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The influence of the 19th CPC National Congress and the impact of Xi's new vision, thinking and strategies are likely to be felt for decades to come, Kuhn said. |
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A transgender student says his Georgia high school removed him from this year’s prom king ballot. |
The Gainesville Times quotes Johnson High School senior Dex Frier as saying he was nominated by the student body as one of six candidates for prom king, but was later informed by school officials that he could only be on the prom queen ballot. |
A petition calling for Frier’s return to the ballot has amassed more than 10,700 signatures in less than a week. Two competing petitions affirming Frier’s exclusion have fewer than 100 signatures. |
WASHINGTON—It was, I suppose, as inevitable as bluebonnets in a Texas spring: On the eve of Memorial Day a class-action lawsuit was filed against Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on behalf of more than 1,000 residents of the Armed Forces Retirement Home in our nation's capital. |
The complaint of the plaintiffs—whose average age is 76 and whose average term of service is over 20 years in the military—is that Rumsfeld is responsible for "drastic cuts" in their medical services. |
The lawsuit, titled Cody et al. v. Rumsfeld, was filed this week in Federal District Court in Washington. It demanded that Rumsfeld restore all the medical benefits that have been reduced or eliminated. |
It states that during the last two years, in the name of cost-cutting by the Defense Department, the veterans at the old soldiers home have faced the closure of the facility's primary treatment room with its 24/7 physician on duty; closure of the on-site pharmacy; elimination of on-site X-ray services; a shortage of ev... |
The Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington is one of two operated under auspices of the Defense Department. The other is located in Gulfport, Miss. Ninety-five percent of the retirees served in a combat theater—the majority of them World War II veterans, with Korean War veterans next, and a small minority veterans ... |
The Bush administration and DOD have had their problems in the past with the nation's veterans, and they seem only to be getting worse. |
Veterans groups complain that the new chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Republican Rep. Steve Buyer of Indiana, wants to cut Veterans Administration health care and disability benefits for many of the veterans the VA begged to enroll only a few years ago. |
Buyer says VA health care should focus on indigent veterans and veterans whose disabilities are due to combat injuries. Annual fees for enrolling in VA health care for everyone are being increased. |
The fact that the Republican caucus threw out a friend of veterans, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and installed the blunt-spoken Buyer in his place didn't make the Republican Party a lot of new friends among veterans. The lawsuit against the administration by folks in the old soldiers' home is just the finishing touch. |
What is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF? |
There are some activities, medical conditions, and medications that have been linked to an increased risk of developing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or IPF. These include: smoking, certain viral infections (like Epstein-Barr, hepatitis C, HIV, and more), certain medicines, radiation, environmental toxins, genetics, an... |
LONDON, Dec 28 (Reuters) - A decline in the number of mortgages approved by British high-street banks flattened out last month, with the first year-on-year rise since September 2017, figures from industry group UK Finance showed on Friday. |
Britain’s housing market has slowed since the country voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, and other surveys this month have shown anxiety among consumers and businesses ahead of the planned departure on March 29. |
Friday’s data showed British banks approved 39,403 mortgages for house purchase in November on a seasonally adjusted basis, down from 39,640 in October but up by 0.2 percent from November 2017 — the first annual rise in 14 months. |
“The housing market is struggling for momentum in the face of still relatively limited consumer purchasing power, fragile consumer confidence and, possibly, wariness over higher interest rates,” Howard Archer, chief economist at consultants EY ITEM Club, said. |
Many economists expect house prices to be flat or marginally higher next year, as weakness in London and surrounding areas weighs on faster price growth in other parts of Britain, though the Bank of England has said falls of as much as a third are possible if Brexit descends into chaos. |
Prime Minister Theresa May’s minority government plans to seek parliamentary approval for her Brexit deal in the week starting Jan. 14, after scrapping a vote before Christmas due to opposition from lawmakers of all parties. |
Without a deal, Britain faces major economic disruption from the reintroduction of tariffs and customs checks at its borders. |
UK Finance said credit card lending picked up slightly last month, though this mostly reflected a shift in preferred payment means rather than higher borrowing, with credit cards offering better consumer protection for purchases such as holiday travel. |
Net lending to non-financial businesses fell by the most since May, dropping by 656 million pounds ($829 million). |
“Overall lending to businesses has remained subdued in this period of economic uncertainty,” UK Finance’s managing director for commercial finance, Stephen Pegge, said. |
The Bank of England will publish November mortgage and consumer credit data from a wider range of lenders on Jan. 4. |
Bucky Barnes takes over the Captain America mantle from Steve Rogers in this brand new fan-made artwork. One of the most enduring relationships in the MCU, Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes' friendship has had its ups and downs, but just when it seemed like they were finally ready to take on the modern world after resolvin... |
With Avengers 4's catastrophic nature, it's safe to say that the MCU will suffer some real losses in next year's Phase 3 capper. Steve's fans have been preparing for the worst in case the super soldier bites the bullet for real this time. The fear seems to have been further fueled by Chris Evans' very emotional social ... |
Digital artist Ivan Dedov imagined what Bucky would look like as Captain America in brand new illustrations. There are two suit variants: heroic and combat costumes, and while both stuck quite closely to the costume design that Steve wore later on in his MCU history, there are several alterations making it uniquely Buc... |
While there's precedence in the comic books, it's uncertain if Marvel Studios will take this route when it comes to handling Steve Rogers' supposed death in Avengers 4. Black Panther gave Bucky a brand new heroic persona in the White Wolf (who has his own adventures in print), shedding off his Winter Soldier nickname. ... |
Perhaps it would be better if Marvel Studios don't rush replacing Steve as Captain America. The character is one of the founding members of the MCU and has been one of the most beloved heroes in the franchise. Seeing someone else with the shield will be difficult for many especially if he's supposed death is still fres... |
More: Rumor Says Avengers 4 Title Is Annihilation... But Is It? |
Cobblers boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes the goals will soon start to flow for striker Chris Long. |
The Burnley loan man has scored twice in 13 appearances this season, with both of those coming in the same game, the 3-1 win over Portsmouth at Sixfields on September 12. |
After recovering from a hanstring problem that saw him miss a month of action, Long has returned to the starting line-up and led the line in Town’s past three games, playing a key role in the team claiming a draw at Rochdale, and then wins over Gillingham and Blackpool. |
The one negative has been that the 22-year-old hasn’t capped his hard-working performances with a goal . |
It has left him cutting a frustrated figure at times, but Hasselbaink is certain things will turn for the player. |
“Chris is frustrated at the moment, and I know that is a normal thing, but we need to keep on getting in his head that he shouldn’t get frustrated,” said the Cobblers manager. |
“He shouldn’t worry about it, even though it is hard, because he is doing a very good job for the team and he needs to keep on doing that, and his chances will come. |
“He says yes to me, so it is about keeping on doing those runs and trying to get in front of the goal, and for us also to keep on trying to find him, and giving him quality balls at the right times. |
Long is set to lead the Cobblers line again this weekend as they begin their FA Cup campaign with a first round date against fellow Sky Bet League One side Scunthorpe United at Sixfields (ko 3pm). |
The Dallas County Republican Party is on the bubble. |
Infighting has left the local GOP ripped apart, with moderate and establishment Republicans feeling like they've been pushed out by hell-raising tea party types who've never seen a fight they didn't like. |
The dysfunction isn't confined to Dallas. |
It's a chronic problem for Republicans whose presidential nominee - circus ringmaster Donald Trump -- has been lobbing Molotov cocktails at anyone who stands in his way. |
Consequently, a rift that began emerging years ago between the GOP's traditional base and the party's more radical wing has widened, particularly in Dallas County, where Democrats have dominated for a decade. |
A burning question now is whether a well-heeled, anti-establishment Republican can pull the long-suffering local GOP from the brink? |
Say hello to Phillip Huffines, a Highland Park businessman and freshly minted head of the Dallas County Republican Party. |
Once upon a time, Dallas County had "one of the most efficient parties in the nation," Huffines said, "but we've been in retreat. It's time to build this party back up to the greatness it once had in Dallas County." |
Huffines plans to do that first and foremost by getting the party's fiscal house in order and "installing business principles." |
"We've been living paycheck to paycheck," he said, adding, "With a strong financial foundation, we're able to grow the party." |
It's true that his predecessor -- Mark Montgomery, the tea party activist who ousted incumbent Wade Emmert in a spring primary election -- couldn't get GOP donors to open their wallets. He left the party with a mere $180 in the bank, barely enough for a round-trip coach airfare to the state capitol in Austin. |
With Huffines at the helm, however, money is the least of the party's worries. This guy can dig a couple hundred bucks from under his couch cushions. |
"Let's be honest," said Jonathan Neerman, a former chairman of the Dallas County GOP. "Phil is a rich white guy from Highland Park. What does he have in common with the millennial in Mesquite sending her kid to schools in Coppell?" |
That, in a nutshell, is the Republican dilemma: How can the party expand its tent in a blue county where the demographics are working against it and extreme right-wingers have alienated voters the party must attract to expand and, yes, survive? |
Huffines already has picked up a couple of big checks, he said, and the money will help fund what he's calling a Victory Campaign that will help Republicans "take the fight to Democrats." In addition, he said, Trump brought 80,000 more primary voters into the fold last spring --- and he thinks his party can tap into th... |
But that's all a hunch for now. |
"I use this analogy. The game started 10 years ago when the Democrats took over the county," said Huffiness. "I'm like the new coach who comes in with the score already 24-0. It just won't happen overnight. This is going to take some time, and it's going to be a several-years process." |
You sure can't say that Huffines is afraid of risks. Seven years ago, the twin brother of state Sen. Don Huffines, R-Dallas, scaled the tallest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, with his family in tow. |
But this mission, admittedly, is more daunting than any mountain he's climbed before. And the thrill won't last nearly as long. |
"I think it's a little tougher because it's long term," Phillip Huffines told me Friday. "And this is a big mountain." |
And Huffines is lugging some political baggage of his own. He and his brother have teed off a lot of establishment Republicans in recent years by backing Libertarian or Tea Party candidates - often against GOP incumbents. |
The fear now is that with Phillip Huffines in charge, the party will drift further apart and lose more footing to Democrats. |
Huffines says none of that will happen on his watch. As chairman, he vows to remain neutral in primary contests and focus on rallying the party to defeat Democrats up and down the ballot, starting this November. |
"Our party is a party of big ideas," said Huffines, who won the party's chairmanship in decisive fashion. "It's a little bit of a cliché, but it's a big tent. When I talk to Republicans on the street, I never ask them if they're tea party or what particular faction they're in. We're all Republicans." |
Key to mending fences, he said, is to get the party's warring factions to focus on core ideas -- such as economic prosperity, low taxes, fewer government regulations and more individual liberties. |
"My job is to be able to communicate the Republican message," he said. "But we have to communicate it in a way that Republicans hear it. Once they do, we own their hearts and minds forever." |
That's easier said than done, especially with Trump topping the ticket this fall. |
"He's got a lot of things going against him," said Neerman, who figures it will be "impossible in this environment" for Huffines to bring new voters into the tent. |
Indeed, Huffines hasn't crafted a special strategy or message to woo back voters that Trump offended with his xenophobic, bigoted and misogynistic rhetoric. |
"We don't look at groups - this group or that group, ethnic minorities - we look at individuals," he said. |
Instead, he said, they'll all get the same conservative pitch: "Our message is about social mobility, and individuals being able to achieve the American dream, being able to have a quality education and a solid financial footing." |
Given where things stand now, that old line may not be enough to put Humpty Dumpty back together again - at least, not anytime soon. |
"How do you win when you've got establishment Republicans like me who are saying publicly they're not going to vote for the Republican [presidential] nominee? That's a big problem," Neerman said. "You've got to get those people back in the boat before you even think about building a bigger boat." |
And then, you've got to keep the boat from sinking. |
WASHINGTON (AP) — National Public Radio says it has terminated the contract of longtime news analyst Juan Williams after comments he made about Muslims on the Fox News Channel. |
NPR reported its move on its website. It said Williams appeared on the “The O’Reilly Factor” on Monday and told host Bill O’Reilly that he gets worried and nervous when he sees people dressed in Muslim-style clothes on airplanes. |
A phone message left for Williams at his home seeking comment was not immediately returned Thursday morning. |
During a demo drive of Audi and Nvidia's driverless car technology in a Q7, Audi offered some details of how this technology will work in the upcoming A8 flagship sedan. |
Audi demonstrated its work toward driverless car technology with an autonomous trip between San Francisco and Las Vegas two years ago, and during this year's CES the company offered concrete details of how the technology will come to market. Audi will use the new generation of its A8 luxury sedan to introduce features ... |
During CES, Audi and Nvidia showed off how this self-driving car technology is currently working in a modified Q7 research vehicle. |
Unlike many current implementations of driver assistance systems, which take a piecemeal approach by using different systems for adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist and collision prevention, Audi and Nvidia developed a central computer to process sensor input and make driving decisions. For production implemen... |
Automakers, automotive equipment suppliers and big tech companies are all working on self-driving technology, which could minimize the tens of thousands of fatalities from accidents that occur on US roads every year. The technology also has the potential to reduce traffic, decreasing pollution, saving fuel and give dri... |
Audi gave this Q7 prototype technology it will use for limited self-driving in the upcoming A8 model. |
At CES 2017, Audi Vice President of Automated Driving Alejandro Vukotich said that the upcoming A8 model will feature a self-driving computer called zFAS, which combines chips from Nvidia and computer vision company Mobileye. Audi has showed off zFAS before in its development stage, and the A8 represents the first time... |
This hardware enables two driver assist features on the A8: the ability to self-drive on the highway and in traffic jams. Vukotich said the A8 will not be able to make lane changes by itself, but where traffic regulations permit, drivers will be able to take their hands off the wheel and not touch the pedals during hig... |
Vukotich said that the car will give the driver a series of increasingly noticeable warnings in situations where it needs manual control. The car will begin with visible and audible alerts, followed by minor braking to get the driver's attention. If the driver still does not take over, the car will come to a stop. A sy... |
For the demonstration drive at CES, Audi and Nvidia showed how, using just a forward-facing camera, its Q7 could drive itself around a curving course, negotiating a dirt section of the path with no lane lines, and an unexpected obstacle, a highway construction sign on the path it previously took. |
The car operated well, and at reasonable speeds. Even with just the forward-facing camera, it took a tight, traffic cone-lined curve without knocking any of the cones over. Vukotich said the zFAS computer in this development vehicle was programmed to be aware of the car's geometry and size, so could guide the front whi... |
Nvidia demonstrated similar driving capability in a Lincoln MKS sedan, which the company calls BB8, showing how its technology can be used by other automakers. |
Vukotich said the self-driving technology going into the new A8 will find its way throughout the Audi lineup. The 2018 Audi A8 will become available this year. |
For most of the 33 years they have served the Buffalo Police Department, Narcotics Detectives Dominic R. Pace and Brian J. Miller have been partners in fighting crime. |
Today, the longest-running partnership on the force concludes as Pace and Miller step into private life from public-service careers that saw them experience close brushes with death, play key roles in breaking the backs of ruthless drug gangs and help put killers behind bars. |
But perhaps their greatest accomplishment is that they have remained together so long as a team, seeing each other day in and day out, decade after decade. |
"If we had a problem, we worked it out. We were straightforward with each other and never talked behind the other's back," Pace said. |
It also helped that they were opposites in the personality department. |
"I'm outgoing," said Pace, 60. |
"I'm laid-back," said Miller, 59. |
They did have their "domestics" from time to time. |
"But the job always came first," Pace said. |
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