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The timberland acquisition was financed using cash and $310 million of new long-term debt. Moody's confirmed our Baa3 investment grade debt rating with a stable outlook earlier this week.
"We are very pleased to complete the acquisition of high quality timberlands in Alabama and Mississippi," said Michael Covey, chairman and chief executive officer. "Because we expect the acquisition to be immediately accretive to funds available for distribution and our performance continues to be strong, we are increasing our dividend a second time, or more than 20 percent, since the third quarter of 2013. Our goal remains to grow the dividend sustainably over time," concluded Mr. Covey.
Potlatch is a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) with approximately 1.6 million acres of timberland in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Minnesota and Mississippi. Potlatch, a verified forest practices leader, is committed to providing superior returns to stockholders through long-term stewardship of its forest resources. The company also conducts a land sales and development business and operates wood products manufacturing facilities through its taxable REIT subsidiary. For more information about the company, visit our website at www.potlatchcorp.com.
The corrosive effects of special interests in politics are always troubling. It is especially damaging when special interest groups manipulate elected officials into taking actions against national foreign policy. That’s what happened recently in California. Under the pressure from the Armenian lobby, the California legislature passed a resolution which contradicts the stated foreign policy of the U.S. and its national interests. No wonder that the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan quickly disavowed the resolution, pointing out that it carries no legal weight and does not represent national foreign policy.
The resolution AJR 32 seeks recognition for the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic." This illegal regime, which has not been recognized by the United States government or any other country in the world, was established by Armenia on Azerbaijan's sovereign territory after the Nagorno-Karabakh war in the 1990s. The invasion also led to ethnic cleansing and expulsion of around 800,000 Azerbaijanis from their homes and lands. Despite global condemnation and multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces, Armenia continues to occupy 20 percent of Azerbaijani soil – an invaded territory of almost 13 times the area of Los Angeles - in violation of international law and morality.
Instead of spending resources meddling in American politics, perhaps the Armenian lobby in America should focus on severe maladies ailing the country they advocate for. As the adage goes “it is fiddling while Rome burns”. Armenia is in crisis – demographically, economically and politically. Tens of thousands of young people, seeing no opportunities at home, are moving abroad for a better life. Last year a survey by the UN Population Fund found that nearly 80 percent of young Armenians would move abroad if they could. Over a million Armenians are believed to have permanently left since independence. Armenia’s social infrastructure is gradually eroding; the economy is stagnant, heavily dependent on foreign assistance and remittances; and the country’s politics remains dominated by pervasive corruption. And the remaining ethnic groups and religions feel increasingly vulnerable. According to the recent survey by the Anti-Defamation League, with 58 percent Armenia’s rate of anti-Semitism is the highest among all countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
By contrast, Azerbaijan has become an example of post-Soviet success. A country that has continued to develop its economy, focused on inclusion and supporting its neighbors, and become a major player in the region and beyond. It was elected to the UN Security Council in 2011, a testament to its global stature and effective diplomacy, just 20 years after independence. Its economy has become one of the world’s great success stories, worth $75 billion and making up 80 percent of the economy of the whole South Caucasus region. Azerbaijan has taken a smart and dynamic approach to its oil and gas wealth, working to improve the prosperity of future generations by turning ‘black gold into human gold’. Poverty rates have tumbled from almost 50 percent in 2001 to 6 percent now; Azerbaijan’s capital city of Baku has become a vibrant and modern metropolis; and the country is producing a new generation of dynamic young professionals eager to contribute to their country’s progress.
Just as important, at a time when religious divisions around the world look deeper than ever, Azerbaijan has proven itself to be a beacon of religious and ethnic tolerance and inclusion. It was the world’s first Muslim democracy during its 1918-20 independence and remains a firmly secular state today: a place where Muslims, Christians and Jews have been living together in peace and harmony for many centuries.
Azerbaijan has also built strong relations with the U.S., and has become its reliable friend and partner in a turbulent and difficult region. Azerbaijan has played a key role in Afghanistan, sending troops and providing a vital transport corridor for U.S. forces and equipment there. It has been an important partner on the frontline of the fight against international terrorism. And, by opening up energy corridors to Europe, Azerbaijan is helping U.S. allies there to strengthen their energy security.
Azerbaijan’s successes have come despite the occupation of its territory by Armenia. The OSCE's Minsk Group, co-chaired by France, Russia and the United States, has been tasked for the last 20 years with mediating a resolution to this protracted conflict, however without any tangible results so far. The major reason behind this failure is that no real pressure, in the form of sanctions or otherwise, has been applied on Armenia to respect the international principle of territorial integrity, end the invasion and allow refugees to return to their homes. As the crisis in the wider region has demonstrated so bleakly, this imperative principle of territorial integrity must be preserved if peace in Europe is to be maintained.
The lack of sufficient engagement on the part of co-chairs emboldens Armenia and its lobby, to whitewash Armenia’s crimes in Karabakh and try to legitimize the illegal invasion. And the California resolution should be seen as part of these efforts. This kind of resolutions do not only justify Armenia’s medieval-style land-grabs and ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijan, they also damage America. While demonstrating the undue influence of special interests, they undermine U.S.’s reputation in a critical region; harm its efforts to act as an unbiased mediator in the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process; and weaken its ability to consistently pursue its interests.
John Adams, one of the founding fathers of this great Nation, once wrote that “government is instituted for the common good... not for the profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men.” It is high time to heed his advice and stop this kind of special interests from damaging America and fostering hatred among communities.
Aghayev is Azerbaijan’s consul general to the Western United States.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - If previous No. 4 LSU could not give No. 1 Alabama much of a road test last week, then don’t expect No. 18 Mississippi State to give the Crimson Tide much of a test in Alabama this week. But there are a trio of rivalry games where upsets could impact the college football playoff picture. Unranked Oklahoma State is at No. 6 Oklahoma; unranked Auburn is at No. 5 Georgia, and unranked Florida State is at Notre Dame.
That FSU-ND game became a bit more dicey for the Fighting Irish, Thursday, when it was learned starting quarterback Ian Book is injured and out for the game. Luckily, his backup is the experienced Brandon Wimbush, but he has only seen action in one game since losing his starting job after the third game of the season.
Oklahoma State at No. 6 Oklahoma, 3:30 p.m. ABC – Make no mistake, this is one of the most bitter football feuds in the country. An upset would clearly make the Cowboys' (5-4) day. But the Sooners (8-1) can’t get caught up in rivalry antics at the expense of losing their focus on the bigger prize, which is winning and staying in the College Football Playoff hunt.
No. 18 Mississippi State at No. 1 Alabama, 3:30 p.m. CBS - Yes, until further notice Alabama (9-0) seems invincible, and Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailao is such a lock to win the 2018 Heisman Trophy it would be embarrassing to let any other college player go to New York with him when the honor is announced.
Auburn at No. 5 Georgia, 7 p.m. ESPN – Georgia (8-1) likely needs some help to get into the Top 4 for the College Football Playoffs, but the Bulldogs could easily get it. Georgia’s challenge is keeping its own nose clean, which means not letting rival Auburn (6-3) sniff a road upset this week.
Florida State at No. 3 Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. NBC – If FSU (4-5) is going to show some swagger this disappointing season, not to mention get in position to become bowl eligible, the Seminoles have to step up on the road in South Bend, Indiana. The Fighting Irish (9-0) are solidly in the College Football Playoffs right now, but a late-season loss could make it all interesting, particularly if injured QB Ian Book is out more than a week.
Here is Saturday’s AP Top 25 TV schedule.
San Jose State at No. 14 Utah State, 4 p.m.
Republican Maggie Auger faces Democrat Kevin Smith in the Kane County Board District 23 in November.
Making a winning connection with voters in Kane County's District 23 may require building an actual connection over the Fox River in the form of the Longmeadow Parkway. The two candidates for the county board seat differ on how big the bridge should be and how much it should cost drivers to use it.
Incumbent Republican Maggie Auger supports the current vision for the parkway. That includes a $1.50 toll to fund the $135 million bridge.
Her plan is to bring in as much outside funding as possible. With a $40 million letter of intent from the Illinois Department of Transportation already in hand, Auger said she's lobbied U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam and state Senators Mike Tryon and Karen McConnaughay to find federal and state funds to further shrink Kane County's costs for the parkway.
"There should be discussion about lowering the toll, getting rid of the toll, or paying down the bonds faster," Auger said. "If we get the $40 million from IDOT, I definitely think it would lower the cost of a toll. I'm not sure at this point if it would be eliminated."
Auger, of Algonquin, said some form of a toll still seems to be necessary at this point. The only other viable way to fund the bridge would be to use property tax dollars. Auger is committed to keeping the county's portion of the local tax levy flat for as long as possible. She also supports eliminating the toll once the bonds issued to build it are repaid.
"I would love to have a free bridge, but how do you fund it?" Auger said. "We definitely need a bridge. I'm 99 percent confident (the toll) will go away. I don't want to make promises that I can't keep. There's no guarantees in life."
Democratic challenger Kevin Smith said there should be no toll for the bridge. He pointed to the lack of tolls for the Red Gate and Stearns Road bridges as evidence that a bridge can be built with no tolls if the north end of the county gets the attention it deserves.
"The existence of a toll is going to discourage local residents from using it," Smith said. "And people tend to laugh when they say that the toll is temporary."
Smith, of Carpentersville, said he won't support the bridge in its current form, particularly the toll concept, unless an advisory referendum shows that's what people support. He is a fan of shrinking the bridge to just two lanes to cut the cost down to a bridge that doesn't need tolls. If use warrants a future expansion, the county already owns most of the land for that, he said.
"I say just get people across the river for now," Smith said. "The corridor will still be there. If you downsize to a simple two-lane bridge, then I think we're working inside of our means."
Smith also wants to start a discussion about building another bridge, near the Lake Marian neighborhood of Carpentersville, to fuel additional economic development in that portion of the county.
Toyota and Mazda will build a new final assembly plant in Huntsville, Alabama.
The plant will employ 4,000 workers and crank out up to 300,000 vehicles annually. It is scheduled to open in 2021.
The plant could make Alabama the fourth-biggest state in the U.S. when it comes to auto manufacturing.
With the announcement of Toyota and Mazda planning to build a new final assembly plant in Huntsville, the state of Alabama is flexing its muscle and influence in the U.S. auto industry.
The plant, which will employ 4,000 workers and crank out up to 300,000 vehicles annually, is scheduled to open in 2021. Once that happens, Alabama could become the fourth-biggest state in the U.S. when it comes to manufacturing new vehicles. It's currently tied for fifth, with Tennessee, in annual auto production, according to the Center for Automotive Research, which tracks vehicle manufacturing in the U.S.
"With this announcement, our world changes overnight," said Tommy Battle, mayor of Huntsville. "It vaults Alabama to the top as an industry leader in producing the next generation of cars that will power our nation."
That may be a bit of an exaggeration.
Data from the Center for Automotive Research show Michigan built 19 percent of the vehicles manufactured in the U.S. last year. That is more than double the production in Alabama.
So why is a state with 4.8 million people becoming more attractive for auto manufacturers and suppliers? It's all about location.
"This plant is going to be in the center of auto alley," said Thomas Klier, senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Klier has studied America's shifting auto manufacturing footprint and says Alabama benefits from being so close to other Toyota facilities.
"It's a very sensible location," he said. "Toyota has an engine plant in Huntsville and two other facilities nearby in Mississippi, so this makes sense."
"Our investment to establish a new vehicle assembly plant with Mazda builds on the strong success we have enjoyed in Alabama where we produce engines for the North American market," said Toyota President Akio Toyoda.
Meanwhile, Mazda will become the latest automaker to establish a final assembly plant in the U.S.
"We hope to work, learn and grow together with the people of Alabama and Huntsville," said Masamichi Kogai, president and CEO of Mazda Motor.
Mazda plans to build an SUV at the new facility as the Japanese automaker moves to improve a model line-up that has historically relied more on cars than utility vehicles. Last year, Mazda sold just under 300,000 vehicles in the U.S.
Amy B. Harris, who was set to serve as showrunner on the drama, has exited the series with Jon Feldman set to replace her.
It's official: Kiefer Sutherland is returning to primetime.
ABC on Friday officially confirmed that it has picked up Designated Survivor to series (watch the teaser, below.) While the network has yet to formally announce its new schedule, a tweet from the new show's account indicates it will debut in the fall.
Picked up straight to series in December, Sutherland stars as Tom Kirkman, a lower cabinet member who unexpectedly becomes the president after a devastating attack on Washington. He will struggle to prevent the country and his own family from falling into chaos as he is thrust into one of the most difficult presidencies in history. Natasha McElhone, Maggie Q, Kal Penn, Italia Ricci, Adan Canto, LaMonica Garrett and Tanner Buchanan round out the cast.
David Guggenheim (Safe House) created the series and will pen the script and executive produce alongside Simon Kinberg, Sutherland, Aditya Sood and Suzan Bymel. Amy B. Harris, who was set to serve as showrunner, will not continue on with the series. Jon Feldman (Blood and Oil) is set to replace her as showrunner as the drama is already planning some creative changes. Nick Pepper and Jacqueline Sacerio are the execs in charge. The project is a co-production between ABC Studios and eOne-based the Mark Gordon Studios.
Insiders tell The Hollywood Reporter that Designated Survivor was one of ABC's best-testing pilots ever. The series comes as the network is looking to focus more on procedural fare under new entertainment group president Channing Dungey. The new project gives ABC — known for its soapy dramas like Grey's Anatomy and Nashville — a rare procedural with a male lead.
Additional series pickups are expected to come in the next two weeks ahead of the broadcasters' upfront presentations to Madison Avenue ad buyers in New York.
The Queen has sent her "warmest congratulations" to Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, who is thought to be a contender for a knighthood.
In her message of support she praised his historic achievement of becoming the first Briton to win the greatest endurance race in cycling.
There have been calls for Wiggins to be awarded a knighthood, with bookmaker Coral offering 2/1 that he will become Sir Bradley before the end of next year.
The Queen said in her message, sent yesterday when the rider returned to the UK and released today: "I send you my warmest congratulations on becoming the first British cyclist ever to win the Tour de France.
"Your historic achievement of claiming overall victory in this prestigious event is a great testament to the efforts of you and your teammates."
What Bill Belichick and Mike Krzyzewski have in common is barely challenged coaching supremacy in their sports of choice: pro football for Belichick, college basketball for Krzyzewski.
Where they part company is in the court of public opinion. Coach K has crafted the image of an authentic American hero, from his military service through his restoration of our international hoops prestige via two Olympic gold medals. Along the way, he also accumulated four NCAA championships at Duke, an unprecedented and much-celebrated 1,000 career victories and an unsullied reputation for doing things ‘‘the right way,’’ all of it adding up to a plausible case for best ever.
He has blown past the man considered his mentor in that discussion, in part because his achievements have eclipsed those of Bob Knight but also because Krzyzewski gets and values the PR component of high-profile coaching more than the notoriously stormy Knight ever did or cared to.
As Reggie Jackson might say, Krzyzewski grasps the magnitude of being Coach K and is always mindful of how he presents himself. But he’s as competitive as ever and not above a little snark on the rare occasions when he loses.
When a reporter sought his take on the raucously exuberant sellout crowd that witnessed Notre Dame’s four-point trimming of his Blue Devils last week at Purcell Pavilion, Krzyzewski looked at the man as if he’d asked to use his toothbrush.
‘‘It’s like that for us every night and has been for the last 25 years,’’ he smirked.
Irish coach Mike Brey is the first former Coach K assistant to beat him, and he has done it twice in a row. An inquiry regarding that stinger brought another condescending response.
The humble son of working-class Chicago isn’t without ego.
Neither is Belichick, though it’s hard to tell because he is openly disdainful of media interaction as he seeks to go where no man has gone before with a sixth Super Bowl appearance Sunday. A victory would be his fourth, tying Chuck Noll for the most in history.
Unmatched as a strategist, innovator and architect, Belichick has compiled a .729 winning percentage in 15 seasons with the Patriots while never departing from the dour, aloof persona that suggests he’s not really enjoying the ride and that it’s none of our business whether he is.
Belichick is also the heavyweight champion of control freaks — he has a prior for surreptitiously taping opponents — so it’s a stretch to believe he had no knowledge of a scheme to make slightly deflated footballs more pleasing to Tom Brady’s persnickety touch.
What’s the wiring like under Belichick’s hoodie? Why is the ruling monarch of America’s most popular sport drawn to petty crime? Why would Barry Bonds alter the most efficient body in baseball with chemicals of dubious origin? The easy answer is that obsessives and egomaniacs are alike in their single-minded pursuit of an edge, by whatever means necessary.
Tom Thibodeau’s obsessions were part of his appeal during his first four seasons as the Bulls’ coach, but his consistent embrace of more work as the solution to all problems more recently has branded him a weirdo. Instant information and instant gratification are joined at the hip in the age of social media, so a three-week rough patch is cause not only for concern but for a change in Bulls leadership.
Upon hearing Thibodeau had ‘‘lost’’ his locker room, my inclination would be to find him a new locker room. The guy is at the elite level of his profession, by far the sharpest mind and steadiest hand on the Bulls’ bench since Phil Jackson.
Never mind that Derrick Rose became the NBA’s most valuable player on his watch, that Joakim Noah evolved into the Defensive Player of the Year or that Jimmy Butler has developed into an All-Star-caliber player. When trouble arises in sports, it’s customary for the boss to be replaced rather than the workers. That’s especially true in the NBA, the ultimate in star-driven enterprises.
Rose is the only star on the Bulls’ roster, and he has been an injury-idled spectator for two of the last three seasons. Thibodeau has done what he has done with his best player available roughly half the time, and three weeks of uneven play is cause for firing him? That’s crazy.
The man can coach. The Bulls should let him.
According to Campus Pride, only 86 colleges across the United States cover hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and gender-affirming surgeries for students, with 22 additional colleges offering only hormonal care.
There are over 4,700 colleges in the US, meaning that far less than 1% are willing to serve their transgender students.
The issue of college health care for transgender students was recently highlighted in a piece in The Progressive, that highlighted the case of a college physician, Annamaria Kontor, who was terminated by the Rochester Institute of Technology solely for offering HRT for transgender students of RIT.
Seven months after Kontor’s termination, the New York State Division of Human Rights found that the school likely discriminated against the doctor by terminating her.
The issue at RIT highlights a growing issue, as more and more teens are coming out as transgender or gender non-conforming. As they enter college, many may seek treatment through their schools.
Per an estimate conducted by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, nearly 150,000 13-17 year olds in the US identify as transgender.
UCLA is one of the 86 colleges and universities cited by Campus Pride for providing both surgery and hormone therapy for their transgender students.
Issues around schools have recently been a major issue politically, with the Department of Education under Betsy DeVos pushing back against the previous administration’s directives requiring equal treatment for transgender students under Title IX.
Learn about the science of beer and have your science on tap at this annual fundraising event! Sample beers and other brews from some of the best micro-breweries in the area, snack on beer-friendly foods, enjoy presentations on home brewing and a variety of beer-related topics, and more. VIP includes early access and special appetizers and beer pairings.
BRUSSELS (AP) — President Donald Trump barreled into a NATO summit Wednesday with claims that a natural gas pipeline deal has left Germany “totally controlled” and “captive to Russia” as he lobbed fresh complaints about allies’ “delinquent” defense spending during the opening of what was expected to be a fraught two-day meeting.
Environmental-conscious Germany is trying to reduce its reliance on coal and is phasing out nuclear power by 2022, so it hopes to use natural gas to partially fill the gap until the country’s electricity grid can cope with fluctuating levels provided by renewable energy. The alternatives, including U.S. supplies, are more expensive.
An organized chant will be heard from at least one group on the Charlotte Square for the court arraignment of Joseph Ray Daniels on Friday morning.
Those won’t be the only shouts from the many people expected around the historic Dickson County Courthouse for his appearance. And not all the words yelled will be family friendly.
The group's chant, however, will serve only to pressure Daniels to reveal the location of 5-year-old Joe Clyde Daniels’ body rather than focus on violence or hate, said organizer Dutch Bryant.
The chants will include “Justice for Baby Joe!” and similar phrases, Bryant said.
General Sessions Court is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Friday.
The Dickson County Sheriff's Office has expanded the search for slain 5-year-old Joe Clyde Daniels to Hickman County, authorities said Wednesday.
According to court documents released Tuesday morning, 27-year-old Krystal Nicole Daniels admitted she was present at the home on Garners Creek Road when Joseph Ray Daniels "intentionally caused the death of their son, Joe Clyde Daniels, who was 5-years-old at the time of his death."
The boy's father, Joseph Ray Daniels, confessed to investigators that he beat the boy to death, according to court documents released Monday. He faces a charge of criminal homicide and was also being held in the Dickson County Jail on $1 million bond.
"Did you like playing in the snow as a kid?” Adrian asked, turning his entire body to look at me.
“Definitely! What kid didn’t like playing in the snow?” I said, removing my hood so I could see him. Those things sure ruined the ability to converse during the wintertime.
“That does sound pretty good,” I sighed.
Winter was my favorite time of the year, despite the rude Chicago winds. Each step was a slap in the face, a shove that prevented me from getting anywhere. But on days when the wind didn’t form mini tornadoes on the sidewalk, I welcomed it. It was one of those days and instead of lying in bed watching The Office, I asked Adrian if he wanted to hang out.