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<p>PESHAWAR, Pakistan – Thousands of people protesting U.S. drone strikes blocked a road in northwest Pakistan on Saturday used to truck NATO troop supplies and equipment in and out of Afghanistan, the latest sign of rising tension caused by the attacks.</p>
<p>The protest, led by Pakistani politician and cricket star Imran Khan, had more symbolic value than practical impact as there is normally little NATO supply traffic on the road on Saturdays.</p>
<p>The blocked route in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province leads to one of two border crossings used to send supplies overland from Pakistan to neighboring Afghanistan.</p>
<p>Khan, whose Tehreek-e-Insaf party runs the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, called on federal officials to take a firmer stance to force the U.S. to end drone attacks and block NATO supplies across the country.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Thousands protest U.S. drone strikes | false | https://abqjournal.com/307863/thousands-protest-u-s-drone-strikes.html | 2 |
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<p>Leroy J. Montoya</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>BELEN — A 27-year-old Belen man has been indicted on kidnapping and aggravated assault charges for his role in a 2012 police chase where police said he held his own mother hostage.</p>
<p>A Valencia County grand jury indicted Leroy Montoya for his role in the incident, days after he was alleged to have been involved in a home invasion where a 10-year-old boy was shot.</p>
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<p>He was indicted on charges, including kidnapping, aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, aggravated fleeing of a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery on a household member, criminal damage to property of more than $1,000, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance.</p>
<p>The chase started after Belen police got an anonymous tip that Montoya was at his mother’s Belen residence on Schaeffer Avenue.</p>
<p>Police said Montoya walked out of the residence and got into the passenger seat of his mother’s car.</p>
<p>Montoya’s mother drove to Main Street, where she put the car in park and tried to exit the vehicle.</p>
<p>Police said Montoya pulled her back in the car and told officers he would kill her if she tried to leave.</p>
<p>The suspect drove to the intersection of Main Street and Gilbert Avenue and pushed his mother out of the vehicle, police said. The woman refused treatment at the scene for minor abrasions.</p>
<p>Montoya eventually crashed into a fence near Vallejos Road and N.M. 47, where he was taken into custody. The chase lasted nine minutes and included several occasions where Montoya drove erratically and into oncoming traffic, police say.</p>
<p>The man was part of a group who is accused of forcing their way into a Tomé home in May 2012 on La Bajada Road and demanding drugs and money.</p>
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<p>Police said the men were armed with a handgun and rifle when the 10-year-old boy jumped in front of his mother as one of the men fired, striking the boy in the arm. The boy was treated and released from an Albuquerque hospital.</p>
<p>On Monday, Montoya was charged with assault on a peace officer after he “yanked” the arm of a guard at the Valencia County Detention Center.</p>
<p>Warden Joe Chavez said Montoya requested a razor to shave while he was in an area where inmates use the shower facilities. When the guard extended his arm to hand him the razor, Chavez said Montoya grabbed a hold of his arm and pulled him into a cage which surround the facilities.</p>
<p>Montoya is being held on four separate bonds — $1 million cash only, $5,000 cash or surety, $10,000 cash or surety and $5,000 cash or surety.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>5:54am 5/29/12 — Home Invasion Suspects Caught</p>
<p>LOS LUNAS (AP) — A man accused of shooting a 10-year-old boy during a home invasion in now in Belen police custody.</p>
<p>KOAT-TV reports that authorities arrested Leroy Montoya on Monday afternoon after a police pursuit that ended in a crash in Belen.</p>
<p>Montoya is one of two men suspected of shooting the boy while attempting to burglarize a house May 23 in Los Lunas.</p>
<p>Authorities say the 10-year-old was shot in the arm when he stepped in front of his mother.</p>
<p>Isaac M. Vallejos</p>
<p>The other suspect, Isaac Vallejos, was arrested after the shooting.</p>
<p>The family told police they did not know either man.</p>
<p>5:54am 5/29/12 — Suspects ID’d in Tome Home Invasion</p>
<p>New Mexico State Police have identified two suspects who are believed to have committed a home invasion and robbery in Tome last Wednesday in which a 10-year-old boy was shot in the arm.</p>
<p>The suspects are Isaac M. Vallejos, 30, who is believed to live off N.M. 47 in Los Lunas, and Leroy J. Montoya, 26, believed to reside off 5th Street in Belen, according to a State Police news release.</p>
<p>Vallejos is 5 feet 1 inch tall, weighs 150 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes, while Montoya is 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 188 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes.</p>
<p>Both are facing charges of two counts of kidnapping, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, child abuse, aggravated burglary, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, the release said. Bond is being set a $1 million each.</p>
<p>Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or New Mexico State Police at (505) 841-9256.</p>
<p>5/26/12 — Boy, 10, Shot in Arm During Home Invasion</p>
<p>By Brent Ruffner/Valencia County News-Bulletin</p>
<p>LOS LUNAS — New Mexico State Police are looking for two suspects who they say burst into a Tomé home Wednesday, shooting a 10-year-old boy in the arm, according to New Mexico State Police Lt. Robert McDonald.About 4 p.m., New Mexico State Police and Valencia County sheriff’s deputies responded to the home on La Bajada Road following an altercation with two masked men who demanded money and drugs, McDonald said. The men were armed with a rifle and handgun.</p>
<p>KOAT-TV reported that the 10-year-old boy jumped in front of his mother as one of the men fired, striking the boy in the arm.</p>
<p>According to KOAT, the victim’s father is shaken and upset, but proud of his 10-year-old son. He said his son doesn’t consider himself a hero.</p>
<p>“He goes, ‘I protected mom, dad. I protected mom and brother and sister.’ That is what he says. That’s why he did what he did, to protect them,” the boy’s father told the television news reporter.</p>
<p>Police said the burglars kicked down a bedroom door, and that’s when the boy tackled a suspect.</p>
<p>The suspects left after the boy was shot. The 10-year-old, his mother, his 19-year-old sister and 24-year-old brother were home during the invasion, the KOAT report said.</p>
<p>Shortly after, the Valencia County SWAT team combed an area in the Los Ranchitos Mobile Home Park where it was believed the men were hiding.</p>
<p>McDonald said police got information that the men had been dropped off at a certain mobile home.</p>
<p>“They searched the house and it was empty,” McDonald said.</p>
<p>McDonald did not release a description of the men. He said the investigation is ongoing.</p>
<p>“Our guys are still working on it.”</p>
<p>9:09am 5/24/12 — Boy, 10, Shot in N.M. Home Invasion</p>
<p>LOS LUNAS (AP) — Authorities say a 10-year-old boy is expected to recover after being shot in the arm during a home invasion.</p>
<p>KRQE-TV reports New Mexico police say a woman and her three children were at their Valencia County home Wednesday afternoon when two men attempted to burglarize the house.</p>
<p>Authorities say there was a struggle between the boy and one of the burglars. They say the boy then stepped in front of his mother and was shot.</p>
<p>The two men fled. Police are still searching for them.</p>
<p>The family tells KRQE-TV they did not know either man.</p> | UPDATED: Belen man indicted in chase, holding mom hostage | false | https://abqjournal.com/174972/updated-belen-man-indicted-in-chase-holding-mom-hostage.html | 2013-03-05 | 2 |
<p>By <a href="http://www.etftrends.com/author/stringerescuekeller/" type="external">Gary Stringer Opens a New Window.</a>, <a href="http://www.etftrends.com/author/stringerescuekeller/" type="external">Kim Escue</a> and <a href="http://www.etftrends.com/author/stringerescuekeller/" type="external">Chad Keller</a></p>
<p>The August U.S. monthly employment report, released on Sept. 2, missed expectations as jobs creation cooled significantly from prior months.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>To reduce the month to month volatility in the jobs reports, we prefer to look at the rolling 6-month average. We think trends in the rolling average numbers are more important than the individual monthly reports.</p>
<p>As you can see in exhibit 1, the rolling 6-month average has settled at a rate significantly lower than in late 2014 and early 2015. Though the average current rate of jobs creation is near the low-end of the recovery range, these are not bad results in our view. We think these numbers are reflective of an economy that continues to grow slowly and generate well-paying jobs in health care and educational, as well as professional business services areas.</p>
<p>Still, this sluggish jobs growth should help keep a lid on inflationary pressure. We see diminishing inflationary pressure from the market-based inflation expectations, such as the 10-year TIPS breakeven spreads (see exhibit 2).&#160;The lack of inflationary pressure should also help keep long-term yields range-bound, though we do think they will drift higher from here.</p>
<p>Reflecting on the U.S. Federal Reserve’s (Fed) dual mandate of full employment and stable prices, as represented by the Fed’s 2% core inflation target, we see the slowdown in both jobs creation and inflationary pressure as giving the Fed further pause on raising interest rates. We weren’t&#160;surprised the Fed didn’t raise&#160;interest rates at its September 20-21 meeting.</p>
<p>With the Fed on hold, the economy can continue its sluggish growth and the global equity markets can continue to grind higher. As a global allocation manager who puts risk first, we think that with the Fed on hold as the backdrop, global equity volatility likely creates opportunity.</p>
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<p>Gary Stringer is the CIO, Kim Escue is a Senior Portfolio Manager, and Chad Keller is the COO and CCO at <a href="http://www.etftrends.com/etf-strategist-channel/stringer/" type="external">Stringer Asset Management Opens a New Window.</a>, a participant in the <a href="http://www.etftrends.com/etf-strategist-channel/" type="external">ETF Strategist Channel Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>DISCLOSURES</p>
<p>Any forecasts, figures, opinions or investment techniques and strategies explained are Stringer Asset Management LLC’s as of the date of publication. They are considered to be accurate at the time of writing, but no warranty of accuracy is given and no liability in respect to error or omission is accepted. They are subject to change without reference or notification. The views contained herein are not be taken as an advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any investment and the material should not be relied upon as containing sufficient information to support an investment decision. It should be noted that the value of investments and the income from them may fluctuate in accordance with market conditions and taxation agreements and investors may not get back the full amount invested. Past performance and yield may not be a reliable guide to future performance. Current performance may be higher or lower than the performance quoted. Data is provided by various sources and prepared by Stringer Asset Management LLC and has not been verified or audited by an independent accountant.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.etftrends.com/2016/09/softer-economic-data-clears-the-way-for-new-equity-market-highs/" type="external">This article Opens a New Window.</a> was provided by our partners at ETFTrends.</p> | Softer Economic Data Clears the Way for New Equity Market Highs | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/09/27/softer-economic-data-clears-way-for-new-equity-market-highs.html | 2016-09-27 | 0 |
<p>Fox News host and staunch climate change denier Brian Kilmeade got into an argument with a listener on his radio show Tuesday when the caller pointed out that most climatologists believe global warming is real, something that doesn’t jibe with the conservative’s beliefs.</p>
<p>It all started when the caller, who identified himself as “John,” told Kilmeade that the issue was the “most important thing we need to be concerned about.”</p>
<p>Kilmeade, demonstrating his absolute ignorance on the subject, responded sarcastically, “This morning it snowed, only because there was pollution in China.” He added, “You mean the corrupt ones? You mean the corrupt ones who admit they skew their findings?”</p>
<p>But here’s the thing that Kilmeade won’t acknowledge: Studies have shown nearly all climatologists support the science of global warming. Don’t try telling that to the “Fox &amp; Friends” host, who has never let facts get in the way of his opinions.</p>
<p />
<p>The Raw Story:</p>
<p>A 2010 study, though, confirmed that the matter <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2010/06/04/1003187107.abstract" type="external">really is settled</a> for 97 to 98 percent of climate researchers, echoing a University of Illinois <a href="http://tigger.uic.edu/~pdoran/012009_Doran_final.pdf" type="external">study</a> (PDF) the previous year.</p>
<p>The issue was pushed further into the spotlight when President Barack Obama <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2013/01/22/environmentalists-hail-obama-climate-change-focus" type="external">insisted</a> during his second inaugural address on Monday that his administration would respond to “the threat of climate change,” a move the caller praised.</p>
<p>But conservatives have <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/14/fox-news-contributor-hundreds-of-thousands-of-scientists-deny-climate-change/" type="external">long resisted</a> the idea that the planet is getting warmer.</p>
<p><a href="http://s.tt/1yPWu" type="external">Read more</a></p>
<p>— Posted by <a href="" type="internal">Tracy Bloom</a>.</p> | Only 'Corrupt' Scientists Believe in Climate Change, Fox News Host Claims | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/only-corrupt-scientists-believe-in-climate-change-fox-news-host-claims/ | 2013-02-06 | 4 |
<p>Shares of Mylan jumped nearly 6 percent before the opening bell Friday after the generic drugmaker boosted its outlook for the third-quarter and year.</p>
<p>The company, based in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, had a better quarter than expected thanks to new drug launches and drug approvals in the U.S.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>It now expects third-quarter earnings $1.12 and $1.16 per share. The previous projection from Mylan was for earnings of between 90 and 95 cents per share. Analysts had been expecting earnings of 94 cents per share, according to FactSet.</p>
<p>For the year, Mylan now expects earnings between $3.44 and $3.54 per share, up from its previous forecast range of $3.25 to $3.45 per share. Analysts were looking for earnings of $3.30 per share.</p>
<p>Shares of Mylan Inc. rose $2.61 to $49.11 in premarket trading.</p> | Shares of generic drugmaker Mylan rise on better third-quarter, full-year outlook | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2014/10/03/shares-generic-drugmaker-mylan-rise-on-better-third-quarter-full-year-outlook.html | 2016-03-04 | 0 |
<p>BEIRUT—Syria’s government is allowing the evacuation of nearly 30 critically ill people from a besieged Damascus suburb, where hundreds requiring medical treatment have been prevented from reaching hospitals minutes away.</p>
<p>The government recently tightened its siege of eastern Ghouta, home to some 400,000 people, leading to severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine as winter sets in.</p>
<p>Ingy Sedky, spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Damascus, said four patients were allowed to leave Tuesday and 25 others are expected to be let out in the coming hours.</p>
<p>It is not clear if all will be evacuated in one batch Wednesday or over several days. The ICRC is partnering with the local Syrian Arab Red Crescent to handle the evacuations. SARC spokeswoman Mona Kurdi said the evacuees arrived in hospitals in government-controlled Damascus, just a few minutes’ drive away.</p>
<p />
<p>The Army of Islam, a prominent rebel group in eastern Ghouta, said the critically ill will be evacuated as part of a deal that was conditional on it releasing an equivalent number of captives.</p>
<p>“There are many more people who need to be evacuated. We hope this will be only the beginning,” Sedky said.</p>
<p>The evacuees included three children, as young as one year old, and one adult. The patients, who traveled with family members, needed immediate treatment for cancer, kidney failure and hemophilia.</p>
<p>At least five detainees were evacuated from eastern Ghouta late Tuesday.</p>
<p>Some patients may not be able to leave eastern Ghouta for government-controlled areas, because they either fear conscription into the army or detention for having lived or worked in opposition areas.</p>
<p>For weeks, the U.N. has been calling on the government to allow some 500 critically ill people to leave the suburb for treatment and to expand aid groups’ heavily restricted access to the area. Activists in eastern Ghouta have circulated photos online of severely malnourished children. The U.N. says one in eight children in eastern Ghouta is going hungry, up from one in 50 in May.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, the U.N. said 12 people had died waiting for medical evacuation from eastern Ghouta. Their names were on a U.N-drawn list submitted to the government six months ago.</p>
<p>Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government is working with Russia, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad, to try and evacuate some 500 people from eastern Ghouta, including about 170 women and children, who are in urgent need of humanitarian or medical assistance. Turkey is a leading supporter of the Syrian opposition.</p>
<p>Rights groups say the government has used siege tactics across Syria to starve local populations and force rebels to surrender, which would amount to a war crime. The government denies the allegations, blaming shortages on rebel groups.</p>
<p>Eastern Ghouta was one of the first areas to rise up against Assad when Arab Spring protests spread across the country in 2011. Government forces surrounded the area in 2013, but tunnels and smuggling allowed residents to bring in food and medical supplies.</p>
<p>The government tightened the noose earlier this year following victories against insurgents in other parts of the country.</p>
<p>Assad’s rule is more secure than at any time since the uprising began, and the opposition is largely confined to the suburbs around Damascus and the northwestern rebel-held Idlib province.</p>
<p>“De-escalation” agreements brokered by Russia, Iran and Turkey have reduced the violence in most areas, but efforts to reach a political solution to the conflict remain stalled.</p>
<p>Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that Russian-brokered talks slated for next month were crucial for reaching a settlement, and would not interfere with U.N.-backed negotiations, which have made virtually no progress since they began in 2014.</p>
<p>Several dozen Syrian opposition groups have refused to take part in the Russian talks, accusing Moscow of failing to rein in Assad.</p>
<p>Lavrov, who met with Syrian opposition leader Ahmad Jarba on Wednesday, told Russian news agencies that the Sochi congress would lay the groundwork for U.N.-led talks. Lavrov said Russia’s goal is to bring together the largest number of opposition groups possible to help launch constitutional reforms in the war-torn country.</p>
<p>The Syrian government, which supports the Sochi process, has vehemently rejected the opposition’s central demand that Assad play no role in a political transition.</p> | Syria Allows Some Patients to Leave Besieged Area | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/syria-allows-patients-leave-besieged-area/ | 2017-12-27 | 4 |
<p>Doctors operating on a Texas girl suffering from rare medically induced obesity had to switch plans mid-surgery Friday because of complications.</p>
<p>Alexis Shapiro, 12, of Cibolo, Texas, had a liver that was far larger and fattier <a href="" type="internal">than doctors anticipated</a>, officials at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center said in live tweets of the operation. Instead of performing a planned gastric bypass operation and a procedure to snip the vagus nerve, which controls appetite, the team led by Dr. Thomas Inge is performing a different kind of weight-loss surgery, a sleeve gastrectomy.</p>
<p>Planned gastric bypass &amp; vagotomy no longer safest option for Alexis today given liver size <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23HyObesity&amp;src=hash" type="external">#HyObesity</a></p>
<p>That procedure typically removes about 25 percent of the stomach, forming a sleeve-like structure that limits the amount of food a person can eat. Patients feel full sooner and wind up consuming less. The operation is irreversible.</p>
<p>Doctors said <a href="" type="internal">the surgery</a> would still allow Alexis, who weighs 203 pounds, to lose weight, but it would also reduce the size of her liver, allowing the gastric bypass and the vagus nerve operation at a later date.</p>
<p>Sleeve gastrectomy still expected to help Alexis lose weight, which will also reduce liver size <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23HyObesity&amp;src=hash" type="external">#HyObesity</a></p>
<p>Parents Jenny and Ian Shapiro couldn't be reached immediately for comment, but a hospital spokeswoman, Danielle Jones, said they were satisfied with the doctors' decision, but worried about Alexis' reaction to additional surgery.</p>
<p>"The family is fine. They are confident that our doctors know what they are doing," Jones said.</p>
<p>Dr. Jeffrey Schwimmer, a Univeristy of California, San Diego, pediatric obesity expert not involved with Alexis' operation, said that the Cincinnati crew's decision made good sense. He said very large livers are common in kids with conditions like Alexis has, and that they can get in the way of delicate gastric bypass procedures.</p>
<p>"They made a clinical decision that this is the right approach at this time," he said. "That is consisent with the expected standard of care across the nation."</p>
<p>Alexis Shapiro developed a benign brain tumor called a craniopharyngioma more than two years ago. Surgery to remove it was successful, but it left her with hypothalamic obesity, a rare problem in which a patient's metabolism goes haywire. She gained massive amounts of weight and suffered from an insatiable appetite.</p>
<p>Instead of the planned three-hour operation, doctors finished the sleeve gastrectomy in about two hours.</p>
<p>Alexis' surgery is complete. She will be moved to pediatric ICU as planned for recovery and close metabolic monitoring <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23HyObesity&amp;src=hash" type="external">#HyObesity</a></p>
<p /> | Docs Forced to Alter Surgery Plans For Obese Girl | false | http://nbcnews.com/storyline/texas-girl-obesity-surgery/docs-forced-alter-surgery-plans-obese-girl-n58751 | 2014-03-21 | 3 |
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<p>First, there were all of those “ <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/2581173/Beijing-Olympics-Now-Argentinas-footballers-photographed-making-slit-eyed-gesture.html" type="external">slanty eye</a>” <a href="http://www.watoday.com.au/news/off-the-field/more-slanty-eye-photos-emerge/2008/08/15/1218307236721.html" type="external">photos</a> that circulated <a href="http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99374" type="external">during</a> the Beijing Olympics. Not okay. Then teen uber-sensation Miley Cyrus thought <a href="http://www.livenews.com.au/Article/Index/176493?channel=home" type="external">it would be funny</a> to pose thusly, and <a href="http://www.ocanational.org/index.php?option=com_content&amp;task=view&amp;id=501&amp;Itemid=94" type="external">it still wasn’t</a> (she apologized, <a href="http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/47056/miley-cyrus-issues-second-apology-over-offensive-slantyeyed-photos" type="external">twice</a>). A regrettable trend, but maybe one that we could chalk up to athletes caught up in the moment and Hannah Montana-ness?</p>
<p>Well, today Texas state Rep. <a href="http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist4/bio/brown.htm" type="external">Betty Brown</a> suggested ( <a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6365320.html" type="external">out loud</a>, during House testimony) that Asians should adopt names that are “easier for Americans to deal with.” (There’s no accompanying photo of her making slanty eyes, that I&#160;have seen.) Brown was responding to testimony from Ramey Ko, a representative of the Organization of Chinese Americans, who was explaining to legislators the challenges Asian Americans face in <a href="" type="internal">voting and in obtaining identification</a> because their legal transliterated names are often different from a common name they use on official forms. Brown thought she would help out:</p>
<p>“Rather than everyone here having to learn Chinese — I understand it’s a rather difficult language — do you think that it would behoove you and your citizens to adopt a name that we could deal with more readily here?…Can’t you see that this is something that would make it a lot easier for you and the people who are poll workers if you could adopt a name just for identification purposes that’s easier for Americans to deal with?”</p>
<p>Wow. So helpful. You must have suggested that because you have helpfully shortened your own name from Elizabeth (long and full of syllables, I know) to the much more accessible, Betty. And Brown is a color, and one syllable, and so easy to say, like Bush! But Betty, if your name weren’t Brown, but instead you (or your husband) descended from a long line of, say, Bartholomews, what a pain in the ass that would be if you ever wanted to become a poll worker, huh?</p>
<p>And back to Rep. Brown’s suggestion. She doesn’t even get it. Ms. Ko was saying that Asian Americans already do simplify their names for Americans who can’t pronounce or try to pronounce their names. So it’s less outrageous to me that she suggest it, though it predictably shows what many Americans feel, that an “American” name is an easy to spell Anglo one, and more her suggestion that somehow new immigrants lives would be greatly improved if their names weren’t so foreign-sounding. I mean, she is probably right. Maybe more of her constituents who are new immigrants would get jobs sooner if they had Anglo names, not to mention housing, child care slots. But it’s a problem a legislator can and should address, that people’s lives are made harder, that they could be rejected from opportunities based on the sound of their identity.</p>
<p>Brown is outraged that “they” (Dems) “want this to just be about race.” She says at issue is whether or not the state should <a href="" type="internal">require IDs for voting</a> and her comments shouldn’t distract from that decision. Still, she is suggesting that “Americans” = those with easy-to-say white-people names, and anyone who doesn’t have a name like that a) should get one, and b) if they don’t they shouldn’t be surprised when they are have a bitch of a time trying to get anything done in this country.</p>
<p>Oh Betty, we all can’t have it easy like you, and <a href="http://resource4dummyez.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/mugshot__bobby-brown.jpg" type="external">Bobby</a>, and <a href="http://topnews.in/wp-content/uploads/george-bush2.jpg" type="external">George</a>.</p>
<p /> | Texas Lawmaker Says Asians Should All Have Names Like Betty | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2009/04/texas-lawmaker-says-asians-should-all-have-names-betty/ | 2009-04-09 | 4 |
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Officers are looking for a “person of interest” after a woman was&#160;sexually assaulted in an office park near Candelaria and Carlisle NE, according to a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department.</p>
<p>Officer Fred Duran said police are worried the man could be a threat to other women in the area.</p>
<p>He said on Feb. 7 police were called to the office park because a woman reported she had been sexually assaulted in the bathroom of one of the&#160;buildings. In a surveillance video released by police, a man Duran says is&#160;a person of interest can be seen entering the building carrying a bicycle and going through the double doors.</p>
<p>Duran said they are looking for the public’s help to identify the man so they can interview him. He is described as Hispanic or Native American, between 30 and 40 years old, and is approximately 5 foot 8 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds.</p>
<p>Duran said APD typically does not release information on sexual assaults because of the “delicate nature” of these cases. But they did so in this case because the victim asked detectives to use any means necessary to identify the man since they do not have any other leads, he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Police looking for person of interest in sexual assault case | false | https://abqjournal.com/952410/police-looking-for-person-of-interest-in-sexual-assault-case.html | 2 |
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<p>San Diego Union-TribuneGabriel Wisdom was fired Friday morning from San Diego radio station KPBS, a day after "Marketplace" <a href="" type="internal">dropped him</a> as a contributor for lifting passages from Daniel Gross' Slate column. Wisdom, who wasn't paid for his KPBS commentaries, says: "It was never my intention, by inference or in any other way, to take credit for anyone else's words. I'm just telling you the truth. I don't know what else to say."</p> | Wisdom loses second radio gig after lifting from Slate column | false | https://poynter.org/news/wisdom-loses-second-radio-gig-after-lifting-slate-column | 2005-06-24 | 2 |
<p>NOTE: The Dallas Morning News this week solicited from various people 250-word responses to the question of what will happen if the United States pulls out of Iraq. It’s frustrating, of course, to try to articulate an argument in such a short space. But it’s an interesting exercise in stripping one’s position to the basics and trying to state things clearly. Below is my submission to the paper.</p>
<p>The United States has lost the war in Iraq, and that’s a good thing.</p>
<p>The Bush administration invaded not to liberate but to extend and deepen U.S. power. The goal was a client regime that would follow U.S. direction on oil, allow permanent U.S. military bases, and open the Iraqi economy to exploitation by primarily U.S. companies.</p>
<p>In short, the Iraq War was empire building, and empires are never benevolent. To recognize that it’s a good thing the United States fails to achieve imperial objectives is not to wish harm on U.S. military personnel or Iraqis, but simply to observe that aggressors should not prevail in war. And the United States is the aggressor.</p>
<p>A majority of Iraqis are glad Saddam Hussein is gone. A majority wants the United States gone. A year of occupation has made clear what empire building means, and Iraqis don’t like it. When we pull out, the fate of Iraqis depends in part on whether the United States (1) makes good on legal and moral obligations to pay reparations, and (2) helps regional and international institutions in the task of creating a truly sovereign Iraq.</p>
<p>History teaches us that we shouldn’t expect politicians to do either without pressure from citizens. An anti-empire movement must force U.S. officials to meet those obligations. Failure will add to the suffering in Iraq and the Middle East, and mark the United States as a rogue state and serious impediment to a more just and peaceful world.</p>
<p>ROBERT JENSEN is a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of “Citizens of the Empire: The Struggle to Claim Our Humanity.” He can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | The US Has Lost the Iraq War | true | https://counterpunch.org/2004/06/02/the-us-has-lost-the-iraq-war/ | 2004-06-02 | 4 |
<p>Pernod Ricard posted a rise in full-year net profit on Thursday helped by higher U.S. demand for whiskey, a return to sales growth in China and tight cost control.</p>
<p>The owner of Absolut vodka, Martell cognac and Mumm champagne set a target for a rise of 3% to 5% in profit from recurring operations for its 2018 fiscal year.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Net profit for the year to June 30 rose 13% to 1.39 billion euros ($1.65 billion) on group sales of EUR9.01 billion, up 4%.</p>
<p>Profit from recurring operations rose 5% to EUR2.39 billion.</p>
<p>Fourth quarter sales rose 5%, reflecting an increase of 6% in America, 5% in Asia and 2% in Europe.</p>
<p>-- Write to Nick Kostov at nick.kostov @wsj.com</p>
<p>PARIS--French liquor group Pernod Ricard SA said Thursday that its profit for the fiscal 2017 year rose 13% as strong sales in the U.S. and an improvement in China as well as tight cost control boosted the bottom line.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>The owner of Absolut vodka and Jameson whisky said net profit for the year ending June 30 rose to 1.39 billion euros ($1.65 billion).</p>
<p>The company's profit from recurring operations, the measuring stick that analysts and the company often use, rose 5% during the year to EUR2.39 billion from EUR2.28 billion in the same period in fiscal 2016.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, fourth-quarter revenue for the world's No. 2 drinks conglomerate after Diageo PLC rose 5%, driven by the U.S., a return to growth in China, Eastern Europe and global travel retail. Organic revenue growth, which strips out currency effects and acquisitions, was at 3% for the quarter, the company said.</p>
<p>Sales in its Americas, dominated by the U.S. market, rose 6% in the quarter, while its Asia/Rest of World regions increased 5%. Pernod's home region of Europe rose 2%.</p>
<p>However, India remained weak. Sales in the country, which was formerly a major driver of growth, rose just 1% over the year. Sales growth in India has slowed after an Indian government ban on high-value bank notes held back local whisky consumption. The Indian government also banned liquor sales near major highways to curb drink driving.</p>
<p>The company--which also gave investors a 7% dividend rise--set a target for a rise of 3%-5% in profit from recurring operations for its 2018 fiscal year.</p>
<p>Write to Nick Kostov at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>August 31, 2017 03:07 ET (07:07 GMT)</p> | Pernod Ricard Net Profit Rises on Strong U.S. Sales and Improvements in China | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/08/31/pernod-ricard-fy17-net-profit-rises-13-to-eur1-39-billion.html | 2017-08-31 | 0 |
<p>Callow professional hectorer Ben Shapiro may be a conservative, but he doesn't like Donald Trump. He's particularly appalled at Trump's new proposal to prevent all Muslims from entering the United States. Shapiro denounces the proposal under the headline <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/1668/desperate-trump-drops-ugly-policy-bomb-ban-all-ben-shapiro" type="external">"Desperate Trump Drops Ugly Policy Bomb: Ban All the Muslims Abroad,"</a> writing:</p>
<p>It's a rotten idea all the way around: legally, ethically, practically. Trump's supporters need to realize at some point that knee-jerk extreme reactions to events of the day don't substitute for good judgment.</p>
<p>Yes, it's shocking that Trump and his fans are having "knee-jerk extreme reactions to events of the day" involving Muslims, according to Shapiro -- who spends his days reacting to daily events involving Muslims like this:</p>
<p>And when Shapiro isn't on Twitter, he's producing thoughtful observations such as <a href="https://youtu.be/g7TAAw3oQvg" type="external">"The Myth of the Tiny Radical Muslim Minority":</a></p>
<p />
<p />
<p>About which <a href="http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/nov/05/ben-shapiro/shapiro-says-majority-muslims-are-radicals/" type="external">Politifact wrote:</a></p>
<p>Shapiro said that a majority of Muslims are radicals. To make his numbers work, he had to cherry-pick certain results from public opinion surveys. Given the choice between two possible percentages, he chose the higher one. Shapiro also relied heavily on the idea that anyone who supported sharia law is a radical.</p>
<p>Some of the best polling work shows that Muslim beliefs are much more nuanced. Some countries where high percentages of Muslims support Sharia law show low support for suicide attacks on civilians. Large fractions of Muslims that endorse sharia law do not want it imposed on others. The meaning of Sharia law varies from sect to sect and nation to nation.</p>
<p>Shapiro's definition of radical is so thin as to be practically meaningless and so too are the numbers he brings to bear.</p>
<p>We rate the claim False.</p>
<p>Shapiro has <a href="http://www.creators.com/conservative/ben-shapiro/is-barack-obama-a-muslim.html" type="external">written</a> that President Obama "proselytizes for Islamic goals and dreams like a member of the faithful" <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/11/17/hillary-obama-prefer-islam-christianity/" type="external">and that</a> Obama and Hillary Clinton "prefer Islam to Christianity." He recently wrote a <a href="http://townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/2015/11/18/draft-n2082108/page/full" type="external">column</a> titled "No, It Is Not Un-American to Prefer Christian Refugees to Muslim Refugees." When a man shouting about Syria and attacking London commuters with a knife was heckled by an onlooker, who said, "You ain't no Muslim, bruv," Shapiro <a href="http://www.dailywire.com/news/1663/you-are-muslim-bruv-ben-shapiro" type="external">criticized</a> the onlooker, insisting that the stabber was, in fact, representative of Islam, and adding:</p>
<p>... a wildly disproportionate share of the world's Muslims believe extreme things, and a wildly disproportionate share engage in horrific acts of violence based on those beliefs. It's not the job of the West to downplay that....</p>
<p>Donald Trump is clearly an avid consumer of inflammatory right-wing media content. Ben Shapiro is a tireless producer of inflammatory right-wing media content. And now Donald Trump has taken what he's absorbed from that material to what clearly seems, to him, to be its logical conclusion.</p>
<p>Stop looking so shocked, Ben. You and your pals built this.</p>
<p>Crossposted at <a href="http://nomoremister.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/ben-shapiro-is-shocked-shocked-that.html" type="external">No More Mr. Nice Blog</a></p> | Ben Shapiro Is Shocked, Shocked, That Donald Trump Said Something Angry And Extreme About Muslims | true | http://crooksandliars.com/2015/12/ben-shapiro-shocked-shocked-donald-trump | 2015-12-09 | 4 |
<p>Audi is recalling nearly 102,000 luxury cars because the front air bags may not inflate in a crash.</p>
<p>The recall covers certain A4 and S4 cars from the 2013 through 2015 model years, plus the 2013 through 2015 Audi Allroad.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Dealers will update an improperly programmed air bag control module to fix the problem sometime this month.</p>
<p>Volkswagen, which makes Audis, says in rare cases the air bags may not inflate in a secondary impact. That can increase the risk of injury.</p>
<p>Volkswagen says no crashes or injuries have been reported in the U.S.</p>
<p>The company says in documents posted by U.S. safety regulators that the problem was discovered in tests done in August. This led to a review of a small number of incidents in Europe.</p> | Audi recalling nearly 102,000 cars because front air bags may not deploy | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2014/11/05/audi-recalling-nearly-102000-cars-because-front-air-bags-may-not-deploy.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
<p>He was boring. She was vapid. They were a perfect couple for the one and only 2008 vice presidential debate.</p>
<p>Gov. Sarah Palin survived, much to the disappointment of Democrats who hoped she would crumble as she did in her interview with CBS anchor Katie Couric. But she ducked tough questions, gave canned answers, tried to smile her way out of tough spots and cheerfully distorted Sen. Barack Obama’s record.</p>
<p>Sen. Joseph Biden was, of course, better prepared. All those years in the Senate taught him something. What a creature of the Senate he was, working his way through the details of his legislative record, even invoking the name of a long departed hero, Sen. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansfield_Amendment" type="external">Mike Mansfield</a>, who gave him advice he never forgot. Even if it was hard for listeners to concentrate on everything he said, the man knew what he was talking about.</p>
<p>In the contest for who was best qualified to be president, Biden won by a landside. In the contest for who won the debate, Palin illustrated a lesson that Willy Loman learned in Arthur Miller’s old play, “Death of a Salesman”: It takes more than a smile and a shoeshine to be successful.</p>
<p />
<p>She couldn’t smile her way out of trying to explain what Sen. John McCain would do about the financial crisis that is dragging the country down.</p>
<p>Instead, she relied on anecdotes and folksy examples. She described how she and her husband, Todd (the “First Dude” of Alaska), would sit around and talk about how government is not the solution for the troubles of the middle class. She blamed “corruption and greed and Wall Street” for the nation’s troubles and wrapped herself in the mantle of First Mom. “I think a good barometer here, as we try to figure out, ‘Has this been a good time or a bad time in America’s economy?’ is go to a kids’ soccer game on Saturday and turn to any parent there on the sideline and ask them, ‘How are you feeling about the economy?’&#160;” Palin said. “And I’ll betcha you’re going to hear some fear in that parent’s voice.”</p>
<p>That’s not a helpful answer, Governor, and by the way we all noticed the lakefront house you and Todd have up in Alaska when Charlie Gibson <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/11/sarah-palins-charlie-gibs_n_125772.html" type="external">interviewed</a> you there. Pretty nice, especially with Todd’s airplane parked out back.</p>
<p>Palin was a total wild card. Nothing Biden said had any impact on her. She treated him graciously, as if he were an odd but pleasant newcomer to Wasilla, having just moved there from the lower 48. He showed she was often factually wrong, but she ignored him with a smile. Finally, he was reduced to repeating his points. “Let me say it again,” he said on a couple of occasions.</p>
<p>She was a difficult opponent for Biden, who rose through Delaware politics and the Senate, where discussion and debate are conducted in the back-and-forth manner of traditional politics.</p>
<p>Biden seemed to practice the art of brevity Thursday night. In an effort to tone down his sometimes ungovernable enthusiasm, he was often plodding. But he was loaded with facts.</p>
<p>In response to Palin’s touting of alternative energy, Biden said McCain had voted 10 times against such proposals. Biden went into a lengthy explanation of Obama’s votes on Iraq. “Your plan is a white flag,” Palin said.</p>
<p>After a while, though, smiles and cutting lines annoy or even bore an audience.</p>
<p>Biden slogged along, one fact after another, treating his foe with congenial respect. He knew more than she did but didn’t make a big thing of it. That was all he had to do.</p>
<p>The main purpose of the debate was to show the American people who would be best qualified to take over if the president died.</p>
<p>Palin likes to cite the example of Harry Truman, who was a farmer and an unsuccessful haberdasher before going into politics and becoming president after Franklin Roosevelt’s death. But Truman was an accomplished senator before Roosevelt chose him to be vice president. He was the nationally known chairman of a committee which unearthed corruption by World War II contractors.</p>
<p>Palin showed she could get through a debate without being rattled, after days of preparation in McCain’s house in Arizona. That’s all she showed. Aside from sharing small-town roots, Sarah Palin is no Harry Truman.</p> | You're No Harry Truman, Governor | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/youre-no-harry-truman-governor/ | 2008-10-03 | 4 |
<p>Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) revealed last week that he would bless us by hosting a Halloween dog costume contest, and we were there to witness the magic.</p>
<p>The contest was originally planned to take place outside Tillis' office in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, but so many dogs showed up, it had to be moved to the Hart Senate Office Building atrium.</p>
<p>The turnout was so large, and the puppers' costumers were so impressive, that Tillis decided he would let the public choose a winner. You can tweet a picture your favorite pup to @SenThomTillis.</p>
<p>Check out more stories from Circa: <a href="" type="internal">How much sugar is in your favorite candy? We'll help you choose wisely</a> <a href="" type="internal">Here are 10 super-killer horror movie 'final girls'</a> <a href="" type="internal">Netflix has suspended production on hit series 'House of Cards'</a></p> | Look at these Capitol Hill dogs in Halloween costumes. Thank us later. | false | https://circa.com/story/2017/11/01/politics/thom-tillis-hosts-halloween-dog-costume-celebration | 2017-11-01 | 1 |
<p>Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown and challenger Elizabeth Warren are accusing each other of “not telling the truth.” Brown says Warren worked to “restrict payments” to asbestos victims, while Warren says she worked to “get more money” for them. We find Warren is correct; Brown’s ad is a distortion.</p>
<p>It may seem counter-intuitive that Warren’s work on behalf of an insurance company that covered an asbestos manufacturer could be work on the same side as the victims of the case. But Warren was brought in as a bankruptcy expert on a case before the Supreme Court to secure a $500 million trust to pay asbestos victims. As part of a settlement that Warren worked to preserve, the insurance company sought immunity from lawsuits in exchange for releasing the $500 million trust. Attorneys for most of the asbestos victims supported Warren’s efforts.</p>
<p>Here are the two narratives portrayed by the competing campaigns.</p>
<p>Brown’s Version</p>
<p>In recent TV and radio ads, the Brown campaign begins with a narrator saying, “Elizabeth Warren’s not telling the truth about her career.” It then cuts to a clip of Warren saying, “I’ve been out there working for people who have been injured by big corporations.”</p>
<p>The narrator then says, “But the [Boston] Globe says Elizabeth Warren was a key lawyer in an asbestos case working for a big corporation. Warren helped Travelers Insurance restrict payments to victims of asbestos poisoning. The results were disastrous for the victims. The insurance company saved millions. And Elizabeth Warren got paid 40 times what they paid victims. Elizabeth Warren’s just not who she says she is.”</p>
<p>Brown echoed those comments during a debate on Sept. 20, saying, “You chose to side with one of the biggest corporations in the United States: Travelers Insurance. When you worked to prohibit people who got asbestos poisoning, and I hope all the asbestos union workers are watching right now. She denied, she helped Travelers deny those benefits for asbestos poisoning, made over $250,000 in an effort to protect big corporations. There is only one person in this debate, right now, Jon, who is protecting corporations. She has a history of it.”</p>
<p>“It’s just not true,” Warren said at the debate. ”The facts speak for themselves.”</p>
<p>Warren’s Version</p>
<p>Although she didn’t elaborate during the debate, Warren’s camp later fired back with two ads featuring family members of victims of mesothelioma who describe Warren as a champion of their cause.</p>
<p>“I’ve been a widow since 1990 when my husband, Sam, died of mesothelioma,” says Ginny Jackson. “He was exposed to asbestos when he worked at the Quincy shipyard. It’s a terrible, terrible way to die. Elizabeth Warren went all the way to the Supreme Court to try to get more money for asbestos victims and families. Now Scott Brown is attacking Elizabeth Warren about her work. Scott Brown is not telling the truth. He’s trying to use our suffering to help himself. He outta be ashamed.”</p>
<p>Warren’s version of the case has been publicly backed by several attorneys representing the asbestos victims, as well as leaders of an asbestos workers’ union.</p>
<p>“He’s flat out misrepresenting the facts,” Francis C. Boudrow, business manager for the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers Union, Local No. 6 <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2012/10/05/william-weld-endorses-scott-brown-while-caroline-kennedy-backs-elizabeth-warren/2nYQYAJYM3NRFOpuj242lK/story.html" type="external">told the Boston Globe</a>. “It’s offensive to all these people who’ve lost lives” to asbestos-­related illness, he said.</p>
<p>Warren’s Work</p>
<p>At the heart of this issue is an ongoing asbestos case involving the nation’s largest asbestos manufacturer, Johns-Manville Corp. The company ended up in bankruptcy, leaving some victims, who did not develop symptoms until more than a decade after others, seeking compensation from an ever-shrinking victims fund. By the time Warren entered the case in 2008, <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/08pdf/08-295.pdf" type="external">more than $3.2 billion</a>had been paid out to over 600,000 claimants.</p>
<p>Warren was brought into the case by Travelers Insurance, one of the insurers of Johns-Manville. Specifically, Warren worked on the case <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/08pdf/08-295.pdf" type="external">Travelers v. Baily</a> to preserve a $500 million trust from which current and future victims would be paid — part of a settlement agreement previously reached between lawyers for Travelers and the victims.</p>
<p>According to Warren’s <a href="http://ia600805.us.archive.org/13/items/ElizabethWarrenSenatePfd/ElizabethWarrenSenateCampaignDisclosure.pdf" type="external">financial disclosure forms</a>, Warren was hired by Travelers in April 2008 and did work for the company through September 2010. By that time, Travelers and the asbestos victims were working together on a common goal: to preserve the $500 million trust both sides had agreed to. Another insurance company, Chubb, was contesting the settlement agreement, and Warren ended up making her one and only appearance before the Supreme Court arguing on behalf of Travelers to uphold the trust. As part of the deal, Travelers would be permanently immune from future asbestos-related lawsuits concerning Johns-Manville. Warren’s argument prevailed. According to the Globe, Warren was paid $212,000 over three years by Travelers.</p>
<p>So it’s true, as the Brown ad says, that a Boston Globe headline on May 1 described Warren as playing a “key role in an asbestos court case.” But the subhead of the story&#160; — “Worked for insurer on fund for victims” — belies the ad’s claim about her opposing the interest of the victims.</p>
<p>Specifically, the ad leaves out this pivotal paragraph from the same Globe story:</p>
<p>Boston Globe, May 1: Travelers won most of what it wanted from the Supreme Court, and in doing so Warren helped preserve an element of bankruptcy law that ensured that victims of large-scale corporate malfeasance would have a better chance of getting compensated, even when the responsible companies go bankrupt.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for the asbestos victims, the Supreme Court’s decision wasn’t the final word on this case. After Warren left the case, it took a “disastrous” turn for the victims when a lower court issued a ruling on Feb. 29, 2012, that, as the Globe reported, took Travelers “off the hook for paying out the $500 million settlement.”</p>
<p>The Globe noted that according to one judge who tried to preserve the settlement, Travelers received “something for nothing” — immunity from future lawsuits without having to pay out the $500 million trust.</p>
<p>Warren has said she believes the lower court erred. The ruling is still under appeal.</p>
<p>Bruce Carter, an Ohio attorney whose firm has worked on behalf of over 19,000 claimants in the case, told us Brown has simply mischaracterized Warren’s role. The idea that Warren was working against the interests of the victims, he said, is&#160;“not true.”</p>
<p>“During the period she worked with Travelers, the claimants (the victims) and Travelers were working together to do what was necessary to get these funds approved and established,” Carter said. “We were all working together for the benefit of the victims. We were working together toward a common goal.”</p>
<p>The trust established through a settlement with Travelers avoided further legal wrangling that “could have taken many, many more years, if ever, to succeed,” Carter said. In other words, he said, the trust provided a mechanism for victims to actually get paid.</p>
<p>In an interview with the Globe in May, Warren said, “The issue I was focused on like a laser was the constitutionality of preserving the trust, because the trust is a critical tool for making sure that people who’ve been hurt have a fair shot at compensation. Without it, millions of people who’ve already been injured will get nothing, and millions more in the future will get nothing.”</p>
<p>How close was the relationship between Travelers and victims? Before the Supreme Court, the attorneys representing the victims gave Travelers’ attorneys their time so they could provide a more complete argument in favor of the settlement agreement, Carter said.</p>
<p>“That tells you, we worked together toward a common goal,” Carter said. “We gave them our time to argue to the panel.”</p>
<p>It was only after Warren left the case, he said, that Travelers “tried to back out of the deal and try to get something for nothing.”</p>
<p>Another lawyer representing victims in the case, Edwin L. Wallace with the law firm Thornton &amp; Naumes in Boston, echoed Carter’s assessment.</p>
<p>“She was working for the victims,”&#160;Wallace said.</p>
<p>“In order to pay the victims, we needed a settlement trust,” said Wallace, who has contributed to Warren’s campaign. “She represented Travelers for that argument.”</p>
<p>Warren’s work for Travelers was over by the time a lower court ruled that Travelers would not have to pay the $500 million trust. So no one — including Ginny Jackson, the woman featured in the Warren ad — has been paid yet.</p>
<p>Carter and Wallace both said that — contrary to what the Brown campaign is now saying — neither they nor Warren could have foreseen the lower court ruling that let Travelers off the hook for the $500 million trust.</p>
<p>And Wallace is confident that ruling will be overturned. “They will get paid,” Wallace predicted.</p>
<p>— Robert Farley</p> | Warren’s Role in Asbestos Case | false | https://factcheck.org/2012/10/warrens-role-in-asbestos-case/ | 2012-10-15 | 2 |
<p />
<p>Dear Dave,</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>My son has a $115,000 mortgage at 5.8%. He also has a home equity line of credit of $40,000 at 9%. Currently, he can get a 30-year loan at 3.5%, or a 15-year note at 2.75%. His take-home pay is between $70,000 and $80,000 a year, and these are his only debts. Should he combine the mortgages into one loan?</p>
<p>Daniel</p>
<p>Dear Daniel,</p>
<p>First, I only recommend mortgages of 15 years or less. Now we’re looking at a 2.75% loan versus a 5.8% loan versus a 9% loan. I advise people to put home equity loans under Baby Step 2 of my plan, which is pay off all debt except for the house, provided that the loan is less than half of your annual income. Based on the income figures you gave, this situation is kind of on the bubble.</p>
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<p>If I were in your son’s shoes, I’d probably combine the two loans and refinance. I’d go for a new $155,000 fixed-rate mortgage at 2.75%, with no balloons and no calls. This kid can live a good life and get the mortgage paid off pretty quickly with the kind of money he’s making.</p>
<p>But if it’s me, I’m getting as short a term as possible on a refinance—maybe even a 10-year note instead of 15 years. Just imagine him getting all this knocked out and still having the majority of his life ahead of him. That’s financial peace!</p>
<p>-Dave</p>
<p>Dear Dave,</p>
<p>My husband and I are debt-free. Recently I learned that I have a blended fund for retirement. Do you think I should switch to self-chosen funds? I have $26,000 invested at the moment.</p>
<p>-Marina</p>
<p>Dear Marina,</p>
<p>My advice is to move your money into self-chosen funds. The problem with blended funds is not that they are blended, but that they’ll move it around based on your age and where they perceive you to be in life. You won’t even realize it’s happening. I want you to be a lot more intentional with your money and know what’s happening every step of the way.</p>
<p>With self-chosen funds you can look at them and say, “Those are my funds.” Then, if down the road you decide one isn’t doing as well as you like, you can move the money to a different fund. With blended funds it’s almost like having a babysitter for your money. You’re not the one watching the kids, and to me that’s a big mistake.</p>
<p>There shouldn’t be a lot of fees inside your 401(k) when it comes to trading funds. There’s a good chance there won’t be any fees at all, especially if you stay within the same company. Check into it, Marina, and talk to your human resources people. They can give you all the details.</p>
<p>-Dave</p>
<p>* Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He’s authored four New York Times best-selling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover and EntreLeadership. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 6 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.</p> | Should You Combine Mortgages into One Loan? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/06/25/should-combine-mortgages-into-one-loan.html | 2016-03-06 | 0 |
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<p>NEW YORK — The flu season in the U.S. is getting worse.</p>
<p>Health officials last week said flu was blanketing the country but they thought there was a good chance the season was already peaking. But the newest numbers out Friday show it grew even more intense.</p>
<p>“This is a season that has a lot more steam than we thought,” said Dr. Dan Jernigan of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p>
<p>One measure of the season is how many doctor or hospital visits are because of a high fever, cough and other flu symptoms. Thirty-two states reported high patient traffic last week, up from 26 the previous week. Overall, it was the busiest week for flu symptoms in nine years.</p>
<p>Hawaii is the only state that doesn’t have widespread illnesses.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>This year’s flu season got off to an early start, and it’s been driven by a nasty type of flu that tends to put more people in the hospital and cause more deaths than other common flu bugs. In New York, state officials say a drastic rise in flu cases hospitalized more than 1,600 this past week.</p>
<p>The flu became intense last month in the U.S. The last two weekly report show flu widespread over the entire continental United States, which is unusual.</p>
<p>Usually, flu seasons start to wane after so much activity, but “it’s difficult to predict,” Jernigan said.</p>
<p>Flu is a contagious respiratory illness, spread by a virus. It can cause a miserable but relatively mild illness in many people, but more a more severe illness in others. Young children and the elderly are at greatest risk from flu and its complications. In a bad season, there as many as 56,000 deaths connected to the flu. In the U.S., annual flu shots are recommended for everyone age 6 months or older.</p>
<p>In Oklahoma and Texas, some school districts canceled classes this week because so many students and teachers were sick with the flu and other illnesses. In Mississippi, flu outbreaks have hit more than 100 nursing homes and other long-term care places, resulting in some restricting visitors.</p> | US flu season gets worse, has ‘lot more steam’ than expected | false | https://abqjournal.com/1121665/us-flu-season-gets-worse-has-lot-more-steam-than-expected.html | 2018-01-19 | 2 |
<p>Nebraska fired head coach <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Mike_Riley/" type="external">Mike Riley</a> on Saturday after he went 19-19 in three seasons.</p>
<p>The decision comes a day after the Cornhuskers were embarrassed 56-14 by Iowa at home in the team’s regular-season finale to finish 4-8. The game was tied 14-14 at halftime before Iowa scored 42 straight points in the second half.</p>
<p>“Riley has brought professionalism and energy to the Nebraska <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/John_Walker/" type="external">football</a> program, but unfortunately, those attributes have not translated to on-field success,” athletic director Bill Moos said in a statement. “After a thorough review of all aspects of our football program, I have chosen to move in a different direction.”</p>
<p>Nebraska allowed at least 50 points in three straight games to end the season. The Huskers dropped 12 of 18 since opening last season 7-0 and ranked No. 7.</p>
<p>The 64-year-old Riley was hoping for another season after Friday’s fourth consecutive loss.</p>
<p>“I truly believe I’m exactly the right person to do this,” Riley said. “The football parts, I’ve been doing it so long, we know how to fix, and we also are doing a good job recruiting.”</p>
<p>Moos delivered the news to Riley, his staff and the Nebraska players on Saturday morning in a meeting at Memorial Stadium.</p>
<p>Riley’s contract runs through the 2020 season and he is due a buyout of more than $6.6 million. He replaced <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Bo_Pelini/" type="external">Bo Pelini</a> as Nebraska coach in 2015 when he was hired away from Oregon State after 14 seasons.</p>
<p>Linebackers coach Trent Bray will serve as the interim coach until a hire is made. A search will begin immediately.</p>
<p>Nebraska is still seeking its first conference title since 1999. The school will be hiring its fifth coach since the 1997 retirement of Tom Osborne.</p>
<p>“I expect to find a leader for our football program that will put our student-athletes in a position to compete for championships and grow as young men,” Moos said in a statement. “I am confident our next coach will meet that standard.”</p>
<p>Nebraska will be paying buyouts to both Pelini and Riley for the next 14 months, according to ESPN. Pelini will receive $128,009 per month and Riley will get $170,000 per month as Nebraska pays them a total of $4.17 million through early 2019.</p>
<p>Central Florida coach Scott Frost, the former national champion Nebraska quarterback, is expected to be a top candidate for the job in Lincoln. In his second season at UCF, Frost coached the Knights to a No. 15 ranking and an 11-0 record after a 49-42 win Friday over South Florida to lock up a berth in the American Athletic Conference championship game. He also is considered a top candidate for the head-coaching opening at Florida.</p> | Nebraska fires Mike Riley after 19-19 record in three seasons | false | https://newsline.com/nebraska-fires-mike-riley-after-19-19-record-in-three-seasons/ | 2017-11-25 | 1 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Radio: 610 AM</p>
<p>Probable starters: Isotopes RHP Carlos Frias (4-4, 5.52) vs. Cubs LHP Chris Rusin (4-9, 4.02)</p>
<p>Friday: The Isotopes and host Omaha played a late game.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Thursday: Right-hander Zach Lee pitched seven shutout innings of three-hit ball as the Albuquerque Isotopes (34-40) shut out the host Omaha Storm Chasers (41-34) 5-0. Infielder Walter Ibarra went 3-for-4, with three doubles, one run scored and an RBI. Catcher Tim Federowicz had a 2-for-5 night, with a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs.</p>
<p>This and that: There’s a chance the Isotopes could run into Manny Ramirez in Iowa. The slugger of 555 career big league homers signed in May to be a player-coach for the I-Cubs and has been getting ready at extended spring training. Cubs executive Theo Epstein said Friday that Ramirez could report to the Iowa “sometime next week.” The ‘Topes-Iowa series is today through Tuesday. Monday is the fifth anniversary of Ramirez’s first appearance with the Isotopes at the end of his drug-related suspension.</p>
<p>Next home game: Thursday vs. Reno, 7:05 p.m. Thursday, Omaha, Neb.</p>
<p>ISOTOPES 5, STORM CHASERS 0</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE OMAHA</p>
<p>ab r h bi ab r h bi</p>
<p>TRobinson LF 4 0 0 0 Orlando RF 4 0 0 0</p>
<p>Pederson CF 4 0 2 0 Colon SS 4 0 2 0</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>CRobinson 1B 2 1 1 0 Giavotella 2B 4 0 0 0</p>
<p>Federowicz C 5 2 2 3 Valencia 3B 3 0 0 0</p>
<p>Monell DH 5 0 0 0 Maxwell CF 4 0 1 0</p>
<p>Liddi 3B 3 0 0 0 Eibner LF 4 0 1 0</p>
<p>Baxter RF 5 1 1 0 Paredes DH 4 0 1 0</p>
<p>Ibarra SS 4 1 3 1 Pena C 2 0 0 0</p>
<p>Morales 2B 3 0 1 0 Bocock 1B 2 0 0 0Totals 35 5 10 4 Totals 31 0 5 0</p>
<p>Albuquerque 001 120 100 – 5</p>
<p>Omaha 000 000 000 – 0E – Federowicz (3). DP – Omaha 1. LOB – Albuquerque 11, Omaha 7. 2B – Ibarra 3 (6). 3B – Baxter (7). HR – Federowicz 2 (5). SB – Colon (11). CS – Pederson (6). IP H R ER BB SO</p>
<p>Albuquerque</p>
<p>Lee (W, 6-7) 7 3 0 0 2 3</p>
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<p>Troncoso 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 1HBP – Pena (by Lee). T – 2:57. A – 6,080.</p> | ‘Topes today | false | https://abqjournal.com/418801/topes-today-260.html | 2 |
|
<p />
<p>Dear Driving for Dollars,&#160;</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>I'm going to be taking a pretty substantial summer road trip in the Southwest U.S., and I know the basics about how to check out my car to make sure it's ready. I was wondering, though, is there anything different I need to think about because I'll be driving in exceptionally hot temperatures?&#160;</p>
<p>- Johan</p>
<p>Dear Johan,</p>
<p>There are indeed a couple of things that can affect your car's performance during a summer road trip.</p>
<p>First, you probably know how important it is to check your tire pressure regularly, ideally monthly, to adjust for the natural loss of air in your tires over time. Of course, you'll want to do this just before your summer road trip. Keep in mind that, as temperatures increase, the pressure in your tires will increase as well -- about 1 pound per square inch, or PSI, for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Tire Rack website.</p>
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<p>So, if you are choosing to run your tires at a PSI that is on the higher end of the acceptable range listed in your owner's manual, your ride is going to get increasingly hard as you drive for long distances in hot temperatures. That may make for a harsher ride, especially on bumpy roads, that may not be as comfortable as when you have a slightly lower tire pressure.</p>
<p>Also, it's pretty standard practice to check your cooling and air-conditioning systems before a road trip, especially if it's been more than a year since they've been checked in your older car.</p>
<p>The cooling system already is exposed to very high temperatures from your engine, but when driving in hot climates, the system may struggle or even fail. It's cheap insurance to replace the radiator cap in case the rubber gasket is starting to fail before you depart. You also may want to carry some coolant with you and keep an eye on your engine temperature gauge as you drive for warning signs of problems with the cooling system.</p>
<p>Get more news, money-saving tips and expert advice by signing up for a free <a href="http://app.bankrate.com/prefcenter/signup.cfm?t=newsletter" type="external">Bankrate newsletter Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Ask the adviser</p>
<p>If you have a car question, email it to us at <a href="http://mailto:[email protected]" type="external">Driving for Dollars Opens a New Window.</a>. Read more <a href="http://www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/advisers/driving-for-dollars.aspx?pid=p:foxbz" type="external">Driving for Dollars Opens a New Window.</a> columns and <a href="http://www.bankrate.com/auto.aspx?pid=p:foxbz" type="external">Bankrate auto stories Opens a New Window.</a>. Follow her on Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/She-Drives/335910473625" type="external">here Opens a New Window.</a> or on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/shedrives" type="external">@SheDrives Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Bankrate's content, including the guidance of its advice-and-expert columns and this website, is intended only to assist you with financial decisions. The content is broad in scope and does not consider your personal financial situation. Bankrate recommends that you seek the advice of advisers who are fully aware of your individual circumstances before making any final decisions or implementing any financial strategy. Please remember that your use of this website is governed by <a href="http://www.bankrate.com/coinfo/disclaimer.asp" type="external">Bankrate's Terms of Use Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 2014, Bankrate Inc.</p> | How Do You Prep a Car for a Summer Road Trip? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2014/06/27/how-do-prep-car-for-summer-road-trip.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
<p>The deadly blast in Islamabad was a revenge attack for what has been going on over the past few weeks in the badlands of the North-West Frontier. It highlighted the crisis confronting the new government in the wake of intensified US strikes in the tribal areas on the Afghan border.</p>
<p>Hellfire missiles, drones, special operation raids inside Pakistan and the resulting deaths of innocents have fuelled Pashtun nationalism. It is this spillage from the war in Afghanistan that is now destabilizing Pakistan.</p>
<p>The de facto prime minister of the country, an unelected crony of President Zardari and now his chief adviser, Rehman Malik, said, “our enemies don’t want to see democracy flourishing in the country”. This was rich coming from him, but in reality it has little to do with all that. It is the consequence of a supposedly “good war” in Afghanistan that has now gone badly wrong. The director of US National Intelligence, Michael McConnell, admits as much, saying the Afghan leadership must deal with the “endemic corruption and pervasive poppy cultivation and drug trafficking” that is to blame for the rise of the neo-Taliban.</p>
<p>The majority of Pakistanis are opposed to the US presence in the region, viewing it as the most serious threat to peace. Why, then, has the US decided to destabilize a crucial ally? Within Pakistan, some analysts argue this is a carefully coordinated move to weaken the Pakistani state by creating a crisis that extends way beyond the frontier with Afghanistan. Its ultimate aim, they claim, would be the extraction of the Pakistani military’s nuclear fangs. If this were the case, it would imply Washington was determined to break up Pakistan, since the country would not survive a disaster on that scale.</p>
<p>In my view, however, the expansion of the war relates far more to the Bush administration’s disastrous occupation in Afghanistan. It is hardly a secret that President Karzai’s regime is becoming more isolated each passing day, as Taliban guerrillas move ever closer to Kabul. When in doubt, escalate the war, is an old imperial motto. The strikes against Pakistan represent – like the decisions of President Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, to bomb and then invade Cambodia – a desperate bid to salvage a war that was never good, but has now gone badly wrong.</p>
<p>It is true that those resisting the Nato occupation cross the Pakistan-Afghan border with ease. However, the US has often engaged in quiet negotiations with them. Several feelers have been put out to the Taliban in Pakistan, while US intelligence experts regularly check into the Serena hotel in Swat to meet Maulana Fazlullah, a local pro-Taliban leader.</p>
<p>Pashtuns in Peshawar, hitherto regarded as secular liberals, told the BBC only last week that they had lost all faith in the west. The decision to violate the country’s sovereignty at will had sent them in the direction of the insurgents.</p>
<p>While there is much grieving for the Marriott hotel casualties, some ask why the lives of those killed by Predator drones or missile attacks are considered to be of less value. In recent weeks almost 100 innocent people have died in this fashion. No outrage and global media coverage for them.</p>
<p>Why was the Marriot targeted? Two explanations have surfaced in the media. The first is that there was a planned dinner for the president and his cabinet there that night, which was cancelled at the last moment.</p>
<p>The second, reported in the respected Pakistani English-language newspaper, Dawn, is that “a top secret operation of the US Marines [was] going on inside the Marriott when it was attacked”. According to the paper: “Well-equipped security officers from the US embassy were seen on the spot soon after the explosions. However, they left the scene shortly afterwards.”</p>
<p>The country’s largest newspaper, the News, also reported on Sunday that witnesses had seen US embassy steel boxes being carried into the Marriott at night on September 17. According to the paper, the steel boxes were permitted to circumvent security scanners stationed at the hotel entrance.</p>
<p>Mumtaz Alam, a member of parliament, witnessed this. He wanted to leave the hotel but, owing to the heavy security, he was not permitted to leave at the time and is threatening to raise the issue in parliament.</p>
<p>These may be the motivations for this particular attack, but behind it all is the shadow of an expanding war.</p>
<p>TARIQ ALI’s latest book is ‘ <a href="" type="internal">The Duel: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power</a>.’</p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Why was the Marriott Targeted? | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/09/23/why-was-the-marriott-targeted/ | 2008-09-23 | 4 |
<p>SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — The latest on the pope's visit to Chile (all times local):</p>
<p>9:10 p.m.</p>
<p>Pope Francis has met with a small group of Chilean victims of sex abuse by priests.</p>
<p>That is according to Vatican spokesman Greg Burke.</p>
<p>Burke told reporters that the meeting happened Tuesday at lunch. It was in the middle of the pope's first full day in Chile, which included celebrating on outdoor Mass, meeting with the Chilean president and visiting a women's prison.</p>
<p>Burke did not provide more details about the meeting victims.</p>
<p>Earlier in the day, Francis asked for forgiveness for the abuses committed against minors by priests.</p>
<p>Francis himself has been the center of controversy in Chile. In 2015, the pope appointed a bishop who had been close to the Rev. Fernando Karadima, the country's most notorious pedophile priest.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>5:40 p.m.</p>
<p>Pope Francis is telling Chile's priests that sexual abuse of children not only has caused pain to the victims but also to the priests who have been held collectively responsible for the crimes of a few.</p>
<p>At a meeting Tuesday in Santiago's cathedral, Francis urged priests and nuns to have the strength to ask for forgiveness for abuse and the "clear-sightedness to call reality by its name."</p>
<p>Francis denounced the "weeds of evil" that had sprung up as a result of the scandal, and said he appreciated how the church was responding to it. He said the scandal was particularly painful "because of the harm and sufferings of the victims and their families, who saw the trust they had placed in the church's ministers betrayed. Pain too for the suffering of ecclesial communities, and pain for you brothers and sisters, who after working so hard, have seen the harm that has led to suspicion and questioning; in some or many of you this has been a source of doubt, fear or lack of confidence."</p>
<p>He said at times, some had even been insulted in the metro and that by wearing clerical attire they had "paid a heavy price." But he urged them to press on.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:40 p.m.</p>
<p>Pope Francis is telling inmates at a Chilean women's prison that they shouldn't lose hope or their dignity just because they've lost their freedom.</p>
<p>Francis told the women during the visit Tuesday that everyone's a sinner, and that change is always possible. He says "No one can take away your dignity." He called for prison sentences to not just serve as punishment, but to be a chance for inmates to learn new trades so they can re-enter society when they have completed their sentences.</p>
<p>Francis frequently visits detention centers on his foreign trips, part of his ministry to society's most peripheral. Tuesday's was his first-ever visit to a women's facility, and it was particularly moving. Many of the women wept, and the pope seemed choked up when the inmates sang a song they had composed for him.</p>
<p>One of the inmates chosen to speak for all, Janeth Zurita Interna, said she wanted to publicly apologize for her crimes and ask for mercy for the children who are growing up in prison with their mothers. She said: "We know that God forgives us, but we ask that society does so as well."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>3:35 p.m.</p>
<p>The bishop at the center of a controversy that has affected Pope Francis' standing in Chile is defending himself.</p>
<p>The Rev. Juan Barros attended a Mass celebrated by Francis Tuesday in Chile's capital of Santiago. Upon exciting, Barros told local media that, in his words, "Many lies have been made about me."</p>
<p>As he has in the past, Barros also said he did not witness any abuse by the Rev. Fernando Karadima. Barros was one of several priests trained by Karadima.</p>
<p>Karadima was found guilty by the Vatican in 2011 of abusing scores of minors over several decades.</p>
<p>Francis surprised and angered many Chileans in 2015 when he appointed Barros as bishop of the southern city of Osorno.</p>
<p>Barros has always maintained that he didn't know what Karadima was up to.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:45 p.m.</p>
<p>At least some Chileans are welcoming the pope's plea for forgiveness over the priestly abuse of children.</p>
<p>Eighty-eight-year-old Cecilia Briseno Pizarro was at the Mass where the pope made the plea. She says that many Chileans were hoping for the pontiff to do exactly what he did.</p>
<p>Fifty-five-year-old nursing assistant Monica Reyes says Francis did the right thing. In her words, "When people make a mistake it's necessary that they ask for forgiveness."</p>
<p>Several newspapers put the pope's comments on the front page.</p>
<p>Francis infuriated many Chileans when he appointed a bishop who had been close to the Rev. Fernando Karadima, the country's most notorious child abuser.</p>
<p>Francis did not mention the appointment of the Rev. Juan Barros, who attended a Mass the pope celebrated later in the morning.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>11:05 a.m.</p>
<p>Police in Chile's capital are arresting dozens of protesters near a square where Pope Francis is celebrating Mass.</p>
<p>An Associated Press photographer at the scene watched police detain scores of people who were marching toward the Plaza O'Higgins.</p>
<p>Police first shot tear gas Tuesday at the group of about 100 people, who were a few blocks from the plaza. Authorities have estimated about 400,000 on hand for the Mass itself.</p>
<p>After spraying the gas, officers moved in and made the arrests.</p>
<p>Protesters carried signs with messages like, "Burn, pope!" and "We don't care about the pope!"</p>
<p>On Monday, several groups had said they planned on marching and protesting during the Mass.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>9:10 a.m.</p>
<p>Three churches have been firebombed in Chile on the first full day of Pope Francis' visit to the Andean nation.</p>
<p>Authorities say two churches were burned in the early hours of Tuesday in the southern Araucania region. The pope is set to visit with indigenous Mapuches Wednesday in Temuco, the capital of Araucania. The third church attacked was in Puento Alto, just south of Santiago.</p>
<p>Including the latest firebombings, nine churches have been attacked in Chile since Friday.</p>
<p>In recent years, the Mapuche have burned churches to agitate for the return of ancestral lands and recognition of their language. It's not clear who has been behind the spate of recent burnings.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>9 a.m.</p>
<p>Pope Francis is begging the forgiveness of Chileans for the "irreparable damage" done to children who have been sexually abused by priests.</p>
<p>Francis opened his visit to Chile on Tuesday by referring directly to the abuse scandal in a speech to President Michelle Bachelet, lawmakers, justices and other Chilean authorities. The scandal has eroded the credibility of the Catholic Church here and cast a shadow over his visit, the first by a pope in three decades.</p>
<p>Francis said he felt "bound to express my pain and shame at the irreparable damage caused to children by some ministers of the church." He said he joined his fellow bishops in asking forgiveness, supporting victims and ensuring abuse doesn't happen again.</p>
<p>Chile's Catholic Church had already begun losing relevance when in 2010 it was found to have covered up for a prominent and powerful priest who sexually abused minors in his posh Santiago parish. The Vatican eventually sanctioned the priest, the Rev. Fernando Karadima, in 2011, but the church has yet to recover from the scandal.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>6 a.m.</p>
<p>Pope Francis will be under pressure Tuesday to confront a priest sex abuse scandal during his first full day in Chile, an Andean nation where the majority identifies as Roman Catholic but strong currents of skepticism and even contempt for the church are increasingly present.</p>
<p>Many Chileans are still furious over his 2015 decision to appoint a bishop close to the Rev. Fernando Karadima, a priest found guilty by the Vatican in 2011 of abusing dozens of minors over decades.</p>
<p>Bishop Juan Barros of the southern city of Osorno has always denied he knew what Karadima was doing when he was the priest's protege, but many Chileans have a hard time believing that.</p>
<p>"Sex abuse is Pope Francis' weakest spot in terms of his credibility," said Massimo Faggioli, a Vatican expert and theology professor at Villanova University in Philadelphia. "It is surprising that the pope and his entourage don't understand that they need to be more forthcoming on this issue.</p>
<p>SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — The latest on the pope's visit to Chile (all times local):</p>
<p>9:10 p.m.</p>
<p>Pope Francis has met with a small group of Chilean victims of sex abuse by priests.</p>
<p>That is according to Vatican spokesman Greg Burke.</p>
<p>Burke told reporters that the meeting happened Tuesday at lunch. It was in the middle of the pope's first full day in Chile, which included celebrating on outdoor Mass, meeting with the Chilean president and visiting a women's prison.</p>
<p>Burke did not provide more details about the meeting victims.</p>
<p>Earlier in the day, Francis asked for forgiveness for the abuses committed against minors by priests.</p>
<p>Francis himself has been the center of controversy in Chile. In 2015, the pope appointed a bishop who had been close to the Rev. Fernando Karadima, the country's most notorious pedophile priest.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>5:40 p.m.</p>
<p>Pope Francis is telling Chile's priests that sexual abuse of children not only has caused pain to the victims but also to the priests who have been held collectively responsible for the crimes of a few.</p>
<p>At a meeting Tuesday in Santiago's cathedral, Francis urged priests and nuns to have the strength to ask for forgiveness for abuse and the "clear-sightedness to call reality by its name."</p>
<p>Francis denounced the "weeds of evil" that had sprung up as a result of the scandal, and said he appreciated how the church was responding to it. He said the scandal was particularly painful "because of the harm and sufferings of the victims and their families, who saw the trust they had placed in the church's ministers betrayed. Pain too for the suffering of ecclesial communities, and pain for you brothers and sisters, who after working so hard, have seen the harm that has led to suspicion and questioning; in some or many of you this has been a source of doubt, fear or lack of confidence."</p>
<p>He said at times, some had even been insulted in the metro and that by wearing clerical attire they had "paid a heavy price." But he urged them to press on.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>4:40 p.m.</p>
<p>Pope Francis is telling inmates at a Chilean women's prison that they shouldn't lose hope or their dignity just because they've lost their freedom.</p>
<p>Francis told the women during the visit Tuesday that everyone's a sinner, and that change is always possible. He says "No one can take away your dignity." He called for prison sentences to not just serve as punishment, but to be a chance for inmates to learn new trades so they can re-enter society when they have completed their sentences.</p>
<p>Francis frequently visits detention centers on his foreign trips, part of his ministry to society's most peripheral. Tuesday's was his first-ever visit to a women's facility, and it was particularly moving. Many of the women wept, and the pope seemed choked up when the inmates sang a song they had composed for him.</p>
<p>One of the inmates chosen to speak for all, Janeth Zurita Interna, said she wanted to publicly apologize for her crimes and ask for mercy for the children who are growing up in prison with their mothers. She said: "We know that God forgives us, but we ask that society does so as well."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>3:35 p.m.</p>
<p>The bishop at the center of a controversy that has affected Pope Francis' standing in Chile is defending himself.</p>
<p>The Rev. Juan Barros attended a Mass celebrated by Francis Tuesday in Chile's capital of Santiago. Upon exciting, Barros told local media that, in his words, "Many lies have been made about me."</p>
<p>As he has in the past, Barros also said he did not witness any abuse by the Rev. Fernando Karadima. Barros was one of several priests trained by Karadima.</p>
<p>Karadima was found guilty by the Vatican in 2011 of abusing scores of minors over several decades.</p>
<p>Francis surprised and angered many Chileans in 2015 when he appointed Barros as bishop of the southern city of Osorno.</p>
<p>Barros has always maintained that he didn't know what Karadima was up to.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>12:45 p.m.</p>
<p>At least some Chileans are welcoming the pope's plea for forgiveness over the priestly abuse of children.</p>
<p>Eighty-eight-year-old Cecilia Briseno Pizarro was at the Mass where the pope made the plea. She says that many Chileans were hoping for the pontiff to do exactly what he did.</p>
<p>Fifty-five-year-old nursing assistant Monica Reyes says Francis did the right thing. In her words, "When people make a mistake it's necessary that they ask for forgiveness."</p>
<p>Several newspapers put the pope's comments on the front page.</p>
<p>Francis infuriated many Chileans when he appointed a bishop who had been close to the Rev. Fernando Karadima, the country's most notorious child abuser.</p>
<p>Francis did not mention the appointment of the Rev. Juan Barros, who attended a Mass the pope celebrated later in the morning.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>11:05 a.m.</p>
<p>Police in Chile's capital are arresting dozens of protesters near a square where Pope Francis is celebrating Mass.</p>
<p>An Associated Press photographer at the scene watched police detain scores of people who were marching toward the Plaza O'Higgins.</p>
<p>Police first shot tear gas Tuesday at the group of about 100 people, who were a few blocks from the plaza. Authorities have estimated about 400,000 on hand for the Mass itself.</p>
<p>After spraying the gas, officers moved in and made the arrests.</p>
<p>Protesters carried signs with messages like, "Burn, pope!" and "We don't care about the pope!"</p>
<p>On Monday, several groups had said they planned on marching and protesting during the Mass.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>9:10 a.m.</p>
<p>Three churches have been firebombed in Chile on the first full day of Pope Francis' visit to the Andean nation.</p>
<p>Authorities say two churches were burned in the early hours of Tuesday in the southern Araucania region. The pope is set to visit with indigenous Mapuches Wednesday in Temuco, the capital of Araucania. The third church attacked was in Puento Alto, just south of Santiago.</p>
<p>Including the latest firebombings, nine churches have been attacked in Chile since Friday.</p>
<p>In recent years, the Mapuche have burned churches to agitate for the return of ancestral lands and recognition of their language. It's not clear who has been behind the spate of recent burnings.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>9 a.m.</p>
<p>Pope Francis is begging the forgiveness of Chileans for the "irreparable damage" done to children who have been sexually abused by priests.</p>
<p>Francis opened his visit to Chile on Tuesday by referring directly to the abuse scandal in a speech to President Michelle Bachelet, lawmakers, justices and other Chilean authorities. The scandal has eroded the credibility of the Catholic Church here and cast a shadow over his visit, the first by a pope in three decades.</p>
<p>Francis said he felt "bound to express my pain and shame at the irreparable damage caused to children by some ministers of the church." He said he joined his fellow bishops in asking forgiveness, supporting victims and ensuring abuse doesn't happen again.</p>
<p>Chile's Catholic Church had already begun losing relevance when in 2010 it was found to have covered up for a prominent and powerful priest who sexually abused minors in his posh Santiago parish. The Vatican eventually sanctioned the priest, the Rev. Fernando Karadima, in 2011, but the church has yet to recover from the scandal.</p>
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<p>6 a.m.</p>
<p>Pope Francis will be under pressure Tuesday to confront a priest sex abuse scandal during his first full day in Chile, an Andean nation where the majority identifies as Roman Catholic but strong currents of skepticism and even contempt for the church are increasingly present.</p>
<p>Many Chileans are still furious over his 2015 decision to appoint a bishop close to the Rev. Fernando Karadima, a priest found guilty by the Vatican in 2011 of abusing dozens of minors over decades.</p>
<p>Bishop Juan Barros of the southern city of Osorno has always denied he knew what Karadima was doing when he was the priest's protege, but many Chileans have a hard time believing that.</p>
<p>"Sex abuse is Pope Francis' weakest spot in terms of his credibility," said Massimo Faggioli, a Vatican expert and theology professor at Villanova University in Philadelphia. "It is surprising that the pope and his entourage don't understand that they need to be more forthcoming on this issue.</p> | The Latest: Pope meets with Chileans abused by priests | false | https://apnews.com/amp/47da51f465fd454d826837ec88878463 | 2018-01-17 | 2 |
<p>I was arrested on Saturday 10/8/2016 and charged with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czAM5wBeuUo" type="external">trespassing</a> &#160;after attempting to deliver a letter and lunch invitation to Kelcy Warren, CEO of Energy Transfer Partners, AKA ETP. ETP is the parent company of Dakota Access LLC, the developer of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakken_pipeline" type="external">Dakota Access crude oil pipeline</a>.</p>
<p>My letter urged Mr. Warren to order an immediate halt to all construction activity on the Dakota Access Pipeline, including construction at the site on the Mississippi River where drilling is being done to run the pipeline underneath the river. I’d been visiting this site for several weeks in September, witnessing with increasing concern <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrXUPr1yjWU" type="external">the protests</a> &#160;taking place at the site and the substantial police and company security presence there.</p>
<p>I’m a resident of Jefferson County, IA, one of 18 Iowa counties being crossed by the Dakota Access crude oil pipeline. I’ve been very concerned about this project’s potential <a href="" type="internal">environmental impacts</a> &#160;from the time it was first announced. If this pipeline is completed and becomes operational, it will transport up to 575,000 barrels per day of Bakken crude oil from the Bakken oil fields in North Dakota across North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and into Illinois. From there, it will be put into another pipeline that will take it to Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. Thanks to recent changes in federal law by a compliant Congress, it is now legal for companies like <a href="http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/zachary-leshin/house-passes-bill-repealing-ban-crude-oil-exports-place-1975" type="external">Energy Transfer Partners</a> to ship U.S. crude oil to overseas buyers.</p>
<p>The risks associated with a leak or rupture in a pipeline of this capacity, carrying a product like Bakken crude oil, are tremendous. Not to mention the contributions that this crude oil will make to anthropogenic climate disruption (“Global Warming”) that is already spiraling out of control.</p>
<p>I called Mr. Warren’s office in Dallas, TX on Sept. 28, 2016 to confirm his correct mailing address and email address. I did not get a call back. The next day, I obtained his email address through my own investigations and emailed him a copy of the letter I’d written to him. My email explained that I wanted to deliver my letter to him immediately, because I wanted to meet with him as soon as possible to discuss shutting down construction of the pipeline and investing the money allocated for the pipeline’s construction in renewable energy.</p>
<p>My email invited Mr. Warren to join me for lunch at an Iowa town near the pipeline’s Mississippi River drilling site on Saturday, October 1. Once again, I did not receive a reply. So, I printed out my email and letter to Mr. Warren, and sent it to his office via USPS next-day delivery, with signature confirming receipt required. This letter was signed for as delivered at Mr. Warren’s office on Sept. 30.</p>
<p>My letter to Mr. Warren pointed out that opposition to the pipeline has been fierce from the beginning, especially in Iowa, and that this opposition is only growing stronger (e.g. Standing Rock in North Dakota, and numerous other sites where protests have been ongoing, including at the <a href="http://www.mississippistand.com/" type="external">Mississippi River drilling site</a> ). I noted that there is a serious possibility that <a href="" type="internal">pending lawsuits</a> &#160;will stop this pipeline from ever being completed or from carrying any crude oil if it is completed. For those reasons, I invited Mr. Warren to stop construction of this pipeline and to meet me for lunch in Iowa near the Mississippi River drilling site, to discuss other alternatives for investment in renewable energies as outlined in my letter.</p>
<p>My letter suggested that Mr. Warren and Energy Transfer Partners could take a new path forward and build a long-lasting investment in renewable energy by investing the $3.9 billion that Mr. Warren has borrowed for the Dakota Access Pipeline into 1) 65,000 typical 5kw residential rooftop PV systems, each supplying about half of a home’s electricity needs; 2) 325 two-megawatt utility scale wind towers that would generate over 3.5 billion Kwh per year; and 3) $8000 efficiency retrofit packages in 160,000 homes, saving $300 per year per home. I pointed out that this investment would produce far more jobs that the pipeline project, with most of those jobs being local; it would end the opposition, litigation and financial risks that Mr. Warren is currently facing; and it would put an end to the bad publicity that is currently making him, his company and this project a pariah in the U.S. and around the world.</p>
<p>Mr. Warren failed to respond to my letter or lunch invitation, and did not meet me for lunch on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 as I’d requested. I gave Mr. Warren another week to respond. Then on October 8, I went to the Mississippi River drilling site to give a copy of my letter and lunch invitation to the site foreman. My intent was to ask the foreman for his assistance in contacting Mr. Warren.</p>
<p>Lee County, Iowa Sheriff’s deputies and Iowa State Patrol officers prevented me from approaching the drilling site. They put zip-tie handcuffs on my wrists and took me to the Lee County law enforcement center and jail, where I was charged with trespassing. I was then released, with an order to appear in Lee County court on October 31, 2016.</p>
<p>I bean no hard feelings toward Mr. Warren about the arrest. I’d still like to have lunch with him, and the site foreman if he wants to join us. I’m hoping that Mr. Warren will see the errors of his ways, move quickly to limit his losses and begin investing immediately in much more sensible alternatives. I’m still willing to invest a few bucks in a friendly sit-down lunch to go over the numbers with Mr. Warren and help make this happen.</p> | Dakota Access Oil Pipeline: Invite CEO to Lunch, Go to Jail | true | https://counterpunch.org/2016/10/24/dakota-access-oil-pipeline-invite-ceo-to-lunch-go-to-jail/ | 2016-10-24 | 4 |
<p>Each and every month, more than 61 million people receives a payout from the Social Security Administration, and more than two out of three recipients are retired workers.&#160;A majority of these elderly retirees leans quite heavily on Social Security to make ends meet, with 62% counting on the program for at least half of their monthly income and 34% relying on it for 90% or more of their income. Without this guaranteed monthly payout, it's fair to say we'd probably have an elderly poverty problem on our hands.</p>
<p>Yet, in spite of the critical role that Social Security currently plays for retirees, and is expected to play for baby boomers in the future, there's quite a bit the average American doesn't understand about it. A 2015 10-question, true-false survey conducted by MassMutual Financial Group on basic Social Security knowledge found that just 28% of the more than 1,500 people who took the quiz got a passing grade of seven correct answers or higher. Only one person aced the quiz.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Though it may sound a bit cliche, the reality is that what you don't know about Social Security can come back to bite you in the wallet during your golden years.</p>
<p>Arguably one of the biggest surprises seniors receive when they retire is discovering that their Social Security benefits <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/10/29/15-top-questions-about-social-security-answered.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=2c7c1ac2-d16a-11e7-8d24-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">may be taxable Opens a New Window.</a>. The taxation of Social Security benefits generated $32.8 billion for the program in 2016, or a bit more than 3% of total revenue.</p>
<p>Back in 1983, as part of the Social Security Amendments <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/11/22/social-security-history-8-pivotal-dates-for-americ.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=2c7c1ac2-d16a-11e7-8d24-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">passed by the Reagan administration Opens a New Window.</a> to close an actuarial deficit in the program, the taxation of benefits was introduced. Single taxpayers earning more than $25,000 annually, and couples filing jointly with more than $32,000 in earned income, could have 50% of their Social Security benefits taxed at ordinary federal income-tax rates. A separate tier was added in 1993 under the Clinton administration for single filers earning above $34,000 and joint filers above $44,000. These folks can have 85% of their Social Security benefits exposed to federal income-tax rates.</p>
<p>When introduced, this tax impacted about one in 10 households with a Social Security recipient. As of 2015, it impacted 56% of households, according to The Senior Citizens League. Despite this amendment being passed 34 years ago, the income thresholds have never been adjusted upward to account for inflation, meaning you have a better chance than not of owing at least some federal tax on your benefits.</p>
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<p>I wish I could say that's the last of the surprises come tax time when it comes to Social Security benefits, but it's not. There are also <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2016/09/17/these-13-states-tax-social-security-benefits.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=2c7c1ac2-d16a-11e7-8d24-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">13 states that tax Social Security benefits Opens a New Window.</a> to a varying degree.</p>
<p>The following four states mirror the federal tax schedule described above:</p>
<p>Additionally, nine other states tax Social Security benefits, although they offer some varied degree of income exemptions.</p>
<p>If we add together the residents (elderly, adult, and children) of each of these 13 states, and we also assume that state law governing the taxation of Social Security remain static, up to 36.2 million people could find themselves subject to paying tax on their benefits to their state.&#160; Understandably, not everyone is going to qualify for Social Security benefits, and there's always a chance these states alter their laws governing the taxation of benefits. Nevertheless, that's a lot of people who could be in for a shock when they realize their Social Security payout isn't as much as they thought it'd be because of state and federal taxation.</p>
<p>Now, it's not all bad news if you live in some of these states. A handful have such <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/11/05/social-security-tax-3-states-with-the-highest-inco.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=2c7c1ac2-d16a-11e7-8d24-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">high income exemption levels Opens a New Window.</a> that very few seniors will actually owe tax to their state (of course, they may still owe at the federal level).</p>
<p>For example, Missouri, Rhode Island, and Kansas, offer the highest income exemptions with regard to state-level tax on Social Security benefits. Single filers can earn up to $85,000 in adjusted gross income (AGI) in Missouri, up to $80,000 in AGI in Rhode Island, and up to $75,000 in AGI in Kansas, and still not owe any additional tax on their Social Security benefits within their respective states. Couples in Missouri and Rhode Island are also exempt with AGI's under $100,000. If you live in a state with a high income exemption, then you can breathe a little easier.</p>
<p>On the other hand, residents in the four states that mirror the federal schedule get few, if any, breaks from Social Security taxation.</p>
<p>Understanding how your state taxes Social Security benefits (and retirement benefits as a whole) may be critical to your financial well-being during your golden years.</p>
<p>The $16,122 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,122 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after.&#160; <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-social-security?aid=8727&amp;source=irreditxt0000002&amp;ftm_cam=ryr-ss-intro-report&amp;ftm_pit=3186&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=2c7c1ac2-d16a-11e7-8d24-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>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=2c7c1ac2-d16a-11e7-8d24-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 36 Million Americans May Owe State Tax on Their Social Security Benefits | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/12/03/36-million-americans-may-owe-state-tax-on-their-social-security-benefits.html | 2017-12-03 | 0 |
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<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Republicans generally favor lower capital gains taxes, which is obviously good for long-term investors. However, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump isn't proposing to change the three tax rates that the current tax law charges for long-term capital gains. There's much more to the story than that, so let's take a closer look on whether Trump would be an investor-friendly president.</p>
<p>At first glance, Trump isn't making too many changes that affect long-term investors. In fact, he plans to retain the current long-term capital gains tax rates of 0%, 15%, and 20%, and adapt them to his three proposed ordinary income tax brackets.</p>
<p>Data source: IRS. <a href="http://www.donaldjtrump.com" type="external">www.donaldjtrump.com Opens a New Window.</a> <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/tax-plan/" type="external">https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/tax-plan/ Opens a New Window.</a></p>
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<p>So, while Trump would lower the tax rates for ordinary income across the board, the same would not hold true for long-term capital gains and qualified dividends. In fact, the highest 20% rate would actually apply to many more taxpayers than it currently does.</p>
<p>There are a few important points to mention in regards to Trump's capital gains tax plan, and this is where it gets a little tricky to evaluate his plan's effect on you as an investor.</p>
<p>First, Trump's plan also calls for eliminating the 3.8% net investment income tax that applies to the highest earners. Therefore, for investors with modified adjusted gross income above $415,050 (single) or $466,950 (married filing jointly), the capital gains tax rate is effectively reduced from 23.8% to 20%. However, those in the MAGI ranges of $200,000 to $415,050 (single) and $250,000 to $466,950 (married filing jointly) will actually see their effective capital gains rate rise from 18.8% to 20%.</p>
<p>I know this discussion is about long-term investors, but it's worth pointing out that because Trump's tax plan proposes to reduce the marginal tax rates (tax brackets) for most Americans, and short-term gains are taxed as ordinary income, short-term capital gains rates would go down in a Trump presidency for the majority of investors. Just as an example, a married couple with MAGI of $175,000 currently pays a rate of 28% on short-term gains, which would drop to 25% under Trump's plan.</p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that these tax rates are based on taxable income, the definition of which would change under Trump's plan. Specifically, Trump wants to more than double the standard deduction and eliminate the personal exemption, and as I <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2016/10/07/the-129-trillion-tax-break-donald-trump-is-proposi.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">wrote recently Opens a New Window.</a>, this would reduce the level of taxable income for most (but not all) people. In other words, comparing the tax bracket thresholds of Trump's plan with the <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/12/25/irs-tax-brackets-2016-what-you-need-to-know.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">current brackets Opens a New Window.</a> are not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison.</p>
<p>Finally, Trump is proposing to eliminate the estate and gift taxes altogether, which could be a huge benefit to high-net-worth investors who hope to pass their investments to heirs.</p>
<p>Arguably, the biggest benefit of Trump's plan to long-term investors could be his business tax plan. For one thing, the ability to repatriate foreign profits at a greatly reduced rate could certainly benefit long-term investors in American companies with significant foreign operations. And a maximum corporate tax rate of 15% would translate to more after-tax profits for many companies.</p>
<p>If Trump's tax plan results in the economic growth he's claiming, it could certainly benefit long-term investors. Consumers would have more income, businesses would sell more products, profits would rise, and so would stocks. However, bear in mind that no president can guarantee economic growth, not even with massive tax cuts.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2016/10/08/is-hillary-clinton-an-ally-to-long-term-investors.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">recent article Opens a New Window.</a> I wrote about Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's potential effect on long-term investors, my general conclusion was that Clinton isn't as much of a friend to long-term investors as she is an enemy to short-term investors and traders.</p>
<p>Clinton's plan includes raising capital gains taxes on the wealthiest Americans for investments held for one to six years, and leaving the rate alone for investments held for longer than six years. She does have certain exceptions, such as no capital gains tax liability for investments in small businesses, but in general, Donald Trump is the more investor-friendly candidate -- especially when it comes to high-income investors.</p>
<p>However, the candidates' potential impact on investors is just one piece of the puzzle that you should consider before you go into the voting booth in November. There are many other potential changes that depend on the outcome of the election, so be sure to evaluate all aspects of both candidates' visions for America.</p>
<p>The $15,834 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $15,834 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after. <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-social-security?aid=8727&amp;source=irreditxt0000002&amp;ftm_cam=ryr-ss-intro-report&amp;ftm_pit=3186&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies. Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | Is Donald Trump an Ally to Long-Term Investors? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/10/22/is-donald-trump-ally-to-long-term-investors.html | 2016-10-22 | 0 |
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<p><a href="https://www.recruiter.com/job/networking.html" type="external">Networking Opens a New Window.</a> is a skill that makes a huge impact on your career – if you use it&#160;correctly. Conversely, bad networking practices can seriously hurt your reputation.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>When executed properly, networking can be a great way for the unemployed to get back to work and for corporate middle managers to climb the ranks within their organizations (or at new ones).</p>
<p>To help you make the most of your networking efforts, here are six critical tips:</p>
<p>1. Be the 'Regular'</p>
<p>Think of&#160;the "regular" at a coffee shop, the one who orders "the usual" and knows all the staff members by name. Now channel this energy into a networking group. Consistent attendance will help you remember the stories, hobbies, and goals of others – the important stuff. The subtext of our lives is what draws people in and allows us to get to know people – and those people may very well know somebody hiring!</p>
<p>2. Pay It Forward</p>
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<p>Networking is a two-way street, and your willingness to help others is essential. Conversations should be meaningful and purposeful, with the intent to lend a hand. Explain your experiences to those who matter most, but be prepared to listen in return. If you give just as much as you receive, your network of contacts will sing your praises to the right people.</p>
<p>3. Have a Story</p>
<p>Instead of a 30-second elevator speech, develop a transfixing, applicable story to perk the listener's ears and make them&#160;say, "You can do that!?" This is called "differentiation based on experience."</p>
<p>Put yourself in your listener's shoes and recall a time when you were engrossed in a story. Think back to your personal experiences or the opportunities you've had. Keep in mind the importance of subtext; this differentiating story does not need to be strictly related to your work life. Get with someone who can repeat your story to the right people.</p>
<p>4. Take the Elevator</p>
<p>Don't wait for people to approach you. Step out of your comfort zone and put yourself in situations where you can meet new people or be exposed to new things. Whether this means signing up for an organized networking event (and attending it alone) or taking the elevator in an office building where you want to branch out, it is essential to put yourself in situations where connections can be made. Opportunities are&#160;everywhere; you just have to find them.</p>
<p>5. Create a System</p>
<p>Create a routine process for following up once a connection has been made, and then hold yourself to it. All too often, professionals connect with one another and then lose the exchanged business cards, throwing potential beneficial relationships out the window.</p>
<p>It's odd to think that maintaining something as organic as a relationship can be boiled down to a system, but it works. Some tips to consider when developing your system include: taking a photo of the business card with your phone before it gets lost; setting a reminder on your phone for an appropriate time to follow up&#160;with your new contact via email; and when the reminder&#160;alarm goes off, adding all contact information to your address book prior to shooting off the email.</p>
<p>6. Don't Be Exclusive</p>
<p>Don't close yourself off to a certain industry or cut a conversation short with someone you feel won't benefit you. It's always a good idea to broaden your personal network of professional relationships. Many seemingly contradictory industries are intertwined, so it's wise to be open to meeting a variety of people.</p>
<p>Long gone are the days when people remained in one position until retirement. <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/12/news/economy/millennials-change-jobs-frequently/" type="external">Data shows Opens a New Window.</a> that the average person will make a career change about four times during their working life, if not more, so remain open to all possibilities and broaden your network.</p>
<p>Patrice Rice is the founder and CEO of <a href="http://www.patriceandassociates.com/" type="external">Patrice Associates Opens a New Window.</a>, the preeminent hospitality recruiting service in the U.S. since 1989.</p> | 6 Tips to Help You Become a Networking Guru | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2016/11/28/6-tips-to-help-become-networking-guru.html | 2016-12-03 | 0 |
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<p>An accident in southeast Albuquerque has claimed the life of a pedestrian.</p>
<p>Police say the unidentified female was struck Thursday night on Louisiana Boulevard and Kathryn Avenue.</p>
<p>According to police, the accident didn't appear to be caused by speed or driver impairment.</p>
<p>Age and identity of the pedestrian weren't immediately released.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Pedestrian killed in accident in southeast Albuquerque | false | https://abqjournal.com/675298/pedestrian-killed-in-accident-in-southeast-albuquerque.html | 2 |
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<p>Bradley Smith <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203897404578078583845366670.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEFTTopOpinion" type="external">says yes</a>, and describes the left's opposition as:</p>
<p>[T]he left seems to think it is somehow illegitimate for management to speak to its own employees about how different candidates, and the policies they espouse, could affect the company. The left has two main fears: First, that corporations will say things it doesn't like; and second, that employees will listen.</p>
<p>The second fear, at least, is well founded. A report released this week by the Business Industry Political Action Committee (Bipac) found that employees ranked their employer's website as the most credible source of political information on the Internet, more than media sites or parties and candidates. Over 75% of the more than 500 respondents from a variety of industries indicated that employer-provided information was useful in deciding how to vote, and over a quarter said it made them more likely to vote.</p>
<p>This comes on top of past Bipac research showing that 47% of employees said that employer-provided information had "somewhat" or "strongly" increased their awareness of how various policy proposals affected their employers.</p> | Should Employers Talk to Their Employees About the Election? | true | https://thedailybeast.com/should-employers-talk-to-their-employees-about-the-election | 2018-10-06 | 4 |
<p>HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — As the public is asked to comment on a long-range plan for transportation improvements in Connecticut, funding those proposals appears challenging.</p>
<p>In recent weeks, Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has stepped up warnings about the looming insolvency of the state’s main transportation fund, predicting the account will be in deficit for multiple years, beginning fiscal year 2019. That could mean the state’s borrowing ability will be at risk and numerous transportation improvement projects, transportation-related services and staff will face severe reductions.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, there’s uncertainty about how much money Connecticut can expect from President Donald Trump’s long-awaited plan to upgrade aging roads, bridges and other transportation. The White House has said Trump will unveil the infrastructure package in January. But there have been reports that the total amount may be far less than what Trump had pledged.</p>
<p>This all comes as the General Assembly, which faces re-election in 2018, has shown a reticence to pass revenue-generating proposals such as tolls or mileage taxes to help fund projects. The new session begins Feb. 7.</p>
<p>“We all have to make a decision here as legislators. Do you want to cut programs? Do you want to cut infrastructure projects? Do you want to raise fares or do you want to look for other sources of revenue?” asked State Rep. Antonio “Tony” Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, House chairman of the Transportation Committee, earlier this month. “This is what it comes down to.”</p>
<p>Connecticut’s Department of Transportation has scheduled two public meetings Jan. 16 to present the draft Connecticut Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan. Mandated by the federal government, the plan identifies funding and policy needs between 2018 and 2050. It mirrors much of Malloy’s “Let’s GO CT!” proposal, which identified $100 billion worth of projects.</p>
<p>The draft says Connecticut is at a “critical juncture” considering much of the state’s transportation infrastructure is 50 to 60 years old and needs significant improvements. According to the document, 41 percent of Connecticut’s state and local roads are considered to be in poor condition. Within the highway network, 32 percent of highway bridges are safe but functionally obsolete or structurally deficient.</p>
<p>Additionally, the document highlights concerns with the state’s aging bus and rail systems, noting how four movable bridges along the New Haven Line — the busiest passenger computer rail line in the country — are more than 100 years old and frequently cause disruptions.</p>
<p>“Perhaps most important, a lack of investment has resulted in significant traffic congestion on the highways and delays and travel disruptions across the state’s rail system, creating daily bottlenecks on Connecticut’s most traveled corridors, leading to increased air emissions and costing the state’s citizens and businesses a massive amount of wasted time, money and aggravation,” according to the report. “The problems associated with underinvesting in transportation have reached a dimension that is now affecting the wellbeing of the state’s economy.”</p>
<p>Malloy recently released a list of proposed projects in the long-range plan that could be nixed if the state’s Special Transportation Fund is not shored up. He said that is already putting pressure on lawmakers to act, noting how his office has received calls in recent weeks from legislators and local officials who are concerned about their initiatives being on in jeopardy.</p>
<p>“I think we’re going to do things,” Malloy said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Just because, ask people about the projects that stand to be canceled in their communities.”</p>
<p>HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — As the public is asked to comment on a long-range plan for transportation improvements in Connecticut, funding those proposals appears challenging.</p>
<p>In recent weeks, Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has stepped up warnings about the looming insolvency of the state’s main transportation fund, predicting the account will be in deficit for multiple years, beginning fiscal year 2019. That could mean the state’s borrowing ability will be at risk and numerous transportation improvement projects, transportation-related services and staff will face severe reductions.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, there’s uncertainty about how much money Connecticut can expect from President Donald Trump’s long-awaited plan to upgrade aging roads, bridges and other transportation. The White House has said Trump will unveil the infrastructure package in January. But there have been reports that the total amount may be far less than what Trump had pledged.</p>
<p>This all comes as the General Assembly, which faces re-election in 2018, has shown a reticence to pass revenue-generating proposals such as tolls or mileage taxes to help fund projects. The new session begins Feb. 7.</p>
<p>“We all have to make a decision here as legislators. Do you want to cut programs? Do you want to cut infrastructure projects? Do you want to raise fares or do you want to look for other sources of revenue?” asked State Rep. Antonio “Tony” Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, House chairman of the Transportation Committee, earlier this month. “This is what it comes down to.”</p>
<p>Connecticut’s Department of Transportation has scheduled two public meetings Jan. 16 to present the draft Connecticut Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan. Mandated by the federal government, the plan identifies funding and policy needs between 2018 and 2050. It mirrors much of Malloy’s “Let’s GO CT!” proposal, which identified $100 billion worth of projects.</p>
<p>The draft says Connecticut is at a “critical juncture” considering much of the state’s transportation infrastructure is 50 to 60 years old and needs significant improvements. According to the document, 41 percent of Connecticut’s state and local roads are considered to be in poor condition. Within the highway network, 32 percent of highway bridges are safe but functionally obsolete or structurally deficient.</p>
<p>Additionally, the document highlights concerns with the state’s aging bus and rail systems, noting how four movable bridges along the New Haven Line — the busiest passenger computer rail line in the country — are more than 100 years old and frequently cause disruptions.</p>
<p>“Perhaps most important, a lack of investment has resulted in significant traffic congestion on the highways and delays and travel disruptions across the state’s rail system, creating daily bottlenecks on Connecticut’s most traveled corridors, leading to increased air emissions and costing the state’s citizens and businesses a massive amount of wasted time, money and aggravation,” according to the report. “The problems associated with underinvesting in transportation have reached a dimension that is now affecting the wellbeing of the state’s economy.”</p>
<p>Malloy recently released a list of proposed projects in the long-range plan that could be nixed if the state’s Special Transportation Fund is not shored up. He said that is already putting pressure on lawmakers to act, noting how his office has received calls in recent weeks from legislators and local officials who are concerned about their initiatives being on in jeopardy.</p>
<p>“I think we’re going to do things,” Malloy said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Just because, ask people about the projects that stand to be canceled in their communities.”</p> | Funding for Connecticut transportation appears uncertain | false | https://apnews.com/fc58a531769840ed8f3f20d34edf1d39 | 2017-12-30 | 2 |
<p>Feidin Santana/AP</p>
<p />
<p>The former police officer who was filmed fatally shooting Walter Scott, an unarmed black man in South Carolina last year, has been indicted by a federal grand jury on three new charges. The federal indictment, which was filed on Tuesday, accuses Michael Slager of violating Scott’s civil rights, obstruction of justice, and the unlawful use of a weapon, the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/12/us/south-carolina-officer-faces-federal-charges-in-fatal-shooting.html?hpw&amp;rref=us&amp;action=click&amp;pgtype=Homepage&amp;module=well-region&amp;region=bottom-well&amp;WT.nav=bottom-well&amp;_r=0" type="external">New York Times</a> reports.</p>
<p>Last April, a bystander recorded Slager fatally shooting Scott in the back as he attempted to flee a routine traffic stop, <a href="" type="internal">directly challenging Slager’s initial</a>claim that Scott had stolen his police taser and tried to use it against him. The new charges this week accuse Slager of purposely misleading authorities.</p>
<p>According to a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-north-charleston-south-carolina-police-officer-michael-slager-charged-federal-civil" type="external">statement released by the Department of Justice</a>, if convicted, Slager could face a maximum sentence of life in prison for the civil rights violation.</p>
<p>Slager is already facing a possible sentence of 30 years to life for the shooting death, after a South Carolina jury indicted him on <a href="" type="internal">murder charges last June</a>.</p>
<p /> | Former Cop Who Shot and Killed Walter Scott Now Faces Federal Charges | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2016/05/michael-slager-federal-charges-walter-scott/ | 2016-05-11 | 4 |
<p>Raise your hand if you want me to tell the GOP to go frack themselves!</p>
<p>Under no circumstances should Obama give in to the GOP demands on the debt ceiling. Even if it were to mean that the country goes into a true default for the first time in its history, let it happen.</p>
<p>Why?</p>
<p>First, there’s a reason the official policy of the United States is not to negotiate with terrorists. Once they get what they want the demands will only increase with each success and they will never stop.</p>
<p>The GOP has, at long last, become the economic terrorists they were destined to be. If there was another path for them to take they missed it a long time ago. Now, they only understand the black and white world of the fanatic and the child. With the ascendency of the Tea Party in the GOP, the nuanced reality where adults have learned how to bargain is simply beyond their grasp.</p>
<p>This became perfectly clear when the Republicans threatened to shut down the government over the budget unless they got everything they wanted. Everything. Even completely non-budget related social issues like defunding Planned Parenthood and when they didn’t get it all, their base threw a temper tantrum and called them traitors. The Republicans were traitors for accepting an incredibly unequal compromise that gave as little as possible to Obama while they took him to the cleaners. Really.</p>
<p>But then, that the GOP had degenerated to fanaticism was perfectly clear even earlier when the GOP abused the filibuster to block as many Democratic bills as possible. When the minority party dominates the agenda, there is something deeply wrong. The fact that they paid no political price for breaking Congress and were, in fact, rewarded for their intransigence was a sign of things to come.</p>
<p>Now, they have chosen to manufacture a “crisis” over a routine housekeeping task. The whole point of this exercise in economic terrorism is to force massive spending cuts to programs the GOP hates while conceding absolutely nothing. Not even an end to subsidies to the Big Oil, the most profitable industry to ever exist. Read that again: We are giving tax payer money to the industry that, after all other expenses are covered (payroll, taxes, bribes, etc.) STILL makes more money than every single other industry that has ever made a profit in the entire history of the world. These are the people the Republicans demand we give our money to while simultaneously demanding we cut payments to the elderly and sick. Cut everything, raise no taxes or we WILL shut down the government.</p>
<p>“Do what we say or the economy gets it.” Economic terrorism. Is there any other way to describe it?</p>
<p>The second reason Obama should let the Republicans carry out their temper tantrum is far more cynical. The GOP will finally pay a price for their fanaticism and Obama has badly outmaneuvered them on this point, so far. He has forced them into a position, by playing to their ego and intransigence, where they cannot accept any deal Obama offers because Obama is the one offering it. Especially if it raises taxes or ends any subsidies whatsoever. Obama is offering them more cuts than in the original GOP ransom note proposal and they just can’t take it. It would seem like too much of a victory for Obama and that is simply too much to countenance. Remember, the number one priority of the Republican Party is to make Obama a one term president and they are pursuing that goal with the single mindedness of a five year old chasing a ball into a busy street. With similar results.</p>
<p>And so Obama is playing them for suckers. He’s given them a choice between A. Shutting down the government which will devastate the country and any chance the GOP has of winning elections next year, B. Taking his Grand Bargain which will make Obama look like the only adult in the room while the GOP throws a public hissy fit over making any concessions, C. Taking a lesser deal with less tax hikes in it that will still prove the GOP declaration that increasing revenue will destroy all of time and space to be as phony as their concern for Main St. and D. Ending the phony “crisis” with no concessions from either side which will make the GOP look like the fools they are. Even if the Republicans decide to take it all the way and actually shut down the government rather than budge an inch that would still be a more desirable outcome than Obama giving in.</p>
<p>Better to take the pain now and let the Republicans commit electoral suicide than to let them run the country by holding the economy hostage. Otherwise, every budget bill, every debt ceiling increase will be an excuse for the GOP to make outrageous demands. They’ll threaten to shut it all down until they get what they want at every oppotunity. Each time, it will become easier and easier for them to make their demands because precedence will have been set and the public will not have the stomach to keep fighting if it’s just simpler to give the GOP what they want.</p>
<p>It’s still possible that Obama will blink at the very end and give whatever concessions he needs to prevent the shutdown and get nothing in return. To that I say: Don’t do it! Yes, you will avoid the damage of a shutdown but the GOP will only threaten to do it again and again. It’s not compromise when you do it under duress; it’s appeasement and it never works. Trust enough of the country to know who is making this happen and let the GOP reap what they sow. They deserve it and we deserve better.</p>
<p>Edited by Sherri Yarbrough</p>
<p>Feel free to tell me what a terrible person I am on Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Proud-to-be-a-Filthy-Liberal-Scum/134176153323755" type="external">here (public)</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Jrosario1701" type="external">here (not so public)</a>or follow me on Twitter @FilthyLbrlScum.&#160; Share and Tweet the love.</p>
<p /> | Obama Must Resist GOP Economic Terrorism | true | http://addictinginfo.org/2011/07/19/obama-must-resist-gop-economic-terrorism/ | 2011-07-19 | 4 |
<p>While Hillary Clinton is still seen as the Democratic frontrunner for President of the United States, she does face one true challenger, possibly. It’s not Bernie Sanders. It’s not Martin O’Malley. It isn’t even Elizabeth Warren (who has said a million times she’s not running).</p>
<p>It’s First Lady Michelle Obama.</p>
<p>Now, that’s not to say Clinton wouldn’t win by a large margin against Michelle Obama. <a href="http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/may_2015/what_if_michelle_obama_challenged_hillary_clinton_for_the_democratic_nomination" type="external">A new Rasmussen poll</a> conducted over the phone with 1,000 likely voters showed that Hillary Clinton would beat Obama 68 percent to 22 percent. Elizabeth Warren came second with 12.5 percent. Bernie Sanders (who is running for president) came in third with 7.4 percent, and O’Malley came dead last with 1.2 percent.</p>
<p>Among all voters, Clinton earns 37 percent support to Obama’s 17 percent.</p>
<p>Think about that: the Democrats want Michelle Obama to be president more than they want Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley combined. It’s not hard to see why, considering her recent groundbreaking comments on <a href="" type="internal">Native American struggles</a>, <a href="" type="internal">racism</a>, and the fact that she is a highly respected, intelligent woman.</p>
<p>Black voters support Obama over Clinton 44 to 36 percent.</p>
<p>Sadly, however, Michelle Obama isn’t running. Imagine how great it would be for the United States if our incredible First Lady succeeded her equally amazing husband. Republicans and racists alike would have their heads explode in a fury.</p>
<p>While the thought <a href="http://thehill.com/video/in-the-news/240774-flotus-post-wh-plans" type="external">has crossed her mind</a>, she isn’t running. Much like Elizabeth Warren, Democrats should not throw their effort behind a candidate who isn’t running. But the sentiments amongst Democrats is interesting.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/president/" type="external">series of Fox News polls</a> has Clinton beating almost every Republican challenger except Jeb Bush. Clinton beats Rubio by 4 percent and Huckabee by 3 percent. She beats Walker and Carson by 6 percent, Cruz by 5 percent and Fiornia by a whopping 12 percent. Bush beats Clinton by 1 percent. The same polls from Fox for the Democratic field has Clinton beating the next challenger, Warren, by 50 percent.</p>
<p>Needless to say, as of right now, Hillary is seen as the true frontrunner by an overwhelming majority.</p>
<p>Images: via Public Domain</p> | Hillary Clinton’s Biggest Challenger For President? Michelle Obama | true | http://addictinginfo.org/2015/05/14/hillary-clintons-biggest-challenger-for-president-michelle-obama/ | 2015-05-14 | 4 |
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<p>PHOENIX — Phoenix police say they haven’t made any arrests but now believe there’s a link between three gunshot victims who arrived at a hospital and a home with numerous bullet holes.</p>
<p>Sgt. Jonathan Howard told KTVK-KPHO-TV (https://goo.gl/OrsA3O ) say the Jan. 11 incidents are linked and related to drugs.</p>
<p>Police began investigating after three wounded men walked into a north Phoenix hospital and had different stories about how they got shot.</p>
<p>Police then were called to a bullet-riddled home several miles away near where a gun was found on a sidewalk.</p>
<p>Howard says none of the stories given by the shooting victims proved to be credible.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Phoenix police: Gunshot victims, bullet-riddled home linked | false | https://abqjournal.com/930335/phoenix-police-gunshot-victims-bullet-riddled-home-linked.html | 2 |
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<p>Pope Benedict XVI, the 85-year-old leader of the Roman Catholic Church, announced on Monday that he would resign his post after less than eight years — an unprecedented step in the modern papacy.</p>
<p>The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Benedict cited a decline in a strength of his mind and his body in determining that he could no longer serve as pope, effective at month's end.</p>
<p>"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry," he wrote. "I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects."</p>
<p />
<p>Benedict's term as pope has always been in the shadow of the popular, and long-serving, John Paul II, who traveled more than any pope that preceded him. And while Benedict also traveled a fair amount, his travels declined in recent years. His papacy has also been marked by the priest sexual abuse scandals, which have badly damaged the church in the United States and in Europe in particular.</p>
<p>It's also been a time where the church finds itself having to justify its place in a world where religious life increasingly is being pushed out of people's lives.</p>
<p>Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/12/world/europe/pope-benedict-xvi-says-he-will-retire.html?hp&amp;_r=0" type="external">told The New York Times</a> that a successor was expected to be named by Easter, which is on March 31 this year.</p>
<p>The last pope to resign was Gregory XII, who served from 1406 to 1415. His resignation was part of a pre-determined series of events that ended a period where there were multiple men claiming to be heirs to the papacy, known as the Western Schism. The last time a pope voluntarily abdicated his position was even further back in history — in 1294, Celestine V stepped down.</p>
<p>Benedict's resignation prompted several statements of praise from other religious leaders. In his own way, Benedict has endeavored to repair and reinforce relationships with leaders of other faiths. His visit to Turkey early in his papacy was meant, in part at least, to help heal divisions with the eastern orthodox church. At the same time, however, he's often found himself at odds with the world's Muslims.</p> | Pope Benedict XVI set to resign at month's end, citing decline in strength | false | https://pri.org/stories/2013-02-11/pope-benedict-xvi-set-resign-months-end-citing-decline-strength | 2013-02-11 | 3 |
<p>President Barack Obama famously stated that Americans needed to “share the wealth” when we spoke about economic equality in America.</p>
<p>While President Trump does not subscribe to that fiscal mindset, the president recent doubling down on his spread the blame remark over the deadly attack by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, has outraged both Democrats and Republicans who felt Trump needed to come out blindly swinging at the white supremacy movement.</p>
<p>To his credit, the president did condemn white supremacy and racism as a whole, but stuck to his initial remark that both sides at the protest were to blame for the violence that occurred</p>
<p>Trump reasserted his belief that during the incident in Virginia,&#160; their was more than enough “blame on both sides,” adding that not everyone in at the protest was a white nationalists or neo-Nazi.</p>
<p>“You had some fine people. But you also had trouble makers…You had som’You see them come with the black outfits and with the helmets and the baseball bats.”-President Donald Trump</p>
<p>Watch President Trump defiantly defend his position and take down the press, or as he calls them, “fake news.”</p>
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<p>Senator Marco Rubio took issue with Trump over his remarks at the press conference, telling the president that he couldn’t allow white supremacists to “only share part of the blame.”</p>
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<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Trump Simultaneously Defends His “Blame On Both Sides” And Takes Down “Fake News” | true | http://shark-tank.com/2017/08/15/trump-simultaneously-defends-blame-sides-takes-fake-news/ | 0 |
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<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/15/AR2006051500809.html" type="external">Western European teens</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/15/AR2006051500809.html" type="external">have fewer pregnancies, and lower levels of STDs, than their American counterparts. Why? Because teens in Europe have easy access to contraceptives, confidential health care and comprehensive sex education. Teen sex is seen as a healthy thing. (Compare that to America’s puritanical,</a> <a href="" type="internal">ineffective</a> abstinence programs.)</p>
<p>Washington Post:</p>
<p>Pierre-Andre Michaud, chief of the Multidisciplinary Unit for Adolescent Health at the University of Lausanne Hospital in Switzerland and a leading researcher in European teen sexuality, dismisses the idea–widely held in the United States–that sex constitutes risky behavior for teens. In an editorial in May’s Journal of Adolescent Health, he wrote:</p>
<p />
<p>“In many European countries — Switzerland in particular — sexual intercourse, at least from the age of 15 or 16 years, is considered acceptable and even part of normative adolescent behavior.” Switzerland, he noted, has one of the world’s lowest rates of abortion and teen pregnancy. Teens there, like those in Sweden and the Netherlands, have easy access to contraceptives, confidential health care and comprehensive sex education.</p>
<p>A 2001 Guttmacher Institute report, drawing on data from 30 countries in Western and Eastern Europe, concluded: “Societal acceptance of sexual activity among young people, combined with comprehensive and balanced information about sexuality and clear expectations about commitment and prevention, childbearing and STDs [sexually transmitted diseases] within teenage relationships, are hallmarks of countries with low levels of adolescent pregnancy, childbearing and STDs.” The study cited Sweden as the “clearest of the case-study countries in viewing sexuality among young people as natural and good.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/15/AR2006051500809.html" type="external">Link</a></p>
<p /> | Teen Sex Less Risky in Europe Than U.S. | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/teen-sex-less-risky-in-europe-than-u-s/ | 2006-05-18 | 4 |
<p>FLORENCE, Ky. (AP) — Sometimes a snow day calls for a song.</p>
<p>That's what a Kentucky principal did, posting a musical message for parents to let them know classes were canceled due to icy roads.</p>
<p>Union Pointe Academy Principal Chad Caddell posted the video Monday on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/unionpointeacademy/" type="external">school's Facebook page</a> , singing "that school is canceled for today" to the tune of Mariah Carey's "Hero." Dressed in a long coat and fur trapper hat, he begins the parody by saying he's got something on his heart he has to share.</p>
<p>Caddell also posted the video to Twitter saying "this is how we do school closings in Kentucky."</p>
<p>He told The Associated Press that he created the video with his wife as a way to bring some joy and fun to a snow day.</p>
<p>FLORENCE, Ky. (AP) — Sometimes a snow day calls for a song.</p>
<p>That's what a Kentucky principal did, posting a musical message for parents to let them know classes were canceled due to icy roads.</p>
<p>Union Pointe Academy Principal Chad Caddell posted the video Monday on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/unionpointeacademy/" type="external">school's Facebook page</a> , singing "that school is canceled for today" to the tune of Mariah Carey's "Hero." Dressed in a long coat and fur trapper hat, he begins the parody by saying he's got something on his heart he has to share.</p>
<p>Caddell also posted the video to Twitter saying "this is how we do school closings in Kentucky."</p>
<p>He told The Associated Press that he created the video with his wife as a way to bring some joy and fun to a snow day.</p> | Principal parodies Mariah Carey to announce school's out | false | https://apnews.com/amp/de51c817a6d444f6b6b386e9e19bb5f2 | 2018-01-08 | 2 |
<p>President Emmanuel Macron has been criticized for branding opponents of his labor reforms as being “lazy.” Quickly dubbed the ‘King of slackers’ on Twitter, the French leader was undeterred, though, saying he regrets nothing and aims to move the country forward.</p>
<p>Macron’s controversial comments came while on a visit to Greece Friday.</p>
<p>“France is not a country which is open to reforms. France does not reform… because we rebel, we resist, we circumvent. This is what we are like,” the 39-year-old president <a href="http://www.bfmtv.com/politique/reformes-macron-ne-veut-rien-ceder-ni-aux-faineants-ni-aux-cyniques-ni-aux-extremes-1252033.html" type="external">said</a>, speaking at a French archaeology school in Athens.&#160;</p>
<p>What France needs is a “profound transformation,” including the labor sector Macron said. He said his reform policy would be carried out “without brutality, calmly, with reason and sense.”&#160;</p>
<p>“I will be absolutely determined and I will not yield anything, either to the lazy, the cynics or the extreme. And I ask you to have the same determination, each day,” Macron said, prompting furious responses back home.</p>
<p>The ‘lazy’ comment caused a stir among French politicians and on social media.</p>
<p>Macron’s presidential rival Jean-Luc Mélenchon‏ reacted angrily to the president’s statement. “Stupid, cynical, lazy, all in the street on September 12 and 23!” he tweeted, drumming up support for the planned labor reform protests.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/401508-france-labor-reform-protest/" type="external">READ MORE: French labor reform protesters denounce Macron’s ‘assault on workers’ rights’ (VIDEOS)&#160;</a></p>
<p>Benoît Hamon from the Socialist Party also blasted the president’s comments.</p>
<p>“I find it unbelievable. Lazy people are the independently wealthy, who don’t need to work for a living,” Macron’s other rival <a href="http://www.liberation.fr/france/2017/09/10/faineants-propos-de-macron-d-un-mepris-incroyable-selon-hamon_1595320" type="external">said</a>, “And a lot of independently wealthy picked Emmanuel Macron as their champion.”&#160;</p>
<p>Florian Philippot, vice president of the National Front <a href="https://www.thelocal.fr/20170909/frances-macron-hits-at-radicals-with-lazy-cynics-jibe" type="external">noted</a> that “insulting people has become second nature for Macron.”&#160;</p>
<p>“The president is insulting people who oppose his politics. Emmanuel Macron does not love the French, that’s for sure,” Pierre Laurent, Secretary General of the French Communist Party tweeted.</p>
<p>“Fainéants, cyniques, extrêmes” le président insulte ceux qui s’opposent à sa politique. Décidément <a href="https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron" type="external">@EmmanuelMacron</a> n’aime pas les Français</p>
<p>— Pierre Laurent (@plaurent_pcf) <a href="https://twitter.com/plaurent_pcf/status/906165089585291264" type="external">September 8, 2017</a></p>
<p>The French public also took to twitter to lash out at the president’s comments, calling him the “king of slackers.”</p>
<p>The French President, however, appeared unfazed.</p>
<p>“People want to distort [my comment] to create false polemics,” he <a href="http://www.lefigaro.fr/politique/le-scan/2017/09/11/25001-20170911ARTFIG00120-macron-ne-regrette-absolument-pas-d-avoir-parle-de-faineants.php" type="external">said</a> during a visit to the southern French city of Toulouse.&#160;</p>
<p>Macron added that he did not regret his comments and that the country would not move forward “unless we tell the truth.”</p>
<p>Reforming the country’s strict labor laws has been one of Macron’s top priorities. In August, his government begun the final round of talks with trade unions on liberalizing the country’s labor laws which the government hopes will reduce the 9.5 percent unemployment rate in France.</p>
<p>Francois Hollande’s Socialist government sparked months of violent protests trying to push through a less ambitious labor reform bill in 2016. The rallies often ended in confrontations between police and demonstrators.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/402010-macrons-approval-rating-nosedives/" type="external">READ MORE: Macron’s approval rating nosedives to 30% in latest poll</a>&#160;</p>
<p>Macron wants to grant employers more power to negotiate employment conditions with workers, which some believe will diminish the weight of trade unions. The former investment banker also wants to cap the compensation awarded by courts in dismissal cases.</p>
<p>The General Confederation of Labor (CGT) union has already called for a massive nationwide rally on September 12. CGT Secretary General Philippe Martinez said more than 180 demonstrations are being planned across the country.</p> | ‘King of slackers’: Fury after Macron brands labor reforms opponents ‘lazy’ ahead of mass protests | false | https://newsline.com/king-of-slackers-fury-after-macron-brands-labor-reforms-opponents-lazy-ahead-of-mass-protests/ | 2017-09-11 | 1 |
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<p>Former Guatemalan President Efrain Rios Montt was hauled off to prison on May 10. It was a historic moment, the first time in history that a former leader of a country was tried for genocide in a national court.</p>
<p>More than three decades after he seized power in a coup in Guatemala, unleashing a U.S.-backed campaign of slaughter against his own people, the 86-year-old stood trial, charged with genocide and crimes against humanity. He was given an 80-year prison sentence. The case was inspired and pursued by three brave Guatemalan women: the judge, the attorney general and the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.</p>
<p>“My brother Patrocinio was burnt to death in the Ixil region. We never found his remains,” Rigoberta Menchu told me after Rios Montt’s verdict was announced. She detailed the systematic slaughter of her family: “As for my mother, we never found her remains, either. … My father was also burned alive in the embassy of Spain Elliott Abrams. And the U.S. should be ready to extradite them to Guatemala to face punishment if the Guatemalan authorities are able to proceed with this. And General Perez Molina is one who should be included.”</p>
<p>Regardless of where the case goes from here, Guatemala has set an example for the world, away from violence and impunity. Or as Nairn puts it, “Guatemala’s Mayans have reached a higher level of civilization than the United States.”</p>
<p>Distributed by King Features Syndicate.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Historic verdict jails ex-president for genocide | false | https://abqjournal.com/200307/historic-verdict-jails-expresident-for-genocide.html | 2013-05-18 | 2 |
<p>On Saturday, commenting on the murder of Nykea Aldridge, the cousin of Chicago Bulls star Dwyane Wade, Donald Trump posted on Twitter:</p>
<p>Dwyane Wade's cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!</p>
<p>Aldridge was killed while pushing a baby stroller.</p>
<p>Fierce backlash erupted after Trump’s tweet:</p>
<p>You are truly a POS <a href="https://t.co/cyTwxgxwDh" type="external">https://t.co/cyTwxgxwDh</a></p>
<p />
<p>There's nothing more horrifying than a presidential candidate patting himself on the back after someone is killed. <a href="https://t.co/TrrmEl0zpw" type="external">https://t.co/TrrmEl0zpw</a></p>
<p>Trump exploiting the death of Dwyane Wade’s cousin to gain votes is despicable. <a href="https://t.co/kylGvgmq5S" type="external">https://t.co/kylGvgmq5S</a></p>
<p>The backlash prompted him to tweet an hour and a half later:</p>
<p>Dwyane Wade's cousin was just shot and killed walking her baby in Chicago. Just what I have been saying. African-Americans will VOTE TRUMP!</p>
<p>On Sunday, Trump’s campaign manager Kellyasnne Conway <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-dwyane-wade-campaign-manager_us_57c2e8e9e4b04193420f89c5" type="external">appeared</a> on Fox News Sunday with host Chris Wallace, who asked, “Do you think it’s right to have that kind of political response to a personal tragedy?”</p>
<p>Conway evaded, “I was pleased that his next tweet expressed his condolences to the Wade family about the death of his cousin … That horrifying example, of a woman who had just signed up her children for school pushing a baby stroller, that is a nonpartisan issue that should sicken us all.”</p>
<p>On <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trumps-campaign-manager-kellyanne-conway-says-hes-not-shifting-on-immigration/" type="external">CBS's Face the Nation</a>, Conway explained, "He tweeted his condolences to the family right after that, and I’d like everyone to know about both tweets … I think you have to look at both tweets where he expresses his condolences. He reminds everybody he’s been trying to make the case that the increase in random crime and senseless murders, the poverty, the joblessness, the homelessness in some of our major cities is unacceptable to all of us.”</p>
<p>On CNN’s State of the Union, VP nominee Mike Pence <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/08/28/donald-trump-dwyane-wade-tweet-conway/89508100/" type="external">argued</a> Trump “has a plainspoken way about him. And the tragedy of a mother pushing her child on the streets of Chicago being shot and killed, as Nykea Aldridge was, just breaks my heart.”</p>
<p>Trump had been already accused of politicizing tragedies earlier this year, after the Orlando massacre in which scores of homosexuals were slaughtered in a nightclub by a Muslim terrorist. Trump tweeted:</p>
<p>Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism, I don't want congrats, I want toughness &amp; vigilance. We must be smart!</p> | Dwyane Wade’s Cousin Was Murdered In Chicago. Donald Trump Tweeted About It. | true | https://dailywire.com/news/8732/dwayne-wades-cousin-was-murdered-chicago-donald-hank-berrien | 2016-08-29 | 0 |
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<p>At least half the people police kill each year have mental health problems, according to a 2013 report from the Treatment Advocacy Center and the National Sheriffs’ Association. On Monday, the nation’s highest court will consider how police must comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act when dealing with armed or violent people who have psychiatric problems or other disabilities.</p>
<p>The case involves a 2008 incident in San Francisco in which police responded to a call from a group home for the mentally ill. A resident who suffers from schizophrenia, Teresa Sheehan, threatened to kill her social worker with a knife and locked herself in her room. The social worker asked the police to help restrain Sheehan and get her to a hospital where she could be treated.</p>
<p>The incident ended with officers forcing their way into Sheehan’s room and shooting after she charged them with the knife. She survived and filed a lawsuit, claiming police had a duty under the ADA to consider her mental illness and take more steps to avoid a violent confrontation.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The ADA generally requires public officials to make “reasonable accommodations” to avoid discriminating against people with disabilities. But lower courts have split on how the law should apply to police conduct when public safety is at risk.</p>
<p>San Francisco officials argue the law does not require police to make accommodations for an armed and violent suspect who is mentally ill.</p>
<p>“When mental illness manifests in unpredictable, violent behavior as it did in this case, officers must make split-second decisions that protect the public and themselves from harm,” the city said in legal papers.</p>
<p>The Georgia incident on March 9 was the latest high-profile police killing of a mentally unstable suspect. Anthony Hill, a U.S. Air Force veteran had stopped taking medication for bipolar disorder. An officer, responding to calls about a naked man acting erratically outside an apartment complex, fatally shot Hill when police say Hill ran toward him and didn’t heed orders to stop.</p>
<p>Other shootings have prompted federal investigations. Between 2012 and 2014, the Justice Department found that police departments in Cleveland; Portland, Ore.; and Albuquerque, N.M.; used excessive force against the mentally ill. Those police departments were required to improve training, protocols and policies for dealing with mentally ill suspects.</p>
<p>Law enforcement groups are keeping a close eye on the Supreme Court case, which they say could undermine police tactics, place officers and bystanders at risk, force departments to spend thousands in new training and open them to additional liability.</p>
<p>The ADA was designed to regulate institutional policies, not an individual officer’s behavior, said Darrel W. Stephens, executive director of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, which filed a brief supporting San Francisco.</p>
<p>Stephens said that while departments around the country receive training to de-escalate and avoid using force in a situation with an unstable person, it’s not always possible to do so.</p>
<p>But mental health advocates say the ADA requires police to act less aggressively when arresting or detaining people with disabilities. Claudia Center, a senior staff attorney in the American Civil Liberties Union’s disability rights program, said the ADA should apply to all situations, especially emergencies when the disabled most need to be accommodated.</p>
<p>“This case is not unusual. There are a lot of Sheehan situations out there where there is an opportunity not to rush in, and take a moment,” Center said.</p>
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<p /> | Issue of police violence against mentally ill heads to Supreme Court | false | https://abqjournal.com/558535/issue-of-police-violence-against-mentally-ill-heads-to-supreme-court.html | 2 |
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<p>Joan Osborne says the moody, dreamy world of her classic album ‘Relish’ was intentional. (Photo courtesy CAMI)</p>
<p>Mavis Staples &amp; Joan Osborne</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://lisner.gwu.edu/solid-soul-mavis-staples-joan-osborne" type="external">Solid Soul Tour</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Saturday, Oct. 31</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>8 p.m.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Lisner Auditorium</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>730 21st St., N.W.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>$30-50</p>
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<p>Joan Osborne’s landmark 1995 album “Relish” is being reissued on Friday, Oct. 30 in a deluxe 20th anniversary edition in three formats — a single-disc edition with bonus cuts, a 20-track digital bundle with more outtakes and a spate of live B-sides or a double-LP set.</p>
<p>Osborne’s “Solid Soul Tour” with Mavis Staples comes to the Lisner Auditorium on Saturday, Oct. 31. We caught up with her by phone from a tour stop at Penn State to reminisce about all things “Relish.”</p>
<p>On what inspired the reissue: “The record still has a lot of fans and it’s nice to just sort of give a nod to the fact that it’s been around so long.”</p>
<p>On first single “St. Teresa”: “I think it was one of those situations where you release a song that you feel is going to get people interested in the record as a whole and then you wait and build a little interest that way, then you bring out the song that you think might be your pop hit, so I think that was everybody’s strategy if I recall.”</p>
<p>On why there were two “St. Teresa” videos: “After ‘One of Us’ was such a big hit, they felt they wanted to re-release ‘St. Teresa’ as a single and I guess they weren’t completely happy with that first video. I was like, ‘Well, I have an idea for it,’ and they allowed me to direct the second video where I was a hotel maid. That was really fun.”</p>
<p>On mega-hit “One of Us”: “I liked the song and I thought it was interesting. I don’t think that I anticipated it becoming the sort of pop hit that it was or that it became or that it would be controversial. … I could see how people might take exception to using the word slob, as in just a slob like one of us, to refer to God because that certainly flies in the face of most cultures’ perceptions of God, but I didn’t think it was particularly sacrilegious. I felt the song was kind of like having a little kid come up to you and tug on your sleeve and ask you a very innocent question but a question you don’t really have the answer for which kind of sets you back and makes you think about things in that way that children can do because they don’t know any better.”</p>
<p>On the “Airplane Ride” sample that opens “One of Us”:&#160;“That came from a record I found in a little record store in SoHo. … I was just wandering around in there one day trying to write lyrics and I went down and found this compilation of Appalachian music and it looked interesting to me so I brought it home. Later I brought it into the session and Rick Chertoff, the producer, and Eric Bazillian and Rob Hyman and the guys I was collaborating with, we were all sort of charmed by it, in particular the heavenly airplane bit, we just thought … it would be a fun thing to add to the front of (‘One of Us’). A lot of people thought it was me, but it wasn’t. Her name was Nell Hampton.”</p>
<p>On locating the “Relish” outtakes: “I didn’t have any of it. It was all in some Universal Music Group vault. I think Rob Hyman had a couple of cassette tapes that he dug out of a box at home. I looked for stuff in my archives but I couldn’t really find anything. The only thing that wasn’t from the vault was the cassette of Rob’s original demo of ‘One of Us.’”</p>
<p>On “Century,” a non-album track she used to perform around the time of “Relish”: “That was one we were taking about putting on (the reissue) but … there are always things that make it on to a record and things that are left off and there are reasons for them to be left off and part of the reason is you just don’t want anybody to hear them.”</p>
<p>On making “Relish”: “One of the things about working with Rick Chertoff was that he was one of these guys who said it doesn’t matter how long it takes, it doesn’t matter how much work it is, none of that stuff matters as long as you get it right and you do it from the ground up and take your time.”</p>
<p>On follow-up “Righteous Love” and its delayed release: “‘The life of ‘Relish’ took a long, long time and was … a tough act to follow. I think there were a lot of expectations from the label and myself that I had to turn around right away and come up with something that was really smashing and I think that intimidated me to a certain extent. I did a lot of things and turned them into the record company and they rejected them, so there was that aspect as well. It was not a particularly fun part of my life.”</p>
<p>On touring with Mavis Staples: “Being on stage with her each night is a total inspiration. She’s just got that thing where she can reach people. She’s so full of joy and also really funny and really smart. It’s just going really great.”</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Airplane Ride</a> <a href="" type="internal">Eric Bazillian</a> <a href="" type="internal">Joan Osborne</a> <a href="" type="internal">Mavis Staples</a> <a href="" type="internal">Nell Hampton</a> <a href="" type="internal">One of Us</a> <a href="" type="internal">Relish</a> <a href="" type="internal">Relish deluxe</a> <a href="" type="internal">Relish reissue</a> <a href="" type="internal">Rick Chertoff</a> <a href="" type="internal">Rob Hyman</a> <a href="" type="internal">Solid Soul Tour</a> <a href="" type="internal">St. Teresa</a> <a href="" type="internal">the Staple Singers</a></p> | Revisiting ‘Relish’ | false | http://washingtonblade.com/2015/10/29/revisiting-relish/ | 3 |
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<p>Donald Trump is set to speak at the Values Voter Summit. (Washington Blade photo by Lee Whitman)</p>
<p />
<p>Tony Perkins, president of the anti-LGBT Family Research Council, confirmed the real estate mogul-turned 2016 candidate would speak late Friday morning at the 10th annual Values Values Summit, an event set to take place over the weekend in D.C.’s Omni Shoreham Hotel.</p>
<p>Also among the scheduled speakers are former neurosurgeon Ben Carson, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.).</p>
<p>“Those candidates coming to the summit are showing that they value social conservative voters and want to have a conversation with them,” Perkins said. “We will encourage attendees to take the candidates’ presence into account as they cast their vote in the straw poll.”</p>
<p>Trump’s appearance at the Values Voter Summit is noteworthy because despite his attacks on immigrants and women, he’s generally abstained from anti-LGBT attacks. Trump says he opposes same-sex marriage, but <a href="" type="internal">being gay shouldn’t be a reason to fire employees</a> and a U.S. constitutional amendment against the Supreme Court’s marriage decision is unrealistic.</p>
<p>JoDee Winterhof, the Human Rights Campaign’s senior vice president for policy and political affairs, took the entire slate of presidential candidates attending the Values Voter Summit.</p>
<p>“Donald Trump and the other candidates who are joining him at this conference are giving their blessing to an organization that has made vilifying LGBT people its central mission,” Winterhof said. “They should be ashamed.”</p>
<p>Also set to appear onstage Friday is Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who gained nationwide attention for refusing marriage licenses in her Kentucky office after the U.S. Supreme Court decision in favor of same-sex marriage despite multiple court orders. The Family Research Council is honoring her with the “Cost of Discipleship Award.”</p>
<p>Other speakers are U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and social conservatives who’ve expressed anti-LGBT views, such as former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback, Casey County Clerk Casey Davis, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), bakers Aaron and Melissa Klein, U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Oliver North and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise.</p>
<p>Not attending is former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/253419-bush-skipping-conservative-summit" type="external">The Hill</a> newspaper reported earlier this month the candidate wouldn’t attend the Values Voter Summit.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Donald Trump</a> <a href="" type="internal">election 2016</a> <a href="" type="internal">Values Voter Summit</a></p> | Trump to attend anti-LGBT ‘Values Voter’ summit | false | http://washingtonblade.com/2015/09/23/trump-to-attend-anti-lgbt-values-voter-summit/ | 3 |
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<p>LONDON (Reuters) – European hedge funds Bodenholm Capital and Westray Capital Management revealed they had taken short selling positions on some media companies, bets that their stock prices will fall, on the back of changing consumer habits.</p>
<p>Online services like Netflix (NASDAQ:) and Amazon (NASDAQ:) will continue to eat away at the business of traditional media companies, fund managers for both firms said at the Sohn Conference in London on Thursday.</p>
<p>Per Johansson of Bodenholm, which has assets under management of around $700 million, said that the fund has take a short position in the shares of German media company Prosiebensat 1.</p>
<p>He said viewers from younger age groups were turning away from traditional television to online and on-demand formats.</p>
<p>“We now spend our time in front of the TV in different ways,” Johansson said. Bodenholm declined to comment on the size of the short position in Prosiebensat.</p>
<p>A spokesman for Prosiebensat said it had a “proven growth strategy” that is driving diversification and digital transformation, and would be updating investors at a capital markets day next week.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Westray founder and chief investment officer Selvan Masil revealed the fund had a short position in Britain’s Cineworld.</p>
<p>A spokeswoman for Cineworld declined to comment on Westray’s position.</p>
<p>“The core audience, people aged 15-34, are showing a decline in interest in cinema,” Masil said.</p>
<p>Westray, which has assets under management of $153 million, declined to comment on the size of the short position it had on Cineworld.</p>
<p>“We think this is explained by changes in consumer, particularly the fact that younger people are consuming increasing content online.”</p>
<p>Cineworld’s shares fell 16.7 percent on Wednesday after it said it planned to acquire U.S. peer Regal Entertainment Group for $3.6 billion.</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> | Bodenholm and Westray reveal media stock shorts on changing viewers | false | https://newsline.com/bodenholm-and-westray-reveal-media-stock-shorts-on-changing-viewers/ | 2017-11-30 | 1 |
<p>WASHINGTON — The military campaigns in Iraq and Syria have taken 45,000 enemy combatants off the battlefield and reduced the total number of ISIS fighters to as few as 15,000, according to the top U.S. commander for the fight against ISIS.</p>
<p>Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland said that both the quality and number of ISIS fighters is declining, and he warned that it is difficult to determine accurate numbers. Earlier estimates put the number of ISIS fighters between 19,000 and 25,000, but U.S. officials say the range is now roughly 15,000 to 20,000.</p>
<p>Saying that "the enemy is in retreat on all fronts," MacFarland said U.S.-backed local forces in both Iraq and Syria have been gaining ground. And he said the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq and Syria has decreased and that many people pressed into fighting for ISIS are unwilling or untrained.</p>
<p>Related: <a href="" type="internal">New 'Heat Map' Shows ISIS Branches Spreading Worldwide</a></p>
<p>"All I know is when we go someplace, it's easier to go there now than it was a year ago. And the enemy doesn't put up as much of a fight," he told Pentagon reporters in a video conference on Wednesday.</p>
<p>MacFarland said that Iraqi forces are in a position to begin to retake the northern city of Mosul. But he added that the U.S. still has quite a bit of work to do at the Qayyarah Air Base in northern Iraq before it can be used as a hub for that battle.</p>
<p>President Barack Obama <a href="" type="internal">authorized the deployment of 560 more U.S. troops to Iraq</a> to help transform the air base into a staging area for the eventual battle to oust ISIS from Mosul. The group has held Mosul since June 2014.</p>
<p>MacFarland cautioned that while there have been successes in both countries, ISIS will continue to be a threat.</p>
<p>"Military success in Iraq and Syria will not necessarily mean the end of Daesh," he said, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS. "We can expect the enemy to adapt, to morph into a true insurgent force and terrorist organization capable of horrific attacks <a href="" type="internal">like the one here on July 3 in Baghdad</a> and those others we've seen around the world."</p> | 45,000 ISIS Fighters Have Been Taken Off Battlefield, Lt. Gen. Sean MacFarland Says | false | http://nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/45-000-isis-fighters-have-been-taken-battlefield-lt-gen-n628006 | 2016-08-12 | 3 |
<p>___</p>
<p>As royal wedding nears, brands benefit from 'Meghan effect'</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>LONDON (AP) — Meghan Markle's marriage to Prince Harry isn't just a trans-Atlantic love story linking the House of Windsor to Hollywood. Their Mary 19 wedding is a boon for florists, bakers and tiara makers but also a bonanza for the broader British economy. A firm that reports annually on the monarchy estimates the glamorous bride-to-be alone will inject 150 million pounds ($210 million) into the U.K. economy as consumers try to mimic Markle's style.</p>
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<p>IRS head sees huge task ahead to administer new tax law</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting head of the IRS says the current tax-filing season has gone well, while acknowledging the tough challenge the cash-strapped agency faces of administering the new tax law that will affect 2019 returns. Acting IRS Commissioner David Kautter tells Congress that some 79 million refunds totaling about $226 billion have been issued so far, averaging $2,900 — up $13 from last year.</p>
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<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>China denies Xi comments aimed at settling US dispute</p>
<p>BEIJING (AP) — China says President Xi Jinping's pledges to cut import tariffs on cars and open China's markets wider were not meant as an overture for settling a tariff dispute with Washington. State media on Thursday cited a commerce ministry spokesman as saying negotiations were impossible under 'unilateral coercion' by President Donald Trump's government.</p>
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<p>Lawmakers say Trump exploring rejoining Pacific trade talks</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has asked trade officials to explore the possibility of the United States rejoining negotiations on the Pacific Rim agreement. He pulled the U.S. out last year as part of his "America first" agenda. Farm-state lawmakers say that at a White House meeting with Trump, he gave that assignment to his trade representative and his new chief economic adviser. The Trans-Pacific Partnership would open more overseas markets for American farmers.</p>
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<p>Volkswagen replaces CEO Mueller, announces new structure</p>
<p>FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Volkswagen replaced CEO Matthias Mueller with core brand head Herbert Diess on Thursday and said it is creating a new management structure to enable faster decision-making as autonomous and electric cars transform the industry. The German automaker said in a statement that it would reorganize its management into six broad business areas plus China. It said the new structure would streamline decision-making in the individual operating units.</p>
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<p>US long-term mortgage rates flat to higher; 30-year 4.42 pct</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Long-term U.S. mortgage rates were flat to slightly higher this week with the spring home buying season well underway. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the average rate on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages edged up to 4.42 percent from 4.40 percent last week. The average rate on 15-year, fixed-rate loans held steady this week at 3.87 percent.</p>
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<p>US publishers worry about pricier newsprint with new tariffs</p>
<p>MILWAUKEE (AP) — Recently imposed tariffs on Canadian newsprint are causing anxiety among U.S. publishers who say they'll be forced to shut down or make further cuts in an industry already depleted by years of declining revenue. The tariffs are a response to complaint to the U.S. Department of Commerce from a hedge-fund owned paper producer in Washington state. That company is arguing its Canadian competitors have an unfair advantage with government subsidies. The tariffs could be finalized by September.</p>
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<p>Former coal lobbyist confirmed as No. 2 official at EPA</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday confirmed a former coal industry lobbyist as the second-highest official at the Environmental Protection Agency, putting him next in line to run the agency if embattled administrator Scott Pruitt is forced out or resigns. Senators approved Andrew Wheeler as the agency's deputy administrator despite complaints from Democrats that Wheeler helped lead a fight by the coal industry to block regulations that protect Americans' health and begin to address climate change.</p>
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<p>Panel tackles lack of high-speed internet in Indian Country</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Two western senators are proposing to expand access to a $4 billion federal program that has enabled public schools and libraries throughout the U.S. to obtain high-speed internet at affordable rates as one way to close the digital divide that persists across American Indian communities and other rural areas. Librarians, policymakers and other experts gathered Thursday in Washington, D.C., for a panel discussion on the legislation and the needs of tribal communities.</p>
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<p>Facebook to stop spending against California privacy effort</p>
<p>SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Facebook says it will stop spending money to fight a proposed California ballot initiative aimed at increasing data privacy. The company has contributed $200,000 in February to a committee opposing the "California Consumer Privacy Act." It made the announcement Wednesday as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg underwent questioning from Congress about the handling of user data.</p>
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<p>Technology, industrials and banks lead rally as stocks rise</p>
<p>NEW YORK (AP) — Banks and technology and industrial companies help US stocks add to their gains from earlier in the week. Banks rise along with interest rates and big technology companies like Apple and Microsoft shake off some of their recent struggles. Delta Air Lines and BlackRock rise after solid quarterly reports while Bed, Bath &amp; Beyond sinks after a weak annual forecast.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>The Standard &amp; Poor's 500 index gained 21.80 points, or 0.8 percent, to 2,663.99. The Dow Jones industrial average added 293.60 points, or 1.2 percent, to 24,483.05. The Nasdaq composite climbed 71.22 points, or 1 percent, to 7,140.25. The Russell 2000 index of smaller-company stocks advanced 10.52 points, or 0.7 percent, to 1,557.33.</p>
<p>Benchmark U.S. crude rose 0.4 percent to $67.07 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, used to price international oils, shed 0.1 percent to $72.02 a barrel in London. Wholesale gasoline lost 0.6 percent to $2.05 a gallon. Heating oil dipped 0.4 percent to $2.08 a gallon. Natural gas rose 0.4 percent to $2.69 per 1,000 cubic feet.</p> | Business Highlights | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/11/29/business-highlights.html | 2018-04-12 | 0 |
<p>HELENA, Mont. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday evening's drawing of the Montana Lottery's "Big Sky Bonus" game were:</p>
<p>05-06-22-27, Bonus: 10</p>
<p>(five, six, twenty-two, twenty-seven; Bonus: ten)</p>
<p>HELENA, Mont. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Monday evening's drawing of the Montana Lottery's "Big Sky Bonus" game were:</p>
<p>05-06-22-27, Bonus: 10</p>
<p>(five, six, twenty-two, twenty-seven; Bonus: ten)</p> | Winning numbers drawn in 'Big Sky Bonus' game | false | https://apnews.com/amp/01db73a478844d9c919292ee5db639cb | 2018-01-23 | 2 |
<p>Ron Paul’s strategy to win the Republican Party’s presidential nomination to challenge President Obama for the White House in November is quietly proceeding as planned, and after major delegate wins in Colorado, Minnesota, and Iowa this weekend, the “Ron Paul Revolution” as Paul’s supporters call it, has the Mitt Romney campaign and GOP establishment <a href="http://rt.com/news/blogs/contrarian-view/wins-iowa-minnesota-ronpaul/" type="external">in a panic</a>.</p>
<p>From the beginning, Dr. Ron Paul’s campaign strategy drew many of its lessons <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeedpolitics/ron-pauls-secret-plan-to-actually-win" type="external">from</a> President Barack Obama’s successful outsider bid for his own party’s nomination in 2008: start early, learn and take advantage of the rules and party procedures in each state, outwork the competition, use superior organization and an army of devoted young followers, and appeal to a broad coalition of moderates, young people, liberals, low-income voters, and <a href="" type="internal">independent voters</a>.</p>
<p>Back in 2008, despite Hillary Clinton’s anointment by her party establishment, Barack Obama’s reform candidacy outworked, out-organized, and out-planned the establishment candidate, securing the Democratic Party’s nomination and ultimately leading to the White House in November. Today, despite another virtual media blackout, with Fox News asking “ <a href="http://nation.foxnews.com/ron-paul/2012/04/04/where-world-ron-paul" type="external">Where in the world is Ron Paul?</a>” the answer seems to be: Quietly winning the Republican Party’s nomination state by state, delegate by delegate. Ron Paul’s campaign is speaking through action, not words. It is the mainstream media coverage, more than Paul’s campaign, that seems to be conspicuously quiet.</p>
<p>Oddly enough, for news on Ron Paul’s campaign, interested observers have had to look outside mainstream media sources here in the United States to foreign news sources like Russia Today, which <a href="http://rt.com/usa/news/ron-paul-money-race-590/" type="external">reported</a> Friday that while <a href="" type="internal">Newt Gingrich</a> (who <a href="http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/23/11359666-gingrich-hints-he-may-drop-from-race-this-week" type="external">will drop</a> from the primary sometime in the near future, leaving only Romney and Paul to fight it out) is $5 million in debt, Ron Paul’s campaign is running strong with millions in funding and zero in debt for previous campaign expenses.</p>
<p>But is the money translating to results? After some recent big delegate wins for the Ron Paul campaign in caucus state conventions across the country, the answer seems to be: Yes. After this weekend, most of Colorado, Iowa, and Minnesota’s delegates to the national convention are locked in, and Mitt Romney failed to secure half of them. If that trend continues, and Mitt Romney cannot secure the 1,144 delegates necessary to secure the Republican Party’s nomination on the first ballot in Tampa, it will lead to a brokered convention, which is exactly what Ron Paul’s campaign needs to win the nomination instead.</p>
<p><a href="http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/reawakening-liberty/2012/apr/15/colorado-further-evidence-ron-paul-will-challenge-/" type="external">In Colorado</a>, Romney pulled 13 delegates, but 13 other delegates will be voting for Ron Paul at the convention. Santorum, who has dropped from the race, secured 7 delegates, and the 3 at-large delegates will likely vote for Romney, putting his Colorado total at 16. In Iowa, Ron Paul’s supporters swept into power over the weekend and <a href="http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120422/NEWS09/304220055/Paul-backers-election-to-state-GOP-committee-sends-message?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews" type="external">essentially took over</a> the entire state GOP. Sources close to the Ron Paul campaign are estimating that as many as 22 of the Hawkeye State’s 28 delegates will be voting for Ron Paul at the national convention. On Monday night, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow blurted out, “I think Ron Paul just won Iowa.” In Minnesota, Ron Paul <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2012/04/23/ron_paul_wins_minnesota_delegates_by_a_landslide.html" type="external">won in a landslide</a>, taking 20 of the 24 delegates that the state party’s conventions locked in over the weekend.</p>
<p>If the trend continues, and a well-funded, highly-organized, and very energetic <a href="" type="internal">Ron Paul</a> campaign continues to sweep up delegates (with a majority of the party’s delegates still up for grabs in large states like California) there is a real and growing possibility that <a href="" type="internal">Mitt Romney</a> will not secure enough delegates to win his party’s nomination on the first ballot at the Republican Party convention in Tampa. If this happens, the convention will become a brokered convention and all bound delegates will be “unbound,” allowed to change votes for whichever candidate they choose.</p>
<p>Although it is impossible to determine the actual number without official counts, Paul’s campaign seems quietly self-assured that at this point, many of Mitt Romney’s bound delegates will vote for Ron Paul and hand him the nomination, not because Paul thinks he can charm and persuade them in Tampa, but because the Paul campaign has already stacked each state’s slate of delegates with his own supporters, who have been stealthily getting elected as delegates. There’s no telling how many of Mitt Romney’s currently bound delegates are actually covert Ron Paul supporters ready to turn on a dime after being unbound in a brokered convention and vote for Ron Paul.</p>
<p>And that is Ron Paul’s secret plan to win the Republican Party’s nomination.</p>
<p>And it looks like it might be working.</p> | Ron Paul’s Secret Plan to Win The GOP Nomination | false | https://ivn.us/2012/04/26/ron-pauls-secret-plan-to-win-the-gop-nomination-looks-like-it-might-be-working/ | 2012-04-26 | 2 |
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<p>The spending figure - which includes expenses like lodging, food, recreation and transportation - rose 4.5 percent from 2013, according to the report from research firm Tourism Economics.</p>
<p>Tourism directly supported 66,809 jobs - an uptick of 1.5 percent from 2013 - according to the report. The number was 88,938 when factoring in indirect employment.</p>
<p>Total spending rises to $8.5 million when indirect and "induced impact" spending are counted.</p>
<p>"Tourism plays a critical role in diversifying our state's economy. When more people visit New Mexico, more dollars go directly into our communities, and that results in more jobs and better opportunities for our families," Gov. Susana Martinez said in a news release.</p>
<p>Bernalillo County saw the most visitor spending of any area in New Mexico, accounting for nearly $2 billion of the state total. That includes $485 million for food and beverage and $436 million for transportation, according to the report.</p>
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<p>Santa Fe County saw $781 million in visitor spending in 2014.</p>
<p>The report cited 33.3 million visits to New Mexico in 2014. More than half of the visits were day trips (53.5 percent) versus overnight stays.</p>
<p>New Mexicans themselves accounted for approximately 30 percent of the visits the Tourism Department counted in 2014, according to numbers released earlier this year. However, the new report does not outline how much of the $6.1 billion that in-state travel represented. It only breaks down spending by domestic (89.3 percent of the total spending) and international travelers.</p>
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<p /> | Governor: NM tourism has $6 billion impact | false | https://abqjournal.com/655493/governor-nm-tourism-has-6-billion-impact.html | 2 |
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<p>NEW YORK — If President Barack Obama is looking for a new job after Jan. 20, Spotify has a position that seems made just for him.</p>
<p>The streaming music service has posted a “President of Playlists” position on its career opportunities webpage.</p>
<p>Requirements for the position include “at least eight years experience running a highly-regarded nation” and a Nobel Peace Prize. Some of the responsibilities for the job are to “provide world-class leadership to our playlist editors and supporting staff” and use “all available intelligence” to analyze playlist data.</p>
<p>Just to make sure Obama saw the posting, Spotify’s founder and CEO, Daniel Ek, tweeted it to him Monday.</p>
<p>Obama hasn’t said if he’s interested.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Spotify posts ‘President of Playlists’ job made for Obama | false | https://abqjournal.com/924553/spotify-posts-president-of-playlists-job-made-for-obama-2.html | 2017-01-10 | 2 |
<p>'Speak for yourself' host Jason Whitlock on ESPN's ratings and Jemele Hill's comment about President Trump being a white supremacist.</p>
<p>ESPN faced fresh accusations of political bias this week, once again raising concerns over a controversy that amplifies the network’s ratings woes.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The sports-media giant has repeatedly fought back against claims of a liberal bias. ESPN President John Skipper wrote in a January 2016 memo that ESPN personalities “should refrain from political editorializing, personal attacks or ‘drive-by’ comments regarding the candidates and their campaigns (including but not limited to on platforms such as Twitter or other social media).” At a March shareholders’ meeting, Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) CEO Bob Iger said “the charge that ESPN is exhibiting significant political bias is just a complete exaggeration.” Burke Magnus, ESPN’s executive vice president of programming and scheduling, told the <a href="http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2017/06/26/Media/ESPN-politics.aspx" type="external">Sports Business Journal</a> in June, “We have no political agenda whatsoever.”</p>
<p>Still, ESPN has stumbled into one controversy after another. Host Jemele Hill’s attacks on President Donald Trump reignited criticism over the politics of ESPN and how its management team have responded. Hill called Trump a “white supremacist” whose election victory was “a direct result of white supremacy.”</p>
<p>Political controversies at ESPN have surfaced at a time when its business is suffering from lower ratings and bloated programming costs. Its subscriber base has fallen to roughly 87 million viewers from a peak of 100 million in 2011, based on Nielsen research. The subscriber losses, driven in part by growing competition from Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) and other streaming-video services, have weighed on ad revenue. And while the flagship ESPN network receives the highest carriage fees of any cable channel, it pays large sums of money for the right to broadcast live NBA, NFL and MLB games.</p>
<p>Nick Kalm, founder and president of Chicago-based crisis management firm Reputation Partners, said ESPN’s decision to launch opinionated programming may have backfired.</p>
<p>“If they continue to lose subscribers, and they can tie that back to their decision to be more political, than they’re going to have to abandon it. At the end of the day, it’s a business,” he said. “The biggest problem in the work I do in crisis management is acknowledging you have a problem, and they haven’t done that. … Perception is reality, and the perception is that ESPN is overly politically correct.”</p>
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<p>Allegations of a liberal bias at ESPN accelerated in 2015, when ESPN’s ESPY Awards gave Caitlyn Jenner the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. In April 2016, ESPN fired baseball analyst and former pitcher Curt Schilling, an outspoken conservative, for a social-media post on transgender bathroom policies.</p>
<p>More recently, conservative viewers have taken issue with coverage of NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s protests of the national anthem and ESPN’s decision to pull broadcaster Robert Lee from a University of Virginal football game to avoid references to the Confederate general of the same name.</p>
<p>This week brought more trouble for a sports network trying to dispel the notion of a political bent. <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2017/09/14/jemele-hill-says-white-supremacist-comments-painted-espn-in-unfair-light.html" type="external">Hill, co-host of the 6 p.m. ET SportsCenter show “SC6,” said she regretted making public comments that “painted ESPN in an unfair light.”</a> ESPN didn’t publicly disclose any disciplinary action after the comments. “We have addressed this with Jemele and she recognizes her actions were inappropriate,” it said in a statement.</p>
<p>ESPN critics charged the network with hypocrisy, drawing comparisons to Schilling. Adding fuel to the fire, <a href="https://www.outkickthecoverage.com/espn-suspended-linda-cohn-let-jemele-hill-slide/" type="external">Clay Travis of Outkick the Coverage</a> reported on Wednesday that Linda Cohn, a 25-year ESPN veteran, was asked by Skipper to stay home for a day after opining in a radio interview that politics are a contributing factor in ESPN’s ratings decline.</p>
<p>Critics also observe that Bob Iger, the CEO of ESPN’s parent company Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS), was a large contributor to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. Iger, a longtime executive at ABC and Disney, is rumored to be considering a run of his own in 2020. Skipper is a liberal-leaning executive as well, according to the Sports Business Journal’s report in June.</p>
<p>A Disney spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.</p>
<p>Kalm suggested that ESPN encourage all views to be heard, or simply avoid political commentary altogether.</p>
<p>“People want to tune into sports networks because they want to hear about sports, not politics,” Kalm said. “ESPN should go back to its roots.”</p>
<p>ESPN is paying a really big price for its politics (and bad programming). People are dumping it in RECORD numbers. Apologize for untruth!</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Disney blamed weaker ad revenue and higher programming costs from its new NBA contract for a 23% decline in third-quarter operating income at its cable networks, including ESPN</a>. Concerns over ESPN have been a drag on Disney’s stock, which is down 5.5% since the start of 2017.</p>
<p>ESPN, under pressure to cut costs, dropped several well-known anchors and reporters as it laid off about 100 employees in April.</p>
<p>Disney is also making new investments to counter subscriber losses. The company said last month it will acquire a majority stake in BAMTech, Major League Baseball’s streaming video venture, and launch an ESPN-branded multi-sport streaming service in 2019.</p> | Will Jemele Hill's Trump attacks force changes at ESPN? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/09/15/will-jemele-hills-trump-attacks-force-changes-at-espn.html | 2017-09-15 | 0 |
<p>HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A former Dartmouth College student has sued the school, saying he was unfairly expelled after a female student filed a physical assault complaint against him.</p>
<p>“John Doe” says in the New Hampshire federal lawsuit that Dartmouth’s investigation was biased.</p>
<p>It says the woman’s complaint was filed in 2016 after what she described as a consensual sexual encounter. Doe says he was incapacitated by alcohol and unable to consent; he accused her of physical and sexual assault.</p>
<p>A committee found the woman wasn’t responsible for any violations, but Doe showed behavior causing or threatening physical harm. He faced “immediate separation” in March.</p>
<p>Doe asks for a reversal of the decision and to be reinstated.</p>
<p>The Dartmouth <a href="http://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2018/01/expelled-student-sues-college-for-reinstatement" type="external">reports</a> a college spokeswoman declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.</p>
<p>HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — A former Dartmouth College student has sued the school, saying he was unfairly expelled after a female student filed a physical assault complaint against him.</p>
<p>“John Doe” says in the New Hampshire federal lawsuit that Dartmouth’s investigation was biased.</p>
<p>It says the woman’s complaint was filed in 2016 after what she described as a consensual sexual encounter. Doe says he was incapacitated by alcohol and unable to consent; he accused her of physical and sexual assault.</p>
<p>A committee found the woman wasn’t responsible for any violations, but Doe showed behavior causing or threatening physical harm. He faced “immediate separation” in March.</p>
<p>Doe asks for a reversal of the decision and to be reinstated.</p>
<p>The Dartmouth <a href="http://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2018/01/expelled-student-sues-college-for-reinstatement" type="external">reports</a> a college spokeswoman declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation.</p> | Expelled student sues Dartmouth after complaint filed | false | https://apnews.com/fe72032d00854aeca2cbd1d4e19794a6 | 2018-01-18 | 2 |
<p />
<p>Millennials are coming into their own. Invest accordingly. Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Millennials reached a huge milestone earlier in 2016, when they passed their baby boomer parents to become the most populous generation in America. Not only is this the most educated and tech-savvy generation, but it's also coming into its own financially and is set to be a huge driving force behind the American economy for decades to come.</p>
<p>Smart investors recognize this for the opportunity it is, too. Millennials, like any prior generation, have unique tastes and preferences, and some of the best investments in the coming years are likely to be companies millennials love.</p>
<p>Looking for a stock that's set to win big on the back of millennials? Keep reading for three that our contributors think are right in the millennial wheelhouse.</p>
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<p><a href="https://cms.fool.com/dashboard/create/usmf_free/my.fool.com/profile/TMFTypeoh/info.aspx" type="external">Brian Feroldi Opens a New Window.</a>: Millennials tend to be far more tech-savvy than older generations, so perhaps it should come as no surprise to learn that they love to buy products online. That fact bodes well for the future prospects of digital payment leader PayPal(NASDAQ: PYPL).</p>
<p>Millennials conduct commerce as virtually as possible. Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>PayPal has been gaining market share in the electronic payment space ever since it was founded in the late 90s. Despite its age, the company's platform continues to grow rapidly. Total payment volumes grew on a currency-neutral basis by 29% last quarter, which was faster than the growth of e-commerce sales in general. In addition, the company has made it easy to use its services on mobile devices, which has proven to be a huge hit with consumers. Roughly 28% of the company's total payment volume took place on a mobile device last quarter, and I'd wager that number is bound to rise given the incredible worldwide popularity of smartphones and tablets.</p>
<p>There are also ways for this company to grow beyond its core PayPal brand. PayPal's management team has a nice history of making smart acquisitions of other fast-growing payment companies. In 2013, PayPal acquired a payment processing start-up called Braintree, which brought the incredibly popular digital transfer money app Venmo under its umbrella.Last year, it purchased the online money transfer service Xoom, which is rapidly displacingWestern UnionandMoneygramin theglobal remittances market.</p>
<p>When you add Venmo and Xoom to the fact that millennials' purchasing power is bound to expand over time, PayPal looks well positioned for decades of growth. That makes this stock a great way to profit from the rise of the millennial generation.</p>
<p>Image source: Shake Shack.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFBargainBin/info.aspx" type="external">Tim Green Opens a New Window.</a>: According to a 2015 survey by Morgan Stanley, fast-casual restaurants are the preferred restaurant format for millennials. Millennials account for 51% of fast-casual customers but made up just 31% of the people surveyed.</p>
<p>This doesn't mean fast food and full-service restaurants are doomed, but it does mean fast-casual chains have a major opportunity in front of them. While Chipotle is the creme de la creme of the fast-casual world, its recent food safety scandal has scared a significant chunk of its customers away. For investors looking to capitalize on the fast-casual trend among millennials, a smaller chain with a huge runway for growth is the best bet. Shake Shack (NYSE: SHAK) fits the bill.</p>
<p>The high-end burger chain is still small, operating just 51 restaurants at the end of the most recent quarter, with another 44 locations licensed. The company's food is expensive, limiting its ultimate size, but it has a cult following and generates an exceptional level of per-store sales. Each restaurant produces over $100,000 in sales per week, a number that, while sure to drop as the company expands, is impressive nonetheless.</p>
<p>Shake Shack stock is not cheap, even after cratering soon after its IPO. But with room to grow the restaurant count into the hundreds, and with millennials' preference for fast-casual restaurants, Shake Shack has "growth stock" written all over it.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFVelvetHammer/info.aspx" type="external">Jason Hall Opens a New Window.</a>: Millennials have been slower to buy homes than prior generations, but they are still buying, if later in life. One company that's primed to benefit from millennials becoming homeowners isTrex Company, Inc.(NYSE: TREX).</p>
<p>Trex is already the leader in the alternative wood decking product category, commanding more than 40% of the market in 2015. But when it comes to market share of the total addressable market, there's a huge opportunity to grow:</p>
<p>Image source: Trex presentation.</p>
<p>Trex sales make up less than 10% of the total board-feet of decking sold in North America each year. So, as much as the company has grown its share of alternative wood decking sold each year, Trex is still a mere sliver of the total decking pie.Millennials are likely to help grow that slice much bigger.</p>
<p>According to a 2015 Nielsen survey, millennials put more importance on environmental stewardship than prior generations, with 75% saying they're willing to pay more for products that offer better sustainability. That falls right in the wheelhouse of what Trex does, with its award-winning decking, which is made of recycled wood and polyethylene plastic.</p>
<p>Factor in a relatively healthy housing market -- and one millennials are becoming bigger participants in -- and Trex could benefit from the growth of millennial homeowners for decades to come, particularly as they look for more environmentally sustainable ways to improve their homes.</p>
<p>A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early, in-the-know investors! To be one of them, <a href="http://www.fool.com/mms/mark/ecap-foolcom-apple-wearable?aid=6965&amp;source=irbeditxt0000017&amp;ftm_cam=rb-wearable-d&amp;ftm_pit=2667&amp;ftm_veh=article_pitch&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">just click here Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFTypeoh/info.aspx" type="external">Brian Feroldi Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of CMG. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/elihpaudio/info.aspx" type="external">Jason Hall Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of CMG and Trex. <a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFBargainBin/info.aspx" type="external">Timothy Green</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends CMG, PayPal Holdings, and Trex. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=isiedilnk018048&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/motley.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 3 Stocks to Capitalize on Millennial Tastes | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/09/20/3-stocks-to-capitalize-on-millennial-tastes.html | 2016-09-20 | 0 |
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Wondering what's going on behind the papered-up windows at 2122 Central SE?</p>
<p>Turns out there's a new microbrewery-restaurant in the works for the site directly across from University of New Mexico.</p>
<p>Owner Sham Naik - who already has the popular Bistronomy B2B eatery just up the road in Nob Hill - said he expects to have the new place open by May. He said additional details are forthcoming but "our goal in this one is to have craft food, craft beer at - affordable prices."</p>
<p>Crews are currently completing the space's build-out. The 7,500-square-foot space was last used by the Toni &amp; Guy Hairdressing Academy and also had a past life as an Office Depot.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | What's with the question marks across from UNM? | false | https://abqjournal.com/567665/whats-with-the-question-marks-across-from-unm.html | 2015-04-13 | 2 |
<p>Politico <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/07/trump-g-20-tweet-john-podesta-240295" type="external">throws shade</a>:</p>
<p>At this week’s G-20 summit in Germany, one subject the world’s most powerful leaders are discussing is why Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman did not cooperate with U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials as they investigated cyberattacks against the Democratic National Committee, President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter Friday morning.</p>
<p>“Everyone here is talking about why John Podesta refused to give the DNC server to the FBI and the CIA. Disgraceful!” Trump wrote on Twitter Friday morning. He did not explain why Podesta, who did not work for the DNC, would have been responsible for its email server.</p>
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<p /> | Trump: Everyone At The G20 Is Talking About Podesta | true | http://joemygod.com/2017/07/07/trump-everyone-g20-talking-podesta/ | 2017-07-07 | 4 |
<p>Congressional officials say key lawmakers are considering a change to allow multiemployer pension plans to cut benefits for current retirees in hopes of avoiding future bankruptcies.</p>
<p>The officials say any agreement will likely pass Congress in the next few days as part of a funding measure to keep the government operating normally past midnight on Thursday.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Officials said the changes would be permitted at severely distressed multiemployer plans that are on track to fail, and whose failure would pose a risk to the solvency of the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. About 1 million retirees are potentially affected.</p>
<p>The PBGC website says multiemployer plans result from collective bargaining between a labor union and more than one company.</p>
<p>Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because no agreement has been reached.</p> | AP sources: Congress weighs allowing cuts in multiemployer pension plans to avert bankruptcies | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2014/12/08/ap-sources-congress-weighs-allowing-cuts-in-multiemployer-pension-plans-to.html | 2016-03-09 | 0 |
<p>LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Lubbock authorities say they believe a gas leak is responsible for the explosion and fire in a home where a 25-year-old was killed.</p>
<p>Firefighters were called Friday night to the home where the victim, Herschel Potts, died.</p>
<p>The blaze is classified as accidental and remains under investigation.</p>
<p>The fire marshal’s office says the explosion occurred in the attic at the one-story house but the source of its ignition isn’t immediately known.</p>
<p>LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — Lubbock authorities say they believe a gas leak is responsible for the explosion and fire in a home where a 25-year-old was killed.</p>
<p>Firefighters were called Friday night to the home where the victim, Herschel Potts, died.</p>
<p>The blaze is classified as accidental and remains under investigation.</p>
<p>The fire marshal’s office says the explosion occurred in the attic at the one-story house but the source of its ignition isn’t immediately known.</p> | Gas leak believed to blame for fatal Lubbock home explosion | false | https://apnews.com/29c99d9a2afa4e71979ef669efb62534 | 2017-12-31 | 2 |
<p>At&#160;the start of the August congressional recess, Senator Bernie Sanders&#160;announced that he will introduce a senate bill this September “to expand Medicare to cover all Americans.” Since the election, the movement for improved Medicare for all, has been urging Sanders to introduce a companion to John Conyers’ HR 676:&#160;The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, which currently has a record 117 co-sponsors in the House and is considered the gold standard by the movement.</p>
<p>Recent reports are that Sanders’ bill falls far short of HR 676 in fundamental ways. In fact, Sanders’ bill is a multi-payer system not a single payer system. His bill reportedly would allow private insurers to compete with the public system, allow&#160;the wealthy to buy their way out of&#160;the public system&#160;and allow investor-owned health facilities to continue to profit while providing more expensive and lower quality health care.</p>
<p>As a leader in the Democratic Party in the Senate, Sanders is trying to walk the line between listening to the concerns of his constituency, which overwhelmingly favors single payer health care, and protecting his fellow Democrats, whose campaigns are financed by the medical industrial complex. Sanders needs to side with the movement not those who profit from overly expensive US health care.</p>
<p>Today, August 30, Health Over Profit for Everyone steering committee members and supporters sent the letter at the end of this article&#160;to Senator Sanders raising specific concerns and urging Senator Sanders to amend his bill before it is introduced.</p>
<p>There are two realities</p>
<p>It has become the practice in Washington, DC to offer weak bills, which fail to address the roots of the crises we face, to make them ‘politically feasible’. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is an example of this. It was a compromise with the health insurance, pharmaceutical and private hospital industries from the start – an attempt to appease them with public dollars in exchange for greater access to care.&#160;The ACA was built on a foundation of private&#160;industry even though the priorities of those industries are profit for a few, not health for everyone. That faulty foundation has perpetuated the healthcare crisis – tens of millions without health insurance, tens of millions more who have health insurance but can’t afford health care and poor health outcomes including tens of thousands of deaths each year.</p>
<p>There are two realities that must be considered. The healthcare crisis will not end until a system is put in place that guarantees universal comprehensive and affordable healthcare coverage through National Improved Medicare for All or another form of single payer system such as a national health service. That is what we call the ‘real reality’, and it simply won’t change until there are real changes in policy that solve it. The political reality of what is ‘politically feasible’ is the other reality. This reality will change as people organize and mobilize to demand what they need. Politicians change their positions when they believe it is necessary to maintain their position of power. It is the task of movements to change what is politically feasible.</p>
<p>The movement for National Improved Medicare for All has been working for decades to educate, organize and mobilize the public to change the political reality. And it is working. There is broad public support for Improved Medicare for All and legislation in the House that articulates the demands of the movement. What is needed now is a companion bill in the Senate that is as strong as HR 676. Once that is introduced, activists will work to secure support for it.</p>
<p>Sanders has it backwards. Rather than starting from a position of strong legislation and building support for it, he is starting from a position of weak legislation that he considers to be more politically feasible. By doing so, he is losing the support of the movement that he needs to pass expanded and improved Medicare for all.</p>
<p>Activists versus legislators</p>
<p>This is where it is important to recognize the difference between activists and legislators. Activists and legislators have different priorities. Activists work to solve crises. Their dedication is to an issue. Legislators work to maintain their position, whether it is re-election, seats on committees, good standing with other&#160;legislators or continued funding from Wall Street or other wealthy interests. Legislators compromise when they believe it is in their personal best interest. Activists can only compromise when it is in the interest of solving the crisis they face.</p>
<p>To win National Improved Medicare for All, activists need to follow the principles outlined in I.C.U.:</p>
<p>The “I” stands for independence. Activists must keep their allegiance to their issue independent of the agenda of legislators and political parties. The goal is to solve the healthcare crisis, and politicians from both major parties will need to be pressured to support Improved Medicare for All. Remember, the movement is going against the interests of the big money industries that finance members of Congress.</p>
<p>The “C” stands for clarity. Legislators will attempt to throw the movement off track by claiming that there are ‘back doors’ to our goal or smaller incremental steps that are more ‘politically feasible’. They will use language that sounds like it is in alignment with the goals of the movement even though the policies they promote are insufficient or opposed to the goals of the movement. This is happening right now in the movement for Improved Medicare for All. Numerous people, who consider themselves to be progressive but who are connected to the Democratic Party, are writing articles to convince single payer supporters to ask for less.</p>
<p>And the “U” stands for uncompromising. Gandhi is quoted as saying that one cannot compromise on fundamentals because it is all give and no take. When it comes to the healthcare crisis, the smallest incremental step is National Improved Medicare for All. That will create the system and the cost savings needed to provide universal comprehensive coverage. Throughout history, every movement for social transformation has been told that it is asking for too much. When the single payer movement is told that it must compromise, that is no different. The movement is demanding a proven solution to the healthcare crisis, and anything less will not work.</p>
<p>The momentum is on the side of the movement for National Improved Medicare for All. Act now to push Sanders to amend his bill so that it matches HR 676. Sign and share the petition tool, and read the letter below to understand the concerns about Sanders’ bill.</p>
<p><a href="http://healthoverprofit.org/sanders/" type="external">CLICK HERE&#160;TO SEND AN EMAIL TO SENATOR SANDERS.</a></p>
<p>Dear Senator Sanders,</p>
<p>For almost fifteen years the movement for National Improved Medicare for All has organized around HR 676:&#160;The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act, introduced each session since 2003 by Congressman John Conyers. As you know, HR 676 has 117 co-sponsors so far this year. This legislation is considered by the movement to be the gold standard framework for a universal healthcare system in the United States.</p>
<p>We appreciate your support for Improved Medicare for All and the work that you have done to elevate the national dialogue on Improved Medicare for All. We hope to continue to work with you to make this a reality in the near future.</p>
<p>To that end, we are writing to share our concerns about the legislation that you are planning to introduce. These concerns are based on what we have learned about your legislation without having the benefit of reading a draft of it.</p>
<p>In order to maintain the cohesion and strength of the movement for Improved Medicare for All, the legislation in the senate must be in alignment with HR 676. This is important so that the movement is unified and so that the process begins from a position of asking for what we want and need, rather than starting from a position of compromise. It is the task of the movement to build political support for the legislation in Congress.</p>
<p>Here is a list of our concerns:</p>
<p>As outlined in the recent letter to you from Physicians for a National Health Program, including copayments adds administrative complexity and creates a barrier to care, which leads to delay or avoidance of necessary care. Economic analyses indicate that the administrative and other savings inherent in a well-planned single payer system offset the added expense of eliminating copayments and deductibles. HR 676 does not include copayments. The movement for Improved Medicare for All has coalesced around the elimination of these financial barriers to care.</p>
<p>The above concerns are based on what we know about your legislation at present. We do not know if they are warranted because we have not read the text. Upon reading it, there may be additional concerns.</p>
<p>We hope that you will share the draft text of your legislation with us and address the above concerns before it is introduced. Our support for your Improved Medicare for All legislation will depend upon whether or not it will serve as a companion to HR 676. If it is, we are ready to work in our states to build political support for it. If the above concerns are not addressed, then your bill will not be a single payer Improved Medicare for All bill and we believe it will undermine the movement for HR 676.</p>
<p>We recognize that legislators tend to compromise from the start to build political support for legislation. This has served as a failed strategy because the final legislation is too weak to accomplish its goals. We suggest a different approach of beginning from a position of what is required to solve the healthcare crisis. We have organized for too long to concede from the start on these fundamental principles.</p>
<p>Signed,</p>
<p>Vanessa Beck, Health Over Profit for Everyone Steering Committee</p>
<p>Claudia Chaufan, MD, California Physicians for a National Health Program*</p>
<p>Andy Coates, MD, past president, Physicians for a National Health Program*</p>
<p>Dena Draskovich, Leader of Indivisible Omaha and disabled citizen*</p>
<p>Margaret Flowers, MD, director of Health Over Profit for Everyone</p>
<p>Leslie Hartley Gise MD, Clinical Professor Psychiatry, University of Hawai’i*</p>
<p>Leigh Haynes, People’s Health Movement-USA*</p>
<p>Joseph Q Jarvis MD MSPH, Utah*</p>
<p>Stephen B. Kemble, MD, Physicians for a National Health Program advisory board, past president of Hawaii Medical Association*</p>
<p>Edgar A Lopez MD, FACS, member, Physicians for a National Health Program, Kentuckians for Single Payer*</p>
<p>Ethel Long-Scott, Women’s Economic Agenda Project (WEAP)*</p>
<p>Eric Naumburg, MD, co-chair Maryland chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program*</p>
<p>Carol Paris, MD, president, Physicians for a National Health Program*</p>
<p>George Pauk, MD</p>
<p>Julie Keller Pease, MD, Topsham, Maine</p>
<p>Julia Robinson, MD, People’s Health Movement-USA*</p>
<p>Anne Scheetz, MD, Illinois Single-Payer Coalition, Physicians for a National Health Program and steering committee of Health Over Profit for Everyone*</p>
<p>Mariel Scheinberg, OMS 4, Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine*</p>
<p>Lee Stanfield, Health Over Profit for Everyone Steering Committee and Single Payer Tucson NOW*</p>
<p>Bruce Trigg, MD, Public Health and Addiction Consultant</p>
<p>John V. Walsh, MD, California Physicians for a National Health Program*</p>
<p>Robert Zarr, MD, past president, Physicians for a National Health Program*</p>
<p>Kevin Zeese, co-director of Popular Resistance</p>
<p>*For identification purposes only.</p> | To Sen. Sanders: We Cannot Begin From a Position of Compromise | true | https://counterpunch.org/2017/08/31/to-sen-sanders-we-cannot-begin-from-a-position-of-compromise/ | 2017-08-31 | 4 |
<p />
<p>You don't have to make risky bets on penny stocks to generate impressive returns in the stock market. Likewise, it isn't necessary that your holding period stretch into multiple decades.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Market-thumping returns often come relatively quickly when you're starting with a well-managed company. Below, we'll look at three such stocks, Ross Stores , Middleby , and Autozone , that have each grown 700% over the last decade -- for a compound annual return of 21% (compared to the broader market's 5%).</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/ROST" type="external">ROST</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>Ross Stores sells the same selection of clothing, accessories, shoes, and home merchandise that you'd find at a department store -- yet its stock has trounced Macy's 24% decline of the last ten years. For that amazing outperformance, shareholders can thank the retailer's low-cost business model that uses price as a weapon to poach market share from rivals.</p>
<p>Ross keeps its operating expenses down through a store design that promotes easy, efficient shopping. Its locations are all laid out on one floor (rather than three or more at traditional department stores) in a racetrack aisle format that's a cinch to navigate. As a result, labor costs, building design, and maintenance expenses are much lower, and so Ross can afford to sell its brand-name goods at discounts of between 20% and 70% full retail price.</p>
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<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/ROST/profit_margin_ttm" type="external">ROST Profit Margin (TTM)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts</a></p>
<p>Ironically, this approach has produced higher profitability than competitors over time: Ross' net margin is nearly 9% of sales, compared to 4% -- and falling -- for both Macy's and Nordstrom's . These two retailers are now both trying to steal a page from Ross' playbook by opening off-price stores around the country. However, Ross has a huge lead here, with 1,500 locations around the country, up from 700 in 2006.</p>
<p>Cooking equipment specialist Middleby has grown its sales base to $2 billion from just $400,000 in 2006. It achieved this phenomenal success mainly through an acquisition strategy that has added dozens of brands to its portfolio. Over the last three years, for example, Middleby has tacked on sixteen new franchises and technologies (e.g., Wunder-Bar, Goldstein, and U-Line) to its three main equipment segments, commercial food service, food processing, and home kitchen equipment.</p>
<p>Image source: Middleby.</p>
<p>The growth-by-acquisition strategy carries big risks, as its 2013 purchase of the Viking Range home oven business demonstrates. Middleby is currently suffering from a sales and profit pinch tied to a large Viking recall. And even though the offending product was designed before Middleby bought the company, it still hurt its brand with dealers. "It will take time and marketing to reclaim consumer confidence in the Viking name," CEO Selim Bassoul explained to investors recently.</p>
<p>Overall, though, management has done a great job at assimilating acquired businesses into the fold. Net profit margin is the same 11% of sales that it was in 2006, yet thanks to the huge growth in revenue, Middleby now generates about five times as much total net income per year.</p>
<p>Autozone's success over the last decade can be traced back to its laser focus on pleasing its customers. Here's how management describes the goal in its 10-K report: "Customer service is the most important element in our marketing and merchandising strategy ... employees should always putcustomers first by providing prompt, courteous service and trustworthy advice." All of its executives, from vice presidents to the CEO, have the words "customer service" in their official title.</p>
<p>The auto parts retailer doesn't just pay lip service to this idea, though. It routinely shells out more for labor than competitors; most recently by adding staff to all of its stores as traffic has ticked higher.</p>
<p>The strategy is paying off in spades, same-store sales were up 4% over the last year, compared to flat comps at rival Advance Auto Parts. Autozone's profit margin is also more than double its competitor's, which shows that higher spending, if it's done for the right reasons, can sometimes result in more sustainable earnings growth.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/05/17/3-stocks-that-turned-1000-into-7000.aspx" type="external">3 Stocks that Turned $1,000 into $7,000 Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSigma/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Demitrios Kalogeropoulos Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Middleby. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Middleby. The Motley Fool recommends Nordstrom. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 3 Stocks that Turned $1,000 into $7,000 | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/05/17/3-stocks-that-turned-1000-into-7000.html | 2016-05-17 | 0 |
<p>Saturday Night Live is kind of like Obama in the last year of his presidency – they just don’t give a flying flip. They don’t care whose feelings they end up hurting in the process; they’re going to call out BS whenever they see it.</p>
<p>Their latest episode completely <a href="http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/watch_snl_brilliantly_mocks_fox_news_ben_carson_gop_anti_immigrant_extremism" type="external">mocked</a> Fox’s morning show Fox &amp; Friends, widely known for sucking up to Republican candidates that come on, only to be given a soapbox to spew whatever hate they want, and never to be called out for it.</p>
<p>SNL brought up the Syrian refugee crisis, took a slight dig at the “All Lives Matter” movement, and of course, showed Ben Carson in all his glory.</p>
<p>Perhaps one of the funniest moments was when they <a href="http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/watch_snl_brilliantly_mocks_fox_news_ben_carson_gop_anti_immigrant_extremism" type="external">asked</a> Carson how he planned on screening&#160;people who come into the country, a hot topic right now in politics.</p>
<p>FOX: Do you have a plan on how to screen out Christians from Muslims?</p>
<p>Carson: Well, weeding out the Islamists would be simple. First we would say, ‘you can’t come into this country until I see you eat bacon while singing a Christmas carol.’ Or – all refugees would be given mad libs with the phrase ‘Death to _____.’ Anyone who writes America, won’t be allowed inside America.”</p>
<p>On Sunday morning, the night after SNL’s episode played out on TV, Fox &amp; Friends brought in Donald Trump and pretty much shined Donald Trump’s shoes while <a href="http://mediamatters.org/video/2015/11/22/fox-amp-friends-hosts-have-no-reaction-to-donal/207018" type="external">talking</a> about Trump’s plan to revamp a ballroom for the White House should he be elected president. &#160;What kind of conversation is this? No mention whatsoever was made about Trump encouraging people attending his rally the day before to “rough up” a Black Lives Matter Protester. Instead, all they did was feed his ego by saying “Donald Trump, you’ve been dominating in the polls,” how does it feel?</p>
<p>The whole thing is a dog and pony show, plain and simple.</p>
<p>Featured image via <a href="http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/watch_snl_brilliantly_mocks_fox_news_ben_carson_gop_anti_immigrant_extremism" type="external">screen capture</a>.</p> | SNL BURNS Fox News, Ben Carson, And The Entire GOP – It’s Beautiful (VIDEO) | true | http://addictinginfo.org/2015/11/22/snl-burns-fox-news-ben-carson-and-the-entire-gop-its-beautiful-video/ | 2015-11-22 | 4 |
<p>If that headline sounds like hyperbole, I regret to tell you: It is not.</p>
<p>Asked by NBC’s Chuck Todd about <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/08/01/roger-ailes-and-rampant-misogyny-fuels-fox-news/212059" type="external">the allegations of horrendous sexual harassment</a> made against his pal Roger Ailes, Donald naturally defended Ailes, dismissing the women asserting he harassed and assaulted them as “ <a href="" type="internal">complaining</a>.”</p>
<p>When Fox News’ Kirsten Powers <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2016/08/01/ailes-trump-sexual-harassment-fox-news-women-gretchen-kelly-greta-news-column/87915454/" type="external">followed up with</a> Donald during a phone interview, she asked what if an employer treated Donald’s daughter Ivanka the way Ailes had allegedly treated his female employees. Powers said “his reply was startling, even by Trumpian standards.”</p>
<p>And so it is: “I would like to think she would find another career or find another company if that was the case,” he replied.</p>
<p>Let’s be crystal clear about what Donald is saying – and not saying – here. He is not saying that a man who sexually harasses his female employees should be fired, nor even held accountable in any way. He is also not saying that sexual harassment is wrong.</p>
<p>To the absolute contrary, Donald is saying that a woman who is being sexually harassed should leave her job – or “find another career” altogether (!) – rather than report sexual harassment and, as Donald would <a href="" type="internal">presumably see it</a>, “destroy a man’s life.”</p>
<p>Even his own daughter should simply upend her entire life and career in order to protect a man who was sexually harassing her.</p>
<p>There is, quite literally, no end to this man’s defense of abusive behavior toward women.</p>
<p>He <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/donald-trump-blamed-the-victim-in-mike-tysons-rape-case?utm_term=.ehVAxwQl2#.uc2PRzk8p" type="external">blamed Desiree Washington</a>, who was raped by Mike Tyson, a friend of Donald’s. He <a href="" type="internal">defended his erstwhile campaign manager</a>, Corey Lewandowski, who was accused of manhandling a female reporter. He <a href="https://news.vice.com/article/women-you-have-to-treat-them-like-shit-new-ad-highlights-trumps-statements-on-women/" type="external">said during a 1992 interview</a> with New York Magazine: “Women, you have to treat them like shit.”</p>
<p>Donald has told us loud and clear who he is. He is a man who believes that women have to be treated like shit, and that men who treat women like shit have to be protected.</p>
<p>My fervent hope is that women across the nation will agree with me on November 8 that a man who holds such despicable views of women – and the men who hurt us – doesn’t belong anywhere near the Oval Office. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomenTrumpDonald?src=hash" type="external">#WomenTrumpDonald</a></p>
<p>(AP Photo)</p> | Donald Admonishes Sexually Harassed Women: Stop Complaining and Quit Your Job! | true | http://bluenationreview.com/donald-admonishes-sexually-harassed-women-stop-complaining-and-quit-your-job/ | 2016-08-01 | 4 |
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<p>But later that day, the principal of Southwest Edgecombe High in Pinetops, North Carolina, told him he would be giving a different address, a five-sentence paragraph prepared by the school administrators. He gave him no explanation.</p>
<p>“I felt robbed of a chance to say my own words,” Marvin, 18, told The Washington Post. His mother, classmates and teachers urged him to give his speech anyway.</p>
<p>When he stepped onto the stage at the end of the commencement ceremony Friday, he opened up a folder under the podium containing the school’s prepared remarks:</p>
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<p>—</p>
<p>I would like to thank all of our friends and family for being here tonight. I would also like to address my fellow graduates one last time before we leave this gym. Although we may all never be in the same room at the same time again, we will always share the memories that we created within these walls. And no matter what we all do after graduation, never forget that this is one place that we all have in common, this place is home. Congratulations graduates, we did it!</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>But instead of delivering those words, he took out his cellphone and read a copy of his original speech, with his friends in the audience nodding to him in encouragement.</p>
<p>Sitting behind Marvin, the principal, Craig Harris, immediately turned to another staff member, whispering with a look of disapproval, video footage shows.</p>
<p>After the applause and final procession, all of the students lined up to receive their official diplomas. But one folder in the stack was missing: Marvin’s. His senior adviser informed him the principal had removed the diploma because Marvin had read the wrong speech.</p>
<p>“All my friends were outside with their big yellow folders taking pictures and I was still inside, trying to get my diploma,” Marvin said. “I was really hurt and embarrassed, basically humiliated.”</p>
<p>The teenager and his mother, Jokita Wright, accused the school of not only censoring a student’s words but then retaliating against him by withholding his diploma. The mother complained to the principal, who explained to her that her son had missed a deadline to submit the speech to the school. Marvin says he never knew about it.</p>
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<p>Marvin did not receive his diploma for another two days, when the principal dropped it off at his home at the request of the superintendent. The principal handed him the diploma, saying only, “If your mom has any questions just give me a call.” Then he left.</p>
<p>Edgecombe County Schools Superintendent John Farrelly called Marvin on Monday to apologize for the way the school handled the situation on commencement day.</p>
<p>“I have communicated with the family to apologize on behalf of the school,” Farrelly said in a statement to the Wilson Times. “The diploma never should have been taken from the student.”</p>
<p>Farrelly said he did not have any problems with the content of the teenager’s speech but was concerned about Marvin’s use of a cellphone and the decision to change course at the last minute.</p>
<p>“There is an expectation that is communicated to all graduation speakers that the prepared and practiced speech is the speech to be delivered during the ceremony,” Farrelly said. “That was made extremely clear to the speakers. The student did not follow those expectations.”</p>
<p>In the fall, when Marvin was elected senior class president, his adviser informed him he would have to write a graduation speech. He says he wasn’t given any guidance, so he sought out tips from the previous year’s senior class president, and listened to numerous commencement speeches online for ideas.</p>
<p>His English teacher told him she approved of the speech. Marvin even left a copy of the remarks on his principal’s desk for review on commencement day.</p>
<p>Still, administrators insisted he should read the address they prepared.</p>
<p>But Marvin gave the speech he wanted to give, recounting memories he shared with his classmates through elementary, middle and high school. Though he stumbled a few times – distracted by the conversations taking place behind him and struggling to read from his phone – Marvin’s speech was welcomed with cheers and laughs from the audience.</p>
<p>In his approximately five-minute address, he thanked God, the family members of the graduates, the school’s faculty and his mom – who was watching in the bleachers in tears.</p>
<p>“This is it,” Marvin said. “We have finally made it.”</p>
<p>He talked about playing at recess in elementary school, dealing with the “transition period” of middle school, when “things didn’t work out in our favor.”</p>
<p>Finally, he talked about his senior year.</p>
<p>“Everything seemed different,” he said. “Teachers became mentors, friends became family, and Southwest Edgecombe High became home.”</p>
<p>“I am no expert in this journey we call life, but we all have the ability to make a difference and to be that change the world needs,” he continued. “The past 13 years have equipped us for a time as this to stand bold in who we are. So I say to my classmates, cherish these last few minutes we spend here and the memories we have created and get ready for the journey ahead.”</p>
<p>Marvin was his mother’s last child to graduate high school. His relatives drove to watch him speak and receive his diploma. While she’s glad he gave an address in his own words, Jokita Wright wished her son could have left the school that day with the diploma he rightfully earned, she said.</p>
<p>“He can’t get that day back,” his mother said. “That was a special moment for me, it was a special moment for him.”</p>
<p>Luckily, Marvin received the diploma just in time for the day he needed it most. On Monday, he officially committed to entering the U.S. Navy, after which he hopes to study pediatric surgery.</p>
<p>The high school graduate will report for duty on Oct. 10.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>God is continuing to bless me.</p>
<p>Posted by Marvin Wright on Monday, June 12, 2017</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Video: On June 9, North Carolina high school senior Marvin Wright had his diploma withheld after he refused to read a speech written by his school’s administrators. The class president eventually received an apology from the superintendent. (Amber Ferguson/The Washington Post)</p>
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<p /> | Graduating senior refused to read speech written by administrators, so they withheld his diploma | false | https://abqjournal.com/1018213/graduating-senior-refused-to-read-speech-written-by-administrators-so-they-withheld-his-diploma.html | 2 |
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<p>Courtesy Cinema Libre Studios</p>
<p>Restrepo</p>
<p>In 2007, journalist Sebastian Junger and photographer Tim Hetherington climbed aboard a military helicopter headed to Afghanistan’s remote Korengal Valley to report on frontline life. Over the next 15 months, they returned 10 times to the distant Army outpost, getting an unparalleled glimpse of the mix of boredom, fear, and adrenaline that made up the soldiers’ lives.</p>
<p>The result is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DjqR6OucBc" type="external">Restrepo</a>, a harrowing documentary that <a href="" type="internal">tracks the deployment</a> of a scrappy 15-man platoon from the 173rd Airborne through its life cycle, from naive bloodlust to fatigue and disillusionment. The filmmakers avert their gazes from the worst violence—such as when a soldier is shot in the head. The faces of the survivors are perhaps more disturbing. In introspective interviews conducted after the deployment is over, the symptoms of PTSD begin to emerge.</p>
<p>Restrepo is not intended as an anti-war film; it is singlemindedly faithful to the experiences of the soldiers it portrays. But it’s hard to conceive of a more effective piece of propaganda against sending teenagers into the wilderness to watch one another die. —Jascha Hoffman</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Courtesy Outpost Films</p>
<p>South of the Border</p>
<p>Taking a break from Hollywood, Oliver Stone presents a glossy portrait of the Bolivarian revolution that <a href="" type="internal">swept South America</a> during the last decade. He schmoozes with Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez and Bolivia’s Evo Morales, among others—casting them as champions of the poor who courageously stood up to the United States and the IMF.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwhau48LUAA" type="external">South of the Border</a> does give a good sense of our nation’s meddling and its subjects’ humanity. But softball questions (along with a stage-managed scene of Chávez tottering on a kid’s bike in his childhood backyard) make for an uncritical, top-down approach to understanding a populist movement. —Michael Mechanic</p>
<p /> | Film: Restrepo, South of the Border | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2010/07/film-reviews-restrepo-oliver-stone/ | 2010-07-08 | 4 |
<p>(Breitbart) – After becoming increasingly fearful of a nuclear-armed Iran, reports have stated that Saudi Arabia intends on&#160;purchasing nuclear weapons from Pakistan, following a week where some of the Kingdom’s high-ranking officials attended a Gulf summit organized by U.S. President Barack Obama.</p>
<p>On Sunday, the&#160;Sunday Times of London&#160;reported that the Saudis have made the “strategic decision” to acquire nukes straight “off-the-shelf’ from Islamabad, American sources told the paper.</p>
<p>The aggressive move may suggest that President Obama failed in his mission to dissuade Riyadh’s concerns over a nuclear deal with Iran. One of the primary purposes of the Camp David summit for Gulf leaders was to try and ensure the Arab states&#160;that the United States would be able to stop Iran from building nukes.</p>
<p><a href="http://thecrux.com/dyncontent/psi-5-book_lookwhosgoingbankruptnextinamerica_cid_03022015/?cid=MKT015071&amp;eid=MKT041077&amp;snaid=&amp;step=start" type="external">Special Headline: Guess Who’s About To Go Bankrupt in America [Learn More]</a></p>
<p>It appears as if Saudi leadership hasn’t been convinced of Obama’s efforts. Noticeably, the Saudi King did not attend the Gulf summit. The move was interpreted by some as a “snub,” seemingly directed at the U.S. President to show dissatisfaction with engaging the rogue regime in Tehran.</p>
<p>“For the Saudis the moment has come, an unnamed former US defense official told the Sunday Times. “There has been a longstanding place with the Pakistanis and the House of Saud has now made the strategic decision to move forward.</p>
<p>The Saudis shouldn’t&#160;have too many hurdles&#160;when it comes to purchasing Pakistani nukes, as Riyadh helped finance much of its nuclear program, western officials have stated.</p>
<p>“Nuclear weapons programs are extremely expensive and there’s no question that a lot of &#160;the funding of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program was provided by Saudi Arabia,” Lord David Owen told the Sunday Times.</p>
<p>“Given their close relations and close military links, it’s long been assumed that if the Saudis wanted, they would call in a commitment, moral or otherwise, for Pakistan to supply them immediately with nuclear warheads,” he added.</p>
<p>http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2015/05/18/report-saudi-arabia-to-buy-nukes-from-pakistan/</p> | Report: Saudi Arabia To Buy Nukes From Pakistan | true | http://teaparty.org/report-saudi-arabia-buy-nukes-pakistan-99584/?utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dreport-saudi-arabia-buy-nukes-pakistan | 0 |
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<p>For as long as I can remember, I have always dreamed of inventing a product. During the past 25 years, I have had many different ideas, but nothing ever felt right. That all changed on Oct. 28, 2005.</p>
<p>I was at Barnes &amp; Noble for story time with my two children, Chloe, 3, and Carter, 2. When story time finished, all the parents took their children to the restroom. Since there were no child-height sinks, one by one we all took turns lifting up our children and holding them against the counter so they could wash their hands. My children didn't particularly enjoy being wedged between me and the edge of the restroom counter and, really, who could blame them? I lifted Carter, held him against the counter and while I reached for the soap, he immediately started to cry. I hadn't realized that my leaning forward was hurting his stomach. As I consoled him, I thought to myself, "Why is there a diaper-changing table in every restroom but nothing for children to help them reach the sink?" Suddenly, there it was -- that gut feeling -- and it had never felt so right.</p>
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<p>When I got to the car, I immediately called my husband. He was at a job interview, and I told him it didn't matter if he got the job because I had the most amazing idea. While he was intrigued, he wondered if there was already a step stool of some kind on the market we hadn't yet seen. It's difficult to explain, but deep down I just knew there was nothing out there.</p>
<p>The next day I had to work a flight to Los Angeles and back. When I got to Los Angeles, I called my husband to see if he had been able to find anything. He said he had been searching the U.S. Patent Office website for hours and couldn't find any kind of a step stool for public restrooms. Even though he was only confirming what I already knew, I still got butterflies in my stomach when he told me.</p>
<p>A few weeks later I was sitting on the flight attendant jump seat talking with another flight attendant. We were talking about what our husbands did for a living and she said that her husband was a patent attorney. I met with him at his office a few days later, where he explained the whole patent process to me. He recommended filing a provisional patent, which costs a lot less than a regular patent and protects your idea for one year. That is exactly what I did.</p>
<p>With the provisional patent filed in January 2006, it was time to create the product. One night while doing research on the internet, I came across a newspaper article about a guy in Atlanta who had invented a car carrier for motorized scooters. In the article he said his success wouldn't have been possible without his product design engineer, John Evans. I called the inventor the next day and asked for Evans' contact information, which he was happy to provide. The day I met Evans is the day that changed my life forever. He took my idea and original design and transformed it into a work of art. <a href="http://www.stepnwash.com/" type="external">Step 'n Wash Opens a New Window.</a> was born.</p>
<p>I had sketched a simple design within days of getting the idea. For example, I knew I needed a retracting step so it wouldn't be in adults' way. But Evans suggested that the legs be curved to prevent adults from stubbing their toes on it. He preserved the conceptual idea -- a folding step -- but his design looked entirely different from mine. That's because he took the manufacturing process into account. While my design would have worked, it would also have been a challenge to manufacture.</p>
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<p>Once Evans finalized the design, we created a prototype to test functionality and strength. We tweaked the design several times, and each time we had to make a new prototype and test everything again. It took three years to perfect the spring mechanism to retract the step.</p>
<p>Once I thought I had the final design, my first big mistake was thinking we were finished with the prototypes and testing. I had 200 units made, only to discover that there was a "pinch point" -- a place where two moving pieces came together with enough of a gap for a child to insert a finger and get it pinched. To make matters worse, there was no easy fix for the problem, and all 200 units were turned into scrap metal. It was a huge financial blow.</p>
<p>Happily for me, I was still able to depend on my two angel investors, <a href="" type="internal">American Express</a> and Visa.</p>
<p>When the product was finally ready for the market -- which included removing or covering all pinch points to eliminate potential liability -- selling it proved much more difficult than I ever imagined. Almost every potential customer wanted to know what other businesses had purchased the product. Nobody wanted to be first. My husband suggested that I give units away for free. This way we would have customers, and nobody would ever know that they weren't paying customers. Even though we were in debt up to our eyeballs, I took his advice and gave units at no charge to several zoos and aquariums. The first prototype was installed at Zoo Atlanta in October 2006. It turned out to be a great idea. Almost immediately, I started getting positive feedback.</p>
<p>During the second year of business, my husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He had surgery and underwent two years of chemotherapy. I was now working full time as a flight attendant and taking care of my husband and our two children, all while trying to increase sales for Step 'n Wash. It was a lot to juggle and, looking back, I'm proud of my ability to overcome all of the personal challenges I faced.</p>
<p>In an effort to increase exposure for my product, I purchased a booth at the International Amusement Parks Expo in November 2007. Step 'n Wash was entered in a contest for the best new product for the amusement park industry, and it won. The show was attended by people from all over the world, and we received orders from amusement parks in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe.</p>
<p>As I continued to grow the business, I faced many challenges with regard to sales. I can remember calling an aquarium to set up a sales appointment, hoping to show the product in person. The response was, "We have been open for 25 years without Step 'n Wash, and I am sure we will be just fine if we go another 25 without it." A couple of years later the man I had spoken with was transferred to another department. The person who took over saw our product at another aquarium. She called and ordered Step 'n Wash for all of the facility's restrooms. That was a nice victory, and I only had to wait two years instead of 25.</p>
<p>People will tell you that sales can be a real grind, and they're right. You will have good days and bad days, and it is so important to manage your bad days so they don't get out of control. When I have a bad day, I always try to focus on the positive things that have happened. One day I received an e-mail from a woman whose daughter is a little person. She wrote that while on vacation they visited a zoo, and when they went to the restroom her daughter saw our step stool. Her daughter was 12 years old and had never been able to reach a sink in a public restroom. This was the first time she was able to wash her hands on her own without her mom having to lift her up, and she was thrilled. When I read her e-mail, I must have cried for 20 minutes. I couldn't believe something that I invented was changing another person's life. On a daily basis, I try to focus on all of the accomplishments I have made.</p>
<p>Our customers are some of our best salespeople. We get a lot of feedback from mothers who love the step stools and ask us why a particular business isn't using the device. We tell them to contact the business, because hearing about the product from a customer is more persuasive to a business than receiving a sales package from us.</p>
<p>That's how we landed in Wegmans grocery stores. A customer who had used Step 'n Wash somewhere else sent the company an e-mail suggesting it install the device since its stores cater to families. Wegmans contacted us and purchased two units as a test. Three months later, Wegmans ordered our stools for all of its stores. This kind of organic, grassroots movement has really helped our business grow this year.</p>
<p>Step 'n Wash is easy to use. We created a sign for the restroom mirror to let parents know there is a step stool available to help their kids wash their hands. Since the units are essentially at children's eye level, typically children notice the step stool before their parents do. They figure it out right away: Often before parents even notice the sign on the mirror, they'll find their kids standing on the step washing their hands. Children who see another child using the stool will usually insist on waiting in line to use it rather than have mom or dad pick them up to reach the sink.</p>
<p>Some facilities have installed more than one unit in their busiest restrooms because so many kids were waiting in line to use it.</p>
<p>If you have an idea, never assume that it has already been done. Who would have imagined that out of the tens of millions of mothers who came before me, no one had invented a retractable step for children to use in public restrooms?</p>
<p>Step 'n Wash is a profitable business, with sales for 2010 up 300 percent over the previous year and almost 200 new customers on the books this year. The more than 5 million public restrooms in America offer our company a tremendous growth opportunity.</p>
<p>This year, I finally received my utility patent. Step 'n Wash is now in over 500 locations and -- most important -- my husband, who now works full time for the company, is healthy and cancer-free.</p>
<p>I hope my story will encourage you to believe in yourself and follow your dreams. I have grown so much on this journey. Here are some of the most important lessons I learned:</p>
<p>Joi Sumpton is the president of <a href="http://www.stepnwash.com/" type="external">Step 'n Wash Inc. Opens a New Window.</a> Step n' Wash is a self-retracting step that enables children to safely reach the sink and soap dispensers in public restrooms.&#160;</p> | Flight Attendant Becomes Woman Inventor | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2010/12/26/flight-attendant-woman-inventor.html | 2016-03-17 | 0 |
<p>The government of Yemen has stated unequivocally that it will accept no U.S. ground forces in the country, and that such deployment would only be counterproductive in the struggle against al-Qaeda and its local affiliate, Al Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).</p>
<p>The U.S., warns Yemen’s Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi “should learn from its experiences in Pakistan and Afghanistan and not repeat the mistakes in Yemen, both in dealing with the government of Yemen and confronting al-Qaeda.” “Any intervention or direct action by the United States could strengthen the al-Qaeda network and not weaken it,” adds Deputy Prime Minister Rashed al-Aleemi.</p>
<p>The Minister of Religious Endowment and Islamic Guidance, Hamoud al-Hitar, declares, “Military action in Yemen, by either the US or any other country, will make all Yemeni people unite, ending their internal disputes to stand together against any direct military intervention.”</p>
<p>U.S. military officials for their part have denied any intention of dispatching troops to the Arab world’s most impoverished nation. Mired in two failed wars in Southwest Asia they hardly savor the prospect of guerrilla conflict on the Gulf of Aden. (The British have been there and done that during the “Aden Emergency” from 1963 to 1967.) Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says this is “not a possibility,” while Gen. David Petreaus has told Christiane Amanpour that he wants Yemen to deal with its al-Qaeda problem itself. Commander-in-Chief Obama has declared he has “no intention of sending boots on the ground” to Yemen.</p>
<p>Yemen has been in the spotlight since the Christmas Day Underwear Bomber’s abortive effort to blow up a Delta/Northwest airliner over Detroit, apparently planned in Yemen in conjunction with AQAP. The neocon crazies are as usual on the warpath, threatening invasion as a knee-jerk response, their message resonating with a sector of public opinion. (71% of those responding to a recent Fox poll agreed that “U.S. troops need to be sent [to Yemen] to eliminate Al Qaeda and the threat it poses to national security.”) Still, the official comments cited above suggest there’s no imminent danger of a U.S. assault (beyond the ongoing drone attacks). The U.S., the most powerful imperialist country in history, is overextended militarily and in grave economic crisis. But that does not mean opponents of imperialist war can be complacent.</p>
<p>Let us think for a moment like al-Qaeda thinks. I do not mean the way Osama bin Laden himself thinks, or the way any particular al-Qaeda militant thinks. I mean the way al-Qaeda realizes that its millions of admirers, whom it can’t reach directly and must merely inspire by model actions, think. They believe in a God who created the universe, a compassionate and just Supreme Being. This belief, which they share in common with the overwhelming majority of Americans, contributes to their indignation at a world dominated by a superpower characterized by cruelty and injustice. The plight of the Palestinians displaced by European Zionists, subjected to humiliations and abuses so grotesquely illustrated by the blitzkrieg of Gaza a year ago, is only one example of this cruelty and injustice. The newly elected president said nothing; the Congress cheered on the carnage. Or the U.S.-imposed sanctions of Iraq throughout the 1990s, that killed at least half a million children. Under such circumstances some Muslims do indeed disregard the Qur’anic rejection of attacks on innocent civilians, in efforts to force those in nations whose governments are responsible for Muslim suffering to feel some of that suffering. It is modern terrorism quite distinct from historical models of jihad,&#160;but it responds to modern conditions dissimilar to those faced by the caliphates and emirates of the past.</p>
<p>Bin Laden perhaps realized on 9-11 that after that dramatic event his arch-enemy would swallow the bait, or rather follow its basic nature, and use the opportunity to ferociously attack (as Donald Rumsfeld put it in a remarkably candid note immediately after the attacks: “Go massive. Sweep it all. Things related and not.”). The killing of 3000 on 9-11 provoked the beast to slaughter thousands of Afghans within months and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis within two years, while destabilizing Pakistan. It afforded the opportunity for U.S. forces to reestablish a presence in the Philippines and expand efforts to integrate Georgia into the NATO military alliance. Bin Laden may have known that George Bush would relate unrelated things (like Iran and Iraq, and the Islamic Courts Union of Somalia) with al-Qaeda, deploying such rhetoric as “You’re either for us or against us” and “axis of evil” to convey not so subtly to his audience the concept that the U.S. really was at war with Islam in general. The occasional statement to the contrary or politically expedient Eid party at the White House did little to counter that basic impression. Bush was a useful, indeed invaluable partner in bin Laden’s project of forcing a head-on confrontation between the western and Islamic worlds.</p>
<p>The invasion of Afghanistan resulted in the rapid overthrow of the Taliban and its replacement with a puppet president and a warlord cabinet. The inefficacy and corruption of the latter, and the arrogance of the foreign soldiers, helped produce a resurgence of the Taliban. Although the Taliban had nothing to do with 9-11, and there was in fact some tension between al-Qaeda and its Afghan hosts before the attacks in 2001, al-Qaeda was able to pit the U.S and its ISAF allies against the Taliban and much of Afghan society. Inevitably, aerial attacks on civilians produced outrage generating more support for the Taliban and potentially al-Qaeda, not only in Afghanistan but in neighboring Pakistan where local al-Qaeda franchises have emerged spontaneously.</p>
<p>The invasion of Iraq resulting in the overthrow of a secularist regime and its replacement with a Shiite-led government has alienated substantial sections of the populace for various reasons. Among them are Iraqi Sunnis who welcomed outside support in their confrontation with the U.S. forces and their allies. (Dozens of Yemenis gained military experience fighting western troops in Iraq and are now the backbone of AQAP.)&#160; Al-Qaeda may have hoped for a more successful Sunni “insurgency” against the puppet regime and occupation, headed by the late Abu Musab al-Zarqawi; at minimum it has produced a polarized situation in which it can play a role. (It had no role in Saddam’s Iraq.) More importantly, the invasion based on lies has produced near-universal revulsion within the Muslim world, and encouraged the perception that the U.S. is indeed waging war on Islam itself.</p>
<p>Yemen is a perfect venue for more confrontation, on al-Qaeda’s terms. This is bin Laden’s father’s homeland, and he has a wide following here. Al-Qaeda enjoys little support among the large Shiite (Zaydi) minority concentrated in the north, but elsewhere it is able to capitalize on popular outrage at the oppression of the Palestinians, the sanctions imposed on Iraq and the invasion and occupation of that country, and U.S. support for vicious Arab regimes. It is able to exploit the fact that the regime of Ali Abdullah Saleh is fighting not only an insurgency in the north led by the Zaydi Houthi tribe but a secessionist movement in the south.</p>
<p>The latter movement is rooted among former officials and military officers of the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen), which merged with the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) to form the present Republic of Yemen in 1990. Saleh was president of North Yemen from 1978 and has been the unchallenged leader of the united country for 20 years. His opponents in the Southern Movement (including secularist Baathists and Nasserites, who have little in common with al-Qaeda) view him as a corrupt, nepotistic dictator using U.S. aid and the exaggerated al-Qaeda threat to his own advantage.</p>
<p>In 1994 southerners mounted a short-lived rebellion against the union. Their dissatisfaction arose in part from the inequitable distribution of revenue from oil, which is produced exclusively in the southern part of the country that nonetheless remains lags behind the north. Saleh, himself a (secular) Shiite from the north, cunningly deployed Islamist forces from the north to help suppress the rebellion. Jihadist leader Tariq al-Fadhli, a veteran of the anti-Soviet struggle in Afghanistan in the eighties, was among these. He is of southern origin; his family fled to the north after its property was nationalized by the leftist regime in the 1970s. According to “terrorism analyst” <a href="http://www.jamestown.org/programs/gta/single/articles-by-author/?no_cache=1&amp;tx_cablanttnewsstaffrelation_pi1%5Bauthor%5D=465" type="external">Rafid Fadhil Ali</a>, “The terminology he uses in his statements and speeches is more patriotic than Islamist.” He acknowledges meeting bin Laden in Afghanistan many years ago but insists, “I have strong relations with all of the jihadists in the north and the south and everywhere, but not with al-Qaeda.”</p>
<p>Now the south is in revolt again, using mostly peaceful tactics of resistance. But al-Fadhli has switched sides, joining what is called the Southern Movement and advocating militant tactics. Saleh has seized upon this to smear the Southern Movement in general as an al-Qaeda offshoot, and to strengthen his grip over the country with U.S. support. At present he receives far more military aid from Russia and China than the U.S., and he apparently realizes the political risks of too close an association with a widely hated imperialist power. On the other hand his government is weak and risks losing control over the oil-rich south without outside support.</p>
<p>While al-Fadhli denies al-Qaeda ties, and the Southern Movement seems clearly dominated by secularists and nationalists rather than bin Laden-type Islamists, AQAP has opportunistically embraced the southern secessionist cause. As analyst Ali puts it, this allows Saleh to claim that “the Southern Movement and al Qaeda are one and the same, a convenient way to insure backing from Washington.” Meanwhile as Princeton University professor Bernard Haykel puts it, “Any association [of the U.S.] with the (Yemeni) regime will only confirm al Qaida’s narrative, which is that America is only interested in maintaining corrupt and despotic rulers and is not interested in the fate of Arabs and Muslims.”</p>
<p>The U.S. may have no boots on the ground in Yemen, other than those of some trainers. Rather, there are attacks on targets conducted by drones, apparently approved by the Saleh regime. These have occurred since 2002 and are occurring with increasing frequency. The December 17 attack on a site north of the capital of Sana’a (in insurgent Houthi territory) killed 34 al-Qaeda militants and foiled a terror plot, according to the Yemeni government. But a local official reported 49 civilians killed, among them 23 children and 17 women, while opposition politicians say 120 were killed. This was followed by a strike in the south on a meeting planning a protest on the December 24 attack. The abortive Delta/Northwest bombing was depicted by AQAP as revenge for these attacks.</p>
<p>As al-Jazeera has editorialized: “A dozen years ago, a demoralized group with nowhere to go but the hills of Afghanistan, al-Qaeda began targeting America instead of the region’s authoritarian regimes hoping to destabilize the region, bloody America’s nose and gain popularity. Its strategy was simple: Draw the US into direct confrontation against and within the Muslim world. Like sheep to the slaughter house, America walked right into its trap.”</p>
<p>Who wants to walk further down into the trap?&#160; Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), head of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, keen advocate of the Afghan and Iraq Wars, campaigner for the Iran attack, stands at the head of the line. “Iraq was yesterday’s war,” he told Fox News. “Afghanistan is today’s war. If we don’t act pre-emptively, Yemen will be tomorrow’s war. That’s the danger we face.” Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) appearing on the same program agreed, and Sen Arlen Specter (D-PA) has said an attack on Yemen is “something we should consider.”</p>
<p>U.S. intelligence estimates there are only about 200 al-Qaeda members in Yemen. Al-Qirbi stated on December 29, “There are maybe hundreds of them—200, 300.” Award-winning Irish journalist Patrick Cockburn estimates 200-300. According to one estimate only about 90 of these are fully armed. The Yemeni government doesn’t really see them as a threat to itself. “The view from Sana’a doesn’t match the view from Washington,” points out Gregory Johnson, a Princeton graduate student specializing in Yemen. “The Yemeni government is much more concerned with fighting the Houthis in Saada and with the secessionists in the south. Al-Qaeda ranks a distant third. The government doesn’t see it as a Yemeni problem. [It sees it as] a foreign problem.”</p>
<p>The Obama administration, in the wake of the Underwear Bomber Affair, which it insists on closely linking to Yemen’s homegrown al-Qaeda, is pressuring its uncomfortable ally Saleh to accept more drone attacks, more military aid, more “advisors.” Both Obama and Saleh are walking into the trap, the former because he is the president of an imperialist country competing with other powers for control of the Indian Ocean, and a politician jockeying for position within an environment where neocon hawks retain a shocking degree of power and credibility, the latter because he has few options. Saleh cannot refuse U.S. drone strikes where the Pakistanis have failed to do so. The best he can do is persuade the U.S. to hit his own enemies among the Houthis and the adherents of the Southern Movement and hope al-Qaeda doesn’t flourish as a result of the consequent rage.</p>
<p>Adm. Mullen says a U.S. war on Yemen is “not a possibility.” Obama says “no boots on the ground.” All that sounds comforting. But if air strikes continue to enrage Yemenis against the U.S., doing precisely al-Qaeda’s work for it, and if the current regime as U.S. partner is blamed and toppled as a result, we may hear that U.S. troops will have to be sent to prevent Yemen from becoming a haven for international terrorists.</p>
<p>That’s certainly bin Laden’s plan. He has many unwitting allies in its execution.</p>
<p>GARY LEUPP is Professor of History at Tufts University, and Adjunct Professor of Religion. He is the author of <a href="" type="internal">Servants, Shophands and Laborers in in the Cities of Tokugawa Japan</a>; <a href="" type="internal">Male Colors: The Construction of Homosexuality in Tokugawa Japan</a>; and <a href="" type="internal">Interracial Intimacy in Japan: Western Men and Japanese Women, 1543-1900</a>. He is also a contributor to CounterPunch’s merciless chronicle of the wars on Iraq, Afghanistan and Yugoslavia, <a href="http://www.easycarts.net/ecarts/CounterPunch/CP_Books.html" type="external">Imperial Crusades</a>. He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p> | War on Yemen | true | https://counterpunch.org/2010/01/15/war-on-yemen/ | 2010-01-15 | 4 |
<p>PNC Financial ( <a href="/quote.html?stockTicker=PNC" type="external">PNC</a>) disclosed more than $300 million worth of mortgage-related expenses on Wednesday but the regional bank said it still expects to beat Wall Street's fourth-quarter earnings expectations.</p>
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<p>Shares of Pittsburgh-based PNC dropped more than 1% in premarket trading on the news, which was revealed in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.</p>
<p>PNC, which is set to report full results next week, announced a slew of one-time items that taken together will cut fourth-quarter earnings by 47 cents per share.</p>
<p>These items are headlined by a pretax provision of $254 million related to residential mortgage repurchase obligations from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.</p>
<p>This provision is tied to an $8.5 billion settlement unveiled on Monday between 10 banks and the U.S. government that sought to end the robo-signing controversy.</p>
<p>Also on the housing front, PNC said it had $91 million in expenses in the fourth quarter tied to residential mortgage foreclosure activities. This includes a charge of about $70 million from an agreement to amend the consent orders entered into in April 2011.</p>
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<p>The lender expects foreclosure-related expenses to decrease "substantially" in 2013.</p>
<p>PNC also said it recorded a noncash goodwill impairment charge of $45 million last quarter related to its residential mortgage segment.</p>
<p>On the upside, PNC said it will record a pretax gain of $130 million in the fourth quarter due to the sale of four million Class B common shares in card giant Visa ( <a href="/quote.html?stockTicker=V" type="external">V</a>).</p>
<p>PNC sought to reassure investors by saying "excluding the net impact of these actions," management anticipates fourth-quarter earnings per share to "exceed" consensus calls for EPS of $1.57.</p>
<p>Earlier on Wednesday analysts at Barclays ( <a href="/quote.html?stockTicker=BCS" type="external">BCS</a>) trimmed their price target on PNC to $72 from $75 but maintained an "equal weight" rating on the stock.</p>
<p>Shares of PNC dropped 1.33% to $59.45 ahead of the opening bell. The stock has already gained 3.3% so far in 2013, but remains off 2% over the past 12 months.</p>
<p /> | PNC Sees 4Q Beating Despite Slew of Mortgage Charges | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/01/09/pnc-sees-4q-beating-despite-slew-mortgage-charges.html | 2013-01-09 | 0 |
<p>Rod Miller had been named director of Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center.</p>
<p>Miller, who has been acting director of Virginia Baptists' conference center near Lynchburg since September 2003, was elected by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's executive committee during its meeting on March 8.</p>
<p>He succeeds Wesley “Binky” Huff, who retired in 2003 after 14 years as director of Eagle Eyrie.</p>
<p>Miller has been on the staff of Eagle Eyrie since 1990. He holds three college degrees and is accredited as a certified conference center professional by the International Association of Conference Center Administrators.</p>
<p>He also is a member of the American Camping Association, the Christian Camp and Conference Association, the Religious Conference Management Association and the Southern Baptist Camping Association, for which he serves as a board member.</p>
<p>Miller also has been part-time associate pastor of Staunton Baptist Church in Huddleston and minister to youth and children at Bedford Baptist Church in Bedford.</p>
<p>Staff report</p> | Miller named Eagle Eyrie director | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/millernamedeagleeyriedirector/ | 3 |
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<p>Welcome to OnSale at FOXBusiness, where we look at cool stuff and insane bargains.</p>
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<p>Save the earth and your electric bill and there's a new way to watch your wallet. Still searching for the perfect Valentine's Day gift? T-Mobile has deal for you… and you’ve never bought baby clothes quite like this before.</p>
<p>Power Down</p>
<p>An online service called <a href="http://www.earthaid.net" type="external">Earth Aid Opens a New Window.</a> wants to help you save on your energy bills, while you help save the earth. The free Web application lets users keep an eye on their energy usage, from electricity to gas to water, and also provides energy-conservation tips.</p>
<p>For every kilowatt-hour saved, 10 cubic feet of natural gas conserved and 10 gallons of water spared by a user, an Earth Aid Reward Point is awarded. And it pays to save: There are some rewards in store for the biggest savers out there.</p>
<p>Users can cash in their reward points by printing a coupon and presenting it to any participating Earth Aid Rewards Partner. Dove and Starbucks (NYSE:SBUX) are among the participating Earth Aid Rewards Partners, and the company says more are being added all the time. Sign up for your own Earth Aid account at EarthAid.net.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Card Check</p>
<p>Consumer watchdog site <a href="http://www.billguard.com/" type="external">Bill Guard Opens a New Window.</a> is currently taking volunteers for its alpha testing services, and those of you who need a little extra help scanning your credit card bills for unwanted charges and fees, you may want to give it a try.</p>
<p>Bill Guard keeps track of millions of banking transactions, monitors online consumer forums, and keeps track of users’ complaints in an effort to make sure you’re not getting overcharged or nickel and dimed. The company calls it “collective vigilance”and the more Bill Guard users there are out there, the more likely it is that suspect charges and fraud will be flagged, ultimately keeping you from paying too much.</p>
<p>Free for All</p>
<p>Verizon&#160;(NYSE:VZ) may finally have the iPhone, but T-Mobile is really sharing the love this Valentine’s weekend by offering all of its phones for free. On Feb. 11 and 12, all T-Mobile phones are free, as long as you commit to a two -year contract.</p>
<p>Among the company’s handset lineup are Android’s finest, like the the Samsung Vibrant, the T-Mobile G2, and the MyTouch 4G. (Yes, again, you read it right – the 4G network phones are also included in this incredible deal.)</p>
<p>Already know what you want? Make sure you get there early… free phones that usually sell for $100 will sell out fast.</p>
<p>Thrifty Threads</p>
<p>Bargain-hunting moms and dads – and those who love to recycle -- will want to check out <a href="http://www.thredup.com" type="external">thredUP, Opens a New Window.</a> an online, gently-used kids’ clothing exchange.</p>
<p>You can sign up for free access to the site, where you can peruse the collection for adorable clothes for babies and kids. You can also list the outgrown, but-still-like-new goods you’d like to offer other members for free.</p>
<p>Find something you like? It’s just $5 plus shipping. Find a fellow parent interested in what your child has outgrown? Send them an entire box of the goods for free.</p>
<p>Know of a killer deal or insane bargain? E-mail the goods to [email protected], and share the wealth.</p> | Earth-Friendly Ways to Save Money | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/02/09/earth-friendly-ways-save-money.html | 2016-03-04 | 0 |
<p>Jack Antonoff has extended his worldwide deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the company announced today. The Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/producer has scored hits over the past year Taylor Swift, Lorde, Pink and St. Vincent as well as his own group Bleachers. He is nominated in two categories at the 2018 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year […]</p> | Jack Antonoff, Bleachers Frontman and Taylor Swift-Lorde Collaborator, Extends Deal With Sony/ATV | false | https://newsline.com/jack-antonoff-bleachers-frontman-and-taylor-swift-lorde-collaborator-extends-deal-with-sony-atv/ | 2018-01-22 | 1 |
<p>LONDON, UK - The UK High Court has ruled that file-sharing website The Pirate Bay must be blocked by British Internet service providers.</p>
<p>Sky, Everything Everywhere, TalkTalk, O2 and Virgin Media must all prevent their users from accessing the site within a few weeks, <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17894176" type="external">according to the BBC</a>. The site has 3.7 million users in the UK.</p>
<p>Another provider, BT, has been granted several weeks to consider its position, but the <a href="http://www.bpi.co.uk/category/about-us.aspx" type="external">British Phonographic Industry</a> (BPI), which brought the case, says it expects that BT will also block the site, <a href="http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/a6cd05db409441e9ad3a361dc1a31d5c/EU--Britain-Pirate-Bay/" type="external">the Associated Press reports</a>.</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost:&#160; <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/business-tech/technology-news/120112/the-pirate-bay-suffers-another-setback-europe" type="external">The Pirate Bay suffers another setback in Europe</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9236667/Pirate-Bay-must-be-blocked-High-Court-tells-ISPs.html" type="external">According to The Daily Telegraph</a>, The Pirate Bay was launched in 2003 and acts as a searchable index to allow users to download files from each other, including copyright movies, music and software.</p>
<p>Because it does not itself host copyrighted material, the site's defenders have argued that it works in a similar way to search engines like Google.</p>
<p>Record labels say the site generated up to $3 million in advertising revenue in October last year by making 4 million copies of music and films available to its 30 million users around the world, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/feb/20/pirate-bay-blocked-uk-high-court" type="external">The Guardian reports</a>.</p>
<p>Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the BPI, said Monday:</p>
<p>"The High Court has confirmed that The Pirate Bay infringes copyright on a massive scale. Its operators line their pockets by commercially exploiting music and other creative works without paying a penny to the people who created them.</p>
<p>"This is wrong - musicians, sound engineers and video editors deserve to be paid for their work just like everyone else."&#160;</p>
<p>More from GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/120201/the-pirate-bay-founders-going-jail" type="external">Pirate Bay founders are going to jail</a></p> | The Pirate Bay must be blocked, High Court tells ISPs | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-04-30/pirate-bay-must-be-blocked-high-court-tells-isps | 2012-04-30 | 3 |
<p>Artists come in all shapes and sizes. But possibly the most bewitching and otherworldly artist I’ve beheld in recent years is New Zealand native Inky the Octopus. The slimy visionary displayed his Houdini-inspired artistry this week when he <a href="http://gawker.com/inky-the-octopus-makes-a-break-for-it-1770704693" type="external">effectively escaped from his tank</a> at the New Zealand National Aquarium.</p>
<p>The silver and cerulean hero saw opportunity knock when his tank was left slightly open during maintenance work and proceeded to slither through a drainage hole like a true Alcatraz escapee. Apparently it’s not uncharacteristic for an octopus to have predilections towards escapism and thinking outside the box (or tank in this case).</p>
<p>Aquarium manager Rob Yarell <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/13/the-great-escape-inky-the-octopus-legs-it-to-freedom-from-new-zealand-aquarium" type="external">told the Guardian</a>:</p>
<p>“Octopuses are famous escape artists. But Inky really tested the waters here. He would want to know what’s happening on the outside. That’s just his personality.”</p>
<p>If sleuth-like escapist abilities and unbridled curiosity are truly his personality, then Inky is someone I wanna grab a drink and discuss the finer things in life with. He seems like he knows how to push himself towards his destiny, which occasionally takes the shape of a drainage hole. That is something I respect.</p>
<p>[ <a href="http://gawker.com/inky-the-octopus-makes-a-break-for-it-1770704693" type="external">Gawker</a>]</p> | Inky The Octopus Is A True Escape Artist | true | http://thefrisky.com/2016-04-13/inky-the-octopus-is-a-true-escape-artist/ | 2018-10-02 | 4 |
<p>Dear readers, imagine if Thursday’s massacre had been committed by a white, right-wing, conservative, Christian man. Imagine if such a murderer had targeted Black Lives Matter protesters, expressly stating that he wanted to kill as many black persons as possible. Imagine if he was affiliated with white racial nationalism. Do you suppose the Sunday shows might spend appreciable time examining such a murderer's motives? Do you suppose such an attack would be connected to Donald Trump, Republicans, and America’s broader freedom movement?</p>
<p>Micah Xavier Johnson was driven by left-wing racial politics. This week's Sunday shows spent little-to-no time examining his political motivations. Ideological connections between Johnson and the broader left were almost completely ignored by this week's episodes of Meet The Press, Face The Nation, This Week, and State of the Union. An examination of Johnson's motives would be politically inconvenient for most of the media’s preferred presidential candidate.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/meet-press-july-10-2016-n606711" type="external">Meet The Press</a> spent time indulging the neo-Marxist racial narratives of Michael Eric Dyson, a sociology professor at Georgetown university who teaches such courses as Hip Hop Culture: Origins, Meanings, and Consequences, Hip Hop: Urban Theodicy Jay-Z, and Barack Obama and Race. Mary Matalin, the sole Republican panelist, did not challenge Dyson’s premises of black oppression.</p>
<p>Consider the following demagoguery from Dyson that went unchallenged:</p>
<p>"I was pleading, really, with white brothers and sisters to understand the difficulty, the circumstances that we confront, the extraordinary assault upon black life, the repudiation of any sense of civility when it comes to the interactions between police forces, which most African-American people regard with respect and authority, but whose authority has spilled over into terrorizing impulses and impacts upon African-American culture. And I wanted to talk about the vulnerability we feel. Even when you were interviewing Chief Bratton, a remarkable man to be sure, but he wanted to draw a false equivalence between talking to his son and Jeh Johnson speaking to his son.</p>
<p>"This is the very polarizing and brutalizing vulnerability that we feel that we are trying to express to white Americans who love and appreciate justice. Do you understand how difficult this is?"</p>
<p>Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, a Democrat, said nothing about Johnson’s political motives when invited to do so by Face The Nation’s John Dickerson. Dickerson did not press Johnson for details following the mayor's deflection. When presented with decontextualized (and unverified) statistics from NAACP President Cornell William Brooks, Dickerson offered no rebuttal. The narrative of black grievance was accepted without challenge.</p>
<p>Guest-hosting for <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-america-crisis-ambush-dallas/story?id=40463860" type="external">This Week</a>, Martha Raddatz opted not to examine Johnson's murderous motives. Trump, however, was criticized by panelists Sunny Hostin and Matthew Dowd for not having been quick enough to condemn the police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. No analysis was offered of Johnson's politics of racial grievance.</p>
<p>State of the Union's Jake Tapper likewise refused to examine ideological connections between the Dallas murderer and the broader left. Instead, time was dedicated to presenting Trump as racially divisive and incapable of mending racial divisions. Left-wing racial agitation as a driving force of the Dallas mass murder was ignored.</p>
<p>The Sunday shows refused to meaningfully identify the politics of Thursday's racially-motivated terrorist attack in Dallas. Left-wing media is attempting to exonerate President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and itself from complicity in the deadly consequences of racial agitation. Five more police officers have now paid the price with their lives.</p>
<p>Follow Robert Kraychik on <a href="https://twitter.com/kr3ch3k" type="external">Twitter</a>.</p> | What If The Dallas Killer Was White, Right-Wing, Christian, And Conservative? | true | https://dailywire.com/news/7339/imagine-dallas-killer-white-right-wing-christian-robert-kraychik | 2016-07-10 | 0 |
<p />
<p>After the Obama administration levied strict new rules on stimulus-related lobbying late last month, K Streeters didn’t just get mad, they got creative. Under the March 20 <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Memorandum-for-the-Heads-of-Executive-Departments-and-Agencies-3-20-09/" type="external">directive</a>, federal agencies must disclose lobbying contacts on stimulus issues and post them online. And, if lobbyists wish to influence government officials on particular stimulus projects, they have to put these requests in writing—communications that are also to be made public by the relevant government agencies.</p>
<p>Naturally, lobbyists bristled at this attempt to foist transparency on their opaque world. But it didn’t take long for the influence industry to devise a very simple workaround: use non-lobbyists to lobby on the $787 billion stimulus. The Wall Street Journal <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124088108778961921.html" type="external">reports</a> that “the rule has brought in a slew of work for nonregistered lawyers, who can call or meet with officials without submitting requests in writing.” (That is, so long as they don’t spend more than 20 percent of their time peddling influence, in which case they would be legally required to register as a lobbyist.) “Where there’s any issue, it’s just easier to hand it off to somebody who’s not registered,” one lobbyist told the Journal. “Certainly people are helping out who normally wouldn’t be engaged in this.”</p>
<p>The “recovery” Web sites of federal agencies overseeing billions in stimulus funds would appear to bear this out. Of those that do include sections detailing lobbyist contacts and communications, most have few if any entries. The Department of Transportation’s&#160; <a href="http://www.dot.gov/recovery/" type="external">site</a>, for instance, features a lone piece of <a href="http://www.dot.gov/recovery/docs/ARRA%20Briefing%20Sheet%20on%20Transitway%20Project.pdf" type="external">correspondence</a> [PDF] from Ferguson Group lobbyist <a href="http://www.fergusongroup.us/team_biographies.htm#MattWard" type="external">Matt Ward</a>, who’s representing the city of Stamford, Connecticut. The letter requests a meeting to discuss obtaining stimulus funds for a handful of “mega-infrastructure projects.” Likewise, <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/recovery/lobbyist.html" type="external">NASA</a>, the <a href="http://www.sba.gov/recovery/agencyplans/index.html" type="external">Small Business Administration</a>, and the <a href="http://recovery.doi.gov/plans.php" type="external">Interior Department</a> are each reporting a single lobbyist contact. The Web sites of the <a href="http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contentType=GSA_BASIC&amp;contentId=27976&amp;noc=T" type="external">General Services Administration</a> and the <a href="http://www.commerce.gov/Recovery/PROD01_007870" type="external">Commerce Department</a> disclose two apiece. And the <a href="http://www.energy.gov/recovery/reports.htm" type="external">Department of Energy</a> has made public three “communications with interested parties.” According to the <a href="http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/2009/04/22/three-more-agencies-begin-posting-recovery-act-lobbying-contacts/" type="external">Sunlight Foundation</a>, a host of federal agencies controlling stimulus funds—including the departments of Homeland Security, Education, and Housing and Urban Development—have yet to post lobbyist communications.</p>
<p>Surely, with nearly billions in economic recovery funds to be doled out, lobbyists and their clients aren’t simply crossing their fingers and hoping for a piece of the action. They’ve simply found a way to game the system. It’s not as if the Obama administration wasn’t warned that something like this would happen. After the directive was released, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), the ACLU, and American League of Lobbyists sent a <a href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/38373" type="external">letter</a> [PDF] to the White House asking Obama to rescind the rules, which the groups called “an ill-advised restriction on speech and not narrowly tailored to achieve the intended purpose.” The groups warned: “Instead of increasing the transparency and accountability, this action will encourage participation by people who are not required to register and abide by the rules set forth in the stringent regulations that govern lobbyists. To be clear, this action will decrease transparency and accountability. Moreover, it will also discourage accurate reporting under the Lobbying Disclosure Act—especially for those who are on the cusp for meeting the definitional&#160; requirement of a ‘registered lobbyist.’”</p>
<p>In a strange turn of events, it was actually CREW’s cofounder, Norm Eisen, who helped to devise the administration’s tough stimulus lobbying rules. Last Friday, Eisen, now Obama’s special counsel for ethics and government reform, and other White House officials <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/04/26/Update-on-Lobbyist-Contacts-Regarding-the-Recovery-Act/" type="external">met</a> with the aggrieved groups to hear their complaints. But it appears the administration is so far standing firm on the restrictions, whether or not they are having the desired effect. According to Eisen, “We told them we believed the restrictions were tough but fair to make sure that lobbyist communications are as transparent as possible, and that stimulus decisions are based on the merits.” &#160;</p>
<p /> | K Street Exploits Stimulus Lobbying Loophole | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2009/04/k-street-exploits-stimulus-lobbying-loophole/ | 2009-04-28 | 4 |
<p>The Texas state House on Monday passed a bill that would add a label to the insurance cards of individuals who purchased health insurance plans via an exchange established through Obamacare.</p>
<p>After the bill cleared an initial vote in the House last week, legislators voted 129-8 to approve the bill in a final vote on Monday, according to the Texas House clerk's office.</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/84R/billtext/html/HB01514E.htm" type="external">House Bill 1514</a>, sponsored by Republican state Rep. J.D. Sheffield, would add the label "QHP" to the cards of individuals who purchased plans through the exchange, and "QHP-S" for those who receive subsidies.</p>
<p>Supporters of the bill say that the labels will help doctors understand the type of insurance coverage a patient has and remind patients to continue with their insurance payments, according to the <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/08/lawmakers-consider-health-plan-scarlet-letter-bill/" type="external">Texas Tribune</a>.</p>
<p>Neurologist Dr. Sara Austin testified on behalf of the Texas Medical Association in support of the legislation. In her written testimony, Austin said that insurance companies provide individuals with a 90-day grace period when they fall behind on their payments. Insurance companies must offer insurance for the 90 days, but if the individual does not pay at the end of the three months, insurance companies can terminate the insurance and demand a refund from doctors for the final 60 days of the grace period, according to Austin.</p>
<p>Austin said the label "lets the physician office know that the 90-day grace period applies and provides information necessary for the physician to remind the patient about the importance of continuing to pay his or her portion of the premium."</p>
<p>However, critics of the bill worry that the labels could lead to discrimination.</p>
<p>"Other than creating a group that you're going to discriminate against, I don't see any purpose for indicating that people are getting a subsidy," Jose E. Camacho, executive director of the Texas Association of Community Health Centers, told the Texas Tribune.</p>
<p>Jamie Dudensing, chief executive of the Texas Association of Health Plans, said insurers are "very concerned" about the bill, according to the Texas Tribune. Dudensing said that the labels could result in doctors discriminating against patients who receive subsidies.</p> | TX House Passes Bill That Would Label Cards Of Those With O-care Subsidies | true | http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/texas-bill-label-obamacare-subsidies | 4 |
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<p>It is little more and a little less than a footnote to an investigation by the Miami Herald of Miami-Dade police who used funds collected from environmental fines to buy SUV’s, Direct TV receivers, high powered rifles, and Costa del Mar sunglasses among other purchases irrelevant to the fund’s intended purpose.</p>
<p>Back in 2000, I learned that fines collected by the EPA through successful prosecutions of environmental crimes in Miami might be available for environmental purposes. I made an informal inquiry. Could these funds be made available through the EPA or the US Department of Justice as grants to non-profits with chronically underfunded environmental missions? After all, shouldn’t fines collected from environmental law breakers be used to make sure that laws aren’t broken, repeatedly?</p>
<p>I didn’t just fall off a hay bale. I had already spent more than a decade cataloguing the many ways that government is organized to insulate special interests from criminal prosecution. To be caught breaking the law was rare enough. You would have had to be smuggling endangered species in your underwear or strapped to your leg or caught dumping millions of gallons of sewage off the side of your boat.</p>
<p>Government and the lobbyist class is well established to protect and reward those who push to the very edge of the law and in deference to the revolving door between private industry and government service they are more inclined than not to pick up and dust off those standard bearers muddied in the process. I didn’t come to this knowledge reading a book. I came to it in courts of law. I knew, even as I asked, that the premise of my idea– that environmental fines should be collected and granted to non-profits to protect the public interest in clean water, air, and to protect natural resources– was more than a trifle subversive.</p>
<p>Discussions apparently proceeded, and after a certain lengthy period of dead silence I re-inquired. The polite, curt response was nyet.</p>
<p>Now, thanks to the Miami Herald, I know where the money went that couldn’t be trusted to environmental non-profits whose missions qualify for contributions by foundations but not fines collected from crimes committed by private corporations. The money went to an environmental fund created for and administered by local police.</p>
<p>Rather than give the money to Sierra Club to spend on attorneys fighting rock mines in the Everglades and protect the drinking water wells serving 2.2 million residents of Miami-Dade, the funds went to “more than 100 cellphones, Blackberry and Iphone accounts… rising to nearly $14,000 in certain months.” Rather than, to Tropical Audubon Society to protect the county’s Urban Development Boundary, “more than $30,000 for 30 banquet tables and 152 chairs, two high pressure 24-inch misting fans ($2,169.93 each), two portable air conditioning units ($2606 each) and tents. Rather than helping to fund Clean Water Action to investigate cancer clusters in South Florida, “nearly $14,000 for GPS devices, including 21 eTrex Venture handheld GPS, 17 Nuvi 750 Garmin GPS ($399.99 each) and 2 Nuvi 770 Garmin GPS ($699.99 each).</p>
<p>Friends of the Everglades, where I volunteer as conservation chair, recently shut its office because of declining funds. It is OK: our volunteers will continue. We will continue the course of an esteemed organization founded by Marjory Stoneman Douglas who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the age of 103. The late daughter of a Miami newspaper publisher, Ms. Douglas spent every waking day extolling the necessity of protecting the Everglades from the worst impulses of people to wreck what sustains them. I know what she would have made of the Miami police using funds collected from environmental crimes to buy “125 computers costing $173,296, including 107 Dell desktops and pricey laptops like Panasonic Toughbooks costing nearly $3,000 each.”</p>
<p>According to the Herald, “Miami-Dade police could not say where the computers are or who they were issued to.”</p>
<p>We could have used that money collected from environmental criminals to help protect the environment, to keep people safe from cancer causing, polluted water but the police beat us to it.</p>
<p>ALAN FARAGO, conservation chair of <a href="http://www.everglades.org/" type="external">Friends of the Everglades</a>, lives in south Florida. He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p />
<p>&#160;</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://greentags.bigcartel.com/" type="external">WORDS THAT STICK</a></p>
<p /> | The Police Got There First | true | https://counterpunch.org/2010/03/12/the-police-got-there-first/ | 2010-03-12 | 4 |
<p />
<p>Students across the D.C. metropolitan area are expected to take place in the annual GLSEN National Day of Silence on April 15, 2016. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)</p>
<p />
<p>The New York-based Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, known as GLSEN, created and coordinates the National Day of Silence. It says the event is one of the largest student-led actions in the country, with students from more than 8,000 middle and high schools, colleges and universities in every state and 70 countries around the world expected to participate.</p>
<p>“Students typically take a vow of silence as a symbol of the silencing effect of anti-LGBT language and bullying,” the group said on Tuesday in a statement. “This year, through the theme ‘Silence is Ours,’ the focus will be on reclaiming this silence, shifting it from something forced upon LGBT students to a strategic tool they use to advocate for safe and affirming schools.”</p>
<p>Mia Lillis, an official with the D.C. LGBT youth advocacy group SMYAL, said among the area schools in which students will participate in the National Day of Silence are the National Cathedral School, Paul Public Charter School, Cardozo Education Campus, Wilson High School and Bell Multicultural High School in D.C.; West Springfield High School in Fairfax County, Va; and West Potomac and Walt Whitman High Schools in Montgomery County, Md.</p>
<p>A spokesperson for D.C. Public Schools said National Day of Silence activities would be taking place at another day for city schools because all D.C. public schools would be closed on Friday to celebrate D.C. Emancipation Day, which commemorates the signing of a law by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862 that freed all slaves in the nation’s capital.</p>
<p>Lillis said SMYAL was hosting a “Breaking the Silence” reception for LGBT youth participating in the Day of Silence at their schools on Friday from 5-7 p.m. at the SMYAL office and drop-in center at 410 7th St., S.E., near the Eastern Market Metro station.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">bisexual</a> <a href="" type="internal">gay</a> <a href="" type="internal">GLSEN</a> <a href="" type="internal">lesbian</a> <a href="" type="internal">Mia Lillis</a> <a href="" type="internal">National Day of Silence</a> <a href="" type="internal">SMYAL</a> <a href="" type="internal">transgender</a></p> | Local LGBT students to participate in National Day of Silence | false | http://washingtonblade.com/2016/04/14/local-lgbt-students-to-participate-in-day-of-silence/ | 3 |
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<p>The defense industry has done extremely well in recent years, and General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) has stood out from the crowd with its strong performance. The maker of Gulfstream jets and a host of combat systems for land and sea use has seen <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/04/29/heres-1-great-reason-general-dynamics-is-doing-bet.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=a63038da-987b-11e7-941e-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">sales rise dramatically</a>, and the company's efforts to make the most of its profit opportunities have paid off quite well. Yet some are nervous about the <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/30/sales-slow-and-a-backlog-worry-looms-at-general-dy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=a63038da-987b-11e7-941e-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">sustainability of the industry's upsurge</a>, and concerns about the impact of a slowdown on General Dynamics' dividend have attracted some attention from those following the stock. Let's take a closer look at General Dynamics to see whether investors can be confident in its ability to keep its dividend moving higher.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>General Dynamics' current dividend yield is 1.7%, which is slightly below the average among stocks in the S&amp;P 500. Historically, that's relatively low for the defense contractor, which routinely saw yields in the 2% to 4% throughout much of the past decade. Falling yields might suggest lower dividends, but that hasn't been the case for General Dynamics. Instead, it's been a big upsurge in the stock price since 2013 that has sent the yield down despite consistent dividend growth, and that should serve to reassure anyone worried about the stock's yield.</p>
<p>General Dynamics pays out about a third of its earnings as dividends, which is in line with where the company has been over the last 10 years. Occasionally, General Dynamics has had to take one-time charges against earnings that have made payout ratios temporarily meaningless. Yet absent those artificial adjustments to earnings, the defense contractor has made it clear that it wants to balance dividends with other uses of capital in order to maximize its overall opportunities for business growth in the long run.</p>
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<p>General Dynamics has amassed an impressive track record of dividend growth, becoming a Dividend Aristocrat in the last couple of years and sporting a 26-year streak of rising annual dividend payments. General Dynamics has also recognized the need for greater haste in sharing its bounty with investors, accelerating the pace of dividend increases recently. The company's most recent boost in April amounted to more than 10%, and as you can see below, General Dynamics is definitely not one of the many Dividend Aristocrats that make only tiny dividend increases each year in order to retain their status.</p>
<p>General Dynamics has seen its stock continue to do well, but some concerns about fundamental business conditions have arisen in recent months. In its most recent quarterly report, <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/07/30/sales-slow-and-a-backlog-worry-looms-at-general-dy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=a63038da-987b-11e7-941e-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">General Dynamics reported a 1% drop</a> in sales, led largely by a declines in Gulfstream jet sales and revenue from information systems and technology. However, better performance in the combat and marine systems areas served to offset those sales declines, and General Dynamics did a good job of keeping profit margin figures on the rise to take greater advantage of its sales opportunities. A declining backlog also had some investors nervous about the contractor's future.</p>
<p>Yet in the long run, General Dynamics still appears to be on course. Rising geopolitical tensions have raised the potential for General Dynamics to make sales internationally, and opportunities like <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/06/18/russias-threat-to-poland-could-mean-profit-for-gd.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=a63038da-987b-11e7-941e-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Poland's requests for bids for new tanks</a> could give the defense contractor significant global wins to keep its exposure to the military more diversified geographically. Valuations for the stock have been on the rise, but that doesn't have any direct implications for General Dynamics' dividend.</p>
<p>General Dynamics has worked hard to take advantage of favorable conditions both in the defense industry and in its business aircraft division, and the results have been impressive. With a large margin of safety in its payout ratio and favorable prospects ahead, General Dynamics' dividend should be safe and is likely to keep rising in response to the company's ongoing efforts to grow and expand its reach.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than General DynamicsWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
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<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of September 5, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFGalagan/info.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;uuid=a63038da-987b-11e7-941e-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Dan Caplinger</a> has no position in any of the 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;uuid=a63038da-987b-11e7-941e-0050569d32b9&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy</a>.</p> | How Safe Is General Dynamics' Dividend? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/09/14/how-safe-is-general-dynamics-dividend.html | 2017-09-14 | 0 |
<p>BEIJING (AP) — Global stock markets mostly rose Monday following a record-setting week on Wall Street and as traders looked ahead to data releases from China, Japan and the eurozone.</p>
<p>KEEPING SCORE: Germany's DAX rose 0.3 percent to 13,354 and France's CAC 40 gained 0.3 percent to 5,485. London's FTSE 100, however, was off 0.2 percent at 7,709 amid expectations of a government cabinet reshuffle. On Wall Street, where stocks have been on the longest new year winning streak in eight years, the future for the Dow Jones industrial average was flat while the S&amp;P 500 index was down 0.1 percent.</p>
<p>WEEK AHEAD: India reports trade on Wednesday, with forecasters expecting solid gains, while China reports a flurry of data including inflation and bank loan growth. The eurozone reports factory output growth on Thursday. On Friday, China is due to release December trade, with a double-digit rise expected following a weak 2017, while the United States reports monthly inflation.</p>
<p>ANALYST'S TAKE: "This is a big week of event risk," Chris Weston of IG said in a report, pointing to emerging markets trade and U.S. inflation. Weston said investors also are looking forward to U.S. earnings later this week, but the picture is "a little more challenging" as companies bring forward charges for repatriating cash under Washington's tax changes. "This reporting season could be a catalyst, but it does promise to be somewhat messier than prior quarters, not to mention sentiment towards U.S. equities is already sky high."</p>
<p>ASIA'S DAY: The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.5 percent to 3,409.48 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.3 percent to 30,899.53. Seoul's Kospi advanced 0.6 percent to 2,513.28 and India's Sensex added 0.5 percent to 34,338.08. Sydney's S&amp;P-ASX 200 edged up 0.1 percent to 6,130.40 and benchmarks in Taiwan and most of Southeast Asia also rose. New Zealand the Philippines declined.</p>
<p>ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude gained 20 cents to $61.64 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 57 cents on Friday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, rose 13 cents to $67.75 in London. It fell 45 cents the previous session.</p>
<p>CURRENCY: The dollar edged down to 113.03 yen from Friday's 113.07 yen. The euro declined to $1.1971 from $1.2032.</p>
<p>BEIJING (AP) — Global stock markets mostly rose Monday following a record-setting week on Wall Street and as traders looked ahead to data releases from China, Japan and the eurozone.</p>
<p>KEEPING SCORE: Germany's DAX rose 0.3 percent to 13,354 and France's CAC 40 gained 0.3 percent to 5,485. London's FTSE 100, however, was off 0.2 percent at 7,709 amid expectations of a government cabinet reshuffle. On Wall Street, where stocks have been on the longest new year winning streak in eight years, the future for the Dow Jones industrial average was flat while the S&amp;P 500 index was down 0.1 percent.</p>
<p>WEEK AHEAD: India reports trade on Wednesday, with forecasters expecting solid gains, while China reports a flurry of data including inflation and bank loan growth. The eurozone reports factory output growth on Thursday. On Friday, China is due to release December trade, with a double-digit rise expected following a weak 2017, while the United States reports monthly inflation.</p>
<p>ANALYST'S TAKE: "This is a big week of event risk," Chris Weston of IG said in a report, pointing to emerging markets trade and U.S. inflation. Weston said investors also are looking forward to U.S. earnings later this week, but the picture is "a little more challenging" as companies bring forward charges for repatriating cash under Washington's tax changes. "This reporting season could be a catalyst, but it does promise to be somewhat messier than prior quarters, not to mention sentiment towards U.S. equities is already sky high."</p>
<p>ASIA'S DAY: The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.5 percent to 3,409.48 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.3 percent to 30,899.53. Seoul's Kospi advanced 0.6 percent to 2,513.28 and India's Sensex added 0.5 percent to 34,338.08. Sydney's S&amp;P-ASX 200 edged up 0.1 percent to 6,130.40 and benchmarks in Taiwan and most of Southeast Asia also rose. New Zealand the Philippines declined.</p>
<p>ENERGY: Benchmark U.S. crude gained 20 cents to $61.64 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 57 cents on Friday. Brent crude, used to price international oils, rose 13 cents to $67.75 in London. It fell 45 cents the previous session.</p>
<p>CURRENCY: The dollar edged down to 113.03 yen from Friday's 113.07 yen. The euro declined to $1.1971 from $1.2032.</p> | Global stocks rise after strong Wall Street week | false | https://apnews.com/amp/5e347c4137cd436a92afade6a4d39601 | 2018-01-08 | 2 |
<p>Pope Francis is now conceding Europe to Islam.</p>
<p>Speaking to the French newspaper <a href="http://www.la-croix.com/Religion/Pape/INTERVIEW-Pope-Francis-2016-05-17-1200760633" type="external">La Croix</a> this week, Francis equated Christianity to Islam, saying they both believed in conquest. Francis said, “It is true that the idea of conquest is inherent in the soul of Islam. However, it is also possible to interpret the objective in Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus sends his disciples to all nations, in terms of the same idea of conquest."</p>
<p>Of course, Jesus didn’t exactly tell his disciples to kill the infidels, but let’s not get picky.</p>
<p>Francis has been ignoring the practical realities of Europe absorbing thousands of Muslim migrants for some time; just recently, in April, he visited the Greek isle of Lesbos, then returned to Rome with a dozen Syrian refugees. He pontificated in Lesbos, "May all of our brothers and sisters on this continent, like the good Samaritan, come to your aid in the spirit of fraternity, solidarity and respect for human dignity,"</p>
<p>In the interview, Francis ignored the threat posed by the massive influx of migrants, intoning:</p>
<p>When I hear talk of the Christian roots of Europe, I sometimes dread the tone, which can seem triumphalist or even vengeful. It then takes on colonialist overtones … Yes, Europe has Christian roots and it is Christianity’s responsibility to water those roots. But this must be done in a spirit of service as in the washing of the feet. Christianity’s duty to Europe is one of service. As Erich Przywara, the great master of Romano Guardini and Hans Urs von Balthasar, teaches us, Christianity’s contribution to a culture is that of Christ in the washing of the feet. In other words, service and the gift of life. It must not become a colonial enterprise.</p>
<p>Francis’ denial of Christianity’s mission to actively evangelize, albeit peacefully, is a betrayal of Christianity’s mission, and fits comfortably with his efforts to emasculate the faith, substituting the centrality of class warfare for moral rectitude and strength.</p>
<p>Sure enough, instead of blaming the massacre of Christians by Muslims on anything connected with the Islamic faith, Francis utilized the time-honored leftist mantra of crime being precipitated by poverty: "In Brussels, the terrorists were Belgians, children of migrants, but they grew up in a ghetto.”</p>
<p>"In Brussels, the terrorists were Belgians, children of migrants, but they grew up in a ghetto.”</p>
<p>Pope Francis, explaining away Islamic murderers</p>
<p>Asked what caused Islamic fanaticism, Francis doubled down on his perspective that poverty, not religion, caused the barbaric Islamic attacks, then segued into his <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/21/news/economy/pope-francis-capitalism/" type="external">usual condemnation of the free market system</a>:</p>
<p>The initial problems are the wars in the Middle East and in Africa as well as the underdevelopment of the African continent, which causes hunger. If there are wars, it is because there exist arms manufacturers – which can be justified for defensive purposes – and above all arms traffickers. If there is so much unemployment, it is because of a lack of investment capable of providing employment, of which Africa has such a great need. More generally, this raises the question of a world economic system that has descended into the idolatry of money. The great majority of humanity’s wealth has fallen into the hands of a minority of the population. A completely free market does not work. Markets in themselves are good but they also require a fulcrum, a third party, or a state to monitor and balance them. In other words, [what is needed is] a social market economy.</p> | Pope Francis: Christianity And Islam The Same | true | https://dailywire.com/news/5810/pope-francis-christianity-and-islam-same-hank-berrien | 2016-05-17 | 0 |
<p>Oil prices advanced Friday as stronger signs of a shrinking global glut and increased demand continue to emerge.</p>
<p>Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 0.51% to $49.55 a barrel on London's ICE Futures exchange. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate futures were trading up 0.43% at $47.12 a barrel.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>U.S. oil inventories have been falling for several months even with continued output growth, suggesting demand increases are gathering steam. Meanwhile, there have been reports that end-of-May oil storage in Saudi Arabia was at its lowest level since the start of 2012.</p>
<p>"The support comes from the large inventory decline around the world," said Giovanni Staunovo, an energy analyst at UBS.</p>
<p>A more subdued dollar, which makes dollar-denominated commodities more affordable for holders of other currencies, is also lifting crude prices, Staunovo added.</p>
<p>On the demand side, China is set to significantly loosen restrictions on private firms entering the domestic distribution and storage space. That "may spur an upsurge in private storage-capacity growth," said BMI Research, and boost crude imports. China recently ousted the U.S. as world's biggest recipient of international oil, taking in an average 8.5 million barrels a day in the first half of 2017.</p>
<p>Investors are next looking to Friday's weekly U.S. oil-rig data and Monday's meeting of delegates from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to review the continuing production-cut deal and discuss adding Nigeria and Libya to the pact. The two countries are currently exempt but have seen output rise sharply this year.</p>
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<p>"Any talk of deeper cuts is likely to prove bullish for prices in the short term," said an ING Bank morning note.</p>
<p>Nymex reformulated gasoline blendstock--the benchmark gasoline contract--rose 0.22% to $1.61 a gallon. ICE gas oil changed hands at $495.25 a metric ton, down $0.92 from the previous settlement.</p>
<p>Write to Jenny W. Hsu at [email protected]</p>
<p>Oil prices fell Friday morning on renewed concerns about oversupply.</p>
<p>Light, sweet crude for September delivery recently lost 72 cents, or 1.5%, to $46.20 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent, the global benchmark, lost 67 cents, or 1.4%, to $48.63 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe.</p>
<p>Further confirmation of rising supply from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries helped sink oil from earlier gains in overnight trading, brokers said. OPEC supply is more than 33 million barrels a day in July, up 145,000 barrels a day from a month ago, tanker tracking firm Petro-Logistics said.</p>
<p>The data isn't far from what has already been reported. The International Energy Agency said last week that OPEC crude output was rising to its highest level in 2017 at 32.6 million barrels a day, driven by Libya, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>But any prospect for more OPEC supply increases can shake a market in which a rally was already looking fragile, brokers and analysts said. A recent rally, which includes U.S. oil's longest winning streak in seven years, has stalled late this week as it bumped up against six-week highs, a signal to some momentum-based traders that oil's next move is a retreat.</p>
<p>OPEC has tried to right the market with a pact to cut output this year, but it hasn't pushed futures prices to the $60 mark that many expected. Now traders are becoming leery again of rising production from several sources globally, including countries that were supposed to be part of OPEC's output cuts.</p>
<p>"The silent fear now is that the OPEC deal could really start to unravel, " said Bill Baruch, chief market strategist at Chicago brokerage iiTrader.</p>
<p>OPEC officials are about to start meetings in Russia this weekend with counterparts from non-OPEC countries that have participated in this year's output cuts. Delegates are supposed to discuss the possibility of including two previously exempted OPEC members, Nigeria and Libya, into the deal. But traders are becoming skeptical that meetings will produce any significant changes.</p>
<p>"We're getting back to this idea that the market may not rebalance as thought," said Bart Melek, head of commodity strategy at TD Securities in Toronto. "What's triggering it is the lack of signaling from Saudi Arabia, OPEC and Russia that they may do more."</p>
<p>Gasoline futures recently lost 1.8%, to $1.5771 a gallon, and diesel futures lost 1.2%, to $1.5259 a gallon.</p>
<p>--Sarah McFarlane contributed to this article.</p>
<p>Write to Timothy Puko at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>July 21, 2017 11:42 ET (15:42 GMT)</p> | Oil Retreats on OPEC Doubts | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/07/21/oil-retreats-on-opec-doubts0.html | 2017-07-21 | 0 |
<p>Reuters <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-paris-autos/paris-plans-to-banish-all-but-electric-cars-by-2030-idUSKBN1CH0SI" type="external">reports</a>:</p>
<p>Paris authorities plan to banish all petrol and diesel-fueled cars from the world’s most visited city by 2030, Paris City Hall said on Thursday.</p>
<p>The move marks an acceleration in plans to wean the country off gas-guzzlers and switch to electric vehicles in a city often obliged to impose temporary bans due to surges in particle pollution in the air.</p>
<p>Paris City Hall said in a statement France had already set a target date of 2040 for an end to cars dependent on fossil fuels and that this required speedier phase-outs in large cities.</p>
<p>“This is about planning for the long term with a strategy that will reduce greenhouse gases,” said Christophe Najdovski, an official responsible for transport policy at the office of Mayor Anne Hidalgo.</p> | Paris To Ban All Gas And Diesel Cars By 2030 | true | http://joemygod.com/2017/10/12/paris-ban-gas-diesel-cars-2030/ | 2017-10-12 | 4 |
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<p>WASHINGTON — Orders to U.S. factories fell for the first time in five months in November, but much of the weakness reflected a swing in the volatile category of commercial aircraft. A key category that tracks business investment spending posted an increase.</p>
<p>Factory orders dropped 2.4 percent after a 2.8 percent rise in October, the Commerce Department reported Friday. It was the first decline since June but the weakness was led by a 73.8 percent plunge in demand for commercial aircraft following a 94.5 percent surge in October.</p>
<p>A key category that serves as a proxy for business investment spending increased 0.9 percent after a 0.5 percent rise in October. This category has lagged for much of this year as a result of big cutbacks in the oil and gas industry.</p>
<p>Orders for durable goods, items expected to last at least three years, fell 4.5 percent, only a slight revision from a preliminary report showing a drop of 4.6 percent. Orders for nondurable goods such as chemicals, paper and clothing, were down 0.2 percent following a 0.6 percent increase in October.</p>
<p>The 0.9 percent increase in business investment, while still modest, was the third best showing this year, and it marked the first back-to-back gains since July and August.</p>
<p>The increases could be a sign that businesses are beginning to invest again after more than a year of cutbacks that have weighed on the economy. Through the first 11 months of 2016, business investment is down 3.8 percent compared to 2015. The big drop in oil and gas prices earlier in 2016 has been a key culprit, trigging cutbacks in orders by drilling companies for steel pipe and drilling equipment.</p>
<p>Manufacturers have also struggled with a stronger dollar and weak economies overseas, which have harmed exports. The dollar’s rise in value makes exports more expensive and imports cheaper.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | US factory orders drop 2.4 percent but investment up | false | https://abqjournal.com/922283/us-factory-orders-drop-2-4-percent-but-investment-up.html | 2017-01-06 | 2 |
<p>(RNS) Demon Hunter. Vengeance Rising. Payable on Death.</p>
<p>Since 1984, these and other Christian heavy metal bands have been congregating every summer in a field near Chicago for the Cornerstone Festival. And for much of the 1980s and 1990s, it was the place for Christian thrash metal, death metal, or any other metal bands to generate a following.</p>
<p>Cornerstone provided the venue&amp;#151and for several years, as many as 20,000 fans&amp;#151to help these bands gain traction in a faith community more often associated with pop praise music.</p>
<p />
<p>Financial troubles will make this summer's July 2-7 gathering the last for the venerable festival, one of the oldest Christian music and arts festivals in the U.S. Only Greenbelt, the British festival from which Cornerstone emerged, has been around longer.</p>
<p>Yet as Cornerstone says goodbye, a young upstart festival is doubling its size in only its second year.</p>
<p>The Wild Goose Festival also owes its origins to Greenbelt, but the ethos and theology are radically different than Cornerstone’s. The first Wild Goose met at Shakori Hills, N.C., a 72-acre wilderness and campground 20 minutes from Chapel Hill.</p>
<p>This year, in an effort to expand attendance and participation, Wild Goose East will meet June 21-24 in North Carolina, while Wild Goose West will meet at the Benton County Fairgrounds near Portland, Ore., Aug. 31-Sept. 2.</p>
<p>Both Cornerstone and Wild Goose attempted to be a meeting place for music, art, conversation, and theological exploration. Whereas Cornerstone participants' heavy metal regalia could look a bit off-putting to parents dropping off their young children, the theology behind the event remained solidly conservative evangelical.</p>
<p>As Cornerstone prepares for its final act, Wild Goose, in its second year, is still finding its footing. Both festivals strongly emphasize justice and aesthetics, and while Wild Goose is clearly more to the left than Cornerstone, both have attempted to promote an understanding of Christianity that is big-tent, honest, and conversational.</p>
<p>Wild Goose’s organizers have intentionally created an event that pushes the limits of theological discussion, even on issues like homosexuality. The conference generated some controversy last year by inviting singer/songwriter Jennifer Knapp, a popular artist who recently came out as a lesbian.</p>
<p>“We want to build friendships with everyone who comes,” said Wild Goose’s executive director, Gareth Higgins. “Sexuality causes people to divide themselves along intellectual positions. Rather than divide, we want to create a space that promotes the common good.”</p>
<p>Higgins believes that common good includes a conversation that takes seriously all of human experience, including sexuality. “The loud voices are not doing justice to the human condition,” he said.</p>
<p>Conversation is more than a buzzword for Wild Goose. Cornerstone refers to their seminars as teaching sessions, but Wild Goose allows festival-goers to sign up and host their own conversations.</p>
<p>“We’ll choose as many as we can,” Higgins said. “It helps us transcend the fear of not being in control, and it gives everyone the chance to share wisdom within the community.”</p>
<p>Both festivals have a feeling of intentional chaos. Hierarchies are dissolved and speakers answer questions face to face. At Wild Goose, speakers are asked to bring a question to which they don’t know the answer, and the question is then put to the audience.</p>
<p>Like the speakers at Wild Goose, the music at Cornerstone can also feel a bit unhinged. Eddie Jones, the former bass player for Radial Angel, a band that enjoyed modest success in the 1990s, said Cornerstone is a “dirty hippie’s dream festival.”</p>
<p>“It’s a free-for-all of music in a huge complex,” Jones said. “The main stage has all these sponsored shows&amp;#151magazines, record labels, ministries&amp;#151but you can’t walk 10 feet without finding a ‘generator stage.’”</p>
<p>The generator stages are nothing more than bands with their equipment hooked to generators playing as loudly as they can. As chaotic as it could be, Jones said Cornerstone’s impact on a generation of Christian young people was profound.</p>
<p>“It was kind of a mecca for a whole generation of Christian sub-culture,” he said. "Kids who loved good music and didn't quite fit into the church found a place they could meet others like them. It helped launch bands like P.O.D., and others who were able to find a devoted fan base that would follow them … and propel them to the mainstream success they had.”</p>
<p>Genesis Winter, the director of Cornerstone, said the festival is closing down because it no longer generates enough revenue to cover costs.</p>
<p>“When we began, many Christians were not sure that rock 'n' roll music, no matter the lyrics, could be called Christian, and they wondered if hard music could possibly be Christian," she said. "Now, these and other types of music are more readily accepted in the church, and I think Cornerstone had a lot to do with that.”</p> | Cornerstone ends, Wild Goose takes off | false | https://baptistnews.com/article/cornerstoneendswildgoosetakesoff/ | 3 |
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<p><a href="http://pienews.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Threat1.jpg" type="external" />New intelligence reports indicate that Yemeni bomb-makers are joining terrorists in Syria to build new types of virtually undetectable bombs, says Attorney General Eric Holder. Appearing Sunday on ABC's "This Week," Holder called the prospect "more frightening than anything I think I've seen as attorney general - This is ["]</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/holder-bomb-terror-partnership/2014/07/13/id/582363/" type="external">Click here to view original web page at www.newsmax.com</a></p>
<p /> | Extreme Concern Over Threat Of Undetected Terrorist Bomb | true | http://politicalillusionsexposed.com/holder-terrorist-bomb-partnership-gives-us-extreme-extreme-concern/ | 0 |
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<p>Many income investors likely don't consider ARM Holdings to be a reliable dividend stock. The chip designer has paid out 32% of its earnings over the past year as dividends, but that only translates to a paltry forward annual yield of 0.7%. Therefore, let's take a look at three of ARM's industry peers which yield-seeking investors should consider buying instead.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Source: Pixabay.</p>
<p>ARM's biggest rival: IntelARM's unique business of licensing chip designs to a wide variety of chipmakers prevented Intel from dominating the mobile market as it did with PCs and data centers. After losing the mobile market to ARM's lower-power designs, Intel desperately tried to regain market share with costly subsidies and cheap reference designs.</p>
<p>Although Intel's mobile business is still struggling and its PC unit remains weak, the company's data center, <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/02/06/how-intel-corporations-internet-of-things-business.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Internet of Things</a>, and non-volatile memory businesses are all growing. Analysts expect those businesses to help Intel post 10% annual earnings growth over the next five years.</p>
<p>That bottom line strength enables Intel to pay a forward annual yield of 3.6%. Over the past 12 months, Intel has paid out 41% of its earnings as dividends. However, the company hasn't been consistent with its dividend hikes -- its quarterly dividend was stuck at $0.23 between 2012 and 2014 before finally being raised to $0.24 in 2015 and $0.26 thisyear.</p>
<p>ARM's biggest ally: QualcommARM's conquest of the mobile world probably wouldn't have been possible without Qualcomm , the biggest mobile chip maker in the world. Qualcomm combines ARM-based CPUs with its own Adreno GPUs in its Snapdragon SoCs.</p>
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<p>Source: Qualcomm.</p>
<p>Qualcomm's top line depends heavily on those chips, but its bottom line relies more heavily on its CDMA licensing business, which accounted for nearly 80% of its pre-tax earnings last quarter. That business has been <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/01/31/can-qualcomm-inc-save-its-most-profitable-business.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">under pressure</a> fromregulators and OEMs requesting lower fees, but analysts believe that Qualcomm can weather the storm and post annual earnings growth of 12% over the next five years.</p>
<p>Qualcomm currently pays a forward annual yield of 3.9%. Over the past year, the company has paid out 62% of its earnings as dividends. While that might make Qualcomm look more "generous" than ARM or Intel, it also means it has less room for dividend hikes. Nonetheless, Qualcomm has already hiked its dividend for 13 straight years, and has promised to return at least 75% of its annual free cash flow to shareholders as dividends or buybacks.</p>
<p>That "other" ARM chipmaker: NvidiaNvidia , which is best known for its GPUs and high-end graphics cards, also uses ARM designs in its Tegra chips. Like Qualcomm, Nvidia combines a first party GPU with an ARM-based CPU in its SoCs.</p>
<p>However, Tegra chips never gained much mobile market share against Qualcomm and its top rival MediaTek. However, the chips have established a market in connected cars, which boosted Tegra sales40% annually to $157 million last quarter. Nvidia's core GPU sales rose 10% to $1.2 billion thanks to robust demand from gamers offsetting sluggish demand in the mainstream PC market. On the bottom line, analysts believe that Nvidia's annual earnings will grow at a rate of 6% over the next five years.</p>
<p>Nvidia currently pays a forward dividend yield of 1.5%, which is higher than ARM's but lower than Intel's or Qualcomm's. However, Nvidia's yield has also declined due to its price appreciation. Nvidia stock has rallied more than 40% over the past 12 months, while shares of Intel and Qualcomm have respectively slipped about 15% and 30%. Nvidia has paid out 34% of its earnings over the past 12 months and raised its dividend for three straight years. Over the past four years, Nvidia spent 98% of its free cash flow, or $3 billion, on buybacks and dividends. It plans to return another $1 billion to shareholders in the same way in fiscal 2017.</p>
<p>The key takeawayARM Holdings clearly isn't a great income stock, but Intel, Qualcomm, and Nvidia all pay better dividends and have unique strengths. Intel is a conservative play on the recovery of the PC market, Qualcomm is evolving from a mobile chipmaker into a <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/10/28/3-promising-markets-for-qualcomm-inc.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">jack of all trades</a>, and Nvidia will profit from the rise of connected cars. Therefore, investors who are looking for a solid chip stock with a decent yield should consider these three companies instead of ARM.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/03/01/3-stocks-with-better-dividends-than-arm-holdings-p.aspx" type="external">3 Stocks with Better Dividends than ARM Holdings plc</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSunLion/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Leo Sun</a> owns shares of Qualcomm. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Qualcomm. The Motley Fool recommends Intel and Nvidia. 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</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</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</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</a>.</p> | 3 Stocks with Better Dividends than ARM Holdings plc | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/03/01/3-stocks-with-better-dividends-than-arm-holdings-plc.html | 2016-03-27 | 0 |
<p>College has become out of reach for large numbers of students, making it harder for them to earn more than their parents and limiting economic mobility, Federal Reserve Bank of New York President William Dudley said Thursday.</p>
<p>College costs have risen faster than wages for decades, driving more students to take out loans. Student debt has tripled, to over $1.4 trillion, over the past 20 years, Mr. Dudley told a conference on higher education financing at the New York Fed.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>If students are unprepared for college and drop out, they often become delinquent on their loans. In turn, students are less likely to buy homes, he said.</p>
<p>"These factors matter for inequality and social mobility, because increasing home equity is the major form of wealth accumulation for the great majority of American families," Mr. Dudley said. "Thus, rising tuition and changes in the way that college is financed appear to have diminished the ability of higher education to lift people from poverty into the middle class."</p>
<p>Mr. Dudley didn't address monetary policy or his economic outlook in his remarks.</p>
<p>Despite his sobering remarks, the New York Fed chief suggested some reasons for optimism. He cited research showing that some colleges that accept large numbers of lower-income students have managed to produce high-earning graduates.</p>
<p>"Learning exactly how they do it and how it can be replicated strikes me as a first-order question for further study," he said.</p>
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<p>Write to David Harrison at [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>December 07, 2017 10:18 ET (15:18 GMT)</p> | Fed's Dudley Says High College Costs Lower Economic Mobility | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/12/07/feds-dudley-says-high-college-costs-lower-economic-mobility.html | 2017-12-07 | 0 |
<p>With “American Horror Story” <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/features/american-horror-story-recap-season-7-episode-11-great-again-ahs-cult-1202614066/" type="external">wrapping up another season</a>, <a href="http://variety.com/t/sarah-paulson/" type="external">Sarah Paulson</a> is looking to build on a busy schedule, as she is in negotiations to join Warner Bros. and Amazon Studios’ adaptation of “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/the-goldfinch/" type="external">The Goldfinch</a>,” sources tell Variety.</p>
<p><a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/news/ansel-elgort-goldfinch-adaptation-1202574604/" type="external">Ansel Elgort will play Theo</a> and “Dunkirk” actor <a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/news/aneurin-barnard-goldfinch-boris-1202587544/" type="external">Aneurin Barnard will play Boris</a> with John Crowley directing.</p>
<p>Based on Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer-winning book, “ <a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/news/goldfinch-film-amazon-warner-bros-1202531064/" type="external">The Goldfinch</a>” tells the story of a young man named Theodore Decker who survives a terrorist bombing at an art museum — an attack that kills his mother. From there, he tumbles through a series of adventures that finds him living in Las Vegas with his deadbeat father and, later, involved in art forgeries.</p>
<p>Paulson will play <a href="http://variety.com/t/xandra/" type="external">Xandra</a>, the girlfriend of Theo’s father.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, Amazon Studios agreed to co-finance the film, which will go into production at the start of 2018. As part of the pact, Amazon will invest more than a third of the movie’s budget, which is estimated to be in the $40 million range, according to insiders. In return, it will get streaming rights to the picture on its Prime service. It will also launch the picture on home entertainment platforms in what is commonly referred to as the pay-TV window, the term for when movies debut on premium cable channels such as HBO and Showtime.</p>
<p>Warner Bros. will distribute the film in theaters worldwide.</p>
<p>While Paulson has broken out as a leading lady on the small screen with her critically acclaimed work on FX’s “American Horror Story” and “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson,” her list of upcoming film projects is also building. She can be seen next as Ben Bradlee’s wife in Steven Spielberg’s “The Post” opposite Tom Hanks; M. Night Shyamalan’s “Glass,” which is the sequel to “Split”; as well as the “Ocean’s Eleven” spinoff “Ocean’s Eight” starring Sandra Bullock.</p>
<p>She also recently signed on to the Netflix pic “Bird Box,” which also stars Bullock and will continue to stay busy on television with her new Netflix series “Ratched,” where she plays the iconic Nurse Ratched.</p>
<p>She is repped by CAA.</p> | Sarah Paulson Joins ‘The Goldfinch’ Adaptation at Warner Bros. (EXCLUSIVE) | false | https://newsline.com/sarah-paulson-joins-the-goldfinch-adaptation-at-warner-bros-exclusive/ | 2017-11-15 | 1 |
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<p>It may have rained on their parade - literally - but the crowd still came out for the Christmas De Los Caballos Parade on Sunday in the Village of Corrales.</p>
<p>The 12th annual event on Corrales Road featuring a parade of horses and other equines in holiday attire serves as a benefit for Toys for Tots, with entrants bringing a new unwrapped toy and onlookers also allowed to contribute.</p>
<p>The U.S. Marine Honor Guard was there collecting toys on what was a rainy day.</p>
<p />
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Festive fun! | false | https://abqjournal.com/679915/festive-fun.html | 2 |
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<p>A “storytelling” fellowship in Milwaukee is forcing a “meaningful dialogue” about white privilege and oppression, courtesy of national endowment grants and the state of Wisconsin.</p>
<p>“We’re racist because we live in a racist society,” Megan McGee, founder of Ex Fabula, told <a href="http://onmilwaukee.com/ent/articles/nnsstorytellingfellowship.html" type="external">OnMilwaukee.com</a>. “The thing that makes you a good person, if there is such a thing, is the fact that you are learning and growing and being human, instead of just trying to deny the whole thing.” <a href="/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Milwaukeewhiteprivilige.png" type="external" /></p>
<p>McGee took a YWCA course about “Unlearning Racism” shortly after launching Ex Fabula in 2009 and was inspired to meld race issues with the group’s work “strengthening community bonds through the art of storytelling.” She said the topic of institutional racism – “one of the biggest, nastiest, deadliest problems out there” – didn’t seem like something people wanted to talk about, so Ex Fabula had to force the issue.</p>
<p>The race conversation “was just not one that was happening organically,” McGee told the news site. In November, “Ex Fabula Fellows” began “dismantling racism by exploring and interrogating the ideas of whiteness&#160;and privilege” through the group’s Community Conversation Series. At the city’s Turner Hall Ballroom this month, the conversation continued with more Ex Fabula Fellows and other “storytellers.”</p>
<p>White speaker Kerri Grote talked about how her experiences with her gay uncles and half-black niece compelled her to speak out about gay marriage and white privilege.</p>
<p>“The shame of it has nothing to do with me being white. I can’t change the color of my skin, nor is anybody asking me to,” Grote said, according to On Milwaukee. “The shame that I feel, felt, about white privilege is about being silent. And, that is something I can change.”</p>
<p>“Grote is one of 21 people involved in a new storytelling fellowship focused on privilege and oppression that hopes to help create a citywide conversation about race,” the site reports. “Ex Fabula … plans to hold at least 10 more performances involving the fellows.”</p>
<p>Funding for the important work comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as Wisconsin Arts Board, and Wisconsin Humanities Council, according to the <a href="https://www.exfabula.com/programs/fellows/" type="external">Ex Fabula website</a>.</p>
<p>“I’d like to have more events; I’d like to have another fellowship; I’d like to get every single person in the Greater Milwaukee Area actually talking about this, because I don’t think it’s happening right now,” McGee said.</p>
<p>The all white Ex Fabula crew provides some interesting information on its website for anyone not convinced white privilege and race issues are a huge problem in Milwaukee.</p>
<p>“Milwaukee is the country’s most segregated urban area; Wisconsin is the worst state at protecting African American children, the place that incarcerates the highest percentage of African American men, <a href="http://greatertogether.me/the-report-card/" type="external">and more</a>,” according to the site.</p>
<p>There’s also other handy resources for further exploration:</p> | Taxpayer-funded ‘white privilege’ theater focuses on ‘racist society’ | true | http://theamericanmirror.com/taxpayer-funded-white-privilege-theater-focuses-on-racist-society/ | 2015-12-28 | 0 |
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Despite efforts by the media to crown him King Arnold the First, it’s not over till its over. He has been losing ground since the latest revelations about his admiration for Hitler and his sexual abuses toward women have begun to reach public notice these past days. Today’s last minute news reports say that Schwarzenegger has announced he’ll discuss the sexual battery allegations AFTER the votes are collected in the election. Why’s he holding back?</p>
<p>And while it may not seem of great interest to readers outside the California, the goal of electing Arnold Schwarzenegger is certainly high on the agenda of the Bush administration. The right has shown a greater skill than the left, with all but one of the other candidates on the right withdrawing from the race in obeisance to the media-generated juggernaut in favor of the Terminator.</p>
<p>With voter participation in the US at record lows in recent years, this election has generated more interest than we’ve previously seen. Much of this is being built by the capitalist media who have made out like bandits selling all of the vicious, hateful political advertising this campaign has generated for them. At the same time, they want a broad public participation in the elections to provide legitimacy for the cutbacks which both the Democrats and the Republicans intend to continue, regardless of who is finally the winner of the recall.</p>
<p>Using this reactionary millionaire’s image in the world via his movies to mobilize support for the hard rightist agenda has been a clever move, but we don’t know yet if it will finally do the trick. We may not know tomorrow and who knows what the prospects might be, yet another replay of the Florida 2000 election but on a bigger and more grotesque scale? Don’t forget this man who uses his image and accent supports the racist English-only movement, backed the racist anti-immigrant Prop. 187.</p>
<p>He also opposes drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants. Another racist aspect of his appeal is the call to tax Indian gambling casinos. (I’m no fan of the casinos, which don’t benefit many Indians, but it’s an odd thing that so much emphasis has been put here on taking away one of the few things which the native peoples, or at least some of them have finally got.</p>
<p>Schwarzenegger’s being followd in the Cuban media. There’s a story called, “Schwarzenegger, women and Hitler” which is posted to the <a href="http://makeashorterlink.com/?Z2BF21D16" type="external">Cuban website devoted to what they call “Media terrorism”</a>, Cubadebate, (in Spanish).</p>
<p>None of the candidates have taken advantage of one opportunity which was present. Given the distressed state of the economy, more trade with Cuba would be a boon to the California economy. Businesses from California have recently signed a contract to sell fully $10 million dollars worth of commodities to the island.</p>
<p>Far more would be possible if Washington would just get out of the way. $10 million might not sound like a lot on the scale of California, but lots of small firms could make out very well if they had economic links to the island which is anxious to up trade with the US.</p>
<p>Washington’s blockade of trade and travel to Cuba is harming California. The California State Senate came out against the blockade, so the idea of expanding the commercial links to the island is entirely reasonable. One candidate has a good record on doing business with Cuba: Peter Camejo. <a href="http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/1994/132/132p19.htm" type="external">He’s got a long record on this</a>:.</p>
<p>The right’s dream, via the recall, is to virtually purchase the governorship of a state with the fifth largest economy in the US, and one of the largest in the world. I see it as being similar to the efforts of the rightist opposition in Venezuela to try to throw out the democratically-elected government of of Hugo Chavez. As the T-shirts in Venice, California say: “Same Shit, Different Day”.</p>
<p>Arnold and his backers have become desperate to try to discredit the stories of his admiration for Hitler and his sexual abuses of women, so widely reported now. As Peter Camejo has so well pointed out, why would Arnold apologize so profusely if he hadn’t done anything wrong?</p>
<p>The LA times quotes Camejo saying “He’s a predator,”. “If he was a black man, he’d be in a jail. The issue needs to be looked into and resolved.” (However, then the Times omitted to mention that Camejo’s VERY NEXT WORDS were that if Arnold were brown or poor white he’d have been in jail as well.)</p>
<p>The recall process is one which is a good thing and should be maintained. I’ve seen certain positive features which have come as a result of the recall. Among these have been the ability to have truly independent and alternative voices, such as those of the Greens’ Peter Camejo, putting forth a profoundly different and left-alternative approach to politics, out into the broad public arena. This has been excellent.</p>
<p>In the end although I’ve wavered a bit, I finally decided to vote against THIS recall. At the same time, I’m voting FOR Peter Camejo for the replacement in the event that Gray Davis should be recalled. One of the byproducts of this election has been the broadening out of discussion to a large range of views than that of the same old two- party shell game we normally have. Hopefully that will remain for the future. My sense is that it will remain and this has been a fine beginning.</p>
<p>There’s no way to tell right now how the election’s going to go. My thought and hope is that the recall is defeated by a small but quite adequate margin, and that Camejo gets a shockingly large vote, coming in as much as 5th in the replacement race. If those happen, Gray Davis in the balance of his term would be politically weakened. Since the recall, he has signed progressive measures such as the driver’s license and domestic partnerships bills, which he had not supported prior to the recall. Getting Peter’s name and ideas known far and wide is one of the best outcomes of the race.</p>
<p>(I’m aware that my view on the recall differs from Peter’s view. He always points out that the Greens are divided on recall, but he personally is in favor of it. Still, this is my considered opinion. It’s a good thing I’m not a member of a disciplined organization, so I can openly express these ideas publicly.)</p>
<p>WALTER LIPPMANn is the Moderator of the <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CubaNews/" type="external">CubaNews list</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Thoughts on the Cali Recall | true | https://counterpunch.org/2003/10/07/thoughts-on-the-cali-recall/ | 2003-10-07 | 4 |
<p />
<p>Dear Dr. Don,&#160;</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>A divorce decree required my former husband to refinance the mortgage on our home and take my name off the note. But in the process, he failed to keep current on the mortgage, apparently believing it would be refinanced before a 30-day grace period was up. After his foul, my credit score, which previously stood around 815, now includes the damaging 30-day late payment. The divorce decree says I am not responsible for the house payments, but the mortgage company reported me anyway.</p>
<p>How much more interest will I have to pay on a mortgage because of the damage to my credit score?</p>
<p>Thanks,&#160;</p>
<p>-Trish Trashed</p>
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<p>Dear Trish,&#160;</p>
<p>The lender wasn't party to your divorce decree. Since your name remained on the note, you also remained responsible for the payment. Let's face it, ex-husbands make mistakes. That's what led many of them to be divorced in the first place. Not an excuse, just fact.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bankrate.com/partners/funnel/mortgage-rates.aspx?pid=p:foxbz" type="external">Compare Mortgage Rates in Your Area Opens a New Window.</a></p>
<p>Interest rates are determined partly by the risk perceived by the lender that you won't repay your loan. Yes, a lower credit score will result in a higher interest rate.</p>
<p>Ironically, consumers with higher credit scores take a bigger hit to their credit score when they make a "credit mistake." For someone with a 780 credit score, FICO estimates that a 30-day late payment will reduce their credit score by about 100 points.</p>
<p>What will that drop in your credit score cost you through a higher rate of interest? The myFICO.com website shows differences in annual percentage rates for different credit scores. From what I see on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, your rate would be about 0.25% higher after the hit to your credit score. Interestingly, the difference on a five-year auto loan could be closer to an increase of 1.5%.</p>
<p>Get more news, money-saving tips and expert advice by signing up for a free <a href="http://app.bankrate.com/prefcenter/signup.cfm?t=newsletter" type="external">Bankrate newsletter Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Ask the adviser</p>
<p>To ask a question of Dr. Don, go to the " <a href="http://www.bankrate.com/brm/ask.asp" type="external">Ask the Experts Opens a New Window.</a>" page and select one of these topics: "Financing a home," "Saving and Investing" or "Money." Read more <a href="http://www.bankrate.com/finance/personal-finance/advisers/drdon.aspx?pid=p:foxbz" type="external">Dr. Don columns Opens a New Window.</a> for additional personal finance advice.</p>
<p>Bankrate's content, including the guidance of its advice-and-expert columns and this website, is intended only to assist you with financial decisions. The content is broad in scope and does not consider your personal financial situation. Bankrate recommends that you seek the advice of advisers who are fully aware of your individual circumstances before making any final decisions or implementing any financial strategy. Please remember that your use of this website is governed by <a href="http://www.bankrate.com/coinfo/disclaimer.asp" type="external">Bankrate's Terms of Use Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 2013, Bankrate Inc.</p> | Ex Missed Mortgage Payment, Hurt my Credit | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/09/25/ex-missed-mortgage-payment-hurt-my-credit.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
<p>Syrian troops are now at the gates of the Islamic State-besieged city of Deir ez-Zor, the governor of the province said, as the government forces continue to press forward, obliterating terrorist positions in the vicinity and on the outskirts of the city.</p>
<p>“The heroes of the army will arrive at Deir ez-Zor in 24-48 hours at the most,” the governor of Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province, Mohammed Ibrahim Samra, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-alzor/governor-of-syrias-deir-al-zor-says-army-to-reach-city-within-48-hours-idUSKCN1BE177" type="external">told</a> Reuters, adding that the Syrian Army was only 18-20 kilometers (11-12 miles) away from the city.</p>
<p>Earlier, an elite unit of the Syrian Army, called the Tiger Forces, came within 18 kilometers (11 miles) of the besieged city after destroying IS (Islamic State, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorist positions on the Bishri mountain chain, Al-Masdar News <a href="https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-elite-syrian-forces-just-18-km-away-deir-ezzor-city/" type="external">reported</a>.</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p>
<p>Despite massive redeployment of fighters and military hardware by the Islamic State terrorists from other parts of Iraq and Syria to Deir ez-Zor, the Syrian Army, with the help of the Russian Air Force, has been advancing toward the city on several fronts.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/401860-syria-hama-isis-terrorists-eliminated/" type="external" /></p>
<p>The key Euphrates city of Deir ez-Zor has been under terrorist siege for two and a half years, after being cut off from government-held areas in May 2015 during the jihadists’ offensive on Palmyra. The surrounded city, alongside a neighboring military base and airfield, have since been supplied with food and ammunition via airdrops by Russian and Syrian transport planes and helicopters.</p>
<p>On Sunday, the Syrian Army attacked IS barricades on the southwestern outskirts of the city, Sana news agency reported, killing several terrorists and seizing their weapons and ammunition.</p>
<p>“We carried out at dawn a successful raid against one of ISIS terrorists’ barricades in the direction of the Water Resources area through crawling and infiltrating it and throwing several bombs when we almost approached the area, killing all the terrorists at the site,” one of the soldiers <a href="http://sana.sy/en/?p=113058" type="external">told</a> Sana.</p>
<p>The Syrian Army units have also expanded control in al-Badia, “eliminating the last gatherings of the organization in Hreibsha area that is located in the southwest of Deir Ezzor province.” According to Sana news agency, many terrorists have fled as the army is also advancing east of al-Sukhneh toward Deir ez-Zor.</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/400395-syria-deir-ezzor-siege/" type="external">READ MORE:&#160;ISIS terrorists pulling strongest units to Deir ez-Zor for last stand – Russian MoD</a></p>
<p>The Russian Defense Ministry has previously stated that breaking the blockade of Deir ez-Zor will mark the defeat of the last capable grouping of IS terrorists in Syria.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/400335-isis-reinforcements-deir-ezzor-destroyed/" type="external" /></p>
<p>“ISIL militants are still attempting to stop the advancement of the Syrian troops by relocating to the Deir ez-Zor region armor, pick-up trucks with high-caliber machine guns mounted on them, weapons and ammunition. They are creating fortifications with positions for artillery and mortars,” the Russian Defense Ministry reported Saturday.</p>
<p>In response, the Russian forces in Syria intensified airstrikes on the jihadists, destroying their armored vehicles, tanks, artillery positions and supply depots.“Defeating ISIL in the Deir ez-Zor region and lifting the blockade of the city will signify a strategic defeat of the international terrorist group in Syria,” the ministry said.</p>
<p>On Saturday, the Russian Air Force also backed the swift actions of the army and its allies who have liberated the town of Akerbat – considered to be the last major terrorist stronghold in Hama province and central Syria.</p>
<p>Lifting the Deir ez-Zor blockade will “provide Syrian armed forces and their allies with a really stable foothold in this part of northeast Syria,” geopolitical analyst Patrick Henningsen told RT.</p>
<p>“Strategically, you can’t say enough about how important this effort is right now,” he added. “Having a strategic partner like Russia with a viable air force, being able to coordinate targeting intelligence, being able to mount counter-insurgency efforts on the ground with air support, is incredible.”</p>
<p>The UN’s special envoy for Syria, Steffan de Mistura, also expects all major IS positions in Syria to fall by the end of October.</p>
<p>“What we are seeing is in my opinion the beginning of the end of this war… what we need to make sure is that this becomes also the beginning of peace,” de Mistura said on Friday. “And that is where the challenge starts at this very moment.”</p> | Syrian Army flattens ISIS positions, will enter Deir ez-Zor ‘within 48 hours’ – governor | false | https://newsline.com/syrian-army-flattens-isis-positions-will-enter-deir-ez-zor-within-48-hours-governor/ | 2017-09-03 | 1 |
<p>The following are forecasts for this week's remaining U.S. data from a survey compiled by The Wall Street Journal. Forecasts were last updated on Monday afternoon.</p>
<p>DATE TIME RELEASE PERIOD CONSENSUS PREVIOUS</p>
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<p>(ET)</p>
<p>Friday 0830 Consumer Price Index Jul +0.2% (25) +0.0%</p>
<p>-- ex food &amp; energy Jul +0.2% (25) +0.1%</p>
<p>(Figures in parentheses refer to number of economists surveyed.)</p>
<p>Write to Donna Huneke at [email protected]</p>
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<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>August 10, 2017 10:14 ET (14:14 GMT)</p> | CPI Seen Up in July -- Data Week Ahead | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/08/08/cpi-seen-up-in-july-data-week-ahead.html | 2017-08-10 | 0 |
<p>Shares of Philip Morris (NYSE:PM) neared a 52-week high on Thursday after the cigarette maker said it bought the rights to a new technology that enables users to get a nicotine fix without inhaling smoke.</p>
<p>The non-tobacco, aerosol nicotine-delivery system was acquired directly from its inventors. No financial details were disclosed.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>“The diseases caused by smoking are believed to be due largely to the harmful products of combustion rather than to nicotine itself,” said Dr. Jed Rose, a leading expert in the field of nicotine addiction research and co-inventor of the technology. “We believe this new technology has the potential over time to offer an attractive alternative to conventional cigarettes, thereby reducing smokers’ exposure to carcinogens and other harmful smoke constituents.”</p>
<p>The move adds to a string of recent initiatives by rivals to move to smokeless tobacco and other healthier nicotine products as health concerns continue to get pushed to the forefront and tax hikes and smoking bans threaten profits.</p>
<p>Philip Morris’ senior vice president of research and development, Doug Dean, said the agreement marks another step in the company’s efforts to develop products that have the potential to reduce the risk of smoking-related diseases.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | Philip Morris Snags New Smokeless Nicotine Device | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/05/26/philip-morris-snags-new-smokeless-nicotine-device.html | 2016-01-28 | 0 |
<p>Today’s extrodinary testimony of James and Rupert Murdoch before the U.K. Parliment is being covered live by all the major cable networks, including Fox News. But while other networks chyrons are displaying the “news” — including Rupert Murdoch’s refusal to take any responsibility for the misconduct of his company — Fox News, owned by News Corp., is comically repeating Murdoch’s talking points. A few examples:</p> | Fair And Balanced: During Murdoch Testimony, Fox News Chyrons Parrot Murdoch Talking Points | true | http://thinkprogress.org/media/2011/07/19/272927/fair-and-balanced-during-murdoch-testimony-fox-news-chyrons-parrot-murdoch-talking-points/ | 2011-07-19 | 4 |
<p>Published time: 28 Nov, 2017 09:41</p>
<p>David Davis is facing criticism for redacting key information on Brexit analysis documents finally handed over to parliament on Monday. The Brexit secretary had been locked in a battle with MPs for months over his refusal to produce the papers.</p>
<p>The 39 documents, spanning 850 pages, detail the government’s analysis of the effects of leaving the European Union on 58 areas of the economy. In a letter to Hilary Benn, the Commons Committee on Exiting the EU chairman, Davis admitted that “market and negotiation-sensitive information” had been expunged. He said this was because the government had received “no assurances how any information will be used,” The Times reports.</p>
<p>Labour says the failure to publish all of the analysis risks leaving the government in contempt of parliament. But the government continues to insist it has a duty to ensure that whatever is released is not commercially sensitive and doesn’t put the UK at a disadvantage in Brexit negotiations.</p>
<p>Labour’s Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said on Twitter: “Not good enough. The vote was clear &amp; binding. Reports in full should be handed over. We intend to press this issue.</p>
<p>“Labour fully understands the importance of protecting the UK’s negotiating position with the European Union. However, the decision agreed unanimously by MPs earlier this month was about transparency and ensuring Parliament had the information it needs to hold ministers to account during the Brexit process,” he added.</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p>
<p>The transfer of papers to the committee after weeks of pressure came a single day before a deadline set by parliament. The government only agreed to publish the documents in any form after losing a binding motion brought by Labour, which instructed ministers to reveal the impact assessments to parliament. Significantly, both Brexiteers and former Remainers on the committee supported the move.</p>
<p>“The motion was clear and a failure to follow it would be a potential breach of privilege,” Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Brexit-supporting Tory MP, told The Times. “Thus the government must provide all the papers or ask the Commons to pass a new amended motion. It is a matter of the rights of parliament, neither party political or about Brexit.”</p>
<p>A Labour committee member, Seema Malhotra, told the newspaper that MPs must be given the full documents “and nothing less.” She added: “It seems like the government have already decided what should and should not be seen by editing them before sending the impact studies to the select committee. The public and parliament must no longer be kept in the dark.”</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p>
<p>The committee is due to meet on Tuesday to decide whether to make public all or part of the documents they have been handed. “It seems clear that a major exercise of sanitizing has gone on,” a source close to Rees-Mogg told The Times. “The motion before parliament was clear that the government had to publish all their analyses. It was not that they should spend three weeks removing information and deciding what the committee should see. The information should be published in full. Anything else is potentially in contempt of parliament.”</p>
<p>According to a source close to Davis, the 39 papers included “significant” new information and called for MPs to suspend judgment until they had read them. The source added that Davis did not believe he was in contempt because the original motion called for the publication of 58 sectoral impact assessments that did not exist in a collated form.</p> | David Davis finally hands Brexit papers to parliament… but they’re heavily redacted | false | https://newsline.com/david-davis-finally-hands-brexit-papers-to-parliament-but-theyre-heavily-redacted/ | 2017-11-28 | 1 |
<p>At the 2013 Intuit Innovation Gallery Walk, the technology and software giant behind QuickBooks and Salesforce debuted its latest projects aimed at consumers and small-business owners. Here are the five major problems Intuit is trying to fix for SMBs with its latest lineup.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Intuit’s GoPayment tool is designed for business owners whose businesses are on the go, like contractors or landscapers. The technology allows business owners to quickly create an invoice, then scan cards using a smartphone or swipe, using GoPayment’s card reader. Small-business owners can pay either $12.95 a month and then pay a 1.75% fee on each swipe, or $0 per month and a 2.75% fee on each swipe.</p>
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<p>Currently being tested on a limited basis in California, the Health Benefits Marketplace’s aim is to help small-business owners understand the health-insurance plans available for individuals and then walk them through the process of setting up contributions to help employees pay for insurance on their own.</p>
<p>New users to QuickBooks will see a simplified sign-up that asks a few key questions about their business in order to provide a customized QuickBooks experience. For instance, retail operations don’t need to provide client estimates, so these tools will be hidden from sight. QuickBooks also redesigned the experience to be more “actionable” for small-business owners, so must-do tasks are called to business owners’ attention and highlighted on the right side of the screen.</p>
<p>This free app, currently available in the iTunes app store, enables small-business owners to quickly and accurately calculate paychecks for W-2 employees, keep a record of all paychecks and store employee payroll information. Plus, the tax rates in each state update automatically on the app, helping business owners make sure everything is on the up and up.</p>
<p>Intuit’s Mint product lets individuals track their expenses and categorize spending. With Mint MyBusiness, small-business owners who use their personal cards for business spending can quickly categorize their expenses into business or personal buckets, to help keep everything nicely organized. The tool will also help small-business owners calculate their tax burden, based on their income and spending for the business.</p> | 5 Problems Intuit Wants to Solve for Small-Business Owners | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2013/10/14/5-problems-intuit-wants-to-solve-for-small-business-owners.html | 2016-06-14 | 0 |
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