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<p>&#160;</p>
<p>WaPo’s William Arkin has posted a blog with the headline “ <a href="" type="internal">Rumsfeld Didn’t Lie, But He Should Still Go.</a>”</p>
<p>He quotes Rumsfeld’s exchange with Ray McGovern and then writes:</p>
<p>“If the issue here is Saddam Hussein’s connection to al Qaeda and his involvement in 9/11, to the ‘bulletproof’ evidence the administration claimed, and more important for America, to the likelihood that Saddam would have ever shared any WMD with terrorists — the true strategic assumption behind the Iraq war and the justification for our entire WMD obsessed foreign policy today — McGovern scored.”</p>
<p>No, he did not, because this was not a basketball game. This was a rare instance of someone acting as a reporter and questioning a member of the gang that lied this country into an aggressive war. And it was not “the adminitsration” that made those claims. It was individual people, including Rumsfeld.</p>
<p>“But if the issue is Zarqawi, and a spooked and reeling Bush administration worrying that they just don’t really know what’s going on in places like Iraq, that they can’t rely on the great CIA, and that they can’t predict what will happen, Rumsfeld scored.”</p>
<p>Again, this was not a basketball game. No scoring. Rumsfeld not only did not rely on the CIA. He created his own “intelligence” operation in the Pentagon called the Office of Special Plans. Has the Washington Post heard about this?</p>
<p>“Yesterday the Secretary of Defense was able to say without equivocation and hesitation that ‘it appears there were not weapons of mass destruction’ in Iraq, but that is not the headline. Certainly we remember not too long ago administration officials saying that WMD were still to be found, that it’s not over ’til it’s over.”</p>
<p>Ponder for a moment the frame of mind of someone so unconcerned with the emergence of facts but obsessed with the statements of people in power that he imagines it is news that Rumsfeld admitted what the whole damn world knows. Amazing. Arkin has not said anything to suggest that Rumsfeld didn’t lie, but he has explained the second half of his headline. Rumsfeld should go, he clearly thinks, because some powerful people have said so. What other reason could there be for anything to happen?</p>
<p>“In the end it comes down to McGovern’s question: Why did you lie, not did you.”</p>
<p>It does? OK, what’s the answer? To either question. Did he lie? And if so, why?</p>
<p>“A better question for McGovern, once he was given a chance to talk, once he was standing there on television, once he had Rumsfeld captive, would have been: Mr. Secretary, do you now see that you or the administration were wrong about Iraq’s WMD or the characterization of Iraq as imminent threat?”</p>
<p>So, rather than answering Ray’s question which “it comes down to,” Arkin is fantasizing about how much nicer it would have been had he asked a softball and let Rummy smash it out of the park.</p>
<p>“I know that Rumsfeld could have slipped away with some political answer. It is still a better question.”</p>
<p>Why is it?</p>
<p>“I imagine McGovern’s goal yesterday was to get on the evening news. It was a spectacle, and McGovern wasn’t really seeking an answer to any question: he already had the answers; he was just seeking to expose.”</p>
<p>Why imagine these things? You could ask Ray. Pick up the phone and call him. He might have some actual insight into what he was trying to do.</p>
<p>“The protestors screeching impeachment and ‘lying’ yesterday, as well as McGovern, can’t accept that there is a difference between being wrong and deceiving.”</p>
<p>They can’t? Have you asked them? And, by the way, what is your definition of screeching? Rumsfeld was not wrong. Rumsfeld was deceiving. How do we know this? It’s not because Rumsfeld has admitted it, and therefore it’s not for any reason you’ll ever accept. It’s because of the enormous quantity of evidence that Rumsfeld (the man who asked Richard Clarke on September 12, 2001, to find a way to attack Iraq) was bent on war with Iraq no matter what. The plans are laid out publicly by the Project for a New American Century. Each claim that Rumsfeld promoted, from the ties to 9-11 to the aluminum tubes to the niger uranium to the chemical and biological weapons was known by him to be false. See <a href="http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/" type="external">www.afterdowningstreet.org</a></p>
<p>This is a man who claims to be promoting freedom but has authorized detention without charge and torture. This is a man who claims to be helping the Iraqis, but has used napalm, depleted uranium, and white phosphorous on them as part of their liberation.</p>
<p>Does it not abuse the English language at this point to even entertain the possibility that “Rumsfeld didn’t lie”?</p>
<p>Arkin presses on:</p>
<p>“They are so stuck in a mode of accusation and certainty they don’t really think there is any point in political dialogue with the administration. Bush is Hitler, and with that he, nor Rumsfeld, deserves human courtesy. Human courtesy would mean understanding fallibility, fear, pride, the drive of false certainty in office. I’m not asking anyone to accept the war or the dominant national security orthodoxy, which I abhor.”</p>
<p>Oh, of course, and it shows, it really does.</p>
<p>“I just don’t want the only answer to be pulling a lever every four years; there are alternatives, even politicians and the administration learns. We are here as citizens to teach and guide them.”</p>
<p>And to impeach them and remove them from office. May I mail you a copy of the US Constitution?</p>
<p>“In the end, my respect for the Secretary went up when he said, responding to another protester that accusations of lying are ‘so wrong, so unfair and so destructive.'”</p>
<p>And that’s even true, when the person accused HAS NOT BEEN LYING.</p>
<p>“My guess is that the impact of the confrontation won’t be for Donald Rumsfeld to seek forgiveness. More likely, the Secretary will just become ever more careful to say nothing at the podium or in interviews in the future.”</p>
<p>So, when a citizen challenges a cabinet secretary who has nothing to hide, the result is that our noble public servant then hides his worthy work from us. So, the proper behavior would be to obey, and then the facts would all come out? Suddenly I understand how the Washington Post operates.</p>
<p>“The best reason for Donald Rumsfeld to step down as Secretary is that he has become the debate, a lightening rod who can no longer continue to perform this important duty. America needs someone in charge of the military who can give candid answers without fear of having yesterday’s candid answers thrown back in their face. America also needs to give its leaders a chance to be wrong. The implications such intolerance to error is to push human beings up against the wall, a place where there is no good outcome.”</p>
<p>So he’s right, but should resign because we barbarians think he’s a lying criminal. I’m sorry. If he had an ounce of honesty in him and were in any way wrongly accused, I would advocate for him remaining. Arkin, on the other hand, has just openly confessed to writing columns without content. There is not a word here on the topic of whether Rumsfeld lied. Arkin should resign immediately.</p>
<p>DAVID SWANSON can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Washington Post Blogger Rushes to Rummy’s Defense Against Ray McGovern | true | https://counterpunch.org/2006/05/05/washington-post-blogger-rushes-to-rummy-s-defense-against-ray-mcgovern/ | 2006-05-05 | 4 |
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<p>The National Weather Service winter outlook , issued Thursday, gets murky in the nation’s middle belt, with no particular expectation for trends in temperature or precipitation.</p>
<p>Still, some nasty storms might make the winter there memorable, said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the weather service’s Climate Prediction Center.</p>
<p>The major driver of the winter forecast is a budding La Nina, a cooling of the central Pacific that warps weather worldwide and is the flip side of the better-known El Nino, Halpert said.</p>
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<p>For the South and California, “the big story is likely to be drought,” Halpert said.</p>
<p>And that’s not good news for California, which is in year five of its drought. The winter is the state’s crucial wet season when snow and rain gets stored up for the rest of year. Halpert said the state’s winter looks to come up dry, especially in Southern California.</p>
<p>“It’s probably going to take a couple of wet winters in a row to put a big dent into this drought now,” said weather service drought expert David Miskus. He said it will take “many, many years and it’s got to be above normal precipitation.”</p>
<p>The northern cold band that the weather service predicts is mostly from Montana to Michigan. Maine is the exception, with unusually warm weather expected.</p>
<p>The prediction center’s track record on its winter outlooks is about 25 percent better than random chance for temperature and slightly less than that for precipitation, Halpert said.</p>
<p>Private weather forecasters are predicting quite a different winter. They foresee a harsher one for much of the nation, including a return of the dreaded polar vortex, which funnels cold Arctic air into the U.S.</p>
<p>Judah Cohen of Atmospheric and Environmental Research in Lexington, Massachusetts, forecasts an unusually cold winter for the eastern and middle two-thirds of the nation, especially raw east of the Mississippi River.</p>
<p>Cohen, whose research is funded by the National Science Foundation and closely followed by meteorologists, links North America’s winter weather to Siberian snow cover in October.</p>
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<p>He agrees that Maine will have a warm winter, and also predicts a warm Southwest.</p>
<p>The private Accuweather of State College, Pennsylvania, calls for frequent storms in the Northeast, early snow in the Great Lakes, bitter cold in the northern tier and occasional cold in the middle. Like other forecasters, it predicts a warm and dry southwest, with some hope for rain and snow from San Francisco northward.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Online:</p>
<p>National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center: <a href="http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/" type="external">http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/</a></p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow Seth Borenstein at <a href="http://twitter.com/borenbears" type="external">http://twitter.com/borenbears</a> and his work can be found at <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/content/seth-borenstein" type="external">http://bigstory.ap.org/content/seth-borenstein</a></p> | Winter outlook: Warm south; cooler north; murky in middle | false | https://abqjournal.com/871458/winter-outlook-warm-south-cooler-north-middling-in-middle.html | 2016-10-20 | 2 |
<p>To discover what Chelsea Clinton is doing with her life — and why — shouldn’t pose much of a challenge to any reasonably industrious journalist. In recent months, after all, she has stepped into the spotlight to advance the causes that excite her. Yet the political press still seems far more inclined to ruminate over her supposed ambitions rather than report her real concerns.</p>
<p>Which, according to her include, among other things, an unshakeable obsession with diarrhea.</p>
<p>Speculation over the potential political future of the former First Daughter erupted Tuesday in Politico, on the CNN website and on the Washingtonpost.com political blog The Fix, which published “Where Chelsea Could Run” — a close analysis of residency requirements for a New York City Council seat and her obvious lack of credentials to seek the New York state attorney general’s office (she isn’t a lawyer). It is true that she gave an opening for such stories by responding candidly to a question from CNN and the BBC, saying that she has no current plans to run for office but might consider entering politics “someday.”</p>
<p>“I’m … grateful to live in a city and a state and a country where I really believe in my elected officials and their ethos and their competencies,” she said. “Someday, if either of those weren’t true and I thought I could make more of a difference in the public sector, or if I didn’t like how my city or state or country were being run, I’d have to ask and answer that question.”</p>
<p />
<p>She went on to explain: “I really felt like I could make a difference and then I should make a difference. And I had very much led a deliberately private life for a long time, and now I’m attempting to lead a purposely public life.”</p>
<p>As both news outlets noted, her response was exactly the same answer she has given to the same question in past interviews. Still the Post blogger insisted, “It’s also clear she is leaving that door open.” Yes, perhaps, but so what?</p>
<p>Comically enough, this flurry of pointless prognostication coincided with her latest trip to Africa, where she demonstrated precisely what she means when she mentions a public life — namely, her role as the Clinton Foundation’s vice chair and, increasingly, as its public face and spokesperson. She spent nine days with her father and a large contingent of foundation donors and press (including me) on a fast-paced, exhilarating and occasionally grueling tour through Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, and South Africa, touching down at the sites of health clinics, agricultural projects, youth service organizations and other efforts to improve the lives of Africans.</p>
<p>The tumultuous welcome received by the Clinton delegation at every stop suggested the impact of the foundation’s work, from life-saving AIDS medications and quality health services provided to millions across the continent to pioneering agricultural support for small farmers to major renewable energy projects — as well as a newly announced initiative to produce and manufacture fortified foods in six African countries with the aim of ending child malnutrition on the continent.</p>
<p>All of the Clintons have visited Africa repeatedly — at least nine or 10 times for the former president — creating relationships that will serve their own country well as that continent’s economic and political importance grow. This year, however, marked the 15th anniversary of Bill Clinton’s historic 1998 presidential visit, which had been preceded by a tour that Chelsea and Hillary Rodham Clinton undertook the year before. While the American media covered some of those visits and ignored others, the wide-ranging philanthropic endeavors of the former president — and now his daughter — have almost always gotten inadequate attention (with CNN as the honorable exception).</p>
<p>Interviewed in Johannesburg on the current trip’s final evening, Chelsea said she is bemused by all the strained conjecture about her prospective candidacy.</p>
<p>“Reading those stories, I just found it a bit bewildering, because what I said in my CNN interview as well as in my BBC interview are things I’ve said before and have said repeatedly before, whenever I’ve been asked. … I keep saying the same thing because it continues to be true.”</p>
<p>Having offered the same answer for two years whenever a reporter has asked whether she plans to run for elected office, she wonders, “Why is that news? I understand why maybe it was news the first time, but not now. And I understand why the CNN correspondent and the BBC correspondent would have asked about it, but not why it would have had kind of a ripple effect — because it’s something to which I’ve had a consistent answer and something I’ve had a very consistent feeling about.”</p>
<p>Instead of recycling stale political guesswork, she says, “I wish that there was more interest in the work we’re doing here [in Africa] on the part of the mainstream press — the work that we’re grateful to do and the work that I personally am now grateful to be part of. “</p>
<p>And if that doesn’t attract more journalistic attention, she is willing to confess that “I personally am obsessed with diarrhea” — meaning the symptoms of waterborne disease that leads to diarrhea, dehydration and death for millions of children annually across Africa. Aside from her growing experience in the field, she holds a master’s in public health from Columbia University. “I wish that someone wanted to talk about diarrhea and why I think we really have the chance to eradicate diarrhea, even before every country across the African continent or across the world has strong public health systems of sanitation and clean water. … Yes, I wish the mainstream media were interested in things like our growing work in diarrhea or the work that we’re doing in agriculture or the work we’re doing on HIV/AIDS and how important that is.”</p>
<p>No wonder she is puzzled. If media outlets think their readers find Chelsea Clinton so fascinating, why don’t they just report what she is actually doing?</p>
<p>© 2013 CREATORS.COM</p> | What Really Makes Chelsea Clinton Run (but Not for Public Office) | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/what-really-makes-chelsea-clinton-run-but-not-for-public-office/ | 2013-08-15 | 4 |
<p>FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Portions of northern Arizona are under a winter weather advisory for most of Saturday, with snowfall expected from a cold front expected to cross the state.</p>
<p>The National Weather Service says Flagstaff and Williams are each expected to get 3-5 inches of snow but that there could be up to 7 inches in some locations in the region.</p>
<p>Forecasters say there’ll be reduced visibility and windy conditions with wind gusts up to 35 to 45 mph, with wind decreasing in the afternoon.</p>
<p>FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Portions of northern Arizona are under a winter weather advisory for most of Saturday, with snowfall expected from a cold front expected to cross the state.</p>
<p>The National Weather Service says Flagstaff and Williams are each expected to get 3-5 inches of snow but that there could be up to 7 inches in some locations in the region.</p>
<p>Forecasters say there’ll be reduced visibility and windy conditions with wind gusts up to 35 to 45 mph, with wind decreasing in the afternoon.</p> | Snowfall expected in northern Arizona as front crosses state | false | https://apnews.com/8327150fe61d413085dc63dc4f6d07a4 | 2018-01-19 | 2 |
<p>There will be time to talk about costs and coverage, about public and private plans, about reasoning and rationing in health care reform. So the president began this week speaking to the workers in the system: doctors.</p>
<p>At the meeting of the American Medical Association, Barack Obama tackled the model “that has taken the pursuit of medicine from a profession — a calling — to a business.” He reminded doctors: “You didn’t enter this profession to become bean counters and paper pushers. You entered this profession to be healers. And that’s what our health care system should let you be.”</p>
<p>Listening to him, I thought of one small tale from the annals of medicine. A few days earlier, a friend had an appointment to consider a rather serious heart procedure. After 15 minutes, the cardiologist stood up to leave. My friend was startled. “I have more questions,” she said. He answered, “I have another patient,” and walked away.</p>
<p>I am sure that he didn’t become a cardiologist to treat patients like travelers in a revolving door. I am also sure that no rational system would allot minimum time and payment for an office visit to decide on a procedure that will cost, on average, $35,000. But there we are.</p>
<p />
<p>Somewhere along the way, with the help of insurers and incentives, by paying for procedures rather than patient care, we have created a culture of medicine that pushes doctors away from the “calling.”</p>
<p>In his speech, Obama mentioned McAllen, Texas. This little-known city has become the infamous poster town for runaway health care costs since Atul Gawande wrote about it in The New Yorker.</p>
<p>McAllen has the second-highest per capita health care costs in the nation, a fact it doesn’t post on its Web site. Costs are twice as high as those in its demographic twin, El Paso. Not because the people are sicker. Not because they are kept healthier. And not because of malpractice suits. “The primary cause of McAllen’s extreme costs was, very simply, the across-the-board overuse of medicine,” wrote Gawande. It was reminiscent of other high-cost areas where people “got more of the stuff that cost more, but not more of what they needed.”</p>
<p>In McAllen, Gawande unhappily concluded that this overuse came because too many doctors saw their practice “primarily as a revenue stream.” It wasn’t just some aberrant character; it was the system that pays doctors for quantity, not quality — and pays them as individuals rather than as members of a team.</p>
<p>He compares this failure to the success of places such as the Mayo Clinic with lower costs and higher quality.</p>
<p>When my friend, the patient of the 15-minute consult, sent The New Yorker piece to her daughter, one of the most dedicated primary care doctors I know, she got this e-mail in return: “I can only speak for my friends/partners over the years. I think all of us hate money being part of any decision-making process. We love tight, up-to-date, data-driven, life-saving, critical thinking. We love talking to people, touching them (literally and figuratively) and feeling useful/important in our communities. We all hate figuring out what drug is on the formulary, appealing a refused claim … seeing problems get worse because the patient decides they cannot afford a medication.”</p>
<p>She also hates thinking about medical school debts, not to mention an income that has been flat for the last 10 years, while the public thinks doctors are money-grubbing. “It’s hard to keep up an altruistic head of steam,” she continued. “The truth is, I’m not encouraging my kids to go into medicine. … That feels sad and ominous.”</p>
<p>Ominous indeed. Doctors are sick of hoops and hurdles, wary of more regulations saying which procedures are useful and which are “overuse.” But the message from McAllen is that doctors need to reform their culture in tune with their calling.</p>
<p>At the recent Harvard Medical School commencement, Steve Bergman — known to generations of medical students as Samuel Shem, author of “The House of God,” the satirical novel about medical training — told the new doctors:</p>
<p>“Has anyone ever heard, in a crowded theater when someone collapses, the call go out: ‘Is there an insurance executive in the house?’ We do the work. We have the power. Without us, there’s no health care. If we stick together, we can take action and change things.”</p>
<p>That’s something to be written — legibly, please — on the prescription pad for health care reform.</p>
<p>Ellen Goodman’s e-mail address is ellengoodman1(at)me.com.</p>
<p>© 2009, Washington Post Writers Group</p> | Tuning a Culture to a 'Calling' | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/tuning-a-culture-to-a-calling/ | 2009-06-18 | 4 |
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<p>First, the good news: The more than 300 lawsuits stemming from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico will be heard by a New Orleans judge. The oil giant had <a href="" type="internal">initially lobbied</a> for the cases to be heard in Houston, Texas, where it might get more sympathy than it would in the region most affected by the spill. Houston also happens to be the home of BP’s US corporate headquarters.</p>
<p>“Without discounting the spill’s effects on other states, if there is a geographic and psychological center of gravity in this docket, then the Eastern District of Louisiana is closest to it,” the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation wrote in its decision on where to hold the hearing.</p>
<p>That the cases of all those seeking claims against BP will be heard in the region most impacted is a big win for plaintiffs. The 300 cases already is probably just the beginning; we can probably expect many more cases in the coming months.</p>
<p>And now, the slightly less-good news: US District Judge Carl Barbier will handle the cases. Barbier has held bonds in oil companies, including several companies involved in the BP case. Barbier, a Clinton appointee, has been on the federal bench for 12 years. He’s a native of New Orleans, and he attended Southeastern Louisiana University and Loyola University New Orleans School of Law. But according to his <a href="http://www.judicialwatch.org/jfd/Barbier_Carl_J/2008.pdf" type="external">most recent financial disclosure form</a>, until recently Barbier held bonds in Transocean and Halliburton, two companies with connections to the disaster that have been named in some of the suits.</p>
<p>I don’t intend to knock Barbier in particular for these connections. He <a href="http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202464456206" type="external">sold off his holdings</a> in those companies after taking on the case to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest. His selection has been <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129222551" type="external">praised by legal experts</a>, and the panel that selected him has said that it is “quite comfortable with its choice” despite the ties. But perhaps the most telling aspect of the case is how hard it was to find a judge that didn’t have some sort of conflict of interest in the cases. As the <a href="http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202464456206" type="external">The National Law Journal reports</a>:</p>
<p>Only four New Orleans-based federal judges remained available to hear the cases; the others were ineligible because of their investments in the oil and gas industry or personal connections with the attorneys involved.</p>
<p>This is, of course, just the most recent evidence of how hard it is to find a court or a judge not tainted by oil interests. The <a href="" type="internal">judge who threw out the moratorium</a> on offshore drilling has been criticized for not recusing himself from the case, given that he has had financial ties to the oil industry, including one of the companies directly involved in the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The <a href="" type="internal">appeals court</a> that heard the moratorium case had quite a few ties to the oil industry, too. As we’ve pointed out before, it’s <a href="http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/06/06/us_gulf_oil_spill_judge_conflict" type="external">hard to find</a> a judge in the Gulf that doesn’t have some kind of ties to the industry. In the region, 37 of 64 federal judges have some oil sector connection.</p>
<p>This leads to a troubling question: Might Barbier be the best judge that plaintiffs in the Gulf spill cases can hope for?</p>
<p /> | Can Plaintiffs in BP Suits Get a Fair Hearing? | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2010/08/plaintiffs-bp-suit-carl-barbier-transocean/ | 2010-08-16 | 4 |
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<p>Deutsche Bank AG agreed to pay $95 million to resolve a U.S. government lawsuit accusing the German bank of tax fraud for using "insolvent" shell companies to hide significant tax liabilities from the Internal Revenue Service in 2000.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Under the accord described in papers filed on Wednesday with the federal court in Manhattan, Deutsche Bank also admitted to trying to stick the shell companies with the tax bill for its then-new stake in drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.</p>
<p>The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed in December 2014 that had sought to recoup more than $190 million in taxes, penalties and interest.</p>
<p>"The government, through this action and settlement, has made Deutsche Bank admit to its actions designed to avoid taxes," U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan said in a statement.</p>
<p>Deutsche Bank spokeswoman Amanda Williams said in a statement: "We are pleased to resolve this claim and put these events from more than 16 years ago behind us."</p>
<p>The settlement marks the latest step in Deutsche Bank's bid to resolve legal matters that in recent months caused investors to worry about its future, and whether it had enough capital.</p>
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<p>Last month, Deutsche Bank reached a $7.2 billion settlement in principle to resolve a U.S. probe of its sale of toxic mortgage securities.</p>
<p>The tax case arose from Deutsche Bank's early 2000 acquisition of Charter Corp, which had been sitting on a large unrealized gain in Bristol-Myers.</p>
<p>According to settlement papers, the bank in May 2000 sold Charter to the shell companies, which then liquidated Charter and sold the Bristol-Myers shares back to the bank, triggering a more than $52 million tax liability.</p>
<p>But the shell companies lacked the funds to pay the taxes, and Deutsche Bank admitted that it knew or should have known this was the case, the papers said.</p>
<p>"Deutsche Bank engaged in the May 2000 transaction in order to avoid having to pay the built-in tax liability," the papers said.</p>
<p>The case is U.S. v Deutsche Bank AG et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 14-09669.</p> | Deutsche Bank to Pay $95 Million to End U.S. Tax Fraud Case | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/01/04/deutsche-bank-to-pay-95-million-to-end-u-s-tax-fraud-case.html | 2017-01-04 | 0 |
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<p>The Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (NYSEMKT: VYM) has become one of the largest dividend-focused funds in the business, with more than $21 billion in assets under management. Yet although a long bull market has had an unquestionably positive impact on the Vanguard dividend ETF, the solid performance of the fund is only one factor in its success, and it's arguably not even the most important one. Rather, much of Vanguard High Dividend Yield's growth has come from investors who have been almost desperate to get the benefits of dividend stocks. That has been good to the Vanguard dividend ETF, but it does raise some dangers that could lead to a reversal at some point in the future.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Vanguard High Dividend Yield has taken full advantage of positive conditions in the stock market, and its popularity has come even when the fund's total returns have been modest. In the fiscal year that ended on Oct. 31, the Vanguard dividend ETF saw its assets grow by almost 40%. Investors saw the value of their holdings in the fund climb by almost $6 billion during that 12-month period.</p>
<p>Yet the market wasn't responsible for most of those gains. According to the fund's annual report, dividend income accounted for roughly $600 million of the increase in the fund's assets, or about 10% of the total rise. Realized gains added another $350 million, and unrealized appreciation in the value of the dividend stock portfolio added another $533 million. All told, the rise in net assets coming from the fund's operations amounted to just about a quarter of its total increase.</p>
<p>Image source: Vanguard Group.</p>
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<p>Instead, where the Vanguard dividend ETF got most of its gains was from new money coming into the fund. Vanguard's unique fund structure combined traditional mutual-fund shares and ETF shares under a single corporate umbrella, but all told, investor inflows amounted to almost $4.9 billion. After accounting for distributions of investment income, demand for fund shares remained strong.</p>
<p>What has been the secret of Vanguard High Dividend Yield's success, however, could become its eventual downfall. So far, a combination of strong stock-market performance and low interest rates has made dividend stocks the perfect confluence of growth and income investing. Those seeking current income haven't been able to get enough of it from traditional fixed-income investments, and they've turned to dividend stocks to make up the difference. Positive returns have rewarded their risk-taking, and many have taken comfort in the idea that high-dividend stocks also tend to be in defensive industries that have historically fared fairly well during market downturns.</p>
<p>Now, however, some of the tailwinds that have helped dividend stocks are starting to lessen. The rise in short-term interest rates from the Federal Reserve hasn't gone very far yet, but there have been some upticks in prevailing bond-market rates. If yields on bonds continue to rise, then fixed income could once again become a viable income-producing alternative to dividend stocks, and interest in the Vanguard dividend ETF could wane.</p>
<p>At the same time, valuations on defensively oriented dividend stocks have grown very high. That reflects the skepticism that conservative investors have about how much further the bull market can run, but it also could prove to be counterproductive, in that a market downturn could leave those highly valued dividend stocks vulnerable. In other words, having anticipated the protection that dividend stocks have provided in the past, investors might well have priced out any defensive characteristics, leaving them in a riskier position than they realize.</p>
<p>Vanguard High Dividend Yield will still make a good long-term play for investors seeking to combine the growth and income available from dividend stocks. However, if adverse conditions pose a threat in the future, some of the inflows the fund has seen could dry up. Shareholders in the Vanguard dividend ETF should keep an eye on the market, to see if cracks in the bull develop that could lead to a reversal of fortune for the fund.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETFWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
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<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of April 3, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFGalagan/info.aspx" type="external">Dan Caplinger Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | The Secret of Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF's Success | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/04/12/secret-vanguard-high-dividend-yield-etf-success.html | 2017-04-12 | 0 |
<p>It has been apparent to all but the purblind–a defect in understanding assiduously cultivated by America’s mass media–that the war United States is ready to wage against Iraq has almost nothing to do with its security.</p>
<p>In an age when the people believe that their voices must be heard, the United States must sell its wars the way corporations sell their products. In the past, the people were asked to lay down their lives for visions of glory; now, governments appeal to their self-interest. The first Gulf War had to be fought to protect American jobs. If Saddam Hussain stayed in Kuwait, he would raise the price of oil, and Americans would lose their jobs.</p>
<p>The argument this time is different. It had to be weightier than any fear of losing jobs. This new war seeks regime-change; it involves greater risks. American forces must invade Iraq, defeat the Iraqi army, occupy Baghdad, and stay around, even indefinitely. Americans understand that “regime-change” is serious business. They would not back this war unless Iraq threatened American lives. That explains why the war against Iraq had to supersede the war against terrorism, and why Saddam replaced Osama as the new icon of America’s loathing.</p>
<p>This substitution was quite easily executed. Most Americans take the President at his word when he talks about foreign enemies; this trust comes more easily when a Republican occupies the White House. George Bush told Americans that Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction, and he had to be stopped before he could transfer them to Al-Qaida. (Why hadn’t he done this already?) For many Americans, it was an open and shut case. Saddam had to be removed.</p>
<p>The flaws in this argument did not matter. If Saddam hadn’t used WMDs during the first Gulf War–when his army was being pummeled–why would he use them now? The CIA warned that a war, or the threat of it, would increase the risk of Iraq using WMDs. Others, like Scott Ritter, a former chief weapons inspector for the UN, pointed out that Iraq did not have any WMDs that mattered. More than 90 percent had been destroyed by inspectors; if any escaped, they would be past their shelf life. At least initially, few Americans gave any credence to these doubts, though that has been slowly changing.</p>
<p>Why then is United States straining to go to war against Iraq?</p>
<p>The most popular theory on the left is that this war is about oil. According to one version of this theory, the White House, a captive of oil interests, wants to corner Iraq’s oil for American oil corporations. I do not find this credible. The power brokers in United States would not allow a single industry lobby, even a powerful one, to drag the country into a war which could hurt all of them, and perhaps badly, if the war plans went awry and produced a spike in oil prices. At the least, it is doubtful if oil interests, on their own, can account for the unobstructed rush to a mad war.</p>
<p>There is another oil theory. It argues that the American economy needs cheaper oil; this will save tens of billion dollars. Once Saddam has been removed, and Iraq’s oil supply restored to levels that existed before the first Gulf War, the oil prices will come down substantially. It is hard to reconcile this theory with a US-imposed sanctions regime that has drastically curtailed Iraq’s oil output for the past twelve years. If there were concerns that Saddam might use the oil revenues for a military build-up, that could be addressed by an inspections regime and selective economic sanctions.</p>
<p>There is also a third oil theory, one offered recently.[1] It maintains that this war preempts the Euro threat to the hegemony of the dollar. By pegging oil to the dollar, OPEC has been a key player in the arrangements that have maintained the dollar as the currency of international reserve. In October 2000, Saddam Hussein offered the first challenge to this system by switching Iraq’s dollar reserves to Euro. If OPEC follows Iraq’s lead it could spell trouble for the dollar. This can only be stopped by dismantling the OPEC, and this demands war against Iraq.</p>
<p>An OPEC challenge to the dollar sounds na've at best. This is hardly the kind of revolutionary action we can expect from an OPEC packed with client states like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and UAE; the oil price hike of 1974 could only occur in the backdrop of the Cold War. A precipitate dethronement of the dollar could produce consequences for United States and the world economy which would make the East Asian financial crisis of 1997 look like a storm in a teacup. Not even the EU would push for such results. On the other hand, there is a small chance that the war itself might validate this theory–if it convinced OPEC that the war aims to dismantle the oil cartel.</p>
<p>If it isn’t oil, then, is this civilizational war, a war of the Christian West against Islam? This conjecture flies in the face of some obvious facts. First, this is America’s war. It is opposed by two key Western allies, France and Germany; and apart from Britain and Israel, the support of other Western countries lacks depth. More to the point, the overwhelming majority of Westerners outside the United States oppose this war. In United States itself, the anti-war sentiment has grown rapidly, and the most recent polls indicate a majority against the war if it happens without the support of the United Nations.</p>
<p>Is it then America’s war against Islamists? Even that is doubtful. Apart from the right-wing Christian extremists, led by the likes of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, nearly all Christian denominations have come out against the war. Everyone would agree that Al-Qaida constitutes the most serious Islamist threat to United States; they had proved it on September 11, 2001. And yet, we are ready to push this threat aside in order to wage war against one of the most decidedly secular of Arab states, one that spent ten years waging war against ‘fundamentalist’ Iran? Why not Wahhabi Saudi Arabia which supplied 16 of the 19 hijackers of September 11. Why not Shiite Iran? Their turn too will come, one hears neoconservative voices, to be followed by Syria, Egypt and Pakistan.</p>
<p>Why then is United States ready to wage this war against Iraq, ostensibly against its own best interests? Most sensible people agree that this is a war whose consequences cannot be controlled, or even foreseen. It may destabilize friendly regimes, bringing radical Islamists to power in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. It may disrupt oil supplies, causing a price hike at a time when the global economy already weak and vulnerable to shocks. It may force Saddam to use his chemical and biological weapons–if he has them–leading United States to nuke Baghdad or Basra. It may fuel global terrorism for years to come, leading to attacks on American interests globally.</p>
<p>These anomalies quickly melt away if we are willing to entertain a sel-dom-aired hypothesis. This may not be America’s war at all, much less a war of the West against Islam or Islamists. Instead, could this be Israel’s war against the Arabs fought through a proxy, the only proxy that can take on the Arabs? This will most likely provoke derisive skepticism. Could the world’s only superpower be persuaded to fight Israel’s war? Is it even possible? Could the tail wag this great dog?</p>
<p>Consider first Israel’s motives. Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria and Pakistan do not threaten the United States; but they are a threat to Israel’s hegemonic ambitions over the region. This conflict between Israel and her neighbors was written into the Zionist script. A Jewish state could only be inserted into Palestine by resort to a massive ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. After such inauspicious beginnings, Israel could only sustain itself by keeping its neighbors weak, divided, and disoriented. It has since waged wars against Egypt in 1956; against Egypt, Syria and Jordan in 1967; against Iraq in 1981; against Lebanon, since 1982; and against Palestinians continuously since 1948.</p>
<p>Israel’s contradictions have deepened since the mounting of the second Intifada. When the Palestinians rejected the Bantustans offered at Oslo, Israel chose Ariel Sharon, a war criminal, to ratchet its war against Palestinian civilians. Faced with Apaches, F-16s, tanks and artillery, in desperation, the Palestinians turned increasingly to suicide bombings. Sharon’s brutal war was not working, and Israel’s losses began to catch up with Palestinian casualties. In April 2002, Israeli tanks reoccupied the Palestinian towns, destroyed Palestinian civilian infrastructure, increasingly placing Palestinians under curfews, sieges, destroying their workshops, stores, hospitals, orchards and farms. This was the new strategy of slow ethnic cleansing through starvation.</p>
<p>This slow ethnic cleansing is only a stopgap. The most serious threat which Palestinians pose is demographic: their growing population could soon turn the Jews into a minority inside greater Israel. Since the Palestinians won’t live under an Israeli aparthied, the Likud, with growing popular support, is turning to Israel’s second option. If the aparthied plan were to fail, Israel would engage in large-scale ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, more massive than the ones implemented in 1948 and 1967.</p>
<p>But Israel cannot do this alone. This ethnic cleansing can only be implemented in the shadow of a major war against the Arabs, a war to Balkanize the region, a war to bring about regime-change in Iraq, Syria and Iran, a war that only United States can wage. Israel needs United States to wage a proxy war on behalf of Israel.</p>
<p>It should be clear that Israel has the motive; but does it also possess the capability to pull this off? Is it possible for a small power to use a great power–the only superpower, in this case–to wage its own wars. Historically, great powers have often waged wars through lesser proxies; but that does not mean that this relationship can never get inverted.</p>
<p>What makes this eminently possible is the way an indirect democracy–in particular, democracy in United States–works. The demos elect candidates picked by powerful lobbies, ethnic, industry and labor lobbies; once elected, the officials work for the lobbies. By far the most powerful political lobby in this country works for Israel, led by American Israel Public Action Committee (AIPAC). There is scarcely a member of the Congress whose election campaigns have not been funded by AIPAC; several are funded quite heavily.[2] The power of the pro-Israel lobby in United States, however, does not start or end with AIPAC. The result of this massive power is a Congress packed with Israeli yes-men. No member of the Congress has dared to contradict Israeli interests and remained in office. Just last year, two members of Congress, Earl Hilliard and Cynthia McKenny, were defeated by pro-Israeli money because they had stepped out of line.</p>
<p>Consider some of the achievements of the pro-Israeli lobby over the years. First, an estimate of the cost of Israel to US taxpayers. Since 1985, without debate or demurral, the Congress has sheepishly voted an annual foreign aid package of $3 billion to Israel, nearly two thirds of this in outright grants, and constituting one-third of all US foreign assistance. When estimated in 2001 constant dollars, the total foreign aid to Israel since 1967 adds up to $143 billion.[3] That amounts to a transfer of $28,600 for every Jewish citizen of Israel.</p>
<p>The official aid is only a small part of the cost of Israel to the US economy. We need to account for loan guarantees and write-offs, bribes paid to Egypt and Jordan in support of our Israeli policy, subsidies to Israel’s military R&amp;D, boost in oil prices (attributed to US support for Israel in the 1967 war), losses due to trade sanctions imposed on Israel’s enemies, etc. When Thomas Stauffer, a consulting economist in Washington, added up all these costs, he concluded that since 1973 Israel has cost the United States about $1.6 trillion.[4] In per capita terms, this amounts to $320,000 for every Jewish citizen of Israel.</p>
<p>The US record on vetoes cast in UN Security Council constitutes another major achievement of the pro-Israel lobby. The US has cast 73 vetoes out of the 248 cast by all permanent members of the Security Council. On 38 occasions, these vetoes were cast to shield Israel from any criticism directed against its violation of human rights of Palestinians or the territorial rights of its neighbors. On another 25 occasions, US abstained from such a vote.[5] This does not include the votes cast by United States–along with Israel, Tuvalu and Nauru–against UN General Assembly resolutions criticizing Israeli violations of human rights or Security Council resolutions. It would be difficult to maintain that the strategic interests of United States always demanded such a consistent voting record on Palestine.</p>
<p>I am aware that the notion of an Israeli proxy war against Iraq will be greeted with skepticism by not a few. I hope to have established that Israel possess in abundance both the motive and capability for such a war. There is some evidence that it has demonstrated this capability in the past also. In the words of Lloyd George, then Prime Minister of Britain, the Zionist leaders promised that if the Allies supported the creation of “a national home for the Jews in Palestine, they would do their best to rally Jewish sentiment and support throughout the world to the Allied Cause. They kept their word.”[6] It is doubtful if Zionist influence now is weaker than it was in 1917.</p>
<p>This is not to argue that the pro-Israeli lobby is the only reason for the projected US war against Iraq. At present, there are several forces in United States that are pushing for this war. Prominent among these indigenous forces are the oil corporations, the arms manufacturers, the aerospace industry, and the right-wing Christian evangelists. However, it is doubtful if these indigenous groups, on their own, could have pushed United States so decisively towards the present catastrophic confrontation with the Islamic world. Certainly, the intellectual justifications for this hazardous confrontation have come almost entirely from the pro-Israeli lobby. And their intellectual input may have been vital.</p>
<p>Notes:</p>
<p>[1] <a href="" type="internal">http://www.sierratimes.com/03/02/07/arpubwc020703.htm</a> [2] <a href="http://www.wrmea.com/html/aipac.htm" type="external">http://www.wrmea.com/html/aipac.htm</a>. [3] <a href="rooij1116.html" type="external">https://www.counterpunch.org/rooij1116.html</a> [4] <a href="" type="internal">http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1209/p16s01-wmgn.html</a> [5] <a href="http://middleeastinfo.org/print.php?sid=63" type="external">http://middleeastinfo.org/print.php'sid=63</a> [6] Lilienthal, Alfred M., What price Israel(Chicago: Henry Regnery, 1953): 20-21.</p>
<p>M. SHAHID ALAM is Professor of Economics at Northeastern University. His last book, Poverty from the Wealth of Nations, was published by Palgrave in 2000. He may be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Israel’s Proxy War | true | https://counterpunch.org/2003/02/19/israel-s-proxy-war/ | 2003-02-19 | 4 |
<p>(Heat St) – College Progressives at Penn State University were not happy&#160;with the steep entry price to a “Conversation with Chelsea” event featuring former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton, the&#160;least successful member of the Clinton political dynasty.</p>
<p>The event, which took place Wednesday in State College, Pa., charged $500 just to get in the door, and $1,000 for a photo with Chelsea. For $2,700, attendees would be granted access to a special reception with the guest of honor.</p>
<p>College Progressives at Penn State really wanted to be a part of the so-called “conversation,” but quite rightly noted that $500 was a hefty price&#160;that would exclude many college students from attending.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">SPECIAL: The Tea Party is recruiting an Army of Observers to prevent a Rigged Election by Hillary Clinton. Please chip in $35 or more to Stop the Steal…</a></p>
<p>“Although we certainly support Chelsea’s right to campaign on her mother’s behalf, we do not agree with Mrs. Clinton choosing to make this ‘conversation’ available exclusively to individuals who can afford or are willing to pay at least $500,”&#160;saidEthan Paul, vice president of College Progressives of Penn State. “It is particularly deplorable that a $2,700 donation—the legal limit—gets a personal conversation with Mrs. Clinton.”</p>
<p>Others agreed. College Progressive Secretary Kathryn Van Develde said “putting such an expensive price on involvement in elections really hurts&#160;college students who already feel there is no point to politics.”</p>
<p>Chelsea Clinton lives with her husband,&#160;failed hedge fund manager Marc Mezvinsky, in a $10 million luxury condo in Manhattan.</p>
<p>http://heatst.com/politics/penn-state-chelsea-clinton/</p> | Penn State ‘Progressives’ Denounce Steep Ticket Prices for Chelsea Clinton Campaign Event | true | http://teaparty.org/penn-state-progressives-denounce-steep-ticket-prices-chelsea-clinton-campaign-event-186521/?utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dpenn-state-progressives-denounce-steep-ticket-prices-chelsea-clinton-campaign-event | 0 |
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<p>&lt;a href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Religious-Objections-Protest/19529f7e170f40faa94fdb4b921e5051/68/0"&gt;Doug McSchooler&lt;/a&gt;/AP</p>
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<p>Miley Cyrus, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and former NBA star Charles Barkley are just a few of the high-profile figures condemning <a href="" type="internal">a law</a> signed by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Thursday, which critics say will give businesses the option to discriminate against LGBT customers on religious grounds. Here’s a roundup of notable people and groups that have joined the rising backlash, including athletes, celebrities, leaders of Fortune 500 companies, and even city and state governments:</p>
<p>Athletes: A few days before Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, <a href="https://twitter.com/jasoncollins98/status/580145175726403584" type="external">Jason Collins</a>, the first openly gay active player in the NBA, tweeted his opposition, asking whether he would face discrimination when he visits Indiana for the NCAA’s Final Four. Barkley, who has urged the NCAA to pull the tournament out of the state, said in a statement, “Discrimination in any form is unacceptable to me.” The NCAA has indicated the games will go on as planned, but President Mark Emmert said the league was concerned about how the law might impact student-athletes, and that it would “closely examine” how the bill “might affect future events.” In a joint statement on Saturday, the NBA, WNBA, Indiana Pacers, and Indiana Fever <a href="http://www.nba.com/pacers/statement-nba-wnba-indiana-pacers-and-indiana-fever" type="external">said</a> they would “ensure that all fans, players and employees feel welcome.”</p>
<p>Corporate leaders: <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2015/03/25/business-leaders-address-letter-to-pence-urging-him-to-veto-religious-freedom-bill/70466808/" type="external">Salesforce</a> chief executive Marc Benioff tweeted on Thursday that the tech giant was canceling programs that would require customers or employees to travel to Indiana. The San Francisco-based company bought the Indianapolis-based ExactTarget for $2.5 billion last year. <a href="http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2015/03/28/719862/10126773/en/Angie-s-List-Withdraws-Campus-Expansion-Proposal-Due-to-Passage-of-Religious-Freedom-Bill.html" type="external">Angie’s List</a> is putting a campus expansion project in Indianapolis on hold, while <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/yelp-ceo-response-indiana-religious-freedom-law-116454.html" type="external">Yelp’s chief executive</a> Jeremy Stoppelman said it would be “unconscionable” for the company to maintain or expand “a significant business presence in any state that encouraged discrimination.” Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook wrote an <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/pro-discrimination-religious-freedom-laws-are-dangerous-to-america/2015/03/29/bdb4ce9e-d66d-11e4-ba28-f2a685dc7f89_story.html" type="external">op-ed</a> for the Washington Post opposing the legislation, saying that it “rationalize[s] injustice by pretending to defend something many of us hold dear.” The chief executives of Gap and Levi’s have also since spoken out against the law in a <a href="http://blogs.gapinc.com/blog/2015/3/30/calling-on-retailers-to-raise-their-voices-against-discrimin.html" type="external">joint statement</a>.</p>
<p>Celebrities: <a href="https://twitter.com/aplusk/status/581254396719316993" type="external">Ashton Kutcher</a>, Star Trek actor <a href="http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/george-takei-boycott-indiana" type="external">George Takei</a>, Larry King, and columnist Dan Savage have all criticized the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, while Miley Cyrus went as far as <a href="http://instagram.com/p/0tCZH7QzAi/" type="external">calling Pence an “asshole”</a> on Instagram. The band <a href="https://twitter.com/Wilco/status/582641088869109760" type="external">Wilco</a> announced that they were canceling their May 7 show in Indianapolis because of the law, which they described as “thinly disguised legal discrimination.” Parks and Recreation actor <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/03/ron-swanson-joins-chorus-saying-no-to-indiana-actor-nick-offerman-cancels-indianapolis-show/" type="external">Nick Offerman</a> said Tuesday that he was scrapping a scheduled stop in the city as part of his 2015 summer tour.</p>
<p />
<p>State and city governments: On Monday, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/30/connecticut-indiana-boycott-lgbt_n_6969684.html" type="external">Connecticut</a> became the first state to join the boycott, with Gov. Dan Malloy signing an executive order prohibiting the use of state funds for travel to Indiana. <a href="http://www.governor.wa.gov/news-media/statement-gov-jay-inslee-indiana%E2%80%99s-new-%E2%80%9Creligious-freedom%E2%80%9D-law" type="external">Washington state</a> soon followed, with Gov. Jay Inslee banning administrative trips there. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/27/san-francisco-indiana-boycott_n_6957136.html" type="external">San Francisco</a>, <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/seattle-mayor-prohibits-city-employees-traveling-indiana/story?id=29979438" type="external">Seattle</a>, and <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2015/03/portland_latest_to_join_boycot.html" type="external">Portland</a> have made similar pledges, while <a href="http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/30/ballard-council-address-rfra-today/70674176/" type="external">Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard</a> has called on Indiana’s general assembly to repeal the law or add protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.</p>
<p>Conventions: Gen Con, a gaming convention that brings an estimated $50 million to Indianapolis annually, has threatened to pull out of the state. “Legislation that could allow for refusal of service or discrimination against our attendees will have a direct negative impact on the state’s economy, and will factor into our decision-making on hosting the convention in the state of Indiana in future years,” chief executive Adrian Swartout wrote in <a href="http://files.gencon.com/Gen_Con_Statement_Regarding_SB101.pdf" type="external">a letter to Pence</a> before the law was passed. On Monday, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees announced that it was pulling its women’s conference out of Indiana due to the “un-American law” that “sets Indiana and our nation back decades in the struggle for civil rights.” T <a href="http://www.religionnews.com/2015/03/26/disciples-look-pull-convention-indiana-religious-freedom-bill/" type="external">he Disciples of Christ</a>, which has been based in Indianapolis for nearly 100 years, is also weighing the option of moving its biennial convention elsewhere.</p>
<p /> | Here Are All the Athletes, Celebrities, and CEOs Joining the Indiana Backlash | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2015/03/indiana-backlash-pence-religious-freedom-lgbt/ | 2015-03-31 | 4 |
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<p>State flags in New Mexico will be flown at half-staff Tuesday in memory of a Bernalillo County sheriff’s deputy who died last week in a traffic crash.</p>
<p>Authorities say 48-year-old Dean Francis Miera Sr. was killed Friday when his unmarked car was hit head-on by a big-rig truck in Albuquerque. They say Miera was on his way to serve an eviction notice when the accident occurred.</p>
<p>Miera was an Albuquerque native and a nine-year veteran of the sheriff’s department.</p>
<p>New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson signed an executive order Monday to honor Miera by having flags flown at half-staff.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | Governor Honors Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Deputy Killed in Crash | false | https://abqjournal.com/10058/governor-honors-bernalillo-county-sheriffs-deputy-killed-in-crash.html | 2 |
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<p>Texas state Rep. Poncho Nevarez (D) told TPM on Thursday that a video in which an open carry gun activist ranted about "treason" being <a href="" type="internal">"punishable by death"</a> was clearly a threat to lawmakers who disagree with loosening gun laws.</p>
<p>But, the Democrat noted, it wouldn't dictate how he planned to vote on the state's open carry bill.</p>
<p>Nevarez was responding to a video posted to Facebook earlier this week by open carry leader Kory Watkins. In the video, Watkins said that he planned to "step it up a notch" in dealing with lawmakers and made the comments about treason. Watkins later took the video off his page and said it was <a href="" type="internal">never meant to be a threat</a> or advocate violence against legislators.</p>
<p>But Nevarez told TPM he saw it much differently.</p>
<p>"I think anybody who sees that video can interpret what it means regardless of what the gentleman said after the fact," Nevarez said. "It's a threat."</p>
<p />
<p>In fact, Nevarez said he reported the video to the Texas Department of Public Safety and said the department was monitoring the situation. The department did not immediately respond to TPM's request for comment on Thursday.</p>
<p>Nevarez also told TPM that a panic button was recently installed in his office at the state Capitol following a <a href="" type="internal">Jan. 13</a> confrontation there in which Watkins and other open carry activists refused to leave. The activists posted video of the confrontation online afterward.</p>
<p>Although he's often out of the office, Nevarez noted the precaution was meant to help protect his interns and staff. The option to install panic buttons was approved by the state House following the confrontation.</p>
<p>Despite all the trouble, Nevarez maintained that the latest video wouldn't affect his decision.</p>
<p>"I'm not gonna let somebody dictate to me how I'm gonna vote on something by threatening my life," he said. "That's not the way the process should work. - It's a mockery of the process that somebody can do this and then the outcome's the way they wanted. They can always look to the fact that they applied this kind of pressure and say that's the result that I got."</p>
<p>Nevarez also said that regardless of the issue, he would vote against physical threats on principle.</p>
<p>"That's not the way anybody should dialogue about a bill, about anything," Nevarez said.</p>
<p>He also said that he likely would have supported some from of open carry had he not been threatened on the issue.</p>
<p>"The truth is I probably would've voted for some form of open carry, not the one they were advocating, because the one that they're advocating was ridiculous, but there's another form of open carry that seems sort of plausible to somebody like me who's a gun owner," Nevarez said. "I mean I have a shooting range on my property. But now, what does that say about me if I vote yes? - That's not gonna happen."</p> | Texas Dem Lawmaker: Of Course Gun Activist's Video Was A Threat | true | http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/poncho-nevarez-gun-activist-video-threat | 4 |
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<p>Equipment rental company <a href="" type="internal">United Rentals</a> (NYSE:URI) revealed plans on Friday to scoop up rival RSC Holdings (NYSE:RRR) in a $1.87 billion cash-and-stock deal that is aimed at combining forces and creating synergies.</p>
<p>United Rentals agreed to pay $18 a share for RSC Holdings, marking a 58% premium over the company’s closing price of $11.37 on Thursday.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>When $2.3 billion of RSC debt is included, the total enterprise value of the transaction rises to $4.2 billion.</p>
<p>“This transaction marks a transformative moment in our company’s history. Combining the experience and resources of two top performing equipment rental companies creates an exceptional company,” United Rentals CEO Michael Kneeland said in a statement. “With the best talent in the industry, we have a tremendous opportunity to become the supplier of choice for customers throughout North America.”</p>
<p>Based in Scottsdale, Ariz., RSC owns RSC Equipment Rental, which has 452 branch locations across 42 states and three provinces in Western Canada. It generates the bulk of its revenue from equipment rentals, but also sells used equipment and merchandise.</p>
<p>Oak Hill Capital Partners, which owns 33.5% of RSC’s shares, has already agreed to vote in favor of the transaction.</p>
<p>The transaction is expected to close during the first half of next year and add to United Rentals’ bottom line in the first full year. The two companies said they are already working on an integration plan and are eyeing $200 million in potential annual cost savings, plus additional revenue and cash flow increases.</p>
<p>The companies said that Kneeland and URI Chairman Jenne Britell will remain in their positions leading the combined company, but three independent directors from RSC will receive board seats.</p>
<p>"I am confident that by partnering with United Rentals we can accomplish far more than either company could have achieved on its own, including significant synergies,” said RSC CEO Erik Olsson. “Our similar customer-centric cultures and commitment to operational excellence will provide even greater value to our customers and facilitate a smooth integration.”</p>
<p>The cash portion of the transaction will be financed through new debt and drawing down current loan facilities. United Rentals said it received financing commitments from <a href="" type="internal">Morgan Stanley</a> (NYSE:MS), Bank of America <a href="" type="internal">Merrill Lynch</a> (NYSE:BAC) and <a href="" type="internal">Wells Fargo</a> (NYSE:WFC).</p>
<p>United Rentals also said it plans to authorize a $200 million stock buyback program after the deal closes.</p>
<p>Shares of RSC rallied 57.78% to $17.91 ahead of the open, while United Rentals gained 4.88% to $27.31.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | United Rentals, RSC Holdings Join Forces in $1.87B Deal | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/12/16/united-rentals-rsc-holdings-join-forces-in-187b-deal.html | 2016-01-29 | 0 |
<p>Compassionate Americans concerned about the plight of wrongfully convicted citizens – folks who want our criminal justice system to operate fairly and accurately – should be outraged by the Department of Justice’s pigheaded rejection of fundamental, far-reaching forensic science evidence reform.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/pcast/about" type="external">President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology</a> (PCAST), is comprised of the nation’s best and brightest scientists. PCAST “makes policy recommendations in the many areas where understanding of science, technology, and innovation is key to strengthening our economy and forming policy that works for the American people.” Just last week, this august body issued a comprehensive 174-page report called, “ <a href="" type="internal">Forensic Science in Criminal Courts: Ensuring Scientific Validity of Feature-Comparison Methods</a>.”</p>
<p>Alex Kozinski, a conservative judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (appointed by President Reagan in 1985), wrote in a sober, strongly-worded op-ed for The Wall Street Journal (“ <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/rejecting-voodoo-science-in-the-courtroom-1474328199" type="external">Rejecting Voodoo Science in the Courtroom</a>”) that the PCAST report “examines the scientific validity of forensic-evidence techniques – DNA, fingerprint, bitemark, firearm, footwear and hair analysis. It concludes that virtually all of these methods are flawed, some irredeemably so.” Kozinski counsels: “The PCAST report recommends developing standards for validating forensic methods, training forensic examiners and making forensic labs independent of police and prosecutors. All should be swiftly implemented.”</p>
<p>Brushing Kozinski and PCAST off as if they were aggressively pushing fattening Girl Scout cookies – instead of recommendations designed to make sure only the guilty are convicted of crimes – Attorney General Loretta Lynch demurred. Lynch said, while “we appreciate their contribution to the field of scientific inquiry, the department will not be adopting the recommendations related to the admissibility of forensic science evidence.”</p>
<p>Sadly, Lynch’s nonsensical knee-jerk rejection of PCAST’s recommended forensic science reforms (a position also <a href="http://theinfluence.org/prosecutors-freak-out-because-scientists-advise-them-to-use-valid-science-in-court-room/" type="external">ludicrously adopted</a> by the National District Attorneys Association) is nothing new under the sun. It’s déjà vu. The failure to implement critical forensic science evidence reforms (recommended by the country’s top experts) dates back at least to 2009, when the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) issued its groundbreaking report called, “Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward.”</p>
<p>The NAS report’s conclusions, as described in an <a href="" type="internal">article</a> by longtime federal district judge turned Harvard law professor, Nancy Gertner, presaged PCAST’s: “It questioned whether the underlying research justified the claims forensic scientists were regularly making in courts throughout this country, claims that they had been making for decades.”</p>
<p>Back in January, in a blog for The Huffington Post called, “ <a href="" type="internal">D.C. Judge Rejects Junk Science But The Law Is Slow To Follow</a>,” I wrote: “Not nearly enough steps have been taken (in the District of Columbia, or I respectfully submit, across the country) to address the reliability problems that continue to plague forensic science in the courtroom – problems identified way back in 2009 by the highly respected NAS report.”</p>
<p>To improve the use of forensic evidence in the courtroom, I observed that “[l]awmakers, prosecutors, defense attorneys and forensic scientists, collaboratively working together to implement the reform the NAS report recommended, have to be the beacon of change.”</p>
<p>Fast-forward eight months. Instead of “beacons of change,” prosecutors remain obstinately mired in the unscientific and error-prone past. Their stubborn unwillingness to improve our justice system by repetitively refusing to adopt recommended scientific reforms will result in additional murky criminal convictions marred by faulty forensic evidence.</p>
<p>Innocent people will continue to suffer the consequences.</p> | Faulty Evidence: How Obama’s Department of Justice is Obstructing Reform on Forensic Science | true | https://counterpunch.org/2016/09/30/faulty-evidence-how-obamas-department-of-justice-is-obstructing-reform-on-forensic-science/ | 2016-09-30 | 4 |
<p>My father and I, at his house in the Catskills, playing the Goldman Sachs-Mini 14 game: We tramp out into the hardwoods, among the butterflies and the mosquitoes, with the rifle, a Ruger Mini-14 .223 banana-clipped at 30 rounds.&#160; Fast action semi-automatic, modeled after the M-14 military issue, but short-barreled, carbine-style – a rifle meant to be hidden under raincoats for shooting up the town. &#160; Which, being good liberals, we would never do.</p>
<p>Instead, he shouts “GOLDMAN SACHS! ON THE LEFT!” and I leap to it, emptying the magazine, firing from the hip, the muzzle jumping, flaring yellow, the barrel heating, the casings ejected in zinging arcs, the rounds, traveling 3,100 feet per second, splashing dirt and chipping at the wood pile and terrifying the squirrels.&#160; “LEHMAN BROS!” shouts my father, which for a moment throws me – the Bros. being defunct – but then instinct kicks in and I let go with another volley.&#160; And so on. &#160; Good fun, very satisfying. &#160; The goal, obviously, is to fire as many rounds as fast as possible – preferably with stopwatch marking time – into the imagined banksters running about in the woods, their mouths gagged with a wad of twenties.</p>
<p>Liberal progressives are supposed to hate guns, the “gun culture” meant as code for the secure ghetto of the bubbas and the rednecks and the “conservatives” and Second Amendment nutjobs.&#160; I beg to differ.&#160; I know left-wingers, anarchists, socialists, antiwar activists, Democrats, Naderites, anti-corporatists, and antiglobalists who are armed to the teeth, who love their guns, play with their guns, clean them, talk to them, know how to use them, train with them, go hunting with them, kill meat with them, and get together sometimes for shooting parties to knock holes in color photos of corporate criminals. &#160; These are people who read the Nation, Harper’s, the New Yorker, listen to Amy Goodman as gospel, have books like “The Shock Doctrine” and “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” at their bedside, and even visit lefty propagandists like CounterPunch.&#160; Smart, well-read, many of them college-educated, ranging in class from broke and living in a desert tent or trailer park (often by choice) to semi-comfortable and settled in the lower or middling middle classes.&#160; Some are off-the-gridders, growing their own food, electrifying their homes with sunlight and wind; some are journalists, artists, businessmen; one of them, an Internet radio entrepreneur, ran for governor of Vermont last year on a ticket whose main platform was “the destruction of the American Empire.”</p>
<p>Consider my father, owner of that bankster-slaughtering Mini-14.&#160; Here’s a guy who voted for Obama (regretting it every day), who in a recent letter to the president wrote:</p>
<p>“This nation must not reduce its assistance to our tens of millions of poor citizens; it must not cut Medicaid or Social Security or Medicare.&#160; To cover these costs we must increase taxes on all Americans – especially the rich, the Two Percenters who have doubled their wealth over the last generation by draining the wealth of the great mass of low, moderate and middle income folks.&#160; The behavior of the government toward the rich – allowing the Two Percenters to fleece everyone else – is not only morally obscene; it is bad for business.”</p>
<p>A proud liberal, a believer in the possibilities of good government, my father also owns shotguns, hunting rifles, .22 plinkers.</p>
<p>Or consider my friend Travis Kelly, a writer and political cartoonist in Grand Junction, Colo. – self-described “member of America’s most closeted and underestimated minority, liberals who own guns” – who wrote a piece for Hustler magazine recently along the same lines as this article.&#160; Among the reasons for his being pro-gun (he owns a lot of them): A friend of his, along a lonely stretch of Texas highway a few years ago, was kidnapped and nearly raped.&#160; Luckily she had a pistol in her pocket, a little .38 revolver, and with it plugged her attacker in the stomach as he was unbuckling his pants.</p>
<p>“And the lesson is: the police cannot be everywhere all the time, they are not omnipotent, and we don’t want them to be,” writes Kelly. “There are times when the individual must be responsible for his or her own self-defense.&#160; Guns are the great equalizers, against larger predators.”</p>
<p>This is a guy who also pens cartoons for Hustler showing a teeth-clenched Uncle Sam getting fucked in the ass by the grinning pantless CEO of Goldman Sachs.</p>
<p>Within the “gun culture” vilified by progressive liberals, in other words, there is a progressive liberal subculture that is heavily armed.&#160; Apparently, this is not to be spoken of, probably because it’s not supposed to exist; it’s supposed to be closeted.&#160; Talk to the typical Manhattan progressive – I know a lot of them, living in New York – and mention you own guns, and weirdness ensues.&#160; You might as well be explaining the pleasures of pederasty.&#160; I deal with a lot of editors of progressive publications who have never held a gun, much less shot one, and would think it unseemly, uncouth, by god uncultured, to do either. &#160; Some of these folks think no American should own guns, that the guns should be outlawed altogether, to which I respond with Utah anarchist Ed Abbey’s remarks on this matter.</p>
<p>“The tank, the B-52, the fighter-bomber, the state-controlled police and the military are the weapons of dictatorship,” said Abbey.&#160; “The rifle is the weapon of democracy. Not for nothing was the revolver called an ‘equalizer.’ Egalite implies liberte. And always will. Let us hope our weapons are never needed – but do not forget what the common people knew when they demanded the Bill of Rights: An armed citizenry is the first defense, the best defense, and the final defense against tyranny….If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military, the hired servants of our rulers. Only the government — and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws.”</p>
<p>In Abbey’s country recently, in the canyonlands of southern Utah, I shoulder a backpack for a few nights of solo-camping in the La Sal Mountains, strapped with a brand new and lovely .40 calibre FN Herstal semi-auto pistol, 14 shot. &#160; Black bear country – they’re getting uppity these days – and you at least want to pretend to be safe.&#160; At 12,000 feet, in the hot shining height, I shed clothing, except for boots and the pistol and make the final 200 feet of ascent up the scree slope working on my tan.&#160; I fire off six rounds into the air, Palestinian-wedding-style, upon reaching Pilot Mountain. &#160; Why not? &#160; It’s wilderness, a free country, not another human being for 20 miles in any direction.&#160; Naked on a peak with a .40 cal., happy as only the free can be.</p>
<p>This too is the redneck’s dream – though if there was a road up Pilot Mountain, pity the fool, he would have 4×4’d it.</p>
<p>Let’s not forget that the liberal and conservative gun nuts might someday meet on that mountaintop, on the occasion when the rifle again is needed to defend the democracy.</p>
<p>Christopher Ketcham, a freelance writer who splits his time between Brooklyn, NY and Moab, Utah, is writing a book about secession movements. Contact him at&#160; <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>&#160;&#160;</p> | The Liberal Gun Nut | true | https://counterpunch.org/2011/09/16/the-liberal-gun-nut/ | 2011-09-16 | 4 |
<p>Published time: 2 Oct, 2017 15:57</p>
<p>MMA fighter Umar Vakhaev was hospitalized after being attacked by a group of people in St. Petersburg on the weekend.</p>
<p>Vakhaev, a native of Grozny, Chechnya, and who has a <a href="http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Umar-Vakhaev-142143" type="external">pro record</a> of five MMA fights, was taken to hospital along with one of his attackers, following an altercation at a nearby restaurant in Russia’s northern capital on Saturday night, local media <a href="http://www.fontanka.ru/2017/10/01/022/" type="external">report</a>.</p>
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<p>A video of the conflict which emerged online shows a group of men in shirts approaching the 25-year-old athlete while he steps back from them.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/398858-yuri-vlasko-murder-video/" type="external">READ MORE:&#160;Shocking video of Russian wrestler Vlasko’s murder appears online</a></p>
<p>As one of the group comes right up to Vakhaev and reaches to his shoulder with his right arm, the fighter lands a punch on his chin, sending him to the ground. As the floored attacker gets up and one more person from the group runs at Vakhaev, the video footage breaks up.</p>
<p>Another video captured by a city tram’s dash camera shows the group of men kicking a person lying on the ground, presumably Vakhaev.</p>
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<p>The attack was also confirmed by eyewitnesses to Russian media, who described a group of men beating a bloodied person on the ground. Witnesses also described hearing two gunshots.</p>
<p>St. Petersburg police confirmed to TASS on Sunday that a 31-year-old man received a wound from a pneumatic gun, while Vakhaev suffered “bodily injuries.” However, police stressed that the injuries are not life-threatening.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/sport/398858-yuri-vlasko-murder-video/" type="external">READ MORE:&#160;Russian powerlifting champ killed in brutal street brawl (DISTURBING VIDEO)</a></p>
<p>Throughout his MMA career, Vakhaev has recorded four victories and one decision loss. He has also <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUFUTmiQ-1s" type="external">participated</a> in one of the first tournaments of Russian MMA promotion, Absolute Championship Berkut, based in Grozny, while also representing their team – Berkut Fight Club back in 2015.</p> | MMA fighter hospitalized after group attack in St. Petersburg (VIDEO) | false | https://newsline.com/mma-fighter-hospitalized-after-group-attack-in-st-petersburg-video/ | 2017-10-02 | 1 |
<p><a href="http://variety.com/t/amazon-prime-video/" type="external">Amazon Prime Video</a> will get a raft of AMC series on an exclusive basis across 28 territories after inking an output deal with <a href="http://variety.com/t/amc-studios/" type="external">AMC Studios</a>, the programming arm of the U.S. cable network.</p>
<p>The agreement hands Amazon the AMC shows in an exclusive first window, meaning they will be on the Prime Video service ahead of any other streaming platform, pay-TV service, or free TV.</p>
<p>Australia, Germany, Italy, India, and Japan are among the territories covered. “ <a href="http://variety.com/t/the-terror/" type="external">The Terror</a>,” a series produced by <a href="http://variety.com/t/ridley-scott/" type="external">Ridley Scott</a> about an Arctic expedition gone wrong, is the first title covered by the deal.</p>
<p>AMC Studios has produced series such as “Halt and Catch Fire” and “Into the Badlands.” It is a production partner on the upcoming John Le Carre adaptation “The Little Drummer Girl,” and recently struck a <a href="http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/chris-hardwick-1202009872/" type="external">deal with Chris Hardwick</a>&#160;for a first look at the “Talking Dead” host’s projects from his Fish Ladder production company, formed earlier this year.</p>
<p>“This is another step in our efforts to extend the selection of premium TV shows available to Prime Video members worldwide,” said Brad Beale, vice president of content acquisition for Amazon&#160;Prime Video.</p>
<p>AMC Studios and Amazon have worked together before but never had an output deal. Rick Olshansky, president of business operations,&#160;AMC&#160;Studios, said: “This agreement underscores the high global demand for&#160;AMC’s must-have content and franchises and enables us to bring our popular shows to a wide global audience.”</p> | Amazon Strikes AMC Studios Output Deal | false | https://newsline.com/amazon-strikes-amc-studios-output-deal/ | 2017-11-20 | 1 |
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<p>The planners are quite capable of doing the work, but they just don’t seem to care. On the day of an event, they will often show up late, bring the wrong equipment or arrange the room incorrectly. Although I apologize profusely to the customers, many of them never return.</p>
<p>As the public representative of this facility, I’m afraid these mishaps are damaging my professional reputation. Whenever I ask my boss to make these guys do their jobs correctly, she accuses me of questioning her ability to run the department. What should I do about this?</p>
<p>A: Losing business through the ineptitude of others is maddening, so I understand your frustration. At this point, however, additional complaining isn’t likely to help, so you must look for other ways to influence the situation.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Start by assessing your own relationship with the planners. If they see you as an adversary, their indifference could be a passive-aggressive response to criticism. In that case, a different approach might help to get everyone on the same team.</p>
<p>For example: “Unfortunately, we have recently experienced a decline in repeat business. This could jeopardize our job security, so I hope we can put aside past differences and develop a plan to turn things around. Since we each play an important part in creating successful events, we will be much more effective if we work as a team.”</p>
<p>If the planners seem receptive, you can begin discussing the reasons why customers don’t come back. Just be sure to stay focused on solutions, avoid belaboring past mistakes and remain open to feedback about your own actions.</p>
<p>On the other hand, if collaboration seems unlikely, try going back to your boss. Instead of criticizing your colleagues, provide a written summary of the issues encountered by dissatisfied customers. Suggest using a staff meeting to discuss this list and create an improvement plan.</p>
<p>But if all else fails and the screw-ups continue, encourage disgruntled customers to contact your boss directly. Explain that you feel sure she would like a chance to address their concerns, then give them her email address. Perhaps their comments will motivate your manager to act like one and fix this problem.</p>
<p>Q: If someone asks you to assist with a task that is outside the parameters of your job description, what should you do?</p>
<p>A: That totally depends on who asks, why they are asking and what your manager expects. Some people spend so much time helping others that they get in trouble for neglecting their own duties. Others refuse to pitch in and assist co-workers who legitimately need their assistance. But one thing is certain: if the request comes from anyone in your management chain, the only acceptable response is “Happy to help!”</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>ABOUT THE WRITER</p>
<p>Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach and the author of “Secrets to Winning at Office Politics.” Send in questions and get free coaching tips at <a href="http://www.yourofficecoach.com," type="external">http://www.yourofficecoach.com,</a> or follow her on Twitter @officecoach.</p>
<p>——</p>
<p>©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC</p>
<p>Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC</p> | Your Office Coach: More collaborating, less criticizing could fix relationships with co-workers | false | https://abqjournal.com/549114/your-office-coach-more-collaborating-less-criticizing-could-fix-relationships-with-co-workers.html | 2 |
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<p>On Tuesday The Daily Show welcomed Malala Yousafzai, the 16-year-old Pakistani crusader for women's rights who was shot in the head by the Taliban on her way home from school last year. Host Jon Stewart told her he was "humbled" to have her on the show.</p>
<p>Yousafzai was targeted by the Taliban because of her push for better education for girls in Pakistan. Her story, which she shares in her new memoir, I Am Malala, sparked outrage both in Pakistan and around the world and a much-needed conversation about the role of education for girls today. (Fun fact: Yousafzai tells Stewart that she first learned that she was on the Taliban's hit list in her remote Swat Valley home when a friend told her to Google herself).</p>
<p>The Taliban, Yousafzai told Stewart, oppose education for girls because girls grow up to be women—and educating girls means more powerful women.&#160; The Taliban, she said, have "blasted" more than 400 schools in the Swat Valley since 2007.&#160; She describes waiting for the government to intervene and help until one day she thought, "Why don't I raise my voice? Why don't we speak up for our rights? … I raised my voice on every platform that I could."</p>
<p>Perhaps more remarkable than her tenacity in refusing—still—to back down, is her straightforward pacifism.&#160; She told Stewart that when she thought about what she would do if the Taliban came for her, first it was: "Malala, just take a shoe and hit him."&#160; But then she said something that left Stewart speechless:</p>
<p>"If you hit a Talib with your shoe, there is no difference between you and the Talib. You must not treat others that much with cruelty and that much harshly." (And this, remember, coming from a teenager who was shot in the face). "You must fight … but through peace, and through dialogue, and through education. Then, I said, I’ll tell him how important education is, and that I even want education for your children as well. And I would tell him, ‘That’s what I want to tell you, now do what you want.'"</p>
<p>To which Stewart responded, " I know your father is backstage and he's really proud of you. But would he be mad if I adopted you?"</p>
<p>Yousafzai is one of 259 nominees for this year's Nobel Peace Prize. If she wins, she will be the youngest winner ever. Earlier this week, she told a Pakistani radio station, "I think that I still need to work a lot. In my opinion I have not done that much to win the Nobel Peace Prize."</p>
<p>The prize will be announced Friday.</p> | Why Jon Stewart Wants to Adopt Malala Yousafzai | true | http://yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/why-jon-stewart-wants-to-adopt-malala-yousafzai | 4 |
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<p>First, let me provide some necessary background, and then discuss Nixon's assuming the Presidency, and how his choice of Henry Kissinger as chief foreign policy adviser may affect the Paris negotiations.</p>
<p>At the end of October 1968, after 28 sessions, it seemed no progress had been made at the Paris peace talks. Suddenly, on October 31, President Johnson announced that all bombing attacks on North Vietnam would cease as of November 1 and that, on the basis of an "understanding" between Washington and Hanoi, the Saigon government and the National Liberation Front would join the talks. The first meeting of the expanded conference was to be held on November 6. An NLF delegation, apparently forewarned, arrived in Paris on November 4. But by November 6, no authorized delegates from Saigon had shown up, and the scheduled meeting had to be called off. A Saigon delegation did appear in Paris soon afterwards, but only to state the refusal of the Thieu-Ky government to participate under the conditions agreed upon by Washington and Hanoi. It took ten weeks to overcome Saigon's refusal, and the first session of the enlarged talks was rescheduled for January 25, 1969.</p>
<p /> | Toward Peace At Paris? | true | https://dissentmagazine.org/article/toward-peace-at-paris | 2018-03-01 | 4 |
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<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The Vanguard Target Retirement 2020 Fund is a target-date, or life-cycle, retirement mutual fund designed for investors planning to retire between 2018 and 2022. A popular 401(k) and IRA fund for investors getting close to retirement, the fund has a healthy stock/bond mix and will continue to shift its strategy over time.</p>
<p>A target-date fund, also known as a life-cycle or age-based fund, is intended to provide investors with one simple choice for retirement investing.</p>
<p>Stock-based funds have high long-term return potential but also relatively high volatility. On the other hand, bond funds are more stable, especially in terms of income, but don't have the long-term potential of stocks. Therefore, it's generally suggested that younger investors put most of their money into stocks and gradually shift their investments into bonds as they get closer to retirement.</p>
<p>Target-date funds automate this process for investors. Over time, they gradually shift their holdings from growth-oriented stock funds to a more income-oriented retirement portfolio of bonds.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Based on an average retirement age of 65, the Vanguard Target Retirement 2020 Fund is intended for people who are between 59 and 63 in 2016, although this can vary for those who plan to retire earlier or later than average. The minimum initial investment is $1,000, and subsequent investments in the fund can be as little as $1.00.</p>
<p>Like all of Vanguard's target-date funds, the investment structure is simple. Instead of buying a portfolio of stocks and bonds, this fund simply allocates its assets to five of Vanguard's index funds. Because of this passive approach, the only fees for investing in the fund are the 0.14% in expense ratio passed along from the underlying funds.</p>
<p>As of May 31, 2016, here are the investment funds and their allocations:</p>
<p>In total, the fund has just over 58% of its assets in stock funds and the other 42% in bonds. In a nutshell, the fund's investors are getting close to retirement, so capital preservation and income are becoming more of a priority, but the slight majority of the focus is still to take advantage of the compounding power of stocks. This makes sense -- these investors won't rely on their investments for income for another few years, so it's not the portfolio's main focus just yet.</p>
<p>According to Vanguard, the fund will continue to shift its asset allocation for seven years after the target date, at which point it will be identical to the Vanguard Retirement Income Fund. That fund is a 30%/70% mix of stocks and bonds and Vanguard considers it to be an appropriate mix for a retiree.</p>
<p>This mix will be achieved around 2027, so over the next 11 years, the stock allocation will decline by 28 percentage points. Looking at Vanguard's 2015 target-date fund now (in 2016), there's roughly a 50/50 mix of stocks and bonds, so that's what investors can expect around the time the 2020 fund reaches its target date.</p>
<p>Like all target-date funds, the Vanguard Target Retirement 2020 fund is intended to be an entire diversified investment portfolio all in one fund. It can work well all by itself, or it can be used to supplement other high-quality mutual funds and stocks you may own.</p>
<p>And it's important to mention that there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all investment fund. This one is designed for the average investor who plans to retire in 2020. If you prefer to be a little more conservative than average, you can choose a different fund that is already more bond-oriented, such as Vanguard's 2015 target-date fund. Or, if you have a higher risk tolerance, you may want to consider a fund whose target date is 2025, or even 2030, to maintain stock exposure for longer.</p>
<p>The point is that while Vanguard's target-date funds can be great choices, you still need to make sure the fund you choose fits into your own investment strategy and risk tolerance.</p>
<p>The article <a href="http://www.fool.com/retirement/2016/07/01/vanguard-target-retirement-2020-fund-planning-to-r.aspx" type="external">Vanguard Target Retirement 2020 Fund: Are You Planning to Retire in the Next 5 Years?</a> originally appeared on Fool.com.</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/KWMatt82/info.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">Matthew Frankel</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</a>. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that <a href="http://wiki.fool.com/Motley?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">considering a diverse range of insights</a> makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?source=eptfxblnk0000004" type="external">disclosure policy</a>.</p>
<p>Copyright 1995 - 2016 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/help/index.htm?display=about02" type="external">disclosure policy</a>.</p> | Vanguard Target Retirement 2020 Fund: Are You Planning to Retire in the Next 5 Years? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/07/01/vanguard-target-retirement-2020-fund-are-planning-to-retire-in-next-5-years.html | 2016-07-01 | 0 |
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<p>Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is set to report its fourth-quarter earnings results before the market opens on Tuesday, Feb. 21. Judging by the stock's run toward record highs after trailing the market in 2016, investors are growing more optimistic about its home improvement business.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Below, I'll highlight the important trends that might add to that positive momentum -- or stop the retailer's rally in its tracks.</p>
<p>Comparable-store sales growth is a big deal for any retailer, but it's even more critical to Home Depot since its store footprint isn't expanding. In fact, the company hasn't added a new warehouse in the U.S. in years, while rival Lowe's (NYSE: LOW) opened 40 locations in 2016 alone.</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
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<p>It's a good thing Home Depot has its smaller peer beat in growth at existing locations, then. Comps accelerated to a 6% pace last quarter to double Lowe's result.</p>
<p>Home Depot is targeting a 5% overall comps number for the full 2016 year, compared to Lowe's 4%. In addition to seeing that goal hit, investors will want to be sure that the gains come from a <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/11/22/9-key-numbers-from-home-depot-incs-third-quarter.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">healthy mix of customer traffic growth and higher average spending per trip Opens a New Window.</a>. Lately the retailer has had to lean more heavily on rising spending as traffic gains slowed to a 2% pace from 4% last year.</p>
<p>Home Depot is spending aggressively on initiatives like building out its e-commerce infrastructure and integrating newly acquired businesses like the Interline Brands segment. Those investments really haven't hurt the bottom line -- yet. Thanks to surging profitability, net income is up double-digits over the last nine months to $6.2 billion. Its 14% operating margin <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/11/17/2-ways-home-depot-inc-just-trounced-rival-lowes.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">already trounces Lowe's 8% Opens a New Window.</a>, but CEO Craig Menear and his executive team aim to slowly boost that figure toward 15% by fiscal 2018.</p>
<p><a href="http://ycharts.com/companies/LOW/operating_margin_ttm" type="external">LOW Operating Margin (TTM)</a> data by <a href="http://ycharts.com" type="external">YCharts Opens a New Window.</a>.</p>
<p>Investors should brace for volatility on this metric since management has a packed pipeline of projects aimed at keeping long-term sales growth chugging higher. One recent example is the option it just rolled out for customers to order products online and have them delivered directly from their local store.</p>
<p>Home Depot is also pouring resources into optimizing its supply chain so that it always has the products in hand at just the right time. Other national retailers, including Wal-Mart and Target, have had to dial back earnings expectations due to similar spending. Home Depot enjoys much higher profit margins then they do, which is a big reason why earnings should jump 16% this year to $6.33 per share. Yet the company might project weaker profit growth ahead due to spending on the business.</p>
<p>Investors can expect hefty cash returns from Home Depot this quarter, considering that management in November boosted its 2016 stock repurchase spending target by $2 billion to $7 billion. Toss in the $3.5 billion it's <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/10/24/a-close-look-at-home-depot-incs-dividend.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">expected to dish out in dividends Opens a New Window.</a>, and shareholders should be looking at a total capital return of over $10 billion for the year.</p>
<p>Home Depot targets delivering 50% of earnings to its owners as dividends each year, and so shareholders will likely see a double-digit boost to the annual dividend as part of next week's earnings announcement. A year ago, the company hiked its payout by 17% following the prior year's 26% jump.</p>
<p>Executives are using debt to help fund its massive stock buyback program. That choice has increased interest payments as debt has ballooned to $22 billion from less than $10 billion in 2011. It has been a smart use of capital, given that interest expenses are still less than 1% of sales, and the company's recently borrowed funds at its lowest rate on record.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than Home DepotWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
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<p><a href="http://infotron.fool.com/infotrack/click?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fool.com%2Fmms%2Fmark%2Fe-foolcom-sa-bbn-dyn%3Faid%3D8867%26source%3Disaeditxt0010449%26ftm_cam%3Dsa-bbn-evergreen%26ftm_pit%3D6312%26ftm_veh%3Dbbn_article_pitch&amp;impression=fd3e250a-1047-4485-8476-eb115d05a369&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Click here Opens a New Window.</a> to learn about these picks!</p>
<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of February 6, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFSigma/info.aspx" type="external">Demitrios Kalogeropoulos Opens a New Window.</a> owns shares of Home Depot. The Motley Fool recommends Home Depot. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 3 Things to Watch When Home Depot Inc Posts Earnings Next Week | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/02/16/3-things-to-watch-when-home-depot-inc-posts-earnings-next-week.html | 2017-02-16 | 0 |
<p>At 85 years old, the indefatigable Howard Zinn still maintains the prolific activist and academic jab fueled by his political and social activism nurtured during The Civil Rights Movement. The esteemed historian and controversial rabble rouser’s seminal work, The People’s History of the United States, taught in high schools and colleges across the nation, has been adapted as a documentary, The People Speak, featuring readings by Sean Penn, Matt Damon, Viggo Mortenson and Marisa Tomei. Still touring and giving lectures, Zinn shows no signs of stopping, however his hectic schedule has slowed to devote more time for his family obligations. After nearly a month of back and forth emails and missed opportunities, Professor Zinn agreed to an interview reflecting on his historic and memorable time at Spelman College in the ‘60’s, his thoughts on the Democratic Party, his philosophy of dissent as democracy, and his hope for America’s future.</p>
<p>ALI: Your experiences and acts of civil disobedience at Spelman College are, by now, thoroughly well known. However, in the 21st century, one could look at the student body at many liberal college campuses and see that fiery protest and consciousness replaced by apathy and materialism. Where has that fighting spirit gone? You spoke against “discouragement” at the 2005 Spelman College commencement speech – what of it now?</p>
<p>ZINN: What you describe as the difference between the Sixties and today on campuses is true, but I would not go too far with that. There are campus groups all over the country working against the war, but they are small so far. Remember, the scale of involvement in Vietnam was greater – 500,000 troops vs. 130,000 troops in Iraq. After five years in Vietnam, there were 30,000 U.S. dead vs. today we have 4,000 dead. The draft was threatening young people then, but not now. Greater establishment control of the media today, which is not reporting the horrors inflicted on the people of Iraq as the media began in the U.S. to report on U.S. atrocities like the My Lai Massacre. In the case of the movement against the Vietnam War, there was the immediate radicalizing experience of the Civil Rights Movement for racial equality, whose energy and indignation carried over into the student movement against the Vietnam War. No comparable carry over exists today. And yes, there is more materialism, more economic insecurity for young people going to college – huge tuition costs putting pressure on students to concentrate on studies and do well in school.</p>
<p>ALI: You were heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement that dealt not only with racial empowerment and equality, but also re-examination of U.S. foreign policy and withdrawal from the brutal Vietnam War. Here we are now in 2008 with a seemingly unending, and many say illegal, occupation of Iraq. “Racism” has emerged as a contentious topic due to Obama running for President and his Reverend’s controversial comments. Yet, most say he and other candidates talk “pretty” but are unwilling to fundamentally confront and change the problems of race and foreign policy. As one who has observed this socio-political climate from the grassroots since the 1960’s, what has changed if anything in regards to racial enlightenment and the humanizing of non – American, “foreign others”?</p>
<p>Zinn: The Civil Rights Movement was an educational experience for many Americans. The result was more opportunities for a small percentage of Black people, perhaps 10% or 20%, so more Black youth going to college and going into the professions. A greater consciousness among White people – not all, but many – of racism. For most Black people, however, there is still poverty and desperation. The Ghettos still exist, and the proportion of Blacks in prison is still much greater than Whites. Today, there is less overt racism, but the economic injustices create an “institutional racism” which exists even while more Blacks are in high places, such as Condoleezza Rice in Bush’s Administration and Obama running for President.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the greater consciousness among Whites about Black equality has not carried over to the new victims of racism – Muslims and Immigrants. There is no racial enlightenment for these groups, which are huge. Millions of Muslims and an equal number of immigrants, who whether legal or illegal, face discrimination both legally from the government and extra-legally from White Americans – and sometimes Black and Hispanic Americans. The Democratic Presidential candidates are avoiding these issues in order to cultivate support among White Americans.</p>
<p>This is shameful, especially for Obama, who should use his experience as a Black man to educate the public about discrimination and racism. He is cautious about making strong statements about these issues and about foreign policy. So, in keeping with the tradition of caution and timidity of The Democratic Party, he takes positions slightly to the left of The Republicans, but short of what an enlightened policy would be. ALI: You said the democratic spirit of the American people is best represented when people are picketing and voicing their opinion outside the White House. How does this nature of dissent and protest serve as the crux of a democracy and a healthy, functioning civic society? Many would argue this is divisive, no?</p>
<p>ZINN: Yes, dissent and protest are divisive, but in a good way, because they represent accurately the real divisions in society. Those divisions exist – the rich, the poor – whether there is dissent or not, but when there is no dissent, there is no change. The dissent has the possibility not of ending the division in society, but of changing the reality of the division. Changing the balance of power on behalf of the poor and the oppressed.</p>
<p>ALI: The People’s History of The United States is now considered a seminal work taught in high schools and universities across the country. Why do you think the work has had such lasting, influential impact?</p>
<p>ZINN: Because it fills a need, because there is a huge emptiness of truth in the traditional history texts. And because people who gain some understanding on their own that there are things wrong in society, they look for their new consciousness; their new feelings to be represented by a more honest history.</p>
<p>ALI: Minority voters, like Hispanic Catholics, voted solidly for Bush in 2002, and some sons of immigrants have virulent anger and disdain against “illegal” immigrants. It seems many marginalized voices have forgotten their history and now side with those actively intent on keeping them either on the sidelines or in some form “oppressed.” How do we explain this discrepancy?</p>
<p>ZINN: It is to the interest of the people in power to divide the rest of the population in order to rule them. To set poor against middle class, White against Black, Native born against immigrants, Christians against other religions. It serves the interest of the establishment to keep people ignorant of their own history,</p>
<p>ALI: Most say that corporations now own American media. What is the proper outlet for democratic discourse and dissemination of information if indeed there is a biased monopoly over media?</p>
<p>ZINN: Because of the control of the media by corporate wealth, the discovery of truth depends on an alternative media, such as small radio stations, networks like Pacifica Radio, programs like Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now. Also, alternative newspapers, which exist all over the country. Also, cable TV programs, which are not dependent on commercial advertising. Also, the internet, which can reach millions of people by-passing the conventional media.</p>
<p>ALI: Will anything change in regards to US foreign policy in the Middle East, specifically on Palestine and Israel, if the Democratic Party wins in 2008?</p>
<p>ZINN: The Democratic candidates, Clinton and Obama, have not shown any sign of a fundamental change in the policy of support of Israel. They have not shown sympathy for the plight of the Palestinian people. Obama has occasionally referred to the situation of the Palestinians but as the campaign has gone on, he seems reluctant to bring this up, and instead emphasizes his support of Israel.</p>
<p>So, a change in policy will require more pressure from other countries and more education of the American people, who at this point know very little about what has been happening to the Palestinian people. The American people are naturally sympathetic to those they see as oppressed, but they get very little information from political leaders or the media, which would give them a realistic picture of the suffering of Palestinians under the Occupation</p>
<p>ALI: How can “the left” reconcile their assumed indifference to religion with the growing “religious” sector of society siding with the “conservative” parties? Can there be a peace between the two or is this a permanent schism? I’ve noticed bigotry on both sides, between the “secularists” and “religionists.”</p>
<p>ZINN: The Left needs to more clearly make a distinction between the bigotry of fundamentalism and the progressive tradition in religion. In Latin America, there is “liberation theology.” In the U.S., there were the priests and nuns who supported Black people in the South and who protested against the Vietnam War. So, it’s not a matter of being for or against religion, but of deciding whether religion can play a role for justice and peace rather than for violence and bigotry.</p>
<p>ALI: Most don’t know that you were a brigadier during WW2. Did this experience bring about the “anagnorisis” and epiphany catalyzing fundamental changes in your ideology?</p>
<p>ZINN: I did not know much history when I became a bombardier in the U.S. Air Force in World War II. Only after the War did I see that we, like the Nazis, had committed atrocities…Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Dresden, my own bombing missions. And when I studied history after the War, I learned from reading on my own, not from my university classes, about the history of U.S. expansion and imperialism.</p>
<p>ALI: You’re now a man in his golden years, and you look back at your many accomplishments. You’ve done amazing things. Any regrets? And also, if you could choose something that would embody your legacy – what would it be?</p>
<p>ZINN: I have no regrets about my political activity, only that I sometimes got carried away with it and didn’t find the right balance between obligations to my family and my need to be involved in social movements. As for a work of mine that embodies my “legacy,” probably it is not one book, but rather the combination of being a writer and an activist, being a public intellectual, by using my scholarship for social change.</p>
<p>ALI: Many look to the future horizons with bleak, cynical eyes foreshadowing disastrous scenarios resulting from our hubris and excess. Recession. War. Deficit. Extremism. Global Anti Americanism. Insincere Partisan politics. Will we implode? Can we move forward? Do you have hope for the future of America?</p>
<p>ZINN: The Present situation for the U.S. looks grim, but I am hopeful, as I see the American people waking up and being overwhelmingly opposed to this war and to the Bush regime, as I reflect on movements in history and how they arose surprisingly when they seemed defeated. I believe the American people have the capacity to create a new movement, which would change the direction of our nation from being a military power to being a peaceful nation, using our enormous wealth for human needs, here and abroad.</p>
<p>WAJAHAT ALI is Pakistani Muslim American who is neither a terrorist nor a saint. He is a playwright, essayist, humorist, and Attorney at Law, whose work, “The Domestic Crusaders,” ( <a href="http://www.domesticcrusaders.com/" type="external">www.domesticcrusaders.com</a>) is the first major play about Muslim Americans living in a post 9-11 America. His blog is at <a href="http://goatmilk.wordpress.com/" type="external">http://goatmilk.wordpress.com/</a>. He can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
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<p /> | Zinn Speaks | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/04/19/zinn-speaks/ | 2008-04-19 | 4 |
<p>Prof. Emeritus James R. Crotty teaches in the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is a Research Associate at PERI. He's a macro economist with broad interests whose research in theory and policy attempts to integrate the complementary analytical strengths of the Marxian and Keynesian traditions. His writings have appeared in such diverse journals as the American Economic Review, the Quarterly Journal of Economics, the Cambridge Journal of Economics, the Review of Radical Economics, Monthly Review, the Journal of Post Keynesian Economics, and the Journal of Economic Issues, and in many edited collections. His research interests include: economic methodology; the implications of radical uncertainty for macro theory and policy; theories of financial markets and their implications for understanding financial booms and crises; Marxian and Keynesian perspectives on investment theory; the structure and performance of the global neoliberal economy; theories of competition and their impact on theories of macro dynamics; the financialization of the non-financial firm; and the political economy of South Korea.</p>
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<p /> PAUL JAY, SENIOR EDITOR, TRNN: Welcome to The Real News Network. I'm Paul Jay in Washington. The American elite once went to war with itself about how to exploit American labor, and that, of course, was the civil war, one of the main issues being whether or not slavery or wage slavery would form the dominant means of exploiting American labor. The forces backing wage slavery won. That fight in another form emerged again, and that was in the beginning and during the Great Depression of the 1930s, where one section of the American elite said, we need to make a deal with the American workers. And it, of course, called the New Deal, and it was a form of compromise between those who owned most things and those who worked. That battle continues to today. Now joining us to talk about this history is Professor James Crotty. Professor Crotty is at the PERI institute in Amherst, Massachusetts. He also is a professor emeritus and Sheridan Scholar at the economics department at UMass Amherst. Thanks for joining us, James.
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<p />JAMES CROTTY, ECONOMICS PROFESSOR, PERI, UMASS: It's a pleasure.
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<p />JAY: Talk a bit about the battle within the elite on how to deal with the crisis as from the '20s entering the '30s, and then tell us the story going forward.
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<p />CROTTY: There's two stories. One is about a battle between or within elites, which is important in the 1930s. But there's a more serious battle, which is between the elites together and the middle class and the working people in the United States. And it's all relevant to this whole idea about the battles over austerity and the deficit. So maybe the place to start would be to go back to the 1920s. In the 1920s, we had a boom in the second half of the decade, and it was a pretty rigorous boom, and it represented kind of an ideal situation as far as the elite were concerned. We had very little government regulation, we had extremely weak unions, we had very low taxes on the rich and on corporations, we had unrestrained financial markets, and we had immense inequality. In the growth or the boom in the second half of the decade, the top 1 percent got about 70 percent of the income gains, and the bottom 90 percent got about 15 percent. This is kind of the ideal elite model, or the ideal conservative elite model. But it all crashed with the stock market crash, the financial market crash, and the Great Depression. And as you mentioned, then there was some split in the elite about what should happen, and parts of the elite supported Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the growth of the New Deal, and parts of the elite didn't. And the parts of the elite that didn't tried to undermine the New Deal, beginning already in the 1930s. They weren't successful. So we got our first--everyone thought from the financial collapse and the Great Depression that the idea of unregulated capitalism and free markets was insane, it was destructive. And so we had this move towards social democracy or democratic capitalism [incompr.] mixed economy or whatever you want to call it. The New Deal was the beginning of all that. It regulated finance, created Social Security, created public work jobs, and so on. After the war, this kind of New Deal or social democracy grew and became bigger and bigger. We finally got Medicare, we got the War on Poverty, and bigger government, more taxes, and we had the most prosperous period that we've ever had in American economic history, sometimes referred to as the Golden Age. But the people who hated the New Deal and wanted the 1920s back continued to struggle against this enlarged New Deal. But they weren't successful, because this new arrangement, this new social democracy, was in fact immensely successful. We had tremendous growth. We had growth with relatively low inequality. We had a reduction in poverty. We had growth in security. We had the highest profits ever. And so it was difficult for the people who wanted to undermine this system and go back to the '20s, that is, some rich people, some corporate people, and what we might call the moderate conservatives. This kind of right-wing coalition was not successful, because things were prosperous. The movements continued right into the '70s. Richard Nixon in fact did a lot to enlarge this New Deal activities. But by the end of the 1970s, things began--the economy didn't--it began to work not as well as it had before. We had some inflation. We had higher unemployment. We had cultural conflicts and the rise of the religious right. And this was kind of the beginning of a period in which corporate ideas, free-market ideas, corporate money in politics, rich people's money in politics began to be quite impressive. So we had large corporations putting lots of money in PACs, political action committees, that they could put into the political process, and we had lots of rich right-wing families putting money into the political process, people like the /pjuz/ and the /"oU.lInz/ and the Coors and the Mellon Scaifes and so on. And we reached a point where big money began to dominate the political process, just as the economy was going through struggles. And even the Democrats began to see that they needed this money in order to run and stay in office. And so the Republicans started shifting to the right, and the Democrats started following them in the shift to the right.
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<p />JAY: Is part of what's driving this that America's share of global wealth starts to decline as it starts to get more real competitors? Both sort of Europe comes back much more into play, the rise of China, even places like Brazil. Chomsky gave a figure recently, in the immediate post-World War II environment, America's sort of share of global wealth was something close to 50 percent, and now it's down to something like under 25 percent, so that this kind of New Deal, the compromise with American workers to some extent getting a share of this wealth that America had accumulated after World War II, to kind of maintain the levels of profits that the American elite had, they needed to start going after their own workers--you couldn't just get it out of the rest of the world. Is that a factor in all this?
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<p />CROTTY: Well, I think it is a factor, although I think it's not the only factor. There were many paths we could have followed after the problems of the '70s. There's never any such thing as you have one single path to follow. There are many kinds of--many capitalisms, many kind of paths to follow. And there were, I suppose, competitive pressures that were impinging here. But there was also a serious political debate about what kind of economy and society that the right wing and the money people wanted to see, and I think they're both germane. But in either case, what we got is Ronald Reagan. So in 1980, Ronald Reagan comes in, and this signifies a kind of radical shift away from this social democracy, which is now kind of tottering to some degree, and its replacement with--at least philosophically and in terms of--and also in terms of policy, with a kind of right-wing dream world. So Ronald Reagan does the following things. He creates a new economic model for the United States which is really the opposite of the New Deal model.
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<p />JAY: James, before you get into that, let me ask you--just back up a few words. The social democracy model was kind of "tottering". What do you mean?
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<p />CROTTY: It had delivered the goods in the '50s and the '60s, and even into the '70s, and now it wasn't so clear it was--in the form that it existed, without being adjusted, that it was going to deliver the goods as well as it had before. It wasn't, after the mid 1970s. There were problems in that model. That's what I mean. So there was--something probably had to be done. The question then is: what? And Reagan's answer is: let's move back towards the philosophy of the 1920s; at least, let's begin that movement.
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<p />JAY: And what wasn't working about that model? What were the signs of that?
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<p />CROTTY: A burst of inflation in the early and late 1970s, associated primarily with tripling of the oil prices through OPEC, which created inflationary pressures. The inflationary pressures then presented the government policymakers with a decision: should they use monetary and fiscal policy to sustain unemployment and keep it from going too high, or should they use it to fight inflation, in which case unemployment was going to go high? And they chose it to fight inflation. And unemployment rose substantially. It went up to 8.5 percent in '75, which was a rate which economists said we'd never see again. So there were difficulties that had to be addressed. There were also problems in the banking system. So there were problems that had to be addressed. I would argue that there are ways to address these problems which didn't require this shift towards the right-wing model.
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<p />JAY: In the next segment of our interview with Professor Crotty, we'll pick up the story with Reagan and the austerity debate. Please join us for that, part two, on The Real News Network.
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<p />End of Transcript
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<p />DISCLAIMER: Please note that transcripts for The Real News Network are typed from a recording of the program. TRNN cannot guarantee their complete accuracy. | Austerity Hawks Want a Return to 1920's Capitalism | true | http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D31%26Itemid%3D74%26jumival%3D6719 | 2011-05-05 | 4 |
<p>If you want to flush out market manipulation, don’t turn to the sleuths in Congress.&#160; They’ve been probing trading of the oil markets for two years and completely missed a company at the center of the action.&#160; During that period, a barrel of crude oil has risen from $50 to $140, leaving a wide swatch of Americans facing a choice this coming winter of buying food or paying their heating bill.</p>
<p>The company that Congress overlooked should have been an easy suspect. It launched the oil trading career of the infamous fugitive, Marc Rich, pardoned by President Clinton in the final hours of his presidency. &#160;It was at one time the largest oil and metals trader in the world. In the late 90s it bought up 129 million ounces of silver for legendary investor Warren Buffet’s company, Berkshire Hathaway, in London’s unregulated over-the-counter market.&#160;&#160; In 1990, it was one of the first entrants into an ill-fated Russian oil venture called White Nights.&#160; In 2005, while part of Citigroup, the largest U.S. banking conglomerate perpetually scolded for obscene executive pay, it handed its chief and top oil trader, Andrew J. Hall, $125 Million for one year’s work. &#160;According to the Wall Street Journal, that was five times the pay package for Chuck Prince, CEO of the entire Citigroup conglomerate that year and $55 Million more than the CEO of Exxon-Mobil.</p>
<p>Given this storied history and two years of congressional testimony on oil trading skullduggery, one would expect to find volumes of current information available about this oil trading juggernaut. &#160;Instead, this company’s activities are so secret that its web site ( <a href="http://www.phibro.com/" type="external">www.phibro.com</a>) is a one page affair and lists only the addresses, phone and fax numbers of its offices in the U.S., London, Geneva, and Singapore.&#160; No officers’ names, no bios, no history, no press releases.&#160; And while the Wall Street firms of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have been fingered by Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Mich) for gaming the system, Phibro has completely escaped scrutiny during a seven year period when crude oil has risen an astonishing 697%.</p>
<p>Phibro is the old Philipp Brothers trading firm that has resided secretly and quietly on Nyala Farms Road in Westport, Connecticut as a subsidiary of the banking/brokerage behemoth, Citigroup, since the merger of Traveler’s Group and Citicorp (parent of Citibank) in 1998. &#160;Traveler’s Group owned Phibro at the time of the merger. &#160;Despite the fact that Phibro has provided Citigroup with $2 billion in revenue over the past three years, the 205-page annual report for Citigroup in 2007 carries only the following one-sentence footnote on commodity income that acknowledges the existence of this company. “Primarily includes the results of Phibro Inc., which trades crude oil, refined oil products, natural gas, and other commodities.”</p>
<p>Combing through government archives, the first noteworthy appearance of Phibro occurs on April 6, 2001, when the Wall Street law firm of Sullivan &amp; Cromwell sent a letter to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Federal regulator of oil and other commodity trading, acknowledging that it was representing “the Energy Group.”&#160; The letter was noteworthy because it delineated just who had teamed up to grease the oil rigging in Washington: namely, two investment banks (Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley); a house of cards that would later collapse (Enron); a proprietary trading firm inside a Frankenbank (Phibro inside Citigroup); and two real energy firms (BP Amoco and Koch Industries).</p>
<p>What the Energy Group had long lobbied for and finally received from its Federal regulator was the breathtaking ability to trade oil contracts and oil derivatives secretly in the over- the-counter (OTC) market, thus avoiding the scrutiny of regulated commodity exchanges, their CFTC regulator, and Congress.&#160; The April 6, 2001 letter was essentially to say thanks and interpret the new rules as favorably as possible for the Energy Group.</p>
<p>The change in the law occurred via the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 (CFMA) and is called the Enron Loophole.&#160; (Since Enron’s trading room went belly up along with the company, and Phibro is still trading oil secretly all over the world, it should perhaps now be called the Phibro Loophole.)</p>
<p>What the CFTC also granted the big Wall Street trading firms was a license to sneak under the radar by using computer terminals located in the U.S. while trading oil on foreign exchanges like the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) located in London but owned by an Atlanta, Georgia outfit that was funded and launched by Wall Street firms and big oil.</p>
<p>On June 3 of this year, Dr. Mark Cooper, Director of Research for the Consumer Federation of America, correctly outlined the problem to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation:</p>
<p>“The speculative bubble in petroleum markets has cost the economy well over half a trillion dollars in the two years since the Senate [hearings] first called attention to this problem…Public policies have made these markets the playgrounds of the idle rich, while consumers suffer the burden of rising prices for the necessities of daily life.&#160; We have made it so easy to play in the financial markets that investment in productive long term assets are unattractive…The most blatant mistake occurred when Congress allowed the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to forego regulation of over the counter trading in energy futures…Because there is no regulation of this huge swatch of activity, regulators have little insight into what is going on in energy commodity markets…Large traders who trade in commodities in the U.S. ought to be required to register and report their entire positions in those commodities here in the U.S. and abroad…If traders are unwilling to report all their positions, they should not be allowed to trade in U.S. markets.&#160; If they violate this provision, they should go to jail.&#160; Fines are not enough to dissuade abuse in these commodity markets because there is just too much money to be made.”</p>
<p>The only correction I would make to the otherwise flawless argument above is that Wall Street is far from the playground of the “idle” rich.&#160; Wall Street executives spend every waking minute (and I’ve heard even dream about) how they can separate us from our money, our homes and a voice in Washington.&#160; How appropriate that Citigroup’s slogan is “the Citi never sleeps.”</p>
<p>Let’s say the CFTC was not a compromised regulator, was not an audition stage and revolving door for million dollar jobs in the industry it regulates.&#160; Let’s say it genuinely wanted to report back to Congress on just how big a player Citigroup is in the oil markets.&#160; According to a February 22, 2008 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Citigroup has over 2,000 principal subsidiaries (meaning it really has more but it’s not naming them).&#160; Of these, a significant number are secret offshore entities where records are unavailable to regulators.&#160; (For a mind boggling look at this sprawling octopus click here: <a href="" type="internal">http://www.sec.gov/</a> )</p>
<p>So the CFTC can’t get its hands on all records and even in jurisdictions where it can, it first has to know under what names, out of a possible 2,000, Citigroup is trading oil and then aggregate the positions.</p>
<p>On May 6 of this year, Tyson Slocum, Director of the Energy Program at the nonprofit watchdog, Public Citizen, testified before Congress on yet another roadblock preventing a meaningful investigation of oil price manipulation:</p>
<p>“Thanks to the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, participants in these newly-deregulated energy trading markets are not required to file so-called Large Trader Reports…These Large Trader Reports, together with the price and volume data, are the primary tools of the CFTC’s regulatory regime…So the deregulation of OTC markets, by allowing traders to escape such basic information reporting, leave federal regulators with no tools to routinely determine whether market manipulation is occurring in energy trading markets…The ability of federal regulators to investigate market manipulation allegations even on the lightly-regulated exchanges like NYMEX [New York Mercantile Exchange] is difficult, let alone the unregulated OTC market.”</p>
<p>Next comes what can only be described as an act of insanity on the part of the Federal Reserve.&#160; After allowing for the repeal in 1999 of the depression era investor protection legislation known as the Glass-Steagall Act in order to let Citigroup house retail bank deposits, investment banking, insurance, stock brokerage and speculative proprietary trading under one roof (the perfect storm that intensified the Great Depression) &#160;&#160;the Federal Reserve decided on October 2, 2003 that Citi wasn’t scary enough.&#160; It needed to allow this company that had already been named in hundreds of lawsuits for securities frauds and manipulations and could not remotely manage itself as a financial firm to ramp up its oil trading business by allowing it to take possession of crude oil on tankers because it would “reasonably be expected to produce benefits to the public.”&#160; Here are excerpts from the Fed’s release suggesting the expansive plans Citi had in the oil storage and transport business:</p>
<p>“…Citigroup has indicated that it will adopt additional standards for Commodity Trading Activities that involve environmentally sensitive products, such as oil or natural gas. For example, Citigroup will require that the owner of every vessel that carries oil on behalf of Citigroup be a member of a protection and indemnity club and carry the maximum insurance for oil pollution available from the club. Citigroup also will require every such vessel to carry substantial amounts of additional oil pollution insurance from creditworthy insurance companies. Furthermore, Citigroup will place age limitations on vessels and will require vessels to be approved by a major international oil company and have appropriate oil spill response plans and equipment. Moreover, Citigroup will have a comprehensive backup plan in the event any vessel owner fails to respond adequately to an oil spill and will hire inspectors to monitor the loading and discharging of vessels.&#160; Citigroup also has represented that it will have in place specific policies and procedures for the storage of oil… The Board believes that Citigroup has the managerial expertise and internal control framework to manage the risks of taking and making delivery of physical commodities… For these reasons, and based on Citigroup’s policies and procedures for monitoring and controlling the risks of Commodity Trading Activities, the Board concludes that consummation of the proposal does not pose a substantial risk to the safety and soundness of depository institutions or the financial system generally and can reasonably be expected to produce benefits to the public that outweigh any potential adverse effects.”</p>
<p>Voting in favor of this unprecedented action was then Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan as well as current Chairman, Ben Bernanke.</p>
<p>Could the Fed have been more wrong about Citigroup having “the expertise and internal controls to integrate effectively the risk management…?”&#160; Two years later, in March 2005, the bipolar Fed had this to say about Citigroup: “Given the size, scope and complexity of Citigroup’s global operations, successfully addressing the deficiencies in compliance risk management that have given rise to a series of adverse compliance events in recent years will require significant attention….”</p>
<p>Today, the situation is as follows: Citigroup has taken $42 billion in credit losses and writedowns in the past year, just announced that more writedowns are coming, and the Fed has an intravenous money feeding tube hooked up between its vault and this banking/brokerage/subprime mortgage lending/oil trading mad scientist experiment.</p>
<p>In addition to the secretive Phibro oil trading unit, Citi has formed Citigroup Energy and moved it to Houston. &#160;&#160;In a help wanted ad placed in Canada it described itself as follows: “Citigroup Energy is a global energy trading, marketing and risk management company based in Houston with offices in Calgary, New York, London, and Singapore.&#160; Our goal is to become the premier global energy commodities marketing and trading organization.&#160; Currently our capabilities include trading and marketing derivatives/structured products in power, natural gas, crude and crude products.”</p>
<p>Enron also called itself the “premier” energy trading organization.&#160; Apparently impressed with that model, Citigroup Energy has hired a significant number of former Enron traders.</p>
<p>PAM MARTENS worked on Wall Street for 21 years. She has no securities position, long or short, in any company mentioned in this article. She writes on public interest issues from New Hampshire. She can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | A Secret Oil Gusher Inside Citigroup | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/06/21/a-secret-oil-gusher-inside-citigroup/ | 2008-06-21 | 4 |
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<p>That Trump crashed because of a sex-talk tape is odd. It should have been a surprise to no one. His views on women have been on open display for years.</p>
<p>And he’d offered a dazzling array of other reasons for disqualification: habitual mendacity, pathological narcissism, profound ignorance and a dearth of basic human empathy.</p>
<p>To which list Trump added in the second debate, and it had nothing to do with sex. It was his threat, if elected, to put Hillary Clinton in jail.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>After appointing a special prosecutor, of course. The niceties must be observed. First, a fair trial, then a proper hanging.</p>
<p>Such incendiary talk is an affront to elementary democratic decency and a breach of the boundaries of American political discourse. In democracies, the electoral process is a subtle and elaborate substitute for combat, the age-old way of settling struggles for power.</p>
<p>But that sublimation only works if there is mutual agreement to accept both the legitimacy of the result (which Trump keeps undermining with charges that the very process is “rigged”) and the boundaries of the contest.</p>
<p>The prize for the winner is temporary accession to limited political power, not the satisfaction of vendettas.</p>
<p>One doesn’t even talk like this. It takes decades, centuries, to develop ingrained norms of political restraint and self-control. But they can be undone in short order by a demagogue feeding a vengeful populism.</p>
<p>This is not to say that the investigation into the Clinton emails was not itself compromised by politics. FBI director James Comey’s recommendation not to pursue charges was both troubling and puzzling. And Barack Obama very improperly tilted the scales by interjecting, while the investigation was still underway, that Clinton’s emails had not endangered national security.</p>
<p>But the answer is not to start a new process whose outcome is preordained. Conservatives have relentlessly, and correctly, criticized this administration for abusing its power and suborning the civil administration (e.g., the IRS). Is the Republican response to do the same?</p>
<p>Wasn’t presidential overreach one of the major charges against Obama by the anti-establishment GOP candidates?</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>In America, we don’t persecute political opponents. Which is why we retroactively honor Gerald Ford for his pardon of Richard Nixon, for which, at the time, Ford was widely reviled. It ultimately cost him the presidency.</p>
<p>Nixon might well have been convicted. But Ford understood that jailing a president for actions carried out in the context of his official duties would threaten the very civil nature of democratic governance.</p>
<p>What makes Trump’s promise to lock her up all the more alarming is that it’s not an isolated incident. He has threatened Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post, for using the newspaper “as a tool for political power against me and other people. … We can’t let him get away with it.”</p>
<p>With exercising free political speech?</p>
<p>Trump also promises to “open up” libel laws to permit easier prosecution of those who attack him unfairly. Has he ever conceded any attack on him to be fair?</p>
<p>This election is not just about placing the nuclear codes in Trump’s hands. It’s also about handing him the instruments of civilian coercion, such as the IRS, the FBI, the FCC, the SEC.</p>
<p>Think of what he could do to enforce the “fairness” he demands. Imagine giving over the vast power of the modern state to a man who says in advance that he will punish his critics and jail his opponent.</p>
<p /> | Threat to jail Clinton continues a scary theme | false | https://abqjournal.com/867950/threat-to-jail-clinton-continues-a-scary-theme.html | 2 |
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<p>California lawmakers say President Barack Obama's recommendation to spend $5 million next year on an early earthquake warning system for the West Coast represents a significant breakthrough.</p>
<p>It's the first time Obama has included funding for the project in his annual budget recommendation. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and congressman Adam Schiff, both Democrats, say the change shows the president recognizes the importance of moving ahead with the project more quickly.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Lawmakers previously secured $5 million for the early warning system and were seeking at least $16 million more. The money allows for the installation of more seismic detection stations and sensors.</p>
<p>Officials say an earlier warning of just a few seconds can save lives and limit damage. For example, it could allow trains to automatically brake before the shaking hits.</p> | California lawmakers applaud $5 million in president's budget for earthquake warning system | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2015/02/04/california-lawmakers-applaud-5-million-in-president-budget-for-earthquake.html | 2016-03-09 | 0 |
<p>MALAWI - Welcome to the GlobalPost blog on global health issues. We are going to start this off with reports from the field - first from the landlocked, long-and-thin country of Malawi, one of sub-Saharan Africa's poorest.</p>
<p>I'm traveling with a photographer, Dominic Chavez, and our focus will be to bring aspects of the Obama administration's Global Health Initiative (GHI) to life. As our two-part series published last month documented, GHI - now two years old - remains a mystery to many. We hope to shed some light about what GHI is in Malawi.</p>
<p>In Malawi, we'll be looking at a hot-button issue in global health: family planning. To some conservatives and faith-based groups in the United States, you say family planning and people think abortion. That means certain segments of Congress are opposed to family planning - at least from the start because of their opposition to abortion.</p>
<p>But Malawi's case is not so easy to pigeonhole. For one thing, abortion is illegal here. For another, the population rate is booming. Women of reproductive age gave birth to an average of 5.7 children in 2010, down only slightly from 6.3 in 2004. At independence, in 1964, Malawi had 3.7 million people. Today, 47 years later, it has more than 13 million.</p>
<p>So those working on health and development at the U.S. embassy here have long been interested in supporting family planning programs, including the distribution of contraceptives. And what about the abortion issue? Obviously, no U.S. funding is used for abortions since they are outlawed, but U.S. funding is being used for post-abortion care, which is allowed in Malawi.</p>
<p>In fact, post-abortion care is not only allowed, but the government wants it widely available. Why? Simple: It saves lives.</p>
<p>We'll be filing about all this in the days ahead. Please tune in and give us your comments. &#160;</p> | Bringing the GHI to life | false | https://pri.org/stories/2011-06-13/bringing-ghi-life | 2011-06-13 | 3 |
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<p>The process of European unification is undergoing a deep crisis, certainly the deepest since it started at the beginning of the 1950s. In less than a year, the EU faced two major tests—first the Greek quarrel, then the refugee crisis — that revealed its true face: a mixture of impotence, unwillingness, egoism, arrogance and cynicism. It is not a pretty spectacle. No illusions can remain about this entity that, far from embodying the federal ideal, has become an empty shell, an object of shame and deserved sarcasm. Those who still ritually proclaim its virtues are the representatives of a highly discredited political elite who seem to no longer have any culture or values. The more they assert their belief in the EU, the more they disqualify it, even in the eyes of the millions of people who have never felt any sympathy for conservatism, nationalism and xenophobia.</p>
<p>Xenophobia is precisely the result of this political bankruptcy. It grows everywhere, nourished by fear, seeking scapegoats. The refugee crisis that is unfolding before us is its most dramatic expression. To receive these pariahs is an ethical and political duty, first of all because, far beyond any humanitarian concern, they are fleeing the West’s own wars. They are the product of the destabilization of the Middle East and North Africa, areas that have been thrown into chaos by several Western wars. Between the Iraq invasion in 2003 and the military intervention in Libya in 2011, these lands have been Balkanized; their states and economies have been destroyed; their already precarious ethnic and religious equilibrium, created one century ago with the partition of the Ottoman Empire, has been broken.</p>
<p>Telling the truth means recognizing some elementary facts. Europe needs immigrants: it needs them for its survival, for stopping its demographic decline, for running its factories, its laboratories, and its services–thus for preserving its economic power, for financing the retirement of its aging population, and for opening itself to the global world. All observers stress this, but until now the only measures European leaders have been able to take have been border closure, the militarization of the Mediterranean, the expulsion of the undocumented and the multiplication of retention centers that function as anomic realms of humiliation and misery. Europe considers its immigrants a threat and refuses, in many countries, to naturalize “foreigners” who were born on their soil and educated in their schools; it promulgates laws whose exclusive aim is to stigmatize its own Muslim citizens. This lack of both vision and courage makes European countries responsible for the massacre that takes place daily in the Mediterranean. Some hundreds of thousands of refugees, even one or two million, are not so many for a rich continent of five hundred million people — nothing at all compared to the efforts of smaller and poorer countries like Lebanon, Jordan or Tunisia. This crisis, nevertheless, has been enough to put into question the Schengen treaty, to provoke border closures inside the EU, and finally to reveal the complete inability of EU governments to find a common policy. This is reminiscent of the Evian Conference of 1938, when Western powers proved their unwillingness to receive Jews fleeing Nazi Germany. Nobody wanted them, and the arguments put forward in order to justify this refusal were strangely similar to the current rhetoric of our politicians: the economic crisis, the lack of infrastructure such as reception centers, the hostility of public opinion… History repeats itself, and the Holocaust memorials inaugurated in many European countries over the last few years simply prove the hypocrisy of European institutions. They wish to commemorate the victims of past genocides and uphold the rights of man, but they are completely indifferent to the victims of the present.</p>
<p>The contrast between current European leadership and their predecessors is illuminating. One is tempted to admire the founding fathers of the EU. I am not even speaking of the intellectuals like Altiero Spinelli, who imagined a federated Europe, despite being in the middle of a terrible war. I am thinking of the architects of the EU — Adenauer, De Gasperi and Schuman. All of them were born, as Susan Watkins recently reminded us, in the 1880s, during the apogee of nationalism, and grew up at a time when people still traveled in horse-drawn carriages. They probably shared a certain European conception of Germanness: Adenauer had been mayor of Cologne, De Gasperi had represented the Italian minority in the Hapsburg Parliament, and Schuman grew up in Strasburg, in German Alsace before 1914. When they met, they spoke German, but they defended a cosmopolitan and multicultural vision of Germany, far from the tradition of Prussian nationalism and pan-Germanism. They had a vision of Europe, which they sketched as a common destiny in a bipolar Cold War world, and they had courage, insofar as they proposed this project to peoples that had just finished trying to destroy each other. Their project of economic integration—coal and steel—rested on political will. They conceived of a common market as the first step towards political unification, not as an act of submission to financial interests. For better and for worse, Kohl and Mitterrand were the last to pursue this goal. They did not have the same stature as their predecessors, but neither were they simple executives of banks and international financial institutions.</p>
<p>The generation who has replaced them at the turn of the twenty-first century has neither vision — they boast about their lack of ideas as a virtue indicative of their post-ideological pragmatism — nor courage, insofar as their choices always depend on opinion polls. The paradigm case is Tony Blair, who has made an art of lies, opportunism and political careerism. Today he is hugely discredited in his own country but still involved in several lucrative ventures. A convinced Europeanist—the most Europeanist among postwar British leaders—he embodies a new mutation: a neoliberal political elite that transcends the traditional cleavage between right and left. Tariq Ali calls it the “extreme center.” Blair was the model for François Hollande, Matteo Renzi, the leaders of the Spanish PSOE, and even, to a certain extent, Angela Merkel, who rules in a perfect harmony with the SPD. Neoliberalism has absorbed the inheritors of both social democracy and Christian conservative currents.</p>
<p>The result of this neoliberalism is the impasse of the European project itself. On the one hand, the lack of vision has pushed the EU to conceive itself as an agency charged with applying the measures demanded by financial capitalism; on the other hand, the lack of courage has impeded any advance in the process of political integration. Obsessed by opinion polls and the media, EU statesmen think that politics means helping the market economy and seducing the voters with populist and xenophobic arguments. Paralyzed by the impossibility of returning to old national sovereignties and unwilling to build new federal institutions, the EU has created a monster as unusual as it is awful: the “troika” has neither a proper juridical/political existence nor democratic legitimacy, yet nevertheless holds the real power and in fact rules the continent. The IMF, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the EU Commission can dictate policy to any national government, evaluate their application and decide compulsory adjustments. They can even change a national government, as occurred in Italy at the end of 2011, when Mario Monti, the trustworthy man of the ECB and Goldman Sachs, replaced Silvio Berlusconi. Sometimes they impose their sentences on a country, like last year with Greece. The right to decide life and death which, according to Foucault, constitutes classical sovereignty, is precisely the right the “troika” exercised during the Greek crisis, when it threatened to asphyxiate and kill an entire country. When the “troika” does not have specific interests to defend, like today with respect to the refugee crisis, the EU no longer exists and breaks up: every country wishes to close its borders.</p>
<p>This overwhelming power does not emanate from any parliament or from popular sovereignty, since the IMF does not belong to the EU and the ECB, but is an independent institution. Thus, as many analysts observed, following Carl Schmitt, the “troika” embodies astate of exception. In the current EU,&#160;the&#160;political&#160;has become completely subordinate to&#160;thefinancial. In short, it is a state of exception that establishes a sort of financial dictatorship, a neoliberal Leviathan. The “troika” establishes the rules, transmits them to the different EU states and then controls their implementation. This is, in last analysis, the “ordo-liberalism” of Wolfgang Schäuble: not capitalism submitted to rules, but financial capitalism that dictates its own rules. Who might personify such a financial state of exception better than Jean-Claude Juncker? For twenty years he led the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, whose main purpose (and the source of its prosperity) is its status as a tax haven. Juncker transformed his country into the fatherland of capitalism without rules. The definition of the state coined by Marx in the nineteenth century—a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie—has found its almost perfect embodiment in the EU.</p>
<p>This state of exception also reveals a paradox concerning the role of Germany, the EU’s most powerful component. At the time of the Cold War, “Great Germany” (Grossdeutschland) had become a historiographical object, a kind of “future past” tinged with either nostalgia or relief: the demonic greatness of the&#160;Macht der Mitte&#160;(Michael Stürmer), the&#160;Mitteleuropadreamed by Friedrich Naumann, or the nightmare for the small countries stuck between Prussia and Russia, permanently fearful of being annihilated (therefore affected by a form of “political hysteria” carefully scrutinized by Istvan Bibó). After the fall of Berlin Wall and national reunification, however, Germany suddenly recovered its old status as a central power at the heart of an enlarged EU.</p>
<p>In 1990, this comeback of “Great Germany” frightened not only its neighbors but also many of its own citizens. We had just emerged from the&#160;Historikerstreit—the violent controversy that opposed Jürgen Habermas to Ernst Nolte, constitutional patriotism to historical revisionism—and some significant personalities of the&#160;Bundesrepublik&#160;like Günther Grass wished to maintain a divided nation: the wound should remain open. As a warranty for the annexation of the GDR by the GFR, Poland asked for a new treaty recognizing the Oder-Neisse line as a sacred border. At that moment, France, which always conceived of the process of European integration as a strategy for neutralizing Germany, accepted the reunification in exchange for a shared currency. With a Machiavellian perspective, the most brilliant French senior officials—les énarques—convinced Mitterrand that any German ambition for conquest could be suffocated through the absorption of the&#160;Deutsche Mark&#160;by the euro. The creation of a European currency without a European state seemed to them a clever containment strategy. At that time, Europe experienced a powerful awakening of the past that pushed the Holocaust to the core of its collective memory and reinforced the fear of a return of pan-Germanism. When the&#160;Bundesrepublik&#160;abandoned the&#160;Deutsche Mark&#160;to share a common currency with its European partners—including Southern countries like Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece—the image of the Wehrmacht soldiers parading in Prague, Warsaw, Milan or Paris was definitively vanquished.</p>
<p>Twenty-five years later, this fear appears nonsensical. During this time span, the idea of rebuilding the prewar Reich has not entered the mind of any German politician. Today, a gigantic Holocaust memorial lies in the heart of Berlin beside the Parliament, and Germany remains, in spite of Pegida’s demonstrations and the electoral success of Alternative für Deutschland, one of the less xenophobic countries of the continent compared with France, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands, not to mention the new EU members, among which Hungary distinguishes itself for its racism. The&#160;Volk ohne Raum&#160;has become an archaic myth and German expansionism has found in the Euro its most effective instrument. Ordo-liberal Germany does not need a powerful army in order to conquer the continental markets. For this, Euro is enough. This is the European paradox that illustrates an astonishing heterogenesis of ends: the Euro, which was born to contain German power, has become the latter’s instrument and even, as the Greek crisis eloquently showed one year ago, its symbol.</p>
<p>Monetary union without political union is destroying democracy by discrediting any national government devoted to austerity policies and by expanding social inequalities between the countries of the continent. Without any democratic sharing of resources or strategy for common development, monetary union has become a perverse mechanism that drains resources from the poor to the rich countries. German banks, and the German economy more broadly, prosper at the expense of many indebted countries.</p>
<p>Such heterogeneous ends in the construction of Europe not only reveal the blindness of the inventors of Euro; they also unveil the historical irresponsibility of its beneficiaries. Euro allowed Germany to reinforce its power but it did not give it the legitimacy to lead a continent; Germany rather showed its incapacity to play a leading role. National Socialism, the defeat at the end of the Second World War, and the Cold War exhausted the geopolitical ambitions of Germany without decreasing its national egoism. This is one of the causes of the European crisis since Germany is compelled by its geographical position and its economic and demographic strength to play a leading role in the continent. This requires from its leaders both vision and courage, exactly the qualities the current German leadership lacks. It has neither an ambitious continental vision nor the courage to make choices that could threaten its own national egoism. Jürgen Habermas wrote that, during the negotiation that forced Greece to surrender to the “troika’s” blackmail, Merkel and Schäuble were able to vanish, in a single night, the efforts made for decades to restore Germany’s dignity within the international community. This is probably true, and the punishment inflicted on Greece is but little compared to the damage done to the image and idea of European unity. The German leaders cannot lead a continent of five hundred million people acting as the representatives of the&#160;Bundesbank. The definition of British colonialism in India coined by the scholars of subaltern studies, corresponds quite well to the German position in contemporary Europe: “rule without hegemony.” The evident weakness of the German leadership also benefits from the passivity of many other countries, notably France, which has lost its competitive ambitions, but also Italy and Spain, which accept their role as obedient pupils (without any difference between left and right leaderships).</p>
<p>In short, the EU is collapsing and risks disintegration with the emergence of a xenophobic and populist wave. The European project needs to be completely rethought, far from the current state of exception. Maybe the Greek crisis of last year was the symptom of a still invisible, subterranean but deep change. Syriza’s government could not withstand the “troika” steamroller, but for six months Alexis Tsipras was a symbol for the entire continent. Today, hopes turn toward Spain and Podemos, as well as the UK, where Jeremy Corbyn expresses a similar will to change. They show that xenophobia is not the only possible outcome of the EU crisis, and that returning to old national sovereignties is not the only alternative to neoliberalism and capital globalization. They also show that in order to build such an alternative we need to change the left itself, and to transcend the paradigms inherited from the twentieth century.</p>
<p>Originally posted <a href="http://www.publicseminar.org/2016/04/the-end-of-europe/#.V1JZCHJrjIU" type="external">here</a>.&#160;</p>
<p><a href="/filter/tips" type="external">More information about formatting options</a></p> | The End of Europe | true | http://newpol.org/content/end-europe | 2016-06-04 | 4 |
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<p>Alicia Wright alleges Eric Trujillo, a monitor or guard at the halfway house, sexually assaulted her and coerced her into sexual activity. Trujillo pleaded guilty and was sentenced in November to 100 months in prison for sexually abusing six female residents.</p>
<p>Although the women in that case are referred to only by their initials, court documents show that Trujillo admitted engaging in or attempting to engage in a sexual act with A.W.</p>
<p>Wright’s lawsuit alleges that Trujillo exercised “substantial power and control” over her life.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>She argues in her case that Dismas Charities, which owns and operates the Diersen Charities Halfway House on Menaul near Vassar, “did nothing to protect the women” living at the facility.</p>
<p>The halfway house lacked adequate management and failed to implement policies and guidelines, making it “highly likely that a sexual assault would occur,” according to the lawsuit.</p>
<p>Wright argues that Trujillo would enter the women’s bathroom and shower areas during his evening shifts. Even after one resident complained to Dismas and asked that men not be allowed to enter the women’s shower and dorm areas, “nothing was ever done about it.”</p>
<p>The organization, the lawsuit argues, knew about the sexual assaults “yet failed to notify law enforcement authorities or do anything to stop it.” Dismas negligently hired Trujillo and failed to train and supervise him, the lawsuit alleges.</p>
<p>Another lawsuit containing similar allegations was filed by four women against Dismas Charities, Trujillo and another employee late last year. That case is pending in state District Court.</p>
<p>Wright’s attorney did not return calls seeking comment. Dismas Charities did not respond to a request for comment. It is not clear who is representing Trujillo.</p>
<p>Wright is seeking compensation for Trujillo’s conduct along with punitive damages.</p>
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<p /> | Victim of multiple sexual assaults sues halfway house, guard | false | https://abqjournal.com/910261/assault-victim-sues-halfway-house-guard.html | 2016-12-16 | 2 |
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<p>The NM Angels, which unites about 70 individuals who pool their resources to invest in early stage companies, is raising $150,000 to launch New Mexico Startup Factory II by March as a second holding company to seed the commercial development of laboratory inventions that can be spun into business endeavors. The first Startup Factory, started in 2012, created seven new companies in New Mexico, only one of which has failed, said NM Angels President John Chavez.</p>
<p>“We expect to fund at least four or five more companies through the second Startup Factory,” Chavez said. “We’re looking at things that can be rapidly spun out with seed funding and little business incubation.”</p>
<p>Six of the seven businesses formed through the first holding company were based on University of New Mexico technology, although some were developed through joint research with Sandia National Laboratories. The new holding company, however, will commercialize more technology from other research institutions apart from UNM.</p>
<p>“We have partnerships with both labs and with New Mexico State University,” Chavez said. “We’re looking now at a new technology from Los Alamos National Laboratory.”</p>
<p>The Startup Factory provides a novel model for facilitating collaboration between local investors and technology transfer professionals. It grew out of the Angels’ long-term partnership with the Science and Technology Corp., UNM’s tech-transfer office, which hosts an annual technology showcase for Angel investors to learn more about potentially marketable UNM inventions.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Some companies formed by the Startup Factory are achieving significant milestones. Lotis Leaf Coatings, for example – which is marketing a super water-repellent coating jointly developed by UNM and Sandia – just signed a distribution and licensing deal this week with Vision-Ease Lens of Minnesota.</p>
<p>Vision-Ease makes and markets lenses for eyeware. It will incorporate Lotus Leaf’s coating into its lenses to improve performance for customers, said Lotus Leaf CEO Lawrence Chavez.</p>
<p>“This partnership will take us into the eyeware market for the first time,” Chavez said. “Vision-Ease distributes their lenses through outlets worldwide.”</p>
<p>Among the Startup Factory’s other companies are three that are commercializing medical technologies to fight cancer and protect against stroke, one that is developing a micro-encapsulation process to make biopesticides more effective, and another that is marketing a device to speed fiber-optic communications. One of the cancer-fighting companies, ExoVita Biosciences, launched this month.</p> | Angels to launch second “startup factory” | false | https://abqjournal.com/534300/angels-to-launch-second-startup-factory.html | 2015-01-30 | 2 |
<p>President Obama’s commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York on Wednesday was both a recognition of the complex world the Class of 2014 will face and an acknowledgement that the United States must adjust its foreign policy to reflect a world more dynamic than ever before.</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://trumanproject.org/" type="external" />The President took this opportunity to remind the American people – who he acknowledged as justifiably weary after more than a decade of conflict – that the United States will remain the “indispensable” nation for global stability, relying on an internationalist footing to stay engaged in the world. The President made very clear, however, that an aggressive foreign policy does not mean a policy of military intervention. Rather, his speech was a call to action for a full policy toolkit of the United States to strengthen allies, organizations, and norms abroad.</p>
<p>The President noted that members of the USMA Class of 2014 will be the first since 9/11 who are unlikely to serve in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan – a reminder that received loud cheers from the graduating cadets. With the Afghan National Security Forces leading the campaign against the Taliban and a successful first round of elections – a prelude to a peaceful transition of civilian power – is underway, American focus must shift to a broader range of security challenges. In other words, the United States must not only walk and chew gum, but jump, turn, pivot, and address issues across the globe all at the same time.</p>
<p>In short, the President outlined a four point agenda for continued American leadership around the world:</p>
<p>The President acknowledged that the U.S.’s global leadership is not optional; the adage that “there is no retirement for a superpower” remains true. The technological, demographic, economic, and physical changes wrought by globalization mean that the United States cannot ignore what happens beyond its borders. Proliferation, unchecked regional aggression, violent extremism, and climate change were all cited as present dangers that will “ultimately,” as the President stated, impact the U.S. and its allies. Accordingly, he noted that if the United States is directly threatened then the United States would use military force – unilaterally if necessary.</p>
<p>Perhaps in answer to critics who decry his lack of military action abroad as “weak,” the President made very clear that terrorism remains a threat. He took the opportunity to cite the decimation of core Al Qaeda while acknowledging that its affiliates and other violent extremists remain a threat in South Asia, the Middle East, and across the Sahel. The President then outlined an expanded partnership effort intended to replicate the successes the U.S. military has had in Afghanistan in terms of building the capacity of foreign military and police forces to combat terrorist networks.</p>
<p>In outlining this effort, the President called upon Congress to support a $5 billion “Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund” that would enable flexible and rapid assistance to other nations to help destroy terrorist networks. The President framed the Syrian crisis into this context, taking responsibility for abstaining from a ground force deployment and arguing in favor of providing military support to the Syrian opposition and bolstering partners – Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey – in their efforts to control the extremism that threatens to spill out of the conflict.</p>
<p>While making it clear that the U.S. will use military force when necessary, the President reminded the American people sometimes the use force is undesirable, inappropriate, or even counterproductive. Breaking from the foolhardy approaches that guided the United States to disaster from 2003-2008, the President praised in turn diplomacy, development, sanctions and the use of the international system to deal with potential threats to stability and security for the United States and our allies. He stressed the need to strengthen the international order and the institutions created in the wake of the Second World War that have continued to enable multilateral approaches to stability.</p>
<p>The President recalled that multilateral approaches and strong institutions allowed the combination of diplomacy, sanctions, and the threat of continued isolation to bring Iran to the nuclear negotiating table. Similarly, he pointed out that NATO and OSCE action had curtailed Russian intimidation in Ukraine and allowed for unfettered elections. The message was clear: without support of international institutions and adherence to norms it will be difficult, if not impossible, for the United States to address the 21st century’s global challenges such as cybersecurity and climate change.</p>
<p>In short, President Obama has challenged, head on, the perception that the United States has stepped back from the world stage. His strategic vision comes from a more nuanced understanding of foreign policy and engagement abroad, where a diverse toolset and a multifaceted understanding of allies and enemies replaces the “shoot first, ask questions later” approach of years past. The President rejected the tired claim of isolationists that a desire to focus on a secure and prosperous America at home requires us to spend less time worrying about what happens overseas. He also responded to the critique that the “Obama Doctrine” is not governed by internal logic or strong principles.</p>
<p>Instead, President Obama urged the cadets and the American people to understand the source of the nation’s exceptionalism. The true strength of the United States comes from the principles that our men and women in uniform have died to uphold. American foreign policy must continue to adhere to these principles so that we can lead by example. Supporting human rights must remain a matter of practice, strengthening international institutions must remain the priority, and taking military action must remain the last resort. Dr. Mark R. Jacobson is a Senior Advisor to the <a href="http://trumanproject.org/" type="external">Truman National Security Project</a>. He previously served as the Deputy NATO Representative in Afghanistan and on the staff of the Senate Armed Services Committee.</p> | Obama: What Makes America Exceptional Is Leading By Example | true | http://talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/obama-what-makes-america-exceptional-is-leading-by-example | 4 |
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<p>The Eagles have soared so far this season, especially in the second half.</p>
<p>The 49ers would prefer to stick with 30-minute games.</p>
<p>When Philadelphia visits San Francisco on Sunday, it will be a matchup of resilience against retreat. The Eagles (3-0) have rallied to win all of their games, trailing by 17 points in each of the first two, and 10 last week. No team had made those kinds of comebacks in the first three games of a season.</p>
<p>Philly has scored 50 more points after halftime than it has allowed, 74-24.</p>
<p>"One thing I stated to our coaches at the beginning of the year ... the only thing you didn't know going into the season is how would they handle adversity," coach Chip Kelly said.</p>
<p>"And I think they handled it very well. No one blinked. No one flinches when we get in the situations that we've been in in the first three games. They know we've got to play a full 60 minutes."</p>
<p>The Niners know that, too. Problem is, they've failed miserably at it. San Francisco has outscored opponents 59-16 in the first half. It's been pummeled 52-3 in the second half in going 1-2.</p>
<p>"We have the guys to do anything we want," receiver Stevie Johnson said. "We just have to do it for four quarters. The past couple of weeks have been a tale of two halves. We have to play two halves instead of one."</p>
<p>The 49ers also lead the NFL with 36 penalties.</p>
<p>"The frustrating part is not being able to get into a rhythm," linebacker Michael Wilhoite said. "Another penalty? Now what was called?"</p>
<p>Also Sunday, it's Green Bay at Chicago, New Orleans at Dallas, Carolina at Baltimore, Miami vs. Oakland in London, Tennessee at Indianapolis, Buffalo at Houston, Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh, Jacksonville at San Diego, Detroit at the New York Jets, and Atlanta at Minnesota.</p>
<p>The Monday night game has New England at Kansas City.</p>
<p>The Week 4 action began Thursday night with the New York Giants' 45-14 road victory over the Washington Redskins. Larry Donnell caught three of Eli Manning's four touchdown passes for the Giants (2-2). The Redskins fell to 1-3 under new coach Jay Gruden.</p>
<p>Off this week are Arizona (3-0), Cincinnati (3-0), Cleveland (1-2), Denver (2-1), Seattle (2-1), and St. Louis (1-2).</p>
<p>Green Bay (1-2) at Chicago (2-1)</p>
<p>Cranking up the NFL's oldest rivalry for the 187th regular-season meeting, both teams have tons of question marks.</p>
<p>Chicago can't run the ball, which puts an extra burden on Jay Cutler and his targets: WRs Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, TE Martellus Bennett. So far, they have handled the challenge well.</p>
<p>Green Bay also can't run, and the protection for Aaron Rodgers has been inconsistent. Even with his escapability, Rodgers has been sacked nine times.</p>
<p>With a victory, the Packers will join the Bears as the only franchises with 700 regular-season wins.</p>
<p>New Orleans (1-2) at Dallas (2-1)</p>
<p>Dallas has awakened on offense the past two weeks behind running back DeMarco Murray. He has three straight 100-yard games and a TD in each. The ground approach not only helps QB Tony Romo, it keeps the Cowboys' so-so defense on the sideline.</p>
<p>That would be a good idea against the Saints, who seem ripe for an offensive explosion. Dallas must show it can slow down TE Jimmy Graham, a matchup nightmare for everyone, and especially for this defense.</p>
<p>A victory would be the Cowboys' 500th, including playoffs.</p>
<p>Carolina (2-1) at Baltimore (2-1)</p>
<p>Story lines don't get any juicier than Steve Smith facing his former team.</p>
<p>The 14-year veteran always is stoked for a game, and now there's the extra boost of being shunted aside by the Panthers. One day after he was released by Carolina in March, Smith was signed by Baltimore. The 35-year-old receiver is averaging 16.1 yards for 18 catches, including an 80-yard touchdown.</p>
<p>"Do I want to show certain individuals I can still play?" Smith said rhetorically? "Honestly, I don't have to. They're game-planning for me. (Defensive coordinator) Sean McDermott knows what I bring to the table."</p>
<p>Panthers standout middle linebacker Luke Kuechly has 354 tackles in the NFL. That's in 35 games.</p>
<p>Miami (1-2) vs. Oakland (0-3) at London</p>
<p>The Raiders traveled across America and lost to New England, although it was closer than most expected. Now they go across the Atlantic for the first time since 1990, when they played an exhibition game with New Orleans.</p>
<p>"I never thought in a million years I would have the chance to come back to Wembley Stadium and play a pro sport in front of a home crowd," said Raiders tackle Menelik Watson of Manchester, England. "It's going to be a special moment for me."</p>
<p>Maybe not if the Raiders' bottom-ranked offense can't get on track against Miami, which has dropped two straight since opening with a home win over the Patriots.</p>
<p>New England (2-1) at Kansas City (1-2), Monday night</p>
<p>It's downright stunning to see the Patriots struggling so badly with the ball. They rank 26th overall, 27th through the air, and have scored 12 second-half points.</p>
<p>Luckily for them, the defense has been solid, especially against the pass now that CB Darrelle Revis is on hand.</p>
<p>Just when you think the banged-up Chiefs have no shot, they go to Miami and dominate. Knile Davis, filling in for Jamaal Charles, rushed for 132 yards.</p>
<p>Tennessee (1-2) at Indianapolis (1-2)</p>
<p>Things have spiraled out of control in Tennessee, which opened with an impressive win under new coach Ken Whisenhunt, then has performed poorly. Getting healthy against the Colts is not an easy assignment; Indy has won eight straight in the AFC South.</p>
<p>Andrew Luck comes off a superb game at Jacksonville (31 for 39 for 370 yards with four TDs). Veteran Ahmad Bradshaw has sparked the running game, averaging 6.0 yards a carry, and has helped as a receiver, too.</p>
<p>Buffalo (2-1) at Houston (2-1)</p>
<p>Yep, barring a tie, one of these teams will be 3-1 and, at worst, tied for its division lead.</p>
<p>Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was the Bills' starter for most of four seasons, but didn't live up to the new contract he got from Buffalo. The Texans are his fifth pro team.</p>
<p>He'd be helped if RB Arian Foster (hamstring) can return to the lineup.</p>
<p>The enthusiasm in Buffalo over the sale of the team and the certainty of it remaining in Western New York hasn't subsided. The zeal around the Bills' play was dampened a bit by last week's loss to San Diego.</p>
<p>Tampa Bay (0-3) at Pittsburgh (2-1)</p>
<p>Coming off a 56-14 debacle at Atlanta, the Bucs might settle for something respectable against a team they have fallen to in eight of nine meetings, including the past four. Second-year QB Mike Glennon figures to get his first start of 2014 with Josh McCown bothered by a thumb injury.</p>
<p>Tampa probably will try to run the ball with Bobby Rainey (5.3-yard average) and, the Bucs hope, Doug Martin, who has only nine carries while dealing with a left knee issue that sidelined him the past two weeks.</p>
<p>The Steel Curtain is so tattered at linebacker that Pittsburgh reached into its recent past and signed James Harrison.</p>
<p>Jacksonville (0-3) at San Diego (2-1)</p>
<p>Third overall draft pick Blake Bortles steps in to start at quarterback for Jacksonville after an impressive relief outing: 223 yards and two TD passes vs. Indy in a game that was already decided. Considering two of his top targets also are rookies, look for Bortles to face a multitude of blitzes and confusing defenses.</p>
<p>San Diego isn't that far from being undefeated, and has only one giveaway. Tight end Antonio Gates, healthy at last, looks like he's in his prime, and the Chargers have seven sacks while yielding only two.</p>
<p>Detroit (2-1) at New York Jets (1-2)</p>
<p>A third straight NFC North opponent for the Jets, whose cornerback situation is shaky. That could mean a few romps to the end zone for Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate unless Rex Ryan comes up with ways to get pressure on Matthew Stafford. The Jets couldn't manufacture much of that against Chicago on Monday night.</p>
<p>Detroit's defense ranks first in yards allowed and the Lions have given up just 45 points, tied with Arizona for stinginess.</p>
<p>Atlanta (2-1) at Minnesota (1-2)</p>
<p>The Vikings' promising start has collapsed in the wake of Adrian Peterson's child abuse case and some key injuries. QB Matt Cassell is done for the season (broken left foot), meaning first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater gets the call. Guard Brandon Fusco (pectoral) will also be out for the rest of the year, and tight end Kyle Rudolph had surgery to repair a sports hernia.</p>
<p>The Falcons still struggle running it, but, man, can they pass the ball. Matt Ryan already has thrown for 965 yards and seven TDs, and Julio Jones is averaging 15.9 a reception, with three touchdowns.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP NFL website: <a href="http://www.pro32.ap.org" type="external">www.pro32.ap.org</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL" type="external">www.twitter.com/AP_NFL</a></p>
<p>The Eagles have soared so far this season, especially in the second half.</p>
<p>The 49ers would prefer to stick with 30-minute games.</p>
<p>When Philadelphia visits San Francisco on Sunday, it will be a matchup of resilience against retreat. The Eagles (3-0) have rallied to win all of their games, trailing by 17 points in each of the first two, and 10 last week. No team had made those kinds of comebacks in the first three games of a season.</p>
<p>Philly has scored 50 more points after halftime than it has allowed, 74-24.</p>
<p>"One thing I stated to our coaches at the beginning of the year ... the only thing you didn't know going into the season is how would they handle adversity," coach Chip Kelly said.</p>
<p>"And I think they handled it very well. No one blinked. No one flinches when we get in the situations that we've been in in the first three games. They know we've got to play a full 60 minutes."</p>
<p>The Niners know that, too. Problem is, they've failed miserably at it. San Francisco has outscored opponents 59-16 in the first half. It's been pummeled 52-3 in the second half in going 1-2.</p>
<p>"We have the guys to do anything we want," receiver Stevie Johnson said. "We just have to do it for four quarters. The past couple of weeks have been a tale of two halves. We have to play two halves instead of one."</p>
<p>The 49ers also lead the NFL with 36 penalties.</p>
<p>"The frustrating part is not being able to get into a rhythm," linebacker Michael Wilhoite said. "Another penalty? Now what was called?"</p>
<p>Also Sunday, it's Green Bay at Chicago, New Orleans at Dallas, Carolina at Baltimore, Miami vs. Oakland in London, Tennessee at Indianapolis, Buffalo at Houston, Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh, Jacksonville at San Diego, Detroit at the New York Jets, and Atlanta at Minnesota.</p>
<p>The Monday night game has New England at Kansas City.</p>
<p>The Week 4 action began Thursday night with the New York Giants' 45-14 road victory over the Washington Redskins. Larry Donnell caught three of Eli Manning's four touchdown passes for the Giants (2-2). The Redskins fell to 1-3 under new coach Jay Gruden.</p>
<p>Off this week are Arizona (3-0), Cincinnati (3-0), Cleveland (1-2), Denver (2-1), Seattle (2-1), and St. Louis (1-2).</p>
<p>Green Bay (1-2) at Chicago (2-1)</p>
<p>Cranking up the NFL's oldest rivalry for the 187th regular-season meeting, both teams have tons of question marks.</p>
<p>Chicago can't run the ball, which puts an extra burden on Jay Cutler and his targets: WRs Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, TE Martellus Bennett. So far, they have handled the challenge well.</p>
<p>Green Bay also can't run, and the protection for Aaron Rodgers has been inconsistent. Even with his escapability, Rodgers has been sacked nine times.</p>
<p>With a victory, the Packers will join the Bears as the only franchises with 700 regular-season wins.</p>
<p>New Orleans (1-2) at Dallas (2-1)</p>
<p>Dallas has awakened on offense the past two weeks behind running back DeMarco Murray. He has three straight 100-yard games and a TD in each. The ground approach not only helps QB Tony Romo, it keeps the Cowboys' so-so defense on the sideline.</p>
<p>That would be a good idea against the Saints, who seem ripe for an offensive explosion. Dallas must show it can slow down TE Jimmy Graham, a matchup nightmare for everyone, and especially for this defense.</p>
<p>A victory would be the Cowboys' 500th, including playoffs.</p>
<p>Carolina (2-1) at Baltimore (2-1)</p>
<p>Story lines don't get any juicier than Steve Smith facing his former team.</p>
<p>The 14-year veteran always is stoked for a game, and now there's the extra boost of being shunted aside by the Panthers. One day after he was released by Carolina in March, Smith was signed by Baltimore. The 35-year-old receiver is averaging 16.1 yards for 18 catches, including an 80-yard touchdown.</p>
<p>"Do I want to show certain individuals I can still play?" Smith said rhetorically? "Honestly, I don't have to. They're game-planning for me. (Defensive coordinator) Sean McDermott knows what I bring to the table."</p>
<p>Panthers standout middle linebacker Luke Kuechly has 354 tackles in the NFL. That's in 35 games.</p>
<p>Miami (1-2) vs. Oakland (0-3) at London</p>
<p>The Raiders traveled across America and lost to New England, although it was closer than most expected. Now they go across the Atlantic for the first time since 1990, when they played an exhibition game with New Orleans.</p>
<p>"I never thought in a million years I would have the chance to come back to Wembley Stadium and play a pro sport in front of a home crowd," said Raiders tackle Menelik Watson of Manchester, England. "It's going to be a special moment for me."</p>
<p>Maybe not if the Raiders' bottom-ranked offense can't get on track against Miami, which has dropped two straight since opening with a home win over the Patriots.</p>
<p>New England (2-1) at Kansas City (1-2), Monday night</p>
<p>It's downright stunning to see the Patriots struggling so badly with the ball. They rank 26th overall, 27th through the air, and have scored 12 second-half points.</p>
<p>Luckily for them, the defense has been solid, especially against the pass now that CB Darrelle Revis is on hand.</p>
<p>Just when you think the banged-up Chiefs have no shot, they go to Miami and dominate. Knile Davis, filling in for Jamaal Charles, rushed for 132 yards.</p>
<p>Tennessee (1-2) at Indianapolis (1-2)</p>
<p>Things have spiraled out of control in Tennessee, which opened with an impressive win under new coach Ken Whisenhunt, then has performed poorly. Getting healthy against the Colts is not an easy assignment; Indy has won eight straight in the AFC South.</p>
<p>Andrew Luck comes off a superb game at Jacksonville (31 for 39 for 370 yards with four TDs). Veteran Ahmad Bradshaw has sparked the running game, averaging 6.0 yards a carry, and has helped as a receiver, too.</p>
<p>Buffalo (2-1) at Houston (2-1)</p>
<p>Yep, barring a tie, one of these teams will be 3-1 and, at worst, tied for its division lead.</p>
<p>Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was the Bills' starter for most of four seasons, but didn't live up to the new contract he got from Buffalo. The Texans are his fifth pro team.</p>
<p>He'd be helped if RB Arian Foster (hamstring) can return to the lineup.</p>
<p>The enthusiasm in Buffalo over the sale of the team and the certainty of it remaining in Western New York hasn't subsided. The zeal around the Bills' play was dampened a bit by last week's loss to San Diego.</p>
<p>Tampa Bay (0-3) at Pittsburgh (2-1)</p>
<p>Coming off a 56-14 debacle at Atlanta, the Bucs might settle for something respectable against a team they have fallen to in eight of nine meetings, including the past four. Second-year QB Mike Glennon figures to get his first start of 2014 with Josh McCown bothered by a thumb injury.</p>
<p>Tampa probably will try to run the ball with Bobby Rainey (5.3-yard average) and, the Bucs hope, Doug Martin, who has only nine carries while dealing with a left knee issue that sidelined him the past two weeks.</p>
<p>The Steel Curtain is so tattered at linebacker that Pittsburgh reached into its recent past and signed James Harrison.</p>
<p>Jacksonville (0-3) at San Diego (2-1)</p>
<p>Third overall draft pick Blake Bortles steps in to start at quarterback for Jacksonville after an impressive relief outing: 223 yards and two TD passes vs. Indy in a game that was already decided. Considering two of his top targets also are rookies, look for Bortles to face a multitude of blitzes and confusing defenses.</p>
<p>San Diego isn't that far from being undefeated, and has only one giveaway. Tight end Antonio Gates, healthy at last, looks like he's in his prime, and the Chargers have seven sacks while yielding only two.</p>
<p>Detroit (2-1) at New York Jets (1-2)</p>
<p>A third straight NFC North opponent for the Jets, whose cornerback situation is shaky. That could mean a few romps to the end zone for Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate unless Rex Ryan comes up with ways to get pressure on Matthew Stafford. The Jets couldn't manufacture much of that against Chicago on Monday night.</p>
<p>Detroit's defense ranks first in yards allowed and the Lions have given up just 45 points, tied with Arizona for stinginess.</p>
<p>Atlanta (2-1) at Minnesota (1-2)</p>
<p>The Vikings' promising start has collapsed in the wake of Adrian Peterson's child abuse case and some key injuries. QB Matt Cassell is done for the season (broken left foot), meaning first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater gets the call. Guard Brandon Fusco (pectoral) will also be out for the rest of the year, and tight end Kyle Rudolph had surgery to repair a sports hernia.</p>
<p>The Falcons still struggle running it, but, man, can they pass the ball. Matt Ryan already has thrown for 965 yards and seven TDs, and Julio Jones is averaging 15.9 a reception, with three touchdowns.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>AP NFL website: <a href="http://www.pro32.ap.org" type="external">www.pro32.ap.org</a> and <a href="http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL" type="external">www.twitter.com/AP_NFL</a></p> | Soaring Eagles facing struggling Niners | false | https://apnews.com/amp/c071a2846b604e02ba93183db8cdc18d | 2014-09-27 | 2 |
<p>Since taking office, Barack Hussein Obama has indeed brought change to this country. This page will bring you daily highlights of exactly what type of change he has brought. So ask yourself this - are we as a nation, with Obama as president, better, richer, stronger or more respected? Is this the America that our parents left us? Or has it become something quite different? "Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time. Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?"</p> WAIT! There's a lot more... | true | http://nowtheendbegins.com/pages/today-in-obamas-america.htm | 0 |
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<p>A recent Politico article had the cute quote: 'Trump is Tired of Not Winning'</p>
<p>It was then followed by this gem of a quote:</p>
<p>"He wants to talk about jobs, or trade, or combating illegal immigration, or his victory in the 2016 election. But reality continues to intervene."</p>
<p>Reality is that the media is so obsessed covering a world of conspiracy they created, that they failed to see the irony in this claim. The Politico article is quoting Trump as he was standing RIGHT NEXT to the President of Columbia RIGHT AFTER announcing a successful partnership to wage war against drug cartels on an international scale. That's not news?</p> | Media: 'Trump is Tired of Not Winning' | true | http://thegoldwater.com/news/3018-Media-Trump-is-Tired-of-Not-Winning | 2017-05-19 | 0 |
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<p>It wasn’t a problem.</p>
<p>The Lobos’ leading scorer (14.6 points a game to go with a team-best 4.6 assists a game) believed in his ability to score when it mattered most. He also knew his teammates weren’t about to lose confidence in him, either.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>“Most of the time they put the ball in my hands and tonight a couple of them went down,” Williams said when asked about his clutch performance down the stretch of Wednesday’s win.</p>
<p>With 7:01 remaining, Williams hit a free throw to put UNM up 53-51.</p>
<p>His 3-pointer with 6:27 left put UNM up 56-51.</p>
<p>His 3-pointer with 2:15 left put UNM up 60-58.</p>
<p>His free throw with 41 seconds left put UNM up 61-58, which would prove to be enough points to hold off the Rebels in a 65-60 win.</p>
<p>It’s that penchant for carrying his team when needed that has led the 6-foot-4 junior to being named on Thursday as one of 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award given annually to college basketball’s top point guard.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Williams is the only player from the Mountain West to make the cut from nominee (there were 80 of those named in December, including UNM teammate and point guard Hugh Greenwood) to finalist.</p>
<p>There are just four guards on the final list of 20 for the award who play in the West: Williams, Arizona’s Mark Lyons, Arizona State’s Jahii Carson and Gonzaga’s Kevin Pangos.</p>
<p>FAN TOSSED: With 13:35 left in the second half of Wednesday night’s win over UNLV in the Pit, a fan wearing a yellow New Mexico state flag T-shirt sitting in the front row behind the north basket gave a shove to Runnin’ Rebels guard Anthony Marshall.</p>
<p>Though the fan quickly put his hands up realizing what he had just done, he was promptly ejected, dropping the game’s sold-out attendance figure from 15,411 to 15,410.</p>
<p>Many UNLV fans quickly, and angrily, took to Twitter and identified the fan as Daniel Romero, who actually lives in Las Vegas, Nev., (no, not Las Vegas, N.M.). Romero was a student at UNLV and his Facebook page indicates he is from Belen and once played on the UNLV Rebel Swag club flag football team.</p>
<p>The Journal has reached out to Romero for comment. UNM identified the season-ticket owners of the seats Romero was sitting in and will send a report of the incident to the Mountain West Conference offices in Denver.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>UNM sports information director Frank Mercogliano said Thursday that a person can be banned or suspended from the Pit, but no such decisions had been made as of Thursday evening related to Wednesday’s incident.</p>
<p>A video clip of the incident can be found by <a href="" type="internal">CLICKING HERE</a>.</p>
<p>FUN-LOVIN ALFORD: It doesn’t fit the perception most have of Steve Alford, especially considering it involves free throws.</p>
<p>But the sixth-year UNM coach said Wednesday night that he is having so much fun with this year’s squad that he couldn’t help but laugh in the closing minutes of Wednesday’s game. And that was despite the Lobos missing eight of 14 free throws in the final 3:06, giving the Rebels every opportunity to steal a win.</p>
<p>“It’s just a fun team,” Alford said. “It’s a grinding team, because we don’t always do it the easiest way, but it’s a fun team to watch because they just fight like crazy. That’s why inside a minute and we’re missing free throws, and at timeouts or when there’s five fouls (on a UNLV player and there is a break in the action), I’m basically laughing at them (the Lobos players). And we’re out there laughing because they’re just fun. They’re a fun group to watch because of how hard they fight.”</p>
<p>KIRK’S TECHNICAL: Alex Kirk has been a lot of things for the Lobos this season, many of them unexpected.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>One thing he hasn’t been is a trash talker.</p>
<p>So when the 7-foot sophomore took a lob pass from Cameron Bairstow over UNLV freshman Anthony Bennett with 2:54 left in the first half and threw down an impressive dunk, it surprised many to see what Kirk did. And what happened next.</p>
<p>After Kirk landed, he turned over his right shoulder and looked directly at Bennett, yelling something back to the player who had been lightheartedly jawing with the Lobos.</p>
<p>“He (the referee) said I said something,” Kirk said while laughing in his postgame news conference. “I’m sorry I said something, I guess.”</p>
<p>WOODEN AWARD: While Williams was the only MWC player left on the Cousy Award list of 20 finalists, two other league players were announced Thursday to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25.</p>
<p>UNLV’s Bennett and San Diego State junior Jamaal Franklin, the defending MWC Player of the Year, both made the cut.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>FRESNO SELLOUT? As of Thursday afternoon there were fewer than 70 lower-bowl tickets remaining for Saturday’s game in the Pit against Fresno State.</p>
<p>There were a little more than 100 club-level seats also remaining, according to UNM. Normally club-level seating is $100 per ticket, but the school has discounted those tickets for Saturday’s game to $50.</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>[photoshelter-gallery g_id=’G0000RcPrFihb6r8′ g_name=’UNM-Lobos-vs-UNLV-Men-s-Basketball-1-9-13′ width=’600′ f_fullscreen=’t’ bgtrans=’t’ pho_credit=’iptc’ twoup=’f’ f_bbar=’t’ f_bbarbig=’f’ fsvis=’f’ f_show_caption=’t’ crop=’f’ f_enable_embed_btn=’t’ f_htmllinks=’t’ f_l=’t’ f_send_to_friend_btn=’f’ f_show_slidenum=’t’ f_topbar=’f’ f_show_watermark=’t’ img_title=’casc’ linkdest=’c’ trans=’xfade’ target=’_self’ tbs=’5000′ f_link=’t’ f_smooth=’f’ f_mtrx=’t’ f_ap=’t’ f_up=’f’ height=’400′ btype=’old’ bcolor=’#CCCCCC’ ] Click on a photo to buy reprints online or call our library at 505-823-3490. *Not all images available for reprint.</p>
<p>— This article appeared on page D1 of the Albuquerque Journal</p> | Lobos Notes: Williams Coming Through | false | https://abqjournal.com/238611/coming-through.html | 2 |
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<p>While there has been much focus on military women deployed to war zones, little attention has been paid to their foreign civilian counterparts.&#160; These women operate in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan on behalf of government agencies, private entities, and non-profit organizations.&#160; We hear about them traveling to dangerous places and getting injured or killed but not about their daily lives.</p>
<p>With the growing rate of females joining the workforce over the last fifty years, more are going to places where once it would have been rare.&#160; Still, the professional field in war zones is dominated by men.&#160; Amid the politics of being severely outnumbered and the pressures of dangerous surroundings, these women face sexual tension, harassment, and marginalization beyond what unfolds in a normal work environment—most of which remain unreported. &#160;Moreover, a slew of unforeseen gender-related challenges arise.&#160; Adding the complication of functioning within an unfamiliar culture, language, and religion, life was not only difficult and trying but curious and startling.</p>
<p>In 2010, I went to Baghdad, Iraq, as an instructor for a U.S. government-funded educational program.&#160; Upon arrival at a small compound inside the International Zone (IZ), I was immediately warned by a foreign woman who showed me to my trailer with, “You should stick close to your room and the office.&#160; Don’t wander down other walkways.&#160; All those rooms are occupied by men and they haven’t seen their wives for a while.”&#160; The compound housed about five women and approximately 40 men.</p>
<p>From the start, it was apparent there were problems, some stemming from women themselves.&#160; &#160;Many in the IZ were given favors and catered to by their male colleagues.&#160; Men paid for meals and offered rides to shops and invitations to bars.&#160; Extramarital affairs took place where desire and convenience allowed.&#160; Some women took advantage of their sexual power and used it to the detriment of others.&#160; Two at our compound repeatedly allowed unauthorized male guests to overnight, compromising everyone’s security.&#160;&#160; One even became engaged to an Iraqi man who spoke rudimentary English and was twenty years her junior.&#160; She spoke no Arabic nor was she Muslim.&#160; After having given him large amounts of her own money to use in persuading a local judge to permit the marriage, she was allegedly rejected by his family on cultural and religious grounds.&#160; The man and money were never seen again.&#160; This caused her great anguish and absences from work, while the team suffered from lower productivity.</p>
<p>As the gender dynamics became more intense the locals were there to witness.</p>
<p>Loud shouting came from the hall one day while I was teaching a seminar to Iraqi government officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, the majority of whom were men.&#160; A male colleague was berating a female on a work-related issue.&#160; In his rage, he used pejorative language to name and demean her private body parts.&#160; Small-framed with nowhere to run inside the cramp compound, she stood frozen.&#160; Everyone in my class heard him.&#160;&#160; Embarrassed beyond speech, I sat quietly.&#160; Finally one of the male Iraqis looked at me and said gravely, “You are a woman too.&#160; I must apologize for him because he has insulted all women.”</p>
<p>As I moved to another war zone, new gender issues arose.</p>
<p>Freshly arrived in Afghanistan a year later on a rule of law mission, I was being issued a bullet-proof vest, one that was too large, clumsy and ill-fitting.&#160;&#160; When I asked for a smaller size, stating that my measurements had been solicited by and provided to our employer months ago, the security officer shrugged, reiterating that this was a male-dominated field.&#160; Smaller sizes were not available.&#160; Then as I settled into my office, which was shared with several men, music was played in the afternoons that contained derogatory sexual lyrics.&#160; No one seemed bothered except me.&#160; It was not until I spoke up that my colleagues remembered it was no longer an all-boys’ club.</p>
<p>Then things got even more personal.&#160; One day after a collegial conversation, quite unexpectedly, a coworker in Kabul asked if I wanted to be in an intimate “in-country” relationship with him.&#160; Then as if to justify the proposition, he revealed that he was a married man but did not have anyone special in Afghanistan.&#160; Similarly, months later in Kunduz province, a security manager after a work meeting asked if he could come to my room that evening.&#160; When I inquired why, he stated that I should help shave his back.&#160; Astounded, I suggested he find a man to assist him—to which he quickly retorted that he was homophobic.</p>
<p>As the only female living and working in a remote camp in Kunduz with over 700 men, life was not easy.&#160; It was crucial that I not only be cautious and aware of my surroundings but professional and respectable at all times.&#160; Daily, I was sharing workspace, cafeterias, camp facilities and the gym with macho men sporting huge muscles and tattoos.&#160; I walked into offices where guy-talk reigned, oaths were uttered and in one room, a nude centerfold was prominently displayed.&#160; In one large compound meeting, several men entered into a loud verbal altercation over security matters.&#160; Absurdly, each time an expletive was used its speaker turned to me, said my name, apologized to me and continued with the swearing.&#160; It was the most surreal combination of inclusion, crudity, and propriety.</p>
<p>Despite the goals of promoting democracy, gender-equality, and Afghan women empowerment some men did not know how to strategically include their female colleagues in programs.&#160; In Kunduz one afternoon, while I was putting together a long-awaited seminar for Afghan women, a male coworker stated to me that he would take care of all the arrangements himself, to include meeting with the female students.&#160; He volunteered that all I should do was sit in the office and write reports.&#160; He justified this by referring to his years of experience in Afghanistan and how well he understood local women.&#160; Unfortunately, in his desire to be in control, he failed to discern that the conservative nature of Afghan females caused them to be more at ease with foreign women than men, whatever the men’s experience.</p>
<p>Nor did some male supervisors respect the professional boundaries between superiors and subordinates.&#160; In 2000, I was in Kosovo during the Albanian-Serbian crisis when local secure housing for international staff was at a premium.&#160; The acting chief of mission for an American non-profit organization used his position try to move a female subordinate into his house, instead of offering the empty room to a person who needed it.&#160; She failed to share her boss’s romantic sentiment and already had a place to live.&#160; He showered her with gifts and took out her to meals under the guise of being work-related.&#160; Uncomfortable and pressured, she hurriedly finished her contract, refused a renewal, and left the country.&#160; This fruitless incident not only rankled office morale and cost the lady herself a job, but robbed the program of an experienced individual.</p>
<p>But international men were not the only ones who created difficulties for foreign women in war zones.&#160; The host of challenges women faced interacting with local men deserve books of their own.&#160; I remember my daily walk inside the Kunduz camp for exercise attracted a lot of attention from the hundreds of Afghan police trainees who lived there.&#160; No matter how conservatively I dressed, Afghan men would gather and stare.&#160; This continued until a small crowd grew to an intimidating number.&#160; A colleague expressed similar frustrations with the Afghan men at her camp in Herat.&#160; Another in Mazar-i-Sharif voiced vexation about her local male staff, feeling she had to prove herself to them.&#160; Though they were hired to promote rule of law and gender equality, some had problems with taking direction from a woman.</p>
<p>Yet there were positive sides to being an international female.&#160; In Baghdad, Kabul and Kunduz, local women were willing to talk to me rather than to my male colleagues, sharing aspects of their daily lives.&#160; In Baghdad, several Iraqi women invited me to their homes for dinner and one took me to a mosque for prayer.&#160; In Kabul, Afghan female attorneys stayed after classes to chat with me about their lives and work.&#160; In Kunduz, the local women periodically attending our courses approached me and related their concerns about the lack of camp amenities for females rather than raising this with my male counterparts.&#160; Being a foreign woman in a war zone, one was the go-to person for the local women, their communication line to the international community.</p>
<p>Nor were all men problematic.&#160;&#160; Many demonstrated intelligence, consideration and helpfulness.&#160; Memorable incidents include one in Kabul where an American male co-worker who, when I was new, asked to see the first aid kit I had just been issued.&#160; After examining it he reached into his own kit, took out essential items and put them in mine because it was missing critical pieces.&#160; Similarly a British male security officer in Kunduz, who observed that feminine hygiene products were not sold in the convenience store on our all-male compound, diplomatically asked if I needed assistance, saying he would obtain those items from elsewhere if needed.&#160; In Iraq, an American contractor, learning that I was a runner, troubled himself by signing me into the U.S. embassy’s gym daily as he had access and I did not.&#160; Finally, the majority of local men employed by international entities in these venues faithfully performed their jobs as subject matter experts and support staff without giving trouble to their foreign female colleagues.</p>
<p>Foreign civilian women working in war zones experience a wide variety of gender-related issues and problems, some a lot worse than others with many incidents going unreported.&#160; To be fair, life for the men was not easy, either, as they had to balance security concerns, work pressures, a new culture, and long periods away from the family.&#160; Yet inside offices of war-torn countries where stress levels are high, danger is near, and one sex greatly outnumbers the other, sexual tension, harassment, discrimination, and other gender-related disagreements are bound to happen.&#160; With the lack of robust support systems nearby, such as a human resources department trained to deal with these issues, an ombudsman and or an inspector general office, foreign civilian women sparsely populated can end up feeling very vulnerable.</p>
<p>Given the politics, the huge profits to be made, and the time it takes to recruit qualified individuals, entities operating in these venues are reluctant to terminate employees.&#160; Many simply rotated the individual to a satellite office whenever there was a behavior problem instead of addressing the issue.&#160;&#160; This leaves way for the offense to reoccur which lowered employee morale, especially women who saw their concerns continually ignored.&#160; Some never spoke up as whistleblowing statues did not protect contractors whose contract need not be renewed.&#160; Office productivity suffered as employees spent time harboring ill feelings instead of nurturing teamwork.&#160;&#160; Eventually, more women than men resigned, adding to the personnel cost of training and replacing them.&#160; And ultimately, it subtracted from the international community’s credibility and success, particularly in its gender equality programs.</p>
<p>While there is not one solution to this complex web of challenges surrounding foreign civilian women working in conflict-ridden countries, there are steps the international community can take to alleviate the known and repetitive concerns.</p>
<p>First, prior to deployment, detailed and accurate information must be provided about living and working conditions in the specific host country, not just a mere power point presentation about working in conflict areas in general.&#160; In the pre-deployment trainings I attended, the presentations were often generic, not country specific.&#160; Moreover, many of the presenters had never been to the host country and the information from those who had was outdated.</p>
<p>Second, both men and women must be required to attend a training devoted to sexual harassment, discrimination, and other known gender-related problems, making them more cognizant of these issues and how these can be exacerbated when one sex severely outnumbers the other.&#160; This training should use examples from the field and must be required annually for those who stay beyond a year.</p>
<p>Third, employers should have a robust hotline or support system for all employees who experience difficulties.&#160; This system should allow the employee to remain anonymous if he or she wishes and should be one that has the power and authority to make changes if necessary.&#160; From experience, oftentimes the trained persons assigned to deal with these matters or the human resources support needed was usually located in the home country, far away, in a different time zone, and unable to respond promptly if at all.</p>
<p>Fourth, the pre-deployment security briefing needs to include discussions about the different ways a person can compromise everyone’s safety, including one’s personal relationships.</p>
<p>Fifth, government agencies, organizations and private companies hiring women for these positions need to ensure that females are just as valued as males, affecting costs, morale and program results, and provide them with protective gear that actually fit.</p>
<p>Finally, and most importantly, managers need to be acutely aware that they set the example.&#160; Organizations should swiftly investigate and remove those supervisors who fail to follow and enforce rules, and those who use their positions to promote, condone or ignore unethical outcomes.&#160; Moreover the funding sources of these programs, whether they are governmental or private, need to play a closer role in hiring, monitoring and evaluating.&#160; Given the disadvantages of distance, time difference, and accessibility, problems in the field can last for months without discovery, particularly when the funding party is located in the home country and pays only periodic visits to the program.&#160; Entities receiving these funds are not inclined to reveal internal problems as that might jeopardize their contracts.&#160; Above all, organizations and their funding partners need to recognize that while a seemingly small incident in the field may not have big consequences, leaving it unaddressed will only pave the way for repetition and costlier repercussions later.</p>
<p>In countries beset with crisis, insurgency is only one of the challenges that foreign civilian women face.&#160; The constant onslaught of gender-related complications aggravated by perilous conditions, an unfamiliar culture and being severely outnumbered by men can be even more taxing.&#160; Given the difficulties of working in these environments and what we have now learned, governments and companies must use this knowledge to help guide their staffing in future missions abroad, making sure the same problems do not needlessly repeat themselves costing morale, program success, billions of dollars, and lives.</p> | Foreign Civilian Women Working In War Zones: The Good, Bad and Ugly | false | http://foreignpolicyjournal.com/2014/06/03/foreign-civilian-women-working-in-war-zones-the-good-bad-and-ugly/ | 2014-06-03 | 1 |
<p>In their defense, it was almost impossible for Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman to actually play their instruments at Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony, because of the frigid weather, but it turns out that Ma, Perlman and the other two musicians who accompanied them at Tuesday’s event were performing in sync with a recording of John Williams’ commemorative arrangement.</p>
<p>The New York Times:</p>
<p>The players and the inauguration organizing committee said the arrangement was necessary because of the extreme cold and wind during Tuesday’s ceremony. The conditions raised the possibility of broken piano strings, cracked instruments and wacky intonation minutes before the president’s swearing in (which had problems of its own).</p>
<p>“Truly, weather just made it impossible,” Carole Florman, a spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, said on Thursday. “No one’s trying to fool anybody. This isn’t a matter of Milli Vanilli,” Ms. Florman added, referring to the pop band that was stripped of a 1989 Grammy because the duo did not sing on their album and lip-synched in concerts.</p>
<p />
<p>Ms. Florman said that the use of a recording was not disclosed beforehand but that the NBC producers handling the television pool were told of its likelihood the day before.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/arts/music/23band.html?_r=1&amp;emc=eta1" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Yo-Yo Ma Cello-Synced at Inauguration | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/yo-yo-ma-cello-synced-at-inauguration/ | 2009-01-24 | 4 |
<p>LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The former bassist of the rock band The Ataris awaits arraignment after he and a woman were indicted on federal conspiracy and fraud charges.</p>
<p>Michael Sean Davenport was arrested last month at a Little Rock, Arkansas, airport on a warrant issued by a southern Illinois federal court accusing him of running a telemarketing business in Santa Barbara, California, for eight years. The indictment alleges the business advertised houses and apartments it didn’t own at low prices.</p>
<p>The 49-year-old Davenport is accused of defrauding more than 100,000 people out of $27 million.</p>
<p>Davenport and Cynthia Rawlinson, his sales manager, are charged with wire and mail fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.</p>
<p>Davenport’s attorney, Alan Karow, said in an email Wednesday night that he will “assert a vigorous defense” and that he believes Davenport is innocent. Rawlinson has no attorney listed in court records.</p>
<p>LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The former bassist of the rock band The Ataris awaits arraignment after he and a woman were indicted on federal conspiracy and fraud charges.</p>
<p>Michael Sean Davenport was arrested last month at a Little Rock, Arkansas, airport on a warrant issued by a southern Illinois federal court accusing him of running a telemarketing business in Santa Barbara, California, for eight years. The indictment alleges the business advertised houses and apartments it didn’t own at low prices.</p>
<p>The 49-year-old Davenport is accused of defrauding more than 100,000 people out of $27 million.</p>
<p>Davenport and Cynthia Rawlinson, his sales manager, are charged with wire and mail fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.</p>
<p>Davenport’s attorney, Alan Karow, said in an email Wednesday night that he will “assert a vigorous defense” and that he believes Davenport is innocent. Rawlinson has no attorney listed in court records.</p> | Ex-Ataris bassist indicted, accused of telemarketing fraud | false | https://apnews.com/ceafec37182346f68de5ba444773f267 | 2018-01-18 | 2 |
<p>Throughout the first several weeks of Occupy Oakland’s existence the analysis and discussion at the General Assembly and elsewhere has been about the need to construct an entirely different social order.&#160; It is not so much that “the system is broken” but that it is, and always has been, set up to deliberately benefit, a small minority.&#160; The few social provisions that allowed many people in Oakland to survive off of low or no wages have been cut, largely to maintain a police budget that consumes 2/3rds of the city budget.&#160; Budget cuts to education and services, police brutality, unemployment and housing foreclosures all serve to multiply the pain and precariousness of a growing number of Oaklanders, displacing many more, including <a href="" type="internal">25% of Oakland’s black population</a> in the last 10 years. This reality is not unlike many other cities and towns throughout the country and not entirely dissimilar to the realities of most people throughout the world living through the last four decades of neoliberal, free market capitalism.</p>
<p>The goal of this piece is to illustrate how the vacancies of capitalism, shuttered homes, abandoned factories, closed schools, de-funded libraries and social programs are a vacancy in two senses – and how Occupy Oakland, as well as cities and towns throughout the Occupy movement, are attempting to fill them.&#160; First, they are an obvious gap or a lack – a lack of jobs, housing, affordable healthy food, medical care, etc. – that are either embodied in empty homes and factories or in emptiness inside the residents of Oakland, whether a physical hunger from lack of food, or a metaphorical hunger for a better world.&#160; Second, these vacancies are not just a lack, they a political, social and economic opening within the existing social order that capital and the State have ceded for the sake of short-term profit.&#160; The long history of the failures of the existing order, and the current crisis we find ourselves in, are an opportunity to fill the vacancies of a dying world while building a better one.&#160; We have seen this all over the globe – Argentina, Greece, Egypt and elsewhere – when the social order makes life impossible for a large number of people, and relatively deprives another large group that is not accustomed to barely getting by, they self-organize their communities while fighting for a just society that meets peoples’ needs.&#160; Oakland, and cities all over the US, have begun this process and are preparing to take this next step – occupying these multiple vacancies.</p>
<p>The Power of Solidarity: Occupy Strikes Back</p>
<p>The vacancies of capitalism in Oakland overlap each other and effect different communities in different ways.&#160; Undocumented day laborers from the Fruitvale face different struggles than the 50% of black young adults who are unemployed and over-policed in East Oakland.&#160; College students who contribute to rising rents that even they can’t afford with their massive student loans in North Oakland are in a different position than single mothers who can’t afford $1000 every month for childcare for one child in West Oakland.&#160; The language of the 99% tends to lump people in a way that erases relative class privilege as well as gender and race inequalities.&#160; While we need to develop this conversation and what it means for our short-term and long-term political work – we should also appreciate the fact that despite our differences in lived experience, and unsympathetic media efforts to highlight them, a large portion of Oakland’s population support the anti-capitalist goals of Occupy Oakland for a radically different society.&#160; Our potential grows out of our own strength and solidarity, but also out of the vacancies of capitalism – economically in its inability to provide jobs or decent wages, and politically in its inability to learn from its past and current crises by attempting to lessen peoples’ pain.&#160; Though this pain is not evenly distributed among us, the key to its alleviation is collective action and solidarity.</p>
<p>Oakland is preparing for several major actions in the next two weeks.&#160; On November 30th, there will be a rally in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland in solidarity with efforts in Arizona to shut down the ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) summit which constructs policies that criminalize communities of color, including crafting SB 1070.&#160; On December 6th, Oakland will be participating in a nation-wide day of action against foreclosures, helping to put evicted families back in their homes.&#160; On the 12th, all of the ports on the West Coast will be shut down in solidarity with longshoreman resisting scab labor on the docks in Longview, WA as well as highly exploited independent truckers.&#160; Major banks have their hands in all of these efforts to criminalize and exploit workers.&#160; These are not just fleeting days of actions, but ongoing political work in Oakland and elsewhere, harnessing our collective social power to transform the existing society through solidarity and collective action.</p>
<p>The System Isn’t Broken, the System Needs to be Broken</p>
<p>The housing and economic crises as well as social cuts do not exist in a vacuum, nor are they particularly new.&#160; They are however being exacerbated by record levels of racialized economic disparity.&#160; The distribution of resources in a society is an easy way to evaluate not just economic inequality, but political power of various groups in society as well as the values and morals of those who are in a position to decide the allocation of those resources.&#160; Economic inequality nationally is at the highest level ever recorded.&#160; <a href="" type="internal">71.5 % of all wealth is controlled by the top 10%</a>, with the 1% controlling 34% by themselves.&#160; The racialized economic wealth gap shows an even greater contrast, with <a href="" type="internal">median white wealth</a> 20 times greater than black wealth and 18 times greater than Latinos.&#160; Our cities also visually illustrate this stark economic disparity.&#160; Of all the cities in the entire world <a href="" type="internal">New York</a> has the 9th highest level of economic inequality.&#160; The Bay Area metro region has the <a href="" type="internal">7th highest</a> level of inequality in the country.</p>
<p>This inequity is, and has been, compounded by political policies designed to shift money away from the poor and working class and towards benefits for the rich and State apparatuses of social control – with police, prisons, and foreign wars topping the list.&#160; At the national level, the federal budget that spends almost half of its money on the military also gave several billion dollars to the banks that recklessly created this crisis&#160; – not so they can help people stay in their homes, but so they can buy smaller banks in the aftermath of the crisis they created, deny people loans and mortgage modifications, and (often literally) take our last dollars in bank fees, or leave us to the predation of check-cashers and pay-day loans.</p>
<p>In Oakland the city budget gives the best overview of the priorities of those in power.&#160; The police control 2/3rds of an indebted and shrinking budget, with social services making up roughly 20% of city expenses – facing heavy budget cuts again this year.&#160; School funding, which comes out of a separate budget, has been steadily de-funded, compounded by the social costs of housing foreclosures (discussed below), leading to 5 school closures this year and the potential for a much higher number of school closures next year.&#160; The politico-economic system works in mutually beneficial ways for the rich and mutually detrimental ways for the rest of us – their splendor is our pain.&#160; The Occupy movement in Oakland is addressing this through coordinated direct action and solidarity, not through petitioning a system that is deliberately designed to do exactly what it has been doing for decades.</p>
<p>Factories and Housing: From Usefulness to Speculation</p>
<p>Banks, other financial institutions and major corporate players in real estate have thus far succeeded in making their crisis our crisis.&#160; The several billion dollars in bailout money, and the billions more loaned out of the Federal Reserve, are only one part of the story.&#160; Through a combination of international competition and waves of deregulation in the last four decades, capitalism has permanently shifted to pursuing profit through unstable forms of speculation.&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Noam Chomsky</a> points out that in the early 1970s 90% of global trade (market exchanges) were of real goods and services (i.e. cars, food, teachers’ salaries) and 10% was speculation (i.e. hedge funds, stock futures, etc.).&#160; Today 90% of trade is speculation and 10% is in real goods and services.&#160; This means that our economic system is firmly rooted in real estate speculation, complex financial instruments that the banks don’t even understand, government, corporate and household debt, currency speculation, and various insurance and bailout schemes to protect these corporate gamblers from risk.</p>
<p>US taxpayers are currently paying several billion dollars for bailouts on declining wages from the most current crisis that began in 2008.&#160; To compound the situation these same banks and assorted speculators have used this money to take advantage of those most harmed in the crisis.&#160; As homeowners lose their houses due to predatory loans or outright bank fraud, and renters get evicted because they either lost their jobs or can’t pay continuously <a href="" type="internal">rising rents in cities like Oakland</a>, the already bloated vultures have swept in to flip foreclosed houses into gentrification pads and have bought whole portions of neighborhoods in Oakland at rock-bottom prices, speculating that the aforementioned gentrification will increase the value of their investment in the coming years.&#160; This leaves a landscape of empty homes and homeless families.&#160; This is modern primitive accumulation in US cities, where market processes destroy peoples’ ability to get by with the intention of appropriating resources – land, homes, city budget funds.&#160; Plainly, this is economic profit through perpetuating social crisis.&#160; This process is not new, nor is it unique to Oakland.</p>
<p>The extent of this housing crisis in Oakland is acute, with 33% of homeowners behind on their mortgages, as real estate developers like the Fitzgerald Group take advantage of declining property values, in neighborhoods like West Oakland, to speculate on future gentrification.&#160; California has the second highest foreclosure rate in the US. In Oakland <a href="http://oaklandlocal.com/article/notes-scene-w-oakland-occupy-camp-faces-uncertain-future-police-make-them-leave" type="external">1 in 241 homes were foreclosed</a> on in just one month, this past August, at a cost to the city of <a href="http://www.calorganize.org/wreckingball" type="external">$20,000 in city services</a> to evict each family.&#160; While the costs to the City of Oakland to carry out these evictions, in a city with a population below 400,000, has totaled <a href="http://www.calorganize.org/wreckingball" type="external">$224 million</a>, an additional <a href="" type="internal">$75 million</a> has been lost in property taxes.&#160; This $75 million is a rough estimate of the overall budget deficit of the entire City of Oakland for this coming year.&#160; From 2008, Oakland property values will have fallen by $12 billion by the end of 2012.&#160; The gutting of the tax base, will further decimate what little is left of Oakland’s social services and the public schools, forcing more families out, bringing in more privatization.&#160; This accumulation through dispossession is a deliberate political policy designed to perpetuate a social crisis for the potential economic enrichment of the few.</p>
<p>They Have Made Their Crisis Our Crisis; Now It’s Time to Make Our Crisis Theirs’&#160;</p>
<p>The government, both locally and nationally, have met the crisis of capitalism and the Occupy movement that has grown out of it with an extraordinary amount of hubris.&#160; At the federal level, bank bailouts and corporate tax breaks, failure to provide medical care to tens of millions of Americans, unending wars and continuous saber rattling, school budget cuts, and continued criminalization of immigrants and communities of color, demonstrate an overwhelming bipartisan commitment to the unholy alliance of trickle-down economics and militarism, both outside and inside the borders of the US.&#160; The federally coordinated raids on the Occupy movement in recent weeks and perpetual rounds of police violence around the country mark a conscious effort to suppress dissent with <a href="" type="internal">military tactics</a>.</p>
<p>As the movement spreads deeper into communities of color facing eviction and police profiling, to immigrant communities being criminalized and ruthlessly separated from their families; to college students going into lifelong debt in exchange for a steadily degraded quality of education and lack of job prospects; to rank and file unionists tired of the boss and the business unions that have steadily compromised their interests; to the much broader working class that scrapes by paying a second or third mortgage or holding off grocery shopping for weeks to be able to pay rent while working long hours or multiple jobs, as 36% of the workforce are <a href="" type="internal">excluded from full-time employment</a> – a growing number of people are seeing beyond the weak, racist scapegoat arguments, empty nationalism and media distractions that have worked in the past.&#160; There also exists a vibrant and viable movement pursuing a set of radical social changes that are increasingly being seen, not only as desirable, but necessary.&#160; By the time the State scrambles to make concessions it will be too late for them and all of those they tirelessly represent.</p>
<p>When Your Politics Make Life Impossible, “The Politics of the Impossible” Become Reality</p>
<p>The US is undergoing heightened neoliberal “restructuring” after decades of subjecting the rest of the world to structural adjustment programs and free trade that guts the public sector and social safety nets, and bleeds workers to subsidize corporate profit from a number of angles.&#160; The response from around the world has been militant resistance, the construction of democratic counter-institutions, and revolution.&#160; As E.P. Thompson so eloquently described in “The Moral Economy of the English Crowd in the 18th Century,” when they raise the price of bread people have bread riots; this is as old as capitalism itself.</p>
<p>In Argentina when they closed factories, workers occupied them and now run them collectively.&#160; When school budgets were cut in Mexico City, the students took over the university.&#160; The Brazilian labor movement, along with masses of the urban poor, have addressed poverty by winning control over city resources to provide development, services and jobs to the poor through directly-democratic, participatory budgeting.&#160; Elsewhere is Brazil, landless peasants have been occupying the idle land of the rich in order to survive for decades.&#160; South Africans have steadily fought privatization, South Koreans waged a massive General Strike when asked to make sacrifices.&#160; Venezuela has taken control of their resources to fund free hospitals and build decentralized democracy, amid US coup attempts.&#160; In Greece, anarchists and other militants have responded to austerity with widespread ungovernability.&#160; From Tunisia to London to Oakland, the people have rioted against the prevalent violence reaped by the police on the poor and racialized.&#160; In Egypt a broad-based movement led to the ouster of a neoliberal US-propped dictator through occupying public space.&#160; When the police attacked them they burnt the police station to a crisp.&#160; This movement didn’t start with Occupy Wall Street and it won’t end with a bunch of camps getting raided or with pepper spray from <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-pepper-spraying-cop-meme" type="external">lazy cops</a>.</p>
<p>The dynamics that shape the conflict between the Occupy movement, workers and the dispossessed on one side and the State and capital on the other are being made clear as the struggle progresses.&#160; The coming together of various tensions is putting the radical transformation of society on a realistic horizon.&#160; With protracted socio-economic crisis and record inequality being facilitated by an unaccountable government, forming the political ground upon which we stand, a growing anti-capitalist consciousness, mass mobilizations, solidarity and self-organization are beginning to coalesce as we march towards that horizon to build a new day.</p>
<p>Mike King is a PhD candidate at UC–Santa Cruz and East Bay activist.&#160; He can be reached at mking(at)ucsc.edu</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | The Vacancies of Capitalism | true | https://counterpunch.org/2011/11/30/the-vacancies-of-capitalism/ | 2011-11-30 | 4 |
<p>ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Serena Williams lost in her return to tennis after giving birth in September, beaten by French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in an exhibition Saturday and still unsure if she will defend her Australian Open title.</p>
<p>Williams called it a "wonderful" match despite the defeat — she took the second set in a score of 6-2, 3-6 and 10-5 in a super tiebreaker.</p>
<p>The Australian Open, the year's first Grand Slam tournament, begins Jan. 15.</p>
<p>"I don't know if I am totally ready to come back on the tour yet. I know that when I come back I definitely want to be competing for championships. I am definitely looking forward to getting back out there," Williams said.</p>
<p>"I am taking it one day at a time. I am going to assess everything with my team before deciding."</p>
<p>The 36-year-old Williams took time off after winning the Australian Open last January while pregnant. She gave birth to her first child, a girl named Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., on Sept. 1. She married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in November.</p>
<p>Williams struggled with her serve in the 67-minute match at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. But, after nearly a year away from the game, she did win a set against the world's No. 7 player</p>
<p>"I don't think I am going to rate my performance," Williams said. "I have plenty of comebacks, from injuries, from surgeries, but I've never had a comeback after actually giving birth to a human being. So, in my eyes, I feel it was a wonderful, wonderful match for me."</p>
<p>Williams insisted she has a lot more tennis to play.</p>
<p>"Knowing that I have won 23 Grand Slam titles and several other titles, I don't think I have anything more left to prove," she said. "But I am not done yet."</p>
<p>Williams won her opening game, breaking Ostapenko. But she was nowhere near her best in the first set before fighting back and winning the second.</p>
<p>After the initial break, Ostapenko latched onto Williams' weak serves and capitalized on several unforced errors to go up 4-1 with two breaks.</p>
<p>Williams again struggled with her serve in the second set. But she went ahead 3-0 with a couple of early breaks and hit with more confidence, including several crowd-pleasing double-handed passing shots. Another break in the ninth game gave her the set.</p>
<p>"In the beginning, it felt a little tough. But as the match moved on, I was less afraid. I knew I was not going to fall over and break," she said. "The more I played, the more confident I felt that I would be able to go for shots that I was afraid to go for in the first set."</p>
<p>In the super tiebreaker, Ostapenko raced to an 8-2 lead before halting a brief recovery by Williams.</p>
<p>"For me, it is all about physical, how I am feeling physically. ... I am just proud being out here and playing in Abu Dhabi and to be able to just compete," Williams said. "I have had a tough few months and I am just excited to be able to play again."</p>
<p>It was the first time a women's match had been played in the traditionally men's only exhibition.</p>
<p>U.S. Open runner-up Kevin Anderson defeated Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 7-6 (0) in the men's final. The 14th-ranked Anderson immediately broke Bautista Agut and was never in danger of losing serve in the first set.</p>
<p>In the second set, Bautista Agut broke in the second game, but the South African broke back immediately. An aggressive Anderson swept the tiebreaker.</p>
<p>ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Serena Williams lost in her return to tennis after giving birth in September, beaten by French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in an exhibition Saturday and still unsure if she will defend her Australian Open title.</p>
<p>Williams called it a "wonderful" match despite the defeat — she took the second set in a score of 6-2, 3-6 and 10-5 in a super tiebreaker.</p>
<p>The Australian Open, the year's first Grand Slam tournament, begins Jan. 15.</p>
<p>"I don't know if I am totally ready to come back on the tour yet. I know that when I come back I definitely want to be competing for championships. I am definitely looking forward to getting back out there," Williams said.</p>
<p>"I am taking it one day at a time. I am going to assess everything with my team before deciding."</p>
<p>The 36-year-old Williams took time off after winning the Australian Open last January while pregnant. She gave birth to her first child, a girl named Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., on Sept. 1. She married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in November.</p>
<p>Williams struggled with her serve in the 67-minute match at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. But, after nearly a year away from the game, she did win a set against the world's No. 7 player</p>
<p>"I don't think I am going to rate my performance," Williams said. "I have plenty of comebacks, from injuries, from surgeries, but I've never had a comeback after actually giving birth to a human being. So, in my eyes, I feel it was a wonderful, wonderful match for me."</p>
<p>Williams insisted she has a lot more tennis to play.</p>
<p>"Knowing that I have won 23 Grand Slam titles and several other titles, I don't think I have anything more left to prove," she said. "But I am not done yet."</p>
<p>Williams won her opening game, breaking Ostapenko. But she was nowhere near her best in the first set before fighting back and winning the second.</p>
<p>After the initial break, Ostapenko latched onto Williams' weak serves and capitalized on several unforced errors to go up 4-1 with two breaks.</p>
<p>Williams again struggled with her serve in the second set. But she went ahead 3-0 with a couple of early breaks and hit with more confidence, including several crowd-pleasing double-handed passing shots. Another break in the ninth game gave her the set.</p>
<p>"In the beginning, it felt a little tough. But as the match moved on, I was less afraid. I knew I was not going to fall over and break," she said. "The more I played, the more confident I felt that I would be able to go for shots that I was afraid to go for in the first set."</p>
<p>In the super tiebreaker, Ostapenko raced to an 8-2 lead before halting a brief recovery by Williams.</p>
<p>"For me, it is all about physical, how I am feeling physically. ... I am just proud being out here and playing in Abu Dhabi and to be able to just compete," Williams said. "I have had a tough few months and I am just excited to be able to play again."</p>
<p>It was the first time a women's match had been played in the traditionally men's only exhibition.</p>
<p>U.S. Open runner-up Kevin Anderson defeated Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 7-6 (0) in the men's final. The 14th-ranked Anderson immediately broke Bautista Agut and was never in danger of losing serve in the first set.</p>
<p>In the second set, Bautista Agut broke in the second game, but the South African broke back immediately. An aggressive Anderson swept the tiebreaker.</p> | Serena loses in exhibition comeback after giving birth | false | https://apnews.com/amp/6f6a1414b0f7458dafedab2067ab4c2a | 2017-12-30 | 2 |
<p>When it comes to making beef stews, the French are clear winners.</p>
<p>French beef stews - from wine country’s Boeuf Bourguignon to southern France’s Daube a la Provencale - get their unmistakable flavor from onions, red wine, chunks of beef, herbs and often bacon or fatty pork that simmer together for hours, creating heady, delicious aromas. My entire family can identify French stews bubbling in the oven from the moment they waltz into the kitchen. Immediately, their eyes light up and their lips form into a knowing smile in anticipation of one of their favorite meals.</p>
<p>So, dare I make a healthy version of a dish that celebrates my (Marseille-born) husband’s heritage, especially given he grew up eating a truly-perfect version of stew made by his mom? I treaded lightly, but found a few tricks that kept the flavor while vastly improving the nutrition profile.</p>
<p>The good news is that the main source of richness - red wine - stays. The tweaks were actually quite simple. I cut nearly all of the bacon, keeping one slice for flavor and boosted the smoky quality by adding calorie-free smoked paprika. The flavor held up enough that my family didn’t notice, even if I confess I did (still worth the trade-off.) I doubled the veggie quantities (and added more American-stew carrots), boosting vitamins and fiber, and reduced the meat by about 25 percent compared to my normal stew, slashing fat, and no one even noticed.</p>
<p>Regarding the vegetables, I cut them a little larger than usual - just slightly bigger than bite-sized - so they would remain bulky, even after long simmering. Bulkier vegetables meant a less compact stew visually, which meant a nice big bowl of stew per serving. Last tweak was to make the stew a day ahead, chill it, and skim off the congealed fat before reheating. Whatever silkiness the stew may have lost by the missing fat was more than made up for by the extra time the flavors had to marry. You can also let the stew cool a bit on the counter and spoon out liquid fat as best you can, if your family is like mine and simply can’t wait to dig in.</p>
<p>FRENCH-STYLE BEEF STEW WITH VEGGIES</p>
<p>Servings: 8</p>
<p>Start to finish: 24 hours, including inactive marinating and chilling time</p>
<p>2 1/2 pounds lean stew beef, cut into 2-3-inch pieces</p>
<p>3 medium yellow onions, sliced lengthwise, about 4-5 cups total</p>
<p>1 1/2 cups red wine</p>
<p>1 tablespoon red wine vinegar</p>
<p>1 slice of bacon, cut into small pieces</p>
<p>3 teaspoons olive oil, divided</p>
<p>1 teaspoon smoked paprika</p>
<p>4 carrots, chopped into slightly larger than bite sized pieces, about 2-3 cups</p>
<p>1 stalk celery, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup</p>
<p>1 pound white mushrooms, sliced thickly (or quartered)</p>
<p>6 cloves garlic, smashed</p>
<p>1 cup beef broth</p>
<p>4 stems fresh rosemary and thyme, tied together with kitchen string</p>
<p>2 bay leaves</p>
<p>Water</p>
<p>Place the beef cubes in large glass bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and pour over the red wine. Let marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours, chilled. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Remove the beef from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and dry gently with paper towels.</p>
<p>Heat 1 teaspoon tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Sprinkle the bacon with smoked paprika and cook another minute until fragrant. Remove the bacon and set aside, reserving the fat in the pot. Add the remaining two teaspoons of olive oil in the Dutch oven and brown the beef on all sides. You may need to work in batches.</p>
<p>Remove the beef from the pot and set aside. Add the onions into the pot and cook over medium heat until soft, about ten minutes. Increase the temperature to medium high and add the rest of the vegetables and the garlic. Once the mushrooms are softened, about ten more minutes, add in the reserved marinade and bring to a simmer. Add the browned beef, the bacon, beef broth, herb bundle, bay leaves, and enough water to cover just barely to cover the meat. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, then cover tightly and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 to 4 hours, until the meat is tender.</p>
<p>Check the stew every hour and add a little more water if the stew looks dry. Remove the lid for the final half hour of baking to allow the sauce to reduce a little. Remove the herbs. Cool the stew on the counter, and spoon off and discard fat collecting at the top. (Even better: chill for several hours or overnight. Scrape off congealed fat from top of stew, and reheat to serve.)</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Nutrition information per serving: 284 calories; 80 calories from fat; 9 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 83 mg cholesterol; 176 mg sodium; 14 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 32 g protein.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, “Supermarket Healthy.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Online: <a href="http://www.melissadarabian.net" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.melissadarabian.net" type="external">http://www.melissadarabian.net</a></p>
<p>When it comes to making beef stews, the French are clear winners.</p>
<p>French beef stews - from wine country’s Boeuf Bourguignon to southern France’s Daube a la Provencale - get their unmistakable flavor from onions, red wine, chunks of beef, herbs and often bacon or fatty pork that simmer together for hours, creating heady, delicious aromas. My entire family can identify French stews bubbling in the oven from the moment they waltz into the kitchen. Immediately, their eyes light up and their lips form into a knowing smile in anticipation of one of their favorite meals.</p>
<p>So, dare I make a healthy version of a dish that celebrates my (Marseille-born) husband’s heritage, especially given he grew up eating a truly-perfect version of stew made by his mom? I treaded lightly, but found a few tricks that kept the flavor while vastly improving the nutrition profile.</p>
<p>The good news is that the main source of richness - red wine - stays. The tweaks were actually quite simple. I cut nearly all of the bacon, keeping one slice for flavor and boosted the smoky quality by adding calorie-free smoked paprika. The flavor held up enough that my family didn’t notice, even if I confess I did (still worth the trade-off.) I doubled the veggie quantities (and added more American-stew carrots), boosting vitamins and fiber, and reduced the meat by about 25 percent compared to my normal stew, slashing fat, and no one even noticed.</p>
<p>Regarding the vegetables, I cut them a little larger than usual - just slightly bigger than bite-sized - so they would remain bulky, even after long simmering. Bulkier vegetables meant a less compact stew visually, which meant a nice big bowl of stew per serving. Last tweak was to make the stew a day ahead, chill it, and skim off the congealed fat before reheating. Whatever silkiness the stew may have lost by the missing fat was more than made up for by the extra time the flavors had to marry. You can also let the stew cool a bit on the counter and spoon out liquid fat as best you can, if your family is like mine and simply can’t wait to dig in.</p>
<p>FRENCH-STYLE BEEF STEW WITH VEGGIES</p>
<p>Servings: 8</p>
<p>Start to finish: 24 hours, including inactive marinating and chilling time</p>
<p>2 1/2 pounds lean stew beef, cut into 2-3-inch pieces</p>
<p>3 medium yellow onions, sliced lengthwise, about 4-5 cups total</p>
<p>1 1/2 cups red wine</p>
<p>1 tablespoon red wine vinegar</p>
<p>1 slice of bacon, cut into small pieces</p>
<p>3 teaspoons olive oil, divided</p>
<p>1 teaspoon smoked paprika</p>
<p>4 carrots, chopped into slightly larger than bite sized pieces, about 2-3 cups</p>
<p>1 stalk celery, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup</p>
<p>1 pound white mushrooms, sliced thickly (or quartered)</p>
<p>6 cloves garlic, smashed</p>
<p>1 cup beef broth</p>
<p>4 stems fresh rosemary and thyme, tied together with kitchen string</p>
<p>2 bay leaves</p>
<p>Water</p>
<p>Place the beef cubes in large glass bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and pour over the red wine. Let marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours, chilled. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Remove the beef from the marinade (reserving the marinade) and dry gently with paper towels.</p>
<p>Heat 1 teaspoon tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy Dutch oven over medium heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Sprinkle the bacon with smoked paprika and cook another minute until fragrant. Remove the bacon and set aside, reserving the fat in the pot. Add the remaining two teaspoons of olive oil in the Dutch oven and brown the beef on all sides. You may need to work in batches.</p>
<p>Remove the beef from the pot and set aside. Add the onions into the pot and cook over medium heat until soft, about ten minutes. Increase the temperature to medium high and add the rest of the vegetables and the garlic. Once the mushrooms are softened, about ten more minutes, add in the reserved marinade and bring to a simmer. Add the browned beef, the bacon, beef broth, herb bundle, bay leaves, and enough water to cover just barely to cover the meat. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, then cover tightly and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 to 4 hours, until the meat is tender.</p>
<p>Check the stew every hour and add a little more water if the stew looks dry. Remove the lid for the final half hour of baking to allow the sauce to reduce a little. Remove the herbs. Cool the stew on the counter, and spoon off and discard fat collecting at the top. (Even better: chill for several hours or overnight. Scrape off congealed fat from top of stew, and reheat to serve.)</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Nutrition information per serving: 284 calories; 80 calories from fat; 9 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 83 mg cholesterol; 176 mg sodium; 14 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 32 g protein.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, “Supermarket Healthy.”</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Online: <a href="http://www.melissadarabian.net" type="external" /> <a href="http://www.melissadarabian.net" type="external">http://www.melissadarabian.net</a></p> | Rich and heavy French beef stew actually made healthier | false | https://apnews.com/0de965d846a048dca919adb7a7281eb7 | 2018-01-17 | 2 |
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<p>The Palace of the Winds in Jaipur, India, has hundreds of windows from which women inside can watch the world pass by. (Courtesy of Ned O’Malia)</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Mention India, and many Americans think curry, saris and outsourcing.</p>
<p>Oh, and maybe the Taj Mahal.</p>
<p>From the Buddhist Stupas to Hindu temples and the legacy of the Moghal dynasties, India is rich in world-acclaimed architecture. With a population of 1.2 billion, the country is home to 28 World Heritage sites.</p>
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<p>Ned O’Malia, who has taught world religions at the University of New Mexico for more than 30 years, will address “The Wonders of India: Art &amp; Architecture” next Sunday at the Albuquerque Museum. The lecture is sponsored by the Albuquerque International Association.</p>
<p>O’Malia has traveled to India “nine or 10 times” since 1973. His talk will explore the Taj Mahal, the Pink Palace of Jaipur, the erotic temples of Kuranjuro and more.</p>
<p>Before the British set foot in this colorful land, the Moghal dynasties produced 23 emperors, building “almost everything in India,” O’Malia said.</p>
<p>“They built five or six magnificent buildings just as spectacular as the Taj Mahal,” he said.</p>
<p>The Taj Mahal is a white mausoleum located in Agra built by the Moghal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal (the third of nine).</p>
<p>“Almost all the emperors had eight or nine wives,” O’Malia said.</p>
<p>The monumental structure required 20,000 laborers in a style combining Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architecture. It became a World Heritage site in 1983. Construction began around 1632 and ended about 1653. Its familiar white dome houses an integrated complex of structures. Three burial crypts mark its center, filled with precious jewels.</p>
<p>The pink sandstone Palace of Jaipur was the seat of the Maharaja of Jaipur, the head of the Kachwaha Rajput clan. The greatest part of it remains a royal residence.</p>
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<p>“You get the right sunset and you see it’s all pink,” O’Malia said. “It’s on the highest part of a hill. The front is shaped like a crown five stories high.”</p>
<p>Dotted with 943 small windows, the palace was built between 1729 and 1732, initially by Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber. The women of his harem used the multiple views to watch the street scenes because they were forbidden to show themselves publicly.</p>
<p>Today most tourists take an elephant ride to the top.</p>
<p>Although they remain a strong tourism lure, images of most of the erotic temples of Kuranjuro are unfit for a family newspaper, O’Malia said.</p>
<p>The Baha’i Temple in New Delhi, India. Ned O’Malia will lecture on the art and architecture of India. (Courtesy of Ned O’Malia)</p>
<p>“When the Moghals came they destroyed a lot of these temples,” he added. Just 20 remain.</p>
<p>Their imagery depicts same-sex sex and heterosexual fornication, along with human/animal couplings.</p>
<p>“Only about 10 percent are erotic, but that’s what people like,” O’Malia said. “They’re all for deities. They’re people, but in the form of angels. You will remember that the Hindus wrote the Kama Sutra.”</p>
<p>India’s latest monument is a 37-story house in Bombay. Built by another kind of mogul, it contains 19 elevators and parking for 160 cars with a staff of 600. Mukesh Ambani, who heads a large global conglomerate, built it for his wife and three children, O’Malia said.</p>
<p>“The Indians don’t like it too much.”</p>
<p>From 3-5 p.m. on Feb. 8, again at the Albuquerque Museum, O’Malia will move from the corporeal to the spiritual, giving a lecture on the religions of India.</p>
<p>“This is a rich soup,” he said.</p>
<p>Buddhism was born in Bodh Gaya; Jews have a long Indian history and one-fifth of the country’s population is Muslim. The states of Kerala and Goa are predominately Roman Catholic; the tomb of Saint Thomas is believed to be there, O’Malia said.</p>
<p>The Jains, many of whom dress in sky robes (i.e. naked) are a small but influential sect, as are the Sikhs. And of course, the Hindus, who count some 10,000 gods, and comprise the world’s third largest religion, O’Malia said.</p>
<p>“There is an endless number of gods, because if you believe everybody is on a path toward divinity, you can say everyone’s got a god within them.”</p>
<p /> | Lecture on ‘The Wonders of India’ at ABQ museum | false | https://abqjournal.com/521001/wonders-of-india-lecture-covers-art.html | 2 |
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<p>Hillary Clinton raised $143 million in August — and still finds herself in a tight race with Donald Trump. ( <a href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Campaign-2016-Clinton/e17622f4bcf4458db7173b251369852c/8/0" type="external">Andrew Harnik / AP</a>)</p>
<p>You could not pick a worse, more inept, inexperienced or offensive joke of a presidential candidate than Donald Trump. The United States has become the butt of international ridicule over our very own “ <a href="http://qz.com/776672/kim-jong-un-catching-on-that-not-all-praise-is-genuine-has-banned-sarcasm/" type="external">Kim Jong-Un</a>.” Any candidate running against Trump from the opposing major party with a pulse ought to be beating him in the polls by double digits. But Hillary Clinton isn’t.</p>
<p>The Democratic nominee is barely ahead of “the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/03/21/the-last-presidential-candidate-who-was-as-unpopular-as-donald-trump-david-duke/?tid=a_inl" type="external">most unpopular presidential candidate</a> since the former head of the Ku Klux Klan,” and a recent <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/06/_politics-zone-injection/trump-vs-clinton-presidential-polls-election-2016/" type="external">CNN poll</a> puts her at 2 percent behind Trump. Granted, it is only one poll, and several other recent polls have found her a few percentage points ahead. Still, no Democrat could ask for an easier Republican candidate to beat. In the history of American presidential races, it is likely we have never had a more comically unsuitable figure as Trump nominated by a major party. And yet Clinton is struggling to come out ahead.</p>
<p>The Democrat’s ardent supporters—those who have championed her from Day One—claim that we live in a sexist country and that her gender is what is standing in the way of most Americans embracing her. They assert that the media and her critics hold her to an unfairly high standard. But in a country where white women have benefited far more from affirmative action policies, how is it that we easily elected the nation’s first black president twice, only to stumble over a white female nominee?</p>
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<p>The problem is not her gender. Of course, many might refuse to vote for a woman (as I’m sure racist Americans refused to vote for Obama simply because he is black), but many more might vote for her because she is a woman. While there is no way to be certain that the two forces cancel each other out, Clinton’s gender is not her biggest liability. Her refusal to even attempt to embrace bold progressive values and her inability to read the simmering nationwide anger over economic and racial injustice are the larger obstacles to her popularity.</p>
<p>In positioning herself first and foremost as what she is not — Trump — Clinton is picking only the low-hanging fruit. My 9-year-old son could make fun of Trump in clever ways, and does so routinely. For Clinton to fixate on Trump’s endless flaws suggests that her own platform has little substance. For example, in a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/07/us/politics/hillary-clinton-trump-national-security.html" type="external">recent speech</a> she said of Trump, “He says he has a secret plan to defeat ISIS. The secret is, he has no plan.” While these kinds of statements might make for funny one-liners, Clinton’s main credential is that she once led the State Department, and she did so with such hawkishness that Americans who are weary of endless wars are not impressed by the experience. (Not to mention that she was <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/clintons-email-deceptions-1464219303" type="external">caught telling lies</a> about her private email server while secretary of state.) If she proposed diplomacy over war, a plan to exit Iraq/Afghanistan/Syria, a promise to withhold weapons from Saudi Arabia, a commitment to Palestinian human rights, and so on, voters might sit up and take note.</p>
<p>On domestic issues, Clinton is failing to articulate a progressive vision as well. A recently <a href="https://mic.com/articles/153157/leaked-democratic-memo-don-t-offer-support-for-black-lives-matter-policy-positions#.qcfdHdJZU" type="external">leaked memo</a> revealed that the Democratic Party views Black Lives Matter as a “radical” movement and should not “offer support for concrete policy positions.” Troy Perry, who wrote the memo, now is part of Clinton’s campaign team. Rather than quickly rebutting the memo and affirming her full support for the movement, Clinton has remained silent. Meanwhile, BLM issued a pointed response, saying, “We deserve to be heard, not handled.”</p>
<p>Black voters tend to vote Democratic—a fact the party has taken for granted for decades. But if Clinton wants to earn those votes, she could take a page out of Green Party presidential candidate <a href="http://patch.com/california/pacificpalisades/green-party-presidential-candidate-jill-stein-calls-firing-lapds-chief" type="external">Jill Stein’s book</a> and visit (or send a representative to visit) the ongoing occupation of Los Angeles City Hall by Black Lives Matter activists. BLM is calling on Mayor Eric Garcetti to fire Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck over a spate of killings by officers that has made his department the <a href="http://laist.com/2015/06/02/lapd_deaths_per_year.php" type="external">most violent</a> of all departments nationwide. Instead, Clinton <a href="http://patch.com/california/beverlyhills/hilary-clinton-set-visit-beverly-hills-fundraiser" type="external">goes to Beverly Hills</a> for a fundraiser to hobnob with wealthy donors and celebrities, including Garcetti.</p>
<p>Clinton has also failed to offer bold thinking on the hot-button issue of immigration. Trump, in a recent controversial visit to Mexico, reiterated his bizarre plan to build a border wall and have our southern neighbor pay for it. Though Clinton stands nowhere near such a plan—and does not embrace Trump’s announcement to ban Muslims—she does <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/09/01/donald-trump-s-immigration-proposals-may-have-a-secret-fan-hillary-clinton.html" type="external">share with him</a> some troubling aspects of an inhumane, enforcement-heavy approach to immigration, including the use of biometric data to track the undocumented. She has gone on record as saying, “I voted numerous times when I was a senator to spend money to build a barrier to try to prevent illegal immigrants from coming in. … And I do think you have to control your borders.” She also voted for a 2006 bill that called for a fence on the U.S.-Mexico border that’s only a few hundred miles shorter than what Trump is proposing. If Clinton wanted to excite her Latino base, she could take a far bolder stance, admitting that she was wrong on her earlier positions and offering a humane vision, more in line with the one Bernie Sanders <a href="https://berniesanders.com/a-fair-and-humane-immigration-policy/" type="external">articulated</a> that won him broad support. Rather than reaching out to American voters on such issues, Clinton has been busy pandering to one particular community: the uber-rich. According to a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/us/politics/hillary-clinton-fundraising.html" type="external">New York Times article</a>, she has made multiple trips to wealthy enclaves over the past month alone. In addition to Beverly Hills, she has visited Martha’s Vineyard and the Hamptons, rubbing elbows with celebrities and other rich elites. Just in August she raised more than $140 million through such fundraisers — <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/292117-gop-knocks-clinton-for-fundraising-spree" type="external">easy fodder for the GOP</a> to criticize in a new set of ads.</p>
<p>While making herself accessible to America’s upper classes, she has made herself almost completely unavailable to the press. Until Thursday, Clinton had not held a single news conference in 2016, inviting the unflattering comparison to <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/01/19/bushs-press-problem" type="external">President George W. Bush</a>, who came under fire for avoiding interactions with the media. Bush was skewered for acting like he was hiding something, afraid the press might ask hard questions that would invite a blundering response. Clinton, one could argue, does not need to win over the press—most mainstream outlets already embrace her nomination and are pushing hard for her election. A <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/05/opinion/hillary-clinton-gets-gored.html" type="external">recent article by Paul Krugman</a> in the Times is a prime example. Ordinary Americans, however, continue to be unimpressed.</p>
<p>Perhaps Clinton feels that she can win without trying. After all, she has <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/us/politics/hillary-clinton-fundraising.html" type="external">said publicly to her supporters</a>, “I stand between you and the apocalypse.” She is positioning herself as a better option for president than the apocalyptic one. But that’s not saying much. And perhaps that is the point.</p>
<p>Maybe Clinton thinks she does not need to win over ordinary Americans. She knows she has the support of the Wall Street elite, the Pentagon war hawks and even a growing number of Republicans, one of whom implored his fellow Republicans to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/06/opinion/save-the-republican-party-vote-for-clinton.html" type="external">save the party by voting for Clinton</a>.</p>
<p>And yet all of that may not be enough, as the polls are showing. What Americans are looking for is bold, visionary thinking that acknowledges how broken Washington, D.C., is at our collective expense. The majority of Americans do not want measured, lukewarm progressive positions that keep systems intact. This is why Sanders, in calling for a “political revolution,” attracted so many new and independent voters, especially young millennials. This is why Trump is gaining traction, because between the two major-party candidates, his pathetic piñata-inspiring figure is offering the bolder rhetoric.</p>
<p>If Clinton loses this election, it will not be because Americans are dumb, racist misogynists who would cut off their noses to spite their faces in refusing to elect a sane woman over an insane man. It will not be because too many Americans “selfishly” voted for a third party or didn’t vote at all. It will be because Clinton refused to compromise her allegiance to Wall Street and the morally bankrupt center-right establishment positions of her party and chose not to win over voters. This election is hers to lose, and if this nation ends up with President Trump, it will be most of all the fault of Clinton and the Democratic Party that backs her.</p> | This Election Is Hillary Clinton's to Lose, and She's Screwing It Up | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/this-election-is-hillary-clintons-to-lose-and-shes-screwing-it-up-2/ | 2016-09-08 | 4 |
<p><a href="" type="internal">Merrill Lynch</a> is giving some regional managers permission to offer unusually high upfront signing bonuses to attract top-tier brokers from rivals, according to several recruiters.</p>
<p>The second-largest brokerage firm is sweetening elements of a scheme unveiled in January, according to the recruiters who spoke on condition of anonymity.</p>
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<p>Merrill's offer, which is likely to be offered to a few dozen brokers, illustrates how difficult it has become to lure stars who have been locked into place through retention packages that pay bonuses over seven years or longer.</p>
<p>"There is flexibility on deals for the best of the best," said a recruiter briefed on the recruiting plan.</p>
<p>"Now managers don't have to ask for an exception."</p>
<p>A spokeswoman at Bank of America, the parent of Merrill Lynch, declined to comment.Terms of the deal are complex, as is often the case with payout grids and recruiting packages.</p>
<p>Top-echelon brokers can receive 150 percent of the fees and commissions they generated over the previous 12 months, supplemented by an additional 15 percent if they have attained certain professional designations such as the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards' CFP certification.</p>
<p>The aggressive package is well above the recent norm of 125 percent of trailing 12-month revenue in upfront cash, the recruiters said. The supplement is not new, but it has been standardized and put in writing for the first time, they said.</p>
<p>On the back end, brokers can get 200 percent of their annual production -- split evenly between cash and stock -- starting after 18 months. Balances would be paid out over the following five years as brokers hit targets for bringing in new client assets. The payouts are not capped.</p>
<p>The benchmarks are similar to those outlined in January, but Merrill has extended the deadline for meeting the first asset-gathering hurdle to 18 months, 50 percent longer than in the initial scheme.</p>
<p>The deadline for brokers to expand their starting books of business by half as many assets has been extended under the new plan to six-and-a-half years.</p>
<p>To collect the full amount of deferred pay, brokers must remain at Merrill for nine years.</p>
<p>Managers are also authorized to make offers to "second quintile" brokers at rival firms, with a maximum up-front bonus of 140 percent of trailing 12-month revenue in additionto the certification supplements. Back-end payments for this tier are capped at 350 percent of a broker's trailing-year revenue at the former firm, a recruiter said.</p>
<p>Bank of America on Friday unveiled first-quarter earnings that were below expectations, but bolstered by contributions from Merrill Lynch.</p>
<p>Brian Moynihan, chief executive of the bank company, has publicly expressed disappointment with Merrill's recruiting performance in 2010. The broker-dealer this year has articulated an ambitious plan to expand its brokerage force by a net 8 percent in 2011, or more than 1,200 brokers.</p>
<p>In the first quarter, Merrill added 184 advisers, bringing its brokerage force to 15,695, the bank said Friday. That's down from 16,690 that Merrill boasted in September 2008 when it agreed in the depths of the financial crisis to sell itself to Bank of America.</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Morgan Stanley</a> Smith Barney is now the number one broker, with more than 18,000 retail advisers.</p>
<p>(Reporting by Joseph A. Giannone, editing by Jed Horowitz)</p>
<p>(([email protected]; Tel: +1 646 223 6184; www. <a href="" type="internal">twitter</a>.com/reutersjoe ))</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | Report: Merrill Offers Big Bonuses to Entice Top Talent | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/04/15/report-merrill-offers-big-bonuses-entice-talent.html | 2016-01-28 | 0 |
<p>During the funeral in Charleston, SC for the shooting victims something odd happened. Governor Nikki Haley (SC-R) hugged Al Sharpton.</p>
<p>Al Sharpton showed off the hug during his broadcast on MSNBC’s Politics Nation and said Haley usually sees Sharpton out the window marching on here but she said if he would just have went inside and held out his hand she would have hugged him and that’s what she did on Friday.</p>
<p>Haley also agreed to meet with Al Sharpton and discuss the issues.</p>
<p>Sharpton says:</p>
<p>It’s a step in the right direction.</p>
<p>Some feel, it is the end of Haley’s career as a Republican politician.</p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Gov. Nikki Haley Hugged Al Sharpton at Charleston Funeral | true | http://shark-tank.com/2015/06/27/gov-nikki-haley-hugged-al-sharpton-at-charleston-funeral/ | 0 |
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<p>Dear Errol: The fraudulent, unlicensed contractor may or may not have made significant errors in the work that was done. That is what needs to be determined. Try to find a qualified contractor in your area with a solid reputation for quality workmanship and professional integrity (someone, of course, who is licensed). You might have a friend or relative who has had a good experience with a contractor and can give you a referral. You can also check online at Angie's List to see who has a good following in your area.</p>
<p>Have the contractor assess the work that was done to see what is needed for completion. Then set up an appointment for you and your contractor to meet with someone at the local building department to discuss the details of the unpermitted work. Explain that you were unaware of the lack of a permit and that you mistakenly believed that the work was being done legally. Let the building official know that you want to complete the project according to code. Ask if you can take out an as-built permit and have the completed work evaluated and approved. Once they inspect the work, you and your contractor will know what needs to be done to satisfy all legal requirements.</p>
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<p>Dear Barry: We nearly sold our home, but the deal fell through because of conditions that were reported by the buyers' home inspector. Unfortunately, we never got a copy of the inspection report, so we have no idea what is supposedly wrong with our home. If we don't know what the problems are, we can't fix them before putting our home back on the market. Aren't we allowed to have a copy of the inspection report so that we can see what killed the deal? - Angela</p>
<p>Dear Angela: It is reasonable to expect a copy of the home inspection report, but that is not what decides the issue. Whether you are entitled to a copy is based entirely on the terms of the purchase contract between you and the buyers who canceled the sale. Real-estate purchase contracts often specify that sellers are to receive copies of inspection reports, but that is not always the case. Read the terms of the purchase contract to see if the buyers are required to give you a copy of the report. If so, you should insist they provide one. If the buyers' deposit is still held in escrow, you can make this a condition for canceling the escrow and releasing their deposit.</p>
<p>Distributed by Action Coast Publishing. To write to Barry Stone, please visit him on the web at <a href="http://www.housedetective.com" type="external">housedetective.com</a></p>
<p /> | Unlicensed contractor skipped on project | false | https://abqjournal.com/343022/unlicensed-contractor-skipped-on-project.html | 2 |
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<p>Barack Obama praised the Egyptian revolution with his usual eloquence. “Egyptians have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day,” he said. “It was the moral force of nonviolence — not terrorism, not mindless killing — that bent the arc of history toward justice once more.”</p>
<p>It would have meant more could he have said his administration had helped bend the arc. But mostly Washington was behind the curve in this revolt: sometimes, indeed, it was on the wrong side of the barricades.</p>
<p>Egypt’s tumultuous 18 days caught the US off-balance and off-guard. Despite an investment of $35 billion in military aid to Egypt over 32 years, the administration wielded little influence over Hosni Mubarak’s regime and none at all over the millions that made it fall.</p>
<p>Nor — whatever the rhetorical flourishes — was there any doubt about America’s primary goal: having recognised that the scale of the protests meant a move to a post-Mubarak era in Egypt was irreversible, it nonetheless kept insisting any transition must be “orderly”, be led by the military and that it cast in rock Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel, the cornerstone of a US regional order the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt have started to loosen.</p>
<p>“The core of what is the American interest in this… is Israel,” said Daniel Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator. And, “the problem for America is you can balance being the carrier for the Israeli agenda with Arab autocrats, but with Arab democrats, you can’t do that.”</p>
<p>That’s why Washington’s relief was audible when, on 12 February, Egypt’s new military rulers announced they would honour all international treaties. It’s also why the first emissary Obama sent to the region after Mubarak’s fall was not to meet the young revolutionaries on Tahrir Square but rather the old rulers in Jordan and Israel, two among several regional allies shaken by the tremor. “We want to reassure our… partners that our commitment to them… remains strong,” said a US military spokesman.</p>
<p>United on the goal, the administration was divided over tactics. Obama, convinced the wave of protests was real and irrepressible, worried that any US failure to side with them would be remembered with bitterness by Egypt’s next generation and potential leaders. This was why he exhorted Mubarak — in public and private — that any transition must be “genuine” and “must start now”.</p>
<p>Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, however, stressed orderliness. Prompted by Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, she warned that a too rapid move to elections risked the process being “hijacked by new autocrats”. The reference was to Iran 1979 but it also gave credence to an Israeli bogey of the Muslim Brotherhood taking power via a free vote, à la Hamas in the 2006 Palestinian elections.</p>
<p>The upshot was a policy incoherence that satisfied no one. Egypt’s revolutionary youth spied rejection; the regime saw perfidy; while America’s regional partners smelled betrayal, appalled by its apparent readiness to ditch a loyal ally of 30 years.</p>
<p>Washington seems to be weaving the same opacity for the post-Mubarak transition. On 11 February Obama called on the military to lift Egypt’s emergency and revise the constitution to make change “irreversible”. But he ignored civilian demands for a presidential council to replace the military one and a transitional government to succeed a cabinet handpicked by Mubarak. This may eventually chart a path to civilian rule. But its road is clearly martial, with only the military empowered to map the course.</p>
<p>There are also rumours of a well-oiled American “democracy promotion machinery” to steer Egypt’s “youthful secular forces” into the void left by the NDP and sideline any resurgent Brotherhood. But co-option is not going to work. One of Washington’s former doyens, Ayman Nour, told Egypt Radio on 12 February that “the Camp David Accord [peace accord with Israel] is over… Egypt must at least renegotiate the terms.”</p>
<p>The US seems not to have learned any of the lessons of Egypt’s revolution. Preoccupied with seeking regime or self-appointed “transitional” figures who refused or were unable to transition, it failed to see what was before its eyes: that Egypt’s young revolutionaries had between themselves transcended those old ideological divides of liberalism, secularism and Islamism and instead, in liberating Tahrir Square, had become the beacon for a national and popular movement that shook the regime to its core.</p>
<p>It wasn’t US pressure that compelled the military to divest Mubarak of his powers. It was lawyers, doctors, textile workers taking to the streets in an avalanche of strikes, demonstrations and nonviolent civil disobedience. The military elites were loyal to Mubarak, said a Western diplomat in Cairo on 11 February, but “it became increasingly clear they would not go down with” him.</p>
<p>Second, any “genuine democracy” at home will mean independence abroad. It’s not clear what will be the fate of Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel. It will probably rest on the power of what remains an unreconstructed military in the next Egyptian government.</p>
<p>But one thing is clear. Any military even remotely accountable to an elected Egyptian civilian government will never again be allowed to collaborate in the siege on Gaza; in the rendition of CIA fingered “suspects” to interrogators and torturers in Egyptian prisons; or in a sham American “peace process” that delivers security to Israel while it colonises what remains of Palestine. In any free Egypt the depth of peace will be measured by the extent of Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territory and the degree of Palestinian independence on its soil.</p>
<p>Perhaps the US will convey that message to its allies. But few in Egypt will be holding their breath. And those who helped fan a spark into a prairie fire will probably shrug their shoulders. “If the US supports the revolution, it is good for the US,” Islam Lotfy told the New York Times on the revolution’s 13th day. “If they don’t, it’s an Egyptian issue.”</p>
<p>GRAHAM USHER writes for Al Ahram Weekly, where this article originally appeared.</p>
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<p /> | Why Washington Never Understood Egypt’s Revolution | true | https://counterpunch.org/2011/02/23/why-washington-never-understood-egypt-s-revolution/ | 2011-02-23 | 4 |
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<p>Bernalillo County is tantalizingly close to an agreement that could end a 20-year lawsuit focused on crowding and other conditions in its jail system - litigation that has cost the county millions of dollars.</p>
<p>The Journal has learned that county commissioners and attorneys who represent jail inmates have approved the agreement, as has the special master in the case. They are awaiting final approval from Senior U.S. District Judge James Parker.</p>
<p>The 89-page proposed settlement outlines a series of steps the jail would be required to take for the suit to be dismissed.</p>
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<p>Experts would help evaluate a variety of conditions inside the Metropolitan Detention Center - including the handling of mental health and medical services, use of force and sexual misconduct. The suit could be dismissed once the court rules the county has met certain standards in each area.</p>
<p>Bernalillo County released the proposed settlement Tuesday after a Journal records request.</p>
<p>"If this settlement agreement is approved by Judge Parker, it will provide a specific, systemic road map to ending what is now a 20-year-old lawsuit," County Commission Chairwoman Maggie Hart Stebbins said Tuesday.</p>
<p>County Commissioner Wayne Johnson said he's "cautiously optimistic this will put us on a path to resolve the situation."</p>
<p>The proposed settlement calls for the county to cap the jail population at 1,950 inmates, or the operating capacity of the Metropolitan Detention Center. The agreement also would prohibit holding three inmates in cells designed for two.</p>
<p>Population drops</p>
<p>Dismissal of the suit could save taxpayers money. The county estimates it spends about $1 million a year on legal fees and similar costs related to the lawsuit, and it spent $6 million at one point to ship inmates to jails in Texas and elsewhere.</p>
<p>Escalating jail costs played a role in the County Commission's decision earlier this year to raise $30 million in sales taxes. Most of the new revenue is earmarked for new mental and behavioral health programs, the rest for balancing the county's basic operating budget.</p>
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<p>The county says the annual cost of the jail has roughly doubled over the past decade, to $80 million, much of it because of efforts to reduce crowding.</p>
<p>Inmates filed the class-action lawsuit in 1995, alleging that crowding and other conditions violated their constitutional rights. The suit continued even after the county shut its Downtown jail a dozen years ago and moved inmates to a new jail west of Albuquerque.</p>
<p>The new jail - one of the 40 largest in the country - has 2,236 beds, although the operating capacity is 1,950 inmates.</p>
<p>More than 2,600 inmates at a time have squeezed inside, many sleeping on cots. The population averaged about 2,500 or more for seven consecutive years, before starting to taper off in the past three years.</p>
<p>The population was down to 1,457 inmates Tuesday afternoon.</p>
<p>Officials say better cooperation among the county, judges and other criminal-justice agencies has helped reduce the population. Those efforts include expanded use of a program that supervises people in the community as they await trial and the county's funding of pro tem judges to preside over some preliminary and probation hearings, which reduces the time inmates spend waiting.</p>
<p>One factor is new deadlines for the prosecution of cases in state District Court, though officials say they started to see declines well before that. Police and prosecutors say the tight deadlines have led to numerous dismissals, including cases involving dangerous criminal defendants.</p>
<p>Getting approval</p>
<p>The proposed settlement has not been scheduled for a hearing before Judge Parker.</p>
<p>Inmates are expected to have a chance to weigh in on whether the proposed agreement is adequate.</p>
<p>Alan Torgerson, a retired federal magistrate judge, was appointed as special master in the case last year. He has worked as a mediator of sorts with attorneys for the inmates and county to resolve the lawsuit.</p>
<p>Torgerson has approved the proposed settlement.</p>
<p>Attorneys for the inmates had no comment Tuesday.</p>
<p />
<p /> | Long legal fight over county jail could be near end | false | https://abqjournal.com/684392/proposed-settlement-could-end-long-legal-fight-over-county-jail.html | 2015-12-01 | 2 |
<p>Amidst talk about financial bailouts, economic atrophy and capitalist doom, another doomsday scenario has quietly faded away.&#160;&#160; Whatever happened to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) mounted by those cheeky scientists of Cern (European Organization for Nuclear Research) laboratory on September 10?&#160; The purpose, you may remember, was to simulate conditions of the universe at the point of its origin.&#160; The location was a place near Geneva.</p>
<p>In one word, it melted.&#160; A faulty connection between two supercooling magnets was cited as the culprit.&#160; One of the biggest scientific experiments in history has been turned off.&#160; It looks like we won’t have the pleasure of seeing humanity’s first pet black hole, if we are to believe some critics of the project.&#160; That black hole, it was said, might result in the consumption of the earth. Such is the nature of apocalyptic fantasies: they proliferate then hibernate.&#160;&#160; To keep mulling over them makes one sound like a deranged mystic.&#160; They take one back to similar doomsday scenarios in science.&#160; One need not go far.&#160; The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists ( September 9), always at the ready to warn the morally lazy that world extinction is merely a trigger away, considered some of these in a review of the collider (public name, ‘Halo’). During the Manhattan Project, Chief scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer commissioned a report – ‘LA-602: Ignition of the Atmosphere of with Nuclear Bombs’– which considered whether the detonation of an atomic explosion might lead to an uncontrollable sequence of nuclear reactions that would exterminate life on earth.</p>
<p>The report showed ‘that, whatever the temperature to which a section of the atmosphere may be heated, no self-propagating chain of nuclear reactions is likely to be started.’&#160; Good for the project scientists, bad for the Japanese and everybody else: the project was allowed to continue to fruition.</p>
<p>The writers for the Bulletin – Anders Sandberg, Jason G. Matheny and Milan M. "irkovi" – suggest that the scholarly literature on extinction is bare, and would barely fill a one-page bibliography.&#160; They evidently did not consult medieval treatises or those of earlier civilizations which ponder the prospect of humanity’s end with eschatological relish.&#160;&#160; Extinction – that is, human extinction – should be put on the policy books.&#160; In truth, every scientist and policy maker specializing in a field that touches on the subject of demise and catastrophe (earthquakes, climate change, tsunamis, pandemics) all want a share of the doomsday pie.&#160;&#160; One-page bibliographies are more like anthologies of destruction, actual and imminent.</p>
<p>The authors are not being optimistic enough.&#160; An audience of one billion was observing the Halo with voyeuristic pleasure. Would they live to tell the tale?&#160; Would beautiful Geneva vanish in the maelstrom of a black hole?&#160; Protons were circulated around the collider without initial incident.&#160; Then came the release of helium to cool the magnets used in guiding the particles within Halo, something in order of a ton.&#160; A ‘quench’ thereby resulted – some 100 cooling magnets reaching temperatures of 100 degrees.</p>
<p>The damage inflicted will result in a delay of two months.&#160; And that is far from theoretical.&#160; The bill for the damage so far stands at $6.6 billion. The jury on human life, and its intense interest in its own demise, is still out.</p>
<p>BINOY KAMPMARK was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, University of Cambridge: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p>
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<p>&#160;</p> | Let’s Talk About Extinction: CERN and Halo | true | https://counterpunch.org/2008/10/07/let-s-talk-about-extinction-cern-and-halo/ | 2008-10-07 | 4 |
<p>As the poor of Britain rise in a fury of inchoate rage and stock exchanges worldwide experience manic upswings and panicked swoons, the financial elite (and their political operatives) are arrayed in a defensive posture, even as they continue their global-wide, full-spectrum offensive vis-à-vie The Shock Doctrine. Concurrently, corporate mass media types fret over the reversal of fortune and trumpet the triumphs of the self-serving agendas of Wall Street and corporate swindlers…even as they term a feller, in ill-gotten possession of a flat screen television, fleeing through the streets of North London, a mindless thug.</p>
<p>According to the through-the-looking-glass cosmology of mass media elitists, when a poor person commits a crime of opportunity, his actions are a threat to all we hold dear and sacred, but, when the hyper-wealthy of the entrenched looter class abscond with billions, those criminals are referred to as our financial leaders.</p>
<p>Regardless of the propaganda of “free market” fantasists, the great unspeakable in regard to capitalism is its wealth, by and large, is generated for a ruthless, privileged few by the creation of bubbles, and, when those bubbles burst, the resultant economic catastrophe inflicts a vastly disproportionate amount of harm upon those — the laboring and middle classes — who generate grossly inequitable amounts of capital for the elitist of the fraudster class…by having the life force drained from them by the vampiric set-up of the gamed system.</p>
<p>Woody Guthrie summed up the situation in these two (unfortunately) ageless stanzas:</p>
<p>“Yes, as through this world I’ve wandered I’ve seen lots of funny men; Some will rob you with a sixgun, And some with a fountain pen.</p>
<p>“And as through your life you travel, Yes, as through your life you roam, You won’t never see an outlaw Drive a family from their home.”</p>
<p>–excerpt from Pretty Boy Floyd.</p>
<p>Although, at present, U.S. bank vaults contain little tangible loot for a Pretty Boy Floyd-type outlaw to boost. How would it be possible for an old school bank robber such as Floyd to make-off with a haul of funneling electrons?</p>
<p>Here’s the lowdown: The Wall Street fraudsters of the swindler class want to refill their coffers and line their pockets (that is, offshore accounts) with Social Security and Medicare funds. That’s the nature of the unfolding scam, folks. Oligarchic rule has always been a system defined by legalized looting that leaves a wasteland of want, deprivation, and unfocused rage in its wake.</p>
<p>Consequently, in the U.K. (and beyond): When poor people’s hopes dry up, cities become a tinderbox of dead dreams, and we should not be stricken with shock and consternation when these degraded places are set aflame, nor should we be surprised when the bribed, debt-beholden and commercial media propaganda-bamboozled middle class (who helped create the wasteland with their arid complicity) cry out (predictably) for police state tactics to quell the fiery insurrection.</p>
<p>There have been incidents in which a fire has smoldered for years in an abandoned, sealed-off mineshaft, and then the fire, traveling through the tunnels of the mine, and up the roots of dead, dried trees have caused a dying forest to bloom into flames. The rage that sparks a riot can proceed in a similar manner — and the insular, sealed-off nature of a nation’s elite and the willful ignorance of its middle class will only make the explosion of pent-up rage more powerful when it reaches the surface.</p>
<p>We exist in a culture that, day after day, inundates its have-nots with consumerist propaganda, and then, when the social order breaks down, its wealthy and bourgeoisie alike express outrage when the poor steal consumer goods — as opposed to going out and looting an education and a good job.</p>
<p>Under Disaster Capitalism, the underclass have had economic violence inflicted upon them since birth, yet the corporate state mass media doesn’t seem to notice the situation, until young men burn down the night. Then media elitists wax indignant, carrying on as if these desperate acts are devoid of cultural context.</p>
<p>A mindset has been instilled in these young men and boys that they are nothing sans the accoutrements of consumerism. Yet when they loot an i-Phone, as opposed to creating economy-shredding derivative scams, we’re prompted by the corporate media to become indignant.</p>
<p>When the slow motion, elitist-manipulated mob action known as our faux democratic/consumerist culture deprives people of their basic human rights and personal dignity — then, in turn, we should not be shocked when a mob of the underclass fails to bestow those virtues upon others.</p>
<p>The commercial mass media’s narrative of narrowed context (emotional, anecdotal and unreflective in nature) serves as a form of corporate state propaganda, promulgated to ensure the general population continues to rage against the symptoms rather than the disease of neoliberalism. The false framing of opposing opinions — of those who state the deprivations of neoliberalism factor into the causes of uprisings, insurrections and riots as being apologists for violence and destruction is as preposterous as claiming one is an apologist for dry rot when he points out structural damage to a house due to a leaking roof.</p>
<p>Because of the elements of inverted totalitarianism, inherent within the structure of corporate state capitalism, and internalized within the general population by constant, commercial media re-enforcement, one should not be surprised when a sizable portion of the general populace is inclined to support police state tactics to quell social unrest among the disadvantaged of the population.</p>
<p>Keep in mind: When watching the BBC or the corporate media, one is receiving a limited narrative (tacitly) approved by the global power elite, created by informal arrangements among a careerist cartel comprised of business, governmental and media personality types who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, even if, in doing so, they serve as operatives of a burgeoning police state.</p>
<p>Accordingly, you can’t debate fascist thinking with reason nor empathetic imagination e.g., the self-righteous (and self-serving) pronouncements of mass media representatives nor the attendant outrage of the denizens of the corporate state in their audience — their umbrage engineered by the emotionally laden images with which they have been relentlessly pummeled and plied — because their responses will be borne of (conveniently) lazy generalizations, given impetus by fear-based animus.</p>
<p>Through it all, veiled by disorienting media distractions and political legerdemain, we find ourselves buffeted and bound by the predicament of paradigm lost…that constitutes the onset of the unraveling of the present order.</p>
<p>“The kings of the world are growing old, and they shall have no inheritors. Their sons died while they were boys, and their neurasthenic daughters abandoned the sick crown to the mob.”</p>
<p>–Rainer Maria Rilke, excerpt from The Kings of the World”</p>
<p>Yet, while there is proliferate evidence that, even as people worldwide are rising up against inequity and exploitation, the economic elite have little inclination to do so much as glimpse the plight of those from whose life blood their immense riches have been wrung, nor hear the admonition of the downtrodden…that they are weary of life on their knees and are awakening to the reality that the con of freedom of choice under corporate state oligarchy is, in fact, a life shackled to the consumerism-addicted/debt-indenturement that comprises the structure of the neoliberal, global company store.</p>
<p>“The rotten masks that divide one man From another, one man from himself They crumble For one enormous moment and we glimpse The unity that we lost, the desolation …Of being man, and all its glories Sharing bread and sun and death The forgotten astonishment of being alive”</p>
<p>–Octavio Paz, excerpt from “Sunstone”</p>
<p>Accordingly, the most profound act of selfless devotion (commonly called love) in relationship to a society gripped by a sociopathic mode of being is creative resistance. Submission is madness. Sanity entails subversion. The heart insists on it; otherwise, life is only a slog to the graveyard; mouth, full of ashes; heart, a receptacle for dust.</p>
<p>Phil Rockstroh&#160;is a poet, lyricist and philosopher bard living in New York City. He may be contacted at:&#160; <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>&#160;. Visit Phil’s website <a href="http://philrockstroh.com/" type="external">http://philrockstroh.com</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Life in an Age of Looting | true | https://counterpunch.org/2011/08/12/life-in-an-age-of-looting/ | 2011-08-12 | 4 |
<p>With a dearth of smiles in Zimbabwe on Wednesday, Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as prime minister by his political nemesis president Robert Mugabe. The long fight to this moment, which included Tsvangirai's exile and the death of many of his political supporters, has culminated in a power-sharing agreement between the two men and their parties.</p>
<p>The Guardian:</p>
<p>Morgan Tsvangirai was sworn in as Zimbabwe's new prime minister today, but was prevented from addressing the nation on television in a sign of the power struggles likely to come in the powersharing government with the president, Robert Mugabe.</p>
<p>Mugabe administered the oath of office to his bitter rival just a few months after saying he would never talk to the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, let alone share power with him.</p>
<p />
<p>Tsvangirai stepped up to the podium and shook Mugabe's hand. The new prime minister raised his right hand and promised to be faithful to Zimbabwe, observe its laws and serve it well. The rival leaders signed papers and shook hands again. There were no smiles.</p>
<p>Under the coalition agreement, Mugabe remains president with Tsvangirai overseeing the daily administration of government as prime minister. Cabinet seats are almost equally divided, with a small breakaway MDC faction also represented.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/feb/11/tsvangirai-zimbabwe-prime-minister-mugabe" type="external">Read more</a></p> | A New Day in Zimbabwe | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/a-new-day-in-zimbabwe/ | 2009-02-11 | 4 |
<p>The five-game suspension that was levied against <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Cincinnati-Bengals/" type="external">Cincinnati Bengals</a> linebacker <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Vontaze-Burfict/" type="external">Vontaze Burfict</a> has been reduced to three games, the NFL announced Wednesday.</p>
<p>Burfict’s suspension resulted when he made an illegal hit against <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Kansas-City-Chiefs/" type="external">Kansas City Chiefs</a> fullback Anthony Sherman in a preseason game earlier this month.</p>
<p>James Thrash, a former NFL wide receiver, presided over the appeal.</p>
<p>According to the league, Burfict hit the player while in a defenseless posture, which is illegal based on a new rule the NFL implemented this year.</p>
<p>Earlier this week, Bengals coach <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Marvin_Lewis/" type="external">Marvin Lewis</a> argued Burfict’s hit this preseason was legal.</p>
<p>“His head was out to the left, as you can see in every single angle,” Lewis said, according to ESPN.com. “Behind, front, television, All-22, it’s always out to the side and in front of the player. There’s no contact whatsoever. And if you have to slow down things in high definition and go frame by frame, and you’re still not sure, we don’t officiate the game that way. … I don’t see how the players can be held to that standard as well.”</p>
<p>Burfict is a repeat offender. He was suspended the first three games of the 2016 season for several violations of player safety rules. It included an illegal hit on <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Pittsburgh_Steelers/" type="external">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> wide receiver <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Antonio_Brown/" type="external">Antonio Brown</a> during the 2015 playoffs.</p>
<p>During his five-year NFL career, Burfict has been penalized 16 times for unnecessary roughness and has been fined nearly $800,000.</p> | Cincinnati Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict has suspension reduced by NFL | false | https://newsline.com/cincinnati-bengals-lb-vontaze-burfict-has-suspension-reduced-by-nfl/ | 2017-08-30 | 1 |
<p />
<p>Nutritional-supplement maker Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) is a polarizing company. In a battle of the billionaires, Pershing Square investing guru Bill Ackman has shorted the stock in a very public manner, accusing Herbalife of being a fraudulent pyramid scheme. That triggered a large investment from Carl Icahn, whose funds now own 24% of the company.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Whether you side with Ackman or Icahn, you should take a look at these two warning signs from Herbalife's latest <a href="http://ir.herbalife.com/common/download/download.cfm?companyid=ABEA-48ZAJ9&amp;fileid=930208&amp;filekey=582DFC32-48A6-4A5F-AF0D-0CADB6C4669B&amp;filename=2.23.17_Call.pdf" type="external">earnings call Opens a New Window.</a> before taking any action on that stock.</p>
<p>A selection of Herbalife's nutritional supplements. Image source: Herbalife.</p>
<p>In the call, Herbalife executives stated and restated the popularity of the new "preferred member" program, which allows customers to be just customers with no obligation to sell Herbalife product of their own. The repeated assurances ring hollow, almost <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh163n1lJ4M" type="external">Nixon-eque Opens a New Window.</a> in their earnest declarations of innocence.</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>Here are a couple of samples from Herbalife's protestations. From CEO Michael Johnson:</p>
<p>"Since October, approximately 300,000 people have converted to, or signed up as preferred members, people who love our products and want to enjoy them at a discount. This figure should leave no doubt in anyone's mind that there is genuine customer demand for our Herbalife Nutrition products."</p>
<p>And from COO Rich Goudis:</p>
<p>"Listen, half of the U.S. population today for our member base are preferred customers, discount customers who can't resell the product or who don't want to sign up with somebody else. So, we put to rest all of the hogwash out there about not having real customers."</p>
<p>Mind you, Herbalife didn't implement the preferred-member program out of the goodness of its heart. That classification was created last summer to address the terms of <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2016/07/27/ftc-herbalife-is-not-a-pyramid-scheme.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">Herbalife's $200 million settlement Opens a New Window.</a> with the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC agreed to stop calling Herbalife a "pyramid scheme," but only after requiring the company to make some changes to its distribution system.</p>
<p>That's where the "preferred member" platform was born. Now management wants to brag about it. Fine, but it wasn't your idea, and you would much rather not do it at all.</p>
<p>Image source: Getty Images.</p>
<p>After several years of massive sales growth, China ranked as Herbalife's third largest market by the end of 2015. Moreover, the Chinese segment was growing at an annual clip of 27% while the other five reported geographic markets saw shrinking sales instead.</p>
<p>China's growth came to a screeching halt in 2016. Revenue increased by just 3% year over year amid 11% lower product shipments. Management addressed the Chinese weakness in the earnings call, but the new plan didn't exactly inspire confidence:</p>
<p>"Our Chinese customers trust and value our premium quality nutrition brand, and we have more active distributors in China than ever before. However, in the second half of 2016, we saw a decline in our business," Johnson said. "To this end, we have clearly identified the issues leading to the downturn and are confident that we have mapped out a plan that will return us to growth as we progress through 2017. Part of this plan relies heavily on going back to the basics, focusing on the importance of one-on-one personal relationships between distributors and their customers."</p>
<p>In short, the company made a big marketing push through Chinese social media last year, and it didn't really work out. That special one-on-one sales magic went missing, and is now being brought back.</p>
<p>In an effort to improve distribution in the Middle Kingdom, Herbalife also opened up a manufacturing facility in Nanjing last year. That's probably the most helpful effort that's happening in China right now, but it won't make much of a difference unless Herbalife can restart its local sales and marketing success.</p>
<p>10 stocks we like better than HerbalifeWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*</p>
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<p>*Stock Advisor returns as of April 3, 2017</p>
<p><a href="http://my.fool.com/profile/TMFZahrim/info.aspx" type="external">Anders Bylund Opens a New Window.</a> has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a <a href="http://www.fool.com/Legal/fool-disclosure-policy.aspx?&amp;utm_campaign=article&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_source=foxbusiness" type="external">disclosure policy Opens a New Window.</a>.</p> | 2 Red Flags in Herbalife Ltd.'s Conference Call | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/04/22/2-red-flags-in-herbalife-ltd-conference-call.html | 2017-04-22 | 0 |
<p>On Thursday, the FCC’s net neutrality rule was published in the&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Federal Register</a>. This was the official start of the next phase of the campaign to protect the open Internet as a common carrier with equal access for all and without prejudice based on content (net neutrality).</p>
<p>There are multiple fronts of struggle to make net neutrality a reality: Congress, the courts, states and communities. This is part of a campaign to create an&#160; <a href="https://popularresistance.org/newsletter-creating-21st-century-internet/" type="external">Internet for the 21st Century</a>&#160;that is fast, reliable and available in all communities.</p>
<p>Polls show widespread support for net neutrality. Last year, polling found 77% of people in the United States “support keeping the net neutrality rules, which are already in place”&#160;and&#160;87% agree that “people should be able to access any websites they want&#160;on the internet, without any blocking, slowing down, or throttling by their internet service providers.” The FCC’s net neutrality rule does the opposite of the national consensus, and if members of Congress want support from Internet users, they need to reverse the FCC’s rule.</p>
<p>Repeal the FCC Anti-Net Neutrality Order In Congress</p>
<p>Under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), Congress can reject a federal agency’s decision. The net neutrality movement has 60&#160;legislative&#160;days to push Congress to reverse the FCC’s order and return net neutrality rules that reclassified the Internet under Title II of the Federal Communications Act. Title II classification ensured the Internet was a common carrier with equal access for all. The movement is working in both bodies of Congress to&#160; <a href="https://popularresistance.org/net-neutrality-floor-vote-will-force-senators-to-go-on-record/" type="external">put elected officials on record</a>&#160;for their positions so they can be held accountable.</p>
<p>Net neutrality proponents have been organizing for a Resolution of Disapproval under the CRA since the FCC announced its decision last December. There are already&#160; <a href="https://popularresistance.org/senate-will-vote-on-repeal-of-fcc-net-neutrality-decision/" type="external">enough co-sponsors to ensure a vote in the Senate,</a>&#160;but we are one&#160; <a href="" type="internal">vote away from victory</a>. Right now all Senate Democrats, both independents,&#160;Senators Bernie Sanders (VT) and Angus King (ME), and one Republican, Susan Collins (ME), have agreed to vote for the resolution. This has the Senate in a tie, which would be broken by Vice President Mike Pence.&#160; There are several possible Republicans, e.g.&#160;&#160;Sen. John Kennedy (LA), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK), Sen. Dean Heller (NV), Sen. Dan Sullivan (AK), Sen. Cory Gardner (CO), and Sen. John McCain (AZ), who might join Collins in opposing the FCC rule.</p>
<p>Next Tuesday, February 27, the&#160; <a href="http://www.protectourinternet.org/" type="external">Internet coalition</a>&#160;has organized a&#160; <a href="https://popularresistance.org/operation-onemorevote/" type="external">#OneMoreVote national day of action.</a>&#160;Go to&#160; <a href="https://www.battleforthenet.com/onemorevote/" type="external">Battle for the Net’s #OneMoreVote campaign</a>&#160;to encourage your Senator to get behind the CRA. There will be a&#160; <a href="" type="internal">rally for the #OneMoveVote campaign outside the Senate</a>&#160;in Washington, DC as part of the national day of action.</p>
<p>The Internet Service Providers’ position is being advocated for by the right-wing group, Freedom Works, who defends the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality. They will be holding a day of action on Monday. They are taking the CRA challenge seriously and can no longer ignore us.</p>
<p>There has also been organizing in the US House of Representatives. On January 16,&#160;Representative Mike Doyle (PA-14) unveiled the names of 82 original cosponsors of his CRA resolution. Including Doyle, the list totals 83 and includes House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. A majority of House members are needed to move forward.</p>
<p>This&#160; <a href="" type="internal">movement intends to make net neutrality an issue in the 2018 election</a>. Republicans, in particular, are worried about a Trump-caused election against them, resulting in large numbers of retirements. Voters across the political spectrum support net neutrality. Republicans need to join the national consensus or pay a political price.</p>
<p>After we succeed in both Chambers, President Trump will need to decide if he is with the people or the telecoms. If we are successful in both Houses of Congress, we will have built a lot of political power that will be dangerous for Trump to ignore.</p>
<p>Net Neutrality in the Courts</p>
<p>The publication of the FCC rule repealing net neutrality also&#160; <a href="https://popularresistance.org/lawsuits-try-stopping-fcc-from-killing-open-internet/" type="external">restarts litigation</a>&#160;to challenge the FCC rule, which seeks an injunction to stop the rule from being implemented. State attorneys general, public interest groups and internet companies are all taking legal action in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. The goal is for the FCC rule to be remanded for reconsideration and for it to be enjoined pending the outcome of the litigation. Courts tend to favor federal agencies, but we have a strong case.</p>
<p>The central arguments will be that the&#160;FCC’s action was arbitrary and capricious and abuse of their discretion by reversing net neutrality rules. Further, the FCC misinterpreted and disregarded critical evidence on industry practices, and their decision will harm consumers and businesses. In addition, the procedures followed by the FCC violated the Administrative Procedures Act.</p>
<p>Over the next ten days, lawsuits will be filed by several net neutrality advocacy groups. Those that have filed or pledged to do so include&#160; <a href="https://act.freepress.net/donate/internet_nn_lawsuit/" type="external">Free Press</a>,&#160; <a href="https://www.publicknowledge.org/press-release/public-knowledge-challenges-reckless-fcc-net-neutrality-rollback" type="external">Public Knowledge</a>&#160;and the&#160; <a href="https://popularresistance.org/montana-enacts-net-neutrality-provides-template-for-other-states-to-follow/" type="external">Open Technology Institute</a>. In addition,&#160; <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-internet/states-refile-lawsuits-to-block-repeal-of-u-s-net-neutrality-idUSKCN1G62F8" type="external">22 states and the District of Columbia</a>&#160;have refiled their lawsuits against the FCC to restore its original rules.&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Mozilla and Vimeo have also filed suit</a>&#160;to protect net neutrality.</p>
<p>Net Neutrality in States and Local Communities</p>
<p>The campaign for net neutrality is also working at&#160; <a href="https://popularresistance.org/states-and-cities-keep-battle-for-net-neutrality-alive/" type="external">the state and local level</a>. In&#160; <a href="" type="internal">more than half</a>&#160;of the&#160; <a href="https://popularresistance.org/snubbing-fcc-states-are-writing-their-own-net-neutrality-laws/" type="external">states, net neutrality protections are moving forward</a>.</p>
<p>In&#160; <a href="" type="internal">California</a>,&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Hawaii</a>,&#160; <a href="" type="internal">New York</a>,&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Montana</a>&#160;and&#160; <a href="" type="internal">Vermont</a>&#160;legislation is in the works that would preserve internet neutrality. The FCC’s new rule says states&#160; <a href="" type="internal">are not allowed</a>&#160;to pass their own net neutrality laws, but many are trying to do so with various legal workarounds. It is likely these state and local actions will require litigation to be put into place.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-internet/states-refile-lawsuits-to-block-repeal-of-u-s-net-neutrality-idUSKCN1G62F8" type="external">Governors</a>&#160;are also working to protect net neutrality. The&#160; <a href="https://popularresistance.org/montana-enacts-net-neutrality-provides-template-for-other-states-to-follow/" type="external">first governor to act was Montana’s Steve Bullock.</a>&#160;Now governors in Vermont, Hawaii, New Jersey and New York have signed executive orders requiring their states to only do business with internet providers that abide by net neutrality rules.</p>
<p>And there is activity at the community level.&#160;A new&#160; <a href="" type="internal">map from Community Networks shows that more communities than ever are building their own broadband networks</a>&#160;to end big telecom’s monopoly.&#160;They range from large networks in Chattanooga, Tennessee to small town networks connecting a few local businesses. The map includes more than 750 communities as of January 2018, including 55 publicly-owned municipal networks serving 108 communities,&#160;76 communities with publicly-owned cable networks reaching most or all of the community, and 258 communities served by rural electric cooperatives, among others.&#160;Nineteen states have barriers in place that discourage or prevent local communities from creating publicly-owned local networks.</p>
<p>People Will Ensure the Internet Serves Us All Equally</p>
<p>The paths we are on in the courts, Congress and the states are challenging, but every step this campaign takes builds the political power of the Internet equality movement.&#160;The Internet movement is never going to give up on its demand for net neutrality, as well as related issues of equal access to high-quality broadband for all, no matter your level of wealth or income.</p>
<p>We need to build an&#160; <a href="https://popularresistance.org/newsletter-creating-21st-century-internet/" type="external">Internet for the 21st Century</a>. The reign of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will be seen as an era of regression. In the end, we will strive for the country to recognize access to high-quality Internet is a human right and a public good. Pai’s backward steps will be used to launch us into an even stronger future where we create&#160; <a href="https://uproxx.com/technology/net-neutrality-public-broadband/" type="external">a public broadband system</a>&#160;that serves people, not corporate profits. Join our Internet campaign&#160; <a href="http://www.protectourinternet.org/" type="external">Protect Our Internet</a>&#160;and take action today at&#160; <a href="https://www.battleforthenet.com/" type="external">Battle for the Net</a>.</p>
<p>As we&#160; <a href="https://popularresistance.org/organizing-for-our-rights-to-internet-equality/" type="external">discussed in our radio show</a>&#160;with two top experts on Internet issues, the failure to treat the Internet as a common carrier violates legal principles going back before the founding of the United States. The ideas that the mail was a common carrier or that public transit treated everyone equally are the root concepts of net neutrality. We need to continue to build power to ensure Internet access is seen as a human right and a tool of free speech with equal access for all.</p> | Next Stage of Net Neutrality Fight Begins | true | https://counterpunch.org/2018/02/26/next-stage-of-net-neutrality-fight-begins/ | 2018-02-26 | 4 |
<p>Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) introduced a bill Wednesday to block President Obama's controversial changes to work requirements in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families law.</p>
<p>Sen. Hatch introduced his bill, the Preserving Work Requirement for Welfare Programs Act, on the Senate floor by saying, "This bill halts last week's unprecedented power grab from the Obama administration whereby unelected bureaucrats unilaterally granted themselves the authority to waive federal welfare work requirements - to put this another way, unelected bureaucrats ignored the law passed by Congress, the elected representatives of the American people."</p>
<p>Last week, Republicans charge, the Obama administration stripped the teeth out of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families law when the Department of Health and Human Services sent new guidelines to states about TANF, including information on waivers for the work requirement, a cornerstone of the 1996 law signed by President Clinton.</p>
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<p>According to the HSS memorandum though, the waivers are "to allow states to test alternative and innovative strategies, policies and procedures that are designed to improve employment outcomes for needy families."</p>
<p>George Sheldon, acting assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families feels waivers like these are essential, saying in a statement that "Federal rules dictate mind-numbing details about how to run a welfare-to-work program. Most states and experts agree that these aren't helpful."</p>
<p>But, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, saw it differently when he wrote in a statement last week following the announcement that "President Obama just tore up a basic foundation of the welfare contract." Rep. Jordan went further saying, "By waiving the law's requirements, President Obama will make it harder for Americans to escape poverty. He is hurting the very people he claims to help."</p>
<p>According to Hatch, the bill will have a companion measure introduced in the House by Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) in the coming days.</p>
<p>Both bills are to include provisions prohibiting HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius from implementing the guidelines outlined in the memo dated July 12, 2012, as well as rescind any waivers already being processed, according to a joint statement released shortly after the bills were introduced.</p>
<p>"Gutting welfare work requirements with the stroke of a pen and without congressional input is simply unacceptable and cannot be allowed to stand," said Hatch.</p>
<p>The Senate version has been cosponsored by the Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as well as Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), John Thune (R-S.D.), and Richard Burr (R-N.C.) - all members of the Finance Committee.</p>
<p>The House version of the legislation has been cosponsored by Reps. John Kline (R-Minn.), the Chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee.</p>
<p /> | Orrin Hatch introduces bill to block Obama power grab | true | http://humanevents.com/2012/07/18/hatch-bill-to-block-obama-welfare-reform/ | 2012-07-18 | 0 |
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<p>Or not play, depending.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>So it has been with UNM football coach Mike Locksley and junior running back James Wright.</p>
<p>Big (5-foot-11, 227 pounds), strong and fast enough, Wright averaged 6.1. yards per carry in limited action his first two seasons.</p>
<p>Last season, that action was limited partly by injuries – but mostly because Locksley wasn’t satisfied with Wright’s practice habits and work ethic.</p>
<p>This season, through the Lobos’ five games, Wright was a non-factor: 22 carries, 40 yards.</p>
<p>Then, on Oct. 9, Wright had a solid outing with 49 yards on 11 carries in a 16-14 loss at New Mexico State.</p>
<p>Saturday, in a 30-20 loss to San Diego State at University Stadium, Wright rumbled through the Aztecs for 61 yards on 11 carries.</p>
<p>On the game’s first offensive play, Wright ran up the middle for 10 yards and a first down. Late in the third quarter, his carries of 18 and 15 yards fueled a nine-play, 80-yard touchdown drive that cut the Aztecs’ lead to 20-13.</p>
<p>Afterwards, Locksley had nothing but praise for his big running back.</p>
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<p>“James Wright has practiced his tail off the past three weeks for us,” Locksley said. “I’m proud of James because he’s one of the players that we have reached in terms of understanding the effort in practice that we expect.”</p>
<p>But aren’t there game players and practice players, as the immortal words of Allen Iverson suggest?</p>
<p>Should a coach keep a player on the bench to the team’s detriment because he doesn’t like his practice habits?</p>
<p>Without being asked, Locksley took Saturday’s opportunity to again state his position.</p>
<p>“We say all the time that we’re not gonna lower our expectations as coaches,” he said. “It’s (the players’) job to meet our expectations, and James is one of the guys I think has done that.</p>
<p>“He’s raised his practice habits to a level at which I real comfortable with giving James Wright the ball a bunch of times.”</p>
<p>ZIP IN THE WIN COLUMN: Western Kentucky’s victory over the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns on Saturday means the Lobos (0-7) and Akron are the only winless teams in the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision.</p>
<p>One saving grace for the Lobos: the Zips are 0-8.</p>
<p>UP FRONT: No running back, of course, is an island. Wright got excellent blocking on his successful rushes against the Aztecs, particularly from fullback Josh Fussell, trapping right guard Mike Cannon and the left side of UNM’s offensive line (guard Karlin Givens, tackle Byron Bell).</p>
<p>Defensively, safety Bubba Forrest credited UNM’s front four for the major role in containing San Diego State’s potent running game.</p>
<p>“They stopped the run for us tonight,” Forrest said, “and that’s what helped motivate us on defense.”</p>
<p>Jaymar Latchison, Ugo Uzodinma, Peter Gardner and Seth Johanneman started on the defensive line for the Lobos. They were spelled by Jake Carr, Reggie Ellis, Brett Kennedy and Calvin Smith.</p>
<p>HOLBROOK UPDATE: Locksley said via text on Sunday that starting quarterback B.R. Holbrook, who left the game in the fourth quarter after taking a huge hit from Aztecs linebacker Demetrius Barksdale, “should be OK.”</p>
<p>Holbrook was playing for the first time since undergoing knee surgery after the Texas Tech game six weeks ago.</p>
<p>HARMIN’ CARMEN: Lobos middle linebacker Carmen Messina, the nation’s leading tackler last season with 162 total stops, has been hampered with a high ankle sprain suffered during the season opener at Oregon.</p>
<p>Saturday, he looked like the Messina of old – leading UNM with nine solo tackles and five assists.</p>
<p>“(Messina’s) a great leader for us,” Forrest said. “To have him playing well is just gonna better our chances of getting a win.”</p>
<p>MAKING PLAYS: Locksley and Forrest credited SDSU wide receiver DeMarco Sampson with a great catch on the demoralizing Hail Mary touchdown play at the end of Saturday’s first half.</p>
<p>But, Locksley said, “It shouldn’t happen. … Their guy went up and made the play, and we didn’t.</p>
<p>“That’s kind of how it’s been. We’ve got to find a way to make that play, and we haven’t.”</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Practice Pays for Lobo Wright | false | https://abqjournal.com/232954/practice-pays-for-lobo-wright.html | 2 |
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<p>Landowner Xavier Zamarripa has put in a request with Bernalillo County officials for a special use permit to convert four acres on the south side of Alameda west of Guadalupe Trail into a vineyard, art gallery and event center. It would have 55 parking spaces, with a maximum of 126 guests and only acoustic music allowed. Zamarripa’s home already sits on the property.</p>
<p>Zamarripa, an artist, has organized a “facts and current info” community meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Raymond G. Sanchez Community Center, 9800 North Fourth NW. Zamarripa said in an email that the purpose of the meeting “is to inform the community and gather feedback on the proposed Alameda Valley Vineyards. It is important that voices are heard.” He has said he wants the property to become “a destination and a beacon for the community.”</p>
<p>Nano Chavez, the county’s director of zoning, building and planning, said the property is zoned residential, and Zamarripa must get a special use permit to operate a winery there.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>A petition opposed to the project was submitted to Bernalillo County officials in February with 29 signatures from those living nearby, and neighbors also have written several letters to the county.</p>
<p>Supporters submitted their own petition, with 25 signatures from neighbors. Among the backers are organizers of the Alameda Studio Tour, held the second weekend of October to coincide with the Balloon Fiesta.</p>
<p>Opponents say a venue that serves alcohol is not safe for a residential area and that the extra cars will create congestion and noise.</p>
<p>Alexander Bazan, who has lived on Guadalupe Trail for 71 years, said in his letter the vineyard would “disrupt the existing peacefulness of the area and will bring many problems and issues to the area.”</p>
<p>Artists and Fourth Street residents Cynthia and David Welch wrote a letter in support, calling the plan a “wonderful idea.”</p>
<p>“Our community could certainly use a new venue for highlighting the many artists and sculptors of the Alameda area. …” they wrote. “The winery/gallery could soon become a destination for tourists and art buyers from the U.S. and beyond.”</p>
<p>Chavez said Zamarripa requested in July a 120-day deferral from the county so he could address issues with access to the site. Chavez said Zamarripa is trying to get approval from the state Department of Transportation to enter the property from Alameda. Currently, traffic would have to use residential roads to access the site.</p>
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<p /> | Sour grapes or sweet ferment? | false | https://abqjournal.com/266881/sour-grapes-or-sweet-ferment.html | 2013-09-21 | 2 |
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<p>BARCELONA, Spain — For teacher Elisa Aroca, Sunday was the moment Spain lost the battle for the hearts and minds of 7.5 million people living in the Catalonia region.</p>
<p>Aroca intended to defend her Spanish roots and cast a ballot against Catalonia breaking away from the rest of the country. But when a squad of police in riot gear marched up, roughly tossed her and other voters aside and shattered the glass entrance of the Estel School in central Barcelona to confiscate ballot boxes, she felt something break inside her.</p>
<p>“I felt so angry and hurt inside that I thought, ‘A country that hits me wants me to stay? You don’t listen to me and on top of it you hit me?’ For me that is abuse,” she said a day later.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Similar indignation swept across the wealthy northeastern region, one of 17 in Spain, as police stormed through packs of voters and peaceful protesters at polling stations.</p>
<p>The outrage was compounded as mobile phone footage made the rounds on social media, showing officers in body armor pushing people, dragging them by the hair and hitting them with batons. Hundreds of civilians and police officers were injured. The Spanish government, acting on a judge’s order to shut down the referendum, defended the response as professional and proportionate.</p>
<p>The ugly scenes run the risk of confirming a long-held belief among many Catalans that the region is chronically mistreated by Spain’s central government despite serving as an economic driver for southern Europe — it generates a fifth of Spain’s 1.1 trillion-euro economy — and having a high degree of self-governance.</p>
<p>Catalan officials said that 90 percent of the 2.3 million people who voted Sunday were in favor of independence. But fewer than half of those eligible to vote turned out. The vote was boycotted by most of Spain’s national parties on grounds it was illegal and lacked basic guarantees, such as a census.</p>
<p>Polls and the most recent regional elections showed residents of Catalonia roughly split on the divisive issue of independence, but it remains to be seen how many people like Aroca are changing their minds after the events of recent weeks.</p>
<p>“I was crying from rage,” she recalled. “Now, I was going to vote no matter what. My husband and I didn’t even have to talk about it, we just looked each other in the eyes and we knew that we had to vote. And that we had to vote ‘yes’ (for independence).”</p>
<p>Born of parents from other parts of Spain, Aroca, a 40-year-old mother of two, still wants to embrace a dual identity of both Spanish and Catalan. But she says the political crisis caused by a lack of dialogue between Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Catalan regional chief Carles Puigdemont has forced her to choose.</p>
<p>“All bonds have been broken. Not by the referendum, but by the police,” Aroca said. “I feel rage and pain. I think that is how most people feel, seeing what people are chatting about, talks I have had at work. (Sunday) night I was very sad, truly sad that it has reached this point of me wondering what kind of country my daughters will inherit.”</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Aroca also believes that Puigdemont and other leaders of the separatist movement are partly to blame for provoking the crackdown when they flouted court orders to stop the vote on grounds that it could violate Spain’s constitution.</p>
<p>Puigdemont has vowed to act on the results regardless of the legality of the referendum. He is expected to present them this week to Catalonia’s regional parliament, which could trigger the process of starting to break away from Spain. Such a move that would inevitably be met by a robust response from Madrid, and Spain’s interior minister has said the 5,000 extra officers deployed to Catalonia will stay as long as necessary.</p>
<p>Ruben Satinya is afraid more clashes are coming. The 40-year-old father of one felt compelled to join the separatist camp when Spain first tried to stop the referendum.</p>
<p>When a judge ordered police to seal off polling stations before the vote, Satinya joined a groundswell of parents who occupied their local schools from Friday to Sunday, staying overnight in sleeping bags and organizing activities for children during the day.</p>
<p>The Congres-Indians School, which Satinya helped occupy, was not hit by police even though it is just a 15-minute walk from the Estel School.</p>
<p>But Satinya said voting amid the fear that police could descend at any moment made him feel more Catalan than ever, and convinced him that severing centuries-old ties with Spain was necessary.</p>
<p>The transformative experience reached its climax when the polls closed and the crowd gathered at the school joined in singing the Catalan anthem, “Els Segadors” (“The Reapers” in Catalan).</p>
<p>“There really is a different sentiment that sets us apart from the rest of Spain, and that was reinforced in me,” he said. “Hearing Els Segadors sung by so many people, I got goose bumps. It was spectacular.”</p> | Spain’s crackdown on Catalan voters spawns new separatists | false | https://abqjournal.com/1072494/spains-crackdown-on-catalan-voters-spawns-new-separatists.html | 2017-10-03 | 2 |
<p>By Karen Freifeld</p>
<p>NEW YORK (Reuters) – A Manhattan federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit brought by New York’s banking regulator against the U.S. Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) over its plan to offer charters that would let online lenders and other so-called “fintech” companies do business national wide, saying it was filed too early.</p>
<p>Since the OCC has not reached a final decision on the fintech charters, the claims were “not ripe,” U.S. District Court Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald wrote in her decision tossing the case without prejudice.</p>
<p>In the lawsuit, filed in May, Maria Vullo, superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services, called the OCC’s plan to grant the national charters “lawless, ill-conceived and destabilizing of financial markets” that are best regulated by the state.</p>
<p>Vullo had sought to prevent the U.S. banking regulator from offering the charters.</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> | New York's lawsuit over OCC charters for online lenders tossed | false | https://newsline.com/new-york039s-lawsuit-over-occ-charters-for-online-lenders-tossed/ | 2017-12-12 | 1 |
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<p>When the B-2 stealth bomber made its wartime debut last March 24 in the skies over Yugoslavia, the Pentagon’s hype machine went into overdrive. The traditional Big Three networks featured the B-2’s mission on their evening news programs, and most major newspapers carried it prominently the next morning. After the fighting ended, President Clinton traveled to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, home of the B-2 fleet, and made a speech in which he called the bomber “a truly remarkable aircraft.” Suddenly, the Air Force bomber best known for its batlike profile, exorbitant price tag, and difficulty flying in the rain was gaining a reputation as the weapon of the future.</p>
<p>The B-2’s performance seemed to vindicate the Pentagon’s confidence in stealth technology, which has been the military’s technological Holy Grail for nearly two decades. Stealth — which the Pentagon claims makes planes nearly invisible to radar and therefore all but immune to anti-aircraft missiles — is the backbone of the United States’ future military strategy. The Pentagon has already invested about $60 billion to develop stealth technology and has spent vast sums more to purchase stealth aircraft. In addition to the $46 billion program for the B-2, there’s the F-117 light bomber, already in service at a cost of $45 million per plane. Meanwhile, the Pentagon plans to spend a staggering sum — more than $280 billion — to manufacture fleets of two new stealth fighters, the F-22 and the Joint Strike Fighter (the latter to be used by the Navy, Air Force, and Marines, as well as Great Britain). “Stealth is a growth business,” says General Merrill McPeak, Air Force chief of staff from 1990 to 1994. “The Air Force will never buy another nonstealthy combat aircraft.” Asked about the steep costs involved, McPeak said, “All cutting-edge technology is expensive. Stealth has a high price, but we think it’s worth it.”</p>
<p>But military experts interviewed by Mother Jones vigorously disagree. They charge that stealth planes are far from invisible; they are merely harder to detect on radar than conventional aircraft. They claim that the B-2 (and stealth planes in general) are less efficient as strategic weapons due to compromises and additional maintenance required by the stealth design. They say, also, that stealth craft are highly vulnerable to cheap defense measures readily available to potential adversaries. Indeed, during the fighting in Kosovo, Yugoslav anti-aircraft gunners downed an F-117 with a Russian-made missile whose technology dates back to 1964. Another F-117 was hit by anti-aircraft fire and had to limp back to base.</p>
<p>Finally, critics point to the outlandish costs of stealth technology. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) calls the B-2 and other stealth aircraft a waste of taxpayer money, especially in a post-Cold War era with the United States left as the world’s sole superpower. “It’s hard these days to identify our competitors, much less our enemies,” he says. “Our air force is so superior to anyone else’s that even to be talking about the need for stealth technology is laughable.”</p>
<p>In the days before stealth technology — first used in combat with the F-117 during the invasion of Panama in 1989 — air commanders had two means to deal with enemy radar. They could confuse it with “jammer” planes that fill the sky with electronic static, or they could deploy attack aircraft to seek out and destroy enemy radar stations. Stealth planes, proponents said, would change all that. Because stealth planes would be virtually impossible to detect on radar, the fleets of expensive jammer aircraft would be superfluous and there would be less risk to U.S. airmen.</p>
<p>There are two ways to make a plane stealthy. The first is to cover it with radar-absorbing panels and a special stealth coating, or skin. The second is to design the plane in a shape that dissipates radar (reflecting the signals up or down, rather than back to their point of origin). Engineers also seek to eliminate or muffle other “signatures” that could enable an enemy to detect the aircraft — heat and noise from engines, ionized gases from the exhaust, even the air turbulence planes create as they fly. In selling stealth to Congress and the public, the Pentagon claimed that future planes would be no more visible to enemy radar than a small bird.</p>
<p>Designers gave the F-117 a distinctive, knife-edge shape to reduce its radar return. For the B-2, engineers opted for the smooth flow of continuous compound curves to achieve the same goal, taking advantage of improved computer modeling. But therein lies a fundamental flaw of stealth, says Pierre Sprey, an engineer who helped design the F-16, which after 20 years is still considered one of the best fighter planes ever built.</p>
<p>According to Sprey, once you opt for stealth design, you decrease stability and performance. “There is an optimum shape for a plane, and then you radically change that shape so it won’t reflect radar,” he says. “It’s got nothing to do with the efficient flow of air, which is what good aerodynamics is all about.”</p>
<p>Ironically, stealthy design also makes for a less efficient weapon of war. Because any surface irregularity increases a plane’s visibility to radar, stealth craft carry all “accessories” inside. Missiles and bombs must be carried internally, instead of on wing-mounted pylons as on conventional craft, and there are no external fuel tanks to extend the plane’s range. All this translates into less room and load-carrying capacity. The B-2s that flew missions in Yugoslavia carried 32,000 pounds of bombs. Conventional F-16C multirole fighters — which cost $25 million each, just over one percent of the cost of a B-2 — can deliver up to 8,000 pounds of bombs in a typical combat situation. Thus, for the cost of a single B-2, nearly 100 F-16s could take to the skies.</p>
<p>The radar-absorbing materials, because they are fragile, also make it more difficult to repair the aircraft. Beyond that, they add enormously to a plane’s weight, which means the aircraft requires bigger engines that burn more fuel. The result is that stealth aircraft tend to have poor acceleration and handling, and reduced range — the B-2s that flew to Kosovo had to be refueled twice on the way and twice on the return trip. The workhorse B-52 heavy bomber — which Boeing engineers basically designed over the course of a long weekend in 1948 — is far superior aerodynamically to the B-2. Free of the radar-evading design concessions, it can fly more than 1,500 miles farther without refueling, even with antiquated engines and about twice the bomb load.</p>
<p>Stealth coatings present a host of other problems. To be effective, the plane’s surface must be kept perfectly slick. Exposure to rain or hail can cause nicks and scratches that dramatically increase the craft’s radar signature. Even optimal flying conditions take a toll on a plane’s skin. In a study released in June 1998, congressional investigators who observed a B-2 after one test flight reported that the plane “had damaged tape, caulk, paint, and heat tiles…. In addition, we observed hydraulic fluid leaks beneath the aircraft that further damaged the caulk.”</p>
<p>After a stealth aircraft flies, maintenance workers must recoat the skin, repairing the tiny dings and burrs that increase the craft’s radar signature. The materials they use are highly toxic. Stealth composites act much like epoxy compounds available at any hardware store. Workers mix two or more chemicals to create a paste that hardens over several days. No figures are available about the effect of these materials on worker health — the Pentagon refuses to release them — but anecdotal evidence is compelling. Five workers and the widows of two others at the Air Force’s secret Groom Lake facility in Nevada (also known as Area 51) filed lawsuits in 1994, alleging that workers suffered illnesses through exposure to the toxic materials used in stealth coatings.</p>
<p>The B-2’s skin is so sensitive that maintenance on the plane must be carried out in environment-controlled hangars that currently exist only at Whiteman Air Force Base. The B-2s that participated in the Kosovo campaign thus had to fly more than 30 hours round-trip between Missouri and Yugoslavia. It then generally took from four to seven days to get them ready to return to combat, and they did not fly at all in the last 30 days of the conflict. Partly as a result, the six B-2s that saw action in Kosovo flew a combined total of less than 50 sorties out of the more than 30,000 allied air missions.</p>
<p>The most fundamental problem, however, is that stealth planes are hardly undetectable to enemy defenses. The B-2 is nearly as visible as a 747 to a ground observer, one reason that it — like the F-117 — flies only at night. Furthermore, the Pentagon’s supposedly invisible stealth aircraft fly into action with the same radar-jamming escort planes that accompany conventional warplanes. Demand for jammers was so high during the Kosovo conflict that the Pentagon had to redeploy electronic warfare planes from Turkey, where they are being used in the ongoing air campaign against Iraq. “For stealth planes, jammers are just like American Express,” says a military analyst who works with Congress. “Don’t leave home without them.”</p>
<p>It’s impossible to know just how stealthy stealth planes really are since the Pentagon has made the entire program highly classified, which means that it operates virtually without oversight from Congress or watchdog groups. There are, however, disturbing signs that stealth planes are far from invulnerable. During the Gulf War, the British Royal Navy infuriated the Pentagon by announcing that it had detected F-117 stealth fighters from 40 miles away with 1960s-era radar. The Iraqis used antiquated French radar during that conflict, and they, too, claimed to have detected F-117s. The General Accounting Office, Congress’ watchdog agency, tried to verify the Iraqi claim, but the Pentagon refused to turn over relevant data to GAO investigators. Likewise, the Pentagon has revealed no specific details about the F-117 shot down over Kosovo, but Yugoslav sources and news accounts say the Serbs brought the plane down with a Russian SA-3 missile, a 35-year-old model. General McPeak calls the incident a “lucky shot.”</p>
<p>Abundant evidence exists, also, that stealth technology can be trumped with relatively inexpensive surveillance systems. The Stealth Program was designed to defeat the high-frequency radars used extensively by the former Soviet Union. But stealth planes are relatively easy to spot — if not to pinpoint — with older air-defense radars that use low frequencies. Russia and the Czech Republic both manufacture low-frequency systems, which they say can detect stealth. The former is marketing its version to all bidders, as were the Czechs before they joined NATO in 1999. Russia and France — as well as the United States — have built prototypes of radars that operate using the full range of frequencies. These too, some experts say, will have no trouble detecting stealth craft.</p>
<p>Even more worrisome are the emerging heat-sensitive Infrared Search and Track (IRST) systems. Stealth aircraft have special systems that cool exhaust gases and mask hot parts of the plane. Nonetheless, the plane’s surface will always be hotter than background levels, and exhaust gases cannot be entirely cooled. Both of these factors produce heat signatures detectable by infrared systems.</p>
<p>The Scandinavians, French, and Germans are already building cheap, effective IRST systems. In fact, according to Rex Rivolo, a tactical aircraft and weaponry specialist at the Institute for Defense Analysis, a federally funded think tank that works exclusively for the Secretary of Defense, a college student with computer programming expertise and $30,000 could assemble an IRST system with off-the-shelf parts. “There’s nothing difficult here,” he says. “Without too much trouble you could have a decent IRST on your kitchen table and use it to track stealth and other aircraft in clear weather.” Rivolo predicts that IRST and low-frequency radars “will vitiate the benefits of stealth.”</p>
<p>Brigadier General Leroy Barnidge Jr., who commands the B-2 fleet out of Whiteman, concedes that stealth planes are not invulnerable and that potential adversaries are “pursuing tactics and hardware to counter stealth.” That, says Barnidge, is why we must invest in new and improved stealth warplanes. “We have air superiority today, but it’s not a zero-risk environment,” he told Mother Jones. “If we don’t [design and build new weapons], it’s reasonable to say that at some point our adversaries will catch up to our current position.”</p>
<p>Congress has, thus far, been largely supportive of the Pentagon’s stealth-spending plans. Perhaps to help ensure that it remains so, defense manufacturers — in addition to applying the usual lubricant of campaign contributions — have carefully spread out the economic rewards of their stealth products. Northrop Grumman, the prime contractor for the B-2, doled out work to various subcontractors in 46 states and, more importantly, in 383 of 435 congressional districts. Lockheed plans to build the parts for its F-22 in 48 states and Puerto Rico.</p>
<p>There are signs, however, that the political consensus on stealth may be cracking. Last September, lawmakers ordered that the F-22 fighter pass tests of stealth and avionics before Congress would commit funds for its production phase. “We’ve had these concerns, and the Air Force hadn’t responded to them,” Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) said at the time. “The message is to straighten out the program.”</p>
<p>The chief concern about stealth is the price tag, an issue that unites the left and the right. The F-22 is now projected to cost $184 million per plane, up from an initial estimate of $90 million. The Joint Strike Fighter, scheduled to be combat-ready in 2008, has a program price of more than $220 billion for about 2,800 aircraft. An earlier stealth fighter/attack jet, the Navy’s A-12, was canceled due to cost overruns — but only after nearly $5 billion had gone down the tubes. And the B-2 bomber, with its $2.2 billion price tag per plane, has a design life span of only 30 years. That’s a depreciation of some $8,300 an hour — whether it’s in flight or not, whether it’s invisible or not.</p>
<p>Paying the exorbitant cost of stealth technology is particularly questionable given that American air power is already dominant. By 2005, according to a study by the conservative Cato Institute, the United States will have some 3,000 warplanes in its inventory, all of them state-of-the-art. That will be about equal to the combined number of aircraft held by Iran, Iraq, China, and North Korea, and virtually all their planes are antiquated. Russia will have about 1,500 modern planes in its arsenal, but won’t be able to afford to maintain or operate its air force, or train its pilots. “Our air force is bigger and better than any in the world,” says Ivan Eland, director of defense policy studies at Cato and a critic of the Pentagon’s spending plans. “We are probably not going to have a serious competitor for 30 years.”</p>
<p>Rep. Conyers, one of Congress’ most liberal members, points to a study by the National Priorities Project that shows that Michigan taxpayers shell out $79.4 million for every B-2 produced. That money would pay for job training for more than 27,000 state residents or cover more than a year’s funding for a state program that rehabilitates housing. “These [stealth] planes have been overhyped,” Conyers says. “And even if they live up to all the claims, we still don’t need them.”</p>
<p /> | The Pentagon’s 300-Billion-Dollar Bomb | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2000/01/pentagons-300-billion-dollar-bomb/ | 2018-01-01 | 4 |
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<p>The Commerce Department said today that sales dropped 0.3 percent after three months of gains. Auto sales fell 1.5 percent, the most in more than a year.</p>
<p>Excluding the volatile categories of autos, gas and building materials, sales fell 0.1 percent. That followed a 0.9 percent gain in September for that category. Online and catalog purchases fell 1.8 percent, the most in a year. Electronics and clothing stores also posted lower sales.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The government said Sandy “had both positive and negative effects” on sales. Some stores and restaurants closed and lost business. Others reported sales increases ahead of the storm as people bought supplies.</p>
<p>Most economists said they thought the storm overall held back sales. Still, they noted that consumers showed signs of cutting back on spending before the weather disrupted business.</p>
<p>“Looking past (Sandy’s) impact, U.S. consumers appeared to dial it back a notch,” said Robert Kavcic, an economist at BMO Capital Markets. “There was relatively broad-based weakness in this report.”</p>
<p>Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics, said November will be a crucial test of the consumer. He noted that many could be starting to worry about tax cuts that will expire at the end of the year if Congress and the White House fail to reach a budget deal before then.</p>
<p>“A bounce-back would point to a temporary Sandy-induced softening, while another soft month would suggest that the threat of a sharp fall in after-tax incomes in the new year is worrying households,” Dales said.</p>
<p>In September, retail sales jumped 1.3 percent. Spending rose in nearly all categories. The buying spree helped lift economic growth in the July-September quarter and reflected growing consumer confidence. Consumer spending drives nearly 70 percent of economic activity.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>The October decline in retail sales may be temporary, economists said. Kavic noted that auto sales may pick up in November as Americans replace cars damaged by the hurricane.</p>
<p>Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast on Oct. 29 and disrupted businesses from North Carolina to Maine. The storm also lowered auto sales last month by about 30,000, according to TrueCar.com. Overall, car sales dipped to an annual pace of 14.3 million in October, down from a 14.9 million pace in September.</p>
<p>The storm cut retail spending in the Northeast by about 20 percent last week, according to MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse, a retail data service. That figure excludes auto sales.</p>
<p>The Northeast accounts for about 24 percent of retail sales nationwide, the MasterCard Advisors’ report said. It typically generates $18.7 billion in sales for the week ended Saturday. But sales that week fell to about $15 billion.</p>
<p>The storm also cut power to roughly 8 million homes and businesses. Some are still without power. That may have had an impact on online sales.</p>
<p>Retail sales are likely to rebound this month, analysts said, because Americans are spending more on repairs and making up for lost shopping trips.</p>
<p>The Commerce Department’s retail sales report is closely watched because it is the government’s first look at consumer spending each month.</p>
<p>Hiring has picked up in recent months, which has boosted consumer confidence. Employers added 171,000 jobs in October and job gains in August and September were higher than first estimated. The unemployment rose to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent as more of those out of work began searching for jobs.</p>
<p>A survey by the University of Michigan last week found that consumer sentiment improved for the fourth straight month to its highest level in five years.</p> | U.S. Retail Sales Drop 0.3% in October | false | https://abqjournal.com/146222/u-s-retail-sales-drop-0-3-in-october.html | 2012-11-14 | 2 |
<p />
<p>Sony isn't the first to make virtual reality a reality, but in waiting, the company has delivered a worthy experience that's cheaper, more comfortable and more convenient than the two high-end systems already out.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>That could help boost a technology that's had a rocky start.</p>
<p>After four years of anticipation, Facebook's Oculus business finally shipped its high-fidelity Rift VR headset in March, only to encounter massive delays in fulfilling orders. And Oculus still hasn't said when it will ship motion controllers to enable VR experiences that don't require users to sit down.</p>
<p>HTC and Valve, meanwhile, jointly came out with a more immersive system (with controllers) in April, but their Vive system requires users to free up an entire room and hang annoying sensors on walls.</p>
<p>The goal of Sony's system isn't so much to broaden the appeal of VR beyond gamers; after all, it comes from the company's PlayStation gaming business and requires a PlayStation 4 game console to work. But Sony delivers where it matters most to hard-core gamers. And PlayStation VR, which comes out Oct. 13, retains the social aspect of gaming in letting friends watch on a television set what the VR user sees in the headset.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Advertisement</p>
<p>CHEAPER AMONG THE PRICEY BUNCH</p>
<p>While VR can be experienced through a cheap headset like the $15 Google Cardboard or Samsung's $100 Gear VR, those systems don't deliver the same level of graphics and realism as the Rift, Vive and now PlayStation. For one thing, they don't have sophisticated position tracking to let you move around a room rather than just swivel around in a chair.</p>
<p>The PlayStation VR's $400 package comes with the headset, cables, crappy headphones and a disc filled with demos. Another $100 gets you a required camera for motion tracking and a pair of Move motion controllers. A PlayStation 4 is necessary and starts at $300, so if you're starting from scratch, you're spending at least $800.</p>
<p>By contrast, the other systems require high-end PCs that already cost more than $1,000. The general-purpose laptop you may already own won't be fast enough. The Rift itself is another $600 without its Oculus Touch controllers, and the Vive costs $800 with controllers.</p>
<p>Of course, none of this includes games. They're extra.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>CONTENT IS KING</p>
<p>Sony boasts that about 50 titles will be available by the end of the year. I have tried more than a dozen and have been impressed with the lineup's depth and diversity.</p>
<p>There's nothing as compelling as a "BioShock" or "Dragon Age" game that's available for traditional game systems. But a few exclusive titles offer more than just a glimpse at PlayStation VR's possibilities. "RIGS" is a VR rendition of the multiplayer soccer sensation "Rocket League." The crime caper "The Heist" felt like I was inside a Guy Ritchie movie that I didn't want to end. "Until Dawn: Rush of Blood" is the best haunted house I've visited in years — better yet, no long lines.</p>
<p>There's plenty to keep gamers occupied for months, and more are on the way.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>NOT TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT</p>
<p>Both the Rift and the Vive are worn like goggles, with the straps coming around the sides near the ears. The PlayStation's visor hangs down from a halo-like ring worn around the top of the head. The different seems minor at first, but the result is more evenly distributed weight and less pressure around the eyes. It could also make the headset feel more comfortable with glasses, though a colleague still had to deal with lenses fogging up.</p>
<p>The design also makes it easier to glance at a phone or find a drink. Just push a button to slide the visor out, without needing to go through the rigmarole of detaching the entire headpiece.</p>
<p>Still, the nausea-inducing issues with the other VR systems are present here, too. I don't consider myself prone to motion sickness, but I can't handle more than 30 minutes or so in VR at a time.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>VISION QUEST</p>
<p>The Rift and the Vive have better screen resolution, while Sony's system boosts more frames per second for smoother video. But don't get bogged down on specs. The differences are negligible.</p>
<p>And the PlayStation VR preserves the social aspect of gaming. What you see inside the headset is replicated on a TV screen, so others in the same room can follow along. The Rift and the Vive can simulcast on a computer monitor — not quite the same as a big-screen TV.</p>
<p>The TV also can be used for multiplayer experiences, with the VR user battling players looking at the screen. Sony throws in "The Playroom VR" with a couple of fun examples of asymmetrical gameplay. Nothing like that is available yet for Rift or Vive.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>REMOTE CONTROLS</p>
<p>You can dodge obstacles in a street luge game by moving your head, or use an on-screen rendition of standard DualShock 4 controllers in the spatial puzzler "Super Hybercube." The best games, though, use the wand-like Move motion controllers, with light-emitting bulbs positioned above a trigger and other buttons. These controllers aren't as sleek as Vive or Rift remotes, but they get the job done of mimicking hands in virtual space.</p>
<p>The Vive offers the most immersive experience given that it uses two sensors mounted on opposite corners of a room. But I was pleasantly surprised by the accuracy of the PlayStation camera. I was able to fluidly execute a 180-degree spin as the Dark Knight in "Batman: Arkham VR."</p>
<p>The Sony system is also way easier to install. You just plug it into the PS4.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>A NEW REALITY</p>
<p>Despite all its strides, PlayStation VR won't be for everyone . Besides gawking at the whimsical animated VR movie "Allumette" or streaming Netflix on a virtual screen that looks way bigger than your actual TV, there's little available for non-gaming fans. That's a limitation with the Rift and the Vive, too.</p>
<p>Even most average gamers won't need the PlayStation VR. The available experiences aren't on par with what gamers have come to expect from countless hours of "Grand Theft Auto" or "Call of Duty."</p>
<p>But for anyone who's been excited about the lofty promises of VR, Sony has delivered a worthy wired experience that's comfortable for both your noggin and your wallet.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Online:</p>
<p>http://www.playstation.com/playstation-vr</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Follow AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang</p> | Review: Sony delivers worthy virtual-reality experience | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2016/10/05/review-sony-delivers-worthy-virtual-reality-experience.html | 2016-10-06 | 0 |
<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/17221742" type="external" />&#160;</p>
<p>The psychedelic effects of LSD beat back the physiological effects of alcoholism, according to a new <a href="http://jop.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/03/08/0269881112439253.abstract" type="external">paper</a>&#160;in the &#160;Journal of Psychopharmacology.</p>
<p>The study—a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta-analysis" type="external">meta-analysis</a> of prior research from the groovy 1960s and 1970s—found that 59 percent of&#160;536 participants in six trials&#160;who received LSD reported lower levels of alcohol misuse for the next three to six months,&#160;compared to 38 percent who received placebos. One dose did the trick.</p>
<p>This reminds me of other fascinating <a href="http://www.psychedelic-library.org/dying.htm" type="external">research</a> from this era that showed LSD removed the fear and dread of death from terminally ill patients.</p>
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<p />
<p>&#160; <a href="http://vimeo.com/17221742" type="external">fractal glass cycling (essence of Acid)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/teamfresh" type="external">teamfresh</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com" type="external">Vimeo</a>.</p>
<p />
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<p>I wonder what the effects might be from observing the infinitely deep math porn of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandlebrot_fractal" type="external">Mandelbrot set</a>. Maybe&#160;aided by a little medical-grade weed. Check it out.&#160;</p> | LSD Trumps Booze | true | https://motherjones.com/politics/2012/03/lsd-trumps-booze/ | 2012-03-09 | 4 |
<p>Mountain plants are on the rise. The number of species on the highest European mountains has&#160; <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-04/au-iop040318.php" type="external">multiplied fivefold</a>.</p>
<p>Data gathered over 145 years from 302 peaks shows that the count of wild plants that have colonised the highest zones has increased five times faster than during a comparable decade 50 years ago.</p>
<p>This may not, in the long run, be good news. The enriching of the high life is unequivocally linked to global warming: changes in precipitation, or in nutrient supplies, are not enough to account for the growth in alpine colonists.</p>
<p>More than 50 scientists from Denmark, Norway, Germany, France, Austria, the UK, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Spain and Slovakia report in the journal&#160; <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0005-6" type="external">Nature</a>&#160;that such change has “potentially far-reaching consequences not only for biodiversity, but also for ecosystem functioning and services.”</p>
<p />
<p>The finding was possible because European botanists and biologists began assembling data on the plant growth at the highest sites in the 1870s and have maintained their databases ever since.</p>
<p>The scientists found that between 1957 and 1966, the average number of species on the 300 peaks increased by 1.1 on average. Between 2007-2016, on average 5.5 species made it to the top.</p>
<p>The study does not, so far, suggest that new species have displaced the original residents. But plants adapted to the conditions on the highest peaks may run out of options as the mountains themselves get warmer.</p>
<p>“Some of the species which have adapted to the cold and rocky conditions on mountain summits will probably disappear in the long term. They have nowhere else to go, and they can’t develop rapidly enough to be able to compete with the new arrivals, which are taller and more competitive under warmer climates,” said&#160; <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Manuel_Steinbauer" type="external">Manuel Steinbauer, who led the research</a>&#160;while at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, but who is now at&#160; <a href="https://www.fau.eu/" type="external">Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg</a>&#160;in Germany.</p>
<p>“The species that move upwards often come from grassland above the tree line. But they can’t survive everywhere on the mountain top, so it’s not certain that they will be a threat to all the existing species up there. The local soil conditions and micro-climates also play a role.”</p>
<p>Increasingly vulnerable</p>
<p>Mountains are natural laboratories, and researchers have been monitoring high altitude change for decades. Conservationists and biologists have&#160; <a href="https://climatenewsnetwork.net/mountains-threatened-global-warming/" type="external">repeatedly warned</a>&#160;that mountain ecosystems are&#160; <a href="https://climatenewsnetwork.net/high-anxiety-that-mountain-peaks-are-warming-faster/" type="external">more vulnerable to climate change.</a></p>
<p>They have measured the rate at which plants, birds and insectshave gained in altitude in&#160; <a href="https://climatenwsnetwork.net/swiss-wildlife-heads-uphill-fast/" type="external">the Swiss Alps</a>&#160;and in&#160; <a href="https://climatenewsnetwork.net/ecuadors-plants-head-uphill-to-escape-warmth/" type="external">the Andes</a>. They have observed change in&#160; <a href="https://climatenewsnetwork.net/future-rocky-alpine-flowers/" type="external">the mix of alpine flowers</a>&#160;and even detected&#160; <a href="https://climatenewsnetwork.net/climate-linked-to-shrink-in-size-of-alpine-chamois/" type="external">diminution in the body size of alpine chamois</a>, with increasing temperature.</p>
<p>So change at the highest level comes as no great surprise. But as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rise in response to ever greater use of fossil fuels, and as global average temperatures increase, species at the extremes could increasingly be at risk.</p>
<p>“Even though the existing species on mountain tops are not acutely endangered, the strong acceleration in the effects of global warming on plant communities on the peaks does give cause for concern, as we expect far stronger climate change toward 2100,” explained&#160; <a href="http://pure.au.dk/portal/en/[email protected]" type="external">Jens-Christian Svenning at Aarhus University</a>, another of the authors.</p> | Mountain Plants Head for the Peaks | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/mountain-plants-head-for-the-peaks/ | 2018-04-11 | 4 |
<p>I wasn’t going to write again for a few days … I have some things to take care of … but … my wife and I were discussing the ineptitude of Venezuela’s opposition leaders. Ineptitudes such as Enrique Mendoza’s more-than-absurd statement that he/they will begin providing referendum results as at 2:00 p.m. on August 15, 2004, the day of the referendum itself.</p>
<p>Does he, Mendoza, really believe that people are complete idiots?</p>
<p>I rarely use words such as idiots, ridiculous, stupid, etc., … because I find such words degrading and lacking of human empathy or rationality. In this case however, I find it completely justified.</p>
<p>Mendoza, the criminal (and I call him criminal because of his direct complicity in the 2002-2003 sabotage of Venezuela), claims that the Venezuelan opposition has the “technology” to be able to do this.</p>
<p>Is he off his rocker?</p>
<p>Has he lost his mind?</p>
<p>To be very undiplomatic, I think he never had a mind … as far as conscientious, honest and logical minds go.</p>
<p>Who is going to believe such a farce?</p>
<p>How does he (or the Venezuelan opposition) acquire access to such “technology”?</p>
<p>Isn’t the National Elections Council (CNE) supposed to lead, control and manage information regarding the upcoming referendum?</p>
<p>Who does he think he is?</p>
<p>Does he think that every opposition-supporter is going to swallow this?</p>
<p>If in fact he (or the opposition) has access to such “technology” (allowing them to “broadcast” preliminary results), then doesn’t this mean that he and the US-backed Venezuelan opposition is involved in some kind of illegal, illegitimate or clandestine activity?</p>
<p>What is wrong with this guy?</p>
<p>Oops … I forgot … he is one of the irrational leaders of the irrational radical opposition … sorry, my brain had a slight malfunction there!</p>
<p>A few days ago, yet another radical opposition-supporter wrote to me sarcastically asking, “Then why did Chavez only start the social Missions (education and health programs) after the 2002-2003 industry stoppage?”</p>
<p>His response to the question was that Chavez only enacted these Missions at that time in order to win votes now (?). I almost fell off my chair!</p>
<p>Before being able to enact these nation-wide and all-encompassing social programs, the Chavez government had to recruit people to do it, they had to organize … and they had to pass laws through a democratically-elected National Assembly in order to facilitate financing and legality. This is a very lengthy process. Chavez had barely entered into power when the radical opposition (financed by USA tax-payers through the NED) began to sabotage Chavez, the Chavez government and Venezuela as a whole. They never gave Chavez or the Chavez government any reasonable amount of time (let alone, support) … and then they ask a question like this (?).</p>
<p>I don’t get it. Is it possible that the entire radical anti-Chavez movement has lost its ability to think? Is it possible that they have drank so much Black Label whisky that their brain cells have shriveled up and become mummified?</p>
<p>Are all these radicals now relics of an ancient past, soaked and prepared in preservatives for the continuation of their eternal journey into oblivion?</p>
<p>Seems like it.</p>
<p>Where have their brain cells gone to? Did they ever have any?</p>
<p>Oops … I am sure they did have some at some point in time because most of them are “doctores” or “licenciados,” … right?</p>
<p>Sorry about that … I had another mental spasm which was caused by a severe failure of my synapses due to an overload in complex information entering the processor of my feeble mind.</p>
<p>Coming back to Mendoza … OH! … I almost forgot.</p>
<p>What journalists from other countries might like to do in the next several days is to show up early at radical opposition-led “private” conferences (incognito) at the Tamanaco (Las Mercedes) or the Hilton (downtown Caracas, Bellas Artes subway station) … and watch these supposed leaders as they walk in and out of their so-called meetings. They have to go urinate once in a while … just go urinate at the same time and listen carefully … and watch. Some of these guys are totally drunk by 7:00 a.m. … and this is the truth.</p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with being an alcoholic. Many of us drink, and some of us drink continuously and sometimes excessively. What is not exactly logical is to put one’s trust in drunks to run a country if their drunkenness has over-boiled their gray matter, turning it into rancid oatmeal mush.</p>
<p>Of course, these supposed “educated and civilized leaders” will be more careful in hiding their true nature during the next few days … but then again, maybe not.</p>
<p>Oh yes, Mendoza … almost forgot about this guy … sorry, another brain malfunction. I don’t want to personally insult Mendoza the criminal. I just want to talk about his brain cells. Unfortunately, as most people know, the brain controls the body and all its functions … and without a functional brain, the body falters and fails … sometimes losing total control … like a badly-programmed robot. This is the case with this Mendoza character … I think. I don’t know him personally, but then again, I am not talking about him, but rather about his brain and the results of how his brain controls his mouth and his actions.</p>
<p>Why would opposition-supporters even listen to a guy like him? I cannot fathom it.</p>
<p>The Venezuelan opposition leadership (as it is to this day) is like a badly played out comedy … played out by really bad actors who think that the audience is made up of a bunch of brainwashed cult members who will applaud after every spoken phrase. Shakespeare would have had plenty of fun imitating the Venezuelan opposition leaders in a sell-out theatrical production. Such a production would be wonderfully profitable … and highly amusing.</p>
<p>The Venezuela opposition leadership, as it is today, is comprised of nothing more than a bunch of prehistoric people with prehistoric thoughts and prehistoric tactics. They have shown over and over their ineptitudes and their crass and lowly character … their lies, their arrogance and their criminal tendencies.</p>
<p>Just had a thought. Mendoza, Fernandez, Fernandez, Ortega and CAP would make a great team with Bush (the american criminal). They are all on the same wavelength: lie to their followers, manipulate them, brainwash them, use their tax-dollars to destroy lives … and of course … enrich themselves in the process. Blow up buildings and bridges and water purification plants and roads and hospitals and communications lines and electricity-generating stations and schools … and then award themselves the “reconstruction” projects. They threaten people, assassinate them, call for the death of their “enemies” … and murder innocent women and children in the process … without remorse.</p>
<p>One more thing … do Venezuelan opposition-supporters really think that a government can enact long-lasting, positive social measures and programs overnight?</p>
<p>Apparently most do! I am stumped.</p>
<p>And … by the way, I am not assuming that opposition-supporters are “gullible sheep” … far from it … I think that Mendoza is doing a good job of implying it … while laughing behind their backs.</p>
<p>OSCAR HECK is a columnist for Venezuela Headlines. He can be reached at: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Is Enrique Mendoza Off His Rocker? | true | https://counterpunch.org/2004/08/13/is-enrique-mendoza-off-his-rocker/ | 2004-08-13 | 4 |
<p>STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — When De'Runnya Wilson arrived at Mississippi State less than two years ago, he didn't really know how to study a football playbook or have any idea about the technique needed to play receiver in the Southeastern Conference.</p>
<p>Turns out the 6-foot-5, 225-pound sophomore is a very fast learner.</p>
<p>The 20-year-old Wilson has emerged as No. 1 Mississippi State's primary big-play threat in the passing game, catching six touchdown passes so far this season. The Bulldogs (6-0, 3-0 SEC) will be trying to win their 10th straight game, dating back to last season, when they travel to face Kentucky (5-2, 2-2) on Saturday.</p>
<p>Most of Wilson's high school days were spent on the basketball court, where he was a standout player in Birmingham, Alabama. But he also played football during his senior season and quickly caught the attention of college scouts.</p>
<p>Now that raw potential has turned into real results. Wilson said he's heard teammates and coaches compare his skillset to Detroit Lions star Calvin Johnson, but he tries to ignore that talk.</p>
<p>Wilson made a brief foray into college hoops last year, appearing in seven games off the bench for Mississippi State. Basketball coach Rick Ray liked having Wilson's energy off the bench, but even he admitted Wilson should probably stick with football because "he's got a chance to play on Sundays."</p>
<p>"Sometimes I wonder what my potential is — what I'm capable of doing," Wilson said. "But I just keep trying to have that mindset of improving and making my team better. I don't want to ever get comfortable because I'm afraid I won't work as hard today or tomorrow."</p>
<p>Wilson leads the team with 18 catches for 319 yards through six games. Maybe his most impressive moment came two weeks ago in a win against Auburn, when he made a catch on a deep ball and then dragged Auburn defender Jonathan Jones into the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown.</p>
<p>The play highlighted Wilson's rare blend of size and speed. Quarterback Dak Prescott says he gains more confidence in Wilson every week.</p>
<p>"He's very athletic and his basketball career really gives him an advantage," Prescott said. "He goes up and knows how to box out a defender without using his hands. He has good body control and goes up for every pass like it's a rebound."</p>
<p>Wilson's emergence has been especially important because the Bulldogs have been without last year's leading receiver Jameon Lewis, who has missed the past two games with a leg injury.</p>
<p>Mullen expects Lewis to return for the Kentucky game, but Wilson will still have a major role.</p>
<p>"That shook me up a little to see (Lewis) go down," Wilson said. "But when you have people around you to push you harder, you feed off each other, and when we found out he wasn't playing, we locked in as a group and wanted to make the plays he's been making."</p>
<p>Wilson said Lewis' return should help both receivers because Kentucky will have to figure to account for each of them.</p>
<p>Lewis is a 5-foot-9, 183-pound receiver who is a constant threat on short passing plays over the middle. That could draw attention away from Wilson, leaving one-on-one matchups down the field.</p>
<p>Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said Wilson is a hard worker in practice, which has allowed him to pick up the nuances of playing receiver.</p>
<p>"I still think he has a lot of improvement he can make, but he's got very, very natural ball skills," Mullen said. "I think the ability with his ball skills and his body control certainly helps him, and his size (creates mismatches). When he gets himself in position, he's very natural catching the ball and it allows him to make a lot of big plays."</p>
<p>_____</p>
<p>Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP</p>
<p>STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — When De'Runnya Wilson arrived at Mississippi State less than two years ago, he didn't really know how to study a football playbook or have any idea about the technique needed to play receiver in the Southeastern Conference.</p>
<p>Turns out the 6-foot-5, 225-pound sophomore is a very fast learner.</p>
<p>The 20-year-old Wilson has emerged as No. 1 Mississippi State's primary big-play threat in the passing game, catching six touchdown passes so far this season. The Bulldogs (6-0, 3-0 SEC) will be trying to win their 10th straight game, dating back to last season, when they travel to face Kentucky (5-2, 2-2) on Saturday.</p>
<p>Most of Wilson's high school days were spent on the basketball court, where he was a standout player in Birmingham, Alabama. But he also played football during his senior season and quickly caught the attention of college scouts.</p>
<p>Now that raw potential has turned into real results. Wilson said he's heard teammates and coaches compare his skillset to Detroit Lions star Calvin Johnson, but he tries to ignore that talk.</p>
<p>Wilson made a brief foray into college hoops last year, appearing in seven games off the bench for Mississippi State. Basketball coach Rick Ray liked having Wilson's energy off the bench, but even he admitted Wilson should probably stick with football because "he's got a chance to play on Sundays."</p>
<p>"Sometimes I wonder what my potential is — what I'm capable of doing," Wilson said. "But I just keep trying to have that mindset of improving and making my team better. I don't want to ever get comfortable because I'm afraid I won't work as hard today or tomorrow."</p>
<p>Wilson leads the team with 18 catches for 319 yards through six games. Maybe his most impressive moment came two weeks ago in a win against Auburn, when he made a catch on a deep ball and then dragged Auburn defender Jonathan Jones into the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown.</p>
<p>The play highlighted Wilson's rare blend of size and speed. Quarterback Dak Prescott says he gains more confidence in Wilson every week.</p>
<p>"He's very athletic and his basketball career really gives him an advantage," Prescott said. "He goes up and knows how to box out a defender without using his hands. He has good body control and goes up for every pass like it's a rebound."</p>
<p>Wilson's emergence has been especially important because the Bulldogs have been without last year's leading receiver Jameon Lewis, who has missed the past two games with a leg injury.</p>
<p>Mullen expects Lewis to return for the Kentucky game, but Wilson will still have a major role.</p>
<p>"That shook me up a little to see (Lewis) go down," Wilson said. "But when you have people around you to push you harder, you feed off each other, and when we found out he wasn't playing, we locked in as a group and wanted to make the plays he's been making."</p>
<p>Wilson said Lewis' return should help both receivers because Kentucky will have to figure to account for each of them.</p>
<p>Lewis is a 5-foot-9, 183-pound receiver who is a constant threat on short passing plays over the middle. That could draw attention away from Wilson, leaving one-on-one matchups down the field.</p>
<p>Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said Wilson is a hard worker in practice, which has allowed him to pick up the nuances of playing receiver.</p>
<p>"I still think he has a lot of improvement he can make, but he's got very, very natural ball skills," Mullen said. "I think the ability with his ball skills and his body control certainly helps him, and his size (creates mismatches). When he gets himself in position, he's very natural catching the ball and it allows him to make a lot of big plays."</p>
<p>_____</p>
<p>Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP</p> | Wilson big-play threat for No. 1 Mississippi State | false | https://apnews.com/amp/3b8fb568b2564d6d98e94a073b9fae11 | 2014-10-21 | 2 |
<p>New York Times CBS chairman Les Moonves' moves are likely to include a shift toward multiple anchors and away from what he calls the "voice of God, single anchor" format. He says he'll even consider a role for "Daily Show" anchor Jon Stewart. Moonves says: "One of the things we're looking at is having something that is younger, more relevant. As opposed to that guy, preaching from the mountaintop, about what we should and should not watch." &gt; <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19581-2005Jan18.html" type="external">Critic wonders if hipper image will alienate older CBS viewers (WP)</a></p> | CBS boss mulls revolutionary changes to "CBS Evening News" | false | https://poynter.org/news/cbs-boss-mulls-revolutionary-changes-cbs-evening-news | 2005-01-19 | 2 |
<p>RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the North Carolina Lottery's "Pick 3 Evening" game were:</p>
<p>1-2-8, Lucky Sum: 11</p>
<p>(one, two, eight; Lucky Sum: eleven)</p>
<p>RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) _ The winning numbers in Thursday evening's drawing of the North Carolina Lottery's "Pick 3 Evening" game were:</p>
<p>1-2-8, Lucky Sum: 11</p>
<p>(one, two, eight; Lucky Sum: eleven)</p> | Winning numbers drawn in 'Pick 3 Evening' game | false | https://apnews.com/amp/87c3bdde97ff473eac58a18fafa69d68 | 2017-12-29 | 2 |
<p>Specialized foster care agencies in Clark County will not have their Nevada Medicaid funding changed until at least September, state officials report.</p>
<p>That news comes as a relief from foster agency executives, who expected funding changes to come July 1 and force them to shut down soon after.</p>
<p>“Basically, we have a stay of the current policies and rates … which keeps our model financially sound,” said David Doyle, director of operations at the Eagle Quest foster care agency.</p>
<p>Medicaid officials will hold a workshop in Las Vegas on June 23 to discuss planned changes to the foster agencies’ funding models, Doyle said.</p>
<p>For now, Medicaid will continue to provide foster agencies $72.70 a day for each specialized child in their care. The county’s Department of Family Services, which also provides the agencies funding, is increasing its daily rate from $43.50 to $62 on July 1.</p>
<p>Agencies use the money to pay for specialized care programs for foster children with serious physical, mental or emotional issues.</p>
<p>Medicaid plans to change its portion of the funding from a flat rate to an amount that differs for each child. Foster agencies would apply for specific Medicaid-funded services based on each child’s needs.</p>
<p>Doyle said the workshop will focus on teaching foster agencies about what services they will be able to seek reimbursement.</p>
<p>Still, Doyle and other executives remain fearful funding could drop so much that they will be forced to close. The current combined rate of $115 a day per child has been the same since 2010.</p>
<p>“I still call it a looming crisis,” Doyle said. “Hopefully they’ll give us a look at some new services and not the same old stuff we already know that we can or can’t bill for.”</p>
<p>Karla Delgado, social services chief for Nevada’s Division of Child and Family Services, said amendments to the Medicaid funding should be made official sometime in September or October.</p>
<p>Contact Michael Scott Davidson at [email protected] or 702-477-3861. Follow <a href="http://www.twitter.com/davidsonlvrj" type="external">@davidsonlvrj</a> on Twitter.</p> | Clark County foster agencies get reprieve from Medicaid cut | false | https://reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/clark-county/clark-county-foster-agencies-get-reprieve-from-medicaid-cut/ | 2017-06-15 | 1 |
<p>During the January 21 edition of Fox's The O'Reilly Factor, Bill O'Reilly defended Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump's bigoted rhetoric from a group criticizing the media for treating Trump as entertainment rather than as a presidential candidate.</p>
<p>O'Reilly spent his Talking Points Memo portion of his show criticizing the group "Stop Hate Dump Trump" and their campaign&#160;&#160;calling for the media to report on Trump's' rhetoric. During the segment, O'Reilly attacked the group, claiming they were trying to "intimidate the media" and characterizing members as "rabid feminist[s]," "nutty," "emotional," "radical totalitarian loons" and "out of their minds."</p>
<p />
<p>The "Stop Hate Dump Trump" campaign has stated&#160; <a href="http://variety.com/2016/biz/news/anti-donald-trump-campaign-kerry-washington-jane-fonda-1201684129/" type="external">their goal</a>&#160;is to call out Trump for "hate speech, misogyny, Islamophobia and racism."</p>
<p>O'Reilly went on to criticize the statement of "Stop Hate Dump Trump" member Eve Ensler in which she criticized the media for "normalizing Trump's extremism by treating it as entertainment." O'Reilly claimed this was a threat, saying the group was not "free to threaten anyone who reports on him."</p>
<p>O'Reilly's criticism of the group ignored Trump's own&#160; <a href="/blog/2015/12/15/reporter-says-trumps-campaign-made-journalists/207517" type="external">repeated</a>&#160; <a href="/blog/2016/01/20/trump-bullies-the-press-and-the-press-yawns/208064" type="external">threats</a>&#160; <a href="/blog/2015/08/26/trump-has-now-shut-down-two-of-the-most-well-re/205176" type="external">to members</a>&#160;of the press, having reporters physically&#160; <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/25/politics/donald-trump-megyn-kelly-iowa-rally/" type="external">removed</a>&#160;from events, and even&#160; <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/25/media/donald-trump-serge-kovaleski/" type="external">mocking</a>&#160;a journalist's disability.</p> | Bill O'Reilly Attacks Group Criticizing Donald Trump's "Hate Speech" | true | http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/01/21/bill-oreilly-attacks-group-criticizing-donald-t/208107 | 2016-01-22 | 4 |
<p>Baltimore County Police officers fatally shot an unarmed man while responding to a call of a domestic disturbance early Thursday morning, authorities said.</p>
<p>Three officers opened fire on Spencer Lee McCain, 41, after being called to a home in Owings Mills just after 1 a.m., and forcing their way inside because the officers feared a person may be in danger, Baltimore County police said in a statement. Police said officers could hear a disturbance inside, but no one answered the door.</p>
<p>Police said the officers shot McCain after he allegedly made movements that the officers interpreted as indicating he was armed and ready to act, but no weapon was found, police said. McCain was taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.</p>
<p>"The police officers encountered a subject in a defensive position, making body movements and arm movements that placed the officers in fear of serious injury or death," Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson told reporters.</p>
<p>Police said all three officers fired and the investigation has not determined how many shots were fired, but investigators recovered 19 shell casings at the scene.</p>
<p>Police said a woman inside the home had "visible injuries" but refused treatment; two children were also inside the home. The woman was not identified, but police said McCain was prohibited by a court protective order from having any contact with her, and police said they were called to the home around 17 times since 2012.</p>
<p>Johnson said the woman told investigators that McCain told her, "You're going to get the beating you deserve," <a href="http://www.wbaltv.com/news/man-killed-in-officerinvolved-shooting-in-owings-mills/33766512" type="external">NBC station WBAL reported.</a></p>
<p>A neighbor told the station he heard what sounded like a woman "begging, you know, like, 'Don't do that. Don't do this. Please stop."</p>
<p>Owing Mills is about 20 miles northwest of Baltimore, which was roiled by protests and riots after a black man, Freddie Gray, <a href="" type="internal">died after suffering a spinal injury</a>while in police custody. McCain's race was not released.</p>
<p>Police said the homicide unit will complete an investigation and forward the results to the state's attorney's office for review.</p> | Baltimore County Police Fatally Shoot Unarmed Man on Domestic Call | false | http://nbcnews.com/news/us-news/baltimore-county-police-fatally-shoot-unarmed-man-n382171 | 2015-06-26 | 3 |
<p>SPRINGHILL, Ark. (AP) — Strong storms that raked Arkansas included one tornado that took the roof off a church in Faulkner County and another that damaged a water plant south of Fort Smith.</p>
<p>National Weather Service offices said Monday that a tornado with winds around 100 mph hit east of Springhill, just north of Conway, and damaged other buildings, trees and power lines. A weaker storm, with winds about 90 mph, hit at Huntington, south of Fort Smith. It damaged trees and destroyed a shed at the local water plant.</p>
<p>Both Sunday night twisters were rated “EF1” on a six-level scale of tornado damage.</p>
<p>A number of homes and businesses lost power during the storms. Jefferson County had 1,770 outages while Mississippi County had over 1,300.</p>
<p>There are no immediate reports of injuries.</p>
<p>SPRINGHILL, Ark. (AP) — Strong storms that raked Arkansas included one tornado that took the roof off a church in Faulkner County and another that damaged a water plant south of Fort Smith.</p>
<p>National Weather Service offices said Monday that a tornado with winds around 100 mph hit east of Springhill, just north of Conway, and damaged other buildings, trees and power lines. A weaker storm, with winds about 90 mph, hit at Huntington, south of Fort Smith. It damaged trees and destroyed a shed at the local water plant.</p>
<p>Both Sunday night twisters were rated “EF1” on a six-level scale of tornado damage.</p>
<p>A number of homes and businesses lost power during the storms. Jefferson County had 1,770 outages while Mississippi County had over 1,300.</p>
<p>There are no immediate reports of injuries.</p> | Tornadoes, winds damage buildings and cut power in Arkansas | false | https://apnews.com/c33c741f8988448b9d3d7874d5cc9246 | 2018-01-22 | 2 |
<p>Richard Holbrooke, a diplomatic fixture since the Vietnam era whose last assignment was special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/world/14holbrooke.html" type="external">died</a> Monday following heart surgery.</p>
<p>His neoliberal campaigning made him the enemy of progressives and the friend of trigger-happy presidents. The current White House resident <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/12/richard-holbrooke-dead-obama.html" type="external">described</a> him as "one of the giants of American foreign policy" before learning of Holbrooke's death. - PZS</p>
<p>President Obama quoted by the Los Angeles Times:</p>
<p>Richard Holbrooke has been serving this nation with distinction for nearly 50 years - from a young foreign service officer in Vietnam to the architect of the accords that ended the slaughter in the Balkans, to advancing our regional efforts as our special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and countless crises and hot spots in between. He is simply one of the giants of American foreign policy.</p>
<p />
<p>And as anyone who has ever worked with him knows - or had the clear disadvantage of negotiating across the table from him - Richard is relentless. He never stops. He never quits. Because he's always believed that if we stay focused, if we act on our mutual interests, that progress is possible. Wars can end. Peace can be forged.</p>
<p><a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/12/richard-holbrooke-dead-obama.html" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Afghanistan Envoy Holbrooke Dies | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/afghanistan-envoy-holbrooke-dies/ | 2010-12-14 | 4 |
<p>Sept. 1 (UPI) — English soccer legend <a href="https://www.upi.com/topic/Wayne_Rooney/" type="external">Wayne Rooney</a> was arrested Friday near Cheshire, England.</p>
<p>He <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-41123148" type="external">has been charged with drunken</a> driving, <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/soccer/wayne-rooney-arrested-suspicion-drunk-driving-cheshire-article-1.3460377" type="external">according to multiple reports</a>.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/09/01/wayne-rooney-arrested-suspicion-drink-driving/" type="external">source told the Telegraph</a> that Rooney was seen dancing on tables at a bar earlier that night. His VW Beetle was pulled over by police around 2 a.m. A <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/09/01/wayne-rooney-arrested-suspicion-drink-driving/" type="external">source told the Telegraph</a> that Rooney’s former Manchester United teammate Wes Brown was also at the bar.</p>
<p>The younger brother of ex-teammate Phil Bardsley was also with Rooney and Brown, according to reports.</p>
<p>England’s all-time leading goal scorer spent the night in jail.</p>
<p>“Cheshire Police has charged a man with drink-driving following a vehicle stop in Wilmslow,” police told the Telegraph.</p>
<p>“The man was arrested shortly after 2.00am today, Friday 1 September, after officers stopped a black VW Beetle on Altrincham Road, Wilmslow.</p>
<p>“Wayne Rooney, aged 31, has since been charged with driving whilst over the prescribed limit.”</p>
<p>The soccer star was released on bail.</p>
<p>Rooney is due in court on Sept. 18, according to multiple reports.</p>
<p>He announced his retirement from international play last week. Rooney scored 53 goals in 119 games for England.</p>
<p>Everton has yet to comment on Rooney. The English squad faces Tottenham on Sept. 9 at Goodison Park. Rooney’s wife Coleen is currently pregnant with the couple’s fourth child. Everton faces Manchester United on Sept. 17.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.upi.com/Wayne-Rooney-reunites-with-Everton-leaves-Manchester-United/3711499617172/" type="external">Rooney joined Everton</a> in July on a two-year deal.</p> | Wayne Rooney: English soccer star arrested on drunken driving charge | false | https://newsline.com/wayne-rooney-english-soccer-star-arrested-on-drunken-driving-charge/ | 2017-09-01 | 1 |
<p>J.P. Morgan will soon announce it has bought a 4.7 percent stake in the London Metal Exchange (LME) from defunct U.S. brokerage <a href="" type="internal">MF Global</a>, two people familiar with the situation said on Tuesday, making it the exchange's largest shareholder.</p>
<p>The U.S. investment bank would pay 25 million ($39.1 million) pounds for the stake in the world's largest metal market, the sources said, implying a total value of around 530 million pounds for the operator.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>An announcement could come as early as this week.</p>
<p>The sale to J.P. Morgan could shift the odds in the takeover battle for the LME, one of the few exchanges to still operate an open outcry ring, which has thrown its doors open to a potential 1 billion pound takeover.</p>
<p>J.P. Morgan, which already holds a 6.2 percent in the LME, declined to comment. The LME also declined to comment, as did KPMG, the administrators for MF Global's UK unit.</p>
<p>J.P. Morgan would separately also buy the B-shares held by MF Global for 2 million pounds, one of the sources said.</p>
<p>Industry sources told Reuters last Wednesday that MF Global's ring dealing seat on the LME will be bought by U.S.-based broker INTL FCStone.</p>
<p>Selling the stake would be a boost for creditors of the futures brokerage, which filed for bankruptcy protection last month, and for its clients, some of whom have seen their positions frozen ever since.</p>
<p>The shortfall of customer funds at MF Global may be around $1.2 billion, about double initial estimates from regulators, the trustee liquidating the company said on Monday.</p>
<p>Regulators are investigating what happened to the money and whether MF Global may have improperly mixed customer money with its own -- a major violation of industry rules. No charges have been filed.</p>
<p>($1 = 0.6400 British pounds)</p>
<p>Advertisement</p> | JPMorgan to Buy MF Global's Stake in London Metals Exchange | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2011/11/22/jpmorgan-to-buy-mfglobals-stake-in-london-metals-exchange.html | 2016-01-29 | 0 |
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<p />
<p>The New Mexico bill – House Bill 114, sponsored by Rep. Nora Espinoza of Roswell – would make it a third-degree felony for any government official or firearm dealer to try to enforce federal gun laws here.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>It also would call on the New Mexico attorney general to defend any state resident charged by the federal government with violating federal gun laws.</p>
<p>Ten other representatives in the 70-member House signed on to Espinoza’s bill as co-sponsors.</p>
<p>President Barack Obama and some congressional Democrats are calling for new federal gun restrictions, including legislation that would ban assault-style weapons and limit ammunition clips.</p>
<p>Espinoza did not immediately return calls seeking comment Thursday, but other Republican legislators in Santa Fe said they would back the legislation.</p>
<p>“I would support it,” said Rep. William “Bill” Rehm, R-Albuquerque, who said there is lax enforcement of many federal gun laws already on the books.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Republican legislators in Texas, Wyoming and Tennessee have introduced legislation similar to Espinoza’s New Mexico measure in recent weeks.</p>
<p>The proposed legislation comes amid growing national debate over gun control, after a Dec. 14 shooting in a Connecticut elementary school left 20 students and six teachers dead and after 12 people were killed and 58 wounded in an Aurora, Colo., movie theater on July 20.</p>
<p>Obama this week announced a $500 million package of federal legislative proposals and 23 executive actions aimed at curbing gun violence. The package includes heightened background checks and tougher prosecution of gun crimes.</p>
<p>The National Rifle Association, the biggest lobby for gun owners and dealers, has vowed to fight new restrictions.</p>
<p>Gun control debate has begun to emerge in the New Mexico Legislature, where a 60-day lawmaking session began this week.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Rep. Miguel P. Garcia, D-Albuquerque, introduced legislation to close the “gun show loophole” by requiring mandatory background checks for firearms purchased at gun shows or from a private vendor.</p>
<p>Under Espinoza’s bill, any public officer, firearms dealer or federal agent “who enforces or attempts to enforce any act, law, statute, rule or regulation of the United States government relating to a personal firearm or firearm accessory, or to ammunition, that is owned or is manufactured commercially or privately in New Mexico, and that remains exclusively within the borders of New Mexico” would be guilty of a third-degree felony.</p>
<p>It says any federal effort after July 2013 “to ban or restrict ownership of a semiautomatic firearm or a magazine of a firearm: or (to) require a firearm, magazine or other firearm accessory to be registered in any manner” would be unenforceable in New Mexico.</p>
<p>Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque, the new chairwoman of the House Judiciary Committee, said Thursday that she had not seen Espinoza’s bill but that it likely would raise significant legal questions.</p>
<p>“I don’t know how a state says you can’t enforce a federal law,” Chasey said. “I think secession would have to precede that, but I guess we’ll see.” — This article appeared on page A1 of the Albuquerque Journal</p> | Bill Aims To Disarm Feds’ Gun Controls | false | https://abqjournal.com/161354/bill-aims-to-disarm-feds-gun-controls.html | 2013-01-18 | 2 |
<p>When a veteran war reporter like Robert Fisk constructs his argument regarding the siege of Aleppo based on ‘watching’ video footage, then one can truly comprehend the near impossibility of adequate media coverage on the war in Syria.</p>
<p>In a recent article in the British ‘Independent’, Fisk reflects on the siege, uprising and atrocious Nazi massacres in Warsaw, Poland in 1944. The terribly high cost of that war leads him to reject the French assertion that the current siege in Aleppo is the ‘worst massacre since World War Two.’</p>
<p>“Why do we not see the defending fighters, as we do on the Warsaw films? Why are we not told about their political allegiance, as we most assuredly are on the Warsaw footage? Why do we not see ‘rebel’ military hardware – as well as civilian targets – being hit by artillery and air attack as we do on the Polish newsreels?,” he asks, further demonstrating what he perceives to be the flaw of such a comparison.</p>
<p>Not that Fisk doubts that pictures of the dead and wounded children in eastern Aleppo are real; his argument is largely against the one-sidedness of the coverage, of demonizing one party, while sparing another.</p>
<p>Without reserve, I always find comparing massacres – to find out which is worse – tasteless, if not inhumane. What is the point in this, aside from mitigating the effect of a terrible tragedy, by comparing it to a hypothetically much greater tragedy? Or, as the French have done, perhaps exaggerating the human toll to create the type of fear that often leads to reckless political and military action?</p>
<p>The French and other NATO countries have used this tactic repeatedly in the past. In fact, this is how the war on Libya was concocted, purportedly to stave off the imminent Tripoli ‘genocide’ and Benghazi ‘bloodbath.’ The Americans used it in Iraq, successfully. The Israelis have perfected it in Gaza.</p>
<p>In fact, the United States’ intervention in Iraq was always tied to some sort of imagined global threat that, unsurprisingly, was never proven. Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was so eager to take part in the conquest of Iraq in 2003 that he contrived intelligence alleging that Iraq, under Saddam Hussein, was able to deploy weapons of mass destruction within 45 minutes from the moment such an order was given.</p>
<p>The US went even further: it was only recently revealed that the US had hired a London-based firm, Bell Pottinger, to create fake al-Qaeda videos and news reports that were designed to appear as if written by legitimate Arabic media.</p>
<p>The propaganda videos were ‘personally approved’ by the commander of the US-led coalition forces in Iraq at the time, General David Petraeus, Salon and others reported.</p>
<p>We still do not know the specific content of many of these videos and to what extent such material, which cost US tax payers $540 million dollars, influenced events on the ground and our understanding of these events.</p>
<p>Considering the high financial cost and the fact that the company worked directly from inside Baghdad’s ‘Camp Victory’, ‘side-by-side’ with high-ranking US officials, one can only imagine the degree of deceit imparted upon innocent viewers and readers for years.</p>
<p>Compounded with the fact that the whole reason behind the war was a lie, the then Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, had no intention of ever informing reporters of what was really transpiring on the ground, and that countless reporters agreed to be ‘embedded’ with US-British forces, thus further contributing to the one-sided narrative. One is left to wonder if any truth ever emerged from Iraq.</p>
<p>Then, again, we know that hundreds of thousands have died in that catastrophic military adventure, that Iraq is not better off, and that thousands more are still being killed because this is what happens when countries are invaded, destabilized, hurriedly reassembled and then left to lick their wounds, alone.</p>
<p>The chaotic violence and sectarianism in Iraq are the direct outcome of the US invasion and occupation, which were constructed on official lies and dishonest media reporting.</p>
<p>Is it too much to ask, then, that we learn from those dreadful mistakes, to understand that when all is said and done, nothing will remain but mass graves and grieving nations?</p>
<p>As for the lies that enable wars, and allow the various sides to clinch on their straw arguments of selected morality, few ever have the intellectual courage to take responsibility when they are proven wrong. We simply move on, uncaring for the victims of our intellectual squabbles.</p>
<p>“The extreme bias shown in foreign media coverage of similar events in Iraq and Syria will be a rewarding subject for PhD students looking at the uses and abuses of propaganda down the ages,” wrote war reporter, Patrick Cockburn.</p>
<p>He is right, of course, but as soon as his report on media bias was published, he was attacked and dismissed by both sides on social media. From their perspective, a proper position would be for him to completely adopt the version of events as seen by one side, and totally ignore the other.</p>
<p>Yet, with both sides of the war having no respect for media or journalists – the list of journalists killed in Syria keeps on growing – no impartial journalist is allowed to carry out his or her work in accordance with the minimum standards of reporting.</p>
<p>Thus, the ‘truth’ can only be gleaned based on deductive reasoning – as many of us have successfully done, reporting on Iraq and Palestine.</p>
<p>Of course, there will always been the self-tailored activist-journalist-propagandist variety who will continue to cheer for death and destruction in the name of whatever ideology they choose to follow. They abide by no reasoning, but their own convenient logic – that which is only capable of demonizing their enemies and lionizing their friends.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, these media trolls are the ones shaping the debate on much of what is happening in the Middle East today.</p>
<p>While the coverage of war in the past has given rise to many daring journalists – Seymour Hersh in Vietnam, Tariq Ayyoub in Iraq, photo-journalist Zoriah Miller, and hundreds more – the war in Syria is destroying journalistic integrity and, with it, our readers’ ability to decipher one of the most convoluted conflicts of the modern era.</p>
<p>In Syria, as in Iraq and other warring regions in the Middle East, the ‘truth’ is not shaped by facts, but opinions, themselves fashioned by blind allegiances, not truly humanistic principles or even simple common sense.</p>
<p>“Loyalty to petrified opinions never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul in this world — and never will,” wrote Mark Twain many years ago.</p>
<p>It was true then, as it is true in the Middle East today.</p> | Navigating War: Has the War in Syria also Destroyed Journalism? | true | https://counterpunch.org/2016/12/15/navigating-war-has-the-war-in-syria-also-destroyed-journalism/ | 2016-12-15 | 4 |
<p>The Millions More Movement continues to grow, 10 years after Louis Farrakhan’s 1995 Million Men’s March drew hundreds of thousands of Black males to Washington. The MMM has called a three-day event, October 14-16. Friday is “A Day of Absence” from school &amp; work. They march in Washington on Saturday. On Sunday there will be a mass “Unity Interfaith, Interdenominational Service.”</p>
<p>The new model is vastly improved. Women &amp; gays are involved. The leadership is all-inclusive politically, from Rev. Floyd Flake, an ex-Congressional Representative, backing Republican Michael Bloomberg in the New York mayoral race, thru to Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton &amp; other Democratic careerists. But beyond them, I have worked with Elombe Brath of the Patrice Lumumba Coalition, Nellie Hester of the Harlem Tenants Council &amp; Viola Plummer of the December 12th Movement, re apartheid, Palestine &amp; Cuba. Unto a certainty, they are selflessly dedicated to Black people’s interests.</p>
<p>Everyone is pleased? No. Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League is furious. Black leaders attending the announcement gave Farrakhan “credibility and a pass on his anti-Semitism.” Neo-con Kenneth Stern of the American Jewish Committee seconds Foxman. Farrakhan is “still promoting the basest type of anti-Semitism.”</p>
<p>They are political suicide champs. Bill Clinton, who supported the 1995 march as President, hails the MMM. So does party chair Howard Dean. Everyone thinks Jews are smart. Even Hitler thought us cunning, great at plots &amp; schemes. But Foxman &amp; Stern would lose a poker game to a rock.</p>
<p>Clinton smothered the 1995 march with kisses &amp; one of the biggest demos in US history vanished into the history books, nothing accomplished. Now Black Democrats want the MMM focused on domestic issues &amp; the least controversial parts of the Black international agenda, food for Niger, more AIDS money for Africa south of the Sahara, etc. Up to their eyeballs in a party funded by the rich, it gives them a chance to put on populist-face make up. A massive but politically limited event works to their electioneering advantage.</p>
<p>The ADL &amp; AJC could have said ‘we support the demo, despite some of its leaders.’ But American Zionism’s leaders insist on proving Euripides right: “Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.” Now there is no evading discussion of Black/Jewish relations &amp; Israel/Palestine. Thanks, Abe.</p>
<p>Democratic hopes to restrict the demo are a rerun of their ultimately unsuccessful pleas to Martin Luther King not to denounce the Vietnam war because he would lose White support for civil rights. Its impossible to have a serious massive Black demonstration in 2005 without discussing US foreign policy. AIDS does rages in Africa. Niger does face famine. A Black Secretary of State does represent Bush while Black soldiers kill &amp; are killed in Afghanistan &amp; Iraq. The Sudan is still in crisis. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, surrounded by corruption, acknowledges that UN troops have committed rapes in Africa.</p>
<p>W. E. B. DuBois, Marcus Garvey, C. L. R. James, Huey Newton, Paul Robeson, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Kwame Ture, would have insisted that a Black movement deal with every aspect of international affairs when Blacks are involved in every nook &amp; cranny of them. The MMM can do no less.</p>
<p>Wool sellers know wool buyers. Zionist funders know the follies, mistakes, sins &amp; crimes of all major characters in the Black cast. They know that most Democratic officeholders won’t break with their Jewish counterparts even if Ariel Sharon personally nuked their granny. But we can inform thousands in the MMM ranks. They can be a base for a broader American movement that can run candidates against the Republicans &amp; Democrats, &amp; beat Bush in the streets. Quality documentation at the Washington rally will make folks want to learn more about all the Middle Eastern issues.</p>
<p>The ADL/AJC rants open the MMM ranks to anti-Zionist explanations for the Jewish establishment’s rage. We must prepare leaflets re Zionism’s relations with Blacks. This genre must focus on undisputed Zionist misdeeds while explaining that Zionism doesn’t represent all Jews. From 1985 until his death in 1998, I worked with Kwame Ture in the Coalition Against Zionism and Racism. Millions of Americans knew Stokely Carmichael (his birth name) as the 60s “Black power” organizer of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. He put this well in the 5/91 issue of our publication, The Anti-War Activist:</p>
<p>“Africans must transform the anti-war movement to an anti-capitalist and anti-Zionist movement. We have no choice. If we don’t bow down to Zionism we are chastised or destroyed. The Zionists tried to chastise Mandela for his support for the PLO. They control our community’s politicians. Look how they work harder for Israel than for Azania/South Africa! We must properly distinguish between Judaism and Zionism. But our slogan must be King’s slogan: ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'”</p>
<p>Israel was South Africa’s closest ally. But South African Jewish leftists played leading roles in the African National Congress struggle against apartheid.</p>
<p>Indeed we must do more. We must denounce Black Republicans Powell, Rice &amp; Co., for their role in all of Bush’s war crimes. We must show Black ‘leaders’ staying on in their party while Democratic administrations sent Black tax money to Israel while it openly armed apartheid.</p>
<p>With the cold war against ‘godless Communism,’ Democratic &amp; Republican administrations whipped up religious fanaticism against the Soviet Union. In 1979, Democrat Jimmy Carter started funding Islamic fundamentalists against a Stalinist regime in Afghanistan. Eventually the free world terrorists won &amp; it was a hop, skip &amp; jump to 9/11.</p>
<p>Washington’s madness had its precedent. The Social Democrats &amp; Communists got 36% &amp; 12% of the votes in Germany’s 1928 election. With the 1929 Depression, Germany’s capitalists weren’t thinking of killing Jews. All they wanted was a Commie-basher. Carter &amp; Reagan needed Commie-bashers &amp; these were handy. But pump up crackpots’ muscles with the best of all steroids, guns, &amp; they take power, they do what they want to do, not just what their patrons wanted. Washington thought it was using them. But its terrorists thought that Allah allied with the crusaders against atheism so that they should then take on the crusaders.</p>
<p>We must denounce Black Congressional Democrats who said little or nothing re Wall Street’s bipartisan alliance with the Saudis &amp; Pakistan, in making a world-class military power out of Islamic terrorism.</p>
<p>Karl von Clausewitz (1780-1831), the classic military authority, famously said, “War is nothing but the continuation of politics by other means.” Reverse his aphorism. Politics is nothing but the continuation of war by other means. A good general wants to know the strengths &amp; weaknesses of his army as well as his foe’s. In politics, winning means overcoming your side’s failings.</p>
<p>Ron Daniels, a serious scholar, has declared that “It’s one thing to talk a bout a march, and quite another to put in the work to sustain a movement, which is what we want to do.” He is “committed to deal with the follow-up part of the mission, and through the Institute of the Black World we will develop ways to sustain the movement.”</p>
<p>That is decisive. He says that</p>
<p>“As a people we have often been victimized by skin politics because we do not think critically, engage in critical discussions about the issues of the day or engage in constructive criticism of our leaders. To be a critical thinker is to refuse to simply accept things as they appear on the surface, to question and analyze before acting. To complete our journey towards liberation, we need informed, tough minded, critical thinking Africans who are unwilling to accept pronouncements from on high from Black leaders or anyone else without a serious and thoughtful examination of the questions and issues at hand.”</p>
<p>In that light, below is a critique of Farrakhan &amp; the Black Democrats. The MMM can only profit from such an analysis because it is a classic case of the whole being very definitely greater than the sum of its parts. Debates &amp; scholarly panels build sustained movements. With time, the Black left can win over the MMM ranks to scientific politics.</p>
<p>Following the critique are documents incriminating Zionists in crimes against Blacks. Readers are encouraged to pass them along via the internet &amp; to turn them into leaflets at MMM events.</p>
<p>LOUIS FARRAKHAN</p>
<p>In many respects, Louis Farrakhan is one of the most incredible figures in America. Oxymoronism (Greek oxys/acute – moros/foolish), has become an intellectual buzz word, but there is no better example of it than the leader of the Nation Of Islam.</p>
<p>He came to national attention after Malcolm X broke with the Nation &amp; its leader, Elijah Muhammad. He was a leading NOI ranter against Malcolm, who had recruited him to the Nation. “Louis X” announced in the 12/4/64 issue of Muhammad Speaks that Malcolm was</p>
<p>“like the famous rebel, Korah, in the times of Moses…. Another parable depicting Malcolm is that of Judas…. The die is set and Malcolm shall not escape, especially after such evil talk about his benefactor (Elijah Muhammad) in trying to rob him of the divine glory which Allah has bestowed upon him. Such a man as Malcolm is worthy of death, and would have met death if it had not been for Muhammad’s confidence in Allah for victory over the enemies.”</p>
<p>On 2/21/65 elements in the Nation of Islam assassinated Malcolm. Farrakhan admitted this in the 3/29/93 issue of his present journal, The Final Call:</p>
<p>“I’m not a killer, but when you mess with that man (Elijah Muhammad) I become that, because that man gave me life. Elijah Muhammad taught me what I know. He taught me how to eat to live that I could produce children of consequence. If you want to live, you leave that man alone where we are concerned. When Malcolm stepped across that line death was inevitable.”</p>
<p>But on 5/6/95 he confessed to Malcolm’s widow, Betty Shabazz, at a public meeting called to acknowledge their crime. FBI head</p>
<p>“J. Edgar Hoover was determined that no Black Messiah would rise to unite our people in their quest for justice and true liberation…. Our zeal, our love and hatred, our ignorance was manipulated by powerful outside forces and the result is that members of the Nation of Islam were involved in the assassination of Malcolm X.”</p>
<p>In 1965, Black outrage at the murder isolated the NOI. Then, after Elijah Muhammad’s 1975 death, his son Wallace abandoned Black nationalism for Sunni Islam. He renamed the movement the American Muslim Mission. In 1978 Farrakhan broke with the AMM &amp; reconstituted the Nation.</p>
<p>In his prime, Farrakhan was a sensational orator. In 1968, the Mayor of San Francisco announced the arrest of a group within the NOI for murdering whites on their own, not under orders from the sect. Farrakhan came immediately to the University of California at Berkeley. He spoke to a packed house. He assured everyone that the Nation had nothing to do with the crimes. He came to find out if the accused were guilty. If they were, they should go to prison.</p>
<p>Black &amp; white, from left to right, you can’t imagine a more skeptical audience. But within minutes everyone felt relaxed as he discussed the Black situation. He spoke for an hour, then took questions. Towards the end, he referred to his speech as “my symphony,” &amp; got loud applause from people, many having come there thinking they would hear someone whose followers murdered innocent whites at his orders. I challenge anyone to match that for rhetorical success. (The accused went to prison. The murders stopped. Black radicals, along with everyone else, took that to mean that they were indeed guilty. Today no one accuses the NOI of involvement in their conspiracy.)</p>
<p>A triumph it was, yet his later notions run from sane to crackpot. Perhaps his most grotesque concoction was a 10/28/92 speech, “Obedience is the highest form of sacrifice,” in which he told the world that, after the expulsion from the Garden of Eden, “Shabazz” was punished for creating the 1st white. He</p>
<p>“took his family into the jungles of… Africa, to make a people close to nature. And the Hon. Elijah Muhammad said this is the origin of ‘kinky’ hair because we didn’t have ‘kinky’ hair prior to that, the hair on our head was like the hair on our eye brow…. Wouldn’t you like the hair on your head to be as straight as the hair on your eye brow? That’s why you are so busy frying it…. Because most of your family of other black people on earth, jet black, they didn’t have no broad nose and thick lips and ‘kinky’ hair…. We are marked as a different kind of black person and we were rejected and despised not only from the circle of the Gods, but we were despised and rejected by all the other dark people….</p>
<p>Why are we rejected? Because the essence of beauty is in obedience and submission to God and the essence of ugliness is when you rebel against God. And when you rebel against God, in your rebellion you are marked with a certain mark of your rebellion; which is the disfigurement of your internal self which manifests in the disfigurement of your external self. And this is why when you look at our people, wherever we are found on the earth, you find us disfiguring ourselves physically because we are disfigured on the inside because of rebellion.”</p>
<p>This outraged nationalist intellectuals. Elombe Brath declared that “this is an indication of how many of our people, even some so-called leaders, have internalized these notions propagated by our enemies.” (Amsterdam News, 2/13/93)</p>
<p>During the build up for the 1995 march, Farrakhan told a Washington rally that “10 years ago he had a vision of being swept into a UFO that took him to a larger mothership. There, he said, the late Elijah Muhammad told him that then President Ronald Reagan was plotting a war. He said the vision ended with him being beamed to Earth from the spaceship. ‘I really don’t care if you think I’m a nut,'” he said, “explaining to the audience that he had debated even sharing the story.” (Washington Post, 9/18/95)</p>
<p>Of course such blather isn’t why Zionists denounce him. Decades ago, I was in New York’s Madison Square Garden when Billy Graham told us that he believed that, after they die, God sends Christians to other planets to convert the people there. And Graham admits that he shared Richard Nixon’s anti-Semitism. But the ADL didn’t tell people not to attend his recent New York fairwell. Their hostility to Farrakhan is an outgrowth of the “Hymietown” affair during Jesse Jackson’s 1984 bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.</p>
<p>Jackson called NYC Hymietown in a ‘let’s talk Black’ chat with a Black reporter. Hymie was a Jewish name of the immigrant generation. He could have explained that ‘talkin’ Black’ means using slang. Indeed Jews, when talking informally about some Jewish aspect of the city, have been known to call it Jew York. But Jackson denied he said it, then confessed his dread crime.</p>
<p>After demonstrations against Jackson by the terrorist Jewish Defense League, Farrakhan warned that there would be retaliation “if you harm this brother.” He expounded on Israel:</p>
<p>“The Zionists are those Jewish persons who wanted a homeland for the Jews…. but they wanted to fulfill the vision without fulfilling the preconditions…. It was your cold naked scheming…. against the lives of a people there in Palestine…. you pushed out the original inhabitants…. Now that nation called Israel never has had any peace…. because there can be no peace structured on injustice, thievery, lying and deceit and using the name of God to shield your gutter religion under His holy and righteous name…. You hate us because we dare to say that…. It is the black people in America that is the chosen people of almighty God.”</p>
<p>Jackson happily accepted Farrakhan’s support for his campaign. But he had to denounce him over “gutter religion.” However that didn’t hurt Farrakhan. In 1985 he packed national auditoriums, denouncing Jews. Stanley Crouch explained why in the 10/29/85 Village Voice:</p>
<p>“When Farrakhan… baited Jews… he… plumbs the battles that have gone on between black people and Jews for almost 20 years. He speaks to (though not for) those who have fought with Jews over affirmative action, or have felt locked out of discussions about Middle East policy by Jews.”</p>
<p>Add Israel’s alliance with Pretoria to Crouch’s issues. After Hymietown, most Black Democratic office holders never made an issue out of Israel/South Africa. Their careers were more important to them than the rights or lives of Palestinians or South Africans. But many Blacks knew of the alliance. Farrakhan took it on, so they listened, even while voting Democrat.</p>
<p>The NOI had a group of young scholars research the Jewish role in Black slavery. Its Research Department published The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews. I reviewed it in 1992 in NY’s Amsterdam News. I said that if I were a prof, I’d give it a B.</p>
<p>It accurately dealt with the extent of Jewish involvement in Christian enslavement of Blacks. But they said nothing about Jewish slave merchants in the Muslim world. Re the US, the book completely distorted the role of Theodore Wiener.</p>
<p>A German Jew, he came to Kansas in the 1850s, to trade with both sides during the struggle between the slavery &amp; free-state forces. He was pro-slavery but his Jewish partners were abolitionists. A pro-slavery German, assuming that he was an abolitionist like his partners, tried to kill him. Instead, Wiener beat up the slaver. He then took refuge with his neighbors, John Brown’s sons. Brown converted him to his racially egalitarian radical abolitionism.</p>
<p>But the RD’s sole statement about Wiener was in an appendix, “Jews of the Black Holocaust.” It listed reprehensible Jews during slavery: “Theodore Wiener proclaimed himself to be a ‘rank pro-slavery man’ {1255}.” Note 1255 sent us to the American Jewish Archives, vol. 8, p 92. But there we found</p>
<p>“Theodore Wiener, Bondi’s business partner who had lived in Texas and Louisiana, was a “rank pro-slavery man.” When Wiener went to Kansas he refused to join the pro-slavery group, but continued to do business with them. It was only after an unsuccessful attempt on his life by a brother of the notorious Dutch Henry that he openly joined forces with the anti-slavery faction (August Bondi, in Memoirs of American Jews 1775-1865, vol. 2).”</p>
<p>Wiener was one of seven volunteers who accompanied Brown on the glorious night of 5/24-25/1856. Missouri ‘border ruffians’ had wrecked Lawrence, an abolitionist town. Timid anti-slavery leaders put up no resistance. Then Brown heard that triumphant Pottawatomie Creek slavers had threatened to kill the local abolitionists. Brown decided to punish them.</p>
<p>Wiener executed two of the five slavers brought to judgment, after two of Brown’s sons wouldn’t slay them. Wiener was nothing less than a central figure in Act I, Scene 1 of the downfall of American slavery. The RD demoting Brown’s “terrible swift sword” back to a “pro-slavery man” was fantastic.</p>
<p>I gave them a B instead of an F because the book was put together by a team, each member handling a chapter. It was possible that the editor didn’t know that one of his guys did a hatchet job on Wiener. But on 3/1/2000, I lectured at Wellesley College, in defense of a Black professor who had been denounced for using their book in his Black studies class. I gave its good &amp; bad points. RD folks were present but said nothing in the discussion period. Then they posted a response to my critique on their website:</p>
<p>“The three Jews mentioned by Brenner, August Bondi, Theodore Wiener and Jacob Benjamin, wanted nothing more than to sell their wares to whichever side had ready cash and were not abolitionist ideologues by any reckoning. They became accidentally involved in an on-going border war which pitted pro-slavery forces against abolitionists, neither of whom welcomed Blacks as equals in mind, body or rights.”</p>
<p>A still pro-slavery businessman didn’t execute slavers after the great abolitionist’s own sons wouldn’t do it. Bondi tells us how impressed he was by Brown converting Wiener into a radical abolitionist. Their 2000 defense means that I was wrong in 1992. I should have given them an F.</p>
<p>Fortunately, that element later got discredited inside the NOI. Farrakhan gained credibility in the 90s when he stepped forward to care for Ture as he battled cancer. Indeed Eric Muhammad of the NOI was Kwame’s physical attendant when I paid my last visit to him. After our taped discussion, I went to the next room to pack up to leave. As I went by Kwame’s door I heard Eric warn him that I was a Jew. “He’s a revolutionary!” were the last words I heard my comrade speak. Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. But I confess that the great Black liberator’s words made me proud. Imagine my further joy when I read the 8/23/03 AmNews:</p>
<p>“James G. Muhammad… editor of… The Final Call, has lost his job for mishandling a story that erroneously implicated Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. and Samuel “Billy” Kyles in the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King…. The original story carried the… byline of Eric Ture Muhammad…. Eric Ture Muhammad… also resigned.”</p>
<p>Farrakhan cleaned up his act. Today’s weekly combines writings of Elijah Muhammad &amp; transcribed Farrakhan orations with material from outside Black &amp; US left writers. Farrakhan &amp; others are sometimes politically wrong. But they are often on target.</p>
<p>In the end, the key question is whether Farrakhan is an anti-Semite today. The answer is no. He believes that his grandfather, a white Portuguese, was of Jewish decent. He loves Jewish liturgical music, heard as a child in Boston. He gave up the violin when he became an NOI minister, only taking it up again in the 90s, with his Jewish teacher. In 1993 he publically played Felix Mendelssohn’s violin concerto. The NY Times reported that he “talked of reconciliation with American Jews.” He would “try to do with music what cannot be done with words and try to undo with music what words have done.”</p>
<p>In 1996, he met Edgar Bronfman, President of the World Jewish Congress. Bronfman thought the meeting went well. Later, Farrakhan made a speech, comparing Iraqi children’s hunger &amp; deaths to the holocaust. This was too much for Bronfman. How dare anyone compare Iraqi deaths to Jewish deaths! He ended their talks.</p>
<p>Farrakhan continued showing that he isn’t hostile to Jews qua Jews. The 11/30/99 Final Call front paged a photo of him meeting anti-Zionist Orthodox rabbis:</p>
<p>“The Honorable Elijah Muhammad hinted to us in one of his writings that the problem between the Jewish community and us in the United States would be worked out. So we believe that this (meeting) is not accidental… this is part of God’s divine planning for us.”</p>
<p>No mincing words: Anyone who thinks a Black who talks about his Jewish grandfather, has rabbis as guests &amp; brings his Jewish teacher on stage to share his bows, is an anti-Semite, desperately needs a Jewish psychiatrist.</p>
<p>While Foxman evolves into an ever greater crank, even in Democratic eyes, today’s NOI is well past its shameful Malcolm episode. The 8/9 Final Call warned foreign Muslims here “to resist the lure of fanaticism and suicide martyrdom.”</p>
<p>The problem with Farrakhan’s anti-Zionism is that he sermonizes against Israeli oppression. Then his audience goes home. Nothing happens. Black radicals must call on the MMM to organize demos at Israeli consulates across the US. Farrakhan &amp; the rabbis of the Neturei Karta (The Guardians of the City) talked the talk. The MMM should invite them to walk the walk together, for equality &amp; justice in a democratic secular binational Palestine/Israel.</p>
<p>THE BLACK DEMOCRATS</p>
<p>Blacks &amp; Jews vote overwhelmingly Democrat. However most Blacks don’t give a penny to Black politicians. Jews are only 2% of Americans but a 1985 American Jewish Congress pamphlet, The Political Future of American Jews, estimated that “as much as a quarter of Republican funds have come from Jewish sources.” The 1/5/93 NY Times declared that “Jews contributed about 60 percent of Mr. Clinton’s noninstitutional campaign funds,” i.e., money from individuals.</p>
<p>If Black Democrats take on Zionism, Jewish money which they get thru the party turns against them. Georgia’s Cynthia McKinney’s defeat in the 2002 House election was due to out of state Zionist cash going to her rival. Fear makes cowards out most Black office holders. But some are more than mere cowards.</p>
<p>Demagoguery is making use of popular prejudices for political advantage. By the dictionary, many prominent Black Democrats are demagogues. Hustling money &amp; votes in New York City, where Jews are 10% of the population, ends up with US weapons going to Israel, which legally discriminates against Arabs. In the modern world, legal discrimination against any ethnic group automatically produces resistance. Those weapons get used. Playing to domestic Jewish chauvinism here becomes a war crime there, whether committed by Blacks or Whites.</p>
<p>Democrat Jim Zogby of the Arab-American Institute told it all re David Dinkins, the city’s only Black Mayor, in the 10/17/89 Newsday:</p>
<p>“In 1988, Arab-Americans worked with David Dinkins and his campaign manager, Bill Lynch, in support of Jesse Jackson. They raised significant amounts of money for the campaign and participated in voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.</p>
<p>In 1989 David Dinkins has turned his back on this community. I attended a meeting with Lynch in which Arab-Americans were told that they could not develop a support group for the campaign, could not organize a fundraiser that would be attended by Dinkins and could not be visibly associated with the candidate. The reason given was that it might cost Dinkins Jewish votes.”</p>
<p>Former Citibank Exec Carl McCall ran for Governor of New York in 2002. The 3/13/02 Times ran a photo captioned “State Comptroller H. Carl McCall’s visit to Israel last week included target practice with an M-16 assault rifle.” He was “conducting shooting practice at what his aides said was an antiterrorist camp at an undisclosed location in Israel.”</p>
<p>His ad in the 8/30/02 Forward, the leading ‘Jewish community’ weekly, declared that he was “the 1st Comptroller to invest New York State pension funds in State of Israel Bonds, declaring it ‘a good financial investment and an important moral investment in the Middle East’s only democracy.'”</p>
<p>William Thompson, the city’s Comptroller, is just as bad. The 10/3/03 Jewish World had him to the right of Bush: “Thompson said that the administration is wrong to threaten to withhold loan guarantees from Israel because of settlement-building in the West Bank.”</p>
<p>Jesse Jackson stopped running for President after 1988. But cabinet member was still possible. However he knew that couldn’t be done if the Israel lobby only thought of him re Hymietown. So he showed up in Brussels in 1992 for a World Jewish Congress conference: “Zionism by its soundest definition [is] a liberation movement whose object is to secure a state for its people. It must be seen as that, and not with negative connotations attached to it.” (Newsday, 7/8/92) According to that day’s NY Times, “He said the recent repudiation by the United Nations of its resolution equating Zionism and racism was like the Berlin wall coming down.”</p>
<p>Perpetual candidate Al Sharpton did what Democratic hustlers did before him. In 2001, the Israeli consulate &amp; Sharpton’s National Action Network organized a meeting of victims of a Tel Aviv suicide bomb &amp; Blacks who lost family members in the World Trade Center. A gathering for terror victims sounds like the best kind of ecumenicalism. But it was part of a campaign to get into the good graces of the Jewish establishment. The 11/30/01 Forward announced that “Sharpton is expected next month to visit with Jonathan Pollard in his North Carolina prison. Mr. Pollard’s wife… said the visit would be sponsored by the Israeli consulate.”</p>
<p>Pollard is an American Jew doing big time as an Israeli spy. Zionists say he should be let out ASAP because, after all, he was spying for an ally. The military brass insists that he do every second of his sentence. Its hard to believe that Sharpton thought his visit could help Pollard. It was aimed at the US Jewish establishment: Do right by me &amp; I will do right for you.</p>
<p>John Conyers represents Michigan in the House. The state is the only one where Arab votes are potentially crucial. He is on the left of his party re the Middle East. He once put an article of mine into the Congressional Record. But in the wake of charges that someone said something anti-Semitic at an informal hearing on Iraq that he convened, the 6/24/05 Forward had him dutifully announcing that he was a “friend and supporter of Israel.”</p>
<p>I met Conyers in 1988. He’s a pussy cat personally &amp; we had a great time. But he made it clear that he was “a Democrat, not a petunia.” Now, proclaiming support for Israel, he is still saying that he is not a petunia. His homicidal party is better than the Republicans on other issues more important to him than Palestinian rights.</p>
<p>The 6/14/05 Final Call quoted Mary Berry, ex-chair of the US Commission on Civil Rights: “Everyone knows that Blacks are the most loyal folk to the Democratic Party…. And what do we get for our loyalty? African Americans should form an independent political movement, not a party… and say, ‘This is what our issues are and any candidate who supports these issues we will support. And if you don’t support them, we won’t support you.'”</p>
<p>Farrakhan takes this a step further. Final Call says that he</p>
<p>“argues that Black people are not being respected by either Democrats or Republicans, and he recently expressed the potential strength of an independent candidacy for president in 2008. In a panel discussion before the National Conference of Black Mayors in April, Minister Farrakhan said, ‘If we leverage our strength, we’ll make both parties bow and you’ll get what you’ve been looking for all the time that you’ve been serving the Party.'”</p>
<p>As the MMM grows, his perspective enlarges. In the 8/23 Final Call he asks a reasonable question: “So why do Black people and Latino people, Native American and White people themselves need the Millions More Movement?” He answered his own question: “You no longer have representative government. How can these rich speak for the poor?”</p>
<p>Farrakhan talks about “a party of the poor.” But he isn’t about to lead it. Progressive notions share Final Call with denunciations of “marijuana, pork, de-natured food and canned goods.” For him, the curse of ham is as bad for Blacks as the Biblical curse of Ham. But other MMM leaders, like Huey &amp; Kwame before them, go right on eating pig &amp; smoking pot. They correctly march with him when he is right &amp; go their own way when he is wrong.</p>
<p>In that spirit, they must build 10/15. Then they must organize the promised educational program. Debates, starting with discussion of Farrakhan’s proposal for “an independent candidacy in 2008,” indeed in 2006, must be a top MMM priority.</p>
<p>LENNI BRENNER is the editor of <a href="" type="internal">Jefferson &amp; Madison on Separation of Church and State: Writings on Religion and Secularism</a> and a contributor to <a href="http://www.easycarts.net/ecarts/CounterPunch/CP_Books.html" type="external">The Politics of Anti-Semitism</a>. He also edited <a href="" type="internal">51 Documents: Zionist Collaboration with the Nazis.</a> He can be reached at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a>.</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>“Dr. von Weisl Believes in Fascism,” World Jewry (London), 6/12/1936:</p>
<p>[Note: The prime ideological force in Ariel Sharon’s party, the Likud (Union), is a movement calling itself Zionist-Revisionism, founded by Vladimir Jabotinsky, an avowed colonialist.</p>
<p>After the British conquered Palestine during WW l, the League of Nations gave London a ‘mandate’ to rule the country. Britain had promised to create a ‘homeland’ in Palestine as bait to get Jewish support during the war. But Jabotinsky realized that London was only using the Zionists as a cat’s paw against the Arab natives, without intending to set up a Jewish state. The Revisionists looked for a new mandatory. Their 1st choice was Fascist Italy, Britain’s imperial rival in the Mediterranean &amp; Africa.</p>
<p>In contrast, most of Jewish political opinion opposed Mussolini &amp; denounced Revisionism as Jewish fascists. – LB]</p>
<p>The French newspaper in Bucharest, the “Moment,” which is regarded as one of the organs of the Roumanian Foreign Ministry, has published an interview with the Revisionist leader, Dr. von Weisl.</p>
<p>The Revisionist leader accused the Zionist leaders of Socialist sympathies, and he declared that, although opinions among the Revisionists varied, in general they sympathized with Fascism, and they were strong opponents of Socialism and Communism.</p>
<p>He, personally, was a supporter of Fascism, and he rejoiced at the victory of Fascist Italy in Abyssinia as a triumph of the White races against the Black. He also asserted the Revisionists wanted to bring to Palestine, within the next ten years, 900,000 Jews from Poland, 300,000 from Roumania and 300,000 from Germany.</p>
<p>Finally, he stated that the Revisionists had no desire to colonize Jews in Abyssinia, and that, in his opinion, it would be well for the Arab strike in Palestine to continue for several weeks more, as by then the authority of the Arab leaders would be completely broken for a number of years.</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Eren Kaplan, The Jewish Radical Right: Revisionist Zionism And Its Ideological Legacy, University of Wisconsin Press, (2005) p. 156:</p>
<p>[Note: Benito Mussolini responded to the Revisionists by training their youth group, Beitar, at his naval academy. – LB]</p>
<p>The Revisionist leadership was well aware of the potential implications of opening a school in fascist Italy, as this would provide the Revisionists’ opponents with propaganda material. Revisionist leaders wanted the cadets to keep away from any involvement in local politics…. Nonetheless, the Beitar cadets were very involved in local politics. In his History of Hebrew Seamanship Halperin wrote that the cadets, despite opposition from their superiors, expressed public support for Mussolini’s regime. During the Italian campaign in Ethiopia the Beitarist cadets march alongside Italian soldiers in a demonstration in support of the war, and it was brought to Halperin’s attention that they collected metal scraps and sent them to the Italian weapons industry.</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>Drew Middleton, “South Africa Needs More Arms, Israeli Says,” NY Times, 12/14/81:</p>
<p>The military relationship between South Africa and Israel, never fully acknowledged by either country, has assumed a new significance with the recent 10 day visit by Israel’s Defense Minister, Ariel Sharon, to South African forces in Namibia along the border with Angola.</p>
<p>In an interview during his recent visit to the United States, Mr. Sharon made several points concerning the South African position.</p>
<p>First, he said that South Africa is one of the few countries in Africa and southwestern Asia that is trying to resist Soviet military infiltration in the area.</p>
<p>He added that there had been a steady flow of increasingly sophisticated Soviet weapons to Angola and other African nations, and that as a result of this, and Moscow’s political and economic leverage, the Soviet Union was “gaining ground daily” throughout the region.</p>
<p>U.N. ARMS EMBARGO</p>
<p>Mr. Sharon, in company with many American and NATO military analysts, reported that South Africa needed more modern weapons if it is to fight successfully against Soviet-Supplied troops. The United Nations arms embargo, imposed in November 1977, cut off established weapons sources such as Britain, France and Israel, and forced South Africa into under-the-table deals.</p>
<p>Under these arrangements, weapons and spare parts are sold by major European arms producers to nongovernmental middlemen. The latter sell the arms to South Africa, usually shipping them in secret, either through a country that is nonaligned or one where customs inspectors are prepared to look the other way for a bribe.</p>
<p>Israel, which has a small but flourishing arms export industry, benefited from South African military trade before the 1977 embargo.</p>
<p>According to The Military Balance, the annual publication of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, the South African Navy includes seven Israeli-built fast attack craft armed with Israeli missiles. The publication noted that seven more such vessels are under order. Presumably the order was placed before the 1977 embargo was imposed.</p>
<p>SHORTAGE OF SPARE PARTS</p>
<p>Because of the embargo, South Africa faces an acute shortage of spare parts. Some spare parts for its British-made centurion tanks have arrived in South Africa via the Channel Islands, according to British sources. There are other reports that South Africa has purchased 41 Centurions and the Tiger cat missile system from Jordan.</p>
<p>With some surreptitious help from foreign friends, South Africa has also managed to deploy the Entac antitank missile, manufactured in France, and a modern radar system covering its northern frontiers.</p>
<p>South Africa’s arms industry has so far made the country self-sufficient in a number of areas including small arms, bombs, mortars and armored cars, according to the British source. South Africa is also producing on license the French designed Mirage fighter.</p>
<p>South Africa, in the view of NATO analysts, is superior militarily and will remain so for some years in the air and at sea. The air force with its 239 combat aircraft, including 48 Mirage fighters, is quantitatively and qualitatively superior to any other air force or combination of air forces south of the Sahara.</p>
<p>Mr. Sharon said Moscow and its allies had made sizable gains in Central Africa and had established “corridors of power,” such as one connecting Libya and Chad. He said that Mozambique was under Soviet control and that Soviet influence was growing in Zimbabwe.</p>
<p>The Israeli official, a successful commander of armored forces in two wars with the Arabs, saw the placement of Soviet weapons, particularly tanks, throughout the area as another danger.</p>
<p>South Africa’s military policy of maintaining adequate reserves, Mr. Sharon said, will enable it to keep forces in the field in the foreseeable future but he warned that in time the country may be faced by more powerful weapons and better armed and trained soldiers.</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>LENNI BRENNER, “Ture’s Jewish Friend,” Village Voice (Letters), 8/20/91:</p>
<p>Nat Hentoff’s August 13 denunciation of Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) as an anti-Semite [“Blacks and Jews. Those Were the Days”] gives a false picture of him. Hentoff claims that “to Ture and other passionate anti-Semites… the words ‘Jew’ and ‘Zionist’ are utterly interchangeable.” Really? Ture knows I’m a Jew. Yet he has been a guest in my home, and in May he contributed an article to The Anti-War Activist, which I edit. He did this because I’m an anti-Zionist, and, as he wrote, “We must properly distinguish between Judaism and Zionism. But our slogan must be King’s slogan: ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'”</p>
<p>Hentoff paints Kwame as a menace to Jews. He claims that, after Ture spoke at the University of Maryland in 1986, “swastikas were drawn on the door of the Jewish student newspaper office.” Does Hentoff believe that Ture had anything to do with attacking that office with the symbol of white racism? Similarly, he says that in February of this year, after Ture spoke at Amherst, an Israeli flag was burned. Again Hentoff doesn’t tell us if he believes Kwame had anything to do with the incident. But he gives us this not too subtle innuendo: “Jewish students got the message, and it wasn’t only about Israel.” However, there were no slogans against Jews, or Hentoff would have told of them.</p>
<p>Ture has been speaking on campuses for years. Hentoff obviously cited from a dossier reporting his activities. Yet these two incidents, five years apart, are the only physical acts even insinuated to have involved this “passionate anti-Semite.”</p>
<p>Hentoff guotes Ture’s defiant line: “The only good Zionist is a dead Zionist.” Obviously this is rhetoric. Not even Hentoff claims Ture tries to kill Zionists. And surely Hentoff, a “good” Zionist, i.e., opposed to Israel’s constant crimes, doesn’t dispute the African political context for this cry of outrage: an Israeli military mission gave Idi Amin the strategy to come to power in Uganda; Israel arms South Africa; it reorganized Doe’s secret police in Liberia and armed Mengistu in Ethiopia; it trains Mobutu’s army in Zaire. These are crimes against Africa.</p>
<p>Kwame knows I don’t share his rhetorical style. I don’t talk about dead Zionists, dead anybody. But I agree with his essential point. Just as there were no good Nazis, there are no good Zionists. If you support a movement, and it commits murder, you don’t try to be a loyal opposition. You break with it, root and branch, and you do what you can to destroy it. If you stay inside such a movement, you end up a good-for-nothing, denouncing those who really do fight against its crimes.</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>LENNI BRENNER, The ADL’s National Director is Crazy like a Foxman (1993):</p>
<p>The ADL and the affirmative action question</p>
<p>As many readers well know, whole Canadian forests have been chopped down in recent years to provide newsprint for articles on Black anti-Semitism. Such pieces frequently begin with a nostalgic look back at the good ol’ ‘Black-Jewish alliance’ of the early 1960s when the ADL was part of the great — dare I say it? — multicultural coalitions that marched behind Martin Luther King.</p>
<p>Such articles usually then turn into tales of Black ingratitude. In life the Jewish establishment was only part of such an alliance until the Black movement began to call for affirmative action quotas, and the left-wing of the movement began to support the Palestinians as fellow oppressed. From then on the ADL has been a fanatic opponent of Black liberation. Jonathan Kaufman’s Broken Alliance tells of how Jack Greenberg, long-time head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, came to see the ADL:</p>
<p>“As legal cases involving affirmative action began to appear in the courts in the early 1970s, the Legal Defense Fund began filing lawsuits… One of the first cases involved a challenge to the New York prison system, which had never promoted a black correction officer above the entry level… The Legal Defense Fund sued successfully… When the case was appealed, Greenberg was stunned to discover that the Anti-Defamation League had filed a brief opposing the affirmative action plan… He did not know officials at the ADL well. But he… called several of them up… (Eventually) Greenberg felt some officials of the ADL, the most vociferous opponents of affirmative action, had become ‘haters.'” (pp. 111-112)</p>
<p>In its most notorious anti-affirmative action campaign, the ADL was one of a gaggle of right-wing Jewish groups, plus several gentile “unmeltable ethnic” outfits, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Chamber of Commerce and other free-market freedom-fightin’ guys, who submitted amici curiae briefs on Allen Bakke’s behalf when he sued the University of California at Davis for setting aside 16 seats in its medical school for minorities. In 1978 the Supreme Court ruled that the school’s plan discriminated against whites.</p>
<p>In the August 1985 issue of Commentary, Harvard sociology professor Nathan Glazer gave us the “pragmatic considerations” behind the Jewish establishment’s undying hatred of quotas:</p>
<p>“Jews were already ‘over-represented’ in the institutions that were becoming battlefields… If it were to be generally conceded that each ethnic/racial group should be represented proportionately… what would happen to the over-represented?”</p>
<p>There is no doubt that Glazer, who is intimate with the Jewish establishment, was referring to the ADL, amongst the others, when he wrote the above. And in fact the ADL does give a distinctly ‘Jewish’ spin to its opposition to quotas. The December 1978 ADL Bulletin quotes Nathan Perlmutter, Foxman’s predecessor as National Director, on quotas:</p>
<p>“The message of the 1960s civil rights movement, he explains, was to be color blind, to judge a person on his individual merits. ‘Now, guided and abetted by government agencies, there is massive backsliding to quotas, to evaluating a person on such extraneous factors as race. The simple incontrovertible fact is that quotas in favor of one group, by definition, means quotas against another group. That’s the very essence of the Nuremberg Laws.'”</p>
<p>According to the November 1979 ADL Bulletin, the ADL “submitted a ‘friend of the court’ brief” in a case, Fullilove v. Kreps,</p>
<p>“concerned with the constitutionality of the Federal Public Works Employment Act of 1977, which provides that no grant for public works shall be made unless the applicant assures… that at least 10 percent of each grant sum be expended for ‘minority’ business enterprises… (The) ADL… opposes this quota and questions the legality of laws which establish governmentally-designated and protected groups. ‘Stamping the imprimatur of the Federal government upon a particular racial or ethnic definition, and granting and withholding benefits to individuals accordingly,’ our brief points out, ‘calls to mind notorious examples of attempts by other governments to define racial and ethnic groups, such as the Nuremberg laws in the Third Reich defining a ‘Jew.'”</p>
<p>People get sent to mad houses for a lot less than this. The notion that a law, doubtlessly supported by a majority of congressional Democrats, designed to bring a small measure of economic justice to Blacks, Spanish-speakers, Orientals, Indians, Eskimos and Aleuts, was really no better than Nazi anti-Jewish legislation, takes my breath away. The idea that affirmative action quotas in favor of minorities, might be used, someday in the future, as a pretext to discriminate against Jews, is a notion that hasn’t occurred to anyone outside the Jewish establishment. There were Jews among the congressional majorities that voted in every affirmative action law. Surely no such scheme was thought to be sanctioned by them. Were the gentiles in those congresses, black or white, even remotely contemplating discrimination against Jews? Of course not!</p>
<p>The Nazi laws were measures taken against a minority hated by the German government. American affirmative action laws are policies projected by a government with a white majority in favor of minorities. Jews are affected only insofar as they are overwhelmingly white. And, of course, affirmative action has actually benefited Jews. Glazer points out that</p>
<p>“(F)emales were one of the groups designated as beneficiaries of affirmative action. Thus… one could argue that Jewish women were as much helped by affirmative action as Jewish men were hurt, or helped even more than Jewish men were hurt.”</p>
<p>Arguments utilizing previous discrimination against Jews to oppose present proposals to redress past discrimination against America’s ethnic minorities and women, are ideological self-deceptions, at best, and sophistries at worst. They are designed to put a pseudo-progressive gloss on efforts to preserve the economic status quo. And, as affirmative action in favor of women stands or falls with similar policies towards Blacks and other minorities, such specious reasoning is a razor against the interest of the majority of Jews, who, as with all other groups, are majority female.</p>
<p>*****</p>
<p>LENNI BRENNER is the editor of 51 Documents: Zionist Collaboration with the Nazis and a contributor to The Politics of Anti-Semitism. He can be reached at [email protected].</p>
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<p>CLARIFICATION</p>
<p>ALEXANDER COCKBURN, JEFFREY ST CLAIR, BECKY GRANT AND THE INSTITUTE FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF JOURNALISTIC CLARITY, COUNTERPUNCH</p>
<p>We published an article entitled “A Saudiless Arabia” by Wayne Madsen dated October 22, 2002 (the “Article”), on the website of the Institute for the Advancement of Journalistic Clarity, CounterPunch, www.counterpunch.org (the “Website”).</p>
<p>Although it was not our intention, counsel for Mohammed Hussein Al Amoudi has advised us the Article suggests, or could be read as suggesting, that Mr Al Amoudi has funded, supported, or is in some way associated with, the terrorist activities of Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda terrorist network.</p>
<p>We do not have any evidence connecting Mr Al Amoudi with terrorism.</p>
<p>As a result of an exchange of communications with Mr Al Amoudi’s lawyers, we have removed the Article from the Website.</p>
<p>We are pleased to clarify the position.</p>
<p>August 17, 2005</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | The Millions More Movement and Zionism | true | https://counterpunch.org/2005/10/08/the-millions-more-movement-and-zionism/ | 2005-10-08 | 4 |
<p>LAFLIN (PA)Times LeaderBy MARK GUYDISH <a href="mailto:[email protected]" type="external">[email protected]</a></p>
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<p>LAFLIN - Nearly every Roman Catholic priest from 11 counties is expected to come to this little borough today to receive mandatory sexual abuse education and prevention training.</p>
<p>It's the first step in an exhaustive process that "will literally involve thousands and thousands of people" in the Diocese of Scranton, said spokeswoman Maria Orzel.</p>
<p>The diocese has adopted the Virtus program, designed by the National Catholic Risk Retention Group Inc., a nonprofit corporation based in Illinois that provides services to roughly one-third of U.S. dioceses.</p>
<p>Orzel said the first step is a three-hour training session for all clergy - about 260 men, including Bishop James Timlin - today at St. Maria Goretti Parish Center.</p>
<p>Sometime in May, another session will be held for 30 to 60 people who will become trainers and travel throughout the diocese.</p> | Catholic priests to converge for sex abuse education | false | https://poynter.org/news/catholic-priests-converge-sex-abuse-education | 2003-03-25 | 2 |
<p>Published time: 4 Jan, 2018 16:47</p>
<p>Three Saudi nurses have been fired after a video of them squeezing and manipulating a baby’s face went viral.</p>
<p>The incident happened at Taif Children’s Hospital in the Mecca Province of southwest Saudi Arabia, and came to the attention of the baby’s parents only after the footage was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GlW1OScEJk" type="external">shared</a> on social media.</p>
<p>The Ministry of Health and Taif Children’s Hospital confirmed on their <a href="https://twitter.com/ChildHospitTaif/status/948573144066985984" type="external">Twitter</a> accounts that the nurses in question were fired and had their professional licenses revoked.</p>
<p>اعتمد وزير الصحة عقوبة سحب الترخيص الصحي وفصل الممرضات اللاتي ظهرن في مقطع فيديو يقمن فيه بإمتهان لكرامة وسلامة طفل رضيع في <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%81?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">#الطائف</a>، وحرمانهن من ممارسة مهنة التمريض في أي قطاع صحي آخر.</p>
<p>— وزارة الصحة السعودية (@SaudiMOH) <a href="https://twitter.com/SaudiMOH/status/948544291907035136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">January 3, 2018</a></p>
<p>“The Health Affairs investigated the source of the video and was able to identify the nurses who appeared in the video and the hospital where the incident took place,” said Abdulhadi Al-Rabie, Taif Health Affairs spokesman, as cited by the <a href="http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/525398/SAUDI-ARABIA/Taif-Health-Affairs-sacks-3-nurses-shown-abusing-baby-in-viral-video" type="external">Saudi Gazette.</a></p>
<p>The female nurses, who have not been named, were immediately suspended by the Director of Taif Health Affairs, Saleh Al-Muanis. As well as losing their licenses, they are banned from practising nursing in other health sectors.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/411217-indiana-nurse-fired-racist-tweet/" type="external">READ MORE: ‘Sacrificed to the wolves’: Indiana nurse fired over racist tweet</a></p>
<p>The video shows a nurse holding the baby by the neck and forehead, squashing its face as her colleagues look on laughing.</p>
<p>The infant’s father told local media that he was shocked to see his baby being abused in a video that was circulated on social media. The baby had been hospitalized for 10 days due to a urinary tract infection.</p>
<p>The viral footage sparked a huge reaction online, as did the punishment of the nurses. Some <a href="https://twitter.com/almalkadi/status/948546218174615552" type="external">argued</a> the decision to remove the nurse’s health license was an exaggerated reaction while others <a href="https://twitter.com/AmqQahtani/status/948882065751269376" type="external">claimed</a> it was too light for “the assault” of an infant.</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Baby’s face squashed by Saudi nurses in disturbing viral video | false | https://newsline.com/babys-face-squashed-by-saudi-nurses-in-disturbing-viral-video/ | 2018-01-04 | 1 |
<p>HONOLULU — Honolulu police officers have urged lawmakers to keep an exemption in state law that allows undercover officers to have sex with prostitutes during investigations, touching off a heated debate.</p>
<p>Authorities say they need the legal protection to catch lawbreakers in the act. Critics, including human trafficking experts and other police, say it's unnecessary and can further victimize sex workers, many of whom have been forced into the trade.</p>
<p>Police haven't said how often — or even if — they use the provision. But when they asked legislators to preserve it, they made assurances that internal policies and procedures are in place to prevent officers from taking advantage of it.</p>
<p>But expert Derek Marsh says the exemption is "antiquated at best" and that police can easily do their jobs without it.</p>
<p>"It doesn't help your case, and at worst you further traumatize someone. And do you think he or she is going to trust a cop again?" asked Marsh, who trains California police in best practices on human trafficking cases and twice has testified to Congress about the issue.</p>
<p>A Hawaii bill cracking down on prostitution was originally written to do away with the sex exemption for officers on duty, but it was amended to restore that protection after police testimony. The revised proposal has passed the state House and will go before a Senate committee Friday.</p>
<p>It's not immediately clear whether there are similar provisions in place elsewhere either at the state law or department policy level. But advocates were shocked that Hawaii provides an exemption to prostitution laws for police, suggesting it's an invitation for misconduct.</p> | Hawaii Law Lets Police Have Sex With Hookers | false | http://nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hawaii-law-lets-police-have-sex-hookers-n58746 | 2014-03-21 | 3 |
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<p>&#160; &#160; Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul. ( <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/" type="external">Gage Skidmore</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/" type="external">/ CC BY-SA 2.0</a>)</p>
<p>Truthdig Editor-in-Chief Robert Scheer and the other “Left, Right &amp; Center” panelists discuss the 2016 presidential hopefuls coming into view: Rand Paul, Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio. Also, President Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro talk on the phone, and why isn’t police brutality being discussed on the campaign trail?</p>
<p>Scheer is joined by Josh Barro of The New York Times moderating from the center, Rich Lowry of the National Review on the right and Democratic pollster Margie Omero as a special guest.</p>
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<p>Listen <a href="http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/left-right-center/its-official-for-2016-obama-castro-talk-murder-in-south-carolina" type="external">here</a>.</p>
<p>— Posted by <a href="" type="internal">Alexander Reed Kelly</a>.</p> | 'Left, Right & Center': 2016, Barack and Raul, Murder in South Carolina | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/left-right-center-2016-barack-and-raul-murder-in-south-carolina/ | 2015-04-11 | 4 |
<p>WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish authorities said Friday they will not allow a nationalistic Russian motorcycle group loyal to President Vladimir Putin to enter Poland, but insisted the move is not political and was made in part because Polish authorities would not be able to guarantee their security.</p>
<p>The Night Wolves group had planned to enter Poland next week to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Their plan was to cross several countries on their way to Berlin, following a path taken by the Red Army in its defeat of Adolf Hitler's Germany.</p>
<p>Many Poles reacted angrily to the plan for the symbolic drive through their country at a time of deep strains between Russia and the West. Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz recently called it a "provocation."</p>
<p>The Foreign Ministry in Warsaw said that it was refusing to let the bikers enter Poland because it did not receive precise information from them about their route and schedule, information "necessary to ensure proper security for the participants."</p>
<p>The ministry said it also received information about the group's plans too late. The decision was relayed to the Russian Embassy in Warsaw in a diplomatic note on Friday.</p>
<p>Ministry spokesman Marcin Wojciechowski insisted that the decision was not politically motivated.</p>
<p>The Russian Foreign Ministry later issued a statement saying: "The authorities spoiled this memorial action under the far-fetched pretext of 'presenting late and insufficient information'. This is an obvious lie."</p>
<p>Night Wolves leader Alexander Zaldostanov, known as "The Surgeon," was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying the run would begin as planned on Saturday.</p>
<p>"If we give up on our ride, then let's give up on everything. Let's give up on May 9, let's give up on our graves, our history and our past," he was quoted as saying.</p>
<p>Asked when the Night Wolves might try to cross the border into Poland, he said "I don't want to reveal all our plans."</p>
<p>Both Germany and the Czech Republic, which the Night Wolves also planned to cross on their trip, expressed unease with the planned ride Friday.</p>
<p>The German Foreign Ministry said that "in view of the organization's activity so far, it is not of the opinion that this ... initiative can make a contribution to strengthening German-Russian relations." It said that it was important for the German government to mark the anniversary of the end of the war "in dignity."</p>
<p>The Czech Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it "respects" the Polish decision and that it was asked by Russia to assist the bikers but refused to do so.</p>
<p>The Night Wolves, which is estimated to have several thousand members, is strongly nationalistic and Slavo-centric, even conducting runs to Russian Orthodox holy sites. The group has close ties to President Vladimir Putin, who has been shown riding with the club, and last year it held an elaborate rally in Sevastopol honoring Russia's annexation of Crimea.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writers Jim Heintz in Moscow, Geir Moulson in Berlin and Karel Janicek in Prague contributed to this report.</p>
<p>WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Polish authorities said Friday they will not allow a nationalistic Russian motorcycle group loyal to President Vladimir Putin to enter Poland, but insisted the move is not political and was made in part because Polish authorities would not be able to guarantee their security.</p>
<p>The Night Wolves group had planned to enter Poland next week to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Their plan was to cross several countries on their way to Berlin, following a path taken by the Red Army in its defeat of Adolf Hitler's Germany.</p>
<p>Many Poles reacted angrily to the plan for the symbolic drive through their country at a time of deep strains between Russia and the West. Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz recently called it a "provocation."</p>
<p>The Foreign Ministry in Warsaw said that it was refusing to let the bikers enter Poland because it did not receive precise information from them about their route and schedule, information "necessary to ensure proper security for the participants."</p>
<p>The ministry said it also received information about the group's plans too late. The decision was relayed to the Russian Embassy in Warsaw in a diplomatic note on Friday.</p>
<p>Ministry spokesman Marcin Wojciechowski insisted that the decision was not politically motivated.</p>
<p>The Russian Foreign Ministry later issued a statement saying: "The authorities spoiled this memorial action under the far-fetched pretext of 'presenting late and insufficient information'. This is an obvious lie."</p>
<p>Night Wolves leader Alexander Zaldostanov, known as "The Surgeon," was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying the run would begin as planned on Saturday.</p>
<p>"If we give up on our ride, then let's give up on everything. Let's give up on May 9, let's give up on our graves, our history and our past," he was quoted as saying.</p>
<p>Asked when the Night Wolves might try to cross the border into Poland, he said "I don't want to reveal all our plans."</p>
<p>Both Germany and the Czech Republic, which the Night Wolves also planned to cross on their trip, expressed unease with the planned ride Friday.</p>
<p>The German Foreign Ministry said that "in view of the organization's activity so far, it is not of the opinion that this ... initiative can make a contribution to strengthening German-Russian relations." It said that it was important for the German government to mark the anniversary of the end of the war "in dignity."</p>
<p>The Czech Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it "respects" the Polish decision and that it was asked by Russia to assist the bikers but refused to do so.</p>
<p>The Night Wolves, which is estimated to have several thousand members, is strongly nationalistic and Slavo-centric, even conducting runs to Russian Orthodox holy sites. The group has close ties to President Vladimir Putin, who has been shown riding with the club, and last year it held an elaborate rally in Sevastopol honoring Russia's annexation of Crimea.</p>
<p>___</p>
<p>Associated Press writers Jim Heintz in Moscow, Geir Moulson in Berlin and Karel Janicek in Prague contributed to this report.</p> | Poland bans 'provocative' Russian bikers loyal to Putin | false | https://apnews.com/amp/e8db81a995364aa5bdf5ce16768ea096 | 2015-04-24 | 2 |
<p>A Las Vegas golf-course management company being sued by the Department of Justice is asking a federal judge to dismiss claims that it is liable for tens of millions of dollars in underpaid rent for the Bali Hai Golf Club site.</p>
<p>In September, <a href="" type="internal">the Justice Department sued</a>, alleging that rent Nevada Links paid Clark County to lease the golf-course land has been below fair market value since 2011, thereby violating the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act.</p>
<p>&lt;img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/stephens-media/image/upload/v1503612183/USEwebBALI-HAI-AUG25-17_copy_1.jpg" style="float:right; margin: 1em 0 1em 1em; width:100%; max-width: 300px" alt="(Las Vegas Review-Journal)" /&gt;</p>
<p>But in a motion filed Monday, Nevada Links attorney Anthony Schoenberg argued that the company has no liability because the Justice Department has not proved that Nevada Links knew or should have known about the SNPLMA violation.</p>
<p>The company, run by gambler Billy Walters, began leasing the Bali Hai land in 1999 from Clark County, a co-defendant in the lawsuit.</p>
<p>The federal Bureau of Land Management conveyed the 91-acre site to the county in 1999 via SNPLMA, which stipulates the county must lease the land at fair market value and give 85 percent of the property’s proceeds back to the federal government.</p>
<p>The lawsuit stems from a 2011 lease amendment in which the county set rent for the property at $100,000 a year. Originally, Nevada Links was to pay the county 40 percent of its net revenue for rent, but the course never turned a profit.</p>
<p>In a letter sent to the county in August, the Justice Department demanded $75.5 million for underpaid rent. It is unclear if Nevada Links received similar demands. Schoenberg and other attorneys representing the company could not immediately be reached for comment.</p>
<p>In a September court filing, the county argued that the 2011 amendment never went into effect. It also claimed that the statute of limitations prevents the Justice Department from winning the lawsuit.</p>
<p>Contact Michael Scott Davidson at <a href="" type="internal">[email protected]</a> or 702-477-3861.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/363902638/Bali-Hai-lawsuit#from_embed" type="external">Bali Hai lawsuit</a> by <a href="https://www.scribd.com/user/234057260/Las-Vegas-Review-Journal#from_embed" type="external">Las Vegas Review-Journal</a> on Scribd</p>
<p /> | Las Vegas company wants Bali Hai Golf Club lawsuit dismissed | false | https://reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/clark-county/las-vegas-company-wants-bali-hai-golf-club-lawsuit-dismissed/ | 2017-11-08 | 1 |
<p>WBAI Radio chief film critic Mike Sargent on the latest from Hollywood.</p>
<p>In response to a Los Angeles Times series about the relationship between the Walt Disney Co. and the city of Anaheim that Disney claims is "biased and inaccurate," the company is barring the paper from advance screenings of its films and access to its talent.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The editors of the Times said Friday that Disney declined access to its slate of films for the paper's holiday film preview citing "unfair coverage" of its business ties with Anaheim. Upcoming Disney films include "Thor: Ragnarok," ''Coco" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."</p>
<p>The paper ran a&#160; <a href="http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-fi-disney-anaheim-deals/" type="external">two-part series Opens a New Window.</a>&#160;in late September looking into what it characterized as a complicated and increasingly tense relationship between the city and the Disneyland Resort. The Times says it will review and cover Disney films when they become available to the public.</p>
<p>Disney responded in a statement Friday that the Times' series showed, "a complete disregard for basic journalistic standards."</p>
<p>"Despite our sharing numerous indisputable facts with the reporter, several editors, and the publisher over many months, the Times moved forward with a biased and inaccurate series, wholly driven by a political agenda," the statement continued.</p>
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<p>The Times reporter who wrote both pieces, Daniel Miller, tweeted that, "Disney never asked for a correction."</p>
<p>Hillary Manning, the communications director for Los Angeles Times, said the paper had "no further comment" to the allegations made by Disney.</p>
<p>Disney representatives have not responded to The Associated Press's request for details on which facts it is contesting in the series.</p> | Disney bars LA Times film coverage after critical piece | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/11/03/disney-bars-la-times-film-coverage-after-critical-piece.html | 2017-11-04 | 0 |
<p>Swedish utility Vattenfall AB said Thursday that it has signed a 10-year agreement to power Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) data-center operations in the Netherlands with wind power.</p>
<p>The state-owned company said Microsoft will receive all of the energy produced from Vattenfall's new onshore wind farm at Wieringermeer Polder, adjacent to Microsoft's data center that serves as a regional hub for Microsoft Cloud services for customers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as global customers.</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>The wind farm will start producing renewable energy from 2019.</p>
<p>"Investing in local clean energy to power our local datacenter is a win-win for our business and the Netherlands," said Brian Janous, general manager of energy at Microsoft. "Microsoft is committed to bringing new renewable energy sources online to power our datacenters. By focusing on local projects, we're able to create new economic opportunities, reduce carbon emissions and make progress on our global commitment to increase the amount of clean energy used to power the Microsoft Cloud."</p>
<p>The Wieringermeer Wind Farm will eventually include 100 turbines that will combine to produce around 1.3 terawatt-hours of renewable electricity, enough to power around 370,000 homes.</p>
<p>Write to Dominic Chopping at [email protected]; Twitter: @domchopping @WSJNordics</p>
<p>(END) Dow Jones Newswires</p>
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<p>November 02, 2017 05:15 ET (09:15 GMT)</p> | Sweden's Vattenfall to Supply Microsoft's Dutch Data Center With Wind Power | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2017/11/02/swedens-vattenfall-to-supply-microsofts-dutch-data-center-with-wind-power.html | 2017-11-02 | 0 |
<p>Houla, Lebanon.</p>
<p>Yesterday, I shed my first tears for Lebanon.</p>
<p>Yesterday, I visited Houla, a stone’s throw from the Israeli border.</p>
<p>Yesterday, I was discovered by Zainab Fawqi-Sleem – a young, Lebanese woman who was killed in Houla, alongside her sister-in-law, Selma, on July 15th. Zainab is but one of over 1,300 innocents killed in this war, but she is the one who found me.</p>
<p>On October 31st, 1948, in one of the few massacres of the Nakba to occur inside Lebanon, proto-Israeli militas seized the town of Houla, setting off bombs and burning down several houses. They took eighty-five people captive, and summarily executed eighty-two of the them. There’s a memorial to the massacre in the center of town, not far from homes smashed flat by this current war.</p>
<p>According to news reports, Israel bombed and shelled Houla on at least ten separate occasions during this last war. Israeli soldiers repeatedly invaded the town and occupied people’s homes. They remain, in one home, in one corner of the village, to this day. If I had run across those soldiers, I wonder what I could have said to them? What might they have said to me?</p>
<p>I was in Houla yesterday with LebanonSolidarity, a local relief and resistance organization. I was in Houla to assess how we might be able to help the people living there. We brought medicines, and arranged for a doctor to come by and give free medical exams. We took down the names and ages of the people made homeless by the bombings, so we might bring them some donated clothes.</p>
<p>Throughout South Lebanon, there are thousands of destroyed homes and buildings, and tens- of-thousands of homeless. Some towns, like Bint Jbeil and Khiam, are more rubble than anything else. Traveling through South Lebanon today, I am reminded so much of Palestine, of Nablus and Jenin and Gaza.</p>
<p>For Israel’s security, Arabs must not possess functioning towns or secure homes.</p>
<p>More than anything, the people of Houla need drinking water. The town’s main pump was destroyed during the war, and the $20,000 needed to replace it is beyond the scope of our group’s resources. And, again, I am reminded of Palestine and the theft of local water sources, taken in the West Bank to supply Israeli settlements with lush, green, desert lawns and private swimming pools.</p>
<p>For Israel’s security, Arabs must not possess secure access to potable water.</p>
<p>Short hours before Zainab was killed in Houla, Israel bombed a powerplant in al-Jieh, just south of Beirut. Al-Jieh was one of several powerplants across Lebanon that were destroyed during this war.</p>
<p>For Israel’s security, Arabs must not possess electricity.</p>
<p>As in Gaza, where Israel has repeatedly shot at and shelled Palestinian beachgoers, the al -Jieh bombing has stolen Lebanon’s oceanfront. The bombing destroyed the powerplant’s oil tanks, and ruptured the berm built to protect against a spill. Millions of gallons of heavy fuel oil has leaked into the Mediterranean, ruining Lebanon’s once pristine beaches.</p>
<p>For Israel’s security, Arabs must not possess beaches.</p>
<p>The ancient port city of Tyre, some twenty-five kilometers from Houla, has one of Lebanon’s last, remaining, usable beaches. Some Lebanese still go there, to swim and visit with family or friends and, for a while, escape the disaster that is South Lebanon today. Young men with slicked-back brush cuts pass a beer among themselves, as they watch women in French bikinis jump in and out of the surf. In the heart of “Hezbollah” country, at the center of George Bush’s “Islamo-Facist state-within-a-state”, you can still see children building sandcastles here.</p>
<p>But, farther out in the ocean, the Israeli navy maintains its blockade of Lebanon. Nothing is allowed in or out. In Washington D.C., Congressman Tom Lantos has blocked all U.S. humanitarian aid until Lebanon’s government agrees to deploy UN troops along the border with Syria, to stop and search all cross-border traffic – something that Syria has already said it will not permit. Farther south, Israel’s long-running blockade of Gaza has caused, in the UN’s words, a “humanitarian catastrophe” as malnutrition rates there skyrocket.</p>
<p>For Israel’s security, Arabs must not possess open borders, or engage in free trade with the world.</p>
<p>Like so many places in South Lebanon, the roads in and around Houla are severely damaged from the war. South Lebanon’s streets have suddenly come to resemble their sister thoroughfares in Palestine. There, Israeli bulldozers have combined with decades of enforced neglect and the violence to birth a network of degraded and barely passable roads. Here in Lebanon, the same thing has been accomplished in a matter of weeks by dropping over a billion dollars worth of bombs and shells and tanks and soldiers on the South.</p>
<p>For Israel’s security, Arabs must not possess modern roads.</p>
<p>From the hills of Houla, one can see Israel/Palestine. Just over the border, and even before the war, Israel had permanently tethered a videodrone blimp, visible for all to see. The drone is constantly filming Houla, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Overhead, the low, humming sounds of Israel’s unmanned reconnaissance planes have become another permanent part of the landscape.</p>
<p>For Israel’s security, Arabs must not possess privacy.</p>
<p>On July 14th, 2006, Ibrahim Sleem owned a modest ranch house in Houla. Within the walls of his home now lay a surreal jumble of charred furniture, clothes and children’s toys, broken glass, scattered fragments of wood, and chunks of concrete fallen from the walls and ceiling. Sixteen members of his family, including five children, gathered in this home on July 15th, for a quiet meal. As they were visiting after dinner, a bomb or shell exploded among them, killing Ibrahim’s daughter Selma and his daughter-in-law, Zainab. It was an American ordinance that destroyed this home, and killed Zainab and Selma. The writing on the bomb’s fragments is in English, not Hebrew. It happened at precisely 8:28pm. The clock that used to hang on the wall is now forever frozen at that moment.</p>
<p>Outside the home is a small shed, with tools hanging on its walls. Next to the shed is a modest flower garden, and a beautiful Eucalyptus tree. More than all of the destruction I have seen in these past weeks, much more than simply the damage I saw inside the Sleem family home– that shed, that garden, and that tree tore a hole inside of me.</p>
<p>Someone lived in this place. Someone used those tools to maintain their home. Someone planted that garden, and carefully tended it. Someone sat beneath that tree in the afternoons and enjoyed a cup of tea. Someone loved this place.</p>
<p>Zainab Fawqi-Sleem was twenty-two years old and two months pregant when, for Israel’s security, she was killed. Zainab’s nine month old daughter, Nadine, will never know her mother’s love. Zainab’s unborn child will never know life at all.</p>
<p>Living in Lebanon today, I am left with a single, unanswered question. It’s a terribly important question. It is a vitally important question.</p>
<p>The United States speaks for Israel’s security from all we Islamo-Facist terrorist Arabs living throughout the Middle East. The United Nations Interim Force speaks for Israel’s security here in Lebanon. During the war, Hosni Mubarak, the dictator of Egypt, spoke for Israel’s security. During the war, King Abdullah, the dictator of Jordan, spoke for Israel’s security. In Marjayoun, a mostly Christian village in South Lebanon, the Lebanese Army even offered the Israelis tea when they invaded.</p>
<p>For the West, and for all its pet Arab dictators, this is the proper moral response to Israeli terror. We Arabs must not only accept all of the bombs and the blockades. We must not only accept the destruction of our homes and dreams. We must, in fact, rejoice in our own devastation. This is, after all, the joyous “birth-pangs of a new Middle East.”</p>
<p>My question, our question, Lebanon’s question, is simply this: Who will speak for Zainab Fawqi-Sleem?</p>
<p>—– Ramzi Kysia is a Lebanese-American essayist and activist. He is currently working with LebanonSolidarity.org to resist war and renew shattered communities in South Lebanon.</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p>
<p>&#160;</p> | Zainab Fawqi-Sleem and the Question of Lebanon | true | https://counterpunch.org/2006/08/28/zainab-fawqi-sleem-and-the-question-of-lebanon/ | 2006-08-28 | 4 |
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<p>In just the past few weeks, Warren has penned a scathing 16-page critique of Trump’s nominee for education secretary, Betsy DeVos; grilled his pick for housing secretary, Ben Carson; co-sponsored legislation requiring the president and vice president to disclose and divest any potential financial conflicts of interest; and signed onto legislation to block the creation of a federal religious registry.</p>
<p>The Massachusetts Democrat is leaning on every lever of power she has — from her fundraising prowess to her social media accounts — to position herself as a leading voice of a party in political exile.</p>
<p>“My priorities haven’t changes since the day I got into office,” Warren said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I see my job as making sure the voices of ordinary people aren’t drowned out in Washington by those who have money and power.”</p>
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<p>Her list of grievances with Trump is long and growing longer.</p>
<p>But in a shift from the campaign, when Warren lobbed Twitter grenade after Twitter grenade to get under Trump’s skin, she says her criticism is now more focused on her top priority: the economic well-being of middle- and working-class families.</p>
<p>She has excoriated Trump’s pick for Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, saying he profited from the foreclosure crisis; called out Trump’s Department of Labor nominee, fast food entrepreneur Andrew Puzder, after hearing from workers who said they were underpaid, had their wages stolen, and were forced to work in unsafe conditions; and vowed to fight to protect President Barack Obama’s health care law and preserve the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which she helped create.</p>
<p>“The Republicans have put us on the path to repealing the ACA (Affordable Care Act), and that will make a profound difference in the lives of millions of Americans,” Warren told the AP. “I’m all for making the ACA better, but not for throwing it out. What the Republicans are doing is irresponsible and cruel.”</p>
<p>Warren is taking the political long view.</p>
<p>She is an aggressive fundraiser, and through her political action committee — PAC for a Level Playing Field — she has doled out hundreds of thousands of dollars in the past two years to Democratic candidates and committees in the hope of strengthening the party’s hand in future elections.</p>
<p>“The Democrat’s agenda is the American people’s agenda,” she said.</p>
<p>Warren won’t say whether she is prepping for a possible 2020 run for president, although she has announced plans to run for re-election in 2018, making the case for a second term in part by again pointing to “Donald Trump and his team of billionaires, bigots, and Wall Street bankers” in an email to supporters.</p>
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<p>Massachusetts Republicans have labeled Warren a “hyperpartisan bully more interested in scoring political points than delivering actual results.”</p>
<p>But among voters in her home state where she remains popular, the reaction to Warren’s spikes-up approach is more nuanced.</p>
<p>“I’m just tired of all the fighting,” said Tim James, 26, of Newton, who works in macroeconomics. “I don’t agree with a lot of the things that Trump had to say … but we’ve had about eight years or so of gridlock in Washington, and I think that it’s important for us to try to put some of the more divisive rhetoric to the side.”</p>
<p>Jay Fiset, a 30-year-old chef from Somerville, also said that while Trump and Warren may be political polar opposites, it’s time to ditch the campaign.</p>
<p>“They’re going to butt heads,” he said. “But I think that they should come together and try and figure out the problems rather than pinpointing who’s doing what wrong.”</p>
<p>Others see a reason to applaud every Warren missive.</p>
<p>“She should definitely keep going hard after him because he hasn’t admitted to anything yet. He hasn’t apologized for anything,” said Dencis Pena, 37, of Boston, who works in the insurance industry. “Until he changes and shows he actually understands the facts, people should not let him off the hook.”</p> | Warren embraces her role as a top Democratic foil to Trump | false | https://abqjournal.com/928685/warren-embraces-her-role-as-a-top-democratic-foil-to-trump.html | 2017-01-16 | 2 |
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<p>HOUSTON — The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. declined by four this week to 909.</p>
<p>That’s up from the 557 rigs that were active a year ago.</p>
<p>Houston oilfield services company Baker Hughes said Friday that 737 rigs sought oil and 172 explored for natural gas this week.</p>
<p>Among major oil- and gas-producing states, Texas gained five rigs and Oklahoma and Wyoming each increased by one.</p>
<p>Louisiana lost three rigs, North Dakota and West Virginia each declined by two and Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Pennsylvania each lost one.</p>
<p>Arkansas, California, Ohio and Utah were unchanged.</p>
<p>The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981. It bottomed out in May of 2016 at 404.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p> | US rig count declines by 4 this week to 909; Texas gains 5 | false | https://abqjournal.com/1084139/us-rig-count-declines-by-4-this-week-to-909-texas-gains-5.html | 2 |
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<p>Appearing on Good Morning America on Tuesday morning, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway protested to host George Stephanopoulos vis-à-vis the resignation of National Security Advisor General Michael Flynn, “I’m not here to say who knew what when.” The relevant exchange went like this:</p>
<p>Stephanopoulos : So the White House was told by the Justice Department last month that Flynn was vulnerable to Russian blackmail; he stayed in the job, for what, 17 days after the warning from the Justice Department. Why?</p>
<p>Conway: George, General Flynn continued on the national security team and kept doing the presidential briefings, being on the leader calls, we are aware of the Justice Department opinion, but the fact is not until yesterday, General Flynn continued in his job and it became increasingly unsustainable for him.</p>
<p>Stephanopoulos: I understand that, but my question is why. The White House Counsel was told by Sally Yates at the Justice Department that General Flynn was vulnerable to Russian blackmail. Did the White House Counsel tell president Trump that?</p>
<p>Conway: I don’t know the answer to that, and President Trump has asked me to join you today to say that he accepted the resignation of General Flynn, and really, the key here, in that resignation is very simple: it’s that the vice-president, Mike Pence, was misled by General Flynn or General Flynn could not completely recall what his conversations had been with the Russian Ambassador.</p>
<p>Stephanopoulos: But, Kellyanne, the White House knew that almost three weeks ago. They knew that after the Justice Department told the White House Counsel, Don McGahn, almost three weeks ago, that General Flynn had not told the truth about those phone calls and was vulnerable to Russian blackmail.</p>
<p>Conway: These are what are in printed reports, but the fact is, I can’t reveal what the White House knew or didn’t know, and who in the White House knew or didn’t know. All I can tell you is that General Flynn, as the national security advisor to the president, continued in that role, and the president also wants me to refer everyone to the comments of Charles Krauthammer last night on a different network wherein he makes the point that it’s not this contact or this incident necessarily, it’s the misleading of the vice-president or the incomplete information. It’s either, it’s being dishonest or forgetful.</p>
<p>Conway continued by citing Flynn’s military record, after which Stephanopoulos doggedly stuck to his argument that the White House had been warned that Flynn was misleading Pence and the public, but did not act.</p>
<p>Conway replied, “George, again, I’m not here to say who knew what when. Because first of all, that would be divulging information that is highly sensitive, and secondly I don’t know all the details. I haven’t spoken to everyone that you’re talking about in that situation. It’s a very fluid situation.” She continued by generally repeating what she had stated, prompting Stephanopoulos to ask:</p>
<p>Kellyanne, I got to get to the bottom of this here. You asked to come on at the president’s request, the president wants you to come out and speak for the White House this morning. Do you know if the president was told three weeks ago, when Sally Yates told the White House counsel that General Flynn had been compromised, do you know if the president was told that?</p>
<p>Conwayreplied, "I do not know that, George."</p>
<p>Stephanopoulos asked, “Do you know if the vice president was told that?</p>
<p>Conway answered, "I do not know that".</p>
<p>Stephanopoulos pressed, "Do you know why the White House chose not to correct the record for those three weeks?"</p>
<p>Conway responded, "Well, again, you’re presuming that all the information you have there is completely factual, and who knew what when."</p>
<p>Video below:</p> | WATCH: Conway: ‘I’m Not Here To Say Who Knew What When’ | true | https://dailywire.com/news/13472/watch-conway-im-not-here-say-who-knew-what-when-hank-berrien | 2017-02-14 | 0 |
<p>A government commission looking into last spring’s eco-pocalypse in the Gulf of Mexico has detected a certain “culture of complacency” afoot at the trio of big companies implicated in the spill. Sounds about right. –KA</p>
<p>Los Angeles Times:</p>
<p>A stream of evidence shows that “a culture of complacency” rather than a “culture of safety” prevailed at BP, Transocean Ltd. and Halliburton as they worked on the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, according to the chairmen of the presidential commission investigating the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.</p>
<p>The panel’s investigators uncovered “a suite of bad decisions,” many still inexplicable, involving tests that were poorly run, alarming results that were ignored, proper equipment that was sidelined and safety barriers that were removed prematurely at the high-pressure well, said William K. Reilly, who is co-chairman of the commission with former Democratic Sen. Bob Graham of Florida.</p>
<p />
<p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-oil-spill-commission-20101110,0,7355018.story" type="external">Read more</a></p> | Oil Spill Investigators Spot Corporate 'Culture of Complacency' | true | https://truthdig.com/articles/oil-spill-investigators-spot-corporate-culture-of-complacency/ | 2010-11-10 | 4 |
<p>A voice in the wilderness has been heard, as black Minister Johnathan Gentry’s rant against the rioters in Ferguson, Missouri went viral this week and catapulted him into the&#160;public eye.</p>
<p>Gentry’s&#160;six-minute diatribe posted on Facebook Wednesday exploded across social media when he lambasted the black community in Ferguson for rioting, looting, vandalizing and blaming “police and&#160; white folk” for their problems, instead of accepting responsibility and&#160; heeding the Bible’s injunctions to change their ways.</p>
<p />
<p>Gentry said he was “sick of excuses, excuses, excuses,” and frequently quoted Scripture to emphasize his points. He noted that if the two black men in the street had “swallowed their arrogance” and just moved to the sidewalk when the police asked them to, there would have been no problem.</p>
<p>“What we’re doing out here [rioting, looting, burning] is not helping,” he insisted. “How are our kids supposed to grow up when we’re out here acting stupid?”</p>
<p>Entrenched black leadership also came in for a pasting.</p>
<p>“You activists out there, you civil rights leaders…all of a sudden Black Panthers, NAACP come out of the woodwork. They just came out of nowhere, ‘Oh, we’re gonna want justice, we want justice-no justice, no peace.’ That’s all you see, ‘no justice no peace.’ Shut up!” he exclaimed.</p>
<p>“When it was sixty-plus shootings in Chicago a few weeks back, where were you?” he asked. “Nowhere to be found. A few weeks later there were 47 drive-bys [shootings] in one weekend. Where were you? Nowhere to be found.”</p>
<p>Gentry admitted that he would be upsetting many black listeners but he wanted “to debunk that myth that being young and black and mistreated. I’m young, I’m black, I drive a new BMW and live in the valley. I’ve been stopped by the police many times,” and he said that by acting civilly nothing had ever happened and he had become friends with many police officers.</p>
<p>His passionate cry for “real change” resulted in an interview on Fox and Friends Friday.</p>
<p>Watch the latest video at &lt;a href="http://video.foxnews.com"&gt;video.foxnews.com&lt;/a&gt; Watch the latest video at &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;#8221;http://video.foxnews.com&amp;#8221;&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;video.foxnews.com&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; Watch the latest video at &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=&amp;#8221;http://video.foxnews.com&amp;#8221;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;video.foxnews.com&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>
<p>The reason he ranted on Facebook, Gentry revealed, was&#160;because black communities were going around in circles for decades, singing “We Shall Overcome” for 50 years, instead of taking responsibility for their own actions, and adhering to Biblical lessons for self-effacement and humility.</p>
<p>Obama’s remarks on the rioting in Ferguson “were the same old song and dance,” Gentry lamented. “He didn’t say anything about Chicago when it’s a war zone. It’s just PR.”</p>
<p>The fiery minister&#160;also lambasted Rev. Al Sharpton and the NAACP for their perpetual absence when black on black violence occurs.</p>
<p>“The only time you come around is when there’s police or Caucasians,” he said pointedly. “You’re not there for the black communities when they need you, so you need to stop frontin’ the NAACP.”</p>
<p>“I want to call them out as well,” he added. “They’re good for nothing. All they do is perpetuate hate. I represent humanity. It’s just from my heart. God came for humanity. Enough with the excuses.”</p>
<p><a href="" type="internal">Texas Gov. Rick Perry indicted for alleged abuse of power; smacks of political payback</a></p> | Minister’s passionate rant to black community goes viral: Stop blaming ‘police and white folk’ | true | http://bizpacreview.com/2014/08/16/ministers-passionate-rant-to-black-community-goes-viral-stop-blaming-police-and-white-folk-139188 | 2014-08-16 | 0 |
<p>ROME. Because the media drama of the papacy often has St. Peter’s for its stage, many Catholics may not know that the Patriarchal Vatican Archbasilica isn’t the Pope’s cathedral. St. Peter’s belongs, in a sense, to the whole Church, and the Pope presides there as universal pastor of the Church. The Lateran Basilica — or, to give it its full name, the “Patriarchal Archbasilica of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and Evangelist” — is the Pope’s cathedral, the site of the cathedra of the Bishop of Rome.</p>
<p>Long styled as “mother and head of all churches in the city and the world,” the Lateran basilica was built by Constantine as a votum or thanksgiving offering for his victory over Augustus Maxentius, and consecrated by Pope St. Sylvester I in either 318 or 324. (The foundations of Constantine’s basilica were once the barracks of an elite Roman cavalry unit that had backed the wrong horse, so to speak, in Constantine’s struggle with Maxentius.) For some nine hundred years, the popes lived in the Lateran palace adjacent to the basilica. There, the special vocations of St. Dominic, St. Francis of Assisi, and their followers were confirmed by Pope Innocent III; the palace now houses the Vicariate of Rome, the local diocesan administration. In the fifteenth century, the Lateran basilica was home to the first Jubilee “Holy Door,” symbolizing pilgrims passing from sin to grace — a tradition that has continued down to the Great Jubilee of 2000.</p>
<p>The most notable papal tombs in the Lateran basilica are those of Lotario de’Conti di Segni and Gioacchino Pecci, better known to history as Innocent III and Leo XIII. 37 years old when elected to the papacy in 1198, Lotario was already a noted canonist, theologian, and liturgist; during his papacy, Innocent III was Europe’s most powerful political figure, and a forceful exponent of the view that papal authority trumped that of kings and emperors. He died in Perugia a relatively young man, in 1216, on a mission that combined diplomacy with the spiritual renewal of northern Italy. Innocent’s tomb remained in Perugia until 1891 when Leo XIII (who had served as bishop of Perugia) brought it to the Lateran, where the greatest of medieval popes now rests in the arm of the basilica’s transept. Leo XIII is buried opposite, in the transept’s other arm — a papal memorial parallelism that prompts some thought.</p>
<p>When Pecci was elected pope in 1878, the papacy controlled no sovereign territory (the Papal States had been absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy); the pope was the “prisoner of the Vatican;” and many among the worldly wise imagined the Office of Peter a spent force in human affairs. (England’s Cardinal Henry Edward Manning, fearful of Italian interference in the conclave of 1878, proposed holding the papal election in Malta under the protective guns of the Royal Navy.) Yet Leo XIII’s twenty-five year pontificate saw the papacy begin to assert the kind of influence that would culminate in the pivotal role played by Pope John Paul II in the collapse of European communism and the liberation of central and eastern Europe. This was the power of moral argument and persuasion, and Leo XIII was its first successful modern papal exponent.</p>
<p>Sovereignty is important for the exercise of the papal office: in order to fulfill his mission as universal pastor of the Church, the Pope cannot be subject to any other sovereignty. So the Lateran Treaties of 1929, which created the Vatican City micro-state, were not unimportant. But just as important, and arguably more important, was Leo XIII’s assertion of the moral authority of the keys — the papal mandate to teach and persuade the nations, using the tools of both faith and reason.</p>
<p>In the Lateran, the statue of Innocent III lies recumbent upon his marble catafalque. The effigy of Leo XIII stands erect, boldly proclaiming the moral truths that make society possible. Leo, architect of the modern papacy, embodied the Church persuasive in life; fittingly, that is how he is sculpted in death.</p>
<p>George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. and holds EPPC’s William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies.</p> | The Great Places | false | https://eppc.org/publications/the-great-places-2/ | 1 |
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<p>WILMINGTON, N.C. — Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine on Tuesday assailed Donald Trump in an extensive speech focused on condemning what he sees as the Republican nominee's "disqualifying" foreign policy visions.</p>
<p>"He has a bizarre fascination with strongmen and authoritarian leaders in countries that are no allies of the United States, and with respect to our allies, he would toss alliances aside, and says he wants to 'take everything back from the world that we've given to them,'" Kaine charged. "Trump has offered empty promises and divisive rhetoric. Under his leadership, we would be unrecognizable to the rest of the world. And we would be far less safe."</p>
<p>Kaine's speech took place inside the Hannah S. Block Historic USO Building in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, a historic space that dates back to World War II. A number of veterans and military families call home to areas around the city. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune — where Kaine's eldest son has been based — is roughly an hour north and Fort Bragg in Fayetteville is about two hours away.</p>
<p>"I trust Hillary Clinton to make these decisions with full knowledge that the life of my son and his friends may be riding on the outcome," Kaine said. "And the prospect of the emotionally volatile, fact-challenged, self-obsessed and inexperienced Donald Trump as commander-in-chief scares me to death."</p>
<p>Kaine touted his experience with the Virginia National Guard when he was governor and on the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, and said that when it comes to military issues like these, "I take it personally" because his son is serving overseas.</p>
<p>Kaine spoke from a teleprompter but veered off script on occasion throughout his wide-ranging speech, knocking the real estate mogul on a slew of national security issues, including Trump mistaking the Quds for the Kurds on Hugh Hewitt's radio show earlier this year, appearing to be stumped by what a nuclear triad was, comments on nuclear weapons, and previous statements on both Iraq and Libya that conflict with his current positions.</p>
<p>Kaine quoted a <a href="https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/2016-08-24/why-isis-rooting-trump-0" type="external">recent story in Foreign Affairs</a> by saying, "groups like ISIS are actually kind of rooting for Trump." The story, he noted, included interviews with a "number of jihadists, and many of them are hoping for Trump to succeed in the campaign. They've even put out recruitment videos featuring him since Donald Trump's talk of this un-American banning of all Muslims plays right into their hands for propaganda purposes."</p>
<p>The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Kaine's remarks.</p>
<p>The Virginia senator has been <a href="" type="internal">lambasting</a> Trump for what he calls the campaign's "cozy" relationship with Russia. But on Tuesday he extended that attack to include Trump's previous assertion that NATO is "obsolete," the Republican Party's platform change to weaken a commitment to defending Ukraine, Trump's <a href="" type="internal">statements</a> that Russian President Vladimir Putin wouldn't go into Ukraine despite the country's invasion of Crimea, and former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's resignation amid concerns about ties to the pro-Russia government in Ukraine.</p>
<p>"Each one of these positions stands in stark opposition to decades of American national security goals," Kaine said. "But they match up perfectly with Vladimir Putin's wish-list. It has to make you wonder. Hillary Clinton has proven she can work with Putin if it's in our interest, but that she can stand up to him too when he is taking steps that are against our interest."</p>
<p>Kaine's remarks come as a preview of what viewers might see at the <a href="" type="internal">NBC News Commander-In-Chief Forum</a> Wednesday night, where both Clinton and Trump will take questions on a slew of national security, military, and veterans affairs issues.</p> | Tim Kaine: ‘Trump As Commander-in-Chief Scares Me To Death’ | false | http://nbcnews.com/storyline/vice-presidential-debate/tim-kaine-trump-commander-chief-scares-me-death-n643591 | 2016-09-07 | 3 |
<p>.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........</p>
<p />
<p>Probable starters: Isotopes RHP Jon Gray (3-5, 4.88) vs. Chihuahuas RHP Colin Rea (0-0, 19.29).</p>
<p>Radio: 610 AM.</p>
<p>Tuesday: The Isotopes and 51s split a doubleheader, with Albuquerque winning the seven-inning opener 3-0 and Las Vegas winning second game 3-1. The Isotopes? Jon Gray earned the pitching victory in the first game by holding Las Vegas to three hits in six innings. He struck out eight batters. In the second game, it was Vegas? Darin Gorski doing much the same to the Isotopes, yielding only three hits and one run in six innings. He struck out 10 Isotopes.</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>This and that: INF Cristhian Adames was named to the Pacific Coast League All-Star team in place of injured Isotopes teammate Matt McBride. The Triple-A All-Star Game between the PCL and International League All-Stars is scheduled to take place July 15 at Werner Park in Papillion, Neb. McBride was originally selected to the PCL team, but sprained his right ankle rounding second base July 3.</p>
<p>Transactions: The parent Colorado Rockies have claimed RHP Gonzalez Germen off waivers from the Chicago Cubs and optioned him to Albuquerque.</p>
<p>Next home game: July 16, 7:05 p.m. vs. Las Vegas, at Isotopes Park.</p>
<p>PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE American North Division W L Pct. GB Oklahoma City (Dodgers) 53 30 .639 - Omaha (Royals) 46 39 .541 8 Iowa (Cubs) 45 40 .529 9 Colo. Springs (Brewers) 32 51 .386 21 American South Division W L Pct. GB Round Rock (Rangers) 49 35 .583 - Memphis (Cardinals) 45 41 .523 5 New Orleans (Marlins) 40 45 .471 9? Nashville (Athletics) 39 47 .453 11 Pacific North Division W L Pct. GB Fresno (Astros) 49 36 .576 - Tacoma (Mariners) 42 43 .494 7 Reno (Diamondbacks) 39 45 .464 9? Sacramento (Giants) 37 47 .440 11? Pacific South Division W L Pct. GB Las Vegas (Mets) 48 38 .558 - El Paso (Padres) 43 42 .506 4? Albuquerque (Rockies) 38 48 .442 10 Salt Lake (Angels) 34 52 .395 14</p>
<p>Tuesday Iowa 8, New Orleans 3 Nashville 4, Round Rock 2 Albuquerque 3, Las Vegas 0, 1st game Omaha at Oklahoma City, ppd., rain Sacramento at Reno, late, 1st game Memphis 13, Colorado Springs 6 Salt Lake 8, El Paso 7 Tacoma at Fresno, late Las Vegas 3, Albuquerque 1, 2nd game Sacramento at Reno, late, 2nd game</p>
<p>Today Nashville at Memphis, 6:05 p.m. New Orleans at Round Rock, 6:05 p.m. Iowa at Omaha, 6:05 p.m. Albuquerque at El Paso, 7:05 p.m. Oklahoma City at Colorado Springs, 7:05 p.m. Tacoma at Reno, 8:05 p.m. Salt Lake at Las Vegas, 8:05 p.m. Fresno at Sacramento, 8:05 p.m.</p>
<p>Tuesday - Las Vegas, Nev. ISOTOPES 3, 51s 0, 7 Innings, Game 1 ALBUQUERQUE LAS VEGAS</p>
<p>ab r h bi ab r h bi</p>
<p>ADVERTISEMENT</p>
<p>Ynoa 3B 4 0 1 0 Herrera 2B 3 0 0 0</p>
<p>Story 2B 4 0 2 0 Ceciliani CF 1 0 0 0</p>
<p>Adames SS 2 1 1 0 Castellanos LF 3 0 0 0</p>
<p>Parker 1B 3 1 1 1 Recker C 3 0 1 0</p>
<p>Garneau C 3 1 2 1 Allen 1B 3 0 1 0</p>
<p>Bernadina CF 2 0 0 0 Taijeron RF 3 0 0 0</p>
<p>Smalling LF 3 0 0 0 Muno 3B 3 0 0 0</p>
<p>Wheeler RF 3 0 0 0 Tovar SS 2 0 1 0</p>
<p>Gray P 2 0 0 0 Bowman P 2 0 0 0</p>
<p>Nina PH 1 0 0 0</p>
<p>Brothers P 0 0 0 0 Totals 23 3 7 2 Totals 23 0 3 0</p>
<p>Albuquerque 200 100 0 - 3 7 0</p>
<p>Las Vegas 000 000 0 - 0 3 3E - Muno (7), Recker (3), Allen (5). DP - Las Vegas 2. LOB - Las Vegas 4, Albuquerque 5. 2B - Parker (13), Story 2 (4). 3B - Name (). HR - Name (0), Name (0). SB - Allen (3), Ceciliani (7). CS - Name (0). S - Bernadina. SF - Name, Name. IP H R ER BB SO</p>
<p>Albuquerque</p>
<p>Gray (W, 4-5) 6 3 0 0 2 8</p>
<p>Brothers (S, 2) 1 0 0 0 0 2</p>
<p>Las Vegas</p>
<p>Bowman (L, 5-10) 7 7 3 2 1 5WP - Bowman. T - 1:53.51s 3, ISOTOPES 1, 7 innings, Game 2</p>
<p>ALBUQUERQUE LAS VEGAS</p>
<p>ab r h bi ab r h bi</p>
<p>Ynoa LF 3 0 0 0 Herrera 2B 3 1 1 0</p>
<p>Story 2B 3 0 0 0 Conrad 1B 3 0 0 0</p>
<p>Adames SS 3 0 1 0 Allen LF 3 1 2 1</p>
<p>Parker 1B 3 0 0 0 Castellnos 3B 2 1 1 2</p>
<p>Nina 3B 3 1 1 0 Taijeron RF 3 0 0 0</p>
<p>Bernadina CF 3 0 0 0 Vaughn CF 3 0 1 0</p>
<p>Baker C 2 0 1 0 Rohlfing C 2 0 0 0</p>
<p>Wheeler RF 2 0 0 0 Tovar SS 2 0 0 0</p>
<p>Jurrjens P 1 0 0 0 Gorski P 2 0 0 0</p>
<p>Whiting P 1 0 0 0 Thornton P 0 0 0 0</p>
<p>Miller P 0 0 0 0 Totals 24 1 3 0 Totals 00 00 00 00</p>
<p>Albuquerque 010 000 0 - 1 3 0</p>
<p>Las Vegas 003 000 0 - 3 5 1E - Rohlfing (1). LOB - Las Vegas 5, Albuquerque 2. 2B - Allen (18). HR - Castellanos (15). SB - Nina 2 (11), Herrera (4). IP H R ER BB SO</p>
<p>Albuquerque</p>
<p>Jurrjens (L, 1-2) 3 4 3 3 2 3</p>
<p>Whiting 2 1 0 0 0 0</p>
<p>Miller 1 0 0 0 0 1</p>
<p>Las Vegas</p>
<p>Gorski (W, 7-6) 6 3 1 0 0 10</p>
<p>Thornton (S, 1) 1 0 0 0 0 0</p>
<p>HBP - Rohlfing (Jurrjens). T - 1:55. A - 2,430.</p> | ?Topes today | false | https://abqjournal.com/609388/topes-today-313.html | 2 |
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<p />
<p>"Ask Brianna" is a Q&amp;A column from NerdWallet for 20-somethings or anyone else starting out. I'm here to help you manage your money, find a job and pay off student loans — all the real-world stuff no one taught us how to do in college. Send your questions about postgrad life to [email protected].</p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Q: I'd love to earn some extra cash in addition to what I make at my 9-to-5 job, but I'm not sure where to start. Any ideas?</p>
<p>A: Let me guess: You've already cut cable, sold your old cell phones and deleted the Seamless app, but your financial goals remain out of reach. While I feel for you and wish you didn't need a side gig, upping your income is a great way to keep up with bills or achieve the debt-free dream faster. In fact, more and more people are looking for additional work to sustain them.</p>
<p>Last year, 4.1 million people on average held both a primary full-time job and a secondary part-time job, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That number has been on the rise since 2012.</p>
<p>You may want to try one of the many "sharing economy" apps that will connect you with gigs. But you don't have to chauffeur people around if you hate to drive or take on work that won't move you forward in your career. A side job can bring not only extra dough, but fun and fulfillment, too. Take these steps to turn your need for cash into a labor you can love.</p>
<p>START WITH A HOBBY</p>
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<p>Pick a hobby or skill you enjoy and you're really good at — two things that don't always go hand in hand, says Susie Moore, a life coach and author of "What If It Does Work Out?: Turn Your Passion Into Cash, Make an Impact and Live the Life You Were Born To."</p>
<p>You can start a side gig that's related to your current job. Work in marketing? Consider social media consulting, Moore suggests. A human resources pro? Offer interview training. Or create a list of activities you've been doing as favors for friends, such as editing cover letters or playing violin at weddings.</p>
<p>Dog lover Page Jensen-Slattengren, 27, is a full-time copywriter in Austin, Texas, who makes extra money as a dog sitter through the app Rover.</p>
<p>"It's something that I genuinely enjoy doing," she says. "It doesn't seem like work to me."</p>
<p>She earns up to $168 looking after clients' dogs at her home four to six nights a month (Rover takes a 15 percent to 25 percent cut of each sitter's earnings). Every dollar she makes goes toward her $44,000 student loan balance.</p>
<p>START UP A MINI BUSINESS</p>
<p>If no online platform exists for the gig you want to pursue, consider ways to forge your own path. Don't let the idea of starting your own business scare you. Make it your goal to get just two paying clients, Moore says.</p>
<p>Ivonne Ackerman, 30, recently scored her first client for her side hustle: teaching private barre fitness classes. Ackerman moved to New York five years ago to pursue a professional dance career, but took an administrative job at New York City Ballet after getting injured. Barre, a workout method inspired by ballet, kept dance part of her routine.</p>
<p>"It brought so much value to my daily life," Ackerman says.</p>
<p>She got certified as a barre instructor and teaches in her free time. She also shares her fitness enthusiasm on her blog, The Sweat Glow, and plans to start a full-time business creating fitness programs for subscribers.</p>
<p>LEVERAGE YOUR SIDE GIG INTO A BETTER 9-TO-5</p>
<p>A good side hustle doesn't have to be something that you want to turn into a full-time job. It can also open doors to an entirely new 9-to-5 that will bring you more joy — and ideally a higher salary. Include your newfound experience on your resume if the skills you're honing are transferable to your dream role.</p>
<p>"From a recruiter's standpoint and a potential future employer's standpoint, they want to see all your experience," says Paul McDonald, senior executive director at recruiting firm Robert Half. Relevant part-time jobs, and even pro bono and volunteering experience, count.</p>
<p>Eventually, you might be able to wind down the side job altogether. But the first step? Just get started.</p>
<p>"The biggest obstacle is always ourselves," Moore says. "Everything else can be worked out."</p>
<p>_______</p>
<p>This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet .</p>
<p>Brianna McGurran is a staff writer at NerdWallet. Email: mailto:[email protected]. Twitter: @briannamcscribe.</p>
<p>Related links:</p>
<p>NerdWallet: 50 legitimate ways to make money part-time: https://nerd.me/2jZ4Xvf</p> | Ask Brianna: What's the best way to make extra money? | true | http://foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/01/31/ask-brianna-what-best-way-to-make-extra-money.html | 2017-01-31 | 0 |
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<p>Small Business Spotlight: SoDel Concepts, <a href="https://twitter.com/@sodelconcepts" type="external">@SoDelConcepts</a></p>
<p>Continue Reading Below</p>
<p>Who: Matt Haley, founder, president and CEO of SoDel Concepts (aka The Matt Haley Companies)</p>
<p>What: An East Coast restaurant company focused on enriching the community through its restaurant, real estate, consulting, film and philanthropic initiatives.</p>
<p>When: 2001 (opens first restaurant), 2005 (officially launches SoDel Concepts)</p>
<p>Where: Delaware and overseas</p>
<p>How: Delaware-based chef, restaurateur and philanthropist Matt Haley is wearer of a many hats – most recently, recipient of the <a href="http://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/awards-watch-matt-haley-receive-2014-humanitarian-year-award" type="external">2014 James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year Award</a> and the <a href="http://www.nraef.org/Build-Talent/What-We-Do/Restaurant-Neighbor/Recipients" type="external">2014 Restaurant Neighbor Award</a> from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation.</p>
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<p>Following a troubled childhood and a stint in prison on drug-related charges, Haley began his career in the food industry as a dishwasher when he was 35. After working his way up, in 2001 Haley opened his first restaurant in the sleepy beach town of Rehobeth, Del. Today, under his umbrella company <a href="http://sodelconcepts.com/" type="external">SoDel Concepts</a> (which for branding purposes is more commonly known as <a href="http://matthaleycompanies.com/" type="external">The Matt Haley Companies</a>), Haley owns and operates 25 restaurants that employ more than 1,000 people and generate nearly $50 million in revenue a year, he says.</p>
<p>Building out his multi-pronged business in resort towns has been invaluable because, “in the off-season we can retool, relax and recalibrate.” It also allows the brand to expand its reach beyond simply cooking.</p>
<p>“Nowadays a lot of our business concepts include a deeper reach in our community and environments some people consider undesirable,” he explains.</p>
<p>For Haley, the purpose of his work is to “pay it forward,” – it is also what he believes has made him successful.</p>
<p>“Our success is a direct result of our involvement with our communities locally and globally; it is a byproduct of being available and being a part of other people’s lives,” he says.</p>
<p>To accomplish this, he set up the Global Delaware Fund (under SoDel Concepts), to benefit at-risk children both locally and abroad. In addition to building schools in Nepal, Haley has helped bring women out of bonded labor in Nepal and India through employment at coffee farms he’s recently purchased. He says the next step is to open a roasting and packaging plant State-side, which he plans to staff with autistic teens.</p>
<p>If that isn’t enough, Haley is also currently working to develop a program to teach former prisoners culinary skills and to help them transition back into society.</p>
<p>“I’m proof you can do anything and the only thing that can stop you is yourself,” Haley says.</p>
<p>Biggest challenge: “I came from a background where I wasn’t supposed to feel good about my successes and [owning my successes] made me feel uncomfortable, but I learned to accept that and understand that I am a good person doing good work for my community; anything else that has come up is nothing,” Haley says. “I’ve had restaurants come down, bad partner relations in business, I’ve had cancer, I’ve been robbed, I don’t’ believe in challenges … as long as I ask for help there’s nothing I can’t overcome.”</p>
<p>Moment in time: At his restaurants, Haley makes it a point to hire teens with autism, putting them to work rolling silverware and bussing tables. He says each time he walks into a restaurant and sees the “smile on their face,” it is “one of the proudest things I feel we’ve done with our company.”</p>
<p>Most influential: “My mom,” Haley says, explaining that back in the sixties “when women didn’t leave men … my mom had the courage to put her five kids in a car with $17 and leave. She had faith it would work out.” He says he didn’t realize it then, but it’s apparent now that she’s “the greatest example” he’s ever known.</p> | Ex-Con-Turned-Social Entrepreneur's M.O.: Pay It Forward | true | http://foxbusiness.com/features/2014/04/29/ex-con-turned-social-entrepreneurs-mo-pay-it-forward.html | 2016-04-08 | 0 |
<p>Published time: 4 Oct, 2017 07:10</p>
<p>The US President has been caught on video while throwing packs of paper towels into a crowd of people in Puerto Rico, devastated by hurricane Maria.</p>
<p>Donald Trump visited locals in the neighborhood of Gauynabo on Tuesday in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. Standing before Puerto Rico residents at a church, the President distributed food to them – and then started hurling bundles of paper towels into the crowd.</p>
<p>[embedded content]</p>
<p>Many took to social media to voice their criticism of Trump’s conduct.</p>
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<p>Stupid Trump! They are people do not treat them as animals! Throwing food to people…. shame shame</p>
<p>— Fernando Heredia (@polloh54) <a href="https://twitter.com/polloh54/status/915295987362496512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" type="external">October 3, 2017</a></p>
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<p>During his tour to Puerto Rico, Trump also sparked criticism for his comments comparing the death toll from the infamous 2005 Hurricane Katrina to that of Puerto Rico, which has recently suffered two devastating hurricanes.</p> | Trump tosses paper towels into crowd of Puerto Rico hurricane survivors (VIDEO) | false | https://newsline.com/trump-tosses-paper-towels-into-crowd-of-puerto-rico-hurricane-survivors-video/ | 2017-10-04 | 1 |
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