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<p>A "citizen’s tide" flooded Spain’s streets Saturday in another major protest. There were popular mobilizations in 50 cities with the main focus in the capital.</p>
<p>The reason for this renewed mass action by ordinary Spaniards was “the brutal cuts to social rights” that have been applied “using the crisis as a pretext,” according to organizers.</p>
<p>The "citizen’s tide" brought together various protest movements, including the "white tide" (public health services) "green tide" (education), "orange tide" (social services), "yellow tide" (libraries), "purple tide" (women’s rights) and the 15-M, or Indignados movement.</p>
<p>Carrying placards which condemned everything from cuts in the health sector to massive bailouts granted to Spain’s banking system, crowds banged drums and chanted, while dozens of riot police stood on the sidelines.</p>
<p>The march coincided with the anniversary of a failed coup attempt in 1981 by Civil Guard officers who stormed Parliament and held deputies hostage until the next day. Organizers dubbed this march a protest against today’s ‘financial coup’.</p>
<p>The fresh protests come amid a corruption scandal that poses a serious threat to the ruling Popular Party and further evidence that brutal austerity measures for the 99% and huge public hand-outs to the banks are crushing the economy and public finances.</p>
<p>Thanks to growth- and tax revenue-destroying spending cuts and a mega 40-billion-euro bank bail-out, Spain’s deficit widened to 10.2% of gross domestic product in 2012, the highest in three years. The jobless rate in Spain will rise again this year to 27%, from 25% at the end of 2012, and the economy will contract again in 2013 by the same 1.4% as last year, the European Commission forecasts.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, on Sunday, tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Bulgaria to protest corruption and the country's rising cost of living.</p>
<p>The demonstrations came a week after nationwide demonstrations forced the conservative government to resign. More than 10,000 protesters marched in downtown Sofia under the slogan, "End to illusions, civil action every day!"</p>
<p>They shouted "Mafia!" and "All parties out!" near parliament and the presidency, waving white-green-and-red Bulgarian flags.</p>
<p>Rosen Pleveliev, the president of Bulgaria, appeared briefly before the crowd but was greeted with boos and jeers.</p>
<p>He said he was willing to meet next week with trade unions and civil groups to hear their demands and seek a way out of the crisis that forced the resignation of Boyko Borisov, the former prime minister, on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Borisov's surprise resignation came after demonstrations turned violent, with several dozen people injured and two men setting themselves on fire. One of them died and the other remains in hospital in critical condition.</p>
<p>Despite his resignation, activists have vowed to continue with the protests.</p>
<p>Frozen wages</p>
<p>The Black Sea city of Varna, where the daily rallies against high electricity bills and deepening poverty began two weeks ago, saw its largest demonstration on Sunday, local media reported.</p>
<p>Between 20,000 and 40,000 protesters blocked traffic along key boulevards in the city, calling for the resignation of Kiril Yordanov, the mayor, and denouncing "the economic domination of the mobsters".</p>
<p>They burned an effigy outside the headquarters of the local electricity utility monopoly, Czech Energo-Pro.</p>
<p>About 3,000 protesters also gathered in the Black Sea city of Burgas and between 6,000 and 10,000 joined the demonstration in Bulgaria's second-largest city of Plovdiv in the south, media reports said.</p>
<p>Rallies were also held in numerous other towns across the country.</p>
<p>The protests that have swept the European Union's poorest country over the past two weeks were sparked by anger over mounting electricity bills and frozen public wages.</p>
<p>The average monthly salary in Bulgaria is $534 and has not increased for years.</p>
<p>Activists who met at the weekend said they agreed on the need for constitutional changes with majority elections instead of the current proportional system and the possibility to sue and even sack legislators if they did not fulfill their duties.</p>
<p>They also demanded a moratorium on power bills, no value added tax on electricity and a review of all contracts on privatizing the power sector.</p> | Europe Uprisings: "Citizens' Tide" Sweeps Spain, as Mass Protests Erupt Across Bulgaria | true | http://occupy.com/article/europe-uprisings-citizens-tide-sweeps-spain-mass-protests-erupt-across-bulgaria | 4 |
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<p>The first joint appearance of the general election season is tomorrow night. You’ve probably heard nothing about it. You’ll probably hear nothing about it.</p>
<p>Barack Obama and John McCain will both travel to Lake Forest, CA, tomorrow night for the Saddleback Civil Forum at Saddleback Church, one of America’s preeminent megachurches. (Today is the last day of the Obama family’s Hawaiian vacation.) The candidates will sit down with Rick Warren, Saddleback’s pastor and the author of The Purpose-Driven Life, to talk about global poverty, HIV/AIDS, and climate change. The topics will be a welcome departure, from Obama’s point of view, from the standard “values voters” issues of abortion and gay marriage.</p>
<p>The forum should be interesting for two reasons. First, it will be an opportunity to test my theory that <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2008/08/9165_obama_mccain_town_hall.html" type="external">Obama should do well in head-to-head events with McCain</a>, and that, as such, regular town hall events would have been good for Obama, in contradiction to what the Obama camp apparently believes.</p>
<p>Second, the Christian demographic is very much in play in this election. John McCain is crushing Barack Obama among evangelicals, who seem to think that being a Democrat and being a respectable Christian are mutually exclusive. Last month’s NBC/WSJ poll put the gap at 64%-24%. (In 2004, Bush won that demo 8-2 over Kerry.) But Obama is doing surprisingly well among other Christians. The <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/14/AR2008081403446.html?hpid=topnews" type="external">Washington Post</a> and the <a href="http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/15/obama-attracts-young-evangelicals/" type="external">Washington Times</a> report that young evangelicals, concerned about global poverty, social justice issues, and the health of the planet, are considering Obama seriously. This, despite the fact that they probably don’t know Obama <a href="/mojoblog/archives/2008/08/9256_more_on_obama_a.html" type="external">has introduced a bill to address global poverty</a> and is one of the Senate’s leaders on the issue.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the Barna Group, a Christian research group, recently found that of the 19 “faith segments” it polled, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/13/poll-obama-leads-among-ch_n_118619.html" type="external">only evangelicals lean toward McCain</a>. Non-evangelical born-again Christians lean Obama 43% to 31% — if those numbers hold, it will be the first time in two decades the born-again vote has gone to the Democrat. “Notional Christians,” folks who consider themselves Christians but are not born again, favor Obama by an even wider margin, 44% to 28%. Obama also wins non-Christians, atheists, and agnostics. This represents a massive opportunity for Obama.</p>
<p>An additional factor: John McCain is unwilling to talk about his faith publicly, is less vocally pro-life than President Bush, and supports stem cell research, all factors that could depress evangelical turnout. McCain may own evangelicals as a religious group, but they may be smaller this year than in the past.</p>
<p>But let’s be frank. Who wins which religious group is unlikely to be affected by Saturday evening’s forum. It’s a Saturday after all, meaning that even the day-after coverage won’t leak into the work week. And the Olympics are on, with Michael Phelps’ quest for a record eight gold medals culminating on Saturday night. How much oxygen will there be left over for a forum on religion, AIDS, and global poverty? Not much, I suspect. It may take a gaffe, a lie, or a heated argument to really make news at Saddleback.</p>
<p /> | The Campaign Goes Christian | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2008/08/campaign-goes-christian/ | 2008-08-15 | 4 |
<p>WILLIAMSON, W.Va. (AP) — A second man has been sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole after 15 years in the fatal shooting of a coal executive at a West Virginia cemetery.</p>
<p>News outlets report Mingo Circuit Judge Miki Thompson handed down the sentence Thursday for 20-year-old Brandon Lee Fitzpatrick, of Louisa, Kentucky. Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty last month in the killing of Bennett K. Hatfield, who was shot while visiting his wife's gravesite in May 2016.</p>
<p>Fitzpatrick admitted he was with 22-year-old Anthony Raheem Arriaga, of Delphos, Ohio, when Arriaga killed Hatfield in a scheme to steal his GMC Yukon Denali and sell its parts. Arriaga was sentenced in December after being convicted of murder, robbery and conspiracy.</p>
<p>Prosecutor Duke Jewell said Fitzpatrick came up with the scheme to kill Hatfield and steal his vehicle. He said Arriaga shot Hatfield but panicked and failed to steal the vehicle.</p>
<p>WILLIAMSON, W.Va. (AP) — A second man has been sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole after 15 years in the fatal shooting of a coal executive at a West Virginia cemetery.</p>
<p>News outlets report Mingo Circuit Judge Miki Thompson handed down the sentence Thursday for 20-year-old Brandon Lee Fitzpatrick, of Louisa, Kentucky. Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty last month in the killing of Bennett K. Hatfield, who was shot while visiting his wife's gravesite in May 2016.</p>
<p>Fitzpatrick admitted he was with 22-year-old Anthony Raheem Arriaga, of Delphos, Ohio, when Arriaga killed Hatfield in a scheme to steal his GMC Yukon Denali and sell its parts. Arriaga was sentenced in December after being convicted of murder, robbery and conspiracy.</p>
<p>Prosecutor Duke Jewell said Fitzpatrick came up with the scheme to kill Hatfield and steal his vehicle. He said Arriaga shot Hatfield but panicked and failed to steal the vehicle.</p> | Life sentence for man in West Virginia coal exec's death | false | https://apnews.com/amp/be1581816f3d4cd59a35617d595b34c7 | 2018-01-19 | 2 |
<p>JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis got an up-close look at Indonesian commandos — including soldiers walking on fire and breaking bricks with their heads.</p>
<p>The commandos performed for Mattis at the conclusion of a two-day visit in which Mattis expressed interest in closer U.S. contacts with Indonesia special forces.</p>
<p>With music as a backdrop, Mattis looked on in silence as the commandos demonstrated their hostage-rescue skills, snake-handling and hand-to-hand combat training.</p>
<p>Afterward, Mattis was flying to Hanoi for his first visit to Vietnam.</p>
<p>JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis got an up-close look at Indonesian commandos — including soldiers walking on fire and breaking bricks with their heads.</p>
<p>The commandos performed for Mattis at the conclusion of a two-day visit in which Mattis expressed interest in closer U.S. contacts with Indonesia special forces.</p>
<p>With music as a backdrop, Mattis looked on in silence as the commandos demonstrated their hostage-rescue skills, snake-handling and hand-to-hand combat training.</p>
<p>Afterward, Mattis was flying to Hanoi for his first visit to Vietnam.</p> | Indonesian troops show off snake-handling skills for Mattis | false | https://apnews.com/863f907e38fa45328c6ce40816a8289f | 2018-01-24 | 2 |
<p>NORTHERN IRELANDU TVA County Tyrone Catholic priest told a teenage parishioner of the "difficulties a priest has being celibate" before he allegedley touched her breast, a court heard today. Enniskillen Crown Court was told that 36-year-old Father Joseph John Quinn, who`s address was given as the Parochial House on the Circular Road in Dungannon, had invited the girl to the house for "tea and biscuits" before he allegedley indecently assaulted her.Prosecution lawyer Philip Mateer told the jury of six men and six women that just before hand as they sat on the sofa, Father Quinn had told his alleged victim that she was a "beautiful girl" and "how nice it would be if they could just slip into his bed and make love without anyone knowing".Father Quinn denies a single charge of indecent assault against the girl between July 1995 and January 1996 when the girl would have been around 17 or 18.</p> | NI priest accused of indecent assault | false | https://poynter.org/news/ni-priest-accused-indecent-assault | 2003-05-13 | 2 |
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<p>LOS ANGELES — Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has informed the mixed martial arts promotion that he is retired from competition.</p>
<p>The UFC confirmed the 39-year-old Lesnar’s decision Wednesday.</p>
<p>Lesnar returned from a 4½-year MMA absence last July to beat Mark Hunt at UFC 200, but the result was overturned after Lesnar failed two doping tests. He was subsequently suspended from competition for a year by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which administers the UFC’s doping policy.</p>
<p>Lesnar’s decision to retire means he has been removed from USADA’s drug-testing pool, which monitors the fighters year-round.</p>
<p>If he decides to return to competition, he would have to serve the remaining five months of his suspension.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The decision doesn’t affect Lesnar’s professional wrestling career, where the multitalented athlete has spent most of the past five years. He is scheduled to perform for the WWE at WrestleMania in Orlando on April 2.</p>
<p>Lesnar fought for the UFC just eight times, but he became one of the biggest pay-per-view stars in the sport’s history during his brief run. The former NCAA wrestling champion and WWE star drew millions of new fans to the young sport with his hulking presence and violent skills.</p>
<p>He made a guaranteed $2.5 million purse for his victory over Hunt last year, along with likely millions in undisclosed bonuses. But Lesnar failed a drug test taken before his fight and another on fight night. He tested positive for clomiphene, a banned substance under USADA rules.</p>
<p>Lesnar won the UFC heavyweight title in just his third fight for the promotion, beating Randy Couture in November 2008. He defended the belt twice before losing it to Cain Velasquez in October 2010, and he lost to Alistair Overeem in December 2011 in his final fight before his 2016 comeback.</p>
<p>He also endured serious health problems that curtailed his MMA fighting prime, including a bout of diverticulitis.</p> | Brock Lesnar tells UFC he is retired from competition | false | https://abqjournal.com/950424/brock-lesnar-tells-ufc-he-is-retired-from-competition-2.html | 2017-02-15 | 2 |
<p>Damascus.</p>
<p>Syrian Airlines flies from several European capitals to Damascus, but Americans can’t book seats from the United States, thanks to the 2003 Syrian Accountability Act, which an obedient (to the Israeli lobby) Congress passed and an eager Bush signed and renewed every year since 2004. The act outlawed commerce between the two countries, stopping just short of breaking diplomatic relations. Washington recalled its Ambassador and marginalized Syria’s capable emissary in the U.S. capital. U.S. officials make unfounded accusations that Damascus regime helps supply Iraqi insurgents and aids and abets terrorism. In addition, they denounce Syria for “interference in Lebanese affairs.”</p>
<p>How ironic, said Dr. Bouthaina Sha’aban, Minister of Expatriates. Syria provided U.S. authorities with intelligence to help stop a 2003 attack on U.S. ships in the Persian Gulf. Syrian security forces also obliged U.S. Homeland Security, although Sha’aban did not refer to this, by accepting a Canadian citizen of Syrian birth and torturing him at U.S. behest. Maher Arar endured almost a year of Syrian “interrogation,” before Canada concluded that they never had evidence of his linkage to terrorists. Canada has since apologized and paid Arar compensation for their role in his suffering. Arar remains on the U.S. no-fly list. Homeland Security refuses to give reasons for his exclusion. Syria also “interrogated” other victims at the behest of U.S. authorities.”</p>
<p>Syrian President Bashar Assad discovered painfully that Washington allows no good deed to go unpunished. Until late February, Washington had even ruled out discussion with Damascus, stopping just short of including it as part of the axis of evil. A former U.S. diplomat who served in the Middle East until recently said at a Damascus dinner: “U.S. policy toward Syria makes no sense. Nothing Syria does is enough. The neo cons who run Middle East policy want Assad’s government to beg for forgiveness, even though they didn’t do anything wrong. Then Syria has to bow to U.S. political and economic changes –democracy and privatization. After they do this,” he concluded, “maybe Washington we’ll deal with them. Surprising Syria rejected such terms? Who wouldn’t?”</p>
<p>I had spoken previously to this former official while preparing to film in Syria in 2003. Now, he laughs at Bush’s 180 degree turn. U.S. officials met with Syrians in the second week of March –and with Iranians as well –to try to resolve the Iraq crisis. A businessman close to Syria’s President said: “I’m not sure we want the Americans to leave so quickly. I know that is surprising, but U.S. intervention has splintered Iraq into several resistance movements. Each one delights in killing Americans as well as its Iraqi rivals. But we can try to impose some sanity on groups we have known over time and together with other countries in the region this can mean a lessening of violence. On the other hand, U.S. presence in Iraq provokes violence.” The source, a wealthy businessman, concluded. “What Bush has done in Iraq is unforgivable.”</p>
<p>Apparently, the daily Iraqi carnage and Bush’s dropping poll ratings (29% on March 8) has finally begun to reverberate somewhere in the White House. Syrians know from their media’s graphic presentations about dead Iraqi and Palestinian children, victims of a suicide bombing or U.S. air strike; or daily Israeli repression.</p>
<p>On March 5, I watched a CNN Middle East anchor alert viewers to stay tuned for the excitement to come, live action gore from the Middle East. Following a March 5 news report from Baghdad loaded with bombing victims and a war photos special, Nic Robertson lightened the venue by taking CNN viewers on a sports trip. “Inside the Middle East,” the producers called footage of an Englishman who converted to Islam, moved to Saudi Arabia and opened a lucrative sports tourism business: deep sea diving, with 14 Germans examining the coral reefs. Another “feature” promoted buggy riding in the desert and aeronautic sports in that kingdom as well.</p>
<p>CNN doesn’t want to bum out its viewers on war images, so the network offers deep sea diving experiences, the vicarious thrills of watching cars bounce off sand lumps, virtual flying in small planes at low altitudes (by staying tuned), and finally the next best thing to wind sailing, watching wind sailing on TV.</p>
<p>Watching CNN for 30 minutes inspired me to turn off the set and see Syria. Unfortunately, TV followed me into one of Damascus’ tourist restaurants. I met no U.S. or English tourists. Iraqi tourist guides confirmed that the majority of the visitors were Europeans or Iranians. In Palmyra, the site of an ancient civilization in eastern Syria, I spoke to three middle aged Madrid women who extolled the “fabulous ruins and exceptionally good food at extremely reasonable prices.” We agreed also that modern architects could learn lessons in design and simplicity from those who crafted the pre-Christ Palmyra edifices</p>
<p>Under the vast old civilization’s pillars and arches, preserved in the desert sand and dug out in the 19th and 20th Centuries, these remnants of cities induce humility. How much our ancestors knew about architecture, aesthetics and city planning. Viewing the vast ruins with the desert mountains as a backdrop, I felt a sense of awe at the age of this civilization. One woman from Madrid commented: “How horrible for Syrians to watch the disintegration of Iraq, a neighbor and also a once powerful country with a proud people. You didn’t vote for Bush, did you?”</p>
<p>Her Spanish speaking Syrian guide agreed. “Your Bush is a monster.” He described the influx of Iraqi refugees. “They have changed Syrian life. The price to buy a house or even rent an apartment has jumped up, because the Iraqis who Syria welcomes have money.” A few days later, a Syrian businessman shook his head sadly. “Most of the Iraqis who came here,” he confided, “have Syrian family. We don’t act like Americans and let our cousins be homeless, especially if they have money,” he laughed.</p>
<p>According to Dr. Sha’aban, in four years Syria has taken in 1.2 million Iraqi refugees. Jordan, Egypt and Iran have received more than 2 million more. “Bush has created a terrible crisis in the region,” said Sha’aban. “Your media doesn’t show you how bad it is, how your soldiers rape Iraqi women, torture Iraqis, murder them in cold blood. Nor do you see how the Israelis recently [early March] destroyed 250 homes in Nablus. That adds up to 2,000 refugees. We watch the Israelis do their acts of cruelty every night on TV. The policy is humiliation in the occupied territories, which is what the United States is attempting to do in Iraq.” More than one and a half million Palestinians live in Syria (almost 1/10 of the Syrian population). Half a million of them are classified as refugees. “Israel is humiliating the Palestinians as the United States is humiliating Iraqis.</p>
<p>“Imagine,” Sha’aban said, “one of eight Iraqis, more than 4 million, have left their country, and we know there is a move to partition the country, which would destabilize its neighbors as well. Do Americans know what their policy is doing? Do the American people want more enemies in the Middle East and elsewhere? I think Americans are kind, considerate and good,” she concluded, explaining she has done several lecture tours in the United States. She speaks “as a humanist” who despises anti-Semitism and insists that criticism of Israel should not get confused with anti-Semitism.</p>
<p>I found the opposite discourse in a gift shop attached to the Palmyra ruins. Amidst post cards and photo books made for tourists, I saw Volumes I and II of “The Jewish Roots in History,” by Dr. Hassan Hiddeh. For only $10, one can read: “The terrorism is the best methods for the Jewish to occupy the earth of the others, and they practice the terrorism during the war and peace, because this is Torah legislations which insists to commit massacres, then the inhabitants would immigrate before the Massacre, therefore the earth will be empty.” (p. 43, Vol 1, “translated by Eng. Noureddin Hamid”). Were it not for the laughable syntax, the tracts could have been written by Hitler’s propaganda machine. Yet, a government sanctioned gift shop sells such books, a statement of hatred that has become a defining attitude in a Middle East out of control.</p>
<p>“Who invited you to invade Iraq?” asked a man who sold shawls to the tourists. “Did Iraqi people sending letter to Bush asking him to bomb and have troops occupy? It make Syrians worried. This means democracy?”</p>
<p>A Syrian tourist driver also admitted he felt vulnerable. On the outskirts of Damascus, I observed the new housing under construction. I asked him if some of these new apartments would go to Iraqis. He snorted. “They are too rich for those apartments. We Syrians are poor. We want to go to America like our cousins. It is too bad you have such a government that makes war and makes all people hate it.”</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>The bus ride from Damascus north takes us –a rare group of American visitors — to Sednaya, thirty miles north and the site of All Convent of Our Lady, Greek Orthodox Church. Mother Superior told us the Virgin Mary had visited this spot, disguised as a deer. The elderly woman with a twinkle in her eye prayed for George Bush to bring peace. Three years earlier she had told me she prayed for Bush to get a brain. The tour guide did not take us to nor mention Sednaya prison, which houses political prisoners, some of whom belong to the Muslim Brotherhood.</p>
<p>In 1981, Brotherhood members assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Gamal Abdul Nasser, Sadat’s predecessor, had imprisoned and tortured MB members, including Sayyid Qutb, a scholar who said violence would cleanse souls and overthrow secular states –like the one in Syria. Sayyid’s brother Muhammad, an Egyptian professor, reportedly influenced Osama bin Laden.</p>
<p>In 2005, despite electoral fraud, Brotherhood candidates won 20% of the vote and became President Hosni Mubarak’s most significant Parliamentary opposition. In 1979, MB violence hit Syria. MB attackers killed eighty-three cadets at an Aleppo military school, near the Turkish border. In 1980, “the fanatics” as their opponents refer to the Brotherhood, murdered hundreds in Damascus car bombings.</p>
<p>President Hafiz Assad declared membership in the Brotherhood punishable by death. The MB retaliated by trying to assassinate Assad in 1980. Within hours, state security forces killed hundreds of imprisoned “fanatics.”</p>
<p>Rather than ending the conflict, Assad’s bloody response led to increased violence. In February 1982, Brotherhood organizers took over the city of Hama, calling it the “liberated city.” They issued a call: all Muslims in Syria should unite to overthrow the “infidel” (Assad). MB militants killed Ba’ath Party members and loyalists throughout Hama.</p>
<p>Assad demanded MB surrender. He warned Hama residents to leave or else consider themselves targets. Its leaders refused. Asasad’s elite brigades attacked and were repelled. Assad then ordered artillery fire on the Brotherhood held city of 350,000. Tanks and troops moved in. Air force jets bombed and killed as many as 10,000 in the two week battle (Robert Fisk, Pity the Nation, page 186).</p>
<p>Human rights organizations condemned Assad. “He did what he had to do,” a conservative Damascus business man told me in early March. “How do you deal with fanatics? Bush and his polices have made more of them,” he lamented.</p>
<p>“The number of fanatics in Syria,” according to a third world diplomat in Damascus, who served for decades in the Arab world, “has multiplied, although they don’t represent an immediate threat as they did under the first Assad. By attacking Iraq and threatening Syria, the most anti-terrorist of regimes, Bush has created enemies everywhere. `Fanatics’ hate the infidel crusader in the 21st Century and secularists despise him because his hypocrisy had led to the proliferation of religious fundamentalism in the Muslim world and aggressive Zionism in Israel and the United States.”</p>
<p>The Muslim Brotherhood confounds secular governments trying to modernize and liberalize. So, they jail and torture them. During the 10th Ba’ath Party Conference in June 2005, delegates agreed to allow for new non-sectarian political parties, a direct affront to the sectarian Brotherhood. But Party leaders apparently lacked confidence to declare an amnesty law that might have helped bring reconciliation. The number of MB members has reportedly grown, and the regime sees them as a threat. Ali Bayanouni, exiled in London, formed the Syrian National Salvation Front with former Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam. They intend their political grouping to force regime change in Damascus. They will open an office in Washington DC as well.</p>
<p>Try to imagine religious rule in this ethnically and religiously diverse country where Sunnis (the majority) and Shi’ites, with sects like Alawites (like President Bashar Assad) and several Christian religions –and a handful of Jews!</p>
<p>“The Baathists’ secularism has helped make Syria one of the more stable regimes in the region, my diplomatic acquaintance assured me. “Look at the corrupt Gulf States and Egypt, the pitiful US puppets in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even Israel, of course stable, has a government of clowning and corruption.” He referred to the February fiasco of Defense Minister Amir Peretz gazing through binoculars covered by lens caps and “seeing clearly.” “On the morning of Israel’s 2006 invasion of Lebanon, Israeli Defense Force Chief Lt. General Dan Halutz sold his stock portfolio. Two aging ministers groped the asses of young women in their offices.”</p>
<p>Such droll thoughts vanished when our tour bus stopped in Hama where tourists stared at ancient water wheels ­17 of them. Kids with parents supervising ran around a nearby park. Two women wearing abayas and hijabs, one with a baby in her arms, begged from tourists and locals. The slowly spinning wheels, replicas of those originally built 2000 years ago, lift river water onto aqueducts, which irrigates agricultural lands in the area. The wheels of up to 60 feet roll with the river current.</p>
<p>In 2007, Hama’s ancient history had eroded visible signs of the 1982 carnage. I noticed no signs or remnants of the 1982 battle carnage as the bus curled through quiet streets. Syrians have witnessed bloodshed for thousands of years. Canaanites, Phoenicians, and Arameans occupied the land. Hebrews settled near Damascus, an area later called Palestine. The Phoenicians occupied coastal areas along with Egyptians, Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and Hittites. The Persian Empire grabbed Syria followed by Alexander the Great, succeeded in turn by Roman and Byzantine empires.</p>
<p>To emphasize the living antiquity in the country, the tour guide brought our group to Maloula, a village north of Damascus, where, residents still speak Aramaic –Jesus’ and Mel Gibson’s language.</p>
<p>Father Toufic greeted us. I had met this Lebanese-born, Greek Catholic priest when I first filmed in Syria in 2003. After reciting the Lord’s prayer in Aramaic in the cold, stone church, he unleashed his wrath on Israeli and US injustice toward Palestinians. Syria, he noted, has been exemplary in its treatment of Palestinians. An estimated 1.5 million (about 1/10 of the population) live in its territory and have been successfully integrated.</p>
<p>“Syria is the only country that has integrated us,” Omar told me, offering a cheese filled goodie from his bakery. “Palestinian,” he assures me about the pie like yummy. “I came here as a child in 1948. I don’t remember Palestine, but I dream of it. We have relatives in Ramallah, but Syrians treat me like a Syrian, I have rights of a Syrian. My kids went to school with Syrian kids and are treated as equals.” He lives in an urban refugee zone, which looks like an ordinary Damascus neighborhood, apartment buildings, stores and lots of street life –with a mosque nearby, but inhabited by Palestinians and their offspring.</p>
<p>Syrians I spoke with, from Damascus hotel bellhops to a small farmer near Palmyra, agreed that Palestinians deserve to live in Syria as equals. The tolerant attitude extends to religion. The fervor men and women showed in prayer at the Omayed mosque doesn’t mean they are fundamentalist –“fanatic” as the businessman calls them. Those with covered hair and dressed in robes stand in stark contrast to teenagers in nearby streets wearing tight jeans and low cut blouses. To mix both into one society, plus Christians and Jews, Syria needs a secular government. Most Muslims appear to agree, no matter how fervently they pray in the mosque.</p>
<p>President Bashar Assad inherited the government from his father Hafiz al Assad, who ruled from 1970 until his death from cancer in 2000. Bashar, the unlikely successor studied ophthalmology in London and became the heir apparent only after his brother Basil died in an auto accident in 1994.</p>
<p>Syria, like neighboring Iraq under Saddam Hussein, maintained secular government in which minority Christians and non believers could function. Ba’ath Party founders in both countries emphasized Arab nationalism and state directed economic development. Immense and corrupt state bureaucracy, however, stands as an obstacle to progress. Corruption, according to my diplomat friend, begins with “bribing the traffic cop not to give you a ticket all the way to top levels where the bite is much more painful. The bureaucracy lives economically off the status quo and fights reform.”</p>
<p>My businessman friend and a Syrian diplomat agree. They want “progress”: WTO membership and privatization of state owned properties. They don’t mean dismantling health and education services, not free but accessible to most Syrians.</p>
<p>They argue that Syria must take advantage of its rich agriculture and two year grain reserve. It exports wheat, cotton, fruits, vegetables, meat and of course olive oil.</p>
<p>On the road, we waved to shepherds driving their sheep. Bedouins in colorful head scarves and toting long, flexible sticks steered their flock away from oncoming traffic. Near Palmyra, the sheep nibbled scant blades of grass still pushing their way through the ground. The rainy season ended in March and the shepherds will move their flock to greener pastures. Their ancestors did this for centuries before modern state borders imposed limits on pasture possibilities.</p>
<p>Bedouins represent Syrian past and the present, as do ancient ruins, churches and Aramaic speaking villages. Massive Damascus traffic jams force the present into the picture, sucking noxious emissions and witnessing the bustle of modern commerce.</p>
<p>The Christian Quarter is in the Old City, perhaps the oldest continuously inhabited urban area in the world. Bab Touma, St Paul’s Gate, and the Chapel of St. Paul, mark the spot where Paul was lowered in a basket after his conversion to Christianity. Nearby, Moshe runs an antique store. A Jew whose family moved to Brooklyn in the 1970s, returned to his native Syria. “Life is calmer here,” he said. “Too much stress in New York.”</p>
<p>In the Cham Palace Hotel room I stared at the city and listened to the honking horns. I too felt calmer than I do in New York. But I was born there.</p>
<p>SAUL LANDAU’s new book, <a href="http://www.easycartsecure.com/CounterPunch/CounterPunch_Books.html" type="external">BUSH AND BOTOX WORLD</a>, with a foreword by Gore Vidal, is now available from Counterpunch Press. His new film, WE DON’T PLAY GOLF HERE, is available on DVD from <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Return to Syria | true | https://counterpunch.org/2007/03/23/return-to-syria/ | 2007-03-23 | 4 |
<p>Former Reddit CEO Ellen Pao&lt;a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cmichel67/18330449416/in/photolist-6EwHQ-tVNkZj-67aNkf-tFy2Eu-67aN2s-tFwMTw-tVMPzS-67aMCN-fQ9B9o-cc4823-bUFX2H-cQEN6h-an27UX-an4RAm-an4Nbd-cc4dAQ-bUFYSH-cc4dkW-cc4d4s-bUFXSB-cc4ccU-cc4czo-cQEKhu-cQEAV3-cQEGkG-cQEQC9-cQEW7Y-cQETc7-cQEyPC-cQEHuf"&gt;Christopher Michael&lt;/a&gt;/Flickr</p>
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<p>In the minutes following today’s <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/announcements/comments/3cucye/an_old_team_at_reddit/" type="external">announcement</a> that Ellen Pao, Reddit’s embattled interim CEO, would be stepping down, users of the site responded with glee. Pao has been widely criticized by many of the site’s unpaid moderators for her recent tone-deaf firing of a popular employee—see <a href="" type="internal">here for more on what really happened with that</a>—and for ignoring the moderators’ needs and contributions to running the platform. Yet beneath the celebration lurked a disturbing undercurrent of racism. As of 2:45 p.m. PST, the second most “upvoted” comment beneath the announcement was this:</p>
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<p>The biggest problem with the comment isn’t the mocking of Pao’s Asian name. It’s the commenter’s handle, “DylanStormRoof.” Dylann Roof, of course, is the young man accused of massacring nine people at South Carolina’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church last month.</p>
<p>Other Redditors quickly alleged that DylannStormRoof moderates a notoriously racist subreddit:</p>
<p>Reddit’s trolls have been out to get Pao ever since she <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2015/6/10/8761763/reddit-harassment-ban-fat-people-hate-subreddit" type="external">shut down</a> five toxic subreddits last month, including one called r/shitniggerssay. They also aren’t psyched that she <a href="" type="internal">called out Silicon Valley’s misogynistic culture</a>. That’s not to say that Pao’s handling of Reddit’s most controversial communities is the only reason she’s unpopular with users of the site, which is, after all, the 10th most trafficked on the internet. But today’s reaction illustrates the challenges her replacement, Reddit co-founder Steve Huffman, will face if he wants to rein in the site’s most offensive tendencies.</p>
<p>Update, July 10, 2015, 5 p.m. PT: Cooler heads on Reddit have since taken over, as they often do, burying “DylannStormRoof”‘s comment and up-voting a reply pointing out its racist connotations.</p>
<p /> | Reddit’s Faction of Racist Trolls Celebrates CEO Ellen Pao’s Resignation | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2015/07/reddits-racist-trolls-are-psyched-ceo-ellen-pao-has-stepped-down/ | 2015-07-10 | 4 |
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<p>The “A Toda Madre” exhibit will open at El Chante: Casa de Cultura Art Gallery,” 804 Park SW, with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Visitors will not only get to see the art of Romero but that of his students, Felipe Tapia and Daniel Padilla.</p>
<p>Romero was born in the Agua Fria village of Santa Fe, and he grew up with not only a physical disability but with dyslexia and a serious stutter. He said he knew he would never be able to keep up with his class work, so he turned to art as an escape. He’s now a successful fine art painter, muralist and sign artist.</p>
<p>“I graduated barely knowing how to read or write,” he said. “I spent the next eight years of my life getting instruction as an artist and learning to read and write.”</p>
<p>After graduating from high school, he moved to Los Angeles to attend school. He received more training as an artist and even started his own sign-painting business.</p>
<p>He returned to Albuquerque and began displaying his work wherever possible. In 1994, he suffered two life-threatening cerebral aneurysms. He said he recommitted himself to helping young artists, passing down what he has learned.</p>
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<p>“I believe the only way to appreciate what I have is to give back,” he said. “There were people in my life who could have helped me but didn’t. I didn’t want to be that way.”</p>
<p>Romero said his favorite types of art to create are black and white oil and acrylic paintings. As for subject material, he goes with whatever he’s feeling at the time.</p>
<p>“I paint with my emotions,” he said. “I do focus a lot on New Mexico because I’m here. I love it and the culture. I’m inspired by scenes from every day life.”</p>
<p>Gallery director Bianca Encinias said the gallery likes to show established artists but also serves as a launching pad for new ones. She said that’s why showing Romero’s students, who are less established, was a good fit for the gallery.</p>
<p>“We like to give them a chance to show their art,” she said. “There’s a lot of art going on in the community, and that’s a positive thing. We want to highlight the positive that exists in our community.” — This article appeared on page 1 of the West Side Journal</p> | Fine Art Painter, Muralist Says He Has ‘To Give Back’ | false | https://abqjournal.com/123190/fine-art-painter-muralist-says-he-has-to-give-back.html | 2012-08-09 | 2 |
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<p>Unfortunately, most of the tax breaks that could save you money on the 2016 tax return that you'll file in the next few months expired with 2016. However, there is one big tax break that you can still take advantage of for the first few months of 2017: the deduction for contributions to an individual retirement account (IRA), and the possible credit that comes with them. Here's what you need to know, and why I consider this the best tax break of all.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>The deduction for traditional IRA contributions is one that can still be used in 2017, to be applied to your 2016 tax return. Specifically, the IRS allows contributions to an IRA until the regular tax deadline for each calendar year, and thanks to a Washington, D.C., holiday, the tax deadline is pushed back a few days in 2017 to April 18.</p>
<p>For each of the 2016 and 2017 tax years, you're allowed to contribute up to $5,500 to your IRA, with an additional $1,000 catch-up contribution allowed per year if you're 50 or over. This limit is good for both traditional and Roth IRAs, and although Roth contributions don't qualify for a tax deduction, there are some other key benefits to these accounts that you should be aware of. It's also important to point out that this is a combined limit for all of your IRAs -- in other words, if you have two different IRAs, your total contributions for the tax year cannot exceed these limits.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>This can be especially good news for new investors who don't currently have an IRA, as it effectively means that you can "double up" on your contributions in 2017. Since you can still make your 2016 contributions, this means that you could potentially set aside up to $11,000 ($13,000 if over 50) in an IRA in 2017.</p>
<p>If you don't yet have an IRA, check out The Motley Fool's <a href="http://www.fool.com/retirement/ira/index.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">IRA center Opens a New Window.</a> to help you get started.</p>
<p>Traditional IRA contributions can get you a big tax break. If you're under 50 and contribute the maximum of $5,500, this translates to $1,375 off of your 2016 tax bill if you're in the 25% tax bracket. Also, this is an above-the-line deduction, which means that you can take advantage whether you itemize deductions on your tax return or not.</p>
<p>If you or your spouse are eligible to participate in a retirement plan at work, your ability to take a deduction is <a href="http://www.fool.com/retirement/2016/11/05/ira-income-limits-for-2016-and-2017.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">limited by your income Opens a New Window.</a>. If you are covered by an employer's plan, your ability to take a deduction phases out at these income (AGI) limits. If you fall within the respective income range for your filing status, you are eligible for a partial deduction.</p>
<p>Data source: Internal Revenue Service.</p>
<p>If you aren't covered by an employer's plan, your ability to take the deduction is limited only if your spouse is covered:</p>
<p>Data source: Internal Revenue Service.</p>
<p>As a bonus, if your income is below $61,500 if you file a joint return, or $30,750 if you're single, you might qualify for the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit, also known as the <a href="http://www.fool.com/retirement/2016/12/03/the-savers-tax-credit-free-money-to-save-for-retir.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Saver's Credit Opens a New Window.</a>. It can be worth up to 50% of your first $2,000 in retirement contributions each year ($4,000 for couples). This could give you extra incentive to save money if you qualify -- after all, this is literally free money just for saving for your own retirement.</p>
<p>Here's the income chart and credit percentages for the 2016 tax year:</p>
<p>Data source: Internal Revenue Service.</p>
<p>I've written before that I consider the <a href="http://www.fool.com/retirement/2016/12/05/the-smartest-tax-move-to-make-in-2017.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">tax incentives for retirement saving Opens a New Window.</a> to be, hands-down, the best tax breaks of all. Not only can you lower your tax bill now, but you'll also be setting yourself up for financial comfort years down the road.</p>
<p>As a final thought, consider that if you contribute $5,500 to an IRA for 35 years, based on the stock market's historical average performance, you could be sitting on a nest egg of more than $1.3 million. And you'll have enjoyed some nice tax savings along the way. In my mind, this is as close to a financial no-brainer as you can get.</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>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> | You Could Still Lower Your 2016 Taxes -- Here's How | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/01/10/could-still-lower-your-2016-taxes-here-how.html | 2017-01-10 | 0 |
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<p>The U.S. Department of Agriculture has really beefed up its Web site since the mad cow investigation began and the site is a great resource for anyone covering the story.</p>
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<p>The site has not only been posting transcripts of all its press conferences, but has also been streaming them live on its Web site and posting archived video of each one afterward.</p>
<p>Check out <a href="http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2003/06/resources.html" type="external">this page</a> for those transcripts and videos and more.</p>
<p>The USDA even has been quick about posting alerts about upcoming news conferences on <a href="http://www.usda.gov" type="external">www.usda.gov</a>. Monday morning, for example, it said, "Next Technical Briefing and Webcast with U.S. Government Officials On BSE Case Monday, Jan. 5 at 2:00 p.m. EST."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2003/12/bsechronology.htm" type="external">The USDA is keeping a chronology of events in the investigation -- great for your reference or for boiling down into a timeline for your publication.</a></p>
<p>A few other useful links from the USDA:</p>
<p>You can also sign up to have the news releases on the mad cow probe and other subjects e-mailed to you: <a href="http://www.ams.usda.gov/ocnews/" type="external">http://www.ams.usda.gov/ocnews/</a></p>
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<p><a href="" type="internal">Top&#160;Stories of 2003</a> <a href="" type="internal">&#160;feedback</a>Molly Thompson, the managing editor for Channel3000.com/WISC-TV, writes in that last week's column, " <a href="" type="internal">Top&#160;Stories of 2003</a>," inspired her&#160;to do <a href="http://www.channel3000.com/news/2734947/detail.html" type="external">this article</a> for her website.</p>
<p>You'll notice Molly took the idea for year-end traffic summaries two steps further than other sites, including not only the top stories but the top slide shows and top videos as well. The top slide show was <a href="http://html.channel3000.com/sh/slideshow/_auto/sh32064s1.html" type="external">the "Pet of the Week" segment</a>&#160;and the top video was "'Survivor' Best Friends Pose in Playboy."</p>
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<p>SUBMIT YOUR TIPS FOR PUBLICATION</p>
<p>&#160;JON'S LINKS:&#160;&#160;</p> | Mad Cow Resources | false | https://poynter.org/news/mad-cow-resources | 2004-01-05 | 2 |
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<p>Wall Street investment bank’s fixed income, currency and commodities division saw a 29 percent revenue slump during the quarter, from $1.72 billion to $1.22 billion.</p>
<p>Goldman follows other major U.S. banks this week in revealing a noticeable slowdown in trading over the past three months.</p>
<p>Goldman earned $2.03 billion, or $4.38 a share, for the quarter that ended in December. That compares with a profit of $2.25 billion, or $4.60 a share, in the same period a year earlier.</p>
<p>Revenues were $7.69 billion, down from $8.78 billion a year ago.</p>
<p>Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected Goldman to earn $4.32 a share on $7.66 billion in revenue.</p>
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<p>Goldman also saw a slowdown in its investment bank underwriting division.</p>
<p>For the full year, Goldman reported a profit of $8.08 billion, or $17.07 a share, up from $7.73 billion, or $16.34 a share, last year.</p>
<p>Goldman’s compensation expenses, typically the firm’s largest operating expense, were flat for the year at $12.69 billion.</p>
<p>Shares of Goldman fell slightly in in premarket trading to $178.49.</p> | Goldman Sachs 4Q earnings fall 10 percent | false | https://abqjournal.com/527240/goldman-sachs-4q-earnings-fall-10-percent.html | 2015-01-16 | 2 |
<p>Image source: Chegg,</p>
<p>What:Shares of online education specialistChegg rose nearly 19% Wednesday, rebounding after a harrowing 35% post-earnings plunge on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>So what: Specifically, Chegg stock plummeted yesterday as the market reacted not only to its mixed fourth-quarter 2015 results -- where it beat analysts' expectations on earnings per share but fell short on revenue -- but also to its disappointing forward revenue outlook. Chegg told investors to expect GAAP revenue of $60 million to $65 million for the current quarter, and full-year revenue of $230 million to $250 million. And analysts, on average, were anticipating significantly higher current-quarter revenue of $72.1 million, and full-year revenue of $281.7 million.</p>
<p>But it was also questionable whether that really merited such a steep pullback. As I <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/02/23/why-chegg-inc-stock-plummeted-today.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">pointed out Opens a New Window.</a> yesterday, Chegg investors were already expecting revenue to fall in the coming year, as the company aims to complete its transition to a fully commission-based model with Ingram Content Group for its print textbook business some time in 2017. Keeping in mind its quarterly earnings beat yesterday, CEO Dan Rosenswieg explained, "An important nuance to understand is that, as previously announced, total GAAP revenue declines in 2016, while we expect profitability to materially improve."</p>
<p>Now what: At the same time, it's evident investors weren't anticipating Chegg's revenue declines to be quite so pronounced as guidance foretells. In the end, though, today's rebound makes sense as the market digests the fact Chegg's results weren't nearly as bad as yesterday's plunge seemed to indicate.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/02/24/why-chegg-inc-stock-popped-today.aspx" type="external">Why Chegg, Inc. Stock Popped Today Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSymington/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Steve Symington Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services <a href="http://www.fool.com/shop/newsletters/index.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">free for 30 days Opens a New Window.</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights Opens a New Window.</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | Why Chegg, Inc. Stock Popped Today | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/02/24/why-chegg-inc-stock-popped-today.html | 2016-02-24 | 0 |
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<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Here is my Associated Press Top 25 men’s basketball ballot for Dec. 10, 2012, with records as of Monday morning in parenthesis ( <a href="" type="internal">CLICK HERE</a> for my Dec. 3 ballot):</p>
<p>OUT THIS WEEK: Virginia Tech, Boise State IN THIS WEEK: Oklahoma State, NC State</p>
<p>LOBOS LINKS: <a href="" type="internal">Roster</a> | <a href="" type="internal">Schedule/Results</a> | <a href="" type="internal">Geoff Grammer’s blog</a></p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Geoff Grammer's AP Top 25 Men's Basketball Ballot for Dec. 10 | false | https://abqjournal.com/238411/geoff-grammers-ap-top-25-mens-basketball-ballot-for-dec-10.html | 2 |
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<p>Technology shares were higher amid optimism over growth prospects.</p>
<p>After reporting its best quarterly growth in two years last week, Apple shares rose to a new high, making the iPhone maker the first public U.S. company to ever reach a market value of $900 billion. It now needs to grow its market capitalization by just 11% to become the first public company worth $1 trillion.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Shares of Snap tumbled after its quarterly results fell short of expectations. Shares were down as much as 20% in after-hours trading Tuesday, but declines were pared after the company disclosed that Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings bought a 12% stake. Tencent, an early pre-IPO backer of Snap, acquired roughly 146 million of its shares in the market, Snap said in a filing Wednesday. The purchase adds to an investment Tencent made in Snap in 2013 during a fundraising round before the company went public.</p>
<p>-By Amy Pessetto, [email protected]</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
<p>November 08, 2017 17:53 ET (22:53 GMT)</p> | Apple Shares Rise to New High -- Technology Roundup | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/11/08/apple-shares-rise-to-new-high-technology-roundup.html | 2017-11-08 | 0 |
<p>Israel has used Gaza as a free fire zone for 22 days and nights. Inevitably, the question arises how could Israel’s occupation become so brutal taking into account the country’s claim of being a “benign occupation power”. Neve Gordon’s book asks exactly that question. Did it happen because of decisions made by politicians or military officers or did the reasons lay in certain elements of the occupation’s structure? The author sees the latter as the main cause of the conflict. Initially, “the occupation operated according to the colonization principle” which means the administration of people’s lives, while exploiting the territories’ resources. Structural contradictions undermined the original principle and gave way in the mid-1990 to the separation principle. By separation, Gordon means “the abandonment of efforts to administer the lives of a colonized population”. This lack of interest towards peoples’ lives that is characteristic of the separation principle “accounts for the recent surge in lethal violence”.</p>
<p>Neve Gordon, professor for Politics and Government at the Ben-Gurion University in Be’er Sheva, has written the first comprehensive history of the Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory since 1967. Early on, he makes it clear that the conflict started way before 1967. The struggle for land began in the late 19th century and reached its peak in 1948. One cannot understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “without taking into account the ethnic cleansing that took place during and after the 1948 war”. The author does not intend to reduce the conflict to the military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem although his analysis concentrates on the occupation since 1967. Gordon hints at ambivalence: Israel has neither emphasized the de jure distinction nor the de facto bond between the regions, because in each case a contradiction emerges. To show to what absurdity this might lead the author asks the reader to imagine, for instance, that the Secretary of State of the United States would live permanently outside the country as several Israeli legislators and government ministers do, who live in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).</p>
<p>Right from the outset, Gordon mentions the differences in the methods of managing the occupation. In the early years, Israel tried to behave like a “benign occupier”. It improved the livelihood and the food basket of Palestinians, not only allowing them to work in Israel but also by planting hundreds of thousands of trees in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli political elite hoped Palestinians would get used to the occupation. According to the dictum by then Defense Minister Moshe Dayan: “Don’t rule over them, let them rather lead their own lives.” Although the methods of managing the occupation changed over time, the aims remained the same: Israel wanted only the “dowry”, not the “bride”, i.e. Israel wanted the land, but not its indigenous population. The separation not only failed but the Palestinians did not either accept the colonial rule.</p>
<p>According to the author Israel ruled till 1976 through the traditional (Palestinian) elite. Its power was challenged by the newly emerging economic elite, which built the nucleus of a new political and national movement. At this moment, a major shift in Israeli politics took place. Gordon calls this political shift a change from a “policy of life to a policy of death”.</p>
<p>The author paints a sober picture of the Oslo years. From the beginning of the occupation till the outbreak of the so-called peace process in 1993, thirty per cent of the Palestinian labour force worked in Israel proper and created an enormous wealth. Their proportion dropped to seven per cent in 1996 when Benyamin Netanyahu became Israel’s Prime Minister. The Palestinian GDP dropped by 37 per cent from 1993 to the year 2000. The Oslo years were the best of the colonial settlement project; the number of Israeli settlers doubled in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. This period also saw an economic boom in Israel. Nothing equivalent happened on the Palestinian side. None of the promises made to Palestinians materialized. “The Palestinians suffered more under Oslo than before Oslo.” The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) had neither sovereignty over the land nor over the people or their free movement. For the failure of Oslo, Gordon blames not only Israel but also the Palestinian leadership.</p>
<p>According to the author, the PNA was created as a tool to keep the Palestinian population under control. When it could no longer control the people, Israel changed the mechanism of control, i.e. it established some sort of “remote control” by creating checkpoints and barriers to limit and control movement and by using military drones, F-16 fighter jets, etc., for surveillance and intimidation. Up to this day, Israel has not given up any sovereignty, not even over the Gaza Strip, from where it pulled out its military forces in 2005. The Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which is surrounded by Israeli barbed wire, still live like in a prison. Their right to leave or enter the Strip is controlled by Israel. Having no individual rights or any positive perspective whatsoever it was no surprise that the second Intifada broke out in the year 2000, so Gordon.</p>
<p>He explains the rising support of Hamas by the “excesses and contradictions produced by Israel’s controlling apparatus and practices” which culminated in a landslide victory of that movement in the democratic elections of January 25, 2006. The ascendancy of Hamas is not only due to its reaction to Israel’s colonial project, but is also a consequence of this project. The Islamist movement profited also from the globalization process. The author is rightly concerned over the successful consolidation of Hamas rule, because it will be “extremely tragic for all those who have fought for the establishment of a secular democracy in Palestine”.</p>
<p>I met Neve Gordon in the early 1990s when doing research for my book “Peace without Justice? Israel and the human rights of the Palestinians” He worked then for “Physicians for Human Rights”. Already then, he demonstrated his courage. I am not surprised that he wrote such a powerful book on Israel’s occupation, which damaged the reputation of the country, even more so by the horrific onslaught on the Gaza Strip. His review of 40 years of occupation is a must read for anybody.</p>
<p>Dr. LUDWIG WATZAL works a journalist and publicist in Bonn, Germany. He has written several books on Israel and Palestine. He contributed this review to PalestineChronicle.com. Contact him at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | The Structure of Israel’s Occupation | true | https://counterpunch.org/2009/03/11/the-structure-of-israel-s-occupation/ | 2009-03-11 | 4 |
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<p>As you think about President Bush's newly unveiled plan to pre-empt the bird flu, realize that the $7.1 billion, five-year solution envisions states, not the feds, picking up 40 percent to 75 percent of the cost.</p>
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<p />
<p />
<p>What are your state health/treasury folks saying about this? Will we end up with poorer states going unprotected? What happens if they don't pony up?&#160;&#160;&#160; <a href="http://www.heraldnewsdaily.com/stories/news-0094114.html" type="external">The Associated Press included this response:</a></p>
<p>"They expect us to pay 75 cents on a dollar for flu medicine -- that's going to be a tough pill to swallow," Republican Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, chairman of the <a href="http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga" type="external">National Governors Association</a>, said through a spokeswoman.</p>
<p>Here are stories from the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-flu2nov02,0,1511101.story?coll=la-home-headlines" type="external">Los Angeles Times</a> and <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/01/AR2005110101100.html" type="external">The Washington Post</a>.&#160; &#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/01/AR2005110101100.html" type="external">The</a> <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/01/AR2005110101100.html" type="external">Post</a> story included this passage:</p>
<p>[The plan calls for] states to buy enough antiviral medicine to treat 31 million people, with the federal government providing a 25 percent subsidy. According to calculations made by the advocacy group <a href="http://healthyamericans.org/" type="external">Trust for America's Health</a>, this "amounts to an unfunded mandate" of about $510 million.</p>
<p>Another resource: <a href="http://www.pandemicflu.gov/" type="external">http://www.pandemicflu.gov/</a></p>
<p>The National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza, released <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/pandemic-influenza.html" type="external">this week, said</a>:</p>
<p>States and communities should have credible pandemic preparedness plans to respond to an outbreak within their jurisdictions.</p>
<p>Here is a collection of <a href="http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/stateplans.html" type="external">state bird flu plans, so far.</a></p>
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<p>The Erosion of "G" Ratings</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/02/film.kidsmovieratings.ap/" type="external">An AP story said:</a></p>
<p>A shotgun-wielding hunter mercilessly pursues his target. Angry space aliens vaporize a defenseless town. A bloodthirsty shark preys on the weak and tiny.These movie scenes aren't from the latest action thrillers -- they're from G-rated animated films like Disney's new "Chicken Little."</p>
<p>Parent advocacy groups are complaining that violence and veiled sexual references have crept into the seemingly innocent cartoon landscape. The story continued:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/press/releases/press07132004.html" type="external">A series of Harvard studies confirms</a> that violence has increased during the history of animated G-rated films. In one study, more than half of all G-rated animated features showed characters using alcohol or tobacco. These movies are likely to contain more violent content than their live-action counterparts. [...] It's not that the <a href="http://www.mpaa.org/home.htm" type="external">Motion Picture Association of America</a>'s ratings board has become more permissive, said MPAA President <a href="http://www.mpaa.org/about/dan/" type="external">Dan Glickman</a>: "It's bound to be a reflection of society." <a href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/press/releases/press07132004.html" type="external" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/press/releases/press07132004.html" type="external">In 2004, the Harvard studies found:</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.kidsrisk.harvard.edu/" type="external">Kimberly Thompson,</a> Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at HSPH and Director of the <a href="http://www.kidsrisk.harvard.edu/" type="external">Kids Risk Project</a> said, "The findings demonstrate that ratings creep has occurred over the last decade and that today’s movies contain significantly more violence, sex, and profanity on average than movies of the same rating a decade ago.”</p>
<p>The researchers developed a database that included movie ratings and rating reasons obtained from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) ( <a href="http://www.MPAA.org" type="external">www.MPAA.org</a>) and information about movie content from two independent resources, Kids-in-Mind ( <a href="http://www.kids-in-mind.com" type="external">www.kids-in-mind.com</a>) and Screen It! ( <a href="http://www.screenit.com" type="external">www.screenit.com</a>). They then assessed the relationship between movie ratings and content and trends for films released between Jan. 1, 1992 and Dec. 31, 2003.</p>
<p>Thompson and co-author Fumie Yokota, formerly a researcher at HSPH, found a significant increase of violence, sex and profanity in films over the 11-year period, suggesting that the MPAA became increasingly more lenient in assigning its age-based movie ratings. Their results suggest that the overall increase arose largely from increases in violent content in films rated PG and PG-13, increases in sexual content in films rated PG, PG-13, and R, and increases in profanity in films rated PG-13 and R.&#160; They emphasize that while this ten-year period represents recent experience, it does not represent the full time scale of all films.&#160;</p>
<p>Comparing the amount of violence in non-animated and animated G-rated films, the authors found a significantly higher amount of violence in animated films than in non-animated films.</p>
<p>Getting Tougher and Tougher to Find a Place to Smoke</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Next Tuesday, Washington voters will decide if their state will be the first to impose a statewide ban on smoking within 25 feet of buildings that prohibit smoking.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/246643_smoking01.html" type="external">Seattle Post-Intelligencer</a> said it would be nation's most restrictive smoking policy.</p>
<p>Unlike most other state bans, Washington's proposal would prohibit smoking in indoor public facilities and workplaces with no exceptions -- not even cigar lounges or private clubs.</p>
<p>Further, no state ban stretches as far outdoors as Initiative 901's provision to prohibit smoking within 25 feet of doors, windows and vents of public places, according to the independent <a href="http://www.hpts.org/HPTS2005/home05.nsf" type="external">Health Policy Tracking Service</a>.</p>
<p>Although business owners would be allowed to ask health officials for exemptions from the 25-foot rule if they can show smoke won't infiltrate public areas, some say the anti-tobacco types have gone too far. It's one thing to protect kids from secondhand smoke at family restaurants; it's another to ban smoking in businesses that cater to smokers, they say.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-11-01-smoke-free-zones_x.htm" type="external">USA Today reported:</a></p>
<p>Limits on smoking outdoors have taken off in the past two years, says Maggie Hopkins of the <a href="http://www.no-smoke.org/index.php" type="external">American Non-smokers' Rights Foundation</a>. She says restrictions are in effect in 361 communities. The laws threaten to make it even harder to smoke during the workday or a night on the town. Among developments:</p>
<p>We are always looking for your great ideas. <a href="" type="internal">Send Al</a> a few sentences and hot links.</p>
<p>Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts and other materials from a variety of Web sites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed and a link will be provided whenever possible.&#160;</p> | Thursday Edition: Will States Pay for Bird Flu Plan? | false | https://poynter.org/news/thursday-edition-will-states-pay-bird-flu-plan | 2005-11-02 | 2 |
<p>AUCKLAND (Reuters) – Roberto Bautista Agut continued to shine in New Zealand when the Spaniard won his second Auckland Classic title with a 6-1 4-6 7-5 victory over second seed Juan Martin del Potro on Saturday.</p>
<p>The fifth seed, who clinched the title in 2016 but was unable to defend it last year due to illness, romped through the first set in 31 minutes as he broke his Argentine opponent three times and produced numerous forehand winners.</p>
<p>The second set went on serve with neither able to get a break point opportunity until the 10th game, which Del Potro seized upon to send the match into a decider when Bautista Agut hit a backhand into the net after a cagey baseline rally.</p>
<p>Neither player offered up many opportunities in the third set until the 11th game, when the Spaniard converted on the second of his break points to take a 6-5 lead and then held serve to triumph in a little more than two hours.</p>
<p>Both players will now turn their attention to next week’s Australian Open in Melbourne, where Bautista Agut will play compatriot Fernando Verdasco in the first round, while Del Potro takes on American prospect Frances Tiafoe.</p>
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<p>Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.</p> | Bautista Agut beats del Potro to win Auckland title | false | https://newsline.com/bautista-agut-beats-del-potro-to-win-auckland-title/ | 2018-01-13 | 1 |
<p>American SportWorks is recalling about 3,500 off-road utility vehicles because the throttle can fail and cause the driver to lose control.</p>
<p>Six models are being recalled: the LandMaster 300 and 400; the BullDog 300; the Trail Wagon 400; and the Chuck Wagon 300 and 400. They were sold at Atwood Distributing, Rural King, The Home Depot and other dealers from September to June for $4,300 to $5,300.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>No injuries were reported, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.</p>
<p>American SportWorks said customers should stop using the vehicles and call them at (800) 293-0795 to schedule a repair.</p> | About 3,500 American SportWorks off-road utility vehicles recalled because throttle can fail | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2015/08/13/about-3500-american-sportworks-off-road-utility-vehicles-recalled-because.html | 2016-03-05 | 0 |
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<p>Christmas shopping used to be so simple. Wait until the very last possible minute and score the best deals. But a shift in trends is underway. After two years of less-than-stellar results, retailers are priming the pump by offering deals earlier than ever. According to Adobe, the steepest discounts during last year’s holiday season actually came on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Adding to shopper woes, some retailers ran out of the most popular products by Black Friday.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>And, this year, retailers are getting even more aggressive. Forget Black Friday. As we’ve reported, JCPenney, Macy’s, Best Buy, and Sears are among the many stores opening on Thanksgiving Day. Kmart is setting a record by staying open 42 consecutive hours starting at 6 a.m. Thanksgiving. And, according to research from Adobe Systems, the biggest prices cuts online may well come before Black Friday. In other words, get shopping now.</p>
<p>But, of course, the devil is in the details. Part of when you shop depends on what you are shopping for. Shop for cheap electronics on Black Friday rather than Cyber Monday, according to Matthew Ong, a senior retail analyst for NerdWallet. Others say that clothing deals will emerge on Cyber Monday.</p>
<p>To score the best prices, you’ll have to comparison shop. Keep in mind, online retailers change prices continuously on the most popular items. For example, the fitness band Jawbone Up24, was on sale in October for as little as $110.05 at Amazon, but the price also bounced up to $129 on the same website in the same month. Walmart’s website showed similar price moves, and at Sears, the price for the same product climbed as high as $149.</p>
<p>In other words, prices are a completely flexible thing and you simply can’t count on prices staying the same. For that reason, personal finance expert Vera Gibbons suggests using price comparison apps like ShopSavvy or PriceGrabber.</p>
<p>Finally, late shoppers may do well at the very end of the season when retailers attempt to clear inventory though it may be difficult to find the exact item you’re searching for. Flexibility is key for late shoppers. If there is a specific retailer you plan to patronize, follow the stores on social media where you can track sales. Ask about return policies in advance and whether the store matches lower prices from competitors. The trends shaping up now indicate a good year for shoppers, if not store operators.</p> | The Best Strategies for Holiday Shopping | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2014/11/10/best-strategies-for-holiday-shopping.html | 2016-03-06 | 0 |
<p>In episode 32 of our podcast, we look at ads in the Alaska and West Virginia Senate races, and we debunk bogus claims about the health care law — again.</p>
<p>For more on the stories discussed in this episode, see: Murkowski vs. Tea Party, Round 2&#160; Oct. 6 Pataki's Bogus Health Care Claims&#160; Oct. 6 Dust-Up in Coal Country&#160; Oct. 1</p>
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<p>In episode 26, we answer readers’ questions on claims about the planned Islamic cultural center and mosque near ground zero. Plus, we document spin from both the vice president and the House GOP leader on stimulus spending, and we fact-check former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s appearance on Fox News. &#160; For more on the stories discussed in this episode, see: Questions About the ‘Ground Zero Mosque’&#160; Aug. 26 Spinning the Stimulus&#160; Aug. 24 Sunday Replay&#160; Aug.</p>
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<p>In episode 25, we debunk President Obama’s claim that leading Republicans in Congress want to privatize Social Security. Plus, we look at dueling ads from the Pennsylvania Senate race, and we tackle claims related to the controversy over the Islamic center and mosque in New York.</p>
<p>&#160; For more on the stories discussed in this episode, see: Obama’s (Latest) Social Security Whopper&#160; Aug. 16 Toomey’s Stimulus Charge Doesn’t Add Up&#160; Aug. 13 DSCC Wrong on Toomey’s Wall St.</p>
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<p>In episode 24, we look at how union and corporate money is coming into play in the Minnesota governor’s race. A union- and Democrat-funded group is airing misleading attack ads against GOP candidate Tom Emmer. And in New Mexico, a wildlife group attacks a Republican nominee for the House.</p>
<p>&#160; For more on the stories discussed in this episode, see: Corporate-Labor Smackdown in Minnesota&#160; Aug. 6 In N.M., Wildlife Group Mislabels Pearce&#160; Aug. 11</p>
<p /> | false | https://factcheck.org/tag/factcheck-radio-2/ | 2 |
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<p>K. Watson: Inauguration from Dublin</p>
<p>I WAS hurrying past my favorite Dublin pub when I heard an American voice projected over the rush-hour traffic. The voice was louder than the din of the cars and buses driving by. Unaware of the time, I suddenly realized that President Barack Obama's Inauguration speech was being broadcast onto the street.</p>
<p>My vote is counted in Alaska, but I am resident in Dublin, Ireland. This has meant that over the past two years I have often been asked to defend America and its policies. But since the election I am no longer asked what my opinion on Bush is. Nor am I asked what my opinion on Obama is. I am just told, "It's great about Obama, you must be delighted."</p>
<p>To celebrate the inauguration I made plans to attend an inaugural ball hosted by the Dublin chapter of Democrats Abroad, an official Democratic Party organization for Americans residing outside of the country. I was excited to spend time with other Americans on the Inauguration Day. But my feelings of joy and inspiration on Inauguration Day came not through dancing to Frank Sinatra with a group of expatriates.</p>
<p>They came through watching people stop on their way home from work to listen to Obama's speech being broadcast out of a pub. They came through hearing an Irish taxi driver say, "If Obama does half as well as everyone is hoping, I'll be happy."</p>
<p>Lately the news in Ireland has been filled with job losses, tax increases, and the nationalizing of Anglo-Irish Bank. Yet every Irish person I spoke with on January 20th had something positive to say about Obama and his policies. The enthusiasm for him is reminiscent of that for President John F. Kennedy. Like many Americans, the Irish are concerned about the financial crisis and how their jobs will be affected. Two weeks ago, Dell announced the loss of 1900 jobs at their Limerick site, and each day the Irish Times announces another cut. If President Obama is able to help solve this crisis, he won't have to be a Kennedy to continue being admired here.</p>
<p>Katie Rose Watson is pursuing an M.Phil in Comparative Literature at Trinity College, Dublin.</p> | The Irish Connection: The Inauguration from Dublin | true | https://dissentmagazine.org/online_articles/the-irish-connection-the-inauguration-from-dublin | 4 |
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<p>– Donald Trump, remarks at an rally in Des Moines, Dec. 8, 2016</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>On Jan. 20, President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office and then assume responsibility for a vast array of federal agencies. One of these agencies will be the Labor Department, which calculates the official unemployment rate.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>During the campaign, Trump frequently said the unemployment rate – then hovering around 5 percent – was really 42 percent. He earned a rating of untrue for that claim. The problem was that he was counting every single adult American who did not have a job, regardless of whether they wanted one. So he said the “unemployed” should include people who are retired, are students or are stay-at-home parents. That’s obviously absurd.</p>
<p>So, for the benefit of the soon-to-be-president, let’s explain how the unemployment rate is calculated. His description on Dec. 8 indicates that he does not understand the basics of this fundamental measure of the U.S. economy.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>There are actually six versions of the unemployment rate produced monthly by the department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The official unemployment rate is U-3, which reflects people who are actively seeking jobs but cannot find one. Here are the six rates, with the percent unemployed as of November.</p>
<p>U-1: Persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force (1.8 percent)</p>
<p>U-2: Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force (2.2 percent)</p>
<p>U-3: Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (4.6 percent)</p>
<p>U-4: Total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers (5 percent)</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>U-5: Total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other persons marginally attached to the labor force, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force (5.8 percent)</p>
<p>U-6: Total unemployed, plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force (9.3 percent)</p>
<p>On its website, the BLS offers a lengthy explanation of how it calculates the unemployment rate. The agency identifies employed and unemployed based on four simple concepts:</p>
<p>People with jobs are employed.</p>
<p>People who are jobless, looking for a job and available for work are unemployed.</p>
<p>The labor force is made up of the employed and the unemployed.</p>
<p>People who are neither employed nor unemployed are not in the labor force.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>As examples of people not in the labor force, the agency gives this scenario: “Linda is a stay-at-home mother. Last week, she was occupied with her normal household activities. She neither held a job nor looked for a job. Her 80-year-old father who lives with her has not worked or looked for work because of a disability. Linda and her father are not in the labor force.”</p>
<p>The BLS’s estimates of unemployment are based on a monthly sample survey of 60,000 households conducted by the Census Bureau. People are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior four weeks, and are currently available for work. These answers become part of the U-3 (official) unemployment measure.</p>
<p>The U-3 measures actually reflects an internationally embraced definition set by the International Labor Organization – that the “unemployed” are people who are not working but have actively searched for work, are available to work and are willing and able to work for pay.</p>
<p>It’s important that countries agree on a set definition of unemployment because then statistics can be compared with reasonable certainty. Thus, officials know whether the U.S. unemployment rate is better or worse than in Europe and can adjust policies accordingly. In some ways, the actual method is less important than the fact that most countries agree on similar set of principles, which is why a new president would be courting trouble if he abandoned the current formula.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the Census Bureau asks additional questions to determine whether people are marginally attached to the labor force. These are people without jobs who are not currently looking for work (and, therefore, are not counted as unemployed) but who indicate that they currently want a job, have looked for work in the past 12 months, and are available for work. The answers then are used to calculate the broader U-4, U-5 and U-6 unemployment measures.</p>
<p>Trump, in his remarks, appeared to be referring to people in these measures – someone who gave up looking for work after six months because they could not find a job. But, oddly, he claimed “they consider you statistically employed.” That’s just wrong. The BLS, under the official (U-3) employment rate, considers someone like that to not be in the labor force. But this person would be counted as unemployed under the U-4, U-5 and U-6 unemployment measures. They would not be considered employed, as Trump claimed.</p>
<p>A reasonable case can be made that the broader definitions are more reflective of the current employment situation. The broadest is the U-6, which includes people who are working part time but really want to work full time. (Note that this would not be the person in Trump’s example; that person would be covered in the U-4 and U-5 measures.)</p>
<p>But, no matter how you slice it, the current unemployment rates are very good. The survey questions for the U-5 and U-6 were revised in 1994, so the data only goes back 22 years. But, again, the trend line even for the broader unemployment rates has dramatically improved since the Great Recession.</p>
<p>The U-5 (total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other persons marginally attached to the labor force) is at its lowest level since April 2008; it was as low as 4.6 percent in October 2000.</p>
<p>The U-6 rate is also at its lowest level since April 2008; it also hit a low of 6.8 percent in October 2002. (The low point for the official unemployment rate in this period was 3.8 percent in April 2000.)</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>In claiming that the unemployment rate is “total fiction,” Trump does a disservice to the career professionals he will soon oversee as president. He should take the time to understand the reasons and rationale behind the official unemployment figure, so he does not incorrectly describe it to crowds of supporters. After all, these numbers will soon be released with the imprimatur of his administration.</p>
<p>Trump should also be aware that the BLS offers alternative methods of calculating the unemployment rate that include the example he highlighted. If he took a few minutes to study these alternative rates, he would learn that he is inheriting an economy that is in reasonably good shape.</p>
<p>In the meantime, he yet again earns a rating of untrue for misleading people about the unemployment rate.</p>
<p>trump-factcheck</p> | Fact Checker: Donald Trump still does not understand the unemployment rate | false | https://abqjournal.com/906986/fact-checker-donald-trump-still-does-not-understand-the-unemployment-rate.html | 2 |
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<p>As a teenager, I learned to appreciate fiction by reading <a href="" type="internal">The Naked and the Dead</a>. High school teachers force fed us The Odyssey and The Iliad and other “classics,” but Mailer gave teenage boys thirsty for sex and violence (vicariously, of course) a reason to read.</p>
<p>In the 1960s, Mailer turned anti-war activist and reporter. Not all his books succeeded in achieving the literary excellence he demanded, but he retained his courage and determination to express ideas about subjects most writers avoid.</p>
<p>In his personal life he often behaved like an immature, publicity-seeking asshole, picking fights and causes without thought. In that sense he also represented a large stain and strain of American life. His death at 84 represents a loss of a national treasure.</p>
<p>The obituaries on Norman Mailer offer little or no space to his literary contribution that offers unique insight into the Cold War. <a href="" type="internal">Harlot’s Ghost</a> explored the U.S.-Soviet clash as no historian or sociologist dared — or had the capacity to probe.</p>
<p>By using Herrick “Harry” Hubbard, a CIA officer, as his protagonist who somehow finds himself present at CIA designed coups, failed invasions (Bay of Pigs) and other Cold War milestones, Mailer explores the real life acting company that played its parts in the four decade long drama of the late 20th Century, a group of spiritually agitated — even bored — Nabobs and lower class types they were forced to acquire acting out a dangerous high stakes game. Like their playboy ancestors in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, these capricious and irresponsible adult brats, who eschewed concepts like patriotism and loyalty, thought to satisfy their whims by playing Cold War on the world stage.</p>
<p>Mailer, through fiction, showed the ridiculous world of the Ivy League preachers and professors, the sons and daughters of old wealth, who wrote the script for the supposed clash of Mammoth Powers. The United States has not had a rival since England. It created the Soviet Union as a super power in order to play the most exciting game in all of history, one that became downright frightening in 1949 when the Soviets achieved nuclear weapons.</p>
<p>The Soviets possessed nothing but those weapons to challenge U.S. power. They never developed a viable economy; nor did they achieve the ability to export a competitive culture — a la Hollywood and Madison Avenue. Imagine, Soviets programming TV and radio stations and trying to offer fare equal to 24/7 shopping, flesh almighty and bang bang bang!</p>
<p>Mailer begins his novel in the early 1980s. He picks up from F. Scott Fitzgerald in describing the wealthy and irresponsible WASPs in New England, a man with a solid reputation, a pedigreed wife (at home) and an equally aristocratic, but much hotter mistress — his cousin no less.</p>
<p>Harry’s godfather and guru, Harlot, has apparently blown himself away — like some real CIA bigwigs did. In this case, the dead man represented counterintelligence. But, like several CIA hotshots, he may have been a KGB mole. Indeed, his death might also fall into the realm of cloak and daggerdom.</p>
<p>Harry’s wife, Kittredge, once Harlot’s femme fatale, has been bonking Harry’s CIA pal and sometimes foe, Dix Butler. Dix adores criminal behavior and will commit almost any bizarre act to make money — including assassinate his wife. Mailer’s characters covering walk in and out of episodes that cover decades of personal and national misalliances and betrayals. At each turn, the reader finds the leaders of U.S. “intelligence” to lack any ideological foundation except to their own capricious pleasures.</p>
<p>The top CIA dogs in the book helped create the myth of Soviet power while politicians and media flaks sold their bullshit to the public. Mailer explores major CIA fiascos carried out in the name of advancing freedom or gathering advantages in the Cold War: In the 1950s, they dug the Berlin Tunnel under KGB headquarters only to discover they had fallen into a KGB trap; they launched the invasion of Cuba after convincing themselves Cuba would fall like Guatemalan President Arbenz did in 1954 in a similar “invasion.” The inventors of these plans really don’t care about consequences — then or now. Mailer also explores assassination plots — and the bizarre set of assassins the Agency chose — to kill Castro.</p>
<p>We meet the top dogs, like Allen Dulles and the psychopathic planners of hits, like, E. Howard Hunt. The history of the CIA is after all the abbreviated nuts and bolts of Cold War history.</p>
<p>The characters playing the lead roles are seriously disturbed. A CIA psychologist plays with deadly drugs and studies the psychic processes by which covert ops adapt to multiple identities — all this nonsense in the name of defending freedom.</p>
<p>The WASPS who lead the adventurous game know the Soviets pose no threat. When Harry, the eager young CIA op discovers that the Soviets never adjusted their railroad gauges to coincide with those of Eastern Europe, thus making impossible a notion of supplying troops invading Western Europe, his superior tells him not to report that information. If the public should get wise that the CIA and its political and media cohorts had invented the “Soviet threat” to attack the West, the Cold War would end — and with it the grand adventure. The mass media never reported this “little fact.” Imagine pubic reaction to a report that the supposed Soviet attack plan against the West required supplies for its armies to stop at the Eastern Europe borders, get unloaded onto trucks and then reloaded onto different trains! Hardly a scenario for lightning surprise attack!</p>
<p>The gurus of Mailer’s great game are Protestant ministers, literature professors, rock climbing addicts and practitioners of sexual perversity — much like the old European aristocracy for whom old fashioned sex had become a yawn.</p>
<p>Mailer had previously reported on the Vietnam War, spoken at anti-war demonstrations and wrote an allegorical novel (Why Are We In Vietnam?) using a group of Texans hunting grizzly bears in Alaska as his metaphor for U.S. engagement in Southeast Asia. Americans hunt whatever happens to be around, the novel suggests. Vietnam presented the leading hunters (Presidents) with a chance to seek a new kind of prey. And they use technology to achieve their success: helicopters to help them find and destroy the bears. Yet, there is a trace of admiration, even longing in Mailer’s often comic descriptions of the super macho characters. This short but pugnacious Jewish intellectual wanted to be a tough guy, and when he tried to be one at cocktail parties or luncheons, he invariably made a fool of himself. And his behavior found its way into the media.</p>
<p>His bad boy image, however, didn’t stop Mailer from expressing his insights into the real tough guys, the killers who didn’t seem to possess a soul, who could not be explained by poverty or parental abuse. Such a character, Gary Gilmore, became central in The Executioner’s Song, where Mailer paints an original picture of what Joan Didion called “that vast emptiness at the center of the Western experience, a nihilism antithetical not only to literature but to most other forms of human endeavor, a dread so close to zero that human voices fadeout, trail off, like skywriting.” (New York Times, October 7, 1979)</p>
<p>Mailer writes a painful sketch of Gary Gilmore, the murderer. He offers a detailed sociological fact sheet on Mormon passivity in the face of a killer in their midst. He analyzes and explains the absurdities of the police and legal system before a person gets executed.</p>
<p>Mailer tackled the big issues: war, corruption, hypocrisy at the highest levels.</p>
<p>He also loved publicity and the art of coining the perfect phrase. He was homophobic and misogynistic. Indeed, Mailer never learned to portray women in a realistic dimension. He clearly didn’t understand them; not a comment on his six wives.</p>
<p>Mailer understood American duplicity, the fog of religious-based freedom rhetoric that covers the most devious political behavior. He also understood the banality that marries heroism in war. In The Naked and The Dead the six remaining platoon members share a mission. A Jew, some non Jews and a few anti-Semites, some learned and some ignorant, all share the same horrid conditions on a Pacific island. This is Mailer’s American democracy, the bonding of mismatches in battlefield conditions. Equally American is the troops killing Japanese POWs and stealing souvenirs from enemy corpses. They worry about their wives screwing other guys while feeling a little uneasy about screwing other women. Then, they discover their mission — which killed more than half of them — meant absolutely nothing in winning the war. He could have been writing about almost any war.</p>
<p>SAUL LANDAU writes a regular column for CounterPunch and progresoweekly.com. His new Counterpunch Press book is <a href="http://www.easycartsecure.com/CounterPunch/CounterPunch_Books.html" type="external">A BUSH AND BOTOX WORLD</a>. His new film, WE DON’T PLAY GOLF HERE (on globalization in Mexico) won the VIDEOFEST 2007 Award for best activist video. The event was held in October at the Roxie Theater. The film is available through <a href="mailito:/[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
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<p>American military officials reported that a suicide bomber killed nine U.S. soldiers and wounded 20 Monday. The bomber detonated a car explosive close to the soldiers’ base in Diyala province, according to the Los Angeles Times. Another American casualty was recorded in Muqdadiya the same day.</p>
<p>L.A. Times:</p>
<p>One Iraqi civilian also was wounded in the suicide bombing. Fifteen of the injured soldiers returned to duty after treatment.</p>
<p>The U.S. military also announced that an American soldier died Monday in Muqdadiya, northeast of Baghdad, when his vehicle hit a roadside bomb.</p>
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<p>A British soldier was killed Monday in Basra, in southern Iraq, by small-arms fire.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-casualties24apr24,1,5123664.story" type="external">Read more</a> (registration wall)</p> | Nine U.S. Troops Killed in Suicide Attack | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/nine-u-s-troops-killed-in-suicide-attack/ | 2007-04-24 | 4 |
<p>Scientists have identified two whales that washed up in New Zealand as members of the world's rarest species of whale - the never-before seen spade-toothed beaked whale.</p>
<p>The mother and calf reportedly stranded themselves on Opape Beach on New Zealand's North Island in 2010 but were only recently ID'd with DNA testing as spade-toothed beaked whales.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/9655994/Worlds-rarest-whale-seen-for-first-time.html" type="external">According to London's Daily Telegraph</a>, the species - discovered in 1872 - had until now remained entirely hidden from human view.&#160;</p>
<p>The only sign that the creatures' continued existence in the 140 years since their bone fragments were found on a remote Pacific island was two partial skulls found in New Zealand in the 1950s and Chile in 1986, the Telegraph wrote.</p>
<p>The finding of the mother, 17 feet long, and 11-foot-long calf confirmed the species still existed.</p>
<p>A report describing the whales and the analysis of the whales' DNA appears in the Nov. 6 issue of the journal Current Biology.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/science/2012/11/05/world-rarest-whale-seen-for-first-time/#ixzz2BOIWZdMn" type="external">Fox News cited</a>a marine biologist at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, Rochelle Constantine, as saying:&#160;</p>
<p>"Up until now, all we have known about the spade-toothed beaked whale was from three partial skulls collected from New Zealand and Chile over a 140-year period. It is remarkable that we know almost nothing about such a large mammal. This is the first time this species has ever been seen as a complete specimen, and we were lucky enough to find two of them."</p>
<p>Constantine reportedly said scientists initially mis-identified the mammals as Gray's beaked whales, which often wash up on New Zealand beaches.</p> | World's rarest whales found washed up on New Zealand beach | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-11-05/worlds-rarest-whales-found-washed-new-zealand-beach | 2012-11-05 | 3 |
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<p>I guess “innocent” is technically not true but what was not a crime a week ago is one now, as Tyrone Watson found out.</p>
<p>The 30 year old Bridgeport man is the first person to be charged in Connecticutt for having a “high capacity magazine”.</p>
<p>Or, rather, for having the magazine that came with his handgun known by most rational people as a normal magazine. &#160;But this is what happens when gun controllers get to arbitrarily dictate what is “high capacity” and define what is “normal”.</p>
<p>Few pistols now a day hold less than 11 rounds, the noticeable exception being the 1911 and its clones. &#160;But Glocks for instance, favored by law enforcement departments around the country hold 15 rounds standard. &#160;Springfield Armories popular XD line hold 13 rounds for the .45 (also standard) and even more for the smaller caliber rounds. &#160;The Baretta 9mm holds 15 rounds as does the Ruger .40 and most Sig Sauer’s have a capacity from 11 to 15 rounds.</p>
<p>These are some of the most popular makers of handguns in the world yet somehow their “standard” magazine has been ruled “high capacity” by some bureaucrat in Hartford and as such law abiding gun owners are having their rights infringed.</p>
<p>Gun owners like Tyrone Watson who was pulled over for having a dented license plate at 1 in the morning. &#160;While searching for his license to give to the officer the officer spied Watson’s Concealed Carry Permit. &#160;At which point the officer asked if Watson had a firearm with him.</p>
<p>Since Connecticut isn’t a”must inform” state the correct answer Watson should have given was “I have nothing illegal in this car officer”.</p>
<p>If the officer wanted to take it further that is on him but <a href="" type="internal">one should not facilitate their own injustice.</a></p>
<p>But Watson said that he did have his firearm on him and was removed from his vehicle and disarmed. &#160;The officer noted that the pistol had a standard 15 round magazine in it and cited Watson with Connecticut’s idiotic high capacity law.</p>
<p>The law being that you must register all magazines that hold more than 10 rounds with the state by Jan. 1st 2014.</p>
<p>How does this stop crime I wonder. &#160;Like a criminal is going to just walk into the police station and say; “oh yeah, I have all these 15 round magazines that I need to register before I rob the bank down the street…I don’t want to break the law while I am breaking the law.”</p>
<p>So it is the law abiding that have to jump through the hoops of gun controls tyranny and by doing so create a de facto handgun registration for the state. &#160;I mean, registering magazines for handguns over 10 rounds means chances are you OWN handguns.</p>
<p>So where does this leave Mr. Watson? &#160;According to the police the officer wrote Watson a summons and gave him back his gun and the magazine, telling him to store the items in his trunk until he arrived at his home.</p>
<p>Gun control saves the day!</p>
<p>Hold on, what?</p>
<p>I’m glad Mr. Watson was allowed to go home and his property wasn’t stolen from him but what is the point of this BS law? &#160;If Watson HAD been a bad guy he could have just driven off, loaded his gun and went on a late night kill spree. &#160;Of course, if he was a bad guy he probably wouldn’t have his concealed carry permit or a legal gun that could be traced back to him in the first place.</p>
<p>It’s mind numbing how counter intuitive gun control is.</p>
<p>Is Watson’s court date on Jan. 17th and ticket stopping another Sandy Hook? &#160;Not at all. &#160;To think otherwise is to be willfully ignorant and naive. &#160;Gun control is set up to punish the law abiding and dissuade the exercise of the right to keep and bear arms. To place as many deterrents to the practice that many people just toss their hands up and say “forget about it.” &#160;The gun control movement is built on disenfranchisment, not of criminals but of the people who are willing to follow the law.</p>
<p>And while the law abiding are getting screwed the criminals are tripping the light fantastic in a night where only they are armed and police are far away.</p>
<p>Of course this isn’t the first case of a gun owner railroaded in the state, lest we forget Sung-Ho Hwang, President of the New Haven Bar Association when he was arrested on the orders of the Chief of Police and publicly vilified by the Mayor just for having the sense to be legally armed when seeing a movie at 1am.</p>
<p>You can read the full account here: <a href="" type="internal">New Haven tries to hang Hwang</a></p>
<p>Fortunately, after the public outcry all charges against Mr. Hwang were eventually dropped.</p>
<p>Apparently though, not railroading the innocent isn’t something that the politicians have gotten around to embracing yet.</p>
<p>Good luck Connecticut.</p>
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<p>We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse.</p> | Another innocent man being railroaded by gun control | true | http://bulletsfirst.net/2014/01/09/another-innocent-man-railroaded-gun-control/ | 0 |
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<p>The secrecy surrounding the current use of university classrooms as covert training grounds for the CIA and other agencies now threatens the fundamental principles of academic openness as well as the integrity of a wide array of academic disciplines. A new test program that is secretly placing CIA agents in American university classrooms for now operates without detection or protest,. With time these students who cannot admit to their true intentions will inevitably pollute and discredit the universities in which they are now enrolled.</p>
<p>There have long been tensions between the needs of academia and the needs of the National Security State, and even before the events of 9/11 expanded the powers of American intelligence agencies, our universities were quietly being modified to serve the needs of the intelligence community in new and covert ways. The most visible of these reforms was the establishment of the National Security Education Program (NSEP) which siphoned-off students from traditional foreign language funding programs such as Fulbright or Title VI. While traditional funding sources provide students with small stipends of a few thousand dollars to study foreign languages in American universities, the NSEP gives graduate students a wealth of funds (at times exceeding $40,000 a year) to study “in demand” languages, but with troubling pay-back stipulations mandating that recipients later work for unspecified U.S. national security agencies. Upon its debut in the early 1990s, the NSEP was harshly criticized for reaching through an assumed barrier between the desires of academia and state. Numerous academic organizations, including, the Middle East Studies Association and the African Studies Association, Latin American Studies Association, and even the mainstream Boards of the Social Science Research Council and American Council of Learned Societies expressed deep concerns over scholars’ participation in the NSEP. And though the NSEP continues funding students despite these protests, there was some solace in knowing so many diverse academic organizations condemned this program.</p>
<p>But while many academics reacted with anger and protest to the NSEP’s entrance onto American campuses, there has been no public reaction to an even more troubling post-9/11 funding program which upgrades the existing American intelligence-university-interface. With little notice Congress approved section 318 of the 2004 Intelligence Authorization Act which appropriated four million dollars to fund a pilot program known as the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program (PRISP). Named after Senator Pat Roberts (R. Kansas, Chair, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence), PRISP was designed to train intelligence operatives and analysts in American university classrooms for careers in the CIA and other agencies. PRISP now operates on an undisclosed number of American college and university campuses, and if the pilot phase of the program proves to be a useful means of recruiting and training members of the intelligence community then the program will expand to more campuses across the country.</p>
<p>Currently, PRISP participants must be American citizens who are enrolled fulltime in graduate degree programs with a minimum GPA of 3.4, they need to “complete at least one summer internship at CIA or other agencies,” and they must pass the same background investigations as other CIA employees. PRISP students receive financial stipends ranging up to $25,000 per year and they are required to participate in closed meetings with other PRISP scholars and individuals from their administering intelligence agency.</p>
<p>Less than 150 students a year are now authorized to receive funding during the pilot phase as PRISP evaluates the program’s initial outcomes. Beyond a few articles in a Kansas newspaper praising Senator Roberts, as well as University of Kansas anthropologist Felix Moos’ role in lobbying for the PRISP, there has been a general media silence regarding the program. The few guarded public statements issued describing PRISP stress supposed similarities between existing ROTC programs and the PRISP. For example, the Lawrence Journal World (11/29/03) published claims that, “Those in the program would be part of the ROTC program specializing in learning how to analyze a variety of conditions and activities based on a thorough understanding and deep knowledge of particular areas of the world.” Beyond the similar requirements that participants of both programs commit to years of service to their sponsoring military or intelligence branches there are few similarities between ROTC and PRISP. ROTC programs mostly operate in the open, as student-ROTC members register for ROTC courses and are proudly and visibly identified as members of the ROTC program, while PRISP students are instructed to keep their PRISP-affiliations hidden from others on campus.</p>
<p>PRISP is an open secret, and the CIA apparently prefers that it stay more secret than open-as the CIA’s website does not maintain an active link with detailed information on PRISP. Currently PRISP limits its advertising to intelligence recruiting web sights (such as <a href="http://www.intelligencecareers.com/" type="external">www.intelligencecareers.com</a> or the <a href="http://monticello.avenue.org/ngic/index.shtml" type="external">National Ground Intelligence Center</a>) and to small, controlled recruiting sessions. PRISP recruits scholars with “advanced area expertise in China, Middle East, Korea, Central Asia, the Caucasus,” with a special emphasis given to scholars with previous linguistic expertise in “Chinese, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Pashtun, Dari, Korean, or a Central Asian or Caucasian language such as Georgian, Turkmen, Tajik, or Uzbek.” PRISP also funds Islamic studies scholars and scientists with expertise in bioterrorism, counterterrorism, chemistry, physics, computer science and engineering.</p>
<p>Inquiries made to Senator Roberts’ staff concerning the current size and scope of PRISP yielded little useful information and Roberts’ staff referred me to Mr. Tommy Glakas at the CIA. Mr. Glakas was reluctant to discuss many specific details of PRISP, but he did confirm that PRISP now funds about 100 students who are studying at an undisclosed number of American universities. When asked if PRISP was up and running on college campuses Glakas first answered that it was, then said it wasn’t, then clarified that PRISP wasn’t the sort of program that was tied to university campuses-it was decentralized and tied to students, not campuses. When pressed further on what this meant Mr. Glakas gave no further information. He said that he had no way of knowing exactly how many universities currently have students participating in PRISP, claiming he could not know this because PRISP is administered not just by the CIA, but also through a variety of individual intelligence agencies like the NSA, MID, or Naval Intelligence. He stressed that PRISP was a decentralized scholarship program which funds students through a various intelligence agencies. Mr. Glakas said he didn’t know who might know how many campuses had PRISP scholars and he would not identify which campuses are hosting these covert PRISP scholars.</p>
<p>The Intelligence Scholars Program did not spring forth out of a vacuum. Like the Patriot Act, the germs of PRISP were conceived years ago and were waiting for the right rendez-vous of fear with opportunity to be born. PRISP is largely the brainchild of University of Kansas anthropologist Felix Moos-a longtime advocate of anthropological contacts with military and intelligence agencies. During the Vietnam War Moos worked in Laos and Thailand on World Bank-financed projects and over the years he has worked in various military advisory positions. He worked on the Pentagon’s ARPA Project Themis, and has been as an instructor at the Naval War College and at the U.S. Staff and Command College at Fort Leavenworth. For years Moos has taught courses on “Violence and Terrorism” at the University of Kansas. In the months after the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon Moos elicited the support of his friend, former CIA DCI, Stansfield Turner to curry support in the senate and CIA to fund his vision of a merger between anthropology, academia, intelligence analysis and espionage training.</p>
<p>Professor Moos initially proposed that all PRISP students be required to master two foreign languages and use anthropology and history classes to learn the culture history of the regions they are studying. Moos’s vision for PRISP was more comprehensive than the current pilot program and it included classes on topics such as bioterrorism and counterterrorism. Moos proposed having an active CIA campus presence where PRISP students would begin training as freshmen and, “by the time they would be commissioned, they would be ready to go to the branch intelligence units of their choice.” If the pilot phase of PRISP goes well, this may be the direction in which this program develops-though it is doubtful that PRISP would expand in any way which openly identified participants.</p>
<p>It is tempting to describe Moos as an anachronistic anthropologist out of sync with his discipline’s mainstream, but while many anthropologists express concerns about disciplinary ties to military and intelligence organizations, contemporary anthropology has no core with which to either sync or collide and there are others in the field who openly (and quietly) support such developments. Moos is a bright man, but his writings echo the musty tone and sentiments found in the limited bedside readings of Tom-Clancy-literate-colonials, as he prefers to quote from the wisdom of Sun Tzu and Samuel Huntington over anthropologists like Franz Boas or Laura Nader. Two years ago at an interesting and confrontational panel examining anthropological connections to intelligence agencies at the annual American Anthropological Association (AAA) meetings, I watched an angry Moos strike an action pose and rhetorically ask, “Have anthropologists learned so little since 9/11/2001, as to not recognize the truth-and practicability, in Sun Tzu’s reminder that: ‘unless someone is subtle and perspicacious, he cannot perceive the substance in intelligence reports. It is subtle, subtle.” From the dais I could see not so subtle anthropologists in the audience employed by Rand and the Pentagon nodding their heads as if his words had hit a secret chord. Moos was clearly onto something.</p>
<p>Felix Moos’ notion of scholar-spies in part draws upon an imagined romantic history of anthropologists’ contributions to the Second World War, which, while this is a widespread notion, it is one increasingly undermined by FOIA and archival-based historical research of the complexities (both ethical and practical) of anthropologists plying their trade in even this “good” war. Back in 1995 Moos testified before a commission modifying the AAA’s code on anthropological ethics that anthropologists should be allowed to engage in secretive research, arguing that, “In a world where weapons of mass destruction have become so terrible and terrorist actions so frightful, anthropologists must surrender naïve faith in a communitarian utopia and be prepared to encounter conflict and violence. Indeed they should feel the professional obligation to work in areas of ethnic conflict.But, as moral creatures so engaged, they would of course have to recognize the necessity of classifying some of their data, if for no other reason than to protect the lives of their subjects and themselves.”</p>
<p>It is this devotion to secrecy that is the root problem of the PRSIP’s presence on our campuses as well as with Moos’ vision of anthropology harnessed for the needs of state. Moos’ fallacy is his belief that the fundamental problem with American intelligence agencies is that they are lacking adequate cultural understanding of those they study, and spy upon-this fallacy is exacerbated by orthodox assumptions that good intelligence operates best in realms of secrecy. America needs good intelligence, but the most useful and important intelligence can largely be gathered openly without the sort of covert invasion of our campuses that PRISP silently brings.</p>
<p>The claim that more open source, non-classified intelligence is what is needed is less far fetched than it might seem. In Cloak and Gown: Scholars in the Secret War, 1939-1961 historian Robin Winks recounts how in 1951, the CIA’s Sherwood Kent conducted an experiment in which a handful of Yale historians used nothing but declassified materials in Yale’s library to challenge CIA analysts (with access to classified data) to produce competing reports on U.S. military capacities, strengths and weaknesses focusing on a scale of detail down to the level of military divisions. This written evaluation of this contest was known as the “Yale Report,” which concluded that over 90% of material in the CIA’s report was found in the Yale library. Kent further estimated that of the remaining 10% of “secret” materials, only half of this could be expected to remain secret for any length of time. President Truman was so furious with the results of the Yale Report that he suppressed its distribution, arguing that the press needed more restrictions governing the release of such sensitive materials, while Republican pundits joined the furor claiming that Yale liberals were trying to leak state secrets.</p>
<p>Evidence of the power of open intelligence is close at hand, consider only how American scholars’ (using publicly available sources) analysis of the dangers for post-invasion Iraq out-performed the CIA’s best estimates. As one who has lived in the Middle East and read Arabic news dailies online for years while watching the expansion of American policies that appear to misread the Arab world I wonder if a repeat of the Yale Report experiment focusing on the Middle East might not find another 10% intelligence gap, but with the academy now winning due to the deleterious effects of generations of CIA intellectual inbreeding. Perhaps the Agency has become self-aware of these limits brought on by the internal reproduction of its own limited institutional culture, and in its own misshapen view it sees PRISP as a means of supplying itself with new blood to rejuvenate under cover provided by public classrooms. But such secrecy-based reforms are the products of a damaged institutional mind trying to repair itself.</p>
<p>Some might misread my criticism of the CIA’s secret presence on our campuses as contradicting my critique of the need for more outside and dissenting (even informed hairbrained dissenting) input in intelligence circles, but such a reading would misunderstand the importance of openness in academic and political processes. The fundamental problems with American intelligence are exacerbated by secrecy-when intelligence agencies are allowed to classify and hide their assumptions, reports and analysis from public view they generate self-referential narrow visions that coalesce rather than challenge top-down policies from the administrations they serve. Intelligence agencies do need to understand the complex cultures they study, but to suggest that intelligence agencies like the CIA are simply amassing and interpreting political and cultural information is a dangerous fantasy: The CIA fulfills a tripartite role of gathering intelligence, interpreting intelligence, and working as a supraconstitutional covert arm of the presidency. It is this final role that should give scholars and citizens pause when considering how PRSIP and other university-intelligence-linked programs will use the knowledge they take from our open classrooms.</p>
<p>The CIA makes sure we won’t know which classrooms PRSIP scholars attend, this is rationalized as a requirement for protecting the identities of intelligence personnel. But this secrecy shapes PRISP as it takes on the form like a cell-based covert operation in which PRISP students study chemistry, biology, sociology, psychology, anthropology and foreign languages without their fellow classmates, professors, advisors, department chairs or presumably even research subjects (creating serious ethics problems under any post-Nuremberg professional ethics code or Human Subject Review Board) knowing that they are working for the CIA, DIA, NSA or other intelligence agencies.</p>
<p>In a decade and a half of Freedom of Information Act research I have read too many FBI reports of students detailing the deviant political views of their professors (These range from the hilarious: As anthropologist Norman Humphrey was reported to have called President Eisenhower a “duckbilled nincompoop”; to the Dadaist: Wherein former Miss America, Marilyn van Derbur, reported that sociologist Howard Higman mocked J. Edgar Hoover in class; to the chilling: As when the FBI arranged for a graduate student to guide topics of “informal” conversation with anthropologist Gene Weltfish that were later the focus an inquiry by Joseph McCarthy) to not mention the certainty that these PRSIP students are also secretly compiling dossiers on their professors and fellow students. Of course I would be remiss to not mention that students are the only ones sneaking the CIA onto our campuses. There are also unknown thousands of university professors who periodically work with and for the CIA–in 1988 CIA spokeswoman Sharon Foster bragged that the CIA then secretly employed enough university professors “to staff a large university.” Most experts estimate that this presence has grown since 2001.</p>
<p>The quiet rise of programs like PRISP should not surprise anyone given the steady cuts in federal funding for higher education, and the resulting pressures for more mercenary roles for the academy. In the post-World War Two decades, scholars naively self-recruited themselves or followed classmates to the CIA, but increasingly those of us who have studied the languages, culture and histories of peoples around the world have also learned about the role of the CIA in undermining the autonomy of those cultures we study, and the steady construction of this history has hurt the agency’s efforts to recruit the best and brightest of post-graduates. For decades the students studying Arabic, Urdu, Basque or Farsi were predominantly curious admirers of the cultures and languages they studied, the current shift now finds a visible increase in students whose studies are driven by the market forces of Bush’s War on Terrorism. If the CIA can use PRISP to indenture students in the early days of their graduate training-supplemented with mandated summer camp internships immersed in the workplace ethos of CIA-the company can mold their ideological inclinations even before their grasp of cultural history is shaped in the relatively open environment of their university. As these PRISP graduates enter the CIA’s institutional environment of self-reinforcing Group Think they will present a reduced risk of creating cognitive dissonance by bringing new views that threaten the agency’s narrow view of the world. Institutional Group Think can thus safely be protected from external infection.</p>
<p>But while PRISP protects and intensifies the inbred-limited-thinking at CIA and elsewhere, it threatens the academic integrity of anthropology and other academic disciplines that unwittingly become complicit partners with these intelligence agencies. The CIA has long recognized that anthropology, with its broadly traveled and culturally and linguistically competent practitioners has highly useful skill sets. And while we should not read too much into published reports that the CIA-directed torture techniques at Abu Ghraib were fine-tuned for high levels of culturally specific humiliation by the reading of anthropologist Raphael Patai’s book The Arab Mind (Patai’s scholarship is stained with Orientalist stereotypes and it doesn’t take an insider’s knowledge that Arabs generally abhor dogs and sexual humiliation to presume that tormenting bound naked men with vicious dogs would be an effective means of torture), anthropologists have long had their work pilfered by American intelligence agencies. To cite but two documented examples, in 1951, the CIA cut a covert deal with the AAA’s executive board providing the CIA access to data on anthropologists’ cultural and linguistic specialties as the CIA secretly produced a roster of AAA members for the AAA on the CIA’s computers; and, in 1962 the U.S. Department of Commerce illegally translated Georges Condominas’ ethnography, We Have Eaten the Forest on highland Vietnamese Montagnards for use as a counterinsurgency tool. Though no scholar can control the uses of information they make public, there does need to be an awareness of how any knowledge can be abused by others–and as awareness of the presence of PRISP spreads, many scholars may find themselves engaging in new forms of self-censorship and doublethink.</p>
<p>Healthy academic environments need openness because they (unlike the CIA) are nourished by the self-corrective features of open disagreement, dissent, and synthetic-reformulation. The presence of the PRISP’s secret sharers brings hidden agendas that sabotage these fundamental processes of academia. The Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program infects all of academia with a germ of dishonesty and distrust as participant scholars cloak their intentions and their ties to the cloaked masters they serve.</p>
<p>David Price teaches anthropology at St. Martin’s College in Olympia, Washington. His latest book, <a href="" type="internal">Threatening Anthropology: McCarthyism and the FBI’s Surveillance of Activist Anthropologists</a> has just been published by Duke University Press. His <a href="" type="internal">Atlas of World Cultures</a> has just been republished by the Blackburn Press. He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p> | The CIA’s Campus Spies | true | https://counterpunch.org/2005/03/12/the-cia-s-campus-spies/ | 2005-03-12 | 4 |
<p>The big announcement off his chest, the host cracked up, teared up and promised to stick around awhile, if only to properly say goodbye. But he gave some clues about his decision.</p>
<p>The funniest moment was when Stewart said he’d like to see his family, “who I have heard through multiple sources are lovely people.”</p>
<p>“Seventeen years is the longest in my life I have ever held a job, by 16 years and five months,” Steward joked.</p>
<p>Later he added: “This show doesn’t deserve an even slightly restless host. And neither do you.”</p>
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<p>It seems entirely plausible that, having done close to two decades of his best work, Jon Stewart is ready — itching, even — to try new things, like having dinner with his family.</p>
<p>— Posted by <a href="" type="internal">Peter Z. Scheer</a></p> | Jon Stewart Sort of Explains Why He's Leaving 'The Daily Show' | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/jon-stewart-sort-of-explains-why-hes-leaving-the-daily-show/ | 2015-02-11 | 4 |
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<p>KALKASKA, Mich. — A local official in northern Michigan refuses to apologize for sharing Facebook posts calling for the killing of “every last Muslim” and for nuclear weapons to be used on the world’s 10-largest Muslim-majority cities.</p>
<p>Jeff Sieting, the village president in Kalkaska, which is about 230 miles (370 kilometers) northwest of Detroit, said Monday that he doesn’t owe anyone an apology over his Facebook posts, the Record-Eagle of Traverse City reported ( <a href="http://bit.ly/2uaNYKP" type="external">http://bit.ly/2uaNYKP</a> ).</p>
<p>The posts were discovered by area native Cindy Anderson, who along with others unsuccessfully sought an apology last month. They’re now looking to remove Sieting from office.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“You ran for office to represent all of the people of this community, not just the white, non-Muslim ones,” Anderson said to Sieting. “You were supposed to represent all of your constituents.”</p>
<p>One post Sieting shared said Muslims are destructive and “there is simply no place for them in our world.” The post also called for using nuclear weapons against the 10 largest Muslim-majority cities, as well as pilgrimage sites.</p>
<p>Sieting said his comments are protected by the First Amendment and that those trying to oust him from office are only doing so because they oppose President Donald Trump.</p>
<p>“I don’t expect everyone to see things the way I do,” he said.</p>
<p>Sieting has also come under fire for a sign on his hotel, Hotel Sieting, that asks citizens to pray for Trump. That dispute began before Sieting’s Facebook posts were discovered.</p>
<p>Local residents and others who helped create the Facebook group “Kalkaska Residents for Peace” are determining how to move forward after Sieting’s refusal to apologize. Anderson said the group of more than 150 people are looking at a potential recall and finding someone to run against him in 2018.</p>
<p>Joyce Golden, a county resident who supports Sieting, said she believes the official has the right to post whatever he wants on his personal Facebook page.</p>
<p>“If you don’t want to read it, get off of (his Facebook page),” she said. “From what I do know, you are a very honest, faithful, hardworking man and I thank you for that. I hope you continue and stand your ground for your beliefs. I don’t believe he has to represent everybody.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: Traverse City Record-Eagle, <a href="http://www.record-eagle.com" type="external">http://www.record-eagle.com</a></p> | Michigan official stands by call for killing of all Muslims | false | https://abqjournal.com/1031943/michigan-official-stands-by-call-for-killing-of-all-muslims.html | 2017-07-12 | 2 |
<p />
<p>Current virtual world population: Edward Castronova, <a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/hfs.cgi/00/162074.ctl" type="external">“Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games,”</a> (University of Chicago Press, 2005); Michael Fatten, Department of Telecommunications, Indiana University. Population of Mexico City: Alphabetical Index of World’s Largest Urban Areas, <a href="http://citymayors.com/statistics/urban_az3mr.html" type="external">“City Mayors Statistics;”</a> 2006 population figures.</p>
<p>Primary place of residence is virtual space: Edward Castronova, <a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/hfs.cgi/00/162074.ctl" type="external">“Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games,”</a> (University of Chicago Press, 2005); Norath Economic Survey.</p>
<p>MMORPG players average 22hrs/wk: The Daedalus Project, <a href="http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/000758.php" type="external">“The Psychology of MMORGS: Hours of Play Per Week,”</a> February 2004. Time spent eating: Amber Waves, <a href="http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/November05/DataFeature/%22" type="external">“How Much Time Do Americans Spend Preparing and Eating Food?”</a> November 2005.</p>
<p>Pizza Hut orders for role-players: Chris Fuller, Pizza Hut, Inc., Media &amp; Press Kits spokesman.</p>
<p>EverQuest players spend more time gaming than working: Edward Castronova, <a href="http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/hfs.cgi/00/162074.ctl" type="external">“Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games,”</a> (University of Chicago Press, 2005).</p>
<p>Buying virtual money: The Daedalus Project, <a href="http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/001469.php?page=2" type="external">“The Psychology of MMORGs: Buying Gold,”</a> October 17, 2005.</p>
<p>EverQuest players spend more on male avatars: Center for Economic Studies and Ifo Institute for Economic Research, <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=415043" type="external">“Price of Man and Woman: a Hedonic Pricing Model of Avatar Attributes in a Synthetic World,”</a> June 2003.</p>
<p>$1.5 billion on virtual goods: John Maffei, Affinity Media, <a href="http://www.ige.com/?lang=en" type="external">“IGE, Ltd.,”</a> March 5, 2007.</p>
<p>PLAY MONEY</p>
<p>Virtual Currency Graphs: <a href="http://www.gamepricewatcher.com/" type="external">Game Price Watcher</a>; <a href="http://lindenlab.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/exchangedata2004to2006.txt" type="external">Linden Lab</a>; Peter Gray, Lewis PR.</p>
<p>Entropia Universe debit card for virtual money: Entropia Universe <a href="http://www.entropiauniverse.com/en/rich/5676.html" type="external">Card Offer</a> and</p>
<p><a href="http://www.entropiauniverse.com/images/pdf/EUCC%20Advance%20Limit%20Increase.pdf" type="external">‘Advance Limit Increase’ form</a>.</p>
<p>Virtual sword murder: BBC, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4072704.stm" type="external">“Chinese gamer sentenced to life,”</a> June 8, 2005.</p>
<p>World of Warcraft funeral attacked: YouTube, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHJVolaC8pw" type="external">“Serenity Now Bombs a World of Warcraft Funeral”</a>; The (UK) Guardian, <a href="http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,1797198,00.html" type="external">“Gamers Don’t Want Any More Grief,”</a> June 15, 2006</p>
<p>84% of Warcraft players are male: The Daedalus Project, <a href="http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/001369.php" type="external">“WoW Gender-Bending,”</a> December 3, 2006.</p>
<p>Second Life’s economy is 86 Million: Linden Labs, Second Life Virtual Economy</p>
<p><a href="http://secondlife.com/whatis/economy.php" type="external">Key Metrics</a>. Grenada GDP: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database, September 2006.</p>
<p>Sweden plans to open Second Life embassy, tax virtual earnings: Svenska Institute, <a href="http://www.si.se/templates/CommonPage____3052.aspx" type="external">“Sweden to Open World’s First Embassy in Second Life,”</a> January 31, 2007; The Local, <a href="http://www.thelocal.se/6262/20070131/" type="external">“Swedish Taxman Sets Sights on Second Life,”</a> January 31, 2007.</p>
<p>Gold farmers: <a href="http://chinesegoldfarmers.com/" type="external">“Gold Farmer”</a>, directed by <a href="http://communication.ucsd.edu/people/g_jin.html" type="external">Ge Jin</a>, University of California, San Diego.</p>
<p>29% females dated people met in games: The Daedalus Project, <a href="http://www.nickyee.com/daedalus/archives/001528.php" type="external">“Love is in the Air,”</a> December 3, 2006.</p>
<p>Virtual marriages last one month: SLNN.com, <a href="http://slnn.com/article/valentinestory-brock/" type="external">“Going to the Chapel…”</a> February 13, 2007.</p>
<p>Students with divorced parents made Sims divorce: GameStudies, <a href="http://gamestudies.org/0601/articles/griebel" type="external">“Self-Portrayal in a Simulated Life,”</a> December 2006.</p>
<p>Chinese couple fights over virtual property: Pacific Epoch, <a href="http://www.pacificepoch.com/newsstories?id=33425_0_5_0_M" type="external">“Game Accounts Take Center Stage in Divorce,”</a> July 1, 2005.</p>
<p>Sluster editor touts “girl next door” effect: Wired News, <a href="http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,69878-0.html?tw=wn_tophead_2" type="external">“Cyberporn Sells in Virtual World,”</a> December 22, 2005.</p>
<p>Cost of an hour with Second Life escorts: SL-Escorts.com, <a href="http://sl-escorts.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=21&amp;page=1&amp;sort=2a" type="external">“Female SL-Escorts by price,”</a>, March 2007.</p>
<p>“O Mee Pooba” means “I’m pregnant”: The Sims2 Bulletin Board, <a href="http://bbs.thesims2.ea.com/community/bbs/messages.php?&amp;openItemID=item.2,item.43,item.61,item.41,item.23&amp;threadID=8d04f2582c30dca38b0a2d07d28fb420&amp;directoryID=2&amp;startRow=1#5b3c9c18c3808d99f1e04c01fdb828ea" type="external">“The Big Simlish Dictionary,”</a> May 15, 2005.</p>
<p>Songs in Simlish: The (UK) Guardian, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/music/story/0,,2034574,00.html" type="external">“Pop Musics Turning Into a lot of Nonsense, Says Eva Wiseman,”</a> March 17, 2007; Wired, <a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.09/nettwerk_pr.html" type="external">“No Suit Required,”</a> September 2006.</p>
<p>Celebrities appeared as avatars: Second Life news center, <a href="http://secondlife.reuters.com/stories/2007/01/24/interview-with-arianna-huffington-in-davos/" type="external">“Interview with Arianna Huffington in Davos,”</a> January 24. 2007; New World Notes, <a href="http://secondlife.reuters.com/stories/2007/01/24/interview-with-arianna-huffington-in-davos/" type="external">“The Second Life of Governor Mark Warner,”</a> August 31, 2006; New World Notes, <a href="http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2006/08/nwntv_the_secon.html" type="external">“Suzanne Vega and the Second Life of Live Music,”</a> August 4, 2006.</p>
<p>Second Life Liberation Army bombs Reebok, shoots avatars: Second Life Herald, <a href="http://www.secondlifeherald.com/slh/2006/10/clothingoriente.html" type="external">“Clothing-Oriented SLLA Griefers Visit Reebok Custom Shoe Store,”</a> October 2006; Los Angeles Times, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-fi-second22feb22,1,729204.story?page=1&amp;track=crosspromo&amp;coll=la-headlines-entnews" type="external">“Virtual Loses its Virtues,”</a> February 22, 2007.</p>
<p>Armchair hunters: LiveScience.com, <a href="http://www.livescience.com/othernews/060707_internet_hunting.html" type="external">“States Ban Hunting of Live Animals over the Internet,”</a> <a type="external" href="" /> July 7, 2006; Michael Markarian, Humane Society.</p>
<p>Hezbollah video game: Ed Halter, “From Sun Tzu to Xbo: War and Video Games,” 2006; The (UK) Telegraph, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/02/21/whizb21.xml" type="external">“Video Games Attract Young to Hizbollah,”</a> February 21, 2004.</p>
<p>America’s Army: BBC News, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4991306.stm" type="external">“War Vets Feature in US Army Game,”</a> May 18, 2006; Jane’s, <a href="http://www.janes.com/press/articles/pc051213_1.shtml" type="external">“US Armed Forces Invest $120m in Video Games,”</a>. December 13, 2005.</p>
<p>Navy uses virtual reality for PTSD treatment: Office of Naval Research, <a href="http://www.onr.navy.mil/media/article.asp?ID=86" type="external">“Evaluating Virtual Reality Therapy for Treating Acute Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,”</a> April 1, 2005.</p>
<p>Half of gamers say they’re addicted: PRESENCE, <a href="http://www.nickyee.com/pubs/Yee%20-%20MMORPG%20Demographics%202006.pdf" type="external">“The Demographics, Motivations, and Derived Experiences of Users of Massively Multi-User Online Graphical Environments,”</a> 2006.</p>
<p>Gamesterdam: Smith &amp; Jones addiction consultants, <a href="http://www.smithandjones.nl/" type="external">“Problem Gaming Treatment,”</a> 2006.</p>
<p>VIRTUAL WORLDS AT A GLANCE</p>
<p>8 Million Subscribe to World of Warcraft: Blizzard Entertainment Press Release, <a href="http://www.blizzard.com/press/070111.shtml" type="external">ìWorld of Warcraft Surpasses 8 Million Subscribers Worldwide.î</a></p>
<p>Price of 1 Sword of the Falcon: World of Warcraft Auction House, <a href="http://www.wowecon.com/" type="external">Price Database</a>.</p>
<p>Second Life has 4 million users: Second Life homepage, <a href="http://secondlife.com/" type="external">“Total Residents,”</a> 2007.</p>
<p>Price of J-Lo avatar, yacht: <a href="http://slboutique.com" type="external">Second Life Boutique</a>, 2007.</p>
<p>600,000 subscribe to Entropia: Elina Heng, Account Executive, Terpin Communications.</p>
<p>Cost of two alien sculls: PortalEntropia.com, <a href="http://www.portalentropia.com/index.asp?mode=pricefinder&amp;subMode=ViewItem&amp;ItemID=58" type="external">Price Finder</a>.</p>
<p>Sims Online has 2 million users: Amanda Taggart, EA public relations.</p>
<p>Price of 5,000 office chairs: <a href="http://www.tsomania.net/catalogs/buy.php?c=1" type="external">“The Sims Online Mania,”</a> 2007.</p>
<p /> | Sources for “Even Better Than the Real Thing” | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2007/05/sources-even-better-real-thing/ | 2018-05-01 | 4 |
<p>Yesterday, with an efficiency that would have been impressive were it not so horrific, <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/dominicholden/north-carolina-lgbt-discrimintion#.oe3wMY60Z4" type="external">the North Carolina GOP</a> called a special session of the General Assembly, introduced and passed&#160;a bill gutting&#160;local anti-discrimination protections, and got the Republican governor Pat McCrory to promptly sign it into law.</p>
<p>The new legislation strips the <a href="http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/politics-columns-blogs/under-the-dome/article67861927.html" type="external">private right of action</a> from the the state’s existing anti-discrimination statutes (gutting remedies for victims of race, gender, and other forms of discrimination). It <a href="http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/north-carolina-anti-lgbt-bill" type="external">precludes municipalities from passing local anti-discrimination ordinances</a>&#160;that are more protective&#160;than the state’s existing laws. (So much for the GOP’s supposed concern for local autonomy!) And it bans trans students from using school restrooms in accordance with their gender identities (in violation of federal law).</p>
<p>The whole package is worse than anything we’ve seen yet — a personal best for conservatives — but is of a piece with <a href="" type="internal">other</a> <a href="" type="internal">transmisogynist efforts</a> <a href="http://nashvillepublicradio.org/post/tennessee-lawmakers-try-keep-transgender-bathroom-bill-alive#stream/0" type="external">across the country</a> <a href="" type="internal">that share one common justification</a> underlying them all: <a href="" type="internal">a supposed concern for the “safety” and “privacy” of women and girls</a>. Which, given the Republican Party’s bad habit of <a href="" type="internal">victim-blaming</a>, <a href="" type="internal">slut-shaming</a>, and <a href="" type="internal">gutting anti-harassment protections</a>, would be laughable if it weren’t so damn violent.</p>
<p>This is <a href="http://illinoisfamily.org/homosexuality/girls-and-women-at-risk-in-co-ed-restrooms-dressing-rooms-and-locker-rooms/" type="external">hate pure and simple</a> — hate that perpetuates rape myths and denies trans students the protections they desperately need. It’s absurd that I even need to say this but: there is <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/dominicholden/north-carolina-lgbt-discrimintion#.oe3wMY60Z4" type="external">no evidence</a> suggesting that policies allowing trans students to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identities harm cis women and girls in any way. No evidence at all. The facts have long been clear: Cis men are the vast majority of perpetrators of sexual violence, rapists don’t typically attack in public spaces like bathrooms, and the students disproportionately likely to be victimized aren’t cis women: they’re trans women.</p>
<p>Anti-trans legislation is just the latest in the GOP’s efforts to <a href="" type="internal">co-opt feminist</a> <a href="https://www.dukeupress.edu/in-an-abusive-state" type="external">anti-violence activism</a> to advance its own discriminatory, dangerous agenda, all under the guise of paternalist protection. It’s an effort that some so-called “feminists” <a href="http://www.psmag.com/politics-and-law/who-birthed-anti-trans-bathroom-panic" type="external">have directly pushed</a> for decades. It’s one in which we’re all complicit if we don’t speak out against it.</p>
<p>So if you’re an anti-sexual violence organizer, speak up and reject the GOP’s blatant co-optation of your activism. (Your activist group can sign onto Know Your IX’s letter <a href="http://knowyourix.org/survivors-reject-anti-trans-discrimination/" type="external">here</a>.)</p>
<p>If you’re a feminist, denounce TERFs’ continuing complicity in state-sanctioned discrimination.</p>
<p>If you’re a survivor of violence, condemn&#160;the GOP’s violent perpetuation of transmisogynistic rape myths.</p>
<p>And if you’re a cis woman like me — on whose behalf&#160;so many politicians have claimed&#160;to act — refuse to be their justification for discrimination, their excuse to enact violence on trans students, any longer.</p>
<p>Header image <a href="http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/wunc/files/201405/photo1.jpg" type="external">via</a>.</p> | Not In My Name | true | http://feministing.com/2016/03/24/not-in-my-name/ | 4 |
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<p>&lt;img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41107" src="http://www.louderwithcrowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/markruffalomsnbcthreat.jpg" alt="mark ruffalo msnbc threat" width="1200" height="627" srcset="https://www.louderwithcrowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/markruffalomsnbcthreat.jpg 1200w, https://www.louderwithcrowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/markruffalomsnbcthreat-300x157.jpg 300w, https://www.louderwithcrowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/markruffalomsnbcthreat-768x401.jpg 768w, https://www.louderwithcrowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/markruffalomsnbcthreat-1024x535.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /&gt;</p>
<p>Mark Ruffalo has something of an anger problem. In the past, in addition to being an all-around leftist cotton-headed ninnymuggin, the <a href="" type="internal">Hulk has lashed out at Ted Cruz, only to get his forest green posterior spanked</a>. Intellectually speaking, of course. His latest act of stupidity? The Incredible Dunce is&#160; <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/online/actor-mark-ruffalo-demands-nbc-stop-hiring-white-conservatives/" type="external">threatening to Hulk-smash MSNBC for having too many honkies in their lineup</a>. Yes, really…</p>
<p>Actor Mark Ruffalo, who plays the Hulk in The Avengers movie franchise, has never been shy when it comes to making his political opinions known to the public.</p>
<p>On Saturday, the actor and social justice warrior tweeted a petition meant to “tell MSNBC, don’t promote right-wing hate.” The petition threatens repercussions if more white conservatives join the NBC family stating, “We need to let NBC executives know that there will be a sharp backlash if MSNBC becomes another platform for right-wing hate.”</p>
<p>Well now we know what it takes to trigger little Markie into a Hulk-out. Too many white people…</p>
<p>&lt;img class="size-full wp-image-41108 aligncenter" src="http://www.louderwithcrowder.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/mark-ruffalo-hulk.gif" alt="mark ruffalo hulk" width="400" height="215" /&gt;</p>
<p>Is it just me, or does Mark’s&#160;preoccupation with limiting the amount of whiteys in the news come across as a tad bit racist? I’m baffled as to what caused this packing-peanut brained&#160;twit to despise the white man so much. It would appear that Mark and his avocado-hued screen counterpart share an IQ. Method actor at work, guys.</p>
<p>I’m also curious at to what exactly those “repercussions” are if MSNBC continues to employ crackers. A leftist boycott would only drive up FOX News’ ratings, which would only equal out to even more “white” and “conservative” news commentators. Rendering your entire non-issue with the media counterproductive.</p>
<p>Since when was MSNBC a bastion of right-wingedness, anyway? Last time I checked, the “lean forward” network spent most of its time <a href="" type="internal">slinging lies for Planned Parenthood</a>, claiming the <a href="" type="internal">wall would kill the little birdies</a>, and <a href="" type="internal">worrying about Islamophobia after terrorist attacks</a>. I think it’s safe to say you won’t be seeing a MAGA hat on Laurence O’Donnell’s pasty head any time soon.</p>
<p>This is proof as to why celebrities should spare themselves further embarrassment and keep their privileged claptraps shut.</p>
<p>Here’s more.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p /> | RACIST? Idiot Mark Ruffalo Threatens MSNBC to Stop Hiring ‘White Conservatives…’ | true | https://louderwithcrowder.com/mark-ruffalo-msnbc-threat/ | 2017-06-13 | 0 |
<p />
<p>Desktop computers still rate surprisingly well. Image source: Apple.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Personal computers have stopped a three-year slide in customer satisfaction by climbing 1.3% to a 78 on the latest <a href="http://www.theacsi.org/" type="external">American Customer Satisfaction Index Opens a New Window.</a>(ACSI) Household Appliance and Electronics Report.</p>
<p>Desktop computers continue to rank the highest on the ACSI survey, which uses a 100-point scale, remaining unchanged from last year at 81, while tablets and laptops have improved for the first time in four years. Tablets climbed 4% to a score of 78, inching ahead of laptops, which gained 3% to 77.</p>
<p>"In an increasingly mobile world, smartphones are the biggest threat to PC sales, and tablets have not been the long-term panacea the PC industry was hoping for," said ACSI Chairman Claes Fornell in a press release.</p>
<p>And while it seems odd that consumers prefer the somewhat outdated desktop form factor, ACSI Managing Director David VanAmburg explained why in an email to The Motley Fool.</p>
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<p>"Consumers like the convenience and mobility of laptops and tablets, but the user experience can't hold up to desktops on many levels," he wrote. "Larger monitors, better speakers, and more powerful processors are a factor. Also, desktops are typically connected to the Internet via a landline as opposed to Wi-Fi, which may contribute to a better quality online experience than laptops and tablets can offer."</p>
<p>Image source: ACSI.</p>
<p>When it comes to PC manufacturers -- which includes desktop, laptop, and tablet makers -- consumers remain enthralled with Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), which equaled its score from last year at 84. Samsung (NASDAQOTH: SSNLF) climbed by 6.4% to snag second place at 83, while Amazon.com(NASDAQ: AMZN), which only makes tablets, jumped 2.6% to 80 for the No. 3 slot. Acer, ASUS, and Dell all tied for fourth at 78 and HP, despite finishing down the list, gained 5.5% to 77. Lenovo and Toshiba also gained while the combined score for all other, smaller PC manufacturers dropped 3.9% to last place.</p>
<p>"Interestingly, the two companies that lead in smartphone satisfaction also lead the PC industry, although they have very different strategies regarding the future of tablets," saidFornell. "Apple is targeting business customers on the go with laptop-like features for its iPad, while Samsung tablets occupy their own space as devices for entertainment and browsing -- not laptop replacements."</p>
<p>Image source: ACSI.</p>
<p>Overall, consumers continue to rate design (size, visual appeal) as the strongest aspect for PCs, although that number dropped from 84 last year to 83. On the positive side, ease of operation climbed from 80 to 81 while ability to keep crashes to a minimum inched up from 79 to 80.</p>
<p>Satisfaction with availability of software, apps, or accessories and with processor speed all dropped from last year.</p>
<p>While it's unlikely that desktop PCs will ever stage a major sales comeback, it's clear that laptops and tablets may have a hard time completely replacing them. IDC reported in July that PC shipments -- including desktops, portables, ultraslim notebooks, Chromebooks, and workstations -- in the second quarter totaled 62.4 million units, a year-over-year decline of 4.5%, which was better than the forecast of a 7.4% decline.</p>
<p>Even as the other devices become more useful, with better technology, and the line between the two continues to blur, it's obvious that consumers still want the power and monitor size possible with a desktop.</p>
<p>Those advantages may dim going forward, but for now, even though sales have fallen, desktops still make the most sense for some of us.</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=2668&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/Dankline/info.aspx" type="external">Daniel Kline Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Apple. He prefers a laptop to a desktop and anything to a tablet. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon.com and Apple. The Motley Fool has the following options: long January 2018 $90 calls on Apple and short January 2018 $95 calls on Apple.</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> | Survey Shows Consumers Are Happier With Their Personal Computers | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/09/27/survey-shows-consumers-are-happier-with-their-personal-computers.html | 2016-09-27 | 0 |
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<p>By lunchtime, Obama will have handed over the reins of the world’s most powerful nation to a man who vowed to tear down his biggest achievements and who defeated Obama’s chosen successor. A military aide with a briefcase holding the U.S. nuclear launch codes will stop trailing Obama and leave the U.S. Capitol in Trump’s entourage.</p>
<p>After a rancorous campaign that blew away precedent, an election result that shocked the political establishment and a transition by Twitter that upended convention, the unorthodox will be overtaken — at least for a few hours — by tradition.</p>
<p>The inauguration is “one of those great turning points” in the nation’s political consciousness, historian William Seale said. “Everything was going along one way and suddenly there’s a turnaround, and he won. A stop and a change. A re-evaluation.”</p>
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<p>Trump’s swearing-in will be “the moment on the head of a pin,” he said.</p>
<p>One of the most intriguing aspects of the day will be the limousine ride that Obama and Trump will share on the ride to the Capitol past thousands of onlookers. It promises to be especially awkward: Trump, the real estate magnate and reality-TV star who never held political office, spent years stoking false doubts about Obama’s legitimacy to hold office. Obama spent months telling voters that Trump was uniquely unqualified to be president, declaring that it would be a personal insult were he elected.</p>
<p>“His instruction to me was, ‘The campaign is over, I am now president for all the people,”‘ Tom Barrack, the chairman of Trump’s inaugural committee, said at Trump Tower this week. Barrack, the chairman of Colony Capital said that the Republican wants to “heal the wounds” of the election, to reach out to Americans with questions and doubts and “build a bridge and tie them back in.”</p>
<p>Some Democratic members of Congress, including African-American civil rights icon John Lewis, have said they are boycotting the ceremony. In a Twitter post Saturday, Trump criticized Lewis, who suffered a cracked skull while fighting for voting rights in the 1960s, as “all talk,” a day after the Georgia congressman said he doesn’t consider him “a legitimate president.”</p>
<p>“Obviously we’d love for every member of Congress to attend,” Trump transition spokesman Sean Spicer said Tuesday, “but if they don’t, that’s some great seats that other folks can hopefully partake in.”</p>
<p>Trump tweeted Tuesday morning that “People are pouring into Washington,” adding “Bikers for Trump are on their way. It will be a great.”</p>
<p>Law enforcement officials expect between 700,000 and 900,000 people to attend inauguration events, about half the 1.8 million the Washington D.C. local government estimated were at Obama’s first inauguration. About 100 different organizations are planning demonstrations either for or against Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said.</p>
<p>Much of downtown Washington will be closed to traffic to maintain tight security for the occasion. At recent inaugurations, dump trucks and buses have blocked streets just inside the perimeter to protect against truck bombs. About 28,000 personnel will be dedicated to security, from agencies including DHS, the FBI, U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Park Police and local law enforcement, Johnson said.</p>
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<p>In a nod to the heavily rural constituency that helped propel him to the presidency, country singers Toby Keith and Lee Greenwood will be featured performers along with military bands at a “Make America Great Again!” event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial the evening before the inauguration, the inaugural committee announced. Trump will address the crowd at the concert.</p>
<p>The inauguration itself will reflect Trump’s background in reality television. Jackie Evancho, a teenager featured on “America’s Got Talent” is to sing the national anthem.</p>
<p>Trump is seeking a “delicate balance between abiding by tradition” and leaving “his own fingerprint on a fresh canvas,” Barrack said, but added, “Mostly he’s abiding by tradition especially in the swearing-in ceremony.”</p>
<p>That tradition includes having the chief justice of the U.S., John Roberts Jr., administering the oath of office to Trump; Vice President-elect Mike Pence has chosen Justice Clarence Thomas for his swearing-in.</p>
<p>Trump will parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, past a flashy new hotel that bears his name, back to the White House, to rest up and get changed for the evening’s inaugural balls. He may use his presidential authority to issue executive actions even before the night-time balls — as Obama did eight years ago.</p>
<p>Trump plans to issue some executive orders on inauguration day and may swear in some of his Cabinet members, Spicer told reporters Tuesday. But the incoming president will wait until Monday, the first full business day of his presidency, for “a big flurry of activity.”</p>
<p>When Obama was inaugurated, he and first lady Michelle Obama stepped out of the armored presidential limousine and walked a stretch of the parade route. Trump’s team hasn’t said yet whether he will do the same.</p>
<p>The is always the potential for drama. Since the early days of the republic, the transfer of power often has been an awkward hand-off. President Dwight Eisenhower thought President John Kennedy too young and inexperienced for the job, and Kennedy’s wife Jackie hated that the Eisenhowers let them know it. Rosalynn Carter and Nancy Reagan didn’t talk in the motorcade limo they shared on Inauguration Day.</p>
<p>While most of focus will be on the Trumps’ arrival, the Obamas will have their own emotional experience, said Kate Andersen Brower, a former Bloomberg News reporter and author of “First Women: The Grace and Power of America’s Modern First Ladies.”</p>
<p>On their last morning at the White House, the outgoing first family traditionally gathers the residence staff, about 100 people, in the State Dining Room to say goodbye. The staff present the family with a gift. By tradition, staff carpenters handcraft a box to hold two American flags, the one flown over the White House on the day the president was inaugurated and the one flying on his last day in office.</p>
<p>After the swearing-in ceremony, the Obamas will lift off from the Capitol grounds one last time in the presidential helicopter, heading for Joint Base Andrews.</p>
<p>At Andrews, he’ll board a presidential aircraft, though it will no longer carry the designation Air Force One. The commander-in-chief won’t be aboard.</p>
<p>—</p>
<p>Bloomberg’s Chris Strohm contributed.</p> | Limo ride and White House tea: when tradition tops partisanship | false | https://abqjournal.com/929370/limo-ride-and-white-house-tea-when-tradition-tops-partisanship.html | 2017-01-17 | 2 |
<p>Proposed changes in the GOP tax plan could affect homeowners in more expensive neighborhoods and car buyers interested in electric vehicles. Investors in tech companies could see higher dividends. Future retirees and asset managers are happy about a change that didn't materialize. A look at how the GOP tax plan could impact certain industries:</p>
<p>HOMEBUILDING</p>
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<p>The tax plan contains some unpleasant surprises for those thinking about buying a new home, particularly in high-cost areas. As a result, shares of homebuilders dropped, with luxury homebuilder Toll Brothers leading the decline.</p>
<p>The plan would limit the mortgage interest deduction on newly purchased homes to the first $500,000 of the loan, instead of the present $1 million limit. The plan also caps the deduction for property taxes at $10,000. Svenja Gudell, CEO of housing data provided Zillow, said the changes could raise the tax bill for high-income homeowners in high-tax states, such as New York, Florida and California. Jerry Howard, CEO of the National Associated of Home Builders, said any slowdown in the housing market in those states could put other markets at risk.</p>
<p>Toll Brothers dropped 5.2 percent, while Lennar and Hovnanian fell more than 2 percent. Other homebuilders saw smaller declines. Up until Thursday, most homebuilders have posted impressive gains so far this year.</p>
<p>The proposed changes also hit shares of home improvement retailers. Lowe's fell 3.2 percent and Home Depot slipped $2.84, or 1.7 percent, to $162.54.</p>
<p>ELECTRIC VEHICLES</p>
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<p>Car buyers might be less charged up about electric vehicles. The plan eliminates a $7,500 federal tax credit for buyers of electrics after the current tax year. Industry analysts and environmental groups quickly predicted a plunge in EV sales. Even with the credit, electric vehicles are less than 1 percent of U.S. auto sales, and that's likely to decline further.</p>
<p>"If you eliminate the tax credit, it's going to be a big whack to electric vehicle sales," said Gartner analyst Michael Ramsey.</p>
<p>Eventually the cost of batteries will come down so much that EV sales will rise without tax credits, said Xavier Mosquet, a senior partner at Boston Consulting Group. He predicts that EVs will be comparable in total ownership costs to gas-powered vehicles between 2025 and 2030. Electric cars require no fuel and less maintenance than gasoline cars.</p>
<p>And it's not for certain yet that the credit is gone. General Motors said in a statement that it will work with Congress to keep the incentive.</p>
<p>Shares of electric car maker Tesla Inc., which on Wednesday reported its worst quarterly loss ever, plummeted 8 percent.</p>
<p>TECH COMPANIES</p>
<p>A provision that permits multinational corporations to repatriate foreign profits they've stockpiled overseas at a one-time 12 percent rate could be beneficial to technology companies and their shareholders.</p>
<p>Scott Kessler, an analyst with CFRA Research, said a lot of tech companies such as Apple, Oracle, Microsoft and Cisco were hoping to bring back their overseas profits "at a far reduced rate from current 35 percent."</p>
<p>"For a lot of these companies you are talking about tens of billions, or in the case of apple, hundreds of billions of dollars," Kessler said.</p>
<p>If the plan goes through, and lawmakers don't put constraints on how the companies can spend the money — requiring them to invest in the U.S., say, or create jobs here — Kessler expects that a "substantial amount" is going to be allocated to stock buybacks, dividends and the like.</p>
<p>ASSET MANAGERS</p>
<p>Future retirees as well as asset managers exhaled after House Republicans decided to leave the 401(k) retirement account alone.</p>
<p>Congress had been considering changes that investors feared would cause workers to sock away less in retirement savings each year. Such a change would mean smaller flows into the mutual funds and exchange-traded funds run by T. Rowe Price, BlackRock and other asset managers, reducing the fees they could earn.</p>
<p>Currently, workers under age 50 can contribute up to $18,000 in a 401(k) account annually on a tax-deferred basis. Older workers can delay taxes on even more, with a pretax contribution limit of $24,000.</p>
<p>Congress had reportedly been considering curtailing the annual pretax limit to as low as $2,400. The average worker funneled $5,850 of their paychecks into a 401(k) over the 12 months through June, according to Fidelity. At plans for which Vanguard keeps records, 10 percent of participants contributed the maximum last year.</p>
<p>After House Republicans said they wouldn't touch 401(k) accounts, stocks of asset managers climbed. T. Rowe Price gained 1.7 percent, and Franklin Resources climbed 1.2 percent, for example. while BlackRock rose 1 percent.</p> | Homebuilders gloomy, asset managers relieved over tax plan | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/11/02/homebuilders-gloomy-asset-managers-relieved-over-tax-plan.html | 2017-11-02 | 0 |
<p>Rep. Linda Sanchez (D., Calif.) (3rd L) speaks as Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D., N.M.) (4th L), Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) (2nd R). and other House Democrats listen / Getty</p>
<p>BY: <a href="" type="internal">Alex Griswold</a> October 5, 2017 1:36 pm</p>
<p>High-ranking Democratic Rep. Linda Sanchez (Calif.) said in a Thursday interview that she believes Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) should step&#160;down from her role as House minority leader.</p>
<p>Sanchez, a member of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, was&#160;elected in 2016 to serve as vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus. The California congresswoman is often considered one of the <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/news/hawkings/nancy-pelosi-successors-democrats" type="external">leading candidates</a> to take over for Pelosi if she ever relinquished her top leadership position.</p>
<p>But in an&#160; <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/top-house-democrat-i-think-its-time-for-nancy-pelosi-and-her-leadership-team-to-go/2017/10/05/0df09a86-a9e4-11e7-b3aa-c0e2e1d41e38_story.html?utm_term=.2aa8746e9156" type="external">interview</a> with reporters from the Washington Post&#160;and the Los Angeles Times, Sanchez became a bit more vocal in pushing for new leadership.</p>
<p>"I do think we have this real breadth and depth of talent within our caucus and I do think it's time to pass a torch to a new generation of leaders, and I want to be a part of that transition," Sanchez said in an interview set to air on C-SPAN's "Newsmakers" on Sunday.</p>
<p>Sanchez added that House Minority Whip Steny&#160;Hoyer (Md.) and House Assistant Minority Leader James Clyburn (S.C.) should also step down.</p>
<p>"I think there comes a time when you need to pass that torch. And I think it's time," she said.</p>
<p>Sanchez is only the latest Democratic member of Congress to call for Pelosi to step aside. Sixty-three House Democrats voted for Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan to head their caucus instead of Pelosi in 2016, and calls for her ouster only <a href="" type="internal">amplified</a> after poor showings by House candidates in special elections this year.</p>
<p>"I think you'd have to be an idiot to think we could win the House with Pelosi at the top," Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela (Texas) <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/338835-dem-lawmaker-youd-have-to-be-an-idiot-to-think-dems-can-win-house-with" type="external">said</a> in June.</p>
<p /> | House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair: ‘I Think It’s Time’ for Pelosi to Step Down From Leadership | true | http://freebeacon.com/politics/house-democratic-caucus-vice-chair-time-pelosi-step-down-leadership/ | 2017-10-05 | 0 |
<p>Google said Wednesday that <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13623378" type="external">hackers</a> in China had compromised the personal e-mail accounts of hundreds of users of Google's Gmail service, including top U.S. and Asian government officials, Chinese political activists, military personnel and journalists, BBC News reported.</p>
<p>In a <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/ensuring-your-information-is-safe.html" type="external">blog post</a>, the company said that its security had not been breached, but that some users of Gmail had been the targets of a campaign aimed at stealing passwords and monitoring e-mail <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/technology/02google.html?hp" type="external">accounts</a>, according to the New York Times.</p>
<p>Google said in the blog post that the campaign appeared to originate from the city of Jinan, China, and that it had affected the personal Gmail accounts of users including "senior U.S. government officials, Chinese political activists, officials in several Asian countries (predominantly South Korea), military personnel and journalists."</p>
<p>The so-called phishing campaign worked by sending the <a href="http://blogs.forbes.com/andygreenberg/2011/06/01/heres-the-fake-gmail-login-chinese-hackers-used-to-steal-u-s-activist-data/" type="external">victims</a> spoofed e-mails, often from accounts that appeared to belong to co-workers, family or friends. Those emails contained links to spoofed Gmail sites, which harvested the usernames and passwords of anyone who used them, Forbes explained. The hackers used those login details to forward any mail coming into the account to a third party, or in some cases gathered information about contacts to use in other phishing scams.</p>
<p>It is the second time that Google has implicated China in an intrusion, the New York Times said. Last year, the company said it had traced an attack on its systems to perpetrators based in China. The accusation led to a rupture of Google's relationship with China and a decision by the company not to cooperate with Chinese censorship demands on its search engine.</p>
<p>Google said in the official blog post that it had detected and disrupted the campaign, notified the victims and secured their accounts. Google recommended that Gmail users take additional security steps, including adding a Google service known as two-step verification, which involves using a cell phone.</p> | Google says hackers in China stole Gmail passwords | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-06-01/google-says-hackers-china-stole-gmail-passwords | 2011-06-01 | 3 |
<p>Dramatic dashcam footage of an Arizona police department cruiser plowing into an armed suspect on Feb. 19 has <a href="" type="internal">sparked debate about whether the unusual tactic taken by an officer was excessive force.</a> These photos released to NBC News by Marana Police on Wednesday, show the aftermath of incident. Construction blocks are scattered where the police car came to a halt and the car's front end is seriously damaged.</p>
<p>Mario Valencia, who was allegedly armed with a stolen gun survived the collision and faces a long list of charges. <a href="" type="internal">Officer Michael Rapiejko was cleared by the prosecutor's office and was placed on paid leave</a> for three days but has returned to duty. An administrative review is currently ongoing.</p>
<p /> | Photos Show Damage After Cop Car Rammed Gunman | false | http://nbcnews.com/news/us-news/photos-show-damage-after-cop-car-rammed-gunman-n342486 | 2015-04-16 | 3 |
<p>Prior to and during Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro’s speech at Berkeley on Thursday, protesters gathered to voice their displeasure.</p>
<p>During one protest in particular, a group of people chanted: “Speech is violence! We will not be silent!”</p>
<p>As Shapiro noted in his speech, the idea that speech is violence is becoming more prevalent among those in the progressive movement. The end-game here is that if speech is violence, it can be controlled and ultimately restricted, effectively killing the First Amendment as we know it.</p> | WATCH: Berkeley Students Chant 'Speech Is Violence!' | true | https://dailywire.com/news/21128/watch-berkeley-students-chant-speech-violence-frank-camp | 2017-09-15 | 0 |
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<p>In 1997, with the private prison business booming, the <a href="http://www.correctionscorp.com/" type="external">Corrections Corporation of America</a> picked a 64-acre plot near Austin, Texas, for its newest lockup. A medium-security prison, it was named after the company’s cofounder and designed for some 500 federal inmates. But the anticipated stream of prisoners never arrived: By the time the <a href="/news/update/2007/02/detention_center.html" type="external">T. Don Hutto Correctional Center</a> opened, a glut of private prison beds, along with cca‘s own poor track record, had left the company nearly bankrupt. Its stock, which once traded at around $45 a share, bottomed out at 18 cents. Several of its facilities were shuttered or sat empty for years, including the Hutto prison, which cca moved to close in 2004.</p>
<p>But Hutto, like cca itself, has risen from the ashes thanks to a sudden source of new business: the Bush administration’s crackdown on immigrants. Historically, Mexicans caught illegally entering the country have been dumped back across the border, while immigrants and asylum seekers from other countries were processed and released to await their court dates. (Only those with criminal records were detained.) Most of those released, though, failed to appear for court hearings and removal proceedings, and the government didn’t have the resources to go looking for them. So in 2006, the <a href="http://www.ice.gov/" type="external">Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ice) agency</a> ended its traditional “catch and release” policy and instead started incarcerating non-Mexican immigrants—anyone from a Salvadoran migrant to an Iraqi family seeking political asylum—pending their deportation or asylum hearings. Over the two years since, the agency has increased its use of detention facilities by more than half; it now holds some 30,000 people on any given day.</p>
<p>In this new population—and in ice‘s $1 billion-plus detention budget—cca saw opportunity. In 2004, when Congress passed legislation authorizing ice to triple the number of immigrant detention beds, cca‘s lobbying expenditures reached $3 million; since then, it has spent an additional $7 million on lobbyists. Among them was <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/31/politics/31homeland.html" type="external">Philip Perry</a>, Vice President Dick Cheney’s son-in-law, who later became general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security, ice‘s parent organization, which has awarded cca millions in contracts; one of them, in 2006, allowed the company to reopen the old Hutto prison, now christened a “residential facility” housing immigrant families, including small children.</p>
<p>cca isn’t the only firm lining up for ice contracts: There’s so much money to be made warehousing immigrants that in 2006, <a href="http://www.cornellcompanies.com/page.cfm?ctid=13" type="external">Cornell Companies</a>, a private prison firm, sent the state of Oklahoma an eviction notice for more than 800 state inmates housed in its facility in Hinton. The company was negotiating with ice to take in immigrants for more than the roughly $45 per diem that Oklahoma paid.</p>
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<p>Source: Bureau of Justic Statistics</p>
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<p>Source: Yahoo Finance</p>
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<p>State and local governments are also getting in on the action. In 2006, Willacy County, Texas, floated millions in bonds and, in 90 days, built a tent city for immigrants that it leases to ice for $78 a day per detainee. (A room at the local Best Western Executive Inn costs $65.) Run by the Utah-based Management and Training Corporation, a private prison management company, the camp houses up to 2,000 immigrants in a razor-wire-ringed compound holding 10 Kevlar tents of the sort used by troops in Iraq. Detainees have reported problems with heat and air conditioning, as well as maggot-infested food. The county has since approved another $50 million to add space for 1,000 more detainees.</p>
<p>Elsewhere, detention centers have been sued for providing inadequate health care, food services, and education. The aclu of Texas recently settled a lawsuit with ice over the conditions at Hutto for 26 children ages 1 to 17. According to the aclu, they were kept in cells 11 or 12 hours a day, forced to wear prison garb, fed “unrecognizable substances, mostly starches,” and denied toys, bathroom privacy, and access to medical care.</p>
<p>According to the Washington Post, more than 80 people have died in ice detention, in many cases because of poor health care. The most famous case is that of Francisco Castaneda, a Salvadoran detained in San Diego for eight months. The government denied his request for a penile biopsy while in detention, arguing that it was an “elective outpatient procedure.” He was eventually found to have cancer. His penis was amputated, but the malignancy spread, and he died last year.</p>
<p>On average, ice pays $95 a day per immigrant that it detains, yet research indicates that other, far cheaper, methods can work almost as well in making sure immigrants show up in court. Back in the late 1990s, the agency asked the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice to run a pilot project under which people facing deportation got intensive supervision and connections to social service agencies. More than 90 percent appeared for their hearings—partly, the institute said, thanks to better information about the process. Intensive supervision costs an average of $14 per detainee per day, according to congressional testimony by Julie Myers, assistant secretary of Homeland Security. Yet in fiscal 2007, ice spent only about $44 million on alternative programs, compared with roughly $1.2 billion on detention—and legislation sponsored last year by representatives Heath Schuler (D-N.C.) and Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) in the House would authorize the agency to develop another 8,000 detention beds, which must be provided by private contractors such as cca “whenever possible.”</p>
<p>cca, meanwhile, is contributing to the detention boom in its own small way: Last year, after inspecting the Hutto center’s personnel records, ice officials arrested 10 workers—illegal immigrants themselves.</p>
<p><a href="/news/feature/2008/07/slammed-probation-for-profit.html" type="external">PREVIOUS: Probation Profiteers</a></p>
<p><a href="/news/feature/2008/07/slammed-taming-of-the-screws.html" type="external">NEXT: Prison Guards Go Soft</a></p>
<p /> | Why Texas Still Holds ‘Em | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2008/07/why-texas-still-holds-em/ | 2018-07-01 | 4 |
<p>Podcasting is liberating, even for regular broadcasters. You are no longer tied to the programming schedule, you can have listeners in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanddewi_Brefi" type="external">Llanddewi Brefi</a>, and you don't have to have an editor if you don't want to. Still, we may need to draw up some rules for podcasting. Or maybe rules is not the word, let's call them guidelines. Here's a list that I would LOVE to revise after some discussion here. So feel free to respond, reject, or reduce. Here goes. ...Podcasting Guidelines, Version 1.0:</p> | A First Pass at Podcasting Guidelines | false | https://poynter.org/news/first-pass-podcasting-guidelines | 2005-08-24 | 2 |
<p>San Francisco, California</p>
<p>Years from now, when historians look back at agenda-building for a missile attack on Iran, they should closely examine a story that took up the USA’s most coveted space for media spin — the upper right corner of the New York Times front page — on the first day of May 2005.</p>
<p>Under the headline “Threats Shadow New Conference on Nuclear Arms,” the lead article in the Sunday edition set a tone that was to echo in U.S. media during the next several days. The review conference for the Non-Proliferation Treaty “was meant to offer hope of closing huge loopholes in the treaty, which the United States says Iran and North Korea have exploited to pursue nuclear weapons,” the Times reported. “Instead, the session appears deadlocked even before it begins, according to senior American officials and diplomats.”</p>
<p>But the Times could have led off by pointing out that “huge loopholes in the treaty” have been exploited by the United States and a few other countries to maintain their nuclear-arms dominance. And, instead of resorting to fuzzy euphemisms, the story could have clearly reported that the U.S., Japanese and French governments are so committed to the commercial nuclear power industry that they still insist on promoting it — and further boosting nuclear arms proliferation in the process.</p>
<p>For more than five decades now, U.S. government leaders — along with countless reporters and pundits — have insisted that the split atom can be wondrous rather than just ominous. In a speech to the United Nations in December 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed a commitment to “atoms for peace.” He portrayed nuclear power as redemptive: “The United States pledges before you — and therefore before the world — its determination to help solve the fearful atomic dilemma — to devote its entire heart and mind to find the way by which the miraculous inventiveness of man shall not be dedicated to his death, but consecrated to his life.”</p>
<p>One-third of a century later, the New York Times was in the midst of a protracted crusade on behalf of the Shoreham nuclear power project on Long Island. In July 1986, Jack Newfield wrote in the Village Voice that he had counted 22 different times when the New York Times had editorialized in favor of the Shoreham nuclear plants during the previous 40 months. As it happened, members of the Times board of directors also sat on the boards of nuclear-invested utilities and banks.</p>
<p>Grassroots activism was often successful when it challenged the utilities seeking to generate more electricity with atomic power. Along the way, activists pointed out that nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons share the same basic fuel cycle. And the anti-nuclear movement warned that fervent efforts to export nuclear power technology all over the globe would lead to the development of atomic weapons in more and more countries. But enormous media campaigns on behalf of the nuclear power industry are still with us.</p>
<p>On May 4 — despite the dangers of catastrophic reactor accidents, the horrendous folly of creating massive amounts of atomic waste, and the proven role of nuclear power technology in nuclear weapons proliferation — a New York Times editorial contended “there is mounting evidence that damage from global warming may dwarf any environmental risk posed by nuclear power. It is therefore critical to keep nuclear power as part of the nation’s energy mix.” Such commentaries encourage us to believe that widespread conservation and renewable resources aren’t viable, as if the only real choices are a radioactive future or an overheated globe.</p>
<p>This kind of nuclear fundamentalism is exactly what has smoothed the way for countries to acquire nuclear weapons technologies — and in some cases nuclear bombs — in recent decades. Like an institution run by religious fanatics, the New York Times still cannot let go of its corporate faith in the great god nuclear power.</p>
<p>These days, there is ugly irony in the emergence of Jimmy Carter as an advocate for nuclear sanity. In 1979, when the Three Mile Island nuclear power disaster occurred in Pennsylvania, President Carter went out of his way to flack for the atomic-energy industry. And like his predecessors and successors in the Oval Office, he pushed nuclear power on people in many other countries. Now Carter is singing a somewhat different tune. In an oped piece that appeared in the International Herald Tribune on May 2, he warned: “Iran has repeatedly hidden its intentions to enrich uranium while claiming that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. This explanation has been given before, by India, Pakistan and North Korea, and has led to weapons programs in all three states.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Carter is suitably adamant about the importance of not allowing nuclear test explosions. “The comprehensive test ban treaty should be honored,” he wrote in the same article, “but the United States is moving in the opposite direction.” You wouldn’t know it from Carter, or from the U.S. media, but his administration chose to jettison the appreciable prospects that a comprehensive test ban could have been locked into place a quarter-century ago.</p>
<p>When I visited the State Department early in the fourth year of the Carter presidency, an arms-control specialist asked me to turn off my tape recorder before he talked about ways that top officials at the government’s nuclear weapons labs were successfully sinking the test-ban efforts. Several months later, in October 1980, I summed up the situation in a Nation magazine article: “While proclaiming a desire to halt the nuclear arms race, the U.S. government has been quietly undermining chances for the most far-reaching disarmament treaty on the horizon — a comprehensive international ban on atomic bomb tests. The latest round of talks in Geneva ended in failure — with the United States’ tactics of delay drawing criticism from other delegations. And no wonder: The Carter administration has caved in to the nuclear-weapons laboratories, which want to continue to test bombs and are opposed to a meaningful agreement that will stop the spread of nuclear weapons.”</p>
<p>In 2005, it’s bad enough that such history is scarcely on the U.S. media radar screen, while propaganda looms larger for an attack on Iran either by the Pentagon or by the U.S.-backed Israeli government. But in the present day, the hypocrisy of Washington’s righteous finger-pointing toward Iran is extremely dangerous. Carter has it right when he now calls the United States “the major culprit” in erosion of the Non-Proliferation Treaty: “While claiming to be protecting the world from proliferation threats in Iraq, Libya, Iran and North Korea, American leaders not only have abandoned existing treaty restraints but also have asserted plans to test and develop new weapons, including antiballistic missiles, the earth-penetrating ‘bunker buster’ and perhaps some new ‘small’ bombs. They also have abandoned past pledges and now threaten first use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states.”</p>
<p>The odds are good that if the Pentagon doesn’t launch a major missile attack on Iranian facilities in the next year or so, the Israeli government will — with a wink and nod from President Bush. Yet, unlike Iran’s government, Israel is not even a signer of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. With a nuclear bomb stockpile now estimated at more than 200 warheads, Israel is fueling the nuclear arms race in the Middle East. But, from the White House to Capitol Hill to newsrooms across the United States, the Israeli nuclear arsenal draws scant mention let alone criticism.</p>
<p>A former U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq who previously served as Australia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Richard Butler, astutely wrote on May 1 in the Sydney Morning Herald that the U.S. government “can be expected to seek to draw attention away from its policies and actions by attempting to insist that the most significant issue at the review conference should be the potential breakout by Iran and North Korea.” Butler added: “In this context, it was remarkable to see the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, during his recent visit to President George Bush’s Texas ranch, call on the U.S. to take urgent steps against Iran’s nuclear weapons program — the intelligence on which is quite divided. Neither side made any reference to the world’s largest clandestine nuclear weapons program — Israel’s.”</p>
<p>The person who has done more than anyone else to inform the world about that nuclear weapons program, Mordechai Vanunu, left his job as a technician at Israel’s Dimona nuclear facility before spilling the beans to the Sunday Times of London in 1986. The Israeli government promptly sent agents to kidnap Vanunu from Rome and take him back to Israel. As a result, Vanunu spent 18 years behind bars, mostly in solitary confinement. Since his release in April 2004, the Israeli authorities have imposed a travel ban along with other restrictions on Vanunu — and they’re threatening to put him back in prison if he keeps talking to journalists.</p>
<p>If Vanunu were Iranian instead of Israeli, the U.S. press would be hailing him as a hero instead of giving him short shrift.</p>
<p>Like almost every other mainstream U.S. media outlet, the New York Times has provided little coverage of Vanunu, so the American public has scant knowledge of his real-life experience with truth and consequences. Likewise, the Times has little to say about Washington’s extreme hypocrisies while the newspaper and the government denounce certain other countries for their nuclear programs.</p>
<p>But the New York Times has not skimped on coverage that adds to momentum for a military attack on Iran. And evidently the newspaper of record is just getting started.</p>
<p>NORMAN SOLOMON’s latest book, “ <a href="" type="internal">War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death</a>,” will be published in early summer. His columns and other writings can be found at: <a href="http://www.normansolomon.com/" type="external">www.normansolomon.com</a></p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Nuclear Fundamentalism and the Iran Story | true | https://counterpunch.org/2005/05/05/nuclear-fundamentalism-and-the-iran-story/ | 2005-05-05 | 4 |
<p>BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Alphabet (NASDAQ:) unit Google has offered to display rival shopping comparison sites via an auction in order to comply with an EU antitrust order to stop favoring its own shopping service, four people familiar with the matter said on Monday.</p>
<p>The proposal, which resembles a failed offer made to the European Commission three years ago to settle the case, would allow competitors to bid for any spot in its shopping section known as Product Listing Ads, the people said.</p>
<p>Under the previous proposal aimed at settling the long-running EU antitrust investigation, the world’s most popular internet search engine had reserved the first two places for its own ads.</p>
<p>The new proposal, submitted to the European Commission on Aug. 29 following a record 2.4-billion-euro ($2.87 billion) fine, would also see Google set a floor price with its own bids minus operating costs.</p>
<p>The offer does not address the issues set out by EU competition regulators, the people said. The Commission had ordered Google to treat rivals and its own service equally.</p>
<p>“This is worse than the commitments,” one of the people said, declining to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.</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> | Exclusive: Google offers to display rival sites via auction – sources | false | https://newsline.com/exclusive-google-offers-to-display-rival-sites-via-auction-sources/ | 2017-09-18 | 1 |
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<p>GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. - A Parachute man is expected to plead not guilty to murder in the death of his one-month-old daughter.</p>
<p>The Daily Sentinel reports ( <a href="http://bit.ly/1pT0p8V" type="external">http://bit.ly/1pT0p8V</a> ) that 30-year-old Matthew Ogden is scheduled to enter not guilty pleas in May to murder and child abuse in the June 20 death of Sarah Ogden, who had a bruised liver and a fractured skull. A judge has set his trial for September.</p>
<p>Sarah's mother, Phyllis "Amy" Wyatt, pleaded not guilty to child abuse that caused the child's death and was sentenced to eight years in prison.</p>
<p>Police say Wyatt told them Ogden violently shook the baby overnight, but Wyatt did not get out of bed. The two skipped town before arrest warrants were issued but were arrested a short time later in Minnesota.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Information from: The Daily Sentinel, <a href="http://www.gjsentinel.com" type="external">http://www.gjsentinel.com</a></p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Trial set for Colo. man in infant daughter's death | false | https://abqjournal.com/747213/trial-set-for-colo-man-in-infant-daughters-death.html | 2 |
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<p>CHICAGO (AP) — A day after Little League International stripped Chicago's Jackie Robinson West of its national championship, team officials announced they've hired a high-profile attorney to conduct an investigation they hope will end with the return of their title.</p>
<p>The sport's governing body announced Wednesday that team officials had violated regulations by including players who didn't qualify because they lived outside the team's boundaries, then scrambled to get adjacent leagues to go along with the scheme. But attorney Victor Henderson said Thursday he will try to determine not only whether the team broke any rules but whether — as supporters in Chicago have suggested — Little League International unfairly singled them out.</p>
<p>"I want to make sure that whatever rules and regulations are being applied to Jackie Robinson West are being applied to any other team," Henderson said during a news conference, flanked by members of the family that runs the league on the city's South Side and the team's manager, who has been suspended.</p>
<p>Henderson said it is too early to say if Jackie Robinson West will file a lawsuit against Little League International.</p>
<p>"Clearly, we have one more battle," said Bill Haley, the director of the team, whose father was the founder. "You were not wrong for sticking with our boys then (during the Little League World Series), and you are not wrong for sticking with our boys now."</p>
<p>The announcement that the title the team won at last summer's Little League World Series triggered an emotional response from parents and supporters in Chicago and around the country, some of whom suggested that the race of the all-black team may have been a factor in the stunning decision to remove the title. On Thursday, Henderson tried to tamp down those criticisms.</p>
<p>"We aren't raising the race card," he said. He also addressed threats made against the life of the suburban baseball league official whose allegations triggered the investigation.</p>
<p>"The Haley family, they want no part of that," he said.</p>
<p>The family members who attended the press conference and Darold Butler, the team's suspended manager, did not take questions. Henderson said he could not answer any questions until he receives paperwork from Little League International, which he said he will request.</p>
<p>In the meantime, he said he is telling the boys that, as far as he is concerned, they remain the national champions.</p>
<p>"I'm saying to them, 'You do not give up your championship yet,'" he said.</p>
<p>Whether the investigation could prompt Little League International to reverse its decision remains to be seen. On Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the organization to ask that the title be given back to the team because the boys did nothing wrong.</p>
<p>But the president and CEO of Little League International, who on Wednesday said there was no indication the boys were complicit in the scheme of the adults, told the mayor that the decision was final.</p>
<p>CHICAGO (AP) — A day after Little League International stripped Chicago's Jackie Robinson West of its national championship, team officials announced they've hired a high-profile attorney to conduct an investigation they hope will end with the return of their title.</p>
<p>The sport's governing body announced Wednesday that team officials had violated regulations by including players who didn't qualify because they lived outside the team's boundaries, then scrambled to get adjacent leagues to go along with the scheme. But attorney Victor Henderson said Thursday he will try to determine not only whether the team broke any rules but whether — as supporters in Chicago have suggested — Little League International unfairly singled them out.</p>
<p>"I want to make sure that whatever rules and regulations are being applied to Jackie Robinson West are being applied to any other team," Henderson said during a news conference, flanked by members of the family that runs the league on the city's South Side and the team's manager, who has been suspended.</p>
<p>Henderson said it is too early to say if Jackie Robinson West will file a lawsuit against Little League International.</p>
<p>"Clearly, we have one more battle," said Bill Haley, the director of the team, whose father was the founder. "You were not wrong for sticking with our boys then (during the Little League World Series), and you are not wrong for sticking with our boys now."</p>
<p>The announcement that the title the team won at last summer's Little League World Series triggered an emotional response from parents and supporters in Chicago and around the country, some of whom suggested that the race of the all-black team may have been a factor in the stunning decision to remove the title. On Thursday, Henderson tried to tamp down those criticisms.</p>
<p>"We aren't raising the race card," he said. He also addressed threats made against the life of the suburban baseball league official whose allegations triggered the investigation.</p>
<p>"The Haley family, they want no part of that," he said.</p>
<p>The family members who attended the press conference and Darold Butler, the team's suspended manager, did not take questions. Henderson said he could not answer any questions until he receives paperwork from Little League International, which he said he will request.</p>
<p>In the meantime, he said he is telling the boys that, as far as he is concerned, they remain the national champions.</p>
<p>"I'm saying to them, 'You do not give up your championship yet,'" he said.</p>
<p>Whether the investigation could prompt Little League International to reverse its decision remains to be seen. On Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the organization to ask that the title be given back to the team because the boys did nothing wrong.</p>
<p>But the president and CEO of Little League International, who on Wednesday said there was no indication the boys were complicit in the scheme of the adults, told the mayor that the decision was final.</p> | Lawyer helping Chicago Little League team stripped of title | false | https://apnews.com/amp/45d5f2889e5a44f0b6d55e0227836540 | 2015-02-13 | 2 |
<p>GOTHENBURG, Sweden (Reuters) – Dozens of people were arrested on Saturday as neo-Nazis and anti-fascists clashed with police during a march by the extreme right-wing Nordic Resistance Movement (NMR) in Gothenburg, Sweden on Saturday, police said.</p>
<p>The NMR gathered hundreds of people for the march. Membership in Nazi organizations is not illegal in Sweden and the NMR had a permit from the police to march.</p>
<p>Swedish police said on their website that at least 20 people had been apprehended, and that one police officer had been slightly injured. A police spokesman later told Swedish state television SVT that an additional 10 people had been arrested.</p>
<p>The police anticipated violence and had called in reinforcements from all police districts in Sweden and added 350 temporary jail beds in a police garage.</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> | Dozens arrested during neo-Nazi march in Sweden | false | https://newsline.com/dozens-arrested-during-neo-nazi-march-in-sweden/ | 2017-09-30 | 1 |
<p>Do you think that you merely enjoy the Pan American Games?&#160;Think again, and you will realize that no matter your age, you run, jump, put the shots, throw javelins, discuses and hammers; soar above hurdles and tracks, relay batons, spike balls, score a basket, row, execute ippons, turn your rival over, follow strategies, splash water over yourself after running for two hours and even stop taking in the oxygen that your lungs are demanding.&#160;What a wonderful show the athletes put on for us!</p>
<p>But you do not just enjoy; you participate, especially when athletes from your country are competing. In our case, there is hardly any event where there is not a Cuban team or athlete present.</p>
<p>Besides, July and August are months filled with commemorative activities. This is also the warmest and most humid period of the year. Added to this there is a magic word: holidays! Your homes see millions of children, teenagers and young people getting together. People from all ages feel the obsessive need to relax in this stressful time in which we live.</p>
<p>This is the time of mothers, especially of grandmothers. With great love and determination they look after their children’s children and even after their grandchildren’s children. They are the heroines of the marathon that goes on year after year.</p>
<p>Commemorations would lack every sense if it were not for the advances achieved by our Revolution; these are the sum total of examples set forth and efforts carried out for a long time.Cubais almost the only country offering free education, health and sports services.</p>
<p>A special tribute should go to a comrade who exactly 50 years ago gave up his life fighting the tyranny: the young 22-year-old hero Frank País.</p>
<p>Those who fought for these ideals made it possible for us to enjoy today’s levels of social justice, which includes full employment for all men and women in our country.</p>
<p>The most important achievement of the Revolution has been the capacity to resist a blockade for almost half century as well as privations of every sort.&#160;Restrictions in the variety and quality of foodstuffs and future threats of unaffordable prices that may result from the imperialist constraint of using much of &#160;this scarce and vital raw material to produce fuel are not ruled out.</p>
<p>We have come to the end of the Pan American Games; I am going to miss them.</p>
<p>Cuba won the first place in track and field, with 12 gold medals.&#160;As a country, it ranked second at the XV Pan American Games with a total of 59 gold medals, preceded only by theUnited Stateswhich won 97; in other words, they won 1.64 gold medals for each one that was won by our country. But theUnited Stateshas 26 times more inhabitants thanCuba. According to conservative figures, they won one medal per every 3.09 million inhabitants; we won one per every 195 thousand.</p>
<p>On 59 occasions we heard the spirited notes of the Cuban National Anthem playing.&#160;In spite of everything!</p>
<p>FIDEL CASTRO is president of Cuba.</p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | In Spite of Everything | true | https://counterpunch.org/2007/07/31/in-spite-of-everything/ | 2007-07-31 | 4 |
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/neha" type="external">Neha Narula</a> wants to be known for her work, not her gender. But she often wishes there were more women around. She just finished her Ph.D. at MIT, and her area of interest, distributed systems, is one of the most male-dominated in computer science. (For those in the know, she's in the <a href="http://pdos.csail.mit.edu/" type="external">PDOS</a> group at MIT <a href="https://www.csail.mit.edu/" type="external">CSAIL</a>.) &#160;</p>
<p>“I have always been either the only woman in the group or one out of two women. For a little while there were three,” she says.</p>
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<p>Narula works on databases, data storage and trying to make difficult-to-use software easier for the rest of us. And she loves it. But the culture gets to her sometimes.&#160;</p>
<p>It's not just the absence of women. It's not just <a href="http://www.wired.com/2014/12/mit-scientists-on-women-in-stem/" type="external">the trolling</a> that Narula and other women sometimes endure. It's the conferences where she feels invisible,&#160;the aggressive culture of criticism,&#160;the displays of dominance.&#160;</p>
<p>“There have been points in time when I thought I don't want to do this anymore,” Narula says. “This is hard. This is not enjoyable. I don't like the interactions that I'm having. I don't want to be in this environment anymore.”</p>
<p>But Narula has found ways around it — and says she’s glad she stuck with it.</p>
<p>“To be an example. To show that you can do it. It’s possible. It’s doable. And if you really like this stuff you should do it. You shouldn’t give up.”</p>
<p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeachHer?src=hash" type="external">#TeachHer</a>&#160;tells the stories of women and girls learning, teaching and changing the world from the classroom to the field to the lab and beyond. Read more and&#160; <a href="" type="internal">get involved</a>.&#160;</p>
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<p>Narula grew up in Alabama and Illinois. She went to a math and science high school.&#160;“I was a very nerdy little girl,” she laughs. “I had&#160;big glasses, and really long hair, and braids.”</p>
<p>She’s the daughter of Indian immigrants, both doctors, and education was always a priority. But when she went to Dartmouth, she intended to leave math and science behind and focus on international relations.</p>
<p>“I wanted to be in the Foreign Service. I wanted to be an ambassador.”</p>
<p>Narula laughs again. It wasn’t to be. Math and science kept tugging at her.&#160;“It wasn't just that I missed it,” Narula says. “I missed the people. I missed that kind of mind set.”</p>
<p>So it’s no surprise that computer science drew her back in. And she found Dartmouth’s department welcoming.&#160;“It was like, ‘Look at this really cool field, look at all the interesting things you can do. Don't you want to keep doing this, don't you want to take these classes, don't you want to learn more?’”</p>
<p>Narula says the mentoring she received at Dartmouth has been key to her success. One professor in particular, <a href="https://twitter.com/thcormen" type="external">Tom Cormen</a>, stood out.</p>
<p>“Tom was always willing to talk,” Narula says. “He really, really cared about his undergraduate students. He cared about them tremendously.”</p>
<p>Cormen’s mentoring is intentional.</p>
<p>“I definitely do it consciously,” he tells me in his office at Dartmouth.&#160;“There are students who might be wondering if it's really the right thing for them, especially if they're from a group that's underrepresented in computer science, if they look around and don't see faces like theirs.”</p>
<p>Cormen says back when he was an undergraduate, studying computer science&#160;he knew there was a gender gap, but he didn't really care. Later, in graduate school, a female colleague opened his eyes to how bad it was. Ever since he started teaching, he's been trying to recruit women to computer science.</p>
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<p>“Research shows that women tend to be more self-critical,” he says. “If you take two students who are doing equivalent work, the male might say, ‘I’m doing fine,’ whereas the female might say, ‘I’m struggling.’ So we need to encourage the women who are doing fine. [We need to tell them] ‘hey, you’re doing fine. You should keep going.’ That’s what I do.”</p>
<p>And he does it relentlessly, <a href="https://www.ncwit.org/news/successful-women-security-tout-need-mentoring-encouragement" type="external">something that women in the sciences and related fields say</a>&#160;is of the utmost importance — and often lacking.&#160;He emails female students; he talks to them after class; he recruits them to be teaching and research assistants. He once asked Narula if she wanted to co-author an instructor’s manual for a textbook he wrote.</p>
<p>“Unfortunately she was unable to participate at the time,” he says. “But I think being invited made her realize, ‘Hey, you've got the chops here.’”</p>
<p>Narula says those moments of encouragement were critical. “Just moments. Just little moments at the right time.”</p>
<p>Cormen is still at it. Graduating senior Patty Neckowicz says he’s good at picking students who will do well as computer science majors. He worked with&#160;her and now she’s off to a programming job at Amazon.</p>
<p>“The way he reached out to me was unique,” Neckowicz says. “But now I see him doing it with other students, I see how I was back then. He definitely makes you feel comfortable, reinforces that you're good at this. I think a lot of girls might not get that.”</p>
<p>​ <a href="https://www.ncwit.org/resources/top-10-ways-families-can-encourage-girls-interest-computing/top-10-ways-families-can" type="external">10 ways families can encourage girls' interest in computing</a></p>
<p>National Center for Women &amp; Information Technology</p>
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<p>Tom Cormen is proud of the work his department does to encourage young women. His colleague,&#160; <a href="https://twitter.com/bkeeperinvt" type="external">Lorie Loeb</a> recently won a <a href="https://www.ncwit.org/project/ncwit-undergraduate-research-mentoring-award" type="external">mentoring award</a> for her work with students in the <a href="http://dali.dartmouth.edu/" type="external">Digital Arts Leadership and Innovation&#160;Lab</a>. And the percentage of computer majors who are women is well above the national average. Even so, women still make up less than a third of those majors. And only two of the 20 tenure-track faculty in computer science&#160;are women.</p>
<p>First-year professor <a href="https://twitter.com/emilyjwhiting" type="external">Emily Whiting</a> says she’s torn about the gender question.</p>
<p>“It can be dangerous sometimes to think too much about gender,” she says. “You start to think you’re being given special treatment, that you don’t deserve the accomplishments. But at the same time, there are differences in the way people need to be mentored and encouraged. That’s definitely true for me. Without having mentors at an authoritative level saying, ‘You deserve this sort of experience; you should apply for this program,&#160;because you’re strong enough; those are the sorts of things I wouldn’t necessarily have done without a strong mentoring voice to push me.”</p>
<p>Whiting says she wants to keep those differences in mind as she embarks on her teaching career. But she also wants to train herself and others not to need too much extra encouragement. Neha Narula tells me something similar when I ask what advice she has for young women starting out.</p>
<p>“There's going to be a lot of micro-discouragements along the way,” Narula says. “So my advice would be: Don't worry about what people think of you, or what people think you should be doing. Just pursue what you enjoy. And pursue it as hard as you can. And do what you need to do to make it happen.”</p> | For women in computer science, a little mentoring goes a long way | false | https://pri.org/stories/2015-06-15/women-computer-science-little-mentoring-goes-long-way | 2015-06-15 | 3 |
<p><a href="http://variety.com/t/netflix/" type="external">Netflix</a> has received approval for its <a href="http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/netflix-canada-400-million-content-production-1202575635/" type="external">agreement with Canada to invest at least $400 million</a> ($500 million Canadian) in content produced in the Great White North. But some in the country believe the streamer unfairly got special treatment from the Canadian government — and that <a href="http://variety.com/2017/film/news/rome-film-festival-announces-lineup-comprising-wide-range-of-crowdpleasers-of-all-genres-1202585502/" type="external">Netflix</a> should be subject to tax regulations and forced to produce a certain amount of French-language content.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/company-blog/what-netflixs-half-a-billion-cad-investment-in-canada-is-really-about" type="external">blog post</a> Tuesday,&#160;Corie Wright, Netflix’s director of global public policy, sought to dispel what she characterized as misconceptions and a few “conspiracy theories” about the agreement.</p>
<p>Among her points: Netflix didn’t reach any tax deals with the government as part of the investment, which was approved under the Investment Canada Act. Some critics had speculated that Netflix’s production-spending commitment in Canada was meant to circumvent tax rules or forestall the possibility that it would be subject to taxes in the future.</p>
<p>“Netflix follows tax laws everywhere we operate,” Wright wrote. “Under Canadian law, foreign online services like Netflix aren’t required to collect and remit sales tax.”</p>
<p>Meanwhile, French-speaking Canadian political leaders were upset that the government didn’t mandate that Netflix meet content quotas for French-language productions as part of the investment. Such quotas apply to TV broadcasters in the country. “How can we abdicate on this issue without requiring a proportion of original French-language content? I am speechless,” Luc Fortin, Quebec’s minister of culture and communications, <a href="http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/netflix-in-canada-what-quebec-politicians-and-industry-had-to-say" type="external">told reporters last month</a>.</p>
<p>In response to those critics, Wright said that Canadian regulations do not impose such requirements for online services and by the same token are “not eligible for the regulatory benefits that traditional media enjoy.”</p>
<p>“Internet-native, on-demand services like Netflix are consumer-driven and operate on the open internet,” Wright wrote. “We don’t use public property like broadcast spectrum or rights of way and we don’t receive the regulatory protections and benefits that broadcasters get (and, by the way, we’re not asking for them).”</p>
<p>Wright pointed out that Netflix’s deal with the Canadian government specifically covers French-language content on the Netflix platform. That involves the company’s promise to spend $25 million Canadian on “pitch days” for producers, recruitment events and other market-development activities for productions in French.</p>
<p>In addition, Wright said, Netflix’s recent price increase in Canada “has nothing to do with our investment or commitments. That price increase was planned a long time ago.”</p>
<p>In August, Netflix hiked prices of its streaming subscriptions in Canada (to $8.99 Canadian for the basic plan, $10.99 Canadian for the standard plan and $13.99 Canadian for the premium four-stream plan). The company followed with similar <a href="http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/netflix-raises-us-streaming-prices-1202581394/" type="external">price increases this month in the U.S.</a>, <a href="http://variety.com/2017/digital/news/netflix-uk-price-increases-streaming-plans-1202582499/" type="external">the U.K. and other countries</a>.</p>
<p>Under the agreement with Canada, Netflix will establish a permanent, multipurpose film and TV production presence in Canada. The company said it will work with Canadian producers, production houses, broadcasters, and other partners to produce original Canadian content in both English and French.</p>
<p>According to Wright, Netflix has invested in Canada-based productions like “Anne,” “Frontier,” “Travelers” and “Alias Grace” not in order “to fill a quota,” but because “they are great global stories.”</p>
<p>“We will continue to invest in great Canadian content, and in other productions made in Canada like ‘Hemlock Grove,’ ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ and ‘Okja,’ that are not Canadian content but that make use of, and showcase to the world, Canada’s outstanding talent, facilities, resources and locations,” she wrote.</p>
<p>Wright said news about Netflix’s next steps in establishing a production presence in Canada will be forthcoming. “[W]e have some planning and hard work to do before we can make any additional official announcements,” she said.</p>
<p>Pictured above: Sarah Gadon in “Alias Grace,” an adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel co-produced by Netflix, CBC, and Halfire Entertainment</p> | Netflix Responds to Canadian ‘Conspiracy Theories’ About Production-Investment Deal | false | https://newsline.com/netflix-responds-to-canadian-conspiracy-theories-about-production-investment-deal/ | 2017-10-10 | 1 |
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<p>University of New Mexico officials say they have secured funding for an on-campus taproom.</p>
<p>Now they want to know if any local breweries want to be part of it.</p>
<p>Administrators in August cited financing as the chief challenge to building a taproom on campus. An evaluation of one design idea put costs at about $1.3 million, officials from UNM’s Institutional Support Services said at the time.</p>
<p>Associate VP Chris Vallejos</p>
<p>But ISS Associate Vice President Chris Vallejos told the Journal in an email this week that “funding has been secured” for a taproom project, though he would not provide specific details until presenting the plan at a Board of Regents committee meeting next month.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>UNM’s food vendor, Chartwells, recently started assessing local breweries’ interest in a potential UNM taproom. Chartwells issued a “request for information” to see if existing breweries would consider various levels of partnership with Chartwells and UNM — from offering guidance on the project to making an investment or operating the space under their brand as a subcontract vendor receiving a percentage of gross sales.</p>
<p>Responses are due next month.</p>
<p>John Gozigian of the New Mexico Brewers Guild circulated the document to members this week and said it has garnered some attention. While the request for information offered few logistical details about any potential arrangement — including the associated licensing issues — Gozigian said he gets the appeal.</p>
<p>John Gozigian</p>
<p>“If I had a brewery, I would be interested in that location for sure,” he said, though he added that it might have a limited customer base composed primarily of faculty, staff and students.</p>
<p>“It’s hard to say how much business they would do. A lot of students are not of drinking age,” Gozigian said. “It’s obviously going to be a captive audience; I don’t think you’re going to get people from outside the university.”</p>
<p>Taprooms already abound in the UNM area. Bosque Brewing Co. and Kaktus Brewing Co. each have locations near the campus’ southeast boundary, while Kellys, Tractor Brewing Co. and Hops Brewery have sites in Nob Hill.</p>
<p>The area also boasts many bars and other beer-serving establishments, which would deter La Cumbre Brewing Co. from setting up its own taproom at UNM.</p>
<p>La Cumbre President Jeff Erway said he does not want to directly compete with his wholesale customers.</p>
<p>“I’m more than happy to consult with (UNM), and I’m also more than happy to sell them beer, but, no, I’m not interested in partnering with the university in a business model,” he said.</p>
<p>Erway does expect other local breweries to consider it.</p>
<p>“If you’re not very competitive already in that market, and you’re a fairly new brewery operation and looking to expand your brand presence and looking for another outlet for your beer, that could end up being a good deal for you,” he said.</p> | UNM closer to launching taproom on campus | false | https://abqjournal.com/1113236/unm-closer-to-launching-on-campus-taproom.html | 2017-12-31 | 2 |
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<p>Meg Linton is the new executive director and chief curator at the Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe.</p>
<p>SANTA FE, N.M. - A former director of a contemporary art museum in Santa Barbara, Calif., will take the reins at Santa Fe's Center for Contemporary Arts.</p>
<p>The appointment of Meg Linton as executive director and chief curator at CCA was announced Thursday. She already has begun consulting with CCA from her Arizona and California homes, and will take over as soon as her move to Santa Fe is finished, according to a news release.</p>
<p>Linton most recently was a consultant for strategic planning and special projects at the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. Before that, she spent five years as executive director at what is now the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara.</p>
<p>In the news release, CCA Board President John C. Bienvenu praised Linton's track record of effective management, community outreach and collaboration. "Her strong skills and deep passion for the visual arts will help propel the Center for Contemporary Arts to a new level of growth and esteem?," he said.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Meg Linton chosen to head CCA in Santa Fe | false | https://abqjournal.com/624161/meg-linton-chosen-to-head-cca-in-santa-fe.html | 2 |
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<p>Michael Swickard / Tuning in</p>
<p>“I’m accustomed to a smooth ride or maybe I’m a dog who’s lost its bite.” — Paul Simon</p>
<p>Thanksgiving looks different to me with miles and age upon my eyes. The splendor of Thanksgiving to me is always tempered by the realization these gifts are not always deserved. For my undeserved gifts, I am thankful and mindful of my life made better.</p>
<p>Our nation has changed in my lifetime from these feelings of thankfulness to the point that some people feel entitled to Thanksgiving. They forget being thankful. Rather than pleased, they are bored since they are supposed to get everything they want.</p>
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<p>Our nation has gone from some who look at their glass to see if it is half full to those who are stuck just looking for a glass. The majority do not dialog the glass half empty or full, they maintain they are entitled to the glass, so hand it over.</p>
<p>Some will spend time on Thanksgiving remembering Thanksgivings past when glasses were held by loved ones who are long since gone. It is the consequence of age to live beyond people we have loved. In my lifetime, so much has been gained in our society and so much lost.</p>
<p>Like Paul Simon says, there are times when I think I am a dog who has lost his bite in today’s world. That is a common thought to those over the age of 60 in a world that worships youth. When I was young, old people were revered. No longer. Knowledge is not even revered, only political advantage.</p>
<p>It is Thanksgiving week and as usual I am thankful. However, none of what I really hold close to my heart is material. There was a time when I was younger that all I could think of was Martin guitars. Forty-some years later, I still have those two guitars, a six-string and a 12-string Martin. They have traveled with me for decades and they mean less to me than a granddaughter’s smile.</p>
<p>While I do occasionally have a smooth ride in life, compared to others, I have never become accustomed to a smooth ride. No, this life of mine has always been stormy, just as I have liked it to be. Early in my life, I found that a placid ride held no interest for me.</p>
<p>In the storms of life, I am captain of my ship, though I cannot control the weather. So I must adjust to the changing weather of life. While I habitually am not much to worry, the future of this nation does worry me because of the challenges, not to me, but to the next generations.</p>
<p>In fact, I am worried not because of what our leaders are doing, rather, because of what my fellow citizens are not doing. This Thanksgiving is a good example of this change in America.</p>
<p>Years ago we got down on our knees to give thanks to Almighty God for that which we were given, despite being flawed humans. We were honestly and completely thankful. It was not just a photo opportunity, it was what we felt.</p>
<p>Today, many Americans rise from their Thanksgiving table saying, “I certainly deserve this and more.” Rising from the table with the butter from the rolls still on their lips, many citizens do not see the thanks in Thanksgiving. For these modern American citizens, the holiday does not resemble what it has been in the past.</p>
<p>In years gone by, Americans were humbled by the challenges and thankful for the deliverance. Today, there is only the expectation that what comes our way is our entitlement. How strange to not feel real gratitude.</p>
<p>Many citizens expect the smooth ride because they voted correctly and, therefore, are entitled to the very special bounty that one political party has promised: The freedom from want. The concept was from President Franklin Roosevelt in his Four Freedoms Speech. But until lately, no one took it seriously. Imagine a government trying to provide for all citizen wants. Ridiculous, but no longer.</p>
<p>Those who seek freedom from wants this Thanksgiving may soon find the ride is no longer smooth. They will come to realize that dog has lost its bite.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Seek freedom from want? The ‘dog has lost its bite’ | false | https://abqjournal.com/310113/seek-freedom-from-want-the-39dog-has-lost-its-bite39.html | 2 |
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<p>"At one point, a woman who appeared to be suffering from seizures flopped on the ground in handcuffs as bystanders shouted for the police to remove the cuffs and provide medical attention."</p>
<p>On Tuesday, April 22, the New York City Police Department had a very bad idea. Someone at the NYPD decided that the department could be doing better with its social media engagement and asked people to tweet photos of themselves with NYPD officers using the hashtag #myNYPD.</p>
<p>Perhaps predictably, the photos were not what they wanted. Activists quickly flooded the hashtag with photos of violent arrests, many of them from the days of Occupy Wall Street. The result was that the hashtag trended, with activists around the world joining in, prompting spinoff hashtags and even garnering the notice of the <a href="https://twitter.com/Newyorkist/status/458949046934437888/photo/1" type="external">tabloids</a> and the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/23/nyregion/new-york-police-reach-out-on-twitter-but-receive-a-slap-in-the-face.html?hpw&amp;rref=nyregion&amp;_r=1" type="external">New York Times</a>.</p>
<p>It seems the NYPD doesn't quite understand the depth of the city’s anger toward the department, even with a new (well, <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/administration/headquarters_co.shtml" type="external">new-old</a>) commissioner under a new mayor who ran a campaign against stop-and-frisk.&#160; Mayor Bill de Blasio even went so far as to <a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/de-blasio-nypd-morale-on-rebound-1.7589313" type="external">decla</a>re: “Now that we've moved away from that broken policy, and we've settled the lawsuits, and we are changing the dynamics on the ground between police and community, I think the average officer's having a much better experience.”</p>
<p>The average officer may be faring better, but a whole lot of New Yorkers out there still aren't.</p>
<p>On April 23, the day after #myNYPD hit Twitter, I spent the afternoon in a criminal courtroom in Lower Manhattan listening to some reasons why New Yorkers don't feel safer with police around. Cecily McMillan, a graduate student and Occupy Wall Street organizer, sat in the defendant's chair, scribbling notes to her attorneys on hot pink note-paper. McMillan was arrested on March 17, 2012—the six-month anniversary of Occupy—when Zuccotti Park was cleared of protesters who had briefly taken back the park late in the night. She is accused of having elbowed NYPD Officer Grantley Bovell in the face during the course of her arrest. McMillan faces felony charges of assault on an officer; if convicted, she could serve seven years. The trial began April 11, and is expected to last about three weeks.</p>
<p>McMillan contends that Officer Bovell grabbed her breast from behind and she reacted instinctively, elbowing backwards in reaction to what she considered an assault.&#160;</p>
<p>I never met Cecily McMillan at Occupy Wall Street and I didn't meet her on Wednesday. I was unable to speak with McMillan’s lawyers, who are under a gag order from the judge and prohibited from talking to reporters. Instead, I simply sat in the audience, one of many there to observe.</p>
<p>And I didn’t see McMillan's arrest. But like many people who'd been around Occupy Wall Street, I stopped by the park that night after drinks with friends in the area. The park was ringed with police, but for the time I was there, the atmosphere was celebratory if tense. Old friends chatted; bagpipers were playing. At one point a small handful of police officers charged into the park and pulled down a tarp draped between two trees, but there were no arrests, and after a while, I went home. Looking back at <a href="http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/863921/liberty_plaza_re-occupied_for_6-month_anniversary_of_occupy_wall_street;_police_violently_raid" type="external">my Alternet report on the event</a>, I note I told friends: “I just want to get out … before they stomp on someone again.” The park was evicted of Occupiers while I was somewhere underground on a 2 train.</p>
<p>What happened after I left was captured on cell phone video and livestreams. A v <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4sWhOCcUXA" type="external">ideo</a> of McMillan apparently having a seizure after her struggle with the officer was disallowed from the courtroom the morning of April 23, according to <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304311204579506180141592114" type="external">Wall Street Journal reporter Nick Pinto</a>, who's been covering the trial daily. But as the <a href="http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/17/arrests-made-as-protesters-mark-occupy-wall-streets-six-month-anniversary/" type="external">New York Times</a> described the scene back in March 2012:&#160;</p>
<p>At one point, a woman who appeared to be suffering from seizures flopped on the ground in handcuffs as bystanders shouted for the police to remove the cuffs and provide medical attention. For several minutes the woman lay on the ground as onlookers made increasingly agonized demands until an ambulance arrived and the woman was placed inside.&#160;</p>
<p>Also disallowed from the trial was Officer Bovell's record; he has f <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/04/nypd-officer-lawsuit-bovell-guest-mcmillan-occupy" type="external">aced prior allegations</a> of brutality, and is <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/04/nypd-officer-lawsuit-bovell-guest-mcmillan-occupy" type="external">currently being sued</a> by another Occupier, Austin Guest, who says Bovell dragged him down the aisle of a bus while “intentionally banging his head on each seat.” The NYPD has paid out thousands to settle claims by Occupiers. That includes a <a href="http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2014/04/josh_boss_occupy_wall_street.php" type="external">$55,000 settlement announced Thursday, April 24</a> [video at the link] to be paid to Josh Boss, who was livestreaming an Occupy march when he was thrown to the ground and kneed by Chief Thomas Purtell, who was at the time the commanding officer of the Manhattan South Patrol Division. Also among the final tally is <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ows-beating-suit-cost-city-82-000-article-1.1541903" type="external">$82,500 to Shawn Schrader</a>, who goes by Shawn Carrie, over three separate violent arrests. A joint report from NYU’s Global Justice Clinic and Fordham’s Walter Leitner International Human Rights Clinic [ <a href="http://chrgj.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/suppressingprotest.pdf" type="external">PDF</a>] found that the police's treatment of Occupy included “frequent alleged incidents of unnecessary and excessive police use of force against protesters, bystanders, journalists, and legal observers; constant obstructions of media freedoms, including arrests of journalists; unjustified and sometimes violent closure of public space, dispersal of peaceful assemblies, and corralling and trapping protesters en masse.”</p>
<p>Yet Cecily McMillan, not Officer Bovell, is on trial, and the judge ruled that the officer's record is irrelevant.</p>
<p>When testimony began at the trial that afternoon, Officer Linda Waring was on the stand. Waring took custody of McMillan after she was sent to the hospital, to jail and eventually to Central Booking. McMillan's lawyer, Martin Stolar, asked Waring repeatedly whether she saw injuries to McMillan, what her complaints were at the hospital, how she reacted to the news that she was being charged with assaulting an officer. Waring responded that McMillan seemed surprised, that she didn't know why she'd be charged with such a thing. When Stolar asked her opinion of the Occupy protests, the judge disallowed every question except: “Were the protesters smelly?” and “Was it personal for you?””— to which Waring replied, “No, it's business.”</p>
<p>What they don't tell you about court, what the courtroom dramas don't show, is how deadly boring it is. At one point during the testimony of the District Attorney's Office forensic video expert, explaining a video that allegedly depicts McMillan's altercation with Officer Bovell, at least one juror appeared to actually fall asleep. And yet as you sit there, watching, listening to the same question being asked over and over, you remember that someone's life is on the line, that the third repetition of a blurry YouTube video from the night of March 17 could make the difference between conviction and acquittal. The video expert—in his three-piece suit and his smiles at the jury box, pointing at a green blur on a screen— becomes less boring when you remember that. You begin to sift through the hundreds of answers, looking for something that seems relevant. The fact that struck me was that the video was, according to the expert's testimony, downloaded from YouTube on the morning of March 18, 2012, just hours after McMillan's arrest. How quickly did the prosecution begin preparing its case? But those individual bits of information don't add up to anything on their own. You have to go every day for them to make a story, and even then you have to decide which bits fit into the story you believe is true.&#160;</p>
<p>Cecily McMillan's story fits into a bigger story about the NYPD and the city that I've been following for a while. Like many white women in New York, my first experience getting pushed around by the NYPD was at Occupy Wall Street. As a reporter, I would attempt to ask questions of officers and be rebuffed, sometimes physically; in a crowd, I looked like other protester and was shoved around accordingly. I witnessed plenty of violent arrests, including those of friends and fellow reporters. I tweeted a few photos of those incidents on the #myNYPD hashtag.</p>
<p>These days, protest arrests are scarce and attention has faded from the NYPD's repressive tactics; some seem to consider the matter of police abuses closed with the <a href="" type="internal">reforms passed by City Council</a> and imposed by a court of law. Yet protest arrests have largely faded because Occupy no longer holds parks and takes streets—and out in residential neighborhoods, there are no livestreamers and few reporters.&#160; I rarely go a week without seeing police detaining someone, usually a young man of color.</p>
<p>Of course, it is important to cover Cecily McMillan's case, and to speak up for the rights of people everywhere to peaceably assemble in protest. It is equally important not to forget that there are people all over New York whose trials are not getting this kind of attention, or who do not go to trial at all because they have no help, no support, no one to stand by them while they refuse a plea bargain in an attempt to keep felony charges off their records. There were only two reporters who seemed to have stuck around for all of McMillan’s multi-week trial. How many reporters cover the courthouses for everyday arrests?</p>
<p>Cecily McMillan's case can't just be about her, about whether she's a nice girl or a pacifist or not. It has to be—as the #myNYPD hashtag reminded us with its seemingly endless stream of violent photographs— about a police force that has gotten away with too much for too long and has not changed nearly enough.&#160;</p>
<p>Like what you’ve read? <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/itt-subscription-offer?refcode=WS_ITT_Article_Footer&amp;noskip=true" type="external">Subscribe to In These Times magazine</a>, or <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/support-in-these-times?refcode=WS_ITT_Article_Footer&amp;noskip=true" type="external">make a tax-deductible donation to fund this reporting</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://sarahljaffe.com" type="external">Sarah Jaffe</a> is a former staff writer at In These Times and author of Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt , which Robin D.G. Kelley called “The most compelling social and political portrait of our age.” You can follow her on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/sarahljaffe" type="external">@sarahljaffe</a>.</p> | Post-Occupy, #myNYPD Makes New York’s Blood Boil | true | http://inthesetimes.com/article/16610/post_occupy_mynypd_makes_new_yorks_blood_boil | 2014-04-25 | 4 |
<p />
<p>The market gave a warm welcome to 's recent estimate-busting quarterly results, but does that imply that is also set to deliver strong numbers when it reports next month? It's always interesting to compare the rivals -- not least because they report in the middle of each others' quarters -- so let's take a look at what FedEx's results imply about UPS' business trends.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>SOLUTIONS LIKE UPS ACCESS POINT ARE EXPANDING TO SERVICEECOMMERCE GROWTH -- AND SEBASTIAN VETTEL. IMAGE SOURCE: UNITED PARCEL SERVICE</p>
<p>Five key themes FedEx's third-quarter earnings were discussed in more detail in an <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/03/17/why-fedex-surges-on-strong-holiday-results.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">earlier article Opens a New Window.</a>, so let's focus here on the takeaways that are relevant to UPS:</p>
<p>Starting with peak demand and e-commerce deliveries, Executive Vice President Michael Glenn described a "historic" peak season "driven by the continued growth of e-commerce." Moreover, he outlined how residential deliveries exceeded expectations in the quarter, amid talk of a "retail revolution."</p>
<p>For example, Glenn disclosed that FedEx had multiple days of delivering more than 25 million packages. This kind of bullish commentary is important at a time when business-to-business deliveries are under pressure due to a slowing industrial economy. FedEx and UPS need strong residential delivery growth in order to offset weak industrial demand.</p>
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<p>Takeaway: E-commerce delivery growth appears to be strengthening for UPS and FedEx.</p>
<p>Ground margin While increasing e-commerce demand is obviously a positive, it can also produce margin pressure. For example,evidence suggests that the cost of servicing peak demand during the holiday season is <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/11/12/is-e-commerce-growth-hurting-united-parcel-service.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">significantly reducing Opens a New Window.</a> the historic boost in profitability that occurs in UPS' fourth quarter.</p>
<p>Indeed, FedEx's ground margin declined by 390 basis points (where 100 basis points equals 1%), with 60 basis points attributed to higher costs driven by peak demand based on volume and package size, according to CFO Alan Graf. Purchased transportation costs reduced margin by 30 basis points and network expansion by a further 30. In other words, 120 basis points of that margin reduction could arguably be blamed on the cost of servicing strong e-commerce demand.</p>
<p>Takeaway: Burgeoning e-commerce demand is a positive for revenue growth, but is also pressure operatingmargins.</p>
<p>Pricing initiatives to influence customer behavior CEO Fred Smith talked of the "extraordinary growth of oversized shipments" in the ground segment, and Glenn outlined how FedEx would start applying a surcharge for packages longer than 60 inches; the length at which the fee kicks in will be reduced to 48 inches in June.</p>
<p>In common with pricing initiatives made by UPS to smooth out peak demand, and a dimensional-weight pricing model adopted by both companies, FedEx is taking additional measures to moderate customer behavior and maximize profitability.</p>
<p>Takeaway: Expect UPS to similarly implement more pricing changes to increase margins.</p>
<p>Capital spending Smith disclosed that FedEx was investing in fleet modernization (for its express segment) and expanding the ground segment's facilities. Graf went on to suggest that capital spending would come in around $5 billion annually during the next couple of years, excluding spending due to the TNT acquisition. Most of the spending increase relates to the ground segment, and as you can see below, that would be a significant increase compared to previous years -- which is likely to pressure free cash flow growth.</p>
<p>DATA SOURCE: FEDEX CORPORATION PRESENTATIONS, ANALYST ESTIMATES. DATA IN MILLIONS OF U.S. DOLLARS; EXCLUDES CAPITAL SPENDING ON TNT.</p>
<p>Takeaway: FedEx's increasing capital expenditure requirements confirm the need for delivery companies to spend in order to service e-commerce demand. UPS has been forced to do the same in recent years.</p>
<p>The Amazon "threat" FedEx's management spent time addressing Amazon's recent moves to expand its own delivery network. Glenn argued that Amazon's strategy was to make local deliveries from Amazon distribution centers. Local deliveries aren't typically FedEx's market, and he repeated the assertion, made by UPS CEO David Abney, that FedEx and UPS continue to see Amazon as a good customer rather than a threat.</p>
<p>Takeaway: The Amazon threat makes great editorial copy, but UPS, the U.S. Postal Service, and FedEx will remain the key players in domestic e-commerce deliveries.</p>
<p>The bottom line The trends in FedEx's earnings are broadly positive for UPS, but investors need to keep an eye on the increasing cost of servicing e-commerce demand. UPS stock is likely to suffer if the company is forced to increase capital expenditures or cut margin guidance.</p>
<p>While fears of Amazon eating UPS' lunch are largelyoverblown, it will be interesting to see if UPS implements new pricing initiatives to manage burgeoning e-commerce demand. In short, business trends remain in favor of both companies, but look out for margin and capital spending guidance.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2016/03/24/what-fedex-corps-results-mean-for-united-parcel-se.aspx" type="external">What FedEx Corp.'s Results Mean for United Parcel Service's Prospects Opens a New Window.</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSaintGermain/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Lee Samaha Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Amazon.com and FedEx. The Motley Fool recommends United Parcel Service. 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> | What FedEx Corp.'s Results Mean for United Parcel Service's Prospects | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/03/24/what-fedex-corp-results-mean-for-united-parcel-service-prospects.html | 2016-03-24 | 0 |
<p>CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Davon Bell scored 19 points, Reggie Dillard had 17 and Presbyterian defeated Charleston Southern 57-49 on Wednesday night to end a 12-game losing streak in the series.</p>
<p>Bell had 13 points in the first half when the Blue Hose (9-13, 2-7 Big South Conference) shot 54 percent and opened a 33-26 lead. Dillard had 12 in the second half when Presbyterian held the Buccaneers (7-13, 2-7) to 27 percent shooting.</p>
<p>Phlandrous Fleming and Christian Keeling scored 13 points apiece for Charleston Southern, which stayed within striking range because Presbyterian went 5 of 10 from the foul line in the second half and committed 12 of its 19 turnovers.</p>
<p>Charleston Southern scored the first 10 points of the game but the Blue Hose caught up with their own 10-0 run midway through the first half and took the lead for good and scored the last eight points of the first half.</p>
<p>CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Davon Bell scored 19 points, Reggie Dillard had 17 and Presbyterian defeated Charleston Southern 57-49 on Wednesday night to end a 12-game losing streak in the series.</p>
<p>Bell had 13 points in the first half when the Blue Hose (9-13, 2-7 Big South Conference) shot 54 percent and opened a 33-26 lead. Dillard had 12 in the second half when Presbyterian held the Buccaneers (7-13, 2-7) to 27 percent shooting.</p>
<p>Phlandrous Fleming and Christian Keeling scored 13 points apiece for Charleston Southern, which stayed within striking range because Presbyterian went 5 of 10 from the foul line in the second half and committed 12 of its 19 turnovers.</p>
<p>Charleston Southern scored the first 10 points of the game but the Blue Hose caught up with their own 10-0 run midway through the first half and took the lead for good and scored the last eight points of the first half.</p> | Presbyterian turns backs Charleston Southern 57-59 | false | https://apnews.com/amp/c053b4e67b0e410ea9db6eb1279d5473 | 2018-01-25 | 2 |
<p>The crisis of the Communist world has not come to an end; it has only begun.</p>
<p>That the Russians, by spilling enough blood, could reestablish military control over Budapest, was never in doubt. But their reduction of Hungary to the status of an occupied country merely intensifies those contradictions that had led to such bitter struggles within the realm of totalitarian power. The reverberations of the Hungarian revolution will remain with us for years to come.</p>
<p>In the special issue of DISSENT we tried to compose a preliminary analysis of the East European events; we hope in the spring issue to print an "outline history" of the Hungarian revolution. Meanwhile, a few additional points:</p>
<p /> | Hungary: And Still They Fight Back! | true | https://dissentmagazine.org/article/hungary-still-fight-back | 2018-10-06 | 4 |
<p>Having health insurance is supposed to save you money on your prescriptions. But increasingly, consumers are finding that isn’t the case.</p>
<p>Patrik Swanljung found this out when he went to fill a prescription for a generic cholesterol drug. In May, Swanljung handed his Medicare prescription card to the pharmacist at his local Walgreens and was told that he owed $83.94 for a three-month supply.</p>
<p>Alarmed at that price, Swanljung went online and found Blink Health, a start-up, offering the same drug — generic Crestor — for $45.89.</p>
<p>It had struck a better deal than did his insurer, UnitedHealthcare. “It’s completely ridiculous,” said Swanljung, 72, who lives in Anacortes, Washington.</p>
<p />
<p>In an era when drug prices have ignited public outrage and insurers are requiring consumers to shoulder more of the costs, people are shocked to discover they can sometimes get better deals than their own insurers. Behind the seemingly simple act of buying a bottle of pills, a host of players — drug companies, pharmacies, insurers and pharmacy benefit managers — are taking a cut of the profits, even as consumers are left to fend for themselves, critics say.</p>
<p>Although there are no nationwide figures to track how often consumers could have gotten a better deal on their own, one industry expert estimated that up to 10 percent of drug transactions involve such situations. If true nationwide, that figure could total as many as 400 million prescriptions a year. The system has become so complex that “there’s no chance that a consumer can figure it out without help,” said the expert, Michael Rea, chief executive of <a href="https://rxsavingssolutions.com/" type="external">Rx Savings Solutions</a>, whose company is paid by employers to help them lower workers’ drug costs.</p>
<p>Pharmacy benefit managers, the companies that deal with drug benefits on behalf of insurers, often negotiate better prices for consumers, particularly for brand-name medications, Rea said, but that’s not necessarily true for some generic drugs. Insurers’ clients are frequently employers overseeing large numbers of workers, and the companies are focused on overall costs. So when insurers seek deals for generic drugs, they do so in batches, reaching agreements for groups of different drugs rather than getting the lowest price on every drug.</p>
<p>As a result of these complicated layers of negotiation, which are not made public, different insurers end up paying different prices for individual drugs. Further compounding confusion for consumers, some insurers require a set co-payment for each prescription — say, $15 or $20 — even when the insurer reimburses the pharmacy at a much cheaper rate.</p>
<p>Several companies have emerged to capitalize on consumer anger over the confusing variations in price. The players include not only <a href="https://www.blinkhealth.com/" type="external">Blink Health</a> and its better-known competitor <a href="https://www.goodrx.com/" type="external">GoodRx</a>, but also veteran businesses like the benefit manager Express Scripts, which recently helped to <a href="https://insiderx.com/" type="external">start a subsidiary</a> aimed at cash-paying consumers. Amazon, the online behemoth, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/27/technology/amazon-pharmacy-drugs.html" type="external">is also said to be considering</a> whether to join the fray.</p>
<p>Last Sunday, CVS Health&#160; <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/03/business/dealbook/cvs-is-said-to-agree-to-buy-aetna-reshaping-health-care-industry.html" type="external">announced plans to merge</a>&#160;with health insurer Aetna, a move that would create a corporate behemoth that many have said would have little incentive to serve the needs of regular people. Some consumers say their experience with CVS already demonstrates how easy it is to fall through the cracks. In one case, a customer whose plan was managed by CVS Caremark, the drug benefit manager, would have had to pay more for a drug through her plan at a CVS than what she ended up paying at the same store, with a coupon from GoodRx.</p>
<p>Representatives for insurers and pharmacy benefit managers say cases like Swanljung’s are “outliers.” “There are three to four billion generic scripts written a year, and in the vast majority of cases, they are going to get a better deal by using insurance,” said <a href="https://www.pcmanet.org/about/mark-merritt/" type="external">Mark Merritt</a>, chief executive of the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, which represents benefit managers.</p>
<p>A spokesman for UnitedHealthcare, Swanljung’s insurer, noted that while Swanljung got a lower price for generic Crestor by using Blink Health, he also takes four other prescriptions, for which he got a better deal through his insurance. (Swanljung gave UnitedHealthcare permission to discuss his situation.) Having insurance is clearly valuable, said the spokesman, Matt Burns. In addition, the co-payment for generic Crestor, also called rosuvastatin, in Swanljung’s plan is set to decrease significantly in January, in large part because the price of the drug has dropped this year.</p>
<p>Consumers also may face penalties if they don’t use their insurance and pay cash to save money. In many cases, insurers won’t let them apply those purchases to a deductible or out-of-pocket spending maximum.</p>
<p>Still, many find that leaving their prescription card at home is worth it. Some have found a better deal even at pharmacies that are owned by their drug plan, like CVS.</p>
<p>Susan Thomson, 55, a university lecturer who lives in Summit, New Jersey, is covered by a high-deductible plan through her former employer. Her drug benefits are managed by CVS Caremark, a subsidiary of CVS Health. For at least a decade, she’s been using a prescription lotion called sulfacetamide sodium to treat rosacea, a skin condition.</p>
<p>Last year, each time she filled her prescription at a CVS pharmacy, she paid $75.07. Checking the CVS Caremark website this year, she learned that the cost had gone up to $99.03 (or $81.51 if she used CVS’s mail order service).</p>
<p>Investigating further, she found that GoodRx offered the same prescription at the same drugstore for $75.57, without her insurance. The prices were even lower at other pharmacies.</p>
<p>“It just doesn’t seem right,” she said. “I just feel that the pharmaceutical industry and health care industry are pulling these numbers out of thin air.”</p>
<p>Michael DeAngelis, a spokesman for CVS, did not dispute the details of Thomson’s experience, but said it is rare and attributed the price disparity to her high-deductible plan. Because consumers are responsible for their costs in those plans until they hit their deductible, DeAngelis said it would take them longer to reach it and they might end up spending more in the long run.</p>
<p>Prices can also vary widely from month to month when consumers pay cash, he said.</p>
<p>Drug-discount cards have been around for decades, and retailers like Walmart have also offered cheap generic drug programs, but both were mainly used by people without insurance.</p>
<p>That is changing. Even as more Americans have health insurance since the Affordable Care Act was passed, insurers are increasingly asking consumers to pay a larger share of their costs. In 2016, <a href="https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Advantage/Plan-Payment/CGDP.html" type="external">about five million people</a> in Medicare hit a stage in which they had to pick up a greater share of their expenses.</p>
<p>Reporters at ProPublica and The New York Times examined whether they could get better prices on 100 of the most prescribed drugs, identified by GoodRx, without using their insurance. ProPublica’s prescription claims are managed by OptumRx, a large pharmacy benefit manager owned by UnitedHealth Group; The Times’s medication coverage for reporters is managed by Express Scripts.</p>
<p>Both reporters found lower prices on GoodRx for at least 40 drugs on the list (many were drugs that can be purchased for $4 at Walmart, without any coupon).</p>
<p>Blink Health also sometimes beat the insurance out-of-pocket costs, but less often than GoodRx. Blink Health recently suffered a series of setbacks when two of the largest drugstore chains, CVS and Walgreens, stopped accepting its discounts, along with a grocery chain, Publix. In November, Blink Health sued its pharmacy benefit manager, which negotiates its prices, claiming that the company, MedImpact, had violated their agreement. MedImpact has not yet formally responded to the allegations in federal court in New York.</p>
<p>GoodRx, a private company founded in 2010, <a href="https://www.goodrx.com/" type="external">displays the deals</a> it has with nine pharmacy benefit managers, each offering different prices for different drugs.</p>
<p>“We said, let’s see if we can gather all these prices and see if we can exploit the variation in these contracts,” said Doug Hirsch, GoodRx’s co-founder and co-chief executive, “to see if we can provide better value.”</p>
<p>Dr. Brad Wainer, a family-practice doctor in Berwyn, Illinois, said he frequently shows patients their options on GoodRx to see if they can get a better price. “Most of them don’t believe me until they go and they find it out for themselves,” he said.</p>
<p>Consumers may also pay more if they are covered by plans that require them to pay a set co-payment, no matter the cash price. In some of those cases, the insurers require the pharmacies to send them the difference between what they collect from the consumer and what the insurers have agreed to reimburse the pharmacies.</p>
<p>After a New Orleans television station, WVUE, <a href="http://www.fox8live.com/story/31891070/zurik-copay-or-you-pay-prescription-drug-clawbacks-draw-fire" type="external">reported last year</a> on this practice, known as a clawback, lawyers across the country <a href="http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-prescription-benefit-class-action-1015-20161014-story.html" type="external">filed lawsuits</a> accusing the insurers — including Cigna, Humana and UnitedHealthcare — of overcharging consumers. The companies are contesting the suits.</p>
<p>Several independent pharmacists said there might be safety issues if consumers buy drugs at different pharmacies. If those prescriptions are filled without an insurance card, pharmacy systems may not catch dangerous drug interactions. “That, to me, is a recipe for disaster,” said Craig Seither, who owns Fort Thomas Drug Center in Fort Thomas, Kentucky.</p>
<p>Mary Furman, a retired medical social worker in Charlotte, North Carolina, takes the drug celecoxib, the generic version of Celebrex, to treat her rheumatoid arthritis. When she went to fill a 90-day prescription in April, her pharmacy told her she would owe $96.89 if she used her Medicare plan, offered by SilverScript, run by CVS Health.</p>
<p>Then the pharmacy offered her a deal — $72.25 if she paid cash, a price the worker said was the same the pharmacy would offer any customer. “I was flabbergasted,” said Furman, who is 72.</p>
<p>Furman took the deal, and afterward, her husband, Nelson, called SilverScript to report what happened. The representative told Nelson Furman he was “not surprised.”</p>
<p>The couple then reported the experience to a company hired by Medicare to investigate fraud, but a representative encouraged her to contact the health plan again.</p>
<p>After reporters sent details of Furman’s case to CVS, Nelson Furman said they received a call from the SilverScript president. DeAngelis, the CVS spokesman, blamed the pharmacy for charging the couple more than what their share should have been using their insurance. (Medicare rules require that consumers always get the lower price of their set co-payment and a pharmacy’s cash price.)</p>
<p>Now the Furmans are looking at drug coverage for next year, and once again, they see huge variation in prices for that drug and others.</p>
<p>“The prices are all over the map,” Nelson Furman said.</p>
<p /> | Some Pay More to Buy Prescription Drugs With Insurance Than Without It | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/pay-buying-prescription-drugs-insurance-without/ | 2017-12-11 | 4 |
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<p>The city’s contract with Ovations Food Services, owned by Global Spectrum, was also extended.</p>
<p>Rio Rancho Governing Body members voted 3-2 for the six-year contract extension at their meeting Wednesday night at City Hall.</p>
<p>Councilors Tim Crum, Tamara Gutierrez and Mark Scott supported the contract, while councilors Chuck Wilkins and Lonnie Clayton opposed it.</p>
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<p>Councilor Patricia Thomas was absent.</p>
<p>“The proposed deal we have for renewal is better than the deal we have now,” said city Convention and Visitors Bureau Manager Matt Geisel.</p>
<p>The new contract aligns the financial interests of Global Spectrum with those of the city and provides predictability in costs, he said. Also, Geisel said Ovations and Global Spectrum are now on the same contract renewal schedule, increasing the city’s buying power.</p>
<p>The new contract fixes Global Spectrum’s management fee at $156,000 a year through June 30, 2019, with no consumer price index adjustments, as the current contract has.</p>
<p>Also, under the contract, Global Spectrum has a financial benchmark of a $900,000 loss for the coming fiscal year.</p>
<p>If the company loses more than that, it must pay the city dollar for dollar up to $75,000, nearly half of the management fee.</p>
<p>However, if Global Spectrum does better than a $900,000 loss, the city pays it a percentage of the reduction in loss. The percentage changes depending on the loss reduction and ranges from nothing to 40 percent.</p>
<p>“With this item, they start to have skin in the game,” Geisel said.</p>
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<p>The benchmark for the 2014-15 fiscal year will be $875,000, and officials will renegotiate it every two years after, or if the Star Center gets a new anchor tenant.</p>
<p>Crum said he expected Global Spectrum would do a good job with skin in the game, and he didn’t like changing contractors. Crum and Clayton both said the center wouldn’t make a profit.</p>
<p>Clayton said he thought the center had economic impact, and he didn’t want it to close. Still, he took issue with the incentive for Global Spectrum to lose less money.</p>
<p>“I spent a lifetime in corporate America,” he said. “Not once did I pay anyone to lose money in corporate America.”</p>
<p>Also, Wilkins didn’t like the benchmark of $900,000, but suggested $500,000. He wanted to continue another five years on the old contract.</p>
<p>On the other hand, Scott said he had worked in show business, and it wasn’t predictable.</p>
<p>“I guess if there’s any predictability, it’s with Global Spectrum,” he said, calling the company one of the best.</p>
<p>Scott was afraid a change in contractors would produce uncertainty for performers, causing a decrease in bookings for the Star Center.</p>
<p>Responding to a question from Scott, Star Center General Manager Gunnar Fox said he talked with multiple groups that wanted to book a date as far in advance as 2019, but he couldn’t sign an agreement until the contract was extended.</p>
<p>In other business, the governing body:</p>
<p>• Gave unanimous final approval to an ordinance increasing water and wastewater rates by 7.8 percent on July 1 instead of the originally proposed 8.8 percent.</p>
<p>• Gave final approval, on a 4-1 vote, to change the higher education gross receipts tax from a quarter of one percent to one-eighth of 1 percent, contingent upon voters approving the change at a special election Aug. 20.</p>
<p>The one-eighth of 1 percent, about $1 million a year at current rates, removed from higher education facilities is expected to go toward police, fire and emergency medical services.</p>
<p>• Approved a budget adjustment moving $413,000 from the utilities fund ending balance to the utilities repair and maintenance fund to cover repair costs for the May 22 water main break at Northern and Unser boulevards.</p>
<p>Public Works Director Scott Sensanbaugher said the failed line was a 24-inch ductile iron water line, a type that rarely breaks like this one did.</p>
<p>However, it developed a hole, allowing water to build up under the pavement. When it eroded and pushed up the pavement, water gushed out, damaging surrounding roads.</p>
<p>Sensanbaugher said his staff was checking the pipe for more problems.</p>
<p>• Amended a city ordinance to allow alcohol sales by the glass starting at 11 a.m. on Sundays instead of noon. The move brings the city in line with new state law.</p>
<p>• Approved public celebration permits for Matheson Winery, Turtle Mountain Brewing Company and Las Cazuelas Mexican Grill to serve alcohol at Pork &amp; Brew in July; and</p>
<p>• Appointed Ellen R. Smith to the Senior Services Advisory Board.</p> | City extends Star Center contract, adds incentives | false | https://abqjournal.com/210740/city-extends-star-center-contract-adds-incentives.html | 2013-06-16 | 2 |
<p>Trinamool Congress, a key regional party, has pulled out of India's government coalition over economic reforms that would open India's retail sector to global chains, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19637424" type="external">the BBC reported</a>.</p>
<p>West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that six of the party's ministers would resign from the coalition on Friday. The BBC said Banerjee is also angry over high fuel prices and said her 19 members of parliament would not back the coalition.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/world/asia/mamata-banerjee-mercurial-leader-in-india-withdraws-support-from-governing-coalition.html?_r=1&amp;smid=tw-nytimesworld&amp;seid=auto" type="external">The New York Times said</a>, "Her decision does not mean that India's government will fall immediately, but it makes the governing United Progressive Alliance's grip on power very tenuous." Without Banerjee's support, the governing coalition will need to rely on its other regional parties remaining in power.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jFkgRX8B35fn5DkGiTd0nrB2Dsfw?docId=CNG.bc159ef39c1f7a8b6c202adaeb86af84.911" type="external">Agence France Presse noted</a> that the United Progressive Alliance II coalition is led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Congress party, but it depends on Trinamool for a majority in parliament.</p>
<p>"The government has lost their credentials. If they cannot keep their friendship with us, they cannot keep it with anyone," said Banerjee, in Kolkata, <a href="http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/09/18/mamata-banerjee-trinamool-congress-upa-idINDEE88H0BE20120918" type="external">according to Reuters</a>.</p>
<p>AFP reported that Banerjee said, "Unfortunately we have not received any respect from Congress despite being their important coalition partner," adding that she believed the reforms would hurt the poor.</p>
<p>More on GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/americas/united-states/120917/newsweek-muslim-rage-cover-becomes-twitter-joke" type="external">Newsweek's 'Muslim Rage' cover becomes Twitter joke</a></p>
<p>Reuters said Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi had weighed the risk of losing allies before the government pushed forward with the reforms, according to party and government officials.</p>
<p>The main dispute involves policy changes which include allowing foreign direct investment from international giants such as Walmart and Tesco, and a 12 percent hike in diesel prices.</p>
<p>The prime minister and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said the changes are needed to cut state spending and attract foreign investment, according to AFP.</p>
<p>"We continue to consider Mamata Banerjee our valuable coalition partner. We will discuss all the issues raised by her," said Congress spokesman Janardhan Dwivedi, according to AFP.</p>
<p>More on GlobalPost: <a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/china/120917/anti-japan-protests-panasonic-canon-suspend-operatio" type="external">Anti-Japan protests: Panasonic, Canon suspend operations at China plants</a></p> | Trinamool Congress quits India coalition | false | https://pri.org/stories/2012-09-18/trinamool-congress-quits-india-coalition | 2012-09-18 | 3 |
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<p>Toughness? Being the team’s go-to player? Confidence? Holding the respect of his teammates?</p>
<p>New Mexico State junior guard Daniel Mullings possesses all of those qualities and more. He’s also willing to fill that role for the Aggies in 2013.</p>
<p>New Mexico State University guard Daniel Mullings drives the lane on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013 as the Aggies defeated Utah State 64-51 at the Pan American Center. (Journal File)</p>
<p>“I have a little more experience than other guys on the roster now,” Mullings said. “I’ve been to the (NCAA) Tournament a couple times now, so maybe I can shed some knowledge to them and try to help them not make a lot of mistakes early.”</p>
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<p>Mullings showed just how tough he was last year in particular, playing through a list of injuries, including a broken jaw.</p>
<p>He broke his jaw driving to the basket in an early season game against Niagara, but he played two games before having his jaw wired shut the night before playing UTEP in El Paso. Against Louisiana-Lafayette, he was cut across his face diving for a loose ball in a game the Aggies went on to win by 22 points. He played 27 minutes off the bench at UTEP five nights later.</p>
<p>In addition to helping the Canadian Development Men’s National Team place fourth in the World University Games over the summer, Mullings also underwent minor knee surgery.</p>
<p>“I think I’m going to try to petition the WAC to see if he can play in football gear,” coach Marvin Menzies said. “He plays very courageous and is a very hard-nosed player. You can’t slow that down because it’s part of what makes him so good.”</p>
<p>Taking a pounding hasn’t limited Mullings’ production. His numbers increased across the board from his freshman to his sophomore season, most notably at the foul line (from 62 to 76 percent), 3-point line (22 to 37 percent) and in scoring (9 to 14 points per game).</p>
<p>As his role increased last year, so did the turnovers, from 76 his freshman season to 105.</p>
<p>“I wanted to improve shooting, ball-handling and just growing up as a player,” Mullings said. “I need to see the game from a mental perspective and slow down a little bit and read things on the floor, so I don’t make those mistakes and can avoid them going forward.”</p>
<p>Identifying leadership is something that develops over time, and Menzies is in no hurry.</p>
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<p>“I think the leadership role will emerge more as we get into competition,” Menzies said. “Team chemistry is more important. Sometimes it’s one guy or different guys on different days. It depends on the makeup of the team.”</p>
<p>There are other options for leadership on the current Aggies roster. Renaldo Dixon is a senior, and sophomore center Sim Bhullar is the team’s most visible and talked about player. This year’s point guard position, which Menzies wants to lead, looks to be junior KC Ross-Miller and freshmen Travon Landry and Ian Baker.</p>
<p>“We always push for that guy,” Menzies said, “but it doesn’t mean it has to be a vocal guy.”</p>
<p>Mullings is also an option at that position, which was a weaker spot for the Aggies last season.</p>
<p>“But now we have a lot of guys in that position capable of bringing different things,” Mullings said. “We will see how it goes.”</p>
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<p /> | NMSU men’s basketball: Mullings looks to lead the Aggies | false | https://abqjournal.com/278610/mullings-looks-to-lead-the-aggies.html | 2013-10-10 | 2 |
<p>President Donald Trump’s poll numbers are continuing to deteriorate as his agenda gets stalled at home and allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 elections continue to grow, according to a new <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/poll-finds-trump-standing-weakened-since-springtime/2017/07/15/2decf03a-68d2-11e7-9928-22d00a47778f_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_poll-1220am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&amp;utm_term=.69187ce85dda" type="external">Washington Post-ABC News poll.</a></p>
<p>The poll found that:</p>
<p>That last number surpasses the lows of former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. It’s a number reached only in the second term of George W. Bush in Post-ABC polling, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/poll-finds-trump-standing-weakened-since-springtime/2017/07/15/2decf03a-68d2-11e7-9928-22d00a47778f_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_poll-1220am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&amp;utm_term=.69187ce85dda" type="external">the Post reported.</a></p>
<p>The Post also reported that 48 percent of Americans see the country’s leadership in the world as weaker since Trump was inaugurated, compared with 27 percent who say it is stronger. Majorities also say they do not trust him in negotiations with foreign leaders and in particular Russian President Vladimir Putin.</p>
<p>The Post-ABC poll found that 60 percent of Americans think Russia tried to influence the election outcome, up slightly from 56 percent in April. Also, 44 percent suspect Russian interference in the election and think Trump benefited from their efforts.</p>
<p>Perhaps even more alarming for the Trump administration: roughly 4 in 10 believe members of Trump’s campaign intentionally aided Russian efforts to influence the election, though suspicions have changed little since the spring.</p> | Wash Post Poll: Trump's Numbers Continue to Fall | false | https://newsline.com/wash-post-poll-trumps-numbers-continue-to-fall/ | 2017-07-16 | 1 |
<p>Welcome back to Washington, House of Representatives. Hope you all had a great vacation. While you were out, your inaction caused markets to tumble, and now America is just hours away from collectively being pushed off the fiscal cliff.</p>
<p>Your colleagues in the Senate—the supposedly responsible body—have been working the last three days, trying to put together some kind of deal your fractious asses can pass by New Year’s Eve. The bad news is that as of Sunday morning, they still didn’t have a plan to avoid the fiscal cliff. Agreement that 98 percent of Americans shouldn’t have their taxes raised isn’t enough. And deficit and debt reduction? Forget about it—this is all now a desperate exercise in political pain avoidance.</p>
<p>The fiscal cliff is, of course, the world’s most predictable crisis. Congress set this time bomb themselves—and now they can’t agree on how to defuse it, despite more than a year of debate and a presidential election largely centered on the subject.</p>
<p>In a surreal twist, Democrats are readying bills for the first days of the new congress to pass the largest middle-class tax cut in American history if they can’t get enough Republicans to agree we shouldn’t go over the cliff.</p>
<p>The implications are not adequately captured by the catchy visual metaphor. Not only will your taxes be raised, but America’s economic recovery could be reversed, with congressional incompetence pushing America back into recession.</p>
<p>Congressional approval now stands at 18 percent. The real question is why is it so high?</p>
<p>The current 112th Congress—characterized by Tea Party congressmen elected two years ago—is the least productive since the 1940s. It makes Harry Truman’s infamous “Do-Nothing Congress” look like a paragon of speed and efficiency.</p>
<p>The problem of course is that polarization—the decline of competitive swing districts due to the rigged system of redistricting—has made most Republican congressmen terrified of being primaried from the right for being too reasonable. This problem has been compounded by the rise of partisan media, which has dumbed down civic discourse into an angry, idiotic us-against-them exercise. The result is congressional division and dysfunction. Congratulations.</p>
<p>But direct culpability in creating the conditions for this crisis hasn’t stopped the professional partisan activist class from arguing that at this pivotal moment, members of Congress should do nothing and just go over the cliff.</p>
<p>FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity have been emailing their supporters to tell them to pressure their congressman not to vote for any tax increases. That might sound impressively principled, until you realize that its really an insult to their supporters' intelligence—because all taxes will be raised automatically, unless congress votes to keep taxes low on 98 percent of Americans, as our supposedly socialist president has repeatedly proposed.</p>
<p>On the left, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee is also arguing for no compromise, with its cofounder Adam Green emailing supporters: “Democrats need to continue a bright line position: Raise tax rates on those making $250,000 at least to the Clinton rates and no cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security benefits. Period.” This also ends up being an argument for going over the cliff, because it dooms any hope of even a modest deal as a good-faith basis for future action on the deficit and debt.</p>
<p>If this supposedly liberated lame-duck Congress can’t agree on basic outlines of a grand bargain agreement that has been debated in detail for the past two years, why should we believe that the next Congress will have more success? Immigration reform, gun reforms—those more difficult debates will be effectively DOA from day one.</p>
<p>Start and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast.</p>
<p>A speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't).</p>
<p>This is self-government committing economic suicide, putting ideological absolutism ahead of solving problems. The idea of a productive lame-duck session after the contentious election has been erased. Hopefully, Senators Reid and McConnell will surprise us with some kind of patchwork compromise by the self-imposed deadline of 3 p.m. today, but they have been keeping rumors of progress to themselves. (Update: they didn't.)</p>
<p>Beyond the looming fiscal abyss, senators have been busy passing a flurry of last-minute legislation that can be categorized as the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. They finally agreed to not be complete grinches and pass a Hurricane Sandy relief bill, but it seems far from assured from passage in the House. By a lopsided vote of 73 to 23, the Senate also extended Bush-era warrantless wiretapping until 2017; civil libertarians screamed, but not loud enough. And thanks to an executive order by President Obama, members of Congress will see a modest pay raise in the new year. You know, as a reward for all their good work over the past two years.</p>
<p>This congressional Kabuki is killing us, because it masks a more fundamental problem. Congress seems unable to act unless confronted with a crisis at the last minute—and even then, they can’t agree on anything significant or substantive that actually deals with long-term problems. Maybe they should just stay on vacation and spare us the rhetoric. But as the clock ticks to New Year’s, they should have a guilty conscience that might inspire a genuine resolution to reform. Because they created this crisis and now seem unable to fix it. We’re the ones who will feel the pain. It is an epic act of self-sabotage.</p> | Our Pathetic Congress | true | https://thedailybeast.com/our-pathetic-congress | 2018-10-03 | 4 |
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<p>The top government auditor for bailouts of U.S. financial firms and automakers on Monday resigned his position as the $700 billion <a href="" type="internal">Troubled Asset Relief Program</a> winds down.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Neil Barofsky, 40, will leave as <a href="" type="internal">TARP</a> Special Inspector General on March 30, in part, to spend more time with his family, a spokeswoman said. He has spent more than two years policing the bailout program.</p>
<p>In a resignation letter to President <a href="" type="internal">Barack Obama</a>, Barofsky wrote that he had accomplished the goals he set for the office and that it "has truly been an honor to serve, particularly during such a critical time."</p>
<p>The spokeswoman said that Barofsky, who previously headed the mortgage fraud unit at the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan, would take some time to consider employment options.</p>
<p>Barofsky's deputy, Christy Romero, will head the operation until Obama nominates a permanent replacement for Barofsky.</p>
<p>Barofsky was nominated as TARP's first special inspector general in November 2008 by then-President <a href="" type="internal">George W. Bush</a> just after the $700 billion bailout program was launched by Congress during the depths of the financial crisis.</p>
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<p>Since then, he has pursued fraud in the program and criticized its shortcomings, building an organization of more than 140 auditors, investigators, attorneys and other staff. The staffing of regional offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Atlanta continues.</p>
<p>Authority for new spending programs under TARP ended last October and the Treasury is working on winding down its investments in financial firms and automakers. A new Obama administration estimate forecasts that TARP will ultimately cost about $28.12 billion.</p>
<p>A companion bailout watchdog body, the Congressional Oversight Panel, will end in April.</p>
<p>FRAUD CASES RISING</p>
<p>SIGTARP's mission will continue until the last dollar has been repaid -- likely several more years. Barofsky told Reuters in September that evidence of fraud involving TARP recipient banks was on the rise and he had more than 120 open investigations, some with amounts exceeding $550 million.</p>
<p>His most celebrated case involved preventing the disbursement of $553 million to a bank that was involved in a fraud scheme to obtain TARP funds.</p>
<p>U.S. Representative Darrell Issa, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, praised Barofsky for his dedication but said SIGTARP's work was far from complete.</p>
<p>"It is imperative that the next IG pick up immediately where Barofsky left off," Issa, a sharp critic of the Treasury's handling of TARP, said in a statement.</p>
<p>Barofsky said in his letter that he believes SIGTARP has met its goals to build a robust enforcement agency to ensure transparency in TARP's operation and provide effective oversight to minimize waste, fraud and abuse.</p>
<p>In addition to policing TARP, Barofsky has been critical of the program's inability to meet its goals to preserve home ownership and to reduce moral hazard in the financial sector.</p>
<p>"Important parts of TARP continue to struggle: more than 150 TARP recipient banks have missed their regular dividend payments, and the Home Affordable Modification program has so far fallen short" of legislative mandates, Barofsky wrote.</p>
<p>"Indeed, with more than $150 billion in TARP funds outstanding and close to $60 billion still available to be spent, robust and effective oversight of TARP remains vitally important."</p>
<p>However, his warning in 2009 that the total potential cost of government bailouts could reach $23.7 trillion never came true, and he recently conceded that the Treasury will likely earn a profit on its most controversial programs.</p> | Bailout Cop Barofsky Resigns as TARP Winds Down | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/02/14/bailout-cop-barofsky-resigns-tarp-winds.html | 2016-03-07 | 0 |
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<p>The face belonged to 81-year-old Elgie Bedford who had been the victim of a hit and run incident earlier that day. Grandfather Mr Bedford had been on his way to visit family in Texas from his home in Alaska when he crashed his car into a fence and began to walk along the freeway in search of help.</p>
<p>Truck driver David Welk, employed by trucking company CRST Expedited Inc., hit the pensioner with his semitrailer and drove off without reporting the crime. He was convicted in January 2015 of killing Mr Bedford and leaving the scene of the crime, and received a six year suspended sentence.</p>
<p>Investigators have reported that several other vehicles then struck the body as it lay in the road, and it is alleged that the owner of one of these cars then took her vehicle to the car wash to be cleaned which is how a large portion of the dead man's face ended up on the floor of the car wash.</p>
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<p />
<p>CRST Expedited Inc. deny any responsibility for her traumatic experience.</p> | Woman Suing After Finding Dead Man's Face At Car Wash | true | http://offthemainpage.com/2016/02/03/woman-suing-after-finding-dead-mans-face-at-car-wash/ | 2016-02-03 | 4 |
<p>Now it is confirmed that the Taliban have left Kabul and the Northern Alliance has entered the city.</p>
<p>The world should understand that the Northern Alliance is composed of some bands who did show their real criminal and inhuman nature when they were ruling Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996.</p>
<p>The retreat of the terrorist Taliban from Kabul is a positive development, but entering of the rapist and looter NA in the city is nothing but a dreadful and shocking news for about 2 million residents of Kabul whose wounds of the years 1992-96 have not healed yet.</p>
<p>Thousands of people who fled Kabul during the past two months were saying that they feared coming to power of the NA in Kabul much more than being scared by the US bombing.</p>
<p>The Taliban and Al-Qaeda will be eliminated, but the existence of the NA as a military force would shatter the joyful dream of the majority for an Afghanistan free from the odious chains of barbaric Taliban. The NA will horribly intensify the ethnic and religious conflicts and will never refrain to fan the fire of another brutal and endless civil war in order to retain in power. The terrible news of looting and inhuman massacre of the captured Taliban or their foreign accomplices in Mazar-e-Sharif in past few days speaks for itself.</p>
<p>Though the NA has learned how to pose sometimes before the West as “democratic” and even supporter of women’s rights, but in fact they have not at all changed, as a leopard cannot change its spots.</p>
<p>RAWA has already documented heinous crimes of the NA. Time is running out. RAWA on its own part appeals to the UN and world community as a whole to pay urgent and considerable heed to the recent developments in our ill-fated Afghanistan before it is too late.</p>
<p>We would like to emphatically ask the UN to send its effective peace-keeping force into the country before the NA can repeat the unforgettable crimes they committed in the said years.</p>
<p>The UN should withdraw its recognition to the so-called Islamic government headed by Rabbani and help the establishment of a broad-based government based on the democratic values.</p>
<p>RAWA’s call stems from the aspirations of the vast majority of the people of Afghanistan.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.rawa.org/" type="external">Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)</a></p> | RAWA: The People of Afghanistan Do Not Accept Rule by Northern Alliance | true | https://counterpunch.org/2001/11/15/rawa-the-people-of-afghanistan-do-not-accept-rule-by-northern-alliance/ | 2001-11-15 | 4 |
<p>More than 1,000 feet underground in Poland, seemingly impossible things are happening. Hot-air balloons have been launched. A bungee jumper has taken the plunge. A windsurfer has been propelled across still saltwater. A brass band has bellowed on its instruments.</p>
<p>Stretching nine levels beneath the earth, Poland's <a href="http://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/" type="external">Wieliczka Salt Mine</a> is roomy enough to fit the Eiffel Tower and then some. For centuries, miners have been carving out spectacular chapels and sculptures of the country's most beloved figures underground, not far from the medieval city of Krakow. And in the past half century, as salt mining slowed and then halted, and tourists began arriving, the cavernous chambers have been transformed into an incredible underground amusement park of grand halls, health spas, museum-worthy art, and <a href="http://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/about-the-mine/the-mine-of-culture/occasional-events" type="external">record-setting spectacles</a>.</p>
<p>The descent into the chilly salt mine caves is 800 steps down the shafts. But the winding venture is worth the trek. Hundreds of years of excavation has left seven gorgeous chambers carved into the salt rock throughout the floors. Today they host hundreds of guests at weddings, business meetings, concerts, fashion shows, and galas.</p>
<p>The uniqueness of the underground space attracts a variety of thrill seekers. In the largest room accessible to visitors, with a soaring, 100-foot ceiling, the first ever underground balloon flight took place. The mine's large underground lake once was an unlikely playground for an adventurous windsurfer, who glided along the water propelled by a giant fan. Even the chandeliers casting a golden glow on many of the rooms are made from rock salt.</p>
<p>Wieliczka is one of the world's oldest salt mines still in operation, though it stopped producing table salt in 2007. Records of extraction of the element reach back to the 12th century. Just over 100 years later, documents show miners building salt snowmen in the mine. (The practice was barred in 1876.) Today, statues carved by generations of self-taught sculptors are scattered throughout the cavernous rooms. The largest of those statutes is carved out of the weight equivalent of three elephants worth of salt.</p>
<p>Devout miners working in dangerous conditions dedicated themselves to building four chapels in the mine. The oldest is nearly 400 years old. Miners started carving out the most spectacular, the Chapel of Saint Kinga, in 1896. Over the next 70 years, they created the largest of the mine's churches. Its walls are filled with religious bas-reliefs, including a replica of Da Vinci's "The Last Supper" carved into the rock salt. Life-size sculptures of Poland's most important figures are carved in detail, and a statue of the country's holiest son, Pope John Paul II, hovers over the room on a pedestal, draped in papal robes. Even the altar is an intricately carved block of salt. But the salt-rock statues are not all religious depictions: one whimsical cave depicts Snow White's seven dwarves, carved entirely from salt, hauling salt from the site.</p>
<p>The mine even boasts its own brass band. With 183 years of history, the Wieliczka Salt Mine Representative Brass Band claims to be Europe's oldest and plays at all the religious holidays in the underground chapel, as well as at funerals of miners.</p>
<p>For visitors exhausted by those first 800 steps underground, a health resort capitalizes on the allure of allergen- and pollution-free air available hundreds of feet underground. It has even pioneered a treatment called "subterranotherapy," which offers rehabilitation programs for people suffering from respiratory problems. Those truly enamored with cave life can stay overnight as part of a group, though they need to bring their own sleeping bag. Tours for school groups offer activities such as tennis, a reading room, and dancing at a disco.</p>
<p>There's underground partying to be had for adults, as well. On December 31 this year, an "80s-themed party will ring in 2014 with live music, a DJ, and the promise of many shoulder-padded costumes. Who needs sunlight when the underworld is this enticing"</p> | Wieliczka Salt Mine Is an Incredible Polish Underground Amusement Park | true | https://thedailybeast.com/wieliczka-salt-mine-is-an-incredible-polish-underground-amusement-park | 2018-10-04 | 4 |
<p>The <a href="" type="internal">Turkish elite</a> is in a state of shock after one of its chosen daughters was killed when a private jet carrying her home from an overseas bachelorette party crashed into an Iranian mountain range.</p>
<p>Mina Basaran, 28, one of the country’s most high-profile socialites and one of its few native Instagram stars, was killed with six of her friends and three crew this weekend as they flew home from celebrations to mark her planned wedding.</p>
<p>Sources in Turkey told The Daily Beast that two of the other young women on board the jet were pregnant, compounding the horror of the disaster among Turkey’s close-knit elite.</p>
<p>Basaran, whose 100,000 social-media followers received regular updates on her gilded lifestyle, was a fixture of society parties and glossy magazine pages, and her death, a Turkish journalist told The Daily Beast, had come as a shock.</p>
<p>“Her father is a very well-known businessman. She was the only child of his business empire,” Nalan Koçak of Haberturk News told The Daily Beast. “She was very well known in society. And all the other ladies in the plane were also from well-known families. It is the No. 1 topic here. All the artists and society people are sharing her pictures.”</p>
<p>Basaran, 28, who studied for a master’s degree in luxury brand management at the European Business School in London, according to reports, had spent the weekend partying in the United Arab Emirates. She had posted pictures of her group enjoying a concert by Rita Ora in Dubai and posing on the tarmac next to the private jet.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/turkish-heiress-mina-basaran-and-her-hen-party-die-in-plane-crash-6xpfxkb8x" type="external">According to The Times</a>, she was being groomed to succeed her industrialist father, Huseyin Basaran, as the boss of Basaran Yatirim Holdings, a conglomerate he started 25 years ago.</p>
<p>Her father referred to her as “my princess,” Koçak said.</p>
<p>Koçak said that contrary to some reports suggesting a hedonistic lifestyle, Basaran was known to be hard-working and studious, and only opened her popular Instagram account after her engagement.</p>
<p>“She was not that into being a celebrity, she was a hard-working business woman. She was really modest, not a showoff. Her family is from Trabzon, a conservative Black Sea city. It is well known that she was ‘a good girl.’”</p>
<p>The Times reports that her father’s company has interests in a wide variety of industries and also holds the franchises for several Ramada hotels in Turkey. Basaran joined the executive board in 2013.</p>
<p>The use of a private jet to take her hen party on a glamorous trip to Dubai was typical of the perks she enjoyed in that role, but disaster struck after the plane crashed into remote mountains in western Iran on Sunday night in thick fog and rain.</p>
<p>Start and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast.</p>
<p>A speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't).</p>
<p>She and her party had been celebrating before her marriage to Murat Gezer, a businessman, on April 14.</p>
<p>The couple had marked their engagement at the Istanbul branch of the London members’ club <a href="" type="internal">Soho House</a> in October, and would have held their wedding on the Mediterranean coast, <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/turkish-heiress-mina-basaran-and-her-hen-party-die-in-plane-crash-6xpfxkb8x" type="external">the Times reports</a>.</p>
<p>Basaran tried to use her profile to raise the issue of gender inequalities in the Turkish workplace, saying, in her last interview, “Unfortunately, women in our country have serious problems in social and family life.”</p>
<p>Villagers near the crash site said they saw the plane, reportedly a Bombardier CL604, on fire in the air, two hours after it had taken off from Sharjah airport in the Emirates.</p>
<p>According to flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, the aircraft, which took off from Sharjah International Airport, near Dubai, on Sunday, rapidly gained altitude a little over an hour into the flight and then “dropped drastically within minutes.”</p> | Millionaire Turkish Socialite Killed in Private Jet Disaster | true | https://thedailybeast.com/millionaire-turkish-socialite-killed-in-private-jet-disaster | 2018-10-02 | 4 |
<p>This is very sad to see.</p>
<p>Depression-era Americans were <a href="http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1810/public-opinion-great-depression-compared-with-now" type="external">more optimistic</a> about the future than are Americans today, reports Pew.</p>
<p>In the Depression,</p>
<p>[F]ully 60% thought that opportunities for getting ahead were better (45%) or at least as good (15%) as in their father's day.</p>
<p>And it turned out - they were right! (Give or take a dozen years.)</p>
<p>Ominous possibility: might the more pessimistic Americans of today be right too?</p> | The Decline of American Optimism | true | https://thedailybeast.com/the-decline-of-american-optimism | 2018-10-03 | 4 |
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>Daffy Duck, one of America’s preeminent ducks, is 77 today.</p>
<p>If Bugs Bunny is the brightest star in the Looney Tunes sky, surely Daffy Duck is second. But it wasn’t always that way! Before either of them, a pig named Porky occupied the top spot and on April 17, 1937 the sensational swine starred in “Porky’s Duck Hunt.” The Warner Brothers short featured the curly-tailed stutterer loading up his shotgun and setting out to hunt his way into America’s heart, like you do. But then things don’t go as planned—they can’t, you see; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poetics_%28Aristotle%29" type="external">Aristotle said so</a>—and Porky comes upon a duck who isn’t like the others. This duck’s got a white ring around his neck and he doesn’t conform, man. He won’t go gently into that good night. He does what he wants. He’s wacky. He flies around the frame in a very un-medicated way. Watch it. (The colorized version is embedded above. <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq5ipw_porky-s-duck-hunt-4-17-37_shortfilms" type="external">Here’s the original black &amp; white.</a>) It’s pretty funny!</p>
<p>Daffy is nameless in this first appearance, but a rose by any other name—or no name at all, a nameless rose—is still a rose. And this duck is still Daffy. Aside from his trademark white ring and lisp—voiced as he would be for 52 years by Mel Blanc—what makes him so essentially Daffy is that he’s, well, nuts. This was his defining characteristic in the beginning. Created by Tex Avery, Daffy was a minor lunatic the established characters could play the foil to.</p>
<p>Over the course of the next decade, however, Daffy grew from being just some prop prey in hunting sketches to a full-blown star. As he became more prominent, his character became more complex. Still wacky, Daffy matured into his most famous role, as Bugs Bunny’s arch-nemesis. (Bugs, the Betty to Daffy’s Veronica, the White Swan to his Black, had been introduced in 1940.) Daffy became the crafty, scheming, plotting back-stabber who, motivated by unrestrained selfishness, will do anything to get what he wants, but in the end always comes up short. His every attempt is foiled, most often by the more moral Bugs, because in Looney Tunes’ moral universe, unrestrained selfishness is a killer.</p>
<p>Part of us empathizes with Daffy because though his defining characteristic is selfishness, his fatal flaw is recklessness. Everyone is a little bit selfish. Selfishness is very banal and very human, and at some age most everyone learns to rein it in. At 77, Daffy still hasn’t reined it in.</p>
<p>Chuck Jones, who created Bugs, drew Daffy from 1951 to 1964 and was responsible for some of his most famous films. In his memoir, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=NJzAdheaSc0C&amp;pg=" type="external">Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist</a>, Jones describes the first time he encountered within himself the voice he would one day associate with Daffy. The moment came at his sixth birthday party. After Chuck blew out the candles on his cake, his father handed him a knife and told him to cut as large a piece for himself as he wanted.</p>
<p>At this point Daffy Duck must have had, for me, his earliest beginnings, because I found to my surprise and pleasure that I had no desire to share my cake with anyone. I courteously returned the knife to my mother. I had no need for it, I explained; I would simplify the whole matter by taking the entire cake for myself. Not knowing she had an incipient duck on her hands, she laughed gently and tried to return the knife to my reluctant grasp. I again explained that the knife was superfluous. It was impossible, I pointed out with incontrovertible logic, to cut a cake and still leave it entire for its rightful owner. I had no need and no desire to share.&#160;</p>
<p>My father thereupon mounted the hustings (he was nine feet tall and looked like a moose without antlers) and escorted me to my room to contemplate in cakeless solitude the meaning of a word new to me: “selfish.” To me then, and to Daffy Duck now, “selfish” means “honest but antisocial”; “unselfish” means “socially acceptable but often dishonest.” We all want the whole cake, but, unlike Daffy and at least one six-year-old boy, the coward in the rest of us keeps the Daffy Duck, the small boy in us, under control.</p>
<p>“You may cut as large a piece as you want” is a dangerous euphemism. There is a prescribed wedge on every birthday cake that is completely and exactly surrounded by corporal punishment. Exceeding these limits by even a thousandth of an inch brands one as “selfish.” From my seventh birthday on, I learned to approach with judgment sharper than a razor’s edge this line, without cutting the “un” from “unselfish” to “selfish.” I learned very little about social morality but a great deal about survival, and this, after all, is what Daffy Duck is all about.</p>
<p>So, happy birthday, Daffy, America’s most famous animated cautionary tale of avarice!</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Daffy Duck, Glorious Archetype of Selfishness, Is 77. Here Is His First Cartoon. | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2014/04/daffy-duck-77-years-old-porkys-duck-hunt-chuck-jones/ | 2014-04-17 | 4 |
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<p>A mother of three in Cobb County, Ga. bravely took on a house intruder who may have put her children's lives at risk, so she fought, shot and killed him.</p>
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<p>The woman was identified as Shaquita Green. She told the authorities that she does not know who barged into her house in the dead of the night. What she was certain of is that he was armed and dangerous. The mother shared that the intruder threatened to kill her children.</p>
<p />
<p>Green said the man kept asking for her husband who was not home at the time. She then placed her kids at the back of the house, got her gun, and opened fire at the intruder, killing him.</p>
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<p>The authorities have identified the intruder as Keandre Funches, 27. The Marietta police said they received a 911 call in from the 90 block of Griggs Street around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday. The police said, a woman told them that a man was trying to break into their home, and that she shot and killed him.</p>
<p />
<p>Green said she does not regret shooting the man. She stated: "It was either him or me and I wasn't going. My kids weren't going to get hurt and they weren't going to see me get hurt."</p>
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<p>Police said that when they arrived at the scene, they found Funches had been shot and killed. Police officers then searched the area and talked to neighbors. Green and her husband, who arrived later after the shooting, were taken by the police for questioning. Other relatives took care of the children.</p>
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<p>Neighbors said their area was a quiet and peaceful place and they found the incident shocking. Green's husband thinks that another person may have brought the intruder into their neighborhood. Witnesses and the police have identified that person as Javarian Mitchell. The police said Mitchell and Funches were at the house to meet another person.</p>
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<p>Mitchell has been taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, false imprisonment, cruelty to children and felony murder.</p>
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<p>The mother said her children were traumatized by the incident, but are now doing well. She also shared that she was upset with the police for their lengthy interrogation of her, despite the fact that she needed to go home quickly to see her kids. She said: "We both work full-time. We're parents. So for them to tear up my house and keep my firearm and I'm the victim, I don't appreciate that."</p>
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<p>Green affirmed that she only did what she needed given the circumstances at that time. She said: "I thank God it played out the way it did. I hate that someone has to lose their life, but he shouldn't have come and brought his a** in my house, excuse my language."</p>
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<p>Source:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/cobb-county/police-woman-called-911-to-say-she-shot-killed-home-intruder/580186309" type="external">wsbtv.com/news/local/cobb-county/police-woman-called-911-to-say-she-shot-killed-home-intruder/580186309</a></p> | Mother of Three in Georgia Shoots, Kills an Intruder Who Threatened Her Kids | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/6073-Mother-of-Three-in-Georgia-Shoots-Kills-an-Intruder-Who-Threatened-Her-Kids | 2017-08-04 | 0 |
<p>CLEVELAND (AP) — Authorities in northeast Ohio say a man has been indicted on 10 charges including aggravated murder in the 2015 slaying of a pizza delivery driver.</p>
<p>Cuyahoga (KEYE’-uh-ho-guh) County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley announced Thursday the grand jury action on charges against Tyrone Leegrand II, who was 22 when 41-year-old Michael Prock was killed.</p>
<p>Authorities say Prock was making a delivery for Nunzio’s Pizza shortly after midnight on June 11, 2015, when the suspect approached his car to rob him. They say Leegrand opened fire as Prock pulled away. They say Prock crashed his car, dying from the gunshot wound.</p>
<p>No attorney was listed for Leegrand in court records. His arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 11.</p>
<p>CLEVELAND (AP) — Authorities in northeast Ohio say a man has been indicted on 10 charges including aggravated murder in the 2015 slaying of a pizza delivery driver.</p>
<p>Cuyahoga (KEYE’-uh-ho-guh) County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley announced Thursday the grand jury action on charges against Tyrone Leegrand II, who was 22 when 41-year-old Michael Prock was killed.</p>
<p>Authorities say Prock was making a delivery for Nunzio’s Pizza shortly after midnight on June 11, 2015, when the suspect approached his car to rob him. They say Leegrand opened fire as Prock pulled away. They say Prock crashed his car, dying from the gunshot wound.</p>
<p>No attorney was listed for Leegrand in court records. His arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 11.</p> | Ohio authorities announce indictment in 2015 driver death | false | https://apnews.com/55dd3ce18b0f496aaef384093072a51a | 2017-12-28 | 2 |
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — A singer and potential congressional candidate says she has filed a sexual assault complaint against President Donald Trump's former campaign manager for hitting her twice on her buttocks during a Washington gathering in November.</p>
<p>Joy Villa, a Trump backer who wore a "Make America Great Again" dress at the Grammys this year, said Tuesday she plans to meet with detectives in Washington next week about the complaint against Corey Lewandowski.</p>
<p>In a phone interview from Tampa, Florida, Villa said she was initially reluctant to come forward because she was worried about any backlash. But she said she called Washington's Metropolitan Police Department on Christmas Eve after a friend who witnessed the incident spoke about it publicly, and other friends urged her to come forward.</p>
<p>"I didn't know him at all," Villa said about Lewandowski. "I only knew him by reputation. He broke my trust."</p>
<p>She said she saw him at a gathering at the Trump International Hotel on the day after Thanksgiving, and said Lewandowski struck her "extremely hard" even after she told him to stop. She said she felt it was "disgusting and shocking and demeaning."</p>
<p>Villa, who is considering a run for a Florida congressional seat, said she initially thought it was sexual harassment, but police told her that touching someone on any body part that is sexual in nature constituted sexual assault. She said she was told it was classified as a misdemeanor.</p>
<p>"I was initially fearful to come forward with this," she said, adding that she did not want to bring shame or embarrassment on Lewandowski's family or hers.</p>
<p>"I did nothing wrong," Villa said. "I realized if he's not going to respond or apologize to me, I think it's the right thing to do."</p>
<p>Lewandowski did not respond to an email seeking comment.</p>
<p>Villa made news earlier this year when she wore a dress displaying Trump's campaign slogan at the Grammys. She explained her decision to wear the dress in an Instagram post, writing, "You can either stand for what you believe in or fall for what you don't." She added, "agree to disagree."</p>
<p>This is not the first time Lewandowski has faced police charges. In March 2016 he was charged with misdemeanor battery for an altercation involving a female reporter after a news conference in Florida. The charges were later dropped.</p>
<p>Trump fired him as campaign manager in June 2016.</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — A singer and potential congressional candidate says she has filed a sexual assault complaint against President Donald Trump's former campaign manager for hitting her twice on her buttocks during a Washington gathering in November.</p>
<p>Joy Villa, a Trump backer who wore a "Make America Great Again" dress at the Grammys this year, said Tuesday she plans to meet with detectives in Washington next week about the complaint against Corey Lewandowski.</p>
<p>In a phone interview from Tampa, Florida, Villa said she was initially reluctant to come forward because she was worried about any backlash. But she said she called Washington's Metropolitan Police Department on Christmas Eve after a friend who witnessed the incident spoke about it publicly, and other friends urged her to come forward.</p>
<p>"I didn't know him at all," Villa said about Lewandowski. "I only knew him by reputation. He broke my trust."</p>
<p>She said she saw him at a gathering at the Trump International Hotel on the day after Thanksgiving, and said Lewandowski struck her "extremely hard" even after she told him to stop. She said she felt it was "disgusting and shocking and demeaning."</p>
<p>Villa, who is considering a run for a Florida congressional seat, said she initially thought it was sexual harassment, but police told her that touching someone on any body part that is sexual in nature constituted sexual assault. She said she was told it was classified as a misdemeanor.</p>
<p>"I was initially fearful to come forward with this," she said, adding that she did not want to bring shame or embarrassment on Lewandowski's family or hers.</p>
<p>"I did nothing wrong," Villa said. "I realized if he's not going to respond or apologize to me, I think it's the right thing to do."</p>
<p>Lewandowski did not respond to an email seeking comment.</p>
<p>Villa made news earlier this year when she wore a dress displaying Trump's campaign slogan at the Grammys. She explained her decision to wear the dress in an Instagram post, writing, "You can either stand for what you believe in or fall for what you don't." She added, "agree to disagree."</p>
<p>This is not the first time Lewandowski has faced police charges. In March 2016 he was charged with misdemeanor battery for an altercation involving a female reporter after a news conference in Florida. The charges were later dropped.</p>
<p>Trump fired him as campaign manager in June 2016.</p> | Singer files sex assault complaint against former Trump aide | false | https://apnews.com/amp/c57a35e7d8504ab287a97c028bfdd572 | 2017-12-27 | 2 |
<p>Welcome to OnSale at FOXBusiness, where we look at cool stuff and insane bargains.</p>
<p>Re-Gifting for CharityIf you received a pile of gift cards for Christmas that you may not get around to spending, why not share them with someone who really needs them? Every year, about 10% of gift cards go unused. A company called Gift Card Giver collects unused cards, and used cards with a remaining balance, and sends them to non-profit organizations. That's right -- you can go to the store, spend all but $3 of your gift card, and give the rest to charity, just by sending it to Gift Card Giver. Just think - if five people sent in an unused gift card with a balance of $10 each, $50 could go to a needy family. Visit giftcardgiver.com for more information.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Recycled ThreadsWhen bundling up this winter, you may be putting on a recycled coat. Outerwear giant Patagonia is collecting old clothes and making them new again. It's called "Common Threads Garment Recycling," and it accepts Patagonia Capilene Baselayers, cotton t-shirts, and several polyester and nylon products. The program also accepts Polartec fleece from any company. All garments are then transformed into new clothing. All you have to do is wash your worn-out shirt or jacket and send it to Patagonia's Service Center. Or, you can drop it off at your local Patagonia store. Check out patagonia.com.</p>
<p>Green BagsIf you’re in need of new luggage after a holiday season full of traveling to and fro, you may want to go with a durable plastic as opposed to cloth. Canadian luggage maker Heys International has a new collection called EcoCase. All EcoCase items are made of 100% recycled ABS plastic and are fully-lined on the inside. The EcoCase comes in all different sizes, each one with four swiveling wheels and a push-button internal handle. A three-piece set will cost you $369, while individual prices range between $99 and $129. Find out more at shop.heys.ca.</p>
<p>Attn: Pool SharksSears, part of <a href="" type="internal">Sears Holdings</a> (SHLD), is giving away $5,000 in game room equipment to one very lucky winner. Sears' "Hit Us With Your Best Shot" contest, with the help of professional pool player Jeanette Lee (aka The Black Widow), is giving away $5,000 in game room equipment, from billiards to ping-pong to foosball. Five runners-up will get a $100 gift card. All you have to do is submit a short video of your best pool shot between now and January 17. Sears also wants the public to partake in the contest, and anyone who votes for their favorite pool player is automatically entered to win a $25 gift card. A full-list of rules and regulations can be found at http://www.HitUsWithYourBestShot.com.Know of a killer deal or insane bargain? E-mail the goods to [email protected] , or follow us on <a href="" type="internal">Twitter</a> at OnSale_FOXBiz, and share the wealth.</p> | New Year, Recycled Goods, and Free Games | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2009/12/31/new-year-recycled-goods-free-games.html | 2016-03-18 | 0 |
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<p>As pressure mounts on congressional leaders to come to a consensus on raising the national debt ceiling by the September deadline, conservative lawmakers are working toward an agreement of their own on what they hope to see in a renewed debt ceiling package, FOX Business has learned.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>In an attempt to show a unified front within the conservative wing of the Republican Party, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) along with members of the House Freedom Caucus, including Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C), have had ongoing discussions throughout the August recess on the conditions they may request as part of raising the nation’s borrowing limit, according to congressional aides.</p>
<p>The two sides, though, have struggled to come to an agreement on which conditions they’ll demand from both House and Senate leadership when they return from recess, according to those familiar with the matter.</p>
<p>On the one hand, members of the Freedom Caucus have indicated they would prefer to see the end of the Affordable Care Act’s cost-sharing reduction payments, which are government subsidies made to health insurance companies to offset some of their costs for providing discount health care plans to those in the lower-income bracket.</p>
<p>On the other hand, conservative senators, including Lee, are hoping to see major cuts to government spending or reforms to the budget as a condition to gain their support in raising the debt ceiling. The inclusion of the REINS Act, a form of legislation that requires every new regulation that costs more than $100 million to be approved by Congress, is also a possible path to a solution.</p>
<p>A spokesman for Lee declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the House Freedom Caucus did not return calls for comment.</p>
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<p>However, in May, Meadows and the Freedom Caucus declared they would oppose any clean raising of the debt ceiling and an increase has to be connected to legislation that addresses government spending.</p>
<p>“We oppose any clean raising of the debt ceiling… &#160;We demand that any increase of the debt ceiling be paired with policy that addresses Washington’s unsustainable spending by cutting where necessary, capping where able, and working to balance in the near future,” Meadows said at the time, in a statement.</p>
<p>The debt ceiling is currently at the limit of $19.8 trillion, which covers the U.S. Treasury to borrow money from the public and government agencies. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has warned Congress numerous times that if it can’t extend the debt ceiling before Sept. 29, the United States will be unable to pay its bills and could trigger a global financial crisis.</p>
<p>Another debate between lawmakers from both sides of the aisle is the mechanism in which the debt ceiling will be raised. It was originally thought that Congress could extend the country's borrowing limit through a Veteran Affairs (VA) bill, but the discussions never progressed to anything substantial.</p>
<p>In a tweet on Thursday, President Donald Trump indicated he too was in favor of pairing a VA bill with debt ceiling legislation and blasted GOP leadership for not moving ahead with the original plan.</p>
<p>“I requested that Mitch M &amp; Paul R tie the Debt Ceiling legislation into the popular V.A. Bill (which just passed) for easy approval. They didn't do it so now we have a big deal with Dems holding them up (as usual) on Debt Ceiling approval. Could have been so easy-now a mess!” Trump tweeted.</p>
<p>I requested that Mitch M &amp; Paul R tie the Debt Ceiling legislation into the popular V.A. Bill (which just passed) for easy approval. They...</p>
<p>...didn't do it so now we have a big deal with Dems holding them up (as usual) on Debt Ceiling approval. Could have been so easy-now a mess!</p>
<p>Mnuchin on Friday continued to insist the White House is confident the debt ceiling will be raised, but wasn’t specific on any concessions that may be required.</p>
<p>"My strong preference is that we have a clean debt ceiling [increase], but the most important issue is the debt ceiling will be raised in September,” Mnuchin told reporters at the White House. "I have had discussions with the leaders in both parties in the House and Senate and we are all on the same page. The government intends to pay its debts and the debt ceiling will be raised."</p> | Debt ceiling showdown, conservatives at odds on conditions for deal | true | http://foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/08/28/debt-ceiling-showdown-conservatives-at-odds-on-conditions-for-deal.html | 2017-08-28 | 0 |
<p>These are the songs played between segments on The World for Thursday, July 3, 2014:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-Discount-Zongo-Junction/dp/B00KHIZFC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404411637&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Zongo+Junction" type="external" />&#160;&#160;&#160; SONG: No Discount&#160;&#160;&#160; ARTIST: Zongo Junction&#160;&#160;&#160; CD TITLE: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-Discount-Zongo-Junction/dp/B00KHIZFC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404411637&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Zongo+Junction" type="external">No Discount</a>&#160;&#160;&#160; CD LABEL: Electric Cowbell Records&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Aphasia-Filastine/dp/B00KGJ25SU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404411735&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Filastine+Aphasia" type="external" />&#160;&#160;&#160; SONG: Drone Silences&#160;&#160;&#160; ARTIST: Filastine&#160;&#160;&#160; CD TITLE: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Aphasia-Filastine/dp/B00KGJ25SU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404411735&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Filastine+Aphasia" type="external">Aphasia</a>&#160;&#160;&#160; CD LABEL: Post World Industries&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/9-Dead-Alive-Rodrigo-Gabriela/dp/B00IONSEVW/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_mus?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404411887&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=9+dead+alive" type="external" />&#160;&#160;&#160; SONG: The Soundmaker&#160;&#160;&#160; ARTIST: Rodrigo y Gabriela&#160;&#160;&#160; CD TITLE: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/9-Dead-Alive-Rodrigo-Gabriela/dp/B00IONSEVW/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_mus?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404411887&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=9+dead+alive" type="external">9 Dead Alive</a>&#160;&#160;&#160; CD LABEL: Ato Records&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cigarros-Explosivos-Jaro-Milko-Cubalkanics/dp/B00J8PZXJG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404411990&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Jaro+Milko" type="external" />&#160;&#160;&#160; SONG: Belly's Bounce&#160;&#160;&#160; ARTIST: Jaro Milko &amp; The Cubalkanics&#160;&#160;&#160; CD TITLE: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cigarros-Explosivos-Jaro-Milko-Cubalkanics/dp/B00J8PZXJG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404411990&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=Jaro+Milko" type="external">Cigarros Explosivos!</a>&#160;&#160;&#160; CD LABEL: Ashpalt Tango&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>And we've been asking <a href="" type="internal">you to pick your fave songs about soccer</a>. Today's song comes courtesy of listener Brian Taylor. &#160;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Garra-Marcos-Valle/dp/B00A2RUGWS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404411271&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=Marcos+Valle" type="external" />&#160;&#160;&#160; SONG: Paz E Futebol&#160;&#160;&#160; ARTIST: Marcos Valle&#160;&#160;&#160; CD TITLE: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Garra-Marcos-Valle/dp/B00A2RUGWS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1404411271&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=Marcos+Valle" type="external">Garra</a>&#160;&#160;&#160; CD LABEL: Lights in the Attic</p> | Music heard on the air for July 3, 2014 | false | https://pri.org/stories/2014-07-03/music-heard-air-july-3-2014 | 2014-07-03 | 3 |
<p>Published time: 29 Jul, 2017 17:41</p>
<p>International human rights organizations have appealed to the European Commission asking it to “re-evaluate” its Privacy Shield agreement on personal data transferring with Washington. The US surveillance practices do not comply with EU laws and standards, they claim.</p>
<p>“(T)he United States of America does not ensure a level of fundamental rights protection regarding the processing of personal data that is essentially equivalent to that guaranteed within the European Union,” Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International (AI) stated in a joint <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/07/26/joint-letter-european-commission-eu-us-privacy-shield" type="external">letter</a> earlier this week.</p>
<p>Read more</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/397607-nsa-memos-illegal-spying/" type="external" /></p>
<p>Having addressed the Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Vera Jourova, AI and HRW “urged” the European Commission to reconsider its 2016 agreement with Washington, aimed at protecting the personal data of citizens on both continents.</p>
<p>America’s “two main foreign intelligence surveillance laws – and the programs that are avowedly or reportedly conducted under it – demonstrably fall far short of essential equivalence to the standards set out in EU law and do not comport with international human rights guarantees,” the letter stated.</p>
<p>The EU has agreed to personal data sharing with Washington under “incorrect conclusions,” it added, while also calling on the European Commission to “encourage” its US partners “to adopt the necessary binding reforms so that the transfer of personal data to the United States does comply” with European norms and regulations.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/389882-companies-surveillance-letter-section-702/" type="external">READ MORE: Tech giants call for privacy protections in surveillance reform</a></p>
<p>“We are also concerned about the lack of safeguards applicable to US intelligence-sharing arrangements with other states,” the letter stated, criticizing the US government for the lack of available public data on the “current scope or details” of such international arrangements.</p>
<p>HRW and AI have provided their own “assessment of the adequacy of US surveillance laws and practices for the purposes of EU law.”</p>
<p>The human rights activists said their research had shown that Washington uses some of its executive orders “as the basis for vast surveillance programs around the world,” including “the interception of hundreds of millions of text messages and billions of mobile telephone location updates every day.”</p>
<p>The US also acquires “records of all telephone calls in five foreign states,” as well as “the content of those conversations in two of those states.”</p>
<p>The US intelligence agencies reportedly “operate at least two large-scale warrantless surveillance programs,” including the highly-publicized PRISM program.</p>
<p>“(W)e observe that the US government does not regard the protections of the US Constitution, which prohibits ‘unreasonable’ searches and seizures… (A)t least in the intelligence surveillance context, people in the EU… will not benefit from these constitutional protections.”</p> | HRW, Amnesty say US surveillance infringes on fundamental rights, urges EU to rethink cooperation | false | https://newsline.com/hrw-amnesty-say-us-surveillance-infringes-on-fundamental-rights-urges-eu-to-rethink-cooperation/ | 2017-07-29 | 1 |
<p>&lt;a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/texasgovernor/8717763263/sizes/z/in/photostream/"&gt;Rick Perry&lt;/a&gt;/Flickr</p>
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<p>Texas Gov. Rick Perry isn’t happy about Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis’ 11-hour (11th hour) filibuster of a strict anti-abortion bill that would ban pregnancies after 20 weeks and close all but five abortion providers in the nation’s second-largest state. On Wednesday, he announced plans to convene a <a href="" type="internal">special session</a> of the Legislature next month so Republicans can reintroduce the legislation. On Thursday, he took a more personal shot at Davis. Referring to the fact that Davis was herself a teen mom (she had her first child at 19, before going on to Texas Christian University and Harvard Law), Perry <a href="https://twitter.com/evanasmith/status/350278800505962496" type="external">mused</a>: “It is just unfortunate that she hasn’t learned from her own example that every life must be given a chance to realize its full potential and that every life matters.”</p>
<p>This isn’t the first time Perry has wandered into uncomfortable territory when talking about teen pregnancy, though. He sort of has a knack for it.</p>
<p>In February, he <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/article/gov-perry-boy-scouts-should-keep-no-gay-policy" type="external">blamed</a> rising teen pregnancy rates on the fact that America had strayed from the core values exemplified by the Boy Scouts—something he feared would be exacerbated if the organization drifted from its morals and embraced openly gay members. The Boy Scouts <a href="http://www.scoutingforall.org/data/archives/aaic/corevalues.html" type="external">advocate</a> abstinence before marriage. Then again, so does the state of Texas—and all it has to show for it is the <a href="" type="internal">third-highest</a> teen pregnancy rate in the nation.</p>
<p>Speaking of that, in a 2010&#160;interview that went viral during his presidential campaign, Perry was asked by Texas Tribune editor Evan Smith to explain the disconnect between Texas’ high teen pregnancy rate and its policy of abstinence-only sex education. “Abstinence works,” Perry said, to laughter from the audience. He continued:</p>
<p>It works. Maybe it’s the way that it’s being taught or the way that it’s being applied out there, but the fact of the matter is it is the best form to teach our children. I’m just&#160;gonna tell you from my own personal life abstinence works. And the point is if we’re not teaching it and if we’re not impressing it upon them, no, but if the point is we’re gonna go stand up here and say, “Listen, y’all go have sex and go have whatever is going on and we’ll worry with that and here’s the ways to have safe sex,” I’m sorry, call me old-fashioned if you want, but that is not what I’m gonna stand up in front of the people of Texas and say that’s the way we need to go and forget about abstinence.</p>
<p />
<p />
<p>It is just unfortunate that the governor of Texas hasn’t learned from his own example that nothing good ever happens when he talks about teen pregnancy.</p>
<p /> | Rick Perry’s 3 Dumbest Comments on Teen Pregnancy | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2013/06/rick-perry-teen-pregnancy-wendy-davis/ | 2013-06-27 | 4 |
<p>CURWOOD: Well, Alaska is a state of rare wild beauty that's increasingly also on the front lines of arguments about energy development and climate change. But the state also has a rare place in the history of American environmentalism, through no less a figure than John Muir. For most Americans, Muir is associated with Yosemite, the California state quarter bears his likeness along with an image of Half Dome. But John Muir might never have become an environmentalist without a visit he paid to Alaska. Author Kim Heacox posits in his new biography, "John Muir and the Ice that Started a Fire," that the wildest adventure Muir ever embarked upon was his canoe journey to what is now known as Alaska's Glacier Bay. We talked to Heacox on a rather scratchy Skype line at his remote Alaskan village. HEACOX: Glacier Bay was instrumental in John Muirs coming to Alaska. 250 years ago the bay was all glacier and no bay, and he heard about this bay, and he wanted to come up to Glacier Bay to verify his theories of glaciation, and he proposed this theory that the Sierra Nevada and especially Yosemite Valley had been carved by glaciers, and this was heresy at the time because the lead geologist at the state of California, Josiah Whitney, said the valley had been created by catastrophic downfaulting. And Muir had no scientific credentials, he was working in a lumber mill. In John Muirs life the single greatest adventure he embarked upon was this 40-day canoe journey in October, November of 1879 with 14 Indians and a Presbyterian missionary to find the tidewater glaciers of Glacier Bay. Muir Glacier (Photo: Wikimedia Commons) CURWOOD: Now, what was John Muir finding to be so capitivating about these glaciers in Alaska do you think? HEACOX: Well, theyre massive, and they are still at work. You can see readily that the land is shaping them, and theyre shaping the land. Down in California, you have to use your imagination, try to imagine that a glacier once tried to build an entire valley, that glaciers once flooded this entire mountain range. When you go to Alaska, you see a landscape dominated by ice, where here and there mountain peaks stick through. CURWOOD: What was it about Muirs character that set him up for this kind of expedition and curiousity about glaciers do you think? HEACOX: Thats a great question. I wrote in my book that Muir would be to glaciers what Jacques Cousteau would be to the oceans and Carl Sagan would be to the stars. If I have to pinpoint the turning point in John Muirs life, its when he walked away from home, its when he walked away from his domineering father and the cultivated manicured world of Wisconsin and walked into the wild. He embarked on a 1,000-mile walk from northern Kentucky to the Gulf of Mexico. He worked his way down to the Isthmus of Panama, took a boat up to San Francisco, saw Yosemite for the first time - all profound experiences. If youre going to walk away from your family, from your culture, from your community, from your nation, everything starts over again. Glacier Bay (Photo: National Park Service) CURWOOD: How important were Muirs Alaskan trips for inspiring action towards establishing a national park and conserving wildlands? HEACOX: John Muir redefines Alaska for America. The US had purchased Alaska in 1867. Secretary of State William Seward, and of course the media called it Sewards ice box, Sewards folly...its a sucked orange, the Russians have already killed all the sea otters, theres no more good pelts, theres no more money. And 12 years later John Muir arrives, sees what he sees as shimmering glaciers of Alaska. Its magnificent, its beautiful, its not a wasteland, uselessness, a sucked orange. He goes back. He writes for the Overland Monthly Magazine and some newspapers. And he basically gives birth to the tourism industry in just a few short years. Paddle wheelers and steam boats are heading up to Alaska from Puget Sound. Muirs writings inspired Enos Mills who became the father of Rocky Mountain National Park. He was read by Robert Marshall, Aldo Leopold, Olaus Murie, the founders of the Wilderness Society, and on and on and on. Teddy Roosevelt, of course, Muirs good friend, worked to create the Antiquities Act that passed in 1906 that enables Roosevelt by Executive Order with a stroke of a pen to create national monuments. And of course, theyre supposed to be these 25 and 50 and 100 acres sites to preserve antiquities. Well, Roosevelt ran with it, and he created these massive national monuments, Grand Canyon and Mount Olympus, that later became Olympic National Park and Grand Canyon National Park. John Muir (Photo: National Park Service) CURWOOD: By the way, this Antiquities Act was used initally to protect Glacier Bay, you write. HEACOX: Yes, the Antiquities Act was passed in 1906, but Calvin Coolidge used in 1925 to create Glacier Bay National Monument, and the scientist who spearheaded the attempt to create the National Monument, William Cooper, he read John Muir when he was a little boy, wanted to be a mountaineer and a glaciologist like John Muir, so yes, you take the Antiquities Act from 1906 and many presidents have used it to create national monuments, and many of those national monuments have since become national parks. CURWOOD: How was John Muir anonmalous for his time? HEACOX: He was very anonmalous for his time. Today, we have people who are climbing Everest and Denali, and mountaineering and going on long extended wilderness trips. Its a great thing to do. Its regarded as healthy. Back in John Muirs time, he was considered a kook. Nobody else was really doing what he was doing. For example, in 1890 on his third trip to Alaska, he was ill in California. And his wife knew he needed to return to the mountains to get well. He actually called it mountain nourishment. So he went to Alaska, out on the ice, he slept on the ice, he fell in a cravass, he soaked himself in cold water. After the fourth day, his cough was gone because he was so happy and in time people began to understand that this guy might really be onto something, that maybe we should set aside these wild places that are actually beneficial to us for our good health and wellbeing. CURWOOD: If John Muir went to Muir Glacier today, what do you think he would see? How would he respond? HEACOX: Oh, I think if John Muir went to Muir Glacier today, I think hed be stunned. He knew glaciers were retreating, he knew the world was warming in his time, the late 1800s, early 1900s, Muir Glacier today is 32 miles further back from where it was in 1890 when John Muir built a small cabin in front of the glacier. CURWOOD: Now, Muir engaged with President Roosevelt, as you point out in your book, President Theodore Roosevelt going camping with him at Yosemite. But how comfortable was he with Roosevelts brand of politics? Because Roosevelt brings in a Gifford Pinchot. Pinchots view was that the trees, well, thats lumber, this is to be used. HEACOX: John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt got along great. They greatly enjoyed each others company. They camped alone, they talked for hours into the night, the two guides that were with them listened in, they commented later that each man wanted to do most of the talking, they were both so exhuberant to tell the other one the way things are and the way things ought to be. And Muir, I guess you could label him, he was something of an idealist, a preservationist, he was not a utilitarian...and then Gifford Pinchot, the greatest good for the greatest number. John Muir would shake his head when he heard that little saying, and hed go, Yes. Right. All too often the greatest number is number one. If you just keep adding more and more people and more and more technology and industry pretty soon youre going to run out of these so called inexhaustible resources. It was called the myth of superabundance, and John Muir called it gobble gobble economics. He said nothing dollarable is safe. We have to come to a point where we have to just draw a line and say, No, this place is sacred. It has value beyond utility. CURWOOD: You titled your book, "John Muir and the Ice that Started a Fire." Whats the fire? HEACOX: The fire is the fire of conservation, fighting the hard fight. I think the glaciers of Alaska so inspired John Muir. Once you come to Alaska, the wildest place in his life he would ever visit, and you return to - lets say, California, which is very hustling and bustling and people everywhere, much of it becoming settled very quickly and the forest being cut down. Once you have that looking glass of Alaska, everything else seems small and vulnerable. So he came back down from Alaska, and he said, something has got to change. CURWOOD: Kim Heacox is author of "John Muir and the Ice that Started a Fire: How a Visionary in the Glaciers of Alaska changed America." Thanks so much, Kim, for taking the time with me today. HEACOX: Thank you, Steve.</p> | John Muir and the Ice that Started a Fire | false | https://pri.org/stories/2014-06-06/john-muir-and-ice-started-fire | 2014-06-06 | 3 |
<p>&lt;a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/22069127@N03/2695489692/"&gt;VixyView&lt;/a&gt;/Flickr</p>
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<p>Update (6/28/2016): The Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that it will not review the pharmacists’ appeal. As a result, the high court leaves intact Washington state regulations requiring pharmacies to stock and dispense emergency contraception.</p>
<p>Today the Supreme Court will consider whether to take on another case at the intersection of religion and reproductive rights. In Stormans, Inc. v. Wiesman, a group of religious pharmacists are suing the state of Washington over a law that requires them to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception.</p>
<p>The Stormans family, which owns Ralph’s Thriftway, a grocery store with a small pharmacy, and two individual pharmacists who work elsewhere have religious objections to the use of emergency contraceptives, which they believe act as abortifacients. Until July 2007, pharmacists in the state of Washington could make conscience-based referrals if they objected to a drug for religious reasons. This meant they could refuse to stock or dispense the product and refer patients to another pharmacy that would sell the medication—an informal practice that was legal but not required for pharmacists.</p>
<p>In 2007, after receiving consumer complaints for years that some pharmacies were refusing to dispense certain drugs, particularly emergency contraceptives, the state’s pharmacy board passed regulations that set out a specific and limited list of reasons that would allow a pharmacist to refuse to dispense a drug—for example if a drug is temporarily out of stock or if a prescription seems fraudulent. The new rules presented a compromise: They required pharmacies to stock contraception, doing away with the practice of referring patients elsewhere, but also allowed pharmacists with religious objections to give the prescription to a colleague at their store to be filled.</p>
<p>After the first round of appeals on this case, the pharmacy board agreed to take a stab at amending the new rules. But it decided against any amendments “after receiving additional public testimony highlighting the risks refusals pose to patients’ timely access to medications,” according to court filings. That testimony <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Stormans-Intervenors-BIO.pdf#page=28" type="external">included</a> a man who was refused HIV medication due to his perceived homosexuality, and a rape survivor who was forced to go to multiple pharmacies over several days before she could obtain the morning-after pill. (The pill’s efficacy in preventing pregnancy diminishes as time passes.)</p>
<p>The Stormans family, who are devout Catholics, brought the lawsuit challenging the new regulations in 2007, the year they passed, on the grounds that they violate the Free Exercise Clause, which guarantees the right to freely practice religion. The other two pharmacist plaintiffs joined the lawsuit after one lost her job and the other was threatened with the loss of hers, according to the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty, the law firm representing the plaintiffs in this case. The suit has been through two rounds of appeals, and in February 2012 a district court sided with the plaintiffs, saying these new regulations unfairly targeted conscientious objections while allowing exceptions for other reasons. In 2015, a 9th Circuit panel of judges unanimously reversed that decision and upheld the regulations, noting that they are neutrally applied to all pharmacists, and don’t specifically target those with religious motivations.</p>
<p>The high court is weighing whether to take this case on the heels of Zubik v. Burwell, another case where religious freedom and contraceptive access were central. In that case, a group of religious employers, including the Little Sisters of the Poor, challenged the opt-out process for contraceptive coverage that is set out in Obamacare. Last month, the high court <a href="" type="internal">punted</a> on reviewing the merits of the religious freedom arguments in the case, instead sending it back to the lower courts for further review. It seems to be putting off a decision on taking this case as well—they’ve rescheduled their review of it three times.</p>
<p>Importantly, if the high court were to take this case, they <a href="http://blogs.findlaw.com/ninth_circuit/2015/07/states-can-requre-pharmacy-owners-to-provide-birth-control.html" type="external">could end up</a> weighing in on state-level protections for religious objections and contraception—the ruling in the 2014 Hobby Lobby case, which exempted certain corporate employers from laws they object to on religious grounds, applied only to federal statutes. But <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/2016/05/relist-watch-returns/" type="external">SCOTUSblog</a> predicts, it’s unlikely the court will take this case while they are still down a justice.</p>
<p /> | Pro-Choice Advocates Just Scored Another Win at the Supreme Court | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2016/06/supreme-court-might-take-another-case-about-religious-objection-contraception/ | 2016-06-02 | 4 |
<p>U.S. lawmakers were nearing a deal on Tuesday on legislation that would boost the economy in the short term by extending a payroll tax cut for 160 million workers and long-term jobless benefits for a full year, congressional aides said.</p>
<p>As Democratic and Republican negotiators worked on the final details of a broad agreement, President Barack Obama upped the pressure, telling lawmakers not to derail the economic recovery by allowing the measures to expire at the end of the month.</p>
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<p>House Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, and his lieutenants paved the way for a deal on Monday by backing down on the long-held Republican demand that the payroll tax cuts to be offset with spending cuts.</p>
<p>Boehner must still sell the concession, aimed at ensuring that Republicans do not get the blame for any tax hikes in an election year, to his often rebellious 242-strong caucus. He was due to meet them at 6 p.m. (2300 GMT).</p>
<p>Republicans have made deficit reduction their mantra as they paint Obama as a tax-and-spend liberal who has plunged the country deeper into debt. But Boehner's concession means the payroll tax cut will go unpaid for, adding $100 billion to the U.S. deficit.</p>
<p>Extending the year-old payroll tax cut would keep the current 4.2 percent payroll tax, down from 6.2 percent, until Dec. 31. Congress has until Feb. 29 to pass legislation renewing the tax cut, as well as government benefits for the long-term unemployed, for the rest of the year.</p>
<p>Negotiators were trying to reach a deal on spending cuts for unemployment benefits, possibly by reducing the maximum number of weeks the long-term jobless can claim for financial aid, to 79 weeks from the current 99, as Obama has proposed.</p>
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<p>"Congress needs to extend that tax cut along with vital insurance lifelines for folks who have lost their jobs during this recession," Obama said at the White House. "And they need to do it now without drama and without delay."</p> | Lawmakers Near Deal on Payroll Tax Cut, Jobless Benefits | true | http://foxbusiness.com/politics/2012/02/14/obama-hopeful-on-payroll-tax-cut-extension.html | 2016-03-03 | 0 |
<p>WASHINGTON — Four senators suggested President Donald Trump should resign, while three women who accused him of sexually harassing them years ago called Monday for Congress to investigate their charges.</p>
<p>Samantha Holvey, one of the women, told “Megyn Kelly Today” that it was “heartbreaking” to watch Americans elect Trump president in 2016, despite accusations made against him by more than a dozen women. But now, Holvey added, “the environment’s different. Let’s try again.”</p>
<p>The former beauty queen claimed that Trump ogled her and other Miss USA pageant contestants in their dressing room in 2006. In addition to Holvey, Jessica Leeds and Rachel Crooks on Monday told of alleged harassment by Trump spanning decades.</p>
<p />
<p>Crooks, a former Trump Tower receptionist who said the celebrity businessman kissed her on the mouth in 2006 without consent, called for Congress to “put aside party affiliations and investigate Trump’s history of sexual misconduct.”</p>
<p>During a contentious press briefing Monday, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders rejected calls for either an investigation or Trump’s resignation.</p>
<p>“Look, the president has addressed these accusations directly and denied all of these allegations,” she said. “And this took place long before he was elected to be president. And the people of this country, at a decisive election, supported President Trump, and we feel like these allegations have been answered through that process.”</p>
<p />
<p>The New York Times opened up a Pandora’s box in early October when it reported on numerous allegations that Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed women in the entertainment industry for decades. In short order, the board ousted him.</p>
<p>In the weeks that followed, America witnessed a stampede of prominent men in Hollywood, Congress and network news organizations being driven from their professional positions after accusations of sexual misconduct with female subordinates.</p>
<p>Conyers and Franken</p>
<p>Last week, Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., resigned and Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., announced his intent to resign “in the coming weeks” — after Democratic leaders called on them to go even before congressional investigations had ruled on allegations against them.</p>
<p>Since Franken’s announcement, prominent Democrats have used the one-time comedian’s falling on his sword as the new standard for accused politicians.</p>
<p>Over the weekend, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., told Vice, “Why hasn’t Donald Trump come forward and said, ‘You know what, in this climate, at this point in this country, I’m going to resign from my position just like Al Franken?’”</p>
<p>Booker was in Alabama campaigning for Doug Jones, the Democrat fighting to win a special election against GOP nominee Roy Moore.</p>
<p>When Moore won the GOP primary, he seemed the likely bet to win handily in the GOP stronghold. But the candidate’s prospects have dimmed after a number of women said that he sexually abused them when they were in their teens and he was in his 30s.</p>
<p>Trump endorsed Moore, but on Sunday, the state’s long-standing GOP senator, Richard Shelby, told CNN, “I can’t vote for Roy Moore.”</p>
<p>If Moore wins, top Democrats are likely to paint the GOP as the party that winks at sexual misconduct — and use the issue to win support and generate enthusiasm among young single female voters. If Moore loses, the issue of sexual harassment will have proved potent even in conservative bastions.</p>
<p>Senators speak out</p>
<p>Over the weekend, Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, also called for Trump to consider resigning.</p>
<p>On Monday, Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., went further when she told CNN that Trump should “immediately resign” or be subject to investigation.</p>
<p>But a Capitol Hill investigation into Trump’s conduct appears unlikely. The Senate and House Ethics Committees investigate members of Congress, not presidents, and Republican-led committees are not apt to investigate Trump on sexual misconduct unless there is some sort of connection to the ongoing Russia probe.</p>
<p>Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Congress shouldn’t investigate the allegations against Trump.</p>
<p>“I don’t think there’s any forum for us to do that,” he said. “Just think about how that could be abused.”</p>
<p>It was just last month that Gillibrand, who is considered a possible presidential contender in 2020, told The New York Times that former President Bill Clinton probably should have resigned during the Monica Lewinsky scandal that led to his impeachment.</p>
<p>In 2016, Gillibrand endorsed Hillary Clinton and wrote that she was “truly honored that President Bill Clinton campaigned for me in my first run for Congress in 2006.”</p>
<p>A month ago, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told “Meet the Press” that Conyers deserved “due process” after BuzzFeed reported that Conyers had propositioned a number of female staffers. Critics began to pile on Pelosi, who then called on Conyers to resign, which he did.</p>
<p>Pelosi also called on Rep. Ruben Kihuen, D-Nev., to resign after BuzzFeed reported that the freshman lawmaker’s former finance director, identified only as Samantha, had accused him of sexually harassing her. Thus far, Kihuen has resisted.</p>
<p>Contact Debra J. Saunders at <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a> or 202-662-7391. Follow <a href="http://www.twitter.com/@DebraJSaunders" type="external">@DebraJSaunders</a> on Twitter. The Associated Press contributed to this story.</p>
<p>Haley: accusers ‘should be heard’</p>
<p>On CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the Trump’s female accusers “should be heard, and they should be dealt with.”</p>
<p>“I think we heard from them prior to the election. And I think any woman who has felt violated or felt mistreated in any way, they have every right to speak up.”</p>
<p>Haley also said of the accusers, “I’m proud of their strength. I’m proud of their courage.”</p>
<p /> | Senators call for Trump to resign over sexual misconduct claims | false | https://reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/senators-call-for-trump-to-resign-over-sexual-misconduct-claims/ | 2017-12-11 | 1 |
<p>The U.S. government received reports of three spills at one of Houston's dirtiest Superfund toxic waste sites in the days after the drenching rains from Hurricane Harvey finally stopped. Aerial photos reviewed by The Associated Press show dark-colored water surrounding the site as the floods receded, flowing through Vince Bayou and into the city's ship channel.</p>
<p>The reported spills, which have not been publicly detailed, occurred at U.S. Oil Recovery, a former petroleum industry waste processing plant contaminated with a dangerous brew of cancer-causing chemicals. On Aug. 29, the day Harvey's remnants cleared out, a county pollution control team sent photos to the Environmental Protection Agency of three large concrete tanks flooded with water. That led PRP Group, the company overseeing the ongoing cleanup, to call a federal emergency hotline to report a spill affecting nearby Vince Bayou.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Over the next several days, the company reported two more spills of potentially contaminated storm water from U.S. Oil Recovery, according to reports and call logs obtained by the AP from the U.S. Coast Guard, which operates the National Response Center hotline. The EPA requires that spills of oil or hazardous substances in quantities that may be harmful to public health or the environment be immediately reported to the 24-hour hotline when public waterways are threatened.</p>
<p>The EPA has not publicly acknowledged the three spills that PRP Group reported to the Coast Guard. The agency said an on-scene coordinator was at the site last Wednesday and found no evidence that material had washed off the site. The EPA says it is still assessing the scene.</p>
<p>The AP reported in the days after Harvey that at least seven Superfund sites in and around Houston were underwater during the record-shattering storm. Journalists surveyed the sites by boat, vehicle and on foot. U.S. Oil Recovery was not one of the sites visited by AP. EPA said at the time that its personnel had been unable to reach the sites, though they surveyed the locations using aerial photos.</p>
<p>Following AP's report, EPA has been highlighting the federal agency's response to the flooding at Superfund sites. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt reiterated that safeguarding the intensely polluted sites is among his top priorities, during a visit Friday to the San Jacinto River Waste Pits, one of the sites AP reported about two weeks ago.</p>
<p>Pruitt then boarded a Coast Guard aircraft for an aerial tour of other nearby Superfund sites flooded by Harvey, including U.S. Oil Recovery.</p>
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<p>Photos taken Aug. 31 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show dark-colored water surrounding the site two days after the first spill was reported to the government hotline. While the photos do not prove contaminated materials leaked from U.S. Oil Recovery, they do show that as the murky floodwaters receded, they flowed through Vince Bayou and emptied into the ship channel leading to the San Jacinto River. The hotline caller identified Vince Bayou as the waterway affected by a spill of unknown material in unknown amounts.</p>
<p>Thomas Voltaggio, a retired EPA official who oversaw Superfund cleanups and emergency responses for more than two decades, reviewed the aerial photos, hotline reports and other documents obtained by AP.</p>
<p>"It is intuitively obvious that the rains and floods of the magnitude that occurred during Hurricane Harvey would have resulted in some level of contamination having been released to the environment," said Voltaggio, who is now a private consultant. "Any contamination in those tanks would likely have entered Vince Bayou and potentially the Houston Ship Channel."</p>
<p>He said the amount of contaminants spread from the site during the storm will likely never be known, making the environmental impact difficult to measure. The Houston Ship Channel was already a polluted waterway, with Texas state health officials warning that women of childbearing age and children should not eat fish or crabs caught there because of contamination from dioxins and PCBs.</p>
<p>PRP Group, the corporation formed to oversee the cleanup at U.S. Oil Recovery, said it reported the spills as legally required but said subsequent testing of storm water remaining in the affected tanks showed it met federal drinking water standards. The company declined to provide AP copies of those lab reports or a list of specific chemicals for which it tested, saying the EPA was expected to release that information soon.</p>
<p>U.S. Oil Recovery was shut down in 2010 after regulators determined operations there posed an environmental threat to Vince Bayou, which flows through the property in Pasadena. Pollution at the former hazardous waste treatment plant is so bad that Texas prosecutors charged the company's owner, Klaus Genssler, with five criminal felonies. The German native fled the United States and is considered a fugitive. Genssler did not respond to efforts to contact him last week through his social media accounts or an email account linked to his website address.</p>
<p>More than 100 companies that sent hazardous materials and oily waste to U.S. Oil Recovery for processing are now paying for the multimillion-dollar cleanup there through a court-monitored settlement, including Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations Inc., U.S. Steel Corp. and Dow Chemical Co.</p>
<p>Past sampling of materials at the site revealed high concentrations of hazardous chemicals linked to cancer, such as benzene, ethylbenzene and trichloroethylene. The site also potentially contains toxic heavy metals, including mercury and arsenic.</p>
<p>A 2012 EPA study of the more than 500 Superfund sites across the United States located in flood zones specifically noted the risk that floodwaters might carry away and spread toxic materials over a wider area.</p>
<p>Over the past six years, remediation efforts at U.S. Oil Recovery have focused on the northern half of the site, including demolishing contaminated structures, removing an estimated 500 tons of sludge and hauling away more than 1,000 abandoned containers of waste.</p>
<p>PRP Group said the southern portion of the site, including the three waste tanks that flooded during Harvey, has not yet been fully cleaned. Over the years workers have removed more than 1.5 million gallons of liquid waste — enough to fill nearly three Olympic-sized swimming pools.</p>
<p>AP began asking the EPA whether contaminated material might have again leaked from U.S. Oil Recovery last week, after reviewing the aerial photos taken Aug. 31. The EPA said it visited the site on Sept. 4, nearly a week after site operators reported an initial spill, and again the following week. The EPA said that its staff saw no evidence that toxins had washed away from the scene during either visit.</p>
<p>"Yesterday, an EPA On-scene coordinator conducted an inspection of Vince Bayou to follow up on a rumor that material was offsite and did not find any evidence of a black oily discharge or material from the U.S. Oil Recovery site," an EPA media release said on Thursday.</p>
<p>PRP Group said the spills occurred at the toxic waste site on Aug. 29, Sept. 6 and Sept. 7. One of the EPA's media releases on Sept. 9, more than 11 days after the first call was made to the hotline, made reference to overflowing water at the scene, but did not describe it as a spill.</p>
<p>The company said it reported the first spill after Harvey's floodwaters swamped the three tanks, filling them. The resulting pressure that built up in the tanks dislodged plugs blocking a series of interconnecting pipes, causing the second and third spills reported to the hotline the following week.</p>
<p>The company does not know how much material leaked from the tanks, soaking into the soil or flowing into nearby Vince Bayou. As part of its post-storm cleanup workers have vacuumed 63 truckloads holding about 315,000 gallons from the tanks.</p>
<p>The Superfund site is located just a few hundred yards from the Pollution Control Services offices for Harris County, which includes Houston. Its director, Bob Allen, says his team took pictures of the flooding on Aug. 29, when the area that includes the three big tanks was still underwater. The AP requested those photos as public records, but they have not yet been released.</p>
<p>Allen said his staff did not note any black water or oily sheen on the surface at the time, and did not collect water samples for testing. He said the EPA later sampled the area to determine whether there was contamination.</p>
<p>"We knew that the water probably got into the plant, probably washed out some of the stuff that was in the clarifier," Allen said, referring to one of the old concrete tanks once used to store toxic waste. "Once they get done with the assessment of that site and the other Superfund Harris County sites, then they'll probably let us know, let the public know, what's been going on."</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Biesecker reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Reese Dunklin in Dallas and Jeff Horwitz in Washington contributed to this reporting.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Biesecker at http://twitter.com/mbieseck and Bajak at https://twitter.com/fbajak</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Submit a confidential tip to The Associated Press at https://www.ap.org.tips</p> | AP Exclusive: Evidence of spills at toxic site during floods | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/09/19/ap-exclusive-evidence-spills-at-toxic-site-during-floods.html | 2017-09-19 | 0 |
<p>Jan. 3 (UPI) — The F-type main-sequence star KIC 8462852, also called Tabby’s Star or Boyajian’s Star, has been described as the “most mysterious star in the universe,” due to its inexplicable brightening and dimming.</p>
<p>Though astronomers aren’t yet sure what explains the star’s unusual light patterns, new research has ruled out the possibility of an alien megastructure.</p>
<p>Tabby’s Star is 50 percent larger than the sun and roughly 1,000 degrees hotter. It is located 1,275 light years away in the constellation Cygnus.</p>
<p>With the help of funding from a Kickstarter campaign, astronomers used a global network of telescopes to observe the unusual star from March 2016 to December 2017. Astronomers compared possible explanations for the brightening and dimming phenomena with the data collected during the survey.</p>
<p>“We were hoping that once we finally caught a dip happening in real time we could see if the dips were the same depth at all wavelengths,” <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jason_Wright/" type="external">Jason Wright</a>, an assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State University, <a href="http://science.psu.edu/news-and-events/2018-news/alien-megastructure-not-the-cause-of-dimming-of-the-most-mysterious-star-in-the-universe" type="external">said in a news release</a>. “If they were nearly the same, this would suggest that the cause was something opaque, like an orbiting disk, planet, or star, or even large structures in space.”</p>
<p>The data — published this week <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1801.00732" type="external">online by Astrophysical Journal Letters</a> — showed the star dimmed at certain wavelengths more than others.</p>
<p>“Dust is most likely the reason why the star’s light appears to dim and brighten,” said lead researcher Tabetha Boyajian, an astronomer at Louisiana State University. “The new data shows that different colors of light are being blocked at different intensities. Therefore, whatever is passing between us and the star is not opaque, as would be expected from a planet or alien megastructure.”</p>
<p>The dimming pattern of Tabby’s Star was so unusual it didn’t get flagged by the algorithms that sift through the data collected by NASA’s planet-hunting Kepler satellite. It wasn’t a strong candidate as a host for exoplanets.</p>
<p>But its peculiarity was spotted by citizen scientists, groups of online volunteers who regularly scan astronomical data for anomalies missed by the computers and the pros.</p>
<p>“If it wasn’t for people with an unbiased look on our universe, this unusual star would have been overlooked,” Boyajian said. “Again, without the public support for this dedicated observing run, we would not have this large amount of data.”</p>
<p>While dust is now the most logical explanation for the dimming pattern, researchers need to investigate further to understand the details of the phenomenon.</p>
<p>“This latest research rules out alien megastructures, but it raises the plausibility of other phenomena being behind the dimming,” Wright said. “There are models involving circumstellar material — like exocomets, which were Boyajian’s team’s original hypothesis — which seem to be consistent with the data we have.”</p>
<p>It’s also possible the star is simply getting dimmer and brighter on its own — that nothing is actually blocking the star’s light.</p> | Mysterious dimming of Tabby’s Star not caused by alien megastructure, study shows | false | https://newsline.com/mysterious-dimming-of-tabbys-star-not-caused-by-alien-megastructure-study-shows/ | 2018-01-04 | 1 |
<p>U.S. stocks opened lower on Monday, the first trading day of the fourth quarter, as investors awaited more news surrounding the U.S. Department of Justice's probe into Deutsche Bank AG. The S&amp;P 500 slipped 5 points, or 0.2%, to 2,162. The Dow industrials fell 55 points, or 0.3%, to 18,252. The Nasdaq Composite was off 13 points, or 0.3%, to 5,298. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that no settlement deal has been presented to senior decision makers on either side.</p>
<p>Copyright © 2016 MarketWatch, Inc.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p> | U.S. Stocks Open Lower As Investors Await More Deutsche Bank News | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/10/03/us-stocks-open-lower-as-investors-await-more-deutsche-bank-news.html | 2016-10-03 | 0 |
<p>BALTIMORE RAVENS (4-5) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-4)</p>
<p>KICKOFF: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Lambeau Field. TV: <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kevin-Harlan/" type="external">Kevin Harlan</a>, <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Rich-Gannon/" type="external">Rich Gannon</a>.</p>
<p>SERIES HISTORY: Sixth regular-season meeting. Packers lead series, 4-1. The Packers are also 3-0 at Lambeau Field. The teams last played in 2013, when the Packers won 19-17 at M&amp;T Bank Stadium. Baltimore most previously played at Green Bay in 2009, losing 27-14 on “Monday Night Football.”</p>
<p>KEYS TO THE GAME: Both the Ravens and Packers feel like they have an opportunity this week. Baltimore is 4-5 but is only a game out of the playoffs.</p>
<p>The Ravens, coming off their bye, need to establish an offensive identity — and that means running the ball.</p>
<p>In a 23-20 loss to Tennessee, Baltimore, playing from behind for most of the game, ran the ball 22 times. A week earlier, running back Alex Collins rushed for 113 yards in 40-0 thrashing of the Dolphins.</p>
<p>Quarterback <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Joe_Flacco/" type="external">Joe Flacco</a> attempted 52 passes in the loss and just 15 in the win.</p>
<p>The Packers will look for another efficient performance from quarterback Brett Hundley. And that will mean keeping him upright.</p>
<p>In Green Bay’s 23-16 win in Chicago last week, Hundley was 18-for-25 for 212 yards and a touchdown, but he was sacked five times.</p>
<p>The Packers also need to get wide receiver <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jordy_Nelson/" type="external">Jordy Nelson</a> more involved. Since <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Aaron_Rodgers/" type="external">Aaron Rodgers</a> was injured against Minnesota in Week 6, Nelson doesn’t have more than 60 yards receiving in a game and hasn’t scored. He had six touchdowns in the first five games of the season.</p>
<p>MATCHUPS TO WATCH:</p>
<p>–Packers QB Brett Hundley vs. Ravens secondary. Green Bay has gone 1-2 with Hundley as the starting quarterback. However, he led the Packers to a 23-16 victory over the <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Chicago_Bears/" type="external">Chicago Bears</a> on Sunday and appears to be finding his footing. The Ravens already lost at home to Bears backup <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Mitchell-Trubisky/" type="external">Mitchell Trubisky</a>, so that could provide Hundley with some added confidence. Nonetheless, the Ravens want to force Hundley to throw the ball and potentially make mistakes. Baltimore has several playmakers in the secondary, including safety <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Eric-Weddle/" type="external">Eric Weddle</a> and cornerback <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Brandon-Carr/" type="external">Brandon Carr</a>, who are tied for the team lead with three interceptions apiece. Hundley has thrown for 701 yards, with two touchdowns and four interceptions.</p>
<p>–Ravens RB Alex Collins vs. Packers LB <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Blake-Martinez/" type="external">Blake Martinez</a>. Even though the Ravens will be healthier at running back, Collins should still get most of the carries. He is ranked 13th in the NFL with 521 yards. However, he has yet to score a touchdown on 93 carries. Martinez is tied for sixth in the league with 76 tackles. The Packers will look to shut down the ground game and force the Ravens to throw because quarterback Joe Flacco is prone to mistakes. Baltimore could lean heavily on Collins to extend drives and tire Green Bay’s defense. The Packers are ranked 17th against the run.</p>
<p>PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Ravens TE Nick Boyle. The 2015 fifth-round pick leaped to the top of the depth chart this season. He missed the previous game with a toe injury, but should be fully healthy for Green Bay. Boyle has dependable hands and exceptional blocking skills. He has played a key role in the Ravens’ 10th-ranked rushing attack. Boyle has 18 receptions for 138 yards.</p>
<p>FAST FACTS: Ravens QB Joe Flacco passed for 342 yards and two TDs in the last meeting. He hasn’t thrown an interception in three straight road games vs. NFC clubs. … RB Alex Collins has 189 scrimmage yards (94.5 per game) in the past two games. He ranks second in the NFL at 5.6 yards per carry. … WR <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Jeremy_Maclin/" type="external">Jeremy Maclin</a> led the team with 98 receiving yards in Week 9. In the past two vs. Green Bay, he has 17 catches for 234 yards (117 per game) and two TDs. … TE Benjamin <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Watson/" type="external">Watson</a> scored in his only career game at Green Bay (2006 with New England). He has 38 catches, tied for sixth among AFC tight ends. … LB <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/CJ-Mosley/" type="external">C.J. Mosley</a> has 40 tackles (10 per game), four tackles for loss, a forced fumble and recovery in his past four vs. the NFC. He’s the only NFL player with 75 tackles (76), two INTs and a sack. … LB Matt Judon has seven TFL and three sacks in the past four games. … S Lardarius Webb is the only NFL safety with 15 interceptions and 85 pass breakups since 2010. … Packers QB Brett Hundley earned his first career win in Week 10. He competed 18 of 25 with a TD last week. … RB <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Ty-Montgomery/" type="external">Ty Montgomery</a> had a career-long 37-yard rushing TD in Week 10, and rookie RB Jamaal Williams rushed for a career-high 67 yards. They will take over for Aaron Jones, who is out with an MCL injury. … WR <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Davante-Adams/" type="external">Davante Adams</a> led the team with 90 yards and a TD last week. He has 233 receiving yards (77.7 per game) in his past three games vs. the AFC. Since 2016, Jordy Nelson (20) and Adams (18) rank first and second in the NFL in TD catches. … LB <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Clay-Matthews/" type="external">Clay Matthews</a> had two sacks in the last home meeting. He has seven sacks and two forced fumbles in seven career meetings vs. the AFC North. … LB <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Nick-Perry/" type="external">Nick Perry</a> had a career-high three sacks in Week 10. He has 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble and recovery in his past five games. He also has five sacks in the past five home games. … CB Davon House has 23 tackles, a sack and an interception in the past three games. He has two INTs in three career meetings.</p>
<p>PREDICTION: The Packers rushed for 160 yards in their win over the Bears. If they can replicate that and limit the Baltimore pass rush, they can get another win as they await Aaron Rodgers’ return.</p>
<p>OUR PICK: Packers, 20-13.</p>
<p>–Ched Whitney</p> | Baltimore Ravens vs. Green Bay Packers: Prediction, preview, pick to win | false | https://newsline.com/baltimore-ravens-vs-green-bay-packers-prediction-preview-pick-to-win/ | 2017-11-16 | 1 |
<p>Before you go any further, ask yourself: were you about to say something negative about Beyoncé?</p>
<p>Something mildly insulting or critical? Maybe something you thought would be considered inoffensive, like you just don’t see what all the surprise-album-drop fuss is about? Or you found her (so underwhelming) <a href="http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/beyonce#/" type="external">HBO “documentary”</a> to be so underwhelming? Do you prefer Etta James’s “At Last” to Beyoncé’s Inauguration cover? Well you can just stop right there, before it’s too late. You’re not allowed to say anything bad about Beyoncé. No one is. You know that, don’t you?</p>
<p>This is a rule, a truth so universally acknowledged that Saturday Night Live parodied it with a fake movie trailer, “The Beygency,” about what happens to a man who dares to speak a not-entirely-worshipful way about Beyoncé.</p>
<p>How did we get here? What is it about Beyoncé, and a very small, elite club of other celebrities, that make them socially unacceptable to dislike?</p>
<p>Usually the marketplace of popular things allows you to make a judgment call. You get to decide what’s good and what’s bad, what’s worthwhile and what’s a waste of your time. But once someone, or something, is elevated to this tier of impeachability, you’re screwed: if you don’t like the star, but we as a culture have collectively agreed there is nothing wrong with this star — say, if the star is <a href="http://rapgenius.com/Beyonce-flawless-lyrics" type="external">***Flawless</a> — then there must be something wrong with you. This is why it’s embarrassing to admit if you don’t like Ernest Hemingway or The Godfather movies or The Wire; it’s your taste, not the Agreed Upon To Be Excellent Thing, that is found wanting.</p>
<p>Other famouses in this category include: Amy Poehler (“everyone loves Amy Poehler” –everyone you know), Jennifer Lawrence (unless you’re some jerk who wants <a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/culture/jennifer-lawrence-drunk-oscars?click=main_sr" type="external">to mansplain drinking to women</a> while instructing men to consume <a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/all-these-precious-gins-0514" type="external">gin</a> and <a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/craft-lager-revival" type="external">craft beer</a> and <a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/rare-whiskey-hoarding-strategy" type="external">rare whiskey</a> and <a href="http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/make-your-own-cocktails" type="external">homemade cocktails</a> and so on, THANKS FOR THE CONCERN, ESQUIRE-DAD), Bruce Springsteen (lest the wrath of every New Jersey native rain down upon you), Meryl Streep (hard to argue that one), Connie Britton (I, too, never want to hear anyone speak ill of Tami Taylor; it is this undying loyalty that makes it hard for me to accept how totally mediocre Nashville is). Beyonce, with her regal bearing and monarchical language and imagery (“Queen B,” “Bow down, bitches”) is perhaps the most extreme example: to not bow down is tantamount to treason.</p>
<p>Really, it takes courage to dislike a popular thing — not to be contrary just for the sake of it, but to genuinely hold an unpopular opinion and refuse to cave to <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2014/03/17/258155902/how-sweet-it-is-to-be-loved-by-you-the-beyhive" type="external">the (Bey)hive</a> mind that demands you do otherwise. It’s gustier to risk the condescension masquerading as disbelief that will follow your admission — be it the show you just didn’t get, the celebrity whose fame baffles you, the song that’s like a whistle you can’t hear — than it is to hide in the safety of popular opinions.</p>
<p>Except for when it comes Beyoncé, obviously. What kind of treasonous, tasteless monster is doesn’t dance when “Crazy in Love” comes on?</p> | Why No One Can Say Anything Bad About Beyoncé | true | http://thinkprogress.org/culture/2014/05/05/3434003/why-no-one-can-say-anything-bad-about-beyonce/ | 2014-05-05 | 4 |
<p>Photo by www.GlynLowe.com | <a href="" type="internal">CC by 2.0</a></p>
<p>The only surprise concerning the exposure of Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein as a serial abuser of women is that anybody could possibly be surprised. We are after all talking about a town, industry and culture which not only produces monsters it goes out of its way to cultivate and worship them.</p>
<p>Sympathy for Mr Weinstein is notably in exceedingly short supply among family members, former friends, associates, and fellow studio execs in Hollywood – not to mention high profile political figures within the US liberal political community whose ‘loyalty’ and friendship he’d cultivated over the years with the judicious use of campaign donations. All of them have scrambled for cover, treating a man they once revered as a veritable sun king as something akin to radioactive waste overnight. Even his wife and brother have thrown him under the bus.</p>
<p>It describes an astounding and vertiginous fall from grace to befall a man who for decades was so synonymous with Hollywood and the movie industry he was considered infallible, one of the very few movie executives with the ability to make and ruin careers with a phone call.</p>
<p>But lost in what has now become a feeding frenzy of condemnation – to the point where it is hard to escape the whiff of opportunism on the part of those who’ve jumped on a bandwagon that has reached warp speed – is that Weinstein’s contemptible abuse of women, far from the exception or an aberration has long been the norm in Tinsel Town.</p>
<p>“Hollywood is a place where they’ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul,” Marilyn Monroe famously averred – and who can argue with a woman whose star once shone brighter than any other in that rarefied world, only for it to fall under the crushing weight of the brutal exploitation she suffered, feeding inner demons that ultimately destroyed her?</p>
<p>In my 2013 book,&#160; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/184694712X/counterpunchmaga" type="external">Dreams That Die</a>, I recount my own experience of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/184694712X/counterpunchmaga" type="external" />living and working in Hollywood between 2000 and 2005. I arrived determined to establish a career as a screenwriter and would up spending over three years sleeping on the mattress on the floor of a tiny studio apartment just off Hollywood Boulevard, scraping a living as a nightclub doorman, extra in TV shows and movies, including on one movie where I was Ben Affleck’s double/stand in, working and hoping to catch a break in my own chosen career.</p>
<p>It’s the same existence lived by countless thousands of young men and women who arrive in Hollywood from all over the US and beyond determined to ‘make it’ and see their dream come true. The toll it takes – the loss of dignity that comes with subjecting yourself to abuse from those higher up the food chain – is impossible to properly quantify, but take a toll it most certainly does unless you are able to stop yourself drowning in the culture of vomit which is the reality that belies the image of fame, glamor, and untrammelled wealth commonly associated with this part of the world and industry.</p>
<p>If I had been under the naïve belief that I could write movies that would make a difference it was soon knocked out of me by the manager I had. From his wrist dangled a Rolex bigger than the jalopy I used to roll up outside his office in every week to be told that my latest script was a “piece of shit” and that I needed to start writing movies that weren’t so “anti-American”.</p>
<p>Working on TV shows and movies as an extra you are provided with an understanding of how a caste system works. In my time I saw extras in tears as they were being escorted off the set of the sitcom&#160;Friends&#160;by security guards for turning up five minutes late after taking three buses to get there, begging to be allowed to stay because they needed the paltry fifty bucks (the daily rate back then for a non-union extra) to pay the rent. I saw extras so poor they stole food from the catering truck to take home, and I witnessed old men and women being yelled at by production assistants in their early twenties for missing their marks during a scene.</p>
<p>And, yes, the legions of young women were ripe for other kinds of abuse too.</p>
<p>This is not to assert that there are no decent people or people in positions of influence in Hollywood with integrity. There are. But they are outnumbered in my experience by the other kind.</p>
<p>Harvey Weinstein is the tip of a very large iceberg when it comes to abuse in the movie business. He is the rotten product of a rotten culture dominated by sociopaths, people who are given unlicensed power over other human beings – most of them desperate to forge careers in this most brutal and unforgiving of businesses, and thus ripe for spiritual, emotional, and psychological slaughter.</p>
<p>Brando said it best: “Most of the successful people in Hollywood are failures as human beings.”</p> | Weinstein as Symptom: Notes From Hollywood | true | https://counterpunch.org/2017/10/18/weinstein-as-symptom-notes-from-hollywood/ | 2017-10-18 | 4 |
<p>Jan. 14 (UPI) — A spokesman for Turkish President <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Recep_Tayyip_Erdogan/" type="external">Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a> denounced the U.S.-led coalition’s plans to train a border security force in northern Syria.</p>
<p>The U.S.-led coalition is working with its Syrian militia allies to <a href="https://www.dailysabah.com/war-on-terror/2018/01/14/turkey-says-will-take-necessary-measures-after-ypg-border-army-reports" type="external">set up a new Syrian Border Security Force</a> with 30,000 members from the Syrian Democratic Forces army, led by the People’s Protection Units or YPG.</p>
<p>Turkey considers the YPG and Syria’s Democratic Union Party, or PYD, as terror groups.</p>
<p>Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Turkey will continue to take necessary measures to ensure its security in line with national interests.</p>
<p>“The United States is making concerning threats by attempting to legitimize and solidify the PYD terror group while it instead should cease the support,” Kalin said.</p>
<p>Erdogan <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-14/erdogan-repeats-warning-of-attack-on-kurdish-enclave-in-syria" type="external">said Turkish forces will</a> “continue our operations in Afrin to clear our southern border” of terrorists in the coming days, signaling a possible attack on a Kurdish stronghold in northwest Syria.</p>
<p>The Turkish president said he is awaiting backing from allies ahead of Turkey’s National Security Council on Wednesday, which advises the military.</p> | Turkey condemns U.S plans to build new Syrian border security force | false | https://newsline.com/turkey-condemns-u-s-plans-to-build-new-syrian-border-security-force/ | 2018-01-15 | 1 |
<p>Riga</p>
<p>The otherwise cool tempered Balts erupted into street protests this Sunday in Riga.&#160; The reason was a cynical move by Latvia’s ruling coalition in parliament to convene an early morning weekend vote on the fate of Latvia’s chief anti-corruption director, the ethnic Russian, Aleksejs Loskutovs.&#160; It was hoped that selection of this irregular vote on the Sabbath following the mid-summer holiday when most are either in the countryside, sleeping off a weekend bust, or both, would represent a stealth strategy that would go undetected by an apathetic electorate that has long since been instructed in the limits of “really existing democracy.”</p>
<p>Indeed, foreign commentators have both rhapsodized and vilified Latvia, often unfairly, or for the wrong reasons.&#160; The financial press and Western commentators have praised Latvia’s democracy for its adoption of democratic structures, along with selecting EU and NATO membership. &#160;Indeed, EU accession in 2004 delivered regulatory structures that made the unelected bureaucracy run more efficiently, while inspiring European confidence that brought more foreign investment, which in turn provided further fodder for corruption by elected elites and their patrons to feed on.&#160; Democracy has left the public dubious on the system’s merits.&#160; Frustrated by the inability of democracy since 1991 to deliver more equitable distribution of wealth, prosperity more approaching West European standards, or clean government, many have maintained a bitter introversion reminiscent of Soviet times when people confronted the daily realities of engaging rude civil servants.</p>
<p>Indeed, Latvians, like most peoples of the USSR, as the system imploded, overwhelmingly expressed their desire for Scandinavian social democracy, but instead saw a corrupt kleptocracy emerge that deftly took advantage of an American-introduced neoliberalism, resulting in ever greater levels of pessimism.&#160; In post-modern fashion Latvia’s political parties have normal sounding names, such as the “Green and Farmers Party,” but in reality these mask the true constituency, such as in this case being a front for powerful port authority oligarchs.&#160; Other political parties, such as the “national” or “ people’s” party, merely reflect other oligarchic interests.&#160; With over 20 political parties in a nation of only 2.3 million people, many of whom are disenfranchised because they are ethnic Russians refusing to display sufficient fealty to the state, political life revolves around ever changing constellations of oligarchs forming into new alliances as they try to advance their interests in this nation of well under 2 million voters.&#160; The system has its advantages, however.&#160; It prevents the outbreak of open inter-oligarchic violence, mostly, but it requires stretching flubber beyond the limits of its elasticity to even remotely see it as “democracy.”&#160; However, from the perspective of oligarchs, the system is flawed.&#160; Procedural democratic structures are in place and can be used by the public to “hijack” power.</p>
<p>The response to these unmet expectations has often been reactionary sentiments expressed against Latvia’s Russian population.&#160; The unfortunate outcome of the&#160; “age of extremes” marking the first half of the 20th century, was the occupation of Latvia as its geography placed it squarely in the cross hairs of then coming titanic German-Soviet struggle.&#160; The war is still alive in Latvia, as the &#160;ethnic tensions it spawned remain.&#160; Reminiscent of America’s politicians that distracted the public from the avarice of its highly corrupt Gilded Age Robber Barons in the half century after the Civil War, the Latvians too “wave the “bloody shirt,” Latvia’s kleptocracy waves the bloody shirt of the Soviet occupation to divert the attention of its public from the real problems facing the country, just as the north and its plutocrats in the US used the Civil War to ensure its political domination over the south decades after the war’s conclusion.</p>
<p>But, even the normally staid Balts with their long tradition of occupation under German nobles as serfs, Soviet occupiers after WW II, and their own kleptocracy, have their limits when it comes to tolerating our current “age of corruption.”&#160; The spirit of the “singing revolution” re-emerged last October when thousands poured into the streets to demand dissolution of Latvia’s denizen of thieves sequestering themselves in the seat of government at the Saeima (Parliament).&#160; This should have been a warning to Latvia’s political class to either reform, or at the very least, to act less brazenly in their flouting of any ethical standards of governance.</p>
<p>To complicate matters for Latvia’s plutocrats, a most unlikely gadfly emerged on the scene.&#160;&#160; Loskutovs, an ethnic Russian, was assumed to be a safe, sufficiently ignorant, or at the very least, “smart” enough candidate to not aggressively pursue his duties as head of the nation’s anti-corruption bureau.&#160; One of only a few high-placed ethnic Russians in appointed government in a nation where Russians constitute over 30 per cent of the population, he had the temerity to pursue the true national interest as defined by the Latvian constitution, which defined rights for all “people” in Latvia, and not for privileges for any national group.&#160; Unfortunately for Latvia’s ruling coalition, nobody informed Loskutovs of how political life in Latvia is played, and he vigorously embraced the duties under the constitution’s mandate.&#160; This led to what appears to be a clumsy and poorly executed effort to discredit him by the strange orchestration of the disappearance of, then return of, funds under the control of functionaries lower down the food chain of the anti-corruption bureau.&#160; Latvia’s ruling coalition then proceeded to blame Loskutovs and move to remove him.</p>
<p>Latvia’s ruling coalition reckoned it could safely assume the dominant majority would not defend an ethnic Russian.&#160; Yet, this is precisely what happened.&#160; Credit is due to both the Latvian people, of all ethnicities, and the editorial-page director, Pauls Raudseps, of Latvia’s premier national newspaper, Diena (Daily), who ensured the sunshine of transparency brightly highlighted Loskutovs’, and the nation’s, plight.</p>
<p>Latvia’s ruling coalition decided to make its “night of the long knives” move before the situation escalated beyond its control.&#160; In the spirit of the original singing revolution of the late 1980s, however, ethnic Latvians and Russians united, as they had twenty years ago.&#160; This time ethnic Latvians came out to defend Loskutovs as the government moved in for the kill.&#160; The public created a corridor of shame to the Saeima in which they heaped invective on Latvia’s ruling political coalition as they entered parliament during their Sunday morning session.&#160; Pensioners, professionals, and students, grew increasingly vocal as Latvian police, sporting the global fashion of cops everywhere, in their Saddam Hussein mustaches, provided a passage for Latvia’s politicians into parliament, clearly reluctant to to intimidate anyone.&#160; The crowd grew to around a thousand by mid-day, and it was clear the ruling coalition had badly miscalculated.&#160; The crowd was orderly, as one would expect of Balts, but with the demands for Loskutovs to remain audibly increasing with each passing hour.&#160;&#160;&#160; People spontaneously emerged from the crowd to voice their support for Loskutovs, and ending their remarks with “Atstatu Loskutovu” (“keep Loskutovs”).&#160; This continued over several hours, with each round growing louder than the last.&#160; Latvia’s ruling coalition was roundly booed and hissed when they appeared.&#160; Their arrogance, at times, flouted all conventions of responsibility and prudence.&#160; Ruling coalition politicians sporting political party names reminiscent of the 1930s, such as the “Fatherland and Freedom” party, had representatives, such as Juris Dobelis, patrol the crowds displaying a fool’s smile and the contemptuous smirk of a Prussian estate baron among his peasants as he laughed while the surrounding public mocked his opposition the removal of Loskutovs.&#160; He seemed to delight in the “naïveté” of the electorate voicing their “futile” opposition and taunted the public for at least 10 minutes.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, in the surreal landscape of Latvia’s new politics, the ethnic Russian, Loskutovs, finally appeared and was showered with flowers and praise by the overwhelmingly ethnic Latvian crowd assembled in his defense.&#160; In the end, Latvia’s ruling coalition voted 51 to 49 to put his removal on the agenda for the day.&#160; After 10 hours, the Saeima finally voted on this Sunday session.&#160; Presumably, they hoped they could outlast the pensioners and protestors of all ages outside.&#160; The vote was for removal.&#160; But, the story does not end here.&#160; The minority set the legislative machinery in motion to amend the constitution, with a referendum scheduled for August 2 for the public to dissolve parliament.&#160; In the end, even though the government voted to remove Loskutovs a new era in Latvia’s politics may have been born, in which the original sin of the Judas betrayal of the ethnic Russians that ethnic Latvians once united with to achieve independence from the Soviets, will be washed away by ethnic Latvians and Russians uniting against the oligarchs to create a new politics in which an ethnic Russian, Loskutovs, is brought into political life as a member of parliament with the support of Latvians.&#160; This could herald a new period in which the “bloody shirt” of the Soviet occupation is finally buried, and with it, the cynical post-Soviet neoliberal democracy is interned along with it.&#160; While it is too early to tell, today a new political revolution may have emerged in Latvia:&#160; Atstatu Loskutovu!</p>
<p>JEFF SOMMERS&#160;is&#160;a former Fulbrighter to, and current visiting professor in, Latvia. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | A New Age for Latvia Dawns? 'Atstatu Loskutovu!' | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/06/30/a-new-age-for-latvia-dawns-atstatu-loskutovu/ | 2008-06-30 | 4 |
<p>The Atlantic A month and a half before he died in Iraq, Michael Kelly told radio broadcaster Bradley Jay: "I probably shouldn't say this, because it makes me sound like the undramatic middle-aged man I am, but I don't think it will be that dangerous for me. Last time it was different, because I was wandering around by myself in the desert. This time, if I go over, and it looks like I will, I'll go over attached to a U.S. military outfit, so I'll be surrounded by a large number of young men with automatic weapons."</p> | Kelly on war: "I don't think it will be that dangerous for me" | false | https://poynter.org/news/kelly-war-i-dont-think-it-will-be-dangerous-me | 2003-06-04 | 2 |
<p>Top Democratic lawmakers are asking for a government probe of Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt’s <a href="" type="internal">interview</a> with a beef lobbying organization, in which Pruitt asked ranchers to comment on his proposed repeal of an Obama-era water regulation.</p>
<p>“We are deeply troubled that these recent EPA actions are the latest examples of EPA’s inappropriate use of taxpayer resources,” Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and Elijah Cummings (D-MD) wrote in a letter sent to the Government Accountability.</p>
<p>“Here, EPA, by prominently featuring the Administrator in an online National Cattlemen’s Beef Association video that ends by encouraging the public to visit the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s website, associated itself with that website and the hyperlinked pages therein that urged the public to contact Congress regarding pending Waters of the United States rulemaking,” the <a href="http://democrats.transportation.house.gov/news/press-releases/top-committee-democrats-request-gao-inquiry-epa-s-misuse-taxpayer-dollars" type="external">letter</a> says.</p>
<p>In the video, which was published on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association website in August, Pruitt shares inaccurate information about the Waters of the United States Rule, parroting industry talking-points like the idea that the rule would have regulated a “puddle, a dry creek bed, and ephemeral drainage ditches across the country.”</p>
<p>In reality, the rule — which was finalized in 2015 — sought to clarify the legal extent of the government’s authority under the Clean Water Act and defined regulated bodies of water as anything having a “significant nexus” to navigable waters — things like seasonal streams or wetlands, but not puddles. At the time it was issued, the EPA said the new rule would protect drinking water sources for one out of every three Americans.</p>
<p>Pruitt has <a href="" type="internal">proposed repealing</a> the Waters of the United States rule and appears set to issue a new rule that would significantly limit the federal government’s ability to regulate pollution in bodies of water across the country.</p>
<p>Adventures in Fake Moos.</p>
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<p>The video asks farmers and ranchers to provide comment on the repeal of the rule and directs viewers to the&#160;National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s website, which urged users to “Take Action Now – Tell EPA to Kill WOTUS Today!” The website then offered sample comments that can be left for the EPA, as well as a link to the Federal Register. The public comment period for the proposed repeal closed September 27.</p>
<p>Federal law prohibits taxpayer dollars from being used, directly or indirectly, for “publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States.” In 2015, the&#160;Government Accountability Office found that the EPA, under Administrator Gina McCarthy, had engaged in “covert propaganda” and “grass-roots lobbying” by linking to an NRDC webpage that encouraged users to contact Congress about a bill that would have limited the EPA’s authority to spend money on implementing the Waters of the United States rule.</p>
<p>Pruitt’s appearance in the video has also raised red-flags with ethics experts, who noted that his behavior gave the appearance of an industry that favors one sector of the public over another. Former EPA officials have already suggested that Pruitt and his political staff are telling career employees to give deference to certain comments over others, with <a href="https://theintercept.com/2017/08/03/epa-staffers-are-being-forced-to-prioritize-energy-industrys-wish-list-says-official-who-resigned-in-protest/" type="external">the Intercept reporting</a> that EPA appointees cherry-picked comments from industry for deeper consideration in regard to specific agency regulations that should be repealed.</p>
<p>There is a serious, concerted effort going on to undermine clean water.</p>
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<p>The&#160;National&#160;Cattlemen’s Beef Association spent a total of <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000252&amp;year=2016" type="external">$396,269</a> on lobbying expenditures in 2016 and has been a vocal opponent of the Waters of the United States Rule. In general, big agribusiness has opposed the rule, arguing that it would make farming operations more difficult and costly due to increased regulation and permitting needs. Agriculture, however, was granted exemption under the Clean Water Act for things like plowing, maintenance of drainage ditches, and construction and maintenance irrigation ditches on dry land, and the Waters of the United States rule maintained those exemptions.</p>
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<p>This is not the first time that Pruitt has found himself the subject of a requested ethics investigation in his relatively short tenure as EPA Administrator. He is currently under investigation for his frequent trips back to Oklahoma, his home state, using taxpayer dollars. That investigation was <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/investigation-expands-epas-scott-pruitt" type="external">recently expanded</a> to include all taxpayer-funded flights through September, which likely includes some of the flights that Pruitt reportedly took via <a href="" type="internal">private chartered jet</a>. Pruitt is also currently under investigation by the <a href="http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/326661-oklahoma-bar-association-investigating-ethics-complaint-against" type="external">Oklahoma Bar Association</a> for his use of a private email address during his time as Oklahoma Attorney General.</p> | Pruitt’s Big Ag message raises red flags for congressmen | true | https://thinkprogress.org/lawmakers-request-ethics-review-of-pruitt-beef-video-d8df2274f0d4/ | 2017-10-13 | 4 |
<p>This interview was conducted last month as an episode of “Take AIM,” AIM’s weekly BlogTalkRadio show. I saw Ken speak this week at an <a href="http://www.academia.org/" type="external">Accuracy in Academia</a> event, and felt that it was still timely and important to post this interview. You can either listen to it <a href="../../../../../podcast/take-aim-ken-blackwell-on-obamas-blueprint/" type="external">here</a>, or read the transcript below.</p>
<p>In May, Blackwell and his co-author Ken Klukowski released their new book, The Blueprint: Obama’s Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency. They both spoke this week at the AIA event.</p>
<p>The book is a critical and timely look at what the Obama administration is doing, often just below the radar, in many areas including the courts, the media, the census, and the environment.</p>
<p>A few highlights from the interview:</p>
<p>“But if you look at what they’re doing with Czar [Carol] Browner, they are using executive regulation to get around the legislative process, and they are imposing hard taxes and threats to trade and threats to job creation, and that’s a problem.”</p>
<p>“So there is a tug-of-war, there is a real flurry of activity around election time, between those of us who believe in the more balanced approach, protecting the integrity of the ballot box, and those who don’t care about the integrity of the ballot box, they just want to influence the result.”</p>
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<p>“The Obama administration is operating from a European-like collectivist model, or a European socialist model, which puts the collective good above individual liberty.”</p>
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<p>“Well, the first thing they tried to do was to concentrate the power of conducting the Census in the White House.”</p>
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<p>“This is a President that has attempted to take over major sectors of our economy, from the financial sector to the automobile sector to energy, and as a consequence, his use of czars, his use of executive regulations that are measurable, is extraordinarily problematic for our democracy and our market economy.”</p>
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<p>“This is about—not Black America, White America, Brown America, Yellow America, this is about the Constitution, the supreme law of the country…”</p>
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<p>Transcript Take AIM</p>
<p>May 13, 2010</p>
<p>ROGER ARONOFF: Good morning, and welcome to Take AIM, Accuracy in Media’s weekly talk show on BlogTalkRadio.&#160; Ken Blackwell is a leading voice in the conservative movement, with a wide-ranging biography that I could spend twenty minutes talking about. He’s a Senior Fellow at the Family Research Council; a visiting professor at the Liberty University School of Law; he has served as mayor of Cincinnati, as Undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Commission.&#160; In 1994 he became the first African-American elected to a state-wide executive office in Ohio when he was elected Treasurer, and subsequently was elected to two terms as Secretary of State.&#160; He is co-chair of the Republican National Committee’s Redistricting Committee, and is on the Board of Directors of Club for Growth, the National Taxpayers’ Union, and the National Rifle Association.&#160; He also was a founding partner of Blue Chip Broadcasting, which became the second largest African-American-owned radio company in the nation, and he’s a contributing editor for townhall.com.&#160; He’s a prolific writer of columns and books, including his most recent, which was just published last month, called The Blueprint: Obama’s Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency, with co-author Ken Klukowski.&#160; Ken Blackwell, welcome to Take AIM!</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: It’s good to be with you, Roger.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: Great to have you, sir.&#160; One thing a lot of people may not know about you—I’m sure many do—is that you played college football and were invited to the Dallas Cowboys’ football camp.&#160; What happened in your life that you turned away from football and turned towards politics and public service?</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: Well, there was a fellow by the name of Deacon Jones who gave me a head-slap that spun my helmet around, and I thought I would protect what little brains God had given me. [Laughs.]</p>
<p>ARONOFF: [Laughs.] He was bad, he was awesome—that would do it for me, too, I think!&#160; And so, you decided football wasn’t the way you wanted to make your living, huh?</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: And I would go back home and teach for a year, and go to grad school, and get a master’s degree, and then I went back to Xavier as a junior member of the faculty, and associate director of the Center for Urban Studies, and later became director of the Center for Urban Studies, went on to become a vice president at Xavier University, and I think, got involved in politics, and was lucky enough to become the mayor of my hometown.&#160; And that was quite an experience.&#160; I’ve served twelve years in local government, and it was just a fascinating experience to be close up and personal as a council member, as a vice mayor, and as a mayor.&#160; And one of the funniest things was that I was the vice mayor of Cincinnati with Jerry Springer.&#160; And I was mayor of Cincinnati after Jerry Springer, which only goes to show that sometimes the sublime does follow the ridiculous.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: Were you included in the opera about Jerry Springer?</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: Absolutely not! [Laughs.]</p>
<p>ARONOFF: [Laughs.] Okay.</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: Our political paths went entirely different directions.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: I understand.&#160; So I want to congratulate you on this gutsy, hard-hitting book.&#160; Again, the title: The Blueprint: Obama’s Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency.&#160; You say in the book that Obama is, quote, “waging a war against the U.S. Constitution.”&#160; And in the book you cite many areas in which he is doing this.&#160; What is the basic thesis of the book?</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: Well, President Obama wants to transform our market economy into a government-controlled economy; he wants to transform our family-centered society into a government-centered society; and the President wants to transform our national philosophy, founded upon the primacy of the individual and the supremacy of God, to one founded on the primacy of the collective good and the supremacy of the central government.&#160; Mr. Obama’s problem is that the Constitution of the United States stands in his way.&#160; The Framers of the Constitution founded our nation with the understanding that rights are not grants from government, they are gifts from God.&#160; And the Founders erected the Constitution as a wall designed to stop any President from fundamentally transforming our country.&#160; And so the President has to wage an all-out war on the Constitution as it is written.</p>
<p>Now I happen to be an originalist.&#160; I believe in the enduring principles that provide the underpinning of the Constitution.&#160; And our Constitution, as it was designed by the Framers, has only been amended 27 times.&#160; And that’s because they made it very difficult to change.&#160; President Obama wants to change the Constitution by packing our federal courts with judges and jurists that believe in what they call a ‘21st century Constitution,’ which is malleable and changeable at a whim, and that’s a problem.&#160; And so I think we find ourselves in a very, very important part of American history.&#160; And that’s why we wrote the book.&#160; We wanted to say that there isn’t anything clandestine about what the President is doing—it’s a pretty well-designed plan—and that they are executing it in the light of day, but they’re trying to divert our attention from the challenge to the Constitution that their programs advance.&#160; So we have sort of drawn the line in the sand and said, “Enough is enough.”&#160; And we and other Americans have rededicated ourselves to preserving American liberty.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: You say that—it sounds a bit contradictory, you say it is not clandestine, yet they—he is trying to divert our attention from what he’s doing.</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: For instance, one—he basically is executing this with collaboration from Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid, but he—what they’re doing is right there in the public arena.&#160; I mean, he’s nominating, you know, Ms. Kagan right through the normal process, so there’s nothing clandestine about that.&#160; What we need to do is make sure that she is properly vetted, so we can fully see and understand what the President is trying to do with the courts.&#160; Look: he’s going to have an unprecedented opportunity to pack the courts, particularly at the appellate court level.&#160; Right now there’s contemplation about expanding the number of appellate court judges at the—on the federal bench to—by twelve.&#160; He will, as long as he has a rubber-stamp Congress, he will probably have a full-throated opportunity to do that.&#160; And to pack it with guys like Goodwin Liu, for instance, the Ninth Circuit nominee to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.&#160; Goodwin Liu says anybody who believes in the original intent of the Constitution should be stopped from serving on the federal bench or the Supreme Court.&#160; And that’s because Goodwin Liu believes that those principles upon which our Constitution was based are outdated and no longer useful, and so he says, ‘Let’s junk ’em, and move on with something else.&#160; Let us, you know, sort of legislate from the bench.’&#160; So this is an open battle—we just can’t be asleep at the switch.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: So do you see this as just your standard hardball politics—helping his buddies and staying in office—or is it something more sinister and radical?&#160; And you call it a “Blueprint”—that’s the title of your book—how so?&#160; How is it a blueprint?</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: Well, it’s a plan.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: Okay.</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: And I think that what they’re trying to do is to rearrange the relationship between the executive branch, the legislature, and the courts.&#160; They are concentrating more power in the legislature.&#160; An example of that would be the use of Carol Browner as the Energy Czar, and where she and the President are using more executive regulations to execute tax-and-trade, for example, than having to go through the Congress.&#160; And therefore, sort of, not only circumventing the Congress, but, remember, they represent us, a sovereign people.&#160; We are the ultimate power—“We the People.”&#160; But if you look at what they’re doing with Czar Browner, they are using executive regulation to get around the legislative process, and they are imposing hard taxes and threats to trade and threats to job creation, and that’s a problem.&#160; The President is looking to pack the courts with a more activist—more activist jurists, and they will legislate from the bench.&#160; And so this is a full, an all-out assault on the Constitution as it was originally drafted.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: I want to get into the czars in a few minutes, but one thing—let’s talk about a few of these tactics and areas in which the Obama administration is attempting to centralize power and create a permanent liberal majority.&#160; How about voting?&#160; That’s certainly something you know quite a bit about: You were on the front lines of the 2004 election, where Ohio became the swing state, much like Florida in 2000, and you had led the fight to force people to actually prove that they were eligible to vote, and today a lot of people are questioning the integrity of our elections.&#160; Between not requiring picture IDs, not prosecuting the New Black Panthers for voter intimidation, the use of ACORN, trying to gain the rights of convicted felons to vote . . . .&#160; Remind people briefly what happened in Ohio, and how does it apply to what’s going on today?</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: Well, look: There is a real tension between how groups of us view the whole election process.&#160; I believe that there is a delicate balance between the ease by which a people can vote, and the integrity of the ballot box.&#160; Every time you let a fraudulent vote count, you actually negate the true and eligible voter’s speech through the ballot box.&#160; And so—in Ohio, this last election, Secretary Brunner believed that the integrity of the ballot box was not that big a deal, so she put full force effort to make sure that people could vote.&#160; And so she took away some of the safeguards, and as a consequence of the activities of ACORN and other left-leaning groups, there was a real concern by the citizens across the state, particularly with the revelations about ACORN’s activities across the country, that the count, the vote count, was not a true count, because there were fraudulent votes that had been incorporated into that count.</p>
<p>So they are attempting to look at a couple of things.&#160; Universal same-day registration—now, a couple years ago, Senator Feingold, from Wisconsin, was a leading advocate of same-day voter registration, which meant that a voter could register and vote in an election on the same day.&#160; That, I think, is problematic, because we don’t—we move away from voting being both a duty and a right.&#160; And the duty aspect of it requires us to make sure that we take the steps to make sure that everybody that’s voting is an eligible voter.&#160; And that protects the integrity of the ballot box.&#160; So there is a tug-of-war, there is a real flurry of activity around election time, between those of us who believe in the more balanced approach, protecting the integrity of the ballot box, and those who don’t care about the integrity of the ballot box, they just want to influence the result.&#160; And if you influence the results with fraudulent numbers, or you make it very difficult for those who are responsible for the administration of elections to help guarantee that everybody who is voting is supposed—and is eligible to vote, that is a problem.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: Something that happened this past week made your book—made you seem like a bit of a prophet, and that was this area of “Card Check.”&#160; Looks like the Democrats are having a hard time getting it through Congress, so just this week they changed the rules through the National Labor Relations Board.&#160; Just something—you predicted that exactly in your book.</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: Well, absolutely.&#160; And that’s—Roger, that’s exactly what I’m concerned about, and what Ken Klukowski, a young, bright Constitutional lawyer, and I researched, and tried to delineate in our book.&#160; This is a power grab.&#160; And so if you’re—if you look at the so-called “Fairness Doctrine,” you look at cap-and-trade, you look at “Card Check,” you look at packing the ballot box—these are not just isolated incidents and initiatives, these are part of a well-thought-out plan to effect a power grab first by the central government, and within the central government, by the chief executive officer, the President.&#160; And that destroys the delicate balance of power achieved through the separation of power with each branch of government having a unique set of responsibilities that provide a check-and-balance system of—to make sure that we have limited government, and that government ultimately is responsible to us.</p>
<p>Look: in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence, this is framed up for us.&#160; It says “We hold these Truths to be self-evident,” which means that any knucklehead should be able to get it.&#160; This is about enduring principles and universal truths, and that we’re endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights.&#160; In that paragraph they talked about—they were trying to make the point that our human rights are not grants from government, they’re gifts from God, and that there is not a government on the face of the Earth that can give you your human rights.&#160; They can only protect and promote your human rights.&#160; Implicit in that is a check on governmental power.&#160; The Obama administration is operating from a European-like collectivist model, or a European socialist model, which puts the collective good above individual liberty.&#160; What we’ve learned in 233 years is that we’re the freest, the most generous population and representative government in all of human history. And why we want to change that, why we want to put our country on a path that we can already see, throughout history, is a path of failure, just befuddles me.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: In your role on the Republican National Committee Redistricting Committee, you were confronted by another issue you talk about in the book, and that is the politicization of the Census.&#160; How is that occurring?&#160; What are the implications?&#160; What can be done about it?</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: Well, the first thing they tried to do was to concentrate the power of conducting the Census in the White House.&#160; This got around all of the requirements for disclosure and openness, and a number of us started to—familiar with the process started to yell and scream, and wave our hands, stomp our feet, and we got them to back off of that.&#160; But let’s talk about what is and what is not.&#160; What was in 2000 was an agreement, a consensus, that we needed a bipartisan oversight board, even a number of Democrats and Republicans, to make sure that the process had citizen input, that it was fully transparent, and we were able to get that.&#160; Initially it was negotiated between Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton, and then Denny Hastert took over for Newt, and Trent Lott took over for Bob Dole, and we were able to get that sort of bipartisan approach.&#160; I was co-chairman, and I had a Democratic counterpart—I was co-chairman of the U.S. Census Monitoring Board, and from Day One and Initiative One to the conclusion we provided that citizen input, that citizen oversight, and it was of a bipartisan nature.&#160; There is nothing, in terms of the oversight, that’s bipartisan about this.&#160; This is so heavily weighted towards the administration that the only victory we had was that they didn’t—they couldn’t get around the Administrative Procedures Act that would require that a lot of the questions be raised and vetted, and issues be debated, in the full of—the full light of day.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: So—</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: So this is a big deal, because the Census will determine not only reapportionment, in terms of the number of Congressional seats throughout the country, and how they are apportioned in our states, it really will impact on how districts are drawn within the states, and so it is important that those numbers be solid and they not be statistically—through statistical sampling—be assigned, but that they actually are assigned to real people being counted.&#160; And my concern is that with billions of dollars being put into this process and into community-based groups, reconfigured ACORN operations, that they’ll start making up people where people don’t exist.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: Okay.&#160; Let’s touch on a few other things kind of quickly, because we’re unfortunately starting to run out of time—we’ve got a little time left.&#160; But you recently had a high-profile moment when you were on The Daily Show, with Jon Stewart, to talk about this book, and he cited the website FactCheck to attempt to dispute some assertions that you make in your book.&#160; And let’s—we’ll talk about a couple of those briefly.&#160; One is the issue of the czars, that you were bringing up, and the question, who had more, Bush or Obama, and the bigger question is what Obama’s doing with these Czars who don’t go through a confirmation process.&#160; The other was about judges.&#160; So you went back, after you were on there, and you did a piece that I saw, I guess it was on the Huffington Post—</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: Right.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: —and kind of fact checked FactCheck—</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: [Laughs.] Right.&#160; Right!</p>
<p>ARONOFF: —and found them wanting.&#160; So just give me a brief overview of that.</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: Just briefly, FactCheck didn’t compare apples to apples.&#160; What they said was, if anybody claimed that Bush—a Bush person was a czar, then they got the czar box checked.&#160; Well, I’ll use an example: Somebody called Karl Rove a czar, and therefore he was counted by FactCheck as being a czar.&#160; Well, if he was a czar, then David Axelrod, who holds the exact same position, should have been listed as a czar.&#160; And even using their criteria, Obama would have had 51 czars to Bush’s 32 czars.&#160; But the fact is, in terms of czars with power, like Carol Browner—or like Van Jones, the avowed Communist, would have had, or had until he was chased out of the White House—by public concern—Bush had in the neighborhood of eight, and the President has 25 that we run through in the book.&#160; The issue is, if Jon Stewart, or anyone else from the left, wants to do their criticism, they ought to do the criticism, and we did the criticism because we saw this as an extraordinary acceleration in the use of czars, and in combination with all the other initiatives that the President is taking and putting forth, we saw it as being extremely problematic.&#160; This is a President that has attempted to take over major sectors of our economy, from the financial sector to the automobile sector to energy, and as a consequence, his use of czars, his use of executive regulations that are measurable, is extraordinarily problematic for our democracy and our market economy.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: Yes, and I’ll just quickly point out that you also went into the issue of judges, and talked about how none of Obama’s judges have been filibustered, and a number of Bush’s were, and Obama was even involved in trying to filibuster—was it Alito or Roberts?</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: Both.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: But you also talk about the media, and what Obama’s trying to do there.&#160; You mention, briefly, the Fairness Doctrine, and how they’ve attacked people like Limbaugh, and Fox News, and all that.&#160; But I want to know how well the media have covered the issues you cover in your book, and how have the media generally reacted to your book?</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: Well, one: Our book is a number-one bestseller in a couple categories—on Amazon, the Washington Post “Book World,” and elsewhere—and so we—the public has been really eager to see what we’re saying and why we’re saying it, and the media has been generally responsive.&#160; Some have had me on to attack the premise, but when you engage in this sort of public debate, discussion, you have to be ready for attacks and challenges.&#160; We will go anywhere to debate the book.&#160; We’re going to win some debates, we’re going to lose some debates, some debates are going to be a draw, but what we learn every time we go into the arena and debate, we see the strengths of our argument, we see where we have to bone up and get tougher and provide more facts and perspective, and that adds to our, I think, our advantage as we go forwards for the 2010 elections.&#160; We—</p>
<p>ARONOFF: We just have a couple of minutes left here.&#160; What kind of heat or flak have you gotten for writing this book?&#160; And as an African-American, is there more scrutiny, and is this treated as a betrayal of your race?&#160; Or is it—any of that come up?</p>
<p>BLACKWELL: Well, we—there have been some marginal players that have raised that issue, using it from a—looking at it from a race perspective.&#160; But their number has been low, and I really don’t care about their opinions.&#160; This is about—not Black America, White America, Brown America, Yellow America, this is about the Constitution, the supreme law of the country, that has provided us, even with its 27 amendments, which is, you know, not a whole lot of amendments, since 1787, this is about a battle for the document that has made us the most—the freest, the most productive democracy and economy in world history, and why we would want to abandon it—you know, Lincoln once said that our country is not perfect, but it is perfectible.&#160; And it really is—he had a real keen appreciation for—the buck didn’t stop with the President of the United States.&#160; We are a sovereign people—“We the People” have the right to speak to our government and to put the brakes on any nonsense in which it is engaged, and that’s what we’re doing now.&#160; So any sideline critics, any race-baiting, is ignored by me and my co-author.</p>
<p>ARONOFF: Our guest has been Ken Blackwell, author of the new book The Blueprint: Obama’s Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency.&#160; If you want to keep up with the book, go to <a href="http://www.theblueprintbook.net/" type="external">http://www.theblueprintbook.net/</a></p> | Interview with Ken Blackwell on “The Blueprint” | true | http://aim.org/on-target-blog/interview-with-ken-blackwell-on-the-blueprint/ | 2010-06-24 | 0 |
<p><a href="" type="internal">Abbott Labs</a> (NYSE:ABT) unveiled plans on Wednesday to split up into two separate companies by spinning off its pharmaceutical unit, becoming the latest U.S. company to break apart in an effort to unlock hidden shareholder value.</p>
<p>The Abbott Park, Ill.-based medical company also disclosed a 66% plunge in third-quarter net income, but slightly better-than-expected non-GAAP EPS.</p>
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<p>Abbott said it plans to split into two separate companies, one generating about $18 billion in annual sales and focusing on its research-based pharmaceuticals and the other bringing in $22 billion and holding its diversified medical products.</p>
<p>While the medical products company will retain the Abbott name, the other business will be named at a later date. The company sees the transaction being completed by the end of 2012.</p>
<p>"Today's news is a significant event for Abbott, and reflects another dynamic change in our company's 123-year history, strengthening our outlook for strong and sustainable growth and shareholder returns," CEO <a href="" type="internal">Miles White</a> said in a statement.</p>
<p>The company said White will stay on as CEO of the medical products company, while Abbott exec Richard Gonzalez will become chairman and CEO of the new company.</p>
<p>A number of other companies in various industries have announced similar breakup plans in recent months, including <a href="" type="internal">ITT</a> (NYSE:IT), <a href="" type="internal">Sara Lee</a> (NYSE:SLE), <a href="" type="internal">McGraw-Hill</a> (NYSE:MHP) and <a href="" type="internal">Fortune Brands</a> (NYSE:FO).</p>
<p>Some pharmaceutical companies have sold off specific divisions, including Mead Johnson Nutrition (NYSE:MJN) and <a href="" type="internal">Bristol-Myers Squibb</a> (NYSE:BMY).</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Abbott said it earned $303 million, or 19 cents a share, last quarter, compared with $891 million, or 57 cents a share, a year earlier. The recent results were hurt by a $1.4 billion litigation charge related to a regulatory investigation.</p>
<p>Excluding one-time items, it earned $1.18 a share, topping estimates by a penny. Sales jumped 13% to $9.82 billion, compared with the Street’s view of $9.64 billion.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Wall Street</a> cheered the results and breakup plans, bidding Abbott’s stock 4.82% higher to $54.96 Wednesday morning. The company’s shares have rallied about 9% year-to-date.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | Abbott Lab to Break Into Two Separate Companies | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/10/19/abbott-lab-to-break-apart-into-two-separate-companies.html | 2016-01-29 | 0 |
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<p>Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky told reporters he made the request during his Capitol Hill meeting with Trump a day earlier.</p>
<p>“That’s the kind of thing that I hope he’ll be looking at, and we’re helping him look at — things that he can do quickly on his own,” McConnell said. “Because much of what President Obama did that slowed our economy he did on his own, either executive orders or regulations.”</p>
<p>“So one of the ways to get this economy growing again, I think, is to deal with regulatory changes,” McConnell added.</p>
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<p>Trump touted the stalled Keystone project during a late October campaign swing through Florida, saying: “We’re going to approve energy infrastructure projects like the Keystone pipeline and many more.” He listed the project among his top priorities for the first 100 days of his administration, saying it could provide “a lot of jobs, a lot of good things.”</p>
<p>McConnell said he’s confident the new Trump presidency will “get off to a good start.”</p>
<p>Obama rejected the proposed Keystone XL pipeline last November, declaring it would have undercut U.S. efforts to clinch a global climate change deal at the center of his environmental legacy. The 1,700-mile pipeline would carry oil from tar sands in Alberta, Canada, to refineries in the Houston area, passing through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma.</p>
<p>The $7 billion pipeline has been a contentious issue. Project supporters, including unions and lawmakers from both parties, tout the jobs it would create and demand its approval, while environmentalists urged the president to reject it, saying it would carry dirty, carbon-intensive oil.</p>
<p>Obama’s decision marked an unambiguous victory for environmental activists who spent years denouncing the pipeline, lobbying the administration and even chaining themselves to tractors to make their point about the threat posed by dirty fossil fuels. It also placed the president and fellow Democrats in direct confrontation with Republicans and energy advocates heading into the 2016 presidential election.</p>
<p>The president said he agreed with a State Department conclusion that Keystone wouldn’t advance U.S. national interests. He lamented that both political parties had “overinflated” Keystone into a proxy battle for climate change but glossed over his own role in allowing the controversy to drag out over several national elections.</p>
<p>“This pipeline would neither be a silver bullet for the economy, as was promised by some, nor the express lane to climate disaster proclaimed by others,” he said.</p>
<p>McConnell said Friday that Obama’s opposition was “a bow to his extreme environmental supporters.” The Kentucky senator used the widely disputed figure of 20,000 jobs to be created immediately from the pipeline.</p>
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<p>In fact, the project’s developer, Calgary-based TransCanada, has said the pipeline could create as many as 13,000 construction jobs — 6,500 a year over two years.</p>
<p>The State Department put the number of construction jobs at 3,900 on an annual basis. That figure doesn’t include an estimated 4,000 workers that TransCanada says it has hired for a 485-mile southern segment of the pipeline already under construction and nearing completion.</p>
<p>The prospect of an all-Republican government next year boosts the chances for Keystone.</p>
<p>McConnell said Republican leaders are still sorting out priorities for next year, adding: “The American people expect us to pursue the agenda that we talked about, and I’m confident that’s what we’re going to do.”</p>
<p>McConnell also said Friday he expects the next Congress to take up legislation to revamp the nation’s tax system.</p>
<p>“I think he’s very interested in tax reform,” McConnell said of Trump. “My assumption is we’ll deal with taxes in a comprehensive way in some kind of major tax reform bill sometime in the coming year.”</p>
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<p>Associated Press Writers Donna Cassata and Matthew Daly contributed to this report.</p> | Senate GOP leader says he asked Trump to back Keystone | false | https://abqjournal.com/887533/senate-gop-leader-says-he-asked-trump-to-back-keystone.html | 2016-11-11 | 2 |
<p>Just last week, I wrote at <a href="" type="internal">National Review</a> that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton should sit alongside 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick during his protest against the National Anthem: “he’s just speaking a leftist truth that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama won’t speak: To them, the American story isn’t one of restoration of founding principles and allegiance to eternal truths, but an ever-changing moral rubric in which the only constant is the evil of the past.”</p>
<p>Then, last week, Hillary’s vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine essentially defended Kaepernick: “I wouldn’t presume to tell him what to do…I mean, I’d do it differently.” And now, President Obama has rushed to the sacked quarterback’s defense: “He’s following his constitutional right to make a statement,” Obama said. “I think there’s a long history of sports figures doing so.” He then continued:</p>
<p>I don’t doubt his sincerity. I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about. And if nothing else, he’s generated some conversation around some topics that need to be talked about it… I don’t doubt his sincerity. I think he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about. And if nothing else, he’s generated some conversation around some topics that need to be talked about it… I think there’s a lot of ways you can do it. As a general matter when it comes to the flag and the national anthem and the meaning that it holds for our men and women in uniform and those who fought for us, that is a tough thing for them to get past, to then hear what his deeper concerns are…Maybe some of his critics will start seeing he has a point around certain concerns around justice and equality.</p>
<p>First off, nobody has doubted that Kaepernick has a right to do what he’s been doing. Of course he does. He also has a right to run around screaming the n-word (which he has done) while waving a burning cross (which he has not), but that doesn’t make such activity wise or morally decent. We have every right to call him out for his stupidity and the evil of his perspective.</p>
<p>Second, Obama standing up for First Amendment rights is rather rich. You know who else had First Amendment rights? The YouTube filmmaker he essentially imprisoned over the murders in Benghazi that had nothing to do with a YouTube film; Dinesh D’Souza, over a minor violation of idiotic election law; the Associated Press, which found itself on the wrong end of surveillance by the Obama administration; conservative 501(c)3 organizations, which were blocked by Obama’s IRS from receiving charitable status; religious organizations, which find themselves on the wrong end of Obama’s DOJ for having the temerity to act in accordance with their religious beliefs. Love for the First Amendment didn’t block Obama from going to the United Nations and stating that the future does not belong to those who blaspheme the prophet of Islam. No, Obama doesn’t get to lecture anyone on the First Amendment.</p>
<p>Third, Obama continues to mythmake about the evils of the American police. That mythmaking provides fodder for the misguided ire of fools like Kaepernick – funnily, Obama had no comment about Kaepernick’s cops-as-pigs socks. Obama agrees with Kaepernick that the cops are racists targeting black men. That lie will get more cops and more black men killed.</p>
<p>Finally, Obama clearly doesn’t mind sitting for the National Anthem. He just thinks it’s impractical because it alienates soldiers and their families, not because there’s anything wrong with identifying the flag with all the worst aspects of American life and history. If Obama had any testicular fortitude, he’d sit down right alongside Kaepernick. Instead, he ‘ll just play professor while justifying Kaepernick’s activity.</p>
<p>So yes, Obama and Kaepernick hold the same perspective on the flag, on the police, on America. So does the broader American left. Americans don’t understand that, for the most part, because Democrats hide behind the flag in order to promote their anti-America vision. But in their hearts, they’d rather kneel with Kaepernick than stand with the country.</p> | Obama Defends Kaepernick Over National Anthem Slap: 'He Has A Point' | true | https://dailywire.com/news/8901/obama-defends-kaepernick-over-national-anthem-slap-ben-shapiro | 2016-09-05 | 0 |
<p>If you're a frequent traveler, then you know that most airports look more like shopping malls these days, offering you more and more ways to part with your money. But Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is trying something different, by opening a library in one of the airports busiest waiting areas. More than 45 million travelers pass through Schiphol each year. And many of the international passengers have lengthy layovers. Sure there are the usual range of shops and hotels, bars and restaurants. But there is also a mortuary at Schiphol. If you want to get married, you can arrange that as well. For these reasons, Schiphol bills itself as an "airport city," with all of the services for residents, but without the actual residents. A few years ago, Dick Van Tol approached Schiphol developers with an idea. "We told them that if they're going to be an 'airport city,' then they had to have a library." Van Tol is a librarian, working with an organization called ProBiblio, which supports libraries in the western part of Holland. Holland Boulevard Schiphol officials thought a library would be a good idea, and they knew just the place to put it – the long corridor connecting the two main waiting areas for international travelers. It is called, appropriately, Holland Boulevard. "On Holland Boulevard, everything is focused on the Dutch feeling," says Schiphol developer Maryan Brouwer. "There's a Dutch living room feel, with Dutch food and drinks." "Even the music and the colors are all about Holland," Brouwer says. The national color, orange, is prominent throughout the corridor. There is a small Rijksmuseum shop on Holland Boulevard as well. In fact, the library occupies an open, 300 square foot space right next to the museum shop. The books are kept on soaring bookcases cast in bright colors. A 'showcase for Dutch culture' There are around 1,200 books currently offered for travelers to pick up and read. Most are books by Dutch novelists and poets translated into 29 different languages. There are also books about Dutch history, design, art and architecture. "We want to be a showcase for Dutch culture," says librarian Dick Van Tol. "The aim is to not wait until people come to your library, but to get the library to the people. That's the main thing. We want the library in the neighborhood where a lot of people come together." In a nod to modernity, Van Tol points out the nine iPads bolted down at various seats and tables in the library. The iPads are connected to the Internet, but the only site you can reach is the library's site, where you can find videos, photos and music clips about Dutch artists, architects and designers. There is also a download station where you can put some of the museum's materials on your mobile phone, and take them with you. The music and the books, for now, are not part of the download offerings due to copy write issues. 'We give trust to the people' Van Tol says it's hard to estimate how many people have visited the library since it opened last summer. But, he notes, the iPads alone have had around 900,000 page views logged, and the guestbook comments are uniformly complimentary. "I've already told all my friends on Facebook about the library," says Katie Hornstein, an American currently living in Paris. She points to the book on Dutch artists by her laptop. "Normally in an airport you buy things, but here you can consume culture and enlighten yourself while you're traveling. It's a little enclave of culture in a place where you wouldn't expect it." It costs a little more than 400,000 dollars a year to run the library. The Dutch government currently covers most that cost. Just to be clear, you cannot check out the library books, but you are free to carry them around the terminal and read them at your leisure. "We give trust to the people, and we think we get it back," says librarian Dick Van Tol. "We've been open six months, and only a dozen books have been taken. I can tell you that around 70 books have been left behind as donations. Schiphol bookstores are not worried about the library cutting into their business. The library does not exactly carry the latest New York Times bestsellers. But, Van Tol notes, it does serve as a fine introduction to some of Holland's finest novelists and poets.</p> | The library at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-02-16/library-amsterdam-airport-schiphol | 2011-02-16 | 3 |
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Countering China’s rapidly expanding military and an increasingly aggressive Russia are now the U.S. military’s top national security priorities, outpacing the threat of terrorism, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday. He said competition with those adversaries has threatened America’s military advantage around the world.</p>
<p>Laying out a broad new strategy for the Defense Department, Mattis warned that all aspects of the military’s competitive warfighting edge have eroded.</p>
<p>He said building a force that can deter war with established and emerging military powers in Moscow and Beijing, and U.S. enemies such as North Korea and Iran will require increased investment to make the military more lethal, agile and ready to fight.</p>
<p>“We will continue to prosecute the campaign against terrorists that we are engaged in today, but great power competition — not terrorism — is now the primary focus of U.S. national security,” Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in remarks at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.</p>
<p>He said the Islamic State group’s “physical caliphate” in Iraq and Syria had been defeated, but that IS, al-Qaida and other extremists still pose threats across the globe.</p>
<p>Mattis repeated his call for America to work closely with allies and partners — an approach that aligns more closely with previous administrations than President Donald Trump’s “America First” ideas. That mantra was repeated in a national security strategy that Trump’s administration released in December.</p>
<p>The U.S. and its allies, Mattis said, are stronger together. He recalled going to his first NATO meeting last year, carrying Trump’s demand for nations to increase their defense spending and thinking about how to fit Trump’s message into the broader framework of working with partners.</p>
<p>When he got to Brussels, Mattis said he told the alliance: “Here’s the bottom line: Please do not ask me to go back and tell Americans — the American parents — that they need to care more about the safety and security and the freedom of your children than you’re willing to care for, than you’re willing to sacrifice for. We’re all going to have to put our shoulder to the wagon and move it up the hill.”</p>
<p>Did the message resonate? “It’s going better than expected,” Mattis said Friday.</p>
<p>The most dominant theme in his strategy is for the U.S. to regain its competitive edge with China and Russia, according to an 11-page, unclassified version released by the Pentagon.</p>
<p>That shift reflects persistent U.S. worries about China’s military buildup in the South China Sea, its moves to expand its political and economic influence, and what has been described as Beijing’s systematic campaign of cyberattacks and data theft from government agencies and private U.S. corporations.</p>
<p>The shift also underscores broad American concerns about Russia, given Moscow’s takeover of Ukrainian territory, involvement in Syria’s war and alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.</p>
<p>“We’ve been doing a lot of things in the last 25 years, and we’ve been focused on really other problems and this strategy really represents a fundamental shift to say, look, we have to get back, in a sense, to basics of the potential for war,” said Elbridge Colby, the deputy assistant defense secretary for strategy. “This strategy says the focus will be on prioritizing preparedness for war and particularly major power war.”</p>
<p>Previous defense chiefs long warned about China, and the Obama administration put a greater focus on the Asia-Pacific region, including by adding ships and troops.</p>
<p>Derek Chollet, former senior Pentagon official in the Obama administration and now with the German Marshall Fund in Washington, said much of the strategy is “old wine in a new bottle, but in this context, that’s a good thing.” He said he was “struck by his emphasis on strong diplomacy, getting out from under budget chaos, and the importance of having a healthy democracy. That’s all correct, just seemed to be at variance with what’s happening elsewhere in the government, including the White House.”</p>
<p>Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York that militaries frequently want more resources, but “it is regrettable that instead of having normal dialogue, instead of using the basis of international law, the U.S. is trying to prove their leadership through such confrontational strategies and concepts.”</p>
<p>He said Moscow is open to discuss military doctrines and the kind of military contacts that previously existed between the two countries.”</p>
<p>Colby said the U.S. still seeks areas of cooperation with Russia and China, stressing “this is not a strategy of confrontation.”</p>
<p>The U.S. has pushed China to increase pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Washington has maintained talks with Russia to ensure no conflicts or accidents in the sky over Syria, where both nations are bombing IS fighters.</p>
<p>The strategy, however, faces grim budget hurdles. And Mattis criticized Congress for budget caps that have done more to erode military readiness than any other enemy since 9/11.</p>
<p>“For too long we have asked our military to stoically carry a ‘success at any cost’ attitude, as they work tirelessly to accomplish the mission with now inadequate and misaligned resources, simply because the Congress could not maintain regular order,” Mattis said.</p>
<p>Lawmakers have been deadlocked on a spending bill, bringing the federal government to the brink of a shutdown at midnight Friday. They’re still constrained by the Budget Control Act of 2011, which put mandatory spending caps in place.</p>
<p>The Pentagon strategy acknowledges the budget limits, and seeks greater spending discipline and management, along with base closings to save money. Congress has repeatedly rejected additional base closings.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Edith Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.</p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) — Countering China’s rapidly expanding military and an increasingly aggressive Russia are now the U.S. military’s top national security priorities, outpacing the threat of terrorism, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Friday. He said competition with those adversaries has threatened America’s military advantage around the world.</p>
<p>Laying out a broad new strategy for the Defense Department, Mattis warned that all aspects of the military’s competitive warfighting edge have eroded.</p>
<p>He said building a force that can deter war with established and emerging military powers in Moscow and Beijing, and U.S. enemies such as North Korea and Iran will require increased investment to make the military more lethal, agile and ready to fight.</p>
<p>“We will continue to prosecute the campaign against terrorists that we are engaged in today, but great power competition — not terrorism — is now the primary focus of U.S. national security,” Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in remarks at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.</p>
<p>He said the Islamic State group’s “physical caliphate” in Iraq and Syria had been defeated, but that IS, al-Qaida and other extremists still pose threats across the globe.</p>
<p>Mattis repeated his call for America to work closely with allies and partners — an approach that aligns more closely with previous administrations than President Donald Trump’s “America First” ideas. That mantra was repeated in a national security strategy that Trump’s administration released in December.</p>
<p>The U.S. and its allies, Mattis said, are stronger together. He recalled going to his first NATO meeting last year, carrying Trump’s demand for nations to increase their defense spending and thinking about how to fit Trump’s message into the broader framework of working with partners.</p>
<p>When he got to Brussels, Mattis said he told the alliance: “Here’s the bottom line: Please do not ask me to go back and tell Americans — the American parents — that they need to care more about the safety and security and the freedom of your children than you’re willing to care for, than you’re willing to sacrifice for. We’re all going to have to put our shoulder to the wagon and move it up the hill.”</p>
<p>Did the message resonate? “It’s going better than expected,” Mattis said Friday.</p>
<p>The most dominant theme in his strategy is for the U.S. to regain its competitive edge with China and Russia, according to an 11-page, unclassified version released by the Pentagon.</p>
<p>That shift reflects persistent U.S. worries about China’s military buildup in the South China Sea, its moves to expand its political and economic influence, and what has been described as Beijing’s systematic campaign of cyberattacks and data theft from government agencies and private U.S. corporations.</p>
<p>The shift also underscores broad American concerns about Russia, given Moscow’s takeover of Ukrainian territory, involvement in Syria’s war and alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.</p>
<p>“We’ve been doing a lot of things in the last 25 years, and we’ve been focused on really other problems and this strategy really represents a fundamental shift to say, look, we have to get back, in a sense, to basics of the potential for war,” said Elbridge Colby, the deputy assistant defense secretary for strategy. “This strategy says the focus will be on prioritizing preparedness for war and particularly major power war.”</p>
<p>Previous defense chiefs long warned about China, and the Obama administration put a greater focus on the Asia-Pacific region, including by adding ships and troops.</p>
<p>Derek Chollet, former senior Pentagon official in the Obama administration and now with the German Marshall Fund in Washington, said much of the strategy is “old wine in a new bottle, but in this context, that’s a good thing.” He said he was “struck by his emphasis on strong diplomacy, getting out from under budget chaos, and the importance of having a healthy democracy. That’s all correct, just seemed to be at variance with what’s happening elsewhere in the government, including the White House.”</p>
<p>Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York that militaries frequently want more resources, but “it is regrettable that instead of having normal dialogue, instead of using the basis of international law, the U.S. is trying to prove their leadership through such confrontational strategies and concepts.”</p>
<p>He said Moscow is open to discuss military doctrines and the kind of military contacts that previously existed between the two countries.”</p>
<p>Colby said the U.S. still seeks areas of cooperation with Russia and China, stressing “this is not a strategy of confrontation.”</p>
<p>The U.S. has pushed China to increase pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Washington has maintained talks with Russia to ensure no conflicts or accidents in the sky over Syria, where both nations are bombing IS fighters.</p>
<p>The strategy, however, faces grim budget hurdles. And Mattis criticized Congress for budget caps that have done more to erode military readiness than any other enemy since 9/11.</p>
<p>“For too long we have asked our military to stoically carry a ‘success at any cost’ attitude, as they work tirelessly to accomplish the mission with now inadequate and misaligned resources, simply because the Congress could not maintain regular order,” Mattis said.</p>
<p>Lawmakers have been deadlocked on a spending bill, bringing the federal government to the brink of a shutdown at midnight Friday. They’re still constrained by the Budget Control Act of 2011, which put mandatory spending caps in place.</p>
<p>The Pentagon strategy acknowledges the budget limits, and seeks greater spending discipline and management, along with base closings to save money. Congress has repeatedly rejected additional base closings.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writer Edith Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.</p> | Mattis says US competitive warfighting edge has eroded | false | https://apnews.com/f26d188097fe4895b1a5865cb7d8c7b5 | 2018-01-19 | 2 |
<p>Dividend stocks yielding more than 3% are coveted among income investors. Why? Well, for starters, that easily beats the current 1.8% yield of the S&amp;P 500. And although higher yields are often a hallmark of higher risk, there's a sweet spot of dividend stocks yielding between about 2% and 5% that are among the most stable and mature businesses you can invest in.</p>
<p>If above-average dividend yields and stable payouts sound good to you, then you should consider taking a closer look at French energy giant Total SA (NYSE: TOT), North American pipeline leader Kinder Morgan (NYSE: KMI), and dividend champion ONEOK (NYSE: OKE). Here's why they're three dividend stocks to buy right now.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Total is one of the largest producers of crude oil and natural gas in the world, but it's definitely tuned in to the possibility that fossil fuel consumption may soon peak. Coal is expected to be among the first casualties thanks to shifting demands in global electricity markets, while almost every supermajor concedes that crude oil consumption could peak in the next decade or two as electric vehicles encroach on the turf of the internal combustion engine. Natural gas may prove stickier, but also figures to play a central role in meeting climate goals.</p>
<p>The company is preparing by building profitable renewable energy companies (solar energy, energy storage, and the like) and investing generously in technologies that require more long-term thinking (next-gen biotech platforms for creating jet fuel).</p>
<p>Total is also betting big on the largest opportunity in natural gas: the quickly growing <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/03/18/5-things-royal-dutch-shell-wants-you-to-know-about.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=b1a8359d-2305-4538-a60e-10694f40e197&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">global market for liquefied natural gas (LNG)</a>. The company will be the second-largest LNG trader in the world by 2020. That alone is expected to generate $3 billion in operating cash flow per year.</p>
<p>Of course, while focusing on the future should be important for investors, it's not as if Total wields a lackluster portfolio in more traditional energy markets -- by far its bread and butter now and for years to come. Good stewardship of shareholder capital and a focus on safe and efficient operations over the years resulted in a <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/02/08/total-sa-records-a-blowout-quarter-and-initiates-s.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=b1a8359d-2305-4538-a60e-10694f40e197&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">solid 2017</a>. It generated copious amounts of cash, sported the lowest debt-to-capital ratio of the supermajors, and pledged to increase its dividend 10% by 2020 while repurchasing $5 billion in shares.</p>
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<p>Considering the current dividend yield is 5.1%, investors could feel almost spoiled over the next three years if dividends rise further.</p>
<p>Kinder Morgan is a large and mature business, but the stock hasn't exactly been a poster child of stability in recent years. That's because the company's structure dictates that it maintain a relatively high level of debt, which got it into trouble when energy prices collapsed a few years ago. The fee-based business has proved resilient, although management was forced to redirect cash flow from the dividend to debt repayments.</p>
<p>In 2018, investors are looking to reap the rewards from difficult decisions made in the last three years. Compared to 2017, Kinder Morgan is increasing its per-share dividend 60% this year and 150% by 2020. In other words, the 3.2% yield is about to grow substantially, which makes it an <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/03/16/better-buy-enterprise-products-partners-lp-vs-kind.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=b1a8359d-2305-4538-a60e-10694f40e197&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">attractive energy stock and dividend stock</a>.</p>
<p>The massive dividend increase should be sustainable, too. Kinder Morgan is expecting to generate an additional $1.6 billion in earnings from growth projects coming online in the near future. Considering the company is the largest pipeline operator in North America -- which is <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2017/08/31/the-long-term-trend-that-makes-kinder-morgan-inc-a.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=b1a8359d-2305-4538-a60e-10694f40e197&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">nearing energy independence</a> -- fee-based businesses that serve as the conduit for major energy producing and exporting regions figure to be pretty solid investments for investors over the long term.</p>
<p>ONEOK is another pipeline company, but one that has taken a slightly different route than Kinder Morgan in recent years. It merged with its former <a href="https://www.fool.com/knowledge-center/what-is-a-master-limited-partnership.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=b1a8359d-2305-4538-a60e-10694f40e197&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">MLP</a> to save money, maintains a relatively high coverage ratio, and still manages to pay out a 5.2% dividend yield. While that's pretty impressive, <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/03/05/5-reasons-oneok-incs-management-team-thinks-its-54.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=b1a8359d-2305-4538-a60e-10694f40e197&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">management has plans</a> to increase the payout 9% to 11% annually through 2021 while maintaining a coverage ratio of at least 1.2.</p>
<p>ONEOK has multiple expansion projects coming online by early 2020 that bode well for its ability to deliver on its targets. Meanwhile, management seems to be considering the potential to expand on or around those projects beyond 2021, which could come at a more capital-efficient price tag than greenfield construction -- something that could greatly benefit shareholders.</p>
<p>So, although ONEOK has an aggressive plan in place to grow the business, increase the dividend, and continue deleveraging the balance sheet, it looks as if management is poised to deliver on its lofty goals.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Kinder MorganWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
<p>David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the <a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=d6b1cb8d-0e54-4956-9a5e-15e4bde553db&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=b1a8359d-2305-4538-a60e-10694f40e197&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">10 best stocks</a> for investors to buy right now... and Kinder Morgan wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.</p>
<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-static%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=d6b1cb8d-0e54-4956-9a5e-15e4bde553db&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=b1a8359d-2305-4538-a60e-10694f40e197&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of March 5, 2018</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFBlacknGold/info.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;referring_guid=b1a8359d-2305-4538-a60e-10694f40e197&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Maxx Chatsko</a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Kinder Morgan and ONEOK. 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=b1a8359d-2305-4538-a60e-10694f40e197&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy</a>.</p> | 3 Stocks to Buy With Dividends Yielding More Than 3% | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/09/23/3-stocks-to-buy-with-dividends-yielding-more-than-3.html | 2018-03-27 | 0 |
<p>JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Sixteen people have been killed, including three children, since South Sudan's cease-fire started less than a month ago, say monitors.</p>
<p>Both government and opposition forces have committed multiple violations since the cease-fire began on Dec. 24, according to four separate investigations released Tuesday by the Cease-fire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism, an independent body.</p>
<p>The deaths of the 15 who were civilians are "tragic," said the organization.</p>
<p>"Despite commitments we're still observing hostilities on the ground," communications officer for the monitoring body, Ruth Feeney, told The Associated Press.</p>
<p>The reports also say that child soldiers continue to be recruited and sexual violence remains prevalent.</p>
<p>South Sudan's opposition is charged with spearheading an attack on the town of Koch, just hours after the cease-fire was implemented. For its part, government forces are accused of looting civilian property and initiating clashes in and around the town of Mundri in the Equatoria region.</p>
<p>Both sides deny the reports' accuracy and blame each other for the violations.</p>
<p>"We were forced to defend ourselves in Koch and all other places during these attacks," opposition spokesman, Lam Paul Gabriel told AP.</p>
<p>The army said it is unaware of any violations or recent clashes near that area.</p>
<p>South Sudan's civil war has entered its fifth year, with tens of thousands killed, pockets of the country plunged into famine and millions of people displaced.</p>
<p>Renewed peace talks are scheduled in early February in neighboring Ethiopia, but the monitors remain skeptical.</p>
<p>"It's likely that there will be more reports of this nature in the future," said Feeney, who added that the cease-fire violations are "endemic and so widespread."</p>
<p>JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — Sixteen people have been killed, including three children, since South Sudan's cease-fire started less than a month ago, say monitors.</p>
<p>Both government and opposition forces have committed multiple violations since the cease-fire began on Dec. 24, according to four separate investigations released Tuesday by the Cease-fire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism, an independent body.</p>
<p>The deaths of the 15 who were civilians are "tragic," said the organization.</p>
<p>"Despite commitments we're still observing hostilities on the ground," communications officer for the monitoring body, Ruth Feeney, told The Associated Press.</p>
<p>The reports also say that child soldiers continue to be recruited and sexual violence remains prevalent.</p>
<p>South Sudan's opposition is charged with spearheading an attack on the town of Koch, just hours after the cease-fire was implemented. For its part, government forces are accused of looting civilian property and initiating clashes in and around the town of Mundri in the Equatoria region.</p>
<p>Both sides deny the reports' accuracy and blame each other for the violations.</p>
<p>"We were forced to defend ourselves in Koch and all other places during these attacks," opposition spokesman, Lam Paul Gabriel told AP.</p>
<p>The army said it is unaware of any violations or recent clashes near that area.</p>
<p>South Sudan's civil war has entered its fifth year, with tens of thousands killed, pockets of the country plunged into famine and millions of people displaced.</p>
<p>Renewed peace talks are scheduled in early February in neighboring Ethiopia, but the monitors remain skeptical.</p>
<p>"It's likely that there will be more reports of this nature in the future," said Feeney, who added that the cease-fire violations are "endemic and so widespread."</p> | South Sudan's cease-fire broken by both sides, say monitors | false | https://apnews.com/amp/9fcdb74426b6454d9e4f9001a1a5cbea | 2018-01-16 | 2 |
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