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When you're on a roll, everything goes your way. Typically an IRS audit is something that companies and investors dread -- so it must've been quite a nice surprise for the company when it was determined they had overpaid the taxman $400 million. Apparently they add line 48 to 47 on the EZ, when they should ha... |
Ah, yes. It is about that time in the cycle, isn't it, when we start seeing articles about so-called defensive stocks. You know, stuff like food (People always gotta eat, ya know) soda (people are addicted to coke) drugs (People gotta keep taking their medicine, ya hear) and so on and son. It's almost a clich... |
Psst... here's a little bit of economic data that may not make it onto CNBC. According to the latest study performed by the U.S. Geological Survey, first quarter production of aggregates (crushed stone, concrete, all the hard stuff) was up by 6.3% over last year. Obviously positive q1 information is already in the... |
The Immigration & Naturalization Service is asking for public advice on how to reform the test given to applicants for citizenship. Currently, permanent legal residents of the U.S. who wish to become citizens must answer a few items drawn from a published list of 100 questions and their answers. [You can read them at h... |
Q: What are the colors of our flag? |
Q: What are the three branches of the U.S. government? |
Q: Name one benefit of being a citizen of the United States. |
Charles Bahmueller of the Center for Civic Education is proposing we augment the current emphasis on rote memorization. He wants to use the test to encourage applicants to gain a better understanding of the underlying principles of the Constitution. He'd add questions like "And why are there separate branches?" This wo... |
No doubt a fine improvement. But more far-reaching reforms based on a realistic understanding of human nature are needed. |
First, the current citizenship test reflects a schoolmarm's bias toward book-learning rather than what really motivates love of country. Neoconservative intellectuals constantly tell us that America is not a nation based on blood, but on ideological "propositions." Yet, these American "propositions" are far less except... |
In reality, of course, the average person's most visceral loyalties are not to words, but to the other people, living and dead, in the group to which he belongs. Soldiers sometimes enlist to defend ideals. But when the bullets are flying, they don't charge machine guns to preserve the separation of powers. They risk th... |
What best builds group-cohesion is working together for a common goal. As Hollywood WWII movies loved to show, sharing a foxhole forged solidarity among mutually suspicious white ethnics. If we don't strenuously emphasize loyalty and sacrifice toward one's fellow American citizens, human beings will naturally gravitate... |
You can get people to bond across racial and class lines, but seldom by preaching at them. For example, UC Berkeley students are constantly exhorted about equality and interracial solidarity. But the only place on campus where black and whites students can be seen making sacrifices for each other is on the football fie... |
Another basic law of human psychology is this: You don't get somebody to like you by doing them a favor. That only tends to build resentment over the fact that they are needy and you are not. No, you ask them to do you a favor. |
Thus, I believe one way to instill a love for the American people in immigrants applying for citizenship might be to require them to put in, say, 100 hours of community service (which could be performed in six weekends). We would have to carefully control what kind of service. Allowing, say, Chinese applicants to work ... |
Yet when I proposed requiring 100 hours of service at the recent McCormick Conference on Immigration and Citizenship [see Scott McConnell's Diary at /scott_mcconnell's_diary.htm], the neoconservatives were aghast. One pundit thought it far too onerous a burden. He proposed that instead we should be talking more about w... |
Second, our community-building efforts need to begin far earlier in the immigration process. We cannot continue to wait passively until an immigrant might choose to apply for citizenship. |
Today, many hundreds of millions of foreigners want to move to America. We could easily pick "the best of the best." Then we could turn the granting of permanent legal residence into a really moving ceremony. An orator could tell successful applicants: "You have been carefully selected from an enormous number of applic... |
Instead, winning permanent legal residency these days is a purely bureaucratic experience. The applicant simply receives a letter from the INS containing his Green Card (which isn't even green anymore — it's pink). And it would be hard to find anything morally inspiring to say about why we are letting the typical immig... |
Third, to instill pride in being part of the American community, we must guard jealously the scarcity value of living in America. We must ask new Americans to show their loyalty by making a sacrifice. The social egalitarianism fundamental to our middle-class republic has always been based upon high wages and low land p... |
It makes sense to reform the citizenship test. But any such reform will remain an exercise in barn-door-slamming until we decide upon rational answers to the two basic questions: How many immigrants? And which ones? |
WINSTON-SALEM - Shane Larkin noticed during warm-ups that something was off with No. 2 Miami. The go-go, uptempo Hurricanes seemed a step slow, and not entirely ready to play. |
They certainly paid for it. |
Miami's unbeaten start to Atlantic Coast Conference play is history. So is its 14-game winning streak and its highest-ever national ranking, after the Hurricanes were knocked off by Wake Forest 80-65 on Saturday. |
"You could just see it tonight. I had a bad feeling coming into warm-ups with everybody going slow," Larkin said. "I was trying to get people to go fast, and I wasn't even going full speed like I should have. |
"Overall, we weren't prepared before the game and they came out and punched us in the mouth." |
Larkin added 13 points, Trey McKinney Jones had 11 and Kenny Kadji finished with 10. |
But Miami never got closer than 11 in the final 9 minutes and was outrebounded 36-35 by the younger, smaller Demon Deacons as the best start to ACC play since Duke's 16-0 mark in 1998-99 came to a surprisingly lopsided end. |
"You want to go undefeated, you want to win every game, but you're still in first place," Larkin said. "That's in the past and we're just going to let it stay in the past." |
He added a layup 2 minutes later to pull Miami to 50-45, and it looked as if the Hurricanes were going to find a way to keep their charmed run rolling. |
But two possessions later, C.J. Harris turned a turnover into a fast-break dunk that started a 12-0 run that put the Demon Deacons on the fast track to their biggest victory since they knocked off then-No. 1 Duke four years ago when they were in the top five themselves. |
"There's been some tough times, so staying with it, fighting through adversity, finally coming on top of a big-time win is amazing," Harris said. |
Harris finished with 23 points and hit all five of his 3-pointers while freshman Codi Miler-McIntyre added 15 points for the Demon Deacons (12-14, 5-9). |
As the final seconds ticked away, Harris and Travis McKie - two of the team's three available non-freshmen on scholarship - exchanged a flying chest-bump before the Wake Forest students rushed the court for the second time in little over a month. |
An 86-84 upset of then-No. 18 North Carolina State on Jan. 22 was its biggest victory under Bzdelik. |
This one topped it, by far. |
"Who would have ever thought Wake Forest beating Miami at home would have been a court-rushing scene?" Larkin said. |
McKie finished with 10 rebounds and five blocked shots and Devin Thomas scored 10 points for the Demon Deacons, who - after two years of being one of the ACC's worst teams - have transformed themselves into a tough out at home in the conference. |
They improved to 5-2 against ACC foes at Joel Coliseum. The losses - to Duke and Georgia Tech - are by a combined six points. |
"It shows hope, and if everybody has faith in us and the energy stays the way it does every game - at home, at least - that just shows a big future for Wake Forest basketball and the entire program, period," Miller-McIntyre said. "I know it hasn't been so well in the past few years, but we're all trying to put that beh... |
They thoroughly outplayed the Hurricanes from start to finish, hitting shots from all over the court against a Miami team that at times appeared fatigued after gutting out those three tight wins but wouldn't let that excuse fly. |
"Wake Forest won this game," said Miami big man Reggie Johnson, a Winston-Salem native. "We had mental lapses on the defensive and offensive end. ... I don't want to take anything away from Wake Forest." |
Harris hit three 3-pointers during a 2-minute stretch of a 28-8 run that put Wake Forest up 19 on the Hurricanes - who until then hadn't trailed by more than 13 at any point in an ACC game during their run. |
Arnaud William Adala Moto's fast-break layup with just over a minute before the break put the Demon Deacons up 42-23. |
"Every player in the first half for them was very sharp. They were well rested," Miami coach Jim Larranaga said. "They had a whole week to prepare for us. They defended us well and we were just not as sharp as we need to be." |
Surveys of religious activity and interest indicate that the last two decades of the 20th century could be a time of ''profound religious renewal'' in American society, says pollster George Gallup Jr. |
At the same time, he cautions, his polls also show ''worrisome trends'' that make renewal by no means certain. |
Mr. Gallup reported at a recent meeting of the American Bible Society significant increases over the past few years in the percentage of American adults involved in some form of religious education. |
There also was an increase in the number sharing their faith through some form of evangelization. |
The number of teen-agers participating in Bible study increased from 27 percent in 1978 to 41 percent in a recent poll, he says. |
Despite such activity and the high regard for the Bible expressed by even larger percentages of Americans, actual knowledge of the biblical content remains extremely limited, Mr. Gallup says. |
Relatively few people, his surveys find, know what Jesus told Nicodemus (''Ye must be born again'') or can name as many as five of the Ten Commandments. ''Americans venerate the Bible but don't read it a lot,'' he says. |
Gallup also reported finding high levels of ''credulity'' mixed with genuine religious interest. |
Belief in astrology is as high among churchgoers as among nonchurchgoers, he says. |
But he adds that ''the vast majority'' of Americans want their children to have religious education, wish their own beliefs were stronger, and want religion to play a stronger role in society. |
A busy month of royal engagements continued for the Duchess of Cambridge on Tuesday as she took a trip to Forest Hill in south London to attend the launch of Family Line, a confidential helpline for families from the charity Family Action. Stepping out on a crisp Winter day, Kate chose one of her signature looks, a sma... |
This is the duchess's third royal engagement in London this month. She first took a trip to a community garden, where she made pizzas and bird boxes with a group of cute kids. The duchess then made a visit to the Royal Opera House, where she saw costumes and met members of the wardrobe department. This time around, she... |
Alexandra Underwood still doesn't know why she failed to make America's Next Top Model's finale runway show. |
Raina Hein was confident heading into America's Next Top Model's final fourteenth-season judging panel, but she also understands why she didn't finish on top. |
Krista White had performed extremely well heading into America's Next Top Model's final fourteenth-season judging panel, however she didn't consider herself the favorite to win. |
Krista White's America's Next Top Model dream has finally come true. |
Anslee's stunning face was not enough to keep her in the competition any longer. |
Ren Vokes, a 22-year-old from Grand Prairie, TX, became the third girl eliminated from America's Next Top Model's fourteenth season during last night's broadcast on The CW. |
Given her edgy look and prior modeling experience, Naduah Rugely seemed unlikely to be one of the first girls eliminated from America's Next Top Model's fourteenth season. |
Things appeared to be looking good for Gabrielle Kniery when America's Next Top Model photo shoot director Jay Manuel praised her as the girl who had impressed him the most during the fourteenth season's casting semifinals. |
Gabrielle, an 18-year-old student from St. Louis, MO, and Naduah, a 22-year-old full-time mother from San Diego, CA, became the first two girls eliminated from America's Next Top Model's fourteenth season during last night's broadcast on The CW. |
Nigel Barker "thoroughly enjoyed" serving on America's Next Top Model's fourteenth-season judging panel, and it was partly due to the addition of new judge Andre Leon Talley. |
The CW has revealed the identities of America's Next Top Model's fourteenth-season contestants and also confirmed that Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley will join the judging panel in place of former judge J. "Miss J" Alexander, who has moved to a mentor role. |
The CW has announced that America's Next Top Model's fourteenth season will premiere with a two-hour broadcast on Wednesday, March 3 at 8PM ET/PT. |
U.S. talk-show host Tyra Banks says the fifth season of "The Tyra Show" will be its last. |
Kimora Lee Simmons is reportedly returning to America's Next Top Model. |
The CW has announced open casting call dates and locations for America's Next Top Model's fourteenth cycle. |
ALBERTVILLE, Alabama - A woman who was a substitute teacher for three weeks at Albertville High School earlier this year was arrested after being accused of sexual misconduct with a student while at school. |
Jennifer Marie Morton, 34, Albertville was arrested Thursday by Albertville Police and later released on bond, Assistant Police Chief Jamie Smith said. |
She is scheduled to appear in court May 21. |
Smith said Morton is accused of inappropriate conduct with a 17-year-old male. |
He said "it is my understanding" the incident occurred at Albertville High School. |
Albertville High School Principal Paul McAbee and administrators with the city school system learned of the accusations following Morton's arrest. |
Kristi Pair, the director of teaching and learning with the Albertville school system, said Morton worked as a substitute before being dismissed in February for poor performance. Neither McAbee nor administrators were aware of any misconduct, Pair said. |
"We did not have her arrested and we did not start an investigation," Pair said, adding that McAbee "was just not pleased with some things he was seeing" in her job performance. |
Morton, who had served as a substitute with at least one other school in the system, underwent background checks and received a substitute teaching certificate from the State Department of Education before beginning work, which is required for any substitute, Pair said. Morton passed all requirements. |
Superintendent Ric Ayer and Assistant Superintendent Joyce Bishop are attending an out-of-town conference this week and are unavailable for comment. |
Follow Kelly Kazek on Twitter. Email her at kkazek@al.com or call 256-701-0576 or find her on Facebook. |
@Al_Letson @JudgeJeanine I think my ears started to bleed at "reverse racism" |
It's hard for many to understand how freedom of speech cannot be used by performers in the theater. |
Or why she hasn't used her ranting skills to speak out against Trump's actions. |
@JudgeJeanine @mike_pence @HamiltonMusical & yet mocking disabled people is not? I've got news for you: you're the hypocrite here. |
@JudgeJeanine @mike_pence @HamiltonMusical Clinton and Sanders didn't pass laws that allowed discrimination of LGBT for just being gay. |
@JudgeJeanine @mike_pence @HamiltonMusical U mean like lecturing demeaning,condemning,condescending crap Fox gave PBO daily& he is POTUS? |
And did she miss the part when Pence said he was not offended by the actors of 'Hamilton'? |
Judge Jeanine Pirro, we get that you're passionate and all, but you used an opening statement to attack a Broadway musical. Surely there are more pressing matters to be addressed? |
GRAHAM — The county commissioners have announced a special meeting at 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, to review contracts with ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service — unless President Trump approves a compromise on federal spending and avoids another government shutdown. |
Having the contract approved before midnight Friday, Feb. 15, the deadline, could increase the county’s chances of getting paid. |
The Sheriff’s Office could not get a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement signed in January, during the last partial shutdown, while agencies under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security were not funded, Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson told the commissioners Jan. 22. |
The commissioners approved a $2.8 million budget increase for the Sheriff’s Office at that meeting. That would let the office hire 30 people, detention officers and a lieutenant, and buy uniforms and equipment for them, computers, transportation vans, linens and toiletries for inmates. |
In January, the Sheriff’s Office signed a $530,773 contract with the U.S. Marshals Service, which is under the U.S. Department of Justice, paying $82 per inmate per day and $29 per hour for transporting prisoners, according to a Jan. 22 news release. The commissioners still have to review it. |
The $2 million contract with ICE would include $155 per inmate with guaranteed minimum payment for 30 beds for the first 30 days, according to Tuesday’s release, and 50 beds for the remaining 11 months and a transportation fee of $33.54 per hour. |
That adds up to $2.6 million. The other $204,447 in the budget increase would pay for a 3-percent pay increase for detention officers up to sergeants and a “separation allowance,” like the one required for sworn officers to keep officers in the job. Detention officer is among the highest turnover jobs in county governm... |
Trump hasn’t had much good to say about a bipartisan compromise from House and Senate lawmakers, but he also has said he didn’t believe there would be a shutdown starting at midnight Friday. |
The contract with ICE has been controversial, to put it mildly. There have been protests and public comments at commissioners’ meetings for the better part of a year, and plenty of attention on Johnson since the Trump administration invited the ACSO to rejoin the 287(g) program after it was terminated in 2012. The sher... |
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