kansas woman charged in beheading not competent for trial | false | https://apnews.com/928addfcfc1945f99cb37edb7d72648a | 2018-01-12 | 2 |
<p>It was reported today that the son of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell was arrested for</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2012/12/12/rep-jim-morans-son-guilty-of-beating-up-his-girlfriend-in-columbia-heights/" type="external">[Patrick] Moran and his girlfriend</a> were fighting outside 14th Street bar The Getaway around 1:23 a.m. on Dec. 1, according to a police report, over Moran talking to another woman at the bar. Suddenly, Moran allegedly slammed his girlfriend’s head into the bar’s metal trash can cage.</p>
<p>After the attack, police described Moran’s girlfriend as “bleeding heavily from her nose and also observed that her nose and right eye were extremely swollen.” One of the ambulance technicians who transported her to Howard University Hospital told police that Moran appeared to have broken her nose and given her a skull fracture under her right eye.</p>
<p>Moran was arrested for felony domestic violence assault, but pleaded the charge down to simple assault today. He was sentenced to probation.</p>
<p>OH WAIT, wrong link. That’s on me. My bad. <a href="http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/latest-news/governor-s-son-arrested-charged-with-intoxication-swearing/article_7c178b8a-e8d4-11e2-8714-001a4bcf6878.html" type="external">Here is the correct one</a>:</p>
<p>Sean McDonnell, the 21-year-old son of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, was arrested Saturday in Charlottesville and charged with public swearing and intoxication.</p>
<p>Few details of the circumstances surrounding the arrest were immediately available. The charge is considered a Class 4 Misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $250.</p>
<p>Public swearing? WTF?</p> | Gov Bob McDonnell’s Son Arrested For ... | true | http://danaloeschradio.com/gov-bob-mcdonnells-son-arrested-for/ | 2013-07-09 | 0 |
<p>In all of American labor history, there have been five national labor organizations "the Knights of Labor, American Federation of Labor, Industrial Workers of the World, Trade Union Unity League, Congress of Industrial Organizations"or six if we count the merged AFL-CIO. Of only one can it be said that not a single book, dissertation or article, scholarly or otherwise, has ever been devoted to it. With one possible exception, not a single book, dissertation or article has ever been devoted to any of its constituent unions.</p>
<p /> | Communists and Miners 1928-1933 | true | https://dissentmagazine.org/article/communists-and-miners-1928-1933 | 2018-10-03 | 4 |
<p>Was American CIA agent Raymond Davis secretly working with the Taliban and al-Qaeda to destabilize Pakistan and lay the groundwork for a U.S. seizure of that country’s nuclear weapons? Was he photographing sensitive military installations and marking them with a global positioning device? Did he gun down two men in cold blood to prevent them from revealing what he was up to? These are just a few of the rumors ricocheting around Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar in the aftermath of Davis’s arrest Jan. 27, and sorting through them is a little like stepping through Alice’s looking glass.</p>
<p>But one thing is certain: the U.S. has hundreds of intelligence agents working in Pakistan, most of them private contractors, and many of them so deep in the shadows that Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), doesn’t know who they are or what they are up to. “How many more Raymond Davises are out there?” one ISI official asked Associated Press.</p>
<p>Lots, it would appear. Five months ago, the Pakistani government directed its embassies in the U.S. to issue visas without letting the ISI or Pakistan’s Interior Ministry vet them. According to the Associated Press, this opened a “floodgate” that saw 3,555 visas for diplomats, military officials and employees issued in 2010.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Many of those visas were for non-governmental organizations and the staff for the huge, $1 billion fortress embassy Washington is building in Islamabad, but thousands of others covered consular agents and workers in Lahore (where Davis was arrested), Karachi and other cities. Some of those with visas work for Xe Services (formally Blackwater), others for low-profile agencies like Blackbird Technologies, Glevum Associates, and K2 Solutions. Many of the “employees” of these groups are former U.S. military personnel—Davis was in the Special Forces for 10 years—and former CIA agents. And the fact that these are private companies allows them to fly under the radar of congressional oversight, as frail a reed as that may be.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>How one views the incident that touched off the current diplomatic crisis is an example of how deep the differences between Pakistan and the U.S. have become.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>The Americans claim Davis was carrying out surveillance on radical insurgent groups, and was simply defending himself from two armed robbers. But Davis’s story has problems. It does appear that the two men on the motorbike were armed, but neither fired their weapon and, according to the police report, one did not even have a shell in his pistol’s firing chamber. Davis apparently fired through the window of his armored SUV, then stepped out of the car and shot the two men in the back, one while attempting to flee. He then calmly took photos, called for backup, climbed into his car, and drove off. He was arrested shortly afterwards at an intersection.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>The Pakistanis have a different view of the incident. According to Pakistani press reports, the two men were working for the ISI and were trailing Davis because the intelligence agency suspected that the CIA agent was in contact with the Tehrik-e-Taliban, a Pakistani group based in North Waziristan that is currently warring with Islamabad. As an illustration of how bizarre things are these days in Pakistan, one widespread rumor is that the U.S. is behind the Tehtik-e-Taliban bombings as part of a strategy to destabilize Pakistan and lay the groundwork for an American seizure of Islamabad’s nuclear arsenal.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>The ISI maintains close ties with the Afghan Taliban based in Pakistan’s Baluchistan Province, as well as its allies, the Hizb-e-Islami and the Haqqani Group. All three groups are careful to keep a distance from Pakistan’s Taliban</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Yet another rumor claims that Davis was spying on Lashkar-e-Taiba, a group with close ties to the ISI that is accused of organizing the 2008 massacre in Mumbai, India. The Americans claim the organization is working with al-Qaeda, a charge the Pakistanis reject.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>When Davis’s car was searched, police turned up not only the Glock semi-automatic he used to shoot the men, but four loaded clips, a GPS device, and a camera. The latter, according to the police report, had photos of “sensitive” border sites. “This is not the work of a diplomat,” Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told the Guardian (UK), “he was doing espionage and surveillance activities.”</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>The shooting also had the feel of an execution. One of the men was shot twice in the back and his body was more than 30 feet from the motorbike, an indication he was attempting to flee. “It went way beyond what we define as self-defense, ” a senior police official told the Guardian (UK), “It was not commensurate with the threat.” The Lahore Chief of Police called it a “cold-blooded murder.”</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>The U.S. claims that Davis is protected by diplomatic immunity, but the matter might not be as open and shut as the U.S. is making it. According to the Pakistani Express Tribune, Davis’s name was not on a list of diplomats submitted to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry on Jan. 25. The day after the shooting the embassy submitted a revised list that listed Davis as a diplomat.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Washington clearly considered Davis to be important. When he asked for backup on the day of the shooting, another SUV was dispatched to support him, apparently manned by agents living at the same safe house as Davis. The rescue mission went wrong when it ran over a motorcyclist while going the wrong direction down a one-way street. When the Pakistani authorities wanted to question the agents, they found that both had been whisked out of the country.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Almost immediately the Obama administration sent Sen. John Kerry, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to Islamabad to apologize and pressure Pakistan to release Davis. But the incident has stirred up a hornet’s nest in Pakistan, where the CIA’s drone war has deeply alienated most Pakistanis. Opposition parties are demanding that the CIA agent be tried for murder. A hearing on the issue of whether Davis has diplomatic immunity will be heard Mar. 14.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>In the meantime, Davis is being held under rather extraordinary security because of rumors that the Americans will try to spring him, or even poison him. Davis is being shielded from any direct contact with U.S. officials, and a box of chocolates sent to Davis by the Embassy was confiscated.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>The backdrop for the crisis is a growing estrangement between the two countries over their respective strategies in Afghanistan.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>The U.S. has stepped up its attacks on the Afghan insurgents, launched a drone war in Pakistan, and is demanding that Islamabad take a much more aggressive stance toward the Taliban’s allies based in the Afghan border region. While Washington still talks about a “diplomatic resolution” to the Afghan war, it is busy blowing up the very people it will eventually need to negotiate with.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>This approach makes no sense to Pakistan. From Islamabad’s point of view, increasing attacks on the Taliban and their allies will only further destabilize Pakistan, and substitutes military victory for a diplomatic settlement. Since virtually every single independent observer think the former is impossible, the current U.S. strategy is, as terror expert Anatol Lieven puts it, “lunatic reasoning.”</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Pakistan wants to insure that any Afghan government that emerges from the war is not a close ally of India, a country with which it has already fought three wars. A pro-Indian government in Kabul would essentially surround Pakistan with hostile forces. Yet the Americans have pointedly refused to address the issue of Indian-Pakistan tension over Kashmir, in large part because Washington very much wants an alliance with India.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>In short, the U.S. and Pakistan don’t see eye to eye on Afghanistan, and Islamabad is suspicious that Americans like Davis are undermining Pakistan’s interests in what Islamabad views as an area central to its national security. “They [the U.S.] needs to come clean and tell us who they [agents] are, what they are doing,” one ISI official told the Guardian (UK). “They need to stop doing things behind our back.”</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>There are a lot of unanswered questions about the matter. Was the ISI onto Davis, and was he really in contact with groups the Pakistani army didn’t want him talking to? What did Washington know about Davis’ mission, and when did it know it? Did Davis think he was being held up, or was it a cold-blooded execution of two troublesome tails?</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Rumor has it that the CIA and the ISI are in direct negotiations to find an acceptable solution, but there are constraints on all sides. The Pakistani public is enraged with the U.S. and resents that it has been pulled into the Afghan quagmire. On the other hand, there are many in Washington—particularly in Congress—who are openly talking about cutting off the $1.5 billion of yearly U.S. aid to Pakistan.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>What the incident has served to illuminate is the fact that U.S. intelligence operations are increasingly being contracted out to private companies with little apparent oversight from Congress. At last count, the U.S. Defense Department had almost 225,000 private contractors working for them.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>The privatization of intelligence adds yet another layer of opacity to an endeavor that is already well hidden by a blanket of “national security,” and funded by black budgets most Americans never see. The result of all this is a major diplomatic crisis in what is unarguably the most dangerous piece of ground on the planet.</p>
<p />
<p /> | The CIA and Pakistan | true | https://counterpunch.org/2011/03/01/the-cia-and-pakistan/ | 2011-03-01 | 4 |
<p />
<p>Today is <a href="http://www.now.org/press/04-07/04-24.html" type="external">Equal Pay Day</a>, the day when women’s annual wages finally catch up with what men made through December 31 of the last year. Currently, women make 77 cents to a man’s dollar, so it takes them an extra 114 days (that’s nearly 4 months) to catch up to men’s wages.</p>
<p>It’s important to note that the 77 cents figure is not, as Carrie “I’m too rich to work” Lukas’ <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/02/AR2007040201262_pf.html" type="external">insidious Washington Post editorial</a> suggests, due to Ivy League-educated, rich women “choosing” to stay home with their children. The 77 cents figure is only for women working full-time, year-round and is partially due to women making trade-offs—e.g. flexible work hours—at the expense of higher salaries.</p>
<p>Fully <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2029109620070423?feedType=RSS" type="external">1/4 of the wage gap</a>, maybe more, is due solely to workers being female. The recent <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5269131/" type="external">Walmart sex-discrimination lawsuit</a> is a great example of how women are being paid less for doing the same work as men, or alternately, are not being promoted at the same rate as men despite being equally qualified.</p>
<p>So why are women paid less? Well, it’s certainly not because they’re less educated. Women now make up <a href="http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i21/21a03601.htm" type="external">58% of undergraduates</a>, and do better scholastically than men. Female college students dominate honor rolls, hold more leadership posts, study more, are more involved in student clubs, and logically, are distributed more awards and honors.</p>
<p>But even with superior education, women’s wages slip further and further from men’s after graduation. One year after graduation, women working full-time earn <a href="http://www.aauw.org/newsroom/pressreleases/042307_PayGap.cfm" type="external">80% of men’s wages</a>, in part because they choose lower-paying, traditionally “female” fields like healthcare and education. Ten years after graduation, women are only making 69% of men’s wages. Even after accounting for hours worked, parenthood, and job choice, the gap remained.</p>
<p>Sadly, even the most elite of workplaces are not immune to sex discrimination and harassment that often prompts women to leave or file lawsuits. From <a href="http://www.now.org/issues/wfw/smith-barney.html" type="external">Smith Barney</a> to Walmart, women are paid less for doing the same job. And despite the fact, <a href="http://www.alternet.org/workplace/50110/" type="external">says AlterNet</a>, that the wage gap “consistently polls number 1 with female voters in election years,” it’s only been addressed significantly by one 2008 contender: Hillary Clinton. Her <a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s109-841" type="external">Paycheck Fairness Act</a> aims to make employers responsible for promoting and paying employees equally, regardless of sex, by increasing penalties, teaching women negotiation skills, and allowing employees to share salary information.</p>
<p>Speaking of sharing salaries, just for fun, ladies, you can see how much you would make if you were a man <a href="http://www.hillaryclinton.com/coalitions/womenforhillary/?sc=8" type="external">here.</a></p>
<p>—Jen Phillips</p>
<p /> | Happy Equal Pay Day? | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/04/happy-equal-pay-day/ | 2007-04-24 | 4 |
<p />
<p>What: Shares of the clinical-stage biotech bluebird bio shed nearly 16% of their value last month, according to data from <a href="http://www.spcapitaliq.com/" type="external">S&amp;P Global Market Intelligence Opens a New Window.</a>. On the bright side, bluebird's poor showing last month seems to be the result of an industrywide pullback that affected developmental-stage companies particularly hard, and not a company-driven event. Keeping with this theme, the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF also ended the month in the red:</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/IBB" type="external">IBB</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>So what:Bluebird was, not so long ago, one of the best-performing biotech stocks due to the initial success of its gene therapy Lentiglobin in patients with the rare blood disorder betathalassemia. However, the market has seemingly lost its appetite for risky clinical-stage biotechs, as evinced by bluebird's recent struggles, along with the pullback in the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF from its former highs.</p>
<p>Image source: Pixabay.</p>
<p>Now what: Bluebird is scheduled to give a clinical update for its product candidate, Lenti-D, that'scurrently in a Phase 2/3 study for the treatment of childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophyonApril 20, 2016at theAmerican Academy of Neurology2016 Annual Meeting. In addition, the biotech is reportedly gearing up for the possible commercial launch of Lentiglobin in the near future. So, bluebird does have some upcoming catalysts that could help its shares rebound.</p>
<p>Having said that, I wouldn't necessarily jump into this risky biotech stock just yet. After all, the company still has a considerable amount of work to do to validate its gene therapy platform, and the market hasn't exactly changed its pessimistic demeanor toward clinical-stage biotechs as a whole. That's why I'm personally using the the broad-based iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETFat the moment to gain exposure to this particularly volatile, yet promising, group of stocks.</p>
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<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/04/12/heres-why-bluebird-bios-stock-tumbled-in-march.aspx" type="external">Here's Why bluebird bio.'s Stock Tumbled in March Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/gbudwell/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">George Budwell Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (ETF). The Motley Fool recommends Bluebird Bio. 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> | Here's Why bluebird bio.'s Stock Tumbled in March | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/04/12/heres-why-bluebird-bio-s-stock-tumbled-in-march.html | 2016-04-12 | 0 |
<p>Jacqueline Barber, a homeowner in Atlanta, GA, will be able to stay in her home despite the bank auctioning it off in foreclosure.</p>
<p>Barber, a retired police detective who is also fighting a form of blood and bone marrow cancer, won a buyback, or the ability to buy her home from the bank at or below the home’s rock bottom market value, with the help of Occupy Our Homes Atlanta (OOHA), Tim Franzen of American Friends Service Committee, who works closely with OOHA, told ThinkProgress. A nonprofit organization that wishes to remain anonymous helped Barber come up with the cash for the downpayment, and while she will pay into a fund to cover that payment for the next 18 months, the nonprofit “is committed to not make a cent off the deal,” Franzen said.</p>
<p>Barber’s story is a typical one from the housing boom. She was living comfortably off of disability and pension payments, but a friend in real estate showed her a bigger house and even took out a loan for it in her name. But just as the city made budget cuts that meant she would no longer receive disability, her payments doubled thanks to the fact that her loan was an adjustable rate mortgage. While she immediately started trying to work on a modification, which her original bank Wells Fargo worked with her on, it also dual tracked her into foreclosure. She received the letter from Wells Fargo saying it was working on her modification the same day that her home was auctioned in foreclosure. “In Georgia, it’s perfectly legal to dual track,” Franzen pointed out.</p>
<p>But while she bought the house at $300,000 and ended up owing $450,000 with interest and fees, the home’s value had cratered to $150,000, a sum she had more than enough to cover with her pension benefits.</p>
<p>So OOHA worked to help her. By the time the organization got involved, US Bank was the trustee and Ocwen was the servicer of the loan, so OOHA <a href="http://occupyourhomesatl.org/jacquelinevictory/" type="external">held actions at bank branches and headquarters</a> in both Atlanta and Minneapolis and launched a 24-hour occupation of her home to defend it from eviction.</p>
<p>Barber’s happy ending stands out in an era of rampant bank malfeasance and wrongful foreclosures. There are <a href="" type="internal">countless</a> <a href="" type="internal">stories</a> of homeowners who were dual-tracked into foreclosure while working on modifications, including one man who was <a href="" type="internal">making higher payments</a> than required by the bank during the trial period. Paperwork errors have also been widespread, with one homeowner’s house sold in foreclosure despite the fact that <a href="" type="internal">she is current on her mortgage</a>.</p>
<p>While banks have been ordered to end the practices of dual tracking, <a href="" type="internal">it still continues</a>. They have also been found guilty of <a href="" type="internal">“robo-signing” mortgages</a>, in which they had employees sign off on thousands of foreclosures without verifying the necessary information. Banks may have also <a href="" type="internal">illegally foreclosed</a> on thousands of members of the military.</p>
<p>This post has been changed to reflect the fact that US Bank was the trustee and Ocwen was the servicer of Barber’s loan.</p> | Foreclosed Homeowner Wins Her House Back From The Bank | true | http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/09/06/2584691/foreclosure-occupy-jacqueline-barber/ | 2013-09-06 | 4 |
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<p>U.S. District Court Judge Richard Story has <a href="http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/cobb/stories/2006/09/08/0908cobbprayer.html" type="external">ruled</a> that prayers that refer to Jesus Christ do not violate the U.S. Constitution and may continue to be offered at the Cobb County, Georgia county commission meetings.</p>
<p>Judge Story did affirm that repeated sectarian prayers given at meetings do violate the Constitution, but that such a violation did not occur with the Cobb County commission meetings. The plaintiffs in the case, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, filed suit a year ago because they believed that the council’s prayer selection process showed a preference of one religion over the other. Judge Story said that it did not, but he also ruled that the selection of the Cobb County planning commission in 2003 and 2004. In January, Judge Story ruled against the plaintiffs’ bid for a preliminary injunction to halt the prayers.</p>
<p>The ACLU also filed suit last year to force Cobb County schools to remove warning labels from science books that advised that evolution is a theory, not a fact. A U.S. District judge then ordered the county to pay the ACLU’s attorney’s fees.</p>
<p /> | Judge Rules Against ACLU In Georgia Prayer Case | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2006/09/judge-rules-against-aclu-georgia-prayer-case/ | 2006-09-09 | 4 |
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<p>While Albuquerque basks in the warmth of spring-like temperatures, the East Coast is reckoning with the ugliness of another winter storm – and that’s what tourism officials here consider a golden opportunity.</p>
<p>Local ambassadors worked the New York City streets on Sunday and Monday to spread a sunny message about Albuquerque. Dressed in playful getups – including sunglasses – the team distributed “sunbrellas” to pedestrians in high-traffic areas and otherwise worked to draw crowds and make a scene, according to Tania Armenta of the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau.</p>
<p>ACVB funded the stunt in conjunction with the Albuquerque International Sunport. It’s part of a $1 million “Fly to Sunshine” marketing campaign they initiated last year to promote air travel to the Duke City, particularly in markets with comparably grayer weather. They advertised most heavily in Seattle, Portland, Ore., Kansas City and Chicago, but had long planned to incorporate a guerrilla marketing element in New York.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Armenta said they waited for the ideal weather scenario to hand out the “sunbrellas,” which have a black exterior but a bright-blue sky theme on the underside. The opportunity presented itself this week.</p>
<p>The forecast high in Albuquerque on Monday was 71 degrees. In New York, it was 28 with snow, freezing rain and sleet.</p>
<p>At this point, “you’ve had several months of winter. There is a desire to escape your current conditions and think about a sunnier option, and as we’re moving into the travel season – moving into late winter and spring – people will be making travel plans,” said Armenta, ACVB’s vice president for marketing, communications and tourism.</p>
<p>The crew stopped briefly at Times Square but focused on areas where they would reach New Yorkers – not necessarily tourists – including the subways, Armenta said.</p>
<p>The “sunbrellas” feature little in the way of advertising – just a tiny note about flying nonstop to Albuquerque with the <a href="http://flytosunshine.com" type="external">flytosunshine.com</a> address and a Jet Blue logo.</p>
<p>Jet Blue offers nonstop service between Albuquerque and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The Sunport agreed to help advertise the route as part of a large incentive package to bring Jet Blue to Albuquerque.</p>
<p>The incentives expire when Jet Blue celebrates its second anniversary in April. And while Jet Blue could conceivably halt the service at any time – it has no long-term lease with the Sunport – airport spokesman Dan Jiron said the airline has expressed satisfaction with the flight and is already booking through the summer.</p>
<p>The Sunport is actively working on a new cost schedule that will make it attractive for the airline to continue operating at the airport after the incentives expire, he said.</p>
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<p /> | Hey NYC! It’s 71 and sunny in ABQ | false | https://abqjournal.com/539352/hey-nyc-its-71-and-sunny-in-abq.html | 2015-02-10 | 2 |
<p>Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) outside the Supreme Court on Thursday morning. Photo by Kate Sheppard</p>
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<p>Outside the Supreme Court on Thursday morning, momentary confusion overtook the gigantic crowd of Obama supporters, tea partiers, congressional lawmakers, and hapless tourists. After it was erroneously reported that the court had rejected Obamacare’s individual mandate as unconstitutional, cheers went up from the side of the crowd where most of the tea partiers had gathered. But as news of the actual ruling trickled through the crowd, the tenor among the conservative activists quickly turned to anger, much of it directed at the high court.</p>
<p>“We are not going away,” shouted one activist into a microphone. “Liberty and freedom will survive…We’ll stay here until they get it right.”</p>
<p>Another took the mic a few minutes later. “You might as well come get me, ’cause I ain’t payin’ it,” she said. References to socialism, the Soviets, and communism abounded, along with chants of “Repeal it now.”</p>
<p>Soon, a different response to the decision had taken shape. In their majority opinion, the justices had concluded that the individual mandate in the health care law is constitutional because it constitutes a tax. Conservatives in the crowd (and <a href="http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2012/06/28/the_court_rules_obamacare_is_the_largest_tax_increase_in_the_history_of_the_world" type="external">on the airwaves)</a> quickly seized on the ruling as proof that President Obama and other supporters of the law lied when they claimed the healthcare law wasn’t a tax in order to pass the legislation. “The Congress lied to the American people. The president of the United States lied to the American people,” said Rob Schenck of the National Clergy Council.</p>
<p>“Everyone who believes the president and those who work for him are fools,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex.), who spoke to the crowd outside the Supreme Court after the ruling.&#160;“If America doesn’t wake up and replace all of them who lied to us,” he continued, “shame on us.”&#160;</p>
<p>Cancer rhetoric was also popular, the irony of which seemed to be lost on those employing it. “Obamacare is a malignant tumor that feeds on America,” said Rep. Jeff Landry, (R-La.).&#160;</p>
<p>“Today America is threatened with a stage-three cancer of socialism, and Obamacare is the first symptom,” said Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.), who is running for the Senate this year against Democrat Claire McCaskill.</p>
<p>Tea party champion Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) gave perhaps the longest speech, declaring that the law was “unconstitutional” and noting that “clearly this is an activist court.” (Nevermind that Chief Justice John Roberts, a conservative, voted with the liberal justices and authored the majority opinion.) “America will never be the same because of socialized medicine,” said Bachmann. “The government today is capable of forcing Americans to buy anything.”</p>
<p>Others took a slightly different tack. “They may say this law is constitutional,” said Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), “but it’s un-American.”</p>
<p>Amidst all the unhappy tea partiers and congressional Republicans, I spotted a lone Democratic lawmaker—New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler. Nadler, who had previously fretted about how the <a href="http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/politics/2012/03/5558234/nadler-defends-health-care-against-radical-supreme-court-and-street" type="external">“radical and unpredictable”</a> justices might come down, was clearly pleased about the decision. I asked what he thought of the line of attack about the law constituting a tax that seemed to be developing. “So it’s a tax. So what?” he said. “I thought the administration should have said that right out.”</p>
<p /> | Congressional GOPers React to Health Care Ruling: Obamacare=Cancer | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2012/06/tea-party-response-health-care-decision-obama-lied/ | 2012-06-28 | 4 |
<p>To find the inmates at the prison in Kerava, Finland, just&#160;walk down a tree-lined path and open the door to the&#160;greenhouse.</p>
<p>“It’s quite relaxing to be here,” says Hannu Kallio, a convicted drug smuggler. “We have bunnies.”</p>
<p>The 70 inmates in this facility go to work every day in <a href="http://www.rikosseuraamus.fi/fi/index/toimipaikatjayhteystiedot/vankilat/keravanvankila/keravanvankilantuotteet.html" type="external">the&#160;greenhouse</a>. Today, they’re potting seedlings in preparation for a big spring sale. And yes, there’s a pen of bunnies&#160;to hang out with and pet. There are also sheep.&#160;</p>
<p>But there aren't any&#160;gates, locks or uniforms — this is an open prison.&#160;Everyone at the Kerava open prison&#160;applied&#160;to be here. They earn about $8 an hour, have cell phones, do their grocery shopping in town and get three days of vacation every couple of&#160;months. They pay rent to the prison;&#160;they choose to study for a university degree in town instead of working, they get a subsidy for it; they sometimes take supervised camping and fishing trips.</p>
<p>Inmates know it&#160;wouldn’t be hard to escape. "You can go if you want,” Kallio says. “But if you escape, you go back to jail. Better to be here.”</p>
<p />
<p>Each spring, hundreds of people come to the Kerava open prison to picnic, pat the animals&#160;and buy plants cultivated by inmates.&#160;</p>
<p>Courtesy of&#160;Criminal Sanctions Agency, Finland</p>
<p>Open prisons have been around in Finland since about the 1930s. Back then, they were more like labor colonies. These days, they’re the last step&#160;of a prison sentence before inmates make the transition back to regular life.</p>
<p>"There is no idea that we are locking people up for the rest of their lives," says&#160;Tapio Lappi-Seppälä, head of the Institute of Criminology&#160;at the University of Helsinki, "because if&#160;that’s the case, you really should invest and make sure that there is the possibility of rehabilitation.”</p>
<p>It wasn’t always like this. A few decades ago, Finland had one of the&#160; <a href="http://www.unafei.or.jp/english/pdf/RS_No74/No74_05VE_Seppala1.pdf" type="external">highest rates</a>&#160;of imprisonment in Europe. Then, in the 1960s, researchers across the Nordic countries started investigating how much punishment really helps reduce crime. The conclusion: It&#160;doesn’t.</p>
<p>“This was the first time that you had critical research showing that imprisonment really doesn’t work,” Lappi-Seppälä says.</p>
<p>Over the next three decades, Finland remade&#160;its&#160;penal policy bit by bit. By the end of this&#160; <a href="http://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1057&amp;context=socs_fac" type="external">period of “decarceration,"</a>&#160;Finland had one of the lowest rates of imprisonment on the continent. Lappi-Seppälä says crime didn’t increase as a result.</p>
<p>“The lesson from Finland was that it was perfectly possible to drop the use of imprisonment [by two-thirds,]” he says, “and that did not disturb the crime trend development in Finland.”</p>
<p>What did work was a gradual reintroduction into normal life, the kind that the open prisons offer. About a third of Finnish inmates are housed in open prison, and&#160;Finland’s Criminal Sanctions Agency says inmates who go through open prisons are less likely to be arrested again. The reoffending rate drops almost 20 percent.</p>
<p>Open prisons also cost less.&#160;Esa Vesterbacka, head of the country's&#160;Criminal Sanctions Agency, says that by eliminating the need for extra security systems and personnel — and by housing people in what are essentially dorms — the cost per prisoner drops almost a third. It isn’t the main reason for having these kinds of prisons, Vesterbacka says, “but, of course, if you can make something cheaper&#160;that’s good nowadays.” &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160;</p>
<p>There's even an open prison at&#160;Helsinki’s top tourist attraction, Suomenlinna Island.&#160;The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it swarms with tourists&#160;in the summer. Yet the only thing that separates the prison grounds from a block of residential apartments and museums is a yellow picket fence.</p>
<p />
<p>Inmates at the Suomenlinna open prison live in blue dormitory-style housing. A picket fence is all that separates the prison grounds from the rest of the island,&#160;a popular tourist destination.</p>
<p>Courtesy of&#160;Criminal Sanctions Agency, Finland</p>
<p>“You really don’t realize that you are walking in the middle of an open prison,” Lappi-Seppälä says. “Nobody thinks of it. But I don’t think even the American tourists find it scary."</p>
<p>Locals seem to agree. When&#160;I&#160;talk to residents near the&#160;Kerava and Suomenlinna&#160;open prisons,&#160;most seem confused when I ask if they’re concerned about sharing the town with convicts. Some tell me that the prisoners&#160;improve&#160;the community by restoring historic sites or cleaning up public spaces.</p>
<p>It’s tempting to wonder how this system might work in other countries — notably the US, which incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. Heather Thompson, a professor of history at Temple University&#160;who studies mass incarceration and prison populations, says it’s hard to know because the US isn’t having that discussion.</p>
<p>“We're just now getting to the point of recognizing that we're incarcerating far too many people. We have yet to have a conversation about the actual conditions of confinement, what it is that people actually experience in prison so they can be whole human beings when they return.”</p>
<p>When I spoke with Hannu Kallio at Kerava open prison, he was about to move out&#160;to spend the last months of his sentence at home, working at a recycling center and living with his wife, daughters&#160;and Jack Russell terrier.</p>
<p>A fellow inmate, Juha, who doesn't want to give his last name,&#160;is expecting his first child.&#160;He's&#160;serving a life sentence, but most such sentences in Finland are commuted to 10 or 15 years.&#160;"“It’s a pretty big deal,” Juha says,&#160;“but I don’t know when I’m going to get out. Basically, his mother is going to raise him.”</p>
<p>Juha’s not sure when he’ll be able to go home to his new family, but he knows that he eventually will. And for someone who started out in maximum-security prison with a life sentence, that says a lot.</p> | In Finland's 'open prisons,' inmates have the keys | false | https://pri.org/stories/2015-04-15/finlands-open-prisons-inmates-have-keys | 2015-04-15 | 3 |
<p>Arizona Senate president Russell Pearce (R) has been in hot water lately. He is currently facing a major recall <a href="http://azstarnet.com/news/state-and-regional/article_65776384-65da-11e0-89d4-001cc4c03286.html" type="external">campaign</a> following a local scandal where it appears the Fiesta Bowl may have paid for Pearce’s out-of-state travel after he <a href="http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2011/05/13/wait-russell-pearce-might-have-lied-about-the-fiesta-bowl-scandal" type="external">aggressively pushed</a> for public subsidies for the organization.</p>
<p>The latest outrage from Pearce comes from a speech he gave before the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce last week. Responding a question about how he would respond to protests by public workers against the conservative agenda, he <a href="http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard/2011/05/russell_pearce_threatens_to_lo.php" type="external">embraced</a> the use of Sherrif Joe Arpaio’s infamous tent city prison camps:</p>
<p>According to the Yellow Sheet, Pearce made this crack about what he and his buddy Sheriff Joe Arpaio would do if workers stood up for their rights and demonstrated: “I’ve spoken with the sheriff, and he has some nice buses that hold a lot of people. We’ve also got some tents with a view.”</p>
<p>A CNN article from 1999 describes one of Arpaio’s infamous desert prisons as a “tent city [that] looks like a <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/1999-07-27/us/9907_27_tough.sheriff_1_prison-guards-inmate-joe-arpaio?_s=PM:US" type="external">military camp</a> in the desert, with thick canvas sleeping quarters spreading out in a remote area of Arizona.” It’s unclear whether Pearce was joking or not, but even if he made the comment in humor, it’s completely inappropriate for a high official in the Arizona government to even kid about taking such measures against Americans practicing their First Amendment rights. “I find it deeply chilling that an elected official finds it funny to discuss jailing a group of people expressing their First Amendment rights,” said Arizona AFL-CIO executive director Rebekah Friend in response to Pearce’s comments. “Suggesting a police crackdown before a rally has even occurred is just more of the <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/05/15/20110515political-insider-joe-kanefield.html#ixzz1MWGbzjrk" type="external">same intimidation</a>, threats and innuendo we’ve come to expect from Senator Pearce and his crony (Sheriff Joe) Arpaio.”</p> | AZ Senate President Russell Pearce Threatens To Lock Up Protesting Public Workers In Desert Tent Cities | true | http://thinkprogress.org/2011/05/16/russell-pearce-lock-up-public-workers/ | 2011-05-16 | 4 |
<p>The word “seafoam” might call to mind a posh shade of light green that would color, say, select Restoration Hardware or J. Crew products. However, for seaside dwellers along a stretch of Australian coastline in New South Wales, the term quite literally describes the frothy substance that completely covered their beaches after a nearby storm stirred up the Pacific.</p>
<p>Daily Mail:</p>
<p>In this case, storms off the New South Wales Coast and further north off Queensland had created a huge disturbance in the ocean, hitting a stretch of water where there was a particularly high amount of the substances which form into bubbles.</p>
<p>As for 12-year-old beachgoer Tom Woods, who has been surfing since he was 2, riding a wave was out of the question.</p>
<p />
<p>“Me and my mates just spent the afternoon leaping about in that stuff,” he said.</p>
<p>“It was quite cool to touch and it was really weird. It was like clouds of air — you could hardly feel it.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=478041&amp;in_page_id=1811" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Surf Conditions: Extra Frothy | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/surf-conditions-extra-frothy/ | 2007-08-29 | 4 |
<p>ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota has reported its first child death from the flu this season.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/flu/stats/flustats1.pdf" type="external">weekly flu report</a> shows a continued increase in flu activity across Minnesota. As of the week ending Jan. 6, the Minnesota Department of Health reports more than 1,700 flu-related hospitalizations, 55 outbreaks of influenza-like illness in long-term care facilities, 43 outbreaks in schools and one pediatric flu death this season.</p>
<p>Health officials say all those indicators point to a potentially severe flu season, and Minnesota may not have seen the peak of the season yet.</p>
<p>Kris Ehresmann, the Health Department’s director of infectious disease, says Minnesotans should get their flu shot now if they haven’t already. She says there’s still a lot of flu season left, and that flu easily circulates through April and beyond.</p>
<p>ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota has reported its first child death from the flu this season.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/flu/stats/flustats1.pdf" type="external">weekly flu report</a> shows a continued increase in flu activity across Minnesota. As of the week ending Jan. 6, the Minnesota Department of Health reports more than 1,700 flu-related hospitalizations, 55 outbreaks of influenza-like illness in long-term care facilities, 43 outbreaks in schools and one pediatric flu death this season.</p>
<p>Health officials say all those indicators point to a potentially severe flu season, and Minnesota may not have seen the peak of the season yet.</p>
<p>Kris Ehresmann, the Health Department’s director of infectious disease, says Minnesotans should get their flu shot now if they haven’t already. She says there’s still a lot of flu season left, and that flu easily circulates through April and beyond.</p> | Minnesota flu season in full swing; 1 child death reported | false | https://apnews.com/782580d668bb4b988fa8aa4479d5a9a3 | 2018-01-12 | 2 |
<p>&lt;a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-288964p1.html?cr=00&amp;pl=edit-00"&gt;A. Einsiedler&lt;/a&gt; / &lt;a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/?cr=00&amp;pl=edit-00"&gt;Shutterstock.com&lt;/a&gt;</p>
<p />
<p>New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg endorsed Barack Obama for president on Thursday. Bloomberg, whose city is still dealing with the disaster left in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, cited the president’s position on climate change in a <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-01/a-vote-for-a-president-to-lead-on-climate-change.html%20" type="external">column posted on Bloomberg View</a>:</p>
<p>Our climate is changing. And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it might be — given this week’s devastation — should compel all elected leaders to take immediate action.</p>
<p>He continued:</p>
<p>We need leadership from the White House — and over the past four years, President Barack Obama has taken major steps to reduce our carbon consumption, including setting higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks. His administration also has adopted tighter controls on mercury emissions, which will help to close the dirtiest coal power plants (an effort I have supported through my philanthropy), which are estimated to kill 13,000 Americans a year.</p>
<p>Mitt Romney, too, has a history of tackling climate change. As governor of Massachusetts, he signed on to a regional cap- and-trade plan designed to reduce carbon emissions 10 percent below 1990 levels. “The benefits (of that plan) will be long- lasting and enormous — benefits to our health, our economy, our quality of life, our very landscape. These are actions we can and must take now, if we are to have ‘no regrets’ when we transfer our temporary stewardship of this Earth to the next generation,” he wrote at the time.</p>
<p>He couldn’t have been more right. But since then, he has reversed course, abandoning the very cap-and-trade program he once supported. This issue is too important. We need determined leadership at the national level to move the nation and the world forward.</p>
<p>Who knows how much sway Bloomberg, an independent, holds with the general public. But it certainly highlights how ridiculous it is that climate change never came up in any of the presidential or vice-presidential debates.</p>
<p /> | Bloomberg Cites Climate Change As He Endorses Obama | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2012/11/bloomberg-cites-climate-change-he-endorses-obama/ | 2012-11-01 | 4 |
<p><a href="" type="internal" /></p>
<p>From <a href="" type="internal">Robert Gehl</a>:</p>
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<p>And here comes that slippery slope.</p>
<p>Now that Republicans have said they’re willing to consider legislation or regulations that would ban “bump stocks,” which can allow a semi-automatic rifle fire faster, Democrats are trying to go further by introducing bills to ban so-called high capacity magazines.</p>
<p>Sponsored by Connecticut Rep. Elizabeth Esty, the bill defines high capacity magazines as holding anything in excess of 10 rounds.</p>
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<p>The bill is a direct response to the Las Vegas shooting two weeks ago, which left almost 60 dead and 500 injured. Stephen Paddock of Mesquite, Nevada, used a “bump stock” and “high-capacity” magazines to fire down on a crowd at a country music festival on the Strip.</p>
<p>Of course, this is history repeating itself. Democrats always use a tragedy where a firearm is used to push for more gun control. After the Newtown, Connecticut, shooting at an elementary school, the Obama Administration pushed hard for more gun control, to no avail.</p>
<p>Democrats introduced a similar bill to ban high-capacity magazines but the vote failed 54-46.</p>
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<p>Then-President Barack Obama was relegated to signing a series of executive orders dealing with the mentally fit and who can legally possess a firearm.</p>
<p>Of course, limiting the number of round in a magazine will do very little to curb mass shootings, even in the Las Vegas incident, where the killer had more than 40 minutes to carry out his deadly attack. Even then, banning possession of high capacity magazines does not mean anyone, much less criminals with an intent on using them to commit a crime, will turn them in.</p>
<p>You would literally make criminals out of millions of Americans, as currently magazines legally come in all forms, with capacities of 20, 30, 60, or even 100. And there are untold millions of those magazines owned by citizens.</p>
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<p>Of course, Democrats wouldn’t stop there. Last week, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said she hopes a ban on bump stocks is a “slippery slope” to more gun control.</p>
<p>“They’re going to say, ‘You give them bump stock, it’s going to be a slippery slope.’ I certainly hope so,” she told a reporter at a news conference.</p>
<p>Bump stocks? Banned. So-called “silencers”? Banned. But they won’t stop there, not a chance.</p>
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<p>And that’s the whole point, the left will never be satisfied with a simple ban on bump stocks or high-capacity magazines. Their ultimate goal is the complete disarming of the American civilian population.</p>
<p>More than 20 years ago, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and other Democrats called for an outright <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_LaBJvI0BI&amp;app=desktop" type="external">ban</a>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the motive behind Paddock’s shooting remains a mystery.</p>
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<p>What we’re left with is the belief that Paddock was simply “born a killer,” which means no gun laws would have stopped him anyway. Criminal profiler John Kelly told <a href="http://people.com/crime/las-vegas-shooting-criminal-profiler-motive-killer/" type="external">People</a> Magazine it was pathological.</p>
<p>“What would drive somebody that is so methodical and structured in life to go insane in a very structured and methodical way?” Kelly, who acknowledges he never met the shooter, wonders. “Paddock was a pathological gambler, psychopath and a sociopath. He was predisposed from birth and childhood to harbor extreme internalized shame, low self-esteem, depression, and aggressive anger.”</p>
<p>Kelly adds: “This was exacerbated with pathological gambling, Valium and alcohol that caused the perfect storm for mass murder: a delusional, psychotic illness which resulted in violent, suicidal, and explosive murderous rage.”</p>
<p>H/T: <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2017/10/12/dems-introduce-bill-to-ban-high-capacity-magazines/" type="external">The Daily Caller</a></p>
<p>What do you think? Scroll down to comment below.</p> | One Question Anti-Gun Liberals Need To Answer NOW | true | http://thefederalistpapers.org/us/one-question-anti-gun-liberals-need-answer-now | 0 |
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<p>Chipotle and AMD drag on the S&amp;P 500</p>
<p>The Dow fell triple digits and other indexes pulled back after a string of disappointing earnings, including results from Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. and Applied Micro Devices Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>A recent series of record closes, low volatility and stretched valuations have also been cited for the cautious trading that is dominating the session.</p>
<p>What are the main benchmarks doing?</p>
<p>The S&amp;P 500 dropped 19 points, or 0.8%, to 2,549, with all of its 11 main sectors trading lower. Telecoms and industrials led the decline. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 160 points, or 0.7%, to 23,280, a day after closing at a record.</p>
<p>The Nasdaq Composite shed 53 points, or 0.8%, to 6,544.</p>
<p>What's driving markets?</p>
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<p>Even though overall earnings have been beating expectations, a few results on Wednesday disappointed investors.</p>
<p>Burrito chain Chipotle(CMG) and chip maker AMD(AMD) were the S&amp;P 500's two biggest losers, with stocks falling 14% and 11%, respectively, following disappointing earnings.</p>
<p>Chipotle posted weaker-than-expected earnings (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chipotle-stock-drops-after-hours-on-third-quarter-earnings-miss-2017-10-24) late Tuesday, sinking 15%, while AMD's results beat expectations (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/amd-shares-decline-even-after-earnings-beat-2017-10-24), but investors seemed more concerned about the company's outlook (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/amd-stock-still-volatile-despite-fresh-stability-in-chip-makers-business-2017-10-24), which may not have been as strong as hoped. AMD shares are tumbling 13%.</p>
<p>What are analysts saying?</p>
<p>"It is clear that markets are reacting to some disappointing earnings, because the economic picture remains robust," said Randy Frederick, managing director of trading and derivatives at Schwab Center for Financial Research.</p>
<p>"Markets have outperformed over the past several weeks and have been overbought. We would not be surprised to see a mild pullback as people take profits," Frederick said.</p>
<p>Most analysts believe momentum remains strong, however.</p>
<p>"While we continue to advise patience and some caution in the near term [due to low volatility and stretched valuation] the strength in U.S. stocks continues to support our view that we are nowhere near the end of this secular bull market," said Andrew Adams, market strategist at Raymond James, in a note.</p>
<p>What are other assets doing?</p>
<p>The dollar (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/dollar-largely-gains-with-aussie-whacked-by-soft-inflation-figure-2017-10-25) was little changed after giving up an earlier gain that analysts had pinned on bets that the Federal Reserve's next boss either will pick up the pace with interest-rate hikes or stay the course. Meanwhile, the yield on the 10-year Treasury note is trading around 2.43%.</p>
<p>European stocks (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gucci-parent-helps-lift-luxury-stocks-but-european-markets-stay-in-their-rut-2017-10-25) mostly rose, while Asian markets largely closed higher, though Japan's Nikkei benchmark halted a 16-session winning streak (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nikkeis-16-session-winning-streak-is-in-peril-as-japan-stocks-pause-at-multiyear-heights-2017-10-24). Gold prices ticked higher and oil futures (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/oil-prices-ease-as-investors-wait-to-see-if-crude-stockpiles-decline-2017-10-25) lost ground.</p>
<p>Read:How oil is escaping from 'purgatory' as supply glut turns to supply concern (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-oil-is-escaping-from-purgatory-as-supply-glut-turns-to-supply-concern-2017-10-25)</p>
<p>How is the economy?</p>
<p>Durable-goods orders (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/business-investment-surges-again-in-september-durable-goods-report-shows-2017-10-25)rose 2.2% in September, beating the MarketWatch forecast of a 0.7% gain. Excluding transportation orders increased 0.7%.</p>
<p>New-home sales ran at a 667,000 annual pace (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/new-home-sales-roar-to-a-10-year-high-in-september-2017-10-25) in September, an 18.9% increase compared with August, and a 17% increase compared with a year ago. The data crushed the MarketWatch consensus forecast of a 555,000 annual rate.</p>
<p>"Today's economic data were all good and suggest continued growth. Even if we have a pullback, its likely to be shallow and short-lived," Frederick said.</p>
<p>Check out:MarketWatch's Economic Calendar (http://www.marketwatch.com/economy-politics/calendars/economic)</p>
<p>No Fed officials are scheduled to speak, but investors are bracing for President Donald Trump's pick to lead the U.S. central bank. Trump on Tuesday asked Senate Republicans who should be the next Fed boss, and Stanford University economist John Taylor reportedly beat out Fed Gov. Jerome Powell (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-asked-senate-republicans-who-should-be-next-fed-chair-and-john-taylor-reportedly-was-the-winner-2017-10-24). The president is expected to announce his choice before starting a trip to Asia (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-today-president-says-hes-very-very-close-to-naming-pick-for-fed-chief-2017-10-23) on Nov. 3.</p>
<p>Read:Trump indicates Taylor and Powell could be named together to top Fed roles (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-indicates-taylor-and-powell-could-be-named-together-to-top-fed-roles-2017-10-20)</p>
<p>And see:Who's the next Fed boss? Brace for a 'Trumpian surprise' (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/whos-the-next-fed-boss-brace-for-a-trumpian-surprise-2017-10-20)</p>
<p>Which stocks are big movers?</p>
<p>Shares of Lumber Liquidators (LL) fell 1.7% after the company announced it reached an agreement with a group of plaintiffs to settle lawsuits associated with Chinese-made laminate flooring it had previously sold (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/lumber-liquidators-reaches-36-mln-deal-on-chinese-laminate-products-2017-10-24). As part of the deal, Lumber Liquidators will pay $22 million in cash and provide $14 million in store credit to the plaintiffs.</p>
<p>On the upside, Akamai Technologies Inc.(AKAM) rose 5.2% after the provider of tech services posted better-than-anticipated results late Tuesday.</p>
<p>Shares in Visa Inc.(V) rose 1% following its stronger-than-expected results (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/visas-stock-jumps-after-profit-and-sales-rise-above-expectations-2017-10-25).</p>
<p>(http://www.marketwatch.com/story/visas-stock-jumps-after-profit-and-sales-rise-above-expectations-2017-10-25)Aerospace giant Northrop Grumman Corp.(NOC) rose 2.2% after its earnings beat forecasts.</p>
<p>Tesla Inc.(TSLA) fell 3.4% following revelation that David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital criticized the Silicon Valley car maker's ability in manufacturing driverless cars (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/tesla-slammed-by-einhorns-greenlight-capital-2017-10-24) and suggested that they are just putting "dangerous products on the road."</p>
<p>--Victor Reklaitis contributed to this report.</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>October 25, 2017 17:16 ET (21:16 GMT)</p> | MARKET SNAPSHOT: Dow Falls By Triple Digits As Stocks Retreat On A String Of Disappointing Earnings | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/10/25/market-snapshot-dow-falls-by-triple-digits-as-stocks-retreat-on-string-disappointing-earnings.html | 2017-10-25 | 0 |
<p>Responding to left-wing criticisms of their father as an anti-woman sexist, Donald Trump’s daughters Ivanka and Tiffany joined his wife Melania in speaking to what they said was the Republican front-runner’s equal treatment of both sexes. At a CNN town hall hosted by the network’s figurehead Anderson Cooper, the Trump family joined their father in a family-themed event.</p>
<p>Stating that their father had always inspired them to limitlessly forecast and work towards bright future, Ivanka and Tiffany Trump claimed they had never been treated as any lesser than their brothers.</p>
<p>“I have witnessed these incredible female role models that he’s employed in the highest executive positions in the Trump Organization my entire life, in an industry that has been dominated by men - is still dominated by men - but certainly was when he was starting out in his career and he was employing some of these women and raising them through the ranks,” said Ivanka Trump.</p>
<p>Trump’s two daughters shared a view that their father has always inspired them to aspire highly and achieve.</p>
<p>“The way he raised me, the way he raised Tiffany, it’s a testament to the fact that he believes in inspiring women, empowering women, he always taught me that there wasn’t anything that I couldn’t do if I set my mind to it,” said Ivanka Trump.</p>
<p>“He wants us to the best, and has the utmost faith that we can accomplish whatever we set our minds to, just as well as men if not better,” added Tiffany Trump.</p>
<p>Highlighting that her husband’s acrimony and affection are both delivered in equal measure to both men and women, Melania Trump rejected left-wing mischaracterizations of the Republican front-runner.</p>
<p>“He treats everyone equally, so if you’re a woman and he attacks, they attack him, he will attack back, no matter who you are. We’re all human, and he treats them equal as men,” said Melania Trump.</p>
<p>Following Trump’s battles with Fox News Channel’s Megyn Kelly, left-wing media has cast the New York City billionaire as a misogynist in order to advance its “War on Women” narrative for the benefit of Hillary Clinton.</p>
<p>Follow Robert Kraychik on <a href="https://twitter.com/kr3ch3k" type="external">Twitter</a>.</p> | Melania, Ivanka, And Tiffany Trump: Our Man Treats Women And Men Equally | true | https://dailywire.com/news/4891/melania-ivanka-and-tiffany-trump-our-man-treats-robert-kraychik | 2016-04-12 | 0 |
<p>If you've followed <a href="" type="internal">Donald Trump's campaign</a> at all, odds are you know who Katrina Pierson is. While surrogates don't get "ranked," per se, I would say she's right near the top when it comes to people who represent his campaign.</p>
<p>And she's an <a href="" type="internal">absolutely unhinged imbecile</a> - just like the candidate she supports.</p>
<p>I reached a point a long time ago where it's impossible for me to take her seriously. Even those who are forced to have to interview her seem to struggle to maintain their professional composure throughout the whole ordeal.</p>
<p>Take for instance an interview she had on Wednesday with MSNBC's Kate Snow that went off the rails when Pierson continued to give answers to questions that didn't remotely address what was being asked - then used "logic" that was even&#160;more&#160;asinine than her actual answers to defend her idiocy.</p>
<p>When Pierson was asked by Snow about Trump's "Second Amendment" comments he made on Tuesday, she tried to claim that he was referring to the "bipartisan" NRA.</p>
<p>"The NRA is a bipartisan organization," Pierson stated. "And that is also left out of the discussion in the media, considering how there are even Democrats who won't touch gun legislation in an election year because the NRA has been able to take out Democrats as well."</p>
<p>Yes, there are some fairly pro-gun Democrats out there. However, to claim that the NRA is a "bipartisan organization" is an absolute joke.</p>
<p>After&#160;Snow pointed out that most people took Trump's words to mean something completely different, Pierson responded with even more incoherent rambling about the NRA.</p>
<p>"No one is even talking about the power of the NRA," Pierson replied. "They have been able to stop senators from appointing people who are hostile towards the Second Amendment. And that's what he's talking about."</p>
<p>Playing along with Pierson's obviously preposterous claim that Trump was referring to the NRA, Snow asked her if there should be any concern among voters over the fact that he often says things that are interpreted by most people one way, only for his campaign to insist he meant something else later.</p>
<p>"If his words are misinterpreted as president, he will not get a do over as president of the United States," Snow said. "I think that's what a lot of people are reacting too here. You don't get a do over."</p>
<p>Instead of addressing what Snow had just said, Pierson started ranting about how "horrible" Hillary Clinton is - which had nothing to do with what was actually being discussed.</p>
<p>"You have no concern about his ability as president, if he were president, to make an argument with foreign leaders, in negotiations and not be misconstrued or misunderstood?" Snow asked.</p>
<p>"He wasn't talking about policy," Pierson shot back. "He wasn't talking about implementation of policy. He was talking about what would happen if Hillary Clinton were to be elected and he was absolutely right."</p>
<p>"I'm speechless because I'm trying to follow your logic here, Katrina, and I'm having a hard time," Snow said after sitting silent for a few seconds.</p>
<p>"I can tell," Pierson responded.</p>
<p>I legitimately felt bad for Snow trying to conduct this mess with a straight face. There she was, trying to have a serious conversation about Trump's extremely dangerous remarks, and Pierson kept going on illogical tangents about the NRA and Hillary Clinton&#160;while&#160;ignoring the valid points Snow was trying to discuss.</p>
<p>Of course,&#160;this is <a href="" type="internal">nothing new from Pierson</a>. Throughout Trump's campaign <a href="" type="internal">she's made a fool out of herself</a> by providing answers to questions that often have almost nothing to do with what she was actually asked. There have been times where you could tell that she wasn't actually aware of what Trump had said, yet she was trying to answer for it anyway. The fact she's one of Trump's top spokespeople speaks volumes for what a sideshow his entire campaign really is.</p>
<p>Watch the interview below <a href="http://www.msnbc.com" type="external">via MSNBC</a>:</p>
<p />
<p />
<p><a href="" type="internal">Panel Erupts into Laughter as Top Trump Surrogate Struggles to Defend Immigration Flip-Flop (Video)</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Trump Jr. Whines to Sean Hannity, Blames Media for Campaign's Incompetent Surrogates (Audio)</a></p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Donald Trump Spokeswoman Crashes &amp; Burns During Disastrous CNN Interview (Video)</a></p>
<p>0 Facebook comments</p> | Interview with Trump Spokeswoman Goes Completely Off the Rails, Claims NRA is 'Bipartisan' (Video) | true | http://forwardprogressives.com/interview-with-trump-spokeswoman-goes-completely-off-the-rails-claims-nra-is-bipartisan-video/ | 2016-08-10 | 4 |
<p>Man's best friend is getting an expensive new look. Sony released its new version of the Aibo, a robotic dog. If the name sounds familiar, it should. Sony first released the robo-pooch in 1999. The last one was made in 2006.</p>
<p />
<p>This new version, of course, comes with a few upgrades. Just like its predecessor, the 2017 Aibo responds to voice commands, barks, sits and wags its tail like a real dog. The latest version not only got a more lovable makeover, but it's equipped with a powerful new computer chip, and has the ability to connect to mobile networks.</p>
<p />
<p>Sony says this Aibo will have more intelligence than its older model and will play with its owner without being told to do so. For example, if you walk into your home after work, the new Aibo could run to greet you at the door. Sony even says it can form an emotional bond with members of the household. It even matures and adapts to its environment over time.</p>
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<p>Don't start wagging your tail in excitement yet. This dog hasn't even hit the market yet. Sony just started taking pre-orders in Japan, and to get your hands on one, you'll have to fork over more than $1700.</p>
<p>The new dog is expected to go on sale in January.</p> | Sony's robo-dog is getting a 2017 reboot | false | https://circa.com/story/2017/11/01/products/sonys-robo-dog-is-getting-a-2017-reboot | 2017-11-01 | 1 |
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<p>Radio host Craig Carton, who teamed up for years with former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason on a New York City sports show, said Wednesday that he was shocked by his arrest and will prove his innocence.</p>
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<p>Carton, 48, spoke outside Manhattan federal court after pleading not guilty to fraud charges in an indictment returned last week. He told reporters he entered the plea because he was "unequivocally not guilty."</p>
<p>The longtime co-host of WFAN's "Boomer and Carton" show was arrested in September on charges that he misappropriated at least $5.6 million from two investors in a ticket reselling business designed to raise millions of dollars so he could pay off gambling debts. Free on $500,000 bond, he quit his job shortly after the arrest.</p>
<p>"I was shocked when I was arrested and even more surprised that the government was accusing me of running a complete sham as they put it," Carton said with his lawyer at his side.</p>
<p>Outgoing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who is a close friend of Carton and made several appearances on WFAN as a fill-in host, addressed the situation in an interview with <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2017/11/07/exclusive-craig-carton-speaks-ponzi-scheme-charges-and-life-off-sports-radio-since-arrest/839032001/" type="external">USA Today Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>“I believe in Craig and I believe in his goodness as a person,” Christie said. “I asked him when this all broke to be honest with me and he said he has done nothing wrong and he is the victim here. Craig has never lied to me before and so if a friend of mine tells me they are being wronged and I believe them – and I do believe Craig – (then) friendship is not just for good times but for difficult times too. That’s when you need to stand up.”</p>
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<p>Carton said prosecutors were wrong to say that a concert ticket reselling business was a scam. He said the business was licensed by the state of New York and that he bought and sold thousands of tickets and had deals in place to buy and sell many more tickets.</p>
<p>Carton also said the government told his lawyers about 10 days ago that he had a legitimate ticket selling business and that he'd been selling tickets for a long time.</p>
<p>"Unfortunately, the damage caused by the government's false accusations cannot be undone," he said. "I firmly believe that law enforcement and our courts are committed to seeking out the truth and ensuring that the truth sees the light of day. I fully intend to see this all the way to a not guilty verdict from a jury of my peers."</p>
<p>A spokesman for the government declined to comment on Carton's remarks.</p>
<p>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</p> | NY radio host Craig Carton speaks out on Ponzi scheme charges | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/11/08/ny-radio-host-craig-carton-speaks-out-on-ponzi-scheme-charges.html | 2017-11-08 | 0 |
<p>&lt;a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=99642290"&gt;Chris Bradshaw&lt;/a&gt;/Shutterstock</p>
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<p>Since Obamacare was enacted in March 2010, House Republicans have voted <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/01/15/1450711/obamacare-repeal-zero-co-sponsors/" type="external">dozens of times</a> to repeal it. And no, the Supreme Court decision upholding the sweeping health care act <a href="http://www.hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/releases?ID=35aedf8f-c86a-4cd7-a334-cbf6b7ab68c0" type="external">hasn’t stopped those efforts</a>. While these kinds of moves are pretty much symbolic at this point, the law’s conservatives foes are making one more push that they are pretty sure will finally do the trick. Too bad it won’t work.</p>
<p>The socialism-killer, the Obamacare haters say, is the states’ power to refuse to set up <a href="http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/choices/exchanges/index.html" type="external">health insurance exchanges</a>, the online marketplaces where people who don’t get insurance through their employer will be able to shop for coverage and pick up federal subsidies to help pay their premiums. If states don’t set up their own exchanges—and most Republican governors have already refused to—the federal government will do it for them. Still, conservative news sites and advocacy groups are spreading the word that this spells the end of the Affordable Care Act. “States’ Refusal to Establish Exchanges Could Undo Obamacare,” <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2013/01/17/states-refusal-to-establish-exchanges-could-undo-obamacare/" type="external">says the Daily Caller</a>. “Obamacare in Peril as GOP Governors Refuse to Run State Exchanges,” <a href="http://www.policymic.com/articles/23617/obamacare-in-peril-as-gop-governors-refuse-to-run-state-exchanges" type="external">says</a> <a href="http://www.policymic.com/articles/23617/obamacare-in-peril-as-gop-governors-refuse-to-run-state-exchanges" type="external">PolicyMic</a>. The tea party group <a href="" type="internal">FreedomWorks</a> has launched a snazzy campaign with a website called <a href="http://blockexchanges.com/" type="external">BlockExchanges</a> where you can consult an “action map” to find out “where your state stands on resisting the Obamacare exchanges” and join the “last stand in the fight against the Left’s health care takeover.”</p>
<p>“It’s a Republican fantasy,” says Ethan Rome, executive director of <a href="http://healthcareforamericanow.org/" type="external">Healthcare for America Now</a>, which backed Obamacare. The block-the-exchanges arguments “are all grounded in same lack of fact.” Nonetheless, their proponents have a muddled bunch of reasons for why they will prevail, centering around cost, administrative burden, and a fun legal theory.</p>
<p>The Department of Health and Human Services has said that because more than half of the states will not create their own exchanges, the federal government will have to set up <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/us/states-will-be-given-extra-time-to-set-up-health-insurance-exchanges.html?_r=0" type="external">more than it expected</a>. Some on the right are claiming that the added expense from this will doom the law. “The Obama administration cannot afford to absorb these costs,” asserts Tony Lee at <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/12/13/28-States-That-Have-Rejected-State-Based-Health-Insurance-Exchanges-May-Make-Obamacare-Implementation-More-Difficult" type="external">Breitbart</a>. “HHS officials must be sweating,” Dean Clancy, legislative counsel at FreedomWorks, opined last month at the <a href="http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/05/states-still-have-power-to-reject-obamacare/" type="external">Daily Caller</a>.</p>
<p>Except that there is no added expense. HHS has budgeted for <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/wp-content/uploads/cbofiles/attachments/43472-07-24-2012-CoverageEstimates.pdf" type="external">23 million people</a> to get health insurance through the exchanges regardless of whether they are federal- or state-run. The federal marketplaces are “scalable to accommodate as many states as need be,” according to an HHS spokesperson.&#160;</p>
<p>Other Obamacare foes admit they’d rather have the blame for the exchanges’ inevitable failure land on the feds rather than the states. Conservative pundit Dick Morris has sent out <a href="http://dickmorris.rallycongress.com/8329/resist-obamacare-no-state-insurance-exchanges/" type="external">more than 40,000 petitions</a> urging folks to protest the marketplaces because they are “likely to be an administrative nightmare…all of our fears of federal incompetence will probably be realized when these new exchanges are established, [and] if the exchanges are federal, Obama will get the blame which he will richly deserve. The incompetence of federal regulation will be manifest and the frustration will cause many to turn against the Obamacare law.”</p>
<p>HHS says the exchanges will be up and running in time to meet the deadline when all Americans must have health coverage. The Department “is confident that every state will have an exchange in place by January 1, 2014, run either by the state, HHS, or as a partnership,” says an HHS spokesperson. Timothy Jost, a health care law scholar at the Washington and Lee University School of Law who regularly meets with HHS officials on implementation of the legislation, says the department has known for some time that it was likely that many states would not set up exchanges, and that “they’re on track and ready to go.”</p>
<p>But probably the most widely touted reason given for why obstinate Republican governors will be able to take Obamacare down is a <a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/healthcare/if-states-don-t-set-up-insurance-exchanges-will-obamacare-implode--20121130" type="external">legal theory</a> pushed by conservative scholars like Michael Cannon, the health policy director at the libertarian Cato Institute. It goes like this: Congress only intended the subsidies and tax credits that help consumers buy health insurance to be available through state-created, not federally created, exchanges. If these benefits aren’t available in states with federally run exchanges, the argument goes, then other key components of the law, like the requirement that employers offer health insurance, and that most people must buy insurance, also fall apart in those states.</p>
<p>Jonathan Gruber, who helped write former presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts health care law as well as the Affordable Care Act, calls this theory a “screwy interpretation” of the law. “It’s nutty. It’s stupid,” he says. And beyond that, “it’s essentially unprecedented in our democracy. This was law democratically enacted, challenged in the Supreme Court, and passed the test, and now [Republicans] are trying again. They’re desperate.”</p>
<p>Gruber and Jost both say the interpretation conservatives are peddling has nothing to do with congressional intent. There is language scattered throughout the bill, Jost says, that refers to state-established exchanges, but as a whole, it’s obvious that the law treats state and federal exchanges equally. “If you don’t know anything about reading statutes, you assume that the way courts do it is by taking a sentence here and a sentence there,” he says. “But if you look at it in context, the whole statute hangs together.” If Cannon’s interpretation is right, Jost says, it would mean that Congress wrote “the law to set up federal exchanges and then said they can’t do anything.”</p>
<p>Nonetheless, Cannon’s idea has real traction. He has been trotting around the country urging governors to resist implementation of the marketplaces. On Tuesday he <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/23/3195446/lawmakers-consider-to-put-in-place.html" type="external">testified at the Florida statehouse</a> (as did Gruber, who presented the opposing position). Oklahoma Attorney General E. Scott Pruitt has <a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/healthcare/if-states-don-t-set-up-insurance-exchanges-will-obamacare-implode--20121130" type="external">filed a lawsuit</a> challenging whether federal exchanges have the power to distribute tax credits and subsidies. He wants the court to invalidate an IRS rule that plainly states that federal exchanges have the same powers as state exchanges. <a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/healthcare/if-states-don-t-set-up-insurance-exchanges-will-obamacare-implode--20121130" type="external">More lawsuits could be on the way</a>, but Jost points out that a <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/sebelius-v-auburn-regional-medical-center/" type="external">new Supreme Court ruling</a> made this Monday will make these kinds of cases futile.</p>
<p>It’s unclear whether those pushing this kind of legal reasoning know that it’s fatally flawed and are using it just to spite Obamacare, “but these poor states don’t know any better,” Gruber says. “It’s a very unfortunate thing that states that probably would do better with a state exchange will get a federal exchange because Cato is able to convince them,” Jost says.</p>
<p>Then again, the last-ditch campaign to kill Obamacare may be doing more damage to the small-government cause than to the states. “By refusing to participate in running their own exchange, the conservative refuseniks are making the federal system bigger,” Rome says. “It’s an obvious irony of their own making.”</p>
<p /> | Conservatives Insist Obamacare Is on Its Death Bed | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2013/01/obamacare-exchanges-conservative-cato-freedomworks/ | 2013-01-24 | 4 |
<p>JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - While the income of black South African households has increased by 169 percent in the last decade, whites still earn on average six times more, a national census has found.</p>
<p>President Jacob Zuma said <a href="http://www.statssa.gov.za/Census2011/Products.asp" type="external">the 2011 census</a>, released Tuesday, showed that much more needs to be done to bring equality to the country, 18 years after after the end of racist white minority rule, <a href="http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Pay-disparities-persist-20121030" type="external">SAPA reported</a>.</p>
<p>"These figures tell us that at the bottom of the rung is the black majority who continue to be confronted by deep poverty, unemployment and inequality, despite the progress that we have made since 1994," Zuma said.</p>
<p>The census put South Africa's population at 51.8 million, nearly 80 percent of whom are black people.</p>
<p>Zulu is the language most often spoken language in South African homes, followed by Xhosa.</p>
<p>Zuma said access to basic services such as water, electricity and garbage removal had more than doubled since his party, the African National Congress, took power in 1994.</p>
<p>"However, much remains to be done to further improve the livelihoods of our people, especially in terms of [the] significant disparities that still exist between the rich and poor," he said, according to SAPA.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/south-africa/121026/johannesburg-south-africa-williamsburg-brooklyn-hipsters" type="external">Johannesburg: The new Williamsburg?</a></p> | South African census shows continuing racial inequality | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-10-30/south-african-census-shows-continuing-racial-inequality | 2012-10-30 | 3 |
<p>Investing.com – Gold prices rose on Friday, as traders were eyeing an upcoming report on U.S. employment after mixed data on Thursday dampened demand for the greenback.</p>
<p>Comex were up $1.54 or about 0.12% at $1,323.80 a troy ounce by 03.00 a.m. ET (07:00 GMT).</p>
<p>The greenback weakened after data on Thursday showed that and annual inflation increased at its slowest pace since late 2015.</p>
<p>A separate report showed that U.S. pending home sales decreased by last month, compared to expectations for a gain of 0.5%.</p>
<p>On a more positive note, the U.S. Labor Department said initial jobless claims rose less than expected last week to .</p>
<p>The greenback had strengthened broadly after a batch of upbeat U.S. data on Wednesday, including .</p>
<p>Market participants were now eyeing the monthly due later Friday, for further indications on the strength of the economy.</p>
<p>The , which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was up 0.17% at 92.75.</p>
<p>Gold is sensitive to moves in the dollar. A stronger dollar makes gold more expensive for holders of foreign currency.</p>
<p>Elsewhere on the Comex, gained 0.3 cents or about 0.20% to $17.51 a troy ounce.</p>
<p />
<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | Gold prices rise with U.S. jobs data on tap | false | https://newsline.com/gold-prices-rise-with-u-s-jobs-data-on-tap/ | 2017-09-01 | 1 |
<p>ISIS has officially claimed responsibility for the mass attack in Jakarta. Six explosions rocked the city’s capital as gunmen fired a salvo of bullets at police during a three-hour standoff. Two victims, a Canadian national and an Indonesian citizen, are confirmed dead. Five of the attackers were neutralized and killed.</p>
<p>The Guardian (UK) <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jan/14/multiple-explosions-gunshots-reported-in-jakarta-rolling-report?CMP=share_btn_tw" type="external">details</a> the chronology of events as they unfolded:</p>
<p>Jakarta’s chief of police, Tito Karnavian, has given a <a href="http://setkab.go.id/inilah-penjelasan-kapolda-metro-jaya-soal-aksi-bom-bunuh-diri-di-kawasan-sarinah-jakarta/" type="external">detailed account of how the attack unfolded</a>. He said the first explosions occurred at around 10.50am local time. Gunfire then followed.</p>
<p>Karnavian claimed police gained control after 30 minutes. He confirmed that a suicide bomber blew himself up in an attack near the Starbucks cafe. Panic followed, he said. Two more attackers began shooting tourists in the area. One Canadian was shot dead, another tourist was wounded.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, a second group of attackers targeted a police station at the Sarinah crossroads, in another suicide bombing, Karnavian said. The bomber and one passerby were killed in the blast.</p>
<p>Terrorists continued to attack downtown Jakarta with grenades and firearms, the police chief said. In the subsequent gun battle, four members of the police were shot. They had gunshot wounds to the legs and abdomen.</p>
<p>Two of the attackers were killed in the 15-minute gun battle. At that point the military were bought in, Karnavian said. The Skyline Building above the Starbucks cafe was searched floor by floor. No attackers were found.</p>
<p>Police found five improvised hand grenades, and one other bomb slightly larger than a biscuit tin.</p>
<p>Karnavian confirmed that five attackers were killed. Two other people, the Canadian and an Indonesian, were also killed.</p>
<p>Five police officers suffered gunshot or shrapnel wounds. Karnavian said all the attackers were Indonesian men from West Java, Central Java, Sulawesi, and the greater Jakarta area.</p>
<p>He said the targets of the attackers were the police, and symbols of the west.</p>
<p>This is part of the war by Isis against the west, he said. “We had intelligence that there would be an attack by the Isis group. But we didn’t know where and when,” Karnavian added.</p>
<p>Shortly after the attack, ISIS released a statement taking responsibility for the carnage. "A group of soldiers of the caliphate in Indonesia targeted a gathering from the crusader alliance that fights the Islamic State in Jakarta through planting several explosive devices that went off as four of the soldiers attacked with light weapons and explosive belts," <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jan/14/multiple-explosions-gunshots-reported-in-jakarta-rolling-report?CMP=share_btn_tw" type="external">proclaimed</a> the Islamic State.</p>
<p>"A group of soldiers of the caliphate in Indonesia targeted a gathering from the crusader alliance that fights the Islamic State in Jakarta through planting several explosive devices that went off as four of the soldiers attacked with light weapons and explosive belts."</p>
<p>Islamic State</p>
<p>ISIS initially claimed that a total of 15 people had been killed in the attacks. Indonesian officials refuted this claim, citing evidence of seven deaths total, including the attackers. ISIS often exaggerates its body counts in its perverse PR war to attract more jihadist recruits than competing terror organizations such as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.</p>
<p />
<p>This is the first major attack in Jakarta since the 2009, when terrorists attacked two hotels in the city’s densely populated core.</p>
<p>Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo, asked for calm, urging his nation to continue to go about its daily routine. "The state, nation and people should not be afraid of, and lose to, such terror acts,” <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jan/14/multiple-explosions-gunshots-reported-in-jakarta-rolling-report?CMP=share_btn_tw" type="external">stated</a> Widodo.</p> | Don’t Worry, Obama’s Got ISIS Under Control. Oh, Wait, They Just Bombed Jakarta. | true | https://dailywire.com/news/2616/dont-worry-obamas-got-isis-under-control-oh-wait-joshua-yasmeh | 2016-01-14 | 0 |
<p />
<p>So many stars, so little time! First up, via <a href="http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/148614-videos-beyonc-kanye-west-various-songs-live-in-washington-dc" type="external">Pitchfork</a>, it’s this tear-jerking performance from Beyoncé at the Neighborhood Ball. She does an admirably restrained version of Etta James’ “At Last” as our first couple dances somewhat awkwardly but charmingly on stage.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>After the jump: Kanye, Mariah, and the 12-headed pop-rock-rap monster.</p>
<p>Kanye West was over at the Youth Ball, which by the way must have been very frustrating for, say, the 37-year-olds. Anyway, Kanye does an incredibly fast-paced medley of hits including his part from Estelle’s “American Boy” and a couple tracks from 808s and Heartbreak.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>If you’re interested, here’s Mariah Carey at the Neighborhood Ball, whose bland speechifying and syrupy ballad “Hero” are just embarrassingly bad, but hey, it’s not my thing, and the Obama era is supposed to be about acceptance…</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Here’s the big combo performance of “Signed Sealed Delivered” with, uh, will.i.am, Maroon 5, Mary J Blige, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Shakira, Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill, Sting and Jay-Z, as well as our new president and his wife happily shimmying along on some sort of go-go platform.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>Still looking for footage of Common at the Home States ball…</p>
<p /> | Inaugural Ball Performance Wrapup | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2009/01/inaugural-ball-performance-wrapup/ | 2009-01-21 | 4 |
<p />
<p>Ah, finally an entry for MoJo Sports. Sports Illustrated has a <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/03/06/eco0312/" type="external">neat article</a> on the impact of <a href="/news/feature/2006/11/13th_tipping_point.html" type="external">global warming</a> on sports.</p>
<p>Football:</p>
<p>Searing heat is turning that rite of passage of Texas high school football, the August two-a-day, into a one-at-night, while at the game’s highest level the Miami Dolphins, once famous for sweating players into shape, have thrown in the soggy towel and built a climate-controlled practice bubble.</p>
<p>Skiing:</p>
<p>One day in November enough snow fell at Colorado’s Beaver Creek to cause the cancellation of practice for the men’s downhill at a World Cup event. A day later on the other side of the globe, officials at the French resort of Val d’Isère called off another World Cup event on account of too little snow, as well as a forecast of prolonged warm temperatures — one of seven World Cup events in Europe this season to have all races canceled for the same reason.</p>
<p>Dog-racing:</p>
<p>The world’s signature dogsled race, Alaska’s Iditarod, hasn’t begun at its traditional starting point in Wasilla since 2002 because of too little snow there.</p>
<p>And on and on. The examples abound. There are also thoughts on how to build a green stadium and instances of players who have undertaken green initiatives and teams that have gone carbon neutral. Here’s is a neat one:</p>
<p>Scientists told the NFL that Super Bowl XLI would put one million pounds of carbon dioxide into the air — not counting air travel to Miami — so the league planted 3,000 trees around Florida in an attempt to pull at least that much of the greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere.</p>
<p>Check out the whole thing. Make sure to look for quotes from our very own Bill McKibben, who wrote <a href="/news/feature/2007/03/reversal_of_fortune.html" type="external">“Reversal of Fortune”</a> for MoJo’s most recent issue, and the sidebar packed full of links on how to “become a greener sports fan.” Activism and sports, suh-weet.</p>
<p /> | When Sports and Climate Change Collide | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/03/when-sports-and-climate-change-collide/ | 2007-03-07 | 4 |
<p>Long gone are the days when investors options for income were limited to high dividend stocks and bonds and the corresponding exchange-traded funds. While the ETF industry has recently been criticized, perhaps rightfully so, for bringing too many new products to market, issuers have also introduced some unique and viable ways of generating income.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The PowerShares DWA Tactical Multi-Asset Income Portfolio (NASDAQ:DWIN) is an example of a new, income-oriented ETF that merits consideration.</p>
<p>DWIN follows the Dorsey Wright Multi-Asset Income Index. That index invests its assets in the shares of other, underlying exchange-traded funds eligible for inclusion in the Index, rather than in securities of individual companies. The Index is designed to select investments from a universe of income strategies with the criteria for inclusion based on a combination of relative strength and current yield, <a href="https://www.invesco.com/portal/site/us/financial-professional/etfs/product-detail?productId=DWIN&amp;title=powershares-dwa-tactical-multi-asset-income-portfolio" type="external">according to PowerShares Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/16/06/8132889/amid-asset-surge-fallen-angel-bond-etf-trims-fees" type="external">Amid Asset Surge, Fallen Angel Bond ETF Trims Fees Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>In plain English, DWIN's selection universe is quasi-limited to the PowerShares ETFs with income strategies. That really is not all that limiting because PowerShares, the fourth-largest U.S. ETF sponsor in terms of assets, has one of the largest lineups in terms of total number of products. That includes an expansive group of fixed income funds, including hot emerging markets and <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/16/06/8128053/fed-indulges-this-preferred-etf" type="external">preferred stock ETFs. Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>DWIN came to market in March, and in just over three months on the market, the ETF has already shuffled constituents. The ETF is now home the Alerian MLP (NYSE:AMLP), the largest MLP ETF and not a PowerShares fund. The PowerShares KBW Premium Yield Equity REIT Portfolio (PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust II (NYSE:KBWY)) is another new addition to DWIN's lineup.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>When DWIN first came to market, it held a Build America bonds ETF and a common stock ETF, which means those are the funds that have subsequently departed DWIN.</p>
<p>There is something to DWIN's approach to income because figuring out what income-generating asset class will lead at the start of a given year is not easy. As PowerShares data indicate, since 2007, only two income asset classes have been annual leaders on multiple occasions: MLPs and preferred stocks.</p>
<p>DWIN has another nifty feature. Should markets go completely haywire, the ETF can allocate up to 80 percent of its lineup to conservative U.S. Treasurys.</p>
<p>While the ETF has not yet crossed the much ballyhooed $100 million in assets under management mark, data suggest investors are warming to the fund. In just over three months on the market, DWIN has nearly $73 million in assets with $25.4 million of that total arriving over the past month.</p>
<p>2016 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.</p> | Yield Hunt Benefits This New ETF | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/06/22/yield-hunt-benefits-this-new-etf.html | 2016-06-23 | 0 |
<p>Donald Trump kicked off his presidency with the <a href="http://news.gallup.com/poll/202811/trump-sets-new-low-point-inaugural-approval-rating.aspx?g_source=position4&amp;g_medium=related&amp;g_campaign=tiles" type="external">lowest approval rating</a> of any elected president — just 45 percent. Since then, he’s rarely risen above a 50 percent approval rating, and, with his numerous mishaps, he’s managed to alienate a significant portion of the people who originally rallied behind him.</p>
<p>The results of a new <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-ruralamerica-poll/trumps-popularity-is-slipping-in-rural-america-poll-idUSKBN1CE162" type="external">Reuters/Ipsos poll</a> showed that even rural Americans are starting to turn on Trump.</p>
<p>Voters in “non-metro” areas&#160;are currently split equally when it comes to approval of the president. Forty-seven percent approve of the job Trump is doing and another 47 percent disapprove. After Trump’s first month in office, 55 percent of rural voters approved of Trump and only 39 percent disapproved.</p>
<p>Respondents gave a variety of reasons for their dissatisfaction with Trump. Some said they’re frustrated that he hasn’t yet made good on his promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.</p>
<p>Others, like Drew Carlson, a 19-year-old respondent from Warrensburg, Missouri, have said that they&#160;are unsettled by Trump’s anti-immigrant proposals. Carlson explained to Reuters:</p>
<p>‘There should be some sort of compromise between a free flow of people over the border and something that’s more controlled.’</p>
<p>He also said that Trump’s “constant fixation on deportation is a little bit unsettling to me.”</p>
<p>John Wilson, a 70-year-old retired banker, listed off several other ways that Trump has disappointed him in the last nine months.</p>
<p>Wilson is bothered by Trump’s frequent trips to his personal golf resorts, and also wishes that the president would do more to address health care. He’s also worried that Trump will renege on his promise to deport all undocumented immigrants.</p>
<p>Wilson noted:</p>
<p>‘Every president makes mistakes. But if you add one on top of one, on top of another one, on top of another, there’s just a limit.’</p>
<p>While Trump’s approval rating is falling, he’s still more popular in rural parts of the United States than he is in other parts of the country.</p>
<p>Robert Cody, an 87-year-old retired chemical engineer for Bartlesville, Oklahoma, said about Trump:</p>
<p>‘I like him less, but I support him more.’</p>
<p>David Swenson, an economist at Iowa State University, also spoke to Reuters about why he thinks many rural Americans are so willing to support Trump.</p>
<p>‘Feelings of resentment and deprivation have pervaded a lot of these places. And here comes a candidate (Trump) who’s offering simplistic answers.’</p>
<p>As far as the dissatisfaction that many are experiencing,&#160;Karl Stauber, who runs a private economic development agency that serves manufacturing communities in south-central Virginia, said:</p>
<p>‘Rural people are more cynical about the federal government than people in general are. They’ve heard so many promises, and they’ve not seen much done.’</p>
<p>Stauber also suggested that Trump’s inability to make good on a lot of his campaign promises has alienated some of the people who originally supported him.</p>
<p>‘It just seems like we’ve dropped off the screen.’</p>
<p>Despite having only been in office for a little over nine months, Trump has already launched his re-election campaign. However, it’s going to be difficult for him to win a second term — assuming he makes it through his first four years — if he continues to disappoint those who voted for him the first time around.</p>
<p>Featured image via&#160; <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/license/839940590" type="external">SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images</a>.</p> | Trump’s Post-PR Stunt Favorability Ratings Are In – Results Have W.H On Watch | true | http://bipartisanreport.com/2017/10/09/trumps-post-pr-stunt-favorability-ratings-are-in-results-have-w-h-on-watch/ | 2017-10-09 | 4 |
<p>Country music legend Randy Travis delighted the audience&#160;at Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards with a surprise appearance two years after suffering a devastating stroke, People <a href="http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20906362_20916664,00.html" type="external">reports.</a> The icon stood and quietly acknowledged the audience’s thunderous applause.</p>
<p>Country star Lee Brice paid tribute&#160;to the Travis, early in the show when he played a verse of&#160;his&#160;hit “Forever and Ever, Amen,” then introduced the recovering legend to a stunned audience.</p>
<p>“That classic tune won song of the year in 1985 and the man who sang it has made an amazing comeback to be with us tonight. Ladies and Gentlemen, the great Randy Travis,” Brice announced as the crowd broke out into cheers.</p>
<p>Travis, who was seated in the audience, stood up and made a sweet gesture to the crowd with a&#160;little wave and several head nods.</p>
<p>“Randy’s history with the ACM awards goes back over two decades,” said Mary Davis, Travis’s wife, statement to People. “With the awards in Dallas and celebrating 50 years, it’s something Randy and I would not miss.”</p>
<p>“Great to have you with us, Randy!” Brice continued, and then&#160;presented the Song of the Year award to Miranda Lambert for her hit “Automatic.”</p>
<p>Travis has made few public appearances since 2013, when he&#160;suffered a stroke following complications from viral cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure.</p>
<p>The country legend&#160;posted a letter to his fans on Sunday&#160;following his ACM&#160;appearance, offering thanks for&#160;their support and providing an update on his condition.</p>
<p>“It was an amazing gift to feel all of the love from you tonight,” Travis wrote. “It has been a hard fought and miraculous journey since my stroke two years ago, and I have gained a greater understanding of God’s grace and how quickly events can change us.”</p>
<p>“Words can never express my gratitude to those who continue to believe in me, pray for me, and keep me lifted up in thought and deed,” he continued.</p>
<p>“The power of music remains a source of inspiration and healing for me,” he also wrote. “It is my prayer that, with continued healing, one day soon, I will be back on that stage exchanging music with my fans…my friends, who with God’s amazing grace, have brought me this far.”</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p /> | Randy Travis shocks fans at ACM awards | false | http://natmonitor.com/2015/04/20/randy-travis-stuns-fans-at-acm-awards/ | 2015-04-20 | 3 |
<p>NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (0-1) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-1)</p>
<p>KICKOFF: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Mercedes-Benz Superdome. TV: CBS, Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson.</p>
<p>SERIES HISTORY: 14th regular-season meeting. Patriots lead series, 9-4. New England has had a long-standing upper hand over New Orleans, including the first five meetings in the series from 1972 to 1986 before the Saints took three in a row. More recently, the games have been quite competitive, with longtime friends Bill Belichick and Sean Payton leading their squads. The Patriots needed a Tom Brady-to-Kenbrell Thompkins 17-yard touchdown pass with five seconds to play to pull off the comeback 30-27 victory in Foxborough in the most recent meeting, in 2013. The last battle in the bayou saw the Saints dispatch the Patriots 38-17 on “Monday Night Football” in 2009, with Drew Brees throwing five touchdown passes and notching a perfect 158.3 passer rating.</p>
<p>KEYS TO THE GAME: Look for Patriots QB Tom Brady to get back to the basics with quick, timely, rhythmic throws against a suspect Saints secondary that starts two rookies. That means some potential slot throws to Chris Hogan, as well as full use of his pass-catching backs in matchups against rookie Alex Anzalone and New Orleans’ young linebackers.</p>
<p>Defensively, the personnel will be as interesting as the game plan. It’s unlikely safety Jordan Richards will continue to see significant snaps as a linebacker. The health of linebacker Dont’a Hightower (knee) is a question mark, but the Patriots might be in line for a return to some more traditional fronts against the Saints.</p>
<p>The Patriots were victimized by too many big plays in the opener against the Chiefs and that’s certainly still a fear against Drew Brees’ varied passing attack that thrives indoors. New Orleans struggled in the red zone in Minnesota on opening night and the Patriots will need to be stout in that area even if they can clean up their big-play problems.</p>
<p>The Saints need to run the football consistently well for a variety of reasons. They have to get Brees into manageable third downs, which they didn’t do last week, especially with backups starting at both tackle spots. If the Patriots get the Saints into third-and-long and know Brees needs to pass, rookie Ryan Ramczyk and recently re-signed Bryce Harris will have trouble protecting him. An effective run game would also use up time and limit how much of it Brady has to attack New Orleans’ defense, which was picked apart in the season opener.</p>
<p>MATCHUPS TO WATCH:</p>
<p>–Patriots WR Brandin Cooks vs. Saints CB De’Vante Harris. The Vikings targeted Harris and had a great deal of success against him last week. There’s no reason to think the Patriots won’t target Harris to see if he’s up to the challenge. Cooks, traded to New England in the offseason, no doubt will be motivated to make big plays against his former team.</p>
<p>–Saints WR Michael Thomas vs. Patriots CBs. The Saints’ passing game never got untracked against the Vikings and will have to have a big game if New Orleans is going to beat New England. With No. 2 receiver Willie Snead suspended, Thomas becomes even more important to Drew Brees.</p>
<p>PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Saints RB Alvin Kamara. The rookie had more carries (8) than Adrian Peterson or Mark Ingram (7 each) in the opener and also caught four passes. His run-catch skill-set resembles that of Chiefs rookie Kareem Hunt, who had 246 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns against the Patriots.</p>
<p>FAST FACTS: Patriots RB Mike Gillislee scored a career-high three rushing TDs last week. He was the first player to do that in his debut with the Patriots. He has seven rushing TDs in his past six games. … Patriots WR Brandin Cooks was the Saints’ first-round selection in 2014. In three seasons with New Orleans, he caught 215 passes for 2,861 yards and 20 TDs. He recorded 88 receiving yards in his Patriots debut last week. … Patriots DE Trey Flowers had two sacks last week and has four multi-sack games since 2016, tied for most in the NFL. … Saints QB Drew Brees has thrown for 959 yards, 10 TDs and one INT in four career meetings. In his past 15 home games, he is averaging 357.7 passing yards, with 42 TD passes.</p>
<p>PREDICTION: This looks like a classic quarterback duel between the NFL’s two senior star QBs. Of course, the team that can help its QB by running it is probably the one that will win. That edge seems to belong to the Patriots.</p>
<p>OUR PICK: Patriots, 30-25.</p>
<p>–Chris Cluff</p> | New England Patriots vs. New Orleans Saints: Prediction, preview, pick to win | false | https://newsline.com/new-england-patriots-vs-new-orleans-saints-prediction-preview-pick-to-win/ | 2017-09-14 | 1 |
<p>A widely-seen ad pushes a White House-backed bill that would make it easier for the government to wiretap Americans. It also would give retroactive legal immunity to telecom companies that cooperated with Bush’s secret, post-9/11 warrantless wiretapping program.</p>
<p>Sponsored by Defense of Democracies, a group with GOP connections, the ad&#160; takes the House to task for not passing the bill, as the Senate has. The ad appeals to fear, with its image of Osama bin Laden and similar ploys. But we find that it also makes several misleading claims.</p>
<p>Specifically, the ad says that:</p>
<p>Update Feb. 29: Defense of Democracies sent us comments saying portions of this article are "misleading the public" and "twisting the facts" about aspects of the legislation. For details see the discussion at the end of the article.</p>
<p>The ads began running Friday, Feb. 22 in 17 media markets targeting 15 Democratic members of the House. A national version was up and running Monday on the major cable networks, and it was expected to air for most of this week. It appeared during a commercial break in Tuesday night’s MSNBC-sponsored debate between Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.</p>
<p>The group behind the ad, <a href="http://defenseofdemocracies.org/" type="external">Defense of Democracies</a>, was set up just last week. It was spun off from a nonprofit called <a href="http://www.defenddemocracy.org/" type="external">Foundation for Defense of Democracies</a>, which was formed after 9/11 and is headed by Clifford May, a former spokesman for the Republican National Committee. The three listed members of the foundation’s board of directors are&#160; <a href="http://www.forbes.com/fdc/bios/new/steveforbes2.html" type="external">Steve Forbes</a>, editor-in-chief of the business magazine Forbes and a Republican candidate for president in 1996 and 2000; <a href="http://www.kemppartners.com/principals-jk1.htm" type="external">Jack Kemp</a>, candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 1988 and GOP nominee Bob Dole’s running mate in 1996; and <a href="http://www.aei.org/scholars/scholarID.32/scholar.asp" type="external">Jeane Kirkpatrick</a>, best known as Ronald Reagan’s ambassador to the United Nations. Kirkpatrick died in 2006, however. A few Democrats were sprinkled in among the parent group’s advisers (as well as Democrat-turned-Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman), but several of the most prominent, including Sen. Charles Schumer of New York and Donna Brazile, the former campaign manager for Al Gore’s presidential bid, have resigned because of this ad. Brazile issued a <a href="http://www.brazileassociates.com/viewBlog.cfm?id=82" type="external">statement</a> calling the ad campaign "misleading and reckless" and saying it would "have the effect of emboldening terrorists."</p>
<p>Organized under section 501(c)(4) of the tax code, the new group is not required to publicly disclose its donors, and it has no plans to do so, according to a spokesman. (Brazile’s statement claimed that "due to the influence of their funders" the parent group has "morphed into a radical right wing organization.") The group also declined to provide a list of lawmakers being targeted by the ad, but we’ve learned that they include Democratic Reps. Kirsten Gillibrand and Michael Arcuri of New York, Tim Mahoney of Florida, Joe Courtney and Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Nancy Boyda of Kansas, and Tim Walz of Minnesota, all of them first-term lawmakers who may be vulnerable in their reelection bids.</p>
<p>Osama bin Calling …</p>
<p>&lt;iframe height="390" width="480" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="https://video.factcheck.org/play/hIUWgemjEwI"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;</p>
<p>[TET ]</p>
<p>Defense of Democracies TV Ad: "Midnight"</p>
<p>Narrator: Midnight. February 16th. The law that lets intelligence agencies intercept al-Qaeda communications expires.</p>
<p>Senate Democrats and Republicans vote overwhelmingly to extend terrorist surveillance. But the House refuses to vote and instead goes on vacation.</p>
<p>So new surveillance against terrorists is crippled.</p>
<p>Tell the House of Representatives to do its job and pass the Senate’s terror surveillance bill… to keep us all safe.[/TET]</p>
<p>Cue the scary music, black background and misleading statement:</p>
<p>Narrator: Midnight. February 16. The law that lets intelligence agencies intercept al-Qaeda communications expires.</p>
<p>This is simply not true. First, if government eavesdroppers want to listen in on communications between two suspected terrorists who are outside the U.S., they can. That would likely include a lot of al-Qaeda-related chats. No warrant is necessary as long as the communication isn’t intercepted over a wire in the U.S.</p>
<p>Second, even if one of the parties targeted for tapping is in the U.S., the government still can rely on the granddaddy of laws that deal with wiretapping as a foreign sleuthing tool, the 1978 <a href="http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/50/ch36.html" type="external">Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act</a>. Under FISA, intelligence-gatherers must apply to a special court for a warrant to tap the communications of a person in the U.S. The process can be cumbersome, although officials have <a href="http://intelligence.house.gov/Media/PDFS/FISATranscript091807.pdf" type="external">said</a> that court approval sometimes takes only minutes. And if there’s an emergency and the government has strong evidence, the wiretap can proceed before an order is sought; authorities have up to 72 hours to get their application to the FISA court, which seldom swats the government down. Of the 2,181 applications made to the FISA court for authority to conduct electronic surveillance or physical searches in 2006, just one was denied, and only in part, according to the Justice Department’s annual <a href="http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fisa/2006rept.pdf" type="external">report</a> on the statute.</p>
<p>What the ad’s narrator really means is that a law updating and expanding FISA to make the government’s work easier, which was passed last August, has expired. The <a href="http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2007_cr/h080407.html" type="external">Protect America Act</a> was given a life of only six months because lawmakers wanted to put something in place while continuing to debate its civil liberties and national security implications before deciding whether to make it permanent. That’s the law that vaporized on Feb. 16, with disagreements between the House and Senate still unresolved.</p>
<p>The Protect America Act, among other things, expanded the range of situations in which the government could operate without a FISA warrant. Controversy arose because the wording of the law could have allowed the government to wiretap the conversations and e-mails of Americans without a court order when targeting a foreigner abroad.</p>
<p>Which brings us to the ad’s next claim:</p>
<p>Narrator: Senate Democrats and Republicans vote overwhelmingly to extend terrorist surveillance. But the House refuses to vote and instead goes on vacation.</p>
<p>It’s true that the Senate passed a <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.03773:" type="external">bill</a> replacing the Protect America Act, and it was largely to the White House’s liking. It’s not as though the House sat on its hands, however. It passed its own bill, the <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:s.02248:" type="external">Restore Act</a>, back in November.</p>
<p>The Bush administration opposes the House bill, as do its allies at Defense of Democracies, and the point of the ad is to pressure House members to accede to the Senate version. Both bills rein in, to some degree, the Protect America Act’s broad wiretapping provisions, which had alarmed civil libertarians. The Senate bill grants more authority to the executive branch with respect to ordering surveillance, however, and a minimal role to the court, while the House bill envisions a larger role for the court.</p>
<p>And there’s another major difference that’s become a flash point on Capitol Hill. The Senate bill would give telecommunications companies retroactive immunity from lawsuits arising from their cooperation with the Bush administration’s post-9/11 intelligence-gathering program. In December 2005, the New York Times broke a story revealing that after the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, President Bush secretly authorized a program that allowed the government to bypass FISA in pursuit of terrorists, even when collecting communications in the U.S. More than 40 lawsuits contending that the program was illegal and that telecom companies violated citizens’ constitutional rights by participating in it are pending in federal court in California, consolidated from around the country. Bush has <a href="http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/NEWS01/802240303/1002" type="external">accused</a> Democrats who oppose this immunity provision of shilling for the trial lawyers’ bar, and he has cast the House Democrats as roadblocks on this issue almost daily.</p>
<p>The ad’s next claim is a very strong statement, but we don’t have the security clearance to say how much truth is in it.</p>
<p>Narrator: [N]ew surveillance against terrorists is crippled.</p>
<p>Though the narrator never mentions it, this seems to be a reference to possible refusal by telecom firms to assist with wiretapping. In a <a href="http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/mukasey-mcconnell-reyes/" type="external">letter</a> written to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes last Friday, Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell said:</p>
<p>Mukasey/McConnell letter: We have lost intelligence information this past week as a direct result of the uncertainty created by Congress’ failure to act. … In particular, [companies] have delayed or refused compliance with our requests to initiate new surveillances of terrorist and other foreign intelligence targets. … Indeed, this has led directly to a degraded intelligence capability.</p>
<p>The alleged reason for this was because Congress hadn’t yet given the firms retroactive immunity. Administration sources had told reporters that same evening that at least one telecom firm was refusing to help the government track newly suspected terrorists, according to the Los Angeles Times. Hours later, though, officials withdrew that claim, saying all the telecom companies would continue cooperating with the government’s requests while Congress worked on a compromise.</p>
<p>Critics of the immunity provision point out that it provides blanket immunity and is not specifically targeted to lawsuits arising from the companies’ cooperation with the post-9/11 program. Some suspect there may be another secret program that hasn’t yet come to light. Telecom companies already have immunity for actions they take in connection with surveillance conducted under the law.</p>
<p>The ad’s play to public fear echoes the tactics used by the administration to put strong pressure on Congress. In an <a href="http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_6685679" type="external">interview</a> late last year with the El Paso Times, McConnell even went so far as to say that without quick approval of the law, "some Americans are going to die" because of continuing public discussion of the issue. The reporter asked McConnell how he makes the case that the new law is important.</p>
<p>El Paso Times: You have to do public relations, I assume?</p>
<p>McConnell: Well, one of the things you do is you talk to reporters. … The fact we’re doing it this way means that some Americans are going to die, because we do this mission unknown to the bad guys because they’re using a process that we can exploit and the more we talk about it, the more they will go with an alternative means. …</p>
<p>El Paso Times: So you’re saying that the reporting and the debate in Congress means that some Americans are going to die?</p>
<p>McConnell: That’s what I mean. Because we have made it so public.</p>
<p>Unless McConnell is clairvoyant, it’s going too far to proclaim that Americans "are going to die" because a wiretapping bill is being publicly debated.</p>
<p>The ad is careful to specify that "new" surveillance has been crippled. That’s because any eavesdropping orders issued under the Protect America Act of last August would be in effect for up to a year, so there’s no imminent danger of the communications of known terrorists.</p>
<p>The ad’s closing assertion is that the House should "do its job" by passing the Senate bill to "keep us all safe." But if anything in the murky debate over spycraft is clear, it’s that the Constitution doesn’t make it "the job" of the House to rubber-stamp Senate-passed bills, or bend to the wishes of the president.</p>
<p>Update Feb. 29: <a href="http://www.defenddemocracy.org/biographies/biographies_show.htm?attrib_id=9716" type="external">Andrew C. McCarthy</a>, director of the foundation’s Center for Law and Counterterrorism, responded to this article.&#160; McCarthy’s arguments leave us still convinced that the ad contains false claims and twists the facts, but we have <a href="" type="internal">posted his comments as a "supporting document"</a> both as a courtesy to FDD and so that our readers may judge for themselves.</p>
<p>He states that a "radical" court decision now applies FISA’s "arduous" probable-cause requirements to interception of foreign-to-foreign communications. He also dismisses the House bill as “unacceptable,” saying President Bush has threatened to veto it.</p>
<p>While it is true that a court decision last year applied FISA to some foreign-to-foreign communications – those that are routed through wires in the U.S., as sometimes happens – it is not true that all legal authority to intercept al Qaeda communications has expired as this ad implied. Furthermore, civil libertarians argued that the Protect America Act’s attempt to address that decision didn’t provide sufficient protection to Americans who might have been communicating with persons targeted abroad. The <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/home/gpoxmlc110/h3773_eh.xml" type="external">House bill</a> would take care of the problem of foreign-to-foreign communications that travel through U.S.-based switches with explicit language saying no warrant would be needed to eavesdrop on them.</p>
<p>We take no position on either House or Senate legislation, and it remains to be seen what will emerge from the negotiations between the two bodies, let alone whether the president will sign it or not. Our point is that the House did not "refuse to vote" as the ad claimed.</p>
<p>We wish to make clear that we neither support or oppose Defense of Democracies’ position. What we object to are the use of appeals to fear, false claims and twisted facts in support of this or any other legislation.</p>
<p>– by Viveca Novak</p>
<p />
<p>Riechmann, Deb. " <a href="http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080224/NEWS01/802240303/1002" type="external">Bush pushes House to pass intelligence bill, says Democrats side with trial lawyers</a>." Associated Press Financial Wire, 23 Feb. 2008.</p>
<p>Lichtblau, Eric. " <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/23/washington/23fisa.html?_r=1&amp;pagewanted=print&amp;oref=slogin" type="external">More sharp words traded over lapsed wiretap law</a>." The New York Times, 23 Feb. 2008.</p>
<p>Risen, James and Eric Lichtblau. " <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/16/politics/16program.html" type="external">Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts</a>." The New York Times, 16 Dec. 2005.</p>
<p>Mukasey, Michael and J.M. McConnell. <a href="http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/mukasey-mcconnell-reyes/" type="external">Letter to The Hon. Silvestre Reyes</a>, 22 Feb. 208.</p>
<p>Roberts, Chris. " <a href="http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_6685679" type="external">Transcript: Debate on the foreign intelligence Surveillance Act</a>." El Paso Times, 22 Aug. 2007.</p>
<p>Bazan, Elizabeth. " <a href="http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/RL34279.pdf" type="external">The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act: A Brief Overview of Selected Issues</a>." CRS Report for Congress, Congressional Research Service, updated 14 Dec. 2007.</p>
<p>Rockefeller, Jay and Patrick Leahy, Silvestre Reyes and John Conyers. " <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/24/AR2008022401668.html" type="external">Scare Tactics and Our Surveillance Bill</a>." Washington Post, 25 Feb. 2008.&#160;</p> | Fear and False Claims | false | https://factcheck.org/2008/02/fear-and-false-claims/ | 2008-02-28 | 2 |
<p>A federal appeals court ruled late Monday that the Environmental Protection Agency must enforce Obama-era restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas industry.</p>
<p>The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down the EPA’s attempt to suspend methane restrictions for the sector, formally vacating the agency’s 90-day stay of key provisions of New Source Performance Standards. The rule is now in effect.</p>
<p>The leak detection and repair provisions of the 2016 rule were set to take effect — and “begin delivering significant benefits”— on June 3. But on June 5, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt “unlawfully stayed these and other requirements of the rule retroactively from June 2 until August 31, 2017,” the court said.</p>
<p>Pruitt and his industry allies “have not offered any support for the proposition that compliance” with the 2016 rule “would cause significant hardship to regulated entities that had a year’s lead time to prepare,” the court argued.</p>
<p>At the same time, the EPA’s stay of the rule “is causing substantial additional methane, ozone-forming [volatile organic compounds], and hazardous air pollutants such as benzene and formaldehyde to be released into the air of communities near these wells,” the court explained in its Monday order.</p>
<p>“There is no commonsense reason to stop the methane standard.”</p>
<p />
<p>Using its authority under the Clean Air Act, the Obama administration last year set the&#160; <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/06/03/2016-11971/oil-and-natural-gas-sector-emission-standards-for-new-reconstructed-and-modified-sources" type="external">performance standards</a>&#160;for the oil and gas sector. The rule was created to reduce methane leaks from new and modified oil and natural gas drilling wells.</p>
<p>The rule established emissions limits for methane pollution from new equipment and facilities — it did not apply to existing sources already in operation — and required oil and gas companies to find and repair fugitive methane leaks on a firm schedule. It also required producers to capture methane gas at new oil wells that otherwise would escape into the atmosphere.</p>
<p>Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, trapping heat 86 times more effectively than CO2 over a 20-year span, so leaking methane can be a huge problem. While natural gas burns more cleanly than coal, leaks in the system can eliminate the climate benefits.</p>
<p>In early June, a coalition of environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club, sued the Trump administration, saying it violated the law when it paused the rule.</p>
<p>Scott Pruitt follows through on promise to oil and gas industry.</p>
<p />
<p>A three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit in early July agreed with the environmental groups, but gave the EPA extra time to weigh its legal options before enforcing the regulation. While the rule is now in effect, the court said Monday it is still considering intervenors’ request for rehearing and asked environmental groups and a coalition of states to file a response by Wednesday.</p>
<p>The order noted that nine of the 11 judges on the D.C. Circuit ruled that the Trump administration must enforce the rule. Judges Janice Rogers Brown and Brett Kavanaugh, both appointed by President George W. Bush, did not join the majority.</p>
<p>“Administrator Pruitt tried to impose a 90-day suspension of the vital clean air standards without public input and without analysis of the public health or environmental consequences,” the Environmental Defense Fund said in a&#160; <a href="https://www.edf.org/media/full-dc-circuit-issues-mandate-decision-overturning-epas-suspension-limits-oil-and-gas" type="external">statement</a>&#160;issued late Monday.</p>
<p>In addition to the 90-day stay, the EPA&#160; <a href="" type="internal">proposed</a>&#160;a two-year delay for the rule. The agency said the extra time would allow it to review the rule’s potential negative impact on oil and gas drilling activities. Under the proposed two-year delay, companies would not need to comply with the requirements. That proposal is currently in public comment period as part of the agency’s formal rulemaking process.</p>
<p>The Environmental Defense Fund&#160; <a href="" type="internal">pointed out</a>&#160;that the EPA’s announcement of the proposed two-year delay acknowledged that it may make children sick, “but argues that more illness for only two years is acceptable.” Dozens of people&#160; <a href="" type="internal">showed up</a>&#160;at the EPA’s headquarters in early July to speak out against the agency’s&#160; <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-proposes-longer-stay-portions-oil-and-gas-standards?utm_content=buffer67ceb&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer" type="external">proposed</a>&#160;delay in implementing the methane rule.</p>
<p>By sealing leaks and capturing methane at oil and gas wells, companies do more than prevent the release of methane. They capture toxic and hazardous air pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds, that can cause severe health issues for people who live near the sites, Barbara Gottlieb, director of environment and health for Physicians for Social Responsibility, told ThinkProgress after she testified.</p>
<p>“If you seal the leaks and capture the escaping gases, you get it all,” she said in reference to all of the air pollutants captured.</p> | Court tells Trump’s EPA to enforce methane rule for oil and gas drillers | true | https://thinkprogress.org/appeals-court-rules-against-epa-on-methane-rule-delay-8329e79d9d8e | 2017-08-01 | 4 |
<p>PERRIS, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on police discovering 12 children locked up in parents’ house in California (all times local):</p>
<p>The parents of 13 children found locked up in a California home each were being held on $9 million bail and could face charges including torture and child endangerment.</p>
<p>It wasn’t immediately known if they had attorneys.</p>
<p>On Sunday, authorities say a 17-year-old girl called police after escaping from her family’s home where her 12 brothers and sisters were being held captive.</p>
<p>The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department says several children were shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks. Some were so malnourished that officers at first believed all were children even though seven are adults.</p>
<p>The siblings range in age from 2 to 29.</p>
<p>State records show the home has the same address as Sandcastle Day School, where David Turpin is listed as principal. In the 2016-17 school year it had an enrollment of six.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Authorities say an emaciated teenager led deputies to a California home where her 12 brothers and sisters were locked up in filthy conditions, with some of them malnourished and chained to beds.</p>
<p>Riverside County deputies arrested the parents Sunday at the home in Perris east of Los Angeles.</p>
<p>Officials say the girl who managed to escape and call 911 was 17 but appeared to be about 10 because of her poor condition.</p>
<p>Deputies assumed the 12 other children were juveniles but seven were actually adults, ranging from 18 to 29.</p>
<p>A press release says 57-year old David Allen Turpin and 49-year old Louise Anna Turpin could face charges including torture and child endangerment.</p>
<p>It wasn’t immediately known if they have attorneys.</p>
<p>PERRIS, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on police discovering 12 children locked up in parents’ house in California (all times local):</p>
<p>The parents of 13 children found locked up in a California home each were being held on $9 million bail and could face charges including torture and child endangerment.</p>
<p>It wasn’t immediately known if they had attorneys.</p>
<p>On Sunday, authorities say a 17-year-old girl called police after escaping from her family’s home where her 12 brothers and sisters were being held captive.</p>
<p>The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department says several children were shackled to their beds with chains and padlocks. Some were so malnourished that officers at first believed all were children even though seven are adults.</p>
<p>The siblings range in age from 2 to 29.</p>
<p>State records show the home has the same address as Sandcastle Day School, where David Turpin is listed as principal. In the 2016-17 school year it had an enrollment of six.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Authorities say an emaciated teenager led deputies to a California home where her 12 brothers and sisters were locked up in filthy conditions, with some of them malnourished and chained to beds.</p>
<p>Riverside County deputies arrested the parents Sunday at the home in Perris east of Los Angeles.</p>
<p>Officials say the girl who managed to escape and call 911 was 17 but appeared to be about 10 because of her poor condition.</p>
<p>Deputies assumed the 12 other children were juveniles but seven were actually adults, ranging from 18 to 29.</p>
<p>A press release says 57-year old David Allen Turpin and 49-year old Louise Anna Turpin could face charges including torture and child endangerment.</p>
<p>It wasn’t immediately known if they have attorneys.</p> | The Latest: Parents of 13 locked-up kids held on bail of $9M | false | https://apnews.com/a685aca2fc8840a5b6f602e87dbdc64a | 2018-01-16 | 2 |
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has agreed to decide the legality of the latest version of President Donald Trump's ban on travel to the United States by residents of six majority-Muslim countries.</p>
<p>The issue pits an administration that considers the restrictions necessary for Americans' security against challengers who claim it is illegally aimed at Muslims and stems from Trump's campaign call for a "complete shutdown of Muslims" entering the U.S.</p>
<p>The justices plan to hear argument in April and issue a final ruling by late June on a Trump policy that has been repeatedly blocked and struck down in the lower courts.</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has agreed to decide the legality of the latest version of President Donald Trump's ban on travel to the United States by residents of six majority-Muslim countries.</p>
<p>The issue pits an administration that considers the restrictions necessary for Americans' security against challengers who claim it is illegally aimed at Muslims and stems from Trump's campaign call for a "complete shutdown of Muslims" entering the U.S.</p>
<p>The justices plan to hear argument in April and issue a final ruling by late June on a Trump policy that has been repeatedly blocked and struck down in the lower courts.</p> | Trump travel ban to get day in Supreme Court | false | https://apnews.com/amp/01d3c44bcb564b1fadb2ee2cf7365cf6 | 2018-01-20 | 2 |
<p />
<p>Article by Edie Berg</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Every week for the past year,&#160; <a href="http://www.thestrongwomensclub.com/category/podcast/" type="external">I've interviewed a successful woman Opens a New Window.</a>: scientists, athletes, a rabbi, activists, an astronaut, authors, and entrepreneurs. Each woman has a story; each one is different. But perhaps unsurprisingly, there are traits and characteristics that they have in common. It's fascinating to learn from them, and now I get to share those lessons with you.</p>
<p>Here are 15 things the 49 successful women I've interviewed have in common:</p>
<p>1. They Play to Their Strengths</p>
<p>This is not necessarily the same as <a href="http://www.success.com/article/4-ways-to-find-time-to-do-what-you-love" type="external">doing what you love. Opens a New Window.</a> You might love doing mosaics, but you might not choose that for your <a href="https://www.recruiter.com/career.html" type="external">career Opens a New Window.</a>. Think about what you can do so well that you can dominate your field with time. You should also love it. But successful women often choose their career paths by thinking first about what they're good at and second about what they love to do.</p>
<p>2. They Have Ambition</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Successful women do not dream about being the best in their section or department. Their eyes are set on the best in the state or country, at least. Most want to change the world.</p>
<p>3. They Stay Positive</p>
<p>Successful women know how to deal with disappointment in a way that keeps them from getting down and staying down. They know the future will be bright for them.</p>
<p>4. They're Organized</p>
<p>The vast majority of people I interviewed said yes quickly, checked their calendars, booked a date, and did the interview. No extra emails. Not many reschedules. They decide what they want to do and then they just do it – simple and organized.</p>
<p>5. They're Constantly Learning</p>
<p>These women do not stay static. They are continually improving themselves and use mentors and coaches to accelerate their improvement.</p>
<p>6. They Have a Strong Support System</p>
<p>Most of the women I spoke to have a partner or family member who is supportive of what they do. They know they have somebody to lean on when needed.</p>
<p>7. They Know Failure and Success Go Together</p>
<p><a href="http://www.success.com/article/21-quotes-about-failing-fearlessly" type="external">Everyone has their failures Opens a New Window.</a> on their way to the top. That's just how it is.</p>
<p>8. They Remain Grateful</p>
<p>These women give credit to those who've helped them along the way. They are grateful for what they have. They don't take their current position for granted.</p>
<p>9. They Work Hard and Persistently</p>
<p>Nobody got to where they are now without working hard and staying persistent during the tough times. This might be obvious, but it's a lot easier to say than to do.</p>
<p>10. They Don't Sweat the Small Stuff</p>
<p>Successful people are good at separating the valuable from the worthless.</p>
<p>11. They Choose Their Battles Wisely</p>
<p>Successful women don't make a big deal about every little thing. But <a href="http://www.success.com/article/look-for-the-hidden-good-and-3-other-ways-to-react-to-problems" type="external">if there's a real problem Opens a New Window.</a>, you can be sure that it will be swiftly solved.</p>
<p>12. They Do What They Believe In</p>
<p>This is crucial. <a href="http://www.success.com/article/answer-6-questions-to-reveal-your-life-purpose" type="external">The belief in the purpose Opens a New Window.</a> of their work is the fuel behind years of hard work and dedication.</p>
<p>13. They Have Confidence</p>
<p>Successful women believe in themselves. It's a beautiful thing.</p>
<p>14. They Have a Vision for the Future</p>
<p>Successful women see a new and better world in the future, and they work toward achieving those changes. They are in it for the long haul.</p>
<p>15. They Feel Successful, but Never Done</p>
<p>There's always more, always better, <a href="http://www.success.com/article/rohn-13-ways-to-improve-your-life" type="external">always further to reach Opens a New Window.</a>. These women are seemingly tireless, ultimately devoted, and constantly curious.</p>
<p>The moral of this story for me, when listening and learning from these women over this past year, is that they are just like you and me. They were not born with silver spoons in their mouths. True, they're intelligent and focused, but they don't have superpowers; they have determination, vision, and purpose.</p>
<p>We can be that! We can do that!</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>A version of this article originally appeared on <a href="http://www.success.com/blog/15-traits-of-unabashedly-successful-women?utm_campaign=link%20exchangeutm_medium=syndicationutm_source=Recruiterutm_term=Recruiter" type="external">SUCCESS.com Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Edie Berg is the founder of <a href="http://www.thestrongwomensclub.com/" type="external">The Strong Women's Club Opens a New Window.</a>, highlighting the behind-the-scenes stories of successful women with a weekly podcast; she gets into the details of how you can set and reach your goals to achieve success. Edie is also the facilitator of <a href="http://www.thestrongwomensclub.com/mastermind/" type="external">Strong Women's Mastermind Opens a New Window.</a> groups and Strong Women's corporate and group workshops, and she produces Strong Women's Online Summits. She has been the head of rehabilitation departments; owner, chef, and instructor at food workshops; and executive administrative manager of a global bank.</p>
<p>Edie believes that it is never too late to do what you love, that you can reach your goals and choose your dreams to live life without regret. She has lived in California, Australia, Canada, Boston, and is currently enjoying life CrossFitting, with her blended family of her four kids and his two kids in Israel.</p> | 15 Traits of Unabashedly Successful Women | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2016/10/31/15-traits-unabashedly-successful-women.html | 2016-11-05 | 0 |
<p>Darci Lynne Farmer took home first place in the "America's Got Talent" competition with her ventriloquist act on Wednesday night.</p>
<p>The 12-year-old performed the song "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better) with ventriloquist Terry Fator, who won season 2 of "America's Got Talent."</p>
<p>Over the past few weeks, Farmer wowed the audience with her singing ventriloquist acts, leading her to the final night of the competition against 10-year-old singer Angelica Hale.</p>
<p>Hale performed Kelly Clarkson’s song "Stronger" with the singer herself on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Hale won second place in the competition and later congratulated Farmer.</p>
<p>"Tears of joy!! Congratulations @itsdarcilynne,"Hale wrote.</p>
<p>Contestants Light Balance , Mandy Harvey, and Sara and Hero placed in the top 5 of the competition.</p> | Darci Lynee Farmer wins 'America's Got Talent' | false | https://circa.com/story/2017/09/21/hollywood/darci-lynee-farmer-wins-americas-got-talent | 2017-09-21 | 1 |
<p>Central Intelligence Agency, Langley Virginia Office of Villains Department of Wayward Clients and Unsavoury Friends Status Report: December 2003 To: George J. Tenet, Director of Central Intelligence</p>
<p>Below is the updated report you asked us to prepare with comments, in light of Saddam’s apprehension. With the exception of Warren Anderson, we have omitted US nationals (e.g. Kissinger) from the list.</p>
<p>Deceased</p>
<p>Ferdinand Marcos (Philippines), Nicolae Ceausescu (Romania), Mobutu Sese Seko (Congo/Zaire), Pol Pot (Cambodia), Heydar Aliyev (Azerbaijan)</p>
<p>Comment: Good friends before most became liabilities. Marcos–greatly admired by Paul Wolfowitz–died soon after we got him to Hawaii, while Ceausescu passed on more suddenly than we expected after many years of loyal service. Pol Pot hung on far too long but had the decency to keep out of sight until the end. Aliyev was much appreciated for bringing dynastic succession and a pro-Western oil policy to Central Asia.</p>
<p>In custody on trial or awaiting trial</p>
<p>Manuel Noriega (Panama), Slobodan Milosevic (fmr Yugoslavia–The Hague), Saddam Hussein (Iraq)</p>
<p>Comment: We managed to gloss over the revelation that Noriega was on the CIA payroll under GWB’s father before jailing him. Hopefully we can do the same to Saddam, though US and UK support for his WMD programs during the 1980s and 1990s could prove very embarrassing in court. Ditto for Chirac and the Russians. Big mistake taking him alive. Footage of Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam in 1983 and not mentioning WMD looks bad, though networks can be trusted to show restraint despite the approaching 20th anniversary (esp Fox).</p>
<p>Faking illness to avoid trial</p>
<p>Augusto Pinochet (Chile), Soeharto (Indonesia)</p>
<p>Comment: Pinochet is senile and, thanks to the Brits, at little further legal risk. Soeharto has the worst human rights record of all and would be easy to nab from Jakarta, though opposition from admirers like Wolfowitz and friends in Canberra should be expected. Too much detail about our support for his 1965 massacres has already leaked out. Has enough knowledge and residual military support to buy immunity and a quiet suburban death on his own terms.</p>
<p>On the run</p>
<p>Osama bin Laden (Saudi Arabia)</p>
<p>Comment: Still unclear how much money and arms we actually gave him to fight the Sovs in Afghanistan. Now protected by Islamists in the Pakistan military and assorted Taliban. Will be difficult to apprehend without losing Musharraf in the process. Priority here is control of the Islamic bomb.</p>
<p>Free</p>
<p>Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvallier (Haiti–in France), Jean-Bedel Bokassa (Central African Republic), Hector Gramajo (fmr defence minister, Guatemala–in Guatemala)</p>
<p>Comment: Hopefully forgotten (we are trying).</p>
<p>New Friends (undemocratic)</p>
<p>Pervez Musharraf (Pakistan), Islam Karimov (Uzbekistan), Saparmurat Niyazov (Turkmenistan), Teodoro Obiang (Equatorial Guinea), Abdelaziz Bouteflika (Algeria)</p>
<p>Comment: A measure of our new commitment to spreading democratic politics. Some have oil, one is Stalinist, all have corruption. None have democracy. Like old friends in the Gulf, they have been advised not to take GWB’s freedom and democracy speeches seriously.</p>
<p>Given sanctuary by US</p>
<p>Jose Guillermo Garcia (fmr head of El Salvador armed forces, 1980s–Florida), Cuban and Haitian exiles (Florida), South Vietnamese army officers (California)</p>
<p>Comment: We now believe there are more terrorists per square kilometre in Florida than any other place on earth–all with safe haven. Most are from the abattoir states of Central America under Reagan.</p>
<p>It’s a battle to keep them away from snooping journalists when they slip their agency minders. Just as well GWB’s dictum about countries that provide sanctuary to terrorists doesn’t apply to Miami.</p>
<p>Refusing to extradite</p>
<p>Emmanuel Constant (leader of paramilitary group FRAPH in Haiti who murdered thousands in the 1990s–in NYC)</p>
<p>Comment: Avoid comparison with the Taliban’s refusal to extradite Osama after 9/11. Haiti is unlikely to bomb the East Coast. Warren Anderson (chairman of Union Carbide, now Dow Chemical), responsible for the 1984 Bhopal gas leak in India that killed 16,000 people–Long Island, New York)</p>
<p>Comment: They are only Indians, after all. Even Delhi is reluctant to compensate the victims and 120,000 survivors. Unlikely to ever face charges of culpable homicide.</p>
<p>Unindicted</p>
<p>Ariel Sharon (Israel)</p>
<p>Comment: Long record of brutality, most notably in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. Rebadged “man of peace” by GWB in the Orwellian sense. European travel may become difficult.</p>
<p>Turkish leaders</p>
<p>Comment: No longer so well disposed after they failed to help us out in Iraq. Army even refused Wolfowitz’s order to defy the government and back the invasion.</p>
<p>Remember not to call Turkey’s attacks on its Kurdish population “terrorism” because we supplied them with the means to do it. As with Colombia, our money officially goes to the guys in the white hats–or in this case–the white fezzes.</p>
<p>SCOTT BURCHILL lectures in international relations at Deakin University. This article originally appeared in The Age.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | The Bad Guys We Once Thought Good | true | https://counterpunch.org/2003/12/26/the-bad-guys-we-once-thought-good/ | 2003-12-26 | 4 |
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<p>AVON, Ohio – Less than a day before temporary workers at the&#160; <a href="http://www.detroitchassis.com/" type="external">Detroit Chassis</a>&#160;plant on Chester Industrial Parkway were scheduled to strike, the company agreed to their request to join a union.</p>
<p>The plant is staffed by about 60 workers – all of them temps -- who make between $9.50 and $11.50 an hour, according to workers helping with the organizing effort to have the <a href="http://uaw.org" type="external">UAW</a> represent them. The workers want permanent full-time employment and better wages and benefits. Their duties include assembling axles for the F-650 and F-750 trucks being made at Ford's Ohio Assembly Plant in nearby Avon Lake.</p>
<p>"(W)orkers won a commitment from Detroit Chassis that averts a strike and sets in motion a process that will allow workers to achieve their goals—forming a union with the UAW, making them solely employees of Detroit Chassis rather than contracted temporary workers, and bargaining a fair contract that will transform these workers' lives," said Ken Lortz, UAW's Region 2B director, in an email. "We will begin working with Detroit Chassis immediately to make these changes a reality."</p>
<p>Detroit Chassis is choosing not to discuss the matter.</p>
<p>"It is our Company policy that we do not comment publicly on pending labor relations matters," reads an emailed company statement.</p>
<p>Workers successfully organizing to join a union isn't that unusual. However, it is unusual for temp workers to unionize.</p>
<p>"What happened here in Avon, Ohio, is the first time I remember seeing temporary workers stand up and say 'enough is enough,'" Lortz said in the email.</p>
<p>Successfully organizing is also unusual for these low-wage temps because they are in the auto parts industry, where workers have experienced declining wages for years. For example,&#160; <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2016/02/camaco_workers_say_their_low_p_1.html" type="external">workers at the Camaco plant in Lorain</a>&#160;have been trying to get a union for a few years in the hope of winning higher wages. Auto parts plants now employ three-fourths of all auto workers in the country, according to the liberal National Employment Law Project.</p>
<p>A 2014 NELP report, "Manufacturing Low Pay: Declining Wages in the Jobs that Built America's Middle Class," declining salaries among these workers. In Ohio, one-quarter of all manufacturing workers made less than $12.43 per hour, it found. As late as 2006 – the year before the start of the Great Recession -- such jobs paid significantly more than the average private sector wage.</p>
<p>The increase in using temporary workers has contributed to the low-wage trend, said Sarah Leberstein, a NELP senior staff attorney.</p>
<p>"The plant that is benefiting from their labor is contracting with a staffing agency, even while it may call the shots about what they do, what they get paid and whether or not they get benefits," she said.</p>
<p>Leberstein said this has proven problematic because the temps are usually paid less and receive no benefits, even though they often work along side permanent employees, usually making higher salaries with benefits. She said it was unusual for an entire plant to be staffed with temporary workers such as at Detroit Chassis.</p>
<p>"Workers are often on hold, months week or maybe even years waiting for full-time permanent employment," she said.</p>
<p>When Philaedonna Wade went to work at Detroit Chassis as a temporary worker about eight months ago, she said she was led to believe she would be eligible for permanent employment after 30 days. She makes $9.50 an hour, and believes no one working at the facility should make less than about $12, especially when one considers the price of the Ford trucks they help make can sell for more than $60,000.</p>
<p>"I thought this was an opportunity to improve my life," she said of what she believed was a chance to be hired full-time. "Then it looked like it was turning out to be a lie."</p>
<p>Wade said she was confused why the company was paying low wages when it emphasized quality in the production process.</p>
<p>"Usually when you want quality, you are willing to pay for it," she said.</p>
<p>Dave Perrier, one of the workers helping to organize the union, said he hired on as a temp a year-and-a-half ago. He said he was among the first workers at the plant and was given no guarantees of being made permanent. Perrier said after a year on the job, he asked to take vacation.</p>
<p>"I found out that there would be no vacation pay approved for anyone," said Perrier, who makes $11. "That was rather frustrating. After a year of working some place, you weren't going to be granted any vacation time?"</p>
<p>Workers said they began speaking frequently among themselves about the low pay, no benefits and no chance at permanent employment. They decided to organize to get a union. Perrier said everyone knew they risked being fired because they had no job security. But he said the workers also knew their value. Without them, Perrier said it would take no more than a day to potentially shut down the Ford plant for lack of auto parts.</p>
<p>He said these apparently vulnerable workers were able to tap into the one strength they had in order to form a union.</p>
<p>"It couldn't have happened if we couldn't have stuck together," Perrier said. "Everyone was on board."</p>
<p>Originally posted at</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2016/04/detroit_chassis_in_avon_averts_1.html" type="external">http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2016/04/detroit_chassis_in_avon_averts_1.html</a></p>
<p><a href="/filter/tips" type="external">More information about formatting options</a></p> | Detroit Chassis in Avon averts strike by accepting temp workers in union | true | http://newpol.org/content/detroit-chassis-avon-averts-strike-accepting-temp-workers-union | 2016-04-24 | 4 |
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<p>Attempting to protect itself from activist investor Carl Icahn, Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) unveiled a poison-pill plan on Monday that makes it more difficult for shareholders to obtain more than 10% of the company without board approval.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The move comes just days after shares of the movie subscription service surged as much as 20% after Icahn revealed a stake of nearly 10% in the company, called its stock undervalued and suggested he may search for strategic buyers of Netflix.</p>
<p>Netflix responded last week by saying it is open to input from the billionaire investor, but then on Monday adopted an anti-takeover plan.</p>
<p>The defensive move allows shareholders to receive more stock if an individual shareholder acquires more than 10% of the company, in effect diluting the value of the stock by increasing its supply.</p>
<p>Netflix said the plan is designed to “protect” against efforts to take control of Netflix that the board doesn’t believe is in the company and shareholders’ best interest.</p>
<p>The plan, which was approved on Friday, will only become effective if a person or group acquires 10% or more of Netflix’s common stock in a deal not approved by the company’s board.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Netflix said the poison-pill defense, which is a common strategy, isn’t intended to interfere with any merger, tender or exchange offer.</p>
<p>Last week Icahn said he believed strategic players with lots of cash could decide to acquire Netflix. In the past several potential acquirers have been floated, including Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), which has increasingly competed with Netflix in this space.</p>
<p>The speculation comes as Netflix’s shares continue to trade well below all-time highs north of $300 hit in July 2011. The share plunge came after a poorly-received price increase and an effort to split up the company’s businesses.</p>
<p>Netflix has rallied about 11% so far this year, but remains off about 15% over the past year.</p>
<p>Shares of the Los Gatos, Calif.-based company slipped 0.17% to $76.75 on Monday.</p> | Netflix Throws Up Shields After Icahn Takes Stake | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2012/11/05/netflix-throws-up-shields-after-icahn-takes-stake.html | 2016-03-03 | 0 |
<p>Here’s a bit of news that had Washingtonians choking on their coffee this morning: President Bush’s neoconservative hawk Paul Wolfowitz, the Pentagon’s architect of the US invasion of Iraq, is dating a Muslim!</p>
<p>While battle lines have hardened over President Bush’s nomination of Wolfowitz to become president of the World Bank, what many say is really fueling the controversy is concern within the bank over Wolfowitz’s reported romantic relationship with Shaha Ali Riza, an Arab feminist who is the acting manager for External Relations and Outreach for the Middle East and North Africa Region at the World Bank.</p>
<p>Political foes of Wolfowitz portray him as a leader of Washington’s Jewish neo-conservatives driving a blindly pro-Israel policy in the Middle East. Critics have also noted that his sister, Laura, a biologist, lives in Israel and has an Israeli husband.</p>
<p>But Wolfowitz, a married father of three, is said to be so blinded by his relationship with Riza, that influential members of the World Bank believe she played a key role in influencing the Pentagon official to launch the 2003 Iraq war. As his trusted confident, she is said to be one of most influential Muslims in Washington.</p>
<p>What they are said to share is a passion to establish democracy in the Middle East.</p>
<p>Riza, in her mid-fifties, was born in Tunis and grew up in Saudi Arabia. Her childhood is said to have done much to shape her commitment to democracy, equal rights and civil liberties in the Arab world based on her first hand experiences.</p>
<p>She brought those beliefs with her when she joined the World Bank in 1997.</p>
<p>Riza studied at the London School of Economics in the 1970s before taking a master’s degree at St. Anthony’s College, Oxford, where she met her former husband, Turkish Cypriot Bulent Ali Riza, from whom she is now divorced.</p>
<p>After they moved to America, Riza worked for the Iraq Foundation, set up by expatriates to overthrow Saddam Hussein after the first Gulf War. She subsequently joined the National Endowment for Democracy, created by President Ronald Reagan to promote American ideals.</p>
<p>It was this time that Riza, a British citizen eight years younger than Wolfowitz’s wife – started to meet with Wolfowitz about reforming the Middle East. They allegedly began dating two years ago.</p>
<p>Even by the discreet standards of Washington’s powerful inner circle, their relationship is a remarkably closely guarded secret. The Washington Post says the couple rarely goes out together or demonstrates affection publicly, according to friends who are aware of the relationship. They attend low-key Washington social events and visit friends’ homes together and Riza also sometimes goes to official functions and dinners with him, but is not identified as his partner, an acquaintance said.</p>
<p>“His womanizing has come home to roost,” a Washington insider told reporters. “Paul was a foreign policy hawk long before he met Riza but it doesn’t look good to be accused of being under the thumb of your mistress.”</p>
<p>A Wolfowitz opponent at the World Bank told a reporter: “Unless Riza gives up her job, this will be an impossible conflict of interest.”</p>
<p>Wolfowitz married his wife Clare Selgin in 1968. But they have lived separately since 2001, after allegations he had an affair with an employee at the School of Advanced International Studies where he was dean for seven years. They are now believed to be legally separated.</p>
<p>The World Bank’s staff association has told executives it has been swamped with complaints from employees about Wolfowitz.</p>
<p>However, Wolfowitz’s only comment on the complaints has been a terse statement issued through a Pentagon spokesman. He said: “If a personal relationship presents a potential conflict of interest, I will comply with bank policies to resolve the issue.”</p>
<p>BARBARA FERGUSON writes for the Arab News.</p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Wolfowitz Dating Muslim Woman | true | https://counterpunch.org/2005/03/24/wolfowitz-dating-muslim-woman/ | 2005-03-24 | 4 |
<p>This week, CNN’s Jake Tapper, working with FactCheck.org, highlights four claims Hillary Clinton made in a speech in Hampton, Illinois, on Sept. 5.</p>
<p>The claims in <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/07/politics/jake-tapper-hillary-clinton-stump-speech-fact-check/index.html" type="external">this week’s video</a> were all covered in our Oct. 3 article “ <a href="" type="internal">Clinton on the Stump</a>.”</p>
<p>All of Tapper’s videos, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2016/10/01/fact-check-4-trump-whoppers-jake-tapper-origwx-jh.cnn/video/playlists/fact-check/" type="external">including last week’s analysis</a> of a Sept. 19 Trump campaign speech, can be found on <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/07/politics/jake-tapper-hillary-clinton-stump-speech-fact-check/index.html" type="external">CNN.com</a> and <a href="" type="internal">FactCheck.org</a>.</p>
<p>&lt;iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QG0dfiQbzIM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Video: FactChecking Clinton Stump Speech | false | https://factcheck.org/2016/10/video-factchecking-clinton-stump-speech/ | 2016-10-07 | 2 |
<p>A new survey shows that Republicans are now more willing than Democrats to tolerate presidential candidates engaging in sexual affairs than Democrats.</p>
<p>The survey, conducted by <a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765693694/Deseret-News-survey-questions-respondents-on-adultery-in-the-US.html" type="external">Deseret News</a>, asked how many people were accepting of presidential candidates engaging in sexual affairs. The breakdown among political party affiliation was:</p>
<p>Here's what that breakdown was in 2007 in response to the same question:</p>
<p>That is a massive change of acceptance of presidential candidates among Republicans and Democrats OVER a span of ten years. It is truly remarkable that the Democrats – the party of Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Anthony Weiner and John Edwards – are now less tolerant of presidential candidates engaging in sexual infidelities than Republicans, the party that supposedly held higher standards for family sanctity.</p>
<p>Even more stunning is the fact that those who identify as evangelical Christians are more likely to support a presidential candidate with a history of sexual affairs. Fifty-six percent of evangelicals said they were less likely to support such a candidate in January 2016; in 2017 that number declined to 45 percent.</p>
<p>What changed?</p>
<p>Answer: Donald Trump.</p>
<p>Trump has his own history of sexual infidelity, most notably <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-reference-to-bill-clinton-affair-underscores-his-own-history-of-infidelity/2016/09/25/8e31fe68-834a-11e6-a3ef-f35afb41797f_story.html?utm_term=.db95424333ca" type="external">his affair with Marla Maples</a> while he was still married to his first wife, Ivana. The president also has <a href="http://therightscoop.com/heres-when-trump-bragged-in-his-book-about-his-multiple-affairs-with-his-friends-wives/" type="external">a history of bragging about his affairs</a>. There was once a time when such past behavior would be a kiss of death among Republican voters.</p>
<p>But because Trump is now a Republican in the White House, Republican voters who once supposedly cared about sexual infidelity have thrown such values out the window in favor of political expediency. It's one thing to support other aspects of Trump's politics while rejecting his history of affairs; it's quite another to abandon values altogether just because of the de-facto head of your political party.</p>
<p>This is what <a href="" type="internal">some NeverTrump conservatives</a> were worried about: Trump would drain the conservative movement of its values. This poll is certainly an example of that fear becoming reality.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/media/misc/pdf/2017-Adultery-Study.pdf" type="external">Read the full results of the poll here.</a></p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/bandlersbanter" type="external">Follow Aaron Bandler on Twitter.</a></p> | TRUMP EFFECT: Republicans Are Now More Tolerant Of Presidential Candidates Engaging In Affairs Than Democrats | true | https://dailywire.com/news/15367/trump-effect-republicans-are-now-more-tolerant-aaron-bandler | 2017-04-13 | 0 |
<p>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An 18-year-old Topeka man is charged with first-degree murder in a shooting death at a hotel.</p>
<p>Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay on Thursday charged Logan Lee Able Bartley with first-degree murder, aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery.</p>
<p>Prosecutors allege Bartley shot 31-year-old Jesse Lee McFall last week at a Best Western Hotel.</p>
<p>Topeka police say McFall was shot several times during an argument at the hotel.</p>
<p>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An 18-year-old Topeka man is charged with first-degree murder in a shooting death at a hotel.</p>
<p>Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay on Thursday charged Logan Lee Able Bartley with first-degree murder, aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery.</p>
<p>Prosecutors allege Bartley shot 31-year-old Jesse Lee McFall last week at a Best Western Hotel.</p>
<p>Topeka police say McFall was shot several times during an argument at the hotel.</p> | 18-year-old charged in shooting death at Topeka hotel | false | https://apnews.com/e7cae6860636432ead780a0f955a68b1 | 2018-01-18 | 2 |
<p>Discussion Paper - Harvard Kennedy School</p>
<p />
<p>In this paper, we compare the evolution of assessments of regional tropospheric ozone problems in the eastern United States and western Europe. We examine the framing of ozone as a policy problem and the use of atmospheric models and other analytical methods to evaluate alternative policy responses. We draw out a number of important distinctions between the United States and Europe, including: 1) In the United States, the ozone problem has been framed by a strongly federalist political system; whereas in Europe, the ozone problem has been framed by international environmental management regimes. 2) Human health impacts, historically, have been the primary concerns associated with ozone exposure in the United States; whereas in Europe, damage to ecosystems has been the primary concern. Thus, we find very different ways of framing the regionality of ozone as a policy problem and different models of the environmental system being used to evaluate policy responses.</p>
<p>We argue that the evolution of the framing of ozone as a policy problem is limited by the analytical models that have been developed over time to address the problem. While the current models in the United States and Europe are useful within the problem frames in which they have been developed, as the problem frames evolve to incorporate new knowledge and changing priorities, the limitations of the current models will restrict attempts to address new problems. The most immediate examples of such limitations within the context of the regionality of ozone is the inability of European models to incorporate increasing concerns about public health and the inability of the United States models to incorporate increasing concerns about ecosystem damage.</p>
<p /> | Problem Framing and Model Formulation: The Regionality of Tropospheric Ozone in the United States and Europe | false | http://belfercenter.org/publication/problem-framing-and-model-formulation-regionality-tropospheric-ozone-united-states-and | 2 |
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<p>Speaking Tuesday at the LCPS school board meeting, Ewing said the district’s cash reserves for the current year are down to about $3.5 million, after returning nearly $7 million to the state. That includes a $2.7 million reduction in the State Equalization Guarantee — the per-student funding the district receives from the state. It also includes a $3.5 million sweep of the district’s cash balance, a $500,000 reduction in transportation funding, and approximately $190,000 that was budgeted for instructional materials.</p>
<p>In January, Gov. Susana Martinez signed into law Senate Bill 114, part of a package of three bills that will plug a projected $67 million deficit in the state budget for the current fiscal year. Under SB 114, school districts with cash balances larger than 3 percent of their annual budget — such as LCPS — faced budget reductions. Martinez called these districts’ cash reserves “slush funds” and said the funds “are not being used in the classrooms.” In response, Ewing said he disagreed with the governor’s assertion.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, Ewing sought to reassure district employees that at this time, he has “no intention of recommending to the board that we furlough any employees, that we lay off any employees or that we ask any employees to take a pay deduction.</p>
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<p>“We will simply use attrition, and we will be good stewards of the money that we have,” he said.</p>
<p>However, Ewing stressed that the cuts would be felt in classrooms across the district.</p>
<p>“I do need to say that these cuts are going to impact the classroom, they’re going to impact instruction, and they’re going to impact children,” Ewing said. “And we cannot afford any additional cuts.”</p>
<p>Ewing said legislators are now considering the state’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget, and any further cuts to education could cripple the district.</p>
<p>“If they were to take another 2 percent reduction, that would be another $3.6 million,” Ewing said. “We would be insolvent if that were to occur.”</p>
<p>The district feels “safe where we are,” Ewing said, and district officials are monitoring expenses on a daily basis. The district will review each expenditure, one by one, before approving anything, he added.</p>
<p>Cameron Castillo, a sophomore at Centennial High School and chairman of the Student Advisory Council, had even more pointed remarks.</p>
<p>“I think I can get away with saying this — you guys, maybe not so much. But I’m 15 years old, what are they going to do?” Cameron said. “I think it’s very disappointing that our governor, Susana Martinez, who has been in office for six and a half years … described a school district’s cash reserves as a ‘slush fund.’ That is a very ignorant and ill-advised statement.”</p>
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<p>He said the governor’s remarks — and her willingness to sweep the cash balances from districts around the state — reveal a lack of basic understanding.</p>
<p>“I’m 15 years old and I know enough to say that these cash reserve funds for the district are vital to our everyday operations,” Cameron said. “And by calling them a slush fund, you show that your care for the everyday operations of a school district is not where it needs to be as the chief executive of the state.”</p>
<p>The school board also revealed Tuesday a calendar of meetings scheduled for the board’s Finance Advisory Committee. The first will be on Tuesday, Feb. 14, and the committee will continue to meet monthly through June.</p>
<p>“I think this has been a long time in coming, to (make this process) open” said Board President Maria Flores. “The public is invited, and it (will be) posted, and it keeps us in compliance. I’m very happy about this change.”</p>
<p>Damien Willis may be reached at 575-541-5468, [email protected] or @damienwillis on Twitter.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>©2017 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.)</p>
<p>Visit the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) at <a href="http://www.lcsun-news.com" type="external">www.lcsun-news.com</a></p>
<p>Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.</p>
<p>_____</p> | Ewing: ‘We cannot afford any more cuts’ | false | https://abqjournal.com/946042/ewing-we-cannot-afford-any-more-cuts.html | 2 |
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<p>A gunman fired on international advisers at an ammunition depot near Camp Morehead, a training site for Afghan commandos, about six miles south of Kabul.</p>
<p>The attack, which took place near the entrance of the base, killed one U.S. service member and injured another. One U.S. civilian was also killed, and two more were wounded in the assault, a statement from the NATO-led coalition said.</p>
<p>The gunman, which the Afghan Defense Ministry said was wearing an Afghan army uniform, was killed after international troops responded with gunfire. The injured Americans remained in stable condition, NATO said.</p>
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<p>“It happened near an arms depot. The attacker opened fire on his [coalition] friends,” Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said.</p>
<p>A U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the situation was still developing, said the Americans were at the depot as part of the NATO training mission for Afghan security forces.</p>
<p>The United States supplies the NATO mission with about 6,800 troops to advise and assist Afghan troops, which are battling a fierce Taliban insurgency in key areas across the country. An additional 3,000 U.S. troops are dedicated Operation Freedom Sentinel, a separate counterterrorism mission focused on al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.</p>
<p>The U.S. official said it was not clear Wednesday whether the assailant was in fact a member of the Afghan National Army. But Wednesday’s shooting appeared to be what is known as an “insider” or green-on-blue attack, where Afghan allies turn on their U.S. and foreign mentors.</p>
<p>At least 150 coalition troops have been killed in such attacks since 2008, according to data compiled by the Long War Journal, which is published by the D.C.-based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.</p>
<p>The assaults – which have been attributed both to Taliban infiltration and cultural differences between Afghan and foreign troops – surged in number from 2011 to 2013. But the attacks became more infrequent as the bulk of U.S. and NATO troops withdrew from the country. U.S. forces have suffered only two combat casualties in Afghanistan this year, both of which occurred in the volatile Helmand province in the country’s south.</p>
<p>At Camp Morehead, elite Afghan commando units learn ambush tactics, how to call in airstrikes, and train for short missions. But the commandos, which number about 11,000, are increasingly stretched thin.</p>
<p>As Afghan forces struggle to beat back Taliban militants in places like Lashkar Gah and Kunduz, which was briefly taken by insurgents again this month, casualties and desertions have depleted their ranks.</p>
<p>“Anytime we lose a member of our team, it is deeply painful,” Gen. John W. Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said Wednesday in a statement. There were no further details on the two Americans who were killed.</p>
<p>More than 2,350 U.S. troops have died supporting military operations in Afghanistan since 2001.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Gibbons-Neff reported from Washington. Sayed Salahuddin in Kabul contributed to this report.</p>
<p>afghan-1stld-writethru</p> | Two Americans killed in attack on base in Afghanistan | false | https://abqjournal.com/870555/two-americans-killed-in-attack-on-base-in-afghanistan.html | 2016-10-19 | 2 |
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<p>Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit fire a three-round-volley rifle salute, April 18, 2012, during a memorial ceremony to honor Cpl. Derek Kerns and Cpl. Robby Reyes, crew chiefs with VMM-261 (reinforced) who died during a training accident in Morocco, April 11, 2012. The 24th MEU, along with the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, is currently deployed as a theater security and crisis response force capable of a variety of missions from full-scale combat to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. <a href="http://www.marines.mil/Pages/PhotoDetails.aspx?ItemUrl=http://www.marines.mil/unit/hqmc/PublishingImages/2012/561306.jpg#.T5AmE-ZjE8Z" type="external">Photo</a> by 2nd Lt. Joshua Larson.</p>
<p /> | We’re Still at War: Photo of the Day for April 19, 2012 | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2012/04/were-still-war-photo-day-april-19-2012/ | 2012-04-19 | 4 |
<p />
<p>Stiglitz’s study, the basis for an April 22 article in the New Yorker, is part of a backlash against the current spate of media attention given to downsized employees. Recent, widely quoted stories in Newsweek and the New York Times have criticized layoffs, but haven’t addressed downsizing’s end result any better than have Clinton administration officials or conservative commentators. Downsizing doesn’t necessarily make companies smaller or more efficient or boost their long-term profits; downsizing drives down wages.</p>
<p>For the past year, since the publication of my book Corporate Executions, I have crisscrossed the country and heard countless stories of workers moving from job to job trying to make ends meet on a dwindling paycheck. On one television call-in show, callers told me about lost jobs, broken marriages, and meager retirements: “No one will hire me because of my age”; “I’ve been to over two dozen job interviews and they always say the same thing, that I’m overqualified”; “I can’t find another job that will pay enough to live on after I pay daycare expenses.”</p>
<p>These are the “broken eggs” that conservative New York Times columnist William Safire smugly dismisses as necessary for the “prosperity omelet.”</p>
<p>I, too, once believed in the dogma of downsizing. Fresh out of graduate school with a Ph.D. in psychology and eager to make my mark on the corporate world, I naively took commands from higher-ups. Sure, I was laying off employees but, let’s face it, most were outdated, skill-deficient workers anyway.</p>
<p>Over the course of my years as a corporate “hit man,” I sat at many a boardroom table and listened to senior executives lash out about “deadwood” employees, “paycheck entitlement,” and the need for some “new blood.” All told, I personally fired hundreds of employees and planned for the batch firings of thousands more. Once I sat in a room at AT&amp;T where employees’ fates were decided by moving their photos — attached to small magnets — around on a large panel similar to a chessboard.</p>
<p>Slowly, I began to see what really happens after a layoff. Morale hits rock bottom. Lines of communication within the company shatter. Productivity ebbs while high-priced consultants try to patch the business back together.</p>
<p>Evidence that downsizing is bad for both companies and employees goes far beyond my own anecdotal experience. During the past decade, studies have shown a mass layoff often doesn’t help a company, and, at worst, it can be the deathblow to a faltering enterprise. The lost time, waning productivity, and devastated morale create hidden costs, which can far outweigh the usual cost-savings predicted from a layoff.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, the corporate love affair with downsizing continues. The casualty estimates vary widely, ranging from the conservative figure of 3.1 million publicly announced layoffs since 1989 to the much-debated New York Times tally of 21.2 million in the same time period. The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that one out of every 20 working Americans will get laid off this year.</p>
<p>These cuts are necessary, we are told. “Our reduction and other actions are absolutely essential if our businesses are to be competitive,” explained Robert Allen, CEO of AT&amp;T, last January as he announced the layoff of 40,000 workers (while he pocketed more than $5.2 million in salary). Again and again, in speeches reminiscent of the parental adage “This hurts me more than it hurts you,” corporate chiefs hand out expedient rationalizations. Some claim the mass layoffs are necessary to keep their businesses in operation, arguing that the firings actually protect jobs. Others point to charts showing how their “re-engineered” organizations will miraculously accomplish more with fewer employees. Still others, tapping into the insecurity of workers struggling to keep pace in the Information Age, blame layoffs on their employees’ lack of technological skills.</p>
<p>The downsizing — or “rightsizing” in current corporate lingo — myths keep growing, embellished with each telling and validated not by reality, but by their own repetition and the status of their many narrators. The column to the right presents the big four.</p>
<p>Strip away the myths and what remains is an ugly truth: Management uses layoffs to lower wages and make a quick profit. Bypassing the hard work of strategic planning, executives increasingly take the shortcut of a layoff.</p>
<p>However, downsizing is not just a matter of shortsightedness, but of self-interest. Wall Street believes downsizing equals lower wages and bigger profits, and rewards CEOs who announce big layoffs by driving up their company’s stock price. Since CEOs typically receive big chunks of stock, their net worth spirals up, just as their unlucky workers are wondering how they’re going to make the mortgage payment.</p>
<p>The accelerating pace of layoffs has steadily lowered the standard of living for working Americans. Not only are wages decreasing, but the safety net that protects workers against such catastrophes as chronic illness or long-term disability has all but vanished. Layoffs are also eating away at retirement funds and life savings.</p>
<p>But there are alternatives to this corporate narcissism. As more Americans wake up to their lower standard of living, politicians and their pollsters are starting to pay attention. The GOP reached a political watershed this past winter when Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan horrified the party by condemning corporations — many of which contribute millions of dollars to the political right — for their mass layoffs. So deep are the populist roots of this anger, not even the party’s spin doctors could stop the Buchanan insurgence.</p>
<p>The Democrats now recognize that the GOP could co-opt their waning allegiance to labor. House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt is preparing legislation to slow the pace of layoffs and hold wages steady. Stopping short of legal restrictions, Rep. Gephardt’s approach would provide a mix of corporate incentives and deterrents to protect workers.</p>
<p>Some companies have resisted the downsizing fad on their own. Under David Packard (who died last March), Hewlett-Packard survived turbulent times by adopting a “fortnight” program: Every other Friday, it shut down almost all of its facilities and asked employees to take the day off without pay. And despite plenty of opportunity to take on large defense contracts, Packard refused if he would have to staff up to handle the work and then lay off employees when it was complete.</p>
<p>David Packard’s compassionate capitalism has paid off in spades. Hewlett-Packard has doubled its revenue over the last five years. Notes John Jones, an analyst at Salomon Brothers, “There are very few $30 billion companies that are growing 20 percent a year and are as profitable as HP.”</p>
<p>Other companies, such as Georgia-Pacific, avoid layoffs by using voluntary buyout programs. Employees have the option of accepting a certain amount of money for every year they have worked for the company. Employees who wish to leave can then take the check, and move on.</p>
<p>But the most powerful brake on the rush to downsize remains public pressure. When AT&amp;T announced its layoff of 40,000 employees, the company’s stock rose $2.62 a share overnight. A month later, when public opinion had swung decidedly against the company, the stock began to fall. By mid-March, it had lost almost $7 a share, diminishing CEO Robert Allen’s personal holdings in the company by $5 million. AT&amp;T began to whittle away the total layoff figure, saying it would now try to find jobs for 6,000 of the workers.</p>
<p>Pressure from customers can have an impact, too. In 1993-94, Pacific Gas &amp; Electric, the country’s largest energy utility company, laid off 3,000 workers. Extended rains in the spring of 1995 caused power outages for millions of customers in Northern California, many of whom went without service for days while PG&amp;E’s skeleton crews worked overtime. It took angry customers about 90 minutes to reach a human voice at the company’s understaffed customer service department. PG&amp;E had to hire 250 additional customer service personnel and cancel the planned layoff of 800 workers to solve the customer relations nightmare. Ironically, the company had claimed the layoffs would “improve customer service.”</p>
<p>Sometimes, even small protests can help. One labor attorney canceled his AT&amp;T long-distance service shortly after the company announced the big layoff. He received a call from a customer service representative inquiring why. “Because I can’t do business with a company that unnecessarily lays off so many workers,” answered the lawyer.</p>
<p>“But what difference does that make to you?”</p>
<p>“Think of it this way: I’m trying to protect your job.”</p>
<p>The representative was quiet for a moment and then said softly, “Thank you,” and hung up.</p>
<p>Alan Downs, Ph.D., is an industrial psychologist and business writer in New York City. His recent book on layoffs, Corporate Executions, was published by the American Management Association.</p>
<p /> | The Wages of Downsizing (cont’d) | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/1996/07/wages-downsizing-contd/ | 2018-07-01 | 4 |
<p>Steve Bannon, the Breitbart News-chairman-turned-White-House-chief-strategist, said in a Wednesday interview that the media “is the opposition party” for President Trump and should “keep its mouth shut.”</p>
<p />
<p>“The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen for awhile,” he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/business/media/stephen-bannon-trump-news-media.html?_r=0" type="external">said</a> in a phone interview with the New York Times.</p>
<p>“I want you to quote this,” he said. “The media here is the opposition party. They don’t understand this country.”</p>
<p>Bannon railed against “the elite media,” whose failure to predict Trump’s election he called “a humiliating defeat that they will never wash away.” He told the Times that no “mainstream media” journalists who reported on Trump’s campaign were “fired or terminated,” apparently suggesting that they should have been, and decried them as “outright activists of the Clinton campaign.”</p>
<p>He did not name any specific members of the press in that diatribe, according to the report.</p>
<p>Bannon also dismissed questions about White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s contentious relationship with the press. The Times noted Bannon initiated the phone call in order to talk up Spicer.</p>
<p>“Are you kidding me?” he told the Times. “We think that’s a badge of honor.”</p>
<p>He singled out the Washington Post and New York Times as examples of the media outlets he said missed the Trump phenomenon, and said that the New York Times in particular should be “absolutely ashamed and humiliated” for its coverage of Trump’s candidacy.</p>
<p>Despite all that vitriol, Bannon told the newspaper he has read the New York Times for most of his adult life.</p> | Steve Bannon Tells NY Times The Media Should ‘Keep Its Mouth Shut’ | true | http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/steve-bannon-calls-media-opposition-party | 4 |
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<p>RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi women were allowed into a sports stadium for the first time Friday to watch a soccer match between two local teams — though they were segregated in the stands from the male-only crowd with designated seating in the so-called "family section."</p>
<p>The move was the first of Saudi Arabia's social reforms planned for this year to ease restrictions on women, spearheaded by the kingdom's 32-year-old crown prince. The kingdom has also announced that starting in June women will be allowed to drive, lifting the world's only ban on female drivers.</p>
<p>More than just an incremental step toward greater rights, the presence of women in the sports stadium underscored a wider effort to integrate women in society and grant them more public visibility in a country where gender segregation is widely enforced and where most women cover their faces and hair with black veils and don loose-flowing black robes, known as abayas.</p>
<p>The first stadium to open its doors to women was in the Red Sea city of Jiddah. The stadium in the capital, Riyadh, will open to women on Saturday, followed by the western city of Dammam on Thursday.</p>
<p>At the Jiddah stadium Friday, young Saudi women wearing bright orange vests over their abayas were deployed to help with the female crowds. "Welcome to Saudi families," read a sign in Arabic erected across the section of the stadium reserved for women.</p>
<p>"It's very festive and very well organized. A lot of people are just really happy to be here. I think there's a lot of excitement when you walked in, especially among the children," said Sarah Swick of the match between Saudi soccer teams Al-Ahli and Al-Batin.</p>
<p>To prepare for the change, the kingdom designated so-called "family sections" in the stands for women, separated by barriers from the male-only crowds. The stadiums were also fitted with female prayer areas and restrooms, as well as separate entrances and parking lots for female spectators. Local media said women would also have their own designated smoking areas.</p>
<p>"Family sections" are ubiquitous across the kingdom, allowing married couples, direct relatives and sometimes groups of friends to sit together, isolated from male-only tables at restaurants and in waiting areas at banks and hospitals. The sections also include women out on their own or in groups with other women.</p>
<p>Although only 20 riyals ($5.33) a ticket, the family section for Friday's match was still less than half full.</p>
<p>"A lot of people wanted to wait and see how it is. Some thought it wouldn't be very safe or organized," said Swick, who attended the game with her Saudi husband and son, and her American mother.</p>
<p>Swick, who grew up in Maryland and has been living in Saudi Arabia for the past nine years, has attended football games in the U.S. and soccer matches in France, but said she was impressed with how organized Friday night's match was.</p>
<p>"I definitely think we will come back," she said.</p>
<p>An Arabic hashtag on Twitter about women entering stadiums garnered tens of thousands of tweets on Friday, with some using the hashtag to share photos of female spectators wearing their team's colors in scarves thrown over their black abayas.</p>
<p>While many welcomed the decision to allow women into stadiums, others spoke out against it.</p>
<p>Some used the hashtag to write that women's place should be in the home, focusing on their children and preserving their faith, and not at a stadium where male crowds frequently curse and chant raucously.</p>
<p>Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is seen as the driving force behind the loosened restrictions on women. Still in place, however, are guardianship laws that prevent women from traveling abroad, obtaining a passport or marrying without a male relative's consent.</p>
<p>Set to inherit a country where more than half the population is under 25 years old and hungry for change, the young crown prince has looked to boost his popularity by curbing nearly four decades of deeply entrenched ultraconservative influence. His reforms, which include allowing movie theaters to open in March after a more than 35-year ban, are also aimed at creating more jobs and increasing local spending on entertainment as the country faces several more years of budget deficit amid continued lower oil prices.</p>
<p>The country's large, new stadiums were built with hundreds of millions of dollars when oil prices were nearly double what they are now. The government spent lavishly on them in an effort to appease young Saudis and provide spaces for fans eager to cheer on local clubs, as well as hold national parades and ceremonies.</p>
<p>In a one-off, the stadium in Riyadh allowed families to enter and watch National Day festivities in September — marking the first time women had set foot inside.</p>
<p>In 2015, a Saudi woman who tried to attend a soccer game in Jiddah was arrested after local media said she was spotted by security officers "deliberately disguised" in pants, a long-sleeve top, a hat and sunglasses to avoid detection.</p>
<p>Over the years, though, there have been some exceptions for foreign women.</p>
<p>In 2015, an Australian female supporter of Western Sydney Wanderers soccer club was permitted to attend a match at Riyadh's main stadium and a group of American women traveling with a U.S. Congress delegation also watched a local club match there.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.</p>
<p>RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi women were allowed into a sports stadium for the first time Friday to watch a soccer match between two local teams — though they were segregated in the stands from the male-only crowd with designated seating in the so-called "family section."</p>
<p>The move was the first of Saudi Arabia's social reforms planned for this year to ease restrictions on women, spearheaded by the kingdom's 32-year-old crown prince. The kingdom has also announced that starting in June women will be allowed to drive, lifting the world's only ban on female drivers.</p>
<p>More than just an incremental step toward greater rights, the presence of women in the sports stadium underscored a wider effort to integrate women in society and grant them more public visibility in a country where gender segregation is widely enforced and where most women cover their faces and hair with black veils and don loose-flowing black robes, known as abayas.</p>
<p>The first stadium to open its doors to women was in the Red Sea city of Jiddah. The stadium in the capital, Riyadh, will open to women on Saturday, followed by the western city of Dammam on Thursday.</p>
<p>At the Jiddah stadium Friday, young Saudi women wearing bright orange vests over their abayas were deployed to help with the female crowds. "Welcome to Saudi families," read a sign in Arabic erected across the section of the stadium reserved for women.</p>
<p>"It's very festive and very well organized. A lot of people are just really happy to be here. I think there's a lot of excitement when you walked in, especially among the children," said Sarah Swick of the match between Saudi soccer teams Al-Ahli and Al-Batin.</p>
<p>To prepare for the change, the kingdom designated so-called "family sections" in the stands for women, separated by barriers from the male-only crowds. The stadiums were also fitted with female prayer areas and restrooms, as well as separate entrances and parking lots for female spectators. Local media said women would also have their own designated smoking areas.</p>
<p>"Family sections" are ubiquitous across the kingdom, allowing married couples, direct relatives and sometimes groups of friends to sit together, isolated from male-only tables at restaurants and in waiting areas at banks and hospitals. The sections also include women out on their own or in groups with other women.</p>
<p>Although only 20 riyals ($5.33) a ticket, the family section for Friday's match was still less than half full.</p>
<p>"A lot of people wanted to wait and see how it is. Some thought it wouldn't be very safe or organized," said Swick, who attended the game with her Saudi husband and son, and her American mother.</p>
<p>Swick, who grew up in Maryland and has been living in Saudi Arabia for the past nine years, has attended football games in the U.S. and soccer matches in France, but said she was impressed with how organized Friday night's match was.</p>
<p>"I definitely think we will come back," she said.</p>
<p>An Arabic hashtag on Twitter about women entering stadiums garnered tens of thousands of tweets on Friday, with some using the hashtag to share photos of female spectators wearing their team's colors in scarves thrown over their black abayas.</p>
<p>While many welcomed the decision to allow women into stadiums, others spoke out against it.</p>
<p>Some used the hashtag to write that women's place should be in the home, focusing on their children and preserving their faith, and not at a stadium where male crowds frequently curse and chant raucously.</p>
<p>Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is seen as the driving force behind the loosened restrictions on women. Still in place, however, are guardianship laws that prevent women from traveling abroad, obtaining a passport or marrying without a male relative's consent.</p>
<p>Set to inherit a country where more than half the population is under 25 years old and hungry for change, the young crown prince has looked to boost his popularity by curbing nearly four decades of deeply entrenched ultraconservative influence. His reforms, which include allowing movie theaters to open in March after a more than 35-year ban, are also aimed at creating more jobs and increasing local spending on entertainment as the country faces several more years of budget deficit amid continued lower oil prices.</p>
<p>The country's large, new stadiums were built with hundreds of millions of dollars when oil prices were nearly double what they are now. The government spent lavishly on them in an effort to appease young Saudis and provide spaces for fans eager to cheer on local clubs, as well as hold national parades and ceremonies.</p>
<p>In a one-off, the stadium in Riyadh allowed families to enter and watch National Day festivities in September — marking the first time women had set foot inside.</p>
<p>In 2015, a Saudi woman who tried to attend a soccer game in Jiddah was arrested after local media said she was spotted by security officers "deliberately disguised" in pants, a long-sleeve top, a hat and sunglasses to avoid detection.</p>
<p>Over the years, though, there have been some exceptions for foreign women.</p>
<p>In 2015, an Australian female supporter of Western Sydney Wanderers soccer club was permitted to attend a match at Riyadh's main stadium and a group of American women traveling with a U.S. Congress delegation also watched a local club match there.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Batrawy reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.</p> | Saudi stadiums open for women in a first to watch soccer | false | https://apnews.com/amp/54adcc61344744f492c0710f75524523 | 2018-01-12 | 2 |
<p />
<p>Interest rates on new credit card offers remained at 14.95% once again this week, according to the CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>This is the eighth consecutive week that card offers for consumers with excellent credit remained unchanged. None of the issuers tracked by CreditCards.com made changes to a card's best available interest rate.</p>
<p>One issuer did hike rates on card offers for consumers with lower scores. The changes didn't affect the national average, however, because CreditCards.com considers only a card's lowest rate when calculating average interest rates.</p>
<p>Discover widened the range of possible APRs on the majority of cards it offers online by raising the maximum possible rate on each card by 3 percentage points.</p>
<p>Discover's flagship "it" card, for example, previously featured a maximum rate of 19.99%. Cardholders now may qualify for an APR as high as 22.99%.</p>
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<p>In addition to the Discover "it" card, five other <a href="http://www.creditcards.com/Discover.php?aid=52aae854" type="external">Discover</a> cards now feature the same APR range of 10.99% to 22.99%. Making the change were the Discover Miles card, the Discover Motiva card, the Discover More card, the Discover Escape card and the Discover Open Road card.</p>
<p>As a result, the range of possible APRs that Discover now advertises on most of its cards is wider than most. The difference between the lowest available rate and the maximum available rate on the majority of Discover cards advertised online is now 12 percentage points -- which is significantly higher than the minimum APR it offers to cardholders with the best credit.</p>
<p>Wide APR ranges become common</p>
<p>Discover isn't alone in offering a wider range of APRs. In fall 2012, for example, <a href="http://www.creditcards.com/Bank-of-America.php?aid=52aae854" type="external">Bank of America</a> increased the maximum possible rate on a large number of its online credit cards offers.</p>
<p>As a result, the vast majority of Bank of America cards tracked by CreditCards.com now feature a 10-point spread between the lowest available rate for customers with the best credit and the maximum rate offered to customers with borderline scores.</p>
<p>Some cards feature even wider ranges. The USAA World MasterCard, for example, advertises a range of possible APRs, starting at 9.9% and ending at 25.9% -- a 16-point difference.</p>
<p>Consumer advocates are critical of the widening APR ranges because, they say, it makes it harder for consumers to know what APR they'll actually be offered if they're approved for a card. For example, consumers may overestimate their perceived creditworthiness and expect to receive an interest rate that's closer to the card's minimum advertised APR and instead receive a rate that's closer to the card's maximum available APR.</p>
<p>Banking representatives counter that the wide ranges of possible APRs on a given credit card make it easier for lenders to offer a card to more people, including those with marginal credit scores.</p>
<p>Regardless, average credit card ranges appear to be widening, according to CreditCards.com data. For example, among the 100 cards that CreditCards.com tracks, 42 now feature ranges as wide as 8 percentage points or more -- up from 39 in November 2012.&#160; Thirty-five cards advertise spreads as wide as 10 percentage points or more.</p>
<p>In most cases, the wider spreads that have occurred in recent months are the result of issuers increasing the maximum rate available on a new card. Few issuers have lowered the minimum APR available on a new card. As a result, the national average has fallen just five times since April 10, 2012.</p>
<p>Credit card use may be ramping up</p>
<p>Despite relatively high credit card interest rates that show few signs of dropping anytime soon, consumers appear more willing to use their cards than they have been in the recent past, according to new research.</p>
<p>Credit card usage at some stores, for example, jumped in March, compared to the same period in 2012, according to First Data's SpendTrend report released April 9. The report measures consumers' same-store spending and how they choose to pay.</p>
<p>Consumers also increased the overall amount they spent in March, according to the report. "Consumer spending growth bounced back in March despite increased payroll taxes and other headwinds facing consumers," said First Data's Rikard Bandebo in a <a href="http://www.firstdata.com/en_us/about-first-data/media/press-releases/04_09_13.html" type="external">press release Opens a New Window.</a>. "Looking forward, sustained consumer-spending growth remains in the balance as consumers are reducing their savings and are shifting more spending onto credit cards."</p>
<p>See related: <a href="http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/g19-federal_reserve-consumer_credit_card_debt-4052013-1276.php?aid=52aae854" type="external">Fed: Card balances rise in February</a></p> | Credit Card Interest Rates Stay at 14.95% for 8th Straight Week | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/04/10/credit-card-interest-rates-stay-at-145-for-eighth-straight-week.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
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